#SO RHETT CODED THOUGH

[thewooziverse]

(from @h0neyfire) I’m just thinking- 😵‍💫

[saltsicklover]

Title: Fated to Run - Fated to Fly ꨄ︎ Part Two

Read Part One

Part Three Coming Soon!

Prompt from THIS ASK

Pairing: Robert "Bob" Floyd x Fem!Reader SOULMATE AU

Word Count: 4000+

Rating: T

Warnings: Swearing, Lots of Crying, Parent Trouble and Reconciliation, Insecurity,

We don't get to meet Bobby yet, I'm sorry!

My father's office looks the same. Honesty it has looked the same for as long as I can remember, and it's not just this office either. Every single one of my father's offices has looked just this way. Tan walls, that sort of sad, off beige color that every military installation, from this side of the world to the next, think outfit them so well. There's always a strong oak desk, sometimes it's pine, but either way it's always a sturdy piece of furniture that has no business around the thrown together particle board of the neighboring pieces.

My father has always brought in his own chair. It's faded leather is always well conditioned and it's warn in. Warn in just the way that when you sit in it, you can almost feel the ever lasting presence of the many years my father has sat in that very seat. He has hauled it with him all around the country, always in unaccompanied baggage so it would be sitting in his office and ready for him upon his arrival. He used to joke that if he made it there before his beloved chair, his time stationed there would be hell in a handbasket.

The day he got stationed at Top Gun as the Air Boss, that chair took it's rightful place behind the new desk. The same desk with empty drawers and too many files preemptively stacked atop it. But that's just how it is, right? After all, it's been that way since my father made Commander and things don't look to be changing anytime soon.

The decanter on his book shelf has been wiped clean of dust and fingerprints. No doubt filled with any run of the mill whiskey that may find it's way into my father's hands. It's an office staple, that decanter's about as old as myself, but the crystal still shines after 25 years, especially after a good cleaning. There's a bottle of good whiskey in the bottom drawer of his desk, sat beside a bottle of the best vodka he could find. Always ready for the COMPACFLT to drop by on a moment's notice, though the Admiral has never made himself known long enough to break it out.

I sit and stare out the windows, the ones that make up the back wall of his office. There's always windows, but strangely the size seems to correlate with rank. One might think it would depend on the building, on the base, on the climate or area of the world, but what I've come to find out is the higher the number on your Pay Code, the bigger your fucking office widows.

That, and the less time you have for your family. It seems the higher that Pay Code number, the more time I've managed to spend with clerks and assistants. More visitation with office windows and the low reflection that stares back at me as I try to focus on the air field. Aircraft take off and land, the service men and women knocking out their required flight hours as the sun moves its way throughout the sky. But still, there are times I catch my own eyes in that low light reflection, but there are less tears now. Or there had been, until that fucking incident at the airport.

Truth be told, I haven't stopped shaking. In that damn reflection of my father's office window I can see both my tear stained cheeks and the confused looks on Rhett and Jake's faces. The images twist together. It's all hurt, every last piece.

I'm sure the three of us would be a sight if we were all standing in the same place, the boys with those same lost looks, hurt flashing through there eyes, and me, red rimmed irises and damp skin. Skin that is already threatening to chap over from the way it stings. I should have savored the way they so fiercely defended me. The way they folded me into themselves and kept me safe. Isn't that what home is, if only so briefly? A lifted wing to a chick in the same way their kind eyes were to me. It's a shame, the way it all came crashing down with those four little words.

There's not even a part of me that doesn't ache when the memory of only hours ago runs through my head. Their touch still ghosts over my shoulders. Phantom fingerprints left upon my upper arms, still smoldering, smoking as they cool.

Friendship has to be written into the strands of the universe, it just must be. Hidden deep within the stitching, taking a back seat to the drips of ink that are marred into skin, so easy to see. Because if it isn't, my soul shouldn't feel this heavy. It couldn't feel this heavy. So it must be. It must be.

There's mumbling coming from just beyond the fire door of the office, voices that I can't make out by ear but I know those tell tale footsteps that can't help but get closer. My heart pounds in the same way his footsteps all but reverberate through the floor. The voices get closer, and closer, but I can't seem to focus on anything but the air field- the vision of my own red rimmed irises in the glass of the O-9 sized window.

"Sir, I'm trying to tell you that-" The words come through muffled then clear as the door nearly squeaks open. A call to DPW and those hinges wouldn't grind, but I know door hinges aren't exactly on the high priority list for a Vice Admiral.

"Birdie?" That damn nickname's spoken by my father, in that surprised tone that is just a little too irregular completely flattens all my resolve. The floodgates open, or moreover, they break, just as I turn to meet his eye.

"Hi Dad," The words come out too wet and too close to a sob, but we both just stand there looking at one another. In the time we stare at each other, the Earth has rotated almost two hundred eighty miles around it's access. Four hundred fifty kilometers in roughly fifteen seconds. His hand is still curled around the doorknob, the brass of the handle turned down just so. A Lieutenant stands next to my father, an apologetic look hung upon her features. The tightness of her bun pulls her eyebrows up, barely noticeable, but it makes her look a little more surprised, a little bit more of herself that's usually hidden under the mask, just barely breaking through.

It's another two hundred eighty miles before my father makes a move. He enters further into the office while the Lieutenant slips the door shut. I can almost feel how the handle must be warm beneath her slender fingers. The same warmth is rolling off of my hands; all of the nervous energy having nowhere to go but cycle out to my fingertips only to crawl back up my arms once more.

"Hey, kid," My father speaks after another moment passes, another few miles, "I- uh,"

There is so much hanging between us. After spending so many years arguing, instead of words left unsaid between us they all seem to be hanging in the air. Stiff and starched like a uniform collar, textured underneath my fingertips. The way they brush against my skin makes me itch as I inch closer. I wish to choke on them; on the words, longing for a moment that I had something else to say. Some sort of words found stuck somewhere between the tightness of my throat and the stickiness of my gums, lips dry and cracking under the pressure. Instead, they all still hang between us, a rickety old rope bridge while the few feet between us is a canyon's expanse.

The average argument lasts ten minutes, and families tend to have around a hundred arguments a year. That's a thousands hours of disagreements that stand between us over the last year alone. A hundred and twenty five words per minute. That's one hundred twenty five thousand words and I can feel each and every letter that hangs between us in this moment, thick between us like a fog. I can't seem to breathe.

The only thing that seems real is the hot tears falling down my cheeks and the sight of my father's downturned smile. There is so much pity there, or maybe it's remorse in the way one is remorseful for not appreciating a song the first time it's played through. It's the missing of the baseline and the way the bridge carries through to the end of the score. His eyes are gentle, in the way roses are- pricking, piercing from just the right angle.

"It's been a long time, Dad, I've missed you," The words have been hidden in the spaces between my molars, stuck there so long I barely recognized their honesty as they fell from my tongue. My lips catch on their sharp edges and I swallow down the acrid taste of bile and copper. Wiping at the new found streaks of tears, smearing them across the heat of my cheeks, my fingers come back tinged with watery mascara smudges.

"It's been too long, Birdie, sweet pea, too long," There's a slight hesitation in his tone, but it's all too genuine, in a way that makes my stomach turn. The nausea isn't new, not today. "How was-" I know he's going to ask about the last year, about the travel and the time spent in-between our arguments but I can't keep the words from slipping off of my tongue.

"I need to know about your Aviators," He stops, the words hitting him straight in the face leaving mouth hanging open mid sentence. His eyebrows scrunch with the narrowing of his gaze, the confusion evident in the way his head cocks gently to one side before he straightens it right back again. Parts of my father are slipping past the Admiral, like sand through fingertips, but he does everything he can to hold onto his hardened exterior.

"My Aviators?" There is so much hidden in the way the syllables crackle from his throat. He looks as though he has words still stuck to the roof of his mouth, words he keeps tonguing at to keep them hidden behind his teeth.

"I- yes," My brain is spiraling just a little to fast for my mouth to keep up. I can almost feel the way my nervous system is spiking, my neurons firing as my tongue tries to say the words in the forefront of my mind. The deep breath I force into my lungs does nothing to slow my thoughts, but my father's shoulders relax at the sight of my own shoulders dropping slightly. It's a shallow effort but it helps, if only a little.

"I met one of your Aviators today, at the airport," He nods in understanding, "Blond, tall, from Texas. Super nice. Said his name was Jake,"

"Jake?" My father huffs out, scrubbing a hand over his face. "A Texan with one of those shit eating grins?"

"He had a nice smile, if that's what you mean," I reason. The feeling of an impending argument is like static in the air, the hair on my arms standing on end as gooseflesh breaks out over my bare skin. That feeling is acknowledged with a quick glance between us, a look that has him moving closer to his desk. He picks up a framed photograph from it's corner before holding it out to me. I finally move closer, separating some of the distance between us. It's strange, being so close together after spending so long apart. I often wonder if that's how all children's relationships with their parents are after they grow up, or if my father and I are stuck in a unique form of perpetual misunderstanding. I take the photograph from his hand.

"This him?" He points at a man in the back row of the photograph, big smile and kind eyes. It's definitely him, that much I am certain of. There is just something so recognizable about that smile of his, the way the lines on either side of his mouth bend with a dash of mirth, bracketing perfect teeth. It's sick, really, how nice his teeth are.

There are a handful of other people shoved into the photograph together. Jake has his arm thrown around another man who sports a mustache and messy hair. That man looks at Jake like he emits pure light. Eyes squinted slightly with a smile too big to be contained with a closed jaw. That's Rooster. That's Jake's soulmate. There's no other explanation as to why the blond would be holding the other man so incredibly close, with his hands gripping into the material of Rooster's flight suit.

To Jake's other side is a woman. Her smile is smaller, almost practiced, but true joy emits from her eyes. With slicked back hair and sharp brows, she looks all business, like a woman not to be fucked with. But a friend, maybe? Her nametape is too small to read, but as one of the only women in the squad, she won't be too hard to pick out of the crowd. It's the man standing next to her that throws me. Another familiar face stands to her side, Rhett, only with shorter hair and glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. My eyebrows scrunch, mimicking my father's expression.

"Yeah, that's him," I confirm, my eyes still tracking over the faces in the photograph.

"Why do you ask, sweet pea?"

"I met a man on accident, really, his name is Rhett, and his friend was with him, this man here, Jake. We actually ended up on the same flight" I watch my father nod in understanding, one of his hands coming up to brush at his nonexistent five o'clock shadow. I huff, averting my eyes for the next part. "I might have had my soulmate sentence encounter earlier this afternoon," The confession is sheepish at best. I don't meet his eyes. There's no point. I know the expression he wears now and I know I can't handle it in this moment. There's already been enough crying.

"Was it with him? With Hangman?" I watch from the corner of my eye as my father's eyebrows knit together impossibly tighter. His voice is pinched at the callsign, lips tight around it.

"Yes, it was him, but that's not really the point, Dad," My eyes trail over him in the photograph again, but I'm pulled back to Rhett, confusion gnawing inside of my skull, just behind my eyes, "How old is this photograph, because this is Rhett right here, and he told me he wasn't military," I want to ask him if he really knows his aviators all that well, considering the lack of acknowledgement on his features.

"That photo was taken after their last mission, wasn't more than a few weeks ago, right after they all graduated their advanced training. It's recent, and there's nobody in that squad named Rhett,"

"There has to be! This is him, right here next to that woman. I swear it's him!" My fingernail, all chipped polish and sparkles, clinks against the glass, my father leaning closer to get a better look before plucking the frame from my gently shaking hands.

"Sweet pea, I think you're mistaken," His tone sounds like his words are treading a minefield somewhere deep in his throat. I can't help but cough at the thought. That tension bristles between us again, electric like a storm. My fingers knit through my hair to keep from chipping more of my nail polish from my already scraped up nails.

"That," My father taps the glass with his finger, "Is Lieutenant Floyd"

"Lieutenant Floyd?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Floyd," There's a faux confidence in his tone, the same one he used to use when he would call home to say he'd only be gone a little while longer.

"Dad," I raise my eyebrows as I finally swing my eyeline back up to meet his, "What is Lieutenant Floyd's first name?"

He sputters a bit, a hand rubbing at the lack of stubble on his chin. There's a sort of furrow to his brow, one I recognize, even if the rest of his features are laid out in a way I have never come to know. My father has always been a sure man, steadfast in his actions, information spread out in his brain easy to access. This grappling for an answer is unlike him, but it makes him seem impossibly more human. 

"Oh, Dad," The words are spoken with slight exasperation laced in the low chuckle that springs forth from deep within my chest. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I'll just ask the very nice Lieutenant who let me in earlier, she seemed... knowledgeable," 

I am met with the deep roll of my father's eyes, his hands no longer scrubbing over his face, instead he rubs carefully at his temples. His reaction makes me grip a little harder at my hair. It's stupid, this battle between us. Something left over from the strife of my youth; what we clung to with white knuckles and bloody nail beds just to keep a semblance of a relationship. It's all adolescent animosity stripped to adulthood anonymity, achingly arduous. 

"Honestly, Birdie," The words travel on an exhale, "I don't know his first name. Hell, I don't know most of them, especially if they don't give me trouble. I've always called him Lieutenant, barely ever needed Floyd tacked on the end,"

My father shrugs his shoulders unceremoniously, plopping the photograph back down onto the corner of his desk. He leans back into the long line of his desk, his usually pristine tan uniform wrinkling with the way he almost folds in on himself. My tongue flicks over my teeth as I fight the grimace I can feel rising over my features. I try and school my face back into pleasant nonchalance, much like my father usually does, however I think it's a skill better mastered with each star pinned to his collar. 

"Can I say something?" There's too much honesty in the way the words crackle out. I nod; it's easier that way. My hands find home near my hips, my thumbs tucked into my belt loops in a shallow attempt to keep from continuing the pull on my roots. 

"For what feels like forever now, it's just been you, your brother and I against the world. Just the three of us, and I know not having your mother has been one of the most challenging things, for all of us. I know there has always been this bond that Arrow and I have had, and maybe it's because he is my son, or because he decided that the Navy was his calling too. Either way, I know that there's a foundation there, one that you and I just don't have," I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I do my best to blink them back. The more he speaks, the more the sight of him swims. 

"But, I want you to know that even though you and I have struggled," There's a little trace of humor there, but neither of us comment on it, "I love you so fucking much, kid. So much that my chest aches. And I knew this day was coming- your soulmate encounter. God, kid, I am so excited for you, but so fucking scared because you're my baby bird and I don't want anything bad to happen to you, I love you too much," 

There are tears steaking down his cheeks, a sight I haven't seen since my mother passed away. It makes my own chest ache in turn, seeing the strongest man I have ever known begin to crumble. With two quick steps, I am in my father's embrace. His arms are warm, cradling me into his chest, my face into the sandalwood scent of his collar. The stars pinned there less of an obstacle between us, now. He lets a land run over my spine, palm flat to my back, the warmth pooling through my top.

"I'll love you no matter what, kid, even if your soulmate is some military rat like me," He laughs,  low and rumbling, into my hair. 

"I love you, too, Dad, so much," I mumble into his collarbone, a smile pulling at the corners of my mouth. I can feel my tears sinking into the cotton of his shirt, the tan darkening with moisture. He doesn't seem to mind, or if he does, he doesn't say a thing. We stand there like that for a while, embracing. It's my father who breaks the silence. 

"So, kid," He clears his throat in an attempt to hide the mangled bit to tears that still sits on the back of his tongue, "Tell me, how did it all happen? What did Hangman say?" The distaste in my father's tone is evident. I pull away from the embrace with a rueful laugh, one that stirs around that anxious feeling that's been ever present since the airport. 

"Well," The word is all sigh, "Jake, Hangman or whatever you call him, was on the phone listening to his voicemail and Rhett had asked him who the message was from, you know? It was a pretty long message," I babble out the last sentence, trying to get to the point, but the words are stuck somewhere under my tongue. 

My father just nods at me, allowing me the space to continue. Instead, I plop down into one of the chairs that sits in front of his desk, ones that are meant for official meetings rather than anxiety soaked realizations. I scrub a hand over my face before winding my fingers through my hair again, gentler this time. He stares at me, patient eyes and expression neutral. It's practiced, but genuine. I stare at he ground in front of my shoes when I can no longer meet his gaze. 

"Rhett asked who it was," I begin again, back tracking a bit, "And Jake looked at him and said Oh, it's just Bob and that was it. I've had these words on my skin for so long that I thought hearing them would be so easy, but Dad, I panicked," 

"Oh Birdie, it's okay," My father hums, giving me a small grin on the side of reassurance, "It's not always like the stories, the fairytales are just to give us hope, but that's not how life is supposed to play out. It's alright," 

"It gets worse," My words are wet, "I ran, Dad, I ran. I heard him say that and I ran out of the airport and into the first cab I could find. I came straight here, I didn't know what else to do. I didn't even stick around to figure out exactly who Bob is to Jake. God, this whole situation gives me as much anxiety as a baby on board a pond jumper, look at me, I'm shaking like a fucking leaf." 

"What did you just say?" 

"I said I'm shaking like a leaf, look at me!" I laugh, but it catches in my throat and comes out all gargled. I hold my hands out, watching the way they tremor at the thought of it all. 

"No, not that," My father shakes his head, "The thing about the pond jumper," 

"I dunno, Dad, it was an analogy," I reply, it's all furrowed brows and tired voice. as if it could be anything else at this point. I watch my father's expression turn quizzical, his eyes tracking though the air as if he's watching a hop. His nose twitches for a second before he schools his expression back. His hands tighten a bit around the edge of his desk, then he's clicking his tongue to punctuate a sort of silent eureka moment. 

"Come with me, kid, I think there's someone we need to go talk to," Then he's pushing himself form the desk and heading towards the door with the same conviction the Admiral meets everything with.  

"What?" I push myself from my seat but can't keep my shoulders from sagging. He's stopped at the door, turning back to offer just a hint more. 

"I think you and I need to go see Captain Mitchell," There's distain in his voice at the name. I bite at my lower lip, tucking my hands back through my belt loops. 

"Why do we need to see Captain Michell? Isn't he the man you can't stand?" I ask, following after him. The whole thing seems futile but a curiosity thrums between my ribs. We pass the nice Lieutenant's desk, her seat vacant, before turning down the hall. It's not long before we are out on the air field and heading towards one of the large carriers.

[jungle-angel]

The Animal Doctor Is In (Rhett Abbott x Reader)

Summary: You and Rhett love when spring comes, but it's also when the house is at its busiest

Warnings: Parenthood, animal care, Rhett being Snow White coded

Tagging: @floydsmuse @callmemana @attapullman @sebsxphia @bradleybeachbabe @bradshawsbaby @rhettabbotts

You and Rhett were always happiest when spring rolled around, the land bursting with green, the buds on the trees popping and the garden sprouting back to life.

The house however, had become busier than usual with the arrival of all the new baby animals both on and off the Abbott land. So far, your makeshift nursery had consisted of a little dairy calf, a piglet who had been the runt of his litter, a male and female chihuahua who had been strays on the streets and two bunny rabbits who had yet to be introduced to the hutch, both the chihuahua and the female bunny ready to birth their litters any day now.

You were hard at work trying to feed the little calf that you and Rhett had carried into the house after she couldn't nurse from her mother. She sucked back her bottle like it was going out of style which made you laugh a little bit, when all of a sudden, Rhett came in through the mudroom with a cardboard box.

"Any more coming in?" you asked.

"Yep," Rhett answered. "Box of orphaned kittens found down by the library."

You helped the calf finish her bottle and went to see to the kittens who couldn't have been more than a few days old. They were so tiny, mewing like crazy as Rhett looked them over.

"Oh my Lord," Cecelia chuckled. "What'd Grumpy bring home now?"

"Found'em down by the library, Ma," he answered.

"Alright," Cecelia said. "I'm gonna go get Birdie out of the barn and see if she'll take to'em. Zipper won't be too happy. I'd see about Tiny and Willie, but they've just had a litter and can't do it."

You both waited for Cecelia to come back with the male and female barn cats and sure enough, Birdie took to them as though they were her own. Zipper, her mate, had gotten a rather funny look in his eyes which made you both laugh.

All day long, you and Rhett worked away to make sure the animals got what they needed. It was tiring at times, but worth it in the end. Birdie and Zipper didn't once leave their little cat pen or the kittens, not even when you let the dogs and the calf out into the yard to do their business. Pinky and Alberto were comfortable and content in their little box until after dinner when Alberto came charging up the stairs, yipping for you and Rhett to come downstairs. In less than an hour, Pinky had given birth to ten pups, each of them tiny, but adorable nonetheless. Not long after that came the bunnies, leaving you and Rhett to stay up well into the night to help.

By the next morning when Amy wakes up, you bring her downstairs to see the new babies and for as much as she'd like to pet them, you and Rhett aren't going to let her since she's still learning to be gentle. Sure, spring is chaotic, but as far as you and Rhett are concerned, it will always be your favorite time of year.

[ughthisisntright]

Waves | Rhett Abbott x Reader

Summary: Based on a dream I definitely did not have; You and Rhett cool off in the unusual Wyoming summer heat.

Warnings: Fluff, pining, language.

Word Count: 802

“Oh, my God,” you grunt, making a show of wiping sweat from your brow. “The fuck is this heat?!”

The heat. Wyoming has been plagued by an intense heat wave this summer and it's left you melting day after day. The worst part of it all is that by the end of the long days helping Rhett around his family’s ranch, you're left with no reprieve. No swimming, no cool beverage, not even air conditioning. You're simply left to sweat and stick and stink.

Rhett, though, couldn't seem to care less. The heat didn't even phase him. And you resented him for it. A little. He only appeared to glisten on his forehead and get a little red on the tops of his ears and apples of his cheeks. No sweat stains, no complaints.

You'd been hoping the showers at the end of the day would wash away the disgusting feeling from the hours of work but to no avail. Your body never felt relief. And Rhett - oh, Rhett - he seemed tickled pink at your discomfort.

“You gotta quit complaining, Squirt,” he drawled from atop a stump. “Gonna make it worse.” That stupid smirk you loved so much appeared on his face.

“Squirt,” you spat back. “Why do you insist on calling me that?”

“‘Cause you're small,” he replied with a grin. “Well, smaller’n me.”

You'd been “Squirt” since you met him. He rarely called you by your name, and even then it felt weird. Still, it was fun to protest the nickname just for the sake of protest.

You finally huffed off your heat exhaustion and plopped onto your ass in the grass, looking up at Rhett as he took over what you were doing. You simply watched him, admiring the man you'd called your best friend since before you can remember.

The way his mouth curled into a smile before he said something dumb. The way his eyes sparkled no matter what, no matter where. The way those dumb jokes would cut through any and all tension. The funny way he tapped his fingers when he was thinking, almost like morse code for whatever is in his head.

You were head-over-heels for him. And you were scared.

Scared he'd reject you. Scared he'd laugh in your face. Scared that once the bandaid was ripped off, once the air touched it, the friendship would fall like a house of cards.

You knew none of what he thought of you. Just assumptions that you were his closest friend. The closest you'd ever get to him.

Or so you thought.

Before you even realized what was happening, what your body was doing to betray you, he was coming closer. He was talking about his brother - rambling, really. You'd never cared for Perry. Always gave you that pit in your stomach feeling. You weren't too sure why, but there was just something… off.

And all you wanted was for him to be quiet.

You swam up to him, his arms still outstretched over the edge of the pool. Maybe it was the sun, maybe it was your exhaustion, or maybe it was the fact that you'd been dying to have him for close to a year now, but you found the confidence in you to do what you did next.

You placed your fingers over his mouth to get him to shut up, or at least look at you. Your gaze flicked between his eyes, down to his lips, then back up to his eyes. You leaned in ever so slightly - Now or never.

“Squirt, what’re-” Rhett was cut off by your lips softly pressing against his in a tentative kiss. Stunned, he looked at your face so close to his, blurry and out of focus, but still gorgeous. The spot on your forehead where you kept picking anxiously over the last week, the scar on your eyebrow from a dog bite when you were a kid, and the funny way your nose wrinkles.

Then, it all hit him. But, before he could act, you were already pulling away. Stammering apologies and backing away too quickly. His eyes still wide from shock, you took that as a bad sign. Oh well.

“Squirt,” he finally rasped, his throat suddenly dry. “Come back here.”

Lips on lips again, Rhett ran his fingers into your hair. He pulled you close by your hip and pressed himself flush against you. He tilted his head slightly and slipped his tongue into your mouth, the kiss becoming impossibly deeper.

Your hands landed on his biceps, but they slowly slid upwards into his hair. You fisted the hairs at the base of his head - wet from the sweat and the chlorine from the pool filling your nose as you pressed it against his face. It was a dizzy, wanton kiss.

Finally...

taglist: @sebsxphia @beardedladyqueen

[asherlockstudy]

Wonderhole E2, E3 & E4

I am going to write about these three in the same post because there is significantly less to write about episodes 3 & 4 than about the first and the second episodes and even last year's monthly videos. I am hoping there will be more to discuss in the upcoming Red vs Blue episode. I wonder whether they considered the Flight Simulation and the Time Capsule so "heavy" that they decided to ease it a bit before the finale. I guess we will find out soon.

We Time Traveled to the Year 2224

Certainly, the Rhinkiest of these three episodes and the one which certainly belongs to the One Story saga.

Rhett and Link decide to pursue extended longevity and eternal life. Rhett explains how they just have to survive in a good condition for 20-30 years more and then they will be able to achieve it. At face value this is not exactly Rhett's crap by the way. I was reading a book about the progress in geriatric medicine and this was stated there; whoever makes it to twenty years from now will hopefully have a lot of new age medicine available to delay growing old and the health issues associated with it.

This episode has some of the most lewd jokes Rhett and Link have ever made. However, they are often given so offhandedly that I did not see much seriousness, any significant symbolism in them. For example, yes, they suck anal toys (Link sucks Rhett's heavily used one) but this was just meant to be an adult joke, I'm not gonna derive any meaning for their relationship through this. Another example is Rhett's titanium - tight ass or the "I don't think I can last much longer with you inside me".

"From journeys long and miles worn, within these walls you are reborn. When weary soul sole is stripped away, whether from work or whether play, come to me with offerings and I will show you fresh new strings." Now, that's more interesting. Rhett points out that there is a double meaning in this. This totally reminds me of the concept of the Bahau Moon riddle, although there the allegory was a little different. Here it is nowhere as serious but it remains 100% sexually coded.

There are two mentions of their wives, one is that they are waiting for their wives "to be thawed", the other is that they both look distressed and uncomfortable when the letter from their past selves assumes their families are doing all right. My speculation is that their wives' bodies were cryopreserved until a revival became scientifically possible. So they are waiting for them to be thawed but it has not happened yet. What does this tell us though? It tells us that whatever knowledge or decision they had to make to achieve eternal life, they shared it with each other and not with their family members. Somehow, there was a choice made or there was a consequence that led to Rhett and Link living forever together but the revival of the wives, maybe even the children, was desirable yet secondary, optional. That's... that's something, for sure.

Did you guys notice the name of the shop next to the shoe repair shop? Their commitment is crazy:

We actually do get some pretty interesting themes here. Rhett and Link visit a shoe soul sole repair shop and the owner promises to keep their clue for the time capsule hidden inside a treasure box, protected very well. This just seems to hint at somebody keeping a secret very well and Rhett and Link completely trusting them to keep doing so. Is the time capsule an allegory for... truth? The official premise (or whatever it is) seems to further support this:

Keep it buried... as long as possible.

The next clues lead them to the desert, the same desert where they dug the medium (and the huge) sized holes. They even wear similar outfits; some of the garments are the same and some are changed. This was clear homage to the Hole Digging video. Besides, Rhett and Link have said there is connection between all these videos (although they probably have made it too hard to discern this for their own good).

There they pick up a fight, disagreeing about the direction they should follow. Rhett prefers the one way, the main way, the standard way pointed by the play button, whereas Link argues they should try "all the ways". The argument escalates and Link screams how Rhett's longevity idea has stuck them into an eternal hellscape (the 2224 universe seems to be particularly unfree and restrictive). Link also adds he 'd rather be with Rhett at their pod watching a sequel of Fast & the Furious than in this adventure, hunt and all, which must be 2224's equivalent for domesticity. Link protests that Rhett is not always right but he simply never changes and in his fury he missteps and falls from a cliff to his death.

During Link's last moments, Rhett desperately considers carrying Link to the nearest cloning facility and put his chip to another Link, a loud nod to their Sketchtober 2015 BFFs video. With the very subtle prompt "Put me in you" Link implores Rhett to put his chip in him, in an attempt to rescue his consciousness. Rhett complies, so he tries to save Link. We return to the One Story tropes (not that we ever left them with this one) where Rhett needs to save Link from something and like we will also see here the only outcome is that Rhett gets destroyed as well. Rhett finds the treasure box only to see there was a whole lot of nothing inside it. In a deteriorating condition he returns to the former grounds of Mythical where the semi-android hacker working there gives him two options: a) they yank Link's consciousness chip out and he's gone forever but Rhett lives on or b) they yank out both chips which have merged and become one and save them in a deadlock in a hard drive.

A deadlock is a situation in which two computer programs sharing the same resource are effectively preventing each other from accessing the resource, resulting in both programs ceasing to function.

Rhett opts for the latter. He sacrifices his life and follows Link. Meanwhile, the hacker indeed saves their consciousnesses - which have become one - in this deadlock, "alone" in a hard drive and hides the hard drive in the previously empty box. They place the box in a dusty shelf and there is this implication that nobody will know or care about this ever again. Also, the fact that it is a deadock is important as well: we have two consciousnesses operating like computer programs which are apparently assessing data differently and this leads them to a deadlock that neutralises them both. So, to bring this to reality, the reason there is so much delay or nothing happens at all is because they have completely different mindsets about what's to be done and how it should be approached. This is actually something we have discussed several times before, how they seem to be on a totally different page.

Beyond the interpretations that can be made for this, we see again a conclusion that we have seen before in several scripted videos. In Hazel, they end up trapped in the woods of the middle room for eternity, in the Brown Diamond they remain trapped to the Bahau Moon to their deaths, in the Unhaunted House they are murdered inside this house without any witness. We have this theme of their souls, their consciousnesses, sometimes even their physical bodies being trapped together, as one, forever without anyone knowing.

So, if we attempt to connect all these pieces together, first of all we get the "wherever you go, I go", the timelessness, the forever. This is a promise to each other, they will be together forever. Then we also have the buried time capsule, which Rhett wants to keep buried for as long as possible, which eventually leads to a long, torturous life that frustrates Link deeply. Link tries to distance himself from this situation but he falls to his death (because it's impossible for him to just let go). Rhett has the choice to go on on his own but instead he opts to try and save Link or die along in his efforts, which is what happens. Ultimately what remains of them is their love, their joined souls, consciousnesses and how they poured their truth in their creation and although it endures forever, it is for nobody to see.

Again, this is the classic story arc we see in most of their scripted videos. Whether it is because he loses control (Digging a Medium sized Hole), memory and freedom (Hazel, TLCOBC), his very life (UnHaunted House, Time Capsule), Link needs to be saved by Rhett but Rhett falls in the trap even more deeply and condemns them together.

Regarding the emptiness of the box, an Anon I just received has a great interpretation that finds me very agreeable, I am linking their mail here. What I will write here is basically the same or very close to what they describe, maybe with a slightly darker twist. Throughout the video, we have the concept of time which seems to be eternal but is not (at some point Rhett says about eternity that it feels like "you have too much time yet not enough") and even though current Rhett and Link seem to be amused by the idea of a scavenger hunt for an empty box, the surviving future Rhett found it disappointing. We can only imagine how mad it would make Link, had he not died already, because he was already frustrated and angry for the hunt alone, so he would probably be furious if he saw what the "reward" was. Moreover, Link puts the blame on Rhett for all of this and it's true that Rhett came up with this idea.

It's like an allegory for Rhett who has this drive and ambition for their career, their creativity, a life of adventure in this context and with this obsession he overlooks and delays other things that in truth may be more meaningful. Years will pass and Rhett will be looking for his masterpiece, their peak creation, recognition and eventually they will go, retire, withdraw, die and nothing will remain behind except for their love, the connection of their souls, which was what was truly timeless about them yet it was the one thing that was kept buried in a box in the dust and never brought to light properly. In the end, nobody appreciated it for what it truly was, neither an observer nor they, for they wasted their time delaying it and trying to find meaning elsewhere. By "they", let's be real, I mostly mean Rhett.

To my understanding this is self-reflection, maybe also a critique of Rhett to himself, a warning of what could be coming, something that Link seems to have notified him about multiple times (the e-mail, everybody?) but maybe it's poor timing to say this now, I sense there is a lot of distance to be run still from theory and creativity to actual action. This video alludes to a reality in which the action was not taken.

We Went to Extremes to Drink a Cloud

Episode 3 is not as heavy with meaning and symbolism. It is surely a "retelling" of their childhood dreams and their commitment to bring them to fruition. Young Rhett and Link promised to do something great together when they grew up and drinking a cloud is likely the symbolism of this struggle. They try a lot, in many different ways, but it's never exactly what they are looking for. In the end they are very happy they managed to do it, although the method they employed seemed very underwhelming and fake to me, which might be the point, I don't know. Of course this is a huge part of their relationship; achieving something great together. It's just that I did not find anything to mention beyond this, except of course for the very heavy deepthroating insinuations when they were drinking the fog.

Now to the important stuff, will the Fog Chasers song be released? SOON PLEASE???

We Chopped Down a Tree with a Peanut Butter Axe

To be honest with you I don't want to write about this episode because I don't want to watch it again. Not because it made me emotional but because watching the squirrel family again is equivalent to torture for me. I am sorry but I actually really disliked this episode. Fortunately, there is still not much to say here either. Or maybe I did not notice because I was impatient to be done with it....

The episode is largely a tribute to Ben and it offers this exposition they had also done in a very heartfelt Ear Biscuit episode. In Ben's memory they chose to chop down a tree in their state with a peanut butter axe made by their university; peanut butter because Ben died from testicular cancer and tree chopping because Ben thought it was fun.

The only thing I wonder is whether there is any meaning with what happens with the squirrel family and whether it is a side story not associated to Ben's life. I wonder this because Rhett and Link seem to have thought about it thoroughly; the tree would go down anyway, they will plant 1000 trees in its place, so it's all good. Even though they have thought this through, it turns out there will be victims due to their decision. A flying squirrel family, with a non-winged squirrel stepfather whose home is obviously going to be destroyed. Rhett and Link cause the dissolution of this family and this is what I find interesting. The kids eventually try to see the positive side: they are close to adulthood anyway, so they choose to leave home behind and start their own lives. The stepdad, the non-winged squirrel, literally opts to stay at home and die. The mother squirrel tries to change his mind but it's not like she's losing her mind about it to be honest and soon she goes too and leaves him behind. Who the stepfather squirrel stands for - if he stands for anyone in the first place - I cannot say. But I did find interesting this side theme of Rhett and Link's action basically leading to a family falling apart and everyone taking a separate path in life (or death).

One Story Masterlist here

[sebsxphia]

Pretty When You Cry by Lana Del Rey is soooooo willoughby!rhett coded. My poor baby won’t ever heal from little lamb and preacher!rhett (sorry I’ll literally never get over these three)

OHHHHHH GOD JENNA YOU WENT STRAIGHT FOR MY HEART WITH THIS ONE 😭😭😭

no because you’re so right baby! i mean firstly, he is so pretty when he cries and secondly, “i’ll wait for you, babe. you don’t come through, babe. you never do, babe. that’s just what you do.” he’s waiting for them to come back, even though he knows that deep down, they’re never coming back. our poor baby is never healing, is he 🥺

“like my memories, i don’t need that.” is him going through the five stages of grief and predominantly anger here. he would be so angry and that’s when he throws the letters in the river, telling himself he doesn’t need them anymore. he absolutely regrets it later.

“all those special times i spent with you, my love. they don’t mean shit compared to all your drugs.” for a complete 180, if we’re thinking about the preacher’s daughter album in general, i see isaiah/rhett as he drugs ethel/willoughby? do you see the vision? if it makes no sense, i completely understand 🤭

thank you so muchhh for this baby! 💌

[msfbgraves]

The fill where Daniel has a breakdown after their return home from the “save our marriage trip” was one of your best and also one of my favorites! I do have some questions though, if that’s okay. (If not, please ignore this ask!) :3

(He swallows, nods to the room. "I can't be there alone,)

Is Daniel unable to relax in their bedroom by himself? Is he okay being there with Terry (the irony of that), or can he simply not sleep at all in that room, which is one of the reasons he is so tired and sleeps on the rug in the kids room? 

("So leave." 

They're both frozen still. Then Terry lifts his chin. "I will never do that.")

I mean…yikes. Does Daniel…or at least a part of him…really want Terry to leave? Like, permanently. As in a divorce? Not that Terry would ever allow that…

(Daniel stares at him. "I could go to my parents -" )

Does Daniel mean permanently, or just temporarily? 

(He puts a hand on his shoulder. "That did not stay Klytaimnestra's hand." 

Daniel puts a hand on his belly. "You did not kill my pup.")

I don’t get this exchange. Who is Klytaimnestra, and what pup was killed??

(At those words, the tears come. "It hurts, Terry, I'm so tired.")

Does it him (them actually) physically or simply mentally? Is there some bond between mates (Alpha/omega) where if something like this happens, they feel physical pain?

This was a really excellent fill. I do have to say though, it breaks my heart to see how hurt Daniel is. He is so very loving and incredibly sweet, and gave everything to his marriage, loved his husband so much—and it still wasn’t enough. Arghhhh. 

I wonder, after reading this, does Daniel feel afraid to sleep with Terry after the rape? Especially in their bedroom where it happened. And well, especially during those times when Terry returns after a “job” and the sex is implied to be rough. Does Daniel have to tell Terry it’s okay to be rough, or does he just kinda grit his teeth and get through it? 

If this had been another world, Daniel should have divorced and set the law on Terry for the sheer horrible brutality of what he did. But in this AU, Daniel has the enormous capacity of his love and omega nature to guide him through this. And yes, his husband too. Terry loves and adores him to the point of insanity. He cannot function without him at all. It just took the most evil deed to figure that out. Sigh. 

Great story. This fill (and the other one where Daniel learns of of the cheating no code to in the car) reminds me of this quote from the end of the Gone With the Wind movie where Rhett leaves Scarlett for good. 

"My darling, you're such a child, you think by saying ‘I'm sorry’ all the past can be corrected." 

Love hurts! 

Terry is Daniel's mate, which means their Alpha and omega side are incredibly closely connected. Any omega mate will instinctively find comfort in their Alpha, so if Daniel does feel stressed, his lizard brain instinct will look for his mate. Which means that indeed ironically, when Terry is there, his instincts will shield him somewhat from the fear of, um - Terry. It's not logical. But to be there in the bedroom alone, at that point in time, with no Terry there and a lot of memories, it's hard to relax. Maybe he's not been sleeping well, that's why he's so tired, but being tired can also be a trauma response when your grief and fear seeps into your body.

Daniel would love to have the normal option of divorce, yes. He's been trying to get Terry to leave him, something that Amanda picked up on within a few days. He feels that he could move in with his parents, but Terry is right, if that were an option, which it isn't, they'd probably marry him off. In fact, after the cheating reveal, Michael has been actively scouting candidates, because he thought that Daniele would surely want to kill that scumbag now. How could he not? Except, you know - if divorce is not an option, murder also isn't for Daniel. And now, here, since Terry straight up asks what he's thinking, he does blurt it out. But that's simply not something Terry will even consider.

In the legend of Trojan war, which started because Helen, wife of Menelaos, was either kidnapped or ran away with the Trojan man Paris, Klytaimnestra is her sister in law. When King Menelaos, incredibly butthurt for losing his wife like that, went to his brother King Agamemnon and declared he had to go to war against Troy with him to restore his honor, Agamemnon was like, 'cool, of course I will kill thousands of soldiers to restore my brother's pride.' Whether or not his wife Klytaimnestra was OK with that, the myth doesn't ask - in ancient Athenian culture, women had some protection but absolutely no say in anything. And the writers knew how infuriating and constricting this was. Was their marriage a love match? Who knows, who cares? But they do have children, three girls and a young son, Orestes. So, Agamemnon decides he wants to go to war, but in the process, he has the goddess Artemis against him (the gods had taken sides, given that the people in the myth were often blood related to them.) So she decided that the winds will not blow the ships to Troy, unless - Agamemnon kills his eldest daughter Iphigeneia. Who is just a girl. Agamemnon is like 'Well, if that is what it takes.' Again he has no stake in this, other than his brother's pride. So he sacrifices her! Whether or not the sacrifice actually went through, the myths differ about, but even in the kindest tellings Iphigeneia is whisked away, never to be seen again by her parents.

Klytaimnestra snaps. With her husband away, she takes a new lover, and her third daughter Elektra, being a Daddy's girl, is like: "O you can't cheat on Daddy!' Klytaimnestra is like: "He killed my child, fuck that dude!" And when Agamemnon returns, she kills him. A lot of the myths focus on Elektra and Orestes' revenge for sweet Daddykins, but other Greek writers also thought: "No. No, fuck that dude. Klytaimnestra is 100% right." But this deed, however you may feel about it, does cause a rift between Klytaimnestra and her children, that's why Terry references it. Who should they be loyal to, their father or their mother, given that they love their father who did something terrible to their mother?

To go back to Terry and Daniel, what Daniel is feeling is the full force of the body horror of the rape. When something horrible happens to your body, there is often a delayed response. You wouldn't survive if you felt everything immediately. So ironically, when your brain and nervous system signal: "Alright, we're safe now," they immediately go: "Right, we have a backlog of pain to feel. Trauma dump incoming!" Especially when your body is a little weakened, as it is even in omegas during pregnancy, the full force can swamp you, and that is what Daniel is working through. And no apology can take that work away from anyone. The only way out is through.

Now what makes Terry is special person and a special man is that he's actually quite in tune with other people's feelings. He is very, very soft with Daniel after this. So there's no rough sexytimes for quite a while. Problem is they both like it on the rough side, and Daniel misses that, under the fear. And this is where Terry really is quite extraordinary. Most raping husbands would not self-reflect about that. He does. It doesn't excuse anything, but that is the one redeeming quality that allows them to hold onto each other - he really changes his behaviour, he knows when Daniel is trying to grit his teeth and bear it and he doesn't let him. And he knows what Daniel likes, still. Danny simply needs to feel safe enough, and cherished enough, to feel his way through the pain back to him.

Like, most people who do this to their spouse would be incapable of recognising and changing their behaviour, and that's why they end up with rat poison in their food, not a second chance at love.

"My darling, you're such a child, you think by saying ‘I'm sorry’ all the past can be corrected." 

That's the difficulty. Terry can't do all that much to correct this. Just like in canon, he chose power over love, and just like in canon, he has no way of amending it and is haunted by it for the rest of his days. It'll have to come from Daniel, all the work to heal from this, and the fact that he gets himself through this tells you of his strength. Klytaimnestra didn't choose that path, and Terry is saying that he understands it if Daniel can't take it, but he'd rather risk that than live without him. He lives with danger every day. But living without Daniel - he can't, he loses his goddamn mind. And if he had understood that before, he'd never have raped him.

But he was arrogant, and butthurt, and entitled, and petty, and he underestimated Daniel and what he meant to him. Who loves the air they breathe? Who spares it much thought? No one. Take it away, though, and you're not long for this world.

[lallyloo]

In the recent GMMore "Are these TikTok challenges real or fake" , what is happening between 19:22 and 19:25 ?? Is this a code they have? So weird and random... I'm aware it's a silly thig to fixate on but still, it's been bothering me. Any toughts?

Okay. They're moving onto the next challenge and Link looks over at Rhett's sleeve and grabs it.

And he gives it a little tug

Rhett turns back and looks down at his sleeve, and then moves in closer and focuses on what Link is doing.

WHY? I literally have no clue. I watched it several times, including a couple times in slow mo, and I don't know. I thought maybe Link was picking something off his sleeve (Rhett threw a nut, Link had a coughing fit and then inhaled the coffee grounds, so maybe something landed on Rhett) but I skipped back and didn't notice anything landing on his sleeve.. It really looks more like Link was just trying to get Rhett's attention. (Or maybe it was just a random action? Like, 'look at that new mythical shirt', tug tug. Idk)

They've given each other little signals before, like in this video around 8:35, Link tips his head at Rhett (which makes Rhett's head tip too) and then mouths something.. and I've always wondered wtf he was saying to him..

And there's this video where they do a lot of nose touching, especially when Rhett seems uncomfortable with the question, and Link calls him out and turns it into a joke (even though it feels very much like a genuine signal between them and Link knows it).

So was the sleeve tug some kind of signal? Maybe. But I really have no idea. 🤷‍♂️ They're on camera, so they likely need to signal to each other sometimes to avoid having to cut and restart a segment. But maybe someone else has a different interpretation?

[attapullman]

Mo-Mo my love, I come bearing some freshly baked and rather unhinged little thoughts for you (lol).

-Easter's always been a big thing for Rhett and his family, more so ever since you guys adopted Amy from birth. Every year you guys make it a habit to either make or buy her a pretty little dress for spring and she always looks so cute. But oh are you guys in for it when she digs into her candy and starts running around like the Tasmanian Devil (she's also been known to make the same noises, lol).

-If we're gonna talk about Rhett being Snow White coded, we have clearly not talked enough about the bunnies that live in the hutch that's attached to the barn. They're super soft and cuddly and you and Rhett like to spin the fur that they shed into yarn. Rhett even named them after the bunnies in Watership Down (Hazel, Strawberry, Clover, Bigwig etc.) even though he still hasn't forgiven his aunt for traumatizing him as a child with the movie (lol).

- Abigail, the ranch's dairy cow, came to the Abbotts on Easter Sunday with her mate when Amy was born. Royal was a little unsure as to whether or not they'd be able to handle her since she had to be milked at all hours of the day, more so when they found out she was pregnant. Lo and behold, Mothers' Day rolls around and Rhett and Royal are shoulder deep in a cow, delivering not one, but TWO little black and white calves. When they're out in the pasture they literally will follow Rhett everywhere (lol).

-Rhett's favorite character in The Hobbit is Radagast, the crazy wizard who lives in the woods, and like the wizard, Rhett literally attracts the weirdest creatures. Chipmunks, squirrels and hedgehogs love to fall asleep in his hat and birds know him like he's one of their own when they frequent your birdfeeder. Sometimes a bear, fox or a bobcat will come lumbering across the property and will just look at him before running away (one time a momma and her cubbies actually waved to him on their way back into the woods, lol).

I'll leave it there for now Mo-Mo, I'll probably be back with some hilarious stories about when Rhett adopted an orange cat named Garfield, those shenanigans are definitely worth talkin about (lol).

Oh Mary, nothing delights me more than thinking about the sad cowboy being followed around by any and all animals! And Amy getting a new Easter dress each year 🥹 literally something right out of a Disney movie!

Hope you had a lovely Easter and your spring is treating you well! 💐

[taylor-tut-ocs]

Space OCs!!

Captain Audra Quinn leads a crew of biologists aboard a research ship, secretly on a mission to find and kill the space monster that killed her crew 25 years ago.

Audra Quinn

-absolutely terrifying and very much a strict, punishing captain

-obsessed with finding the space monster that attacked her ship 25 years ago, killed her crew, and permanently disabled her by breaking her spine, leaving her with a mobility disability (though she's capable of walking with an abnormal gait) and chronic pain

-recovering alcoholic

-night crew, only comes out at night but doesn't sleep much due to PTSD so she's always around, lurking

Bonnie Bailey

-go-getter, working on going and getting it

-envied by the rest of the techs for being a teacher's pet but doesn't think it's favoritism: she's simply The Best and everyone else is out to get her. the truth is that she's better than everyone AND there's favoritism at play

-finds it difficult to make friends because she's intimidating, but desperately wants the rest of the techs to like her

-lonely most of the time

-day crew

Emery

-Bonnie's only friend because he feels for her with the others not liking her

-worried, nervous, cautious, anxious gay

-pretty much fears space but loves biology so much he'll tolerate it

-very hard to dislike him

-day crew

Penny Parker

-believes she's the best tech and should be the favorite, angry that she's not

-best friends with Rhett, hates Bonnie because she's envious

-cliquey, but can be reluctantly kind when it comes down to it, she's reliable. her mom was very sick all her life which gave her a strong sense of independence that she expects from others as well

-day crew

Rhett Rice

-incredibly snobby

-Penny is kind of the only friend he's ever had. people find him vain and hard to talk to. the only straight male character i've ever written.

-his vibe is like if an adult remy buxaplenty met that guy from Succession whose vibes are soaking wet, and then they made each other worse

-would sell you for a corn chip

-if he's being nice, someone must be dying. but that's not so rare that no one has ever seen it

-day crew

Dr. Mayra Macaluso

-head scientist, has had her phd for longer than anyone in her crew has been alive.

-nonspeaking but can understand others, uses a combination of sign language (everyone in this universe learns it in conjunction to verbal speech) and digital communicators to communicate with people

-wheelchair user born with a limb length difference

-wears wigs because she likes the way human hair looks. believes she is devastatingly beautiful for this. and she's right.

-can be very intimidating because of her experience, but loves to solve problems

-day crew

Beatrice Miller

-ship engineer. loves her work. some of her best friends are CPU fans

-tinkerer. definitely the kind of person who builds Rube Goldberg machines

-her relationship with Audra is decades long but tenuous because Audra keeps damaging her ship and Bea takes it personally

-still thinks she can save Audra from herself and tries to intervene too often, which usually ends in quarrels

-day crew

Dr. Esther Estrada

-CMO, hobbiest writer

-confident in both her medical opinions and herself

-demands greatness but also inspires it

-breaks dress code with her earrings

-works when needed, no set shift, though she's a morning person

[hugespace]

Last week I decided to revisit my WIPs and @becausethathappens wanted to know more about one of them - “Find Yourself, Lose Yourself”, which has been sitting in my drafts since August 2021.

Now, I can’t really take credit for the idea behind this fic, I’m pretty sure I saw someone saying they’d like to read a story about R&L exploring gay bars together but for two different reasons and I just decided to try writing said story; the problem is though - that was nearly 2 years ago, and I absolutely cannot find that post/comment now. So, if anyone reading this happens to remember who first came up with it, please let me know, as I’d like to give them credit. (And if someone else already wrote a story like that - also let me know, and I’m sorry! I wasn’t keeping up with new fics while on my hiatus, so I might have missed something!)

I only managed to write 3 chapters back then, and I’m just posting the first one for now.

***Find Yourself, Lose Yourself***

Rhett finds himself having to come to Link’s rescue one night, when his friend’s journey of self-discovery becomes a bit too much for him. He promises to be Link’s moral support from that point on, but will there be consequences?

***1,2k***

An unpleasant and aggressive sound pulls Rhett out of his sleep with a gasp. He has been dreaming about something he can’t remember now; the end of the dream was too sudden. For a second, his brain feels cloudy, he doesn't know what is happening. The initial confusion associated with abrupt waking up goes away quickly, however; he's in his bedroom, where else could he be. It's dark, clearly still middle of the night, and the only source of light is the ring of bluish glow around the downturned screen of his phone laying on the bedside table. Phone, which is vibrating furiously, almost like it's trying to free itself and fall to the floor. So that's the sound, his brain finally catches up.

Rhett quickly picks it up, glancing at Jessie, who is thankfully still peacefully sleeping next to him, arms hugging a pillow and mouth open. He looks at the screen - unknown number. Then the time - 2:13 am. Who could be calling him at such an hour...? He briefly considers declining the call, but an uncomfortable feeling in his gut makes him reconsider. What if it's an emergency? His wife is next to him, both sons in their rooms, but there's still his parents, and brother, and- And Link, he realises, recognising the 818 area code in front of the number. He has to pick up.

Rhett quietly gets up and leaves the bedroom, simultaneously pressing the green symbol on his screen. "Hello-?" he gently closes the door behind him and shuffles towards the door to the backyard in the dark. "Mr. McLaughlin?" a male voice inquires in return, slightly drowned by a distant sound of music in the background. "Yes...? Yes, that's me. Who's calling?" "Brad Whittler, I'm here with your- friend? Charles. He gave me your number to contact you, so you can get him, I don't think he's in a position to drive." It takes Rhett a moment to comprehend the stranger's words. Charles...? Does he know anyone…? OH. LINK.

His heart speeds up so abruptly and with such a force, Rhett feels like it might want to jump out of his ribcage. “What happened-?! Is he hurt...?” “No, no...” the tone of the voice is casual, not filled with concern, Rhett thinks. “He's not hurt, not physically, at least. He's having a pretty bad panic attack, though.” Rhett’s imagination is getting ahead of him, trying to complete what he's hearing. Was Link in an accident...? Is he at a hospital? Did something happen to someone else? “And he might be kinda drunk to be honest.” the man on the other side of the line adds after a few seconds, cutting right through Rhett's racing thoughts. Drunk...? What the hell? “I- Where is he? Where should I come?” “Bullet Bar, do you know the address?” He doesn't, he’s never heard of that place. What was Link doing there, anyway? It was obviously a bar, that much was in the name, but neither of them were ever really big on pubs, and certainly not in the recent years. Rhett switched to speaker and wrote the address given to him by the man in his notes' app, thanking him for the information and promising to be there as soon as possible. The navigation showed him he was in for a ride to Burbank, a different side than the studio, but still around 35 minutes away.

Rhett went back up to he and his wife's bedroom and gently shook her shoulder, trying to wake her enough to let her know what's going on. "Jessie? Baby." "Hmm...?"Jessie opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times, trying to get used to the darkness and to being awake in the first place. "I got a call, Link's somewhere in Burbank and needs me to get him." he spoke in a soft voice. "Don't worry, I think he's fine, I don't know much, but he's not hurt in any way" he added, seeing the sudden alarm in Jessie's eyes. "Do you want me to go with you?" she asked, pushing herself up on her elbows. "No, no, thank you. Go back to sleep, he's okay, it's not an emergency or anything. I'll let you know once I've got him, okay?" Rhett leaned down to leave a kiss on Jessie's forehead. "Are you sure...?" "Yeah, yeah, absolutely." Jessie didn't seem entirely convinced, but she laid back down and asked him for a promise to call her and tell her if everything was alright as soon as he was with Link. Rhett gave her another kiss and jogged out of the room, only grabbing a pair of sweats and a hoodie on his way. He quickly put them on, pocketed the phone, his wallet, and a set of keys, and rushed to the car.

The night was relatively cool, and the streets were calm despite it being a weekend. Rhett had to really control himself not to start speeding, his need to be there as soon as possible and find out what the hell happened was strong, and the fact that the roads were so empty made fast and reckless driving rather tempting. Wouldn't bring anything good if he got in an accident though, he reasoned, trying not to exceed the speed limit. Without any external distractions from other cars around him or sounds of people going about their daily lives, Rhett's brain quickly occupied itself with more or less probable scenarios and mind-boggling questions regarding Link's whereabouts and the reasons for his panic attack. In his rush, he hasn't even checked what that place was, it occurred to Rhett. He only put the address in the navigation and followed the directions.

He would find out soon, he realised, hearing his phone tell him to drive another 5 miles straight ahead and then turn right to reach his final destination. The part of Burbank he was now in seemed to be significantly livelier than what he drove by on his way there. Colourful neon signs on both sides of the street illuminated the sidewalks and people standing or walking on them – numerous party-goers smoking, drinking, talking loudly and animatedly.

"Your destination is on the right." the navigation declared all of a sudden, in its dry and emotionless tone of voice. Rhett slowed down and quickly glanced at the place he was supposedly trying to find. It was indeed a bar, or maybe a nightclub. The building looked innocuous, a bit shaggy even – with black walls with grey brick peeking out from underneath bits of chipping paint, and a simple red sign above the door. He parked his car in front of it, not caring about doing a good job of it, and as he was starting to reach for the handle to get out of the vehicle, he noticed something that has somehow slipped his attention when he first looked at the building. A big rainbow flag was stuck in a flagpole on top of the building and moving slightly in the wind. He brought his eyes back to the sign on the front of the bar and then opened his notes app to make sure he was in the right place. He was. He looked around and spotted another sign, standing next to the building and proudly declaring "Bullet Bar - 40 years of gay haven in Burbank!”

Was Link in a gay bar?

***

More disclaimers! The Bullet Bar is a real gay bar in Burbank, I know nothing about it though, apart from what it looks like and that it’s been around since the 80s. I just wanted it to be a bar that’s not in WeHo or some other extremely busy place. (And also, I promise Rhett has a legitimate reason to be surprised by Link’s whereabouts, not just “why would he be in a gay bar”)

[daxwritesstories]

College AU Part 32: Better Days

Content warning: abuse mention, dubcon mention

Scene 1: Party at a Rich Dude's House

(Scene title by Kesha)

INT. Cyra & Celia's dorm - Morning

Cyra and Celia are sitting on Celia's bed together. Celia is putting makeup on Cyra's black eye. Vir is sitting on Cyra's bed, watching them.

CELIA: You really need to stop getting into fights.

CYRA: I can't help it. So many people piss me off.

Celia giggles. Vir raises an eyebrow at Cyra.

VIR: What even happened this time?

CYRA: Some bitch was making fun of Ace and calling him a faggot. I couldn't stand it so I jumped on her. It didn't last long though. Ace was there to break it up.

Vir sighs and shakes her head.

VIR: Homophobia at it's finest.

CELIA: And transphobia. Really though, Cyra, I know you get mad about these things, but violence isn't the answer.

VIR: It really isn't, although sometimes it can feel that way...

CYRA: I know... You guys know I have trouble controlling my outbursts.

CELIA: I know you do.

Vir smiles at Cyra.

VIR: Maybe Ace can help you learn to control them.

Cyra smiles back.

CYRA: Hm... And how would he do that, I wonder?

All three girls start giggling.

CYRA: I'm so excited to get these invitations out today! We have to make sure everyone on the guest list gets them.

VIR: I'm surprised you actually made a list this time.

CYRA: Well, I rented a small house just outside of campus for it. We can only fit so many people in there, so I don't want anyone bringing their friends this time.

VIR: I see. Is the house nice?

Cyra shrugs.

CYRA: It'll get the job done.

Vir and Celia laugh.

We cut to a montage of Cyra, Celia, and Vir handing out invitations to various characters. All the while, we can hear voiceovers of the three of them talking.

INT. Erik & Rhett's dorm - Day

Rhett is sitting at his desk. Celia hands him an envelope while Cyra theatrically poses with her arms out, smiling at Rhett.

CYRA (voiceover): Remember, it's only Christmas-themed. No gift exchanges and we're not doing anything religious.

INT. Boy's dorm lobby - Day

Cyra is standing in front of Prince and Jayce near some of the couches. She smiles and holds out two envelopes.

CELIA (voiceover): What if people insist on bringing gifts?

Prince and Jayce both take envelopes. Prince smiles back at Cyra and Jayce nods.

CYRA (voiceover): Then that's on them.

INT. Lounge area - Day

Ace and Zayn are sitting on a couch together. Vir is standing in front of the couch, handing them both invitations.

VIR (voiceover): Is there a dress code? I know you love your costume parties.

Ace and Zayn both take the invitations. Zayn gives Vir a polite smile and Ace blows a kiss at her.

INT. Hallway - Day

Devin is sitting on a bench with some random guy, chatting.

CYRA (voiceover): No, but everyone is more than welcome to wear a crazy outfit if they want!

Celia and Vir run past Devin. They both poke him as they pass, getting his attention. He looks in the direction they ran in, confused. He doesn't notice Cyra running up to him until she throws an envelope at him. Devin flinches and scrambles to grab the invitation before it falls. He watches Cyra run away, looking annoyed. The guy who's with him laughs.

INT. Library - Day

Laura, Sky, and Bella are sitting on a couch together, all reading different books. Vir and Celia approach the couch from behind and place an envelope on each of their books, right on the pages they're reading.

VIR (voiceover): I bet you're just itching to see what Ace is gonna wear.

The girls on the couch all look up at Vir and Celia and then examine the envelopes. Vir and Celia smile at them.

CYRA (voiceover): Always!

EXT. Courtyard - Day

Leon, Cyra, Vir, and Celia are all standing in the courtyard. Cyra is holding an invitation out of Leon's reach as he tries to grab it from her. Vir and Celia are both giggling.

CELIA (voiceover): You should let me pick the music this time! I already have some ideas.

Cyra holds her finger up to stop Leon from reaching. He settles down and Cyra says something to him that we can't hear. Leon puts his hands behind his back. Cyra opens her mouth wide and Leon copies her. Cyra giggles and puts the envelope in Leon's mouth. He grabs it with his teeth.

CYRA (voiceover): How about we go half-and-half?

INT. Axel & Drew's dorm - Day

Cyra hands Drew an invitation and he smiles at her.

CELIA (voiceover): Okay...

Cyra and Drew both look at Axel, who is sitting at his desk, ignoring them. Cyra cautiously approaches him and silently places an envelope on his desk. When Axel notices, he looks over at Cyra. She's already walking away though.

CYRA (voiceover): Ah! I can't wait!

INT. Girls dorm lobby - Day

Vir is holding an invitation out to Celeste.

We hear Cyra giggle excitedly in the voiceover.

CYRA (voiceover): This is gonna be so much fun!

Celeste aggressively snatches the envelope from Vir, avoiding direct eye contact with her. Vir takes a cautious step back.

VIR (voiceover): I hope so.

Scene 2: Better Days

(Scene title by NEIKED)

INT. Roman's office - Afternoon

Roman is sitting at his desk, doing paperwork. Cyra sits on top of the desk in front of him.

ROMAN: Get your ass off my desk.

Cyra aggressively slaps an envelope down on top of Roman's paperwork.

CYRA (singing): You're invited~

Roman sighs and picks up the envelope.

ROMAN: To what?

CYRA: To my party! We need to celebrate the winter break.

Roman opens the envelope and looks at the invitation.

ROMAN: I take it you're not mad at me anymore then?

CYRA: Well, I wouldn't say that...

ROMAN: So, you're still mad, but you're inviting me anyway? And what are you gonna tell your little boyfriend?

Cyra sighs.

CYRA: Look, Erik's gone for the break. I just don't wanna think about all that right now. And he's not my boyfriend, by the way. He isn't my type.

Roman laughs.

ROMAN: You have a type?

Cyra rolls her eyes.

CYRA: According to Ace I do...

Roman slides the invitation back into the envelope and throws it back onto his desk.

ROMAN: Alright. I'll be there. Winter break is always boring as hell anyway.

Cyra tilts her head, confused.

CYRA: Don't have any family to see?

Roman smiles and looks up at Cyra.

ROMAN: Wouldn't you like to know?

Roman's facial expression suddenly changes as he realizes something. He squints to get a better look at Cyra's face.

ROMAN: I think the makeup under your eye is coming off.

Cyra quickly brings her hand up to her eye, feeling around it.

CYRA: What? Really?

Roman laughs.

ROMAN: What'd you do this time?

Cyra puts her hand down and glares at Roman.

CYRA: I didn't do anything.

ROMAN: Well something must have made Ace mad.

Cyra glances around, debating telling him.

CYRA: Did Ace tell you that Phoenix trashed his dorm?

Roman frowns.

ROMAN: No. When did this happen?

CYRA: Yesterday. I tried to make him feel better but he just got mad.

ROMAN: Hm. I wonder how Phoenix even got in there...

Cyra shrugs.

CYRA: Beats me. The lock wasn't broken or anything.

Roman doesn't respond, just sits there thinking. He looks mad. Cyra hops off the desk and mindlessly wanders around the room.

CYRA: You wouldn't be able to... do anything about that, would you?

ROMAN: Not unless Ace asks me for help. He hates when people try to meddle with his business.

CYRA: Oh. Okay.

Cyra wanders over to a half filing cabinet. She notices a CD case sitting on top of it. She picks it up and examines it.

CYRA: What's this?

Roman looks over at Cyra and then laughs when he sees what she's holding.

ROMAN: That's a demo disk from my old band. I was reminiscing.

Cyra smiles and looks at Roman.

CYRA: No way! Let me hear it.

Roman nods toward a boombox that's sitting on one of the bookshelves. Cyra rushes over and puts the CD into the boombox.

ROMAN: Don't play it too loud.

CYRA: Why? Embarrassed?

ROMAN: No. You'll see why.

Cyra presses play. A heavy rock song begins to play. The vocals on the track start right away and Cyra smiles when she recognizes Roman's voice.

As the track plays, it becomes obvious that the lyrics are very sexual, complete with tongue-in-cheek moaning in between a couple lines. Roman bobs his head to the music while Cyra just stands there, perplexed.

CYRA: Did you write this?

ROMAN: Yep.

CYRA: It's... um...

ROMAN: Horny? I know. That was kind of our thing.

Cyra laughs in disbelief.

CYRA: You didn't tell me that.

ROMAN: Was I supposed to?

Cyra doesn't respond, listening to the song more.

CYRA: It's... actually pretty good.

ROMAN: I know. We didn't stop because we weren't good enough. We had a falling out.

CYRA: Over what?

ROMAN: Don't worry about it.

Cyra gives Roman a skeptical look but doesn't say anything else.

Scene 3: Feels

(Scene title by Calvin Harris)

INT. Cafeteria - Day

Prince is standing in front of the vending machines, trying to pick out something to eat. They have their wallets in their hands.

LEON: Hey, Prince.

Prince looks over and sees Leon approaching them.

PRINCE: Hi. How's it going?

LEON: Good, good. Are you going to Cyra's party?

PRINCE: Yup. I'm assuming you're going too?

LEON: Yeah. The last one was pretty fun so...

Prince nods. Leon looks at the vending machine.

LEON: What are you getting?

PRINCE: I don't know. Maybe popcorn?

LEON: Popcorn's good.

Prince laughs.

PRINCE: You raise a good point. Okay, I'm getting that.

Prince punches the number into the vending machine and then starts putting coins in.

PRINCE: Want anything?

LEON: Yeah, but I brought my own wallet.

PRINCE: No, I'll buy you something.

LEON: Uh... Okay.

The popcorn bag falls and Prince reaches into the slot to grab it.

PRINCE: What do you want?

LEON: I was gonna get popcorn too.

Prince punches the number into the machine again. Leon watches as they put the coins in.

LEON: Thanks...

PRINCE: No problem.

LEON: Hey, um, I never got to ask what you meant the other day. You know, when we were talking in my dorm.

PRINCE: What did I say?

LEON: Uh... You don't remember?

Prince shrugs.

PRINCE: Maybe. Maybe not. Can you say it?

LEON: Um...

Leon hesitates.

LEON: You said... The best way to learn is through experience. I think those were the words you used.

Prince smiles and nods.

PRINCE: Yes, now I remember.

LEON: So, what did you mean exactly?

The second popcorn bag falls and Prince bends down to grab it. When they stand up again though, they don't hand it to Leon. They just hold it instead.

PRINCE: Come closer, I'll tell you.

Leon takes a step closer to Prince, now standing right in front of them. Without warning, Prince leans forward and kisses Leon. They hold the kiss for a moment. Then they shove the popcorn bag into Leon's hand and pull away. Leon is too shocked to say anything.

PRINCE: I meant exactly what I said.

LEON: Oh...

Prince smiles.

PRINCE: I have to go.

Leon still looks dumbfounded.

LEON: Uh, yeah. Sure.

Prince turns around and walks in the opposite direction. Once they're a good distance away, Leon leans back against one of the vending machines and takes a deep breath. He looks both overwhelmed and excited.

Scene 4: Pay For It

(Scene title by Mindless Self Indulgence)

INT. Hallway - Afternoon

Cyra is alone in the hallway. She looks around to see if anyone's nearby and then leans against the wall. She takes out her phone and taps on it a few times before holding it up to her ear and waiting.

INT. Ace & Zayn's dorm - Afternoon

Ace is alone in his dorm. The beds have both been replaced but the rest of the furniture is still destroyed. The wall has also been painted over.

Ace's phone rings on his bed. He picks it up and sighs when he sees Cyra's name on the screen. He answers it.

ACE: I hope you're not expecting an apology, 'cause you're not getting one.

INT. Hallway - Afternoon

Cyra sighs.

CYRA: No. I wanted to apologize, actually...

INT. Ace & Zayn's dorm - Afternoon

Ace rolls his eyes and checks his nails.

ACE: Well? I'm waiting.

INT. Ace & Zayn's dorm - Afternoon

Cyra closes her eyes for a moment, trying to think of what to say.

CYRA: Look, I know I should've just kept my mouth shut. I just wanted to help, but I should've known better.

ACE (through the phone): Yeah. You should have.

CYRA: I wasn't trying to upset you. I never wanna make you upset or angry or sad or anything like that.

INT. Ace & Zayn's dorm - Afternoon

Ace sighs and puts his hand on his forehead.

CYRA (through the phone): I get it if you're still mad at me...

INT. Hallway - Afternoon

CYRA: ...but I really wanna help. Will you at least let me replace your clothes?

ACE (through the phone): I don't want a replacement.

CYRA: But–

INT. Ace & Zayn's dorm - Afternoon

ACE: I want an upgrade. I want a wardrobe that cost twice as much as the one that got destroyed, at least. Can you do that for me?

INT. Hallway - Afternoon

Cyra pauses, taking in what Ace just said.

CYRA: Of course... Anything for you. We can go shopping–

ACE (through the phone): No.

INT. Ace & Zayn's dorm - Afternoon

ACE: I'm going shopping and then I'll send you the credit card bill. Do you understand?

INT. Hallway - Afternoon

Cyra swallows nervously.

CYRA: Yeah. I understand. Um...

INT. Ace & Zayn's dorm - Afternoon

CYRA (through the phone): Do you think you can forgive me?

Ace rolls his eyes.

ACE: I guess I could... Since you're at least trying to make up for your mistake.

CYRA (through the phone): I'll fix everything. I promise.

ACE: Yes, you already told me that. Just shut up and listen. Now that you've managed to weasel your way into my life, all of my problems are now yours too. If you love me as much as you say you do, then you'll do everything you can to help me solve them.

INT. Hallway - Afternoon

ACE (through the phone): You can't pussy-out now. I gave you plenty of warnings, plenty of opportunities to leave. You had your chance.

Cyra looks around nervously as she listens.

ACE (through the phone): You're fucking stuck with me until I'm done with you. Got it?

Cyra nods even though Ace can't see her.

CYRA: Yes.

INT. Ace & Zayn's dorm - Afternoon

CYRA (through the phone): And I don't want it any other way.

Ace smiles, his demeanor completely changing.

ACE: Good girl. That's what I thought.

INT. Hallway - Afternoon

ACE (through the phone): Okay, you're forgiven.

Cyra sighs in relief and bites her lip.

ACE (through the phone): I have to go now. Time to get some new clothes. I'll call you when I'm done.

CYRA: Okay. Sounds good.

ACE (through the phone): Goodbye, pup.

CYRA: Bye, gorgeous...

Cyra puts her arm down and looks up at the ceiling. Just then, Prince walks around the corner, holding a bag of popcorn. They look anxious. Cyra looks over when she hears them coming.

CYRA: Prince.

PRINCE: Hey.

Cyra tilts her head, noticing Prince's nervous body language.

CYRA: What's up? You look stressed.

PRINCE: I kissed Leon.

Cyra's jaw drops and she smiles.

CYRA: What?! Why?

PRINCE: Well, you've seen him...

CYRA: I sure have. He's adorable.

PRINCE: Yeah, and he's always staring at me like he wants to fuck me. It's, like, getting into my head. You know?

Cyra nods.

CYRA: I see... I'd probably do the same thing if I were you.

PRINCE: Do you think Jayce will be mad?

Cyra thinks for a moment.

CYRA: Maybe, but he'll get over it.

Prince sighs, not convinced. A sly smile grows on Cyra's face.

CYRA: Hey... Isn't Leon, like, super bicurious because of you?

Prince snickers.

PRINCE: Yeah.

CYRA: Okay, so, here's what I would do. You talk to Leon to figure out what his schedule will be on a certain day, so you know when he'll come back to the dorm. Then, you start having sex with Jayce close to the time that Leon is supposed to come back. Make sure you get him all wound up so he's not thinking straight.

Prince laughs.

CYRA: Then, when Leon inevitably walks in on you two, you can be like, "hey, why don't you join us?" Jayce will be too desperate to protest and Leon can do his experimenting or whatever. And you get to have two cuties at once.

PRINCE: I see you have this all planned out... You really think Jayce would do that with his roommate?

CYRA: Hey, how do you think I got him to try all that weird stuff with us? I was just edging that boy like no tomorrow.

Prince laughs again.

PRINCE: You're gross. But that is true.

Cyra puts her hands up and shrugs.

CYRA: It works.

PRINCE: Hm...

[rhettabbotts]

this tiktok but it’s rhett, or jake jfkdbfndb

THIS GUY IS SPEAKING STRAIGHT FACTS

oh i can so imagine this with both jake and rhett but i’m in a jake mood so let’s gooo

jake knows you better than you know yourself at this point. he’s the only guy you’ve dated that truly understands what you like and don’t like. he knows you like the back of his hand.

he’s all sweet and gushy in public. holding your hand and kissing your cheek. telling you how much he loves you and wrapping his arms around your waist.

at home though, jake will pin you down to the mattress with a hand around your throat, uttering absolute filth in your ear.

and yeah, i think jake is more of an ass man so you bet he’s slapping it in public and private! you’re walking down the aisle of the grocery store, he can’t help himself. he’ll land a small smack to your ass, smirking at the scolding you give him. at home, he’ll take you over his knee and call you his “dirty girl” for enjoying it so much.

and he’s definitely cracked the code about getting you to decide where to eat. he learned early on that you were pretty indecisive when he would ask what you were in the mood for.

“guess where we’re going tonight, baby?” and you’ll say one of your favorite restaurants and he just thinks thank god that was easy.

so jake knows you and knows you’re not hard to understand at all, all of the other guys you were with were just ignorant.

[jungle-angel]

The Greatest Memories (Rhett Abbott x Reader)

Summary: You and Rhett leave a special little something for those who gave everything

Warnings: Mentions of passing, war, military service, cancer, parenthood etc.

Tagging: @floydsmuse @bradleybeachbabe

It was the sunniest of May days so far, not a cloud in the sky and the grasses rippling in the breeze. The birds were singing high in the trees above the Teton Mountain Cemetery while wildflowers were blooming in the woodlines near the plot.

You and Rhett walked the loping footpaths that led to a familiar plot that you had visited time and again, every year in May and again in June to leave flowers. The lilac bushes had already bloomed near the headstones, casting its cool shade over the graves and releasing its heady scent throughout.

"Amy c'mere," Rhett called to the four year old running around the truck.

Amy darted right beside you and him as you carried the flower boxes to the two headstones that lay side by side with each other. Both were marked with the names of Royal's parents, his mother and father who had passed not too long before Amy had been born. The white marble appeared brand new, much as it had the day the two had been placed side by side, just as they had been in life.

River John Abbott

Born January 24th, 1928

Died June 5th, 2016

1st Marine Division, Korean War and Vietnam

Beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather

Rhett brushed a few loose strands of freshly mown grass off the second, revealing the name that he missed just as much as Grandpa River along with the Lorraine Cross beneath.

Heidi Brunner Abbott

Born May 24th, 1930

Died June 5th, 2016

Member of the French Resistance, WWII

Beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother

Rhett kissed the headstones belonging to his grandmother and grandfather. Though it had been close to eight years since they had passed, the wounds were still fresh. River and Heidi had been married for sixty-six years, enduring unimaginable turmoil as young adults. Oma Heidi had been fourteen when she had joined the Resistance before leaving her native Switzerland and had seen things that no child should have ever had to see. Grandpa River had been the same, seeing the ranch through one drought after another, having to take care of his own ailing father and helping provide for the family all through the Depression on top of going to school. He had met Heidi while the two had been at the University of Wyoming, the two of them having gotten married young and him having been shipped off to Korea after their honeymoon. Rhett still remembered the little slip of paper in his grandmother's trunk, a little note from River that said only three words....."wait for me".

Up the path came two familiar faces, Joy and Martha with Rosie in tow. "Mornin," Joy greeted. "Didn't think we'd see you two here."

Rhett laughed a little bit. "Just payin a visit Joy."

"Oh you too?"

Rhett nodded.

Out of her pocket, Joy pulled a small feather, a white one with black streaks along the tip. "Here," she said. "I meant to leave that the other day."

"Joy ya'll didn't have to," Rhett told her.

"It's alright," she promised him. "I already left one for Gramps anyways."

You and Rhett followed Joy and Martha down the path a bit of a ways to a hill where the mountains were in full view. Rosie excitedly pointed to the stone belonging to her great-grandfather, proudly showing Amy and the others.

Robert "Red" Hawk

Born July 4th, 1923

Died August 18th, 2017

US Army Infantry, Shoshone Code Talker, Omaha Beach Veteran

Beloved father and grandfather, tribal elder of Shoshone First Nations

"Amy honey, do you and Rosie wanna help put the flags out?" you asked.

The girls excitedly said yes as you, Rhett, Joy and Martha swapped stories about your loved ones, the girls picking lilac sprigs to sprinkle over the graves.

"God I'll never forget the story Dad told us when Marty and I got married," Joy chuckled. "Grampy supposedly stole a bunch of horses while he was in Europe and had them shipped back to the states."

You and Rhett laughed at the tale. "Oh God that reminds me of when Papa stole a bunch of cattle from an enemy camp in Korea. Them and the guys from the South Korean army ate pretty damn good for the next couple of months."

You all shared some good laughs and a few emotional moments along the way before having to head back home. On the way back, you and Rhett held each other's hands, enjoying the sunshine and the heat of late May as the radio played.

"You think they're still with us?" you asked him.

"I don't doubt it darlin," Rhett said, smiling a little. "Oma and Papa are definitely along for the ride, no matter where we go."

You rested your head against your husband's shoulder, squeezing his hand a little bit, perfectly at ease and content with the world.

[oncasette]

roma!!!!! i hope you’re doing well my sweet pea!!! i’ve missed you!!! 🫶🏼💞🫶🏼💖

thinking of the songs ‘he’s troubled’ and ‘the city has lost all of its charm’ by the buffalo skinners for rhett!!!!! my troubled and painfully in love cowboy!!!!

i love youuuu so much mwah!! <33

honey bun!!! i love uuu!!! missed u so bad!! i’m doing good though!!!

yes! these songs are so rhett coded i could cry! especially the city has lost all its charm! just! soft loving rhett hours!

ty for the song recs angel!! added to the rhett playlist *mwaw*

[asherlockstudy]

Grinding coffee with Rhett and Link

The coffee grinding episode was very sex coded. Moreover, I think it was actually rhink lore sex coded. (I have analyzed what that is in several previous posts. If this already concerned you, this post is not for you. Consider this a disclaimer, scroll and go on with your life. If you are interested but don't know what I am talking about, check the links in the end of this post.)

Although the level of symbolism I found seems a bit much to be expected from the Mythical crew (let alone, how involved in this could they potentially be...?!), I will still write down the suspicious parallels I detected. Let's consider "coffee grinding" as a parallel for "having sex" to make this easier.

The whole episode is about old versus new coffee grinding techniques.

Rhett and Link start by trying straight-forward conventional methods. Link has the traditional manual coffee grinder while Rhett has a more convenient electric grinder. Link is verbal about how boring and tiresome grinding coffee is. Rhett is not so negative about it after all - he finds positive qualities; it is not tiresome at all and it smells nice. Link keeps raving about how boring it all is, how finding new ways to go about it is pressing. Rhett actually remains silent and does not offer any argument against traditional coffee grinding.

As if the symbolism was otherwise light in this episode, Stevie makes her call to them pretty late in this one, after the traditional grinding, and calls them "pain in the butt 1 and 2".

The first alternative test is with anvil and hammer. ("Anvil" is in fact also the name of a sex position.) Rhett is the only one who does the hammering in this test - Link does not even ask to try. They also roleplay as a tough blacksmith (Rhett) and a cross between medieval youngster and old lady??? (Link), who initially asks for a "short sword". (Why short really? It's not like we know stuff about Rh- oh wait) Rhett's hammering produces underwhelming results - worse than the traditional methods. They both agree however that at least they had fun...

Rhett: I think with practice I could get better. I just think I needed to hit it a little be harder. A little bit more. I just didn't know. I didn't want to overdo it. (????????????????????????????) Link: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's your first time.

Please notice how much what Rhett says DOES NOT make sense in the context of coffee grinding. He's supposed to turn whole beans into fine powder with a hammer. How on earth could he "not know" and "not want to overdo it" in this scenario?! He could be still hammering the beans and it would still probably not be professionally processed fine coffee powder! In short, the overdoing possibility simply does not apply here.

It does make sense in other contexts though. Sex of course is also an area in which you totally don't know and are afraid to overdo it the first time anyway.

The second test is the wood chipper. This one provides different challenges. Rhett turns the wood chipper on and Link tries to catch coffee powder from the end of it. Strangely, Link claims the velocity with which the powder comes from down there is painful and he keeps emphasizing on this and how "he does not love to feel it".

"He didn't love the feeling of it" - Rhett

I have lost count on how many times Link has proclaimed himself an advocate of slow sex, especially early in the sexual relationship.

Furthermore, I think it is interesting that they apparently make some commentary about not finding the correct container to gather the produced powder. Due to their omission, the wood chipper creates a brown mess everywhere on the floor.

I don't know about the soiling (although there have been perhaps relevant jokes they have made repeatedly i.e a little dirt makes it feel more real, in Rhett's words, some time ago, then they alluded to this a lot of times "stink make me horny" etc) but the pain thing for Link is constantly included in all the Rhink first sex lore content.

The third test is Dance Dance Revolution. Rhett said he had always thought and hoped he would never have to do this. Other than this, I am not sure I see anything important here. The results were bad and they didn't have fun. The biggest challenge here was likely "not feeling cool, feeling stupid", especially for Rhett. Stevie teased them that they should be on heels. So maybe the third test was not about practical challenges but about stereotypes, hang-ups, which are never fun. But I don't know, this one was difficult.

By the way.... were Rhett's pants unzipped?

The fourth test was the Bat and the Bag. The plan was to repeatedly hit with the bat a sack full of beans that has a ball attached to it (...). Rhett now goes hard with this, so hard that he massively busts the sack of beans in the second hit. The premature ejectment of the beans from the sack leaves Link utterly, deeply disappointed and defeated. He feels like it was all over before he had any chance to participate in this. (He took it way too much to heart for me to truly believe it was about beating the coffee beans - as a comparison he never even offered to hammer the beans in the beginning.)

Rhett: I had fun! Link: I didn't even get to do it!

This is totally on board with ALL of the Rhink first sex lore content, needless to say.

Rhett tries to soothe Link's disappointment and theatrically through a new dad-son roleplay he tries to make this work for Link after his own big fail. He talks Link into thinking it's not about the result so much but about the process itself. Link is still very disappointed though. Rhett goes crazy with the encouragement.

I don't know how conscious things are in GMM but Rhett said "Oh, I love you so much, Junior!" and the crew member that adds the subtitles simply chose to not include the name despite it being very audible.

"Rhett: "I want you to do what you feel is right. There is no right or wrong, okay? It's "are you having a good time"?" - Rhett

Okay, this goes too far out of the context of trying coffee grinding methods, right? It gets too intentional and specific.

Rhett then asks whether Link is upset with him for shattering his hopes too early. He apologizes for his mistakes, amongst which I found this one mistake particularly interesting:

The full line though was: "I make mistakes. One of them was not having you when I was young. And not really knowing how to be a dad. That wasn't one. That was (laughs)"

I think Rhett messed his line or what he was trying to say in there somewhere. However the beginning of the phrase in my opinion remains correct. Of course if we nitpick it, it once again doesn't make any sense, neither with the coffee grinding nor with the dad and son roleplay nor even from a biological standpoint. (You can't tell a kid it was a mistake you didn't have them earlier, because if you had a kid earlier, it would be a different kid, not the same.) But in the context of a romantic / sexual relationship it makes total sense. Additionally, based on everything I have theorised and I generally believe, one if not the biggest factor of Link's sadness, regret and any issues associated even indirectly is the time that was lost. The thought of the lost time haunts his very existence and it is the root problem of a lot of things, it seems to me.

Rhett's acknowledgement of the mistake and owning up to having the biggest responsibility helps Link admit that this coffee grinding would have indeed finally been mindblowing to him... if the beans had not left the sack so early. With a new surge of enthusiasm, Rhett suggests that they should reload the bag with beans and try again. (Which is something that at face value they never do in GMM.) The whole point of this was to show the disappointing first attempt and the decision to give it another try once the "sack" was "reloaded".

So they go at it again but this time Link takes full control of the situation. There is also the detail that they now do wear the heels, even though there is no explanation how and why this could affect beating the bag. It doesn't help practically but obviously it means something. Anyway, Link starts beating the sack and Rhett offers vocal encouragement, a little too excited, a little too specific sounding. Go back to the episode and listen the series of "yeahs" Rhett makes during and after Link's grinding. Rhett on heels sexily picks up the bag once Link is done and Link just openly makes a flirtatious compliment. Rhett keeps "yeah-ing" it except the real-time experiment doesn't help them a lot with the allegory. Alas, the beans remain almost intact. Despite that, they overlook it in order to say that they had a lot of fun and Rhett expresses his certainty that if they kept going at it and practicing the whole afternoon they would get even more mindblown.

I think this gives some insight to a still dark corner of the Rhink sex lore; the first good time. I have said before how we always get parallels for the first bad time but never for the first good one. I think this is it and it points to two possibilities: a) bottom!Rhett, which I find unlikely and b) power_bottom!Link with a lot of guidance from Rhett, which I think it is what it is and many fans speculate on this for fanon shipping, except I have explained multiple times why I think it really is the case.

If you are not shaking in anger or disgust so far and you do not yet know what the "Rhink sex lore" refers to, it is my "It has always been one story" theory. Check the following posts:

They dug a hole

It has always been one story

PUZZLE: The recurrent Rhink storyline is not even new!!!!!!!

Why did the chicken cross the road

PS. Because I don’t remember if I mention this in one of the posts above, the “Rhett guidance” has been spontaneously implied in a random video, the vlog where Link straightens Rhett’s hair. Link at some point defends himself by saying “I am teachable!”. Rhett laughs under his breath and mutters “Yeah... I have tried a lot” and Link responds with a “You should learn to shut up more”. Now, this on its own could be about anything but if you read the posts above and get a feel of what I am saying, take also my word for it that it was not about just anything. I base this on a reasoning as well but it’s too much work to analyze this too.