#alcohol is my emotional crutch tbh

[nonbayanary]

Catch me projecting my developing alcoholism unto TMMDemons AU Doburoku, bcs it's hard to navigate this hellscape of a reality while sober

[softpine]

.

AWWW 🥺 i have my complaints about that trailer sadly but i love that you thought of me omg 💖💖💖

he will still be depressed! he has severe clinical depression 😭 this is a common misconception so you're definitely not the only one who thinks this way, but i want to make it very clear that he does have a chemical imbalance that causes depression, and everything else going on in his life just piles on top of that to cause more distress (in fact, ghosts tend to gravitate towards strong emotions, so the more depressed asa feels, the more ghosts he has to deal with). so he will likely be in a better mindset when finn returns, but depression is still a lifelong struggle for him :(

it sucks but she just cares about him a lot :( they all do, in different ways. she genuinely believes the others are making things worse for him. also, until now, asa has never WANTED his parents to know about the ghosts/time travel stuff. he's kept it secret because he wants to minimize conflict, but sadly it's only created more...

@peacheulle ahh i know she has such a cool mom vibe

:D :D :D

wait hold on what is a bikini shop fjksjds like a place that sells bikinis? if so yeah tom is going in there and acting like a fool for sure and casper is hiding in the corner pretending he doesn't know him

elaine is the most open minded to trying new flavors! she likes everything from black coffee to limited edition holiday drinks to tea at home. asa drinks black coffee or just with a dash of almond milk (he gets that from caroline and beth, who both like black coffee too). stevie and jada both like iced coffee with all the fixins. elaine would pick up all their coffees before school sometimes ;-; mikaela, being a nurse, drinks the most caffeine of anyone, and she'll take it however she can get it (but she loooves creamer). danny mostly drinks decaf because he likes the taste but he gets jittery. casper is an energy drink kinda guy

thank you!! i did :3 actually fixed my sleep schedule and everything (knock on wood)

@tau1tvec ooh thank you!! 💖

the coolest thing i'm doing right now is crocheting blankets to sell at craft shows to raise money for a local wildlife rehabilitation center!

i have only 2 chickens, a rooster and a hen, and they're like an old married couple. they just turned 9 and ginger is still laying eggs!!

horror movies scare me so much they give me literal nightmares but i like watching them anyway

lmaooo don't worry they've passed that point in their lives. their relationship still isn't perfect but they've come to the realization that they love each other too much to give up now 😌

lmaoo i feel like i've shown them drunk kind of a lot. alcohol isn't just a conversation greaser in real life, it also works in fiction fjkjdsj i was sort of using it as a crutch for whenever i wanted a character to admit/do something they normally wouldn't. it's a useful tool, but i was using it way too much so i had to reign myself in a bit. but it really just depends on the vibe and everyone's mood!! in general i would say caroline is a goofy loud drunk, beth gets pleasantly sleepy & calm, danny and mikaela both get wicked horny lmao, casper gets chatty and less reserved (he and tom get up to some crazy stuff when they're on a night out), coco almost never drinks but she really doesn't act different when she does, asa's meds make him a superrrr lightweight which we've seen. we've seen stevie drinking but she was going through a breakup so i don't count that as typical behavior - normally she and elaine are the ones going to the bathroom to cry about how much they love each other sjfkjsd and jada hasn't been drunk before!

i actually listed out some of the fandoms i think they'd be in if it was relevant to the story but i cannot for the life of me find it 😭😭 tumblr's search function is so beyond ass.... when i find it, i'll reblog it for you!!

ahhh tbh you probably haven't missed much on the casper front, he's been taking a back seat for a little bit. i miss him too 😭

ooh okay i know i mentioned awhile ago that stevie loves music festivals; she loves the energy, being outdoors, getting to see so many artists at once, etc. and that elaine has been to a few, but she wasn't really a fan. she does like regular concerts though!! i may not like taylor swift myself but elaine would kill to go to the eras tour lmao, that would make her entire life. asa and casper (maybe sadie too now that she's older) have definitely been to some of danny's concerts. casper would like to be in the crowd with everyone else, but asa probably hung out backstage somewhere private. jada would hate everyyy part of a concert, and she's not a huge music fan anyway

if they hadn't had kids so young, i think caroline, danny, beth, and even mikaela would've LIVED for concerts. we know they all liked to party in high school, and that was before they could even do half the shit they were doing legally lmao (and before they had jobs that could actually fund those activities)

@minamill thank you for thinking of me ;-; 💖💖

i can't remember if i answered this or not omg but true now i can't unsee it jfkjsd

[heavensickness]

your bloomic mc's nickname always makes me laugh lmao do you have any headcanons abt them?

ooh u wanna hear abt my mc??? i'm flattered omg thank you. idk how to describe them shortly bc i think abt her more than i think abt the actual characters but here are some stuff abt them witout getting into heavy stuff that might be triggering (bc all my ocs are. um. you know)

she/they legend and bi as 90% of the characters i make up lmaoo

around 167-168 cm, her natural hair color is black. i can't decide on her zodiac sign but either sagittarius or taurus. she has a tattoo right under her chest, u know that area. she didn't really think of a meaning when she got it, she was just looking for something new. it's very pretty tho

She used to have a rlly wild lifestyle at the college, lots of bar fights, alcohol and parties for a sense of control. she has really struggled, but eventually managed to left those habits behind her after graduating and dumping societyboy's ass because she was aware that lifestyle was self-destructive and it was killing her. in that sense, she can relate to quest and xyx

she took off her piercings except for her trademark little black hoops and dyes her hair to a softer shade of pink now. also still smokes. she rarely ever wears skirts but when she does... woag. i always imagine her either in a nice silk white shirt + black dresspants (work) or ripped boyfriend jeans with boots, oversized vests etc. god i wish i had time to sketch her!!!!

her family background is. hm. umm. let's say that she hasn't seen neither of her parents face to face in a long time, but still talks to them from time to time. she also has a little half-brother but she doesn't know how to reach out to him, or if she really wants to do that.

secretly envious of nightowl and onionthief because they were able to study what they wanted to, even though it was hard for both of them. she chose her major because of financial worries about the future since there is simply nobody who would support her financially. she likes theatre and acting but she couldn't take that risk

math fiend. ridiculously good at maths. she can calculate anything up to decimals in her head. really useful at grocery store when she's on budget lmao

she adores two2 and loves talking with them about anything. they mayyyybe make her feel like the big sister she never had the chance to be but she won't talk abt that

onionthief's worst nightmare (affectionately) in the server, will take any chance to troll him but she is never rude or cruel to him. just silly :•)

she threw a dumbell at societyboy's face once and i love her for that

open about showing affection but has a hard time receiving it. tbh honestly she's never had a relationship with anyone where she felt safe & she is a giver by default to a self-detrimental level because she doesn't really feel like she deserves to receive anything, so you gotta keep her in check. her & xyx are just holding each other's faces in their hands and repeating "ON PURPOSE, I LOVE YOU ON PURPOSE"

she had a relationship with a girl from her class after societyboy but her gf moved away for a really good job opportunity & after 5-6 months of long distance dating, they decided to cut it off bc the gf's life was very busy. they remained as friends and honestly she's her only friend rn. though they talk less and less so hotgirl depends on bloomic and the server these days

her nickname comes from the time she first met societyboy, a rare moment where he wasn't a complete asshole (showed his true colors later) and she chose it for a game they were playing together to make him laugh. this is why he can recognize her nickname but i still believe that he stalked her online somehow to find her

i can add more but i gotta go to work now anfoakd thank u for giving me a chance to talk abt her bc she's my current emotional crutch oc ❤

[hoteldicbloarchive]

🤷🏼‍♂️ pandora and/or ryan (picked at random! lol)

RYAN

pros:

- listen. when ryan loves someone, she loves hard. she may be flighty as hell and have the tendency to self-destruct, but she cares so deeply and has a hard time keeping it to herself. - her loyalty. if she fucks with you, ryan’s loyalty knows no bounds. she’d go to ends of the earth for the people she holds close. hell, she’d probably even kill for them. she’s very much a ride or die type and will be there for you until the bitter end.-  i know this sorta goes with the whole undying loyalty thing, but ryan’s one of those people that’s down for anything and everything. you could call her in the middle of the night for pretty much any reason, and she’d be there in a flash. need help slashing your exes tires ? she’ll bring the knife !  wanna break into the local pool and go skinny dipping ? she’s already halfway out the door. you just stole a fancy new car and wanna take her for a joyride ? you had her at stolen car ! whether it’s needing a place to crash or an alibi when the cops come knocking, she’s got you covered.- and lastly, her fun-loving nature. ryan loves a good time, and more importantly she loves showing others a good time. boredom’s never an option when you’re in her company, between her sense of humor and need for a rush, and she’ll find a way to put a smile on your face and keep things interesting.

cons:- she’s flighty as fuck. running is second nature to ryan and it’s something she does awfully well. ever since she killed the undercover cop that was using her to build a case against her family, the idea of getting that close to someone is utterly terrifying to her. serious feelings send her running for the hills, and she’ll be the first to ruin a good thing before it can become anything meaningful.- ryan often dances on the edge of overindulgence when it comes to drugs and alcohol. while some of this can be attributed to her hedonistic personality, said vices are also used as a crutch to cope with every terrible thing she’s done. needless to say, most people probably wouldn’t be in love with the idea of dating someone that teeters on the line of addiction.- she’s got a lot of skeletons in her closet, and unless you’ve met her via the family business or the seedy criminal underbelly of reno, you’d better get used to the fact that ryan’s gonna hide a lot of shit from you. of course she’d be doing it to protect her partner, but a relationship built off of secrets and lies isn’t exactly the healthiest relationship.- she’s ??? so ????? impulsive ??????? perhaps it has to do with the fact that she’s a fire sign or maybe it’s just because the words ‘stop and think’ have never been a part of her vocabulary. either way, ryan tends to charge into a lot of situations headfirst without giving things much thought and she just… does things and it’s hella stressful for everyone involved. 

PANDORA

pros:- i’m just gonna come out and say it: pandora’s libido is INSANE and the girl’s lowkey a freak. she loves sex and is pretty confident in her sexuality.- while brutal at times, she’s honest. there’s never any second guessing when it comes to how she’s feeling, because she’ll just straight up tell you like it is. beating around the bush has never been a concept that she believes in, and pandora tends to find that just being direct leads to better results. whether you’ve done something to upset her or she’s interested in you, more often than not she’ll let her feelings be known.- pandora grieve knows what she wants and she know exactly how she’s going to get it. if you’re looking for a woman that’s ambitious, then look no further ! she’s determined and refuses to let much of anything stop her. it doesn’t matter if she’s pursuing a romantic interest or the next front page story, pandora doesn’t let obstacles keep her down for long.- i lowkey have the hc that she likes to surprise her partners with little trinkets and gifts that made her think of them. maybe she saw your favorite candy while waiting in line at the grocery store or she picked up a shirt that brings out the color of your eyes, it’s pandora’s way of showing you that you’ve been on her mind.

cons:- a lot of the time, pandora has no idea when to stop working. she prioritizes journalism over everything and this could possibly lead to her unintentionally neglecting her partner. she tends to juggle multiple stories at once and dives headfirst into whatever scoop she’s got her hands on, and while she’d never admit it this sometimes leaves her burnt out and in the position where she’s bitten off more than she can chew.- she can be manipulative at times. mostly an art that she learned from her mother, pandora knows how to use her words to get what she wants and twist people’s emotions for her own gain. while i don’t think she’d actively manipulate her partner on a regular basis and i wouldn’t consider her to be an emotional abuser or anything like that, i could see it being something that happens during an argument because uh… she hates to lose lmao.- speaking of her hatred of losing: this bitch is so competitive oh my gOD. another flaw you can thank her mother for but pandora grieve refuses to lose. period. friendly competitions or playful arguments could quickly escalate into something much more heated if pandora found herself on the losing side. tbh homegirl needs to be humbled a little good grief.- and finally, pandora can be kind of cold sometimes. she’s hard to read and there are times where she doesn’t show as much affection as she probably should. it’s most certainly not intentional, instead stemming from a childhood with a severe lack of affection and warmth. but it could definitely make someone feel as though she’s angry with them or doesn’t care, etc. while she IS direct with her words, her actions and displays of emotion and affection could use a little work.

send me an 🤷🏼‍♂️ and i’ll give you the pros and cons of dating my muse. status: accepting !

[nickireadstfc]

The Raven King, Chapter 6 – The Return Of Sassmaster McSavage

In which the Foxes and the Ravens meet, no one has any kind of chill, everyone has eaten a healthy dose of Extra and Dramatic for breakfast, and no one can keep their mouths shut – but most importantly, in which shit gets so, so fucking real.

Sounds good? Then it’s time for Nicki to read The Raven King.

You guys.

You GUYS.

Remember how you keep telling me I’m not even ready?

Yeah. ABOUT THAT.

I am writing this immediately after just because I could not wait to comment on the absolute FUCKERY that went down just now.

I am writing this immediately after just because I could not wait to comment on the absolute FUCKERY that went down just now.

Fun drinking game: Take a shot every time I swear in this chapter. I have no chill left.

Let’s start at the beginning.

           They pulled onto the interstate with thirteen people on board: the Fox team, the two-man staff, and Aaron’s and Nicky’s dates.

Shame. I would have paid to see Andrew and Renee going as wonderful platonic goalie BFF dates.

It quickly becomes obvious that we’re in for a wild fucking ride when Mighty And Stoic Kevin Day already starts having panic attacks while still on the bus.

           It wasn’t just Riko Kevin was afraid of. In twenty minutes, he’d be facing his entire former team. (…) Neil didn’t know much about [Tetsuji Moriyama]. The one time Kevin mentioned him he’d slipped and called him “the master”. Neil didn’t need to hear anything else after that.

Oh yeah. THAT SHIT.

Seriously what the FUCK is up with that family. This is 24601 shades of fucked up.

Wymack, sensing Kevin’s panic (not that that’s fucking hard at the moment) resorts to some ah – unorthodox methods to keep his striker calm.

           Wymack pulled a bottle of vodka out of the bag and put it down beside Kevin. “You have ten seconds to inhale as much of this as possible. Go.”

           It was alarming how much a man could drink when he needed an emotional crutch.

Kevin doesn’t need an emotional crutch, Kevin needs an emotional wheelchair. An emotional prosthesis. Jeez. I’d be drinking, too, if I had to go meet my lifelong abusers face-to-face at a fucking banquet, having to make polite conversation with the people who broke my hand, my self-esteem and probably my will to live.

Also, I’m starting to consider Wymack not the dad of the team, but more the grumpy uncle –  not huge on emotional sappiness, getting them hard liquor, constantly calling them out on their bullshit, yet loving them all fiercely. #dicksoutforwymack

           Wymack (…) turned to Neil.

           “You,” he said, “attempt to behave this time. Don’t pick fights with him today.”

           “Yes, Coach.”

Meaning: So, so many fights will be picked today.  So many. You are not even ready for all the fight-picking my short-tempered sassy ass is about to do.

With that, the banquet is off!

           Thick cushioned mats covered the polished floor to keep table legs and chairs from scraping up the wood. (…) Neil had never seen so many people on an Exy court before. There was still plenty of room to walk around between the tables, but Neil hated seeing a court repurposed like this.

Oh my gooooooood shut the hell up you obsessed knob. It’s not being used right now, so we might as well use it to fit everyone for the banquet. It’s just a wooden floor, for fuck’s sake.

And now – this is where shits starts getting good.

Did I say Neil was Extra™? Did I complain about Kevin being too dramatic?

Forget all that. Meet the true masters of Extra And Dramatic™ – introducing: The Edgar Allan Ravens.

           The Ravens hadn’t brought dates. They hadn’t brought any colour along, either. All twenty-two of them were dressed head-to-toe in black. The twenty men wore the same shirts and slacks, and the two women wore identical dresses. They even sat the same way, all with their right elbows on the table, all of them with their chins in their hands.

ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS.

Uniform is one thing, but sitting the same way, like ARE YOU ACTUALLY REAL. HOW IS THIS AN ACTUAL THING ACTUAL PEOPLE FUCKING DO.

Of course, some sly fucker in the organization committee had the hilarious idea to sit the two teams directly across from each other. Of fucking course.

Dan, ever the model captain, introduces herself and her team to Riko, as if he didn’t get completely annihilated on national TV by her striker just a few weeks ago.

That Fucker™, however, isn’t having it.

           “I know who you are,” Riko said. “Who here doesn’t? You’re the woman who captains a Class I team. You’ve done admittedly well despite your disadvantages.”

           “What disadvantages?”

           “Do you really want me to start listing them?” Riko asked. “This is only a two-day event, Hennessey.”

OI SCREW YOU YA BIG FUCKNOODLE. I will not have you insult my treasured lionheart daughter like that.

Also, I thought her name was Wilds? The fuck is a Hennessey.

(Side note: I am sorry you guys, this recap is going to be ridiculously long. Every single line here is gold. Blame Nora for writing the sassiest, shadiest, most shocking and just in general best chapter of this series so far.)

It’s time for a new character introduction, one I’ve heard many of you ramble on about on the interwebs – that French dude.

           Neil didn’t recognize the man, but he didn’t need to ask. The black number three tattooed on his left cheekbone meant he could be no one but Jean Moreau.

Lovely. Another one of those dumb ass face tattoo fuckers. I’m filing you as French and pretentious, my dude.

           “You look familiar,” Jean said in heavily accented English.

           “If you watched Kathy’s show you saw me there,” Neil said.

           “Ah, you are right. That must be it. What was your name again? Alex? Stefan? Chris?”

           In eight years on the run Neil had been through sixteen countries and twenty-two names. Hearing one name from Jean wouldn’t mean anything. Hearing three wasn’t a coincidence.

Alright, French and pretentious AND TERRIFYING. COOL.

What the hell??? How??

           “Blame my mother,” Neil said. “She named me.”

           “How is she doing, by the way?” Riko asked.

That Fucker™ knows. He knows.

This was bound to come around at some point. Kevin being too traumatized to recognize Neil was nothing short of amazing, but I guess we can’t always be that lucky.

It was nice knowing you, Neil, because your ass is fucking dead.

           Neil might have answered, but Dan beat him to it with an annoyed “Don’t antagonize my team, Riko. This isn’t the place for it.”

           “I was being polite,” Riko said. “You haven’t seen me antagonistic yet.”

And I don’t think I fucking want to, hombre.

Excuse me for a second while I nerd out over the most unexpected reference of this entire series:

           Neither of them [Kevin and Jean] had anything else to say to each other, but they stared each other down unblinking. Andrew lost interest before long and leaned forward.

           “Jean,” he said. “Hey, Jean. Jean Valjean. Hey. Hey. Hello.”

……………………………. did you just.

JEAN VALJEAN. AS IN, BREAD DAD. AS IN, THE PROTAGONIST OF ONE OF MY FAVOURITE MUSICALS/FILMS/FANDOMS OF ALL TIME.  Like, I’ve done Les Mis cosplay. Several times. That’s how dedicated I am.

I AM #SHOOK.

However, I am decidedly not liking Jean Valjean – or either of That Fucker™’s posse, actually. They first take a few moments to talk shit about Andrew (“publicity stunt”, can you fuck the fuck off) and then they come for my firstborn daughter Renee.

           The woman now on Riko’s right gave a loud snort. “If someone like that replaced you in goal, you must be downright terrible. I can’t wait to watch one of your matches. I think it will be entertaining. We would make a drinking game of it but we don’t want to die of alcohol poisoning.”

           “Yeah, that’s be a shame,” Dan said with heavy sarcasm.

DAN <33333

My darling angel, however, doesn’t take the bait.

           “Do we have to start off so poorly?”

           “Why not? You’re poor at everything else you do,” the woman said. “Is it honestly fun to be so terrible?”

           “I imagine we have more fun than you do, yes,” Renee said.

Correction: My darling angel does take the bait – and brings the fucking shade.

           “Fun is for children,” Jean said, looking away from Andrew.

           If he’d been going to say anything else, he forgot it when he got a good look at Renee.

First of all – “fun is for children”, can you fucking chill, Monsieur Pretentieux Superlatif.

Second of all – what’s that “suddenly stopping talking when he sees Renee” thing about?? Do they have shared history as well? Is he just blinded by her angelic beauty and wants to bone her?

I am absolutely NOT LIKING the latter possibility. Protect my daughter.

The Ravens continue being The Absolute Worst™, talking about how Kevin “belongs” to them (can u fuckin not) and should come to his senses and return to them (as fucking if).

           “You should reconsider our offer before we rescind it for good, Kevin. Face the facts. You pet is and always be dead weight. It’s time to –“

           “What?” Andrew turned a wide-eyed look on Kevin. “You have a pet and never told us? Where do you keep it, Kevin?”

ANDREW LET ME LOVE YOU. I had to laugh so hard at that, oh my god. That’s the only proper way to respond to something like that, tbh.

That Fucker™, however, has found a new target to harass – ya boi Neil, who has kept admirably quiet so far and has probably bitten off his own tongue at this point trying to avoid bursting out in sass rants.

That is, until That Fucker™ comes for his mom.

           “What a coward,” Riko said with exaggerated disappointment. “Just like his mother.”

Cue the moment I stopped breathing.

           “You know, I get it,” Neil said. “Being raised as a superstar must be really, really difficult for you. Always a commodity, never a human being, not a single person in your family thinking you’re worth a damn off the court – yeah, sounds rough. Kevin and I talk about your intricate and endless daddy issues all the time.”

HOLY FUCKING –

           “I know it’s not entirely your fault that you are mentally unbalanced and infected with these delusions of grandeur, and I know you are physically incapable of holding a decent conversation with anyone like every other normal human being can, but I don’t think any of us should have to put up with this much of your bullshit. Pity only gets you so many concessions, and you used yours up about six insults ago. So please, just shut the fuck up and leave us alone.”

I had to take a moment. I had to put the book down and fucking scream for a moment.

SASSMASTER MCSAVAGE STRIKES AGAIN, Y’ALL.

I AM YELLING AND CLAPPING MY HANDS LIKE AN EXCITED SEAL FFS NEIL I L O V E Y O U.

           Neil leaned forward and look down at the table at Dan, who sat with her face buried in her hands.

           “Dan, I said please. I tried to be nice.”

Oh my GOD. That is just the cherry on top of the sundae of EPICNESS that just went down.

I SAID PLEASE.

I cannot handle this. I cannot. Holy shit.

           Jean turned on Kevin and spoke in quick, furious French. “What the hell is this?”

           “His antagonism is a personality flaw we’ve learned to live with,” Kevin said.

Pfftftftftftt. Kevin is entirely done with this situation and I love it.

However, fun times are immediately the fuck over, as Jean Valjean hints at someone having “bought” Neil and assumes Kevin had recruited him because of that.

And just as I was beginning to wonder hat hell he is talking about – he drops this.

           “Riko will have a few moments of your time later,” Jean said. “I suggest you speak with him if you do not want everyone to know you are the Butcher’s son.”

WHAT.

WHAT.

OH SHIT T H E Y K N O W I FUCKING SAID IT OH SHIT WHAT.

Kevin, who has skillfully repressed his memories of Neil up until this point, is about as shocked by this development as I am and has to go have some emergency vodka, like, asap.

Neil, on the other hand, shows some wonderful, wonderful signs of character development.

           “Neil, if you can’t be here say so,” Wymack said. “Abby can take you elsewhere until it’s time to leave. Get out of here and get some fresh air.”

           It was the perfect opening, but Neil couldn’t take it. If he did, he really would go, and he wouldn’t come back. Running wasn’t easy, but it was easier than trusting Andrew. But Neil remembered the weight of a key in his palm, its metal soaked through with another person’s body heat. He remembered Andrew’s promise to see this year through with him.

           “No,” Neil said, finally finding his voice. “I knew this was going to happen. I just wasn’t ready for it. I’m fine.”

Ma BOY <3 Neil slowly learning to trust people and deal with his problems is my No 1 kink.

Actually, No 2 kink. No 1 would be Neil absolutely shade-wrecking people.

They leave their mess of a seating arrangement and find some new spots elsewhere, and later go mingling with the other teams. This goes surprisingly well, mostly due to the fact that it gives Neil and Kevin an excuse to talk about Exy and Exy alone – which is, as we all know, the only fucking thing those two morons can talk about.

However, those admirable avoiding tactics only go well for so long.

           It took him a few seconds to realize the Ravens were coming. The entire team was crossing the court toward Kevin, walking in V formation like a flock of birds going south.

Are you serious. What level of dramatic holy SHIT.

Did they, like, form this like a dance formation before walking over? Riko instructing everyone where to stand, ‘no, you over there, leave equal amounts of space, come on guys, just form a diagonal line, we need to get going, we need to look intimidating, gUYS’

Or do they do this so often that is has become second nature by now and it’s just how they go everywhere?

I genuinely don’t know which option I find funnier.

But wait – it gets better.

           Riko stopped further away than Neil thought he would, but Neil understood a moment later. The rest of the Ravens kept going, flipping their V until they’d trapped the three Foxes between them.

I am crying so much how is this a thing you do, literally what level of Extra and Dramatic™ are you ON, I cannot deal with this.

Please – next time I comment on how extra the Foxes are being, remind me of The V Incident.

Now, just as I was thinking ‘oh shit, this is going to go south again so quickly’… Foxes to the rescue!

           Renee appeared out of nowhere at Kevin’s other side. She looped one arm through Kevin’s and held her free hand out to Jean. “Jean, wasn’t it? My name is Renee Walker. We didn’t really get a chance to talk earlier.”

           Confusion eased Jean’s stoic mask into something more than a little uncomfortable, be he accepted her handshake. “Jean Moreau.”

For real, I’m so interested in what the fuck is going on with these two. My money is on shared history. This could be my Renee’s-backstory-hungry brain talking, but reading their passages this sounds v v likely.

Did someone say backstory??

           [Matt] held out his hand but didn’t look surprised when no one took it. “Guess the pleasure’s all mine.”

           “We’re sure it is,” the Raven striker said, “seeing how you’re dating a prostitute.”

           “Stripper,” Dan corrected as she showed up and wound an arm around Matt’s waist. (…) “Hopefully you’re smart enough to distinguish between the two professions. If you’re not, I have serious concerns about your academic standings.”

FUCK, YEAH.

DAN, MY GIRL MY DUDE MY DAUGHTER.

She was a stripper! Holy shit! And she’s not ashamed of it, but admits it freely and is even proud of it! Holy! Shit!

Positive depictions of sex workers in pop culture is so, so rare, and I’m so happy we get some here. I did not expect this and I’m v pleasantly surprised right now.

           “Hennessey, right?” one of the strikers said. “Such a good name for such a fierce spirit.”

           “We were a little disappointed that you didn’t sign up as part of the entertainment tonight,” one of the others said. “We were looking forward to the show.” (…)

           The striker grinned at Matt over [Dan’s] shoulder, then tilted forward and sucked a deep breath against her neck.

           Dan brought her stilettos between his legs inn a vicious punch.

I repeat myself: FUCK. YEAH.

Also, that’s what a Hennessey is. Noted.

Fun backstory done – That Fucker, Senior™ has arrived. Tetsuji Moriyama is about everything I don’t want near my Foxes, combined into one slimy sack of asshole. The whole “master” thing still both scares and infuriates me.

However, we don’t have to spend long enjoying his absolutely unenjoyable company as Neil is called off to have a little tête-à-tête with That Fucker, Junior™.

           “Nathaniel, it has been so long.”

NATHANIEL???????

Did we just discover Neil’s true name, holy shit?????

Nathaniel is a beautiful name, though. I’ve always liked it. Shame.

Apparently, the way That Fucker™ could find Neil so quickly was by getting a glass with Neil’s fingerprints on it from Kathy Ferdinand. Well, fuck.

           Riko started across the room on slow steps. “Jean says Kevin did not know who you are. After seeing Kevin’s reaction, I’m inclined to believe him. (…) But you must know who you are, so I am very, very curious to know what you think you are doing.”

Bitch, aren’t we all! Aren’t we fucking all!!

And now- we’ve reached the point where shit gets so, so painfully real.

Did I say earlier I stopped breathing when Neil was dragging Riko?

Fuck that. That was nothing compared to what followed next.

I was not remotely ready.

           “You have already cost my family a sizeable fortune and eight years of trouble.”

           “How?” Neil asked. “The money I took was my father’s.” (…)

           “Nothing your father owned was his!” Riko snapped.

What.

           Riko grabbed Neil by the shoulders and slammed him into the wall. Neil’s head hit hard enough to rattle teeth.

           “I refuse to believe she never told you. All this time running and you never asked why?”

What.

           “You were not running from your father, Nathaniel. You were running from his master.”

WHAT.

WHAT IN THE FUCKING WHAT????

           What Riko was suggesting was impossible. The Butcher was one of the biggest names on the eastern seaboard. He made Baltimore his home, but his territory extended from D.C. to outer Newark. He had a fiercely loyal syndicate and a penchant for grotesque executions. (…)

           If the Moriyamas really were powerful enough to keep a man like the butcher under lock and key Neil was so far in over his head he might as well be six feet under.

That is amazingly worded, well done. Also, I’m kinda peeing my pants here.

If I’ve looked this up correctly, that’s a territory about twice the size of New York City.

Like. Imagine controlling New York City. And then that – TWICE.

And THEN imagine controlling the guy who controls all of that, and then some more.

Yeah. You dead, bro.

           “Learn your place. I will never tolerate this level of disrespect from you again. Do you understand?”

           Neil was already in his coffin. He might as well nail it shut. “Yeah, I understand you’re a complete asshole.”

Riko: Neil, no.

The Foxes: Neil, no.

Common sense: Neil, no.

Me: NEIL, FUCK NO.

Neil: Neil, yes.

Thankfully, Matt arrives in order to save Neil from digging his sass-induced grave even deeper, and after some nice threats about ratting his shitty ass behaviour out to the ERC, Riko finally fucks off.

           “I don’t think Riko likes me very much. Should I be disappointed?”

Are you fucking serious bruh. Are you serious.

           Matt looked skyward as if searching for patience.

Which is, incidentally, the No 1 reaction people have to Neil speaking more than a few polite sentences at a time.

Never talk to me or my short-tempered sassmaster idiot son ever again.

And with that trainwreck of an encounter, the Foxes take their curt leave from the banquet. Some more comments are made – Neil and Kevin will have A Talk™ tomorrow, Andrew got called Doe earlier by Jean Valjean  because that was his preliminary surname when he entered the foster system (which probably means the Ravens also know more about Andrew than we should be comfortable with) – but all of that pales in comparison to the absolute FUCKERY we just witnessed.

Holy shit.

I have to go, like, breathe into a bag for five hours.

See you Wednesday.

If you like what I do here and you want to help me continue writing, please consider buying me a coffee! Thank you so much <3

[smuttyfairy]

(1/2) okay, so my dad used to drink, and he used to pick fights with my mom all the time. it was to the point where he stayed in our basement and had all his friends over and the upstairs was where my mom took care of all her five kids(3 boys, 2 girls) and now it seems like my dad doesn't want much to do with me. he always yells at me, and if he's not yelling he's ignoring me. and when i have good news, he finds a way to make it seem like nothing.

(2/2) i'm the baby. it's been the same for a while. he recently went drinking and didn't come back all night until the next day. and even when he was drunk, he found something to yell at me for. i just want to make him proud but i feel like i can't even do that. and i'm done trying, tbh. what i really want to know is, do i confront him about the way i feel, or let time pass to see if anything will change? i just want my dad to love me back, for once. to treat me like his child.. 😔            What I believe, is that when people go to drugs/alcohol and it becomes a normal part of their life they’re probably going through something internally. That vice becomes a crutch, something that cradles their emotional pain. Also keep in mind that hurt people hurt people. It may seem like you don’t make him proud or he’s not interested in you, but he’s probably fighting a battle he’s never shared with you or your other siblings.  Your father does need help. It’s not healthy (Liver damage among other things), and it’s emotionally crippling. I would suggest talking to your mom, or even a family member you trust. Tell them you’re worried about your dad. see if you two can brainstorm some ideas to help get on a better track.Another idea, is to talk to your dad (if you feel safe.). Tell him your worried, ask him how his day is going. Try to strengthen your relationship with kindness and see if you can get him to confide in you. hopefully, good things will come. Good luck anon. I hope you two can have a better relationship. - Admin Jaefairy