#I’ve just been adding more and more to this one giant scene leading to nowhere

[snarktheater]

Ready Player Two — Chapter 22-23

Last time, I had to cut our Prince quest in half because 1) it was taking much longer than it had any right to be, especially considering how little was happening, and 2) it hit my angry queer nerd bone. So let's continue where we left off, in the dramatic chapter break cliffhanger that was…walking into a clothing store.

In there, Wade gets a beret that unlocks a special car. While they drive, Aech and Shoto argue about the lyrics of a Prince song for a whole page, and I am instantly bored again. Like, no, seriously, I'm gonna rant for a second, because it's not like I can really summarize this, so I might as well have something to say.

Look, I've harped on these books being full of references to the detriment of everything else before, but this actually takes the cake by a wide margin. I can't really pinpoint what's worse about this exactly; it's not like I haven't been through a slew of references I didn't get before in this series. I guess the best way I can put it is that it's bad in exactly the same way the rest of these books were bad, where the references pushed anything of interest out of the way, just…more. And denser. It's probably not helped by the fact that Aech is leading the charge, because while Wade withholding information from us, but knowing what he is doing is one thing, now that Wade also doesn't know what's going on, everything feels actually aimless.

This is not helped by Aech's "isn't it fucked up that Prince became homophobic, or what?" moment last chapter. What am I supposed to do with that speech when she herself still shows no actual emotion towards it?

Anyway. Aech takes them to a club to audition for a band who will help them in combat, and then, suddenly, a thing happens! I guess I just had to complain.

Namely, Sorrento shows up.

“Don’t you kids ever get tired of picking through the wreckage of a past generation’s nostalgia?” He stretched his arms out wide. “I mean, look around. The entire OASIS is like one giant graveyard, haunted by the undead pop-culture icons of a bygone era. A crazy old man’s shrine to a bunch of pointless crap.”

I probably shouldn't be surprised I agree with the villain, right? I imagine that makes some sort of sense.

Well, okay, that's not entirely true. I don't agree with him implicitly passing judgment on the value of enjoying old stuff. But I do think the OASIS is cruelly lacking in imagination and stuck in a stagnant state, and due to the book's setup, the entirety of human culture is stuck in stasis with it. And that is bad, actually.

In the midst of his evil villain speech, Sorrento taunts them about Samantha bailing on them, which means he has no idea what she's actually off doing, and that kind of diminishes the threat he poses already.

“Anorak is preoccupied at the moment, so he sent me to remind you that every move you make is being watched. Time is running out. And your deadline is nonnegotiable.” He smiled and then added, “So keep your eyes on the prize or meet your demise.” And with that, Sorrento teleported away, and his avatar vanished.

Wow. Your villain showed up, and the scene still went nowhere. That's gotta be some special dedication to doing nothing at all.

So back to Aech's plan, then, which is to recruit the Original 7ven she mentioned when she first saw the clue. Turns out they're a band, and one of the symbols on the clue is their band logo. Oh, and also the audition is actually just playing DDR. You know, that game that requires excellent coordination and also lots of practice and memorization. Yet Aech decided to spring it on them last minute. Genius plan.

“DDR!” we shouted, as we both began to dance in sync to the arrows. Aech joined us, and the three of us danced side by side, hitting our marks on the floor in perfect sync. We managed to keep it up until the very end of the song.

Of course, this being this book, it's not like there's any challenge in your challenge. I love that Wade doesn't even try to justify this one. He hasn't conveniently played tons of DDR before, let alone this specific song. He doesn't even have some kind of software or admin power that would help him. He's just that gosh darn perfect at everything this book will ever throw at him.

Who is this for, really? Who finds this satisfying to read? I sincerely need to know.

It won't surprise you to hear that yes, the band does join them in their tour bus to go battle the seven facets of Prince. Speaking of which, they finally drive to that battle. But don't worry, they'll still make another stop along the way so Aech can go into a pyramid by herself and get more loot.

“The first pendant was a golden circle, which Aech gave to me. The second was a golden horn, which she gave to Shoto. The last was a golden androgyne symbol, which Aech placed around her own neck. “All right,” she said, letting out a heavy sigh. “Now we’ve got the Three Chains of Gold too. I think we’re as ready as we’re ever going to be.”

Sweet. Whatever that means.

Okay, now to battle?

As we gazed up in wonder at the giant structure, the tour bus pulled up and parked behind us, and Morris Day and the rest of the Original 7ven emerged. None of them spoke. They all just stood there waiting and looking extremely cool. Jerome walked over to Morris and pretended to dust off each of his shoulders. The other members of the Time all wore grim expressions. They looked ready for a war.

Great, you got your dramatic posing out of the way. Now can you start banging your action figures against one another like a proper five-year-old?

“Not yet,” Aech said.

Oh for fuck's sake.

No, they have to gear up first, which will of course be described in detail.

Among other things: Wade's gonna have to play real guitar, the thing he mentioned he was learning earlier in the book. And honestly I'm so overjoyed that something was actually planted early and paid off later that I'll gloss over the fact that he is by his own admission very much a novice but will probably still do fine.

“Open up its item description,” she said. “Right now. Before we go in there, you need to memorize all of the special attack licks and power chords.”

You know, totally something that Wade is likely to be able to do at his level.

Aech actually gives some details on the different forms of Prince they might meet and the henchmen/backup bands they might have, and by that I mean she stops giving details after three, because who needs to actually strategize. No, it's far more important that Aech reiterates that it'll take a miracle for them to win. Which, given that you've established dying in the OASIS right now would land you in limbo, doesn't it sound like something you should maybe reconsider?

No? You're going to fight the boss, but in the next chapter? Okay, sure. Luckily we have time to keep going.

So the Seven Princes show up, and of course Purple Rain is the baddest of the bunch, and by that I mean he sounds like this:

“There they are!” he shouted in a voice that reverberated throughout the arena. “Those are the heretics who broke into our house, trashed our bike, and stole our spaceship! And now they dare to defile our temple grounds!”

I want to know if this is a reference to something, but I feel like the answer will be depressing either way.

What follows is best described as the approximation of an action scene. I'm shocked that stuff is happening and isn't just being droningly summarized. I mean, Wade is still completely emotionless as a narrator, but it's still some actual action. So shocked, in fact, that it took me a moment to realize that for a long time all Wade describes is each Prince's signature attack, while not really bothering to describe how our protagonists and their backup react to it.

Cloud Suit Prince was singing a song from 1984 called “I Would Die 4 U.” But he altered the lyrics of its chorus slightly, so what I heard was, “You will. Die for. Me. Yeah! That is how it’s gonna be!”

And just to be clear, it's still not devoid of all the usual trappings of being chock-full of references and questionable humor. I'm sparing you Wade briefly thinking that one of the Princes is going to attack out of his own ass.

So, after describing each of these attacks one after the other like this is a game guide, Wade finally starts dishing out some attacks of his own. By which I means he gets two hits on one of the Princes, who immediately retreats. Aech also summons the original 7ven, and then they all get attacks described in lavish detail. Then the Princes' henchmen also show up, and then Aech summons Janet Jackson and the Rhythm Nation, which is something she just…is able to do?

“Holy shit!” she said. “I can’t believe that worked!”

Me neither!

You know what's useful to have in a fight scene? Stakes. Not just so we know what the protagonist wins or loses based on the outcome of the fight, but individual, momentary stakes. What attack will deal what kind of damage, what the character can deal with and what's too much. But if the story starts pulling new rules and concepts straight out of its ass, and the current rules are so unclear that it's impossible to know what is and isn't actually bad news, then it's hard to care on what's happening in the fight.

Case in point: I most certainly do not.

And then it became an all-out sonic war. I don’t know exactly what happened next, or how it all went down.

Then again, I'm not surprised the book cares all that much, either.

So we skip to most of the adds being wiped out, as well as four of the Princes. And yes, one of those four Princes is the one who retreated after one attack by Wade. So. He sure was a threat.

Now, you might think "okay, it's now three on three but the heroes have blown through all their strongest hits, so it's going to be a challenge, just a more even one," right? That seems sensible enough. Unfortunately, this is where this duel starts.

I got off another lucky shot from the Cloud Guitar and managed to nail Third Eye Prince directly in his third eye. Apparently that was his weak spot, because he vanished in a shower of glittering purple dust. The last two incarnations gasped, and so did Aech.

Like, yes, I get it, you're setting up a dramatic reversal of fortune. Doing a thing, you know. But still. You got five of the seven down without breaking a sweat.

But speaking of the reversal. Aech warned Wade that his guitar weapon would explode, and it does after this, leaving him near death. Also, Shoto says another "blaspheme" against Prince and gets lightning bolted to death. No, really. Wade also assumes that that's because he's suffering from synaptic overload from using the ONI too long. I didn't know acting irrationally was a potential side effect of that, but here you go, I guess. RIP Shoto. Maybe.

Acting on survival instinct, I ran over to scoop [Shoto's items] up and add them to my inventory. Aech ran over to stand shoulder to shoulder with me. At some point during the melee, Mesh-Mask Prince had descended to the ground behind us.

I didn't cut anything here. We just go from a character's virtual (and potential) death, to grabbing his loot, to "some point during the melee". Why even bother coping with said apparent death, or (re)starting the fight, am I right? Let's just cut to something else.

And by "something else" I mean, of course, another reference that the book thinks counts as a set piece, as one of the Princes summons (I think?) a woman.

She was dancing and spinning in circles, with a large sword balanced on top of her head. My HUD informed me that this woman was Prince’s first wife, Mayte Garcia. […] “This is just like the music video for ‘Seven’!” [Aech] shouted.

Of course it is.

The woman then starts to sing, and the Princes are all revived to sing with her…and then they turn into the Fifth Shard. So…did we forget the part where the heroes, after the dramatic reversal, should, you know, overcome the newly renewed odds and triumph anyway? No? Random woman showing up to sing and defeat them? Okay sure.

The flashback Wade receives from this shard is from Kira's 40th birthday at a rock club. Halliday is here being a creep, and also they got Prince as a special guest for the event. And Kira's happy about that.

So, like, that would be sometime in the early 2010s, right? Is this before or after he became a Jehovah’s Witness and became homophobic? Oh, who am I kidding, they don't actually care about that.

Back to the present, and Wade doesn't bother trying to figure out what happened here. Which, on one hand, is vaguely annoying, but at least it's because he goes straight to worrying about Shoto, so I'll take the rare moment of humanity. Unfortunately, they still don't have any idea what happens to the ONI users stuck in limbo, so the scene doesn't really go anywhere. At least we learn that Shoto's wife and family are aware of his situation and are standing watch over him?

And then it's on to the next clue

Win her hand through a feat of dark renown The last two shards are set in Morgoth’s Crown

Oh. Well that's easy. Even I could probably figure it out. And it's the last two? Did you get bored with your own plot?

Wade goes straight to catastrophizing, because Morgoth is the ultimate evil in Lord of the Rings, and he's totally unbeatable and overpowered, and I'm just here like…yeah, you just said all of that about Prince, though.

I started to laugh. […] I checked my ONI usage countdown and I still had over an hour remaining, so I couldn’t be experiencing the onset of SOS. Not yet. Which meant I was just starting to lose it.

Anyway, Aech conveniently doesn't know who Morgoth is so Wade can explain it. I don't know why the book bothers having a character (who, as a gunter, probably should know this) when Wade hasn't been shy about explaining things in narration; the reader needs the info but this feels like the wrong way to go about giving it.

“Let me guess,” she said. “They’re all white, right? White Elves. White Men. And White Dwarves. I bet everyone we encounter on this Tolkien planet is gonna be white, right? Except, of course, for the bad guys! The black-skinned Orcs.” “Saruman the White was a bad guy!” I replied, losing my temper. “We don’t have time for literary criticism right now, Aech, valid though it may be! OK?”

There's something deliciously ironic about me posting this exchange, and I am enjoying it very much, thank you for asking. But also, I love that Wade's argument against Aech's very valid point is to say "well there's a white villain too". Which is a flimsy argument. But also, if you want to go there: the White part isn't because he's a white person, and also, Saruman became Of Many Colors during his switch to evil, and it's Gandalf who became the White Wizard in his stead from then on, which actually does imply the White Wizard is good and that Many Colors are bad. Which I doubt was ever meant to represent race, but if that's the reading Wade brings into, suddenly makes the whole thing look like a screed against multiculturalism.

Okay, Wade does apologize for whitesplaining, at least. And then it's off to Arda I, the planet based on the First Age of Middle Earth.

[duhragonball]

Hellsing Liveblog Ch. 45-50

This is the “Soldier of Fortune” arc.  I thought there was a song by this title and there is!    Give it a listen.

This opens with a flashback to Pip Bernadotte’s childhood, where he finds out his whole family is a bunch of mercenaries.    His grandfather confirms it, and I should point out that Grandpa Bernadotte is the most mercenary-looking dude I’ve ever seen.   He’s wearing a friggin’ beret while he tells Pip about how his dad died in some war to raise money while Ma Bernadotte was pregnant with Pip.   Was Pip’s mother a merc too? 

I guess my point is that this whole scene feels really stupid to me.   Kid Pip grew up among mercenaries, but he’s literally the last person in town to find out about it.  How do the kids at school know?   Are the Bernadottes that well-known?   I always assumed mercenaries tried to keep a low profile.   Then again, they are entrepreneurs, so maybe the kids in school found ads about the Bernadottes in the phone book.  

Even so, was Pip’s family trying to keep this a secret from him?  Because Grandpa sure wasn’t.   Not with that beret he’s got on.   It’s like he’s been waiting Pip’s whole life to tell him, so why didn’t he mention it before?  You’d think he’d want to raise the boy to follow in his footsteps, the same as Pip’s dad.  Did Pip’s mom not want him to grow up to be a mercenary?  It just seems like she should have known that wouldn’t work out.  

Anyway, Grandpa Bernadotte waxes philosophical about killing people for money, which doesn’t seem like much of a justification.   Pip was very upset about the whole thing, and I don’t think Grandpa said anything to make him less upset, and then we flash forward to the present day, where Pip’s a mercenary.

I mean, what was the point of that flashback?  Pip was horrified to find out his family kills for profit, and then at some point he got over it and joined the family business.   Why didn’t the flashback show us that moment instead?  It seems more relevant.  

At any rate, I feel like the flashback is overlooking the true point of Pip’s character arc.  He starts out a soldier of fortune like his father and grandfather, but by joining up with Hellsing he’s now fighting for a much nobler cause, ridding the world of unspeakably evil monsters.  He still seems to look at it like just another job, but it’s still important.  His defense of the Hellsing mansion is a lot more heroic because he’s fighting against daunting odds with very little hope of surviving to see another sunrise, let alone his next paycheck.  

Back to the main story, when Millennium’s forces invaded London, they sent a company to the Hellsing HQ on the outskirts of the city.   Zorin Blitz was tasked with leading this group, but she was ordered to hold off on attacking until the Major gave the word.   The Major then fired rockets at the mansion, only for Seras Victoria to shoot the rockets down... and Zorin’s zeppelin.   Now, Zorin is trying to lead a ground attack on the mansion, except Pip has turned the entire yard into a minefield.   

Seras disapproves, but Pip doesn’t care.   In this sort of conflict, he and his men, the Wild Geese, are at a complete disadvantage.   Vampires, even the weaker, artificial vampires of Millennium, are faster, stronger, and harder to kill.  He hints at some sort of vampiric ability to read an opponent’s movements, too, which might have something to do with that whole “third eye” trick Seras and Alucard use.   Against all of that, landmines are a sensible precaution, since they’re powerful enough to kill a vampire in one shot and don’t rely on a human operator with killing intent. Seras can gripe, but if Hellsing had used mines back in volume 2, the Valentine Brothers never would have made it inside.  Pip clearly read up on that debacle, since it must have taken weeks for his men to bury all these mines.

The landmines do kill a lot of Zorin’s troops, and the Wild Geese lay down heavy fire from the mansion to keep up the pressure, but Zorin won’t give up so easily.   She uses he powers to create some sort of zany illusion, where everyone sees a giant Zorin Blitz attacking the mansion.

So what the hell is Zorin Blitz, exactly?   I thought she was a vampire, but reading this manga has revealed that Rip Van WInkle is a werewolf, which led me to suspect Zorin is a werewolf too.   But the manga is silent on Zorin being one or the other.  I check the Hellsing Wiki, but it contends that both women are vampires, and the term “Werewolf” just refers to the group of officers in Millennium.   This group includes literal werewolves like the Captain and Schrodinger, but not Blitz and Rip.   

Maybe it doesn’t matter that much, but I find it a little silly to call all four of those characters “Werewolves” and then only two of them are really werewolves.   Clearly, all four of them are a cut above the Major’s other troops, and none of them show any interest in drinking blood, or any other vampire-exclusive traits.   On the other hand, this whole battle takes place under a full moon, and none of them seem to be affected by it.    Unless the Major chose this particular night to launch his offensive because he wanted them all to be at full power.   Maybe Zorin couldn’t do this illusion thing otherwise.

Anyway, the Wild Geese see this giant woman slashing at them with a scythe, and they all panic.   Seras sees it too, but she somehow intuits that it can’t be real.   Then she sees Alucard, who reminds her of her third eye.   I’m not sure if this is a flashback or Alucard is using telepathy to coach her from the deck of the H.M.S. Eagle.  

Either way, Seras uses her third eye and not only sees through the illusion but lines up a shot on the illusion-caster.  But it only grazes Zorin.   It disrupts the illusion, but it doesn’t end the threat.

And even though the illusion is shattered, it still distracted the Wild Geese long enough for Millennium troops to enter the mansion.   Seras manages to shoot them down, but there’s more where that came from.

Because the Nazi bastards figured out a way past the mines.   They just threw a bunch of knives on the ground and played hopscotch to get across.   I guess this means they can only get in one at a time, but it’s still bad news for the good guys.

So Pip adjusts his tactics accordingly.  He and his men will regroup and hold up in a defensible location, while Seras roams the building to take the fight to the enemy.   I guess the idea is to divide Millennium’s focus.   They can attack the Geese or watch out for Seras, but not both.   For some reason, Seras calls Pip “sir”, like he’s in charge, and maybe that is appropriate in this situation, but I thought Seras was in charge of their training.  

Then one of the Geese pats her on the butt and Pip steals a kiss.   I’m not sure what the hell this is about.   I guess they were trying to lighten the mood before they go to face certain death, but if my life depended on some vampire girl killing all the bad guys before they can rip me to shreds, I probably wouldn’t sexually harass her, or do anything else to tick her off.   But that’s just me.

Pip seems resigned about their chances.  He’s confident in Seras’ ability, but there’s only one of her and like... 30?  Let’s say 30, thirty Nazi Vampires heading their way.  If even one of them gets past Seras, the Geese will all die horribly.   But they took this job and the risks that come with it, and besides, there’s nowhere for them to run anyway.    He seems to accept the situation with a mercenary sense of honor.   Like, a mercenary should expect to die in some unwinnable battle, and they shouldn’t complain about it, since it’s the nature of the business. 

Anyway, it doesn’t go well.   The nature of the comic doesn’t really make it clear how the Wild Geese are operating, but I get the impression that they’re doing sort of a fighting withdrawal concentrating their forces as they give ground.    But they suffer a lot of casualties in the process.

This leads to the Geese holing up in the big conference room where Integra met with the Royal Order of Protestant Knights before the Valentine Bros. attack.   One guy panics and wants to bug out, but Pip reminds him of what I said a minute ago.   They’ve got nowhere else to go, and they all got into this for the action, so they should stick to their principles, even in the face of death.

There’s this one guy from “B-block”, who I guess was covering a certain hallway, but B-Block got cut off before they could join the others in the Round Table room.    Zorin Blitz decides to have some fun with him, so she uses her weird powers to make him see himself back home, with his dead daughter.  

This seems especially cruel, because it’s not like Zorin needed this diversion to kill one dude.   She’s just really sadistic.

Meanwhile, some other Millennium guys are eating the Wild Geese they already killed, and one of them shows off his ability to tell blood types just by taste.   It’s this really sick moment, but at the same time it humanizes the characters, which is a weird thing to say when discussing Nazi vampires, but you know what I mean.

Then Seras blows the dude’s head off, which is extremely satisfying.

So Seras is holding up her end, and growing more resolute with each kill.   She’s really improved a lot since the last time she was in action.    Yeah, these Millennium vampires probably aren’t that much tougher than the vampires she killed back in the summer, but there are a lot more of them, and they’re trained soldiers on top of that, and she doesn’t have Alucard backing her up like she did before.

By now, all that’s left of the Wild Geese are in this barricaded room, and they’ve run low on silver bullets, which means even the few shots that don’t miss will have almost no effect.   Pip is determined to hold out, confident that Seras will save them, but...

She runs out of bullets before she runs out of enemies to kill.   When she arrives to save the day, she’s still has to go through Zorin Blitz.

But Zorin doesn’t see this as a problem, and she uses her freaky mind powers on Seras, forcing her to relive memories of her days at the orphanage.    Yeah, Seras was an orphan, remember?   Alucard asked Walter about her parents a while back, and Walter said they were both dead.  How did they die?

Well, Zorin Blitz is about to find out...

[justbecausewhynot]

Lady Of Sun and Shadows Part 2 {Azriel x Reader/OC}

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6  Part 7  Part 8

A/n- when she is playing the piano, she is playing a piano cover of  let her go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rExcQ5nm_yU&feature=emb_title

Down in the living room, Helion sat with the High Lord and Lady and the two Illyrian soldiers.

"How great it is to see you Rhysand, I must admit I was not expecting your letter." Helion said

"Well, Feyre here has been battering me about seeing your wife, and I thought it might be a good idea to run over some of our agreements. Thought I could kill two birds with one stone."

"And by the way, congratulations on the child" Feyre added

"Took her long enough" Helion muttered. Everyone sat in awkward silence with someone complimenting something or bringing up a new topic only for it to again become silent. Just then, a servant came in and announced that dinner was ready. Relieved, everyone made their way to the dining room. There was a large wood table with a white tablecloth and gold candles all along with it. Chairs and plates were already set up for each member and servants came to seat them.

Aurora was already seated at one end and ushered for Feyre to sit next to her. Servants came in and brought plates of all food. Mashed potatoes, steak, every kind of vegetable you could imagine. Helion moved for everyone to sit and dig in. There was little talk, only the clattering of dishes being moved about. Aurora piled potatoes onto her plate. Because of her pregnancy, in the past few months, she had been constantly famished and craving the strangest foods.

"That's quite enough Aurora." Helion announced from the other side of the table. "We don't want you getting any fatter than you already are." All eyes turned back and forth in disbelief from husband to wife. Neither broke the stare off one another, heat came off their glares at one another.

"Come now, she's eating for two now." Cassian countered making Aurora smile at him and continue serving herself. Helion huffed and started talking to Rhysand one on one about borders and politics. Feyre looked to Aurora and once again saw that same feeling that she had once endured.

"So what have you been up to lately?" She asked

"Oh, you know, nothing much, I spend almost all my time either in the garden or the library. There's not much else to do around here or anyone to talk to. I find myself going crazy sometimes."

A deep voice came from beside Cassian "I've heard the libraries here are quite extensive." Aurora's eyes met those of Azriel's.

"Yes they are, do you enjoy reading?" She responded

"You wouldn't believe how much time he spends in the library at home" Cassian laughs "It's a miracle he has time for anything else.

"Well then, you must visit the one upstairs, I am the only one who ever goes in there, I fear dust is collecting from the lack of use."

"I'll be sure to check it out" he responded, still keeping that curious stare. Helion cleared his throat looking at Azriel, aware of the watch of his wife. All hints of emotion disappeared from his face as Azriel looked down at his plate. Aurora, confused about what just happened, turned to Feyre who looked amused and raised an eyebrow at her tinted cheeks. Not too hard, but aggressive enough to send a message, Aurora kicked her friend under the table. The conversation started up again; Talk of other High Lords and Ladies.

"Now Kallias' wife wants to become a High Lady" Rhysand added, "Feyre has really changed things up." he said grinning at her.

"What about you Aurora, How does Lady of the Day court sound to you?" Cassian said, unaware of any consequences.

Helion fumed. "We will not be having any of that here. My wife is here for an heir, she has no need or idea how to lead an entire court." The room went silent. Heat radiated off of Helion. His eyes became brighter as he stared down the table. Aurora swallowed, not knowing what to do. She felt a familiar comforting stare on her, but it was certainly not from her husband. At that moment she felt something against her, almost like a shadow, holding her hand softly. She looked up to Azriel and the shadow was gone. His face was alarmed and now faced down to his plate.

"Well, on that note, why don't we all head to the sitting room?" Aurora said, trying to lighten the mood

"That sounds like a good idea." Rhysand affirmed.

"No" Helion hollered "I will decide when we leave the table and I will not have you act above your status Aurora." Setting his glass down with a thump causing the glass of Azriel beside him to fall over and spill onto his lap. "Now look at what you've made me do." He glared down "Ingrid...Ingrid! By the Cauldron, what good are servants when they are nowhere to be found?"

Nervously, Aurora replied "I-I gave her the night off"

"What?! Why in the world would you do that?" Helion yelled

"Her daughter was sick and needed to be tended to." Aurora answered with as much confidence as she could muster.

"Well then, seeing as this is entirely your fault, you can show Azriel to his room and ensure he has everything he needs."

"Very well" She said standing up, watching Azriel try to dry the wine off his shirt.

"Get some common sense while you are up there woman." Helion added as they left the room. Everyone at the table stayed as still as possible as Helion threw a glass at the doorway his wife had just passed through.

Leading the way, Aurora moved up the stairs a few paces away from Azriel. As she walked through the marble hallways, her heels clinked until she stopped in front of two giant wooden doors. Aurora opened the doors to a giant library with a loft and books everywhere. There were large windows overlooking the gardens.

"This... is not my bedroom" Azriel said

"Very perceptive," Aurora said cheekily "I figured you might want to know where this is. These books really do need some more attention. I have barely even read half of them." Half of this giant collection is still a great feat, Azriel thought to himself. He walked through the middle of the room to a window sill with a book open, picking it up and looking at it, he looked back at Aurora.

"The art of War?" He mused "And what would a classy woman like you be doing with a book like this?"

"What did you expect? How to be a perfect housewife? Not quite my thing"

"I can imagine." After a few minutes of wandering around, looking at books, the clock chimed 8:00.

"Oh we must go, and I've totally forgotten why we came up here. I'll bring you to your room and let you change, that must have been very uncomfortable."

"Don't worry, I've been through worse than a damp blouse."

"I don't doubt it"

Aurora led Azriel to a large room with all of his luggage already inside and packed away. Azriel closed the door while still keeping his eyes locked on hers. Downstairs, the company had already moved to the sitting room. Dull conversations of wars and soldiers and lots of alcohol were a must with Helion.

"Ah, she is back" Helion said, seemingly undisturbed by the scene a few moments before. "I was scared you had gotten lost, why don't you play us something on the piano dear?" Aurora had been taught to play from a young age. Yet another way she would train to become a perfect wife. Though it was something that added to her state of misery, Aurora loved to play and sing. And so, she went to the grand piano near the window and started playing. In her head, she sang the words she knew went to this melody.

Staring at the bottom of your glass

Hoping one day you'll make a dream last

But dreams come slow and they go so fast

As much as her mind urged her to let everyone know what was flowing inside of her, she saw the promise of regret in her husband's eyes. Once she had sung the same song while the captain's of the guards were here. He said he had never been so humiliated in his whole life. Aurora was singing from the cold lonely place in her heart and it was easy to tell; it was not some simple song, and that was certain. Three nights of lessons for that. Aurora was not about to make that mistake again. Thus, she kept playing. Kept her emotions in check, and didn't get carried away by the music. That is until she again felt the same stare on her from dinner. Those same shadows crept down her arm, only this time she could see them. The shape of a hand brushing her arm. Certainly, this was something to be worried about, but Aurora felt comforted by it and kept playing. She kept playing softer and harder with more affection. And then, it was done. She didn't even notice but the shadow had crept up to her neck. Everyone has ceased their talking and were now watching Aurora. She looked up to see Azriel once again, watching her. This time, his face was betraying him, it had softened into what looked like what could only be described as warmth. Helion cleared his throat which made both of them snap out of the trance and look towards him.

"I think you have delighted us enough for one evening Aurora, it is time to resign to your room." Slowly, she got up off the piano bench and made her way out. Each person held their breath and sorrowful faces as she left. When she strode past Azriel, who was standing by the door, she smiled at him and walked away.

Tag List (open, send me a message if u want in)

@theimaginehotspot

@moonlit-stardust

[jeremys-blogs]

Men Like You: One Marvellous Scene

Well, I said I was going to do this at some point, and I think it's high time I made good on that promise. For those who don't know, last year there was a collaboration between a number of Youtubers to discuss their various favourite scenes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and why they felt they should be held as the best scenes in the franchise. It was really great and you should totally check the videos out. But, this did leave me with a bit of a pickle when it came to doing my own thoughts on the matter. You see, I wanted to talk about a scene I loved, but I also didn't want it to be a scene that had already been covered by the others. This was tricky since they'd already talked about most of my personal choices. After a while though, I found it. One moment I utterly adored in the MCU that, to my knowledge, hasn't been mentioned by anyone else. And that's what we're going to talk about here. A moment brought to us courtesy of the original 2012 Avengers movie, my personal favourite of the big crossover films, that shows what is, quite possibly, the most under-appreciated moment of heroism in a franchise built on acts of heroism.

So, our scene takes place just prior to all our heroes meeting up for the first time. Loki, Thor's brother and the big bad of the movie, has just made a big show of himself in an art museum in Germany. And when his business there is finished, he waltzes out onto the street, causing havoc and terrifying all of the ordinary citizens around him. With his illusions he herds a whole crowd of them together and demand that they kneel, which they soon do out of fear. Loki, going full dictator mode, lords over them with this big speech about how he's above them and that they're all just natural servants to him, "meant to be ruled". Confidently, he declares how ordinary people will always kneel. In response, one old man among the crowd slowly gets up, looks Loki in the eye and states firmly that they will not kneel to men like him. When Loki counters by saying there aren't any men like him, the old man rebuffs him, "there are ALWAYS men like you", before Loki readies his scepter to kill the defiant human. And just when it looks like the old man is about to die at the hands of the film's villain, Steve Rogers, Captain America, jumps in to save him, ready to bring Loki down a peg.

Now, there's a lot going on here in this scene that I want to talk about, but to start off let's cover the basic surface-level stuff. Because this moment, which is only about a minute long, is pretty much a microcosm of the entirety of the superhero genre, and not just those of Marvel. We have a hammy villain coming along and declaring himself the best thing ever, towering over frightened people and threatening them, ready to even kill one who steps out of line. And then, at the last moment, a superhero comes in from out of nowhere to take the hit and save the day, bringing hope to a hopeless situation. This right here is superhero stories in a nutshell, so on that basic level, it works really well, even if Marvel does eventually develop a reputation for undermining or subverting a lot of classic superhero tropes further down the line. And of course, there's the acting needed to pull off a moment like this, Tom Hiddleston is clearly having a blast as this wonderfully evil baddie, Chris Evans fits the role of a classic hero like he just stepped out of the pages of a comic book, and as for the unnamed old man, for that we give thanks to veteran actor Kenneth Tigar.

And it's really the old man here that I wanted to talk about. What he did in this scene is very possibly the bravest and most noble act I've seen among any of the regular people in this franchise. Oh sure, we've got heroes aplenty putting their lives on the line to fight the good fight, but this guy isn't those guys. He hasn't got a fancy suit of armour, or an indestructible shield or the power of the gods on his side. He's just a man, and an elderly one at that. He knows full well that Loki could end his life in a heartbeat if he wanted, yet here he is, standing up among the crowd, staring down this invader, and telling him that he's not going to submit. Standing up to someone more powerful than you is an incredibly courageous thing to do, especially when it's someone you know has malicious intent. But that doesn't stop him. He still there, still standing, refusing to kneel to this self-styled king of the world. He's an ordinary person, but he nevertheless a hero in this scenario. A hero whose name we don't even know. We only ever see him this one time, and no other film even mentions him, yet what he does here has remained in my mind ever since I first saw this movie back in 2012.

Special mention also has to go to just how important a moment like this is in a superhero movie, as it helps to remind the audience of exactly what, or specifically for who, the superheroes in question are supposed to be doing, protecting ordinary people. It can be hard sometimes in films and comics and what have you, when heroes and villains are duking it out over the fate of the world, to remember that, at the end of the day, it's the everyday people in the street that are in danger and need help. When you have big and apocalyptic events, the average Jane and Joe can get lost in the mix, made to feel like they aren't as important in the grand scheme of things. So a scene like this is vital for keeping the audience rooted in what truly matters. The often-nameless (literally in this case) men and women who get caught in the big fights. They're the ones the heroes are supposedly there to champion, so a character like this old man is really needed to put a face to that overall concept. Right now, this man represents all those that Loki would seek to dominate, hurt and kill. The people that Steve and the other Avengers need to fight for.

But as much as I wish I could have nothing but praise for this scene, there is one sticking point that needs to be addressed, and that's the reasons for its inclusion in the film. You see, Joss Whedon, the director, added this scene apparently because there were fears and worries about how it might come across if they simply had a scene of German civilians kneeling down to a dictator without question. Now, on the one hand, I sort of agree with where they're coming from, since that would likely send the wrong message, even if it was unintentional. But on the other, it's not as if they're going along with Loki by choice here. He's shown his violent tendencies and has already killed a man in full view of everyone. This isn't people bowing down to him because of force of personality, it's a hostage situation. They kneel because their lives are in danger, not because they actually want to follow Loki's lead. So while I give a lot of credit to this scene, I'm afraid I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with the idea that not having it in would put the citizens in it in a bad light. Though it does at least make the nameless old man all the more courageous as a result.

Despite that small bump in the road, this scene still has a lot going for it. In a franchise where it's easy to think you need to go bigger, more epic, more extravagant, you can forget that it's sometimes the smaller moments that truly stick with you. This scene, with two characters whom everyone in the audience will know and remember, shines all the brighter because of the inclusion of the one character whom they wouldn't. A single act of bravery in the face of certain death that makes this tired-looking old man look like a giant, even among the other heroes. Ordinary people standing up for what's right is always a powerful symbol, no matter what context it's happening in, and while shots like Steve marching to his doom against the full might of Thanos' army will always be heroic and epic, there's something to be said for bringing the scale down a bit. To show that heroes can emerge when you least expect it, among those not typically thought of as heroes in a genre like this. This is a scene that's likely to get lost among all those other moments that have been discussed by the aforementioned Youtubers, but for me, this will well and truly be the true Marvelous Scene in this astonishing franchise

[heythrrdelilah]

Lights, Camera, Love (Tom Holland x Reader) part 2

A/N: I miss writing so much! My classes have been crazy, my Navy stuff has been crazy and i have a podcast now. (it’s on anywhere you listen to podcasts, spotify, apple, google find the link on the name: Potterworld: A Harry Potter reread podcast)  So, you can imagine why i’ve been gone. I plan on finishing out the final ship request. this weekend.  I hope you like part 2, hopefully next chapter will be more progressed and have a moodboard. Also, In my asks, i was told people don’t like my Tom stuff and would rather have me stick to Supernatural? I also plan on Harry Potter stuff so lmk what you think! 

Word Count: 2,410

Warnings: Fluff, talk of eating disorder, cheesy romantic crap (shrek...? no?) Endgame talk 

Pairings: Tom Holland x Reader

 “Pasta sounds nice. Sounds like a deal,” You smiled up at him before walking back to your seat once your mug was filled. “Black coffee?” Toms voice gently came to the seat next to you. You nod simply. “Bold. I’ll have to keep that in mind,” His voice trailed off with the sound of the directors and other actors coming in. Everyone said their hello’s and You were introduced to your fellow castmates. “So, I would just like to welcome everyone to the cast who wasn’t in before,” The heavyset man nodded towards you. The director began to do the introductions and table readings were to begin. Your scene was coming up soon, after an hour of anxious waiting. Your heart was beating fast and the fact that you were sitting in a room full of experienced, Big-Screen actors began setting into your mind. Your palms began shaking as you flipped the pages. You were nowhere near this nervous when you went in for your audition, but now there were five times as many eyes on you. Counting on you. Your breathing sped up as you spotted Gwen’s name at the bottom of the page. You were coming soon. 

“Damn!” Tom shouted in the seat next to you, he had spilled his coffee all over the floor and the ankle of his jeans. The whole room stopped and began to call Clara who had stepped out for some lunch. “Agh, I got some on your white sneakers. Lets go clean off,” Tom stood up quickly, grabbing ahold of your wrist, not letting you argue. When you got out of the room and the door closed behind you two, you spoke quickly, “It’s okay. It can come out. Plus, It’s just shoes.” He shook his head, dropping your wrist. “Forget the coffee. It was just an excuse to get you a minute to relax. I understand the nerves. Even though i’ve been on film prior to Avengers, I was extremely nervous my first table read. Read as if you were in your bedroom. Everyone will love you. You got the role, now breath, then rock their socks off,” Tom spoke calmly, looking at you intensely. How did he know you were self imploding? Were you shaking your leg too aggressively? Breathing too deeply? You wondered for a quick moment if the other actors had noticed as well, before tom responded, “I know the signs of a panic attack when I see one. So, lets do this together?” You nodded and took three breaths before going back into the room. Everyone was chatting while waiting. 

The table read began once more, when it came to your line, you looked at the gentleman, who was an absolute sweetheart so far, next to you. He nodded giving you a thumbs up and you read your lines as if you were practicing in your room. You made a mental note to thank Tom later for the advice. 

The table read went smooth, so smooth that everyone ended with chatting about plans afterwards. “So, looks like you owe us a hangout,” Tom smiled at you, placing his script into the muffin basket he had opened. You nodded, picking your basket up from the floor. “Thanks for the advice. I don’t know if I would have survived without it,” You stood up to face him. He smiled down at you, “No need to thank me. We all went through it. Besides,” He paused to smirk at you, “You were really good. Spider-gwen will be my favorite character if you keep that work up.” you rolled your eyes at him. Characters are whats written. Your acting is sub-par, at least to you, so there will be no way he could say you’re his favorite actor. You decided to change the subject, “Well, I find it interesting they even added her as an avenger. I guess after into the Spider-Verse, with Spider-Gwen becoming a trend, they wanted what will sell the most tickets. Follow the trends.” You giggled, looking up at him. “I can tell you one thousand percent, that what you just said… is a fact. Heard the PR team talking to the writers about it last press conference. Just like that Birds Of Prey was only made because of the insane amount of hype Harley Quinn received,” He answered becoming deep into the conversation. He seemed like he thinks about this kind of stuff himself. Before you could say anything in response, your felt a hand land firmly on your shoulder, and saw one on Tom’s. You turned to see Chris smiling down at you both. “I want pasta. Who’s joining?” He chimed, rubbing his stomach. “Didn’t you have 4 whole sub sandwiches at lunch?” Tom asked, looking horrified. “You should know by now, after so many times together, I eat. Let's get moving, " He chuckled,  his tone low. Tom shrugged at you, grabbing his basket and reached for yours. You shook your head and quickly took ahold of it, “I got it thanks. So, can I get the address?” Tom looked as though a lightbulb went off in his head. He shook his head, taking his phone out, “Give me your number and I’ll add you to our group chat!” You took ahold of his phone, Chris holding your basket long enough for you to enter your phone number into Tom's phone and hand it back. 

You felt your phone buzz, notifying you of the group chat. “I can actually ride in your car if you’d like to show you where our usual pasta place is. That is where we are going correct?” Tom turned to Chris, who was returning your basket. Chris nodded, smiling down at Tom cheekily. Tom flashed a glare at Chris and waited for your response. “Well, I do not drive a fancy car. Plus, wouldn’t you be leaving your car?” He shook his head at you to inform that he had a car here in the US, but he rarely drove it to work. He arrived with Chris. “Well my car is available to whoever needs it,” You awkwardly offer, moving towards the door. The two men followed you out the door. 

You all engaged in small talk on the way to your parking spot. Chris held your door open for you, allowing you to step in and roll your window down. Tom placed his basket in the small backseat, and got into the passenger seat. “See you lads there,” Chris waved through your window, allowing you to back out of the parking spot. “You can pick the music,” You stated, placing your car in drive and turning the knob on the radio to the bluetooth setting. He shook his head and clicked the knob, turning the radio off. “We are castmates and we will be spending months, to a year together. I think it’s only appropriate we learn a bit about each other,” He smiled, turning in his seat so that he was facing you, half of his back leaning against the door. You felt a flutter in your stomach. It felt like your life was a dream. You were cast in an avengers movie, driving to a cast dinner, and Tom Holland was in the passenger seat of your Camaro, asking to know you. 

“Well, I am 20, I am a nurse, well, I guess prior now that I am aware of the full-time. I have always dreamed of acting, I also had no idea I had a lead role. I was told I was here for Mikayla. That is what i had auditioned for,” You spoke, following the directions Tom had pulled up on his phone. His eyes widened, “wow, that is extremely uncool that they didn’t tell you. Did your agent know?”  You shook your head at him, “I do not have an agent.”  His mouth opened wide, “You don’t have an agent? I’ll get in contact with someone if you’d like. You’ll need one. Also, you won’t even need your nursing job after this. This is going to sound cocky, but once you star in a big screen film… it’s not hard to get another,” He explained. He was right. You thought about how many times you’ve seen the same celebrities bounce around to different films. It was rare you see new faces on the movie screen unless it was an Indie type of film. The truth was, you would probably have to resign from the hospital for this movie alone. It was good to have a sort of job security in that chance that this will be your only film. You made a mental note to talk to your boss on your way home. “Tell me more about you,” He spoke, breaking the silence, “Other than the fact you’re a raging transformers fan.” Your eyes widened and you gasped. “Was it really that obvious?” You retorted, pulling into the entryway of the restaurant. 

He stepped out of the car, waiting for you to do the same and meet him by the front of your car. “Well, bumblebee themed car, bumblebee keychain hanging from your keys, your phone screen is an aesthetic with an old bug in the fashion of a bumblebee. I would say, yes.Pretty obvious,” He confessed, eyeing you with a smirk. “Well, since you’re making fun of me, I may not let bee give you a ride home,” You walked over to the door of the restaurant and held it open for him. “Well, that is a bit backwards isn’t it?” Mark Ruffalo laughed, walking in behind you all. You let out a slight laugh and responded with a simple, “ladies first, am i right?” This caused Tom to raise his hands in defense, making the whole cast laugh. 

“The usual table?” The hostess smiled, counting the group, grabbing the menus. Chris winked at the short, copper-haired girl, “Only if it’s available.” Walking to the table in the far back of the restaurant, you could hear gasps coming from nearly every table. This made sense to you, considering they were big time movie stars walking through an everyday restaurant. The table was a giant circular booth that everyone could fit around. The lights were dim and the sound was low. Tom and Chris both let you scoot in between them. After the hostess waitress passed the menus around and got drink orders she left. “Come here often?” you ask everyone, remembering the waitress and Chris’s conversation. He pushed his blonde hair back and winked, “We love pasta.” The lack of women around the table became well known when the waitress came back and asked for everyone's drink order. The men were rattling off beer types and you heard not a single woman's voice. You ordered water and then looked down at your menu. Come to think of it, you were the only woman actor in the room for the table read. You had previously watched the Avengers Endgame movie and noticed they killed off black widow. “Do the women not come out?” You whispered to Tom behind your menu. “Well, there isn’t many left. Brie Larson will show up, however, today’s scenes did not include captain marvel so she doesn’t need to come,” He explained flagging down the waitress at the same time.

This made a lot of sense and you hoped that Tom hasn’t become annoyed with your questions. You were sure to have more because this was your first film. 

As the waitress made her way back, all of the men sitting around the table ordered their variety of different dishes. When she made it to you, you decided to go with shrimp and broccoli fettuccine alfredo. “That is a big dish, by the way. They give you a lot of food here, It’s why we like it,” Chris nudged you, chuckling. You rolled your eyes, “I eat for five. So, we will see.” Tom smirked and ordered his food as the last person at the table. He ordered the same. “Lets see who can finish more then?” Tom challenged, “Most women are frightened of carbs or go on extreme diets. Some eat and cry later while exercising daily. Which are you?” You laughed at the assumption. Tom was forgetting one thing, metabolism. “Listen sweety,” You lifted a brow at him. The whole table made loud oo’s and ah’s followed by laughing. Tom smirked at you, chuckling slightly. You continued, now smiling wide, “I have a fast metabolism. Even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t care about how I look enough to be too worried.” This was only partially true. You had struggled before with eating disorders, but as part of recovery you had to have this mindset. So far, you are a few months in and doing great. 

“So, are you from Atlanta?” Anthony Mackie asked once the food came around.  You shook your head, “I’m from (your home state/town). How about you guys?” Tom shook his head and threw a breadstick gently, at your face, “no time for that!” He picked up his fork. You hadn’t realized it would be a full on race. “Alright start placing bets,” said Cumberbatch, finishing his beer. Chris placed a 20 on the table, “I’ll go with the girl. Seems promising.” The cycle of bets began. Soon enough, the table made sound effects to mark the start. You began shoveling the absolutely delicous food into your mouth. Anything and everything lady-like went out the door. You tried savoring the flavor with every bite, but from your view, Tom was chewing quickly. You picked up your speed. 

“The lady wins!” Shouts Anthony, splitting the money between everyone who bet on you. Tom wrapped an arm around your shoulders, “I have underestimated you.” You smiled and looked to the floor. You became seemingly embarrassed of how unlady-like that was. “A woman who can keep up. I like that,” Tom removed his arm from your shoulders, letting his hand fall to the middle of your back. You felt your heart flutter momentarily. Why did this make you nervous? Even though his hand was only there for a fraction of a second, it felt like hours in your mind. You knew so far, Tom was gentle, sweet, funny, and competitive. You were developing a crush on him with every moment and you were determined to not let that happen. This was business. He was just being friendly because you will have to spend so much time together.

Lights,  camera, love tag list 

@theetherealbloom

@eridanuswave

@coni-martina

[madrut16]

Vulnerability (Kamilah x Lily)

Author’s Note: It’s finally out into the world! I know that this is an out-there ship and not everyone will be a fan (and that’s perfectly okay!) but, ever since the Hot Cheeto moment, I’ve loved their interactions and the idea of them together. I also wanted a proper talk about Kamilah’s relationship with Gaius after the fragment scene so, this was born! I did my best to make sure that I wrote what would feel natural and genuine. I just love these two characters and I feel like they’re not as different as they seem and that they complement each other (if that makes any sense). 

Book/Pairing: Bloodbound (Kamilah x Lily)

Rating: PG-13 

Summary: When Lily gets Kamilah to open up to her after a breakdown, it proves enlightening for both of them.  

@kinda-iconic @endlesshero1122 @galaxyside-0 @furiouscloddonutpeanut @gavryllo @blccdbcund @ptxgirwaffles

The smashed remains of the liquor glass told Lily that something was wrong as she watched the amber liquid drip from the Bubinga cabinet to the ornate carpet that definitely cost more than her and Isabel's rent back in New York. She had raced into the ajar door of the office only to find it empty with only this and the half dozen broken pencils scattered around the room left as a clue to what happened.

The signature scent of a certain expensive perfume and the fact that there was only one other person in the building gave away who was responsible for the mess. 

The person who owned it.

"Kamilah?" Lily exclaimed, her voice wobbling. She hoped that the smaller square footage here in Prague would allow her to reach wherever the woman had run off to.

She received no response, the only noise coming from the analog clock behind the CEO's desk. Lily's frown deepened and her heart began to pound as her throat became dry. She had to find her, even though that was probably the last thing Kamilah wanted. But this was abnormal and so Lily pushed down the butterflies that flew in her stomach from the risk of rejection. This was too concerning for her to ignore. 

As she hastily left the office, she tried to brush aside the main reason she was so pressed to not leave Kamilah alone. Somehow in the past six months, her mentor turned friend had wormed her way into Lily's heart. At first, the revelation caught her off guard. She wasn't the type of person the tech genius usually went for. It was someone who resembled her, quirky and down to earth. Tattoos and combat boots were an added bonus. 

But maybe she was wrong.

She thought back to when she first realized that she was into girls, all the way back in middle school. It was the beginning of seventh grade and seemingly nowhere she had developed a crush on the most popular girl her age. Nothing about her was similar to brace-faced Lily who had already been labeled as an outcast by her rural Wisconsin peers. 

In fact, when she traced through her romantic history, comparing her few actual relationships to the many crushes that went unfulfilled, they all consisted of a similar archetype. Popular, confident, and sophisticated. 

Someone that she didn't believe would ever find interest in her. 

 And that was what it boiled down to—Kamilah was indeed her type, she was just too afraid to admit it. That instead of going after what she really wanted, she had been settling for what she thought was realistic. Even with Melanie who she had clung onto way too long, she hadn't truly been happy. 

Until now, when Cupid's arrow had landed on the seemingly least available person he could find. 

Pushing down the mix of feelings that accompanied this realization, Lily started her desperate search, starting with all the rooms on the top floor. About halfway down, her sensitive hearing picked up on a series of pitches she couldn't quite place. Yet something told her that this was what she needed to follow.

Using it as an audible bread crumb trail, it led her all the way down to the basement which only contained one thing—the giant training center Kamilah used. The elder vampire had briefly mentioned it while giving Lily a quick tour of the building yesterday when they had arrived. The door was locked, but she didn't need to see inside to know that this is where her mentor had escaped to. 

"Oh no," she whispered, her eyes widening as she pressed her ear to the door. 

Among the myriad of sounds, there was a soft and unmistakable one that made her freeze in shock. After a minute, her heart broke as she confirmed that she wasn't imagining it. 

Kamilah Sayeed, the least emotional person Lily knew was crying. 

Her hands began to tremble as she raised one a few inches from the cool metal surface where she hesitated. 

Should she really be doing this? 

The woman never let her guard down for a reason. But that was the exact reason why this was something she had to do. Lily was well versed in hiding her own inner vulnerability at all cost. Only her method of choice was humor instead of coldness. 

"Kamilah?!" She pounded on the door with her fist. 

Through the tears, she heard a startled gasp. 

"Lily?" The surprise was communicated even at a whisper. She obviously hadn't expected to be found. "W-what are you…?"

"I...I heard the glass break and...well...I got worried."

There was a pause before the CEO spoke. "I'm fine."

Lily's stomach dropped despite knowing that this was likely. But, no amount of soundproofing could disguise the truth.

"Kamilah...I know you’re not,” she replied, her voice blunt. 

It was a tone she never thought she would have to use on her but, she didn't really have a choice. 

"You shouldn't have...you need to leave me be." 

The gamer let out a long sigh before tugging on the handle fruitlessly. "Kamilah…please. Let me help you." 

"Lily!" the woman on the other side snapped. Then, her tone softened almost immediately. "Just go."

Closing her eyes, Lily fought against the part of her that wanted desperately to do the easy thing and leave. Because this time, it was worth the risk. Kamilah was worth it. 

"No," she insisted. "I'm not going anywhere, whether you let me in or not." 

She planted herself on the ground next to the door, prepared to stay there for as long as necessary. She received a groan of protest from Kamilah on the other side and then, silence except for the quiet cries that continued to leak through. Lily didn't know how long she sat there not saying a word until she couldn't take it any longer. She had to at least try to get Kamilah to talk to her even though she had slim hopes that it would work.

"I know...you're scared about being vulnerable and opening up to people. And I know it's for a good reason, that the last time you did let someone in, they ended up hurting you,” she began, the words like sandpaper in her mouth. 

She wished now more than ever that Isabel were here and not still in Paris. Her friend would know the right thing to say, she always did. Meanwhile Lily usually turned something that was supposed to be meaningful into a rambling mess.

Instead, she had to imagine the advice her friend would give, moving her bottom lip against her teeth. Isabel would tell her that all she needed to do was say whatever came naturally, from the heart. So that's what she did.

"If you do want to talk about any of it though, I'm willing to listen," she expressed leaning her head against the cool metal. “I know that’s really hard for you, you’ve said it yourself. But I think it would help, maybe at the very least to get whatever’s bothering you out of your head. At least, it’s helped me anyway. You don’t have to if you’re not comfortable. I can just sit here until you're ready to come out too.”

She tried not to cringe as she struggled to make her words genuine without seeming cheesy. 

Picking at the carpet fibers, she added, "I just want you to know that it's okay to have these feelings and insecurities, and it doesn't make you weak. You're still one of the strongest people I know and also someone that I admire. Nothing you say will change what I think of you. So, you don't have to be alone. 'Cause I want to be here for you, to prove...that you can trust me, however long it takes."

Having said everything that she wanted to, Lily prepared to sit there and wait. As she stared up at the ceiling, she vaguely heard a series of footsteps and the door unlock behind her. 

The action surprised her, having just come to terms with the fact that she wasn’t going to be let in. But, for once, her low expectations were actually surpassed. She scrambled to get on her feet and grasped the handle delicately. 

“Kamilah...a-are you sure?” she asked, not being able to see much through the sliver of the room that was in view.

“Yes, I wouldn’t have unlocked it if I wasn’t.”

Lily swallowed and pushed the door open all the way and walked inside. Her eyes wandered around the vast facility taking in all the equipment before they landed on Kamilah standing a few feet away. Seeing her, Lily was taken aback, her hand moving to cover her mouth.  

The usually unreadable expression was now uncharacteristically decipherable as if suddenly Lily had found it’s Rosetta Stone. Kamilah was nervous—no—downright terrified. This and the several black streaks and smears that stained her mentor’s face provided a striking appearance that made the young vampire’s breath stop momentarily.  

“Oh, Kamilah...”

The CEO quickly held up a sharp hand. 

“Don’t,” she said, her voice soft but with a noticeable edge. “Can... can we do this somewhere else? Please?”

Kamilah rarely used that word, so it gave Lily pause. She could tell that her earlier speech had been at least partially effective. 

She nodded and let Kamilah lead her out of the room and back up the stairs all the way to her office once more. Going inside, the CEO stared at the broken glass for a few moments before frowning and moving to sit on the plush sofa in the opposite corner. 

“Here,” she told Lily who sat down on the other end, giving her plenty of space. “I would ask if...if you wanted a drink but...” she glanced over at the mess she had created. “...that is probably not the best idea.”

Lily offered her a nod. "Probably not.”

She noticed Kamilah begin to tremble as if she were visibly trying to keep her emotions from spilling out. She hesitated for a moment before lowering her hand onto Kamilah’s. The action caused the other woman to tense in surprise. 

"Sorry, I can—"

"No." Kamilah’s reluctant gaze softened into one of acceptance. "It's...fine. More than fine actually."

“O-okay. Um, how about...you start with what's made you upset. As much as you're comfortable with, of course."

Kamilah blinked at her before taking a deep breath. "It's...about him.”

"Gaius?"

Kamilah nodded. "When he…” she paused, fighting the inner walls that tried to stop the words from coming out. "...when he Turned me, over two thousand years ago...he made me his Queen. Made me...his.”

“That doesn’t sound good.” Lily couldn’t help the comment from coming out of her mouth.

Luckily, Kamilah didn’t seem to mind.

“It wasn’t,” she replied, her tone hardening. “He lied to me. Made me feel like I was happy with him, that he had awakened something powerful in me. But that was far from the truth. He used me…abused. What we had it…it…”

Kamilah’s lip quivered as she tried not to blink.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Lily told her. “You don’t have to pretend around me.”

She was met with a dubious expression until a minute later it changed to one of reluctance. 

“It wasn’t right,” Kamilah continued. “That my love for him was just…a tool…to get me under his control. That it came with a price—losing myself. The person who as a human despised violence and tyranny, who was kind. He destroyed that to the point where I had to rebuild from scratch. And when I realized that’s what it was…I couldn’t deal with it, the feelings and the pain that came with it. I still can’t.”

Lily frowned. “I wouldn’t expect you to. That’s a lot for one person to handle. You’re not going to be able to unlearn it even decades later.”

“It’s more than that. This is what he taught us, me. He drilled into me that your emotions…they were your biggest weakness. He punished me for expressing them. Especially empathy, kindness. That just made you human, which to him was the equivalent of pathetic. And so, I’ve grown to suppress them in every way I can. But now, since he’s returned…I can’t…I can’t ignore them anymore.”

This time, Lily didn’t waver when she threw her arms around her, catching Kamilah off-guard. She remained stiff and unsure for a minute before melting into the tight embrace. Eventually, Lily pulled back but kept a comforting arm on hers.

“I’m…I’m so sorry,” she expressed before instantly cringing. “I know that’s probably the last thing you want to hear but, I really am. What he did to you…that’s just horrible.”

A ghost of a smile tugged at Kamilah’s lips, but it died almost as soon as it sprouted. “You know, I used to loathe that phrase, even when I was a human and Lysimachus had died. I hated people’s pity, felt like it was meaningless.”

Her gaze met Lily’s who swallowed, suddenly feeling warm. Even in this setting, she felt its electricity, its magnetic like pull.

“But,” the CEO continued, “somehow with you…it feels different. Like it’s actually worth something.”

“Oh…well, um…I meant it,” Lily stammered. “You really didn’t deserve any of that.”

She received a scoff in response before she was met with despondent eyes. “That’s…kind for you to think that. But what if I told you that I do?”

This rendered Lily speechless for a moment. Finally, she sputtered, “Y-you really don’t think that…do you?”

The look Kamilah gave her told her that she did. “The things that I did with him…what I chose to do with him…they would horrify you. Gaius he…he turned me into the one thing I claimed to hate. And so, I started hating myself, because I feel like I’ve betrayed myself. My brother…he would be revolted at the person I became. I’ve become afraid to let people get close, afraid that if I do…that I’ll only hurt them…do just what Gaius has done to me. Let myself believe that…I don’t deserve anyone. To be truly happy.”

The heartrending information overwhelmed Lily and she pushed past the lump in her throat as the back of her eyes began to sting.

She shook her head. “Kamilah…no. None of this is your fault, it’s his. He manipulated you into doing those things, wanting to. I know that you still have a heart, I’ve seen the few times you’ve let it come out.”

“You’re just saying that,” Kamilah murmured, looking down at the couch dejectedly.

Lily tugged on her arm, forcing her gaze to return to hers. “I’m really not. If you weren’t a good person, you wouldn’t have betrayed him, stood up for what you knew was right. You wouldn’t be trying to be better even though it’s taken baby steps at a time. Not to mention all of the times you’ve helped me and Isabel. And there’s Adrian! You said that he reminds you of Lysimachus. Well, look at how much he respects you, cares about you. If he thinks this highly of you, I’m sure your brother would understand.”

Kamilah looked at her as the words sank in, seemingly contemplating something.

“You’re too good Lily,” she eventually stated. “Although…”

“Kamilah?”

The CEO let out a long exhale and proceeded with a quick, decisive nod. “When Adrian first Turned you, I was quite displeased—angry even. I thought that it would get him killed and I…I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him too. But, when I saw you come out of the coffin, when I saw you struggle, I felt something else. Compassion. For someone who I didn’t know. It was something that I thought was impossible. That’s when…I decided that I would mentor you. You needed someone to bring you in, teach you quickly and I…I needed an opportunity…to prove something to myself.”

Lily tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I wanted to finally help someone, instead of hurt,” she replied. “I wanted to make sure that you didn’t make the same mistakes I did. That you would be better than me. And…although sometimes I find you’re…light-hearted nature to be…misplaced…I have to say, you’ve exceeded my expectations.”

The confession caused Lily to blink in gratifying disbelief.  “Wait…really? All this time…I thought you did it…as a favor…for Adrian.”

“That’s what I wanted you to believe…before. I didn’t…think that I would be…as fond of you as I’ve come to be. But no, although I would have done it for him, it was for me. And for you.”

Lily sat back stunned before suddenly she frowned, her eyes widening.

“What is it?” Kamilah raised her eyebrows in mild concern.

Feeling her intense gaze on her, Lily started to become sheepish. “I’m just realizing that I’ve never actually told you how grateful I am for all of this. How much it’s meant to me.”

“It...it has?”

The genuine surprise on Kamilah’s face caused Lily’s chest to ache, her heart squeezing painfully tight for the hundredth time.

“Are you kidding?” she uttered incredulously. “You helped give me my life back. I thought…that Adrian and Isabel…that they had just wasted their time, possibly even sacrificed themselves for me…for nothing. That I was still a dead woman walking. There were so many times in those first few days I wanted to quit, you remember that. But you never gave up on me…once. So, I never gave up.”

The tears that had been slowly cresting finally spilled over as she relived the bittersweet memories from not that long ago.

“You taught me everything I know, probably helped save my life the most out of everyone. And even now that I’m no longer Adrian’s responsibility, you’re still willing to help me as a friend. Especially in these last few days when your whole world just got turned upside down. That’s all I’ve ever wanted and as much as I love the Shadow Den and believe that it’s a family, you and Adrian are too. So, yes, the things that you do for people do mean something. I know for me they do, and I know that I’m not alone in that.”

Lily could tell that what she said had struck home as Kamilah sat there unable to form a response.

Finally, she stammered, “Lily…I…thank you. For all of this really. I didn’t…realize how much I needed this. I mean, it definitely won’t make everything go away…I don’t think it ever will. But…” her gaze seemed to travel elsewhere for a moment as her bottom lip quivered. “…it certainly has helped me accept that fact.”

“Well, that’s what I’m here for,” Lily replied before looking down at her lap and mumbling, “I’m glad I can do some things right.”

The comment was meant for only her, but it was just loud enough to be overheard and she was met with a scoff. 

“It’s not just some things Lily.”

She looked up and when Kamilah’s eyes locked onto hers, her heartbeat quickened. She could’ve sworn she saw something in them that she had missed before. Something that made her not want to play it safe this time around. Because suddenly staring back at her was hope that maybe Cupid knew what he was doing after all. 

[ragewerthers]

My Favorite

Summary: After a horrible week, Daichi is ready to hide away from the world for the rest of forever if it will allow it.However, Kuroo refuses to let Daichi suffer alone and endeavors to make sure he knows that he's got someone there to be with him through the good days and to make the bad days better.

A/n: This is for day 3 of KuroDai Week and the prompt was 'voice actors/5 senses'.  I decided to go with the five senses and while this one took me a little longer to write it was still fun to try and convey those five senses.  I kept having to make a list to make sure I was getting them all! :D

However, I hope that the story is a fun, sweet read and that you enjoy it!

You can also read this on AO3 at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18765562

Happy reading! :D

Words: 2378

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

Trudging up the stairs to his apartment, Daichi couldn’t wait to just settle in to a lazy night of nothing.

This entire week had been nothing but one sucker punch after another and honestly, at this point, he hoped he’d make it to his front door before being struck down by lightning.

Monday had been two surprise exams, both of which he knew he’d failed with flying colors.

Tuesday had involved forgetting to set his alarm and missing his morning classes and throwing off the rest of his day to the point where he ended up going to the wrong classes by the end of it.

Wednesday had left him soaked to the bone as on his way to classes he’d been doused by a giant puddle, courtesy of a bus deciding to drive too fast and too close to the sidewalk during heavy rainfall.  He considered the fact he hadn’t been hit by the bus itself a small mercy, though sitting through classes with soggy pants was NOT was not exactly something he wished to repeat for a long, long time.

Thursday… he still couldn’t talk about Thursday.

Finally it was Friday and after forgetting to submit his second draft paper to his philosophy class and finding out he’d inadvertently grabbed Kuroo’s backpack instead of his own leaving him without his notes and books the entire day, he was finally ready to just curl up on the sofa, hide under a blanket and wait for all this bad luck to go and find some other poor victim.

As he finally reached his apartment he ran a hand over his face feeling drained and downtrodden.  The last thing he wanted to do was carry this frame of mind into the apartment and bring Kuroo into his mess of a mood so… taking a deep breath he fished out his keys and made his way inside, forcing a small smile onto his face.

This is how he’d been dealing with the week anyway.  He didn’t want to bother Kuroo with the troubles he’d been having.  Kuroo didn’t need to know about all the little incidents that had occurred or how Daichi felt like one giant, walking bad luck charm.  His partner had enough on his own plate, he didn’t need to worry about his boyfriend on top of it.

“Kuroo?  I’m back!” the former Karasuno captain called, locking the door behind him before toeing off his shoes and hanging up his coat and Kuroo’s backpack by the door.  He sent a small glare to his own traitorous backpack before making his way toward the kitchen when no answer was forthcoming.

“Kuroo?  You in here?” he called, looking around the small space and finding it vacant of any tall, wild haired boyfriends.

“Over here, Dai!” he heard from behind him, turning his head, his jaw dropping at the sight before him.

Kuroo was stood next to their sofa, a wide smile on his face and arms spread wide at the masterpiece he had created.

A few scented candles flickered around the small space, filling the space with a little light and the scent of Eucalyptus and mint.  Kuroo’s phone was hooked up to their little portable speaker, the sounds of rain and rolling thunder emanating from it.  There was a small tray set on the coffee table, a plate of chocolate  chip cookies piled high resting on it along with two glasses of milk.  But the jewel of it all was the giant blanket fort that Kuroo had created.

Sheets from their bedroom had been strung up over chairs from the kitchen and living room, a few fairy lights even added in from their Christmas decorations, giving the fabric an almost ethereal glow as it twinkled with soft, warm colors.

Slowly approaching the scene, Daichi could see that inside the forts opening there were pillows and blankets gathered from everywhere in their apartment, making it look cozy and warm and like the perfect place to hide away from a world that seemed to want to keep him down.

His eyes focused back to Kuroo, the other man’s smile softening as he read the unasked question in Daichi’s eyes.

Why?

“I know this week hasn’t been kind to you, Dai,” Kuroo murmured softly, making his way carefully around the chairs that held up his masterpiece so that he could get closer to his boyfriend.

Gently taking his hands in his own once he was close enough, Kuroo soothed his thumbs over his partners knuckles.  “I may not know the exact details because you never want to to talk about your troubles… but I know when things start to become too hard for you to bear alone.  I can see it in the way you carry yourself, how your smile doesn’t quite reach your eyes.  But I want you to know I’m here for you on your good days and your bad.  Let me help you, yeah?  You don’t have to be the big, strong, captain all the time.  You’re allowed to be vulnerable and let others look after you for a bit.” Daichi felt his cheeks flushing as he listened to his partner, his chest feeling warm in a way it hadn’t for days now, even as a tightness in his throat warned of the emotion from the sweet gesture that threatened to take over.

He cleared his throat, giving Kuroo’s fingers a gentle squeeze in return.

“Th-thank you, Tetsurou,” he whispered a bit hoarsely, giving the man a little smile that was far more genuine than it had been for awhile.  “I… I just didn’t want to bother you.  I know you have a lot going on your plate as well.  I should be able to handle a few bad days.”

Kuroo huffed at that and shook his head, stepping closer to wrap his arms around the shorter man’s neck.  “You are a fool if you think I wouldn’t make time for you when you’re having a bad day.  It’s what you do for those you love.  You help them forget the bad and focus on the good,” he murmured softly, pecking a small kiss to his boyfriends nose and watching as it crinkled in the way he always found adorable.

Daichi couldn’t help chuckling at the show of affection and pushed lightly at the others chest.  “Okay, okay.  Then… what were your plans for helping me through my… bad days?” he asked, finding that it was still a bit difficult to own up to having such things.

Kuroo stepped back with a wide, proud smile on his face.  “My plan, is to completely block out the outside world and just have you focus on what is right here in front of you.  Just the things you can enjoy in this moment with your own five senses,” he announced happily, making Daichi chuckle.

“Ah.  I see.  So… the candles are for my sense of smell then?” he asked in amusement and Kuroo nodded.

“Exactly!  I know you enjoy fresh, clean smells… and seeing as they don’t have volleyball scented candles yet I figured this was a safe choice to go with,” he teased, taking Daichi’s hand once more and leading him toward the fort.

“And the cookies?” Daichi asked, easily letting himself be led.

“Obviously your sense of taste.  I know they’re your favorite cookie,” Kuroo explained, opening up the tent flap a little wider and sweeping his arm to the side in a gesture for Daichi to enter before him.

Smiling at the chivalry, Daichi pressed a little kiss to Kuroo’s cheek before ducking down and making his way inside, settling himself on a vast array of pillows and finding it to be just as comfortable as he had anticipated.

“Now… your favorite sound was a tricky one.  I know you like camping and I almost went with fire crackling, but rain and thunder makes the tent feel more cozy,” Kuroo admitted as he crawled in next to Daichi, settling himself next to the man and wrapping an arm around his waist to draw him close against his side.

“Touch was the easiest.  You’re a cuddle bug.  So… for this sense I offer as many cuddles as you want for as long as you need.  I’ve nowhere to be, we have cookies and ambiance… we could stay here all night if you want,” Kuroo murmured, glancing down at Daichi and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

Daichi closed his eyes at the gentle contact, all but melting against Kuroo as he was held close, though his cheeks did flush slightly at being called out for his cuddle bug tendencies.

“I guess that just leaves sight then,” he murmured in turn, watching as Kuroo’s face morphed into one of horror that made him have to choke back a laugh.

“I knew I was forgetting one!” Kuroo cursed to himself, glancing around the tent and trying to figure out what he could do to complete all of this for his boyfriend.

Daichi had the answer for him.

“You didn’t forget a thing, Kuroo,” Daichi murmured, smiling more as Kuroo turned back to look at him, a small line of confusion settling between his brows.  “Coming home to see you… is the best sight I could have and makes me realize that no matter what my day is like, I will always have you here beside me.  For my good days and my bad.”

The smile that spread over Kuroo’s face as he heard that made Daichi’s heart flutter in his chest.

“I know that when it comes to my senses… you are my favourite in each,” the taller man whispered back, his expression open and earnest.

“My favorite sight is waking up to you in the morning,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to each of Daichi’s eyelids.

“My favorite taste is your kiss,” he continued, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

“My favorite touch… is the way you hold me,” he whispered, arms completely encircling Daichi’s waist.

“My favorite sound… my name on your lips,” his own lips curled into a fond smile as he spoke before a playful glint appeared in his eyes.  

“And my favorite scent……. is coffee.”

As Daichi listened to each sweet word he could feel his cheeks and ears flushing more and more, each kiss making him feel light headed and content while the arms around him conveyed safety and warmth.

Then he realized the last comment.

His eyes instantly opened to see the playful smirk coming over his boyfriends features and he couldn’t stop a snort of laughter from escaping him.

“You are such an ass!” he laughed, grabbing one of the pillows and thwacking his partner over the head with it, making the former Nekoma captain yelp in indignation. “Be careful you animal!  You’ll ruin my hard work!” Kuroo laughed, trying to fend off the next attack by grabbing Daichi’s arm and wrestling him to the ground, each man trying to gain the upper hand and control of the offending pillow.

“You deserved it for being horrible!” Daichi laughed as he tried to earn his freedom and the pillow only to find Kuroo’s fingers attacking his side in a sneak attack to make him lose his strength.  “AH!  Che-heheheater!”

Kuroo smiled smugly as Daichi instantly forewent trying to get back the pillow in favor of protecting his side.

“All’s fair in love and war!” Kuroo cooed teasingly, throwing the weaponized pillow away from them before bringing his other hand down to claw at Daichi’s stomach.  The attack instantly made the man curl up into a ball as ridiculous, carefree laughter echoed around the room. “I think I’d like to change my answer for favorite sound.  Your laugh is definitely something I could write poems about!”

Daichi only laughed harder at that, shaking his head.  “G-God plehehease do-don’t!  No one neheheheds to hear th-hahahat!” he teased back, hearing the gasp of indignation that signaled his doom.

“My poems are amazing and you know it you heathen!” Kuroo cried out, doubling his efforts to completely destroy Daichi as he tickled his way up his ribs, finding the extra sensitive spots that made the man yelp and try to wriggle his way to freedom.

“LI-HIHIES!” Daichi laughed, finding all the heaviness he’d felt from earlier easily dissipating as they lost themselves to this ridiculousness, playful moment.

“Oh my Daichi, so strong and so smart.  His laugh is as sweet… as a cherry tart!” Kuroo recited, making Daichi laugh for an entirely different reason now.

“M-MahahaAHKE iT StAHAP!” he laughed loudly, Kuroo unable to stop his own laughter from joining in as he continued to torment his partner, fingers wriggling their way under his arms and making Daichi cackle in the most hilarious way.

“The tickling or the poetry?” Kuroo asked with that same teasing smirk still plastered over his features..

“B-Both!” Daichi begged before finding Kuroo falling on top of him, a soft ‘oof’ escaping him at the sudden weight.  He felt breathless and tired, but the smile on his face was absolutely bright as he looked at the golden eyes focusing on him.

“So…. are you feeling better, Daichi?” Kuroo asked softly, resting his chin on his partners chest and soothing his hand along his tormented side to help calm him down.

A light chuckle escaped the shorter man and he nodded, bringing a hand up to gently card through Kuroo’s wild hair.  “Yes.  Much better,” he murmured fondly, giving Kuroo’s ear a soft tug before soothing his thumb over the shell of it.  “Thank you, love.  For everything.”

Kuroo giggled a bit at the little tug, pressing a soft kiss against Daichi’s chest.  “You don’t have to thank me for this, Dai.  That’s what you do for those you love.  You be there for them.  To enjoy the good… and to make the bad better.”

Daichi smiled all the more at that and nodded, continuing to soothe his hand through Kuroo’s hair and watching as his boyfriends eyes slowly closed as he lost himself in the gentle touch.

The week may have done it’s hardest to drag Daichi down, but as long as he had Kuroo to come home to he knew that there was nothing he couldn’t face the next day.

[kumeko]

elevator pitches

Character/Pairing: Kaoru/Kyoya, Tamaki/Kyoya, Haruhi/Kyoya

A/N: Written for the @ohshc-music-room3-zine. Somehow Kyoya ended up being the centerpiece for the fic. You should check out the beautiful artwork that went with my piece.

Summary: Kaoru the rookie detective. Haruhi the upcoming lawyer. Tamaki the procrastinating student. Kyoya’s story interweaved with the others, connecting him whether he liked it or not.

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...

...

...

I. The Detective

The room was a mess. No, that was an understatement. The room was a disaster zone.

Kaoru shifted the box of papers in his arms as he searched for an empty space to deposit his load. Every free inch of space was occupied with stacks upon stacks of papers and evidence scattered throughout the room. Even the floor was not immune to the mess and he almost danced his way to the table. The place no longer resembled a meeting room in the least.

“Where should I put this?” he finally asked, giving up after a frantic scan revealed there really were no clear spots.

His partner pointed to a box on his left without looking up from the paper he was reading. “On top of that.”

Even his voice was distant and commanding. Kaoru held back a sigh; he had heard that Kyoya was a hard detective to work with but he hadn’t realized just what that meant till now. They’ve been partners for almost a week now and he could count the number of times they had a proper talk on one hand. Kyoya had indicated a tower of boxes, which swayed precariously as Kaoru placed his box atop of it all. Carefully, he adjusted the column to prevent it from toppling. “Anything I should do?”

“Your job,” was the only cutting remark given and really, Kyoya had no intention of helping a rookie out at all. Kaoru bit back a sharp retort; it wouldn’t help him to get the ace detective angry.

Maybe he could go out with Hikaru later and get some drinks. Some strong, stiff drinks.

In the meantime, he might as well see if there was anything left to do. Maneuvering slowly through the room, he started to examine the evidence around him. There were research papers and photographs and something that looked suspiciously like a tutu. Small sticky notes stuck out between pages and perhaps there was more order to this madness than he thought. Even the witness statements were organized in order of most relevant to least.

His partner wasn’t big on social niceties but he was very meticulous. The kind of guy who only paid attention to results. Kaoru could work with that; he had long since learned how to play others like a fiddle and it wouldn’t be too hard to find what makes Kyoya tick. From the documents Kaoru had to recently collect, the majority of them were on the old heritage section of the city. Several old apartments, a theatre, and a series of museums were at the heart of that district. The crime scene was nowhere close to any of those places, but if he overlaid the subway system over the city map, the theatre made a good hideout. With that in mind, he started to gather the witness statements from the theatre troupe and their schedules and performance dates.

He’d gather all of the data and Kyoya would not only be surprised but also impressed. He’d show he was more than a rookie and that he should be taken seriously and—

Kyoya’s voice cut through his thoughts. “Is that Dancing Queen?”

Kaoru snapped his attention towards Kyoya, who was finally looking up from his papers. His glasses were slightly askew, just waiting to be adjusted. A moment of processing and Kaoru used his top-grade detective skills to very articulately answer, “Huh?”

“You were humming,” Kyoya clarified, more patient than he expected.

Kaoru blinked, unconsciously touching his lips. Had he been? Shaking himself out of his stupor, he nodded. “The theatre was performing Mamma Mia the week of the crime.”

“The theatre?” Kyoya lowered his gaze, noticing the documents in Kaoru’s hands. “Why were you looking into them?”

“You’re looking at the old heritage sights and the theatre aligns best with a subway getaway,” Kaoru explained, setting the stack in front of his partner. “I grabbed all of the witness statements and their schedules.”

Silence. All that got him was silence and he started to second guess his actions. He remembered the order to the stacks, the tabbed notes and sticky notes. Maybe he shouldn’t have messed with the system. Hell, maybe he had guessed wrong entirely.

“I’ll put it—”

A hand stopped him from picking up the stack again. “No, it’s fine.” Kyoya was looking at him now, scrutinizing him. There was something deliberate about the way he stared, in how he formed his words. “Kaoru, was it?”

His hand was warm where they touched and he could only nod, not trusting his voice.

“Decent work for your experience level.” Kyoya’s eyes never left his, even as he let go of him and reached for the papers. He was searching for something and Kaoru straightened his back, hoping not to leave him wanting. “I wasn’t expecting you to figure that out.”

Praise? Kaoru stared at Kyoya but the man merely started to flip through the papers, already focused on the next stage of the investigation.  His hand was long gone but he could still feel the intensity of his gaze, the heat of his skin. He took back everything he said earlier—he might know how to manipulate others, but this man was a master at it.

Still, he was never one to back down from a challenge, even if he should. Pulling out one of the witness statements, he started to examine it carefully, noting down any clues he found.

Maybe he’d find the criminal before Kyoya. Imagine his surprised face then.

-x-

II. The Businessman

 Haruhi pushed the down button. Rolling her shoulders, she looked around the elevator lobby. There was an extravagant feel to it, just like the rest of the building. One side was stained glass doors leading to her employer’s office. On the other, a giant window with a view of the city. A pair of white armchairs with a table between were positioned next to the seat with a complimentary champagne bottle and glasses.

 She could not understand the rich. It was a waste of money since she’d seen that bottle get replaced almost hourly depending on the clientele. At the least the view was great.

 “Haruhi.”

The voice surprised her and Haruhi snapped her attention back to the office doors, or rather to the man coming out of the doors. It seemed Kyoya did sleep after all.

“Of course I do,” he replied in a deadpan voice. Whoops, she had said that aloud.

Logically, despite being a department head and favourite to be the next CEO, Kyoya was human. And humans did require sleep and food. Looking him over quickly, she noticed that his shirt’s top button was open and his tie loose.

“So even you can relax,” she added and perhaps she shouldn’t have said that one out loud either. Her law teachers had told her once that while her honest streak was admirable, it was a hindrance in the court.

More importantly, a hindrance in life.

He stared at her, mild curiosity painted across his face. “Should a lawyer really say that to their client?”

“Perhaps not,” she admitted, shrugging. The elevator floor number slowly increased. It would not save her from this conversation or anything she said. “But you aren’t retaining me. The company is.”

His brow raised a fraction before his expression settled into a small smirk. “True, but I do have some say on who we employ.”

Haruhi bit her cheek and looked away. Now she was playing with fire and since this was her first job after law school, she wasn’t keen on losing it so quickly. Quietly, she murmured, “Right.”

“I’ve never seen anyone make so many blunders in a single conversation before. And it’s been,” Kyoya’s gaze flickered to his watch. “Only two minutes since we started talking.”

She wasn’t quite sure if he wanted an apology or not. The amused look in his eyes said otherwise, even if his words were cutting. “Two minutes is a long time—the elevator hasn’t even made it to our floor.”

“Were you timing the elevator?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Just since you—”

 Luckily, the elevator dinged as its doors opened, interrupting her before she could finish, and she gratefully stepped inside. Only to have him follow immediately after. Any awkwardness they had outside was compounded by the small room. He neatly settled in next to her, barely a hair length away. Kyoya pressed the button for the fifth floor and she looked at him, impressed. “And I thought I had no life.”

He raised an eyebrow and she resisted the urge to cover her mouth. Playing with fire. Right. She really needed to learn control. Fortunately, he left it alone with a single snipe. “I suppose you don’t.”

 There was little she could say against that.

 After a moment he added,“Considering our latest lawsuit, I need to double check our records.”

“Oh. I should join you then.” Haruhi suppressed a sigh; there went her chance to finally get home at a reasonable time. She didn’t have to look at her wristwatch to know it was past eight. “There were a few things I wanted to check.”

“A hard worker, huh?” Kyoya shifted slightly, his gaze inscrutable. “I was right to hire you.”

That surprised her. “You were part of the—” Her stomach grumbled and Haruhi flushed a deep red. She stared steadfast at the door. “Ignore that.”

“Was that—”

“Don’t ask,” she repeated forcefully.

 From the corner of her eye, she could see the bastard repressing a laugh. It seemed every part of her was honest, even her stomach. Maybe the other lawyers were right.

“I guess it is dinner time.” Kyoya pulled out his phone, typing out a text.  “I’ll have something delivered.”

She rummaged through her purse. “I should have some cash on me.”

Still focused on his phone, he dismissed the idea entirely. “Not needed.”

“I can pay for my share.”

“You’re not staying. I’m not paying the extra hours.” Kyoya glanced at her. “Besides, you’ll burn yourself out if you keep staying so late.”

Haruhi stared at him. The elevator music filled the silence, the sound of Dancing Queen softly filling the room. The cheerful song did little to alleviate the tension.

Turning back to his phone, he amended, “It’s a little late in the case to hire a new lawyer.”

The clarification sounded about right. Deflated, she looked back to the doors. “I think you’ll overwork yourself first.”

“Not a chance.” Kyoya straightened his collar and closed his top button. While soft, his voice was firm and adamant. “Not at this stage.”

Ambition. She had expected the goal but not quite the passion behind it. Then again, considering how often she saw his office light on after hours, maybe she should have expected it. People never pushed that hard without something fueling them on.

“Famous last words,” she muttered and he scoffed. It wasn’t quite a laugh but it spooked her all the same.

“Do you think so?” He turned to her and she stared, transfixed. There was something predatory in his gaze, in his smile. A thousand deals were closed on this expression alone. “Want to make a bet?”

Haruhi swallowed. She had seen enough people fail against him to know her chances of victory. “I…”

The elevator dinged all too soon and Kyoya stepped forward. His hand brushed against hers as he passed. “Maybe next time then.”

“Yeah.” Oddly enough, she looked forward to it.

-x-

III. The Student

 “Stop.” Kyoya looked up from the textbook, shooting Tamaki a glare. He had agreed to bring out the kotatsu for a single reason: he’d be left alone long enough to finish studying for his entrance exams.

Usually, that was a non-issue. The second the kotatsu was out, Tamaki would burrow into it and promptly lose the will to do anything else. For once, the idiot’s lunacy surpassed the kotatsu’s powers, leading him to narrate a series of stories. A series of stories that, for some reason, involved Kyoya.  

 “Huh?” Tamaki cocked his head, confused. “Why?”

 Kyoya rubbed his brow. Only the idiot could stare at all the textbooks and ask that question. “I’m studying. What are you doing?”

“I’m helping you study!” Tamaki beamed from across the table, his chin on his hands. Every part of him was vibrating and he seemed to dance as he leaned left and right repeatedly. “These are potential 'what-ifs’! Think of the future you could have!”

“The future I could have?” Kyoya repeated, not following his thought process.

“Well, once you’re in university you can become anything, right? And meet new people. So you could be a cop or you could take over your father’s hospital or—” Tamaki rattled off implausible scenario after implausible scenario.

Honestly, he should have expected this. At least he stopped him after that second story, the laundry list of clichés was getting tiresome. Closing his book, he gave his friend a deadpan stare. “I already know Haruhi and Kaoru.”

“Well, I’m using them as stand-ins. It could be anyone else.” Undeterred, Tamaki reached for an orange on the table and slowly peeled it. “It’s just possibilities.”

“The romance scenarios?” he prodded, calculating exactly what damages Tamaki would owe him. Should he punish him? Not that it would stop Tamaki from pulling this again. Nothing could really stop him when he went wild.

“Well, everyone likes a good romance story.” Tamaki said dramatically before he hugged himself, flinging his head back as he plopped on the ground. “The drama, the love, how it moves the soul!” His hand reached for the ceiling.

Kyoya sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. The punishment it was then. “And if Haruhi or Kaoru heard that?”

Tamaki froze. He stared up at the ceiling for a long moment, barely blinking, before sitting up. He leaned forward. Quietly, “Don’t tell them.”

“Is that an order?” Kyoya raised a brow and Tamaki balked.

“Please don’t tell them?” He rested his chin on the table, staring at him imploringly. His eyes were wide and watery and Kyoya could sense a headache coming up. A hand reached out to grip his. “I’ll do anything.”

Kyoya stared at Tamaki’s hand before sighing and relenting. Gripping it back, he gave him a stern look. “Then these stories will...?”

“Immediately stop, I promise.” Tamaki shook his head quickly. Beaming, he withdrew and split his peeled orange. Plopping a slice in his mouth, he moaned happily. “The best food for a kotatsu. Want one?”

“Pass.” Kyoya opened his book once more. There were only a few hours left in the day and he really wanted to get to the fifth chapter before bedtime. Before he could read more than a few lines, an orange slice was waved in front of his mouth.

“Just one?” Tamaki offered.

It was sometimes easier to just accept it than to fight it. Relenting, he opened his mouth. Tamaki’s smile broadened. As promised, he returned back to his own interests, creating small flowers out of the peels. Under his breath, he hummed softly. A familiar song Kyoya had heard three times today now.

“That song... you really like it, don’t you?” Kyoya commented offhandedly as he skimmed a page.

Under the kotatsu, Tamaki’s feet started to dance. Every part of him bobbed to an invisible beat. He cocked his head. “What makes you say that?”

Of course the idiot wouldn’t notice. “It was in every one of your stories.”

“Ohhh! You’re like a detective! And you were paying attention!” Tamaki glowed. If it were possible to bounce while sitting, he did so. “Oh, what if you were a detective and Mori was your assistant—”

“Tamaki.”

“Right, right, I promised.” He went back to eating, still humming the tune. “I’ll keep quiet, like a spy.”

Kyoya sighed and started to count down to next outburst. It was impossible to stop Tamaki when he was into something. Still, he hadn’t delivered his punishment. Offhandedly, he casually added, “We are not going to see Mamma Mia.”

 Tamaki froze, his humming instantly cut off. Pale, he opened and closed his mouth silently.

 Ah, if he knew that was what it took, Kyoya would have said it hours ago.

[thdorkmagnet]

Starcoweek5, Prompt 1: Awkward Dating Moment

Flowers, Dinner and Stuffed Corn, the Perfect Date

Hello Stardom! thDorkMagnet here, shipper of Starco and lover of cheesy puns, but the last ones not important. I wanted to do this list as my personal send off to Star vs the forces of evil, one of my favorite shows of all time. This show has changed me and helped me grow, as well as give me a great opportunity to meet a bunch of beautiful and amazing people. So I wanted to show my appreciation by honoring my favorite aspect of the series and its massive fanbase, Starco! I'm already a bit behind, I know, but this was a last minute decision and my power has been out at my house for the last few days, but I will do my best to get these done in a timely fashion. This is a bit of a one day challenge as well, giving myself only 24 hours to finish the short little prompts.

Okay so for some of the prompts on this list I will be using my AU version of Star and Marco from my story, Light of the Sun and Stars over on fanfiction.net, which includes today’s prompt. I hope this is okay and I’m not breaking the rules or anything Sorry I just couldn’t resist, my last chapter literally ended with them going on a date and then I found out first day’s prompt is a date and I was like, “OMG, the stars really aligned for that one.” (Told you I like puns) Plus, I already had this written and posted on fanfiction when I realized I wanted it to be on here as well.

 I did my best to make it so that those who haven't read it will still be able to follow along, but here are the basics you need to know. Marco is a Mewman and orphaned with red sun cheek marks which all Mewmans have in this story. He and Star are dating. Their personalities are a bit different in this AU, but you will pick up on that. This is a continuation of my latest chapter, but again that shouldn't affect the read any if at all. Let's see anything else... nope I think that's it. 

Well enjoy all! And I will hopefully see you tomorrow with the next prompt! *crosses fingers*

It was late in the evening, the sun long since setting, and in a peaceful corner of Butterfly Village, just outside a quaint little restaurant, a young couple sat enjoying a candlelight dinner together. Well, okay they were more enjoying each others company since they still hadn't received their ordered meal yet. Neither of them minded though, too caught up in their conversation to care about the wait. A couple of shopping bags lay at their feet, as well as a giant stuffed corncob with a cute smiling face sewed onto it, which the two had placed in the seat between them. Their hands remained intertwined from across the table, as the sound of pleasant laughter filled the air.

Star laughed at something her boyfriend had said, nearly choking on her drink. “Yeah, I know,” she giggled. “But you really wanted it.”

Marco rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly with his free hand, looking over at the stuffed toy. “I mean I thought it was cute but I didn't expect you to waist three hours trying to win if for me from that vender.”

Star shrugged, taking a sip of her water. “I didn't mind,” she reassured him, cheerily.

“Yeah but that guy sure did when you threatened to turn him into a toad,” Marco pointed out, laughing at the memory.

“I wasn't really going to do it!” Star quickly said, jumping to her own defense. “And he was totally rigging the game so I couldn't win! So I just gave him a little... incentive.” Star took another giant gulp of her water, hiding her embarrassed face from view.

Marco shook his head, before giving the girl's hand a squeeze. “Well thanks for getting it for me, I love it,” he said, shooting her a grateful smile, his sun cheek marks spinning once, a clear sign that he was excited.

“Not a problem, Marco,” Star said, returning the grin. She leaned closer to him, her blue orbs piercing Marco's very heart, as she added softly, “Besides when my boyfriend wants something he gets it.”

Marco's cheeks flushed bright red, nearly masking his glowing suns from view, as he looked shyly down at the table. Though he now had a wide smile and shimmering eyes from the praise. Star hung on his every movement, studying his face closely and memorizing every inch of it, his adorkable charm infectious. How on Mewni did she ever get so lucky as to end up with someone as perfect as Marco?

“So how did you find this place, Marco?” she asked, looking around at the pleasant little, outside sitting area of the restaurant. “I've never been here before. Heck, I didn't know it even existed.”

Marco shrugged. “I come here sometimes,” he said casually.

Sometimes, Star thought in disbelief, the way everyone had acted when they had first got there, you'd think Marco was some kind of VIP or something. All the waitresses had greeted him by name, and instantly oogled over Star, who Marco apparently talked to them about quite a bit. One of them then cheerily lead them to what she referred to as the best seat in the house, only asked Marco if he wanted his “usual” which Marco simply nodded and told them to give Star the same, only stopping to check to make sure that was okay with her.

“Well you've never taken me here before,” Star pointed out, before asking jokingly, “How often is sometimes?”

Marco looked thoughtfully off in the distance, as he took a sip of his drink through the small red straw that had come with his water without even asking, the waitress putting it in there without so much as a word from the hooded teen. “About once a week I guess,” he replied, after a moment of deliberation.

Kelly suddenly came up out of nowhere, holding two trays of pancakes, dripping in maple syrup. “Marco, buddy. Haven't see you since what, three days ago? How've you been?”

Marco looked guiltily at Star, who leaned her head against her arm. “Uh huh,” she said knowingly.

“Or maybe all the time,” Marco admitted softly, fiddling with his straw nervously.

“So this is the famous Star, I've been hearing so much about,” Kelly said, looking over at the blond.

“Yep, that's me,” Star replied with a grin. “You must be Kelly, right?”

“That's me all right, I would shake your hand but my hands are a little full right now,” the hairy girl joked and Star laughed.

Finally the green-haired girl set down the two trays of food in front of the couple, reciting the order back to her customers as she did, “Okay two orders of pancakes, with extra maple syrup, hold the butter, and sprinkles on top. Just the way you like them.”

“Thanks Kelly,” Marco said, giving his friend a wide smile.

“No problem, Marco. You two enjoy your date,” the girl said with a wink, starting to walk away when Marco noticed something wrong.

“Um Kelly,” he called grabbing her attention as she turned back to the pair. “There are no sprinkles on this.” The boy pointed down to the pancakes and sure enough they soft golden treats were completely sprinkle-less.

“You put sprinkles on your pancakes?” Star asked, holding back the rising giggle.

“Yeah, it's really good,” Marco responded, while Kelly studied his food carefully.

“Oh right, of course,” Kelly said, before calling out. “Hey Tad, sprinkles please.”

Tad suddenly awoken from his girlfriend's head, pulling out a bottle of sprinkles and pouring them onto Marco's plate, nearly coating the treat in them. “There you go, dude.”

“Thanks Tad,” Marco replied cheerily.

Kelly and Tad offered to give Star some as well, the blond declining with a raise of her hand, and the second pair of lovebirds exited the scene, leaving Star and Marco alone again. The two stared at each other for another moment, as their pancakes no doubt grew cold, but they would need both hands to eat and neither wanted to let go. “This is really nice, Marco,” Star said with a loving sigh. “An absolute perfect date.”

“Oh that reminds me,” Marco said, finally letting go of Star's hand as he bent over and began digging into one of his bags. Star leaned more over the table, trying to see what her boyfriend was up to. A moment later, Marco rose back up, now holding a bouquet of flowers, all Crimson Lillies. Star covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes blown wide as she stared at the beautiful flowers. “Oh, Marco,” the blond breathed, neither of them having to voice what they were thinking. They both knew it was Marco's late parents favorite flower. “Where did you find those?” Star asked in surprise.

“I bought them while you were busy trying to win me, Corny,” Marco explained, pointing over to the stuffed toy.

“They're beautiful,” Star said, getting slightly chocked up.

“Well, my mom really liked them, so I hoped you would two,” Marco said thoughtfully, with just a slight hint of sadness in his tone, as he looked down at the flowers.

“I love them,” Star said, smiling brightly at him.

Marco grinned before thrusting them over in Star's direction, going to give her the gift. But he didn't remember the still-lit candelabra until it was too late, the flowers instantly catching ablaze. Marco screamed and quickly through them away from himself to try and prevent himself from being burned. But he failed to notice that he had now thrown the basically lit torch of flowers right on top of his stuffed toy. “No Corny!” Marco shouted, shooting up from his chair with a look of fear.

Kelly notice the scene and began racing over.

“Quick get the fire extinguisher!” Star shouted, pushing her seat back in a hurry as well.

Marco taking quick action grabbed his cup of water and threw it onto the still burning toy. But instead of hitting the toy, he instead splashed Tom, who had appeared from the flames just a second before, directly in the face.

“Hey!” Tom shouted in anger, his flames cheek marks blazing out of control on instinct, as he glared at the boy.

“Tom, what are you doing here?!” Star shouted in anger, just as Kelly reached the table with the fire extinguisher quickly dousing the flames in an attempt to save Marco's stuffed prize.

“Well, when I felt the fire from the Underworld and realized it was you, I thought maybe you were trying to make up,” the purple-skinned boy explained, with a hopeful grin.

“Get out of here, your ruining my date!” Star yelled, crossing her arms and the boy deflated instantly.

“Oh okay, worth a try,” the boy grumbled in defeat, before disappearing into flames once again, unintentionally reigniting the stuffed corn.

“Oh come on!” Kelly groaned angrily, thrusting the now empty fire extinguisher away from herself in a huff.

“Star, your wand!” Marco shouted and Star nearly smacked herself for her stupidity.

“Oh right,” she said, pulling the magical device out of her purse as she shouted out, “Winter Storm Hyper Blow!” The flames were instantly extinguished as the toy and charred remain of flowers were incased in ice.

The three teens all panted, bodies full of adrenaline from the scare, waiting a moment for their racing hearts to slow. Kelly went over to the now frozen corn and taped the side of it with her knuckles, checking it for any cracks. Within the ice there were luckily only a few scourched area on Corny's fluff, looking no more worse for the ware over than that.“Well it looks like your toy made it out alive,” Kelly observed and Marco sighed in relief.

“Oh thank goodness,” Marco mumbled, before hugging the block of ice, ignoring his hands and cheek which went instantly numb from the action. “I'm so glad you're okay, Corny,” he said to his stuffed toy, which continued to just smile blissfully with its sewed on face.

“The flowers, however,” Kelly continued, holding up the small, ash remains of the once beautiful bouquet. Star and Marco both cringed but for totally different reasons each. Star was worried how her boyfriend would react to the loss, considering he was still dealing with the recent discovery of his parent's tragic past, while Marco was cringing because his perfect gift to Star was completely ruined, though the small tug of sadness at his heartstrings from seeing the burnt flowers didn't help much either.

“I-It's okay, Marco,” Star quickly comforted, putting an arm on his shoulder as he just stared sadly at the unrecognizable flowers. “We'll buy some new ones.”

“That's alright,” Marco said, fighting around the small lump in his throat, which he for some reason was having trouble swallowing down. “They're just flowers. They don't mean anything.” He shrugged, before giving his girlfriend a guilty look. “I'm just sorry your gift got ruined.”

“Oh Marco,” Star sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck as she whispered into his ear. “The flowers were nice, but just having you here is enough for me.”

Marco smiled, one of his real, genuine smiles that just made Star melt. “Thanks Star,” he said, repositioning himself so that he could hug her back.

“Were these Crimson Lilies by any chance?” Kelly asked, as she studied the charred remains and Star and Marco both turned to her with surprise. They had been so wrapped up in each other, they had forgotten that she was even still there.

“Yeah,” Marco replied.

“Your in luck,” Kelly said with a bright smile. “We actually keep some in the back.” She pointed toward the restaurant. “We use them as table decorations.”

Marco's mind instantly raced back to all the times he had been at the restaurant before. He knew he had seen the flowers before, now he finally knew where. “Would you be willing to give us some?” Marco asked, his eyes wide and pleadingly.

Kelly nodded. “Sure thing, anything for my favorite customer.” She gave the boy a smile, before walking off to go retrieve them, as well as throw the useless batch away.

“See Marco it all worked out,” Star said, kissing his cheek, painting both of their cheeks red.

“Yeah, your right,” Marco agreed.

“Now come on, let's eat, before our pancakes get any colder,” Star said, going over to her seat and sitting down, Marco doing the same.

The boy looked over at the encased and burnt corncob and asked jokingly, “Do you think we'll ever have a date, without something catching on fire?”

Star laughed, as she cut up her pancakes. “Let's just remember for all future dates. No candles.”

“Agreed,” Marco chuckled.

The two held up their forks, which held their first bite of food on it, as they casually clinked them together, saying brightly, “Cheers!”

So yeah, quick additional note to clear up any confusion, Star and Tom are having a fight right now and Kelly and Tad are still in a relationship... told you it was AU. Also, this was less awkward date and more Marco being overly clumsy, ha. Poor innocent babe.

[fullstop-official]

A Scheduled Four Hours of My Local Drugstore Hell

AKA: Chapter Two

Once upon a time, two high school sweethearts were married. They’d already fallen head-over-heels in love, so they tied the knot, bought a house, built successful careers, and even started a family together.

Then, they got divorced when their son was in seventh grade.

Since the divorce, I’ve lived with my mom in the Valley. Not too long after their marriage dissolved, my dad got a job offer to teach English at Purdue, and he couldn’t possibly pass up such a sweet deal, so he moved to Indiana. I only get to see him in person a few times a year, less and less since he started teaching spring and summer courses. At first, it was pretty tough and kind of hit me hard, but it probably could have been worse. It was a fairly clean break – there wasn’t really a lot of fighting. Instead, they just both sort of realized they’d married the wrong person. They’re still friends, which is better than what Bryson had to deal with when his parents split up, so I figure I’m one of the lucky ones.

***

After band practice, I’m back in the Gator’s passenger seat with an altered mood and the dread caused by the clause of a hastily written contract looming over me. At the very least, Travis is always musically prepared, so I don’t have to sit through the overplayed crap on the radio. Not all of his stuff is particularly to my taste, but it’s absolutely nothing like Selena’s so I can deal with having to hear a Nickelback song every once and a while.

I don’t have a car of my own, so this is all commonplace. Travis is basically my ride everywhere. We usually aren’t too far apart anyway. Both of us live in Woodland Hills in the third quadrant (as bisected by the highways and major streets) where the roads start to mercilessly curve in order to work with the mountains. The bends, levels and hills made it an equally exciting and terrifying experience learning how to drive, so more often than not, I graciously decide to leave that part up to Travis.

I live in one of the two-story homes, which is pretty rare because Woodland Hills is basically made up of single-story ranches that were definitely built during that bold period between the fifties and the eighties – low, gradual rooflines, giant stone on the same building as ugly siding, the whole nine yards. I wouldn’t be too surprised if half of them still have shag carpets, faux wood panels, and flower power wallpaper from the seventies.

Travis pulls into my driveway behind my mom’s car, and we both climb out of the Gator. We head inside through the front door. The smell of spices and grease hits me the instant we step from the LA summer heat into air conditioning. The scents waft from the kitchen in through the living room.

“We’re home!” I call out as Travis and I kick off our shoes. We follow the aroma, and the crackles and pops that start to become clearer, into the kitchen.

My mom’s still in scrubs which means when she got home the hunger and thought of dinner overruled everything else, including changing clothes. She’s standing before the stove with stir fry sizzling on the element.

“Doctor Scott!” Travis uses his standard greeting – a high, breathy, surprised gasp in his best impression of Janet from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It does not suit his voice at all, but it’s been his go-to hello for my mom since we first saw the movie back in middle school. I’m sure that must be why it’s one of his favourite scenes because, honestly, it’s thirty straight seconds of people yelling names. And it repeats.

“Travis is here,” she states, half sarcastic and wearing a grin. “Big surprise.”

“Yeah, I just can’t seem to get rid of him,” I joke.”

Travis scoffs back teasingly as he drops into one of the chairs at our kitchen table. “Em fo dir teg ot gniog reven er’uoy, Nagrom,” he says in reverse.

“Taht tuoba ees ll’ew, Sivart.”

“Stop speaking in tongues or I’m hiring an exorcist,” my mom chimes in. She turns a bit to look over her shoulder while I open the fridge. She asks, already knowing the answer, “Are you staying for dinner, Travis?”

“If you insist.” I don’t have to see his face while I’m digging around to know that he’s smirking as he says it.

“Intercepting my leftovers before they even had a chance,” she sighs playfully.

“Is it vegetarian stir fry again?” I ask, only because I notice from the corner of my eye that her pan seems to lack protein. I kick the fridge door shut, hands occupied by two sodas. I toss the Cherry Coke to Travis and he, thankfully, catches it. There have been a few tragic instances where one of us has missed, and the can exploded as a casualty, and it really isn’t fun cleaning liquid sugar off of every surface in a seven-foot radius.

In response to my question, my mom lets out a little disapproving hum. “It wouldn’t be if you’d ever listen to me and take the chicken out of the freezer when I ask you to.”

Travis laughs as he cracks open his can.

“At least I know it means you’re eating your vegetables.”

“I mean, I don’t really have many other options. Between driving to somewhere for a burger or staying and eating your rabbit food, this one’s the simplest.”

“Kind of an Occam’s Razor for food choices,” Travis interjects.

“Precisely.”

“You two are weird.” She looks up from stirring the pan and focuses on me. “Work tonight?”

I nod. “At six. Short shift. But I wouldn’t be stuck in CVS purgatory if I already had a car and didn’t have to save for one.”

“I gave you a choice. Car now or tuition later.” She points the spatula at me. “And you, my friend, picked the smart option. Even if it means Travis gets to steal my food and camp out in my home. Will I be seeing him later, too?”

“Likely,” Travis answers. “I am his ride everywhere, after all.” It’s his small attempt at helping my cause and rescuing me from part-time retail, but it ultimately doesn’t end with my mom seeing the light and offering to buy me an alternative mode of transportation.

Travis changes the subject after taking another sip of his drink.

“Coming to the gig Friday night, Doctor Scott?”

My mom has told him many times that he can call her by her first name, or even just call her mom at this point. Travis refuses. She’s stopped trying to fight it.

“Nope. Date night.”

My mom has seen a few other guys since the divorce, but she’s been with her current boyfriend, Derek, for about six-or-seven months now, I believe. Ironically, he was my dad’s best friend all through high school. They were even in a band together back then, too.

“Besides, Ray’s Underground is kind of sketchy. Don’t they pay you in beer?” She gives me a “mom look,” one brow raised.

“They pay us. We get about four-fifty a show. Bryson funnels it back into the band.”

“The free beer is just a perk, not currency,” Travis adds with a grin.

“Why can’t you be like normal teenagers and just lie to me about your illegal shenanigans?” She shakes her head. Her hair is still pulled back, so the low ponytail flops between her shoulder blades. “I’ve heard you guys a hundred times anyway. You’re good. I don’t have to go watch every show.”

“Too bad. You’ll miss Morgan’s lead-singing debut.”

I feel the physical part of me freeze up, and others inside die instantly with that kill shot that came out of nowhere. My mom’s head whips up from the stove and her light, wide eyes spend a second bouncing between me and my best friend. He’s still wearing a smug face. I’m just trapped in that “stay perfectly still and nothing bad will happen” mindset like some stunned piece of prey. Eventually, after what feels like an eternity, her gaze settles on Travis in disbelief.

“Morgan?” she asks. “Morgan Scott? Morgan Jamie Scott the Second?”

My parents are both uncreative, naming-impaired, cruel narcissists. I have my dad’s first name and the middle is my mom’s, so I guess it’s a good thing they were both stuck with unisex names. I’ve been told it would have been reversed if I’d been a girl: Jamie Morgan.

“My son?” The spatula tip is pointed my way again. The tenseness has begun to fade away and now I just want to roll my eyes at her theatrics. “Him?”

“Even signed a contract,” Travis confirms. “He’s going to sing our encore, front-and-center.”

“Wow,” she remarks. “I’m almost sad I’m going to miss that.” Her curious stare briefly finds its way back to me before her focus moves back to her cooking again. “What are you singing?”

Travis jumps in and answers before I can. “Blank Space.”

I notice a second too late that he refused to elaborate on which version we’re doing.

I feel that sinking pressure of remorse mixed with something that’s bordering on annoyance because my mom bursts out laughing after putting the title to a song, and the song to the original singer’s face, and then probably that face on my face. She’s obviously thinking about the overplayed pop version she’s heard a billion times.

“Thanks, Trav.” Monotone. Sarcasm. In response, he just raises his can of Cherry Coke to me like a small, mischievous salute. He’s grinning and practically glowing with schadenfreude.

When she stops mocking me, my mom turns. She shoves her spatula into my hand. “Watch the food, Taylor Swift; I’m going to go get changed.” As she steps around me to leave, she reaches up the height I’ve got on her and messes my hair, only adding to the humiliating taunting. “God, you need a haircut.” She says this about once a month to me, and every few days to Travis – not that it accomplishes anything.

I sigh silently as I take her place before the frying vegetables, and she disappears from the kitchen. I hear her laughter start up again – she isn’t finished basking in the sheer hilarity everybody except me seems to find in the deal I was bribed into making.

“She’ll be calling me Taylor Swift for the rest of my life.”

“No doubt.”

“I hate you,” I say.

“I know,” Travis replies, definitely still smirking.

***

When I get off of work at ten after a scheduled four hours of my local drugstore hell, Travis is waiting for me in the Gator, parked in a space by the door and blaring Sum 41 so loud all of Winnetka is liable to complain. He turns the volume down when I climb into the passenger seat to something more suitable for conversation.

“Fun night?” he asks to tease me.

“I think a piece of my soul died.”

Travis chuckles in response – he’s heard enough of my CVS horror stories to know I’m not exaggerating. He encounters some idiots at his job, sure, but there’s a special brand of general-public stupidity that I’m exposed to every single time I walk into CVS wearing a nametag and a polo.

“What did you do while I was being tortured?”

He’s wearing another conceited look as he backs out of the space in the vacant lot. “I met up with Sweet Caroline Wu for a little while.”

Sweet Caroline Wu goes to our school and had a major Neil Diamond obsession back in the tenth grade, hence the nickname. (She’s hot too, which is also pretty sweet, in my opinion.) Travis and Sweet Caroline have been hanging out as a pair for a couple weeks now, usually whenever I’m working. They both say they’re not dating or fooling around, but they absolutely are. Travis talks about her a lot in that dopey, smitten way. I end up hearing a lot about how her lips taste like strawberries, and how her hair smells like coconut, and how her breasts feel (perfect, according to him).

So, yeah, they’re totally dating.

“Is she coming on Friday?” I ask. I know Sweet Caroline doesn’t really like the kind of music we play, but she likes Travis enough that she’ll sit through an entire band practice just to fawn over him.

“Of course. I promised her a backstage tour after the set. And she can be another witness when you dump your girlfriend.”

Those words sound like a choir of angels to me. I almost expect the night-darkened heavens to part, and a beam of light to shine down on the promise of mine and Selena’s contractually-destroyed fake relationship as it’s so close to coming to an end. It’s the clause of my agreement with Bryson, however, that stops this from happening. It weighs heavily on me like a cloud of smog blocking the Godly illumination’s full radiance.

By the time we’re back in Woodland Hills and pulling into my driveway, the music has shifted to blessthefall. Travis shuts the Gator off in the middle of Hollow Bodies. He hauls a familiar overnight duffel bag over his shoulder as we walk to the door, which means that, at some point between making out with Sweet Caroline Wu and coming to pick me up from work, he went home, at least for a few minutes.

“How is it over there?” I ask him.

“Not safe. Have to wait it out another month.”

Travis’ older brother, Tyler, is home for the summer. He’s majoring in structural engineering at UCB, which means that Travis’ parents are asking him about his courses, and also asking Travis what his plans are after he graduates high school. They don’t like the answer that he gives.

Both Longfield brothers got in part-time at this garage during the summers, and, while Tyler sees it as a source of a few extra bucks, it’s what Travis wants to do – I mean, not the cleaning and administration stuff he’s stuck doing, but the fixing part. His parents think he can do better than “just a lowly auto mechanic,” even though he’d definitely have an apprenticeship lined up after vocational school, and a guaranteed full-time job after that. When his brother is home, that all goes out the window, and he has to spend most days and nights over at my place. He’d end up in a straightjacket otherwise.

My mom is still awake in the living room when we enter. She’s sitting in front of the TV, watching one of her recordings of some drama on NBC that makes her cry. I always tease her and tell her she should stop watching if she can’t handle the tragedy they’ve scripted, but she holds true to her claim that it’s all just too beautiful, and intricate, and deserves to be viewed. She keeps watching and crying over fictional characters.

“How was work?” She’s already dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.

“Hell.”

“That’s nice.”

She’s not really listening.

Travis and I go upstairs and leave her be.

I think my bedroom is relatively normal for a teenager – posters, books, clothes, a mother who’s constantly trying to make me clean it all up to no avail. The only uncommon thing is Travis’ bed. It’s a futon, but it’s never put back into couch mode, nor do the extra pillows and blankets ever leave it. Travis sets his bag down at the foot of it.

“What magnificent wonders of the past are you forcing me to watch tonight?” I pull off my polo – my glorified prison uniform – and toss it aside. I’d burn it if I didn’t need the money in my car fund.

Travis already has three DVDs in hand. He’s sort of a movie buff, which means I’ve seen just about every piece of cinema produced between 1927 and the present, regardless of whether or not it’s actually good.

“Psycho, The Searchers, or Casablanca?”

“Psycho.”

“Shower scene. Implied nudity,” he remarks. He’s smirking, mostly because he’s an ass, and also because he isn’t wrong.

“Beats cowboy racism and a movie I’ve watched a hundred times.”

“Casablanca is a classic,” Travis defends, already putting in the disc for Psycho. “Three Academy Awards.”

“I know,” I say, teasingly, “Because I’ve seen it a hundred times.”

He flips me off playfully, and we fall into something familiar and comfortable, despite the creepy motel vibe and plenty of chocolate syrup blood.

Chapter: 1

[lacrossepapi]

I Put a Spell on You

Shout out to or fantastic amazing wonderful mods over at @steterweek I wouldn’t be doing all this if it wasn’t for you! 

Day Five: Neck ‘N Throats

Peter had owned Marked since its conception. His nephew and nieces had went out and got degrees they thought would be easy or fun and ended up hating the fields they worked in, well except for darling Cora who prospered quite well in the Studio Design field. It was with their plight and his own selfish gain in mind that Peter decided to combine their talents and his own to start an adult magazine for werewolves.

Peter, being the control freak he was, immediately put himself in charge of hiring models, but later added Erica Reyes and Isaac Lahey to help him pick models for varied viewers. In the beginning he, Erica, Erica's partner Boyd, and Isaac were the models, and Derek and Cora stepped in for the athletic issue they'd rolled out after their first successful year. By their fifth year running they had obtained a notoriety only found in the classic adult magazines such as Hustler and Playboy and Peter was richer than he had been since before sending his charges to college.

One of their models had been gaining a lot of traction lately so Peter decided it was time to see this boy Erica had hired. He hadn't been expecting such an innocent doe-eyed boy with the body of a man. He watched quietly from the viewing room as the boy stumbled and giggled around the set.

To say that Peter was interested was an understatement to his fixation on brown eyes and freckles.

Peter entered the set just as the boy, Stiles, was laying out on the Marking Table. His giggles filled the high ceiling studio as Boyd started marking his pale skin to match their brand.

“If it tickles so much I'd much rather pinch you.” Boyd said lowly.

Stiles laughed and winked at the photographer, “I'd actually like that.”

“If you like pinching how would you feel about my mouth instead?” Peter found the question snaking out of his mouth involuntarily.

He braced himself for a quick shut down but was greeted by Stiles pretty pretty blush that started at his chest and traveled up his newly marked up neck to his cheeks.

Stiles let out a series of stutters and mumbles as if he couldn't formulate a proper sentence and Peter found himself hopelessly charmed.

“Are you my shooting partner today? Mister uh. I didn't catch your name sir.”

Peter stepped back and took a subtle breath because getting a semi while standing over his employee and future shooting partner was frowned upon.

“My name is Peter, sweet thing. Yes I am going to be shooting with you. Do you know what we are doing today, darling?” Peter's voice had taken on a deep rumble and he pointedly ignored Boyd's judgemental looks as the man continued to mark up the boy's body.

“We-we are doing a professor and student scene right?” Stiles flushed skin and sweet stumbling words were seriously affecting Peter.

Not trusting his voice to be anything but a loud rumble Peter nodded and smiled at the boy before departing with a light touch to the boy's wrist.

When the shoot started Peter was in a grey casual business suit and Stiles was wearing a innocent looking white button up and jeans so tight they left nothing to the imagination. Peter had never once regretted going into the photo side instead of video, but watching Stiles approach him with demure eyes and unsure steps made Peter regret.

He wanted to ruin this boy.

The shoot progressed as usual, slowly undressing them both to show the contrast between Peter's large muscular body and Stiles’ long lean body covered in hickeys. Peter obviously saw the appeal of his brand, but looking down at Stiles’ flushed and bruised skin above his erection incited such a primal need to absolutely ravage him that Peter had to immediately back off after the photo was taken.

He was going to use that boy up and leave him broken and wanting.

At the end of the shoot Peter let out a shallow growl and pulled the boy against his sweaty chest, making sure to press his erection into the boy's ass.

“Join me in my office.”

Stiles laughter was a shock to Peter's overheated brain and made him relax his hold on the once pliant body.

“Are you kidding? Do you think just because you're the boss man I'll have sex with you? As if!” Stiles huffed the last sentence as he spun away, leaving Peter speechless and Boyd trying to stifle his laughter.

“Mr.Hale if you'd like to have sex with me you'll have to actually try to woo me.” with that Stiles let the doors to the studio shut behind him.

“Good luck boss. I've known him since we were kids. He's as vicious as a viper.” Boyd chuckled as he too left Peter gaping.

-

“Hello Stiles.”

The loving purr made Stiles jump before turning to face the CEO of Marked Magazine.

“What can I do for you today Mr.Hale?” Stiles asked with more sarcasm than curiosity.

“Join me for lunch.” Peter asked, though it was more of a demand.

“No.”

-

Stiles continued to deny Peter Hale everytime the man appeared out of nowhere and “asked" him out. It was like the man had never actually attempted to woo someone. He stalked Stiles and then demanded a date, and if Stiles wasn't so insulted he would laugh at how awkward the situation must look to a third party person.

This dance continued for three months before Peter walked into the employee lounge with three carts full of flowers and a giant teddy bear in his arms.

“Let me take you out.”

“No, but you can leave the bear.”

-

It took two more months because Peter finally understood why Stiles denied him. Stiles had prepared to turn him down again when Peter entered the kitchen next to the employee lounge, but instead of demanding him or trying to woo him with money Peter sat down beside him and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

“Will you please go get dinner with me? I'm out of tricks and if you say ‘no’ again I'll respect your answer and wont bother you again.”

“Yes.”

-

The date was wonderful. Stiles turned out to not only be incredibly attractive and wonderfully vicious, but also extremely intelligent. Peter found himself listening intently and unwilling to talk about himself for the first time in his life. When Stiles spoke, you listened. Peter followed along with each of Stiles’ rapidly alternating topics throughout the entirety of their meal, agreeing or disagreeing when necessary.

“Can we go back to your place?” Stiles’ question caught Peter off guard, he had been planning on leaving Stiles on the boy's doorstep with a chaste kiss.

“If that's what you want?” Peter offered, canting his head to left in question.

“Oh god yes. I've wanted to bounce on your cock since our shoot.”

Peter was speechless again as Stiles hailed them a cab.

“What do you mean ‘since our shoot’? That was five months ago?” Peter was more confused than he had been in a long time.

“Well yeah. You're hot like burning. But you didn't see me as a person until now.” Stiles shrugged.

Everything clicked at once and he realized how predatory and creepy he had been up until now, how he'd pursued Stiles because he wanted to use him not because he actually enjoyed the boy's presence.

Peter swallowed before nodding and leading Stiles into the cab.

Once they had made it to Peter's overly lavish apartment Stiles somehow immediately found the copy of Marked that they had been in, even though he hadn't remembered leaving out.

“Oh my god we are such hot shit! I hadn't seen the pictures until now! Holy shit man we are hot as fuck!” Stiles gushed over his and Peter's photos.

“Yes, darling, I'm aware. That's why it was in my bedroom. Beside my bed.”

[phinnsyreads]

Item #: SCP-009

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: Object is to be contained within a sealed storage tank of heat-resistant alloy with dimensions not less than 2m x 2m x 2m.

Under no circumstances should SCP-009 be exposed to temperatures in excess of 0°C when not undergoing testing, and no water-based solutions shall be allowed within 30 meters of the object's containment area. Object's chamber is to be fitted with temperature sensors which must be monitored at all times, and is to be kept refrigerated by no fewer than three (3) redundant cooling units. Any malfunction of sensors, or of coolant systems, is to be reported and repaired immediately. If at any time the temperature in the containment area climbs above -5°C, the chamber is to be locked down and flooded with coolant until temperatures return to safe levels (-30°C to -25°C).

Containment area is to be kept in total vacuum during testing, and personnel interacting with SCP-009 must wear full environmental protection gear. Following testing, all equipment, personnel, and other materials must undergo dehydration procedures and be quarantined for no less than 12 hours. Any moisture found displaying properties of SCP-009 is to be quarantined and added to the containment area as soon as possible. Living organisms found to be contaminated by SCP-009 are to be terminated by chemical dessication and extracted molecules of SCP-009 added to containment.

Description: SCP-009 is approximately ███ liters of a substance which superficially resembles distilled water (H2O), except with a distinct bright red hue. This red hue is discernible in all phases, and serves as the most expedient method of identifying contaminated matter before its anomalous properties manifest. In contrast to mundane water, SCP-009 assumes a liquid phase at temperatures between -100°C and 0°C, and a solid state above those temperatures. At temperatures below -100°C, SCP-009 vaporizes into a gaseous phase similar to steam.

Examinations of the atomic structure of SCP-009 have proved inconclusive. The substance appears to be identical to normal water molecules, with the exception of [REDACTED] in contrast to standard laws of enthalpy. Dr. █████, Site ██'s resident expert on Xenospatial Physics suggests that SCP-009 may originate in a universe with alternate physical laws.

The most hazardous property of SCP-009, however, is its ability to contaminate normal H2O. When in contact with any aqueous solution, SCP-009 will, through unknown mechanisms, transfer its anomalous properties to other objects and creatures. Testing has shown it capable of assimilating ice, steam, tea, fruit juice, seawater, blood, and [DATA EXPUNGED]. The time it takes for this process to occur varies depending on temperature and the exact chemical composition of affected matter, and had been observed as taking between 3 minutes and ██ hours.

Experiments on D-Class personnel have illustrated the process of conversion by the substance, which has been found to follow a consistent pattern:

1. Initial Exposure: Subject is exposed to SCP-009, and it begins assimilating any moisture present on the exposed surface. Creatures in this stage do not commonly notice any unusual symptoms except for a slight warming sensation.

2. Surface Conversion: Frost begins to form on the exposed area as the heat produced by the subject and SCP-009 itself raises its temperature above 0°C. This stage can take anywhere from one (1) minute to █ hours, during which time subjects begin to feel [REDACTED] crystals from the epidermis.

3. Deep Tissue Conversion: Exponential increase in temperature of SCP-009 causes runaway reaction throughout subject's body, resulting in [REDACTED]. Actual blood loss is minimal due to ice crystals [REDACTED], allowing subjects to remain alive and conscious for up to ██ hours.

4. [DATA EXPUNGED]

Testing on D-Class personnel was discontinued as of 4/23/20██.

Addendum: Circumstances of Retrieval: Subject was found in ████, Alaska, on 11/05/19██. The Foundation became involved after reports were obtained from the native ████ Tribe, who came across the mangled bodies of a team of seal hunters which had apparently been ship-wrecked ██ kilometers from the village.

All victims were found encased in red ice. Cause of death recorded as internal bleeding, though closer examination found [REDACTED]. It is surmised that the low ambient temperatures in the area retarded the freezing process. This prolonged the time to total conversion by ██ hours, and allowed the victims to remain conscious until [DATA EXPUNGED].

Origin of SCP-009 is currently unknown. Investigation into similar events or materials in the area is ongoing. Evidence at the scene suggests [REDACTED], possibly involving SCP-███.

See Exploration Log A009-1 for details.

— Exploration Log 11/05/19██ —

Situational Report: Mobile Task Force Beta-7 (The “Haz-Matters”) was deployed to recovery site to catalogue and safely retrieve samples of SCP-009 for transport to Site ██. Agent ████ Bryce (MTF-B7) made a visual inspection of the area and noted three (3) bodies, all male, between the ages of ██ and 40 years. Dr. ███, also on-site, surmised from the relative position of subjects that Mr. ██████ (Age 32; hereafter referred to as Subject Zero) was the origin point of [REDACTED]. Subsequent subjects are presumed to have been exposed to SCP-009 while attempting to help Subject Zero back to the wreckage of the boat. During standard perimeter sweep, Agent ██████ Hewes located what appeared to be humanoid tracks leading Northeast. After brief deliberation, a three-man team consisting of Agents Hewes, Whitmore, and Cassidy was dispatched to investigate potential security breach.

<Begin Log - 6:42:43 EST> Agent Hewes: We’ve found something, Control. It’s a cave. The tracks lead inside. Control: Copy, Hewes. What do you see? Hewes: Looks like a crack in the ice, its… maybe a meter tall. The opening’s not very wide. Agent Whitmore: Cap’n, we got a body!

[Unidentified shuffling noises are heard.]

Control: We didn’t copy, Hewes. Repeat. Hewes: There’s a subject here, control. Frozen in the Skip. Male… about 15. Looks like he was trying to crawl away from something. There’s a spear-gun here… also frozen. It’s been fired. Control: Any signs of trauma?

[There is a pause.]

Agent Cassidy: Without touching him, I can’t be sure. But it looks like he was stabbed by something. See how he’s gripping his chest here? Right where this spike is growing out… he might’ve been attacked. Hewes: Did you hear her, control? Control: Affirmative. Tag the coordinates for recovery, and proceed into the cave. Whitmore: We usin’ live fire, cap’n? Hewes: There might be hostiles, so yes. But keep ‘em in single-shot mode. Don’t want the guns getting too hot. Cassidy: Good call. Don’t wanna’ end up like this guy. Whitmore: [unintelligible] … that’s for sure.

[Agents ready their weapons and proceed. Approximately two (2) minutes pass.]

Whitmore: [unintelligible]. Control: Please repeat, Hewes, we didn’t copy. Hewes: Its… there’s a chamber in here, control. I’d say… 5 or 6 meters in diameter. It’s filled with red ice. In the middle… there’s a pool. Looks about 3 meters wide. Depth unknown. Cassidy: ‘The fuck hap- [screams are heard]

[Gunfire]

Control: Hewes, come in! Are there hostiles?

[There is a brief pause]

Hewes: Fuckin’ hell… negative, control, just- … Jesus, a fucking polar bear. Its dead. There’s dozens of bodies here. Not human. I see a few seals, a snow fox… and a… What the hell? Whitmore: ‘Da fuck is that? Cassidy: No, no, no, no… oh, god. Control: Hewes? Do you copy? Hewes: Cassidy found a… um… a spider. A giant spider.

[There is a pause, during which shuffling and hard breathing are heard]

Control: Is it alive? What do you mean by giant? Hewes: I mean fucking huge, control! At least a meter leg span. Its frozen… wait, no… shit, I don’t see anything inside. It almost looks like its made of this stuff. Cassidy: [unintelligible] not possible… we’re nowhere close to Germany. Whitmore: What? What about Germany? Cassidy: Cap’n, I’m pretty sure that’s thirty-twenty-three. Control: Repeat, captain? Hewes: Cassidy said the spider is SCP-3023, control.

[There is a pause.]

Control: That’s not possible, Hewes. Why would she think that? Cassidy: [Voice elevated] I’m sure, Control! I’ve worked with 3023. It’s an instance made of Skip-Nine! Whitmore: Wait, what’s 3023? Control: That is classified. Agent Cassidy, you are to speak no more of this. If the specimen is destroyed, there is no reason to worry about it. Please continue your search. Cassidy: [Mumbling] But how the fuck did it get here? Hewes: We copy, control. Cassidy, sweep the perimeter. See if there’s any side tunnels. Cassidy: But- Hewes: ████, that’s an order. Cassidy: [Unintelligible]. Hewes: █████, check these corpses. See if there’re any humans. Whitmore: On it. Control: Agent Hewes, how deep is the pool you mentioned? Hewes: Can’t see the bottom. God… I’m having SCP-354 flashbacks… this is not cool. Control: Focus, captain. Is there anything nearby you can use to measure the depth? Hewes: [Pauses] Well, the spider has a spear sticking out of it. Control: Can you safely retrieve it? Hewes: The suit should protect me, right? Control: All the same, try not to touch the affected material. Hewes: Alright… I’ve got it… should work. Looks to be about 1.5 meters long. Control: Copy that, Hewes. Proceed with caution.

[There is a pause.]

Hewes: Well, it’s definitely more than a meter deep. I could go further, but I’d have to get my hand closer to that stuff… suit or no suit, I’d prefer not to do that. Control: Affirmative, Captain. We’ll dispatch some D-Class with gear to test that out. Continue your search. Hewes: Copy that… Well, I guess I’m- Cassidy: [Voice distant] Captain! Hewes: Stand-by, control. What is it, Cassidy? Cassidy: [Voice distant] I think you’re going to want to see this, sir! I think I know where the spider came from! Hewes: Control, I’m going deeper in the cave. Control: Affirmative, proceed.

[Approximately one (1) minute of boots crunching on ice and packed snow]

Hewes: … Oh, that's not good. Control: What do you see, captain? Hewes: A… an aperture. About a meter in diameter. It's covered in the stuff… Cassidy!

[10 seconds of silence]

Hewes: ████, report! Control: Do you have a visual of Agent Cassidy? Hewes: No. Shit, she must've gone inside! Control: Please remain calm. Describe this aperture. Hewes: I- uh… it just looks like a tunnel, but there's no ice past the mouth - red or otherwise. I can make out a dim light coming from somewhere inside. Might be Cassidy's torch. Control: Is there anything else unusual? Hewes: Cassidy! Cassidy! Control: Captain Hewes, please respond. Is there anything else unusual about the tunnel? Hewes: Yeah, it's… it's wet. The walls are… and the floor. There's a puddle about a meter down. Shit, it's… the puddle is red.

[A few minutes of breathing and shuffling noises]

Hewes: Control, did you get that? Control: Affirmative. Stand-by.

[30 seconds of breathing, followed by approaching footsteps]

Whitmore: Yo, what's up? Where's Cassidy? Hewes: She went in there. Whitmore: … Yo, Cassidy! Holla' back, girl!

[30 seconds of Silence]

Hewes: [unintelligible], Control, I'm going in there. Control: Negative, Hewes! We're rerouting a team of D-Class for recovery. Your orders are to withdraw the rest of your team and await further orders. Hewes: [DATA REDACTED] Whitmore: Whoa, hold up! Take it easy! Control: You have your orders, Hewes. I don't think I need to remind you [DATA EXPUNGED].

[45 seconds of silence]

Hewes: Copy, control… let's go, █████, <End Log>

Addendum: 11/09/19██ After initial report and retrieval of specimens, it was confirmed that the arachnoid entity found by MFT-B7 (see attached file) was indeed a previously unknown instance of SCP-3023. Investigation has revealed the instance originated in [REDACTED] as a result of [DATA EXPUNGED].

Addendum: 12/06/19██ After repeated inquiries, it should be noted that the portion of coastline upon which the initial victims were found was barren rock approximately █ meters from the seashore, and was sufficiently dry and cold to prevent significant contamination of the surrounding area. Had the site been closer to the water, there is little doubt an extinction-level event would have ensued.

Consideration of upgrading SCP-009 to Keter class under review.

Addendum: 12/16/20██ Super-cooling of SCP-009 for the purposes of experimentation is disallowed until further notice. Personnel are advised that liquid nitrogen is only to be used on the subject in controlled amounts, and only until temperatures have reached acceptable levels.

Related note: Possible application of SCP-009 in cold fusion research pending evaluation.

Memo from O-5 Command: 1/09/20██ We've decided to keep this thing Euclid for now. We understand the concerns raised, but as long as you keep the power on and nobody goes near its containment area, there shouldn't be a problem. That's why we're keeping it in Site ██, after all.

As for the cold fusion research, we're putting a pin in that for now. Frankly, we don't have it in the budget for another SNAFU like Site ██. The salvage team still hasn't found Dr. █████'s [REDACTED]

Cross-Testing report 9507F23

The following experiment record was recovered via a chance occurrence of SCP-507 shifting into a universe in which the described test was carried out using SCP-107. The applicability of the reported findings to our own universe is pending review.

Input: 10mL of SCP-009 Result: "Red snow" fell in test area for 27 minutes with moderate intensity. Grass growing in test area began runaway reaction which ended with entire area being "frozen" within minutes. Notably, anti-enthalpathic reaction of SCP-009 did not extend past the effective radius of SCP-107, for reasons still under investigation. Non-grass plants in area turned bright red in color, greatly expanded, and mutated to display cyan-colored "tentacles" similar to those of species Drosera capensis. Mucilage produced by these tentacles later found to be tiny beads of SCP-009. How the plant is able to survive with SCP-009 integrated into its cell structure is currently under investigation, with preliminary hypothesis being the plant is a reflection of flora from the substance's native universe.

[The voice of Agent Hewes was provided by @iridethedirt.] [The voice of Agent Whitmore was provided by @navox-the-weary.] [The voice of Agent Cassidy was provided by Brittany █████ █████.] [The voice of the O-5 Command memo was provided by @ryanvoid.]

[warlordgab]

One Piece shipping fuel: Manga Vs. Anime

This was made by One Piece fans from the Orojackson forum.

It seems that a considerable amount of people, non-shippers included, can acknowledge the remarkable strength and the impact of LuNa as a potent relationship. Still the fact people are able to grasp it is a great accomplishment for the manga, because the anime adaptation is not always on point when it comes to adapting the source material

Sometimes this happens because the staff at the time merely provide with their own interpretation of characters and story. And this interpretation is what defines the way they adapt the manga into the anime. So they ignored, changed, and altered scenes; and their take on characters and story affected the way anime-only watchers percieved characterization in One Piece

However, we should also recognize that sometimes they did something that could highlight the premise of LuNa. Something fans appreciated. One example would be the first anime episode, although their choice at that time was more likely a nod to Oda's original intent of having Nami as Luffy's first companion.

Other times the changes they made were justified because of censorship, such as this scene in the Kuro arc...

...or Whitebeard getting half of his face instantly melted away.

Both changed in the anime to something less "intense" (ultimately a good call on this 2nd panel)

But there are many times when they arbitrary overlook scenes, change them, and even add to them. And this trend heavily impacts the position people take regarding the relationships set in the story

This post will showcase how the anime adaptation downplayed one premise to overplay another. Most of the times it's subtle, sometimes it's not...

1) During the Buggy arc:

In the manga, we see Nami feeding Luffy and saying she basicaly has nothing against him, so she'll let him out later, which showcases Nami's morals aren't entirelly Lost and rotten. She is a kind person inside and can even overlook the fact that Luffy is a pirate, because he wasn't "bad" to her

In the anime... this scene doesn't exist. It was adapted out of the anime. What reason could they had to make such a call? We'll see it soon enough

2) Ending of the Kuro arc: In the manga, Nami's reaction to Luffy's odd mix of stubbornness and carefreeness is merely a sweatdrop...

In the anime Nami reacts more violently towards Luffy's attitude at that moment

It doesn't seem like much, but it's the start of a pattern that would be upheld by the TOEI for years to come. They started subtle but little by little they gained confidence in their very own way of portraying characterization 3) Sanji meets the SHs In the manga, Nami manipulates Sanji and warns the others to be careful. Next thing she sees is Sanji letching around...

In the anime, this moment is conspicuously missing. Sanji just flirts with Nami and gets interrupted by Zeff. What reason could have TOEI to remove that scene? Were they trying to show Sanji only focusing on certain girl? 4) Arlong Park... The arc that provided with, what many readers considered, he third most impactful pre-timeskip One Piece moment. What did TOEI changed?

In the manga we a simple yet beautiful and meaningful way during the conclusion of this arc: After Luffy provided with hope, comfort, strength, and emotional support, all through a highly significant gesture. Nami returns said gesture to Luffy in a silent scene...

In the anime, this was downgraded to a mere high-five (granted some shippers enjoyed this anyway, but others found it kinda upsetting)

What reason could TOEI have to water down what the arc stablished as a meaningful gesture between two characters? Well, if you lived in Japan by that time you probably got the answer

But, to be fair. They later corrected this in the OVA: Episode of Nami

Still, that doesn’t mean TOEI animation stopped the trend that started during these earlier days.

5) 98.72%

During the final closure of the Arlong Park arc, there was a scene that, at first glance, seemed like a bit of comedy, but it’s actual ship-tease...

Some people take this 98.72% scene seriously without realizing, the pervy cook never made such a calc in the manga

6) Before they arrived to Jaya In the manga, Nami angrily refuses Sanji's shell and walks away...

In the anime, we had another not so obvious change: while they kept her “funnily” aggressive reaction toward Luffy. They toned down Nami's reaction to Sanji:

So in the anime adaption Nami gave Sanji more of a preferential treatment when compared to the manga

Some of you might think this sounds like an exaggeration. But keeping in mind that TOEI offers their own take on charactes and story, take a look at the movies animated by Eisaku Inoue: "The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle" and "Episode of Alabasta", Luffy recieves the full force of Nami's overplayed wrath while Sanji gets, once again, a preferential treatment: either toned-down reactions or no anger at all

7) Skypiea (note: this one is a little bit tricky...)

I guess some people remember this AP scene:

When the AP building collapsed upon Luffy...

Well, during the Skypiea arc we had the Sanji/Usopp team helping Nami to scape Enel. Sanji stays back to buy some time, which leads to this...

And then they immediately jump off

But the Anime extended the scene in a way that could properly mirror that AP moment:

While the manga had a move or be toasted situation. The anime added scenes and dialogue where Nami questioned Usopp's quick call, adding an impact the manga version didn't have. It might not seem as much but as soon as we get to the latest ones, the pattern will be easier to notice

What makes this change impressive is that while they tried to both "improve" and "re-create" the impact of another scene, they also downplayed other scene involving a different character setup, which we’re going to see right now...

8) Skypiea: Luffy & Nami exchange... In the manga we get a lot about Nami prioritizing Luffy over the fate of Angel Island; Nami seems to make the point across that her priority in that moment was Luffy's life

While in the anime the conversation about Luffy's life ends here:

9) Skypiea: Luffy & Nami, again...

The manga gives us this little jewel, mutual trust/faith in action:

The anime once again downplays this scence. They even altered the dialogue and conveyed something quite different from the manga...

Why would they ingore and/or alter dialogue of such scenes? Yet try to add more impact to others involving a different character setup... 

10) Convo during the Fishman Island arc I was going to add the fact they adapted out Nami's first flashback after hearing about Luffy's hardship in MF. But by that time TOEI was a little bit more tamed, after all SW (written by Oda) was released. Also this post is already long enough.

As noted by some fans, old habits die hard, so TOEI started once again: In the manga, we had Nami recieving tea from Sanji but letting Luffy drink it instead...

In the anime, this scene doesn't exist. Luffy gets the tea off-screen 

11) Zou arc: Most obvious pander ever Manga: Nami and the rest watches hopelessly as Sanji is taken away by Capone

The Anime: Toeiland!Nami, in a very emotional manner, runs after Sanji...

By this point, subtlety is obviously out of the window. With this little bit we put into context most of the arbitrary changes and additions made by the anime adaption. If you still skeptical, the next one will be even more obvious...

12) Stealing moments (again), TOEI style Recall how number 6 didn't seem like much? Well, let's highlight another manga scene concerning Nami and a speech she gave about Luffy...

Nami's weatheria speech is acknowledged by some readers as a moment that highlights the dynamic and the chemistry between both characters from Nami's perspective

What did TOEI do during WCI? While Toeiland!Nami is facing Cracker to buy time for Luffy to recover, the anime adaptation gives us a "WCI speech":

Nowhere to be found in the manga

Fun thing is, I've seen shippers stealing moments from rival relationships and re-creating them in their preferred ship. But that’s to be expected from shippers, not from the staff in charge of adaptaing a best-selling manga into an anime

13) Carry me?

Now, a reader of the One Piece manga was watching the moment when Nami used Zeus against BM in the anime, on top of it looking bad (low quality animation), Toei can't help themselves:

Toeiland Nami turns her head to face Sanji and ask him to carry her and run, then tell else everyone else to run as far possible. In the the manga she was too focused on Zeus “transformation” to the point of forgetting to move (lol) and was clearly taken aback by Sanji’s sudden action, went with it and told sanji and everyone to run as far as possible eyes still glued on Zeus. 

They also didn't have Luffy  busy stopping Carrot  the page just before. Adding scenes is one thing, but they even changed actual scenes that happened on-screen in the manga.

They're not even in-character, It would have been more consistent for Nami to ask Jinbe to carry her since we have actual instances of her using him as a mean of transport (lol)

It may seem like a minor change, but an anime-only watcher can easily interpret it as Nami wanting (at least subconsciously) to be carried by Sanji when there are others options available (in the anime they’re all standing close to each other).  In the manga they’re hasty so she just let it be, having all her focus on something else.

It looks like some animators don’t even bother to hide their bias even if that conflicts with the source material

14) Pandering Wano-style

I didn’t expect this at all, but TOEI’s adaptation of One Piece shows they’re getting bolder when it comes to shoving their favorite premise into the anime. Case in point, this scene… 

…while the first panel doesn’t give us anything shippy, the anime gave us Toeiland!Sanji tenderly grabbing Toeiland!Nami, who responded saying his name and holding onto him all in a very sweet manner, before calling Carrot in a neutral tone.

TOEI is now blatantly trying to sell their favorite pairing to every anime-only watcher. And they’re not showing signs of stopping any time soon. In fact, the alterations made afterwards show how their bias is focused on specific characters.

Before Luffy reunited with Zoro, we had a little joke about Sanji’s thirst for women...

...this joke at the expense of Sanji’s character didn’t make it to Toeiland. When a hardcore fan doesn’t like how the story mocks one of their favorite characters they’re prone to dismissing such scenes.

But, once again, that’s not the behavior one would expect from the people in charge of adapting the One Piece manga into an anime.

The prelude to Luffy Vs. Kaido also featured ship fuel. While, Sanji nearly holds Nami’s hand to take her with him...

...such thing never happens in the manga

Due to this large history of wanking and pandering, we could expect that as soon as we get to the point Sanji scapes with Shinobu, Robin, and Nami of course, they’ll likely add shojo bubbles, flowers, and maybe a little blush to spice things up. At that moment, we’ll likely update this post once again

After all, “Toeiland is a magical place”

While it’s true Toeiland had several LuNa scenes. More often than not, they do them justice because the source material doesn’t let them do anything different... of course, as of now, they seem more than willing to fill their version with their favorite premises regardless of what happens in the manga

In spite of the anime adaptation providing with a not so reliable take on the author’s work in this particular regard, we still can draw three positive things from their animation… 1) Thanks to TOEI’s anime adaptation many people were introduced to One Piece and became fans of Oda’s work 2) The fact there were a least two groups of animators who tried to emulate the impact of LuNa and re-created in another premise, reminds us of the saying: “Imitation is the highest form of flattery”. The need to imitate LuNa to make another premise look believable is a proof that LuNa is far more solid and impactful than any other alternative 3) Despite all of TOEI’s changes, alterations and additions, many people acknowledge the strenght of the LuNa bond as one of the most potent, compelling and believable relationships in manga/anime. That’s quite an accomplishment for as we saw, their moments and interactions are diluted many times by the desires of the anime staff

Hopefully this post helps some people to think before they use an argument if they’re basing their premise on TOEI’s adaptation, or the author’s work

[fuzz1912]

I’ve got an okay feeling about this

A fan’s review of SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY.

(Spoilers ahoy, matey. Proceed with extreme caution. Running on extreme low sleep, so this will probably be updated over the next day or so.)

I’ve been pretty clear about the parameters for what I consider to be a good Star Wars film. My initial concern has been that they should at least be internally consistent, and consistent within (let alone respectful of) the established lore of the Star Wars universe. Beyond that, my mind also turns to whether or not it merely repeats what has come before or extends the universe in logical and interesting ways. Is there a need for this story to be told, or does it excessively rely on (or trivially extrapolate from) a known backstory? And finally, does it strike the right balance of humour and fan service while telling a decent story that stands on its own?

So, having been quite critical of Disney’s previous Star Wars releases on that basis, how does this latest instalment fare?

May the month of May be with you

There’s something right about Star Wars in May. Despite the attempts by all and sundry to turn a stupid dad joke into ‘Star Wars Day’ (May the Fourth - get it? No, Cinco de Quatro is much better), in fact the month of May has its own enduring significance for the franchise. Each of the original and prequel trilogy movies were released around the mid-May Memorial Day holiday. In the US, this means summer, when kids are on break and sitting in an air-conditioned cinema is preferable compared to just about anything else. For us on the other side of the world, it is on the cusp of winter, just as the weather really starts turning for the worse - the wind picks up, the chill sets in, and darkness falls before you know it.

It’s those memories of fighting to stay warm while making it to midnight on a dark, crisp winter’s night that have always accompanied first watching a new Star Wars film for me. For some entirely silly commercial reason, Disney has thus far eschewed the traditional May release window instead choosing  December for its premieres, which has never felt right to me - December is for Christmas movies and Lords of the Ring, not Star Wars. So if nothing else, there’s some small satisfaction for me in being able to enjoy a new Star Wars movie for the first time again in the cold of May - perhaps its karma, but it feels like that’s translated to my reaction to this second anthology film.

Why make a movie about Han Solo?

Here is a character who is infamous for his intrigue. Many so-called fans criticise George Lucas for adding context to Star Wars where they believed none was necessary - see the “Han shot first” controversy (the real objection being that Greedo shot at all - which changes nothing about Han himself)(1) - in which case, why sacrifice the ultimate lamb and give him an origin story? That being said, I am loath to be too critical of the raison d’être for the ‘Star Wars Story anthology’ films (this and ROGUE ONE) - they have to date been somewhat respectful of Canon, made some generous nods to what is now ‘Legends’, and taken some interesting new directions in filling the gaps in the existing story. We don’t necessarily need them (much like we don’t need the Saga to continue an already concluded story), but that doesn’t mean they don’t have anything interesting to add to the stories we already love. 

Back in the very early days of the Star Wars Expanded Universe (what would now be called ‘Legends’) there was a series of novellas by Brian Daley about a pre-Yavin Han Solo and his adventures with Chewbacca and (you guessed it) a couple of droids on the Millennium Falcon, as he tried to eke out a living as a white hat smuggler in the Empire-lite Corporate Sector.(2) They were some of the first EU books that I read, and simple though they were, I enjoyed them because they were episodic tales set in a different part of the world of Star Wars established by the films. They weren’t high stakes, and didn’t give Han Solo an origin or back story - they just gave a glimpse into some of the sort of swashbuckling adventures that we assumed the character we met in the Cantina Bar would have had.

This movie is nowhere near as light or insignificant as that - much like ROGUE ONE before it, it takes a throwaway line mentioned in the original film and turns it into a definitive origin story about how Han Solo became that guy who shot first.(3)

Now the story of a film that lost everything and the one director who had no choice but to bring it all together

From what little has been made public, this film has not had an easy gestation - even more so than ROGUE ONE, whose ending was completely changed (undoubtedly for the better). THE LEGO MOVIE directors were fired during the shoot due to “creative differences” with writer Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote the brilliant EMPIRE (but also the lackluster AWAKENS). Apparently their take was too humorous and not the sarcastic selfishness that characterises Han Solo - which I guess is a good thing considering how ridiculous the obvious jokes in the Disney ‘Saga’ films have been. Their replacement is none other than early Lucas protege and all-round pretty damn talented Ron Howard of Imagine Entertainment (not Orange County Imagine), whose voice is embedded in many of our heads thanks to his shoddy narration of ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT.(4)

Ron Howard reliably makes good movies. He might not have the most stylistic flair, he may not be the most innovative or creative, he may not use the most challenging source material, but it would be difficult to suggest that any of the movies he’s made are anything less than solidly watchable - and most of them have been, in their own way, pretty great. He now runs a director’s masterclass, and you’d be hard pressed to find a better teacher from whom to learn the craft.

George Lucas had offered Howard the opportunity to direct previoud Star Wars films over the years, but as with Lucas’s other bestie Steven Spielberg, Howard didn’t want to take the reigns from his longtime friend. Now that Lucas has rather foolishly handed the keys over to the Walt Disney Company, that reluctance seems to have diminished. I’ve been disappointed with the direction Disney has been leading the franchise enough times to have serious doubts about this film, but the one thing that kept me optimistic about it was that it was ultimately left to Howard to deliver the final product.

That faith was well placed - this was the first Star Wars film in some time that I really enjoyed.

“You’re the good guy”

The fundamental premise of the film appears to manifest itself in this line of dialogue that Qi’ra casually throws away towards the climax. This information will spoil the payoff of A NEW HOPE, just like knowing who Darth Vader is spoils the reveal in EMPIRE. But it’s nevertheless true to the core of the character of the Han Solo that we know and love - despite being a selfish cad and a scoundrel, he is a softy underneath.

Given the context above about the importance of the tone of the film, it would appear that the decision made by Lucasfilm to bring in Howard was on the money (though really, the question is why he wasn’t there from the start). Moments of over the top humour have been toned down (at least from what I can recall of one of the early trailers showing Han being interviewed to join the Imperial Academy). That’s not to say there aren’t any funny moments, but for the most part they feel earned and not simply played for easy laughs (like *ahem* Poe/Hux).

There are some call-backs in the dialogue to the original films that might go a little too far (L3: “They don’t even serve our kind here”), but they are mostly effective when they subvert our expectations (“I hate you”/“I know” and “I’ve got a GOOD feeling about this”) which is nice when the film itself is a giant call-back. On the other hand, there were a couple of lines of dialogue that strayed towards uncharacteristically real-world expletives - especially Han’s use of the phrase “Bantha crap”, when we all know the correct terminology is “poodoo”.

Visually the film was just as much of a treat as any Star Wars movie, exploring some new frontiers with the Maelstrom / Maw surrounding Kessel, as well as the WWI-style trench warfare and snow train hijacking scenes. What I loved about each of these was that they created new unfamiliar environments with their own mechanics that drove the plot and the plight of the characters, as Star Wars does at its best. The Kessel Run - in particular the climax with the Millennium Falcon trying to escape both a hideous space monster and a black hole / gravity well at the same time - was both spectacular and incredibly intense to watch, despite the fact that you know that the chracters you’re invested in are going to survive (and that the Falcom reliably has trouble making the jump to lightspeed). From that perspective, it far exceeded anything in the last couple of ‘Saga’ films (two hour long chases of fuel attrition, anyone?).

The music was serviceable and on par with, if not a little better than, Michael Giacchino’s score for ROGUE ONE. It was used effectively and enjoyable, with impactful use of the well-known themes and leitmotifs. While I wouldn’t have called it as memorable as John Williams at his best (he was only partially involved), it was adequate if not decent - and unlike the ‘Saga’ films, it didn’t have to be any more than that.

Finally, the performances were for the most part quite good. Alden Ehrenreich faced the near impossible task of stepping into Harrison Ford’s shoes to recreate one of cinema’s most iconic characters, and he did it pretty well. Rather than attempt to mimick or channel Ford’s trademark smirk or swagger (let alone be forced to undergo make up or CGI as was done rather poorly in ROGUE ONE), he simply stayed true to the character and made it his own. Within a few minutes, I was on board and completely accepted him in the role, made all the easier by not constantly being reminded of how Harrison Ford would have played it. To each of their credit, Howard and Ehrenreich have created a perfectly believable young Han Solo that stands on his own two feet, not in the shadow of a legend.

Similarly, Don Glover (aka Childish Gambino) perfectly captured Lando Calrissian and at no point did I feel like I missed another legend in Billy Dee Williams (though I feel like Glover may have had some prosthetic teeth put in). Having to portray the dashing Lando in his prime provided Glover with the opportunity to bring greater depth to the character than Williams, who pretty much just played himself. Woody Harrelson and Thandie Newton were both solid as far as their roles allowed them to be - as was Joonas Suotamo, for the first time reprising his role as Chewbacca (despite the subtleties of the Wookiee costume, not for a moment did I doubt it was the same character created by Peter Mayhew). Paul Bettany chewed the scenery as the slimy crime boss Dryden Vos. Wherever there is Bettany, Jon Favreau can’t be far behind, giving a short but charming life to the personable alien pilot Rio (bonus point for giving the universe a little more needed diversity). Also bringing her vocal talents to the fore was Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who created one of the more sympathetic droid personalities in L3. Perhaps the only slightly disappointing performance came from the otherwise brilliant Emilia Clarke as Qi’ra, through no real fault of her own - despite playing a duplicitous badass, she wasn’t given much meaningful to do.

“Assume everyone will betray you and you will never be disappointed.”

The film is at its essence a heist movie, and a good one at that - it effectively uses the tropes of the genre, and though largely predictable it subverted them enough to keep me engaged the whole way through. The number of double crosses was just right enough to reflect that none of these characters were naive, but they all had their fundamental weaknesses.

I feel like Lawrence Kasdan and his son Jonathan did a pretty decent job with the script. Having said that, while the plot overall was thrilling, the story itself was a little disjointed. Other than Han’s relationship with Qi’ra, there was no real thread that wove all the way through and connected the somewhat disparate few escalating heists that resulted in Han’s independence and acquisition of the Falcon. Perhaps that’s enough, given most of the second and third acts focused largely on the famous Kessel Run and its consequences - most amusingly, how the Falcon goes from Lando’s souped up, sleek hot rod, into the bucket of bolts we’re introduced to in A NEW HOPE.

The side plots involving the competing crime syndicates and the mysterious motivations of the marauders weren’t particularly compelling until they each revealed their secrets towards the conclusion - but they did an effective job of believable world building, and setting up things that we already know will follow (like the Rebellion). However, the ‘droid rights’ concept inspired by the new character of L3 seemed a little underdeveloped and out of place.(5) It actually reminded me more of Hermione Granger’s Elf welfare from Harry Potter mixed with Korg’s ‘revolution’ from Thor Ragnarok, though I’d love to see the idea more fully explored within the Star Wars universe.

The film introduced the concept of ‘hyperfuel’ (also known as coaxium) as the primary MacGuffin for driving the plotting of the heists. This acted as a deus ex machina at several points with some interesting results in the execution of the Kessel Run itself (Where were the spice mines by the way? Was Disney afraid of being sued by the estate of Frank Herbert?). While fine in isolation to this movie, this did also feel a little bit on the nose given the central role fuel bizarrely played in the plot of the last ‘Saga’ film (not to mention the ongoing focus on Han’s lucky gold dice, which was overplayed in that film and introduced here as if they were far more significant to Han’s established identity than they actually are).

But there was one final touch to the plot that got the kind of ecstatic reaction out of me that I haven’t felt in years - it genuinely shocked and thrilled me, but more on that later.

“I’m putting together a crew? Are you in?”

A good heist requires the building of a good crew that brings a variety of talents to the table. To be frank, the actual Kessel Run heist in this film itself was somewhat anticlimactic. Other than the diversion created by L3 and the subsequent fire fight, the stakes involved in boosting the coaxium from Kessel were not particularly high. On the other hand, the escape and ensuing ‘Run’,(6) as well as the inevitable series of double-crosses and competing moral and selfish imperatives after pulling it off, were full of thrills and gave the characters an opportunity to really shine through - and this was nothing if not a character piece.

The Anti-Hero: The eponymous Han Solo. Well, this is his movie, you can hardly expect us not to start with Han - who is for the first time the sole protagonist of a film. As this is an origin story, he’s not going to be leader of this pack, but he’s hopefully going to show us why he will be when he meets the Skywalker family. Despite a stray reference to his father being a shipbuilder on Corellia, we never get Han’s true family name or any other indication of his lineage; he was dubbed ‘Solo’ by the Imperial recruiter quite literally for being on his own.(7) We meet him as a street kid with a conscience and a mouth - who’ll happily point out to a superior officer in his company that they are themselves the hostiles, not the natives of the planet they’re invading for the glory of the Empire. Much like his father-in-law before him, he starts off idealistic and a little bit twee in his oft-repeated desire to become the best pilot in the galaxy (the title actually held by said future father-in-law). Also like Anakin Skywalker in PHANTOM MENACE, we don’t actually get to see a lot of those skills before he slips into the role; Anakin at least was a Force-sensitive pod racing child (let alone the Chosen One), but other than the pretty nice speeder chase opening the movie its’s not until the Kessel Run itself that we actually see Solo’s exceptional skills. Han in this film is very much driven by the loss of Qi’ra right at the start, and his quest throughout is to first find her and then win her back. Having seen his cynicism while Luke is under Obi-Wan’s tutelage, it’s a nice change to see him as the earnest student trying to learn the game from his own mentor, the master con-thief Tobias Beckett. He slots easily into the role of rogue, deserter and mercenary, and through Beckett and his crew he also learns never to trust anyone but himself - with one notable exception. And the fact that exception exists, is also why underneath all that bravado, Han truly is still the good guy - when given a choice between a quick score or the greater good, he chooses the latter. Han may start off street smart but somewhat naive, but by the end he demonstrates empathy and a canny insight that lays the foundation for the scruffy looking nerf herder with a heart of gold that Luke meets in the Mos Eisley Cantina. At the very end of the film, we can see conclusively why Han had to shoot first.(8)

The Brawn: Chewbacca. The one notable exception to Han’s rule is his future trusty co-pilot, who we’ve never yet seen not by his side. Here we get to see how they meet for the first time and forge their lifelong partnership. While I was fully expecting Chewie to show up at some point, I must admit to being misdirected by the set up leading to his meet-fight with Han. Howard’s staging suggested that the ‘beast’ the stormtroopers were feeding Han to would be something like RETURN’s Rancor and the muddy fur that was our first glimpse of him also echoed EMPIRE’s Wampa. Hearing that familiar growl was both thrill and relief, as Chewie engaged Han in ferocious combat until we hear Han speak Wookiee for the first time in order to persuade Chewie that he can devise a way for them both to escape.(9) The two are literally bound together until Han tracks down Beckett - who immediately recognises that Chewie, not Han, is the prized recruit. Han learns of Chewie’s desire to reunite with and free his tribe / family, something he can and can’t relate to at the same time. Chewie appears initially skeptical of Han, but circumstance conspires to keep them together from one job to the next and along the way they continually pull each other out of the kind of pickles that would well establish the life debt he later owes to Han (but nothing specific is singled out here as the sole cause for it). At a critical moment, we see Chewie choose to stay with Han rather than return to join others of his own kind. This cements the fact that Chewie isn’t simply sidekick, but that Han and Chewie are in fact partners in crime. It’s also probably the most agency we’ve seen Chewie use throughout the saga - except perhaps for the moment that we’d all been waiting for (and had been teased at least once with Beckett), when he finally pulls someone’s arms out of their sockets. He’s also the first to throw cold water on Han when he starts bragging about making the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs - as Chewie points out, he was already rounding it down.

The Money: Lando Calrissian. When we first met him on Cloud City, Lando presented as a smooth-talking, responsible administrator with shades of a dark past. Lando is just as charming as he ever was, but in his younger days we can see more of the conniving, selfish operator he needed to be to survive as a renowned smuggler in the galactic underworld. However, as with Han, a glimmer of his true nature shines through his relationship with L3, his partner in crime (and possibly life). While Lando’s side of that relationship wasn’t that well explored at first (other than L3 suggesting that he may be what Futurama would call “robosexual”), and it’s not clear how sympathetic he was to her robot rights crusade, it is clear following L3’s death just how much she meant to him.(10) In return for an ever-diminishing cut,(11) Lando provides the getaway vehicle for the heist - his highly-polished and specially-modified freighter, the Millennium Falcon. The Falcon we see for the first time(12) is pristine and complete, including the escape pod completing its front that we’ve as yet not seen. Having cheated Han out of his first opportunity to take possession of the Falcon, we see the foundations of the mistrust underlying their chummy rivalry, and the guile that Han brings back to the table to finally win it fair and square. Given the considerable damage Han does to the ship through the maelstrom to turn it into our beloved hunk of junk, it’s somewhat ironic that in RETURN Lando promises Han to bring the Falcon back from the Battle of Endor “without a scratch”.

The Beauty and the Brains: L3-37 and Qi’ra. I feel terrible conflating these two, particularly between the two female members of the crew, but unfortunately that’s the sort of movie this was. Qi’ra may have conceived of part of the scheme, and been the mastermind who ultimately ended up on top, but she didn’t actually have a whole lot do other than drive the plot. It’s arguable that she may have used her emotional leverage over Han to ensure that she always had the upper hand throughout most of the film. Perhaps hers is a character that has scope to grow over the course of a greater story, but in this chapter alone she felt a little underdeveloped; you never got a sense of why Han was so besotted with her, to the extent that he would spend years trying to get her back - and her convenient reappearance at just the right time was a little contrived. But I find it more interesting to look at L3 as the one who used her appearance and/or emotions most effectively to create a robot rebellion diversion to allow the heist to proceed, despite the fact that it was literally her brains that ultimately enabled the getaway. Unlike the prissy C3PO and the sardonic K2SO from ROGUE ONE, L3 is the first protocol droid we’ve encountered that is idealistic and empathetic, and she tolerates no nonsense from her beloved Lando or the rest of the crew. While her demise was somewhat inevitable, she’s probably the most ‘human’ droid to date across all of the Star Wars movies. The other resonant feature of L3 is that she literally becomes part of the Falcon, and is as such retconned into the Saga itself as the ‘peculiar dialect’ that always seems to bring bad news to C3PO.

The Leader: Tobias Beckett (and his partner Val). Beckett also doesn’t have much to do beyond driving the plot and be a representation of the mercenary that Solo would become - his Fedora Man - without the redeeming qualities. When Val vainly sacrifices herself to try to help Beckett settle the score to end his indebtedness to the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate, he loses what little remaining connection and trust he had with others (at least, that’s what Beckett would have us believe). The challenge for Han will be not to do the same when Qi’ra walks away from him (or at least, not until he rescues a princess from a hidden fortress). Beckett is a ruthless mentor for the hungry young Han, but his commitment to making sure Han learns his lessons ends up being own weakness, resulting in his ultimate demise as Han catches him monologuing. Truly the student does become the master, with some regret but no hard feelings.(13)

The Competitor: Emphys Nest. Now this is an interesting character. Initially set up as a brutal marauder captain with a proto-Ren mask, it turns out that in fact she is the leader of a group of outcasts dispossessed by the Empire, who are not in the game for the money but for survival - and ultimately, rebellion. I found the the portrayal of the marauders and their motivation a little hard to follow at first, but ultimately far more believable and earned than the ‘resistance kids’ in the ‘Saga’. Also, I love the realism of the idea (reflected in the REBELS series) that there are disparate cells of resistance across the galaxy fighting their own wars against the Empire, who eventually coalesce into the organised Rebel Alliance. The fact that Warwick Davis’s PHANTOM MENACE cameo character Weazel returns as one of Nest’s lieutenants is icing on the cake.

The Heavy: Dryden Vos. I was fully expecting the boss of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate to be a Hutt, so it was a surprise to see an apparently humanoid villain instead.(14) Vos appears recklessly tyrannical and limitless in his arrogance. It’s hard to believe that he’s effectively just a middle manager, though he alludes to that fact along the way, setting us up for…

The Big Bad: Holy poodoo. Darth F’ing Maul (sorry, simply ‘Maul’ now that he’s ceded the mantle of Sith to the little brat watching him from the fighter cockpit). I could not contain my glee when I saw his horned face reappear. Now this is probably going to be confusing for the casual viewer, because most would have assumed that Maul was dead after Obi-Wan bisected him in PHANTOM MENACE. But those who have had the benefit of watching CLONE WARS and REBELS know that Maul survived and has tangled with our heroes (and even his former master) a number of times, all the while plotting his comeback and revenge against his almost-murderer Kenobi. Along the way, Maul and his brother Savage Oppress took over the alliance of criminal syndicates known as the Shadow Collective (of which Crimson Dawn is one part) and took control of the planet Mandalore (in the process killing Kenobi’s beloved Satine - yes, just like in MOULIN ROUGE). We also have had the benefit of seeing his final rematch with Obi-Wan on Tatooine, possibly one of the most meaningful duels of the saga. So with context, given CLONE WARS and REBELS are technically Canon, it’s unsurprising in a way that Maul would be revealed as the ultimate villain of the piece. Nevertheless, the reveal of seeing this iconic and criminally-underutilised antagonist once again in live action was simply breathtaking. Maul was portrayed by original PHANTOM MENACE actor Ray Park, and voiced by Sam Witwer. I was somewhat disappointment that the amazing Peter Serafinowicz didn’t return to reprise Maul’s voice, but given the substantially greater amount of work Witwer has done for the character since in CLONE WARS and REBELS, it’s fair to say that Witwer is now to Maul as Hamill is to the Joker.

“You look good. A little rough around the edges, but good.”

The rather unsurprising conclusion to all that is that this film has managed to meet and perhaps surpass, the bar I’ve set for what makes a good and enjoyable Star Wars movie.

Simply by virtue of the fact that they aren’t recreating the figurative wheel, Disney seems to do a much better job with these Star Wars anthology movies than the ‘Saga’ they are unnecessarily trying to continue (but in fact are simply rebooting). I really hope they take advantage of the favorable ages of Ewan McGregor and Daniel Logan to tell the Obi Wan and Boba Fett stories that are dying to be told, let alone find a way to bottle a tiny bit of Don Glover brilliance before he becomes bigger than Yeezus and stops acting altogether.(15)

At this stage we know that there will be at least two ‘spin-off’ trilogies, by Rian Johnson (ugh) and the Game of Thrones showrunners (Qi’ra returns?). If each of those manage to continue to follow the trend set by SOLO, and to a lesser extent ROGUE ONE, rather than the tired tropes of the ‘Saga’, then my outlook is optimistic on the future of Star Wars on the silver screen for years to come.  

So for now: I’ll happily go see another Star War.

Notes:

(1) I’d add that despite sketching out a potential back story and cameo for an orphaned young Han Solo adopted by Chewbacca and present at the Battle of Kashyyyk in SITH, Lucas exercised restraint and omitted it from the shooting script. While not begrudging the creator his licence, it appears in hindsight that this was probably a wise move and certainly created an opportunity for this film.

(2) Actually, now that I read that back with decades of hindsight, I can totally relate!

(3) In this case, that line was Solo’s reference to the Falcon making the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs - long maligned as an incorrect reference given that parsecs are units of distance not time, though there have been some novel explanations of how that might still work that were Canon-ised by this film.

(4) Actual narration may be brilliant, please see a theralyst if doubt persists. Speaking of which, I wonder (did someone say WONDER?) which still life image he used as inspiration for this movie?

(5) I feel like the galactic resentment towards droids was signposted a little more effectively indirectly by the prequels, given the years of destruction caused by the Separatists’ droid armies.

(6) Lando set the bar at 20 parsecs, which is way higher than what Han eventually claims he achieved. It makes you wonder about the significance of the “less than” part of the claim. 

(7) It may as well have been “Corellian” or “Corleone”, for that matter.

(8) But let’s not blind ourselves to the fact that that says nothing about whether or not Greedo would have taken a shot too - Greedo already delivered his verbal coup de grace and allowed Han to get a response in before Han shot (back). Han’s mid-monologue blow to Beckett was more along the lines on Indiana Jones’s similar shot against the swordsman in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. As I said before, whether Greedo shot or not changes nothing about Han, who had already been preparing for the shot himself. 

(9) It’s a shame we didn't get an allusion to how Han picked up his stuttering Wookiee language skills or knowledge of their Imperial enslavement - particularly given the fact that the reason probably would have further demonstrated his empathy - hat tip to my friend Justin Scott for that one.

(10) I’ll be honest - as a COMMUNITY fan, it’s always a joy to watch Don Glover cry hysterically.

(11) He can’t seem to avoid deals that get worse all the time!

(12) Technically we did see the Falcon briefly in SITH, but let’s say that Lando has done a bit of a refurbishment since then.

(13) There hasn’t been such an effectively executed succession plan since the soon-to-be Darth Vader got ‘ahead’ of Darth Tyranus.

(14) It appears that the Hutts are being set up as the antagonists for a future Solo movie.

(15) I still vainly hold out hope for #SixSeasonsAndAMovie.

[shambhalala]

I Want to Dance (Sam Drake x Reader)

Inspired by this post!

Thanks to @random-aya for suggesting someone write this as a fic in the first place! If it weren’t for that, this headcanon would’ve probably just become a candle in the wind. I hope you like this!

Warnings: none

Word count: 1,400 (WHOOPS)

Music that helped me write this:

‘Me and My Shadow’ by Robbie Williams

‘Death of a Bachelor’ by Panic! At The Disco (thanks to @heroes-x-thieves for suggesting this one!)

‘Four Simple Words’ by Frank Turner (warning: explicit) (I should also add, if you plan on following my fic when I upload it, expect to see a lot of references to this guy. I love him probably a little too much).

He’d asked you to wear something nice that evening, claiming he wanted to celebrate you two completing another successful escapade. Truth be told, neither you nor Sam had a lot in the way of nice clothes, not when you were on the road for a treasure hunt. However, luckily for you, you’d had the initiative to bring some formal attire; at the beginning of the week, your client had insisted upon meeting in an upscale hotel to discuss business. For reasons unknown to you, Sam had pulled you back to that same hotel, and there you both were.

Sam was wearing his black and white tuxedo piece, the one you couldn’t help but love seeing him in. He held onto your hand as the two of you strolled casually into the building, casting glances at you out of the corner of his eye whilst you were busy surveying the empty lobby.

“Sam, why’re we here? This place is practically deserted” you asked him.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ve just got somethin’ to show you” he replied with a smirk as you approached a gentleman at the front desk. Sam leant over and spoke to him in a hushed tone. That only added to your frustration; whatever he had to show you, he was keeping it a surprise, and he knew you hated surprises.

The gentleman behind the desk smiled and gestured to a large door at the end of the hall. Your destination, apparently.

Sam thanked the man and pulled you along beside him, still smirking. Your patience was eroding; the job had really drained you and you wanted nothing more than to head home and cuddle on the couch with Sam and a blanket, but he had other plans.

“Sam, whatever this is, it’d better be worth it” you sighed.

“Oh, it will be” he grinned back at you, removing his hand from yours and placing it over your shoulders. “You look beautiful tonight, by the way”.

“Flattery will get you nowhere” you cocked an eyebrow at him.

“You sure ‘bout that?” he asked. You had reached the door now. Sam pushed it open.

A magnificent, desolate ballroom greeted your eyes. A giant tiered chandelier hung from the ceiling, its thousands of glass shards reflecting warm light onto the polished mahogany floor. Floor-length windows lined the walls, giving you two a perfect view of the starry night sky and the city skyline in the distance. A black grand piano stood towards the opposite end of the room; a man in a tuxedo almost as sleek as Sam’s was sat at it, watching you two.

You drew in your breath as you stared at the scene in front of you, too awestruck to be annoyed any longer. Sam chuckled at you.

“You like it?”

Words eluded you, making Sam’s grin grow wider.

“Think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you speechless” he laughed.

You snapped out of your daze and looked at him, flustered.

“Sam, I-I love it!” you exclaimed, eyes wide and bright before they narrowed again in confusion. “But… why? And how?”

“Well, you know the rich guy we’ve just finished workin’ for?” he asked. You nodded.

“Figured he owed me one. He knows the manager of this place, so I asked if we could borrow the ballroom. Wanted to surprise you” Sam explained, fiddling with his bow tie with both hands.

A hint of red crept its way up your chest, reaching your neck and cheeks. Okay, maybe flattery would get him somewhere, but you were still confused. You cleared your throat, hoping Sam wouldn’t notice your complexion and start with the smartass comments again.

“Okay, but… why?” you asked again.

Sam turned to you and held out his hand. His gaze was soft, almost making you melt on the spot.

“Let me show you”.

With cautious eyes, you placed your hand in his. You gasped slightly as he drew you towards him, mere inches separating your torsos. His cologne suddenly surrounded you, bringing you an immediate sense of serenity. You looked up at him as he placed one hand on your waist and led your free hand to his shoulder. If you didn’t know any better, you’d say it looked like the beginning of a waltz. But Sam didn’t dance… did he?

He cast his gaze away from you to nod at the man at the piano, who promptly straightened in his seat and began to play a soft melody.

“Follow my lead” Sam instructed. He stepped backwards, catching you by surprise. Your feet stumbled but you followed him, stepping to the right when he did. He led with effortless grace, sweeping his feet across the floor in perfect time with the music as you tried to keep up with him. Your eyes were glued to your feet, which made Sam smile at you adoringly. The two of you stayed like that for a couple more minutes, until you felt confident enough to look up at him. You couldn’t hide your blush now; Sam’s smile widened when he saw how dazzled you looked by the whole situation.

“Sam… you never told me you could dance” you breathed.

“I, uh… I’ve been practising. Takin’ lessons when I told you I was seein’ Nathan” it was Sam’s turn to blush as he averted his gaze away from your face.

You stared at him, everything suddenly clicking into place. The late evenings, the vague conversations; it all made sense now.

You wound your arm further round his shoulder and onto his back, stepping closer to him and laying your head on his chest. His breath was slow and even and it brought you immense comfort. The sweet melody of the piano echoed around the empty room, peaking on the high notes as you closed your eyes in your state of pure bliss. You were pretty sure you and Sam were just shuffling from side to side now, but you didn’t care.

Sam ducked his head down and whispered in your ear as the song came to a close.

“Let’s kick it up a notch, shall we?”

You removed your head from his chest to look at him. His eyes sparkled with delight as the pianist launched into a new number.

The tempo was much quicker this time; you barely had time to protest before Sam swept you back into your box step routine, adding turns and twists without giving you time to comprehend what was happening. You laughed in surprise, enjoying the sudden sensation of air rushing past you as Sam twirled you under his arm again and again. He laughed with you, overjoyed to see you so happy at discovering his little secret.

Your smiles shone as radiantly as the light above your heads, your shared joy echoing around the ballroom in the form of sweet encouragement and laughter. Sam was a natural, leading you across the floor with perfectly placed, feather-light steps, but he insisted that you were better.

To Sam, you were the epitome of elegance. After only a short amount of time dancing with him, your feet carried your frame with utmost precision and your clothes swayed along with you as if they were in a trance. Your hand clasped in his was his only reminder that you weren’t a deity sent from heaven.

Your arms extended and your hands disconnected. Gazes locked on one another, you both knew what was coming next.

You rushed forward, leaping into Sam’s open arms. He grinned up at you as he spun you around, revelling in your elated giggles. He placed you back on your feet just as the pianist played the last few, gentle notes. You stared at each other, catching your breath as Sam’s hands moved upwards to cradle your upper body.

You were amazed. Samuel Drake, the man who explored ancient cities and fired bullet after bullet for a living, had just waltzed with you not once, but twice, around a ballroom he’d reserved just for the two of you. You two had done formidable things together during your time as both work and romantic partners; you thought he couldn’t possibly have any more tricks up his sleeve, but, clearly, you were wrong.

“So, uh… surprise?” he said, shooting you a gentle smile.

You merely grinned at him, clasped your hands around the back of his neck, and pulled his lips down to your own.

This was my first reader-insert, so I hope you all enjoyed that! Please let me know what you thought!

[hannahindie]

Maple Leaves and Flannel

Characters: Sam Winchester x Reader, Dean Winchester (mentioned) Word Count: 2,608 Warnings: Cutesy fluff and extreme descriptions of fall. (I don’t think that’s really a warning, but I’m a wordy girl so...maybe?) A/N: I wrote this for @impalaimagining’s Favorite Seasons Gif Challenge! Fall is my favorite time of year, so I was excited to get to write a fic that primarily focused on that.

Beta’d by my wonderful @trexrambling, because without her, a lot of my thoughts would be jumbled: “THIS. HANNAH, THIS!!!!!! YESSSSSSS I LOVE THIS LINE IT IS MY NEW FAVORITE LINE. Gaaaaaaaaaah this is wonderful.”

And my sweet @pinknerdpanda, who encourages me even when I hate nearly everything I wrote and feel like starting over: “ I love this whole sentence sooooo much!”

As usual, tags are at the bottom. Please let me know if you’d like to be added!!

Fall has always been my favorite time of year. Summer had its moments, but when the stifling heat finally started melting into cool breezes, when I could enjoy the sun’s warmth on my face without immediate fear of being burnt to a crisp, I was in my happy place. If anyone were to ask me why fall was my favorite, besides the cooler temperatures and the lack of sun poisoning, it would be hard to pinpoint an exact thing.

It could be the brilliant colors the leaves inevitably changed to, a magnificent splash of reds and oranges and yellows all mixing together to make it look like the landscape was on fire. The slow appearance of Halloween decorations that would go up bit by bit; a zombie here, purple and green lights there, fake spiderweb stretching across every available surface. The extraordinary amount of pumpkins that would just appear with no warning on porch steps, balanced precariously on hay bales that also would magically appear, a majority of which had simple faces that had been painstakingly carved into them by excited children who cared less about the carving and more about cleaning out the slimy guts inside.

So, had you asked me what my favorite thing about fall was, I would have told you it was too hard to choose and wandered off with my pumpkin spice latte to find some crunchy leaves to jump in.

Well, that’s what I would have said. But then I saw him.

Right in the middle of town is a large maple tree. Large is really an understatement. This maple tree is one of the oldest I’ve ever seen, and it’s huge. It’s right on the edge of the sidewalk, and the roots have pushed up the concrete slabs like they’re made out of foam. Every year, I expect one of the massive branches to break off and land on top of the old, Victorian-style house that sits empty next to it, but every year it proves me wrong. It also sits directly on the path I take from my apartment to the library, and every time I walk past, regardless of what I might be doing at the time, I glance up at the huge spanning limbs and falling leaves. Most days, there’s nothing remarkable about it. It’s beautiful, yes, and it’s one of my favorite things about my town...but generally speaking, it’s the same scene every single day.

Except one day when there was an addition to the normal scenery.

I had just crossed the street and was making my way down the sidewalk when I glanced up out of habit and stopped dead in my tracks. Standing just under the maple was a tall man, his head bent as he looked down at his phone. His shaggy, chestnut hair hung down and obscured most of his face, and I held my breath as I waited for him to look up. He was wearing a burnt orange coat and a lighter orange flannel; he was like the perfect autumn day in a ruggedly handsome, broad shouldered package. He must have realized someone was staring at him because he looked up and locked eyes with me, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Hi,” he said softly, his voice deep and smooth.

I finally released the breath I’d been holding, my eyes wide. “H-hello.”

He took a couple of steps towards me and pocketed his phone as he did, “Sorry to bother you, but do you live around here?” I nodded but remained quiet. “Do you know much about this house?”

“Oh, yea, it’s one of my favorite places in town. Are you...are you interested in buying it?”

He shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded, “Yea, actually. Me and my brother grew up in a house like this, and I just happened to be driving through when I saw it.”

“So do you live close by?” Surely I would have remembered seeing him around.

He shook his head, “No, I'm here on business. I've been kind of looking for a place to start over, and since I was already here, I thought I'd look around.” He held his hand out, “My name is Sam, by the way. Sam Winchester.” I took his hand, and I was unsurprised when his totally engulfed mine.

“Y/F/N Y/L/N. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Same.” He smiled again, and just as he opened his mouth to say something else, a muffled ring interrupted him. He quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. After a quick glance, he looked at me apologetically, “I'm sorry, that's my brother. I gotta go meet him...family business stuff to work on. Maybe I'll see you around?”

I smiled at him, “Yea, that would be nice. See you later.”

He gave a small wave and started walking down the sidewalk in the opposite direction that I was going. Luckily, that wasn't the last time I saw Sam Winchester.

The second time I saw Sam Winchester I was at the library, coffee in hand as I flipped through pages upon pages of town history. I had just started at the local newspaper, and my first assignment was to put together a large series leading up to the town’s centennial celebration. Most people would have wondered what they had done to deserve such a fate, but I loved stuff like that. There was something about getting lost in old newspapers and books, scattered photographs that lay forgotten in people's attics, only remembered when you ask them if they have anything that would help you. I could sit all day at the library, curled up in one of the overstuffed chairs with a giant book. Most of my days consisted of that, actually.

I had been reading about The Great Flood of 1928 when I heard someone clear their throat. I looked up to see Sam looking at me, one corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. “Hey, Y/N.”

“Hi, Sam,” I said as I shifted into a more upright position. “How are you?”

He shrugged, “Pretty good. I think we’ll be here for a few more days.” He nodded towards my stack of books, “What are you researching?”

I glanced down at the book in my hand, “Currently, a catastrophic flood that destroyed most of the town in 1928. In general, just getting some information for a series I'm writing for the paper. The centennial is coming up. Although I have to say, there's less interesting and happy things than there are devastating natural disasters, murder, and general bad luck.” I closed my book and sat it on the table. “Why are you here?”

“Well, I needed to do some research of my own. The librarian told me you might have a book I need. It's actually a collection of property deeds and stuff.”

I raised an eyebrow, “That sounds…”

“Boring,” Sam laughed. “It is. Which is why I'm here and not my brother.” He sat the books he'd already claimed down, “Mind if I join you?”

I shook my head as I handed him the book he was looking for, “Not at all. I can't promise that I'll be exciting company, though,”

He laughed, “At least we can be boring together.”

And so we sat, the next three hours consumed with what was supposed to be serious research but had quickly turned into us laughing about some of the more ridiculous things that had happened in town.

Sam sat back with a laugh, and I couldn't help but stare at the deep dimples that formed when he allowed himself to truly smile. “Wow, it's been awhile since I laughed that much. That was nice.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and his smile quickly disappeared, “But it looks like it's time for me to head out.” He stood and shouldered his coat on, “Hopefully I'll get to see you before we leave.”

I smiled, “I would enjoy that. See you around.” Sam smiled and strode quickly out of the library. I looked down to find that he'd left the book he'd asked for open, and I pulled it around to look at the page he'd marked.

The deed was for the old abandoned house with the giant maple in the yard.

The last time I saw Sam Winchester is a little blurry. It's kind of a long story, and honestly I'm not even sure that I have all the details. I remember seeing the deed for the old house. Curiosity got the better of me and I did the one thing that I'm surprised I hadn't done before but realize now should never have; I googled the address of the Victorian house with the town’s oldest maple tree.

I vaguely recall reading what had to have been one of the more disturbing stories of our town that I had soundly decided not to include in our centennial write up. But even after I sat down to read something else, determined to not focus on the vicious quadruple murder/suicide that had occurred in the house, my mind kept returning to it.

Which had led me to my next question; why was Sam so interested in that house? And what family business was he doing that he needed the deed information? Nothing was adding up, and I was beginning to wonder what that handsome stranger was up to.

I remember leaving the library, bag in tow and determined to figure out what was going on. I had stopped at the end of the sidewalk before taking a big breath and striding up the cracked concrete like I owned the place.

And that's when things get a little fuzzy. All I can really remember is that I saw something that shouldn't have been real. That moment of pause, the shock of seeing a man that was long dead standing directly in front of me, nearly cost me my life. What I do remember is Sam appearing out of nowhere, quickly followed by a shorter man with bright eyes that I guessed was his brother, and a loud shotgun blast.

Then I was outside, my back against the maple tree and a large, rough hand cradled against my face.

“Y/N...hey, are you alright?” Any other time, opening my eyes to that handsome face would have been welcome. As it was, I could barely remember where I was, much less who was in front of me.

“I...yea...I think so...what happened?”

Sam breathed a sigh of relief, “It’s a long story.”

I shifted my weight and groaned as my bruised ribs protested at the movement, “What exactly do you and your brother do, anyway?”

He chuckled, “That's also a long story.” He helped me stand up, and I grimaced again. “Are you sure you're okay?”

I nodded, “Aside from the fact that I just saw something impossible, and said impossible thing tried to kill me...I'm pretty sure I'm good. Ask me tomorrow.” He smiled sadly and my chest ached, “You won't be here, will you?”

He shook his head, “No, we uh...we have some other things to take care of.” I stared at him for a moment and tried to memorize the way his hair fell in his face, the little mole on his chin, how his eyes seemed to change color. There were too many details, and I knew it would be impossible to do him justice in my spotty memory. So instead, I put my arms around his waist and pressed my ear to his chest and listened to the strong, steady beat of his heart.

“It was nice to meet you, Sam Winchester.”

Sam didn't say anything, but he wrapped his arms around me and held me a little tighter.

It's been a year since I last saw Sam Winchester. A year since I saw him standing under that maple tree, its bright red and orange leaves falling around him as he looked at his phone, unaware of the dumbstruck girl staring at him.

It's been a year since I let curiosity win out over common sense and I discovered that there was far more to this world than I could have ever imagined, and that the gentle giant that I had laughed with over coffee was responsible for keeping it all in check.

Sam and Dean had driven me home and the ride there was mostly silent. Sam sat in the back with me, his long legs tucked in as well as he could, and I had curled tightly into his side. My ribs complained the entire ride, but I ignored them; I wasn't passing up what could be my last chance to be this close to Sam.

Sam walked me to my door and pulled me into one last hug, and it took everything I had not to beg him to at least stay the night. He'd started to walk away, but at the last minute, turned back and pulled me into him, his soft lips working against mine almost desperately before he pulled back, gave me a tight lipped smile, and walked to the car. The next morning I went to stick my hand in my jacket pocket and found a piece of a napkin containing small, cramped handwriting. There was a number, and under that a single word - 'Sam'.

We had texted quite a bit for awhile; what he and Dean were up to, plans to get coffee when they finally made it back into town to visit, the most recent book we'd read. I knew that with their lifestyle, it would probably be awhile before I got to see Sam again, but I held on to hope. Then, finally, the messages stopped.

I'd like to think that he's okay, that he's saving people from the monsters that linger in the shadows, but I often worry that something happened. I think I'd feel it, though. For that much good to leave the world, I'm sure my heart would know.

I've kept the same routine this whole year. I walk the same path, go to the same job, live in the same apartment. And every day, I walk past the old Victorian, the maple looming over it with its canopy of fiery leaves. I’d always looked towards the house, only now I do so in hopes that I'll see a man, dressed like fall, and smiling. When I don't see him there, I like to imagine that he's off saving the world with his brother, one monster at a time.

That is, until today.

Because today, I walked the same path down the same road, crossed at the same corner, and just like I did exactly one year ago, I looked up at the house and the maple. Under its falling leaves, standing just where he was the first time I saw him, was Sam. Only this time, he wasn't looking down at his phone; this time he was looking straight at me. He was a bit thinner than he was back then, and he'd cut his hair a little different, but the smile was the same. I stopped a few feet away, afraid that if I blinked he'd disappear.

“Sorry I'm late,” he said softly, “things got a little...crazy.”

I nodded, “Long story?”

Sam chuckled, “Yea, you could say that.”

I walked over and wrapped my arms around his waist, my ear to his chest, and sighed happily. I never realized how relieved I would feel to hear someone’s heartbeat. “You know what, I have all day.”

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