#his scar is supposed to be like zach’s

[elongang]

(CW:scar)

wowww omg 2 posts in 1 week?!?!?? Anyways *ahem* enjoy Toodles with my own little spin :DDD (i apologise that it is a bit messy lololol)

[jo-speaks]

concert

in which…

quinn and fem! reader go to a concert!

warning(s): none!

third date in the alphabet dates series!

note: this was supposed to be posted last week, but i tore my acl and meniscus so blame surgery!

You leaned down as you slipped on a pair of white cowboy boots just as Quinn entered the room.

“Damn.” He said, walking up behind you, giving your ass a quick slap.

You let out a soft laugh, “Hi, Quinn.”

Standing straight, you turned around and pressed a soft kiss over the small scar on his cheek. He placed his hands on your waist before briefly connecting your lips with his.

“I’ll be waiting downstairs. Take your time.” He mumbled as he kissed you again before walking out of the room.

You smiled as you tied your hair up, grabbed your bag, and made your way downstairs.

As your feet landed on the ground floor, you noticed Quinn’s jean-covered butt poking out of the hallway closet.

Not being able to help yourself, you hurried over to where he was and slapped it.

He quickly perked up, hands going behind his back to protect himself from another smack. You tried to keep a straight face, but the red flush on his face threw that idea out the window.

You burst out laughing, placing your hand on his shoulder to keep you stable.

“Very funny.” He grumbled, stepping forward and closing the door behind him.

“I thought so.” You snickered.

He rolled his eyes and took your hand, guiding you towards the front door of the house.

~✩~

After what felt like an eternity, Quinn put the car into park and shut it off.

“You excited?” He asked, picking up his phone.

You smiled, “I am. I’ve never been to a country concert.”

Quinn’s music taste had influenced yours over the past few months of living with him. While you considered your music taste versatile, he quickly proved you wrong when he snuck a Zach Bryan song into your playlist a few months ago.

“You’ll have a lot of fun, I promise.”

“And if I don’t?”

He flashed a smirk your way, “Then we can do that thing you wanted to do.”

Your eyes lit up, “You mean-?” Quinn cut you off with a laugh and nod.

Quinn exited the car, walking a lap around it to your door before he opened it for you.

Even though this was something he always did, you couldn’t help but feel that queasy feeling in your stomach every time he did.

He offered you his hand, which you gladly accepted as you hopped out the vehicle.

~✩~

So far, the concert had been amazing. You had been able to recognize a few of the songs that had been performed, so you were feeling pretty proud of yourself.

However, you weren’t able to keep your eyes off your boyfriend for pretty much the whole night.

The way he rocked on his heels and yelled out the lyrics when he knew them, all while keeping his hands around your waist. It was nice to see your normally nonchalant boyfriend being so carefree.

You hadn’t realized how long you’d been staring until another song started playing and the sound of Quinn’s monotone singing voice filled your ears.

Since you didn’t know the song, you just watched in admiration yet again as he swayed the two of you side to side as he sang his heart out.

Your longing gaze didn’t go unnoticed by Quinn, who, while still singing, caught your eyes. An even bigger smile formed on his face when you leaned up to place a short kiss on his cheek.

You stared ahead, looking up at the stage, while Quinn kept his eyes on you.

Now it was his turn to admire you. The way you clicked the heels of your boots to the beat as soon as you had it in your head. The way that smile on your face never left, even if you didn’t know the words. And most importantly, the way you kept your arms wrapped around yourself to hold his forearms.

The previous song came to a close, and a slower, more romantic song was now being performed. The sounds of screams filled the arena as the whole mood shifted.

Quinn leaned down to rest his chin on your shoulder. His grip around your waist tightened as he pressed a kiss to your skin.

“Having fun?” He whispered.

You turned your head slightly to look at him, “Yeah. Thanks for bringing me.”

He got closer, connecting your lips together. You brought a hand up to his hair, gripping it gently as if this would be your last kiss.

There was no doubt in your mind Quinn Hughes was the man for you.

And there was no doubt in Quinn’s mind you were the woman for him.

[aut-with-tism]

Seeing her father for the first time in twelve years feels like a punch in the gut. All of the air has been knocked out of her, leaving her breathless as the room spins and her eyes prick with tears. This wasn’t meant to happen. None of this…it wasn’t supposed to be this way.

He looks older than she thought he would.

That’s her first intelligible thought. He looks…old. Greying and weary - she’d almost pity him, if she didn’t know better. Then again, she supposes, she must look older, too. She is older; twelve years older than when she saw him last.

Freshly eighteen. Freshly split lip seeping venom and dripping blood as she packed her bags with vigour. She was gone before he came home. And she never came back.

(She wishes he didn’t, either.)

He looks older than she thought he would and she’s grown up, but seeing him seems to send her back in time. Back to when she was a child - small and vulnerable; terrified. All alone in a house that was never a home. Never hers, at least.

That child fell victim to a vicious cycle. An ape cycle of monkey see, monkey do. Primal fear or something like that.

She grew to realise she was swaddled in violence the moment she was born. Raised to drunken promises, bonded to broken bones and a half-full stomach.

Hands that should’ve cradled her struck her, instead. The only skin to skin was palm against flesh, or her sister pulling her into her arms and wiping away the tears, snot and blood that dried on her face.

Daughter of destruction. Child of chemical imbalance.

It’s no big surprise she turned out this way.

That’s what she tells herself, at least. An excuse to feed her growing guilt instead of feeding herself; a hunger only satisfied by lies and self-neglect. She wasn’t born, she was created. Made into who she was. Shaped and scarred. Forged.

Like an animal fighting for dominance, for sport - for survival. She came out scathed but alive.

It once felt like a victory. Not anymore. Not as she watches her nephews approach her father carelessly - innocently - like lambs to the slaughter.

Throat dry and ashy, the words of warning lurk on the tip of her tongue, uncomfortably heavy in the silence. They die before they’re even born and the realisation that she can’t protect them washes over her in its place. Pebbling her skin and settling deep in her stomach. She hasn’t protected them from anything since they were mere infants - nine and three.

The victory was never hers; it was man’s. It was her father’s. He won all along. He won those eight years ago, when she walked out of their lives without the intent of ever returning, and he’s won again, now.

Trembling against the worn leather booth, her chest tightens watching the boys hug him.

Zach grins like he never has before. Wild and carefree.

He seems so young compared to those forty-six weeks back. She was even younger, once. She was younger than them both when her childhood was taken from her, lowered into the ground alongside her mother.

It’s not the same, though. They’re not the same.

They’re good kids. A lot braver than she ever was. (Whether that’s a blessing or a curse, she’s yet to know.)

The hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge, making her all too aware of Owen watching her from across the table. Observing them. Head tilted inquisitively, as though reading the situation as if it’s a book.

He reminds her of his raptors, in that way. Always alert, always learning. Testing the limits to try and figure out his place - his status - in what’s around him.

She’s scared for him to find that out.

The thought terrifies her. Sends her back to the park, clamping her eyes shut and trying so desperately not to make a noise as the Indominus breathed hot, rancid air down their necks. He had held her hand, then. And it terrifies her just how much she wants him to hold it again, now.

There was a time he didn’t let go of her for what must’ve been days. The two of them lost in their own world, in each other’s arms. His grip was gentle but firm. Something about it was so ironically him that she’d ended up laughing against his chest, before giggles turned into gasping sobs.

Not once did he let go.

Perhaps, she thinks, if he held her tight enough again, all of the broken pieces would stay in place long enough for her not to fall apart. Like fractured glass; one stone away from completely shattering. Splintered and wavering, but yet to collapse.

It’s too late for that, though. Too late for her. Her.

Feigning a smile that falters at the corners, she diverts her focus to the menu on the table in front of her. The defence she’s made - walls she’s built brick by brick - trembles just as she does. Threatening to cave in on itself and bury her with it.

The reigns of control are pulled further and further from her grasp. Shaking hands claw for them, but to no avail.

The key to a happy life is to accept you are never actually in control.

Simon’s words echo in her mind, leaving her to briefly wonder if he truly believed that. Did he remind himself of such as his helicopter fell, spiralling out of control and leading him to his death? Did he regret those words in his last moments? Did he do everything in his power to try and regain control, only to realise he couldn’t?

Was he just as scared as she is now?

Her top teeth find purchase in her lower lip, threatening to tear paper-like skin. The words on the paper blur into smudges as she blinks back her tears; vision clouded by the memory of billowing smoke and the distinct smell of fuel. Eyes burning.

Just like then, she doesn’t have time to linger on the thought of her friend’s death. Instead, her body seems to focus on the imminent threat that follows. Though she doesn’t actually see her dad sliding into the seat next to her, it’s as though her mind seems to know. Warning her of the threat.

Her flinch is involuntary, but doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Claire-Bear; look at my baby girl, all grown up. Gosh, you look just like your mother.” He speaks softly - fondly, almost - and it takes everything within her not to shudder at the foreign yet familiar sound of his voice.

It reminds her of when she was fourteen. She got a job at one of the restaurants in town the moment they’d hire her. Bussing tables, washing pots, cleaning up for cash in hand.

One night, during the close-down, she’d gone to take out the trash to find a stray dog in the back alley. Matted fur and tail tucked between its legs. She felt sorry for it, shaking violently as it backed itself further against the wall.

The dog bit her when she reached out to it.

She didn’t understand, back then. Couldn’t comprehend why the dog snapped when she was trying to be kind - could it not see that they were the same?

But she understands now. She’s the frightened dog trapped into a corner, teeth bared in a fearful and futile attempt to scare off its predator. She doesn’t want to bite. Yet she can’t be certain the gentleness offered to her is true, and it’s bite or be bitten.

They put down dogs who bite without even questioning what led them to do so.

She feels the same, in a sense.

People would say all sorts about her. Spread misinformation behind her back. They’d say she slept her way up to the top, then call her frigid. They’d whisper how heartless and cold she was, before labelling her as sensitive. She wasn’t put down, but she was let down time and time again.

“Tell us about her, Grandpa. Tell us about Grandma.” Gray begs, practically bouncing in his seat. Zach, too, seems eager, headphones secured on his neck as he glances up from his phone.

“Your grandmother was a special woman. Always thinking of the future. She wanted to make the world a better place - it’s why she was a teacher. She loved kids. Loved teaching. She’d always say that mistakes were just opportunities to learn,” He starts. She vaguely remembers that, spoken with relative softness over shattered glass and scraped knees. But then, her father’s voice overpowers it, telling her she never learns.

He wasn’t wrong.

Karen pipes up next; a genuine smile on her face that she hasn’t seen since they were kids, “Your grandma would also say a promise tomorrow is worth a lot less than trying today. She was right. She was always right. And she would’ve loved you boys.”

Gray beams at the statement, Zach a bit more apprehensive. Karen’s right, though - mom would’ve loved them.

She always wanted boys to dote on. That’s one of the few things she does remember, the memory vibrant in her mind.

Still, it’s strange to hear about someone who is practically a stranger. She was so young when they lost her. All of her memories feel like hand me downs, never seeming to sit right no matter how she grows and plays around with them. Karen…Karen was older, she had more time with her.

It feels wrong to envy her sister over something like this, but her jealousy can’t be buried. The opportunity for that was lost amongst the soil and flowers that covered their mother’s casket.

Under the table, she feels a foot brush against her leg. She doesn’t need to look to know it’s Owen.

He was like that when they were together. Always within reach, offering her constant comfort but giving her space. Simultaneously suffocating but never enough - she hates how much she craves his touch, hates how loved she felt.

Love was never like that, before him.

But now that he’s gone, it’s not the same. She yearns the feather-soft brush of his fingers across her skin and the way his hand always found the small of her back, rubbing circles through her clothes. She misses how he’d pull her into his lap and let her rest her forehead against his until her breathing evened out and the spots would stop clouding her vision.

They’ve spent more time apart than they did together. But she’s changed. She misses him, misses the person she was when she was with him.

She finally dares to look across at him, taking in his knitted brows and softened eyes. He looks so delicate. So fragile.

She’d break him if she had the chance. But he’d let her.

By the time their waiter comes to take their order, she still hasn’t read the menu. Her cheeks flush realising no matter what she picks, it’ll be a waste. So, when Gray orders Mac and Cheese from the kids menu despite Zach telling him he’s too old for that, she decides to do the same.

(If Karen shoots her a look, she chooses not to notice. Instead, she focuses on the pride on Gray’s face when she tells him he made such a good choice that it influenced her.)

“So,” Owen coughs. It breaks the spell of tension, all of them looking up at him, “Any childhood stories you all want to share? Karen refused to tell me anything last time I asked, though I think that was because Claire was death-glaring her.”

She winces at the statement, knowing there is an element of truth behind it. Owen had inquired about their growing up together and Karen had been ready to spill, before she stopped her.

“That’s Claire for you. Girl’s always been feisty - stubborn - she gets that from me.”

Her father’s arm finds its way around her, fingers digging harshly into her ribs. A silent warning. She hides her grimace.

“She cut her own bangs when she was eight. We don’t know where she got the scissors from, but I was getting ready to take us both to school and she comes in, as if nothing happened, telling me we were gonna be late. I told her we weren’t going anywhere until she told me what happened. We didn’t go to school that day.” Her sister blabs, laughing at the memory.

Karen doesn’t know the truth. Doesn’t know about the scar running across her forehead, and how her hair was matted with blood. Cutting bangs was the easy way out.

“Did she never grow them out?” Zach quips, a smirk on his face.

It’s easy to let them tell stories when she sees the way the boys light up. Their disbelief of how unruly she was, how different of a person she used to be compared to who she is, now.

Even Owen shakes his head in disbelief.

“She used to throw these big ol’ tantrums when she was a kid. Flapping about and shaking her head - wouldn’t listen to a word I’d say. After Martha…I took them both to the beach. It was the middle of winter, you couldn’t even see the sand under the snow. When it was time to go home, she refused to get in the car. Started throwing a fit. So I told her if she didn’t get in the car, we’d drive off without her and she’d have to find her own way home.”

Her stomach flips, heart pounding against her chest. She remembers this. But she doesn’t want to.

“She didn’t listen. Stubborn ass still wouldn’t get in,” He laughs darkly, throwing back the rest of his drink.

He misses out the part where he left her there all night and the only reason he came back was because Karen begged him to, the next day. A part of her wonders if he misses it out purposely, or if he truly remembers it differently.

They remember a lot of things differently.

Swirling nausea continues to grow, especially when their food gets brought out. Everything is just too overwhelming. The smells, the sounds, the lights.

She wants to go. She wants to go home.

She wants to go back to the island a year ago - before everything happened. Before the Indominus, before her nephews came to visit. Back to Claire Dearing, operations manager who barely had time to breathe, let alone feel all that she’s feeling right now.

It was easier to let her work consume her than to let her past consume her.

Her chest heaves as she makes an excuse to leave the table, rushing out to the front of the restaurant. The cool air hits her instantly, making her wrap her arms around herself tightly as she walks down the block.

Snowflakes fall feebly, melting on the gritted road and barely settling on the parked cars either side of the street. She watches. She watches them dance to their death, cheeks flushed and fingers numb.

She’s never been one for the cold. But, she supposes, it’s beautiful in a sense. It makes everything slow down. Time seems to stop.

It takes a minute too long to collect herself and by the time she’s finally ready to turn around and face the music once more, Karen has come to find her. Her sister calls her name warily, shuffling towards her. Uncertain.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you dad was coming. I just…he’s our dad, Claire. Nothing can change that fact. And I know you wouldn’t have come if you’d have known, and I wanted this. Needed this. For Zach. After everything, he needs his family - all of his family - to be there for him.”

“Then why didn’t you invite Scott? He’s their dad, he’s their family, too.” She’s quick to turn it back, trying to hide the hurt in her voice.

It doesn’t work.

“Scott’s got them both for the weekend. It’s not the same, Claire. And, you know, Dad…he misses you. It hurts that you won’t let him be part of your life.”

Karen was many things, but she never thought she was a fool. Foolish, maybe. But never this naive.

“Please, Claire, come back inside. Sit down and finish eating, and when we’re done I can drop you off wherever you need if that’s what you want? Don’t do this to the boys, though. Don’t run out on them, again.” Her sister pleads. Hand offered out to her, lips drawn into a tight smile.

It would be so easy to walk away. But she’s taken the easy way out too many times. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay. But…let me sit next to Owen. Please?”

[shxdowsofombra]

Hospital

[Hope]

Hope sat in the waiting room as she leaned against the wall in her chair. She watched the clock slowly moving before turning her attention to Zach who was still pacing. “Zach…will you please stop doing that?“ She asked him. 

[Zach]

Zach had found Hallie in the bathroom with her wrists slit when he went to visit her in the dorms. “Hallie?” He called out before picking her up and flying her to the nearest emergency room. They took her away to fix her and Zach didn’t know what to do with himself as he paced back and forth. “If I don’t pace I will go kill someone and I don’t think you want me to do that.” He tells her. 

[Hope]

“Who are you going to kill Zach? David? He’s not here? There’s nothing we can do. Nothing.” She said softly as she ran her fingers through her hair. “Please stop fucking pacing.”

[Zach]

Zach sat down and was bouncing his knee as he was biting his nails which was something he rarely ever did. “This is all my fault I never should have agreed for her to come here. I fucking knew something bad would happen.” His eyes flashed blue. 

[Hope]

Hope took his hands and made him look at her. “This isn’t your fault Zach. Please just stop. No one could have known this would happen. It’s no one’s fault.”

[Zach]

“What do you mean no one could have known? I knew. I knew it would happen again it’s fucking high school. I should have told her no. I have lived through this through other people. I used to do this too. I know how it works, that's why I didn’t want her to go. I told Emmett to watch her.”

[Hope]

“Zach, she wanted to go. She just wanted to be normal and have one year of normalcy. He did watch her. You know he did his best.” She said, “What sucks is her son isn’t even fucking here. If she were to…” She stopped. “He should be here.”

[Zach]

“He doesn’t need to see his mother like this. It scarred you and it would scar him. You need to call David or someone needs to call him. 

[Hope]

“Why don’t you call him Zach? I can wait here until they come out and tell us something?” She suggested.

[Zach]

Zach took out his phone and called David to tell him what happened. David called Emmett and they both headed to the hospital. 

[Hope]

Hope rested her head in her hands as she couldn’t believe this was happening. She tried taking a deep breath as she tried not to cry anymore.

[Zach]

He was outside waiting as both boys arrived and he told them what happened. Zach offered to take DJ as the others headed inside. He called Ellie and asked if she could watch DJ before flying the boy over there. 

[Hope]

Hope heard people walking up to her and looked at Emmett and David. “Hi honey.” She said before moving to hug Emmett. “Thanks for coming.” She said to David. 

[Emmett]

“How is she? Is she stable? Can I see her?” He asks in concern. 

[David]

“Yeah, I figured I should be here even if it’s not me she chose. I am still going to be there for her.”

[Hope]

“What do you mean, who she chose? All she told us was that she had a crush, but she wanted you to fight for her. That’s it.” She said before shaking her head. “No, it was really bad, Emmett. She…” Hope stopped as she looked at David and realized something. “Um…where is Zach?”

[David]

“Yeah that’s all she told you but you didn’t get the pictures of her cheating on me at some party with someone else. A party she wasn’t supposed to go to because we were going to have a date and family dinner and she canceled. Now I know why she canceled, she wanted to spend time with her new boyfriend.”

[Emmett]

“Dad took DJ to Ellie’s place since he didn’t want DJ to be here to see this. He should be back soon. What do you mean…what pictures?” He asks David. 

[Hope]

“Wait, did you see her before she did this?” Hope asked him in confusion. “Did you talk to her?”

[David]

“She straight up lied to me about cheating on me. I knew things were different between us but it was because she was thinking about the other person…not me. Someone had sent me pictures of her fucking on someone’s car, making out at the party with some guy and apparently she was going around saying they were her boyfriend.”

“She came over and lied to my face and had the nerve to tell me that she loved me. She doesn’t. She doesn’t want me to try or she wouldn’t have ditched me to go with someone else to a party. When I tried to tell her all this, the whole she doesn’t love me if that was what she was doing. She got mad and stormed out. I told her if she was happy with this other person I wouldn’t stop her and that I would still support her being happy even if it wasn’t with me.”

[Emmett]

Emmett stayed silent as he heard David’s words. “There were pictures of her at the party? Why would someone take pictures of her at the party?” He asks in confusion. 

[Hope]

“Wait I…I’m sorry. She told you she loved you. You told her she lied and then threw these pictures in her face after knowing what happened to her in the last school she was at? Did you even…she stormed out? She doesn’t have a car. She never shifts so you let her run home, by herself?”

[David]

“I asked her why she was lying. I never told her she did it. She refused to be honest with me. If she wants this other person then there is nothing I can do. I am not going to force her to stay with me if she doesn’t want me.” He tells her. “I couldn’t just leave DJ alone. I called Zach to find her.”

[Hope]

“I get you are older than her, but Hallie isn’t a child. If she didn’t want you she would have told you. She wouldn’t have been fighting for you with her dad, someone she loves more than anything for you. God David, everytime I try to like you you do something that makes me hate you. And if my daughter dies I will fucking kill you.”

[David]

“If she wasn’t a child she would have not lied to me about cheating on me with some random guy while stringing me along knowing full well I was trying to fix things after I had fucked up. I do something? Your daughter cheated on me and told me she loved me but got caught with someone else. I did what you told me to do. I told her to go to the other person because if they made her happy that was all that mattered. She doesn’t fucking need me. She has proven that to me. Just kill me now then because I am sick of this.” He says before noticing the tattoos on Emmett’s arms matched the ones in the photo and that the car was Emmett’s car. 

“You are…she is seeing you. The tattoos match the ones in the picture and it was your car and every time I am around you two you act all weird and there is some weird smell in the air. You are the one she is sleeping with aren’t you. You are the other guy she was thinking about when with me. It all makes sense…” 

[Emmett]

“What the hell are you talking about?” He asks David as he rolls his eyes. “Why would I sleep with my sister? You are crazy. I am sure there are many people who have the same tattoos that I have. They are pretty common.” 

[Hope]

“Are you serious right now David? Hallie and Emmett would never do that. That’s not even a funny joke. If you are tired of this and don’t give a shit, why are you here? And no, I said if you can’t be the person she needs then leave. I didn’t say give up on her. But I see that’s easier for you to do.”

[David]

“Were you not listening to a word I just said? Of course you weren't. I am not even surprised. Your family doesn’t listen and never has. I am here because I love her enough to support her like I said I would. It’s her decision, it's not mine. If she doesn’t want me and made that very clear then I am clearly not the person she needs. I could break up with her because she ran out. But if you want me to do that once she wakes up since I am not the person she needs. I can do that for her since that’s what your family has always wanted.”

[Hope]

“Fine David, you want to break up with her then break up with her. All we have ever asked you to do was love her. That was it. And you couldn’t do that. Do not blame our family for something you can’t do. And do not put words in her mouth. You want to leave, leave because you want to.”

[David]

“I do love her and she willingly broke my heart knowing how I felt about that subject. I am here because I love her. I honestly don’t care anymore what your family thinks of me because you don’t matter. She is the one that matters to me and if you have a problem with that, then that is your problem. But your stupid intimidation game to gaslight me into being the bad person isn’t going to work. Last I checked you weren’t Hallie so how would you know if I loved her or not, oh wait you don’t because you aren’t. So don’t assume shit about me and throw it at me as if they were facts. I am sure you are all just fucking thrilled she cheated on me to get back at me for something I did when she left me that I didn’t have control over. But then again you never had to deal with that probably so you would never understand being in that position. So no, I am not leaving.” 

[Hope]

Hope just scoffed, “If she did cheat on you, then yes, I have never been prouder.” She told David before taking Emmett’s hand and pulled him over away from David. “Are you fucking Hallie? And do not lie to me. I know what your tattoos look like. So I am giving you this one chance. Are you?”

[Emmett]

He knew he was in deep shit when his mother pulled him to the side. “We didn’t mean for it to happen…I love her. I treat her better than her asshole boyfriend anyway. She doesn’t need him.” He tells her as his eyes flash different colors.

[Hope]

“Oh my god.” She said softly before hearing his words. “Stop. Stop. Just stop.” She says as she tries to process what he was saying. “Of course you love her Emmett, she is your sister. You both love each other. That doesn’t mean fuck each other.”

[Emmett]

“No, mom…it’s more complicated than that. When Ellie and Tommy were taking us to school they explained it to us. It made sense…I don’t know what happened between us but when I came back…it was different.” 

[Zach]

Zach finished dropping off DJ and came back to the hospital before listening in on the conversation between Hope and Emmett. He stormed over before picking up the boy by the lapels of his shirt before pushing him up against the wall. “Are you fucking crazy? Your sister?” His eyes blazed red as he had never felt so mad in his life. 

[Hope]

“Wait, they knew? Wait, how long has this been going on? I thought you two were fighting. Why…” She stopped as she watched Zach push Emmett up against the wall. “Zach, stop it. That is our son. What the fuck is wrong with you?” She asked as she pushed him away from Emmett and stood in front of him. “Do not ever fucking do that again. He is our child Zach. I don’t give a fuck how mad you are.”

[Zach]

“No. He isn’t. No son of mine would ever do that to someone in our family. No one!” He snapped. “He isn’t our child Hope. I did not raise a son that does that. We didn’t raise a kid to do that. We raised our son better than that. He isn’t…no.” He said as he just put his hand up to silence anything Emmett was about to say. “I am disappointed in you.” He said before his eyes flashed as he walked out of the room. 

[Hope] 

“Do you fucking hear yourself Zach? Do you hear what you are saying to our son? You don’t mean that and that is shit you can’t fucking take back Zach.” She snapped back at him before seeing him walk out. “Zach. Zach.” She called before following after him as her eyes flashed bright red.

[David]

David had been watching everything that happened and hearing Zach’s words confirmed it for him. Once Hope was gone he walked over and punched Emmett square in the face and gave him a bloody nose. “You fucking son of a bitch. You were fucking my fiance.” He snapped. 

[Emmett]

Emmett had never seen his father so mad before and he groaned when his back hit the wall. Hearing his father’s words, his eyes turned bright blue. Seeing his mother and father leaving he didn’t have time to do much else before feeling someone punching him in the face. He growled as he saw the blood dripping from his nose. 

[Misty]

Misty had walked into the waiting room and saw David punching Emmett. “Woah, what is is happening over here?” She asked as she moved over to Emmett and looked at his nose. “David, why would you do that?” She asked in confusion.

[David]

“Oh what are you going to defend him too now? He slept with my fiance and lied the entire time to my face about it. He was fucking my fiance and lied to me. Emmett was sleeping with Hallie.” He snapped. 

[Misty]

“I’m not going to defend anyone, I just want to know what happened.” She said before she heard David’s words. “Wait…you…you are sleeping with Hallie?” She asked Emmett.

[Henry]

Henry had been late but he arrived just in time to hear basically everything that happened. It was too much and he just walked right back out as his eyes changed colors. He looked up and saw his father being brought in on a stretcher. “Dad?”

[Emmett]

Emmett was going to say something before seeing his dad being brought in on a stretcher as well. His eyes turned bright blue as he realized he ruined everything. Everything was too much as his eyes started flashing black. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.” 

[Misty]

Misty watched everything that was happening and to say it was a lot was an understatement. “Okay, David. I get you are mad. You have every reason to be. But I need you to just sit here and wait for the doctor to come out with news for Hallie. If you don’t want to do that you can leave. I understand if you want to do that too.” She said honestly.

“Henry, you will go with your father. I will find, Hope. Emmett. Your emotions are about to turn off. So you are going to turn into a giant asshole soon. We will fix this okay, but I think it’s probably best that you leave before your eyes completely turn black.”

[David]

“I am not leaving her. He probably manipulated her and came up with this whole fucking plan.” He snapped at Emmett. 

[Emmett]

Emmett heard her words and he left the hospital. 

[Henry]

Henry went with Zach as the doctors brought him to the back. “What happened? Why is he on the stretcher? Where are you taking him?” He asks as they start wheeling him down a hallway. 

[Misty] 

Misty sighed as she watched everyone doing what she asked them to do. She took a second to refocus herself before leaving the hospital to find Hope. 

[thithesandofferings]

How do they kiss you?

∆ SFW

∆ Tags:: Kissing, Emotions, GN! Reader, slight past trauma (because Cloud)

∆ a/n:: Another 3 am ramble made in the middle of the night.

Zach- wants to rush in so fast cause youre so pretty and gah hes so nervous. The first time he asks to kiss you, he blurts it out while youre asking him whats for dinner. Cant think straight when you smile and nod- because wow you want this too? He cant help it when he presses too hard too fast and knocks your teeth together. But man does it feel worthwhile to hear your giggle of "slow down silly". Come on Zack, you got this. This isnt your first rodeo. But it feels like it. Feels like hes just a teenager again with sweaty palms and shaky limbs. The boys would be devastated by the lack of manliness, he can feel it. The second time is much much smoother. Lightly holding your waist in one hand and jawbone in the other he leans in and presses delicately. A little dry, a little chapped, but you feel so warm and he just has to press harder and longer. Tilts his head to get more of you and maybe theres a little groan in there too. You have to physically push him away because now you can't breathe. Huffs a laugh into the kisses because he was really terrified for nothing. Will never not want to kiss you again and- why havent you guys done this earlier?

Cloud- kissing cloud takes time. You start off with small ones. Kissing the back of his hand when hes sitting next to you. Kissing his palm when you want to get his attention. Being able to kiss his wound when its bandaged up because you know the scar will leave externally, but will carry with him forever. Setting your lips on his shoulder when he wakes up from a nightmare, to quickly kissing him on the cheek before he leaves for a mission. It has him gaping at you and maybe the brightest color red you've seen to date- but you think it's worth it when he finally starts to kiss you back. Slowly, reciprocating the same kisses- albeit a lot more hesitant and just a tad bit harder. Like hes trying to press his memories into your very skin. Its one of the harder days when he succumbs and kisses you on the lips. Too many nightmares, too many memories that arent his own, plague him. But youre there. Kissing his shoulder until he turns around and holds your face as his quivering tear-stained lips touch yours. It anchors him in place and has him gasping and out of breath when he finally lets go. You think you see relief in his eyes, but maybe its too dark to be sure.

Sephiroth - Hes taken his time to get to you. Very sure you're the last person he wants to give himself too. Its been years, dancing around each other. With looks and stilted words, no one has moved out of their respectable spaces. The safe space. In which he doesnt have project constant uncertainty, where he doesnt feel he has to risk losing you in regards to being with him. He knows deep down that hes losing time. Pieces and memories fragmenting. Except the ones of you. He knows whats happening and that makes him want to push forward a little faster, disregarding consequences hes considered and mapped out plenty of times. He never expected you to be the one to catch him off guard. To kiss him first. But he supposes he never wouldve done it had he been pushed to. It just sets him completely frozen when you press him down a little and kiss him deeply. Giving him no room to reconsider the depths of this message. When you lift your tiptoes and your fingers up to the base of nape and sigh breathily on his firm lips, the world finally stops for a single quiet moment. You pull his at strands just a little and nibble at the corner of his mouth. Taking your time, savoring the moment. Right now this is all you have. Your patient enough to wait until he reciprocates, able to match your lips and the glides of your tongues only minutes after. His brain asking him to politely reboot so he can give all of himself too. The pinnacle of singularity has hit between you two, even if he knows that time is not his own.

Reno- He enjoys flirty innocent kisses with you. Boop and runs are his go tos. Never one for the feelings, but loves a good make out session in the back of a building during a mission. He knows that the facade wont last long because he loves kissing you. Youre warm and you fit against him so well and he just wants to stay. In whatever capacity that is. Its dangerous in his line of work. But he cant help but come back from a mission and give you a victory kiss. Or even a slow soul breaking crushing of the lips when he comes back from losing a team member. He says everything with his lips, but only through those stilted moments where words are not needed. Adores you for even indulging him in those moments where he knows he cant say how badly he hurts, regardless if there are bloody wounds or not. He knows you'll listen when he grabs you and presses a little too hard against your lips. Shakes a little when you gently brush your lips against his own when theyre bloody and cracked. Loves it a little too much when you take the time to put your foot down and care for him in the language that the both of you created.

[doctorbeth]

A completely different bunny

This week has seen several Georges (three monkeys and a bear) and inquiry requests from several Zachs.  But today’s story isn’t about names (although I have been collecting a list of names for another post).  Today’s story is about Bunny.  A completely different bunny from the last two.  His family wrote:

“My daughter's stuffed bunny is in serious need of repair. He's very dirty because I'm afraid to wash him. We've done a bit of repair on him ourselves, but this is beyond anything I can do.”

These are some of the diagnostic photos they sent:

A couple of the patches (like the one on his cheek) were original to this bunny, who was supposed to be patched, but the others weren’t.  The hope was to remove his old added patches, repair his wounds, clean him, and getting him looking close to new.  We knew going in that the sharpie around his nose (that pink line) probably wouldn’t come out.

He flew in from AZ a few weeks ago with a very sweet note:

Hello!!

My name is Bunny (sometimes Baby Bunny).  I belong to O. H.  We have been best friends since she was 2.  She will be 9 in just a few days!  She is very sad that I will be leaving for a while, but everything will work out in the end. 

Thank you for looking after me!!

--Bunny

As you may have already guessed, Bunny started his treatment with a spa. Here he is in one of several baths.  You can see he’s starting to clean up, and his sharpie tattoos are standing out more clearly:

Once he was clean and dry, we needed to find a fabric close to his cleaned color for transplants for both hole repair and scar/patch minimization.  There were several options, from white white, to off white, to pale gray:

His person opted for the middle option, the pale gray.  Bunny’s surgery proceeded, including a heart with a bit of his original stuffing.

Then I worked on his many wounds.  Soon, he was done with surgery and it was time get his chubbiness right.  Here are the photos I sent with his spine open for chubbiness adjustment:

The response was, “ that looks perfect!” So I closed him up.  Here he is, awaiting his flight home earlier this morning:

And that’s the story of the non-striped bunny. :-)  On to the Georges, and a Cheese-Kun, and Rainbow the dalmatian, and another bunny.

Have a good weekend everyone, and take care of each other.

beth

[alkalinefrog]

If you were to make a Lawlight playlist, what songs would you have on it?

OHOHO ohhh man, bless you for this ask

Ok, I wanted to tell the story of their relationship from when they first meet, their cat-and-mouse rivalry, their bonding during yotsuba arc, the betrayal, making up, and wrap it all up with a happy ending! I’m also really into making playlists with fun transitions between songs.

Here ya go, listen to them in order for the full experience! I made a youtube playlist for it here

Fight the War - Kittie Harloe

Teeth - 5 Seconds of Summer

Such a Whore (Stellular Remix) - JVLA (this one’s optional lol)

Made for You - OneRepublic

Great Big Storm - Nathan Ruess

Read My Mind - The Killers

Someone To You - BANNERS

Geronimo - Sheppard

You Light My Fire - Nate Ruess

If I Lose Myself - OneRepublic

The Death of Me - Marianas Trench

Porcelain - Marianas Trench

Lights Out, Words Gone - Bombay Bicycle Club

Lost My Mind - Alice Kristiansen

Blood // Water - grandson

Lions and Dragons - Zach Williams

To Build a Home - The Cinematic Orchestra

Only the Lonely Survive - Marianas Trench

If you listen to it, lemme know what you think! If you wanna know more about each song choice, read my play-by-play expo below the cut!

Fight the War - Pre-relationship! The cat-and-mouse chase. The game of chess. Catch me if you can! Not romantic yet, we’re setting the stage!

Teeth - This one’s pretty self-explanatory LMAO. Their first meeting and it’s electric! They hate each other, but they’re catching feelings, and they hate that they’re catching feelings.

Such a Whore (Stellular Remix) - Aight, hear me out. Their relationship’s got layers. This one’s super love/hate and spicy lol. It’s pretty self-indulgent. You can omit this one if you want, it’s admittedly the weakest link in terms of playlist flow.

Made For You - Still dancing around one another, sizing the other up. (also love the church-like vocals at the end. Perfectly eerie! It really fits the themes of the show) --- and I’m REAL PROUD of the transition here between songs

Great Big Storm - Yotsuba arc time! Tonal shift! This one’s sort of when their relationship transitions into something more genuine; more supportive. Things start to get more joyful! I see it as mostly from Light’s perspective, especially the verse lyrics about falling asleep --- “But sometimes I fall sleep at night, and I just know you're smiling at me / Oh, one day I'm gonna make this up to you“

Read My Mind - They’re stuck together 24/7. They can’t avoid talking, man. But the more they talk, the more they find they intuitively understand the other. They start not-so-subtly flirting (”A subtle kiss that no one sees”) ---- also love this line for them: “Woman, open the door, don't let it sting /  I wanna breathe that fire again“

These next few are just more relationship vibes! Bonding time!

Someone To You - L’s POV! He’s falling, and falling HARD. He wants to come out of the shadows for Light-- to give him the world! I imagine that this is still all in his head. Daydreaming about what could be!

Geronimo - Deciding to take the plunge! I imagine this like a montage.

You Light My Fire - CELEBRATE! Both of them are super giddy! I like the lyrics about going to bed after a fight for them! “I wanna throw the fight and kiss away your pain tonight But that would only make this harder She can't stand to sleep alone, ah no, and I hate losing so I wait till we get tired“

If I Lose Myself - First-time vibes :’D awww

The Death of Me - They wake up one day and realize: “Oh. Oh no. This is a bad idea, a really REALLY bad idea--- but I can’t help it!” Tonal shift back and forth from hype to introspective back to hype for the internal argument. The lyrics are pretty on the nose lol. (the end of the song also has some creepy whispering ‘cuz it’s supposed to be listened to in the context of the album, but it helps lead into the next song SO WELL.)

Porcelain - This is a moment of weakness. Someone slips up; something’s brought to the light. They’re only human. No going back now.

Lights Out, Words Gone - Angst time! They comforted each other during the last song, but neither of them like being vulnerable. They have a lot of work to do if this is going to last. They make up by the end of the song. Love the lyrics about lies! Pretty apt for these two: “Keep your old and wasted word My heart is breaking like you heard But the town has always turned These lies and made them all burn”

Lost My Mind - Gently falling deeper and deeper. Too fast; too soon. They know they’re running out of time, but it’s so easy to ignore that when they’re with each other.

Blood // Water - KIRA’S BACK. BETRAYAL. REALITY COMES CRASHING DOWN. (I really like the transition into this one)

Lions and Dragons - The aftermath of the betrayal. Light’s the Dragon, breathing fire, and L’s the Lion, burned. “I lost you again And I lost my mind And I told folks that they Shouldn't call for a while You should write me one evening And point out all the problems that happened But I'll still wait and dream That you are the lion and I am the dragon” (lowkey, this was my go-to breakup song in college lol)

To Build a Home - They’ve both hurt and been hurt. They’ll never forget, because if they did their forgiveness would be meaningless. Light remembers everything he’s done -- he’ll never not be Kira. But they’re ready to move forward. They’ve chosen each other.

Only the Lonely Survive - Bringing the mood back up! I couldn’t not end this on something upbeat. They deserve to have some fun! Love the lyrics in this one for them! They’ve accepted what their relationship will always be, and embrace it! (I also love that the harmonization makes it sound like they’re singing to each other) “I don't know how you feel yourself But I'd rather hurt here than be happy somewhere else No one will scar me like you do But no one will ever be compared, compared to you” -------AND “But I know A love like this will end in tragedy You know Every kiss suspendin' gravity Burns us both To love this close We lose ourselves And I know we won't get out alive But only the lonely survive” (If I can find the time I’d love to animate them singing this chorus)

And that’s that! If you want an album for Lawlight vibes, I highly recommend “Phantoms” by Marianas Trench. It was hard not to just copy/paste all the songs from it into the playlist.

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 152

I’m not going to jinx it, I’m not going to jinx it, I’m not going to jinx it...

Okay, maybe I am. I managed to queue up the chapters I had in the barrel! Yay!! Which also means that I have a super duper exciting chapter coming up, which I can’t wait to write and can’t wait for y’all to read. I just need it to be perfect.

That said, thank you to @baelpenrose and @charlylimph-blog for your help with this particular chapter.  I love when we are all three in one of these sessions and just descending into chaos in the chat. Also, @mamayoda (who I can’t tag but I do want you to know I see your likes in my notes!) for love-bombing my notes recently.

“Is it just me or is everyone really jumpy?” Charly asked as I set my food down across from her.  It was our thrice-weekly lunch dates in one of the public mess halls, and she definitely had a point.  I had already noticed three people scowl distrustfully at the food consoles, hugging closely to the prepared food side of the room instead.

I sighed. “It has to have been Derek’s stress test.  It wasn’t supposed to impact systems we didn’t design, but…”

She snorted loudly. “Tell that to the week I spent taking cold showers again.  At least this time, the doors didn’t play any music when I walked through them.”

“Did your doors at least open consistently? I was stuck in my quarters for a whole day until we figured out that I could walk through if I had an escort.”  I laughed and shook my head before digging in to my food. “And, come to find out, we actually do manage the water systems, thanks to BioLab 2.”

Contrary to myself, Charly was entirely unperturbed at this revelation beyond sniffing her hoodie and shrugging. “My doors worked fine as far as I know, but Coffey and I tend to work the same hours, so… Maybe that was it.  Oo!” Her cheer of enthusiasm caught me off guard as she started bouncing in her seat. “OOOOO! I bet he activated the routine Xiomara had running when you and Jokul weren’t friends yet!”

“There was a routine!?” I asked, exasperated. “I behaved, thank you. It wasn’t necessary.”

“Meh. Just in case. What do you think her deal is?” She tilted her head to the side, at a table near us.

Sure enough, the woman at that table was darting glances around the room, her shoulders hunched, elbows close to her body, eyes wide.  I could practically feel her shaking from where I was. “I can’t tell if she looks suspicious or afraid,” I murmured, hoping the woman couldn’t hear me. “But the fact that I’ve met mice and chihuahuas who shook less, I’m going to go with afraid.”

As I watched the woman, weighing whether or not a stranger trying to comfort her would make it better or worse, Mona’s familiar face approached her instead.  She was speaking softly enough that I couldn’t make out words, but the woman clearly recognized her and only jumped slightly.

I was so focused on the sight of Mona comforting the woman that I nearly hit the ceiling when Parvati’s voice came from entirely too close to my right shoulder. “Rebecca.  She lost her family twice, first her parents, some cousins, and an uncle when the hack happened, and then her partner and children in the After.  It’s understandable that she’s terrified right now, after the stress test. Too many bad memories.”

My face flushed in humiliation. “Pranav and Zach sent a ship-wide alert that the stress test was happening - “

A perfectly manicured hand clapped over my mouth, one dark eyebrow arched in eloquent disbelief. “Sophia. You of all people know that mental scars do not heed logic.”

Charly’s hair flew around her face as she nodded enthusiastically. “After day three of cold showers, I flinched every time I went through a door in case that stupid song started playing again, no matter how many times I reminded myself that it was a stress test and I had decidedly not given Derek boba tea again.”

Both my hands flew up in surrender. “I stand corrected, I just feel awful to see people react like that.” Gazing around the room, I was suddenly much more aware of all the darting eyes, protective postures, seats turned so that backs were against walls.

Charly had obviously seen the same thing. “We may need to talk to Pranav about limiting the tests to one or two systems at a time.”

“I wish we could,” I admitted, stabbing a potato out of my pie slightly harder than necessary. “His department was passing the tests with flying colors when Derek was limited to one or two systems at a time.  But they failed this last test miserably, it turns out.  As soon as they would react to one thing, Derek would switch to another system, and they couldn’t be everywhere at once as well as they convinced themselves that they could.  And they can’t just be good at small scale attacks: the revolt that happened before the End brought everything down at once, from multiple access points. It was… kind of elegant, in a terrible way.  Very clean.”

Charly squinted at me and Parvati in suspicion. “Are you supposed to know that they crashed and burned in the test.”

I rocked my hand back and forth while I chewed on a mouthful of crust.  It had way too much butter in it, but at least it was actually crust this time. A week ago it had been something pretty close to paper mache. “Technically we don’t officially know that.  Officially, all we know is that Pranav has requisitioned enough additional staff to increase his team of programmers by seventy percent.”

“Asses handed to them, got it,” Charly nodded in understanding.

“We also officially know that Pranav currently owes Hannah quite the enormous favor,” Parvati confided.

“How big?” Charly ventured slowly.

“Big enough that his grandchildren may be indebted to hers,” came the laughing response.

Charly shook her head and clucked her tongue. “He should know better than to bet against Derek.  He breaks the systems for fun, and they asked him to really go for it. What did they expect?”

“Apparently to put up a better fight at least.” I forced a smile, but guilt weighed on my heart as I studied the room again, fully seeing the microexpressions of anxiety, fear, and anger.  It felt like the entire Ark was constantly swinging between hope and fear. The random drills weren’t really helping, either.

“They aren’t,” Parvati agreed, letting me know that I had been thinking out loud. “Everyone is sleep deprived, on high alert, and then all of a sudden all the computer systems went on the fritz for a week.”

I sighed and rubbed my forehead, pushing what was left of my pot pie away from me, appetite gone. “We need to talk to Grey and Antoine about getting counselling for everyone, seeing as how Xiomara and Pranav pretty much just triggered the entire ship. I mean, everyone knows counselling is available, but I think allocating training and resources to the therapy teams is going to take priority over Pranav’s request for the moment.”

Charly tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Do we have the space for some quiet rooms, like you set up for the Food Festival a few years back? That may be a good idea.”

Snapping into work-mode, Parvati flicked her datapad open, bangles clattering as she started making notes. “The quarters left by those who relocated closer to the Archives are still uninhabited, those can be used.  We may be able to convince some people to relocate so we can spread the rooms out more evenly, but even if we can’t, just having those rooms available will help.”

“Make a note to add in the proposal for Grey: possibility of having specific vendors permitted to serve food in BioLab 2.  Encourage mental health days and picnics.”

Parvati nodded in acknowledgement of my request, before adding her own spin. “As a contingency plan, find vendors who will pre-package picnics.  Between the current distrust of the consoles and the fact it will remind everyone of the annual Festival, the good emotions will help.”

“I like it,” I confirmed. “What else?”

“Paintball tag day in the corridors,” Charly announced, without preamble or warning. “Make it a holiday, everyone is off work, limit it to one end of the Ark.”

I shook my head. “Guns, not the best idea.”

“Ew, no. No pew-pew.” She wrinkled her nose. “I was thinking more paint-soaked splash bombs.”

Finger guns deployed, dual wielding. “I am so here for a paintball tag day in that case.  The flavored paint?”

“Not the scotch bonnet please,” Parvati begged. “I just know someone will get that in the face, I don’t care how much Else likes it.”

“Got it, no more pepper spraying people,” Charly agreed seriously. “OOO! I could test the new arrows out!  With something like buttered popcorn paint, obviously. Maybe kiwi on the other team.”

“Just limit the pull on the bows, okay? I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

“Fiiiiine…”

Parvati smiled and added to her notes. “So, we probably want someone to correlate the current date to whatever the date would be on Earth… Just in case we need to get a consultant for Holi.”

“Good point. Conor is alarmingly good at that, so I can ask him.  It would be a nice cultural event if we could do that. If not, we can totally work on celebrating Holi when it comes around.”

“Final suggestion for right now, because I have to get back to work,” I sighed happily. “This is going to be the biggest ask, and the smallest at the same time…” Both nodded at me to continue. “Care packages, for everyone. And I mean everyone on the Ark.”

“Sophia,” Parvati scolded me. “That’s almost ten thousand people and sixteen animal companions.”

“Well aware,” I forged on, “We’ll talk to Sam about the bows, I can wrap them. Commission some of those really nice chocolates, or maybe some taffy from Simon. And something salty.  I know there is someone on the Ark who makes aromatherapy candles, Tyche is bananas about them.”

Shaking her head, she added it to the list. “If you insist on that, I insist on a celebration for the drop out of FTL.  Hannah and I can use some of the plans from the Food Festival, include Charly’s paint tag - “

“And Kink Night!”

“- and Kink Night, apparently… have several events going on across the Ark, since we already discussed declaring a holiday.”

“Get Bash’s permission to use the Undine again, and I won’t object,” I surrendered before standing. “On that note, I really do have to get back to work.  Come on, Vati, we have work to do apparently.”

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[diaryofageekgirl]

Agent Summers is Max’s Mom

Okay, I’ve had this theory rattling around in my head since the early days of Chapter 7, but today’s update just solidified it for me. I 100% believe that Agent Summers is/was Max’s mom.

First of all, we know that Spender was mentored by a pyrokinetic spectral - he says so outright during his fight with Forge (ch4 p127):

And we find out in today’s update that Agent Summers was “slinging fire” in combat (ch7 p51):

Agent Summers is clearly the figure in the background of this panel, as Spender, Mina, and Garcia are the kids, Walker is the large man behind them, and the newly-introduced Shrike is the one in the eyepatch, as referenced earlier in this page. They’ve got their hair half-shaved and are wielding a flaming torch of some sort. Compare that to Mom Puckett’s appearance (ch4 p111):

She’s rocking a punk vibe, with the piercings and tattoos, so I could totally imagine her having a more outlandish hairstyle in her younger years. And she’s got two different flaming/smoking instruments on her here, the welding torch and her cigarette. For the entirety of the small amount of screen-time she’s gotten, she’s been consistently associated with fire and metal.

In an in-character Q&A on Twitter, Zach revealed that Spender had a total of four mentors during his time at the Activity Consortium (from the Paranatural wiki):

One of them is obviously Walker, and Summers is also named as one of them (regardless of whether Summers is Max’s mom, of course). I believe that the other two are the Doctors Burger, as Gwen certainly shows familiarity towards Mina and Richard (ch7 p7):

And Gwen also lists Summers alongside herself and Walker and Boss Leader (ch7 p9):

I originally assumed that the fourth was the current Boss Leader’s predecessor, but there’s been no indication in canon to suggest that that was the case. Shrike seems to have specifically been a mentor for Garcia, and in today’s update, both of Ed’s parents are referenced alongside their other mentors. which leads me to believe that Ed’s father is the fourth.

...I suppose it could also be Francisco, but he isn’t affiliated with the Consortium. Anyways!

A couple of other minutiae to cover re: Agent Summers = Mom Puckett:

1. Summers would obviously be her maiden name - assuming that she did, in fact, take the name Puckett when she married. Since we’ve never heard Mom Puckett’s first or last name in canon, maybe she never changed it?

2. From what I can tell, the Barrier wasn’t put up until Spender, Mina, and Garcia were in their late teens. She easily could’ve just left Mayview with no issue.

3. Given that Spender’s only 13 years older than Max, Mom Puckett would need to be a few years older than him for that situation to not be awful. Which, of course, would be a not-unreasonable age to be mentoring new spectrals in the Consortium.

4. Spender’s reaction to Gwen mentioning Agent Summers’ name, coupled with what little information we know about Max’s mom’s death, (ch2 p9):

(that speech bubble has been theorized by others in the fandom to represent burn scars), and also coupled with this comment from Max, (ch5 p291):

really only feel like they point in one direction. Why bring up the idea that his mom was “normal, I guess” if she actually was?

As for why she left? Maybe she just got tired of the danger and fear and wanted to be safe. Maybe she just really wanted to settle down and have a family. Maybe she was injured or otherwise shaken up by a particular encounter and decided that enough was enough. Until we get more concrete information, that part of the story is merely speculation at this point.

[nanagoswife]

Bending The Law - Part 1

Summary: You’re a lawyer in Gotham. You are supposed to uphold the law, but you defend the unlawful to help out the underworld. It felt like your duty as your father was apart of it. After a huge case, it leads you to a new place.

A/N: This is the first time I’m keeping a story to a specific character. If there’s any tips or pointers you have, I’d be more than glad to hear them. Enjoy!

“We find the defendant,” your heart was pounding. So much of your time was taken while trying to keep your client out of jail. The juror continued, “not guilty of first degree murder.” 

The breath that you were holding in escaped you. All the tension and stress from these months was released at the words. Overwhelming joy filled you while looking at the happiness in your client’s eyes.

“Thank you so much, Y/N. You’ve done so much for me.”

“It was my pleasure,” you leaned in closer. “Try to be more careful next time.” A smile spread across his face and he gave a small nod before joining the small crowd that supported him through the trial. There were a few new faces in the group, you noticed.

You turned away and packed everything up. The notepads, documents, they all went into the case you carried with you since your first trial. This case, though, had been the toughest one yet. Yes, you represent many people from the underworld of Gotham, but it didn’t really bother you. You grew up with it. 

Your father was the head of some criminal group that you never knew the name of. All you had known was, when you were still a teenager, he had allied with another criminal empire so that he could spend more time with you and your family.

“Excuse me,” a voice sounded from behind you. Turning to the voice, you saw a man with short white hair and a few scars on his face. He seemed familiar for some reason. “On behalf of our boss, we thank you. We really needed him.”

A small grin appeared on your face, “I owed him this.”

Confusion slightly showed on his face at your words. You told him about how he once covered for you in the past. He was a childhood friend and gave you a few alibis to keep you out of trouble from your father. 

“Ah. Well, thank you again.” The man nodded and joined the rest of the group who waited at the door for him. 

Before they walked out, your client gave you a wave. Smiling, you waved back before turning to your case and packing the last few pens and whiteout. There was someone you were meeting and you’d be damned if you were late. 

Running up the doorsteps, you rung the doorbell. Looking at your watch, you were relieved to see you were a few minutes early.

The door swung open to reveal your sister. “For once, you’re not late, kiddo.”

“You know my job eats up my time, sis.” A laugh chimed from her as she tugged you into her house. You almost completely fell to the floor from the force.

Your sister, Kristy, strode towards her kitchen with a skip in her step. There was no doubt that she was grabbing a drink for the two of you. One thing you had noticed was that your sister was dressed up.

“Did you have a plan for the night that I didn’t know about?” The question was one you needed an answer to. Usually you’d leave it be and just go with the flow, but you were expecting that you were just going to a regular restaurant. 

Kristy turned around and held eye contact with you before speaking, “We are going somewhere to not only get food, but also party, kiddo.”

“I thought all the bars around here had crappy food. We already tested this out long ago,” you said. Not only were you confused, but you dreaded having to eat the terrible food they all had. 

“Hell no. There is one place that I’m sure you’ve heard of.”

“What did we miss?”

“The Black Mask Club,” she said with excitement. “A friend of mine told me about it.”

“And by friend, do you mean Zach?” She gave a sly smirk as she started towards you. Reaching you, she took your hands in hers.

For a moment she stayed like that. You saw she was trying to choose the right words, “Yes. He’s also meeting us there.” 

Kristy seemed to shrink as if she was waiting for a negative response. Honestly, you didn’t care. It meant that you could get out of having to actually talk all night. Your sister seemed to only ever talk. So, you were more than happy to know you wouldn’t be the only one on the receiving end.

The only answer you gave was a shrug. Slowly, a smile grew on Kristy’s face.

“Is that what you’re going to wear?” she gestured to the blue dress you wore.

“Why? Is something wrong with it?”

The smile reappeared on her face, “No. It’s amazingly stunning!”

“Hey, boss!” Roman turned around to the voice. He was greeted by Zsasz who was still closing the distance between them.

Seeing that he was lighter in his steps made him optimistic, “I hope there’s good news.” He was glad that the club hadn’t opened just yet. It assured that they would be able to have this conversation without any prying eyes.

“The greatest actually. Michael was found not guilty!” A large smile spread across Zsaz’s face, “That lawyer fucking pulled it off!” 

A great sense of joy filled Roman. Michael was valuable and he couldn’t afford to lose him. He wanted to know who the lawyer was. When he offered, Michael had turned down using one of Roman’s. He said that he already had one.

“That’s spectacular news! Just for that, we’ll let him celebrate. Anyone who he brings that was supposed to be stationed tonight, get it filled.” With that, Victor nodded and started arranging anything and everything Roman told him.

Watching Victor disappear, he decided he’d wait to ask about the lawyer. He wanted to thank them in person. Hearing about it all from the news and Victor, he knew how much work was put in to get this result. It only costed months of non-stop work to find any little thing that would show innocence.

Sitting down to think, a martini was brought over. Not only did the lawyer amaze him, but he admired the dedication. Instead of paying off witnesses or judges or finding a way to tamper with something, this lawyer went deep.

They didn’t play dirty, they did it the hard way and searched for any loophole that would apply. Yes, he wanted to meet them. For now, he’d celebrate.

“Are you sure they’re actually going to have good food?” Honestly, that was the only thing you really cared about. The trial you had only let you have cheap takeout and delivery. After it all, you really just wanted a decent meal.

Kristy was about to reply, but got distracted when she saw Zach walking towards them. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes once they met each other.

Zach waved hello before taking your sister into his arms. Uncomfortable, you looked away to where you saw the line for the club. How had you never heard of this place?

“Come on,” you heard Zach suddenly say. Being the third wheel, you walked behind them. A small chuckle came from you as you thought about the relationship those two had. They weren’t exclusive, but more like friends that got some fun when they wanted. It didn’t really make sense to you.

Walking to the front of the line, the guard at the front let you all in and gave a nod to Zach. Loud music filled your ears as you walked into the club. The sight of everyone dancing, drinking and talking all around made you smile.

Your arm was suddenly pulled, “Follow us, kiddo. Zach got a table reserved for us!” Resisting the urge to roll your eyes again, you obeyed. 

Almost instantly, a waitress came over to take your drink order. Thankfully, there was a great assortment of real food. Joy filled you.

After some time, Zach and Kristy left you to go and dance after enjoying their own meal. Not feeling up to it, you just stayed and sat at your table. It gave you time to admire the red setting.

Red, that was a great choice for what you usually saw going on at clubs. Passion, heat, joy, activity and love. What type of love? It didn’t matter. All you knew was that it represented what clubs really were in many ways. Even in the darker aspects.

“Y/N!” you suddenly heard a voice yell your name. Looking over, you saw your client, Michael. A smile spread across your face as you watched him make his way over to you from his group.

Giving a small laugh, you stood up and hugged him. “Let me guess, celebrating today’s victory?” you said while pulling away from your long time friend. His own smile spread across his face.

“You know it. Now let me guess. You’re here with your sister who ditched you for or with a guy.”

“Well, you know Kristy. Always having fun,” you replied sarcastically.

Laughing, he placed a hand on your shoulder. “Why don’t you come with me. I’m sure my friends won’t mind. You are basically my sister after all.” Lightly he pushed your shoulder with a playful tint in his eyes.

Shrugging, you accept. Michael’s smile grew bigger as he gestured for you to follow him to the table he was at. 

Roman arrived to a very lively Friday night crowd. Usually he would’ve been pleased, but annoyance was the only thing tugging on him. Not because of visitors, but because of the situation he just had to deal with. How he wished he could just kill the clown.

Going to the bar, his drink was immediately placed on the counter. His eyes searched around to spot any issues at all. 

A smile played on his lips when he saw Michael and his group. One person caught his eye. There was a girl laughing along to the conversation they were all having. She looked very comfortable with the group.

For a moment, he studied you. You were amazingly beautiful. His mind started to wander as he continued to study your features.

Roman wanted to know more about who this girl was. He was glad that he had a reason to go over there anyways. Ever since Zsasz told him the news, he had been caught up with phone calls. Michael deserved a personal congratulations for his victory.

“So, Y/N, how the hell did you pull that victory off?” one of the men asked after settling his laughter. 

“A shit ton of Chinese food,” you replied, still laughing. The entire group burst out in their own laughter.

It died down as soon as someone said, “Here comes the boss.” Following Michael’s gaze, you saw a man in a white suit with some sort of floral button-up shirt walking towards you. One of his gloved hands raised his martini glass as a greeting.

“My, my. Look who it is,” Michael stood up as the man started talking once he was close enough. They shared a firm handshake.

“Roman Sionis, I would like you to meet Y/N Y/L/N.” You stood up and exchanged your own handshake, nervousness slightly filling you. He was someone you only knew through reputation. “She’s not only like my little sister, but she’s the one who worked tirelessly these few months to keep my ass out of jail,” he exclaimed.

A surprised but pleased expression wiped Roman’s face. Your cheeks went red at the compliment, “I was just doing my job. I also owed you for all you did for me as kids.” Playfully, you pushed at Michael’s shoulder.

“Well, I greatly appreciate your dedication, Y/N. Would you like a drink?” Roman asked. There was something in his tone that made you feel like you couldn’t refuse. 

Smiling up at Michael, you gave him another nudge before looking back at Roman. “Sure. See you in a bit Mikey,” you said as you walked towards Roman. He gestured to a path that led to the bar.

@stardancerluv @jaydenwoo

[regulusfate]

Soldier, I can’t love you [ but I do ]

Part Two

ship: nottpott — harry x theo

word count: 3586

tw: injuries, mentions of death, swearing, war

He missed Tracey. And Millicent. And Blaise.

He missed Pansy’s biting comments if only to keep him on his toes, and her softer touch when his tongue fumbled with his feet on the days his eyes couldn’t keep up.

He had no idea if any of them were alive.

He missed bodies of warmth. Body heat. That’s what he craved the most. Some humanity. Being alone , only the birds reply to his morbid tests of fate.

“There’s a room free.”

Hands are hoisting him up, and he’s back to dangling off Potter's arm, attached to his shoulder - and he’s not sure why that’s important but then, last he’d seen Terry Boot, the man only had one arm, they were always lucky in one way or another.

He would hate being vulnerable, and he does, his skin crawls at little at the eyes of the few figures scattered across the room. He would, except it’s been too long of a fight to care, as long as he survives, they could have his dignity.

Some of it. Not all of it. His pride is one of the few things left.

“Potter,” they’d made it to the bottom step when someone joined them, and Theo wanted to hiss something but his mind wouldn’t cooperate as his foot hit the wood.

“Zach,” something in his voice catches Theo’s attention, rough and scratchy like his growing hair, and tired, but tender.

Smith was alive then. He’d been caught once before, and it was plain on his face, the ripped skin pulled back into scars, the soft blue of his eyes hardened into a storm. He no longer looked like the pompous ass he’d been, he looked like a puppet on Potter’s strings, watching him with the likes of prayer, and Theo found that didn’t scare him.

It should’ve. But it didn’t.

“Hannah’s fever broke. We buried Susan with the others.”

It should’ve surprised him how blunt they were being. But it didn’t.

For a moment he’s not sure Potter’s going to say anything before he reaches out and claps the blonde on the shoulder. Zach sways a little beneath his touch.

“Get some rest.” And then Potter is nodding to someone behind them, and Lily Moon is there tugging Zach away rather roughly, and he hears Thomas pouring a drink.

They had different definitions of rest apparently. Lily Moon. Maybe if she made it, the others had too. Small hopes. But at least they were two slytherins still fighting. Not fighting. Surviving.

Theo lets himself be taken to a room, it seems automatic and so he’s not as surprised as he wants to be, when the small room is definitely Potter’s even if it’s only come and go.

There’s a scent, and a small figurine of a knight that’s sharp edges are tinted red. He doesn’t have to look to know Potter’s palms most likely have matching indents. They all did things to keep themselves from drowning in ghosts. There’s not much to it, they probably all look the same but somehow this one, this ones claimed.

“I need to check your leg.”

Comes the quiet mutter, as he’s deposited on the bed, that’s just about big enough to fit two bodies. There’s a second bed. He thinks. But it remained untouched as Potter moved about the room.

They were dimly lit by candle light but Potter moved automatically, pulling up a loose board to tug out medical supplies, and slipping into the bathroom attached to the room. It’s easy to forget these had once been fully running, occupied places.

Theo doesn’t remember what happened for a good few minutes, as his eyes flash open and he can’t remember closing them, his torso lurching forwards, and he can’t remember leaning back against the headboard.

Potter’s hand steadies his chest absently, and Theo found his eyes drawn to his leg with some morbid curiosity as he finished tying the bandage with the nature of man who’d done this one hundred times over. Swiftly, quickly, and with barely so much as a word.

Theo supposed it would be the same if Potter dealing with his own, alone.

He frowns suddenly.

“Are you not hurt?” It’s a demand really, but the flicker of a smile on Potters lips is what aggravates him.

“I didn’t take a dive down a cliff and drag myself to a cave.” He drawled, and Theo can’t stop the blush on his cheeks, but it might be a fever.

“It was not a cliff, and I did not dive. It was an escape route and it worked.”

He snapped, more of a growl, but he doesn’t have much time to worry about that goddam smile or whatever Potter found so amusing as the raven haired man is leaning over to tug Theo’s jacket off and he freezes.

“What are you doing?”

Potter sighs and steps back to run a hand through his hair. He’s looks as tired as Theo felt, and that question was back on his lips how had he known Theo was there ? what had he been doing ?

“You can’t sleep in those, you need to change.”

If he groans, and is reminded of himself as an eight year old not wanting to go to tutoring, he deliberately ignores it.

“I can do it myself.”

Potter raises an eyebrow, and purses his lips, tossing a bundle of clothes towards him.

“Okay then.” The ‘call me if you need’ is silent but Theo catches it in the simplicity. And he’s moved across the room and back into the bathroom.

The top half was easy enough, though it felt weird to wear the clothes he was given, a t-shirt and what he assumed were rags for jeans. Trying to get them on was harder. It was awkward, and he fumbled, cursing every bloody god under the sun, and had half manoeuvre his way into them when he’s slipping against the wood and catching himself on the bedside table, breathing harshly through the lightheaded wave that struck his head.

His mouth was dry and he liked his lips, clamping his eyes shut.

“Potter,” he rasped and winced, feeling it fall short of anything resembling a word. “Harry.”

Movement, and then quite suddenly a hand, and he feels his head being gently guided downwards, and it’s bumping against a bone, and he takes a breath. Potters collarbone.

He reaches instinctively to steady himself against Potter’s forearm and for a long moment it’s just his heavy breathing echoing through his ears. He doesn’t have the strength to be embarrassed as his leg aches too much and his body shivers, and Potter’s so gentle that it hurts his head to think about.

He’s lying down, and Theo hates it, that it’s a surprise, but at least the bed is soft. There’s a shuffling and he can’t bring himself to open his eyes, and a blow, he knows the light has gone out.

Potter hasn’t left yet, Theo doesn’t know if he will.

“You’ve been ignoring me.”

A beat of silence and only their heaving breaths for a moment. Theo winced, but didn’t back down as his lips find the only thing he could quite comprehend with clarity in that moment.

“Because if it’s about the kiss-“

“No it’s not about the damn kiss, I liked the kiss,” his voice cuts through sharply, roughly, before it softens a little “You know that”

And he did, at least, he had hoped so.

“Potter,”

He grunted, and Theo rolled his eyes. He wondered if he was just stood there in the darkness or heading towards the door.

“How did you know I was here?”

This time he does open his eyes, and it’s the way those eyes look at him, their ever gentle green like sloping leaves held above a rock pool, so incredibly tender. And Theo feels his throat close up around the air in his mouth and the words seeking out.

“I was avoiding you, not ignoring you. I had hoped you would be less of a target.” Then Harry is sighing heavily.

“But I thought that about a lot of people.” And look where it’s got them left unsaid.

Theo snorted humorlessly, and cast him a dry glance.

“Because the child of a comedenti fighting for the light isn’t a target?” Sarcasm seeps from his tongue , and he feels his shoulders relax despite the ebbing and surging of pain in his ankle. Something he had not lost, how they saw him was still under his control.

The term death eater was made taboo three years prior. The chose comedenti instead. eater , in latin.

Not very original but then, time is thick and fast like the clinging ghosts, they didn’t have enough of it, time or air. All close to becoming ghosts anyway.

Still, his father was a death eater, and that phrase would forever be ingrained in his brain.

“Did it help?”

For a moment he thinks he’s hearing things, straining his legs and his ears, and there’s a heavy handed thud in the shadows of flesh hitting wood and a grunt.

“Did what help?” He wondered if his leg was bleeding too much. “And would you just get over here.”

He’s snapping before he can stop himself but there was too much noise. Potter sighs again, and Theo scowls, yanking back the covers clumsily. “Get in, I’m cold.”

“I - I don’t know..”

Well Theo didn’t bloody well know either. He flinched, when a body clambered in beside him, and then they’re lying side by side. Potter’s not wet either. But Theo didn’t remember seeing him change. Oh, the bathroom.

“W’re you watchin me?”

Theo felt his voice begin to slur against his lips, hardly a whisper, in the cool darkness pressed into the former Gryffindor’s warmth. He coughs.

“No,” a pause and his eyes are clinging to some final moment of consciousness.

“I had people looking though. Just incase.”

Incase of what ? He’s not sure he wants to know. But still, he’s grateful for Harry.

“You still r‘membr the kiss-?”

“Sleep, Nott.”

It didn’t take much for Theo to obey that command, his body slipping into the gallows of exhaustion.

[shxdowsofombra]

Recovering

[Charlie]

Charlie was still in the room recovering when he thought he heard someone coming down the hall. He was just hoping that whoever it was wasn’t going to come into his room because if they came in and saw him they would want to try to fix him. His body had healed a majority of the way over night and thought it was okay for him to leave. 

[Tate]

Tate walked into the room and saw Charlie. “Are you trying to sneak away?” He asked before laughing. “It’s just me, the doctor said you were resting so I was coming to see if you needed anything?”

[Charlie]

Charlie stopped when the door opened and let out a sigh of relief when he realized it was Tate. “I…maybe…I thought you weren’t going to tell the doctor I was here?” He asks. “Well your stitching did wonders because it’s almost healed and no there is no scarring either.” Charlie smiles.

[Tate]

“Yeah well, I knew you wouldn’t take care of yourself the right way and I wanted to make sure you were okay. Don’t worry, he won’t tell your mom. It’s not like she is here anyway.” He replied. “Oh that’s good to know, I was really worried.”

[Charlie] 

“Hey I listened to what you told me. You are the doctor after all.” He teases with a smile. “Oh right she has the dress fittings. Well good because if someone told her then she would tell my dad and he would not be happy and it would cause a big fight and I don’t want to have caused a huge fight.” He says, “Oh did you want to see your handy work?” He teases. 

[Tate]

“I am sure your parents just want to know you are okay. I am sure they would be mad for a second, but they will understand that Zach was in a bad place. And you only got hurt protecting me. It’s not like Zach actually wanted to hurt you.” He said before nodding. “Sure, if you don’t mind.”

[Charlie]

“Yeah but he almost killed you. I would have been upset if that happened. My first official boyfriend was killed by a dragon.” He shook his head before lifting up his shirt to show Tate. “See? Almost fully healed and no scarring.” 

[Tate]

“Hm worse ways to go.” He joked as he shrugged before looking at the stitches and letting his hand move up the injury. “Yeah, looks good.” He smiled as he pulled away.

[Charlie]

“See I told you that you would be able to do it. Now, I can go back to camp right? I was supposed to meet with one of the teachers about the whole dance camp thing.” He tells him as he went to take his hand. 

[Tate]

“You can meet with the teachers later. If you are trying to sneak away, the answer is no. The doctor would have told you if you could or not.” He laughed. “So, you stay until you are allowed to leave.”

[Charlie]

“What really? You are going to make me stay here? I…well what am I supposed to do? Just sit here and do nothing all day? Unless…you rather we play a game if you have time?” He offers up. 

[Tate]

“You are in a castle hospital room, one of the nicest I have ever seen. You are fine.” He smiled before hearing the offer. “What game?”

[Charlie]

“We could play 20 questions? As a way for us to get to know each other better. I know we haven’t had many deep conversations just yet and I figured maybe we could start because I want to know who you are and learn more about you.” 

[Tate]

“Okay sure.” He nods before sitting in the visiting chair. “Did you want to start?” He asked as he looked across the room at Charlie.

[Charlie]

“You can come sit down on the bed with me, you know. I am not the one that bites…or wait…never mind. I wouldn’t bite you. That is better.” He jokes as he thinks about some questions. “Okay, what made you want to move to this part of the island? Humans aren’t really naive to the siren area that I am aware of…you didn’t travel from somewhere outside of the island did you?” 

[Tate]

“I know, but you really should be laying down. That’s the best way to feel better.” He teased before hearing the question. “No, I think I came the way everyone did. A shadow kidnapping you in the middle of the night.” He smiled before thinking about how to answer. “Uh…my ex-boyfriend lived over here. When he snapped, I just stayed.”

[Charlie]

“Oh so then you were a lost boy…I am surprised you never met my dad while over there he was one of the originals. Then again that camp is pretty big so…” He says before hearing Tate’s words. “Oh, I am sorry to hear that. Was he already bitten when you met him or did he get bit when you two were together if you don’t mind my asking.” 

[Tate]

“I moved to the e camp pretty quickly. He was already bitten when I met him. That’s how I learned so much. He was older so that’s why I went to school, he just helped I guess. Have you always lived on this side of the island?”

[Charlie]

“Older? Like dad type older or like not that many years older than you older? So you went to school to learn more about it and he was at school too?” He asks, not really sure he understood what Tate was saying. 

“Um yeah, I grew up in the castle my whole life. My dad did take me to the lost boy camp a few times before. They never took me to the E camp because I think they thought something might happen to me since I couldn’t control my powers when I was younger.”

[Tate] 

“Like a couple of years and no I mean when I told him what I wanted to do, you know be a doctor, he told me to keep going to school. He showed me the school that Hope went to and I just kept going after he died. I didn’t think an island like this would have anything like this.”

“Oh okay, so what is your power? That dream thing you did?” He asked.

[Charlie]

“Yeah there was a lot of stuff I had to learn when growing up as well. Well when I was a baby I almost didn’t make it because well…my powers are dreams but not necessarily good ones. I was able to give nightmares…some of them caused my mom to put herself in rather dangerous situations because of them when she was pregnant with me. They had to put her in a coma so that she wouldn’t sleep and walk while carrying me. It was the safest option.” 

“After I was born, I had a lot of trouble controlling them. I would accidentally give people nightmares when I touched them and based on their fears it sometimes resulted in um…they killed themselves by accident. I didn’t want to be around anyone and pushed them away for fear of hurting them. Once I started to be able to control them I realized that I could train myself to give people pleasant dreams and not just nightmares. That’s why I don’t know a lot of stuff. I only recently started doing things around people about a year or two ago…when I knew I could 100% control my powers.” 

[Tate]

Tate listened to Charlie’s words and nodded, “Yeah I can understand wanting to isolate yourself to protect them and you. It’s not a bad thing to admit you are still learning. It would be bad if you just decided not to, in my opinion. I still don’t understand why you marry someone you didn’t love though? Your parents don’t seem like the type at all to make you do that by force nor do I think they wouldn’t have asked. So if you didn’t even love her, why get married?”

[Charlie]

“Well since my other siblings weren’t fit or didn’t want the throne. It fell on me and when I was younger my parents arranged that I would marry the princess of another kingdom, that being Rose’s kingdom. It wasn’t a matter of love. I was told it was my duty as prince to marry and produce the next line for the throne. So, I didn’t want to disappoint my parents and make them stay on the throne longer than they wanted to so I got married and tried to love her but in the end I just couldn’t. And then the whole thing with her kingdom coming after ours just made everything messy.” 

“Seeing everyone else in the family being able to marry for love after a while…I was scared of what my parents would say since I knew they would count on me. I don’t like disappointing people and they are my parents. When I told them about the divorce there was another fight and so I just tried to stay away from all that. It was a bit much after a while. So, that was when I decided to stay with my sister for a bit and then we threw the party and well…you know the rest from there.” 

[Tate]

Tate knew he personally didn’t understand but just nodded, “Yeah I guess that makes sense.” He says as he leaned back against his chair. “Any other questions.

[Charlie]

“How long were you with your ex-boyfriends? Were they all E’s or are they still around? Should I be worried?” 

[Tate] 

“The last one was a couple of years, and they are still alive for now. And I don’t think so, they won’t be alive much longer so nothing to really worry about.” He shrugged.

[Charlie]

“So then is it a matter of falling out of love with them when they get close to snapping for your own safety or…because a couple of years seems like a long time to love someone and then just…not love them.” 

[Tate]

“He broke up with me. I guess he was tired of me watching people die.” He says before nodding. “You have never been in love, at a certain point, you need to pick yourself or that love.”

[Charlie]

“Oh…so then do you still harbor those feelings, I mean if he was the one that broke up with you. I could imagine it is hard to just stop. And what do you mean pick yourself or that love? Why can’t you have both?” 

[Tate]

“I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. I can’t explain love or the complications that can happen. You just have to experience it yourself.” He said. “Of course I will always care, that will never go away. I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t be sad when he does snap, but I also respect his decision.”

[Charlie]

“I know familial love. I just don’t know romantic love. I know butterflies are not something you feel when you love someone, it's more of an infatuation I think…or like a crush. Well um…if you want me to be there to support you when it happens or if you need me to do anything for you just let me know.” He tells him sincerely. 

“So then for your practice, I know you work with all the supernatural creatures but do you also think that you would be able to help animals? I know my parents wanted to open up a vet hospital on the island for those who have pets that need help. Maybe that might help you with gaining knowledge on the different kinds of shifters here too. It would bring more business being able to treat both shifters and sirens.” 

[Tate]

“Well that’s not true, if it’s that real special love those butterflies never really go away. And it will come when they do things that just…make your heart skip a beat.” He said before hearing the question. “Well if it’s shifters that’s great, but if it’s animals like normal animals I don’t think I will be much help. I probably will be sneezing the whole time.” He says smiling. “I don’t really know what to ask you because you haven’t been out much. Did you go to school?”

[Charlie] 

“Oh that’s right, you are allergic to animals…even the cute ones. I would be very upset if I was allergic to animals. Our whole family literally loves them.” He teases. “Well I went to school on how to be a royal, the mannerisms and the past rulers, some of them were just…horrible. I was taught how to properly court someone and date properly I guess is how I would put it. Most of the other things didn’t really matter to them I guess. That’s why I never really knew much about E’s or levels…they only taught what they wanted me to know and let out what they thought I didn’t need to.” 

[Tate] 

“Well then you will love puppy day at the school in camp. I always have to take medicine to even be around them. Even your dog makes me need medicine.” He says before nodding. “Oh okay, I get it. Still doesn’t make much sense since you would have been king of them too, but whatever. I don’t know anything about being royals.”

[Charlie]

“They did the same thing to my mother. She was the one that wanted to learn more about the E’s and the royals insisted that she shouldn’t care about them since they would die anyway. The royals don’t teach anything on E’s because they don’t view them as that important in the long run since they all die. So that’s why they never taught me about E’s. The lower ranks yeah I know some stuff about but they basically erased all mentions of any compassion for E’s and only taught us how to kill them if we encountered them.”

“The royals in the castle aren’t as…compassionate as my parents. That was something I had to learn on my own. So anything about E’s I would have had to ask my mom about but since I didn’t know much about them in the first place I didn’t really know what to ask about. The royals told me not to.”

[Tate] 

“Hm okay, and you didn’t want to ask? I mean you are your own person. You don’t need to ask permission to ask your mom something. I mean I knew nothing about this island and still asked. I just don’t understand. I mean we are the same age, what like you are a year younger? I just don’t get how you didn’t ask. You became king, even if for like two day but for two days they were your people and you knew nothing about them.”

[Charlie]

“Because I was trying to appease my parents and that means doing what I was told and not asking too many questions. The royals have tried to assassinate my parents before. If I went digging literally two days into my role as king they would feel threatened. I was never around E’s so I didn’t know just like you didn’t grow up around royals so you wouldn’t know why they do things or how they do things. Everyone just assumes that the purebloods and royals are just these monsters that make E’s for no reason and have that hatred because of the select few that turn people. It took them a while to even accept my brother there.” 

“Even Hope knew more than me because she was the rebel of the family and went out and did a whole bunch of things like drugs, went to parties, made friends, went to school…they didn’t let me. And my parents were fighting about something so I didn’t want to bother them. There was just a lot going on in the castle constantly just like there is always something going on at camp.” 

[Tate]

“No I get all that, but you have to understand from someone who lives there, works with them, cares about them, it pisses me off a little. You just said your mom had to stand up against them to get them to care. Your mom didn’t know anything about being queen, we all know the stories but we also know she cares about all of us. It just seems like…you don’t really have a backbone. But like I told you earlier you just have a lot to learn. You are kind of like…a child a little bit.”

[Charlie]

“My mom was also in the castle a lot longer. And no she didn’t get them to care they still don’t. She was the only one that does and since she is queen when she does anything for the E’s they are obliged to listen even if they don’t like it. I think of it as being a people pleaser, having no backbone sounds rather…harsh. I mean…I guess but I am working on learning things like you said.” 

[Tate]

“Sometimes I wish you would stop making excuses and just say you didn’t ask. I respect that a lot more than the reasons you give. I don’t care the reason. You didn’t ask, you didn’t know. You didn’t care to ask. Okay, I can get over that. Your excuses I can’t. You aren’t pleasing anyone though. You put your mom in danger to heal someone. You knew the consequences and still did it, if you were a people pleaser you wouldn’t have done that because I didn’t ask you to save him. You didn’t love Rose, but because you were afraid to say anything you married her anyway. And if you were a people pleaser you wouldn’t have done that because you knew the second she wasn’t a virgin anymore she meant nothing. You aren’t a people pleaser, because if you were you would have offered to save my ex-boyfriend and didn’t.”

“You just…again are too afraid. You are so afraid you can’t even see you aren’t living. You are making excuses to make yourself feel better when if you were honest with yourself you would have just admitted you didn’t want any of this. I don’t even think you know who you are Charlie.”

[Charlie]

“I didn’t even know about that until we just talked about it. I was trying to please my parents by becoming the next king even if I didn’t want to. And the whole virgin thing isn’t true. My mother wasn’t one when they got married and that didn’t mean she meant nothing.” 

“Yeah okay I didn’t want any of it then. I wanted to be able to do what I wanted to do and didn’t because I thought that people would hate me if I did. It’s not an excuse, it is me giving my reason behind why I didn’t do something. I am not saying what I did was right or wrong I am just saying that what I was thinking at the time was that I was doing what was right. You want me to offer to save your ex-boyfriend? The person who you loved and left you…what you think that healing him is just going to magically make him want to get back together with you?” He asks as he looks up at the other. 

[Tate]

“If I apologized to you and then gave you a reason, it’s an excuse. No one cares why. They just want to know you are acknowledging it. And the virgin thing is very true. That’s why she couldn’t marry another prince. I am sure neither Hero or her wanted to get together but Grace kept bringing her around camp because she couldn’t go anyway else.” He says before looking at Charlie. “No, I don’t. Because it would do more harm then good. Does the reason make you feel better or did you just want to hear me say no?”

[Charlie]

“She could marry my brother who is still a prince of the kingdom. That isn’t true she was supposed to marry him before he gave up the throne and when he didn’t they put me in his place.” He tells him. 

“Most people would say yes because then it could give them another chance with that other person since dying is off the table. I wanted to know if you were one of those people that was why I asked. I heard about Noah and Cameron of the other kingdom. Noah was an E and wanted to leave Cameron, somehow he was healed and they both got back together and then all that other stuff followed. But by curing him, it gave them the second chance they wanted. That was why I was asking. I am not that cruel to be someone asking that to make myself feel better. I am not that shitty of a person but thanks for thinking so.” 

[Tate]

“Gosh…even things you are wrong on you are still going to say you are right.” He sighed as he stood up. “I meant did hearing the reason I said no make you feel better. Even if I said yes why would you want that or why would that make you think I was one of those people if I saw first hand what happened to your mom when she did heal someone? Charlie…I don’t know who you need to talk to or who can help but you have some serious growing up to do. It is okay to be wrong, to be an asshole, none of that will make me like you less. I like you. What I don’t like is when you act like this version of someone I want. Because it’s not. I am okay with the ugly sides of you because the beautiful sides are beautiful enough without you forcing it down my throat. You are perfect the way you are. Stop acting like some fucked up version of yourself, because it is a serious turn off.”

[Charlie]

“I never said they were right. If I look back on them a lot of them were wrong but at that moment in time I thought I was doing what was right and clearly it was wrong. Well not that isn’t why I asked. I am smart enough to know that if anyone is given a second chance to be with someone that they love you should take it. If I had a way of healing him because it would make you happy then yeah I would because you would be happy even if I wasn’t. That was what my parents taught me; they taught me to not be…you know what it doesn’t matter.” 

He says before getting up. “No, it’s not okay to be an asshole. Why the hell would anyone want to support or love an asshole that is just toxic and supports bad behavior.” His eyes flashed different colors as his body was starting to stress again. “I don’t need to be here, I am fine.” Charlie says, “Thanks for visiting though but I will be fine. You can go back to whatever you were doing.” He says before snapping on new clothes and starts to leave. 

[Tate]

“Oh my god Charlie you do not have to be right all the time nor help everyone because no can, or did seeing your mom like that not teach you anything? No, but you know at least an asshole has more emotion than pleasing someone to just please them. You parents didn’t teach you to be this way, you can’t blame that on them when you had them at your disposal when people like me would die to have their parents back to help them with anything. You just said your mom went in a coma for you and you think she wouldn’t have answered questions you had?” He said before seeing Charlie leave. He just sighed in frustration before calling Hope and leaving.

[softboyscully]

Public School Stuff I Wanted to Share

public school is both beautiful and horrifying am i right

so ill just go by the grades i guess

Kindergarten, first year

i did kindergartden at a catholic school in a relativly big city so this one’s got some shit

we went to church every wednesday, me and best friend (lost track of her when we moved, wish we’d stayed in touch, she was awesome) would giggle the whole time, pretty sure we made fun of jesus once, can’t remember why, possibly the hair

i had the nicest teacher, she was (as i remember her) young, blonde, and super sweet, that was the first and last year i ever had naptime

SPEAKING of naptime

i never slept during it

once i found what i remember being a nut of some sort on the ground, probably came off someone’s shoe

i grab it, turn to sarah (my best friend), say something about putting it up my nose

sarah, apparently having common sense, says, “no dont do it!! we’re supposed to be sleeping!!”

i put it up my fucking nose

try to get it out, just push it farther in

im crying a little bit now, that shit hurts

go up to my teacher

“you’re supposed to be asleep!”

“i have a nut up my nose and it wont come out”

teacher tries to get it out, but it wont budge

just. sends me back to my mat

that was it

the art room was tiny

like re-purposed broom closet tiny

there was a copy of the mona lisa in the hallway, someone had drawn ray bans on it with a pencil, never got replaced

there was a creepy-ass basement i went down to after school, we ate cheeseballs and sandwiches with some kind of meat, mayo, and that kinda yellow bread

someone broke his leg down there once, think an older kid threw him at the ceiling or something

we learned how to play Silver Bells with actual bells in music class

Kindergarten, second year

i remember these two teachers as the evil step sister-type look, but it might be my little kid imagination

but seriously they were horrible

we learned stuff in a room that was more middle-school styled, except everything was green or black and it was v dark

me and sarah attained a new friend, john

honestly i think we would’ve stayed friends for a while if i didnt move away

i have two vivid memories

one is of me really wanting to go home, so i walked by the teacher’s desk and did a fake sneeze

they laughed at me and told me to go sit back down

the other is  john leaning his chair back and then falling, so me and sarah went to help him back up

it was funny, so he did it again

and again

me and sarah were laughing, had the time of our lives

after the maybe fifth time the teachers said “john can get back up by himself. sit down and stay there.”

one of the reasons we moved was bc i got sent a letter from my fourth grade buddie

most of the words weren’t spelled correctly, many letters were backwards

my mother was horrified

ofc now we know it was probably a learning disability 

1st grade

this is when i moved

beginning of school i was ASTOUNDED we didnt have uniforms, one of the best things ever to happen to me

nothing wrong with this teacher, she was cool

thing is i was a little shit

told everyone my dogs died (they did but i was maybe three when it happened, i remember it not)

all my personal narratives were bullshit (only one sticks in my memory, wrote it about celebrating christmas AND hanukkah with my dad’s friends who were jewish, i have never even met those friends)

had a crush on this kid, best friend (she was terrible and helped wreck me emotionally) told me to kiss him in music class. me being a stupid ass bitch, i did it, aND HE GOES TO THE TEACHER AND CALLS ME OUT. at the end of class she gets both of us to stay for a bit, AND I DENYIED EVERYTHING. i walked across the fucking classroom, kissed him on the cheek, ran away giggling, told my teacher i didn’t do anything, AND GOT AWAY WITH IT. i’ve embarrassed myself further with this child but thats another story

2nd grade

i loved this teacher but honestly he was absolute shit

like. all he did was play the guitar and sing with us

never actually taught us stuff???

middle of the year, my mom goes in for a parent-teacher conference, he tells her i dont pay attention is math.

“what do you mean?”

“she doesn’t listen, she just takes out a book and starts reading.”

“........have you.... tried taking the book away?”

“sure, i could try that.”

“o....kay”

he also told her i’d be a girl who’d grow up to love spellcheck (which i do lmao)

like ???? why not just??? teach me to spell????

there was this one dude who one day showed up, gave me a pink stuffed cat, and then asked me where i lived

funniest thing was he lived on the same street as me

something that is vivid in my memory is showing up to class one day and realizing that i was wearing my regular clothes over my pajamas

also we had fish

every day someone else was in charge of feeding them

one of the times it was my job, i grab the fish food and walk over to the tank only to find all of the fish floating on the top

i screamed “THE FISH CAN FLY?!?!?!?!?!”

everyone ran over, all of us scarred for life when Mr. G walks over and goes in the most normal voice ever “no theyre dead”

we held a funeral

the cause of death is still undetermined

3rd grade

this year just draws a blank for me

all i know is that whoever the teacher was, they neglected to teach me how to tell time from a clock

also we learned the Cotten Eyed Joe dance in gym around here

4th grade

i had two teachers this year

one was the same one from 1st grade, the other one was a total bitch

made a girl named hannah ball her eyes out once, never apologized

i was (and am) and avid reader, so my reading skills were high above average

instead of being proud of me she told me i was weird, not normal, and too smart for a 4th grader, so i MUST be cheating. 

she was the start of a lot of self confidence issues for me ngl

this was around the time i went and got tested for ADHD (me and my grandmother almost broke down on the highway but thats another story), Mrs. M (the nice one) was super supportive when i told her why i was leaving early but Ms. S (bitch) told me ADHD wasn’t real and i just wanted to be special for once

she sucked, Ms. S

5th grade

this is getting super long so this’ll be the last one i do

but my teacher..... Mr. F was A+++++

he legitimately taught me math

we had i guess like,,, a buddie class we switched with sometimes

the teacher of that class was Mrs. R, who had crazy red hair and many freckles

at one point she referenced a meme and my entire class started screaming

also there was another Mrs. S (to differentiate this one will be called Mrs. Su)

she was kind of crazy

she was the astronomy teacher and she told us many times that the moon landing was faked

once she handed out sunscreen and had everyone put it on their whole body (this was in december, fyi)

Mr. F also hosted an ‘archeological dig’ which sounds cool but in reality he had a bunch of arcade prizes from his childhood buried in little flower pots we dug into with plastic spoons

also heres some stuff i cants pinpoint the time of/happened in multiple grades:

someone held a who-can-scream-the-most-like-a-goat contest

a guy named Makenzie won

remember we planned it while the teacher left the classroom so the teacher walks back in and one by one everyone in the room starts screaming, there was some applause, a few kids got a standing ovation

we cleaned out our desks in the middle of the year, i found 3 socks and a dog treat in mine

like how the fuck did any of those things get there

and where’s the fourth sock

b o t t l e f l i p p i n g

but no seriously there were at least five water bottles stuck in the ceiling in the cafeteria

my sorta friend charlie was obsessed with paper airplanes

one time he might’ve broken the world record for longest time in the air but he was counting in his head and it was at recess so there was no video

four square and gaga ball would be played no matter the setting, time, or conditions and it was super competitive

like if you could get to king in four square you got the everlasting respect of everyone

and everyone was super educated on four square special rules, special plays, that kinda shit

no but guys i grew up with bus stop, candy store, haunted house on mondays, haunted mansion on fridays, zombies was fair game unless it was Zach, Ryan, Chrissy or Vee

me and one other guy named andrew were the only known pjo fans, had the time of our LIVES making refrences

“HEY ANDREW IM NOBODY”

“I HAVE WAITED YEARS FOR YOU, NOBODY, COME HERE AND FACE YOUR DEATH”

“hey annabeth, i thought you looked like a princess when i first saw you. i printed out a picture you sent me casually and kept it with me. i snuck along on a quest so i could save you, endangering myself immensely. i held the sky for you. when you talk about your crush on luke, i get jealous. beckendorf understood, but hes dead.”

“ikr we’re literally the best of friends”

“RIGHT”  

also the first time we finished mark of athena we were in the same classroom and we individually dropped the book, stood up, looked at each other, and screamed “WELL FUCK YOU TOO RICK RIORDAN”

[bobbyshawsupremacy]

empty on the ground

Summary: Bobby’s here, and he’s there, and he’s nowhere, and then he’s on the pier when he’s supposed to be at practice, and his guitar is so heavy on his back.

Bobby loves on sight.

-

TW: depression, suicidal thoughts/actions, mentions of child abuse, mentions of smoking

-

His name is Zach.

Bobby doesn’t know that until he’s ten, because dad never talked directly to him and mom always calls him “bastard,” which is pretty fair. His name is Zach, and Bobby doesn’t know that until he’s ten, but he knows the sound of his shouting by the time he’s two, knows the strike of his foot by the time he’s four, knows the taste of his knuckles by the time he’s six, and knows he’s sick of it all by the time he’s eleven.

He doesn’t know what being sick of it all means, though. He just knows that he likes life better when he’s wandering the streets or hiding in shadows, finding somewhere new every day. Finding somewhere he’s not himself. He likes life better when he’s not himself. He’s aware, somewhat, somewhere in his consciousness, that it’s not normal, that most people like life better when they’re seen, but they’re not him and he’s not them and he’s not anyone, he’s just the kid crouching in the shadows.

He’s eleven when they move to L.A.

He’s eleven when he meets the guys.

And God, he loves them. From the first minute, from the first breath he shares with them, he loves them. They’re not even looking at him when he decides this. They’re in front of him in music class, huddled together, laughing about something Alex said. They’re grinning at each other, all lit up, and Bobby decides between one moment and the next that he wants them to grin at him, too. He wants them to decide he’s worth grinning at. They’re bright and they’re beautiful and he loves them, as much as he has ever loved anyone.

It’s always been that way for him. He’s not like Patrick, who loves tenuously, who extends forgiveness, not mercy; you’ve gotta push for Patrick’s love, gotta ration and ransom and surrender, keep the cross on until he’s satisfied. It’s an earned love. (Bobby still isn’t sure how he earned it, because God knows he’s never earned love from himself.) He’s not like Ollie, who loves easily, who loves everyone. You don’t have to ask for Ollie’s love. You’ve got it, just like that. He breathes it in and breathes it out, and it’s constant and steady and given like rain. But Bobby’s not like that; he’s not sure why he’s the way he is. He’s not sure he’ll ever understand it. It’s something instinctual inside himself. His soul is split, he thinks, shattered up into pieces, sprayed out all over the world. There’s pieces of him in different people. People like Luke, and like Reggie, and like Alex; he recognises them before he knows them, recognises them as soon as he sees them. It lights something up inside him, and he knows he’s found another piece of himself, and he knows he’ll love them till he dies. Bobby loves utterly, and completely, and with no retraction. He loves and he loves and he loves, and he doesn’t know how to stop, and he doesn’t know how to breathe until he sees someone that makes it easy. He’s codependent, see. Always has been.

Trouble is, Bobby loves on sight. He just doesn’t know how to show it.

Bobby loves the guys from the first moment, from the first tandem beat of their hearts, but he doesn’t say it for a while. Doesn’t say it until long after they let him sit with them in music class, long after they start smiling at him with that open brightness he fell in love with, long after he starts playing alongside them. He loves them, loves them, loves them, with everything he is, with everything he’ll ever be, and he thinks if he said it, they wouldn’t believe him. Or maybe they would, but they’d just say something simple and sweet back. Something kind. Something lovely. And it wouldn’t nearly match what Bobby told them, because they don’t love him like that, utterly and overwhelmingly and as a piece of their soul; he’s their friend. He’s the fourth piece of a three piece puzzle, and he’s not quite sure how to fix it, because he loves them, he loves them, and he’s nothing without them, and they’re already everything when he’s not around.

Anyway, it’s all the way it is, and it’s all nothing anyway.

He doesn’t know Zach’s name until he’s ten years old, but he never forgets it after that. He thinks sometimes on what might happen if he told the guys about Zach. If he told them what happened at home. He wonders sometimes what they would say if he told them that there’s a scar on every knob of his spine, from the night Zach had held him down and snuffed his cigarette out on each of ‘em. He wonders. Doesn’t find out, ‘cause he doesn’t trust easy, but he wonders.

It’s funny, sort of. In some kind of way, maybe. His story starts with Zach shouting, somewhere far back in his memory, develops with each scar and strike and bruise he’s given, a visceral narrative along his skin, a reel of things he can’t put to words. Things he remembers so vividly that he doesn’t remember them at all. It’s funny, because his story’s always been dictated by Zach, by what he does, by how he chooses to knock him around and why, and yet Zach’s never really mattered.

Then again, nothing matters now.

He’s got his guitar strung up over his back. He was meant to go to practice tonight. Kinda funny, isn’t it? His guitar’s what got him into that circle of smiles, into that group of boys he loves, loves, loves, and now his guitar’s gonna get him out of it. His guitar’s gonna get him what he’s wanted since he was eleven. He’s got his guitar strung up over his back, got his toes nudging the edge of the pier, and-

Well, he’s not going to practice. He’s not going anywhere.

He’s gonna stay right here at the pier.

The sunset’s nice. He stuffs his hands in his pockets. Rocks forward on his toes a little. Wonders what song they’re playing in the studio right now. In the Morning, maybe. They’ve always liked that song.

Bobby likes that song too.

His back is burning. Every scar is burning, sparking; they have been, ever since that night. Just an utter, constant inferno. It never dies. It never settles. He can’t be comfortable in his own skin, not when his skin’s all torn and seared away.

“In the morning, we’ll be bright,” he sings, his voice hoarse with the tears he’d shed. “We’re the sun, we’re gonna rise…” his voice cracks. Falls away.

Fuck.

He laughs, shaking his head, and kicks one foot forward, letting it dangle over the water. He’s so close. This is what he wants, isn’t it? This is what he’s wanted since he was eleven. See, he didn’t know what it meant back then, the love of the shadows and the ache of being himself. Didn’t know why his soul was all shattered. But he gets now, he thinks; he understands why he’s been broken since he was born. It’s because he was never meant to be born in the first place. He was never meant to be anything of matter. He was an other, a nothing, a nowhere.

Did that make sense? He wasn’t certain he’d ever made sense. He wasn’t certain there was any sense to make. There was no sense to anything, really, at least not to him; there was no sense to a shattered scrap left smoldering, imprinted with cigarettes along his spine, who didn’t even own his soul. He thinks maybe that the reason he loves that way, from the first reckoning till the sunset, loves and loves and loves and gives no trust, no way of showing, is because he’s not meant to be loved in return. He’s not meant to be loved at all. He wasn’t meant to be born.

Well, it wasn’t his fault, now was it? He hadn’t asked his parents to have him. And if he went back, he certainly wouldn’t ask them now. It’d brought him nothing but a scarred spine and an empty chest and one foot hovering over the water.

He wonders if they’ll think anything of it in the morning.

He doesn’t think they will.

He doesn’t think it matters.

None of it’ll make sense, probably. They’ll have a dozen pieces and no picture: he won’t show to practice tonight, won’t show up to school tomorrow; he won’t be at home, he won’t be at the studio, he won’t be at work. Elliott’ll call to have words about him missing his shift, and no one’ll pick up the phone, ‘cause they haven’t paid their bill. Maybe the teachers’ll look into it, or maybe the band will, or maybe Patrick, since Bobby’s managed to earn his love. Maybe it’ll be Molly. God, he hopes it’s not Molly.

Maybe, and he hates to think it, nobody will at all. Maybe nobody’ll think twice. Maybe someday Sunset Curve will make it big with Tyler Rockman as the rhythm guitarist, and no one’ll ever ask who they had before him. No one’ll ever care.

Yeah. Maybe.

‘Cause Bobby’s seventeen and he loves them, loves them, loves them, but he’s nothing but  a few scattered ashes, and that’s the most they’ll make out of him after this. Bobby’s seventeen and he loves them, loves them, loves them, but he’s got no way to show it, and they’ve got no reason to know. He makes his own shadows nowadays. He makes nothing, and he’s nowhere, and-

Fuck.

His guitar is so heavy on his back.

Maybe the sea can put those smoldering cigarettes scars out. He doesn’t feel like burning anymore.

“Pretty night, isn’t it?”

Bobby’s foot jerks back onto the dock. He doesn’t turn around. Just lets the guy step up next to him, their shoulders brushing together. He swallows hard. “No. Not really.” Everything’s so fucking empty.

“Hm.”

They stand there in silence for a minute. Bobby sneaks a glance over at him. His face is blank. A mirror, kind of. It’s stony and it’s hollow and it’s still so sweet, it’s still so-

Fuck, he loves him. It’s only been a moment, only been a few words, but he loves him. Loves him, loves him, loves him.

Bobby laughs, his voice breathless, because what’s it matter at the end of the world? “I love you.”

The guy glances over. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Hm.” His eyes trace over Bobby’s face, dark and hollow and lovely, and a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Well, maybe I love you too.”

Bobby laughs. It’s empty. Kicks the pier, because he doesn’t want to meet those dark hollow lovely eyes anymore. “That’s unfortunate, then, isn’t it?”

“Doesn’t have to be.”

“Doesn’t it?”

Fingers curl around his wrist. “You love me, don’t you?”

And fuck him, but he does. “I love a lot of people,” he replies. “See, I- I love them all. Love so much. But it’s like… it’s like my soul picks them. Picks them right there. It’s like I got all broken up before I was born, and now I’m just a bunch of puzzle pieces, and-” he takes a shuddering kind of breath. “I know when I find one. And I love them.” He shrugs. “So yeah, I love you.”

There’s silence between them and the sea.

“Well,” he finally says, his eyes still heavy on Bobby’s face, “If I’m part of your soul, then you’re part of me. And that’d be awfully selfish, taking part of my soul away. That’s not the sort of thing you do to people you love.”

“I guess.”

“You don’t have to guess. I’m telling you.”

The salty wind washes over Bobby’s face like a psalm. He kicks at the pier again. “My uncle beats me,” he says, because he’s got no reason not to say it. “Gets high and does it just ‘cause he can. Says I look too much like my dad. Dunno how he expects to beat that out of me, though.”

The fingers around Bobby’s wrist tighten. “Yeah, well, fuck your uncle. What’s his name?” he asks.

“Zach.”

“Fuck Zach.”

Bobby smiles a little. “Yeah,” he says faintly. “Fuck Zach.”

It’s a nice night, isn’t it?

“You wanna see something cool?” the guy asks, his voice shattering through the salt-soaked glass of the wind, shattering into Bobby’s ears like there’s no other sound in the world. Shattering over him, and maybe Bobby’s a little less shattered for it. Just for the moment.

He turns towards him. “What sort of thing?”

He gets a flash of a grin. The fingers creep down, winding into his. “Gonna have to come with me to figure that out, won’t you, cachorro?”

“What’s that mean?”

A shrug. “Nothing yet.” A soft tug. “C’mon. Follow me.”

And Bobby loves him.

So he does.

It’s a nice night, isn’t it? And maybe that matters, just a little. Maybe it all matters just enough.

[chilling-seavey]

“It's pouring rain why are you out here?” with Daniel and Elizabeth ~T

I absolutely love this idea. Thank you

April 19, 1921

Elizabeth stood in the kitchen window, washing the dishes while staring out over the dark fields as the rain came down heavily. Daniel was supposed to be home by supper but there was no sign of him since he left for work that morning, leaving Elizabeth slightly concerned and left to feed and put the children to bed alone. She glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall which read nearly 7pm and the raging downpouring outside only made her worry more about her missing husband.

The factory never kept him later than 5 and he was never one to be late, usually coming in the back door by 5:45 but this night in particular had a sinking feeling brewing in Elizabeth’s stomach. She finished washing the few dishes and left them to dry while she rang the factory. The manager assured her that he saw Daniel off at closing time, right before the rain started; he remembered telling Daniel on his way out the door to stay safe as the dark grey clouds rolled in. Elizabeth thanked him and hung up the phone. She took one more look out the window, almost difficult to see through the aggressive rain that was coming down in heavy sheets, and she draped her apron over the counter as she scanned the area.

Her eyes caught on something in the close distance and she leaned forward more to try and see past the glare from the kitchen light in the window. The dark shadow was right in the middle of their walkway to the back porch, seemingly unmoving even in the rain. Elizabeth knew what it was the moment she saw it and she grabbed an extra coat from the front foyer, taking one for herself, before rushing out into the pouring rain.

Her suspicions were only confirmed as she approached her husband on the dirt path, almost completely soaked through with mud and rain with his legs tucked up to his chest and his head bowed. She crouched down in front of him and tucked the coat around his shoulders and he looked up at her as he shivered.

“It’s pouring rain, darling. Why are you out here?” Elizabeth said through the blistering storm, rubbing his arms to try and get some warmth back in him.

Daniel only shuttered, burying his face back in his knees without a word. His usual work tin was tossed beside him, fallen open enough to have started to collect the rainwater that poured, and his leftover lunch and few work things were left soaked and drowned. Elizabeth poured out the water from it and closed it back up and then helped him to his feet.

“Let’s get you inside.”

Daniel hugged his arms around himself as he shivered with cold and she led him up the back porch and into the warm house. She sat him in the parlour and started a fire to get him warm before bringing over a change of clothes from the folded laundry she had just brought in from the line that morning.

“The rain feels nice.” Daniel mumbled as she got him undressed.

“Is it not cold?” Elizabeth asked warmly.

Daniel hesitated, his brows furrowing in thought, “Familiar. It’s familiar.”

“I see.” Elizabeth had heard it plenty of times.

“Zach was there too today.”

“Was he?” Elizabeth encouraged him on as she pulled a dry shirt over his head.

Daniel nodded, staring blankly into the fire, “He sat with me. In the rain. Like we did once. It was nice.”

“That’s why you weren’t in for supper. You boys are always losing track of time, hm?” Elizabeth tisked lightly, helping shuffle his pants up his legs. Her fingers brushed the gunshot scar on his calf but neither of them flinched at it.

Daniel nodded his head weakly, still shivering with cold as his hair was plastered over his forehead in rain and left droplets fall down his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. She ruffled a towel through his hair and over his face to clean him up a little, finally stopping to hold his cheeks in her hands and she pressed a small kiss to his shivering lips. Daniel only stared at her as he trembled, licking his lips lightly as if to try and recognise the familiarity of her touch.

“Okay,” Elizabeth spoke softly, finally grabbing the blanket from the sofa and tucked it around his shoulders, “You stay put and warm up and I’ll bring you some tea and some supper.”

Daniel stayed in the parlour where he was left, staring into the fire as his body warmed up slowly from sitting in the cold rain and mud for nearly an hour. As the years went by, Daniel had started to become more of who he used to be before the war, but he was never the same. During rainstorms especially when sometimes he would just sit himself on the dirt road and let all the memories take him again. Sometimes he was alone, sometimes he felt the presence of his lost friends or his brother, but Elizabeth never judged his stories he had for her when he would finally come back inside. She listened quietly and let him talk since it was really the only times he would talk about the war. It was as if the rain poured it out of him.

Elizabeth returned with a filled plate and set the mug of tea on the table beside him. He thanked her softly and she ran her hand through his damp hair lovingly before taking a seat on the floor by his feet. She rested her head on his lap, her hand gently resting on his thigh as her thumb rubbed soft patterns against his cold skin that was trying to warm up by the fire. Daniel ate silently, forkful by slow forkful, his state of reality soon returning as he set his empty plate on the table and rested his hand on Elizabeth’s head to twirl her blonde curls gently around his finger. 

[redstainedsocks]

The Vow

Pirate AU, part two! I don't have any more written than this, and I don't have a whole lot of plot planned for it, I'll just come back periodically and have fun in this fantasy version of the setting. Open to requests/suggestions if there's something you want to see let me know!

Notes: Decker's name changed to Ecker for the AU because I couldn't write about ship decks and have a main character called Decker... I just couldn't... xD

Content: aftermath of whump, death threats, angst, emotional whump, captive whumpee, failed rescue

[Part one] [Main Series]

Archer’s breath was thick in his lungs. Words stuck in his throat. The world spun and then stopped only to start spinning again as he tried to comprehend what was happening around him. The same way it had a week ago.

He never wanted to be one to put his crew in danger, but the contract to salvage certain things from a wreckage of one of the King’s vessels paid well, so he’d taken the job. It should have been easy and simple. The wreck was washed up on some rocks and mostly intact but incapable of getting back out to sea. They were to retrieve the goods and the captain's logs and some important scrolls and deliver them back to home shores. Tidy, straightforward. He knew the risk of pirating was high on a washed up vessel but he had a fast, manoeuvrable ship and good men, it was as likely to be them who braved the rocky seas first as anyone else.

But... Ecker. In a sleek schooner, with his evil, rank men. Ecker had got there first and hell had broken loose. Archer’s ship was better equipped for it, more cannons, more trained men, it wouldn’t have been long before they could subdue and overcome, and he had just hoped there wouldn’t be too great a loss of life.

In the midst of the firefight, between cannon shots and gunpowder smoke, and frantic sailing, a man had been dragged onto Ecker’s deck. A man blindfolded, in a loose shirt, hands bound, and too far away to see properly.

“Hold fire!” Ecker had shouted across the space. “Hold fire or I will spill his guts across the deck!”

Archer dismissed it, at first, because he couldn’t back down or lose ground just for some poor sod caught prisoner on Ecker’s vessel. Only then Jordan had handed across a looking glass, as drained of colour as the sun-bleached sail above their heads. It had taken one look through the glass to recognise the man. He would know that face--even half obscured--anywhere.

Zach—back from the dead. Zach, not lost at sea as they’d thought, but taken captive and held without word for two long years. All while Archer sailed on without him, without even knowing he left Zach behind.

So the world stopped and he called a ceasefire even as his head spun, and walked onto a sandbank with Ecker to negotiate the freedom of the friend who he’d lost two years previously.

“He was lost, lost at sea.”

“Seems like he was very much found, to me,” Ecker had said, gloating, drinking in Archer’s distress.

“Why wait this long, why not reveal your hand before now?”

“I knew a day would come where he would be a useful bargaining chip. Why present that on a platter when I held all the cards? Now I have leverage, and a way to get my ship out of your sights.”

“Fine, leave him behind, and I’ll let you sail away. Unscathed. You have my word,” Archer had tried to say it without sounding like he was pleading.

“Oh I don’t want your word, young Captain, I want your gold.”

“And then you give us Zach? Unharmed?”

“I can’t say unharmed, it has been a long two years for the poor lad. But yes, you pay, and he stays alive, and I’ll throw in the important bounty from that there wreck for good measure, if you like. You’ll meet us at my chosen location as soon as you have the ransom… but if any of ye so much as look at my ship wrong as I take my leave he’ll be dead before you can say ‘Davy Jones’. Locker”

He’d told his men to hold steady while Ecker sailed off into the distance, and did all he could to gather the damn ransom Ecker had demanded, and in return he was supposed to get Zach’s life as well as the logs and scrolls Ecker had pilfered from the wrecked ship. Ecker would go free, but he’d have his friend, he’d get Zach back.

So why was he now walking out of the Keep empty handed?

Zach had been—god, dragged away, without a care for his well being—and he’d rounded on Ecker with a snarl.

“What do you even want with him?”

“That’s my business, and if you want to keep your heads you’ll ask no more questions.”

“Tell me what can I do to persuade you? What will it cost? My life? You can take mine!”

“I want nothing you have to offer, and the look on your face is all the satisfaction I need. Now get out, before we throw you out… in pieces.”

Ecker’s threat had been real, he didn’t have to second guess that, so he took the chance to keep their heads. Their blades and guns and ammunition were dropped unceremoniously from the parapet above the gate after it slammed closed. Slammed and barred him from rescuing the one person he had sworn not to let down another time.

Turning his back on the Keep was the hardest thing he had ever done, it was surreal to place one foot in front of the other and walk away. And yet he was doing it. The sea was before him across the span of the small island, and his two most trusted crew were at his back.

So he walked, head swimming, just trying to keep them all alive. Treading the waters of his mind and trying to find some solution, a way out of this, even as it felt like drowning. His heart clenched as he cast one last look behind him at the Keep, half expecting to see a flash of dark hair at a window, a hand reaching for him. He wasn’t sure if it was better or worse that he didn’t. He didn’t know if he imagined the scream ringing in his ears or if it was real.

“Archer, we can’t.”

Jordan’s voice was easy to tune out. He needed space to think. It was harrowing to consider leaving like this but he had nothing to hold over Ecker. “Nothing you have to offer.”

So maybe there was something, if he could just find it.

“Didn’t you see him, what they’re doing to him?”

Archer shuddered, pausing briefly before he kept walking through the scrubland. He’d seen. Zach’s bruised body, chafed and scarred wrists, how thin he was. More than that it was his eyes that told more than Archer could bear. They were haunted, hurting, desperate and then filled with hope that was snatched away so cruelly, so instantly.

“What if he doesn’t survive much longer?”

“Jordan,” Sasha snapped.

Archer held his head higher, it wouldn’t do to have Ecker’s men see him breakdown at the threshold of their own defences. He had to be stronger, prove he was better, not show how rattled he was. And Ecker had to have a weakness, something they could exploit. He wasn’t a god or a lord, he wasn’t even a good sailor, he just had enough people around him to make sure he couldn’t fail. If he could just get him alone, five minutes alone and he could best the man. But like this…

“Are you listening to me?” Jordan grabbed his arm and swung him around.

“No I'm not fucking listening to your petty whining! I'm thinking about how the hell we're going to get him out of there!” Archer said it in one breath and wrenched his arm loose. He buckled on his sword belt and stared above Jordan’s head, unwilling to meet his eyes..

“We can't do it here, not in this fortress, not so outnumbered,” Sasha said quietly from his right.

“No, we can’t,” he agreed.

“What’s the plan, Captain?” she replied.

“I don’t know yet, I have to think…”

“Archer, we can’t leave him here,” Jordan said and Archer finally made himself look at Jordan’s face, saw the pain there, and let that pain sink into him too. He’d carry all of their hurt, shoulder every burden.

“And if we get ourselves killed today, trying the impossible, who will come for him then?” he asked quietly.

Jordan paused, licked his lips, and dragged his eyes back to the Keep with a barely perceivable nod. “I understand, but to see him like that…. There are hurts there that even I may not be able to heal.”

“I know. It pains me too. And we will not leave him to rot with them, we only have to be smart about it. We wait, and we make a plan, and then we bring him home.”

He didn’t wait for a reply but turned and walked on, to the small beach where their row boat had been dragged high upon the sand. With practiced ease he hauled it back out into the water and tried to not to feel like a failure. It was only halfway back to the ship, with the spray stinging his eyes, did he finally let a few stray tears fall--when he could pretend it was just the splash of the waves on his face. He’d have to be strong again once they reached the ship, when he had to be Captain again and not just a man.

He wouldn’t look back. This was not the end of it. He vowed it with one hand on the pommel of his sword and the other on his heart.

I will save you, I will come back for you, this I swear.

[Taglist, let me know if you want to be added or removed from either the AU or the regular list! @haro-whumps @whumpthisway @hurting-fictional-people @lonesome--hunter @crowned-avery @extrabitterbrain @firewheeesky @outofangband @0idril0]