#Future!Danger!Josh

[changelingsandothernonsense]

I did it...I rendered the meme....

Or a series of jokes about Teldryn Sero being given guns. You probably shouldn't give him weaponry. Rieking behaviour imminent!

[joshfutturman]

love that my phone titled this memory from 1 year ago 'sweet memories'.

"HIS COCK REMAINS FULLY INTACT! ☝️🤓"

[reasonsforhope]

Article

"The Democratic Party largely coalesced around Vice President Harris as its likely new presidential nominee on Monday [July 22, 2024], as she kicked off her campaign by promising to prosecute a forceful case against Republican nominee Donald Trump and defend the legacy of President Biden.

Hours after she delivered remarks laying out some of the themes of her campaign, Harris secured pledges of support from a majority of Democratic National Convention delegates, a forceful show of unity behind her presidential campaign that signals she is likely to officially become the party’s nominee next month.

“Over the next 106 days, we are going to take our case to the American people, and we are going to win,” Harris said during a visit to campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Del., where she was greeted by a group of energized staffers for Biden’s now-abandoned candidacy. Harris accused Trump of wanting to “take our country backwards to a time before many of our fellow Americans had full freedoms and rights.” She added, “we believe in a brighter future that makes room for all Americans.”

Biden dialed into the impromptu meeting, using his first public remarks after dropping out of the presidential race Sunday to thank his staff and ask them to support Harris with “every bit of your heart and soul.”

“The name has changed at the top of the ticket, but the mission hasn’t changed at all,” said Biden, who joined remotely from Rehoboth Beach, where he has been recovering from a case of covid. “We still need to save this democracy. Trump is still a danger to the community. He’s a danger to the nation.”

The high-energy, highly unified setting reflected the broader sentiment across the Democratic Party, in which Harris’s swift ascendancy has upended an already tumultuous and unpredictable presidential race. After being exhausted by weeks of turmoil and infighting over Biden’s prospects, relieved and newly energized Democrats across the country rushed to embrace Harris’s candidacy and unite around the goal of defeating Trump.

Less than 36 hours after Biden abruptly exited the race and endorsed Harris as his successor, hundreds of state delegates, the majority of Democratic lawmakers and governors, a group of state party chairs, and several influential interest groups threw their support behind Harris, as other potential candidates said they would not challenge her. Top congressional leaders followed suit, with Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) expressing support for Harris on Monday.

While a small number of Democrats have advocated an open, competitive process, Harris appeared to have an inside track Monday to quickly securing the nomination ahead of the party’s convention next month...

After celebrating the extended infighting and discord that plagued Democrats in the aftermath of Biden’s halting performance at the June 27 debate, Trump’s allies watched Monday as Democratic leaders quickly fell in line behind Harris.

“I’m excited to fully endorse Vice President Harris for the next president of the United States,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said Monday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program. “The vice president is smart and strong, which will make her a good president, but she’s also kind and has empathy, which can make her a great president.” ...

Democratic Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Wes Moore of Maryland also endorsed Harris on Monday, joining a growing list of potential rivals for the nomination that instead opted to endorse her candidacy. Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, each considered potential candidates, both endorsed Harris on Sunday.

Democratic leaders on Monday unveiled a new virtual process for selecting a nominee to replace Biden that would conclude by Aug. 7, ahead of the nominating convention in Chicago next month. The dates for the virtual process will be announced on Wednesday.

The private doubts about Harris’s vulnerabilities and less-than-impressive polling numbers largely remained unspoken Monday as Democrats appeared eager to consolidate around a candidate and head off a messy competition for the nomination 106 days before the Nov. 5 election. During her visit to campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Harris was greeted by more than 100 staff members who gave her a standing ovation. The room was covered in newly printed signs that read “Harris for President,” though at least one lingering “Biden-Harris” sign stood as a testament to how rapidly the presidential race had shifted.

Campaign aides said more than 28,000 new volunteers had signed up to lend support, more than 100 times the typical number. Harris, who has been traveling around the country, planned to continue her campaign travel this week.

Trump had built an advantage in polls of key swing states and has at times appeared frustrated with Biden’s exit from the race, lamenting Sunday that he had to “start all over again” after long focusing on Biden...

Harris’s operation raised a record $81 million in the first 24 hours after Biden dropped out and endorsed his vice president, aides said. A group of tens of thousands of Black women gathered on a virtual call Sunday evening to showcase their support for Harris’s bid to become the first woman of color to be president...

Harris has already begun leaning into her background as a prosecutor and state attorney general as she began to cast the race against Trump in a new light.

“In those roles I took on perpetrators of all kinds,” she said. “Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say I know Donald Trump’s type.”"

-via The Washington Post, July 22, 2024

[strangetheedreamer]

beneath the willow tree

pairing: jake kiszka x gn! reader

summary: you’ve been in love with Jake Kiszka for as long as you can remember, the only question is: does he feel the same?

a/n: this is a short lil blurb based off of a real dream that i had, if you find it as devastating as I did- well blame my subconscious not me :)

there are no warnings for this lil

blurb, it’s actually all fluff!

Some would ask how long you have been in love with Jake Kiszka.

You would argue that the easier question to answer would be was there ever a time that you weren’t? Because the answer to that question is simple: no.

You met Jake Kiszka when you were nine and he was eleven at the neighborhood playground. Specifically? It was a hot summer afternoon in August and you were with your friend Maddie trying to see who could jump the farthest off the swings. A dangerous game, but you were old enough to be without parental supervision and drunk with the power of it. It was the most fun you’d had all summer until you landed too hard off a jump and your ankle rolled painfully as soon as you hit the mulch. You had cried out and fallen to the ground, clutching your wounded ankle and trying to blink back the tears that were blurring your vision.

Then, an angel appeared.

You had looked up at the sound of your name from your slowly swelling ankle to meet warm brown eyes and though you were arguably too young for love at first sight or to even know anything about it, your heart had plummeted into your stomach the moment you met those eyes and the boy attached to them. He’d asked if you were okay and all you could manage in return was a wordless sob, your ankle pulsing with pain now. That fateful afternoon, Jake Kiszka had slung your arm around his skinny shoulders and helped you limp the two blocks home while his brother wheeled your bike behind you.

You were hopelessly gone from that afternoon onward.

The strings of your fates seemed to be irreversibly tangled. Small neighborhoods are just like that perhaps, the community close knit enough that it would make sense for you to be at the same summer barbeques and new years parties as you got older. But the hopeless romantic in you dreamed that it was because Jake Kiszka was your destiny. It was the worst of schoolchildren crushes. You doodled yours and Jake’s names in hearts in all your school notebooks in middle school. And in high school you could be found hiding under the bleachers at every soccer game or gazing across the chemistry lab, moony eyed, at who you were sure was your future husband.

The crush inevitably faded to background noise when you both graduated and left your hometown, him to follow his dreams of being a rockstar and you to attend college. But, you never quite got over him. It seemed you couldn’t help but compare every boy you let take you out to him. Sure, maybe the boy bought you a nice dinner or an ice cream, but did he dissect the frog in Biology so you didn’t have to? Sure the boy had pretty eyes or soft lips, but could they even compare to the ones you’d dreamed of for so long? It was torture, honestly. And very annoying.

It didn’t help that Jake’s dreams had come true. You would never forget the moment you were perusing the magazines at a bookstore and saw him on the cover of a guitar mag, looking just as beautiful as you remembered- maybe even more so. It filled your heart up to the brim that it had worked out for him, but a certain sadness clawed at your chest too. At that point, you were just a waitress in Nashville working two jobs to try and afford graduate school. Maybe your fates were so tangled together after all.

Then, Josh Kiszka sat down at the cafe you served at in the mornings and your whole world turned on its axis. He’d recognized you immediately, crowing your name and leaping up from his chair to embrace you. God, he hadn’t changed a bit. He still radiated warmth and kindness and pure, unadulterated joy. Josh had always been the sun to Jake’s moon. And it seemed they hadn’t grown out of that comparison.

“Hey! It’s my birthday this Saturday, I’m having a little celebration! You should come, I think the other guys would love to see you. Sam always had a bit of a crush on you, you know.” He’d left you those words, a kiss on the cheek, and with his address scribbled onto a napkin and pressed into your palm.

You debated all week if you should go. Josh had seemed so happy to see you, had told you that you were like a little slice of home. But you were nervous. You hadn’t seen Jake not on your phone or laptop screen in years. What if he didn’t remember you? Or worse: what if he didn’t care to?

In the end, you decided to go. And you walked up to Josh’s house out in the country with as few expectations as possible.

Nothing could have prepared you to see Jake in person again. He did a double take across the backyard when Josh led you out to it and from the moment your eyes met his again for the first time in what felt like eons, you audibly let out an “Oh no.” Because his eyes were the same. Even after all these years and all this time, those brown eyes were still the same. And you felt your heart plummet into your stomach again- just like it had when you were nine.

You were twenty five years old. And in a heartbeat, you were nine again.

And that’s how it felt every time you saw Jake after that. Like you were a moonstruck child who didn’t even know what love was yet.

Josh and Sam and Danny invited you into their lives like it was nothing and you found that each of them had grown into kind, lovely young men. But with Jake? Oh, it was perfect. He was everything you ever wanted. When you went out to dinner together and it began to rain, he’d give you his jacket to hold over your head while he brought the car around to you. He made you a playlist full of songs that reminded him of you or that he thought you’d like. You cooked together, giggling and dancing around one of your kitchens. He calls you “Bugs”, just like he did in high school after you saved a lady bug from a cruel classmate’s shoe. All of this and yet…

It was starting to break your heart. Eventually, you decided it was time.

Sitting in your best dress in Josh’s lovely backyard at his beautiful outdoor wedding, looking at Jake in his suit with his hair actually brushed you decided it was time.

The reception was small and lovely, but it still felt suffocating as you watched Jake twirl a girl around the makeshift dance floor. You felt a presence next to you and when you glanced over you found it was Josh, “I’m really glad you came,” he tells you, nudging your shoulder with his and you smile at him.

“Thank you for inviting me. What a beautiful night for this.” You try, but you can’t keep the melancholy out of your voice and you can’t pull your gaze from where Jake dips the girl down toward the floor and she throws back her head and laughs.

“You look lovely.” Josh’s words barely resonate and you shrug, shaking your head listlessly. Not to the only one that matters. Josh nudges you again, gently, his words just as soft, “He thinks so too.”

You grit your teeth, irritation and frustration bubbling in your stomach, and you shake your head again, “Don’t do that. Don’t say that.”

“You know, I always say that where this is love we must live on,” Josh ventures softly and you smile at the words, remembering watching the performance where he said them on your laptop in your college dorm room, desperate for even the slightest tidbit of Jake.

“And where this is not love, we must provide it,” You finish and you see him smile out of the corner of your eye. You’re a little confused as to the direction of this conversation and you’re about to ask what he’s talking about when he speaks again.

“Luckily, there is already love here.” And when you pivot to face him fully, he’s gone, leaving you with his confusing words.

Needing a moment to yourself, you retreat to your favorite piece of Josh’s property. A spot with a massive, beautiful weeping willow tree and a tire swing slung on one of the low branches. You’re sitting on the swing, staring at your hands when a branch breaks and a voice pulls your attention away from your hangnail.

“Thought I’d find you here.” Jake comes to a stop a few feet in front of you and stuffs his hands in his pockets, smiles softly. You can’t return his smile though and his brows furrow, he takes another step toward you. “What is it, bugs? Where’s that pretty smile I love so much?”

You know he doesn’t mean to make you cry, but tears well up at the corners of your downturned eyes anyway. How can he say everything right and it still not be enough? “Just needed a minute, I guess.” Your words are a whisper and even you can hear them break in the middle. You let the tire swing turn so you’re not facing him, not wanting him to see the tears that have begun to streak down your face.

He doesn’t give that easily unfortunately, you hear the leaves and the twigs crunch under his feet as he comes around so you’re facing each other again, this time kneeling in front of you and taking your hands in his. “Why the tears, bugs? What happened?”

You shake your head, but the words come out before you can stop them, “Do you remember when we were little and I rolled my ankle? And you walked me home?” You glance up at him after they’ve come out and his brows furrow in confusion, his lips parting.

“Do I remember when we met? Of course I do, bugs. You were trying not to cry just like you are right now. Tell me what’s wrong, please. Tell me so I can fix it.” His words only make it worse and you try to spin away from him again, but he holds the tire in his hand to stop the movement. You can feel his searching gaze on yours, hear the soft desperation in his voice when he whispers, “Bugs?”

“I have loved you ever since I’ve known you, Jake. Loved you so much it hurts. And I just don’t think I can do it anymore.” Your words are barely a whisper again, but you’re proud to hear that they don’t tremble or shake. They’re strong. And now they’re out there, with nothing for you to do but wait.

Jake is silent for several moments, long enough that you chance a glance up at him. His hands stay wrapped around yours and he’s watching you like he’s seeing you for the first time, “Oh bugs…” You turn your head, desperately afraid that he’s about to split your heart right down the middle when he speaks again, his words soft but full of feeling, “I’ve loved you from the moment you wouldn’t let James Booker crush that ladybug. I loved you then and every moment since. And I love you right now, sitting on this swing in front of me with tears in your eyes because you’re afraid I don’t feel for you exactly what you feel for me.”

You gasp softly, your head swinging back to face him. You search his eyes, desperate to see if he’s messing with you. Then you sob once and throw your arms around him, falling from the swing to kneel in front of him just as he had kneeled to confess to you. You hear him whisper your name, your real name, into your hair and you pull back just enough to press your lips to his, kissing him after more than fifteen years of loving him.

And finally, when the time comes, your notebook doodles and your teenage dreams come true. Jake Kiszka is yours, til death do you part.

[cryptidcorners]

Gardenia - Josh Futturman x M!Reader

Description: Being Josh's childhood friend, you never would have expected to see him appear by your doorstep after a month of radio silence. Though, in this particular visit, he's desperate to air out his true feelings before traveling through time. Unknowing if he'll ever come back to see you again.

Media: Future Man!Show

Character: Josh Futturman

Tags: Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, Childhood Friends, Catching Up, Confessions, Light Angst to Fluff, Kissing, Romantic, Comfort, Sweet Stuff

Warnings: Arguing (+ about Josh ghosting reader), Foul Language, Mental Breakdown/Depression Mentions

read my TOS + Josh Futturman Masterlist

Dread twisted in your stomach like rusted wire, and your constant stirring on your mattress was robbing you of any justice of getting any variant of rest. Your eyes grew heavy, dangerously puffy from expelling your grief several dark hours ago. Though, it had only felt like seconds to you. Your thoughts raced like a wild flock of puzzled birds, breath hitching along with it as you slowly fell into decay.

Your gaze was fixed to your glowing digital screen, eyes fixed on your messages with your old friend, Josh Futturman. It had been weeks of endless radio silence, along with your desperate texts. You were more worried than upset if anything. You went to his house to drop off a game you had finished, but his parents said he wasn't there. Along with all the other days you had made excuses to stand at his doorstep.

His parents weren't liars, and they wouldn't deny you. They knew Josh and you were close. You even remembered Diane saying you were helping him in ways they had struggled to for years. Your lip quivered, so why would he leave?

You two only argued once during a blue moon, you shared so much in common and you swore every second was sincere with him. It had always been him, and it had always been you. Ever since you were kids you were inseparable, to the point others figured you were his boyfriend due to how close you were. It was ridiculous.

Yet, here you were, hunched over and dry with internal pain, thoughts still clinging onto the thought of Josh. You were starved to see him again. He understood everything about you, even with the design of your mind being incredibly complicated. Had you done something wrong? Had you offended him? Had he grown tired of you? Did he even like you?

Then, you heard your doorbell. The familiar tune caught you off guard, but it had made you fix up your wrecked expression promptly and sluggishly fix your clothes. You raced downstairs while catching your breath. You were too out of it to care who it was, but you weren't stupid enough to open it at random. You rested your forehead against the door, "Who is it?" you asked weakly.

"Josh," a familiar voice answered. Muffled, and seemingly distressed as well. You jolted up and needily worked your hands to unlock the door. Your face was brimmed with shock. It was him, but covered in bruises and sweat. His curls were lazy and messy, his eyes were wide and his chest was rising and falling rapidly. Still, his gentle tone made you weak, relieved. But also incredibly angry. "Hey." He said, "Long time no see?"

You struggled to collect your thoughts. "Yeah." Your eyes narrowed, "Do you want to come inside?"

"Please." Josh stated. You didn't say anything, and gestured for him to walk toward. As soon as you shut the door, he immediately opened his mouth and began rambling, "Look, I'm—, I'm so sorry I didn't talk to you." His eyes met yours, "Trust me, I didn't mean to leave you for so long." Josh stammered, "I was just, so wrapped up in something. And, I wanted to talk to you, but I couldn't, please, I didn't–"

You sucked your teeth, "Where were you Josh?"

"I–" his hands landed heavily at his sides, his face slightly appalled at himself. As if he were a dumbfounded audience. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?" You grew agitated, spilling out your gallons of binded frustration. "Why did you ghost me for over a month? Where . . . Where were you?" You breathed heavily, "I thought you hated me, or something terrible happened to you. God, your parents didn't even know where you were!"

Josh choked out a cry, "You don't understand. I didn't want to hurt you,"

"But you did!" You interrupted. "Josh, why did you leave? What happened?"

"I can't fucking tell you!" Josh shouted. "You wouldn't understand. It's too complicated!" You grabbed him by the shoulder before he could turn around, "No, I don't think you understand. How could you just go with no explanation? You look terrible. What are you running away from?"

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you." Josh winced, "I'm sorry, okay? Please, I had no choice. I didn't mean to leave you. I didn't do it because I hated you or anything like that, okay?" His breaths were unraveling, "Do you know how much I care about you? You know me. You're my best friend," a low whimper escaped your lips as you stated at him. The tension shifted, and you both gazed at each other longingly. "I love you."

"Josh." You released your grip. "Please, I, don't have much time. I love you, so much. I would never, ever, hurt you." His hands found your face, "I need you to know this." Something grew in your chest, and you brought your head forward. "I love you too."

You don't know who fell first, but you felt relieved once Josh kissed you. His hands scavenged across your back, and you dug your fingers into his hair. He hummed, body relaxing at the feel of you. Once his palm found its way under your shirt, you both collapsed onto your couch.

You were both crosslegged and smothered in each other, skin blazing as your love untangled. His hands found your sides and you were eagerly grabbing his collar to pull him closer. You swear you could see stars once he pulled away, trying to catch his breath. Josh held you close, face still red from the passion you had inflicted just a few seconds ago.

"Hey, I'm sorry." You whispered.

"For what?"

"For getting so angry." You frowned, "I shouldn't have gotten so pissed at something personal happening to you."

Josh cupped your face. You swore you could drown in his eyes, "Don't say that. You deserve to be mad at me, I left you. And it's okay, just . . . stay here with me." You cuddled up next to him with a sleepy exhale, smiling softly. "Stay."

Josh whispered, "I promise I'll make it up to you. In any way I can,"

[see-arcane]

Just got out of the theater and holy shit

Saw X isn't just the best movie in the Saw franchise. It's one of the best horror films I've seen in years. Even if the rest of my to-watch list flops in theaters for October, I can absolutely see myself watching this thing again to make up for it

We finally got a film that's genuinely about Jigsaw and follows him through the story rather than dangling him at the edges or squashing Tobin Bell into posthumous recordings and flashbacks. It's about him and that brief but potent-powerful twilight between Saw I and Saw II where he was at his most active and personally dangerous.

Without giving too much away, it really cements

One: Why he and his acolytes are so goddamn scary-good at what they do. Better yet, it shows how pants-shittingly terrifying it is for their targets when the Jigsaw crew close in for the abduction

Two: How human and earnest John Kramer is in what he believes, the good and the ill, under all the sadistic torture-murder machinery. The cinematography and the script really work together to light him as a sort of time-misplaced Old Testament figure. If not a priest, then a classical demon who is there first to judge/punish/test people to grisly extremes, and if they pass, to immediately provide aid. All this without shying away from the fact that...

Three: Jigsaw is absolutely a monster; but far from the worst villain on the block.

The whole thing is fantastic top to bottom for fans and newcomers. It could be its own standalone flick. (And, mild spoilers, a certain character is left dangling as a potential future route to another movie. If it's anything like this one, I'd absolutely see a Saw XI)

Anyway. Bravo to Tobin Bell, to Shawnee Smith, and to director Kevin Greutert and writer Josh Stolberg. 5/5 severed limbs, will be looking forward to my nightmares tonight.

Also! For those heading to the theater, there is a mid-credits stinger. Don't miss it!

[antxnous]

I’m sad and having Bill Calhoun thoughts so I’m dumping hcs and more basura here. this is so fucking long hi

Prefacing this by saying I know I’m in the minority but “we were all young then” translates to “nowhere near the age I am now” when Joshua says it (TO ME!!!), so a 27 year old would be “young” in his crispy eyeballs.

I imagine Bill’s been on expeditions before, this one was probably the furthest he’s gone from California but he’s no stranger to roughing it out and doing outreaching and accompanying others for support. I love the idea that he was more in a teaching position than anything else and pairing him with Edward made sense to maintain the inexperienced/experienced balance (and this is Edward hc territory but in my brain his name was tossed around in less than favourable ways and Bill was thought to pacify his rowdiness).

I rlly don’t usually think this hard into one-off characters but the idea he has a fiancée who is also a teacher of some sorts… rlly driving home his eventual irritation and aggravation with Edward basically keeping him hostage while he starts up the Legion… he’s got ppl back home and he tries to remind Edward that he does too (and I think it works for a bit, but Ed is WHIPPED by his own grandeur and jotch).

Bill and Ed met for the first time, had dinner at Bill’s place and Ed brought his mom. All was fine. Bill’s fiancée hating the idea he’s going to more or less be responsible for a temperamental 20 year old, Bill’s like whatever. We all were 20. Wasteland sucks.

They get along really well the entire trip over. Ed is excited to do some ethnography and when he gets a little colonial-y, Bill always puts him in his place. Bill teaching Ed a few medical things along the way and listening the Ed rant about his anthro interests (Roman Empire……)

Ed kinda getting the father figure treatment…. Projecting it onto Bill. Late night talks about his insecurities with his single mother, dead father, his schooling… where the future is taking him. Ed’s afraid of it all but Bill reassured him it’s just his twenties talking.

Bill’s a smoker, kind of a habit. Brought loose tobacco with him and rolls his own cigs if he can help it. Sometimes lets Ed smoke.

Now…I’m part of the group that thinks they stumbled across Josh in Utah bc idk. I liek it. I’ve got my own hcs for the meeting but this AINT ABT THAT!! Bill finds Josh, brings him to camp, and he’s the nicest person Joshua has ever met. The rest of the trip Bill has to act as advisor, mediator, and caretaker for those two… pulling them apart when they get violent, shutting down their arguments before it gets to that point… stitching them both up.

Bill obviously knows how to defend himself, but once Joshua gets added to the camp, he takes the backseat when it comes to hunting and exploring and shit. Camp cook, does their laundry, sometimes scouts. Doing his own independent research on making herbal remedies with the shit out in Utah/Arizona. Starts making healing powder. He trusts them to get their work done and if they fight, they’ll both crawl back to the same place at night anyway.

Bill leaving them to suck off each others insecurities in loneliness and personal affairs, letting them toss back dangerous hypotheticals and philosophies makes them less dependent on him. He’s inadvertently edged these two together in a way that becomes inseparable. They start speaking in languages he doesn’t understand and he brushes it off because… it’s youth. Whatever. They’re getting along.

Bill keeping a diary just like Ed, but his is more personal and less ethnographic. Writing to his fiancée in the margins about the way things are going… the longer the trip the more he missed CA.

When they get taken by the Blackfoot, Bill’s collected demeanour finally cracks when he’s constantly fighting with Edward to maintain some humanity when he starts suggesting slaughter. Looking to Joshua, who until recently had been a breath of fresh air for Bill when it came to temperament and impulse…. Finding a blank, maybe even excited, look staring back at him because Joshua is already sold on Edward’s new philosophy. Now Bill’s become the loner.

They keep him around to fix them up, to heal their new troops… those two get to share a tent and Bill is forced to sleep in the tent with his patients. Watching as Edward demands Bill put energy into saving fit males over “the unfit”. Wondering what happened to the eager anthropologist he left the Boneyard with.

He tries to argue with Joshua, maybe he could convince Edward to see reason. Joshua laughing at his pleading and insulting him, threatening to kill him if he keeps being a nuisance… now he’s wondering what happened to the reserved boy he rescued from the side of the river.

Bill’s become the Legion’s first slave in an unspoken agreement, and when Edward orders Joshua to kill him before he can run away back to the NCR, Joshua does it, solidifying himself as the Legion’s second.

so you’ll never see Bill again, but Edward (and to some extent, Joshua) can’t shake him. he isn’t sure what to do with his corpse because disposing of it like a tribals would be wrong — Bill was more than that. So his sun bleached skull greets visitors to the Grand Canyon and his rib cage sits in Flagstaff and his clothes sit in Edward’s trunk, and Joshua wears his snakeskin belt and the legion uses HIS version of healing powder and—

biwwiam calhoun… :3

[deluweil]

I know, "Recovery", will be at the Diaz household. How?

Well for one, Buck does not yet have a couch.

Two, I doubt either Eddie or Christopher will want to let Buck out of their sights after everything.

Also, the Madney household is not done, plus there's a sweet but restless toddler running around the house. 😍

And since this storyline is awfully familiar to me (station 19 - Vic, anyone? 👀) Buck is going to be wearing a monitor watch to make sure his heart is not in distress, which also will have to include a lot of rest and require to have someone to watch out over him. (In Station 19, they were Vic's boyfriend and her best friend. - Eddie and Christopher for Buck? 👀😉)

Also, because there is a very big foreshadowing that has announced exactly that earlier in the season.

I am talking about 6x07 "Cursed."

The undefined relationship between Felisa and Alexis (aside from the money thing, obviously) felt very familiar.

Felisa stresses outside the crystal shop (where both she and Alexis are knocked out, btw) that Alexis is all she has.

Eddie's face says it all. He has one of those, and indeed, in the next frame, we see Buck loading Alexis to the second ambulance.

She sits with her in the hospital after she's released and talks to her, suggesting a girls' trip once she's better. - Eddie is a spectator through all of this. And he gets this amazingly tender look on his face when he listens to Felisa as she talks to unconscious Alexis.

Fast forward to the end of the episode, Felisa tells Eddie that Alexis is going to stay with her when she gets out of the hospital.

and eventually tells him that she's going to have the house blessed just in case, before Alexis comes to stay with her.

Another thing she says is that it's easier to believe you're cursed than wrong, and post-therapy Diaz is amused by it.

And yet he still calls his Abuela after Felisa leaves and asks her about his future anyway.

Here, in this frame, everyone thought, at the time, that the focus on Christopher a frame later is because he will be in danger, but the truth is, that the whole of S6a even stretching back to S5b, is about Buck's connection to the Diaz boys.

And as most of you saw the promo pic of 6x11, it also confirms that the Diazes are going to pull Buck even closer to them once he's awake and out of the hospital.

For all his bluster and disbelief of curses in general, when Buck asks Eddie outside the crystal shop if he still thinks Felisa isn't cursed, he answers, "No, but I think I am."

Now, why would he say that? Because Eddie lost his wife, lost his army buddies, nearly lost his son and best friend, and nearly lost himself somewhere along the way.

He also keeps encountering couples in the making that will eventually end up together, there were the ladies from the driver's test in S5, there were Josh and Carson, now Felisa and Alexis, everyone eventually pretty much get over the first encounter and move forward together. - But not Eddie, not with Buck, not yet.

If there was ever a catalyst to get these two to, at least, talk about their shared trauma and living together in the same house, this is it.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Susan Rinkunas at Jezebel:

Today the Supreme Court held a brutal two hours of arguments in a case about whether women and pregnant people deserve life-saving medical care if that care happens to be abortion. (Yes, this is the second abortion case this term.) Several justices, and the lawyer for the plaintiff, trotted out wild hypotheticals and invoked the dangerous concept of fetal personhood in a disturbing preview of the future that awaits every state if Donald Trump wins the presidency. It could mean that people face horrible medical mistreatment simply because they’re pregnant and, at the most extreme end, could lead to a federal abortion ban.

The case, Moyle v. United States, is about whether state abortion bans like Idaho’s can override a longstanding federal law that requires emergency rooms to stabilize patients, including by offering abortion if necessary. That law, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) says hospitals that accept Medicare funding have to stabilize patients in medical crises and deliver babies when women are in labor. But given that some states passed abortion bans that only have exceptions to prevent death, not to treat threats to health, the Biden administration reiterated hospitals’ obligations after the Dobbs decision, and later sued the state of Idaho. Idaho strongly disagrees that its hospitals should have to provide abortions for threats to health—like when a woman’s water breaks in the second trimester, far too early for a baby to survive but, when left untreated, could result in a life-threatening infection called sepsis or extensive blood loss known as hemorrhaging. The state worked with the right-wing Christian legal firm Alliance Defending Freedom to craft its legal arguments and one such argument raised in briefs and in the courtroom is the claim that a fetus is a patient under federal law.

Justice Elena Kagan asked Josh Turner, the lawyer representing Idaho, how the state ban functions when doctors believe a woman’s pregnancy complication might cause her to lose her uterus, and thereby her ability to have children in the future, but not cause her to die. Turner’s response was chilling: “Congress under EMTALA recognizes that there are two patients to consider in those circumstances. And the two-patient scenario is tough when you have these competing interests.” This logic is terrifying, mostly because a fetus is only a patient under EMTALA when there aren’t health threats to the pregnant person. The woman is the patient first and foremost. Idaho is trying to claim that because the words “unborn child” are used in the law, it means that the interests of the woman and the fetus have equal weight, when they do not. This is fetal personhood and it’s scary not least because the people being denied ER treatment in Idaho and other states are often in their first and second trimester and there’s no way the embryo or fetus will survive. The fetus is a lost cause at that stage, yet states like Idaho say that women themselves need to be facing death before they can have an abortion. (People coming to ERs later in pregnancy with complications would typically have labor induced and then doctors would try to keep the fetus alive.)

[...] If by some miracle the court rules against Idaho, that doesn’t mean abortion access is safe by any means. Barrett and Gorsuch both asked if a future Congress could ban hospitals from performing any abortions or gender-affirming surgeries as a condition of accepting Medicare funds. Prelogar said yes, Congress does have the power to pass laws like that. And of course, there is the lurking threat of the 19th-century Comstock Act which a Republican president could enforce to ban abortion nationwide, even at clinics in states with abortion protections.

SCOTUS heard oral arguments on a pair of cases pertaining to EMTALA on Wednesday, and the radical right-wing black robed theocrat-majority are likely to rule in favor of Idaho's cruel anti-abortion law to weaken EMTALA.

See Also:

HuffPost: Conservative SCOTUS Almost Entirely Ignores Pregnant Patients In Emergency Abortion Arguments

Vox: The Supreme Court’s likely to make it more dangerous to be pregnant in a red state

[benzjr]

Sorry Can't Save Me Now, Chapter 4: I Came Committed (Guess I Overdid It)

The fanfiction of Josh's discontent continues. (Well, that's been most of them, but still)

Josh's worries are closing in, as his best friend Simon gets suspicious and Tyler gets more persistent. But a dangerous gambit could put the power back into the someday-superstar's hands...

Admittedly there's a bit of filler going on in here, but as a counterpoint it's also a look into everyone's heads. Plus there's some interactions between our different groups that perhaps open a lot of doors for future plot -- though I'll never tell before it's time. Clean version of the chapter art under the cut.

Previously in Sorry Can't Save Me Now: 1 2 3

A Future Super-Something, the first story: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Perfect Disasters, the second story: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Over and Out, the third story: 1 & 2 3 4 5

Diamonds on the Rebound, the fourth story

Reminiscence, the fifth story

A Hero’s Prelude, the sixth story: 1 2 3

Dancefest, the seventh story: 1 & 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

[diazevan]

Fic for 6x18 speculation. I wrote this before the sneak peek, so it isn't accurate but still wanted to share!

“The entire 118 went down.”

Maddie’s eyes remain focused on the screen in front of her, but her body becomes increasingly aware of her pain—the ache in her chest, the twist in her stomach and break of her heart. Ever since she watched her baby brother get pinned beneath a ladder truck, she understands the fact that Buck and Chimney work a dangerous job, a heroic and brave one, but terrifying all the same.

Still, she trusted them when it came the statistics. The 0.3% of firefighters who die on the job. That’s good odds, she once thought. Then Chimney was killed by a man playing god, twice, and Buck was struck by lightning—fate seemed to drag the pair into that 0.3% as often as it possibly could.

Which one? The lingering two words she uttered when an LAFD representative turned up on her doorstep, echo in her mind.

She doesn’t know, day in and day out, who might not return home. Who she may never see again, or whose life could be forever changed. Her brother, the first kid she raised, the person she can always run to, or her partner, her lifeline, her future husband.

For some unknown reason, perhaps because the thought of it was too harrowing to even consider, she could lose them both. One accident, one call, has the potential to tear them both away from her.

She can hear Josh answering the mayday, and can see Sue closing the distance between them.

There’s nothing much Maddie can do for the 118, but her job. They might be the firefighters, but right now, they’re the victims. She speaks to victims every single day; eases their worry, gets help to their location, and remains calm. She can do that now, with a deep breath and a tight grip on her desk.

With muscle memory, she presses the petal with her foot. “118, please respond.” All attempts at keeping up pretences in her voice, fades away as her chin tremors and her eyes fill with tears.  “Ladder 118, please respond.”

She struggles with a deep breath and sinks into Sue’s comforting hand pressing against her shoulder. She has seconds before she’s pulled from the floor, told she’s too close to the situation, much like she was when Buck was caught up in the bombing.

She needs a response before Sue has a chance to look her in the eye and tell her to step away.

“118, please respond,” she pleads, but she is greeted by the eerie silence, once again.

Sue leans in closer, but then there’s a crackle, the feedback from a damaged radio. “Dispatch—” She can’t tell who it is, the voice distorts with a fizzle. Then it rushes into focus, with pained grunts and the sounds of debris crashing to the ground. “Dispatch, this is Firefighter Buckley, 118.” While she hates hearing the croak in-between each breath he takes, relief takes over because he’s breathing, he’s talking, he’s alive.

“Firefighter Buckley,” she relaxes her voice. “Help is coming.”

“Maddie….” Buck’s defences have fallen round him, clearly reassured to hear her voice. Before she can ask him where he was when the underpass collapsed, or have him report any injuries, he beats her to the chase. “I’ll save him, okay? I promise.” Maddie’s cheeks are wet with tears, but she finds solace in her brother’s certainty.  “I’m gonna bring them all home.”

One of her two is accounted for, and now, she has to put her trust in him.

After all these years, their promises remain as sacred as the first day they locked pinkie fingers. He will try everything and do anything. That notion fills her with relief and utter dread.

[theanticool]

What did you think of Diego Lopes's performance at UFC 303? The circumstances were so unusual and both guys had plenty of excuses for not performing at their best, but did you see anything that may be in his benefit or even a detriment to his future?

Forgot to answer this. My bad. Putting all the circumstances aside, I think it kind of confirms Lopes’ faults. He’s a front runner. He starts fast, is very dangerous, and is extremely large. But once you get past that, he will just decline. While he’s diverse, I don’t think he’s got a lot of paths to get to his game once someone has seen it and adjusted. And 145 is full of some real tough guys.

Would like to see him against Josh Emmett or Yair.

[joshman-theandroid]

rest easy, fight easy

An introspective; the revolution from Josh's point of view.

word count: 1,296

[I wrote this in less than an hour i'm so tired. After noticing a trend where fics set in the pascifist rev usually end with North "seeing the truth about peace and letting go of her evil ways" or... something similar, I thought to do the same with Josh and the violent rev.

Clearly, a few things are different from canon. Like the fact that Josh is still alive post violent revolution, as he should be.]

Josh has always avoided human attention. He's spent the last few years running from it and dreading it. From his personal experience, it never brings anything good. With their attention comes the possibility of anger and violence. With their attention also comes the possibility of dismissal and being treated like nothing more than an object. Josh isn't sure yet which is worse yet; hatred or indifference.

When he'd found Jericho, it had taken a while to get used to the absence of human presence. The sanctuary Jericho offered had surprised him too; he's not used to things working out in his favor like that. And as the years pass on, Josh holds the peace he's discovered in a special place in his heart.

So when Markus arrives, Josh sees him as some sort of omen; an indicator of worse to come. His very presence threatens the steady life Josh has carved for himself. That's why he is uneasy the first time they meet. There's an ansty look in his eye Josh has mostly seen in North and a few of the newer androids around. It wouldn't have been enough cause for worry; afterall the new ones always arrived with hope in their hearts but this one kept speaking about vague uncertainties like freedom and finally being alive.

He's too hopeful—not like the flitting hope one feels on a quiet day but a hope that burns cities if it should ever fail. His type of hope is dangerous.

Unsurprisingly, North takes an instant liking to the new android. After the successful mission to recover spare parts, she stands taller, with more purpose. It reminds him of how she'd been when she'd first arrived; energy charged and her fingers itching for a change she could create before the helplessness had set in. Simon remains the same sturdy, unchanging figure he's always been but Josh can see he trusts Markus more than he's ever trusted anyone else. He cares for him in that silent way of his.

Josh starts to wonder if the problem is him. Is there something they can all see that he can't? He decides then to give Markus a chance to prove himself—and he does. The mission at Stratford goes better than Josh had expected but they have to leave Simon behind. A part of Josh feels guilty; if Simon is captured they'll be discovered. But he knows his guilt would be stronger if he'd let Simon be killed, even if he wasn't the one behind the trigger.

Beyond the guilt, Josh starts to get a taste of the future Markus envisions and he allows himself a moment to want it too. He imagines a world with androids living alongside humans. He imagines a world where android intelligence is accepted as a legitimate form of life. Not necessarily equal, but unique in its own right. He imagines until he starts to think that maybe attracting human attention isn't so bad.

And as the revolution furthers itself and this dream is closer to being a reality, Josh starts to trust Markus more.

But all that changes when Jericho goes down. To Josh, this is proof that he was right all along. They had spoken up about what they wanted and they'd gotten attacked in return.

Angered and hurt, Markus decides he has had enough. He gathers them together——the oddly matched team of four that have become Jericho's co-leaders and he seeks their counsel. Josh can sense that Markus isn't really asking for their advice; he wants to know if they're in agreement. He plans to wage a war and needs to know if they're on his side. North definitely is and while Simon is mildly wary, he isn't against the idea either.

Josh disagrees with them all, firmly stating that he's sure they humans will listen if they choose non-confrontation and once again, he feels like the outsider, the one with the problem. Maybe he just doesn't care enough for the well-being of the other androids. Their kind are being dismantled and deactivated all across the country and here he is, worried about his own moralities and letting fear grip him. He admits to himself that he doubts the humans will actually listen or that if they do it would be too late.

But the very thought of taking lives, of having blood on his hands makes his mouth sour. He's seen what violence can do and he refuses to become that creature; seeking a taste of blood for nothing more than selfish satisfaction.

But he's outnumbered. Not only by the other three but by the greater population of Jericho —— or at least what remains of it from the raid. As Markus announces his plan, Josh can't help but feel like they're headed in the direction of a catastrophe. He wants to scream for everyone to stop.

Stop with the madness, you'll get us all killed.

But he doesn't say anything. For a brief second, Markus glances in his direction and he wonders if he's heard his thoughts.

They gather a few miles away from the last remaining camp that morning. They are bloodied and bone weary from all the fighting. They've lost some of their people but which each new liberated camp, they've gained a hundred more. And each of them are torn between anger, sadness and joy of being freed. Anger wins over eventually, and this anger becomes the fuel to drive them towards the next camp.

Standing on the fringe of the Capitol Park camp, Josh hears North whisper two words and Markus repeat them back to her; "Freedom or death."

Suddenly, he realizes that his definition of freedom is different from the one the other androids seek. He can suddenly see the world North wants; a world far away from the same people who hurt her. She's willing to die for a world where androids can live as androids with no influence from another species.

She seeks freedom from humanity and he seeks freedom from the violence that makes up an aspect of humanity. And neither of them are wrong or somehow worse than the other.

He isn't the problem, he realizes. In fact, none of them are the problem either. They'd all been dealt a bad deal by life the moment they were created and now they seek their freedom differently. And while it's unfortunate that he has to go down a path he doesn't want to, a part of him still hopes that it's possible for androids and humans to live side by side.

This is a fight for the future of a species; it's not selfish satisfaction.

He keeps that thought in his mind throughout to ease the burn of each human life he takes and each android that dies in the battle.

At the end of it all, after all the androids have been freed from the camps and victory is declared, Josh wanders away from the noise and activity. He needs a moment to think.

There's blood on his clothes and face; some of it blue but most of it red. Today he's done something he said he'd never do. He's become the creature he's wanted to be free from and the thought torments him.

He supposes he should be grateful though. The revolution is successful, at least for now. It might not have been in the way he wanted but there are hundreds of androids wandering around Detroit without being told how to live. He should be grateful but instead feels guilt.

Was it worth it? he thinks. After all that, will it make a difference?

Josh doesn't know. He doesn't know. And the not knowing angers him.

He clenches his fists against the overwhelming guilt that threatens to choke him. Tears well up in his eyes and he silently let's them fall.

Detroit is eerily quiet in a way it's never been. It's missing the loud honking noises, chattering of humans and that gentle hum that is an indicator of life. Josh stands in the middle of a street that used to be packed with automated vehicles and pedestrians. Snow falls heavily and somewhere in the distance, the sun rises gently on a new world.

I listened to this song the whole time I was writing

[cyberpunkren]

Blood & Wires

Fandom: Cyberpunk 2077

Pairing: Ren x RiverWard

Raiting: explicit

Summary: Amidst thrilling bounty hunting missions and perilous confrontations, Ren and River discover that, despite their differences, they share a common commitment: unmasking the mega-corporation and restoring justice in Night City. But as they delve deeper into the depths of the conspiracy, they also find a connection that goes beyond friendship and professional collaboration.

In the heart of betrayal and danger, love blooms in this tale of action, intrigue, and romance in a cyberpunk world filled with bright lights and dark shadows. As Ren and River fight together against ruthless foes and deadly conspiracies, they also fight for a love that defies all odds.

PART III

River's path

The sun rose slowly over the steel towers of Night City, casting its first rays of light onto the bustling streets. 

River woke up early in his small apartment in Heywood. Despite the noisy city that never slept, his home was a haven of tranquility. He dressed in comfortable clothes, a worn-out t-shirt, and jeans, before heading to the small kitchen.

As he prepared a strong cup of coffee, the memories of that fateful day returned like an echo in his mind. The image of his parents, murdered before him and his sister, never faded. The responsibility of taking care of Josh, his sister, and her three children had been a burden that River had carried for years. 

River took a moment to remember his family, reflecting on how the tragedy had changed their lives. Then, he shook his head, trying to push away those painful thoughts. Because even though his past was filled with shadows, he still had a future ahead of him and the determination to protect his family at all costs.

The day following Arachnid's capture by Ren, River is in his office at the Heywood precinct. The atmosphere in the office is tense, and news of Arachnid's capture has spread throughout the police department.

As he entered the police station, he was met with the same familiar faces he encountered every day. Though River rarely felt at ease, he had never quite warmed up to the NCPD. That's why he had trained as a private detective, even though he worked for the police.

"Good morning, River," greeted the receptionist, as she did every day, with a flirtatious tone.

River had all the female officers more than a little enamored, and he knew it. His all-organic physique, except for the cybernetic scars earned during his detective adventures, made him one of the most attractive men in Night City. River had had a few encounters with some female colleagues, but they were all one-night stands. After his last serious relationship, he couldn't see himself getting into anything long-term. He had neither the time nor the desire for it.

"Good and chilly morning, Natalie. What job do we have today?"

"All I know is that Watson is on fire today, and your partner in crime, Hans, is on vacation, so it's your lucky day," she explains, adjusting her blouse to leave nothing to the imagination for River. "I always ask you, River, but what are you up to tonight?" She asks, with excitement in her more-than-fake cybernetic eyes.

"Work, Natalie, you know that," he winks, aware of the power he holds over women, even though he's as soft as a piece of bread afterward.

River approaches his partner for the upcoming weeks, none other than Ren's lifelong friend, Watson.

"It seems we're partners these days, chum. I've heard you had quite the night yesterday?" River inquires with a keen eye, grabbing one of the best donuts from the oldest bakery in Heywood that still made sourdough pastries.

"Haven't you heard the news? Ren caught Arachnid last night."

River nods but doesn't seem too excited about the news.

"Ren, who's that? Another second-rate netrunner?"

Watson nods, explaining, "No, she's a bounty hunter. She's gaining a reputation in the city for her ability to catch fugitives. It seems she's been competing with you, River."

River furrows his brow; he's not used to sharing his territory with some bounty hunters. The news that Ren has been hunting the same fugitives as him doesn't sit well.

"Well, we'll see how good she is. I don't mind a little competition."

Watson nods, but he can feel the tension in the air.

The interrogation room at Heywood precinct was immersed in tense silence as River, Watson, and other officers witnessed Arachnid's questioning. Arachnid was about to speak, but before he could, a shot rang out in the room, hitting him and sending his body backwards.

Chaos and confusion erupted as everyone in the room reacted to the attack. River and Watson hurried to ensure that Arachnid received immediate medical attention. The identity of the shooter remained a mystery.

After an exhaustive search, River and Watson failed to find the shooter. Watson, with a furrowed brow, approaches River.

 "River, we can't let the shooter get away with this. But we don't have solid leads to catch them."

River nods, concerned about the shooter's impunity.

Watson suggests the idea of working with Ren, citing her effectiveness as a bounty hunter and mentioning her progress in the investigation. However, River is not convinced. He has reservations about the bounty hunter and prefers to handle the situation on his own.

"I'm not sure I want to work with that bounty hunter friend of yours. I have my own methods for solving this case."

Watson nods, understanding River's position.

 "Alright, River, if you'd rather go your own way, I respect that. But don't forget that Ren has already made progress in the investigation and could be our best chance to get to the shooter."

River is determined to follow his instincts and not rely on Ren. He begins to search for clues on his own, investigating the crime scene and gathering any evidence he can find.

Author's note: yeah, enemies to lover kinda story, just my favourite.

[nysocboy]

School Spirits: Ghost girl, her gay bff, and their buds solve the mystery.

I'm a sucker for teenage ghost stories, as long as they are comedies, so I reviewed the first episode of School Spirits on Netflix

Maddie (Peyton List) wakes up in the boiler room of her high school.  Her blood is splattered around.  But that's not the worst part: she's dead!  She can't touch or move anything.  She can see and hear the living , but they can't see or hear her.  And she can't leave the campus!  

Her self-appointed guide is Charlie (Nick Pugliese, center), a gay kid who died in the school during the 1990s (peanut allergy, not hate crime).  He advises her to not try to remember how she died, since she can't change anything: no communication with the living is possible. But don't ghosts communicate with people all the time?  Maybe in the next episode.  And becoming fixated on the past is dangerous: some band members who died in a bus crash many years ago are obsessively performing the school fight song, over and over.

Charlie introduces Maddie to some other ghosts from various decades, notably Wally (Milo Mannheim, top photo and right), who died on the football field, and wishes that he had managed to shower first;  and the Goth Kirsten, who was murdered by her guidance counselor.  

Mr. Martin (Josh Zuckerman), a teacher who died in the school, offers regular group therapy, with regular homework ("write your obituary").  This doesn't get boring after 20 years because ghosts don't experience time in the same way that the living do.  He also advises Maddie to resist checking up on her living friends, as they will gradually forget her and move on.

Of course, Maddie doesn't listen.  She tries to recall events leading up to her death: first, she made plans with her BFFs, Simon (Kristian Ventura) and Nicole, to see Carrie that night.  

Her boyfriend Xavier (Spencer MacPherson) was skipping class, and texted her to join him for a smooch session in his car.  She talked him into going to the movie.  They met the others after class with the tickets.  And that's it.

Out in the living world, Maddie's body has not been found, so she gets "missing person" posters and "thoughts and prayers" in class.  The BFFs think that this is ridiculous: they should be out looking for her.  Suddenly Xavier's bag flies open: he has Maddie's cell phone!  Why didn't he tell anyone for the last three days?  This makes him the prime suspect in her murder. The sheriff (Ian Tracey, left), who also happens to be his Dad, arrests him.

Beefcake: Charlie's "office" is the shower room in the boy's gym, where he can watch an endless parade of butts.

Gay Characters: Charlie, and maybe Maddie's living bff, Simon. A future episode shows us Charlie’s high school boyfriend, Emilio, who is now all grown up, married to another guy, and teaching at the schoo (played as an adult by Andres Soto, seen here doing...um)

The Mystery:  "Who killed Maddie, and why?"  It's obviously not Xavier or one of her bffs, and those are the major living characters introduced to date.  I also hope that we have some subplots involving the other ghosts.

My Grade: A-

The NSFW version of this review, with Andres Soto desnudo, is on Righteous Gemstones Beefcake and Boyfriends. (No connection to the show: it's just where I put NSFW reviews).

[heydorothea009]

Bread on Toast 2162 - A Future Man s2 Fanfiction

After saving the world from the Biotics, Josh and Liv are catapulted into Tiger and Wolf’s time, 2162. The gang is separated from each other and contention begins to brew. Tiger and Liv find themselves face to face with an old “friend”, while Wolf gets caught in being someone he’s not, and Josh’s life is on the line. Things can’t possibly get any worse.

Chapter 5: The Binx Ultimatum

Warnings: strong language

Liger

Liv screamed at Tiger the entire way back to the Mons. She used every swear word she could think of and kicked and thrashed as much as she could until Tiger put her down and grabbed her shoulders.

“I’m sorry I tore the happy couple apart, okay? I’m sorry you can’t get all cozy with each other. We’re on a mission, Josh is in danger.” Tiger’s fingers dug into Liv’s shoulders.

“I’m scared for him!” Liv shouted. “What if something happens? This isn’t about us as a couple, okay? This is about exactly that, he’s in danger!”

“He’s with Wolf.” Tiger said through clenched teeth.

“Who wants to stay here.”

Tiger drew in a sharp breath and squeezed her eyes shut. She grabbed Liv’s elbow and dragged her back to the Mons.

After threatening Cassin-E again, Tiger was able to drag Liv all the way to Eunice Hogeveen’s hab unit. She explained how she’d seen Dr. Hogeveen, who she had realized was also Athena, and had tried to kill her by throwing a knife at her through a window.

They barged into Dr. Hogeveen’s hab unit, finding no one. Liv jerked her elbow from Tiger’s grasp and stormed inside. Tiger stormed in after her.

They threw open drawers, looked inside an ottoman, but couldn’t find what they were searching for. Liv picked up a picture of Dr. Hogeveen posing with a young girl with purple hair. It was teenage TyAnne. Liv threw it on the ground, letting out an angry scream. Tiger immediately started trashing the place, feeling the same thing. She threw down chairs and pushed things off of tables.

She knelt down and picked up the picture and seethed, “Where’s my TTD, you FUCKING DICK SCAB?!” Tiger smashed the picture in rage.

Liv picked up a book and threw it at the wall with another scream. Tiger looked above where the book had smacked the wall, seeing a bulbous black orb attached where the wall and ceiling met. A camera. She squinted, an idea coming to her.

“We have to go back to Stu’s.” Tiger said, pointing up to the camera. “If anyone has access to all the camera footage, it’s him.”

Liv sighed and picked up another book. She knew they would eventually have to go back, but she didn’t want to. “Fine.” She chucked the book at the wall again.

They were able to enter Stu’s mansion with no problem, which made Tiger roll her eyes. He was probably a mess thinking she had abandoned him and this was his way of saying she was welcome back any time. Tiger and Liv rode in the gold elevator together in anxious silence.

They got out and beelined straight for the big main room. They could hear TyAnne’s voice as soon as the doors opened.

“No, daaaaad,” she whined. “She’s the worst and she brings out the worst in you!”

Stu stood on the platform with a big smile, smiling at Tiger as they marched in. “I don’t care.” He said to TyAnne.

“You,” Tiger pointed to TyAnne. “Out. You, turn your cameras on, we wanna spy on everyone.”

TyAnne glared at Tiger and hissed.

Jolf

After a late arrival to the NAG, Wolf had let Josh into his shop, and made him a bed under his workbench. Josh crashed hard. It was the best sleep he'd had in forever. That is, until he was slapped in the face repeatedly with a broom.

“Stray!” Pump yelled out, beating Josh with the broom. “Stray amongst the wheels! You filthy, filthy stray!” Josh darted out from under the workbench.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’m with Wolf- uh, Torque!” He tried to explain through Pump thwacking him on the head.

“Stray!” Pump screamed again.

And that was how Josh was whisked away in a cart that had bars like a jail cell with no Wolf to save him. He knew he should have bolted and gone with Liv and Tiger.

Wolf walked into his shop to find Pump aggressively scrubbing the floors. Fuck.

“I can still smell Stray,” he mumbled. Wolf’s stomach dropped.

“What…what’s going on?” He looked around for Josh, but he was gone. Fuck.

“I was attacked by a filthy, dirty Stray I found lying around and contaminating our wheels this morning.” Said Pump.

Wolf swallowed hard as he looked around, trying to seem casual. Liv was going to kill him. Hell, Tiger was going to kill him too. “Wow…Stray, huh? Sounds like a tough morning. Just wondering, where is the filthy, dirty Stray?”

“ISE.” Pump said, standing up and looking proud of himself for handling the situation the way he did. Wolf tilted his head, needing Pump to elaborate. “Internal Stray Enforcement? They took him to the Smash Pit, which is far better than he deserves.” Pump scoffed. “What did the Strays ever do to earn such cushy lives?”

“Cushy, huh?” Wolf had a feeling that the Smash Pit wasn’t cushy at all.

“If I had my way, we would just execute all the outsiders.” Pump said with bright eyes.

“Uh huh, I’m familiar with your position on others.” Wolf turned towards the opening of his shop as something dawned on him. “But the NAG has bigger problems.” Walking to the shop, Wolf had seen people shitting and pissing in the streets. He hadn’t realized how underdeveloped their society was. He’d even seen someone tied to a post with the words “Weird Leaner” painted on their chest. “Problems like people being tortured for the way they lean,” Wolf looked out onto the NAG with his hands behind his back.

“Yeah, uh, then don’t lean weird?” Pump chuckled, brushing off the observation.

“Or how people defecate wherever they please,” Wolf added.

“What, you want them to hold it in?” Pump scoffed.

“Or how a wheel costs only one chit…but so does a house?” A chit was the form of currency used in the NAG.

Pump shrugged. “Well, it’s all part of Vise’s master plan.” He went about the shop.

“Vise?” Wolf turned his head.

Pump’s head popped up from behind the workbench. “Supreme Overlord of the NAG?” Wolf shook his head, indicating he didn’t know him. Pump shrugged again. “Well, we don’t see him much anymore, but he designed this whole place!” Pump grinned. “He’s a genius.”

“So,” Wolf’s mind was swirling with ideas. “Hypothetically, how does a guy talk to this…Vise?”

Pump popped up again. “Oh, you can’t just talk to Vise, you have to wait until a scroll sealed with red wax appears on your door summoning you for a visitation.”

“Right…” Wolf nodded. “But like…where’s his house?” Suddenly, Josh wasn’t his main priority.

Josh thought he’d seen it all. And then he got to the Smash Pit. He was thrown from the cart and into what looked like a jail courtyard in the desert filled with piles of old technology. He was grabbed by a guard and pushed into a small nook with a tattered curtain.

“Hello?” Josh called, confused and scared. “What am I doing here?” The guard pulled the curtain aside and threw a potato sack at him and shut the curtain again. Josh flinched, but caught it. It was for him to wear. Oh, they want me to change. He thought. It was not a potato sack, but it sure felt like one, it was a scratchy tan tunic.

He was dragged back into the courtyard where he saw people dressed just like him smashing big rocks down on calculators, landline phones, and many other things.

“Listen, um, I didn’t do anything wrong.” Josh said to the guard. “I was just sleeping on my friend’s floor and-“

“Strays are forbidden from making friends.” The guard interrupted.

“…what?”

“And humming.” The guard turned to point a finger at Josh.

“Okay…” Josh‘s eyes darted back around. “What’s all the smashing for?”

“Technology has been used to murder and oppress my people for generations,” the guard looked down at a panini press sitting on a workstation.

“…that’s a panini press.”

The guard slammed his bare hand down and shattered it. Josh looked terrified. “Not anymore. See, it is a tech-free building material now.” He picked it up and showed Josh the remains. “You will begin to understand in about five years.”

“Five- five years?!” Josh gaped at him. “No, no, no, okay, so this is very wrong. I am not a Stray.” He gestured towards himself.

“Right, that’s because you’re a Smasher now.” The guard said.

“No, no, I’m not a Smasher either, I’m just here visiting my friend Wo- Torque.” Josh pointed towards the chain link fence. The guard raised his eyebrows suspiciously. “So, we can just go into town, fix this all up-“

“You’re friends with Torque?” It was obvious that the guard didn’t believe him. “The Maker of Wheels, Father of Wagons?”

“Yeah? Yeah, that’s him. Do you know him?” The guard started laughing, Josh awkwardly joined in.

“Well enough to know he would never associate himself with a Stray like you.” He placed his hand on Josh’s shoulder as if he were going to pat him on the back, but then shoved Josh towards the other Smashers. “You will smash everything in this pile before the sun hits the third hole.” He demanded.

Josh stood, dumbfounded. He looked up at the sky, just to be blinded by the sun. “W-what?!” He looked back to see the guard leaving. “What does that mean, what hole? Is- is that a lot of time or…” he yelled after him, but was ignored. “…or a little time?” He finished quietly. He spun around in circles, looking for anyone he could ask. He spotted Binx, his fellow Stray, smashing down on a microwave. “Binx?” He made his way over to him. “Is that you? Oh my God, I’m so happy to see you…”

Binx turned to Josh, face contorted in misery. His right eye had been gouged from its socket, leaving a bloody hole in his face. Josh started, face falling and taking a step back in horror. Binx shook his head. “I should have never come here.” He bawled.

Liger

“Cameras? You want me to turn on my cameras?” Stu blinked a couple times, confused.

TyAnne wailed. “See dad?! She’s the worst!” She stomped her foot like a toddler throwing a fit before breezing past Liv and Tiger, giving a pointed glare straight over Liv’s head and right at Tiger.

“Liv and I have to see the camera footage.” Tiger folded her arms.

Stu sucked in a breath and shot Liv a nasty look, as if it were her idea, as if she’d put Tiger up to this. “And why would I give you access to that?”

“Because you aren’t safe.” Tiger said. Liv looked up at Tiger, confused. “There are terrorists and they’re planning to attack.” Liv understood Tiger’s angle.

“Tiger, I can’t just give you access to-“ Stu shook his head.

“But Stu,” Liv jumped in. “Have you considered this? They’re trying to kill you.” She snapped.

Tiger tilted her head towards Liv. “She makes a strong point.”

Stu exhaled impatiently, walking down the stairs of his platform and closer to Liv and Tiger. “Tiger, just because you have power, it doesn’t mean you should abuse it.” He said gently. “It’s an invasion of privacy.” His demeanor became awkward. “Oh, uh, so nothing ever happened with the Rolf guy? I figured when you’d left, you were going to see him, right?”

“Wolf.” Liv corrected under her breath.

“He is not what’s important here.” Tiger said loudly. Stu looked pleased. Liv rolled her eyes. “Liv and I need access to all your security footage.” There was a beat. “To keep you safe.” She added.

Stu blushed a little. “I’m really touched that you care, Tiger, I really am. When you ran off I was in a really dark place…”

“Okay, this should be bringing you to a dark place. How are you not more concerned?” Liv asked. Stu glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

“After the first few terrorist plots I was, but I have impenetrable security.” Stu bragged. “I’ll be fine. This Achilles is not a threat.”

“You know about Achilles?” Liv asked.

“There probably isn’t even an Achilles.” Stu gave her a condescending laugh, as if he were making fun of her for being so concerned. “These types of groups rely on mythology, in this case, apparently very literally.”

Tiger shook her head. “The Pointed Circle is different. Athena, who you would know as Dr. Hogeveen, was operating right under your nose this whole time.”

Stu’s face faltered. “Oh…” he swallowed thickly. “That one…stings.” He knitted his brows. “Who would have guessed that the live-in doctor would be so shady?”

Tiger and Liv shared a look of confusion, wondering if he truly meant his question. Tiger turned her head back to Stu. “We need to fire up every peeper box in every hab unit in the Mons.” She demanded. Stu looked at Tiger with shock written all over his face.

“This is war, Stu.” Liv added in a harsh voice.

“Yeah, do you think the terrorists are afraid to watch people pee in the shower?” Tiger lowered her voice.

“I’m not afraid. It’s just…” Stu trailed off. “…it’s a line I swore I would never cross.”

“Fine. Then this is a waste of my time.” Tiger lashed. “I came back here, honestly, because I care about you and our friendship.” Liv’s eyes widened and she side eyed Tiger.

She better be making this up. Liv thought, not even being able to hide her grimace.

Stu’s face softened and his eyes lit up. “So, Liv and I will just leave and we’ll do this without your help.” Tiger continued, putting a hand on Liv’s shoulder. “And you’ll never see me again. Probably not.” She looked down at Liv.

“Definitely not.” Liv nodded along, realizing Tiger was just manipulating him.

“Yeah, you know what, definitely not.” They turned to leave. Stu looked panicked.

“Would- would this be helpful?” He asked frantically, the room darkened as the window turned into camera feeds from all over the Mons.

Tiger stopped, grabbing Liv and turning her around. Her eyes shone with excitement. “Helpful?” Tiger’s face broke into a grin. “That is fucking beautiful.” They approached the enormous screen. Stu was blushing even harder as Tiger neared, eyes fixated hopefully on the screen.

Liv trailed behind, eyes darting all over the hundreds of different feeds. “We need to run facial recognition on Dr. Hogeveen and all known associates.” Liv said.

Tiger nodded in agreement. “I want archived footage going back two years, I want every conversation, every interaction, everything.”

Liv startled at the quiet whistle of the door glass doors behind them opening and looked over her shoulder. TyAnne stood there, glowering.

Jolf

Wolf had a lot of ideas swirling around in his brain as he got to the Smash Pit. He’d gone and talked to Vise, who challenged him to a “debat” (which Wolf knew meant debate) for even questioning his authority. This should have made him nervous, but it actually made him kind of excited. He couldn’t wait to share his ideas for how to make the NAG a better place, and besides, if he won, he’d be Supreme Overlord.

Wolf slowed as he walked along the edge of the chain link fence that fenced in the Smashers. “Josh.” He tried to call out quietly and not get a lot of attention. Several Smashers turned. “Oh…” Wolf shook his head. “Not you guys, I’m looking for a Josh Futturman?” The Smashers didn’t respond, they just went back to smashing. “Josh? Josh?” Wolf repeated as he slowly walked along the fence.

Finally somebody slammed their hands down. “Is there a Josh?!” They yelled. Several heads turned to look at who’d spoken.

“Josh?” “Who’s Josh?” “Are you Josh?” Rippled through the several Smashers that Wolf could see.

“Josh Futturman?” A distant voice asked. Wolf strained to see. Josh rounded a brown storage bin with his hand raised. “Is it for Josh Futturman?” His face lit up when he saw Wolf. “Oh God, Wolf!” He ran past the other Smashers, who didn’t seem to care, wearily going back to their work. “Oh Wolf,” Josh’s hands hit the fence. “I’m so happy to see you.”

“Hey buddy,” Wolf smiled, relieved that he was alive.

“Wolf, this place is horrible.” Josh panted, lowering his voice. “Half the people here have lockjaw from the tetanus, except they don’t call it lockjaw, they call it Smash Mouth. And they didn’t find it funny when I laughed.”

“Huh. I don’t get it either.” Wolf just blinked.

Josh sighed. “…so there’s this movie called Shrek-“

“Josh, listen, you’ve got problems, I’ve got problems,” Wolf interrupted. “My cluster’s all over my case right now and I’m running for Supreme Overlord now.” Wolf beamed proudly at that last part.

Josh blinked, confused. “Why? You need to be getting me out of here, okay? This place is awful.”

“No. It’s a fixer upper. Right now, the NAG is a slimy caterpillar, but can you guess what those turn into?”

“Of course, butterflies-“

“Birds. The NAG is just a bird that needs help out of its chrysalis.” Wolf folded his arms and nodded with pride. “And I’m going to help it.”

“Wolf, if you aren’t here to help me then why are you here?” Josh hit the chain link fence. “You should be helping me out of my…prison.”

Wolf sighed. “The ship of state turns slowly, once I’m Supreme Overlord, I WILL put Stray reform on the agenda.”

“Oh my God.” Josh groaned. “Wolf, you really just came here to tell me you’re running for president?”

“Supreme Overlord.”

“This guy, Binx, was here for only one day and he’s lost his eye, his hopes and dreams, and we call him Winx now. He cries blood! And he cries all the time!” Josh clung to the fence. “You have to get me out of here!”

“Come on, J1,” Wolf said encouragingly. “I came here to tell you I will get you out. The J1 I know can handle a day or two of smash action.”

“J1 can handle smash action!” Josh raised his voice, visibly upset. “I’m just a little concerned about the terrorists that want to kill me? Athena? Achilles?”

Wolf waved his hand. “None of those yahoos are in the NAG. You’re safe here.”

“That’s not the point! I shouldn’t even be in this place! I should be with Liv and Tiger succeeding with this mission!”

A flicker of a hurt expression crossed Wolf’s features, and Josh didn’t feel an ounce of guilt. “Look,” Wolf said calmly. “When I’m Supreme Overlord I will work to get you out of the pit. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. And also that I wanted to make you…” Wolf searched his brain for an official sounding ranking. “Deputy…Director of Stray Affairs. How does that sound?”

Josh’s face softened. “…not as good as the Director…”

Wolf gave him a smile and a thumbs up. “Awesome, Deputy.” He winked. Josh’s brows furrowed again. “Can’t get that with Tiger and Liv.” He started to back away.

“Wolf, you can’t be serious. You’re seriously going to leave me here alone?!” Josh cried. Wolf turned, still holding his thumbs up. “Don’t leave. Please don’t leave!” He hit the fence again. “I’m going to tell Liv and she’s going to hate you for being a dick to me!”

“Deputy!” Wolf reminded him optimistically as he sauntered back to the NAG. Josh stared off in disbelief.

Retreating back to the Smash Pit, no one looked at him. He found his way back to his pile, dread twisting inside him. Josh was not good at smashing things, he’d discovered. He kept smashing his fingers instead of what he was supposed to, and bits of metal kept flying up at his face.

It was a good thing there was a ton of junk lying around that he could fashion into makeshift armor. He spent two hours collecting stuff to make knee pads, heavy duty gloves, a chest plate, and goggles. He knew he most likely looked like a doofus when he put it all on, but he was proud of himself for being so resourceful.

He turned back to his pile to see every other Smasher gathered in front of him, waiting. “Oh,” Josh paused. “Um, you guys can go ahead and eat dinner without me, I’ll just finish up my pile.” He shooed them.

Binx- Winx stepped forward, wearing his own makeshift eyepatch, which was made out of some wire and a stove dial. “We can’t. We smash as one, we eat as one.” His voice wavered, he was about to cry. “I’m so hungry…” a bloody tear trickled down his cheek.

“Binx- uh, Winx, don’t cry,” Josh begged. Winx kept crying. “Oh, please don’t cry. I’ll- I’ll smash faster, okay? I’m sorry.” Josh scrambled for his rock, pounding in against a dented microwave. Winx stood over him, crying silently. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Josh repeated with each smash. Fuck the Smash Pit.

An eternity later, it was finally time for dinner. Josh was served some gloopy mush in a beat up can. He winced and looked up at the guard who’d shown him around earlier.

“Cheers,” he muttered, turning away and looking for a place to sit. The other Smashers quickly knocked the empty seats next to them over. No one wanted to sit next to the slowest Smasher.

Winx cried out. “It’s gloopy!” His one eye turned up to Josh, eyes angry and distraught. “It’s gloopy because you were so slow and we had to wait!”

“Winx, I’m sorry, I didn’t know-“

“How are they supposed to get it through their Smash Mouth now?” Winx pointed at those suffering from lockjaw, trying to push their spooks of mush through their mouth. Josh hung his head shuffled over to the corner of the eating area, sitting all by himself.

He took a big bite of the mush. It was gloopy and very hard to swallow. Josh forced it down and made a face, confused by the nutty aftertaste. He jolted upright. “Guys,” panic rose in his voice. “Are- are there nuts in this?” His question was answered the second his throat got tight. “Are there nuts in this?” He repeated, freaking out.

“There’s a nut in it.” The guard said.

Josh was wheezing. “Shit, shit, shit! This is bad, this is so bad!” He could feel his cheeks and lip ballooning up as he ran his hands over his face. “Help- help me!” He cried. Everyone else just stared at him, faces breaking into smirks as they snickered. “It’s not funny!”

Liger

It took all day to go through the camera feeds, yet Liv and Tiger still sat in front of the screen with their eyes glued to it. They were able to narrow down the majority of the Pointed Circle members, but they knew they were still missing people. Stu sat next to Tiger, bringing up all the pictures of the Pointed Circle members.

“None of these people ever interacted in front of my cameras,” he said. “The odds of that happening are twenty quintillion to one.”

“They gotta be using dead drops.” Tiger said, resting her elbows on her knees and squinting her eyes at the pictures swirling in front of her. “Let’s run a matching algorithm, cross-reference their movements. Wherever their paths cross, that’s where we’ll be able to pick up Athena’s trail.”

“That’s gonna take another few hours.” Stu said, somehow sounding tired. “When was the last time you slept?”

Tiger looked over at Liv, both their mouths hanging open as they tried to remember. “1951?” Tiger muttered.

“I think, like, 2017…” Liv muttered too.

“Maybe you should get some rest?” Stu gave Tiger a small, caring smile. He looked over at Liv and gave her a begrudging smile too. He got up and retrieved a box from a drawer. “These are for you.” Stu opened the box, which held two silver bracelets. “For both of you.” He added after hesitating. “These keycuffs will give you access to any area in the entire compound.” Stu ducked his head bashfully as Tiger took the box and held it between her and Liv. “Make yourself at home.”

Liv was shocked she even got one. Tiger looked just as surprised. “Thank you.” Tiger said, barely audible. “I’m-“ she hesitated, standing and avoiding eye contact with him. “I’m glad I came back.”

“Yeah, um, thanks.” Liv said awkwardly, fastening the cuff to her wrist.

Stu shrugged. “Well, if it makes Tiger happy, it makes me happy.” He had a tight lipped smile. Tiger touched Liv’s elbow, leading her out of the room with her. “Goodnight, Tiger!” He called after them.

Liv studied her keycuff as they walked back to their room. “That’s really nice of Stu to give us these.” She admitted. “I wonder why he didn’t before.”

Tiger shrugged. “Oh, you know, now that I told him he means something to me he’ll probably give us whatever we want.”

Liv side eyed Tiger. “But that’s just a ruse, right?”

Tiger nodded quickly. “Oh- oh yeah.” She fiddled with her keycuff. “And now because of that, we have more than just access to our room and the main room. Everyone say, ‘thank you, Tiger’.”

“Thank you, Tiger.” Liv mumbled as they approached their room. “Are we actually gonna sleep?” Her voice was hopeful.

Tiger shrugged as they walked in. “You know, you can, I think I’ll check out what the bathroom has to offer, huh? Treat myself to a bath.” She gave a small chuckle.

Liv let out a small laugh. “Okay, you treat yourself. I’m going to bed.”

Tiger gave Liv a pat on the head. “Goodnight.” She gave her a grateful smile. “Future Man’s friend.” Liv gave her a small smile back. “I’m…listen I really am sorry that Josh couldn’t come with us.” Tiger said just as she was about to turn and walk into the bathroom. “I really am just trying to keep him safe.”

“I know.” Liv said quietly. “I just wanted to keep him safe here. With me.”

“I know.” Tiger looked down at the ground. “I know how you feel.” Then she walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

Liv looked down at the floor and hugged her arms against herself. Tiger meant Wolf.

Liv crashed hard. Liv crashed so hard she didn’t even hear the intruder break into the room. She was curled up in the giant bed with the blanket pulled all the way to her chin. She was dreaming of home. Her sister, Kaitlyn, was in her dream. How she missed Kaitlyn.

“I haven’t seen you in forever! Tell me everything.” Dream Kaitlyn giggled, sitting across from Liv on the couch that was always covered in dog fur in their parents’ house. Liv’s family lived back in Arizona, where she’d grown up. She never thought she would miss Phoenix. She’d moved to California at 20 with big aspirations and all the support in the world from her family, hoping she would be a film student, a photographer, any of her interests, but instead, she got stuck working as a janitor for three years.

“Where do I start?” Liv laughed. Kaitlyn knew everything about Liv’s life. “The last time we left off-“

“You were working up the courage to tell Josh you love him!” Dream Kaitlyn poked Liv’s arm, but Liv didn’t feel anything.

“I was not!” She protested, laughing. “But-“ Liv’s laugh turned into a giddy giggle. “I did…tell him.”

“And?!” Her older sister squealed.

“We’re…” Liv stopped, reeling back. “We’re…” Liv hiccupped as a sob rattled her throat. “We’re in danger.” Kaitlyn didn’t even flinch. “Kaitlyn,” Liv reached for her sister, but couldn’t quite touch her. “Kate?” Liv felt her tears stream down her cheeks. “Kate, I need help!” She pleaded though she knew her sister couldn’t do anything to help her.

A splash and a loud scream ripped Liv straight from her dream. Liv shot straight up, eyes wide. Another wail came from inside the bathroom, a wail that Liv recognized immediately. She tumbled out of bed and surged into the bathroom. Tiger, naked in a bath of rose petals, held TyAnne, screaming and begging for forgiveness, in a headlock.

“What the fuck?!” Liv shrieked.

Tiger and TyAnne sat in bathrobes with Liv on a long white couch, sipping some warm honey lemon tea (imitation honey lemon tea).

“Sorry I tried to strangle you earlier.” TyAnne circled her finger over the rim over her mug. “I just had this urge, and it was…” she trailed off, rolling her eyes. TyAnne, who Liv had seen seething earlier when they were going through the camera feeds, had tried to devise a plan to strangle Tiger when her guard was down, like relaxing in the bath. Unfortunately for TyAnne, Tiger’s guard was never down. Tiger had instinctively reached back and thrown TyAnne over her head and into the water with her.

Tiger sighed. “Stop apologizing. I’m in your home wearing your clothes. If I were you, I’d try to kill me too.” She shrugged, sipping her tea.

“Why not try and kill me?” Liv asked curiously.

TyAnne looked over at Liv and reached out and touched her hand. “You’re nice.” TyAnne drawled, grinning nodding her head.

Tiger nodded into her tea. “I tried killing Liv but,” she looked at Liv out of the corner of her eye and smiled. “I dunno, she grew on me.”

Liv let out a quick laugh. “Thanks Tiger, you really grew on me too.”

TyAnne bobbed her head. “You’re nice and I liked your funny joke about ants.” She giggled. Liv had forgotten about that. “I don’t like her because she’s mean and doesn’t make funny jokes.”

Tiger took another refreshing sip of tea. “Well, don’t worry, there’s only one more thing to do and then I’m gone. Well, Liv is too, but…I’ll be gone.”

TyAnne looked over at Tiger. “Promise?” Tiger nodded. “Okay, well, maybe before you go you could, like, I dunno…” TyAnne spoke so fast that her words ran together.

“Teach you to strangle to completion?” Tiger smirked. TyAnne nodded sheepishly. Liv and Tiger laughed together. “Felt good, didn’t it?” Tiger grinned. TyAnne nodded again, grinning from ear to ear.

Jolf

Josh wheezed himself to sleep that night. The bed was uncomfortable, but at least he’d be able to sleep. He was startled awake when a blade pressed against his throat. His eyes flew open and he saw Winx and the other Smashers leering down at him.

“Smashers have a code!” Winx spat. “It’s called the Smasher Code, and it’s unsmashable.” Josh felt the blade press harder into his throat. “We’re only as strong as our weakest Smasher, you.”

“I’m sorry-“

“Smash faster, Nut Breath.” Winx retracted the knife.

The other Smashers quietly jeered, repeating “Nut Breath” as they retreated with Winx. Josh let out a shaky gasp. He didn’t sleep well the rest of the night.

The next morning, Josh feverishly smashed away. He slammed a keyboard against his knee, breaking it in half. He dropped a portable stereo on the ground and jumped on it until some of the buttons popped off. He slammed Tamagotchi against the metal of the tiny work table until it started to cave. He blindly reached down for the next object in his pile and picked up a robotic puppy toy, steadying it on the workstation and readied his smashing rock. Something in the robotic puppy’s dead eyes made him stall. He tilted his head in the same direction the puppy’s head was tilted. It reminded him of a toy he’d had as a kid, he couldn’t smash that. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Josh looked both ways, making sure no one was looking. He lowered his rock slowly, stowing the puppy under his workstation and covering it with a small sheet of canvas.

That night, he waited until everyone was asleep before tiptoeing back out into the Smash Pit and retrieving his new friend. The entire day he’d begun to stash other things under his workstation, screws, screwdrivers, a flashlight, anything he could use to fix up the toy. He��d stolen a crate from Winx’s workstation when he wasn’t looking to hold everything. He snuck the crate full of his stuff into the community bedroom, quickly sliding onto his pallet of a bed and throwing the blanket over himself. He turned on the flashlight and sorted through everything in his crate. An excited feeling bubbled inside of him as he got to work.

He whisper-sung to himself quietly as he worked. “Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me,” he sang under his breath as he unscrewed the panel on the back of the puppy toy. He looked at the foot and read the name of the robot. “Pup-E.” He whispered. “Cute.” He flipped Pup-E back over and pried open the panel, sticking the screwdriver in his mouth, continuing to hum the song. “Come Sail Away” by Styx was one of Gabe’s, Josh’s dad’s, favorite songs. Josh missed him so much.

As Josh hummed the chorus, he felt somebody thwack him on the head. The screwdriver fell from his mouth as he jumped. “No humming!” Somebody hissed. It was the guard.

Josh wasn’t sure when he’d fallen asleep, but he’d dozed off under his blanket with Pup-E next to him. He’d only realized he’d fallen asleep when a bag was thrown over his head and he was wrangled from his bed. Josh screamed for help.

“Oh my God! Oh God!” He tried to thrash, squirm, anything, but several people held his arms, legs, even his head. “The Pointed Circle! Help me!” He couldn’t see anything, but he could hear the sound of people running, the sound of people shouting. It was the other Smashers! They pried the captors off of Josh, leaving him to topple down on the ground. As he struggled to get off the bag that was tangled around his head, he could hear the commotion of the Smashers quite literally smashing away at the captors. Someone grabbed the bag and lifted it off of Josh’s head easily. The Pointed Circle members must have retreated.

Josh looked up in dismay. “…Winx? Why did you save me?”

Winx nodded at him. “You’re one of us.”

Josh’s lips turned upward into a small grin. “The Smasher Code…”

Winx did the same. “It’s unsmashable.”

Wolf had never been more ready for the debat- debate. He’d put together flashcards that he could reference in case he got nervous and needed help. He shuffled through his flashcards, quietly reading them back to himself. Lugnut, his twelve year old daughter, came bounding up to him with a big smile and something in her hand. Lugnut was the only one in his whole cluster who believed in him.

“Whatcha got there, sweetie?” Wolf asked, smiling down at her. She opened her hand to show him a pin she’d made for him resting on her palm.

“Can I put it on for you?” She asked. Wolf nodded. She stood on her tiptoes and clipped it to his shirt. “I’m putting it over your heart, to protect you.” She smiled sweetly.

A good luck charm. Wolf looked down at her with soft eyes. “Thank you.” He whispered, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear. Hatchet, Lathe, Thimble, Level, and Rake, his wives and husbands, walked up to him together, clinging onto each other. They were extremely worried about Wolf going into this, worried that he might lose. No matter how hard Wolf assured them he knew what he was doing, they didn’t seem sure.

“Are you sure you’re prepared?” His husband, Lathe, asked, face pale with worry. “Did you put together your cabinet?”

Wolf smirked. “I like the way you’re thinking, Lathe.” He looked at his cluster, beaming. “Yeah, yeah I’ve got some fresh ideas,” he smirked again. “And some fairly unconventional ones too.”

His wife, Thimble, made a face when she saw the cards in his hand. “…you’re not using cards up there, are you?”

Wolf shoved the cards into his pocket. “You’re right, you’re right, gotta speak from the heart.” He patted his pocket reassuringly. “Nobody likes a nerd.” He laughed. His cluster didn’t laugh. “Listen, um, if cornered, what are Vise’s weaknesses?”

“His knees!” His wife, Level, answered quickly.

Wolf cocked his head in confusion, wondering what going after Vise’s knees would help him with in a political debate. “Well, okay…” he flashed them a sweet smile. “Listen, I love you guys, but you’re garbage political strategists.”

Wolf made his way to the platform where the debat was being held. Vise stood there already, eyes wild. He had a scar on his head where he’d had to tear out part of his brain. He was the only person to ever survive being myrmed that Wolf had heard of. That was why the NAG was so discombobulated, because the man behind the rules and laws was just as discombobulated.

“Are you ready for the debat?!” A voice yelled enthusiastically. “Meet your candidates! First, the Supreme Overlord, Vise Myrmbeater!” The forming crowd cheered. “And the challenger, Torque Wheelmaker!” The crowd cheered again, some people booed. Wolf raised his hands to greet the crowd as he jogged up the steps. He turned to Vise and held out a hand for a good natured handshake.

“I look forward to sharing my ideas with you.” Wolf said encouragingly.

Vise scowled. “Share them in the dark void of death, Wheelmaker the throne snatcher!” Wolf retracted his hand, looking confused.

“Candidates, take your positions.” The announcer yelled. “Let the debat begin!”

Vise threw off his cape, revealing a plethora of weapons strapped to his body. Wolf raised an eyebrow and glanced at the crowd, who he realized now was chanting, “Death battle! Death battle!” Over and over again.

Wolf squinted, trying to understand. “Death battle…” he repeated to himself. He looked back at Vise, who was bent over a cabinet, retrieving two swords. “Oh…death battle. De-bat…I missed a lot of cues here.” He muttered, taking a step back as Vise turned to him sharply, murder in his eyes.

“Torque, arm yourself from your cabinet!” He heard someone yell at him from the crowd. He looked and saw Pump shoving his way forward. Wolf turned and opened his cabinet, finding it empty. He was realizing now what Lathe had meant by cabinet.

“I misunderstood everything!” Wolf yelled, spinning back around to face Pump and the crowd. “I don’t- uh-“ Vise swung and missed Wolf as he ducked. “Look, I didn’t come here to kill anyone.” Wolf projected for the audience to hear. The crowd began to boo, even the ones who weren’t booing before. “Now, I have a few points prepared if you would just listen!”

Vise lunged again. “Say your prayers, Wheelmaker!” Wolf dodged his attempt.

“Put the sword down, let’s talk this out.” Wolf said, arms in front of him defensively. “Take it easy.”

“I’ll take it easy on your head!” Vise raised the sword again.

Wolf caught Vise’s head as he barreled at him, trying to drive his sword into him. Vise, who was old and had half a brain, struggled in confusion as Wolf held him at an arm’s distance. Vise dropped his sword and tried hitting Wolf unsuccessfully.

Wolf looked out into the screaming audience. “For a century, our people were at war!” Wolf yelled, reciting the speech he’d been working hard on. Vise tried to run at Wolf again, but his head just rammed into his hand. “But for two decades we’ve lived above ground!”

“Will you yield, sir?!” Vise yelled, lamely swinging his arms in another failed attempt to hit Wolf.

“We must move our minds above ground as well!” Wolf continued. Wolf let Vise go, letting him crash head first into the ground as he tried to lunge for Wolf’s legs. Wolf just sidestepped him.

“This is how you decide who you want to lead?!” Wolf yelled, gesturing towards Vise, who was scrambling awkwardly to his knees. “A death battle between a sand-brained POW and a half-brained elder?!”

The crowd cheered, “Yeah!”

“No!” Wolf shouted in response. Vise turned back to Wolf, holding his sword. He cried out and leapt towards him, Wolf instinctively caught him and held him in a headlock. “Hear me, people of the NAG! I offer real change!” Vise clamped his teeth down on Wolf’s hand. Wolf shoved him down. Vise regained his balance, spinning back towards Wolf, sword swinging down.

“Die usurper!” He screamed in rage, attacking Wolf to the ground.

Clamp had been the first person that Torque had pitched a wheelbarrow to, she was his friend. But when Athena had told her to shoot him, she didn’t question it. Her duties lie with the Pointed Circle. She pushed her way through the screaming crowd as Athena instructed her in her earpiece.

“When you have the shot on Torque, take it.”

Clamp rushed up the steps of a nearby shack and to an opening that would give her a clear shot straight to the stage where Torque and Vise fought.

“Copy, Athena.” She obeyed, readying her crossbow. She pulled her hood further over her face and aimed at Torque’s heart.

She let the arrow fly, just as Vise and Torque went tumbling to the ground. The screaming crowd slowed, gasping replaced the screams.

The crowd lost their minds as Vise fell limp against Wolf as they tumbled down to the ground together. Wolf’s eyes were wide as he realized the pin Lugnut had pinned to his heart was digging into his chest. Vise didn’t move. Wolf shoved him off, realizing there was an arrow protruding all the way through Vise’s back and out his chest. Lugnut’s pin had saved him from being stabbed. He jumped to his feet looking around frantically for anyone who could have possibly shot that arrow. The crowd was still going nuts.

“Holy fucking shit…” he muttered. He felt something wrap over his shoulders, and looked back to see Pump had climbed onto the stage and was wrapping Vise’s Supreme Overlord cape around him. The crowd began chanting his name. He spotted his cluster chanting the loudest and celebrating the hardest. The look on Lugnut’s face was all worth it.

Pump bent over Vise, touching his wound and turning back to the crowd with Vise’s blood all over his finger. “Supreme Overlord Vise is dead!” He scribbled the blood over Wolf’s forehead and grabbed his hand victoriously. “Long live Supreme Overlord Torque!” He raised Wolf’s hand and the crowd went wild.

A/N: hey guys, remember when I said I was gonna be better at uploading? I lied and I’m so sorry!! I promise to keep updating, it’ll probably be kinda sporadic but, hey, it’ll keep you guys on your toes!! It’ll be a surprise every time :p