#a receptacle for the god (they reference hearing those voices in their head in the show) and i was on my usual “what if the god left them

[nazumichi]

where’s the bna episode where shirou gets contact lenses

[trashyswitch]

The Teasy, the Quiet, and the Vulnerable!

Jackieboy Man sees Chase playing FNAF Help Wanted on his VR headset. Marvin is also there, watching the headset's recording on a laptop in the background. Jackie, being the evil guy he is, decides to torment Chase and take advantage of his temporary blindness to reality.

It features some minor spoilers for FNAF: Help Wanted, so a bit of a disclaimer for that. Other than that, I hope you all enjoy!

Chase Brody had turned on his VR Headset, and was playing the game Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted. Marvin was watching the recording action on a laptop in the background.

"I don't know what to pick now! I've done all the main FNAF games once already, and I don't wanna go for the vent levels yet." Chase muttered, currently looking through the different options on the video game.

"What's Parts and Services?" Marvin asked. Chase clicked the right arrow a few more times, allowing the tablet options to circle around again before reaching the options Marvin mentioned.

"Uuuh...I don't know. Wanna try?" Chase asked.

"Yeah! Try it!" Marvin replied.

"Okay." Chase decided. Chase clicked on the first level, and waited for the circle to completely load with 100% pizza in the circle.

Suddenly, the screen faded into black, before instructions showed up on the screen. Then, the instructions faded before revealing the first animatronic.

[Welcome to Parts and Services.] the game narrator said.

Chase just dropped his jaw at the size of the robot.

"You are HUGE! HOW IN THE WORLD- If you were standing on you 2 feet, YOU'D BE TOWERING ME!" Chase reacted.

[First we must access his harmonization module located inside his secondary throat pipe. To access the throat pipe, both eyes must first be removed.] The narrator explained.

Chase's eyes widened. "We're taking it apart?!...I mean that's cool and all, but these things are known for being deadly!" Chase reacted.

"Should've thought about that before buying the game, Chase..." Marvin teased.

"Shut up, ya bystander." Chase shot back at Marvin.

Chase began to focus on removing the first eye. He slowly, carefully, removed it from its eye socket. Success!

Chase let out a sigh of relief.

[Put the left eye in the cleaning receptacle to your left.]

Chase followed the instructions, and dropped it in. As it roared, more dialogue came up:

[Well done. Now firmly grip Bonnie's right eye and remove it from its socket.]

"This is so odd. I'm literally taking an animatronic apart." Chase said as he carefully removed the right eye.

[Deposit the right eye in the cleaning receptacle on your right.]

"Chase followed the guide and dropped it in.

[Good job. To open Bonnie's faceplate carefully, press the two buttons located on either side of Bonnie's jaw. When done correctly, you should hear two small clicks.] The narrator explained.

"Okay." Chase said, reaching his controllers up to the red buttons on either side of the blue jaw. "one..." Chase mumbled, clicking the left button first. "...and-" Chase said, clicking the second button.

Suddenly, a loud opening sound could be heard as the face plate unhinged itself from the skeleton underneath. Chase jumped and shouted in response.

Marvin jumped and gasped as well, but bursted out laughing at Chase's reaction.

"Ohohoho GOHOHOD NOHO! I HATE THIS!" Chase shouted, laughing uncomfortably.

[-Bonnie's harmonization module.] The narrator spoke, still talking despite Chase's inability to focus. [Press the blinking button inside Bonnie's secondary throat pipe to enter calibration mode.] The narrator continued.

"I'm guessing it's this middle button here?" Chase asked out loud. Chase reached his remote up to the button and pressed it. Immediately, the strings on the guitar started playing one by one! Chase immediately began playing air guitar.

"Yeah! Play it, Bonnie!" Chase yelled.

"Oh, something's loose..." Marvin commented, hearing a loose string sound, that stuck out like a sore thumb.

[Something is not right.] The narrator commented.

"Yeah, no shit." Marvin reacted. Chase froze and paused his air guitar moves upon realizing he was supposed to listen.

"Wait, what?! I didn't-" [One of those notes is out of tune.] The narrator interrupted. [You may push the button again to play the audio check.] The narrator further instructed.

"Okay, good. Cause I wasn't listening." Chase admitted, before clicking the button again. All 5 strings began playing one by one again, with the second-to-last sound appearing to be out of tune.

"Okay...I think it's this one?" Chase said out loud, turning the yellow tuning knob. [Press the blinking button now, to verify your work.] The narrator explained. Chase clicked the button and listened to the tuning...now 2 of the notes were out-

Bonnie's endoskeleton jumped right at Chase's screen! "AAAAAAAAH! OH MY GOD! BONNIE, YOU PICKY PIECE OF SHIT! COME ON!" Chase shouted, jumping about 3 feet into the air.

{TAKE 2}

[One of these notes is out of tune. You may push the button-]

"I know! You don't have to re-explain it, narrator! I got this!" Chase yelled out loud. Then, Chase began to play the individual chords with his remote finger. "...Uuuuh...This one?" Chase asked out loud, turning the first blue note before 'verifying his work'. "Dammit, I feel like this- GAAAAAAHAHAHA! OH, FUCK YOU! WHERE'S THE MIDDLE FINGER OPTION WHEN I NEED IT?!" Chase shouted, getting jump-scared again.

Marvin bursted out into even more laughter, clenching his stomach as he fell backwards onto his back. "YOHOHOU HAHAVE YOUR OWN FINGER, YOU KNOW!" Marvin reminded.

"Oh yeah!" Chase reacted, before letting his remote dangle and shooting the video game an invisible middle finger. "Fuck you!" Chase added.

{TAKE 3}

"Come on...This has GOTTA be it...Chase said, clicking the last tuning knob on the right. [Press the blinking button now, to v-] "I KNOW WHAT TO DO!" Chase shouted, clicking the button and listening to the chords. They finally sounded correct! [Great job.] The narrator cheered. "Yay!" Chase cheered. [Bonnie is in tune, and ready for his solo. Let's close him up.] The narrator encouraged.

"Gosh, this reminds me of Jack's Surgery Squad videos! 'Let's close it up.' Fuckin' JEFF!" Chase reacted. [Simply replace both eyes in the same order that you removed them. Then close up the face plate and we'll call it a day.] The narrator explained.

"Oh god...Okay. So, left then right?" Chase asked. He placed the left eye into the left socket, and paused to cover his face, in case another jump scare occurred. After a couple seconds of being in the clear, Chase took in a deep breath and placed the second eye in the second socket.

[Well done. That concludes your Parts and Services tasks. See you next time.] The narrator said.

Chase took off his headphones and placed them around his neck. "Yes! I did it! I'm a robot technician now!" Chase cheered.

"Good job, Chase! A round of applause for Chase's determination!" Marvin cheered. Chase smiled and flexed his muscles in a very modest fashion, to show off his bravery.

"Ooh! What's this I hear?" A familiar voice said behind Chase.

Marvin smiled and waved. "Hi Jackie! Chase just beat the first Parts and Services level!" Marvin explained.

"Wow! Congratulations Chase!" Jackie said with a smirk.

"Thanks Jackie." Chase said, sensing a bit of cockiness in the superhero's voice.

"What? You think you can do better?" Chase asked, turning around to where Jackie's voice was.

"No, no! I wanna see how far you can get! I'm genuinely curious!" Jackie reacted, putting his hands up in arrest, as to not offend anybody.

"Well, considering the first level took 3 tries to get right, I'd like to see how this goes." Marvin added. Chase rolled his eyes inside the headset and turned around to face the menu screen in the headset.

"Okay. let's move onto level 2. But first: I felt a pair of-" Chase said, before turning his head to the right. Chase looked around the background, and looked at the door frame. Specifically though, Chase was gazing his eyes on the outline of an animatronic in the corner of the room. "...eyes...staring...at me- Welp, that's not creepy at all..." Chase reacted.

"UUUUH- WHAT IS THAT?!" Marvin shouted, completely unaware that the figure even existed until now. The animatronic appeared to look like some kind of bunny, with a yellowish outline color and a pair of glowing purple eyes. It looked like it was waving at Chase.

"I don't know..." Chase admitted. He started waving his remote at the see-through being. "Hi there! Having fun stalking me?...That's good." Chase said, interacting with the bunny before clicking onto the Chica level.

"Alright. Let's see what this level has in it...Other than Chica, of course." Chase commented before clicking the 'start game' button.

[Welcome back to Parts and Service.] The narrator started.

"Oh god, you are thicc! DAMN BOI! DAMN, HE THICC AS FUCK!

[Sounds like Chica has been rummaging around the kitchen again.] The narrator continued.

"Look! He's covered in pizza! What in the world were you doing?" Chase asked.

[-and place it in the refuse bin.] The narrator explained, still going. Despite his talking over the instructions, he was able to hear the instructions.

"What have you been doing in the kitchen Chica? Making cupcakes with Chica Fischbach?" Chase asked, referring to Markiplier's golden retriever dog, who was also named Chica.

Marvin giggled at the question.

Chase began removing the pieces of pizza just covering the animatronic. Chase removed a pizza from the outside of Chica's belly. "There ya go! No more pizza on your tum-tum!" Chase cooed. Next, Chase removed the pizza from Chica's knee. "Now why is there a pizza in your knee? That's a strange spot for a pizza." Chase commented. Lastly, Chase removed the pizza from the side of Chica's head. "All done!" Chase said.

[Good job. Make sure Chica is not hiding any other treats, in her beak. To open her beak, carefully press the two buttons located on the sides of Chica's head.] The narrator instructed.

"Oh, so it's just like Bonnie?...Okay. Hopefully I don't get jump scared this time." Chase commented before clicking the left button and the right button on the side of Chica's jaw. Chica's beak opened with its head tilted this time! Chase jumped yet again. Immediately after, creepy crawly sounds could be heard in Chase's headphones. "Ew! Ew ew ew ew EW! What is that?!" Chase yelled.

[Oh no. It looks like Chica has picked up some unwanted friends.] The narrator explained.

"Oh my god! Ewww! What did you get yourself into, Chica?! that's disgusting!" Chase reacted.

[-Chemi-spray, to Chica's exterior. Press the button under the hanging canister, to activate the chemi-spray.] The narrator instructed.

"Uh- you mean this?" Chase asked as he brought his remote-controlled finger up to the red button on the left of his screen.

He clicked the red, flashing button. [Avoid inhaling the chemi-spray. Exposure to cleaning, disinfecting, and maintenance chemicals may result in respiratory problems, skin, or eye irritation.] The narrator warned.

"Well, jokes on you! This is Virtual Reality! Meaning, I'm not getting effected!" Chase yelled, throwing his hands up and yelling "Health issues" to the world.

Marvin laughed at Chase, and gave Jackie a nod.

[Good job. Now reattach Chica's upper arm, hand, and cupcake plate.] The narrator further instructed.

"Alright. How did you lose your arm, Chica?" Chase asked before removing his headset. He looked at Marvin with a smile. "Chica's over here, lookin' like Bethany Hamilton." Chase joked. Marvin rolled his eyes, but smiled as he shook his head. Chase put his headset back on and grabbed Chica's arm with his remote. Then, as he connected the upper arm to the shoulder joint, the arm moved itself into the usual cupcake-serving position. To end it off, Chase placed the cupcake plate onto Chica's open serving hand.

Suddenly, the creepy-crawly sound started up again!

[Oh no! It looks like Chica needs another dose of the chemi-spray. Do not let the infestation spread.] The narrator exclaimed.

"Ewww! Not again! Come on, Chica! Stop picking up bugs!" Chase reacted.

Chase reached up to touch the button with his remote-

"Hehehehey! Quihihihit ihihit!" Chase giggled as he brought his arm down and trapped the hand in the armpit. "Whohoho's tiihihicklihihing mehehehe?!" Chase asked.

"It's not me." Marvin admitted.

"It's not me either." Jackie said, standing right beside him.

"Jahahackie? Ihis thahat yo- AAAAHAHAHAHA!" Chase shouted, leaning forward with his headset still on. "IHIHI DIHIHIHIDN'T PREHEHESS THEHEHE BUHUHUHUTOHOHON!" Chase yelled at him.

Jackie smirked and removed his hand. "Well? What are you waiting for? Click the button!" Jackie encouraged.

"Buhuhut your gonna tihihickle mehehehe..." Chase complained.

"Who is? I'm not the one doing this. You must be feeling ghosts." Jackie lied.

"Quihihit fuhuhuckin' around with mehehe!" Chase yelled.

"I'm not! I'm sitting around, watching you try and reach the button!" Jackie insisted.

Chase chewed on his bottom lip. The tickling was really messing with him. But, Chase decided to brave it and hope and pray this was the last instruction. Chase reached up, and managed to click the button to activate more chemi-spray. But, as soon as the button was pushed, a few fingers began tickling his outreached armpit again.

Chase immediately brought his arm down. "NAAhahahaha! Jahahahackie! youlittleshihihihihit!" Chase giggled.

"How am I a little shit- I'm literally doing nothing!" Jackie protested as he tickled his armpit more.

"Yehehehes yohohou ahahahare! Yohohou're suhuch a fuhuhuckin' lihihihier!" Chase shot back. [Return the cupcake to Chica's plate.] The narrator instructed in the background. But Chase was too busy trying to remove a pair of arms out of his ticklish armpit!

Jackie gasped. "Come on, Chase...Now THAT was uncalled for." Jackie reacted sarcastically. Jackie looked at the screen and smirked. "Chase! You have to pick up the cupcake! He's running around loose!" Jackie warned.

"Yohoho're TIHIHIHICKLIHING mehehe!" Chase protested.

"You have a second hand! Use it!" Jackie reminded him. Chase decided to reach out to attempt to pick up the cupcake. But suddenly, another pair of fingers placed themselves into Chase's other armpit! Now BOTH armpits were being attacked! "AAAAAH! GAAHAHAHAHA! STAHAHAHAP IHIHIHIHIT!" Chase shouted, helplessly curled in as the cupcake began running around on the headset screen.

"Stop what? Who's tickling you? And why now, of all times? You're gonna lose the game!" Jackie replied, acting completely oblivious to the tickle treatment he was giving the man.

"LEHEHET MEHEHEHE GOOHOHOHO YOU LYHYHYING BAHAHASTAHAHAHARD!" Chase shouted.

Suddenly, Chica jumped at the screen and made a loud, shrieking sound!

"AAAAAAHAHAHA! OKAHAHAY, OHOHOKAHAHAHAY! IHIHI'M DEHEHEAD, LEHEHET MEHE GOHOHOHOHO!" Chase begged.

"Oh really? Well in that case:" Jackie said, before nodding to Marvin to save the game from the laptop. After the game was saved, Jackie clicked the off switch on the headset. "Let's hear that special laugh of yours." Jackie teased before moving his fingers. Jackie placed his fingers on the front of Chase's ribcage, and began digging and wiggling his fingers on Chase's bottom ribs at the front of his body.

"EEEEEEK! NOOOHOHOHO! JACKIE, PLEHEHEHEHEASE!" Chase begged.

"Come on, where's that special spot that makes you REALLY squeal?" Jackie asked. Chase only continued to laugh and squirm, refusing to answer. Then, it clicked! "Oh yeah! It's right here!" Jackie replied before lightly digging into another spot: the costal arch. Jackie learned this medical term from Schneeplestein. Basically: it was the V-shaped separation underneath the sternum of the rib cage. But, Jackie liked to call it: the outline of his abs.

Either way: Chase literally shrieked! Then, he started snorting and cackling at the same time!

"JAHAHACKIE! *snort* NOHOHO! *snort* NUUUUUUHUHU! *snort* EEEHEHEHEHE-*snort* EEHEEHEEHEEHEHEHEHE!" Chase barely got out through his giggles and disruptive snorts.

Marvin must've walked up closer to Chase, because Marvin's voice had gotten louder and much more closer! "What- Where are you even tickling him?! I legitimately can't tell." Marvin asked.

Jackie paused his tickling and brought his hand over to Marvin. "I'm tickling right here. Right on the ribs' ligaments." Jackie explained, giving Marvin's costal arch a quick tickle before returning to Chase.

"Eehehe! That's such a weird spot! How-" Marvin reacted.

"I found out about it while I was explaining a combat story!" Jackie explained.

"TOHOHOHOO TIHIHIHICKLYYYYY! *snort* IHIHI- *snort* IHIHI'M GOHOHONNA DIHIHIHIE! *snort* HAHAHAHAHA!" Chase begged as much as he possibly could through his giggles and snorts.

Jackie nodded and gave Chase a break. Chase giggled and just fell forward onto his knees. As soon as he gained a bit more strength, Chase removed the headphones and the headset and placed them down on the ground harder than he expected.

"Wait, how did the discovery happen?" Marvin asked, not fully understanding what exactly happened.

"There was a battle I was a part of, against some kind of buff man with an axe. After I knocked the axe out of his hand, the man got all angry and jabbed his clawed nails into my abdomen." Jackie explained. "When I reenacted the attack-" Jackie reenacted the claw-jab for Marvin as well, making sure to add in the slight shakiness of the buff man's hand. "-Chase started giggling and just flopped onto the ground. I actually had to repeat the move a few times, to understand that: 'wow! This is actually a tickle spot!'." Jackie further explained. "Now only that, but Chase started snorting as I scratched there, but especially when I scratched the v-shaped arch of his ribcage." Jackie added.

"Huh...That's really weird!" Marvin reacted. Marvin walked himself up to Chase, and gently laid him onto the ground.

"Whahat are you doing? You'd behehetter not be trying tohoho tickle mehehe again..." Chase warned.

"No no no. I'm not planning on tickling you. No, no no. I'm putting my master plan of tickling you, into session right now!" Marvin replied.

"Nohoho! Please dohon't- EEEEEEEEHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Chase shouted, flailing about as his rib cage was attacked again. Marvin dug his fingers on the top part of the arch, and crawled his fingers down the arch towards the front of his bottom ribs.

"Wow! This arch must've costal-lot of money!" Marvin joked. Chase groaned through his laughter.

"THAHAHAHAT *snort* WAHAS SOHO *snort* SOHOHOHO BAHAHAD!" Chase yelled through his laughs and snorts.

"Awww...Too puny for you?" Marvin asked.

Chase nodded his head as he attempted to push Marvin's hands away. Marvin paused his hands for a moment, and pulled out his magic wand. Using the magic wand in his right hand, he created a left-handed leather glove. Marvin turned his hand around and showed Chase the silver, nail-shaped claws attached to the tips of the fingers. Next, Marvin used his magical finger to give his right hand a leather glove with claws as well!

Marvin put his magic wand away and wiggled his fingers evilly. Chase's eyes just widened in suspense and anxiety.

"Ohohohoho nohohoho! Thohose look sohohoho scary!" Chase whimpered nervously.

"Ohoho...I know..." Marvin said, giggling in a deep, evil voice. Marvin wiggled his nailed gloves until they finally touched down to his abdomen and the front of his ribs.

"EEEEEHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHA! PAHAHAHAWS OHOHOHOHOFF PAHAHAHAWS OHOHOHOHOFF!" Chase shouted, pushing him away desperately.

"Paws off? But these aren't paws! These are gloves! They're cat gloves, to be exact. Raaaawwr!" Marvin teased, curling his fingers like cat claws to be more cat-like.

"NAAHAHAHAHA! GOHOHO RAHAHAHAWR AHAHAT SOHOHOHOMEOHOHONE EHEHEHELSE!" Chase yelled.

"But there's NO ONE here! You're the only person I can really RAWR at! So, I'll just RAWR at you. RAAAAAWWWWRRR!" Marvin growled like a cat, scritchy-scratching his upper arch.

"DAHAHAHAHAMN IHIHIHIHIT! YOHOHOHOU'RE SOHOHOHO WEHEHEHEHEIRD!" Chase shouted in retaliation.

"I mean, I'm a cat...Being weird is kinda my thing." Marvin explained.

Chase, not knowing what else to do, let out a hiss that sounded similar to a cat.

Marvin gasped and removed his fingers before putting a hand over his mouth. "Did-Did Chase just hiss at me?! Are you turning into BB?! Oh my gosh! That's so cute!" Marvin reacted, squealing and smiling widely at the cute man in front of him.

Chase continued to giggle as he took advantage of the break and took in deep breathes.

"Though as much as it was cute, hissing is always considered rude. So, I'm gonna need to punish you for that!" Marvin suggested before placing his gloved fingers back onto Chase's costal arch.

"NOOOOOHOHOHOHOHO! IHIHIHI'M SOHOHOHORRY! SOHOHORRY! JUHUHUHUST STAHAHAHAP!" Chase pleaded through his hysterical laughter.

"That was a bad boy!" Marvin demanded, poking his belly as he yelled the following words: "Bad, Boy!". "Bad boys need tickles!" Marvin teased. As Marvin's fingers got to the bottom of the arch, it was all over.

Chase proceeded to get completely wrecked for his 'bad habit' of hissing, as Marvin called it. Marvin took complete advantage of Chase's ticklish spots, and discovered a few more along the way! In the end, Chase's FNAF game got pushed aside for a while. All because Jackie couldn't keep his ticklish paws off Chase's stomach while he was blind to reality.

[bbrandy2002]

The Breakfast Club

Chapter Two

What happens when five Cordonian teens-a dispirited Prince, an orphaned Duchess, a rowdy Lord, a noble hating Rebel, and a free spirited Dreamer-are forced to spend a Saturday together, figuring out just who they are.

Disclosure: Will contain mentions of drug and alcohol abuse, overdose, cancer and death.

Catch up on Chapter one

@lodberg @timmagicktoad @choiceslife @silversparrow02 @stopforamoment @drakeandcamilleofvaltoria @thisperfectmemory @kingliam2019 @sirbeepsalot @katedrakeohd @moneyfordiamonds @pedudley @jemrmax2love @drakensword @emceesynonymroll @romanticatheart-posts @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore @carabeth @dcbbw @ao719 @burnsoslow

Chapter 2

Drake hunches down in a dark alley as increasing paranoia sweeps across his smooth, facial features. He tries to slow his breathing and steady his hands.  He studies his dark surroundings before peaking at the barely lit corner of the store he just left. He waits a moment in quiet anticipation to ensure he wasn’t caught, before reaching down his pants to recover a cheap bottle of whiskey.

Night has fallen on Cordonia and a warm, summer drizzle has just started to fall. He pulls up the hood on the back of his gray sweatshirt, attempting to keep the rain and its steady drops from running down his brown locks and streaming along his nose.

He looks down at his prize and admire’s the effort he put into getting it. To him, it’s the one good thing about his day; a day he wishes he could forget every year.

He recalls a time when today would be filled with a camping trip to the lake. His dad made the best smores; the outside of the marshmallow was always a perfect golden brown. He can practically smell the smoke coming from the freshly cut, oak wood, and how it always teased his senses. His mother’s laughter would echo through the valley in melodic harmony, god did her voice cast a peaceful spell on him. His little sister would complain of boredom…she hated everything about the outdoors. She has always been annoyed by everything he took pleasure in, however, he felt the same of her aspirations of riches and royalty.

His dad would take him out on a cheap, metal boat he had purchased many years ago. He would load a cooler full of beers and soda. The two of them would settle  back in their hard plastic seats, admiring the stillness of the water and the warmth on their flesh. They would sit on that lake all day, talking about life, telling jokes, and swapping tales of fish they had caught. It was those moments Drake lived for; his dad referred to them as “the moments in between”. Drake took pride in not only  spending time with his family, but, watching the unease his dad carried on his face, melt away, if but for only a little while.

He pulls out at gold pocket watch with “JW” engraved on one side and the Cordonian royal crest on the other. He stares at the crest, remembering the sacrifices his father and his family made for the crown.

His dad received the watch after saving the King from an assassination attempt. Drake sneered wondering what the reward was for dying for his precious majesty; presumably, it was nothing. Drake snorted hard through his nose, arched his neck, then spit on the symbol that represented the beginning of his own personal hell on earth.

Jolted from his thoughts by the roar of approaching thunder, he licks his lips in anticipation of the burn he would soon feel. Hopefully within the hour he would feel- nothing.

He would take another glance around before breaking the cap on the bottle. He brings it just barely to his lips and closes his eyes, “Happy fucking birthday Drake”, he mutters to himself. He tilts the bottle upwards and allows its contents to settle smoothly down his throat. He waits for it to hit the pit of his stomach, then falls backwards onto the hard, wet pavement, settling his back against the rough bricks. He bends one knee upward and places the hand clenching the bottle on top. He takes another hard swig and stops when the sound of voices are heard from the opposite end of the alley. “Shit, cops.” He stealthily screws the cap back and forces it down his pants. As he stands, the crinkling of paper and old leaves gathers their attention. A flash of light hits Drake’s face, blinding him. 

He turns and runs with a speed and quickness that he has trained himself for. He’s in a fight- or- flight situation now and fleeing is his favorite coping mechanism. He hears them shout behind him as he rounds the corner. He weaves and dodges through the sea of faces on this busy Cordonian street. He doesn’t notice the stares, he just sets his focus on an opportunity to cross through the maze of cars speeding by. There it is. Like lightning, he whips himself over into the traffic, blatantly disregarding his safety. A car suddenly stops to a halt as he passes by. On the other side he sets sights on another alley. Almost there. He wipes the rain from his face while splashing through a puddle. The water has gotten into his shoes and the sloshing on his feet is unsettling.

He gathers his thoughts to glance back as he enters the alleyway. He crouches behind a storage receptacle as he watches two cops run by. He celebrates the small victory to himself as he places his hands on top of his head and tilts it back, willing his breathing to return to normal.

Drake waits for the coast to be cleared before nonchalantly walking back out onto the bustling streets. It was never supposed to be like this, this life he had been forced to live. He missed his dad more than anything in the world and stayed pissed off with a mother who left him and his sister behind. His custodial parent worked early in the morning until well past darkness…for that mother fucking crown of all things.

As he walks, he forces the sadness and anger that builds up in stomach away. He puts both hands in his pockets and suddenly realizes something is missing. He pats his pant legs and then his waistband; he twists around searching the ground around him for the golden time piece. It feels as if the air from his lungs deflate, he can feel his eyes start to water….it was the only thing he had left of him.

The sudden tug at the back of his shirt collar stops his moment of sorrow. So close. He slowly turns and looks up with unsettled remorse to find his captor.

“Drake”.

He sighs loudly and looks away in shame, “Bastien”.

***

Laying flat on his back, he raises one arm to shield the heat and brightness of the overhead lamp. As soon as the hot needle makes the first indention into his skin, Maxwell flinches sharply. He raises his head and peaks out from under his arm; he wants to know if the burly looking artist is finished yet. The man looks at Maxwell, raises his eyebrow and tells him to relax, its going to be a while.

Maxwell rests his head back on the flattened pillow and covers his eyes again. “My Little Hippo”, remembering the moment his dear mother called him that for the first time, causes his face to contort. One corner of his lips curls up, but, Maxwell quickly attempts to compose himself. He doesn’t know why, but, he didn’t want the tattoo artist to see it.

Maxwell thinks about the last time he saw his mother. She maybe weighed 80 pounds at the time of her death; her long suffering illness took a toll on her. She found out she had colon cancer two years ago following that years Beaumont Bash. His father insisted the family continue their weekly extravagant, partying lifestyle; her needs were not as important as his image.

His father, Barthelemy was never a strict man, but, he loved his booze, his drugs and his women. He lined his study with the trophies, ribbons and awards that he pushed his sons to earn. The Beaumont Legacy was always on the line and failure was not an option. Although he allowed his sons to partake in this lifestyle at a young age, their business acumen was important. Bertrand followed in his footsteps and attended the Cordonia School of Business; a prestigious school to say the least. When Maxwell took the entrance exam his previous junior year, he didn’t even come close. Barthelemy had only scolded Maxwell twice in his life…the first time for gaining 25 pounds and the second for failing that entrance exam.

His father’s way of rectifying Maxwell’s weight was through incessant teasing. He assumed if he called him fatty, pig and blubber enough, Maxwell would mold himself back into that perfect son. Barthelemy had no time or patience for having a “fat son”.

When Maxwell flunked his entrance exam, his father didn’t yell at him. He would shame him again with words, such as, stupid, lazy and a failure, in hopes he would again conform to his wishes. Maxwell has never had a desire to attend that school, he wants to write, to dance, to just be his own creative self. The words of his father, however, stung and would leave an imprint on his psyche.

Barthelemy died four months ago at a yacht party in the Mediterranean following a drug overdose from a mix of cocaine, pills and excessive hard liquor.

His brother would lose his sense of self and vow to continue the Beaumont legacy, after all, failure, again was not an option.

Alice Beaumont was the opposite of her husband. Bertrand and Maxwell were her pride and joy….her babies. Her marriage was a lonely one, but, being a mother was her everything. Bertrand held her hand and Maxwell rubbed her bare head when she passed from this world to the next just last month. With so much to do, now Duke Bertrand has no time to grieve and he resents Maxwell for it to this day. Where Barthelemy left off, Bertrand took over. Where the humorous, good natured Alice left off, Maxwell took over. Just like the terrible marriage his parents had, Bertrand and Maxwell have accustomed themselves to their new roles. There are days this relationship is poisonous to both.

The pain in Maxwell’s reddened chest is nearly unbearable, but, it is a way to remind him of his importance…even if he still struggles to believe it. The tattoo artist tells Maxwell not to touch it, but, as soon as he turns to reach for the gauze, the urge is too great. “Damn”, he says with a pained flinch. The artist shakes his head.

Maxwell walks out of the shop, feeling a little worse for wear. He reaches into his front pocket for his pair of Gucci Aviators to shield himself of bright sun. He ponders for a moment who he’ll drink with tonight, when he notices a girl in a white, long ruffled dress. She is leaned up against a green lamp post, playing a guitar, next to his red sports car.

Her hair is a long golden brown that flows in loose curl down her back. He stumbles over his feet as he makes every attempt to glide towards her. She notices him approaching and stops playing; her smile radiates across her face and he would swear she is glowing.

“Hey!” she says with a chipper voice.

“You’re really good at that”, he replies as he motions to her old wooden guitar.

She lowers her head down and lifts the instrument out towards him, “I can teach you, ya know.”

Maxwell shuffles his feet, maybe he will change his plans for the evening. He moves his hand out to her with a big smile, “Maxwell Beaumont”.

She returns his smile, and reaches out for his hand with her own, “Riley Brooks”.

Read on in Chapter 3