#and the fans will be enthralled or laughing and roasting it or both

[seaglassdinosaur]

I’m gonna make a controversial statement

Ninjago is the Supernatural of cartoons

[statdaddyalien]

The Alien and the Runaway (pt. 2)

Summary: Kris Statlander finds herself in a bit of a pickle. She needs to find a partner to ‘marry’ in AEW for storyline purposes. Enter the Runaway herself Ruby Soho, who is looking to make an impact. Can they learn to be a team? Will real feelings get involved? Is Kris actually an alien? Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

  Rating: T

  Pairing: Kris Statlander/Ruby Soho (Pt. 1 )

"So is she an alien or not? Because I am seriously thinking that she is, she picked up two whole girls."

"No, she's not an alien. I mean I don't think so. She is freakishly strong but I mean then again so is Bianca and Charlotte." Ruby rolled her eyes. She was sitting in her car outside the AEW taping, talking to Liv on facetime. No matter what company they were in or how far apart they were, Liv was always going to be her best friend.

"Some people really do get the best genes don't they?" Liv let out a dramatic sigh, before raising a brow. "So you're starting a storyline with Statlander?'

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, we're supposed to fake being married at some point, we're going to start traveling together on the road loops I think. She's supposed to save me from a beatdown tonight, and that will be the set up to us starting the story."

Liv smirked a little bit. "I mean she does kind of seem your type. She has tattoos and piercings just like you."

Ruby did her best not to blush, she really didn't want to give Liv more ammunition to tease her with. "I don't have a type Liv." She muttered, trying to downplay it. "Anyways I need to get ready for my match tonight, you'll be watching?"

Liv chuckled. "Of course Rue-Rue, I'll be watching. I got to see if your new girlfriend is an alien or not."

"Goodbye Liv." Ruby muttered with a groan, hanging up the phone. She didn't know what she was going to do with the blonde delinquent. She turned her attention back to the storyline at hand. She wanted to build something believable with Kris, something that the fans would buy into.

Ruby walked into the backstage area to find Kris already waiting for her along with Orange Cassidy, Chuck and Trent. Ruby couldn’t be certain but for a moment she was almost certain that Kris lit up when she saw her.

“Hey how’s it going?” Ruby asked, looking between them.

Chuck flashed a friendly smile her way. “Kris here was telling us, you ladies might be teaming up.”

“Yeah, I talked to the writing staff and they actually seemed to like the idea of us teaming up.” Kris said, once more sucking on her lip ring.

Ruby noticed that it seemed to be a nervous habit for the younger superstar. It kind of made Ruby want try and get her to relax. “That’s great, maybe we should go over our segment?” Ruby asked, wanting to make sure that they nailed it perfectly. She was a bit of a perfectionist in that regard.

“Yeah, I have a little bit of time. I am supposed to go with Orange to his match so as long as I am back in time.” Kris said.

Orange Cassidy nodded and gave her a thumbs up, before going back to chilling. He really did seem to embody his character, just a really mellow dude which Ruby appreciated. She had seen his works on the indies and she enjoyed seeing all the impressive things that he could do.

Kris and Ruby walked down the hall, finding a quiet spot for them to talk. Ruby couldn't pinpoint why she was feeling so nervous, but Liv's teasing words from earlier kept playing through her mind. She tried to clear her mind, focusing on what she had came here to do. She wanted to tell compelling stories and be able to wrestle.

"So I think Britt agreed to the beat down angle. I'm going to come and make the save again and maybe pick you up and carry you to the back." Kris explained, trying to fill Ruby in on what she had worked out with the other competitor.

"Are you sure you're okay having to carry me back up the ramp?" Ruby didn't want to make Kris uncomfortable.

Kris stared at her for a long couple of seconds, that really felt like a life time to Ruby. "I think I can handle carrying you Soho." Kris finally said.

Truth be told Kris was just feeling lucky that Ruby had agreed to the segment. A compelling story that would drive fans to tune in was exactly what she wanted.

"Alright, well I guess I should get changed into my ring gear. Um also my friend Liv told me to tell you hi."

"Is she the one who had the questions about whether or not I'm an alien?" Kris asked, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

Ruby blushed but nodded. "I think Liv is just naturally curious. Anybody she thinks is hot or weird, she wants to know everything about them. I guess I don't blame her."

Kris looked amused. "Which one is it?" She asked.

Ruby blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Which one am I? Hot or weird?" Kris asked, finding it hilarious to put Ruby on the spot.

Ruby's blush only deepened and she seemed to shrink back a little, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times like a fish.

Statlander just laughed and winked at her. "I'll let you think on it. See you out there, Soho." Kris replied, before leaving Ruby, so she could go back and meet up with Orange and the rest of her friends.

---

"So you and Soho?"

"Don't ask Chuckie, I don't want to talk about it." Kris mused as they stood ringside, watching Orange Cassidy wrestle Matt Hardy. It was hard to hear over the roar of the crowd, which was good for Kris because she didn't really want to talk about it.

"She's not a bad pick for a tag partner. She looks like she's creative enough to bounce ideas off of." Chuck continued, not taking Kris' cue to drop it.

Kris ignored him, focusing on Orange as he managed to hit the Orange Punch. She wasn't sure she had really been flirting with Ruby, maybe messing with her a little bit about the alien thing.  Relationships hadn't really gone well for her in the past and she didn't want to think about how a stupid little work crush could effect that. She highly doubted Ruby had come to AEW looking for anything other than opportunities to wrestle, and Kris wasn't going to get in the way of that.

She made her way backstage once Orange won, and found herself face to face with Britt Baker. Britt gave her a friendly smile, mainly since they were backstage and away from cameras and prying eyes.

"You excited for your new storyline?" Britt asked. She hadn't been filled in on everything, but she knew Kris was going to be making the save once she started beating down Ruby.

"Yeah, I think it'll be fun to mix it up." Kris said, trying not to sound to enthusiastic. "What about you, any chance you'll get to be in a storyline with Adam?" She knew how much Britt had missed her boyfriend when they were in separate promotions.

"It's good to have him here, good to be able to share the road with somebody I love. It's different going on road loops when it's you and your significant other." Britt replied, clearly excited for the prospect. "You'll be getting to travel with Soho now right? I know you usually travel with Orange and the boys."

Kris chuckled softly. "Maybe the car won't smell like feet for once. It'd be nice to get to the arena early for once. Trent always gets us lost." Kris really did love her boys, she was grateful for their friendship. She was excited however to be able to tell a story with Ruby outside of the ring though. To get to try and sell the audience on it, even when they weren't at tapings.

"I wish you luck." Britt said, before brushing past her as her music hit.

Ruby walked to the curtain, surprised to see Kris there already. "Were you waiting for me?"

Kris shook her head. "Nah, not exactly I was just talkin to Britt before the segment. Go kick some butt out there, I'll be watching." Kris said, noting that Ruby looked a little disappointed and crestfallen to find that Kris hadn't been waiting for her.

Ruby schooled her expression into a neutral one as her music hit. "See you out there."

The younger superstar watched the monitors intently as Ruby and Britt cut promos on each other. She had to give it to the two ladies, they were exceptionally talented mic workers. Kris listened as they roasted the ever living daylights out of each other. It was fascinating to watch, because it blended a fair share of personal shots but also wrestling shots as well.

It was so enthralling that Kris almost missed her cue as Britt's lackies, Rebel and Jamie Hayter began to beat down Ruby. Kris shook her head and grabbed a chair running down to rescue Ruby. She cleared the ring, smacking Rebel hard across the back with a chair.

"Thought you weren't coming." Ruby replied with a small laugh, as Kris helped her to her feet. She could see that one of Britt's kicks had actually busted Ruby's lip open.

Kris' eyes narrowed and she lifted her thumb, brushing it over Ruby's split lip. She noted the way Ruby seemed to flinch at the contact. Kris' gaze softened and she rolled out of the ring and then helped Ruby start limping towards the back. About half way up the ramp, Kris scooped Ruby up into her arms bridal style.

The roar of the crowd was almost instant, as if they didn't know what to make of the duo. Kris cracked a small smile and winked down at Ruby as the crowd started chanting for them. It was definitely the reaction they wanted for the beginning of their little arc.

"Hey Stat?"

Kris raised a brow. "Yeah?"

"About your question earlier, regarding which one? I'd say both. A little weird, but definitely hot" Ruby replied cheekily, taking great joy in the way Kris almost stumbled once they reached the top of the ramp.

Kris was thankful for the face paint hiding just how hot her cheeks felt suddenly. She could already tell that traveling with Soho was going to be an adventure.

[jokerfan99]

My Top 10 Favorite Anime Villainesses by DarkChild316

Evil has never looked this good! Hello everyone and welcome to my list of my FAVORITE, not the best, but my favorite anime villainesses of all-time. So, I've had the luxury of watching and revisiting a lot of anime recently with everything that's been going on, and there’s been quite a few villainous ladies that have caught my eye, so I figured I should give it a go and do a list of My Favorite Anime Villainesses. So, with that said, here's my list:

#10. Diva (Blood+): This was one of the first anime I remember watching as a young kid, and this lovely lady easily caught my eye more than anyone else in the entire show. I can honestly say that I felt that Diva was more relatable than her sister Saya was (my opinion people, just saying) mostly due to her backstory and how she was kept locked away for most of her life while Saya was treated like a princess. I will admit that her rape and murder of Riku was shocking and it did piss me off a bit, but she ultimately won me over again with her treatment of her unborn children at the end when I got to see the caring side of her that I hadn't seen from her towards anyone else, including her own Chevaliers. Ultimately, Diva is one of my favorite tragic villains of all-time.

#9. Mugino Shizuri (A Certain Magical Index):  Don't let the beautiful supermodel looks and gorgeous frame of this buxom beauty fool you. Mugino Shizuri is a woman who's looks are only matched by her ability to physically melt people's heads off. Add to that the fact that she's a total basket case who slowly devolved into a cold-blooded murderer who was willing to kill her own ITEM teammates for even the slightest betrayal, and you my friend have a recipe for a..."beautiful disaster" (that is an excellent pun, sit down somewhere!)

#8. Annie Leonhardt (Attack on Titan): Attack on Titan is a show I've recently started getting into and it's cast of characters really capture my imagination. One of the characters that really stands out to me is Annie, not just because she uses one of my favorite fighting styles in Muay Thai kickboxing (which she uses to devastating effect), but also in her introverted and isolated personality which serves as almost a dark mirror of Mikasa Ackerman. In a world full of terrifying monsters in human form, Annie sticks out as the most unsettling because of how coldly apathetic she remains to her individual actions as a double agent sent to wipe out humanity, and one can never truly tell if she might shake your hand or snap your neck.

#7. Rize Kamishiro (Tokyo Ghoul): Poor Kaneki, it really looked like he'd found the girl of his dreams when he met Rize Kamishiro. She was stunningly beautiful, mature, well-read, and seemed to be genuinely interested in him. Alas, he was soon to learn the harsh reality behind this beautiful face, as she lured him in, only to literally take a bite out of his heart (or neck, depending on how you want to look at it). As it turned out, Kaneki's 'dream girl' is actually a nightmarish ghoul with a ravenous taste for human flesh, and poor Kaneki was on the menu. If not for some steel beams falling on top of her, there likely wouldn't have been anything left of the poor guy.

#6. Raynare (Highschool DXD): Now take everything I just described about Rize and add just a touch of sadism, and you get this fallen angel beauty. Honestly, that's how I've always viewed Raynare's character, as a far more sadistic version of Rize Kamishiro, and when you look at then two, it's not hard to see the similarities between the two: Both manipulated and betrayed the respective male leads of their respective anime by posing as sweet, gentle, kind and shy young women; both are incredibly sadistic, manipulative, and ruthless, and most of all, both continued to haunt Kanenki and Issei even after their deaths due to their betrayals. Although I'd say that Raynare is just a bit more psychotic and sadistic than Rize is, which puts her slightly higher on my list. Also, major bonus points for Rayare's light-based abilities that serve as a great foil to her sinister personality.

#5. Junko Enoshima (Danganronpa): OH I FUCKING LOVE THIS WOMAN! If ever there was a title for "craziest bitch on the block", Junko would take that title and then laugh about it in your face. What other woman would be crazy enough to set up a series of sadistic killing games that would make Jigsaw stand up in appreciation under the guise of a sadistic teddy bear, murder their own twin sister, and even axe off THEMSELVES when their plans go awry! Yeah, Junko is crazier than your average bird, but damn if that doesn't make her all the more appealing, doesn't hurt that she's hot as hell either!

#4. Lust (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood): Well it's really all right there in her name isn't it! One of the Seven Homunculi, an artificially-created human being infused with a Philosopher's Stone, Lust encapsulates everything that is both alluring and dangerous about her given Sin. Her sensual voice, body, and nature can bring any man to their knees, traits she's more than willing to use to further Father and the Homunculus's goals. And when her target's usefulness is done, they usually find themselves on the receiving end of one of Lust's razor-sharp nails. Unfortunately for her, as hot as she may be, Roy Mustang's flames were even hotter!!!

#3. Cinder Fall (RWBY): When I first started watching RWBY, Cinder was one of the characters that caught my attention almost immediately. The way she played the role of being the ruthless master manipulator just enthralled me like I'd never seen before. I'd seen great manipulators in anime before, but Cinder had the feel of almost an expert chess player, manipulating the pieces around her, and always staying two steps ahead of everyone else in her attempts to checkmate the King. But wat truly sold me on Cinder as a detestable villain, was two incidents in particular, and I think every RWBY fan knows what I'm talking about: Her murder of Pyrrha Nikos, and her attempted murder of Weiss Schnee. Those two incidents to me added a touch of sadism to her character and put her over the top as a truly great villain in my eyes. Oh, and it also helps that she's a total pyromaniac with Fall Maiden powers that can roast you like a Thanksgiving turkey. Yeah, definitely NOT the kind of woman you want to get on her bad side.

#2. Medusa Gorgon (Soul Eater): Ah yes, Medusa! The only woman who could make Orochimaru lust for her (and I'll fight anyone who disagrees with that statement!) But in all seriousness, I can see why people often compare Medusa to Orochimaru as the similarities between the two are incredibly stunning: Both have an affinity for snakes; both are genius scientists with a total lack of care for human life; Both have shown an ability to jump from one body to another, like a snake shedding its skin; and both have shown the ability to manipulate almost anyone to their cause. What makes Medusa even more unique however is her treatment of her own child Crona, treating Crona as a mindless killer and never showing any real form of love or emotion towards her own child except when that child can help further her own twisted desires. Yeah, Medusa definitely won't be winning any "Parent of the Year" awards.

#1. Esdeath (Akame ga Kill): Admit it! You KNEW it was gonna be this woman didn't you, c'mon now! Anyone doing a list of their favorite anime villainesses that DOESN'T make Esdeath #1 is just wrong! She's got everything you could ever want from a great villainess: She's a total sadist with a Social Darwinist personality and a total lack of empathy for humankind. She's incredibly powerful with her mastery over ice thanks to her Teigu "Demon's Extract"; Plus she's a woman who lives for her love of conflict, and her love of Tatsumi (lucky bastard!) Add to that the fact that she registers a perfect 10 in sexiness, and you've got a recipe for my favorite female anime villain!

So that's my list, what did you guys think about it? Love it, hated it? Go on and tell me what you think and let me know who your favorite anime villains are. See you soon!

Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/darkchild316

[mycandylavynder]

Christmas Date

Nathaniel - Rayan - Priya - Hyun

Castiel

"Hey. If you aren't busy this morning could you come over for a bit? I could use your help with something." You see this text message from Castiel when you wake up around 11 in the morning.

"Yeah, I can. I'm free until 2:30. What did you need help with?" You text back, curiousity at full peak as your brain slowly wakes up. Why would Cas want your help?

"Cool. I'll text you the address. Just come over whenever you're ready."

You stare at your phone for a few seconds, but the only message that comes through is the one with the address. You wonder if he ignored the ladder part of your text on purpose but decide to get ready anyway.

After you are dressed and have packed your bag, you look at the address again. It sounds familiar but you still have to GPS it. As you begin to recognize the location on the screen, nostalgia hits as you think about the place you first got to "know" Castiel. Your face reddens as you recall that night, but you quickly put the memory away to set out on your walk.

As you are walking, you pass a liquor store and decide it might be best not to show up empty handed. You buy a pack of pricey craft beer and set back on your journey. The memory of your steamy nights at his parents' come back to mind when the building comes to view. But like a seasoned pro, you bottle them back up. No sense in reading the past when you are ready to write out your future.

You press the intercom and Castiel let's you in. You walk a flight of steps until you come to the apartment door. You give a gentle knock and hear him approach from the other side before the door opens.

"Hi. That was quick." He says as he helps you take off your jacket.

"Yeah, this wasn't as far of a walk as I remembered." You hand him the package of beer before taking off your boots and setting your bag beside it.

He examines the label on the box while you do this. "Dragons milk? How'd you know I like this?"

"I do my homework." You say giving him a playful wink.

"I don't doubt that." The redhead says as you catch his smoldering gaze roaming over your figure. You're wearing a low cut white v-neck shirt, blue highwaist jeans with slits at the knees, and a long black fuzzy cardigan. You're lovely mane is fishtailed into a single braid and a black velvety choker wraps around your neck. You bite back a smile, confident you know what he's thinking. And as cute and casual as you are, you feel a bit over dressed. Castiel is wearing a black band T with gray joggers. His red locks pulled into a messy ponytail.

"So Castiel, what exactly did you need my help for?" You finally ask.

"Follow me to the kitchen." He says as he leads the way.

You lift an eyebrow but don't say a word as you take in the old familiar sights of his parents apartment. When you enter the kitchen, you stop dead in your tracks when you see what all is spread out on the floating island. "Uh, Castiel...what are all these groceries for?"

"So," he begins as he runs his fingers through his red fringe. He leans a hand on the counter before continuing, "It's Christmas. My parents flight got delayed. And I forgot to get them a present. So, naturally, like the wonderful son I am, I thought I'd have Christmas dinner ready for when they get here."

The corner of your red painted lips lift. "So, I'm guessing you need me to cook it?"

"Yeah, something like that." He says eying you. You can tell he is preparing his self for your endless teasing.

"Alright." You say cooly as you casually slide off your cardigan and hang it on the barstool. You see an apron hanging in the corner and slide it over your head. You start to tie the string around your waist but feel a hand gently swat your hands away.

"Let me do it." He says as he takes the strings into his hands. He is so close behind you that you can feel his cool breath tickling your neck and your knees quiever ever so slightly. He ties a solid knot that falls at the small of your back. You feel his fingers brush against your neck as he gently tugs your hair from under the apron collar.

You pull yourself together in time to face him, uttering a small "thanks" before you busy yourself with looking over the spread of ingredients. You make a mental checklist of what needs to be made: chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, macaroni and cheese, carrots, green beans, and dinner rolls. Okay. You can finish this in time to make your train.

You set one of the ovens to 350 degrees Fahrenheit before instructing Castiel to peel potatoes. You rinse your hands thoroughly and wash the celery and carrots. You chop them up and set them aside while you prep the chicken in a roasting pan. You add the vegetables and a few peeled potatoes to the pan and sprinkle over a generous helping of herbs and spices. Setting the pan aside while you wait for the oven to finish heating, you start gathering things for the Mac and cheese.

“We could use some music, don’t you think?” He says as he finishes peeling the last potato. You look up to watch him walk over to plug his phone into a speaker.

You break into a smile when you hear Brandon Flowers belt out "Oh Santa." Castiel catches your smile and winks. You did not think he would remember your favorite Christmas song after all these years. And as embarrassing as it is, you can't resist the urge to sing along.

Castiel unsuccessfully bites back a laugh as he listens to you miss all the notes. And you absolutely could care less because you are delivering the lines as fiercely as Beyonce. Cas rejoins you behind the counter, completely enthralled by your impromptu concert. You're wiggling as the song plays out its last cords and drifts into another alternative Christmas jam.

He stares at you. Amusement, horror, and pure mischief stir in his silver eyes as he watches you put the chicken in the oven and set the timer. After a moment, he finally speaks. "I might have to find you a spot in the band with that...wide vocal range."

You laugh. "Yeah, I don't know about that. I might just steal the show."

He smirks as you set water on the stove to boil. "When this starts to boil, add the macaroni to it." You demand as you fill another pot with water to boil the potatoes. You had to admit, getting to boss Castiel around without retaliation is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you intend to take full advantage of it.

"So how did you learn to cook like this?" He asks as he pours the Mac into the boiling water.

"Years of helping my mom, I guess. My mom's a bit of a wiz in the kitchen so she taught me quite a bit."

He grows quiet as he digests the picture of you helping your mom. "Does your mom normally cook the Holiday dinners for you?" You ask, breaking his train of thought.

"Of course. I honestly think my dad and I would burn the building down if my mom let us help."

You smile. "I'll be sure to keep an eye on you then."

A little time slips by without any thought and he finally speaks up again. His voice slightly distant as he speaks. "So... I was a little surprised you were able to come. I was sure you would have other plans."

You laugh, sounding a little bitter at the way he says that. "Yeah, what? You mean other plans like a date."

He looks at you coldly.

"No worries, Cas. I am single as a Pringle. And besides you're one to talk. I'm sure you could have easily called up your fan club and they would have had a 12 course meal on gold plated dishes at your doorstep in an hour." You hiss sounding much more venomous than you mean to. No matter how hard you try, this boy can touch you in a way others can't.

A quiet spell falls over you both as music blares in the background. The potatoes are boiling, the macaroni and cheese is ready to brown in the second oven, and Castiel joins you in clipping the ends off of the green beans.

"I'm sorry...if that came out wrong." He says carefully.

"Me too." You say, allowing the moment to pass.

"How have you been since the infirmary? No catty girls are spreading rumors are they?" His voice is softer as he speaks.

"I've been a lot better, actually. Moving forward, I decided to stop letting so much things pile up on myself. And as for the girls... I think you scared them off for good. I'm sure when we return from winter break, everyone will have completely forgotten about it."

"Good. I don't want to rough up the entire campus if I don't have to."

You smile a little, allowing a comfortable silence to form as you finish up the vegetables. The two of you debate music for a while as you finish making the mashed potatoes and start the stuffing. Castiel shares a couple of wild band stories as you put him in charge over the gravy.

Soon you both find all the food is either cooked or in the oven. And it's time to clean up the dishes. You already set aside most of the dishes to soak. He picks up a few of the stray forks and spoons and brings them to the sink. "You dry, and I'll wash?" You suggest and he takes his spot at the side of the sink.

"I sure hope your parents like everything we made."

"Me too. But if they don't, I'll just tell them I had help from this funny little girl."

You playfully jab him with your elbow. "So, you plan on taking all the credit if it turns out nicely then?"

"Obviously. I did do most of the work after all." He says, side-eying you.

You gasp in mock offense and flick a little water at him. He glares at you and you take a step back. "Oh you're definitely going to pay for that little girl." He says as he scoops you up into his arms and throws you over his shoulder. You laugh and pound his back softly with you fists as your feet kick the air.

"Put me down, Castiel!" You demand through fits of laughter as he walks you toward the living room.

"Oh no, not until you pay, Candy. That was the second shirt of mine that you've ruined." He says dramatically.

He tosses you on the coach and climbs on top of you. His long legs carefully straddle your thighs as he runs his fingers down your sides to tickle you.

You burst into uncontrollable laughter, tears forming in your eyes as you try to fight it. He tickles his fingers over your stomach and arms and doesn't let up until you whine, "Stop, Cas, I swear I'm about to pee myself."

He pins your wrists above your head, a wicked look twinkling in his sexy eyes like that of a cat that wants to play with it's spoils. Your stomach is doing Olympic worthy flips, and you can hear how hard your heart is working to keep you alive. His eyes fall to your lips as he slowly lowers himself over you. You feel his arrogant smiling lips begin to gently brush against yours.

Then the timer goes off, startling you both out of your little bubble. You both stay frozen before you finally whisper, "Uh, the chicken is done." Your face is terribly hot and your head is spinning in a merry-go-round. He slowly lets you free, a quiet unreadable ecpression washing over his face. You get up and go to the kitchen, slidding on oven mitts to pull out the chicken. That is the last of the food to make.

You check the time and panic. "Oh shit! I missed the bus to the train station!"

"Don't worry, I can drop you off." He says as he strolls past the kitchen. "Just let me get changed." He says heading toward his bedroom.

A few minutes later, he emerges, dressed in his usual threads. "Ready?" He asks already heading for the door.

The car ride to the station is short and quiet. The radio plays its usual rounds and you wonder what Castiel thinks whenever he hears Crowstorm play on the radio. But you don't ask since your destination is coming into view.

He comes to a stop in front of the station. You both linger for a second before you grab your stuff. "Thanks for the ride. I guess I'll...see you around?" You say just before you place your hand on the handle.

He grabs your arm and pulls you toward him. His lips zealously crash against yours and you both can't stop the desire to deepen the kiss. A wild fire is breaking thoughout your body and you don't want to put it out. He tastes wonderful and wreckless as he gently tugs on your hair.

But unfortunately all good things must come to an end. You hesitantly pull away from each other, feeling your heart sigh at the departure. "See you around, little girl."

You flash him a smile before skipping out the car to catch your train. It was a strange surprise to your Christmas morning, but you would not have it any other way.

Much later that evening, you get a text from Castiel. "I think you missed your calling."

"What do you mean?"

"I think you'd make a better chef than an art historian." You smile, feeling a wave of relief wash over you.

"So everyone likes the food then?"

"Yes. My mom won't shut up about how I've been holding back on her and that I'll have to do this again next year.

"So...are you free next December 25?"

You cover your giggling so your parents don't hear you in the kitchen. "I don't know... I'll have to check my schedule."

"Merry Christmas, Candy."

"Merry Christmas."

[theragamuffininitiative]

“Starring Opposite You” recap, aka a monster-length post

This is really long, and it’s me just rambling a bunch of dumb stuff about the night with video links to the songs, so I’m being courteous and inserting a readmore link, because I have no idea how the formatting is gonna come out by the time I’m done. XD

But guys. I got to see Ashley and Jeremy in concert together and it was incredible, and I got to see them afterward too. ^_^

Enjoy!

Ok, far as venues go, Sony Hall is gorgeous. It was cramped seating, but the venue itself was amazing. I got exactly two pictures of it and then my battery died. XD

Before the concert started, @hisloveconsumesme (my amazing traveling buddy who somehow managed to keep this ragamuffin in line) and I were sitting at these long tables that stretched out from the stage toward the back of the venue, so we had to turn sideways for the show.

So. Directly across the room from us was a little round table near the wall, and lo and behold seated there was none other than Melissa Benoist, Jeremy’s costar and the lead from Supergirl, who is on Broadway herself for a limited engagement in Beautiful and came to support her friend for a night of fun. She wasn’t exactly hiding and people kept coming up to get pictures with her and she was very sweet to all of them.

We kept watching that side of the room and by the end of the night almost the whole Squad had shown up so that it was Melissa, Kara Lindsay (JJ’s costar from Newsies) and her husband Kevin Massey, and Corey Cott (Bandstand, and JJ’s replacement in Newsies) and his wife Meg, and the queen herself: Laura Osnes (Bandstand, Cinderella, JJ’s costar in Bonnie and Clyde, and Ashley’s competition/friend from Grease Live). It was so fun not only seeing two of my faves on stage as a fan, but seeing my other faves there enjoying and reacting to everything as friends.

Ok but the songs:

Ashley and Jeremy came out and with zero introduction, they just stood on opposite sides of the stage facing one another, never giving the audience a bit of notice, unlit at the corners of the stage, and sang Castro’s “Automatic” 

They stepped closer to each other through the whole song until they were right in front of each other, and then they danced together, and then they spun around and faced the audience for the first time. It may have been my favorite song of the night and this is the only clip I think any one snagged of it, but it was so cute the way they staged it, I love them.

Melissa waved at Ashley from the audience and Ashley smiled so big and waved excitedly back, like how cute.

Then they introduced themselves (”in case you all came to the wrong place” Jeremy joked to the packed room) and gave a little background of what they’ve been in and how the night was their own little celebration of all they’ve done on stage and together and got to talking about how they will get the other person’s showtunes stuck in their head for days. Ashley burned JJ on having to listen to Newsies and Smash back-to-back and honestly they just roasted each other for a bit.

They talked so long about wanting to be in something together, they got tired of waiting so that’s why they did the concert: “Starring Opposite You.”

They had a script. They woefully went off script. They would do 'impromptu' jokes and then be like “this is in the script” and “now it’s your line” and honestly I can’t with these dorks.

Ben Rauhala was shaking his head at them from his keyboard 90% of the entire night, especially when Jeremy said “We didn’t rehearse!” and Ben was 100% done with Mom and Dad.

And then they started singing a medley of all their standards, except that Ashley was singing JJ’s songs and Jeremy was singing her’s ohmygosh

AND IT WAS HYSTERICAL BUT ALSO HOLY HECK GUYS ASHLEY IS SO GOOD.

ASHLEY SLAYED “Moving Too Fast” and “Raise A Little Hell” and “Broadway Here I Come” and “Santa Fe.” Like, don’t think this is anything less than a compliment, but I’ve pretty much come to expect phenomenal performances by Jeremy at this point, but there is not nearly enough content for Ashley AND SHE’S SO GOOD, I CAN’T STOP GEEKING OUT ABOUT IT. I need a cast album with her yesterday.

Jeremy was ‘offended’ that Ashley was doing choreography while he was singing so during “When You Got, Flaunt It” he shouted “Now for the dance!” and started to go for it and Ashley immediately went “No!” and stopped him. XD XD Heaven bless her.

Everybody screamed so loud for Bonnie and Clyde, these are my people.

Please please please, the part at the end where she’s singing “Santa Fe” in Jack Kelly’s accent. I don’t know if that was planned or not because Jeremy was dying on stage and had to fight so hard to get control back for his next bit, send help. XD XD XD

And yeah Jeremy sang “Harden My Heart” and “Hopelessly Devoted” so. um. heck.

He was such a huge dork the whole time, I don’t even know what to say, except to point out that at one point early on - I don’t remember exactly which of his antics got this reaction but does it honestly matter - I looked over and Corey’s wife Meg was doubled over with laughter while simultaneously covering her face with her hands in shame like “please. I don’t know this man. I swear.”

They did a scene from Rock of Ages and sang “High Enough” because they were both in it but not at the same time, so they played their characters opposite each other and it was great. XD

Featuring! Jeremy explaining to the audience he was holding a cassette tape, and Ashley then throwing it on the ground. XD

How did she fall in love with him when he was doing this role, I don’t know, but maybe it’s a good thing because at least she knew what she was in for.

Those harmonies though.

Then JJ grabbed a guitar and talked about old songs he wrote growing up and the whole bit cracked the entire room up

and this video has slightly better audio but without the intro.

Let me just tell you, as someone who taught guitar to middleschoolers for four years: that Green Day song is somehow always the one boys teach themselves on their own and I don’t get it.

AND THEN!!!!

ok ok ok ok ok Jeremy Jordan asdfghjkl singing the love song he wrote to Ashley and their future family, aka “Memories of Loving You”, aka “Ashley’s Song” - THE ACTUAL TITLE, aka my most favorite thing he maybe has ever done alkjfshldfijksdfjhleiudzfknv,fhslidvdxkvnd *broke*

They talked about Riley a lot. Like a lot a lot.

They joked that every time Riley was mentioned, everyone had to take a shot, but Ashley added that you needed to get someone to carry/drive you home. XD

There was a slideshow presentation of all of Riley’s nicknames and I honestly don’t remember most of them (kicking myself over that, because they were wild) but it was everything from like “Ri-ri” and “Riley Bear” to completely different names to long complicated made-up words that didn’t even make any sense - and there were like 30 of these. Most of them were dubbed by Ashley.

I could see Jeremy’s eyebrows doing The Thing while he sang from where I sat. XD

Jeremy was such a Dad because he kept getting distracted by the fact that the slideshow wasn’t keeping up.

I don’t remember which song it was around but Ashley had videos of her as like a three year old toddling around and singing, and this girl already had it from that age, and it was adorable.

The whole night felt like a chance for them to not only star opposite each other, but to swap places. Ashley was showcasing in every performance and song, being silly, but also very much bringing her a-game. Incredible. Jeremy on the other hand, was so incredibly laidback and goofy the whole night, this was the performance from a guy who knows he has nothing to prove and was just enjoying the moment and probably enjoying showing off Ashley for a bit because he never shuts up about how gorgeous and talented she is anyway, and he’s RIGHT.

Ashley talked about how much she was grateful for all the roles she’s gotten to do, but they’ve mostly been pop rock musicals and not anything classical, and so she sang “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” from Showboat

Someone cast her in something quick

And give us a cast recording

I’m begging you.

The Waitress medley. (!!!!!!!!!!)

I can’t.

@hisloveconsumesme kept grabbing me excitedly and if I had been behind her I would have been doing the same thing but basically I couldn’t take my attention off the stage long enough. We were living. Cast them in Waitress too. ;) ;) ;)

Ashley’s so perfect.

I have no words.

Except! Watch Jeremy stand back and be completely enthralled while Ashley is singing “What Baking Can Do.” You could feel the waves of admiration coming off that stage mixing with that coming from the audience.

Now go back and watch it again just to listen to her.

The part during “Bad Idea” where they go “you have a wife / you have a husband” and just shrug and laugh at each other like “yeah: you.” XD XD XD

He did “Run Away With Me”

probably the best he’s ever done it

especially after making a whole point about never doing it because of always messing it up lol.

Also the bit about the pie at the beginning might be what was embarrassing poor Meg Cott.

He did not share the pie.

Ashley singing “Embraceable You” was so precious??

ohmyword listen to her

I’m so uPSET I didn’t get to see her play Polly. *flops*

Literally everything they did was love songs, even when the other person wasn’t on stage for it. Jeremy kept popping back onstage saying things like “aw, you mean me?!” and Ashley just rolled her eyes at him.

These dorks. The 90′s Medley story is great, but what are they doing though, what...what are they.

90s kid me was having flashbacks

EVERYONE CLAPPED AT THE PART and it made Ashley so happy. XD

While Ramin will forever and always be my favorite Jean Valjean, Jeremy came out of freaking left field and sang “Bring Him Home” ????! for us as his final song, complete with a little story intro for his experience with the song.

I was seriously concerned by the fact that he wasn’t taking nearly enough breaths for this piece and I don’t know how he did it skjdflhajdfa

also he can go play that role any time he wants even though I never would have said I wanted it before the concert.

Oh, and when he finished, I glanced over at where Kara Lindsay was sitting and she was crryyyyyyyyyinngg AND I HAD BEEN FINE UP TO THAT POINT BUT HECK. SAME GIRL. SAME.

Seriously.

This is from the second night

Enjoy it all over again.

Ashley’s final song was “Stranger to the Rain” from Children of Eden, and gosh I need to stop forgetting how much I adore Schwartz’ music, so yeah, basically just listen to this and weep.

#PancakeHands

She is so pretty and talented, I’m sorry I’ll stop saying that.

They forgot to introduce the band until the last song lol. Jeremy kept making jokes about how we should all come back the second night because they would get it right then. XD

The final medley of the night was from a bunch of classic musicals, favorites of the Jordans, and wOW.

Medley featuring: “Our Children” from Ragtime, “Follow Your Heart" from Urinetown, “As Long As You’re Mine” from Wicked, “Come What May” from Moulin Rouge, and “Suddenly Seymour” from Little Shop of Horrors.

I think Corey (and Melissa) laughed at every single dumb thing Jeremy did - the “Agony” video sums up their entire relationship I’m pretty sure -except when they went into “As Long As You’re Mine” and Corey’s little Wicked fanboy heart could hardly contain himself.

The whole night I couldn’t decide who I should be watching or when, because when Jeremy was singing, Ashley was still in full performance mode and being brilliant and hysterical and occasionally reverting to expressions of “you utter nerd what are you doing.” On the other hand, whenever Ashley was singing, Jeremy literally stepped back and just watched her like there was no one else in the room and not only like he was watching his favorite singer, but like she was the entirety of his universe and askjflhdjfdf - I can’t with them. Seriously, when you watch the youtube clips, watch the other person during the duets and you’ll see what I mean.

He kept reaching for Ashley’s hand the whole night.

Like, seriously, they held hands so much and it was so cute.

Ashley is such a good dancer. Jeremy used all five of his moves. XD She kept throwing him off by dancing and also giving him A Look if he tried to follow suit.

They came back for an encore and sang “You’re All I Need to Get By”

If I remember correctly they said this was the song they danced to at their wedding, and there was a full slide show of pictures of them (I feel like the slideshow was earlier in the night but if it was, I don’t remember which song, so unless I can see the screens from someone else’s youtube videos lol)

AND JEREMY FORGOT THE LYRICS. “ready for you” he says - NO YOU WEREN’T, JJ. Ashley and Ben kept trying to get him on track and he was so lost. XD

He was embarrassed and did the little double-over-giggling-to-hide-his-face thing I did a gifset of months ago.

Ashley held up her hand with her wedding band while singing “dedicate my life to you.”

I love them.

Standing Ovation.

Ok

But

At the end of the night:

After we applauded as loud as we could and laughed and cried.

We went and stood in line, because we had VIP tickets, and we waited for forever and chatted about the show and how incredible it was.

And then we get into this little green room in the back of the venue, and Ashley and Jeremy were taking pictures and saying hi to everyone one at a time. So I go in first, and someone before me had accidentally left their bag on the floor just inside, so JJ and Ashley were very concerned about getting it returned. Person, if you’re reading this, I hope you got your stuff back, but like, I also have a small bone to pick with you, and not actually because I totally tripped upon walking in. Jeremy and Ashley were both all “oh! careful!” (a direct quote from both of them), and very sweet about it lol. Thankfully it was only a little trip and I just laughed it off. XD So we got in and we took each other’s pictures getting a Jordan sandwich hug, and yes Jeremy really is that short, and I’m ashamed to say my brain was thinking “ohmygosh he’s so short” at the very minute I tripped over the bag.

Ashley kind of took over the little meet and greet, because naturally JJ had reverted to his shy off-stage self, and I was actually really okay with that because a) I was slightly concerned people would be all over Jeremy and ignore her and that wasn’t the case at all and b) it was much easier to focus on her and not be an awkward fangirl lol.

We told them “thank you, for everything” (at least, I think so, I was totally not focused at all at that point), and both of them were just so kind and actually thanked us for coming, and hisloveconsumesme got to chat with Ashley for a minute too as the next people where coming in and talking to JJ.

And then that was that. We left. We almost stopped to talk to Ben, but he was talking with a bunch of other people, and we were tiiiiiired. XD

So yeah. I’m sure I’ve forgotten half the night.

But this post is huge anyway. XD

It was a very good night.

@youtube user ren598, idk if you have a tumblr but I owe you for getting all these videos. There are some videos from other people there and from the second night, but these are my favorites, bless you.

Bless Ben Rauhala as well. Idk what the Broadway community would be without him, the King Medley Maker. I love him.

asdfghjkl

can’t

done

[writingsofaderangedfox]

Old Dogs, New Tricks. (WIP, Chapter 1)

Chapter One: Chance Encounter.

Friday evening in a downtown tavern called “The Bastion”, about nine-thirty or so, most of the patrons that remained in the small pub that resided in the basement were either passed out drunk or debating renting a room from the makeshift inn upstairs.  On the edge of the bar furthest from the door sat a slightly older looking Kitsune dressed in a beat up leather jacket, worn out jeans and a simple black eye patch over his left eye, who was sipping on a glass of whiskey and chain smoking a pack of cheap cigarettes.  To the average patron the old vulpine appeared engrossed in his glass, but the bartender, a mildly curvy red-head, knew better. She had seen him in here a million times before (she had also lost her nerve to approach him each and every time), she knew he was former military and when she caught him observing her from the bar she heard him chuckle before he spoke.

“I’m not meanin’ to stare sweetheart, just like to make sure I know my environment and everyone in it, five years in the Marines will do that to ya.” he said with a chuckle before introducing himself to her. “the names Dean Keysr, and don’t worry I don’t bite.”

She stood there in shock, how had he known she had seen him watching her? (could she really be this lucky?)

“M..my name is Frankie, Frankie Alexandre.” she manged to stutter before another bout of laughter, this time a bit hardier, came from Dean.

“I’m sorry, I really am, but you have the most adorable look on your face right now I couldn’t help but laugh.  You look so surprised that I just spoke so suddenly and your probably wondering how I knew you saw me watching you, am I right?” he said with a grin.

“Y..yes actually, I am curious about that..” she said quietly.

Dean grinned a little wider “It’s my nose, I can smell a wide verity of things most others cant, I can smell peoples scent, I can smell certain poisons, I can name several brands of whiskey by smell and I can smell fear and excitement, as well as other things.” he tapped his muzzle as he finished his sentence as if to further prove his point.  

Frankie blushed slightly at his statement. “That’s a very interesting talent Mr. Keysr.” she replied.

“Please call me Dean, Mr. Keysr was my father.” he said with a smile on his muzzle.

The two started talking, mostly small talk at first, but they soon got onto deeper topics as Dean talked about when he joined the Marines at eighteen and his five years he spent as a Marine and how he had lost his left eye in a firefight with a unit of guerrillas or how he watched his best friend die in his arms while he kept screaming for a medic “all he needed was something to slow the bleeding and to ease the pain so he wouldn't go into shock, that was it….” he had said.  

The more Dean spoke the more enthralled Frankie became with the vet, this poor creature who has seen and experienced so much pain and suffering, her heart felt heavy as she heard his stories. “It will get better Mr. Key….. Dean, it will get better Dean.” she said with a sad look in her eyes.

“I know it will besides I cant give up yet, I still got people to piss off!” he said with a chuckle. “but thanks for your kind words Frankie, means a lot to this old war dog that someone still gives two shits about me.” he said as he looked directly at her for the first time all evening, the deep amber color of his eye stirring feelings that Frankie didn't even known she could feel.  (I’m gonna make my move, I’m doing this tonight) she though to herself.

“I’m afraid its last call Dean.” Frankie said as she looked at the clock, which was showing midnight. “but if you don't have plans for the rest of this evening, would you mind indulging a nosy bartender such as myself? I know I’m not the youngest thing around, but your stories have sparked my interest.” she asked quietly, praying she didn’t sound as desperate as she felt.

“Not the youngest thing around?” Dean asked with an eyebrow raised. “No offense sweetheart but I think I’m old enough to claim you as my kitt.” Dean said with a smirk.

“Well Dean, I wont doubt that fact but I’m not as young as I look.” Frankie replied with a grin of her own.

“and just HOW old do you think I am?” Dean asked amused.

“oh… I don't know, maybe sixty-four or sixty-five...” came Frankie’s reply.

Dean gripped his chest in a mocking fashion and put on a look of feigned pain “you wound me Frankie, you wound me deeply.  Sixty-Five???? maybe I should start using fur-dye…...”

“come on Dean, how old are you?” Frankie asked, amused at Deans reaction.

“forty-one...” he said dryly.

“Really?!?!” Frankie asked, a little to surprised for Deans liking.

“yes really, I’m beaten and war-torn, unfortunately that will prematurely age your looks and certain aspects of your body.” Dean said slightly irritated at the question.

“I am so sorry!” was all Frankie could say in response as her blush ran deeper and she felt the urge to just turn and run from the awkward situation she had created.

“its fine.” Dean said softly. “so what can this old vet indulge you in?”

“well to be completely honest your stories intrigue me, I may not look it but I’m a bit of a history fanatic, more specifically history of wars and battles.” Frankie replied with a slight twinkle in her eyes.

“huh..” was all Dean could say in response to Frankie’s statement.  

They walked in silence to Dean’s car before Frankie spoke up. “um Dean, no offense but I don’t think you should be driving after almost a fifth of whiskey.”

Dean chuckled and shook his head slightly. “yea.. I guess your right.” Dean tossed the keys to Frankie. “hope you can drive a stick, otherwise we are gonna have to take the bus.”

Frankie just smiled as she started the car and put it into gear. “Don’t worry about your pretty little hotrod Dean, I’ve driven plenty of muscle cars in my time.”

the two sat in silence for the better half of the ride (the two decided to go to Deans house so the intoxicated vulpine could get comfortable while they talked) as they approached the outskirts of the town Dean caught himself staring at Frankie and wondered if it was the alcohol, the fact that she actually wanted to hear his stories or both that was causing the feelings inside his chest to stir.  

As they neared the last fifteen minutes of the trip Dean tore his gaze from Frankie and reached over to turn on the radio just in time to catch the back-half of “Take The Money and Run” by The Steve Miller Band, he quietly chuckled to himself as he saw Frankie mouthing the words to one of his favorite songs.

“fan of The Steve Miller Band, huh?” he asked.

“um.. y.. yea I am, I know I’m a bit young to know their music but my parents used to listen to them all the time so it kinda stuck.” she said trying to hide the blush in her cheeks.  

They spent that last ten minutes of the trip making small talk, listening to music and laughing when, at around one forty-five in the morning, they came to a decent sized house surrounded by well kept trees with a small pond in the middle of the front lawn.

“you live HERE???” Frankie exclaimed.

“yea, why do ya ask?” Dean asked with a small grin.

“well no offense Dean, but I figured someone who would chose to drink somewhere like The Bastion would be living in a run down apartment owned by slumlords.” she said almost awestruck.  

“yep the beat up rusty Firebird, the worn out cloths and choice of watering-hole usually makes people think I’m pretty bad off.” he chuckled then lit a cigarette. “truth is, I made sure half of my income was put into savings while I was deployed and had the other half put into stocks. So now I wont have to work another day in my life.” he grinned as he finished his little speech, taking a long drag on his cigarette before returning his attention back to Frankie. “so, wanna see inside?” he asked, a wide smile plastered on his muzzle.

The inside was incredibly inviting, the parlor had a hardwood floor with a warm tan color on the walls and a small area for people to sit and watch some television and maybe share a meal. Just past the parlor Frankie could see what looked like a kitchen and a set of stairs leading up, followed by a small hallway just next to the stairs. The whole place just had this smell about it, Frankie could quite place it, but it just made you feel welcome and at home.  “not what you where expecting, huh?” Dean asked as he walked past Frankie and began climbing the stairs. “I’m just gonna change out of these rags and grab a quick shower so I don’t smell like a bottle while we talk, feel free to make yourself at home. I got plenty of food in the kitchen and pretty much every T.V. channel know to man.” he finished his sentence as he disappeared upstairs leaving an awestruck Frankie in the parlor trying to figure out just what exactly she should do.

Frankie decided to take Dean up on his offer and headed into the kitchen, she had forgotten to eat lunch today so she was starving, once inside she had found everything necessary to make a roast-beef sandwich and even splurged herself and grabbed a can of Pepsi from the fridge.  She sat in the parlor enjoying her sandwich and watching an old detective movie Dean had left in the player, after what felt like hours a freshly groomed Dean walked back down the stairs in a pair of plaid lounge pants. (wait, where hell is his shirt???) Frankie couldn’t help but stare at the tone muscles of the vet’s body, feeling as though her face was on fire. Dean seemed oblivious to the pair of eyes that had glued themselves to him as he walked straight into the kitchen and began brewing some coffee. “would you like some coffee, Frankie?” he asked from the kitchen.

“N.. no thanks Dean, I have a Pepsi already...” she stuttered.

“suit yourself but fair warning, I can be long winded with my stories so you may need a little pick-me-up latter on.” Dean replied with a chuckle.

A few minutes passed and Dean walked back into the parlor with a steaming mug and sat down across from Frankie. “So” Dean began as he took a sip from his mug before setting it on the coffee table in front of him. “where do you want the stories to start, when I first got to basic-training or when my boots first hit the soil in enemy territory?” he asked with a slight smirk.

Frankie thought hard for a moment. “well could we start before you signed up?” she asked.

“W.. what?” was all Dean could stutter. “you want to know why I joined?”

Frankie smiled. “yes Dean, I want to know your full story.”

Dean just looked at his coffee mug for a moment before he reached up with his thumb to wipe away the moisture that had built up in his eye and spoke softly. “those who love you the most will risk their lives so you don’t have to…  that’s what my father said before he left for work everyday, and it stuck with me that day he went to work thirty-seven years ago.” Dean took a second to collect his thoughts and wipe his eye again. “my dad.. he was a cop at prescient sixteen on the west side of Weston...” Dean trailed off again.

“wait.” Frankie said. “prescient sixteen, wasn’t that where that terrorist atta….. oh Dean… no...” Dean didn’t even bother wiping his eye this time, he just looked up at Frankie and shook his head. “oh Dean… I’m so sorry… you don’t have to tell me anymore if you don’t want to...”

Dean just shook his head again. “no Frankie, I said I would tell my stories and I will.”

Frankie nodded in understanding. “OK Dean, go ahead.” she said softly.

“well I’m sure your figured out what happened with my father so if you don’t mind I’m gonna skip that part, anyways after my dad died I had sworn I would do whatever I could to make sure no one would feel what me and my mom felt that day… and that's when I made my choice. I was not gonna sit and wait for the enemy to knock at the gate, I was gonna go knocking at theirs. So on my eighteenth birthday I went to the Marines recruiter and singed up.” Dean sipped his coffee. “after they did the medical and psychological testing they shipped me out to boot camp and began molding me into the vulpine you see today.”

Dean stretched his arms and took a long sip of his coffee before he stood up. “I gotta take a leak, I’ll be right back.” he turned and walked off.

A few moments later Dean walked back down the stairs and grabbed his mug before heading towards the kitchen. “I still got plenty of coffee if you would like any.” he called out from the kitchen.

“actually I think I’ll take you up on the offer this time.” Frankie said as she looked at the clock on the wall, three twenty-seven in the morning.

“well I hope you enjoy.” Dean said as he walked back in with two mugs in on hand and a small tray with cream and sugar dispensers in the other. “I drink mine black but I like to keep the extras around in case I happen to have someone over who isn’t as bland as I am.” he said setting one of the mugs and the tray in front of Frankie.

“thanks Dean, that’s really kind of you.” she said with a smile.

“don’t mention it.” he said as he sat down across from her. “now I know I said that I would share my stories, but I would like to hear yours before I continue.” Dean said in a tone that was quiet, soothing and for some reason strangely alluring to Frankie.

“M.. m.. my story?” she stuttered as she felt the blood rushing to her cheeks again. “I doubt it would be anything that would interest you Dean.” she said meekly.

“now Frankie that’s not how this works, you cant hear my story and not tell me yours.  So far I’ve shared up until I was twenty-one that’s nearly half my life surely you can at least share something with me, cant you?” he asked with genuine curiosity in his voice.

“I suppose I owe you that much dean.” she said with a small sigh.

Frankie added some cream and an obscene amount of sugar to her coffee before she took a long sip before she spoke. “alright, well for starters my full name is Franklynn Susanna Alexandrea, I am thirty years old.” she paused and thought for a moment before continuing. “although I’m fairly sure you want more than this trivial information, right?” she stated, more than she asked Dean. “well as far back as I can remember would be around four or five years old, would you like me to start there?” she asked.

“sounds like a plan.” Dean said with a slight chuckle.

“fair enough Dean, fair enough.” she said with a small sigh.

“I lived a fairly decent life, my family struggled but we always had what we needed.” Frankie began. “my mom worked part time as a waitress at the old truck stop ‘Hensions Fix N Fuel’ I think it was called, not important I guess. Anyways, my mom worked there and my dad worked for the local lumber yard ‘Williamson’s Lumber’ so I didn’t see him much during the spring and summer.”

She paused as she sipped her coffee. “anyways life wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t smooth sailing.  I always had a thing for history and battles and my dad always found it a bit strange when he would ask his seven year old daughter what she wanted to study and I would ask to read history books but I digress.  I spent most of my free time at the library reading and researching any and all history books I could get my hands on, I wasn’t very socially active as a kid, I didn’t have many friends and most of the other kids always mocked me for my obsession with history. anyways I graduated high school two years early and I received a full scholarship to Vicksburge University in their historian program.  I loved my time in college and wouldn't trade it for the world, I just wish I could have gotten a job in my field of study instead of bar-tending at a hole in the wall place like ‘The Bastion’ but again I digress.  I finished my schooling and went out into the real world and soon discovered that a degree is just a piece of paper and that it wouldn’t help much in the financial area of my life so I started looking for work and I ended living with my parents for a few years before I started working at the ‘The Bastion’ and I have been there about five years now, it pays enough where I can live comfortably and my boss is pretty cool, and I’m still trying to get into a work field of my study so that’s a plus.  Its your basic job not to say I don’t enjoy my job, its jut not my end goal.”

Frankie took a long sip of her coffee before she continued.

“so I was working at ‘The Bastion’ for about a year and a half and that’s when you first showed up.”

She said with a slight blush rising in her cheeks.

“I noticed how you would come in and order the same thing each night around the same time and sit in the same seat and you would always pay your tab of about twenty or thirty dollars with a hundred, and you would always tell me to keep the change. you intrigued me.

‘who was this Kitsune who would come and drink and smoke until last call and give me between a seventy and eighty dollar tip?’

So I started to look for clues and the only thing I turned up was that you where former military...”

she trailed off in thought for a moment. “and very handsome...” she barely whispered the last part of her sentence as blush filled her face.

She looked at Dean not knowing what his reaction might be, but he just grinned slightly with a half lidded look on his face. “Dean? You OK?” Frankie asked.

“hmm? oh.. yea I’m fine.”

he paused taking in a long, slow breath through his nose.

“just fine Frankie...”

He said grinning, with a strange undertone in his voice Frankie found mesmerizing.  

“well Frankie, I can get back to my stories now if you would like.” Dean said, his eye taking on a more somber tone and his voice carrying a barely noticeable growl to it that sent chills down Frankie’s spine.  

“I would like that very much, Dean” she replied.  

“alright, I believe we left off at me leaving for basic training.” Dean said with the same somber look in his eye and the low growl in his voice becoming a little more noticeable as he spoke.

Dean took a long sip from his coffee, keeping eye contact with Frankie the whole time. “Basic Training.. a summer camp from hell…  you know how they say they’ll break you down to build you back up but better?  Well its true, they shatter your basic idea of discipline and teamwork and replace it with the true meanings of them as well as adding respect and a brotherhood that can not be broken.”

he paused and finished the last sip of his coffee before lightly smacking his lips together and continuing his story.

“my unit, the ‘Hell Hounds’, was a mix between infantry and scouts composed entirely of Kitsune with the exception of a Drow named Sean.” Dean stated proudly. “Sean was one quiet son of a bitch….”

Dean grinned slightly as he trailed off in thought before continuing.

“there where even times he was able to sneak up on me, and I could hear a heartbeat in the middle of the jungle, but I digress, Sean was an amazing scout and one of the most loyal bastards to grace this planet with his presence..”

Dean rubbed a decently large scar on his side as he spoke about Sean.

“he saved my life more times than I can count, or care to remember for that matter.” Dean said with a quiet chuckle and a pained look in his eye.

“Dean…. Was it Sean who died in your arms?” Frankie asked quietly.  

“yea… he was…” Dean said, letting the tears flow freely this time. “he had….. pushed me….. he… he fucking pushed me out of the way.. that damn sniper had me dead to rights and he pushed me... out of the god... damn... way…..”

Dean closed his eye as he shook slightly at the memory.  

“before he died.. he… he told me that I had so much to live for.. that he had nothing to come back to after the fighting had ended… he said that.. that he was just doing his job...”

Frankie almost jumped over the table to wrap Dean in a tight embrace. “it’s OK Dean… lets just.. lets just finish the stories tomorrow, alright?” she asked, tears of her own streaming down her cheeks and her voice barely a whisper.

“Frankie… could.. could you stay here tonight?   I just… I don’t think I can be alone right now...”

Frankie hugged him a little tighter.  

“yes Dean, I can.” the two sat silent in each others embrace as Dean drifted off to sleep and Frankie soon followed.

Gun shots, explosions, the smell of smoke and napalm… they stuck with Dean, but he get used to them playing in the background of his mind but the scent of blood, the cries of the wounded, the prayers of the terified…. And the silence of the dead, those he could never get used to.  He pretended that he could ignore them but he couldn’t, the booze didn’t help and he could never get up the nerve to feed himself a bullet so he just pushed on, refusing to give up, refusing to let Sean die in vain….

The scene was gruesome, several men lay bleeding on the ground moaning as the medic made his rounds and treated their wounds.  The initial fight was over, the first few waves of guerrilla fighters fended off successfully and with minimal loss to the unit.  

Clean up and kill conformation where in progress when the first shot rang out.  Sniper fire… a young kitt of a private fell as the side of his head exploded into a red mist. It was then that Sean tackled Dean, taking the round through his left lung and diverting its route so it passed through Deans right side. As the chaos unfolded and the wounded where moved to cover Dean sat holding Sean in his arms.

“MEDIC!!!!  MEDIC DAMN IT!!! COME ON! HES BLEEDING OUT!!!!  MEDIC!!!!!”

Dean screamed repeatedly as he held his friend close to his chest, tears streaming down his face.

“Stay with me Sean! Keep your damn eyes open, c’mon look at me!!!”

Dean pleaded, more so to Sean than to any deity that would be listening.

“D.. D.. Dean…  Listen… I don't have anything...”

Sean paused, coughing violently.  

“I don’t have anything to go back to… I was made for war and I’ve served my purpose…. You… you can do so much more than me… so I had to make sure you lived…. Just let… let me do my job… please Dean..”

Dean pulled his friend even closer. “no god damn it! Your gonna make it outta here!”

Dean stared at his friend as his body went limp. “Sean…. don’t do this…. Sean look at me…. Look at me damn it! Sean…. Please… don’t do this...” Dean cried out as he rocked back and forth cradling his friends bloodied corpse until the black void of unconsciousness took him.

“Dean! Dean wake up! Dean please! Its OK, I’m right here!” a familiar voice called out to him as he slowly regained consciousness.

“W… Where am I?” Dean asked as he shook his head trying to clear the fog from his head.

“Dean! Are you OK??? you where screaming in your sleep! God I was so worried!”

Dean remembered he had company, and the details of last night suddenly flooded back. “y.. yea Frankie I’m fine, just a nightmare...” he said as he rubbed his temples.

“Dean… I.. I didn’t cause this did I?” Frankie asked with worry in her voice.

“oh, no Frankie, you didn't cause anything… what I saw, what I’ve been through god what I’ve done… that's what caused the nightmare, not you.” Dean realized he was still clinging to Frankie for dear life as he laid in the chair, in an all to familiar position.

“if anything you helped stop me from going deeper into a panic attack… Frankie… I didn't hurt you did I?”

she shook her head. “no Dean, you just wrapped me in your arms and held me close to your chest.  It was like what a parent would do for their child.” she said softly. (she didn’t tell him that he cried Sean’s name as he held her.)

“Thank you Frankie. For everything.” Dean said with a low sigh.

A few moments passed as the pair split from their embrace and sat in silence.

“I won’t leave, unless you want me to Dean.” Frankie said suddenly, breaking the silence.

“huh?” was all Dean could manage to say in response.

“I am not leaving unless you want me to.” Frankie repeated in a soft voice.

“A.. alright.” Dean said as he slowly stood up. “ca.. can I make you some breakfast?”

Frankie smiled widely. “that sounds wonderful Dean.”

Dean nodded and walked to the kitchen. “anything specific you want, or shall we do chef special?”

Frankie chuckled at the statement. “I think I’ll take my chances with the chef special.” she said still sitting in the parlor.

“alright, two chef specials coming up.” Dean said with a small chuckle while he was wondering what the hell he was doing.