#Mason/Nate/Barbie

[delucadarlingwriting]

Have Her Cake and Eat It - Part 2

Though I won't be doing one big edit/revision on this fic until the whole of Book 1's scene are done, I am still combing through each part a few days before posting. This has had the unfortunate side effect of making it all look like mush to me after a while, so I have to thank @crownleys as ever for being the best beta reader EVER. Beta reader/sounding board/emotional support artist/etc etc etc

Summary: Barbie's misgivings about working with the Agency only increase when she meets two of Unit Bravo's four members.

Word Count: 3,445

Last Part | Next Part

***

[Barbie POV, Janet Greenland’s apartment building, interviewing Trevor Cunningham]

The apartment building they pull up to is just a few blocks away from the town square. It’s a red brick building with a few bike racks in the front, and a gated parking lot in the back. Barbie parks on the street, hoping that any patrolling officers will know it’s her car and not ticket her. Kira cuts a look at her, but says nothing as they get out of the car and hurry into the building’s lobby. It’s small, but clean, and very nearly empty. 

Waiting near the doors are two men, both looking straight to Kira with clear recognition. Both are tall, though one is extremely so, probably nearing six and a half feet tall. He wears a warm smile and fashionable, if casual, clothes. She recognizes the jeans as designer, and his button up shirt is tailored perfectly to his lean torso, noticeable despite the fine brown leather jacket he wears on top.

The other man is roughly Barbie’s height in heels, though he’s slouching against the wall. He has long, nearly black hair that frames his face in choppy, artful waves. Freckles spray out over his face and hands. He’s also wearing a leather jacket, but in black, and the rest of his clothes are relatively lowkey. Dark jeans, dark boots, and a dark t-shirt. He has a few leather cords around his neck that are tucked beneath the shirt. The clothes are fairly baggy, but it’s still clear he’s the broader of the two, built like an off-season linebacker.

If the other two agents on her team are of the same stature, poor Kira must feel positively miniature. 

“Kira,” the taller one says brightly, approaching the women with an open expression. His smile could knock Barbie flat on her rear if it were aimed her way, but Kira stands strong against it. He has dark, wavy brown hair styled back with a meticulous carelessness from his warm, brown eyes. A faint trace of stubble accentuates the sharp shape of his jaw. 

The other man approaches as well, though stays a few steps back. Despite his size, his boots make a shocking lack of noise against the tiles of the lobby. He looks to Kira first as well, but he notices Barbie. His shockingly grey eyes meet hers and she has to suck in a hard breath at the jolt of lightning it sends through her. It’s a relief when he looks away, uninterested.

“Nate, Mason,” Kira says, reaching back to usher Barbie closer. With barely a couple of feet between them now it makes how tall these two are all the more obvious. She has to look up while Kira is steadfastly refusing to crane her head back to do the same. Kira’s hand lands on Barbie’s arm in a friendly manner. “This is Detective Barbara Robertson. Barbie, this is Agent Nate Sewell,” Kira says, indicating the taller man.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Agent Sewell says, and yep, Barbie’s knees certainly go weak at the smile he gives her. She manages to keep her footing, if only barely. He offers a hand and for a thrilling moment as Barbie places her own in it, she wonders if he plans to kiss her knuckles. She has no such luck though, even if the slight pressure from his squeezing her is enough to make her pulse race.

The other man snorts and rolls his eyes, though for what reason, Barbie can’t be sure. Kira clears her throat at him and says, “And this is Specialist Agent Mason.”

The lack of a surname is interesting. Odd. She doesn’t know what to think of it, or of him. She wonders if she ought to refer to him as Specialist Agent Mason, Agent Mason, or just Mason.

“...Nice to meet you,” she says, hesitantly offering her hand to him. He just eyes it, like he’s never heard of a handshake before. Barbie curls her fingers back against her palm and lets her hand fall back to her side. His gaze drops down from her face, and she instinctively reaches up to touch the pink sapphire pendant necklace she always wears. It’s only as she does so that she also realizes the neckline on her blouse is rather low today. 

“Mason,” Kira growls. The specialist agent growls back, though not before throwing a smirk at Barbie.

She has never been in a setting where coworkers growled at one another so much. She isn’t sure how she’s going to like this partnership.

Agent Sewell gives an awkward laugh and gestures for the elevator. “Shall we get to it? You mentioned wanting to interview someone close to the victim, didn’t you?”

“I did,” Barbie says, a sour twist to her mouth. Mason seems to have already forgotten she’s there. Fine, she can handle a poor attitude so long as it isn’t directed toward her. She tugs her blazer into place and tries to adjust her neckline a little higher before gesturing for the elevator. “Shall we?”

A million questions flitter through Barbie’s mind as the four of them squeeze into the elevator—Agent Sewell in particular actually needing to duck to enter—all regarding just what these agents are really here to do. They don’t look like her image of any sort of agent. Not just their outfits, but…well, she can’t help noticing they’re extremely attractive. She expected them to look plain. Older too. Barbie has to resist wetting her lips, lest she smudge her lipstick. 

With some effort, she stops staring at them and gets her mind back on track.

“I’ve never heard much about what the Agency does,” Barbie says as the elevator doors slide shut. It’s an old elevator, still on a chain system rather than hydraulic, and it rattles to life in an alarming manner. She does her best to subtly shift toward the wall and grabs the hand rail.

Kira gives a short laugh. “Well, that’s by design. We can be a secretive bunch.”

“I can’t say I’ve ever heard of the Agency working with local law enforcement either,” Barbie says pointedly. Kira’s gaze drops to the badge on Barbie’s belt. Then she looks at her coworkers.

Seeming to pick up on Kira’s need, Agent Sewell says, “We don’t often find it necessary, but we are very much looking forward to working with you, Detective.”

“Oh,” Barbie says, stunned into a stupid sort of silence. She knows she’s being flattered. That doesn’t stop it from working, particularly coming from a handsome man with a voice as smooth as hot butter. 

The elevator shutters to a stop and the doors slide open. Fifth floor. They proceed out, Barbie leading the way. Mason pauses at the one just before it, nostrils flaring.

“Isn’t this the woman’s place?” he asks. Barbie checks the number against what she remembers from Janet Greenland’s file.

“I believe so,” she says, even though she’s certain of it. “Did you read the file as well?”

“What? No.” Mason blinks, looks over Barbie’s shoulder, then grimaces. “I mean yes.”

“...Right.” Barbie scrutinizes him, then turns back to look at Kira and Agent Sewell. Both are wearing pleasantly neutral expressions. It definitely puts her back in the shoes of her highschool self, always made fun of by the other girls without exactly knowing how she was being made fun of. Dusting her sleeves off, she says, “Well, it is Janet Greenland’s apartment, but we’ve done a sweep of her apartment already. We’re here to talk to her neighbor.” She can’t help the edge to her voice at the fact that he apparently didn’t already know that. Again, she questions just what kind of organization this Agency really is with agents like this.

Mason nods, though he’s still looking at the apartment door. Agent Sewell puts a hand on his shoulder and says, “We haven’t had much of a chance to go over any physical evidence ourselves. It might be a good idea for our team to come by and do our own sweep?”

“Fine. It couldn’t hurt,” Barbie says, waving them off and continuing on until she reaches the correct door. Kira stands right at her side, back ramrod straight and determined like she’s about to step onto a balance beam. Barbie takes a deep breath, reminds herself she’s done this before, and raps her knuckles against the door three times. 

Nothing happens. Barbie grimaces; Tina has always made comments on her weak knock. Kira glances up at her. 

“Mind if I try?” she asks. Barbie gestures for her to go ahead, stepping back. Kira takes Barbie’s place and knocks on the door using the side of her fist, the sound loud enough that it rattles the door on its hinges.

“Think they heard?” Mason asks. Agent Sewell rolls his eyes, but presses his lips against a smile.

From inside, there’s a sudden clatter and a call of, “Just a moment officer!”

Barbie looks down, impressed. Kira shrugs self-consciously.

“Most people don’t take me too seriously on looks alone, so I have to make up for it in other ways,” she says, gesturing to her five foot flat self. Barbie shakes her head.

“Foolish of them, clearly.” Barbie moves back to Kira’s side, though she can’t help noticing that she’s now on the side and not front and center when the door swings open. 

A young man stands in front of them, probably early 20s, with wavy blonde hair pulled into a tight puff of a ponytail. There’s a bandana around his forehead, his shirt is covered in wet spots, and he’s got a dirty rag tucked into the waistband of his ratty sweats. He looks mortified the moment he realizes he’s got an entourage at his door.

“Oh goodness,” he squeaks, eyes darting to Barbie. “Officer Poname mentioned you might come around Barbara, but I didn’t know you were bringing other people.”

Barbie blinks, raising a brow at his familiarity. “Have we met?”

His face goes from pink to red. “Er, not as such.”

“Trevor Cunningham?” Kira cuts in, pulling everyone back to the task at hand. The blond man nods, eyes wide. She adds a smile to soften her words. “I’m Agent Kingston, these are my colleagues Agent Sewell and Specialist Agent Mason. You already know Detective Robertson.” She puts a subtle emphasis on Barbie’s title, which she appreciates. “We’re here to talk about the recent murder of your neighbor, Janet Greenland. Is now a good time?”

“Is there really a good time for such things?” he asks. 

Agent Sewell steps up then, a sympathetic frown on his face. “No, there isn’t. Still, we hope to resolve this problem as quickly as possible, so she might see some justice served. Would you be willing to assist us in that?”

The poor man looks ready to have a stroke. Clearly he’s of a weak constitution. She can only hope Agent Sewell doesn’t whip him into such a stupor that he can’t answer their questions. Luckily, he ends up nodding and holding the door further open. 

“O-Of course! Please, come in,” he says. 

They all proceed into a living room that is far too small for the number of people suddenly in it. The couch won’t hold them all, but Mason seems far more content to go skulk on the far side of the room, facing Trevor. Agent Sewell sits on one side of Trevor, angling towards him, while Barbie offers the last seat to Kira, far preferring to keep a little personal space for this. 

Once everyone is settled, all eyes fall on Barbie. It’s a little surprising, considering how easily Kira had stepped up before, but she doesn’t hesitate for long. She pulls a fliptop notebook out of her belt, going through the pages until she gets to the questions she’s been jotting down for this case since it began. Trevor starts to fidget before she can start speaking.

“How long have you known Janet Greenland?” Barbie asks. Trevor shakes his head.

“Gosh, barely a few weeks. She only moved in at the beginning of the month, you know, on that day we had all that slush. It was just her and a big rented moving truck. She was trying to move all her stuff on her own, and I felt so bad for her.” Trevor shakes his head. “Poor thing, I didn’t ask, but it was pretty clear she didn’t have any friends to ask for help.”

“Funny, on her salary I’d have assumed she could hire movers,” Barbie says. Trevor curves an eyebrow.

“I don’t think funny is the word I’d use,” he says, tone considerably cooled. “And anyway, I never asked about her salary.”

Barbie blinks. She’s said something wrong. Damn. That didn’t take long.

“I don’t think the detective means any offense,” Agent Sewell says with a gentle smile. “In these kinds of cases, anything that seems strange is worth noting.”

“Generally not aloud though,” Barbie adds. She still isn’t sure what exactly she said to bother Trevor, but that doesn’t really matter, so she says, “I’m sorry. I’ll stick to just the questions.”

Trevor nods. “That’s alright. I think I’m just a bit testy. I’d really hoped to make friends with her.”

That tugs at Barbie’s heartstrings. She can only imagine how strange it must feel to be in his shoes, mourning someone he didn’t know but wanted to.

“Did you speak with her after she moved in?” Barbie asks. Trevor nods.

“Yes. I mean, I spent most of the afternoon helping her move in, to start,” Trevor says with a little laugh. “But then I made it a point to knock on her door and offer her whatever I had extra for dinner, or whatever sweets I’d baked lately.”

“Were the two of you ever involved physically?” Barbie asks. Everyone else chokes for a moment, except for Mason, who snorts and leans forward with his elbows on his knees.

“I don’t think that’s a problem here, sweetheart,” he says.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Trevor sputters. Mason just looks at him blankly. 

Agent Sewell sighs. “Please ignore him.”

Notably, while Agent Sewell is placating Trevor, Kira is making pointed eye contact with Mason. They seem to be holding some sort of silent conversation that ends in Kira nodding briefly before settling back in her seat. It clicks then that Mason and Agent Sewell had held similar eye contact just a moment earlier. Barbie shifts her weight, wondering what it is the three of them are communicating to one another, and how well they must know one another to do so without words. 

“I just don’t see the relevance in a question like that,” Trevor says. He glances at Mason. “And for the record, just because I’m gay doesn’t mean I couldn’t sleep with a woman if I wanted to.”

“That’s true. My brother never was picky about his partners,” Barbie says without thinking.

“Lucas?!” Kira and Trevor exclaim in unison. Kira recovers herself quickly, though her cheeks are undeniably pink. 

“You know my brother?” Barbie asks Trevor. Trevor waves her off, clearly embarrassed.

“That’s not—Not recently.” Trevor puts his face in his hands and groans. “Next question?”

“But you didn’t say—” Barbie stops herself when Agent Sewell gives her a look. He smiles, sweet at honey, and makes a small hand turning gesture; let’s move on. 

It’s irritating, because she wants to know more. Every little clue could lead to a connection later down the line. But he’s right. She’s probably pushed her luck far enough for one day. With that in mind, she throws a whole page of questions out, doubting Trevor will have much patience left for them at this point. 

“When was the last time you saw Janet?” Barbie asks. Trevor frowns, his expression as low down as a bloodhound.

“The morning she disappeared,” he says. With a shake of his head, he adds, “I was getting in as she was heading out. We said good morning to one another and that was it.”

“Had Janet mentioned, um…” Barbie trails off, distracted by how Kira and Agent Sewell are both intensely looking at Mason, while he has his silvery gaze locked onto Trevor. His gives a stiff nod after a moment, and the other two visibly relax. Poor Trevor seems off put by this treatment as well. He glances at Barbie, but she has no answer to offer him, only a questioning look of her own.

Agent Sewell looks up at her, so suddenly that it startles her. He smiles, but there’s something about it that sends a shiver up her spine.

“You were saying something, Detective?” he prods. Barbie nods and re-finds her question on the lined paper of her notebook.

“Had Janet mentioned she was afraid for any reason?” Barbie asks. Trevor rubs his chin.

“Not afraid,” he says haltingly, then gives a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry, I don’t even know if this is really relevant.”

Kira leans forward. “Mr. Cunningham, any detail could be key.”

“Right,” Trevor says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, she mentioned hearing some strange voices when she was out and about at night. She said she swore she heard her own name, but never could find a source. She wasn’t scared though, just bemused.”

At this, Mason stands up. To Kira, he says, “We don’t need more.”

“Right,” Agent Sewell says, also getting to his feet.

“Wh—” Barbie furrows her brow, tempted to pinch herself to see if she might be dreaming up the audacious manners with which these men conduct themselves. “We are in the middle of an interview.”

They don’t seem to hear her. Agent Sewell holds a hand out as Trevor hurries to his feet, looking like he’s also feeling a step behind everything. 

“Thank you for your time,” Agent Sewell says, and that’s all it takes for Trevor to forgive the bad manners. He smiles, and shakes Agent Sewell’s hand delicately.

“Oh, you can have it whenever,” Trevor laughs. 

Desperate, Barbie looks to Kira, who winces apologetically before standing up and brushing down her suit. 

This is so unexpected that Barbie doesn’t know how to stop what’s happening from continuing. She has more questions! Trevor surely would have allowed one or two more. Why would weird voices be the line these agents decided to draw?

“We…We’ll call if we have further questions,” Barbie says, feeling a touch numb as she rises to her feet. Trevor remembers she’s there as well and nods. 

“Of course, Detective. Thanks for stopping by,” he says, the dismissal clear by his tone. 

Barbie leaves on stiff legs, following the others out of the small apartment. Barely a few seconds after the door shuts behind them, music starts up along with the cry of a vacuum cleaner.

“Are you three out of your minds?” Barbie snaps, unable to hold back. Mason doesn’t so much as look at her, but Kira and Agent Sewell both flinch. 

“I’m sorry,” Kira says. She cuts a sharp look at the men. “That shouldn’t have happened.”

“It will not happen again. Not on my case,” Barbie says, trying to maintain her dignity even when all she really wants is to stomp her heel against the carpeted hallway and scream her head off at them.

“Of course not,” Agent Sewell pipes in. Even his handsome looks won’t soothe the frustration he’s causing her right now, so she just glares at him until he retreats a step behind Kira. 

“I promise,” Kira says. Her big green eyes widen at Barbie. She can’t really resist letting her frustration go when she can see the mortification in Kira’s expression. It helps, knowing she had no part in that display.

Taking a breath, Barbie flips her notebook closed and slips it into her belt. “Alright. I’m going to go write this up. Will the rest of the team be joining us?”

“We have other things to debrief on,” Kira says. “Can we meet with you tomorrow?”

“Fine. Be early.” Barbie can’t deny she’ll be glad to get some distance for now. 

“It was a pleasure meeting you,” Agent Sewell says. Barbie looks him over, frowns, and nods only because not doing it would seem too rude. He seems to deflate anyway.

That’s not really her problem though. For all that the Kingston women assured her this team wouldn’t be a nuisance, if this is how they approach all cases, she is not looking forward to what kinds of nonsense they decide to get up to tomorrow. 

Barbie walks away without another word and tries to forget all about Unit Bravo. There are a million better things for her to put her mind to.

[delucadarling]

May Writing Challenge - Day 19

This weekend has been buckwild and busy as fuck, but I managed to get it done **every day so far!

**every day this weekend

[venusbyline]

Hey guys, I'm Vênus (she/her). This is my new ff blog and requests are already open!

I really like writing dark, smut and/or angst contents for s/o x female readers.

Almost all the characters and artists I'll write for are tagged. Feel free to send me your writing requests on my ask. (ps¹: practically i'll write for all Jacob Elordi and Ryan Gosling's characters, there just wasn't enough space in the tags).

So don't be shy... I'm a member of the "toxic characters stan" too <3

ps²: some characters besides the other characters of Ryan Gosling and Jacob Elordi that I didn't put in the tags but that I can also write for:

Scream: Ethan Landry, Billy Loomis, Stu Macher.

Euphoria: Rue Bennet, Jules Vaughn, Ethan Lewis, Lexi Howard, Chris McKay, Fezco.

Hunger Games: Lucy Gray Baird, Katniss Everdeen, Sejanus Plinth, Johanna Mason, Treech, Clemensia Dovecote, Tigris Snow, Haymitch Abernathy.

MCU: Tom Holland!Peter Parker & Andrew Garfield!Peter Parker, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Wanda Maximoff.

Daisy Jones & The Six: Eddie Roundtree, Daisy Jones, Camila Dunne.

The Vampire Diaries: Stefan Salvatore, Damon Salvatore, Silas, Rebekah Mikaelson, Katherine Pierce.

Margot Robbie: Barbie, Harley Quinn.

Gossip Girl: Chuck Bass, Nate Archibald, Carter Baizen, Blair Waldorf.

YOU: Love Quinn, Joe Goldberg.

Harry Potter: Cedric Diggory, Hermione Granger, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Sirius Black.

Grey's Anatomy: Jackson Avery, Derek Shepherd, Mark Sloan, Alex Karev.

Outer Banks: Rafe Cameron, JJ Maybank.

Anyway, more characters can be added here over time!

[agentnatesewell]

tremendous tasks, dear friends

the wayhaven chronicles | barbara robertson (f!detective) / nate sewell / mason + family (lucas daniels) | 5k words | rated G

happy holidays to @delucadarling on this twelfth night and epiphany eve! i have simply fallen in love with barbie and had such a wonderful time writing for her for the @wayhavensecretsanta

.🎄.

Within the forested woods surrounding a deceptively inconspicuous town, one brimming with holiday cheer and festive wishes, bustling with last-minute preparations of a yuletide celebration for humans and supernaturals alike, sits a dilapidated building. A relic of a time ago, thought abandoned and unbothered, hiding a veiled mansion beyond its crumbling facade. 

In this warehouse, now as familiar as home, Barbara Robertson - detective or agent depending on when and who one asks - sits in the center of the living room elegantly dressed for the season. One last task, a final check-in, for the next day’s Wayhaven Christmas Fete remains, and her trusted Filofax is set securely nearby, traded for a cup of steaming, glasses-fogging drinking chocolate. Hands warming against the gold rimmed and whimsically painted precious porcelain, she shifts her attention from event planning to listening, intently, of past traditions once forgone and now renewed. 

In this living room, now his home, Nathaniel Sewell - agent and acting commanding agent, a temporary promotion until their team leader returns from a self assigned important mission - sits adjacent, on the floor with long legs tucked beneath him; sweeping his hand over carefully laid materials, collected from the nature surrounding them, on the ivory lace-embroidered cloth covered coffee table. He picks out a hard confection from a glass jar in the middle of the table, passes it to her then reminisces, “My earlier days, when I was with my family, during the Advent period before Christmas Day, my brother and I would spend the morning hours collecting what we could on our grounds. Not dissimilar to what we’ve found on our strolls in town and the community garden this autumn.” 

Long branches of holly from the gardens, deepest green leaves with sharp, curved edges, clusters of bright, reddest berries; vines of ivy growing along on the outer stone of their home, long stems dense with lined green and white leaves; hardy sprigs of rosemary from their kitchen window garden, fragrant and robust; precious bundles of mistletoe, from the town’s nursery, with pretty pearlescent white berries; and perhaps his most prized possession of the season, from a bespoke shoppe, a singular pear sitting on a bed of gold foil. 

“Are you making a wreath,” she inquires, leaning closer to the greenery. Fingers already occupied with proffered candy instinctively seek her pencil, and blindly slide behind her ear, in case there is need to write any pertinent information of this tradition. As she inspects, Barbie notices there isn’t any sort of evergreen present that she’d become accustomed to with modern wreaths, though perhaps Nate had used all he could find to festoon along the fireplace mantle, perhaps all the evergreen in Wayhaven and the surrounding forest. 

“A Christmas Bough.” The corners of his eyes crinkle as a smile plays at the corner of his mouth, voice trailing and he falls into a fog of nostalgia, happy memories returning to overshadow those which usually haunt him. As his thoughts fade, Nate chances a glance at Barbie, and he is pulled back into the present. For behind a curling strand of her blond hair, fallen away from her gilded claw clip, peeks a twist of red and white, and the scent of peppermint. The pencil which is usually there in her hand, in peril of becoming her drink stirrer. 

“Barbie?” 

“Nate?” The abrupt change in his tone, now alarmed, draws Barbie away from her study. She looks up towards him, green eyes peering over her red plaid-rimmed glasses, taking note at how amusement highlights the honeyed hues of his brown eyes, and how he’s closing the already narrow gap between them, brows raised questioningly and silently awaiting permission to come closer.  

And it is easy for her to grant him such permission, as Nate is always so careful, comforting, safe, even in this spontaneity, and Barbie is quite curious what it is that has attracted his attention. 

The brush of his thumb across her cheek, his fingers curling at her temple and over the shell of her ear prove far more exhilarating than any spice and sugar rush incurred during the holiday season. Nate chuckles, deep and resonating, just as silver bells sing, and he pulls away, his palm open. “You might find that peppermint candy complements the dark chocolate of your beverage far more than your pencil might.” 

“What,” Barbie looks at her cup, pencil between the rim and its high handle, and groans. “Oh my god.” Shaking her head, she drops the utensil with a sharp laugh. “Guess I needed this break. Helping Tina organize the Fete  at the station this year is keeping me busier than I imagined. Especially with all of,” she waves her hand, “this.”

Nate knows she is referencing her continued training with the Agency and on-call, standby assistance for the Wayhaven Police Department’s local cases - taking a holiday encouraged, always, during their sporadic diners at the local bistro - but does hope she has been enjoying the past week spent transforming their, in his opinion, humble home into a Christmas wonderland so expertly designed, it would rival the most elegant department store displays. And though Adam and, by order, Unit Bravo, had been convinced by Nate’s suggestion of team building exercises, Barbie has been enjoying herself. Excitement casting her in gold and silver radiance, she is even more breathtaking, indulging herself in the season. Dressed in themed ensembles, time made and spent introducing Farah to popcorn tins and Christmas themed movies, baking and icing so many cookies, decorating while singing tunes so delightful, he has been humming them both in tandem and alone. 

Regardless, Barbie deserves empathy and understanding, and a second candy cane. “May I say that the Fete has been coming along quite nicely, and will surely be memorable for years to come.” 

“You may,” she accepts his compliment, allowing her fingers, nails painted to resemble ribbon tied gift wrap, to just barely glide along his as she accepts the candy. To avoid a repeat of a near miss, Barbie stirs her drinking chocolate with the straight side of the candied stick, inhaling the melding scents as the steam rises and evaporates into the air. “Thank you, Nate.” 

Pleasant moment aside, and desperately needing the embarrassing moment aside, Barbie points the candy cane, melting end, at the table. “Tell me about your Christmas Bough. I thought it was called a Kissing Bough?” 

Nate nods. “You’re correct. Formally, these were called Christmas Boughs, and traditionally, Kissing Boughs. Every year, from when we could carry in ash wood or willow wood branches, our bough would adorn the doorway to our drawing room, welcoming our guests for the many parties held during the twelve days post Christmas. Usually family, many cousins, family friends.” 

Barbie places her cup on the table, resting her elbow on the edge, listening intently once more. The cadence of his voice again melodic, a nostalgic recitation in celebration of a life passed instead of a sorrow of a life lost. 

“One modern convenience this year.” Nate points to a neat stack of green craft wire, set opposite of the shining pear. “Bending curved tree branches into circles is much easier these days, but I would like to focus more on this particular foliage” 

“Do they hold any meaning?” She asks, knowing too well that rarely does Nate take on a task casually. 

“Holly,” Nate works as he speaks, nimble hands still familiar with the process from centuries ago, tying the branches together with the wire, a blur of green and red repeating until creating a circle. “Everlasting life.”

The irony is not lost on Barbie. By how Nate blinks his eyes, an attempt to keep them clear, she knows it’s not lost on him, either. But then he clears his throat, shapes his mouth back into a smile, and transfers the rest of the holly branches and half of the wire to the space in front of her. An offer to join him, and she obliges; observing and enamored by his hands, mirroring his motions to create a second circle. 

“Ivy,” Nate continues, “dependence and endurance. Rosemary, remembrance.” Running the tip of a finger along the leaves, breathing in the released fragrance, he takes a deep breath. Another breath. 

As silence grows, the bough making process is acknowledged as a memorial by them both. When her half is complete and returned to him, Barbie lays a hand on Nate’s shoulder. Immediately, she feels him relax, and this time the deep breath is an exhalation. When he turns to her, his smile is genuine, grateful for her grace. “Thank you. My apologies, for my sentimentality.” 

“What about the mistletoe?” She squeezes his shoulder, and hopes the question cheers him up. 

“Ah, mistletoe.” Nate lifts a bundle for himself, a second one for Barbie. She keeps it for herself. “A good luck charm. One could, during the celebratory period, greet their guests or each other for a kiss. A suitor could kiss the one they wished to court, on the cheek, and we did make sure all parties were in accordance. All would hope to be kissed, lest they endure the bad luck of being left out. There was a limit, as with every kiss, a berry would be picked. When all was gone, the kissing ceased.” He chuckles, picking a single spray which had fallen out of place. “Milton’s pockets would be full by night’s end, as he was rather outgoing and effortlessly charming.”

Barbie plucks a gem-like berry to roll between her fingers, twisting her lips as her gaze shifts towards Nate, finding he has done the same. It comes as a surprise to them both, a happy and quite welcome surprise, when Barbie closes the space between, kissing Nate’s cheek. Drawing away, she puts the berry in his palm. “There, now you have one, too.” 

Behind a second, cordial-ish, exchange, through the doorway of this living room which has yet to bear the meaningful ornament of greeting, shaking bruising snowflakes off the jacket he’s worn during his overnight patrol of the town - stubborn to accept the order to dress weather-appropriately from their temporary leader, until an approving hum from Barbie, he will keep to himself that he did not mind the shearling-lined leather moto jacket that kept him from freezing - Mason grimaces at the warm welcome of glittering ornaments, the droning and inescapable music repeating too many damn times, and the strong and tangled scents of cassis, eucalyptus, white musk, and pine. 

Thick blankets of snow keep him from his reprieve on the rooftop, and if it was any other season besides one that compels humans to decorate their homes with garish and gaudy blinking lights, corral them into the streets to sing in groups, he would volunteer to take the next patrol. But it isn’t wholly terrible, though. In the living room he can wait for Barbie to tie up any loose-ends, as she’d called them, with her next-day festival preparation; maybe Nate will help her, and Mason can retreat to the quietest and dimmest corner of the room to look out the window and watch the hidden parts of the forest, untouched by merry well-wishers. 

Her voice cuts through his annoyance, happier he knows but unsure how to tell. She sounds like she did the other day as he watched her hang monogrammed stockings over the fireplace, Nate explaining some change, some rise and fall in her sound, more cheerful. When he hears Barbie laugh, the tension in his body fades, and the abrasive reminders of the season taunting his senses fall into the background. Mason sheds his coat, rubbing his hands over his arms to avoid losing too much heat too fast, and follows a conversation to the middle of the room, in front of the couch and on the floor.  

Too far to perch on the arm of the velvet armchair, where he’s most comfortable when Barbie is around, he instead sits on the edge of the coffee table, angling away from the herbs and plants invading his senses. Any other time the seemingly innocuous rosemary would have him retreating, but she turns to him. And Barbie is fucking - glowing. Mason blinks, wondering if his retinas are taking longer to heal from the morning’s snow glare than usual. Still glowing with a pink tint to her cheeks, and damnit if that halo around her doesn’t make him think of that angel on top of their second Christmas tree, and damnit that he’s lost the cool edge to his entrance. 

“Elf got your tongue, sunshine?” Barbie asks, smoothest he’s ever seen her, at least with a candy cane between her teeth. 

In his periphery, Mason spots a small bundle of leaves and the plant is easily identifiable. Cheap, plastic replicas in abundance at the previous night’s party in some sort of garden dome when he’d walked through the park on his route. He swipes a sprig and twirls it, answering, “Wouldn’t mind you catching my ton-”

“Hello, Mason,” Nate sighs, tying what is left of the mistletoe together. “How was your patrol?”

Giggling teenagers and metal scraping at the ice rink and the entire town smells of vanilla, chocolate and sugar, that flashing robotic Santa waving in the air are all enough to keep anything interesting from happening; too chaotic to focus any magic, too much of a headache to get up to any trouble. Mason shrugs, “Same old.” 

Settled, finally giving notice to whatever Nate and Barbie are actually doing, Mason juts his chin in the direction of the circles of holly. “You aren’t done decorating this place yet?” 

“It’s a Kissing bough,” Barbie explains, rising to her knees to meet Mason. Nate subtly coughs the alternative ‘Christmas bough’, likely as a means to keep the atmosphere light and less hot, less heavy - wholesome! “When you’re under, you give a kiss, and get a reward.” She leans in, one hand on his thigh and he grins, arm slinking around her waist, ready for a knock-her-tights-off kind of kiss. But instead of her mouth, his is met with a waxy, tasteless and not sticky clump of berries. “It’s not up yet, Mason.” Smiling, having amused herself, she sits at the coffee table once more, awaiting Nate’s next instruction. 

“You’re welcome to join us, if you would like to thread this wire through the pear.” Nate knows he is pushing Mason’s good will and willingness to participate in any more decorating, yet persists with his inclusion. “This should be our final project.” 

“Wait! One more!” 

From a flash of purple and a cloud of glitzing gingerbread scents and mirth, attention is captured towards the fir and cedar garlanded mantle in this living room, and standing between a cozy, crackling fire and the main Christmas tree, eight feet all and so elegantly adorned, skirt at the base holding exquisitely wrapped gifts, is Farah Hauville - home from one last visit to the Christmas Tree Lot at the edge of town for the season before taking over agent patrol for the rest of the day - standing atilt, resting an elbow on the top branch of a small, a quite small pine tree. 

Amber eyes sparkling with triumph, Farah sweeps her hand out in an arc, resting it on her hip. “Ta da! What do you all think? Natey, Barbie? Mason.” 

Not just quite small, the tree is rather sparse. Uneven weight distribution, inconsistent branch thickness and needle distribution - some thick with vibrant needles while others rather pale and almost white, some with just tufts at the end. A lone pinecone sits towards the base, and there may have been a debate if the bird’s nest fell or broke apart. 

Nate stands, stepping slowly and surely to the tree, mind whirling as he thinks of how to express his thoughts; keep Farah from being crestfallen, express his gratitude for her enthusiasm, how to hide the tree in plain sight and preferably outside. “Certainly a unique tree,” he manages, “though, I do wonder if it would be better suited in the hallway. Could be set in an urn outside of your bedroom door and we can bedeck after your shift - wrap a strand of fairy lights, drape tinsel, use the rest of the ribbon.”

“Knew you’d say that,” Farah replies, bouncing, “This tree has been in that lot since it opened, and no one has given it a chance! A second look! I know it’s not pretty, it doesn’t match the other trees we brought home. It’s not perfect,” Farah flails her arms, pointing to the three other trees in the room that could have been portraits in a magazine. “But it deserves love, doesn’t it? Like the great philosopher, Linus, said.” 

“Linus? I’m not familiar with their work.” Nate pokes at a dull needle with this index finger. “Unless you mean Linus of Thrace, the musician.”

Barbie soon joins, shadowed by Mason, and circles the tree to study it. “‘Charlie Brown Christmas’. Farah and I watched while you read ‘The Gift of the Magi’.”  

“You were even playing the song the next day,” Farah remarks, miming him at the piano. He nods in response, fingertips brushing along the edge of a healthier branch. She continues her plea, turning to throw her arms out, wide and dramatic, and quotes, “‘I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all. Maybe it just needs a little love.’”

“Farah,” Nate rubs the back of his neck, knowing she’d likely practiced her speech during her last few patrols about town. The tree truly does not fit in with the well planned out, specific aesthetic of the room but he is moved by her effort, her passion. “I can promise to find space for it. In here.” 

To the great shock of everyone, Mason grabs a smooth, circular red ornament from the main tree, fixes it to a sagging branch on the new addition. He comments before Nate can protest, “I like it. It’s irregular, obviously intended by nature to be so. Has character. Leave it where it is, at least it’ll be something interesting to look at.”

Barbie stops pacing, following Mason’s lead, with a green ornament she hangs on an opposite, slightly lighter branch. Just a little trimming, tinsel and lights and ribbon, and this tree could truly be special. One of a kind. Its own new tradition. 

It gives her an idea. 

Leaving the others to discuss re-arrangement, Barbie walks back to sit on an empty space of the coffee table to consult the ‘CF’ section of her Filofax.  A layout of the main room of the Christmas Fete is centered by a hallway length runner rug with tables at either side for Haley’s hot cocoa and treats station, beginning at an entry arch and a dais at its end. On the side of the page, the cast. Elves - Len’s kid and Douglas, Mrs. Claus - Tina, Santa Claus - Lucas, making his debut.  

Lucas, her beloved brother and subject of her final, most important task - confirming his, and Adam’s, flight details and estimated arrival. Barbie checks the time, and tapping her phone screen she notes alerts from his airline. Five minute delay, ten minute delay, confirmation of arrival, a text from him. 

Another hour or two from the city, and Barbie and Lucas will be reunited after far too long apart - and she can hardly wait! Smiling to herself, singing to herself that song from their childhood Christmas pageant, Barbie pencils in a small tree in the space between Mrs. and Santa Claus. She calls to the group, asking Farah, “Could you bring this Charlie Brown Tree to the Fete tomorrow? It’s just the right size, wouldn’t be in Lucas and Tina’s way. Added bonus, the people in town seeing what they missed out on, how a little love goes a long way.”   

Nate places a hand to his chest, mouthing a ‘thank you’ to Barbie. Farah claps hers in excitement. “It would be an honor! I’m going to get Nate’s decoration box and get this little guy ready for the show! I’ll drop it off at the station.” Taking a hold of the tree at its base, Farah lifts it like a piece of paper and runs off and out of the room. And it is a testament to Nate’s reflexes and agility that he catches the two ornaments shaken off, and returns them to their home. 

A ring of Barbie’s phone interrupts the calm in Farah’s wake. 

Video call, her mirror image on the screen and Barbie gives her glasses a quick adjustment before swiping her finger across the glass to answer. 

“Ho, ho, ho!” A voice bellows, and there is a grinning Lucas, dark brown hair expertly mussed under the brim of his vintage, thrift-shop treasure, red flannel and white wool Santa Hat. “Merry Christmas!”

Barbie waves, laughing, widening the camera view to show off the living room, then back to her. Nate greets Lucas, unsure where to stand and if he can even see him, moves to lean over Barbie’s shoulder where the pocket of his brown leather jacket fills the display. His own cellular phone rings and he excuses himself to answer. Mason shakes his head, and, arms folded, walks to settle on the edge of the couch.

Back to Lucas, and now Barbie spots a twinkling flash against the red of his hat, one more, behind him white snow flurrying and thickening with each passing second. His voice muffled, harsh streaks of wind silencing him, though she can pick up the unmistakable and clear, deep accent of Adam Du Mortain, calm and authoritative.

There is a leaden, sinking feeling in her stomach. 

“Snow squall,” she finally hears, and when did Lucas move? Blurred behind the camera lens, he has found shelter inside the doors of the airport. Fellow travelers behind him converge into small groups, collective voices rising in confusion and frustration relaying the news to their loved ones. Airplanes had been taking off and landing, no imminent threat of weather. “Barbie, roads are closed, don’t know when they’ll open. Promise I’ll be home as soon as I can, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to make the Fete tomorrow.”

“Oh. Okay,” she answers, nodding, glancing around the room to find Nate speaking animatedly and Mason watching snow swirling outside. “Just stay safe, Luke, alright? Keep me updated. Is Adam with you?” 

“Ordering the weather to behave,” he chuckles, attempting to keep her spirits from crashing. “Look, Barbie, I’m sorry.”

Trying to formulate a plan, alternatives and logistics, how to inform Tina, Barbie doesn’t respond until she hears her name again. She shakes her head, “It’s alright. Take your time. We will figure this out. Don’t do anything hasty or dangerous, you need to come home in one piece.” Barbie looks at the screen again, zoom tighter on Lucas, notices the same plush red and fluffy white at his shoulders. “Are you wearing your Santa costume?”

“If you’re going to travel for the holidays, you’ve got to travel in style and make a big entrance. Besides, someone has to spread holiday cheer amongst the masses.”

“Keep them distracted and don’t have too much fun. Again, stay safe. I’ll talk to you soon.” 

As she ends the call, Barbie consults her Filofax, searching for an answer. Surely, she wrote up a back-up plan for Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the Elves, and she did but Sung committed to the community Christmas Feast. She turns to a blank page, scribbles thoughts - Surely, Adam will take care of Lucas. Surely, Mrs. Claus could take the place of her husband, saying he needs a head start on his journey, the children could video-chat with him. 

“Barbie,” Nate’s voice is as understanding and gentle as his gait, taking a seat next to her, patting her back with a touch so light it does not register. He finds Mason, raising his brows and tilting his head and in seconds, Mason stands before them. “I spoke with Adam. Unexpected change of weather a few miles northwest of the city, might be due to magic gone awry, and does not appear to be malicious. Unit Golf has been dispatched to secure the situation, and Adam will be working with them. Bravo is on standby, but he feels this should be contained without our intervention.” 

Mason shrugs, Barbie is still writing in her organizer. 

Turning towards her, Nate’s smile is encouraging, “Now, you are in need of a Saint Nicholas for your Christmas Fete tomorrow. Do you have Lucas’ costume? He and I are of similar build and height, and I would be glad to stand in for him.” 

Barbie, facial muscles finally moving and her mouth falling into an unintentionally pretty pout, unlocks her phone, finds her text messages, and brings up a picture to show him, then Mason. Lucas, mid-laugh, Santa hat flopping to the side, Santa jacket open with a white shirt underneath, Santa trousers on underneath, standing with a not so stiff shouldered, slightly amused Adam in the midst of white and colored glistering lights. “Spreading so much cheer that he performed a holiday miracle, making Adam smile.”

Mason, concerned with the pallor of her skin and the dullness in her eyes, crouches down and pats his pockets, where his now banished cigarettes were once stored - to prevent a fire hazard in this room of shimmering, glimmering potential kindling - pulls out a package, a monstrosity, a little cake shaped like an evergreen tree, an emergency treat purchased at the convenience store. Smushed, and he decides there is no way he will let her raise her blood sugar with something that tastes like plastic. “Eat something if you’re going into figuring-out mode. Maybe not this, I’ll get you something that doesn’t look like reindeer vomit.” 

Nate, rubbing his bottom lip with this thumb, remembers the prior year’s Christmas celebrations. A truly magical time in this already magical town, every year healing from the tragedies at the start of their permanent tenure. He recalls a certain gentleman, an embodiment of the legend and a hero to each child, reading their name from a scroll and making them believe to be the most special. “Mr. Rockwell. He was treasured, and enjoyed the role.” 

“Retired. Out of town to visit his new grandchild.” Barbie taps her pencil against the cover of her Filofax. Nate’s mention of the Santa Claus of the past decade, of his generosity and love, his joy infectious, reminds her of a conversation - between Mr. Rockwell and his wife, Lucas and Tina, and her. A transition of tradition. 

“Wait.” Her eyes open wide, sparkling once more with another idea. “We are brilliant! Mr. Rockwell left us his suit, even though it was too short for Lucas, something about keeping the Christmas spirit. It should still be at the station, I’ll call Tina to confirm.” 

Once more in the middle of this living room, Mason returns to see two faces look at him expectantly, and though there is some he does not understand, he understands the faces of two schemers. Especially one who has talked him into decorating more than he ever thought he would in eternity, and one he would do just about any damn thing for. He shoves the cookie, on a napkin to avoid another lecture by Nate, towards Barbie. “Eat this. And what do you both want?”

“Tina said the Santa costume is at the station, and she’s running a lint roller over it to get rid of any dust. You’re about Mr. Rockwell’s height -”

“No.”

Nate makes a second attempt, honeyed words pleading, “for no more than two hours. It would mean so much to this town that has become our home. It would mean -”

“I’m not dealing with any little brat screaming in my ears about some presents.” 

“It would mean a lot to me,” Barbie finishes for Nate, flatly. “We will keep the kids calm, Nate and Farah will entertain them. Tina will talk to them, and you can just check their names against a roster and repeat their wish. Then take a picture with them.” 

“Nope. Besides, we’re supposed to be in the shadows.”

Nate nods, acknowledging that Mason is correct. The accessories, such as the full, white beard, may be uncomfortable for him, as well as the inevitable sounds which come with the excitement of children. It may not be such a fair ask, and there may be some other possibilities. “Babs, there may be some adjustments I can have made to the suit, to accompany the length of my arms and legs. The tailor in town, I am sure, is quite busy. I can, however, make a request with ours at the Agency.”

An attempt to speak comes out as a squeak, and Barbie throws her arms around Nate’s shoulders in a hug. “Thank you, Nate. Really. We should go now, and get to your tailor as soon as possible.” 

Mason, silver eyes sharp and observant, regards Barbie and he guesses she’s relieved, with the sharp exhale of breath, taking a bite of the cookie and writing down some last notes. There is an errant thump in his chest, and he rubs his palm against it. Then regards Nate, also exhaling a breath, longer, and his hands slide into his pockets, their refuge. 

And damnit, her smile is making his jaw tingle, and he stretches it to alleviate that sensation. Damnit, she is so fucking beautiful like this, merry and jovial. And, groaning, Mason drags his hand down his face, wrapping his fingers behind his neck. 

He thinks he might regret this for eternity, but then figures that being able to do what Nate is doing, make her glow like that again, so ecstatic? Maybe that’ll make an afternoon of misery worth everything. 

“Wait,” he reaches, finding Barbie’s hand, and pulls them both up. “You just have to promise to stay near me, alright, sweetheart?” 

Barbie’s mouth falls open, and she truly is stunned, frozen in place as she processes his answer. She then grins, thanking him with a kiss to his cheek. “You got it, Santa.” 

~

In the midst of hazing lights, luminous trees and the rising dawn of the Eve, there is a stir. In this living room, under a bough and honoring the custom of the mistletoe, a couple hushes each other between deep kisses and berry extraction. His senses are heightened once more, and he grumbles an announcement of visitors. She spies past the door and wishes, one small wish, that he will appear.

And to her delight, they are not just any visitors.

The commanding agent will claim this a completed, successful mission, but with a hearty and robust, “Merry Christmal to all!”, Lucas will say that with a little magic, he fulfilled his Christmas promise.

fin.

[sdhqsecrets]

halloween costume contest ‘27 →  orion, halley, stella & elara macmillan-bones for best platonic couples/group costume

well aren't you pretty in pink? a family that costumes together stays winning it seems. you all committed to the theme, which is no surprise given your track record. but we've got to say that the production value of this year's costume was a vast improvement to last year's. congrats on your win, barbies and ken !!

2nd place - Augusta, Magnolia & Willow Picquery

3rd place - Frederick Hayes, Vera McKinnon, Freya MacDougal & Damien Launier

the rest of the runner ups are below !!

Alastair & Charlotte Watson

April & Isla Marchant

Axel Wolffe & Mason Jones

Cameron Coleman & Ciara Garcia

Iris Lestrange & Lyra Malfoy

James Ashcroft & Frank Longbottom II

Lucy Weasley & Nate Wood

Maeve Finch & Trinity Trelawney

Merle Rappaport & Piper Wilkinson

Octavia Coleman & Erin McCormack

Rory Goldstein & Evangeline Pickering

Tristan & Betty Connolly

[dovebuffy92]

INTRODUCTION

In Euphoria Season Two, Episode One, “Trying to Get to Heaven Before They Close the Door,” directed and written by creator Sam Levinson centers around relapsed Rue Bennett (Zendaya) getting way over her head during a drug buy and a high school party. Rue hangs out with drug dealers Fezco (Angus Cloud) and his adopted little brother Ashtray (Javon Walton) during New Year’s Eve. During the buy, Rue finds herself in mortal danger and forced to strip naked during the drug buy showing that she is in a hopeless state of mind. She doesn’t care if she lives or dies. During a flashback, Rue’s narration explains how their drug dealing Grandmother Marie O’Neill (Katherine Narducci) influenced Fezco’s outlook on life.

Rue and Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer) struggle with their anxieties and insecurities but are drawn back together during a New Year’s Eve party.

While drunk, Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) sleeps with her best friend Maddy Perez’s (Alexa Demie) ex-boyfriend Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi), derailing any emotional progress she may have made. In addition, Nate feels possessive of Cassie the minute they sleep together, possibly creating more problems in the future.

DREAMWORLD

Cinematographer Marcell Rev speaks about how he created a different tone for Euphoria Season Two by using a film camera and designing all the scenes to appear like a memory. The scenes that flaunt this dream-like quality the most are between Rue and Jules.

Absorbing Love

Everything turns black around Rue whenever she spots Jules from a distance. Rue focuses entirely on Jules, making it seem like everything else disappears. The episode doesn’t try to be realistic, instead of capturing how Rue’s love for Jules absorbs her.

Jules moves over to the backyard when her friend Kat Hernandez (Barbie Ferreira) starts flirting with Ethan Lewis (Austin Abrams). She spots Rue hanging out in front of a bonfire. Rue glows. She sits still, standing out because everybody else is moving. Then there is a cut back to a close-up shot of Jules, who looks stricken. Her face glows, contrasting with how all her classmates are shrouded in darkness.

Close-Ups

Rue and Jules chat in front of the bonfire. The conversation is captured with close-up reverse shots that allow the characters to hide their painful emotions. Their dialogue reveals how well they know each other. Jules calls Rue out on the fact that she relapsed. She doesn’t allow her ex-lover to evade answering questions about her drug use. Rue makes Jules guilty by explaining she relapsed after she left her at the train station.

The Apology

The two teenagers are on opposite sides of the living room. Suddenly they are in front of each other.

Rue apologizes to Jules for making her feel guilty. All the shots are extreme close-ups of their faces. Sometimes Jules and Rue’s faces are in complete darkness. Other times you can see every facial movement. The instrumental soundtrack music sounds psychedelic. Rue tells Jules that she wants to be with her.

Everything in the frame goes dark, then the close-up shot slightly lightens. The two teenage girls are shrouded in darkness while resting their heads together. Rue and Jules make out to this now almost heavenly music. It’s almost like older Rue reconstructs her memory of when she confessed her love to Jules. How happy can this couple stay together when Rue continues to take drugs or rests her whole sobriety on Jules’ head?

GRANDMA’S RULES

“Trying to Get to Heaven Before They Close the Door” begins with Rue telling the audience that Fezco’s grandmother is a gangster. Marie is a tattooed stylish drug dealer who influences Frezco’s value system. After his father beats him, she unofficially adopts young Fezco (Mason Shea Joyce). She makes him her business partner even though he is just a child. She teaches him how to pack cocaine, “drug” mathematics and that violence can sometimes be the only solution.

Life Lessons

Fezco repeats many of his grandmother’s sayings and arguments throughout this episode. While bathing baby Ashtray, Marie justifies selling drugs to young Fezco. Her nephew Carl has diabetes because he ate too many McDonalds burgers. Marie doesn’t blame Mcdonald’s for Carl developing diabetes because nobody forced him to eat fast food for every meal. Likewise, she doesn’t force her clients to take drugs.

Fezco repeats the same story to Rue’s childhood best friend, Lexi Howard (Maude Apatow), to argue that God will let him into heaven even if he sells drugs. Lexi points out if she were God, she wouldn’t let McDonald’s’ CEO into heaven. This argument makes Fezco question his grandmother’s logic. Fezco feels drawn to Lexi because she knows all sorts of exciting facts that push him out of his comfort zone.

Violence as Solution

Sweet Fezco tries to protect Rue from herself and doesn’t hurt anybody onscreen. How many drug dealers try to stop their clients from buying their supply? He cleans up Ashtray’s messes when he kills other gangsters. Rue narrates that Marie taught Frezco that violence is the only solution for some problems. Fezco sees Nate as one such problem because he messed with his business, Rue, and Jules.

The episode builds up to Fezco beating Nate to a pulp. During the party, he watches the abusive jock from a distance. Fezco asks Ashtray to pull up the car and be ready for a quick escape. The gangster says goodbye to Lexi and gets her number before he does anything explosive.

Fezco pretends to make up with Nate by offering him a drink. Instead, he viciously hits Nate over the head with a liquor bottle. Fezco repeatedly beats on him until Chris McKay (Algee Smith) pulls him off. The gangster may be sweet, but his violent streak comes out when anybody messes with his family. Marie repeatedly told Fezco that compassionate people are taking advantage of, which makes violence the only solution for those who mess with you.

LAST THOUGHTS

How will Nate react to Fezco’s beating? Can Rue and Jules last as a couple with all their trauma? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

[perfectdisastcr]

💗 i would like a list of all 3 million potential pairings please 🙈

my god, i would love to take the time out of my day to give that to you, and just know that we can ship literally anybody and everybody because that’s all we ever do in the first place and you know how much i love doing that with you too. my favorite writing partner everybody, bre is hands down the best partner in the whole world, and i’m lucky enough to be able to have her at all. she’s mine and i’m never going to let her go because i love her so much! she’s literally the best thing to ever happen to me and i know i wouldn’t be here through the shitty times and all without her! everybody better go follow her right now and send her all the love i swear to god, because she’s the only person on this hell site that shows me the attention that i deserve! also that list of potential pairings is below the cut, and don’t say i didn’t warn you. 👀

send 💗 if you’re open to the possibility of a romantic ship eventually happening between our muses

all these characters are up for shipping with all your characters:

alex gardiner (paul rudd) alexander hamilton (lin-manuel miranda) alex mullner (brant daughterty) alice liddell (madelyn cline) alisha khara (jameela jamil) annie abel (luna blaise/anya chalotra) antonia moreno (victoria justice) apollonia levine (anastasia karanikolaou) arthur pendragon (niall horan) ashley spinelli (ursula corbero) aspen rhodes (sofia black-d'elia) astrid porter (karlie kloss) audrey ramirez (selena gomez) august khalil (rami malek) axel turner (charlie weber/skeet ulrich) aziz hassan (riz ahmed) bailee rose (jenny boyd) bambi prince (lachlan watson) barbie roberts (kate upton) barley lightfoot (michael clifford) beatriz velasco (camila cabello/diane guerrero)  beau hester (froy gutierrez) beck collins (joe keery) bellatrix lestrange (carmela zumbado) belle dubois (margaret qualley) belle summers (candice king) berliouz bonfamille (alex fitzalan) bernard davenport (gavin leatherwood) billie groves (kiana lede/emmy raver-lampman) billy hargrove (dacre montgomery) bindi culver (meg donnelly/rachel mcadams) bo-peep ‘bo’ patterson (amanda seyfried) brady gardiner (nathaniel buzolic) brielle stewart (alexandra daddario) bronwyn pierson (madelaine petsch) buzz lightyear (paul mescal/chris pine) calliope jung (phillipa soo) camille aguilar (jeanine mason) carl fredricksen (tye sheridan) celeste quintana (rosalia/maite perroni) chandler armstrong (iwan rheon) cinderella tremaine (lily james) clementine ahn (jamie chung) cliff egan (stephen amell) colleen lowell (jodie comer) connor catrell (thomas doherty) copper slade (nick jonas) cordelia goodwin (ryan destiny/candice patton) coriander thompson (dacre montgomery/chris evans) cornelius robinson (simon baker) cruella de vil (melanie martinez) cyrus quinney (owen joyner) daisy vaughn (isabella gomez/aimee carrero) dakota atkins (amber midthunder) dale monks (keiynan lonsdale) dalton davis (harris dickinson) daniela ‘dani’ costello (becky g/eva longoria) dash parr (jaden smith) delilah diaz (camila cabello/diane guerrero) delphine washington (antonia thomas) delta montgomery (manu gavassi) denver koch (thomas elms) devon montgomery (iain de caestecker) diego hargreeves (david castaneda) dorcas meadowes (ariela barer) dory blau (julia louise-dreyfus) duke blaise (ashley graham & matthew daddario — reincarnated)  duncan traeger (zac efron) edmund whittaker (richard madden) edwin orwell (nicholas galitzine) elena flores (jenna ortega) eleonora moretti (benedetta gargari) eleven (millie bobby brown) elio montgomery (noah schnapp/brendon urie) elisabeth ‘elsa’ andersson (candice king) elliott murdoch (kj apa) eloise thompson (taylor hill/zoey deutch) elwood leith (sam claflin) emerson wheaton (beau mirchoff) emily sondheim (eve fraser) emmy silverstein (nat wolff/michiel huisman) ericka ‘ricki’ santos (danna paola) esmeralda guybertaut (priyanka chopra) everest sorenson (adam driver) ezekiel ‘zeke’ bauer (neels visser) fa mulan (awkwafina) felix dawson (lukas gage) ferris rockwell (joshua bassett) five hargreeves (aidan gallagher/rob raco/john mulaney) florence prata (barbie ferreira) flynn rider (jacob elordi/steven r mcqueen) frank castle (jon bernthal) gabrielle dupres (louriza tronco) genevieve rizzo (troian bellisario) gill moorish (harrison ford) godwin vivar (diego boneta) grainger anslow (justin hartley) grant wesley (keanu reeves) griffin price (liam hemsworth) guinevere ‘gwen’ flores (ester exposito/ana de armas) gulliver kennedy (robert sheehan) gunner mccoy (miles heizer) halston krogen (nick robinson) hamish duke (thomas elms) harper graves (sydney sweeney) harry potter (alberto rosende) harvey wolff (joaquin phoenix) hawke bradbury (brenton thwaites) helen parr (megan thee stallion/kerry washington) hendrix palmer (mark fischbach) henley howell (dylan everett/paul wesley) henrik nilsen (herman tommeraas/chris evans) hercules sabri (aubrey joseph) hermione granger (quintessa swindell) holden krogen (jack falahee) holly la stella (olivia holt) honey lemon (irene ferreiro) hudson reid (jaeden lieberher/paul mescal/james mcavoy) irving reid (matty healy) isobel evans (lily cowles) jacoba ‘cobi’ abernathy (geraldine viswanathan) jake bennett (joe jonas) jake breckenridge (landon liboiron) james potter (noah centineo) james ‘sully’ sullivan (hozier) jane porter (zoe sugg) jasmine agrabah (naomi scott) jessica jones (krysten ritter) jim hopper (david harbour) johanna ‘jo’ gardiner (carlson young) josefine olive (lili reinhart/maika monroe) joseph ‘joey’ carnegie (chris o'dowd) juliette russo (camila mendes) juno nicks (gideon adlon/linda cardellini) justin miller (michael b. jordan) keaton green (charlie plummer/austin butler/alexander skarsgard) keifer fry (nathan parsons) kennedy sutherland (florence pugh) khalid farid (mena massoud) kiernan jost (jack barakat) kiki penn (natalie alyn lind)  kim possible (karen gillan) kit dempsey (aaron taylor-johnson/michael sheen) kristoff bjorgman (ben hardy) kuzco inca (tommy martinez) lady alvarez (camila cabello/diane guerrero) lake montgomery (jace norman/casey deidrick/jeff goldblum) lazarus (sean teale/tom ellis) lennox wells (billie piper) leonardo ‘leo’ light (armie hammer) levi wesley (gerard butler) liam wheaton (lucas lynngaard tonnesen/dominic sherwood) lilac montgomery (sophia lillis/deborah ann woll) lila pitts (ritu arya) lilo pelekai (courtney eaton) lola carver (carla gugino) macy merritt (kylie jenner) madeline hawkins (rowan blanchard/kaylee bryant) madison bloomfield (gwyneth paltrow) maggie wheaton (virginia gardner) maria deluca (heather hemmens) mariana de la cruz (victoria justice/salma hayek) marianne darden (elizabeth olsen) marisol torres (alexa demie/salma hayek) marlene phan (brianne tju) matilda franks (brooke markham) matthew murdock (charlie cox) max tian (chloe bennet) mckenzie whitman (danielle rose russell) megara creon (ashley moore) melanie carter (brenna d'amico/zooey deschanel) melody burns-newman (camren bicondova) mercutio bellini (giancarlo commare) merida dunbroch (bree kish) michael ‘goob’ yagoobian (dylan o’brien/andrew scott) mickey hader (shawn mendes) miguel rivera (diego tinoco) mike wheeler (finn wolfhard) mildred ‘millie’ brantwood (stella maeve) milo martinez (itzan escamilla/tyler posey) milo thatch (jason ralph) minerva ‘minnie’ winslett (jenna coleman) mischa locklear (jenny slate) moana motunui (auli'i cravalho) molly wheaton (saoirse monica jackson/kristen bell/kristin chenoweth) monet bugg (annie murphy) mordecai ‘cai’ baird (joseph morgan) murray bauman (brett gelman) nadja (natasia demetriou) naomi phillips (hunter king) natalie fuller (krysten ritter) nate gardiner (tom holland/thomas hayes/joe keery/adam scott) nemo fisher (nick robinson) nick novak (jon bernthal) nick wilde (jake johnson) nina baxter (laura harrier) nolan van ness (louis hynes/benjamin wadsworth) nymphadora tonks (kennedy walsh) odessa barnes (inanna sarkis) osbourne russo (oliver jackson-cohen) otis richardson (finn jones) owen monroe (zachary levi) paloma katz (brittany o'grady) paxton gardiner (douglas booth) pearl turner (maia mitchell/aubrey plaza) penny proud (sarah jeffery) perdita ryan (alisha boe/zoe kravitz) perrie wheaton (ariela barer/jessica alba) peter pan (rudy pankow) peter pettigrew (alex lawther) phil mcdermot (leo howard/dylan o’brien) phineas flynn-fletcher (michael provost) piper donahue (millie bobby brown/katherine langford/felicity jones) pippa mei (amy okuda) pollux isola (camila mendes) portia sadler (hayden panettiere) prairie gallagher (lucy boynton) quaid ‘q’ wright (jake gylenhaal) quinton saunders (jamie dornan) rain montgomery (nick jonas) ramona montgomery-wallis (lana condor/ashley park) reed knightley (arthur darvill) reign fentworth (madison bailey/vanessa morgan) reno thames (joshua bassett) richie tozier (finn wolfhard/bill hader) river montgomery (jack griffo/tyler blackburn) robin buckley (maya hawke) roger holtz (ben platt) roger radcliffe (aaron tveit) romy reyes (carmela zumbado) ronald ‘mac’ mcdonald (rob mcelhenney) roosevelt banks (spence moore II) rowan burke (andy biersack) roxanne sutton (lady gaga) rush mccoy (cody fern) russell montgomery (ian harding/hugh jackman) russell montgomery II (jack dylan grazer/timothee chalamet/adam brody) sable rosales (catherine bascoy) saint fentworth (reece king) sally finklestein (marina ruy barbosa) salvador ‘sal’ mendoza (jorge blanco) samson gardiner (cole sprouse) sandy diamandis (christina hendricks) sawyer bell (penn badgley) seamus kennedy (aria shanghasemi/michael sheen) seb seif (zeeko zaki) selena hada (camila cabello/diane guerrero) severus snape (rob raco) shawn taggart (ben barnes) shay strauss (chris wood) shia zoheir (rami malek) shiloh young (devery jacobs) shiri madani (inbar lavi) simba king (john boyega) sloane shapiro (diana silvers/linda cardellini) sofia ramirez (camila cabello/camila mendes/morena baccarin/fluvia lacerda) stefani vidal (louriza tronco) stella romero (adria arjona) steve harrington (joe keery) stevie wagner (anne hathaway/jennifer garner) sutton reiser (katherine langford/kat dennings) tandy hawthorne (giorgia whigham) tanner cohen (ross lynch) tarrant ‘mad hatter’ hightopp (hale appleman) tarryn fischer (giorgia whigham/perry mattfeld) tatum barton (ben schwartz) teddy flood (james marsden) tex navarro (bad bunny) thad abraham (dylan sprouse/chris evans) the handler (kate walsh) thomas gardiner (felix mallard/paul rudd) tierney kennedy (maisie williams) timothy ‘tigger’ trigger (jeremy allen white) tinker bell (sabrina carpenter) tj lieberman (armie hammer) tommy burns (will poulter) topher larkin (alexander hogh andersen) trey turner (jonathan daviss) ursula celia (normani/lizzo) vaughn abel (max greenfield) veronica lodge (camila mendes) vidia viento (emma dumont) vivica lang (madison pettis/tessa thompson) wanda cowell (brenda song) warren wentz (robert pattinson) wendell langston (link neal) wilbur robinson (david mazouz) winnie knox (sophie turner/jessica chastain) wren green (alexander calvert) wynona winstead (sarah hyland/cristin milioti) xander talbot (g-eazy) york pemberton (heather baron-gracie) yusef barlas (zayn malik) zack abrams (alex fitzalan) ziggy (taron egerton) zoey matthews (olivia munn)

[eydika]

eydika’s name list 2.0

more... names because the first name list I made isn’t enough anymore

A

Abaddon

Abbey / Abbie

Abel

Ace

Ada

Adam

Adrien

Agnes

Aiden

Akari

Alaska

Alchemy

Alec / Alex / Alexa

Alessi / Alessia

Alexis

Aliana / Alianna

Alice

Alison

Alistair

Alivia

Allie / Ally

Alpha

Alya

Amber

Amelia

Amity

Amos

Amy

Andie / Andy

Andrew

Andromeda

Angel

Anita

Anna / Anne

Annabelle / Annie

Apollo

Apple

Apricot

April

Archer / Archie

Arden

Ares

Argus

Ariel

Aron / Aaron / Auron

Arrow

Artemis

Arthur

Artis

Arya

Ash / Asher

Aspen / Aspyn

Astrid

Athena

Atlas

Atticus

Aubrey / Audrey

Audio

Auger

Auggie

August

Aurelia

Aurora

Austin

Autumn

Ava / Avaline / Avalon / Aveline

Avery / Avrey

Aya

B

Baby

Barbie

Basil

Bea / Bee

Bean

Beatrice / Beatriz

Bébé

Beck / Beckett

Beetle

Bella / Belle

Beryl

Betty

Bijou

Billie

Birdie

Bishop

Bitter

Blair / Blaire

Blaise

Bloom

Blue / Blu

Boheme

Bonnie

Bowie

Briar

Bridget

Brina

Brody

Bryson

Bunny

Byron

C

Cade / Cadea / Caden

Cairo

Cal / Calum

Caleb

Callie

Calliope

Calvin

Cameron

Candace

Canopy

Carly / Carlie

Carol / Caroline

Carter

Casper

Cassandra

Cassius

Catherine

Celia

Cetus

Chance

Charlotte

Cherry

China

Chip

Chloe

Cian

Cinnamon

Civet

Clara / Clary / Clarabelle

Claire

Clementine

Cleo

Clover

Cobalt

Colby

Colt / Colten

Constance

Cooper

Cora

Corey

Corvus

Cosmo

Cricket

Cynthia

Cyra

Cyrus

D

Dacre

Daisy

Dakota

Dalia

Dallas

Damien

Dana

Dandelion

Dandy

Dante

Daphne

Darby / Darcy

Darius

Darla

Davina / Divina

Davos

Dawn

Deacon

Deb

December

Deja

Delaney

Delta

Demi

Denim

Denver

Desmond

Dexter

Diego

Digit

Dion / Dior

DJ

Doe

Domino

Donna

Doran

Dorothy / Dot / Dottie

Douglas

Dune

Dusk

Dylan

E

Eachan

Ebele

Ebony

Echo

Eden

Edris

Effi / Effie

Egan

Elijah

Eliza

Ella / Ellie

Elliot

Ellis

Elodie

Elsbeth / Elspeth

Elsie

Elyse

Embla

Emily

Emlyn

Emma

Emmett

Emory

Erica

Erin

Ernest

Ernie

Esryn

Estelle

Ethan

Eugene

Eva / Eve / Evie

Evan

Evangeline

F

Fae / Fee

Faith

Fawn

Fawke

Felix

Fenris

Fergus

Ferris

Fig / Figgy

Finbar

Fizz

Fletcher

Fleur

Flint

Flora / Florence

Forrest

Fox

Frankie

Freya

G

Gage

Gaia

Gavin

Gemma

Gene / Genesis / Genevieve

Gigi

Gil

Giselle

Gladys

Gloom

Gloria / Glory

Goldie

Grace / Gracie

Greta

Griffin

Gus

H

Hadley

Hailey

Hana

Harlow

Harmony

Harper

Hawk

Hayden

Hazel

Hector

Henley

Henry

Hera / Hero

Honey / Honeydew

Hope

Hunter

I

Ian / Ion

Idris

Ieni

Iesha

Illori

Ilya

Imelda

Imogen

Imp

India

Indira

Ingrid

Irina

Iris

Isaac

Isara

Isla

Ivory / Ivy

Izzy

J

Jack / Jackie

Jade

Jake

Janice / Janis

Jason

Jasper

Jay / Joy

Jenan

Jericho

Jerry

Jibo

Jill

Jinx

Joan

Jude / Judith

Juleka

Juli / Julip

June / Juno

Juniper

Jupiter

Justice

K

Kaiven

Kale

Kappa

Kayla

Kellen

Kelly

Kes

Kimber

Kitana

Kitty

Kiwi

Knox

Kris

Kristy / Kirsty

Krull

Kumo

L

Laken

Lana

Lapse

Lark

Laurel

Lavender

Lemon

Lenka

Leo / Leon / Leonie

Levitt

Liberty

Lilac

Lilith

Lima

Lindsey

Locus / Lotus

Lottie

Luca / Luka

Lucia / Lucie / Lucy

Lucille

Lucky

Luis

Luna / Louna

Luther

Lux

Lynn

M

Mabel / Mable / Maple

Madison

Mae / May

Maeve

Magnolia

Mango

Mantis

March

Marcia / Marcy

Margaux / Margo / Margot

Marina

Marion

Marley

Marmalade

Mars

Martha

Mary

Mason

Maude

Maura

Maxine

Maya

Meadow

Medea

Melancholia

Melba

Memphis

Mercedes

Mercy

Mick

Milan

Milla

Millenia

Milo

Mina / Mona

Minerva

Minnie

Minnow

Miron

Misery

Mona

Monday

Montgomery

Monty

Morrigan

Morwenna

Myrtle

N

Nana

Nancy

Nasira

Nate

Nathaniel

Naveed

Navy

Ned

Nefarian

Ness

Nestor

Never

Newt

Nikki

Noah

Nora

Norma

Nova

Nutmeg

Nye

Nyx

O

Octa

October

Odessa

Olive / Olivia

Ollie

Omega

Omen

Onyx

Opal

Ophelia

Oriana / Orion

Oscar / Oskar

Otis

Owen

Ozzy / Ozzie

P

Paige

Paisley

Parker

Pat / Pattie

Paula / Paola

Pea / Peach

Pebble

Penelope

Pepper

Pepsi

Percy

Petrichor

Philippa

Philomena

Phoebe

Phoenix

Piccolo

Pip / Piper

Pixie

Poe

Pollux

Pomeline

Poppy

Portia

Primrose

Q

Queen

Quentin

Quibble

Quincy

Quinn

R

Rachel

Radian

Ransom

Raven

Ray

Razzia

Rebus / Remus

Reverie

Rhubarb

Rick

Rider / Ryder

Rigby

Rilla

Roach

Robin

Rory

Rosa / Rosalie

Rose

Roux

Rowan

Roxanne / Roxie / Roxy

Ruben

Ruby

Rune

S

Sabina / Sabine / Sabrina

Sable

Sadie

Saffron

Sage / Saige

Salem

Sam / Samantha / Sammie

Savant

Savian

Scarlett

Scotty

Scout

Sean

Sesame

Shea

Skye / Skylar

Sloane

Solomon

Spencer

Sprout

Star

Stella

Sunny

Sybil

Syc

Symphony

T

Tabea

Tabitha / Tabs

Tali / Talia

Tasha

Tate

Tau

Temper

Tharan

Theodora / Theodosia

Theros

Thimble

Thirteen

Thorn

Tia

Tilda

Tina

Topaz

Tora / Torian

Trinity

Trixie

Trope

Tulip

Turnip

Twig

U

Ukiyo

Umara

Umbra

Ursa

V

Valentin

Valerie

Valora

Vargas

Vaughn

Vector

Vega / Vegas

Velvet

Venus

Vera

Vernon

Vesper

Vinette

Violet

Vivek

Volt

W

Waverly

Wednesday

Wendy

Wes

Whisper

William

Willow

Winnie

Winona

Winter

Wish

Wren

X + Y + Z

Xena / Xenia

Xeno / Xenos

Yuki

Yuri

Zafira

Zaria

Zephyr

Zero

Zoe / Zoelle

Zona

Zyra

LAST NAMES

Abbot

Abernathy

Alton

Arcanum

Ashe

Astor

Badger

Balker

Bass

Bennett

Benton

Blake

Bleu

Blunt

Blythe

Cable

Cabot

Cain

Carter

Carver

Castillo

Choi

Clemonte

Coldwell

Collins

Colt

Craft

Craven

Crimson

Croft

Dabney

Danvers

Dayholt

Delpy

Driver

Dyer

Eades

Edge

Epithet

Epps

Evert

Farley

Fell

Fenner

Fig

Finch

Findlay

Fletcher

Foley

Fowler

Fray

Freud

Frost

Geller

Gill

Guest

Hale

Hapley

Harp

Hart

Hearst

Hooper

Hunt

Hyde

Ivy

Jinx

Keller

Kersey

Kingsley

Knight

Knox

Kraft

Krav

Laveau

Lecter

Lock / Lockwood

Lowell

Lush

Marr

Mills

Mist

Morgan

Morrison

Murray

Myers

Oaks

Patel

Pierce

Pike

Powell

Price

Pruitt

Quint

Quiver

Random

Ripley

Ryder

Sears

Sloane

Sparks

Stele

Strom

Sutton

Talbot

Tate

Thorne

Twig

Twist

Tycho

Utley

Valentine

Vance

Vaughn

Vos

Walker

Wallow

Weaver

Webb

Wiley

Wilkes

Winston

Wreath

Wright

Wrong

York

Zella

Zepeda

[theinsiderrp]

𝔇𝔦𝔰𝔫𝔢𝔶𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔚𝔬𝔯𝔨 𝔈𝔵𝔭𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢

PRINCESSES 

Snow White - Autumn  Cinderella - Anastasia Aurora - Alyssa Ariel - Lorelai Belle - Eloise  Jasmine - Arabella Pocahontas - Harper Fa Mulan - Phoenix Tiana - Roxy Rapunzel - Athena Princess Anna - Maelyn Queen Elsa - Holly Moana - Christelle Merida -  Kendall

PRINCES 

The Prince (Snow White) - Dom Prince Charming - Nate Prince Phillip - Louis Prince Eric - Wesley Prince Adam/The Beast - Bash Aladdin - Max John Smith - Mason Li Shang - Changwoo Prince Naveen - Nero Flynn Rider - Adrian Kristoff - Levi

FACE VILLAINS 

The Evil Queen - Gisele  Lady Tremaine - Ava Anastasia Tremaine - Charlotte  Drizella Tremaine - Lilianna  Maleficent - Zelda Cruella De Vil - Margo Gaston - Kristofer  Doctor Facilier - Ezra Prince Hans - Brody

FACE CLASSICS 

Blue Fairy - Felicity Fairy Godmother - Amber  Alice - Annabel Mad Hatter - Rory Peter Pan - Matt Tinker Bell - Zara Wendy - Sawyer John Darling - Cameron Lost Boys - Hanuel, Jack  Fauna - Posie Flora - Heidi Merryweather - Riley Claudette (Bimbo, Beauty and the Beast) - Brielle Laurette (Bimbo, Beauty and the Beast) - Florence Paulette (Bimbo, Beauty and the Beast) - Natalie Esmerelda - Rosalie Megara - Yulia  Hercules - Kyle Tarzan - Lucas Jane - Imogen Milo (Atlantis) - Trystan Kida (Atlantis) - Maria Mary Poppins - Disney Bert - Julian Captain Jack Sparrow - Park Skeleton Jack - Marcus Sally -Natasha   Terence (Pixie Hollows) - Owen Rosetta (Pixie Hollows) - Soraya Iridessa (Pixie Hollows) - Kobi Silvermist (Pixie Hollows) - Elodie Fawn (Pixie Hollows) - Evelyn Vidia (Pixie Hollows) - Hensley Periwinkle (Pixie Hollows) - Mallory Rumble (Pixie Hollows) - Sangwoo

FUR/COSTUME CLASSICS

Mickey Mouse - Harvey Minnie Mouse - Jiwon Pluto - Drew Goofy - Theo  Donald Duck - Oliver Daisy Duck - Issy Chip - Danny Dale -  Luca Winnie the Pooh - Danica Rabbit - Cassie Tigger - Taylor Eeyore - Janey Piglet - Everleigh   Marie - Ruby  Berlioz - Luke T  Toulouse - Joe

FUR/COSTUME VILLAINS 

Captain Hook - Tanner Hades - Anthony Evil Witch (Snow White) -River Queen of Hearts - Olivia Captain Hook - Leo Smee - Miles Jafar - Alex Yzma - Veronica Kronk - Blake Ursula - Persephone 

COSTUME/FUR OTHERS  

Thumper - Charlie S  Miss Bunny - Lexi  Stitch - Dallas  Lilo - Isla Abu - Seojun Meeko - Taewan   Mushu - Duyi  Kuzco - Felix Olaf - Damon Maui - Darius  Mr Incredible - Luke P   Mrs Incredible - Mackenzie Violet - Margaret   Frozone - Daveed

TOY STORY 

Buzz Lightyear - Isaak Woody - Clyde Jessie - Cassidy BoBeep - Poppy Barbie - Madison Ken - OPEN im bound to have messed up

[empathos]

MOBILE MUSES !

movies / musicals

ELLA ENCHANTED: prince charmont, ella of frell

PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER: patrick

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN: pt barnum, anne wheeler, phillip carlyle

THE ADDAMS FAMILY: morticia addams, gomez addams, debbie jillinksky

BURLESQUE: tess, sean, ali rose, jack, nikki

MAMMA MIA: sam carmichael, donna sheridan, tanya, bill anderson, harry bright, sophie sheridan, ruby sheridan

MEAN GIRLS: regina george, janis ian

REPO THE GENETIC OPERA: nathan

MOULIN ROUGE: christian, satine

BEETLEJUICE: lydia deetz, barbara maitland

DEAR EVAN HANSEN: connor murphy, evan hansen, larry murphy

BABY DRIVER: darling, buddy

BRING IT ON: missy pantone, cliff pantone

BRING IT ON AGAIN: tina

BRING IT ON: ALL OR NOTHING: britney allen

BRING IT ON: IN IT TO WIN IT: carson

BRING IT ON: WORLDWIDE #CHEERSMACK: destiny

HEATHERS: veronica sawyer, jason dean, heather chandler

PITCH PERFECT: jesse swanson, beca mitchell, chloe beale, aubrey posen

JENNIFERS BODY: jennifer check, nikolai

THE PRINCESS BRIDE: westley, inigo montoya

THE PRINCESS DIARIES 1 & 2: nicholas devereaux, mia thermopolis, charisse renaldi, joe

RENT: mark cohen, maureen johnsen, mimi marquez, roger davis

SCOOBY DOO: daphne blake, sibella dracula, fred jones

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: sharpay evans, troy bolton, ryan evans

SKY HIGH: warren peace

SPIDERMAN: peter parker, harry osborn

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: mantis, drax, peter quill

HOCUS POCUS: thackery binx, max dennison, sarah sanderson

MALEFICENT: maleficent

TWILIGHT: jasper hale, rosalie hale, carlisle cullen, emmett cullen

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE: max carrigan, jude, sadie

HARRY POTTER: draco malfoy, sirius black, hermione granger, andromeda tonks. bill weasley, charlie weasley, fleur delacour

HAIRSPRAY: link larkin, penny pingleton, amber von tussle, velma von tussle

ANOTHER CINDERELLA STORY: mary santiago, joey parker

tv shows

THE MAGICIANS: eliot waugh on his own blog, margo hanson

GLEE: santana lopez on her own blog, hunter clarington on his own blog, jesse st james on his own blog, quinn fabray, blaine anderson, kurt hummel, sam evans/evan evans, rachel berry, jean baptiste

DYNASTY: fallon carrington, sammy jo flores/carrington, kirby anders

RIVERDALE: veronica lodge, cheryl blossom

SHAMELESS: ian gallagher, mandy milkovich, veronica fisher, kevin ball, mickey milkovich, colin mikovich

TEEN WOLF: isaac lahey, jackson whittemore, lydia martin, stiles stilinski, peter hale

LOST: james ford, charlie pace, claire littleton, desmond hume, boone carlyle

YOU: joe goldberg on his own blog, love quinn, forty quinn

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES/THE ORIGINALS: caroline forbes, bonnie bennett, lorenzo st. john, niklaus mikaelson

LEGACIES: lizzie saltzman, alaric saltzman, josie saltzman, hope mikaelson, kaleb hawkins

IMPOSTERS: maddie johnson

SKINS: effy stonem, tony stonem on his own blog, mini mcguinness, chris miles

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: spencer hastings

CRIMINAL MINDS: penelope garcia, spencer reid, derek morgan

EUPHORIA: cassie howard, maddie perez, nate jacobs

THE POLITICIAN: astrid sloan, river barkley

SEX EDUCATION: eric effiong, aimee gibbs, adam broff, maeve wiley, jackson marchetti

BROOKLYN 99: jake peralta, gina linetti, amy santiago, terry jeffords

NEW GIRL: cece parekh, winston schmidt

THE OFFICE: jim halpert, pam beesley, dwight schrute, angela martin, andy bernard

COMMUNITY: annie edison, troy barnes, abed nadir

SCHITTS CREEK: david rose, alexis rose

PSYCH: shawn spencer, carlton lassiter, pierre despereaux, juliet o'hara, henry spencer

PARKS & RECREATION: april ludgate, chris traeger, donna meagle, jean ralphio saperstein, mona lisa saperstein

SCREAM: brooke maddox, noah foster

ONCE UPON A TIME: rumpelstiltskin/gold, killian jones, belle french, regina mills, robin hood, neal cassidy

DEGRASSI NEXT GENERATION: eli goldsworthy, marco del rossi, fiona coyne, manuella santos, craig manning, gavin mason, jay hogart, paige michalchuk, jane vaughn, ellie nash, mia jones

DEGRASSI NEXT CLASS: miles hollingsworth, lola pacini, jonah haak, zoe rivas

DEXTER: dexter morgan

FAKING IT: shane harvey, liam booker, lauren cooper

THE FLASH: barry allen, iris west, caitlin snow, harrison wells (earth 2)

SUPERGIRL: kara danvers, cat grant, mon-el, lena luthor

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: spike, buffy summers, rupert giles

IN THE FLESH: simon monroe

BATES MOTEL: dylan massett, gunner

STRANGER THINGS: steve harrington, jim hopper

MERLIN: arthur pendragon, morgana pendragon, gwaine

GALAVANT: galavant, king richard

THAT 70’S SHOW: jackie burkhart, steven hyde

GOSSIP GIRL: blair waldorf, chuck bass

HEMLOCK GROVE: roman godfrey

DRACULA: lucy westenra

THE FOSTERS: mariana adams-foster, jesus adams-foster, mat tan

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS: count olaf, uncle monty

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: madison montgomery, tate langdon, oliver thredson, maggie esmerelda, the countess elizabeth, tristan duffy, donovan, jimmy darling

SCREAM QUEENS: chanel oberlin, chad radwell

THE NANNY: fran fine

VICTORIOUS: jade west, beck oliver

SUITE LIFE OF ZACK & CODY: cody martin, zack martin, london tipton

WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE: alex russo, mason greyback, juliet van heusen

LIV & MADDIE: liv rooney, holden dippledorf

cartoons & anime

HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE: howl jenkins pendragon

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER: iroh, zuko, mai, sokka

STEVEN UNIVERSE: pearl, greg universe, lapis lazuli, steven universe, peridot, sourcream

BEAUTY & THE BEAST: belle, adam, gaston

FROZEN: elsa, hans

TANGLED: rapunzel, flynn ryder

MOANA: maui

THE INCREDIBLES 1 & 2: violet parr, tony rydinger

KIM POSSIBLE: shego, drakken

ANASTASIA: dimitri

BARBIE: LIFE IN THE DREAM HOUSE: barbie roberts, ryan, raquelle

BARBIE: PRINCESS & THE PAUPER: anneliese, julian, dominic

DANNY PHANTOM: danny fenton, sam manson, vlad masters, paulina

TEEN TITANS: raven, terra

6TEEN: jonesy garcia, wyatt williams, nikki wong

OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB: hikaru hitachiin

FRUITS BASKET: haru sohma, kyo sohma, shigure sohma

video games

MYSTIC MESSENGER: jumin han, jihyun kim ( v ), ryu hyun ( zen )

ARCANA: julian, azra

webcomics

LORE OLYMPUS: eros, hades, persephone, hera

CASTLE SWIMMER: siren

EDITH: edith, phillip

[delucadarlingwriting]

Have Her Cake and Eat It - Part 3

I've been trying to be two chapters ahead before posting any parts of this, but part 5 is going to be hella long (patrol scene), so I don't want to go another week without posting. Hopefully it helps me feel some momentum!

Summary: Kira struggles against the pressure of being a handler-in-training.

Word Count: 3,813

First | Last Part | Next Part (tbd)

***

[Kira POV, Wayhaven Square Inn]

Though Kira used to pass the inn every day on her walk to school, Kira has never once actually stepped through the front door. She’s gone to the attached restaurant several times, it’s where she had dinner before prom and a few other special occasions. The inn itself was never of much interest though. 

As she steps through the polished oak door, the woman behind the counter does a double take at the sight of her. 

“My goodness, is that…Kira Kingston?” she asks, gasping with a hand on her chest. Her silvery hair is piled up on her head in a messy bun as she pretends to adjust her glasses. It takes Kira a moment, but the bright purple lipstick and orange cat brooch stuck through a crocheted vest jostles Kira’s memory.

“Hello, Mrs. Reed,” Kira says. Being so far out in the middle of nowhere, the innkeeper was very often one of the people fetching water glasses in the restaurant, no doubt out of lack of anything else to do. Kira has to wonder how many guests she actually sees in a year. 

The older woman glances back at Nate and Mason, an intrigued eyebrow arching over sharp eyes. 

“My, my,” she says. She smiles slyly. “Now, that’s not much like the Kira I remember, always chasing the pretty girls.”

“Wh—!” Kira sputters. Nate and Mason both laugh, the cretins, though at least Nate has the grace to be quiet about it. “Mrs. Reed, these are my colleagues. I’m here on business!”

“Business?” She blinks, then lets out a loud ah. “I suppose that makes sense, the Agency wanting rooms then. I should’ve known you would follow in your mother’s footsteps. I nearly mistook you for her when you first walked in. She’s aged terribly well, hasn’t she?”

“...I guess so,” Kira says, feeling too awkward to say much else. She manages to wrangle keys for the three of them, assuring Mrs. Reed that someone would come for the fourth later on. Mason is still chuckling to himself as she leads the way upstairs.

“Shut up,” Kira hisses. Mason smirks, hands in his pockets as he strolls along.

“You never mentioned being a skirt chaser, that’s all,” he says. 

“I wasn’t,” Kira says. She pinches the bridge of her nose. “For god’s sake, I’ve only dated two people in my life, and I’ve been happily committed to one of them for years now!”

“Yeah, two,” Mason replies. He shudders. “Longer than I’d want.”

“You can barely commit to keeping your trousers buttoned,” Nate says. 

“I aim to please,” Mason says with a low purr, falling back as Nate moves to pass him and walk beside Kira as they hit the first landing of the stairs.

“It seems like you know most of the people in town,” Nate says. 

“Not as many as I used to,” Kira says. Wayhaven never seemed to change when she was a child, but suddenly she’s away for a few years and so much is different upon her return. Including the people. “I’m glad to see people I recognize though.”

“It’s quite sweet,” Nate says with a soft smile. “You said you know the detective, right? You two seemed familiar.”

“Not as familiar as Kira wishes,” Mason pipes in. Kira turns back to swat at him, but he leans back, anchoring himself with a hand on the railing, before she can make contact.

“She’s just an old friend,” Kira says, hands on her hips as she glares down at him. “And she’s our mission now, so don’t forget that.”

“I haven’t,” Mason says, a touch defensive. He bristles a little, but doesn’t argue further. Kira turns away, her braid slicing through the air and smacking him in the face. He growls, but the reminder of their mission has Kira irritated all over again.

“And what happened during the interview with Trevor Cunningham cannot happen again,” Kira says, her footsteps made heavier with her emotions. “You both made me look like a jackass! And yourselves worse than!”

“Yes, we did,” Nate agrees, shoulders drooped. “And we’re sorry about it. We’re just used to how things have been for so long. We should have known better.”

She groans. Thinking about how infuriated Barbie was about it makes her want to find a nice rock to crawl under. At the same time, maybe part of being a handler is anticipating issues like this and heading them off before they happen. The team always seems to work just a bit better when Rebecca is around, after all. 

“Just…do better,” Kira pleads.

“Is it really that big of a deal? We’re just doing our job. That leggy detective should be able to cope with that,” Mason says. He shuts up when Nate and Kira both glare at him. 

It’s weird, going from being part of the team to being sort-of-kind-of in charge of the team. Technically Adam is still in charge, with Rebecca being just above him, but everyone’s going to be looking to Kira for direction eventually. She’s not sure how to navigate the shifting dynamics.  Maybe this is why Adam always seems more distant than the others, despite how he cares just as much as any of them.

Nate heaves a deep sigh as they reach the top of the stairs. The hallway splits off in either direction, empty and silent. For a moment they linger, eyes on Nate as he mulls over what he wants to say. 

“It’s a shame we can’t tell her what kind of danger she’s in,” he says eventually. Mason huffs.

“It’ll be more trouble than it’s worth if she knows,” Mason says. Kira nods, though she doesn’t know if she agrees or disagrees. Nate frowns, a line forming between his eyebrows. An argument starts to form around his mouth. 

“You know the Agency’s rules,” Kira says before he can get started, putting a soothing hand on her friend’s arm. “It really sucks, but the rules are what they are for a reason. Besides, Unit Bravo is a crack team. We’ll do such a good job she’ll never even need to know a thing, and she can just continue living her normal life without disruption.”

Though his shoulders loosen for a moment, there’s still a trace of worry around Nate’s eyes. He’s always had a soft spot for humans as long as Kira’s known him, but this is more than she’s used to. 

“I suppose,” Nate mutters.

“You could always do a quick patrol to keep an eye on her,” Kira suggests. She checks her watch; Barbie had mentioned wanting to write up that report, so she’ll likely be around the police station for a while. Having an extra pair of eyes on her definitely wouldn’t hurt.

Nate brightens. “Yes, that sounds like a great idea.”

“I’ll go too,” Mason says. He grimaces as they both look at him in disbelief. Rarely does Mason volunteer to do work. Nate recovers first with a smile.

“I’d love the company,” he says, a hand flexing at his side. Mason gives a sharp nod, falling in at his side. The two of them head right back down the stairs and out the front door, their movements so fluid and in sync that Kira can’t help watching them leave.

Truth be told, Kira wishes she was with them. Learning that Barbie is to be the next victim has put her ill at ease, especially knowing that Barbie is, alarmingly, Wayhaven’s detective. She would have never guessed that Barbie would take a job putting herself in danger. Then again, what she truly knows of Barbie is wrapped up in the fact that she was just a kid when they spent the bulk of their time together, not a peer. Biting her lip, she hopes that Barbie can see her as more than that now. Though after the dressing down Barbie gave her and the vampires after the interview, she’s never felt more like a child playing dress up in her mom’s clothes. 

This is the thought that drives her to find her room and shed her suit as quickly as possible. It’s been a long day, especially considering she didn’t sleep a wink last night. They’d been so close to catching Murphy at the Farris Warehouse before running into Barbie. Then Rebecca tells them Barbie is, in fact, one of the people with the special blood mutation, and the team will be staying put to keep her from being murdered like all the others. It had given Kira so much to think about that she couldn’t settle in at all.

Kira finds her room and shoulders through the door once it’s unlocked, kicking it shut and tossing all her clothes off before stomping into the ensuite bathroom. The cold tiles make her jump a little as she aims for the shower. Maybe she should’ve turned the water on so it could heat up before taking all her clothes off. 

The old shower rattles and gurgles, spitting out an icy spray that has Kira squeaking as she jumps back. She retreats into the bedroom to grab her shower cap, shoving her mid-back length braid into it. Thankfully, steam starts to rise within moments, and she’s able to step into the shower. The moment the water hits her chilled skin, Kira shivers and relaxes into it. This is way better than the accommodations in Alaska. 

Kira smiles to herself a little, thinking about Mason. He could barely get his complaints out with how hard his teeth were chattering. Despite not being nearly as cold here in Wayhaven, she expects he’ll still find plenty to say about the chill wind that comes in off the Atlantic. 

Being back in Wayhaven is a mixed bag. Kira loves being home so much, even if she wishes it were under better circumstances. It also has her on edge. Wayhaven is such a small town that she knows the one person she’s most dreading seeing again is sure to find her eventually. There’s just no way to avoid it, even if she’s determined to put it off as long as possible. 

From outside the shower there’s a soft shifting. Kira cracks an eye open and peers through the frosted glass wall of the shower. There’s a silhouette of a familiar figure just outside, tugging clothes off in an urgent manner. Kira hides a giggle behind her hand as the figure starts hopping around on one foot, trying to extract a very tight pair of skinny jeans. 

“I hear that!” Farah complains once she’s free. The shower door slides open to reveal her cute, pouty face. Kira reaches up and pushes the shower head aside so it won’t splash her as Farah starts carefully pulling a shower cap over her curls. Pink with silver stars, to match Kira’s green with gold hearts. 

Once that’s taken care of, Farah steps in and reaches up to bring the spray of water back over them both before Kira can stop her.

“Ow!” Farah yelps, jumping back. Kira’s already reaching to twist the shower knob to a cooler setting. 

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Kira says with a chuckle. Farah puts a hand under the water tentatively, only stepping back under once it’s just a few steps past tepid. Once it’s comfortable enough, she steps under and pulls Kira against her. Kira leans into Farah, tucking her head against Farah’s neck, inhaling her sweet scent and nuzzling against the softness of her skin. 

Though they’ve only been apart a few hours, Kira still finds herself relieved to have Farah close again. She wraps her arms around Farah’s waist, sliding her hands up and down her back. As familiar as Farah’s body is to her by this point, she still finds herself trying to memorize every inch of her by touch. 

“Missed me?” Farah murmurs, a smile in her voice. Kira hums and nods, pressing a kiss to Farah’s neck. It makes Farah shudder, and Kira only just resists the urge to give her a little love bite. 

“You don’t even know how much,” Kira says, pulling back. Farah smiles brightly, her amber eyes sparkling like gemstones. 

“Aw, I missed you too, Kiki,” Farah says. She cups Kira’s face and leans in for a quick kiss. Kira could do with a lot more of that, but she doesn’t want to turn pruny in the meantime, so she reaches back for her washcloth and soap to move things along. Farah does the same, lathering up her washcloth as she gives Kira a once over. “You look tired.”

“Very flattering,” Kira teases her. Farah laughs.

“Everything go alright?” she asks, still smiling, but with a trace of concern. Kira sighs and gives her head a shake.

“It was fine, but not great.” Kira scrubs at her arm until the skin turns pink. “We managed to piss Barbie off, barely got anything out of the witness, and I’m starting to think I should just quit and open up that boutique after all.”

“Woah, babe,” Farah says, holding her hands up soothingly. “Come on now, that’s not like you.”

“What if my mom is wrong about me being able to take over as handler?” Kira bursts. She wants to tug at her braid, but it’s still tucked into her shower cap, so she twists the washcloth between her hands instead. “She’s basically the best the Agency has ever had. I can’t even manage to handle an interaction in my own hometown with someone I grew up with!”

“Babe, babe! Easy now.” Farah lays her palms against Kira’s shoulders and squeezes. “You’re bonkers good at your job, but it takes time, right?”

“Right…” Kira says, but it feels like she should already know how to do this. She’s watched her mother do it for long enough. 

“Plus, I’m sure you’re all twisted up and stressed because the girl you’ve been crushing on since you were a little kid is involved,” Farah says, not nearly as innocently as she’d like Kira to believe. Kira squawks and swats at her, making Farah cackle.

“I don’t need this from you too!” Kira whines. Farah just grins and scoots Kira out of the way so she can rinse off. 

The conversation hits a lull, Kira mesmerized for a few moments by the lines drawn down Farah’s body by the water. Farah meets her eye, smirking, the attention more than welcome.

They both finish washing up, though there might be a little soapy groping in there before they rinse themselves and get out of the shower to dry off. Kira pulls on some pajamas and tosses herself onto the bed with her brush and gets started on the task of brushing out all of her hair. It’s well past her butt at this point, and though it can be a real pain to take care of, she makes sure to brush it out every single night. Farah ties her hair up into a pink silk scarf once she’s dressed, then joins Kira, using a second brush to help her out. 

Kira sighs, heart fluttering. “I got so lucky with you.”

“Almost as lucky as me!” Farah exclaims, looking very smug as she gently tugs the brush through Kira’s hair. “So…About this Barbie girl.”

“I really shouldn’t have told you I used to have a crush on her,” Kira says with a sigh. The mattress creaks as Farah scoots closer. 

“Aw, I’m not jealous if that’s what you think,” Farah says with a laugh. “Come on, you’ve got me.”

“Exactly. And I have eyes for no one else,” Kira assures her. She leans over and Farah meets her for another kiss, her mouth warm and soft.

“I’m mostly just asking because I know it can be…tough,” Farah says haltingly. Kira pauses brushing to look at her. Farah’s hands have paused too as she thinks. “Liking someone you know won’t reciprocate is a weird thing to deal with.”

Kira’s eyebrows nearly hit her hairline. “Speaking from experience, my dove?”

For once, Farah struggles to find words. She ends up forcing a smile and says, “Maybe we can talk about it some other time?”

Concern floods Kira immediately, but a quick once over tells her that Farah isn’t in distress at least. She nods, squeezing Farah’s knee.  

“I’m always happy to listen,” Kira assures her. Farah smiles so hard her cheeks round out and squish the corners of her eyes. Her heart flutters, and if she were standing, her knees wouldn’t hold her up. 

A question still lingers in her mind, so she pushes back her infatuation, trying to get back to business.

“How did your hunt go with Adam?” Kira asks. Immediately Farah groans and blows a raspberry.

“It sucked,” she says, rolling her eyes. “We didn’t find anything.”

“No evidence of our killer?” Kira asks. Farah shakes her head.

“Nada. Squat. Literally nothing. He’s as good as ever at covering his own tracks.” Farah scratches at her cheek idly. “I guess it’s kind of lucky your detective is one of those weird blood mutation people, since that means he’ll probably stick around in one place longer.”

“Yay us,” Kira says, a sudden bout of nausea hitting her. Farah gives a sheepish smile and shrugs. She doesn’t really want to linger on the thought of her hometown or her old friend being in so much danger, but it is, unfortunately, her job now. “Do you think he might have had thralls dump the body?”

“That’s what Adam said he thinks, though we can’t be sure. There was so much garbage in the dumpsters we couldn’t get a good whiff of anything under it.” Farah wrinkles her nose. “Not that it would matter much if we could. Thralls only smell like thralls when they’re thralls. Once they’re human again they just smell like human.”

“Well, the witness we spoke to did mention chanting, so we can be reasonably assured he’s still making and using thralls,” Kira says, though as Farah said, it’s not like knowing that makes much of a difference. It’s hard to track thralls down when they’re not active.

“Don’t worry, babe, we’ll get it figured out,” Farah says, running the brush through Kira’s hair one last time before tossing it on the bedside table. She flops back against the pillow. “May as well take it easy for tonight.”

“I feel like I take it easy every night compared to you and the others,” Kira grumbles. She rubs her temples to try and keep the stress headache that’s snapping at her heels away. 

“Do you wish your mom was here?” Farah asks. Kira considers that question before answering; Farah has always found the tension present between Kira and Rebecca stressful. 

“Not really,” she says, choosing her words carefully. “It’s a lot to handle, but I’m glad she trusts me enough to give me a little space to learn being a handler. A leader.”

“It’s a dead sexy look on you,” Farah says with an appreciative purr, wiggling her hips at Kira. She laughs and rubs a hand over Farah’s leg, the dark hair there rasping against her palm. 

“Thanks,” Kira says. She walks two fingers up Farah’s stomach, to her chest, and then up to her chin before leaning over to kiss her. Farah hums happily, leaning up into it. 

There’s a lot about this mission that’s weird and different and kind of scary. They’re in Wayhaven, her friend is involved, and it’s a protection mission now. They’ve never known ahead of time who Murphy was targeting, so they’ve just been following the trail of bodies up until this point. Kira still isn’t sure how Rebecca knows Barbie is next on the list, but she does trust that her mom’s word is good. Guarding an asset is way different from tracking one down though. That’s not Unit Bravo’s speciality in the least. It’ll take some getting used to for everyone.

When she pulls back, Farah presses her thumb to the spot between Kira’s eyebrows and says, “Stress monster.”

“Get used to it,” Kira says, grabbing her wrist and bringing it down to kiss Farah’s pulsepoint. 

“Do you want me to go run around her apartment or something, to make sure nothing’s snooping around?” Farah asks. Kira shakes her head.

“Nate and Mason are already doing that.” She checks the time on the clock on the nightstand. “Though maybe I should go talk to Adam about creating an official patrol rota.”

Groaning, Farah snags Kira around the waist and drags her down beside her on the bed. A huff escapes Kira as she’s aggressively snuggled.

“Or,” Farah says, batting some of Kira’s hair out of her face. “You could just stay here. With me. You know, your beautiful, sexy girlfriend?”

“We’re on a job!”

“That doesn’t make me any less beautiful or sexy,” Farah argues.

“No, but it does mean I need to make sure everything is taken care of before I settle in for the night,” Kira says. Farah rummages a hand around the bed and extracts her cell phone.

“Just text him,” Farah says, practically shoving the phone at Kira’s face. “Plus, it’s not as if he hasn’t already probably made one, right?”

That’s a good point, actually. Kira concedes, taking the phone and texts Adam asking if he needs help creating a schedule. His response is to send a photo of a handwritten schedule, done in perfect handwriting on some grid paper. 

“Alright, we’re good for the night,” Kira admits. It still feels like cheating. She can’t shake the feeling of needing to get up and get back to work. Working with vampires makes her feel like a slacker for sleeping away a third of her life. 

Farah takes the phone from Kira’s hands and puts it aside before looping an arm around her waist and tugging her down close. Kira lets out a breath as she is swiftly pushed on her side and spooned.

“You smell so soapy,” Farah says. Kira laughs.

“We just showered, you probably smell the same,” Kira says. Farah blows a raspberry against her neck until Kira shrieks, wiggling against Farah’s grasp until she relents. Kira giggles and wipes away the spit left behind. “It’s not like you’d rather I smell sweaty.”

“Says who?” Farah teases, jutting her hips up against Kira’s ass. Heat prickles up Kira’s spine and spreads out in a fine mist over her skin. Farah purrs, nuzzling against Kira’s shoulder while her fingertips run in slow circles over Kira’s lower belly.

“This isn’t very restful,” Kira jokes, arching her back. 

“I can wear you out, baby,” Farah purrs. That sounds like the best idea Kira’s heard all day. She slides her palm down Farah’s forearm, wraps her fingers around Farah’s wrist, and slides it down the front of her shorts. 

If she’s going to slack off, she could certainly be doing worse.

[rahenning]

Examining Youth Culture

     Hello Media & Society class! On this post we are going to be examining youth culture in in film. Over the past month we watched great film references on this topic such as “The Breakfast Club” by John Hughes, “KIDS” by Larry Clark and “Mid90’s” by Jonah Hill. Another masterpiece in reference to youth culture is the 2019 HBO original series “Euphoria”. Starring Zendaya as “Rue”, the teen series amazes the audience from beginning to end with crucial topics of the generation Z. The show dives deep into discussions that mostly all teenagers can relate with on their high school and young adult years. One of the topics of the show is incredibly exposed by the strong character Kat Hernandez.

   Kat is the character that I could relate a lot due to her struggles with body image and fat shaming. Such as her I was, and still am, a fat young person. Through out the episodes we learn more about her history dealing with her body and how it influenced on her self-image. From a very young age Kat learns how society sees and expects different from her because of her weigh. At first, we see Kat as a self-conscious, shy and modest looking girl. But on the following episodes Kat begin to change her personality due to understanding the power that she has in her hand (online) and body. On episode 5 she stated, “There is nothing more powerful than a fat girl who does not give a fuck”. Kat began to show off a stronger, empowered, confident girl changing the stigma of a quiet and modest fat girl in high school. Her outfit changed along with her attitude. She created a careless attitude for herself.       However, the truth is that she cares. Deep inside and under all that make up and strong image that she created just like in her novels, Kat begins to realize that she does not need to be mean to her friends to be more confident and well-resolved with her sexuality, image and reputation. Excluding Kat’s choice of being an online sex worker, I can relate to her issues on building her own personality and acceptance. As a fat woman I struggled with the same problems and took me years to find the beauty and confidence in myself. Many people felt disappointed with the character once she began to have a mean attitude and how she mistreated her friends. But I can see how this is relatable to her own journey on finding herself as a plus size woman and taking up the space that society sometimes rather either mute or shame it.     The character is brought to life by the awesome female actor and plus size model Barbie Ferreira. When talking about body positivism and all issues on accepting yourself, it is all about representation. Barbie Ferreira in this show and in her model, career helps individuals who are often unseen by society to have a voice and work in their own journey of acceptance. Personally, this character really touched me, but on more extensive researches about the female actor I also found out she is half Brazilian! It was a big “A HA!”. It made sense why I was relating so much to her, even on the looks. The thick eyebrows tell it all!

    In addition, according to PubMed “any type of fat shaming causes overweight people to become stressed, eat more calories, and gain more weight.”. To learn more about the “harmful effects of fat shaming” click on the link below to read the article.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fat-shaming-makes-things-worse

    To conclude this matter, I will share with you a great 2016 interview of Barbie Ferreira for “Glamour” about body shaming and her path as a plus size model.

      Adding up with the tittles mentioned before, we have “Mean Girls” and “Saved by the Bell” to enrich our references on youth culture. These films bring an important discussion on the issues and life of a teenage in their high school years. Drug abuse, sexuality and “bro culture” along with a seek of belonging to a social group are common topics presented in these stories. As any other adolescent we all need to fit in a social group. Either the popular in school, the nerds or the skateboarders of the neighborhood. The movies are spot on in representing the initiation in these groups and the aspirations of an adolescent to become someone like them. Sex will always be the crucial part of its times. Either the initiation, the doubts, speculations, fantasies and finally the experience. From the first kiss to sex. Also extending to gender identification. The films show the adolescents sharing their experiences and curiosity with their friends on this topic. Does not matter what generation it is, drugs will appear in front of them at some point. As shown in the films and I believe everyone have experienced or seeing their friends trying a cigarette, weed, beer or whatever for the first time and how you are almost obligated to try to otherwise you will be picked on.

   The times may have changed, but all kids will encounter these topics in their path. Most of these movies are portrayed in a time before internet and all the information about these topics would come from their friends, from the streets and their social interactions. What your friend did and said how it happens would be your guide when your time comes.

    The films/series selected open this discussion about youth culture and all portrays the youth of its time. All of them, even being filmed in different generation, shows young adults dealing with issues such as sexuality, acceptance, drugs and personal relations. The young men in these films mostly have masculinity issues, struggle with anger management and social interactions in society. “Bro culture” is a topic in all the movies and is very well dramatized on the character Nate Jacobs from “Euphoria”. Nate is a popular student, a football player, with good looks and status. Nate deals with anger and a fragile masculinity which results in toxic interactions within his relations. These traits are used to cover up his emotions as a result to his confusing upbringing and sexual insecurities. Jacobs discovers in a very young age videos of this father having sex or interest in young men and transwomen. For this reason, he becomes someone aggressive and has a bent perception of sex. He ends up having a controversial attitude towards the female figure. Bender from “The Breakfast Club” has a lot of similarities with Nate. Also, in result of a dysfunctional family upbringing. Such as Nate, Bender has anger management issues, a controversial personality and the need of constantly reaffirm himself in front of the others. All the main male characters in these films are a result of how society build them. How we raise our boys to be this alpha type of men. The one who will solve their problems by fighting, being aggressive and being toxic in his personal relations. The dramatization of these men can be stereotyped but reflects our society. And shows the even with the change of generations certain aspects and traits never goes away. Masculinity will always be negatively dramatized if society keeps allowing this type of conduct. The “Bro Culture” can be summarized as guys in groups interacting with each other suppressing their fragile masculinity by being tough, insensible and degrading women to better their self-image. It is the fraternity culture in and out of college. These young age men have their “frat” attitude extended to their workspace. An example of bro culture in a workspace was revealed by the author of the book “Brotopia” Emily Chang.

Here you can read and find reviews about the book.  https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/36288143-brotopia

The author uncovers the reality inside big tech companies in Silicon Valley and how unfair and sexist is its environment. After over 300 interviews of employees in those companies, the author breaks the boys club and tells us about how women are asked to be in a bikini in a jacuzzi for a meeting. Or how a Trans woman who for years worked as an engineer for Uber, once she started to present herself as a woman people started to interrupt her in meetings. This exemplifies what most woman goes through in a workspace and in society. Bro culture is simply a sexism social norm. I do not even believe that there is a need to create another expression as “bro culture”. The word is sexism.If you are a “bro” and is wondering if you are part of this “culture”; or if you just want to check if you are in a “bro culture free workspace” I suggest you to read this:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/300514

 The soundtrack of these films could not be put on a side for this discussion. Have you ever watched a film in mute sound? Well, if you did you noticed that the narrative fully depends on the sound to keep their meaning. What would be a horror movie without a spooky soundtrack? The soundtrack of a movie creates the mood, gives emotion, emphasizes a crucial moment and acts as a big factor on continuity.    If you ever watched “Euphoria” I am pretty sure you noticed its amazing soundtrack. Their music choices are already impeccable, but I took the challenge and recreated their soundtrack. I choose to add representativity and a bit of my culture to it. By representativity I mean giving voices to transgender, women, fat and black artists. However, the soundtrack is diverse. For the character Kat I used music’s such as “Boys” and “scuse me” by Lizzo, “Tombei” by Karol Comka, “Sugar Daddy” by Qveen Herby, “Bola Rebola” by Anitta and “Bury a friend” by Billie Eilish. These songs would match her scenes and add to the narrative. Rue has moments that goes from emotional dramatic scenes to hyped times in parties over substances. For her I would like to use songs such as “Put a spell on you” by Iza, “Howling for you” by The Black Keys, “The dope show” and “I don’t like the drugs” by Marilyn Mason. Jules can be very well represented by songs such as “The ocean” by the transwoman lead singer from Against Me and “That’s not my name” from The Ting Tings. For continuity and momentum frames I would use “Crybaby” by Lizzo, “You will never find me” by Korn, “Parasite Eve” by Bring me the horizon and “The art of losing” by American Hi-Fi. The beginning of “Baba O’Riley”- The Who, could be a good alternative intro for the show.     My new soundtrack for this show became extensive and you are welcome to check it out on my Spotify playlist named “Euphoria Soundtrack”. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0ztvGt1Geg1p2zvrXycroH?si=0m7z8pnyTWWKugwoFBPL4Q

   I doubt you don’t know about these series/film, but to continue this youth culture discussion I suggest you watch the UK version of “Skins, “13 reasons why” and “Elephant”. I found “13 reasons why” very similar to “Euphoria” from the topics debated and even the way the directors chose to portray the characters. Both series also have an explanation of the characters and topics followed by the episodes. I would recommend caution on watching this series if you suffer from depression and anxiety.  

This way I close this chapter of “Youth Culture” and I can’t wait for our next topic.

[asparklingdiamond]

Ask meme for muns do 11-20

11. Can you tell us about your favorite ship?

I HAVE SO MANY FAVES. But at the top of my list are, in no particular order, Colt x Annie, Amanda x Miles, Dexter x Casey, Tristan x Rose, Will x Amber, Joshua x Lucinda, Duke x Daphne, Lorraine x Corinne, Charlie x Alaska, Spencer x Aria, Diana x Mason, Magnolia x Adrian, James x Francine, James x Izzy, Serena x Brynn x Nate… I could literally go on and on I love my babies!!!! 

12. Who are some popular faceclaims you just don’t like?

Ariana Grande, Timothee Chalomet, Nina Dobrev, Noah Centineo (he annoys me now)… I’m sure there are others but I have a headache and these are just from the top of my head. Dove Cameron because she also annoys me but I love Corinne Marsden sm so thanks @dcampbellofrp for making me not hate her lmfao

13. Who are some of your favorite underused faceclaims?

Medalion Rahimi, Bethany Joy Lenz, Candice Patton, Alisha Wainwright, Inbar Lavi (I think she still counts as underused), Ashleigh Murray, John Boyega, Barbie Ferreira, Victoria Pedretti, Meghann Fahy, my mans Zachary Levi, Tom Ellis, Ricky Whittle, Adam Brody, Jason Dohring (I’m currently in love w/ him now), Ian Harding the love of my life, Sterling K. Brown. And maybe more.

14. Who are some of your favorite overused faceclaims?

So I accidentally answered this one already when I should’ve answered # 15 lmfaoo. 

15. What does roleplay mean to you?

It’s a hobby and past time for me, it’s something that allows me to do what I love (write), and has brought me so many amazing friends into my life. So it’s pretty important to me. Like it’s a hobby that I don’t take as seriously as some other people on here tend to, but it is something that brings me joy, and I look forward to doing it, even if I’m just headcanoning and not actually writing. 

16. How long have you been roleplaying?

Since 2011! Started in the AHS fandom, was lowkey traumatized by a crazy bitch in the first rp I was in, disappeared for a couple of months until another person from the same rp messaged me and convinced me to go back and the rest is history. It’s where me and @youcancallmepookiebear‘s friendship began.

17. What kind of roleplay do you typically do? Groups, indie, 1x1, etc?

I have soooo many 1x1′s. I used to do groups but started to not have as much time or patience to rp with people I didn’t already vibe with. But I do a lot of 1x1′s and mumus and have been in groups here and there. I was in Frostford from when it opened to the day it shut down and it was the best group experience I’ve had in FOREVER!!! Gained many friends from that group thankfully @morgancityrp. 

18. What is your favorite plot you’ve played out?

Probably the Red Wedding for my Royals verse with @youcancallmepookiebear and @lucindahuttcns. Painful as fuck but so good. But I’ve had so many plots I’ve loved over the years??? I’m super excited for our Disney verse we’re doing, and our Grey’s verse too!!! Also forever missing @anothergleefulhogwarts. 

19. What do you miss about old roleplay? (Roleplay before 2017?)

I don’t really miss it all that much besides the shorter replies lakjsdlkjasd nowadays I struggle to write huge replies. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun to write super fucking long things but it also makes it hard to reply quickly and sometimes I miss just writing short fucking replies without detail or anything. Bring back *action* 2020. Kidding. But like just dialogue sometimes would be so much easier.

20. What is the most cringeworthy plot/character you have ever played out?

OH BOY THERE’S PLENTY I’M SURE. I’m not even gonna think about it because the embarrassment would be too awful to bear.

[delucadarlingwriting]

Have Her Cake and Eat it Too - Part 1

I love a good AU. I especially love Wayhaven AUs. This one is the answer to a lot of 'what if's I've played with.

What if Barbie finds out about the Agency as a young kid?

What if she and Kira are in the same story?

What if she falls for Mason and Nate?

I'm still trying to work on writing/completing long form pieces of fic, and this is one of them. It's been tricky as hell. Initially, the fic I wanted to write was set post-book 3, in the midst of some messy Nate/Mason/Barbie drama. But then I realized I wanted to find the foundation of their relationship, so I went back to Book 3...then Book 2...and now I'm starting it all in Book 1.

This won't be a straight retelling though. Things are similar, but different. Barbie isn't Rebecca's kid. She learns things at a different rate than the canon detective. I'm still not even sure if I'm planning for everything with Murphy to go as it does in canon. It'll depend on where the story takes me. I've always had fun writing things adjacent to canon.

This will eventually go on AO3, once I finish enough for the first part.

Summary: Barbara Robertson's first day as Wayhaven's detective isn't going to plan. A reunion with Rebecca Kingston and her daughter Kira makes things all the more complicated.

Word count: 2,997

EDIT 9/16/23: I've realized there were some plot related issues in this part as I'm writing four chapters ahead of what I'm posting. I made a few adjustments to fix that.

Next Part

***

[Barbie POV, Wayhaven Police Department, meeting Rebecca]

It has been a bad day. A very, very bad day. A day Barbara Robertson was not prepared for. Most detectives might expect to deal with murders throughout their careers, but this is Wayhaven. Violent crimes are rare. 

She really, really needs the coffee maker to work if she’s going to make it through this.

“Douglas?” Barbie calls out. The young officer pops his head up, blowing his bangs away from his face. “Why is the coffee maker broken?”

“It wasn’t me,” he insists. Barbie sighs.

“I didn’t say it was.” She shakes her head. “Nevermind. I’ll try to fix it.”

“...Should I just call for a repair?” Douglas asks incredulously. 

Under normal circumstances, Barbie would be offended at his lack of confidence in her. She’s too impressed that he even offered to do something useful though, so she just says, “If I can’t get it fixed in the next ten minutes, then yes.”

She goes back to the machine and looks it all over. Nothing seems to be overtly the matter with it. No smoking, no sparking wires. There’s a panel on the side that she opens, but it’s all such a mess of machinery that Barbie doesn’t have a clue what she’s looking at. It makes her wish Lucas was here and not bumming around the outskirts of Nashville. He’d know how to fix it.

There’s only one thing she can really think to do, so she unplugs the machine from the wall, waits ten seconds, then plugs it back in. 

Nothing.

“Of course,” Barbie mutters to herself as she switches tactics and begins shuffling through the drawers and cabinets in the kitchen, hoping a manual might turn up. The coffee machine is probably older than she is, but she hasn’t been disappointed enough today it seems. 

“Barbara,” comes a strict voice that has Barbie straightening her shoulders on reflex. She turns, eyes widening at the person in front of her. The other woman looks her up and down, though her thoughts are hidden behind a stoic expression. “It’s been quite some time.”

“Mrs. Kingston?” Barbie asks, shocked. For a moment, it’s as if a roll of film is being dragged in front of her face, showing her a foggy scene from her past. Rebecca Kingston stands in front of her, her expression somewhere between worried and stern. It’s an expression that give Barbie the worst case of deja vu she’s ever had.

Barbie hasn’t seen Rebecca Kingston (or her daughter Kira for that matter) in over a decade now, though everyone knows she still owns the old Kingston residence in Wayhaven. She’s a tall woman, though not as tall as Barbie remembers. That may have something to do with Barbie having not worn high heels when she used to babysit for Rebecca back when she was in high school. Her strawberry blonde hair is pulled back into an unrelentingly neat french braid, her skirt suit is perfectly pressed and her brown eyes are still as stern and hard as the rest of her features. There are streaks of gray that Barbie doesn’t remember being there, and a few more wrinkles, but overall Rebecca Kingston has aged well. 

She smiles at Barbie, though it doesn’t reach her eyes. Yet another expression that makes Barbie feel like she’s stepping a foot into the past. “Can we speak in your office?”

Mystified and off balance, Barbie can do nothing more than nod before leading the way. As they walk through the newly renovated building, she can’t help noticing that Mrs. Kingston seems to be suffering the same ghosts from days past as Barbie.

Her office is small, though far more spacious than the teeny tiny desk she and Tina used to share in the bullpen. She’s still working on decluttering after Detective Reele’s departure—the woman stored so many things here—but she manages to wrestle an extra chair out for Mrs. Kingston and slips around the desk to her own seat. 

“What brings you back to Wayhaven, Mrs. Kingston?” Barbie asks, confused. Mrs. Kingston smiles, this time more genuinely.

“I think you can call me Rebecca now, Barbara,” she says. “It’s been many years since I was paying you to pick Kira up after gymnastics.”

“How is she?” Barbie asks, smiling as she remembers the younger girl in her sparkling leotard, her gap toothed smile, and her extreme enthusiasm for stopping at the gas station for a treat after practice. 

Rebecca looks over her shoulder and gestures to someone waiting in the lobby. As the figure moves closer, she says, “You can ask her yourself.”

The woman who steps into the office is not anything like the little girl Barbie remembers. She’s taller, for one, whereas the Kira Kingston Barbie knew was always the teeniest kid in her class. Her hair is still long, the braided strands of strawberry blonde hair swinging just past her hips as she moves into the office. The sparkling leotard has been replaced by dark trousers, a scoop neck shirt, and a blazer layered on top. Her eyes are bright though, and the smile that breaks across her face the moment she spots Barbie is just the same, sans the missing teeth.

“Hello, Barbie,” Kira says, brimming with barely restrained excitement. 

Barbie takes a moment to reconcile her memory of Kira with the reality standing in front of her. Somehow, she never considered that Kira would go and grow up when Barbie wasn’t there to watch her. She’d seemed so much younger when Barbie was 16, and yet now she looks…well, she looks like Tina, who Barbie has considered a good friend for years. 

On pure instinct, Barbie stands from her chair and rounds the desk, halting awkwardly in front of Kira. She doesn’t actually know what she wants to do about this reunion. 

Thankfully, Kira decides for her, and swoops in for a hug. Barbie lets out a breath, trying her best to wrap her arms back around Kira without seeming like she didn’t expect this. Though she’s considerably taller, Kira’s head could still be tucked pretty easily beneath Barbie’s chin. It’s only by the skin of her teeth that Barbie doesn’t do it on some old, not-so-forgotten reflex.

“Sorry,” Kira says with a laugh as she steps back, cheeks crimson. “I just—I’m sure you barely remember me, but I definitely remember you. I was so sad when you left for college and never came back!”

“I came back just as you were heading off yourself, it seems,” Barbie says. She readjusts her blouse to make sure it hasn’t gotten rumpled. “I asked around for you when I moved back a few years ago. No one was quite sure where you’d run off too though.”

“That might be best explained by Rebecca,” Kira says, gesturing to the woman Barbie has practically forgotten was there at all. 

“Right,” Barbie says with a wince. “Um, sorry Kira, I don’t think I have any other chairs in here.”

“I’m fine to stand,” Kira assures her with a wave of her hand as she steps into the spot at her mother’s right hand. Rebecca lets out the barest breath through her nose, relieved that the reunion is over. 

“Barbara,” Rebecca says as Barbie takes her seat once more. Her tone suggests this is more than a social call. “We’ve heard about the murder.”

Barbie nods, frowning. “Yes, it’s troubling, isn’t it?”

“Very,” Kira says, shifting her weight, hands on her hips. Her brows are drawn tightly together, mouth downturned. “We found it very concerning, especially with you being so new and having almost no support.”

It clicks then. This isn’t a social call. Acid swims in her stomach and she reaches up to make a fist around the pink sapphire pendant hanging from the thin, gold chain around her neck. “Oh, you’re here on Agency business.”

“Yes, we are,” Rebecca says, her eyes leveled at Barbie’s neck. Barbie looks Kira over, her outfit, and the way she stands with her mother.

“Kira too?” she asks. Kira can’t hold back a proud smile.

“That’s right. I’ve been an agent practically since I graduated,” Kira says. That would explain why no one knew where she went then. The Agency has always been very shady and hush hush. Barbie doubts most people know Rebecca is part of the Agency. It took Barbie a few years to put two and two together, and she was over at the Kingston home near daily.

This is not a welcome revelation. Barbie straightens her back and forces her hand to release her necklace, placing it instead on the top of her desk.

“Are you taking the case from me?” Barbie asks. It might only be her first day as a detective, but she already feels a sense of possessiveness for this case. For Janet Greenland. Would some faceless agency really see to it that she gets justice for the terrible crime committed against her?

“Not exactly,” Kira says. She offers Barbie a smile. “It’s more that we’re offering help.”

“I find it odd that the Agency would take such an interest in this singular crime,” Barbie says, her hackles already up and unwilling to be soothed so easily.

“This is not a one off,” Rebecca states. “We have been tracking this killer for months now.”

“Oh.” Barbie blinks. That does change things. As much as she may not like it, if this is a serial killer she can’t blame the Agency for not wanting the case in a novice detective’s hands. She chews her lower lip as she considers this. “What kind of help are you offering?”

“Our team,” Kira says with a confident lilt to her voice. “Unit Bravo. We have four agents, and myself, at your disposal for this case.”

Barbie takes a moment to absorb that information. “Wow. I don’t know what to say.”

In the other chair, Rebecca stands. “You don’t have to say anything. I just hope you find the team useful.”

“I’m sure I will,” Barbie says, though in truth she feels more troubled than anything. Making detective was exciting, starting her career off with a murder far more so in very unwelcome ways, and having strange agents crawling all over her case and observing her as she’s just getting her feet under herself is nothing short of nerve wracking. It is what it is though. She’ll just have to deal with it. Something deep in her gut tells her she doesn’t want to fight a battle against the Agency.

“Don’t worry,” Kira says with a smile. “They’re great. We’re practically family at this point.”

Barbie can’t help but let her eyebrows jump up at that. Considering what she remembers of the Kingston family, Barbie can’t help but be a bit surprised. Then again, poor Kira has always been a bit starved for connection.

“I’ll be happy to meet them then,” she says diplomatically. Kira checks her phone, bobbing her head.

“Great, because now would be the time for it,” Kira says. Barbie nods, gesturing to a depressingly small stack of files.

“I have all the information here, I’m happy to share it with them,” Barbie says. Kira gives a wince of a smile but Rebecca cuts in before she can speak.

“They’re already up to date. You don’t need to waste your time telling them a thing. Just have them follow your lead.” Rebecca looks to Kira and reaches out to touch her daughter’s shoulder with enough hesitation that it’s clear she wasn’t sure the touch wouldn’t be shaken off. “Take care, Kira.”

“Of course, Rebecca,” Kira says. The use of her mom’s first name is a little cold, but the smile she gives her is warm enough. Rebecca accepts it and leaves the office, then the station. 

“So, I don’t need to give them any information?” Barbie asks. Kira turns back to her.

“Right. We’ve all been keeping up to date. Plus, we have access to your police files for the time being,” Kira says, so casually that it’s clear this is just standard protocol for her. Barbie bristles a little.

“It seems I’m hardly needed then,” she says. Kira blanches.

“No!” she shouts. “Barbie, we definitely need you. You’re just the right person for this case.”

Barbie almost asks how she would know, considering she was all of 14 when they last saw one another, but she manages to bite down on the irritated comment. Instead, she considers what Rebecca said about having tracked this killer for months.

“You’ve got my files,” Barbie says, tapping her pen against her chin. “But I’m going into this blind. Will I be getting access to any of your files?”

“No,” Kira says sharply. Barbie’s brows raise so high her dark rimmed glasses slide down her nose. Embarrassed, Kira adds, “It’s classified, unfortunately. We can’t show you any of them.”

“Really?” Barbie sits up straighter. “That’s interesting. This killer must be high profile.”

“Um.” Kira shifts from foot to foot. “Well. I can’t really say.”

“Even though you’re supposed to be helping me on this case?” Barbie asks, no small amount of bitterness burning in her throat. 

Kira at least has the grace to look apologetic about it. “We can still help even if we can’t tell you everything. Do you have any ideas on where you want to start?”

It soothes her temper a little to be asked. Barbie adjusts her ponytail, tugging it a little tighter on top of her head before answering.

“I’ve already gotten started, but I could use some help with what I’m doing next. We’ve gotten a statement from someone who lives near where we found the victim,” Barbie says. “We haven’t interviewed anyone she was connected to here in Wayhaven though.”

“I thought she was a loner, new to town,” Kira says. It’s not an argument really so much as encouragement to continue speaking. She thinks that’s what it is at least. Maybe she’s just thinking too much about how Kira used to be as a child. She always felt like Kira was trying to interrogate her when she was driving her around town or spending time babysitting her. Kira would ask Barbie a million questions about herself. So curious, and so adorable. 

Barbie gives Kira another look. She’s still pretty adorable, but…definitely not in the same way as before. 

“She was,” Barbie confirms. “Her neighbors didn’t really notice her much, except for one. He called the station not too long ago to confirm the murder victim was really Janet.”

“So you suspect they might have known each other,” Kira says with a smile. “Clever.”

“Hardly clever,” Barbie scoffs. She pulls her coat on and grabs her car keys. “Clever would be figuring out the connection myself, not simply following up on a phone call.”

“If you say so,” Kira says, a smile on her face. She slots herself at Barbie’s side happily enough as she leads the way out of the station. “I’ll have two of my agents meet us at the location.”

“Only two?”

“For now,” Kira says. “We tend to split up to cover more ground. You’ll meet everyone eventually though.” 

Together the women walk out of the glittering glass doors of the station and around the side of the building to the parking lot. It’s more full than it might normally be thanks to the chilly weather. It’s technically spring, but Wayhaven never seems to get the memo before May. 

“I remember this car,” Kira says, her voice brimming with delight as she follows Barbie to the silver hatchback. Barbie groans.

“It’s still alive, if only barely,” she says, jamming the key into the door to unlock it. She pulls the door open and ducks inside, reaching across the cab to unlock the passenger door from the inside. Kira opens it and slides in just as Barbie settles behind the steering wheel.

“Does Lucas still fix cars up?” Kira asks. Barbie hums and twists the key in the ignition. The car considers not starting, but with a bit of coaxing it rumbles to life.

“Sometimes. He loves it, but he just doesn’t have the time or space for it, especially after our mom moved back to Georgia,” Barbie says, declining to mention that her brother has been scraping by for the past year busking and crashing on couches. 

Kira makes a sad noise. “That’s a shame, he was really good at it.”

“Our passions don’t always pan out, unfortunately,” Barbie says. She shifts into drive and pulls them out of the station's tiny parking lot. Giving her a sidelong look, Barbie adds, “Has that been the case for you?”

“No, not at all,” Kira says, folding her hands on her lap as if it will temper the delight shining in her eyes. “I love being an agent. I never even considered doing what my mom did when I was a kid, you know? I didn’t really understand her job though, and we barely spoke before I joined up.”

Barbie smiles. “I couldn’t have guessed you’d follow in her footsteps, I must confess.”

“No kidding,” Kira laughs. “It’s funny how things work out sometimes.”

“Very.” Barbie couldn’t have imagined having this conversation with this passenger in a million years if she’d been told to come up with as many possibilities as possible. It’s odd, but nice. Having a friendly face to keep her company is a comfort. She can’t help smiling as Kira toys with the radio, finding the same station she used to love back when Barbie would bring a baggie of apple slices to snack on after school.

The idea of Kira disappearing into the arms of the Agency makes her heart skip a beat. She’s so bright, she can’t imagine how she’s coping with this type of organization. It certain hasn’t seemed to make her lose her luster at least.

Barbie finds herself looking forward to getting to know this new Kira Kingston, even if she can’t help noticing the looming shadow following close behind.

[delucadarling]

WIP Wednesday

tagged by @crownleys @notforconsumption because I know she's working on something. Maybe a mushroom or something.

[delucadarling]

May Writing Challenge - Day 8

I ended up cutting myself off in the middle of a fun bit, just so I'd have more motivation to write again tomorrow.