#we barely got any interaction from them in rio

[orangesunsets12]

Keep Him Safe Chapter 1 (Spider-Man & Daredevil fanfic)

Next Chapter (Chapter 2) // MCU Masterlist

Summary:

Peter Parker's world flips upside down when Miles Morales loses his mother, and Peter is declared as Miles' new guardian.

But when a scientist challenges Peter's ability to be a father, Peter enlists the help of Matt Murdock to dispute it.

Because it isn't just about a custody battle. Winning or losing could be the difference between Miles' life or death.

And Peter is going to do everything he can to keep Miles safe.

Rated Teen and Up. Minor Character Death. Word count: 4674

Spider-Man and Daredevil Crossover

Read below or on AO3 above!

It was nearly midnight when Peter got the call. 

He was swinging through New York, keeping an ear out for any signs of trouble, any cry for help. He had plans to meet up with Daredevil later for pizza, but as soon as he saw the unknown number on his phone, something told him that he wouldn’t be able to. 

Was it his Spider-senses? He didn’t know. He just had a bad feeling. 

Landing on a roof, he pulled his mask just above his nose, answering the phone and pressing it to his ear.

“Hello, Peter Parker speaking.”

“Peter Parker? Sorry to call you so late.” It was a woman’s voice, soft, friendly, and professional. “I’m Vivian, I work at Child and Family Services. I’m calling on behalf of Miles Morales.”

Peter’s heart dropped into his stomach, his hands shaking briefly. 

“What? What happened?”

Miles came from a good family. His father was one of the best cops that Peter had the pleasure of knowing before Officer Davis was murdered, and Miles’ mother was one of the sweetest women on the planet. She would protect Miles from anything she could. Then, why was Child and Family Services calling? What happened?

“His mother, Rio Morales, was recently reported dead in Sweden. We were assigned to Miles’ case as soon as we heard. Do you have a moment to talk?”

Dead? Rio? Peter’s head swam, and he crouched down, focusing on the cold wind on the lower half of his face, the way his breath slowly entered his lungs. 

Miles had mentioned that she was going on a trip to Sweden, a vacation. Miles was going to be home alone for a few days during it. Was he home alone when the police, or CPS, or someone came to his door and told him his mother was dead? 

“Mr. Parker?”

“Yes! Yes, I can talk, sorry, the news is just a bit of a shock.” His voice was wavering, that he knew, but he couldn’t hang up. He needed to hear this. He needed to be strong for Miles. 

“I can imagine, I’m so sorry for your loss. Currently, Miles is staying with a family friend, but we would like to speak to you in person. You were listed as the next of kin in Rio’s will.”

The breath was stolen from his lungs, and Peter was left stranded, the words feeling like a bullet in his skull, drilling, drilling, drilling, shocking him down to his core. 

Him? To take care of Miles?

Peter Parker wasn’t a father. He was only 24. He never thought that he was good with kids, he was barely even good at interacting with people his own age. He couldn’t take care of Miles, he would never be capable of it. He was Miles’ mentor, and friend. Not a father. Not even a father figure. 

His mind wandered back to one of his own father figures, his bold attitude, his kindness when it mattered. He saw his picture plastered on the walls of New York, complete with a yellow and red helmet, sometimes those sunglasses that everyone could recognise . Peter had told himself long ago that he would never be Iron Man to the world, he could never be. He knew now that he couldn’t even be Tony Stark to a young hero now, a kid who needed someone to take care of them. He couldn’t be Tony Stark for Miles, not like Mr Stark was for Peter. He couldn’t.

“We’re at the office in downtown New York, if you could get here as soon as possible, Mr. Parker.” The woman, Vivian, finished, and soon Peter was left listening to a droning sound, signifying that the call was over. 

His hands formed fists, frustrated that Miles had lost both of his parents, that Rio had trusted Peter to do a good job taking care of her amazing son, that the world was so cruel to take yet another good person away from them. 

He wanted to throw his phone to the roof beneath him. He wanted to scream. He wanted to find Miles and give him the biggest hug that he could. He wanted to…he wanted…

But he couldn’t. He had to talk to these people. He had to get things sorted out. 

Taking one more deep breath, Peter put his phone back into the hidden pocket, shot his web, and swung towards downtown. 

--------------------------------------------

The office was bathed with a cold white light when he walked in, Spidey suit in his backpack, the receptionist clicking away at the desk, her eyes displaying sorrow. Peter guessed that it was the nature of her job that brought that. 

“Hey, my name is Peter Parker. I’m here on behalf of Miles Morales?” He told her, and she looked up, biting her lips with worry. 

After she confirmed his identity with his drivers license, one that he never used, she let him sign a visitor log before guiding him to Vivian. 

“Down the hall, to your left. There’s someone else in there though, a legal representative.”

“A legal rep?”

Peter hadn’t called his lawyer, well, not for this. He had only called Matt Murdock to let him know that he wouldn’t make it for pizza tonight. He wouldn’t put it past Matt to know what was happening, but he would always, always, talk to Peter before representing him legally. 

“Yes. The two men in there aren’t yours?”

“I…I don’t think so. Thank you.”

Peter gave her a nod before heading to the office, hearing loud voices speaking through the door. Without knocking, he opened it, silencing the conversation on the inside. He didn’t even think of listening to what they were saying, his mind was too wired, his heart too full of emotion to focus on dialing his senses. 

Inside, there were two men standing stiffly, both of whom he didn’t recognise, wearing expensive suits. A woman was sitting at a desk, the nameplate reading Vivian Smith.

“Peter Parker.” She greeted with a nod. “Please, come in.”

Peter made his way inside, yet refused politely to sit down. His spider senses were buzzing in the back of his mind, warning him of some threat, and he didn’t have to wonder where it was coming from for long. 

The two men looked nothing but professional. Stern, serious, and posed a threat to Peter in some way. He was sure to keep himself focused, aware of any movement the men might make. 

“These are the legal representatives of Clarence Fisher, a man who’s contesting the will of Rio Morales.”

“What?” Peter said, resisting forming his hands into fists. Someone was contesting the will? Why? What did this have to do with Peter? 

He hadn’t heard of Clarence Fisher, but who was he to have a right to contest Rio’s will? Why were they here? What did that guy want?

“Mr. Parker.” One of the ment said, stepping forward. “Mr. Fisher has expressed an interest in Miles’ education, Mr. Fisher is one of the sponsors of Brooklyn Visions Academy, the school Miles goes to. He’s seen how exemplary Miles has been in his studies. He believes it best for Miles’ future to be in his own care, not one of a young man who doesn’t have a steady income, like yourself.”

Before Peter could even begin to understand the meaning of the words, Vivian spoke up. 

“They believe that Rio Morales wasn’t in the right mental capacity when writing the will. This version was written right after the death of their husband, and Mr. Fishers’ legal team believes that she would not have given you the guardianship of Miles if she had been in her right mind.”

“Wait. Wait. Are you saying that your employer wants to adopt Miles?” Peter asked, rage and confusion burning in his chest. “Why? Just because he’s smart? And you don’t think I’m fit to take care of him?”

There was a nagging voice in his mind telling him that he wasn’t. But he ignored it, for now. 

“Mrs. Morales wasn’t in her right mind when she made that decision.” The other man said, and Peter shook his head. 

“No. Look, you won’t be taking Miles. I’m taking him.”

He wasn’t ready to be a father, he couldn’t help Miles, he wasn’t capable of taking care of a fifteen year old kid, but Peter would rather die than let Miles be taken by a random man who only liked him for his smarts. 

“Mr. Parker, you’re incapable of being an appropriate guardian.”

He was incapable, Peter would admit that. But he would learn. He would get help. He would do what he could to keep Miles safe. And, right now, Peter adopting him was the safest option. He knew that for certain.

His spider-senses wouldn’t dull, they only got stronger. These people were dangerous. They would hurt Miles.

“You can’t take him. You’re not written in the will, and Miles doesn’t know Mr. Fisher. You have no legal ground for this.” Peter argued, trying to remember all he could about the legal system. “Even if I’m not declared a fit guardian, he would be put in the foster system.”

“I can assure you that my employer will easily convince the court of how his position is a viable option, as he can take care of Miles and give him the life he deserves. The judge will have no opposition to Mr. Fisher adopting Miles.”

Peter let out a harsh laugh. “I won’t let you do this.”

“I suggest that you get a lawyer then, Mr. Parker.” The man to the left said with a frown, “Mr. Fisher won’t give up on this so easily.”

“Then I’ll see you in court.”

-------------------------------------------------

It was about 3:30 in the morning when Peter made it to the home Miles was staying in. Exhaustion clung to Peter’s bones, making every step a battle, yet Peter pushed through it. He needed to see Miles. He needed to make sure that he was okay. 

He knew how Miles must be feeling right now. After Peter lost Aunt May, he felt lost, and  so, so alone. He didn’t want Miles to feel the same way for another second. 

He knocked on the door, and didn’t even have to wait a minute before it opened, casting a warm light onto his face. 

“Oh! You must be Peter! Vivian called and told us that you were coming!”

The woman in front of him was older, with wisps of white hair among the black strands, her kind face smiling sadly at him. He could instantly see why the Morales family was friends with her. The woman made him feel protected, loved, and he had just met her. 

“Hi. Could I see Miles?”

“Oh course! He’s in the basement, he prefers to be alone right now, as expected, the poor boy, but he’ll be happy to see you. Come in, come in! Are you hungry?”

Peter stepped into the door, shaking his head, despite the fact that he was starving. He hadn’t eaten since lunch the previous day. But, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to stomach anything now, anyways.  

“No, thank you.”

“Let me know if either of you need anything, okay, dear?”

“I will.”

Peter went down the stairway right by the door, partially surprised to hear nothing but slow breathing from the lower room. Miles always had music playing, usually pop and hip-hop with rap, music that he had been trying to get Peter to listen to for months. Yet now, no music was heard. It was a true testament to how much Miles was truly hurting. 

And there the kid was, sitting on the couch, frozen where he sat. His phone was discarded on the seat next to him, silent. Miles didn’t even acknowledge that Peter was there, despite the fact that he no doubt heard him. 

“Hey, Miles.” Peter said softly, and that’s when Miles looked up. 

When Peter had made his way around the couch, he could see tears in Miles’ eyes. His face crumbled as soon as his eyes met Peter’s, and Peter didn’t hesitate to wrap him in a hug, letting Miles’ wrap his arms around him with a strength that only Spider-Men possessed. 

He began sobbing, his body trembling with emotion, and Peter didn’t shush him, instead running his hands over his back, tucking his head into Peter’s shoulder. 

“I’m here, Miles, I’m here.” He muttered. Miles bawled at that, and Peter didn’t care. “You’re going to be okay. I’m here. I’m always here, Miles.”

So he held him, held the kid as the world was no doubt crumbling around him. He wanted to be an anchor for him, despite the storm that threatened to drown him, despite how Miles probably felt so alone. 

“I’m here. I’m here.” 

Peter could feel his own throat close up, tears burning at the back of his own eyes, thinking of the death, the loss, the pain that was too familiar to him, and he tucked his chin into Miles’ hair, unwilling to let go, but unwilling to break. He could feel Miles’ tears on his shirt, but he didn’t care. He never would. 

“She’s gone, Pete! She’s dead!” Miles’ voice broke as he screamed, “I couldn’t save her! I couldn’tー”

“She would never blame you, Miles.” A few tears escaped Peter’s own eyes, slowly falling down his cheeks, and his own body shook with a suppressed sob. “She would never blame you.”

Miles didn’t let go, and Peter didn’t either, rocking the younger boy back and forth, trying to give comfort. Peter knew what it felt like to hurt. He knew what it was like to lose someone you loved. And, he knew sometimes all someone could do was be there. So, he would. He would fight to keep Miles safe, and to be there for every high, and every low. 

Especially the lows. 

--------------------------------------------

Matt Murdock had just gotten up to get more coffee when he heard a familiar heartbeat enter the office of Nelson, Murdock, and Page. It was fast, yet strong, pulsing with a purpose, slightly nervous. His only question was if this was Peter Parker walking into his office, or Spider-Man. 

He hoped that the young man didn’t feel bad about canceling pizza the night before, things always came up, and they could always reschedule. But he knew Peter. He knew that Peter always blamed himself for things that were very well out of his control, even something as small as missing dinner. Yet, something told Matt that this visit was more than just an unneeded apology. 

He tilted his head, listening to what Peter would say to Karen, and waited to make an appearance until he knew if Spider-Man was in the office, or just Peter. 

“Hi! Welcome in, how can I help?” Karen greeted cheerily, and Matt could hear the smile on her face. There was the shifting of clothing, and Peter stepped forward. 

“Hi. I’m Peter Parker. I’m friends with Matt. I was wondering if I could maybe talk to him?”

“That’s great, he’s just in his office. Matt!!”

At her call, Matt walked out of the office, acting as if he didn’t know that Peter was there. He knew that everyone in this office knew that he was Daredevil, but he still needed to keep up appearances. The last thing he wanted was to out Peter’s own secret identity. 

As soon as he opened the door, he smiled, heading towards Peter. The young man held himself tall, yet something seemed tight in his posture, something unnerving. Peter was scared. 

“Matt, how are you? It’s Peter. Parker. ” Peter said casually, but MKatt could hear a slight bit of awkwardness. Matt held out his hand, shaking Peter’s hand when it met him in the middle. 

“It’s good to hear your voice, Peter. And I’m doing well, thank you. I see you’ve met Karen, and my partner, Foggy, is just in the office.”

Peter nodded, and Matt noticed that he was holding something in his left hand…a bag? No, a briefcase.

“What can I help you with? I imagine this isn’t a social call.”

All of their social calls took place on top of New York roofs, in red costumes. If Peter was here, he was looking for Matt Murdock, not Daredevil. 

“Yeah, it’s not. I’m looking for a bit of legal advice.”

Matt gestured to the conference room, asked Karen to grab Foggy, and led Peter there, his cane tapping the floor gently as he did so. Peter kept his breathing even, but Matt could tell that it was strained, and put his hand on Peter’s back as he guided him. 

He knew that Peter held a lot of weight on his shoulders, not just as Spider-Man but as the young adult who had lost nearly everyone close to him. He hoped that, whatever was going on, Matt could help. Peter deserved more than to suffer. 

“Are you alright, Pete?”

Peter swallowed. “I’m…I’ve been better. Thanks.”

Peter had sat down when Foggy and Karen entered the room, Karen carrying her notebook, while Foggy came in with his own. 

“Foggy, meet Peter, a friend of mine.” Matt said, and he could tell that the two men shook hands. 

“Matthew Murdock has another friend? Who would’ve thought!” Foggy said, causing Peter to laugh, and Matt wondered if the stress Peter carried was evident even for them.

“How can we help you, Peter?”

Matt wanted to cut to the chase. He knew that Peter was worried, and the less Peter suffered, the better.

“Um…I…” Peter sighed, running his hands through his hair. “There’s this kid I’ve been mentoring, named Miles. He’s fifteen, and we’re really close. His mom just died.”

Karen let out a soft noise of pity, and Matt could hear that Foggy had begun to write something down. 

Matt knew about Miles, he had met the kid a few times as Daredevil. Miles was quick to reveal his identity, trusting Matt easily, and he shared his own name, too. Hearing that he had lost both parents made Matt’s heart ache. No one deserved that. No one. 

Miles was a good kid. Kind, loyal, eager to do good. He hated knowing that that kid was hurting. 

“His father passed away about two years ago.” Peter continued, “He doesn’t have any other family in New York, and his mom, in her will, stated that I would be Miles’ guardian. But, when I went to work things out, I found out that the will is being challenged.”

“Challenged? Like, someone is contesting the will?” Foggy asked, and Peter nodded. 

“They think that his mom wasn’t in her right mind when she wrote it, because she was grieving her husband, and they want their employer to be Miles’ guardian. Not me.”

Karen sighed. “They can’t just contest a will because they want Miles for themself! A will is binding, and I’m sure that she was in her right mind when it was written!”

“Yet, for some reason this employer has decided to.” Matt said, his mind spinning. He had to come up with a reason why the will was being contested. Why did they want Miles? Or, why did they not want Peter to take him in?

Peter Parker fought to keep his identity a secret. And Mysterio just narrowly failed in revealing Spider-Man’s identity, the footage to his final video being cut at the last minute, Peter was being careful who he invited into his fold. Very few villains knew that he was Spider-Man, so it wasn’t likely that whoever this employer is would know that Peter Parker is someone more than he lets on. So, this wasn’t about Peter being Spider-Man. It couldn’t be. 

Then why was Peter being denied being Miles' guardian? He was fit to be a parent, Matt knew it. He was kind, yet stern when the situation called for it. He was a gentle teacher, much more forgiving than Stick ever was. Matt could tell that Miles flourished under Peter’s guidance, and was on his way to becoming one of the finest heroes that New York has ever witnessed. 

“Look, Peter…”Foggy began, his words trailing off. 

“Parker. Peter Parker.”

“Parker. How old are you? I’m not saying this isn’t right, but taking care of a kid is a lot of responsibility. Maybe this isn’t worth fighting.”

Matt listened to Foggy’s observation, tapping the table gently with his fingers. Foggy was both right and wrong. Peter would be under a lot of pressure, but Peter cared for Miles. He would be willing to take the kid under his wing, to face that responsibility, no matter how hard it was. 

Pete always sang Miles’ praises, not only as Miles’ abilities as another Spider-Man, but as a kid who loved people with a pure heart, who loved art and music and wouldn’t stop helping people. Peter would no doubt be honored to be his guardian. 

Peter spoke up, his tone gentle. “I know. And I’m 24. Despite that, I’m…I’m willing to take care of him. I want him to be safe. The men said that their employer was pleased with Miles’ intellect, I’m worried that that’s all he cares for. I don’t feel comfortable sending Miles to someone like that. I would rather keep an eye on him myself. He’s like a brother to me.”

“You think that they’re going to take advantage of him?” Matt asked, and Peter’s heart skipped a beat, not from a lie, but fear. 

“Yeah. He’s a good kid. I don’t want them to use him for…I don’t know. Whatever they want him for.”

Matt heard Karen pull out a laptop, and she began typing. 

“What’s the employer's name, Peter? Did you catch it?”

“Umm. Clarence Fisher, I think.”

Another few taps could be heard, and Karen let out a sigh.

“Karen?” Matt asked. This was where he was lost. He couldn’t read a screen, despite all of his enhanced senses. 

“This guy’s rich. Very rich. He’s the founder of a lot of labs around the city, specializing in biological studies. He’s written a few scientific papers, too.”

“But, why would he want a kid who’s smart?” Foggy asked. “To work at one of the labs?”

The question was met with silence, and Matt took the moment to think. Miles was a genius, sure, but there had to be another motive, as there were plenty of smart kids in New York. Why would someone want Miles specifically?

Perhaps it was innocent. Perhaps this man just wanted a son. 

But Matt didn’t think so. 

“Matt…” Peter said hesitantly, and Matt tilted his head up. 

“Peter?”

“What if Fisher knows? About…everything.”

The thought stuck Matt like a bolt of lightning. A man who had biology labs, who wanted a kid who had the powers of a spider. It made sense, too much sense. Having a child like that could lead to many scientific breakthroughs, some that wouldn’t be found for generations without it. But, would Fisher know that Miles was Spider-Man?

“What? That he knows what?” Foggy asked, but Matt couldn’t reply. Not without giving away Miles’, and Peter’s, identity. “Peter? Matt?”

Peter then spoke up. “I…” 

He clamped his mouth shut, no doubt scared that he would reveal something that he shouldn’t. Thankfully, Matt knew where he was going with it. Their countless days of working together allowed them to predict each other's ideas and thoughts, something that Matt was grateful for. 

“They know I'm Daredevil, Peter, you can trust them.”

“Wait, Matt, he knows?” Karen asked, sounding shocked, and Peter nodded. 

“I do. I’m...” His voice wavered, and Matt didn’t need to wonder why. It was a big responsibility, and a big worry, as whoever knew his identity could be in danger.

Matt could sense Foggy and Karen lean forward. 

“It’s dangerous if you know.” Peter said softly.

“We’re friends with Daredevil.” Foggy said seriously, almost comically, “We can handle it.”

Peter took a deep breath. “I’m Spider-Man. And Miles is my protégé.”

The whole room was quiet, well, as quiet as it could be for Matt. He could hear Foggy and Karen’s heartbeats speed up, with Peter’s beating steadily, unwavering. 

“Miles has told me that I can tell people I trust with this, so please don’t tell anyone else.” Peter asked, yet Matt knew that Peter trusted him, and thus trusted his friends. 

“I…I promise.” Foggy quickly said. “But how? You’re so young!”

Peter sighed. “It’s a long story. But what if Fisher wants Miles for his powers? What if he knows that he’s…different?”

“They could study him. Torture him.” Karen said weakly, raising her hand to her face, and with that said Matt knew that the full gravity of the situation fell upon the room. 

His friends were smart. Peter was smart. They all knew how dangerous this could really be. How badly Miles could get hurt. 

The kid was only fifteen. He didn’t deserve anything like that. He deserved to be happy. 

Matt’s jaw clenched as he thought about it. He could let another kid, another good kid, be robbed of his youth because he wanted to help. Wanted to be better. Wanted to defy the expectations laid on him. 

Matt’s own youth was robbed. Peter’s was robbed. He couldn’t let Miles lose his. Not to a man that might want to study him, cut him open, torture him to figure out how Spider-Man came to be.  

Foggy sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I thought that this was a simple case. Matt, why do you have to be friends with the people with crazy lives?”

Matt managed a small smile. “You’re one of my friends too, Foggy. Careful what you say.”

“Look,” Peter said, speaking up softly. “I know that this isn’t your regular legal case. You guys defend the innocent, not take care of child custody disagreements. But I need Miles to be safe. I need…I want to be his guardian. Is there anyone you can recommend? If Fisher wants him for his powers, I can’t…I can’t lose this case. I can’t let him be hurt.”

Anyone could hear the desperation in his voice, and Matt’s heart broke for him. Peter couldn’t lose this case. He couldn’t lose Miles. 

Their bond was something that Matt himself was shocked to see. Even though Peter had only known him for a few years, they were like brothers. If Peter loses that, after he lost his aunt to the Green Goblin, and his two best friends due to a disagreement that Matt himself didn’t know about yet, he couldn’t imagine the pain Peter would feel. Miles was one of the few people in Peter’s life that was still there. Matt didn’t want to think about how much Peter would suffer if Miles was taken away. 

“What do you think, Matt?” Foggy asked, no doubt sharing a glance with Karen. “I want to take this. I feel like we have to.”

“Peter.” Matt said, tilted his head towards him. “Give us everything you have related to this. Documents, character references, everything. We’ll help you out. I have no doubt that we’ll be able to convince the court and judge that you should be his guardian. But, if this Clarence Fisher is as smart as we think he is, we’ll need to put up a good fight.”

Peter nodded, lifting the briefcase he brought in onto the table. 

“Thank you, Matt. All of you.”

“Don’t thank us yet, Peter. But it’s the least that we can do.”

With those words said, the four of them began pouring over everything Peter brought, from the formal contest of the will, a copy of the will itself, Peter’s own documents and income statements. As they studied, Matt couldn’t help but hope that they would win this, not because he wanted to, but because he had to. 

If they lost this case…no. He wouldn’t think like that. They wouldn’t lose. They couldn’t. 

Next Chapter (Chapter 2) // MCU Masterlist

[harpersplay]

4x10 and 4x11 Thoughts

Doing the bare minimum after being a parent for 13 years is not impressive. And I can't believe they are trying to equate doing that with Beth's years as an involved & active SAHM. (Gasp! Dare I defend Beth? Will I get my hater mantle taken away? I've said over & over that Beth's character has suffered the most from the shit writing. I truly have no idea how Beth stans think the show is good when every season Beth—as a character—gets worse & worse. And often because she is written at the expense of male characters.) And he's not a good dad. He's still fun dad (and also gross Dad. Who the fuck puts syrup on pancakes until right before you eat them?!?!?!). Giving his young children containers of Oreos (and encouraging them to lie to their mother) and risking their stability by again making shitty financial/business choices. Oh, and good dad (and good mom) are preparing to flee from prosecution and—I guess—just live on the run forever. Super great childhoods they're planning for their kids.

I was not at all clamoring for a Dean & Rio scene. Like ever. Luckily, it wasn't that bad. There was no swordfighting over Beth. And Dean got to see how Beth interacts with Rio (she talks to him with that haughty annoyed tone) which helps him to finally realize (JUST LIKE BETH TOLD HIM IN 1x6!) that Beth does this because she wants to not because the evil moose forces her.

Dorothy built her own store and career and none of the girls give a millisecond of thought to stealing the press. And that's after they've spent months using her store for illegal activities. Oh, and the obvious culprit when (if? because who knows with this show) Dorothy calls the police is going to be the former employee with multiple brushes with the law. But, great plan.

And, ugh, of course the girls are shocked that Diane & friends expect to be paid. They've only been doing this for years. Why would they learn anything? BTW, don't think I missed Beth mocking Krystal's voice. Where all the anti-misogynists at?

Breckin Meyer plays a really good creep. And someone actually did some research; because creeps make connections by being super tactile. I hate this MRA/MLM story. Why does it exist? Why is Vance at Dean's meeting with the lawyer? Is there some sort of budding cult leader/acolyte confidentiality?

So Stan is now getting directly supplied by the purse connect. Presumably the "Woman in Room 216." But why would she work with them? Weeks after she gets involved with Gene, he gets busted and spilled everything. So why would anyone in the criminal world work with Stan who was seen out & about as Gene's right hand? Why does Stan have access to the strip club? What about the "he" that owns the club that Gene mentioned? We know the city seized it and is going to auction it, but they don't just let people come in & out in the meantime; especially when it was a place used for illegal activity. Why does the show think this is unimportant to address but Dean montages are needed?

Ruby is all the way fucked up in this whole stupid Beth vs Stan nonsense (Reason #763 why she needs Black friends and it's super sus that she doesn't have any). She wasn't being neutral AT ALL and she was more on Beth's side for no reason than fake drama. Stan is probably the character we've seen undergo the most on a spiritual/moral/existential level. Ruby started at a similar place from him, but she at least went in knowing she was doing whatever she had to for Sara. Stan didn't find things out until the Hills were already in it. He's had multiple conversations with Ruby about what all this has done to him. He's calibrated his worldview of right & wrong. And for Ruby to tell him to "take the high road" was a slap in the face. Beth told Ruby she lied to Stan and Ruby was still on her side. Also, Stan was totally justified in what he said to Beth but the show is going to align him with Dean to neutralise the truth of his words. (I mean, the fact that he's a Black man has already been enough for people to say he's being "mean" to Beth.) And Beth yelling at Ruby to not defend Stan? No. Nope. That white woman needs to mind her own house.

The Kevin storyline is stupid & gross. First they used him to portray Annie's rock bottom. I don't know, having sex with your married ex while his wife is pregnant is more rock bottom to me. As is trying to fuck with your therapist's fiancée for funsies. And then he knows stuff about lacrosse, so suddenly he has some worth. Not because he's a human being. It's all incredibly offensive. But to have Annie, who has seen firsthand the problem with food waste and has been shown to have zero issues with Ben's transition (Not that she should have any. Just that it is a very, very common narrative for parents who will say they love their children to still express concern about how difficult life will be for them. And then they have some learning moment and credits.), be this judgmental character? It's plot > character again. And Annie has to start having feelings for him. Because, of course.

Ugh the casino. Just like the strip club fake bachelorette party, the writers just had an idea for a "fun" scene and did it regardless of how stupid. See the girls are always unlucky except in this moment when they need to be. Isn't that the most clever thing ever? Casinos monitor everything (Ruby actually points this out, which makes it worse) and the girls were acting completely suspicious. They would have for sure drawn attention. And then we have the added stupidity of the timeline being fucked with again to make a "clever" line work. Moments/twists/scene > plot > character. Always. The background actors in the scene were really earning their checks, tho.

Beth & Nick planting a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.

[missmaxime]

how do you feel about the show making rio so unlikable? is the backstory a fix it?

Let me start of with that I don’t think the show is making Rio more unlikable. I don’t know if you mean that they are visibly showing him committing more violence and crime. But I’m assuming this is an ask in response to the wire-scene from Sunday’s episode.  Watch me under the cut go through the past three seasons and a little some season 4 to tell you how I see Rio’s character progression. I’m not really sure if this is what you’re asking an answer to, but if it’s not tell me! * Rio’s (non) POV * Escalation in violence * Different views on S3 * More into the wire-scene * Prediction for 4x06 / Backstory

Rio has always been shown to be a ruthless and violent criminal. In the beginning of S1 he had no problem murdering the girls, and has made death threats ever since. He shot Dean, killed Eddie, had Turner assassinated and murdered Lucy in front of the girls. I don’t know how people can see him any other way, it’s not something that was ever hidden by the show. He’ll go through every length to protect himself and his business.  We know Beth has been a soft spot for him since Season 1 too. In the beginning because it was a fun and interesting business opportunity, but we’ve seen their relationship develop for better and worse across seasons. I think we have to keep in mind that Rio is a character we’ve seen almost exclusively through POV that aren’t his own, and mostly through Beth’s. And we as viewers see a limited amount of information about him, that we translate in our own ways. I’ve seen people interpreted the 2x01 scene where Rio shows Marcus to Beth through such rose-colored glasses for example. I can see how a viewer, and Beth, could see it as a scene that would frame him as more likeable. But I also see how that was exactly Rio’s point; He wanted Beth to see that it’s not just her who has kids on the line with her crime-life, as a way to invalidate her constant argument of ‘being a mom’ and ‘having a family’ as if that would make her special or something. She’s a drug dealer and counterfeiter like him, not a criminal with a heart of gold because they happen to have a child. Season 2 really started unpacking Rio’s character more. In Season 1, if the whole Rio/Beth – CH/MM chemistry hadn’t existed, I could definitely see the character of Rio being done late Season 1/early Season 2. But that’s not what happened, so now Rio had to become a person with connections and feelings and deeper motivations – but it’s still a character that’s in the base there to drive Beth forward as a character and deeper into crime. Which is a tricky balance, and I don’t think the show always made that work. Obviously the most clear example of that is the loft scene in 2x13. Now there’s more than one thing to be said about that scene, but I’m focusing now Rio himself. It’s the big finale, a lot of things needed to come together here and explode. Overall I don’t think the build-up was executed well, but it doesn’t help that we have no Rio POV here. His decision to kidnap Beth, confront her with her lack of taking responsibility and lying about her rotten eggs, and his complete oversight of her response to being pinned his fall guy really dropped out of – maybe not completely thin, but at least barely medium thick – air for me. Concerning the racial element I think THIS POST by @septiembrre explains this much better than white, non-American me ever will.  Regardless of the fact if the racial element of 2x13 affects a viewer, this poorly executed finale left lots of people unsatisfied at best. When Season 3 started we did start to see more Rio POV, or parts of his story told through Rhea, even though it was limited. I know there’s a lot of critique on the S3 we got, that I personally don’t understand – I loved it, it was so amazingly angsty, especially the Beth and Rio interactions were so loaded and simmering with guilt and anger and sadness and desperation – but if you’re searching for catharsis in a way of Rio coming back with a vengeance with guns ablaze, then that’s really not what you got. What Season 3 did do was putting the violence and cruelty Rio is capable of more on the forefront, and making us feel the weight of it more (I don’t know about the rest of you, but in the previous seasons I felt they really underplayed a lot of it). Rio had competing gangs taken out through Turner, has Turner assassinated along with a lot of other FBI agents, he fully intended on killing Beth before the pregnancy lie, kills innocent Lucy through Mick and disposes her body gruesomely, has the girls deliver Boomer with all intention of harming him (if not murder) and full on frames Beth for Lucy’s murder with her prints on the gun. I don’t think these kind of actions weren’t going on in the previous seasons, but now it’s more on display because Rio made Beth a part of this side of crime (and with that, us the viewers). In the beginning of Season 4 I feel like we’re making a bit of a jump when it comes to Beth and Rio’s relationship, maybe one that’s a little too big compared to the distance we ended on in Season 3 (even if they seemed friendly in their last Boland Bubbles scene). Lucy’s body is found and we learn that said gun was also used to taking out some gang member of an opposing gang of Rio’s, so after Turner’s sweep he apparently wasn’t done. That gun now becomes a much bigger thing to hold over Beth (and I’m speculating because we don’t know for sure, but we can guess that now Annie’s prints are on it – which is an ever bigger press on Beth because she won’t let her little sister take the fall, while she would do so herself. And I think she’s up for a rude awakening that while she’s under the impression that Rio has always employed the three of them, what was actually going on is that Rio employs Beth, and he sees Annie and Ruby as Beth’s employees and thereby offers them zero protection). So her counter with his print doesn’t come a moment too soon. I feel like Beth asking him to murder ‘Dave’, albeit with a lie about his identity and not as straightforward as Rio might wish, is a positive shift for him. She might not pick up a gun herself to do the deed, but much like Rio has Mick shoot Lucy, she very deliberately gives a killing order through him. And with a very drama heaux set-up we see him personally – and he has no reason to not have Mick do it – shoot Fitzpatrick. Aside from the fact that I have no doubt Rio may not have knew the specifics but he knew Beth had something orchestrated, the fact that some sniper dude was the target has it really drive home to him that it’s something else than Secret Service, and that they are still active around Beth. So we’re finally here, 4x05 The Banker – which I’m gonna guess was the reason you send this ask in the first place. In particular the wire-scene. In the first scene we learn that Rio has found the tracker on his car, and he turns it off or breaks it – so he knows he’s still being watched. It makes the most sense that even if he takes the leap that he put down a Secret Service agent, that they just replaced them and Beth is likely still working for them. He meets her in her kitchen – which isn’t that common at this point, last we know he was there is after the failed hit on him. And she doesn’t even jump when she sees him, just accepts it. He motions for her to be quiet before slowly stepping into her space, and she very logically responds with a ‘what are you doing?’, and he stares back long and hard to say that he means business. He has all the reason to suspect her wearing a wire, even if this wasn’t a planned meeting, and it wouldn’t be the first time she lied to his face. It’s clear to me (but I’ve seen this interpreted differently) that Beth fast finds a solid stance in this powerplay. Rio doesn’t seem happy about the fact it has come to this, and neither does she. I’m not sure if you send me this ask because you have negative feelings about this scene, but I can tell you I can’t answer those. This scenario could have been portrayed so wrong with any other actors or the way they shot it, but I feel like they delivered superbly on it. It’s in no way sexual or intimidating like I’ve seen some posts suggest, I just see two brokenhearted people who see the little trust they rebuilt fall apart in in thirty seconds. At the end Beth ends up winning, a bitter win maybe, this confrontation. Rio’s obviously still suspicion, but she also gained some trust with her asking him to kill ‘Dave’, so setting her up as The Banker is some sort of twisted reward and punishment and test at the same time. It’s not explained, but I think ‘The Banker’ might have been a hidden figure before Beth stepped up to show her face (before her flunky’s came to collect in name of The Banker) – making this an even better set-up if it’s so because that takes Rio out of the equation altogether even. We end the episode on the note where Rio tells Beth he has people he answers to, and that they want to meet her. Which, again, sound like both a reward and a punishment and a test. We’ll have to see next Sunday what it really means. IN this episode we’ll meet some of Rio’s family, likely his boss(es) and get backstory on him. I don’t see that as a fix-it, but mostly because I don’t see anything needed of fixing. I’m glad we’re getting an insight into Rio’s past, and I love that it likely will broaden his backstory and motivations more. But I feel like the way Rio’s character and the amount and the way of it seems very fitting to the story and the perspective it’s told through. I’m not sure if this is an answer to your question, so feel free to send me a more specific one if you want to!

[enamoured-x]

so it goes

Summary: When Alex moves in across the hall, Rio knows he’s in trouble. A good girl like her would never want anything to do with him, or so he thinks. 

Disclaimer: The oc in this series is Latinx.

Word Count: 1.9k 

Chapter 1

She was a good girl. She was the girl next door type. Rio knew that so he stayed away, hell, he was convinced she’d run in the other direction if she saw him. She had just moved in next door and Rio had only seen glimpses of her but she never saw him. She was beautiful and sweet, he knew that much when he saw she made friends easily with the other tenants living in the building. She was never without a smile. Always wore cute summer dresses that had little flower patterns on it that were innocent enough until they cut off mid thigh. She was sexy and cute all in one and Rio couldn’t help but be enthralled by her. He didn’t want to scare her off though so he kept his distance. When he first ran into her, he was still convinced she’d be afraid of him but she was anything but.

Alex was tired to say the least, she had a long day running errands and she just wanted to go home and get in bed. Granted it was only four in the afternoon but she had a busy week, Mother’s Day was in two days so naturally everyone was placing orders for bouquets. She had spent a lot of time ordering flowers from the local farm and then putting them together. Cutting ribbons and printing out cards. Owning her own flower shop was no easy feat but she loved it and she loved the girls who worked for her.

When she got up to the top steps of her floor she saw a man coming out of the apartment across from hers. She had taken it upon herself to know most of the tenants on her floor and a few others but she still hadn’t met the man who lived right across from her. Granted, she was still fairly new here but he was her neighbor. When he turned to leave, he saw her. Alex walked down the hall and to him with a smile.

“Hi. We haven’t met but I’m Alex, I live across from you.” Alex stuck her hand out. Rio couldn’t help but smile back, hers being so contagious. It was also nice to know she wasn't scared of him upon sight, he knew people made judgements based off his tattoos, but not her. He liked that, so he took Alex’s hand in his. 

“Rio. Nice to meet you, Alex.” She couldn’t lie, she liked the way her name sounded coming from him. She couldn’t deny he was attractive. His full plump lips, his dark eyes, with his dark buzz cut hair and facial hair to match. The eagle tattoo on his neck was really hot but she’d never admit it out loud. His attire was mostly black, black shirt, black jeans and jacket. She liked it though. It suited him. 

Rio tried to contain the little laugh that he wanted to let out when he noticed that she was discreetly checking him out. He was doing the same though. Taking in her long brown hair that was in a low ponytail, showing off her shoulders in her little floral summer dress. She was stunning now that he could get an even better look at her. Her golden tan skin was glowing with a thin layer of sweat from the heat, her lips covered in gloss and her dark brown eyes were filled with life. Rio even thought her damn nose was cute and he mentally cursed himself for it.

“You too.” Alex couldn’t help but blush under his gaze. Those damn eyes, she thought. And the small smile that he wore was more of a smirk, it was alluring. 

“Well, have a good day, Alex.” And with that, he walked toward the stairs. Alex cleared her throat and unlocked her door to her apartment, she didn’t know why she was still blushing. Maybe because Rio looked at her like he knew all her secrets.

Alex both loved and hated Mother’s day. She loved doing her work and putting arrangements together but the influx of people coming in had her a little stressed out. Most of them were pick up orders but of course there were last minute buyers which she was always prepared for. It was just a hectic day but she secretly enjoyed it all. It was all hands on deck today so Allie, Julia, and Hope were all tending to customers as well. The three girls have been Alex’s best friend’s since college and were thick as thieves. Alex had gotten the place a year ago now and business had been amazing so far. It was a quaint little shop called Flor Amor, that sat between a few local coffee shops and small bookstores, nowadays people loved to buy local so the street tended to be very busy. 

She had moved apartments because the last one was only meant to be a temporary thing before she found a place she really liked which is how she ended up where she was now. It was fifteen minutes from the shop and she loved it. She loved the other tenants too, they were all nice and welcoming. Her mind went back to Rio and their very very short interaction, it still made her blush though. 

“Do we have any more white lilies?” Hope asked as she came into the back room where Alex was currently putting together a few orders that were to be picked up later. 

“Yeah, there’s some more in that bucket over there.” Alex pointed to the bucket on one of the tables and got back to cutting stems.

“You don’t need any for your orders?” Hope asked as she grabbed the flowers that were left. 

“No, I already have all of mine.” Hope just nodded and then went back out. Alex was in the zone, the shop had a little lull so she was able to finish some orders. She couldn’t help but sing along to the music one of the girls had put on. Once she was done with her orders she went back into the front when she heard more people come in. Alex couldn’t help it but she loved to greet everyone especially considering lots of her customers were repeat customers. 

Alex greeted a few women she knew as regulars and even showed them some different bouquet designs that were in the fridges along the wall. She was so busy with them she didn’t notice Rio walk in. 

“Sorry, sir, we don’t have any more white roses.” Alex heard Julia explaining. It was close to six already and the shop would be closing then so it made sense that they were out of white roses. Alex excused herself from the women to give a formal apology to the person Julia was talking to seeing as she was the owner. Alex saw only his back when she walked up to them but when he turned around she was surprised to find Rio. Rio himself was a bit shocked but very pleased when he saw her smile at him. Once again she was in a cute little dress along with a white apron. 

“Rio, good to see you.” Alex scolded herself, good to see you? She didn’t even know him.

“Yeah, you too.” Rio kept his eyes on her, the same damn smirk on his face. 

Alex tried not to get worked up again, she barely knew him, how did he have this affect on her with just a look?

“What seems to be the problem?” Alex asked him, trying to make the silence go away. 

“We’re out of white roses.” Julia explained and then excused herself as she understood Alex would take care of the customer. 

“Yeah, those sell out quickly. Is there an arrangement you’re looking for in particular?” Rio nodded in understanding but his smirk stayed. Maybe it was just the way he smiled, Alex thought. Maybe it was the eyes, she needed to stop thinking about his eyes. 

“Nah, I don’t know much about flowers.” Alex couldn’t help but let out a little laugh. Rio thought it was the cutest fucking thing.

“Right, well I could show you one of my favorites if you’d like?” Rio just nodded and put his hands behind his back as he followed her to one of the fridges. 

He took her in again, he couldn’t help it. She was shorter than him and he found it cute. And he loved the way her legs were on display in her short dress. Alex showed him a crystal vase that contained blush colored roses with hints of baby breath scattered in it. 

“People who go for the white roses usually want something simple. This one is pretty simple but the color makes it a bit more fun.” Alex could have sworn she saw him checking her out but she ignored it and opened up the fridge and took out the vase.

“I’ll take it.” Rio said but he never even glanced at the vase, he just kept his eyes locked on hers. 

Alex blushed this time, she didn’t comment on the fact he barely even glanced at it before agreeing. Out of habit she bit her lip and tucked a loose tendril of hair behind her ear that had fallen out of her ponytail. 

Rio clenched his jaw at the sight of her teeth tugging on her lip. Yeah, he knew he was in trouble. He followed her back to the register and watched her like a hawk. Alex swore she was turning red under his gaze as she boxed the vase and rang him out.

“It’ll be thirty dollars.” She met Rio’s eyes. 

“Thirty? Like I said I don't know anything about flowers but ain’t they more than that?” Alex felt her cheeks warm. 

“Friend’s discount.” 

Rio smirked, he liked the idea of being her friend. Maybe he should stay away but she was too tempting. 

“We friends now, mama?” Alex swallowed hard as he leaned on the counter and tilted his head. 

Despite her shy demeanor, she didn’t stumble over her words like he thought she was going to. 

“Why not?” She shrugged.

“Hmm, well I appreciate it.” Rio handed her the exact amount of cash and slipped a twenty dollar bill in the tip container. Before Alex could protest he winked, grabbed his vase and walked out. She felt like she could breathe again. His presence had a way of taking out all the air in the room and she found herself to kind of like it. She liked the way he smiled and the way his eyes gleamed. She liked his eagle tattoo on his neck and slowly found herself wanting to lick —

“Who was that?” Julia asked as Hope and Allie stared her down too. 

“My neighbor.” She shrugged and started closing up seeing as it was ten till six. 

“He’s hot.” Hope said, Allie agreed.

“He looks…” Julia started, trying to find her words.

“Dangerous?” Allie confirmed and both girls nodded their heads.

“Exactly, who doesn’t love a bad boy?” Hope said. Alex just stood there amused at their conversation.

“Okay, enough. Let's start cleaning up.” Alex shooed them away. 

Rio had the bad boy look down but Alex didn’t really know him. He was a bit smug but not in a narcissistic way and not only did he look like he knew all her secrets, he looked like he was harboring a lot of his own. Alex couldn’t help herself, she wanted to know more about him. He was strange and quiet but his presence was loud, she couldn’t help but be drawn to it. 

[riofann]

A Different Path Part 2

Part 1

It takes a few times hanging out together before you have the courage to make the first move. A lot of coaching from Carol of course. Those “loving” looks that Carol mentions you think you caught a few of them . He was charming to say the least, times spent at the bar as a group he had all the waitresses and some waiters blushing. 

“What are you doing friday night?” you were both at Carol’s once again hanging out

He smiles at you and rubs his chin “Nothing why whats up?”

“Wanna meet at the Empty Bottle and grab a drink around 7, this Saturday?” You can’t help but to blush his gaze was intimidating to say the least 

“Sure” 

“Cool see you then!” and with that you walk away and blow out the air you’ve been holding in, but you can feel his gaze still upon you. 

You spent the majority of the week going over what to wear and when Saturday finally came you decided on something semi casual, dark jeans and a cute dressy top accompanied with a long cardigan just in case you get cold. 

You arrive first and have a seat by the bar where he could see you. 10 minutes pass and you think it could be traffic, it was the weekend after all, but by 30 minutes that sinking feeling seeps in. You contemplate texting him, maybe calling, but you didn’t have his number, plus even if you did wouldn’t that seem desperate? You've been out of the dating game for so long you don't know what the new social norms are. You finish the rest of your drink and by now an hour has passed. Gathering what's left of your pride you pay for the drink and leave. 

You send Carol a text as you walk to the nearest L station

You: well that was interesting 

Carol: wow you guys finished so soon

You: no 

You: i got stood up

Carol: what??? 

Before you can respond she’s calling you 

“Hey!” you say trying to sound cheerful

“What happened?” 

“Uhh i got stood up” you repeat yourself 

“He didn't show up?!” 

“Yea Carol that’s the definition of stood up” you state the obvious 

“Did he call or text?”

“No it's not like we exchanged numbers anyway so...” 

“Maybe something is wrong” she tries to defend his case 

“Or maybe he didn’t want to see me and I made a stupid bold move”  you feel your cheeks burning from embarrassment 

“I really don’t think that’s it Rio is very blunt I'm sure he wouldn't do something like that” she counters 

“Well here I am Carolann getting on the red line to go home” 

She sighed 

“My phones gonna cut off I’ll just text you okay?”

“Okay”  

You opt  to not text her when you get home because even though she meant well the sting of him flaking on you and having to discuss it was too much 

You decide maybe a movie and fat snacks will help lighten your mood and also keep you from overthinking the situation. During the movie you felt your phone vibrate indicating a call and when you flipped it over to see an unknown number

You don't know who it is so you hit ignore, you never picked up unknown calls, something you learned from Preston, your phone vibrates again and like before the number flashes on the screen and you do the same as before but this time putting your phone on mute. You think nothing of it and chuck the night as a failed attempt to “get back out there” 

Because you know he is a frequent face at Carol’s you avoid them all together. Carol does invite you over but you just decided to not go, you didn’t want him there existing rubbing your face in it. 

~~~~~The next time you see Rio is at the Whole Foods with his son Marcus. 

You turn down the aisle that has baking ingredients and you don’t see him at first because you were both at opposite ends but you do hear him 

“Which one do you want? What do you think your classmates will like?” 

“Chocolate!” you hear Marcus respond, he was a cute little boy you think to yourself, 

“Okay what icing?” 

You feel stuck, you can't go forward nor can you move back because there is someone right behind you so you try to turn your body to face the oils section, which is right near the cake and cupcake pans, you move methodologically as slow as possible. 

“Chocolate!” 

Because he is so caught up in the cake mixes he doesn't see you, your plan was working 

“Excuse me”  the lady behind you says causing Rio to look up 

You quickly move out of the way and squat down to avoid him seeing you 

However his attention is now on the cake cupcake molds and there's no avoiding it, him, plus this was silly you think to yourself, if you tried to avoid him, he would know.  So you take a deep sigh and stand up 

“Hi!” you greet 

He looks up at you and smiles “oh hey! I didn't see you there!” 

Yea kind of the point you think to yourself “Yea” you put whatever it is that you picked up, which you had planned to tell them you changed your mind at checkout,  and continue to awkwardly look at whatever's in front of you. You can feel him staring at you, you hated it, you turn to face him once again “Well it was nice seeing you i gotta run” 

“Sure...sure...” you go to walk away when you hear him speak  “Actually i have a question”

“Okay” 

“My bad, this is Marcus my son, Marcus this is Miss. Y/N” he smiles as he looks between you two

“Hi!”  you wave at him “It’s nice to meet you Marcus!”

“Nice to meet you too Miss. Y/N” 

He turns to face you “My kid’s classmates are having a bake off and” he chuckles I don't know do you think they would like chocolate?”  

“Every kid likes chocolate but you can try something different!” you suggest as you motion towards the cake mixes 

“Like what?” he asks as he follows your lead 

“Uh”  you look at the cake mixes like  “butter pecan! (you pick up the box) or uh oooh strawberry with cream cheese icing (you reach for the icing) I guarantee they’ll like it ,I'm sure there will be enough chocolate to go around!”  

He takes the items from you and even though you are talking about a bake off it seems like he is focused on you or maybe what's on your face you feel very self conscious now, that man could win a staring contest, a lazy smile appears on his face “thanks”

You smile back instinctively “Yea yea! any time, do you need anything else?”

“Nah think I’m good” 

“Okay! Well I’ll see you around!” 

Once again you retreat back into your hole in the wall and avoid going to Carol’s. Although Rio had told her he ran into you and she called you soon after wanting to know how that interaction went and all you had to say was whatever he said is what happened because you didn't want to jump to conclusions. 

~~~~~~~You take a deep breath as you look at Carol’s front door. Today was her birthday party and although William had tried to convince her to throw a big bash at a venue she insisted on being at her home around friends and family. Luckily for you, there’s a lot of people there. So blending into the crowd isn’t a hard thing to do. There was loud music accompanied with loud chatter and laughter! You place your gift at the makeshift gift table and glide along through the mini crowd. You find your way towards the bar. 

“HEEEY Y/Ns HERE!” William greets you leaning in for a hug 

You cringe you didn’t want him to be loud you could feel Rio lurking somewhere in the corner “Hey Will!” 

“What can I get you?” “Uh got wine?” “Plenty! Red or white? “White!” 

“Here you go! Carol’s somewhere if you follow the loud laughter I’m sure you’ll find her!”

“Okay great thanks!” 

“Yea! Enjoy your time! We have caterers they are setting up! Plenty of food, drinks, snacks! Make yourself at home!”

You take a deep breath and smile. All you needed to do was say ‘Hi’ to Carolann wish her a happy birthday and leave

You didn’t do well in crowds like this, your social anxiety disorder is not helping, you continue to practice your deep breathing and push your way through some spaces, when you finally catch up with Carolann. You tap her lightly on the shoulder which causes her to whip around! 

“OH Y/N, Thank you for coming!” 

“Yea you’re welcome Happy Birthday!” you give her a loving hug 

“Oh 50 years young can’t you tell?” she jokes 

“You’re aging gracefully” 

“Come have a seat!”

“Oh no” you feel yourself getting really anxious all eyes were on you two now 

“No come, come! I was just telling them about that time in Antigua and the octopus. Oh God!” she looks up shaking her head   “You know that story I told you”

“Yea” 

“She was definitely drunk”

Eventually the crowd dissipates  down and it’s just you and her

“So how are you? Been avoiding us?!! Hmm?” You hang your head low before answering “You know why”

“He’s barely been around plus i talked to him!”

“You what?!” “I talked to him!”

“Oh my god!” 

“What? He needed to know what he did was wrong”

“Carolann! I don’t need you to do that for me!”

“Well I had to speak up Y/N”

You shake your head in disbelief

“That same night I gave him a talking to and he asked for your number to make it up.” 

“Ohhh” you remember that strange number calling 

“He’s here you know” she says looking around

You prayed that she wouldn’t spot him “I know” 

“He’s been asking about you too” 

You cut your eyes at her “no he hasn’t” “Believe what you want,” she shrugs “but everytime he stops by your name leaves his mouth” “Thats bullsh....” before you can finish you’re interrupted 

“CAROLANN AS I LIVE AND BREATH!!!”

“OH MY GOD!! SHANNON LOOK AT YOU!!” She jumps to her feet

This gives you the perfect excuse to leave. You had accomplished what you needed to, learned some new unnecessary information that you would have been perfectly fine without, you drank your drink, time to go home. You excuse yourself and place the glass in the kitchen and make your way towards the door. 

You're just at the door when you feel someone grab at your arm lightly, causing you to whip around it was Rio 

“OH Heyyy!” 

“Hey leaving so soon?” “Uh yea i have things to do�� 

He looks at you judgingly “Like what?” 

“Like work stuff” 

Narrowing his eyes he speaks “Right right... but you just got here! not too long ago”

“Uh yea i just wanted to say happy birthday in person” 

He smiles and looks back at the crowd before looking at you “you got time to talk?” he asks as he closes the door behind him

“Yea!” Your stomach feels like it's doing flips 

“So about the other drink date”

“It’s okay no need to explain, I’m sure you got busy” 

“Nah i kinda need to tho’” 

“Okay”

“I got caught up, we should have probably exchanged numbers, I didn’t mean to, I was actually looking forward to it”

“You were??”

He chuckles at your facial expression “Yea! Why wouldn’t I be?” You feel yourself blush “umm...” 

“Anyway i called you and you didn't pick up”

“Does your number begin with 540?”

“Yea” 

“Sorry i don't pick up unknown numbers”

“Cool” he pulls out his cellphone “I just texted you so now you can save it” You feel your phone vibrate “thanks!” 

“So uh how bout another date?”

“Same place?”

He shrugs “I don’t mind, sure, get to explore Chicago more, What day?”

“Friday?” “I can make that work, same time?”

“Yea, works for me” 

“See you then?” He puts his hand on your shoulder

“Sure!” 

He smiles “see you later mama”  before he goes back inside 

[sdktrs12]

( Days 1 - 8 ) ( Days 9 - 16 ) ( Day 17 ) ( Day 18 )

(Yes, I’m a day late. MOVING ON.)

Sometimes Beth wonders if Mick knows...

Well obviously, he knows things, but she wonders if he knows everything.

Every sordid detail of every intimate conversation. Of every lingering touch. Of every violent encounter.

Annie and Ruby know the bare minimum, and only because they’d forced it out of her one night after plying her with drinks, but she doesn’t ever really...talk about him—them.

She wonders if he’s the same way, if he keeps the bits and pieces of this fractured thing between them close to his—well, close.  

And really, the very thought of him discussing any of it with Mick over drinks like she would with the girls...it’s truly absurd.  

( It makes her stomach flutter. ) 

They’re sitting at the picnic table out back of the store and Beth’s watching them both closely, Mick’s rifling through the various boxes while he talks quietly with Rio, who types something out on his phone as he nods.  

And she’s about to casually bring up the Halloween party, because neither one has confirmed they’ll be there, even though she’d specifically hand delivered both their invitations, and what better place to see how they really interact and what they talk about, where there will be booze flowing freely...

But movement in the shadows by the fence catches her eye and she turns to look, watching as a small black cat slinks out and comes trotting over.  

“Hey, baby.” Beth coos, bending down and scooping it up when it’s close enough. She scratches behind its ears, smiling as it purrs and bumps its head against her chin. “What’re you doing all the way out here?”  

“Where’d that come from?” Mick asks, and Beth glances up, surprised by the nervous set to his tone.  

“Usually it hangs around the backyard, but apparently it followed me to work today.” She says as it curls up in her lap.  

“What I tell you, ma?” Rio says, leaning over to squint at the cat in the dark. “How you even know that’s the same cat?”  

“It’s got a little spot behind its ear.” Beth explains, gently stroking over its ears as she points to the small white spot.  

“Los gato negro. Ella es una maldita bruja.” Mick starts muttering in Spanish and Rio watches him with a look of pure amusement on his face as Beth glances between the two of them. “What? What am I missing?”  

“A full moon and a black cat are bad omens.” Rio answers easily, like he’s enjoying whatever it is that’s going on here.  

“What?” Beth says, laughing a little, because surely that’s a joke, but...Mick doesn’t blink, facial expression stony, and honestly, that’s not far off from the norm anyway. 

“Mick’s abuela told us stories growin’ up—”  

“Not stories, cabrón, history.” Mick interrupts and Rio’s eyebrows shoot up as he lifts his hands in surrender.  

“Okay so what, full moons and cats? Those are just superstitions.” Beth points out, shaking her head slightly.

“Nah, familiars are drawn to kindred spirits.” Mick shoots back, then pauses for a minute as he looks Beth over. “Cunning and malevolent folk.” He adds and—really?  

Beth scoffs as she rolls her eyes, petting the cat a little harder and it shifts and she softens her touch. “You’re kidding...” There’s a pause where they both just stare back at her blankly. “Okay, you’re not kidding.”

And then Rio is saying something to Mick in Spanish as he laughs, repeating that word from earlier, “Bruja.” and Mick eyes Beth suspiciously.  

Beth rolls her eyes again as she sets the cat down and Mick shifts back, but it walks right past him to Rio, headbutting his legs and rubbing up against him.  

“Are we done? I wouldn’t want to press our bad luck here.” Beth mocks as Mick glowers. 

They finish up and it’s not until Mick’s back in the car and Rio’s turning to leave, that Beth’s curiosity gets the better of her.  

“What does bruja mean?” She asks as casually as possible and Rio grins.  

“Witch.”  

[artificialqueens]

Galactica, Chapter 37 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Last Chapter: Things looked up for Violet as she finally settled into the new normal of working in design.

This Chapter: One of New York’s most illustrious editors-in-chief turns 40--in style.

***

Shit.

It had been an absolute hell week, Courtney being run ragged all day, everyday. She’d missed more meals than not, barely slept, had gotten used to only using the bathroom when Fame was occupied.

It was really the first time that she and Miss Fame had to interact directly for more than a few words, and if Courtney thought she was high-maintenance before, she had no idea how weird it would get.

On Tuesday, Courtney had been torn a new one for ringing the doorbell when she had dropped off a package at Fame’s house, Fame looking at her like she was absolute vermin.

How was Courtney supposed to have known that it was a deathsin not to just let herself into her boss’ house, Fame explaining to her like she was a retarded toddler that she valued her family life and private time too much to be interrupted, not at all catching the irony of the fact that she was imposing on Courtney’s private time by forcing her to come to her house at 10 pm.

And now, a casual text from Adore that she’d be there around 7:30 reminded her about Bianca’s party and she was absolutely panicking. She had less than an hour to make herself presentable with literally nothing to wear.

She’d meant to ask Ivy about a dress, days ago, and then again yesterday when she was arranging the delivery of Miss Fame’s present to the Marie Claire offices, but it had slipped her mind amongst all the other things she had to remember.  

She jumped up and raced into Raja’s suite, a cramp in her side, relieved to find the redhead still at her desk.

“Courtney? Are you okay?” Ivy rose from her seat, a concerned look on her face, ever the empath.

“I just...I forgot…” Courtney tried to catch her breath.

“Okay, take a breath. Whatever it is, it’s fixable. I promise.”

Courtney gulped. “I forgot that I’m supposed to go to this party tonight at the Guggenheim and it’s super fancy and my ride will be here in 40 minutes and I don’t have anything to wear and I don’t even know what the dress code means and I was just wondering if I could borrow something and I promise I’ll have it cleaned and returned by Monday but-”

“Courtney, breathe. Okay?” Ivy took her hand, inhaling deeply and then blowing out dramatically.

Had this job really killed so many of her brain cells that she needed assistance breathing now? Regardless, Courtney followed Ivy’s lead, taking a few deep breaths to slow her racing heart.

“Now,” Ivy began. “What does the dress code say?”

“Creative black tie?”

“Ah. Okay. Follow me.”

Courtney nearly cried with gratitude as Ivy led her into the wardrobe closet.

“Luckily, you’re a sample size, so this shouldn’t be too much of a challenge,” Ivy said. “It’s Bianca Del Rio’s party, right?”

“Yeah,” Courtney said, watching her paw expertly through the racks.

“Are you going for anything in particular?”

“I guess I wanna look…” Courtney racked her brain, unsure of what to say, when the word, “older” slipped from her lips.

Ivy paused, clearly not expecting that answer, and gave Courtney a curious look before nodding.

“I can work with that. Now, Bianca likes bold colors and dramatic silhouettes with clean lines, so I think something like this…” Ivy pulled a stunning, beaded blue cocktail dress out off the rack. “This will look good on you.”

Ivy was truly a gift from god. Not only did they find a dress that fit perfectly (they settled on a short, fire-engine red silk number with a plunging neckline), along with shoes, accessories, and a glamorous faux-fur wrap, but she even stayed to help Courtney with her hair and makeup, giving her a chic updo and dramatic winged liner.

“Ivy, honestly, if you ever need anything. Someone to cover your desk...a kidney...whatever...you know who to ask.”

“Good to know.” Ivy laughed, checking her makeup one more time, adding a little more glimmering highlighter to her cheekbones, and then proclaiming, “Alright, I think you’re done.”

“Thank you so much,” Courtney said again, pulling out her phone. She hadn’t heard from Adore in awhile, and wondered if she was stuck in traffic or something. She seriously hoped that she hadn’t rushed like crazy, inconveniencing Ivy and nearly giving herself an ulcer worrying, just to sit around waiting for an hour.

COURTNEY: ETA?

ADORE: Soon, I think. I’m on my way to Pearl’s, then we’ll pick you up. Do you want a gyro?

COURTNEY: I’M A VEGAN

ADORE: Oh yeah. Gross. I’ll text you when we’re close.

***

“Bianca! Darling!” Fame reached out her arms to pull Bianca in for a tight embrace.  “Happy Birthday!”

She and Patrick had just arrived at the stunning event space a few minutes earlier, and were immediately whisked off to a VIP area with a private bar, where Raja and Raven were already relaxing on sofas, Sutan and Violet standing at the bar chatting with Detox and Jujubee.

It was perfect, removed enough from the chaos of the dance floor, but with a perfect view over the railing. And the speed with which Bianca had arrived to greet her told her that she’s given special instructions for the staff to alert her to Fame’s presence--exactly the kind of preferential treatment that Fame expected.

“Thanks, blondie,” Bianca grinned, “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Fame smiled widely, fluttering her lashes. “So do you. I love this dress!”

“Yeah, your tits look great!” Raja chimed in.

Bianca was wearing a sinfully tight black bandage dress, the neckline showing off her breasts and glowing skin, the hem just above her knees, her legs one of Bianca’s best assets.

“You can barely see that you’re turning 40.” Fame grinned, which earned her a pinch from Bianca, the other still keeping her in her arms.

“Shush.”

“Please,” Fame squeezed Bianca’s forearm, “So, tell me the truth, do you like the ring?”

Bianca held up her hand, where it glittered on her index finger.

Yesterday, Fame had had Bianca’s birthday present delivered to her office at the exact time of her birth, 3:57 pm. Fame knew Bianca liked her statement pieces, so she had custom ordered a cocktail ring, but not just any cocktail ring. Instead of the usual single band, a stone in the middle, Fame had gone for a three part twist in gold, sparkling garnets adorning it.

“It’s perfect, I love it,” Bianca said.

“Wonderful!” Fame clasped her hands together. “You’re impossible to shop for.”

“No I’m not! I love stuff,” Bianca countered. “Plus, you know...I’ll never say no to a present that’s unavailable in stores…”

She grinned wickedly, dimples deep, hand drifting down to Fame’s ass. Fame swatted it away with a scolding look.

“Really, Bianca.”

“What, it’s my birthday!” Bianca said. “You gotta give me something.”

“Fine, a tiny something,” Fame laughed, leaning in and giving her a sweet kiss on the lips, then following up with a light smack to her cheek.

“That’s not where I like being spanked,” Bianca said.

“Oh my god, you’re impossible!” Fame exclaimed, breaking away and stepping over to the bar while Bianca laughed gleefully behind her. “Now come on, tell me about your presents.”

***

“And a drink for the lady.” Sutan smiled as he handed Violet a glass, his date taking it with a sweet smile and a thank you, Sutan putting his arm back around her waist as they walked around.

He had picked Violet up at her apartment, his heart almost skipping a beat as she had pushed the double doors open and walked down the steps, her dress of the night absolutely stunning, the back open and taunting with it’s promise of bare impossibly soft skin.

“So,” Sutan rubbed his thumb up and down, gently caressing Violet’s back, “are you having fun?”

Sutan was happy that she was there, enjoyed spending time with her, but as he got to know her more and more, he slowly realized how little she actually enjoyed big crowds.

“Yes.”

“Okay.” Sutan bit his lip, hiding a smile at Violet’s quick but short reply.

***

Alaska giggled delightedly, letting Jinkx twirl her on the dance floor. If you’d told Alaska a few years ago that she’d have a friend who she could have this much fun with sober, she’d have laughed in your face. But, even though Jinkx didn’t mind it, Alaska really didn’t enjoy drinking around her. So when they were together, Alaska felt like it was the least she could do to hold off on the booze. What she did enjoy was being with her, sober or not, looking into her sparkling brown eyes as they tripped all over their feet.

“For a Broadway star, you’re really uncoordinated,” Alaska laughed, and Jinkx pretended to be offended, then giggled.

“It’s hard to be mad when you call me a Broadway star.”

“Well, you are!” Alaska said, wrapping her arms around Jinkx’s neck and gazing at her happily. She loved these moments, just the two of them having the time of their lives, dancing and laughing and ignoring every other person in the room. They always had fun, but tonight, Jinkx seemed to have an extra bounce in her step, radiating a kind of joy, and it made Alaska feel so grateful to be around her.

“Thanks Lasky...you’re the best.”

They whirled and stumbled around the dance floor some more, until they were both breathless and needed a break.

“What are we feeling like tonight? Ginger ale? Cranberry and soda?” Alaska asked.

“You choose,” Jinkx said, clinging to her arm.

Alaska ordered a couple of drinks for them and then turned back to Jinkx, who was looking at her with the cutest little dreamy half-smile. She couldn’t help the tingling rush that went down her spine as she lowered her eyes and asked, “So...what’s going on with you tonight?”

“What do you mean?” Jinkx asked, eyes widening innocently.

“I mean...you’re just very...I don’t know...” A smile tugged at Alaska’s lips. “...twinkly tonight.”

“Well...I wasn’t gonna say anything because...it’s kind of silly, but,” she lowered her voice, eyes shining. “I ran into her again. Ivy.”

Alaska felt her whole chest deflate, forcing a smile as Jinkx continued.

“At Zabar’s! It’s like the universe is just conspiring to help us get together, you know?” Jinkx giggled happily.

A lump rose in Alaska’s throat and she nodded, using all her willpower to keep the smile painted across her face. “Oh, wow. That’s...that’s cool. Did you talk?”

“Yes. You’d be so proud of me, I even got her number!”

“Wow. Awesome!” Alaska felt like she was going to throw up, shifting her gaze to the bartender, grateful for the distraction as he slid two ginger ales across the bar. She couldn’t help wishing that half the glass was Jack Daniels. She handed one of them to Jinkx and took her own. It tasted just dust.

“Yeah, but she was still a bit formal, you know? I think I need to see her in a more relaxed setting. Do you think she likes opera? Maybe I can ask her to Madame Butterfly?” Jinkx chattered, away, oblivious to Alaska’s shift in mood.

“You really think the Met is a relaxed setting?”

Jinkx threw back her head and laughed, squeezing Alaska’s arm. “Omigod, you’re right. I’m such a dingbat. What would I do without you, Lasky?”

“I don’t know…” Alaska stirred her drink.

“What do you think she likes?”

“Uh, I’m really not sure,” Alaska said. And it was true. She knew that Ivy was sweet, and professional, and did her job with a kind of calm efficiency. But she didn’t know her very well on a personal level, their professional paths rarely crossing directly.

“Hmm, maybe you can ask around? If that wouldn’t be too weird?” Jinkx looked so hopeful and earnest that Alaska couldn’t help but smile for real in spite of herself, immediately agreeing to help her on this quest to capture Ivy’s heart.

“Of course. I’ll ask around.”

Jinkx sighed happily, leaning on Alaska’s shoulder, eyes falling closed for a moment. “You really are my favorite person, Lask.”

“Back atcha, Jinxky.”

***

Adore walked into Bianca’s party, feeling like a million bucks. Everyone that was anyone and even some who were nothing were there, and Adore knew she looked better than all of them with her purple hair, her pouty red lips, her short black leather dress, fishnets, and best of all… Pearl, the sexiest fucking goddess she’d ever seen in her life at her side.

She hung on Pearl’s arm, enjoying the jealous looks she got; knowing that everyone at the party wanted to be in her place. She even got a nasty look from some models, who were clearly all in love with her girl, but Adore didn’t care.

Pearl was here with her and only her. Pearl glanced at her every few seconds with a smug grin on her face, like the cat that just ate the canary. Well, if the canary was Adore’s pussy. Which would mean the cat was… Well whatever, Adore wasn’t an English scholar. She was in love.

The only thing that sucked was that Courtney looked so fucking miserable. They’d been a little late picking her up, due to getting, well, sidetracked for a while at Pearl’s, and then stopping for food. She thought that Courtney would be a bit more understanding, but she’d barely spoken two words in the car, even Pearl picking up on her obvious anger.

And now, even though she was at the coolest party in Manhattan, she didn’t look happy at all. Adore caught her eye, offering a hopeful smile, but received only a resigned nod in return. She reached out to touch her hand.

“Have I told you how gorgeous you look?” Adore asked, hoping that a compliment and a charming grin would be enough to lighten her mood.

“You think?” Courtney asked, adjusting one of her straps nervously. “I don’t look out of place?”

“Bitch, you put all these other girls to shame,” Adore promised, and was rewarded, finally, with a pleased smile from Courtney.

“Thanks.”

“Pearl!”

Adore looked over at the group of giggling socialites who were approaching them, only slightly annoyed when they swept her girlfriend up. She pouted as Pearl dropped her hand, but smiled again when she doubled back to whisper into her ear, “I’m gonna try and squeeze some gossip out of these hoes, and then I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Okay, but don’t be too long!” Adore pulled her in, branding her cheek with a dark red kiss before taking Courtney’s arm and sauntering away, pleased with herself. She scanned the party, looking for her sister and finally spotting her holding court near the bar. She cupped her hands over her mouth to shout through the crowd. “Bianca! Happy birthday, you ancient whore!”

*

Bianca turned towards her sister’s voice, barking out, “You’re late!”

“Whaddaya mean, we’re right on time for a grand entrance!” Adore countered, laughing.

“Well-” Bianca stopped, completely losing her train of thought when her eyes landed on Courtney. She was wearing a short red dress, the first time Bianca has seen her in a color other than pastels, and she looked absolutely fucking stunning--legs a mile long, one blonde curl falling into her eyes. Damn.

“You look cute, B. Very boobalicious,” Adore said, giving her a hug. “Not bad for an old lady.”

“Yeah, thank you,” Bianca said, eyes still locked on Courtney. “Hi, Courtney.”

“Hi. Happy birthday,” Courtney said, giving her a sweet smile. “Sorry we’re late.”

“Oh, that’s alright,” Bianca told her. “But here, uh...this’ll help you catch up.”

She took a couple of the signature drinks from a passing tray and handed them over. Adore immediately began to suck hers down, but Courtney hesitated.

“Um, what’s in this?”

“Courtney’s afraid of tequila. It makes her messy, right bae?” Adore bumped her hip.

“Something like that.”

“It’s called a Madras. Vodka, orange juice and cranberry. No tequila, but it will fuck you up. Be warned,” Bianca said with a wink.

“Well...cheers,” Courtney said, giving an adorable little laugh.

“Cheers.” Bianca took a sip of her own drink, then leaned in closer. “You look amazing, by the way.”

“Yeah?” Courtney’s eyes shone, her fingers twirling that stray lock of hair.

“Yeah.” Bianca tried unsuccessfully to wipe the stupid grin off her face, and instead broke the tension with, “I’m shocked that someone who’s friends with my sister has such good taste.”

“Hey!” Adore exclaimed.

“Don’t be too impressed. It’s a loaner,” Courtney replied drily, causing Bianca to throw back her head and laugh.

“Fair enough.” She downed the rest of her drink, waving off a couple of acquaintances who were trying to get her attention.

“Be right back,” Adore said, scampering away towards Pearl, of course jumping the second the blonde so much as crooked a little finger.

Courtney reached out for her, but she was already gone. She sighed slightly, looking a little bit dejected, and Bianca cleared her throat.

“So listen, I heard through the grapevine that you’re looking for a way to avoid your, uh, Galactica employers while you’re here?”

Courtney looked up, startled. She seemed shocked that Bianca was still talking to her, and she stammered uncomfortably. “Oh. Yeah, no, I just-”

“Listen, it’s understandable, you wanna have a good time. Can’t do that while your boss is breathing down your neck, right?” Bianca flashed her dimples.

“Well...yeah,” Courtney admitted, laughing a little.

Bianca stepped closer, slipping an arm around her shoulders and lowering her voice conspiratorially. “Fame and Raja are well contained, don’t worry. I made a VIP section since those two need a velvet rope to feel like they’re having a good time.”

Courtney giggled. “Like a rich person playpen?”

“It’s a prison of their own making,” Bianca affirmed,  giving her a wink. “Trust me, they’re looking down on everyone the way they prefer, and they ain’t leaving.”

“Well...thank you.” Courtney bit her lip. It was hard to tell in this light, but it looked like a slight blush had crept into her cheeks, and Bianca found herself even more enamored.

“Anytime.”

A second later, she felt someone tap on her arm: one of the Marie-Claire board members, who she sadly couldn’t ignore.

“Sorry, I have go...do hostess shit,” Bianca said, regret flooding her chest, and Courtney nodded.

“Of course.”

She turned towards the middle-aged man and his young wife, saying her cursory hellos and giving air kisses, making small talk with them both. As soon as she could manage, though, she spared a glance back at Courtney.

The plan, from the moment Adore told her that Courtney was coming, had been to seduce this smoking hot friend of her sister’s. And she figured that the “rough break-up” that Adore’d reported would make it a sure thing. An easy and fun little fling--a birthday present to herself.

But now, something about the wistful, faraway expression on her delicate face as she smoothed down her skirt made her look vulnerable, in a way that gave Bianca pause. As stunning as she was--and fuck, she was an absolute knock-out--it didn’t make Bianca want to seduce her. Instead, it made her want to protect her. Ugh, why did her fucking conscience have rear its ugly head tonight, on her birthday of all nights?

“Thank you so much. Be sure to check out the raw bar!” she said, finally escaping and ready to head back to Courtney--but Adore beat her to it.

She watched as her sister came bounding up, Pearl in tow, and grabbed Courtney’s hands to pull her onto the dance floor.

Well, good. She should have a good time. Lord knows, anyone who worked for Fame deserved to blow off some steam. Bianca snatched another drink from a passing tray, trying to redirect her attention to the Welsh model who’d been giving her bedroom eyes all night.

***

Violet was having a surprisingly good time, taking small sips of her champagne. She had hurried home from work, almost ready when Sutan had texted that he was downstairs, the smile on Sutan’s face when he had seen her dress almost, almost, almost worth it’s price tag.

She had never been to an event of this size without having to worry if catering ran out of ice, or if she’d need to get taxis for whoever got way too drunk. It was nice to just stand by Sutan’s side, nice to be allowed to just be, without having to entertain or constantly think about everything that could go wrong.

“Ah, yes, of course.” Sutan smiled, his thumb rubbing up and down the small of Violet’s back. He was talking to one of the models from Elite, Violet vaguely recognizing her from some of the headshots she had presented to Fame for the fall collection. “I’ll be sure to tell Marcel about that.”

“Excuse me,” Violet turned, her eyes falling on a man with a camera, the card around his neck instantly telling her that he was from OK! magazine. “I was wondering if I could take a few pictures?”

“Oh,” Violet didn’t know what to do, her stomach instantly tightening.

“Sure,” Sutan grinned, turning towards the camera. “Right girls?”

“I-” Violet didn’t want to be in the picture, didn’t want someone she didn’t know documenting where she was, didn’t want to risk it ending up online. “I don’t-”

“Oh of course,” Sutan took her glass, handing it off to someone. “There we go.”

“Sutan”

“Come here,” Sutan put an arm around the model, posing both of them.

“Please-” Violet could feel Sutan’s hand on her hip, holding her tight, keeping her trapped, her throat closing up.

“Should we smile?”

“No,” The photographer looked out from behind his camera, “just be natural.”

Violet pushed away, forcing Sutan to let her go as the camera went off. She didn’t hear Sutan say her name, a quick flicker of a question on his face, didn’t see him smile apologetically to the photographer and pose with the model, didn’t notice any of it as she made her way outside, escaping the only thing she could think of.

***

Juju strolled through the crowd with Raven. She appreciated the whole VIP setup as much as anyone, but this was a massive party, and they’d decided to come spend a little time where the action was, maybe dance a bit -at least as much as her poor pregnant body would allow. They were stopped by a group of models, Raven proudly showing off her engagement ring and letting the other girls fawn all over her.

Juju put up with the schmoozing for a couple of minutes--after all, those girls were potential clients, until she spotted Bianca nearby and politely excused herself from the group, knowing that Raven would be perfectly content with her little fan club.

Bianca was chatting up some sweet young thing (typical), and Juju couldn’t resist messing with her a little. She wrapped her arms around Bianca’s waist from behind, asking in a low, husky voice, “Tell me I’m your favorite, Daddy.”

It was a joke between the two of them, something that had started years ago when Juju and Detox were first dating. They’d shown up at brunch one morning in the middle of a heated argument about whether it was appropriate for her to call him “Daddy” during sex--ironically, only a few months before she got preganant with their first child. It wasn’t a kink thing, exactly, it was just that she thought it was funny, and especially so when she saw his freaked out reaction. The group agreed that right or wrong, if it bothered him then she probably shouldn’t say it. But Bianca, ever the good sport, had pulled the smaller woman into her lap and declared that if she really needed to call someone Daddy, she was ‘willing to take one for the team.’

Juju accompanied her breathy greeting by biting gently on Bianca’s ear, adding, “Pwease?”

Bianca burst out laughing, pulling her close and introducing her to a very confused looking girl. “Tayce, you must know my friend Juju Sanderson. The brilliant hairstylist who owns Jujubee’s downtown?”

“Oh, yeah! It’s an honor!” Tayce said, her brown eyes lighting up as a dazzling smile spread across her face. “I’ve been trying to get an appointment with you, but you’re booked up for months!”

Juju had to bite back her laugh when she heard Tayce speak--Bianca always was a sucker for an accent.

“Well, play your luck with Daddy here, and you might jump the queue,” Juju said with a wink.

“Among other benefits,” Bianca cackled. “You know you’re the only one who I’d let get away with that Daddy shit, right?”

“Yes, thank you. You’re a lot more fun than my husband.”

“In so many ways,” Bianca said, turning to Tayce and giving her a playful smirk.

***

Violet took a deep breath, letting it out through her teeth as she could finally feel her heart slow down, though the knot in her stomach wasn’t going away.

She knew she couldn’t help it, but it was impossible not to feel an inkling of shame travel up her spine, the feeling that she was being ridiculous impossible to push down.

Sutan hadn’t meant anything by it, taking photos a part of his life, being in the public eye something that simply came natural for him.

Violet took a last breath, pushing away from the wall she had been leaning against to go back to the party, hoping that Sutan hadn’t noticed how strange she was acting.

It wasn’t that Violet liked acting this way, that she wanted to feel the panic rising in her body whenever she saw a camera in a stranger's hand, but she couldn’t help it.

She was an adult now, she had her own life, her own money and even her own job and her own apartment, but it was hard not to hide, impossible not to react to the instinctive fear that welled up in her at the risk of being found.

Violet walked back inside, the noise and the amount of people feeling so much more overwhelming when she wasn’t at Sutan’s side. She made her way through the crowd, easily spotting both Fame and Pearl, avoiding both of them.

She was starting to think Sutan had left, Raja nowhere to be found either, when she saw him sitting at a table, surrounded by models. He was laughing loudly, his arm around one of the girls, several of the models’ phones taking pictures of everything that was happening.

Violet’s stomach did a flip, the panic from earlier rushing through her body. She couldn’t go over there, couldn’t be a part of that part of Sutan’s world, so instead, Violet did what she always did.

Turned around, and walked away.

***

[Raja?] Sutan put a hand on Raja’s hip, turning her around. Sutan had been sitting with a group of models, doing shots and having fun right up until one of them had touched his legs under the table, and he had abandoned ship instantly.

[Have you seen Violet?]

He hadn’t seen her in over an hour, and while Sutan was more than sure that Violet could take care of herself, he had started to worry.

[Sutan!] Raja grinned, stepping into his space, looping her arms around his neck. [Hello brother dear.]

[Hello.] Sutan smiled, once again reminded of how much he truly loved Raja. She was tipsy, her eyes swimming slightly, which was probably why she hadn’t responded to his question. [Have you seen Violet?]

[Violet?] Raja tilted her head, her hand fiddling with the hairs at the nape of his neck. [No?]

[Shit.] Sutan bit his lip, his hands resting on Raja’s hips.

[Maybe she just left?] Raja smiled, running her fingers through his hair. [There’s no need to worry.]

[Maybe...]

[She can handle herself.]

[Mmmh.] Sutan knew that Raja was probably right, but it still felt weird that VIolet hadn’t said goodbye, and if he was honest, he was disappointed that they wouldn’t be going home together at the end of the night. [I’ll send her a text.]

Sutan was just about to reach into his pocket, was just about to get his phone out, when he saw a photographer to his left, just outside the VIP section. The paparazzi always loved to get photos of him and Raja together, and while he was sure Raja hadn’t noticed, he made sure to twist her slightly to the left, getting her good side as he smiled at the camera.

***

“Every guy here is drooling over you, bae,” Adore giggled, spinning Courtney on the dance floor before accepting another drink from Pearl.

“Not just the guys,” Pearl added with a wink.

Courtney laughed. In spite of her hesitation in tagging along, she’d been having a pretty good time. The attention was fun, of course, but Courtney’d barely noticed the alleged guys drooling over her. She couldn’t help thinking about the way she’d felt when Bianca put that arm around her, the way her brown eyes had sparkled in the dim light. The way goosebumps prickled her skin as Bianca’s fingers grazed her shoulder.

Her gaze kept being pulled in Bianca’s direction. Eyes drifting over her enticing curves in that tight dress. And occasionally, to her absolute thrill, Bianca would be looking back at her. Every time their eyes met, her stomach flipped around like crazy.

It was silly, she knew that. She knew that Bianca was only being nice to her because she was Adore’s friend. A nice kid. That it didn’t mean anything deep. This was, after all, a woman who dated supermodels and Oscar winners. Like the gorgeous girl by her side most of the evening, who had a face that Courtney instantly recognized from last month’s British Vogue cover.

Still.

The reality of the situation didn’t stop her from pretending, even just to herself, even just for the night, that maybe there was something there, that warranted all these confusing feelings swirling around inside her like a tornado.

And later, when they were saying goodbye, she allowed herself to enjoy the way Bianca’s palm pressed to the small of her back. She even let her lips linger for a few moments on Bianca’s warm cheek, kissing her goodnight.

***

SUTAN: Did you leave?

[MISSED CALL]

SUTAN: The party is still going.

SUTAN: Did you get home safe?

[MISSED CALL]

SUTAN: I can’t find you.

[MISSED CALL]

SUTAN: Violet??

VIOLET: I’m fine.

[septiembrre]

author meme

Tagged by - @foxmagpie & @mego42

Tagging - I think most folks have gotten tagged, but friends feel free to do it!

ao3 name: septiembre

fandoms: that I write for? only good girls

number of fics: haha, I was avoiding answering this ask meme because I’m not very prolific. So far, I’m at 3 one-shots, a handful of drabbles, and one growing multi-chapter monster. 

fic I spent the most time on: definitely Get to Be Mine. It’s my only multi-chapter but I will be working on it for a while. 

fic I spent the least amount of time on: Heavenly Hot Tubs. This was my second fic and it was so easy to write. But, now I kind of want to rewrite it and make it sexier :’D 

most hits: Get to Be Mine has finally eclipsed the sexy hot tub fic by 4 clicks. 

most kudos, comments & bookmarks: Get to Be Mine. 

highest total word count: definitely Get To Be Mine... 

favourite fic I wrote: 

I love them all for their own specific reasons. They were all things I was really jazzed to write. Get To Be Mine is definitely my darling right now. 

However, I also really enjoyed writing Riendo Juntos, and the one shot about Rio & Beth hanging out a safe house and cleaning, and the one shot about Beth waking up in the middle of the night to bake bread. 

fic I want to rewrite/expand on: Haha, I’m at peace with all of the fics. I like reading my old stuff, with ideas of where I could have expanded them. Instead of feeling embarrassed, I feel proud that my writing has evolved and overall become something easier. 

That being said, I do have a hankering to re-write the smut in the hot tub fic and make it longer~ with more sensory details. But, I won’t! 

share a bit of a wip or story idea you’re working on: Damn, y’all I’m barely on chapter three of my fake dating fic. This thing is going to dominate my free time for the next several months (lol, whaaaat?). So I’ve been putting my head down and trying to concentrate on that. 

I’m in the process of editing a scene between Annie+Beth+Ruby and it has been soooooo much fun. I got into writing GG fanfiction exclusively for Brio and had felt really tentative about branching out into other characters, and writing Ruby and Annie’s voices (ESPECIALLY Annie’s. It really doesn’t come naturally to me).  

This is rough but, here’s a segment from what I wrote yesterday:

Annie snaps her fingers. “What about that purple dress? The one you wore for Kenny’s birthday party two years ago. Do you still have it?”

In fact, it had recently returned to Beth with the rest of her clothes that Rio had stollen. She had always felt good wearing it and it was one of the few surviving articles from the purge of things related to her marriage.

Ruby’s gaze darts sideways to Annie. “I cannot believe you are suggesting that dress. He took one look at her and I wasn’t sure what he was going to do to her inside that bedroom.”

“Oh, we knew what he wanted to do.” Annie says, her voice loaded with innuendo. She turns to Beth. “Wear that. You’ll feel great and he’ll love it.”  

Ruby steeples her fingers. “I don’t think we want to antagonize him any further, Annie.”

"And that was two years ago.” Beth adds. “Before all the rest of it. We don’t even know if he’s ever, y’know…” Her mouth opens making what she’s sure are ridiculous configurations with her lips as she flounders, “ --liked me.”

Annie’s jaw hangs open for a moment. Then she pulls it together and addresses Ruby first, “Okay, I care about my sister, so stop trying to guilt me. Maybe what they need is to finally fuck again and get over whatever this is.” Ruby raises her eyebrows, considering Annie’s point but with plenty of hesitation, as Beth splutters indignantly again.

Annie turns to her sister. “And Beth, I know homeboy has been super shady about his feelings but he has them.” Beth shakes her head, but Annie nods adamantly back at her. “They are in there somewhere because bizarrely, we are all still alive.”

She pauses to knock on the wooden surface of the worktable, and murmurs a quick, Rest in peace, Lucy. Ruby crosses herself. For a second, Beth’s stomach plummets, and fuzzy words for the Mourner’s Kaddish tug at the periphery of her thoughts. She curls her fingers around of the edge of the table to steady herself, and then, she processes what Annie said. Somehow despite the grief and all of the terrible things, it feeds the kernel of warmth inside of her.

“Is he the ideal romantic prospect? Nope. And no matter how this fake-dating situation goes, you are not allowed to become his wife-in-crime or whatever. But, maybe you guys can go through the motions—” She thrusts a little with her hips, rocking on the stool. “Bone, y’know, maybe. And then we can all move on and you can start dating for real.”

I think I got nervous about writing scenes with more than two people? That fear eclipsed everything and it made me forget that I LOVE WRITING SCENES BETWEEN FRIENDS -- especially between women. Oh my god. And they all have different ethics and funny bones -- it’s so great. Now the scene has spiraled a bit -- it’s 5k and I need to chill. 

Because of Get to Be Mine, I also keep daydreaming about all these other Brio fake dating situations. For some reason I keep wondering if it would be a good idea to create an ongoing side drabble series with additional/discarded fake dating premises? Honestly, I need to calm down with the fake dating trope (but, it’s so pleasant for my brain right now). 

The one I have in mind right now is a post Season 3 Beth+Rio+Dean scene where Beth and Rio watch as Dean make a mess of a customer/vendor interaction at Boland Bubbles. Beth steps in to intervene and while Rio watches. Rio ends up joining in the conversation, and the assumption is made that Beth/Rio are a couple, in front of Dean. Rio starts playing into it. Hahaha, this is my angstier, smuttier fake dating happy place right now. 

[mundanedevil]

Hi you... if you were going to curate a little season of films for me, which ones would you choose and why? They don't need to be horror, I'm just curious what you would choose 🌸

I don’t know if you’ll like these movies, or if you’ve already watched them, but after i watched these films, i felt like they might need to belong to you now. i hope they make you smile, roll your eyes, and cry just as much as i did.

1. city of god (2002): this is one of the most immersive and gorgeously shot films i’ve ever seen. it’s set in rio de janeiro during the 60s and spans decades exploring the drug culture in the slums and how this can affect kids just as they are trying to figure their own selves out. the way this film is shot, feels like you were at the sea with them as the sand crunched underneath your feet. but the way that the director captures these individuals, makes you so fucking relieved that you don’t live through any of the circumstances that they go through. 

2. the dreamers (2004): set in 1968, this film follows three students in Paris who come of age and explore one another and their limits during the revolution. while these students prop themselves up as individuals obsessed with sex, running underneath themselves is a current of jealousy, obsession, and blurred familial relationships that made me increasingly uncomfortable. you find yourself feeling bad for the children, and ultimately upset at their upbringing because of their parents. 

3. if beale street could talk (2018): this movie is based off of james baldwin’s titular 1974 novel. in it, the director expertly and vigorously explores love: a love that feels so real that it hurts. the cast is what sold this film to me. the way they talk, laugh, cry, and smile at one another is achingly beautiful and terrifyingly sad. i wanted to transport myself back to their time period and watch the main characters fall in love because the film didn’t seem like enough. 

4. the neon demon (2016): this film follows an emerging model who sacrifices herself to the demands of the industry in order to be attractive and beautiful. there are so many stunning colors in this film that it makes you dizzy, like you’re in a trance and that’s what this world is for the main character: a trance. as she oscillates between reality and fantasy, her world and the characters in it, increasingly seek out to alter her personality. 

5. death becomes her (1992): a deliberately ultra-campy parody of trashy, pandering "women's pictures," soap operas and paperbacks from the '80s and '90s. The three leads all do some of their best work - it's hilarious watching Meryl Streep play a terrible actress, Goldie Hawn is particularly hilarious during her character's cat lady phase, and all around just a really fun and eccentric film. 

6. princess cyd (2017): i can’t think of anything to write for this but i just wanna say that this is literally one of the most pleasant movie experiences i’ve ever had. so much light and genuine interaction in warm sun rays radiating positive energy and an openness that is far too uncommon in movies nowadays. people talk, people connect, people grow bonds and are allowed to be sexual or intimate or personal without an air of shame or judgement. just pure kind and curious human association. 

7. spiderman: into the spiderverse (2018): the message of Spider-Verse is not "gentrify yourself! stop expressing your personality and just conform to what society wants you to be!" After all, what makes you different makes you Spider-Man, and Miles' final expression of himself as a superhero still retains much of his personality and individuality...they're just being used in more productive and fulfilling ways. It's the little things that drive the point home, like noticing that the title page for Miles' finished Great Expectations essay has been stylistically doodled and colored like street art. Rather than seeing his artistic gifts as an opposition to his schoolwork, Miles infuses them together to make the best of the hand he's been dealt.

8. my life as a zucchini (2016): initially heartbreaking and sad, but slowly becoming more joyful and heartwarming as the plot moves along. The film really feels like it captures the essence and child like wonder of these kids, all of them going through hardships but managing to find something to help each other out. It’s so refreshing to see the actual orphanage portrayed in a more positive light, not the usual horrid dump that a lot of lesser movies play them out as. The animation is stunning. One of the best uses of stop motion I’ve seen, everything is so colourful and detailed. There’s some moments set in snowy mountains and these look incredible. There’s clearly been so much love and care put into each and every scene here. The music too, sounds spectacular, it really works well with each scene. 

9. lovesong (2016): Mindy and Sarah have that type of relationship where they don't need words because they speak in a language made out of glances and touches. This movie is about the fear of ruining a meaningful friendship and losing an important person, about love that is so complicated that one might not even try because the outcome seems to be so obvious.

10. her (2013): Heartbreak is formative: it changes you heart side out, and leaves your muscles a little stronger, your skin a little thicker, your bones easier to repair. Before this film, I’d never seen anything constructive in having your insides pulled apart by the seams by another person, but this film taught me how. Being in love and then being forced out of it is an experience that changes you fundamentally, but Her taught me its purpose – you don’t need them to leave you so that you can find someone who’s a better fit, because perhaps you never will. You need it to participate in humanity. The common denominator is being hurt, and without it, you’re barely alive.

11. shoplifters (2018): bittersweet and richly transportive, Shoplifters is a film that nonchalantly eases you into its tragic beauty in a way that doesn't punch you hard until the end. It simultaneously made me want to be part of the film's world and also very glad that I'm not. The setting the characters live in is messy and cluttered and full of dysfunction and lies, but it's also got family, and laughter, and fist-bumps, and slurping warm noodles while rain pings on the tin rooftop. So nuanced, so many tiny moments of delicate beauty and unassuming heartbreak, so many people making terrible decisions with good intentions.

12. god’s own country (2017): though it is a love story between two men, this aspect is only addressed briefly in a single scene. Rather, the film is about finding someone who makes you want to be a better person, someone who comes into your life just when you needed it most. Gheorghe helps Johnny open up and realize the beauty of the simple life. From this relationship, Johnny begins to feel comfortable with expressing himself, and his love and gratitude towards others. He also begins to appreciate life in the country, surrounded by stunning landscapes and the beauty of simplicity. Addressing the Yorkshire countryside, Gheorghe says "It is beautiful, but lonely." Johnny is presented with the notion that he doesn't have to be cold and miserable, slaving and drinking his days away. He is presented with the possibility of no longer being alone and finally finding happiness and contentment - and it is more than gratifying to see him accept it.

13. disobedience (2017): a tender star-crossed daydream. the three main character dynamics are special enough on their own, but the romance that blooms at the center is cathartically intimate and even magical: a reunion that feels so inevitable. catching glimpses of a past life, details we aren’t privy to. all the stolen kisses and whispers and promises. a bond so strong that they fall back in sync with each other like second nature, even if they try to fight against it. even if it won’t work. and yet they choose each other, even if for a few minutes.

14. raw (2016): this film is so gross and I like that. There is tons of blood and unique body horror and it all works perfectly for the tone the film is attempting to set. The use of color, specifically neons, creates a constant feeling that you are traveling through some sort of weird ghost world, which I really like. Overall, it's a very well put together film with flashes of brilliance.

15. the night is short, walk on girl (2017): what an absolutely magical adventure of a film. Essentially this is a heavily episodic look at a night in the lives of several people, centered on a woman and a man as she gleefully floats from event to event while he neurotically obsesses over how to "coincidentally" talk to her. The storytelling is incredible; while the overarching narrative is simple there are countless threads woven together to connect everyone in the story to each other. That in itself is a big theme: connections between people, how everything is interrelated, and what a large impact seemingly insignificant things people do can have an impact on everyone around them.

16. coraline (2009): Coraline is the best stop motion movie ever made in my opinion. Before the film released in 2009, I read the book and was completely blown away by its creativity and story. It’s a pretty dark tale featuring many scenes of fright that work well in both a horror setting and an animated kids setting. On surface value, this film is quite horrifying, which is something I’ve always loved about it. While it does make a few minor changes to the book, it improves upon a piece of art that was already jaw-droppingly good. Coraline feels like a real little girl with some real problems. She’s selfish but likable which is something most films cannot translate well. Of course, she has a pretty awesome arc as well which brings this movie to a perfect close for her character. The other-mother is also perfectly done. She is almost exactly how I imagined her in the book and the animation on her is spookily gorgeous. There is not one dull moment in this film. It is literally a perfect piece of cinema.

17. the third wife (2019): haven’t seen a film this visually delicate in a while. Ash Mayfair works with the looming mountain surroundings to make her characters —these women, these girls— as small as possible, as isolated as possible. Uneasiest of all is the protagonist May, so young and so weighed by responsibility, her position blurs between being one of the wives and being one of the daughters. It’s an extremely bleak tale of circumstance. An old tale, certainly, but so beautifully crafted it doesn’t matter. Mayfair holds a fearful tension throughout, and it only ever shatters in the cruelest of ways.The abundance of women and display of sisterhood begin as a comfort, but horror takes over as we realize how conditional and fragile that comfort is. Even the daughters are subconsciously aware, one of them praying to the gods to grow up and become a man, shearing her hair off in naive triumph. It’s a doomed cycle of girls performing roles which are unfortunately their best option, right up until the final scene of May with her daughter, still in their mourning clothes. She, like the older wives, finally realizes they’re the same as the cattle laying on their side for too many days.

[danetobelieve]

Gru Voice: Light Bulb! || Orion and Winston

Winston and Orion had actually been hanging out a little more then Winston had expected. Especially now that the sleepwalking thing was solved, Winston found themselves with way more time and energy to devote to the old Scribe headquarters and they were getting pretty good at knowing their way around in the dark. But today, as they walked down the corridors of the old musty building, Winston hoped that it was the last time that they would have to do this in the pitch black, or even with a torch. Today was the day they fixed the electricity. “So, I am like 85% sure the problem is the fuse box and I have all the things I need to fix it, then I think it is important that rather then immediately running power through the whole building, we give the fuse box a break -- who knows when it last handled any amount of voltage -- and we just hook the power up to the library and your sleeping room.” They touched the long spool of power cable which was hanging off of their left shoulder. That was where that came in. “Once we’re sure that the fusebox doesn’t need any major work then we can definitely look at hooking up the whole building. Sound good?” 

Orion was in a small state of disbelief. Winston had been at the Scribe headquarters multiple times since the night they had unintentionally wandered into the abandoned building. During the days, they would spend time in the library hanging out. But ever since the sun never rose, the Scribe Headquarters was practically uninhabitable. And that was saying something, considering the state that it had already been in. But Winston had offered to come and fix the electricity too. At this point Orion could only assume that the two could be considered… friends. Though with the help Winston was offering, Orion certainly needed to figure out a way to repay them, but wasn’t sure what he had to offer to Winston. “Just let me know what you need from me.” Orion smiled, not that Winston could really see. Both of their flashlights were angled forward as they made their way down the hallways and towards the room where the fuse box was. “I really can’t thank you enough. I really appreciate you offering to help with this.” 

Raising an eyebrow gently, Winston guided the beam of their flashlight so that it somewhat lit the way that they were going. They made their way down a set of rickety steps that led down into an old basement, or was it a cellar? They weren’t really sure what the technical term for the subterranean entry way that they found themselves in. “For the moment, I need you to try and give me as much light as possible so that I can see what I’m doing, but I will definitely need some help later on.” Raising an eyebrow gently, Winston laid down their tool box and flipped it open to reveal a very well ordered set of tools that they’d received from their parents when they were eighteen. “Hey dude, you took me in when I was sleepwalking and you gave me somewhere to sleep and to stay, so I don’t really think you need to say thank you. This is just my way of saying thank you for that night.” 

“Yeah. Of course. You got it.” Orion agreed with Winston. He would do whatever they told him needed to be done. Whatever it took to get this place up and running again. It still felt like a fever dream that in an hour or two this place could be lit up again. Maybe for the first time since the 80’s. It was it’s own small piece of history, that Orion may actually have a part of. He could help rebuild the Scribes, at least the White Crest chapter. And maybe… just maybe.. Winston would want a bigger part than just fixing the light. But that was still getting ahead of himself. For now, Rio focused on shining the light where Winston needed. “Oh.. well seriously that was nothing. Like I said, I don’t even own the place or anything. This is basically public property now. Besides the like magic entrance part.” He laughed nervously, the light shaking around the room with his laugh. “Oh sorry.” He calmed the laughter and focused the light again. “So uh… How long do you think this will take? Not that I’m rushing or anything. Just curious.” Although Orion did have to admit that the darkness was making him nervous despite him walking these same halls hundreds of times. Just the knowledge that the sun wasn’t going to rise in the morning made a difference.”

“Cool, I think we can manage this together.” Winston was convinced that they were going to be able to do a good job and really clean this place up. They knew that there were so many good things that they could do with this place and they knew that Orion wanted them to do it. It was a project that they could work on together and Winston really hoped that it would lead to them learning a whole host of new things. They were excited to learn everything that they could. They needed to learn more about the supernatural so that they could survive it and maybe one day they could help someone else and other people survive it. “Well, either way, you turned this place into somewhere that is really worth coming to and I want to help now, maybe we can make it our own place and this is just the first start.” Winston had to admit that the magical entrance was a big reason why they were convinced that there was now supernatural things and information that could be learned from this old, musty and somewhat decrepit building. “Well, hopefully it shouldn’t take us too long but if we have to replace a bunch of wiring and fuses then it might take more then tonight, but I guess it is time that we find out what we can do with this place first, y’know.” They kept working, occasionally asking Orion for a hand. “How did you work out how to get past the magic thing?” Winston asked, hoping that they could come up with a more feasible excuse for themselves other then, I used magic.

Despite Orion’s own fears, he had to believe that Winston was right. They could manage this together. It was an easy enough start. Couldn’t rebuild the Scribes without lights. If Winston could get this first step initiated than that could lead to all of the other changes that Orion had envisioned. He had never expected any of them to come to fruition though. “I- Well thank you.” Orion wasn’t great at taking compliments, especially from people he liked. Winston truly thought that this place was worth coming to. Despite the lack of electricity and the fact that Orion didn’t have much to offer besides old mattresses and junk food. It was… surprising. Orion wasn’t used to companionship just for the sake of friendship. He was used to ulterior motives or forced interactions. “Right, yeah of course. Well… finger’s crossed that this thing works on the first try. But if not that’s fine.” Orion watched, fascinated by Winston as they worked. Orion had always enjoyed learning about other people’s passions but watching it in action was something else entirely. Orion got to see that passion in action and liked see them so focused on the task at hand. He got caught up in the moment and barely registered Winston’s question, waiting for a few moments too long before finally realizing what had been asked. “Oh- Sorry I wasn’t focused. Uh, I didn’t, if I’m being honest. My uncle used to be a scribe here once upon a time. He showed me how to get in when I was a kid.” Since then, a few people had gotten into the building, but not many by Orion’s choice. The only person he had invited into the barrier was Kaden but just to grab him some information on demon’s. “You’re actually the first person I’ve actually shown how to get into the building. Since my uncle showed me, I mean.” 

Winston was not thinking quite as big as Orion was. At the moment they just wanted to have a place to study the resources that had been made available to them at that moment. Either way, if this was where Orion was spending the majority of their time (as Winston suspected it was) then they were going to do everything that they could to make this a bit more habitable and getting the power back on was a good start with that. “If we can actually get the power working, maybe we can look at getting some solar panels to keep this stuff going.” Raising an eyebrow, Winston pulled a head torch from their bag and attached it to their forehead as they gazed at the fuses and kept working. “It probably, almost certainly won’t work for the first time, maybe not even the second or the third, but I guess there is still plenty of time to find out which it will be…” they took a deep breath before pulling a few wires out of the fusebox, looping them over one another and rewiring a few more selections of the fusebox. Placing the screwdriver in their mouth, they did their best to talk around it. “Yourf funcle washn’tf …” they looked around, “Ufh … fupermaturally inflined? If you knowr wharft I mrean...” 

“Solar panels…” Orion hadn’t thought about that before. It would be the most efficient way to keep that place running. The main issue would be the cost. If only he could hunt down an older Scribe. The thing about them, at least from what his uncle had told him, was that a lot of them came from old Scribe families and old money. The type of people that can afford to build their own private archives in their homes. The type of people that maybe, just maybe, would fund solar paneling and remodeling for a young scholar trying to rebuild the Scribes. Orion just needed to figure out how to find that. “That’s a great idea! I’ll do some research on that.” When Winston broke the news that it most likely wouldn’t work on the first try, Orion could only shrug. “No worries. We’ll get it eventually. Well.. you will get it actually. But I’m here in spirit.” It didn’t bother him, not much. If nothing worked Orion may be slightly disappointed, but at least Winston was willing to try. It took a minute for Orion to decipher their next question, but began laughing nervously once he did. “Oh my uncle? He uh- well no. Not really. He was a human.” Orion wasn’t sure how to answer. Winston had made that first step, asking about the supernatural that both had seemingly assumed the other knew. Still, even with the knowledge finally about to come out, Orion couldn’t tell Winston that his uncle was a hunter. Winston would put to and two together and realize that Orion himself was a hunter. A monster. At least Orion wasn’t exactly lying. His uncle was a human. “He just studied the supernatural. That’s what the Scribes did.”

“Obviously the real problem is having the money to purchase the solar panels, and with all the darkness being a thing they wouldn’t work, so we’d have to invest in generators or something, but in some places if you’re careful you can actually sell electricity back to the power companies.” Winston had done a lot of reading about carbon neutral homes when preparing to do this, trying to put in the greenest installation that they possibly could. “Your moral support is invaluable,” Winston replied as they slotted another fuse into place and began to finish wiring in the main cables, running them to the breaker and making sure that everything was in place, “besides we’re nearly ready, everything is set up on my end so all you’ve got to do is flick the breaker, don’t get too excited, it isn’t like all the lights are going to come back on, just that one over here.” Winston stepped forward and pointed out one of the lights before screwing a new bulb into it. “If that works we can try hooking everything else up and make sure that it is all safe before running power to the library and then go from there. But for now, will you do the honours?” 

“Yeah. True. But.. well I’ll cross that bridge when I get there I guess.” Thinking too much on it now would just send Orion spiraling into a panic attack. For all the planning Orion wanted to do, it was all too grandeur for him to take on right now. So he needed to calm down and take it one step at a time. For a moment, Orion closed his eyes and silently practiced some breathing techniques. He didn’t want to worry Winston by making any noise. But Winston’s words of encouragement helped ground him back to reality. This was the moment of truth. Rio went over to the switch, his hands practically shaking. A nervous mixture of excitement and fear. “This feels so weird. Never thought I’d do this.” He pressed his finger to the button and as gently and feebly as he could manage, flipped it over. His eyes closed on reflex, and for a moment stayed in darkness, but he slowly opened one eye to find that aside from the lights that Rio and Winston had on, another light in the corner had flicked on. “Holy…” Orion trailed off, the disbelief apparent in his voice. Finally, he found the ability to speak again. “Holy crap. It worked. You’re a miracle worker!” Orion jumped up and down excitedly, a grin illuminating at his face as he turned to look at Winston, “You did it!”

“Exactly, besides this darkness stuff won’t last forever, you know that nothing like this ever does.” Winston was perhaps just a little more concerned by what could possibly replace the darkness. It seemed like with each new development something new went wrong and somehow it was almost always worse then the one before. But they were trying to be more positive and that attitude wouldn’t help anyone. As Winston watched Orion flip the switch, they were pleased that it had worked. Nodding for them to flip it off again, Winston set about on the next stage of the plan. Hooking up the relevant rooms to the fusebox, they knew that this would take them a while in total. To get the building up and running to a decent standard. But for now they only needed to cover two rooms if they could get that down then they were sure that the rest wouldn’t be too difficult. “Hell yeah dude, we did it.” They grinned gently and clapped Orion on the shoulder. “Now I really need your help, can you start running these wires into the library and the sleeping room and we can set everything up, we’ll properly wire everything in later but for this part it doesn’t matter all that much if it doesn’t work out. But for now let’s keep going.”

Orion stared at light in amazement. It was amazing that something so dull and monotonous could hold such wonder. He had been staring at those dusty, unlit bulbs for months now. And now they were finally lit up. How ironic, that it would come when the literal sun wasn’t rising. “We did. We really did. Er- well you really did it. I held a flashlight.” And poorly, if Rio was being honest. He had been so caught up on his own things that he hadn’t been paying much attention. The light had been shaky, had moved off its target once or twice. He didn’t have much experience with manual labor, clearly. If this could even be considered that. “Right of course. I can do that.” He grinned back, leaping up and ready to do whatever Winston needed from him. “Got it- Like uh- You want me to physically take the wires into the library and sleeping room? Or uh- like from here?” He asked nervously, embarrassed that he had no idea what Winston was talking about. 

“You’re so hard on yourself,” Winston replied dismissively, “this was a team effort and if you can’t see that then you might need to adjust your perspective. Besides, holding the flashlight was the hardest job.” They giggled a little at their own joke. They were in this together. Sure Winston had done all the hard work now, but Orion had already made a lot of progress making this place habitable. They had prioritised things similarly to Winston and they just generally needed to try and be a bit more positive with themselves. Grinning at the fact that they had given what was the most vague instructions they possibly could, Winston raised an eyebrow and adjusted their glasses. “You make a good point, I should probably just come with you, I just need to finish this and I’ll be done in here anyway.” They fiddled with the fusebox before closing it up again. “Come on, lead the way back to the library and we can see if we can actually read the books without having to squint too much.” 

“Sorry-sorry” Orion sighed. He knew what Winston was saying. It was hard to break the habit. He was only as hard on himself as his family had been. Or maybe he had been ever harder than his family had been. “Working on taking compliments.” Maybe Evelyn was right, he did need practice. But Winston was nice and patient, which made for a good combination considering how frustrating it must be to hear Orion constantly berate himself. At least he imagined it must be frustrating. “Teamwork makes the dreamwork!” Orion gave Winston a thumbs up as they closed up the fuse box and got ready to head towards the library. Orion was happy to lead, in fact it was probably one of the happiest times that he walked down the dark, creepy hallway of the Scribe building. He was hopeful, something that he didn’t feel incredibly often. “So I guess it’s probably pretty obvious, but the Scribes did more than just take care of a library.” Orion admitted as the two turned a corner, “They were supernatural records keepers. It was their job to keep history on all the weird happenings around the world. Well, before they stopped obviously.” Winston had taken that first step. Asking about Rio’s uncle. The supernatural facts were out there so might as well put Rio’s cards on the table. Well, not all of his cards, but the Scribes for sure. Around one more corner and Orion opened up the door to the library, “Okay, let’s get started!”

“You’re all good dude,” Winston replied with a shrug, they knew how difficult it could be to get your confidence back and they weren’t about to push Orion too hard just when they were starting to become friends, “taking compliments is hard as fuck, so don’t sweat it. You just gotta desensitise yourself, to this stuff so I’ll just keep complimenting you until you’re bored of it.” Winston knew what it was like to be anxious and working alongside others, they were a very nervous person who was afraid of pretty much everything and in this world that wasn’t the best combination. “Aha!” Winston hooted with laughter, “exactly. Dreamwork does make teamwork.” Following after Orion, Winston made sure that the wire didn’t get tangled as it was spooled out and carefully kept it to one side so that they wouldn’t trip over it later on. They listened intently to Orion’s explanation. They had been CERTAIN that there HAD to be an organisation that was dedicated to keeping some sort of order to this thing. “So they were kind of keeping an eye on everything?” Winston was curious, they seemed to have a good chunk of influence so what the hell had happened? “Where are they now? What happened?” Raising an eyebrow as they entered the library. Winston pulled the chord after them and started getting to work. “Cool, so all of the lights are going to run through here, we just gotta set everything up and then test the lights to see which ones explode when we turn them on.” They were only slightly joking unfortunately.

“Between you and this really nice rich woman on Harris Island, you’re both going to compliment me to death.” Orion laughed, glancing back at Winston and smiling to let them know that despite the awkwardness, Orion did appreciate them and the compliments they shared. Orion may not be used to compliments or getting credit for many things, but with the friends he was finally starting to make, he would have to get used to it. Winston had questions about the Scribes, understandably, and Orion was happy to help however he was able to. Not that he was the leading expert on Scribes in this town, but considering nobody else had ever shown up at this place to reclaim it… he kinda was the leading expert on Scribes. “Exactly. They were… observing. That was what they did. They watched the world around them and recorded the weird things that they saw. So that it wasn’t lost.” He enjoyed that others seemed to be interested in learning about the Scribes as well “I don’t know what happened to this one specifically. Or why nobody has been back. But from what my uncle told me most of the chapters all over the world shut down. I don’t think it was like.. An overnight fall, but I have some theories.” He trailed off as Winston began working on the wiring and Orion thought about his theories. “I can’t tell if you’re joking or not” Orion laughed nervously, “But uh it’s fine. If it does. I can get more lightbulbs.” 

Raising an eyebrow, Winston smiled. “Do you mean Evelyn?” they asked curiously, they’d run into each other and Winston was pretty sure they’d accidentally used magic in front of her. “Ok so they were academics of supernatural history then,” that made sense and Winston could immediately see the arguments for and against impartiality, “I guess that something must’ve happened that was really bad, but you know, I always love hearing a good conspiracy theory, even if they’re somewhat far fetched. But I don’t know anything about this and the more information I can gather on it the better you know. Maybe it’ll help in trying to get this place back to its former glory. “Unfortunately I’m only joking a little bit, I don’t know how old these bulbs are and how good condition they are in, it’s possible that the filament could just go as soon as we run any amount of current through them,” they stepped into the library and pointed at a large box, “but don’t worry, I’ve come prepared with fresh lightbulbs so that we can replace any that go.” They set to work, beginning to plug everything in and setting everything up. “Can you make sure these wires don’t get caught on anything?” they said, pointing to the trail leading out the door.

Orion looked at Winston curiously, “Uh yeah- you know her?” He shouldn’t have been surprised. Didn’t everyone in this town know each other? “Right, right. Small town. I shouldn’t be surprised anymore.” Orion had to admit this his theories were a little boring compared to the conspiracy theories that some had probably come up with. Orion knew what would drive him away from an organization like this if he had been a member. “It’s hard to theorize, honestly. Mostly because they just sorta… disappeared from town. But the scribe had always been about neutrality. Their job was strictly to observe and record. Scribes were supposed to be impartial to both sides and never be biased. I think that was hard for a lot of people. Plus, I’m sure some people just didn’t follow it- which must have led to some disagreements.” Orion shrugged again. He didn’t like theorizing without some sort of basis. The last thing he wanted was someone taking his words for fact. “I think there were issues long before it fell. And then something happened to some of the chapters around the world. Once a couple fell it wouldn’t be hard to picture the rest fading out with them. Clearly this place was never destroyed, which is good.” Did Winston just mention getting this place back to its former glory? So.. were they considering wanting to help too? More than just fixing the lights? Orion hoped so. “That’d be great. Well, electricity is a good start. To rebuild. I can use all the help from you that you’re willing to give.” Orion felt like he was on HGTV. Orion looked at the box of lights that Winston had already come prepared with and whistled, “Wow. You are way prepared. Nice.” He turned to look at the wires that Winston pointed out and jogged over, following the trail of wires. “You got it. Count on me.” 

“Not very well, we ran into each other on Harris Island and we were attacked by a flock of seagulls, it was weird.” Winston was sure that they weren’t the only one who had weird things like that happen to them, but despite that they weren’t exactly the type to really revel in it. “We both live on Harris Island, so I think it was inevitable really.” They listened carefully to Orion’s theories, they had to admit that it was difficult to know anything without having real information on it. Yet Orion’s theory made sense. “I get that, that makes a bunch of sense, plus if you’re being impartial then neither of the ‘sides’ will be happy about it, they both probably wanted something and there’s only so long that you can get away with not picking a side.” They had to admit that they were disappointed that all of this had happened. It would’ve been good to have an organisation that was dedicated to supernatural academia help them with their own magical development and learning, even if it was just providing them with resources. “So they just slowly fell apart …” that was really sad and Winston couldn’t help but wonder if maybe they had left a void that really needed to be filled. They really needed the Scribes so that they could learn more. They were desperate to learn as much as they possibly could. “You’re right though, we’ve still got this place and this place is great, look how much we can do to make this place better, we could really make something of this place dude.” Winston couldn’t help but be excited about the potential that they had here. “I was never a boyscout or anything, but I always felt like I should’ve been because I come prepared to everything.” 

That was weird, but hardly the weirdest thing that Orion had heard this week. Admittedly, being attacked by something as normal as seagulls was surprisingly mundane. He remembered Winston mentioning that they lived on Harris Island. It wasn’t that big of an island, which meant that Orion and Winston probably only lived a few minutes from each other. Evelyn too, he supposed. It really was a small town. “Exactly. From how my uncle described them, they were always doomed to fail. Like I said, they were stubborn. Time’s change and I don’t know if they were willing to change with it.” But now they could. New management meant that they could make their own rules. A new and better Scribe legacy. Still seemed far fetched to Orion, if he was being honest with himself. “I have a lot of ideas. For this place I mean. Once we get power back to it.” He just hoped he could see them through to fruition. Orion followed the cord down, making sure that it remained untangled and didn’t catch on anything. It was the least he could do. Orion laughed, a deeper laugh than he had done in quite a while at Winston’s joke. “Well, I was a boy scout and I promise you’re way more prepared than we ever were. Though to be fair, I was a really bad boy scout. Like really bad. I only lasted for like a year before my parents pulled me from it.” He had hated the boy scouts anyways, so it was a blessing in disguise when they forced him to leave. “How’s it going over there?” He yelled from a few yards away, switching back and forth from staring at the wiring and looking over in Winston’s direction.

“I knew that there had to be some organisation that was trying to do something, this Supernatural world is so chaotic and messy, no one seems to know what the hell is going on and everyone is kind of just hoping that they don’t die.” Winston was honestly somewhat concerned by the lack of serious consideration for morality that people appeared to display when talking about the Supernatural. After all, the fact that Hunters so willingly hunted innocent beings was beyond concerning for Winston. “Dude that is awesome, we can look at sorting them all out. Once we’ve got power we can look at really replacing some of the stuff in that sleeping room and cleaning everything out. I think if we focus on the kitchen, the library and the sleeping room then that would be best, once those three are kind of … better then you’ve at least got somewhere to sleep, somewhere to work and somewhere to eat …” they swallowed for a moment and frowned, “can I ask you a kind of personal question?” They paused for a moment and shuffled their feet before throwing themselves back into their work once more. “I’m pretty sure we’re all ready to test the lights,” Winston said as they finished the last circuit, “whenever you’re ready, give it a go.” Waiting for Orion to flip the switch gave them time to consider what they wanted to say. 

“It just makes me sad. That over 30 years has gone by where nobody was keeping track of anything. There could have been some weird, once in a lifetime events that happened that will just get… completely erased by history.” Orion answered, sadness apparent in his voice. As someone that studied and was passionate about history, he understood just how scary the idea of something being lost forever was. He couldn’t imagine all the incredible things from history that the world would never know about because the records didn’t survive or people decided not to document it. “I agree! I think the library of course is the number one priority. The sleeping room and kitchen aren’t as important but they would definitely be a bonus. Plus it’d be nice to have the space in case someone ever needed to crash here.” Just like Winston had that night. Orion wished the next time that happened he could offer a more hospitable place. He was afraid where Winston’s personal question was going. All this talk of a place to sleep and eat were implying things. “Sure, of course. Whatever you want to know.” Was he going to tell the truth? Or was Orion going to work around it again, like some sort of maze? One Winston confirmed that Orion could flip the switch, Rio happily skipped over to the outlook and put his hand on it. Moment of truth. Orio took a deep breath and flipped it on.

Nodding pensively, Winston sighed sadly. “You never know, that might not be entirely true, and there’s time for everything to come back around, even if we’ve missed a few things.” Swallowing gently, Winston wasn’t sure that they agreed. If Orion was spending as much time here as Winston suspected then it was important that it was at least habitable. “We can work it out as we go along,” Winston intended to fix this place up as much as they could. As the lights flickered on across the library, Winston was finally able to see the whole of the library and it truly looked spectacular. They had to admit that there was going to be a lot of time spent reading the books here, Winston could only imagine the information that they would be able to find on magic. Especially if they were lucky. “You said before that your family situation wasn’t the best, they’re religious or something and no offence dude but you’re always here, are you like staying here because of stuff with your family?” 

Orion nodded, happy that Winston was remaining hopeful on the situation. “Thanks. I hope you’re right.” Orion shrugged, it was hard to think about what could have been with the Scribes. He knew it was a waste of time anyways. He couldn’t go back and change anything. “Maybe there’s still a Scribe in town somewhere that kept an eye on things. Kept their own records on their own time. It would have to be a hard habit to kick, right?” If they could try to find them, maybe they could try to fill that hole. But at that exact moment, everything else stopped mattering. Because the lights were on. The lights were freaking on! “Holy crap.” Orion said, staring across the place in a wonder. “I can’t believe it all worked.” Orion hadn’t heard any glass shattering at least. Though the place was big enough it could have gone unnoticed. “Maybe it has something to do with the magic surrounding this place? Kept it preserved or something.” Orion had to admit they weren’t very familiar with magic, but it certainly seemed within the realm of possibility. Nothing quite killed the mood like talking about family though. “My family… wants something from me.” He began explaining, before realizing that he wasn’t explaining it well. “They want me to be something that I can’t be. There’s too much pressure in that house.. Too many lies and..” He trailed off. Exactly how much was too much? Orion had already crossed a line, telling Winston anything. If Athena knew she would be furious. Perfect life. Perfect family. That was the schtick. “My family wouldn’t approve of me doing this. And they wouldn’t let me do this. Which is why I’m here and not there. And why they can’t know about it. As far as they know I’m studying late at the library or staying with a friend or.. Something” He wasn’t sure they actually cared about the excuses Rio came up with. “Sorry- This is amazing. All of this is amazing.” He gestured at the library and the lights surrounding it, “I don’t want to ruin it or bring the mood down.”

“If you refuse to believe that things can be any better then there’s no chance they will be,” Winston replied with a shrug, it was a motto his brother had taught him as he campaigned for change within the school. Nothing had happened of course, but the motto had stuck with Winston. “Maybe, maybe there’s someone doing all of those things, but it doesn’t matter until we find them, so for now I’m going to focus on this and make sure it is as perfect as it can be.” They smiled and shrugged. “I don’t think we’re that lucky,” they said as a few lights began flickering, “but for now this is a start, we can clean everything up as we go along, this is going to be a work in progress for a while, but this was a big and very much needed step.” Winston slipped ontop of a desk near by, it was very dusty but they weren’t exactly paying attention to that as they listened to what Orion had to say. “It sounds like you just need to move out,” Winston said before shaking their head at Orion, “don’t apologise, it isn’t your faut when I am literally the one who asked the question, would you be able to move out if there was an opportunity that you could feasibly take?” Ricky was always saying how he wanted more people around the house. 

Orion nodded with Winston. Though the advice was right and Orion knew that it was a good motto to live by he found it hard to follow the teaching himself. Sometimes it all just felt hopeless. But he was trying to stay positive. And the new friendships helped. “Right. Focus on the present.” Orion agreed, shaking his head but still staring ahead at the lights. Sure, some of them were flickering. It wasn’t perfect. But it was a start. That’s all Rio could really ask for at this time. “Yeah of course. Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Orion smiled towards Winston, giving them a thumbs up and finally moving away from the light switch so that he could rejoin Winston over by the tables. He climbed onto a table of his own and looked at Winston, “Yeah, I probably do.” Rio answered absent-mindedly. Of course he knew that Winston was right. He just wasn’t sure how easy that would be. Not with his family. “Probably? I mean legally I’m an adult. My parent’s probably wouldn’t care if I left.” He might actually be right about that, “But I don’t really have a job right now. Not a real one anyways. Or a place to go. So I’ve got to figure that stuff out before I actually consider moving out.” He shrugged. That’s what the had the Scribe headquarters for anyways.

“Learning to change what you can and learning to accept what you can’t is tough,” Winston agreed with a shrug, “something that I defo still struggle with, y’know?” They swallowed and looked around them, they had really made some progress and when some of those lights inevitably went -- they were pretty sure they had just heard a pop as one exploded -- then they would replace them. This was going to be a hefty project, but Winston couldn’t go anywhere now. Not when they knew how important White Crest really was. Not when they had so much still to learn about their magic. Winston chewed on their cheek for a moment before taking a plunge. Inviting someone that they barely knew to move in with them wasn’t exactly their standard move but they really liked Orion and they wanted to give them the out that they were worried that they might need. “Why don’t you just move in with me and my roommate Ricky?” they asked nonchalantly, “we’ve got the room for you, we actually have two free rooms that you could take and we’re always looking for another gaming partner. You’ll still be close to your parents and we can carpool over here. Then you don’t have to worry about them working out that you’re working on this place and you never know, getting some distance might improve things?” 

“Ditto” Orion laughed, “Obviously. It’s not my strong suit. So I’m uh- I’m working on it.” Orion heard the light. He could hear the building light up. The hissing of the light, as it became too much and finally the light shattering and glass falling onto the table and floor. It was up on the next level. Out here in the middle of nowhere, it made it easy for Orion’s hunter hearing to focus. Back in town there was always so much going on, so much noise. It drove him crazy until he finally taught himself out to filter it out. But filtering it out made it hard to focus it at all. Here? This was his safe place to let his senses have a little more freedom without repression. “It was up on the second floor.” He mentioned, absentmindedly, then corrected himself. “I mean- I think. It sounded like it came from the second floor. The light that exploded.” Orion stared at Winston for a long moment trying to process what they had just asked him. “I- what?” He asked them. He heard them of course, but couldn’t seem to fathom that they had actually just asked them to move in. “Are you? I mean- seriously?” He continued to stare at Winston, wide eyed and dazed. “I couldn’t do that. I don’t even have a job right now.”

“That’s all you can do,” Winston replied with a shrug. Though they had to admit that they found it a little odd that Orion had been able to work out where the bulb had gone so quickly. “I mean, we can only find out if we go and check,” Winston set off across the newly lit library, making their way up a tight spiral staircase that wound up and up, they climbed the metal steps one at a time until they were on the second floor, “I can’t see anything,” they admitted though that didn’t mean anything considering their eyesight was appalling, “let’s double check anyway.” And there it was, the predicted denial and refusal of their offer. “I mean, I am being serious, I would have to double check with Ricky but he wouldn’t mind and it’s not like the rent on our place is huge, Ricky pretty much owns the house and just charges for maintenance so even if you don’t have a job you’d only have to worry about covering food and stuff and we can help you out if you need it, you don’t have to say yes or no, just think about it, the offers open.”

Orion followed Winston across the library and towards the staircase to the area Orion had specified, accidentally. He knew that it was up here, evidenced by the darkness. Though technically that could just mean that bulb was burnt out rather than it was the one that had shattered. But Orion’s eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness, another hunter perk. “Well the light isn’t working over here so I’m guessing this was it.” He spotted the broken glass after a moment, but decided not to say anything about it. He wasn’t ready to have the hunter conversation. Not yet. Especially when he lived with Ricky, who Rio had his own theories about. He still couldn’t wrap his head around the idea that Winston had just invited Rio to move in with them. And despite how badly he wanted to say yes. And how badly he wanted to get away from his family, but just couldn’t see it ending well. Not with Athena. If Rio was right about Ricky, then living with him could put his life at risk, at least until he found a way to protect them. At least as far as Orion knew, Winston was human and therefore safe. “Yeah, yeah of course. And I really appreciate it. I think I’m okay? For now at least. I- uh- I’ll think about it though? Thanks again.”

As they searched for the broken bulb, Winston had to admit that they almost wished that they had a better excuse then needing glasses. As Orion led the way, Winston wondered whether there was something more to this then Orion was letting on. Thoughtfully, they played with a loose thread at the bottom of their t-shirt, before their converse crunched through a piece of broken glass with a loud crack. “I think that I just found it,” they said as they looked up into the darkness and sure enough spotted what remained of the exploded bulb, carefully they reached up and screwed it. “Listen, think about it, don’t take it if it doesn’t work for you, it’s a pressure free offer that is open ended, so, let us know if you change your mind.” Their father had talked to them about situations like this before and Winston was well aware that Orion’s situation may change. They had done their bit and that was all anyone could ask. 

For some reason, nothing ever seemed pressure free to Orion. The simplest decisions in life came with way too much anxiety to ‘think’ about and stress over. Every decision he had ever made felt grueling and left him exhausted. Playing truth or dare in elementary school had nearly drove him mad. But he appreciated the offer nonetheless, and truly believed that Winston meant it as a pressure free often. “Of course. You got it. I’ll think on it.” He nodded and smiled. It was dark, but maybe there was enough light for Winston to catch the facial expression. Or maybe not. Once Orion’s eyes adjusted to darkness it was hard to tell what normal humans could and couldn’t see. “So what now? We replace the broken bulb? Head back to the circuit room? I- uh… well you’re in charge here obviously. You actually know what you’re doing.” Once Winston left, Orion’s first goal would be to vacuum the place. He couldn’t imagine how long that was going to take.

Looking around, Winston had to admit that they didn’t think that this would’ve been as easy as it had turned out to be. They weren’t sure why, but they had expected more trouble setting everything up. “Well, I think that we’ve probably done enough for today, we’ve obviously got a bunch more to get done but I don’t think there’s that much that has to be done today…. So we could get a pizza or something? To celebrate our big achievement you know?” 

[segadores-y-soldados]

Hero 30 needs a map

Long rambly thing. So I was feeling frustrated and a little hyper-fixated on OW earlier this afternoon because the game itself feels very dull right now.  My partner @starsherit - who I met through Overwatch - helped me work through my irritation, but they provided a perspective I literally had never thought about before:

There hasn’t been a post-launch hero who did not have a map.

Let me try to explain this a bit:

Plenty of launch heroes didn’t really have a specific map associated with them.  D.Va, Lúcio, Mei, Symmetra, Junkrat/Roadhog, even Reinhardt all come to mind.  That initially seemed fine: the developers were releasing both new heroes and new maps at a consistent pace.  First we had Ana, who was associated with the Temple of Anubis, and then Eichenwalde, which was also part of the first post-launch animation “The Last Bastion.”  

Then we had the Sombra ARG, Sombra’s release, and “Infiltration.”  These all occurred at Blizzcon 2016.

But then something a little odd happened.

The next map was Oasis.

And it was not...connected to any characters.

...Yet.

Like Ilios and Lijiang, Oasis initially was...“free-floating”.  Yes, it was coherent and consistent with the rest of the Overwatch universe, but it had no real ties to the main plot.  Eichenwalde at least had Balderich and the Crusader battle to ground it, but Oasis had nothing.

Except a single interaction:

Sombra: So what are we doing here, boss?

Reaper: I need to pay a visit to a friend.

And that led to a lot of speculation about who Reaper’s “friend” was, if Mercy was somehow associated with Oasis, etc.  But this was quickly lost in the hype over Numbani, Doomfist’s missing gauntlet, and the release of Orisa.  

Orisa was followed by Horizon Lunar Colony.

And that brought Hammond hype.

(You might see where I’m going with this.)

[TL;DR: Hero 30 is probably associated with the next map.  Based on the lore and fan reactions, this map is very likely a Vishkar-based map.  It’s possible the map might be something else, but Vishkar is currently the last “major” plotline (aside from Mercy’s story) to be explored.  A Vishkar map will advance the plot, give more lore to Lúcio and Symmetra, and likely provide teasers for Sanjay Korpal.]

After Horizon, Doomfist arrived.  The next map was Junkertown, which despite initial fandom reactions, actually contained hints about Hammond/Wrecking Ball that very few people picked up on (if that).

And then, with Blizzcon 2017, we got Moira.

Many people (who hadn’t picked up on the Reaper-Sombra interaction or her cameo in Masquerade) were very confused.  Where was Hammond (presumed by most of the fandom to be a chimp)?  Or the Junkertown Queen?  But those of us who had been waiting for Reaper’s “friend” to show up were ecstatic!  One full year later, Moira connected Oasis to the main plot!  There was a bunch of new lore details on the map to dig into!  It was an exciting time.  Sure, yeah, there was also the cute new map Blizzard World, but it felt like an afterthought.

Come around to early 2018.  Brigitte was released and she effectively killed Dive comp at most casual levels, while slowly encouraging the rise of GOATS.  The first new map of the year was Rialto, made specifically for Retribution, and then turned into a payload map (with a whole bunch of balancing problems).  But no one needed a story for Rialto’s existence because, well, it already had one.

July 2018, we got Wrecking Ball, one full year after the launch of HLC and almost a full year after Junkertown.  People were surprised he’s a hamster even though it never technically said he was a monkey, ape, or specifically a chimp.  People were even more surprised that he was actually part of the Junkertown plotline (in a small way).  But at the very least, he had been teased in advance.

In August 2018, we got Busan, which - like Junkertown and Eichenwalde - filled in a previously empty “gap” in the maps, giving D.Va a real location and setting for her character.

And now...Blizzcon 2018.

We got Ashe, who feels like a complete shot in the dark.  Nothing had really implied her existence.  We also got Echo, but then we’re immediately told that Echo “isn’t ready” and will not be Hero 30.

Myself and a few other lore fans were confused: for the last six to eight months, in-game interactions had implied that Sanjay Korpal and the rest of the Vishkar plot was steadily being brought to the forefront of the story.  Lúcio, Symmetra, Doomfist, Moira, and Sombra had a bunch of new interactions that seemed to be slowly hyping Sanjay up the way that the Reaper-Sombra interaction had hinted at Moira’s existence.

But - and this was my partner’s main point - 

There was no new map.

And we knew there wouldn’t be one, Jeff told us as much, but it never really struck me how important maps were for heroes until Gonzo put it that way.  The map wasn’t quite ready for Blizzcon 2018 - understandable because Busan had been so massive to develop - but maybe the new map is very closely associated with Hero 30 or even Hero 31, and the team didn’t want that to be overshadowed by the main reveal, Ashe.

Which is effectively what Jeff implied in his pre-Blizzcon developer update.

Here’s how the actual pattern shakes out:

Ana > associated with a launch map (Anubis)

Sombra > associated with a launch map (Dorado)

Orisa > associated with a launch map (Numbani)

Doomfist > associated with a launch map (Numbani)

Moira > associated with a post-launch map (Oasis)

Brigitte > associated with a post-launch map (Eichenwalde)

Wrecking Ball > associated with two post-launch maps (HLC and Junkertown)

Ashe > associated with a launch map (Route 66)

So where does that put us now?

A new map IS being worked on.  And, from a lore perspective, it is almost guaranteed to be a “missing” map for two current heroes and likely one particular future hero:

A Vishkar map.

Lúcio and Symmetra are noticeable “missing” a map.  Reinhardt (Eichenwalde), Mei (Ecopoint), Junkrat and Roadhog (Junkertown), and D.Va (Busan) all have maps now.  The four remaining launch heroes who are still “missing” a map are Lúcio, Symmetra, Mercy, and Torbjörn (but Torb does have some interesting lines for stuff like Volskaya Industries).

It is entirely possible Sanjay is Hero 30 or 31 but the map which helps establish his character wasn’t ready for Blizzcon 2018 - or rather, the team didn’t want to launch it at Blizzcon because it would’ve been downplayed like Oasis and Blizzard World before it.

While this doesn’t override the slew of problems I have with Ashe, it does make her the “easy” choice: release her in tandem with the “Reunion” short (and then be very honest that Echo isn’t ready).  It also makes sense why she was barely teased before Blizzcon: she’s associated with a launch map that hasn’t been touched up in over two years.  If you look at Ana, Sombra, and Doomfist, all of them had teasers on their own associated maps well before their releases.  Ashe, however, was not developed until they started making the “Reunion” short, so she has no actual teasers on Route 66.

Meanwhile, the post-launch maps either teased specific heroes (Oasis and Moira, HLC and Wrecking Ball), or were inherently associated with them (Eichenwalde being strongly associated with Reinhardt and Brigitte, etc).

So what can we guess for Hero 30?

They need a map.

There are at least three maps in the game currently that hint at future heroes, but two of them likely combine for just one:

Lijiang: Whether we like it or not, Lijiang Tower hints that Harold Winston is still alive.

Ilios/Petra: hints at a new archaeologist or geologist character eventually being revealed.

And the next map?  The one currently being worked on?

Here are my guesses:

Vishkar: Effectively a matter of “when” not “if.”  It might be Utopaea itself, or it could be the Vishkar building in Rio de Janeiro.  Either way, it would immediately further the Vishkar storyline, provide new lore for Lúcio and Symmetra, and establish teasers for Sanjay Korpal.  

An underwater map: either an Ecopoint (Ecopoint: Hawaii) or the Gwishin Omnium.  Could be used to establish an upcoming Hero (or possibly Echo in some way).  A fan-requested map now that Horizon Lunar Colony and Busan have been made.

Interesting, in Jeff’s little disclaimer in the pre-Blizzcon Developer Update, he says this (bold is for emphasis):

“To be honest, we felt like [Oasis and Blizzard World] got a little bit lost in the shuffle both during the timing of announcing at Blizzcon and also the time at which we release them - they didn’t have as big of an impact as we really wanted, and we feel like a new map is something very, very special.  So we are definitely working on new map content - we know that’s something that you all love and all request often, so don’t think that by us not announcing something at Blizzcon, it does not mean that there’s no work going on, we’re definitely working on new map content.  You’re just not going to have any new map content announced at Blizzcon.”

They want us to react to this upcoming map completely “free” from the Blizzcon hype.

This is combined with the fact that, according to Jeff, Hero 30 is already fully playable internally at Blizzard, and that the team always has 2-3 heroes “ready to go” in case something goes wrong with one of them.

Now, this doesn’t guarantee that Sanjay is Hero 30, but it likely narrows down Hero 30′s identity to three major options: Sanjay, so long as a Vishkar map is released in the next two months; Harold Winston, for a “curveball” reveal; or a new archaeologist/geologist associated with Ilios, Petra, and Ayutthaya.  Hero 30 could be something different than these -

But it’s the maps which will provide more clues.

[benjikarofsky]

Oh What A Night || Para

WHO: Benji Karofsky (@benjikarofsky) and Franco Del Rio (@southsidefranco). Mentions Topher Pierce (@topherxpierce​).

WHERE: NS Italian Restaurant

WHEN: 29th March 2019

NOTES: Trying a new approach, Benji throws caution to the wind and asked Franco out on a date; what starts out rocky, ends with neither man regretting their decision to say “yes”.

TRIGGERS: Smut Warning (sectioned off with: ‘~*~*~*~*~’ for skippability **kinks listed at the beginning of smut section**); descriptions of kidnapping and discussion of the emotional toll after the fact; vague drug mentions

BOLD: Benji

ITALIC: Franco

WORD COUNT: 4588

Benji was waiting outside the Italian restaurant of Franco's choice, a single rose behind his back. If he was honest with himself, these last two weeks had been a rollercoaster and not even he could have predicted that it would end in two people (who may or may not hate each other) attempting to go on a date. 

vvHowever, if Franco really didn't mind this whole "'being used' to  help Benji get over Topher" plan that he suggested, Benji figured the least he could do was change up his attempts at moving on. From what he could tell, a worst-case scenario would be the date being a bust, while best-case was it being the opposite; there didn't seem to really be much to lose.

Franco was waiting for a punchline from Benji. He didn't believe the guy was asking him on an actual date for a second and he kinda thought it was a joke until he got to the restaurant and saw Benji standing there, looking good in a leather jacket, one of his weaknesses when it came to guys. He looked down at his own outfit wondering if maybe he should have tried harder. 

He quickly checked his pockets, his keys, phone, cigarettes all there. He'd come out without his drugs tonight because, he'd no intention of staying late. The moment his hands started to shake or his head started to hurt he was gunna be a goner. He approached Benji and smirked, "Well well well, how the tables have turned".

Benji ducked his head, suddenly starting to regret this decision. He considered somehow digging himself out of this by pretending it was a joke or something, but as he saw Franco walk up, he decided there was nothing wrong with trying. And although the Karofskys did not share many family values, one of the few they did have was that if they were going to try something, they were going to try their hardest. 

"Very funny, Franco," Benji responded, revealing the rose from behind his back and jutting it out to him. "You look very handsome. ...Wanna head inside? Our reservation's in 5 minutes."

Franco watched as Benji gave him the rose and his eyes widened as he choked back the laugh that wanted to escape his lips. He was not expecting a rose, "Benji, you got me a flower, I didn't realise you cared so much" he smirked, taking the flower and twirling it in his hands, he didn't think he's ever been brought a flower before. 

 He laughed again, "Come on then, let's go and eat some grub, I'm famished", it wasn't a lie, he hadn't been eating properly for many reasons so he was desperate to get some decent food in him.

Benji gave an awkward laugh and nodded, leading the way for the two to go inside. Once they made it to the table, ever the gentleman, Benji pulled Franco's seat out for him before sitting down himself. Not sure exactly how to start a real conversation between the two of them, he grabbed a menu and started to look at it, trying to decide what he wanted. 

 "Um. So... what made you choose this place?"

Franco watched as Benji picked up his menu and smirked at him, "Gotta say, knowing how well you can perform, that leather jacket is fucking hot" he said, not bothering with his own menu. He knew what he wanted, "I picked this place cause I am Italian and I ain't paying".

Benji rolled his eyes, staring at the menu. "Stop it, Franco," he murmured, keeping his voice low. "This is a date, remember? Give it a chance."

Franco smirked again, “So this is a real date? Like you don’t think I’m Topher and playing out some fantasy in your head”

Benji sighed. He knew Franco was probably trying to rile him up, but he refused to have this date devolve into the same routine without at least trying first. "I called you Franco, didn't I?" he replied, flipping the page of the menu, "I asked you out. Asked where you wanted to eat... If I was pretending you were him, I would've taken you to a restaurant he likes."

Franco laughed, “Yeah you might have done but forgive me thinking this is some sort of joke” he finally admitted, looking around, “Last time I saw you, you were pretty hell bent on calling me a whore so, forgive for being confused by this foreign concept”.

"What did I say about talking about that Benji..." he murmured, gently setting down the menu. "You and I both know that's not how I usually am. I want to be romantic. In fact, I prefer it," he admitted, trying to get Franco to look him in the eye.

Franco continued to stare at the table, “I ain’t romantic” he said shrugging his shoulders, “I get my kicks out of being a douchebag and sleeping with people. Hell, I’ve slept with Aaron on days I’ve seen you”.

Benji shrugged. "It's not like we're exclusive or anything, Franc. I mean, you literally offered for me to 'use' you. Who am I to get mad at you for sleeping with people?" He moved his head, still trying to catch his eyes. 

"Hey..." he started, his voice low, "if this is too much, we can just forget it. We can grab a burger and I'll walk you home. ...Maybe this was stupid of me to suggest..."

Franco finally looked up and sighed, "No. Its not too much. I just didn't expect it too be real". He gulped and laughed, "I think if I asked the people I wanted to on a date, they'd laugh in my face". He nodded at the menu, "Know what you're having? I'm starved".

"Yeah, I do," Benji replied, barely audible. When a waiter made their way over to the table, the two made quick work of ordering food, then passed off the menus to the waiter as they left. "So. I guess... you should tell me about yourself?" Benji asked, not sure exactly what to say. "Like... what do you like to do with your free time?"

Franco rolled his eyes but felt his hand move to his elbow, "Not much" he nodded, "I used to box which got me out of a situation before but then that bit me on the ass" he said his thoughts trailing to the kidnapping. He sighed, "Quite often now I stay inside, afraid of my own shadow" he breathed quietly

Benji nodded; from what he could tell, this had already been the longest interaction between the two of them that didn't appear to be sex-related. "I didn't know you boxed... and I'm sorry you're not able to leave home a lot nowadays. If you wanted, we could spar together sometime? I know enough about boxing to hold my own, at least."

Franco shook his head at the offer, "I don't often allow myself to box against others. I'm quite dangerous once I get going. I used to have this massive stance on no fighting but I guess, when you go through what I did, you lose sight on what you believe".

Benji frowned, trying to use his words carefully. "...Just because you change based on a situation doesn't mean you've lost sight of your beliefs," he explained, slowly realizing he needed to hear this as much as Franco did. "Beliefs... codes... morals... those are all a great starting place, I think. Like, they're a great way to help you realize what you think is important. ...But they're also stiff and rigid. And you know what isn't? Life." He sighed. "You can't get mad at yourself for adjusting to life and it's fuckery... Just because your box of values doesn't fit through every shape life shoves you through doesn't me you've lost sight of them."

Franco didn't know why he was talking about this, he hadn't really spoken to any one about what happened to him since it had happened, "Life didn't just throw me through a small circle Benji" he said, using the shape analogy, "It through me through a circle which had metal spikes sticking out waiting to hurt me". He looked back down at the table, "I don't know how people get life back on track after something like that happens".

Benji nodded; he was surprised Franco was having this conversation with him, but he was happy it was happening--he didn't think he had ever seen Franco vulnerable before. "I know you've heard this a lot, but... it takes time. And there's no step-by-step guide on healing because people are so different. The best you can do is talk things out and look for ways to help yourself heal. The flashbacks and the memories... they'll probably never disappear completely, but they'll come less frequently and on the occasions that they do come back, you'll know how to cope with, and grow from, them."

Franco noticed that his hands were shaking again. He bit his lip and swiftly moved them so they were under his legs, pushing weight down on them. He gulped, "I mean, I have been sleeping at night and not having the nightmares recently but there is a lot of weed and a lot of alcohol behind that". He sighed and looked up to Benji's his eyes filled with sadness, "I'm sorry, I'm ruining... whatever this is. I've just never had someone to really talk to about it".

Benji shook his head, being sure to never let his eye contact falter. "I'll level with you, Franco. I wasn't expecting anything in particular to come out of this, so you're not ruining anything. We're talking. About things that are important. And if that's what you need from me, I'd much rather be that then whatever you were classifying me as before now," he admitted. 

He took a deep breath before continuing: "I think you and I both know that self-medicating isn't a healthy way to get through this, so I'm not gonna even bug you by hammering on that. But... talking to someone. That's a good first step for replacing bad coping habits with better ones. View that as a victory. You're gonna have a lot of small ones before you start seeing the larger ones."

Franco nodded at the words. Benji was meant to be a quick fuck, someone he slept with when one of them was mad but this, this was different and it felt kind of nice. He sighed, "You know, after it all happened, I nearly quit The Serpents". He still thought he would, especially when Dare found out what he was doing, "A serpent never shows cowardice" he breathed out, "Darius found me, as cowardly as they come. No fight in me, nearly dead and covered in my own urine". He didn't know why he was saying this but he felt his eyes sting as he tried to hide the tears.

Benji placed his hand on Franco’s, gently rubbing his thumb against Franco’s knuckles. “Hey...” he said softly. “Topher was Serp for a while, and I have my opinions on it, but I also know that it’s a family. And you deserve to have a family.” He paused there. Wanting to stress that statement. 

“Also, you didn’t show cowardice. You lived. You lived through something that is the work of most people’s deepest nightmares. And you know what? You refused to let that defeat you. You worked yourself up from one of the lowest, scariest points that I honestly can’t even imagine. And sure, you’re not finished yet, and recovery takes time, but if you really think that refusing to let this defeat you shows anything besides unparalleled strength and bravery…” he shook his head, then grabbed Franco’s hand, moving his head to try to meet the man’s eyes. “Then let me say it for you: You are brave, Franco. You. Are. Brave.”

Franco had heard this all before. Hell, even Darius had said it too him many times both when he was in hospital and when he'd gotten out and very nearly quit the Serpents but, it didn't make it better. It didn't make him want to stop numbing the pain. He shook his head, trying to rid his face of all emotion, "What happened to me, I would never even wish on my worst enemy but yeah, I did fight and I did come back from it but I wouldn't call it brave, I'd call it survival" he finished. He dropped his gaze to their hands, "Can we talk about something else now?"

Benji nodded, not taking his hands off Franco's. "We can talk about something else, sure. But I wanna say one more thing: It's not just survival. It's survival of the fittest." 

 When Benji finished his sentence, the waiter came and dropped off their food, leaving Benj to give a delighted "Oo!". He didn't eat Italian food much, but this food did look particularly good. "Y'know, Italian was a good idea. Although, Greek is good too." he teased.

Franco watched as the waiter brought their food over and looked longingly at his plate. He hadn't eaten properly in days, forgoing  food for his other addictions. He looked next to the plate and saw the rose, "Greek is OK, but nothing beats a proper Italian". He picked up the rose, "This, was a really cute addition. "

Benji smiled, a slight blush apparent on his face. "I wanted to be a gentleman... Besides, you're worth it," he added, his voice barely audible.

Franco couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face at Benji's words. He bit his lip and scoffed, "I'm worth it?" he asked, "Man, I never I thought I'd hear you say that. And to think, I set out tonight tonight to get you all riled up".

Benji ducked his head, a blush apparent on his face. "Something like that..." he murmured. At Franco's next statement, Benji tilted his head. "Really?" he questions, "Why?"

Franco shrugged his shoulders, taking a bite of his food, his eyes fluttering at the incredible taste, "I just assumed this was some joke" he began to explain, "Like you didn't really want to date me you were just trying to fill a gap so I was gunna push you until you wanted to fuck again".

Benji shrugged. "I mean... I guess I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to fill a gap. I definitely do want to get over Toph, and wanting to get over him definitely was a deciding factor on considering asking you out, but..." he took a breath, his voice low but serious, "I decided to approach the date with an open mind and really go on a date with you. And I'm glad I did. You're... you're more than I gave you credit for."

Franco laughed, shaking his head, "Please for the love of God get that impression out of your head" he said, his eyes never leaving Benji's face, "I am and always will be an absolute asshole but I'm trying my hardest to behave at the moment".

~*~*~*~*~

Kink warning: Semi-public, foreplay/over-the-clothes rubbing, footsie/foot play, domination, teasing; ‘blink-and-you’ll-miss-it’ versions of the following: begging.

"I'm an asshole too, Franco. You know that. You act like you can't be an asshole and still be an okay person." He took a bite of his food before smiling and gently running his foot down Franco's leg, the tablecloth covering the view. "...Who said you had to behave?"

Franco smirked but his eyes widened a little when he felt Benji under the table. He looked around the restaurant and raised an eyebrow at him, "Dude, what are you doing?" he asked, he wouldn't lie, this was hot but he'd never been so public about anything.

Benji shrugged, trailing his foot higher up Franco's leg. "You said you were trying to behave. I'm showing you you don't have to," he whispered, eating casually while his leg did the opposite under the tablecloth. "If you hate it, just tell me."

Franco felt his eyes flutter a little, "I meant trying not to make you angry" he explained, taking a bite of his food, "But this, I think I'm quite enjoying it" he breathed, his hand reaching up and messing with the bandana around his neck, it making him feel a bit hot under the collar.

Benji smirked, finally putting his foot down. "Y'know, you don't have to make me angry. You could just like... call me," he whispered. "Are you okay?" he questioned, tilting his head.

Franco bit his lip and nodded, "I just assume you did the calling" he breathed out. He nodded, "Why wouldn't I be? I'm just, this is hot".

"Just wanted to check," he whispered, lifting up his fork to take another bite. As he did, he lifted his foot and trailed it up Franco's leg and to his crotch, gently brushing against it.

Franco went to take another bite of his food but he felt Benji's foot brush against his crutch and he dropped his fork, looking around, "Fuck" he whispered under his breath, "This is good".

"Franco..." Benji hummed, slowly moving his foot up and down Franco's length. "Something wrong?" he teased.

Franco took a deep breath as he ate another bite of his dinner, "You aren't playing fair Benji" he breathed

"You said you wanted to rile me up," he whispered, his foot moving painstakingly slow, "Now it's my turn."

Franco gulped his hands gripping the edge of the table, "I wanted to make you angry so you'd fuck me. I didn't plan to give you a boner at the dinner table".

"Oh, I will. Don't worry," he replied, his foot moving a little faster, "I'm just reminding you who's in charge first." 

At that moment, he pressed his full foot against Franco's crotch and gently rocked it. "Trying to get me worked up so you get what you want... Bad boy, Franco," he reprimanded, still appearing just be simply eating his food.

Franco took another deep breath, as he tried to eat another bite, "Always in charge" he whispered as he ate. Franco gripped the table hard trying to stop the audible gasp leaving his lips, "I'll literally do whatever you want" he breathed, "Anything" he practically begged as he bit down on his lip, his eyes never leaving the table.

"Well, it sounds like you finally learned how to beg, so I won't make you do that," he purred, going back to simply tracing Franco's length with his toes. "Apologize for being a bad boy--" he picked up the pace a bit-- "then I'll massage your little problem away and we can finish our date normally," he smirked, "minus your pants being a little sticky."

Franco nodded, "I'll still do anything" he whispered. He gulped and bit his lip, "I'm sorry I was bad" he breathed out, "I can't help it around you".

"You will later," Benji assured, starting to rock his full foot against Franco's crotch again. He gradually picked up the pace as he talked. "But we were having such a nice, wholesome date, and I wanna get back to that, so let's fix your little problem," he teased, rocking even faster.

Franco gripped the table even harder as he dropped his head to his chest and bit down on his lip as he felt himself cum in his pants. His cheeks flushed red from how quickly he'd been able to release, "Fuck Benji".

Benji smirked and took a bite of his food, finally setting his foot back down. "What do you say?"

Franco took a bite if this food and sip of his drink, "Thank you" he breathed out, his eyes looking down at his plate

~*~*~*~*~

Benji was about to go back to eat his food as normal when he noticed Franco looking down. "...Was it too much?" asked, his tone nervous.

Franco shook his head, "No it was just a first for me. I've never done anything in public like that".

Benji frowned. "I should've asked earlier. I'm sorry. I just... got worked up," he admitted. "I won't do it again."

Franco laughed, "I thought your were just showing me who is boss" he muttered taking another bite of food

Benji smiled, holding back a small laugh himself. "Fine. Maybe I was showing you who's boss because you succeeded in getting me worked up again..." he set down his fork to look at him. "Seriously though: if you never want me to do that again, tell me."

Franco smiled over at Benji, "Look, if I'd wanted you to stop I'd have told you too" he admitted, "But it was hot Benji"

"Good," Benji replied, a smile stuck on his face. "HaShem... You really know how to push my buttons, don't you?"

Franco took another bite of his food and shrugged his shoulders, "I didn't even try this time" he said, a cocky smirk on his face, "Hell what would you have done if I'd tried"

"We probably would've had to get the food to-go," he half-joked, picking at his food while he talked. "I'm having a great time."

Franco laughed a little and nodded, "Yeah well, this Definitely is not how I expected this evening to do" he smiled. He noticed, his hands were shaking, his cravings, although there weren't as strong as they normally were, "I'm having a good time too".

Benji couldn't help but smile, happy to hear Franco was getting something out of this too. "So," Benji started, taking another bite of his food before continuing. "We've had the serious stuff. We've had the--" he cleared his throat--"stuff. Now we have to talk about something fun! Tell me something about you that I wouldn't know. Like, for me, I speak three languages."

Franco smiled back and nodded, "It's crazy but for a moment there, you kind of made me forget" he admitted. He didn't know how it had happened but it had. He thought about the question, "Erm, not really that much to tell about me. You know I box. Maybe that I actually have a sister".

"You do?" Benji asked, legitimately curious. "How come I've never heard of her?" After a second, he batted the question away. "Wait no. I asked for something about you. I wanna hear something about you."

Franco nodded, "Yeah Isabella Del Rio" he smiled, "I don't talk about her cause I don't have contact with her". He sighed and shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know Benji, I can't think of anything you don't know about me" he said, but it was lie, he could admit to the drugs here but he really didn't want to.

Benji squinted dramatically at Franco, unable to completely remove the smile from his face. "So you're telling me: I'm supposed to just leave this date without hearing one fun thing about you that I couldn't already guess?" He picked up his glass and playfully said, "Hmm. Guess this isn't going as well as I thought," before taking a large sip.

Franco sighed, "Erm,I don't know. Would it counts if I told you I used to be a sugar boy" he said turning his head away, embarrassed. He heard Benjis last words and couldn't stop the disappointment on his face, "I'm sorry".

Benji was about to comment on Franco's bombshell, but stopped short when he saw Franco's face. "Franc... I was teasing you," he clarified, setting his cup back down. "Don't apologize to me. I'm having a great time." With that out of the way, he turned his attention back to the bombshell at hand: "You used to be a sugar baby?! Why?"

Franco breathed a sigh of relief, "Yeah sorry I just, didn't want to disappoint you" he smiled. He bit his lip and looked down at the table, his cheeks red with embarrassment, "I just liked being brought nice things and having sex every once in a while".

Benji bit his lip and played with the food on his plate, staying silent for a moment while he thought. After what felt like an eternity, he finally replied: "I could... do that for you. At least semi-nice things. But... not because I want a power dynamic. Just... because I like talking and spending time with you ...and doing other things with you. ...even if you rile me up," he added, his voice barely audible.

Franco smirked and shook his head, "That was a while back" he admitted, "I mean it was nice to have money and food and stuff but the kinky stuff he liked, the idea of it now freaks me out a little. I mean, I can cope with hands pining me down but everything else, after the kidnapping, I just can't".

Benji nodded, not taking his eyes off his plate of food. "I'll keep that in mind..." he said softly, wanting to at least acknowledge what Franco said. In an attempt to turn the conversation back to a more positive note, he smiled and said, "did you know there's a dating website to find sugar daddies now? It's called, like, 'A Sugar Daddy For Me dot com' or something... And that wasn't even the weirdest dating website I found."

Franco smiled and laughed, "I bet you signed up right away" he joked, "I'm lucky that I've not needed dating websites to hook up with people".

Benji smirked. "Yup. You know me so well." He shrugged slightly, "hookups are nice. And easy to find. The only time you'll need a dating app for more hookups is if you get bored with the guys you're already hooking up with."

Franco laughed, "I got you and I got Aaron Hummel, I'm not getting bored any time soon" he smiled, eating more of his food

"And don't forget that you're not done with me tonight yet," he whispered, giving a flirty smile.

Franco smiled and nodded, "Yeah, the night is still very young" he breathed. It was this moment he felt his hands start to shake again and he moved them back under his legs, "This food is good, been a while since I enjoyed a good meal".

Benji looked down at his meal, then back up at Franco. "I agree. I'm not huge on Italian food usually, but even I'll admit that this is particularly good." He lowered his voice slightly before continuing, "I'll bring you new tupperwares of food later tonight when I get back to campus, okay?"

Franco smiled and nodded, "I appreciate the food" he said, "It's been a long adjustment coming from a family with some money to having literally nothing".

Benji couldn't help but frown slightly; he had forgotten to check in with Franco around the time that the stash of food he brought him was supposed to run out and he felt guilty. How long have Franco been going hungry? "Whenever you need more, just call me, okay? You don't have to wait for me to remember."

Franco shrugged his shoulders, "It's not like I’ve starved Benji" he said, "I have the money to buy bread and things like that". He continued to eat and smiled, "This is just a massive rarity".

"Well..." he looked down at his plate, not really enough food left to use as something to play with as he thought. "...Maybe this could happen again?"

Franco finished his food and nodded, "I'm not really the dating kind of guy but, sure... I'd love to date you again".

Benji smiled brightly. "Perfect. Can't wait."

[enamoured-x]

so it goes

Summary: When Alex moves in across the hall, Rio knows he’s in trouble. A good girl like her would never want anything to do with him, or so he thinks. 

Word count: 2.2k

Chapter 2

Alex was putting her leftover chocolate chip cookies in a container when an idea crossed her mind. She always made big batches and she was only one person, it would only be right to give some to her neighbor. It was a kind thing to do. Kind, yeah right, she just wanted an excuse to see him. She put about a dozen cookies in a container and slipped on her shoes. She was in leggings and an old faded tee, her hair pulled back, but she wasn’t about to change. She wasn’t that desperate. She did briefly check the mirror though before walking out. 

What if he’s not home? She scolded herself, if he wasn't home she could just give them to him later. She knocked on his door. She waited a few seconds and then she heard the lock twisting and the door opened. Rio was surprised to see her but it was most definitely a happy surprise. 

“Hi, sorry to bother you but I made a lot of cookies and I thought my friend would enjoy some.” Rio had to admit she was good, sure she was shy but she never let it control her. He liked that. 

“You thought correct.” He took the container from her. Alex was going to leave but he stayed at his door, opened the container, took a cookie out, and started to eat it. Again, he kept his eyes on her. She didn’t know what to worry about first, that he wouldn’t like them or the fact that he was staring at her while licking his lips. She swallowed hard.

Rio liked the hint of red that would spread on her cheeks when he looked into her eyes. He also really liked the cookies. He didn’t eat much home cooked stuff so the freshly baked cookies were a treat. 

“These are fucking amazing, thank you.” Alex smiled at his praise.

“No problem, I bake a lot so maybe you’ll get to try more stuff.” Rio stopped chewing and smirked at her. Yeah, he wanted to try a lot more.

Alex bit her lip at the innuendo that came of her phrasing. His smirk said it all. 

“A baker? I got lucky.” He felt so lucky. He barely knew her but the few interactions he had with her had been interesting to say the least. She was gorgeous and sweet, he’d hope he could find out more about her. He didn’t want to be too forward with her though. Although she was confident, she was still shy and he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. He could be her friend for the time being. He could be patient. Besides, he didn’t have friends and he didn’t mind Alex being his first. She seemed genuine and he could use genuine. 

“I guess you did, well, have a goodnight.” This time Alex walked away before Rio could say anything. She shut her apartment door and smiled. 

Alex waited two days before she made an ungodly amount of brown sugar cinnamon muffins. She figured two days was enough as to not seem desperate. Desperate, that word again. She had to admit, she was kind of desperate but she didn’t want to be too forward. Besides, being friends was okay for now. She put them in a container, checked herself once again, and walked out the door. She was in a similar night time outfit as before when Rio saw her. She knocked on his door and waited. He opened the door with a smirk. 

Rio was on the couch watching tv when he heard the door knock. He knew it had to be Alex and that made him a bit giddy if he was being honest. He liked that she didn’t care that she was bare faced and dressed down, she was comfortable showing him that side already and he liked that even more. 

“Brown sugar cinnamon muffins?” She held up the container.

“I’m allergic to cinnamon.” Her eyes widened.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I —”

“Nah, I’m just messing with you. I will gladly take those off your hands.” He reached for the container but she pulled them back. She scoffed and then laughed.

“That was mean! I felt bad for you for a second there.” Rio let out a little laugh and Alex really liked the sound of it. 

“I’m sorry, just for the record I don’t have any food allergies.” He wanted to clarify in case she would be delivering more sweets to his door. He wanted her to come everyday. Getting to see her and get some home made goodies? Man, it was his favorite part of the day. He told himself to get a grip, he barely knew her but he couldn’t help it. 

“Good to know but just for that I think I might just take these to the sweet old couple on the floor below us.” 

“Nah, don’t do that. I’ll be good, I promise.” Alex licked her lips and Rio’s eyes followed the movement.

“Fine,” she sighed playfully. He took them from her and tried them in front of her like last time. 

“Damn, you should open up a bakery.” He moaned a little and Alex tried to contain herself at what that sound was doing to her. 

“I already own a flower shop, I don’t think I could handle a bakery too.”

“That shop is yours?” Rio was surprised to find this out. He wanted to know more. 

“Yeah, opened it about a year ago.” Alex nodded her head. 

“Hmm.” He hummed, eyes watching her like a hawk again. As if he could hear everything she was thinking by just looking at her. 

“Well, enjoy the muffins.” Rio nodded at her and then they went their separate ways again.

The next night Alex was too lazy to bake anything and too lazy to make dinner. Which is how she decided she would go out to grab some food. She had just gotten home from the shop, still dressed in her jeans and tank top. It was a little chilly so she grabbed her jean jacket and her purse and walked out of her apartment. She stared at Rio’s door briefly and an idea crossed her mind. Maybe Rio was hungry too. Besides, friends hangout. They’ve never hung out so maybe it was time to start.

Alex knocked on the door and Rio was quick to answer. He took notice that she didn’t have any treats with her and that she wasn’t in her usual night attire. He also took note that she was in jeans. Fuck. They were tight and accentuated her legs nicely. She was so cute and innocent that he almost felt bad for wanting her to turn around so he could see her ass in the jeans. 

“Hey, um, I was about to head out to get some food and was wondering if you maybe wanted to come.” She was being kind of bold but it was only an invitation for food, it was harmless. It was just a friendly thing to do.

Shit, Rio was once again surprised by her. But he wanted to get to know her after all and what better chance?

“Yeah, give me a second.” He went back into his apartment, leaving his door open and then he came back a few seconds later with a jacket on over his black shirt. He knew he shouldn’t be entertaining anyone, especially not someone like her. It would get complicated, but the smile she gave him cleared his head of those thoughts right away. 

“Where we going?” He asked as they walked down the steps. He couldn’t help himself and snuck a glance at her ass. Shit. She should wear jeans more often. But then he wouldn’t be able to see her in her cute little dresses. Damn, he was at a crossroads. 

“I don’t know yet, I was thinking burgers and milkshakes?” 

“Sounds good to me.” The burger place she liked was just down the street so they walked there, not that Rio minded. He wanted more time with her. He kept reminding himself he didn’t even know her and that he shouldn’t be this interested already but there was just something about Alex that pulled him in. 

“So, are you going to tell me about yourself or am I going to be stuck with playing twenty questions?” Alex asked. Rio laughed. 

“Well, what do you want to know?” He looked down at her as they continued walking. 

“I don’t know, anything you want to tell me.” 

“And if I don’t want to tell you anything?” Rio only meant to tease but he realized she might take it the wrong way. But she didn’t seem to take offense. 

“Then you don’t have to. I can tell you about some crazy lady who came in today making a scene. I can talk, if you’d like.” Rio was not expecting that. She was too damn nice for her own good. Shit, maybe he was being selfish by wanting to be near her. Alex was so pure and kind hearted and there was no doubt in his mind that he’d just ruin her. But she smiled at him through the silence and he couldn’t help himself, he wanted to be selfish. Some would say he was very selfish, always taking what he wanted when he wanted with no regard for anyone else. Sure, that was the business side of him. He had to be cold and calculated, if he wasn’t people would screw him over and he wouldn’t be where he was. But personally? The only things Rio allowed for himself were artificial shit like his car, his apartment, and even his clothes sometimes. But people? He never let anyone close and damn did he want to. This time he wanted to. 

“I’m originally from California.” He told her, he was definitely going to talk. Although he wouldn’t mind hearing her talk while he listened. 

“Wow, really? What part?”

“Long Beach, moved here when I was fourteen though.” She looked very interested now. They eventually arrived at the place, still talking as they walked up to the counter to order. 

Alex ended up paying much to Rio’s dismay but he knew they’d do this again, he knew they’d be doing this a lot more if he was lucky and he would pay then, so for now he let her pay. It was cute the way she argued with him that she was the one who invited him out so she just had to pay. Everything Alex did was cute to Rio and he almost hated how easy it was to like her. 

They sat down with their food and got to talking a bit more. Rio had to admit he never really sat down and had a decent conversation with anyone anymore. It was all business and he didn’t really have friends so there was no one to even talk to. He missed having some form of connection with someone. He enjoyed the breath of fresh air Alex was. He was always working, always busy with something and he never got to just sit down and enjoy a meal and have a conversation that wasn’t about money. He liked it a lot, and she seemed to be enjoying herself too. 

“You’re not seriously doing that?” She asked him as he dipped a few fries in his chocolate shake and ate them.

“Everyone does it, it’s good.” He did it again and she scrunched her nose.

“Not everyone, I definitely don’t.”

“Have you ever tried it?” He asked, eyebrows raised. 

“Well, no but—”

“Then how can you know? Here.” He handed her a fry he dipped in his shake. 

“But—”

“Nah, you can’t bash on it if you haven’t tasted it.” She rolled her eyes at him but took the fry from his hand and popped it into her mouth. 

She sighed, “it’s not that bad.”

They spent an hour there just talking about random stuff and talking about their shared hispanic culture. Rio couldn’t get enough of her, she was so easy to talk to. The way she told stories—she was so animated. At one point he put his chin on his hand and just took her in while she was so deep in her story. 

Alex decided that asking Rio to join her for dinner was one of the best ideas she had in awhile. She was having fun and she was learning a lot more about him. She liked him and they were just barely getting to know each other. She liked that she had his full attention, he never looked at his phone and never got distracted by whatever else was going on. He just looked at her and wouldn’t stop. She liked that although he didn’t seem like the type to talk much about himself let alone talk at all, he was. 

“Well, I’d say we are definitely friends now.” Alex said as they were now back at their apartment. Rio wasn’t tripping off the friend comment, he saw the way she looked at him, he knew he couldn’t be the only one interested. 

“Definitely.” He smirked at her. 

“We should do this again sometime, friend.” She couldn’t help but tease. Now knowing him more, she found herself a bit more comfortable with him. 

“Yeah, we should.” And with that he went into his apartment and Alex went into hers. 

[riofann]

A Different Path Part 1

This is based post Beth Boland. 

Things with Beth were becoming too disorderly and dangerous for Rio.  So he made a deal with the feds knowing that Beth would in turn shoot him instead of Turner because her desire to be King was more compelling. So he knew she would do what she could to make sure she held onto it.  He found himself waking up in the hospital sore from the wounds earlier. He was allowed to recover before finishing the deal. Beth Boland was a problem for the Feds and no longer his. 

“Okay well everything is set” Turner said gathering the documents  “where are you going to move?” he asked Rio

“I’m sure you’ll be watching its a surprise” 

Turner sighs circling back to his desk to sit “Don’t forget our deal. We find you engaging in this shit again next time there will be no deal”

Rio’s jaw clenches before he speaks “I heard you” 

“Well see you around” Turner says dismissing him 

He nods walking away. His next stop is to meet Gretchen at her office 

“Wow look at you! Doing okay?”  she says hugging him. This whole ordeal had been just as stressful for her if not more. She initially refused to agree calling him crazy  for coming up with the idea. But seeing him standing, let alone alive, was a huge relief 

“See you worry too much” he remarks

“I had a reason” 

He smiles taking a sip of his coffee 

“So like discussed with the feds you live a simple life and all is good”

“Right” he says sarcastically 

“Seriously Rio let this go” 

He smacks his teeth “I can’t i have many people depending on me, you can’t just walk away from this shit you know that”

“Well is there anything else i need to know you deliberately refused to tell me about the whole Beth Boland situation”

He shakes his head “Nah”

“You know our confidentiality agreement whatever it is we” she points between them “can figure it out”

He nods quickly “I know”

“Well where are you going?” 

“Don’t know yet but ill keep you posted”

She sighs “okay well whatever you decide to do, decide to go please strongly consider who you get in bed with.”

He scoffs and chuckles 

“All jokes aside you have a son I’m sure it wasn’t fun for him to hear that his dad got shot and that he has to leave his friends here and move somewhere else. I don't want to tell you how to live your life but maybe the next woman in your life shouldn't be so willing to pick up the gun and go gun toting around town with you.”  

He nods nibbling on his bottom lip

“This Bonnie and Clyde thing that you’re trying to do creates a lot of issues as we have seen.” She pauses to see if he’s even listening to what shes saying “Don’t you want to walk down the street and not worry that someones gonna be pulling up to do a drive by? or not need a crew around you at all times? or constantly look over your shoulder?” he remains silent with a straight face  she throws her hands up “Anyway i’m getting side tracked just reconsider your life and Marcus’s”

He places the cup down and stands up “Good lookin out”

“Yea take care of yourself”

“Do the same” he retorts 

“Im here you know that”

He turns to face her as he reaches for the door knob “I got your number” 

He watches as his things are packed in a truck. He could go anywhere but where? He ultimately decides to go to Chicago. Why?  It was much bigger city easier to move about without being spotted a mile away. It was definitely different from small town dealings. He already had property in Chicago so there was no need to search for places to stay. His kingdom was much bigger than the feds or anyone knew. But Chicago would be a good change for him and Marcus. 

-

“Coming!” He hears her voice from the other side of the door. “RIO! OMG!” 

“Carol!”  He greets as he walks into her home

“Hey darling how are you?”

“Good good” 

“Hows your shoulder?” she asks touching it lightly 

“Eh” he shrugs as he sits by the island

“So what can i do for you? what do i owe this visit” she asks grabbing cups out of the cabinet

“Came to visit see how things were going?” 

“Good!”  

Carolann and William were a older couple in their 50s. Rio’s business partners both successful at cleaning the money that they never showed up on anyone's radar. 

“I need the name of good schools here and babysitters”

“Are you moving here?” she inquires 

He nods 

“FINALLY! i told you Chicago was the place”

He smiled looking at her “sometimes you gotta learn the hard way”

“I know I know anyway my kids went to private schools here, the public schools are just, they need help, how old is Marcus? How’s he doing” He and the Greene’s had been in business for so long they were basically like family. He had watched their kids grow and they were there when Marcus was born.

“Growing he’s good though. Hes 6”  

“Okay i can get you a list of schools, i can also reach out to my old baby sitter or ask around”

“Yea thanks”

“Its really good to see you doing well”

“Yea how are things going?”

“Great you know that though or you wouldn’t be smiling” 

He smirks remembering past encounters where guns were drawn “Where’s William?” he asks looking around 

“Oh hes in Colorado for a conference” she says taking a sip of her coffee

“Cool” he stands up “Thanks for the coffee ill see you around yea”

“Okay!” she says as she walks him to the door

He left her house and saw the oh too familiar black town car sitting parked at the end of the street. Whatever he’s next move were, they had to be more tactful than before. 

Months pass and Rio and Marcus finally settle into Chicago.  They enjoy exploring the city. He liked not having to drive but sometimes driving was better than taking the CTA (L train) so his car was parked under the building. One by one his crew moves to surrounding cities in Illinois. He’s taking his time there’s no rush to get the money and he’s doing his best to not sweat the small stuff. 

“So whats going on with your love life?” Carol asks as she makes his drink 

“Non you know how it goes” He found himself missing Beth and having a lot of one night flings to get her out of his system

“Yea yea lonely at the top” she repeats what he’s said many times before 

He smirks “what’chu got a friend for me?” he would appreciate a distraction 

“No... well (she looks up).... no, no forget it just asking. Wondering if your looking for a queen”  

He was a frequent person at Carol’s place it was easier to talk business and since there was barely any hiccups there really wasn’t much said. 

He shakes his head in response he wasn’t going to be as open this time 

The door opens and you walk in “Ahhh Y/N you finally made it”  he hears her say 

“Hey sorry” you say as you take off your coat  

You look around the room and greet everyone. 

She gives you a longing hug “mmmm it’s good to finally see you”

Rio looks at you. You looked familiar but he can’t place you exactly. 

“Come sit sit” she says pulling you to sit next to her

“Thanks” 

“Oh sorry what do you want to drink dear?”

“Umm hard cider” you answer as you settle into the sofa

“Yup one hard cider coming up”  

“Remember Rio?” she asks as she returns with drink in her hand 

You look at him “Oh yea hi how are you?” you remember him and how he made you nervous he held this scowl 

“Rio you remember Y/N” she asks him 

He looks confused he was trying to recall but he couldn’t “nah i can’t really” 

Carol cuts in “She’s Preston’s wife remember him?”

Preston your late husband, was one of Rio’s customers “Oohh”  Rio remembers the first time he saw you a run down housewife he remembers Preston telling you to cook and thinking to himself he would never eat your food if you looked like that, only God knew how your food would taste. 

You don’t say much during your time there and nothing really happens but empty conversations. 

Throughout the months you frequently stop by but not much happens when you’re there Carol was the life of the party so you don’t mind giving all the spotlight to her. 

“What’s up wit’cho friend?” Rio asks after you leave 

“Who Y/N?” 

“Yea”  he says remembering you sitting there quietly

She sighs “She’s been through a lot” 

He gave a look that indicated for her to continue

“Lets just say Preston wasn’t what he portrayed to be” He thinks back to his interactions with Preston he was always pleasant 

“What he do cheat?”

“No worse, at least the worst Bill has done to me is have an affair i couldn’t imagine being beaten everyday of my marriage. She’s taking her time adjusting to society and life without him” 

“How long have you two known each other?”

“Oh Bill and Preston were friends first, they introduced us. So like 8 years? To tell you the truth I’m glad Preston is 6 feet under she was too good for him” 

He nods rubbing his chin 

Next time you come around its Carol’s birthday and she’s throwing a huge masquerade party.  Thanks to that lucrative “business”. The venue is full of people and you show up later than everyone else and find yourself walking around until you run into her 

“Hey! I’m glad you came!” she greets you 

“Thanks for inviting me” 

“Come on let me take you to our table” 

When you approach you see Rio in his all black outfit with a mask that covers one side of his face 

“Look who’s here guys Y/N!” 

“Hey!”  you greet as you take a seat

You sit across from Rio and he watches as you interact with Carol and he doesn’t think hes ever seen you smile before. It’s interesting to him to watch you interact with her throughout the night you weren’t as timid nor reserved as your usual self tonight, you even danced with her at some point.

He sees you weeks later at a local dive bar near his loft. He sits towards the back and watches as people come and go by. It was kind of empty early afternoon and curiosity creeps in when he sees you sitting by the bar. He grabs his glass before he approaches you.

“Hey another?” the bartender asks him before taking his cup 

He nods in response  

You don’t look up listening to music playing on your phone it’s only when it sounds like someone calls your name is when you look up

“Oh Hi Rio!” you say removing your head phones  

“Y/N right?” 

“Yea” 

“Mind if i sit here?” he asks

“No its okay” you say shuffling to the left a little 

“So whats your poison?” he asks inquiring about the drink in your cup 

You lift it up “Tequila” 

He smiles 

“You?” 

“Uh” he thinks “any really right now rum” 

You nod

“So what’chu doin’ here?” he asks before taking a sip 

“I’m off today and I’m done with my errands so thought why not a drink? this is one of my favorite bars in the city”

He nods “what do you do?”

“I’m a project manager”

“Sounds” he pauses to think of the right word

“Boring i know”  you smile looking down

He chuckles “Yea”  

“What about you?” 

“Oh uh i own a business printing” 

“Oh nice!” 

He smiles “so what happened to Preston?” he asks remembering Carol’s statement about him being 6 feet under

“Oh uh he overdosed on coke, it will be a year next week” 

He makes a face that was not his doing 

“Yea i tried to get him to stop but i couldn’t” 

“Sorry to hear”

You take a sip and say “Shit happens”

“True” 

You don’t say much to each other and when you finish your drink you leave. 

-

“So what do you think of Rio Y/N?” Carol asks you paying close attention to your reaction

“Uh he’s cool I guess why?” you now wonder how that question even came about, you were talking about the new buildings downtown 

She smiles before answering “He likes you” 

“Who?” 

“Rio duh” 

You roll your eyes “yea okay”

“I’m serious! have you not seen how he looks at you?”

“Like he’s bored?” because you had no idea what she could be even talking about 

“Nooo that man is smitten by you Y/N”  

“We barely talk i haven’t said anything to him for him to like me” pointing out flaws in her theory 

She shrugs “Maybe he sees something in you” 

You roll your eyes once more “Please”

“You know” she sits next to you “any fool with 2 eyes could see that Preston did what he did to you because he was afraid of losing you to the next man, he’s gone don’t let him have that same power over you”

You think for awhile going over the times you have been around him “So you’re saying your business partner likes me?”

It’s not like you were oblivious to Carolann and William’s dealings seeing that Preston was once part of that not to mention one day you walked in on her stuffing money in a duffel bag but chose to not even address it because Preston was still very much alive. 

“Noo not my business partner, but Rio, yes he does just pay attention next time”

“Carol”

“Not every man is a monster” 

“I know that” 

“So what’s the issue?” she wonders 

“Am I not like older than him?”

She shakes her head and looks up  “If I’m not mistaken he’s approaching 30 soon” 

“And im approaching 31”

She shrugs you two are age mates “3 year difference, not a big deal...... Just be open or at least try”

“Fair enough” 

[artificialqueens]

Galactica, Chapter 4 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Thank you so much to anyone who’s liked or commented. You guys are awesome! We are attempting to post a chapter a week, so hopefully we can keep that up for awhile! Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Last Chapter: Violet’s living situation was about to improve, and she got to spend some quality time with Pearl.

This Chapter: Fame begins to doubt the new collection, and Violet finally gets into her new apartment--with some surprising new neighbors.

***

Fame groaned as she finally managed to open the front door to the Galactica floor after fumbling with her keycard for what felt like forever.

The floor was dark, but as Fame walked past the reception desk, the automatic light turned on.

There was no one there, all of the employees at home since it was barely past 7 am. Fame didn’t usually show up until after 9, having her mornings with Patrick and walking her dog herself an important part of starting her day right, but sometimes Fame preferred the quiet.

There was a certain peace in an empty office, and she desperately needed the peace.

She walked down the corridor, passing by the ever-expanding clothing racks that seemed to grow like cockroaches on the hallways, someone always working on something in one of the offices.

Fame was normally not one for contemplation, her heart always telling her where to go, but what she had seen of their own collection yesterday had left a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach.

She had been so happy when they had conceptualized it, had been so excited to see it go into production, but now that she had it, now that Trixie could present piece after piece of physical clothing, Fame had a nagging feeling that it was not good enough, not good enough at all.

She turned the corner and stopped when she saw that the light was on in her office and the front office where Violet resided.

As she walked closer, she saw Violet sitting at her desk, steam coming from a takeaway cup and Fame recognized the vanilla scent of her morning order. She had actually wondered how Violet always had a hot cup ready, and it seemed like the clever girl simply ordered multiples every single day.

Violet nibbled on an apple, her feet tucked underneath her as she tapped away on her keyboard, the printer spitting out a chunk of paper every once in a while.  

Before Fame knew it, she had spent several minutes just standing there, observing Violet go about her workday before anyone else had even come in.

Just then, Violet looked up, almost dropping her apple when she saw Fame standing in the door. She jumped up from her chair, and Fame had to hide a smile when she saw that Violet was wearing sneakers with her Prada dress.

“Miss!” Violet maneuvered around her desk. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize you would be here this early.” Fame handed Violet her jacket, the other woman quickly hanging it up.

“Is there any news about my new assistant?” Fame took the coffee from the table. It wasn’t scalding hot like she preferred it, but she wasn’t inclined to wait while her assistant got her another one.

“Yes.” Violet nodded, grabbing a stack of papers from the printer, and Fame realized she had probably been printing resumes. “We should be ready to bring in some candidates by next Tuesday.”

“Good-” Fame held her hand out, taking the stack. “I expect you to pre-interview each and every one of them before I see them.” She wanted a competent assistant, and had no intention of suffering through the first round of the blubbering fools HR always seemed to think would be appropriate for her. “Remember, only perfection is acceptable.”

***

Violet’s eyes were resting on Raja and Fame in the rearview mirror. They were in a town car, Violet instantly climbing into the front with the driver. Violet never spoke unless she was spoken to, her presence in the car only required in case she would be needed.

It was fascinating to watch Raja and Fame interact. They had worked together for so long that it seemed like they knew each other inside and out. It was as if they shared a creative mind, and had an intimate understanding of exactly what the other one was talking about.

Normally, Violet would be listening in, imagining what her own professional life could maybe be one day, but today, however, Violet was thoroughly distracted.

She was so happy, so relieved, to be moving, that she could almost dance in her seat. Yesterday, when she had been sent the pictures of the vacant apartment, she’d nearly cried with joy. It was beautiful - a small but perfect one-bedroom with a sweet little kitchen, central air, sparkling new bathroom fixtures, and even a French balcony. It was so far beyond anything she’d imagined she might have for years and years.

The fact that she was going to be packing all night in order to be ready for the movers tomorrow at noon didn’t bother her in the slightest.

Burning bridges was something Violet was used to, and she couldn’t wait to set this one on fire

“Violet-” Fame’s voice broke through Violet’s daydream of the strongly-worded email she’d send to her landlord. “Violet, have you gone deaf?”

“No Miss. Sorry.”

“I need a pen.”

Violet reached into her bag, Fame acknowledging her only to take it, and then it was back to being invisible as Fame turned her attention to Raja.

This time, however, Violet couldn’t help but listen.

“I realize that you don’t agree-” Fame put the pen to the sketches she and Raja were looking at, “but don’t you think that the lines are too jarring?” Fame did a small correction, the emeralds on her fingers shining in the light. “And this color story, the more I look at it, the more I-”

Violet knew she wasn’t supposed to listen, but she reached into her bag, grabbing her phone, sending a quick left hand text to Trixie.

Fame worried abt collection dislikes colors v v weird vibe

It felt like going behind her boss’s back, but Violet knew Fame well enough to pick up on the note in her voice, in the furrow between her brows.

“Fame, darling,” Raja put a hand on Fame’s knee, her gold bangles clicking together, her tan skin standing out against the creamy white of Fame’s skirt. “You do this to yourself every time,” Raja soothed, her voice surprisingly soft. “It’s all beautiful. We’ll go back to the office, we’ll have a cup of tea, and you’ll see-”

“Don’t patronize me,” Fame snapped, pulling her knee away from Raja’s grasp.

“Don’t act crazy.” Raja rolled her eyes. “I hate to see you stress over something that will be magnificent.”

It seemed like Raja had completely forgotten that Violet was in the car, her ability to make herself invisible once again biting her in the ass since she was pretty sure she wasn’t supposed to see this display of affection.

“Bianca would agree that something isn’t right,” Fame huffed slightly, crossing her arms, and Violet stifled a tiny laugh.

Bianca Del Rio was editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, one of Fame and Raja’s dearest friends, and possibly the scariest person Violet had ever met. Anyone who thought Fame was too tough would probably just wither and die within 30 seconds of being around Bianca. What amused Violet was that her boss treated the infamous hard-ass like she was the sweetest, most adorable person in the universe.

“Well, Bianca doesn’t work here,” Raja countered, adding, “Thank god.” She leaned her head on her hand, a teasing glint in her eyes.

Fame pursed her lips, turning to look out the window, and Raja seemed to change tactics.

She slung an arm around Fame’s shoulder, her voice sugary sweet. “Why don’t you join us for dinner tonight?” Raja tugged on one of Fame’s golden earrings, the emeralds on it matching her ring. “Raven promised she wouldn’t cook.”

“Thanks,” Fame chuckled, “but no thanks. I promised Patrick I would pay him attention for the first time all week.”

“Fair enough,” Raja sat back up. “Have a nice night with your husband. Have a few drinks and forget that I exist over the weekend.” Raja smirked. “I have plans of my own anyway.”

***

Bianca rolled over as her phone buzzed on the nightstand, reaching over Derrick’s sleeping form to answer it. The fact that she was still awake, obsessing over the new printing contracts, didn’t change the fact that it was far too late (or too early) for any rational person to be calling.

There were only two people it might be, and she prayed that it wasn’t Adore, because she was not in the mood for whatever shenanigans her baby sister might have gotten herself into this time. Glancing at the screen, she let out a sigh of half relief, half irritation when she saw that it was Fame. And worse, she was FaceTiming.

“Hey Blondie. What’s wrong?” Bianca answered, voice hoarse.

“Why would something be wrong?” asked Fame, blue-gray eyes widening innocently.

“Well, it’s 3 am. So if nothing’s wrong, I’m gonna hang up and we can resume when the sun comes up…”

“Wait!” Fame said, then furrowed her brow, asking, “Who’s that?”

Bianca glanced at the tousled blonde head beside her.  

“That’s Derrick.”

“Uh huh, and why haven’t I met her?”

“We’re not at that point yet,” Bianca told her, tilting the phone down and lifting the covers. “But if you really want, you can meet her ass.”

Bianca moved the phone closer, flash lighting up Derrick’s ass in a pair of boy-cut red panties.

“Bianca!” Derrick shrieked, slapping her hand away. “What the fuck?!”

“Nevermind, her ass isn’t in the mood.”

“Really, Bianca,” Fame clucked. “That poor girl.”

“Ugh!” Derrick moved over, unamused, putting a pillow over her head to block out the noise.

“So, blondie...you gonna tell me what this is about? Cause if not, I should really get to sleep. Rest my weary tongue.” Bianca grinned lasciviously at her, dimples deep in her cheeks.

After a moment, when she saw that Fame was neither laughing nor giving her a disapproving pout, she sat up, rubbing her eyes.

“Seriously, Fame. Are you okay?” she asked, voice a bit softer.

“Yeah...I’m…” Fame sighed slightly, leaning her head on the arm of the sofa. “I just feel a bit...unsettled.”

“Unsettled about what?” Bianca asked. “Would this by any chance have to do with Fashion Week coming up?”

“Of course,” Fame said with a slight chuckle. “I should be feeling great. I mean, we’re ahead of schedule, for once, and everyone seems to love the direction, but I just...it feels a bit off.”

“What does Raja think?”

“Raja loves it the most, she thinks I’m crazy.”

“Well. You are. But you also have spot-on creative instincts, so maybe this is a time to trust yourself?” Bianca said.

“Mmmh.”

“Okay how’s this...tomorrow morning, once I get rid of Derrick here, I’ll pick up a couple bottles of Veuve and some fresh-squeezed orange juice, head over to your place, and we can spend the whole morning drinking mimosas and ripping the collection to shreds. What do you say?”

“Do I really have to wait until the morning?”

“Fraid so, blondie. Liquor stores are closed right now,” Bianca laughed.

“Well then, I say, great plan.”

“Perfect. So now can I fuckin’ sleep?” Bianca asked, an affectionate smile on her face.

Fame smiled back, nodding.

“Thank you, B.”

“Anytime.”  

***

As Violet closed the door behind her, she couldn’t help but leave out a giant sigh of relief.

The movers had finished in record time, everything going smoother than she had dared to imagine, though she knew a big part of the seamless move was due to her barely owning any furniture.

Violet had never bothered to buy a bedframe for her last apartment, not that there would have been any space for it in the room she had rented anyway, so all she owned was a twin mattress, a sewing table that sometimes served as a desk and a single chair.

What did take up Violet’s space was all of her sewing equipment. The overlocker and sewing machine, who had been her trusted college companions, were sitting on top of her table while her embroidery frame and her mannequins were lying in a pile besides the big garbage bags she used to store her leftover fabric.

The apartment had a miniature walk-in closet, and Violet couldn’t wait to hang up her clothes, two racks holding all of her pieces.  

Violet fished her work phone out of her bag. She unlocked it, the empty screen causing her to bite her lip. Violet would never prefer to be interrupted during the weekend, but there wasn’t a single text, voice memo or email from Fame. It was strange however, when taken into consideration how anxious she’d seemed the day before, and while Violet had no hard facts to lean against, she was still bracing for a storm.

Violet was pulled out of her thoughts by three hard, quick knocks on her door. She wasn’t expecting anyone, so she opened it curiously to find a grinning Katya and mischievous looking  Max, holding a basket full of tea, candles and a pastry Violet couldn’t place, the small cakes glistening with honey.

“Welcome to the building!” Katya exclaimed, flashing those blindingly white teeth.

“We’re so happy to have you join us,” Max added kindly, holding out the large basket.

“Umh…” Violet took the basket, too unsure to decide what leg she should stand on. “Hello?”

“Can we come in?” Katya smiled, holding up a flask. “I brought tea!”

“Oh, sure, but I don’t-” Violet wanted to say that she didn’t have a seat for them, but Katya was already making her way inside, Max following right behind her.

“Trixie would have come too, but he’s a bit in the weeds at the moment.” Katya put her thermos down on Violet’s kitchen counter, apparently not fazed at all by the lack of furniture as she pulled paper cups out of her bag, “tearing his hair out coming up with new ideas in case you’re right about Fame’s freak-out.”

“Shit-” Violet froze. She had only meant for the text to be helpful, to sooth her own anxiety over the look she had seen on Fame’s face. “I hope I didn’t-”

“No no, don’t worry.” Katya smiled, taking the basket back and putting that on the table too. “He’d much rather freak out now than when Fashion Week is closer.” Katya put one of the cakes on a little napkin she had pulled up from somewhere. “Medovik? Max?”

“Yes please.” Max smiled, taking the napkin Katya offered.

“Violet?”

“Thank you.” Violet took it, knowing for sure that she wasn’t going to eat all of it, her stomach too tight with worry about Trixie. She bit into it, the taste of honey exploding in her mouth. They all ate together, Katya chatting away while Max walked over to the rack beside her sewing table.

“What’s that?” Max pointed with a finger at a half-open garment bag.

“That?” Violet felt a warm glow spread in her body. “It’s my graduation project.” Violet put down her napkin, a giant smile on her face as she walked over. “Do you want to see it?” Violet touched the bag, the grey plastic crinkling between her fingers.

“Yes please!” Katya smiled brightly, Max nodding excitedly.

Violet pulled the dress out, a whoosh of excitement rushing through her. The dress was a floor length see-through gown, dripping in violet jewels, the glittering pieces covering the breasts and pouring out in an elegant waterfall down the skirt.

“Oh god, it’s gorgeous!” Katya clapped, and Violet nodded.

“I went for a bit of a neo-Victorian take.” Violet touched the shoulders and hips that were jutting out, both supported by beige boning. “I realised it might seem derivative to use violet, but it’s one of my favorite colors-”

“With good reason.” Max had stood up, the man now at Violet’s side as he reached out, gently touching the skirt.

“I can’t believe you made this.” Katya had joined them as well, the two of them standing side by side.

“I wanted to use real amethysts,” Violet supported the fabric, catching the setting sun in the stones, “but I didn’t have the budget. It was a pain in the ass to stitch all that plastic on.”

“Wait, you did this yourself?” Katya looked shocked. “It’s not prejeweled?”

Violet wanted to snort, or at least huff, the idea that she’d ever use prejeweled fabric actually kind of insulting.

“That must have taken weeks.”

“Believe me, it did.

“Wow.” Katya smiled. “That’s really dedicated. Fame sure is lucky to have you!”

***

“Shit-” Violet muttered under her breath as she tried to grab her keys. She could feel plastic dig into her elbow, her grocery bag heavy with all the things she had purchased.

She had only meant to get some rolled oats and a few emergency boxes of instant mashed potatoes, but when she had actually entered the store, Violet had made the realization that for the first time in her adult life, she had a kitchen that was entirely her own.

“I got it!” Violet heard the beep of the door opening as someone behind her swiped their key fob. She glanced over her shoulder to say thank you, only to bump into the last person she had ever expected to see on an early Sunday morning.

Pearl Liaison was standing right behind her, a surprised expression on her face that probably mirrored Violet’s own.

Pearl was wearing what was clearly last night’s outfit, her blonde hair collected in a braid down her back, the snow white globes of her small breasts boosted by a black corset.

Violet was frozen in place, shocked, as Pearl moved closer to her, an arm snaking over her shoulder.

“Hey Vivi.”

Was this real life? Was Pearl about to kiss her? Violet swore she could feel Pearl’s breasts against her own, their bodies touching.

But instead of a kiss, the blonde grabbed the door handle and pushed, tossing Violet an airy smile and gesturing for her to enter.

“Ladies first,” she said.

Still stunned, Violet let out an embarrassed scoff, saying, “You’re a lady, too.”

“Debatable,” Pearl replied with a grin, following her into the lobby. “So…I wondered if you’d be joining us here. When did you move in?”

“Yesterday.” Violet bit her lip.

“Ah. Awesome.” Pearl smirked. Violet swore she could feel Pearl’s eyes on her body, the woman smelling of tequila and cigarettes, the scent of sex lingering just underneath.

She lowered her eyes as Pearl brushed by her to climb the stairs, needing a moment to catch her breath. She tried to keep it together as last night’s skirt clung to Pearl’s ass. Before she disappeared around the corner, Pearl turned back to give Violet another cheeky grin.

“See you around, pumpkin.”

[pxiao]

Could ya give your thoughts on Zexal as a whole and tell is it really bad. can you?

As a whole post? Seems a bit vicious even for me. But as a whole I’ll say it, z-xal fans look away because as this is my pure opinions as a Z-xal hater. My opinions could be wrong and they can annoy you but remember this is my opinion and just as you have a right to be annoyed, I have a right to my opinion. Don’t whine if you find something you don’t like on a Z-xal hate piece.  

The show is textbook at best and at worse just annoying with some horrible lessons. When the it first aired, I was willing to give it a try despite initially being put off by the character designs, if not just because I thought the fandom was being annoying. I got up to the cat girl episode till I just felt it was boring as all get out and stopped watching. It wasn’t a conspicuous decision either, I just didn’t feel like watching the next episode and I honestly forgot the show existed till Zexal 2 started and well by that point I didn’t give a damn. But I started to hear things about the show and well I honestly found it annoying and I watched it and I was right. Yoshida doesn’t seem skilled at creating characters, world building or even plotting. 

Plot wise, a lot of the logic is ignored for trauma and angst. And I know that in Yu-Gi-Oh!, logic isn’t exactly common anyway but you still need some logic in people’s actions or there really isn’t any point in watching a show. If you watch the Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged series, LittleKuriboh is doing a good job of pointing out the flaws of the Orichalcos season written by Yoshida. Like Atem’s duel against Rafael was started by Atem deciding to answer his challenge for rescue Professor Arthur … who was released for no reason before Atem even dueled Rafael and for no real reason either. Zexal is the same, a lot of episodes don’t do anything to advance the story, characters or even the world. It’s just duel of the week episodes which rarely have any effect on the world at all. Zexal’s story is generally duels of the week, some plot, more duels of the week and then final battle. There isn’t any rising action, it’s just exposition and then overdrawn climax. His attempts at “foreshadowing” are laughable. They don’t hint, they spell it out to the point we know what’s going to happen 99% percent of the the time. And lets face it, people like to watch shows that have some surprise as otherwise the show becomes a checklist and that was what Zexal felt like at times. It was less of a show and more of Yoshida’s checklist of the tropes that Yu-Gi-Oh! has done. A major plothole I found in the Barian onslaught was Shark’s attitude throughout the arc. Why did he go straight into war mode if he “knew Yuma’s feelings”. Yuma who spent the arc freaking out at the death and war that was going on, if Shark actually knew Yuma, he should know that a war is the last thing Yuma would ever want. But he spends the arc angsts over how he has to betray his friends. Why couldn’t he TALK to Yuma, while Astral is iffy, he should know how much of an influence that Yuma has on the alien and thus maybe a deal can be made. And if it couldn’t be, he could have at least tried before he lead a war that lead to his “friends” dying like a REAL ruler. 

World building, ha. He doesn’t build worlds, he builds a blank slate that the characters “live” at. Heartland has no personality at all, despite being the city of the future there was nothing unique about it. Astral world and Barian worlds are just factions at war with that represent the concepts of order and chaos and that’s from the show TELLING US. We only see the Astral world dying and nothing about it’s people, the Barian world is just not shown at all except for some red rocks. If I had to compared Astral world and Barian world to say Arc-V’s worlds, it’s depressing. Arc-V has a bit of Chaos vs Order in the form of Academia and the Resistance and the difference in writing quality is depressing. Academia would is order and we get a taste of how messed up their ideological is from Sora, Serena and Edo. We see how the public openly supports their ideas, the children believe the lies that they’re making a better war and when they’re in danger they freak out as they thought of it as a game. Hell we see how they take their ideology to the extreme in the BB arc when Sanders and the students beg for Sanders to be carded as it follows their ideals. The resistance is chaos, as Shun states they had trouble creating a defense in time and it shows. The flashbacks show duelists not in any uniform, just attacking without any formation or plan, their bases are just tents huddled together and the Resistance didn’t even have a main base, it was different branches and by the time we see it, it’s all but dead. Maiami is defined by how free the setting is, there are a LARGE variety of dueling schools from You Show, Gongenzaka Dojo, LDS, the many different schools Yuya saw and Ryozanpaku. Each having a variety of philosophies and how the public acted show they had a healthy mix of positive, loving Entertainment duels, and negative traits, their bullying of Yuya in the past. 

His characters are the worst, they aren’t really characters, just personality traits put together in the hopes of being a working personality. Most of the time, they’re just 2D cutouts. Don Thousand is a perfect example. In a story, the most important characters are the protagonist and the main enemy of the series as they shape what the show is. The worst thing you can do when making a main villain is making them easily replaceable. In the manga for Z-xal which was pretty similar to the anime Don was replaced while the story was going on because the artist didn’t like him and Yoshida EASILY replaced Don Thousand. That just proves that Don Thousand didn’t have a personality if he could be replaced by another villain so easily. In comparison, you can’t replace Zarc or Leo, they have shaped Arc-V plot and setting that if you take them out, the plot will change. He generally makes his protagonists overally perfect like what he did to Yusei in season 2 of 5D’s. Yuma is a horrible attempt to fix this, he had flaws for sure, but instead of Yuma growing, Yoshida made the show bend over backwards to make a flaw a virtue instead. The infuriating part is the show actually did a good job of showing his flaw but then everyone even the people that called out him earlier are telling to not change. You don’t make good characters that way, you destroy your show. Yoshida doesn’t do enough to build up the relationships that are supposed to form the backbone of the show and it feels hollow. A direct example is Yuya and Yuzu relationship vs Yuma and Kotori’s relationship. The couples are both childhood friends but the difference between their bonds is clear as day. Kotori is a side thought to Yuma at best and we never get an explanation of why Kotori and supposedly Yuma like each other. Their relationship development is Kotori screaming for Yuma and her getting jealous over him. Yuya and Yuzu? The first few episodes show how they understand each other the most and when something is up with one of them, they’re the first to realize it. Despite being separated for most of the show, Yuya and Yuzu continuously show support and love for each other while Yuma and Kotori barely interact despite being next to each other for the majority of the show. Arc-V shows plenty of times when Yuya puts her safety above everything and that includes his own ideals. Yuzu also puts Yuya’s safety over her own and her speeches are the only thing to reach him as the Zarc vs Ray/Reira duel showed. Fan reaction proves this, Yuya and Yuzu is one of the most popular ships in their fandom while Yuma and Kotori is hardly liked at all. And how he writes girls … Look Yu-Gi-Oh! isn’t going to win awards on how to write women unless you include Season 1 of Arc-V. But Yoshida is the worst at them, nearly every women he writes is obsessed over romance and plays little to no part in the story. Rio appeared as an independent girl that didn’t want to seen as part of Shark. And she became just that, she never made her own decisions ever and everything that came out of her mouth was about Shark and that’s it. She became his angst magnet. And based on how Aoi was written, I doubt he’s changed in Vr–ns.

Next I don’t think Yoshida understands the idea of a card game show. While card game shows are generally shonen series, they don’t have the same rules as a general shonen series. An enemy having a broken power in a regular shonen is accepted because the point of shonen is to make things unfair for the protagonist so the audience can feel something when they overcome it. That doesn’t work with card games, there has to be a SENSE of balance as card games are meant to be a game first and foremost. Otherwise the enemy comes across as overpowered to the point of ridiculousness. Don Thousand was overpowered to the point I was rolling my eye when he was literally breaking the rules of the game. From easily causing 50,000 points of damage, to summoning monsters with 10,000 and later 100,000 attack points. Don didn’t feel powerful, he felt like the writers were trying too hard to make him dangerous and instead came off as annoying.  

But the worst part of this is how Yoshida never changes. Everything that he works on has a basic plot and character types and he never varies. His writing has the same ideas in the seasons he writes. And I’ve seen how some people defend him on this because of his writing style. I strongly disagree, authors can have similar themes and ideas but they should never make a series the exact same. Kasumi Ono was the director for 5d’s and Arc-V while there are similarities in themes and character points, it’s impossible to say they’re alike at all. Or the writer for Type-Moon, compared Fate/Stay Night and Fate/Extra. They take the same concept and play with it so the story is different.  Authors don’t have to make everything original but the problem is Yoshida rarely changes the details at all.