#and since my number was on the flyer it make me look like the master mind behind this thats tryna lead women away from islam

[abnormallycreative]

.

[look-at-the-soul]

The Photoshoot -Part 41

Cillian x reader

Series Master list 2014, 2015

📸 I struggled a lot writing this part, January was a complicated month but I hope you guys like this, there’s angst and the fertility issue, but I hope to keep you guys entertained..

Thank you @heidimoreton for the chat that inspired this part xx

Trying out Cillian’s number again, Yael found the same answer than the three previous calls; none.

It was so unlike him, he left that morning without telling her he would be gone for hours. Earlier she tried a message to ask him if he wanted to buy something for lunch on his way back home, but as time passed and he didn’t answer, Yael decided to prepare something for them.

The day was extremely odd, clouds covering the sky, but rain wasn’t expected.

Sure, rain was a common thing in Ireland, but there was something she couldn’t explain.

The noise of his car parking outside, brought everything back to normal as Scout started to bark intensely.

But as soon as Yael opened the door to welcome her husband, she knew something wasn’t right.

Cillian was holding in his arms something covered in a small blanket, a diaper bag hanging from one of his shoulders.

“Keep Scout out, I don’t want him to wake up my baby.”

Her soul left her body, blood ran straight down to her feet.

What baby? Scout was never out.

But before more questions could bombard her mind, Cillian walked past her and cleared all her doubts.

“The moment you said you didn’t want to look for a treatment to get pregnant, I knew being a father was all I wanted, since you’re dry inside I had no other option but find someone willing to give me a baby, Lianne blessed me with a beautiful baby boy three days ago, she will be living here.”

His arrogance broke her, how could he be this cynical? But the look in his eyes was what destroyed her completely.

The look in Cillian’s eyes while staring into the baby in his arms tore her heart apart.

Yael was hurt and, why lie? She was jealous too.

Bitting the inside of her cheeks, she turned to go outside, she needed to get some air.

Opening her eyes abruptly, Yael realized it was a nightmare, moving her eyes across the dark room, she found the only light coming through the curtains was from the moonlight. Her heartbeat was out of control, worryingly, she looked to her right, Cillian was oblivious of her dreams, nightmares like that had been a constant in the last days. Things didn’t make sense, but it all gravitated towards Cillian having a baby with someone else.

He was breathing deeply, his fringe resting against his forehead, full lips partially open. Yael got lost in the freckles that kissed his skin; face, neck, chest…

Yael didn’t want to disturb his peace, she just wanted to capture his soft features in her memory.

But the images and the pain was too much to deal with, the clock in Cillian’s nightstand said it was 3:12 am and she knew that she couldn’t go back to sleep. Not when her mind and heart were so agitated.

Carefully, to not disturb her husband and Scout, Yael slipped from the bed, the ache in her heart was barely bearable. Tiptoeing, she walked out of the bedroom, confused, overwhelmed.

It wasn’t just a nightmare, of course the meaning behind those bad dreams were her fears, her anxiety, her insecurities.

Would Cillian do in real life any of those things he did in her dreams? Opening the door to the attic, Yael couldn’t suppress the sob that came from the deepest part of her soul. Even though it hurt to have those kind of thoughts, she had to be realistic, if she couldn’t get pregnant how long would he stay by her side?

Wandering around the room she used as her photography office, she found on her desk the flyers that Cillian left the previous morning, when he arrived home from his gym session as he was getting back on track for his Tommy Shelby role in Peaky Blinders, he arrived home over excited about the information he got from a fertility clinic, it offered the whole process in the same place; from the fertilization of the eggs, to the gynecology service. He mentioned that some couples got pregnant after the first round, and he even read that acupuncture could help in some way boost or make easier the process of getting pregnant. His enthusiasm made her feel guilty, terrified actually. Cillian couldn’t stop talking about it until Yael felt dizzy.

Looking at the flyers resting on her desk, she stared at the happy couples holding their babies in their arms.

What if it didn’t work?

What if they spent all that money for nothing?

How many rounds would they need?

Would Cillian eventually get tired of trying?

That and million other questions bombarded her mind, making her feel more terrible than she already felt.

Cillian also mentioned they could even do a procedure where they literally put the fertilized egg directly into the womb, it seemed to be riskier, but he was willing to do anything.

Going through the photos she kept from each one of her projects, Yael found after a while the photo she was looking for.

Rubbing his eyes, Cillian crossed the attic, finding his wife sitting on the bench by the window. He had been calling her, but Yael didn’t seem to listen him.

“Baby what’s wrong? What happened?” His hands came to rest on her shoulders, making Yael jump a little, she moved the photo under her leg.

“What are you doing here?” She asked wiping er tears with her hand.

Cillian kissed her hair in a tender motion. “I turned around and you weren’t by my side, looked for you everywhere, why are you crying?”

“Had a nightmare, couldn’t sleep.” Yael looked down while his hands caressed her arms, up and down in a calming motion. “Go back to sleep, it’s nothing.”

But Cillian knew she wouldn’t be affected over just a simple nightmare. “Tell me about it.”

“Forget it, it’s something silly.”

Pulling against his bare chest, Cillian locked Yael into a tight embrace, she had been trying to hold it together all by herself, it was killing him not knowing what to do.

“I need you to trust me sunshine, I need to understand what’s going on in this beautiful head of yours.”

After taking a few minutes to enjoy the warmth of his skin and listening to his heartbeat, Yael exhaled loudly and finally, she decided to share out loud what was keeping her up.

“I’ve been having these bad dreams where you show up with a baby you had with some other woman, I never see the baby’s face… you just seem to be really happy an-” she sobbed, Cillian was trying to comprehend her words, her pain.

And he heard all about the nightmares Yael had during those last days, he truly listened as she described the scenes and images she dreamed about, his hands constantly trying to soothe and calm her. Judging by how affected she was, this wasn’t just a bad dream, these were real, genuine fears she was going through. Yael was terrified of him going to some other woman to have a baby.

Caressing her disheveled curls, which she failed to braid that night, Cillian shushed her worries away. “I’m here with you, it was just a dream.”

“You don’t understand.” Yael used her hands to push him away a little. “Those treatments don’t work overnight, sometimes they fail, the embryo doesn’t stick properly…” moving her hands, she took the photograph she was previously looking at, “I took photos of a couple every time they got the shots to get pregnant, they wanted me to document their process.”

Yael explained with tears now falling down her cheeks uncontrollably, holding the photo in front of Cillian.

“Until one day, they didn’t call me back, it took them four, almost five years and endless tryout to get pregnant, they were on the edge for that last round, emotionally they were done, they sold their house.”

Cillian was lost for words.

“You talk about IVF as if it is the easiest thing, like in the snap of a fingers we’ll get pregnant.”

Her own words haunting her now.

“But this is all my fault.”

Cillian’s voice almost broke when he spoke.

“What do you mean?”

“When you found out Sean wasn’t yours and I didn’t get my period… you said it wasn’t a good time to have babies and I was so mad at you, that I said I hoped every test would come back negative after that.”

Running his hand over his jaw, he remembered her words, his blue eyes watered.

“This isn’t happening because you said that.” He couldn’t cope with her pain, it was breaking his heart to see how shattered Yael was. “These things happen all the time,” he knelt before her, his hands cupping her face to force his wife look at him, “there are options, stop thinking you’re guilty, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Yael took a deep breath, processing his words.

Cillian cupped her face between his hands, thumbs caressing her cheeks gently. “When we got married, and said our vows we said we would be together through sickness and health. So I need you to stop worrying about me looking at someone else, I love you more than anything in this world, with or without a baby… it’s you and me together. We’ll see what’s the best option for us, yeah?”

“I don’t think I can go through a surgery,” Yael stammered, her eyes holding the tears one more time. “Not after all I went through when I was a kid.”

Months in a hospital bed, on and off the operation room, numerous opinions and diagnosis…

Cillian knew her panic to hospitals. It was too much for her.

“We don’t have to decide right away love, let’s take this one day at the time, yeah?” He kissed Yael’s tears away, trying to comfort her, he assured her those nightmares weren’t real and should wake him up the next time she dreamed those kind of things.

Her vulnerability made his heart clench, Yael didn’t deserve this kind of shit, she was the kindest human being, didn’t hurt anyone… he would do anything for her, to take away her pain. But all he could do at that moment was kiss and hold her in his arms.

As they walked down the stairs, Yael held to his waist tightly, the warmth of his body soothing her, each of them lost in their own thoughts, Cillian realized he’d sell his soul to make it easier for her.

“He took over my pillow.” Yael shook her head as they returned to their bedroom and found Scout snoring.

“Well, that means we can share mine.” Cillian offered his wife stealing a kiss and pulling her closer.

And for the first time, Yael felt peaceful, in Cillian’s arms. Because during the day the mind gets busy, but the demonds come at night, and she was relieved that she count on him to hold her when she needed it the most.

After sleeping in, Yael felt like she recovered those hours she skipped, she never woke up at eleven o’clock, but it was probably because her body needed to rest properly. Stepping into the kitchen after taking a shower, Yael was greeted by a cup of coffee, a small bouquet of fresh flowers, a croissant and a card from her husband.

I know you’ve been through some difficult days, just wanted to help you remember you’re the most amazing, smart, sensitive, smocking hot, funny, caring and brilliant wife I could ask for. Taking Scout to the vet for a bath, he stinks.

Love you with everything I got. Cillxo

Yael held the card against her chest, feeling extremely blessed for having Cillian as her partner during this difficult time. It wasn’t just about last night, she was grateful for everything.

“Good evening.” Joked Cillian. “Did you sleep well?”

Yael nodded, hugging him. “Thank you for all of your details.”

“Ah, you’re welcome love.” He took her by the chin to kiss her slowly, his hands moving south, to her bum. Her hands moved up, to the back of his neck… running her fingers through his curls while he groaned until her cellphone interrupted them.

“You need to get that, it’s your Mum.” When he saw her biting her lip, he added; “Nope, Yael I’ve ran out from excuses, every time she calls you’re out with Scout, taking a shower, forgot your phone…”

And he saw the sadness return to her eyes.

“I don’t want to tell her.” Her voice broke down. “I don’t want her to know.”

“She’s worried about you, that’s all… you don’t have to tell her sweetheart.” Cillian kissed her forehead but placed her phone in her hand and walked out of the kitchen.

Cillian took a deep breath, and picking a spot on the couch, he started to read the Peaky Blinders script for the upcoming season, he was already halfway through it and man, his life wasn’t the only one upside down, Tommy’s life was about to get ugly.

Unlike Tommy, Cillian talked about his feelings, he was sensible, he showed his wife he cared, because he did, he genuinely wanted them to get pregnant, but he also understood she had to deal with the worst part. If she didn’t want to try IVF, they could adopt? Try a surrogate?

Running his eyes through the script, he realized Tommy’s father, Arthur Sr. would die, so Steve decided to make a change in the plot and not have them break another fight.

Soft steps announced Yael entering to the reading room, the phone call with Isla went well, they needed to decide a few more things for Noah’s christening, it would be finally happening in two more weeks.

“See? It wasn’t so bad.”

“What if she asks something while we’re there?” Cillian pulled her by the hand to sit on his lap, his arms around her waist in seconds.

“We’ll figure it out, don’t worry about it now.”

“Thank you for being so patient.” Yael touched his jaw, noticing the subtle stubble. “This is new…”

“Yeah, about that… my manager called, they want me to do some photos for a magazine.”

“How’s Martin?” She haven’t heard from him lately, but she wasn’t really paying attention to anything. “Makes me remember of that time when we met at a Photoshoot.”

Cillian smiled. “I told him I’d do it… only if you are in charge.”

Yale’s features went through different emotions; shock, surprise, fear… to name a few.

“Cill…” She wasn’t feeling at her best, personally, how would she dare to get a responsibility like that?

“I just know you would do a fabulous job… I just want my wife back?”

Yael practically threw herself into his arms as she kissed him, making he forget about the script. Helping him lay down on the couch, with her on top of him, he could taste her tears on her lips as he deepened the kiss.

Cillian barely gave her time to take off her top, because he was on her in seconds, back in a sitting position, nibbling on her neck gently, loving the way she was moaning his name, enjoying the goosebumps of her skin, as he ran his hands over her body. Eyes locked, getting lost in the passion, their bodies moving in sync.

At least he had his wife back.

***

Next part

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[getoutofmyjaneway]

Since Star Trek Voyager is Leaving Netflix, Here are 10 Episodes that you Should Watch Before the End of September

1. The Cloud

The Cloud is a great example of the early dynamic between the main cast. This bottle episode shows a very Star Trek episode dealing with some space creature they accidently harm, and being oh so very Starfleet, they assist. That, of course, is not why you watch this episode. It has some pretty great comedic moments, the iconic “There’s coffee in that nebula,” moment, and (if you can over look the cringy and incorrect portrayal of Native American culture) great moments that will let you better get to know the character we love.

2. Tuvix

Tuvix is was created when there was a transporter accident fused Neelix, Tuvok, and some plants together to create a new single sentient being. Tuvix loves being himself but ultimately it was decided by Captain Janeway that they would be separated back into there original beings. This episode is not only thought provoking, but has been the basis for many discussions of morality on a broader level. It is an interesting thought experiment that is so very Star Trek in nature - it is a don’t miss in my book.

3. Before and After

You remember Kes yes? She was definitely not given the most to do throughout the run of Voyager, but this is her best story by far. This story sees Kes aging backwards through death to birth, giving us a full picture of her life. This also brings us some of the very seldomly seen foreshadowing in the series, eluding to the Year of Hell (we’ll talk about that soon) and Tom and B’Elanna’s relationship. This is how I choose to remember Kes (we don’t talk about Furry).

4. Year of Hell Part 1 and 2

Yeah you knew this was going to be on here. There is a reason this is on most peoples lists of top Voyager episodes. And yes, I know I am cheating by putting both episodes on the same spot on my list, but like Janeway, I make my own rules. This is the most action packed two-parter in the series, serving as a kind of what-if scenario if the Voyager crew went down a more dangerous path. It ultimately ends with the ever present “Voyager-Rest-Button” but this is the best use of it. This is the most bad-ass episode by a long shot, also giving great character interactions, as well as commentary of grief and family.

5. Living Witness

This one is for all of my TNG lovers out there, you will love this one. Living Witness sees the Doctor’s program ending up in an alien museum in the distant future where an exhibit shows the species interactions with the crew of the Voyager. It is up to the Doctor to clear the name of his crew, and himself. This is amazing commentary of how history can be warped by those that recount it. Of course I also enjoy the absolutely savage portrayal of the Voyager crew - you can tell they had a good time with this one. Overall, this is a story you could only see on Voyager and is excellently done.

6. Timeless

This episode is iconic. If you have seen media referencing Voyager, you have most likely seen the image of the Voyager crashing into an ice planet in some amazing for its time CGI (that holds put pretty dang well even today). This is a strong episode for both Chakotay and Kim, two of Voyagers other most under used characters, seeing them try and create a slipstream with the Delta Flyer to get home. While the Delta Flyer is ultimately successful in this, the Voyager and the rest of the crew ends up dead. Chakotay and Kim take it upon themselves to change the events of the accident.

7. Counterpoint

There is a reason that this is Kate Mulgrew’s favorite episode (other then the fact that she gets to kiss an alien). This is Janeway at her absolute best - intelligent, cunning, and a master of her craft. This sees Janeway help a group of telepaths cross a region of space where a xenophobic ruling body does not allow them. After frequent inspections, Janeway takes in a defector from the xenophobic race, who tries to get her to divulge her secrets. She, however, was always one step ahead of him in a brilliant power play that I can only describe as spicy.

8. Someone to Watch Over Me

Someone to Watch Over Me is a story about what it means to be human, a theme often discussed in Star Trek. This sees the Doctor, a hologram, show Seven, a woman rebuilding her sense of self after spending most of her life in the borg collective, teach her what he has learned about relationships. It’s like the blind leading the blind, or in a more Star Trek example, the blind teaching an Andriod how to paint. Throughout their time together, they both seem to teach each other a lot - Seven gains many incites into how to be more human and the Doctor learns what it is like to be in love. A heartwarming episode.

9. Collective

Members of Voyager’s senior staff are abducted by the borg... children. Five who have been separated and awoken from there maturation chamber struggle between being borg and being individuals. This is, however, not a borg story, it is a story about being human. As Seven was saved from the collected, she went through a transformation under the guidance of her friends family and now it is time for her to help these children in the same way.

10. The Void

After becoming trapped in a Void with no way of escape, they soon find that ever ship is out for their own in this region, everyone stealing what they need to survive. It becomes a battle of morals - do you take back from those who have stolen from you and then some? Do you use what has been stolen from others for your personal gain? Where do you draw the line for the sake of survive. The Voyager spearheads a mini federation type alliance of sorts, finding strength in unity and numbers, and, in the end, it is the understanding of others that allows for the Voyager and the members of the alliance to escape

These are not necessarily the best episodes of Voyager, but I think these are episodes that you can watch on their own with no other knowledge of Voyager to really get a feel for the series and the characters. Of course, I would love to know what other episodes you would include. Personally, I would have loved to include episodes like Course: Oblivion, Author Author, and Dark Frontier, but out of context, these episodes will give that Voyager flavor we all know an love.

[gubler-me-up]

Ace

Request: Can I get a one shot for the episode 52 pickup with Spencer x female reader? Like with the scene specifically where Spencer is trying to hand out the flyers but none of the woman take one, but reader approaches him to take one along with his number or something? Whatever else your mind can come up with please.

A/N: Thanks for the prompt, @just-call-me-non​! Very specific episode request! I had to take an hour out of my day to rewatch this episode to accurately get the storyline across. Hopefully it does your idea justice! (Also, I know this was posted a day late, but I was relaxing all Friday i didn’t forget about your request i swear)

Couple: Spencer Reid/Fem!Reader

Category: Fluff

Content warning: None

Word count: 1.3k

--------------

Another Saturday night out with your girls should have been a blast. Unfortunately, it was packed with embarrassingly entitled socialites and toxic masculinity. The music also wasn’t helping because the DJ couldn’t pick a good song if his life depended on it. If you wanted to listen to EDM house music, you would have just stayed home and played a YouTube playlist full of them.

Due to your boredom, your eyes started to wander around the club as you and your friends were huddled in a corner trying to make the best of the night. Your eyes had landed on something quite interesting though. Or you should say, someone.

A tall brunet with flyers in his hands was talking to a group of women who couldn’t care less about what he was telling them. They looked as if he was speaking a frightfully terrible language by the way their faces twisted. You, however, were intrigued by the sight you were watching and wanted to get a better view.

“I’ll be back,” you told your friends.

“Where are you going?” One asked.

“I think I’ve found something of interest,” you said.

They all followed your gaze to the lanky, awkward guy you were staring at. The women had walked away from him, so he was left with no choice but to desperately try to convince someone to hear him out. They all looked back at you with questionable stares.

“He looks cute, but he seems like one of those awkward, stiff types. How did he catch your attention again?” Another friend asked.

“Thought I should help him out. I wanna see what he’s handing out,” you explained.

You took the last sip of your cosmo before placing it down on the table. You fluffed up your hair a bit and brushed down any wrinkles in your dress. Your friends watched you in amusement as you prepped yourself to go over to him.

“Get him, tiger,” another said followed by a meow.

You laughed at their sarcasm before walking over to him. He had no idea you were walking towards him as he flailed around a single flyer in his hand trying to convince someone to take it. Since he had about 30 more of where that came from you decided to help him out. You grabbed the one he was flailing around from out of his hands to look at it. He turned around to look at you, surprised someone had actually taken it from him. You looked at him with a smile and held up the picture.

“Who’s this?” You asked him.

“Uh, it’s um, this guy we’re-and when I mean we’re I mean my team and I-uh,” he stuttered.

You giggled at him stumbling over his words as he struggled to comprehend why you were giving him the time of day. You looked at the picture as he finally told you about some sort of murderer on the loose. It was a very vague sketch, so you looked at him with a quizzical expression.

“How do you ever expect to find this guy with a picture like this?” You asked.

He awkwardly chuckled. He held up the stack of flyers in his hands so you could see them clearly. He put his hand in front of the scar which was sketched above the man’s left eyebrow. You raised your eyebrows curiosity.

“Well, the funny thing is some witnesses say he had a scar right here,” he lifted his hand up to reveal the scar.

You stared intently at the scar on the drawing. Then he lowered his hand down to cover it again. What happened next made you widen your eyes with amazement.

“And some say he doesn’t,” he said as he lowered his hand down to reveal an image with no scar.

You stupidly grinned at his trick. Your ear-to-ear grin made him smile as he lowered the flyers. You grabbed his hand with the flyers and placed it back up so you could see it again. There was really no scar there anymore.

“How did you even do that?” You asked.

“Pure magic,” he said.

“Okay, magician, what’s your name?” You asked.

“Spencer Reid. I-uh-work for the FBI, so that’s why I’m-”

“Yeah, I heard your reason why you were here the first time. Along with you saying some sort of statistic about men being more likely to kill targeted victims over women who are more likely to kill related victims.”

He looked at you stunned. It seemed as if he was shocked you were listening to him ramble. You may have been looking at the sketch of the person he was looking for, but you couldn’t help but to invest in what he was saying.

“You were actually listening?” He asked.

You nodded. “I’m a sucker for true crime. That’s not to say I want to be murdered in real life, but it’s cool that you do this for a living. You know, saving lives and catching the bad guy.”

A genuine, non-awkward smile appeared on his face. “Yeah, I do something like that.”

“And what do you do when you’re not kicking ass and taking names?” You asked.

He chuckled. “I think kicking ass is more up my colleague’s ally, but I personally don’t do anything interesting. Well, interesting to most people.”

“Surprise me.”

“I like to master different chess moves in my spare time and read. I like reading pretty much anything and everything. Twice.”

“That sounds interesting to me. Maybe one day you can teach me that trick and how to play a mean game of chess.”

Spencer looked at you astonished at the way you kept engaging with him. You were starting to think girls like you or even girls in general never took an interest in his quirky behaviour. To you it was enticing.

“Um, thank you. I’m sorry, I didn’t even get your name,” he said.

You smirked. “How about you give me your number and you can figure it out then. Maybe even discuss each other’s favourite books if you’d like.”

He nodded his head with a tiny smile that slowly appeared on his face. You couldn’t stop looking at him as he did the smallest gestures. He was more attractive than you initially thought from across the club. Every mannerism he did intrigued you more about his character.

“I’d like that,” he said.

“Great. What’s your number?” You asked.

He smirked. “It’s near your heart.”

You looked at him funny as he gave you that riddle. You placed your hands in your dress near your left breast. You felt something at the side of your bra. You took it out to see the ace of hearts.

It was nice meeting you, Y/N.

His number followed right after. You were floored. Not only did he figure out your name, but he also gave you his number in the suavest way possible. He didn’t even have to touch your breasts to do it. That was some respectful magic.

“Now you’re telekinetic too?” You asked.

He shrugged. “Can’t say. Maybe if you call I’ll give you a hint.”

“Can you guess when I’m going to call too?”

“That wouldn’t be guessing, but profiling. I have a feeling I’ll be hearing from you in the next two hours.”

“I’ll make sure I don’t keep you waiting.”

He chuckled. “Bye, Y/N. It was really nice talking to you.”

With that he walked into the crowd where he was met by a tall, muscular black man. He put his arm around Spencer and gave him an impressed smile. You giggled as you watched the scene before they fully disappeared into the crowd. You looked back at the ace of hearts and couldn’t stop smiling. Maybe you were starting to have a new thing for quirky magicians.

—–

MASTERLIST

[canadian-riddler]

The Future of Fear

By Indiana

Characters: Jonathan Crane, Edward Nygma

Synopsis: You really CAN find anything on the Internet.

AO3

Edward had been giggling to himself over something on his computer on his side of their shared office space for some time now and it was becoming incredibly distracting.  Jonathan had been trying to think of some suitable method to shut him up while not angering him enough to force Jonathan to leave and pay for his own office, but had come up lamentably short.  

Perhaps another cup of coffee would help.  He retrieved his empty mug and made his way towards the percolator, which was unfortunately located on a low table behind Edward’s desk.  Edward, strangely, did not attempt to goad him into conversation as per usual, so obviously Jonathan had to look for himself at what it was that had him so engrossed.

It seemed to be some sort of Internet forum.  There were very few things Jonathan could have found less interesting than a horde of anonymous bumpkins arguing with each other over the smallest of inconsequential things.  He shook his head and put his cup down on the table.

“You really should see this,” Edward said.  The squeak of the chair indicated he had turned around in it.

“I can’t imagine why I would care to.”

“This is a series of posts about what a helpful person your fans believe you to be, for one thing.”

Helpful?  Fans?  Jonathan barely dignified that with a backwards glance.  “You’re not even trying to be convincing this time.”

“No,” Edward said, tilting the screen back and turning the laptop towards him.  Jonathan moved to face him and leaned forward, his fingers splayed along the desk’s edge in order to maintain his balance.  “Look.  This person is convinced you wouldn’t harm them because they’ve been diagnosed with GAD.”

“They what?” He did not have time to locate this post on the screen, much less read it, because Edward had already whisked it back towards himself.

“’I mean, he was a teacher once, right?  That must mean he cared,’” read Edward.  “’He wouldn’t make someone with anxiety suffer even more.’”

“Edward, how do I find this person?  I have urgent information for them.”  Or urgent plans, at least.

“From the number of people who claim their greatest fear is their student loans,” Edward answered, the corner of his mouth curling upward, “you could probably put up a flyer at any university simply offering to help them.”

“Help them?” Jonathan repeated.  “Why – with what?”

“Well, this person seems convinced you would empathise with them because they were bullied as a child. So their childhood trauma, I presume.”

Even after he’d read it himself it still made very little sense.  “And why is that?”

“Because you were bullied and that makes you kindred spirits.”

The next batch of text on the screen seemed to prove this theory and yet it still seemed as though Edward was making it all up.  Jonathan continued to stare at it until the only logical thing he could do in response came to him: he laughed.  The more he thought about it, the funnier it became, and he found himself with his face buried in his arms atop the desk, tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes. What utter nonsense was that? Help someone resolve their ingrained traumas merely because – no.  No, it simply could not be real.  Edward was pulling his leg.  He straightened, wiping his face with his sleeve, and discovered Edward had disappeared. And taken the laptop with him.  It had clearly been a joke.  It was just not possible that there were people who sat down and typed out their fears and personal histories in great detail and left them where anyone could find them.  There were especially no people who actually thought he, the Master of Fear, would ever attempt to solve their –

His thoughts were interrupted by Edward’s return, which was accompanied by a flurry of papers thrust into Jonathan’s face close enough he had to crane his neck backward.  “My gift to you,” said Edward, resuming his seat. Jonathan looked down at the first page.

It was a list of… personal information.  And a lot of it.  Familial problems, dislikes, triggers… “Edward, this can’t be right,” Jonathan protested. “You made all of this up.”

“In this day and age, I don’t have to,” Edward answered.  “Think about it, Jonathan.  Now you only have half the work to do.  Hell, I think you could get away with picking some kid who’s terrified of climate change by strapping them into a virtual reality headset and investing in a couple of heat lamps.”

“Come now, Edward,” scoffed Jonathan, putting aside the papers for the moment, “surely they would notice they were wearing one of those things.”

“Why would I suggest it if it wouldn’t work?”  Edward presented him with a video of a begoggled woman who seemed to be in the throes of a fear of heights so intense she had forgotten entirely that she was crawling on her living room floor as opposed to venturing out of an elevator onto a thin wooden plank eighty stories from the ground.  

“Why did no one tell me about this sooner?”

“To be honest, I thought you’d start lecturing me about doing things the old-fashioned way,” Edward said, leaning back in the chair and clasping his hands behind his head in order to stretch.  Jonathan shook his head.

“Oh, no, Edward. Knowing all of these things ahead of time means I can get right to the interesting parts.”

“The screaming?”

“And the crying, and the begging, and the shaking and sweating,” Jonathan said, with a little more fondness than he meant to, and Edward laughed.  

“You will find no shortage of people happy to freely hand out the information you need,” he said.  “Now go away.  I have things of my own to take care of.”

“I need to borrow your phone,” Jonathan said.  “There are a few calls I would like to make.”

Edward fished it out of his back pocket and handed it to him after he had unlocked it.  Jonathan returned to his own desk, taking a few minutes to determine whom he wanted to contact first.  The first number rang and rang, as he had expected, and as it did so he mentally composed the message he was going to leave.  When the requisite beep came he spoke in a soothing voice long since well-practised.  “Hello, my name is Dr Jonathan Crane.  A friend of mine passed along your story and I have to say that it truly touched me. I should like to set up a meeting so we can discuss getting you the treatment you need for your anxiety.  And not to worry, it will be free of charge. As you know I have a personal understanding of your circumstances.  Please contact me at your earliest convenience.  Good day.”

Edward, to his credit, had managed to keep his laughter quiet enough it was unlikely the phone had picked up on it from that distance.  Jonathan could not keep an amused smile from his own lips.  “If they fall for that they deserve what they get,” Edward said, folding his arms across his chest.  “I suppose we’re going to need to rig you up a fake office.”

“You are going to need to rig me up a fake office,” Jonathan corrected, selecting a new name on his list. “And I need one of those headsets. I would also appreciate a cup of coffee.”

Edward heaved a long-suffering sigh, but he did shove his chair backwards in order to set up the percolator. Jonathan dialled a fresh number and waited.

“Hello, my name is Dr Jonathan Crane.  A friend of mine passed along your story, and I must tell you that I was truly moved by it…”

[bucky-blogs]

Longing

Pairing: Zuko x Reader

Word Count: 2, 713

Warnings: None

Synopsis: “I saw that you were taking Zuko requests. If you have the time could you please write me headcanons or a short fic where they go to see the Ember Island play and the actors kiss and everyone is like "That did't actually happen, right?" and zuko and the reader are like, "Um... about that." Sorry if it's too confusing. Please and thank you.” requested by Anon

Being one of the swamp benders for so long, you’ve never been outside of the Foggy Swamp. When the Avatar and his friends came, you were excited. You were always curious about what’s outside the foggy swamp. For years, you were only hearing stories from Due and Huu. Your mother and father died young, and Huu was the one who stood to be your father figure. 

As a water bender, he helped you with your skills. While Huu helped you use water bending as a way of bringing life, Due helped you use your bending for combative skills. At the age of 16, you’re already a master based on the knowledge your fellow swamp tribe taught you.

You were practicing with Huu that day when the Avatar and his friends came. It was fascinating seeing people from outside the swamp. After talking to them, you joined their little group. Joining them on adventures and using your skills for good is a great experience for you. Although you miss your tribe, this was the best time of your life. 

Katara and you would exchange knowledge and help each other as both of you were water benders, you taught her some combat style water bending while she taught you how to heal. You would always help Aang feed Appa and bond with him by sparring with him whenever you guys could. Toph, Sokka, and you were the trio that annoyed Katara at times. Whenever the three of you were together, she always knew that you were planning something mischievous.

As you and the gang were staying  in Ba Sing Se, you were always out and exploring the place; everything fascinated you. Houses with roofs, the sun looking towards you, people interacting and children playing on the streets. Because you lived in the swamp for so long, you haven’t seen the sun much. Nature was your number one friend. 

While you were walking, you  noticed a commotion in one of the shops; crowds of people were walking towards it.

“I was told they have the best tea in the city!” one of the bystanders said. You were curious, you’ve never had tea in your life. You walked towards the place with admiration for this tea thing, wanting to try it. As you went in, you saw two workers, one old man and a guy your age, his face looked like he didn’t want to be there and you giggled at his expression. 

Zuko wore a frown on his face as the tea shop was being bombarded with people, having heard that his uncle makes great tea. He was wiping one of the tables when he heard a giggle at his side, he immediately stood up straight at the sound and looked at the sound. He saw a girl about his age, with [Y/H] and long [Y/HC], she was grinning at him and looking at the place.

“Can I help you?” he asked you, sounding bored and annoyed.

“What is tea? I heard people talking about how this is one of the greatest things here,” you asked him, a curious expression on your face that Zuko couldn’t help but admire the innocence. 

“You’ve never had tea in your life?” Zuko asked, confused. Who in the world hasn’t heard of  or had tea? This girl looked like she was just born yesterday. But based on the look on her face, it really looked like a genuine question. She really doesn’t know what tea is. 

That was the start of you always going to their tea shop. Every day you would visit the boy and his uncle, and you invited him after his shift to walk the streets. You got to know him more, and he discovered that you were from the swamp tribe. When he learned that you were traveling with the Avatar, his eyes grew wide. Maybe you were the answer to his quest, he would lead you to him and capture him and get his honor back. 

It sounded wrong though, you were too precious for him to lose, and it would break your heart. He was beginning to feel something towards you. The next day, he planned a day for you two where he would reveal his true identity. Hiding things from you made him uncomfortable and he wanted you to know who he really was. He liked you so much. You were different from every person he met. You were curious about the world, you were innocent, careful, and attentive. You were always full of questions about everything that he couldn’t help but answer because he liked talking to you. Even though there’s a war raging on, you still had a positive spirit that he admired. Now, he decided he didn’t want to hide any more. He wanted you to know the real him and not as Lee from the tea shop. 

You were waiting outside the tea shop for Zuko; he had invited you for a night out and to enjoy the festival that was going on. “Look at you! You look so cute”, you complimented him as you ruffled his neatly combed hair, giggling all the while. “Hey! My uncle took ten minutes to do my hair.” he blushed. He loved the feeling of your hand on his hair. You grabbed his hand and linked it with yours and started walking towards the plaza. 

“I know we’re both new to the city but, how are you liking it here so far?”, you asked as you try different foods, humming as you found a particular food you like. Zuko glanced at his food, playing with it, losing his appetite and getting nervous as he was about to tell you his secret. 

“It’s great”, he said simply. You smiled at him and answered your own question, “Well I found it nice. It’s kinda weird because no one knows about the war here but everything seems so peaceful!”

“[Y/N], I have something to say,” he suddenly stated, his nerves getting the best of him as his palms got clammy. “Not here, let’s go somewhere quiet.” he grabbed your hand and you blushed. His hand was kind of rough and soft at the same time. It fit perfectly with yours, you couldn’t help harbor feelings towards him. He helped and cared for you. He would always answer whenever you had questions about the world. 

Zuko dragged you to a quiet place, his hand holding yours tightly. He took a few steps forwards, his back facing you as he closed his eyes and told you about who he was, how he was Prince Zuko from the Fire Nation, and how he was banished and told to capture the Avatar to gain his honor back.

“I know,” you softly told him. “I may not know everything about the world, but I know who you are Zuko. I’ve known for quite some time now. At first, I can’t quite place who you were but I saw your face somewhere. I saw some wanted posters of you and your uncle. I didn’t tell the gang or anyone because I wanted to get to know you better. You aren’t your past, and based on why you’re here in Ba Sing Se, I felt like you needed a fresh start from everything that happened to you.”

You closed the distance between the two of you and put your arms around his neck.

“The one who could bring your honor is only yourself, Zuko. You are worth every chance life gives you. Always remember who you are.”

Zuko’s eyes widened. He suddenly remembered what his mother told him the night she left. He looked at you with so much love and care. No one has told such sweet things to him before. He closed the distance between your faces and locked his lips with yours.

The kiss that you were yearning for, you returned with the same love for him. He was worth it. Prince Zuko was always worth it.

Time has passed as you and Zuko continue to get to know each other, stealing a few kisses here and there. You helped him and his uncle move to the upper ring, helping them set the shop up and even helping when there are lots of customers. When Katara discovered the tea shop, you and Zuko agreed to lay low for a while. 

Days turned to months since you last saw Zuko, you weren’t there when Azula shot Aang with lightning but you heard from Katara about his betrayal. The hurt you felt was indescribable, it broke you knowing that the one you love has betrayed you but deep inside, you know that Zuko is just being blinded by his false honor. As you await the day of the black sun, all you could think about was him. You never mentioned your experience with Zuko to anyone. He was your secret, your escape from everything. 

Despite his betrayal, you still had hope for him. You kept telling yourself that you knew the real Zuko, and he would never do that. You prayed to the spirits to help Zuko find his way back to you, so you could finally tell him how much he meant to you and forever care for him as much as he cared for you back in Ba Sing Se.

Everyone sensed how much happier you had been when Zuko finally joined your group, they were confused, as you were the only one to not get angry when he joined and accepted him fully in the group. 

Zuko, though happy to see you smiling and healthy, felt ashamed of his actions. He would avoid you despite you trying to care for him and help him open up more to the group. He couldn’t face you knowing he betrayed you for his honor. He couldn’t put into words how he could ask for your forgiveness and make it up to you. Every day back in the fire nation, he would always think of you as his hope. Being without you felt wrong, it was like half of his soul was with you so he did everything he could to get back to you, but now that you were with him, he felt at ease. 

You and the gang arrived in Ember Island and stayed by the Fire Lord’s beach house. Zuko couldn’t help but admire you in your fire nation disguise. It was Azula’s old clothes that fit you and you looked regal. He blushed when he saw you, Aang seeing the red on Zuko’s face and moved his eyes to where he was looking at and saw you. Aang’s eyes grew wide at Zuko’s blushing face as he went to where you, Katara, and Toph were talking. Sokka and Suki came back from their exploring, a flyer on Sokka’s hand.

“You guys are not going to believe this. There's a play about us.” Sokka told everyone. 

“We were just in town and we found this poster.” Suki added. 

“How is that possible?” Katara asked, glancing at the poster. 

“Listen to this. The Boy in the Iceberg is a new production from acclaimed playwright Pu On Tim who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage!" Sokka exclaimed, sounding excited about the play. "Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players.” Suki said as she read the last line. 

“Ugh. We used to go there. they butchered ‘Love Amongst the Dragons’ every year.” Zuko scoffed, remembering the times his mother made them go there. 

You shrugged, “I don’t know, it could be fun”

Eventually, everyone agreed. You were sitting next to Zuko with Katara on your other side. Aang frowns, wanting to sit next to Katara, you give him an apologetic smile as he sat next to Zuko’s other side. 

The play was fun, you were laughing at how they portrayed your friends, laughing especially at Zuko’s.

“I think it’s pretty spot-on”, Katara said and you giggled

“How could you say that?” Zuko said and a few moments later. Ironically, his actor said the same thing, which made you laugh harder, Zuko blushed at the sound of your laugh. He really missed it. 

The scene progressed to where you and the gang were in Ba Sing Se. Your eyes widened when they played the scene where you and Zuko were talking about his past.

“Oh, Lee! I’m such an innocent person! I have lived in the swamp for years. Tell me the purpose of this tea!” your actress said exaggeratedly. 

“My name is not Lee. I am Prince Zuko and I must bring back my honor but I can’t help but be blinded by your beauty. You captured my heart!”, Zuko’s actor replied as the actor pulled your actress closer and they shared a passionate kiss.

“WHAT?!” Sokka exclaimed, “YOU GUYS KISSED?” Both you and Zuko blushed, not telling everyone of your history. You hid your face in Zuko’s shoulder, leaning against him as he blushed at the sight of you leaning against him. He was speechless. The others had a shocked expression on their faces as they looked between the both of you. 

“We’ll explain later.” Zuko finally told everyone.

It was finally the intermission, your nerves brewing as everyone crowded you and Zuko with angry faces. 

“When did this happen?” “Why didn’t you tell us?” “Were you just using her?”, Sokka, Katara, and Aang questioned at the same time. Toph just at the side, smiling at what’s going on.

“No! I’m not using her! How could you say that?”, Zuko answered the question that bothered him the most. “It was both of our decisions not to tell anyone because we knew we were gonna get in trouble. But know that my feelings are real. I didn’t even know [Y/N] was part of your team and when I found out, I-...I knew that I shouldn’t hide who I am to her. I don’t want to hurt her but it’s too late. I hurt her and everyone by my betrayal. I was scared. I got blinded by my honor, and I hurt everyone. Especially you, [Y/N]” he explained,turning his body towards yours. “I want to apologize to you, every day I keep thinking of how I could betray and hurt you. I made so many mistakes and I understand if you can’t return the feelings anymore. I was scared and confused and I know that you can’t forgive me after everything I’ve done.”

“Zuko…” you said softly holding his hand.

“[Y/N], you taught me that my honor isn’t something that anyone can give but myself. You taught me that I should always remember who I am and I’m sorry it took so long before I figured it out.” he kneeled in front of you, his head bowed at your feet. You didn’t notice that your friends already went back inside leaving the two of you alone.

“Zuko, I already forgave you. Everyday I would pray to the spirits to lead you back to me, lead you back to the right path. I never gave up on you. I told you Zuko, you’re worth every chance. Prince Zuko, you are worth it.” you told him, kneeling down as well.

You softly caressed the side where his scar is, his eyes brimming with tears as you leaned in, kissing his forehead. 

“I’m just glad you’re here now.”

He wrapped his arms around you, hugging you tightly, not wanting to let go in fear of this being a dream. “I’m scared of losing you. I’m sorry for everything that I have done, for abandoning you, for making the wrong choice.”

“I forgive you Zuko. It doesn’t matter if you made a wrong choice.The important part is you learned from your mistakes and are doing everything you can to make it right.” 

That night you stayed by his side, refusing to let go of his hand, occasionally whispering sweet things in his ear. This wasn’t the end, this was only the beginning. What’s important is that you’re together. Like a puzzle piece, you complete one another.

A/N: So this is my 100 follower celebration oneshot!! I can’t believe that my fat ass managed to get 100 followers. Thank you everyone and my friends who supported me specially @knaite-solo​ who’s always been there for me!!! Thank you to @aceavatar​ and @zukoszukhoes​ for beta reading this fic, I appreciate what you’ve done to make this one shot better than what I initially did! I owe you guys one. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ I swear I’ll try to be active and take in more request and make more fics. I’m planning a full fanfic soon but I’m still working on some details. Thank you everyone and stay quenched!!

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers VANDEAD CARNIVAL ;; Ruki Route ー Chapter 3

ー The scene starts in the bushes around Saint Nore Park

Ruki: Haah...Oi, Yui. Are you alright?

Yui: Y-Yeah...

Ruki: For now, I doubt they’ll easily be able to track us down right here.

Yui: Ruki-kun...I’m sorry.

Ruki: Why do you apologize?

Yui: Because all of this happened because I injured myself...

( He only just told me to stay on guard, so I’m sure he’s upset, huh...? )

I’m so sorry.

Ruki: ...Haah.

No need to apologize.

Show me your arm.

Yui: Eh? Sure...

*Rustle rustle*

Ruki: ...It’s bleeding.

Yui: Yeah...But it’s just a scratch. I’m sure the bleeding will stop soon.

So it’s fine.

Ruki: It isn’t, is it?

I’ll stop the bleeding for now. ...Don’t move, okay?

Nn...

Yui: ...!?

( He’s licking the wound... )

Ruki: Did I not just tell you to keep still? ...I guess this much won’t do.

Yui: Wait, Ruki-kun!

Ruki: Oi, don’t pull your arm away. I thought I told you not to move?

Yui: B-But you suddenly started licking me...!

Ruki: It isn’t sudden. Didn’t I say I’d stop the bleeding?

Yui: ( He did, but anyone would be surprised if someone suddenly did that...! )

Ruki: ...This has to be the first time drinking your blood makes me this upset.

Yui: Eh...?

Ruki: I’ll wrap some bandages around it, so keep the wound facing upwards. Tell me if it’s too tight.

Yui: O-Okay...

*Rustle rustle*

Ruki: ...This should do.

...

Yui: ( Ruki-kun went quiet. Is he upset after all...? )

Ruki: ...I’m the one who should apologize.

Yui: Eh...?

Ruki: I failed as your bodyguard...Seeing as I let you get hurt, even though I was right there by your side.

Yui: B-But...That wasn’t your fault just now...

Ruki: They thought you were a Vampire because I had you ingest that drug.

I did not think my own plan would come to backfire like that...

...My bad.

Yui: Ruki-kun...

Ruki: ...

Yui: ( He’s this worried about the fact I got hurt... )

( Even though it’s really no big deal. )

( I wonder how I can brighten his mood again...? )

ー Approaching footsteps can be heard in the background

Uhm...Ruki-kuーー

Ruki: ...! Quiet!

*Rustle*

Yui: Nn...!

( Somebody’s coming...! However, he didn’t have to cover my mouth... )

Female Vampire A: Say, why don’t we drop by the arcade next? I heard they’ve got lots of games like darts or puzzles!

Male Vampire A: You wouldn’t rather ride one of the attractions?

Female Vampire A: Mmh. I’d like to take it easy for a bit.

Male Vampire A: Let’s go check it out then. 

ー The couple leaves again

Ruki: ...They left?

Yui: Nn...Nn...

Ruki: ...Aah, sorry. I’ll let you go now.

*Rustle*

Yui: Haah...

Ruki: Seems like they didn’t pick up on the scent of blood...It’s good I stopped the bleeding.

Yui: ( ...Seems like Ruki-kun is still rather alert. I guess he’s worried after all... )

( Speaking of which, those people from earlier said they were headed towards the arcade, right? )

Uhm, Ruki-kun?

Ruki: ...Yes?

Yui: Why don’t we try going to the arcade they mentioned as well?

Ruki: ...You truly believe such a place would pique my interest?

Yui: Well...I figured you’d like it more than the rides.

They said you can play darts or make a puzzle.

Ruki: ...

Hmph...Seems like you actually put some thought into it.

However, I doubt it’d be good to move carelessly?

Yui: My arm stopped bleeding, so I’m fine.

We can’t just sit around here forever, so why don’t we go take a look? It’s a Carnival after all.

Ruki: ...

...You do have a point. We can’t just sit still and hold our breaths forever.

Yui: Then...!

Ruki: Yes, very well. Being inside a building might be more safe than staying outside as well.

Yui: ( Thank god...! )

Ruki: However, it’s crowded inside the park. ...Don’t stray away from my side, okay?

Yui: Yeah.

( I hope this’ll help cheer him up a little... )

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to Saint Nore Park’s venue

Yui: According to the map, it should be around here. Uhm...

Ruki: Oi, don’t wander around too much.

Yui: Ah, sorry.

Ruki: ...I assume it’s that building? It should be obvious if you pay some attention.

Yui: Eh? Ah, you’re right! As to be expected of Ruki-kun, you’re always keeping an eye on your surroundings!

Ruki: Your field of vision is simply too narrow. Because of that, my suffering never ends.

Yui: ( ...I’m glad. He’s slowly becoming the regular old Ruki-kun again. )

Ruki: Oi, let’s hurry inside. I’m pretty sure it’d be in our best interest not to wander around outside for too long.

ー They enter the game center

Yui: Wah...Seems like they’ve got quite the assortment of games.

This is...A card game, I suppose? There’s a chess board as well.

Ruki: Darts and puzzles, huh?

Yui: ( Which one should we try first...? )

Selection

→ I wanna try the puzzle (☾)

Yui: ( I just have to go with a puzzle here, right? )

Ruki: So, what are you going to play?

I’m not too fond of these kind of noisy places...But I’m sure you came here with a specific objective in mind?

Yui: Ah, uhm...I’d like to try the puzzles over there on the other side...

Ruki: A puzzle, huh...?

Yui: Yeah. What do you think?

Ruki: ...Very well, I’ll join along. I don’t dislike those either.

Yui: ( Hooray! )

→ I wanna try darts

Yui: ( Darts, huh...? I’ve never played that very much, so it might be a good opportunity... )

Uhm...Ruki-kun? How about a game of darts?

I want to give it a try since I’ve never played it much.

Ruki: The answer is no.

Yui: Eh?

Ruki: ...Haah; You never learn, do you?

Have you already forgotten what happened earlier? Even though you nearly became a darts board yourself.

Besides, what if you hurt yourself on one of the dart arrows?

Yui: Well...

Ruki: If you understand that, give up on playing darts. Let’s look for something else.

Yui: Yes...

Ah...Then why don’t we try a puzzle? Look, they’ve got them over there.

Ruki: A puzzle, huh...? Very well. I’ll allow that.

ー They walk towards the puzzles

Yui: ( ... )

Hm, these look quite tricky.

Ruki: You think so? I’m pretty sure this level of difficulty is the bare minimum to make it worth playing.

Yui: ( As to be expected of Ruki-kun...I feel like we’ll easily complete these with his help. )

Ah, look, Ruki-kun. Seems like you’ll appear in the rankings if you get a high score at this game.

I wonder if they’ll display our names too if we do a good job?

Ruki: Who knows.

Yui: Eh?

Ruki: It’s pointless to worry about scores or rankings. This is a battle with yourself, not with others.

Yui: Is it....? However, I’m sure you’d be happy to rank number one. See. Your name would show up over heーー

...Huh?

Ruki: What’s the matter?

Yui: The name of the current number one...

Ruki: Number one? At this puzzle?

...!

Sakamaki Reiji...?

Yui: ( Reiji-san was here as well!? Actually, he did say he has visited the Carnival before... )

Anyway...Reiji-san’s record is amazing. There’s a considerable gap with the person in second place.

Ruki: ...

...Interesting.

I don’t care about rankings, but losing against one of those Sakamaki’s leaves somewhat of a bitter taste in my mouth.

Especially as far as puzzles are concerned. I happen to be very confident in my own abilities when it comes to these.

I shall overwrite Sakamaki Reiji’s record right here, right now. With my own name, that is.

Yui: ( He suddenly became motivated...I guess he doesn’t want to lose to Reiji-san? )

Ruki: Oi, Livestock. You should give it a try first.

Yui: Eh!? Me?

Ruki: Of course? I’ll prepare myself in the meantime.

Yui: ( You need to prepare yourself to solve a puzzle!? )

Ruki: Come on, hurry up. Don’t make your Master wait. 

Yui: Y-Yes...Okay then. I’ll give it a try.

( I’m not very confident but...Guess I’ll just have to give it my best shot! )

Explanation: Complete the puzzle within the time limit by shuffling the different pieces around.

You can play this game in EASY, NORMAL or HARD mode.

Ruki: ...Hooh.

Yui: ( I did it! Seems like I solved it! )

Ruki: Seems like you’re a little capable as well. I need to reconsider my opinion on you.

While you didn’t come close to the Sakamaki eldest son’s score, you did your best. This isn’t a bad result at all.

Yui: ( Fufu, he praised me! )

Ruki: However...If you improve just a little more, I’m sure you’ll be able to up your score?

Ruki: For example, this one. This one should go here instead of over there.

Yui: Eh!? Ah...

Ruki: Did you not realize your mistake? ...Seems like you’re surprisingly careless in that regard.

Yui: Uu...I ended up rushing because of the time limit.

Ruki: Come on, give me the remaining pieces as well. This one goes in the corner over here.

Yui: You’re right...

( Ruki-kun really is amazing... )

Ruki: Well then. Shall I take over?

I’ll surpass both your and Sakamaki Reiji’s record in no time.

*TIMESKIP*

Ruki: ...Hmph...Child’s play.

Yui: A-Amazing! You beat Reiji-san’s score!

Ruki: Of course. I can’t let myself lose to those guys after all.

Yui: ( Fufu...Ruki-kun seems happy. )

( I’m glad his mood brightened! )

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts back to Saint Nore Park’s venue

Yui: That was fun, huh?

Ruki: Well, it wasn’t a bad time...If you had fun, that’s what matters most.

By the way, does your arm not hurt? You moved quite a bit while getting caught up in the puzzle game, didn’t you?

Yui: Yeah, it completely stopped bleeding too and doesn’t hurt either. I’m fine.

Ruki: Really? Show it to me.

*Rustle*

Ruki: ...The bleeding has indeed stopped. I hope it doesn’t leave any scars though.

Yui: ...

Ruki: ...What are you making that weird expression for?

Yui: Uhm...

Ruki: If you’ve got something on your mind, spit it out.

Yui: Well...You usually don’t really care about marks left behind by sucking my blood.

But you seem to be rather worried about this one in particular...

Ruki: ...Of course. Those are two different things.

Between scars left behind by others and those who I have engraved in your body myself.

Bite marks are like a sign of possession. However...The one on this arm doesn’t signify anything.

Even by looking at it like this...It only reminds me of the fact I let you get hurt.

Yui: Ruki-kun...

ー A flyer flies their way

*Flip*

Yui: ...Huh? A piece of paper came flying our way...

Ruki: One of the clowns is handing them out over there. I assume the wind blew it this way.

*Flip*

Ruki: It seems to be some sort of announcement...

‘Welcome to Top of Croquembouche’ (1)...?

Yui: ( Top of Croquembouche...? )

ー Somebody runs up to them

Park staff member: Excuse me! Did a flyer happen to fly this way?

Ruki: You’re referring to this?

Park staff member: Aah, exactly! The wind blew it away...Ah, but I suppose you can keep it!

Yui: Uhm, what exactly is ‘Top of Croquembouche’?

Park staff member: It’s the sky terrace you can see over there!

As you can read on the flyer, they offer various services, so please drop by if you get the chance to!

ー The staff member leaves

Ruki: ...

...Let’s go, Yui.

Yui: Eh? Where are we going...?

ー Ruki walks away

Yui: Ah! Ruki-kun, wait!

ー She runs after him

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) Croquembouche is a traditional French dessert usually served at parties and celebrations. It’s made out of several choux creams which are all stacked into the shape of a tower.

← RETURN TO CHAPTER 2

→ PROCEED WITH MAIN STORY [CHAPTER 4]

→ SUB-SCENARIO #1 [W/AYATO]

→ SUB-SCENARIO #2 [W/ SUBARU]

→ SUB-SCENARIO #3 [W/ KOU]

[geckosong]

Anime Recommendations

Here is a list of ten anime (in no particular order) that are definitely worth watching, yet don’t seem to get nearly as much recognition as they deserve. 

Terror in Resonance (2014)

This is my personal favorite anime and I push people to watch it whenever I can, which is exactly what I’m doing here.

This show is set-in present-day Tokyo, which has been decimated by a terrorist attack, and the only hint to the identities of the culprits is a bizarre video uploaded on the internet. For the majority of the show the plot follows two different narratives: those of the investigators tasked with bringing down the terrorists, and of the terrorists themselves.

           My Rating: 10/10

Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun (2020)

This anime is probably one of my favorites, if not my number one, in terms of art style. I love everything about the character designs and the colors used. It is just so soothing to look at.

The famous "Seven Wonders" that every school seems to have are a staple of Japanese urban legends. One of the most well-known of these tales is that of Hanako-san: Rumors claim that if one successfully manages to summon Hanako-san, the ghost of a young girl who haunts the school's bathrooms, she will grant her summoner any wish. When Nene Yashiro, a girl hoping for romantic fortune, dares to summon Hanako-san, she discovers that the rumored "girl" is actually a boy! After a series of unfortunate events involving Nene's romantic desires, she is unwillingly entangled in the world of the supernatural, becoming Hanako-kun's assistant. Soon, she finds out about Hanako-kun's lesser-known duty: maintaining the fragile balance between mortals and apparitions.

My Rating: 8/10

Kids on the Slope (2012)

If you love jazz, or history, or even heartwarming tales of friendship then this is the show for you. I will admit that is has a bit of a slow start, but by the time you get to the end you’ll be wishing for more.

In 1966, introverted classical pianist and top student Kaoru Nishimi has just arrived in Kyushu for his first year of high school. Having constantly moved from place to place since his childhood, he abandons all hope of fitting in, preparing himself for another lonely, meaningless year. That is, until he encounters the notorious delinquent Sentarou Kawabuchi.    

Sentarou's immeasurable love for jazz music inspires Kaoru to learn more about the genre, and as a result, he slowly starts to break out of his shell, making his very first friend. Kaoru begins playing the piano at after-school jazz sessions, located in the basement of fellow student Ritsuko Mukae's family-owned record shop. As he discovers the immense joy of using his musical talents to bring enjoyment to himself and others, Kaoru's summer might just crescendo into one that he will remember forever.

My Rating: 6/10

Hyouka (2012)

Energy-conservative high school student Houtarou Oreki ends up with more than he bargained for when he signs up for the Classics Club at his sister's behest—especially when he realizes how deep-rooted the club's history really is. Begrudgingly, Oreki is dragged into an investigation concerning the 45-year-old mystery that surrounds the club room.

Accompanied by his fellow club members, the knowledgeable Satoshi Fukube, the stern but benign Mayaka Ibara, and the ever-curious Eru Chitanda, Oreki must combat deadlines and lack of information with resourcefulness and hidden talent, in order to not only find the truth buried beneath the dust of works created years before them, but of other small side cases as well.

           My Rating: 6/10

Tonari no Seki-Kun: The Master of Killing Time (2014)

I absolutely adore this show. The episodes are only about 8 minutes long, and there is very little talking, yet the story still comes through perfectly. It never fails to brighten my day when I’m feeling down.

All Rumi Yokoi wants to do is focus during school, but she is constantly distracted by Toshinari Seki, her neighboring classmate. Paying attention during class is the least of Seki's worries, as he obsesses over intricate setups created using an assortment of items, from an elaborate domino course on his desk to a treacherous war played out with shogi pieces. Yokoi desperately attempts to focus in class, only to be repeatedly sucked into his intriguing eccentricities; however, they always seem to end up with her getting in trouble with their teacher. Fortunately, lessons will never be dull with Seki's antics around!

           My Rating: 9/10

Classroom of the Elite (2017)

On the surface, Koudo Ikusei Senior High School is a utopia. The students enjoy an unparalleled amount of freedom, and it is ranked highly in Japan. However, the reality is less than ideal. Four classes, A through D, are ranked in order of merit, and only the top classes receive favorable treatment.

Kiyotaka Ayanokouji is a student of Class D, where the school dumps its worst. There he meets the unsociable Suzune Horikita, who believes she was placed in Class D by mistake and desires to climb all the way to Class A, and the seemingly amicable class idol Kikyou Kushida, whose aim is to make as many friends as possible.

While class membership is permanent, class rankings are not; students in lower ranked classes can rise in rankings if they score better than those in the top ones. Additionally, in Class D, there are no bars on what methods can be used to get ahead. In this cutthroat school, can they prevail against the odds and reach the top?

           My Rating: 7/10

The Morose Mononokean (2016)

The start of Hanae Ashiya's high school career has not been easy—he has spent all of the first week in the infirmary, and his inexplicable condition is only getting worse. The cause of his torment is the mysterious fuzzy creature that has attached itself to him ever since he stumbled upon it the day before school began.

As his health continues to decline and the creature grows in size, Hanae comes across a flyer advertising an exorcist who expels youkai. Desperate and with nothing left to lose, he calls the number and is led to the Mononokean, a tea room which suddenly appears next to the infirmary. A morose-sounding man, Haruitsuki Abeno, reluctantly helps Hanae but demands payment afterward. Much to Hanae's dismay, he cannot afford the fee and must become an employee at the Mononokean to work off his debt. And to make things worse, his new boss is actually one of his classmates. If Hanae ever hopes to settle his debt, he must work together with Abeno to guide a variety of dangerous, strange, and interesting youkai back to the Underworld.

           My Rating: 6/10

Beyond the Boundary (2013)

Another of my favorite aesthetically pleasing anime, this show has been the one that I show to friends who claim that anime cannot be beautiful (yes, several of my friends have actually said things along that line).

Mirai Kuriyama is the sole survivor of a clan of Spirit World warriors with the power to employ their blood as weapons. As such, Mirai is tasked with hunting down and killing "youmu"—creatures said to be the manifestation of negative human emotions. One day, while deep in thought on the school roof, Mirai comes across Akihito Kanbara, a rare half-breed of youmu in human form. In a panicked state, she plunges her blood saber into him only to realize that he's an immortal being. From then on, the two form an impromptu friendship that revolves around Mirai constantly trying to kill Akihito, in an effort to boost her own wavering confidence as a Spirit World warrior. Eventually, Akihito also manages to convince her to join the Literary Club, which houses two other powerful Spirit World warriors, Hiroomi and Mitsuki Nase.

As the group's bond strengthens, however, so does the tenacity of the youmu around them. Their misadventures will soon turn into a fight for survival as the inevitable release of the most powerful youmu, Beyond the Boundary, approaches.

           My Rating: 7/10

Mekakucity Actors (2014)

I think about this show far more than I’d like to admit. The way they bring different plot lines together continues to amaze me 6 years after watching it for the first time.

On the hot summer day of August 14, Shintarou Kisaragi is forced to leave his room for the first time in two years. While arguing with the cyber girl Ene who lives in his computer, Shintarou Kisaragi accidentally spills soda all over his keyboard. Though they try to find a replacement online, most stores are closed due to the Obon festival, leaving them with no other choice but to visit the local department store. Venturing outside makes Shintarou extremely anxious, but the thought of living without his computer is even worse. It's just his luck that on the day he finally goes out, he's caught in a terrifying hostage situation.

Luckily, a group of teenagers with mysterious eye powers, who call themselves the "Mekakushi Dan," assist Shintarou in resolving the situation. As a result, he is forced to join their group, along with Ene. Their abilities seem to be like pieces of a puzzle, connecting one another, and as each member's past is unveiled, the secret that ties them together is slowly brought to light.

           My Rating: 8/10

Angels of Death (2018)

You totally want to get emotionally attached to cereal killers, right? Of course you do, that’s why you should totally watch this anime.

With dead and lifeless eyes, Rachel Gardner wishes only to die. Waking up in the basement of a building, she has no idea how or why she's there. She stumbles across a bandaged murderer named Zack, who is trying to escape. After promising to kill her as soon as he is free, Rachel and Zack set out to ascend through the building floor by floor until they escape.

However, as they progress upward, they meet more twisted people, and all of them seem familiar with Rachel. What is her connection to the building, and why was she placed in it? Facing a new boss on each floor, can Rachel and Zack both achieve their wishes?

           My Rating: 7/10

Bonus: Stars Align (2019)

I am adding one extra because this anime deserves so much more than it got. I adore every single character in this show and want nothing but to see them be happy. There is so much I adore about this show that I can’t put it all into words. I would recommend you watch this so you can share in my rage that the story was cut off halfway through with no current plans of completing it. There is no manga. There is no way of knowing what happens next. This recommendation is entirely for the purpose of generating more public outcry in the hopes that that causes them to finish the show. Please anime gods, if you are reading this I need to know what happens to my smol tennis boys. Are they safe? Are they alright? 

Constantly outperformed by the girls' club, the boys' soft tennis club faces disbandment due to their poor skills and lack of positive results in matches. In desperate need of members,

Toma Shinjou is looking to recruit capable players, but he fails to scout anyone. Enter Maki Katsuragi, a new transfer student who demonstrates great reflexes when he catches a stray cat in his classroom, instantly capturing Toma's attention. With his interest piqued, Toma ambitiously asks Maki to join the boys' team but is quickly rejected, as Maki doesn't wish to join any clubs. Toma refuses to back down and ends up persuading Maki—only under the condition that Toma will pay him for his participation and cover other club expenses.

As Maki joins the team, his incredible form and quick learning allow him to immediately outshine the rest of the team. Although this gives rise to conflict among the boys, Maki challenges and pushes his fellow team members to not only keep up with his seemingly natural talent, but also drive them to devote themselves to the game they once neglected.

This story focuses on the potential of the boys' soft tennis club and their discovery of their own capability, while also enduring personal hardships and dealing with the darker side of growing up in middle school.

[so-writing]

The Head Tolerates What The Heart Wants - Nolan Patrick (3)

One , Two

“You’re a fucking superstar, Nolan, you need to realize that.”

Every part of him that maybe kind of considered the fact that the two of you could possibly be sort of friends burst into flames and those flames engulfed the entire restaurant. 

“Thanks, thank you, that’s.. that’s really kind of you to say.”

“You’re welcome.”

The two of you sat in silence as you waited for Travis to return with the food, you picking at your nails while Nolan gave his undivided attention to his phone.

What felt like centuries passed before Travis returned with three sandwiches in hand, “I grabbed yours too, Pat.” 

“Thanks,” he whispered and quickly unwrapped the sub, looking everywhere except in your direction. 

*

Seeing Nolan in person and watching him interact with Travis was hard for you. As pathetic as it was, you hated that you still knew his sandwich order and you felt really stupid for having to hold back your tears when Travis brought him something different. 

Only a few months had passed and Nolan had changed, but so had you.

“This has been cool but I’ve gotta get out of here,” Nolan spoke up, “need to meet up with Claude, right Teeks?”

“Yeah, you have that really important meeting so you should go.” 

You saw Nolan give him a thankful glance as he left the restaurant and you noted that Travis rolled his eyes in return. 

“So, how spectacularly did that plan fail? Nolan doesn’t want me, bud. He booked it out of here the first chance he got.”

“Oh shut up,” Travis grinned at you, “you think you know it all but you’ve got no fucking clue. Patty’s an idiot and he knows it. He’s just scared.”

“He’s not scared, and this was a waste of my time. This entire thing has been a waste of time.”

“Wait, you need to listen, I need to tell y-”

“Save it Travis,” you cut him off, “I’m done here.”

You stalked up to the counter and asked for a box before returning to your table and packing up your untouched sandwich and leaving the deli as quickly as your feet could carry you. 

*

“It’s only been a few months since we broke up, why did I get my hopes up that he would have changed his mind? What was I thinking?”

It was the last thing you wanted to do, but you dropped your guard long enough to call your mother and finally tell her everything. Until now, she had no idea why you and Nolan had ended your relationship and definitely none of the details. You sobbed into the phone as she tried her best to console you. 

“Honey, I’m so sorry you’re going through this. You know how much I love Nolan but maybe it’s time you let him go,” she paused for a moment before speaking again, “sometimes the people we love the most aren’t the ones for us. It’s unfair and it’s cruel but maybe it’s for the best.” 

It’s unfair and it’s cruel but maybe it’s for the best.

You repeated your mother’s words over and over in your head as you unfollowed Nolan’s limited social media and blocked the numbers you had for him from your phone. 

Online dating was a completely foreign concept to you, but you threw caution to the wind and downloaded every app available, making sure that your profiles contained your best photos and most interesting short bios. 

*

Nolan wasn’t hiding the fact that he was using dating apps, he just wasn’t talking about it at all unless anyone asked. No one did, so he kept it to himself. 

He was laying on his couch, idly swiping through tinder when the last person he expected to see showed up on his screen.

“What the fuck?”

He clicked on your profile and looked through the photos you posted, unable to deny that you looked fucking incredible. Nolan quickly swiped in favor of a match with you, despite his his strange behavior, because maybe this is what the two of you needed to finally reconnect. 

Deciding tinder wasn’t enough, he fired off a text to you. 

“Hey, I know I’ve weird but I’d really like to grab coffee with you, if you’re willing.” 

Nolan lay on his couch in silence for two hours, with no response from you at all, before deciding to let it go and sleep away his conflicted emotions.

*

“I shouldn’t match with him, right?”

“Of course not, do not match with him. Make him sweat.” 

You swiped Nolan away and responded to his text with a quick response of “i’m not willing.”

It was time to move on and time to let him go.

Interestingly enough, you did match with someone that was kind of in his circle. The Islanders were playing the Flyers tomorrow and you couldn’t deny how attractive a certain Isles player that you might have matched with was. 

“Nolan’s not going to like this.”

“Nolan doesn’t get a fucking say anymore. You are free to spend your free time with anyone you want,” you friend Ash encouraged you to message Mat, telling you that it was time to break free of Nolan.

Mat. Mathew Barzal, he was a super player for the Islanders and you thought he might be just as beautiful as Nolan. The fact that the two of you had matched on Tinder was a surprise but you were taking advantage of it. You didn’t have to do anything though, because he messaged you first.

Hey, I know you. 

How so?

Nolan Patrick, not the case anymore though, eh?

Nope. 

Interesting. Down to meet up after the game? 

Absolutely.

*

You hadn’t planned on going to the game but watching Barzal skate circles around the Flyers made you happy you had changed your mind. 

The Barzal jersey you wore to the game had Travis constantly sending you death glares and Nolan ignoring your existence.

“You don’t get to sit on our side of the stadium and wear that fucking jersey!”

Travis pounded on the glass as he directed his anger at you, “what the fuck are you doing?!” 

Ignoring his yelling, you caught Mat’s eye across the ice and gave him a wink he definitely didn’t see. That didn’t matter though, because both Travis and Nolan saw it.

A few minutes passed before Nolan slammed hard into Mat, hitting him hard in the face with his stick. Travis was there in seconds and the two of them were hitting Barzal like it was a fight to death. 

“Fucking hell,” you whispered, and excused yourself from your seat. 

You spent the rest of the game sitting outside the arena, opposite the opposing team’s locker room. Mat didn’t mean much to you, but he didn’t deserve to be beaten up because your annoying ex boyfriend couldn’t figure out his feelings. 

*

“That wasn’t fun.” 

You were seated in the back of an Uber with Mat Barzal dressed in a nice suit, sporting wet hair, a bloody nose and a black eye.

“I’m so sorry, really, this is all my fucking fault.”

“Yeah,” he smiled easily, “it is, but whatever. My job is to take hits, those weren’t the first and they won’t be the last.”

“Still, fuck, Mat I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s fine, makes me look tough,” he laughed softly.

The Uber stopped in front of his hotel and he guided you up to his room. 

“I’m going to take a shower and then sleep on the couch, the master bed is yours.”

“Mat, what?”

“Sleep well, there is more comfortable stuff for sleeping in the dresser,” he smiled at you before heading into the master bath. 

You lay on Mat’s bed listening to the water run. No part of you wanted to sleep while every ounce of you wanted him. You were tired of pining for Nolan, you wanted Mat and you hoped he wanted you back.

Mat cut the water and you waited impatiently for him to exit the bathroom. When he did, you were more than happy to see his half naked body wrapped in a towel and the surprised look on his face. Rising from the bed, you made you way over to him and wrapping your arms around his neck, you softly pecked his lips.

“I want you, Barzal.”

“You sure?” 

“Absolutely,” you separated your body from his and pulled your (his) shirt over your head, “please, take me.”

*

You woke up naked in an unfamiliar hotel room, feeling warm with a muscular arm wrapped around your waist. Shifting beneath his weight, you turned to face Mat. He slept soundly, his dark hair falling in his face as you took in the sight of him. 

As harsh as it might be, maybe it was time to find yourself a new team, and the Islanders were looking ripe for the picking.

[heisen-shrine]

So I thought of something fun yesterday while I was playing Magic with my best friend. I haven't played the game in a long time but the single match I played with him seriously sparked the idea:

What if the Lords of Resident Evil Village geeked out one night and played Magic the gathering? What would their decks be like? Why would they choose the colors they do and what sort of strategies would they use? Keep in mind this is all fan speculation and just done for fun. That being said, let's check this out!

Alcina

Colors: green, blue, and white

Pretty much to everyone's surprise she doesn't use vampires in her deck. However she has a shit load of low cost elves, just to hold you over until she can get her big stuff out. She uses green for the effects of trample, reach, and some lifelink. Enchantments are mostly for their power ups, add more mana, or to turn mana into temporary creatures.

Blue is the color of no, you're actually not gonna do that and Alcina exploits the ever loving fuck out of this. This woman has counters for days and will not hesitate to use them. She does it partly for trolling and partly to keep her opponent from attacking while she's getting her bigger monsters out on the field. She actually has a wall that if she blocks with it your creature is more or less frozen and you can't use it as long as it's on the field. As far as creatures go in blue she really likes drakes and Nagas.

As far as white, she has three uses for it: healing her points, making tokens, and power ups for her monsters. As far as monsters go in this regard, she loves flying creatures because unless you have reach or another flyer, you cant block them. This annoys ans frustrates the hell out of players.

Downside: snowballing effect. You'll see this a lot with the lords, actually with the exception of maybe one. If you can get her points down early in the game before she gets her bigger green monsters out, you should be all set. Flyers and reachers are are must have if you're gonna take her on, also don't be afraid to counter her counters to ensure victory. Good luck!

2. Donna

Colors: green and black

Donna is a little more humble of a player. Relatively new to the game, she likes her decks to be simple and effective. Of the lords she's probably the easiest to beat...but...if she let's Angie play, you better bend over and pray to whatever deity you believe in because this doll may thrash you into oblivion if you're not ready. We'll talk about her in a minute.

Black is the color of high risk and high reward. It's a color that surprised the others when she started using it, as she doesn't seem to be the ballsy type. As far effects go, she enjoys the abilities of death touch and lifelink. She'll also take any chance on trying to bring one of her precious creatures back from the dead. She is not afraid to sacrifice her own life points in order to do this, which may work in your favor.

As far green goes, she also likes elves but any creature with forest walk or swamp walk is also a good thing in her books. So if you're a fellow Green or black player, good luck with blocking. As far as enchantments go for green, power ups and square up cards for days. Donna will power up her beasts and make them fight one of your own just to reduce your numbers and will do so gladly.

Downside: it's not a necessarily powerful deck. While it can be hard to be block, her monsters tend to be on the weaker side of don't really hit hard...however...

*Angie

Colors: every. Single. One. Even colorless.

That's right: this doll is not afraid to use fucking eldrazis and will do so with the biggest smile on her face. She also collects slivers...for fun. Of course she does. Angie's deck is an absolute chaotic mess from the outside looking in. To her opponents it looks like a mess and sheer nonsense, but through sheer power of absolute will, Angie usually pulls through with a win and on top of that will take your best card for wasting her time. She has stolen cards from the other lords and will keep doing so because deep down she's a card hoarder and her switchboard is actually as big her deck. It's terrifying. She's able to change the color of most of her creatures to colorless and of course the creatures of her opponents. She also uses some artifact creatures just for flavor.

Downside: this is an absolute nightmare deck to go up against, however she's made one serious mistake: her mana. Angie has surprisingly low mana and will either mana screw or mana flood herself. As scary as it is, the deck is a snowballer and it will take a while to come to its full power.

3. Salvatore

Colors: blue, black, green

Is anyone really surprised that this dude is a blue player primarily? If you thought Alcina was a master troll when it comes to counters, oh hell no. Sal will happily give her a run for her money. Lots of counters, lots of freezing effects, and at least one card that gives him the ability to take two turns. He also likes the cards that allow him to see some cards in his deck and then allow him to shuffle if things aren't going favorably. As for creatures, he adores leviathans and krakens, but also loves the tough as nails merfolk.

Black, as we established before, is a high risk high reward color, but Sal primarily uses it for the creatures with death touch, lifelink, and flying thrown in for flavor. As for enchantments, expect a lot of life points lost and a lot of exiles/discarding. He will use these abilities without hesitation or remorse.

Green is the color of enormous and numerous and Sal lives up to that expectation. He has a few smaller animal creatures to hold his opponent off while he gets his bigger stuff out. Some of his creatures have lifelink and forest walk, and some others have reach. He powers up his creatures and floods his side of the field with token creatures. If you're not careful or fast working enough, you could be staring down a big army of beast tokens very quickly.

Downside: snowballing effect...by a long shot. This deck is big and it has big creatures in it. Sal tends to either mana screw or mana flood himself. In times like these, time is of the essence. If you have creatures with haste, you're actually at an advantage, good job. If you're gonna take a shot at Sal, make it count. Strike fast and strike hard before he gets the leviathans out.

4. Karl

Colors: all of them (used to be red primarily, then red blue and green)

I'm a little biased here admittedly because I love Karl and I want him to be great at something besides being a weapon for Miranda. That being said, he will not hesitate to wipe the floor with your ass if you come off as a snotty cock sucker. If you're new to the game he won't annihilate you as hard, but he'll still beat you. You just won't wind up in the negatives.

Karl took a look at Angie's deck and was like, well I'm gonna take this idea and tame it. And holy shit did it work.

Red is the color of aggression. It's a strike fast and strike hard color. It's the color of burn, and burn you shall indeed. All of his red creatures have haste, meaning he can hit you with them when they come out. While the other colors have summoning sickness, red for Karl absolutely does not. He doesn't have time for that mess. Enchantments will basically allow him to destroy your mana, steal it, or go after your points directly. He won't hesitate to do this. At all.

Blue is the no! Color. And damn does Karl say no a lot. He likes the sort of enchantments that allow him to see into his deck or his opponents hand so that way he knows what to do next. As far as creatures go, he exploits the ever loving fuck out of island walk, since almost everyone uses blue. This makes it very hard to block him. If you're a primary blue player good luck.

Green- green is for reachers and lifelink. It's also really good for getting mana out very quickly. He has a couple spiders with death touch and at least one huge basilisk. Enchantments are for getting more lands out, and strengthening his creatures.

White- White is the color of spam for Karl. He'll make an army of token creatures just to throw them at you until your deck no longer functions. He also has at least two flyers, and one really big wall for blocking. Enchantments are usually power ups, or healing his life points.

Black: black is mostly for death touch, and swamp walk. There's also some lifelink thrown in for flavor. He loves nightmare creatures, and even has some vampires to throw at lady super sized bitch (hey at least he's not above using them!). He's also the only lord to use a planeswalker: vraska, the scheming gorgon. And yes all the lords hate him for it.

Downside: mana. Getting mana on the field for him is actually pretty hard. If he starts with anything besides red, you may have a chance to take him down early. If you have any haste creatures or enchantments that offer haste, for God's sake use it. If you have any creatures with any of the mana walks, you're in luck, in that case he can't block you at all. It's a major weakness he didn't think of. Do not let his vraska get to ten or you're a dead man, quite literally.

So I hope you guys enjoyed that because I seriously thought that was fun. I may do one of these for Miranda or even for the Dimitrescu sisters if you really want me to. Have fun yall, and happy gaming!

[savoies]

Miscommunications - Nolan Patrick.

Nolan Patrick x Reader.

Summary: Nolan is feeling a little insecure and he starts to ignore his girlfriend but then they talk it out and it turns out to be just a miscommunication.

Word count : 1143 ( wow im proud) 

Warning: like one bad word.

Nolan was currently on the road to Colorado. The Philadelphia Flyers were going to play against the Colorado Avalanche in about two days. Y/n was currently at home in Philly texting Nolan to text her when he got to Colorado. Y/n and Nolan had been dating for about a year and while y/n was more emotional and Nolan keeped his feelings bottled in, they made it work. She decided just to work on some homework and then go to bed afterwards since it was pretty late when Nolan left for his long road trip of a day.

Nolan had arrived in Colorado a few hours ago and was currently practicing making some goals into the net with Hartsy blocking most of them. Nolan had been off of his game and Tk noticed but didn't mention anything because his best friend wasn't one to talk about his feelings. The game was starting in thirty minutes and warm ups had started. Y/n was back home wearing his number 19 jersey getting prepared for the game to start. She knew Nolan had arrived safely because Tk usually posted stories of the arena they were going to play at. She just decided to send him a good luck text since he didn't text her earlier of his arrival but she didn't want to seem like a mom.

The game ended as the waves of orange were seen through the crowd jumping up and down. The flyers had won against the avalanche and they were pretty damn proud. Nolan walked into the locker room to get changed and when he saw that he had a new text from his girlfriend. He left it on read as he did the other one he received upon his arrival. It wasn't that he was trying to ignore her; he just sometimes got these thoughts into his mind that he wasn't good enough for her. I mean she had a bachelors degree, was studying to get her masters, and she was the most determined person he had ever met. He was just a hockey player. He knew that if he ever got a serious injury his entire career would end. But y/n had her whole life in front of her. Before more of these thoughts could enter his mind Travis walked in and told him they were gonna go out for celebratory drinks. He thought that maybe a couple of those would blur his mind and he would forget about these thoughts. So he got dressed and headed out with the rest of his team mates. 

Y/n watched as the flyers won and jumped up and down as Kevin Hayes made the winning goal. She texted her boyfriend: congrats you did amazing and then call me when you can. Y/n saw the guys stories and saw they went out to get some drinks. She waited about thirty minutes but didn't get a response from her boyfriend. She decided to stop because she didn't want to seem clingy and she decided calling Teeks was a better option. The phone rang about four times when the caller on the other end finally picked up. “Hey Y/n whats up.”

“Hey Tk just calling to congratulate you guys on the win and wondering if I can talk to nols.” the girl said hopeful yet a bit nervous cause it seemed as though her boyfriend was ignoring her. There was shuffling on tks side of the line and then she could hear him shouting “hey pat your girl wants to talk to you.”

“Tell her I'm busy” the 21 year old centerman yelled back. In that moment y/n got enough classification and her heart broke a little. “Hey y/n he’s--...”

“I heard teeks thanks.” the girl said, trying not to cry. She decided to just watch netflix and eat some ice cream cause now it for sure seemed as though her boyfriend was ignoring her. 

“Stop being such a jerk and talk to your girlfriend.” Travis said.

“Don't you think ive tried,” Nolan said, looking down at his shoes avoiding his friend's eye contact. “She's great but she's too good for me. I'm just a hockey player. She could leave me any moment.”

Travis listened to his best friend's sincere confession and thought about how y/n was seriously in love with him and she thought the opposite of everything he had just said. “Pat, i've seen the way that girl looks at you and she's totally whipped and I can say the same for you.” Nolan loved his girlfriend and it seemed like he just needed a slight push from his best friend to realize that they had their differences but they were totally and hopelessly in love.

He decided to step out for some air and call her and tell her how he really felt. Y/n was sitting on the couch when her phone started ringing. Her boyfriend's name flashed across the screen as she completed picking up. She decided to ignore how she was hurting and instead answered it cause deep down she could never be mad at her big goofball of a boyfriend. There was silence for a few minutes as the static was heard on both sides of the line. Then finally Nolan spoke up with a simple hey.

“Hey bub.” y/n said back. It felt good to hear his voice. 

“Uhm wow ive been such a dick to you and i'm sorry, it's just sometimes i wonder why you're with me--..”

“Nol--..”

“Wait y/n let me finish, cause you know how hard this is for me.” The girl let him continue. “Sometimes it seems as though you are too good for this world and way too good for me and Tk made me realize that I should stop bottling up my feelings and talk to you about them. Communication is a big part of relationships and that's what I'm doing right now. I love you and I'm sorry sometimes I'm not good enough.” Nolan said exasperated at the end of his emotional speech.

There was silence for a few moments while y/n was trying hard not to cry. “Baby are you there?” 

“Yeah sorry bubs, Nols if you ever feel this way please tell me. I love you so much and you are seriously perfect for me. I understand communicating is hard for you but you know i'm always here to listen. You are always good enough and beyond that. I'm glad Travis made you talk about it. God, I love you so much Nolan Patrick.”

By the end of her speech they were both trying not to cry. “I love you lovebug. I'll call you later when i get to the hotel.”

“I'll be waiting.” y/n said glad that all this was just a miscommunication.

Tags so it doesn't flop: @marner-lovebot @hockey-anyone @mitch-slap @mymanseguin @leafsxhockeywrxtes @summerko8

[dp-marvel94]

Missing Persons

Summary: A halfa is half human and half ghost. Danny learns the dark truth of how Vlad created all of those fully grown clones.

Word Count:  11025

Also on AO3 and ff.net

Note: For the Phic Phight- prompt by @hpwot. This turned out really long, going to several directions I wasn’t expecting so took forever to write. I also referenced some things that happened in my stories Angst Day and Candlelight, but you don’t need to have read those to enjoy this. I hope you enjoy it!

Warning: ANGST, lots of angst, self-depreciation, crying ect..  There’s a nightmare scene about the ‘clones’ destabilizing  featuring a fair amount of ectoplasm, blood, gore, torture, and human experimentation.

It started with a flyer on a corker board in a random gas station. Danny walked right by it the first time, in a hurry to get to the restroom after spending way too much time in the RV. As fun as this trip had been, he was really happy to be heading home. After using the toilet and washing his hands, the boy walked out of the restroom. He stretched, intent on walking around for a bit, and grabbing a soda and some snacks before having to be trapped in the RV for another six hours.

Walking past the board again, Danny paused, staring at the flyer- a missing person’s poster. The boy frowned; that was really sad. The protector in him, that part of him that had grown into and worked in harmony with his Obsession after becoming a half ghost, ached a little at the sight. Just enough for him to take a closer look. Tilting his head, the boy took a step closer. The picture showed a preteen girl, about 12 years old with blue eyes and unruly black hair in a ponytail. Feeling a tinge of familiarity, he grabbed the paper and pulled it free.

Looking down, Danny’s brow furrowed in thought. He scrutinized the picture: the narrow nose, a splash of freckles, and chubby cheeks. The girl looked a lot like Danielle, his female clone who went by Elle. He scanned the information, his eyes widening. 

Missing Since: February 18th 2019

Missing from: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

D.O.B: November 4th, 2007

Age Now: 12

Sex: Female

Race: White

Hair Color: Black

Eye color: Blue

Height: 4’ 7”

Weight: 85 lbs

Danny’s eyes tailed over the name: Danielle Anne Martins. His jaw dropped looking at the picture again. The girl stood in front of a tree wearing a light blue blouse and grinning brightly in a smile Danny knew he recognized. She didn’t JUST look a lot like Danielle.

“What are you looking at?” Jazz’s voice startled him out of his thoughts. 

She stood beside him and looked over at the paper. Her eyes widened, taking in the picture. Danny looked at her. Was she seeing what he was?

Swallowing, the boy found his voice, quietly saying “She looks exactly like Elle.”

“She does.” Jazz nodded, voice rising in amazement.

The two siblings looked at each other. Danny felt certainty rising at Jazz’s agreement, though his mind swam with new questions. Why was her picture here, on a missing person’s flyer under a false name? His younger clone, created and then thrown away by Vlad Masters. Vlad….

Anger flaring, Danny gripped the paper tighter. “I can’t believe this.” He looked side to side, making sure no one was listening. Seeing everyone, especially their parents, were well out of earshot, he hissed. “The freaking froot loop. He’s still trying to find her. He must have made this.”

Jazz raised an eyebrow. “What? Why?”

“So people will be on the look out for her.” He pointed at the paper. “And look here, it says to call this number if you have information. And I bet that’s not actually the number for the Milwaukee Police.” The boy huffed. 

His older sister hummed thoughtfully.  "I suppose that makes sense. Although….."

Jazz was cut off by her mom's voice. "Kids." Danny looked up as the woman walked around the corner.  "Are you ready to check out? We need to get going." 

Jazz's mouth snapped shut as Danny shoved the paper in his pocket.  Trying to look casual, the boy said. "Yeah. Give me a minute. I'll meet you at the register. " 

With a nod,  their mother walked away.  Heading toward the cooler for a soda, Danny paused as Jazz put a hand on his shoulder.  "We should talk about this more when we get home. " She whispered, gently.

The boy nodded. "Yeah. And figure out what to do about it. Maybe ask Tucker to look into it?" 

"That sounds like a good idea." Jazz agreed, moving her hand. "Now let's get moving before Mom gets suspicious."

Agreeing, Danny picked his drink and some snacks. After mom paid for his rootbeer, cheese-its, and candy bar with the other family members’ choices, everyone returned to the RV.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For a while, Danny distracted himself with a game on his phone but the folded paper in his jean pocket seemed too heavy, keenly reminding him of its presence...and this picture of Elle it held. Shaking his head, Danny tried to turn his attention back to the normally addicting game but his clone’s bright eyes and wide smile flashed in his mind. Worry churned in his gut as he wondered where Elle was and if she was okay. The paper in his pocket just served to increase the ever present, though subtle anxiety. His clone… his little sister …...no matter what, a part of his family struggling on the streets without regular food and shelter, running from the police and ghosts hired by Vlad, the thought made his stomach churn. She didn’t need this complication, this additional target on her back. His core and heart ached; Danny wanted her safe and protected. Really he wanted her off the streets and with a stable home and family. You could give her that if you weren’t too much of a coward to tell Mom and Dad. A small guilty part of him snapped.

Danny pushed the thought down. Elle could take care of herself and he and his friends were already doing what they could to help her. And figuring out about this missing person flyer and erasing any evidence of it on the internet would ease up some of her burden, giving the girl back her anonymity and making it harder for Vlad to get his claws in her again.

The half-truths didn’t really help Danny’s conscience as they continued towards Amity Park.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny, Sam, and Jazz meet at Tucker’s house the next day.

“It does look like Elle.” Sitting on the bed, Tucker furrowed his brow, handing the flyer to Sam who sat on a beanbag chair beside him. 

“It does.” Sam nodded. “And the timing matches up, February of last year. That’s three months before we met her when Vlad kidnapped you.”

Danny agreed from his seat on the other bean bag. “Yeah. And all the other information lines up. Man, Vlad did a good job of making this look official.”

“He really did.” Tucker turned his computer around. “Her poster is on the website for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.”

“Really?” Danny leaned forward. “Huhh… all of the information’s the same. Even the phone number for the Milwaukee Sheriff's Office.” 

“Do you think that’s the actual number?” Jazz asked from her seat on the floor.

Danny raised an eyebrow. “What? You want to call it?”

The red-head rolled her eyes. “No. We can just google it.”

A few clicks on the computer and Tucker nodded. “Yeah. It looks like the legit number.”

Well, his previous idea that the number would contact Vlad or someone working for him was false. 

“Huhhh” Danny frowed. “Why would Vlad use the actual police phone number though?”

“He probably had to, to make it ‘official.’ It’s not like he couldn’t get the information from the police if they do find her.” Sam said.

“But why the fake last name? I figured Vlad would want to call her Danielle Masters.” Danny shivered at the thought.

“Well Vlad is very famous.” Jazz crossed his arms. “Him suddenly having a daughter would be very suspicious.” 

“Yeah. That makes sense. Especially if he plans on hurting her again.” Danny balled his fists, remembering Vlad’s sneers about how he would melt Elle down to figure out why she lasted so long.

Jazz put a gentle hand on his arm. “We’ll get to the bottom of this and make sure that doesn’t happen, Danny.”

The halfa couldn’t help but subtly smile, comforted at his older sister’s understanding. All of the insanity of his life since becoming a half ghost and his sister and two best friends were always by his side. Elle and the situation that led to meeting her was definitely one of the weirdest things that had happened since then. And Sam, Tucker, and Jazz had taken it in stride, loving the younger girl like Danny did, even if the older halfa was closest to her.

“Guys.” Tucker’s voice interrupted Danny’s thoughts. “What if it’s not a fake last name?”

The techno-geek’s unusual seriousness gave the other boy pause. “What?”

Not answering for a moment, Tucker moved from the bed to the floor with his laptop. He took a deep breath, motioning Danny over. “Take a look.”

Something like dread balling in his stomach, Danny walked forward to sit on Tucker’s left. Sam joined from the other side with Jazz beside her. 

“There’s a lot of information about the case.” Tucker said, as Danny took in the search results. “There’s a Facebook group, a website, and news reports.” 

Tucker clicked on a link, an article from the Milwaukee news station about the disappearance of a local middle schooler, featuring a smiling picture of Danielle. Danny perused the words, heart sinking.

“This looks real.” Jazz quietly commented.

But Sam shook her head. “Vlad still could have made up the report and a news station picked it up.”

“But the date is from before we even meet Elle.” Tucker pointed.

Sam’s mouth snapped shut and Tucker hit the back button. He clicked on another news report. This time, it showed a video of a man and woman a few years younger than Danny’s parents. The barrett-wearing boy clicked play. A banner ran across the bottom, with the names Joshua and Sarah Martins.

“Are those…” Jazz started. 

But Danny shushed her, waving his hand.

The woman, Sarah, held up a picture of Danielle, the one from the missing person’s poster. “This is our daughter, Danielle. She never came home from school on February 18th.” Tears started falling down her face. “Someone...someone took her. Our Elle was taken from us.” She sniffled. “Please, please. I just want my daughter back.”

The woman’s voice broke into a sob. The man, Joshua, took her hand and squeezed it. He continued, voice shaking. “There’s no ransom note and no more leads. Please, please. We need information. If...if you see Elle or have any information about her...her kidnapping please...please call the police.” The man started crying too. “To the person that took her, please we’ll do anything. Just give us our daughter back.”

The video ended, leaving the room in silence. Danny fixed his eyes on the floor. That….that couldn’t be real...no.  Sam and Tucker looked at each other.

Sam crossed her arms. “Vlad could have paid them to pretend to be her parents?” 

“I don’t know…..” Tucker shrugged uncomfortably. 

“We should keep looking.” Jazz added.

Danny said nothing, dread still growing.

Tucker clicked on a few more web pages- another article, Facebook posts, a blog about the investigation. Danny glanced over, taking in the pictures and words. His mind barely registered his friends and sister’s conversation.

“There is no way this is actually her.” Sam argued.

“But it looks like Elle.” Tucker said

“Well, maybe it’s doctored. Or it’s a coincidence.”

Danny’s mind focused on the pictures, each one pricking his heart. A baby in a pink dress. A three year old girl at the beach. A five year old hunting for Easter eggs. A smiling girl blowing out birthday candles, showing the number 6. 

“So this is a real kidnapping but the girl isn’t our Elle, just happens to look like her?”

“I don’t buy that explanation.” Jazz added.

Danielle with the two adults from the video in a family photo. Opening Christmas presents. Swinging at the park.

“So this is our Elle? But Vlad said that she was a clone of Danny. There’s no way this can be her.” Sam spread her arms.

A school photo, showing Elle in a red shirt and black pants. An eleven year old at an amusement park with her parents (?)

“But don’t you think it’s weird that Vlad managed to make half human clones in a few months?”

The pictures look so real. The expressions so like the Elle he knew and loved….but they couldn’t be real. Elle was his clone, created by Vlad. Not...not...

“Jazz is right.” Tucker said. “Even if Vlad could make a clone of Danny, they’d be a few months old at the most now. Not a preteen like Elle. It’s not possible. ”

Danny shook his head. No. No. Tucker was right; it shouldn’t be possible. But this, what the evidence implied, wasn’t either. Vlad couldn’t have, he wouldn't have done that. The fruit loop was crazy but he wasn’t this demented. Was he?

Then again, that asshole gleefully tried to kill a little girl who called him Daddy. Why wouldn’t he resort to kidnapping and...?

“He experimented on her.” Before Danny really registered what he said, the words poured out.

The other three teens stopped talking to look at him. Jazz’s expression fell. “You think so?”

“We know how desperate and crazy that bastard is. If he wanted to make a half ghost that badly, why wouldn’t he just kidnap and experiment on someone to do that?” Danny shrugged, numb mind failing to process the weight. “I mean Jazz has a point. Halfas are half ghost and half human. You need a human body for that….and you can’t just make one in a few months.”

Sam put her hand on her head. “But….what about her parents? If Elle really was kidnapped, wouldn’t she have said something to us, so we could help her find them?”

“She obviously doesn’t remember.” Jazz’s voice wavered. “Whatever Vlad did to her must have made her lose her memories.”

The pain in Jazz’s voice pricked Danny’s heart. His fists balled.

“Oh God.” Jazz’s hand covered her mouth. “I mean...we already knew….he...he tried to melt her. But he tortured her. He messed with her mind and made her think she was a clone.”

Danny’s blood ran cold. There were ghostly things that could mess with people’s minds; Clockwork told him about them. Plants that grew near the River Lethe, even the water itself for a more permanent erasure. Without his mind’s permission, Danny imagined. 

Vlad strapping Elle to a table as she begs him to let her go. Pining electrodes to her forehead. Feeding her glowing purple leaves until she threw up. With gloved fingers, pouring Lethean water down her throat.

The horror on Sam’s face steadily grew as she paled. “What...what did that bastard even do to her to turn her into a half ghost?”

Elle screaming as Vlad electrocutes her with his own powers. Injecting her with ectoplasm, the green ooze bubbling up through her skin. Throwing her into an inactivated portal and starting it. Vlad grinning as she stumbles out...until her feet start melting and she screams.

Danny wanted to scream too. Gritting his teeth, he transformed. “I’m going to kill that son of a bitch.”

Rising from the floor, the half ghost phased through the window.

“Danny! No!” “Come back, Danny!” “Danny! Please!” 

He ignored the calls behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luckily, Danny’s brain caught up with him before he got to Vlad’s mansion in Amity Park. He couldn’t fight Vlad, not right now. Growling, he turned away. The boy flew aimlessly, stewing in anger.

How could he do this?! How could that bastard kidnap a twelve year old to experiment on her?! 

Danny came to the woods just outside Amity Park, a familiar place he had visited to train with Sam and Tucker. Floating a little ways above the ground, the half ghost lit his fists with ectoplasm and he shot at a tree. The blast hit it, blacking the bark with a hiss as Danny imagined shooting a smug look off of Vlad’s face. 

That son of a bitch. 

Darting forward, the half ghost punched a tree. He imagined Vlad’s face, ectoplasm leaking from his nose, as the wood creaked but didn’t fall. Danny was already so angry, pissed off, over how Vlad had treated Elle earlier. Anger burned through his veins, as he remembered glaring at Vlad in hatred after Valerie and he saved his then cousin. “Don’t come near her again.” He’d demanded, baring fangs.

And now he knew all of the other shit Vlad had done to his clone! With a raged yell, Danny shot out another ectoblast. Except Danielle wasn’t a clone at all. She was a formally human, normal little girl!

Suddenly something swished through the trees. With a yelp, Danny ducked just as it flew over his head. With a metallic thud, the object lodged itself in a tree. 

He turned, finding the Boo-merang in the tree beside him. The boy pulled it out, studying it thoughtfully. He figured Sam, Tucker, and Jazz were looking for him, probably to stop him from doing something incredibly stupid.  

"Danny!" Several voices echoed through the trees. 

"Over here!" He called with a sigh.

"Danny!" Someone called again, the subtle relief indicating they heard him.

Floating towards the voices, Danny paused as his friends and sister appeared through the trees. The three teens spotted him and ran forward. 

“You’re okay!” Sam exclaimed.

“Dude. We thought we were going to have to save you from Vlad.” Tucker gave a subtle smile. “Or save Vlad from you.”

“That’s not funny.” Jazz elbowed him. Then she glared at Danny. “You can’t just run off like that!”

“It’s fine.” Danny scoffed, lightly. “I stop before I did anything stupid.”

“I guess we got lucky for once.” Jazz crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at him.

“I’m not a complete idiot, Jazz! I wasn’t going to go off half-cocked against Vlad! He’d cream me if I don’t have a plan.” Danny gritted his teeth, aura flaring. “And then how are we supposed to make Vlad pay for what he did to Elle?!”

Jazz looked at him, worriedly. “Believe me. I know that you’re angry but…”

The floating halfa cut her off. “I’m not angry. I am PISSED OFF. I have never wanted to beat Vlad up more. That bastard….he...he kidnapped Danielle, took her away from her parents, her friends, her whole life.” He waved his arms. “He brainwashed her. He tortured her, almost killed her so many times.” His eyes flashed, as his volume increased. “He...he turned her into the same kind of freak as me!”

“Danny….” Tucker started.

“No! She was normal! Now Elle thinks she’s a freaking half ghost clone of me! So yeah, I want to make Vlad pay!”

“Danny!” Sam’s angry bark silenced the half ghost. He floated back, expected to be yelled at for wanting revenge on the older halfa. But the girl surprised him. “I’m with you.”

“What?” Danny’s eyes widened, his fury lessening into a simmering rage.

“That man needs to be stopped.” Sam’s eyes burned with anger.

Tucker nodded. “Yeah. He can’t just let him keep doing shit like this.”

“You guys agree with me?” The halfa raised an eyebrow. 

“Of course.” Jazz spread her arms. “Vlad kidnapped and experimented on someone. With all the other shit he’s done, this is the last straw. He’s done.”

Danny studied his sister, at once surprised and encouraged that the normally clean mouthed girl agreed with him to the point of cursing. The boy floated down, feet coming to rest on the forest floor. He crossed his arms. “So what do you guys want to do about this?”

Tucker furrowed his brow. “Man, we don’t know yet.”

“Yeah.” Sam nodded. “We just need to be smart about it. Whatever plan we come up with needs to absolutely work and for the long run.”

“And we need to tell Elle.” Jazz frowned. 

Danny paled. “Tell Elle…?”

“Yes. If we’re permanently dealing with Vlad, she needs to be involved.” Jazz bite her lip. “And we need to get her back to her parents after Vlad is dealt with.”

Danny remained silent, looking down. Her parents. The thought of that was so foreign, he could hardly believe it. A confusing mix of emotions swirled in his gut. He should be happy at the thought of his clone… sister…. Err… whatever they were now, having a safe home and family. But he wasn’t. Anxiety over how she would react spiked. Would she be happy, upset, angry at Vlad? Or at him, for not figuring this out sooner? For being the only reason Vlad did this to her in the first place. A small vile part of himself hissed. He pushed that thought away.

“Let’s go home, little brother.” He looked up, finding Jazz in front of him with her hands on his.

“Yeah.” Tucker came from his left, putting one arm around him. “We can figure all of this out later.”

Jazz stepped back and Sam stepped forward to hug him quickly. “And it’ll be okay. No matter what.”

“Thanks guys.” Giving his best, though uncertain smile, Danny returned to his human form. 

The four teens started walking out of the woods, back towards Jazz’s car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After dropping Sam and Tucker off, the two Fenton siblings started heading home. Danny stayed quiet throughout the ride, still not talking once they arrived home. At dinner, Danny picked at his food while Jazz was also unusually subdued. 

“Are you two okay?” Their mother asked, with raised brow.

Jazz sighed. “I’m okay. Just tired.”

“I’m tired too.” Danny said and it wasn’t a lie. With his previous anger spilled and morphed into anxious guilt, the boy felt emotionally drained. “Can I be excused?” He asked, pushing his still half-full plate away.

Maddie frowned. “Alright.”

The boy stood up and forced himself to walk calmly out of the room, though he could feel his family’s worried gaze burning into the back of his head. Making it up the stairs and into his room, he closed the door and slumped sadly onto his bed. 

Not five minutes later, Jazz knocked on his door before opening it at Danny’s permission. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Danny shook his head. “No.”

Jazz’s face softened. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Jazz. I promise, we’ll talk about everything soon. I …. Just need to be alone right now.”

Though her mouth was set like she wanted to argue, the older teen closed the door and went to her room.

Danny couldn’t help but stew in his thoughts. Furry at Vlad still raged below the surface but guilt also threatened to overwhelm. As did curiosity about who exactly Danielle was before Vlad took her.

Despite the wavering guilt, Danny opened his computer and looked up Danielle Martins’ kidnapping. Like before, dozens of results appeared and he looked, heart sinking at every picture, every article, and every video. 

Danny returned to the photo album on Facebook. Years worth of pictures. A record of Elle’s life. A life she didn’t remember because Vlad took it from her. But she looked so happy and so loved in those photos. He clicked back, finding the video they first watched earlier.

I just want my daughter back. Sarah Martins words rang in his head after he rewatched the video. She and her husband sounded so desperate, so heartbroken. There were other videos too, months worth of them longing for their child to return. Their child. The reality really hit him again. Those were Danielle’s parents. Two people that loved her and wanted to see her again more than anything else in the world. 

And she had been ripped away from them, because of Danny. No, no. It wasn’t his fault. Vlad’s the one who did this….except….the older halfa wouldn’t have tried to make his own halfa child if Danny had just joined him. If Danny had just given him what he wanted, Elle wouldn’t have been taken and tortured. Her terror filled face as she destabilized flashed through his mind. That wouldn’t have happened, if it wasn’t for him.

The guilt lodged in his stomach, heavy like he swallowed a bunch of rocks. Would Danielle hate him after this? Would she blame him? Before this he knew she struggled with her identity as a clone of him. He’d fought to show her that she wasn’t just a copy but a real person. That he loved and valued her but sometimes he still wondered if she still felt bitter towards him because of her status as a clone. 

Except, she wasn’t a clone. She was a twelve year old who'd had her identity stolen. Would she hate him for his part in taking that away? Or maybe even worse, would she want nothing to do with him? His heart clenched painfully. He felt so selfish but tears pricked his eyes as he realized, they weren’t actually related. It was so stupid, such a dumb thing to worry about but she was his family and just this afternoon, he would have happily called her his baby sister. But that wasn’t actually true. Before when she’d been his ‘clone,’ they had a blood connection to link them, even if they were upset with each other. But now that connection was just gone. And it would crush him if she wanted nothing to do with him.

Letting a tear fall, Danny closed the computer a little harder than he intended. He huffed feeling slightly angry with himself; he was being so selfish. This wasn’t about him; it was about Elle. So what right did he have to feel like this? Maybe Elle should hate him. Putting his laptop on his desk, Danny laid down and cried until he fell asleep.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny floats in Vlad’s lab. In the blink of an eye, Elle appears in front of him, her arms crossed. “Why didn’t you find out about this sooner?”

“I’m….I’m sorry Elle.” He stutters.

She just glares at him, baring her teeth. Then there’s a yelp and she’s on the floor, her leg melting. “This wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for you!” 

“Elle!” He darts forward to help her. 

But in a blink, she’s gone, not even a puddle of ectoplasm left. And he’s staring at asphalt, not the concrete of Vlad’s lab. Suddenly something burning hits him in the back. Danny whipped around. Ten feet from him stands a boy a few inches taller than him, his skin grey and covered with sores. He flexes muscular arms….no, not muscular but swollen. Like his throat’s closing in an allergic reaction but it’s his whole body. Somehow the boy still speaks. “Why did you kill me?”

“I….I didn’t….” Danny tries to argue. 

But the boy shot Danny again. With a pained scream, the not-clone dissolves into ectoplasm.

Danny screams as someone slams into him from behind. A figure under a bedsheet, red eyes glowing under the fabric. A hand under the sheet whips the fabric away, revealing….a human looking boy with black hair. “Why Danny?”

“I don’t….” The halfa stutters.

The other boy doubles over in pain, screaming bloody murder. His skin runs, turning soupy and sloshing off his body. Blood and muscle, wet flesh and organs pour off of him, sizzling with the smell of old pennies and the sickly citrus of ectoplasm. Danny jumps back, eyes wide with horror. The boy is left a burned, black skeleton with unnatural red eyes still in sockets.

The skeleton moves. Oh god, oh god. He’s still alive. “Why did you let him tortuture me?” An echoing voice hisses.

Suddenly, the two are somewhere else. The mini golf course. The skeleton sits against the windmill. “Change.” It demands. 

Without his mind’s instruction, Danny’s hand raises, lit green with ectoplasm. “No! No! No!”

The energy surges forth, the ghostly figure burning to cinders with a shriek.

Danny falls to his knees, stomach heaving with disgust. Then he’s in Vlad’s lab again, in front of a metal table. The half ghost stands and his heart drops. A boy is chained to the table with an IV in his arm. 14 or 15, blue eyes, black hair. Nose a little wider than Danny’s, eyes a little closer together, jaw a little more defined. But Danny and the boy still look like they could be siblings.

The blue eyes fall on him. “Oh, thank god. Thank god. Are you here to save me?”

“Ummm.” Danny stutters.

“Please. Please let me out of these. Before it happens again.” The boy begs. Suddenly, the sound of machinery whirling starts. “No! No! NO!” 

The boy screams as glowing green liquid- ectoplasm- flows through the IV line. “Let me go! Let me go! Please.” The ectoplasm enters his veins and the boy screams. His chest heaves as ectoplasm bubbles up through his skin. He arcs back in pain but his body suddenly sages, strangely deflating like his bones are melting. “Please! Please! It hurts.”

Danny stares in horror, wanting to move forward but frozen in place. The boy’s voice gargles, sounding wet as his skin oozes, becoming green and sticky. His gooey body wavers strangely like a jostled waterbed. “No! NO! Not this. Anything but this!”

Impossibly, the boy’s body stretches like puddy. Before…..compressing. There’s a crunch as he shrinks, voice becoming higher and higher as his whole body grows smaller. The tiny voice weeps, joining Danny’s cries as his body finally unfreezes. 

Danny stumbles forward, gentle hand picking up the tiny body. “I’ll….I’ll figure out how to….”

The tiny ghost disappears from his hands with a shriek. Then there’s a pained cry behind the halfa. He whips around, running forward as the same boy as earlier, full sized but with white hair and green eyes, starts melting into ectoplasm. Danny runs forward, hoping to do something. But with a gurgle, the boy becomes a puddle of ectoplasm at his feet.

Danny covers his mouth, feeling sick. He blinks and he’s standing in front of an ectoplasm-filled tank. Another boy floats in the tank, in a black and white suit like Danny’s, his white hair floating around his head, and a face so very like Danny’s. There is a beat of stillness, of quiet. The only sound is the soft swirling of liquid inside the pod. Taking a deep breath, Danny puts one hand on the glass. 

Startled, ectoplasmic green eyes pop opened. With a roar, the glass breaks, shards and the watery-ectoplasm soup cascading down onto Danny who hisses as the glass digs into his raised arms. Then a solid, heavy but freezing cold body falls onto him. The figure crashes onto Danny, who falls knees buckling. He hits the ground with a thud, the pounding of his heart ringing in his ears. The boy, still immobile in shock from the sudden wake up and fall, starts hacking. It takes a few moments for Danny to register when the boy starts talking panickedly.

“What… where am I?” Neon green eyes meet Danny’s as the not-clone struggles to push himself off of Danny with shaking arms. “Who are you? How did I get here?”

“I’m...I’m Danny.” The half ghost’s voice shakes, answering the only question he knows the answer too. 

The other boy moves off of him, sitting on his knees and Danny manages to sit up. The boy stares at his glowing hands, eyes wide with shocked fear. “What...what did you do to me?”

“I...I didn’t….” Danny starts.

Then the boy screams. “Oh my god. My hands!” His hands start melting, oozing with viscous ectoplasm. He waves the limbs as if trying to shoo it away. His face scrunches up in pain and he shrieks again. “Oh god, oh god. My legs! What’s happening to me?!” He falls forward as the ectoplasm spreads to his knees.

Danny catches him. The other boy….the other halfa’s weak core vibrates against Danny’s chest. A core very much like his, likely made with his ectoplasm. Danny’s arms wrap around the other boy’s shoulders. “It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay.” 

“It hurts. It hurts.” The boy begs.

Danny’s body responds automatically, reacting to the other’s distress. His core reaches out, his energy trying to stabilize, to heal the other boy. But nothing happens, the ectoplasm spreads. “No. No.” Danny whispers.

The not-clone sobs. “Please make it stop!”

Desperate, Danny tries again. “Come on! Come on!” 

The destabilization spreads, eating the other boy up to his elbows. His chest heaves against Danny’s. “Please help me! I don’t want to die!”

Danny shakes, pushing energy out of his core but it just hits a wall, the boy in his arms still suffering. “No. Please.” The halfa cries, sobbing. Not again. Please not again. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Still melting, the boy’s arms and legs disappear. Danny still holds him. “Please. I don’t want to die.” He sniffles. “I just want to go home.”

Danny’s heart breaks and he rocks back and forth, maybe to soothe himself, maybe to soothe the dying boy. “Just….just hang on.” Maybe if Danny can just move, just get the boy in a thermos, he can buy some time to figure this out. But he's frozen.

And Danny’s pleas are no use. The viscous liquid hungrily eats the boy to his waist and inches higher. “I just want to go home.” His voice breaks. “Tell them I love them. My…..my….my….my…..tell my….”

“Who?” Danny asks, whole body shaking. The ectoplasm drenches his clothes.

“I….I can’t….I don’t remember.” Somehow the sobs grow even louder. “I can’t remember my name. My name.”

“I’m sorry.” Danny whispers again.

“What’s my name? My name. Please Danny, what’s my name?” 

“I...I don’t know.” Danny squeezes tighter, feeling the body under his arms turning squishy and wet.

“Please. I don’t know who I am!” The dying boy screams, painfully. “ I don’t want to die!” 

His own heart clenching in pain, Danny forces his head up so he’s looking in the other boy’s eyes while still holding him to his chest. “I’ll find them. I’ll find them, okay.” A green tint travels up the boy’s face, the skin turning gooey. “I’ll figure out who you are and tell your family what happened.”

“Thank you.” A wet voice whispers, as the ectoplasm consumes the boy’s ears and nose. 

Then the boy's mouth is gone, his hair no more than streaks of green. For a moment, a head shaped  glob of ectoplasm hangs in the air, two neon green eyes staring into Danny’s soul. The halfa’s stomach flops queasy, before the globe….. The boy’s remains…. His corpse….losses form, splashing onto Danny’s chest. The eyes fall onto his lap and fizzle away. Drenched in ectoplasm, Danny turns to the side and vomits.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny woke up in his bed, stomach heaving. Springing up, he barely made it to the toilet before throwing up. He wiped his mouth with his hand and cried, his stomach settling but the disgust, the pain, the guilt remaining. Shaking, the boy made it to the sink and spit. He stared down at his filth covered hands. His mind rang with pain. Elle….Elle hadn’t been the only clone. There were others. Oh god….and they all died. All of them. Danny killed the other clones with his own hands, except they weren’t clones. Those were real people with families and lives. And he killed them. He was a murderer. 

Distantly, he registered the bathroom door opening. A soft voice talked to him, his older sister. But he didn’t understand the words, still sobbing. She rubbed his back, muttering to him. Her gentle hands wiped his hands and mouth with a wet cloth but he didn’t move. Why was she being nice to a murderer like him?

The toilet flushed and a cup of water appeared in front of him. With shaking hands, he took a sip and spit it out before drinking some. Jazz’s hands gently grabbed his elbow and she walked him down the hall. He blinked and he was sitting on Jazz’s bed with a water bottle in his hands.

“Danny.” She touched his face, repeating. “Danny.”

A little clarity entered his eyes. “Jazz.”

His sister smiled kindly. “Are you okay?” The boy shook his head, looking down. Jazz sat down beside him. “Did you have a nightmare?”

The understanding tone prompted him to look up, nodding.

Jazz frowned. “About...what we found out today.”

“Yeah.” He said defeatedly, tears renewing..

Jazz also rubbed her eyes and Danny looked over, passively noticing her slumped shoulders and red rimmed eyes. “I’m shaken up about it too. If you're ready , we can talk about it.”

The boy sighed, the haunting images from his dream flashing through his mind again. All that pain, all that torture, all that death and it was his fault. The words forced their way out of his throat. “I….I killed them Jazz.”

“Danny…” Jazz started.

“No. The others, I killed them.” He looked down at his hands. “I shoot them, Jazz, with my own hands. And I killed them.”

“The other clones.” His sister said, voice understanding.

Danny shook his head. “They weren’t clones. They…..They were kids that Vlad kidnapped and tortured and I….I killed them.” He sniffled. “And even the ones I didn’t shoot, I just stood there and watched. I just….just watched them die and did nothing.”

A sob rose from his throat and more poured out. Collapsing in sorrow, Danny leaned into Jazz’s side as she put an arm around his waist. He wept and Jazz cried with him until his tears slowed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometime later, Danny sniffled, feeling marginally better though he remained heavy with guilt. He glanced over at Jazz and frowned, wiping his eyes. “I’m sorry I woke you up.”

She straightened, turning a little to look at him directly. “It's okay. I am always here to listen and cry with you. That’s what big sisters are for.”

Danny blushed. If he had been more awake or less upset he might have whined at her sappiness. But right now, it was nice to have her here, though he felt guilty. 

Jazz continued. “And I wasn’t asleep anyway. I couldn’t after everything” She bit her lip. “….so I started looking up other missing person’s cases.”

“Oh” Danny paled.

Jazz nodded. “I found several cases of boys your age with black hair and blue eyes. I think you’re right about the others being kids Vlad kidnapped.”

Heart sinking, Danny clenched and unclenched his hands. He had already suspected that. No, he already knew it with certainty. Tucker was right; you can’t just create a teenager in a few months. And unless you were creating the most rudimentary of blob ghosts, something….or someone had to die to make a ghost.

His stomach churned. “So they died...twice over. First Vlad killed them to make them half ghost. Then….I...I just watched them...die again.”

Danny trailed off, the confirmation stinging as he realized more. Jazz had found posters….meaning those previously nameless not-clones had names he could learn. Real human faces, underneath the twisted ghostly vestiges that haunted his dreams. He stood up, suddenly not ready to face that. “I…..I should let you sleep.”

“Danny, Wait.” Jazz grabbed his wrist. “You know it’s not your fault, right? What happened to Elle and the other kids, those were Vlad’s choices. He did that, not you.”

Danny couldn’t meet her eyes. “Yeah, I know.” He weakly said, though he didn’t mean it.

“Danny.” She pulled him closer and he sat down, realizing from her tone she wasn’t going to let him go until she talked to him. She sighed, expression softening. “Do you remember when you finally told me everything that happened when Vlad kidnapped you, when you first met Elle?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged, not sure where this was going.

“You’d had a nightmare and woke up crying. You told me how guilty you felt about what happened to the others and that you blame yourself for their deaths.” She took his hand. “And I told you it wasn’t your fault. That you didn’t mean to hurt them and what happened is on Vlad’s head, not yours. I said that Elle doesn’t blame you and the others wouldn’t either.”

Danny furrowed his brow. “Yeah, you did.”

“And we know Elle doesn’t blame you. And I thought you had stopped blaming yourself?” There, she paused, voice not accustory or annoyed but compassionate and understanding.

He turned forward, thinking intently. After that, he had stopped blaming himself as the guilt lessened. But it had been difficult. Weeks of talking to Jazz and Elle, actually acknowledging what happened and working through his feelings. Weeks of mourning and choosing to remember and honor the ones they’d lost. But it was so easy for that shame to rear its head again and him to fall to it. And….

“But…..things are different now.” Danny finally said, meekly. The boy put his head in his hands. “Those weren’t just mindless clones, Jazz. They were actual real people. With friends and families and lives to go back to. They had hopes and dreams, memories, personalities.” The boy feels water collecting in his eyes again. “Vlad took all of that away from them, because of me. Because he wanted me…. and I….I did nothing to help them. I just let them die.”

There was silence for a moment as Danny trailed off, his throat feeling tight with emotion. He swallowed. He didn't want to cry again but the thoughts and guilt still stung.

“That’s all true. Vlad did take teenagers away from their families. But....” Jazz sighed. “This doesn’t change everything.”

Her voice was earnest and kind, not belittling but Danny’s jaw still dropped. “Yes Jazz, It does.”

She tilted her head. “Yes, It does change their identities and what Vlad did. It changes who is actually affected by this. But does it actually change what happened to you? What you did or didn’t do?”

Danny wrung his hands. “Well….no. But...”

“Everything that happened is still Vlad’s fault. He’s still the one that decided to experiment on people to get what he wanted.  He still used those kids against you and made them attack you. He still made you fear for your life and defend yourself like anyone would. And they still were in a weak, unstable state because of Vlad. So them destabilizing is still Vlad’s fault not yours.”

“I know that. I do.” The half ghost felt a little annoyance flare. “But real people still died.”

Jazz straightened ever so slightly. “Were they any less real when they were just clones?”

The question startled Danny whose head popped up to look at her. “What?”

“Is Elle anymore real to you now that you know she was born to human parents 12 years ago and not in Vlad’s lab a year ago? Was she any less valuable before?”

“No! Of course not!” Danny snapped. “I still care about her no matter what or who she is!” He shook his head. “I can't believe you would ask me that.”

His sister didn’t snap back in response, instead she smiled kindly. “You have such a big heart, little brother. I know how much you cared, how much you mourned when you thought the others were mindless clones.” She frowned slightly. “Now you know the whole truth and you still care so much. And that is wonderful. You can care and still be angry at Vlad. You can still mourn. But you don’t need to blame yourself.”

“But…” He tried to argue.

“The boys that Vlad took, they do not need you to hate yourself.” She took his hand. “This, blaming yourself, it won’t help them or Elle. It will not make things right. It’ll just tear you apart.”

Looking down, Danny felt another tear start collecting in his eye. “You...you’re right. Jazz, I know you are….but it still feels like it’s my fault.”

“I know it does, I know. But that’s why I’m going to keep saying it until you really believe it. It wasn’t your fault.” With that, Jazz leaned forward and hugged Danny, who gladly accepted.

“Thanks, Jazz.” He whispered.

“Of course Danny.” She pulled away.

He wiped his eyes, actually feeling somewhat better after that talk. Though sorrow and some guilt remained, Danny did believe his sister and could believe that  those emotions would lessen over time. 

He gave Jazz a fond half-smile. “You’re a good big sister.” Her eyes widened slightly before she smiled cockily, clearly planning to respond. But he interrupted. “You better not give me a hard time about saying that tomorrow.”

“I would never.” She gaped, faux offended. Then her expression fell into sincerity. “In all honesty, I wasn’t planning to. But now….”

Danny rolled his eyes. “I’m going back to sleep.”

He braced his feet on the floor to stand but she put one arm around his shoulders and started ruffling his hair. “Not so fast.”

The boy phased out of her grip and stood. “Good night Jazz.”

Jazz frowned. “Well good riddance, you poltergeist.” 

With a quick wave of telekinesis, the half ghost knocked her plastic pencil holder off her desk, the pencils and pens spilling across the floor. His sister blinked at the writing instruments for a moment before shaking her head. 

She flopped down onto the bed with a huff. “Good night Danny.”

With a wave, the boy returned to his room. As hard a time as he gave Jazz, she really was a good sister and talking to her definitely helped. Although his heart remained heavy, he soon fell into a deep, dreamless, and restful sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Danny called Elle. Luckily she answered on the first call, blessedly having charged the prepaid phone the older halfa had bought to keep up with her.

“Danny! What’s up, bro?” She answered cheerily.

The boy’s heart clenched at the familial nickname but he tried to reply with the same happy tone.“Hey, Elle.”

It clearly fell flat; Danny could hear the frown in her voice. “What’s wrong?”

His forced smile fell. Belatedly, he realized he hadn’t talked to Jazz about his fears regarding telling Elle. But he wanted to believe things would be okay; Jazz was right when she said that what happened to Elle wasn’t his fault (even if he was struggling to agree). All they could do now was try to make things right and telling the younger halfa the truth was the first step.

After a too long pause, Danny finally responded. “I...found out something yesterday that you need to know.”

“What did you find?” Her tone turned wary.

The older halfa swallowed. “I don’t think telling you over the phone would be a good idea. Do you think you can come to Amity Park? My parents will be out of town next week so you stay with Jazz and me. And we can talk about everything.”

There was a pause. “I think I can do that….but are you sure you can’t just tell me now?”

Danny shook his head. “I really want to tell you in person.”

Elle sighed. “Alright. I’ll be there in about four days. See you soon.”

From the subdued tone, he could tell she was about to hang up. “Wait, Elle.” He said to stop her. “Try not to worry too much, okay? I promise everything will be okay.”  Despite really wanting to comfort her, the words felt hollow.

“Okay.” She softly replied. 

“Okay. Be safe and call me if you need anything at all.”

“I will.” The girl sighed but sounded sincere.

“I love you, Elle. See you soon.”

“Love you too. Bye Danny” There was a beep as Elle hung up, leaving Danny clutching the phone. 

His stomach still churned with worry. That could have gone better. Putting the phone down, he put his head in his hands. Well, he messed up again. Elle was going to be freaking out for the next few days until she got to Amity. 

“Great job Danny. Just great. That’s really going to help her take it well.” He sarcastically whispered to himself before sighing. 

It would be fine. It would be. No matter how Elle took it, he’d do his best to be there for her if she’d have him. And once this was over and they figured out how to deal with Vlad, he’d take Elle home to her parents. He briefly imagined the joy on the Martins’ faces as they hugged their long lost daughter. Elle’s happiness at knowing she was loved and wanted and finally had a stable home. It would be worth it, even if the girl wanted nothing to do with him after this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Elle arrived at Fentonwork on a Friday night four days later, she immediately demanded Danny and Jazz tell her what they needed to tell her. 

With the three sitting on the couch, Danny pulled the missing person flyer that started it all out of his pocket. “I found this at a gas station when we were going back from family vacation.”

Elle’s brow furrowed. “That looks like me.”

“We think it is you.” Jazz quietly said.

The younger girl grabbed the paper, her confused expression just deepening. “But….but I don’t….I’m just a clone.”

Danny frowned, putting an arm around her. “You’re not just a clone, Elle.”

“But...you mean…” She looked at the paper again, eyes hungerly taking in the words.

From Elle’s other side, Jazz also put an arm around the girl. “Even if we’re wrong and you’re not the missing girl on this poster, you are not and have never been just a clone.”

The younger halfa didn’t say anything, remaining frozen between the siblings.

After a moment, Danny coughed. “We found some other evidence, if you wanna see it.”

Elle nodded and the boy pulled out his laptop. He found the much perused search results and clicked on a news article. As the older halfa showed the younger girl the articles and videos, the confused furrowing of her eyebrows lessened and lessened as her frown deepened. The tension, the stiffness in her posture increased. Then he showed her the photo album, the pictures of Danielle Martins and her parents. Danny could feel her starting to tremble beside him as her eyes started looking wet. His heart sank.

“Do you recognize them?” Jazz said, quietly breaking the silence.

Elle quickly glanced between the older girl and the picture of her supposed parents. She reached a hand forward as if to brush the image. “I….I don’t….I don’t know.” Her lip quavered. “I don’t know.”

“Elle….” Jazz rubbed her back and the tears finally exited the younger girls eyes.

Danny frowned, his heart clenching at the other halfa’s pain. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it….”

The twelve year old suddenly stood, ignoring the boy’s words. “No. It can’t...He couldn’t…”

Danny grabbed her hand. “Elle, it’s okay.”

She shook her head. “No! No it’s not.”

With that, Elle pulled her hand out of his and ran up the stairs, ignoring Jazz and Danny’s calls. The boy jumped up after her, getting to the top of the stairs just as she slammed the door to the guest bedroom. Walking forward, he jiggled the door knob. 

“It’s locked?” Jazz walked up behind him.

The boy nodded. “Elle?”

Only the sound of sobs can through the door. Danny frowned. Part of him wanted to phase through the door and try to comfort the younger girl but his knees wobbled. Would that help or just make everything worse? He looked to his older sister, wide eyes begging for advice.

Jazz bit her lip, her face betraying her own uncertainty. “I think...we should let her cry for a little bit. I don’t think she’s going to run off.”

Danny nodded. As much as his heart ached hearing Elle cry, maybe it would be better to let her be alone for a bit. “It is already late. We can talk to her in the morning.”

With an agreeing hum from Jazz, the two returned to their rooms presumably to get some sleep. But Danny didn’t sleep much that night. Elle’s reaction had his stomach in knots and while that lessened as she quieted, presumably falling asleep, his mind still swam with thoughts of what exactly Vlad did to Elle and the other kids. There was a lot they didn’t know, like how exactly Vlad took away Elle’s memories and if that could be reversed. And how did Vlad make her into a halfa in the first place? He probably should ask Tucker if he could hack Vlad and find any files he had on the ‘cloning’ experiments. The bastard probably had copious notes, praising how cutting edge and forward thinking his efforts were. How he would finally have his perfect half ghost son- by kidnapping a teenager, erasing his mind, and replacing it with some twisted, ‘perfected’ version of Danny. All the while, torturing him and horribly mutating his body. Danny shivered; that was all too much and maybe he didn’t really want to know.

But if he didn’t know, then how could they make things right? He needed to find out who the other boys had been, which led him to looking into the other cases Jazz found. 

James Smith

Eli Barnett

Wiliam Brown

Thomas Harris

Those were the four names, as far as he and Jazz could tell. If they could get Vlad’s files, they should be able to confirm but even without the files, the resemblances were very clear, enough so that Danny wondered if he wasn’t distantly related to any of them or Elle himself. And how had someone not noticed the pattern before? But then again, with Vlad’s powers and wealth, he could easily dissuade anyone asking questions. 

Danny glanced at his computer, looking at the pictures again. He didn’t know who was who but these were the four he’d fought and watched die. He remembered his dream, seeing them all die again. The end, holding the ‘prime clone’ as he died and promising to find and tell his family, particularly stuck out. In a way, it had felt like he actually had been there, comforting a dying boy and making a promise he intended to keep. 

Eventually Danny gave up looking at the computer and laid down. He might as well try to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The halfa managed to get a few hours before waking up much too earlier. Not because he had to, but because he woke up to pee and then couldn’t go back to sleep without talking to Danielle. His heart heavy and the nervousness returning, he hesitated outside her door for a moment before phasing through. 

He quietly padded to the bed. Elle laid on her side, face streaked with dry tear tracks. He watched for a moment, biting his lip. He should just let her sleep. Yeah, she was physically okay and this could wait. But his instinct to make sure she was okay, argued for him to stay.

Elle blinked awake before he could decide. “Danny?” Her sleepy voice whined.

The older halfa rubbed his neck. “Sorry, I just wanted to check on you…..I can go.”

Slowly, she sat up. “No, you don’t have to. Thanks for checking on me.” She rubbed her eyes with her palm. “I guess I shouldn’t have ran out on you last night.”

“It’s okay. I get why you reacted like that. I got upset too, after finding out.” 

Elle finally looked up at him, her expression unreadable. “You did?”

“Yeah.” The boy nodded, not wanting to elaborate. He glanced at the bed and the girl scouted over making room for him to sit.

The younger halfa rubbed her eyes again. “It’s just…. a lot. You know.”

“It is a lot.” Danny agreed.

Elle moved her head out of her hands, looking at the boy. “Vlad kidnapped me.”

Danny’s stomach churned. He raised a brow. “He did. Do you….remember any of that?”

Her brow furrowed thoughtfully. “I don’t know. Sometimes….sometimes I have dreams, nightmares about stuff I can’t quite remember and not just about destabilizing.”

“Oh.” Danny paled.

A tear started forming in her eyes. “I think he brainwashed me and….and experimented on me.” Her breath started quickening and Danny wrapped his arms around her.

“It’s okay. I’ll make sure he never hurts you again. I promise.” He rubbed her back while she cried. 

“You promise?” She asked through the tears.

“Of course.” He said. “Vlad still never hurt you or anyone else again.”

She pulled back. “How do you know?” 

“That’s one of the reasons we wanted to talk to you. Me, Jazz, Sam, Tucker, and you are going to find a way to make Vlad accountable for his actions.”

Elle raised a brow. “How?”

“Clockwork’s been teaching me about the Ghost Zone. History, culture, science stuff, even how the government kinda works. And there’s court systems in the Zone that try ghosts for breaking taboos against ghosts.”

“Like Walker?” The younger halfa wrinkled her nose skeptically.

Danny shook his head. “No. More official and fair. And from what Clockwork’s taught me, Vlad experimenting on and destabilizing- or trying to destabilize- sentient ghosts and half ghosts, breaks multiple taboos.  I have to check with mentors and friends in the Zone to figure out the details but we can report him and have him tried.”

The skepticism left Elle’s face, replaced with hopeful understanding. “So he can be put in ghost jail or something for the rest of his life?”

“I don’t know exactly how it works. Clockwork says there’s a lot more variety than the court system here but when Vlad gets declared guilty, his punishment will keep him from hurting anyone again.”

That was a simplified version but Danny was sure, with help from ghosts friendly to him, they could put a stop to Vlad’s travisties. The younger halfa nodded in understanding. “What happens after that?”

“Well. Jazz and I found out who the other kids Vlad kidnapped were and I was going to” Danny bit his lip. “….find a way to tell their families and give them some closure.” 

Elle paled. “Oh. I thought about them a little last night too.” She looked up. “Can I come with you when you do that?”

Danny gaped slightly, shocked at the question. “Yeah. I guess you actually met them when you were at Vlad’s.”

“I mean...I only remember them as ghosts. I tried to talk and play with them though...but I don’t think Muscles, Bones, or Tiny could talk really well.” Her eyes got a distant look. “And Daniel, I talked to him a lot. He couldn’t talk, ‘cause Vlad had him in the chamber. But I could always tell he was listening.” 

Danny’s heart clenched sadly, like it always did the few times Danielle had talked about the other, especially the ‘prime clone’ who Vlad and her always called Daniel. Except…. “I guess his name wasn’t actually Daniel though.”

“I guess not.” Elle frowned. “But you said you and Jazz found out who the others were so I guess, we can figure out his real name.”

“All of their names.” Danny added kindly. “Maybe you can help me figure out who was who.”

“Yeah.” Elle nodded, sadly. “I can do that.”

Danny put one arm around her and squeezed. She leaned into the touch. The two sat there for a minute before Danny realized that one last important thing hadn’t been mentioned. The boy took a deep breath, stealing his courage. Though the thought brought him an odd mix of happiness and fear, he needed to address it with Elle.

Though he closed his eyes and worried his lip, Danny kept his arm around the younger halfa. He took a deep breath. “And after we talk to the other’s families, I’m going to take you home to your parents.”

She looked up with wide eyes. “My parents?”

The odd mix of confusion and warriness in her voice gave him pause. “The woman and man from the pictures with you. That’s your mom and dad.”

“My mom and dad.” She repeated with a little amazement. Clearly that part hadn’t sunk in last night. 

“Yeah. I’ll find out where they live and take you back to them.” He gave her a half smile. “They’re going to be so happy to see you.”

The awe dripped from her expression, replaced by doubt as she moved out of his side hug. “Are you sure they’re going to be happy?”

Danny’s jaw dropped. “Of course they are. Their daughter is still alive.”

Her frown deepened. “But….are they going to want me? I mean...I don’t remember them and might not ever…..and…..and I’m part ghost now. And do they know anything about ghosts? Or will I scare them?”

 Danny’s eyes widened. He hadn’t even thought about that, about how two probably normal parents who know nothing about ghosts would react to having a half ghost kid. He felt Elle tense beside him at his silence so he forced a smile. “They love you Elle. And are going to want you no matter what, ghost or not.”

Elle frowned, crossing her arms. “Do you really believe that?”

“Of course, Elle. They’re your parents.” Despite trying to sound sincere, his stomach flopped.

“Then why haven’t you told your parents?” Elle raised a brow.

“I….But….umm.” Danny stuttered for a moment before snapping his mouth shut.

 What could he say really? Because they hated ghosts. Because they hated Phantom. Because he thought they wouldn’t believe him. None of those were true. They had started working with Phantom and admitting they were wrong about ghosts, that many of their theories needed to be revised. So… he was afraid of hurting them, of all the secrets that would come crashing down and change everything. 

But everything was changing already. And how was he supposed to help Elle if he didn’t believe his own platitude? That her parents would love her no matter what, if he didn’t believe his own parent’s love was also strong enough to deal with his secrets.

He glanced at Elle, who was studying him with her mouth pinched closed. “Okay.” He sighed. “I’ll tell my parents.”

Her expression softened. “Really?”

“Yes. I’ve put it off too long. They deserve to know, especially since Vlad has wrong them too.” He sighed. “And I know they’ll love me no matter what. It’s just…..it’ll be hard coming clean.”

Elle nodded. “That’s good. I’m happy you're telling them.”

“Yeah. So this means you’ll let me take you home to your parents, right?” Danny asked.

“Yeah. I guess. But…..what happens after that?” The younger halfa then studied him intently for a moment, the corner of her lip turning down. “ Will I see you again?”

“What?” His mouth fell open. That….that question shocked him more than anything she’s asked this morning.

Elle wrung her hands. “I’ll live with them and you’ll be here and I don’t know how far away that is. And well…” Her shoulders fell as she seemed to shrink in on herself. “We’re not really related and once you get me back to my real family, I won’t be your problem anymore. And I get it, you never asked to deal with me but….”

Danny, who had been listening with his heart breaking, interrupted her by turning so he could properly hug her with two arms. He could hardly believe this; earlier he’s been afraid Elle would want nothing to do with him after learning the truth but she had the same fear. “Elle, Elle, Elle. You are not and have never been my problem.”

“But…..” She stammered. “We aren’t related. You...you shouldn’t have to deal with me.”

Danny pulled back so she could see him, but she looked down. “Do you really think I care whether or not we’re family by blood?” She didn’t respond so he pleaded. “Danielle, look at me.” She did, her blue eyes meeting his. “I will be your big brother as long as you want or need me. I promise, I’m not gonna abandon you. Never.”

“Really?” Her eyes glistened with hope. “But what if my parents don’t want you keeping up with me?”

“We’ll deal with it.” He shrugged. “But I don’t think they’re going to have a choice. You’re half ghost. Who else is gonna help you with your powers?”

“You have a point.” Her lips turned up in a half smile.

“And even if powers weren’t an issue, I couldn’t stop being there for you after everything we’ve been through together.” And Danny meant it completely. She’d saved his life and changed it in many ways.

The smaller halfa leaned into him for a hug. “Thank you. You’re a good big brother.”

Danny smiled, noticing the similarity to what he told Jazz a few nights before. It did make sense; he guessed he did learn it from her, not that he would ever tell Jazz that. He ruffled Elle’s hair. “You’re a pretty good little sister too.”

As he leaned into the hug, Danny felt Elle’s core purr in time with his. A core that felt a lot like his, and not just because both of them were halfas. As painful as it was to think, that core felt like his because in Vlad’s obsession with him, he had used Danny’s ectoplasm to make Elle a halfa. Though they weren’t related by human means they were by ghostly means, the same ectoplasm running through their veins. Danny hummed happily, debating telling her. But chances are she could feel it too. And that could be a conversation for another day.

What mattered now was, though the road ahead was unclear with many uncertainties and potential pitfalls, they, with Jazz, Sam, and Tucker (and hopefully his parents), were on the way to making things right and would stick together, no matter whether or how they were related. 

[katehuntington]

Title: Ride With Me (part one) Fandom: Supernatural AU Main characters series: Reader, Dean Winchester, Bobby Singer, Ellen Singer-Harvelle, Jo Singer (Harvelle), Benny Lafitte, Ash Miles, Garth Fitzgerald IV, Castiel Novek, and many more. Timeline: 2008 Pairing: Dean x Reader (eventually)  Word count: ±4350 words Summary series: Y/N is a talented horse rider who is on her way to become a professional. In order to convince her father that she deserves the loan needed to start her own farm, she goes to Arizona for six months, to intern at a ranch owned by Bobby and Ellen Singer. Her future is set out, but then she meets a handsome horseman, who goes by the name of Dean Winchester. A heartwarming series about a cowboy who falls for the girl, letting go of the past and the importance of family.  Summary part one: Y/N arrives at the airport, but getting to her new internship is easier said than done, when no one shows to pick her up. Meanwhile, at the ranch, Dean learns that his uncle Bobby hired a new intern and assigned her to the head wrangler, and he’s not sure how he feels about that. Warnings series: NSFW, 18+ only! Fluff, angst, eventually smut. Swearing, smoking, alcohol intoxication, alcohol abuse. Mutual pining, heartbreak. Crying, nightmares, childhood trauma. Description of animal abuse, domestic violence, mentions of addiction. Financial problems, stress, mental breakdown. Description of blood and injury, hospital scenes, character death, grief. Music: ‘Along The Way’ - Sunday Kids (check out ‘Kate Huntington’s Ride With Me playlist’ on Spotify!) Author’s note: Thank you @kittenofdoomage, @coffee-obsessed-writer and @girl-with-a-fandom-fettish for helping me take this story to a higher level. 

Ride With Me Masterlist

     “This is just great…”

     After a long, turbulent flight next to a rather large and sweaty nervous flyer - who had way too much garlic for lunch, by the way - Y/N thought she was done. But now that she’s waiting outside Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with no one in sight to pick her up, it seems that the universe isn’t going to stop toying with her just yet.

     To top it off, the weather decided to throw a curveball as well. What happened to the lovely sun rays and dry heat from the brochure? Right now it’s so humid that the fabric of her clothing clings to her skin as if it’s trying to hold on for dear life, and to make matters worse, rain begins to fall from the clouded sky. Right; monsoon season. Oh, well. At least the entrance of the arrival hall offers the traveler some shelter.

     With a sigh she sits down on her oversized suitcase, scanning her surroundings for a driver. She should have picked up something to eat in the arrival hall; she could eat a horse, as a figure of speech that is. Obviously, Y/N would never eat a horse, since she loves them more than anything. They are the reason why she touched down in Phoenix in the first place.      From the age of four, she’s been riding the majestic animals. Being on the back of a horse is one of the first memories she can recall, now that she thinks of it. When she was a little girl and was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, the answer was always the same: she wanted to be a professional rider with her own ranch. 

     That’s the dream. No, that’s the goal.

     Despite her unconditional love for these noble creatures and an overload of motivation to execute this plan, her parents encouraged their daughter to go to college. She even got her master's degree, but truth be told, all she ever wants to do is ride. So when she graduated a few weeks ago, Y/N thought that was exactly what she was going to do from that point on. Her father wasn’t impressed with her business plan, though, and decided that he was only going to lend her the money to start up her own company if she would complete half a year of ranch work. ‘No quitting, no complaints’, is what he said.

     Clearly, he’s underestimating her, because how hard could ranch life possibly be? Sure, in the past she spent most of her time riding and not so much mucking out stables. After all, employees at the boarding facility did that for the clients. But she had insight, management skills, and other great characteristics that will help run a business. What are six months of hard labor going to contribute, besides a good waistline?

     Although she believes her father’s plan is completely unnecessary, she is going with it. Those twenty-six weeks will pass by in the blink of an eye. It’s gonna be a walk in the park. Smooth sailing, right? Except for the fact that she’s already stranded, alone, and with no clue where to go. Hopefully, the rocky flight to the desert wasn’t an omen for what is yet to come. 

    After fifteen minutes of waiting, she takes out her phone again. For a second her thumb lingers on the speed dial that would put a call through to her father, but then she looks up the number of the ranch owner in her email and calls him instead. Running back to Mom and Dad is not going to deliver the message of an independent woman who is ready for the big world. Looks like she will have to dig herself out of this mess. Arizona might not have been her Dad’s best idea, but she’s here now. Pride forbids her to give him, or all the others who are skeptical, the satisfaction of being right. 

     “Bobby, are ya gonna pick up the damn phone or what?”

     Dean sets his bottle down on the bar next to the buzzing phone. He glances at the screen, unable to identify the number, and looks up again, searching the saloon for his uncle. At the long table in the center of the lounge, the man in his mid-sixties is enjoying a game of cards and a glass of whiskey, accompanied by a few members of the crew. Bobby hasn’t heard Dean, too busy laughing over the dirty joke Ash just told. Right when his nephew is about to call out his name again, the phone on the wooden counter stops ringing. Oh well, if it’s important they will call again, right?      Even though he feels drained from last days' events, he will not let anything take away this carefree feeling. Together with Jo, Benny and a couple of regular guests, they moved the young cattle from the summer pasture up in the Superstition Mountains back to the ranch. It took two days to locate the herd, but eventually, they found them at Weaver’s Needle.      After hours spent in the saddle and camping out for several nights, they all needed a shower, a good meal and a cold beer. Bringing the cattle in is one of the highlights of the season and worth a celebration. It didn't take long before wranglers, workers and tourists gathered in the saloon to celebrate. The place hasn’t been this crowded in years and smile appears on Dean’s face as he takes it all in. An upbeat country song - that he recognizes as ‘Along The Way’ by the Sunday Kids - fills the air together with growling laughter and cigarette smoke. Cheers rise when the beer bottles are heaved into the air, overruling the sound of billiard balls colliding on the pool table. 

     He lets a sigh slip from his lips when he glances aside at Ellen, who just brought back a full tray of empty glasses. As she sets the load down on the counter to give her arms a rest, his aunt smiles, witnessing Dean’s pleased expression.

     “Enjoying yourself, sweetheart?” she asks.      Dean nods, circling the bar to grab two new bottles of Corona from the cooler. “It’s a good night.”      Ellen grants her eyes another look at her saloon as she takes the beer that is handed over; she can only agree. “It sure is.”

     They toast to that and take a swig, but before Dean can swallow his drink, the phone on the counter starts ringing again. He guesses it apparently is important and calls out Bobby’s name, a little louder this time.

     “I’m in the middle of a poker game, son,” he replies, not looking up from his cards.      “Your phone’s been buzzing like crazy,” Dean notifies as he approaches the old man, noticing the pair of queens in his hand.      “Is it ringing, really? How come I can’t hear the damn thing?”      Ellen scoffs from behind the counter. “Maybe because you need to start using your God-forsaken hearing aids.”      “Woman, my ears work just fine,” he returns, continuing to mutter much softer to prevent his wife from hearing him. “I can hear you jappin’, can’t I?”

     Dean - who did pick up on his words - smirks in amusement and checks on his aunt if she really didn’t hear her husband, but when she looks from one to the other confused, he wisely keeps his mouth shut. Meanwhile, Bobby grumpily turns his cards upside down on the table surface and takes the phone. The ranch owner adjusts his worn baseball cap a little as he looks down at the screen, puzzled, obviously not sure how to work the piece of modern technology.      “How the hell do I pick up?” he wonders out loud.      “You swipe it, Dad.”

     Jo walks over, interrupting her game of pool momentarily, and leans over her father’s shoulder, still holding her cue stick. With a simple movement, she lets her finger slide across the touchscreen. Somewhat clumsily, Bobby presses the phone against his ear, letting out a hesitant ‘hello?’ as if he’s not completely sure if the little magic trick actually worked.

     “You really had to give him your old iPhone, huh?” Dean sniggers when Jo walks past him, back to the pool table to finish the game.      “Anything’s better than that old Nokia,” his cousin returns, throwing him a look as she whips her blonde hair over her shoulder. “That thing was prehistoric.”

   Dean grins at the remark and observes the game that is in motion on the green quarried slate. Jo is acing it, it’s her turn to shoot the eight-ball in already, while her opponent still has several balls on the play field. The petite blonde positions herself behind the black number eight, throwing a seducing glance at the slick-looking young man on the other side of the table. With a flirtatious sparkle in her eyes, she allows her low-cut tank top to show a little more cleavage as she bends over. It doesn’t go unnoticed with the men in her company, but unlike the guest that she’s reeling in, Dean has the urge to cover up his little cousin. It’s not just a game of pool that these youngsters are going to be playing tonight.

     “Sure you want to aim it like that?” Dean asks, amusedly waiting for her to pick up on the double meaning.      A deadly glare comes his way and his smirk reaches even wider. Not granting him another second of her time, Jo focuses on the final ball again and pockets it, winning the game. Victoriously, she holds up her hand in front of tonight’s loser, who reluctantly hands her a twenty-dollar bill. A chuckle escapes Dean’s throat and he takes another swig of the sparkling yellow brew called Corona. As he lowers the bottle, the cowboy’s attention shifts to his uncle, who is still on the phone.

     “- I’m very sorry, It’s been really hectic today with the cattle comin’ in and it slipped my mind completely.”      The apologetic tone in Bobby’s voice piques Dean’s interest. Jo joins him, leaning against the table while resting her elbows on the rails.      “Any idea what that’s about?” Dean wonders, but she shakes her head.      “- that’s no problem. I’ll send someone to pick you up right away.”

     After having made that promise, Bobby eyes his employees, then his wife and daughter, hoping that someone is sober enough to keep his obligation. It triggers Dean to check with his friend, Benny. The brawny wrangler answers the unspoken question by shaking his head, however; he’s not volunteering, and neither is Garth. The skinny stable boy now turns to Ash, catching the ranch hand peeking into Bobby’s cards while his boss is occupied, and he elbows him. Shrugging his shoulders the guy who is rocking a mullet lets out an innocent ‘what?’ under his breath. It’s obvious, though, that Ash is in no shape to drive, since he already drank half a crate of his favorite Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. It’s heading towards eleven PM and after an exhausting couple of days, no one is thrilled to drive out to Phoenix. Not to mention that the amount of liquor they’ve consumed might actually jeopardize getting the person Bobby is talking to from A to B.

     “Balls!” the boss curses after he hangs up.      “Forgot somethin’?” Ellen assumes from what she picked up, as she continues to polish a glass behind the bar.      “Yeah, that new intern from Maine,” he mutters as he gets up.      Ellen’s jaw drops, staring at her husband in shock. “You didn’t! That poor gal is at the airport right now?”      “Landed forty-five minutes ago,” Bobby admits, embarrassed.

     “Whoa, wait! New intern?” Dean’s eyes slide from Bobby to Ellen and back, unable to follow.      “Did I forget to mention that? She’ll be under your supervision,” Bobby breaks to him.      “What? I wasn’t even notified?!” he exclaims, his voice pitching a little higher than he anticipated.      “Oh, don’t be such a drama queen,” Jo scoffs, placing her hand on her hip as she looks at him sideways. “Like you would mind a chick working under you.”

     Stunned by her bold comment, Dean cocks his head back as he stares at her wide-eyed; she’s got some nerve! He is about to counter when Jo’s mother already intervenes.      “Joanna Beth!” she warns.      “Oh, come on. It’s the truth, ain’t it?” her daughter mumbles, stubborn as ever.      Ellen doesn’t answer. Instead, her attention shifts to the man who is moving towards the double doors. “And where do you think you’re going?”      Bobby turns around, a confused furrow on his forehead. “Well, to pick up the gal, of course,” he returns, stating the obvious.      “Like hell you are! You had three glasses of whiskey, Robert Singer. You ain’t getting behind the wheel and that’s that,” Ellen decides with her shoulders back, arms crossed and eyes stern.

     Annoyed, but smart enough not to fight the strong-minded woman he married thirty years ago, he addresses Dean with a hopeful look.      “Don’t look at me, this is my fourth beer,” he returns, holding his hand up innocently.      “Same here, boss,” Benny copies, his southern accent thick on his voice.

      “I’ll go.” Jo straightens her back and takes her cowboy hat from the corner of the pool table.      “You sure, honey?” her mother checks with her.      “I had one drink, Mom. You’re not gonna find a more sober person on the ranch at this hour,” she claims bored. “Keys?”      That last demand was meant for Dean.      “Keys to what?” he questions, furrowing his brow.      An eye roll, a sigh. Jo’s typical routine when she’s done with her cousin. “Your car, asshat.”      “What’s wrong with yours?”      “I have a flat. Now, are you gonna hand me the keys, or what?” she says smartly.

    Jo holds up her hand and with a reluctant grunt, Dean tosses the keys of his precious ‘67 Chevrolet El Camino pickup. Skillfully she catches it, beams at him in triumph, and makes her way to the double doors.      “If I find a scratch on her, I’ll make you regret it!” he shouts, loud enough for her to hear.      “I’d like to see you try!” she scoffs.

     A few moments later, the V8 big block under the hood of his beloved car starts up. Jo doesn’t even bother to warm up his baby before she races down the dirt road towards the big city down in the valley, skitting gravel from under the tires. Dean cringes when he hears her take off; someone’s gonna pay for that.

      He will deal with her when she gets back. Until that time Dean settles down at the long table, watching the poker game. Obviously, Ash folds the moment Bobby raises the stakes, leaving the ranch owner with fewer chips than he hoped to win.      “Can I talk to you for a second?” Dean requests before Garth starts dealing the cards.

     Bobby looks at his nephew from under his cap, observing him for a moment. He knows that kid. He spent a few years of his childhood on the ranch and the young man has been working here since the age of fourteen. The boy is like a son to him, so no wonder he can read Dean like a book. Something is bothering the wrangler, and so he gets off his chair and moves away from the crowded table. Shadowed by the cowboy, Bobby heads towards the corner of the bar, seeking a little privacy. They sit down on the bar stools, facing Ellen on the other side of the counter. Her husband doesn’t bother asking her to pour him a drink, because she is on it before he barely has the chance to settle in his seat.

     “Here you go, boys.” She puts down the filled whiskey tumblers on the varnished wood.      Dean thanks her and takes the glass in his hand, clanking it into Bobby’s, who mutters ‘cheers’ as he does so. After watching Ellen enter the kitchen, the older man shifts his gaze to the man accompanying him.      “What’s on your mind, son?” he asks.

     Dean adjusts himself a little, preparing for the upcoming conversation. He doesn’t like to question his uncle, who also happens to be his boss. This is the part where it gets tricky to keep work and family separated. He has to speak up, though, because lately, he has the oppressive feeling that Bobby might not trust him entirely when it regards the management of the ranch. Obviously, the owner calls the shots, but he used to involve Dean whenever decisions needed to be made. It’s bothering him and he needs to get it off his chest.      “Why didn’t you tell me you hired an intern?” he wonders.

     Bobby grunts softly, averting his eyes to his drink as he circles the tumbler  on its edge. He knew this talk was coming and instantly regrets keeping Dean in the dark about recent developments. His nephew is an exceptional horseman, loyal to his family, a trustworthy worker. A little relentless when it comes to risks and danger, and yes, an impulsive womanizer, but there’s one thing he isn’t and that’s stupid. He’s Bobby’s right hand for a reason, he should have known he would pick up on something.

     “Because I knew you wouldn’t approve,” he admits, taking a sip.      Dean scoffs at that. “If you knew I wouldn’t be okay with it, why did you hire her?”      “Because she’s free help, Dean.”      “Is she any good? Did you look into her?” His head wrangler eyes him, trying to make out how thorough he has been in his research.      It doesn’t take long before his uncle’s guilty expression gives it away.     “You didn’t even interview her, did ya? You just said ‘yes’? Look, I know things have been a little difficult since Gabriel left, but we’re managing fine now,” he assures him. “Educating a wannabe cowgirl is actually gonna cost me valuable time and there’s a lot of shit that needs sortin’. We have to bring in the two-year-old stallions, the calves need branding, the young stock has to be moved to the winter pastures--”      Bobby interrupts Dean’s ramble by holding up his hand to shush him, intervening the moment he has an opening. “You don’t have to worry about the young stock, I’m selling it.”      Stunned, Dean stares at him. And when was Bobby planning to tell him this?      “Why the hell would you do that?” he questions, unpleasantly surprised.        Before his boss can answer, Dean can make an estimated guess already. The concerned look in Bobby’s eyes when they meet his green ones confirms it; money is tight, very tight. The crisis has laid the ranch in a thick suffocating smog of debt and so far it doesn’t look like the air is going to clear anytime soon. Hay prices are sky high while their stock sells for half the price they used to go for. It has been hard to keep their heads above water, but so far they’ve been able to ride out the economic recession, so Dean thought. But now that Bobby’s telling him that the one-year-old cattle has to go, it dawns on him how serious the situation is. 

      His jaw clenches as he observes the ice in his glass for a moment, pondering in silence. And just like that, the careless happiness he was experiencing a moment ago, is gone.      “You wanna sell all of them? Or just the steers?” he checks.      “All of them,” Bobby sighs, downing his drink.       “How you wanna handle that next year? Buy in again? It’s gonna cost you a lot,” Dean responds, trying to think of another way.      “Right now, all we need to worry about is surviving this year, son.” Bobby pauses, now comes the bit that he wanted to avoid. Drastic measures are necessary for the survival of their home. Maybe the term ‘sacrifice’ is a better way to describe what he’s about to announce. “That’s why I need you to let one of the wranglers go.”      Shocked, Dean stares at the man in his company. Not looking him in the eye, Bobby forks his fingers together, resting his elbows on the counter.      “You want me to fire one of my men?” Dean recaps in disbelief. “No, let me correct that, you want me to fire one of my friends?”      “What you do with your colleagues in your spare time should not influence a layoff,” the ranch owner counters.      But his nephew disagrees strongly. “That’s bullshit and you know it. These guys are practically family, Bobby.”      “You think I don’t know that, boy? I ain’t happy about it either, damn it! You think I’m proud of having to send one of those guys home?”

     He nods at the workers, who are laughing loudly as Ash folds his tattooed arms around the mountain of chips that are stacked on the table, reeling in the win. Neither he, Benny, or Garth have a clue what is hanging over their heads, but it’s probably better that way. Only now does the head wrangler understand why Bobby didn’t tell him before. The poor man simply didn’t want to burden him.

     “I have to. For the future of this place, Dean. And I wish I didn’t have to ask you to do this, but you know your crew best. You know who’s most needed and who we can miss,” Bobby explains with empathy.      Dean wants to fight this, he wants to object and argue in every way possible. Who he can miss? He can’t miss any of his men. Shit, after they let Gabe go, they were barely able to round up the daily routine before dinner. But he knows how this works and he knows Bobby would do anything to make sure that the boys can keep their jobs. There is no right or wrong answer here, every option behind any door is a bad one. There’s nothing the boss can do about it and Dean understands that.      “I know. I’ll handle it. Just give me a couple of days and I’ll let you know,” he assures, patting his uncle on the shoulder.    Bobby nods, but is unable to break a smile. He’s carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders, go figure when you have to play God like that. It’s exactly the reason why Dean took on the task to fire one of the workers, hoping that it would relieve his surrogate father a bit.

     “I need another drink,” Bobby mutters, reaching for the Jack Daniels behind the counter.      Dean checks on his uncle from the corner of his eye, but then puts his glass down next to his. “You and me both. That intern better be good. Do you know anything about her?”      “I know she’s a reining rider, pretty damn talented too. Not much experience in ranch work, though,” the ranch owner tells him.       “Blonde? Brunette? Cute?” Dean smirks as he fishes for more information, but Bobby doesn’t reply with a straight answer.      “Oh, hell no. Not under my roof,” his father figure decides, having seen this play out numerous times already. “She’s staying for six months so tie a knot in it and keep it in your pants for once.”

     “If she sticks around that long.” The young man scoffs, triggering Bobby to glare at him. “What? We had plenty who went home crying within a week. This work ain’t for everyone.”      “I know you’re not happy with the situation, but do me a favor and just give her a chance, will ya?” Bobby pressures. “She seemed like a go-getter. She might surprise you.”      “Maybe. We’ll see,” Dean downs his glass and slides off his stool.

     Bobby watches his nephew walk away from him. It takes only a second before the charismatic cowboy put on his poker face, just in time, because Garth signals him to come over. So he does, but his next step shows a hint of hesitation. He turns on the heels of his boots, the thumb of his left hand casually hooked behind his belt buckle.      “What’s her name?” Dean asks, narrowing his eyes a little.      Bobby huffs and casts his gaze at him. “Her name is Y/N,” he states. “Y/N L/N.”

     Dean raises his brow, nodding satisfied. Y/N. Sounds good, has a nice ring to it. Curious he imagines what kind of person would fit a name like that and as a perky smile starts to form on his lips, he joins the guys.

     Bobby can spot the up-to-no-good sparkle in his nephew’s green eyes and he can’t help but smile into his refilled glass of Jack. He can point a parenting finger at Dean all he wants, but if this intern is his type, he’s going to charm her right into his bed like he has done with so many women already. Oh, well. We’ve all been young, he thinks to himself. Dean being a wrangler only stacks up the number of girls dwelling at the pretty boy’s feet and he never failed to take full advantage of that. Who can blame him, really? He hasn’t committed to anyone yet, why not make the best of it? It has cost the ranch owner some money, though, since a client or two never returned after getting their hearts broken. The boy better listen this time.

     For a moment he takes in what’s playing before his eyes. His wife having a good conversation with a group of guests, the crew gathered around the long table where Ash just revealed a full house, causing the men to go out of their minds. It’s a nice moment that will make a great memory. Bobby can only hope that those moments keep coming, because no matter how precious, no man can live on memories alone.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate every single one of you, but if you do want to give me some extra love, you are free to like or reblog my work, shoot me a message or buy me coffee (Link to Kofi in bio at the top of the page).

Read part two here

[ducktracy]

98. i haven’t got a hat (1935)

release date: march 2nd, 1935

series: merrie melodies

director: friz freleng

starring: joe dougherty (porky), billy bletcher (beans, ex), bernice hansen (kitty, ham), martha wentworth (miss cud)

the fated day at last, the day the world was shook to its core... kind of. i haven’t got a hat marks the introduction of our favorite porky pig, along with a few others: beans, ham and ex, little kitty, and oliver owl. buddy’s lack of success was obvious. he couldn’t adequately fill the gap that bosko had left. thus, this cartoon serves as a “free for all”, introducing a number of new characters to see who would work out the best. beans was looking to be the star of the new franchise, but his stuttering sidekick was much more endearing to audiences. to put it this way, beans starred in 11 cartoons. porky starred in 153. buddy would continue to have a few cartoons afterwards, bidding his last “that’s all, folks” with buddy the gee-man. 1936 would see a rise in porky cartoons, thanks to jack king, tex avery, and frank tashlin. 1937 is when stuff gets REALLY good. but for now, we’ll focus on this cartoon. various school children put on a musical and recital, but trouble arises when beans’ jealousy causes the show to run amuck.

right off the bat, we’re introduced to our selection of characters. miss cud, “school teacher”—a clarabelle cow facsimile who rings her school bell cheekily. beans, a mischievous cat introduced by eating jam by the fistfuls. an offscreen voice yells “HEY!”, to which beans responds by sticking out his tongue after wiping the offending jam off his face. very amusing to note how different in personality he is here, a rambunctious, mischievous kid. i haven’t seen too many beans cartoons, only gold diggers of ‘49, alpine antics, and westward whoa, and in those he seems to be following the good natured, likable yet flat personality that buddy (and bosko) had exuded. this whole introduction scene is great—forcing some personality out of these characters. porky and oliver owl are next, porky giving a happy salute and oliver owl pretentiously tipping his hat. ham and ex, two troublemaking twins, spot the camera and eagerly whisper to each other. they’d be featured in a few beans cartoons, usually causing trouble that beans has to remedy.

an underscore of “i haven’t got a hat” plays jauntily as we’re introduced to the scenario: a flyer posted on the side of the schoolhouse reading “MUSICAL and RECITAL — sponsored by the children of this school for the benefit of teachers and parents — ALL CHILDREN ARE ELIGIBLE!” sure enough, happy parents stream inside with their kids. a mother cat and her child, a mother dog and her two pups, a mother pig and her three little pigs, and a mother hen with her long line of chicks that zigzag inside, a straggler catching up.

once all the parents and children are settled, miss cud rings her cowbell to introduce the show, stating “we will now open our exercises with a recitation by our little friend, porky pig.” porky misses the cue, too engrossed with the book “custer’s last stand”. beans glares at porky, tapping on his book and signaling for him to go up.

porky meanders his way to the front of the schoolhouse and recites “the midnight ride of paul revere”. as always, his stuttering gets in the way of his presentation.

here’s the thing about joe dougherty—i’ve really come to appreciate him. there certainly is that “poor guy” feeling when you listen to him characterize porky because of his actual uncontrollable stutter, but i don’t think it’s THAT painful to listen to. maybe because i’ve seen all of the dougherty porkys. honestly, i think his most “painful” performance is here and in gold diggers of ‘49, which were his first two cartoons. it’s not even the stuttering, but then figuring out how to perfect his character. his voice is especially high, aluminum sounding in this one, and in gold diggers it isn’t sped up at all, and sounds rather jarring to hear joe dougherty’s natural voice, which is VERY deep. joe dougherty would use his regular speaking voice for porky’s father, in cartoons such as porky the rain maker and milk and money. i think the stuttering is the most “out of control” here—i really don’t find his performances that bad at all. i think it really fits him, especially when he was so chubby. it’s really odd to hear mel do porky in his chubby design in porky’s double trouble.

(my) blabbering aside, porky recites the poem, exerting so much effort that he begins to sweat—wonderful animation done by bob mckimson. once he finishes the first stanza, he imitates a horse, complete with slapping his butt like a whip. he gives another stanza, whipping out an american flag and marching to “the girl i left behind me”. he recites some more, (even confusing poems and reciting a snippet of “the charge of the light brigade”), declaring “cannon to the right of them!” i love the little inkling of personality as he deliberately points to the left (which actually WOULD be his right), recognizing his mistake and pointing the other direction. a turtle drums on its stomach with some mallets.

“cannon to the left of them!” another wrong direction: this scene is especially amusing because of his determined expression, so confident in his delivery. what a ham. a dog tilts a basket of lightbulbs, breaking them one by one to imitate the sound of gunshots.

porky struggles to finish his poem, and the entire classmates whistle at him to get it over with—a reoccurring gag in the dougherty era. the whistle plays out like a dog whistle, an army of dogs playfully licking and hopping on porky, who walks backwards out of the scene as the children applaud. quite an introduction!

miss cud introduces “little kitty”, who’d serve as beans’ love interest in the beans cartoons. she’s obviously reluctant to go on, panicking and struggling against her parent’s arms. the parent gives her a final push as she stumbles on stage. she pauses before reciting “mary had a little... a little... uh...” she seeks miss cud for help, who mouths “lamb!” and provides a picture. kitty beams and continues “lamb! it’s fleece was white as... white as...”

once more, miss cud displays thinly veiled frustration as she tosses cornflakes above her head to imitate snow. bernice hansen’s delivery is great as kitty says “cornflakes!” with such utter confidence. she corrects herself bashfully, and what continues is a very nervous, possibly the most annoying yet entertaining recitation of mary had a little lamb. it’s amusing to watch her pace around and grimace, wringing her dress. her voice gets pitched up higher and higher, speeding up so her open is borderline incomprehensible. it’s certainly annoying and technology rather primitive, but amusing because of that. the best part is when she runs out of the school building and heads for home, her voice fading away as she’s still frantically reciting it.

next is ham and ex, who sing the criminally catchy “i haven’t got a hat”. bernice hansen’s squeaky voice singing the lyrics matched with billy bletcher’s deep bass voice of “bom bom bom bom” makes the perfect contrast, especially as ex sings the bass line and squats with each “bom”.

elsewhere, bob clampett animated a scene of beans and oliver, who are both bored by the performance—beans especially. oliver snacks on some candy canes, to which beans eagerly extends his arms towards. oliver tricks him into giving him a piece, stuffing it in his mouth and sticking his tongue out at the last minute. man, what a jerk! i’d be pissed too! especially amusing to watch beans silently mutter obscenities are oliver as the song continues on.

once the song ends, miss cud introduces oliver. if the introduction where he haughtily tips his hat or when he denies beans food isn’t enough of an indicator for his snobby personality, miss cud introduces him as “master oliver owl” as a very confident musician. a great scene as oliver grins at beans, but remembers his rivalry. he stalks off with his nose (beak?) in the air, his peppermint ripe for the picking. beans reaches over for it eagerly... until oliver runs back into the scene and snatches it away, scowling.

oliver plays a standard “school kid playing piano for the class” tune. beans isn’t impressed... until an idea hatches. he sneaks out of the classroom, where he spots a sleeping cat on a ladder right outside the window. perfect! he opens the lid of the piano and drops the cat in, his sabotage unfolding as he spots a dog and drops it inside, too. what a little bastard! i wish they kept him that way.

at once, the keys start playing for themselves, a thunderous rendition of “poet and peasant overture”. oliver ogles in astonishment as the keys (great animation) wiggle on their own, the piano jumping up and down as the dog and cat duke it out inside. friz’s musical timing is excellent, and oliver’s reactions are priceless as he doesn’t even know what to do with himself. everyone claps thunderously as he stares at the audience in astonishment.

not one to question his unseen methods, oliver recognizes he is receiving glory and eats it up. unfortunately, he stops in his tracks once the piano continues to play. the dog and the cat leap out of the piano and chase each other around, oliver’s head spinning as he attempts to keep track of the chase. he grins nervously and sweats, his performance exposed.

all the kids boo and hiss, except for beans, who’s laughing outside the window. oliver spots him and squirts green ink on him in retaliation. beans falls off the ladder and lands on a bench, which throws both beans AND a can of red paint into the window. the paint can lands right on oliver’s head, beans toppling next to him. they exchange bewildered looks, and their rivalry is transformed into camaraderie as they shake hands. iris out.

obviously, i’m pretty biased since porky is one of my favorite characters, just barely shy of daffy. however, i truly think this is a really good cartoon, and probably one of the best we’ve seen. the attempt to really get some personality out of these characters is absolutely there. facial acting, body language, acting in GENERAL, it’s all there. the characters are all endearing, even oliver. some beautiful animation, especially the porky scenes by bob mckimson and the piano scene with the dog and cat. nothing feels too drawn out—of course, porky’s recitation is VERY long, but that’s also the point. it’ll be interesting to see how joe dougherty improves—maybe i just feel bad for the guy, but i think he needs some more credit. anyway, VERY good cartoon. the song is dreadfully catchy! if anything, it’s certainly worth watching for its historical significance. even then, it’s just an entertaining, light-hearted, fun cartoon.

link!

[bewareofchris]

Public Relations 16/??

R atm | Alec Hardy/Dr. Bill Masters | Broadchurch, Masters of Sex | Strong language, eventual sexual situations

“The fact that Alec Hardy was not currently, had not ever, and did not want to date the American sex research did not seem very important at all to the town of Broadchurch.  They did what they had always done with a little bit of juicy gossip: they made a spectacle of it.”

<< prev | Part 1

Apartment hunting had proven to be an exhausting, endless, tedious process.  The most important thing he had learned from it was that despite the existence of a home with his name on the deed, he hadn’t been involved in the search for it.  If he concentrated properly, he could remember Libby with a spread of printouts and flyers at the dinner table.  He remembered her voice caught in a wave of anxiety; remembered how trivial her worries had seemed. 

Libby had been trying to find a home to raise a family in.  Bill had only needed a house in a respectable neighborhood with a well-maintained yard.  Libby had worried about bedrooms, and bathtubs and windows.  Bill had just wanted a place to park his car.

Bill was an ignorant man, standing alone in an empty apartment, half-listening to the agent tell him about how new the kitchen was.  It hit him low in the gut, the growing realization that he was well-and-truly alone.  That his exile had not been an aberration but the start of a new normal.  He was here to select a place to live and he would have to make a home out of these empty rooms.  

If looking for a home to put things in was hell, he couldn’t imagine what shopping for the things to furnish the home would be like.

Bill didn’t even own a god damn pan.  Bill had barely ever cooked a meal in his life.  

Bill knew how to do laundry in theory.  He’d done it when he was a stupid boy sent away to boarding school and an even bigger idiot in college.  He couldn’t remember now what half the symbols on the clothes meant.

He didn’t own a towel.  He couldn’t even shower.

“Dr. Masters?” the lovely woman said from a safe distance.

Bill was clenching his fists, grinding his teeth, staring at the perfectly clean carpeted floors.  He was trying to work through the building panic and remind himself that he was capable.  It wasn’t that he couldn’t do it; it was that he had to.  He’d destroyed the home he’d had for the chance to love someone.  (Had he?  Had he loved Virginia?  He thought he had; it felt like he had.)  “Yes,” he said softly.

“Did you want a moment?”

No.  A moment meant that reality had to settle around him.  A moment meant that he had to accept things as they were.  A moment meant he really couldn’t continue to sleep in his office; that he couldn’t imagine that things were temporary.  He was truly alone; he had to start over at the start again.

(And it was cruel, how desperately he wanted to talk to Libby.  It was like being stabbed in the stomach.  It hurt.)  

“You said there was a two bedroom model?” he asked.

“Yes.  Two and three bedroom models are available.”

Bill nodded, “I have kids.”  He had three kids, and no reason to think that their Mother would ever let him see them again.

The woman smiled.  “Of course.  Well, the basics are the same in all three models. Let me check the availability on the two and three bedrooms.”

“Thank you,” Bill said.  He forced his hands to loosen, and his shoulders to relax.  He reminded himself that he’d done this to himself; that he deserved it.  He reminded himself that it could be worse.  He could buy furniture and learn how to do laundry.  

--

Hardy had not made the decision to stay in Broadchurch.  He hadn’t made any decisions at all, and still he’d ended up with a tiny cottage by the water.  That was the sort of thing that came of agreeing to avoid a decision.  Still, Hardy had signed his name on the contract and he was the proud, temporary owner of said cottage and the furnishings within.

Agreeing to things was only going to take Hardy so far.  He couldn’t agree himself into a life that he wanted to live.  He hadn’t even seen the right doctor to agree that he might want to save his own life.  He was still teetering between the will to live and the likelihood that he would live.

It wasn’t that Hardy didn’t have things to live for.  He had a daughter that he loved very much.  He had a career (damaged though it was by the events of Sandbrook).  

He had this awful little town full of nosy little people, like the checkout girl at the gas station that shook her head when she saw him.  She was fond of saying, “how are you doing?”  

Hardy had heard her say it often enough when he was just trying to get a quick drink or a light snack to know that the way she said it to him was different from the way she said it to anyone else.  Those other lucky bastards got the usual: a blank sort of repetitious statement.  April (that was her name) wasn’t asking how they were; she was repeating a catch phrase.  But she always looked at him with sloping eyebrows and genuine worry and when she spoke to him it was soothing.

“Fine,” Hardy said, again and again and again.

If he had to guess why he got a bit of extra attention, he would say that the town (misguided though it was) was offended to know that he was abandoned by his doctor boyfriend during his critical illness.  Maybe they were upset to know that he was ill.  (Even if they didn’t know how ill.)  Maybe they thought he’d had his heart broken.  

Hardy even had a job if he wanted one.  He wasn’t well enough to be a detective but he was well enough to do something, provided he could prove that he was seeking medical care.

There were a dozen little things to live for, to choose to live for.  

And there was the quiet of his empty cottage, with just the sound of his breathing and the answering sway of the water not so far from his front door.  There was a blanket of silence as heavy as a collapsing house, suffocating him with isolation.

Hardy hadn’t meant to program Bill’s number into his phone, but it felt like it wouldn’t have been a bad idea to have a doctor he could call.  He certainly hadn’t meant to pull the number up, to open a text message that he wasn’t even certain he wanted to send.  It was just long after midnight, in the quiet dark, and it had been days since he’d slept properly.  Hardy was a real idiot typing words into his little glowing phone screen.

I believe the girl at the gas station thinks you’re an asshole.

Hardy had sent the message before he could change his mind about it.  He’d regretted it almost as soon as they went through.  It made him lurch forward, so he was sitting up in bed frowning at the screen.  He was still fumbling, trying to figure out how to cancel the text when his phone buzzed in his hands.

Bill said: Alec?

Hardy could leave it at that, he could pretend like it hadn’t been his thumbs that made those words.  He could have let Bill think someone was sending him random messages.  But, he leaned back into his pillows, holding the phone over his face as he typed out a response:

Yes, sorry.  Alec Hardy.

The response came a moment later: The girl at the gas station sounds very wise.  I feel more like an asshole every day.  With a small pause before Bill added: How are you?

The answer to that question was far too complicated.  Hardy couldn’t send a frown and a shrug through his phone so he said, Not sleeping.  You?

Also not sleeping but its not that late for me.  You should sleep, Alec

There were many things that Hardy should do.  Did you rescue your things from fire?

My assistant saved them.  I’m just moving into an apartment.  I don’t even have a mattress to sleep on yet.  Just a pile of boxes of the things my wife decided I could keep

Hardy snorted at that.  I’ve just moved into a cottage.  It came with furniture

You are smarter than me.

Hardy had nothing to say to that.  He couldn’t think of anything clever, and he couldn’t think of anything generic enough.  He stared at the screen searching for any sort of words that could work as a response.  

Bill said: I hope you’ve fallen asleep.  When you wake up, you’ll have to tell me how Broadchurch is handling our separation

Hardy smiled, and just for that one moment, looking at the dim glow of his phone screen, it didn’t hurt at all.

next >>

@it-is-ineffable, @marvelmisha, @e3105eb, @may-darling, @bigleosis, @jiffry6969, @stardust-andwine, @echelongaga

[peachximagines]

Princess Five 2

A/N: This was very delayed and I’m so very sorry, but there will be updates. Also, I am big-ignoring the end of Season 3 because I started this before the season came out and I got some big plans. 

Hopper was livid. I managed to get home by 11:30 but the foreign jacket wrapped around my shoulders reeked of alcohol and cigarettes.

“Have you lost your goddamn mind?” Hopper yells. I fidget with the silver zipper. “I let you go out once, Jesus Christ, once and you come back smelling like some boy?” My tongue feels heavy in my mouth. I want to speak but I feel as though I’m being choked. I want to yell that Billy’s not some boy, that he gets me and that the time we talked was the most normalcy I’ve felt since closing that fucking gate. But I didn’t. The words stayed trapped behind the prison bars that was my tongue. I bow my head, staring at my shoes.

“You drank, you were with a boy that was not Steve and you can’t even look at me.” Hopper scoffs, rubbing a hand down his face. “Can’t you see that I have these rules to protect you? Has your time at the cabin not made you realize that?” The mention of the cabin spike in my adrenaline. I can't go back. I look at him, dead in his eyes.

I’m sorry. I think, forcing the thoughts in his mind.

“I know you’re sorry, but sorry isn’t going to keep you safe.” Hopper sits at the table, the light hovering over us in an unflattering light. “Just go to bed.” I nod, leaving the small cramped kitchen. The hallway was a labyrinth as I snailed my way to my room. The effects of the alcohol weighing on my body as if I was being pulled deeper into the ground. The yellowing wallpaper taunts me, never-ending. Before I could process time or my own movements, I was pushing open my door. The twin-sized bed tucked in the corner of the room seems like heaven. Taking my cement heavy body across the room, I make the trek. The blankets consume me, letting me be absorbed into the beautiful mattress. I hope for a sleepless night but I dream of Billy and I’s conversation.

“You just move here?” The fire cast a beautiful warm glow over Billy’s skin. He was golden, laying beside me. I nod, my hands seemingly more interesting than the Adonis in front of me. The lead muscle in my mouth prevents speech.

“You really don’t talk?” Billy asks, taking another swig from the dangerous poison. I nod, again. “The strength in your neck must be insane with all the nodding you do.” A joke. I giggle before covering my mouth. The noise was an accident and it felt wrong coming from me. But Billy loved it. His eyes lit up, the fire dancing in his light eyes.

“I got a noise out of you, princess.” He whoops loudly, gaining the annoyed attention of a nearby couple. I cover my face with both hands, shaking my head furiously trying to prevent the overflow of giggles that threaten to flood the sound barrier.

“C’mon, I wanna hear another noise. You make the prettiest noises, princess,” his voice was lower, closer to me. I couldn’t see him but I knew he was smirking. The intent behind his words wasn’t the same as the meaning. I feel the same fire in my belly as I did earlier. His close proximity just added to the fire. I know now, it’s not from the alcohol.

“What’s your name? I can keep calling you ‘princess’ but that’s not only your birth certificate.” I knew this would come up. I stick my hand out and stretch out my fingers. Five. I will him to hear me. The telepathy was a new discovery, one that I hope to master.

“Your name is Five? Like the number?” he laughs loudly. It comes out in waves, each one stronger than the one before. I wring my hands, squeezing them tight. I wish I lied. Billy’s laughter died off. He sighed, leaning back against the rocks.

“Shit, I’m sorry, princess. Five’s a badass name.” Billy leans his head against my shoulder. “Badass just like you.”

“Five,” A stern voice stands over me. A dull pain drums in my head. Nothing that I haven’t experienced, still unsettling. “I have an Advil and some water for you downstairs. Get up and come to the kitchen. We need to talk.” Hopper turns away, leaving the door to my room wide. I peek out the window, the sun barely making its own appearance. The sky a dull gray, representing my whole mood. I slink out of bed, leaving the warmth and the smell of Billy. I look at the jacket tucked underneath my pillow. How can I get it back to him? I shake my thoughts away, the dull pain turning into a constant throb now that I’m vertical. I drag my feet down the hallway. I heard the clinking of metal spoons coming in contact with ceramic bowls. I half-assedly take a box of cereal from the fridge.

“You’re gonna learn to use your arms and not your powers,” Hopper grumbles, placing a bowl in front of me. I reach across the table, clutching the cool gallon of milk. It felt wrong.

“You do what you did last night again and it’s back to the cabin, do you understand me?” I nod vigorously. “I can’t protect you if you’re out getting drunk with some rich teenage nobodies. You don’t have the pleasure of being able to do shit like that.” I nod again, swallowing down the cereal. I’m sorry. I push the thought, but it felt like nails scratching a chalkboard. I flinch.

“Advil, water and more food,” I smile. “I love you kid, I swear I’m trying to protect you.” I nod again. Of course Hopper, I believe you.

“On a lighter note,” Hopper slurps the milk from his bowl. “We have to go shopping today, you need school clothes.” I jump from my chair, my headache pushed to the back burner. The long-awaited battle and anger from being cooped up are finally over. Thank you, thank you I love you, thank you. Hopper laughs. I wrap my arms around him tight, almost knocking his bowl of cereal tasting milk off the table. He returned the favor, the strong tobacco smell laced into his clothes. Just like Billy’s.

“I think you are the only kid in America excited about school.” I shake my head. The Party likes school. “And I told you not everyone is like them, kiddo.” I agree. They’re better than everyone else.

“When do I get dressed? Can we leave now?” I shove the questions at him, forcing through the could of pain-blocking them.

“Shower, then we can leave.” I have never run so fast.

The mall was packed to the brim. Pink flyers advertising Valentine’s Day were in every window.

“What is Valentine’s Day?” Hopper raises an eyebrow at me.

“Did you not learn about holidays at the lab?” I shake my head, suddenly feeling embarrassed. I bet every teenage knew what this pink and red holiday was.

“It’s basically love day. It’s reserved for couples but friends do stuff for it too.”

“You and Joyce?” I inquire, out of genuine curiosity. Hopper clears his throat, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Something like that, kid.” I nod, smiling softly at the thought. “It’s coming up next month so the stores have to shove the sentiment down single folks throats.” It sounded a little bitter but I didn’t question further. Hopper keeps a watchful eye on both me and our surrounds. Surveying for threats as if I couldn’t sense them. Dustin said they’re my Spidey senses. You’re Five-y senses! He had exclaimed, very proud of himself. The mall bustle seemed to overwhelm the sheriff more than I.

“We’re okay, Hop. We’re okay.” I urge, tapping three times on his knuckles. The muscles in his slack slightly and his shoulders give. I offer him a smile.

“Love you more.”

We continue our trek through the crowds, getting a couple of outfits that would fit me better than Hopper’s old clothes and Nancy’s hand me downs. I point to the pretzel cart, dragging Hopper with me as he groaned.

“You’re trying to fatten me up, aren’t you?” He jokes, reaching into his pocket to grab his wallet.

“You did that before I came along,” I respond, bumping my shoulder into his. Hopper laughs loudly, seemingly at nothing. A bored-looking teen slides us the cholesterol destroying delights. I smile, hoping that they could feel a little dosage of happiness but not even my powers could help this teen. I’m distracted from my minor failure when I catch a glimpse of recognizable blonde. Hargrove. He has his arm around some giggling girl and they’re surrounded by pairs in similar positions. Hargrove gives girl next to him a wink, before standing and walking towards the restrooms.

“Bathroom,” I tell Hopper before shoving the pretzel in his hand and taking off. I try to focus on Hargrove’s beautiful figure in a sea of people. People block my way with no care about my passing. They give me dirty looks as I try to sneak through the slim spaces they create to get to my destination. I finally emerge from the labyrinth of people but I can’t find him. I frown, searching the crowd but he is nowhere to be seen. I walk towards the bathroom and find a water fountain. I lean over to take deep sips, disappointed in my behavior. Searching for a boy I barely know like some love-struck puppy. Disgusting. If Papa knew how I was acting, it would be the worst punishments. I’m pulled from my thoughts when my Five-y senses pick up on an approaching person. My pores open, my hair standing on edge as my blood runs seemingly cold.

“Well, well, well. Isn't this a beautiful surprise?” Hargrove. I wipe the excess water from my lips hurriedly. I try to smile like a pretty girl. “Hey, Five.” He leans next to the water fountain. Even in the most horrid of lighting he still seems to glow. It wasn’t from the warm fire last night, it was just him. I wave.

“One day I’m going to want to hear you say my name, beautiful,” he approaches me. “Say it for me, babe. Just once.” I feel like all the air has left my lungs. I want to say it but I can’t. Hargrove doesn’t seem to be disappointed though. He strokes my cheek softly. “I saw you looking at me when you were with the sheriff. Am I just that pretty?” I feel my cheeks warm and I open and close my mouth like a fish out of water. He was being bold, maybe I needed to be too. I nodded. He liked that. A lot.

“You know what, princess?” he leans over pressing his lips against my ear, “I think you’re really pretty too. The prettiest girl in this shit hole town to be honest.” I feel goosebumps disperse across my skin. I felt a need like I have never before but I didn’t know what. I swallow, loud enough that he could definitely hear.

“You’re so shy and innocent, Princess Five,” he rests a hand on my waist. The unknown feeling intensifies and I feel dizzy. “I wanna change that so bad.” I nod, not knowing what I was agreeing to. “But only for me. I want everyone to see you as this innocent little thing but I want you to be naughty for me.” He presses a kiss to my jaw before backing away. I want to pull him back towards me.

“I’ll be at the quarries tonight around midnight. Just me. I hope to see you there.” I nod again, the only thing I seem to be able to do.