#was watching this the other day and. good interview. as so often. but also--her impromptu performance at 37:45?...so hot

[farminglesbian]

"Nur Frauen können Mephisto spielen"

[nezumithewriter]

Blaire sounds so interesting— what’s the world she in like? Is it normal for strange anthro creatures to be there or is her form more played as a reveal as the villian?

Also what musicals does she like agsjbdkdm

oh yeah no it is not normal for her to be a furry in the slightest

see, once upon a time there was this scientific research facility focused on finding various cures to different ailments, such as cancer or genetic conditions. It was called Helianus, based on a sunflower, because they're always looking to the light of the sun and the future. Very cool very demure

There were three scientists working there at the time, named Eric Keller, Henry Siloh, and Beatrice Mayweather, who I have drawn here after her polycule fell apart and all her friends died but that's for later

the three were fairly inseparable, with Henry and Beatrice being some of the best researchers at the facility. Beatrice especially was able to stumble across a compound that could reconstruct human DNA, but she was hesitant to try it on human subjects. On animal subjects, or showed some promise, but not without heavily altering the genetic makeup of the animal and turning them into a goopy mess that often dissolved into puddles weeks later. She named the compound FR-024-S and continued experimenting on it with Henry, who found it incredibly interesting.

Blaire was just an up and coming researcher when she went to grab something from a shelf in a dark room and accidentally knocked a couple vats of the stuff on top of her.

Some screaming and crying later and security finds her on her hands and knees, shaking, surrounded by shattered glass, and as a weird gazelle thing.

After making sure she wasn't about to bite anyone's head off, she was walked out and interviewed by staff, where the full extent of her transformation was made clear. She was healthier, for one, and also happier about her impromptu fursona, despite some lingering feelings of hunger. She also exhibited the ability to shapeshift parts of her body and, given that she had no injuries from the broken glass, was immune lacerations and bruising, which i'm sure won't come back to bite Helianus in the ass later.

Knowing this, Blaire was put back on as an assistant researcher to Beatrice as the facility put more energy into studying FR-024-S. Henry became more interested in the project, while Eric seemed slightly hesitant. Maybe it was the way that Blaire looked at everyone with hungry eyes that set him off. Oh well I'm sure this subtle foreshadowing doesn't mean anything.

(Henry receives a gift from Blaire at some point, and Eric makes a phone call.)

Several inhumane experiments later and a lot of regret buried under the idea that this was all going to a good cause, one of the experiments somehow escape (nobody has seen this one before hmmmm) and kills someone before escaping. The day after, Helianus conveniently finds out that Eric was leaking information to another company and ask Henry to deal with it, since it was him that found out Eric was doing it, after all.

Beatrice watched through a window as Eric contorted and turned into a small creature that didn't look at all similar to a human. There was nothing behind those beady eyes.

A week later, and the breach starts. Blaire had really tried to keep her cravings in check but girls gotta eat, and so do all of the other creatures she tricked Beatrice into making.

Security can stop it, and the only solution Helianus can see to stop the experiments from escaping is a full facility lockdown, trapping the creatures, Blaire, and any staff unfortunate enough to still be in the building inside, below the ground.

Henry goes missing. Beatrice hides in her office with a taser, the only thing she knows can hurt the experiments.

Blaire lets her live, taunting her through the window.

In the actual story and not this backstory, she's able to mimic people's voices, and your only communication with her is through a walkie talkie while she's pretending to be, so yeah i guess it's kind of a reveal. She'd only show up in person near the end methinks. anyways here's some art of her living her best life

her favorite musical is Chicago

[imnotwolverine]

Wolfie’s Fic Recs | The Grand Library of Kink 1/2

THE GRAND LIBRARY OF KINK - Allow me to give you a list of treats to quench the unbearable thirst between your thighs. 

>> Looking for part 2 of this list? <<

🖐WARNING: NSFW - SMUT below the cut 🖐

Author’s note: Let’s be honest. You probably are prowling the Tumblr grounds for the same reasons I am: there’s some darn good porn fics out here. And in the year I’ve been in the Cavillry, I’ve gathered a most wondrous collection of soft to extremely kinky fics. Time..to make a more comprehensible list of my favourites thusfar! (💦It’s long, so you better have some fresh panties at the ready💦)

In this library you’ll find:

Part 1:

Self-help 101  

Cherry Popping Goodness 

Vanilla With A Sprinkling Of Sex Toys 

Vanilla - Toybox Special 

Henry’s Hands Special

The Hook-up

Part 2:

Sensory Delights

The Triple Threat  

Fuck - The Geralt Special

Take It Like A Pussy - The Napoleon Special 

Hammer-time - The Walker Special 

Cpt. Cunnilingus - The Syverson Special

Thighs And Canes - The Sherlock Special 

Fem!DOM 

--

Self-help 101

[This one’s all about the act of self love - solo masturbation]

Toys are for boys. Unless it’s in the bedroom..right? Almost The Same by @lunedelorient  [Henry x Reader]

Mike can’t help himself as his gaze falls upon your lipstick stains on a beer bottle. Where else would he like those stains to be? Lipstick by @emyearns [Mike / reader]

A toy arrives to sweeten the lonely nights when Henry is away. There’s only one minor detail as the package is being unwrapped; she isn’t alone yet. Flying Solo by me [OFC x Henry Cavill]

I love fics written in Henry’s point of view. In this one Henry can’t take it no more. He simply needs to let off some steam; I Need A Woman by @chamomilebottom [Henry Cavill x reader]

This man gets caught..a lot, doesn’t he? You give Henry a helping hand as you catch him in the shower in Welcome Home by @rosethornsanddaisies [Henry Cavill x reader]

I wasn’t sure whether I should put this in the self-help section. So consider yourself warned: watch out..you’re in for a solo-lovin’ surprise in On Display by @ladyreapermc [August Walker x Reader]

--

Cherry Popping Goodness

[There’s a first time for each flower to bloom - loss of vaginal/anal virginity]

The bookstore meet-cute, the skipping heartbeats, and the fluster of cheeks as she just read a steamy passage of her book aloud. It’s the perfect recipe for romance...though there is one tiny, tiny... Her Minor Thing by @ladyreapermc [Henry Cavill x erotica novelist!OFC]

For one night only, gigolo August Walker will make all your fantasies come true. His specialty? Sweet, innocent little flowers. Velvet Chains by @littlefreya [August Walker x reader]

The morning after the cherry popping, a bud starts to bloom. White Honey by @littlefreya [Henry Cavill x reader]

This fic! This. Fic. I hadn’t seen I Capture The Castle when I read this fic, but it made me fall for Stephen so freakin’ hard that I kind of watched the movie straight after. It’s sweet, blushing-cheeks worthy and utterly cinematic. Bluebells by @yespolkadotkitty [Stephen x reader]

August Walker, a virgin? Well..there’s a First Time For Everything by @hope-to-hell [August Walker x reader]

Theseus didn’t mean it to go this way. But he was so thirsty - and now for more then just a drink of water. To Die of Thirst by @hope-to-hell. [Theseus x reader]

It’s Geralt’s first time and isn’t a Witcher body just a fascinating thing..hmm... Anatomy Lessons by @princess-of-riviaa [Geralt x experienced!reader] 

I didn’t know bullet point lists could be this sensual and H.O.T. - First Time w/ Henry by @henchry [Henry Cavill x reader]

GOODNESS ME. Can first times be like this for everyone, please and thank you?! My Flower gives you squirt-inducing, sweet talkin’ Henry making the most out of this special little moment. By @viking-raider [Henry Cavill x reader]

Wait till marriage with August? Highly unlikely....right? Uncharted Territory by @chamomilebottom [August Walker x reader]

Now onto some other sanctuaries to plunder. (Anal that is) Poker Night @foodieforthoughts [Syverson x OFC]

Lets @littlefreya’s words entice you into a new world as you and Henry finally pick the Forbidden Fruit (yep, anal again) [Henry Cavill x OFC]

And now we’re on the anal train, I do notice that men barely ever get any backdoor lovin’ from their partners. And I know, I know: most men are really apprehensive about it. But goodness can it be good! Sy has learned of it’s sweetness and reminisces that first time in Sy And The Sex Tape by @hope-to-hell [Syverson x reader]

--

Vanilla With A Sprinkling Of Sex Toys

[Couple’s sex with just a touch of kink] 

Let’s start with a game. Written in the language of love (French that is), this enticing bit of foreplay gets the blood streaming alright. Invisible Touch by @emelinelovesjc [Henry Cavill x reader]

Is it time for my favourite poetic foreplay fic?! YES it IS! Ode by @wolvesandhoundshowltogether just does something for me and I can simply not explain - just go ahead and read it and see for yourself! [Henry Cavill x reader] 

The key to good sex, is foreplay. And teasing during an event? You bet your  sweet ass you can get Henry riled up. Tease by @captainbigdy [Henry Cavill x reader]

Ready for some myrrh mountain-esque, super indulgent eroticism? Read Confessions by @captainbigdy [Henry Cavill x reader]

Birthday sex

What do you give a man who has it all, for his birthday? A little boudoir, a little make-out on the couch and...Happy Birthday by @rosethornsanddaisies [Henry Cavill x reader]

Apparently boudoir pictures for Henry’s birthday is on y’alls mind! A Picture’s Worth by @sunflowersstan gives you a belated birthday present - but that definitely should not spoil the fun. [Henry Cavill x reader]

Home (coming)

For once, Henry is forgiven for his ungodly early alarm clock: it’s beach time! And Kal will be there too. Home by @chamomilebottom [Henry Cavill x reader]

Henry, unfortunately, isn’t always home. In fact, he’s away quite a lot. Meaning it’s all the important to make up for lost time: Welcome Home by @geralt-of-baevia [Henry Cavill x reader]

And what’d you do if he finally comes home, but an impromptu surprise party is organised by his friends? Better Keep Quiet, baby. By @toomanystoriessolittletime [Henry Cavill x reader]

Does that come with side effects? When a 200 pound beast tackles you after coming home, you just might feel it in the next few days. Lust Worthy by @viking-raider [Henry Cavill x reader]

Home is also domestic goodness ( “Can I, baby?” He whispers against your cheek, placing a soft kiss to it, his eyes searching to meet yours. >> I mean..YES YOU CAN!! DO WHATEVER YOU MUST YOU HUNK OF A BEAR 😩) in this sweet ficseries chap by @lovelycavills: The Night [Henry Cavill x reader]

Tropes to lovers 

Friends to lovers trope, anyone? Of Fck It by @tillthelandslide gives you beers on the couch, friendly banter and then WOOPSIEDOODLIEDOO. [Henry Cavill x reader]

More friends to lovers with one accidental wet dream while lounging on the couch with Henry. Dreaming by @yoursecretsmutblog [Henry Cavill x reader]

Or perhaps PA/boss to lovers? Thunder by @toomanystoriessolittletime gives you Henry in full Geralt gear and rain..lots and lots of rain - meaning it’s time for a ..😏break. [Henry Cavill x OFC]

One more PA story to get the storm in your pussy settled. Years after working for Henry, you send a drunk text and he Answers. In the flesh. By @toomanystoriessolittletime [Henry Cavill x reader]

Audio porn

Another thing I got quite attached to while I learned all about my kinks here on Tumblr, is audio porn. And what better than to have Henry do some audio recording for us thirsty women? Erotic Audios Present... By @thetaoofzoe [Henry Cavill x OFC]

More audioporn!Henry? @toomanystoriessolittletime has got you covered with Talk Dirty To Me, starring photographer Henry who has had.. a bit of a past - and doesn’t his voice sound terribly familiar? 🧐[au!Henry Cavill x reader]

Communication

Smutty fics practically always skip the “So what do you actually like”-part. Well. This fic covers it - and then some. The Interview by @peachyvulpixie. [Henry Cavill x OFC]

And communication is very - very important. Especially when moving stuff around, right Henry? A Little Bit To The Left by @lunedelorient [Henry Cavill x OFC] 

Communication is also key when you want to decide on sub/dom dynamics. Switch has daddy vibes, but in a domestic, confidential, well-established relationship. By @viking-raider [Henry Cavill x reader] 

Or, you may just want to tell sweet Henry that it’s definitely okay to get a little louder between the sheets. Express Yourself by @viking-raider [Henry Cavill x reader]

A thrilling ride

Want to “chose your own adventure” in smutty style? @sciapod’s got just the thing you’re looking for with BD Morning Energy  [Henry Cavill x reader]

Sometimes it’s rough, sometimes it’s sweet, but ever and ever; it’s truly Henry. Read about various types of horny Henry in Shapeshifter by @wanderinglunarnights [Henry Cavill x reader]

Body/orgasm insecurity

This was a very personal piece to write. I have difficulty reaching orgasms, especially with a partner, so for all fellow ladies with the same little problem: Henry is here to give you some Riding Lessons between the sheets. [Henry Cavill x OFC]

And I’m so, so glad that there’s at least a few of you here on Tumblr who can also get a little worried and even impatient between the sheets. Thankfully Henry is the posterboy of Patience, ready to unravel you piece...by.. delicious..piece. By @captainbigdy [Henry Cavill x OFC] 

Nipple love

Female nips get all the lovin’. But male nipples? Not often. Tease by @the-soot-sprite will make sure that is taken well taken care off. [Henry Cavill x reader]

Alright, and now for a little female nip-nip action, let’s dive right into the action. Rough lovin’, shovin’ Cavill is showing you how terribly fucked out he can get you in In My Thoughts by @jolly-polly [Henry Cavill x reader]

Horizontal vs. vertical sex 

Shower sex is such a delectable topic to read about (even though in real life it’s usually awkward and impractical). Let your dreams bring you..after workout Showers with Henry by @darklydeliciousdesires [Henry Cavill x reader]

Or perhaps honeymoon shower sessions? Mirror by @tillthelandslide [Henry Cavill x OFC]

Did someone say honeymoon? Marshall remembers having to climb through that darn window the night before he married you and it makes for a super sweet, domestic fluffy smutty sex scene. And did I mention there was family right at the other side of the door? 👀 Locked by @fourmarkdove [Marshall x reader]

After all that working out it’s time for some food. But what would Henry prefer: ragu or you? What’s Cooking by @writingforhenry [Henry Cavill x reader]

Netflix and Chill

Netflix and chill, anyone? This Movie Night becomes a little steamy 💦 by @writingforhenry [Henry Cavill x reader]

It’s really difficult to watch tv with Henry around, and Freya gets a little frustrated with his incessant teasing; can a woman not just watch some Mindhunter in peace, damnit?! The Refund by @wolvesandhoundshowltogether [Henry Cavill x OFC]

Play-time! 

From game play to girlfriend play during an extremely boring day in lockdown. Confined by @darklydeliciousdesires [Henry Cavill x reader]

More game chair smuttiness? It’s Game on! Mic on! - And ..Eh.. wait..what?! By @thecavillchronicles [Henry Cavill x reader]

Is tickle-play a thing? After a long day where everything seems to have gone wrong, you just need a good shag and Mike will make sure you can Sleep soundly tonight. @emyearns [Mikey x reader]

Alright, it’s a thing. Here’s some more tickle play with Marshall. Laughing During Sex by @promptandpros [Marshall x reader]

Hereby I declare that hairplay is also a thing. And with curls like Henry’s..I mean..come on. Love So Soft gives you dry-humping like horny teenagers after a bad day - and yes..hairplay. By @princess-of-riviaa [Henry Cavill x reader]

Needy Henry

Sad sky eyes are in dire need of some medicine, but Rose doesn’t realise until she’s getting some action for herself that the best medicine for Henry’s malady, is probably not watery soup. In Morbus Et Salus by @fanficsrusz [Henry Cavill x OFC]

Drunk Henry is in need of a midnight snack. And it’s a good thing there just happens to be one in his bed. Drunk In Love by @angrythingstarlight [Henry Cavill x reader]

And the next morning he might just be a really, really needy bear. (My boyfriend, for one, is always EXTRA horny when he is hungover 😂) Five More Minutes by @angrythingstarlight [Henry Cavill x reader]

A few more

And five minutes is probably all you get when you have kids. But it just makes these little mommy and daddy moments all the more sacred. Close To You by @the-soot-sprite [Henry Cavill x reader]

There’s also not a lot of time when you’re in a limo, trying to get your groove on. 🎶Driver roll up the Partition pleaseee 🎶by @fanficsrusz [Henry Cavill x reader]

Now to finish off this vanilla segment: vanilla kisses! Lick Me Till Icecream by @the-soot-sprite [Henry Cavill x reader]

--

Vanilla - Toybox Special 

[A special toy segment for you vanilla(ish) lovers] 

When it’s play time - long work day or no - Henry better be prepared for some frisky business. On Purpose by @wanna-do-bad-things (also hell yes for including some toys!) [Henry Cavill x one very frustrated OFC]

More toys? MORE TOYS! Command And Obey brings you dom!Henry being a terrible teasing ass, but alas..it still gets you all kinds of wet *shrugs* By @wanna-do-bad-things [Henry Cavill x reader]

Perhaps need some dom!Clark instead? With toys? We’ve got you covered. By @poledancingdinos [Clark x OFC]

Now, let’s not forget about Henry’s favourite toy of them all. His bike. In Good Vibrations by @deathonyourtongue [Henry Cavill x reader]

You find Henry pleasing himself with something you didn’t even know he owned; a fleshlight. Henry’s Toy by @viking-raider [Henry Cavill x reader]

--

Henry’s Hands Special 

[I can’t be the only one who has the hots for hands]

Having a bad day? Talented fingers belonging to one caring man of a Henry are here to let off your steam. Burn The Couch by @meowpurrbooks [Henry Cavill x reader]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who has a complete and utter obsession with male hands. This fic is amazing in every way. It’s got suspense, hands AND Henry; Idle Hands by @thelastsock [Henry Cavill x Reader]

More handsy stuff is offered in this private drawing session. Draw Me With Your Fingers by @emelinelovesjc [Henry Cavill x OFC!author]

This fic? ..it’s hands-on work. I must give a disclaimer: I’m hard to please when it comes to daddy!fics, but this one I truly enjoyed. It perfectly rides (hehe) the fine balance between rough throat fucking, choking and usage of the endearing nickname ‘little fawn’. Hands by @twhstuckylover [Henry Cavill x reader]

Henry’s hands are here to warm you up on a cold day in Finger Work by @yoursecretsmutblog [Henry Cavill x reader]

--

The Hook-up

[A little less established, a little more messy. But definitely h-o-t-h-o-t-h-o-t]

Changing rooms may just hide a Dirty Secret (and crotchless pantyhoses) by @foodieforthoughts [Henry Cavill x OFC]

Being toyed around, Henry can’t stand it any longer - and goodness where did he leave that darn bowtie?! Caught In The Storm by @thelastsock [Henry Cavill x Reader]

Syverson is also not one who likes to be toyed around with, especially when you’re in the same bar wearing that deliciously short dress and his favourite high heels. Mine by @yoursecretsmutblog [Syverson x reader]

Dancefloor delights and popping buttons (is this a good time to admit I have ripped some shirts like that? *woops* 😅) - this quite exhibitionistic fic is an utter delight and I’m Glad You Came  by @foodieforthoughts [Henry Cavill x reader]

Since this is steady-hook-up I wasn’t sure whether to post it in this segment or the Vanilla segment, but ..yea..it definitely deserves a read! Rules Of Engagement has Em and Henry coming to the realisation that a friendly hook-up isn’t all that easy. Especially not when one foul IUD throws baby dust in their busy lives. By @ladyreapermc​ [Henry Cavill x OFC] 

Marshall specials 

An old friend/lover shows up just when you find yourself with the predicament of a broken down car. Before you know it you’re having car sex with one curly haired police officer in..yea..a police car. A Perfect Shitty Day by @toomanystoriessolittletime [Marshall x reader]

OOPH you girls are in it for the Walter hook-ups. Forget That Asshole follows up after you had one particularly disappointing blind date. And thankfully a blue eyed sweater-bear-man is there to provide you some much needed consolation.  By @penwieldingdreamer [Marshall x reader]

Sex on set

On set things might just get a little steamy, so might as well take ..*clip scene* ACTION! Touch Me Tease Me by @deathonyourtongue [Henry Cavill x OFC]  

More on-set delights? Perhaps with a touch of embarrassing nerves? Directed By La Petite Mort by @wolvesandhoundshowltogether [Henry Cavill x reader]

--

>> Looking for part 2 of this list? <<

--

Artworks/edits are mine ❤️And as always: if you have more fic recs to add, share them in your reblogs/comments! 

--

[cilldaracailin]

The Show Must Go On

Hello my Tumblr Lovelys!

Random thing today but it was on the news that the dolphin I saw in Kerry last week was missing for two days and they presumed he had died... Turns out he hadn’t and was spotted this morning by a fisherman. Glad to hear he is still around! 

Anywhoo, I am back with the next story in the Robyn and Taron series.

Hope you all enjoy this one!

Suze x

*Disclaimer - I don’t know Taron and this is just fiction and for the purpose of the story, anything medical related, I research thoroughly before using*

1

“There is a great difference between worry and concern. A worried person sees a problem, and a concerned person solves a problem.”

Robyn was worried. When she stepped off the podium after giving her presentation on the Irish curriculum for Early Years Education at the childcare conference in Paris, she automatically checked her phone to see if Taron had messaged her about their possible dinner plans for the evening but instead of a message from him, she had five missed calls from Lyndsey and immediately rang her back. Once Robyn managed to talk to Lyndsey after her third attempt to call her, she heard the anxious tones of his publicist’s voice.

“He is hiding it from me Robyn but I know him too well and he has been burying it for at least two if not three days.”

Taken aback by how troubled Lyndsay was, begging Robyn to come and see Taron for herself, as he refused to listen to anything Lyndsey had to say, getting nothing but angry at her for even suggesting that he was sick. Robyn had apologised to Emma, explaining that something was wrong with Taron and she had to go. Thankfully Robyn knew once she had completed her obligatory presentation, she wasn’t really needed for the rest of the afternoon and Emma had told her to go, her manager knowing she wouldn’t have been able to stop her work colleague when it came down to anything to do with the Welshman and satisfied she had fulfilled her obligations for the Saturday conference, Emma was happy to let Robyn go.

Robyn wished she had worn her converse and not heels as she sat in the taxi on her way to the hotel where Taron’s current interviews were taking place as she had literally run from the conference centre to a main road in Paris to try and hail a taxi and now her feet were killing her and with her knees shaking with nervous anticipation, it wasn’t helping her poor feet. Neither was the dark navy pinstripe suit she wore and she was feeling warm and overheated in the back of the car, the Spring weather in Paris warm and muggy but the formal wear was necessary for the presentation she had been a part of and she wasn’t taking a detour to get to her hotel first so had to make do with the warm suit and high heels to go and see Taron.

She had followed Taron’s travels and promotion very closely through social media but also by talking with him as often as they could. The time difference when he arrived in Japan, had woken her during the middle of the night twice, Taron apologising profusely when he realised she had been sleeping but Robyn was happy to talk to him, listening to his excited tones which only increased as he finally got his hands on some fried chicken from Korea when his tour moved there.

He was even more elated when they visited China and the movie had received a wonderous reception from the critics and fans, telling tales of more food he had tired, hilarious games he had taken part in and staying up drinking sake and singing karaoke, which he paid dearly for the next day.

He was just as excited when he got to visit Sydney again and had filled Robyn in on all of the antics himself and Matthew got up to, even Colin joining in with the laughter during the trio’s day of interviews, Robyn smiling as she heard the happiness in his voice. Sure, he sounded a little tired but he was always in good form and full of animated chat, not even noticing at one point that once again he had woken Robyn up with the time difference until half way through their call.

She had watched every interview that had surfaced and laughed at his escapade’s with Colin, the older man rolling his eyes as the younger made a few jokes at his expense and frowned when some interviews focused on her relationship with Taron. During one particular table panel in L.A as a question was asked about them, she saw his eyes change colour so quickly and the pure annoyance he was feeling clearly on his face, she thought he was going to storm off the stage. It was a horrendous and inappropriate question he was asked about their sexual involvement and if the CPR was just an act to cover for their long-term hidden personal relationship. With the way the panel had been cut together, Robyn was sure it was Lyndsey or Taron himself who put a halt to the questions immediately, the person who had asked the question completely over stepping their boundaries, as in the next part of the interview, Taron had taken his jacket off whereas before he was still wearing it. Robyn knew Taron was more than willing to talk about their relationship, even telling him to do it herself and not avoid the question but there was a point where even Taron felt under attack with questions he was asked and when he had spoken to her on the phone once they figured the time difference out, she could hear the frustration and irritation in his voice. She managed to get his mind off it by talking about her impromptu flour fight in work with the children, making him giggle and talk about the one they had had together which completely lifted his mood by the time they ended the call.

Naturally the travelling and constant working showed on his face and once the tour had moved to America, she could also hear the strain in his voice at one point ending the phone call she had with him because his voice sounded overworked and extremely tired and it wasn’t long before that over tiredness appeared on his face and although he tried to hide a yawn behind a cup in one interview for Good Morning America, Robyn easily caught it. It was his traveling around Europe during the end of his second week of promoting the movie that his change in mood and persona really and obviously transformed.

It was easy to know which interviews happened on the same day, Robyn using Taron’s clothes to judge which ones happened one after the other and the day he wore his blue cardigan and white t-shirt was the beginning of his complete personality turn around. It was before they had travelled to France, the tour stopping in Germany for a night. The once happy Taron became withdrawn and quiet, the dark circles under his eyes which were expected, now deep crevices on his cheeks making his whole face look hollow and almost sickly looking. Robyn knew Taron still gave his all even when he was thoroughly exhausted and always managed to keep smiling or make a smart remake, a laugh or a joke but he was giving nothing except robotic like answers, leaving a lot of the talking to Matthew as they sat together and he was constantly drinking from a bottle of water. Nothing new for Taron, the endless talking easily dried out his throat but the fact that he wasn’t talking and still milling the water into him was out of character for him. When Robyn had tried to call him, he didn’t answer the phone but text her back explaining he was completely caught up with interviews and promised to call her back when he could, though he never did, another text coming through apologising saying he fell asleep or got caught up with a photoshoot or question and answer session. Even their contact that day had been through text although it was pretty one sided as Taron had yet to answer her back about their dinner that evening. It had been three days since she had actually spoken to him and heard his voice.

So when Lyndsey had contacted her to tell her that Taron was sickest she had ever seen him, to the point where he was almost keeling over with a cough and not eating or drinking, Robyn didn’t hesitate to get into a taxi to go to him.

“He is cranky as fuck, refusing to listen to me and pretending everything is ok and while he acts like it is for the camera, off camera I can see how he is lying to me. He won’t listen to me, won’t stop to take a break, insists on ploughing through but his whole body is held in this stiff position where it looks like if he even moves an inch, he will crumble. I have seen Taron go through a lot, but I am really worried Robyn. He is pale, sweating, breathing hard and his voice is desperately hoarse.” Lyndsey took a quick breath. “There is only one person in this world who Taron will listen too and that is you.”

Robyn could hear the desperation in Lyndsey’s voice and the not so subtle hint that she really needed her to go and see Taron because he was being stubborn and surly and a typical man. When Robyn told Lyndsey that she would be there within the next forty-five minutes, Lyndsey was silent in shock for a few seconds before she thanked her profusely, telling Robyn she would be waiting outside the hotel for her and to ignore the fans outside.

Robyn had never even factored in the possibility of fans or the media waiting outside the hotel and as the taxi pulled up to the hotel, Robyn had no idea how she was going to pick Taron’s publicist from the crowd or even see her over all the heads in front of her. After paying the taxi driver, Robyn got out of the car and stood back allowing it to leave before she figured out her next move. There were security guards positioned at the doors to the hotel and the black cars out the front were obviously the ones laid out for the cast but as far as Robyn was aware this hotel was actually the same one that Taron was staying in that night, Lyndsey taking away some travelling for him by booking him into the same hotel where the interviews were taking place, even though it might not be the most luxurious one, it gave him more time to rest up after a full day of press.

As Robyn stood behind the crowd, she took a breath and walked around to the left edge of the footpath and gathering of people, hoping to find a gap that she could get through so she could try and get a glimpse of Lyndsey but she was having no luck and as she manoeuvred through the fans and group standing outside the hotel, even though she didn’t speak French, she could understand the points and stares that were coming her way and was starting to feeling slightly uncomfortable at being noticed, really feeling at a loss of not seeing Lyndsey immediately and becoming more desperate to get to Taron. She was normally comforted by his hand when she was in a crowd like this, especially a crowd that was becoming more aware of what she looked like and who she was and the fact that she was standing there in the open made her heart flutter a little with nerves and she could definitely hear her name echo through the all the people standing around her. It was only when she blinked as a flash went off that she realised not only was the assembly of people filled with fans but with some press and media and another blinding flash went off in her direction. That flutter soon became a harder thump and she could feel herself getting uneasy as more people started to recognise her and whispered her name, more photo’s being taken of her as she stood frozen on the footpath.

She jumped a little as her phone rang. She pulled it from her large handbag and was glad to see it was Lyndsey.

“Hey I am outside.”

“Me too. I can’t see you.” Taron’s publicist still sounded distressed; her words spoken fast.

“I am behind the crowd.”

“Come around to the right side of the fans and media and I will get you through.”

Robyn listened to the end call tone and with Lyndsey ending the call so quickly, Robyn was beginning to fret now too. Lyndsey always appeared with a calm and collected persona, her focus on her job but now she sounded completely frazzled. Robyn made herself walk calmly around to the right side of the crowd again and managed to squeeze herself in through the people, ignoring the looks of animosity she was receiving from the young girls and the whispered of French around her, standing right in front of the barrier that blocked everyone from the hotel entrance.

“Robyn! There you are!” She looked up to see Lyndsey practically running towards her with a security guard on her heels.

He got the crowd to move back quickly, speaking rapid French and once there was enough room, opened the barrier to let Robyn in, Lyndsey grabbing her hand and pulling her hard away from the crowd and towards the hotel, without even a hello or hug as she normally greeted Robyn with. Even with her back turned to the throng of media and press, Robyn could see the flare from a camera flash roll over her and hated that her picture was being taken in such an underhand way but as Lyndsey had a very tight grip on her hand she didn’t really have a lot of time to think about it too much, especially when Lyndsey started to speak in hurried words to her.

“I have never seen him like this. Sure, I have seen him run down and ill. Always comes with the promotion but he is just so withdrawn into himself, almost forcing himself to hold in how shit he feels. I couldn’t tell you the last time he ate something and in-between interviews, his whole body is completely consumed by this horrible cough. He won’t listen to me and actually bit my head off this morning when I told him he needed to skip today and rest up but he was having none of it.”

Lyndsey was still pulling on Robyn’s hand as she spoke and Robyn was finding it hard to keep up with the pace, her heels clip clopping loudly as they rushed in through the doors of the hotel, past the reception and towards the lifts.

“Ok Lyndsey, slow down.”

“He is really sick Robyn and I am so worried about him.”

“I know that but you need to take a breath for a second. You are starting to panic.”

“He won’t let me help him. Taron always lets me help him. Always.”

Robyn turned to face the older lady and placed her hands on her shoulders, seeing in her eyes the concern as clear as day. “And you know how stubborn he can be especially when it comes to his work and please take a breath for me.” When Lyndsey gave her an exasperated sigh, Robyn frowned. “Do it.” She said a bit more sternly, glad to feel her shoulders rise under her hands. “One more.” Robyn insisted and when the lift doors opened, Lyndsey had calmed down considerably.

“Sorry.” Said Lyndsey as they stepped into the lift and she pushed four on the keypad.

“You don’t have to apologise.” Robyn moved to stand beside her in the lift. “I know how much you care about him, so naturally when he acts out of character you are going to worry about him.”

“He normally listens to me.”

“What about Matthew?”

“No luck either. Got the same very angry and irate answers back. I am hoping maybe you can get through to him. You don’t know how glad I am that you were able to come, that you are here at the same time as he is. You were ok to leave work?”

“Yeah it is fine. I was finished my presentation so I could leave.”

Once the doors of the lift opened, they were met with another three security guards but as Lyndsey flashed her pass their way, the two were let through and Robyn followed the publicist down the carpeted hallway following the signs for conference room four.

“They are in the middle of an interview but due a break afterwards for some food before they continue again.”

“How long has he been working today?”

“Since six this morning.”

“Six this morning?” Exclaimed Robyn. “It’s nearly five in the afternoon. Please tell me it’s not been constant!”

“Mostly. They had an early morning TV show followed by interviews, then a photoshoot for a magazine and then himself and Matthew have been here since eleven going through the French press one by one. There are others here from other European countries too so it is pretty full on for him.”

“What time is he due to finish?”

“It should be seven but everything is running behind because some of the interviewers needed help with translation and they are taking up extra time.”

“Did he sleep last night?”

“My gut feeling is no but of course he told he me did.”

“Of course he did.”

Lyndsey stopped outside a pair of double doors, another security guard standing outside on watch. “She is with me.” Once they were through the door, Lyndsey gestured to Robyn to keep quiet and they walked to a screen behind which they could stand to watch Taron and Matthew who were sitting in the middle of an interview.

Even though Robyn knew she had to keep a low profile and not be seen, she still side stepped a little so she could see him better and immediately her heart dropped out of her stomach. It was the worst she had ever seen Taron look and that was including the first time she met him. He looked thoroughly exhausted, his face completely miserable even though he was trying to hide it with the fakest smile she had ever seen on his lips and the laugh he gave was so forced, it made Robyn cringe. She had never heard him laugh like that before and as he lifted the bottle from between his legs to take a sip of water it was either to avoid answering the question that was asked or as Lyndsey had said, to hold in the cough that was desperate to leave his body and his shoulders shook with the struggle of keeping the cough in. She could also see how Lyndsay had explained how he was holding himself too and Taron sat so straight in the chair, it looked so unnatural and uncomfortable. After holding the bottle to his lips but obviously not drinking, Taron eventually took his turn to answer the question, his voice quiet and Robyn could hear the scratchiness with which he spoke and how gravelly he sounded.

“See what I mean?” Lyndsey whispered to her. “Not himself at all.”

Robyn nodded. “But is doing a very good job of trying not to show how shit he actually feels.” Her eyes were glued to Taron. She knew the tour was going to be tiring on him but she couldn’t get over how wretched he looked, incredible black rings under his eyes, eyes which normally had a little sparkle, were dull and lifeless and she could see the effort it took him to answer an easy question, the short breathes he took to counter the cough he was covering. His cheeks were not the rosy red she loved to see when he was slightly embarrassed but more red raw from a high temperature which she was sure he had as along with his red face, there was a clear and obvious sheen of perspiration of his skin. Robyn wasn’t surprised to see the heat on his skin as he was dressed in a leather jacket, jumper and she could also see the collar of a shirt peeking through.

“How long until they are finished?” Robyn turned to Lyndsey.

“About another five minutes or so.”

“Anyway I can interrupt it and stop it?”

Lyndsey smiled sadly. “Wish you could and would love to let you but it’s best we let them finish. He is already going to be mad at me for ringing you to come over.”

“Let him be mad. I can handle him.”

“And that is why I knew I could call you. He needs you Robyn. He will always need you.”

Robyn didn’t answer but turned back to Taron and just wanted to walk over and hug him tightly against her until he gave in and accepted that he was quite obviously ill, just as Robyn predicted he was going to get back on St Patrick’s Day and it hurt her so much that he felt he had to hide how crappy he felt and put up a front for work, to keep working and not even attempt to take a break, to give himself a break, only working himself past the point of exhaustion and pure illness putting his body completely to test.

As Taron sat in the chair half listening to the questions he was being asked by an interviewer from somewhere in Europe, he couldn’t quite remember where, he shivered violently. He had been feeling cold all morning and even after he had pulled on his jacket, he was still frozen. He had been desperate for a coffee to try and not only wake himself up but warm his body up but he couldn’t stomach it or even attempt to swallow it. His throat felt like it was covered in razor blades and every swallow was painful. He had been feeling a bit rough since Wednesday and he woke up with a headache and scratchy throat and although he had been eating paracetamol to try and lift his cold, it hadn’t been helping and now he felt ten times worse, his whole body filled with aches and pains and what was making everything hurt even more was the horrible chesty cough he had been cursed with. He hadn’t slept a wink the night before, up most of the time coughing uncontrollably and every time he lay his head down on the pillow to try and sleep, his whole chest seized up once more and he had to physically get out of the bed and stand up, hoping it would help ease his cough but it never did and at one point he was holding onto the desk in the room as he tried to catch his breath, his whole body convulsing painfully. In the end he had to sit up in the bed and sit up straight and it was uncomfortable for sleeping. During the day he had tried his best to hide the cough, swallowing it down or making an excuse to go to the bathroom where he hid in the cubicle until his fit of coughing was done but it left a sting in his ribs and any deep breathe only brought the cough on so he did his best to avoid any movement that would rustle his upper body, keeping his posture held tight and firm.

He knew he had been a rotten mood since yesterday and felt awful for taking his sulkily temperament out on Lyndsey but the tour was so important to him even more so because the filming had to be halted due to what had happened to him in Florida in the first place and he wasn’t going to miss any interviews because of a small cold. Lyndsey had been on his case since that morning about taking the day off and staying in bed but he couldn’t do that. He had too many responsibilities to follow through with and after he had taken more pain killers, which scraped and burned his throat horribly, he put on a brave face and used his best acting skills to hide how rotten he was truly feeling.

He had such an amazing time on his promotional tour before he started to feel sick and had enjoyed every moment, even the travelling which would normally bring him down when he was over tired and severely jet-lagged didn’t bother him as before. He was putting it down to the fact that every day, even if he got the time difference wrong, he spoke to Robyn and filled her in on the excitement of the day or his annoyance at the nerve of some of the interviewers asking certain questions about their relationship, really overstepping their privacy boundaries. He had laughed and joked and been as proud as punch promoting his new movie, both himself and Matthew bouncing off each other as they sat on early morning TV shows and Q&A sessions and panels and the whole tour had been absolutely perfect.

That was until he started to feel absolutely shit and the more he sat on the chair under the heat of the lights which normally made him sweat, he felt bitterly cold and found it more difficult to concentrate on what he was supposed to be doing as he worked on repressing the need to cough.

“What would you do Taron?”

He had been focused on trying to rub some heat into his frozen hands, he missed the question asked to him and looked up.

“Sorry?”

“If you were faced with the same situation liked Eggsy where he had to shoot his dog? Do you think you could do it?”

While Taron’s mind cursed the question, he forced himself to smile and try to be good natured with his answer. “Definitely not but if it was a life or death situation or to save a family member or a friend, then I guess I would.”

“Even Robyn’s?”

“Sorry?” Taron couldn’t help the edge to his voice, his pounding head and pain behind his eyes not helping him even try to act professional as her name was mentioned.

“If Robyn’s life was in danger, would you shoot the dog.”

“What kind of a stupid fucking question is that?” He spat angrily, taking both Matthew and the interviewer by surprise. “What do you think? She saved my life but I would give up hers for a dogs? Fucking bollocks.”

“And that is time on the interview.” Lyndsey walked over to stand in front of Taron. As soon as she heard the complete change in Taron’s voice, she knew he had had enough of the interview and needed to see a friendly face in the form of Robyn, Lyndsey praying the Irish woman could help him see sense. “You did get the little memo beforehand about the questions about Robyn.” She said to the interviewer. “And your time is actually up. Thank you very much.” Lyndsey turned to look at Taron and he was scowling at her. “Get that look from your face Taron. I know you feel like shit but there is no need for the attitude you are giving me.”

“I am fine.” Taron retorted, his blocked nose making it hard for him to fully pronounce the word ‘fine’. “And if they are going to talk about Robyn like that, I am going to react.”

“First off Taron, you are not fine and secondly you cannot get up on your high horse and go off on one whenever her name is mentioned. You know this.”

“Fuck off Lyndsey. I am fine. Just need some air from all of this shit.”

“Taron!” Robyn had been listening behind the screen and nodded to Lyndsey when she walked away to quickly to put an end to the interview. Inside her heart had soared to hear him talk so protectively about her even though she knew she probably should have been mad at him for his reaction and how he responded to the question but when she heard his angry words to Lyndsey, she wouldn’t have him treat his publicist in such a way and Robyn being Robyn couldn’t help herself and had to interfere, marching around the screen and over to where he was sitting, standing right in front of him. She immediately saw the surprise look in his tired and blood shot eyes, his features changing quicker than a finger click from infuriated to disbelief. “You do not talk to Lyndsey like that.”

Everyone in the room froze, when the young woman walked with purpose right onto the make-shift interview set up and stood in front of the lead actor with her hands on her hips, a definite scowl on her face and not only because of her sudden appearance but because they knew who she was.

“Robyn!” She could hear the pain it took him to exclaim her name and how gruff it sounded, his voice completely losing its tone before he had finished speaking.

Taron’s whole face switched from anger to surprise to relief as Robyn stood in front of him, dressed in another stunning fitted pants suit and he suddenly forgot what he was angry for but seeing the look of disappointment on her face, his head hung to his chest, remembering how he had spoken to Lyndsey feeling completely ashamed with himself. As he let his body flop a little back in the chair, he wasn’t holding himself as he had been and the strength at which he had been using to cover the cough left him and his whole body crumbled forward with fatigue as he was hit with a severe and brutal fit of a burning cough from his chest and as he over balanced on his chair, finally fully giving into how he truly felt, he expected to hit the floor but instead a strong pair of arms caught his left arm while a very familiar pair went to his shoulders to help keep him upright.

Robyn knew her sudden presence had the people in the conference room talking to each other in quiet French but when she dropped to her knees to catch Taron before he fell forward off the chair, she had definitely heard the gasp from those around her, glad Matthew had also reacted quickly grabbing Taron’s left arm to keep him upright too.

“I’m sorry.” Taron spluttered through painful spasms of coughing. “Lyndsey I am so sorry.”

“Shhh don’t talk.” Robyn gave his shoulders a slight rub, feeling them violently shake under her hands as he coughed. She thanked Matthew as he helped to make sure Taron was sitting by himself and she knelt up, in-between Taron’s legs putting her right hand straight onto his forehead and immediately became more concerned than she already was. As she predicted he had a temperature and as she moved her hand around to the back of his neck, Taron’s skin was on fire with an obvious fever and not only was his skin over heated, it was definitely covered in a layer of perspiration and Robyn wasn’t surprised as he was dressed in more layers of clothes than she had ever seen him wear.

“Robyn?” Lyndsey came to hunch down beside her, so glad that Taron already seemed to be admitting defeat to how he was feeling, immediately letting Robyn in to help him but she saw the look of worry increase on her face.

“I need help to get this jacket off him.” She answered moving her hand from his neck and as she went to slide the leather off his shoulders, Taron’s whole body was stricken with another horrible wave of coughing and within seconds, his face had turned red and Robyn could see the pain in his shattered facial features. “Shh Taron shh.” Instead of trying to take his jacket off, Robyn wrapped her arms around his body and pulled him to her, taking all of his weight as he slumped against her, his arms by his side, as she gently rubbed his back round and round in soothing circles. “Shh Taron.”

Matthew had stood up and was standing behind Robyn, ready to catch her in-case she lost her balance as she held Taron but she looked extremely steady on her knees, so he moved to stand beside Lyndsey.

“She came.” He said to the woman who stood with her eyes glued to Taron and Robyn. Lyndsey had told Matthew in-between their interviews that she as going to call Robyn and although he couldn’t say he was surprised to see her, the woman having flown to New York for Taron, he was definitely relieved. He had watched Taron suffer in silence over the last three days and though had tried to talk to the younger man and help him, he was being his usual stubborn self and refusing to listen. Thankfully there was one person, apart from his mother, who Taron listened too and she was currently holding him tight in her arms, whispering to him.

“Of course she did.” Lyndsey confirmed. “She would do anything for him and I knew as soon as he saw her, he would do this.” Lyndsey didn’t really know what to do as she looked at the two in front of her, if she should go and help Robyn but with the two locked in a tight embrace, more so Robyn holding Taron, she didn’t want to move them until Robyn was ready to.

They both watched as Taron finally let go of everything he had been holding in and he sounded terrible, even worse than Lyndsey had imagined. She had never known Taron to be so secretive about his health before, always being open with her if he had a headache or needed an extra shot of expresso to keep him awake because he had slept badly the night before but for some reason he felt the need to keep it to himself how sick he was really was and as she watched Robyn whisper to him, Lyndsey was so thankful for the Irish women who held Taron’s heart in her hands.

Taron felt like he was dreaming and found it so hard to believe that his wonderful Robyn was in front of him. He literally collapsed into her arms and had nothing but trust for her to catch him and she did and he clung to Robyn, his head on her shoulder and he couldn’t even bury his face in his usual comforting spot on her neck as he was consumed by the pain in his chest and ribs from coughing and he was so caught up in how dizzy and poorly he felt that he hadn’t even properly processed how she was in front of him holding him but there she was, rubbing his back with one hand, her other at the base of his neck.

Robyn could feel her legs shaking as she took all of Taron’s weight but she didn’t dare let him go or ask him to move. As he leant against her she could feel how the horrendous cough travelled through his whole body and not only feel it but hear it too and the rattle in his chest was worrying to her, especially at how long it took for the current bout of coughing to end. Once he had caught his breath, she felt him almost throw his face into her neck and she could feel the laboured gasps for air he made against her skin. She moved her right hand into his hair and cupped the back of his head. “Don’t take deep breathes Taron. Just little shallower ones. Too deep and you will cough all over again.”

Taron always trusted Robyn and followed her advice, concentrated on doing the opposite of what he was used too when he was feeling panicky or his anxiety rise and the quick little intakes of air helped him a lot. As he closed his eyes and breathed Robyn in, he felt her hands move from the outside of his jacket and right under his clothes, her hands on the bare skin of his lower back above the waistband of his jeans and belt and the cold of her hands felt so wonderful on his skin and he moaned when she took them away.

“I need to get you out of this coat.” Robyn pushed her hands up and under his clothes as far as she could and once on his bare skin was met with a little dribble of sweat that dripped down his spine and his body was over heated and temperature ridden as it fought whatever bacterial virus it had picked up.

“I am freezing.” He whispered hoarsely into her neck.

“You have a temperature Taron so while you feel cold, your body is on fire. I need to get some of these layers off.”

Robyn looked to Lyndsey who was standing to her left and nodded with her head, glad that Lyndsey understood that she needed some help. Together, with Matthew helping too, they managed to slide Taron’s jacket down his shoulders and off his body, Robyn feeling a shiver run through him as he still leant against her.

“And jumper. Hun, I am going to have to get you to sit back on the chair.”

Taron moaned in protest at being moved but with no energy at the moment, he couldn’t object as he felt his body being gently moved back in the seat. He looked up to see Lyndsey beside him and he reached over to grab her hand. “I am sorry.” He croaked.

“You can make it up to me when you are not a pathetic sweaty mess and I can say I told you so.” Lyndsey gave his hand a squeeze. “You are bloody lucky to have Robyn in your life and I am glad you listen to her. You are never to let yourself feel this ill again Taron, do you hear me? This could have been sorted three days ago if you had of just been honest with me. You are so much more important to me rather than the bloody promotion and your health comes first before anything.”

With a pitiful nod, Taron brought his hands to cover his mouth as he took another fit of coughing and as his cheeks turned red once more, Robyn could feel his friends starting to panic. Without a doubt, Taron was very ill but he didn’t need to see those around him with worried faces.

“Lyndsey does he have a spare t-shirt or shirt?” Robyn was glad to see her nod. “Can you get it for me please.” Once Lyndsey had walked back behind the screen, she turned to Matthew. “Any cold water around?”

“Cold bottles ok?”

“Perfect.”

Once Robyn was sure Lyndsey and Matthew were distracted for a few minutes, she turned her attention back to Taron who was sitting slightly hunched forward with his eyes squinted closed. Now that he was finally given a break from coughing, she could hear once more how laboured his breathing was and the raspy rattle that was coming from his chest.

“You are a disaster,” She said to him, smiling slightly as he managed the tiniest of nods. “Do you know how mad I am at you?” He nodded again. “Is this why you haven’t actually called me since Thursday?” Another miserable nod came her way. Robyn shook her head. “Can I take this jumper off now?” Taking his next nod as permission, Robyn reached forward and holding the bottom of his jumper started to pull it up his body. “Arms up.” She instructed him, Taron listening to her and lifted his arms up above his head, giving Robyn the space she needed to get the jumper off him. Throwing it to the side, she couldn’t help the sigh that came from her lips. “And the shirt too.” He wore a light blue shirt under his jumper and Robyn deftly opened the buttons and pulled it down his arms and threw it to the side with the rest of his clothes. “Jesus Christ Taron. I am fit to kill you.” Robyn’s eyes glanced over his white t-shirt, sighing at the wet patches from where he had been sweating in his layers. She brought her hands to his face and once her hands touched his cheeks, he immediately leaned into them. “I am glad your mother can’t see you like this.”

Taron groaned, cringing as another cough filled his lungs, his throat on fire, his head feeling like it was going to burst. He could feel his body being guided into Robyn’s again and he couldn’t help but lean against her once more, relishing in the coolness of her neck against his right warm cheek but he shivered, feeling cold in the large conference room. He could feel Robyn’s hands running up and down his back and he felt too unwell to even care that the back of his t-shirt was soaked with perspiration or to even feel embarrassed when her fingers creeped under his top and ran in such delicate circles down his spine. He was exhausted in every possible way and his body was making it very clear that he had taken hiding how ill he was too far.

“Here Robyn.”

Matthew walked back over with two cold bottles of water.

“Thanks so much. You can just leave them on the ground beside me.”

“Here is a clean shirt for him too.” Lyndsey knelt beside Robyn with a fresh crisp black shirt in her hands. “What can I do for you.”

“I would really like to try and cool him down a bit. He is running a desperately high temperature.”

Lyndsey looked to her. “You can tell that just by holding him?”

Robyn smiled a little. “Kinda but if you feel his forehead, the back of his neck and then feel your own you will feel the difference immediately.” When Lyndsey hesitated, Robyn encouraged her by taking her hand and guiding it to the back of Taron’s neck, both Taron and Lyndsey reacting to the difference in temperature that they felt. “Now feel the back of my neck.” Robyn bent her head forwards a little and with her hair twisted up in a plait, Lyndsey had easy access to her skin.

“Jesus Taron is so hot.”

“I knew you always had a thing for me.”

It was a laughter that broke up some of the tense atmosphere around them but unfortunately the laughter turned silent as Taron was consumed by another round of coughing, moving completely away from Robyn and back into the chair as he brought one hand to his ribs and one to his mouth. He could feel Robyn’s hands on his knees which he was very thankful for.

“Robyn what can we do for you?” Asked Matthew.

“He really needs a doctor.” Robyn summarised quickly.

“No.” Taron spoke through a rough cough.

“Taron…” Warned Robyn.

“No doctor. I will be ok. Just need to…” He never got to finish his sentence and bent over with his head in his hands as a sharp pain pricked him behind his eyes and once again, he was catching his breath, rasping sounds coming from his chest. “No.” He said as firmly as he could manage. “I just need to sleep it off.”

The three stared at him before Lyndsey and Matthew turned to Robyn. In her heart, she knew he needed to see a doctor, the intensity of the cough she was sure would only be helped with an antibiotic but if Taron was already refusing to even talk about going to see a doctor, Robyn wasn’t going to waste time to convince him, Taron needing to accept that fact for himself.

“Right ok then well let’s get this t-shirt off.” Robyn had lifted her hands to the hem of his top but stalled and looked around the room to the crowd who had gathered around them. She hadn’t really noticed them before but now as she went to physically strip Taron, she could feel every pair of eyes staring at them. “Any chance we can have the room to ourselves for ten or fifteen minutes? Just to make a start on cooling him down? He doesn’t need a crowd around him.”

Lyndsey got to her feet and walked straight over to the event managers to have a quick word, while Matthew knelt beside Robyn, as Taron sat back in the chair again, taking some shallow breathes with his eyes closed.

“Do you have some magic or something? Maybe some fairy dust from the leprechauns? Can I borrow some for when we film the new movie?”

Robyn looked to him. “Magic leprechaun dust?” She questioned, reaching forward to hold Taron’s hands in hers. “What on earth are you on about?”

“You have this way about you when it comes to Taron, I am wondering if you give him something when he goes to visit you.”

“I do have a fairy fort in my back garden so I have access to fairy dust and magic mushrooms whenever I want. I slip some into the cookies I bake for Taron when he comes to see me.”

Robyn grinned when she saw confusion cross Matthew’s face and feeling a squeeze on her hands, turned to look at Taron who had a small smile on his too.

“Really?”

“Sure Matthew.” Robyn shook her head. “Fairy dust in the cookies,” She turned back to Taron as he cleared his throat a few times, watching as his eyes creased at the side. “Can you take a drink for me?” She asked him, frowning as he shook his head a little. “If you are going to refuse to drink anything for me, this is not going to work and I will be calling for an ambulance, never mind a doctor.”

Taron didn’t even need to look at Robyn to know how serious she was about calling the ambulance. “My throat is so sore.” He winced.

Robyn let go of his hands and placing her thumbs on his jaw, moved her fingers to his neck, feeling the swollen glands of an obvious sore throat. “Of course it is and yet you still won’t go and see a doctor.” Robyn picked up one of the bottles of water Matthew had brought her. “Small sips. You don’t take any water in; you end up in hospital.”

Reluctantly, Taron took the bottle from her which she had opened for him and bringing it to his lips, took the smallest of sips, his throat painfully dry.

“Is there anything other than water around?” Robyn asked, knowing the water probably tasted horrible to Taron at the moment. “Anything like a Lucozade?”

“I think they have something like that, hold on.”

While Matthew stood up and walked over to the refreshment table, Robyn took the bottle of water from Taron, much to his delight and as she screwed the lid back on, Lyndsey walked over.

“We have twenty minutes to ourselves. They are asking when the interviews are going to continue.” She spat shaking her head. “Absolute nerve of them.”

“And you did tell them they aren’t right?”

“I told them as politely as I could that these interviews would not be going ahead with Taron, today or tomorrow.”

“What?” Croaked Taron. “Lyndsey no. I have to do them. I need to promote the movie. Especially after the rush to get it finished on time.” The more Taron spoke, the more awful he sounded and Robyn could hear the ache in his voice. “I will change my shirt and continue on.”

Robyn knelt back on her heels, staring at him. “Are you actually serious?” She questioned him.

“What?” He asked, looking to her, wide troubled eyes looking back at him.

The extreme tiredness was so evident on his face and his scowl made it look so much worse. “You want to sit through another five hours of interviews when you feel like complete and utter shit, can barely talk, are crippled with a horrendous cough and have a banging headache?”

“The movie needs to be promoted.” He insisted, trying to hold in another cough that wrecked his chest.

“Taron you’re about this close to collapsing on the floor from exhaustion and how ill you are.”

“I have managed so far today without anybody’s help. I can keep going.” He insisted.

“I give up.” Robyn stood up.

“Robyn?” Taron asked, his voice breaking as he said her name.

“You know I love you and will always support you, but not this. I can’t watch you sit here hunched over in agony, barely able to drink anything or talk. You are sick Taron and incredibly sick with a stupidly high temperature that could easily become very serious but if you want to put your body through more interviews and answering questions by all means go ahead and do it, but I won’t stand or sit here and watch you do it.” With a quick turn, Robyn walked away from him and headed back towards the door she came through with Lyndsey.

“Robyn!” Taron got to his feet and though he was very shaky as he stood, walked after her as she strolled away from him, pushing past Matthew and Lyndsey who tried to stop him. “Please don’t go. Not again.” He took to a quick jog, every movement hurting him. He caught up with her and grabbed her hand. “You can’t leave me, not like this.” He coughed.

Robyn shook his hand away. “When you are finished the interviews, call me and I will come back.” Robyn picked up her bag from where she had left it on the floor. “I am going to sit downstairs in the bar until you are done.”

“You are serious about leaving me again.” Taron rasped.

“You seriously want to sit through another five hours of this feeling like you do?” Robyn turned sharply to him and gestured to the set up for the interview. He didn’t answer her, his eyes going to the floor. “I know how much this movie means to you and I understand how much pressure you felt for this promotion, how important it was for you to get it perfect. The filming was halted because of Florida but something happened that you had no control over and yet you feel so guilty over that and getting through these three weeks and doing it thoroughly and properly is everything to you at the moment.” Robyn took his hands. “I understand it Taron but it doesn’t mean that I can watch you do it, not when you are this sick and ill and I care about you way too much to watch you suffer through it. Another five hours of this and I guarantee that you will be in a hospital bed, on an IV line. You know where I will be if you change your mind.”

Robyn let go of his hands and turned on her heels away from him. It was a drastic and very unfair move to make on him but her reaction needed to be severe for Taron to see that she was deadly serious about walking away from him when he needed her. She had her hand on the door ready to push it open when he called for her.

“Robyn please.”

It was the hopeless and grave voice with the deep broken tone she had expected to hear and she quickly turned around to face him and dropped her bag onto the floor, her arms out to catch him as he stepped over to her and crippled over from tiredness. This time Robyn wasn’t able to keep herself and Taron standing and she didn’t know how she managed but eased the two of them to the floor, Taron’s face buried under her chin as they sat in a ball together on the floor, Taron’s hands gripping her arm tight.

“Don’t leave me.” He cried unhappily as he dug his face into her shoulder.

“I am not going anywhere.” She assured him as she stroked his left cheek. “Except to get you to bed.”

It was a tight cuddle, one that Taron needed desperately and as his body was crippled with another cough, Robyn laid her cheek on his head, feeling Matthew and Lyndsey stand close by waiting and watching for what was going to happen next. Robyn continued to soothe Taron with hushed words and feather light caresses on his cheek as he held her tightly. It was an awkward and uncomfortable position for both as Robyn knelt and Taron was half sitting and half kneeling against her and once Taron caught his breath, Robyn nodded to his director and publicist and the three got the exhausted Welshman to his feet and back onto the chair.

“Reverse phycology at its best.” Robyn explained to his publicist and director as they questioned her moves and words. “Works like a charm.” She pulled at the hem of his t-shirt and as Taron lifted his arms above his head, finally got the sweat ridden piece of cotton off him.

“Always were good at it.” Taron whispered as he shivered, now in just his jeans, goosebumps covering his upper body. “I am sorry and you are right. I need to go to bed.”

“And you had better remember that and no need to say sorry again. Let me cool you down a bit first before we move you to your room.” Robyn slipped off her own suit jacket and placed it on the ground beside her. She picked up one of the cold bottles of water and poured it over his white t-shirt, squeezing the excess water out so it dribbled onto her jacket and not all over the floor. Once she was satisfied with her home-made cold compress, she knelt up between Taron’s legs. “This is going to be cold Taron but it will immediately help to get this temperature down.”

“You mean how hot I am?” He asked hoarsely.

Robyn grinned at his attempt to smile. “We don’t need to fix that, just your body temperature.” She placed her left hand on his right cheek and placed the folded t-shirt on his forehead, seeing Taron close his eyes at the initial touch, feeling the shiver that ran through him. She moved the t-shirt down to his right cheek and then around to the back of his neck, Taron’s chin moving to his chest to give Robyn more space to cool him down. “You ok?”

“Cold.” He answered.

“Not hot anymore?” Robyn joked.

Taron’s slight laugh turned into a cough and his hands went to his chest and ribs. “Don’t make me laugh. It aches.” He closed his eyes as Robyn moved his wet t-shirt down his back and up to his neck once more before she took the t-shirt way from him. He then lifted his head and looked at her, Robyn’s focus completely on wetting his top again. She was wearing a light blue blouse with a V-neck and if he didn’t feel so rough and rotten, he knew he would be feeling something other than tired and ill. As she knelt in between his legs, once again looking after him, he couldn’t quite believe that she was there for him when he needed her the most and hated her way of making him see that he couldn’t carry on with the interviews and desperately needed to lay down and rest but she did it so well and he knew it was her way of showing she cared. His eyes still did a quite roam over her and his heart jumped as it always did, but he moment of joy was soon overshadowed by his cough and he brought both his hands to mouth. He felt Robyn’s wet hands on his shoulders and as always, he felt comforted by her touch.

“Just let me go over you once more and then we can get you settled in your room.”

Taron wished he had the energy to return a smart comment to her and his chin went back to his chest as she placed the wet t-shirt on the back of his neck again.

“Robyn what do you need?” Asked Lyndsey. Herself and Matthew had been keeping quiet, just watching Robyn look after their friend. Of course, they had heard the stories from Taron about Robyn, about her actions in Florida but to see it first hand, both gave each other a knowing look. There was definitely more than friendship between the two. Lyndsey walked over and crouched beside the Irish woman. “I can make a run to a pharmacy for you.”

“Please.” Robyn gently pushed on Taron’s shoulders, getting him to sit back against the chair and moved the cold compress to his forehead. “Paracetamol and cough bottle for a chesty dry cough and lots of tissues and where the nearest doctor is.”

“No doctors.” Taron murmured.

“And where the nearest doctor is and if they do call outs on the weekend.”

“No doctors.” Taron repeated though he knew he was being ignored as his publicist and best friend spoke in hushed whispers. Through tired eyes, he saw Lyndsey walk away from them.

“I got that drink for you too Robyn.” Matthew now crouched beside her.

“Perfect.” Robyn thanked him. “Not that he is going to drink it.”

Taking the wet t-shirt from his head, Robyn threw it to the side and picked up the black shirt Lyndsey had left on Matthew’s chair for him. She draped it over his shoulders and helped Taron to get his arms in. Once the material was fixed on his frame, she buttoned it for him.

“Best we just get him to his room.” Robyn said to Matthew. “What floor is he on?”

“Seventh.”

Robyn groaned. “Of course, he would be.” She looked at Taron as he sat with his eyes closed, taking short breathes through his open lips. “And how many people would we meet along the way?” She asked herself. “You have a hat?”

Taron shook his head before he started to cough again, the throbbing behind his eyes increasing with each painful cough.

“Ok shh Taron.” Robyn placed her hands on his cheeks, feeling the heat on his skin and left them there until he had stopped coughing. “You poor chicken.” She said quietly. “Really putting yourself through hell.” She turned to look at his director. “Would you help me get him back to his room?”

“Of course.”

Robyn left Taron to grab her handbag and she stuffed her suit jacket and Taron’s clothes into it, actually slipping his leather jacket on herself. “Maybe this is something else I can add to my wardrobe.” She joked but when once again Taron didn’t take to laugh, she knew he was definitely feeling very unwell. She dropped in the bottle of Lucozade type sports drink that Matthew had given her into her bag too, needing something other than water for Taron to drink. “Anything else belonging to you around here?” She asked Taron, who was just sitting in the chair sad and completely deflated.

“No my phone is in my pocket.”

“Ok so let’s go then.”

Robyn looked to Matthew and they nodded to each other and taking an arm each, got Taron to his feet, who was very glad to have the support either side of him, even happier when Robyn slipped her arm around his waist, her grip on him tight and firm. He felt himself leaning more into her than Matthew and once again was so thankful for her in more ways that he could describe.

@fuseburner​ @hitmeonmytspot​ @primaba11erina​ @turkish276​

[gayenerd]

This is another article I found during the internet k-hole I went into while looking for information about Adrienne’s ex-fiance, saved in a document, and now can’t find online anymore. I think it was originally featured in the Mankato Free Press, but the author apparently had a blog detailing her 2009 efforts to get in contact with Adrienne and campaign for Green Day to play in Mankato again. There’s some more interesting tidbits about the Mankato punk scene and an interview with Adrienne there. 

Campaign Green Day: Reflection

By Amanda Dyslin

Free Press Features Editor

June 10, 2009 11:29 pm

— It was dark in the middle of the southern Minnesota countryside, somewhere by St. Peter in the summer of 1992.

On a farm with a barn and not much else, there was one light pole casting a shallow glow on three guys standing atop 6-foot wide, 5-foot tall wire spools — a makeshift stage to gain high ground over 200 or so people watching. Next to them was a big, old, beat-up beast of a car pulled up by the owner so 15 or so people could stand on top and gain a better view. One of them had a video camera.

Ben Gruber, then a sophomore at Loyola High School, was there. In fact, he and a buddy had helped haul equipment for the band, and even gave the drummer, Tre Cool, a ride before the show in Mankato. The music was good, he said. A lot more polished than other punk bands he’d seen in Mankato.

He was aware of the five-year-old band, born in Berkeley, Calif., he said. They’d put out a couple of smaller recordings, including their full-length debut “39/Smooth” on Lookout! Records. But they were two years from their breakthrough record, “Dookie,” which would have pretty much everyone at the show that night in awe of what they had experienced — maybe one of the last stripped down, small-scale punk shows Green Day would ever perform.

Mankato punk

The Libido Boyz are often considered the anchor of the Mankato punk scene in the late 1980s/early 1990s. It was a time when the city was rich with garage and basement punk bands, drummer Chad Sabin said before a reunion show in 2007. PSD and Plain Truth were a couple of other bands that got a lot of attention at the time.

Marti’s All Ages Music, located where the Vietnamese restaurant Tonn is now on Front Street, was an open building with a bathroom and a couple of booths where kids could put on shows. A couple of bands went on to the big time after playing there. The Offspring was one of them.

Many claimed having heard of friends who had seen Green Day play at Marti’s. According to a former talent booker, the closest Green Day ever came to playing the venue was when frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and his girlfriend, Adrienne Nesser, walked in and left right after The Offspring’s set in 1994. Marti’s tried to get Green Day to play the venue numerous times, but it was way too small for even the moderate level of fame they’d already gained pre-“Dookie.” Marti’s had the same trouble with the punk band Fugazi.

“It was pretty much no frills,” Gruber said. “There wasn’t much to do there.”

The bulk of the punk scene was made up of high school and college-age punk-rockers who would play anywhere, Sabin said. Like a lot of kids at the time, the Libido Boyz just wanted to play loud, chaotic music, which also is what people seemed to want to hear. Kids would cram into basements for concerts or listen outside garages.

“On any given week or weekend, there would be a show with anywhere from two to 10 bands playing,” Gruber said. “There was a really good crop of musician-age kids who were into (punk) for a while (before) grunge became very popular.”

During the next few years, the Libido Boyz got big. They played in the Cities and toured the state and eventually started playing shows across the country, including New York and San Francisco. Out West is where they met Green Day, who would become the biggest punk band to come through Mankato.

“They were just dirty punks like us,” Sabin said.

Former Libido Boyz bassist Dave Begalka said they played punk shows with Green Day from time to time while on tour. Mike Dirnt, Green Day bassist, actually did Begalka a big favor once when they played a show in Cleveland together.

Some of Begalka’s bass gear went missing, and a couple of months later he saw Dirnt when they both were playing shows in the California Bay Area. Turns out, the bass gear was mixed up with Dirnt’s equipment that night, and he’d been keeping it safe for him the whole time.

“I thought that was just downright a swell thing to do,” Begalka said. “As I recall, I think we couch surfed at Billy Joe’s that night. ... By the way, I still use the lost guitar strap that went around the U.S. with Green Day.”

The Libido Boyz and Green Day crossed paths in another way as well, through Adrienne, who was a student at Minnesota State University and living in Mankato.

The first lady

Adrienne (Nesser) Armstrong, now 39, was born in Minneapolis and started at MSU in the late 1980s, graduating with the class of 1994 with a degree in sociology.

She met Billie Joe on Green Day’s first tour in 1990. Some report it was a show at First Ave in Minneapolis, and she is quoted at greenday.net as saying only about 10 people were there. She asked Billie Joe where she could get a copy of the band’s CD, and the two hit it off.

While on tour, Billie Joe kept in contact with Adrienne by phone. Their first kiss inspired an early Green Day song, “2,000 Light Years Away.” Their relationship caused Billie Joe to arrange two tours around Minnesota so they could see each other, a relationship which lasted about a year and a half.

Although it’s unclear, witnesses who saw Billie Joe and Adrienne around Mankato during that time say the reason Green Day played shows in the area at all was simply because she was here. The shows weren’t a part of any tour, but rather impromptu ways to pass to the time.

The relationship fizzled after they decided the distance was too much of a strain. Adrienne got engaged to Billy Bisson, the frontman of Libido Boyz, the following year. Reports differ from either side, with some saying the relationship dissolved on its own. Bisson has been quoted as saying Billie Joe stole her away.

While in Mankato, Adrienne worked at various places, including the Piercing Pagoda in the River Hills Mall and Pagliai’s Pizza, and is described by those who knew her as a beautiful punk rock girl who everybody had a crush on.

Cheryl Rueda, manager of Pagliai’s, worked with Adrienne and three of the Libido Boyz at the restaurant when Adrienne was dating Bisson. Adrienne also babysat for Cheryl’s kids.

“She was a beautiful girl,” Rueda said. “I think the world of her. She was just a regular person.”

Thursday nights Adrienne babysat for Cheryl’s two kids, Andre and Marisa, who were about 3 and 6 at the time. She would often have a craft project or activity to do to keep them entertained. She even took them out trick-or-treating during a blizzard one year.

“She was their favorite babysitter,” she said.

Carrie Zempel Heise worked with her at a bar called The Jungle, now Dutler’s Bowl.

“I ran into her after the bar had closed down (she was working at Pier 1 Imports), and she told me she was moving out West soon,” Zempel said. “Months later, word got back that she had married Billie Joe, and then the next thing I saw was an interview with him in Rolling Stone magazine talking about his pregnant wife!”

When Adrienne finished school, Billie Joe convinced her to move to California and marry him. Rueda said it happened so fast it seemed she was gone over night. Before she left, she and friends had a big garage sale, said Amy Lennartson of Eagle Lake. She and Lennartson originally had plans to move to San Francisco together and open a business.

“She headed West that May, and I stayed over the summer to finish up my time at MSU,” Lennartson said. “Then, in true rock star fashion, I returned home from a Fourth of July vacation to a wedding invitation from Adrienne — to a wedding that had already happened.”

The wedding took two weeks to plan and happened in five minutes July 2, 1994, in Billie Joe’s backyard, according to the VH1 “Behind the Music” documentary. “We didn’t think about it, we just did it,” Adrienne said.

Protestant, Catholic and Jewish vows were exchanged because neither had a religion. The honeymoon took place 10 minutes from Billie Joe’s house at the Claremont Hotel. The day after the wedding, Adrienne found out she was pregnant.

The couple has two sons, Joseph Marciano, 14, and Jakob Danger, 10.

Adrienne now co-owns Adeline Records in Oakland, Calif., and Adeline Street clothing line. She works with the Natural Resources Defense Council, and co-owns Atomic Garden, an eco-friendly clothing and home goods store.

There is at least one friend in Mankato Adrienne is reported to keep in contact with. But said friend — whose basement Green Day was reported to have played in and who reportedly visited the Armstrongs in California — wasn’t eager to talk about it.

Rueda kept in contact with Adrienne for a while. Adrienne would send the Rueda kids Green Day T-shirts and things. She also sent a family photo to the Ruedas years ago. When Adrienne’s first son was 1 1/2, she came back to Mankato to visit and Rueda saw them. She was the same person she had always been, Rueda said.

A few years ago, Adrienne asked a friend in Mankato to go to the Ruedas’ house and videotape the kids so she could see how much they had grown up. Otherwise, the Ruedas haven’t heard from her since.

Big time

The night Green Day played St. Peter, the original plan was for them to play at someone’s house behind where Casey’s is now on Lee Boulevard in North Mankato.

Two local bands went on first. But the cops came and broke it up because of the noise. Gruber and his buddy offered to drive equipment and Tre Cool to a house on Fifth Street in Mankato, where somebody had offered up their basement. But the band took one look and said it was way too small.

That’s when a girl whose family lived off Hwy. 99 near St. Peter offered her place.

“This whole caravan of cars ended up driving out to her place,” Gruber said.

It was too hot to play in the barn. Gruber suggested the guys make a mini stage out of the wire spools, which they thought was pretty punk rock, even commenting on that stage and show later on a bootleg recording, he said.

Gruber said he later recognized songs such as “Welcome to Paradise” off of “Dookie” that they played that night — the night most people look to as the epitome of nostalgia when it comes to Green Day’s presence in Mankato. People still go to YouTube to check out the nine or so minutes of footage from that concert, despite being out of focus, jittery and too dark to see much.

“Took me back,” Gruber said of watching the footage. “That guy filming, he was probably standing right next to me and my friends.”

A couple of hundred people have similar memories from that night, having accidentally stumbled upon a concert that would become local legend. None of them could possibly have imagined what Green Day would become.

“Dookie,” released in 1994 — which followed 1992’s “Kerplunk,” having sold 50,000 copies — sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S. That album, along with those of The Offspring and Rancid, is credited for reviving mainstream interest in punk music, and it won Best Alternative Album at the Grammy Awards.

Future albums, “Insomniac” and “Nimrod,” went double platinum, and “Warning” went gold. None of them reached the level of success of “Dookie.”

But 2004’s punk rock opera “American Idiot” changed everything. Debuting at No. 1 and selling five million copies, critics absolutely drooled over it. “American Idiot” won Best Rock Album at the 2005 Grammys and swept the MTV Video Music Awards.

“Boulevard of Broken Dreams” spent 16 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and won the Grammy for Record of the Year. During the band’s 150-date tour in support of the album, they drew crowds of 130,000 people over two days in the United Kingdom.

The band’s new album, “21st Century Breakdown,” was released worldwide May 15 and received rave reviews. Last week the band played “The Tonight Show” with Conan O’Brien.

Their world tour kicks off in July, with the Minneapolis show at the Target Center July 11.

Copyright � 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.

[homenum-revelio-hq]

DARK MARKS AND FLAME.

The quiet, damp spring morning of Sunday, March 21, 1982 is suddenly shattered by the crack of explosions sounding throughout Diagon Alley! As the smoke clears, it becomes clear that several buildings were caught in the blasts, most prominently Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Shoppe and Maxim Talkalot’s Apothecary. What also becomes clear are the two Dark Marks floating in the sky above the burning rubble.

The fear and confusion engendered by the explosions triples as the sight and the whole Alley erupts in chaos and terror. The DEATH EATERS are here. No one is safe.

Some of the buildings targeted seem like obvious choices; others, less so. Florean Fortescue has been thumbing his nose at blood-supremacy for years, and the gossip about his employee’s tiff with one Lucius Malfoy is still making the rounds four months later; really the Dark Mark floating above his ice cream shoppe was just a matter of time. Maxim Talkalot’s apothecary is another matter; the Talkalots have always been sensible, practical people and while almost no one would be surprised were it be revealed that Fortescue’s clerk Sirius Black were a member of that Phoenix Group just like his deceased school chum, Potter, none of Talkalot’s people have any connection to the Order...but someone must have done something to upset the Death Eaters, because a Dark Mark hangs in the air above the ruins of his shoppe, too.

Most of the members of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol on duty this morning are in Newcastle-upon-Tyne investigating what turns out to be a false report of Death Eater activity; while the Ministry scrambles to call-in and dispatch available Aurors and other agents, the Death Eaters take the opportunity to sow more chaos and fear - and to fight anyone who doesn’t run screaming at the sight of their silver masks.

CHAOS AT HOME.

The Order of the Phoenix barely has a chance to begin to gather and dispatch a few members to Diagon Alley to assist - because trouble has come to find them, too. Shortly after the explosions begin, the Potter Estate is overrun by Death Eaters. It was their headquarters for over three years until it was recently compromised by the defection of one Ainsley Abbott to the Dark Lord (James having been the Secret Keeper for his home before his untimely death at Ainsley’s hands) and the Order has been waiting ever since for the other shoe to drop...but in the meantime, it seemed a perfect location for Maurice Creevey to host his new recruiting broadcasts. It’s large, available, still has a loyal house-elf on staff, is well-warded, and since its anonymity is already jeopardized it would be no real loss to the Order should the Death Eaters be able to trace the broadcasts back to their source. Not that anyone expected that so quickly...

No, a lazy Sunday morning seemed a perfect time for a trial run of their new spell-augmented program and call-in line (and for Emmeline Vance and Benjy Fenwick to finally clear-out the last of the supplies left behind during their hasty abandonment of their impromptu infirmary) and all was going well...until the Death Eaters arrived.

They were able to Apparate right through the wards, as though someone who knew the spells had told them how - or perhaps they’d simply gathered so much magical power that they overwhelmed the magicks that should have forestalled them. However they did it, they were suddenly there with little to no warning and the handful of Order members found themselves abuptly fighting for their lives.

Everything happened so fast that the first few minutes of battle actually went out live on-air before the broadcast cut-off - making for an extremely tense unintended cliff-hanger for the startled listeners! On the upside, those who don’t think it a cheap gimmick in bad-taste as sure to tune-in next time to find out what happened...provided that enough of the Order survives that there will be a next broadcast...

ASSIGNMENTS.

DIAGON ALLEY:

Caradoc Dearborn & Cordelia Greengrass. If Cora wants to play in the big leagues, she’s going to have to prove herself. Caradoc pulls her along to Diagon Alley when the explosion hits, knowing she needs the experience on the field. If she does well, they can give her a set of Phoenix Tags. If she doesn’t...well, if she doesn’t, she’ll be lucky to survive, so any problems then might be a moot point.

Dedalus Diggle & Fabian Prewett. Dedalus was at work; Fabian was browsing for supplies for his classes. An ordinary, innocent morning - but then the shoppe next to Diggle’s Delight was blasted apart so badly it shattered Dedalus’s windows, and Quality Quidditch Supplies shook so hard all the Bludgers jumped free of their chains. The chaos they found outside was even worse. Dedalus didn’t even recognize Fabian until after he’d Stunned the Death Eater who had a hold of his arm!

Ryland Greengrass & Marlene McKinnon. Ryland knew it was going to be nerve-wracking, braving the streets of Diagon Alley all alone, but he’d summoned his courage and was on his way to meet Dedalus for a morning coffee. He had no idea how much courage this morning was going to require. When Marlene popped into view, it was a relief...until he realized that she’d come here to fight, and had no hesitation in dragging him into battle beside her!

Dorcas Meadowes & Artem Tremblay. A Sunday morning shift at Flourish & Blotts isn’t usually exciting - but then, Diagon Alley isn’t usually on fire. For once, no one batted an eye when Dorcas abandoned her post to run into the street...and into battle. Artem might have approached the situation with more prudence even after their early-for-them late morning breakfast was interrupted by explosions, but when they saw Dorcas trying to duel two Death Eaters at once they couldn’t just sit back and let her...could they?

Isla Selwyn-MacMillan & Lu Travers. Usually Isla is careful about what battles she fights, about how exposed she allows herself to be - but usually, Diagon Alley isn’t on fire with Dark Marks floating in the air above the shoppes that form the jugular vein of England’s magical community. This isn’t a time for care. So when she sees Lu come stumbling out of a shoppe, she doesn’t hesitate: she grabs their arm, tells them to watch her back, and joins the battle. Never mind that nobody asked Lu if they wanted to go to war today...

Branwen Yaxley & Annalise Fawley. When Annalise volunteered to help with the Diagon Alley attack, she thought it would be a good way to earn the Order’s trust. She didn’t expect to be paired with someone as enthusiastic about the fight as Bran! At least most of the other Death Eaters don’t know she’s really on their side, so they won’t be cross with her after for fighting them a little too hard...but on the other hand, most of them don’t know not to try and kill her back. If she wants to survive, she might be forced to help Bran win every duel that comes their way...unless a truly foolproof chance to hex her in the back comes along...

Frank Longbottom & Sirius Black. Frank knew sometimes things would be hard to navigate between being an Auror and working for the Order, but never did he expect to have to try and stay on duty while helping his fellow members during a battle. Nor did he think it would entail having to hold Sirius Black back from jumping into the flames of the young wix’s destroyed workplace.

Edgar Bones & Efa Chittock. It’s important to keep the newer members teamed up with someone who’s been around a bit and no one knows that more than Edgar Bones. While Efa had joined the Order before the new mentorship came into play, that doesn’t mean he still can’t act like one now on the battlefield.

Lily Evans & Lucinda Talkalot. Lily notices the shell-shocked young girl immediately - she’s clearly an employee of the business that just exploded in front of their eyes, probably on her way to work that morning - and she intends to get Lucinda to safety before they both end up dead.

POTTER ESTATE:

Peter Pettigrew & Mary Macdonald. Peter knew that telling the Death Eaters about the Potter Estate meant he’d have to be there fighting alongside the Order when they attacked in order to avoid suspicion. What he didn’t expect, however, was to get stuck dueling Death Eaters back-to-back with Mary, who seems to question everything about this not-so-random attack.

Maurice Creevey & Arabella Figg. Arabella had been a solid choice for Maurice’s broadcast and phone service. While not exactly a Muggle, she often has to live like one. Interviewing her on air about her life might show something to people listening. Too bad they never get to finish what they’re doing before chaos ensues. 

Benjy Fenwick & Emmeline Vance. Benjy and Emmeline are working on getting the remaining supplies from the estate to the House of Bones when the Death Eaters attack. Neither are used to being on the battlefield, which would prove to be a struggle if one were to get hurt...

Regulus Black & Gideon Prewett. Gideon has been tasked with looking into the mysterious necklace that Regulus claims to be a piece of the Dark Lord’s soul. He called Regulus to the Potter Estate prior to the attack to help guide him through the properties of the Horcrux. Little do they know what’s about to interrupt their discussion!

Amelia Bones & Mundungus Fletcher. After her brother gets pulled into an impromptu mission in Diagon Alley, Amelia rushes to the Potter Estate to see how she can help. She thinks she finds Mundungus Fletcher avoiding responsibility, but really, he’s looking at a list of dates. The same list that had been discovered at the Rosier house on Valentine’s Day. The chilling part is - the list has today’s date right at the top. 

Remus Lupin & Severus Snape. Severus is delivering the next batch of healing potions to Emmeline to put away for packing when the attack begins. It’s hard to know what to do, given he fights for both sides, but it’s even harder to realize he hadn’t known this was planned. By the time he runs into Remus Lupin, who’s just enjoying the last days at a fallen friend’s home, it’s understandable why his old classmate might be suspicious of him.

Emma Vanity & Hestia Jones. Hestia was here to observe the broadcast; Emma was planning on helping Benjy pack and move healing supplies. Neither one of them expected to end up in a fight for their lives; neither one of them are really comfortable with the idea of being in a battle - but the battle is happening, and their only chance of getting out of it alive is to fight.

Alice Longbottom & Maddy Warren. Alice wasn’t working - not scheduled for duty today, unlike her husband. While she’s one of the best fighters in the Order, they can’t risk her being exposed by the Aurors called to the scene wondering why she, too, showed up so instead of rushing to Diagon Alley to face the Death Eaters, she’s stuck doing behind-the-scenes gigs with the newest Order member... until the Death Eaters find them. 

THINGS TO CONSIDER.

This is all happening very fast and things are frightening and chaotic - for the Order as well as for the bystanders. No one in Diagon Alley knows if there are more attacks to come; no one at the Potter Estate knows how the Death Eaters got in nor how many there are. No one know who might be hurt, or worse.

This was not a planned mission, so they do not have access to the Map as they had during the last several missions. Those that have their Phoenix Tags will definitely want to use them! Remember, some characters don’t yet have them, while others may have forgotten to keep them handy when they weren’t expecting a fight.

While we definitely want you to spend your primary focus and effort on your assigned paras, you might get to a point where your characters want to split-up or trade-off writing partners or add a third character to the thread etc etc. This is allowed! Things are pure chaos in the Wixen World right now, and we aren’t going to stand in the way of that!

DETAILS.

Some of the pairings above were set by the admins based on events planned in-game. Others were chosen using random dice rolls. As always, admins will keep track of what is happening within threads. At random intervals, players might be asked to dice roll for their group, which will then spur a mini plot drop for their characters.

Remember to tags your posts with the date of event and to tag any open starters with ‘homenumstarter.’ This event does not yet have an end date, as we will vote on that like we have in the past. Threads set prior to March 21st can still be continued and more can still be started, if needed for plots!

[escapismprison]

stutter- c.b.

a.n.- hey y’all, i wrote this a little while ago and i thought i might as well post it. there’s nowhere near enough friends fics, especially for chandler so. i listened to stutter by maroon 5 while writing it so if you wanna get the vibe, listen to that. this is set around season 1 of friends bc that’s the best chandler look tbh. also i would die for mondler. enjoy ✨

the first time you opened the door to central perk you noticed two things:

one, the smell of your saviour, your messiah, your own personal jesus (although depeche mode was never really your thing). coffee.

two, a group of six twenty-somethings, making slightly too much noise, hanging around a collection of comfy-looking sofas and chairs near the centre of the café.

now fairly obnoxious groups of friends wasn’t something you weren’t used to, often being a member of said groups meant you were surrounded by them in clubs, work etc. however, this particular group caught your eye. seating yourself at the bar and sneakily inspecting them further, it’s instantly evident there are six very different personalities within the collection.

you see one girl with short-ish blonde hair (who’s conventionally attractive looks pen her to be the princess) playfully poking a cute, cheerful, mixed-raced guy who appears to be enjoying the attention. the player, you assume. next, you cast your eyes over to the worn sofa and see a woman with black bobbed hair and sharp cheekbones, sat with her hands placed carefully in her lap, listening intently to her wildly gesticulating other-blonde-friend. the mom friend and the weirdo, of course.

finally, the last pair in the bunch contains a dopey-eyed, tall guy- the brainiac- who is trying to get the attention of his floppy-haired, attractive- very attractive actually- friend; who just so happens to be glued to his spot on the chair, staring at you with wide-eyes and mouth agape.

his brain seems to catch up with the rest of him, however, as he jerks himself out of his trance, meets your inquisitive gaze, and realises his current predicament. you watch with amusement while he desperately attempts to hide his ever-worsening blush with his hands, leaning on one with his elbow on the arm of his chair, then frantically switching to sitting upright and covering his mouth with the other.

quietly conversing with his friend, he covers the side of his face with one hand, acting as a shield to protect his cheeks from the burning sensation your stare has inflicted on them. despite his concerns, the gesture is pointless as, regardless of his make-shift barricade, the racket from the remainder of the shop would prevent you from hearing his impromptu confessional anyway.

you quickly note you haven’t thought of the role this man has in his friendship group and bring your gaze down to survey his fashion choices. these, unfortunately, don’t reveal a lot to you as baggy clothes and untucked shirts are typical current fashion. a trend follower maybe? though he hasn’t quite mastered the cool and collected persona of many men you had met before. (admittedly, these men had an 100% chance of ending up being dull as dish water.) but curiously, he didn’t seem to be a ‘many men’ kind of guy.

in your reverie you hadn’t noticed the man, as discreetly as possible, (so not very), pump himself up to approach the mysterious woman who had been observing him so carefully. you panic a little as this handsome figure hastily finishes his conversation with his, presumably, wingman companion. he has also managed to achieve the support of the group surrounding him, who award him with not-so-subtle thumbs ups and pats on the back. you clock a few evaluative glances thrown your way. turning your head to avoid their inspection, you manage to fumble into your handbag and pull out your round pocket-mirror, for a rushed last-minute appearance check. the mirror being an item that has been heralded as a life-saver many times in previous desperate situations.

by the time you have closed the mirror, placed it back in your bag and zipped it up again, the man is half-way to your stool at the bar. his friends watch his movements eagerly, waiting for the outcome of his brave decision.

you scan him as he nears you and re-affirm that he is definitely very attractive. a stab of nerves materialises in your stomach.

‘hi,’ he says ‘c-chandler is, my name.’ horror washes over his features while he visibly attempts to pull himself together. his hand twitches and hurriedly runs itself through his hair. you internally scream at this gesture because, amazingly, he has managed to make himself ten times more attractive with a single action.

you were fucked.

chuckling lightly at his apprehension and as a result of your own nerves, you reply with ‘hey chandler my name is (y/n)’ in an slightly incomprehensible mumble.

you all but giggled at your equally embarrassing anxious state. the childish sound made your cheeks heat up instantly and you meet the eyes of the man standing in front of you.

he seems to have somewhat regained his confidence as he gently laughs in relief at the realisation that his target is just as unsure as himself.

‘that wasn’t a great start was it?’ he sighs.

‘maybe not,’ you respond, smiling brightly at him, ‘but it was a start at least.’

a cheeky smile adorns his face that you’re pretty sure gave you heart palpitations for the few seconds proceeding it.

after a moment of eye-contact, chandler snaps himself out of his second trance of the day.

‘mind if i sit there?’ he asks, anxiety still lingering in his words while gesturing towards the empty seat to your right. you curse yourself for forgetting basic manners.

‘yeah of course.’

pleasant silence, with a twinge of awkwardness, settles over your end of the bar. you play with your hands and don’t quite notice the fascinated look chandler has. eyes fixated on your hands as they dance around each other in uncertainty.

‘so, hey.’

you gently break the quiet and hope to restore some momentum into your encounter.

‘oh, yeah sorry, hey.’ chandler gives you a lop-sided grin and adds ‘not really on my game today.’

you laugh.

‘so, uh i was just wondering if, yknow, possibly, maybe s- sometime? going out? would be nice?’ he bites his lip and reckless-you wants to jump into his lap, wrap your arms around his neck and kiss him hard.

but you don’t do this, much to reckless-you’s disappointment.

instead, your eyes widen slightly, the sudden request taking you by surprise, but the warm feeling from his adorable vulnerability and openness overpowers any shock.

‘yeah, sure.’ you give a kind smile.

‘oh, i’ll give you my number.’ he briskly pats his trousers and recognises his lack of phone.

‘shit, sorry don’t have it. i’ll go check over there.’ he gets up to leave and you reach for his wrist.

‘no it’s fine’ you assure, tugging him back to his seat gently.

quickly grabbing a notepad from your bag, you scribble your number with a stray pen lurking at the bottom of the bag.

‘a lady that’s prepared huh?’

you shake your head playfully as you attempt to rip the paper in a straight-ish fashion. you’re suddenly aware you’re under scrutiny of the man in front of you and your heightened nerves cause you to tear haphazardly and make a huge mess of it. tiny scraps of paper fall from your hands as you sigh at yourself.

he chuckles and you meet his eyes. ‘god they’re right about blue eyes’ you think. as the saying goes, you found yourself drowning in them.

you jump slightly when he clears his throat and it’s your turn to feel embarrassed about being entranced. he’s wearing a smirk that you’re not sure if you should hit him or kiss him for.

‘here,’ he says, holding out his hand, palm faced-down onto the table in front.

‘you could write your number on there?’

‘yeah. good idea.’ you hold out your dominant hand and place the tip of the pen on the back of his sacrificial hand. you shakily inscribe your number and it’s a miracle you could remember it in the melt-down state you’ve found yourself in.

‘there.’ you pat your handiwork and fleetingly admire the natural art of chandler’s hands. you decide his faintly protruding veins and bones make for a particularly pretty exhibition.

‘thanks.’ he says.

‘no problem’ you reply.

sharing equally sheepish smiles, flushed cheeks and all, you look at each other. you look down at your watch and realise with regret you need to get to your job interview.

‘shit. i gotta go, job interview.’

‘oh wow. good luck, you’ll do great.’ he smiles kindly. ‘way too cute.’ you think.

he leaves his seat and you stand up next to him, putting your jacket on.

‘until next time?’ he proposes.

‘yeah of course.’ you gesture towards his hand containing your details. ‘call me.’

‘definitely.’ he grins at you and you grin back.

‘see you.’ you say, not really wanting this to end, but deciding that you’d like to have means to pay rent.

‘mhm.’ he replies, not seeming to be paying much attention, eyes casting over you as if he was trying to burn you into his memory. in a moment of uncharacteristic boldness, you get on your tip toes and kiss him gently on the cheek.

he blushes at this and gives you the biggest smile yet.

‘bye chandler.’ you squeeze his hand and make your way to the door you entered through, when you were completely unaware of the adorable guy sitting in the group of six obnoxious twenty-somethings. when walking out the door and past the windows of central perk, you don’t notice chandler sinking to the floor and clutching his heart. and you also didn’t know that this was a telltale sign that he had, literally and figuratively, fallen for you.

[bubblemintkitten]

Luca/Tan - Adoption. 15 of X

I figured I would just perform fictional magic to work out a few things. Also, I know next to nothing about how adoption works in America, I tried to research it. Please don’t yell at me.

Also, I kinda imagine that they live in kiiiinda the house Luca and Street share, but it’s more than a 2-bedroom house. Okay?

Word count: 2250

 During the adoption process there had been a few interviews, a bunch really. They had been asked all kinds of questions already. Some went on repeat, some were new every time.

They got asked just about everything from whether they would like to adopt a girl or a boy, or if that was irrelevant, to if they would be able to take in a kid with some sort of disability.

“Both is fine I guess.” Luca shrugged, “I mean, we would definitely have to learn a bit more if we were to adopt a girl. I mean, neither of us have been teenage girls. We don’t have first hand experience in braiding hair or whatever happens to a girl during puberty.”

The woman, Carolina, from the adoption burau chuckled a bit, “So, no real preference there, or?”

“No, either-or is just fine.” Tan chuckled as he glanced over at Luca.

Luca smiled and reached for his coffee, while the woman wrote down their answer.

“So, what’s your stance when it comes to…” she glanced over to Luca with an apologetic shrug, “disabilities, behavioral problems and learning difficulties.”

Luca shrugged a little and looked over at Tan, “I… I think… I mean, our house is already accessible, but then again… There’s a lot of stuff I physically won’t be able to help out with if…”

Tan nodded, “Yeah.”

Carolina just waited for their ‘final’ answer.

“I think we could manage taking care of a kid in a wheelchair. If that’s what you’re trying to say. At least if it’s because of something similar to your situation.”

Luca chortled, “Dude, I’m pretty sure at least a few of our buddies would claim that you’re already taking care of a kid in a wheelchair.”

Tan hung his head as he chuckled, “You’re impossible.”

Luca grinned, “Anyway, you managed to make a sentence out of what I was meaning.”

Tan nodded, “Yeah, I think we could handle that. At least if the kid already knows how to get around with the chair and stuff…”

Carolina nodded silently.

Luca nodded, “It would probably be easier for us, than for someone who doesn’t have experience with just that. Right?”

“Probably.” Tan nodded.

“So I’ll note that it would be okay with a kid in need of a wheelchair, as long as there’s not too much heavy lifting involved.”

Luca nodded, “Sounds about right.”

Tan nodded as well.

“And how about all that other stuff? Difficult behaviors, learning disabilities.”

“If this had been before my accident, I would’ve said we would have been up for anything.” Luca sighed, “Truth is, I do have days where I’m not up for as much as I usually am. So… I don’t want to say that we’re not up for any of it, but…”

“How about we say that we guess that we’re up for light cases.” Tan offered.

Luca nodded a little.

“Okay.” Carolina smiled, “I kinda guessed something along those lines, judging from our previous meetings.”

“I mean, every kid deserves parents that love them.” Luca said as he lifted one leg up on the opposite knee, “And I know we would love any kid we ended up adopting. But, kids also deserve parents who are able to take properly care of them, especially if they have some sort of baggage. I know we can be good parents, but I also know I have my limitations, and I don’t want too much to have to fall on Tan.”

Carolina nodded and wrote something down.

Tan picked up his coffee and took a sip.

“You said you eventually wanted more kids…”

“Yeah,” Tan nodded as he placed the coffee back on the table.

Luca nodded along.

“And you were flexible on age, right?”

“Yeah.” Luca nodded, “We talked a lot about that before we applied. In one way, it would be awesome to adopt a young kid, who wouldn’t necessarily remember anything else than us being his or hers parents. But, we have a buddy who grew up in foster care and group homes. And, well… He said older kids don’t get adopted as often. So… We kinda want to do something about that as well.”

Carolina smiled, “Yeah, your buddy is mostly right about that.”

Tan nodded.

“I do have a few potential matches in mind, for you guys…” Carolina admitted, “But, I have one potential match I’m a little more passionate about than the rest…”

“Yeah?”

“What’s your stand on adopting more than one kid straight away?”

“That’s possible?”

“Yeah, it’s sometimes done with siblings, but also kids who has formed a tight bond in a group home.”

“Well, yeah?” Luca nodded as he looked over at Tan, “Or do you…”

“No, I agree.” Tan smirked back, “It will probably be a harder transition from where we’re at now, but it’ll get us to where we want to be faster. And we’re almost always up for a challenge, right?”

Luca nodded, “Yeah.”

Carolina grinned, “Great. So, the kids I have in mind are a girl and a boy. The girl is almost two years old, the boy is fourteen. They’re not related, but they act like it. The girl comes from a violent home, and she takes a while to warm up to new people, and the older boy is pretty much the only one she has started really trusting.”

Tan nodded along. Luca did too, but his eyes were getting glossy a bit quicker.

“The boy was orphaned at 7 years old. He has been through a lot of foster homes, and a couple of group homes. He’s always had a hard time at school, but lately he’s started skipping classes and getting into some small-time trouble. He has always been very mature for his age, and behaved well, but like I said, he has started getting into some trouble. All in all, I really want to get them both out of the system, but they are a package deal. The girl would have been easy to get someone to adopt, if she didn’t need the boy around to stay calm. People are usually more hesitant about adopting older kids.”

One glance over at Luca told Tan all he needed to know. “Yes. Please. Let us adopt them.”

“Yeah?”

Both of them nodded.

“Great!” Carolina grinned, “Then I’ll start the paperwork as soon as I get back to the office.”

Luca dried off some tears which had trailed down his cheeks. “Are you for real?”

“Yeah.” Carolina nodded, “It’s going to take a little while, but… The rest is just formalities.”

 *    *    *

 A month or two later, the day arrived.

Jesse almost couldn’t believe it when he stood in front of the door of his new home with the lady who had followed him for the last few years beside him and Alexandra with her arms wrapped around his leg.

“You said they were good people…” he hated how his voice was shaking. Not like his voice was cracking because of puberty and his voice changing, but because he was actually really nervous. But Carolina was the closest thing he had to a mom, so he didn’t really care that much. She had always looked out for him.

“I really think they are.” She smiled back, “I think you’re really going to get comfortable and settle down here.”

A nervous laugh bubbled from his chest, “Yeah?”

She nodded, “Are you ready to meet them?”

“If you mean ‘am I about to throw up from how nervous I am?’ Then yeah…”

“You’ll do fine…”

“You think so?”

She nodded, “You both will. It might take a little time, but I think they will be the right parents for both of you.”

Jesse nodded and ran a hand through his hair.

Carolina knocked on the door.

A dog barked inside, which caused Alexandra to giggle. “Doggie!”

“Yeah, sounds like you’re going to have a new friend.” He grinned and looked down at the tiny girl.

Someone inside said something to the dog, which immediately stopped barking, and then a few seconds later the door opened. “Hello!”

Jesse had prepared himself for looking up at a man. Carolina had said that it was a gay couple who was adopting them, and that was fine. He didn’t mind that at all. As long as they were good to him and Alexandra, he could have been adopted by aliens and he wouldn’t have cared. As long as he didn’t have to share a small, small bedroom with five other guys, he would not complain.

What he hadn’t expected was to have to look down at one of those men. “You’re in a wheelchair?”

The man cracked a wide grin, “Yeah, I am. Excellent observation.”

Jesse blushed, “Sorry, that came out very wrong… Hey…”

The man chuckled, “Don’t worry about it. I’m guessing Carolina didn’t mention it…”

Jesse shook his head and looked between Carolina and the man, “She showed pictures of you, but… Not ones with the chair.”

The man nodded, “Yeah, I’m Luca, by the way… You must be Jesse, and the little lady behind you must be Alexandra…”

Jesse nodded, “Yeah.”

Alexandra had hidden behind his legs almost as soon as the door opened. He had expected that.

“Well, come on in…” Luca wheeled back a bit, “Tan will be home in a minute or so… They had a situation at work.”

Carolina nodded, “He’s alright though?”

“Yeah, it was basically just some impromptu overtime.” Luca nodded as she passed him, and the kids started to follow her.

“Look, doggie!” Alexandra tugged at his pants.

“Yeah, I see it…” Jesse smiled, before he turned to Luca, “Is the dog…”

“Duke? He’s a big cuddler, safe around kids as well.” Luca nodded, and patted his leg. The dog looked up, then stood up and walked over to him.

Alexandra almost peeked out from behind his legs.

“Do you want to say hey to him?” Luca asked, looking at Alexandra while he rubbed the shoulder of the dog.

Jesse knew Alexandra wouldn’t step out to pet the dog on her own. But he also knew she loved dogs.

“Come on kiddo…” he said, holding his hand down to her. She grabbed hold of his hand.

He knelt down beside the dog, Alexandra stood next to his knee and reached out to pet the dog.

Luca smiled as he watched the tiny girl bury her face in Duke’s fur.

 *    *    *

 “So, would you guys like anything to drink?” Luca asked once the Carolina and Jesse had sat down in the couch. Alexandra was in the corner with Duke. “Coffee, soda, water, milk… Juice…?”

“A coffee would be lovely…” Carolina smiled.

Jesse nodded, “Can I get coffee as well?”

“Sure…” Luca nodded, “Do you use anything in it?”

Jesse shook his head.

“And Alexandra, do you know what she likes to drink?” Luca asked, glancing over at her, “I don’t think she’d like me to roll over to her and ask yet…”

Jesse nodded, “Usually she just drinks water, but she’s a big fan of apple juice and coke.”

Luca nodded, “Okay, do you want some soda or juice as well?”

“No thanks.” Jesse shook his head.

“Okay.” Luca nodded and rolled off into the kitchen. A minute or so later he came back with 3 cups of coffee, and a glass of apple juice on a tray which rested on his lap.

“Practical tray you’ve got there…” Jesse smirked.

“Yeah, my brother made it for me when I moved back home after the accident.”

Jesse nodded, “How did it happen?”

“Car accident.” Luca shrugged, as he picked up one of the coffees and handed it to Jesse “A few years back.”

Jesse nodded, “Thank you…”

“You’re welcome…” Luca smiled back as he handed the second cup to Carolina.

“Thanks.” She smiled back.

Luca smiled and nodded. He placed the glass of apple juice next to Jesse, and his own coffee cup where he usually sat when he didn’t bother to transfer out of the wheelchair. Then he took the tray and leaned it against one of the legs of the table.

 *    *    *

 The front door opened, and the other man he recognized from the photos entered. The man greeted all of them, Alexandra shied away, then he walked over to Luca and bent down to give him a quick hug from behind.

Luca placed one hand over Tan’s arm to return the hug, before he scrounged up his nose, “You stink…”

“I know…” Tan chuckled, “I’m gonna go grab a shower, then I’ll be social later…”

“Good call…” Luca chuckled and released Tan.

 *    *    *    

 At the end of the day, Jesse felt really lucky ending up with Tan and Luca. They seemed as cool as Carolina had described them, and they let Alexandra get the space she often needed.

Already on the first day, they had two rooms set up for them. They had kept the rooms pretty bland, but that was just so the two of them could easily apply their own style once they moved in. And they had planned a shopping day for tomorrow, to get some new clothes and stuff for their rooms.

He was pretty sure that he would never call either of them any variation of ‘dad’, but that was just because he felt a little old to start with that now. Besides, he remembered his real parents. But he hoped Alexandra would, once she warmed up to them.

[nour386]

Ballad of the Past

My gift to @lyeox for the @pinesconessecrets 2019 event! I apologise for the wait. I hoe you enjoy your youtuber au.

(also on ao3!)

“It’s so beautiful.” Dipper’s fingers trembled as they neared the golden plaque. “If I were to die right now, I would have no regrets.”

“Hey! No dying yet. You still owe me dinner.” Wirt placed his hands on his hips. 

The pair stood in Dipper’s bedroom, hastily cleaned for their impromptu recording. Dipper had just received his 1 million subscriber award. The golden plaque had arrived that very morning, and every person and cryptid within a 3 mile radius was made well aware of its delivery. But in this present moment, Dipper was hoping to let his fans know how grateful he was for their help in reaching this milestone.

Dipper pressed his finger to his lips. “Hush, I’m celebrating.”

“This is what I have to deal with.” Wirt said. He turned to the camera at the foot of the bed and pointed to his boyfriend, who had started to weep over the golden plaque.

“I’d like to thank the academy,” Dipper sobbed.

“Okay, we’re going to cut recording for now. Dipper needs some time,” Wirt said. “See you guys in a few minutes. Or an hour if his uncle sees the gold plaque and tries to pawn it off.”

Wirt clicked off the recording and turned to his boyfriend. “Are you feeling okay?” “Yeah, yeah, I just need a second.” Dipper wiped his eyes.

“Oh my gosh, I thought you were just being dramatic.” Wirt withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket. He gently pressed it against Dipper’s cheek, wiping away his tears. 

“I’m fine.  No, really.” Dipper took the handkerchief and wiped his eyes. “I haven’t been able to cry properly for years.” “Yeah…that doesn’t sound anywhere near the definition of fine.” Wirt crossed his arms.

“Don’t get your antlers in a twist.” Dipper punched Wirt’s arm. 

“Rude!” Wirt gasped.

“Says the man who speaks in demonic tongues when he stubs his toe.” Dipper stuck out his tongue.

 Wirt stomped his foot. “Your cabinet is made of redwood! It hurts!”

“Well, good to know what the biggest weakness of a tree demon is.” Dipper rolled his eyes.

“I refuse to be insulted this way,” Wirt said.

“How would you prefer to be insulted then?” Dipper smirked.

“Not at all. Thank you very much.” Wirt sat down heavily on the bed, making Dipper jump.

“Guess these are sticks in the mud then.” Dipper tugged at Wirt’s antlers.

“That tears it.”

Wirt tackled Dipper onto the mattress. He mercilessly tickled the other boy, smirking wickedly as Dipper begged for mercy between giggles. Dipper tried to fight back, but Wirt was wiggly, like a palm in a hurricane.

“Uncle! Uncle!” Dipper cried between giggles.

Wirt stopped his assault, giving his boyfriend a chance to catch his breath. Dipper took  this moment to attack Wirt back. Reaching under his boyfriend's arm and tickling his sides. 

“That isn’t fair!” Wirt gasped. “You gave up.” “All’s fair in love and war,” Dipper grinned. He decided to grant Wirt some mercy and got off the bed. 

“That has to be illegal,” Wirt said after a few deep breaths.

“Under the Geneva Convention, probably, but in the Pines house hold it certainly isn’t.” Dipper stuck out his tongue.

“Ugh, my own boyfriend assaulting me in my time of need.” Wirt rolled over, turning his head away in faux disgust. “I knew I should have stayed in the forest.”

“Sour puss.” Dipper flicked Wirt’s ear before sitting back down onto the bed. 

He laid the plaque on his lap.  Inside the rectangular frame was the Youtube logo, a play button. Below were the words, warded to Cryptid Hunters Anonymous for passing 1,000,000 subscribers”. Not to mention the most important detail: it was entirely made of gold. Dipper gently ran his hand over it. The cool metal reflected his own teary eyed grin.

“So, do you have any plans for your big one mil commemorative video?” Wirt asked. He sat up and rested his chin on Dipper’s shoulder. “A special cryptid hunt? A behind the scenes tour?”

“Bleh, I’ve already shown my recording equipment. Although, I guess I could try an AMA for the multibear. He seemed to enjoy the interview last time.” Dipper furrowed his brow.

“What about unreleased hunts?” Wirt asked, wrapping his arms around Dipper’s waist.

“I already posted everything,” Dipper said. “Well...there is one. But, um...”

“Yes? What’s the problem? It can’t be the video, you’re a wonder on your laptop.” Wirt flourished his hand. “You colourised an old video that was dyed grey from those monochrome goblins.”

“It’s not that.  I did need to replace the camera after that one, though. And funnily enough, I also couldn't edit the footage whatsoever.” Dipper shrugged awkwardly. “I guess it’d be easier to show you. But you have to promise to not make fun of me.”

“Dipper, please. I would never. I’m a respectable tree monster.” Wirt nuzzled into Dipper’s neck. “Besides, I watched your earlier videos. I’ve seen you at your worst. How bad can  it be?”

Dipper brought his laptop to the bed. With a couple of clicks, he opened up the video he had hidden away from the public eye. He gave a heavy sigh as he sat back and cuddled up to Wirt.

“So, remember when we met up at that cafe on Fifth Street for the first time?” Dipper asked. “And how you said it was really lucky that I decided to sit next to you that day?”

“Yes, I remember Mabel waving to you from across the cafe and pushing us to spending the day together.” Wirt tapped his chin.

“It worked out, didn’t it?” Dipper grinned. “You even said yes to a date with me by the end of it.” 

“What could I say? You were adorable. Especially when you snuck looks at that script you wrote on a napkin,” Wirt teased. “Who even does that?”

“Someone worth dating, quite obviously.” Dipper raised his nose in pride.

“C’mon, start it up, Francis Ford Coppola.” Wirt nudged him with his elbow.

“Fine, fine.” Dipper reached forward and started up the video.

The screen was dim. A squelching noise came out of the laptop’s speakers as the image focused on the muddy ground. Leaves lay strewn all across the forest floor while Dipper detailed his goal for that day’s hunt. Mabel occasionally called out her opinions to ‘lessen the nerdiness,’ as she phrased it.

“It’s been raining really heavily for the past few days, so I decided to check out if this affect anything in the forest. I mean obviously it would, it’s not like rain was invented yesterday.”

He kept talking, leaves squelching underfoot as he walked.

“I know the gnomes are probably not too happy about this. They had an outdoor barbeque planned for today. They handed out invites and everything.” Dipper flashed a crudely drawn greeting card. It showed a crayon drawing of a short man with a pointy red hat and a white apron standing behind a smoking red barbeque. 

“But no one shows up to their barbeques!” Mabel’s distinctly cheerful could be heard behind the camera.

Dipper turned the camera to show his sister sticking out her tongue. “When the only thing on the menu is pinecone, roast pinecone, and pine cone steak, I doubt you’d have crowds flocking over.” 

“Maybe they’d have more people come if they didn’t kidnap people all the time,” Mabel teaseded. 

Dipper turned the camera around and continued his hike through the woods. He would occasionally stop to point out different tracks and markings he came across. Mabel would drop in a comment or two, often at her twin’s expense. After concluding that the venture was uneventful, the pair agreed to head back.

“Dipper, if it starts raining on me and my hair gets ruined. I will never forgive you,” Mabel said from off screen.

“Let me just check that next clearing.” 

“Fine, only because I know you need the exercise,” Mabel teased.

The camera was pointed at the clearing in question. It looked rather dark, much like the rest of the woods, thanks to the dark clouds above. As Dipper neared, a figure came into view, standing in the centre of the clearing.

“Hey, I see something over here!” Dipper cried, walking further into the clearing. 

Before him stood a wooden statue of a gnome no taller than his knee, including the hat. The statue’s face was caught half way through a scream of terror, mouth openwide, eyes half closed andarms raised defensively.

“Is it petrified?” Dipper tapped the statue with his finger. “It’s too detailed to be handmade.”

“Dipper, look out!” Mabel’s voice was distant.

Before he could realise what his sister meant, Dipper bumped into someone he hadn’t noticed. The camera fell to the ground, pointing upwards, showing a tall, shadowy figure with antlers that seemed to meld with the branches of the trees above. They stared Dipper down with shining eyes.

“Oh no, he’s hot,” Dipper muttered just before he was dragged out of shot. “Wait no the camera!”

“Camera later. Staying alive now!” Her voice faded out.

The creature looked down at the camera before the picture cut to black.

“And that was that,” Dipper said. He did jazz hands.

“That...oh, no.” Wirt rested his head in his hand. “Oh cheese and crackers. Please tell me I didn’t chase after you.”

“No, we got back to the Shack safely. The camera, on the other hand, showed up on our doorstep a week later, covered in oil with the SD card being the only thing still intact.” Dipper rubbed the back of his head. “This footage was kinda messed up, so I couldn’t really edit out that last comment at the end there. So I kinda shelved it.”

“Oh no. I can’t believe this is happening right now.” Wirt’s face was now completely buried in his hands. “Please just kill me now.” 

“Sorry, fresh out of holy water,” Dipper said. “So, um you wanna explain what was going on there?”

“Okay, so long story short, I was working off some steam and petrified a gnome in the woods.” Wirt had laid back on the bed.

“Wait, that was an actual gnome?” Dipper asked. “You just petrified someone?”

“He was a fairy dust dealer.” Wirt rolled his eyes. “It was a moral freebie.”

“Right.” Dipper didn’t sound convinced. “And why were you so peeved?” “Oh my gosh you would not believe.” Wirt sat up fingers rubbing his temples. “Alright so, the elves in the wood hold a poetry competition once every 5 years. So I enter, all wide-eyed and hopeful thinking that my poetry has a chance of making it in, right?” Dipper laid back, rolling his eyes at his boyfriend’s enthusiastic narration. A soft smile spread across his face as he leaned against Wirt.

Wirt started waving his arms as he spoke. “I walk up to the stage, my nerves making me feel sick after waiting 3 hours for my turn. I stand up with my ballad. I had spent months writing, re-writing, re-writing again and re-writing one more time for luck. Not to mention rehearsals. And then after sitting through the extravaganza of elvish poetry, which can last for days at a time, I leave the competition wish last place! The judges said my entry was ‘too short’.”

“What was an acceptable length? 2 weeks?” Dipper chuckled.

“Apparently! “ Wirt threw up his arms. “I thought for sure I would have scored higher than the one elf who just stood there and gave a failed improv routine. He didn’t even rhyme! Not even once! And he somehow left with third place.” 

Dipper leaned over and lightly pecked Wirt’s cheek. “I would have given you first place.”

“You’re my boyfriend. That would be cheating.”

“How about you read your poem to me and I’ll judge it,” Dipper said. 

“Interesting.” Wirt tapped his chin. “It would give me the opportunity to show off my prowess. Sure, why not. I’ll be back in a few.”

As he watched his boyfriend scurry out the door; Dipper smiled fondly. He grateful for that fateful day in the woods. And while he made himself comfortable in bed, he wondered if he could have poetry reading be his one million subscriber special. His fans were interested in his love life, so maybe a small preview wouldn’t hurt.

[mksc77]

30 for Christmas prompts, thanks

Thanks so much for the ask, anon, sorry this took so long!  I’ve tweaked canon a little bit for Chain Reaction :)

30--”Ugh, I’ve caught a cold.”

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Sharon sat at the kitchen table with a stack of Christmas cards to mail out. Christmastime often made her miss Emily's and Ricky's younger days, but she had to admit that writing a short message and signing cards was much less of a hassle than getting them ready for pictures and dealing with them moaning and groaning about it. She got a tissue from the Kleenex box beside her and blew her nose, grateful when the tea kettle on the stove whistled. Andy had just had a cold and had whined incessantly about it for over a week, but it wasn't nearly as bad as his antics had made it out to be. After adding honey, cinnamon, and a little lemon juice to her steaming mug, she got back to her Christmas cards.

A few minutes later, Ricky came in. He and Andy had been tasked with buying the Christmas tree that morning. Sharon sipped her tea. "Where's Andy?"

"He's going next door to ask John to help us bring in the tree."

Sharon narrowed her eyes. "Why will that require three of you—never mind. I don't want to know."

Ricky shrugged. "You'll find out soon enough."

It wasn't long before the three men were dragging in the tree. And kept dragging several moments after a normal-sized tree should've been through the door. "Andy, what the hell?!" Sharon couldn't help exclaiming. She followed them into the living room, her eyes widening as the tree nearly reached the fifteen-foot ceiling. "Andy!"

Her pine needle-covered husband looked over at her as he started unwrapping the string from around the tree, all innocence. "What?"

"This is enormous!"

"Yeah, well, we thought-"

"Uh, you need to work on your first-person pronouns, Andy. There was no we," Ricky interrupted. "I told you Mom was going to lose her mind."

"Fine. I thought last year's tree looked tiny in here-"

"It was ten feet!" Sharon moved closer to the tree. This one had to be at least twelve or thirteen. The lowest branches were as high as her knees.

Rusty came in from his bedroom, where he'd been studying for upcoming exams all morning. "What is all the commotion?!...Holy crap, that's a big ass tree."

Sharon nodded at Andy. "Clark Griswold here thought last year's was too small."

Rusty looked over at her when she sneezed. "Oh, god, Mom, are you sick? Stay the hell away from me, I can't get sick before finals!"

Andy glanced at her. "Yeah, you don't look so great."

"Ugh, I've caught a cold." Sharon gave Andy a pointed look. "Your cold."

Andy grinned. "Hey, is it my fault you couldn't stop kissing me?"

Sharon nodded. "It's absolutely your fault for being so damn cute." She looped her arm through his and tilted her chin up to kiss him.

"It's a good thing we haven't eaten lunch yet," Ricky muttered. "It would've just come right back up."

"It's like they try to gross us out," Rusty agreed. "Just be glad you don't have to be here much when this place is a clusterfuck of mistletoe. Andy puts it everywhere. The tradition is to kiss under the mistletoe, not make out, but try telling them that."

Ricky grimaced. "You have my sympathies."

Sharon rolled her eyes and started back to the kitchen. "I'll cook lunch," Andy offered. He looked back at Ricky and Rusty. "After we make a pit stop under the mistletoe."

"I never thought I'd say this, but I can't wait to get back to studying," Rusty grumbled. "Next year, I'm hiding that damn mistletoe."

Sharon sat back down at the kitchen table and continued with her Christmas cards while Andy pulled ingredients out of the refrigerator. "I'll make the Margaret Flynn cure-all," he promised, still sounding a little congested, himself. "But I'm not so sure you can pin this on me. If you had what I had, you wouldn't be writing Christmas cards right now. You'd be in bed."

Sharon rolled her eyes. "It's the same thing, Andy, I'm just not the same baby that you are about a little cold."

Andy looked wounded. "It was not a little cold!"

Sharon placed her pen on the table and sipped her tea. The sniffles and mistletoe reminded her of a certain Christmas a few years ago. Rusty had recently pointed out that she and Andy were "dating," and neither of them were sure how they felt about that revelation. The "non-dates" had slowed down, and they weren't sure how to act around each other. After a couple of weeks of thinking about it, Sharon was coming around to the idea, but Andy had taken a couple of steps back. Rusty was also experiencing rejection, and they had commiserated about it after they'd finally solved the case. Rusty didn't know the specifics with Andy, but she'd been frustrated enough to generally vent a little that evening over burgers. She also felt a little dejected that he was back to calling her 'Sharon,' but she wasn't about to bring that up. She'd never thought much about the possibility, but hearing him referring to her as 'Mom' in front of Jeff, the guy he liked, had sounded so natural and warmed her heart. And, god, Jack had been such an ass, basically guilting her about Christmas through the damn interview camera. That had just been the beginning of another headache, and she hadn't been happy with Emily and Ricky for keeping that from her. Especially since they were able to leave town soon after but left Rusty in the middle of the aftermath.

That evening, Nicole and Dean dropped their boys off to spend the night, and Emily, Emmett, and Marie came over for dinner. While they were eating, Marie dropped her fork on the floor and looked over the side of the high chair. "Fuck!" Sharon's eyes widened as the other adults tried not to laugh, and she was soon trying to suppress laughter herself.

Six-year-old Logan and four-year-old Alex were thankfully engaged in their own conversation and didn't notice, but it didn't get past anyone else. The table exploded with laughter, and Emmett finally composed himself first. "Honey, that's not a nice word, so don't say it again, okay?"

Marie gave him a disbelieving look and glanced around the table until her eyes landed on Sharon, then pointed a chubby finger in her direction. "Gammy said it!"

Mocking looks of reproach from the other adults were immediately directed at Sharon. "She's repeating everything we say, now, you have to be careful," Andy chided, in a perfect imitation of Sharon to the rest of them. She'd been getting onto everyone else about cussing in front of Marie for months now.

"This is too funny," Ricky added. "Mom breaking any kind of rule is hilarious enough, but it's the best when she breaks her own."

Emily laughed. "When Marie repeats what she heard her dear Gammy say and gets kicked out of daycare, clear your schedule, Mom, because you'll have a new job."

Sharon rolled her eyes, remembering exactly when she'd gotten busted. "This wouldn't be an issue if someone would put the toilet seat back down every now and then," she muttered in Andy's direction.

Once dinner was over and the kitchen was clean, Sharon started her kids' Christmas playlist while the kids and grandkids poked through her ornament collection and started hanging them on the tree. She would definitely be going behind them and rearranging many of them later, but they were having a good time. The younger ones were, anyway, the older ones weren't so keen on this task. The Glee soundtrack had provided some good, upbeat, kid-pleasing songs, and they bounced around to We Need a Little Christmas as they strategically placed their ornaments. Well, Marie was doing a little more of just watching the others than decorating, which she needed help with, but it worked. Sharon missed Ricky's comment that it didn't feel like Christmas without 'Mom being an ornament Nazi,' but she did notice when she wasn't satisfied with one of his ornament placements. "No, not there, Ricky."

Not surprised, Ricky pointed his finger torward her. "There. Now it's Christmas."

Ignoring him, Sharon lay against Andy on the couch, humming softly as he draped a blanket over her and kissed her forehead. "You don't feel warm, so you definitely can't blame me for this," he informed her. "It can't be the same thing."

Sharon rolled her eyes. "You never had a fever, either." Like a child, he'd claimed that her hand had to be wrong sometimes and insisted on using the thermometer, although it had rendered the same result.

"No, I think we just need a new thermometer," Andy insisted. He stroked his fingers through her hair. "This song reminds me of the Santa murders from a few years ago. But I like this version of it better, I've gotta admit." He'd never wanted to hear Johnny Mathis again after watching the security tape from the flash mob so many times. "Except I was the one with the cold then."

Sharon nodded. "I was just thinking about that earlier. And then you passed it to me after an impromptu rendezvous under the mistletoe after the makeshift Christmas party."

Andy shrugged. "Or, you could've just gotten it from being in close quarters during the case. Provenza caught it from me, too, but I swear it had nothing to do with mistletoe."

Sharon laughed. "There's an image I could've gone without. But I like my version of how I caught it from you better, at least I got a kiss out of it. A good one, might I add."

December 24, 2014

After the case was wrapped up, Sharon was in her office, going over some paperwork before heading home. It was hard to concentrate, both from the sadness of not being at home with her children and from the recent revelation of Provenza's new relationship. She smiled, despite herself, remembering how she'd had to forcefully gesture for her team of elite detectives to leave the murder room after Patrice showed up like they were a bunch of gossip-hungry teenagers. She looked up when she heard a knock at her door and invited Andy inside. He told her a little bit about the end of the case and paused. "You know, if you can't make it home for the holidays, maybe home can come to you." Confused, she got up and followed him to the break room. He opened the door for her. "Merry Christmas."

Sharon's eyes lit up when the first thing she noticed was her old Christmas village. It wasn't arranged exactly like she usually did it, but it was close enough. She did notice a small green gift box adorned with holly berries with her name on it tucked neatly in the snow, and her curiosity got the best of her. She smiled when she opened the gift and found a small angel. The mystery of the sender was solved when Andy appeared beside her. "Merry Christmas!"

Sharon turned and gently tugged at his tie, wishing it was suspenders instead, but anyway, then quickly pulled her hand back before anyone else saw. "Andy! Thank you. You didn't need to get me anything."

"Yeah, well, I saw it and couldn't help but think of you."

They shared a long gaze and might've kissed right then and there if everyone else hadn't been around, but Emily and Rusty, seeming to be in the midst of a heated discussion in the hall, caught her eye. All three of her children had appeared to be up to something, a fact she'd picked up on despite the fact that she regrettably hadn't spent much time with them in the last couple of days. "Excuse me." She still wasn't convinced that they weren't hiding something from her, and she felt like she’d gotten so close to breaking Rusty, but Emily's announcement about being a soloist the next year was exciting enough for her to push it to the back of her mind for the time being and enjoy the rest of the party.

A little while later, everything was cleaned up, and everyone was leaving. After promising her children that she wasn't far behind them, Sharon went to her office to gather the remaining paperwork from the case and straighten up her office from the last couple of days of chaos. The Christmas decorations would stay up for a while. She was never in a hurry for Christmas to be over, especially now that she'd worked for most of Christmas, and the Catholic tradition of leaving Christmas decor up until Epiphany was one she didn't complain about. She looked around the murder room for a few moments before going to the break room to make sure none of her dishes or anything else from the condo had been left behind. She was surprised when Andy was still there. "Hey, I thought you were gone."

Andy shrugged. "I'm not seeing Nicole and her family until tomorrow, and Provenza and I usually spend Christmas Eve together when we don't have to work. He's with Patrice now, so I'm not exactly in a huge hurry to get home."

Sharon gave him a sad smile. "I'm glad you'll get to see some of your family tomorrow. You should probably get some rest, anyway, you've sounded a little congested since yesterday." Things had been different between them for the last couple of weeks, but she could sense a little bit of normalcy creeping back. She noticed the mistletoe above them, and an idea came to her. She didn't know if it was Christmas or what, but she'd been toying with the idea of moving past the friendship stage with Andy since the night they went to The Nutcracker. She just wasn't sure how Andy felt about it, but the electricity that seemed to be between them felt right. "Thanks again for my gift," she added, hoping to pick up where they left off at the party. The long gaze returned, and Sharon's heart fluttered when Andy's face started to move closer to hers. He seemed to think better of it and leaned back again, and her heart sank just as quickly.

"I, uh, don't want to give you my cold," Andy explained, unable to make himself look away from her.

Sharon looked up in a pointed gesture. "Well, you know how I am about rules, and I'm even more strict about Christmas ones. You're going to have to do better than that."

Andy's hesitation must have been more about not knowing whether she wanted to than about him not wanting to, because he didn't waste any time. "Well, I am a diligent rule-follower."

Sharon forced herself not to roll her eyes and choked down a disbelieving laugh as she cautiously slipped her arms around his waist and closed the space between them. She liked the closeness and complied as Andy tilted her chin up and kissed her. It was slow and tender, but not without passion, and she felt stirrings in her that she hadn't felt in a while. Her mind raced with the complications that came along with a relationship with her subordinate, but she forced herself to push those thoughts aside and enjoy the ride for now.

A complaint from Ricky pulled Sharon from her thoughts. "I still can't believe you threw away my pinecone elves. They were the essence of Christmas."

Sharon rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you that they were falling apart?"

"A lot more times than you should have to tell an adult," Rusty answered. "Don't worry, Ricky, Harry, Sam, Franklin, Scotty, and Twinkles are in pinecone heaven, I'm sure."

Even after Ricky and Andy had surrounded the tree with ornaments as far up as they could reach, the top half was still massively empty. "A stepstool should be required for the angel at the top, not to decorate the top half," Sharon said. "I refuse to have a half-empty tree, and how are we supposed to get the lights around the whole thing?" They had a pretty large stepstool, but she wasn't sure that it would suffice.

"We'll figure it out," Andy assured her.

True to his word, the tree was fully decorated some time later. Sharon had to admit that she liked the large tree, but Andy didn't need to know that just yet. Emily and Emmett left with a nearly-asleep Marie soon after, and Logan and Alex were starting to look drowsy, too. "All right, boys, I think it's about bedtime," Sharon announced. They didn't protest, and Sharon guided four-year-old Alex to the bathroom to help him with his bath and get him ready for bed. Once both boys were in their pajamas and tucked in, Sharon and Andy curled up in the recliner in the living room. With Rusty intending to get up early to study the next morning and Ricky having an early flight, they both said goodnight and went to their bedrooms earlier than normal. With a piano version of Hark the Herald Angels Sing playing in the background, Sharon lay on Andy's shoulder and enjoyed the Christmas monstrosity in front of them. The pine scent was strong and filled the room, even wafting into nearby parts of the house. After another mug of tea laced with cold-soothing ingredients her grandmother had sworn by and a dose of NyQuil, Sharon was ready for bed, herself.

Andy wasn't tired yet, but he got in bed and read while Sharon was still in the bathroom. When she crawled into bed beside him in one of her warmer nightgowns, it was more obvious that she wasn't feeling well without her makeup. Andy softly kissed her and absently ran his fingers through her hair as she lay on his shoulder. "Tell me when you want me to turn off the lamp."

"S'fine," Sharon mumbled, the cold medicine clearly kicking in. She usually didn't like for anyone to be touching her while she slept at night, much to Andy's dismay, but she was asleep against him just a couple of minutes later. Andy straightened the covers over her and kissed the top of her head. "I love you."

[carolina-valentina-bramente]

Chapter 1: Special Agent Bramente

Rossi picked up the chapter and handed it to Morgan who read the title out loud. “Special Agent Cara Bramente: Missing in Action” Morgan’s eyebrows furrowed, “Missing in Action? You just said she was dead.”

The older man nodded, “Well she was declared dead but as a team, we could never really accept that. The bureau had given up and they couldn’t fund a ‘goose chase’ anymore as they called it. Cara was already a liability. They wanted her gone and when she was missing, they were glad. You have to understand, we didn’t have the funding, the technology, or the backing to look for her. When they closed the case, we couldn’t do anything other than comply.” Penelope listened intently but Derek was still confused, “Alright, but who was she, to Hotch? You said it’s been seven years. Seven years is a long time to hold onto a hunch.”

Rossi’s eyebrows furrowed for a few moments, “To Aaron… Cara was everything.” He leaned back with a sigh as though he was reaching back into his mind, trying to find where exactly he could find the story or perhaps... he was just looking for the perfect place to start it. After a few moments he finally began, "It was 10 years ago, before either of you joined the BAU, we were still a small team back then. It was me, Jason, Katherine Cole, with Max Ryan leading the team. We had just taken on Aaron to the team- back then he was still called probie."

Morgan looked shocked that Aaron ever answered to 'probie'.

“Probie!” Agent Rossi called across the room. They were in the police bullpen of Chicago 1 Police Plaza. A young, optimistic agent jogged across the room to David’s side as they inspected the file in his hands. He had short brown hair and believed that he could change the world with the work he was going to do here. He believed that he could really make a big difference. Agent Rossi estimated that this sort of optimism would die within the next two weeks. Unit Chief Max Ryan believed it would only take one. They called him probie but his name was Aaron Hotchner. The kid was cocky and quick to please. Of course he did good work but good work was expected in this unit. Here, you needed to do more than kiss ass.

Here you needed to pull your weight.

This was Aaron's very first case with the BAU and it was not an easy one. There was a murderer going around Chicago. They were targeting members of the mafia. Killing them, stringing them up by their feet, and bleeding them out at significant mafia establishments. It was probably the goriest that Aaron had ever seen. Rossi was tasked to stand by his side, rubbing his back while he threw up on the other side of the street behind a tree. They were lucky they arrived at night and there was no press on the scene. The mafia seemed to be very good at things like that.

The kid was still new blood. SWAT and the Seattle field office hadn't prepared him for things like this. Honestly, in Rossi's opinion, nothing ever could. These things came with time. He'll get on his own feet eventually.

Still, Aaron was feeling a little bruised in his ego so he had been overcompensating all day. He walked to the middle fo the bullpen, organizing charts and helping out everywhere he could. He wasn't experienced enough to take the lead on any profiles or interviews, but he was doing his best. Max Ryan was by Aaron's side guiding him through what they had already collected.

Suddenly- on the other side of the room, the front doors to the bullpen flew open with a huge force. They slammed into the walls- creating holes in the wall where the door handles were. She had a deep scowl etched onto her features as she stomped into her room. Rossi still remembered the way Cara looked that day. She was pale and had a very small frame. Long waves of red hair tied back into a looped bun with strands fall around her face. Deep dark eye bags collected underneath dark brown eyes and her cheeks were red with rage. You didn't need to be a profiler to tell that she was pissed.

The chief of police approached her, "Ma'am, I'm gonna need you to-"

She grabbed him by the collar and front lapel, throwing him over her shoulder and slamming him on the desk. Officers jumped back, too stunned at the amount of strength in a woman of her... stature. Aaron got over his own initial shock first and tried to reach for his gun. Ryan placed a hand in front of his wrist, preventing him from such actions.

The woman growled to the man she had just slammed into the desk. "I'm gonna give you three seconds to tell me where the hell you locked up Orion Bramente and I'll give you three minutes to free him! You! Ungrateful, pompous piece of shit!"

"Ma'am!"

All heads turned to see Aaron stomping towards the woman. Both of their faces looked to be reaching the boiling point of anger, "I don't know who you are or who let you in here- but Orion Bramente is the chief suspect in an ongoing serial murder investigation. We don't just-"

"Carolina Bramente. Orion Bramente is my adoptive father. Those three serial murders were my god brothers." She seethed at Aaron, cutting him off promptly. She then turned her attention back to the chief of police. "And you! Orion has protected this precinct for years! He called off cop killings for you and this is what you do! This is how you thank him!" She growled, shaking him roughly, occasionally slamming his head back into the desk receiving a grunt of pain every time.

"The police didn't arrest him."

The woman stopped shaking the officer.

"We arrested him."

Carolina slowly released her grip on the officer. Holes where her fingers had gripped him. Her voice was level but visually, she was ready to explode. "Who is we?"

Aaron stepped closer so he was towering over her. His arms crossed over his chest, "We're the Behavioral Analysis Unit with Federal Bureau of Investigation and you are interfering with a federal investigation."

Carolina looked up at him. Her eyes roaming over his body from head to toe. She looked as though she was sizing him. Debating on whether or not she could throw him over her shoulder too. Aaron was at least a head taller than Carolina and then some, but she had also just thrown a full grown man aside so really no one knew what she was capable of. When he told her she was interfering, Carolina rolled her eyes. She placed a hand square on his chest and pushed him away. Aaron had been standing two inches in front of her resulting in her having to look up to look him in the eye. Her neck hurt and it made her feel smaller than she was comfortable with. She managed to get him at least a foot away but she could still smell his body wash and the bargain brand vanilla detergent he used to wash his black suit. Her fingers rolled over his pectorals and trailed down his abs. Aaron didn't flinch from her touch. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of a flicker. He held her gaze in a collection of tension filled seconds. His onyx black pupils boring into pools of honey brown that shined in the remnants of sunlight. Neither of them were planning on yielding.

But Carolina blinked first. She let out a sigh filled with annoyance. "He spends five minutes at the BAU and suddenly he's a hot shot. Calm your tits, boy scout." She growled as though there was a threat hidden in her teeth. Her hand fell from Aaron's chest and he felt a sudden coldness on his chest. She then spun around, "Ryan! Where the hell are you!"

A few minutes later, Max Ryan was able to usher Carolina into an interrogation room. It succeeded in muffling their screams and yells. Everyone was a few volumes quieter as they watched SSA Max Ryan receive a verbal beating on the other side of the oneway mirror. Carolina kept poking him in the chest whenever he tried to defend himself. Max was keeping his voice level but every now and then he'd rise up into a level of rage that combatted her screams. Both of them were angry and frustrated at the situation.

They continued on for about 20 minutes. At some point, Max suggested something to Carolina which made her go quiet for a few minutes. Aaron had been watching them outside during his impromptu coffee break. He watched them through the one-way mirror, sipping his black coffee in long languid slurps that made it look like he was actually focused on the coffee.

Rossi joined him with his own vanilla latte in hand. "You know, no matter how long you stare- that's a soundproof mirror, probie. You won't be able to eavesdrop on them."

Aaron shrugged his shoulder, "Does Ryan always let suspect's families yell at him like that?"

Rossi resisted the urge to laugh, "Cara isn't just family of a suspect. She's an agent with the bureau too. Same as you, probie." He sang through a sip of coffee. "Formerly with Counterterrorism- now teaches at Quantico after being taken out of the field."

"You know her?"

"We've met. I know her story and the rumors."

Aaron looked over at Cara. His neck arching in curiosity. "What rumors?"

Rossi's head shot over, "Tell me you've heard of the BoneHunter Case."

Aaron nearly dropped his coffee. The BoneHunter Case, often known as the BoneHunter Tragedy, was a recent bombshell within the bureau. A failed mission which resulted in three demolished teams and produced three rouge agents turned murderers within the FBI. It happened about three years ago and it was a blood bath. No matter how may times he heard it, Aaron still had a hard time believing it was true. "I thought that was just a rumor."

Rossi shook his head. "I read the file. Nope. All true. Each detail as gory as it's been told."

"How did you get a hold of the file?"

"Ryan asked me to assist on her psych evaluation. She wan't allowed in the field but they had to make sure she was sane enough to teach students."

"Not Gideon?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rossi huffed, insulted at the insinuation that Jason Gideon was in any way better than him. He then let out a laugh, "But- Ryan did call me in because Gideon and Cara didn't get off on the right foot."

"Cara?"

Rossi shook his head, "Don't call her that until she lets you. In your case- maybe just stick to Agent Bramente." He sang- shooting Aaron a wink as he motioned over towards the room where she was standing. "Pretty isn't she?"

Aaron let out a snort, "If anger management issues are what you consider pretty."

Rossi smirked, "In fact, I do."

After their earlier encounter, Aaron didn't want to give Carolina any positive credits towards her character. she was rude, tactless, and violent upon entry and his impression of her almost couldn't get lower. Still, it was hard to deny a blatant fact in front of him. When she was standing in front of him and not pissing him off, Aaron's face softened at the sight of her.

She was, indeed, pretty. Her long red hair had completely fallen out of her bun, tendrils now slipping over her shoulders and framing delicate features. Her eyes when cleared, held a softer distinction of chocolate brown with thick but neat eyebrows above. She had high cheekbones and a compact frame. She looked small and she looked pretty.

Aaron could at least afford her 'pretty'.

Max and Carolina finally exited the room. Max whispered a few words to her and Carolina nodded her head as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and noticed the Aaron and Rossi watching her from across the room. She jerked her head upwards in greeting. Rossi raised his coffee to the woman as she approached. Rossi leaned over to Aaron, "Play nice." He mumbled under his breath.

"Dave." Carolina sang in greeting. A charming smile danced over her features and he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Good to see you, Cara. How's Quantico." Rossi smiled amicably

"Eh." She shrugged nonchalantly, slipping her hands into her pockets. "I'll whip them into shape one of these days." Her humor was witty and danced off gentle pink petals of lips. Aaron found it difficult not to stare. "I met your boy scout here. You're new at the BAU right?" She asked. This time her words directed to Aaron.

Aaron blushed when she called him boy scout, again. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes. I just transferred from the Seattle Field Office. This is my first case... and my name is Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, ma'am." He finished coldly.

Cara pressed her lips together. Her eyes squinted. "I've never met someone named, Special."

This time Aaron rolled his eyes. He grimaced a smile of annoyance. This woman was a real piece of work. "Agent Hotchner is fine, Agent Bramente." He smiled quite sourly. Aaron was getting over this woman very quickly. Beauty can only cover up so much.

Max walked over with two cups of coffee before Cara could continue to tease Aaron. He handed one to Cara and looked to Rossi and Aaron. He then looked around the bullpen for the rest of their team, "Cole! Gideon!" The remaining agents made their way over to them. Cole and Gideon both shook Cara's hand upon seeing her with a sense of polite amicability.

"Cara." Gideon greeted, "Doing well?"

Cara shrugged her shoulders, "Quantico is nice. My father's been arrested. It's a give and take day." She teased. Her anger had obviously been staved by Ryan as she came off as humorous rather than her angry introduction earlier.

Gideon smile, "I hope you're not upset about my-"

Cara raised a hand, "Don't worry about it. I wasn't going to be allowed into the field. Doesn't matter what my psych eval said." She shrugged her shoulders, "Bygones be bygones, Gideon."

Gideon's shoulders sagged in relief.

Aaron wondered if it was because he was worried she hated him or worried she was going to go full cell block D on his ass.

Max clapped his hands together with a smile, "Everyone, I'm sure you know, Special Agent Carolina Bramente. Specialist in Organized Crime and Combat and Defense Techniques." Max shifted his weight again, "Agent Bramente will be joining us during this investigation. I believe her in-depth knowledge of organized crime and connections within the Chicago environment will be a great asset to us in the investigation." He explained quickly, not addressing the fact of her real presence her was more of a product of his preference to her.

The rest of team nodded their heads, accepting Cara's expertise easily enough. Aaron knew that they had all previously met before, but it seemed that he was the only one who was skeptical about her presence on this case. She was immature, violent, and had little to no tact. As far as assets go, Aaron just didn't think she'd be a very good one during this case.

"Good." Max smiled before clapping his hands together, "Cole, Rossi, you two go interview our latest suspect in lockup. Jason let's work on victimology. Probie! You and Cara go down to the latest crime scene and see what you can get from there. We have most of the evidence but- they might've missed something." He noted with a shrug, not letting on that he was just searching for grunt work to push on the new kid and the interloper. It was well intentioned and they might actually find something.

However, it was still grunt work and Aaron looked less than pleased.

Everyone split off into their groups, leaving Aaron and Carolina together. Aaron half expected Cara to make an effort towards an apology for her earlier behavior but she made no such effort. Instead she offered an easy smile with her hands on her hips. "Ready to go... boy scout?"

Aaron rolled his eyes before walking towards the car, brushing past her in annoyance. Cara grinned cheekily before following behind him with her arms folded behind her back.

Max and Gideon watched them walk away. Max keeping a close eye on the woman as she walked off with his new probie. Gideon watched as well with a curious look in his eyes, "How do you think they're gonna do?" Max's head moved from side to side in deep thought before he answered honestly,

"I think they're either going to fuck each other or kill each other."

[youngbradford]

Xmas Message For 2019

And here we go, my 19th annual year-end love letter online …Georgi Balinov and I rang in the new year at a giant party in Bangkok, halfway around the world. That foreign location, its beauty and tastes, set the tone for my 2019, a year of seeing the world, while stabilizing my life. Though often in flux or movement, 2019 was a year many things normalized over the year.

In January, almost immediately after arriving stateside, I crossed the pond and saw Michelle Visage perform in the West End with Peter Wish. Afterward, I played with her wigs backstage and walked her towards the queer kids lining up for selfies and autographs. I am very lucky to have Peter and Michelle in my life, kindred spirits both. One reminding me that fame, fortune, ebb, and flow, but that being real is what matters most. The other, a reminder to stay forever young. I visited Berlin yet again and did the usual, working, and playing, hard.

February appeared and I traveled to Philadelphia with Sandra Hansel, Georgi, George Sapio, and Anthony DeFilippis. We toured Lisa Roberts’ house, saw a Dieter Rams exhibit, dined with George Alley. In Lambertville, that Sunday, I bought vinyl and vintage hats. Later that month, I got a swallow tattooed on my hand, a symbol of flight and travel, and Warhol’s knives, blackened into my shin. An Eames exhibit in Oakland was a sweet way to end the month.

In March with my crew, Georgi, Khadyon Reid, Luis Urribarri, Anthony, and George, descended upon Salvador for Carnival. It was insane! I watched Anitta live, and danced in a sea of pushing, fighting, kissing Brazilians for days upon days. I felt unsafe and alive, threatened and excited. It was intense. Back home I got my other hand tattooed, again honoring my love of seeing the world. I traveled to Portland, came back to NYC at the end of the month, finally moving into our apartment, the one we bought 1.5 years before, that I designed, and had renovated head to toe. Finally, we had our dream home. The weekend we moved in, the place was still not ready, but we were sick of living without our things and in other people’s beds. Peg Kendall and Georgi’s mom came, and we worked our asses off unpacking and starting to make the 2800 square foot loft on west 13th street a home. We’d lived in Airbnbs and friends’ places for 19 months and it was tiring not having a home, not having most of our things. My art! My toys! My shoes!. Those months taught me how important a home, a safe place, and the oasis of my collections is to my mental health. From March on I felt more on solid ground and dedicated more energy to my career and friendships as a result.

In April we went to Coachella, seeing Ian and Jose Seronni, JJ and Andrey Lunin, and dancing in the desert of California. Multiple trips to San Francisco, catching glimpse of old friends, scaling my team at work, as I took on more and more responsibility.

In May, George Sapio and I celebrated (me a little early) a shared, fun birthday weekend at Soho Farmhouse. Joined by Matthew Kelleher, Mark Silver, Jaime Tanner, Matt Lynch, and others, we went shooting and feasted on pheasant in the English countryside.June was really busy, insanely so. 

For my 43rd in early June, I had a 30-person dinner party in our new place! We ended up at Club Cumming after, but before friends, new, and old, showered me with a vinyl record, the admission fee I’d set for my party. Lauren Foster, who has shared her home with us, was, appropriately, our first overnight guest. London, again, Berlin, too. Then home for Pride. Willam Ralphie hosted Bingo at eBay, Zach Augustine, David Mason Chlopecki, other loves attended. That weekend danced to both Madonna and Grace Jones on the pier and danced with 15K others at Javitz, where my favorite singer, Cyndi Lauper, belted “I Drove All Night,” her best song, at midnight. I stayed until the sun came up. NYC was electric that weekend. Parties, icons, friends from the world over … the city has an energy you could literally see and taste. I caught a few moments of the parade, overtaking lower Manhattan, and I smiled really big. God, it can feel good being gay! God, the world has improved for gay people (and yes, I know, we still have ways to go, especially for more marginalized LGBTQ groups). But I still took a moment to acknowledge the things that are better, that I have seen in my very gay lifetime. NYC that weekend was the ultimate place to reflect.

July 4th I went to Hamptons, with Ricardo, Brian, Felipe L. Mollica, others, guests of Anthony. Hosted Fab.com reunion, walked the Brooklyn Bridge, and took my team to Korea (where I shared a traditional Korean meal with Jae Hah), China (where I ate bird’s nests, jellyfish, sea snails, saw a Yves Klein show with Adnan Abbasi, and danced to 90s pop in a packed gay club), and Moscow (where I was amazed at how clean the city was and where I went to a traditional sauna and was whipped, naked, with tree leaves in front of dozens of Russian dudes in the nude). While in Russia a protest erupted, literally below the rooftop bar I dined in. Russia seemed freer than I’d expected, way more Western, up until this moment. I ended the weekend at a club at 3 AM, Russian women in high, high heels, dancing on the bar, vodka flowing like water. 2020 saw me traveling to places I romanticized as a child. Russia, one such place. I thoroughly enjoyed the friendships formed in Moscow, the food, and history. I want to return.

August, I was back in San Jose and Portland for work, then off again to Europe for vacation. We started our trip in Croatia, where Georgi and I kayaked around Dbruvnik’s harbor. Croatia’s cliffs and turquoise water did not disappoint, as we boated to islands and swam in caves. Driving south into Montenegro, the architecture reminded me more of Polish, Bulgarian trips, the water, greener. At the Amman we laid out next to The Beckhams, watching David kick a soccer ball with workers of the hotel, and watching Victoria read a book. Georgi and I then ventured to Mykonos, sunning til sunset and dancing til sunrise. A weekend trip upstate with our besties (including a guest appearance by Eric Lee, riding rides at the Colombia County fair, cooking pies, and grilling meats, ended our summer.

In September I went to Berlin and did Folsom and a speaking gig in front of 1K eBay sellers. I went again to Tel Aviv, meeting gay Israeli technology workers and a bevy fo Israeli start-ups. In Jerusalem, I returned to the wonderful Machneyuda with Gilad Ayalon, where they remembered me from my birthday the year before.

October saw us hosting my mother and my niece for a visit. We fell in love with Company XVI, a dance/burlesque/performance art troupe in Brooklyn. I took my mother to see Madonna, a night I will cherish forever. And we saw Dear Evan Hanson. A weekend in Miami with Lauren Foster and K was needed warmth. I took Georgi to see both acts of The Inheritance (so good!).  Then off to Berlin, again, and Paris, where I looked at art and went shopping for fall clothes. Halloween, in NYC, was brilliant and over the top; I went as white Pierrot clown. In Brooklyn, to Honey Dijon, we danced all night. Ralph Rucci, the American couturier reposted our photo on Instagram, calling it high-fashion, however, it was Georgi who won the night as Spock.

November I was in NYC early on, shopping with Thomas Cawson (who hooked me up with pink denim Helmut Lang), eating Christmas cookies, and being interviewed by Buzzfeed, a segment on 90s toys. I imitated a Furby. Then a week in Portland (I glow-in-the-dark-miniature-golfed), and off to Helsinki, catching up with former friends from Fab, One Nordic, Hem. Then to Lapland, with Georgi, George, and Anthony, lapping up wine, winter wonderlands, and dining on reindeer and elk. Dog sledding, snowmobiling, Northen lights! Another childhood desire checked from the list. Dinner with Michelle Case in London closed the month.

In December I went back to Berlin (my second home) and hosted a fundraiser for Single Step in our home. In one night Georgi and I helped raise $50K to help build Bulgaria’s first LGBTI center. It was also an impromptu holiday party: so many old friends together again in one room. And now Georgi and I sit in an airport lounge, awaiting our flight to Baltra, in the Galapagos. Once we land, we’ll board a 7-day cruise on a mega-yacht/small cruise ship. This, I feel, I have been waiting my entire life for.

I often write about how I was lonely as a kid. I was gay, I had a drug-addicted father, I grew up very poor. I oftentimes say music saved my life. But, I don’t write enough about the joy animals gave me too. I had so many pets: newts, turtles, tortoises, tree frogs, geckos, crabs, salamanders, etc. Caring for them, feeding them, gave me peace and allowed me to love. One turtle I had had a cracked shell. He lived in my room for many, many years. I always preferred him, with his defects, to the others. I think I feel the same about people.

As a child, I became obsessed with the Galapagos Islands, and mostly the tortoises. I would read about them in encyclopedias and race to see them at zoos. I always felt connected to turtles. They were my spirit animal. Later in life, I’d bloom, my feathers growing, my pride, alive. I’d no longer consider myself a turtle, my spirit animal changed. I told this story to my colleague Eben Sermon, who runs eBay’s German business: I always wanted to be a turtle. But I ended up a cockatoo. Eben brought this up last week in Berlin and it made me think a bit more about affinities for animals and how I have not had that connection as often as I probably should.

So this week, before we ring in New Years in Rio, I will honor the old me, the kid, the quieter Bradford, the sadder Bradford, by visiting those turtles, finally.

And I’ll marvel at the wonder of nature and evolution, both the evolution of animals and this world, and also the very real and dramatic evolution of my spirit and happiness.

Happy Holidays, Peace & Big Love

[thehighlandhealer]

Unfortunate Mistletoe, Cont. || Bronwyn, Leslie, Cam, Vindrik, & Charleson

Vincent: "Food will never lose appeal." The bird smiled between a mouthful of whatever he had grabbed. He'd yet to figure that out.

Perhaps he should swallow. "I like parties. I like this party." He smoothed his untucked shirt and felt his bowtie. Those were also fun. "I don't smell demon. Where is the demon?"

Charles: Charles bit down on a chuckle. "Slow down. Don't choke yourself, Vincent."

He'd polished off his own snack and reached for a cup to fill with punch. "I'm glad. Mason is... somewhere." Hiding, more than likely. "Possibly outside with the children. Bobby froze the lake, so some people are skating."

Vincent/Mason/Leslie: Bobby was a good egg. He liked him.

"Oh! I don't have stakes but I'm going!" He would ride along on someone's shoulder if he had to.

Mason was indeed hiding. Specifically, he was hiding away the children from a certain witch, fresh from a tree. A kind soul he may be, but he was foreign. Mason needed time.

Leslie was busy taking new photos of the newest decorations, followed around by Ester and Ruby like a tiny flock.

Charles: Laughing, Charles grabbed a cookie from the tower and gestured toward the doors. "Don't worry. We have spare skates. I'll take you out. Did you bring a coat?"

Vincent: "Yes! ... No. But no, I don't need one." Well, if Charles was grabbing, he would grab a cookie as well. No wait, two! Both stuffed in his mouth.

Charles: "If you asphyxiate yourself with baked goods, Bronwyn will have my head. Slow down." Charles led his way toward the front doors, pulling his own coat from the hall closet as they went. "We have spare jackets, as well. It's quite cold."

Vincent: "Are you so concerned about my skin?" If Charles could manage to decipher any of that cookie-stuffed language resembling English.

Charles: A snort. "Yes. Your skin is very important to me. As it should be to you."

Vincent: "Kay." He didn't want to be weighed down by a jacket, and his werebear was absent, so the man before Charles melted from human form to that of a raven. One which would begin hopping around in a figure eight.

"Pick me up!" the bird squawked.

Charles: "I don't know how you plan to skate without human feet, but very well." He bent down to offer the bird a hand, carefully setting him on one shoulder.

The grounds were vast and brightly lit, but the lake wasn't too far of a walk. Cheerful music filtered through speakers mounted around the area, and a good two dozen people enjoyed the biting air. Stopping at a table nearby, he traded his punch for a cup of cocoa. "Warm enough?"

Vincent/Leslie: Vincent settled in with a small shake of his tail feathers. Charles' shoulder was perfectly warm and his clothes the right amount of soft and sturdy.

Leslie was busy trying to figure out what he'd just seen, but Ester was tugging his sleeve for attention. He'd hardly spent a full two minutes with his host and his pang of guilt was short-lived as Ruby joined in demands.

"I'm perfect and you're perfect," said the bird. "Now, to skate! Go!"

Charles: His lips twitched faintly with amusement as he watched the girls pester the witch. He could step in, but he wouldn't. It was Christmas, and scolding could be done another day. "I wouldn't say perfect."

A soft laugh. "Oh, I see. You're expecting me to be your legs. It's been a while. Ruby, Ester, do either of you know how to skate?" He figured he'd take pity, after all.

Vincent/Leslie: "Of course you're my legs." Vincent began to play with Charles' hair. He could make an excellent nest of this.

Both girls craned to look over their shoulders, quite busy with their interview of the witch. Today, they could be mistaken for the twins.

"No," they said in unison.

"But I can make a wicked snowman," said Ester.

"Let's do that," Leslie smiled.

Charles: "Have fun."

Smoothing down his hair, Charles crossed to the box of skates waiting to be claimed, selecting a pair in his size. He had his own, somewhere, but couldn't be bothered to go inside to hunt for them. It had been years since he'd so much as touched them. The things one did for friends. "All right. We'll skate for a bit. Not all of us are immune to the cold. Hold on."

Vincent/Mason: "How many witches do you know?" Vincent asked. A question given in full scratchy voice. Neither of the girls had kept Leslie a secret, but neither had they flaunted his name around the castle-like school. Regardless, the word witches had begun circulating after his visit. A word which made Mason scowl in the raven's direction.

Charles: "Mm. Two. At least to my knowledge. There's a very real possibility that I've met a which without knowing."

He shrugged and crossed to the lake proper on wobbly, doe legs. He was much more graceful on the ice, pushing off swiftly into a gentle glide. "Why do you ask?"

Vincent: Vincent strained his neck to watch Charles' feet during the brief journey towards the ice. Once he proved they would not come crashing down in a heap, he began to resettle.

"I like witches. Obviously."

Charles: "Oh, obviously. Silly me." His lips quirked into the slightest smile before he dropped it.

There was no flourish to his skating. The most he had was an ability remain upright as he glided smoothly around the perimeter of the lake, skirting around couples as he went. "How many witches do you know? I've been learning a bit of magic, myself. When I have the time."

Vincent: "Then you're a witch! I'm acquainted with many! It's my job to be!"

The raven held out his wing, playing signaler for where Charles intended to turn.

"Do you like bears?"

Charles: "I don't know if I'd go so far," he laughed, pausing for just a moment to help a fallen boy to his feet.

"Bears? I suppose." What an odd question. "They're... big. I've never encountered one in the wild, but they're great. Polar bears are quite lovely."

Vincent: Vincent was helpless of the vivacious tone of his voice as he said, "Well, you have one in your house."

Charles: "I'm sorry, what?"

Vincent: "My bear. My Adrik. You said I could bring a plus one."

Charles: "I did. So, he's... a familiar, like yourself? Or a shapeshifter?" He could admit to some curiosity.

Vincent: "He's a Fera. Do you know what that is?"

Charles: "I do not."

Vincent: "Werewolves?"

Charles: "Yes, of course. He's a... werebear?"

Vincent: "Yes. Fera is simpler, isn't it?"

Charles: "I suppose, if less specific. That's fascinating. I look forward to meeting him."

Vincent: "Are you bothered?"

Charles: "Bothered by what, Vincent?"

Vincent: "By a bear being in the house."

Charles: "By a man, capable of shifting into a bear? Of course not. That'd be rather hypocritical of me, don't you think? I trust you wouldn't bring anyone here who would try to hurt anyone."

Vincent: "He was probably a bear first. He's a teddy."

Charles: "If he's sentient, he's a person first."

Vincent: "I was hatched out of an egg. I am bird first."

Charles: "I'm not going to argue with you about your identity, Vincent. But, I don't generally hold full conversations with birds. People, sure."

Vincent: "Because you don't speak their language."

Charles: "Fair enough. It might be an interesting ability."

Vincent: "I knew a witch. Speaking to everything was her only desire in life. She could even speak with inanimate objects."

Charles: "I only speak to inanimate objects when they refuse to cooperate. I'm perfectly fine, provided they don't speak back."

Vincent: "They probably have some things to say about you, too."

Charles: He laughed, brightly. "Well, they can just keep those to themselves. I shudder to think what my computer would say after all the abuse I've put it through. Bloody thing is quite temperamental. Particularly when I have something pressing to finish."

Vincent/Leslie: "I'm sure some expletives would be thrown around between the both of you," said Vincent with mirth.

Leslie was doing what he did best. Their snowman had become something grotesque, with rocks for teeth and stubs for arms. He'd been given a personality, that which had Ruby, Ester, and a handful of other children on the ground and against a tree with laughter.

"'What have you done to me?! My arms are useless!'" Leslie protested in his best Gollum voice.

Bronwyn: Finally having freed herself from impromptu phone call that had taken up more of her time than she would've liked, Bronwyn rejoined the festivities and went in search of her loved ones who were...nowhere to be found. Probably outside.

She grabbed her coat and stepped out, immediately spotting Charles and her familiar.

"I'm back!" she called once she was close enough. "I'm so sorry, that awful man wouldn't get off the phone."

Charles: "Me? I would never!" A lie, if he'd ever told one. His laptop was an 'ill-behaved bastard', more often than not. He scraped to a stop at the druid's approach, ice flying, just at the edge of the lake. "Bronwyn! I'm glad you're back! Are you going to join us?" His cheeks were rosy with cold, but his smile was wide and sunshine-bright.

Vincent: His favorite shoulder above all shoulders! At least metaphorically. Vincent swooped from his perch for his mistress, nearly falling from the ledge of her fuzzy jacket.

"Charles is a witch now! And he's collected more witches!"

Bronwyn: "Point me toward the skates and I will. Easy!" she chuckled when Vincent came to her, greeting him with a scritch to his head. "Is he indeed? Have you been holdin' out on me, Charles?"

Charles: Aww. His shoulder was so lonely, now. "I'm not a witch. But I have met one, recently. He's over there playing with the children. The skates are just there." He gestured with the hand still holding his empty cocoa cup. "I can introduce you first, if you'd like."

Bronwyn: "That'd be lovely. We can get some o' that cocoa while we're at it." With extra marshmallows for Vincent.

Charles: Back to wobbling across the snow. He sat on a nearby bench to change shoes. "So, what was the call about? If you don't mind my asking. " He didn't know what sort of person called on Christmas Eve, short of family or very dear friends.

Bronwyn: "One of my suppliers. He thought now was a good time to tell me that I wasn't goin' to get my order of essential oils until after New Year's."

Charles: "Calling on Christmas Eve with disappointing news. He sounds lovely." When his laces were re-tied, he stood and nodded in the direction of the silly game, raising a hand to the witch as they made their approach. "Leslie! Leslie, can I steal you for a bit? I have someone I'd like you to meet."

Leslie: An exceptionally tall witch. One to rival her revenant. Dirty blond hair was sticking to his face where a snowball had caught his forehead. He was breathless and so were the children. The Gollum voice never failed.

"'Oh, yes! Steals us!'" Ruby covered her mouth with both hands. Leslie cleared his throat.

"Sorry," he coughed, voice raspy, "I've made mistakes."

Bronwyn: "Oh, he's a peach," said Bronwyn, laughing and shaking her head. She would save her anger and annoyance for after the holidays.

Leslie couldn't have made a better first impression, even with the stuck hair and sore voice. It was hard not to immediately like a handsome man playing in the snow with children.

Bronwyn chuckled. "Ye're fine. I have two boys, I can relate." She offered a hand. "Bronwyn MacAllister. It's nice to meet you."

Charles: Charles had to physically turn away from the sight. He dragged a numb hand down his equally numb face and breathed slowly. In. Out. In. Out. Thankfully, Bronwyn had the presence of mind to introduce herself. The telepath was absolutely helpless. And useless.

Leslie: "Bronwyn. What a beautiful name. Leslie Issott."

Oh no. He looked towards Charles' turned back and grinned.

"'What's the matter, precious? Doeses not like my voice?'" His throat was going to be destroyed by tomorrow regardless of meditation.

Bronwyn: Oh yes, she definitely liked this man. "Why thank you, Leslie. My mama chose it on the fly."

She couldn't help but laugh at Charles' brave attempt to maintain his composure. "You all right, darlin'?" she asked him.

Charles: Charles held up a silent hand. God damn it all. It took everything in his power to control his breathing. He knew that if he let the tiniest giggle slip, he was done for. That was always the case, with Leslie Issott. His face had gone from pink to beet-red with the strain, but he managed a tight smile as he turned around. "Perfectly well, thanks." The effort was audible. "The two of you... you should. Magic." Eloquent. A breath. "Bronwyn here is a Druid. Leslie's been teaching me a few spells here and there. He's a fine. Fine teacher."

Leslie: Now it was Leslie covering his mouth. "Oh Trinity," he mumbled, eyes bright from Charles' tomato face. Call it many things, but to the witch it was beautiful.

"Yes, that, but not really. I'm pretty chaotic in teaching."

Bronwyn: Poor Charles. Bronwyn almost felt bad for getting such amusement out of his predicament. Almost.

"Well magic is a chaotic beast, so yer teachin' style works perfectly. I'll bet Charles is an excellent student."

Charles: At least he wasn't alone in this. Biting down hard on his cheek, Charles shook his head. "I enjoy our lessons. Less structure. More... allowing the magic to take us where it will." Had they gotten any real work done at their last meeting? No. But at least he'd done his homework. "He's incredible, Bron. Don't let him fool you."

Leslie: "Am I be - Feels like you're trying to sell me," he chuckled. "So, he said druid? Must be my lucky year. I just introduced myself to a druid in October. More than I've meet in almost a decade."

Cam/Adrik: Per the usual, Cam was always a little late to the party. He mostly did it to avoid being the first person there and that awkward period of small talk before other people arrived. Today he had two large duffle bags slung over his shoulder, and he adjusted them over his jacket as he rang the doorbell. It wasn't like he didn't basically live there on occasion and really had no reason to ring the bell, but today he felt oddly formal, and like he should.

As he waited for someone to answer he heard a crunch of footsteps through the snow behind him, and a glance behind brought the frame of a giant into startling view. The man, at a height of 6'7" and body built to look unmovable, stepped up behind cam. His actual size was hidden beneath a long, burly black coat lined with appeared to be fur, and under his arm was one long present above a small bag of his own.

He had a greying, finely trimmed beard (much nicer than when Vincent last saw him) beard, and for 2 seconds Cam wondered if Charles had ordered some sort of sexy Santa Claus to the party and Cam had misunderstood the invite.

The man looked down at Cam and Cam up at the man, and Cam's brow knit with slight confusion.

"Do I know you?" he asked suddenly, the question burst from his lips like compulsion he couldn't control. The man stared back, and Cam saw the tiniest crease form in his stoic brow.

"I... do not know."

Bronwyn: "Aye, I'm a Druid. We tend to be as rare as unicorns." Bronwyn's brow furrowed. October... Wasn't that when...? "You wouldn't happen to live in North Carolina, would you? In a town called Edenton?"

Charles: "Not selling." He shook his head. "Merely explaining."

No one would hear the doorbell ring. The music was loud, the guests louder. Cameron and his newfound friend would have to enter of their own accord, or circle around back, where more cheerful sounds could be heard. Perhaps, a student or two would breeze right past them, wanting a reprieve from the frosty air by the roaring fire in the den.

Cam/Adrik: After an awkward beat of silence where Cam felt oddly foolish for not just entering of his own accord, opened the door and lead the stranger inside. Cam didn't even bother explaining to his quiet companion where he was going, he simply stepped in, shrugged off his coat, and then picked up his duffle bags to head down the hall.

Adrik followed quietly behind as they followed the sounds of a party further into the mansion.

Charles: Closer, certainly. Inside, the pair would find food, music and general merrymaking. Cam, of course, would recognize a slew of familiar faces. Students, staff, and close friends of the mansion's residents. Young children chasing each other down the halls. Not his host, however. Charles was busy making friendly conversation and freezing his ass off by the lake. If asked, anyone might be able to point the newcomers in his direction.

Vincent/Leslie: "And... this is where I begin to wonder if all druids somehow know one another like some kind of intricate network." Leslie glanced over the woman's shoulder to Charles, question written on his face before returning to her attention. "Yes, actually."

Vincent perked and turned towards the house. Wings stretched excitedly. He had said his bear was here, but now he could feel his presence, and his excitement was almost too much to contain.

And off he went towards the opening door.

Bronwyn: Oop, and off Vincent went.

"That's the benefit o' bein' as rare as unicorns," Bronwyn chuckled. "But no, I just remembered that my sister Deirdre had taken a trip in October to see our cousin and I wondered if just maybe she was the one you'd met. Blonde, around my height?"

Cam/Adrik: Cam mingled with the staff he knew and handed out a couple presents from one of his duffle bags to some that he'd gotten close to. He seemed to do the same for each student he'd ever crossed paths with, or who had been in any of his gym classes, each personalized to something he knew about them. They were all fairly simple gifts, some even homemade, but with thought and care put into each one.

Adrik stood awkwardly amongst strangers, shoulders tensed as he sniffed the air in search of a familiar scent. The mix of people and food made it hard to pinpoint, but eventually Adrik found himself at the back door to the lake, at about the same time Cam set his bags to the side and was preparing to head back out into the cold. With a small nod to Cam they both stepped out into the cold, and the tight line of Adrik's shoulders seemed to relax as soon as he caught sight of a familiar bird flying in his direction.

Cam started to approach his own familiar faces, when a smirk flashed over his lips. A green light flashed and snowballs, one for each familiar face, rose into the air beside him.

"Merry Christmas!" He called to them all before a snowball each sailed in the direction of Charles, Leslie, and Bronwyn.

Charles: He didn't know the question, and could not offer an answer, what he could do was listen on politely as Leslie and Bronwyn became acquainted.

When the snowball flew his way, Charles was quick to step behind Leslie. What good were giants if not for use as human shields? Take one for the team, Issott.

Vincent/Leslie: Vincent didn't take to a shoulder as he had with the others. For Adrik, the bird planted beak first against that impossible chest, as though the raven had splat itself onto a wall. This wall just happened to be made of muscle.

"Teddy!" Ink black wings regrew into pastel long sleeve covered arms winding their way around shoulders and neck. hanging talons into jeans, legs wrapping around hips. He was attached, quite literally.

What was Charles behind him? Oh, that's why.

"I like your sister! I think she's dating my best friend!" The higher volume quite involuntary as he turned his body to the side in defense of not one but two snowballs.

"Cam!" he laughed. "Don't make me retaliate!"

Bronwyn: "Oh yeah, she mentioned that she--ahh, Cameron!" Bronwyn laughed and tried to dodge a snowball but didn't quite make it in time. It had gotten her square in the back.

"I'm goin' to tell Santa on you!"

Cam/Adrik: Adrik chuckled and wrapped his arms around Vincent as he changed.

"Where is your coat? You will catch cold," Adrik rumbled and leaned into the smaller man as if to try and envelope him with his own body.

"I mean, I DID just declare a snowball fight, unless you all are chicken..." Cam called, and this time he crouched down to pack an actual snowball. He tossed it tauntingly in the air beside him as he grinned at the others.

Charles: Chicken? Yes. Definitely.  Oh, he was going for cover. There was a massive tree nearby for him to duck behind. Trading one shelter for another, Charles took off at a sprint. "Cameron! I will call for backup!"

Vincent/Leslie: Vincent just smiled. "I told the professor witch I'm not cold." His skin would disagree, but Adrik's body heat was already righting his wrong.

Leslie bit into one of the fingers of his leather gloves, tugging away the material. If this was going to well and truly be a snowball fight, then he needed to feel, especially if magic were a factor.

"I want a nice clean fight from all of you."

Ruby and Ester peeked around the corner of the same tree Charles hid behind.

Bronwyn: "Cam, I'm no' wearing the right outfit for a snowball fight! Charles, scooch over!" Bronwyn quickly hid behind the same tree he'd gone behind. The fuzzy jacket and dress she'd chosen--while festive--would not survive the chaos.

Cam/Adrik: "That's not my fault, Mama B!" Cam called, but of the snowballs that floated into the air beside him, none were aimed at her, or the children. Instead one zoomed towards Leslie (as Cam ALSO threw his packed snowball at Leslie), and the other curled around the tree to nail Charles in the shoulder. Two separate ones rose and hovered over Ruby and Ester, only to poof into gentle puffs of snow and sprinkle snowflakes over the two.

"Better call for back up Charles or I'm gonna win~!"

Adrik chuckled and gently pried his little bird free. A short shrug later and Adrik's heavy coat was off and around Vincent's shoulders. "I only wear it for show, I am a bear after all," and then Vincent was back in his arms.

Charles: "Hey!" He was laughing, as his hiding spot was taken over. "The lot of you! Find your own barrier! I--"

Whatever he'd been about to say was interrupted by the impact. He had no gloves. No hat. But he'd be damned if he took a direct hit without retaliation. Already numb fingers packed a solid ball of snow, and Charles peeked around the tree to fling it. "Les, get out of the way!"

Vincent/Leslie: Vincent groaned dramatically under the mighty weight of Adrik's great coat.

"It's too much! How do you wear this?!" The dramatic fall he had planned was interrupted by a great bear paw scooping him back up. This was also fine.

What even constituted as a clean fight when magic was involved? Magic Ruby and Ester did not (yet) possess? The girls were delighted either way. Absolutely thrilled with Cameron's power. Despite being gentle, the Gollum snowman was being gutted for ammunition.

Leslie sidestepped the shouts, packing one of his own snowballs as he laughed. This was meant for Cameron, but Charles...his back was right there. How could he resist?

Cam/Adrik: "It is not too much," Adrik rumbled in disapproval, but the added weight of his coat did nothing to hinder scooping up his little bird bridal style and holding him tight to his chest. He wore a nice pair of black dress shoes and slacks, a dark maroon button up rolled up to the elbows. All of the clothes were tight and pulled in all the right places, and he seemed not to notice the bite of the cold air around them as his eyes turned to the fight unfolding.

Another snowball at Leslie, then another that smashed over the tree hiding Bronwyn and the girls.

Bronwyn: Bronwyn would only peek out of her hiding spot to take pictures or to dodge any stray snowballs that came a little too close for comfort.

Although Cam's magical little snowfall did give her an idea.

She looked up at the sky and smiled. It was mostly clear save for a couple of clouds, but a couple was all she would need.

A deep breath and a few moments later, the clouds had gathered just a little bit closer and big, beautiful movie snowflakes were gently floating down from the sky. Nothing big enough to drive anyone inside. Just a pretty little flurry to delight and enchant.

Charles: "Et tu, Brute?" This treachery was more than he could stand. The snowball intended for Cameron would fly directly at Leslie. Not to worry, though. He was quick to bend down and scoop up another to throw at Cam, as well. Only Bronwyn was safe.

He glanced up as the clouds drew closer, his eyes widening as the snow began to fall softly about them. Oh. Oh, how lovely. "Bron, is this your doing?" She'd won, as far as the telepath was concerned.

Vincent/Leslie: Vincent laughed at the lot of them. That is, until his attention turned skyward and his eyes full of reverence. So proud of her.

His mouth opened, widening his tongue to catch a few flakes.

Leslie looked up as well, body covered in snow, and smiled.

"Beautiful magic."

Cam/Adrik: Cam looked up just as the snow started to fall, giving a snowball the perfect opportunity to collide with his face. He made a noise of surprise and laughed, wiping the cold substance from his skin before he looked up to admire the sky and the scene unfolding like something from a movie. It was beautiful, and he glanced at Bronwyn as if to ask if she were the culprit.

Adrik chuckled and leaned down to steal a kiss from that open mouth, once there wasn't a tongue sticking out of it.

Bronwyn: Bronwyn smiled at her handiwork and then at the lot of them, unbelievably pleased with herself. "Aye, it's me. It's been a while since I've made it snow. I have more practice just makin' it cold but Mother Nature is already doin' that for me."

Charles: "That she is." His fingers had gone from red to white, still damp with melted snow. He shoved them into his pockets.  "It's beautiful, darling. Shall we grab that hot chocolate? It's freezing. And I can't feel my fingers, Cameron." Why, yes, that was an accusatory glance at the green-haired mutant, followed by a twitch of a smile.

Vincent/Leslie: "Can we make a fire?" asked Vincent from the werebear's arms. "Oh! I can make a fire!"

Leslie was utterly fascinated by that man, whatever he was. But he would rather the old-fashioned method.

"Gimmie those." He gestured to Charles' hands. He would warm them himself, sandwiching them between his own and brought to his lips for a long exhale.

Cam/Adrik: Cam grinned at Charles and shrugged innocently.

"I don't know why I'm responsible for that Charles," he lobbed another, poorly aimed, snowball at the professor before starting to walk backwards towards the house.

"Is there a fireplace?" Adrik asked the man in his arms. He knew nothing of this place and was reluctant to let go of Vincent to let him start a flame.

Bronwyn: Bronwyn gave a small gasp. "Yes, please! I also need a gingerbread cookie." And to make sure Cam ate, but she'd be more subtle about that.

"Care to join us, Leslie?"

Charles: "You know precisely why you're responsible for that." He neatly sidestepped the projectile.

His lips titled into the slightest smile. Leslie had been flinging snowballs, same as Charles, but he offered over his chilled hands anyway. "I'm certainly not opposed to a bonfire, Vincent, but you know there are several fireplaces inside. A few of them already lit."

He glanced up at the witch. "You should. There's coffee, tea, cider. I made sure to have a few sugar-free treats on the menu." Not a first, certainly, but it would taste a lie to say that Leslie hadn't been on his mind when he'd finalized the list.

Vincent/Leslie: "It's not the same as starting the fire yourself. Don't you know?"

Vincent pointed towards the house, where Cameron was making his escape. "To the fire, Teddy. Have you ever met a demon? There's one somewhere here."

Leslie just smiled before offering a final long exhale to those hands. The effort warming his as well.

"Thank you, dear. Be delighted." They would be tailed by Ruby and Ester, of course. He'd never had followers quite like these before.

Cam/Adrik: "I have not," Adrik rumbled and followed Cam back into the building without letting go of Vincent. Once inside he let Vincent down so he could help remove Adrik's coat. He'd surely roast alive if he left it on.

Cam dipped inside and went off to find where he'd put his duffel bags.

Bronwyn: The girls would both get a hot chocolate with plenty of marshmallows and a gingerbread cookie before Bronwyn treated herself. Fluffy snowflakes continued to fall, lighter now but still going strong. They'd cease once the cloud was depleted.

"So ye're teachin' Charles magic?" she asked Leslie. "Do you have a particular area of expertise?"

Charles: "Thanks," he smiled, sliding his warmed hands back into his pockets. He'd quietly wait for everyone to help themselves.

Vincent/Leslie: Vincent shook his arms and took a breath once inside. A habit mirrored in bird form, as Bronwyn had seen many times before. He could still feel his feathers regardless of their absence.

"You might meet one today. He's playing with his children. The boy changed my colors once! I made him fly. Charles didn't like that."

Leslie turned to the professor, about to ask what he would like when Bronwyn spoke. Instead, he gestured to the table. What would you like?

"I do. How much does a druid know about mages?" He was curious how knowledgeable Deirdre was as well, and if she'd ever slip with Oliver.

Cam/Adrik: Cam returned with a few packages in hand. A large square one that was fairly hefty in weight was handed to Charles. Inside was a metal chess set with a glass box containing the pieces. the box doubled as the board itself, and inside all of the pieces were moving and shifting slightly, as if alive. "Figured of all the chest sets you have, you don't have one that moves on its own," he grinned.

To Bronwyn he handed a bag, and inside was a gorgeous set of heels, lavender in shade, with a strap around the ankle that looked were embroidered lavender flowers.

Leslie received a small parcel with a little shrimp stuffed animal inside, complete with an adorably embroidered smile, to commemorate their first meeting (the good start of it anyway, a model of a burning car felt a little in bad taste.

Mason's gift remained tucked into his pocket until he saw the demon himself, and both small girls were given small, little gifts of their own, each chosen to suit them, as he had for each one of the kids stashed away in his second duffel bag.

Adrik raised a brow. "I have never heard of a demon with children. Is that a common occurrence?"

Bronwyn: Bronwyn would have a cookie as well, and whipped cream instead of marshmallows in her hot chocolate.

"Bein' what I am and havin' the experiences I have, I have a workin' knowledge. Baseline, mind you." Still, Druids in general liked to be aware of others with magic and others who only pretended to have magic.

Cam would be met with a smile and a confused look upon his return, at least until Bronwyn realized that what he was carrying were gifts.

"Aw, thank you, darlin'," she said as she accepted her gift, squealing in delight once she'd peaked inside.

Charles: Charles shook his head with a small smile. He was the host. He'd serve himself last.

When Cameron appeared with his burden, the professor lifted an eyebrow at him. The package was solid and heavy, his curiosity piqued. He had to find a flat surface on which to open it, eyes widening with shock and pleasure as he realized just what it was.

"Oh. Oh, Cam. They move? On their own?" He was positively beaming. "How fascinating! It's incredible, Cameron. Thank you." It took every ounce of his willpower to resist running off to find someone to play with. Where was that bloody magnet when you needed him?

Vincent/Leslie: Leslie turned to the sound of Cameron and smiled. He just managed to resist a dirty joke at his full sack. Completely distasteful!

Perhaps later.

"Hahaha!" He'd never had a stuffed animal like this growing up. Were shrimp stuffed animals even a thing back in the 90s? He turned to the girls to show them.

"Why?" said Ester.

"I work on a food truck," he explained.

"But you're a wizard, Harry."

Both arms dropped to his sides, face deadpan. The girls giggled, and Leslie had to fight a smile.

Vincent shrugged. "I don't think so. I think the Atlas brothers are exceptions because of...something."

Cam/Adrik: "I figured you'd look bangin' in them!" Cam grinned as Bronwyn squealed. He'd hoped she would like them, and the added ankle strap sealed the deal when he saw them.

Then he turned to Charles and nodded, his smile warm. "Yeah, you can also pick them up and move them if you want, or alternatively you can tell them the space to move to! They do like- idle movements while they wait to be moved, and then will walk- or have their own little thing they do when you tell them to move! I had to animate each set of the pieces separately, so it took a while because of how much energy permanent changes take- but if you want sometime- you should teach me how to play."

Adrik hummed and moved so he was standing behind Vincent, and wrapped his arms loosely around Vincent's shoulders as he watched the room. "Who is the host?"

Bronwyn: "They're beautiful, Cam, I love them." Her unofficial son was pulled in for a hug and kissed soundly on the cheek. She would have to find a chance to try them on.

"Are you hungry? Want a cookie?"

Charles: So much effort had gone into the beautiful gift. He was deeply touched, and more than a little excited. Charles was next to pull the mutant into a bone-crushing hug. "I'd love to. I need a fresh opponent."

For now, he'd release Cam from his hold and pick up his gift. The food was completely forgotten as he went to find a corner to sit in and examine each piece thoroughly.

Vincent: Vincent pointed towards the man wandering off. "That one. The short one," he grinned. In all his 5'6" glory, he had no room to speak.

Cam/Adrik: Cam returned the hug to Charles, and watched with a smile as he ran off to look at his gift. "Dunno if I'll be any real competition, but I definitely want to learn." Then he turned to Bronwyn and returned her hug as well. "I would love one!" then he paused and glanced at his gift to Bronwyn. "let me know if they don't fit, I can use my powers to adjust the size, I just took my best guess when I found them."

Adrik's eyes followed the host, and reluctantly he left his little bird to approach Charles. with a stop at his coat he pulled out a long cardboard box, and he gently tapped on Charles' shoulder to get his attention.

"I am Adrik," he said simply and offered Charles the box. "Vincent explained that there were little ones who live here," and that was the only explanation he gave for the box’s contents. Inside were a series of little wooden animal toys, roughly carved but with just enough detail to be clearly be an adorable rendition of the intended animal.

Bronwyn: "Well now ye've gone and opened Pandora's Box," Bronwyn chuckled. "Watch me call you ev'ry time I find a pair of shoes I love that doesn't come in my size."

She got him a cookie and a hot chocolate and took another minute to gush over her gift.

Now to find Leslie for more magic related conversation. It wasn't often she came across a true witch.

Charles: Charles glanced up. And up. And up. How lovely. Another giant. This must be Vincent's bear. He was certainly bear-sized. The professor smiled warmly and stood to take Adrik's hand and the offered box at once.

"Charles. It's a pleasure to meet you, Adrik." Careful fingers opened the lid of the box and his smile widened at the contents. Gifts for his kids always went far with the professor. "Thank you. How very thoughtful. I'm sure the children will love them. Did you carve these yourself?"

Mason/Leslie: Leslie was sitting near the fire with Ruby, Ester, and others he had yet learned the names of. Ruby and Ester were making demands of him, of more voices and to check on their flowers. Could he make the Christmas tree last forever? Would he? Would Charles allow it?

Was this what being a parent was like? No parent could (or should) half-ass this.

Mason watched from the entryway. A sleepy Rory resting on his shoulders, little arms wrapped around his forehead for balance and warmth.

Cam/Adrik: Cam laughed and settled into a cheeky grin. "Well, you feed me every time I'm in your house so even though you're gonna do it anyway, we'll just call it payment if you do want me to fix a pair of shoes for you." He took the offered snacks and tried not to look like he was enjoying her gushing too much.

Adrik nodded. "I am a tattoo artist," he lifts both of his hands, showing Charles the bear paw prints tattooed onto the back of his hands, leading into the forests that disappeared under his button-up. "But I do woodwork as well. I built my home," these were a lot of words for a normally silent bear, so with a small nod to Charles he turned and returned to Vincent's side.

Then Cam spotted Mason, and he grinned as he gave Bronwyn a small hug and promised to return. He approached Mason with a small parcel, and offered it to the demon along with smaller gift for the sleepy child on his head. Inside of Mason's was a dagger made of a black metal, with intricate carvings etched into the black hilt and pommel, as well as a single ruby set into the center of the hilt.

"If you press the ruby, it extends into a sword- or back into the dagger if it's in the sword form," Cam grinned. The blade was seamless, so it was obviously an extension of his powers. "You gave me a sword last year, I thought maybe you'd like something similar, but a little more versatile."

Bronwyn: "It would be lovely if the tree could last forever, wouldn't it?" Bronwyn said as she joined Leslie and the children. "It would be like Christmas ev'ry day."

Charles: "How fascinating." His smile brightened, curiosity piqued. Meeting interesting people was one of his greatest joys. He didn't know many tattoo artists, and he knew fewer individuals who'd built a home from the ground up with their own hands. More besides, he'd never (to his knowledge) met a werebear. But apparently this particular Fera wasn't much for conversation. With a small smile and nod in return, Charles reclaimed his seat and picked up a new chess piece to examine.

Mason/Leslie: Mason studied the piece, posture absolutely perfect for Rory's sake.

"Weavin' your mutation into items now? How are ya doing that? Someone teach ya?" He pressed the ruby, causing his son to squeak in surprise as the blade suddenly lengthened. Much more awake now. The jewel was pressed again and the weapon stuffed in his pocket. "Thanks, kitten."

Leslie turned to the sound of Bronwyn's voice and smiled. Druids were so ethereal and earthly.

"I think, if we ask the tree nicely, we can make it happen. Don't you?"

Cam/Adrik: "I've always been able to do it- or something like it. This is just the first few times I've tried making them do stuff with a purpose- like stay active for specific reasons, and not just be permanent changes, like the nursery- or have minds of their own, like I did to a teddy bear for a friend's kid," Cam shrugged. "I just... decided to try making it have a singular purpose- likes Charles' chess pieces- and your sword." Cam made sure to point out the sheath, a small leather piece with similar markings to it as what was etched into the hilt. "You're welcome."

Then Cam smiled and handed a small package up to Rory, who now seemed awake enough for his gift. Inside was a little metallic fish with iridescent scales, and as soon as Rory went to touch it, it sprang to life, leaping from its bright wrapping paper to zip around through the air around Rory's head. Then it paused in front of the little boy's face, and zipped forward to give his nose a playful smooch.

Adrik stepped up behind Vincent and wrapped his arms around the smaller man, and he leaned down to nuzzle into Vincent's ear.

Bronwyn: Bronwyn returned the smile. Leslie radiated good energy. Nurturing energy. They would get along very well indeed.

"You know, I think we can. But if you ask me," her voice dropped to a dramatic whisper, "We should ask the professor if it's okay for the tree to live here. The tree should feel welcome if this is goin' to be his home."

Charles: Charles was busy introducing himself to his chess set, studying each of the pieces before placing them in their rightful places on the board.

Vincent/Mason/Leslie: Mason caught a glimpse of Rory's gift and smirked. There was more to Cameron than just genetic mutation. Of that he was almost certain. Unlike the less wholesome (in his opinion) magic of witches, such as the one in the corner smiling oh-so-charmingly with his druid, Cameron's magic did not bastardize living things.

Hearing his son giggle turned his smirk into a full-fledged grin. "I think that won ya 'uncle of the year'."

Leslie played along, nodding sagely.

"Why not go ask him, Ester?" Both girls got to their feet, moving with purpose to grab Charles from whatever that was he was going, tugging him towards their guests, both trying to talk over each other. Something about living trees and can the Christmas tree stay. They promise to feed it and read to it as they did their lilies.

Vincent brought his hands to Adrik's forearm, giving a squeeze to that mighty muscle.

"It's warm here, isn't it?" he whispered to the bear. He hadn't meant the temperature, though it was of course that as well.

Cam/Adrik: "Well he'd be right, I am obviously the best uncle," Cam flashed a grin up at Mason, "and I shall relinquish my title to no one."

Adrik tilted his head, and his arms gave Vincent's shoulders a gentle squeeze.

"Is it?" He asked with another nuzzle. "Is there somewhere we may go to... Cool off?"

Bronwyn: "Looks like I'm goin' to need to make more elemental crystals," Bronwyn chuckled once the girls were out of earshot. "This strappin' lad will need some help if he's goin' to stay up." Provided Charles allowed it, of course.

Charles: Laughing softly, Charles allowed the girls to haul him away from his present engagement, a bishop still clutched in one hand. Though it was all but impossible to hear either of the girls when they were trying to out-speak one another, he gathered the gist of the conversation from all present.

"Hm. Well. I don't know about leaving a living tree inside forever." The thing was massive. Charles loved Christmas more than most, but he was charged with thinking long-term. "Why don't we leave it up for a while, then move it outdoors?" So it didn't have to die. He turned to Bronwyn with an eyebrow raised. "Would it be possible to re-plant? We certainly have the space for it. "

Vincent/Mason/Leslie: Leslie's smile widened with Charles' approach. Mason glanced in their direction before returning his attention to Cameron. He wanted to know how being here, all but living here made the mutant feel. Comfortable? Yearning? He brushed his fingers over Cameron's mind. Asking permission his new shtick.

"I can do it," said Leslie. The jewel cousins' eyes lit up. Perhaps a little more skepticism from Ruby. "I can," he insisted to her, laughing.

"Does cool off mean cool off, or something else?" Vincent asked, craning his head around enough to give Adrik a look.

Cam/Adrik: Cam let Mason into his mind with ease, but he appreciated the request. He liked it here. The kids are all great, and being something of a gym teacher and coach was not a career choice he could have predicted. He did miss the action. The rush. The distractions.

Adrik chuckled and leaned down to kiss Vincent's cheek when he turned his head. "Whatever you wish."

Bronwyn: Bronwyn nodded in agreement. "Aye, it's possible. He'll just need a wee bit of extra care so he can take root." Namely, keeping the tree alive so it could take root.

"It's just like replantin' a branch. With enough time and patience it can be done."

Charles: "Splendid." He smiled between the both of them, never doubting their abilities. "In that case, by all means. Our tree is your tree."

Vincent/Mason/Leslie: Leslie's smile widened. "So long as old boy is held steady, and the soil beneath is soft enough to accept him, I can give him roots again."

Now the girls were chattering amongst themselves, trying to think of something else these two witches could root. As far as they were concerned, Bronwyn and Leslie were one and the same.

"Let's sneak away, then," Vincent whispered. "I'll show you around." Adrik was gently tugged towards the nearest hallway. Just an excuse for privacy. About 80% privacy, 20% tour guide.

Mason clasped his hand to Cameron's shoulder.

"As do I," he whispered. "I don't have nearly enough collections."

Cam/Adrik: "I believe I am a bit too large to sneak," Adrik chuckled, but he followed his little bird, as directed.

Cam smiled up at Mason and placed a hand on his arm to give it a squeeze. "Sounds like you and I could both use a little... fun." He grinned.

Bronwyn: Bronwyn beamed at the pair of them. "You wee lassies should think of a spot for him to go so we can start preparin' the soil. Do you think he needs some friends? We can plant flowers for him so he won't be lonely."

Charles: About to mention the hardening winter ground, Charles nodded instead. "That sounds lovely. There's plenty of free space for you girls to choose from. Just remember to dress warmly, please. No running off without your coats."

Vincent/Mason/Leslie: Shouted yeses were thrown back at Charles as the girls ran towards the foyer. Leslie exchanged looks with Bronwyn. He was already tired and he'd only been here a few hours.

"A bear can be quiet. You're quieter than me!" Vincent was whisper-yelling, which really wasn't much better than his full voice.

"What, wanna go on'a collection with me? Again?" Those were a bloody good time. The red blended well coated over Cameron's green hair and eyes.

Cam/Adrik: Adrik chuckled at that and continued to follow.

Cam hesitated for a moment, but a beat later he smirked and nodded. "You know what, yeah," he'd killed enough already, what was a few whose time was up anyway?

Bronwyn: Bronwyn just laughed. There was no denying or containing the excitement and energy of children around Christmas.

"Look at the bright side. We won't have to go diggin' until the springtime."

Charles: "I should probably go with them," Charles sighed, pocketing the chess piece. "They'll stay out there searching for hours, if I let them."

He paused on his way to the door to eye Cameron and Mason with a raised brow. "Are you planning on joining the party, properly? Or at least letting Rory down so that he can?"

Mason/Leslie: Mason smirked, glancing to the side at a foot. "He's gonna be put down early. Look at him." Barely with his eyes open, despite Cameron's gift. Probably had bought him another five minutes of wakefulness.

Leslie stretched and groaned. He turned back to Bronwyn and smiled. "Should we go with him?"

Cam: Cam smiled up at the sleepy boy, and his new toy nestled comfortably against his cheek. "Understandable, he looked ready to pass out before I even walked over here. He chuckled.

Bronwyn: "Aye, we should," she said with a nod. "We're goin' to have to approve the site of our new project if it's goin' to succeed without too much of our energy bein' spent."

Charles: Charles smiled warmly, and reached up to stroke the child's cheek. His boy. So quiet, when he was exhausted. "And not a moment too soon. You'll have plenty of excitement tomorrow, won't you? Where's Cee?" This last question was directed at the demon.

Mason/Leslie: "I'll be back, then." And a true sign of domestication, Charles was given a quick kiss before turning away.

"Come on, Uncle Cam." We have collections to discuss.

Leslie watched the seemingly happy couple and sighed.

"We should be fine. Not my first tree by any means."

Once more turning back to Bronwyn. "So, Montana? Is that where all of you live? Your family, I mean." He'd gathered much intel from Oliver.

Cam: Cam followed Mason with a smile and a nod.

Bronwyn: Bronwyn couldn't help but smile at the lovely scene, grateful that her beloved Mason finally had the family he deserved.

"Deirdre does, aye. I moved down to New Orleans a few years ago and she came over from Scotland to oversee our family ranch."

Charles: Charles shook his head, chuckling fondly at Mason's back before starting down the hall after the girls.

Mason/Leslie: Leslie gestured after the professor, waiting on Bronwyn to fall into step by her side. "Your sister is definitely magic; she turned a grown man to putty." A flood of laughter spilled from the witch. "For the better."

Mason remained verbally silent while preparing his son for bed. A glance given over his shoulder to Cameron while Rory brushed his teeth.

'You're serious about joinin' me? I have one in the next few days.'

Cam: Cam watched the two with a small smile as he leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom. It was a cute picture.

'Yeah' he replied after a pause. He glanced at Rory, a little uncertain about meeting Mason's gaze. 'Do you... think less of me for wanting to go with you?'

Bronwyn: Bronwyn laughed and shook her head. "She usually has that effect, for better and for worse. I think she would have it even if we weren't what we are. And for what it's worth, she hasn't stopped talkin' about him. She got his dog a Christmas present."

Charles: Charles had dressed for the cold, again, this time donning gloves. The girls could be anywhere, so he blanketed his awareness out to find them.

Mason/Leslie: I hope she can help him. "He needs something good in his life." Leslie continued to smile, holding the door for Bronwyn while rezipping his jacket.

'Why would I think less of you? Did ya forget what I am?' Mason scoffed, a sound which went unnoticed by the little boy as he walked past to his bedroom.

'You're not slaughterin' the fuckin' innocent. You're dealin' with the bottom barrel of fuckin' humanity. Do with em what ya want.'

Cam: "G'night Rory, Merry Christmas," he smiled at the boy as he passed, who was quickly followed by Cam's gift as it nestled into Rory's shoulder to 'rest'.

Then he turned to Mason.

'I dunno... I guess it just... You know if I told Bron or Charles or- anyone else they'd probably say I shouldn't, and a part of me feels like I should feel the same way. I did once- you remember how I struggled the first time I helped... and I just... don't care like I did- in this situation. It's... weird looking at myself like that.... I've changed.' And something about it terrified him. He only shared a sliver of that fear with Mason, followed quickly with a strange surge of determination not to run from it.

Bronwyn: "Well, even if it doesn't work out for some reason, she'll turn his life upside down. In a good way," she added as she stepped outside.

"Speakin' of turnin' someone's life upside down in a good way, how did you meet Charles?"

Charles: Ah. There they were, examining an empty area not too far from the building. Rather than call to the girls, he stopped and waited for Bronwyn and Leslie to catch up.

Mason/Leslie: Alone once more, Mason returned to voice.

"They aren't cut from the same cloth. I call em angels, but they're not. Angels slaughter every fuckin' day. Don't feel pity for the damned. They did it t'themselves."

Leslie shook his head. "Ha! Is that what I did?" The biting cold forced a self-hug. "I met him on the metro in NYC. I don't think it was random chance."

Cam: Cam nodded and smiled slightly. "I'll try to keep that in mind."

Bronwyn: Bronwyn shook her head. "I don't think so either. And aye, you kind of turned his life upside down. Magic tends to do that for people who don't grow up with it or grow up believin' it isn't real. He always seems fascinated by what I can do, I imagine he's the same with you."

Charles: Charles would stare up at the dark winter sky as he waited for their approach, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet in a fairly fruitless effort to ward off the cold. When they did, he'd offer his brightest smile. "Glad the two of you are getting on. I thought you might."

Mason/Leslie: "I mean it, kitten. Not even me."

A hand roughly found Cameron's head, giving an affectionate ruffle.

Leslie smiled at their host.

"Have you ever been afraid of us, Charles?"

Cam: "I don't pity you, Mason. I love you and care about you, there's a big difference," he scowled as Mason ruffled his hair and he swatted away Mason's hand with a laugh. "Hey! I took time to style that today!"

Bronwyn: "Of course we are," Bronwyn said to Charles. "Leslie is lovely and I enjoy the company of lovely people." Especially if those lovely people cared about people she loved.

Charles: "That he is," Charles agreed, before looking up at Leslie with a raised eyebrow. "Afraid of you and Bronwyn? Of course not. Not for an instant."

Mason/Leslie: "And nothin' pleases me more than fuckin' it all up." Mason grinned. In fact, he was going to mussy up that green fauxhawk with both goddamn hands.

Leslie looked between the two of them and laughed. There might have been some modest embarrassment in his smile.

"Did the jewels find a spot?"

Cam: "Hey- hey!" Cam laughed and dodged the hands to the best of his ability, and he tried to duck around Mason in an attempt to escape.

Bronwyn: "Aww, thank you, darlin'." Bronwyn tugged Charles down to kiss his cheek. "Yes, did they? The soil will need some attention before the spring."

Charles: Charles laughed softly, both at Bronwyn's affection and Leslie's little nickname for the girls. He offered the druid his arm and gestured toward the two little figures kneeling side-by-side in the snow, a ways off. "Looks like it. We should head over there before one of them gets frostbite." Ruby was already missing a finger. "How does one magically prepare soil for tree planting?"

Mason/Leslie: "Where ya goin'? Huh? M'not done." This would be a slow chase if ever there was one.

Leslie followed on Charles' other side.

"I'm not sure what a druid would do, but I just need another plant or some worms I can place in the ground, something I can offer as... tribute, I guess you can say, to enrich it."

Cam: "Listen- hey! Nooooo- No touching the hair!" Cam laughed as he tried to escape, although his attempt was half-hearted and he was easily caught once again. "Be nice to my meticulously groomed head!"

Bronwyn: "The soil is probably pretty decent, it just needs some enrichin' as Leslie says. More than normal since it's goin' to support a magical tree. More...potency."

Charles: He nodded, thoughtful. "Well, I'm fresh out of worms. I'm sure the grounds have enough organic matter about, to be useful. Even if we have to do a bit of digging to get at any of it. Erik promised to build a greenhouse, before he left. Pity he never got around to it."

He slowed and then stopped as they reached the girls. "Is this the place, then?  Looks sound to me, but then I'm only a humble geneticist."

Mason/Leslie: "But it's beggin' t'be fucked with. It's too dapper." Coming from a man with not one but two closets overfilled with suits, blazers, and vests. Not to mention the array of shoes and wristwatches. This was a matter of preferences. He preferred a disheveled Cameron.

"This is a good spot, jewels," Leslie praised. "Just have to move the snow out of the way and he'll be ready. Does he have a name?" All trees needed a name.

Cam: "Says the man constantly wearing formal clothes!" Cam laughed but eventually gave in to Mason, letting him ruffle Cam's hair with a small scowl on his brow. "Happy?"

Bronwyn: Bronwyn turned to Charles with a thoughtful look. "Are ye still interested in a greenhouse? There's this landscapin' company near my house that builds them. They do good work, I have them mow my lawn when I can't be bothered."

Charles: While the girls fell to whispering between themselves, debating the best name for their tree, Charles looked at Bronwyn with a smile. "Oh, yes. Definitely. I thought it'd be a good addition to the school, and a place for the kids to occupy themselves, if they're interested. We'd been discussing it on and off for years. Would they be able to work all the way up here?"

Mason/Leslie: "Fuck right I am," Mason smirked. "Let's join the others." More specifically, he wanted to keep an eye on that witch Charles had taken a shine to. "N'tell me how involved ya wanna be when the time comes."

"It would be another opportunity for them to learn something," said Leslie. "That would be amazing."

Cam: Cam stuck his tongue out at Mason as he started to readjust his hair, and he began to walk back towards the party.

"I'm down for... whatever- I guess. If you want to set up a plan we can, I wouldn't want to be the only one... Finishing it- I guess. If that makes sense? Not like the last time where it was just me."

Bronwyn: "It wouldn't hurt to ask. If they can't for whatever reason, maybe they could recommend someone or give you some guidelines on what to look for. I think they'd be willin' to work up here though." For the right price.

A price she would be paying.

Charles: "I agree," he nodded to the witch, a tiny smirk tugging at his mouth. "We can hire you to be the herbology professor." For Bronwyn, a proper smile. "Well, if you give me their information, I'll definitely contact them. You seem to know all of the right people, darling."

Mason/Leslie: "I'll make the killin' blow if that's what ya want. Don't feel sympathy for the one I got in mind. They'll deserve every ounce."

Leslie gasped. "Can I wear robes?" But then again, "Bronwyn should be the herbologist." Despite being Verbena, the opportunity seemed better suited for a druid.

Cam: "I dunno if that has to happen- but I don't think I'm opposed. We can play it by ear. Why's this person deserve it?" Cam asked and glanced over at Mason as they walked.

Bronwyn: Bronwyn smiled. "I just spend a lot o' time out and about and stumble across people." She laughed softly. "Ye'd have a whole lot of teenagers learnin' verra obscure poisons if you had me teach them." Among other things she shared with the pair of them while enlisting the help of their girls to inspect the spot they chose for the tree.

Charles: Charles allowed himself to carry on this amusing line of conversation, arguing the merits of each potential professor at their nonexistent school of magic. It was he, however, that ushered everyone along when witch and druid had made whatever preparations were necessary for tree-planting.

"All right. It's freezing." And getting rather late. "We should head inside. I'm sure we'll make time to get him in the ground, once the holidays are over."

Mason/Leslie: "We'll discuss the details when properly alone. Too many telepaths out and about. Besides, ya should get some socializin' in 'fore I steal ya away for bloodlust."

Bronwyn would need watching over as well, no doubt. Sharp eyes on a gentle and seemingly kind Verbena. His duties to his family would not cease over some made up holiday.

Cam: Cam nodded to Mason as they neared the party once more.

"I'll be sure to text you," he winked and slipped off to the side to find the other teachers he had yet to greet.

[intergalactic-zoo]

"Come with us now on a far journey, a journey that takes us millions of miles from the Earth, where many years ago the planet Krypton burned like a green star in the endless heavens." Today this series makes its first foray off of the comic page and into the vast multimedia landscape of Superman adaptations. "The Adventures of Superman" followed shows like "The Lone Ranger" and "Dragnet" in making the leap from the radio to the television, and I'd venture to say that nowhere is that more apparent than in this first episode. Creative Team: Tommy Carr, Robert Maxwell, Whitney Ellsworth, George Reeves, Phyllis Coates, Jack Larson, John Hamilton, Herbert Rawlinson, Stuart Randall, Aline Towne, Frances Morris, Danni Sue Nolan, Tom Fadden, Robert Rockwell, and Jeffrey Silver. All-Star Summary: Doomed planet. Desperate scientist. Last hope. Courageous couple. 

Key Elements: The distant planet Krypton was home to an advanced civilization of supermen, at the peak of human perfection. The scientist Jor-El has been brought before a council to explain destructive events that have been happening around the planet. He reveals that the planet is doomed to explode in the near future. The Council dismisses his conclusions and warnings as the ravings of a madman, and scoff at his plan to use rockets to evacuate the population to the planet Earth.

Jor-El returns to his lab, where he adds fuel to his model rocket. He plans to test it, and if it arrives on Earth safely, he'll build one large enough to take himself, his wife Lara, and his infant son Kal-El to safety. But when the tremors grow stronger, Jor-El realizes that the planet is in its last moments. The model ship is large enough for one passenger; Jor-El tells Lara to go, but she refuses, saying if any of them are to survive, it should be their child. They put the baby in the rocket and launch it toward Earth, just before Krypton finally explodes. On Earth, Eben and Sarah Kent see a rocket crash as they are driving down a country road. Eben hears a baby crying inside the flaming ship and rescues it. Neither the child nor his blanket were burned by the fire. The rocket is destroyed, leaving no trace behind. The Kents decide to keep the baby and raise him as their own son, Clark. As Clark grows, he discovers that he has amazing powers that set him apart from other people, like super-strength, super-speed, and X-ray vision. Ma Kent tells him the story of how they found and rescued him. When Clark is 25 years old, his father dies of a sudden heart attack. Ma encourages him to leave town for Metropolis, and to use his amazing powers to help people. She even made him an indestructible costume out of the blankets he was wrapped in as a baby. He resolves to keep his identity secret by acting timid and wearing glasses. He takes a job at the Daily Planet, a great metropolitan newspaper, so that he'll be able to learn about emergencies quickly. He meets Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, and Lois Lane, who is immediately suspicious of Clark.

And when emergencies occur, he's there to save the day—as Superman!

Interesting Deviations: Here, it's not the Science Council that hears Jor-El's predictions, but the governing council, meeting in the Temple of Wisdom. The Council specifically commissioned Jor-El's research in this version, which may not be an explicit departure from other origins, but certainly feels like one in spirit. Krypton's fate is due to its sun drawing the planet closer, which honestly feels more realistic than the usual exploding core. It makes sense for the described disasters like volcanoes and earthquakes to result from changes in tidal forces as Krypton's orbit decays and the sun's gravitational pull exerts a greater influence. How much of that was known in 1952, and how much was just good sci-fi guesswork, I can't say. I also can't say that an explosion is likely to result from this process either, but certainly being torn apart might. Talking with Lara, Jor-El notes that despite the clouds, there's been a strange glow in the west, and Lara complains about the oppressive heat, asking if it's due to the planet getting closer to the sun. Maybe it's just because it's black-and-white television, but I was immediately reminded of the "Twilight Zone" episode "Midnight Sun," except that aired nine years after this. One really interesting, minor variation between the different retellings is who Jor-El intends to send in the rocket. Occasionally it's Kal-El from the start, sometimes both Lara and Kal-El. Here, Jor-El initially suggests that Lara go alone, then that the rocket might be large enough for both her and Kal-El, but she refuses both times. "I'd be lost on a new world without you, Jor-El." The Kents here, as in the radio show's (lost, to my knowledge) second version of the origin and the Kirk Alyn serials, are Eben and Sarah. To my knowledge, these names never made the jump to the comics.

There's a lovely exchange here, where Sarah says "Eben! You can't do nothin', you'll get burned!" and Eben replies "Gotta do somethin'," before throwing dirt at the hatch to put out the fire. If I may read too far into things, Superman's parents in this segment illustrate the two most important aspects of his character: hope even in the bleakest situations, and using whatever power you have to do whatever good you can. The Kents discuss bringing the child to an orphanage, but decide that nobody would believe their story. Interestingly, this bears a lot of resemblance to how the story would go in the post-Crisis age. The classic image of Clark demonstrating his powers is lifting a heavy object—often a tractor or a couch—to retrieve a ball. It's interesting, then, that these early versions often go for the X-ray vision instead. The radio program's second version of the origin story has a part titled "Eben Kent Dies in a Fire," so his heart attack is likely a departure from that story. We see the name Smallville for the first time in this story at the bus depot. The name's been in the comics since at least 1949, but I'd be interested to know if it had shown up in the serials or radio show before this. Notably, despite "Smallville" being the setting of Superboy's adventures for at least a few years in the comics, there's no indication that Superboy existed in this continuity.

Clark is unable to get an interview with Perry the traditional way, so he tries slipping into Perry's office through the window, using a ledge outside the building. It's a bold move, but maybe not one that suits that whole "mild-mannered" demeanor. An emergency interrupts his impromptu interview—a blimp was unable to land, and now a man is hanging from its cable—and Perry sends Lois and Jimmy to cover it. Notably, he tells them to have a couple of photographers dispatched, which suggests that Jimmy hasn't taken that job yet. Superman's first rescue is the man who'd been dangling from the rope. In his interview, he says it was a "super-guy," but Clark had already beaten him to the punch with the headline.

Additional Commentary: The opening narration is taken verbatim from the first episode of the radio show, "The Baby from Krypton," and much of what happens on Krypton follows pretty close to the original radio script, including the presence of Ro-Zan and Jor-El's "solar calculations." 

Jor-El, played by Robert Rockwell, looks eerily like Norm Macdonald.

And Lara, Aline Towne, looks pretty sultry.

I think this shot is extremely interesting, given how clear it is that Lara is holding a sack rather than a baby. The blanket fell away to expose the sack as she moved, and she tries to cover it back up in a way that looks natural, but it's interesting to see that this didn't merit another take.

Take a look at that superdrool. When they cut away from this close-up shot, it becomes clear that the baby was probably never even on the Krypton set.

Rockwell and Towne really sell the desperation of the moment. The baby is not on-hand for the rocket crash scene, as a stunt-sack clearly fills in again. I suppose this was the era before high-definition TVs and pause buttons; if I were watching this on a 12-inch screen via antenna, I probably wouldn't notice the difference. Eventually they do transition to having the baby in the scene. When twelve-year-old Clark asks why he's different from the other boys, Sarah expresses that she was concerned that he was coming down with the measles. I guess it's nice that that's a relevant concern again. George Reeves looks very Elvis Presley here.

Angry, shouty Perry White here is pretty clearly a major inspiration for J. Jonah Jameson, and a nice illustration of how, once JJJ exists as the apotheosis of that archetype, Perry is left a little rudderless as a character.

The Rocket: A classic sci-fi rocket, but not much distinctive about it. And it ultimately falls apart like it's made of cardboard. Two exploding Kryptons.

[ratandphilgames]

Our Lives Don’t Collide

{chapter 3: shake on it}

summary: Shit hits the fan when famous actor!Phil is caught smooching a boy in an alleyway. Only problem? He’s not out and what’s worse? The boy he was smooching was a journalist who set it all up to get a quick picture and now Phil is royally screwed. The only answer Phils management can come up with is a fake relationship to try and do damage control and famous actor!Dan is the perfect candidate.

chapter word count: 2562

total word count: 7458 

rating: t 

note: thanks for reading and leaving me all your love! everyone who’s sent an anon or left kudos or reblogged has absolutely made this worth it! ily :)

updates on thursdays!

{read on ao3}

{read from the beginning} 

{next chapter}

—–

Sign on the dotted line …………….

The dotted line was definitely taunting him. All Dan had to do was write his name and then he’d be in a legally bond relationship. It was like a temporary marriage. No pressure or anything.  

Dan was back in Sam’s office, 2 days later. The final contract was sitting in front of him, ready to be signed.

He’d been thinking a lot the past 48 hours about this decision.

At the beginning Dan was fairly sure he was going to sign the paper but then intrusive thoughts crept into his mind. Would he be able to look his mum in the face and tell her that he was in a happy committed relationship when he wasn’t? That was a lot of intense pressure, lying to your mom was bad. Baddddddd.

After thinking about how much lying to his mum would suck, Dan thought about how proud his mum would be that he’d gotten himself into a good relationship. She was always being the typical mother, worried that he was too lonely, constantly concerned about him. It would be nice to convince her that he was okay, even if only for a short period.

Besides, this was just commitment to a role for an extended period of time. Dan was an actor. It wouldn’t be unusual to pretend, it was what he did for a living.

The longer Dan spent thinking about it, the more he ignored the bad and focused on the good.

So there he was. Sitting in Sam's office, pen in hand, hovering over the paper. Was he really going to sign this contract that bond him to a role for 6 months?

Yes, yes he was.

His world was going to shift exponentially but almost every way seemed like it would be for the better. Maybe.

Maybe not.

At this point the only way he could find out was by signing the paper. He’d gone over nearly every scenario in his head and at this point the only way to really figure out was to put his name on that line.

So he did. Dan signed his name on the dotted line.

He was now officially and legally in a relationship. It felt weird, especially since the interaction with his ‘boyfriend’ had consisted of one sentence and a weirdly elongated staring contest.  

“So, now that that’s out of the way, we need to make you two official on instagram.”

Shannon was right, that was part of the deal.

“How are we supposed to do that? I don���t have a picture of us together.”

Sam, who had stayed relatively quiet, simply stared at Dan as if he’d just said the dumbest thing ever.

“Daniel, you’ll be seeing him again. When you’re ‘in a relationship’ with someone, you tend to see them more than once.”

Oh.

So he was going to see Phil again. Soon.

Fuck.

Something about that fact was both startling and a tad bit titillating.

“Right, yeah, I knew that. I guess it just didn’t sink in yet. So when is he coming round?”

Again, Dan was met with a dumbfounded look from Sam. He seemed to be missing the obvious today. His mind a little preoccupied, he supposed.

“You can’t take the photo here, Dan. That will look sketch. You need to invite him to yours, so paparazzi see him and hype up the relationship.”

In order to avoid Sams snark, Shannon stepped in and talked. It hadn’t really occurred to Dan that him and Phil would actually hang out. That he would have Phil inside his house. Suddenly everything became overwhelmingly real.  

“Oh, oh shit. Okay. How do I do that?”

Apparently it was ‘plan everything without Dan and then act like he’s dumb because he wasn’t let in on the plans’ day.

“Dan, there’s this lovely thing called a telephone that you can use. We just have to call his publicist. All you need to do is be at home, which isn’t hard for you.”

Wow. Okay. It was also roast Dan day.

Sure, Dan didn’t tend to leave his house unless he was filming something. It was just too much hassle to get out when it took so much planning. In public he was expected to keep up appearances. At home he could get away with wearing a baggy tee shirt and sweats with no eye bats.

Since ‘Switch Hitter’ was set to come out in 2 months and trailers were starting to drop, Dan was more relevant in the media than usual. If he wasn’t up to leaving his house during his usual schedule, he sure as hell wasn’t wanting to when there was handfuls of paparazzi camping outside his gate.

“Tomorrow. Phil will be coming to your house, you will take a photo together that is suitable for coming out on instagram. Nobody will be their to monitor you, I trust you will not need supervision. Please don’t fuck this up Dan.”

Out of the whole 5 years Dan had worked with Sam, never once had he heard him curse, let alone at him. Shit was serious, Sam was pulling out the big guns.

It was like he was being scolded on having girls (or boys, he’d be out as bi since he was 14) in his room as a teenager. “I trust you will not need supervision” sounded a lot like a threat. Even his mum wasn’t that passive aggressive about being alone with a potential lover.

Not that Phil was a potential lover. This was a business relationship, nothing else.

God this was getting awkward already.

Dan didn’t want to play the ‘ask a question and get a glare from Sam’ game again so he just nodded in response.

And with that Dan was excused from Sams office and told to go home and make his house ‘presentable.’ Shannon offered to help, but Dan assured her he could do it all by himself. He could manage throwing out the old pizza boxes without assistance. The amount of times the paparazzi outside his house had gotten excited that a car was pulling up, only to find it was a pizza delivery boy was astounding.

Andreas, per usual, was standing outside the door, just waiting for Dan to walk out. Maybe a day would come when Dan could feel safe going from his house to his agents office but quite frankly that day was not today. On more than one occasion he’d been attacked by paparazzi who took it too far and a couple of times he was met with some very homophobic bystanders who chased him. After all was said and done, he’d rather pay someone and count the money well spent for his peace of mind than be in constant fear with a little more change in his pocket.

“Any more stops today?”

“No, let’s just head home. You’re probably tired of waiting around for me.”

“It’s my job.”

No other words were said the rest of the car ride back to Dan’s abode. When they arrived Dan got walked to his house and then him and Andreas parted ways.

He only had one day to get his shit together. One day was not enough time to get shit together.

Dan contemplated hiring a cleaning service. He honest to god thought about searching one online rather than have to clean up his own filth so his fake boyfriend wouldn’t be so disgusted that he ripped the contract. It wasn’t that his house was that bad, it was just tedious and not how Dan wanted to spend his evening.

He started with the takeout boxes and random junk that he just tended to leave around when he was running to get somewhere on time. A pair of shoes, a misplaced watch, some miscellaneous jewelry.

Was it weird if he picked up his bedroom? It wasn’t like he was going to entice Phil into his bedroom, but what if he walked past? Maybe Dan would at least make his bed. Try to be semi presentable just in case.

Oh god. He sounded like a maniac that thought this relationship was real. He needed to do a quick reality check and realize it was all fake. It was staged. He needed to get that through his thick dick infatuated brain before he managed to screw everything up.

Shit. Sam had good reason to tell him not to fuck stuff up.

Dan made the executive decision to make his bed, using the excuse that he needed to anyways, to be a ‘functional human.’ His therapist would be proud.

As he was just folding down the edge of his duvet there was a buzz. The buzz that meant someone was trying to get into the gate.

This was… unexpected. For a brief moment Dan wondered if he had subconsciously ordered a pizza. Or maybe he was receiving a gift basket from Phil’s team from signing the contract. No wait, mail doesn’t get delivered at 5:43 at night.

Who the fuck was at his gate?

He made his way to the intercom near the front door, the little microphone that allowed him to speak to the person attempting to enter his home. More often than not it was a reporter requesting an ‘impromptu interview.’ Don’t get him wrong, Dan loved answering questions and interacting with people who cared what he said, but at his house, unannounced? That was just unprofessional and unsafe.

“Uh, how may I help you?”

He was really fucking awkward.

“I’m here to drop off Phil Lester.”

What. The. Fuck.

“Is this a prank?”

Phil was supposed to be by his house tomorrow. Sam had explicitly told him tomorrow. As in 24 hours, as in not right fucking now.

“No sir, this isn’t a prank.”

The driver sounded a bit annoyed with him but that was the least of Dan’s problems right now. Philip Lester was outside his house a day early and there was no way to prepare because he was asking to be let in right now.

“Uh, alright, I’ll open the gate.”

As soon as he typed in the code to open the gate he flew to his room to grab his phone. In the time it took for Phils car to pull up, Dan was able to send a quick SOS message to Shannon, asking what the hell was going on.

Ding. Dong.

The doorbell was ringing. They were there.

How did his hair look? Was what he wearing earlier appropriate for the occasion? What even was the occasion? First date with his fake boyfriend? Was this a date? A ‘fake’ date of course.

He opened the door. Standing there, true to the drivers word, was Phil Lester and a very tall, muscular man, that Dan had seen outside the boardroom door days earlier. This was the real motherfucking deal, no prank in sight.

Holy fuck.

“Uh, come in.” It took everything in Dan to make that statement not come out like a question.

The bodyguard stepped off to the side and Dan moved to the side, allowing Phil to walk into Dan’s home. Phil Lester. Walking into Dan’s home. Fuck.

“I trust the premise is secure?” Phil’s bodyguard was speaking to him about security. Dan didn’t know anything about that other than Andreas always said he was safe in his home. Nobody had ever broken in, so there was that.

“Yep, super secure.”  

“Alright, well, call when you need a ride.” This time the bodyguard was addressing Phil. They had gone from a high security professional to a parent dropping off his stepson at a sleepover. At least Dan wasn’t the only awkward one here.

Phil nodded, clearly embarrassed by his bodyguards choice of words.

And then Phil’s bodyguard closed the door and it was just Dan and Phil, alone, in Dan’s big house. They were just both stood awkwardly by the front door.

“Uh, we can head into the lounge if you want.”

So they did. Dan led Phil into the lounge and they both sat down on the sofa and they both did that awkward thing where they push their knees together because they didn’t know what to do with themselves.

Something had convinced Dan that the great Phil Lester was going to be the talkative, explosive personality he saw on the screen. Dan should’ve known better than anyone that what you saw in the interviews wasn’t the full truth. Phil was just another introverted awkward guy who had a knack for pretending.

“I’m going to go make a call real quick, I’ll be right back.”

Shannon had texted him back with a simple ‘call me.’

Dan stepped into his kitchen and dialed Shannons number, having it committed by memory at this point.

“Shan, what the fuck is going on. I was told tomorrow. There is one Philip Lester sitting in my lounge right now.”

He was doing the hushed whisper thing with his voice just in case Phil could hear him from the other room. He didn’t think he could hear him, but it was always good to play it safe.

“His publicist just must’ve gotten mixed up on the phone, don’t panic kid. Just play it cool and don’t forget to take the instagram photo.”

Somehow Shannons words comforted him, they always managed to.

Okay. Cool. Play it cool. He could do that.

“Okay, I’m gonna go now Shan. I’ll play it cool. I’ve got this.” He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Shannon or himself more.

“Have fun. Do not forget the instagram picture Dan.”

Right. Get that picture.

Dan hung up the phone, feeling much better about the situation now that he had Shannon’s wonderful words of wisdom.

Despite the newfound confidence, Dan was not too keen on heading back into the lounge and striking up a conversation with his new ‘boyfriend.’ Still, he did the honorable thing and went back into his lounge.

“Uhh hey. Thanks for coming.”

Phil, clearly startled by Dans reappearance, jumped a bit at the words and dropped his phone onto his lap.

“Oh uh, thanks for having me. I mean, thanks for everything. Sorry the situation is- well that this is how we meet.” Phil looked so anxious as he spoke and Dan couldn’t help but feel bad. For the first time he wasn’t thinking about how this would affect himself, Dan was thinking about how shitty Phil must feel after being publicly outed without his consent and then being forced by his management into this ‘relationship.’ Dan had a choice, Phil really didn’t.

“What? You mean you don’t meet all your friends through fake relationships to save your reputation?”

The humor certainly lightened the mood, both of them had a little chuckle. Dan felt a small sense of accomplishment for lifting the awkward tension.

“No, I’d have to say this is a first. So we’re friends?” Phil asked, still sitting on the sofa as Dan stood by the doorway.

“Well I hope so, otherwise the next few months are gonna be hella awkward.”

Again Phil laughed a little, making Dans stomach do that flip thing. This was going great, Phil didn’t hate him yet.

Dan crossed the room and sat down on the sofa next to Phil.

“Friends?”

Sticking out his hand, Dan waited, hoping Phil would shake on it.

“Friends.”

And they shook on it.  

[goodnightkisseu]

Hwang Minhyun - Taste

Genre: Fluff

“When We Met” Series: [Minhyun][Jihoon][Jaehwan][Guanlin][Daehwi][Jinyoung][Jisung][Woojin][Seongwu][Sungwoon][Daniel]

Note: Hi everyone! I’m back with another series and this time, it’s a particularly special one because it’s a series that will be counting down to Wanna One’s 1st Anniversary! I’m calling it “When We Met” because it’ll be a series of scenarios, using Wanna One’s individual debut teasers as starting points for how you meet! 

This is also a series in collaboration with @nothingwithoutwannaone​! She will be writing her own versions of how you meet and I will link them in each post ^^

Anyway, Minhyun is up first! I hope that you all enjoy!

nothingwithoutwannaone​‘s version ---> [x]

- goodnightkisseu’s admin <3

“Ah, this is so exciting. I can’t believe we’re doing a pictorial for a real celebrity!” one of the interns said, the two girls chatting amongst themselves as your team entered the familiar studio. It was one of the many buildings that the food and cooking magazine that you worked for owned. Whenever there would be a special pictorial with a celebrity or a really well-known chef, the kitchen would be retro-fitted for the needs of that person. Today it had a simpler look, a little European but cozy and full of earthy tones. This didn’t happen often, of course. The magazine was very niche and most of the time you and the others were just setting up for a simple food pictorials, no people involved. So when a chef or a celebrity did want to be pictured, everyone always got a little excited.

“Girls, I know that this is all very exciting, but do remember that you’re here to work,” your director teased, and the two interns gave her a quick nod before running off to set up the lighting and to get the rest of the equipment ready.

“They have so much energy,” you said envying your young coworkers ability to just jump right into work. You had been working as a photographer now for about three years. Though you still enjoyed everything that you did, you knew that there were definitely times when you lacked that energy. Maybe they could teach you how they did it.

Your director giggled as she looked over at you. “You know, I remember when you were all excited to meet your first celebrity too,” she pointed out.

“Oh I know you do,” you shot back. “I was even harder to control than these two, wasn’t I,” you said with a giggle, your director not giving you an answer, though her walking off to check on the interns told you volumes. Whoops.

Though, all joking aside, you understood being excited about meeting a celebrity for the first time. It was definitely an experience, particularly meeting someone that would be called a celebrity chef. The group was small, but everyone had such interesting and diverse experiences of how they got there, no two stories were identical. You had met your fair share now, and wow, were you blown away each time someone told you their story about how they went from one thing to one of the most well-known chefs in the country.

Today’s chef also had an interesting story of his own. Hwang Minhyun was dubbed as the overnight celebrity of the celebrity chef world. His popularity had come fast, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t deserve it. From what you had heard, not having talked to him yet, was that he was trained in the culinary arts, but working at a restaurant just wasn’t for him. Instead he worked a normal day job, and when he got home at night, he would prepare extravagant dishes to keep his abilities up to par.

At some point he started to share his culinary work online and this was what got people’s attention. They were drawn in by the beautiful pictures that he took, taking into account the ambiance needed for the dish, and hell, as a photographer that did this for a living, even you were impressed. People then started asking him to give them cooking tips and even asked for those quick videos on how to make particular dishes. It started off as something small, but in no time, Minhyun was already doing full on cooking tutorials. The popularity he gained was fast and he became an internet sensation in less than a year.

A couple months ago, a management agency had reached out to him and asked if he wanted to sign a deal with them, where they could manage his career, and really get him known. It seemed like it was appealing to the young male because he quit his day job and started down his path as a celebrity chef. Today’s pictorial was to be his introduction to the world. He had done an interview separate from the photoshoot and you and the rest of the team were here to take all the pretty pictures that would fill the pages of his interview.

The sudden whispers from your coworkers were enough to pull you from your thoughts, where you had been aimlessly running through the different shots that you wanted to get that day. Your eyes wandered over to where the voices were coming from, but, if you were being honest, you weren’t ready to come face to face with such a sight. Your eyes instantly landed on Minhyun as he greeted the other staff members on his way in, and for the first time in a while, you were in absolute awe. You knew that Minhyun was an extremely good looking individual. When you had been doing your research on him to help set up the pictorial, you had seen his pictures. You just didn’t expect him to have that aura in person though, the type of aura that left you star-struck. You were so stunned you didn’t realize you were staring until his eyes fell on you and you quickly looked away and down at your camera, trying to hide you embarrassment.

“We’ll try not to be invasive as you cook, of course, but sometimes it’ll be a bit unavoidable if we want to get certain shots for the magazine. I’ll do my best to direct the staff so that we don’t hinder you too much. We want this all to feel natural to you as well,” the director explained as she walked with Minhyun and his manager over to you. “Ah, and I also want to introduce you to our photographer. She’ll be responsible for making you look good today,” she teased, and that was when you knew… she had caught you staring at Minhyun. What was your life right now…

Still, you quickly pushed that to the back of your mind and introduced yourself, a gentle smile gracing your lips. Minhyun returned the smile before he spoke. “Please take good care of me today,” he said kindly, and you gave him a small nod before his manager ushered him off to go change before he set up the kitchen the way he needed it…

========

The photoshoot went without a hitch, overall. The atmosphere remained light while you all worked, the staff watching Minhyun in admiration as he worked, and Minhyun seemingly having fun creating some of his favorite dishes. It was a little awkward at first, of course. With you in the kitchen with him, camera in hand, there were a couple of awkward moments where you would go in to take a picture but he needed to move to get some spices. There was a lot of apologies flowing from the both of you, but once the two of you figured it out, he was courteous to you as he worked. He’d let you know when he needed to get to the sink or if he needed something that you may be standing in front of. You always felt like you were in the way – because you honestly were – but you wanted to get nice pictures of him that would really show his personality. He was kind and genuine and you really wanted that to show in the pictures.

You were going through the pictures with the director and his manager, trying to cut out the ones that felt unnecessary or that didn’t capture the atmosphere very well, when you realized that you were missing a couple of shots. “Please keep going through these,” you said as you picked up your other camera. “I think I need a few more pictures of the food itself. I’ll be right back,” you explained, before running off towards the kitchen.

Busying yourself with getting your camera set properly, you entered the kitchen without noticing that someone was still there. When you finally looked up, you saw Minhyun, with a Polaroid camera out, his face full of concentration as he tried to take some pictures of his own. Honestly, it was kind of cute.

That was when an idea struck you. Pulling up your camera, you knelt down ever so slightly to get a nice shot of Minhyun, just as he was about to take a picture. As you looked over the quick picture you had just snapped, you couldn’t help but smile. Considering how impromptu it was, you thought that it captured him the best out of all of the pictures you had taken that day. It would be the perfect picture for the beginning of the article. It felt like it showcase him, and how he started down this road.

Slowly approached him, you let him know that you were there, and he quickly turned to greet you, your eyes catching a glimpse of the three or four Polaroids that were lying on the counter. A small smile formed on your lips as you proceeded to take some pictures of your own. When you were satisfied that you had enough shots, you gently pulled away from your camera and looked up at Minhyun. “You take really nice pictures,” you complimented.

Minhyun looked at you with wide eyes, not expecting such a compliment, and honestly, he got a little shy as his eyes looked down at the pictures he had taken. “Ah, they’re alright, but they’re definitely not as nice as the professional pictures that photographers like you take,” he said, throwing the compliment right back.

“I think you could take better pictures than me in no time with a little practice. Can I show you?” you offered, and he quickly nodded, eager to learn some techniques that would help to make his food photography look even better.

You spent the next half an hour or so teaching Minhyun about some small things that could easily improve his pictures, such as the angle or the lighting, or even depth of field. As you ran him through each different idea, he was comprehending it all rather quickly. You were impressed. He was a good listener.

As you were about to show him another technique, you heard your director calling for you… and that was when you realized that everyone, except for you, had already packed up and ready to leave. “I’ll be right there,” you told her. “I guess I lost track of time. Ah, but that means I’ve kept you around for quite a bit too. Sorry about that,” you apologized.

“No need to apologize. It’s really fine. I was really enjoying the lesson. I learned a lot,” he said with a smile to show his gratitude. An idea seemed to strike Minhyun at that moment. “Before you leave, do you think you could give me one of your business cards?” he asked.

You quickly nodded, reaching into your bag and pulling out a small case, which you opened to take out a light blue card, handing it over to Minhyun. “I’d love to work with you again. I hope we’ll be able to make it happen.”

“Me too,” he replied, taking a look at the card as you turned to leave. “But, do you think I could see you before that? I’d really like to take you out to dinner, maybe get to know you better?”

You froze in your spot even as you heard your director calling for you. You could feel the heat rising in your cheeks as your brain processed what Minhyun had just said. Was he… was he asking you out? “Excuse me?”

Your reaction having not been what he had expected, Minhyun’s confidence faltered a bit. “I-I mean… not to be too forward, but I’ve enjoyed your company today and I thought we could go out and have some fun. I’d understand if you weren’t interested tho…” he said slowly, his confidence wavering.

Deciding to put him out of his misery, you gave him a smile. “I’d actually like that a lot, Minhyun,” you admitted, your cheeks a radiant shade of pink. He seemed in higher spirits after hearing your words, and before you could say much else, you heard the familiar voice of your director calling you and you knew you had to leave. “See you again soon!” you said before running out after your team, a giant smile plastered on your lips…