#Mc Bain

[intimidatingpuffinstudios]

Hi ye loved the update <3 Okie, two maybe spoilery questions that I'm not sure if have been answered yet-

I've only played through the HB background and even then might've missed something:

-But is there an actual reason MC was considered an outcast in their village?

-Is Bain's reason for harassing MC the same in every background? Going off of Dorlas colorful choice of words in his POV, you can kinda guess what's happening there, so I was kinda curious.

1) There is indeed a reason which will be revealed later on.

2) Bain's reason is always the same, yea. Predatory piece of shit that he is 🤬

[grapecaseschoices]

Top Row (the detectives): Kendis Crawford-Louel (she/they) [another kendis: here], Malakai “Kai” Baines (he/him), Val Montemer (they/them)

Bottom Row (the musicians): Layla “Lala” Sandoval (they/them, sometimes she/her), Hiyam Vinke (she/her)

@narrativefoiltrope tagged me to do my ocs in this picrew (ty!! :-DD.) im tagging @magebastard @evilbunnyking @roxaro @plasticdodecagon @beyonceswigs @andthatisnotfake @anotherbeingsworld @equusgirl @thelittlestspider @ava-du-mortain @heroofpenamstan @karolinarodrigueswrites @themarcspector @cassiopeiacorvus [and anyone else who wants, just tag me! if you already did this .... tough. do it again!! jk. no pressure upon anyone. i’ll like yall either way ;-D]

[smallgear]

BINGOO LES GOOOOOO

I have actually never played bingo before ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Thank you @riveriafalll for the tag!

Blank BINGO Card for anyone who wants to join in:

And now mine:

The Flower Spirit Who Became The Guardian Of The Dead

GO READ THE COMIC >>>>:(((

It’s about a flower spirit who meets an abused child and despite being invisible to them tries to make them happy by giving them nice dreams. The flower spirit is bound to the flower that keeps them alive and can’t follow the child home to at least try and keep them safe. But one day the child doesn’t return to their usual place and after many days of waiting the flower spirit brakes the bond to their flower to go and search for the child.

Mirrors Of Sands

Was supposed to be a webcomic but my adhd brain decided a video game would be less work

_(:3 」∠)_

It isn’t if anyone needed that clarification

The MC Arthur is a knight who fights demons known as “mirages”. He’s the heir to the Dalrway dukedom but his older twin brother Baine makes the noble life anything but peaceful by being a complete and utter menace. One day Arthur wakes up as his 5 year old self, seemingly having travelled back in time. He slowly realises that many things were much different than how he remembers them. Maybe his brother was not at all as awful as he thought he was and maybe the great hero, their father Duke Dalrway, was never a hero to begin with.

No Title Yet

This one’s gonna be a VN. It’s about a god who is part of a group of gods who invade and conquer worlds created by others. She was mostly manipulated into partaking in these things but she’s not exactly innocent either. In the story she has to decide if she wants to “exercise her rights as a god” and finally be respected by the others by taking a lead instead of always just doing what she’s told or if she wants to “fulfill her duties as a god” and take responsibility for everything she has done. Parallel to this, the story is also about one of the creatures that god has created who was made to serve her and the others as a knight/ attendant. He’s faced with the choice to “follow his programming” and keep serving the gods or rebel and do what he believes is right. Depending on the combo of choices the player makes there’s four different endings. (Three of which are fucked up as hell. )

Tagging @stellar-man-ia @illarian-rambling @caxycreations @velvethopewrites @sleepywriter00 @revenantlore @vi-timepiece @aziz-reads @infinnative @lexiklecksi

[regoregitati0n]

I decided to restart my jam idea but with a new concept. so I wanted to start with the art assets first. I think it's much more interesting than the vampire teacher in all honesty!! (My opinion)

This one is about MC/You going to a haunted manor with two other ghost hunters, at the witching hour. (It's a pre established friendship in canon)

Unfortunately, for the two other ghost hunters , they get possessed and their personalities change completely, and you have to survive them pretty much. (They turn "yandere" when Possessed. Their eye colors change and the eyes glow)

They're both male gender

I'm unsure what the rating will be, but it will most certainly contain death/death scenes for the characters and player as well.

The two characters are Simon Honanie and Cade Baines

[boysplanetrecaps]

Build Up Ep 1, Part 1

Hello and welcome to my latest project -- recapping Build Up: Vocal Boy Survival from MNET. The show features some familiar faves from Boys Planet -- Jay, Wumuti, and Hwanhee -- as well as members of CIX, Just B, Up10tion, KNK, Newkidd, Ab6ix, Vanner, A.C.E. Fave1, BDC, IMFACT, M.O.N.T., WEi, and Pentagon. Don’t worry, it’s not Hui this time! I already wrote some posts in which I introduce you to the 40 participating contestants, divided up by their chosen category: Allround, Soul, Power, and Unique. Now, I’ll start actually recapping Episode One. Come join me, won’t you?  

It's tough to find a video link for the full show, and the one that seems most stable doesn't have English subtitles, so I'm going to try my best to write the recaps in such a way that even if you can't see the show yourself, or if the feed you have doesn't have subtitles, you'll be able to understand what's going on.

We begin with a woman playing with little glowing metal bricks. You know, as you do.

Also, those ombre nails kind of slap. 

The woman is our MC, Lee Dahee, who you might recognize (or might not) as one of the hosts of Road to Kingdom. I know her because she played the female second lead in one of my top five K-dramas of all time, I Can Hear Your Voice. (It’s not about singing -- it’s a courtroom drama/noona romance about telepathy and revenge. You guys, if you need a kdrama to watch, just watch this one, ok? Ok thanks.) She’s stunningly beautiful in that show. 

She looks… different now, I guess I’ll say. 

I wish that there wasn’t so much plastic surgery pushed in this business, because I genuinely wouldn’t recognize her, and I’ve watched that drama all the way through at least three times. Anyway. 

She begins to speak, and we hear snippets of various singers as she does. The snippets that we’re hearing are the 40 brief performances that were uploaded to Youtube to tease the show. 

She says, “There are various voices in this world.  Unique voice: A voice that is a genre itself. Soul voice: Voice that moves people with its unique sentiment. Power voice: A voice that solidifies its presence.  All ‘round voice: A voice that can harmonize with anything. When they come together and gain chemistry, a new harmony is created.”

I can’t help but think of Exo. Baekyhun has a unique voice; D.O. has a soulful voice; Chen has a powerful voice, and Suho has a sweet all ‘round voice. Hey, what do you know - the lady is right! It does create a new harmony! 

She explains that they’ve gathered together 40 vocalists for this show, looking for the best combination. It’s a bit of a Queendom Puzzle vibe, but vocal based. And out of the 40, we’ll be picking four. 

We hear from some of these 40 vocalists, speaking over each other, their faces hidden in shadow. We’re going to have to go with these MNET subtitles, that say things like “Catharsis is created when voices are stacked, especially when there are four.” I think it is supposed to mean, “A four part harmony can really bring out the emotions of a song.” 

It’s an MNET show, so it begins with some of the contestants walking in and commenting on how big and cool the set is. They think it looks like the Colosseum, which, meh, not so much but I mean, ok. 

We can’t know who they are yet. It’s dark in the studio and they can’t even see each other. They still bow and greet each other politely, chatting about how nervous and excited they are as they take their spots on their… I don’t know, transporter pads. Beam them up, Dahee!

They’re walking in in small groups, made up of members of the same “category”, and their name tags are color coded to their category: unique is green, soul is blue, power is purple, and allround is orange.

Left to right: Bain, Jay, Jung Soomin 

I love this Korean thing of just shouting at each other, “You’re good looking!” Even in the dark. 

Eagle eyed (and owl-eared) Boys Planet fans probably recognize this guy:

It’s Jay Chang, from Boys Planet! As I said in my other recaps, I love Jay's vocal color, which is clean and lovely, and though I think he could work on his technique, he's definitely a great singer. He also seems like basically a nice guy, though he gives off slight fuckboi vibes to me. Is it just me?

Hong Seongjun (former BDC), in the white jacket that makes him look like a waiter, recognizes his neighbor in the brown jacket as Seunghun from CIX. Hong Seongjun says, “excuse me… aren’t you from CIX?” Seunghun bows to acknowledge it, and Hong Seongjun says, “But you’re way too famous,” ie, to be on this show, and Seunghun says, “no, I’m not, I’m really not.” 

Another group enters, led by a mop of light colored hair that I think belongs to Geonu, also known as Lee Geonwoo from JustB, who you may have seen on I-land. 

Some more people come in, and one of the trainees -- this red haired fellow, my darling Bain -- says “oh my God! Sunbaenim!”

That hangul there says “oh my God” phonetically. 

My darling Bain, also member of Just B , has recognized Jeon Woong from Ab6ix. I don't have any data on where they would have met, but they probably have a lot of friends in common at the very least. I think a lot of idols know a lot of other idols since they all train together at different agencies and go on these reality shows together all the time.

People are surprised that Woong and Seunghun are on the show, but not as surprised as they are to see Yeo One from Pentagon, who enters to the strains of Pentagon’s biggest hit, Shine. One of the other guys says, “It was so dark, but he was so handsome that I could see his silhouette.” I think the translation is a little wonky here, but I love the idea that if someone is really handsome, you can see them better in the dark.

My darling Bain says to Jay, “I’m shocked to see such big players.” Jay replies, in English, “Big time players make big time plays,” and do you see what I mean about the fuckboi-ness? Even if you like him, you have to admit that’s a bit cringey. Sigh. Jay, honey, why'ya gotta say things like that?

Jung Soomin replies, in English, “I’m a small time player. I just started!” Soomin is American, specifically from Chicago, and I guess his head was cold that day. 

They’re all present now, each one standing on his own transporter pod bay. Oh, MNET. 

They all applaud in excitement for the beginning of the show, and my darling Bain interviews, “Welcome to Survival!”

The lights come up in the studio and now the boys can see each other. So now it’s time for them to react to how handsome and famous they all are.

Yoon Inhwan in his gray suit interviews, “When I looked around, I thought I was in trouble. Everyone was too handsome.” Look at all the handsome fellas, including Kim Minseo, in blue, and a bunch of idols, including Seokhwa from WEi, and two members of Just B: my red-haired darling Bain, and pink-mop-headed Geonu.

Just FYI: I’m going to keep calling Bain my darling, because I listened to his stunning cover of Driver’s License by Olivia Rodrigo and now you know I still love him, baby. I talk more about it in my episode zero recap.

Hilariously, our old friend Lee Hwanhee (from Boys Planet) says he’s intimidated by the other guys. Hwanhee is always a little insecure, isn’t he? I think he’s had a lot of setbacks as an idol, and it’s wearing on him. 

Neon, in green, tells his neighbor Hong Sungwon in the half gray, half white sweater that he feels defeated in terms of looks. Aww, you’re fine, Neon! I think you have a cute smile. 

Seokhwa from WEi voice-overs that he’ll dominate with music, not looks, and this fellow on the left…

… says, “this is about voices, right?” He is Park Jeup, from IMFACT, who is also a solo artist. I just have to say, omg, his bow. That is a full on pussy bow, you guys. That square, lantern jaw juxtaposed against that bow is a sight to see and I am here for it. (The guy on the right, wearing the red suit, is Hyukjin, from a nugu group called Fave1.)

Everyone’s excited to hear each other’s voices. 

Sunyoul (in the pink sweater) from Up10tion, same group as Hwanhee, is looking around the room and sizing up the other people, wondering if he can tell who is or isn’t a good singer based on their looks.

Then there’s a bit where a few people notice Jay. Kim Minseo, in blue, who sang Rolling in the Deep, kicks things off. He interviews that he was wondering if Jay would be there. Guess he watched Boys Planet too! Or Under 19, perhaps.

There’s this cute moment, where Hwanhee points Jay out to his neighbor, Seunghun from CIX. 

Hwanhee is like, “That guy over there with his hands in his pockets? He’s really good.” I bet that Hwanhee and Seunghun have met before, since they both have been in the game for several years.  Hwanhee is a year older than Seunghun and debuted around four years before him, so he's both hyung and sunbae to his nervous neighbor.

Then there’s a mini montage of them all recognizing each other -- Hyukjin noticing Jay, Hwanhee noticing Hyukjin, Bain noticing Hyukjin and pussy-bow Park Jeup. Hwanhee says that they’re “vocal monsters.” Hey, man, so are you! Where is your confidence, my friend?

But a lot of the contestants are intimidated by each other. 

Suddenly…the lights go down again! And to make it even scarier, the subtitles punk out for a few minutes! This happens at about 6 minutes into the episode. So, let me give my google translate a real workout until the subtitles come back. Here we go. 

A fanfare of glittering light heralds the entrance of MC Lee Dahee. The boys freak out. On screen, it says, “IS THIS TRUE?” as the trainees all stare open mouthed.

The camera does a full pan up her legs to her body, and on the Bilibili site -- now sadly denied to us all -- something in Chinese scrolls across the top, which my phone translated as “The English subtitle is so tiring.” I know that’s not quite what it meant, but I love it.

As Wumuti stares, open mouthed, it says “LIke a goddess!” 

Someone says, “Is this true? Isn’t this AI?”

“She’s a celebrity!" “Wow, she’s so pretty.”

As Hyukjin -- wearing that red leather suit jacket -- looks on, it says “Angel’s Descent.”

Hwang Inhyuk in his ombre pink sweater says “It’s a good thing you came out.”

Dahwee says, “Hello!” and they all say hello back. “I will go on this journey with all of you. I am the MC, Lee Dahwee.”  

On screen, as they all frantically bow, it says “Thank you very much <3 “

As our old friend Hwanhee gives the thumbs up, it says “Best MC-nim.”

I’ll give a sort of interpretation of the on-screen words’ translation since they don’t make a ton of sense. Basically, she’s telling them what’s going to happen next. There’s 40 of them and, through various musical missions, they’ll build a 4-member team. At the end, only one team will be selected to debut. This group will be an opportunity for the whole world to enjoy a kpop group with proven vocals.

Choi Suhwan in the black jacket over a white shirt and with parted bangs, says, “Ah… only 4…” 

This is Bitseon (from M.O.N.T.), on the left, and Taehwan (from Vanner) on the right. One of them is voice-overing, “I’m sure there will be a big fight over the song.” 

Lim Junhyeok, wearing a white hoodie that I guess he picked off the top of his laundry pile, voice overs, “there are many people who are good at singing.” Junhyeok was kicked out of Day6 after only being in it for six months -- I talk about it in my episode zero recap.

Donghun from A.C.E. is wondering what songs they’ll sing, I think. As I was writing these recaps, it was always so funny to me that Donghun is from ACE, because based on the way he’s dressed and his demeanor, he looks like he’s a detective in a noir movie who just got off shift and is about to order a whiskey at the bar. I hope you don't mind if I call him Detective Donghun in honor of that.

Dahee goes on that there are 40 participants, who chose what voice color represents them. 

And right around here the subtitles come back, bless ‘em!

Yoonseo in the red and black leather jacket says, “Allround voices go well with many genres,” and we see a few of the various Allrounders.

Next, we take a look at the Soul singers:

Then the Power singers:

And finally, Unique.

The weird LED stage they're standing on turns into a pie chart showing the breakdown of the categories, and that is delightful.

Then, Dahee announces that they’re going to dive into their first major mission: Voice Check. “You’ll listen to voice files,” Dahee says, referring to the teaser songs we already heard. “If you want to build up with that voice, press the button.” 

So this is a bit like the beginning of Queendom Puzzle, when the girls each performed for the others one at a time, and they all voted on whether each girl was good or not, essentially. Here, though, the boys are deciding who they want to work with in their teams of four. They’re choosing solely by the voice -- no looks, no sympathy.  

It’s worth noting that them wanting to work with someone isn’t necessarily equivalent to thinking someone is good singer. They’ll be looking for people who they think their voices would harmonize well with. Regardless, Dahee explains that “the outcome of the evaluation will impact your first mission greatly, so make careful choices.”

The boys are nervous -- what if someone gets zero votes?!? 

We see some staff members scurrying around giving them all some really uncomfortable looking plastic stools to perch on.

And as they’re settling in, Lim Junhyeok (former Day6) turns to his neighbor, Woong (AB6IX), and says, “Your name is Woong, right?” 

“That’s right,” says Woong.

“I knew you when you were at JYP,” Junhyeok says, putting his hand on Woong’s shoulder. 

Woong immediately gets really excited, jumping out of his chair. “Wait, you were at JYP?! When were you a trainee?” 

“Day6,” Junhyeok says, simply. 

“HYUNG!!!” Woong says, recognizing his old friend and giving him a hug. 

Filmed on MNET's very finest Idaho russet.

Aww! This is exactly the stuff I watch shows like this for. FRIENDSHIP IS THE BEST SHIP, you guys. 

They’re all asking each other what songs they sang, and from what we see, no one is telling anyone. Soomin, our friend from Chicago, asks Jay “Whad’ja’sing, whad’ja’sing?” They’ve got that English speaking connection. Jay, who is definitely feeling his oats, says “It’s part of the surprise.” 

Meanwhile, Hwanhee cannot take his eyes off the MC, Dahee. He’s like, this show is scary and I never do well on the 8 million survival shows I keep forcing myself to go on, but this gorgeous emcee is making it all worth it. I am going to use this as an opportunity to stare at her as much as possible before an actual bodyguard appears to drag me away. She’s 38 to his 25, but I believe in the power of love, don’t you?

They’re all nervous, especially CIX's Seunghun, who busies himself staring at the floor. Yeo One voiceovers, “How many of these people will like me just from hearing my voice?” Aww. As we'll see, that is Yeo One's major storyline -- he is used to being a good looking backup dancer in Pentagon, and wants people to actually like his singing voice.

Ma Jaekyung, in his too-big-for-him gray blazer, asks KNK's Inseong if he’s nervous. CIX’s Seunghun says his heart is beating like crazy. Taewoo wonders who the first one up will be.

The first song that plays -- at least, the first song we hear play -- is V02. Jaekyung and Inseong both recognize the song immediately and look at each other and say “Baby Baby!” in unison, almost like it was an improv exercise. 

Everyone recognizes the song -- we even see Dahee mouthing along -- and those of us who watched Boys Planet probably recognize the voice: Jay. 

The editors do this cute thing where they superimpose the image on the floor, but I really don’t think it was shown live.

I have to wonder if Wumuti at least recognized the voice? This is his third reality show in a row with Jay! But all we see is him saying, “well done.” 

Everyone seems to really like the performance. It is really good, naturally, though it wasn't completely perfect. (See my episode zero recaps for more info on what I thought of each performance. And please don’t get mad at me!) A lot of people are pressing the button to indicate that they’d like to perform with Jay. Can't blame them at all.

Hong Seongjun from BDC interviews, “He has a trendy singing style. He’d make up for what I lack.”

Everyone wants to know who the voice belongs to, but first, they’re going to reveal the votes, reveal the votes, reveal the votes, reveal the votes! The guys immediately realize that this will be their fate -- to have their vote talley revealed in front of everyone! Someone says, “oh no, this is like a public execution.”

The vote is revealed: 23 people voted that they’d like to work with V02 (Jay). Those who voted for him are surprised that only 23 voted for him out of 39, when to them, the voice seemed so good. Are people just way too strict? No. 

Kang Hayoon explains that he thought about voting for the voice, because it was amazing, but he didn’t think that it would harmonize with his. (Spoiler alert: I think he's right.) I think a few others had a similar thought. I’m pretty sure if the vote was “did you like this?” everyone would get 39 out of 39. Well... most people.

Of course, this voting criteria is a bit of a problem, because the show is using this voting system as a way to rank the contestants by quality, and yet the metric they're using isn't necessarily identical to the issue of quality. I guess it's better than voting whether the person is "better" or "worse" than you, like the girls had to do on Queendom Puzzle.

Dahee reveals that the voice belonged to Jay , and Hwanhee’s neighbor, Seunghun  from CIX, gestures as if to say, yep, you got that. Looks like Hwanhee at least recognized Jay’s voice!

Jay voiceovers that he was on an idol survival show (we see clips from Boys Planet) but didn’t get many chances to show his vocal skills. I mean, he did, but people just hated him for being foreign, mainly. Or for whatever random reason, IDK. Here at least people appreciate him -- his neighbors tell him he did a great job. 

Next up: V16, End of the Sea by Choi Baekho, as performed by musical actor Kim Seongjeong, the one in the tan jacket and striped tie. It’s a lovely performance, if not exactly to my personal taste, and everyone immediately reacts to his deep, rich tone. It’s a “real voice” that “fills the studio.” 

Seongjeong gets 25 votes, again, not an indictment one way or another on his quality. 

After that deep voice and sentimental performance, everyone is really surprised when he gets up and says he’s going to dance. He dances a bit while people clap, then unexpectedly just launches himself into the air with an amazing spinning leap. 

When he's done, he bows and says: “Dance, physique, and song. I’m the new actor, Kim Seongjeong.”

Dahee asks him if anyone has ever told him that he looks like well known actor Kim Woobin, and I guess I kind of see it. Seongjeong interviews, “Where do I look like him, exactly? What part of my face? My eyes? Is it because I look like a dinosaur?” and he offers us a huge grin that completely transforms his face. Aww!

What a cutey. 

Ok, in honor of his jump spin, and the fact that he said he looks like a dinosaur, I’m going to call him the “leaping lizard.” But I don’t mean that in a mean way. Like I said, I think he’s got a great smile! I like him. 😀 This is just to remember who I’m talking about. Cool? Cool.

Alright, I've used up my allotment of 30 pictures, so it's time to wrap up this segment of the recap.

And just as a note, the first 30-45 minutes of one of these shows are always really, really slow going for me as I get to know who is who. I have to do research, read Korean name tags, etc, etc, and it takes forever. I'm not going to promise to catch up to the show, but I hope to at least gain on it a little.

Thanks for following me on this ride! I'll see you in the next one!

[chasingpj]

𝐈𝐈. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞

“I know you’re scared. I am, too, but they’re growing and getting strong. It’s time.”

pairing: percy jackson x fem child of hecate!reader

words: 6,762

warnings: brief mentions of religious institutions, catholicism, human sacrifices, and tripping on mushrooms. if you're a ginger... i'm so sorry.

timeline: the lightning thief

a/n: so excited to finally get this posted. one thing i really wish i did when i initially started writing this fic was give a proper insight on the mc's and her brother's home life. i thought the addition of her grandmother and grandpa would be so fun and i'm excited to hear what you think. in the next chapter we will finally see the twins get to camp so stay tuned!

prologue chapter i chapter iii

The final bell of the school year rings, releasing a flood of excited children. Their shouts and quick footsteps move from the hallways to the echoing streets, bodies quickly funneling themselves through the double doors like inmates breaking out of prison. 

You scrunch your nose, trailing behind the crowd along with Atticus. Though excited to go home, neither of you was ready for the awful weather outside. Today’s sweltering heat washes over your body, humid and suffocating, no doubt. Some say it’s a beautiful day, but to your standards, this was torture from mother nature herself. 

Atticus grunts in annoyance as the rays of sunlight hit him hard. It was a slap in the face compared to the air-conditioning you’re begrudgingly leaving behind. Your brother trudges beside you, quick to unbutton and shove his tie into his pocket. You follow, exposing your skin to bake under the unforgiving sun. 

“Glad that’s over,” you speak almost in a sigh, and Atticus nods. 

“I didn’t think it would end,” Atticus’s eyes avert to the statue of Saints in front of your school’s chapel as you pass by. “I still think those things are alive.” 

A snort leaves your lips, flashing your gaze at them one more time. After the principal forced you and Atticus to scrub the stone as punishment for wearing black nail polish, you couldn’t bear to look at them. That and your brother was right. Those angel statues have definitely whispered your name once. “I don’t want to hear or see anything else about Saints for the rest of the summer.” 

“Don’t want to hear about Jesus either,” Atticus adds.  

“Or how Eve ruined everything.” 

 “Or how God made his archnemesis.” 

You pause for a moment in thought. “Satan’s pretty cool, though.” Atticus nods. “Agreed.” 

Neither of you says anything else. The children's chatter around the streets does enough to fill the silence. There are thumps of basketballs in the passing park’s courtyard and the low hum of the sprinklers. The ice cream truck jingle plays in the distance, herding kids toward the sound, and cars whoosh by, honking through traffic on the busy road. As you and Atticus make your way to the residential streets, your silence feels more meaningful as it’s filled with soft croaks of cicadas and bird chirps. 

Soon, your family's familiar baby blue Victorian home is in sight. Like a sore thumb, it sticks out from the traditional American homes on the block. On the outside, the white trim and the many flower bushes your grandmother tends to make the home look sweet and inviting. At first glance, it would look like any regular residence. Though different in style, there would be no reason for a double take if, of course, the white monument sign announcing “Cromwell Funeral Home” wasn’t there. 

“Hey! Wednesday and Pugsley Addams!” A slow, agonizing sigh leaves your nostrils. Felix Bain, a fitting last name for the nuisance he is, runs out of his front door as you and Atticus pass by. His posse of boys is hot on his heels, their faces with the same arrogant smile as their dictator. They giggle and chatter, but yours and Atticus’s stride don’t falter. 

“Ignore him,” Atticus mumbles. 

“I can’t believe you guys don’t melt in the sun,” Felix shouts again. “I’m surprised you can even get into the chapel. You must have some weird pagan magic protecting you.”

You didn’t expect Atticus to betray his advice, halting sharply and turning in Felix’s direction. Your eyebrow raises.

“Felix, do you know what they say about gingers?” Atticus asks. The friendly tone in his voice is bitter under his deadpan expression. 

Felix’s smile widens with arrogant challenge. “What?” “They say gingers have no soul and every freckle on their pale ghostly face is a soul they’ve taken to fill the emptiness.”

Felix’s lips falter, eyebrows slowly knitting in the center of his forehead. 

“You have a lot of freckles,” you point out, your jaw clenching to hide your smile. 

Felix’s mouth opens, but you cut him off quickly. “Gingers are also known to be unlucky. So unlucky that Ancient Egyptians used them as human sacrifices to release their bad luck.” Slowly, he begins to frown, shifting on his feet nervously. “Count yourself lucky you don’t live down the street from pagans….” Your eyes fix on your home a few houses from his. “Oh, wait. You do.” 

“You guys are weird!” Felix yells, his face almost as red as his hair. Smiling wickedly, you and Atticus turn on your heels, ignoring Felix's sloppy insults in your direction. 

“If I were you, I’d make sure to lock your windows at night,” Atticus shouts behind him. 

Angrily, the redhead stomps inside his home and mutters about how freaky the two of you are. The moment his front door slams closed, you and Atticus burst into laughter. 

“That was so mean!” 

You scoff. “So what?! He deserved it, and you’re the one who started it.” “I did, but I wasn’t the one who made it seem like we were gonna sacrifice him!” 

You shrug, opening the gate to your home. “Oh well.” 

Atticus shakes his head in playful disapproval, “You’re on a roll today.” 

Your eyebrow raises in confusion, stumbling to the side from Atticus’s nudge. “What do you mean?” “First, it was Avery and then Felix.” 

Atticus laughs at how your eyes roll, hand coming up in a dismissive wave. “Oh, please.” 

“It was kinda mean.”

“So what if I charged her double?” Quickly, you reach into the mailbox beside your door, collecting the envelopes for your grandparents, “First, you call my tarot cards stupid.” A loud clunk hits your ears as you harshly slam the box close. “Then suddenly, you want to be nice, so I can give you a reading about your stupid crush. You know what, I’m glad the cards told her he doesn’t like her.” 

As he walks into the house, Atticus laughs and mutters something about you being cruel. You trail close behind, surprised to see the ground floor decorated and ready for service. On your left are a couple of loveseats and coat racks right across the rows of banquet chairs. Further inside, there’s a hallway with a lounge area usually set up with desserts and Hors D'oeuvre for the guest. 

“My little rascals, how was school?” A familiar voice calls from inside the mourning area, putting a smile on your face. 

Your grandmother stands on a small ladder, hands carefully arranging flowers where the casket will be placed. Bright reds, whites, and pinks decorate the walls, and Cordelia hopes the display will soothe the eyes of grieving families. 

“It was fine,” Atticus answers, and you nod in agreement. 

Being realistic, how well can school go? Almost every day, the nuns penalize you for something. Whether it’s a minor offense like having nail polish or a freak accident at the chapel altar, you and Atticus never seemed to stay out of trouble. As for today, it was just fine. It could have been worse. You only got outed once by your teacher for dozing off during mass, and knowing it was the last day of school soothed any of your usual dread. 

“Just fine?” 

“Mhm,” you shrug, leaning against the doorway as you admire the display. 

“Very well,” Cordelia says with a slight smirk, aware of the chaos she’s about to unleash. As you and Atticus move to leave your grandmother to her task, she perks up. “Since you’re here….” You halt in your tracks. “Could one of you get me the hammer from the basement? It should be in the toolbox somewhere.” 

Before you can react, your brother shoves you from behind. “Not it!” 

A growl leaves your lips as the boy flees before you can recover. “Hey, get back here!” 

“No!” Hot on his heels, you turn through the lounge area, watching Atticus struggle with the doorknob before he bursts into the back hallway. 

“You’re lazy!” You shout, finger raised in the air. Atticus, already halfway up the stairs, flashes you a smile. 

“And you’re slow.”

☆’.･.･:★:･.･.’☆

Theo goes down the checklist of his last-minute details. First, he soothes the flyaways from the hair, cleans the sides of the lips from any lipstick, and adjusts the flowers in her folded hands. Poor girl, he thinks. Her life was taken right at the cusp of some of the best years life has to offer. Her family wanted a closed casket, afraid her face was too mangled to do otherwise, but Theo never cowered from a challenge. Nothing’s ever too broken to fix, he always says, and his work showed for it. 

Classical music played low from the record player in the background. As he checks the final product, it’s peaceful enough to keep his head clear until the twins make it home. Theo liked to call them Tom and Jerry. You being Tom and Atticus being Jerry and never was it the opposite. A small huff of laughter leaves him as he catches some of their argument. 

“You’re lazy!” “And you're slow!” 

He shakes his head. “Those kids are something else,” he mutters under his breath, middle finger pushing the round glasses up the bridge of his nose. 

Expectantly, he stares at the long staircase on his right as the door flings open. You stomp down the stairs with an angry look and he couldn’t help but laugh at his usually cranky grandchild. 

“Hi, Grandpa,” you greet a lot more cheerfully than you looked, and his heart warms.

“Hi, Pretty Girl,” he coos, his arms stretching wide for your embrace. His hearty laugh is muffled through his chest as you wrap your arms around his waist. “How was school today?”

“It was fine. Slow day,” you shrug. “Grandma needs a hammer. Where’s the toolbox?” 

“In the big metal cabinet back there. Just shout if you can’t find it; I’m heading to the bathroom.” 

“Okay.” You turn on your heels, twisting through the tables of equipment. 

The storage room was filled with boxes of everything from old furniture, family photos, decorations, and a bunch of other things your grandmother insisted on keeping. Grandpa always urged her to clean it out, the room so congested that the door only opens just enough for you to slip in but she refused. Luckily, you didn’t need to tango your way through stacks of items, the cabinet straight ahead. You felt silly when your own reflection scared you, not expecting an old mirror to lean against the space beside you. 

You search for a second, finding the hammer in plain sight. Grasping the head of it, you wiggle it out of the toolbox and shut the cabinet closed. About ready to turn on your heels, you almost missed it. You catch something in the corner of your eye, and it takes a second look to see what it is. 

Not again. 

A girl with ghastly gray skin and hair matted to her sunken cheeks stood a few feet behind you. Soft droplets of water dripped from her hunched-over frame, and her cold blue eyes burned a hole in the back of your skull. 

Your pulse roars in your ears. As much as you wanted to, you couldn’t look away. Her expression changed from a blank stare to pure bewilderment, and in her panic, she catches your gaze through the reflection. A shaky breath leaves you, watching in anticipation as her mouth opens wide. Slowly her chest fills with air, and your hands slap over your ears as a truck horn blares from her throat. 

As if released from a trance, you whip your gaze in her direction to find her gone. Even the droplets on the floor didn’t darken the concrete as you had seen through the mirror. Your eyes flicker across your surroundings. Though nothing revealed what you saw was real, the eeriness left behind was enough to get you moving, and you ran straight to the stairs without looking back. 

One would think you just ran a marathon. By the time you made it back to Cordelia, you were winded. Your heavy footsteps announced your arrival, and Cordelia turned around, her smile faltering when she caught sight of your puzzled eyes. 

“Oh honey, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Cordelia jokes, grabbing the hammer from your grasp. 

“I think I just did,” you mutter to yourself. 

Shifting on your feet, you admire the intricate arrangement your grandmother had put together as a distraction. She’s always had an eye for that kind of stuff. You wander a little to your left, curious to see the memorial photo perched on the mahogany stand, and the sight of it makes the hairs at the back of your neck stand up straight. That’s her. Instead, she wasn’t gray and wet. The photo seemed to be a graduation picture, and she gleamed with life, her skin sunkissed. 

You don’t know how long you were staring at the picture, but it was long enough for Cordelia to notice. “I saw her.” 

Cordelia quirks her eyebrow. Her heels click on the floorboards as she arrives at your side. “Did you see her around town?” 

“No.” You rip your gaze from the photo. “I saw her downstairs.” Cordelia opens her mouth, assuming you’d seen her in the casket, freshly put together for her service tonight, but you cut her off. “I saw her in the mirror downstairs, standing behind me.” 

There’s a short pause between you and your grandmother, the two of you pondering in careful silence. 

“You know…” she begins slowly, fiddling with a loose nail between her fingers. “Our family is from a long line of witches, honey.” 

“I know.” She smiles warmly at you, reaching over to rub your back soothingly. “You said my mom is a witch too.” “I did. A very powerful one. You and Atticus, all your gifts are credited to her.” 

The mystery of your mother was a topic that frequented your mind. Occasionally, your grandparents brought her up and often recounted the one time your father introduced her to them. You’ve heard the story plenty, but you yearned for more every time. What did her voice sound like? Where in your face did you look like her the most? How tall was she? Did she have freckles or a beauty mark? Did her green eyes have brown or yellow flecks? You wanted to know it all. 

They always tried to give you as much as they remembered and often asked your father to help them verify some details. You knew it was their way of ensuring you and Atticus didn’t forget about her. However, they never considered how hard it was to hear about your mom and never fully knew who she was.

“Dad doesn’t like talking about her.” 

“It was tough for him when she left,” Cordelia smiles sadly, her thumb stroking the back of your neck affectionately. “I don’t think he ever fully recovered.” 

“Why did she leave?” You ask, testing the waters. This is usually when the conversation ends, but you figured you’d give it a shot. Time and time again, you’ve asked the same question, but your family has kept this piece of information strictly confidential. 

Every time, your grandmother says the same thing as she’s saying right now. “You’ll know one day, but she had her reasons.” 

The disappointment on your face was evident, and she tsks. “Don’t give me that face, honey,” she leans her cheek on top of your head. “One day, you’ll know with age. Just not right now.” 

Not right now. You’ve heard it too many times before. What even was the hold-up? You would think that being 11, almost 12 in the fall, would be old enough to know this secret. If you think about it, you’ve been in the double digits for two years. You were practically a teenager at this point, and still, you were too young by their standards. 

“As for who you saw downstairs, seeing the dead doesn’t always have to be scary.” Cordelia’s voice takes you out of your thoughts, going from one frustrating topic to a daunting one. 

“I know. She just looked scary,” you frowned. 

“Her soul is restless, perhaps, confused too. I’m sure she won’t linger for long.” A shiver runs up your spine, and your arms wrap around your frame. It felt as if the simple conversation about this girl was summoning her. A voice told you you were psyching yourself out, but as your grandmother's eyes flickered across the room, you realized you were wrong. “I think I will speak with her.”  

More than happy to leave the creepy stuff to her, you nod and don’t dare look in the direction her eyes are fixed on. “Well, you have fun with that,” you giggle nervously, stepping back toward the back hall entrance. 

Cordelia sends you an amused smile. Maybe one day, you’ll be as courageous as your grandma. Many times she’s told her creepy, unsettling accounts of the supernatural after you and Atticus would beg them out of her. They always made you feel better about the memories of your own strange occurrences that filled you with dread. 

Weird things happened to you so often you had thought it was universal. However, after the kids in school called you crazy that one time in kindergarten, you quickly realized it wasn’t. Grandma’s stories reassured you that you weren’t losing your mind. However, it was quite an annoyance for your father. As much as you and your brother enjoyed a scary story, you always sought refuge in his room when the tales lingered in your minds well into nighttime. 

“I will.” 

You give her a thumbs-up before turning on your heels. 

“Oh, and honey?” 

“Yes?“

“Remember to light your candle for Lady Hecate. You forgot this morning.” 

Your palm flies right to the middle of your temple. All day you had felt like you forgot about something, but you couldn’t put your finger on it. 

“Okay, I will,” you say shortly. Quickly, you reach the brown door in the back of the hallway that leads you to the mahogany stairs. For a second, your eyes grace the entrance to Grandpa Theo’s workspace, and a shiver goes up your spine. It was in your head, but you bolted up the stairs, feeling like you were being chased. 

“How rude, not lighting your candle for Lady Hecate,” Atticus peers over the railing, and your eyes roll. “Even I remembered.” “Maybe if you had to rush out because someone decided to take forever in the shower, you would have forgotten too.”  

“No, I wouldn't because I’m better than you.” A squeal leaves him when you reach over to push him, hands missing his body by a few inches.

“Whatever lets you sleep at night,” you mumble. 

As always, Hecate’s altar is in your path the moment you reach the top of the stairs. You couldn’t remember a time when the table wasn’t settled tight in the corner of the living room, making it a staple of your childhood. The dark brown table with its offerings was an eerie sight for some people, but to you, it was comforting. Talking at the altar always brought you comfort; oddly enough, you felt heard too.

Right on the top ledge sits a bronze statue of Hecate. She stands tall with an extravagant crown on her head, her dress flowy and rustled under the cape over her shoulders. Her left hand holds twin torches, and her right has a dagger. At her feet are skulls and two dogs peeking from the back of her dress on each side. If the statue wasn’t daunting enough, the shelf right under held five candle holders lined up neatly. The sides are caked with long drops of black wax, except for the holder with the candle you forgot to light this morning. According to your friends, that made the whole setup creepy, not the offerings on the table. 

Those offerings included a bouquet of dried lavender sitting in a vase you made years ago in art class, and beside it was a board of dried bread, fruits, chocolate, and garlic alongside a wine-filled chalice. There are also small trinkets that litter the table as presents to your deity. One of them is a small Yoda figurine Atticus insisted Hecate would love. Finally, settled in the corner is a diffuser, the steam dispersing the scent of citrus and flowers. That combination of smells is one that you equate with home. A whiff of that anywhere could take to the memories of this table. 

“I apologize, Lady Hecate,” you say, pulling the box of matches from the drawer. “It’s Atticus’s fault that I forgot.” A smile emerges as you light the candle and throw the match in the little cauldron beside to snuff the flame. 

“Not true,” Atticus chimes in, his footsteps growing heavy as he emerges beside you. “Hecate should punish you for forgetting.” 

You roll your eyes. “Shut up.” 

Atticus leans on the wall next to the table, arms crossed as you dig for a clean cloth in the middle drawer. You dab some coconut oil on it to polish Hecate’s statue. “Today was the last day of school,” you begin, carefully rubbing the base. “Atticus and I only got in trouble once.” 

“It was probably because we were only there for three hours,” he concludes.

“For sure.” Moving the oil up Hecate’s dress, you hum softly. “I hope the summer goes by slowly. I don’t want to go back any time soon.” “Neither do I.” 

“And I hope we go on vacation like last year.” You bring Hecate’s ear close to your lips as if you were telling her a secret. “Persuade our dad to take us to Disney World this year.” “And Universal,” Atticus adds. “And Universal, please,” you whisper again, and your brother perks up excitedly. “You think she will?” “I think so. She gave Felix nightmares when we asked,” you and your brother smile knowingly, excited for the trip as if it was already set in stone. 

By the time you finished polishing Hecate, you and Atticus had already discussed all the plans for your trip. You would like to think her divine intervention was already at work, especially as you hear footsteps coming up the stairs before your father appears in the living room. “Hi, Dad,” you and Atticus say in unison, and the man smiles tiredly. He only had two lecture classes on Friday, but being up all night working on his latest academic project had taken all his energy. “Hey, kids,” he says sweetly, ruffling your and Atticus’s hair affectionately. Putting his computer bag on the couch and tossing his keys on the kitchen island, he doesn’t notice his twins staring at him. He must have felt the burning gaze, eventually looking in your direction. As he unbuttons the cuffs of his dress shirt, eyebrows raised at how your smiles stay frozen on your faces. “What are you guys so happy about?”

Stifled giggles release from your throats, and Vincent’s expression becomes increasingly suspicious. He’s not sure what those looks mean. “Unpredictable” already felt like an understatement for you two. “So, Atticus and I were thinking,” you pause for suspense, slightly enjoying the nervous anticipation from your father. “We were thinking that you could take us to Disney for vacation,” Atticus blurted out before you could. 

Vincent immediately snorts at the suggestion. “I’ll think about it.” 

You raise an eyebrow. “Really?” “Eh,” Vincent shrugs with a playful smile that tells you not to get your hopes up. At the sight, you and Atticus slouch, ready to beg. “You guys suggest it like it’s cheap.” 

“That’s why you’re paying for it,” Atticus says matter-of-factly, and Vincent couldn’t help but laugh. “Summer’s barely started, and you guys are already planning a vacation?” You and Atticus nod and his eyes switch between you, wondering how this idea came to be. “Let’s talk about this another day. For now, go upstairs and wash up for dinner. I’m gonna start cooking.”

Atticus sighs, and you mimic the boy beside you. It was a shot in the dark, but he’ll come around. You were sure of it. 

“Lame,” you say, the word drawn out, and Vincent shakes his head, amused, as the two of you disappear upstairs to your rooms. 

☆’.･.･:★:･.･.’☆

What is there to do? Sitting at the edge of your bed, you look around your room, searching for something to occupy your time. Usually, by this point of the night, you and Atticus were doing homework at the table and waiting for dinner. You could almost laugh at yourself. School is over for the year, and you’re sitting here wondering what to do besides a homework assignment that doesn't even exist. 

Your usual hobby of reading felt too school-like, and it didn’t feel like the right activity to celebrate your first night of freedom. Through your jack and jill bathroom, you can hear the plastic buttons of Atticus’s controller and his frustration when he loses his game again. For a second, you considered joining him, but that didn’t feel right either. 

You resort to plopping back into the bed, staring at the ceiling—small snippets of your day flash by, your mind skimming through them like pages in a book. Abruptly, the memories stop at your conversation with your grandmother. 

“You’ll know one day, but she had her reasons.” 

Your once-forgotten disappointment ventures right back. If you had a dollar for every time you tried to come up with possible reasons why she left, you’d be rich. Brainstorming every reason you could think of, you concluded the only one that made sense was that she didn’t want you and Atticus. Truly, what could be the reason for leaving you on a doorstep and never coming to see you again? Sometimes, it felt like your grandmother was bluffing when she claimed to know that your mother loves you very much and that one day, you will meet her. Those promises felt like things your grandmother said to convince herself or to uphold an ideal to refuse reality. 

Your father’s feelings about it were the most complicated part. Every time she was brought up, it was like he couldn’t bear to listen or speak of it like swallowing something rotten. Grandma said he was heartbroken, which added to the huge question mark of this situation. How could your mother love you so much but then leave and hurt your father in the process? It was just bizarre. 

If the day ever came when you got to meet her, you questioned what you would even say. You suppose you’d hear her reasons first, but sometimes when you thought of the scenario, you couldn’t imagine giving her the time. Though inconsiderate, you wanted to yell and tell her how it feels to be the only person in class without a mother. Sure, your grandmother was always there, and your father filled in the roles as much as he could. Still, it felt like there was something you were missing out on. 

Putting on a movie or submitting to the prospect of reading felt like a good idea now more than ever. At least then, it would pull you out of these suffocating thoughts for a little while. The moment you sit in your bed, you’re surprised to see your brother standing in your bathroom doorway. 

“Wha—” 

Atticus moves so fast, you barely process the moment he slings a small golf ball right in your direction. 

“Ow!” Rubbing the sting it left behind on your chest, you glare at him

“Give me the money,” he demands. 

 “Seriously? That’s what you did that for?” Atticus doesn’t cower under your growing anger, and he nods pridefully. “Yep.” “It’s not even your money,” you explain. 

“We split what we make; we agreed on it,” Atticus says, and as you open your mouth, he flings a golf ball at you once again. 

“Atticus, stop!” You screech.  When you decided you needed a distraction, this wasn’t the one you were hoping for. Of course, right now is when he decides to torment you for a measly 10 dollars. Both of you had two clients today, and charging Avery double meant you made more money. It was yours to keep, but here Atticus is claiming his half.

His high-pitched laughter fuels your rage, “Give it to me!” “It’s not yours! I worked for it!” With a smile you wanted to wack off his face, he secures another ball into the leather tab of his slingshot. “Stop!” 

You didn’t even have a chance, his eyes calculating the shot with ease, and he releases the ball. It flies right to the plastic cup on your nightstand, and there’s a clunk, juice running out in long droplets straight to the floor. 

I’m gonna kill him, is the first thought that crosses your mind. 

You hate mess. Your brother knew that better than anyone. Along with the pulse thumping hard in your ears is the echoing drips coating the wooden floor. The boards will get sticky, and so will your nightstand. The innocent bystander of the attack, your journal, is probably soaked, and who’s gonna clean it? You. Of course, you, and here he is, smiling at you like it’s the funniest thing in the world. “You’re dead!” You scream with a straight stride in his direction, and Atticus yelps, dodging your attempt to grab him. He manages to slip past you, his hand snatching the money off your desk on his way out. “Ugh!” 

Harmonious thumping footsteps fill the hallway, wooden floorboards creaking with every heavy step. Downstairs, the chandelier over the dining table shakes, and Cordelia's cup of tea ripples into circles. “They’re fighting again.” 

Right through the dining room archway, Vincent cleans some dishes. His hands pause their task, head tilting back and eyes close for a moment. The bickering never ends with you two.

Quickly, he wipes his hands with a dish towel nearby, his footsteps heavy as he makes his way to the bottom of the stairs. 

“What’s going on?” Your father’s tired call is just loud enough for the both of you to hear, but neither you nor Atticus gives him the time. 

Hot on his heels, you follow your twin into his bedroom. He makes a beeline into your shared bathroom and returns to your room. 

“I made that money myself!” Your anger bubbles in your core as every attempt to grab his collar fails. A harsh grunt of frustration leaves your lip, and a door slamming follows. You don’t waste time checking the door that shuts by itself, lunging at Atticus one more time, but alas, he quickly escapes and heads down the hall. “We’re business partners! You’re supposed to give me half!” After several more attempts, Atticus squeals when you finally get ahold of his collar. He falls back on the floor from your hard tug, arms tucking into his chest to cage the money between his hands. “Since when? We agreed we keep what we make, and I made that money!” Atticus squirms in your hold, his fist waving frantically. “GIMME!” 

“Guys! What’s going on?” Your father calls louder, and a loud crack comes from upstairs. It was so loud that you backed off from prying Atticus’s fingers, thinking he cracked a bone. 

Atticus gasps at your father's call, but he doesn’t respond. Instead, he laughs at your frustration. “You’re so ugly. You look like Grumpy from Snow White!” 

His hands catch your arms before you can punt him, and the two of you are wrestling as if your life depended on it, and in Atticus’s case, it kind of did. 

“Shut up!” You yell, then there’s a shatter. 

A painting on your left falls straight off the wall. Atticus gasps and tilts his head aside just enough for the frame to miss his face as it falls flat. When you’re distracted, he shoves you off of him, rolling on his stomach and crawling away as fast as he can. He tries to get back on his feet, but you regain your balance quick, and right as he reaches the top of the stairs, you grab his foot and drag him back. “Help!” He chokes out, reaching to grab the banister of the stairs, but it is too late. A groan leaves his lips as you climb on top of him. Straddling his back, your hand grabs a fist full of his hair and pulls back. “AHH!” 

“Gimme it!” “DAD!” 

“Y/n! Let go of your brother right now!” In your blind rage, you just notice your father standing with a disapproving glare at the top of the stairs. “He took my money!” You lean over to retrieve the bill from him, but he continues to wave his fist.

“It’s OUR money!” 

 “No, it isn’t!” 

“Is too!” 

“IS NOT!” A strangled yell comes from Atticus as you tug on his hair a little harder, causing the skin around his eyes to pull up. He looked ridiculous, but you are too angry to find any humor. “Y/n! Enough!” Vincent stands his ground, and your eyes snap at your father. You looked wicked with your glowing green eyes and a swirling aura over your head. Anyone sane enough would cringe at the sight, but his glare remains assertive and steady. “Let. Go.” 

The sternness of his tone brings you back to your senses, and there is relief in Vincent’s gaze at your dimming aura. You take your time, but eventually, you release your brother. 

“Now, without violence, tell me what happened.” Your father demands, leaning against the staircase railing. His calm and relaxed nature brings your mood down, and you rise from your spot. 

“Atticus took my money.” “It’s OUR money,” he says once again. The repeated phrase makes you so angry that you shove him back on the floor right as he’s about to stand up. “OW!” “Y/n, keep your hands to yourself,” Vincent scolds, and you huff. He sighs, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. “What money are we talking about?” 

“The money we made from our business.” 

Vincent raises an eyebrow at you. “Business? 

“Yeah, our tarot reading business.” “Tarot reading business?” He furrowed his eyebrows at your nod as if it was the most nonchalant thing in the world. “You two ran a tarot reading business at your Catholic school?”

“Um, yeah?” You shrug, and so does Atticus beside you.

It wasn’t that big of a deal. The nuns never found out, so who cares? The two of you were careful, only doing readings in the bathrooms or behind the bookshelves in the library. Maybe, it was a little wrong to do readings between the church pews, but it was only once!

Okay, maybe twice.

Actually, it was three times. 

Regardless, it’s not like the bible explicitly says, “you cannot use tarot cards.” The last time you checked the fine print, it wasn’t in the Ten Commandments.

Also, five dollars per reading was enough to get you guys all the candy and snacks you could need, so it was something you couldn’t give up. In that case, it could have been considered greed or gluttony even but those rules don't apply to you. After all, you weren’t even Catholic. 

“Pretty sure you shouldn’t be doing Tarot readings at your Catholic school.” “And I’m pretty sure pagans shouldn’t go to Catholic school, but here we are.” You mimic the beaming squint of your father but you backed down. 

Vincent sends you an expression telling you you weren’t being fair and your vision falters elsewhere. Catholic school was the only option after you and Atticus got expelled from the only public school in your area. 

It’s a long story, but basically, Atticus picked mushrooms from the forest behind your house for an art project, and you made the mistake of mentioning them to your friends at lunch. Next thing you know, Jackson makes a bet to eat the mushroom despite you and Atticus saying it was a bad idea.

One thing leads to another, and Jackson ends up having a bad trip in the middle of math class. It could have been worse. Better psychedelic than poisonous, right? Your principal disagreed and expelled you and Atticus immediately.

Vincent sighs, “Give me the money.” “What?!” You ask, and Atticus clutches the bills into his chest. “Give it to me. Now. I will keep it until you two calm down.” 

You furrow your eyebrows, “But—” 

Your father's hand comes up, stopping your words. “Atticus, give me.” Your brother sighs, begrudgingly handing it over. “Go to your rooms.” You move quickly at the command, not because you are eager to obey, but because you’re so angry you don’t want to be around either of them. You slam your bedroom door closed and Atticus’s door follows right after, leaving your father alone in a deafening silence.

The soft sigh that leaves Cordelia makes Vincent’s eyes shut tight. He didn’t even notice she joined him upstairs during the chaos. His mother stares at him in his peripheral vision as he assesses the damage you left behind. The only window in the hall is shattered. Again. Two out of three paintings are discarded on the floor, frames broken at the ends. 

“You’ve held it off long enough.” The floorboard creaks under Cordelia’s slippers. She tsks at the falling paintings. “I know you’re scared. I am, too, but they’re growing and getting strong. It’s time.” 

It’s time. Fear strikes his chest. Those words felt miles away once but not anymore. Vincent envies his past self and the privilege of tucking away the dreaded scenario.

The tiny babies he used to rock to sleep, the ones that glowed in his arms from the sheer power of their tiny wails, the two that snuggled against him when they were scared at night, were ready to leave. It feels impossible. 

Even now, after watching your legs and pride grow, he cannot wrap his head around how the two of you should go off to this camp, unlock your mother's powers, and learn to wield weapons. 

WEAPONS? Oh gods. 

The other day, Atticus stapled his hand, and you almost took a finger off trying to wash a kitchen knife. How will the two of you even manage with swords? Vincent senses an anxiety headache coming around just at the thought.

“Lady Hecate, give me strength.” The statement is drowsy but pleading. He needed all the divine intervention he could get. 

His twin's youth was slipping through his fingers uncontrollably like the shifting nature of water. Through his grief, Vincent tried to think of the benefits of their departure.

They won’t have to deal with the eerie entities they attract for the first time. Finally, no weird nightmares or occurrences, at least for a time. They’d learn to get their powers under control, which would be a blessing to his wallet. It’s going to be his third time replacing that window. They’d also get all the answers about their mother, who they’ve been dying to know about.

Cordelia always pushed her boundaries, telling them bits and pieces of who she was and snippets of memories of when Vincent was utterly in love with her. He didn’t like it, but he was grateful for it. 

It’s been over a decade since Hecate last graced him with her presence, and he still found it hard to talk about. He couldn’t help but grieve the idea of how different their lives would be if their godly parent were more involved. Still, he was glad they knew her as their patron. In a way, just like a mother, they did seek her out for solace. 

Despite all the positives, Vincent had to acknowledge it was also one step closer to becoming the people they were supposed to be. Whoever they were supposed to be.

The mystery of that drove him insane. Even aware that the trajectory of their life was up to the fates, he still prayed and hoped they didn’t end up like the Greek tragedies he’s spent years of his life studying. It was foolish, but praying was the only thing that brought him a faux sense of control.

With a feeling heavy as stone in his throat, he nodded to no one. It’s time, he thinks, the voice in his head far more certain than he felt.

masterlist my lobby: ♡

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

Pitch for a Quantic Dreams-style game:

The year is 1987. Hector Delgado, one of the most infamous drug lords in Florida, has been taken down by the FBI. His entire criminal enterprise has crumbled and anyone associated with him is now on the run.

(So, think of this game as being set after Tony Montana’s downfall at the end of “Scarface”)

You play as four different individuals, each with their own campaigns, who were all associated with Hector. The goal of the player is to make decisions that will determine if these people manage to get away with their crimes, get arrested by the law, or die trying to win their freedom.

The four playable characters are:

1) Harry Sanders: A corrupt DEA agent who spent years tampering with the investigation on Hector Delgado. He is portrayed by Iain de Caestecker (Leo Fitz - Agents of SHIELD).

2) Maria Delgado: Hector’s only daughter. She is portrayed by Odette Annable (Samantha Arias - Supergirl).

3) Miguel “Miggy” Sandoval: Ex-U.S. Army soldier who served as a hitman for Hector Delgado. He is portrayed by Manny Montana (Manny - Mayans MC).

4) Wendy Baines: A high-level stockbroker who handled Hector’s finances. She is portrayed by Ashley Tisdale (Sharpay Evans - High School Musical / also, see her video game work in House of Ashes).

/

/

Examples of how the storyline can branch out:

* Harry can frame one of his coworkers, allowing him to continue his position in the DEA. But if the player doesn’t cover all their tracks, then Harry’s plan fails and he is arrested.

* Maria is arrested and can agree to become a snitch, resulting in the attempted arrests of all the other protagonists. Or, if she remains loyal to her father, she manages to buy some time for the other protagonists to escape.

* In the climax, Miguel can choose to either flee the cops or stand his ground. Standing his ground will lead to his death, regardless of how well the player performs. The only thing that will be affected by standing your ground is helping other characters to escape (your actions still affect the non-playable cast). Fleeing the cops can result in either Miguel’s arrest, death, or freedom.

* Wendy can choose to change her identity or flee the country. Changing her identity will only work if she does all the necessary steps to do so. If she misses even one step, she’s arrested or killed if she attempts to flee. Fleeing the country will depend on the player choosing the right country to flee to. Choose the wrong country and Wendy can be extradited or killed by a rival gang that’s happy about Hector’s downfall.

[duskwoodgirl4life]

It's not how I wanted the chapter to go towards the end but due to mental health it is what it is

Trigger warning ⚠️⚠️ contains stronge language ⚠️⚠️

Chapter 6

Jake took MC home once they had gotten back home MC couldn't control her urges any longer. She pushed Jake up against the wall and kissed him deep her hands found their way under his hoodie. Jake's hands ran through MCs hair and the heat between them was rising. MC grabbed Jake's hand and pulled him towards her bedroom clothes flying off as they went.

After a few hours later MC and Jake both lay on the bed catching their breath Jake intertwined their hands. MC turned to face Jake still holding hands with each other.

Jake: MC, I know this might sound stupid but I need to ask you, will you be my forever?

MC: Of course I will Jake but only if you will be my forever too?

Jake: I can't say no to such a beautiful women

Just as they were about to share a kiss MCs phone buzzed, she leaned over to check who it was. It was Phil sending her another message begging her to meet up with him as he was in trouble.

Phil: MC please I am begging you I need your help so bad right now, I am in trouble

MC: why should I care if your in trouble we are not together anymore

Phil: please!!! This is important MC I'm in trouble with my taxes

MC: So what? You made your bed now lie in it I'm busy fucking my boyfriend

MC put her phone down and grabbed hold of Jake again, in a fit of passion their hands were all over each other. Later that afternoon after their intense activities MC and Jake were making something to eat when there was a knock at the door.

MC went to answer and the two officers from the other day, they had come back to let us know about the investigation. MC stood tomome side and let the officers in.

Officer Baine: good afternoon MC, Jake we are here about Phil

MC: Okay, just tell us when the court date is, we will be there but I promise we will be putting up one hell of a fight.

Officer Grant: Yes we are here about that but not how you think, the charges against you and Jake have been dropped

Jake: What!!! But now?

Officer Baine: while we were investigating Mr Hawkins we discovered that he was being investigated by another team for tax fraud

Officer Grant: we now know the whole thing was a pack of lies, you will not have anymore problems from him

MC wasn't quite sure what to think. She knew there wasn't anything good about Phil but to dodge his taxes that was massive. After Jake had shown the officers out he came back and gave MC a hug.

A few weeks had gone by, Phil had been arrested for tax fraud, he was still awaiting his court date. Jake's shop was busier than ever, business had really picked up, everyone recommended him and always left positive reviews.

MCs POV

The group chat had blown up again and it had been quiet for ages, news started pouring in saying Hannah had gone into labor. I fought to hold back from saying anything but it was becoming harder and harder.

Lilly was begging me to help, why I don't know what the hell does she really want me to do, ride in on a horse and say everything is going to be okay.

I couldn't hold back any longer and decided to make one comment and I would be logging off from the chat.

MC: Lilly what the hell do you want me to do? I am not getting involved in this shit, not after what Hannah and Phil did to me. Leave me alone and stop sending me messages. I am not interested in what's going on, okay!!.

MC offline

MC put her phone back in her pocket and went back to work, lost in what she was doing. She didn't notice that Jake had closed the shop for the day she came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

She could smell his scent. It was so intoxicating it made her smile as she held his hands. Jake took her hand and gave her a hug. He could see that she was stressed with everything going on.

Jake: It's going to be okay

MC: it doesn't seem like it, the group chat blew up before Lilly begging me for help just because Hannah had gone into labor

Jake: What does she want you to do?

MC: I don't know, I just told her to leave me alone and logged off

Jake: come on, let's go upstairs and I'll make us some dinner

MC: your so sweet, I love you

MC stopped in her tracks. They had never said I love you to each other yet, her whole body froze not knowing what to do or say.

MC: Jake, I..I…

Jake: I love you to MC

He walked back over to her with a smile on his face and kissed her deep wrapping their arms around each other.

The next morning MC and Jake had decided to have a lazy day. It was Sunday so they just stayed cuddled up together watching Netflix. While MC was picking another movie MC phone rang it was Lilly.

Jake: let me answer you keep looking for a movie

Jake picked up the phone and answered

Jake: Hello Lilly what's up?

Hannah: Jake? Is MC there?

Jake: What do you want?

Lilly: It's Hannah, she's having to raise the baby all on her own she needs MCs help

Jake: not a chance Lilly, don't you get what your sister did to her? Hannah slept with Phil behind MCs back

Lilly: I know, but I was hoping

Jake: Lilly stop calling if Hannah needs help you help her your sister, or better yet just get a nanny that way you can both go back to being the stuck up snobs you both are.

Before Lilly could say anything Jake ended the call and went back to MC who had found a movie to watch.

MC: thank you Jake, that was amazing

Jake: your welcome

MC: You know, I've got a much better idea come on

MC grabbed Jake's hand and led him into the bedroom, they didn't come back out till it was time to make dinner. It was MCs turn to make dinner tonight so she made a homemade lasagne with garlic bread. Jake had lit some candles and had a bottle of wine ready to pour into the glasses.

[crimsondomingo]

We return to fledgling vampire Ethan & Alpha werewolf Bash, who started the series! But fans of the starring MCs of books 2 & 3, not to worry, the whole cast gets their moments to shine.

Newborn vampire Ethan Lambert and Alpha werewolf Bashir Bain may have been an unlikely domestic couple ever since one of Bash’s prophecies brought them together, but destiny isn’t done with them yet.

With shifter culture shaken by the sudden surge of unknown vampires in their midst and attempted takeovers by werewolf purists, neighboring packs are already on edge. When ancient vampire Alexa steps out of the shadows to make her return to the top of the food chain—starting in Bash’s territory of Centrus City—the paranormal world teeters on the brink.

If they have any hope of stopping Alexa, they’ll have to do it before the last full moon of the year, and they’ll have to work carefully, because Alexa’s reach is long, and it’s impossible to know who to trust. To save their world and their relationship, Bash will have to find a way to show Ethan how he feels that leaves no room for doubt. Can they solve the riddles of their hearts and the ties that bind them before this latest prophecy spells their doom?

Preorder Here:

[didyoutrydynamite]

How often do the students utilize the two extremely incompetent janitorial staff, Mr Orange and Mr Maroon, to escape Sergent Gulch's ire?

Gene: Oh I see how it is. Let's put aside the fact that I don't have two birds nests of a clue who these "Mr.Dorian" and "Mr.Magoo" schmucks are, but since they're theoretically janitors they must be incompetents huh? "Oh you don't need a college degree to mop the floors, so must be for morons! Might as well hand a sponge to a monkey!" Is that it? You trying to say I can't do my job?!

Well listen here, I don't bust my ass six days a week cleaning this whole school full of hormonal teenagers and weapons of mass destruction all by myself just so MY hard work can be attributed to two Mc Doesn't Exsists. These are Eugene Bain's halls baby, this is MY domain!

As for helping out students. If I like em, I'll lend a hand. If I don't, screw em'. Anytime one of these brats get sent to detention, I can always go to Cordovin to let me steal some of them to help me out as they serve out their sentences. This school is huge you know?!

[intimidatingpuffinstudios]

Out of curiosity, if given the chance how would the RO's deal with Bain ( the one who tried to assault the MC at the field) ? ... Like who will make it painful and who will end it quickly ... Feel free to ignore it if it was asked before ... Wish you all the best and thanks for making this amazing IF

Straasa and Eledwen: Would make it quick (assuming the MC wants them to kill Bain, they leave it up to the MC)

Morkai and Daelynn: Would make it painful. Morkai would probably start with breaking bones, Daelynn would play with fire.

Manerkol: Would make it painful AND an example/warning to any poor fool that might consider treating the MC like that again. Like public torture/execution style.

[books-in-a-storm]

Snowflake Book Review’s

Title: Gator Bait MC #2 Good Trouble

Author: Lani Lynn Vale

Pages:245

Snowflake Rating:❄❄❄❄❄(5/5)

Synopsis: Bain met Diana, a.k.a. Luce, the night before he was set to deploy to Afghanistan. It’s not every day that you take your brother’s girlfriend to prom because he refuses to put out the effort. That night was one of the best nights of his life and the next day, he leaves and doesn’t see her again. But there are letters. Not many, but enough for them to form a connection. Over the two-year deployment, they became great friends. The best of friends—at least, as good of friends as you can be when it’s your brother’s wife. Fast-forward six years and she still counts him as one of her greatest friends. Even going as far as to stick by him when he’s sent to prison because his own brother turned on him. Luce had a crush on her then-boyfriend’s brother since way before she and Bain’s brother were married. From the moment he volunteered to take her to prom, she’d fallen. Over the years, she’d tried to hide it. Tried to go on with her life and act like she loved her husband and only her husband. But as time went on and Braxton started to treat her more and more like crap, she realized the truth. Her husband wasn’t Bain. Her husband would never be him. Hell, that’d been proven time and time again. The smoking gun, though? The thing that made her realize it was time to leave? When her husband stood by while she was assaulted, while the man she tried to act like was just a friend protected her. Then was sentenced to eight years in jail for it. It was time to admit the truth. Bain McDempsey was it for her. She just had to help him see it. Oh, and get him out of prison first.

[symphonicmetal101]

Gonna doodle the boys as their drinks and maybe even add a mc styled drink, love me some Cafe styled doodles ( I swear I'm gonna actually post these one day, but waiting for my tablet is the Bain of my existence 😔 )

- 🖊

Thats ok oh my god oh my god hi

Ok so idk if youre planning on staying but I'm just really excited to finally have an emoji anon lmao HIIII

I had a peacock/lucifer anon a whiiiile back but they disappeared

But bb listen even if you dont post them know that I love you and I appreciate you!!!

[plumeatypique]

POLLUTION NUMÉRIQUE ET RÉSILIENCE

En tant que membres de l'humanité, rien de moins, sommes-nous désavantagés ou avantagés par l'omniprésence du numérique dans nos vies?

Lutter contre l'hydre de Lerne, ou le dompter?

Depuis que le numérique est entré dans les chaumières, rien ne va plus pour certains et tout va mieux pour d'autres. En réalité, le problème n'est pas le numérique en soi, c'est plutôt notre utilisation à outrance de tout ce qui se connecte.

Désavantages du numérique. À bas le monstre!

La pollution numérique invisible

La circulation des informations, qui nécessitent une connexion à Internet, tend à augmenter, sans surprise, surtout depuis le début de 2020. Notre utilisation croissante d'Internet entraine une hausse des besoins en énergies fossiles pour alimenter les centres de données qui assurent cette circulation. L'utilisation des réseaux sociaux, les téléchargements de vidéos, les visioconférences, les recherches sur le Web, les achats en ligne, etc., font partie de notre quotidien. Nous consommons beaucoup d'énergie sans vraiment y penser.

La pollution numérique visible

Notre équipement connecté est bien réel et concret. Il se compose d'objets dont la fabrication implique l'extraction de ressources naturelles en quantité industrielle. Cette première étape de l'industrie du numérique provoque l'érosion de la biodiversité. Ensuite, le transport maritime, terrestre et aérien requiert du carburant polluant pour acheminer la matière première et le résultat de sa transformation. Enfin, l'obsolescence programmée mène notre équipement numérique au dépotoir, et le sol s'y trouve contaminé par les produits chimiques et les matériaux non biodégradables qui le composent.

Polluant, le numérique? Incontestablement, mais...

Marché du travail

Grâce au numérique, nous pouvons désormais occuper un emploi sans avoir à nous déplacer. Nous économisons donc en n'achetant pas de voiture, ce qui diminue la quantité d'essence dissipée dans l'air. De plus, le télétravail nous permet de conserver nos vêtements plus longtemps, et de ne pas nous sentir obligé(e)s de suivre la mode. Il en résulte une moins grande consommation de vêtements, ce qui est économique et moins polluant. Dans un article publié en ligne de L' Actualité, nous pouvons lire que « La moitié des vêtements sont jetés après un an, selon Greenpeace. Et les deux tiers de ceux-ci finissent au dépotoir plutôt que dans les boîtes de dons. Selon la fondation Ellen MacArthur, 2 625 kilos de vêtements sont jetés ou brûlés chaque seconde ». Le numérique a aussi ses bons côtés.

Divertissement

Comment ne pas être emballé(e)s par la possibilité d'écouter la musique des quatre coins du monde, en quelques clics seulement? Et que dire de la chance de pouvoir suivre de très nombreuses séries en ligne? C'est génial! Au siècle dernier, nous devions nous déplacer pour être en contact avec l'art. Les personnes qui ne peuvent pas sortir ont maintenant le choix d'un plus grand éventail de moyens de se divertir grâce à Internet.

Ne pas jeter l'hydre avec l'eau du bain

Soyons réalistes. Le numérique est là pour de bon. Il est inutile d'aller nous cacher au fond des bois pour fuir notre époque. Il suffira d'un coup d'oeil vers le ciel étoilé pour apercevoir des satellites. Au lieu de résister au progrès, apprenons à réduire notre consommation d'énergie à l'essentiel, réparons le matériel numérique brisé au lieu de les remplacer, et applaudissons le projet de loi 29.

Bibliographie

https://www.hydroquebec.com/a/decarboner.html

https://www.greenpeace.fr/la-pollution-numerique/

https://lactualite.com/societe/quest-ce-qui-cloche-dans-nos-vetements/

https://www.assnat.qc.ca/fr/travaux-parlementaires/projets-loi/projet-loi-29-43-1.html?appelant=MC

Image : https://unsplash.com/fr/photos/people-sitting-down-near-table-with-assorted-laptop-computers-SYTO3xs06fU

[duskwoodgirl4life]

It's not quite how I wanted this chapter to go but I'm to tired to change it now, anyway hope you all like what I've written.

Chapter 5

The next couple of days were still a bit awkward for Jake and MC but they just carried on. They had agreed to get out of the apartment for the day so they went and did some shopping. Then made one final stop at the rainbow cafa as they were sitting talking Hannah came in with Phil.

Phil: Hey MC how are you?

MC: What do you want, Phil?

Phil: Can't a beloved boyfriend ask how his girlfriend is doing?

MC: What the hell kind of drugs have you been taking? We have been broken up for over 2 months now

Phil: Please give me another chance

Jake: Are you deaf or just stupid? The lady told you to go away

Phil: And who's this then?

MC: He's my new boyfriend, Jake

Phil's eyes widened at hearing what MC had just said, in that moment Hannah came over holding her belly.

Hannah: What's going on baby?

Phil: Oh nothing, just having to explain to MC that I'm with you now

MC: What fuck!! You just came over here pleading me to get back with you

Hannah: Phil is that true?

Phil: Of course not baby, come on let's go somewhere else it's not good for you and the baby

MC: Jake, I'm so sorry about that I never meant to…

Jake: it's okay MC I get it I don't mind being your pretend boyfriend around Phil

MC: He's such a jerk I don't know what I saw in him

Jake: You saw good in him at the time just like you do with everybody

MC: that's night of you to say

After they finished their coffee they headed back to the apartment, Phil was waiting outside for MC to get back home.

MC: I am getting sick and tired of having to see you just go away

Phil: I can't do that MC I'm crazy about you I want to be with you

MC: No you don't you just don't want anyone else to have me

Phil: That's not true baby I love you so much

Phil moved towards MC pushing her up against the wall, his breath on her neck his hands were about to squeeze her arse when Jake stopped him. He pulled him off MC and punched him in the face knocking Phil to the ground.

Jake grabbed MCs hand and took her inside the apartment, making sure the door was locked. MC walked over to Jake and put her hands on his face and kissed him softly. There was a lot of heat in the kiss MC slowly moved away leaving Jake breathless.

Jake managed to catch his breath he pulled MC closer to him and kissed her deep with so much passion and heat. Their hands running through each other's hair.

They managed to break away trying to catch their breath, as they looked deep into each other's eyes. MC wrapped her arms around his neck kissing his cheek softly.

Jake: MC, will you like to go on a date with me?

MC: I'd love to Jake when were you thinking

Jake: I was thinking after the shop closes on Saturday, there is a fair coming to duskwood it could be fun

MC: I'd love to Jake I can't wait

The next morning MC and Jake were busy getting ready for the day when there was a knock at the door. Jake went to answer it and saw two police officers standing in front of him.

Jake: Can I help you?

Officer Grant: Can we speak to MC please?

Jake: Can I ask what this is about?

Officer Baine: if you could get MC please

Jake went into the kitchen to get MC she was busy making coffee and something to eat

MC: Who's at the door? I'm

Jake: It's two police officers they want to speak with you

MC: with me? But why? Oh god I bet it's because of Phil

MC went to the door where the officers had been waiting for her.

Officer Grant: MC a notice as been served for you to appear at duskwood police station please come with us

MC: What the hell!!!

Jake: She hasn't done anything wrong

Officer Baine: stay out of this please sir, come with us please MC

While one of the officers was reading MC her rights a call came through over the radio to arrest Jake as well.

The two officers grabbed hold of MC and Jake and took them to the police station, they made them both wait for hours before they interviewed them about what had happened. Jake was waiting for someone to get him out of the cell and talk to him.

In the Interview room both officers came in while MC was already sitting down, they put their files down on the table and sat down.

Officer Grant: Now MC on the night of the 25th September, a Mr Phil Hawkins had come to your apartment to drop off the last of your things. You wouldn't accept your relationship was over and you proceed to touch me Hawkins inappropriately.

MC: What!! That's what he told you? That is not what happened at all

Officer Baine: then please enlighten us MC tell us what happened.

MC told both officers what had happened that night, how Phil hadn't left her alone since they had broken up and how he kept texting her begging her to take him back. She also told them how he cheated on her and has now gotten one of her best friends pregnant. After MC had explained everything the officers let MC out on bail while they investigate.

MC waited in the reception area for Jake. She had lost all track of time, she must have fallen asleep when she felt a hand on her shoulder looking up Jake was standing there.

MC: omg Jake!! Are you okay?

Jake: I'm fine, don't worry about me are you okay?

MC: yeah I'm fine, what did you tell the police

Jake: I told them what Phil had been doing to you since you broke up and how he's not let you alone since.

MC didn't say anything, she just stood up and put her arms around Jake holding him close to her.

[hannibal-or-maybe-just-rex]

1968: Tony Palladino, cover illustration for Axe, by Ed Mc Bain.