#I ride with Carla at dawn

[watchyourbuck]

“Just make sure you’re following your heart, not Christopher’s, okay?” Carla you’re a simple woman but boy are u the MVP

[draguta]

.a court of ash and smoke | seventeen.

pairing: lucien vanserra x fem!reader

summary: five years before feyre archeron ever stepped foot in prythian, another human girl found herself in the spring court. but the trials and tribulations of her time under the mountain left her with nothing but a certain red-headed high fae emissary, who had once resented her entire presence, to help and guide her.

chapter warnings: ptsd

chapter word count: 3413

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Day Court

An hour or so passed by, and the pain subsided, leaving you with no more than a dull-ache in your chest, and two shaken, terrified hands. The redness in your eyes, much to your gratitude, also faded, leaving you with your own eyes once more. Feyre had pulled you toward the fire and hand draped a blanket over your shoulders. Carla had all-but run from the manor at the sight of you that morning - not that you blamed her - but Alis had appeared moments later with a cup of molten chocolate for you.

“Drink this,” she had said as she rubbed a calming hand on your shoulder. “I want to see all of it gone, ok? You’ll feel better afterward.”

You didn’t have the heart to tell her that you doubted you would ever feel better again.

Lucien got to work quickly, gathering the sentinels that he knew could winnow, which were only few in number, and preparing them for the journey to the Day Court. Tamlin made no move to object that Lucien went along, no now, when he had seen the power that still lurked under your skin. You were certain that had he not feared for Feyre’s safety should she leave the manor, he likely would have taken your himself.

“You know I can’t winnow her all the way there, right?” Lucien’s voice came in a muted tone from the doorway. You didn’t have to turn to know that he and Tamlin were watching you with nothing more than concern, or perhaps a little fear. “We’ll have to spend the night somewhere.”

“No,” Tamlin murmured. “You must take her straight there. I don’t care how much it drains you, I don’t care if it kills you. Get her to the Dawn Court immediately. No stops, no breaks.”

You shuddered at the thought. Lucien didn’t say another word, but asked Alis to get you dressed and ready to go, despite your still shaking form. Alis obliged and as the men left the room, she and Feyre hauled you to wobbling feet and pulled your nightgown from your body, slipping instead an old blue tunic with gold linings, and a pair of riding pants onto you. Alis braided your hair as you drank the remainder of your molten chocolate, and after you let the two of them lead you downstairs to where Lucien and Tamlin were waiting with three sentinels at their heels, Silas among them.

As you reached the bottom step, Lucien held a hand to you, and took you from Alis and Feyre’s grip. You were feeling better now - your hands had stopped shaking so much, muting to a slight tremor, and the pain in your chest was almost completely gone. But you felt so weak, with so little energy, and the shock remained, the fear, and so you didn’t argue when Lucien took you into his arms, wrapping one of your own arms around his shoulders and his other slipping around your waist, despite the glare and growl that his close proximity earned from Tamlin.

“Are you ready?” Lucien asked as he walked you toward the sentinels. You could do nothing but nod, and with one final glance at Tamlin and Feyre, you were falling through the air, a crisp wind whipping around your hair. Lucien’s grip on you held tight, until eventually you stepped forward onto solid ground once more. Only this time, you were no longer in the Spring Court. The place that you found yourselves in was bright and airy, just like the Spring Court, only it seemed more ethereal. There seemed to be light coming from everywhere, with large open gaps in the wall opposed to windows and balconies at every turn.

“Welcome to the Day Court,” Lucien whispered, but you could hear the strain in his voice, could hear the slight grunt that he made. You glanced around behind you; the sentinels were gone. “They likely stopped for a break, they’ll be here soon. It’s a long way to winnow.”

You opened your mouth to say that he had managed it, which made you question exactly how powerful Lucien was, when a voice called from somewhere behind you, and Lucien slumped against the wall, leaning over on his knees, taking deep exhausted breaths. “Lord Lucien, we weren’t expecting to see you so soon,” the voice said. It belonged to a dark-skinned man who approached us slowly, with long dark locks that he had braided around his head, and gleaming amber eyes.

Lord Lucien. You had never heard him referred to as Lord before. Perhaps that was his real title as the seventh son of the Autumn Court. It made your stomach swirl nonetheless.

“I’m afraid we need to see Lord Helion as soon as possible, Clyro,” Lucien explained, motioning to you. He was still panting, and you could see the exhaustion on his face; you were sure your own form was close to similar. The amber-eyed man - Clyro - followed his gesture and looked you up and down, a slight flash of recognition and perhaps remembrance falling over his features.

“Of course,” he said, bowing his head slightly. “This way, please follow me.”

Lucien’s arm was wrapped around yours in a moment, but whether it was to keep you steady or keep his own legs from buckling with exhaustion you weren’t sure. You followed Clyro out of the room that you had arrived in, which appeared more as a foyer now that you saw the remainder of the house. Up a winding staircase with even more of those wide, gaping windows that looked out on amber fields of grains and crystal water so blue that you didn’t think you had ever even seen the colour so bright before, until you hit a hallway at the top, and followed it along the final door. Clyro paused, and Lucien seemed to know that meant to wait, as the dark-haired High Fae slipped inside.

Lucien slumped again against the wall by the door. “Are you ok?” You asked. You weren’t feeling so great yourself, but Lucien looked far worse.

“I’ll be ok,” he huffed. “I just used a lot of magic. I’ll be alright in a minute.”

You raised an eyebrow sceptically, but then you heard Clyro’s voice from inside the room. “Lord Lucien and Lady Y/N to see you, High Lord,” you heard him say. You winced at the title he had given you.

A moment of silence, and then a low, smooth voice said, “Show them in.”

Lord Helion’s study was nothing like Tamlin’s. Where Tamlin’s study was lined with books and dark-wood tables, with only two large windows on one side that looked out onto the garden, Helion’s study was open and wide, home to plush couches and fluffed cushions. And there, lounging in one of them, a book in his hand, sat Helion, High Lord of the Day Court. He too had dark skin and dark hair, and those same amber-gold eyes that shone in the sunlight seeping through into the room. He glanced up from his book, letting a small smile play across his lips as you entered the room.

“I hadn’t expected you for another few days,” Helion said, closing his book and placing it on the table in front of him, his arm stretching out across the back of the couch. “Or was it so urgent that you had to winnow directly into your home without so much as knocking on the door first?”

You winced slightly. Helion looked familiar, and you assumed that he had been Under the Mountain; perhaps he had even seen the monster you had become that day. He motioned to the couch opposite, and Lucien all-but fell into the seat. You followed close behind. “There was no time to delay,” Lucien explained slowly, motioning to you. “There was an…episode.”

Helion’s eyebrow shot up in surprise as he stood and slowly sauntered toward you, looking you up and down. “What kind of episode?”

You glanced at Lucien, who only gave you an encouraging nod of his head, his red curls falling around his face, shimmering in the daylight. You swallowed fiercely, and allowed your eyes to meet the High Lord’s. “It was a pain through your entire chest, a burning and aching type of pain that wouldn’t go away,” you explained carefully. Helion nodded slowly, and flicked his wrist as if to tell you to go on. “I’ve never felt pain like it, right here, by my heart, as if something was clawing to get to it, ripping through the skin and muscle and bone just to reach my heart.” You placed a hand over your chest, rubbing slightly as the memory of the pain returned. “And then, my eyes turned red, ust like they did that day.”

Helion’s eyes narrowed slightly as he listened and bit the inside of his cheek. “Interesting,” he said, turning away from you. “It sounds as though what you have is dark magic running through your veins,” he explained, without looking back at us. Lucien tensed - that was exactly what you had feared, and likely what he had feared too. “Have you ever used magic before that day?”

“No, sir,” you replied quietly. He scoffed, looking back over his shoulder.

“You don’t need to call me ‘sir’,” he chuckled. “Helion will do fine.”

You winced, and opened your mouth to apologise, but Lucien got there first. “Do you think there is anything you can do?” He asked, face grim and firm as he awaited his answer.

“I’ve encountered something like this only once before,” he explained, flopping himself back onto his couch. He certainly wasn’t the High Lord that you had been expecting, so far from the proper way that Tamlina acted. “A maiden from the Summer Court who encountered a terrible power in the fields whilst out riding one day. She too suffered from terrible pains in her chest. Nostrus had her brought to me - apparently he was quite fond of the girl.”

“What happened to her?” It was an almost whisper. You didn’t know, or care, who Nostrus might be, only that there was a way to break free of whatever was hiding within you; dark magic.

“She died.”

Your knees shook, and you felt dizzy, falling back into the couch before Lucien even managed to reach for your arm. “S-So there is really nothing to be done?”

“Now Y/N, High Queen Killer, is that what you said?” Helion asked with a raised eyebrow. The sunlight glinted off the spiked golden crown that sat on top of his black hair, making your head ache. “She only died because she refused to accept or embrace her new powers, and that dark magic therefore destroyed her from the inside-out, and used her body as a vessel to find a new host.”

“I don’t understand,” Lucien said slowly, glancing between Helion and you and back again.

“I think your power is different, less of a virus searching for hosts,” Helion continued. “But I believe if I am right, then the only way to help you would be the same. For you to embrace your powers, otherwise you may end up just as dead as the Queen she killed.”

Lucien tutted his tongue, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Do you know how to do that?”

“Me? Oh no, I wouldn’t even know where to begin,’ Helion shrugged. “It’s something that is different with every person. The only one who would know would be the one wielding the power.” His eyes fell to you, and your heart began pounding in your chest.

“So, I have to…live with this power inside me?” You asked slowly, and Helion cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes as he studied you.

“No, not live with it,” he said slowly. “Embrace it, let it become a part of you. Learn how to wield it, and find the good that you can do with it, because even dark magic has its positives.”

“It’s definitely dark magic?”

Helion’s lips thinned. “I’m afraid so,” he said quietly.

“So,” you huffed out in a breath. “That means I am a monster.”

Helion sat forward in his seat in a second, hands clasped between his knees and eyes trained on you. “Not at all. It just means that the magic was made by someone with a hateful heart. It can still be used for good.”

“I don’t know how to control it,” you said quietly. If you couldn’t couldn’t control it, how could you possibly ensure that it was used for good? The image of Lucien wrapped in those red tendrils of smoke flashed before your eyes, and you winced at the memory from your nightmares.

“If you still had the spell book, I may be able to help more,” Helion suggested, leaning forward slightly, eagerly. “Do you? Still have the spell book?”

You took a long minute to answer, and Helion narrowed his eyes suspiciously as you thought back to what Rhysand had sent you, the note that had appeared on your vanity.

‘Keep it, and don’t let anyone know you have it. You might need it again sooner rather than later.’

“No,” you said eventually. “It was left behind Under the Mountain. I thought that would be the best place for it.”

Helion huffed out a breath, running a hand over his mouth in thought. “There is one other person I know who might be able to help,” he said slowly, eyes flicking to Lucien. “But you’re not going to like it.”

Lucien sucked at his teeth. “Who is it?”

“Rhysand.”

“No,” Lucien said firmly.

“Rhysand knows how to control dark magic,” Helion argued. “He might be able to help train her-”

“No.” It was a firm decision made by the emissary, and Helion raised his hands in defeat.

“Fine by me,” Helion said, slumping back into his seat. “You’re welcome to stay the night, if the journey back will be too much in one day. But I have told you everything I know. Sorry I couldn’t help you more. From here, it’s up to you.”

Clyro appeared by your side once again, a hand gently touching your elbow to escort you from the study. You turned slowly back to Helion as you reached the door. He had returned to his book, his finger trailing over the page as he read. “Thank you, Helion, for helping us as much as you could.” He glanced up, nodded once with a kind smile, and then returned to his reading, and you and Lucien were escorted from the room.

The sentinels that Tamlin had sent with you were waiting for you outside the room. Lucien turned to one of them as you followed Clyro down the hall. “Elias, please return a message to Tamlin,” he said, the voice of the emissary clear and commanding. “Tell him that Helion has not been able to help as expected, and that we will stay the night in the Day Court and return home tomorrow morning.”

The sentinel nodded and began to retreat in the opposite direction. You blinked up at Lucien. “So, we are going to stay the night here?” You asked, and he sighed, rubbing at his tired eyes.

“I do not have the power nor the energy to winnow us back home today,” he explained. “Very few High Fae have the ability to travel so far twice in one day.”

You nodded, not questioning him again. He looked tired, and you knew that the effort of bringing you here in the first place had all-but wiped him out. Clyro came to a stop at a door toward the end of the long, winding hall.

“These will be your quarters for the night,” he explained. He opened the large wooden door, and as you took a step inside you gasped. The walls were a clear sky-blue, little puffs of delicately painted clouds on the ceiling and walls. There was no far wall at the other end of the room, only an open archway that led to a long balcony overlooking those golden fields. On each side of the main room were other various doors that you assumed led to the bedrooms. Clyro bowed out of the room and left you to it.

Lucien made for a door on the right. You watched him as he went, but didn’t stop him - he was tired, and deserved to sleep.

“How did the meeting go?” Silas asked as the other sentinel wandered into one of the rooms to the left, likely grander quarters than he had been privy to for a long time. You shrugged.

“Helion wasn’t able to help us as much as we had hoped,” you admitted. “From here, I’m not so sure.”

“There’ll be a way, I’m sure,” he said lowly. “I was Under the Mountain, and I saw what you did. Something like that, I can’t imagine it would be a bad thing to have.” He bowed low and disappeared after the other sentinel.

And so, you were left to your own devices. Your feet took you to the balcony without thought, and you leant against the stone railing, looking out across the Dawn Court - the air smelled fresh and clean and crisp, and the noon sun beat down warm and soft against your skin. Your hands ran over the railing of the balcony, and to your surprise found that it was encrusted with geodes, thick, rough rock centred by bright amber crystals. You pulled at one, and it fell away in your hand - a souvenir to take home to the Spring Court. You let your eyes close and drew in a deep breath.

“It’s rather beautiful here, is it not?” A familiar voice sounded from somewhere behind you. You whirled around, finding Helion himself leaning against a second balcony to the right of your own, likely from another set of quarters. “Sorry to startle you, but I wanted to speak with you in private.”

 “Whatever you have to say to me, you could have said in front of Lucien,” you said quietly. In fact, you would have preferred it, especially if he began asking about the spell book again. Thankfully, you had hidden it away, in a locked box in Tamlin’s room of treasure where he kept his family jewels and heirlooms, a room that he rarely ever went to. Helion raised an eyebrow.

“You trust an emissary with this information?” He asked slowly, and then his face softened into a smirk. “Unless he is more than just an emissary to you.” It was difficult to hide the flush that lilted your cheeks without turning your head away. Helion chuckled. “I knew it.”

“There is nothing between Lucien and I,” you said pointedly, and Helion leaned further over the stone railing, his amber eyes meeting yours.

“But you would like there to be?” He asked. Apparently you didn’t even need to speak for him to know what your answer would have been. “I’ve had a few dealings with Lucien on behalf of the Spring Court over the years. He is a good man, but bears a difficult past. I think that, after all this time, he rather deserves some happiness.”

You gulped down your dry throat. Lucien had mentioned as much. “What happened to him…in his past, I mean?”

He cocked his head slightly. “You mean that no one has told you of Jesminda?” Your eyes widened at the name, but you shook your head firmly. “Then I’m afraid that is not my story to share.”

“But-”

“We all have our secrets,” he continued with a knowing glint in his eye. “It would seem that Lucien Vanserra has kept a secret from you, so why would you not be willing to keep one from him? After all, Rhysand could help you, I’m sure of it.”

“I don’t think Tamlin would allow it,” you said softly.

“And does your chosen brother always make your decisions for you?” He asked with a slight smile. But that smile faded as he said his next words. “The last person I saw with something like this died, and whilst I do not know you terribly well, I would not wish to see that happen to you.”

You glanced down at your fingers, picking at the skin surrounding your nails, and bit your lips. “I’ll think about it.”

“That is all I ask.” He offered one more kind smile, and then he was gone.

[misslavenderlady]

A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll - Chapter 3

Summary: The Lost Boys take Michael out for a night of fun so he doesn't feel as homesick. But when trouble comes their way, will the night be spoiled?

TW: Chapter contains Surf Nazis and homophobia (the F slur is used once)

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Michael proved to be wonderful company to the vampires all night long. He could talk a mile a minute about all the crazy shenanigans that went on back in his hometown, and it kept everyone hanging on his every word. When the boys shared crazy stories of their own, he seemed quite eager to listen, no doubt interested in them as well. It pleased David immensely to see Michael adjust to their group so easily. He’d definitely make a fine pack member once he was turned.

When that would be, David was not yet sure. He just wanted to get to know Michael a little more for the time being. 

Of course, with Michael being the only human of the bunch, he was the one to get tired the quickest as the night went on. At one point he yawned and stretched, clearly ready to go to bed. Even if he was having a good time, he still needed to sleep.

“Well, I reckon I better head back home,” he said, standing up from his seat. “Gotta be ready for my chores in the mornin’”

“Laaaaame!” Paul teased. “Can’t you just ditch them or something?”

Michael snickered and shook his head, amused by both the eagerness of his new friends to spend extra time with him and their lack of understanding about farm work.

“Nah, ‘fraid I can’t do that. You gotta be up before the crack o’ dawn for some of the stuff you gotta do. Grandpa can’t do it all himself with his age and Sammy will give me hell if I leave it all on him”

The others were still bummed to say goodbye, but they made promises to see him again soon and hang out together. David offered to escort Michael back to where their rides were parked so that he wouldn’t get lost in the cave or hurt himself. With a tip of his hat to the others, Michael headed out with the vampire.

Waves of the ocean crashed onto the rocks and sand by the main entrance of the cave, the briny smell of the water filling the air. It was something quite familiar to David but foreign to Michael. Glancing over at the human as they walked the path, David could clearly see a hint of sadness on the boy’s face.

“You okay, Michael?” He asked while pulling a fresh cigarette out of his pocket. He could see Michael shaking his head ‘no’ in the glow of the lighter he flicked open.

“To be honest, I’m feelin’ a little homesick…” Michael admitted. He kicked his boot against the ground, punting a small stone further down the area. “Don’t get me wrong, y’all have been mighty nice company, but…this place sure ain’t the Texas I know and love. I miss just ‘bout everything back home..”

David frowned as he puffed on his cigarette, smoke slipping between his downturned lips. He could imagine why being here would be so difficult for Michael. A sense of longing to help the brunet boy feel better was tugging at David. The two places were incredibly different, but perhaps he could show Michael that Santa Carla could be quite exciting if you knew where to look. 

“Tell you what, Michael,” David said, placing a hand on his back as a comforting gesture. “How about you meet me and the boys down at the amusement park on the boardwalk tomorrow night? We could show you a fun night on the town to help you take your mind off of things”

The idea alone helped Michael perk up a bit. He looked at the vampire with a gleam in his eye and a happy expression on his face.

“Oh really? That would be really nice of y’all!” he smiled. “What about Star and Laddie?”

He had to keep himself from frowning at such a question. Why does he want to hang out with her so much? David didn’t know why that thought came to his head, but he pushed it away so it didn’t bother him so much.

“Star usually takes Laddie out on little adventures. They really like going to concerts in particular,” David explained. “Let’s have a guys' night together! I’m sure me and the boys will keep you plenty of company”

Michael’s grin only widened more at the idea, his perfect teeth shining under the moonlight. As David stared more at it, he thought about how nice a set of fangs would look for him as well. How nice Michael’s smile was already. He really didn’t know why he was thinking about it so much, but thankfully, the brunet didn’t notice how much he was staring.

“I’d really like that! Y’all can count me in”

By the time he gave his answer, the two of them had finally made their way to their rides. Michael hopped onto the seat of his ATV, the engine roaring to life as he turned the key in the ignition. It really was an impressive ride. David would have to consider trying it out for himself some time.

For the time being, he simply gave Michael a small smile before telling him to be there at 9 pm the next night. The southern boy nodded eagerly before reaching out a hand for David to shake as a “goodbye” gesture. With the other hand, he tilted his hat like he had done several times before that evening.

“It was mighty nice meetin’ ya, David. See you tomorrow!”

With that, Michael gunned the engine and turned his ride to take off into the night and head back home. David was left behind, watching the ATV and Michael himself disappear more and more with the growing distance. As he inhaled another puff of smoke from his cigarette, he glanced down at the hand he shook with Michael before.

Part of him wished he had taken off his glove to properly feel Michael’s hand. Maybe next time he’d get the chance.

“David, you’re fidgeting again”

It was the third time that night that one of the Lost Boys pointed out how restless their leader was acting. Dwayne was the one to speak up this time, leaning over the railing with Marko and Paul while David stood off to the side, anxiously twisting his leather gloves in between his hands.

He usually hated going without his gloves when he wasn’t hunting. Having such a personal part of his skin exposed for others to see wasn’t something he was entirely comfortable with. It made him feel rather vulnerable, yet he never really figured out why. Perhaps it was a connection to his former life as a human that he had just forgotten about. 

But tonight was different. He’d go without them and spend some time with Michael and the others and get a little out of his comfort zone. It certainly couldn’t hurt to try.

“Fine, I’ll just put these away for now,” David said to Dwayne, begrudgingly putting the gloves into his coat pocket. He figured he might as well keep his hands in his pockets as well since it would probably stop his fidgeting. Any focus he had was now on looking down the boardwalk, waiting for any sign of Michael to show up. All of the boys were incredibly anxious to see their new friend again.

“FWEEEEET!!!”

The shrill, deafening sound of a whistle filled the section of the boardwalk, annoying and startling various pedestrians that were nearby. It didn't take the boys long to figure out that it was Michael. 

Sure enough, the cowboy himself came into view, his fingers curled against his mouth in a way that had created such a powerful whistle. When he figured the others had noticed them, he used the hand to wave eagerly while sprinting over to their spot. 

"Hey, y'all!" he greeted the Lost Boys. His getup was similar to the one from the night before, only this time his shirt and flannel were both black in color. It seemed like in his own, unique way he was trying to match the aesthetic of the boys. 

Of course, his country-style appearance made it so he was way off the mark, but at least it was the thought that counted. 

"How's it hangin', Mikey?" Paul said. He, Dwayne, and Marko snickered to themselves, already enjoying the new nickname. David would have joined in if he wasn't frozen in place. 

"Sure is a fine night out!" Michael smiled. "I been workin' like a dog all day long and I sure could use a bit of fun"

By some miracle David was able to shake himself out of his stuck position, putting a charismatic smile on his face and slapping a hand onto Michael's shoulder. 

"Well you came to the right place, Michael," David said. "You won't find a better park than the one here in Santa Carla"

The other boys jumped off of the railing so they could join Michael and David. They eagerly motioned for the human to follow them into the amusement park so they could show him the best rides first. 

If there was anything the Lost Boys liked most about the boardwalk it was the crazy rides they could go on. They were already such adrenaline junkies and the lack of humanity they had allowed them to enjoy anything that was fast and wild without fear of danger. Marko loved roller coasters, Paul went wild for the tilt-a-whirl and Dwayne just liked anything that flipped you upside down. 

To their utter joy, Michael was just as excited to go on the chaotic rides. He probably cheered the loudest out of all of them, hands raised high in the air on each one so he could truly feel the rush. 

It pleased David the most to see Michael so happy. It was a very good thing for him to associate them with something that brought him joy. That just made the job Max gave them that much easier. 

Still, as the bleach-blond kept his eyes on the human, he couldn't help but want to stretch out this fun. Their sire may be a total stick in the mud but at least he was a patient man. David just hoped that patience would last a bit longer so he could hang out with Michael more. 

The boys were all extra giggly from the rush of the rides, and Michael was just as happy. They all wandered through the park together, leaning on one another, practically drunk from the excitement. 

"Hey, Michael," David spoke up. "Let me show you my favorite ride here"

The brunet boy was more than happy to follow David, curious as to where they were going. The others trailed behind as well, knowing exactly where their leader was going. 

It didn't take long for the group to find the real crown jewel of the park; the carousel. 

Sure, it wasn't a crazy ride like all the other things they'd been on, but it was still quite special. It was the oldest ride there, the various horses, seats, and detailed designs being around for decades now. It was especially meaningful to David because he had seen the grand unveiling of it long ago. Even with modern updates, the carousel still held some sentimental value. 

It was a reminder of how long David had been around. All the things he'd got to witness because of what he was. To share his love of it with someone so new to the group as Michael was a big deal for him. 

"Oh my stars," Michael gasped, truly taken aback by the appearance. "It sure is a sight to see!"

He tilted his hat upward to allow a better view of the ride. While Marko, Paul, and Dwayne each slipped past the gate and jumped onto the carousel, David turned to Michael and held out his hand for the human to take. It was a simple gesture to help him get on, but it also served as a test. David didn't want Michael to react negatively to the cold touch of his hand. So many potential preys in the past had tensed at his icy skin. 

But that didn't happen this time. Michael was just happy to join his friends on the ride, and taking David's hand didn't bother him one bit. That small act of trust was a lot more valuable to the vampire than he'd ever realized. 

To no surprise, Michael took a seat on one of the horses, climbing on as he'd most certainly do with a real one. Despite not usually riding on the seats, David humored him, hopping onto the one right next to Michael. The others were content with walking across the path and being a nuisance to patrons on the ride, but David didn’t mind. It was good to just be with the human for a bit.

“Having fun, Michael?” the vampire asked, trying to speak loud enough over the calliope playing old-fashioned tunes. 

“You betcha!” the human chirped, a goofy smile stuck on his face. “This sure does make me think of home. We only get the county fair during the summer and fall months, so it don’t stick around much longer than that. It’s real nice having somethin’ like this year-round”

If David didn’t know any better, he could have sworn Michael’s eyes were shining a bit brighter than before. Perhaps it was the colorful lights reflecting off of them. It certainly looked nice.

“Gotta say though, the set-up ain’t total chaos like back home. The stuff at the fair is put together with a shit-load of duct tape and prayer. You gotta be double back-boned if you’re gonna try that stuff out”

It was hard not to chuckle at the odd phrases that he loved to say. It wasn’t anything mean-spirited, just pure amusement. David had been around a long time, but he could honestly say he never met a human like Michael before. 

“Who knows, Michael? Maybe with a little time, this will truly feel like your new home,” the blond said with a smile. Not only would Santa Carla be home for Michael, but the Lost Boys would be happy to act as his new family. So much so that it was feeling less and less like a chore for Max. 

It wasn’t long before the carousel screeched to a halt, letting the people on the ride know it was time to let others in line have a turn. The Lost Boys all jumped off the side, sneaking out from the back of the ride so none of the ride workers caught them getting a free ride. Thankfully, Michael was on board with the act, clearly just as rebellious as they were. They all laughed and nudged each other as they made their way back to the main path of the boardwalk.

“Alrighty now! What’s say we go check out th-”

“Well look what we got here!”

Michael didn’t get to finish his sentence when a loud, obnoxious voice cut him off. He and the four others turned in the direction of the sound, finding themselves face-to-face with the worst possible people they could have run into that night; the Surf Nazis.

Goddamnit, not tonight, David thought to himself. A sour frown replaced any joy that had been on his face before. His friends all tensed up as well, knowing trouble could be brewing. Only Michael was left unaware of what was happening.

“Greg.”

“David.”

That was about the extent of any “pleasantries” between the two opposite gang leaders. Each set of boys were on standby for any fights that could go down. But it wasn’t the Lost Boys that Greg focused on, it was Michael.

“Who’re you supposed to be? A long-lost member of the Beverly Hillbillies?” he snickered.

David hoped Michael would keep his mouth shut so he wouldn’t stir Greg up more, but it was wishful thinking. The brunet furrowed his brow and put his hands on his hips, clearly unamused by the teasing.

“Looks like someone never had proper manners taught to them by their mama,” Michael stated. The sound of his accent only triggered a new wave of laughter and taunting his way.

“Sorry, I don’t speak trailer trash,” another gang member teased. “Didya stop learning English after droppin’ out of the second grade?”

“Lemme try translating! Hyuk hyuk hyuk! Pig Sooooooie!” a third mocked in the most butchered attempt of a drawl the boys had ever heard. 

The vampires were only getting angrier by the second. David could feel all of their aggression rising through their connection. Even without their monstrous nature, they were all very protective of their own. Michael wasn’t even one of them yet, and they already felt that pull to stick up for him.

But Michael wasn’t giving into their childish mocking. He was perfectly stone-faced and unbothered by their words. He simply rolled his eyes in disinterest and turned his attention to his friends. 

“C’mon fellas, these clowns ain’t worth the time,” he stated to the others, ready to turn the other way and continue the walk. David didn’t want to step down from a potential fight, but he did commend Michael for keeping such a level head. With how riled up the boys could get, it was a decent balance. 

Maybe Michael had the right idea. David motioned for Marko, Paul, and Dwayne to follow them, ready to stir them all away from their rival gang. They were more than ready to walk away, but then Greg had to open his mouth again.

“Yeah, go and run off you little bitch,” he sneered. “Have fun with all your faggot friends!”

Before the Lost Boys could even register what was happening, Michael completely snapped. It took no more than a couple of seconds for him to turn around, stomp over to the Surf Nazi leader, and deck him in the face as hard as he possibly could.

Everyone went completely speechless as they watched this big, muscle-head of a leader hit the ground with the one hit. Even the Lost Boys were in awe, eyes wide and mouths hanging open at the sight of Greg being out cold. Not even they had ever got someone in one go like that. 

David himself was stunned in silence as he looked at Michael. There was a newfound darkness in the boy's eyes, burning with anger and solely focused on the now-unconscious gang leader who dared to say such a thing. When he was satisfied with his work, he turned his attention to the others.

“I don’t take too kindly to those who think it’s okay to insult my kin like that,” Michael said, his voice quite a bit lower now with how serious he was. “So unless y’all wanna get knocked straight on your asses too, you’ll go on and get”

The Surf Nazis were clearly all going through a wave of emotions. Their shock quickly shifted into confusion, then fear, then anger as they prepared to take on Michael. Fortunately, the Lost Boys got their focus back too, and quickly moved to stand behind their friend, feeling just as determined to fight back if they had to. 

With their leader down for the count, the rivals were outnumbered. Not only was that made perfectly clear, but the look in David’s eyes was practically daring for them to try something. A look that said “we’ll devour you all in the most painful way possible if you don’t leave right now”

The message was heard loud and clear, and the rivals all worked together to get their leader off the ground before taking off in the opposite direction. They still gave the Lost Boys some pretty dirty looks before leaving, not wanting to be seen as cowardly. When they were willing and ready, they’d be back for a proper fight. 

It was finally just them again, and David was the first to turn his attention to their human companion. Any fury in Michael’s eyes was gone now, instead replaced with a regretful look. He slipped his hat off, holding it timidly in his hands as he held it to his chest. It was like watching a puppy pouting after doing something bad.

“Gee, I’m real sorry,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean to cause no trouble. I just couldn’t stand hearing such rude things about y’all”

“Are you kidding? THAT WAS AWESOME!!” Paul spoke first. Dwayne and Marko quickly joined in, all three of them surrounding Michael and giving his pats on the back and side hugs. It certainly wasn’t the reaction the human had expected.

“You knocked him RIGHT the fuck out!” Marko added on, chewing his nail with excitement.

“How’d you even do that? What’s your technique?” Dwayne asked. 

They were all clearly overwhelming Michael with their positivity, but it definitely wasn’t a bad thing. The sad look on his face faded away, and a proud smile took its place. Clearly, it made him feel better to see his new friends so happy with his actions. It made him feel less regretful about throwing a punch like that. 

While the others kept singing praises his way, Michael turned his attention to David, who was still off to the side and cooling off from the excitement.

“Are you alright too, David?” he asked.

A million different thoughts were swarming around in the leader’s head. He was still overcoming the initial shock of sweet, southern Michael throwing a punch with no hesitation like that. But it was a good thing. A GREAT thing, in fact. Michael wasn’t just polite and friendly, he was willing to take on battles for the sake of his friends. The more he got to know the human, the more he liked him.

Like, really liked him. 

He would never reveal how much so when they were all still getting to know him, but at the very least he’d give Michael the praise he deserved. A warm smile spread on David’s face as he stepped closer to his friend. He stuck his bare hand out, offering a shake just as Michael had done for him the other night. The brunet took it with no hesitation, even with the cold touch that met his own skin. It was worth it to hear what David had to say.

“Welcome to the club, Michael”

[fringing-with-mr-dennis]

Catching up with one of the most beautiful spots on earth . . . outside Colorado . . .

Day 37

Monday, September 4, 2023

Well . . . it’s now 8:46 PM and we’re heading back to Dublin from Belfast . . . on a train!

Normally, I really enjoy traveling by train . . . in the QUIET car!!!  Why do we always end up in the car with the LOUDEST crowd.  Last night was a bridal crowd that had possibly partied all weekend in Galway! Tonight, its used-car salesman convention that had possibly partied all weekend in Belfast!

Or, maybe I’m just too old . . . too tired . . . too much discomfort with this head cold . . .  dear reader, take your pick!!!

Today was our final official day of touring with the Irish Rail Tour.  Today started at the butt-crack of dawn in order to get the train to Belfast.  Once there, we joined another tour already in session.

One of the BEST parts of the day was revisiting places I’d been on my previous visits—Glenarm, Carnlough, Waterfoot, Cushendall—though I didn’t get to see my friends there because the tour folks weren’t clear in their descriptions of the day and I wasn’t able to prepare adequately to warn them I was coming through.

I spent a month in Waterfoot in early 2019 while writing blood(line). We sailed through the little village too quickly for me to take photos, but Carla was able to snap at a group of houses when I pointed in that general direction . . .

and I think she actually captured the right one!!!  But, I was sitting on an “inside” seat beside a tourist who was in no mood to share her window with me.  So I didn’t get to take any photos—one of the most uncomfortable bus rides I’ve had in a while.

After several other meaningless stops along the day, we finally got to the Giant’s Causeway . . . the real reason we even did the 1-day Northern Ireland trip . . . for a 2-hour stop!

So, as I pushed Renee and Carla in the direction of the shuttle-bus down to the Causeway, I took the path less traveled—up and along the cliff ridge.  And, for the longest time, I was the only person around—so very satisfying.  It’s not the easiest stroll, but the views were remarkable!!!

That was definitely the best part of the day!!!

Oh, and BTW, the used-car salesmen got off the train at the last stop!  The car is quiet again!!!

Then, there was one last stop, “The Dark Hedges” for all the Game of Thrones fans on the bus—not quite sure it warranted a 30-minute stop.

But, then again, maybe it’s just an “old . . . tired . . . head cold” thing.

[seancekitsch]

Powerplay: a Marko x Reader fic

part 3 of 3, previous part here

Warnings: harassment, vamp typical shit, cursing, death/killing, smut mentions, reference to the book

Marko was a good boyfriend, it turned out, except for when he wasn’t. You liked the sweet little kisses, the teasing way he snaps his jaw at you when you catch him staring, the way he holds you while you’re falling asleep even though he doesn’t have to.You like that he listens, more than your friends do. You rang another friend the other day, and were left waiting with the endless ringing again. You want to be upset, but they weren't as close as you were hoping they’d be. Your close friends were back in New York, three thousand miles and a year of working behind you. And they were Marko and his brothers now.

You love the way he keeps you safe, your protector being probably the deadliest thing you could encounter. You love the way he laughs, always joking and jovial. You always thought his smile hid a joke like some mystery, but now you're in on it too, and it's the funniest thing. There is no secret  joke, just Marko seeing the world with eyes full of humor. He sees the little things, and now he shows them to you. You love the way you can speak without speaking. Silence followed by heavy laughter, kisses, and understanding.

You even love that week you were on your period and every night he ate you out until you screamed yourself hoarse.

“Marko,” you’d say, “lets ride.”

And he would obey, letting you hop on the back of his bike, always after work, always too fast. You'd like to imagine him crashing as the wind whips your hair, stings your face. What that would be like, huh. It's what you assume he feels like when he flies, free and wild in the night. He caters to your every whim, makes you feel the happiest,  as long as the sun has set.

He was less a good boyfriend when he was hungry, brooding and refusing to get close to you. He would be irritable, pick fights, silent treatment. He would purposely leave you in silence, but he wouldn't ask for a taste, despite your offering. He respected you enough not to try that. Other times, he would make sure that you could hear every thought in his head. His thoughts sounded like shouts, always telling you to get the fuck away, always reminding you how vulnerable you were, how easy to kill you’d be. It's almost maddening. You never knew which nights he would be the silent ones, or which ones would be the loud ones.  

“Marko,” you’d say, “This is just temporary.”

You don't even have to think the words for him to know what you mean. Or those moments during the day when it's highlighted just how different he was, would always be. He would always be twenty and handsome and having fun, with a guaranteed group of friends. With a family he belonged with. You would always age, you would have to find something else to do eventually, and you would probably have to leave Santa Carla, because he wouldn't. You could always bore him, with Marko one day realizing you can't keep up anymore. You would always be weaker, and no matter how often Marko puts you first, he always holds the power. You’re only the decision maker because he lets you be. He could always take that power back. Find someone new when you get old and he stays the same age. He will always be this way, and you will always change.

It's those nights you think of pulling away from him, and you hope he never hears those thoughts. You love him, but he’ll always say it's not temporary. It's not true.

You love Marko today.

The jingling of the bell snaps you from your thoughts, head rising only to be face to face with one of the surf nazis. Huh, guess the boys didn’t clear all of them out. This one was tall, a skinhead with an upturned pug-like nose, wearing a lot of denim with eyes alight with mayhem in his agenda. Oh, please don’t fucking break anything.

“Hey Baby,” he sneers. God, his voice was even worse than his looks and his smell.

“Not your baby,” you deadpan, wishing desperately for him and his friends to leave without stealing or breaking anything forcing a sickeningly sweet customer service tone, “But what can I help with?”

Maybe good customer service will get them in-and-out quicker.

“That hot little body of yours could help me out,” his tone is outright mocking. God, is this how dudes like these think they can pull? You can’t even hide your grimace as you flinch at the words. If there was anyone else, just one other person working tonight, this wouldn’t be happening. You know this. Working nights alone practically invited this brand of harassment.

fuckfuckfuck. It’s way too early for Marko to be sniffing around, and if you can get them to leave the next four hours of your shift will be miserable. The man laughs, and it makes your blood run cold. He leans over the counter, past the little curtain of incense haze; breaching your only barrier of safety.

“I bet it could. Couldn’t it, baby?”

His large arms press against the glass of the counter and your eyes immediately flicker from them to the back room, where your knife is. He straightens up.

“Cat got your tongue?”

You frown, meeting his eyes now.

“Do you plan on buying anything we sell?” The Bauhaus record you have playing over the speaker skips, and you almost jump. It's just enough to break the tension, the rising bile in your throat clearing.

“I come in here for you, girlie,” and he affirms what you already know. Now that half of the surf nazis were gone, they were struggling to maintain their turf on the boardwalk. So harassment and torture at their hands were on the rise. Many people over the past few weeks had been dodging them in the stores around here, and now apparently they had caught wise to that. Done with it, you take a step back, leaning yourself against the back shelf to retreat further into the curtain of nag champa.

“You can fuck off,” you offer, gaining confidence as you realize the bong behind your head was more than affordable, and if you broke it over his head, you could cover it.

He opens his mouth to respond, but-

The bell on the door jingles again. A familiar smile fades into a scowl. Marko looks like one of those greek heroes tonight, maybe if only because his presence saves you from the gross comments (or anything worse) of the shaved head across the counter. He immediately distracts the surfer from you.

“Why don’t you get outta here, buddy? Me and the lady were just discussing me trying her out later,” the man spits, and you almost gag at the mental image of that.

Marko laughs, that high pitched full body laugh you love so much.

“That’s funny, buddy,” He throws the man’s nickname back at him, “Cause that’s my old lady right there.”

You loved and hated when he called you that. Technically, you are a year older than the year he turned. The first time you all realized that, Paul gave himself a stomach ache laughing over the ‘older woman’ Marko brought home. Tonight though, the nickname brings the biggest smile to your lips.

“Damn right I am,” you chime in, “and you couldn’t take the hint.”

Marko seals the deal by striding over to where you are and pulling you into a kiss over the counter. It doesn't take much more for the surf nazi to leave, the jingling of the door opening announcing his departure.

“I’m gonna make sure we kill the rest of them before the week is out.”

He waits the three hours it takes for you to be able to lock up behind the counter with you, loosely holding your hips and following you around, only moving away from you to pick out new records when one ends. 

Come over tonight, Marko thinks, and you know it isn't a suggestion. You kiss him hard on the mouth, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him to press against you. His arms automatically find themselves around your waist, squeezing you as he eagerly returns the kiss. This wouldn’t be your first time at their dilapidated hotel, with sprawling caves and chandeliers and beautiful spray painted murals on the walls. The first time you were there, he brought you there while the others were hunting. He fucked you on any surface not covered with knick knacks they'd collected or takeout containers, leaving you to sheepishly blush while he proudly talked to the others when they returned, deep red hickies and a bite mark on your collarbone you couldn't hide. The next time, the boys and Star and Laddie welcomed you in with booze and a feast and a fun night where you had to crawl out of the cave at dawn looking like a mess. Either way, he waits for you to agree before he leads you to his motorcycle.

“Star, Why don't you just become one of us already?” Paul whined, holding his half eaten eggroll like a cigar, “You're already living with us, Mama. We just want to be friends forever.”

She scrunches her nose, smoothing the long hair of Laddie’s head in her lap. The boy was tired, their unofficial little brother or not, he was still an eight year old.

“Or maybe,” David starts, dropping down from the rim of the check in counter of the hotel, “Star can just have some fun with them and we don’t even have to do what Max wants.”

The boys all laugh, Dwayne’s shoulders turning inward, while Paul smacks Marko in the chest behind you. Whoever Max was, he was someone that could give the boys orders; something you didnt think possible besides their own little group hierarchy. You'd figured out pretty quickly that David was the leader, Marko was his right hand, Dwayne was the left hand; with Marko enforcing, playful and impulsive, and Dwayne being the level head, logical and the one who often kept the boys from fighting and made them all remember why they loved each other so much. Paul was the baby. Both literally and figuratively. He was the messiest, the most likely to slip up;. He was also the one turned last. So when Star decides to be one of them, she’ll be the new baby. Then Laddie.

“No,” Star affirms, “No, I can’t do that to Michael.”

“Michael,” David tests the name on his lips, tongue darting out to lick them after he says it. The curly haired brunette on the boardwalk had a name. Then his eyes flick to you. There's a sharpness to them that feels so different from Marko’s. David is trying to stare through you, not to look inside of your head, to look past it, to see any weakness. A challenge.

“Who’s Max?” you speak up from your spot on Marko’s lap. You can feel him tense under you, but David smiles.

“You don't know about Max? Marko, you didn’t tell her about Max?”

Marko’s hand wraps around your wrist as David continues.

“Max knows all about you, y/n. There’s a reason you're here.”

Here as in, still alive in a vampire den, or here tonight specifically?

Mind thing? You think, and Marko leans his head down against your shoulder as he nods.

“So he knows Marko and I are X-men? Is he Professor X?”

You hear Dwayne and Paul chuckle from the other side of the circle, and Dwayne mutters, “Yeah something like that,” as he swats his hand at Paul’s mesh-covered chest.

“He sired us,” David clarifies.

“You feel it right?” changing the subject, “You feel like you need to be near Marko?”

Marko squeezes your wrist in encouragement, and you nod.

“He’s my boyfriend.”

“That's not what I mean.”

You know what he means. It's the way you feel Marko before you see him, the way you can never sneak up on him.

You nod again.

“That’s what Max wanted to know. Marko, do you wanna tell her, or should I?”

What does he mean? You think and the man below you perks up.

Come with me. His palms grip your hips and gently push you to stand, and he follows suit before taking the lead.

He leads you towards the mouth of the cave, where you enter and away from any listening ears.

“So you know how David is dating Star?” he asks, voice low and close to you in the shadows.

“If that’s what they’re doing,” you joke, and he laughs along with you.

“Well, he thought they had what we have, and that's why she’s with us.” He reaches for your hands to hold them, dropping any playfulness from before.

“I’m supposed to turn you, Max thinks. He’s a lot older than us, and he says some vampires have mates or something similar to that. Others they have some deep mental connection with. The guys… we can hear each other sometimes if we try hard, because we’re a pack. I don't have to try with you and that's why Max thinks it's different.”

Turn you? Like, capital T- Turn you? Into one of them? If he turned you, you’d never see the sun again; never feel its warmth. You’d have to drink blood, and human blood at that. You’d become a killer, and you’d have to keep killing. While you aren’t innocent, killing kind of seems like it would be a stretch for you. Some of their victims had to be innocent, but would your hunger corrupt your morals one day?

It's like he can see the wheels turning in your head, ability to hear your thoughts or not.

“Y/n, you don't have to. Fuck, this was dumb to bring up. David thought you were ready, but if you don't want to I won't make you…” He trails off, visibly a little more deflated.

But if you did, you would be on the same level as Marko. All of the insecurities you have about your relationship would just… stop existing. Your relationship’s expiration date would disappear, your fears about having to leave him or him leaving you would disappear. You'd have people and a place to belong and lover and guaranteed group of friends to be a new family.

“How does it work, Marko?” your voice surprises him, and in honesty, he brought you to the mouth of the cave to give you an out. If you wanted to leave here, leave him specifically, he was going to let you.

“You gotta drink, uh, vampire blood.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

You shrug.

“Are you sure? There's no take backs for this,” Marko’s voice is stern, unlike you ever heard it before.

Deadly sure, Marko.

He smiles, slowly like the moon rising in the night before it crescendos into the wide toothy grin you're so used to seeing.

Marko leads you back into the den of the cave where the others are hanging out.

Dwayne is the first to approach the two of you.

“Everything okay?”

You nod thankfully, offering him a smile.

Paul swoops in next.

“You better be tellin’ me you're joining the fam, chica!”

He tries to drape his arm around your shoulder, but Marko pushes him away playfully, both of the boys smiling.

“Let’s get this girl a drink!” Marko shouts, and the guys start up hollering and laughing.

Marko leads you back to where you had originally been sitting, his designated folding chair. He gestures to you to sit down, while he looks to David for something. Over his shoulder, you can see Star frowning as she watches on.

“Glad you got to talk it out,” David remarks as he hands a bottle of wine to Marko. Maybe you’ll be able to get used to his mannerisms in half a century. Marko hands off the bottle of wine to you, and your hands dip with the weight of it.

The wine bottle is bejeweled, another do it yourself project that the guys seem to love so much. It's heavy in your hands, dark and unseeing down the neck of it, but full. Marko crouches down between your legs, palms flat against your thighs as everyone waits with bated breath. You uncork the bottle, noticing the dark red staining on the cork, and knowing exactly what’s in it now. Two shaky hands bring the bottle to your lips, tilting your head back as you let the contents flow into your mouth, filling it. The ‘wine’ is thick, warm and salty but feels like it's already intoxicating you from just being in your mouth.

“That’s all Marko’s blood, you know,” David remarks, and you swallow deeply. All Marko. He drained his blood for you, weakened himself for you. Your eyes flicker to him, and he smiles up at you from his spot between your legs.

You smile back at him, widely, teeth stained with blood.

[goldlightsaber]

No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men doesn't really need my praise, given that it won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor and several other awards. But I'm here to give it anyway! It is truly a work of art. Over a decade old and it has stood the test of time as a gripping thriller. Warning: this review is a bit all over the place, but I covered the bits I liked best!

The Big Bad

Javier Bardem. Where do I begin with him? I could watch this man clean up gunshot wounds in a cheap motel room for hours. It was so fascinating to see him work -- even if a lot of that work was brutal, cold-blooded, psychopathic murder. Watching him was like watching a true crime documentary. He felt real and chilled me to the core.

I commend the script for all its cleverness, but especially the intentionality behind Anton Chigurh's dialogue. I have never seen more unusual, rhythmic dialogue. What stuck in my head was his relentless way of asking questions. "Where does he work?" he asks the trailer park management lady. She tells him she can't tell him. Again, he asks, "Where does he work?" She tells him again, more firmly, that she can't reveal the information. In the same monotone, he asks for a third time, "Where does he work?" He puts on no charm. He does not bribe or threaten. He asks questions straight. He disguises himself as --but does not claim to be-- something he's not. He pretends to be a cop; a man stranded on the road; a hotel guess. People believe what he only appears to be. They make something of him, something recognizable, so that they know how to interact with him. Except slowly, through dialogue, he reveals to them his true, sadistic nature. And no one wants to believe it. Often the people he speaks with are dumbfounded, stammering out "Sir?" and "I don't understand." It doesn't dawn on them until its too late that he is someone they should run from. It's ironic, really. The goodwill and trust of other people is his bread and butter -- it's what allows him to extract information without force (at least at first) and to obtain all the resources he needs. There's a Southern hospitality theme that runs throughout. Many of the Texans he runs into offer him help -- little do they know that, with Anton Chigurh, it will likely cost them their lives. Everyone is a means to an end unless they are the end -- the person he means to kill.

Don't even get me started on his weapon of choice. It looks like he's carrying around an oxygen tank. It even gives him a misleading look of frailty -- like he might be using it to survive despite it not being attached to his person. If he was carrying around a gun, people might run in the other direction. But, seeing a captive bolt stunner, people are often just confused (I had to look up what it was called) -- and that's part of his genius too.

Yet he's tone deaf. He is easily irritated by small talk, seeming not to understand its point (award for most extreme introvert like, ever?). He nearly killed a gas station worker seemingly because of the small talk. A hint at his disturbed, unusual mind. As I mentioned earlier, he always cuts to the chase -- no fluff. He will get what he needs now, or else. Unless you're lucky and the coin toss flips in your favor. Or there are too many witnesses nearby. But rest assured -- there is no escaping this man. As Woody Harrelson's character, Wills, asks Llewelyn: "You've seen him, and you're not dead?"

Subverting Expectations

With a crime movie, you hope the good guy lives and the cops catch the killers, or that at least one of the two things happen. Nope! Not that simple with a Coen brothers film. Llewelyn is a law-breaking and a "street smart" guy but has a golden heart. He's empathetic (like when the "agua" man hung over his conscience) and only shoots people when he needs to -- Anton Chigurh is his foil, in that sense. Even though his resourcefulness and quick thinking gets him out of trouble for the majority of the film, he is suddenly killed by the Mexican cartel. We don't see it happen, we only see the drug dealers fleeing the scene and the aftermath. It comes minutes after a flirty motel patron tells Llewelyn that, whatever is coming, Llewelyn will never see it coming. And he doesn't. And neither does the audience, for that matter. With Llewelyn seemingly gearing up to fight Chigurh, I expected the two of them to have a showdown over the money. Llewelyn's death was sudden and abrupt. He didn't go out with guns blazing. He didn't get to showcase his strength. For all the times he has healed from injuries, Llewelyn--likable, honorable--still dies.

The sheriff retires -- he doesn't manage to track down Chigurh or anyone else for that matter. To him, Chigurh is a "ghost." The sheriff, at the end of the movie, describes himself as "ummatched," and that is underwhelming too. You fully expect -- or I did, based on previous crime thriller movies-- for some sort of justice to be served, for someone to be caught and locked away, but Chigurh is alive and free at the end of the movie and so are all the anonymous players of the drug cartels working these deals. There was no justice. Not for Llewelyn, not for his wife, not for all the collateral damage.

A Brilliant Script

Speaking of Llewelyn's wife! I loved her last show of defiance in the face of Chigurh. She was shocked but not surprised. Surely, his appearance scared her, but she knew death was coming for her -- and she didn't give Chigurh the liberty of making her death her responsibility. He was fully accountable -- and she made that clear. Was it a foolish choice? I don't know. It did leave me thinking for a while -- what would I do in the situation? The coin toss is the greatest mercy Chigurh is capable of bestowing on anyone. He is a Harvey Dent without a grudge. She chooses not to participate in the game and he kills her. I asked myself: were I in that situation, would I have chosen not to play? There were two options: she plays and has a 50% chance of living. She doesn't play, and she will, for certain, die. She chooses the latter. Is that bravery? I think so. It's certainly strength of character. She is principled in a wholly other way than Chigurh. I feel that I would have wanted to "call it" -- give myself a chance at living. But even that phrasing is misleading. No matter the "choice," Chigurh is the real judge, jury and executioner. And he chooses to kill. Always.

When he exits Carla Jean's house, I found myself wondering what had happened. In the first few seconds of the scene, it isn't yet clear whether he killed her. What follows is one of the more brilliant, subtle moments of the film: Chigurh checks the bottoms of his shoes. We know from an earlier scene that he takes care to keep them clean from the carnage of his crimes, and so, we also know he was checking to see if Carla Jean's blood had spilt on them. He murdered her.

The Ending

I have not yet uncovered the symbolic significance of the car crash, but I can try to take a guess. The car crash brutally injures Chigurh, breaking his arm and God knows what else. It is a random accident, not someone intentionally trying to kill him. Two boys who were riding their bikes behind him approaching Chigurh, who is sitting on the sidewalk, seriously injured. The boys offer him help only out of goodwill. But then he offers them money for one of their shirts, which they initially reject until he insists they take it. Is the symbolism in that? Of yet-uncorrupted youth starkly contrasted with his total evil? In offering them a large sum of money, is he corrupting them to think of life transactionally? As he walks away, the boys argue about splitting the money and he is no longer their concern -- greed is on their mind but only because he brought up money in the first place. (I feel like I cheated on this one because I read somewhere how the movie is about the rising forces of evil in the world that are hard to defeat -- hence the sheriff is unable to defeat them). Will this start them down the path of chasing money and power? Who knows. Maybe.

Overall: a movie I couldn't look away from except to run to the bathroom. I could watch hours of Javier Bardem in this role just sitting. Or eating. But preferably treating his own wounds.

Watch if: you're a fan of Ozark (TV show); or Fargo (movie or TV show).

[lorirwritesfanfic]

When The Heart Follows A Blue Dot

Author's note: I almost thought about not writing this, but I miss Logan. [Leading characters are owned by Pixelberry Studios and original characters are creations of the author] Book: Ride or Die Pairing: Logan x MC (Carla) Rating: T Word count: 721 Summary: When Logan is away from Carla, all he can do is think about her. Based on the prompt: CFWC Silly Love Stories: Day 9 - Mutual Pining

Loud hip-hop beat blasts on speakers as people gather around the tuned cars. After maneuvering the dark blue Porsche Cayenne with ease in the parking lot not so far from the crowd, Logan steps out of the car and greets a few people, and meets his client.

"Jared," he calls.

"Logan, my man!" 

The buyer pulls him into a hug that Logan takes his time to reply. The man reeks of whiskey and expensive cigars. Still, he holds his breath and pats the client's back. He can't afford to be impolite with a client buying a car worth six figures. 

"Good to see you, dude!"

"Thanks," Logan pulls away and fishes the keys out of his pocket. "Here you go."

"Sweet!" The man beamed eyeing the keys much like a child admiring a new toy. He then took off his backpack and gave it to Logan. "It's all there. You can check it here if you want. We're safe."

Logan opens the bag, makes his usual quick check on the money, and nods. "All set. See you around, Jared."

"Dude! You're not staying?" The guy looks at Logan in shock. "I heard there are at least five girls who couldn't wait to see you tonight."

"I think I’ll pass."

"Are you— Oh, I know!" The guy grins as if realization dawned. "You already have a girl waiting for you, huh? You go hit that!"

Logan turns away and rolls his eyes. "Have a good night, Jared."

The man shouts something incoherent, but Logan doesn't look back. He wouldn't care less about parties, drinks or women. All he wants is to go home.

Once the car parks outside the motel he’s staying in, Logan pays the Lyft driver and walks straight to his car. While he waits for the parking lot to clear a bit, he checks the tracking device on his phone. Opening the map to get a clear view of the surroundings, he stares at the blue dot blinking on the screen for a moment and patiently waits for it to move.

As the parking lot gets quiet, he makes a quick scan around the area. Then, he opens the door and stashes parts of the money in different places. It may not be exactly safe to hide it in his car, but when he's on the road, that'll have to do. With that, he goes to his room, kicks off his shoes, and turns on his laptop as he goes to the bathroom.

Lukewarm water cascades over his head as the citrus smell of his soap bar spreads in the shower box. The thoughts of her flood his mind almost instantly. The scent of her silky smooth hair, how she almost closes her eyes when she laughs really hard, how easily every part of his body connects to hers, how good it feels to hear her calling his name.

This distance they eventually have to put between them to protect each other from possible enemies is necessary. But it's never easy to leave her bed. Or to let her ever leave his.

Stepping out of the shower, Logan dries off his hair with one towel and strolls into the room. His eyes land on the laptop at the table and follow the blue dot blinking on the map in a tracking website. His lips twist in a scowl as he stares at the screen and checks the time. The dot still hasn't moved. 

He picks up his phone and opens the text app. His thumbs hover the screen, but he doesn't know if he should send a text. Maybe it isn't a big deal and he's making a fuss for no reason at all. It's probably nothing. Closing the text app, he opens the food delivery one and makes an order.

Logan groans as his phone vibrates between his shoulder and the mattress. He rubs one eye with his free hand as the other reaches for the phone, which stops ringing the moment he finally grabs it.

Tapping the screen, he chuckles at the text messages sent to him:

Just then, another call. He can't help but smile at the ID caller and promptly touches the screen. 

"Hey, beautiful," he utters and shifts to the side as he makes himself more comfortable to spend as long as it takes with her on the phone.

[a-supernatural-writer]

Lost in the Shadow Pt.6

Previous Part Next Part

Word Count: 1431

FemOC x Poly Lost Boys

“Four mates.” Vanessa said as she pulled out a glass bottle of soda from the fridge. She popped it open with a bottle opener and sat on top of the kitchen counter.

“Four mates.” She repeated herself and took a drink, “I can’t believe it.”

For the first time that night, Vanessa took off her black shades, revealing her eyes. Her left one was a baby blue while her right was a light brown. Her heterochromia was a genetic condition that Vanessa wasn’t completely proud of. Too many times was she judged for it. She only took off her shades to those she trusted and well, sometimes it added a little “wow” factor to their performances.

Danielle smiled at her as she removed mugs from one of the many cardboard boxes that were scattered around their new home. She placed the mugs in the cabinet, “Believe it. You know, it’s not unheard of Ness.”

Vanessa set down her bottle and took out her fourth cigarette of the night which Danielle gave her a look for. Vanessa shrugged innocently, “What? It helps me de-stress. And I know it’s not unheard of, it’s just rare! It’s not normal.”

Luis poked his head into the kitchen when he heard Vanessa, “Normal? We’re dhampirs. Even to regular vampires we aren’t normal.”

He walked into the kitchen with another cardboard box that was labeled ‘dishes’ and set it down at their large dinner table. He was no longer wearing his shawl, leaving his chest bare except for the few necklaces that dangled around his neck. Seeing Luis’s bare chest didn’t faze either of the girls.

Luis walked over to Vanessa, leaning back against the counter next to her and taking a sip of her drink as she smoked, “But think of it this way. You’ve been forever young since the 1600’s and finally, you found your mates. For over two hundred years you had a coven, but you didn’t have love.”

Vanessa scoffed, “What? You guys don’t love me?” She teased, nudging Luis. Danielle chuckled, smacking Vanessa’s arm lightly.

Luis nudged her back with a chuckle, “You know what I mean. Romantic love. It’s high time that you have it. And plus, they’re hot so…” He trailed off, laughing as both Vanessa and Danielle whacked him.

“You’re not wrong there.” Vanessa reluctantly agreed with him. They were very attractive. Each in their own special way.

“I think it was good you invited them.” Danielle said as she floats up from the ground, placing mugs on the highest shelf. “Get to know them better.”

Vanessa hummed in agreement, tapping the ashes off in the sink beside her, “No doubt they’ll distract me tomorrow… in more ways than one.”

Danielle raised a brow, “Would you want them to?”

The whited haired woman blew out smoke, “I wouldn’t complain but the shop is important. We put a good portion of our money into it and we wanted this for a long time. It would have to take some serious convincing to tear me away tomorrow night.”

At her words, Danielle and Luis caught each other's eye and looked back at Vanessa who was snuffing out her cigarette in a random ashtray they placed around the house. She hopped off the counter, “I’m gonna head up. Unpack some shit and get to bed. See you at dawn.”

Danielle and Luis bid her goodnight and watched as she walked up the stairs. They waited until they heard her bedroom door close so she wouldn’t hear their conversation. When they heard the door close, Sarah and Timothy entered the kitchen, “We’re all thinking the same thing, right?” Timothy asked.

Danielle floated back down to the ground and nodded, “They’re her mates, she’s gonna need to spend time with them before we reveal ourselves.”

Sarah sat down at the table, “So we just make sure she takes a break when they come by and get her out for a bit.”

Luis took the rest of Vanessa’s drink, cradling it to his chest, “Let’s hope it works.”

Upstairs, oblivious to the conversation, Vanessa changed out of her clothing from the day, settling into her king bed with a white long sleeves button-up dress. In a way it looked like an oversized mens dress shirt.

Vanessa stared up at her ceiling in the darkness, sighing. She didn’t even touch her boxes like she said she would. All she wanted to do was sleep, calm down and start fresh tomorrow.

She rolled onto her side, hugging her pillow close to her. Tomorrow would be a new day, and she had hours to prepare herself before the night came. She smiled a little into her pillow. A bit of excitement blooming in her chest. Four mates… who would’ve thought?

Meanwhile, in the cave of a sunken hotel, David, Dwayne, Paul and Marko were having their own celebration. Hoots and hollers echoed through the cave, their laughter bouncing off of the walls and traveling down the maze of tunnels.

Star watched on from her spot in the main cave while Laddie was playing with whatever stuffed toys he had laying around. Star has never seen them so happy before. Even David wore a grin so big that it almost terrified her to know the reason for it.

The brunette female slipped behind her makeshift curtains that separated the cave from her area, giving her the privacy she needed. She didn’t want to know what the cause of their celebration was, so she distracted herself and played with Laddie.

“Vanessa.” Marko said aloud while running around the cave, following Dwayne. Marko thought it was a pretty name, it suited his mate very well.

“Vanessa.” Paul said it as well. Smoke from his joint flowing out of his mouth when he said the name. He could practically still feel her touch and it made him burst at the seams. He grinned, sitting on the fountain as he continued thinking about it.

Dwayne smiled, riding his skateboard and lightly pressed his hand to his chest. His skin still tingled from when Vanessa backed up into him. He skated past Paul, stealing away his joint which earned a “Hey!” from Paul. Dwayne just laughed, taking a hit.

David soon sat down in his wheelchair, leaning back with a grin, watching the boys enjoy themselves. He looked down at his hand; the hand that Vanessa kissed and traced his fingers over the spot.

She was cheeky, that was for sure. She didn’t easily give into David’s advances and gave him a challenge. A challenge that he was positive he was going to win.

Vanessa’s invitation repeated in his head over and over. Her and her friends were going to be in Santa Carla for a long time because of their shop and it gave them plenty of time to win her over.

“How long do you think we’ll have to wait?” Marko asked aloud, mostly to David as he hung from a stuck out piece of the ceiling above. Paul even stopped chasing Dwayne around to hear what David had to say.

“A few days, maybe a week. We’ll have to turn her friends too.” David said. It was obvious that they were close. All five of them moved together away from their home to open a store together. Vanessa wasn’t going to agree unless her friends joined too.

Paul jumped onto the fountain, somehow getting his joint back from Dwayne, “They seem cool.” He simply stated. The whole group were interesting characters and it would certainly add some more excitement into their lives.

His statement struck up a whole new conversation. Having their mate move into their home was no problem. It was just one more person. But having four more live with them as well would be a bit of a challenge. In a way, they welcomed the idea, but at the same time, how would they hide it from their sire?

“We don’t tell him.” David said, lighting his cigarette.

“David.” Dwayne warned. They couldn’t just not tell him about the group. Keeping something that big from him would more than likely end badly.

David looked over at Dwayne and sighed, blowing out some smoke. Dwayne was right. “We’ll let him know when Vanessa’s fully turned, but we don’t tell him about the others… at least for awhile.”

“But what if-” Marko tried to speak up, thinking the worst.

“He won’t do anything to her.” David interrupted him, knowing exactly what he was thinking. “You don’t mess with a vampires mate. No matter what.”

At least, that’s what David hoped.

[aliypop]

Blood Lust

Word count :  2,105

Warning: Language

A/N : Some more Tiffany and the boys in the past! I did it I wanna dedicate this 2 days of writing this fic to  @whatisgoingonpaul the source for the lost boys prequel as well as @a-supernatural-writer and @pitiful-anonymous-vampire

Near the dark, damp, humid Santa Carla bluffs sat several outlaws around a campfire. Tiffany and Stewart waited behind a few trees, her fangs sharp and ready to rip into the first ounce of flesh that she could get into. "Did ya hear somethin..." the two men who looked like bandits asked each other. The sounds of waves crashed against the rocks from below as the trees rustled. Darkness spreads across the bluff as Stewart blew out the fire. "Wh...Who's there..." one of the men says, feeling a deathly still presence from behind him. The cold hands of death touch the man's neck-snapping it in half as the mark of a lover's kiss is left on the corpse. 

"Well, boys, don't just sit there..." Tiffany turned to face the freshly turned vampires and their sire Max. Standing like statues, the boys only looked at Tiffany and Stewart. Who were both covered in blood,

 "Don't tell me you didn't ..." Tiffany glared at Max, who had the grin of a conman on his face. 

" Didn't what Ms." 

"How dare you turn these boys into vampires and yet have them figure it out themselves!" Tiffany shouted, her hands close to ripping her hair out. "First of all, little girl..." his hand underneath her chin. Tiffany nearly snapped at his finger, "I will rip you apart from where you stand..." she growled at him, hearing his already sickening laughter. 

"Is everything okay..." David asked, his reddish-blonde hair poking up from behind Max. 

"Not to worry... someones just being disrespectful, isn't she..." 

"If Camilla hears about this... she'll make you wish you never were born... " Tiffany laughed as she then saw a long-haired blond pounced on top of a body, "Paul use your hands first and then teeth!" she smirked, her dark blue gown trailing behind her. Flesh ripping apart was the only sound that Max and Tiffany heard as the two sat by a fire admiring the skill that "his" boys were learning. "Jasper!" Max shouted at the younger boy, his hair almost as long as his older brothers. 

"Yes..." 

"Try harder, will ya..." Max said, a bit disappointed in the boy. Jasper only sighed as he continued trying to find the right vein to feed on; Max only watched as Jasper struggled, almost as if he got a kick out of seeing the young boy starve to death. Stewart shook his head, taking his nail to the wrist of the soon-to-be corpse splitting it open. 

"Thanks..."

"Don't mention it, kid." he ruffled up his hair, getting a glare from Dwayne. The vampires had begun to travel further into the woods, trying to find the perfect place to make camp. Horses trotted in the woods, 

Stewart, whose hands were around Marko's waist, rested his tired body against his back and turned to look at Paul, who only rolled his eyes at him and kept riding past. "I'm just saying, Tiffany, you'd make a great..." 

"A great what..." she turned to face Max, her horse catching up to his.

 "I would say mother, but you can't even side-saddle..." Max mumbled, taking note of the way she rode. "And to think you've trained to be a lady... " Tiffany only laughed as she shook her head, " I am no lady..." taking the reins of her horse galloping in the wind past Max, "I suggest we trot faster if you want to live." she sang from afar. Marko, Stewart, and Paul had taken camp together. The three wrapped tightly in a blanket. Tiffany stood in her tent, her locket an ice blue amulet in hand, memories of a life she wanted to leave behind. Tiffany could feel a cold touch reach up to her back, her skin crawling as the hand reached up to her shoulder. 

"Poor little girl ... still waiting for happily ever afters, huh..." 

"Leave me alone..." 

"Or what you'll cry..." he laughed, "Lestat was right about you... You're easy too, eager," Tiffany wrapped her hands around his neck, urging her to squeeze him harder. Her vamping out only grew pale while Max nicked her with his nails.

"Hey, anyone seen my cigarettes ..." Dwayne poked his head in; The smell of her blood luring both him and David, Max, had only excused himself as both David and Dwayne invited themselves in, Tiffany began to back away from the two. Her eyes were now yellow and red from tears that wouldn't come.

 "Hey, hey, hey, it's okay..." David took her hand, 

"Look at me..." Dwayne said, his eyes trailing back to her wrist. Tiffany faced the two vampires as she took a deep breath.

 "I'm so sorry I wish you didn't have to..." 

"You're bleeding, dear..." David pointed out as Dwayne's eyes followed suit. Adjusting her wrist out, she watched as he hesitantly bit down on the already semi-healing skin. 

"Wanna tell us what the hell that was about..." David pried. 

"Just vampire stuff..." She shrugged, watching as Dwayne glared at her. 

"I promise you two it's nothing... I need to rest and..." 

"Tell us what's going on, Monroe." Dwayne pulled away from the wound, his hand firmly holding onto her hand,

 "I'm not that important ..." she mumbled as the two boys looked at her, 

"Max only wants me around you guys like a mother figure..." she laughed, removing her skirt, 

" So what do you want to be..." David turned away, letting her undress. "Well, I want to be myself... " she bit her lips feeling hands ghost over her corset. 

"And who would that be," Dwayne asked, glancing at the whalebone marks on her skin, "You tied this yourself..." 

"Mhmm, what's wrong with it..."

"It's shit." he laughed, 

"I beg your pardon!" she gasped, "It's perfect. "

"Yeah, if you don't wanna breathe." David turned his head, "You know Anastasia taught me how to lace up a corset."

"Here we go..." 

"No, no, let him speak..." Tiffany suggested as she sat down in the grass, 

"But if you can tie nautical knots, you can lace a fucking corset." David looked at the woman as she laughed. There was a sadness behind his eyes every time he mentioned the name Anastasia, but she must have meant so much to him. The colors of orange, pink, and blue began to crack amongst the dark sky as both David and Dwayne were asleep in her tent. Sitting out in the Dawn were Tiffany and Stewart watching daybreak hatch. 

" I think it time I change a new leaf..." she huffed, the warm rays on her skin, 

"What do you mean ..." 

"It's a new era, and I can't keep being what everyone wants me to be... I can only be who I'm supposed to be." she looked back as she saw Jasper, who was getting a peek of what would be his last sunrise over California.  

Sitting in the lobby of the Santa Carla resort was Tiffany, her thoughts heavy and her mind scrambling around. Looking down at her engagement ring, she admired every detail that Dracula had put into it. But she knew that none of it was hers: instead, it was just another way for her to become a trophy in his collection of wives. Max had then sat next to her, his hand on top of hers. 

" Go away..." She grumbled. 

"Or what..." Max smirked, tilting her head up with his chin, 

"I'll take everything you've ever loved away from you..." she growled, "Including the boys..." 

"You wouldn't..." His control over the other vampire fading, "You wouldn't know the first thing about raising boys..." Tiffany laughed as she broke from his grip, walking away from the power-hungry sire,

 "You know something, Maxi..." 

"What..." 

"You've no power over me... nor does Dracula..."

"You sure about that..." 

"Highly sure ... now if you excuse me, I've made arrangements with Paul and Jasper to go pickpocke-" she stopped talking as the ground under her began to shake, the infamous earthquake of 1906, the residence of the hotel had all rushed to the door,

 the chandelier had started crumbling down from the lobby ceiling. As a few people got caught from underneath it, Tiffany looked back to see Jasper, who was reaching out for his brother's hand, Dwayne looking at Tiffany, while Marko Paul and Stewart tried to help.

"You stay awake, do you hear me ?! don't you dare close your eyes."

 "Leave them, Tiffany..." Max said, watching as Tiffany tried to run from his hypnotic grasp,

 "I gotta do something..." she tried to pull away as he only beckoned for her to follow as well as the rest of the boys.

"Who has the power over who now..." he mumbled, the once ever so astounding resort torched with flames and burnt memories; faded into the night sky, leaving the sound of silence and howls of wolves in the background. "I'm sorry about your brother I-" Dwayne kept looking ahead as the two kept walking, 

"Don't worry about it, snookums, Dwayne, gets like that when he's upset..." Paul mentioned as Tiffany giggled, "Snookums eh... What god awful human did you learn that from."

"Some guy named Walter Emerson..." he looked at the pocket watch that he stole. He then looked back at Marko and Stewart, the two chatting away, while Tiffany looked at David, who had lost the love of his mortal life. She wanted to ask if he was okay, but his eyes looking towards the North Star said differently. 

Tiffany sighed as she kept walking, her boots getting stuck in the mud while her hair begun to stick from sweat to her face. " Can't we just fucking rest for the night... " The young woman groaned, 

"I mean David's fucking out of it, Stewart and Marko ate two rats, and Dwayne he's practically falling asleep, and Paul..." she looked back, "Holy Hell, where's Paul!" Tiffany turned to see the blond ripping the neck off a wolf open. Max grumbled both by his and her actions. He was irritated, but the nagging and the tiredness reminded him why he hated dealing with such newly turned vampires. 

"My Feet hurt..." Marko grumbled, 

"It's too hot..." David groaned. 

"FINE WE'LL STOP." Max turned towards the boys, his teeth out and ready to rip into anyone else who so had a complaint. They found a campsite with fire, a few tents, and what seemed to be a few drunk soldiers. 

"Tiffany, get rid of them." Max pointed in the direction of the men, "See boys: When you're more experienced, you'll also be able to cause as much bloodshed just like that..." he turned back to see limbs discarded amongst the ground, the perfect meal for a vampire feeding their young. "The place is all yours, boys..." 

As the boys went to rest, Tiffany did as well. Dressed in her nightgown, laying on the cot, she could feel a hand stroking her hair as it kept singing her name.  

Tiffany 

Tiffany

Tiffany 

She tossed and turned on the couch from up under her, teased out hair drenched in a cold sweat. "It's happening again..." Marko sighed, dabbing away beads of sweat from her forehead. Paul rushed over, holding her hand feeling, the odd heat radiating off her skin. 

 "Tiffany, sweetheart, I want you to drink this..." David said, trying to get her to look at him. It was the third time this month that Tiffany hadn't been so lucky when it came to feeding. She had caught a case of Blotoisis better, known as Vampiritis, a flu-like sickness that happens when a vampire consumes blood from a sick human. 

"I ... I don't wanna..." she shivered, her eyes closed from the lighting of the fire barrels, "You gotta toots..." Marko kissed her forehead. Dwayne rolled his eyes, placing another cold towel on her forehead, noticing Angelica, who had been holding hands with Sam, and someone else who he presumed to be a friend of hers that she met. 

" Babycakes..." Tiffany reached out to Dwayne, "Je ne me sens pas bien je veux des câlins." she pouted as Dwayne held her hand, "No cuddles until you feel better."

"I want you all to meet my friend..." Angelica said, walking further into the cave holding a can of chicken noodle soup. 

"Not now, kiddo..." David shooed her away. 

"But..."

"Tiff's sick..." Dwayne shrugged

"Will ya stop shooing away my girlfriend for one second," Jasper smirked, standing to the side, his dark hair almost as long as his brothers, 

"Jasper..." the boys said, turning to face him.

"Sheesh, love what you did to the place..."  

"I must be hallucinating ..."

[appleflavoredkitkats]

if atlantis theatrical did six the musical in the philippines...

principal cast

aragon - carla guevara-larfoteza

notable acting roles: mrs. wormwood (matilda), kim (miss saigon), maureen johnson (rent)

song sample: forever (shrek the musical)

boleyn - alex reyes

notable acting roles: was part of hi-5 (australia), ensemble (beautiful), ensemble (matilda), and she does this sort of job where she cosplays as different disney princesses in children’s events (she’s dubbed as the filipino moana!)

song sample: journey to the past (anastasia)

seymour - mikkie bradshaw-volante

notable acting roles: johanna barker (sweeney todd), lauren (kinky boots), rapunzel (rapunzel, rapunzel! a very hairy fairytale), cynthia weil (beautiful), carrie (carrie)

song sample: oh i wish (rapunzel, rapunzel! a very hairy fairytale) 

note: lemme tell ya something. her soprano is like no OTHER. i’ve seen her in three prods so far and she’s so so so good

cleves - sarah facuri

notable acting roles: pat (kinky boots), alysha (american idiot), jan (grease), ensemble (waitress)

song sample: i could be jewish for you by nikko benson

howard - teetin villanueva

notable acting roles: ensemble (waitress), ensemble (matilda), ensemble (shrek the musical), ensemble (beautiful), associate choreographer (sweeney todd)

song sample: get back up again (trolls animated movie) <-- SHE’S SO CUTE

note: she and carla (the one i picked for aragon) did a take me or leave me duet! (she also said mikkie, my pick for seymour, should’ve been dueted with her. atlantis actresses have very close bonds tbh)

parr - gab pangilinan

notable acting roles: gloria estefan (on your feet), young joy (ang huling el bimbo), marilyn wald (beautiful), ensemble (godspell)

song sample: carole king medley

alternates

maronne cruz - howard / aragon

notable acting roles: dawn (waitress), jeanie (hair), ivy (bare), audrey (little shop of horrors), april (company)

song sample: dead girl walking (heathers)

note: y’all don’t know. how much i love maronne cruz. she’s like an icon in atlantis, always an ensemble or a lead actress in every damn production, and she is so SWEET.

yanah laurel - cleves / parr

notable acting roles: lauren (kinky boots), lorraine (jersey boys), whatsername (american idiot), joan (fun home)

song sample: rolling in the deep by adele

jillian ita-as - seymour / boleyn

notable acting roles: ensemble / joy understudy (ang huling el bimbo), belle (beauty and the beast), little red riding hood (into the woods), sara crewe (a little princess)

song sample: lying there (edges)

note: here’s her and maronne singing thinking of you/the one that got away by katy perry

[gravecinema]

Why The Lost Boys Made Us Want to be Vampires - 05/16/2020

The Lost Boys is one of the most classic and well-known vampire movies ever made. It is also what I feel to be the first representation of the modern vampire. The tagline of the movie says everything you need to know about these vampires: “Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It’s fun to be a vampire.”

These aren’t your classic vampires that you’ve seen in movies from years before. More than anything, The Lost Boys shows just how cool it is to be a vampire. You go where you want. Do what you want. Wear what you want and take what you want. Not to mention, you get to ride motorcycles with a pack of friends right off the beach boardwalk. If you were a teenager watching this movie for the first time, there were no cooler vampires than the Lost Boys.

Released in July of 1987 and directed by Joel Schumacher, The Lost Boys tells the tale of two brothers and their newly divorced mom moving in with their grandpa near the fictional beach town of Santa Carla, California; the so called “Murder Capital of the World.” The older brother Michael, played by Jason Patric, soon becomes smitten with the beautiful Star, played by Jami Gertz. Star just so happens to be a part of the local boardwalk motorcycle gang lead by David, played by Keifer Sutherland, and Michael soon finds himself embroiled with the antics of the boys as they make plans to initiate him into their club. Unknown to Michael, it just so happens to be a club of vampires.

Meanwhile, Michael’s younger brother Sam, played by Corey Haim, befriends two local comic book geeks named the Frog Brothers, played by Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander, who try to warn him about the vampires, and that his brother is in danger of becoming one of them. Michael and Sam’s mom, played by Dianne Wiest, also starts a relationship with the mysterious Max, played by Edward Herrmann, who may have a history with the gang of vampires.

While Sam and the Frog Brothers hunting of the vampires drive the plot forward through most of the final act, it is our first interactions with the Lost Boys that really make the film memorable, and the classic that it has become. When a security guard kicks them off the merry-go-round at the start of the movie, the vampires retaliate by attacking and feasting on him later when he’s alone. The motorcycle ride on the beach with Michael shows the joy that the vampires express by doing whatever they want. They show their complete fearlessness and carefree attitude by hanging off a train bridge as a train goes by, all while trying to entice Michael to join them.

The most iconic scene has to be when they first take Michael to their underground lair, where they offer Michael to join in on having some Chinese food. David then plays some vampire mind games with Michael by making him believe that he’s eating maggots instead of rice, and worms instead of noodles. This is actually a very nice setup that David is playing on Michael, since when he offers him a bottle filled with the blood of their master vampire to drink to start Michael’s transformation into becoming a vampire, Michael then scoffs at Star’s warning that the bottle is filled with blood, believing that it’s just another mind game like with the maggots and worms. He then drinks it thinking it’s probably only just some wine. This whole scene is absolutely great and gets referenced many other times in other media. Most notably recently in the 2014 vampire movie What We Do in the Shadows.

The design of the Lost Boys is also a great influence for future vampire characters and stories. The distinct monstrous brow over their eyes that they develop when they transform their faces right before they feed is a technique also used again most notably in the movie From Dusk ‘Till Dawn, and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series. The popular bleached-blonde trench-coat-wearing bad boy vampire Spike from the Buffy series is also quite clearly highly influenced by the character of David from The Lost Boys. Spike was created in the 90’s though, so that glorious mullet that David had was left back in the 80’s where it probably most belongs.

The Lost Boys also has one of the best movie soundtracks ever. The signature song of the movie titled Cry Little Sister has been covered by many different artists and sets the perfect mood for the entire movie, starting with the opening title, and then later with Michael and Star’s sexy love scene. The song Lost in the Shadows that plays during the bike ride on the beach is also another fantastic mood setting song that really makes you want to hop on a motorbike yourself and ride alongside them. Also, no mention of this movie’s soundtrack can go without the truly iconic 80’s performance on the beach of I Still Believe by Tim Capello, who will forever be known to fans as the shirtless greased up muscled sax guy. I got to see Tim Capello perform I Still Believe as well as other songs at a convention recently, and the man still puts on a fantastic show.

The film also offers the viewer a visual lens of becoming a vampire through two different character perspectives. The older brother Michael seeks acceptance with the new crowd and longs for a relationship with Star. The younger brother Sam, influenced by the Frog Brothers and his comic books, sees the vampires as an evil corrupting force against Michael, and sets out to destroy them and the master vampire who may be controlling them. This allows viewers of differing ages to also enjoy the movie in different ways. When I was younger, I viewed the movie through the lens of Sam and wanted him and the Frog Brothers to successfully hunt and slay the evil vampires. Once I reached high school age, I was definitely starting to view the movie through the lens of Michael, and I would want to become the cool and sexy vampire and get the beautiful girl. I also suspect that once I get to the age of the Grandpa, I’ll probably be viewing the movie through his eyes as well. These lenses do a lot to help the viewer enjoy the movie at any age and helped to make the movie the classic that it has become.

It’s interesting to view the movie this way, since the characters of Michael and the vampire gang were supposed to be younger than they were portrayed in the final film. The initial concept of the movie was for it to be a sort of retelling of Peter Pan, only with the twist being that Peter and the rest of the Lost Boys were vampires, which is why they never grow old. Hence the title of the movie. Coming off the success of the Goonies, producers wanted another movie adventure with kids around the same age. It was when Joel Schumacher got directing duties that the decision was then made to age up the vampires and one of the brothers in order to make the movie sexier and to sell better to teens. The reasoning being that vampires are supposed to be creatures and metaphors for sex, and those themes would not play well with preteen characters. This change worked for the movie, since we still have that younger kid adventure story going on with Sam and the Frog Brothers, but we also now get the sexy part of the story with the older brother Michael and the gang of vampire Lost Boys.

The older content provided by the aged-up characters also presents us with some pretty fun and creative vampire death scenes. The scene where the vampires show their fangs for the first time to Michael gives us an intense moment where the vampires feast on a group of punks, with the punks basically being torn apart. The vampire deaths also get graphic with the Frog Brothers taking one of the Lost Boys out with a tub full of holy water. The most iconic death though without a doubt is the “Death by stereo” sequence. It is a moment and line so iconic that it has even inspired a song written about it. The Lost Boys certainly provides the viewer with a great deal of vampire slayage in the final act.

The death of David hits the audience differently though, since he is a very likable and charismatic character. He doesn’t explode when he dies like other vampires, and we’re meant to sympathize with him more. The character was so popular, he was even magically brought back in a comic book sequel to the movie. There’s a reason why the character of Spike from the Buffy series drew a lot of influence from the character of David. David is the absolute essence of cool when it comes to the Lost Boys and being a vampire. He’s the one character who makes us most want to be a vampire, and his death signifies a metaphoric death of that dream of becoming just like one of the Lost Boys.

The Lost Boys would eventually go on to spawn two direct-to-video sequel releases featuring the Frog Brothers in the later 2000’s, about 20 years after the original movie. They’re not bad sequels to watch for fans of the original and can still be entertaining at certain points, but they still come nowhere near to competing with the quality of filmmaking that the original film produced. That original film from the 80’s has continued to stand to test of time as being one of the true classics of the vampire genre. Many other great vampire films have been made since then and will continue to be made, but I doubt that any will quite make us want to become a vampire just as much as that motorcycle gang taking joyrides off a California boardwalk from 1987.

[morbid-n-macabre]

This is Cody Posey. Cody murdered his entire family when he was 14 years old; a few years later, at age 21, he was released back into society.

Cody had been living on a ranch in Hondo, New Mexico with his father, Delbert "Paul" Posey, his step-mother, Tryone, and his step-sister, 13 year old Marilea Schmid. From day one Cody's life had been troubled; two electricians would later recall doing some work for Paul when Cody was approximately 18 months old; apparently baby Cody did something which his father didn't appreciate, and Paul took his belt off. The electricians claim they had to physically pull the man off of this baby. Cody's biological mother, Carla Burst, couldn't deal with the abuse, she left Paul pretty early on. A bitter custody battle which stretched out over the years ensued; Carla finally gained full custody after Cody was beaten black and blue with a board by his father. The boy was thrilled to be with his Mama, but tragically Cody's happiness would only last a few months; there was a roll over car wreck which took the life of Carla Burst. Cody begged and pleaded not to be placed with his father, but that's precisely where he was sent.

From here on out Cody was abused each and every single day. The boy was beaten and forced to work 7 days a week on the ranch, from dawn to dusk, often without any food at all. But simple beatings and work wasn't the worst of it, Paul was sadistic bastard; he used an electric cattle prod on his son, beat the child with a lasso, dragged him behind a horse, and this is only some of the physical abuse in which this child withstood! Sadly Paul's wife, Tryone, was no better, and even Cody's stepsister was recruited to join in on the abuse; Marilea was rewarded for telling her parents whenever Cody did something his father wouldn't approve of. Even at school Cody could find no solace; he was watched like a hawk by his perfect stepsister who was just slightly younger than him, and beaten for every and any little thing. For Cody there were no buddies to hang out with, no football teams to cheer for, no days spent riding around on his bicycle, no little girlfriends to crush on. Cody was nothing more than an unpaid ranch hand and his father's whipping boy, and that's it. Well, I say unpaid, but that's not completely true: Cody was allowed ten dollars per month. Paul cashed the monthly SSI checks which Cody received from his mother's death, yet the boy reportedly worked every single day for months with holes in his boots until he could save enough allowance to purchase a new pair of work boots! Yes, child protective services was called several times throughout the years (I read somewhere that the abuse was reported 7 times!) but nothing was ever done; it's just one of those cases where everyone dropped the ball.

All of this went on for years, and maybe the teen never would've retaliated but Tryone and Paul finally pushed the boy too damn far. You know that old saying: There's only so many times you can kick a dog before he bites back? Cody finally bit back. On the evening before of the murders, 4th of July in 2004, Cody claims he was called to his parent's bedroom; when he walked in to see what was required of him, Cody found his stepmother, Tyrone, laying completely naked in her bed. Paul ordered that Cody be intimate with Tryone while he watched, and his nude stepmother attempted to pull the teen to her chest. When Cody refused, his father burnt him on the shoulder with a scrap of metal and a torch! The teen bit Tryone, an act for which Cody was burnt by his father once again. He somehow managed to get away from the situation, the teenager ran to his bedroom where he claims to have cowered in fear the rest of the night. Paul and Tryone had been abusing this young man for years; they'd beaten, tortured, isolated, starved, and humiliated him, but they would not sexually abuse him. In the morning Cody went out to perform his usual duties which included cleaning out the horse stalls. He wasn't performing this "chore" quickly enough, and his father slapped him; Cody later testified that this was when "I more or less lost my mind", it's thought that the teen likely dissociated. Cody grabbed a .38 Special out of his sister's saddlebag, went into the house, and walked up behind his step mother who was nestled up on the couch with a book; the teenager blew a couple of holes through his female abuser's skull. When his father and step sister heard the gun blasts they immediately ran to see what was the matter; the teen shot Paul, then he turned the gun on his sister. How could he leave Marilea alive when it had been her job in life to tattle on him for everything? When his family was dead, the teen loaded the bodies up in a backhoe, dumped them in a ravine, then covered them up with piles of manure. That right there says a whole heck of a lot about the way Cody felt, doesn't it? He physically buried his family in actual crap! Afterwords the teen discarded the murder weapon in a local body of water, drove his murdered father's vehicle to the store for a bottle of Sprite, then he went off to stay with a buddy until his arrest.

So the ranch was owned by a well known local reporter named Sam Donaldson, and by the 6th of July Sam had grown concerned. Paul had been strangely silent, so Sam and his wife decided to drive out to the property and see what was going on. Though Cody had buried the bodies in a crappy shallow grave, he hadn't even attempted to clean up any of the blood or gore; after walking into the home Sam called police. Cody was promptly arrested and charged with triple homicide, crimes to which he quickly confessed; the three corpses were soon recovered.

Much of the abuse in which Cody had survived came out during trial; literally dozens of witnesses testified on the teenagers behalf. A ranch hand named Isabel Vasquez testified to having seen Paul hit Cody in the stomach and shoulder with a pipe for no reason whatsoever, he had watched Paul strike the teen with rocks the size of golf balls, and in the photo I'm enclosing Isabel is demonstrating how Paul used a large metal hook to punish Cody for not moving bales of hay quickly enough.

The physical and emotional abuse was backed up by many witnesses, but of course nobody had been around during the attempted sexual abuse. That said, there's evidence which points towards it being the truth: during the investigation police discovered incestuous pornography on Paul's personal computer. This type of porn, much of it parent/child incest, had often been frequented while Cody and his sister were at school.

Sandy Schmid was Paul's second wife; the two had been married for 5 years while Cody was little. Sandy testified that Paul had always been abusive, and while she was living in the home she had done her very best to protect her stepson from his father's wrath. Sandy also stated that Paul had always had a strange obsession with incest porn. Nearly everyone begged the judge to have mercy on this young man, including the biological father of Cody's murdered stepsister; Marilea's dad, Jake Schmid testified on his daughter's killers behalf! It's a strange situation though, because Jake knew Cody pretty well; Jake had married Paul's second wife, Sandy, so when Jake would pick up Marilea for weekend visits, Cody would come with and spend time with the stepmother. Jake stated on the stand that he had always believed Paul to be abusive towards Cody, that he'd seen fear in the boy's eyes more than once when it was time to go home; Marilea's father also said that he did not hold any ill will towards the young man for what he had done, he felt nothing but empathy for his daughter's killer.

Now not everyone felt sorry for the teenager; the state claimed that Cody's abuse was widely over exaggerated. Their case was that Cody had become angry after his father smacked him as punishment for not cleaning out the horse stalls quickly enough, and they submitted seemingly happy family photos as proof that there had been no ongoing abuse. One of the few witnesses for the prosecution was Verlin Posey, Paul's brother. Verlin claimed that he had never noticed any abuse, nor did he ever see any bruises on Cody. Verlin was seemingly pleased with the idea that his nephew would be spending his life in prison: "One lifetime in prison is a pretty small debt for three.".

Cody was convicted of 1st degree murder in the case of his stepsister, Marilea, 2nd degree murder for killing stepmother Tryone, and manslaughter in the case of his father, Paul. There were also 4 charges of evidence tampering; Cody was looking at life imprisonment. Apparently it was left up to the judge to decide whether the teen was sentenced as an adult or a youthful offender. After hearing all of the evidence in this case, the judge had mercy; Cody was sentenced to psychiatric treatment, and to remain in a juvenile facility until he turned 21 years of age.

In September of '06 a couple of Paul's relatives (I'm willing to bet it was his brother, Verlin) filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the creators of the video game Grand Theft Auto and Sony, among others. In a nutshell, they claimed that the teen had been trained to kill by the video game GTA.

While incarcerated the teen finished highschool and continued his education with college. On October 9th of 2010, which was Cody's 21st birthday, he was released; today he is free, and that's pretty much all we know. He's blending in somewhere, presumably living amongst us.

*I usually *try* to leave my opinion at the door, so to speak, but it's not really possible in this case; this is one killer who I would not mind living next door to me. There is so much abuse which was witnessed by people, so much was left out of this article. They isolated and abused this kid in every way possible. Anyways, I hope Cody is faring well out there, and that adult life is kinder to him than childhood was. Everyone has their breaking point, right? Have you ever thought about it? What could drive you to murder?

[fantasmalforces]

For /post/620756925601169408/send-me-a-ship-and-ill-tell-you ... Dakota and Boone >×>;; || @maximuses

. * ･ ｡ﾟ☆ Ship Concepts Meme | CLOSED ☆ ｡ﾟ･* .

. * ･ ｡ﾟ☆ @maximuses ☆ ｡ﾟ･* .

Who said “I love you” first ? : Boone- let’s be honest Koda was way too conscious of Boone’s situation to want to make any moves on him. Even though she really wanted to-

Who would have the other’s picture as their phone background ? : I feel like they both would. Koda’s would be something really sweet and heart felt, a precious moment type of deal, and Boone’s would probably be something nice and classy, like when they’re dressed up while on a date type of thing.

Who leaves notes written in fog on the bathroom mirror ? : Both. It’s probably one of their ways of talking to each other. Leaving foggy little messages telling each other not to forget to take care of themselves.

Who buys the other cheesy gifts ? : Probably Boone. Fucker probably goes to Novac every year to buy a little Dinky so that every year on their anniversary, they remember where they first met (and then Koda sticks tiny handmade Lil rifles in the Dinkies mouths to make them more accurate. And then when comes back, she puts in a second tiny rifle to represent them both but that’s besides the point-)

Who initiated the first kiss ? : Boone that one time they were traveling on the road together and “Let’s Ride Into the Sunset Together” came one while they were taking a lil break and he just gave her lil peck. ;3

Who kisses the other awake in the morning ? : Probably Boone. I only say that because his nocturnal habits probably persist and make him the early bird- bummer for Koda because she doesn’t get to cuddle him then. (Though I imagine they compromise and Boone just stays awake while they cuddle so when dawn comes he just kisses her head and tells her to wake up.)

Who starts tickle fights ? : Neither of them. Dakota’s a stickler for wanting to avoid encroaching on his personal space a lot of the time, and while Boone’s physically very affectionate, he’s not the kind of guy to play rough with his girlfriend like that (now Jackson on the other hand-)

Who asks who if they can join the other in the shower ? : Oh Koda absolutely. She loves cleaning him up and tending to him, always wants to take good care of him. Also lowkey loves being able to see and touch his body, wants to take care of it but alway wants to ask for.

Who surprises the other in the middle of the day at work with lunch ? : Koda for sure. She likes cooking for Boone and bringing him his meals and treats. Likes keeping her hardworking man strong. Can’t kill Legionarries on an empty stomach!

Who was nervous and shy on the first date ? : Both- Boone because... he hasn’t been in the ring since Carla. Hasn’t had any desire to until now. Koda because she’s had feelings for a while and again, she understand the situation he’s in and doesn’t want to ruin their relationship. Also because she lowkey has a fuzzy head from those gunshots and she worries about how it will go. She wants it to be good for him.

Who kills/takes out the spiders ? : Hehehe Boone. Dakota can take out the big guys no problem but uh... little ones? Nah nah nah- they’re infinitely creepier, they move so much faster, they’re so groess- EWWW BOONE KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT.

Who loudly proclaims their love when they’re drunk ? : Neither of them. Boone is too quiet a man and Koda is too reserved a woman. Though I bet they still say it when they’re drunk, it’s probably a lot of hushed murmurs and giggling.

[kismetconstellations]

Astronaut | Amanda Palmer

“Yes, you are my love, the astronaut; flying in the face of science. I would gladly stay an afterthought. Just bring back some nice reminders.”

Bite | Troye Sivan

“Kiss me on the mouth and set me free. Please don’t bite.”

Boom Clap | Charlie XCX

“You are the light and I will follow. You let me lose my shadow. You are the sun, a glowing halo. You keep burning me up with all your love.”

Break The Walls | Fitz & the Tantrums

“Give me a sledgehammer and give me strength. Watch the world come crumbling down. Cut me loose, I seek the truth. I beg the freedom will carry me.”

Circus | Britney Spears

“So baby, I hope that you came prepared. I run a tight ship, so, beware.”

Clarity | Zedd (feat. Foxes)

“‘Cause you are the piece of me I wish I didn’t need. Chasing relentlessly. Still fine, and I don’t know why. If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy? If our love’s insanity, why are you my clarity?”

Come On, Eileen | Dexys Midnight Runners

“These people 'round here wear beat down eyes sunk in smoke-dried faces, They’re resigned to what their fate is. But, not us (no, never). We are far too young and clever.”

Die Young | Ke$ha

“I hear your heart beat to the beat of the drums. Oh, what a shame that you came here with someone. But, while you’re here in my arms, let’s make the most of the night like we’re gonna die young.”

Do It With A Rockstar | Amanda Palmer

“Are you really sure you wanna go when you can do it with a rockstar?”

Enjoy | Bjork

“How can I ignore? This is sex without touching.”

Fame | Irene Cara

“I’m gonna live forever. Baby, remember my name.”

For Your Entertainment | Adam Lambert

“Do you like what you see? Let me entertain you 'til you scream.”

The Greatest Show | Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Keala Settle, Zendaya & Ensemble

“It’s everything you ever want. It’s everything you ever need. And, it’s here right in front of you. This is where you wanna be.”

Here’s To Us | Lea Michele

“Here’s to us, here’s to love; all the times that we messed up. Here’s to you, fill the glass, 'cause the last few days have gone too fast. So, let’s give 'em hell. Wish everybody well. Here’s to us.”

Home | Gabrielle Aplin

“With every small disaster, I’ll let the water still take me away to some place real.”

I Belong To You | Muse

“When these pillars get pulled down, it will be you who wears the crown. And, I’ll owe everything to you.”

I Love You | Woodkid (feat. Angel Haze)

“Whatever I feel for you, you only seem to care about you. Is there any chance you can see me, too? 'Cause I love you.”

Kiri | Monoral

“Believe in me, and take my hand, and drink the wine, and fill me up. Believe in me, and take my hand, and drink the wine, and let me follow.”

Love is the Drug | Oscar Issac & Carla Gugino

“Face to face, toe to toe, heart to heart as we hit the floor.”

Love Me Like You Do | Ellie Goulding

“You’re the light, you’re the night, you’re the color of my blood. You’re the cure, you’re the pain, you’re the only thing I wanna touch. Never knew that it could mean so much.”

Lowlife | That Poppy

“All these years on my own, fight my fight all alone,'til you came. Don’t you know? Baby, you’re the highlight of my lowlife.”

National Anthem | Lana Del Rey

“Red, white, blue is in the sky. Summer’s in the air, and baby, heaven’s in your eyes. I’m your national anthem.”

Neon Lights | Demi Lovato

“Baby, when they look up at the sky, we’ll be shooting stars just passing by. You’ll be coming home with me, tonight. And, we’ll be burning up like neon lights.”

Nothing On (But The Radio) | Lady Gaga

“I’m calling 'cause I need you. You know I need you so desperately. You know how bad I can get. And, you know how good I can be.”

Oh, What You Do To Me | Swing Republic (feat. Patti Page)

“Won’t you let me cling to you, sing to you, bring you to heaven tonight?”

The Other Side | Alex Goot

“So tonight, kiss me like it’s do or die, and take me to the other side.”

The Other Side | Hugh Jackman & Zac Efron

“'Cause I got what'cha need, so come with me and take the ride- to the other side.”

Pagan Poetry | Bjork

“He offers a handshake- crooked, five fingers. They form a pattern yet to be matched.”

Paralyzed | Ken Ashcorp

“You’ve got me hypnotized. I’m feelin’ so obsessed with you. You left me paralyzed. And, now I’m stuck. You got me stuck.”

Run Away With Me | Carly Rae Jepsen

“You’re stuck in my head, stuck in my heart, stuck on my body. I wanna go, get out of here. I’m sick of the party. I’d run away, I’d run away with you.”

Shut Up and Dance | Walk The Moon

“She took my arm- I don’t know how it happened. We took the floor and she said…”

This One’s For You | Ed Harcourt

“My, oh my, oh my, I’ve had a few. My, oh my, oh my, this one’s for you.”

Uptown Girl | Billy Joel

“Uptown girl; she’s been living in her white bread world, as long as anyone with hot blood can. And, now she’s looking for a downtown man. That’s what I am.”

Wasteland | Woodkid

“How did you get to save me from this desolate wasteland? In your eyes I see the dawn of brighter days, again.”

Welcome Home | Radical Face

“You were never supposed to leave. Now, my head’s splitting at the seams. And, I don’t know if I can… Here, beneath my lungs, I feel your thumbs press into my skin again.”

What A Feeling | One Direction

“You’ve got stars in your eyes, and I’ve got something missing tonight. What a feeling, to be a king beside you, somehow. I wish I could be there, now.”

When My Boy Walks Down The Street | The Magnetic Fields

“Amazing- he’s a whole new form of life. Blue eyes blazing, and he’s going to be my wife.”

Wings | Birdy

“Oh, lights go down. In the moment, we’re lost and found. I just wanna be by your side. If these wings could fly. Oh, damn these walls. In the moment, we’re ten feet tall. And, how you told me after it all, we’d remember tonight for the rest of our lives.”

Young and Beautiful | Lana Del Rey

“And, all the ways I got to know your pretty face and electric soul. Will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful? Will you still love me when I’ve got nothing but my aching soul? I know you will.”

[believerindaydreams]

In the A03 version, I think Boone and Arcade probably need some alone time/fucking, and the train ride is the right time for that. Also girl!bonding for Veronica the Choo-Choo Expert.

In the rough draft I've just spent 10000 words having people talk about their feelings so here's a fight scene instead. The punchline is abysmal :)

Crossing at dawn, part 3

Carla

You didn't expect to get through the DC wasteland without seeing a few fights; but you also didn't count on one as soon as you left the train. Veronica had fixed up the surface level elevator without ever going outside.

What's outside is a lot of Super Mutants. Angry ones.

Arcade frantically pries at the elevator, now closed off by a blast door, while Boone and Manny had looked at each other and headed out to dispense hell. You crouch as best you can in a dark corner, fumble with the recharger rifle Boone gave you. It's very heavy.

"Don't make yourself a target," Arcade advises.

He then proceeds to do just that, running out with his ripper like an idiot; and you would rather not watch what's happening but you have to. No Super Mutant gets to tear you and your baby into pieces without a fight.

The crack of hunting rifles starts growing fainter; the boys must be moving out, finding more distant targets. Arcade stays fairly close, his weapon grinding away horribly.

It's a good thing. It means that when the explosion of a frag grenade comes out of nowhere, you're there to pull him away.

It looks ghastly- those nice boots he polishes every night are sodden with blood. There are leg bones sticking straight out of the skin. He moans, and you realise he's still conscious.

"Could do with a Med-X...or..."

You stab one into him. Also a stimpak, and a super stimpak, and a hydra, because syringes are easier than doctor's bags and you don't think you could do anything complicated right now. As an afterthought you give him a Nuka-Cola, because he's still very pale and maybe it will get his mind off the pain some.

The scary thing is, it works.

You can actually see the wounds mending themselves, flesh moving, stretching itself back into place. Shards of bone are absorbed under rippling skin, making strangely shaped lumps that smooth themselves out and vanish. The new skin is dead white, like feet after a long swim.

"Oof. That's much better."

You haven't been subject to morning sickness; but right now you want to throw up. "Did I...did I get it wrong? Are you going to die?"

"What? No, not as long as I can avoid any more grenades- you did great, thanks for the help. I'd better go return the favor."

Arcade grabs his weapon and goes, almost cheerful.

You stay where you are, cradling your small bump of life protectively; and wondering just what else the world's always had that you've missed.

*****

Manny

Well, fuck.

Look. I've seen Super Mutants. I've killed a couple, when they got too close to the NCR safehouse. I even ran drugs to a few in Jacobstown- you never know who wants the taste of chalky Mentats.

These things? They may look like Super Mutants but they are batshit crazy. Super super mutants, if you want.

"The fuck are you doing?" Boone's oiling his gun, lest he be caught with a minimally subpar one in the next minute.

"Poking through a net full of guts with a knife, what does it look like I'm doing? There's some caps here."

"You can't be meaning to take them."

"Eighteen classy suckers, all mine." I wipe them off with a fragment of blasted leather armor, drop them into the alcohol bottle I keep for real nasty examples. A day in there and the Ultra-Luxe would take them.

"Yeah. A real classy partner I've got," Boone says. He's kind of grinning.

"So...what do we make of this? FEV that gives you bad taste in decor?"

"I didn't like the way they handled grenades. Damn it," Boone says. "Never really thought about it, but only those asshole Powder Gangers really mess with this stuff back home. We're gonna need a lot more doctor's bags if this is warfare around here."

"Doctor's bags don't come cheap."

"Maybe we can get Arcade to make some."

It's a familiar rhythm we're falling into, the kind neither of us liked but we weren't bad at- dropout missions, I've heard them called sometimes. They drop you and let you figure how to get the hell out.

Only this time there's nowhere to get out to.

Boone's thinking is running along similar tracks. "If we could get back to the Mojave right now, I might at least think about it."

"Doesn't hurt to check our options."

So we circle the place, looking for exits. A few doors leading into mazes, a lot more blocked by debris. Those damned blast doors everywhere.

"Guess we know why no one ever came from here to the Mojave. I want Veronica's head on a plate."

"Me too."

Eventually we circle back to where we came in. Carla is hemming Arcade's coat, while he watches out.

It does feel a lot better having someone trustworthy to rely on for close work. Certainly for as long as we have Carla in tow.

"All clear?" he asks.

"Everything in here is dead," Boone says. "Who knows what's outside."

"I suppose Veronica was right about the magnetized lockdown parameters being unable to compensate..."

After a while we get it out of him that he knew this could happen, which we give him hell for, and he retorts that he gave us credit for understanding, which Boone squashes by telling him just to assume we never understand anything in future. Which is fun and all, but doesn't solve our problems.

Which right now, amount to two. If we don't have Cow, we don't have the tent, and that means makeshift bedding and no stove. Annoying, but we can get by.

The bigger problem is what Carla's gonna drink, because they say flushing with Rad-Away isn't ideal for pregnant women. Something about how rads hit the baby but the Rad-Away doesn't.

"So we need to find some purified water," Arcade says. "Well. How hard can that be?"