#and I am Paige’s second owner

[paiges-1vur]

welcome to the party… as always enjoy loves <3 (pt. 2/4)

Friday 9:32 pm

It’s not long before the door opens up revealing a smiling girl. This must be Azzi, Rileys friend.

“Hi ry!” the girl says in a high pitched voice, “I haven’t seen you in so long we need to catch up.”

I see Riley smile and give her a quick hug before introducing me. I flash a quick nervous smile and tell her it was nice to finally meet her.

As we walk inside we meet 3 other girls. Then it hits me. Fuck. How could i be so stupid? I forgot Azzi was on the women’s basketball team. I walk in and try to suppress my anxiety as i face her 3 teammates.

Right as soon as i look to Riley for some stability, i notice her and Azzi have gone off somewhere else, probably to catch up.

The three girls are all occupied on their own, but one of them comes up to me as soon as she sees im uncomfortable.

“Hi your Ana, Rileys friend right! My names Nika and its really nice to meet you.” How could i be scared of this girl who sounded so sweet? I decided to pull myself together and try to have fun tonight.

“Yeah, im her roommate, and its really nice to meet you too!” I reply with a smile as she sips on her drink.

“And may i just say damn girl! you look so hot tonight!” Nika hypes me up and i do a little 360 giggling. As im spinning i see one of the other girls in the corner of my eye. The only girl i knew here. Paige Bueckers. “You know what lets do shots!” Nika is obviously feeling the same energy i am and i love it.

She calls the other girls over and quickly introduces me to kk who i love just as much as Nika. Paige stays quiet and Nika doesn’t say anything about her. She pours 4 shots and i say “Fuck it. Pour me 2” I hope I dont learn to regret this because being 5”1 and 120 pounds doesnt mix well with taking shots.

We all knock them back and i reach for my second one taking it down as quick as the first before making a quick face.

I look up to my right and see Paige looking down at me. Her eyes scan up and down my body as she bites her lip. I blush and look away, and in the corner of my eye i can see her smirking.

Azzi and Riley come back into the kitchen and let us know its time to head out to the bars. We all pack into Azzi’s car which has just enough room to fit us all. As soon as we pull out Azzi says “Shit. Guys is it okay if we pick up my friend real quick she just needs a ride to the bar thats all.” We all nod in understanding because we don’t mind.

As soon as her friend walks out of her building Azzi says “Okay theres not enough room so Ana since your the smallest your going to have to sit on Paiges lap. Is that okay?”

My mouth goes dry. i somehow manage a “Yeah thats fine.” As i move over to Paiges side of the car and sit on her lap. I immediately feel her staring at me. I turn my head to look at her, and her pupils are dilated and her eyes an icy blue. I feel her staring at my top again and this time i decide to be bold.

“You like what you see?” I whispered looking at her through my eyelashes and twirling my hair in my finger, biting my lip ever so slightly.

I can see her demeanor instantly change. She grins and comes down to my ear “I would like to see what you look like under it more.” I gulp and turn my head to the window trying to hide how wet that just made me.

I cant help from getting uncomfortable on Paiges lap in my mini skirt and have to keep moving my position on her lap. All of a sudden i feel two big hands on my hips. I look up at her as she licks her lips.

“Don’t start something you cant finish.” This immediately stops me from moving until the rest of the car ride, but Paiges hands linger on my hips for the rest of the ride.

————————

We all walk into the bar quickly flashing the bouncer our ids. Nika told me that tonight was going to be really fun especially because Paige knows the owner of the bar so we can do basically whatever we want.

We all sit down at a table and Im already feeling tipsy (but thats also coming from the girl who blacked out after 5 shots once..) “Who wants to get more shots!” I half scream at the girls smiling ear to ear.

They all laugh as Paige gets up and goes to the bar to order us two rounds. We are celebrating tonight. Once she got back we immediately downed the next two rounds and i decided i wanted to dance. I grabbed Nika by the hand laughing and dragged her to the dance floor.

She was surprisingly a good dancer and we danced with each other to the music that was blasting from the speakers. I started to grind on Nika as she hyped me up. I had my back faced to her as i moved up and down her body before turning around and putting my hands on her chest laughing because people had started to cheer us on.

I look over and see Paige staring at me moving on Nika, her hold so tight on her drink it could shatter at any moment. She stares me down in jealousy, and shit was it hot.

As the night went on I talked to all the girls and they were all super nice and i wanted to get to know them.

We started talking about basketball and when i asked who’s the best everyone turned to Paige. She bragged about how good she was for about 10 minutes.

She flexed and looked at me, “These don’t just come in overnight.” Everyone at the table laughed. My jaw dropped and the Paige looked over at me and winked. I mean i knew she was jacked. She had toned arms, smooth abs, and a killer back. NOT that i had ever looked that up on youtube.

I decide to distract myself from the growing need to touch Paige.

“GUYS!” I say ten volumes louder than i should have, “Guys lets lets play truth or dare right now i want to play now.” Everybody laughs and agrees as we sip our drinks.

The game is going well until its Paiges turn to ask me.

“Ana truth or dare.” She says flashing me her signature smirk. I try not to melt under her gaze. I know shes looking at my tits, but i don’t care. I want her to.

“Dare.” I say drunkenly, ready for whatever shes about to throw my way.

She laughs, “Lets do body shots.”

“W-what” I mumble, my brain suddenly slowing everything down.

“You heard me.” She gets up from the table and walks over to the bar. I look around at the other girls at the table and they all are smiling and trying to hide their laughs. Im just about to ask what the fuck i got myself into but then i hear something coming from the speakers.

“No fucking way.” I say. Azzi is trying to hide her laughing under a napkin. Pony by Ginuine starts blasting in the bar as i see Paige whisper something into the bartenders ear with a grin on her face. The girls at the table are absolutely losing it. Suddenly the bartender speaks into a microphone.

“Everyone we have a little something special for you all tonight. We have my good friend Paige and her new friend Ana are going to do body shots so lets give them all a warm welcome!”

People are whistling and cheering, eating up this little act.

“Come on up Ana!” The bartender looks over to my table and waves me over to the bar. I get up from my seat slowly walking to the bar, as Paige offers me her hand to get on top of it. I look at her with a “what the fuck.” look and she only laughs in response.

I lie down on the bar feeling very underdressed. As the music plays I decide to let go and let myself be happy. I can’t live life always worrying about the what ifs right?

I let myself feel free and the music blasting in my ears makes me anticipate whats going to happen. The bartender pours the shot and puts it down next to my head. She then pours the line of salt across my chest, which I’m sure was per Paiges request.

“Here you go hun.” The bartender hands me the lime to put in my mouth as she flashes me a wink. “Everybody lets hear it one more time for Paige!” The crowd erupts people clapping, screaming, and whistling. I see Nika holding her phone up recording this all, but to be honest, i don’t fucking care. Im too drunk to worry about the little things.

As im ready for Paige to initiate it i see her move. She climbs up on the bar and straddles my stomach, playing into this little act. Everyone is screaming clearly eating it up. i look up at her trying not to moan at just the sight of her on top of me. Fuck i need some sort of friction.

She leans down and grabs both of my wrists, and i let her take full control. She pins them above my head and smiles before scanning over my upper body one more time and whistling to the crowd.

I close my eyes before hearing Paige by my ear whisper “Open your eyes baby. I want you to see my face when i do this to you” I flutter my big brown eyes open staring at her in awe. “Good girl.” she says before returning to the act.

She leans down putting her free hand on my upper stomach as she licks the line of salt from my exposed chest. My back arches in response to her tongue and shit it feels so good. She then grabs the shot and downs it before coming down to my face and gabbing the lime from my mouth.

Still straddling me she sits up and tilts her head back with the lime in her mouth. The bar is packed full of students all screaming and cheering. The girls over at our table are still recording and cheering for Paige and I.

Im so drunk at this point that im stumbling back to the booth, and im fully leaning on Paige in the corner of the booth, sort of behind me. The girls whistle and Nika tells me how sexy that was. I giggle and lean back into Paige more, sitting in between her legs. The girls start to talk about something else, probably basketball before i feel a big cold hand sneak up my skirt on the inside of my thigh.

——————————

[ahorsebyanyothername]

Hi I'm Beau, and the horses I care for are listed below. I work at a few barns, primarily I'm the barn manager at a sanctuary for thoroughbreds. Pacific Northwest, Queer :)

Hugh (RIP 01/25/24) - thoroughbred, late 20s, died of kidney failure. A truly massive guy, he was a champion jumper before retiring to the sanctuary. Heart of gold and soulful eyes, he wandered freely between pastures and was generally the favorite.

Fred - thoroughbred, somewhere between 31 and 36, blind. He was a pony horse at the track and then later a hunter/jumper, and briefly a lesson horse, before he came to the sanctuary. One of his students still stops by to see him from time to time.

Atlas - thoroughbred, an old racer. He was passed around from home to home after his career on the track, and wasn't always treated well.

Jethro - thoroughbred, my favorite horse, a total jerk but he likes me. The most beautiful bay I've ever seen.

Patrick - thoroughbred, piss baby little bitch,on good days he's a total sweetheart though. His feet hurt because his soles are thin so he's always irritable. Biter.

Dalva- thoroughbred, second most beautiful bay I've ever seen. She's got a lot of spirit! She was passed around a few homes and not always treated well before she came to the sanctuary.

Marsha- thoroughbred. Perfect, amazing, and very opinionated old mare. Loves to be brushed. Mom to Chris, Horatio, and Hugh.

Chris - thoroughbred, idiot 1. You know how people say "two heads are better than one"?

Horatio - thoroughbred, idiot 2. When we put these two together, they get stupider.

Evie - thoroughbred, wonderful sweet stubborn old lady to those she's well loved by. "Evil Evie" to others.

Xander - thoroughbred, lovely gentle old gelding. Total pushover, follows Evie around like a puppy.

Angel - thoroughbred, first career racing, second career hunter/jumper. Her conformation was not well suited for jumping and she had to be retired. She's appropriately named in my opinion.

Bond - thoroughbred

Sara - thoroughbred, dapple grey, elderly. She was in a kill pen with 24 hours left til she would be shipped off to a slaughterhouse in Canada, when the sanctuary bought her. She had worms, but was otherwise in decent health. She ended up at the feedlot through no fault of her own, but because her owner had passed away.

Sylvester - thoroughbred

Amelia - thoroughbred, rehabilitated by Sound Equine Options after being seized by law enforcement from a home where she was neglected and had never been handled. She bonded immediately with Laney, who died in 2021. She is currently in pasture with Sampson.

Sampson - thoroughbred

-

Rain - morgan

Lilly - morgan

Treasure - morgan

Grover - morgan

Tribute - morgan

Harley - morgan

Pepper - morgan

-

Maeve - mustang

Jax, Lucy, Moonpie, Valor, Inca, Vinnie, Lily, King, Ruby, Fury, CC, Buddy, Ferrero, Touch, Bennie, Three Socks, Tango, Casper, Buddy, Sunny, Athena, Nugget

Dewey - thoroughbred, was in a kill pen when he was rescued. Found a good home with Paige who loves him very much.

Rococo - paso fino

Jolene - mustang

Who am I forgetting... at least 2 of em

[bobbie-robron]

Robron Fanfiction Recommendations

The below were recommended during Feb-2023 on Twitter.

How I got to where I am (2019) 22.8K words, supercali

Robert’s on the threshold of proposing to Aaron but things take a detour after Aaron receives a call. The call prompts Aaron to come clean about who he really is - a Dingle and on the run for arson - before he returns to the village. For Robert, he needs guidance about the situation from the one person he’s closest to - his mum Sarah. There really is only one route for Robert to take - follow Aaron back to the village and hope for the best with potential prison for Aaron. But that means facing his own demons: namely Jack and what he did to him as a teen that led him back to Sarah.

Nobody Like You series (2017) 14.2K words, storiesthatmakeus

A trio of stories that has Robert leaving the village temporarily after seeing that ewww kiss between Aaron and the pointless one, Aaron coming to terms that there is zip between him and the pointless one - he’s no Robert, and lastly Aaron and Robert building their friendship (and Liv reconnecting with Robert) that leads to their reunion.

Four years (2019) 2.2K word, Elbow_Patches

After four years (and help from Cain), Robert is out of prison and back where he belongs - with Aaron. What is cathartic is both of them ripping into Robert’s sister for her (and Diane’s) lack of support when Robert really needed it and neither wanting anything to do with her.

Laying the ghosts of the past to rest (2018), 24.7K words, orphan_account

Summer 2015. Robert has returned to the village after many years away as the new owner of the Mill. He is not alone though but with Paige, heavily pregnant, who everyone presumes is his girlfriend. Also at this time, Aaron is returning after fours away, part of it in prison for Jackson’s death, with Liv in tow. Appearances are definitely deceiving in this one as family and villagers are in for a surprise as to Robert & Aaron’s current connection to each other… and it’s a positive one indeed with EVERYONE involved including Paige!

You’re slow and I’m not steady (2018) 2.6K words, withoutwords

While Robert & Aaron have reunited for a second time, Robert isn’t ready to go full on with Aaron just yet, wanting to prove himself to not only Aaron but Liv as well. Meaning, taking things slow and going on dates and such!

When the pain starts dancing (2017) 21.4K words, annemonyk (orphan_account)

Robert has returned to the village as a widower of five years since his wife Miranda has passed. In his heart, he is still very much married to Miranda. But being back in the village means coming face-to-face with Aaron who he’d been involved with briefly years before. Aaron is also struggling determined also not to love again after Jackson. Can these two lost souls ease the pain of their pasts and find a new life together?

Who the hell is Ryan Hawley? (2017) 1.8K words, Ghostwriter92

After a couple a weeks of still unpacking at the Mill, Aaron and Liv come across one of Robert’s box with some very interesting contents in it. Robert has some explaining to do when he gets home 🙃…

I’m not who I used to be (2018) 3.3K words, Robron_emmerdale

Robert is just done and ready to pack it in with the village. He finally tells the Jack secret and everyone thinks he’s lying about it, everyone but Aaron who’s with the pointless one (well not for long) and Liv after some thought on it. It’s time for Robert to get much needed support in the village of the damned.

My Beautiful Boy (2015) 87.9K words, Caro_Evomad1

It’s Apr-2015 and Aaron’s made the decision to leave the village for Australia, possibly for good. Robert, unable to comprehend Aaron not being there, chooses Aaron over Chrissie very publicly. Fast forward to Sep-2015 and Aaron is catatonic and in a psychiatric hospital while Robert is a pale imitation of himself unable to cope with failing to protect Aaron and what happened to him. This leads a self repulsed Robert to seek a way to punish himself the darkest way possible. What happened to land them in this state and can they survive the aftermath to stay together? There are chapters that are quite dark, you’ve been warned!

[bippot]

On The Same Paige

Story Summary -> Jake is preppy and charismatic and dumb and talkative, which is the complete opposite of Beth's niece. Why do they work so well together then?

Tags -> Opposites Attract, Dorks in Love, Love at First Sight, Fluff, Shyness

Would you prefer to read this on AO3? Click here!

Jake was a generally happy go lucky guy. People often told him he was like the human version of a golden retriever but he'd grown up with one and, in his experience, Starsky was a really intelligent and well behaved pup so he didn't think of himself that way.

The dog he felt that suited his personality the best was a beagle. He was fast and friendly and, though he wasn't traditionally smart, he was really skilled in one particular area - hunting for beagles, and racing for Jake - and who doesn't want to have the same personality as Snoopy?

He had an awesome life. He was living his childhood dream. He was a god damn NASCAR driver! He lived in a really nice apartment. He had enough money to make sure his family lived comfortably, and had plenty left over to spend on useless little trinkets that had no purpose other than making him smile. Like, his collection of Hot Wheels would make any little boy jump with joy and that's so sick!

And as of five months ago, he had a girlfriend. That was a big change for him. None of his other romances had ever lasted that long. It was a change, that was for sure, but a good one. If Jake was honest, he'd always be more sad and self-pitying than he let people see whenever his previous relationships fell apart.

For as long as he could remember, he wanted someone to share the good life with. And after so many false starts, he was so surprised when Y/N stuck around. He was planning to keep her around as long as humanly possible, if she was willing to.

They'd met when Beth gave her niece a tour around Bobby Spencer Racing one day. Y/N had just moved to the area and her aunt was forcing her to spend as much time together as possible. Beth hadn't let Jake know that someone was accompanying her that day, so he had not been prepared for the most intimidatingly beautiful woman he'd ever seen to be introduced to him on one random work day.

Y/N walked right in with a leather jacket and completely stoic face, her combat boots making a slight echo in the garage as she strode across the concrete floor, and Jake was drooling. He'd always had a big boner for two fictional characters - Trinity from The Matrix and Belle from Beauty and the Beast - and he'd soon come to find out that Y/N was a mix of the two.

On the outside, she was Trinity. Lots of black. Leather. Tiny sunglasses perched on the top of her head. She looked like she owned clothes with a lot of straps and corsets and safety pins. But on the inside, she was a lot softer. She was quiet, not because she was rude or uncouth but because she was shy, and was far more likely to be found in a reading nook than out at a goth rave.

If Jake was like a dog, Y/N definitely was like a cat. She even owned a British shorthair and he could see the similarities between pet and owner.

"Am I dreaming?" He mumbled to himself but said it far too loud and both women picked up on it. Beth nudged him and pointedly shook her head to discourage him from whatever flirting was about to fall from his lips so he settled for a happy "Hi, I'm Jake."

"I'm Y/N."

Everyone else had only received a wave. Jake had gotten two whole words out of her. Beth was astonished. Y/N sometimes would still be all quiet around members of her family that she'd known since she was born, yet she'd chosen to speak to a famous pro athlete within seconds of meeting him. With Y/N's disposition and Jake's fame, Beth never would've expected that.

And she never would've expected that her niece continued to speak to him either. At lunch, Beth left Y/N for two minutes to yell at Kevin for something stupid he'd done and she came back to find the pair chatting away. Well, Jake was mostly doing the chatting but Y/N contributed the occasional hum or laugh or affirmative comment.

Why not give them some alone time? Beth retreated back into Kevin's office and watched through his blinds at what was unfolding before her.

What Beth didn't know, however, was that Jake had charmed Y/N enough that she gave him her phone number. He immediately added it into his phone and started a text chat. Then, they began calling each other every chance they got. One date was arranged. That went well. Then a second. A third. Fourth. Fifth... on and on. They soon got to the point where Jake spent more time at her home than his own.

His coworkers didn't know the extent of his relationship with Y/N, but Jake had been acting like such a lovesick idiot - more of an idiot than usual - that they assumed that things were going well. Beth frequently grilled her pal with so many questions, yet he stayed tight-lipped because he knew Y/N was a private person and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

As a teen, Jake had been a jock who was prom king, captain of the soccer team, and spent his weekends at whatever party he could find. Y/N had been one of the emo kids who had her nose in a book and earphones glued into her head.

Even the way they dressed was so vastly different. Jake liked yellow and baseball caps and workout gear. Y/N was more accustomed to messy eyeliner and leather jackets with patches on them and combat boots. She thought he looked adorable. He thought she looked badass.

It was Taylor Swift with a side of Metallica. Cars. The Evil Dead. Arthur the Aardvark. Are You Afraid of the Dark? They were very different people. So, how the hell did they end up together? And why were they still going strong?

As soon as Jake used his key and walked into her house, he knew Y/N was around somewhere. Her shoes were neatly placed in the foyer and her jacket hung up on a hook. It was no surprise when he found her on the couch, sitting criss-cross applesauce with her nose in the book she'd been reading in bed the night before.

"Hey, pretty girl," he greeted, walking to the back of the couch and leaning down to kiss her temple. She smiled up at him, the light in her eyes bright and kind. He felt his throat tighten at the sight of her.

"Hiya, Jakey," she replied. "Did you have a good day?"

"It's better now I'm with you."

Yes, it was one of his lines. It was cheesy. And he'd said it to women before, but those times he'd been trying to charm the pants off them. With Y/N, it was true. Her cheeks still got a shade or two pinker, though, and that was the desired reaction.

Sitting in the corner of the couch, he opened his arms wide and waited for her to crawl in and nestle her head on his shoulder. Like always, it didn't take long. Her head fit against his collarbone as if they were sculpted to perfectly go together.

Ozzy, Y/N's cat, was joining the embrace in no time. It had taken him a while to grow to like Jake. Hell, the first time Jake came into contact with the sour puss, Ozzy scratched a few shallow cuts into Jake's cheek. After so long, now they'd come to a truce.

"Hey, Oz. How you doing, buddy?" Jake cooed, stroking behind the cat's ear until he began to purr. "You miss me?"

The cat's reply was a little nip on the hand. "I'm going to take that as a yes."

Presumably as an apology, Ozzy licked at the two little tooth holes he'd just made - or maybe he was savouring the drip of Jake's blood - and hit Jake in the face with his tail before jumping to the floor and running under the kitchen table.

"Ozzy might not have, but did you miss me, baby?" He asked, brushing some hair off Y/N's forehead with gentle fingertips.

"Always do," she replied, closing her book and placing it off to the side so he'd get her full attention. He leaned in, closing the tiny gap between them into an even tinier gap, and nudged his nose into hers affectionately.

"How much did you miss me?" He asked, his voice a little deeper than usual.

Whenever he sounded like that, it made her pulse do funny things. Especially when he let his hand rest on the side of her neck, his thumb rubbing back and forth over her jaw line.

"A lot," she admitted, her voice getting a bit breathier than intended.

"Yeah?" He let out a huff of air. "Then where is my 'welcome home, Jake, I missed you so much' kiss? The one I'm dying for?"

Y/N tilted her head up so she could place a sweet peck on his cheek. Clearly, that quick press wasn't enough since Jake got a hold of her chin and held her in place so she could shy away from the big, sloppy smooch he planted on her lips.

"I missed you too, baby," he said before going back in for another kiss that Y/N gladly reciprocated. She melted against him, her body soft and pliant for hands to roam over, his fingers finding their way underneath her t-shirt to rest on her bare skin.

After a few minutes of being pressed up against him, she pulled back and broke the kiss. "Are you going out tonight?" Y/N asked, her voice muffled by the way he was chasing her lips with his.

"Kev did say that some of the crew were meeting at The Pit Stop later on. But, I wanna spend my night with you."

"I'd like that, but are you sure you don't-"

He stopped her before she could go on. "I'm sure, beautiful," he said, leaning in to kiss her again. "I wanna be glued to you all night long."

That sounded nice. Yet, she knew he was an extrovert. He used to go out clubbing and hang out with his buddies and do all kinds of things. Ever since he'd met her, they'd spent a lot of their time at home, just with each other for company.

"What if I came with you?"

"To The Pit Stop?"

"Yeah, would you like that?"

"Yeah, I'd like that," he beamed, his entire face lighting up. "Are you sure you want to go with me? You don't have to-"

"I want to go."

With Y/N on his arm, Jake spent the evening getting a beer or two with his coworkers and Beth would come to realise how the couple worked as she watched them interact.

Throughout the evening, Y/N spoke a bit more. And then a bit more. She kept tucked into Jake's side as his coworkers asked her so many questions but she answered them all without cowering away or clamming up. If anyone happened to take a peek under the table, they'd see Jake's thumb rubbing comforting circles in Y/N's palm any time she was pulled into a conversation.

Then, the moment some of the crew went up for refills and less eyes were on them, Jake was giving Y/N a soft kiss on the temple and whispering, "You're doing so good," against her skin.

"You think?" Y/N asked, her voice hushed.

"I know, sweetheart."

Her cheeks reddened and she tried to push his head away, but Jake wasn't having it. He got a hold of her waist and tugged her into a hug, attacking her cheek with a bout of mushy kisses until she was a giggly mess.

"Stop it, Jakey. Stoooop," she whined, although it was half-hearted and she was smiling through it. He stopped so he didn't make her uncomfortable with all the PDA, but couldn't help the way his fingers were itching to gently tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.

So, he did exactly that and was rewarded with the sight of Y/N's big, round lovesick eyes looking right at him. "Thank you," she said softly.

"For what?"

"For making this less scary."

"Anytime, baby," he replied, giving her another quick kiss on the temple.

From the bar, Kevin nudged Beth at the display and muttered, "That's disgusting."

"Disgustingly cute!" Beth giggled and punched Kevin in the bicep. "Y/N always was a lonely kid, this is a nice change."

"Yeah, at least we don't have to worry about getting him STD checked every other month now," Kevin joked, getting another hit for that comment. "Ow! Ow, watch how hard you hit me with those man hands of yours! I have sensitive skin, you know!"

Y/N nodded her head in the direction of her aunt. "Are they a thing?" She asked Jake, having noticed the pair huddled together.

"No. Not yet."

"But they will be?"

"Yeah, once Kevin gets the balls to fess up."

Eventually, the group outing fizzled out for the night and everyone went home. Their confusion about whatever was going on in Jake's personal life completely figured out as they'd endured how content and relaxed he looked in Y/N's presence.

Despite how different they were, it was impossible now to see them as sole beings. They were a pair, and it was clear that Jake had been waiting for a day like this to come to fruition. A day where he'd finally found someone to exist in the metaphorical passenger's seat in the vehicle that is called life.

*Click here for my Adrian Chase masterlist (including Jake Martin and Jeffrey Steinberg), or here for the entire masterlist*

Wanna be added to a taglist? Either comment on this post or send me a message!

[dolliesanddelights]

1/24/2021 - Reverie’s Story

I guess maybe it’s a silly thing to be interested in where a doll comes from, but Reverie’s prior owner actually linked me to two of her prior owners so I could see owner photos of her from the past and when I found a third, I decided to go on the hunt to see if I could track her history.

I tracked her first owner down (we will call them “Kitty”) to the date she arrived from Darak Doll which is October 15th, 2016. I’m sad because the unboxing post absolutely had pictures once upon a time but it looks like the host deleted them so unfortunately they have been lost in space~ but that’s technically her original birthday and it made me stupidly happy to find out! She apparently came with bubbles in her resin on her hands and discolored arms - I don’t see that problem now so it’s possible this was fixed down the line!

Anyways, so it looks like she was with Kitty from October 15th, 2016 to at least  August 28th, 2018, where her second owner (Bear), I noticed commented on a picture of Reva and they inform Kitty that they messaged about ownership over Reva.

Bear has no pics of Reva at all so there wasn’t much to be found out about Reva there and she wasn’t with her long! On the third owner’s account (Dollie), Reva was tagged as being bought from Bear and arrived with Dollie on December 17th, 2018! Dollie had never owned a BJD before, she was more into fashion dolls. She had several really cute pictures of Reva though and it made me happu to see! I don’t have tagged confirmations or anything, but I suspect she was the one who sold Reva to 4th owner at that time (Mama) because Mama is who I bought her from and Mama about how Reva’s box was thrashed during shipping and she came with a bunch of Barbie clothes which makes sense?? And I see some of the clothes I got with Reva in Dollie’s old pictures.

Anyways, Mama held onto her a while and she actually relisted her a few times because the owner mentioned that she had reposted the sale because the first post got zero traction.

Anyways! That makes me Reva’s 5th owner. 5th and final owner if I have anything to say about it.

She makes me so happy. She’s so lovely, she’s beautiful and sweet and her facial expression is darling and her body is darling... I just... I adore her. I’m so happy. I get a little sad when I see dolls go up for sale all the time and I feel so happy that her little trail stops with me. My precious girl is gonna get a beautiful faceup at some point and an amazing wardrobe and new eyes and another handful of wigs... I am so happy! Welcome to the family, little girl!

[avintagekiss24]

day with destiny | b. barnes

→ pairing: aristocrat!bucky barnes x aristocrat!black!reader

→ word count: 3000

→ warnings: 18+ ONLY, smut, sex, biting kink

→ challenge: @cockslut-padalecki​ not my ninth

trope: aristocratic society

song prompt: crush by jennifer paige

→ square filled: @star-spangled-bingo​ 2021

g5: clothed sex

→ author note: i was finally able to reign myself in with these word counts, lol. i saw this gif of baby faced sebastian and couldn’t help myself. he looks like a little shit, but look at those pink lips… anyway, these are modern!aristocrats. lyrics to crush aren’t obvious (except for one line at the very end), but worked into the dialogue. i have no idea who made the gif, i got it from google. i also have no idea who made this divider, as i also got it from the google.

Blue eyes peer over at you from across the table, the gaze searing into the side of your face. A smile tugs at the corners of your mouth, but you don’t dare cut your eyes— this game is entirely too fun to give in now. Instead, you take a deep breath, pushing your chest out— your tits— shifting roughly in your seat just to make your flesh jiggle, before you release the air slowly.

Cabinet meetings are never fun. Rich, old white men going on and on about their views for the country— your family of course bringing the only sense of color into the society. Some old man yammers on at the front of the room behind the podium. Heads nod, claps ring out at random intervals, loud here here’s filling your ears as you roll your eyes. You don’t have the least bit of interest in any of it as it stands today, but your blue blood, and rank in the family— poised to take over for your dear old daddy in the coming years— requires your presence.

Bucky Barnes is quite the same. Young, bored, and too damn pretty for his own fucking good. You squeeze your legs together abruptly, the images of the last cabinet meeting playing back in your mind. Hot, sticky breath. Reddened, swollen lips— against your ear, sucking on your skin. The salt that exploded on your tongue as he shoved his thumb into your mouth.

You stand quick, clearing your throat— sending a silent message to the youngest Barnes at the long table. A hand grabs your wrist, stopping you as you start to move towards the back of the room, “Mother?”

“This is important, daughter,” she whispers harsh— a warning.

“And so is my bladder, mother.”

She sighs heavily, but releases the grip around your wrist, “Yours and the Barnes boy, apparently.”

Flicking your eyes quickly, you smirk as he pushes his chair underneath the table and starts towards the large doors at the back of the room, rubbing at his chin with his hand, the sunlight glinting off of the rings adorning his long fingers. You watch him as he moves— so easy, so confident— as he runs his hand through his dark, perfectly clipped hair, the Loubotins on his feet clicking softly.

You only drop your eyes when he slips through the door and out of view, “Ten minutes, mother.”

She knows. She knows that you know she knows, but she just sighs again and lets you saunter off without a second glance. Dress dragging behind you, bottom lip sucked between your teeth, heart and blood starting to race as each step draws you closer to your silver tongued foe, lying in wait for you in a random, deserted hallway.

He’s leaned against the wall, gazing out over the city beneath, hands drawn into his pockets. He’s a sight, but he always is, each little brown hair in place, chin and cheeks so clean shaven that a hair wouldn’t even dare sprout. Body lean in that black military jacket, gold medals and hand stitched ribbons hanging from the pockets.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” you smile soft, crossing your arms over your chest, leaning against the very same wall.

Bucky glances over his shoulder, that shit grin he’s such a proud owner of spreading on his face, “Then stop propositioning me.”

You laugh— it’s gentle and soft, the dissonance of your long relationship easily melting away. He finally turns and takes a few steps towards you, extending his hand, tenderly taking your fingers. Those deep, emotional eyes stay on yours as he lifts your hand, lips brushing— glancing ever so lightly over the backs of your delicate, manicured digits. Then he smiles, slow, sweet, teeth sinking into his blushed bottom lip as he blinks just as slow.

He’s a sight, this Bucky Barnes.

Keenly aware of his family’s teetering reputation, hanging on by a mere thread as of late due to his fathers extra curricular proclivities, you can’t help but take a swipe, “I’m surprised you’re family’s allowed back in the building. It got a little tense last time you all were here.”

“It did, didn’t it?” he answers quickly, placing your hand on his shoulder before he pulls you in close— a long arm wrapping your waist, pinning you to him, “I don’t remember much though, as my face was buried in your cunt for most of the meeting.”

Shivers race the length of your spine. He feels it— revels in it— savors it.

Lively brown eyes bounce back and forth between heavy, brewing blues, “You aren’t afraid that the rest of them will move to vote your family out, Lord Barnes?”

“Not in the slightest,” you’re met with a defiant shrug, “I hate this shit.”

“Oh, how original! An aristocrat that hates the god given privilege bestowed upon him.” You sigh, tilting your head towards the ceiling as he nuzzles into your neck, your hands sliding up and over his shoulders, “You’re predictable, Barnes.”

“You’re one to talk about privilege, My Lady.”

“Am I?” You retort quick, quirking an eyebrow.

A brilliant smile is cast upon you, blue irises like gems, sparkling under the light, “Your blood is the richest in the room— the bluest of blue— and you speak with such animosity of mine as if you haven’t prevailed your entire life because of it.”

“Bested by the color of our skin, which has precluded my lineage of its rightful place for years,” you scoff, leaning into him, “It was not privilege that got us here, Lord Barnes,” you whisper, “It was persistence.”

He chuckles against your skin, the vibrations rattling through your body, right to your bones. Hot velvet slips along the curve of the junction between your shoulder and neck before teeth scrape and then sink— tenderly— right into the meat, making you gasp. Hands grip, fingers dig into his opposite shoulder as he nips and nibbles.

“You’ll lose everything,” you breathe, heavy, languid as his mouth, his tongue, his lips move to your jaw, your chin, “Your family will be ruined.”

“I’ll be okay,” Bucky hums low, a smile on his face, dark eyelashes splashed over his pink tinged cheeks. His long fingers play with your lips, prodding gently as he rests his forehead to yours, “With a face like mine baby,” he whispers, that devilish smile painting his red tinted lips, “I was born to marry rich.”

He pushes his leg between yours, spreading them, pushing the meat of his thigh right against your sex— the thin silk of your panties sticking to the balmy, wet flesh. The tips of his fingers flirting with the inside of your calf before pushing up over your knee, skirting up your own ticklish thigh.

Bucky takes pleasure in the honeyed giggle that bubbles in your chest and slips out of your mouth, knowing not just anyone can coax such a genuine reaction from you. Metal fingers push higher— sweeping softly, back and forth, over the powder pink silk panties, discovering the warm wet spot, a white hot fire filling his eyes.

“Will you marry me?”

You grunt some, leaning in, putting full lips right against his ear, “Absolutely not,” the words whispered.

“You sure?” he squints, drawing your face back in front of his, thumbing at your bottom lip, pulling it open, “There’s something in those eyes.”

“Let’s not over analyze, Lord Barnes,” you tisk, slipping a hand between your bodies, cupping his cock— squeezing his heat�� with care of course, “Don’t go too deep with it. It’s just—”

“What?” brisk, curt— the words cut off by a feverish, deep kiss. Tongue licking into your mouth, sweeping against the roof— heavy, hot, rushed, desperate for you as he groans, “What is it?”

You pull at his belt, at the button and zipper, hand and fingers sinking into his open pants, pushing through a rough, dark, tuft of wiry hair. He whirrs, strained and broken, body clenching up as your warm palm wraps around him. Long, slow strokes pull more tiny sounds from him— a skilled muscle memory, what he likes, what he doesn’t, what he needs— taking over.

A sweet kiss, soft and quick, is pressed against his cheek, your lips against his ear once more, “It’s just a little crush, Bucky. Just some little thing that raises my adrenaline when I need a shot.” His cock jumps in your hand, a quick hiss and stunted grunt filling your ears as you lick your lips, “Don’t make too much of it.”

Bucky grabs your face, squeezing your cheeks hard, puckering your lips before he kisses you feverishly again. The cool metal digits grab your neck, a soft pressure constricting the muscles as he pushes you back, back against the window— using his body to crush you to it.

The smack of his lips disconnecting from yours ricochets off the walls, filling the small hallway. He licks your lips, dragging his tongue from your chin right to the tip of your nose as he anchors your leg on his hip. Hot flesh fingers slip up your thigh, pulling your panties to the side, the cool air sending a shock to the wet, delicate flesh of you. He sucks that bottom lip back between his perfect teeth, tilting his head back slightly to peer at you through those long, dark eyelashes.

You mimic him. Tilt your head back on the glass, sink your teeth into your swollen lip, hand still stroking him slow, wetting the pads of your fingers with his silk. His hips rock soft into your palm as you sweep your fingers over his tip before dragging back down his length, gripping him firm. With a quick blink, you’re staring at him— angry, thick, throbbing in your hand. A bead bubbles out, spills right over, a long string hanging from his reddened tip before his cock twitches again— leaving you breathless. Knees almost buckling. Mouth going dry as your lungs struggle to fill.

“Come on, baby,” Bucky purrs, goading you as you push his cock through your folds, rolling your hips, teasing your waiting slit with his tip.

Surprise sweeps through you when frankly, it shouldn’t as you sink down on him. The muscle memory of your hands don’t translate to the muscles of your cunt— his size, how much you have to spread to accommodate him, like a revelation each and every time. Bucky almost never rushes it, and neither do you, like it’s something new every time.

But it isn’t, no no, it’s ancient for the two of you. Connecting like this in long, skinny hallways, cramped closets, old hotel rooms under the mask of darkness. The muffled sounds of your sex as you try and ultimately fail to keep quiet, filling the abandoned spaces— bringing life to them again.

Loneliness often fills your chest if you go too long without it.

Bucky is buried to the hilt in you now— rooted deep in the tightest, hottest space of your body. He takes a minute, pushing his hips, wiggling— adjusting— before he pulls out slow. All the way, cock bouncing as soon as it breaks the threshold. He doesn’t wait long though. Nope. He’s back inside of you within seconds with a slam of his hips, pushing you up the window. Pulling a squeak and a rush of air from you.

Those red lips of his part, his heavy tongue pushing out to slip along his bottom lip as his eyelids drop, covering the blue you’ve come to enjoy. You can’t help but reach out, place your warm palms and fingers on his blushed cheeks, tracing his nose before they prod at his bottom lip, the tips just sinking into that wet mouth. He draws long breaths, exhales them all over your face as he starts to move.

You let the rhythm carry you away. Up into the clouds as your head rolls to the side, hands fall to his chest and around his neck. Tits bounce with each shove, starting to spill over and fall out of the square shaped neckline of your intricate dress. Hair starts to fall out of place, heat rises in your cheeks, desperate little wet noises beseeching him.

Bucky’s a good fuck. Ever the playboy, never thinking twice of an encounter until— well, you, as he so softly put it one night in one of those dark, old hotel rooms while you both dressed. There’s a filth to it. The way he toys with you. Speeding up suddenly— skin slapping, echoing down the hall— and then, without warning or hesitation, slows down. Down to nothing almost. Soft pulses of his hips, just enough to drive you mad. To make you beg him for more.

To make you weak. To keep you coming back.

That’s how he is now. Barely moving, wanting you to squirm. Two big eyes, pupils blown stare up at you. Mouth agape, the smallest little curve on them. He wants you to beg. To tell him just how much— “Bucky,”

“Yes?” he shoves hard, pushing deep, “My Lady?”

“Please,” there it is, the beg— the want, “Please, Bucky.”

So, the filth is back. Yeah, it’s a little dirty how he grips your thigh, hard, nails digging and scratching into the meat of it. How he licks into your mouth and bites your lips before shoving that metal hand into your neckline, palming the delicate mound of flesh beneath. A brown nipple is soon exposed, tight and hard, after a quick tug of his hand yanks your dress down. It disappears again within a flash, right into his mouth, tongue circling.

An arch curves your spine when he sucks, a deep, low, stressed grunt sounding from somewhere deep in your chest. Your lips pucker, forming an o as you breathe heavy, then gasp quick before digging your teeth into your bottom lip and inhaling sharp. An already tight grip on his bicep and left shoulder constricts even more as he really picks up the pace, desperate and feverish his hips, tongue slipping into your cleavage.

There’s nothing but sounds and sensations— the squelch and squeak of his cock stuffing you, your stiletto slipping off the foot that’s hooked around his waist and thudding against the floor. The gold medals pinned to his military jacket bouncing soft against the thick material. His metal fingers tapping against the windows as he holds his weight.

Flashes of heat ripple through your body— muscles tensing and straining, cunt clenching, clamping. Fists balling. Stomach and head twirling as he gives you his best. And God, do you appreciate his effort.

The fuse proves to be short on this crisp winter day. A coil that had no chance of staying intact snaps earlier than you expect, body tightening hard, nearly freezing you in place the second before you start to come. Crying out— no shame, no sense of care if anyone hears— you just let it take over. Let him drive it home, hips snapping against yours, jutting, thrusting, pushing and pulling, sending you higher and higher.

Goosebumps on your skin. Heartbeat in your ears. A white hot flash, nearly blinding— it’s just that good. Metal fingers sink between your legs, playing with your clit, enticing it further as it spasms— wanting to feel every last bit of what your body has to offer.

Bucky hammers away, until he can’t. You’re just too sweet— too warm and wet and inviting. He’s painting your insides white within minutes, hot, quick shots of silk, filling you up, and then spilling back out. His head falls heavy to your chest as the last digs of his hips work themselves out, lips sticking to your damp, exposed skin.

You wrap him up, hands and fingers splaying out on his back, holding him tight and close as he empties and stills. Then, the two of you just breathe. Let the day, the room full of people, your families, your duties, just fade away. It’s just you and Bucky and that cool window against your overly warm skin.

It breaks— the moment. Just as it always does. Your body becomes empty as he tucks back into his pants. No longer pinned to the window, you bend to replace your shoe, pull at your dress. Bucky runs his thick fingers through his dark hair, you picking and smoothing at your own.

Stepping off after a few sobering moments without so much as a look or a smile, you're caught, a tight hand around your wrist, pulling you back. You crash into his chest, crash against his lips in one last, deep, sweeping kiss. One that once he pulls away, your eyes stay closed, lips stay puckered.

“You sure you won’t marry me?”

You know that if he asks one more time, your resolve will fizzle— and you will, “Very sure.”

A lopsided grin covers his mouth as he tilts his head, “Just a pesky little crush, huh?”

“There’s no vision of you and me quite yet, Lord Barnes,” you sigh, turning away and stepping  down the hall, “You just pray that I don’t decide to join the rest of the party and vote you out.”

“Make sure you keep a copy of your vote for me. I’ll want to frame it.”

You throw him a quick glance, “And why would you do something like that?”

“So I can show our children just how mean mommy was to daddy before we got married,” he starts, buttoning up his jacket. He kisses the pads of his fingers and blows on them lightly, sending you a kiss, “I have white picket fences in my eyes.”

Without another word, he spins on his heel and takes off in the opposite direction. A hum vibrates in your throat. The sounds of your heels and his shoes slap against the walls as the two of you walk away from each other.

It doesn’t take a scientist to understand what’s going on, baby.

[ms-rampage]

Eden’s Gate: The Mother Chapter 13 - Are There God? It’s Me A Winchester

Warnings: Witchcraft?? Some Angst

Word count: 1.9k

Where it all began. 

Summary: Mandy and Dawana cast the spell to shield her from Chuck and work against the Project to take them down. 

Guest OCs: Dawn Floyd (FC: Anna Diop), Camille Floyd (FC: Tati Gabrielle)

Guest Characters: Raphael [Supernatural; female vessel]

Note: Sorry for the delay on the chapters, I'm working on other writing projects and dealing with work and class.

_______

“I wish to know about your past” Joseph tells Mandy, standing in the middle of his church. Cupping her cheeks, looking down at her. 

She takes a deep breath, looking up at him. “I-I’ve. I’ve killed people” she starts off, trying to keep herself from crying. “I’ve killed people. Innocent people. I wish to forget about it. Forget about it all, like it never happened”. 

He runs one of his hands through her hair, showing her comfort. While his other hand cups her cheek. 

“I’ve done bad things to people, I lost my girls because of it” she mutters, looking away from him. She’s not even acting anymore, this shit is all fucking legit, she’s hurting her own feelings just by telling him all of this. 

Reliving the painful memories she had to go through. Whether it was from 13 years ago, 20 years ago, or 7 and a half months ago, she’s feeling and hearing everything single word, and it still hurts her. No matter how strong she tries to be. 

Knowing she has to wait all of this out until the New Moon. She must be patient. Remembering that Raphael left something for her under her pillow, she goes to the room, her and Joseph share, and checks underneath her pillow. 

She finds her deceased husband’s journal. She smiles at it, unwraps the string that keeps it closed and opens it. Reading through it, Joel’s handwriting was always easy to read, it was neat, clean and he also had a very steady hand. Other than the monsters he hunted, he wrote about his life. 

His kids Paige and Katella, Mandy, his younger brother Brent, his childhood and upbringing. Trying to hold back her tears, a part of her wishes she could have her husband back. She knows he watches over her, and their daughters. 

1 month later. 

The New Moon is here, only 12 hours to go until 3 am. With the help of Dawana and her 14 year old daughter Camille. Mandy has everything for the spell. 

She had to keep a low profile from the Voodoo Priestess until the New Moon. Giving her instructions on where to meet her and the correct time to, and angle of the moon. That sort of stuff. 

The spell must be done as it should be, no screws up, can’t waste any time with this spell. Every second counts. They have their location ready, and all the supplies they need. 

Standing next to Joseph for his Sunday sermon, the church filled with his loyal followers. His Children, what he calls them. 

Listening to every word he says, thinking about the utter betrayal she is about to bring to the Project. Turning her back on them, stabbing them in back. 

Helping out the Resistance and the Whitetail Militia. 

With only 10 hours left, she keeps her low profile by being with Joseph for the rest of the day. 

Raphael appeared to her a few times that day to check up on her. Knowing that he’s risking a lot for his human, and a chance that’ll be cast out of Heaven for his disloyalty. Withdrawn from his wings and grace. Being deprived of his angelic powers, and living as a human on Earth. 

Being on the same boat as his older brother Lucifer. 

“You know I’m taking a huge unforgivable risk for you” he tells Mandy. Standing next to her while Joseph does his sermon in the filled church with his brothers and sister behind him.  

“I know” she responds to him in her mind. Looking over at the 3rd Archangel for a split second before turning back to The Father. 

“There’s a risk of me being cast out of Heaven for this disloyalty” he tells her, “God is too busy creating multiple universes and worlds to see this betrayal you, Dawana and myself are planning”. 

She knows all the risks, all God has to do is check on her situation, and see what she’s plotting. Then the next thing she knows there’s a huge mushroom cloud in the sky, and bombs are going off. Killing and wiping out all life on Earth. 

“I know, but a part of me feels like we’ll pull this off” she tells him in her mind, “We’ll get away with this, so called heist”. 

He looks at her with slight fear in his eyes, Archangels are Heaven’s most powerful weapon, they’re loyal soldiers to God. They’re his eldest children. Slightly more powerful than the average Angels, like Castiel, Balthazar, Samandriel, Anael and Gadreel. 

Raphael was always the introverted one of the Archangels, he kept to himself. He did his duties as one of Chuck’s strongest and powerful warriors. He always tried to be one of the loyal ones, like his older brother Michael. He wanted to be on his Father’s good side, the one thing he feared and that includes all Angels. Arch nor not, the one thing they all feared was being cast out of Heaven. Losing their wings and their grace. 

Leaving Heaven for a short time, like visiting Earth, and leaving Heaven completely are two different things. 

Within milliseconds he could go from being Heaven’s most powerful weapon to being an average weak human. Just by taking away his powers and wings. 

*****

After Joseph’s sermon, him and Mandy have a private conversation away from the others. 

“Amanda, I wish to speak with you privately” he tells her. She nods her head, and they go to their shared home. 

Inside the kitchen, he tells her about The Voice, in which she knows that it's Chuck talking to him.

“The Voice, God, he’s telling me about the New World. How everything will be. How you and I will be. He told me that the world is on the brink. That the world is on fire. Something is coming. I can feel it, you can feel it, can’t you?”. 

She nods, “Yes, I feel it. I feel the overwhelming tension it brings. Almost like an explosion of hot, burning air. That is toxic, but will make the world clean and free of sin”. 

He nods his head, agreeing with every word she says, “That is how it ends, with time, we will march to the Gates of Eden to our New World. The world God created for us”. 

Seeing how convinced and determined he is about the New World. Seeing how Chuck has convinced him about the Collapse. The End. The Reckoning. 

Telling him to save as many souls as he can for the Collapse, building bunkers to keep his people safe from the cleansing explosions. Being a modern day Noah, or Hell if you want to hear something that is older than Noah and the Ark. 

The Epic of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamian mythology, and history. Which is also 800-2,000 years older than the story of Noah and the Ark, where the story is basically the exact same thing, just different time periods, while one is based on facts with evidence, and the other is a fictional story from a book of stories. 

*****

With only 5 in half hours until 3am. Mandy gets another visit from Raphael in her home with Joseph. 

“Less than 6 hours Mandeline” he reminds her. She sighs, “I know. I’m just waiting it out”. 

“You know where to go?” he asks. She nods, “Yes, I know where to go. The land that is in the southern part of the Henbane River. It’s isolated from everything”. 

“Prosperity” he tells her, “It’s quiet and no one ever goes there”. 

She nods, “Does Dawana know where it is?”. 

“Yes, she knows where to go” he tells her, “She knows what time to get there. Just before the New Moon passes”. 

Mandy waits it out until 3am. It’s gonna be a long wait, most of the Cult, including Joseph didn’t sleep that night, he was busy working and writing sermons in the church. 

At around 1am, she told Joseph she was gonna go to sleep. An hour and 30 minutes later, Raphael visits her again. Teleporting the both of them to the south end part of the Henbane River. 

Prosperity, a ghost town that was abandoned by its owner so that he could take over his dead rival’s town Falls End in Holland Valley all out of spite. 

20 minutes until 3am, Dawana arrives with her daughter Camille who is a Voodoo Priestess in training. 

“We still have time to set up” Dawana tells Mandy, “This is my daughter Camille”. 

Mandy smiles at her, she’s probably the same age as her eldest daughter Paige. 

They set up their altar, making a circle of candles and lighting all of them. 

“Okay so we all take each other's hands and we say the verse together, in sync or else the spell won’t work” Dawana informs Mandy and her daughter.  

They all join hands, and wait for the New Moon to appear. Raphael stands away from them, watching them from 10 feet away. Hoping this will turn out the way Mandy said it would. As soon as the New Moon appears, as a white ring like shape in the sky, they all, at the same time, cite the verse in Enochian. Looking up at the New Moon. 

“Uranun Caripe Baglen Olgemeganza de-Noan Chiis Gosaa Zamicmage Oleol Ag-Sapah arphe, Oresa ethamz taa”. 

The wind starts to pick up, the candles stay in tack, not blowing out or in the direction of the wind. Still looking up at the moon. 

“Tabegisoroch, Zodinu, Ar zurah paremu. Zodimibe papnorge maninua zonac. Dodsih hoxmarch trian amonons pare Das Niis kures”. 

They finished the ritual, the night standing in complete silence for a brief moment. Standing inside the circle of candles, they ring of the New Moon shining down on them, making a perfect circle of moon light around their circle of lit candles.

“Is that it?” Mandy whispers, breaking the silence. Right after she asks that, a loud rumble is heard off in the distance, sounding like thunder, or the Horn of Gabriel. A lightning strike lights up the sky for a brief moment. 

“It worked” Camille whispers. Out of seemingly nowhere, a strong wind flies by, blowing out all the candles, leaving them in complete darkness.

“Raphael did it work?” Mandy asks the Archangel. 

“Yes, you are invisible to God now” he replies, answering her question.

He takes her back to Joseph's compound, before anyone could notice she was gone. 

Before he leaves, he tells her, “I’ll be sure to keep an eye on you from Heaven. Now that you’re invisible from God, you can work against the Project. Also Chuck won’t be able to see you. He’ll see another you”. 

She nods, “Yeah I believe you told me that already. He’ll see me doing my duties as The Mother”. 

The silence between the two, the sound of peggies talking outside on the compound property. 

“Get some rest, and do your bidding against the Project” he tells her, “I’ll check back on you within the next couple of days”. 

The sound of his wings fluttering, making a small breeze within the house, and he disappears. Leaving Mandy in the small kitchen of her home. 

[dumbdancemomssideblog]

S1E1: The Competition Begins

okie dokie first ever episode of dance moms rewatch starts now :0 i actually remember watching this the very first time it aired on lifetime because i was channel surfing and saw a commercial for it earlier that day. that was the summer between 8th and 9th grade. ah memories... i didnt know what to expect because i did dance when i was a kid but not on a competition team and it was mostly ballet so i was pretty unfamiliar with this whole world. 

anyway lets begin. this is probably gonna be a longer post than what i’ll end up writing for the other episodes in season 1 bc the first episode introduces so much info, just a heads up

Act 1: (aside: yes its insufferable to divide this into “acts” when its really just like “segments separated by commercial breaks” but thats how they’re called in actual tv scripts so im just going with that cuz i cant think of a better/easier way uwu)

god this is so fucking early 2010s lmao

i miss these days where they were just talented nobodies from pittsburgh on a low budget reality tv show that nobody even knew would be successful. and the bad hair and makeup but idk if that was also just a 2011 thing lol

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES GREEN SCREEN INTROS IM DYING

the chalkboard !!!! they werent doing the pyramid on the mirror yet 

(apparently abby never did anything similar to the pyramid thing but the producers made her and it became a whole Thing on the show and thats why the moms were like wtf is this bullshit the first week)

mackenzie looks like a toddler. chloe is so tiny. theyre the 2 who changed the most physically over the course of the show

i remember watching this for the first time being used to ballet lyrical and jazz but never having done or really seen acro/gymnastics in dance choreo and being SO flabbergasted. i was thinking “a chin stand is not dancing what the actual hell” and yknow what? i was right

melissa: “my boyfriend knows how much i spend on dance because he signs the checks...............hermehhemrherrmehermh” (the most awkward laugh omg)

maddie is wearing a fucking bumpit in her hair i cannot

melissa deadass just said out loud “im here for my daughter im not here to make friends” ok everybody mark that one off on your catty women’s reality tv show bingo card!

camera man accidentally getting in the shot filming right in front of the huge wall-mirror.... what is this, amateur hour? i’ll let it slide since its the first day of filming rehearsal but step it up, boys

aw i forgot about maddie getting sick and crying :/ poor kid

melissa saying “i cant stand a chid that’s sick” sounds so edited like the intonation made it seem to me like they just cut her off mid-sentence i love lifetime

oh this was still when they were wearing normal stuff to class/rehearsal like black leotards bc they werent getting sent a trillion crazy 2-piece dancewear outfits for free yet bc they werent famous, man those were the days

Act 2:

[obligatory b-roll footage of downtown pittsburgh] 

the maddie chloe paige trio !!!! this is making me feel so nostalgic

“knees together, paige. you’re bow-legged, you need to fix that”

“you’re tall, you’re skinny, you’re a beautiful girl, you can do better than this. FOCUS” shes like 10 abby what the hell

“people think im tough and i guess i am but i would rather be the one to make your kid cry in the privacy of my studio than at an open-call audition in front of hundreds of people”

okay unpopular opinion alert: i agree with a lot of what abby says about stuff like this but her delivery is flawed, to but it euphemistically, that being said i think the production team of the show and the fame inflating her ego changed all of this somewhere over the course of the second season and its really sad to see :/ i can expand on that thought later tho

aw paige crying bc abby correcting her (but not saying anything personal or out of line, just technique corrections (at based on what we were shown, we dont know everything she said oop)) shes a sensitive kid she never should have been put on this show :( 

paige looks exactly like her mom i didnt realize that before

nia and holly were done so dirty throughout the whole series in terms of the narrative the producers set up about nia being the weakest link :/ 

Act 3:

cathy’s entire involvement in the show from the very beginning was so painfully obviously scripted (or at least heavily staged) 

vivi was also done dirty by the show’s narrative and she was only 6 and they presented her as like the butt of the joke bc her mom’s “character” was crazy and also she wasnt good at dance. i wonder how she feels about the show now that shes a teenager hmm. she really seemed not to give a fuck about dance for better or for worse when she was a kid tho so maybe she doesnt care ?

in what universe would an owner of another competitive dance studio bring her own kid to another studio more than an hour’s drive away, AND be under the impression that she could compete with them in a week, especially when they showed the kids’ and moms’ shocked reaction at the start of the episode to having to learn a dance in a week and compete it? like really what is the point of cathy and vivi being a part of this show im so ????

Act 4: 

THE MINISTER DAWN OUTBURST HOW DID I FORGET ABOUT THIS

this fight is about 50% of what got them a full season 1 and then things took off from there tbh. the other 50% was the electricity dance but thats a point for next episode..... :)

“you’re a minister act like one” “YOU’RE RIGHT I AM A MINISTER! LET’S PLAY THE BIBLE GAME ABBY, WHEN JESUS SAW THINGS THAT WERE WRONG HE WENT AFTER THEM, AND YOU’RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS TO MY KID” ma’am i think the wrongs jesus addressed were of slightly more importance than a preteen being told she cant take a dance class if shes violating the studio’s dress code

this is so good bc it wasnt staged afaik and there are regular students all throughout the building just STARING at them like lmao what even is going on, so im pretty sure this is real???

regardless, yeah dont wear socks and a tshirt to an acrobatics class, thats common fucking sense

another cameraman-in-mirror sighting, but its hard to think about angles when filming spontaneous drama like this, so i wont count it against them

“you called me fat” (i remember that being in the episode but thats not on the episode available through lifetime on demand that im watching from my moms tv hmmmmmm) “i told you to close and tuck in your two-piece costume, theres a big difference. HOW CAN YOU REMEMBER THAT BUT YOU CAN’T REMEMBER TO TURN YOUR FEET OUT” uh scream

she really called the police on this woman i cannot handle this. can you imagine being a police officer responding to this call? 

“we have a parent thats out of control. pardon? no shes doesnt have weapons, just her mouth” iconic

im sorry im still not over the hair and makeup. the flat hair with the side bangs. the black pencil eyeliner applied all the way around the eye. why did any of us think this was a look :( why did we do this :(

Act 5:

they went all the way to phoenix to compete 3 numbers, only 2 of which are shown in the episode.

i think this is the only time they ever went to west coast dance explosion because its an actual competition and they wouldnt allow filming after this lol i think they did go to wcde one weekend in addition to a competition where they were filming but it wasnt shown or mentioned at all

abby not wanting brooke and paige to have a french manicure on stage if theyre the only ones in the group with the french tips is perfectly valid idk why it was framed as some crazy micromanaging shit

i also am really not a fan of the whole “high functioning alcoholic wine mom/crazy stage mom” schtick they were pushing for the first few episodes of this show

in retrospect i feel like so many of the quips in this episode were intentionally fucking crazy just to get the audience engaged enough to want to watch more episodes...

“see those girls down there, those girls with the legs? thats who you’re up against, so step it up”

abby warning them that its dangerous for their little party hats to slip when they’re doing aerials and pirouettes and stuff: “what if you were at radio city music hall and they had the ice rink out and you were doing a side aerial and fell 13 stories down and died, huh?” fantastic point abby thank you for saying that to 5 girls ages 8-12 less than 5 minutes before they went on stage. perfect time for a teaching moment like that :)

i forgot how bad the camera work was in the first few episodes for footage of their performances. like they really didnt think the show’s audience would actually want to watch the kids dance, the producers and editors thought we just wanted to see stage mothers yelling at each other lol

also the mic feed over the music of abby talking to herself giving them corrections while watching them dance on stage.... im so glad they quit doing that. i dont remember them doing it like that for any other episode, i hope im right

this choreo is very basic and its a cute dance i guess but its very cringe in some places and for the first episode this is such a forgettable group routine

their scandalized reaction to placing third and the sad piano music is so funny honestly

and maddies reaction in the interview which was almost definitely fed to her by the producers where shes like “i win all the time i dont really know what its like to LOSE i always win or get runner up” so many of maddies lines from season 1 interviews sound so fake and she was probably too naive to know they were getting her to say that stuff so they could paint her as a conceited brat (she was EIGHT)

the trio costume was so ugly im sorry (is it supposed to be like a 50s pinup bathing suit?) (and the headband thing looks so bad) and also the music is bad but they had no real authority over that bc of copyright stuff

chloe’s headpiece coming forward and the ensuing drama was another moment in the episode that really solidified public interest in the show imho.... 

“YOU’RE IN THE BAR HAVING A DRINK AND YOUR KID’S HEADPIECE IS FALLING OFF” “it did not FALL OFF it CAME FORWARD it was FINE!!!”

“mistakes happen, we’re human.” “YOU are. mistakes like that dont happen to me”

and then the “next time on dance moms” with the WILDLY INAPPROPRIATE electricity dance, of course. genuinely that was really smart of the producers in terms of structuring things to generate intrigue lol. and obviously it ended up working....

[phoebehalliwell]

What do you think about Wyatt or the Elders somehow bequeathing Excalibur to Henry? Like I know Wyatt’s the Chosen OneTM but like (he very op) and I think it would be cool for Henry to be able to be like ‘Yeah I’m not magical but at least I’ve got this sword’ and think of the meme potential… Paige: what do you have? Henry Jr: Excalibur! >:D Paige: Noooooo

lmao read this as henry mitchell sr instead of jr the first time around but still included henry jr inheriting the sword from his dad so just consider this a very long backstory : )

honestly this would be soo good in canon bc like At Some Point in i think comics canon the elders do absolve wyatt of all destinies Meaning he is no longer tied to excalibur Meaning someone’s gonna have to go down there and tell piper she’s the lady of the lake again. and piper’s like So Not Game and she’s like no. absogoddamnlutely not. and the elders are just like i don’t know how to tell you this but it’s gotta be absogoddamnlutely yes. and so piper like barters with them and they’re like you’re not allowed to barter with destiny and she’s just like yes i am i’ve done it before and i’ll do it again if king arthur wants to come get this goddamn sword he’s gonna have to do it himself I Will Not Host Another Line full of everyone and their goddamn cousin in my attic this stays our secret. and the elders are like but- and piper’s like no if it’s fate the sword will find it’s rightful owner then it’s fate the sword will find it’s rightful owner. and the elders are like b- and piper’s like and if the word gets out excalibur is up for grabs in the halliwell manor i Will orb that thing into the nearest volcano and the elders definitely know she’s not bluffing so they’re just gonna have to let fate run it’s course.

and let’s say one day henry’s taking care of the twins and paige is out power of three-ing but then idk something happens the twins are hungry or kat bonked her head or something some reason henry might need paige and he’s like honey!!! hey can you come over here for like a couple seconds- and then is orbed into the attic where the sisters are working on some potion and paige is like yeah what’s up and henry’s like here’s a baby i don’t know like tamora’s really hungry or please heal kat’s head and so like paige takes a quick break and henry’s looking around the attic because well he hadn’t really been in there before. (with phoebe moved out i think paige would definitely also have that on her mind i think she probably moved in with henry after the wedding but like i would say like you know maybe two weeks before he even proposed paige was still spending a lot of nights there so much so that when she officially moved in with him a third of her stuff was already there. and then you know they started house hunter blah blah blah i have a Very specific vision of the layout of paige and henry’s apartment but the point i’m getting at is paige would go to the manor for witch stuff and henry would stay at home or be at work he’d never actually Seen the manor.) and he’s looking around like huh wow what’s this what’s that oh there’s the book paige’s paintings are in there and phoebe’s like paige. and paige just holds out one hand and phoebe pricks it with an athame and collects the blood drop to throw it in the potion and henry’s like what the fuck and he’s looking around and he’s like woah you guys have a sword in the stone? and piper’s like we have The sword in the stone. and phoebe’s like yeah piper’s the lady in the lake : ) and piper’s like yeah the world’s shittiest job don’t touch that! and henry’s like whoops sorry yeah but his finger still brushes the hilt and there’s a small breeze and a flash of sunlight through the window and henry’s looking at piper and phoebe like did i just fuck up and piper and phoebe are looking at paige like did you marry king arthur and and paige looks up like woah the vibe just changed did i miss something? and piper’s like henry? will you touch the sword again? and paige is like I Missed Something and so like henry lightly places a finger on the hilt and sunlight starts streaming in and a wind kicks up out of nowhere and henry’s like is it supposed to be doing this?? and phoebe’s like i thought the wielder had to be magical and piper’s like don’t ask me they didn’t leave me a frickin instruction manual on it and paige is like arthur doesn’t have magic in the legend and henry’s like woah wait Arthur???? and paige just sorta looks at him and flicks up her eyebrows and henry tries to pulls the sword out of the stone and bam baby that’s the once and future king and piper’s like god it’s about time i’ve been waiting to get that damn thing out of this attic and henry’s like what. does this mean? and piper’s like if a smooth talking brunet show up don’t trust him and uhh good luck! and henry’s looking at paige like what do i do and paige is like idk bro and piper finishes the potion like okay let’s rock n roll and paige is like sorry babe i have to go i love you uhh here’s the baby and she hands henry a twin and waves her hand and the sword orbs out of it and she’s like i put that on the dresser in our bedroom and i love you and we’ll talking about this later and henry’s like .. uh yeah cool love you too and paige sends him and the twins home and the first thing henry does when he gets home is google sword fighting lessons.

so henry starts training in sword fighting i think coop and leo definitely think this whole thing is like sick as fuck and henry’s like yeah lmao any idea what i’m supposed to do with this and leo’s like no that’s way before my time and they look at coop and coop’s like how old do you think i am?? and leo knows there are some books on arthurian mythology so he gives them to henry but also he’s a little intrigued so he starts reading them too but then coop also wants in so now the trophy husbands have a little book club going and they all meet at the manor and eat piper’s cooking and talk about henry and the sword and then it always devolves into them just shootin the shit but like (and henry would never say this out loud) it really means So Much to henry because he’s always felt just a little bit like the odd man out because he’s not magical and he knows that he’s a lot weaker than everyone else in the family but with the whole sword fighting and the king arthur stuff he can sorta shed those doubts because he feels like he’s no longer viewed as the soft weak spot (which to be fair no one ever viewed him like that but uhh a man’s got his insecurities y’know) and then everything Really comes to a head when they’re putting the twins to sleep and paige gets a sudden distress call from her charge and orbs out and then henry’s spider sense tingles and her turns around to find some masked demon about to hit him with an energy ball and he just instinctively moves for a block and finds excalibur somehow already in his hand and the demon’s super caught off guard by that that it doesn’t even have time to react before henry stabs it. and then paige immediately orbs home like henry it’s a trap we have to why are you holding excalibur and henry’s like i think i just vanquished my first demon and paige follows his eyes to the still smoking scorch marks on the carpet and she’s like !!!!

oh and henry definitely uses this like a party trick at the next charmed husbands book club meeting like guys guys check it out and excalibur appears in his hand and piper’s like no weaponry it the kitchen! and they’e like sorry!!! but those dudes are definitely geeking out about it and then later in the timeline i think henry would most definitely teach henry jr how to sword fight and maybe pass down the sword to him so henry jr can get sorta that same “fitting in” feeling around all his magical relatives like you know maybe the real confidence we gained was the sick sword fighting moves we learned along the way type of mood.

[pcwpolwrestling]

PCW Extreme Election Night 2020-Part One

================================

[ON SCREEN GRAPHIC: Blue background. The top of the Capitol Building occupies the left hand side of the television screen.

Centered in the middle of the screen: “P-SPAN. THE POLITICAL CHANNEL.”]

P-SPAN Announcer (off screen): The P-SPAN Network bring you long-form public affairs programming from the nation’s capital and are a public service of…

[ON SCREEN GRAPHIC: Logos of twenty three different cable and satellite television companies replace the Capitol Building and P-SPAN graphic.]

P-SPAN Announcer (v/o): …your television provider.

[ON SCREEN GRAPHIC: Returns to the blue background with the top of the Capitol Building occupying the left hand side of the television screen with “P-SPAN. THE POLITICAL CHANNEL.” centered in the middle of the screen.]

P-SPAN Announcer (v/o): P-SPAN. The Political Channel.

===============================

Political Championship Wrestling Extreme Election Night 2020-Part One Hack’s Rusty Nail Saloon Wauseon, Ohio Taped Tuesday November 3rd, 2020 Thursday December 31st, 2020

Announcers: ‘The Voice of PCW’ Johnny Suave AGE: 50 / HT: 5’ 11” WT: 195 HOME: Philadelphia, PA HAIR: Brown / STYLE: Like Ronnie Dunn / FACE: Goatee DRESS: Brown suit without tie

Colleen Crowder ‘Low Level New York Times Reporter Trying to Make a Name for Herself’ AGE: 38 / HT: 5’ 5” WT: 142 HOME: New York City, NY HAIR: Black / STYLE: Curly / FACE: Narrow face with rounded jaw, turned-up nose, faint freckles, and thin lips. Bulging blue eyes, thin eyebrows. DRESS: Black pants suit

SHOW OPEN The crowd starts out with a “PCW! PCW!” chant to start the show.

‘The Voice of PCW’ Johnny Suave comes out with a lifesize cardboard cut-out of Shania Twain and says, “Welcome to PCW- Loose Cannons LOCK AND LOAD!”

The crowd continues the “PCW” chant- much to the annoyance of Suave’s real life co-host Colleen Crowder.

Johnny Suave: “We are coming to you tonight from Hack’s Rusty Nail Saloon in Wauseon, Ohio at the northeast corner of the intersection of Airport Highway and Shoop Avenue,” Suave continues.  “I am Johnny Suave. This hot piece of cardboard is Shania Twain and tonight we find out who will be the PCW CEO for the next four years- current PCW CEO Donald Trump (American Patriots) or challenger Joe Biden (Progressive Alliance).”

Crowder glares at and then elbows Suave in the side at the omission of her introduction.

Suave responds in the most unenthusiastic way possible.

Johnny Suave: “Oh.  And this is Colleen Crowder- a low level New York Times reporter trying to make a name for herself.”

Colleen Crowder: “Really?  Do you have to say it like that?”

Suave ignores her and quickly moves on.  He introduces a video clip from 2016’s Extreme Election Night when Trump defeated the Progressive Alliance’s Hillary Clinton.

(REPLAY: Extreme Election Night 2016- Donald Trump (American Patriots) vs. Hillary Clinton (Progressive Alliance) -It’s not looking good for Trump.

The mainstream media and the Washington DC establishment have interjected themselves into this match at every opportunity including Don Lemon of CNN, the Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson and Dana Milbank, and the New York Times’s David Brooks and Paul Krugman.  Even some members of the American Patriots, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, former Jeb Bush, and Mitt Romney charge the ring on Clinton’s behalf and a huge scrum explodes.  Trump finds himself swallowed up by a mass of humanity as members of each group literally throw each other out of the way to get to him.

Cut to Paul Ryan.  He’s whistling while he ever so subtly tries to inch away from the ring, hoping that no one can see him subtly trying to inch away from the ring.   Mitch McConnell?  He’s gone from ringside and nowhere to be found.  The rest of the establishment?  Sitting in their seats reading the Wall Street Journal or on their phones making plans for their golf getaway.

Then…

-Deplorables ‘Prairie Populist’ William Daniels Bryan, ‘Red Solo Plastic Cup’ Ray McAvay, and Charlie Blackwell stream to the ring followed by forty other people.  Bryan hops up on the ring apron.  He drapes Dana Milbank’s neck over the top rope and drops to the floor causing the Washington Post columnist to whiplash off the ropes and onto his back.  McAvay wields a Big Bertha Driver and takes down Chuck Schumer (Progressive Alliance) and Lindsay Graham (American Patriots).  Mitt Romney sees McAvay using the driver to pole axe his way through the crowd.  He wisely uses discretion and decides to slip out of the ring.  Blackwell jumps into the ring wielding a steel folding chair and starts taking people out left and right: Paul Krugman, Don Lemon, and Jeb Bush.

The American Patriots, Progressive Alliance, and media contingent still in the ring decide to hastily exit stage right leaving just Trump, Hillary, McAvay, Blackwell, Bryan, and the forty-odd Deplorables inside.

Blackwell and McAvay re-station themselves outside the ring and the Les Miserables surrounding the squared circle.  The ring steadily clears and when it does, leaving just Trump and Hillary inside, there’s an unpleasant realization for one side.

Johnny Suave: FIGURE FOUR LEG LOCK!

Clinton eventually has to submit to Trump’s figure four leg lock submission and Trump becomes the new PCW CEO.

Crowder complains… again… that Russian referee Corrina Romanov interceded on Trump’s behalf and cost Hillary Clinton the match.

“Who will leave here tonight as the CEO of PCW?,” Suave continues, again ignoring Crowder.  “Will Donald Trump (American Patriots) book himself another four year stint at the top of the political universe?  Or will Joe Biden (Progressive Alliance) put an end to Trump’s run and take PCW in a different direction?”

Colleen jumps in to point out polls indicate that Joe Biden will win tonight and win very easily.

Johnny Suave: “Because your polls was so correct four years ago.”

Suave then eats another elbow from Crowder.

The entrance music brings out the owner of PCW Dawn McGill as she makes her first appearance of the evening, much to the enthusiastic fanfare of the overwhelming majority inside Hack’s Rusty Nail Saloon.

PCW Owner Dawn McGill

But not Colleen…

Colleen Crowder: “She’s the real problem! She just doesn’t get it.”

The camera pans around the arena.  First…

The Deplorables/Les Miserables section of the bar: ‘Red Solo Cup’ Ray McAvay, ‘Prairie Populist’ William Daniels Bryan, McAvay’s wife and one half of the famed West Texas Adult Entertainment duo Dark and Stormy, Stacee (Dark) Perry.  Paige ‘Stormy’ Reynolds is also there along with Bert the Janitor and General DeBauchery- who looks like a bizarre combination of the AWA’s Colonel DeBeers and Lt. Aldo from Inglorious Basterds, sporting a black captain’s hat right out of World War II, smoking a cigar and grinning obnoxiously, Al Cahall- sporting six pack abs…oh…that’s a six pack in front of his abs- all on their feet cheering wildly.

Colleen Crowder: “And so are they. They’re the problem too!”

Next…

The Conservative Inc. section, the American Patriots/Never Trumpers/country club set (Bill Kristol.  Charlie Sykes.  Jonah Goldberg. David French.  Tom Nichols.  David Reaboi.  Jennifer Rubin.  David Brooks, Ben Sasse, Mitt Romney, Rick Wilson, George Conway, John Kasich. and S.E. Cupp)- are on their feet as well but not cheering all that wildly.

Finally…

Then there’s Progressive Alliance section.  Professor McCarthy waves his ‘good book’ (the good book that tells us things that are correct or incorrect to say, think, or believe) in the air while his Flock- The Green World Order (Peta from PETA, GreenPete, ‘Extreme Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee, and PeaceNick), the Young Jerks (Zenk Cryger, James Idahola, and Anna- the foul-mouthed sidekick), the Deep State (One and Two), Emily S. List, and Code Pink- all sit in their seats not happy to see McGill step out on stage.

McGill smiles and acknowledges the crowd.

Her smile goes away the second Nancy Pelosi (Progressive Alliance) and Mitch McConnell (American Patriots) walk out and join her.

Nancy Pelosi (CA-Progressive Alliance and Mitch McConnell (KY-American Patriots)

COMPROMISE AGREEMENT Dawn has a microphone.

Dawn McGill: “WELCOME EVERYONE TO P-C-W’S EXTREME ELECTION NIGHT 2020!”

RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

McGill proclaims PCW is back and the faithful jammed inside Hack’s Rusty Nail Saloon cheer her on.

Crowd: “Thank you Dawn (clap clap clap-clap-clap)!  Thank you Dawn (clap clap clap-clap-clap)!”

Dawn McGill: “This show belongs to YOU!  The people!  This show is made by the people for you- the people!”

More wild cheers and thunderous applause.

Next, she tells the PCW faithful that she needs to make a quick announcement before Extreme Election Night 2020 gets under way.

McGill surprises many in the crowd when she announces that she’s reached a compromise agreement with Pelosi and McConnell and Joe Biden and Donald Trump will NOT wrestle each other in the main event tonight.  Cue boos.  McGill herself does not look all that pleased at this development either.

“Tonight’s main event will be ‘Stars N. Stripes’ Kevin Scott of the American Patriots with Donald Trump in his corner versus ‘Mr. Hollywood’ Kevin Daniels from the Progressive Alliance with Joe Biden in his corner versus Charlie Blackwell of the American Heartland Coalition for the PCW Title,” McGill explains.

Suave wonders if Mitch McConnell (KY-American Patriots) sold out Donald Trump by agreeing to the compromise agreement?

Dawn McGill: “Per the terms and conditions agreed to with Ms. Pelosi and Mr. McConnell, the PCW CEO will be named after the match in the same way it used to be- by the owner of PCW which in this case. . .”

McGill turns to Pelosi and McConnell and smirks.

Dawn McGill: “. . . is me.”

Pelosi’s smile suddenly goes away.

The crowd again expresses their support of Dawn McGill.

Crowder protests.  Suave points out that former owner Bubba Jackson was the one who chose Barack Obama not once but twice.  “I’m sure Dawn McGill can make a well-reasoned and fair decision here.  I trust her a lot more than would trust your colleagues,” Suave declared.

Yeah, that doesn’t go over well.  But before Crowder can work up enough righteous indignation to respond…

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

VOICES OF ‘REASON’ …CNN’s Jake Tapper and Brian Stelter come out and walk to the ring and gives the PCW fans a chance to express their righteous indignation.

Colleen Crowder: “It’s about time voices of reason come out and set these idiots straight.”

Tapper and Stelter both climb in.

Tapper reassures Crowder that ‘she’s not alone’ in having to put up with people who are unable to accept reality.

Jake Tapper: “There are some people that are so mendacious, I wouldn’t put them on the air, period.  Like Kayleigh McEnany…”

Stelter shakes his head and mutters “she’s the worst.”

Jake Tapper: “These are just people who tell lies the way that most people breathe-”

*WHAM!*

Crowd pop.

Johnny Suave: “HOLY CRAP!  IT’S KAYLEIGH McENANY!”

And her steel folding chair.  The crowd roars as Tapper falls to the floor.   Stelter turns around and…

*WHAM!*

…he’s face down on the mat.

More crowd popping follows and causes Crowder to become even more indignant.

Colleen Crowder: “SHE CAN’T DO THAT!”

A referee suddenly races down to the ring.

Colleen Crowder: “WHAT?”

Johnny Suave: “WE’VE GOT AN IMPROMPTU MATCH!”

Colleen Crowder: “NOOOOOO!”

*****************************

MATCH #1-HANDICAP MATCH

Trump Spokesperson Kayleigh McEnaney vs. CNN’s Jake Tapper and Brian Stelter

*****************************

**DING-DING**

Both Tapper and Stelter remain on the mat.

Jim Acosta runs in…

*WHAM!*

…and joins them.

Don Lemon rushes down…

*WHAM!*

…yep, same result.

Kaitlan Collins…

*WHAM!*

…down and out.

Johnny Suave: “HERE COMES JEFF ZUCKER!”

The President of CNN rolls into the ring.  He’s pissed and starts shouting at McEnaney.

The result?

*WHAM!*

Zucker finds himself careening through the ropes to the outside.

Crowder goes full on apoplectic now.  “SHE CAN’T DO THAT!” she shouts at the top of her lungs.

McEnaney throws the chair down and drags Tapper on top of Stelter.  She sticks her foot on top of the pile.

ONE.

TWO.

THREE!

**DING-DING-DING**

WINNER: Kayleigh McEnaney @ :30

Johnny Suave: “Kayleigh McEnaney just wiped out CNN!”

McEnaney grabs the microphone.  She calls what just happened tonight “a therapy session for a broken network” Then McEnaney drops the chair and leaves.

Colleen Crowder: “Kayleigh McEnaney doesn’t get to determine what the truth is- that’s our job.  We determine the truth.  We determine the narrative.  We determine the news the people need to see.  We determine the way that the people should react.”

Johnny Suave: “Just like pro wrestling.”

Suave winks.  Colleen just glares at her broadcast partner.

Johnny Suave: “That’s the problem.  Most people would rather you just report the news and let us figure out how we feel about it.”

Crowder starts to respond.  Suave cuts her off and runs down the rest of the card for tonight.

ARIZONA SENATE MEDALLION MATCH: Martha McSally (American Patriots) vs. Mark Kelly (Progressive Alliance)

MICHIGAN SENATE MEDALLION MATCH: Gary Peters (Progressive Alliance) vs. John James (American Patriots)

SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE MEDALLION MATCH: Lindsey Graham (American Patriots) vs. Jaime Harrison (Progressive Alliance)

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FACTION WAR GAMES HOUSE MATCH: Progressive Alliance vs. American Patriots

PCW TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: Jill Berg Enterprises: P.M.C. Banks and Kirk Walstreit (American Patriots) vs. The Green World Order: GreenPete and ‘Vengeful Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee (Progressive Alliance) vs. The Deplorables: ‘Red Solo Cup’ Ray McAvay and ‘Prairie Populist’ William Daniels Bryan (American Heartland Coalition)

PCW WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH: Kathryn Randall Collins (Progressive Alliance) vs. ‘Alaskan Rogue’ Sierra Whalen (American Patriots) vs.  ‘Extreme Pizza Delivery Girl’ Tessa Martin (American Heartland Coalition)

MAIN EVENT/PCW TITLE MATCH: ‘Starz N. Stripes’ Kevin Scott (American Patriots) vs. ‘Mr. Hollywood’ Kevin Daniels vs. ‘Prairie Populist’ William Daniels Bryan (American Heartland Coalition)

PCW CEO Donald Trump (American Patriots) and challenger Joe Biden (Progressive Alliance)

Finally, either Donald Trump  or Joe Biden will be chosen to become the CEO of PCW for the next four years.

Crowder says all the ingredients are there for a blue wave to sweep through PCW.  Suave responds that we’ll find that out soon enough and sends it back to the ring for the second match of the night.

*******************************

MATCH #2-ARIZONA SENATE MEDALLION MATCH:

Martha McSally (American Patriots) vs. Mark Kelly (Progressive Alliance)

*******************************

McSally returns after losing two years ago to Krysten Sinema at Extreme Election Night 2018.  Can she pick up her first PCW win over former astronaut, and husband to Gabrielle Giffords, Mark Kelly?  Or will Kelly continue the recent trend of Progressive Alliance wins in Arizona?

**DING-DING**

Johnny Suave: “And we are underway!”

Kelly and McSally circle.  Wicked chop hits McSally and then she takes a headbutt from Kelly.  Whip to the ropes – scoop slam to McSally by Kelly.  Another whip to the ropes – McSally ducks – off the opposite ropes – Kelly evades a right hand – belly to back suplex to McSally.  Cover.  McSally kicks out.  Kelly with a headlock – McSally reverses and takes down Kelly.  McSally waits – and spears Kelly to the mat.  Cover One – two – kick out.  Waistlock by McSally – Kelly reverses and takes McSally down with a judo takeover.  Leg drop by Kelly.  Cover.  One – two – NO!  McSally gets the shoulder up.  Kelly drags McSally up and pops her with a steel folding chairshot.   McSally looks done.  Kelly hooks the leg.  One – two – NO!  McSally kicks out before the 3.

Colleen Crowder: “That’s it!  I’m calling the match for Mark Kelly!”

Johnny Suave: “The match is not even remotely close to being finished-“

Colleen Crowder: “Nope!  It’s over!”

Kelly swings the chair again – McSally dodges.  She goes springboard off the ropes and kicks the chair into Kelly’s face.  Right hand by McSally drops her and the fans fire up!  Kelly back up – McSally with a waistlock.  Kelly escapes – but runs into a roll up.  One – two – Kelly slips out in time and then decks McSally with a front kick.  Cover.  One – two – NO!  McSally gets her shoulder up in time.  McSally goes to the ropes and rushes at the champion.  Kelly greets her with a chop that literally takes McSally right off her feet!  McSally scrambles up – Kelly measures and SUPERKICK!  McSally collapses to the mat.  Cover.  One – two – NO!   And then a spinning knee from Kelly and again, McSally is down.  One – two – NO!  McSally miraculously escapes again.   Kelly reels McSally in, but McSally wrenches free, only for Kelly to waistlock, spin and LARIAT!  Hook of the the legs.  One – two – NOOOOOOO!

Johnny Suave: “McSally kicked out at the very last second!  It’s not over yet!”

Colleen Crowder: “Nope.  We’ve already called it.  The match is over.”

Shaking his head, Kelly methodically rolls out of the ring and pulls a table out from under.  He sets the table up in the ring and brings McSally back to her feet – McSally fights out of a grapple and chops Kelly.  Arm drag takedown by McSally and she goes top rope. Then…

Johnny Suave: “WAIT A MINUTE!  THAT’S ARIZONA SECRETARY OF STATE KATIE HOBBS!”

Hobbs (Progressive Alliance) to ringside.  She goes to McSally and shoves her off the top rope.  McSally flies and goes through a table.

Johnny Suave: “HOLY CRAP!”

Now it’s Kelly’s turn.  Kelly sets McSally up on his back. Gory Special sends McSally face first to the mat and shook the ring.  Kelly covers.  One….two….THREE!!

WINNER OF ARIZONA SENATE MEDALLION MATCH: Mark Kelly (Progressive Alliance) @ 7:54

The referee hands Kelly the medallion.

Johnny Suave: “McSally did everything she could.  Katie Hobbs’s interference helped swing the match to Mark Kelly.”

Crowder is blatantly cheering on the result.  She’s going full on gloat.

Colleen Crowder: “What did I tell you Johnny?  We called the match and we were right!  Blue Wave baby, Blue Wave!  First Martha McSally, next Lindsey Graham.”

Suave expresses skepticism about Graham losing tonight.

Colleen Crowder: “The polls and our narrative say Graham’s going down.”

CALIFORNIA DREAMING California Governor Gavin Newsom.  No mask.  Dining out with some ‘friends’ inside a swanky restaurant while normal Californians are subjected to strict guidelines against large gatherings and ‘staying home.’

Newsom makes a plea for Joe Biden to bring PCW to California.

Suave notes that Dawn McGill is on record as stating that as long as she’s the owner, PCW will never set foot in California.

Gavin Newsom: “Joe.  When you win later on tonight and become the new PCW CEO, don’t forget that California is open for business!”

In the background, an endless parade of moving trucks pass by.

Newsom says forget holding PCW shows in rednecky bars out in the middle of Nowheresville USA-California is the place PCW should be.  He hails California as the home of Silicon Valley, Hollywood, the Pacific Coast, Disneyworld-

Johnny Suave: “Closed.  Employees laid off.”

Gavin Newsom: “And-“

Johnny Suave: “Choking regulations that is driving business out of the state.”

Several moving trucks honk as they drive past.

Suave also notes an average California home costs $440,000 (two–and–a–half times the average national home price of $180,000) and that the average monthly rent is about $1,240 (50 percent higher than the rest of the country-$840 per month).

Behind Newsom, Elon Musk looks at him with disgust.  Then he leaves and hops on a moving truck.

Gavin Newsom: “With all that, it’s no wonder that California is the place to be.  So come to California, PCW.  And, oh, make sure you bring your checkbook…”

Suddenly, the electricity goes out and the restaurant is left in total darkness.

Gavin Newsom: “…so you too can live the California dream!”

*********************************

MATCH #3- SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE MEDALLION MATCH:

Lindsey Graham (American Patriots) vs. Jaime Harrison (Progressive Alliance)

*********************************

Colleen Crowder: “Our polls say that Lindsey Graham is in trouble.  I predict he’ll fall before the big Blue Wave that’s coming!”

Johnny Suave: “Well?  We’ll find out in just a moment. Will this be Lindsey Graham’s biggest battle yet?  Will Jaime Harrison bring the South Carolina Medallion to the Progressive Alliance?”

…Harrison goes waistlock – Graham elbows him away!  He drives his shoulder into Harrison’s gut and drives him into the corner turnbuckle.  Graham then with a forearm shot and runs at Harrison again – shoulder into the stomach topples him over.  Cover.  One – TWO!

Johnny Suave: “Harrison kicks out.  But the surprise here is just how tenacious Lindsey Graham has been tonight about defending his South Carolina Medallion.”

Crowder calls Graham’s effort noble but futile. She still maintains that Harrison will win.

Graham doesn’t let up.  Hip toss sends Harrison to the middle of the ring.  Cover – One – TWO!  Again Harrison kicks out. This time he rakes Graham’s eyes and whips him into the corner.

Colleen Crowder: “Here we go!  Jaime Harrison is going to-“

Graham counters with a raised foot to the face.  Graham waits – he launches himself at Harrison –LARIAT!  Cover.  One – two – THREE!

WINNER OF SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE MEDALLION MATCH: Lindsey Graham (American Patriots) @ 3:15

Johnny Suave: “And the answer is no.  Crowder was not correct and Lindsey Graham wins comfortably.”

Suave turns to Colleen for her take on the match.

Colleen Crowder: “The match isn’t over yet, Johnny.  We haven’t called it yet.”

Johnny Suave: “The referee just made the three count.  It’s over.”

Colleen Crowder: “Nope.  It’s not until we call it and say it’s over.”

JOE BIDEN INTERVIEW Shaking his head, Suave moves on.  He recounts Extreme Election Night 2008 and 2012 where the then-owner of PCW came out after the main event and announced who would be the PCW CEO for the next four years.

VIDEO REPLAY: –2008.  PCW Owner Bubba Jackson names Barack Obama (Progressive Alliance) as the winner and new CEO of PCW.  He shakes hands with his opponent John McCain (American Patriots).

-2012.  Jackson again names Obama as the winner.   Obama’s opponent Mitt Romney (American Patriots) walks over and shakes hands with the returning PCW CEO.

Johnny Suave: “Then in 2016 after Dawn McGill took over ownership of PCW, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton inside the ring to succeed Barack Obama.  But tonight, we return to the old way.

Cut to: Outside Dawn McGill’s office.

Inside Dawn’s office.  The Progressive Alliance’s Joe Biden.

Johnny Suave: During Extreme Election Night, the candidate is interviewed by the PCW owner.

The door opens.  Biden and his candidate for Aide de Camp Kamala Harris emerges from McGIll’s office.

There’s a perfunctory handshake between McGill and Biden just outside her office that seems more than a little bit awkward.

Then Biden goes to the podium to talk briefly to his supporters.  There’s eight of them on hand- socially distanced standing in appropriately separated circles.

Biden gives a brief statement and ends with…

Joe Biden: “We’re going to build back…um…to make better…changes so we can…change for the… better.”

He also added.

Joe Biden: “TRUNALIMUNUMAPRZURE!”

Scattered applause.

Cut back to Suave and Crowder.

Colleen Crowder: Ladies and gentlemen.  This is your next PCW CEO!

Johnny Suave: Next in to see PCW Owner Dawn McGill- the current CEO of Political Championship Wrestling, Donald Trump.

Crowder gives a thumbs-down to Trump and ‘boos.’

Cut back to outside Dawn McGill’s office.

TRUMP INTERVIEW Following Trump’s interview with McGill, he and his Aide de Camp Mike Pence exit her office- both smiling.

Trump and McGill share a more effusive handshake, again everyone all smiles.

Trump then goes to the podium and addresses the enthusiastic two hundred and fifty people who’ve crowded into a very tight area to hear him speak.

Colleen Crowder: Really?  Where’s the social distancing?  Where’s the masks?  This is irresponsible.

Trump gives his break remarks and ends with…

Donald Trump: We are one movement, one people, and one family!  Together we will make PCW great again!

Big cheers follow.

Cut back to Suave and Crowder.

Johnny Suave: “So Colleen, how’s that Blue Wave coming along?”

Colleen Crowder: “Shut up!  The night isn’t over yet and we still haven’t called the Lindsey Graham-Jaime Harrison match.”

Johnny Suave: “I’ll make it easy for you. Graham has the medallion.  He won.  Harrison lost.”

Colleen Crowder: “But we didn’t call it-“

THE AMERICAN PATRIOT BOX Quick cut to the American Patriots’ box.  The Coke Brothers-Charles and David, financiers and mover and shaker of the American Patriots, glares towards the ring from his suite.  He plucks his phone from a suit pocket and punches in a number.

PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE BOX Quick cut to the Progressive Alliance box.  George Moros, big money spender and mover and shaker in the Progressive Alliance, has a sour look on his face as well.

TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH TIME Suave announces it’s time for the big three-way PCW Tag Team Title match.

First team out…

THUMP

THUMP

THUMP-THUMP-THUMP

Pop. Big…big pop.

THUMP

THUMP

THUMP-THUMP-THUMP

The crowd erupts when the video screen shows the door to a dressing room in the back. A police escort is waiting at the door. One of the policemen knocks on the door.

Policeman: “Ms. Berg. It’s time.”

Colleen Crowder (voiceover): What do you mean it’s time? It’s time for what?

The door opens and eight male bodyguards walk out of the dressing room encircling a petite 95 pound woman and her executive assistant Melissa in the middle. The woman, dressed in a smart, dark business suit and heels, is busy talking on her cell phone.   Melissa furiously scribbles down notes as the group makes their way towards the ring followed by P.M.C. Banks and Kirk Walstreit.

THUMP

THUMP

THUMP-THUMP-THUMP

A huge roar greets the procession as it emerges from the back onto the stage and starts their way down the ramp.  Two of the bodyguards use a fire extinguisher to create a fog like effect as the ‘Queen of Greed’ Jill Berg walks through. Two others hold sparklers up in the air as she passes by.

Berg and her Executive Assistant Melissa leads Banks and Walstreit out to the stage.

Jill Berg Enterprises MGR: ‘Queen of Greed’ Jill Berg ASST: Melissa P.M.C. Banks AGE: 30 / HT: 6′ 1″  WT: 230 / HOME: New York City, NY FIN: Bank Statement Overdraft Kirk Walstreit – ‘Wall Street Market Analyst with the Man Crush on ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit.’ AGE: 34 / HT: 6’ 2” WT: 220, HOME: New York City, NY FIN: Stock Market Plunge

Berg leads the group down to the ring. Once inside the ring, Walstreit walks around holding up a velvet painting of ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit. Why? Who knows. That’s just what he does.

Next out…

♫ “Do you hear the people sing? – Singing the song of angry men?”

The camera pans over to the Deplorable’s section of the arena.  Ray McAvay and William Daniels Bryan high five while Charlie Blackwell and ‘No Frills’ Chris Escondido stands up from their seat.

Crowder is not happy to see them.

Colleen Crowder: “BOOOO!  BOOOOO!  These Deplorable idiots are the ones responsible for Donald Trump winning in 2016!  BOOOOO!”

The Deplorables MGR: Bert the Janitor ‘Red Solo Cup’ Ray McAvay HT: 6’ 3” WT: 215 HOME: Fort Stockton, TX FIN: McGill Bomb Valets: West Texas Adult Entertainment Legends Dark and Stormy William Daniels Bryan– ‘The Prairie Populist’ -4 time PCW Champion.  Former PCW Television Champion HT: 5’10″ WT: 180, HOME: Platte, Nebraska / FIN: Cattle Mutilation or the Crane Kick SUBGROUP: General DeBauchery, Al Cahall, Nic Koteen

Also rising from their seats, General DeBauchery- who looks like a bizarre combination of the AWA’s Colonel DeBeers and Lt. Aldo from Inglorious Basterds, sporting a black captain’s hat right out of World War II, smoking a cigar and grinning obnoxiously, Al Cahall- sporting six pack abs…oh…that’s a six pack in front of his abs and the man smoking a cigarette in violation of several anti-smoking ordinances…as usual, Nic Koteen.

McAvay and Bryan stands up and edges towards the aisle. Blackwell, and Escondido follow.  Then General DeBauchery, Cahall, and Koteen.  Before McAvay and Escondido start to descend down the steps towards the rail separating the stands from the floor, McAvay turns around and gestures to the Les Miserables to join him.

The Deplorables rise up from their seats and line up behind him and Escondido as the pair start their way down towards the ring.

The camera spots West Texas Adult Entertainment Legends Dark and Stormy with their protégée Starbrite, all sporting the PCW Ray McAvay “Show Up. Punch In. Shut Up.  Get to Work” baseball jersey, marching along with the other Les Miserables as McAvay and the procession head down to the ring.

McAvay, Bryan, Blackwell, Escondido, and the rest reach the steel barricade around ringside.  One by one, they climb through the railing down to the floor and march towards the ring.

Then finally…

WE’RE CHANGING EVERYTHING!

The song opens with a full minute and a half of abstract acapella tones.  The wrestlers already in the ring wonder what the hell is with the music.

They’d find out soon enough after another minute of somber keyboard strikes and overlaid whale calls.

Male Voice: “My name is Brock Cole Lee.  You can call me the Vengeful Vegan.  And I’m here to let you know one thing.  It’s time for a new force to emerge.  It’s time for someone to come in and take over.  It’s time for us- the GREEN… WORLD…ORDER!”

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Brock Cole Lee: “That’s right.  Boo us all you want.   The bottom line is . . . the Green World Order is here and WE’RE CHANGING EVERYTHING!”

This excites Crowder.

Colleen Crowder: “They’re changing everything Johnny!”

Johnny Suave: “They’ve been saying that since 2005.  I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Lee, his tag team partner GreenPete, and valet Peta from PETA- who spends most of the trip to the ring shouting at people for eating hamburgers and other assorted objectionable food.

Green World Order Valet: Peta from PETA GreenPete HT: 5′ 11″ WT: 195 / HOME: Los Angeles, CA FIN: Harpoon (modified spear or gore) ‘Extreme Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee HT: 6′ 3″ WT: 192 / HOME: New York City, NY FIN: The Juicer WITH: PeaceNick

All three teams in the ring now.

*********************************

MATCH #4-PCW TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH:

Jill Berg Enterprises: P.M.C. Banks and Kirk Walstreit (American Patriots) vs. The Green World Order: GreenPete and ‘Vengeful Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee (Progressive Alliance) vs. The Deplorables: ‘Red Solo Cup’ Ray McAvay and ‘The Prairie Populist’ William Daniels Bryan (American Heartland Coalition)

*********************************

Johnny Suave: “This is NOT an elimination match.  The first team who gets a pinfall will be the new PCW Tag Team champions.”

Colleen Crowder: “GO GREEN WORLD ORDER!”

P.M.C. Banks, McAvay, and GreenPete will start.  Outside the ring, The ‘Queen of Greed’ Jill Berg watches with arms folded.  The Green World Order’s PeaceNick chants peaceful, pacifistic mantras while Peta continues to berate people at ringside for eating meat.  The Deplorables at ringside clap their hands and cheer on McAvay and Bryan.

Brock Cole Lee and Kirk Walstreit taunt each other on the ring apron.  Banks and GreenPete do a lot of talking while McAvay and Bryan confer.   Banks shoves GreenPete.  GreenPete shoves Banks.  Head butt by GreenPete staggers Banks.  He slams him down.  Cover.  One – two – McAvay makes the save.

Banks rolls out of the ring.  GreenPete tags out to Brock Cole Lee who tells Banks to get his ass back into the ring.  Banks and Walstreit talk strategy outside the ring with Jill Berg.   Finally, a ten count begins and Banks returns.

Banks ties up with McAvay.  McAvay gets leveled from behind by Lee.  Banks decides he’s had enough and tags out to Kirk Walstreit.  Walstreit rushes in – Lee gets a takedown.  Waistlock by Lee – he holds on as Walstreit tries to escape.  McAvay back up and he’s got a chair thanks to his tag partner.  *WHAM!*  Walstreit then German Suplexes Lee.  Oklahoma Roll – one – two – GreenPete in for the save.  Bryan tags in and he connects on a mat slam to Walstreit.  He covers.  One – two – BANKS MAKES THE SAVE!  Lee tags GreenPete back in.  Bryan and Walstreit duel – MULE KICK by GreenPete connects.  Walstreit lets go – he dives for the corner – NO!  GreenPete pulls him back at the last second.  Lee clocks Bryan from behind with a steel folding chair and then throws him out of the ring.  Banks tags in for Walstreit.  GreenPete kicks Banks around the ring. Banks down.  He tries to get to his corner but Walstreit stomps away with kick after kick after kick.  The referee starts a five count – GreenPete stomps more.  Then he goes back suplex but Banks lands on his feet.  He ducks two more kicks from GreenPete and hits a DESPERATION BANK STATEMENT OVERDRAFT.

Johnny Suave: “HOLY CRAP!”

Colleen Crowder: “THAT CAN’T BE LEGAL!”

Suave assures her it is and that GreenPete is down and in big trouble.

Crowd on their feet.  But Banks can’t make the pinfall on GreenPete.  Both men crawl to their corners – hot tags to Brock Cole Lee and Walstreit!  Lee and Walstreit exchange right hands.  Lee decks Walstreit with a right hand.

Outside the ring, Jill Berg strolls over and… *SMACK* unleashes a vicious spinning heel kick to an unsuspecting GreenPete and knocks him out cold.

Colleen Crowder: WHAT?  WHAT IS SHE DOING?

PeaceNick looks on in horror and starts to protest.  Berg calmly walks over to him and *SMACK* …you guessed it.

Johnny Suave: Getting in some martial arts training during the match?

We hear Crowder’s overly audible ‘huff’ following Suave’s remark.

Now Bryan back in and he’s looking for anyone in a green shirt.  He ducks a Lee clothesline and runs the ropes.  Bryan ducks a second clothesline – stops, spins around – SLEEPER!  Lee spins around and tries to get Bryan off his back.  Lee slams Bryan into the corner turnbuckle.  And again.  A third time – Bryan is scraped off.  Banks give him a stomp and then clocks Lee.  GreenPete in the ring and runs and SPLASHES Banks in the corner.  Banks down.  Cover by Bryan.  One – two – WALSTREIT MAKES THE SAVE!   Bryan goes after Banks.  Lee scoop slams Bryan.  Cover.  One – two – BRYAN GETS THE SHOULDER UP!

Bryan slips through Lee’s legs and tags McAvay back in.  Both Deplorables hook up Banks, then hit a double suplex.  McAvay’s cover.  One – two – NO!  Banks kicks out.  Lee shoves McAvay out of the way and hits a spinning neckbreaker on Banks.  Cover.  One – two – Banks again kicks out.  Banks reverses a hip toss – steps back – SUPERKICK TO BROCK COLE LEE!  Lee down.  Banks rolls over.  One – two – Lee kicks out.  Banks tags Kirk Walstreit back in.  Flying elbow off the top rope by Walstreit takes Lee down again.  He covers.  One – two – 2.999!

Johnny Suave: “RAY McAVAY MAKES THE LAST SECOND SAVE!”

McAvay goes for the cover.  But two masked men hit the ring and tackle him.

Johnny Suave: “WAIT A MINUTE!  IT’S LOAF!”

League of Anti-Fascists aka…LOAF Ted HT: 5′ 11″ WT: 180 / HOME: Portland, OR FIN: Chaz HT: 6′ 1″ WT: 205 / HOME: Seattle, WA FIN:

McAvay tries to fight LOAF off – but Ted throws McAvay over the top rope to the floor.  Then LOAF hop over the top rope and splashes McAvay and Bryan on the floor.

Colleen Crowder: “This is payback Johnny.  Payback for what McAvay and Bryan did four years ago to help Donald Trump become the CEO of PCW and it’s ABOUT TIME!”

The Deplorables come to McAvay and Bryan’s aid and LOAF has to bail out.

Johnny Suave: “But the damage is done.  Both McAvay and Bryan are down.”

Not for long though, McAvay drags himself up.

*SMACK*

Johnny Suave: “HOLY CRAP!  JILL BERG JUST TOOK OUT RAY McAVAY WITH A SPINNING HEEL KICK!”

*SMACK*

Johnny Suave: “AND WILLIAM DANIELS BRYAN, TOO!”

This makes Crowder happy.

Colleen Crowder: “Again, it couldn’t have happened to better people.”

Walstreit again goes top rope – flying ax-handle drives Lee back down.  Cover.  One – two – NO!  Lee ejects Walstreit to the middle of the ring.  Walstreit with a waistlock – Lee reverses – backdrop to Walstreit.  Cover.  One – two – Walstreit slips out.  P.M.C. Banks runs in.  He slams Lee down.  Walstreit comes over.  Set.  DOUBLE SUPERKICKS!!  Lee is out of his feet.  Walstreit in – STOCK MARKET PLUNGE! COVER!  ONE – TWO- THREE!  NEW CHAMPIONS!

WINNER AND **NEW** PCW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Jill Berg Enterprises @ 14:05

Johnny Suave: “Jill Berg Enterprises win!”

Colleen Crowder: “Again, they have not.  We have not called the-“

The referee hands Walstreit and Banks the PCW Tag Team title match.

Johnny Suave: “Walstreit and Banks hold up their new title belts!”

Colleen Crowder: “They can’t do that!  This match hasn’t been called yet!”

Johnny Suave: “Breaking news!  The new PCW Tag Team champions put on their new title belts signifying that they are, in fact, the NEW PCW Tag Team champions.”

Colleen Crowder: “Don’t you dare mansplain to me!”

Johnny Suave: “Okay.  We are going to go right to our next match.  A special bonus match for the Alabama Senate Medallion between the Progressive Alliance’s Doug Jones and former Auburn Head Football Coach Tommy Tuberville of the American Patriots.”

Colleen Crowder: “That’s another win for the Progressive Alliance.”

Suave rolls his eyes and waves her off.

Cut to a quick video of the match:

VIDEO-Alabama Medallion Match: Doug Jones (Progressive Alliance) vs. Tommy Tuberville (American Patriots) Tuberville is having little trouble with Jones.

Voice Offscreen: “Hold on Johnny.  Stop the video.”

SHOWSTOPPERS Arriving at the broadcast table: Pennsylvania State Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and former Georgia Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams- all from the Progressive Alliance.The group inform Suave that the show is going to be stopped for the moment.

Johnny Suave: “Stopped?  But why?”

Josh Shapiro: “Look.  This is the first show back.  The production crew is tired.  They’re getting back into the flow of things.  So we will pick up the show on Sunday evening with the conclusion.”

Colleen Crowder: “When Joe Biden will become the new PCW CEO!”

Shapiro nods to Crowder.

Josh Shapiro: “When Joe Biden will become the next CEO of PCW.”

Johnny Suave: “I guess we will be back with Part Two of PCW Extreme Election Night 2020 on Sunday night!  For Colleen Crowder-“Colleen Crowder: I am more than capable of saying goodbye.  I don’t need a man to-Johnny Suave: Good night everyone!

Cut to:

EPILOGUE Darkened room.  Dim light.

Shadows move around.

George Moros- billionaire financier of the Progressive Alliance.

The Coke Brothers- billionaire financiers of the American Patriots.

A door opens.  Then closes.

Charles Coke: Sarah.

The woman is Sarah Lenti, executive director of the Lincoln Project- a group of American Patriots and former American Patriots dedicated to preventing Donald Trump from winning a second term as PCW CEO.

Sarah Lenti: What the hell is going on!  I thought you had things under control.

David Coke: Sarah, I know things haven’t exactly gone to plan-

Sarah Lenti: Not gone to plan?  Dawn McGill is still in control of PCW with all her ‘PCW is for the people’ bull-*BLEEP*.

George Moros tries to reassure her.

George Moros: Look.  We stopped the show for the evening.  That gives us time to figure this out.

Sarah Lenti: Dawn McGill is going to hand the reins of PCW to Donald Trump for another four years!

George Moros: No she won’t.  Clearly, it’s time to take this to the next level.

Moros pulls out a cell phone and hits a button.

George Moros: It’s time.  Operation Dominion is in effect.

[‘Trumpet Concerto No. 2 in D major – 3 Allegro assai’ begins to play in the background and P-SPAN quickly cuts away to another political event.]

[nothingeverlost]

Fic: Henry Gold (5/?)

Summary: Regina asked for Gold’s help in procuring a child, but when he held the wee boy in his arms he couldn’t give the child up.  Ten years later it’s Henry Gold who arrives in Boston, looking for Emma.

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3/ Chapter 4

A/N: Very Henry-lite, but . Emma meets Mary Margaret, a pregnant girl, and applies first aid.  More show dialog than past chapters.

II

"You had us all worried, Henry."  At Henry's request Emma walked him to school the next morning.  They were greeted in the playground by a woman with short hair who looked strangely familiar, though Emma knew that they'd never met.  "I'm glad you're safe."

"Thanks Miss Blanchard.  I have to go talk to Paige.  Bye Emma, thanks for walking me."  Henry was off before Emma had a chance to respond.  Ever since the call had come from Franklin's that it would be at least a week before her car could be repaired, thanks to a part that needed to be ordered, Henry had been much more relaxed. 

"So you're Henry's teacher."  Who happened to be the woman that Henry thought was her mother.  The mother who was, from the looks of her, the same age as Emma herself.  "I'm Emma.  I'm, uh…"

"His biological mother.  You're also the one that got him and Archie out of the mine."  Miss Blanchard shrugged.  "It's a small town, and there's not a lot to talk about.  News travels fast.  Also he apparently used my credit card to find you, or at least I assume that’s why a site called www.whoseyourmama showed up on my bill."

“I don’t have much experience with small towns.”  She wasn’t used to people knowing much about her, either. She was more used to stolen credit cards, but hadn’t realized that Henry had inherited that talent.  Was stealing hereditary?  If so he came by it honestly.

“Sometimes if can be really wonderful, having so many people know you.  Sometimes it can feel lonely, when it feels like nothing ever changes.”  She shrugged.  “I’m afraid I have to take some of the blame for yesterday, and for you being here.”

“Because of the credit card?”  Emma wondered if Henry would have still run for the mines if she had never been in the town.  If he had would he have found a way out?

“Because of the book.”  Mary Margaret looked to the corner of the playground where Henry was sitting and talking to a little blond girl.  It was the first time Emma had seen him with a kid his own age.

“You’re the one that gave it to him?”  That was weird.  Or maybe it made sense. She gave him the book so maybe seeing her as one of the characters was logical, for a ten year old.  And if his teacher was a character in the book then he’d just started naming other people too. “Why?”

“Henry is a very special boy, so smart and creative.  But he’s also very lonely.  Perhaps because of who his father is, or because he’s so clever he’s never been very good at making friends.  I thought the book could help.”

“How does a book make him less lonely?”  For a moment she was back on the bed in one of her group homes, walkman playing music through her headphones and a book in front of her.  She knew what lonely felt like, but her books and music had been a shield, not a solution.

“What do you think stories are for? These stories are classics. There’s a reason we all know them. They’re a way for us to deal with our world. A world that doesn’t always make sense to adults, let alone ten year old boys.”  Mary Margaret sighed.  “What’s the first fairytale you remember someone reading to you?”

“I didn’t get a lot of storytime.”  There had been a family once, that had almost kept her, but then they’d had a child of their own.  She’d tried to forget most of that home; it made the rest of them harder.  “I remember sneaking into a theatre to see Hunchback of Notre Dame once.” 

Mary Margaret bit her lip, looking a little like she wanted to cry.  People raised in happy homes with parents usually assumed that everyone else had the same.  “I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have. Hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing.”

Emma was grateful when the bell rang and kids started running for the building.  She didn’t want to know what Mary Margaret’s next question might be.  

“It was nice meeting you, Emma.”  Mary Margaret offered her hand, but before Emma could shake a bird landed on her finger.

“Yeah.”  Maybe Henry’s stories were getting to her too, because for just a second she could understand how Henry could look at his teacher and see Snow White.  “I’ll see you around.”

II

“Are you okay?”  All she’d wanted was a cup of coffee, but she’d barely managed a sip before spilling it on her shirt.  The diner’s owner had directed her to the laundry room of the bed and breakfast next door to clean up.  Now she was faced with a very pregnant and very unhappy pregnant teen that reminded her way too much of herself.  Well, except for the lack of a prison jumper.  

“Last night, I felt contractions and the doctor said that the baby could come any day now.”  She rubbed her belly, one hand resting on it even when she poured bleach into the washing machine.  Apparently the sheets weren’t supposed to be pink.  Emma remembered waking to find her hand on her belly, feeling the movement inside and forcing herself to move her hand, wrapping it around the metal frame of her cell bed.

“Ah.”  What could she say?  Labor was scary and painful, but being that pregnant wasn’t comfortable.

“It’s just that, um, when the… When the baby comes, no one thinks that I can do this. No one thinks I can do anything.”  She looked down at her belly.  “Maybe they’re right.”

“Forget what they think, what do you think?”  She didn’t let herself think about what it what it would have been like to keep her kid.  It hadn’t been possible and it wouldn’t have been Henry’s best life.  She’d made her only possible choice, but that was her.  “What do you want for you and what do you want for this kid?”

“I’m nineteen.”

“A year older than I was.”  And from the looks of her not living on the street at least.

“When you had a kid?”  The girl frowned, as if it had never occurred to her that someone else might have been in the same boat. 

“Yeah. Everyone loves to tell you what you can and can’t do, especially with a kid. For me the right choice was adoption but I was the only person that could make that choice.  You’re the only one that can decide for you.”  Hopefully the mayor wasn’t still looking for a kid.  The idea that she could have been Henry’s mom was still unsettling.

“You don’t understand.  Sean’s father…”

“Doesn’t get to make decisions for you.”  She didn’t wonder where this ‘Sean’ was.  Clearly he wasn’t interested, nor was his father grandparent material.  “You just got to punch back and say, ‘no, this is who I am.’ You want people to look at you differently? Make them. If you want to change things, you’re going to have to go out there and change them yourself, because there are no fairy godmothers in this world.

II

“Gold?”  Emma was restlessly wandering the kitchen, trying to decide if she wanted hot chocolate or a drink from Gold’s decanter when she heard him come down the stairs.

“The alarm from my shop is going off.”  He wore an overcoat and a scarf.  She’d taken the trash out earlier and it had been see-your-breath kind of cold.  That was more than an hour ago.

“Did you want me to come with you?”  Apparently small towns didn’t have security patrols that answered alarms.  So far as she could tell they had one sheriff, and that was about it.

“No, it’s probably just a stray cat trying to get someplace warm.  I won’t be gone fifteen minutes.  Henry’s asleep, I turned off his lamp before I came down.”  He glanced up the stairs.

“Don’t forget gloves,” she suggested before going back into the kitchen to make hot chocolate with cinnamon.  Just thinking about being outside made her cold.  She drank her chocolate while wandering the rooms, looking at the photos on the walls and the odd trinkets.  There was one display case that held nothing but a teacup with a chipped rim; she wondered if the chip made it more or less valuable.  There were pictures of Henry all over the place, one tops of tables and hanging on the walls.  She lost count of how many bookcases there were; Henry’s room had a couple as well.  Gold probably did too, though she hadn’t seen his bedroom.

Emma was washing out her mug when she glanced at the clock and realized it had been more than half an hour since Gold had left, twice the time he’d expected to be gone.  If it was a false attempt to enter the shop he’d be back already; they were only five minutes away.  She slipped her phone out of her pocket and dialed his number.  It rang five times before going to voicemail.

“Crap.”  The way she figured it she only had one choice.  She called the sheriff to ask for a ride.

“Gold?”  She didn’t have a gun with her but she was fast and she was sneaky.  She had the door to the shop open before Graham caught up to her.

“Potential crime scenes are in my job description, not yours. You should let me go first,” Graham suggested.

“Habit,” she said with a shrug, scanning the room.  “This is not that different from what I do.”

“Professional thief?”  There was a hint of humor in his voice that was probably inappropriate but almost made her grin despite her worry.  If anything happened to Gold Henry would be inconsolable.

“Sort of the opposite.  I’m a bail bonds person.”  At least that was part of her job.  She did some bounty hunting as well but that was a little less official and she was talking to the local law.

“Not something we’ve ever had much use of around here.”  There was no one in the main room of the shop so together they moved through the curtain to the back.  Gold was on the floor and he didn’t look like he was moving.

“Shit, shit, shit.”  She turned on the switch, flooding the room with light.  Gold’s chest rose and fell so that was something, at least, but he didn’t flinch at the light.

“I’m going to check out back.”  Graham headed for the door.  Emma knelt next to Gold and looked for injuries.  When she rolled him to his back his hair fell to one side and revealed a bloody gash near his temple.  She didn’t know if the fancy squares in his pocket were supposed to serve any purpose but they were the first thing she grabbed to staunch the blood.

“I hope 911 works in this place.”  She’d never lived in a town small enough to wonder before.

“Don’t bother on my account.”  Gold struggled to sit up but Emma’s light hold on his chest was enough to stop him.  She didn’t realize at first glance how bloodshot his eyes were.

“Slow down there, champ.  Bleeding out on your own office floor is going to make for a pretty embarrassing story.”  Emma frowned.  She should probably ask him some questions or something, but the whole ‘do you know who the president is’ thing never made much sense to her.

“Bleeding?”  His hand went up to his head, fingertips coming away sticky and red.  “I must have hit the corner of the desk when I fell.”

“You fell?”  Graham closed the door when he came back in, and the lack of a draft made the place feel warmer.

“Must have been an uneven patch on the floor.  I should have turned the light on.”  This time he did sit up, wincing a little as he did so.  

“There wasn’t anyone else in here?”  Graham looked skeptical, which was fair because Emma knew that Gold was lying through his teeth.  It was the first lie she’d caught him in.

“No one but me and my shadow.”  He grasped for his cane but didn’t try to stand.  “Thank you for your service, sheriff, but it was a false alarm.  I’m sure Ms. Swan won’t mind driving my car home and you probably should get back to a warm bed somewhere.”

“I could follow you home just to be sure,” Graham offered.  He seemed to be reluctant to leave.

“We’ll call if we need you.”  Gold sat perfectly still until Graham was gone and the sound of the front door closing meant he’d left the building.

“Are you going to tell me now why you were lying?”  Emma stood and held out her hand.  After a moment Gold held on firmly and let her help him to stand.  She didn’t comment on the fact he’d needed help, or that he leaned on the cane more heavily than usual.

“I’d rather wait until we’re home, if you don’t mind.  I don’t like leaving Henry alone in the house.  If you wouldn’t mind locking the back door, please.”  He limped towards the front without waiting for her reply.  She made note of the fact that the lock was pretty crappy and there was a pane of broken glass that she would bet anything wasn’t broken an hour ago.  Calling it locked was a joke, really. The front door at least had a bolt.

“So are you going to tell me now?” she asked when they were back at the house and she’d run upstairs to check on Henry.  He was still sleeping.  Gold was patting his face dry with a towel, his jacket off and his sleeves rolled up.  “Do you need a bandaid?”

“It’s fine,” he said dismissively with a wave of his hand.  “I’m having a drink, would you like one?”

“I’d like the truth.”  She took the drink, though, when he led her out of the kitchen and into the library.

“There was someone in my shop tonight.  A young woman that clearly needed help; she was quite wound up, not acting like herself at all.”

“And she hit you?”  Who in the world broke into a pawn shop and stole things?

“No, no.  She used pepper spray on me, threw me off my balance.  I really did hit the desk.”  He touched his wound lightly with a couple of fingers and winced.  At least it wasn’t bleeding.  “I’ve never seen her like that before.”

“You know her?”

“She’s a client, of sorts.”  He paused for a moment to sit on the sofa, raising his leg to rest on the ottoman.  “You see, Emma, there’s no lawyer here in Storybrooke.  I’m rather good with contracts, and sometimes people come to me for help with deals.  Ashley Boyd sought me out a few months ago.  She’s a young girl, only a year out of high school, and there’s a babe on the way.  Neither her family, such as it is, or the father are helping her.  She wanted to discuss options.”

“You were brokering an adoption?”  She had a sinking suspicion that she knew exactly who he was talking about.  It couldn’t be a coincidence that she’d talked to a young pregnant girl hours ago about ‘punching back’ and a young pregnant girl had broken into the shop and assaulted Gold.  Great.

“I was.  There’s a couple here in town, actually, that has been trying for years to have a child.  They have a nursery ready and names picked out.  I have a keen interest in helping families find each other.”  He glanced towards the hall and the staircase going up to his son’s room.  “She never seemed happy but she was relieved that someone would love and raise her child.  Perhaps reality is setting in now that she’s so close to having the baby.  She was raving about changing her destiny, and something confusing about godmothers.”

“Where is she now?”  Shit, it was the same girl.  And a family that might not get a baby they’d been waiting for, but if Ashley wanted her baby she deserved that chance.  Either way someone was going to lose.

“I don’t know.  She lives at the bed and breakfast and doesn’t have a car.  Her parents are both dead but there’s a stepmother.  I didn’t want to send the sheriff after her, she doesn’t need a record for one confused moment, but we should find her.”

“In the morning.”  She frowned, and wondered again about his wound.  “Are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor?  How do you know it’s safe to go to bed?”

“I’m far too stubborn and thick-headed for a little bump to cause any problems.”  He downed most of his drink in a single gulp.  Maybe the drink helped, because he was more steady on his feet when he stood and left the room.  Emma was about to follow when her phone rang.  It was a Maine area code.

“Hello?”  She hadn’t given her number to anyone except Gold and the guy at the repair shop.  It was a weird time to be calling about her car.

“I just wanted to be sure you made it home safely.  No ill effects?”  The sheriff’s voice was easily identifiable.

“Are you really conscientious or really bored?”  She didn’t bother asking how he had her number.  She was curious why he’d gotten it.

“Actually I have an ulterior motive.  I have discretionary funds in my budget for a deputy, and since your job isn’t that different I thought you might be interested.”

“I’m only in town for a week.”  Less than that now, but she wasn’t counting the days.

“Are you sure?  I can offer you dental, as well as donuts.  The hours are flexible and the boss is easy to work for.”  He laughed, and Emma found herself smiling.  She couldn’t say yes, though.  She had a job and a life in Boston.  Well a job at least.

“Donuts, really?”  She couldn’t think of anything else to say.  

“Sometimes the cliches are true.  I know a place that makes really good donuts.  Maybe I can show you, even if you’re only staying a week.  And maybe you’ll change your mind about staying.”  He reminded her of Henry for a moment.  “Anyway the offer’s genuine if you change your mind.  Both the job and the donuts.”

“Thanks.”  She couldn’t accept the job offer, of course, and it probably was a bad idea to go out with Graham even if it was just donuts.  Donuts could easily mean coffee too, and then they were heading into dangerous pseudo date territory.  This time next week she’d be in Boston.  Leaving behind Henry would be hard enough without making friends with more people.

Emma drained her glass and carried it into the kitchen before heading up to bed.  She deliberately didn’t check in on Henry before closing her bedroom door.  She didn’t need it to become a habit.

[wolfpawn]

Once Bitten Twice Shy, Chapter 14

Previous Chapter

Chapter Summary -  after the awkward discussion on Paige's doorstep, she and Tom talk very little, until Tom has to ask another request of her.

Tag, @wolfsmom1 @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog @nonsensicalobsessions @damalseer   @standing-onthe-edge @hiddlesbitch1

anyone else who wishes to be added to the tags, just ask :)

Paige looked at the computer screen in front of her. The story from the male perspective still frozen by her inability to get past her plot issue. It frustrated her no end. She knew where she wanted it to go, she knew where it would end but not how to get there. She had set it aside, knowing no good could come from trying to force it. She had several stories on her computer drive that would never be completed as a result of over-forcing herself and she had deleted several more concepts through the years because of trying to force herself through only to feel it was rubbish after it all and that it would be best to simply get rid of them.

Feeling downtrodden, not just from that but because of Tom’s revelation that he was heading to New York for a few months, she didn’t want it to end, more than once since she cried behind her front door, she felt a terrible pang in her stomach and felt her eyes well up when she thought of it ending. How was this sensation possible? She had been with Derek for three years, he made her smile, laugh and though he stated after that she was boring, she had thought the sex, though slightly less frequent than she would have liked, was good, but Tom...Tom was an entirely different, he made her smile even when she was not in his presence. The mere thought of him caused her to feel better about herself and when they spoke, she felt there was something deeper to their conversations, not that he simply comprehended the words she said, but that he fully understood everything she was saying with regards to a topic, he saw her point of view as she saw it, even when they had differing opinions. That was something else, he didn’t dismiss her opinion when it differed from his, he spoke to her further on the topic. Derek was not like that. She also thought back to the night that created the situation they were in. The night she stayed in his and they had sex. She wasn’t going to lie, it was better than with Derek, a lot better. He knew more with regards how to tend to a partner’s wants but that was indicative of his entire personality. Tom was a more considerate person in general.

She had fallen for him, now it was over. She would lose the chance to be around someone so incredible. So many times through the experience where he acted the part of loving significant other and it made her feel incredible. She knew that she would miss it terribly, but it also taught her that should she be fortunate to have a chance of happiness again, what she should want from such. The little voice in her head told her that she wanted it with Tom, but she had to ignore it. She could not have him, he was merely trying to prevent further ridicule, something she could understand, since, after his remarks on his reputation as a result of a particular summer with a particular singer, she decided to look at it and realised just how horrible people were being with regards to him.

For a time, she mulled over her thoughts before her mind came to something. Her computer screen was dark in front of her as a result of her in activity on it, but with one flick of her wrist across the mouse pad, it came to life again and the blank document page was in front of her. She brought the computer closer to her, she pressed on the private document option and began to write. Not a story, not a plot, merely her thoughts regarding the actor she had been acting with for the past few weeks and how he stole her heart.

*

Tom went through the day as he always did. Up, tend to himself and Bobby, organise his food for work, deal with the few calls and emails he needed, check his mail for anything important and then go to the Pinter. Work on the play, speak with people regarding it there, do the play, see some fans, rest and eat, do the play again, see more people, home, decompress and bed. Only these days, it didn’t seem as pleasant. There was a reason for that, he had said nothing to Paige in three days. It had been three days since he informed her that he would be going to New York for a stretch and since then, she had avoided him like the plague. No calls, no texts, nothing. She had asked how they would deal with people seeing them part ways. She had wanted it all to end and with the manner in which she was harassed, by a radio host, by the photographers when she was getting sorted for her brother’s wedding, even by some that called themselves his fans on social media, he could not blame her for wanting to get away from it all. He only wished she did not want to get away from him.

Bringing Bobby out to the bathroom one last time before he had to go to the Pinter, Tom felt his mood remain somewhat sombre as he did so. Bobby, for his part, noticed his owner be less joyful than usual. When he was done, he waited for his car to the Pinter. As soon as it arrived, he called Bobby to him and went out, hoping the day would not remain so down.

Between the two shows, as he dealt with Bobby’s toilet needs, he looked at his phone. The sensation that filled his gut did not skip his attention. Seeing Paige’s name was one thing, he was terrified of its content. Clicking on it, he hoped it would not be negative.

Hey, I hope you are doing okay, I haven’t heard from you in a few days and thought rather than waiting, I would be better off messaging you myself.

He looked at the words on the screen. It was Paige in every aspect. Rather than wondering something, she came right out and asked it. He liked that confidence, her ability to not shy away from things.

Hello, I’m doing fine, thank you, I thought you were working through the book so I thought it best not to disturb you.

Sadly the book is shelved for now. I fear it and I may part permanently.

I thought you liked it?

I do, sadly, my brain doesn’t. Or at least this part. Anyway, I said I would say hello and check you were still going well. Bye.

Tom looked sadly at the screen. Though she was the one to initiate the messaging, her sudden change to cutting the conversation again was indicative of her not wanting to talk too much. He contemplated leaving her without a reply but thought it too rude, so instead, he typed one out.

You’re an incredible writer, you will get through it. I am always here if you want to talk or throw ideas at, I love to help if I can if only to talk to you.

He looked at it for a moment before thinking better of it, so he went to erase the second half of it. He went to press the button when Boby pulled on the lead, causing him to grip the phone tighter in case it fell, and much to his shock, having him press the “send” button instead of erase.

Cursing to himself, he looked at the words on the screen. It was sent and there was nothing he could do with regard to it.

He was unsurprised to get nothing back. He thought to apologise for saying it but then thought it would add to everything, so he did nothing.

*

When the final day of the play in London came, so too did his father. Unlike Diana, who had met Paige several times throughout the few months, she had never met his father. James Hiddleston was not like his ex-wife. Diana was far more outgoing, James was stoic in every manner. He feared to even mention Paige in his presence. But with the final show and his coming into London for it, he made the demand to Tom that he finally meet this girl he was after hearing about.

It had been a few days since their last few texts and technically, the lie was still in effect of them being together, so Tom thought of how to word it as he went to Paige’s name in his phonebook. Christian had informed him of how sales were projected for the US, and it was looking good. Luke was stating that he would be expected to bring Paige with him to an event in the following fortnight, he had informed Oscar of it also, who agreed it was a good idea for them to go together as Paige had received an invite also. With some juggling, it would be easily arranged, but that would all come after today, the day she would have to act his partner once more, in front of a man he never wished to lie to, if only to not have to deal with his ire were he to find out. Diana and his sisters would be disappointed and hurt were they to find out the truth, James would be livid. Since he was a boy, his father taught him that lying was unacceptable and this would be no exception. His want to save face would not be an acceptable answer to his father.

He pressed dial and waited.

“Hello?” Paige seemed slightly unsure on the other end of the phone. “Tom?” “Hello, Paige, is this a bad time?” “No, sorry, I just...I wasn’t expecting you to call. How are you?”

He could hear the apprehension in her voice, as though in truth, she was not overly interested in speaking with him. “Good, yes. It’s the final day of the play today.”

“I bet you are looking forward to a good sleep in tomorrow.”

He could hear her smile, a genuine one, in the way she spoke. Immediately, one came to his face as well. “In all honesty, yes, I am looking forward to it but I won’t get it tomorrow, I have to deal with a few things then.” “I bet. So, what’s up?”

He wondered if she simply wanted to be rid of him again by the manner she got to the point, yet he knew it was a mannerism of hers, not beating around the bush. “I need to ask something of you?” “With everything you asked so far and the way you’re talking now, I feel I should be worried. What is it, surrogacy, a kidney?”

He could only laugh at her apprehension, fully understanding her reasoning for such. “My father is coming to the play today, he is asking to meet you and Luke was saying about the get together in a couple of weeks, apparently Oscar mentioned something on it to you already?”

There was silence on the phone for a moment. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Well, I assume you are asking me to meet your father, I said okay. Where and what time?” Tom felt apprehensive, he could tell there was almost a sadness in her tone. “If you’re busy…” “Tom, if I tell you I will be there, then I will. Where and what time?” “Seven, outside the Pinter.” “Then I will see you then. I don’t have a ticket for tonight though, is that an issue?” “No, I will have one for you. I had gotten one for my dad and whatnot so I can get you one for next to him.” “Fine. Text me the details I should know that we never spoke about and I will see you then.” “Thank you. He will insist on dinner tomorrow also.” “I won’t be available tomorrow. I promised Nicola I would look after Alannah, she has a date with a guy she really likes and who is good to Alannah so I am not going to cancel, she deserves this. I can do lunch, though?”

“That is very fair. We will discuss it more later, but I will suggest accordingly to my father.” “I guess I’ll see you later so.”

Tom waited for the line to go dead immediately after, but it didn’t, the awkward moment of neither of them saying anything continued and in caused him to smile. “Bye, Paige.” “Bye, Tom.”

Again the odd silence came before he was called by the set hand to say there was a meeting on stage for warm-up. “I better go.” He was the one to have to hang up, but that moment of apprehension, to have that again felt somehow right, like they were as they had been before, not wanting to say goodbye. Looking at the phone for a moment, he thought over what the evening would entail and readied himself for his final performance in the Pinter before he would have to prepare for the other big role he was in at the moment, pretending not to be in love with the woman he was currently pretending was his significant other.

*

Tom stood, mouth agape at what he was witnessing. His father, though a stoic man, was not without a sense of humour, though he possessed a dry wit, yet here he was in constant laughter with Paige speaking with him the entire time with a large smile on her face.

He could not understand how his parents who were always very reserved around the women he brought home, what few he did over the years, who would take a considerable time to warm to any woman he was interested in, adored Paige within moments of being in her company. He knew the appeal due to knowing her, but his father, who always looked at everyone with a healthy level of disinterest, adored her. He spoke to her like he had known her all of her life, like some neighbours daughter or a niece or something, he was not acting as though she was his son’s partner, at least not how Tom recalled his father acting with women he introduced him to before.

When his driver brought Paige home, she bid farewell to his father and stepmother before Tom walked her to her door.

The evening had been incredibly pleasant. There was no sadness, no peculiar silences, merely laughter and smiles for the most part. The week of minimal contact seemed all the more horrid now that they spent the evening talking again. To think of not speaking to her all the time seemed unnatural.

“Thank you, for this evening,” Tom stated as he stood facing her.

“Thank you for inviting me. Your father is a wonderful man. He has a great sense of humour. My parents would love him.”

“My father never is like that outside of people he knows well,” Tom admitted.

“So why was he so jovial with me?” “I think, like Mum, he genuinely likes you.”

Paige a slight scoff. “Who were you bringing home before, junkies? Your parents don’t hold your choices in high esteem do they?”

“I am their only son, the only Hiddleston left to carry the name. My sisters married and their children carry their husbands’ names, if I ever have children, I carry the pressure of the name with it.” “No pressure then.”

“No, I want to be a father, when the time is right. But the potential partner thing has always been a stickler for them, especially since Thor.” “They don’t want you taken to the cleaners by some golddigger, that’s understandable.” “Yes, but it means they are wary of everyone, except you.” “Well, I am fabulous.” She smiled jokingly.

“You are,” Tom agreed, though there was no humour in his statement, he meant it seriously. “I better go and bring my Dad home.”

“Do. I guess we better talk tomorrow so, half twelve at Giovanni’s, right?”

“Right.” He stepped up to her to kiss her cheek. In her confusion at his actions, Paige moved her head to face him as he did so, causing their lips to meet, only for a moment. When Tom pulled back, having realised his error, he looked at her for a moment to see her reaction. Though she looked startled, he could see it was not repulsion in her features. “I better go.” “Yes. Bye.” She barely whispered back but as he walked back to the car, she waved at his father as she did. As soon as the car drove off, she walked inside, trying and failing to quell the sensation in her stomach as a result of the kiss. It had been an accident, but she could not help but not feel sorry for it, she wished to do it more, as much as she wished she didn’t.

*

When Tom got back into the car, he said nothing as he thought of Paige’s lips against his. His entire body felt as though every nerve ending in his body was on fire. Putting on his seatbelt, he said nothing and gave the nod to the driver to continue to his home, where his father would be staying.

“Well, finally. I was getting worried you would never pull your socks up and get a good woman for yourself. She is a fine young lady.” Jame declared.

“She is a lovely woman.” His wife agreed. “Very well suited to you Thomas, no wonder you are so good together.”

Tom nodded, not sure what to say, knowing he could not tell them the truth but like with his mother, disheartened they thought such of a woman that sadly was not truly his. “She is incredible.”

“I think you finally found the one for you, son, I truly do.”

Tom could not respond to his father’s words.

[teddystrap]

Drama CD: [CHARM of FATE] Route.3 -Kotoda Minori-

iirc I said before on here that CHARM of FATE is produced by Ninoya but I was mistaken - it’s actually from TwoFive, the company that gave us the Toubousha series. I have listened to a couple of them, and honestly I find it a cool idea but poorly executed:

The basic setting of Toubousha is that a hot guy who is seemingly on the run from the law suddenly approaches you in public and takes you hostage by threat. So there is that element of potential danger and the whole ‘suspension-bridge effect’ that makes you go all dokidoki. 

But the heroine in these scenarios ruins it by having no rudimentary safety awareness - she not only lets the possibly wanted criminal dude into her home, but also falls asleep with him, lets him shower and makes hot tea, laughs at his cuteness/clumsiness, and 100 other lovey-dovey things that I would not do with some random stranger who might kill me at any moment. 

So yeah that aspect of the story was completely unrealistic to me and ruined my enjoyment of it. I don’t know why so many otome games/dramas advocate this kind of 無防備すぎ behaviour as a plus because it wins the guy’s affections. This is just a bad thing to teach young impressionable teenage girls.

...Aaaanyway. Enough about that. The premise of CoF sounded interesting [three brothers with telekinetic powers], and I had no preconceptions. So here we go.

(This is a long post and I apologise for my wordiness but I will NOT shut up.) :D

*

The story starts with Kotoda Minori [cv. Shingaki Tarusuke] chasing an unknown character at nighttime. He orders the person not to escape, and suddenly the guy knocks over some trash cans and falls to the ground, where Minori catches up to him.

As he's handling the situation, he notices someone watching them in secret and tells the observer to come out of hiding - he is surprised to see that it's a young woman (i.e. YOU the listener). He asks his brothers, Hibiki and Shion, to take care of the rest, and tells you to follow him.

He takes you to a bar called 'Bar Voz' (off day so no customers), pours you a glass of water, and asks you what your deal is. You tell him that you were going somewhere on your way home from work and got lost. In return, he tells you his name, and that he's the owner of the bar. The guy that he and his brothers were chasing is a shady character who was trying to plant listening devices and hidden cameras in his bar. Then, he demonstrates what you just saw:

He commands you to take a drink, and you pick up the glass, forcibly fighting your urge to take a sip. Turns out, he and his brothers were born with this gift of being able to make people/things do whatever they tell them to. He apologises for being careless and letting you witness them in action, and asks you to keep it a secret. Of course, you promise to do so. As a gesture of thanks and goodwill, he casts a 'charm' on you to come back to the bar tomorrow night for a round of drinks on him.

(Sounds dangerous? I thought so too. But since this is an otome drama, dangerous hot guys with superhuman abilities trying to corner you into shady situations are always 100% harmless. Like totally.)

The second evening, you show up at the bar, and he hands you a menu with a secret memo telling you to stay until closing time. So you stick around, drinking very responsibly in the meanwhile. After the final customer has left, he comes over to you.

Turns out the charm he cast on you last night loses its effect once the day is over, so tonight you showed up by your own free will. It was actually a test to see how trustworthy you are, and... *you passed* (/*^-^)/. He and his brothers have a deal that any witnesses would either be threatened into silence or placed under surveillance 24/7. Oh and also it's a piece of cake for him to find out your workplace and home address... But *don't you worry* he doesn't plan to do anything to you. He only wants to make you a regular at his bar. (I guess #Abenomics isn't doing much for his business?)

As you are leaving, your forget your mobile phone and he uses psychokinesis to bring it to you. You stand there being all impressed and stuff, and he is all like hurry up and leave before you miss the last train princess~ 

_(:0 」∠)_

Next night, you show up all depressed and moody. He asks Hibiki to show the few other customers to a *VIP room*, and stays to listen to your troubles like a goddamned bartender stereotype. You again stay until closing time and apologise for complaining so much, but he laughs and says he doesn't mind at all - he can tell that you take your work seriously, and that you are objective and self-reflective when it comes to your own faults, which impresses him.

As he's about to call it a day, you... fall asleep right there in the bar XD. *Out of no choice*, he gathers you in his arms and uses 'charms' to collect your things and make you hold onto him securely... but a little *too tightly*, which makes him a bit flustered and he's all like: 「参ったな、これは心臓に悪い」 ('Oh man, this is bad for my heart.') #LOLZ

He takes you home to his mansion above the bar and you wake up briefly, and he 'charms' you back to sleep... and mutters that it's making him want to do something he shouldn't... XDDD

In the morning, you wake up all panicking and dishevelled, and he uses a 'charm' to straighten your open collar. He reassures you that his brothers were only here for breakfast earlier and didn't enter his room, where you were sleeping. And that he used a 'charm' across a closed door to help you change your clothes. And ofc last night he let you have his bed and he slept on the sofa in the living room.

When you thank him for all this, he replies that your sleeping face is enough thanks for him. ...Just, like, shut up and marry me already, you sexy gentleman who will never exist irl T_T

After breakfast, he makes coffee (it's Saturday so no work) and tells you more about their Charmed Family. (Does this make anyone else nostalgic for Pru, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige... or am I just a dinosaur and nobody gets my reference???)

Apparently each of them has a different 'expertise': Hibiki is good at commanding people to do stuff, Shion is good at healing injuries, and your bae Minori is good at moving inanimate objects and not so great with people. He says you are exceptionally easy to 'charm', and tells you that *it would be dangerous to become emotionally involved with the Kotoda brothers*.

Especially in the case of unrequited love: the 'charmer' might use his powers to manipulate his target, while the 'charmed one' might feel compelled to obey him to gain his affection. She would also develop a kind of dependency on the charms as a kind of side effect. So yeah, **you have been forewarned**.

*

On your next visit to his bar, you notice that Minori sounds tired. You offer to help him, but he refuses and asks you to just enjoy yourself. After a few drinks, you get some Zzzzzz in the bar again, he casts a 'charm' for you not to wake up yet and takes you home again.

This time, you insist on returning his care towards you. He deliberates for a bit and finally accepts you help. He reveals that he actually has a second job as a benriya (you know, that thing that those guys in Gintama do for a living). Only the regulars at his bar know about this, and they can place their requests secretly in the VIP room. He asks you to come meet with some people next Saturday night at a members-only club, so dress up ;)

Sooo. Your job at the club is to distract a troublesome man enough so that Minori can cast a 'charm' on him to make him hand over his business card. The plan works successfully, and Minori reveals the story behind it:

The job was a request from an old friend of his who is a detective, and the namecard is a piece of evidence needed in an investigation. In this youth, Minori used to hang with a bad crowd and use his 'charms' to steal and rob etc. Just before the point of no return, however, he became friends with this police officer, who helped him to turn his life around, so he wants to do something for him in return.

Also, Hibiki and Shion are actually his cousins, but their parents died in an accident when they were young, and they came to live with his family. Their superpowers were a disturbance to Minori's parents, so he wanted to start a business and buy a separate house for the three of them to move into. His benriya job generated the funds to open Bar Voz, but afterwards he kept working at it and donates the extra proceeds to orphans, as a way to make up for all his wrongdoings during his youth.

Aaand once again, you fall asleep in the bar (...s-should we be concerned? Do you need directions to an upcoming AA meeting/12-step programme???). After you wake up, he mindlessly strokes your hair, and it appears he's done this many times without you knowing. #notcreepyatall. But... he immediately catches himself and hurriedly stops and sends you away.

*

Another night at the bar. You stay after closing to help him clean up, and he saves you the trouble by using his 'charm' to do the dishes. You tell him that his 'charm' voice sounds *different from usual and more pleasant*. He speculates that it may be a premonition of the dependency effect, then quickly corrects himself and asks you to forget what he just said.

After this, he starts to avoid you. He asks Shion to take your orders at the bar, then you phone him and say you need to talk, but he apologises that he's busy and hangs up on you. Later, he stops returning your calls, so you show up in front of Bar Voz on an off day. He had just returned from drinking with his old detective friend and is kinda tipsy. He finds an excuse to get away, but you grab his arm, and he finally cannot hold it in anymore...

...He uses 'charms' to get you into his bed, and confesses that he has been using his 'charms' to *touch you while you sleep without waking you up*, which heals his tired overworked heart. Now he 'charms' you into touching him as well, and he tells you that he will suppress his... desires... beyond this level of touching. (I guess if he gets an erection he can always 'charm' it away.) You both fall asleep stroking each others' hair or something, fuck knows.

In the morning, he's shocked to find you in his bed... before remembering last night’s events. He reassures you that he's only gone as far as *stroking your head and resting his head on your arm*. And that he's not using you as a stress-relief tool whatsoever.

He admits that he has liked you from the beginning, and even more so after you helped him with work and listened to his life story. As he prepares for you to kick his G-rated ass out of bed, you tell him that you... reciprocate his feelings :0. He makes you confirm your feelings, and kisses you to break the spell of dependency. Now ya'll can touch each other even *without* using 'charms' and stuff. Isn't this fancy new technology awesome hey??? I think it's called 'LOVE' or sumshit.

*

[Thoughts] I have to admit, this is much tamer than I thought it would be. I thought that Minori might show some dark (ura) sides and/or momentarily abuse his superpower. Especially since he mentioned that the ‘charmer’ might start to manipulate and the ‘charmed one’ would react with pleasing behaviours - this seems like the *perfect* conflict that would’ve added depth to the whole story, but for whatever reason it was left unexplored (or minimally explored I guess), which just feels like a lot of wasted potential.

...The hair stroking while you are sleeping thing is creepy right? Please tell me I’m not the only one who thinks so. But I mean, within the context of this story, (A) you like him back, and (B) he’s not a psycho killer, so it’s all cool. 

His backstory is also pretty sweet and made me interested in Hibiki and Shion, the first two volumes in this series. I thought the chase scene in the beginning was a nice thrill ride, and it would’ve been cool if they have followed up on what happened to that guy that they caught and what his whole ‘deal’ was. I mean, it’s not integral to the plot, but all these loose ends...

ON THE PLUS SIDE, Minori is a total gentleman, and I’m a sucker for these street-urchin-turned-successful-self-made-man stories. And probably because he’s the oldest of the three, they were probably going for a bit of an oniisan angle here,... In fact you know who Minori reminds me of? That bartender guy with the Kyoto accent in Gakuen K. (This guy.) I never finished playing Gakuen K because it’s like the otome game equivalent of watching paint dry, but yeah I would date the fuck out of him <3333.

So this also makes me wonder if Hibiki and Shion would be less... forgiving, and use threats and/or surveillance to prevent the heroine from leaking their secret. Which would admittedly make for a cooler story. (I swear I am not a do-M lolol.)

In the ANIMATE tokuten, Minori teaches you how to make cocktails, but whatever #fuckthatshit. There needs to be more (mutually consensual) touching in bed and icha-icha scenes ya dig??? If I wanted to learn to mix drinks I would go watch a YouTube video or something.

Overall this is a good concept but it left me with some/a little/maybe a lot of 欲求不満 in places. Idk. TO BE CONT’D...

[itsalliepg]

Prejudice - Zig x Chris/Zig x OC/Chris x OC

SUMMARY: Chris thinks about his feelings for Zig and Paige when he sees his roommate being a victim of homophobia.

PAIRING: Zig x Chris/Zig x Eric (OC)/Chris x Paige (OC)

RATING: Teen

WORDS: 1454

NOTE: English isn’t my native language. I write to practice and learn, so please sorry any mistakes. I hope you like it, and if you do, I’d appreciate if you like/comment/reblog!

Fanfic Masterlist

AO3 Profile

That practice had everything to be okay. The team was playing very well and Chris would have a new chance to talk to Nightingales’ managers. This time, unlike the other, the game would be successful. Nothing could go wrong. In the field. Because in his heart, Chris was between Zig, his best friend, his roommate, his fuck-buddy, and Paige, the lovely girl who seemed really interested in him.

               And during a break of some players, Chris saw what he was avoiding most. There was Zig talking to Eric. Again. They weren’t dating, but they saw each other almost every day. Chris was angry. He never talked to Eric, but hated him because he didn’t look good enough to Zig. No, this wasn’t jealousy, he used to say to himself. Chris just didn’t think Eric was a good guy for Zig.

               And this was the first time he’d seen Zig kissing Eric, and that was the worst feeling ever. Chris had no doubt, he blew his whistle as loudly as he could.

               _All right, guys, time to take turns – he still could see Zig kissing Eric one last time before coming back to the field. Chris rolled his eyes – okay, let’s practice a few kicks.

               _Okay, captain – Zig smiled. Chris smiled back, but he didn’t like to know he was smiling widely because of Eric. And Eric remained there, watching Zig training, cheering and clapping. After practice, Chris went to talk to the coach – hey, Chris – Zig wrapped an arm around Chris’ shoulders as they walked to the benches – so, ready for the game?

               _I am. This time things will be different, I’m optimist.

               _I know they will – Zig punched his arm playfully – oh, I’m going out with Eric tonight, I don’t know if I’m going to sleep in the dorm – Chris hated seeing that stupid smile on Zig’s face. Not that Zig didn’t look good when he smiled, on the contrary. But he didn’t like the reason of that smile. They weren’t dating, but knowing that Zig would spend that night with another person bothered him a lot.

               _Okay, I see you tomorrow I guess – Chris looked away.

               _Hey, he said you should go with us someday. He wants to meet you – and play gooseberry? No way.

               _I…I will think about it. Maybe Paige could go too? – Zig’s smile finally broke. He didn’t want to see Chris and Paige exchanging kisses, glances and giggles. It was already uncomfortable to see when Chris was on the phone with her. Live would be even worse. And he didn’t know how to explain, but he couldn’t sympathize with Paige. She didn’t look like a bad person, but she just…didn’t seem the right person to Chris.

               _Oh, sure – Zig said quickly, he wanted to get over with that conversation – so, uh, see you later, bye – in seconds, Zig was already far, in the locker room, and while Chris was walking to meet his coach, he could see Eric going to sit on a bench next to the locker room’s door. Chris snorted discretely before greeting the coach.

               A few minutes later, Chris was in the locker room getting dressed after the shower, when his phone buzzed. It was Paige.

“Hey! Would you wanna do something cool tonight?”

“Sure” Chris quickly texted “Do you have any ideas?”

“Maybe you could come here and watch a movie?”

“Great. I’m leaving my practice and I’ll be there”

“I’m already waiting :)”

               Chris smiled and put his phone back in his bag. Suddenly, he heard a buzz behind the lockers, and recognized the voice of two of his teammates.

               _Hey, did you saw Zig and that guy today? – they laughed scornfully.

               _Yeah! So Manny was right, he’s a fagot!

               _Actually, I’ve seen him with girls, but he’s also a pillow biter!

               _What? Is he one of those morons who insists on this bisexual bullshit? It’s an excuse to have a fucked up mind.

               _I don’t know. But I don’t want him near me here. Who knows, maybe he likes to see us taking a shower.

               _You’re right. Now I understand when you said to wait until he left the locker room – Chris frowned. He knew Zig was a victim of the prejudice from some of their teammates, but he never imagined one day he would witness it. And it was horrible. He had the urge to face the guys and defend Zig, but he didn’t know what he should say. What if they started saying Chris was defending Zig because he was his lover or something? He wouldn’t know how to react. In addition, he was the captain, and should keep good spirits on the team. But Zig was being disrespected, shouldn’t that be his duty too? Chris took a deep breath and left the field to Paige’s suite. She was the perfect distraction he needed right now.

               Paige lived in a suite very similar to the one Chris lived during his freshman year, and she shared the house with five more girls. One of them answered the door, and called Paige inside. She smiled broadly when she saw Chris.

               _Hey! I missed you! I feel like I haven’t seen you forever! – she linked her arm to his and guided him into her bedroom, which was as adorable as the owner. She sat on the bed and opened her laptop – so, what kind of movie would you like to see? Oh, there’s popcorn and soda in my desk – she said, a bit fizzy. Chris smiled at her excitement.

               _Aren’t you forgetting something?

               _What? – Paige turned her head to him, and he raised an eyebrow – oh, sure! – she grinned and immediately got up from the bed and kissed Chris softly – sorry, I’m so excited you are here!

               _I can tell – Chris giggled and stroked her cheek. A little while later, they were lying on her bed watching a movie Paige chose, and Chris couldn’t be caring less about it, honestly. Cuddled with her, the wait was getting harder and harder. Chris slowly kissed her neck, and could feel her skin shivering. Paige turned her head and they stared at each other for some moments before Chris caught her lips in a searing kiss, catching her off guard. One of his hands slipped under her shirt.

               _Chris, wait! – she pushed him back and sat on the bed. Chris sat as well, a little confused when he noticed the awkward look in her eyes.

               _Sorry, Paige – he didn’t know whether to touch her shoulder or not – was it something I did?

               _No, Chris, it’s just… - she blushed and sighed deeply – I’m…virgin.

               _Oh – he approached her – there’s no problem at all. I promise I’ll do it in a nice way for you.

               _Chris, it’s not that I don’t like you but…I wanted my first time to happen with someone…really special, you know? – she looked shyly at him, but immediately buried her face in her hands – damn, I feel so ridiculous! You were expecting that I…

               _Hey, Paige, look at me – she obeyed – I wasn’t expecting anything. I would never force you to do something you weren’t ready for, okay? – she nodded – and, you probably don’t know it, but when you call someone to watch a movie in your place, “Netflix and Chill”, is a code for sex – Paige’s eyes widened.

               _Oh, my God, I had no idea! – she blushed even more – sorry, I’m a silly girl who knows nothing about life. I thought I would grow when I started college, but I still…

               _Hey, it’s okay. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself – Chris smiled sympathetically – we can just stay cuddled here, or if you want, I can go home.

               _No, Chris, I want you to stay – she laid on the mattress and Chris followed her, pulling her into his arms – I like being with you.

               _I like it, too – Chris smiled and kissed the top of her head. He couldn’t help but remember when Zig was patient with him when he and Chris had sex for the first time, and he would do the same with Paige. He would wait until she felt ready for it. But something was bothering him. He wasn’t with Paige just for sex, of course. But how long he would wait? At least he had Zig…but Zig had Eric too. Probably Zig didn’t miss Chris as much as Chris missed him. Then he remembered the infamous episode in the locker room…was he ready to face prejudice too? Or should he focus on the pretty girl in his arms? That’s what he did. He buried his face on her hair and smelled the scent of her favorite shampoo. That had to be enough to make him stop thinking about Zig.

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you want to be tagged in future fanfics!

[kurtty-drabbles]

Swan au (intimidation)

N/A: The animals are very bitter at Kitty, she´s clearly Evil Wizard Kurt´s favourite. As for their relationship baby steps.

@djinmer4 @dannybagpipesarecalling @discordsworld

The sound of children gushing at the circus´s attraction is actually the only sound to be heard if someone really pays attention, as parents indulge in their kids' imagination. A nice woman with curly hair and a kind smile(and a graceful way of speaking and move resembling the most beautiful swan) captivate the hearts and minds of everyone who enters in the circus.

"Lady, Lady," one of the kids asked free from their parent´s supervision "you´re very pretty, like a swan" the kids replied in unison.

"Oh, that´s cute, would you said I´m the most beautiful swan ?" the kids' nods and the woman identified herself as Kitty smiles pleased and gave two tickets, for free, to the kids, but make them swear to not spread this little fact to anyone else.

She can´t give free tickets. That´s not the job of a ticket office. The kids' solemn swear. Happily to being able to see more of the circus.

Once the kids are out of her view, lost in the crow of people gushing and talking excitedly about the attraction of the moment, so much, that no one seems to noticed a blue fur little creature bamfing next to her. Playing with her free lock of hair absently to the world.

"Hello, little one, " Kitty replied using her middle finger to caress his fur and chubby belly. "Does Kurt has all he needs?" the creature nods affirming her question and Kitty let a lazy smile reaches her face, her job is done now, "So, if your part of the job is over, do want to come with me to the city? I want to buy more milk and ...I´ve seen enough of the main attraction, what do you say?" the little creature readily agrees to jump in her shoulder. As Kitty is leaving the circus she can hear the screamings. _____________________________ Kitty returns later with milk and the bamf as Kurt explains, in such tender and soft way, what really happened. Kitty nods and pipes a few questions here and there as Kurt does answers honestly. A pair of eyes look at the scene with anything but fondness for this new guest.

Their names hardly matter now, but, they go for what they used to be. A wolf, a snake, an owl and a possum. All caught Kurt´s attention in a way or another and they must all obey and live with their consequences.

Yet, Kitty is treated so gently and kind. Offering free tickets? She can do it with no repercussion. Kitty can take as many days offs she pleased, she can win presents too.

The snake remembers oh so vividly the time Kitty´s feet were burned because of the inane creature didn´t comprehend that some places have an amount of heat which can burn the skin of her feet. Kurt was tender and kinder with HER. The snake did have to improve once she experiments with the burning sensation.

Wolf, Snake, Owl and possum know Kitty is a Swan, never was a secret from the circus, but, is a secret why Kurt cares so much for this little Swan. A free Swan chooses to be here.

"Who does she think she is?" Snake replied letting her tongue be the only indication she is not fully human. Wolf eyes the Swan as now she is walking side by side with Kurt and his minions.

"A swan needs to know this is not a place for her kind" the word was spoken with utter disdain as his cup is being filled by the possum.  The owl decides to throw her two cents as well.

"If the master favour her, then, it would be best to let it go, if he gets tired of her...she´ll get the same fate as the others, for the time being, let us not make any hasty decision as this will backfire for us" the owl lift her cup as possum pour more beverage for the owl. The group as an odd dynamic, Possum is more of a servant than a true member of the group, yet, they still let the creature roams in their territory and sometimes offer protection. The keyword here: sometimes.

"You´re a symbol of wisdom, Owl, how come you ended up in this situation?" mock the snake lifting her cup to the possum to fill again, "I said ...it won´t hurt to just introduce ourselves to the new girl" the snake now drinks her beverage pleased with herself.

Wolf take the lead role as speaks with a final tone in his voice "yes, Snake is right, let´s have a chat with the Swan"

Possum is the only one who didn´t contribute to the conversation.

_____________________________ One day, Kurt informs Kitty he needs to go to the city to gather more supplies for the living a few materials for his....plans. Kitty nods and bides him farewell, she spends part of her time helping the human(a small percentage on the circus) and gets to know them a little better.

Once their chore is over. Kitty is walking by the tents used for the attractions. Her elegant fingers touch the fabric of the tent, the red with yellow lines, gingerly. The fabric seems so soft but at the same time, it feels impossible to rip.

Of course, Kitty realized that she´s not alone as a pair of eyes make itself know in the darkest corner of the tent. Wolf, Snake and Owl all show up ready to have a small chat with the Swan.

"Hello, little Swan" Wolf shows his canines in his small talk and Kitty let go of the fabric to gaze at his eyes "we see you walking around, thinking you own this place and we don´t like this"

"Oh, really?" Kitty crosses her arms " I don´t think I ever walk as if I own this place, if I do, I would employ wolfs and snakes that love to get drunk each night, I would fire you if I was the owner...but, of course, Kurt is and if you have complains go after Kurt, not me"

She makes a motion to walk away but the wolf hurls and groans as his kin did when asserting dominance. His fangs are visible and Kitty has the flashback of her encounter with the Fox. Her reaction was noticed by the Wolf who primes himself as being the leader of the pack and continues.

Steady steps. He wants to teach her a lesson. A swan needs to know who is in charge, where she is in the hierarchy.

"I´d think I dislike you, but, as a kind leader of this pack, I can help you. First" wolf is getting closer and closer of Kitty, "I think you need to learn, humility and the first step for that is ...." Wolf jump to bite Kitty or to hurt her or even scared the poor Swan. That was the plan, however, the reality was not kind with the wolf as Kitty take from her pocket a knife and stuck on his right eye hard. The knife practically enters from his eyeball in such a way that the knife is stuck there.

Wolf scream with anger, fear and pain. Kitty takes the Wolf and throws at the Snake. By the sound of "crek," something was broke to Snake or Wolf. Kitty takes another knife, from her other pocket, and aim to the owl who is too fearful to move.

Owl was sure the Swan would either run away or someone would come to her rescue.

"Owl! we´re birds here, right? So, let´s be friends, Owl...because I don´t have to hurt another bird, but I´ll if that happened again, got it?" Kitty replied with the knife in hands. Owl nods and Kitty leaves the other animal behind.

Later, when Kurt is back, the only questioned made was why she is cleaning bloody knives.

"...Kurt? your wolf has an accident and now lost an eye, will that be a problem?" she asked now facing him. Kurt shurgs mentioned he could either heal him or get a new Wolf.

"Am I replaceable to you? There´s many birds and women out there....if you want ...There´s a peacock" she speaks but trails off in her sentence and Kurt takes her face, tenderly, as his golden eyes gaze into her brown eyes. "I know you´re evil...so if you want to replace me"

"Who said I want to replace you? I can get any wolf without a problem, but you? Is a rarity that I want to keep to myself, so, don´t think I can get another you like you. That´s impossible and never gone to happen"

"Good to hear that"

"Katzchen, are you the reason for my wolf have an accident with his eye?"

"Yes"

"Ok, just checking"

___________________ In Xarxon, the new king regent is named Proteus. In a short period of 6 months, Xarxon morphed into a new place, get a new social-economic status and get an upgrade in their political affairs.  Good news for the people of Xarxon that does not want to see the old king not even painted in gold. Another good news is that princess Illyana Rasputin is finally back.

They may hate Piotr, however, they love the princess and her presence back makes be akin to a white pigeon of peace.

Illyana is currently in her room. The First Born princess of Genosha is visiting Proteus, a royal courtesy as Xarxon is a neighbour of Genosha. Princess Lorna, the middle child and second princess(Pietro and Wanda are twins) have the task of making a polite talk with the beloved princess, Illyana Rasputin.

Illyana is with her faithful friend, Rhane Sinclair, getting dressed to talk with the princess. No, in fact, they already are ready. Yana just wants to make a few points clears before going to the meeting.

"Are you sure?" Rhane asked for the last time. "I mean, Genosha has some flaws, I think we all know what I´m talking about"

"I know, but, they are best as allies than enemies" Yana assured her friend "Proteus is a student from the necromancer...you can be sure my brother´s insanity was caused by him...well, my brother was never sane or a nice person...But his sudden case of wanting to marry a swan or hurt a swan and then Proteus being the regent...has his finger" Yana respond putting her royal crown " I know that our mines produce gems and the Necromancer, that son of a bitch" Rhane speaks about language " Is getting a fair share of gems for free. Sure as payment"

"But you won´t do anything against Proteus ....?"

"No, because he´s useful to me ...for now" Yana´s tone is sombre and in moments like this Rhane remembers she was raised by Belasco and his wife.

"Well, you sure won´t do this alone, me and the New Mutants are here to help, you can count on us" Rhane declares fierce

"Thank you" her tone is soft now "I´ll need all the allies I can, I send letters to Dani, Sam and Paige, Roberto and Amara and Doug"now she ponders for a moment "he´s with Excalibur now and I think I would like to meet them, if they are trustworthy maybe they can help"

Rhane nods and opens the door for the princess to go. Both girls are now ready to face Princess of Genosha, Lorna Dane.

Lorna Dane heard many tales about Princess Illyana from Wanda. The girl is sharp like a sword, don´t cross her or you won´t have a second chance.  Wanda is one of most powerful witches Lorna knows(not being biased here) so, if Wanda is speaking highly of Yana...then Lorna is expecting great things from this Princess.

Except, the fearsome Illyana is still a child. Still has baby fat on her features. Lorna can´t believe this is the deadly witch from hell Wanda speaks so highly. She is just a child.

Then again, Lorna was just a child when she killed for the first time.

"Princess Illyana Rasputin is an honour to finally meet you" Lorna make the right measures and bows to this occasion. The other Princess laughs amused and dismissed the formalities "I´m here to express my sorry for the condition of your brother and to offer a friendly hand to Xarxon"

"Are you sure?" Illyana speaks calmly and amused at the same time " Because Genosha never offered a friendly hand to Xarxon before" she speaks and walks like a prey seizing his victims and Lorna is impressed and terrified that this girl can´t act like her age.

Actually, Lorna never could act like her age.

"Yes, we never offer a hand before, that was because of old politicians and rules, now, we have a new start ahead of us, new possibilities" Lorna replied politely.

"Yes, the possibility of an alliance to help dethrone Magneto" Rhane answers and Yana calms Lorna´s spirits telling they are inside a magical barrier of her. No one can hear their conversation.

"In that case, yes, there´s this possibility as well" Lorna speaks now understanding why Wanda is often praising Yana. "I suppose that if you didn´t kill me now or snitch me...you want to enter in the rebellion?"

"Is very convenient for the first Princess to talk with the king regent, instead of Yana, no one will suspect our talk" Rhane explained joining the conversation " Proteus is a former student or still is a student from the Necromancer and the payment to be able to sit in the throne is a good share of gems...half of what the mines produce goes to the necromancer" Rhane finishes and Lorna now can understand where this is going.

"Help Genosha may open doors to me as well, I want a few favours in return, we all deal with the Necromancer in a way or another. Our sister made a terrible....lack of judgment many years ago and now, Genosha has a tie with him...I want to explore this tie. I want to get rid of any trace of the Necromancer"

"You´re extremely powerful. Powerful enough to defeat him?"

Yana looks at Rhane then at the ceiling. The image of the founders of this kingdom seems a copy-paste to Yana. She remembers Belasco, she remembers her time in Limbo, the New Hell.

"Yes, I´m"

[pdgeog4390-19]

The early bird gets the worm, but the second rat gets the cheese.

Happy World Rat Day everyone!

To celebrate, I have decided to focus this week’s post on urban perceptions of rats and their importance to the natural world. Rats are a common problem worldwide and exist almost everywhere that there are humans (and trash). As global populations continue to rise, cities will become denser with more waste generated. Impoverished inner-city neighborhoods are disproportionately affected by rat “infestations” and therefore suffer from increased occurrences of rat-human contact. Public health research has traditionally focused on disease transmission associated with rat infestations, but little is known about the psychological affects of this environmental exposure. The current rates of rat-borne illnesses in humans within urban centres are relatively low and without immediate and obvious public health threats, governments can become apathetic to rat-related issues. In urban settings, rat infestations can have significant impacts on mental health; even being cognizant of an infestation in their dwelling without any direct contact can be a source of anxiety for residents. Rat exposure can trigger symptoms associated with mental illness such as headaches, dizziness, stomach aches, insomnia, feelings of depression and hostility. These instances did not vary among demographic characteristics (age, ethnicity, or education). Rat infestations are only one part of the constellation of stressors experienced in inner-city neighborhoods. However, studies have also shown that some residents may develop passive acceptances of rats as part of their environment.

The top 5 rattiest cities in Ontario (2017): Taken from Orkin Canada

1.    Toronto

2.    Ottawa

3.    Mississauga

4.    Scarborough

5.    Hamilton

Homeowners are encouraged to cover any cracks or holes in their foundations with a weather-resistant sealer; an adult rat is capable of squeezing through a gap the size of a quarter.

Through generations of negative experiences, rats are ingrained in our psyches as bad, scary animals, comparable to that of snakes or spiders. Humans have long acknowledged rodent problems but are reluctant to deal with the underlying issues that make them problematic. We continue to be horrified and disgusted yet often lack the power to do anything about it. Despite their negative reputations, rodents are a source of joy, entertainment and companionship. Rodents have played the main protagonist in hundreds of novels and films, perhaps one of the most well-known examples is Disney’s Mickey Mouse.

Our tendency to focus on rats as pests negates their importance in ecosystems and food webs. In rural areas, the majority of rat species receive little human interaction. It may come as surprise to know that some plants have co-evolved with rats to fulfill their reproductive needs. Pollination by rodents, shrews and marsupials are collectively known as therophilly. Rats have excellent sense of smells and have been trained to detect odors specific to landmines and tuberculosis. This strong olfactory sense helps them to hone in on food supplies, including nectar. While feeding on flowering plants, their heads become completely covered in pollen, fertilizing the stigmata of nearby vegetation as they travel from plant to plant.

A small mouse pollinating Protea nana

With at least 2000 species, rodents are the largest group of mammals in the world. They have adapted to life in almost any habitat from swamps, to rainforests, to deserts, to remote islands. Some spend their entire lives underground, seldom venturing above the surface while others prefer a life in the treetops. Rodents are important sources of food for birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and even fish. In addition, they play host to a number of parasites including mites and ticks. In Africa, larger rodent species have also served as food sources for humans when larger game has been exhausted. Rats are superb diggers often creating extensive and intricate tunnel routes which not only create habitats for other species but also improve soil health through aeration, allowing water and air to flow deeper into the ground. Their excrement helps to return nutrients that are often lost through runoff and leaching. As a rat owner, I am committed to breaking the various negative stereotypes associated with rats in order to show people how vital they are to the natural world

My two boys Caesar (left) & Xerxes (right)

As you can see, I could talk about rats all day. Here are some more cool facts (well, at least I think they are cool):

- over 50 known species (Rattus)

- originated in Asia (Northern China and Mongolia to be exact)

- live in colonies with strict social hierarchies, a group of rats is called a “mischief”

- contain 92% of our DNA

- live a fast-paced lifestyle, every human year equates to 30 rat years

- excellent memories, once they navigate a route, they won’t forget it

- unable to vomit

- can reproduce every 3 weeks

- known to succumb to peer-pressures, will even eat unpalatable foods if they are in the company of rats who are eating it

- extremely social creatures who get lonely and depressed without companionship

- 1st of 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, people born in this year (incl. me) are associated with creativity, intelligence, honesty, ambition and generosity

- great swimmers; can tread water for 3 days without drowning, have even been known to survive being flushed down the toilet

- Hector (1961) was the first rat in space

Hector, the French astronaut

Resources

http://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/2018/9/24/rodents-as-pollinators

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/feb/25/rats-disgusting-people-world-thrive-mutually-dependent

http://www.ncceh.ca/sites/default/files/Full%20Document%20EN%20-%20R%20Lam.pdf

https://animals.mom.me/rodents-ecosystem-7390.html

Have a splendid day,

Paige