#Tasing History

[slimeylee]

fic prompt in the replies of this post !

first helluva boss fic . ive been very fixated on it recently :3

also inspired by season 2 episode 6 !

* swear warning , tickling .. idk what else

switch ! fizzarolli (he / him ) , switch ! blitzø ( he / him )

__

Fizzarolli enjoyed the fresh morning smell of fire in Hell as he zoomed through the town on his Heelys. He leaned back and relaxed as he was dragged quickly down the sidewalk by his dogs, on his way to his concert rehearsal with Mammon.

Suddenly, the silence was interrupted.

"LOOK, LADY, IT'S NOT MY FAULT IF YOU ONLY KNOW HOW TO MAKE COFFEE THAT TASTES LIKE PISS!" Blitzø yelled, getting thrown out of a coffee shop. He sat up on the sidewalk.

Fizzarolli's eyes widened as he grew near to running Blitzø over, calling out a whistle.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, WOAH-" Blitzø yelped, bringing up his arm as Fizz and his dogs screeched to a stop.

He looked down at the group of dogs, and Fizz stood with a smirk. "Oh, wow, lookie who it is!" Blitzø's facial expression immediately changed once Fizzarolli began.

"Oh, fuuck.. you again." Blitzø groaned in annoyance, adjusting his sitting position on the sidewalk. "Stalkin' me now, huh?" Fizz grinned widely.

Blitzo stood up from the ground, crossing his arms. "Oh, don't fuckin' flatter yourself, clown. I have my own life, you know; WITHOUT you in it." He stepped closer to Fizz.

"And gee whiz! We've been in each others relative vicinity TWICE in the last FIFTEEN YEARS, that would make me THE SHITTIEST STALKER IN HISTORY!" Blitzø announced, putting his hands on his hips. Fizzarolli had gotten down on the ground, petting one of his dogs.

"Uh-huh! Sure... Blitzo." Fizz teased, crossing his arms now. Blitzø grit his teeth. "The O is silent now, bitch." He poked Fizz in the shoulder, which he then brushed off.

"Twice," Fizz said, slowly raising from the ground and stepping closer to Blitzø. "is already way too much." He said with a large grin, pushing Blitzø out of the way.

"Yeah, well at least I'm still actually working for my shit, and not getting everything handed to me like some pampered attention whore!" Blitzø gestured as he spoke, Fizz walking away while he stepped along.

Blitzø begun walking away as Fizzarolli snarled, but then he looked down at his hand. He then remembered Ozzie, and what he was on his way to do.

"Yeah, well, guess that's what resilience and talent gets ya," Fizz chuckled, turning around. "Plus, my horns were always bigger than yours,"

"Weren't they?"

He picked up his sunglasses, glaring at Blitzø with a smirk. Fizz turned around again to leave, but he was caught off guard when he heard Blitzø running up behind him.

"WhaAAA-" Fizz yelped as Blitzø tackled him to the ground. "You fucking bitch!" Blitzø growled, wrestling Fizzarolli on the ground as the clown attempted to get up. "Get the fuck off me!" Fizz yelled, pushing at Blitzø's wrists.

The two of them suddenly flipped over and Fizz struggled to get Blitzø to the ground. Admist the chaos, Fizz accidentally poked his side. He, and even Blitzø was surprised to hear the squawk that he had let out.

"...What the fuck was that?" Fizz smirked. "Nothing!" Blitzø immediately went back to shoving at Fizz, to which he fought back by poking Blitzø's side again.

"Are you ticklish, Blitzo? What a discovery. I would've thought you'd grown out of this by now." Fizz teased with a large grin. "Oh, fuck no, don't you dare, you fuckin' dipshiIIIIT-!" Blitzø jumped with a squeal as Fizz quickly scribbled his fingers into his side for a few seconds. "Ohohoho! I did think we were gonna fight, but this is even better!" Fizz exclaimed.

"Get the FUCK off of MEHEE!" Blitzø squealed as Fizz tased his sides again. "Stohop doing that, dipshit!" Blitzø said, bringing up his arms from their place on the ground and fighting Fizz back with a squeeze to his side.

"OH, FUCK-" Fizz jumped, nearly totally caught off guard by that. Blitzø sat up, jumping at Fizz and scribbling between his ribs. "SHIHIT!-" Fizz cackled. "Oh wow, Fizz, thought you would've grown out of this by noHOHOW-" Blitzø had taken the opportunity to tease back, laughing out suddenly as Fizz poked him in the side. "Yohou think you're a funny guy, huh?" Blitzø asked him, a small smirk on his face.

"Ihi doHOO- FUHAHACK!" Fizz squealed as Blitzø scribbled into his stomach, squeezing his side a few times inbetween as he cackled. "Yeah, tickle tickle, fuckin' bitch." Blitzø said with sarcasm, a wide grin on his face as he moved back up to Fizz's ribs.

Fizz suddenly came up with an idea. He extended his left arm out and behind Blitzø.

"What are you-" He began, stopping and looking behind him. He jumped with a yelp as Fizz's right hand wiggled into his side. "FuHUHUCK-" Blitzo cackled. He reached out for Fizz's stomach, but Fizz used his left hand to grab Blitzø's.

"You're a fuhuhucking cheheater!" Blitzø yelped, reaching out his other hand. Fizz curled away from Blitzø, smirking. "Oh, no, you don't!" Fizz suddenly moved both of his hands to attack Blitzø, wiggling his fingers into his stomach and sides.

"SHIHIT!" Blitzo cackled, grabbing Fizz's wrists and lunging toward him. "Yohohou're going fucking dohown, bitch!" He exclaimed, his fingers drilled into Fizz's hips as he bounced up with a shriek. "NOHOHO!" The two continued their fighting for a little bit.

Fizzarolli scribbled into Blitzø's sides and Blitzø scratched into Fizz's hips. The two sat up, continuing their tickle quarrel.

They both had let out surprised gasps as they suddenly were lassoed, and flung upwards into a random building.

They were slammed against a wall and heard the word, "Hired," before looking up. It was Striker, and Moxxie's dad.

Well, shit... Now they were in trouble.

__

[justmaghookit]

The situation unfolding around the Sydney Mardi Gras is directly representative of our current political climate especially in regards to the treatment of protestors and how police being given impunity to inact violence upon non-violent protestors directly leads to further abuses of power.

The weapon used to murder Jesse and Luke was a police issue gun that was checked out for use in paid policing of protests. The killer had a history of unnecessary violence, his first year on the force he tased an indigenous man multiple times in the face.

That man should never have been allowed to hold a weapon ever again and should have been ejected from the police, but he was allowed to stay and continue enacting violence on the public, eventually leading to cold blooded murder.

Defund, Disarm, Dismantle. Demand an end to police violence in our communities.

[bassettmemes]

SCREAM VI SENTENCE STARTERS ↳ spoilers will be present and are tagged as such. general horror movie trope trigger warnings apply. death/murder, mentions of blood/gore, etc.

we have to finish the movie.

who gives a fuck about the movie?!

i always wanted to stick something in you, [name]!

this is creepy, right?

he's after me! he's got a knife!

the worst part is: you teach a class about slashers, and you still walked into a dark alley. alone.

[name] wouldn't be caught dead at a frat party.

get me a drink!

we said we wouldn't use the voice modulator on each other.

it was even better than we ever even imagined.

is that why you killed her? because she gave you a c-?

come on, [name]. how long have we known each other?

why are you fucking with me?

you know what? this is stupid.

what i'm really worried about is [name].

every time i push you for specifics, you shut down.

i have trust issues.

my father was a famous serial killer. they made a movie about him.

last year i found out that my boyfriend was also a serial killer.

i stabbed him 22 times and slit his throat, and then shot him in the head. that's not why i'm here.

it felt... right.

i'm not equipped to deal with this kind of thing.

by law, i'm required to report this to the authorities.

who the fuck is [name]?!

she went to the omega kappa beta party.

i cannot speak to how heavily armed [name] is at this fraternity party.

it doesn't bother you? being at a house party after you were almost brutally murdered at a house party?

i guess i should stay close to you, then.

why don't you get your fucking hands off her?

i'm just gonna tase you in the balls real quick.

don't ever lay hands on my sister.

are you fucking kidding me?

you embarrassed me!

if i wanna hook up with an asshole, that's my decision!

you're not dealing with what happened to us!

i'm uninterested in living in the past like you are.

so you're just gonna pretend like it never happened?

i'm just trying to look out for you.

you can't do it for the rest of my life, though. you have to let me go.

i think you're really special.

did i cockblock you?

please stop saying the word cock.

i can't help but notice you're covered in cherry coke.

being famous isn't all it's cracked up to be.

the last two people who fucked with us ended up dead.

do you have alibis for earlier tonight?

i met [name] at that party. where i tased someone. unrelated.

i take a special interest in ghostface attacks...

we share a certain history...

do you think you're the reason the ghostface killer has come to the big apple?

stay away from us.

are you really still mad at me?

i heard you couldn't sell the movie rights.

you called me unstable and a born killer.

maybe you're just afraid that without ghostface in your life, you're gonna fade away.

what's a requel?

you're beautiful, sweetie. hold all questions until the end.

am i gonna die a virgin?

that was a weird overshare...

why am i on the suspect list?

the slutty roommate: a horror movie classic.

never trust the love interest.

what if the trauma you all went through made one, or more, of you snap?

that's pretty messed up.

it's like he's leaving us real-life franchise easter eggs.

it's like he's counting down to something.

forget about the movies; the movies don't matter.

did you just give us a nickname?

you can't just give yourself a nickname, dingus.

we have all been through some really fucked up stuff and we are all coping with it differently.

we're a team.

i've been sleeping with cute boy from across the hall.

i freaking knew it! i knew it, i knew it, i knew it!

yeah, she's my roommate, but you're, like, the police.

she's really freaked out.

oh, fuck, that guy's dead!

say something more positive!

you fuck with my family, you die.

sorry i punched you...

when did they start letting children into the fbi?

you look like a zygote.

i'm just really good at my job. you'll get there.

it's not just a theater, it's a shrine.

how did they get all this? isn't this evidence?

i had a crush on corey feldman...

okay. game recognize game.

when do i get to be a normal person again?

my parents suck to. you can still make your own family.

technically i did die. four minutes.

when i recovered, i got mad. i didn't want to spend the rest of my life being afraid of monsters. i wanted the monsters to be afraid of me.

bitch, last time i saw you, you were in glee club.

did you really think we were gonna steal a police car and not use the sirens?

that's a cop car! you can't steal a cop car!

spoiler alert: it never works out for the dipshit in the mask.

i'm scared.

i'll just give myself up. if this is what i have to do to keep you safe, it's worth it.

none of us would even be alive if it weren't for you.

he's gonna keep coming after us.

we want to lure him to a secure location and lure him inside.

and then we execute him. are you gonna help us?

let's kill the son of a bitch.

god damn it, i got it wrong again. what the fuck?

fuck this franchise.

don't trust anyone, remember?

you're not woodsboro. i'm sorry.

i cleared the whole place before you got here.

we turned it into a kill box.

we're safe here.

grab a weapon and clear this place yourself.

[name] has been on a downward spiral since the woodsboro murders last year.

they fired [name] two months ago for being mentally unstable. they're no longer with the fbi.

it's [name], they're the killer!

smile for the camera, motherfucker!

"dying" was a good way to get off the suspect list.

i got stu macher's mask. he was my favorite.

this is what we've been counting down to, [name].

fuck you!

i didn't commit those murders in woodsboro!

all the best lies are based on the truth.

there's the fucking killer.

we had to kill those two wannabe film students, because, well, we had to kill you first.

he was so pathetic.

looks like you're down another sibling.

always gotta shoot 'em in the head.

what's your favorite scary movie? i'm asking because you're in one now.

you're in my movie.

my father was a murderer. no matter what you think, i'm better than that.

i promise you i'm going to get so much therapy after this.

we're all part of the same fucked up family now.

did i miss the monologue again?!

[as8bakwthesage]

How Hacker Feels About the Mercs (and Vice Versa)

Scout

Hacker sees Scout as a lil brother kind of figure. They see him trying to flirt with Miss Pauling, and they think it's cute. However, they are also very quick to tease him about anything they know won't actually hurt him too badly. They want him to be happy, and they always go out of their way to help him out when he needs it (with much teasing of course.)

Scout sees Hacker as an older sibling. He's the kind of guy who will go "He uses they/them pronouns!" and completely miss what he is doing wrong. But he is supportive of Hacker's everything. He does ask semi privacy invadey questions sometimes, but never maliciously. (He also starts shipping Hacker with Medic as soon as he sees them interacting in a friendly way.)

Soldier

Hacker often teases Soldier by calling him a coloniser, but they know he doesn't really know what the settlers of the past did to their people, so they don't really mind Soldier's strange patriotism. However, if he ever goes on any weird tangents about nationalities, they will smack him. (Hacker also will protect Soldier from Merasmus, despite not needing their help.)

Soldier will call them a real American in a way that implies that he knows Hacker is Indigenous. Soldier is also aggressively and violently supportive, but in a way that is "he's a lil confused, but he's got the spirit." Soldier is also genuinely a good friend who will listen to Hacker's stories and vice versa.

Heavy

Hacker sees Heavy as a brother in arms. Since Russia and Yugoslavia are both slavic countries, Hacker thinks he's super cool. Hacker can even say phrases to him in Serbo-Croatian and Heavy will partially understand it (and vice versa.) The two can be seen having lengthy discussions about literature. They know Heavy wouldn't betray them or hurt them purposefully, and so they feel very safe around him as well.

Heavy sees Hacker as a little sibling who he must protect. As soon as he hears about Hacker's history, he goes full "brother bear" mode. He also doesn't like how their respective governments have treated them as children and wants better for Hacker. He likes to give Hacker advice whenever he can.

Demo

Fellow colonised fellow? Fellow colonised fellow. Hacker and Demo bond over their love of mythology and magic. The two can often be seen trading stories about their families and about their own people's struggles. Hacker especially feels comfortable around him because of the solid head on his shoulders (even while drunk.) They also think he's a real gentleman when he wants to be.

Demo thinks Hacker is a real one, and a great drinking buddy. He admires their honesty and loyalty. He's also a major fan of the fact that Hacker also has some magical capabilities. He's also one of the first people to properly introduce himself to them.

(Also, a Scot and an Indian drinking together? Chaos. /j)

Medic

Hacker takes one look at Medic and thinks he's adorable. Not scary or creepy. Just adorable and silly. But later on, they very much develop a crush on him. Hacker loves talking to him and listening to him ramble about his experiments. It helps that they aren't squeamish in the slighest. They also love his doves and will get cute aggression whenever they see the birbs. Hacker is also very protective over him, and will tase a bitch to death if he’s hurt. 

Medic sees Hacker as a possible liability at first, but after seeing what they can do in battle and on computers, he’s impressed. He finds them to be strange, but in an endearing way. He’s always happy to talk to them, and he also enjoys talking about art history with them. His own affections for them begin a few months into them knowing each other. He thinks they are definitely crazy, but also ridiculously smart.

Both also bond over the trauma their respective governments have committed against their people. (Medic being Jewish and Hacker being Indigenous.)

Engie

Hacker sees Engie as a fellow man of the machine, and because of that, they love talking to him about anything to do with tech. They are always happy to help him with any project he may need programming help for. They find his southern charm interesting, and generally think he’s kind of a dork. They like spying on him while he’s playing the guitar. 

Engie definitely has a more easy going attitude, and enjoys the vibe Hacker brings to the team. He’s deeply charmed by their energy and loves having conversations with them about technology. He’s a little bit jealous of how skilled they are with computers (Hacker is also jealous of how good he is with engineering), but it doesn’t get in the way of their friendship. The two learn a lot from each other as well, and Engie finds that to be an important aspect in any kind of team. Engie also finds that it is easier to talk techno babble with Hacker as they will instantly understand what he is saying.

Pyro

Hacker thinks Pyro is fun. Burning shit? Let’s go! Hacker can be one chaotic motherfucker and Pyro doesn’t help with that chaos, bringing his own brand of madness to Hacker’s own brand. Hacker can talk and talk around her, and all Pyro will do is listen. Hacker does like to keep Pyro out of their tech in fear of the firebug burning their shit. Hacker also gets very good at interpreting what Pyro is saying, much to the bemusement of everyone else.

Pyro thinks Hacker looks like a lot of happy rainbows. Hacker is fun, and Pyro likes that. He’s not afraid to be herself around them. Pyro enjoys listening to Hacker talk about their life, even if it is rather sad. However, she can tell Hacker is telling this to him in confidence, so she doesn’t tell anyone. Pyro always tries to cheer Hacker up when they are sad.

Spy

Hacker immediately clocks onto the fact that Spy is Scout’s dad after seeing the two interact, and is very quick to encourage Spy to tell Scout about it. Hacker takes every opportunity to also tease Spy for his country of origin also being a colonising one. They find his gadgets interesting and manage to work out some of the kinks in the code. Hacker does think Spy needs to confront his problems/past but won’t tell him that to his face. He’s not easy to talk to, so he isn’t their go-to person for a drink. However, they will share a smoke with him.

Spy finds Hacker to be immensely annoying, especially because he can’t really find anything on them. However, after a while, he does realise he can just ask them and they will tell him if they trust him. Spy does think Hacker should stay out of his business, but secretly knows that they have a point about Scout. He doesn’t really interact with them unless he thinks he should/they approach him. The tobacco Hacker grows is some good stuff though. 

Sniper

Hacker thinks Sniper’s piss jars are disgusting, but understands why he does it. It is an effective strategy, and they commend him for the commitment to the nastiness. One of the great joys of knowing Sniper, in Hacker’s opinion, is the fact that he is ridiculously fun to just hang around with. Sniper is quiet and calm, which contrasts nicely with Hacker’s off the walls energy at times. However, it’s when they feel depressed or in a low energy mood that they enjoy spending time with him the most. They will both get some coffee/tea and the two will just sit on top of Sniper’s van and watch the sun set.

When Hacker is in a hyper mood, Sniper prefers to stand aside. However, when Hacker has low energy, he’s very open to just sitting in silence with them. The two have talked about their professions and how they both make money, and Sniper finds their technological prowess to be interesting and impressive. He’s always one to learn about neat facts about his coworkers. However, Hacker becomes a fast friend when they start bringing him late breakfast when he doesn’t eat in the mornings.

[beardeddetectivepaper]

On May 19, 2023, 19 year-old Virgilio Aguilar Mendez was sitting outside of the hotel he was staying at when Sgt. Michael Kunovich, an officer with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office in St. Augustine, Florida, approached him.

Kunovich called dispatch describing the teen as a "suspicious Hispanic male". The officer then asked Aguilar Mendez if he had any weapons before grabbing his arm while the teen repeatedly said 'no', that he was sorry and that he was just eating. Aguilar Mendez was an immigrant who couldn't speak English and can be seen in the bodycam footage repeatedly trying to tell the officer this.

The officers then grabbed his arm and asked if he had any weapons on his person but when Aguilar Mendez tried to walk away, they pinned the 5'4 teen to the ground, putting him in a chokehold, and tasing him several times.

Officer Kunovich would then suffer a heart attack, dying in a nearby hospital. St. John’s County prosecutors then filed charges against Aguilar Mendez for aggravated manslaughter of an officer and resisting an officer with violence despite the fact that Officer Kunovich had a long history of heart and lung problems prior to the arrest.

[the1975attheirverybest]

Halla what's going on with the uni student in us?? Are they sleeping in there? It's the police arresting most of them?

(don't get me wrong I'm so proud of them, wish more countries would be doing the same)

-💕

yes! If you’re familiar with the student protests of the Vietnam war and Cambodia this is the same thing. students across campuses in NYC, Texas, and California are peacefully protesting by occupying public spaces on their campus and forming “encampments.” Where they pitch tents and live out of them the way that Palestinians are doing in Gaza.

they are demanding that their university stop their relationship to Israeli companies and investments that pay for Israel’s genocide, for admin to speak up about what’s happening, and for the school to start showing full transparency on where their money is going. And they’ve promised not to leave their encampments until this happens. So they’ve set up spaces where students make signs, march in protest, carry flags, pass out educational materials and posters etc.

the universities obviously don’t love this because the Israeli companies that give these universities money are like “bro your own students are against us if you don’t stop them we won’t give you money.” Basically. So universities are starting to use police forces to remove the students. In Texas they shut them down so fast and arrested many. In NYC it got violent, police are beating students, tasing them, pushing their faces against the ground. At the University of Southern California, I think huge arrests were made yesterday. The school has canceled all classes for the rest of the semester. At UCLA the protests continue to be peaceful it seems. They’ve been very mature and not engaging with the pro-Israel counter-protestors who show up to harass them so they’ve been able to keep going. They said they’ll be there all weekend and longer if the university doesn’t agree to their demands. so every school is different with the level of violence and police involvement but basically yeah over many campuses students are being prevented from peacefully protesting what their university is doing and something like 93 students were arrested in one place. 64 in another place. Columbia University in NYC is especially bad. They have a history of doing this with protestors of many different causes so that’s the most insane case for right now. There’s also a huge Zionist population there among their professors who keep going on the news yelling that students make them feel “unsafe” which is bullshit. These kids are literally just sitting on the grass. Lmao.

[ltwilliammowett]

Evading Impressment

Escaping from a pressgang was not an easy thing to do. You might manage to escape a crimper and not take his shilling. And maybe you were even exempt from pressment, which meant that you had a letter from the admiralty (rather from the sick and hurt board) exempting you from service because of a serious health problem. However, this was dissolved in 1803 because there were simply too few men and so those who were considered unfit were allowed to be forced back into service. This process was called Hot Press.

The Neglected Tar, c. 1800, evokes the effects of impressment on a seaman's family and home. (x) 

But now we come to how you could actively escape a pressgang and you had to be very creative, because the men could not be tricked so easily. As in this case from Cork, where a desperate man tried to fake his own escape to avoid being caught by the active pressgang of a local warship. However, the poor soul had not reckoned with the Lieutenant on duty. He had gone so far as to go into the church and, surrounded by all the mourners, open the coffin and pull the not-so-dead man out of it and take him with him. Bell, an already experienced sailor from Newcastle, was caught in 1813 and briefly stored in a room of a government building while the press gang went on with their business. Bell almost ended up back in the Navy if it weren't for his sister. She had managed to gain access to him and was there with him to tase the clothes. Now a rather tall and much stronger woman than before left the building and disappeared. A little later it came out what had happened and since women were not allowed to be pressed, she was released.

The liberty of the subject, by James Gillray, 1779 (x)  

 Thanks to a jack trick, a young sailor who had just been discharged from the navy escaped a press gang in 1815. They picked him up in London and just as they were about to take him away, he slipped out of his jacket and ran away. Of course, the press gang ran after him and right into the arms of a group of workers who had placed themselves protectively in front of the fleeing man. Eventually, a big brawl broke out and both groups parted badly battered. The victim himself managed to escape and was not seen again.

 The Pressgang, by George Morland, 1790 (x) 

Another type of rescue was the fictitious arrest. The pressed one was accused by his friends of having committed a minor crime or another minor offense against them, which required a trial and thus took him out of the press gang. It quickly turned out that there was no evidence against him and so he was released, hoping that the press gang had already moved on. But of course they were not stupid and some lieutenants were so smart and just waited in front of the prison to collect the seemingly lost loot. Out of about 10 fictitious arrests, about 5 were recaptured.

The press gang seizing a waterman of Tower Hill on the morning of his marriage day. Illustration from The Comprehensive History of England (Gresham Publishing, 1902) (x) 

Another method was to sign in as a fisherman. There were agents and lawyers who drew up these papers and were in contact with fishermen who earned some money with each new crew member, even if the member never showed up for duty. But this way the men were protected from serving in the Navy.

[misty-doodles]

AIB Executive Board found family HC's

shout out to @bdanp, thank you for the lovely content, I wish to add my own.

Hehehe I love the idea of these fools being a dysfunctional family unit. I literally need semi-wholesome content on the beach members because otherwise I will lose it. The AIB fandom has really brought out my drive, bc I will be the change I wish to see in the fandom space. Uh, they are dysfunctional with a capital D, so this isn't entirely wholesome, but I'm writing this, so you can't be too surprised.

Today on the board; Aguni, Kuzuryuu, Mira, and Chishiya

-Aguni, Hatter, and Kuzuryuu are the father figures to the group. -Aguni and Hatter used to date but are still friends who maybe have lingering feelings. Who knows. -Aguni just fucking sighs and has to drag them around when they're being stupid, especially the militants. -Has a special soft spot for Arisu once he joins bc he's so hopeful and sweet, and he likes having a moral compass around. Arisu is also the only heart specialist who doesn't resort to murder -He's the only one Niragi listens to, which is why he's the only diamond orientated militant. -Hates the beach and everything it stands for, bc he knows it's a lie. He misses the Hatter before the beach ruined him, and his feelings for him are forever tainted. Tries not to make their history the beach's problem.

-Kuzuryuu didn't even realize he was a dad, he's just fucking there. He's the calm fatherly validation half the board craves, and he has 0 questions. -He has favorites, and it's the exec's diamond trio (Ann, Chishiya, and Niragi) -Fully supports Chishiya's tinkering hobby. Told him that if being a doctor didn't work out, then he should go into STEM. -Finds the entire beach to be a headache, but does genuinely care for the exec members. -Best friends with Mira, who's taken up the role as wine aunt. She's the one who convinced him to come check out the beach. They both help put the exec members into games they're good at.

-Mira interacts with everyone with a Gatekeep Gaslight Girlboss energy about her that freaks everyone else out. She's fully capable of making normal expressions, but chooses to smile her way through everything. -Unironically plays therapist to the exec board bc she was/is a licensed psychiatrist, and they're all so mentally fucked up. She does it in the 'I can't make you better or worse, but I can figure out what's so funky about you' kinda way. She mostly does this to Niragi and Arisu, and also maybe Hatter when he's around. -Casually threatens everyone's life subtly and offers 0 explanations. She's unironically the scariest person at the beach, bc she's so unsettling. -enjoys girls night with Ann, Kuina, and Usagi whenever she's invited, and gets her hair braided -She makes the most references to memes along with hatter, to the annoyance of literally everyone else.

-Chishiya stares in silent judgment whenever he has to fix up an injury, frequently pulls out the 'I'm just a med student' and 'i work with children' cards to get out of things. Makes jokes about just letting them die to scare them. -He wears hoodies everywhere he goes bc they're his comfort clothing item and no one comments on it. Uses big medical words in casual convo to irritate the execs. Autism creature #1, I'm right. -Hates being touched unless he initiates it or gives permission, and is very firm about this boundary. Arisu once tried to hug him and got tased. He didn't try again.

-Silent rage towards Ann for being so goddamn tall. Wears chunky sneakers to appear slightly taller (a/n no genuinely, look in the show those are 2-inch shoes) -He sees Niragi as the worst version of himself, and it honestly freaks him out sometimes. Entirely neutral on his existence most of the time, but finds bickering with him amusing. -Chishiya simply doesn't express himself like everyone else, but he does feel the normal range of human emotions. Mira mentioned him possibly being neurodivergent.

-Kuzuryuu is his dad and that's fine with him

Comeback next time for the rest, bc it's like 3 pages on my Google Docs, and that's too much for one post.

[autism-purgatory]

@deanwax made their characters with a picrew and I wanted to try it out! Here’s Cole and Julia from Viscered :D

some fun facts about these two

-They met when Cole was 19 and Julia was 18. He was setting up camp near a university and bumped into her one night and the rest is history and she accidentally tased him one time. (I can’t spoil all of how they met since it will end up on AO3)

-They’re both bi :D

-They love to listen to each other ramble about their hyperfixations even if they can’t understand a word of it (Julia rambles about physics while Cole rambles about Berserk/whatever dark fantasy shit he read that day)

[dunnswrld]

johnny x very shy gn!reader please?

Johnny x Shy partner head cannons!

a/n: ofc!!

prompt: Head cannons of Johnny dating his shy partner :)

warnings: FLUFF, gn!reader

You met Johnny from working as Jeff's assistant, Johnny thought you were Jeff's partner for a little which made him discouraged.

"Yeah your partner is a real looker Jeff."

"My partner- I don't have a partner you dumbass."

When Jeff tells him the news he would waste no time going to talk to you

But he quickly picked up on how shy you were, which was probably the reason why you two had never spoke before.

You thought Johnny was really cute but you didn't know if he was just messing with you or was serious.

You knew he was serious when he put his hand on his heart and dramatically swore to god he wasn't.

Then the rest was history.

Johnny is a pretty outgoing guy so when he ends up dating you he has to set himself a back a bit.

Which means no pranking you on camera.

But while dating you he learns the little things really do matter.

He loves that he doesn't have to get hit by a bull or get tased in order for you to be interested in him.

Johnny would order your food for you at restaurants.

If you got embarrassed when he ordered for you he would tell you there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

You work on set too but only really talk to Johnny, Jeff, and other crew members.

The Jackass guys didn't even know you two were a thing until Johnny kissed you before he shot something as a good luck.

"Did Johnny just kiss Jeff's partner?"

They would all quickly begin to investigate the situation.

"If you're dating Jeff why'd you kiss Knoxville?"

"I'm not dating Jeff-"

"Is Knoxville a good kisser?"

"Johnny!"

Johnny is quick to tell them all to shut up and mind their businesses.

Any time you were feeling up to it he would love when your on camera with him.

He would have an arm around your shoulders, waist, holding your hand, or hugging you from behind.

He loves showing you off, but he always makes sure it's ok with you and that your comfortable the whole time.

When you all are out at a party the only thing Johnny seems to ask is if your ok.

"You ok honey?"

"You wanna head out?"

"Are you sure you're ok right now? There's a lot of people here."

Johnny is the BEST cuddler.

It doesn't matter if he is big or little spoon it always makes you feel so safe.

Not to mention he loves kissing you no matter where.

He has probably kissed your whole body by now.

Johnny CONSTANTLY reminds you how attractive you are, he loves boosting your confidence

Doesn't matter if it's just a "You look great today." or "Geez you are so hot."

He loves making you laugh too, his sarcastic remarks to the Jackass members/crew always make you laugh.

Johnny loves that he is slowly breaking you out of your shell day by day.

He really just wants nothing more than for you to feel comfortable and happy all the time :,)

[militantinremission]

Is Tyre Nichols' death a watershed moment?

The Nation is supposedly On Hold, awaiting video footage showing how 5 Memphis PD Officers brutally beat 29Yr Old Tyre Nichols. The members of the Memphis PD 'Scorpion Unit' were supposedly stopping Tyre for Reckless Driving, but how did things escalate? The Press says that Tyre initially fled The Scene, & there was an indication that he may have resisted arrest, but nothing suggests that he needed to be pepper sprayed, tased, & beaten severely. The incident took place on Jan. 7th- Tyre died from his injuries on Jan. 10th. The Family of Tyre Nichols have chosen Attorney Benjamin Crump & his Team to represent them.

I don't always agree w/ the methodology of Benjamin Crump. He frames himself like he's the Thurgood Marshall or Johnnie Cochrane of This Generation; I still haven t decided if he is. He spends as much time on his Self Image, as he does on his High Profile Cases. I can rationalize that he needs face time On Camera to boost his ability to serve his clients, but I think he goes a bit too far. Who named Ben Crump: 'The Attorney General Of Black America'? It's framing like This, that leads me to call the man: Benjamin 'Buttah Biscuits'... To be fair, Crump has won some monetary awards for his clients, but we're still waiting to see the Outcome of several Police Trials.

Regardless of my critique of Ben Crump, I agree 100% w/ his Press Conference Commentary. He pointed out how these Officers were fired & arrested on Murder Charges in less than 3 Weeks. Is it because all 5 of the Officers are Black Men? We have seen Black Officers, like Muhammad Noor get convicted for incidents that Non Black Officers get acquitted. Crump is correct, when he says that this should be the blueprint for All Police Involved Incidents. It doesn't matter what Sex, Race or Ethnicity the Officer is, it's pretty clear that this is about Police Culture.

According to a Statement from the Memphis Police Department: Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., & Justin Smith have violated multiple Department Policies, including Excessive use of Force, Duty to Intervene, & Duty to Render Aid. While Black America applauds the expedience of the MPD, We also question why it doesn't happen so quickly when the Officer isn't Black. As a Community, We have serious questions for these 5 Men. Some of Us want to 'Check their Paperwork'. Contrary to the National Conversation, Blackfolk don't go after each other like this. Certainly not Black Cops. This is why most of Us are talking about Police Culture.

Tyre's brutal murder, is an example of why Critical Race Theory can be a valuable tool. If We follow the basic model, which is a History of Race Relations in America, We see how Police Departments play an important role of maintaining the Institutionalized Racism in American Society. We're told that Police are here to Protect & Serve, but they leave out how that is limited to Corporate Property & Interests. The Police Force comes out of the Slave Patrols, who 'protected' the interests of Plantation & Business Owners. As German, Scottish, & Irish Immigrants appeared, they were given jobs 'regulating' the Black Population- Free & Enslaved.

As Cities grew & Police Departments were established, the protocol remained the same; Protect Corporate Interests, & regulate the Black Community. This was a National Effort. As cruel as the White (WASP) Officers were, immigrants always tended to take Anti- Black actions further. It's like they were trying to prove to Mainstream Society how much they belonged. Irish, Italian, & now, Hispanic Officers are generally more aggressive w/ Black 'Persons Of Interest'- that's just a fact. Black America has complained about this 'Police Culture' for over 100Yrs, but have just gained ground in recent years. The difference between Justice for Mitrice Richardson & Sandra Bland, compared to Atatiana Jefferson has been encouraging.

Qualified Immunity has been a literal 'Get Out Of Jail Free' Card for Police Officers. Recent Police convictions have shown that this may be a thing of the past. Despite a few hard won convictions, the legal road getting there has been a long & drawn out one. Many have accused the various Police Unions, DA Offices, & Judges of collusion. They're collectively kicking The Can down The Road; hopeful that The Public will lose interest & eventually forget the incident in question. The actions taken by the MPD, following the brutality of their Officers is worth noting. Tyre Nichols isn't the 1st Black Man to get beat by a gang of Police Officers; Rodney King (RIP) was beat in front of The World 30Yrs ago.

Some may try to focus on the actions of 'Black' Officers, but this behavior happens against Blackfolk in Every City & w/ Officers of Every Ethnic Group. As I said earlier, it's a Culture. What's different about This Instance, is the fact that ALL of the assailants are Black Officers. The City of Memphis is probably still feeling the reverberations of Breonna Taylor's murder in Louisville; I doubt they want Blackfolk to bring that level of Energy there. Cutting their losses is a no brainer. They will likely face an expensive lawsuit from Benjamin Buttah Biscuits; no sense in adding a Riot to an Embarrassment.

I see The City Of Memphis offering up these 5 Bullies, w/ the hope that it will quell a still simmering undercurrent supporting Independent Police Investigations. Defund The Police rhetoric has quieted, but every new incident brings talk about restricting Police 'Street Crime Units', along w/ the equipment & tactics used. Family Attorney Antonio Romanucci hit the Nail on the Head, when he called Street Crime Units, like the MPD's Scorpion Unit 'Suppression Units'. Those of Us that live in 'Inner Cities' understand the reality of these Units patrolling Our Neighborhoods like Military Troops stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

I don't expect alot of hoopla coming out of Memphis. Blackfolk see tangible results, so we're willing to see what develops. What We do expect, is for future Events (that WILL happen) to move w/ the same expediency. The World will see yet another instance of Police involved Anti- Black Racism in America; i'm pretty sure many have also heard Ben Crump's suggestion about a blueprint. Moving forward, if the Legal System treats Non Black Officers differently than these 5 Officers in Memphis, all the rhetoric that the Department Of Justice can muster will not get the racist stench out of the Courts.

-Just My 2 Cents

[krikeymate]

if i ever lost you i would lose myself - chapter 9/10

Chapter 9.

Tara loves Sam more than anything, she really does, but she’s been getting on her last never for a while now. Why can’t she see that Tara’s not a little girl anymore, that she doesn’t need protecting? What will it take for her to see that she can make her own decisions? One little stabbing doesn’t just erase the fact that Tara’s spent five years looking after herself, over five years even.

She just wants to be normal for once, to go out with her friends to a party and meet new people and have fun and live in a world where she wasn’t almost brutally murdered by her best friend.

And then Sam comes in all guns blazing and making a scene.

There goes Tara’s normal college experience!

One small public ball tasing and a “holy shit, it’s that psycho girl” and Tara knows she’s never living that night down.  Everyone will look at her and see psycho girl’s sister, they’ll see that girl who got sliced up in California.

They won’t just see Tara anymore; it will be Tara: The Victim.

She wants to be more than just some victim.

Tara storms her way home, growling at the sound of the others whispering to one another behind her. They’re staying back – as they should! – giving her space to cool down. To talk about her without her hearing them.

They’re always whispering about her these days. She’s sick of it.

By the time she’s reached the doors to the apartment complex, the chill October air and her anger have successfully burned away her buzz, sobriety and guilt setting in.

Maybe she was too harsh.

Sam’s “because you’re not dealing with what happened to us!” echoes through her mind.

Tara scoffs.

Sam’s the one not dealing with her problems.

Ok. So maybe she’s still a little fucked up from everything that happened last year. 

Do you blame her?

She’s not apologising. No matter how many sad puppy-dog eyes her sister throws her way. No matter how much it twists her up inside. Tara’s not a helpless child and Sam can’t keep treating her like one!

Or at least, that’s what she’d intended.

It’s a little hard to remember why she’s being so stubborn when they’re both crouched behind a bodega shelf and there’s a maniac with a shotgun hunting them.

Tara’s shaking and crying, and Sam’s there holding her hand and guiding her through this, the ever-steady presence she had promised her she would be. Like she has been since she came back into her life.

It’s so infuriating in a way, that Sam can be so perfect while Tara’s such a mess.

She wants to be like Sam, wants to be getting on with her life and moving forward.

She thought that’s what she’d been doing.

She hates that it’s not working.

Fuck, she owes Sam an apology.

Ok. So maybe she’s still a little fucked up from everything that happened last year.

Do you blame her?

They’re standing in a murder shrine, surrounded by 27 years of bloody death-filled history, and Tara wonders how this became her life.

It wasn’t perfect, it was a broken mess, sure. But a lot of people came from broken homes. That was normal in a way.

This could never be normal. She doesn’t want this to be normal.

The way Sam stares into the display, zoned out and in her own head… Tara’s never felt so distant from her, not even when they were miles apart.

The lost look her sister gives her makes something in her snap.

Everyone’s talking about Stab and movies and Woodsboro, and it’s all too much. She can’t breathe. She can’t think. She can’t do this.

She doesn’t know how to do this, to be like Sam, to be near Sam.

It’s just a reminder of all that she isn’t.

Tara feels changed.

When I recovered… I got mad.

She doesn’t know how.

I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life being afraid of monsters.

But it feels like she can finally breathe.

I wanted the monsters to be afraid of me.

Like she finally understands.

She lets the anger in.

Tara sighs and closes her eyes, head bowing down until it reaches Sam’s uninjured shoulder. Without hesitation, an arm wraps around her, pulling her in tightly, careful to avoid Tara’s own injured arm.

“You okay?” Sam whispers.

Despite the bustle of the busy hospital corridor they’ve been perched in while Police and Doctors (and Danny) argue over what to do with them, her sister is the only thing Tara can hear.

She’s the only thing she wants to hear.

Now that the adrenaline’s faded, Tara’s left exhausted and in pain, and reality has begun to set in. She wants to block it all out, to let it all go, fall asleep and pretend none of it ever really happened. Just another nightmare, like last year.

But she can’t, can she? She’d promised.

Besides, she can’t leave Sam alone to deal with it all. They’re in this together. She wants to be together.

“I will be,” she replies, hand finding its way to Sam’s leg. The warmth beneath her fingertips leaves her feeling grounded in a way she hasn’t felt for so so long.

Inexplicably, she finds herself recalling the feeling of blood running over her fingers, splashing on her face, dripping down down down. The night flashes before her; Quinn’s manic smile, Ethan’s slimy expression, Bailey, begging on his knees. Oh thank you, thank you, thank yo–

Her eyes spring open, catching sight of her own blood-stained hand. It’s everywhere. Under her nails, soaking her sleeve, on Sam, on herself.

There was so much of it.

She thinks she should feel sick. She should be horrified, shouldn’t she? But instead… she just feels relief. Comfort.

She feels safe.

It’s odd.

Tara frowns as she realises just how much she doesn’t care about what happened. No, that’s not quite right. She was frightened – terrified, angry – furious, calm – pleased… in control.

She’d felt in control in the end, and it felt good. Fuck, it felt so fucking good, to no longer be this helpless little target, to be dangled bait used to entice her sister. She’d made the decision to fall, she’d protected herself, she had been the one to make Sam put on the mask.

Nobody else. Just her.

Sam had willingly put on the mask for her, had worn her legacy – put on the nightmare that haunts her – all because Tara had suggested it. She’d dropped it, left it behind, for her. She did it all for her.

She feels–

“Sam!”

Tara leans back, looking up, filled with a sudden overwhelming desperation. She needed to see her. Needed to tell her, needed to tell her… to tell her–

“Tara?”

The concern in Sam’s eyes makes her own fill with tears, words that had just a moment ago been desperate to tumble out, vanishing.

“I love you,” is all she’s left with.

Sam’s expression softens, gaze searching hers. “I love you too,” she murmurs, hand slipping from behind her to graze her cheek instead.

Tara’s heart races. It doesn’t feel enough, her tongue in knots. There’s so much she needs to say, but she doesn’t know how.

“I need you to know,” she tries, leaning into Sam’s touch, “just how much I love you.”

Sam smiles.

“I know.”

She knows.

[gender-euphowrya]

"ACAB only works in the US, cops in europe don't have the same history and" french cops just killed a man by tasing him 12 times

[trlvsn]

i know theres a source on here for it, but mvk probably also has a history to,, animal abuse? the way he treated polly, i cant find the link right now but i know in order for polly to appeal to his story better in the case he would've had to taze polly

OH I REMEMBER THE POST! parrots apparently can't be trained in that short amount of time UNLESS they are tased in the process so. yeah. but idk if that was intended by the creators so... yeah. either way, he does not have any limits and i wouldn't put it past him - he did tase two people with no hesitation

[yesimwriting]

Chapter 4 had me blushing like a schoolgirl, but also had me ready to call 911 because of Stu's complete disregard for boundaries 😭 Billy did the same thing, but at least he knew better than to go any further. Stu was trying to put A BUN IN THIS OVEN 😭 I glossed over any possible smut bc I didn't wanna read it, but I read a couple lines in and NAHHH you ain't giving me no kids. These two are the type to get you pregnant on purpose to forever chain you to them and I'm terrified that history is about to repeat itself. I already feared that Y/n was gonna be a Rory 2.0, but I didn't think Billy and Stu would move this fast.

The part where Y/n was like "I need you guys" made me WANNA DIE. GIRRLLL, you need to just shut up. They do not need to be praised; they need to be kicked out and TASED. We need to steal Well's taser and show them what happens when they try to take advantage of us. Imagine how devastated Y/n would have been to know she slept with them...she wouldn't be able to look Tate and Sid in the eyes. Y/n was so drunk she wouldn't have been able to probably fight back much. If she did fight back, they would be like "you want this, you know you do," but I also feel like Billy MAYBE would have stopped if he saw that Y/n was crying and clearly scared of him, but idk about Stu. I feel like Stu is more twisted and he'd be too selfish to stop.

I was surprised at how fast they were moving, but it just goes to show how little of a threat they see Gloria as. Billy and Stu are not scared of Gloria or Wells and that's a problem bc who else is going to make them back off? Y/n basically lied with that "making progress" comment and I'm so happy Gloria is so protective bc she isn't gonna be afraid to call Billy and Stu out and she's the only other strong support system Y/n has. She has a very strong influence on Y/n, and she will be able to convince Y/n that she might not be able to trust them. Billy and Stu are jealous of their relationship, but their so confident that Y/n 'needs them' that Gloria not liking them is an afterthought. I'm so ready for Gloria to give Y/n some advice 😭

love your reactions!! obsessed with you tbh,, asks about final girl make my day

i'm glad you felt that way bc that's what i was going for 😭 like a few moments that are a little like aw <3 and then something else happens and it's like...wait a minute 👀that's ...not right AlSO BUN IN THE OVEN PLS GLORIA WOULD KILL THEM ALL SHE'S SO CLOSE TO HAVING HER IVY LEAGUE DAUGHTER DREAM FULFILLED

also "These two are the type to get you pregnant on purpose to forever chain you to them" SO REAL, THEY WOULD LOWKEY,, especially if they feel like Y/n likes kids?? but also at the same time i feel like they'd have fun with it for five minutes and then get mad if you cared more about your kid than them 😭 but i'm not a fan of writing the pregnancy trope, so the odds of this actually happening are kinda low lol (might do something that draws parallels to history repeating itself tho 👀)

and Rory 2.0!! (you watch gilmore girls!! ahh!!) i do kind of get a rory energy from y/n now that you brought it up lol. Single mom support system, ivy league dreams, potentially derailing their future for a boy(s).

also boundaries!! that's such a big thing here! In Stu's "defense "(and i use that word loosely), he doesn't mean to push boundaries like that. Not deep down (at least to y/n, he doesn’t care too much about anyone else lmao) He just gets caught up in the moment and gets excited and is so good at justifying his actions in his head that he starts to believe it. His thoughts are wired that way. In my opinion, the only thing that ever gets him to be like 'oh, bad, let's stop' is the external reactions of those he actually cares about. Meaning Billy, basically, lol.

I don't want to write them in a way that makes it seem like Billy's in control of all of Stu's actions and kind of babysits him, but I do think that Billy's a bit of a moral compass/guideline for Stu. Like, Stu knows that Billy has similarly messed up interests, so if Billy is like 'dude' Stu knows he fr needs to take a step back, or at least think things through a little more.

Stu also cares about what Y/n thinks, but it's a little different. Stu is selfish, especially when it comes to impulsive moments, and when he's in that mood, he isn't really thinking about the consequences of his actions. Plus, Y/n's a girl, and a slightly sheltered girl too. He justifies--and subconsciously believes--that she wants it/him too and she just doesn't know it. Or she's just too scared to admit it to herself bc of her upbringing and morals (he is dating Tatum, and Y/n loves Tatum)

Now, this in no way justifies his actions or thought process, but Stu's not completely wrong, per say. Y/n is kinda scared of dating let alone having sex, and she wouldn't go for someone dating her friends, and she does...or at least is, starting to like Stu and Billy more than she'd ever let herself even acknowledge in her thoughts. Doesn't make it okay though!!

but if you want to go into hypotheticals the aftermath would have been BRUTAL! Billy is more worried about Y/n finding some way to leave them bc of his mom, so he wants to go about their entire relationship in a more methodical, careful, patient way.

He's willing to put in the hours (we know Billy likes his plans lmao) as just a friend. Sure, a friend that might be around a lot, and is just smidge more touchy than someone like him can get away with, but a friend. He can monitor your reactions and figure out how to set the pace of your friendship-to-relationship pipeline according to you. That way he knows you won't get scared off.

Stu agrees, but sometimes he just can't help himself. Plus, he can get away with more bc everyone knows that Stu is touchy.

I don't think Stu would have done anything assault-y to Y/n that night unless Y/n initiated something (which, considering his warped perception, could have been something small) or he got really triggered and lost control. (tbh, his worst intentions were overly cuddling/lowkey feeling up Y/n...and maybe stealing a pair of her underwear) but still!! too far!

but if something did happen and Y/n was upset the next morning, Stu would for sure be trying to smooth it over. If it didn't work and Y/n started crying?? game over, Stu actually feels remorse for once,, Billy is super mad about the whole situation, everything would be so bad!

Fortunately, though, my fic world is nice :)) there will be character development :) now, it is Billy and Stu, so will the situation ever be 1000 percent free of toxicity? Nooo,, but things can get better, especially when it comes to boundaries and things of that nature. I don't want it to be like a whole 'oh she fixed him' thing, but things do get nicer,, sweeter. But a lot of rough things have to happen first!!

never straight up SA though!! as someone that knows what it's like to have a guy force a kiss and feel them up, i can't even imagine how traumatic a darker turn of events would be.

[peanut-tyrug]

DS Fanfic: Morality over Family

Two twin chefs, Noel and Laurent Fournier, are part of a rich family. A rich family that is very much reluctant to give any of their money away to those in need. And when Laurent discovers a poor and lonely mime on the streets, Noel decides to keep his parents off his back while Laurent sticks to his morals.

For visuals, this is what the brothers look like:

These designs/characters aren’t mine, they come from the DST animated short “C’est La Vie”. I just gave them names and extra depth. Laurent is the man on the left, Noel is the man on the right.

TRIGGER WARNING!! - This fic contains egotistical behavior, an insane mad woman, talking down on others, someone breaking into a character’s home, a character talking of themselves in a negative way, and someone getting tased. If you aren’t comfortable with these things, please don’t read this.

The granduer of the Fournier family was simply unmatched.

They are considered one of the most wealthy families in Paris, if not the wealthiest. Many investors in the Fournier family have lived throughout history, spending their money on whatever they needed or desired. Although, most of their money went into businesses to help expand the family’s reputation.

In one case scenario however, two twin brothers interested in working in the culinary industry, Noel and Laurent Fournier, convince their parental guardians to purchase a small restaurant to move forward in their work in the culinary arts post college.

The parents did want to assist in the children’s endeavors, not just to make them happy, but also to keep up the Fournier family reputation. They assisted the twins during their time in college and eventually purchased the establishment they desired.

The two brothers, along with their parents, look upon the building. The place that’ll start the next big chapter in their lives.

“Isn’t it wonderful, frère?” Says Noel. “It’s only uphill from here.” He smiles softly.

“Yes. It is wonderful, dear frère.” Says Laurent, who is glaring at the small Crêperie he wanted added to the establishment. That small compartment had already been there, and he thought a Crêperie would be a nice addition to their establishment. He was more of a pastry chef, unlike his brother, who was more interested in the gourmet side of things.

“We hope you’ll enjoy your endeavors here.” Says the father.

“We spent a lot of our savings on it.” Says the mother. She then looks down. “Unfortunately.” She says in a quiet tone, quiet enough to where the twins don’t hear her.

“Why don’t we take a look inside? Allez, cher frère!” Says Noel. He grabs onto his brother’s arm and drags him into the establishment. The parents say their goodbyes at they head off back home.

“Au revoir!” Says the father.

“Get home safely!” Says the mother.

The twins enter the newly bought establishment and look around. It’s fairly big. A couple tables and chairs have already been placed around the dining space. The two enter the kitchen and see various dishes and other equipment organized in sinks.

Suddenly, another man enters the kitchen.

The twins jump and look back. A man stands in the kitchen doorway. A few other people stand behind him.

“Excuse-moi.” Says the man. “I’m the assistant manager for this establishment. Are you two the Fournier’s sons?”

“Y-yes, Monsieur, we are.” Says Laurent, shaken up from the assistant manager’s sudden appearance.

“Do you need something, Monsieur?” Asks Noel.

“I’m here to introduce you to the other chefs, who are behind me.” Says assistant manager. “They will be working along side Monsieur Noel.”

The assistant manager then looks over to Laurent. “You will be working alone, correct Monsieur Laurent? In the Crêperie?”

“Yes Monsieur.” Laurent responds.

The assistant manager nods. He looks to both of the twins. “I will let you all get used to each other. Au revoir.” The assistant manager then heads out, leaving the chefs in the kitchen together.

Everyone is silent.

“Um… bonjour? Comment allez-vous?” Says Laurent. “…I am Laurent Fournier.” Laurent looks to his brother and pats his shoulder. “And this is my twin brother, Noel Fournier.”

“Bonjour, Fournier brothers.” Says one of the chefs. He walks up to Laurent and shakes his hand. “It’s an honor to meet you both.” He then shakes Noel’s hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all too, mon ami.” Says Noel, who is softly smiling.

Each of them get to know each other and figure how to memorize each other by looks and name. Once they’re done with greetings, everyone, except Laurent, looks around the establishment. Laurent, still in the kitchen, head to the door that leads to the Crêperie and turns on the light.

The Crêperie is pretty small. A stove with a few pots and pans sit on it. There’s also a small shelve to the right of the room. He goes to the front of the small room to open up the metal door that shows the outside and the small counter he’d be serving from.

He peeks out the Crêperie’s window and looks up. The stars are very pretty tonight.

Suddenly, Noel steps into the Crêperie. Laurent looks back to see his brother.

“Huh… it’s homey.” Says Noel. “Are you sure you’ll be okay in here?”

“I’ll be fine.” Says Laurent. “Sometimes it’s nice to be away from bustling sounds of a restaurant and hear the various sounds of Paris.” He says while looking back up to the starry sky.

Noel walks up to his brother and looks outside the small window. He then suddenly speaks up. “Oh, the others were talking about some show screw-up that happened at an ice rink the other day. One of the performs messed up constantly, but somehow none of the other performers messed up because of him. The other chefs were all just laughing about it… but I can’t but feel bad for the man. They said that performer got fired.”

Laurent looks to Noel. “Where is he now? Did they know the performer’s name?”

“…I think the others said his name was… Wesley? They didn’t know his last name. And I don’t think anyone knows where he is now either. For all we know he could be-“

Laurent cuts Noel off, eyes wide. “-Living on the streets.”

Noel then looks Laurent. “…Laurent, I know you want to look for this man and help him. I want to help him too. But you have to remember what Maman said! We can’t go around giving people money! It’s for the family, and you know you don’t want Maman and Papa on our tails! Our chances of becoming well-renowned chefs could be gone just like that!” As he says that last part, he snaps his fingers.

Laurent thinks about what Noel said.

His family had always kept money to themselves. Only spending it whenever it could benefit the family. He and Noel always wanted to lend a helping hand when necessary, but it was always refused. Especially when it came to, as his parents called them, “common folk”, basically meaning anyone on the streets or anyone that didn’t have a similar amount of wealth to the Fourniers. He understood that some people could use you to steal money from you, but some others were just kids or families on the streets in desperate need of assistance. It would always make his heart break whenever he couldn’t even give those children or families at least a bit of money to help them get their lives together.

“…I know…” says Laurent. “…but…”

“No! Don’t 'but' me!” Noel retorts. “We CANNOT lose this opportunity! We’ve waited years for this!”

Laurent looks at his brother, dead silent.

“…Just… promise me you won’t give out any money. Okay?” Noel asks. “…Promesse?”

“…Promesse.” Laurent responds.

“Bien.” Says Noel. He walks back into the kitchen.

Laurent looks back into the starry sky, a sad look on his face.

He eventually closes the metal door and goes back into the kitchen.

- A week later -

It’s been a week since the restaurant opened up. While Noel and the other chefs were busy in the kitchen, Laurent stood by the counter of the Crêperie, waiting for a customer. Whenever people would by, Laurent’s face would light up a bit, hoping that they’d stop by, only to head into the establishment right next to the Crêperie. He just doesn’t have much to do.

He looks around and examines the streets. Various people walk around. Fancy looking people. A few carriages can be seen passing by. A few street performers are sprinkled about.

He then looks to his right to see a new face.

The person he sees seems to be a man wearing mime attire, his face painted and everything, tying blown up balloons to the fence behind him. There’s a boater hat nearby him. He’s likely trying to get some money.

Laurent watches the mime as he finishes tying the balloons to the fence. Once the mime is done tying, he stands there for a moment and then begins his act.

Laurent watches the act intently.

The mime puts his hands forward and taps them against an invisible surface. He’s trapped in an invisible box. He begins to look panicked, as he can’t get out. He then taps his foot against the ground, thinking. He then smiles and puts his index finger up, as if he has an idea. He then traces an invisible line in front of him pretends to lift up a surface on the box and throws it away. He then steps forward a bit, and looks forward, brightly smiling.

Laurent giggles to himself.

The mime doesn’t notice.

The mime then begins to perform something else. He looks as if he’s pulling on a rope. The mime struggles as he tries to pull on the rope, carrying it over his shoulders. He then suddenly reels back, as if the rope is being tugged on by someone else. The mime continues to pull on the rope until he suddenly falls backward, the invisible rope broke.

Laurent giggles to himself again. It’s a bit louder than the last one.

The mime then looks back, his eyes meeting Laurent’s. Laurent tries to not look at the mime and walk backwards to lean against the stove.

Laurent stays hidden, until approaching footsteps are heard.

The one to approach is the same mime from before, holding his empty boater hat, likely to prevent it from being stolen.

“…Bonjour…” says Laurent, nervousness in his voice.

The mime smiles softly and waves.

“…Do you need anything?” Asks Laurent.

The mime sets down his boater hat and takes a notepad and pencil out from his pocket. He writes, and shows the page to Laurent: “I saw you looking at me.”

Laurent looks at the mime, his eyes a bit widened. He’s embarrassed. “O-oh! I was only interested in your act… I liked it.”

The mime smiles brightly. He writes again and shows his writing to Laurent: “Merci! I appreciate your compliment! I’ve never had someone tell me that before.”

“Oh! Je t'en prie!” Says Laurent, smiling brightly. “Could I get your name, S'il te plaît?”

The mime writes again, and shows the writing to Laurent: “Wes.”

“Interesting name… never heard of it before.” Says Laurent. “I’m not saying it’s a bad name by the way. I don’t mind it.”

Laurent questions to himself as to why Wes didn’t give him a last name, but he doesn’t press on it.

Wes waves his hands to indicate that Laurent’s fine. He then writes again: “What is your name, Monsieur?”

“Laurent Fournier.” Says Laurent.

Wes’ eyes widen at that. He writes again: “You’re part of the Fournier family!? It’s an honor to meet you!”

“Oh! I am part of the Fournier family, yes.” Says Laurent.

Wes then looks up. He’s looking at the sign. He looks back to down to Laurent and points upward.

Laurent processes what Wes communicated. “The sign…? Wait, do you want a crepe?”

Wes smiles and nods. But then his brows furrow a bit. He looks upset.

“What’s wrong?” Laurent asks.

Wes writes in a his notepad again: “Je suis désolé, I don’t have any money on me.”

Laurent reads what Wes wrote and remembers the promise he made to his brother.

But the promise said nothing about not giving a hungry mime food.

He knows his parents will be mad if he finds out he didn’t get a single penny from this, but he doesn’t care. He can’t let this man starve. He tries to push that aside.

“Oh, that’s fine. I’ll do anything I can to help.”

Wes’ eyes light up. He smiles. He writes again: “Merci!”

“Je t'en prie! Anything to help those in need!” Says Laurent.

Laurent heads immediately begins cooking. The sweet smell of fruit begins to fill the air. Wes smiles and soaks in the moment. He hadn’t a crepe in ages.

Laurent eventually finishes the crepe. He’s placed on a little platter. He turns to face Wes. “Bon appétit, Monsieur!”

Laurent places the platter in front of Wes.

Wes looks at the platter in awe. The presentation is wonderful. The crepe itself is great to look at too.

“My family has always said I make the best crepes.” Says Laurent, semi-confidently. “You don’t have to, but you could eat it here and give me a review.”

Wes shakes his hands to indicate that he’s fine with eating it there. He picks up the crepe and takes a bite.

His eyes widen and he smiles brightly. He holds a hand to his face and giggles, although no actual noise can be heard.

Laurent smiles brightly at Wes’ reaction.

Wes continues to bite at the crepe, savoring it. He does eventually finish it. He then wipes his hands off a bit.

“What did you think?” Laurent asks.

Wes beams and picks up his notepad again. He writes: “It was wonderful! I don’t I’ve ever had a crepe that good before! Thank you!”

“You’re welcome!” Says Laurent. “I’m glad to have made your day brighter.”

Wes writes in his notepad again: “I’ve gotta go now. I got money to make. Au revoir! Passe une bonne journée!”

“Ah! You too!” Says Laurent, smiling brightly.

Wes then waves and heads off back to where he was performing and continues his act. Laurent watches Wes’ act for a bit longer before he goes back to looking at other people walking by.

—

It’s around closing time. Everyone is getting ready to head home. Laurent and Noel however are heading to their parents’ home for dinner.

As Laurent steps out of the establishment, he sees Wes sitting on the ground, leaning against the fence behind him, with his eyes closed, and his boater hat (with no money in it) sitting in his hands. Laurent’s eyes widen with worry. He quickly approaches Wes to make sure he’s okay.

Just as he’s about to check for a pulse, he can see Wes’ chest rising and falling.

He’s asleep.

Out on the curbside.

All alone.

Laurent’s brows furrow with guilt and sorrow. He wishes he could help Wes out.

But he doesn’t want to lose his job.

He’s waited so long.

And he doesn’t want his parents breathing down his neck.

…What could he do…?

“Laurent!”

Laurent turns his head to see Noel and a few other chefs exit the establishment. Noel walks to his brother while the other chefs go in their own directions.

“Frère! What are you doing there?” Noel asks as he approaches his brother.

Laurent looks down at the sleeping mime. He can’t help but feel bad.

Noel notices the guilty look on Laurent’s face. He sighs.

“Allez, Laurent. To Maman and Papa.” Says Noel.

Laurent looks to his brother, sadness and guilt can be seen in not just his eyes, but also his expression. He sighs. Then nods.

The twins leave the sleeping mime. Both of them feel guilty.

They don’t want to leave him there.

But they suppose they have to.

- Later, at the Fournier household -

The Fournier’s home, although still grand, isn’t exactly as grand as the family itself, but the family manages (the mother does want to get a new home though).

The twins enter their home to be greeted by their parents.

“Greetings Noel and Laurent! It’s a been a bit.” Says the father.

“How are you both doing tonight?” Asks the mother.

“Bien.” Says Noel.

“Great.” Says Laurent, who is mostly forcing a smile.

“Let us head to the dining room, shall we?” Asks the mother.

The three men nod and then head off.

On the way there, Laurent can’t help but tremble. Guilt has completely become part of his body. Noel notices his brother’s behavior and nudges him on the shoulder.

Noel whispers. “Keep it together, Laurent.”

Laurent nods and tries to take some deep breaths to help calm his nerves.

They eventually reach the dining room. It’s walls decorated with a deep red wallpaper. Flowers in vases are lined around the room. The table itself has a red table cloth on it, plates have already been set down. A few servers already in the room had been waiting for the family’s arrival.

The four sit down and the servers immediately start coming toward each of them, asking them what they want. Once the servers leave, it’s pretty much silent.

Laurent stays in his head. He can’t stop thinking about wanting to help Wes.

He simply can’t look at him sit on that curb any longer.

Laurent finally breaks the silence.

“Excuse-moi, Maman and Papa, but I wanted to ask if I could borrow some money?”

The three family members look at him a bit perturbed.

“…What do you need it for?” Asks the mother.

“…I’ve been working very hard the past few days. I thought it’d be a nice treat for me to spend some money.”

“Oh, that’s alright dear.” The mother responds. “You have been working hard, so I’ve heard from the assistant manager.”

Laurent softly smiles and nods.

“I can get that money for you after dinner.” Says the mother.

“That’s good.” Laurent responds.

Noel continues to look at Laurent a bit perturbed. Laurent tries to look as serious as he does to his brother.

He’s not achieving it well.

—

Dinner went smoothly. Fairly normal in fact. Other than the slight tension between the twins, everything was fine.

Dinner had already ended and Laurent and his mother were heading to one of their storage spots.

Where they kept some of their money.

The storage area itself was a room full of saves keeping lord knows how much money.

“How much do you think you’ll need dear?” The mother asks.

“Oh, uh… 90 Euro?”

The mother gasps a bit. “Oh, really? Gaining the same spending habits as your dear Maman? You really are my child.” She says.

Laurent giggles. “I am indeed.”

She reaches into one of the safes and pulls out her son’s desired amount.

“Here you are, dear. You can go out now if you want to. I know you have a precious lady waiting for you. Spend that wisely, chéri.” Says the mother.

“I will, Maman. I will.”

Laurent eventually says his goodbyes to everyone in the residence and heads off.

He doesn’t head home however.

—

Laurent heads back toward where Wes is sleeping. He slowly goes up to the mime and sits next to him. He shakes Wes a bit to wake him up.

“…Wes? Wake up for me, please.”

Wes slowly opens his eyes. He blinks. His eyes open up when he sees who sitting next to him.

“…Bonjour. Are you holding up okay?” Laurent asks.

Wes nods.

“Good… um… I know this’ll be kind of sudden but…” Laurent takes out the money he had asked his mother for.

“I want you to have this.”

Wes looks like at the stack of Euro is the man’s hands. He can’t believe what he’s looking at.

Wes looks up to Laurent and points to himself, wide eyed.

Laurent chuckles a bit. “Yes, it is for you. I couldn’t sit back and watch you suffer anymore.”

Wes brightly smiles and takes out his notepad and writes. He shows the writing to Laurent. “You didn’t have to do this, but I’m very thankful that you did. I very much appreciate your help.”

Laurent reads the page and smiles. “You’re welcome! I’m glad I could help!”

Wes smiles. He puts the money in his pocket. It fits snugly. Suddenly, a small gust of wind blows. Wes holds onto his arms and shivers. Laurent winces a bit, feeling guilty.

“Do you want to stay at my place for the night? I don’t really want you out here alone, especially with that money on your pocket.” Laurent asks.

Wes looks up at Laurent with wide eyes. He nods enthusiastically. He stands up excitedly.

Laurent smiles. Then a realization hits him. “You haven’t eaten anything since I gave you that crepe, huh?”

Wes shakes his head. Both are surprised that Wes hasn’t fallen unconscious due to hunger yet.

“Oh, dear. Mes excuses. I think my épouse could make you something.” Laurent says.

Wes accepts Laurent’s apology. Laurent smiles. “Follow me. I think my wife will like to meet you.” He says.

Wes follows Laurent back to his home. His trust for him is growing.

He’s never been asked if he wants to stay at someone’s home for the night. He especially didn’t expect it from a Fournier.

But he’s happy that at least one person cares about him.

—

Laurent’s home is pretty far from the establishment he and his brother work at, but he manages.

The two reach a small neighborhood. Wes looks around. He had never seen this part of the area before. They eventually reach Laurent’s home, then his front door.

Laurent knocks on the door, waiting for his wife to open it up.

The unlocking of a lock can be heard. The door opens and reveals a beautiful ginger woman in a night gown.

She looks up to Laurent. “Oh! Hello dear!” Her gaze then goes to Wes. “…Who is that behind you? A mime?”

“Oh! This is Wes. He’s been out in the streets for a bit. I thought it’d be good to let him stay here for the night.” Says Laurent.

Wes waves, looking a bit nervous.

“Can he speak?” Asks Laurent’s wife.

“He normally writes in a notepad to talk… but can you actually talk, Wes?” Asks Laurent, who is looking to Wes.

Wes takes out his notepad again and writes: “No, I can’t speak. I’m mute.”

Laurent and his wife read the page. “Oh.” Says Laurent’s wife. “I apologize if I came across as rude.”

Wes shakes his head, indicating that she’s fine. The wife smiles softly.

“Well, I’m perfectly fine with you staying. If you ever need to, just stop by, and we’ll care for you. My name is Camille by the way.” She holds out her hand for Wes to shake it. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Wes.”

Wes puts his notepad back in his pocket and shakes her hand, he smiles brightly.

“Come in, you two.” Says Camille.

The three enter the home and Laurent locks the door behind him. Wes looks around. It’s very nice and orderly. A few cushions and a small couch sit in a small living area. Nearby that is a small kitchen. Around the living area are a few hallways that lead to other rooms in the home.

“Oh, Wes, you should take off your shoes.” Says Laurent.

Wes takes off his shoes and sets them to the side. Camille walks up to Wes. “You can take a seat dear, I don’t mind. Have you eaten recently?”

Wes sits on a nearby cushion and looks up to Camille. He shakes his head. He hasn’t really eaten much at all.

“Oh, dear… let me fetch you something.” Camille goes over to the small kitchen. Laurent sits on the cushion next to Wes.

“She’s a magnificent cook by the way.” Says Laurent, with a soft smile on his face. “We’ve both taught each other what we know.”

Wes smiles. He’s happy Laurent has someone to love.

The two sit quietly, waiting for Camille to return. A savory scent slowly fills the air. Wes smiles gleefully. Laurent chuckles. “That’s only a taste of her skills.”

Wes then rolls his eyes and looks to Laurent, his brows furrowed, but he appears to be smiling a bit. Laurent is confused for a moment before he understands what Wes was on about. “Oh, haha! Pun not intended. Désolé.”

Wes shakes his head. Laurent’s fine.

Camille eventually comes back with a small plate in hand. She hands Wes the plate. “These are pierogis! My father taught me how to make them. Laurent helped perfect them though.” She smiles brightly.

Wes picks up a pierogi. He’s never had one before, but don’t knock until you try it right?

“They’re a bit hot. Blow on them first.” Says Camille.

Wes blows on the pierogi and takes a bite.

His eyes light up. It’s wonderful. He giggles, although, like before, no sound is actually produced.

Camille giggles. “I’m glad you like them!”

Laurent then pats Wes’ shoulder. “I told you she was a magnificent cook!”

Wes nods. She is a magnificent cook.

“You eat those. And head to bed after. It’s getting pretty late.” Says Camille with an authoritative sound to her voice. “Do you want to wash the makeup off your face?”

Wes pauses his eating for a moment to grab his notepad again. He writes: “I’ll wash my makeup off. I haven’t taken it off all day.”

“Ah, alright. I’ll lead to the bathroom when you’re done eating.”

Camille eventually leaves the two men alone. The two communicate as Wes eats.

“…What are you going the spend the money on?” Asks Laurent.

Wes writes: “Likely on food. I know you said you were going to get me a home in the future.”

“I will get you a place to stay. You could stay in an apartment until I can get you a home. I can pay for the apartment.”

Wes writes: “That’d be great! I appreciate your assistance.”

“You’re welcome! I’m glad I could help.”

Wes eventually finishes eating and goes with Camille to the bathroom to wash his face.

“Do you want a rag?” Camille asks. Wes nods.

Wes turns on the faucet and wets the rag. He rubs the rag on his face and begins to wash off the makeup. He eventually finishes washing his face. His face is now entirely bare.

“Awww you look adorable!” Says Camille.

Wes smiles brightly. He writes in his notepad: “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome! You deserve it.” Says Camille.

Wes then heads over to the small couch, where he’ll be sleeping. Camille hands him a spare blanket and pillow to use. “Do you want anything else to where or no?”

Wes shakes his head, a no.

“As long as your comfortable. Good night, Wes.”

Wes waves to Camille. Laurent, who is in a night shirt and pants, shuts off the lights to the living room as he walks by. “Bonne nuit, Wes.”

Wes waves to Laurent as he and Camille head to bed. He sets the pillow down on the couch and fluffs it a bit. He then lays down on the couch and rolls over to his left side. He slowly begins to drift off to sleep.

…

It’s very quiet.

Little to nothing can be heard. It’s almost deafening. Although it’s comforting for the mime sleeping soundly on Laurent and Camille’s couch.

The quiet is suddenly broken by loud banging.

Wes jolts awake. He puts a hand to his chest, his breathing quick. He looks for the source of the sound in the dark.

Nothing.

Maybe it was a dream.

He’s wrong though.

More banging can be heard. Wes jumps and darts his head again to look for where the sound is coming from.

Just as his eyes dart toward the door, an old female voice can be heard from outside.

“LAURENT!? LAURENT FOURNIER! OUVRES CETTE PORTE À I'INSTANT!”

Wes quivers. The loud voice sends chills down his spine. He slowly gets up and heads to Laurent and Camille’s bedroom. It takes a bit, but he finds it. Another few bangs on the door can be heard. Wes tries to push down his fear and slowly enter the room.

He slowly creaks the door open. He peaks through the opening like a toddler coming into their parents bedroom to sleep with them. He can barely see a thing in the room. He slowly steps in the room and sees the faint silhouette of Laurent sleeping on the left of the bed. He goes up to Laurent and shakes him a bit to wake him, feeling a bit guilty.

“…Mmh… Wes…? Are you alright?” Asks Laurent in a whisper, a bit groggy.

Wes shakes his head. He points outside the room.

“…Is someone at the door?”

The banging is heard again.

Wes’ head jolts to look outside the room, panic all over his face. Laurent also looks outside the room, squinting his eyes. Camille also wakes up. She gasps as her eyes pop open.

Camille sits up a bit, afraid. “What was that?” She whispers.

“LAURENT!! OPEN THIS DOOR!!!” Shouts the same old female voice from before.

The three of them stare outside the dark room. All of them look afraid, but Laurent looks the most horrified of all them.

He easily recognizes the voice.

It’s his mother.

She’s likely here to retrieve the money she’d given him.

How did she figure out what he was lying to her?

Then a realization hits him. The man who had been eyeing him the entire dinner.

Noel.

Noel ratted him out.

Laurent’s eye brows furrow in anger. '…Lousy brother.' Laurent thinks to himself. He immediately shakes the thought out his head.

More banging is heard. Laurent looks to Camille.

“Camille. Hide Wes somewhere. I’ll take care of the people at the door.”

Both Wes and Camille look at Laurent with concern. “What!?” Camille harshly whispers. “What if you get hurt? Who even is that woman at the door?”

“That’s my mother.” Says Laurent. “I had given Wes some of my family’s money for him to use. She found out, and now she wants the money back.”

Camille’s eyes widen a bit. “But what about you?”

“Sooner or later they’re going to break down that door. We can’t just keep them out there… and I’d rather get hurt over you two getting hurt.”

Wes and Camille’s brows furrow. Just after that, bangs can be heard again, but this time, there’s one bang every few seconds.

Laurent’s mother is breaking down the door.

The three of them look out of the room in shock. Wes quickly turns on the lamp next to the bed so he can see and darts to the closet inside the room.

Laurent and Camille look at the closet before Camille turns her head to Laurent. “I’m going with you.” She says. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Laurent wants to tell her he doesn’t want her getting hurt back, but he knows she’s tough. His mother gets violent when angry, and he may need to extra hands.

“…Alright.” He says, a bit reluctantly. “Grab a pan.”

Camille nods and gets out of bed. She heads out of the room with Laurent following close behind her.

Camille turns on a few lights as she heads into the kitchen. She attempts to quietly grab a pan out of the sink.

Laurent stands walks toward the door. The bangs aren’t as frequent anymore. He quickly flings open the door.

He sees Noel and his father restraining his mother. Who is squirming a bit in their grasps. She stares at Laurent with cold eyes.

“TOI.” She says in a cold tone. “WHAT DID THAT LOWLY SCUM DO WITH THE MONEY!?”

Laurent is not listening to his family anymore. “That’s not any of your business.” He says sternly.

The mother looks at him with death daggers. “…I’LL HAVE THAT MAN THROWN IN PRISON!” She shouts.

Laurent notices how Noel and his father aren’t saying anything to retort against what she just said.

“You aren’t going to say anything?” He asks.

Both the father and Noel shake their heads. The father looks afraid while Noel looks stern, his brows furrowed.

“Of course you aren’t.” Says Laurent. He looks to Noel. “You ratted me out, frère.” He says 'frère' with strong and stern emphasis, not the good kind though.

“I had to.” Says Noel.

“Why!?” Laurent asks. “You care more about the family than a poor man on the streets!?”

He really isn’t going by Fournier Code anymore.

He’s sick of following it.

“HE’S SUPPOSED TO!!” Says the mother. “WE RICH FOLK SHOULD NEVER CARE FOR PEOPLE SO LOWLY!” She says.

Laurent looks to his mother with fury in his eyes. “Well, I’m done. I’m done with not helping people in need. I’m sick of being told that people like Wes are ‘lowly common folk'. It’s disgusting.”

The father and Noel look at Laurent with shock in their eyes.

The mother has had enough.

She wails. She screams what is practically bloody murder. It’s very likely that people are watching this all unfold from inside their homes.

The raging woman breaks free from the other men’s grips and darts directly into the house, pushing Laurent out of the way in the process. He hits his head against the door frame. He’s not knocked out, but his head begins to ache.

The raging woman stands in the living room, fuming. From the kitchen, Camille comes rushing toward the other woman with a pan in her hand. Before she can strike, the other woman smacks her square in the face.

Camille gets knocked down. The pan falls to floor with a loud bang.

Back at the doorway, the father has sat Laurent against the wall. Laurent looks a bit dazed. Noel steps in the home and steps toward the mother.

“Maman! Please!” He begs. “We don’t have to do this! The police are likely already on their way here!”

“I DO NOT CARE.” The mother retorts. She grabs Noel by the shoulders. “I WILL GET THAT MONEY BACK. IT IS OURS.”

Noel looks at his mother with fear in his eyes. He knows he can’t win a fight against her. He keeps his mouth shut.

Camille stumbles back up, pan in hand. “Get. Out.” She says coldly.

Noel looks back to Camille, afraid. The mother looks back to Camille as well, eyes full of fury. “I AM GETTING OUR MONEY BACK!”

The mother lunges at Camille, but before she can strike, Camille hits the mother with the pan.

The mother is stunned. She moves back a bit.

“Mon amour.” Says the father, now standing up, holding a still slightly dazed Laurent up. “S'il te plaît.”

The mother looks back to her husband. “NON.” She says. “I WILL GET OUR MONEY BACK. MY MONEY BACK. NOW WHERE IS THE MONEY!?”

Suddenly, footsteps are heard.

The five of them look toward the hall that lead to Laurent and Camille’s bedroom to see Wes standing there, money in his hand. He looks panicked, as if wanting all the violence to stop.

Laurent looks at Wes wide eyed. “Wes, no! That’s for you!”

“IT WAS NEVER HIS TO BEGIN WITH!” Says the mother.

The mother walks toward Wes. Wes backs up against the wall behind him, fear in his eyes. The mother is all up in his face.

“…Wes… right?” Asks the mother. “You are going to give me that money, and I will report you DIRECTLY to the police.” She says, a bit of glee in her voice.

Wes quivers.

“You will never interact with my family again. I will make sure that you are belittled and treated like the puny, scrawny, lowly common man you are.” She says coldly.

Wes quivers even more.

He thinks about what she called him.

…He really was lowly, wasn’t he…?

The mother looks at the poor mime with a big smile on her face.

Just before anyone can do anything more, sirens are heard.

Thankfully, someone called the police.

Various cops come popping out of their vehicles and rush into the home. “Madame! Mettez vos mains en l'air!” Says one of the cops.

The mad woman looks back to the cops. She giggles maniacally. “You’ll never have me!” She says. “My reputation as Madame Fournier will live on! Every last bit of our wealth shall remain in our hands!”

Suddenly, before the woman could do anything, one of the cops runs up to the woman and hits her with his taser. Everyone watches as she twitches. The cop eventually removes the taser and catches her limp body in his arms.

Everyone, save for the cops, look on in shock.

The cop carries the woman out of the house and into one of the police cars.

“Est-ce que tout va bien?” Asks one of the cops. Everyone but Wes nods. Wes shakes his head.

One of the cops walks up to Wes. “C'est bon. She’s gone now.” He reassures. “Does that money belong to anyone?”

“It belonged to my family.” Laurent speaks up.

The cop looks back. Laurent speaks again. “But I gave it to that man. His name is Wes.”

“Ah.” Says the cop. “Nous sommes désolés, Wes. We apologize for causing you, and everyone else here, such distress.”

“…It’s alright.” Says Noel. “As long as we don’t have her on our backs anymore.”

The cop nods. “As long as you are all safe and sound.” He says. “We best get going. Au revoir, soyez prudent.”

“Au revoir.” Says Laurent.

Every cop eventually leaves. The door is shut behind them.

It’s now incredibly quiet.

No one really knows what to make of what just happened.

Wes then goes over to the couch and sits on it. He puts his chin in his hands.

Laurent let’s his father let go of him. He sits next to Wes. The other three in the room sit on the cushions in front of the couch and look at the two of them.

After a bit of silence, Laurent speaks up. “…I’m… sorry that you had to see that… experience that…”

Wes looks over to Laurent, wanting to indicate that he doesn’t need to be sorry, but he stops himself.

Laurent notices. “Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas?”

Wes hesitates for a bit. His brows furrow and lips fall into a nervous frown. He eventually does pull out his notepad and begins to write. He eventually shows the pad to Laurent, handing it to him to read what he wrote.

He writes: “You’re mother said I was a 'lowly common man'. And when I think about it… I really am lowly aren’t I? I can barely keep my life together. I can barely keep a job. I don’t have any money in my pocket. My life is awful… and I can see that the belief to not help the lowly runs in the family… so why are you different? Why is someone like you helping me, a common man? Why are you going against your family’s rules… have you been lying to me about how you’ve felt?”

Laurent’s eyes are wide. He feels even worse for Wes than what he already did.

“…Wes… I’m not lying to you when I say I deeply care about you. Neither I or Camille have been lying to you… I always hated seeing you on that curb, even though you weren’t there for long. My heart ached to help you. I did what I did because I just couldn’t let you suffer anymore. I sacrificed my career because I genuinely wanted to help you. I’ve deeply cared for you since I first heard of you… you get me?”

Wes ponders what Laurent had said.

Before Laurent, no one had ever dared to look down upon him. No one dared to help him up and dust him off. Give him some money to buy an actual meal with. He would constantly be reaching out, like a rose desperate to see the sun’s rays. To feel the warmth of the sun against his face.

The only person who seem to see him in the dark was Laurent. The only person who seemed to hear him among the crowd was Laurent.

The only person who seemed to have the desire to free him…

Was Laurent.

He acted so differently, so genuine, compared to everyone else he pleaded to. The black sheep among a hoard of people who could care less about him. He didn’t even need to call for Laurent. Laurent came to him.

After all Laurent had done for him… after learning what he had sacrificed… why distrust him now? After all that he’d done that no one else would…

Wes puts his hand out toward Laurent, asking for the notepad back. Laurent hands it back to him. He writes again and shows it to Laurent.

He writes: “…Do you mean that?”

Laurent reads what Wes wrote and smiles. “…Why wouldn’t I? You don’t deserve to be sitting out on that curb all alone… you’re understanding. You’ve got a big heart… you’re a great man, Wes.”

Laurent then tightly hugs Wes, perfectly sealing everything up in a box full of true meaning.

Wes feels tears well up in his eyes. His hands begin to quiver a bit.

Wes tightly hugs Laurent back. He quivers as he happily cries in the man’s arms. Tears quickly roll down his face.

Wes knew that he couldn’t hold on to Laurent forever, but he didn’t want to let go.

He wants to just sit there and happily cry in this man’s arms to show him how thankful he is.

Thankful for Laurent.

Thankful for the Universe giving him this one chance to be actually happy.

For the first time in years.

He was happy.

Truly happy.

Laurent and Wes eventually let go. The others look at them with smiles on their faces.

Noel looks down for a moment, before looking up again and looking at the pair. “…I’m sorry Wes, for not helping you out… and Laurent… I let you down. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“I am sorry as well.” Says the father, who is sitting next to Noel. “I realize how… unorthodox we have been. I had always felt your mother was a tad… wrong about what she thought of others. But never pressed on it. I should have…”

Laurent looks to the two of them and smiles. “…If we weren’t held up to such high standards, we wouldn’t have done the things we did. We can change. You’re both fine.”

Noel and the father smile. Then, Noel’s brows furrow. “Wait, you gave Wes a crepe?”

Laurent’s eyes widen. He chuckles. “Oh, yeah. But that promise didn’t involve giving anyone food, now did it?”

“Oh. It didn’t.” Says Noel.

“It doesn’t matter now.” Says Laurent.

Laurent then looks over to Wes. “You wanna stay with me and Camille?”

Wes looks back to Laurent with his brows furrowed. Isn’t that why he’s here?

“I mean live with us.” Says Laurent. “I don’t want you living out on the streets.”

Wes smiles brightly and nods excitedly. He then looks to be remembering something. He writes in his notepad again and shows it to Laurent.

He writes: “You can call me Wesley by the way. It’s my actual name. Wes is just a stage name.”

Laurent reads what Wes has written. The name sounds familiar. His brows furrow in thought. “'Wesley'… are you that man from the skating rink?”

Wes’ eyes widen. He looks down a bit, embarrassed.

“Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you.” Says Laurent.

Wes looks up to Laurent and waves his hands. He doesn’t need to be sorry.

Laurent smiles at Wes’ response. He then looks over to Noel and his father. “Are you two heading home alone or…?”

“We will be heading home alone.” Says the father.

“That’s fine.” Says Laurent.

“You two should head around the time the sun rises. That may be awhile however.” Says Camille.

“We don’t mind staying. Getting something to eat maybe.” Says Noel.

“Oh, I don’t mind. You all haven’t eaten in a bit.” Says Camille. She heads into the kitchen and immediately goes to prepare something.

“She’s a magnificent cook by the way.” Says Laurent. “Wesley would know.” Laurent looks over to Wes and smiles.

Wes looks over to Laurent and smiles back.

He can feel glee flowing through his body. He is eternally grateful from Laurent and Camille’s help.

He thinks he’s going to really like living with them.

- END -