#Arlo Phone Number

[arlo-venn]

Someone needs a bath 👀

[sturnslcver]

ੈ✩‧₊˚ virulent love (series) ˚.°: ₊˚ ୨

— chris sturniolo x fem reader —

— warnings, drinking, smoking, pills!

a/n: couldn’t figure out what i wanted to do for chris and y/n’s meet cute so it is heavily based off of a real life book i read, but ive already finished the rest of the story/chapters and it is all my own original ideas! enjoy! :)

ੈ✩‧₊˚ ˚.°: ₊˚ ୨

i creep up the stairs in search for my brothers apartment door. this place seems more like a historic hotel than an apartment complex, with its expansive columns and marble floors. when arlo said i could stay with him after hearing about another one of moms manic episodes, i had no idea he lived like an actual adult. I thought it’d be more similar to the last time i visited him, right after i graduated from high school, back when he had first started dealing. however, that was four years ago and a two story skimpy complex ago. that’s kind of what i was expecting. i certainly wasn’t anticipating this orderly area in the middle of downtown massachusetts. I spent all of last week packing up everything i own from mom’s house back in florida. luckily, i don’t own much. but after taking a five hundred mile drive alone today, my exhaustion is pretty obvious in my reflection. my hair is in a unsecured knot on top of my head, held together by a pencil, since I couldn't find a hair tie while I was driving. i reach into my purse to find chapstick, hoping to recover my lips before they end up as weary-looking as the rest of me. I pull my phone out of my pocket and open up my messages to arlo.

i can't remember which apartment number he said was his. it’s either 1372 or 1374. maybe it's 1372? i come to a stop at 1372, because there's a guy passed out on the floor of the hallway, leaning against the door to 1374. please don't let it be 1374. i find the message on my phone and cringe. it's 1374. of course it is.

i walk slowly to the door, hoping I don't wake up the guy. his legs are sprawled out in front of him, and he's leaning with his back propped up against arlo’s door. his chin is tucked to his chest, and he's snoring. "excuse me" i say, my voice just above a whisper. he doesn't move. i lift my leg and poke his shoulder with my foot. "i need to get into this apartment." he rustles and then slowly opens his eyes and stares straight ahead at my legs. his eyes meet my knees, and his eyebrows furrow as he slowly leans forward with a deep scowl on his face. he lifts a hand and pokes my knee with his finger, almost as if he's never seen a knee before. he drops his hand, closes his eyes, and falls back asleep against the door. great. arlo won't be back until tomorrow, so i dial his number to see if this guy is someone i should be concerned about. “y/n?" he asks, answering his phone without a hello. "yep," i reply. "made it safe, but i can't get in because there's a drunk guy passed out at your front door." "thirteen seventy four?" he asks. "you sure you're at the right apartment?" "positive." "are you sure he's drunk?" "positive." "weird," he says. "what’s he wearing?" "why do you want to know what he's wearing?" "if he's wearing a yellow shirt and goggles on his head he’s probably the janitor. the janitor in our complex is homeless" this guy isn't wearing any type of goggles, but i can't help but notice that his jeans and black hoodie do fit him very nicely. "no goggles," i say. “can you get past him without waking him up?" "i’d have to move him. he’ll fall inside if I open the door." he’s quiet for a few seconds while he thinks. "go back downstairs and wait in the lobby until someone can let you in" i sigh, because ive been driving for six hours, and going all the way back downstairs is not something I feel like doing right now.

“just stay on the phone with me until I'm inside your apartment" i like my plan a lot better. i balance my phone against my ear with my shoulder and dig inside my purse for the key arlo sent me. i insert it into the lock and begin to open the door, but the drunk guy begins to fall backward with every inch the door opens. he groans, but his eyes don't open again. "it’s too bad he's wasted," i tell arlo. "he’s not bad-looking." "can you just get your ass inside and lock the door so i can hang up." i roll my eyes. i’m hoping things will be different between us now that mom’s in the hospital. she was always turning us against one another. for example, by the time i was eleven, i’d saved up three hundred dollars so that i could finally get a pet hamster. she ended up stealing it and spending it on pills. she told me arlo stole it.

i wrap my purse around my shoulder, but it gets caught on my suitcase handle, so i just let it fall to the floor. i keep my left hand wrapped tightly around the doorknob and hold the door shut so the guy won't fall completely into the apartment. i take my foot and press it against his shoulder, pushing him from the center of the doorway. he doesn't budge. “arlo, he's too heavy. i’m gonna have to hang up so I can use both hands." “no, don't hang up. just put the phone in your pocket, but don't hang up." i look down at the oversized shirt and leggings I have on. “no pockets. you’re going in the bra." arlo laughs as i pull the phone from my ear and shove it inside my bra. i remove the key from the lock and drop it toward my purse, but it misses and falls to the floor. i reach down to grab the drunk guy so I can move him out of the way. “okay" I say, struggling to pull him away from the center of the doorway. "sorry." i somehow manage to prop him up against the doorframe to prevent him from falling into the apartment, and then i push the door open farther and turn to get my things.

something warm wraps around my ankle. i freeze. i look down. “let go!" i yell, kicking at the hand that's gripping my ankle so tightly I'm pretty sure it might bruise. the drunk guy is looking up at me now, and his grip sends me falling backward into the apartment when I try to pull away from him. "i need to get in there” , he mutters, just as my butt meets the floor. he makes an attempt to push the apartment door open with his other hand, and this immediately sends me into panic mode. i pull my legs the rest of the way inside, and his hand comes with me. i use my free leg to kick the door shut, slamming it directly onto his wrist. “fuck!" he yells. he’s trying to pull his hand back into the hallway with him, but my foot is still pressing against the door. i release enough pressure for him to have his hand back, and then i immediately kick the door all the way shut.

i pull myself up and lock the door, the dead bolt, and the chain lock as quickly as i can. as soon as my heart rate begins to calm down, it starts to scream at me. my heart is actually screaming at me. in a deep male voice. It sounds like it's calling my name. arlo. i immediately look down at my chest and pull my phone out of my bra, then bring it up to my ear. "hello!" i wince, then pull the phone several inches from my ear. "i’m fine," i say, out of breath. "i’m inside. i locked the door." “okay" he says, relieved. "you scared me. what the hell happened?" “he was trying to get inside. i locked the door, though." i flip on the living-room light and take no more than three steps inside before i come to a halt. i slowly turn back toward the door after realizing what ive done. “arlo?" i pause. "i left a few things outside that i need. i would just grab them, but the drunk guy is still trying to get in, so there's no way I'm opening the door again. what do i do?” he’s silent for a few seconds. "what did you leave in the hallway?" i don't want to answer him, but i do. "my suitcase...and purse." “why the hell is your purse outside?" "i also left the key on the hallway floor." he doesn't even respond to that one. he just groans. "i’ll call chris and see if he's home yet. give me two minutes." "wait. who’s chris ?" "he lives across the hall. whatever you do, don't open the door again until i call you back." arlo hangs up, and i lean against his front door. i’ve lived in massachusetts all of thirty minutes. my phone rings. i slide my thumb across the screen and answer it.

"hey." "y/n?" "yeah?," i reply, wondering why he always double-checks to see if it's me. he called me, so who else would be answering it who sounds exactly like me? "i called chris." “good. is he gonna help me get my stuff?" "not exactly," arlo says. "i kind of need you to do me a huge favor." my head falls against the door again. i have a feeling the next few months are going to be full of inconvenient favors, since he knows he's doing me a huse one by letting me stay here. "what?" i ask him. "chris kind of needs your help." "the neighbor?" i pause as soon as it clicks, and i close my eyes. "arlo, please don't tell me the guy you called to protect me from the drunk guy is the drunk guy." arlo sighs. "i need you to unlock the door and let him in. let him crash on the couch. i’ll be there first thing in the morning. when he sobers up, he'll know where he is, and he'll go straight home." i shake my head. "what kind of apartment complex is this? should i prepare to be groped by drunk people every time I come home?" long pause. "he groped you?" "groped might be a bit strong. he did grab my ankle, though." arlo lets out a sigh. "just do this for me. call me back when you've got him and all your stuff inside." "fine." i groan, recognizing the worry in his voice.

i hang up on arlo and open the door. the drunk guy falls onto his shoulder, and his cell phone slips from his hand and lands on the floor next to his head. i flip him onto his back and look down at him. he cracks his eyes open and attempts to look up at me, but his eyelids fall shut again. "You're not arlo," he mutters. "no. i’m not. i’m your new neighbor." i lift him by his shoulders and try to get him to sit up, but he doesn't. i don't think he can, actually. how does a person even get this drunk? i grab his hands and pull him inch by inch into the apartment, stopping when he's just far enough inside for me to be able to close the door. i retrieve all of my things from outside the apartment, then shut and lock the front door. i grab a throw pillow from the couch, prop his head up, and roll him onto his side in case he pukes in his sleep. and that's all the help he's getting from me. when he's comfortably asleep in the middle of the living room floor, i leave him there while I look around the apartment.

the living room alone could fit three of the living rooms from arlos last apartment. arlo said he'd be back in the morning, so i’ll leave that to him. normally, i would be nervous about the fact that there's a stranger in the same apartment I'm in, but i have a feeling i don't need to worry. arlo would never ask me to help someone he felt might be a threat to me in any way. which confuses me, because if this is common behavior for chris, i’m surprised arlo asked me to bring him inside.

i head back to the living room to turn out the lights, but when ive rounded the corner, i come to an immediate halt. not only is chris up off the floor, but he's in the kitchen, with his head pressed against his arms and his arms folded on top of the kitchen counter. he’s seated on the edge of a bar stool, and he looks as if he's about to fall off it any second. i can't tell if he's sleeping again or just attempting to recover. "chris?" he doesn't move when i call his name, so i walk toward him and gently lay my hand on his shoulder to shake him awake. the second my fingers squeeze his shoulder, he gasps and sits up straight as if I just woke him from the middle of a dream. or a nightmare. immediately, he slides off the stool and onto very unstable legs. he begins to sway, so i throw his arm over my shoulder and try to walk him out of the kitchen. "come on." he drops his forehead to the side of my head and stumbles along with me, making it even harder to hold him up. we make it to the front of the couch, and i start to peel him off me. "okay, chris. whoever you are. just go to sleep." he falls onto the couch, but he doesn't let go of my shoulders. i fall with him and immediately attempt to pull away. i gently push him back into the couch, yanking my hand away. i lay his pillow down and urge him onto it. "go to sleep, chris," i say gently.

his eyelids are heavy and watering when he drops to the pillow. he grabs my hand and hums. his eyes fall shut again, and he releases a heavy sigh. i stare at him silently, allowing him to keep hold of my hand until he's quiet and still. i pull my hand away from his, but i stay by his side for a few minutes longer. even though he's asleep, he somehow still looks as if he's on edge. his eyebrows are furrowed, and his breathing is sporadic, failing to fall into a peaceful pattern. when he makes another half conscious effort to reach for my hand, i finally give in. i place my cheek on top of our hands and lean into the couch. i fall asleep on the floor next to him.

@sturnsmadison @ryli3sworld @sunnysturniolos @ariologyy @sturncakez @sturnsxplr-25 @nickmillersn1gf

[solarisstyles]

MS.HONEY: LUNCH TIME

Pairing: Harry Styles x F!Reader Word Count: 2.3k+ Warnings: tooth rotting fluff!, mentions of periods and cramps :( Summary: It takes a village to raise a special needs child. Gemma's son is growing up and starting kindergarten in the fall. Uncle Harry is struggling with not being able to spend all day, everyday, with his nephew who he's grown quite attached to. When he accompanies Gemma and Arlo on his first day of school, he meets Ms.Honey. Harry decides Kindergarten might not be so bad after all. A/N: For the sake of the story, Gemma and Harry live in the states. I know more about the school system in America than the UK so it just made sense! This story is not meant to be a 100% depiction of what a family of this dynamic is like. Harry and Gemma Styles are very real people and are only being used for fictional purposes!

*please like and reblog to help your local fic writers*

The following week Arlo came home with two envelopes in his backpack. One with Gemma’s name on it and the other with Harry’s. Gemma opened the one with her name on it and pulled out a card. The front of it had a small bee on it and said ‘Bee-yond Thankful”. She couldn’t help but smile at the silly pun as she flipped open the card to read it, her smile grew even wider.

Gemma,

  I wanted to thank you for chaperoning the zoo trip last week! It was such a pleasure having you with us. I hope you and Arlo made plenty of memories! I know I did :)

-Ms.Honey

Immediately grabbing her phone, she hit Harry’s contact bubble to call him.

“Hello?”

“I need you to stop by my place when you have a few.”

“Why?” Harry asked, confused.

“You’ve got a card from Ms.Honey. I got one too and it was a thank you card” Gemma said in a teasing tone.

Harry chuckled, “Open it and read it to me then.”

Gemma was quick to pick up the envelope and tear it open. Pulling the card out, she began to read it silently to herself.

“Uh, Gemma?” Harry called through the phone.

“Sorry, sorry.” Gemma said, clearing her throat to read. “Harry, this was probably the most fun I’ve ever had on a zoo field trip and it was all thanks to you. You are the perfect chaperone partner anyone could ask for. You entertained the kids, and even entertained me.” a soft gasp could be heard from Gemma as he read the next part, “Since you were so forward to ask me out I would like to be forward in return. At the bottom of this card is my cell number. Call or text me whenever. Yours sweetly, Ms.Honey.”

“Holy shit.” Harry whispered while Gemma giggled manically like an excited school girl.

“I’m going to text you this number and you’re going to hang up and call her like NOW.” Gemma demanded, putting Harry on speaker to open their texts and quickly send him your contact information.

Harry’s text notification sounded in his ear quickly after Gemma sent it. “Fine, talk to you lat-” the end tone rang through his ear letting him know Gemma had hung up on him. Rolling his eyes, he opened the text and stared at your number. His psalm suddenly felt sweaty, his stomach turning with nerves. This was all becoming very real, very fast. He loved it but it also terrified him.

Quickly tapping the number before he could overthink it he held the phone up to his ear and listened to the nerve wracking sound of the dial tone.

It rang three times before you picked up, softly answering with a “Hello?”, making Harry melt into his chair. “Hey Ms.Honey. It’s Harry. I got your card.” he greeted back, picking his nail along the arm of the chair out of nervous habit.

“Oh! Hi Harry! I’m so glad you got it.” your smile could be felt through the phone and it helped ease his nerves some.

“It was very sweet. Thank you for all the kind words. I had a lot of fun with you and the kids at the zoo.” your cheeks were stained pink with blush, and so were his. This was the fun part of having a crush on somebody. Everything is so new and fun. You never know what to really expect that might knock you off your feet, or take your breath away.

“I had a lot of fun too. AJ and Sean have asked if you will come on more field trips with us.” you recalled with a tiny giggle. “They really took a liking to you. I shouldn't be shocked though considering how great you are with Arlo.” covering your mouth, you inwardly cringed hoping you didn’t say too much.

Harry was absolutely over the moon though and felt as though you really paid attention to him. It was genuine attention and not the ‘what can i get out of you’ attention like he was used to from most women. You saw HIM. Harry Styles. Not Harry Styles the world famous pop star.

“I’ll definitely be at any event your class has this year. I’ll make sure of it.” He guaranteed. “So, how was your day?” he decided to ask.

You sighed softly into the receiver of the phone, “As far as my class goes it was great. They’re so helpful! I was feeling under the weather today and they could tell. Arlo was so worried about me!” you giggled. 

Harry laughed with you. Arlo was always sensitive to those around him and never liked when somebody else was sad or sick. “I’m sorry you weren’t feeling well today. What’s wrong if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Well, this might be T-M-I but I’m on my period and the cramps have been horrible.” scrunching your nose in distaste at the mention of it. The heating pad that laid on your stomach helped relieve the pain some but not completely. “This is the worst it’s been in months.”

Harry was instantly sympathetic for you. He could remember his sister crying over her cramps and even having to buy her tampons and pads. “Are you craving anything in particular? My sister would always want something chocolate.”

“Chocolate sounds amazing right now.” you groaned, longing for it. “I’ve also been craving Wendy’s. It’s not my go to but for some reason I just want to dip my chicken nuggets in a chocolate frosty right now.”

“You what?!” Harry said, surprised by the combination.

You couldn’t contain your laughter. “I know it sounds disgusting and crazy but I swear it’s delicious!” you defended.

Harry shook his head, smiling at your ridiculousness, “I’ll take your word for it.”

You smiled as well, looking down at your lap and fidgeting with the cord to the heating pad. “I should probably get ready for bed. Got to be up early to teach some kids ya know?”

Glancing at the clock on his wall, Harry didn’t realize how late it was when he called her and suddenly felt stupid for calling so late. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize that time when I called you. Go get some beauty rest.”

“Oh, it’s no problem at all. I’m glad you called. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?” you asked hopefully.

“Of course you will. Good night Honey.”

“Good night Harry.” you teasingly said in return, ending the call.

Harry sat there for a minute with a goofy grin on his face, looking up at the ceiling. He instantly knew what he was going to do tomorrow.

The next day, Harry got an early start. His first stop was the pharmacy by his house. Picking up an assortment of chocolates for you and a new heating pad that you could use at school. His next stop was a little later in the morning to Wendy’s. Getting you the nuggets and chocolate frosty you were craving. 

At the school you were gathering your students together to take to the cafeteria for lunch. In a single file line they followed you with their lunch boxes in hand or to just join the line to get a hot lunch. Today was pizza day for those who didn’t pack a lunch. After dropping them off, you walked back to your classroom and to your surprise Harry was standing there in front of Arlo’s desk that was now covered in bags. “Well what a lovely surprise! To what do I owe such a pleasure?” you asked with a bright smile.

Harry returned the smile back to you. He couldn’t believe his luck to show up and surprise you. “Nothing m’lady. Just wanted to have lunch with you. I might have gotten you a few presents as well.” he shrugged nonchalantly.

Placing your hand softly over your heart you approached the desk with your bottom lip pouted out. You admired the bags of goodies before looking back up to him “Harry you shouldn’t have.”

“I wanted to.” he insisted, holding out the first bag to you.

Taking the bag from his grasp, you opened it and pulled out the box that held the heating pad, giggling when you realized what it was.

“I figured you should have one at school and at home. That way the pain won’t be so bad while you’re at work.” he shrugged.

“That’s so thoughtful of you. Thank you!” you said, setting it to the side and looking to see what else was in the bag. “Oh my gosh that’s so much chocolate!” you laughed. “I’m set for a couple months now!”

Looking up from the bag, he was now holding out a Wendy’s bag and a cup. 

“It’s the nuggets and frosty you told me about last night,” he explained.

Doing a little happy dance you took the bag and cup, “This totally beats the microwave dinner I was going to eat!” Setting it on the desk next to you, you then reached for Harry and pulled him into a hug. “Thank you.” you softly whispered in his ear.

Wrapping his arms around your waist he pulled you in closer, hugging you back. “A queen bee deserves to be spoiled.” he whispered back.

Giggling, you pulled away and pushed two of the desks together, “Join me.” you said, patting the desk in front of you.

“As you wish.” he bowed dramatically and brought his own lunch over, sitting in front of you.

“So, how are you feeling today?” he asked, taking a bite of his food then looking over to you.

He watched you take one of the nuggets and dramatically dip it into the frosty before taking a bite of it. Shrugging your shoulders as you chewed, you covered your mouth to be respectful. “Better than yesterday. That heating pad will be my best friend after this.”

He chuckled, nodding in understanding, “I’m glad it’ll come to good use. My sister had it rough too. She probably still does. I haven’t really talked to her about it.”

“She’s lucky to have a brother like you. Your mama raised you right.” 

Your compliment made him smile shyly down at his food. “Thanks. She could definitely tell you some horror stories about growing up with me.” he chuckled. “We would give her the world though.”

“I can tell.” you softly said with a gentle smile. “Have you always been this close with Gemma?”

“Yeah. It was mainly just the two of us when we were younger. Mum worked a lot to take care of us. Dad wasn’t really around. I do have other friends now like Brad and Llyod.” he explained, taking a sip of his drink.

“Who’s Brad? I hear Arlo mention him and Llyod sometimes.” you asked, leaning on your hand that was propped on the desk by your elbow.

“He’s Llyod’s best friend. We’ve all known each other so long that we consider ourselves brothers. So Arlo knows him as Uncle Brad. Don’t let the kid fool you either…I’m the favorite uncle.” he proudly said.

You laughed, shaking your head, “I never doubted that for a moment. Arlo adores you and he’s lucky to have you.”

“I think it’s more like I’m lucky to have him. I’ve learned so much being his uncle and I continue to learn everyday. I also wouldn’t have met amazing people like you. So, yeah I’m the lucky one.” the dreamy smile on his face as he looked at you made you blush.

“You sure know how to sweet talk.” The teasing wasn’t unnoticed by him and he was happy to see that you could be playful back to him. 

“Not hard when you’re the sweetest thing I’ve ever met.”

“Oh, please don’t make me vomit!” you both laughed together.

The laughter slowly faded and you both eat silently, stealing quick looks at one another and catching the other staring each time.

Glancing at the clock, you realized you only had five minutes till you had to go get your class from the cafeteria. “Oh, shoot I should clean up and go get my kids.” you said, standing up.

Harry held his hands out, taking your own in his, “Hey, don’t worry about it. I’ll clean up and be out of here before you get back. Don’t rush.”

“Are you sure?” your apprehension had you feeling guilty for wanting to accept his offer. He’d already done so much for you and the last thing you wanted to do was take advantage of his kindness.

Softly smiling at you, he gave your hands a soft squeeze, “I’m positive. Now you can walk and go get your kids.”

Standing from the desk, he pulled you in for another hug that you didn’t hesitate to return. “Thank you for having lunch with me.” he whispered once more to you.

“Thank you for bringing me lunch and the gifts.” you whispered back. “Better watch out or they’re going to start calling you Mr.Honey.” you teased.

His giggle made you smile and when you pulled away from the hug, his cheeks were as red as ever.

Feeling bold, he leaned forward and gently kissed your forehead, “It would be an honor to be Mr.Honey next to you.”

There was no doubt that your eyes were shining like a disney princess when she saw her prince charming for the first time. Never did you dream of such words being spoken to you, or such thoughtful gifts being given to you.

“Honey?”

“Yeah…”

“Go get your kids.”

“CRAP!” you whisper yelled, turning to quickly dash to the cafeteria. “Call me later!” you said as you walked out of the room.

When you returned, the desks were moved back to normal and the desks were cleaned off, Harry nowhere to be seen. Your leftover frosty now sat on your desk next to a little sticky note that Harry had scribbled on.

Have a good day

–Mr.Honey ;)

TAG LIST: @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @justlemmeadoreyou @squirreljoe @end-of-the-earth

[bullet-prooflove]

The Call: Arlo Turk x Reader (NCIS: LA)

@kmc1989 @alexlynn16 @mini-bee-bee @scorpio-1357

High - Arlo knows something isn't right.

Flowers - Every year on your birthday Arlo sends you flowers.

Five Years (NSFW) - It's been five years since Arlo last laid eyes on you.

Beachside - Arlo spends a morning on the water considering about what you've told him.

For You - Arlo confirms his feelings for you.

In Mexico, Arlo dreams of you. Of passionate nights and wanton mornings, of teasing kisses and wandering hands, of you standing there in his kitchen wearing nothing but his t-shirt as you sing along to the radio.

That’s what he misses the most, the domesticity. The fact you used to tuck the blanket over him when he fell asleep on the couch, the way you used to clutter up his bathroom with your lotions and potions, the teasing manner in which you’d straighten his tie everytime he had to testify in court because Arlo, he never could seem to get it right.

When he wakes up that morning, he rolls over and reaches for you. The camp bed he sleeps in tips over and he finds himself sprawled across the cold concrete floor of the garage, twisted up in his sheets.

From his dog bed in the corner Deogey, the German Shephard raises his head, cocking it to one side.

“Yea, I know boy.” Arlo mutters, his palm rubbing over his grizzled features as he stares at the ceiling. “I know.”

It’s his birthday today and all he wants to do is hear the sound of your voice. He thinks that’s why he picks up his burner phone and dials your office number, it’s three in the morning and there isn’t a chance in hell you’ll be there. He’s content to just listen to your voicemail, it’s something he’s been doing on and off over the past few years. He never leaves a message and he always withholds his number.

“Agent Allen speaking.”

He almost drops the fucking phone when you pick it up after the first ring. He’s so stunned that his throat constricts and his eyes start to sting. All those years of listening to a machine, it’s good to hear your voice again, no matter how bored you may sound.

“I swear to fucking God Byron if you are fucking with me again…”

He laughs then, he can’t help it. You’re such a fiery little thing when you get going and he misses that, he misses you.

There’s silence from the other end of the line and he knows you’ve realised it’s not Byron, that the man who called you is a ghost.

“Arlo…” You say softly and his heart breaks because that’s the first time he’s heard his real name in three years and it’s never sounded as sweet as it does coming from your lips.

“Yea baby,” He says finally, his voice rough with emotion. “Yea, it’s me.”

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[sodaroniii]

late response but . emery . OH MY GOD I LOVE EMERY I AM HIS NUMBER ONE FAN TRSUDT VRO 🙏🙏 EMERY MYNBELOVRED

i also likeee elijah , adriana , yara , arlo , and the wolfe twins :33

fire!! emery is so real they’re quite the guy

Here’s a more cleaned up doodle and the messier version of him for you!! I hope you like it :3

sorry it looks different than my usual stuff I tried using ms paint so this is on my computer rather than my phone 😭

did Yk that emery is agender and goes by he/they?? :3 (I saw that on the wiki so idk if Yk that or not but I like giving fun facts abt chars)

[realityjoey]

THE WOULD-BE PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1.3)

COLOUR KEY.

RED = lust / hot / tension / desire / dirty / overprotective

ORANGE = family & friends moments

GREEN = anger / jealousy

BLUE = sad / denial / confusion

PURPLE = romantic / cute / they’re so in love / caring

PINK = funny

The next day, Joey had woken up and decided to do some further research on Lucifer. She was currently sitting at the breakfast table of her house, laptop open, googling ‘debunking hypnotism’.

Joey was focused on reading an article when Arlo comes through. “Are you doing homework?” He asks, looking up at her curiously.

“Um, sort of.” Joey replies.

“What’s the assignment?” Arlo asks.

“Uh, well, I saw Lucifer do some things that I can’t explain.” Joey replies, vaguely.

“Is Lucifer a magician?” Arlo asks, smiling.

“That’s sort of what I’m trying to figure out.” Joey says.

“When Stevie comes, maybe he can help.” Arlo suggests. “Sometimes Stevie helps me with my homework.”

“I’m not sure Steve has the answers to these questions.” Joey says.

“Why don’t you just ask Lucifer?” Dev asks, from the sofa.

“Because if he’s a magician, then he won’t reveal his secrets.” Joey tells her. “So I have to find out on my own how Lucifer does… these things…” She says, when suddenly her phone starts ringing. “That I can’t explain.” She then picks up her phone, seeing it’s coming from an unknown number. “Oh, that can’t be him.” She mumbles to herself, before answering. “Anderson.” She answers. “Lucifer, how did you even get this number?” She asks, Arlo grinning up at her.

Lucifer had asked Joey to meet him at a location as it was an ‘emergency’ yet he wouldn’t specify what. Steve had collected Arlo and Dev to take them to school, and Joey headed straight over.

“Excuse the mess, but it’s so good of you to come, Detective Anderson.” Lucifer thanks, walking her through the mansion as Joey looks around, confused.

“Thanks for being super cryptic in a really unhelpful way. What’s the emergency?” Joey asks.

Lucifer chuckles, then places a hand on the small of her back, directing her in the right direction. “Well, it’s— it’s better to show than tell, really.” He says, stopping in front of a swimming pool, where he points uncomfortably to a dead girl, floating face down in the pool.

Joey had gotten a team over, and had spoken to the coroner. They had found out it was a murder rather than an accident, so Joey began assessing her suspects.

“So, what happened?” She asks Ty Huntley, the owner of the house, therefore host of the party.

“Um, well, I woke up early, ‘cause my head hurt. I… uh, I had a hangover. I… I’ve never drank before, so…” Ty begins.

“That’s on me. Sorry.” Lucifer apologises, interrupting them.

“Yeah, so I came down to get some water and that’s— that’s when I saw her in the pool.” Ty explains.

“Did you know her?” Joey asks.

“Not before last night.” Ty answers. “I talked to her for a little bit. Her name was, uh, Ali, maybe?” He says. “I don’t know, I mean, I’m having a hard time remembering.” He sighs. “You think she fell in the pool and drowned?”

“No. I think she was murdered.” Joey states.

“Oh, my God, that’s… that’s terrible.” Ty says.

“So why didn’t you call the police right away?” Joey questions.

“Well, I told Lucifer. And he said… he said that he would call the police.” Ty replies, looking at Lucifer.

“And I did.” Lucifer says, as Joey glares at him. “Detective Anderson is a homicide detective. She’s been very helpful in the other murders that I’ve encountered.” He tells Ty, proudly.

“I am not your personal police concierge.” Joey whispers, facing Lucifer.

“You are gonna find out who did this, aren’t you?” Lucifer replies, smiling.

Joey inhales deeply. “Of course I am, because that’s my job. Not because you want me to.”

“Right.” Lucifer scoffs.

“First things last: Do you have any idea of who had contact with her last night?” Joey turns her attention back to Ty.

“Um, no, uh, no, but they asked me to get the… the guest list.” Ty replies, handing Joey a sheet of paper.

“Oh, geez.” Joey whispers to herself. “250 guests. You know what that means.” She says to Lucifer.

“Great party.” Lucifer smiles.

“250 suspects.” Joey corrects, sighing.

Later on, Joey catches Lucifer irritating one of the forensic scientists by messing around with their equipment, so she walks over, grabs his arm, dragging him away. “Stop interfering.” She tells him.

“I’m helping. You forget that my expertise is finding the right people to punish, Detective.” Lucifer replies. “It’s what I do. Or, uh, did at least.”

“You want to do something? Then help account for everyone who was at the party.” Joey says.

“Oh?” Lucifer says, raising his eyebrows.

“Coroner puts the time of death between 1 and 3am. Actually, is there someone who can vouch for your whereabouts at the time?” Joey asks.

“Several someone’s, in fact.” Lucifer grins, then looks over to a trio of girls talking to a police officer and points in their direction. “Get them to tell you every little detail just to make sure that I’m not lying.”

“I’ll have someone else handle that.” Joey says bitterly, walking away.

“So… a bona fide killer on the loose that needs to be punished.” Lucifer shouts, following after Joey, who’s now leaning over Ty. They’re looking at the photos from last night. “Time to punch in.” He says, peering over Joey’s shoulder.

“There she is.” Joey says, pointing at the screen. “Do you know anyone here?” She asks Ty, referring to the other people around Ali in the photo.

“No, sorry.” Ty apologises, looking at the people in the photo. “I mean, people just show up to these things.” He shrugs.

“Did anyone look suspicious?” Joey asks.

Lucifer scoffs. “Where do we start, Detective? I mean, look at those big strong hands.” He says, pointing at a man in the photo. “Perfect for squeezing the life out of someone.” He says. “Oh, ginger lad.” He points at the red-head. “Soulless bastards. Give even me the creeps.” He shivers. “I..” He goes to continue, until acknowledging Joey’s glare.

“You need to sit with the witnesses.” She decides, taking a hold of his hand and leading him over.

“Haven’t I proven myself extremely useful at detectiving?” Lucifer argues.

“Actually, no. I don’t need your help colour-commentating.” Joey tells him. “I need facts and hard evidence. So, unless you can help me with either, stay.” She orders, as she slides the door shut, leaving Lucifer on the other side to her.

“But I don’t want to be stuck out here with these miscreants.” Lucifer complains, looking through the transparent sliding doors at Joey.

“These are your people.” She teases, before walking away.

“Detective!” He shouts through the glass, placing a hand on it, but giving up when he realises Joey has left. Lucifer looks around at the people surrounding him, seeing somebody throwing up in a nearby bush. “This won’t do at all.” He mumbles to himself.

Meanwhile, Joey had been searching through all of the leftover items from the party, when Dan and Chloe enter the room.

“Hey. We heard all hands on deck, so we came as quick as we could.” Dan tells her.

“These all the unclaimed items from the party?” Chloe asks, as her and Dan slide a pair of gloves on.

“Yeah, I checked everything. Unfortunately, no I.D that matches our victim.” Joey tells the two.

“So, what are you thinking?” Dan asks.

“Well, I’m thinking our victim wore a cute red dress.” Joey begins, handing Chloe the iPad with the photo of the victim for them both to look at. “There’s no way she’d have that pink clutch. She was out to have fun, so that nixes anything big and bulky, like a tote.” Joey rambles, tossing aside unsuitable items. “I don’t know. I’m looking for something small, a little sexy, classy…”

Chloe notices a small, sparkly silver purse, and picks it up. “Something like this?” She asks, handing it to Joey, whose eyes light up.

“Wait a minute, I thought you said all this stuff was searched already for I.D.” Dan questions.

“I’m not looking for an I.D. I’m looking for a car.” Joey replies, finding the car keys in the silver purse, fishing them out and pointing them to the car on the driveway, unlocking it. Bingo.

Due to Joey finding the car keys and now having access to the car, they were able to discover further details about their victim. “Ali Thornton, 23, from Boise, Idaho.” Dan reads off the iPad. “Her info matches the registration we found in the glove box.”

“Hmm.” Joey hums. “She was a long way from home.”

“What were you doing here, Ali?” Chloe asks, looking at the photo of Ali again.

“I’ll see what I can find on her.” Dan says, picking up the iPad, leaving.

“Detectives, I found something in the master bedroom.” An officer tells Joey and Chloe, leading them upstairs. “Found this here in the bed.” She tells them, picking up a fake acrylic nail between a pair of tweezers, shining a torch on it for them to get a better look. “And it matches the missing fingernail of the victim.”

“Isn’t this Ty’s bedroom?” Chloe asks.

“Yeah, looks like they did a lot more than talk.” Joey replies, when suddenly the sound of a woman moaning comes from the other side of the wall. Joey follows the sound, peering round the corner, looking down the corridor, only to spot Lucifer leaning against the wall, smirking at something he was watching on his phone— where the sound was coming from.

Joey leaves the master bedroom, making her way up to Lucifer. “What the hell are you doing?” She asks, irritated.

“Well, since you banished me outside with the lepers, I decided to make myself useful.” He replies, keeping his eyes locked on the screen.

“You call watching porn on your phone useful?” Joey asks.

“This isn’t my phone, Detective.” Lucifer corrects. “I think it’s our recently departed’s.” He tells her. Joey then takes the phone from his hands, looking at the screen.

“Where did you get this?” She asks, realising it’s a sex tape of Ty and Ali.

“Just heard a ringy-ding and followed the noise. Now, is delete the little rubbish bin—?” He begins, going to press the delete button.

“No.” Joey says, moving the phone out of his reach. “You can’t delete anything on this phone.”

“But it shows Ty and Ali having sex.” Lucifer says. “It’s very distracting.”

“Wait.” Joey says quietly, still watching the video.

“Ooh, you reached the money shot?” Lucifer asks, peering over her shoulder to watch the rest of the video as well.

They watch the video together. In the video, Ty is seen to notice the camera and the fact that Ali is filming them. Ty then angrily grabs the phone, ending the video. Joey’s face drops; she looks down the corridor, seeing Ty speaking to an officer. Suddenly, she makes her way towards him— fast.

“Where are you going?” Lucifer calls. “Detective!” He shouts, following after her.

“Hey!” Joey says, approaching Ty.

“What’s going on?” Ty asks, confused at Joey’s demeanour.

“Detective, you’re making a mistake.” Lucifer tells her.

“Stay out of this, Lucifer.” Joey tells him. “Cuff him.” She orders the officer who had been previously talking to Ty.

“Wait, what?” Ty asks, as his hands are cuffed behind his back.

“Ty Huntley, you’re under arrest for the murder of Ali Thornton.” Joey states.

“This is ridiculous. Lucifer, this is all your fault. I wish I’d never met you.” Ty blames him angrily.

The officer takes Ty away. Lucifer sighs, turning to Joey. “Trust me, Detective. I have been doing this a long time. I know evil. You’ve arrested the wrong man. The person responsible is still out there.”

“How are you so sure?” Joey questions.

“Well, what desire would Ty have to kill a girl giving him a wonderful time?” Lucifer retorts.

“Ty had a squeaky clean image. He sleeps with a girl. Then he finds out she’s taping him. She’s gonna ruin everything. He gets angry and loses control. You saw the video.” Joey guesses.

“The only thing that video proves is that Ty had sex.” Lucifer defends. “He was horny, not murderous.”

“Then why would he lie about it?” Joey asks.

Lucifer pauses. “Blame the tequila.”

“He had motive and opportunity.” Joey shrugs.

“Look, I just want to make sure that you’re punishing the right person.” Lucifer says.

“I will.” Joey nods. “That’s what I do.”

“Lovely, we want the same thing.” Lucifer smiles. “And there’s something else on the phone that you should look into—“

“No more porn. I’m good.” Joey interrupts.

“No, it’s not that. We should look into it—“

“We, as in the LAPD, will look into it.” Joey interrupts again. “You can go now.” She dismisses, as he nods hesitantly, walking off. As soon as he’s out of sight, Joey curiously opens up the phone.

Lucifer makes his way back to Lux, when he notices Maze by the bar. “Line up some shots, Maze.” He calls as he walks down the stairs. Maze turns around, holding a hand up for him to wait as she’s listening to someone on the phone. Lucifer sighs, “Oh, hell, I may just take a bottle.”

“Thank you.” Maze says to the person on the phone, then puts it down. “That was the LAPD.” She tells him.

“Ah, was Detective Anderson calling to apologise?” He assumes, pouring himself a drink. “Unless it involves lingerie, I don’t accept.” He smirks.

“Financial Investigations Unit.” Maze corrects.

“Hmm?” Lucifer furrows his eyebrows.

“Apparently, you destroyed the honeymoon suite at the Budget Hut in Tarzana last night.” Maze tells him, struggling to withhold her laugh.

“I’d rather return to the fires of Hell than spend a night in Tarzana.” Lucifer says, scrunching his face in disgust.

“And then, someone with your name and credit card skipped out on a $2,000 tab at Zany Wings.” Maze now lets her laugh out, turning into a cackle.

“Do I look like I’d eat a Zany Wing?” Lucifer asks, offended. “Someone is clearly masquerading as me!” He says, as Maze continues laughing. “Rap battles and hot wings.” He scoffs. “You need to find this cheap knockoff and make him suffer— do you understand?”

“Why? You said it yourself— humans are fascinating, right?” She teases. Lucifer scoffs. “I can’t wait to see what this one does next.” She grins, walking off, laughing to herself;f.

Lucifer then decides the best solution to discuss his feelings about this impostor is to visit Dr. Linda. Currently, he is pacing up and down the room whilst Linda listens to his ‘extreme’ problem.

“It’s not right!” He declares. “I mean, Budget Huts and Zany WIngs?! I mean, this malfeasance reprobate is diluting the Lucifer brand! Finally, I get my father’s beef with graven images.” He says, angrily.

“Sounds like this guy’s really gotten under your skin.” Linda comments.

“Typical in a town full of charlatans. This is a place built on lies where nothing is authentic or genuine. You don’t even have to be famous to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? You can just buy one!” He yells, astounded.

“Are we still talking about the imposter?” Linda asks.

Lucifer finally sits down. “Yes. I’m gonna tear him limb from limb.”

“Uh… is it possible you might be overreacting a bit?” Linda suggests.

“No!” Lucifer disagrees. “How would you feel if some off-the-rack impostor was dragging your name through the trenches of Encino?”

“Well, someone stole my identity a few years back. And after a few long calls to the IRS and the bank, everything was fine. No big deal.” Linda says, only to receive a scoff from Lucifer.

“No big deal.” Lucifer laughs. “That’s because you’re you. I’m me! And this is a— a travesty!”

“But your reaction, your anger towards this minor inconvenience feels a little… disproportionate to the crime.” Linda tells him. “There might be some displacement.”

“I’ll show you displacement when I displace his bollocks and throw them on the floor and stamp on them one at a time!” Lucifer snaps.

“Why don’t you tell me again about this case you were working on?” Linda changes topic.

“Well… nothing more to say.” He shrugs, taking a sip of his water. “A girl was killed and Detective Anderson is going after the wrong person.”

“And that doesn’t bother you?” Linda asks.

“Well, why should it?” Lucifer replies.

“Well, because from everything you’ve told me, it sounds like Ty probably had nothing to do with this murder. That he got himself into— or someone helped him into a bad situation.” Linda explains. “And that bothers you.”

“Yes.” Lucifer nods.

“Why?” Linda asks.

“Because I punish the guilty. And Ty’s not guilty.” He replies, leaning forward, smiling as an idea pops into his head.

Meanwhile, Joey was visiting Ty’s agent in the agency building. Joey walks up to the front desk, showing her badge. “Detective Joey Anderson, LAPD. I’m here to see Ty Huntley’s agent, Joe Hanson.”

“I’m sorry, without an appointment—“ The receptionists begins, before Joey’s attention is caught by some loud laughing nearby. Joey looks up the stairs where the laughter was coming from, only to hear Lucifer’s familiar voice, seeing him talking to a bunch of agents.

“Let me get this right, the clients do all the work, yet you chaps make all the money?” Lucifer smiles, the agents nodding. “Really? And they call me the Devil!” He laughs, and so do they. “If I ever return to Hell, you kids will be my first call.”

Joey shakes her head, walking up the stairs to him. “Oh, one last thing before I go. Which one of you is into killing attractive red heads?” He asks, just as Joey appears by his side. All the agents look uncomfortable. Rightly so.

“Lucifer?” Joey mumbles sternly.

“A word?” She asks, walking away from the agents.

Lucifer turns back to the group of agents. “Oop.” He says to them, as if he’s in trouble, before following Joey.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Joey asks him, once he walks back to her.

“Finding, then punishing Ali Thornton’s actual killer.” Lucifer replies.

“How did you know to come to this agency?” Joey questions.

“I tried to tell you, Detective. On the dead girl’s phone. She called here—“

“Here and traded calls with Ty’s agency a few hours before she was killed. I know. I checked her phone records.” Joey finishes off.

“And you’re welcome.” Lucifer smirks.

“I also found out that the call was transferred to Ty’s agent, Joe Hanson.” Joey adds.

“Right, so why did the dead girl even know Ty’s agent?” Lucifer asks. “I mean, she was Ty’s one night stand. It hardly makes sense.”

“Well, that’s what I’m here to find out.” Joey says, pointing out the obvious. “And that’s why you can go now.” She says, only for Lucifer to start laughing. “What’s so funny?”

“Well, the fact that you think I’m gonna go.” Lucifer replies, smirking. “It’s hilarious, actually.” He continues laughing.

Joey smiles dryly at him. “Lucifer, I don’t need your hep.”

“Look, I’m not trying to solve this for you. I’m ensuring that the right person is held responsible.” He says, as Joey shakes her head. “Look, come on, I’ve been helpful before, haven’t I, Detective?”

“You step out of line one time—“

“You can give me a right good spanking, I promise.” He smirks. “Come on, let’s go.” He says, brushing past her, back up the stairs.

They reach Joe Hanson’s office, and begin talking to him. “Ty wouldn’t do something like this. He’s such a good kid.” Joe says, sitting in his officer chair, as Joey sits opposite. Lucifer on the other hand has decided to scope out his office.

“I’m actually more curious about you, Mr. Hanson.” Joey replies.

“Me?” Mr. Hanson chuckles. “Why? I didn’t even go to the party. I had to work.”

“You spoke to the victim a few hours before she was killed.” Joey says.

“Maybe it’s best if I don’t say anything without my attorney.” Mr. Hanson says.

“Joey! Joe, Joe.” Lucifer suddenly shouts, catching Joey by surprise, only to realise he’s referring to Mr. Hanson. “There’s no need for that. Why don’t you tell me what you really want, hmm?” Lucifer says, walking over to him. “What desires drive a man such as yourself?” He asks, placing his hands on the desk, leaning closer to Mr. Hanson.

“I want to be the greatest agent of all time.” Mr. Hanson replies.

“Really?” Lucifer says.

“And to do that, I need to protect my clients.” Mr. Hanson continues.

“Come on.” Lucifer encourages, wanting more.

“And, uh…” Mr. Hanson falters.

“If you want to protect Ty, tell us what you know.” Joey says, standing out of her seat, leaning her hands on the desk like Lucifer.

Mr. Hanson pauses, then chuckles. “Let’s make a deal. I’ll tell you everything. You look into something.”

“Here’s a deal. You tell us everything, and I don’t cuff you in front of your coworkers and take you in.” Joey replies. “I know how this goes. Ali’s a young actress looking for a break. An agent promises to help her out, in exchange she’s treated like a party favour to your star clients.”

“Okay, okay.” Mr. Hanson holds his hands up. “I did call Ali.” He confesses. “I hired her to have sex with Ty.”

“Wow, seems I wasn’t the only one who wanted the young virgin to loosen up.” Lucifer smiles.

“No, I loved the virgin angle. It’s a clean hook, got him a lot of attention.” Mr. Hanson says, before getting out of his chair, walking over to his draws. “But, Ty was a mess. I needed him to get over his ex.”

“Why?” Joey asks, as Mr. Hanson grabs a file from the draw, opening it and putting it on the desk in front of Lucifer and Joey. “Geez.” Joey mumbles, flicking through the file.

“Popular boy, this Ty— isn’t he?” Lucifer adds. “So what, did this anger his ex or something?” He asks, pointing to the file which was almost like a shrine of Ty.

“No, it’s from his ex.” Mr. Hanson says. “Debra Macall. She left this behind one of the many times she came here trying to find him.” He says. “She used to call all the time trying to get a hold of him.”

“So, he dated a crazy fan?” Joey says.

“He didn’t know it at the beginning.” Mr. Hanson replies. “So when I figured it out, he had already fallen for her.”

“Oh, I supposed I can understand why.” Lucifer chuckles, pointing to one of the photos of Debra, showing Joey who stares at him blankly.

“After a while, Debra got possessive, controlling— she thought she was managing him. So, I told Ty he needed to break up with her. He refused. I made Ty file a restraining order after she broke a girl’s nose just for buying him a mojito.” Mr. Hanson explains.

“Quite a hair trigger on this Debra, by the sounds of it.” Lucifer says, Joey humming in agreement.

“If Debra found out that Ty was with that poor girl…” Mr. Hanson says, shaking his head.

Lucifer and Joey had decided to go and visit Debra, who was supposed to be at some yoga class, so they were waiting in Joey’s car together for her to finish and leave the building.

“Hmm. Finally, some rain.” Joey comments, watching the rain drops fall down her window. “Maybe someone up there is looking out for us.”

“I can assure you, he’s in no way meteorologically inclined.” Lucifer replies. “Apart from the whole Noah thing, and that was a one-off.”

Joey pauses, looking at him strangely. “Anyhow, her roommate confirmed that she took the 4:00pm class, so… Ty’s ex should be out any second now.”

“I told you you had the wrong man.” Lucifer says. “Wrong gender as well, apparently. Finally, we’re getting warmer.”

“Why are you so hell-bent on proving Ty’s not the killer?” Joey asks.

“Like I’ve been saying, I want to punish the real killer.” Lucifer says.

“But why?” Joey asks. “Is it ‘cause you pushed him towards Ali at the party?”

“Well, I don’t see what that has to do with anything.” He replies. “And I think you’re starting to agree with me.” He looks her up and down. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here, would you?”

“There she is.” Joey says, noticing the blonde girl walking out of the building.

Lucifer and Joey both get out of the car, walking towards her. “Debra Macall? I’m Detective Anderson, LAPD. We need to ask you a few questions about Ty Huntley.” Joey calls, walking up to her.

“I’ve got nothing to say.” Debra replies, turning her back and walking in the opposite direction from Lucifer and Joey, heading for her car.

“It’s either here or down at the station.” Joey says, carrying on walking after her.

“Leave me alone!” Debra shouts back, carrying on.

“Debra!” Joey shouts, when suddenly Debra’s car explodes into a cloud of flames, the impact sending both Debra and Joey to the ground. Lucifer, a few steps behind Joey, manages to stay on his feet.

The car is up in flames, the alarm blaring across the car park. Joey inches closer to Debra on the floor, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. “You okay?” She asks, but Debra is too in shock, looking at her car in horror.

“See? Warmer.” Lucifer shouts over the noise.

Joey had to call a whole squad down to the scene. It was now early on into the evening, although the sky had already turned a dark blue.

“Found this on the undercarriage.” An officer says, handing Joey a plastic bag with a remote in.

“Remote detonator.” Joey says, looking at the item inside the bag. “Whoever set off this bomb was nearby. Scour the security cameras in the area. Get facial I.D’s on anyone within a hundred block radius.” She orders, the two officers nod, leaving.

Joey then overhears Lucifer talking to Debra. “You couldn’t live with yourself for committing murder, so you set your car off to explode, didn’t you?” He accuses. “Eh? Wanted to go out in a blaze of glory.”

“Of course not.” Debra denies, as Joey walks up to them, standing next to Lucifer. “Murder? What are you talking about?”

“Oh, come on…” Lucifer scoffs.

“The bomb was triggered remotely. Whoever set it off did it before you got to the car. There’s a clear line of sight. I don’t think the plan was to kill you. I think they wanted to scare you.” Joey tells Debra. “So… you know of any reason why someone would want to do that?”

“No.” Debra shakes her head, a frightened look on her face.

“Yes, why did you run, Debra?” Lucifer asks, recalling what had happened. “Awfully guilty-looking.”

Debra hesitates. “I thought you were going to bust me for violating my restraining order.” She confesses. “I went to Ty’s party last night.” She reveals as Lucifer and Joey glance at each other suspiciously. “No, I… I just looked. From outside, through the window. I couldn’t help it, I miss him.”

“Yes, breaking up’s so hard, isn’t it?” Lucifer sympathises sarcastically. “You’re like two pathetic peas in a pod.”

“Okay, we are made for each other.” Debra says passionately. “As good as he is at football, that’s how good I am at being his girlfriend.”

“You mean ex-girlfriend.” Joey corrects.

“No, we never stay broken up. It’s just a phase.” Debra replies. “Okay, no one looks out for him the way that I do. And then I saw him kissing that girl and I…”

“Squeezed the life out of her?” Lucifer guesses.

“No!” Debra says.

“Where were you between 1:00 and 3:00am this morning?” Joey questions.

“The only place that always makes me feel better.” Debra replies.

Dan had come round to Joey’s later that evening for them to discuss further details on the case. They were currently watching the footage of Debra crying all night in a froyo shop.

“How long does this go on for?” Dan asks, shocked.

“Three hours.” Joey answers.

Dan laughs slightly. “That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Yep. All night froyo shop puts Debra there well past the time of the victim’s death.” Joey says. “Her alibi checks out.”

“So Debra didn’t strangle Ali.” Dan concludes.

“Well, whoever planted the bomb went to great lengths to make us think Debra did it.” Joey says.

“Why?” Dan questions, sipping a mug of coffee.

“I don’t know.” Joey replies.

Dan pauses, then stands up, walking over to the kitchen, going into his bag. “We might actually know who rigged the car.” He says, catching Joey’s attention. She stands up, walks over to him. Dan opens up a file, showing her. “Ronnie Hillman.” He says, Joey looking at the photo.

“The big Hollywood fixer?” Joey asks, remembering the name.

“Yeah.” Dan nods. “A security cam caught her walking nearby, right after the explosion.”

“This can’t be a coincidence.” Joey says. “Someone must’ve hired her for this.”

“I’ve been trying to build a case on her for years, and every time we’ve approached her, she’s lawyered up immediately.” Dan says. “Ronnie is a pro.”

“So how do we approach her?” Joey asks.

“She’s picky about talking to strangers. Definitely no cops.” Dan says, as a light bulb goes off in Joey’s mind.

“What about someone she’d never expect us to work with?” She asks, thinking of a certain British man.

The next morning, Dan and Joey had gone to Lux to explain their plan to Lucifer. It was currently the following evening, and they were setting everything up in his penthouse.

“Do I get a code word?” Lucifer asks excitedly as he pours himself a drink. “You know, for when you take her down.” He says. “If so, might I suggest ‘monkey bottoms?’ ‘Cause trust me, I can work that into any sentence quite naturally.” He waffles.

“You sure this is a good idea?” Dan asks Joey, disapproving of Lucifer’s childishness.

“Lucifer reached out to her and she agreed to meet him, so it’s our best shot.” Joey replies, then looks at Lucifer. “And you won’t need a code word, and you wont be miked, because she’ll be looking for that. This is a simple handoff. All we need you to do is vouch for Dan as someone that needs her services.” Joey explains.

“Vouch for Detective Douche?” Lucifer says. “Oh, gosh, this is gonna be harder than I thought.”

“Once I engage with her, I will hire her to fix a problem of mine.” Dan continues, ignoring his insult.

“Right. Well, if it’s that stick up your ass, I’m afraid there’s no one strong enough to pull that out.” Lucifer teases.

“She goes there to fix my problem, our people will be waiting to arrest her.” Dan says.

“Ah.” Lucifer nods.

“And then we’ll have leverage to find out what she knows about Ali’s murder. She has information we need, so let’s just stick to the plan.” Joey reminds Lucifer, knowing what he’s like.

“Assuming, of course, Ronnie hasn’t run off because our sting suddenly turned into a Michael Bublé concert.” Lucifer teases, looking at Dan’s suit.

“Lucifer, this isn’t a game.” Dan says.

“Oh?” Lucifer replies.

“Now, are you up for this or not?” Dan asks.

“Am I up for encouraging someone to commit a nefarious act?” Lucifer says, walking up to Dan and Joey. “Mm, let me think. “ He says, then locks eyes with Joey. “Put me in, coach.” He says in a raspy voice. Joey sighs at his lack of seriousness, but nods.

They get the sting ready for action, and Lux is now full of people. Lucifer wanders around the club, when he walks past Dan, who has his arms spread on the booth sofa. “Try to look even more like a douche.” Lucifer comments. “Mission accomplished.” He says as he walks past.

Dan just ignores him, then notices Ronnie walk in. “She’s here.” He says into his mic.

“Okay, great. Here we go.” Joey replies into Dan’s earpiece from her position upstairs in Lucifer’s penthouse.

Lucifer sneaks up to Ronnie. “Ronnie Hillman.” He whispers in her ear. “Problem solver and extraordinaire.”

Ronnie smirks, turning around to face Lucifer. She traces her hands from, his face, to his neck and down his chest.

Lucifer chuckles. “You checking for a wire or are you just pleased to see me?” He teases.

Ronnie smirks, then presses his waist against hers very sexually. “Little bit of both.” She says.

“Mmm!” Lucifer hums, their mouths extremely close.

“Hello, Mr. Morningstar.” She says. “Rest assured… I can help you with your problem.”

“Well, actually, I don’t need your help.” Lucifer begins. “I… wait, what do you think my problem is?”

“Impostor running around ruining your name.” Ronnie answers. “Your professional reputation has taken a bit of a dive.” She tells him, before leaning in to whisper in his ear, “As has your sexual one, I’m afraid.” She taunts. “All those unsatisfied ladies… word gets around.” She watches Lucifer’s eyebrows furrow. “That is the reason you reached out to me, isn’t it?”

Lucifer hesitates, momentarily looking over at Dan, before focusing back on Ronnie. “Yes.” He lies. “Yes, it very much is. I do have a problem that could use your help.”

“I am all yours.” Ronnie tells him, seductively.

“Oh! Well, I like you, monkey bottoms.” Lucifer chuckles, checking her out. “Now, here’s what I need you to do…” He begins whispering in her ear.

“Lucifer, what are you doing?” Joey whispers to herself as she watches them interact through the planted camera. “Hey, Dan, what’s going on?” She asks into the mic.

Dan looks back at Ronnie and Lucifer. “I don’t know. They’re still talking.” He replies, then sees Ronnie walk away from Lucifer, heading for the exit. “And now she’s leaving.” He tells her, jumping out of his seat at the same time Joey makes her way down to the club.

They both walk up to Lucifer together. “What the hell did you do?” Dan asks Lucifer, who is ordering another drink from the bar.

“I hired the fixer to fix a problem, like you wanted.” Lucifer replies, whiskey now in hand.

“You let her go. What happened to the plan?” Dan scolds.

“I made a better one.” Lucifer shrugs.

“How?” Joey asks, annoyed.

“Just sit tight, and we’ll all get what we want.” Lucifer says calmly.

Later that evening, when Lux was now empty, Ronnie had successfully delivered the impostor who had been stealing his identity, with a black bag over his head, covering his face; and hands tied behind his back.

Lucifer struts down the stairs of the club. “Finally!” He shouts, as the impostor whimpers. “The would-be Prince of Darkness.”

“Payment due upon delivery.” Ronnie tells him.

Lucifer lets out a wry laugh, holding a finger to Ronnie. “I’d like to examine the goods first.” He says, walking closer to the imposter.

“Your dime.” Ronnie replies, taking a seat at the bar, watching as Maze and Lucifer circle the masked individual like hawks.

“Right. Let’s see the face of my impostor.” Lucifer says, Maze ripping the bag off his head, laughing at his appearance.

“The resemblance is uncanny.” Maze teases as Lucifer walks round to her side to examine the impostor.

“It most certainly is not.” Lucifer says, offended. “How could anyone think that you were me?” He says, astonished as he looks the thief up and down.

“You know who you’re messing with?” The imposter questions, in one of the most unbelievable British accents ever. Lucifer raises his eyebrows. “I’m Lucifer freaking Morningstar.”

“Oh… are you now?” Lucifer says, gasping. The imposter nods. “Well… you’ve certainly been a busy bee, haven’t you, ‘Lucifer?’” He says, walking over to the bar, topping up his drink. “Eh? Apparently, you’ve started a modelling agency, pitched a Web series.” Lucifer walks back to the impostor. “And I hear you’ve also been very active with the women.”

“Ladies love me. What can I say?” The impostor replies, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

“It’s what they’ve been saying that’s the trouble. It seems you’re a bit of a two-pump chump.” Lucifer replies. “Also, a crier afterwards.”

“That happened one time.” The impostor replies.

“Right. Well, we can’t have you running around cheapening the Lucifer brand, now, can we?” Lucifer says. “What do you say, Maze? Impalement?”

“Hmm… why rush?” Maze says. “I say the rack.” She suggests, whipping the impostor teasingly with the bag that was previously on his head. “That way we can really enjoy it.” She whispers in the impostor’s ear.

“Better. Yes, much better.” Lucifer nods. “Every joint of every limb dislocated before it’s torn off.”

“No, no, no, no, no— look, look, look, I just… I just… I just wanted to get chicks and— and free drinks.” The impostor explains. “Um really, I—“ He says, then drops the fake accent, returning to his original American one. “My name is Justin. I’m from Sherman Oaks.”

Maze and Lucifer can’t help but burst into laughter at his patheticness. “Oh, Justin…” Lucifer smirks. “… the things I’m gonna do to you.”

“Oh, no, no, no, I-I’m sorry!” Justin apologises out of fright. “I only came here one time and I just told some girls that I owned the place, and… and that opened some doors for me and so I just started rolling with it.” He explains.

Lucifer grabs Justin by his collar. “How dare you abscond my name!” He yells.

“Please, don’t hurt me.” Justin begs, on the verge of tears. “Please.”

“I’m not gonna hurt you, Justin, I’m going to destroy you.” Lucifer threatens.

“Oh, this is so hot.” Maze comments. “It’s like you’re punishing yourself.”

Lucifer’s face drops at her comment. “Seems I could be just, um, overreacting a bit.” He says, loosening his grip on Justin. “Go.” He orders him. “Go on!” He repeats, and Justin takes no time to escape while he can. “And never sully my name again!”

Maze stands in front of Lucifer. “Let’s at least take a finger.” She pleads, eagerly.

“We’ve done enough, Maze.” Lucifer tells her, and she storms out. Ronnie then gets up from her seat at the bar, walking up to Lucifer. Lucifer holds up an envelope with her payment inside.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Lucifer.” Ronnie says, taking the envelope.

“Yes, it was, wasn’t it?” Lucifer agrees. “Which is why I’m going to have to apologise for my friends.”

“What friends?” Ronnie asks, confused.

Lucifer’s eyes then trail to the staircase, where Joey, Dan, and some officers are entering. “Ronnie Hillman, you’re under arrest for kidnapping and assault.” Joey announces, jogging down the stairs.

Ronnie stays facing Lucifer, her back to Joey. Ronnie holds her hands up, and Joey walks over, grabbing her wrists and handcuffing her. “Would you mind calling my lawyer?” Ronnie asks Joey. “Her number’s in my back pocket.” She says, bending over slightly.

“Yeah, sure thing. I’ll tell her about the kidnapping, the airtight evidence we have, the attempted murder on Debra Macall.” Joey lists, standing next to Lucifer. “And then when we connect you to Ali Thornton’s murder, maybe you’ll get a nice injection of drugs, and you can go to sleep forever.” Joey says, Lucifer smiling at the harshness of Joey’s comeback.

“Hang on— I had nothing to do with Ali’s murder.” Ronnie says. “Debra Macall, Ty Huntley’s ex, she’s the murderer. I cared about Ali.”

“Mm-hmm, here’s what I think.” Joey nods. “I think you tried to scare Debra into confessing to Ali’s murder, but Debra didn’t do it. She’s got an ironclad alibi.”

“This is my fault.” Ronnie whispers.

“Why?” Joey asks.

“I promised Ali I would protect her. All she ever wanted was to be an actress.” Ronnie tells them. “She was gonna leave her mark. But you know how that goes. Endless rejection, she ran out of money. This was her first gig with me. She didn’t even know if she could do it. But I told her… I told her it was just like acting. Besides, who doesn’t want to sleep with Ty Huntley?” She says.

“I thought Ty’s agent hired Ali to sleep with him.” Joey says.

“He hired me for a number three special: blackmail. Slip him a roofie, get naked, whip out a selfie stick, and voilá.” Ronnie replies.

“Well why would he have any desire to blackmail his own star client, a client he’s all about protecting?” Lucifer questions.

“Ty’s agent told you Debra killed Ali.” Joey puts the pieces together.

“He did, yeah.” Ronnie nods.

Joey then taps Lucifer’s arm, nodding for them to have a private conversation. They walk a few steps away from Ronnie and begin speaking in low tones. Lucifer manages to guess what Joey is going to say by the look on her face.

“You think Joe’s the killer, that he took things into his own hands, quite literally.” He says, referring to Ali being strangled.

“We don’t have any proof.” Joey says.

“Right, well, how do you propose that we get him?” Lucifer asks.

Joey shakes her head. “Joe pointed the finger right at Debra, painted her as crazy.”

“It’s not that hard a picture to paint, in her case.” Lucifer adds.

“Why was he so certain she’d make a good suspect?” Joey thinks.

“Maybe he found out she went to Ty’s party.” Lucifer suggests.

“Maybe he knew she went to Ty’s party.” Joey says, a flash of realisation flickering into Lucifer’s eyes.

Joey, Lucifer, and a few backup officers make their way into the same agency building as the other day, heading for one of the meeting rooms where Joe Hanson was currently hosting a meeting.

As they walk in, Joe was finishing his speech, and everyone burst into clapping, smiling up at Joe. Lucifer decides to make their entrance known by joining in with the clapping, though extra slowly and loudly. Everyone hears Lucifer, and their heads spin round.

“Rebranded, eh?” Lucifer mimics, having overhead the final statement of Joe’s speech. “Does it come with a new scent? Free toy inside?” He teases.

“What do you want?” Joe asks, nervously, as Joey and Lucifer walk up to him. “Ty is free on bail.” He reminds them.

“We have to talk to Ty down at the station again, maybe walk him past a few reporters.” Joey threatens, as she grabs Ty’s arm, pulling him to a stand from the seat he’d been in.

“Whoa, hold on, uh, Joe, what is this?” Ty asks his agent, confused as he stands next to Joey and Lucifer.

“Oh, come on! This is ridiculous.” Joe snaps, as Joey passes Ty to the two backup officers. “Ty wouldn’t hurt anybody!” Joe shouts, taking a couple of steps closer to Joey and Lucifer. “What about Debra? I told you to look into her. She’s the crazy one.”

“Yes, well I thought it was her all along. I mean, the woman certainly redefines ‘intensity.’” Lucifer replies.

“But Debra was home with a friend the night of the murder.” Joey lies, attempting to lure Joe into their trap.

“What?!” Joey exclaims. “She’s lying.”

“There’s no evidence placing her at the party. No one saw her.” She tells Joe, before turning to Ty. “So, are you ready to face the cameras?”

“His sponsors will love the free publicity.” Lucifer says to Joe. “Tell me, what’s ten percent of nothing?” He adds, before going to walk out with Joey.

“I saw Debra there.” Joe blurts out, causing them to turn back to him. “I went by the party.” He confesses. “But a work call came up, and I never made it inside.” He says, as Lucifer and Joey walk back up to him. “I didn’t say anything before because I told my wife I was working late. When I was driving away, I saw Debra outside Ty’s window.”

Joey folds her arms. “So you admit you were there that night.”

“Yeah, and so was Debra.” He reminds her. “That’s the proof you need, right?”

“That’s the proof we need.” Joey agrees. “We have a sworn statement from Ronnie Hillman saying that you hired the victim to make a sex tape with Ty to blackmail him. I just needed to place you at the scene.” Joey explains.

“Yeah, see, that’s why I don’t lie.” Lucifer comments. “It’s so hard to keep track of who knows what.”

“It’s not true.” Joe denies, then looks a Ty. “I only want what’s best for you, Ty.”

“You know, I still don’t understand. Why is it my own agent would want to blackmail me?” Ty asks Joey and Lucifer.

“Because he thought eventually you were gonna leave him.” Joey answers.

“What, because I took one meeting with another agency?” Ty asks Joe. “Joe… I only did that to make Debra happy.”

“But even though you’d broken up, he knew you’d get back together.” Lucifer continues. “So, he decided to strike first, get some leverage.”

“If he left me, I would be ruined.” Joe spits. “I mean, do you understand? He is my Brady, my Manning.” He compares, pointing at Ty.

“But Ali wasn’t cut out for this sort of thing, was she?” Lucifer says, raising his voice. “She didn’t want to give you the video.”

“Stupid bitch.” Joe mutters, causing Lucifer’s entire body to fill with overbearing anger. Joe turns his back to them, walking away. Lucifer follows him. “She said she realised Ty was a good guy. She didn’t want to go through with it.”

“Her name was Ali Thornton, and you killed her.” Lucifer states, angrily. “For what? Greed? Ego?”

“I didn’t want to hurt her.” Joe claims. “I just wanted her phone. And…” he sighs. “But I squeezed too hard.” He confesses. “I’m done. Forget this. I’m out of here.” He then goes to walk out the door, past Lucifer, who stops him. Lucifer holds an arm out in his way, gripping his neck and launches him through the glass windows. Joe goes flying, glass flies everywhere and everyone gasps, standing up.

“Did I squeeze too hard?” Lucifer shouts, ironically.

“How did you…?” Joey asks, as Lucifer had managed to throw Joe as if he was as light as a feather. “What did…?” She mutters, until realising Lucifer is making his way over to Joe, who was unconscious on the floor. Joey rushes over to him, placing both hands on his chest, attempting to get in between him and Joe. “Lucifer, what are you doing?” She asks.

Lucifer carries on tauntingly towards Joe despite Joey’s attempt to stop his movement. “Finally focusing my anger where it belongs.” Lucifer replies, not taking his eyes off Joe— still full of sheer anger and frustration.

“Lucifer…” Joey says gently, finally managing to catch his attention. Lucifer looks into her eyes, his gaze instantly softening. Joey can practically see the anger leaving his body. Lucifer takes a deep breath, chuckling awkwardly after realising what he’s done. “Yes, of course. Your turn, Detective.”

Later on, there’s sirens wailing outside of the agency and reporters ready to catch their shots of Joe as the officer leads him out of the building, cuffed.

“I still can’t believe Joe did this.” Ty says to Joey and Lucifer, as they watch him get taken away. “I wasn’t even gonna leave him, you know that? Definitely gonna leave him now. But you know what, you, uh… you stayed good to your word, Lucifer. Thank you.” Ty thanks.

“Yes, well, now you owe me one.” Lucifer tells him, smiling.

“Ty!” Debra shouts, pushing past the reporters.

Ty jogs down the stairs. “Oh, my baby. Oh, my god, I’m so glad to see you.” He says, as Debra runs up to him and he engulfs her in a loving hug.

“You are?” Debra asks, surprised.

“Yes. You are crazy, baby. But you’re my crazy, you hear me?” Ty says.

“Yeah?” Debra grins up at him. Ty nods, and they begin making out.

“Warms the cockles, doesn’t it?” Lucifer says to Joey, as they watch their interaction. Joey side eye’s Lucifer, not surprised he’s said something like that. “So, Detective, looks like you’ve solved another case because of me.”

“I solved this case despite you.” Joey corrects.

“What? What about the cell phone I found?” Lucifer asks. “That was key evidence.”

“Evidence you almost destroyed.” Joey reminds him.

“I got you the leverage you needed to crack Ronnie.” Lucifer argues.

“You co-opted a sting operation for your own gain.” Joey replies.

“And I solved another crime.” Lucifer adds. “Identity theft.” He chuckles, Joey shaking her head. “Come on, admit it— we solved this one together.” He says, then sighs. “Or are you too egotistical to acknowledge my help?”

Joey glances at him. “Okay, yeah, you didn’t completely destroy the case.” She admits. “So you can stop blaming yourself, great.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Lucifer asks.

“The whole reason you tried to prove Ty’s innocence?” She says, looking at him.

“Was to catch the true culprit.” Lucifer answers.

Joey nods, though doesn’t actually believe him. “Yeah, sure.” She shrugs sarcastically, before walking away, leaving Lucifer confused.

Later on, Lucifer had decided to pay Dr. Linda Martin a visit. After they’d finished having sex, he was updating her on the whole situation.

“So, I decided not to punish myself.” Lucifer tells her, getting dressed.

“Yourself?” Linda questions, having only the duvet to cover up her nakedness.

“Well, my fake self. The person I’d kidnapped. I decided not to beat him up.” He explains, sighing. “You were right, I was, um… what’s the word?” He thinks.

“Displacing?” Linda replies.

“… displacing my anger and frustration on Lucifer-phony, because the right person wasn’t being punished for Ali’s death.” He continues.

“And who was the right person?” Linda asks.

“Well, the sleazy agent, of course.” Lucifer says.

“Ah, yeah.” Linda sighs. “Of all the cities in the world, Lucifer, why did you decide to come to Los Angeles?”

“Well, the same reason as everyone else. Uh, the weather, porn stars, Mexican food— mm!” He replies.

“You know, you say… you say people are phone here, but I think people come here to reinvent themselves.” Linda replies. “And I think that’s why you’re here. To reinvent yourself.”

“Why would I mess with perfection?” Lucifer chuckles.

“You like working with the detective, don’t you?” Linda says.

“I told you, I’m good at punishing people— nay, I’m the best at punishing bad people.” Lucifer ignores her question about Joey. “I didn’t enjoy it when my father forced me to, but now that it’s on my own terms, it’s downright delightful.” He says, putting on his blazer.

“Yeah, well, I think you don’t just enjoy punishing the bad guys. I think you’re starting to like seeking justice for the good ones.” Linda observes. “Like Ali.”

Lucifer scoffs, standing up, walking over to the door. “Another reason to hate L.A.— all this self-indulgent therapy. You should be ashamed.” He teases, opening the door.

“You’re doing it again.” Linda sighs.

“What?’ Lucifer asks before leaving.

“Displacing.” Linda replies.

“No, I’m not.” Lucifer disagrees, smiling, before walking out, closing the door.

“And that’s denial.” Linda calls.

“That’s a river in Africa.” Lucifer tells her, opening the door again. Linda chuckles, and he leaves for good this time.

During this, Joey had arrived home, put Dev and Arlo to bed, and had been watching the cctv footage from the agency on repeat. She was trying to wrap her head around how Lucifer could do the things he does…

[theawesomeaki-kun]

Arlo (Number Days) cosplay

Arlo watching over the gang

This was a photoshoot I did last 2021 on time for Earth Day + in support of Pacthesis’ release of Number Days t-shirts (Specifically, Arlo “Tree Hugger” prints) for charity on Arbor Day. 

My country has unfortunate international shipping rates and couldn’t really afford one myself, so I hoped a tiny cosplay shoot of everyone’s favorite tree boi could help bump some attention to it instead. 

On the plus side, the fundraiser was successful! Thanks to the Tree Hugger tees, there’s also now an official Pacthesis merch shop. I unfortunately still can’t afford the rates, but a good friend of mine luckily gave me a Cashy Tally ho, mofos coaster haha

Then years later I found more photos that ...I think I forgot from being too nervous about everything. So, here’s the rest of it! enjoi

And now, Cashy!!!

He is a box with typewriting paper. But I did end up making vertical slashes on the outlet, so it can actually hold up chargers. The back can also store things!

trying to take a picture of Bryce with his phone

And, finally...

oh

wait hang on

There we go.

[alastgoodnight]

Hm. Now that was a little odd. There was a letter in front of the letterbox, like the box had spat it out. The envelope was white with a coloured triangle in each corner to frame it: red, blue, yellow, and orange. It was simply addressed to "New Friend", written in a slightly blunted red pencil. Wouldn't hurt to open it.

The handwriting on the inside was the same as on the envelope, and it appeared to only hold a folded sheet of paper.

-

"Dear Stranger,

I was talking to Eddie today and I said I didn't know who else to write a letter to. I'd written a letter to all my friends. Eddie said I should write to look for a 'pen pal'. I thought he meant that I needed a pen to be my friend, but it actually means that someone would write to me. I like phone calls, but I also like letters too.

Hello stranger. My name is Wally Darling. I live in Welcome Home. It is a small town where all my friends live. This is what I look like."

An arrow pointed to a somewhat childish drawing of a yellow person with swirly blue hair, a matching cardigan, and colourful, stripey trousers. There was a smile on the drawing's face.

"I am a painter. I love to paint or draw. There are so many things to look at. Is there anything you like to do? Do you have a job or class you go to?

Please write back. My full address is: Wally Darling, Home, The Neighborhood.

Wally."

(heythereneighbor - sorry but the concept of a letterbox was just too cute to pass)

Oh, that was odd. Naomi was quite used to the letterbox having letters in it - usually in response to her own - but this time, the little door hung wide open, the letter propped against it and politely waiting for her when she came upstairs. Her eyes widened when she saw the bright primary colors - colors she didn't recognize from other responses. This was someone new!

Handling the colorful envelope with the same care she would an official document, she read through it slowly, feeling a small smile pull at her face as she kept going. The language was simple, but charming - more importantly, someone had written to her first, something that never happened. Usually the letters she got were responses to her own, so this was a charming surprise.

The letter itself was fairly simple, so she should start with a simple response. Naomi grabbed a sheet of her own paper - the white, lined stationary with a frame of hydrangeas in purple and blue - and started to write.

"Dear Wally Darling, Hello! I'm the person who got your letter, so I guess this makes me your pen pal. It's nice to meet you! My name is Naomi Sato, but everyone calls me Miss Naomi. I'll draw a picture of myself on the back of this page, since it's full of lines. I live in the Lullaby Lane Library. It's a very old building-"

Creak!

"Okay, I'll change it, my goodness!"

"It's a building that's been left by itself for quite some time, so I'm working hard to help get it all ready for people to visit again. I live here with a couple of friends, Willa and Rags, and my friend Arlo lives on the hill behind us. Right now my job is fixing up the library. The inside's all done, but the outside needs new paint and a garden. It's a lot of work, but it's fun!"

What did she like to do? Hm, keep it simple. Explaining a podcast would take more pages.

I like to read, and clean, and tell stories. My favorite kind of stories are fairy tales, and my favorite kind of reading is when I get to share stories with other people. Do you have any stories you like, Wally? Thank you for writing to me. I'll give you my full address so you can write to me again: Miss Naomi, Lullaby Lane Library, Lullaby Lane. I hope you have a good day! Sincerely, Miss Naomi."

It was only right to match Wally's drawing with one of her own. Using a small number of colored pencils, she drew herself as best she could - still a small, simple drawing, with line features and blocky colors, but she liked how the jacket came out. Carefully the letter was folded and put in a seaglass-blue envelope, sealed shut with a sticker of an orange balloon. Into the letter box it went, no doubt to appear wherever it needed to be.

[scocbysnacks]

MUSE: zayne arlo (33, rescue pilot) OPEN: anyone, 30+ PLOT: plot based off this post  NOTES: this is a new/tester muse. zayne doesn't know how important any of the people or their ideas are for the company. he is doing his best to figure it out so that he can sell the company. perhaps the person he might potentially be doing the deal with is not one of repute. we can plot or wing it-- either way.

"no, i understand the old man wanted to undergo this project but what your numbers are telling me is that it would not pay off in the short term and i-" zayne cuts off as someone enters his temporary 'office'. he hasn't stepped a foot in his father's office since the man passed and the one he has taken over is not much more than a storage closet used for file cabinets that housed documents from when the company first started. "mr. peters, i will call you back. somethings just come up." he taps the disconnect button and slides his phone into his pocket.

"visitors i don't know usually don't make it all the way up here," he fixes the newcomer with a curious gaze, "may i help you?

[unholyrite]

Her eyes open, pulling back the covers from over her head as she realises her phone is vibrating constantly. As though it is trying to vibrate itself right off her bedside table. She reaches out for it and tries to read the messages on the screen but they are all blurry. Indistinguishable. Sleep in her eyes and she’s squinting out into the darkness of her room. In the corner stands a figure. She knows that shape. She would know it anywhere... “Arlo?”     her voice is croaky from the cool air. Why is it so cold in here? So cold she can see her breath. She rubs at her eyes, trying to rid them from sleep, and then.... She��s opening her eyes again, pulling back the covers from over her head and this time her phone is ringing. She tries to reach for it this time but it becomes further and further away. Completely out of her grasp. This time when she looks out into the room, Arlo is standing at her bedside. His mouth is closed but he is screaming. She can tell by the horror in his eyes as he stares down at her.  “Arlo!”      Her voice isn’t her own now. It comes out like a screech, unrecognisable. Taylor reaches for him but he, too, becomes further and further away. She can feel herself starting to cry, and then … Her eyes open once more. This time there is silence. Nothing around her. No covers to pull back from her head, and she is standing alone on an empty beach. The sun is trying to raise it’s head over the horizon, and seagulls dance in the morning sky. She spins in her spot, trying to decipher where she is. You’re dreaming. You’re dreaming. You have to wake up. This time when she opens her eyes she is back in her room. This time when she reaches for her phone she can actually feel it in her hand, and see the time flashing on the screen. Seven in the morning, and there are no messages, no missed calls. Terror runs cold through her blood. She doesn’t know how she knows something is wrong, only that she knows. Her hands tremble, the feeling spreading into her whole body and breaking out into one word, sobbed out of her throat. “Willow?” But there isn’t anybody there to answer her. The house around her is empty, and she can no longer call it a home. Taylor wraps herself up tighter into her blankets and dials Arlo’s number. It goes straight to voicemail, which it never does. He is a person who always has his phone on, always fully charged. The responsible one. That sinking feeling won’t go away. She feels like she’s drowning in it. She has no idea why she decides to call the specific hospital she does, only a inkling. A feeling. She asks if her brother is there, or anyone matching his description. When she is put on hold the music playing in her ear frustrates her. This is a matter of life and death, she knows it to be true.  “Miss Wright, are you there? I can see that your brother was admitted an hour ago, and I am afraid to tell you that he is in an unstable condition...” She doesn’t need to hear any more for the blood to run out of her face. The distant sound of the hospital clerk continues as she lowers the phone down into her lap, her body tensing into shock. It takes her only a few minutes to gather herself. And even fewer to throw on the first bundle of clothes she finds at the foot of her bed and head straight out the door.     +  @unpossession​

[avis-and-panda]

To Be or Not to Be-Chapter two

Chapter two 

The Calm After the Storm… Kinda 

Sunday, July 2nd. 

During the drive to the hospital, Aizawa called Recovery Girl; for good reason seeing as he needed to keep three kids from dying before they got there. 

The brunette’s face was flushed and whined at every loud noise. Considering the bloody wound on the back of his head, he definitely had a concussion. The red-head, who fell unconscious at some point, had a knife lodged in his side. Although they were able to stop the bleeding, that knife was a huge problem if it wasn’t taken care of soon, especially if it hit any organs. The girl was in the most danger. Although all the bleeding from her wounds had stopped, she was frightfully pale. She must have lost a lot of blood beforehand. Aizawa periodically checked her pulse. 

When Aizawa and Yamada arrived at the hospital with the injured kids, Recovery Girl was already there. All three children were sent to the ER, the old woman following close behind. Aizawa left the hospital while Yamada stayed behind to meet up with Detective Tsukauchi at the police station. 

  

- 

  

Monday, July 3rd. 

“They’re names are Elena Bell, Arlo Keen, and Nikolaus Brandt.” Aizawa looked through the evidence as Tsukauchi relayed out loud what he found out, “They go to Kuran Private High School. They’re in their second year and attend the same class.” 

“That’s all you’ve found out? Just information from their school ID?” Aizawa asked. 

“That, and information such as their birthday and blood type from their regular ID’s. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find much else.” 

Aizawa narrowed his eyes, “And why not?” 

Tsukauchi sighed, “Well, first, I tried going through their emergency contacts, thinking I might reach their parents. Instead, I got this.” 

Tsukauchi placed a phone before Aizawa, set to call one of the kids’ mother. Tsukauchi pressed “call” and folded his hands back in his lap. After three rings, someone picked up, but instead of hearing them on the other side, a high-pitched ringing sound came from the phone, causing Aizawa to flinch. The screen started glitching and the ringing got more and more high-pitched until Tsukauchi ended the call. 

The two of them sat in silence for a moment. 

“…That is certainly weird.” Aizawa said, still trying to figure out why it happened, “Are you sure it isn’t broken?” 

“I already called tech support; the phones are perfectly fine.” 

“Have you tried the other two?” 

“Yes. Same thing happened.” 

Aizawa bustled in thought, “Have you tried looking up the school and getting their phone number?” 

“That’s another thing.” Tsukauchi sighed tiredly and ran a hand down his face, “It doesn’t exist.” 

Aizawa blinked at him. 

“What?” He asked incredulously. 

“Well, as far as I know. There is no record of there being or ever being a Kuran Private High School in Japan. We haven’t done an international search yet, but it doesn’t even come up with a simple online search.” 

Aizawa narrowed his eyes again, “Are you suggesting that these heavily injured kids are fake students at a fake school wearing fake uniforms and carrying fake IDs?” 

Tsukauchi sighed, “It’s too early to make any conclusions right now, but I’ve also found that none of them are registered citizens in Japan. That, and the souvenirs from Kyoto that I found in their bags make it seem like they’re from a foreign school and came to Japan on a school trip or something.” 

“So, they’re either students from an overseas school and were attacked right in Japan for some reason or they’re part of some elaborate lie?” 

“With the information we have right now, those are the most valid conclusions, yes.” 

“And what about their attackers?” 

Tsukauchi pulled a knife in an evidence bag from the evidence pile on his desk. 

“This is the knife that was lodged in Brandt’s right flank. Luckily it wasn’t a fatal wound. The only fingerprints on it are his own, meaning the attacker was wearing gloves. We were also able to discern that it was the same knife used to injure Bell.” 

“I see. Anything else?” 

“Both Brandt and Keen had head injuries, however, Brandt looked more like he was hit by a blunt object while Keen looked like he was thrown back into a wall. His spine was cracked, and his head injury was in the back of his head while Brandt’s was on his right temple.” Tsukauchi paused and frowned. 

“This is another weird thing. Keen’s concussion was severe. If he was thrown back so hard, he should have more than just a slightly fractured spine.” 

“Maybe one of them has a healing quirk.” Aizawa suggested. 

“Possible but improbable. Healing quirks are quite rare...” 

He was right. Recovery Girl’s quirk is so rare she travels from hospital to hospital to help, despite her primary vocation being UA’s school nurse. 

Aizawa’s phone suddenly rang. “Aizawa Shouta.” 

“YO!! Eraserhead!!” Aizawa abruptly moved the phone away from him, checking the caller ID this time. And, assuredly, there said “Yamada” in all its glory. Aizawa groaned. 

“Mic, what have I said about shouting into the phone? You’re going to burst someone’s eardrums.” 

“Sorry, Eraserhead!” Yamada responded loudly. Aizawa made an annoyed noise and shook his head in disapproval. 

“Why are you calling?” 

“Recovery Girl wants to talk to you. One of the kids woke up!” 

Aizawa met eyes with Tsukauchi, whom he’s sure heard everything. The detective nodded resolutely. 

“Let’s get the police chief.” 

- 

By the time Aizawa and Tsukauchi arrived at Arlo Keen’s hospital room, with Tsuragamae Kenji, the chief of police, it was already evening. Recovery Girl was waiting for them outside of Arlo’s room. 

“How is he?” Tsuragamae asked. 

“Better than he could have been. He suffered a lot of head trauma, but it seemed like his injuries were already partially healed before I got to him.” Recovery Girl responded. 

Aizawa raised an eyebrow, “Someone got to him before you?” 

Recovery Girl shook her head, “None of the other doctors tending to him had a healing quirk. However, it does seem like someone healed him beforehand.” 

“Is he awake right now?” Tsukauchi asked. 

“Yes, he’s been awake for several hours. He’s been given some ibuprofen, so he should be okay for questioning.” 

Tsukauchi gave her an appreciative smile and nodded. The four of them move to enter the room. 

“Where’s Mic?” Aizawa asked, suddenly realizing the sound hero was notably absent based on the lack of noise. 

“I kicked him out. The poor boy kept covering his ears and even asked for a pair of muffs the last time that man talked to him.” 

Aizawa smirked under his scarf. Of course. Yamada couldn’t shut up to save his life. 

Recovery Girl frowned as she reached to open Arlo’s room, “The child has sensitive hearing, and I highly doubt his concussion is helping.” she warned, “If he weren’t tended to as soon as he was, he would have been in critical condition.” 

The other three adults nodded as she opened the door. They were greeted by Arlo Keen turning his head, which had bandages wrapped around it, to see the adults entering the room. He smiled brightly and looked like he was going to say something when his eyes landed on the police chief and he froze. 

The adults looked at him questioningly as Arlo’s eyes roamed over Tsuragamae’s dog-like form, seemingly in shock. 

“Good evening! I am Tsuragamae Kenji, the chief of police! Ruff!” Greeted Tsuragamae brightly. Arlo startled, smile slowly dropping, before taking a deep breath. 

“I’m dreaming.” 

The adults blinked in surprise. Tsukauchi stepped forward in a placating manner, “I can assure you, you’re not dre—” Tsukauchi was cut off by Arlo pinching his cheek, followed by a loud “OW!” 

“Are you trying to cause more problems for yourself? Stop that!” Recovery Girl pointed her cane at him in warning. 

Arlo winced and turned to her with an apologetic expression, “Sorry! I was just testing something.” He sharply turned his head back to Tsuragamae. The adults watched him curiously. 

“So… I’m not dreaming.” 

“I’m afraid not, young man. Why would you assume so, ruff?” Tsuragamae asked. 

“Well…” Arlo scratched the back of his head as he tried to find the right words, “Um, t-this is gonna sound… obscenely rude but… A-are you a dog?” 

“That is correct. My appearance is part of a mutation quirk.”  Tsuragamae replied. 

“A… a ‘mutation quirk’?” Arlo’s brow furrowed in confusion. 

Tsukauchi frowned, concerned. Aizawa watched in interest as the former stepped forward and offered a kind smile. 

“Hi, I’m detective Tsukauchi Naomasa. We’re going to be asking you some questions regarding yesterday afternoon, is that alright?” 

Arlo blinked and turned to Tsukauchi, seemingly snapped out of his confusion for the moment, “Yeah, I don’t mind. I don’t know how much I can tell you though. I blacked out at some point.” He furrowed his brow, in thought this time, “I honestly don’t know how I got here.” 

“Where do you think ‘here’ is?” 

“Kyoto?” 

“I’m afraid not.” Tsukauchi gave him a kind smile, “You’re currently in Musutafu, Japan. You arrived here in some sort of portal yesterday.” 

“A por— Wait, where did you say I am?” 

“Musutafu, a major city in Japan. You’re currently in the Musutafu hospital.” 

Arlo brought his hand to his chin in a thinking manner and tilted his head, “Musutafu? That’s—Hmm… I don’t recall there being such a city in Japan.” 

“Really?” All four adults reared back in surprise. Musutafu was a large city, plus the home of UA, one of the best hero schools around. Every kid his age, even foreigners, would know where the home of UA is.  

Aizawa narrowed his eyes in thought. This kid had been acting quite strange. First, he acted as if he’d never seen a mutation quirk before, which was impossible considering one sees them left and right, and then he’s never heard about a primary Japanese city? He’d understand the latter to a degree if the kid was from another country, which was likely considering he wasn’t a registered citizen, but the first one just didn’t make any sense. It was almost as if...  

Aizawa's eyes widened and stepped directly in front of Arlo. 

“I have a very important question that I need you to answer honestly for me, okay?” 

Arlo nodded meekly, anxious at the sudden change of mood, “O-okay.” 

“Do you know what a quirk is?” 

“Uh…” Arlo’s eyes darted between the adults nervously, landing on Tsuragamae before returning to Aizawa’s piercing stare. 

“Well, I know the definition of the word ‘quirk’, but in this uh—” he gestured to Tsuragamae, “—context, I don’t believe I’m familiar with the term?” 

Arlo averted his eyes, nervously rubbing his neck as the adults stared at him in disbelief. Tsukauchi was the first to break the silence. 

“…He’s not lying.” 

This kid genuinely didn’t know what a quirk is. 

- 

Arlo thought about it. 

And thought about it. 

And yet none of it made sense. 

Sure, it was ‘possible’ to change a person’s anatomy with magic and make them look like animals. The thing was, it was not only super illegal, but it was also super dangerous. 

So, he had stared, unabashedly, trying to figure out why a dog that looked like a cop was standing before him. 

And then the dog introduced himself as the chief of police, which just complicated things more, because why would the chief of police be part of a practice of illegal magic? Unless it was forced upon him which was entirely possible considering what Frederick’s experienced and—Did he just say “ruff”? 

…Okay. He was definitely dreaming. 

Because if he wasn’t then either this person, Tsuragamae, was super into his role as a dog or he was fused with a dog. And if changing a living thing’s anatomy was super dangerous and illegal, then fusing two living things was straight up inhumane and a warrant for life in prison. That was how werewolves were made. 

The only logical explanation was that he was dreaming. 

Except he wasn’t if the hard pinch he gave himself was anything to go from. 

When Tsuragamae explained that his appearance was part of his quirk, it only confused Arlo further. 

Sure, he may have not been all that well versed in Japan’s laws so it’s possible that they had released a new law recently legalizing the practice of magic fusing, even though he thinks he would have heard of it anyways ‘cause that’s a big thing to just legalize, but he’d never heard anyone use the term “quirk” in this context. 

And then they told him he was in Musutafu, a city in Japan that he had also never heard of. 

As he expressed his confusion, the adults started to get confused as well. That’s when the weirdly dressed man asked him in a low, almost bored, but serious voice, “Do you know what a quirk is?” 

Arlo answered honestly. 

But he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing, because then all the adults were staring at him openly, clearly shocked, until the detective said in disbelief, “He’s not lying.” 

Arlo looked away, a little embarrassed from all the staring. He peeked at the black-haired man from under his bangs. The man wore black, baggy clothes, his hair was long and unruly, and he wore some type of white cloth around his neck. He’d say it was a scarf, but it was the beginning of July, and it was way too thin to bring any warmth. But then again, his clothes looked warm too, and he seemed to have an abundance of the cloth, so maybe he was wrong. He also had an eyepatch, one that reminded him of the one Youko made for Nikolaus. 

All in all, the man didn’t look like a cop. Arlo was about to ask who he was when a voice interrupted him. 

“Well, isn’t this an interesting development? A child without knowledge of quirks, in this day and age!” 

Arlo faced the adults fully again trying to place where the voice came from. It sounded like it came from the man, but it was way too high pitched. 

“Wha—” He was about to ask, when a small creature popped out of the man’s scarf. 

“Good evening! I am principal Nedzu of—" 

“HAHHH?!” 

Arlo jumped back, almost falling over the edge of the bed, which he would have if it wasn’t for the white cloth that suddenly wrapped around him. He stared in slight shock as the man maneuvered the cloth with expert ability, his hair then blown from his face, giving Arlo a clear view of his scars, and his one eye glowing red. 

“Aizawa!” Oh, so that’s his name, “Be careful with the patient. He’s still injured! And you—” 

Recovery Girl pointed her cane at Arlo, “—What did I say about injuring yourself?” 

Arlo waved his hands placatingly as he situated himself back on the bed, “Sorry! I didn’t mean to this time! And…” he rubbed his neck, embarrassed, “I’m sorry for screaming too. I was just… surprised.” 

Understatement of the year. 

“No, no, it’s my fault for frightening you.” Nedzu jumped off Aizawa’s shoulder and landed on a chair beside Arlo’s bed, “Let’s start over! I am the Principal Nedzu of UA high school!” 

Arlo reached over and hesitantly shook Nedzu’s paw, “Arlo Keen.” He tilted his head in confusion, “Why is the principal of a high school here?” 

“You and your friends fell in UA’s dorm building. It’s only natural that we’d come and take the case!” 

Take the case? What kind of school took an official police case? 

“We?” Arlo said instead, turning his head to look at Aizawa. 

“That’s right! This is Aizawa Shouta, pro hero, and homeroom teacher at UA high school.” Nedzu relayed cheerfully. 

Arlo’s brow furrowed in confusion, “Pro hero? What’s that?” 

The adults shared glances among each other, “Professional hero. As in, I was professionally trained and hired to be a hero,” answered Aizawa. 

Arlo tilted his head thoughtfully, “Hero? As in, the police?” 

“Not quite.” Tsuragamae answered this time, “On the field, the police force is not allowed to use their quirks before, during, or after fighting a villain, or criminals in general, unless explicitly ordered to. Heroes, or other individuals such as Recovery Girl, are permitted to use their quirks as a part of their job. Heroes specifically, are permitted to use their quirks to fight villains or rescue civilians.” 

“I see…” Arlo placed his hand on his chin thoughtfully, “And, this is little late but, what exactly are quirks?” 

Tsuragamae shared a look with Tsukauchi before stepping back. In turn, Tsukauchi stepped forward, apparently taking the reins. 

“Before that, I need to ask you some more questions, okay?” 

“Oh, okay.” Arlo straightened, a little disappointed he wasn’t being given answers at that moment, but he didn’t complain and prepared himself to answer any questions. 

“Based on your accent and appearance, I can assume you’re not from Japan?” 

“Yeah! I’m from the UK. My class went to Kyoto for a school trip, which is where I’m supposed to be.” 

“Do you remember the events that led to you blacking out?” 

“Uh… Yeah, but it’s a little fuzzy.” 

Tsukauchi nodded in understanding and gave him a kind smile, “Can you relay them for us?” 

Arlo returned his smile, “I’ll try my best.” 

If Arlo was being honest, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to recall the events all that well. The hit he took was hard, but he said he’d try, so try he would. 

They had just arrived in Kyoto the day earlier. Everyone woke up early so they could frolic and look around as much as they could without falling behind schedule. The teachers took them to the National Museum of Modern Art and he remembered being amazed by the paintings. Early on, Arlo and his group, Elena and Nikolaus, broke off from the rest of the class to do some of their own exploring. At some point, they realized it was around the time the teachers made the class agree to meet back up for lunch, so they hurried to the meeting point. 

They didn’t see how empty the museum had gotten. 

They didn’t see the attack coming. 

Not until Nikolaus had blood pouring from his head, knees buckled and leaning on the wall for support. 

Two figures emerged from hiding then, both wearing a black hoodie, pants, a mask, and sunglasses. One was holding a knife while the other appeared unarmed. The one with the knife, a girl based on her voice, said their names as if asking if they had the right people. Elena responded aggressively, asking why they attacked if they weren’t even sure they had the right people. 

The girl lunged for Elena without answering while the other lunged for Arlo and Nikolaus. While the latter straightened himself out, Arlo blocked the punch the person sent him and punched their stomach in a counterattack. The person stumbled back, clutching his gut before lifting his head and abruptly brought his arms out in front of him, moving his hands in such a way that made it seem like he was manipulating something invisible. 

Arlo was confused before realizing he was being lifted off the ground. 

Nikolaus tried to grab at him but was too slow and Arlo was slammed against the ceiling before he was dropped back to the floor, effectively knocking him out. 

[thecryptidcottage]

↳ ft. arlo + maximus ! @hauntcdtales at the bar at ricci's

❝ ―yeah, this is her blog! like i said, some really good stuff on there if you check it out, very thought-provoking. ❞ leave it to arlo to gush about his wife any time he's left to his own devices ; he's currently seated at the bar of the italian restaurant, phone extended toward the woman sat next to him so she can scroll through sawyer's website at her own leisure. ( and to be fair, he'll claim it's not his fault this time ― the conversation led here organically after she offered to buy him a drink when he sat down and he turned it down with a kind smile and a flash of his wedding ring. she's sweet, though, and he makes sure to tell her as much. ) arlo glances toward the entrance and grins when he spots sawyer's brother speaking to the host ; scribbling down the address of the website on a napkin, he thanks the woman for her time before waving him down as he rises to his feet. ❝ max, hey ! ❞ extending a hand in greeting when the other reaches him, he waits until max takes it to pull him into a tight, jovial embrace. ❝ it's good to see you, man ! ❞ the number of times the pair have met in person is few and far between, but arlo is well aware how grateful he need be for max and how much he put into raising the woman he considers his life partner. ❝ i got a table, but i figured i'd grab us some drinks before you got here. ❞ a glass is held out in an offer, gin and tonic. and no, he definitely didn't text sawyer for a suggestion on the order first. not at all. ❝ should we grab a seat ? i dunno about you, but i'm starving. ❞

[bullet-prooflove]

I have an ask for Nik Sabatino 🩷 The prompt is 3. And we kept everything professional But something's changed. Thank you so much.

Tagging: @words-and-seeds @novamariestark @whateversomethingbruh @trublu2u @stelacole @kmc1989

Nik’s been back in LA for approximately three hours when he finds out about your trip to Mexico, the one you didn’t tell him about. He’s barely had enough time to dump his bags at his hotel and shower before he’s called out to a scene in Malibu involving his C.I.

It involves two dead bodies in the trunk of his car and a high speed pursuit on an electric scooter. Only in LA, he thinks as he scrolls through Tucker’s phone bringing up his most recent internet tabs.

It's then he finds the hitlist, the one with your picture on. It’s a group shot of you, Sam and Callen,  your face is shadowed by the cap you’re wearing, but the others are in plain view. It’s been taken in a hospital carpark in Mexico, he knows that because he’s been to the same hospital, he’d dropped Arlo Turk off there with a gunshot wound to the shoulder once upon a time.

He picks up his phone, dialling Turk’s number. If anyone can tell him what mischief you’ve been getting up to in Mexico it’ll be him.

“What’s your interest?” Turk asks him before he divulges the information.

My life partner’s trying to give me a heart attack, he considers telling the other man. However your relationship is still on the downlow, not even your team are aware that the two of you are together so he goes with the usual party line.

“Classified.” He says dryly. “But there’s an eighteen year old bottle of McCallan in it for you, if you tell me everything in the file and out of it.”

By the time Nik hangs up the phone he’s livid.

You’d undertaken an unsanctioned mission into Mexico to rescue Mosley’s son. It had resulted in the horrific death of Special Agent Harley Hidoko. Deeks had been critically injured, which is why you were at the hospital in the first place and the rest of you had barely escaped with your lives.

The fallout is currently still ongoing as the entire team are being investigated by a federal prosecutor. Nobody’s sure if charges are going to land your way or not, and your career…

Lord knows if you’ll still have a job at the end of the week.

You’re trying to give him an aneurysm, Nik’s sure of it.

He uses back channels to summon both you and Callen to the crime scene. His job was over and done with once his CI was arrested by the LAPD but if he leaves the scene he has to hand over the phone for evidence and he wants to show you the consequences of your actions. It’s clear to him that none of you played out how badly the mission could have gone. When he looks at it, he can see the plan was slapdash, haphazard, not the usual standard of work he expected from you all.

Mossley’s doing, he suspects, a woman so driven by her emotions, her desire to find her son that she would have sacrificed anyone of you. Hidoko had played the ultimate price, tongue cut out, burned alive and that woman hadn’t even attended her funeral. The thought of that happening to you…

It makes his blood boil because to Mosley you’re disposable and she’s hanging every single one of you out to dry.

When you step into the tented command centre he can tell you’re surprised to see him. You tuck your hands into the pockets of your jacket as you straighten your shoulders and hold your head up high. It riles him in more ways than one because you know, that he knows, and that he can’t show how pissed off he is right now, not without dropping the dime on your relationship.

“Looks like you guys survived Mexico.” He says, his expression filled with ire as he places his hands upon his hips. “Good job.”

You say nothing as you meet his gaze but he can see the defiance in you. You’re convinced you did the right thing and the problem is he can’t argue with you. The thing he loves most about you is your conviction, you know exactly who you are, you don’t lose yourself the way he does.

It’s both infuriating and extremely erotic.

“I have a feeling that’s you didn’t call us down here to congratulate us on our success.” Callen remarks, jutting his head towards the hand sticking out of the trunk of the nearby car.

“No, it is not.” Nik says, withdrawing the phone from his pocket and holding it up for the both of you to see. “The killer left his phone in the car and we found a cartel hitlist and guess who’s on it.”

He swipes his finger across the screen and the picture appears, the one of the three of you outside the hospital.

“One million.” He says looking pointedly at you. “Per person.

He sees the expression on your face change at the realisation. One million is a lot for a hit. The guy lying in the trunk of that car, his bounty was only $250,000 and he was the head of the drug enforcement taskforce. That’s how badly the cartel wants to murder you guys.

“They haven’t identified you yet but trust me they are trying really, really hard.” It’s impossible for him to keep the bite out of his voice.

“So we need to get that site taken down.” You begin, withdrawing your own phone from your back pocket to call Eric.

“I’ve already taken care of it.” Nik tells you as he returns the phone back to the evidence bag.  “I’ve got the NSA cybernuts scrubbing it from existence but it’s been on the darkweb for almost two weeks. There’s no telling who’s seen it.”

“I’m getting the feeling your mad at us. ” Callen says, crossing his arms over his chest. “Did we fuck up some super-secret CIA operation you guys were running?”

He turns his gaze on the other man, and the fury it burns deep down inside of him. There’s no way Callen doesn’t see it.

He’s almost as culpable as Mosley. He’s supposed to be the team leader, the calm one, the responsible one but he’d run head first into this mess, the same way the rest of you had. Nik knows he’s inches away from betraying himself so he does what he does best, he spins his anger towards something else, something that fits with Callen’s perception.

“You guys burned Arlo Turk.” He snaps, jabbing his finger at the other man. “That guy was the biggest source of cartel intel in the country and you burned him, do you know how many agencies relied on that information?”

None of you have any idea of all the threads you’ve unravelled, all the hard work that you’ve undone. There’s people in Washington baying for your blood, threatening to shut down Special Operations, to indict you and the two of you have no fucking clue. Nik’s out here doing damage control, he’s calling in favours, twisting the narrative, trying to save your lives and your careers.

“And there it is.” Callen mutters, the left side of his mouth twisting up into a bitter smile. “We’re making your life harder.”

He really has no fucking idea.

Nik’s phone has been vibrating in his pocket ever since this conversation started. His contacts coming back to him, feeding him information, completing the tasks he’s set them. You’re not going down for this he’s making sure of that, he’s put Mosley directly in the firing line for pulling this shit.

Already Callen’s walking away, you’re about to follow when Nik captures your arm. His eyes meet yours and you know that this isn’t over. There’s so much he wants to say to you in this moment but the words won’t leave his mouth because he’s just so God damned angry.

“Don’t think we won’t be talking about this at home.” He warns you, releasing his grasp on your arm. “I mean it Alana, you guys fucked up big time.”

Love Nik? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[multi-lefaiye]

hi hi multi! I was wondering if I could get a ramble about some of your favourite dating sims? the stream the other day was v fun ^-^

oh hi hi hello logan!!! :D yeah sure!!! i love talking about dating sims ASDFJKL; i just think they're neat <3

so i think i'll talk about like. a few dating sims i love, some things i like about them, and then my favorite route(s).

fair warning, some of these games have some triggering content! i'll try not to go into detail, and i probably won't go into specifics, but still! fair warning.

1 - star days

okay so the one i was playing on stream was called star days, made by the artist pacthesis! she doesn't make games anymore and unfortunately has taken her games off the internet, but i have this one and my other favorite of hers saved <3

star days is about a group of people from different universes coming together to journey to a mythical place called The Constellations, with the intent of resurrecting people they've loved and lost.

it's less about the romance and more about the grief counseling. like the dating is fun but everyone's MOVING ON!!!

all the characters (except cil) are endearing to me in their own ways, but my favorite endings:

platonic ending - the main characters all find reasons to live and move on and remain best friends, going on adventures together and exploring other universes and beyond.

quoto - quoto is just the perfect man- idk i just think he's super sweet?? like the themes around his storyline are a lot about the importance (or lack thereof) in appearances and i think that's just neat.

vanni - MOVING ON AFTER A TRAGEDY AND FINDING REASONS TO LIVE AFTER LOSING IT ALL... MWAH MWAH.

--

2 - number days

so this is another pacthesis game! actually the last one she completed in full before leaving the internet for a while.

ANYWAY the premise around this one is that a group of people who visit a new amusement park that opens one day and end up mysteriously trapped inside, with no one else around. they each receive mysterious text messages from an unknown number saying this: "your time here will run out when your number reaches zero." and from that moment on, their phones display a number between 0 and 100.

it's SUCH an interesting game to me with really cool storylines imo!!! like it's definitely aged a little poorly, but i think it's a fascinating narrative. even romance aside, i love the characters and i genuinely can't pick a favorite.

this is also the other pacthesis game i have archived so we can play this on stream as well :3c

in terms of favorite routes.... i think my favorite one is arlo's route. it makes me so so sad and it's so so sweet and it really hammers homes these themes of like... loneliness and self love and acceptance. it's good shit. also arlo's just a cutie, even if he's kind of a weirdo <3

the platonic ending here is also a delight!!! though i don't remember all the details about it except that it made me cry the first time i got it <3

--

3 - mystic messenger

ohhh i could say so much about this game. it definitely has a lot of issues, especially in its writing (and especially in its portrayal of mental health and specifically more stigmatized disorders), but god i was fixated on this game for YEARS. i've played it so many times.

mystic messenger is a dating sim that follows real-time, each run taking place over the course of 11 days. the basic premise is that the player ends up joining a secret charity organization called the RFA, and as they work with this group they slowly start to uncover more and more of its secrets.

one thing i love about mysmes is that, like.... to get the full picture, you do have to do every character's route. every character's storyline reveals a little more of the story, to the point that i actually have a recommended order i give people for doing the routes if they play this X3 it also has a ton of different endings to explore!

the only downside is that uh. it's a time commitment. if you don't keep up with the game you can get a *real* nasty ending. and this game also gets dark as FUCK at times, like the player can die and so can most of the love interests-

anyway i love all the characters in this game for the most part, so it's hard to pick a favorite! 707 is a huge comfort character for me, though, and his route means so much to me. it really hits home with me personally in so many ways.

even though i always tell people to do his route last ASDFJKL;

--

4 - mechat

ok i just wanna give an honorary mention to mechat b/c that's the one i'm playing right now- fair warning, though, this game is SIGNIFICANTLY more nsfw than the other two here!!!! like. holy fuck. do not check this out if you're a minor or otherwise not interested in spicy content. (though i think the adult content can be turned off in settings.)

mechat is fun because it's like... fictional tinder. you can match with as many characters as you'd like and explore their storylines. not all of them are fun, but they're all interesting imo.

my favorite so far is shion b/c he's a beautiful man with long red hair who has several warrants out for his arrest and takes you on a date to do arson together. what a guy <3

i also love the sheer confidence this game has in never explaining the supernatural elements. like yeah some of these characters are regular ass people. some of them are demons. some are aliens. some are cryptids. deal with it.

another thing that's interesting to me about mechat is that some characters have counterparts with alternate designs and names--the storylines don't change, but you can swap 'em out if you don't like their faces i guess.

--

5 - monster prom series

so i have yet to play these games by myself but i've played all of them with friends and my partner and just??? so fun??? i love it. they're so fun and interesting and delightful. these games have a special place in my heart, both for the sheer silliness and wacky hijinks and the memorable characters! also the queerness all throughout them.

i also do love that in the first game there's a storyline centering around one of the potential love interests being aroace and talking about like. boundaries and consent and becoming really good friends with them rather than dating them or seducing them. i've heard some complaints about how this storyline is handled, but tbh i think it's fun <3

i have a hard time picking favorites in this series, but i love calculester so so much <333 and milo <3333333 and moss mann <3333

--

anyway yeah these are some of my favorite dating sims!! there are some i may be forgetting but ye i love these <3

[dipti122]

Surveillance System I Security &amp; Surveillance System

The smart and best surveillance system is rapidly advancing. With the introduction of AI (Artificial Intelligence), ML (Machine Learning), and 4K video resolution, today’s security equipment necessitates more data storage and integrated technology capabilities. The comprehensive data and improved media quality have an impact on the speed, network, and storage space. Because surveillance technology must remain operational 24 hours a day, backup and storage are critical issues that must be considered at the outset. To function substantially in safe-shielding the premises, these systems must include hybrid hardware and software components.

Thermal imaging has become the norm as health and safety concerns have risen to the top of the priority list for businesses. Unquestionably, monitoring health standards is at the forefront of ensuring the safety of the environment and the employees. Furthermore, edge computing and cloud computing will be critical, as firms seek to analyze data at the edge as well as in the cloud. Another crucial element that businesses must consider when implementing the best surveillance systems for real-time pattern recognition is latency.

Technology innovation is still shaping numerous industries and the emergence of advanced technology ushers in new trends. Let’s take a look at the most recent CCTV surveillance technology trends and how the most recent security gadgets are serving these evolving needs. When you are not at home, having the greatest security camera for your home will give you peace of mind. When motion is detected, a smart security camera records footage and sends an alert message to your phone. Home security cameras are inexpensive, simple to install, and available in weatherproof versions that can be used both indoors and outdoors.

With so many alternatives on the market – indoor, outdoor, wireless, and DIY – it might be difficult to discover the ideal match for the camera system you have in mind. But don’t worry; we’ll assist you in locating the ideal gadget for the job.

10 Best Camera Surveillance System of 2022

1. Reolink Argus 3 Pro: Overally best 2. Google Nest Camera: Best tech 3. Abode Iota: Best all-in-one camera 4. Canary Pro: Best climate sensors 5. Blink Indoor: Grate battery life 6. Wyze Cam v3: Budget camera 7. Amcrest 4MP ProHD: Best pan-tilt 8. YI Dome Camera: Good for privacy 9. Arlo Pro 4: Good for smart home 10. Ring Stick Up Cam Battery: Best for Alexa

Global Surveillance System

The mass observation of whole populations beyond national borders is known as “global mass surveillance.” Its presence was not widely acknowledged by governments or the mainstream media until Edward Snowden’s global surveillance revelations sparked a debate about the right to privacy in the digital age.

Its origins may be traced back to the mid-twentieth century when the United Kingdom and the United States signed the UKUSA Agreement, which was later expanded to include Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to form the current Five Eyes alliance. The alliance established cooperation agreements with a number of “third-party” nations. This eventually led to the construction of a global surveillance network known as “ECHELON” (1971).

Conclusion

A good surveillance system is equipped with modern, cutting-edge technologies. Thermal imaging, edge computing, and cloud computing will be critical as firms seek to analyze data at the edge and in the cloud. When motion is detected, a smart security camera records footage and sends an alert message to your phone. We take a look at the most recent CCTV surveillance technology trends and how gadgets are serving these needs. OdiTek is a leading software company, providing software development services to high-quality video surveillance software product companies. For more information, drop a message at info@oditeksolutions.com.

[canonicallyanxious]

Got a lot of free time on my hands rn [who could say why...] so i put a bit of effort into this year's top 10 lists by which i mean i stole canva's assets for myself and rubbed my gay little hands all over them pls enjoy

absolutely did not have braincells for a proper movies/shows list this year but i will have a special shows-adjacent list out at... some point idk

Full lists along with notes/ramblings under the cut:

Favorite 2023 Album Drops

10. Cherish - Vacationer

9. Phone Orphans - Laura Veirs

8. Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) - Yves Tumor / this album is gender and no i will not be offering further explanations at this time

7. Red Moon in Venus - Kali Uchis

6. My Big Day - Bombay Bicycle Club

5. Metro Boomin Presents Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Metro Boomin, various artists / specifically the deluxe version which has some personal faves the og doesn't, like take it to the top and infamous

4. Unreal Unearth - Hozier

3. The Age of Pleasure - Janelle Monae / full disclosure this one is so high on this year's list because watching them perform this live did rewire my entire brain

2. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We - Mitski

1. Javelin - Sufjan Stevens / the vinyl for this album comes with an art booklet made by Sufjan that includes 10 mini-essays about love, and reading them for the first time felt like putting my heart in a fucking blender. [you can also read them all here for free if you feel like doing that to yourself tonight]

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

SOS - SZA / the greatest mistake of my life was leaving SOS off my 2022 album list and it will forever haunt me. unfortunately it was also a big grower for me and was released too late in the year for me to realize its genius in time. can't put it on my 2023 list either but pls know it is number one album of the year. in my heart

Soft Machine - Arlo Parks / i think this could have ranked higher had i managed to get around to checking it out when it actually dropped but unfortunately my dumb ass didn't catch it until v late in the year so there you go

House of Groove - Roche Musique / compilation so technically there's a bunch of artists on this record, found this one a little late in the year but wanted to shout it out bc i really enjoyed every track i heard off of it, no small feat

Sorry I Haven't Called - Vagabon / i have no excuse or explanation for this exclusion, there were simply too many records i loved this year

Favorite 2023 Song Finds

(note: per tradition, not confined to 2023 releases, just bops i listened to for the first time this year)

10. So I Danced - DPR IAN (2023) / i forgot to include the year in the graphic and i am too lazy to change it soz

9. Angelina - Milo Korbenski (2021)

8. No Good - Young & Sick (2019)

7. Better Now - SebastiAn, Mayer Hawthorne (2019)

6. Liquid Love (Mr Jukes Remix) - Billie Marten (2021) / one of those remixes i like better than the og, and to be clear i like the og quite a lot. also as i was putting together this list i learned that Mr Jukes is actually the name of the solo project of Bombay Bicycle Club's lead singer so like the more you know!

5. Hair Receding - Xenia Rubinos (2013) / i heard this song for the first time in December which usually would put it at an unfair disadvantage compared to songs that i've had the full year to get attached to but listening to it shook my molecules so vigorously i had no choice but to put it on this list

4. Zero (JID Remix) - Newjeans (2023) / look i am fully aware this song is a blatant kpop ad for coke zero and the chorus literally translates to "coca-cola is tasty / coca-cola is tasty" but that doesn't mean it isn't a BOP. another remix i prefer to the og, i think jid's verse and subtle production tweaks really elevate it to something i never want to stop playing when it comes on

3. Been Thinkin' - Hikes (2019) / or: my most played song of the year! don't examine what this probably reveals about the state of my psyche too closely!

2. I'm Your Man - Mitski (2023)

1. Bruises - Angel Haze (2015) / though i was genuinely v surprised this one did not make it onto my spotify top 5, considering every time it came on this year a fugue state did overtake my whole body and did not dissipate until i had played it at least another four or five times