#(pretty sure shes trying to lure me into a lake to my death)

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers West Coast #50: RETURN of the HERO

November, 1989

I'm sure that someone was asking for this but I couldn't guess who.

Look.

The thing about the robot Human Torch is that he's just less interesting than Johnny Storm human Human Torch.

Marvel brings back Jim Hammond a lot but he never sticks around because he's just not super interesting.

But its pretty blatantly obvious that John Byrne wants him back, given how he's taken a crowbar to Vision's character to justify it and has had Captain America and Namor start talking unprompted about how cool it would be if robot Human Torch came back.

So, it's happening.

You really want this, John Byrne, so lets see how it plays out.

Last times in Avengers West Coast: a lot. Scarlet Witch got kidnapped by a Texas college and stuffed full of ooze until she went evil. The ooze was defeated by the Great Lakes Avengers but Wanda still has the mutant supremacy memories it jammed in her and she's not sure how it may affect her.

Also, some lady was teased as coming to the Avengers on robot Human Torch related business and now she's here.

That subplot progressed a lot more quickly than I thought it would.

If it was Englehart still, we'd be looking at four teases before she ever got anywhere.

Because John Byrne hates me personally, there's a two-page spread of the Avengers West Coast all eyeing the lady with varying amounts of suspicion and sympathy. And weirding them all out, US Agent who speaks to the woman with patience and empathy.

US Agent: "All right now, ma'am, calm down. Take it easy. The Avengers were created to help people in distress. But you've got to tell us your story slowly... clearly..."

I'm honestly surprised US Agent is in the book. He just seemed to disappear after Tigra hit on him.

The woman explains that she is Ann Raymond, widow of Thomas Raymond, aka Toro, aka the robot Human Torch's partner/sidekick.

Toro is dead. He died during a battle between Namor and the Mad Thinker.

Namor came and told Mrs Raymond himself. And she believed it until she heard the news that Vision wasn't made out of Human Torch.

(Again: Why did you announce that to the press, the Avengers??)

Wanda gets immediately hostile when Mrs Raymond mentions the Vision/Human Torch thing. I presume she's sick of this subplot by this point.

Scarlet Witch: "Calm myself? How can I calm myself when the whole world has gone completely insane?! Isn't it bad enough that I've had to see my husband dismantled... his mind erased... isn't it bad enough that a group trying to use me to find a way to possess all the other mutants on Earth used the Vision's condition as their avenue of approach to lure me into their clutches... Now this madwoman wants to implicate the Vision in the death of her husband?"

Wonder Man tries to tell Wanda to calm down but she tells him to fuck off. Well, not literally. They're not going to say fuck in Avengers. But that's the tone of her jerking away when he puts a hand on her shoulder.

Wanda was ready to just wash her hands of the Avengers after the Absolom College Ooze Incident. They got her to stay by promising to actually try to help Vision.

But the Avengers still don't seem to really care as far as Wanda can tell and are letting this new thing distract them.

In fairness, does this require the whole team? Do you need to be here listening to Mrs Raymond, Hank Pym?

Wanda stomps off, threatening to actually quit for realsies. Wasp starts to go after her but Vision stops her. Its his job as husband to tend to Wanda's emotional needs. He has no idea how to do that because emotions are DATA NOT FOUND but its his duty so he's going to go be adjacent to her anyway!

Aww?

Anyway, Hank Pym, who definitely doesn't need to be here for this, prompts Mrs Raymond to tell her story.

So... flashbacks. Or new information.

In indeterminate amount of time ago, Thomas Raymond, Toro, hears that the Human Torch was killed when the Fantastic Four were around.

Now, right off the bat this is weird. I'm pretty sure that the Human Torch was already dead, having blown himself up in a desert, and was found and resurrected by the Mad Thinker who tried to use him to destroy the Fantastic Four.

Wouldn't Thomas' reaction be more like 'holy crap, the robot Human Torch came back to life and died like ten minutes later? Weird!'

Thomas goes to the robot Human Torch's funeral (I thought the FF just left him to not-rot in a cave?) to pay his respects but the funeral is obviously a trap. Because one: there's no superheroes there. And two: the Mad Thinker buys Thomas a drugged coffee and drugs him with it.

The Mad Thinker used Toro's flame powers in a scheme with Egghead and the Puppet Master to black out all the power in America.

Toro was brainwashed into thinking he was the original Human Torch and sent to attack Namor. Namor brought him to his senses and Toro decided, despite having a loving wife, to sacrifice himself to push the Mad Thinker's escape rocket into a volcano.

The Mad Thinker, of course, walked that off. Making the whole thing pretty dumb.

Mrs Raymond didn't know all that. She just went looking for Thomas when he didn't return from the funeral.

She couldn't find him and only found that the cemetery named in the funeral announcement was not in active use so he couldn't have attended a funeral there.

So she went home and bam there's Namor.

Namor and Mrs Raymond compared notes and that's how she had the whole story for this flashback exposition.

The Wasp reiterates that the Fantastic Four just left the original Human Torch's body lying where they left it because he may have been the first Marvel hero and a famous Nazi puncher but as far as Reed Richards was concerned, he wasn't a real person.

Anyway, the Human Torch's body was supposedly found by Ultron to retrofit into being the Vision. But that's all retconned now so who knows.

The reason why this is relevant is that Mrs Raymond was hoping that the Toro that died stupidly pushing a rocket into a volcano wasn't actually Toro but the Human Torch.

I mean, he was brainwashed into thinking he was the Human Torch so why not just have him be the real guy? Wouldn't that be simpler?

Hank Pym concedes that if the Mad Thinker brought the Human Torch back to life once, he'd probably be able to do it again. And then he could have brainwashed him into thinking he was Toro who had been brainwashed into thinking he was the Human Torch.

Whoa, it stopped being simpler.

Hank points out that even if the Toro that died was actually Jim Hammond, that doesn't really answer where the hell Thomas Raymond has been for years.

Mrs Raymond begs Hank to help her find out what happened to her husband (pretty sure he cannonballed into a volcano) and Hank agrees to try.

So while Wasp leads Mrs Raymond to a guest room to get some rest, Hank makes some calls to the Avengers East Coast Island.

Namor (still hanging around after the Lava Men and Negative Zone stuff, I guess) confirms Mrs Raymond's story. Insofar as Namor fighting a fiery dude who claimed to be the Human Torch but then claimed to be Toro.

The exiled Prince of Abslantis says that his memory may not be reliable due to all the amnesia he's been through but he was pretty sure the dude who claimed to be Toro was Toro. And the fact that Thomas Raymond went missing after Toro dove into a volcano does seem to confirm that.

Lotta talking in this comic.

Have the West Coast Avengers West Coast done any superheroing since Byrne took over?

Now, granted, helping this lady get closure is pretty super-heroic but it doesn't feel like the Avengers West Coast are a superhero team anymore. 90% of what they've dealt with in the Byrne run has been Wanda Vision drama. And when they're not dealing with that, they're just sitting around.

Meanwhile, the Avengers East Coast keep going on wacky adventures. And even the Great Lakes Avengers are up to more than the Avengers West Coast are.

If the Avengers West Coast were going off on missions and adventures, they may have noticed Tigra being weird before the situation deteriorated and came to Hank shrinking her down and putting her in a terrarium.

Oh, by the way, he put her in a terrarium.

Consistent with Hank's problem solving ethic lately, he doesn't seem to have any real urgency to do anything about this.

She attacked him so he shrank her. He needed to put her somewhere while he figured out what to do with her so he put her in a terrarium. And he doesn't actually want to look after her so he rigged it with a bunch of alarms.

Hank mentions that Tigra's cat aspect is in ascendency and US Agent nods and says that explains all the cat-like behavior he observed that nobody else did.

Wonder Man: "? You know about this? Why didn't you tell anyone?" US Agent: "I was busy. Watch your tone, Williams. I don't have to explain myself to you. I answer only to the United State government." Wonder Man: "Guess again, Stripes! You're an Avenger now! We didn't want you, but to avoid further government interference in our business, we've been forced to take you. And you are gonna learn that being an Avenger means being responsible to all the other members! We don't even know where you are half the time!" US Agent: "Where I am is on your need-to-know list only when you can see me, Wonder Man! The rest of the time you don't have the security clearance to know any more than I chose to tell you. And I chose to tell you nothing!"

US Agent isn't just not a team player, he's functionally not even on the team.

He just lives in the same place as they do but he's coming and going as he pleases and doesn't really interact with the Avengers.

Wonder Man is about ready to deck US Agent in the schnozz which I, at least, would enjoy but Wasp breaks up the fight.

Since Wasp got Mrs Raymond settled, Hank goes to talk to Wanda and Vision and tells them that if Jim Hammond was buried at that funeral it pretty much completely disproves the idea that Vision was ever Human Torch.

Vision is game to pursuing the lead but he is confused because more needs to be retconned. See, he was recognized as the Torch by a Sentinel and by the ghost of the original Torch.

What does that meeeeeean?

Hank suggests that the Sentinel was just mistaken because its primary function is to find mutants, not identify androids.

As for that Ghost Human Torch... well, that's suspect isn't it? The Ghost Human Torch was in the Legion of the Unliving with Ghost Wonder Man, before Wonder Man was retconned to have been in a kind of stasis, not dead. Plus, Immortus was involved. He seems to be involved a lot.

Hank wonders aloud why Immortus would have gone to such length to make Vision think he was the Human Torch.

Immortus happens to be watching on his time monitors.

Immortus: "You are only now beginning to see the culmination of a plan set in motion long, long ago. A plan which, when it achieves fruition, will make Immortus truly that which I have always claimed to be... THE ABSOLUTE MASTER OF TIME ITSELF!"

Yes but do you have a TARDIS?

Meanwhile, at the Anvil Pictures offices, Martin Preston, studio boss, is lurking in his office musing how everything he's done up to this point has been fruitless. But being trapped in Mephisto's realm has made things clear to him.

Martin Preston: "Let the Avengers count the hours of their last days! When next we meet, it will be MASTER PANDEMONIUM who is triumphant!"

Oh, hey, this guy.

I knew he was in show-biz but I thought he was an actor. He runs a big movie company? Good for him. Shame about all the cursed future knowledge I have.

Also, he looks different than last we saw him. And his powers seem to be different. While gloating to no one that he'll beat up the Avengers, he turns his arm into a demon arm.

But Master Pandemonium turns his arms into whole-ass demons. An entire demon pulled out of his sleeve like a very impressive magic show.

Turning his arm demon-y but not turning it into an entire demon that just pops off and goes to do its thing just isn't as goofy. I cannot approve of it.

Later, the Avengers West Coast land in Pleasantville. Hank Pym goes to talk to the mayor to get permission to exhume the Human Torch.

The mayor is having difficulty with this request because he doesn't even know where to start to approve exhuming a grave that doesn't exist on record for a cemetery that closed thirty years before the grave that doesn't exist was dug there.

Meanwhile, Wasp, Wonder Man, Vision, and Scarlet Witch preemptively find the Human Torch's grave.

And, yeah, the gravestone says Human Torch instead of Jim Hammon.

Vision decides to intangible into the coffin to check if Jim Hammond, Human Torch, really is buried here.

Wasp and Wonder Man find this distasteful. To just intrude on someone's grave like that...

But Vision is able to report a body that looks like Jim Hammond and hasn't decomposed the way a meat body would.

Wanda asks, okay so there's a Human Torch-looking guy buried here. So, what? What are we going to do about it?

Wonder Man says they have to wait for Hank to get permission to exhume the grave.

Scarlet Witch: "The Scarlet Witch will not be bound by human bureaucracy!"

Then she blows up the grave.

Okay, okay.

The explosion is more like a streak of flame erupting into the skies. Wonder Man flies off to see if that is the Human Torch.

Also, Wasp takes note of Wanda specifying human bureaucracy.

Meanwhile again, back at the Avengers West Coast Compound.

Lauren Timm, Billy and Tommy's governess, has lost the children. Again. She didn't tell Wanda when it happened the first time because Wanda has obtained a reputation for firing governesses at the drop of a hat and dammit Lauren needs this job!

While she's looking for Billy and Tommy, the skies suddenly goes dark and Agatha Harkness appears at the door, announcing that she's here to help with "your most difficult charges..."

Hi, Agatha. Didn't you die?

Oh, well, never keeps you down long.

Back over at the A-plot, if a plot is what you could call it, Wonder Man chases down the robot Human Torch.

He yells to the very confused robot man that he's a friend and wants to help him so the Torch stops and is like a friend, neat.

The robot Human Torch hasn't heard of the Avengers. He's barely heard of the Fantastic Four, remembering them simply as "four people with fantastic powers" from his last stint at being alive.

But he comes back with Wonder Man.

It seems like there could be an awkward moment introducing the Human Torch to the Vision, what with all the maybe history that might be between them.

But the Vision doesn't have the emotional capacity to have robo-angst (which makes him the worst Vision. Robo-angst is Vision's thing!) and nobody gives a shit about Wanda giving the Human Torch the stink-eye for existing.

Nobody gives a shit about Wanda is this run's thing.

The Torch feels like he knows Vision, which makes their maybe history even more confusing based on what we currently know.

And Hank Pym decides to Explain It All. Back at the Avengers West Coast Compound.

FOR SOME REASON, HE STARTS WITH NOVA.

No, not the space one. Er, I mean, not THAT space one, with the helmet. Frankie Raye. Who was Johnny Storm Human Torch's girlfriend with a dark secret and the dark secret turned out to be that she had fire power. And then she went into space to date Galactus.

INCREDIBLY WEIRD CHARACTER ARC.

Anyway, Frankie told the Fantastic Four that Professor Horton was her step-father. Creator of the robot Human Torch Professor Horton. And he was downright miffed when the human Human Torch started his career.

Horton took Frankie to a warehouse to show her all his robot Human Torch creating aparatus and then Frankie spilled chemicals all over herself.

Somehow the chemicals set her on fire without hurting her and she became a female Human Torch but she went by Nova. And then she went off to go mack on Galactus.

Wanda asks the very pertinent question of what the fuck this has to do with anything.

So Hank says his best guesstimate er scientific theory is that Ultron made Vision out of the leftover Human Torch creating molds and chemicals. And that's why that Sentinel identified Vision as being the same age as the Torch AND why Hank himself recognized parts of Vision as World War 2 vintage AND that's why Vision seems familiar to the real, true, actual, no foolin' robot Human Torch.

Vision was made out of Human Torch spare parts!

IT ALL MAKES SENSE!

Except for the part where Professor Horton claimed that Vision wasn't his work. And you'd think he'd recognize the components if they were just shit from his warehouse.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT IT ALL MAKES SENSE SHUT UP.

I'll give the retcon this much.

It TRIES to thread the needle between leaving robot Human Torch available to be brought back and still having Vision's origin Human Torch adjacent.

I think. That if the set-up had been framed differently, it would be less aggravating.

If instead of hammering in that all of Vision's backstory was lies and having Professor Horton show up to point at Vision and go 'the fuck is this??', if the Human Torch's resurrection was what prompted the questions into Vision's origin. That I think would go over better.

Anyway, Wasp declares this retcon is stupendous and very believable. And gives Hank a congratulatory kiss, which he reacts to by abashedly protesting "Ja-a-an...!"

You two are too old to be acting like high school sweeties. And too divorced.

Anyway again, Wasp predicted that this would somehow end in the Human Torch's resurrection. I DON'T KNOW HOW. WASP JUST KNOWS.

SHE MADE JIM HAMMOND ROBOT HUMAN TORCH A COSTUME.

JUST IN CASE.

My theory is that she looked at the roster box on the cover and saw the Human Torch there.

Because he is.

Resurrected and included in the roster box on the cover. Foregone conclusion.

Wasp invites him to the Avengers, without really asking him if he wants to be. He does want to be but what an assumption. He might want to spend some time getting used to the modern world or looking for old friends. Maybe look into Professor Horton.

But Wasp knows things. She saw the roster box. He's gonna be on the team.

US Agent seconds the sentiment and turns it into an actual invite and Jim Hammond accepts.

He even gets an echo of Vision crying and pretending he's not when he was invited to join, all those issues ago.

I was prepared to give credit for the subtle allusion except on the next page Wasp makes it a blatant reference.

Wasp: "Hey, don't go all macho on us now, Torch! This is the 80's! Men are allowed to show their emotions now. Why... I guess you'd say even an android can cry!"

Stop trying to make you not my favorite character, Wasp.

... Oh my god. In the panel where Wasp says the thing, Hank and Jim are standing right next to each other and they're the same person.

-points accusingly- SAME FACE SYNDROME.

Brave artistic choice to put these two people on the same team when you can't tell them apart except by clothes.

Jim Hammond doesn't get to enjoy the warm fuzzies of joining a superhero team again because they're interrupted by the sound of someone circling the building overhead.

After months away from the team due to that whole awkward international criminal thing,

Yay!

This is getting to be a pretty big superhero team for a team that doesn't do anything.

US Agent, Wonder Man, Wasp, Dr Hank Pym, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Robot Human Torch, Tigra, maybe Iron Man.

Maybe the reason they haven't been doing anything is because crime, all of crime, looked at that lineup and went 'no thank you.'

Anyway.

Bringing back the Human Torch is pretty blatantly what Byrne wanted to do all along. The path to get there was painful and badly written. The path to get it done was the same.

I mean, one of the oldest heroes in Marvel and he's resurrected because Wanda blows up his grave in a fit of pique? That's his grand return? Sheesh.

Still, I'm trying to be open-minded. I want to see how Jim fits in with the team. How he interacts, who he meshes and clashes with.

Wanda seems pissed at his existence. Surely that will lead to good material.

Is Iron Man rejoining the team? I hope so. I like Iron Man. I want to see him walk into the situation that the Avengers West Coast are in and react like 'i was gone maybe ten minutes!'

Follow @essential-avengers because I said so. Or because you want to. Like, reblog, comment, juggle. Things you can do.

[thehackneypony]

she is my lady!! the light of my life!! any criticism against her and you'll lose your kneecaps!!

[jj-babebank]

Camp Willowdale / JJ Maybank AU / PART 8

Synopsis: Camp Willowdale is buzzing with new campers. It’s Caroline Windsor’s first year as a camp counsellor after attending the camp as a camper for ten years. Little does she know that this year Willowdale Lake is going to be a little different from what she is used to it being…

Warnings: future chapters may include curse words, mentions of drugs, mentions of alcohol, mentions of sexual activities, mentions of death.

Pairings: JJ Maybank x fem OC Part 1 ; Part 2 ; Part 3 ; Part 4; Part 5 ; Part 6 ; Part 7

Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 8 –

49 days of summer camp left

Caroline sat in her bed, hugging her knees against her chest. Her and JJ had the afternoon off and despite his attempts to lure her into hanging out, and her infatuation with the boy, she’d turned him down, wanting to spend a few hours alone with herself to compose her thoughts. It had been exactly two weeks since the night Madison disappeared. No one had bothered to mess with the campers since then, the bonfire area hadn’t been touched and no dead animals were found in anyone’s suitcase. To the rest of the camp, this seemed like victory; to Caroline – it seemed like the calm before the storm.

During their first day at Camp Willowdale, all of the counselors had been given a Willowdale-branded set of items they’d have to use during their stay. It came with the obvious STAFF t-shirts, sweaters and hats, but it also consisted of other things – such as the thermoses Caroline and JJ were still using to sneak whiskey into their daily routines, and notebooks in which they were advised to plan out their group’s daily schedules. Caroline however had been using her notebook for other purposes. She’d become so obsessed with Madison’s case, that every little thing that happened on camp grounds and seemed even a little out of the ordinary, immediately became a clue to her, which she’d hastily scribble down in her notebook. It had only been two weeks since the disappearance of Madison Hague and Caroline had already filled about a quarter of the pages of her hefty notebook with potential clues and leads. She kept rereading her notes, trying to think of something – anything – that they could do to help them solve the mystery, however nothing was coming to her. Ever since the dress incident, Caroline and her friends hadn’t found anything else that could relate to Madison, though Caroline was glad that none of them had given up on their mission.

Caroline was so deep in her own thoughts, she nearly jumped at the sound of a sudden knock on the door. She quickly closed her notebook and tucked it under her mattress and went to open the door, revealing a panting JJ leaning on the doorframe.

“Hey, C,” he breathed.

“JJ, what’re you doing here? I told you I -”

JJ cut her off by pushing past her and walking into her cabin, “Yeah, yeah, you wanna be alone, I know,” he sat on her bed, taking his snapback off, “but I was thinking… you’ve been so busy with the kids and with the whole Madison thing, and believe me – I really appreciate you for being like that, but -”

Caroline crossed her arms, “Where are you going with this?”

JJ sighed, “You’ve just totally forgotten how to have fun, C,” he said, “The primary reason that we all came here was to have fun and look at you – you barely eat, or sleep, or do anything other than your counselor duties and this whole Madison investigation thing…” JJ sighed again, looking at the hat in his lap and playing with its adjustable strap, “All I’m saying, C, is what if Madison really did go home and you’ve just wasted all this energy on nothing…Thing is,” JJ looked up into her eyes, “I miss you, the old you, and I know that that you’s still somewhere in there, it’s just this whole Madison thing blocking it.” he placed the hat back on his head and stood up, walking towards Caroline, “Hang out with me now,” he said, stopping directly in front of her and lifting her chin up so that she was facing him, “And I promise we’ll think about Madison later,”

Caroline couldn’t really process what was going on. JJ was touching her and standing in such an intimate distance from her, that she could basically feel his breath on her face. For a second she forgot all about Madison, and the dead owl, and the bonfire area. All she could think about was JJ Maybank, who had just told her that he misses her and wants to “hang out with her”. Caroline stood there, lost in thought. What if he was right? What if Madison really did go home and that dress never even belonged to her? What if it was Jenna Kinley’s all along and Sarah had just gotten the perfume wrong? What if JJ really did miss her because he liked her as more than a friend? No, no, that couldn’t be it. But what if –

“Um, Carrie?” JJ’s voice suddenly broke her out of her trans, “So d’you wanna do something together or -”

“Yes!” she said, a little too excitedly for her own taste, of course I’d like to hang out with you, JJ, she thought, “What do you want to do?”

JJ’s face immediately lit up at her words, “Well I was thinking perhaps a picnic?”

Caroline raised an eyebrow, “Don’t picnics require food? We don’t have access to anything unless it’s mealtime,”

“Yeah, but we do have whiskey,” JJ winked with a mischievous look on his face, walking towards the storage room of the girls’ cabin where they still had a few bottles of alcohol left.

Caroline rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless – this was going to finally be her first date with JJ Maybank. Well, sort of.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The afternoon sun was low in the sky, casting a beautiful orange reflection onto the peaceful water of lake Willowdale. Caroline and JJ had taken a seat on the lakefront, drinking their whiskeys and admiring the sunset, reminiscing the days when they were kids again.

“D’you remember that one summer when Rafe Cameron got food poisoning and ended up barfing on stage at the Will-all-hail banquet?” JJ laughed at the memory.

Caroline frowned, thinking about it, “Beats having Rafe Cameron as your counselor by a mile,”

JJ turned to look at her, eyebrows raised, “Rafe was a counselor here?” his tone almost sounding amused.

Caroline nodded, “Oh yeah,” she smirked, “For the same reason as Sarah – too stuck up for his own good so their dad shipped him over here as a punishment,”

JJ snorted, “I mean that family is pretty far up their own ass,”

“They have a sister too,” said Caroline, “I haven’t seen her around here though, so we at least know that one of them must be doing something right,”

The pair laughed at the thought of their spoiled friend and her older brother.

“Man, I missed this place,” said JJ suddenly, leaning back on his elbows.

His tone sounded different as he looked at the horizon and Caroline could sense that something wasn’t right, “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask -”

“Parents got divorced,” JJ quickly explained, “And unfortunately for me, my dad got custody,” he sighed, “Somehow my mom was deemed ‘incapable’ of taking care of me because she couldn’t financially afford to. Load of bullshit, if you ask me,”

“But my mom -”

“Yeah, they still talk,” said JJ, knowing what Caroline was about to say, “I still see my mom every other weekend, you know, it’s not the end of the world,” he smiled at Caroline reassuringly, “It’s just living with my old man meant working for my cut at home, which also meant summer jobs back in Kildare,”

“So that’s where you’ve been all this time…” whispered Caroline, mostly to herself, however JJ heard her.

“Yeah,” he responded, “Now that I’m old enough to be a counselor here and actually get paid for coming to summer camp I thought why not? Besides, your mom did tip mine off that you’d be here too,” he winked at Caroline, making her blush.

“Yeah, about that,” she said apologetically, “My mom likes to yap a lot, I wouldn’t take most of what she says seriously,”

“Well you are here, aren’t you?” said JJ, his face slightly leaning in towards Caroline’s.

Holy shit, this was it. Caroline was about to kiss JJ Maybank after a decade of fawning over him. Shit, shit, shit, she hadn’t really kissed anyone since that idiot from her class planted one on her at prom. What if she was a bad kisser? What if she’d forgotten how to kiss? As JJ closed his eyes and leaned even closer, Caroline decided to push the doubtful thoughts to the side as she closed her eyes too, leaning in towards him too. Their faces were inches apart, hearts pounding in their chests and, just as their lips were finally about to meet –

“There you are!” Sarah’s loud voice came from the hill behind them, startling them and making them both jump and immediately pull apart and straighten up. John B stumbled after her.

Caroline coughed awkwardly, trying to cover up the shame and embarrassment she was currently feeling, “Sarah… what are you doing here?”

With a knowing smirk on her face, Sarah put both hands on her hips, “Nothing,” she sing-sang, obviously finding the whole situation hilarious, “I’m sure it can wait,” she winked down at Caroline, while John B was waving around frantically behind Sarah at JJ, mouthing the words “DID YOU BONE?!” quite obviously.

JJ groaned as he stood up, helping Caroline up as well, “We’re all yours now, Sarah, what’s up?”

“Well me and John B had the afternoon free as well, so we went out front to his van and you’ll never believe what was taped to the door,”

“Wait, why’d you go to his van in the first place?”

Sarah rolled her eyes, “That’s beside the point now, Carrie, look” she shoved a piece of paper in the girl’s hands.

As Caroline unfolded the paper, the group gathered around her to look at what was written on it - 41° 56’ 54.3732” N, 87° 39’ 19.2024” W.

“I have no idea what that means though,” confessed Sarah.

“Looks like coordinates to me,” said JJ.

“Hey, that’s what I said!” gasped John B, “But Sarah didn’t want to believe me,”

“Does anyone know how to read geographical coordinates?” JJ looked at his friends.

“Do I look like Google Maps to you?” asked Sarah.

“You’re right,” Caroline said as an idea sparked in her mind, “We can’t read coordinates, but I know someone who can,”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“I’m just saying, Miss P,” JJ spoke confidently once the group was inside Pricilla’s office, “Now’s about the best time to host the traditional yearly treasure hunt,”

Pricilla squinted up at JJ through her pink glasses from where she was sat at her desk, “Keep talking, Maybank,”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit odd that it’s already been two weeks and none of these kids can read a compass yet?” continued JJ, earning a slow nod from the camp director, “Think about it, Miss P – Willowdale ain’t Willowdale without its treasure hunt,”

As JJ spoke, the rest of the group were silently praying behind him that his charismatic way with manipulating will work on Pricilla, giving them an excuse to ask her to decipher the mysterious coordinates they had gotten their hands onto. The old lady leaned back in her old leather chair and looked at JJ skeptically for a while, adding to the already built up tension.

“Give me a few days to map out the course and set up the coordinates,” she finally spoke, causing everyone in the group to silently cheer behind JJ. As they thanked her and turned to leave, she spoke up again, “Oh, and Maybank,” she called, everyone turning to look at her, “No funny business,”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Finally some normal camp activities. Thank you for reading so far, I would greatly appreciate you letting me know what you think about the story and the characters xxx

tags: @k-k0129 ; @hayleyy-l ; @marvellover04 ; @dumbasscorn ; @thrown-off-her-rhythm

[rogue-durin-16]

MERMAID

Summary: the sexual tension of George and Y/n's weird friendship is getting the best of their friends, so when Harry suggests a trip to the Black Lake, they become adamant about getting them together.

Pairing: George Weasley x Reader

Genre: fluff

Tags:

Permanent taglist: @elia-the-bibliophile @randomparanoid @karlthecat15722 @thebutchersdaughtersblog @amourtentiaa

Warnings: language and a bit of makeout

A/N: BITCH I THOUGHT THIS WAS A SHORT ONE??? I needed some fluff for this boy since I'm torturing him, so here it goes an idea I had half asleep in the bus, enjoy <3

Rogue-durin-16 masterlist

"They're literally— her legs are wrapped around his hips— are you kidding me?!" I whispered-shouted in desperation. "This is unbearable!"

"Fred relax, they just need a little push." Hermione's words sounded ridiculous even for her own ears.

"I brought her here!" Harry backed me up, equally annoyed. "If that's not one hell of a push, then what is it?"

"Shush, boys." Ginny spoke, her eyes still closed under her sunglasses as she laid on her towel. "We have hours ahead of us for them to make a move."

I puffed, my eyes returning to George, whose arms were wrapped around Y/n's middle from behind, making her squeal before throwing her to a deeper part of the lake.

They would not make a move.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

READER'S P. O. V.

We had moved to the dock in order to see the sunset better, and, now that the sun was low and the light lacking, we began to pick things up.

"Why the long face?" George questioned when he saw my gaze.

"I'd have enjoyed a night swim, if I'm being honest." I got up and went to grab my bag. "Another time I g— George!" I couldn't help but cry out when his arms picked me up and threw me into the water. "You fucking plonker!" I yelled, moving my wet hair away from my face. "This was the only dress I brought!" The lake wasn't as deep there, so I could easily stand on my feet and climb up, but I was already drenched.

George was bent over himself, laughing loudly, so he was helpless when Ginny pushed him into the lake.

As he resurfaced besides me, I couldn't help but burst into laughter at his shocked, betrayed face; it was priceless.

"Have fun you two." Ginny spoke as the rest laughed. "C'mon guys." The redhead grabbed my bag and Hermione picked George's, and soon it was just the two of us there.

"Aren't you going to thank me?" George broke the silence, crouching to dip his body underwater, protecting it for the blows of wind.

"Why?" I moved deeper into the lake, seeking the protection of the chill temperature too.

"You got your night swim."

"My dress is soaked!" I exclaimed, splashing him right in the face.

"Oi, so is my shirt!" He replied, following my lead and diving in. We stayed like that for a couple of minutes, idly swimming and floating until George stopped moving and spoke. "You know? You kinda remind me of a mermaid."

"You've seen a lot of them?" I quirked an eyebrow, giving up the swimming to stand on my feet.

"Git." He send a splash of water in my direction, making me giggle. "I mean like the one in the perfects' bathroom."

"You're not allowed into the prefects' bathroom, Weasley," I moved my hands on the water's surface, creating little waves around me. "Unlike me, you're not a Prefect, because only prats become Prefects." I quoted him in a mocking tone.

"Are you gonna rat me out, Y/l/n?" He teased, eyebrows raised as he circled me.

"I would, but I don't get anything out of it." I shrugged, sinking into the water once more until the only thing over it was my face. "Sooo..."

"Sooo..." He mocked me, making my eyes roll.

"A mermaid." George hummed, taking a look at the moon, which was shinning more than it usually would. "Is it because I'll lure you into the depths of the black lake?" I inquired, his eyes meeting mines when my hands found his underwater tugging him towards me as I stepped back, deeper into the water.

"I'd follow you without question." He dramatically replied, doing as he had said with a smile on his face until his feet couldn't reach the bottom.

"How romantic." My fingertips traveled up his forearms, reaching his shoulders as he moved even closer to me.

A wicked smile slipped through my gaze and he didn't have time to step back before I shoved him down in repay for dunking me earlier. I was quick to rush in the shore's direction, but not quick enough.

"Oi, not so fast!" He half swam half ran after me, taking a hold of my leg and pulling on it, and, given that I was standing on my tiptoes, consequently dragging me back to him. "You're a nightmare."

"I think you mean a dream." I mused, spinning to meet his gaze.

"Nah," His hands had left my legs after I catching me, and now rested on my hips. "I'm pretty sure of what I mean."

"Is it because I haunt your dreams in the night?" I laughed at my own joke, my fingertips toying with the hem of his shirt, slightly floating due to the water. "Can't sleep with the thought of me on your mind, huh?"

It was meant to be another playful tease, but by the way his hands' hold tightened ever so slightly, it dawned on me that maybe I had taken a too accurate guess.

My heart hammered against my chest as I have his shirt a tug. "If you wanna kiss me so bad, pretty boy, why don't you?"

He snorted as if I was joking; I couldn't blame him, though. We were always joking about that. "Why don't you kiss me, if you want it so bad?"

I went for a laugh and a shake of my head as a response, not trusting my voice. A particularly cool blow of wind caught us and he shivered; the temperature had gone significantly lower in the last couple of minutes. "C'mon, I don't wanna freeze to death, and we got a long way to the common room." I caught one of his hands as they left my hips and led him back to the shore. "They took the towels?!"

"Don't worry," the ginger said, taking off this drenched tee to wring it out. "We'll kill them later." He assured me, throwing the clothing back on as I wringed the hem of my dress. "C'mon, love." This time it was him taking my hand to lead the way.

We walked in silence, cracking a joke or two as we made our way to the castle. Finally reaching the stairs of the boat house, we began to climb them.

"Oi." George gave my hand a tug, his eyes scanning our surroundings. "You heard that?"

"Stop it." I chuckled, playfully bumping his chest before attempting to pull his hand to resume our walk; he had been pulling the strange noise card the whole walk. "C'mon—"

"Shhh!"

"I'm not gonna fall for it." I climbed off one of the steps to meet the ginger. "I'm cold so—" and then I heard it. "What...?" My gaze left the boy to scrutinise the darkness over his shoulder.

"Told you." He whispered, prompting me to come closer to him with a squeeze on my hand.

"You've been joking about that the whole time!" I scolded in an equally quiet tone.

"Who said I was joking?" the eyes of us both fixed at the bottom of the stairs trying to discern something.

"You think we should go check...?"

"Darling, I think that's the worst idea you've ever had." He responded. "It could be anything— we're out here at night."

"Yeah, but we're almost in the castle." We had come incredibly closer, partially because of the unnerving feeling that something was watching us, but also because of the wind that hit our still very wet clothes.

He seemed to think for a moment before turning back to me. "Walk before me." He instructed, already pushing me upstairs. "I'll keep an eye behind us."

The paranoia in my mind increased as we went up— we were outside the castle, it truly could be anything, and I didn't exactly enjoy the idea of George at the back.

That noise again.

I huffed, frustration and fear growing inside me.

"Don't worry." George, who until now had been at least three steps behind me, rushed up, holding my waist and giving me a gentle squeeze. "It's probably nothing, alright?"

"Walk by me." I requested, in a mutter.

He seemed to understand the nature of my plead and his hands left my waist so he would be able to fall into step with me. "Can't take your eyes off me, huh?" He successfully lightened up the mood, but right when I was about to tease back, the damn noise sounded again, this time making us jump. "What the hell..."

"That sounded close." I pointlessly observed. George groaned when he went to grab his wand and realised it was in his bag, most likely in the common room already. "Running to the boathouse is very tempting." I joked, leaning on him with my eyes still looking for the source of our fear.

"Blimey, Aurora!" we had to refrain our yelps when Professor Sprout's voice ended the tense silence we had fallen in. "Didn't think I'd find you here."

As the Professors seemed to descend the stairs and consequently come closer, George and I shared a panicked look. In a rush of adrenaline, I tugged him to the edge of the stairs and made him jump out to the raw rocks with me right after him; we made it just in time for Sinistra and Sprout to walk down the place where we had been an instant ago.

GEORGE'S P.O.V.

Y/n peeked over the rail to see the two women chatting, following their path without any sign of suspicion. With a sigh of relief, her eyes fell on me, crouched besides her with a hand on the stone rail to steady myself. I raised my eyebrows, surprised at her resolution, and then proceeded to chuckle, which earned me a kick on my leg.

"Shut it." She warned me with a smile of her own.

Silence fell among us once again, and, when she stood up, propping herself on the railing, my mind decided it was a good time to stare.

She was always a sight for sore eyes, but now with the moonlight reflecting on her hair and skin, she seemed to glow. Her dress, though it was meant to be flowy, had stuck to her torso due to the water, and hugged her curves in the most delightful way. Oh what I would give for her to realise I wanted to hold her tight in a different way as she allowed me to.

"I'm gonna pretend you're not ogling me." She informed me, her eyes still fixed on the path our Professors had taken. I only smiled to myself, standing up to jump back to the stairs before offering her both my hands.

"C'mon darling." She took them in hers before climbing up the railing and jumping down in front of me.

Her words had been echoing in my mind during the whole walk.

-If you wanna kiss me so bad, pretty boy, why don't you?-

Did she mean it?

"What is it?" She questioned with a confused smile, staring at me. "What?" She repeated, but my mind was somewhere else.

My mind was at the lake, where her hands had roamed over my bare skin several times; where I had held her against me in nothing more than our bathing suits; where we had been left alone and she had found a thousand different reasons to take my hands or pull me closer; where her tone had dropped as she said those words at mere inches of my lips.

"George," she snapped her fingers in front of my eyes. "we gotta go."

Not yet, I thought, taking a step towards Y/n that felt like a leap of faith. Though she took a step back, her hands held my forearms, taking me with her just like she had done moments ago at the lake.

And just like it had happened before, her eyes lured me into drowning, and I followed without question.

The kiss was as deep as the black lake, my hands finding the rail behind her for some extra support —I had become weak on the knees, my legs feeling as if they were about to give out—, and her hands going from my arms to my chest without pulling away from my body.

The synchrony of our lips was unbelievably perfect, sending shocks through my whole body.

My lips detached from hers to pepper kisses down her jaw to her neck.

"George..." My name came up of her as a quiet moan and I felt dizzy, not noticing the moan that came out of my own mouth. "George," she called again, this time with a more steady voice, clearing her throat before pushing me away with her hand on my chest.

"Something wrong?" I inquired, trying to get a grip on myself. "Did I—?

"No— I'm very much enjoying this," She assured me. "but a moment ago we were scared shitless because—"

That noise.

Whatever that was, it was nearly in front of us. That time, along with that weird noise, something like whispers were heard.

We both yelped when Harry's Cloak of Invisibility was thrown to the ground before us, revealing three grinning idiots, them being Fred, Ron and Harry.

"On Merlin's beard..." My cheeks started to burn and I felt the imperative need of hiding my face. "What are you doing?"

"We needed to see if you'd finally make a move." Ron explained.

"We even bet on where would it happen." Harry confessed, making my cheeks go even redder. "Now we owe Ginny money." He grunted. "Ugh, you were so close on the lake, I almost won."

"For a moment there, Georgie," Fred was biting back a laugh. "I thought we would witness you two shagging." Ron grimaced at the thought. "Poor Harry panicked and threw the cloak down."

"I'm gonna murder y'all." Y/n jumped in, nearly as mortified as I was. "I finally got him to kiss me and you go and kill the mood! Why don't you piss off so we can do it again?"

Fred got the memo thanks to Y/n's death glare and they rushed upstairs, my twin brother whispering a quick 'congrats' as he passed by me.

"Well that wasn't like I expected our first kiss to go." She confessed, letting out a laugh at the sight of me. "You're as red as a beetroot."

"Shut up." I bumped her arm, a grin twitching the corners of my lips. "So you want me to kiss you again?"

"Of course." Her arms wrapped around my neck, bringing my closer. "If possible, without involving voyeurism." I snorted, tugging her hips to mines before leaning on to kiss her again.

Little did we know that Hermione and Ginny, ever the smart and subtle ones, were watching from the top of the stairs.

[scarcrossedheartdust]

A Madness Shared By Two Siren Battle

Spoilers for A Madness Shared By Two. Under the cut TW for self harm mentions and blood

A haunting song filled the night air as most people slept. Brown eyes opened and without a second glance to the sleeping form next to him he started to head to the sound. It belonged to a red headed woman standing by the lake. "Hello Petey."

"Such a good boy Petey coming out here to see me. Although it pains me to know you're married now you won't be for long you'll be here with me. "

"Over my re-dead body bitch! Get your slutty hands the fuck away from him!" Her blue eyes looked and was met with a pair of icy blue eyes that didn't look too happy about being awake.

"Patrick?! You're supposed to be dead!"

"I am and I'm going to prove to you my song is stronger than yours!"

"So you really wanna battle a siren Pattycakes? You know what will happen and then Petey will be mine anyways."

"Don't call me that and don't call him that. I'm going to win this or die trying."

“You? You never liked to sing you’re too shy and you probably can’t sing but go ahead try.”

The both of them started belting out Hallelujah. Pete’s brown eyes were glazed over still and in his minds eye he saw blue eyes but who they belonged to he couldn’t quite place….

Halfway through Patrick’s knees started to wobble and fell down starting to vomit. “Give it up Pat you can’t beat a siren I don’t know how you’re back but I was the one that convinced Gerard to kill you so I COULD have Pete.”

Blue eyes flickered yellow before lighting up in angelic blue/white glow. “You just signed your own death certificate.” Wiping his mouth on the back of his hand Patrick started to sing again…although the song was different.

“It's all a game of this or that, now versus then

Better off against worse for wear

And you're someone who knows someone who knows someone I once knew

And I just want to be a part of this

The road outside my house is paved with good intentions

Hired a construction crew 'cause it's hell on the engine

And you are the dreamer and we are the dream

I could write it better than you ever felt it”

Pete’s hands started to twitch the image behind his minds eye started to develop. He still saw blue eyes but the red hair was fading and turning more strawberry blonde..

“So hum hallelujah, just off the key of reason

I thought I loved you, but it was just how you looked in the light

A teenage vow in a parking lot, 'til tonight do us part

I sing the blues and swallow them too”

 Pete was still by Ashlee’s side and she was singing too. Patrick knew battling a siren could make him sick..but he didn’t care this was for Pete the only anchor to this life he had…besides the kids which he wouldn’t have if not for Pete.

“My words are my faith, to hell with our good name

A remix of your guts, your insides x-rayed

And one day we'll get nostalgic for disaster

We're a bull, your ears are just a china shop

I love you in the same way, there's a chapel in a hospital

One foot in your bedroom and one foot out the door

Sometimes we take chances, sometimes we take pills

I could write it better than you ever felt it”

Patrick looked at Pete and he was still next to the skank. Patrick could feel the vomit rising in his throat again but yet he still sang..hoping the next part would get his husband back.

“Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu-

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu-

(Hum hallelujah, hum hallelujah, hum hallelujah, hum hallelujah)

A teenage vow in a parking lot, 'til tonight do us part

I sing the blues and swallow them too”

After the last line Patrick was keeled over in the bushes vomiting again. Gods it was worse than morning sickness he had with all the kids (well maybe not the twins) put together. When he felt a hand on his back he looked up and baby blues met wide eyed browns.

“Trick? You okay?”

“Yes and no.. I feel like shit but..you’re here. So that’s a plus.”

“HOW HOW COULD YOU CHOSE HIM OVER ME?! HE’S FAT AND UGLY! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MINE PETE!” She fired  an energy orb at the pair and Patrick’s eyes widened in his current state there wasn’t much he could do…

Before the energy orb could hit them an energy beam countered it. “Don’t you EVER EVER call him fat and ugly again. He’s perfect in every way. Selfless,beautiful and overall a perfect pure creature. He’s a lot stronger than you and he held back. He held back because he knows I don’t like to see him get consumed by his rage.” One of Pete’s arms was around Patrick the other outstretched where he had fired the energy beam from.

“Come on Petey come back to me.” She started her siren song again and once again brown eyes started to glaze over.  Patrick pale and blue eyes lacking their normal fire stood up.

“Really we’re doing this again? I beat you once I’ll do it again!”

“You can’t beat a siren..Tricky.”

“Watch me. “ Again he took a breath and shakily started to sing.

“Don't panic

No, not yet

I know I'm the one you want to forget

Cue all the love to leave my heart

It's time for me to fall apart

Now you're gone

But I'll be okay

Your hot whisky eyes

Have fanned the flames

Maybe I'll burn a little brighter tonight

Let the fire breathe me back to life

Baby, you were my picket fence

I miss missing you now and then

Chlorine kissed summer skin

I miss missing you now and then

Sometimes before it gets better

The darkness gets bigger

The person that you'd take a bullet for is behind the trigger

Oh, we're fading fast

I miss missing you now and then”

He wobbled and looked over at Pete whose eyes snapped back to normal at the sad melody. This was what Patrick and Pete always sang to each other when the other down.  

“Making eyes at this husk around my heart

I see through you when we're sitting in the dark

So give me your filth

Make it rough

Let me, let me trash your love

I will sing to you every day

If it will take away the pain

Oh and I've heard you got it, got it so bad

'Cause HE IS the best you'll never have

Baby, you were my picket fence

I miss missing you now and then

Chlorine kissed summer skin

I miss missing you now and then

Sometimes before it gets better

The darkness gets bigger

The person that you'd take a bullet for is behind the trigger

Oh, we're fading fast

I miss missing you now and then“

Tears pricked at the corner of Patrick’s eyes as he finally started to collapse forward. He would’ve hit the ground if Pete hadn’t dashed forward to catch him. “Okay that’s it we’re done here. Stop trying to lure me away from him…he needs me and I need him. We’re soulmates you stupid cunt. You could’ve asked me out in school but you didn’t you were a bitch then and you’re a bigger bitch now. Having a pretty face and voice doesn’t mean you can lure anyone in. Patrick’s got a PRETTIER face and ANGELIC voice and he doesn’t need it to seduce me. He does that by being himself.”

From Pete’s arms Patrick groaned. “Shut up..I do not.”

With a fast shimmer they were back home and Pete carried Patrick up the stairs. “Pete..baby you don’t have to do this I can walk.”

“Nope absolutely not you exhausted yourself in that battle.”

“I absolutely did not.”

“You’re being stubborn and won’t admit it.”

Patrick pouted but didn’t protest when Pete laid him down in the bed especially when he laid next to him.

“Now lets go back to sleep especially since I know how much you hate being up early.”

A kiss to his nose and a low grumble that sounded like shut up as Patrick snuggled into his arms.

Patrick wasn’t sure how long he was asleep for when he heard it…the haunting siren call. Blue eyes glazed over as he untangled himself from Pete and slowly started to head towards the source of the noise.

Pete was a much lighter sleeper than his husband and felt him get up. He assumed maybe Patrick was going to the bathroom or maybe to check on Mycah. But either way he shouldn’t be walking alone..he was still weak from his battle with the siren. And that’s when Pete could just faintly hear it….that bitch was going after Patrick..

When Pete had found them Ashlee was singing by her lake and Patrick…Patrick was crucified against the tree..blue-silver blood dripping from his wrists and his head hanging down against his chest. “WHAT THE EVER LOVING FUCK DID YOU DO TO HIM?”

“Who says I did it darling? I’m just singing my song..for a lonely broken heart…yours.”

“My heart isn’t broken..its filled with rage that I’m going to kill yo—“ He was cut off  by Patrick’s shrill screech as she sliced her nails down his arm causing more of the blue-silver blood to flow.

“Come on Petey you’re a vampire aren’t you and this one..he’s the head white angel how  tempting that must be for you. I promise I’ll take care of you just come kill him like a good vampire.”

Vampires were naturally drawn to white angel blood it was like catnip to a cat to them. Patrick wasn’t just a white angel..he was the head white angel so his scent was one million times more alluring than any of his followers. Throw in that Patrick was well Pete’s other half and it was infinity more times alluring than any scent in the world. Pete’s eyes flashed red and his fangs extended. He ended up biting his own hand first. “I won’t hurt him… I hate drinking his blood. Leave him alone…I’ll go with you.”

“Pete…no..” Patrick’s eyes were becoming more focused and the cuts on him had vanished. Pete didn’t know his husband could heal without using his hands. He did however know how strong Patrick was so he wasn’t surprised to see him break free of his binds once his cuts were healed. “I can beat her I just need the energy…I need you.”

“You’ve tried Tricky and you failed. You gave in so NICELY when I was torturing you earlier.”

Patrick frowned as he saw what had transpired before Pete got there.

“You came I didn’t think I could lure a celestial being such as you..usually it’s creatures of the night. We’re going to have some fun before I kill you.” 

Next thing Patrick knew he was crucified against the tree tight wire digging into his wrist causing the blood to start dripping.  The pain was excruciating and it reminded Patrick of his past..his dark past that almost cost him Pete. 

“Thinking of him? Don’t worry he’ll come then he’ll be mine.”

“I don’t care what you do to me…leave him alone.”

“Whats on your mind Tricky? Mean little ole me could fuck your mind better than Gerard ever could..or what about your dear old parents?”

Instantly Patrick froze and went completely rigid. Memories of curling in the corner hiding while adults screamed saying magic was make believe and to grow up to be a real man not some fag waving a wand flashed into his head. Pale white hands covered his ears and he started to rock back and forth.

Pete was at a loss..he had never seen Patrick like this…what did this devil woman do to him? “WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?”

“Nothing..yet he’s weak Petey how can you expect him to protect you?”

“I don’t need him to protect me! Leave him alone!” 

“Why? You’re going to kill him.” With a few words a wall of water rose up and lifted Patrick in the air before freezing so it imprisoned him. Ashlee hopped up to him cutting his shirt down with her nails and then dragging her nails over his right shoulder where the tattoo of Pete’s name was.  Blue eyes opened wide and he started to scream again thrashing against his icy binds as the ice dug into him and more blood started to pour out of previously healed wounds.

Pete followed her because he needed to wake Patrick up there was no way he could win this fight alone.“Patrick! Patrick wake up I’m here…I’m right here Trick… and I am so so so sorry.”

“He can’t hear you. As far as he knows he’s this scared little teenager again that was hopelessly in love with his best friend that was just out of his reach.  So since that’s true..I’ll make sure to erase his memory of you permanently.” She finally reached down to his left hand where streaks of blue-silver blood trailed and almost helped lubricate his ring finger allowing her to pull off the silver band.

When Pete saw her remove Patrick’s wedding band the bloodlust in his subsided but the anger rose to a fever pitch. He would never forget the day him and Patrick got married. Bathed in the warm glow of Patrick’s angel palace a place that Pete by all regards didn’t belong. But Patrick was firm and said for the light to exist it needed a little dark.  That was what was engraved on those wedding bands. Alongside the date and a brief signature.  He remembered dipping Patrick all the way down to kiss him in front of all their friends and how Patrick despite turning a beautiful shade of pink (it clashed with the all white that he was wearing) allowed it and even was the one to attempt to deepen it. The way they had waltzed around to their wedding song was magical. 

Pete was at a loss. He didn’t know how to save Patrick. If roles were reversed Patrick would’ve had him safely in his arms by now.Even when Pete was named head vampire Patrick didn’t bat an eyelash about going to the vampire kingdom with him for the coronation ceremony.Even though it put him in extreme danger given how attractive a white angel’s blood was to a vampire. But no Patrick this pure and beautiful selfless creature walked confidently hand in hand with Pete and smiled when Pete was told it was him, he was the new head vampire.  At that moment he finally felt worthy of Patrick. Even though he was older than Patrick he always felt like Patrick was out of reach, he was smart, he was strong and he could command the white angel army easier than he could fall asleep. Pete sought out Patrick’s advice about ruling a species and Patrick just shrugged and gave him that smile with those blue eyes. “Just be yourself.”

Ashlee had raised the prison even higher and sent a wall of water crashing into Pete knocking him back down to the ground.Fists clenched after looking down his left wrist where Patrick’s name was inked into his skin forever.  Using his super ability to jump fifty feet in the air he landed on the ice prison where Ashlee was still clawing her nails into Patrick who wasn’t screaming anymore and was just staring straight ahead like he was…oh god he couldn’t be.

“Get your fucking disgusting hands off him and I won’t punch you hard enough to make your ancestors feel it.”

“Awe but Petey….I’ll comfort you..sorry for the loss of your sweet sweet husband but face it. He was a little geek and you two just didn’t fit together. You’re better off without him—“ The punch when it came was hard and Pete felt like he was borderline going feral.  “Give me his wedding band RIGHT NOW OR I’LL TEAR YOU APART PIECE BY PIECE.”

The next bunch of events happened so fast it was a blur. The two of them were wrestling and Pete had to admit she was strong considering his super human strength. Dear gods Patrick couldn’t really be dead could he?

Her sharp claws dug down his arms and he screamed at the pain and slashed at her with his own claws.

“Ice carcerem!” Now Ashlee was imprisoned in an ice prison just like she had done to Patrick and Pete was grateful he remembered a few spells from his school days.

“Now I am going to tear you apart limb by limb. You’ll pay for what you did to him. I don’t know how to destroy a siren but I’ll figure it out!”

“You? You were too busy banging Gabe to pay attention how did you ever pass scho—“

Pete wondered what made her stop talking even as he pressed his hand to skin trying to stop the bleeding. If he had fed he’d be self healing but he hadn’t eaten in awhile.

“Oh, the things that you do in the name of what you love

You were doomed but just enough

You were doomed but just enough

If you were church, whoo

I'd get on my knees, yeah

Confess my love, I'd know where to be

My sanctuary, you're holy to me

If you were church, yeah, I'd get on my knees

I love the world but I just don't love the way it makes me feel

Got a few more fake friends

And it's getting hard to know what's real

And if death is the last appointment

Then we're all just sitting in the waiting room

I am just a human trying to avoid my certain doom”’

Pete heard the haunting melody and it was a call like another siren…dear gods Ashlee was bad enough.

“I didn’t know there was another siren nearby…but still they can’t have you. I claimed you first Petey..” She started to wail as the mystery siren’s song changed to something darker…

“All the writers keep writing what they write

Somewhere another pretty vein just dies

I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see

That you're the antidote to everything except for me

A constellation of tears on your lashes

Burn everything you love

Then burn the ashes

In the end everything collides

My childhood spat back the monster that you see

My songs know what you did in the dark

So light em up…ignis anguis!”

That last bit was not a song..it was a spell..a spell Pete remembered being cast the year they all got snowed in at the magic school.  The fire snake wrapped slowly around Ashlee’s ankles.  Her ice prison was melting and the collision of heat and steam made it hard to see. 

Pete sighed softly and just started to sing softly trying to comfort himself for dealing with the after math of this battle.

“The tombstones are waiting

They were half engraved

They knew it was over”

Pete didn’t know how he was supposed to deal with losing Patrick again…

“Just didn't know the date”

He jumped about ten feet in the air when he heard someone singing with him.Was it the siren that had helped him? Were there good sirens? Maybe this one didn’t attract married men…so maybe Pete was safe, for the moment.

“And I cast a spell over the West

To make you think of me

The same way I think of you

This is a love song in my own way

Happily ever after below the waist”

And now the siren’s voice sounded familiar and Pete slapped himself. It wasn’t a siren’s voice it was an angel’s voice…his angel’s voice and he barely had time to process that when he felt lips on his. 

“How did you get out of that mess? I thought you were dead!” Not caring about covering each other in their own blood the pair found themselves in a vice grip hug. “We’re connected love as long as you live I’ll find a way back to you. Plus well I can heal myself you know. Now then.”

Pete watched as Patrick stood up and faced Ashlee. Despite being tortured he stood strong. “I believe you have my wedding band give it back and maybe I’ll remove the flames. Tell me Ashlee am I more than you bargained for yet?”

“Hey Trick? I’m glad you’re okay but I can’t get my arm to stop bleeding think you could?”

“Oh God…I’m sorry Pete..but I’m not going to heal you. You’re going to heal yourself.”

“You know I can’t…OH!”

Brown met blue (although Patrick’s eyes were more green from using his angelic siren powers) and Pete saw Patrick’s plush pink lips curve into a smirk. He walked behind his husband and held him by his waist nuzzling into his neck. “I still feel bad…”

“Sush and just bite me.”

“Trick baby..don’t you think you’ve lost enough blood..”

“I swear to fuck Peter if you don’t bite me…trust me…I know my body…and I need you.”

If there was one thing Pete couldn’t refuse it was when Patrick’s voice went low and raspy. It was like his voice dripped of sex,which right now Pete reminded himself it probably was.

~#~

Having retrieved his wedding band back from Ashlee Patrick smirked looking at Pete. “Well put it on and kiss me.”

“Babe you really want me to kiss you? My mouth is tainted with your blood and my own.” The ring was slid onto Patrick’s ring finger and he sighed softly however…

“I don’t care kiss me now so help me—mmmph!”

His hands tangled in Pete’s hair and their hips crashed against each other’s before Patrick broke the kiss leaving Pete confused. “Wait here..I’m gonna make sure she can’t bother us anymore.”

Patrick couldn’t jump as high as Pete could but he could fly and was up at the top of Ashlee’s slowly melting ice prison the clashing of his and Pete’s fire and ice spells. “Well well well what have we here?”

Ashlee looked at him and gasped. “You…you look different…you’re not fat like you were in school and you’re glowing.”

“I know and I haven’t been for awhile. You were just too blind to see.  I’m going to sing you one more song and then we’re done.”

“So wear me like a locket around your throat I’ll weigh you down,I’ll watch you choke you look so good in blue.” Closing his eyes and repeating in his head that this was for him and Pete he locked his lips on hers letting the combination of the mixture of his and Pete’s blood flow into the open cut on her lips. He pulled back smirking the spell was complete.

The fire started to rise and she started to screech. “What did you do to me?”

“Killed you with the power of love sweetheart now if you don’t mind I’m washing my mouth with soap and going home to bang my husband until the sun rises. Toodles!”

"See Ashlee i would say thanks for the memories even though they weren't that great but Pete tastes like you only sweeter...much much sweeter."

Once he was back on the ground with Pete no words were exchanged just  strong embrace. After a moment Patrick spoke up in his low, husky voice. “Can I take you home Pete?”

“Do you have to ask Trick?”

With a flash of blue they disappeared just as Ashlee turned to dust.

Pete was laying in his and Patrick’s bed naked minus his boxers and glanced at the bathroom door where he could see his husband also naked minus his boxers and undershirt. “Trick…you’re going to scrub your teeth away you’ve brushed them about twenty times. Not to mention how many times you washed your face..”

“I DON’T CARE THAT WAS VILE!”

[ikeromantic]

Not Cold Enough

An Ikevamp Leonardo daVinci fanfic, approx 1200 words. Pretty fluffy stuff. This is a continuation of the scene in Change - that’s mid to end of Ch. 9 

That boat ride was the moment I actually started to like Leo ^_^ 

First: That First Night

Previous: Change

Leonardo took a deep breath. He found these kind of direct conversations difficult.  “Ah, I wanted to say. What you’re going through, it’s not strange.  This anxiousness you feel won’t last. Things will resolve themselves in time. You’ll see.”

His compagna took a sharp breath, clearly not expecting that turn in the conversation. “I’m anxious?”

He settled a hand on her shoulder, glad for the glove that separated his skin from hers. It was one more thing he didn’t need to feel right now. Not if he wanted to . . . maintain. Leo steadied himself and looked at her again. “I know you’re afraid you won’t be able to go home.”

“No! You’re wrong. I - I never thought that!” Her sudden stiffness gave the lie to her protest.

“Mmm, cara mia, you’re a terrible liar.” Leonardo leaned closer to her, though it made the boat rock to move. “I saw you that day, in le Comte’s study. You were looking at the hourglass and thinking you were all alone.”

She blinked at him with those wide, guileless eyes. He thought he saw the beginnings of tears behind them, but he had not brought her here to see a goddess cry. 

“You said a smile would make it better. And then you smiled.” He stroked a thumb along the side of her face. “You were so courageous, cara mia.”

His compagna let her cheek rest against his hand. 

Leonardo shook his head. “I know you did it for us - to keep everyone from worrying about you. But I can’t stand by and watch my compagna do that to herself.”

Her little face scrunched up in thought and then she said his name.

“Yes?”

“All the things we did this last week - you did all of that on purpose? To cheer me up?”

Leo sniffed as if offended. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, cara.”

She stopped leaning against his hand and frowned. “No. It was a plan! You’re plan. It’s all too spontaneous, even for you.”

He wondered briefly what she meant by that. How could she know what was impetuous for him? He would have to ask Sebas if he’d been sharing certain written works. But her next comment derailed him.

“It’s fine - don’t answer. You don’t have to tell me anything.” His compagna didn’t say it angrily. She sounded apathetic, as if she’d given up on talking to him about it despite her animation a moment ago.

“Ah, so disheartened. That wasn’t my intent at all.” Leonardo hated that she saw through him so easily. Admitting it was like - like losing a game to Arthur. You might know it was coming but it still stung. He fished a cigarillo from his pocket and lit it. After a long, slow drag, he nodded. “I confess, cara mia. I decided if you were going to force yourself to smile even when you were alone, I’d make sure you weren’t alone.”

“Why?”

“Mmm, because when we are all alone, we belong only to ourselves. Trust me, cara. That’s not always a good thing. And,” he paused, “By happy chance, you started opening up to the others in the mansion. Making friends.” 

His compagna smiled, a real smile. “Did I?”

“You did. And you started smiling your true smile. Just as you are right now. Beautiful.”

She laughed softly. “And that was your plan all along.”

“Just so. But I will apologize for ruining whatever you wanted to do this week with my selfish desires.” He was glad she believed just that far - that he wanted to cheer her. Not the rest. That he wanted to spend this time with her. To enjoy her. 

The girl looked abashed. “I, I’m sorry too, Leonardo. I shouldn’t have -”

Leo shushed her by brushing the hair back from her face. “Don’t apologize, cara.” He toyed with the loose piece of hair. It was hard not to touch her, even in these little ways. “Would it be alright if I kept helping you smile? I am your compagno, afterall. Even if only provisorio.”

His cara mia shut her eyes tight. Then a tear squeezed past her lashes, and another. A torrent of them, sliding down her cheeks like little jewels of sadness. 

“Cara, why are you crying?”

“I’m not crying!” She turned her face away from him.

“Heh, yes you are. Why do you cry when I asked you to smile?” His voice was a mixture of self-deprecating laughter and his own deep well of sorrow. 

“You’re crazy! I’m not crying! I’m - I’m fine.”

“Then let me see your face.”

She refused to look at him, so Leonardo did what he had to. He leaned forward, trying to turn her toward him again. His cara mia lurched back, rocking the boat precariously. Leonardo tried to offset the sudden movement, but it was too little too late. The boat tipped and they both fell into the water.

Leonardo was the first to surface and he reached for his compagna’s hand. Her head broke the water’s surface and she spluttered for a moment. He helped steady her by pulling her close. Her body was warm in the cold, dark water. 

“I didn’t expect this evening to end with a swim.” She looked up at Leo, her expression wry. “I don’t guess this was part of Operation Cheer?”

“Afraid not, cara. To be honest, bringing you out in the boat was spur of the moment. I didn’t think we would be in the lake - just on it.”

She grinned suddenly. “Then I guess I managed to surprise you!”

“Oh? So you planned to tip the boat?”

His compagna turned herself to face him. Leonardo tried not to think about her warm breasts pressing into his chest, or the way her legs kept sliding against his in the water. Just look at her face, he told himself. Ignore the parts below the water. 

“I didn’t plan it but it was my fault. Sorry about that.”

She didn’t look sorry. Not in the least. 

“Should I help you back into the boat, cara? Or will you begin your life as a mermaid tonight?”

“A mermaid?”

He grinned. “Of course! You are beautiful enough to lure men to their death. Even with your hair plastered to your head.” He lifted up a wet, tangled strand. 

She batted his hand away, but it was playful more than outraged. “You don’t look so hot yourself. Your hair is wet too, and your coat is never going to be the same after this soaking.” 

“Ah! My cigarillos!” He patted his pocket and felt their soggy remains. “Now I am truly sad, cara. This is disaster.”

“Can’t have that, can we? Not after all you’ve done to cheer me up today.” She leaned close and before he knew what was happening, placed a light kiss on his lips. 

Leonardo was too shocked to move. His compagna took advantage of the moment to scramble back into the boat. He could not help but note her flushed cheeks and the guilty smile she wore. He stayed in the water a moment longer to calm himself. His galloping heart was one thing, but the reaction below . . . that she could not be allowed to notice.

He tried to think of calming things. Pancakes. Sunflowers. Violins. 

“Are you getting back in?”

Her breasts taunted him beneath the thin, white fabric of her top. It clung wetly to her skin, showing her curves and pert, hard nipples. He felt suddenly thirsty. 

“Leonardo?”

“In a moment, cara.” The water just wasn’t cold enough tonight.

Next: A Little Heat

[fizzingwizard]

Another Sunday, another episode of Digimon Adventure: (how tf do I do punctuate??). It is a good time to be a fan of Yagami Taichi.

I remember being 11 years old, the last episode of Digimon Adventure made be bawl my eyes out, and although I was excited for 02, really I just wanted more of Adventure. I guess I’m just slow to like new things (well, I am), but I would have super happy if the producers had been like, “02 will be a reboot for Adventure with the same characters and similar storyline.” And then do the same thing for every new Digimon season xD I’m sure I’m pretty damn alone in that opinion and don’t get me wrong, I love 02, and I think Tamers was good. And yet xD

^The screenshot that sums up the episode: Greymon gets his butt kicked while Taichi hangs on for dear life

I know the bond between children and Digimon is what powers them, and I’m kind of wondering if having a physical connection improves that in this show, because these kids are always riding around on their partners. (Not able exception - Togemon, because ouch. But I expect to see Mimi on her boxing glove at least lol) I have to rationalize it that way because otherwise it’s like why would having an elementary school kid on your head while you rush into the line of fire count as a battle strategy

This ep picks up pretty much where we left off, which means it’s probably only been hours since Yamato joined the group at the fortress. Already the atmosphere is completely changed.

I can see them, but they can’t see me... Ishida Yamato’s modus operandi

more below

Here is a very Digimon-esque tableau: everyone gathered around Koushirou and his computer. Yamato still being standoffish. I imagine he jumped at the chance to stand guard at the entrance so he doesn’t have to get too close to anyone.

Agumon’s fight with MetalTyrannomon went... not so great. Yamato coolly tries to explain to Taichi that evacuating was the only way, otherwise they’d risk all being destroyed, and that would be the end of everything.

Taichi’s fist tightens and begins to shake...

... he doesn’t look like he totally agrees with Yamato’s reasoning, but he doesn’t have a better idea. But, being Taichi, he can’t just let it rest.

Yamato talking to Taichi’s back while Taichi frantically starts to sort out his Feelings is just how they communicate. This is a common shonen anime trope for the hero and his foil. Yamato’s pushing, Taichi’s not exactly hiding, but he doesn’t want to face him until he can face him with resolve.

Yamato: Look at me. Look at me!

Taichi: *sweating* It feels like a hole’s burning in the back of my neck, so... I’ll pass

Taichi finally explains out what’s got him so knotted up: he regrets Ogremon’s death. Like we saw last episode, the battle that began as revenge turned into a battle of samurai pride. And Taichi is evidently a samurai. He wanted to see that battle to the finish, out of mutual respect for the opponent (who he’d never met before and who had been trying to kill him previously... but y’know when you’re kindred spirits that’s all water under the bridge)

Yamato doesn’t really get it. This is where these two are fundamentally different. Taichi attac, Yamato protec, then everybody gets a FIGHT!

I mean, not 100% of the time, but the bottom line is Yamato’s not so big on this pride thing, although he does have pride of his own. But he’s definitely not into taking unnecessary risks, especially if it puts his friends in danger. The trouble is, Taichi doesn’t think he takes unneccessary risks either... just necessary ones ;)

The other kids can already feel the tension increasing and Taichi and Yamato haven’t even raised their voices at each other yet. Lol buckle up kiddos

Jou wonders if he should make them stop, and Mimi instantly turns around and begs him to try. My Joumi heart LEAPT.

TBH I was surprised she did anything at all, I was expecting Jou’s “Should I break them up?” to just end there with nothing happening. Instead we got an adorable Joumi moment where Mimi shows that as much as she teases him, she already somewhat relies on Jou (to be fair, I do think Mimi’s the type to rely on anyone who offers when she’s not sure what to do herself). Jou, being Jou, is unprepared aaaaand wigs out.

Jou: Oh no oh no oh no she actually expects me to get between them?!?! But but I flunked Tough Guy school! That’s literally why I’m a nerd! This girl’s trying to throw me to the wolves!

Fortunately for Jou, he has a redheaded savior.

Sora: Stop it. He’ll wet his pants again and I don’t have any more extras.

Sora shows her insight into people’s hearts and understands that Taichi and Yamato need to hash things out. It’s not dangerous... yet. But the way she’s more or less frozen in place along with the others says she’s... maybe a bit on her guard, at least, lol.

Koushirou, being Kousihrou, is completely oblivious to all of this and focused on his computer.

Oh yeah... the real reason Taichi turned his back to Yamato earlier - whenever they look directly at each other, they suck each others souls out. I CALL BODY SWITCH

I mean jogress

I mean marriage

They spend like the entire first half of the episode arguing omg get a room.

Then... Agumon wakes up!

And even though it’s a cartoon, it’s clear to see the way Taichi’s body fills with relief. I wonder if Yamato didn’t realize or didn’t think Taichi was that worried about Agumon. 99 Yamato tended to feel that Taichi was insensitive to others. But while he can be, Taichi also doesn’t express his emotions in the same way as Yamato. They’re both wont to hide how they feel, but while Yamato goes quiet and aloof, Taichi just acts like everything’s normal. So maybe here, Yamato really thought Ogremon and MetalTyrannomon were the only things on Taichi’s mind. Just a guess.

Awwww montage of cute...

a boy and his dinosaur!!

Maybe to Yamato’s surprise, Agumon totally echoes Taichi’s feelings about Ogremon. “I wanted to settle the score with him.” Weird as it sounds, they made a manly bond with Ogremon and running away just doesn’t sit right. Agumon’s raring to go...

... but his stomach isn’t quite ready yet hahaha.

Yamato’s probably used to Gabumon’s appetie but I suspect Agumon’s tummy growl has errr exceptional resonance

Glad to see the return of the Digimon’s bottomless pit aka stomach. I think it was just last week I complained about that not really being a thing so far. This time it was the other Digimon who went gathering, but I hope to see the human kids rushing around in a frenzy to care for their partners’ appetites soon lol

While the others eat, Taichi and Yamato decide they haven’t finished vampiring each other’s souls and sneak out to the mouth of the cave. Sora follows them to see if she can watch any hot yaoi action.

Lol but I do really like the framing heart. All we can see of the boys is their shadows. Sora keeps her distance but she’s watching them intently from a distance. I assumed she was just gathering more data on how short a leash she needs to keep them on.

Turned out that was not quite correct... reluctant to interrupt though she’d been before, once they start talking about what to do next she adds her input. We’ve got Yamato on Taichi’s one side and Sora on his other side. It’s the beginnings of TAIORATOOOOO *more airhorns*

^I can’t see anything but Goku and Vegeta bahahaha. Also why is eleven-year-old Yamato SO broad-shouldered, between that, his deeper voice, and his perfeclty coifed hair Taichi must seem like a toddling infant to him bahahaha. Like come on Yamato is not a child you must be kidding

Already Yamato is getting into the habit of Looking At Taichi while Taichi Looks At Literally Anything Else.

These two don’t need words. They talk with their vampiric eyes.

Koushirou’s hyper focus on his computer finally pays off and they all gather back around. Everyone starts cheering when the hologram appears even though they don’t know what the heck it is. This is Koushirou, so it must be awesome!

It turns out to be a map of much usefulness.

And it turns out Ogremon was telling the truth about the path to the holy Digimon being straight ahead, while fires Taichi up even more.

^Obligatory ‘Gomamon is cutest Digimon’ cap

Koushirou also gives Taichi special data on MetalTyrannomon, including his weak point. Taichi is THRILLED. He’s happier about this than he is about finding the route to the holy Digimon. This is the difference between Taishiro and Taito guys. When Taichi gets a reckless idea, Yamato tries to talk him down, or at least be sensible about it. Koushirou? Koushirou is a FREAKING ENABLER.

They wait with baited breath for Yamato’s reaction. Though he seems underwhelmed, Yamato admits Koushirou’s information “does seem reliable.” That’s all the permission Taichi needs to go back to freaking out over how awesome Koushirou is.

They come up with a plan to lure MetalTyrannomon away so Taichi can fight him while the others take the chance to escape and head towards the path to the holy Digimon.

^Obligatory ‘Sora is best girl’ cap

Yamato waits for the others to get away before following after... he stalls for a minute as if unsure whether it’s really alright to leave Taichi on his own. In the end he joins the group... All things considered, I think he’s pretty thrown off by Taichi, tbh.

Yamato’s group doesn’t make it far before they encounter a very suspicious looking lake.

^More evidence that Yamato is not really an elementar school kids. He’s clearly at least 15. He’s been routinely failing every year in order to get held back until he can be in the same class as Takeru. That’s the extent of his overprotectiveness

It sure is fortunate that Koushirou’s genius extends to fluency in English or they’d have no idea this lake of dark mist is bad friggin news.

Or... maybe they would have:

Mimi sneaks behind Jou and pulls his middle school exam workbook out of his bag.

And immediately chucks it into the lake.

Where it disintegrates.

This is how Mimi’s mind works. She’s smart! They need to know what would happen if they went into the lake without actually going in it. So they need to put something else in first. So far so good. What should she throw? A stick? A rock? One of Sora’s endless towels?

No, Jou’s workbook. Duhhh.

She probably felt she was killing two birds with one stone here x’D Experiment complete, and Jou prevented from anymore whining about not having time to study. Mimi is chaotic good.

gosh I love Joumi

Jou is lawful neurotic

Greymon shielding Taichi is just soooo cute even if it still feels weird that he has to be up there in the first place

The battle rages between MetalTyrannomon and Greymon, who just won’t quit even though he’s losing... pretty bad... I mean...

He just grabbed a missile with his bare hand...

Taichi: Now I know what it’s like to be a firework

Loop-de-loop! Taichi’s suction cup shoes strike again.

Courage going UP!! Reaching a fever pitch! The evolution that’s been looming for two episodes finally happens!

MetalTyrannomon: Eat my dust!

Woooooooo, MetalGreymon is just as freaky as ever. Always my least favorite evolution in Agumon’s line, but the glowy purple wings are cool.

Also, nipple missiles.

MetalTyrannomon: I can’t believe I was beaten by some meddling kids!

So yeah, we are back to killing Digimon willy-nilly. None of this “but what about their hearts?” shitck. Always found it amazing in 02, a children’s cartoon, that said “Yeah the characters you loved last season were totes murderers but it was justified and sometimes you just have to kill.” And fourteen-year-old Taichi is just like, “Yeah, I’m a murderer, and you should be too.” XD And Miyako hits LadyDevimon with a skateboard. Priceless

This scene is adorable but Taichi’s butt looks so saggy.

I’m kind of wondering how evolution works in this show. They jumped right to jogress in like episode two or something, but we haven’t seen it since (I would sort of expected Taichi to think of it when it was clear MetalTyrannomon was too strong, though I would also expect Yamato to nix that idea both because he doesn’t want to and because to him it’s a pointless fight and not the priority). Since then, the Champion level evolutions went similar to 99 Adventure, with everyone getting their special episode, and I’m sure that’s how it’ll go down with the next level too, but there was no gap at all between going from one level to the next. I’m trying to say, they seem able to reach the next level awfully fast. They didn’t need to meet Gennai and collect the tags and Crests, the Crests appear already uploaded in their Digivices. I’m not complaining, as always I’m glad this show is not just a carbon copy of the old one, but I am curious if evolutions are easier to attain in this series, or if there are going to be more of them and that’s why they come so quick, or if the series just won’t run long enough for there to be significant gaps of time between evolutions.

Episode ends with the group deciding, like I predicted last week, to split up and try the Left and Right routes, since the Straight one is blocked. Gays go right and lesbians go left, of course. :P

This episode was pretty fantabulous, I loved it, Digimon is awesome.

Next week it’s no surprise what we’re gonna get.

WeeeeereGarurumon! Also my least favorite evolution of Gabumon’s line but still cooler than MetalGreymon hahahaha.

I’m also totally stoked for the grouping of Yamato, Jou, and Sora. There’s tons of potential for Yamato and Sora to bond, although my prediction is that while he’ll pretty much like her (even if he won’t admit it to himself), she’s going to find him a little difficult. But she’ll have an easier time talking to him than the others do. I also fully expect Jou to drive Yamato out of his mind lol.

This also means the other group is Taichi, Koushirou, and Mimi. I assume we won’t see too much of them next week, but I hope that means they’ll get their episode the week after, because I am dying for some Taishiro moments. Practically salivating. Also, Koumi fans can probably look forward to Mimi and Koushirou Not Getting each other too, lol

[halequeenjas]

A Lake of Sand and Glass || Zinnia, Winston, & Jasmine (POTW Finale)

TIMING: Current PARTIES: @zinniarhee @danetobelieve @halequeenjas SUMMARY: A plan has been formed to get rid of Bloody Mary and Sandman forever. Winston and Jasmine perform a ritual with Zinnia’s help after another group lures Bloody Mary and Sandman to the lake, but this does not come with out consequences. 

Winston had seen some bizarre shit in their time being aware of the supernatural. It was what ten months now? They’d seen zombies, werewolves, ghosts, ghouls and a hundred other weird, wonderful and downright terrifying spectacles. Yet, as they stood on the edge of the lake with two others that they barely knew, they decided that this was perhaps the weirdest thing that they had ever been privy to. “Okay, I’m glad we’re all sure on the plan.” speaking out loud helped them communicate their thoughts and after everything that had happened with Roland, Winston wasn’t going to just let anyone get hurt by this. They were here to make sure no one else was hurt. “The bait team brings the Sandman and Bloody Mary to the lake, we then you know, we do the magic exorcising ritual and bing bang boom we’re all gucci…” Winston swallowed, it sounded so much more simple then it was going to be. They were sure of it. “Remember, water is our friend and try to have fun. Ha. Joking obviously. I hate White Crest.”

This whole thing with Bloody Mary and the Sandman was definitely a little more intense than anything spirit related Jasmine had dealt with in the past. From the books she was reading, she’d picked up on that most people just banished Bloody Mary, but that still left room for some idiot teens to summon her again. Some further group research indicated Mary and the Sandman were linked somehow. Clearly, no one had actually tried this ritual before and it took some coordinating between her and Winston to come up with it in the first place. “Yep. we’re yeeting both the Bloody Bitch and Sandy Asshole out of existence as the kids would say.” Her tone sounded more confident than she currently felt. Banishments were one thing, but this was entirely new and experimental. The other group was already luring them over so there was no room for hesitation. She laughed at Winston’s joke despite her own nerves. “Oh yeah, we’re having a real party over here.” Any moment now, they’d be ready to begin. 

The only reason that Zinnia had agreed in assisting the group was because people she had grown to care about, against her own omission, were now in danger. She guessed she, too, was now in danger-- a reflection of a woman with a penchant for taking down those who had reckoned with death on their own terms. She and Bloody Mary were a lot alike, but apparently, she did not think so. She had little to offer aside from brute force and the ability to get away quickly, as well as assisting in healing any injuries that might’ve come from the excursion, but she needed to help, because if she didn’t, then when would it end? As they walked towards the lake, she tossed Winston a glance with a nod. “You both have interesting nicknames for these beings,” she commented with a low chuckle. She knew enough about magic, had seen it been done-- to others, she, herself was full of magic. She supposed she could get away with aiding the two of them in more ways than one. “Try not to look either of them in the eye, I bet that Bloody Mary figure really likes the eyes,” she said, a previous experience coming to mind. 

“The kids say that?” Winston asked somewhat skeptically. They weren’t technically a kid anymore but still the way that slang was changing over the years was beyond Winston and they couldn’t help but feel somewhat older then they felt that they should. Unfortunately Winston was far too familiar with both of these things to feel entirely confident that they were going to be able to just stop this but they had to make an attempt. For the good of everyone else. It wasn’t something that you could just leave to hurt people. From Winston’s research however they had a pretty good idea of how they could bind and banish both these entities. “Fun nicknames and humour are defense mechanisms that stop me from going completely insane in the face of all of this death and destruction.” Winston wondered if Bloody Mary was like medusa. “If I look at her through a selfie camera on my phone do you think I can make eye contact then”? Laughing nervously, they quickly fell silent. Swallowing, Winston looked around for some sort of sign or signal that they were ready to go. “I’m sure we’ll be starting … any minute now….” 

“At least that’s what I gather from the internet,” Jasmine said with a nonchalant shrug. She liked to think Nell kept her somewhat up to date on the new slang. Most of her clientele was older so she never necessarily went out of her way to keep up with it. She couldn’t help but laugh at Winston’s remark. “Hey, sometimes that’s all you can do.” At the mention of not looking them in the eye, she nodded quickly. “Yeah, definitely not planning on having a romantic heart-to-heart where we gaze into each other’s eyes with either of them. My taste is a little less dead and sandy.” She could see the other group towards the other side of the lake and saw both Sandman and Bloody Mary with them. She took in a deep breath and said, “Alright, here goes nothing.” She took Winston’s hand in her own and told Zinnia, “For now, we’ll draw in intention from you, too, but if things get dicey, we may need you to keep these bastards in the lake.” 

Zinnia blinked at Winston, gaze curious. She wasn’t caught up on the lingo from those who were younger than her-- she had tried her best to stay “in the know” but it seemed as though those who were older having a difficult time in understanding what younger people were talking about wasn’t as uncommon as she had once thought. Still, she forced out a laugh at Winston’s words and gave them a firm nod, “I suppose that is a way to deal with it.” She hunkered lower to the ground, her palms digging into the mud. “I would hope that your taste is far better than dead and sandy-- you’re far too pretty to be involved with the likes of either of them.” So maybe she wasn’t stellar at knowing what not to say. Zinnia narrowed her eyes, then looked behind her to Jasmine. She gave a curt nod. “Do whatever it is you need to do, I’m here to help.” Here to keep my people safe, Zinnia thought quietly. To think she now had people, both Scout and Alcher coming to mind-- Kaden, to a degree-- for Abel, clearly. Though, she wouldn’t mind taking Abel if Kaden were no longer capable. “I think I see them--” Zinnia’s thoughts came to an abrupt stop at the sight of a ghostly figure. 

The sound of laughter, as uneasy as it was - well it was at least a little bit gratifying and kept Winston from fully panicking. They were completely far from used to any of this. They wondered when the moment of clarity would come where fighting evil, beating bad guys and saving the day wouldn’t be the single most terrifying thing that Winston had ever had to do. Honestly, they weren’t entirely sure why they kept doing it but despite everything here they were still. “I guess flirting is also a defense mechanism for some,” Winston commented with a quirked eyebrow. Spotting Bloody Mary and the Sandman, Winston swallowed nervously and tried to center themselves as they had done thousands of times before now. They had everything ready, or as ready as it would be. “I definitely see them,” Winston said, their eyes immediately flashing to the floor so they didn’t catch Bloody Mary’s eyes. This was the part where they really had to help. This was the part where they really had to work their ass off to keep two completely figures who were enshrined in folklore from killing them. “Okay, here goes nothing,” Winston raised their hands and began to chant the words of the incantation that they had designed with Jasmine. A combination of exorcist practice and magic. It was probably sloppy, but they prayed it worked.

This was unlike anything Jasmine had ever tackled head on before and the feeling of doubt it brought was hard to ignore. If she messed this up, others would be the ones paying the price. She and Winston had been very careful when creating this ritual, but the fact still remained it had never been tested. How could it be? There was only one Bloody Mary and Sandman. If there had been a successful go of this in the past, neither of them would be here. The humor did help a little. “You’re not wrong,” she agreed with Zinnia as she took in a sharp breath. Here went nothing. She closed her eyes momentarily and let her words sync up with Winston’s. Precision was a must and she was careful with every single syllable and could feel the familiar buzzing that came with exorcisms. It was hard to explain, it was both familiar and unnerving in the same vein. Still, she chanted the Latin phrases over and over again and could feel something happening. Her eyes fluttered open as she peered across the lake. If there was any commotion going on with the other group, she’d be unable to see it in the dark. She could see Mary’s reflection in the water when she glanced at it and the water seemed to be almost vibrating. They were doing something.

Zinnia was careful to avert her eyes. One look at Bloody Mary and their plan could fall right from underneath of them. The sound of mumbling-- no, chanting, caught Zinnia’s attention and she twisted to watch as both Jasmine and Winston began to speak incantations, or so she believed them to be. It was palpable, the energy in the air, and she wondered if this was what it felt like, to be zapped of energy. It felt close to when she’d use her healing. Slow, moving like quicksand. With every move she tried to make, she felt it heavier in her limbs, the exhaustion. They needed her help, though, and this was how she would assist. She focused on the lake, the water rippling frantically with every word that either Jasmine or Winston spoke. Zinnia kept quiet, not wanting to break their concentration. She wondered how they would trap Bloody Mary, because the Sandman was clearly an easy target-- sand and water didn’t go quite well together. Zinnia watched, alert, despite the aching in her head.

Swallowing, Winston’s mind flashed back to the work that they had put into this with Jasmine. It hadn’t been easy. Creating spells never was. Actually magic in general was hardly something that Winston was adept with. Normally you would prepare for something like this with an actual drawn outline. The whole bit in horror movies with pentagrams wasn’t so far from the truth although in it’s own way it was pretty far fetched. But around the area that they had decided to carry this out in Winston had placed cylinders that they had built. They liked to call them beacons but the truth was that they were little more then extensions of Winston’s will. They would extend Winston and Jasmine’s incantation and hopefully truly prevent either of them from escaping. Without missing a beat, Winston kept chanting. They were glad they’d played all those rhythm games and Guitar Hero in college because it made keeping up with all of this a bit easier. A ripple spread out across the lake and Winston blinked and snapped their eyes to their feet as they spotted a ghostly outline.  

As they kept with the rhythms of the chant, Jasmine could feel her necklace vibrating against her chest. It was the same one her aunt wore for years as her focal point and she found it gave her more control when performing rituals. While similar enough to an exorcism, the magical aspects of it were starting to show as the lake water began to swirl. Usually, she could feel the air swirling around her during a banishment, but this was different. Her eyes fluttered open though she never lost a beat with the incantations repetitive as they were. By all indications, the ritual they came up with seemed to be working. Mary was reflecting in the lake and the Sandman seemed to be being pulled toward it. They couldn’t stop now. Mary was unnerving, but she wouldn’t look in her eyes. The water seemed to be rising higher around the lake which only pushed her to keep going. Just a little bit longer and this would all be over with. There was no room to let the reflection of Mary that was approaching throw them off their game. 

Zinnia watched, her gaze unmoving from the two figures who were drawn to the lake. The low rumblings from either Jasmine and Winston were low enough that she didn’t think either of the individuals could be heard, but something-- a distraction, the slightest sound, had the Sandman’s head swiveling towards them. The course he had been set on towards the lake was now broken, and he was headed towards the trio. Zinnia cursed under her breath before she gave a backwards glance towards the two. She pushed herself off of her perch on the ground and started towards him. What she was going to do, she wasn’t sure. She was quick-- quick enough to confuse something slow like him, but he was sand, and she hadn’t ever fought an individual made of sand before. Careful to not disturb Bloody Mary, Zinnia launched herself at the Sandman, her leg coming to swipe underneath of him. He crumpled to the ground, the sand building on top of each other to recreate the beast she had dismantled. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought. 

It was like something out of a superhero movie or a comic was all that Winston could think as they watched Zinnia’s leg dart out, cleave clean through the Sandman’s leg and then just watch it reform as he collapsed for a partial moment. Winston swallowed nervously between words of the chant. They were shocked that they hadn’t made a mistake yet but the adrenaline that was buzzing in their head seemed to be keeping them on task. Fortunately, neither Bloody Mary nor the Sandman seemed to have noticed them, in fact, Winston was almost certain that they were after Jasmine, which was both comforting and … well not. Winston didn’t need to lose another friend to anything malevolent like these two creeps. However, Zinnia was doing a pretty good job of keeping this thing busy, but Winston knew that she wouldn’t be able to keep it up forever. This was something that they were going to need to end and quickly. They were nearly there, Winston knew that much, they just wished that there was more they could do to help. Just don’t look in her eyes, that was all they could do for now. The lake seemed to be responding to their magic and Winston knew that this was all only a matter of time.

By all indication, their weird hybrid of magic and exorcism was working which brought some relief to Jasmine. It felt like it had been forever since she’d gotten a decent night’s sleep with Mr. Sand Creep plaguing her. As if sensing her there, he was making his way toward them. Well, crap. Now wasn’t the time to cower though. Sure, physically speaking, she wasn’t the biggest and baddest to fight, but she was smart and they had a ritual here. He was trying to interrupt them for a reason so she steeled her resolve and stood a bit taller. Zinnia seemed to have chopping the Sandman handled even though he reformed entirely too quickly for her liking. Her free hand wrapped around the amber stone on her necklace to give her some additional focus. Now that the sand was back in shape, it seemed to be coming toward her, but she refused to be shaken. She just said the words even louder hoping it’d make this whole thing go quicker. It felt unnerving to not flinch in the face of danger, but she had to trust Zinnia was going to keep them safe while they finished this. She could feel the pull of their words keep Mary in the lake, soon Sandman would follow her, too. 

“Oh, no you don’t--” Zinnia seethed as she twisted around, whisking a branch off of the ground. She cut it through Sandman’s chest, impaling it. It did very little, but the sand began to reform over the branch, now making it a part of him. That might work, it’d give her something to grab onto. Zinnia couldn’t let it get to either Jasmine or Winston-- if it did, their plan would be ruined. She grabbed another branch off of the ground and quickly thrust it adjacent to the first branch. Once the sand formed over it, she gave a swift, quick tug. They moved, but just barely. Zinnia tightened her grip and tugged on the branches, yanking him away from both Jasmine and Winston. The sandman twisted, falling onto the ground further away from the two. Good. Zinnia approached him again, ignoring the way sand began to crawl up her arm as she held onto the branch tightly, dragging him further away. The exhaustion she had begun to feel was weighing heavy on her now, but she had to make sure that the witches weren’t interrupted. At any cost. Zinnia yanked again, one of the branches coming clean through the sandman, making her falter backwards. Zinnia moved forward again, ripping at the second branch and tugged as hard as she could, sending the Sandman flying towards the lake, just a few feet from the shore. 

Winston’s fingers twitched as they watched Zinnia take on the Sandman. Watching someone beat the ever loving shit out of something as cemented in folklore as the sandman, with nothing less than literal sticks was maybe one of the most impressive things that Winston had ever seen and they were almost certain that there was a good chunk of experience there. As Zinnia fought the Sandman back towards the lake, Winston could see the beacons hum and resonate with power, it was as if simple technological objects could feel the itch of the magic and were begging to get to work. Technomancy was a touchy thing and Winston had never tried combining it with magic that exorcists used, it was similar but very very different in so many ways. “Get him into the circle so we can banish him.” That was all Winston had time to say before the next round of chanting could begin. 

With the Sandman not rapidly approaching her anymore, Jasmine was able to let out a breath she hadn’t realized was lodged in her throat. Her heart was still booming, but they had to move on to the next part of the ritual. The water around the lake seemed to be rising which had to mean this was working. All they needed was to get the Sandman in the circle so that he’d eventually get pulled into the lake with Mary. Thankfully, Winston already called out the directions. She could see the beacons they set up starting to do something. She didn’t understand them, but she trusted them when it came to the magic stuff. This part of the incantation was more familiar to her. Most of it was derived from the normal banishment ritual she used with a few adjustments to fit this situation. Experimenting wasn’t exactly her thing, but dire situations called for dire measures. She kept her focus steady and trusted Zinnia had the Sandman handled. She’d been doing one hell of a job so far. 

Zinnia heard Winston’s voice and she flickered her gaze back towards them. She gave a curt nod before she approached the Sandman again, grabbing onto the stick that was beginning to slip out of his chest. She gave him one swift shove, careful to avoid his body, just in case he decided to close around her instead of the stick that was still protruding out of him. He hit the water with a resounding splash and Zinnia quickly backed up, unsure of what the magic would do to her if she were too close. She kept her eyes on the Sandman, and on the back of Bloody Mary’s head as she took careful, but quick steps back towards the other two. 

Whoever this was… what was her name? Zinnia? Well whatever it was, she seemed to be very good at what she was doing and Winston was glad that she was on their side and not against them on this one. As the sandman splashed backwards into the water, Winston poured their will, energy and desire into the spell. It had been carefully crafted and carefully designed to lock the pair of them into a magical pocket that would prevent them from escaping again. Winston was frankly exhausted. A combination of late nights working on this and the energy it was taking. Sweat beaded on their forehead and Winston spotted the surface of the lake beginning to shimmer and harden, that wasn’t meant to be happening but Winston wasn’t about to stop now. They couldn’t stop now. They had to keep going. People in White Crest were depending on them to do something and if they didn’t then who knew how it would go? 

All Jasmine could think as Zinnia threw the Sandman into the lake is how grateful she was for the internet. Her energy was fading quickly and she was sure they would have been actual toast if it hadn’t been for her keeping the Sandman away. The combination of lack of sleep and the effort that went into exorcisms made every limb in her body feel as if it was full of stones. She felt weighed down, but there was no giving up now. The town was depending on them to get rid of these malignant spirits even if they didn’t realize it. Though her throat felt like sand was still scratching it, she kept her chanting loud and consistent. From what she could see through blurred vision, it was working. The water was higher, but looked as if it was turning solid? Maybe that was just the exhaustion that kept pinching the edge of her eyes playing tricks with her vision. Even if it was solid, they had to keep going. Anything else would mean these two harmful beings would be free to plague the town once more. So she pushed forward, even though every muscle in her body felt as if it was on fire. 

The closer Zinnia got to the two, the more she could see their exhaustion. She knew it all too well. Their expressions and hunched figures were similar to her own when she would have to pour healing into an individual or being that came to her while injured. Her lips twitched into a frown as she reached them. Silently, she extended her hand and placed it onto Winston’s shoulder. It was an attempt, and she wasn’t entirely familiar with the way magic really worked, at least, not the kind that Winston was pouring from their tongue. Hopefully the connection would help. She stared across at the water, watching as the water continued to vibrate. The mumble became a song about what was taking place, and Zinnia found it hard to focus on the Sandman as he began to stiffen.. She wondered if this was it, if the two were actually going to do it. 

Bones feeling like led, Winston had to admit that usually they didn’t like being touched without warning. But when Zinnia did it in that moment, they were shocked by the energy that shot through them. Their back went stiff, their body reinvigorated with new life as an almost unbelievable well of energy was suddenly open to them. They had been previously concerned that they just didn’t have the energy that was required of them, but with whatever the hell was in Zinnia now available to Winston they felt that energy overflowing from them and expelling itself. It flowed into the spell like a river that was flooding past the barriers of a dam and Winston could see the Sandman dissolve into the water faster as the water began to solidify. Winston wasn’t sure if this was doing what it was meant to be doing. But what they were sure of in that moment was that without Zinnia this would’ve all certainly failed.

They were all together now and Zinnia’s presence seemed to be giving them the last bit of energy they needed to complete this ritual. They were so close and Jasmine pushed herself to keep saying the incantations strongly despite how weak her body felt. This was the last leg and they’d come too far to fail now. The energy was swirling through the air around them and she saw the Sandman disintegrate into the lake. There was the familiar feeling of relief, but they weren’t quite done yet. One more verse was all it’d take. She repeated the words that felt like sand on her tongue and watched as the lake seemed to glass over somehow. The final words left her lips and she found herself wanting to sink into the ground, but they needed to make sure this worked. “I think we did it,” she said with the edge of exhaustion prevalent in her tone. Her running shoes became covered in mud as she approached what was the lake. It didn’t look like water anymore, but rather glass. That wasn’t supposed to happen. She frowned, but it seemed both spirits were trapped beneath the surface. “It looks like they’re trapped, but the lake isn’t doing so hot.” 

Zinnia’s skin felt alive, buzzing with electricity. The longer she stood there, her hand on Winston’s shoulder, the more she felt like she’d dissolve into the earth below her. She tried to focus, tried not to think about other things. If she kept her mind clear, maybe that would help. She had run into spellcasters, into witches, they all operated differently. If she hadn’t owed a favor, she rarely helped them, her own skin too important to protect at the risk of divulging what she was. The Sandman and Bloody Mary, however, they needed to be taken care of. If this were the way to do it, then Zinnia would comply. She had done her fair share of taking out those who needed to be dealt with, but Bloody Mary did not take kindly to reason, no matter the extent of how innocent the deceased had been. Zinnia blinked a few times, watching as the lake was shiny and reflecting. Jasmine’s words cut through her daze and she glanced over to her, removing her hand from Winston’s shoulder. Zinnia followed Jasmine slowly, her gaze fixated on the lake. “Is that not what you meant to do? What was supposed to happen?” She asked, unsure. 

Swallowing, Winston sank to their knees by the edge of the lake and tapped it. A dull, hollow noise rang out as the glass echoed with the rapping of their fists. “Well, I mean, I’m sure that we trapped Bloody Mary and … and the Sandman,” Winston was out of breath and somewhat flustered, this whole thing had been draining and it felt like there were weights tied to their ankles, “but … I ... “ their brain was moving at a million and three miles per hour as they tried to work out how exactly this had gone so wrong. “I don’t know why it’s turned into glass, the amount of energy we transferred would be more then enough then to turn this into glass but the truth is that there’s nothing in the magic that we did that would lead to this and I’m not really sure that it makes any sense for it to have transmutated into glass. Like … obviously I’m not an expert on alchemy but this is beyond the scope of the magic that we just used.” Winston swallowed and frowned. “I just… I don’t get it.” 

It seemed to Jasmine that all of them were equally as perplexed by the lake turning to glass. As far as the ritual went, Winston was right, nothing they’d written out seemed to add to this outcome. At the very least, Bloody Mary and Sandman would be gone forever now. That was what really mattered though this could certainly turn into an ecological disaster. There’d have to be some sort of fix that they’d work out later. As it was, Jasmine’s legs felt like jelly and she had the familiar sensations of fatigue that usually came post exorcisms. She let out a resigned sigh and took a few steps closer to the lake. She clicked her heel against the shore only to hear a slight clunk as it clicked against the glass. “Well,” she started with hands on her hips, “There’s not much we can do about the lake now. At least, Bloody Mary and Sandman are gone. Fixing the lake will be our next project I guess.” 

The exhaustion began to bloom in the set of Zinnia’s shoulders. She hadn’t realized how much energy she would need to give Winston in order to make their spell work, but she had more than enough to supply. She reached up to rub the back of her neck as she looked onward towards the lake, searching for any sign of movement, any sign that Jasmine’s and Winston’s enchantments hadn’t worked. “Whatever you did, it worked.” She looked behind her to look at Winston. She forced a smile, doing her best to make it look lively. “For now, this is what needed to happen to ensure everyone's safety.” Her own safety, too, was a major catalyst for her involvement in the banishment to begin with-- she was a target, of course. “I don’t believe I’ll be of much assistance with the lake.” Zinnia smoothed her hand against the back of her neck. “I’m glad, however, we were able to work together to get rid of these beings.” She looked between Jasmine and Winston, making a note of them-- they were more powerful than she had considered.

Winston curiously wrapped their knuckles against the reflective surface of the lake, the glass echoed as their fists bounced against the surface of it. “You were kind of amazing,” Winston admitted looking at both of them, “I know that this was a team effort and I definitely couldn’t have done any of this without you guys.” Winston had known Jasmine for years but Zinnia was completely new to them on this. “Thank you for helping me with the energy and thank you for helping me with the spell.” Winston leaned back and sat on the edge of the lake, taking a long deep breath and sighing gently. “We really did it, we really … we really just destroyed Bloody Mary and the Sandman. Before this month I didn’t even know that they existed but somehow we’ve managed to destroy two of the most iconic folklore myth things … ever. Fuck.”

[e-of-west-glendia]

The Tunnel Of Love

“You dragged me all the way out here…to get on this?”

Remus stared at Sirius incredulously.

“Yep,” Sirius nodded.

Remus groaned and took another look at the ride. It was a massive boat ride that dipped into a large tunnel. The whole thing was adorned in hearts and roses and the words Tunnel Of Love were printed on an archway at the front in swooping cursive letters. The whole thing was oddly intimidating and mildly sickening.

Remus shook his head. “No. No way. I’m not getting on that thing.”

Sirius flashed him a wide smile, his grey eyes brimming with joy. Slipping an arm around Remus’ waist he said, “The way I see it there’s no real downside to you getting on it.”

Remus raised an eyebrow and peered down at his boyfriend. “Oh? And how do you figure that one?”

Sirius shrugged. “Well we’re already here and you wouldn’t want to waste a trip.”

Remus scoffed. He could think of plenty of times when Sirius had opted out of an activity once they’d gotten to the venue.

“You can’t be serious. I can think of plenty of times when you’ve done just that.”

Sirius laughed, he knew Remus was right. Still, not one to admit defeat he said, “I’m always Sirius.”

Remus narrowed his eyes at him. That joke had gotten old the first time they’d used it.

“Ha ha. You’re not clever.”

“I think I am. Besides, Lily and James are getting on it and I refuse to let them “out-couple” us on Valentines Day.”

———————————

The ride looks even worse up close, Remus thought. The shades of pink and red that the ride was decorated in were brighter and clashed even more horribly. Remus was honestly quite surprised that Sirius had talked him into this. Normally he’d have run away from this type of ride as fast as possible. He’d been on something like this before, and well, let’s just say that singing plastic animals would haunt his subconscious forever.

Lily seemed even more surprised that he was here than Remus did himself. She had raised her eyebrows so high Remus had begun to wonder if they’d just float away. Twisting away from James to get a better look at her friends who were making their way towards them. Sirius, not even remotely bothered by the death glares they received as he elbowed and shoved people out of their way. Leaving Remus to quickly apologize before being tugged forward.

“Remus?” Lily had asked. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m not quite sure myself, actually.”

“He’s here to experience the wonders of love!” James exclaimed wrapping an arm around Remus’ shoulder. Remus frowned at him and quickly extracted himself.

Lily rolled her eyes at him. “I would’ve thought this wasn’t your cup of tea, for lack of better phrasing.”

“It isn’t,” Remus assured her. “Unfortunately this idiot over here managed to convince me.” He flicked his head towards Sirius.

“In the end, love always wins,” Sirius chirped.

Remus snorted. “Oh please. He lured me here under the promise of buying me chocolate once we got off this hell ride.”

Lily laughed at the wounded look on Sirius’ face. “Sounds about right.”

They shuffled forward a bit as the line progressed. Remus could now see the small two person boats disappear around the bend of the makeshift lake and into the tunnel. They looked rather small. He wasn’t sure how he was going to fit himself into one of those boats. He also knew that there was no backing out of this now and he’d have to make it work somehow. Remus let out a long suffering sigh.

“Cheer up, Remus!” James said. “It’s Valentine's Day! Be happy and experience the joys of young love.”

“I think you mean it’s Single People Appreciation Day,” Remus corrected, ducking to avoid a rather awkwardly placed wooden beam.

“But you’re not single,” Sirius pointed out.

“No,” Remus agreed. He cast the ride another venomous look. “But sometimes I wish I was.”

Sirius pouted. “Ouch, Remus. Just ouch.”

They’d finally reached the front of the line, watching as Lily and James drifted away in their own boat. The operator pulled on a lever and Remus watched as another boat pulled up to the side of the ride. The man motioned for someone to come forward and it took Remus a solid second to realize that he meant them.

Lucky for Remus (or unlucky depending on how you look at it) Sirius was there to pull Remus down the stairs and keep him from looking like an idiot. Sirius stepped into the boat first, water sloshing over the sides and into the bottom. He looked expectantly up at Remus who after a moment climbed into the boat.

Remus has been right, it was cramped. And with his and Sirius’ combined weight he’d been afraid the little boat might capsize. It had titled precariously to one side and dripped water into Remus’ jeans. He already hated this thing.

A boy who couldn’t have been much older than they were slumped over to their boat. He was holding a smoothie in one hand while he rested his other on the stair railing.

“Welcome to The Tunnel of Love,” he said dispassionately. He continued on in his monotonous tone, each word sounding more dead than the last.

“Where Love is born and happiness thrives. May our soothing waters relax your souls and let you fall in sync with the rhythm of love.”

Remus blinked. Rhythm of Love?? He was pretty sure he’d heard that in a song somewhere. Judging from the look on the guys face, this place looked more like where happiness came to die.

“Enjoy your ride,” the boy said boredly. He signaled to a guy in a booth, near the opposite side of the ride. Remus was jolted forward as the ride was carried away on the converybelt. His legs bent at an awkward angle. He was willing to bet that at least one of his legs would fall asleep by the end of this ride.

Sirius latched onto his arm and smiled happily at him. His eyes bubbling like champagne.

“This is going to be great!”

“Yeah,” Remus said, uncertain “Great.”

————————

The ride was most decidedly not great. As a matter of fact it had been just as awful as Remus had expected and somehow, amazingly, even worse.

Lily giggled when she saw the two of them exit the ride. Remus was soaking wet, dripping water from where he’d taken a dip in the water. The look he was giving Sirius could’ve killed. On the contrary, Sirius was exuberant. He all but skipped over to Lily and James.

“That. Was. Fantastic!!” Sirius said, drawing out each syllable.

“Agree to disagree,” Remus said bitterly.

“What on earth happened?” Lily asked, not even trying to hide her laughter.

“Remus took a dip in the river of love,” Sirius said cheerfully. “It was rather funny.”

Lily laughed while Remus scowled at his boyfriend. Remus was wearing wet jeans and a sweater that felt more like a sponge at this point. He couldn’t see any humor in this situation.

James just shrugged. “I guess he just wasn’t feeling the rhythm of love.”

“Oh I was definitely feeling the rhythm of something,” Remus said casting another evil glance at the so-called river. “But it definitely wasn’t love.”

James snorted and allowed himself to be tugged along to a gift shop by Lily.

“Come on, let's get the prints!”

“Yes,” Sirius said. “Let’s definitely do that.”

Remus groaned. He’d forgotten about the cameras. He most certainly didn’t want this moment immortalized in the form of a crappy photograph. There wasn’t much he could do, though. So he followed the others towards the shop.

He’d just finished wringing out most of the water from his sweater, when Lily, James, and Sirius finally emerged from the shop.

James and Lily started off in another direction — Lily pointing around something in the distance — while Sirius walked over to Remus.

“Y’know, I think these are some great pictures,” Sirius said, looking fondly at the pictures in his hand.

The cameras had managed to capture the exact moment Remus had fallen out of the boat and the exact moment he’d come back up from the water, looking like an extremely disgruntled and out of place fish. While Sirius, as usual, looked flawless. Dark hair curled in a halo around his face, head tilted upwards frozen in silent laughter. It had even captured the singing Cupid in the background, belting out some horrible robotic version of Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely.”

“I don’t know if I’d call them ‘great’, Padfoot.”

Sirius laughed, that loud, happy, sound that made fireworks go off inside Remus. Warming him to his core despite being sopping wet.

Sirius smiled down at the photos again. “Well, you definitely look lovely, and wonderful.” He looked up at Remus, his smile widening. “And night I add, very pretty too.”

Remus made an inarticulate sound of despair. “That song has been permanently ruined for me,” he grumbled.

Sirius grabbed Remus’ elbow and dragged Remus closer to him.

“Nah, I think it’s infinitely better now.”

“You would,” Remus said, allowing himself to be pulled closer to Sirius. His arms resting on his hips.

Sirius reached his arms around his neck. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Moony.”

Remus smiled softly at him. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Then Sirius pressed their lips together, wrapping his arms around his back and tugging him closer. When they broke apart Remus was slightly breathless, and Sirius was beaming.

“Now,” Remus said. “Let’s go get my chocolate.”

[cutegirlmayra]

Metallic Need (Bonus Chapter unedited)

Metallic Need : Bonus Chapter (NOT THE FINAL, FINISHED CHAPTER YET.)

Because my friend loves it and I had to write something for her lolol Love you!

Here is what started it:

Idea about burning oil and Neo Metal Amy laying on her stomach seductively in it (since she can't catch on fire, but she could melt lolol) the oil is around and over her so it looks like she's on fire too.

The power walk like, "This alloy doesn't react to such small heat." (hahaha but the real heat is inside their coding lolololol)

Neo: I always knew you were prone to flames... I just didn't realize you wanted to die so quickly. Metal Amy: It's those red eyes that hold the real desire for destruction, Neo Metal Sonic. Neo: ... Who said anything about destruction? (~) lolol A purring lull in his metallic string of sounds (He's honestly so turned on and she's just like, ARE WE FIGHTING?)

Metal Amy: Let's rumble! Neo: Tumble? I like the sound of tha- Metal Amy: NO.

Neo: You will be under my power... -holds up a clawed hand seductively- Metal Amy: -leans head back and glares- You have no power! Neo: ... -pulls back- Is everything literal to you now?

(Friend: HE TRIES SO HARD, Me: Suffer my friend lolol I have a lot of metallic feels thanks to you and now I'm in the mood to write some robotic flirting XDDDD he's like 'how make robotic attracted to me without physically magnetizing her to me?' He did that... once lolol)

Neo: -walking around her, wants to say so many things but is having a hard time with his heart virus finding just one- Your attempt at luring me with your new form is pointless. I own you. I created you. There isn't a part of you I don't know already... I have your blueprints in my mind as we speak. Such a shame... you truly can't ruin what I have made. No matter what you invent yourself to be, you'll always have me in you. Metal Amy: ? Are you still calling me pretty after all I've done!? Neo: -wide eyed- 'SHE UNDERSTOOD?'

Neo: -getting frustrated and angry- YOU BELONG TO ME! -up in her face with his hand twitching and wanting to just slash into her. Metal Amy: If I had a tongue, I would stick it out at you. Disrespectfully. -looks unfazed. She turns to walk away and he's just crushing his body inwards and twiddling his fingers in the air like AHHHHHHH cause he doesn't know how else to flirt-

AND HERE'S WHAT IT IS:

Neo Metal Sonic paced the laundry room, hands behind his back, impatient. He looked at the clock with a look that stated that if it didn't tick correctly he'd have it destroyed with the broom of doom. He was already finished with the basket of organic filth that had been deposited into the washing machine of torturous existences... so now it was time for Neo Metal Amy to check in on him. He had a plan, a sinister way to escape this prison confine of Amy Rose's Home and take his creation back, it was flawless, the moment was right! He had planned everything down to the last drop of blood he'd drain from each of Sonic's friends... but where was she!?

The time seemed to slow down around Neo Metal Sonic, he grew increasingly hostile, flicking his claws to create heated sparks that flew off like a small sparkler in a fireworks demonstration as he stopped pacing and glared with a beam of red to the door. 'She's LATE.' his entire metal frame was on edge, as though his being was polarizing with magnetic force and crushing itself in and out. "That's it. My inferior programming has subsided for the day!" He looked to check that the dryer of all burning screams was almost completed, and so, he left his post...

Walking around Amy's home, he kicked and put nicks on all her furniture as he passed by, a way to vent without triggering his programming since the 'safety of inanimate objects' wasn't a prioritized programming... so Amy would finds steel foot dents and scraped wood on her cabinets constantly as a way for Metal to still protest his confinement as a butler. Needless to say, she hated it. Finally, he made his way to the flowerbed outside, pretending a moment in his mind to set the whole thing on fire like Amy's repeated red clothes that he wished he could dye in her blood instead of wash in detergent when suddenly... a flash of light came from the lake outside of Amy's home... He stared as the powerful force of whip-lashing wind blew the petals out from the backyard and surrounded the water droplets that sparkled around the metallic frame.

It was the first time Neo Metal Sonic realized... he couldn't fly to her. That sick, twisted realization sent a feeling of hopelessness throughout his heart virus... his shoulders wanted to fall back, but he tried to will them up... but with the heart programming it was useless. They slumped as he watched her send a blast through the lake, training maybe or figuring out better ways to perfect her battle abilities... against him? He hoped. At least that meant she was thinking of him again. At least he was still somewhat important... He tried to kick off the ground by lifting his heel up and shoving it down, but his jet didn't engage... Why... He kicked again, and again, and again, and again until his eyes squinted in their desperate need to grasp her... hold his creation again... be with her again... Like a flightless bird, he felt useless, defective. Out of all her 'tortures' she tried to conceive against him... this was the worst one yet. She finally did spot him, turning gracefully in the air with her duel turbo engines under her dress and by her legs, seeing him in the distance. '...Be with me.' he commanded, before glaring in his rage. 'BE WITH ME.' he tried to send the signal but she was already coming, a threatening claw reeled back to attack him. He waited quietly as her sound drew closer, and then dodged as she spiked the ground, jumping to the roof and making sure to damage it in the process. He held himself high, feigning dominance. "you're late... even for your own 'torture session'... pitiful."

"You say that as though you're excited." she yanked her hand out, glaring, "Prepare to feel death once more... Neo Metal Sonic!" he twitched at her saying he seemed excited, then mentally scolded the infernal heart programming again for giving it away. "I would say prepare yourself, NEO Metal Amy..." He flared, slowly to let the dramatic wind swoop his waist-cloak out flapping into the air menacingly. "I have plans for you as well..." He matched her glare, but it was much more regal then hers, and it infuriated her. She sent out a metallic cry and charged him, flying up to him. 'Yes... come to me... don't take your eyes off of me. Don't ever stop thinking of me.' he jumped to dodge her, as she materialized her hammer as the silver goop formed it and she sent electricity through it, hitting balls of sparking light towards him. He tilted himself in the air, before wildly gesturing as an acrobatic to dodge them, showing off. Not one hit... 'Pay attention, this will be your first lesson!' He twisted himself and landed beautifully on the roof again, slowly rising up. 'You will feel me... you will know only I can satisfy you...' he gripped his claws, and then shred them over her image a few feet away. 'I want to exist in those eyes... forever...' and then he charged her.

As she braces for impact, she also tries to secure her footing and grabs Neo Metal Sonic's shot out clawed hand, having it tightly compacted to look almost like a spike and flings him down like a martial artists dodge. 'Perfect' his eyes dim as he unparts his fingers and grabs her wrist. "What?" She looks confused, wondering what he could possibly be doing as he takes what looks like a charger pack from out of his waist-cloak, "You look a bit... thirsty." and spikes his thumb into it, having sparks fly out as he jams it into the crevice of her arm-guard. She is electrocuted, but with all her batteries, it's not really damaging. "What are you thinking?" She glares, her body twitching only slightly from the effects. "I could just shove energy out of me! This was your big threat!?" He continues to stare at her... "H-huh?" Then it occurred to her... this feeling... there was no pain associated to it anymore. Now that she looked down at her captive hand, she noticed the pleasant streams of... "Feeling." her eyes widened and she began to struggle to get his grip off. "Let go!"

"How amusing... the creation that used to enjoy this so much... now fights against it..."

"You made me hate it!" she kicked his stomach in, but he held his ground, trying to trigger his engine but it still wouldn't work. He could have at least scrapped up her foot with it spinning, though it wouldn't leave a mark on the alloy... it would have still given off plenty of sparks to the party... "Tell me," He tilted one eyelid down, "If feeling was so terribly traumatic for you... then why insist I struggle with it? Has it not occurred to you that perhaps I-" Before he could finish his manipulation, his eyes widened as she began to glow bright yellow from within her systems, and then turned to him fully. "So you know my pain." and jammed herself up against him. The explosion broke the roof as the two fell through, and Neo Metal Sonic did feel the pain... but enjoyed every second of it. Though he was in immense simulated pain, he fought through it and tried to embrace her... even while falling through the roof... he just wanted to keep her locked to his side. When the crashing consumed them, Amy cried out from upstairs and came racing downstairs, jaw hitting the ground as though this was the last straw. He was steaming... his systems fired, but he had successfully locked himself to her... 'Now, to give the command.' his eyes flickered red, almost about to shut down in an emergency protocol. She started to get up, but he sent all his power to executing the command, and was like a stuck accessory around her. "Ugh, get off!" she faked exertion, as though an organic feeling strain. However, she stood up as the rubble fell around her, arms away, looking down at what seemed to be a destroyed Metal... Clinging to her and not letting go. "He must have locked his arms before destructing." she thought, before turning to Amy to apologize. But while she did... a deadly signal was being sent to her... Neo Metal Amy was scolded yet again and banished to the Lake while Amy called for some help. She was still stuck with Neo Metal Sonic's trash tightly holding itself around her, but continued to try and find ways to 'unstuck' herself from him. Until a sudden idea popped into her head. She didn't know where it had come from, but she pulled lightly against Neo Metal Sonic's head and looked into the blank and black screens of his eyes... "...Huh?" she suddenly saw it flicker with an image of her when she was incomplete up on Eggman's storage ship. "That's..." she watched memories pass by on Neo Metal Sonic's screen, of their first experience under the electric shower to the later advanced 'pleasurable' electric charging sessions they had... but he seemed to be purposefully leaving out more of the recent tortures... She shook her head, "So he thinks of the past too much, so what?" she let the head drop, "...There was once a time... I would have liked to see even a shred of kindness from my master..." she thought out loud, not sure why, as though answering another inputted question. "But those days can never be. Not when you're a robot..." What she didn't know... was that Neo Metal Sonic was searching her memories, learning about Omochao and her previous thoughts. Seeing how she escaped, her betrayal, and her reprogramming. But then he sent more signals throughout her, looking for any sign that she wanted to please or be pleased... any weakness that he can draw upon. "To you... my flaws were nothing more than entertainment and pleasure... but to me... All I wanted was your acceptance." she closed her eyes, not sure why she was digging this out of herself again. A twitching, burnt claw hand suddenly skimmed her back... "All I truly desired was to please you... but you never accepted me, and you wouldn't allow yourself to be errored even though you were!" she swiped at his head, so he remained still again. "No matter what I do, you still torment me! Acting as though I'm something valuable to you! When you didn't even know what to do with me in the first place!" she kept hitting him, as he indirectly triggered her with his searching for information. Then he found what he was looking for... He reactivated his flickering eyes, looking slowly up to her as she stopped hitting him and was pushed to the ground. Still holding her, he lifted his hand up to the crook of her head, "I remember... the last look on your face... before I threw you to the canon-fodder..." He clicked a switch that gave him access to her spine's wires... "I remember... how you looked at me that day." She was shocked he was able to survive that, but even more so how he was still operational. "W-what are you..? What do you possible think you can gain from-!?" He pulled a wire out, and her expression suddenly went limp and her head fell back. Electric sparks danced around the loose wire as he held it up to his mouth, figuratively drinking her energy in as he prepared for the last and final stage... "I never wanted to loose you... but I couldn't possibly lose TO you... So in a way, you still please me... whether by your own will or not, it's an objective you can't possibly erase from your programming..." He dipped down once his eyes stabilized from the power source, and began shocking her with her own power. Bending her into him, he made sure he had enough before rehooking the wire in, and watching her flare up anger, trying to pierce her claws into him as he continued to send a pleasurable amount of energy back into her. He was attempting the revolving door again... "Doesn't it feel... entertaining?" he suddenly laughed as her eyelids blinked a few times, as though trying to fight the sensation of being recharged. "Doesn't it make you wish you never tried to be organic!?"

With the sparks sending only good feelings, though some constant pain to Neo Metal Sonic through his spinal antenna, the two were back to their old ways again but Neo Metal Amy continued to struggle. He gripped the sides of her head and pulled her against his sparking frame, trying to replicate what she had done for him by taking a hand and looping it in a twist around her arm, letting the heat and electricity spark up in a jagged line to send the same memorable pleasures back to her. So it seemed like a role-reversal, but Neo Metal Sonic had no idea if this was even working or not. His first plan was to addict her to him again, make her realize he was the only one she could serve instead of the organics, but her flaws seemed to be strengths when he looked at her memories. He was amazed by her continual ingenuity, and how no matter what problem, she seemed to find a way to wrestle out of the sensations of touch were mostly on Neo Metal Sonic's side, he was suddenly finding himself even more drawn to the heart programming when it made him of think of things and do actions he didn't know were an organic sign of affection... but through her memories he found, stage two in finding a flaw and formulating what systems were still intact also came through to give him location to her wires... how to strengthen himself. He couldn't hurt an organic, but there was nothing that said he couldn't 'tempt' her to do the work for him... Finding that she wanted his approval was laughable to Neo Metal Sonic, but if it meant securing her to him, what was to lose? His pride was already tarnished, and he could punish her later... but right now... he twisted his head and turned her into him, desperate to give her what she wanted in exchange to having the command signal closer and hoping to brainwash her... however... the heart virus was immediately activated, and suddenly, he found himself twitching. "Noo..." He finally had want he wanted... why was it-!? "NOOO..." his eyes blared red, his claw left her form and gripped the ground, digging into it as he fought the new expression being triggered. However, he couldn't, and suddenly... his escape plan didn't matter anymore. Neo Metal Amy was under a lot of stimuli, it was as though being drugged up in delight, but her hand hit his chest, trying to force him off again, "M-Metal..." she stuttered, unable to fight for much longer... because this was something she had once wanted... love without pain. In his struggle, he found himself absolutely giving in and focusing only on pleasing her, something he'd never do if he was fully in control of his own assets. "Stop... stop fighting me..." she was confused, not sure why his demeanor had changed and why he seemed less hostile... more desperate... "Metal?" her eyes were closing as sent all he had to her... every last spark before she regained herself and the command signal stopped... Neo Metal Sonic being consumed in making her loyal to him again. She began to recharge normally, and grabbed him to look and see what was going on. "You..." His eyes were... Green. "You're feeling." He bent them, twitching. "No." he stated. "Yes." she nodded, amazed. "You are feeling... for me."

As Neo Metal Sonic's form shook from the realization of what the heart virus forced him to recognize and reveal, Neo Metal Amy couldn't help but be stunned at his vulnerable frame. She was sucked into the moment, the sparks still zapped at times, but now her entire focus was on this new experience he had never felt before. Could it be? Was he really solely thinking of her and nothing else? "... Metal Sonic..." she referring to his previous life, "Do you..." She placed her fingers lightly on his cheek as the heart virus forced him to react as though panting, his chest rising and falling. "I can't..." His eyes were bent... all the hostility and evil she had known looked completely gone from him in this moment. It left her completely taken aback. She continued to look over him, watching the 'errors' manifest so prominently now. "I can never be this..." He kept repeating more and more things, but she tuned it out. He was so afraid of being organic... she didn't realize it was fear. She moved up and cupped his face, her former compassion shining through one more time, even towards this weakened moment for Neo Metal Sonic. "NEVER say that." she tried to command, but she didn't have that programmed into him to obey. "You are not Sonic... but you can be whatever you choose to be. You don't have to be evil, Neo... you could be like me..." she skimmed her thumb upon his muzzle. "...But I want you." he admitted, his hands coming back up to her own, and then sliding down to cling as though ashamed to her face, scooting himself closer to it. "I just want you." She let go of his face, "No... N-no, it's emotions. Metal, you're feeling! You can feel! You can allow yourself to-!" He gripped her head and pushed it up to his forehead, his green eyes trembling. "No." he declared, "NO." he repeated. "I don't want to change, I don't want to reform. I only want you. I don't want to feel, I don't want to emote. I never wanted anything besides the death of Sonic, the title of the superior Sonic, and you. YOU. YO-! VVEEE...vveee...VVERRR..." he suddenly arched his back as he jerked forward, sparking out to have the sensation of her and him spinning in that heated, electric pleasure wheel again before he hadn't checked his own supply counts... plus, with his body mostly destroyed from their last brawl... it was no use. He had sparked his last and fell limp, shutting down. Neo Metal Amy moved quickly, placing his head in her lap, "Neo! Neo, stay with it! Don't say that! Please..!" She ducked her head, as though crying as he closed her eyes and simulated the desperate loss of hope she had just gained for a split second. "Don't give me hope like this and then just reject and deny it like you did me!" as she turned her head away, feeling the doom of him never truly changing... and him always staying the torturous fiend she knew him to be... a tender hand lightly tapped her nose and skidded his sharp finger off of it. "I never... rejected... you..." he then completely feel limp and shut down, fully nonoperational. He may have hated feeling, hated 'errors', hated that he could never measure up to Sonic no matter how hard he tried to be a better 'Sonic' than him... he never turned her away, but embraced her. Her heart programming was so torn. Omochao's data sparked to life again, pleading. 'You aren't meant to be this... you had a good life. Please. Don't get hung on this again... be free.' she shoved the thoughts away, "He's a machine that can FEEL! He wants only power and dominion! But I think... for the first time... he was forced to realize how organic he really can become..." She knew he was stuck in his ways... but for just a moment, a brief moment... he was almost ALIVE. A soul... that could feel and possibly change. When she carried him home and revived him, building him up again. He went back to the same old chores, and didn't speak to her for a full day. Staring at the stars, she finally confronted him... but he looked away, acting as though that exchange... never happened.

the end

(In conclusion, she's gonna name a child after me. My friend: "Micaela, you were named after disgruntled robots with sexual frustration." her: "What?"

Fanficiton: (x)

[thebibliomancer]

Song of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 25

Song of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because its all up to Kylan now!

Last times on book: Kylan discovered his surly pal Tavra was actually a spider and then turned the real Tavra into a spider. If that doesn’t make sense to you, that’s fine. It doesn’t make sense to Kylan either. Kylan, Tavra-spider, Naia, and Amri return to the Caves of Grot to save the Grottan from milllions of spiders and to try to make a magical flute out of an extinct bird. While going through the Tide Pass, Naia and Amri scout ahead but don’t come back so Kylan has to proceed without them. He’s discovered by skekLi the Satirist who assumes he’s the spider and drags him along with him.

Chapter 25

In disguise as a spider, Kylan has to come up with a plan to save his friends.

Kylan (pretending to be Krychk the angry spider) follows skekLi the Satirist down a passageway toward the Sanctuary. 

The Sanctuary is something far different from the caves Kylan has known so far.

It was a corrie, the remains of some ancient, dried-up mountain lake. It looked as if a big hand had reached down and scooped out the rock and lifted it away. Growing from the bottom of the open corrie were a dozen giant mushrooms, with pillar-like gray stems and wide flat caps. They were enormous enough that some had structures built on top, torch circles and dream-etched stone pillars. Between the mushroom caps were a network of rope bridges, so one might wander between the caps in a peaceful labyrinth of contemplation. At the very bottom of the corrie, Kylan could make out water flowing from a deep spring, perhaps the origin of the Black River that quenched the thirst of all the Skarith region. The air was thin and cold, and carried the sounds of bells, though none could be seen. The sounds were echoes from a distant past, and Kylan knew he had reached the Grottan Sanctuary.

Pretty cool place, although now absolutely lousy with spiders. Crawling all over the place, spinning webs, mostly just doing their spider thing.

Over time, the entire Sanctuary would become one huge spider nest. If Krychk was any indication of the spider folk’s feelings, it would mean complete exile for the Gelfling from this sacred place.

I mean, yeah, that does suck. But the Grottan apparently stole it first? Also, I’m still very concerned about the food chain. You put millions of spiders in this not-bug-infested area, what are they going to eat?

As Kylan followed skekLi across one of the rope bridges, he contemplates cutting the bridge to send the Skeksis plummeting. And then realizes he doesn’t actually know if Skeksis can die. And even if they could, killing skekLi would doom his counterpart, whoever he is, to an urLii death.

On top of one of the mushrooms, a bunch of mostly unconscious Gelfling are bound up in web. To Kylan’s shock, he spots Naia and Amri among them.

skekLi mocks the captured Gelfling for predictably running to the Sanctuary when Domrak was captured and then just busts a gut laughing and whirling around. Jovial guy, skekLi.

“Krychk, behold! The Drenchen girl. The Gelfling Sanctuary. All the wisdom of the ages!”

skekLi let out another round of laughter, taking huge strides across the cap while holding his staff high. After trine upon trine under the open sun, the mushroom’s surface was petrified and nearly stone, littered with chipped-off, fossilized fungus, and shards of what Kylan realized were giant eggshells.

“And who brought it to the Emperor? ME! skekLi! Not the Hunter. Not the General. Not even skekGra the Conqueror. No, it was skekLi. The clown, they said. The jester. Ha! See what this court clown has done that not even skekMal could do! We’ll see what Emperor skekSo thinks about that! HA! HA!”

HmmmMmmmm. skekLi has some Sil energy here. If you remember Chamberlain’s self-serving speech when he brought Kira back to the Castle to regain his position. skekLi has Chamberlain energy.

Kylan is struck with an odd understanding of skekLi. They’re not so different. Okay, they’re very different but Kylan can connect with his desire to be appreciated even though he’s a scrawny nerd.

Yeah, that’s right, maybe skekTek isn’t the biggest nerd anymore. Maybe its this guy.

And Kylan can use that understanding as a handhold in a situation he’s been feeling increasingly lost in.

“You succeed where others failed, my lord,”he said. He cursed at the quavering in his voice, pressing it out like he would wring water from a washcloth. “You did what the warriors could not do. You… you tricked them. Led them straight here. It was a genius plan.”

“Oh, wasn’t it? Yes. Yes, it was. Oh, bask in my glory, Krychk. A great victory for me means a great victory for you. Now, we must hurry. To finalize this conquest, with Rian and the other Drenchen. Ohh…. yes, soon…”

The bound Amri flicks his ear (body languuuage) and Kylan sneaks a look in that direction. Amri was gesturing at the nests of the extinct bell-birds that once lived in this Sanctuary over a thousand trine ago. The nests even still have feathers in them. Wow, they hold up well. The nests too. You’d think it all would have decayed away.

But Kylan is still stuck. He can’t run for the nests. He can’t try to free the Gelfling of their webprisonment. He can’t do anything that would reveal he wasn’t under Krychk’s control.

“So, my little spider friend. We promised your kind the Caves of Grot. Take them, and do not forget our great generosity despite your failure. Remember this moment, when we conquered the Gelfling who infested your domain. We will call upon you soon for later matters.”

Kylan realizes that skekLi only brought him here because he wanted someone to gloat to. Which fits with the pattern skekLi has been setting re: Aesthetic. He’s not the most extra Skeksis but he’s trying.

Kylan-pretending-to-be-Krychk asks a favor of skekLi since he’s being so magnanimous and all. He says that the Spriton body is not to his liking and asks if he can have the Grottan since it’s like the Vapra.

skekLi agrees, insofar as that it doesn’t matter one way or the other, although comments that the Grottan eyes may be more useful to Krychk what with all the living in these caves he’s about to do.

So Kylan goes and starts ripping the web binding Amri, doing an intentionally rough, bad job of it to jostle Naia awake so he can talk to her. He tells her to play dead and tells Amri to go with Tavra to look for one of those quest bones. BUT to cut the bridge he uses. Kylan has a plan/scheme.

Tavra transfers off of Kylan, who puts on an act as a scared weakling Spriton, and onto Amri.

Who has to then put on the Evil Spider act without much prep time.

“Ah, yes!” Amri said suddenly. He snatched one of the sharp eggshell pieces that were scattered about, pointing it at Kylan as if to silence him. “This Grottan body is much more appealing! Stay down, puny Spriton!”

It wasn’t perfect but it would have to do. skekLi didn’t seem to notice the change in attitude, much more interested in preening his robes. Amri brushed himself off and stepped toward the bridge. The motion was stitled, as if he was both reluctant to leave his friends while desperately wanting to run as far from the Skeksis as he could. It was a mixture of emotions Kylan knew well.

“Yes,” Amri said again. “Well, thank you, my lord. My lord, skekLi. I will now... go. Back to Domrak to claim the prize... Goodbye.”

Oh my god Amri, you are a bad actor! I’m actually impressed how well the bad acting is captured in text here.

Then after Amri-pretending-to-be-Krychk crosses the bridge, he cuts the ropes with the fossilized eggshell. skekLi doesn’t even notice until the sound of the bridge falling. And then he’s pissed.

Kylan pops up to his feet and runs off to the remaining bridge and dares the Skeksis to get him.

He lures skekLi to the adjacent mushroom and cuts the bridge on the far end before the Satirist can catch up to him.

“Wretched Gelfling!” he hissed. “Vile pest! How dare you run from me, your lord? I ought to make a puppet of you!”

“You’re just mad I fooled you,” Kylan said, backing away.

You’re cheeky, Kylan.

skekLi realizes that the only way off the mushroom is the bridge he crossed to get here and makes sure to keep between it and Kylan.

“Going to dash by again, cut that bridge, too? Eh, little pest?” skekLi chided. “Good luck. Try it and we will snatch you up and squeeze the essence out of you here and now.”

And then he tries to brain Kylan with his staff.

But it turns out that skekLi’s overconfidence was his weakness and Kylan’s faith in his friends wasn’t his.

Naia freed herself thanks to Kylan weakening her web bonds while he was freeing Amri and she freed the Grottan prisoners. Naia joins Kylan while the Grottan use rocks and eggshells and even their own teeth to cut the bridge, trapping Kylan, Naia, and skekLi on a mushroom together.

JUST AS PLANNED

GOOD JOB!

skekLi hissed, thrashing his claws and whirling toward them. His head jutted out and his eyes flashed, but he did not scream. He did not shriek like an uncontrolled beast, as skekMal had. Instead, he lowered his head and growled, his voice dropping low and poisonous.

“You will regret this,” he said.

Uhhh so what’s the follow-through here, Kylan?

Because this Skeksis is going to do a harm to you.

And if that weren’t bad enough, the MANY SPIDERS lining the walls start climbing down toward the floor on their way to climb the mushroom.

So whats the plan?

Apparently the plan is hope Amri and Tavra find a suitable bell-bird bone before Naia and Kylan get either spidered to death or thrown off the mushroom by the Satirist.

This isn’t a great plan!

[whirlybirbs]

Great now she has to get HIM off!!!

PRACTICE   &   PERFECTION   ;

summary: miss turner catches arthur in the throes of something more private. a companion piece of this work.pairing: arthur morgan x reader, turner as a placeholder surnamerating: explicit! masturbation, first time handjobs + fingering! wahoo!word count: 3.4k, oopsa/n: hahahaha i am horny for arthur morgan. this is a part of my simpler said aloud series. if you’d like to read more about these two, here’s the masterlist!

He can’t sleep.

He tosses, for the fifth time in ten minutes, and curses himself as he does. It’s the fourth night in a row of this hellish curse — He should be exhausted, but the heavy pull of his eyelids is absent. A fan of his beauty rest, he finds himself irritated with the fact he could be asleep by now, snoring loudly and blissfully unaware of the world.

But, Arthur Morgan can’t sleep. 

He tosses again. His tent is illuminated by a strip of light glimmering through the gap in the canvas — the dying campfire floods his space in oranges and inky blues. It’s late now, and the camp is silent save for the lap of waves on the shore of the lake and the peepers in the tall grass. 

Somewhere in the distance, coyotes bay and yip as Dutch snores, like a chainsaw, cutting through the night.

Christ, it’s annoying. 

Arthur kicks at the sheets tangled around his feet.

Draping an arm over his eyes, he tries to block out the light and count the crickets chirping, but his mind keeps wandering to places that leave sleep just out his reach.

It’s anxiety, Hosea had said, commenting on Arthur’s sudden evasion of sleep, keeps you up, just like me.

After another half hour, he strangles an annoyed sigh behind his hand as he rubs his face and grits his jaw. He imagines the circles under his eyes are dark as coal now. He’s sure Micah will make a comment over breakfast — something about Miss Turner keepin’ you up, Morgan?

... That’s a nice thought.

(It’s Pinkertons and Bounty Hunters and the O’Driscolls, really.)

Arthur, then, decides that maybe that very thought could be his saving grace and he sets out to tire himself in the best way possible — hand fisted down his union suit, teeth barred and eyes clamped shut.

He intended for it to be quick — not drawn out nor luxurious in any fashion; after all, the other tents were only feet away. Sound carries and Arthur would rather the others not hear the more explicit parts of his mind playing out in the early morning hours.

... But, you are a lovely thought.

Nails digging into his shoulders as you try to grapple under the mounting heat between your legs, knees shaking as he winds you up like a toy, thumb grazing that sensitive bundle of nerves...

Fingers work at peeling away the top of his union suit, a flash of hot interest peaking in his gut at the mere recall of you whispering his name in moments more heated. You have a way of doing that to him; you get him going quick with the brush of a kiss, utterance of a name, touch of a hand. It’s embarrassing, almost, how tight you have him wrapped around your thumb and how willingly he lets that become his place.

Arthur blinks down at his hips, heavy lashes fluttering as he palms at his arousal. He’s hard already, shamefully so, and he can’t help but chew his lip as he runs a hand along himself over his wool suit. The friction is nice. He thinks about you, keening along his fingers, and the friction gets nicer.

He’s distracted, mind in the field you’d both stood in three days ago. You’re propped up on that wall, snakebite forgotten, as his lips attack love-bites into the delicate flesh of your thigh. He remembers the sounds, the breathy little whimpers and the way you’d pleaded his name — he remembers the slick heat between your legs as he’d happily delved across the lace with nimble fingers. The moment is seared into his brain, and suddenly Arthur wishes he’d had the courage to rip your bloomers off and away and get a taste.

His hips buck a bit at the thought of you, legs spread and ankles hitched around his shoulders as he laps at the delicate folds of flesh there. You’d be warm and sweet and wonderful, he thinks, and his chin would be slick with evidence of your arousal.Arthur shudders a breath, trying to keep it down. He passes another touch across himself and shifts on his cot, lip pulled between his teeth tightly —

Arthur can hardly speak when his tent floods with light and you’re suddenly there, a soft gasp worming itself from your lips.

In the light of the dimmed fire, you glow; but Arthur doesn’t give himself a moment to linger on the sight. He curses in a harsh whisper, hands flying to cover himself and tug at the sheets at the foot of his bed.

What he’s been up to, though, isn’t lost on you.

“Miss Turner —“

“Sorry,” you whisper coyly, not at all unsettled by the thought of Arthur Morgan taking care of himself — quite the opposite, “Am I interrupting?”

(You’d been in the same predicament as him, sleep lost and worry high.)

Arthur’s clutching the sheets over his arousal when you speak, head dropping back to the pillows as he tries to overcome the sudden shame and embarrassment that flies across his face. Arthur knows he’s been caught, there’s no sense in tiptoeing around this, and yet all he can manage to grit out is a sarcastic:

“Not at all, sweetpea, not at all.”

“You’re an outlaw, Arthur,” you whisper, moving towards the cot, “Not a liar.”

He bites his tongue, blue eyes moving to follow you as you drift closer. Your chemise is hanging from your shoulders, hair spilling over your back in sleep kissed knots and you look like an angel, something that should stay far from the dirtier thoughts he’d just been having about you —

“Can’t sleep?” you ask, kneeling beside his cot, eyes roaming him greedily.

Arthur doesn’t trust himself to speak. He nods his head.

“... Could I help?”

It’s like leaping off a bridge — it’s a dive into uncharted waters. You’ve never done something like this, not with him nor anyone, but the thought is hardly there thanks to how much you want it. Arthur seems to notice the hungry look in your eyes and succumbs to it fully, hands moving to push away the sheets in acceptance of your help.

“I, uh, just —“ the sentence burns up in your gaze.

You decide, very quickly, that Arthur Morgan looks rather pretty like this.

His union suit is unbuttoned, splitting him up the middle and exposing the plains of his chest and abdomen. His skin is hot, from the summer night and the burning arousal, and you find yourself quite enamored with the view before you.

Arthur is bright pink. Even in the dark of his tent you can see it. He can’t help it — this is the thing of fantasy, having you admire him so openly, having you reach to touch him in a way so intimate. The rosy blush that has settled neatly across his cheeks and ears steals your breath away.

The evidence of his arousal is outlined in his union suit and his entire body lurches when you reach, one finger tracing the side of him as you smile so sickly sweet that Arthur feels like he’s been punched in the chest.

This is going to be the death of him. 

He can hardly look at you, too taken by sheepishness but hips spurred by the greedy look you give as you rise from the floor. He shifts, arching to follow your touch, and you give a breathless little laugh when you settle back down beside him on his cot.

This time, the pressure is a bit more — your whole palm grazes him and he shudders, dark lashes screwing shut as he swallows and tries to form a coherent string of words.

He gives up when you hook your fingers in the last set of buttons, springing him free.

His cock is big — flushed a pretty pink at the head and thick. It’s a sight that you always imagined would have you uncomfortable and horrified and running for the hills. Seeing a man naked, on any night beside your wedding night? It was always warned against, always battled back with deep settled fear; women like you aren’t meant to be doing things like this in the quiet hours of the night, but it doesn’t scare you, doesn’t disgust you. Instead, it kicks something alive inside of you that’s anything but innocent. It’s far from it.

“Look at you, cowboy.”

Arthur’s eyes roll shut, head dropping back to the sheets as he lets out a weak laugh. Finally he speaks. His voice is horse. “This has got t’ be a dream.”

You pull your lip between your teeth as you smile, fingers finding the bare skin of his hips as he squirms on the cot. His breath hitches as you tug at his union suit, hands moving to scale his side as he exhales long and hard.

“You look like a dream,” you mutter, “I could watch you for a while.”

Arthur gives a weak sound at that. His hands move to pull you down into a needy kiss — one that leaves his cock pressed to his belly and you don’t think twice before you’ve moved to run a tentative touch along it.

Arthur’s eyes jump open and his whole chest heaves.

“Sh-Shit.”

“Good?”

He can’t even respond, just chew his lip and flare his nostrils and nod.

Your nose brushes his as you lean over him, lace of your chemise skimming the exposed skin of his hips and chest; it’s a sensory trap, luring him in at the welcoming softness. You take him gently into your hand and give one hesitant pump.

Arthur nearly gives in then and there.

You have to rush up to silence the groan that flies from his throat. You bite his lip, pulling away with it stuck between your teeth. Arthur’s eyes are rooted to the way you look at him, like he’s some revered man. 

He feels unworthy of it. Unworthy of you.

“Shh,” you whisper, nudging his face with your nose. You move to bite a kiss along his throat, “You want Dutch t’ hear you?”

Arthur gives a pitiful, daring laugh, then -- as if to say, “why not” -- a breathy rumble that shakes his chest and leaves you grinning into the skin along his shoulder. You kiss him again, amused, lips lingering by his cheek as you climb over his leg and situate yourself above him; he follows, chasing you upwards as he props himself up on his elbows. Arthur is slack-jawed, face bright in a rosy glow, eyes half-lidded as you move. 

Under his eyes, you feel small.

“Is this okay?” you whisper, leaning to set a slow pace, lips falling along his cheek.

Arthur pants, nodding desperately at the hot touch. “Y-Yea -- Christ, yer gonna kill me.” 

You snicker, settling against his thigh fully now -- your chemise pools around you and you can’t help but bunch a hand into it, hiking it up over your thigh in a flash of skin; Arthur gravitates towards it, chasing the searing contact, finding under calloused fingers there’s no lace around your hipbones. No cursed bloomers. Just skin. Blue eyes anchor themselves to the expanse of skin up your hip, awe rooted there, as he realizes you’re bare and flush right against his thigh.

“Jesus --”

His head drops back against the sheets and you grin above him, thumb slipping along the head of his cock to find it slick -- Arthur jolts at the sensation, chest heaving in a gasp as you quirk a brow and slip the wetness down his length, earning a low moan, mingling with a desperate laugh. He screws his eyes shut, hands moving to grasp at your thighs like a ship lost at sea.

Eagerly, you lay a hand over his and drag it upwards, under the lace, grinning happily when it settles along your ribs. His hands are warm and rough and big, settling to press you against his thigh -- his voice is hoarse when he speaks.

“Yer th’ prettiest damn thing I ever seen.”

Arousal crawls up your chest, heat flaring in your face. No one has ever touched you like this. Certainly not brushed their thumb over your nipple and moved to haul your chemise off you totally when you say their name.

The outlaw surges up, pulling the nightgown from your frame as his mouth moves to latch itself to the curve of your breast --- his stubble tickles, tongue moving flat against your breast as he bites a little mark there; a reminder of the night, something tangible, something secret. Blue eyes connect with yours and Arthur smiles, happy to at least have thrown you off for a moment. It’s a shift in the power balance, one that sends a hand through his hair eagerly.

You move then, hips squirming against him as you pick up the pace -- it earns a low groan from Arthur. Planting a firm hand on his chest, he settles back against the cot without a fight. You’re in charge; he’s the one who needed help. 

“This is about you, Arthur.”

His eyes can’t help but shut, lashes kissing his cheeks. The idea that this is all about you giving -- the idea of you happily surrendering yourself to him stirs his arousal further. His hands crawls up, calloused fingers brushing the curve of your hip again, this time urging a pace out of you. You chew your lip, lids going heavy, as you move your hips in tandem with your wrist; it’s not easy, but the reaction is worth it.

“Y’ sure y’ never done this before?” he asks, words broken by pants.

“Never,” you lean, biting a delicious little mark along his collarbone, “Though, I think I’d benefit from some extra practice, Mr. Morgan.”

He can’t hide the desperate sound that’s pulled from him at the name.

Arthur is a mess, eyes on you and on the roof of the tent and on your core bucking against his clothed thigh. He’s trying to remember how to breathe, how to think -- it’s hard when you’ve come along and robbed all worldly abilities from him. The sounds in the tent are sinful; breaths mingle in the quiet, names exchanged in eager little prayers that wind both of you higher and higher.

This is not how he anticipated his night going.

“Practice -- fuck,” he squirms, spurring a grin out of you, “ -- makes perfect.”

Your thumb brushes the head of his cock again, sending the outlaw gasping after the remark. He tightens his hold on your hips, dragging himself up and smothering your grin with a kiss that’s bruising. He bucks you forward, dragging you along his thigh, and the friction is wonderful. Your hand falters, slipping up along the ridge of the swollen head and Arthur’s breath hitches -- enough that you chase the exact reaction through the same ministration.

It’s the right one.

His hands are shaking when he winds them around your back, mouth digging harsh bites into the column of your throat as you whimper -- you pry at his jaw, face gripped in a tight hold; you heave a gasp, eyes darting to his swollen lips. Arthur happily lets you assert the gesture of dominance, mostly because you brush the underside of his cock with fingers slick with pre-come in that exact moment and his eyes roll right into the back of his head. 

“Shit --” he gasps, hands moving to grab at your backside as he falls back to the cot, a bit too locked in the pleasure to do much else, “Sweetpea, please --”

“Like that?” you ask quietly, mimicking the motion.

His hips lift, arms tensing as he nods; his lip is pulled between his teeth. “Y-Yeah.”

“Arthur Morgan,” you nearly purr, falling along his hips and pressing your chest to his as you concentrate your hold on his arousal, “I think I’m awfully lucky -- a man like you, lettin’ me touch 'im like this...”

You kiss his cheek and his heart flutters. 

He moves to root his fingers in your hair. 

You give him another slick pump. Another curse.

It’s the look that does him in, though; one look, a smile, illuminated by the dying fire outside his tent -- you’re a dream, chest pressed against his and hair spilled along your shoulders -- he comes hard; it’s like a tsunami, washing over him so hard that he’s floating and his world is dark and his hearing is gone. He’s dead, dying, gone, in heaven. Arthur Morgan has died in your arms.

He’s laughing, then, eyes still screwed shut as you grin above him.

“Miss Turner,” he pulls his eyes open, “I -- This...”

He’s come along your wrist. The first thing he sees is you dropping a finger to your tongue with a coy look. 

He’s dead. This is heaven.

Now, he doesn’t want to sleep. 

But, you’re happily pulling yourself from him, snagging his handkerchief from the wardrobe at the end of his bed and moving to clean him up with a gentle hand. Your fingers nimbly button his union suit back up, mouth chasing the skin of his chest -- and he just watches, touch fond. 

“Think you can sleep now?” you ask as you chuck the handkerchief over your shoulder. You sit up, settling on the side of the cot. You scoop up your chemise, “Did I tire you out?”

Arthur stops you. His eyes are narrowed.

“Where you think yer goin’?”

You blink. Oh. 

He moves, then, pulling you down beside you and winding his arms around you desperately -- as if you’d run off. You can’t help but laugh, sheepishness settling across your cheeks as you chew your lip. You’re naked, pressed against him and a bit cold, but the ache between your legs is the biggest problem.

“Honestly,” you mumble sweetly, “I was going to take care of myself, but --”

Arthur pulls an eye open.

His smirk is dangerous.

“Were y’?”

He winds you into a kiss, then, your head turned to engage over your shoulder, when his hand slips between your legs. You can’t help but lift your leg, hiking it over his hip and opening yourself up to the searing touch.

“I could take care a’ this” Arthur mutters, greedy mouth kissing your shoulder as you gasp, “Like y’ did fer me --”

You’re soaked. His fingers slip along the velvet folds easily. You breathe his name.

“Won’t take much,” he chirps, “Look a’ you.”

God, you wish you could shut him up. That, however, had happened earlier -- and now you’re at Arthur mercy; you grip at his hips, fingers winding tightly in his union suit as he seemingly curls around you and presses sloppy kisses to the back of your neck as he works a pace along your clit; it’s dangerous and wonderful and you say his name like plead, begging for something you don’t even know.

Then, a crooked finger slips inside you and you jolt.

That’s it. 

His thumb moves, coaxing another cry of his name before a second finger stretches you nicely -- the feeling is foreign but it’s good, you feel better than you have when you’ve been the one doing it, certainly. His fingers are thicker, rougher, warmer. 

“That alrigh’?”

“Don’t you dare stop.”

Your legs are shaking.

Arthur grins. 

“Yer close,” he rumbles lowly, “C’mon, practice makes perfect.”

Just like your smile did him in, it’s those words that do you in -- you come along his fingers hard, hands wound in his union suit and gripping the edge of his cot as he smothers your sounds with a bruising kiss; it strangles your rational thinking skills and you’re stuck in a honeyed glow as the come down follows. 

Before you even realize it, Arthur is tugging the sheets up over you and pulling you close to his chest. You melt into the touch, smile permanent on your face as you bury yourself in the hold.

His beard scratches your forehead as he kisses you there.

“I wasn’t kiddin’ when I said yer gonna be th’ death a’ me,” he says slowly.

You laugh sleepily. “Weren’t you the one who said dyin’ happy comes much later?”

A low laugh. “Yeah, well, that was before y’ got me off --”

“Go t’ sleep, Arthur,” you chirp, pinching his side, “Sooner morning comes, the sooner I’ll make you, again.”

And on that note, Arthur Morgan goes right to sleep.

[hecohansen31]

I have a request idea thing what if the readers a ghost investigator and they go to camp redwood and fall in love with Xavier

(A/N): Hello there, lovelies!

So... ahem this is a bit different what you requsted but if it is making you unhappy and if you want something similar to what you requested just send me another ask, and I’ll happily work on the concept you need!

(I am sorry... I just love the idea of skeptic! reader+Xavier!)

WARNINGS: Superstition, Ghost Talk and Skepticism, Many Mentions of the 90s.

Sometimes you wondered whether it would have been easy to be born in a normal family, and not a ghostbuster one.

Not only you had started hating the song “ghostbuster” (mostly because, according to your parents ‘we don’t bust ghost, we just make sure that they find their way to Death, in the best way possible’) but you had to constantly endure the teasing of your skeptic schoolmates.

‘Why couldn’t you just do a normal job?’ you had mumbled once, in a full-on adolescential rant, full of hormones and annoyed by the constant teasing ‘... I constantly get told I am the freak at school because of this!’.

‘It’s our service to the world, (Y/N)’ had replied sternly your father, meanwhile your mother nodded and you had uttered, before slamming the door as an Hollywood diva.

‘But ghosts aren’t even real!’.

Although you didn’t believe it, truly.

When you were nothing but a child, you had believed in ghosts, in friendly ghosts, who wouldn’t hurt you and would be your friends, also known as your first invisible friends, but growing up you had just lost interest for all that stuff, although you didn’t question the existence of ghosts.

You just felt like it wasn’t something that truly was real... till it was.

Like that summer.

It was the summer of 1992, you were at your last year of college and to collect some extra money you had thought about helping your parents who worked at some kind of show lately, since they had become rather popular, and mostly... it paid your student loans.

It was all set up on staying in some “haunted” place, the cringiest ones you could find, where nothing would happen, in the extreme attempt of your parents to summon some spirits.

Most of the time the producers would dose some special effects, and they all would wrap up that shit happily, meanwhile your parents almost protested against this.

‘We are professional! Not some kind of circus attraction!’ had mumbled your mother, once the producer had suggested that they tried to take a more ‘hippie’ look for the entire thing.

‘This is a serious job’ had replied your father, meanwhile you had to withhold a smirk.

You had to admit that although the experience was strange, you hadn’t hated that summer, it was one of the best you had had.

And the most heartbreaking one.

The last step of the journey was the infamous “Camp Redwood” which had been left to fend for itself once Margaret Wood, its former owner, had disappeared in it, but not before horrible things had been going down, both with Mr Jingle and Brooke Thompson.

Rumor had it that it was haunted by all the people killed inside its limits.

You had arrived late that night, and although your parents hadn’t wanted you to wander off since there was some kind of ‘off vibe’ to the entire thing, you hadn’t been able to stop yourself from having a bit of fun, on your own.

You just wandered around the place, which honestly gave you the chills, since people had actually been killed there, for three times.

Even if it wasn’t haunted, it was certainly cursed.

You were wandering around, mostly trying not to be lured in the woods and the lake, since they truly didn’t emit any kind of ‘good vibes’, asyour mother would have said.

But you enjoyed staying at the fireplace, imagining spooky stories and how they could be debunked, and you were doing this till a broken branch startled you.

You immediately shook the entire thing off as nothing but suggestion, turning around to the fireplace, meanwhile you twirled your elastic band between your fingers, eventually growing bored and going to put out the fire.

Just to hear the noise of steps on the ground, turning around just to be startled by a man, appearing suddenly in front of you.

He must have been barely older than you, dressing up as they did a decade ago, with the typical “cool guy” hair and a shining cross earring in an old style that made him look like he had been stuck in the 80s.

He wasn’t somebody of the crew, and you had known everybody since the start of the trip.

And although he didn’t move closer to you or threatened you, you couldn’t help but be at uneasy near him, wanting to run back to your trailer, but also... you were stuck there on the ground.

“I am sorry, I am lost, I must have wandered there...”.

He was lying, you knew it all too well: when you lived this long with people who lied as a work, you knew better than to trust easily, mostly those who didn’t look like they were lost, at all.

But you didn’t try to let him know that you knew his secret, steadying your breath, not wanting the awful atmosphere to get to you.

“...you should worry... you need to go”.

“Weren’t you lost?” you spoke back, knowing that your uneasiness towards him was justified, but you also trusted your guts in saying that he wasn’t pa danger to anybody.

“... you have to go” now his voice was serious “... pretty little girls like you shouldn’t be out the night in places like these”.

Although you didn’t show any kind of reaction to the ‘pretty little girl’, not knowing whether you should be disgusted or blushing, you couldn’t help but notice the emphasis he put in the last part of the discourse.

“... places like these? What do you mean?” you almost joked, feeling like this guy might just be some other kind of ‘ghosthunter’, just more believing in the entire story than you “... like cursed places?”.

“Haunted, sweetheart” he mumbled between gritted teeth, and this time the ‘sweetheart’ didn’t go unnoticed, clearly you blushed, grateful that the night could cover what was going on your cheeks.

“... you are joking” you mumbled, but he just sent your way a sad smile, before he turned around, not bothering to even acknoledge you further.

“Sleep tight, sweetheart” he mumbled, meanwhile he walked away, as mysteriously as he had walked in your life “... don’t let the ghosts bite your pretty ass”.

———

You had wanted to talk with your parents about what had happened the previous night, but in the morning you were so tired, due to the insomnia that had followed the stranger’s meeting, that all you did was drink coffe and try not to be in the way of the TV crew.

You couldn’t help but think that what the man had told you was a simple warning of what might happen your way, had you stayed longer, but at the same time, your skepticism was going strong and you honestly didn’t believe that you were in danger.

Even more because of anything supernatural...

Mostly because your parents had alerted no ghostly or haunted presence, although your mother insisted that she felt like the ghosts were simply hiding, not wanting to come out for them.

‘Would you like me to go around and ask for them to join us for tea?’ had mumbled the producer and you had thought that it was a rather nice idea, mostly to test out the man’s words.

You didn’t exactly start.  screaming for ghosts to join you, but since it was a nice day and you felt more comfortable visiting the lake by day, you thought about suntanning over there, meanwhile you faked being interested in your book.

But you were unable to focus on much, meanwhile you felt eyes all over you.

But you couldn’t locate where they came from, immediately the dreaded feeling of the previous night setting in your guts.

Maybe... the strange man was right.

“Aren’t you an attentive listener?” as if summoned by your thoughts, the strange man was looking at you, not hiding his interest for your half-naked body “I told you to go away, and you are out of here, suntanning”.

“Is it a crime?” You mumbled, annoyed, raising lightly your sunglasses “... didn’t know that you were a wandering cop”.

He sat himself down next to you, huffing lightly annoyed.

“Ok you got me, I wasn’t lost last night, but usually nobody is here, so I wasn’t expecting you, certainly, again, girlie, this place is haunted”.

“Well my parents are ghosthunters” you mumbled, meanwhile you made sure to take another good look at him and his strange clothes: it was something that you would see straight up from a Madonna’s videoclip “... so I have nothing to fear”.

He looked at you, skeptic, before turning to look at the lake.

“This place has seen enough tragedy, I don’t think that two idiots, no offense for your parents, will solve that” he mumbled, taking something out of his pocket, a joint “... you’d have a nicer summer moving to Beverly Hills”.

Again you lowered the glasses, and took the join from his hands, breathing in its sweet smell, before you breathed out the cloud of smoke in his face.

“... you wound me, thinking that I am some kind of ‘Brenda’” you mumbled, meanwhile you turned away, bringing your knees to your chest “... I’ll have you know that according to my mother I can emit amazing positive energy”.

“You think I am joking, when it is actually the truth” now in the beautiful stranger’s eyes something glimmered dark, some kind of rage to your reckless behavior “... well then I’ll have to show you how serious I am, Brenda”.

And then he vanished.

Like he didn’t run away, but he vanished in thin air.

And you knew this wasn’t a trick that the production had used.

Because all around you, there was some kind of static energy, as if anything was going to happen in a few minutes.

And then the stranger reappeared in front of you.

“... now you believe me?”.

“Nice trick” although you tried so desperately not to show your emotion in your tone, you knew that fear had gone through your body, like a little tremble “... but I do believe you, you are a ghost”.

“And I am not the only one, I am just nice to pretty girls, this is my last suggestion to leave before anything happens to your pretty face”.

And again he had vanished, and you were left with more question and your faith that ghosts weren’t real shaken.

———

You had told your mother about the meeting and she had simply shrugged off her shoulders, before she gave you an hidden microphone and a good bottle of holy water.

‘Sweetheart it is in your DNA to do this, just make us proud’.

You honestly didn’t know if you were more bonkers for actually following her suggestion or if she honestly needed to understand that her only daughter was setting herself up in a ghost trap.

Which didn’t work according to the stranger’s annoyed look.

“You are still here?” he scoffed.

“I might be able to help you... my parents always say that ghosts are just lost souls... and...” your “pretty” discourse was cut off by another glare from the stranger “... ok I’ll stop with the bullshit, but you always search me, so you must want something from me, I hope it isn’t my left kidney”.

“I prefer the right” he mumbled, but moved closer to you, meanwhile you pushed yourself a bit away to make some space for him “... I also don’t think that we have shared names, if you are not a ‘Brenda’ “.

You punched him lightly, surprised that your hand didn’t go through him, something which gained a smirk from him (“we can focus enough to appear more ‘physically’ “ “Oh like in ‘Ghost’ “ “I have no clue what you are talking about, sweetheart”).

“I am (Y/N)” you pushed out an hand, which he accepted, and although his hand was indeed rather physical, his touch was cold, reminding you of the tragedy he had gone through.

“Xavier” he smirked, before he flashed you a million watts smile “... you must know me, I was a rather famous actor at my time”.

You tried to search in your mind, but the only correspondence you could find was with the men who had died in Camp Redwood.

You had looked through the files you had found on the tragedy, and remembered he had been found dead with a knife through his heart, his death blamed onto Brooke.

“Sadly not”.

“Ahem... what a shame” he mumbled, his tone, although staying on a more sarcastic note, showed some kind of sadness.

“Well, maybe you might talk about your movies with me, and they might trigger something!” you proposed softly and something in him definitely seemed to come alive.

The night was spent with Xavier talking about his life previous to his death, with enough energy that you almost forgot you had a ghost near you, and not a true person.

And at a certain point of the night, Xavier who had come closer, had swung an arm around you, smirking softly at your blush, meanwhile he pushed his hips against yours, in an attempt to move closer to you.

After he finished all the stories of his beautiful life (which you felt like more than half were lies) he suggested he might as well accompany you to your cabin, since it wasn’t safe to wander off at night.

“... what assures me that you won’t take advantage of me, meanwhile you are accompanying me?” you joked, poking him in the ribs, and making him almost yelp.

“Oh but I won’t take advantage of you, seeing as you are half in love with me already” he smirked, meanwhile you can’t help but blush more, allowing him to accompany you to the cabins, as much as he could, without having to be discovered by your parents.

“Have a goodnight, Brenda” he giggled, before sending you off, vanishing again behind you, something to which you were never going to get used, and it took you a few minutes before you realized he was truly gone.

Not for long, since the following day he met you again in the same place, and the night after and the night after that, for all the nights of the week you were supposed to stay at Redwood, telling you not only lies, but the more you were willing to listen, offering your opinion, the more he opened up to you, telling you the truth.

“... I am not exactly an actor...” he had mumbled once, not even looking at you in the eyes, softly scratching the back of his head “... I once did porn, gay porn”.

You literally just looked at him like “dude we are past that”, since you weren’t exactly fazed by that, certainly no more than for the fact that he was a ghost.

“Somebody, who I thought was my friend, took advantage of me, it sucked honestly”.

“I am sorry that you had to go through that” you gently leaned closer to him, embracing an arm over his shoulders “... you didn’t deserve it”.

“The worst shit happen to those who don’t deserve it” you mumbled, meanwhile he smirked softly and meekly, brushing his shoulder against you.

“The world is a fucked up one”.

“Amen to that”.

Your relationship had grown rather close and suddenly when everyone was getting ready to leave you felt like you couldn’t just leave Xavier.

And he couldn’t leave the camp.

“Ghost” was nothing more than a telenovela, compared to your growing love-story.

“I am coming back” you swore in your last meeting, but he just looked at you sadly, knowing it wouldn’t happena again: he had beeen the one who had advised you against it “... I can’t just forget about you”

“See now you know all about the perfectness that I am, aren’t you lucky, Brenda?” he joked softly, trying to dry your tears “... I won’t forget about you, neither (Y/N)”.

And then he gently moved to kiss you, the coldness of his lips, definitely a reminder of his otherworldly figure.

And then you left.

But your heart stayed in Redwood.

[movienotesbyzawmer]

October 19, 2020: Friday the 13th

This is happening. I am going to watch the first eight Friday the 13th movies over the next eight evenings.

Am I an idiot. Will I even get through them all. Why.

The earlier movies in the series came out at a time when I was a pre-teen movie fan who really wanted to get past the too-scary barrier and just enjoy horror movies. I think rewatching the first couple on cable back in the early 80s helped me get used to horror movies. But it's not like I ever was a huge fan of, just, straight slasher movies. I'd appreciate the effects and the gore, but I never thought they were excellent movies.

So here we are at the first one, still the most famous one. I remember it well enough that I don't think anything will be scary or surprising, but it's been so long that I suspect it will look very, very dated. Let's pop this sukka in…

Right away we get to hear the familiar "riff" or whatever you want to call this bit in the score that goes CH CH CH CH CH HA HA HA HA HA HA. Good job coming up with that.

So they tell us that it's Camp Crystal Lake in 1958, and we cut between teenage camp leader people doing a singalong and a POV stalkercam creeping around. It really doesn't look like 1958 in any way. But that turns into a POV murdering of two boinking teenagers; definitely owes a debt to Halloween, which came out two years earlier. But that ends with the title of the movie shooting out toward us all and shattering some glass we didn't know was there! Oh mercy what a surprise how will I ever get any sleep.

Ha! A crazy old man jumps in front of the nice girl and be-s all scary at her with the portentous "death curse" warning. Kinda hard to believe this movie came out in the same decade as Blue Velvet, is my comment on its dramatic maturity.

0:12:45 - Kevin Bacon's first appearance! Do people remember that this is one of his earliest roles? Still a couple years after his small role in Animal House though, so he was actually known.

So now we're at the camp and we see the girl who makes it to the end. She's talking to the dude with the mustache who is, what, the owner of the camp? There's a creepy tension maybe because they will want us to suspect he's a bad guy later. Or maybe because awkward exchanges are a consequence of movie budgets being small. But there's also dumb plot exposition about how, okay, fine, she'll stay on the job until Friday but then she has to move to California to pursue her real interests. You know, art drawings!

Ooh, now the first girl, Little Miss Backpack, catches a second ride, but we don't see the driver, it's all POV! She's in trouble, and we don't know who it is! Is it Moustachio? She's on the run through the woods! Limping, oh no! And… SLASH! That's kind of interesting because it was looking like she might be the protagonist. But in the brilliant clarity of this very nice, newly-restored Blu-ray presentation, we see her cruelly dispatched by way of some pretty mediocre gore makeup. Good enough for what must have been a pretty low budget I guess. But hard to believe this came out just one year before An American Werewolf in London.

0:26:20 - "What Do I Do", says the snake-chasing counselor guy. It's a funny delivery! And I actually like some of the angles in this scene.

Now there's this motorcycle cop character who shows up to Be A Cop at them. The actor seems like he's not very experienced, but like he was cast because he has a weird way of talking that was amusing during the casting sessions.

Bah ha ha ha, the weird dude from town is lurking in the pantry! He emerges shockingly to deliver another warning! The only reason that happens is to make us wonder if he is the stalker. "You're doomed! You're all doomed!" Way to embrace that dialogue, buddy.

It's kind of like the director didn't give these counselor actors individual character notes; he just told them all "you are spunky young camp counselors, that's it, that's the direction".

So Kevin Bacon and his girlfriend have repaired to a little cabin so they can Do It, and something that's occurring to me is that, unlike what we're more used to seeing in slasher movies, they aren't focusing on the sexual attractiveness of the females. The guys and the gals are all just kind of good-lookin-enough young adults who are all into each other. I'm going to keep an eye on how this progresses as I get deeper into the series, if I even last the whole eight movies.

Whoa a dude is dead in the bunk above where they're Doing It! We didn't see that guy get killed even, right? He looks enough like another one of the guys that I might not have noticed his character was absent.

The KB death scene I totally remember, and at first it looks quite good and is a good shock! But because this restoration is so clean, you really notice the color difference between where it's KB's head and a fake body getting speared. Other than that, though, that is pretty exquisite horror movie violence, that death.

KB's girlfriend is looking like she's about to get murdered, and while she is in skimpy underwear, I still don't think it's like that to titillate us as much as to make her seem vulnerable. Am I being naïve? Maybe. The rest of the gang is playing strip poker in their quarters, but they're such regular people and not being filmed in any kind of steamy way.

The pace really slowed down after those couple of bloody murders, but audiences at the time were probably pretty shocked by how bloody they were. Both of those deaths were very much in close-up. At this point in the movie, though, there's a more careful suspense. We go back to Moustachio, chatting in a diner, then having car trouble. It's plodding in a way that seems actually pretty smart. I feel suspense building.

0:56:58 - I don’t remember this scene at all… one of the girls is all by herself and she clearly hears someone calling for help. It's not done in a "maybe it's the supernatural echo of the drowning boy's screams" way. It's just a lure. The girl goes outside, someone turns floodlights on… and we cut away just as she's ostensibly about to get all killed up.

So now it's just the short-haired girl and the dark haired guy that didn't die yet. Are they the last ones left? Other than Moustachio? That happened quick!

1:02:10 - First mention of it being Friday the 13th. It's really not significant to the story or to the whole series. They were clearly just stoked that they claimed "Friday the 13th" as a property.

Moustachio just got killed; no violence; it was just so we could see that he recognized the killer. Plus also now we know for sure he's not the killer, even though we figured that because he was off at the diner while killings were happening. Our minds are really spinning trying to solve this diabolical mystery!

I do like how they are drawing out the suspense at this point. Lots of little moments where maybe a lurker is about to get them.

How come people used to make coffee in the exact same was as they make hot cocoa? Just get a mug and put some coffee crystals in there and some sugar, then pour boiling water in there and serve?

Boom! After all that meticulous slow action, dude is dead on the door! Up until this point, the main girl had no idea that actual deaths were going on, and suddenly she's the only one left alive! It is exciting to watch her figure out what she'll do.

What she does first is go all in on blocking one door. It's kind of unintentionally funny, and also maybe that's what any of us would come up with.

In case she wasn't sure if the other gals were still around, a cadaver of one of them is heaved in front of her through a window! Just like that she undoes all her door work because she sees a jeep pull up. Are we supposed to recognize it as Bad Jeep from earlier? I think we are. It's a nice lady, but we are suspicious because Bad Jeep. But why would she throw a girl through a window and then just a few minutes later arrive in a Jeep?

The Jason's Mom actress is awesome, super intense. Only problem is that it's a little hard to believe that she's twenty years on from being a mother of a kid who was at a camp.

The main girl is on the run and found a rifle, and is just like OMG where is ammo, and she looks as desperate as I'd be. This is fine, you guys. Fine work. Fine, fine work.

1:26:40 - We're near the end. The chase devolved into an I-found-you-hiding-in-the-pantry fight. Jason's Mom got laid out on the floor and there was a little blood, so the main girl was like, time to just kneel by a canoe with my back to all of everything. But Mom is there and the fight ends with her being beheaded, because somehow there was a machete there that only the main girl knew about! The machete from the snake incident earlier that was in a totally different place, I guess. So she rewards herself with a midnight canoe ride by herself on the lake, which honestly should have been pretty free of murderers, not that dumb a move.

What is dumb is this ending. She wakes up in the hospital, vocally convinced that The Boy Jason pulled her under, even though she didn't see what happened because he grabbed her from behind. But there were cops there looking right at her at that time, they should have seen. Also, like, so do you slip into a coma when you fall overboard or something? Last time I got fully submerged in water I didn't wake up in the hospital with lots of questions.

So that's that! I watched Friday the 13th and told you what I was thinking as I watched it. It is not without virtues and the Blu-ray transfer looks very nice, but it is a slasher movie whose intended audience is no more nuanced than the undefined blob of camp counselor characters that make up most of the movie.

(next: Friday the 13th Part 2)

[vmheadquarters]

We’re still playing our game of written hot potato! Dozens of your favorite authors are taking turns to tell a Veronica Mars mystery story. Each writer crafts their chapter and then “tosses” the story to the next person to continue the tale. No one knows what will happen, so expect the unexpected!

Follow the “vmhq presents” and “murder we wrote” tags for all the installments, or read the story as it develops on AO3. — Chapter Fourteen of MURDER, WE WROTE is written by @Lorie03. And stayed tuned next week for Ch.15 from @starlightafterastorm​ ​ -tag, you’re it!

—————————————————————————————————— CHAPTER FOURTEEN by @Lorie03

“What do you mean, ‘that’s not even the worst’?” Gia asked with a shrill voice. “What could possibly be worse than being stuck on an island with someone trying to kill all of us?”

“Being stuck with you,” Veronica muttered loud enough so only Logan could hear. A slight laugh came out of his mouth, and they shared a knowing smile before turning to Wallace. Seeing his dark look, she quickly regained her focus. Without a word, Wallace pulled a newspaper clipping from his back pocket and gave it to her. Unfolding it, Veronica studied the piece of paper and shivered. “This is dated three days from now and… it’s about us.” She read it out loud:

A dead silence fell on the room as everyone tried to process what they’d just heard. Veronica turned to face Logan, his concerned look reflecting hers. What the hell? was written all over his face. Unable to find a proper answer to the billion questions floating in her mind, she raised her head and checked the others. Anxiety was on every face, even Dick seemed to have lost his fast quips. 

Then, without warning, Gia threw herself on Luke and started punching his chest. “This is all your fault!” she screamed, her voice thick with panic. “Come on baby, it will be fun,” she mimicked him. “I swear, if I die, I will haunt you for the rest of your life!” With a final punch to his solar plexus, she turned in what was supposed to be a graceful move, but looked more like a petulant child having a tantrum.

“Can’t someone silence her?” Susan mumbled, with an infuriated look.

“I know the best way to shut a woman up,” Dick bragged, adding a lascivious wink toward Gia, who looked disgusted.

“Dick!” Veronica snapped.

“Dude, I didn’t know your chick could read people’s minds!” Dick was nearly bouncing with joy. “Why didn’t you tell me you were banging Wonder Woman?” He shook his head. “Not cool, bro, not cool.”

With a disapproving look on his face, Logan muttered, “I’m not ‘banging' Wonder Woman, Dick.” But his attempt to seem displeased miserably failed when Veronica noticed his amused smile.

At least, we have lightened the atmosphere. Veronica thought. 

Luke threw an angry glare toward Dick. Noticing the expression, Cole said with a scornful, angry tone, “Do you have a problem, loser?” A few laughs were heard but then an awkward silence fell on the room. 

Unable to face this silence, Veronica decided to take charge of the situation. Understanding her decision, Logan tightened his hand, his way of letting her lead while showing his love and support. A tender smile on her face, Veronica took a step forward, still holding her loved one’s hand. Dear Psychology Magazine, how can you lessen mental and physical stress in a bunch of people who just learned someone is planning their deaths? Drugs? Yoga? 

“Everybody just listen to me. Let’s try to relax, alright? I know this article may be a little stressful, but we still have two days until Sunday. Whoever lured us here, we’ll foil their plan. So, for now, we’re going to eat something, and then we’re going to explore this island to find any clue about the situation.”

“Logan must love her in bed, all bossy like that,” whispered Casey, exchanging a high-five with Dick. Their mocking expressions disappeared as soon as they noticed Logan’s angry one. 

Susan, who until now had stayed silent, cleared her throat before speaking. “That’s a really great plan, Veronica.” She crossed her arms. “But am I the only one who remembers there’s a dead body in the freezer?”

“Of course I remember Susan, but let’s deal with one issue at a time.” Veronica said with a patronizing tone. OK, Veronica, so you did forget, but no one has to know, right? “There’s no need for everyone to go, so why don’t you all stay here while I go look?”

“So what, all we have to do is wait for Miss Super Sleuth to do her show downstairs?” Cole asked in a dismissive tone.

If he doesn’t stop, there’s gonna be a new dead body very, very soon.

“Well, if you wanna identify a dead body, please be my guest!” When he didn’t answer, Veronica said, “That’s what I thought. Anyone else have any comments?” Everyone remained silent. “Perfect. Logan, you come with me, and you too Kimmy; everyone else, just stay here.” 

Moving toward Wallace, she barely had time to open her mouth before he was speaking. “Don’t worry, supafly,” he said quietly, so only Veronica and Logan could hear. “I’m gonna watch everybody- you can count on me.” He squeezed her shoulder.

With one final glare at the pampered 09ers, she gestured for Kimmy to lead the way.

“You know you’re hot when you’re bossy?” Logan whispered in Veronica’s ear, sending an enjoyable shiver through her body.

“Be nice and maybe I will be again,” she teased him with a wink, walking away with a slight sway of her hips. He moaned, and she struggled to contain her laughter. Veronica 1 – Logan 0 !

When they reached the freezer, Kimmy stopped short, leaving Veronica to open the door. Taking a deep breath, she pulled open the stainless-steel door. It was just as Kimmy described, a sheet covering a body with only the toes sticking out. Even for someone as unfashionable as me, I must say this color is pretty hideous.

Putting her hands on her hips, Kimmy said with a dismissive tone, “I’m sure she’s just a cook, or a housekeeper. Someone with class would know better than to wear such a disgusting shade of nail polish.”

Deciding that ignoring her was the best thing to do, Veronica slowly lifted the sheet so they could see the body. With a surprised gasp, she removed the entire sheet. Lying on the table, with strangulation marks on her neck, and her face forever frozen in a scream of terror, was Madison Sinclair dressed in a maid’s uniform.

“I heard the Sinclairs had lost their money, but Madison would never have agreed to be a maid, even if it was pretend,” cried Kimmy, shocked. 

She’s right. What’s Madison doing here? Dressed like this? None of this makes any sense. 

“We’d better go back upstairs,” said Logan, putting his arm around Veronica’s shoulders. Nodding in agreement, the three of them walked upstairs and rejoined the others.

They were assailed with questions. Unable to hear a thing, Veronica opened her mouth to ask for silence; then she noticed Logan moving toward Dick and leading him away from the group. She looked away when she saw Dick start to cry.

“The body was Madison Sinclair,” Kimmy said, before Veronica could explain.

“Are you sure it was really her?” Gia asked, in her usual childish tone.

Alexis frowned, snuggling closer to Casey. “What do you mean?”

“Maybe she was wearing a mask?” Faced with their skeptical looks, Gia added with a tight voice. “Hello, Tom Cruise, Mission Impossible?”

Shaking her head, Veronica moved near the window facing the frozen lake and contemplated the scene outside. Everything was covered by so much snow she couldn’t distinguish the lake from the land, but visibility was excellent, and it took her only a few seconds to realize what was wrong in the pristine white landscape. “Guys, Leo’s body is missing!” 

[sextonsharpwinhalstead]

@sarahreeese​ here’s your reesker prompt! merry christmas! 

She’s sitting on Sarah’s lounge chair. Her feet up casually on the end. Her long milky-colored legs are hypnotizing. She’s a painting, she’s a masterpiece. But who hung it? How the hell did she get in Sarah’s apartment? 

“The fruit really is better here,” Ava takes a deep bite into her peach.

Sarah’s peach.

“Dr. Bekker?...uh, what, how-what are you doing in my house?”

She went back to the peach, it was true, they really were better down here. The sweetness clean after each bite.

“I heard the weather was similar here as in Pretoria.”

Sarah casually threw her bag in her armchair, still not taking her eyes off the painting in front of her. She knew very little about Ava. A talented surgeon who often butted heads with Connor. Sarah could relate. His ego and sway in the hospital was one of many reasons Sarah had to go. Her fathers were the first. 

“That doesn’t answer why or how you got in here.”

Sarah’s moving to the kitchen. Ava rolls her eyes and goes back to her peach.

“I admire the move Dr. Reese, what an adventure! Oh, and the hair.”

Sarah puts a few curls behind her ears, the ones that always fall in front of her eyes. Her long curly bob makes sense for the hot Texas weather but the observation makes her blush. As does the perplexity of this uninvited visit. Ava’s so high on her ego she isn’t paying attention to Sarah, who’s in her kitchen plugging up her dead phone. She’s going to call the police. This behavior is a deviation of the norm. A social violation. She begins to make some iced tea. Ava is still enjoying her peach. Sarah walks to the living room and sits. Her long legs crossing under her flowing skirt. Her presence is enough for Ava to actually pay attention. Sarah isn’t the unsure resident anymore, the woman sitting across from Dr. Bekker feels formidable and her curiosity isn’t satiated by a so called “adventure” explanation. The rube she was hoping for doesn’t live in Texas. Ava rolls her eyes again.

“Fine, I had a bit of a falling out with Connor, I don’t think Gaffney is where I belong.”

Still not pleased. Fuck.

“Everyone is so loyal there, turns out Connor has a few more allies than I do...I know you left too, men can be so disappointing amirite?”

Ava giggles nervously at the end. Sarah’s gaze is unnerving, one she never gave much attention to. Obsession will do that, all Ava ever saw was Connor, Sarah was one of the only memories of anyone she could recall, someone who didn’t seem like a such a goody-goody...and then there was the subject of her parentage.

“Why are you here?”

Dammit.

“Haven’t you ever wanted to get away from a place where your name is sullied?”

Now Sarah is rolling her eyes. She goes to the kitchen and slices a few lemons. The tea has steep long enough. She fills two glasses full of ice, freshly brewed tea, and garnishes it with lemon. Her phone is at five percent, she’s left her good charger at work.

“Dr.Bekker-.”

“-Ava.”

“Ava, why are you here? In my apartment? How’d you get in here?”

Ava looks down at the nut from her peach.

“And don’t tell me it’s because ‘the froot is so much betta heyre.’”

Her mouth is agape at Sarah’s impression of her, but then she smiles and so does Sarah.

“You didn’t talk past me like Connor was the only one capable of surgery, everyone else did...I didn’t make very many friends when I was in Chicago.”

Sarah’s raises an eyebrow. Bitch.

“Fine, I didn’t make any friends other than Connor.”

“How did you get in here?”

“The building manager, I told him you were my girlfriend and if he just let me in I’d tape us and let him watch.”

Now they both are laughing. He’s fired. Between his butt-crack showing, his bad breath tainted with chew, and his constant unwanted advances, Sarah has had it. She’s pretty sure he messes with the hot water heater so she’ll have to deal with him.

“I admire what you did, I mean that, you left and didn’t look back and I want that too.”

Sarah knows it isn’t the entire truth but it’s enough, the details aren’t her business. Sarah’s phone is still too low to turn on and she’s getting hungry. She pulls a pot out to begin boiling water, her eyes periodically on Ava who is doing something strange. She hasn’t looked at her phone once. She wasn’t reading anything on it and she hasn’t checked to see if she’s missing any calls or texts. Sarah knows it’s the part of the details she hasn’t gotten. 

“Who are you avoiding?” Sarah asks as she sets a plate of pasta in front of Ava.

“People are so boring, is there really any other way to deal with them other than to avoid them?”

Fair enough. Sarah’s phone is at twenty-five percent. She could make the call but she keeps catching herself staring at Ava’s long neck, the way she licks her lips after slurping up her noodles, the lure of her hazel eyes which seem to have the same curious gaze as Sarah’s upon her.

“She did make that girl-on-girl joke.”

Sarah allows Ava to tag along on her plans. She was planning a walk along the lake and then grabbing a bottle of wine before tucking in a movie. Ava has other ideas. She tells Sarah to leave the bottle in the car and soon they are at Pegasus. Does Ava know? Sarah’s been visiting a few of these places lately. 

“I’ve decided I’m done with men, you with me?”

Ava’s invitation is more than enticing, it’s how Sarah’s been living her life here in Waco. They walk up and hand their I.D. to the doorman and Sarah gets an eyeful of Ava’s and realizes for the first time what seems different about her. Ava’s hair is brown but her I.D. is blond. Immediately the bartendar who looks too gay to function recognizes Sarah. He starts with her favorite mix drink and gives her a look at the woman to her side. Sarah blushes a little as Ava orders two shots and a glass of whiskey.

“Oh, no I’m good.”

Sarah is frowning at the drink,she isn’t a shot girl.

“Come now, don’t make me drink these alone.”

The shots go down easy and energize Sarah to the dance floor. She’s a better dancer than Ava would think. She can find a beat, and Ava can’t help but pull her towards her. Their thighs meet as they gyrate. Her stare is more intense than a minute ago. What does she want from her?

“I have to work in the morning!”

Sarah yells over the music so they grab a Lyft home leaving Sarah’s Prius at the bar.

When they open the door Ava is pulling Sarah in to kiss her. Her lips are so soft. Ava seems prickly but her skin, her lips, they’re soft. Sarah pulls away.

“You can take the couch if you need somewhere to crash.”

She’s not going to let Ava sleep her way to a bed. Besides, no matter how nice the day has been Sarah can’t shake those hidden details of Ava’s impromptu visit.

“Do you really want to end the night this way?”

Ava leans in for another kiss and Sarah kisses her back. But it is. She has trust issues.

“I can’t.”

Ava huffs as Sarah opens her linen closet and pulls out a couple of blankets. She tosses them Ava’s way. They lay awake on opposite walls. Sarah wondering how the energy of her little apartment has been thrown off by the stranger in the other room. Ava is wondering how long she can keep her secret.

Sarah is making coffee, her movements wake Ava who follows suit and is in the shower. There’s a loud shriek coming from the bathroom.

“Ah, it’s cold!”

“Oh, yeah give me a second!”

Sarah sets off down the hall to the building manager’s office. The knob twists but the door won’t open. Sarah pushes at it using minimal strength to no avail so she has to bust at it using her shoulder. 

“Damn! Tony, where are you, what’s going on with the door?” she started as she walks towards his office, “The wa-.”

She’s stopped in her tracks. Tony is sitting in his chair but he’s not moving, he’s so stiff. His eyes are still open, they are somewhat opaque. He’s not there. Her hand quickly goes to her mouth, poor Tony.

Sarah’s heads back to her apartment, she’s somewhat dazed. She’s seen dead bodies before but on her terf, her time. Not like this. She grabs her cell phone.

“Sarah?” 

Ava is out of the shower, obviously cut short because of the temperature. Sarah’s already dialed 911.

“I don’t know why I didn’t use the office phone,” she says to Ava, “-Yes, I’m here, there’s a man downstairs, my building super... he’s dead…-yeah, no-my name is Dr. Sarah Reese, trust me he’s dead.”

Sarah hangs up the phone and turns to talk to Ava, who is packing her things, quickly.

“-What are you doing?” Sarah asks, “You might need to stay to give them a timeline, he looks like he’s been dead a while.”

Ava isn’t listening she’s piling her things in.

“You have a medical background, between you and the coroner I don’t see how I’m going to be helpful.”

“You spoke with him earlier you may have been the last-.”

Sarah stops. Deviation from societal norms. Ava is zipping up her bag.

“Why did you dye your hair?”

Ava is putting on her shoes, she’s in flight mode. Sarah can hear the dispatch on the other line.

“I’m still here, send a patrol too.”

That stops Ava. She stands up.

“Just give me 20 minutes to get ahead.”

She plows past Sarah and is running down the hallway. Sarah is still too shell-shocked; confused. Ava doesn’t need twenty minutes, the police and EMT’s arrive in thirty. It’s not like it’s an emergency. 

“Just to confirm she’s about 5-7 or 5’8, 120lbs hazel eyes and blonde hair?”

“Yes, blonde.”

Why did she lie? She doesn’t know the cause of death for Tony and this is just stupid. But she holds to the statement, goes to work and goes back to her life. 

She takes her normal Thursday night stroll on the lake. She lets a few ashes go at a time. They are the ashes of the newspapers of her father’s case, the missing posters, and blurbs of his victims. She lets those pieces go here. 

“What do you drop in there?”

The unmistakable accent, her voice. Sarah’s heart is racing. What is she doing here? 

“What are you doing here Ava?”

Sarah is trying to hide her fear. She knows now what Ava’s done. To Cornelius and probably Tony too.

“I told you I like it here.”

She takes a step toward Sarah and Sarah takes a step backward.

“Dr. Reese, you’re not afraid of me are you?”

Sarah takes a step forward. She’s doing her best to hide her fear.

“No, you don’t scare me Ava.”

Ava takes a step closer, her face inches from Sarah as she smiles. She lets Ava kiss her, she wants to kiss her. She wants to remember her lips. Their night dancing and drinking. 

“Come with me,” Ava breathes.

“I can’t, you’re a fugitive Ava.”

Ava steps back, her brown hair makes her eye color sing, it’s a tune Sarah would gladly hum if she hadn’t already sang like a bird to the police.

“What is it about you?” Ava wonders as she studies Sarah’s face.

“I’m still finding that out,” Sarah answers.

Ava steps back again and is quickly gone. 

A postcard once every few months from Oklahoma, California, Alaska, London. Always the same message.

“Come with me.”