#i don’t care that price is canonically 37

[mehh141]

Professor Price | 1/10

Just my vision on how prof!Price from @guyfieriii’s series would have looked like

[rodolfoparras]

Take care of yourself first, writing can wait! I am just happy to send you my silly little drabbles and ideas because sharing them over anon is much easier.

Also I saw you mention long haired Price and as someone who absolutely adores men with long hair and falls for them always I feel uniquely qualified to offer my insight. Also long haired old metalhead dilfs are my type to the t.

I think we mentioned before on your blog how Price was definitely alternative when he was younger and I can definitely see him being your typical long haired metalhead, and I stand by the fact that he was pierced and he has old tattoos. He obviously had to cut his hair when he enlisted and although he still has same music taste, he isn't really into same style anymore.

He thinks he's too old for that (I know he's supposed to be around 37 canonically but in my head he's like mid to late 40s in main timeline) and he can't see himself growing his hair out again. Cue his boyfriend finding photos of him when John was younger and begging him to grow his hair out again. He's on the fence about it until he realises just how much his boyfriend would be into the idea.

He slowly starts growing his hair out (let's ignore military aspect for this) and maybe to make it even more interesting, either he or his boyfriend have to go on a mission and when they finally reunite, John's hair has grown and while it's not as long as it used to was, it's still kind of long and his boyfriend can't keep his hands off John.

This is also where John realized that he likes having his hair pulled because his boyfriend will just do it whenever they have sex and John melts instantly. But also the intimacy of hair washing and hair braiding??

-🔮

I appreciate you sugar thank you sm for understanding 🥹 also I wanted to say in regards to the idea u sent you should’ve posted it on ur own blog bc it’s genuinely 10/10 if you one day feel comfortable with posting ur fics and you post a price focused fic pls feel free to tag me id genuinely eat it up

*cracks knuckles* price had to cut his hair bc of the army but he also thought he just grew a tad bit old for the look but then there’ a period of time where he’s stationed somewhere for months maybe a whole year and his hair grows long enough to be tied in a bun he hasn’t had the time to cut it because where would you get your hands on scissors in the middle of nowhere and truth be told he missed his long hair he ties it up opts out of wearing buckets hats and let’s it down before bed however once he’s back home and he actually gets a proper look at himself he’s like ….. and immediately wants to cut it off but you don’t let him u beg and plead almost wrestle the scissors from him however the two of you comprise and you settle for a look where his hair is long enough to be tied into a ponytail but short enough to not have him cringing at himself and the next time he looks at himself in the mirror he actually likes what he sees even smiles at himself and you creep up behind him chin resting atop of his head saying “told you that you’re handsome” and he’s just like oh stop it

But imagine him down on his knees his hair wrapped around your wrist while he sucks your cock and he looks absolutely beautiful drool dribbling down his lips tears trickling down his cheeks and with small curls framing his face

And when it’s time to go back to base and cut his hair he discovers that having your blunt nails scratch at his scalp feels just as good as when you pull on his long hair

[starryblueeyesandstarryblueskies]

I posted 3,342 times in 2022

That's 2,001 more posts than 2021!

251 posts created (8%)

3,091 posts reblogged (92%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@jaskiers-sweetkiss

@wr0temyway0ut

@funnytwittertweets

@maybankiara

@mentalpolaroids

I tagged 629 of my posts in 2022

#starryblueeyesandstarryblueskies - 280 posts

#stars rambles - 150 posts

#character aesthetics - 63 posts

#character moodboard - 62 posts

#obx - 38 posts

#outer banks - 37 posts

#stars writes - 21 posts

#rafe cameron - 19 posts

#percy jackson - 17 posts

#masterlist - 15 posts

Longest Tag: 125 characters

#i honestly think people found out that she’s rich and are so mad about it that they decided to hate everything about her book

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

You Don’t Go To Parties | R.C.

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Summary: Rafe flashes back on moments in your relationship as he looks for you at his party, even though he knows that he won’t find you.

Based on the song We Don’t Go To Parties by 5SOS

A/N: This is the longest fic I’ve ever written and I think the one I’ve enjoyed the most. This definitely isn’t canon Rafe but it is the Rafe I dream of. Rafe and Sarah are actually close in this because they deserve that and Sarah and Topper aren’t dating cuz I just don’t like them together. Also it is very very very much not proofread like at all

As I am an adult, all characters I write for are written as adults. Any minor characters will be aged up to the general range of their actor’s age.

Warnings: drug and alcohol use, addiction, arguing, harassment, talk of ward being a shitty dad

Word Count: 6.5k

~

25 minutes. That’s how long the party had been going on at the Cameron house. 25 minutes. That was how long Rafe had been looking for you at said party.

He hadn’t even realized he was doing it. Scanning the party every few minutes, his conscious mind chalked it up to wanting to know who was at his house and he left it at that. He didn’t want to think about it any deeper.

Take a shot. Scan the kitchen.

Do a line. Scan the basement.

Play a round of beer pong. Scan the backyard.

“Right, bro? Rafe, have you even heard a word I said?” A shove from Topper brings Rafe back to reality.

“Huh, what? Is it my turn?” Rafe turns back to the card table covered with red solo cups.

“We lost like five minutes ago,” Topper deadpans, “which you would know if you had been paying attention.

Where is your head, bro? It’s like you’re not even here. This is your party.”

Rafe just shrugs in response, scanning the backyard again.

“Who are you looking for?”

Rafe turns back to his friend. “I’m not looking for anyone.”

“Yeah, sure,” Topper says skeptically, “You’re just searching the crowd every few minutes for no reason.” He slaps him on the back. “Real convincing.”

Rafe starts to make a noise of indignation, but Topper is already walking away, leaving him to his thoughts.

As much as he doesn’t want to admit it to himself, Rafe knows exactly who he’s looking for, and he also knows he’ll never find you in the crowd. You don’t go to parties anymore, and he only has himself to blame.

-

(10 Months Earlier)

Growing up middle class in the Outer Banks was a weird experience. You weren’t a pogue and you weren’t a kook, and neither group made any attempt to claim you. You were just you.

You hadn’t wanted for much during your childhood, but you learned not to spend on needless expenses. Your parents taught you the necessity of hard work and they taught you how to budget. You didn’t go to lavish parties, but you weren’t going to bed hungry. As an adult, you worked two jobs, waitressing during the week and bartending on weekends, and your parents pitched in every once and a while to help you pay your rent. You weren’t rich by any means, but thanks to your work ethic and the kindness of your parents, you made it work.

Rafe Cameron grew up in a different world. He splurged endlessly, using up the massive allowance that his dad gave him. He didn’t care about price and he didn’t care about budgeting. Most of all, he had never worked hard a day in his life.

When he comes up to the bar one night while you’re pouring drinks, you don't spare him a second glance. He flashes you that crooked grin and calls you ‘darlin’’, but it doesn't matter. You know Rafe Cameron’s reputation and you don’t get tied up in the games of rich boys. You simply make him his drink and go on with your night.

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191 notes - Posted November 30, 2022

#4

Types of People: Flowers

Daisy- can’t sit still, doodles on sneakers, freckles, colorful earrings, daydreaming

Rose- graceful movements, gold jewelry, eloquent words, long coats, museum days, red wine

Tulip- bubbly laughter, playing with puppies, birds chirping, citrus candles, yellow overalls

Peony- white blouses, fairy lights, pink glassware, baking cookies, love notes

Iris- calm in crisis, late night drives, comfortable silences, thick blankets, knowing looks

Lily- rainy days, reading the classics, window seats, linen pants, essential oils

Sunflower- beach days, whooping with joy, blasting music with the windows down, dancing in the street, curly hair

Pansy- studying in coffee shops, long walks in the park, midday naps, oversized button downs

Poppy- sneaky looks, loud voices, jumping on the bed, french fries and milkshakes, tousled hair

207 notes - Posted May 9, 2022

#3

I feel like we as a society do not talk nearly enough about Danny Ramirez

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237 notes - Posted August 23, 2022

#2

Y’all y’all! The pjo trailer has dropped! I repeat the pjo trailer has dropped!!

326 notes - Posted September 10, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

If We Go Down | J.M.

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader

Summary: When JJ gets knocked off the boat and almost drowns, you do everything you can to keep his head above the water. Later, John B tells him how you saved his life.

A/N: I saw a post about jj not knowing kie almost drowned for him and I had to write something based on it. As usual I couldn’t figure out how I wanted to end it so it just cuts off. It’s also not entirely proofread lol

As I am an adult, all characters I write for are written as adults. Any minor characters will be aged up to the general range of their actor’s age.

Warnings: violence, almost drowning

Word Count: 1.5k

-

This was absolutely going down as one of the weirdest weeks of your life, and with everything you and the pogues had gotten up to in the past year, that was saying something. But sneaking onto a ship to save Sarah from her fucked up family and, hopefully, getting back the magical golden cross that once belonged to Pope’s ancestors, that definitely had to take the cake.

You and JJ have been paired up on this expedition, seeing as you always make the best team, and have been tasked to lock the passengers and crew hull. Piece of cake right?

-

JJ leans against the wall next to the hull door, pressing himself as close as he can so as to not be seen. You follow suit on the opposite side, peaking around the corner to count everyone who entered.

“How many?” JJ whispers to you. You hold up three fingers. He peaks through the doorway and holds up six more. After a minute, you hear the Cameron’s coming. Around the corner you see Rafe, Wheezie, and Rose enter the hull.

You turn back to JJ. “That’s everyone,” you whisper and nod your head towards the door.

“Except Ward. We need Ward.”

“We don’t have time to wait, J.”

He pauses for a moment and then with a sigh, he motions toward the door. The two of you bolt towards it, pressing your full body weight against it in an attempt to slam it shut. You aren’t fast enough, the crew pushing back against the heavy door.

“Close it, close it!” JJ yells.

“I’m trying!” You push with all the strength you have, JJ pressing his body up against yours. “Lock it!”

He slams the lock in place and you both take a deep breath. From inside the hull you hear a crew member yell, “Try the other door!”

You and JJ lock eyes. “There’s another door.” In a split second you’re both sprinting to the other side of the hull, slamming and locking the door before they can escape.

“Oh my god,” you breathe out.

-

After dealing with the hull, you and JJ help Pope hook up the cross to the crane so that he can move it to the lifeboat. Then it's time to head up to the deck. The two of you move about the ship considerably less carefully now that the crew and passengers have all been taken care of. Or so you thought. As you round the corner to the stairs, you come face to face with the angry captain.

“I don’t see him,” JJ muses, looking over the side for John B.

“JJ.”

He stops in his tracks. “Of course,” he quips, “There’s more of you.”

“Get down on your knees,” the captain orders.

“Yeah, that's not gonna happen.” JJ charges at the captain, who swings his machete, narrowly missing JJ’s head. You grab his arm as JJ pins him against the wall. He lands a punch to the captain's temple and you pull a door hitting him square in the face, knocking him to the ground.

As JJ squares up, you look over the side of the boat to yell for your friends. You don’t get a chance before JJ gets knocked to the ground, hitting his head against the boat, leaving him in a daze.

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1,812 notes - Posted August 19, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[ashxketchum]

For the handholding prompts! Taiora + 37? :3 Have a lovely day

Hello! Sorry for such a long wait, at first I was really confused by what I should write for Taiora with this prompt, and by the time I got around to outlining the scene, life happened 😔

But finally today I was able to sit down and get this out of my brain! This is set right after the battle with Ordinemon in Tri Part 6 and is mostly canon compliant. I hope you enjoy it, thank you for requesting 🧡

37. not realizing they’re holding hands till someone points it out

Taichi’s gut kept telling him that he was missing something, but he brushed it away. What could he be possibly missing when he was sitting with a wall of comfort surrounding him? That’s why even as the thought continued to gnaw at him, he refused to open his eyes and acknowledge the problem, it could be dealt with later, when his nap would be over and he would wake up feeling well rested and refreshed. For now he wanted to bask in the feeling of floating in sunshine, with every aching muscle in his body being cured of it’s pain, every tired fibre in his body being refuelled with energy. He wouldn’t dare open his eyes right now, not when he could hide under this umbrella of comfort for a little while longer, because who knew if it would still be there to shelter him from the stinging raindrops of reality when he woke, or if it would leave him drenched and broken, as it had once before.

NEXT STATION-

The words rang in his ears like a blaring alarm and suddenly Taichi was very much aware of where he was and what he was supposed to be doing. His eyes jolted open and he made to get up, when a familiar weight on his shoulder made him halt as realisation dawned fully upon him, of course the warmth had belonged to Sora who still slept quietly with her whole body leaning on him and her head resting on his shoulder, just like two puzzle pieces perfectly aligned.

The announcement echoed again throughout the train compartment and Taichi broke out of his daze, deciding that now was not the time to marvel over these little things, he quickly stood up. When he did so, Sora woke with a start, her eyes fluttering open in slow motion, but as they didn’t really have time for her to be fully awake, Taichi grabbed her hand in his and pulled her onto her feet, dragging her behind him as he rushed to get out of the train just as the doors slid shut.

He turned to face Sora and ask her if she was feeling okay but saw that her eyes were still drooping low and she held on to his grasp on her hand tightly for support as her feet wobbled out of balance. Taichi couldn’t really blame her, in fact he was relieved that he wasn’t the only one who felt like they had been made to run a marathon for 1000 years without a break. The visits to Digital World, the adventure and the battles had always been exhausting, but today their strength had been put to test in a way that none of them had ever expected to encounter, and the price of overcoming it all was pure exhaustion, both mentally and physically.

So Taichi kept quiet and gently pulled Sora along with himself across the mostly empty platform, glad that he had been the one to volunteer to take her home as he was so familiar with the route that he could probably reach there even with his eyes closed. He also didn’t mind the silence that had settled between them as they walked slowly but steadily, as Taichi wasn’t sure if he had anything left to say to anyone after the lengthy interrogation him and his friends had been subjected to by the authorities right after Ordinemon had been defeated, without so much as a moment spared for them to deal with the loss of their Digimon friend.

Even though Taichi’s session had lasted the longest as he was the only one to witness Nishijima’s demise he still felt that Sora had been subjected to a more difficult task, which was consoling not just Meiko, but also Hikari and Mimi as they had sat in the room waiting to be called in for questioning. As always, she had given every bit of her energy into taking care of others rather than herself, so Taichi attempted to make things easier for her the only way he knew how to, by keeping quiet and giving her the space to deal with everything at her own pace.

It was when they reached her home and rang the bell that Sora finally looked like she was awake, right on time Taichi thought, as at least he’d be able to tell her to take care of herself and have her actually retain those words in her head. So he turned slightly, hoping to bid her goodbye before her mother opened the door, but as tired as he was, he missed his chance to make a quick escape. The door swung open before he could open his mouth and a bright light was cast upon them and the dimly lit hallway.

Mrs. Takenouchi stood behind the door, looking like she had rushed to the door in a hurry that was uncommon for her, her face an odd mixture of relief and concern as she studied her daughter. Then her eyes travelled down and she raised them in mild surprise, another thing which was unusual for the stern Mrs. Takenouchi, so both Taichi and Sora followed her astonished gaze and experienced a rude awakening themselves as they saw that their hands were still tightly clasped around each other’s. They quickly pulled their hands away and shifted a few steps away from each other to put some distance between them.

Taichi was amazed by how despite of being so tired, his body could still find the energy to turn his face into a heated mess, and smoke coming out of his ears now wouldn't come as a shock to anyone.

“Good evening, Mrs. Takenouchi.” He mumbled awkwardly to fill the silence and draw attention away from the fact that he had been unknowingly holding onto Sora’s hand for who knows how long now. He could only hope that Sora too knew that it had been unintentional, and that he hadn’t meant to overstep his boundaries.

“Good evening, Taichi. I am relieved to see that you’re both okay, though you do look like you need a few days worth of rest.” She smiled softly at the two teens, turning to face her daughter with an affectionate gaze, she added, “Sora, welcome back.”

“I’m home.” Sora replied almost automatically, and satisfied with the response Mrs. Takenouchi passed a peculiar look to her daughter before she headed back inside, leaving the two of them alone to say their goodbyes.

Sora took this chance to move inside her house, now taking Mrs. Takenouchi’s place in the doorway, finally facing Taichi with her eyes wide open, though they were still filled with reflections of what had transpired in the past few days.

Taichi remembered that he had been meaning to tell her to take care of herself before her mother had arrived at the door, but when he looked at Sora now, with her figure illuminated by the white light coming from inside her house, her vermillion eyes shining with tears that were being kept at bay with every bit of remaining energy in her body, he lost the words he had so carefully selected a few moments ago. He wished instead that telling her how much he cared for her and her wellbeing could be as easy as taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. He knew he had to say something however, because not only had the silence between them become suddenly deafening, but also because he couldn’t possibly leave without a word of appreciation or gratefulness for all that she had done for Hikari and the rest of them today.

“Don’t forget to eat dinner,” He joked, hoping to lighten the mood enough to easily slip the words he wanted to say out of his mouth, but his half-grin seemed to light something in Sora as one lonely tear slipped down her cheek slowly despite her strained efforts to keep it from happening.

“Don’t ever disappear like that again, Taichi.” Her voice trembled as she spoke and Taichi felt a pang in his chest at her tone, “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t come back. You can’t leave me behind just like that!”

“I’m sorry.” Taichi muttered quietly, that was all that he could manage to say out loud.

In reality he wanted to remind her that there were other people in her life who would easily be able to fill the gap he would leave, that it was not fair for her to stand there and tell him this, knowing well enough who he had meant to save in that moment. But he held his tongue, it had been a long few days for both of them and now was not the time to turn regrets of the past into bitter remarks that he may never be able to go back from.

“Please. Promise me, you will never do that again.” Her pleading voice was just above a whisper and it was a miracle that it even reached his ears.

“I will, if you promise something in return too.” Taichi replied in a determined tone, his hands balling up into fists on their own as he fixed her with an intense gaze. Sora looked at him with doubt at first, but eventually nodded at his words tiredly, “You have to promise to start putting yourself first from now on, no matter what.”

“That’s a difficult promise to make.”

“So is what you’re asking of me.” Taichi refused to back down.

“I’m asking you to take care of yourself, that isn’t too hard.”

“Likewise.”

And silence settled between them once again as Sora glared up at him and Taichi returned the favour with equal vigour. He had no idea how either of them still had the energy to keep this up, but even if it meant sacrificing being closer to his bed for a little while longer, he would gladly do so to get Sora to treat herself better. If he had learned anything from what they had all been through in the past few days, it was that change should always be embraced, for better or for worse. He didn’t know just how much Sora could change her ways or how it would affect her presence in all of the Digidestined’s lives, but he knew that if she didn’t start now then she wouldn’t start ever and he was tired of seeing her be the victim of her own labours of love.

“Okay.” She sighed in defeat, as her glare turned into an exhausted and disgruntled stare, “Okay, I promise to put myself first from now on, no matter what.”

“And I promise to take care of myself and not jump headfirst into danger without a second thought.” Taichi chimed after her, a smile spreading across his face as he realised that he’d actually gotten Sora to bend to his demands.

There was a first time for everything, he thought to himself, and secretly hoped that this wouldn’t be the last of it either.

[haberdashing]

One Step Behind Your Memory

TMA fic building off the AU established in Yesterday Is Here by @cirrus-grey, in which a post-season-5, married Jon and Martin go back in time to the pre-season-1 Archives to prevent the worst of the future from happening as it did in canon.

October 2017: Martin’s mother dies, the second time around.

on AO3

Jon could tell that something was bothering Martin today. Martin wasn’t as able to focus on their shared research, to stay engaged with what the two of them still had left to do to help fix things, to avoid being distracted by anything and everything around them. Despite it otherwise seeming like a perfectly ordinary day--well, ordinary by their standards, at least--Martin was... off, slightly, and thinking of it made Jon’s heart ache.

Jon wanted to know what was on Martin’s mind, wanted to know what he could do to help, but he knew better than to outright ask.

Instead, when Martin started trailing off his speech in the middle of a sentence for the third time that hour (not that Jon was counting), Jon simply pressed his hand against Martin’s and said, softly, “Martin?”

“Sorry, I got distracted again, uh-”

“No need to apologize, love.” Jon squeezed Martin’s hand gently. “I’m sure you’ve got a lot on your mind.”

“Yeah, today’s just... well, today. Makes it extra hard, I suppose.”

Without looking at the chart that he and Martin had compiled together of when everything had went to hell the first time around, Jon couldn’t remember what, if anything, had happened on today’s date before. He’d been in his coma at the time, though, that much he knew, so it could well be something he’d missed when it had happened.

“I can’t remember what happened today.” Jon confessed.

“You know, I’m not sure I ever told you.” Martin’s face was growing redder by the moment. “It probably shouldn’t bother me this much-”

“But it still does.” Jon finished.

“Right, yeah.”

A moment passed where neither of them spoke, Jon staring down at their intertwined hands as he waited silently.

Then, finally, Martin’s voice, hardly louder than a breath, after a furtive glance at his younger counterpart: “Mum dies today.”

“Oh.” Jon’s voice was as hushed as his husband’s, and the arm that wasn’t already partly on top of Martin’s wrapped around him in a tight half-hug. “Oh, Martin, I’m so sorry.”

Martin just shrugged, but when Jon looked him in the eyes, he could see that Martin was trying to hold back tears.

“I don’t think that’s on the chart, we could have-”

Martin shook his head as he interrupted Jon. “No, no, we couldn’t have. Out of all the-” Martin let out a soft, bitter laugh. “-the supernatural boogie monsters that took over our lives, her dying is the one thing that was, well, normal. I mean, she was sick for a long time before she died; hell, there were times I didn’t think she’d last as long as she did.”

“...right.” Jon gently massaged Martin’s shoulder with his free hand. “But still.”

“But still.” Martin echoed, letting out a soft sigh before looking at his younger counterpart, careful to keep his voice low enough that they were unlikely to be overheard. “At 3:37 PM, he’s going to get a call from the nursing home... you know, the first time around, I actually let it go to voicemail.”

“Really.” Jon couldn’t imagine that. For all the time he’d known Martin in the Archives, he’d had his phone on him (except when he hadn’t had a phone), occasionally on vibrate but usually with the ringer on, scrambling to answer it whenever it rang, because few people had his number and those that did rarely called for innocuous reasons. There had been a time when he’d found it annoying, and a time when he’d found it endearing, and a time when he’d accepted that was just part of what made Martin Martin.

“Yeah, I was, was talking to Peter Lukas-”

Jon’s face must have revealed some of how he felt about Peter Lukas, because Martin interrupted his own explanation to add a quick “I know, I know,” before continuing.

“So, my phone was in my pocket and I could feel it vibrating, but I knew if I answered it he’d chew me out for it later, so I just... let it go. Wasn’t until a bit after that I thought to check who called, and they just. Left that in the voicemail. Waiting for me.”

“Oh, Martin. I’m so sorry.”

“‘s not your fault.” Martin tilted his head to gesture towards his younger counterpart before adding, “Don’t think he’ll let it go to voicemail, though.”

Jon had thought they’d managed to keep their voices low enough that the others wouldn’t notice, but either he was wrong on that count or that particular gesture was unsubtle enough to be noticed regardless, because at that moment younger Martin squinted at them and said, “Are you two talking about me over there?”

Martin’s face went red, and Jon could feel his own face heating up.

“Only nice things, we promise!” Martin--his Martin, Jon’s Martin--replied.

Sasha glanced over at them before adding, “Nice things don’t usually need to be said in whispers.”

Jon jumped in this time. “They’re complicated nice things.”

“Everything’s complicated with you two, isn’t it?” Tim said.

Jon and Martin snorted with amusement in sync at that one.

“Well, you’re not wrong.” Martin replied.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Jon waited for a long moment for the others to go back to their work before saying in a near-whisper, “We could tell him, you know. Before he gets the call.”

“What, and have him start grieving early? Have her death get wrapped up in all the rest of this?” Martin shook his head. “That sounds like a bad idea to me.”

“There has to be something we can do, though. We can’t just... just sit here and wait for it to happen.”

“I mean, we can, but...” Martin bit his bottom lip the way he did when he was trying to concentrate, and Jon stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt Martin’s train of thought, until Martin squeezed Jon’s hand and spoke up again. “Actually, you’re right, there is something we can do.”

“A-”

Jon’s half-formed thought was interrupted by Martin shoving him over so that he could use their shared computer. Jon was pinned between Martin and the wall now, which might have been uncomfortable if it wasn’t Martin there, if it wasn’t his husband’s body pressed against his, soft and warm and right. He’d take that kind of uncomfortable any day.

Martin opened the Internet and entered a search term before looking back at Jon, who gave him a silent, tentative nod of approval.

They spent their time planning without speaking, thoughts shared with meaningful glances and with judicious use of the shared keyboard, and before long their plan was put into place.

3:37 came, and younger Martin’s phone rang, and he answered it on the second ring. Jon and Martin glanced at one another before eavesdropping on him mumbling through responses before ending the call and staring at his desk, eyes wide and unfocused.

Younger Jon was the first of the younger archival staff to approach Martin after the call ended; unsurprising, perhaps, given that those two were quickly growing almost as close as their older counterparts. (Though Jon and Martin would insist on that “almost”’ being there; there were certain connections only surviving an apocalypse together could bring about, after all.)

“Who was that on the phone?”

“The... home. My- my mom’s nursing home.” Young Martin’s hands shook along with his words, and he stopped to take a deep breath before adding, “She’s gone.”

“I’m so sorry, Martin.” Younger Jon wrapped his arms around younger Martin in a tight bear hug.

“I mean, it was always just a matter of time... and now she’s not, not suffering at least...”

“It’s still a loss, though.” Younger Jon’s head was sitting on younger Martin’s shoulder, muffling his voice a bit. “You still deserve to grieve.”

“...thank you.”

Tim and Sasha exchanged a look before heading over to younger Martin’s desk and joining in the hug, wrapping their arms around younger Martin. Jon and Martin exchanged a look of their own before Tim waved them over, saying, “Get over here, it’s not a group hug without everyone joining in!” and they went along with his instructions.

“You guys, you don’t need to...” Younger Martin let his sentence trail off, and as Jon got closer, it became clear that his face was covered in tears.

“But we want to.” Sasha said in a tone of voice that left no room for argument.

A long minute passed in silence with five pairs of arms all wrapped around Martin and each other, intermingled to the point where it was hard to tell whose limbs were whose, the silence only breached by younger Martin’s soft sniffles.

Then younger Martin looked up at Jon and Martin and said quietly, “You two, you, you knew-”

Mercifully, that was when the deliveryman arrived in the archives, approaching the mass of hugging people with a bemused look on his face as he asked, “Delivery for one Martin Blackwood?”

Martin and younger Martin looked at one another before Jon pointed at the latter and said, “That’d be him.”

“Right, well, here you are. Just sign here.”

The group wordlessly took a collective step back, giving younger Martin the space needed to reach out and sign the receipt, though his signature was noticeably messier than normal, his hands shaking as he held the pen.

The bouquet was every bit as magnificent as Jon had hoped it would be. It was primarily blue and white, filled with bluebells because they were always Martin’s favorite flower and carnations because they were her favorite, with a few other flowers mixed in, some for meaning and others just because they looked nice. Jon had known it would be big, by the price tag (charged to the Institute’s credit card, thankfully) if nothing else, but it was one thing to know it and another to actually see the thing. The bouquet was comically huge, and when the deliveryman set it down before hurrying away, it took up a good half of younger Martin’s desk.

Younger Martin opened the card attached to it, a fairly generic “Sorry for your loss” card with the writing within revealing it to be from Blackwood and Sims, though he likely could have figured that much out regardless.

Then younger Martin pressed his hands against his face and made a noise that was half sob, half laugh, his body shaking with the sound that emerged.

Jon looked over at Martin and gave a slight nod of approval. Maybe the gesture wasn’t perfect, but it felt right just the same.

[almaasi]

reaction post typed while watching SPN 14x08 “Byzantium”

*insert gif of me with raging fireballs for eyes and a huge smile, throwing flowers everywhere*

03:45pm

WHooo a meredith glynn episode!!!!! my fave

i always hear the 10th doctor saying “byzantium” and i can’t even put my finger on why. i guess he said it once. followed by the word “crystals”. probably what powers the tardis tbh

brb gonna get a lil snackaroo

-

04:04pm

okay a whole mealaroo, same difference

LET’S WATCH THE THING

-

04:06

i like that this recap is mostly women saying important things, quoted from multiple episodes

the stars have aligned

-

04:08

sam: “tell them yourself, they’ll get back in a minute”

oh no the pain in sam’s eyes

i lowkey forgot jared could act

-

04:10

jack: what happens next, for someone like me?

sam: i don’t know

jack: then it’s gonna be an adventure

he is THE PUREST SOUL

-

04:11

sam: “he’s gone”

WHAT??? NO?????!?!?!

WHAT??2RF

JDFG?

/????????

NO? I WAS 0% EXPECTING THIS 

WHAT THE HELL

EXCUSE ME I WANT A REFUND FOR THIS EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT

SERIOUSLY I 100% BELIEVED HE’D BE OKAY

WHO ALLOWED THIS

/frowns and continues watching because nope this will be FIXED

at some point

undoubtedly

-

04:14

oh nooooo

does cas always check with dean’s emotions so he can reflect them, or because he wants to check if dean’s okay before allowing himself to feel his own emotions?

because he always does this

-

04:16

also i wanna know why this is clearly affecting dean so much more than cas or sam when they all cared about him like parents

does he just take things to heart way more, or is jack specifically linked in his mind to something he did wrong and the guilt is overwhelming?

also i totally would’ve loved to see them all bawling their eyes out tbh

-

04:18

why is cas the one holding everything together

dean’s in pain, cas helps him

sam’s in pain, dean lets him be but cas wants to help

but how is cas feeling

-

04:21

would fresh wood even burn???? i thought you’re meant to get dead, old wood

or maybe i know nothing and you’re meant to chop down poor, innocent trees

-

04:24

dean: “tonight? we get loaded”

and now i’m crying ;~;

-

04:25

fuk u

-

04:26

it’s obviously misha but it’s also canon cas now and he’s smiling and i’m sobbing and i can’t handle this

-

okay dean needs to kiss that lil bit of caramel off his lip RIGHT NOW

100% the reason the editors used that shot

-

04:28

okYA THAT RIGHT THERE/ THAT’S DRUNK JENSEN

NESNEJ, IF YOU WILL

I KNOW THAT LOOK ANYWHERE

THAT’S JENSEN LOOKING AT MISHA WITH DRUNK HEARTEYES

they must’ve used real liquor somewhere in this, either that or jensen is REALLY good at acting drunk with his eyes

AND FUCK THAT’S ALSO DEAN LOOKING AT CAS WITH DRUNK HEARTEYES

SHIT

this episode is just a list of things i did not fucking expect to see right now

-

04:33

tbh jack’s heaven is probably very close to my idea of heaven too

endless team free will/destiel soft fanfiction where nothing is wrong and they like me

-

04:35

how does he look SO. GOOD.

-

04:37

honestly right now as they’re having this conversation about angel tablets, my bladder is straining in sympathy for dean’s

please somebody let him leave to use the bathroom

i cannot imagine how much liquid is inside him right now AND AT THE SAME TIME HE MUST BE THE MOST DEHYDRATED

save this boy

-

04:41

oooh is jack gonna meet his mom in heaveeeeeeennnnn

-

04:44

dean: “psycho ex-angel killer”

um dude everyone you know and love has murdered angels

-

04:50

oooohhhh yes i did recognise the black inky skeleton thing but didn’t place it until now

-

04:50

duma: “what does it want?”

naomi: “the boy”

unsure if that counts as a bechdel test pass but it was close

-

duma: “so what do we do?”

naomi: “give it what it wants”

okay THAT counts

-

04:54

anubis is 10/10

love the accent, the snark, and the face

-

04:55

this is cool as fuck

-

04:56

“god doesn’t decide... i don’t decide. you do. i’ll tally it up at the precise moment of your death”

some good-place lore right here

loving it VERY MUCH

-

05:00

all the rainbow flowers~~~~

-

05:02

WAAAAAH ;U;;U;U;U;

-

05:08

the empty: “and when you finally give yourself permission to be happy, and let the sun shine on your face? that’s.. when i’ll come”

okay just saying, this specific iteration of the empty is hands down the most interesting and most terrifying big bad this show has ever had

this actress needs all the awards

she looks so delicate but there’s something HUGE and angry inside her and it shows, physically

-

05:11

i thought the plan was to bring jack back to life so the empty leaves heaven

WHY did cas offer himself to save jack instead??? even though lily is doing the spell?

i thought he was buying time but then THAT HAPPENED

THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANT, IN ANY UNIVERSE

not letting cas be happy, ever, is 100% worse than jack dying and going to heaven

but i guess that’s the point, jack would have ended up in the empty. BUT EVEN SO WHY DID CAS GIVE HIMSELF UP IF THE SPELL WAS MEANT TO HAPPEN

-

05:14

cas: “i don’t want them to worry”

but. like. 

does this mean cas could just die at any moment

dean tells him he loves him and WHOOP dead forever in the empty

0/10 fuck you

-

05:16

also interesting that the empty is willing to barter and change plans and swap souls from destination to destination whereas anubis is not

i guess that differentiates where they stand on that alignment chart thing

there is SO MUCH happening at all times in this universe

-

05:17

again, if cas can just leave with jack, why did he give himself up

i must be missing something here

maybe it’s just that the spell wasn’t complete yet

hmmm i guess... i guess cas’ deal was specifically for jack, so when jack dies eventually again, he goes to heaven instead of the empty? like, it’s not just for now, it’s for always

okay that makes more sense

BUT JEEZ WHAT A PRICE ;A;

NOW CAS CAN NEVER BE HAPPY OR SAFE IN LIFE, OR DEATH

FUCK

-

05:21

i’m gonna cry

that one last sefless act was probably enough to tip the scales in lily’s favour

i’m crying

-

05:23

naomi: “i think that deserves a reward, don’t you?”

YES YES PLEASE SAVE HIM FROM THIS RIDICULOUS FATE

he’s such a fucking winchester

and i just realised i got my wish, meredith glynn writing cas. i was right, she does it perfectly and i love her

i mean, i hope i’m not speaking too soon here, naomi better fix this shit right now

-

yes i spoke too soon

“the archangel michael’s location”

useful but not what i wanted at all gdi

-

05:26

<3

well look i knew jack would be fine

BUT AT WHAT COST

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

wish list: happy cas and no eternal death in the empty

-

05:28

jensen definitely snuck a look at the camera just then

-

05:29

URHGUGGUUH THIS WAS A BEAUTIFUL EPISODE FULL OF LADY CHARACTERS AND TEAM FREE WILL AND CAS AND JACK AND 10/10 SIDE CHARACTERS WITH 10/10 PLOTLINES AND CHARACTER DEVELOPENT

I KNEW JACK WOULD BE FINE AND I’M GLAD HE WAS

BUT CAS BARTERING HIS SOUL IS KILLING ME

I WANNA CLAW MY EYES OUT

GOD DAMMIT

BUT FUCK IF I DIDN’T LOVE THIS EPISODE ANYWAY

FUCK YOU MEREDITH GLYNN, YOU DESERVE AN ANGRY HIGH FIVE AND A CAKE

10/10 PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST CAS EPISODES EVER IMO BUT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH MY FACE IS TWITCHING I’M BOTH FURIOUS AND SATISFIED I HATE IT

that moment when it’s the worst thing ever when your favourite writer writes your favourite character so in-character that it destroys everything, ever

*insert gif of me with raging fireballs for eyes and a huge smile, throwing flowers everywhere*

/puts that as the post header

[zareleonis]

My Star Wars Top 10 of 2018

This year I fell massively in love with Star Wars, learned more about a galaxy far, far away that I ever expected and started this blog, first to liveblog Star Wars Rebels, and later to share my thoughts on whatever new (and old!) Star Wars media I came across. In honor of what, in my mind, was a really fun year for Star Wars, I wanted to share my top 10 list of my favorite Star Wars things that came out this year, across different kinds of media. Read more because it’s really long :P

Honorable Mention: Flight of the Falcon multimedia series (by multiple authors and artists)

Okay, if I’m honest, this gets honorable mention spot, mostly because I felt like putting it in top 10 when it’s really a BUNCH of comics and books would be totally cheating :P One of the more fun things to come out of Solo: A Star Wars Story, this series of loosely connected books and comics whose main connecting factor is the Millennium Falcon (and Bazine Netal’s hunt for it!) is an absolute joy. Cavan Scott knocks it out of the park with the ridiculously fun Choose Your Destiny: A Luke and Leia Adventure. IDW Comics does what’s it does best by bringing together some exciting and unexpected pairs of characters for the last couple months of Star Wars Adventures. In Lando’s Luck Justina Ireland gave us the coolest darn Princess in Star Wars since Leia, Rinetta Gan. And they’re not even done yet, with 2 more comics and Pirate’s Price left to go!

10. Star Wars: Scum and Villainy: Case Files on the Galaxy’s Most Notorious by Pablo Hidalgo

What an awesome and fun book! So much great art, and Pablo Hidalgo always gives 100% with his work. It’s such a creative concept, following Tan Divo and and his descendants, as they report on the criminals and rebels of their day. I completely geeked out over how it gave soooo much neat new information about characters and organizations from ALL OVER the Star Wars universe. It’s an absolute blast!

9. Solo: A Star Wars Story: Tales from Vandor by Jason Fry

This book is AMAZING. Even among the “replica journal” style books that Studio Fun puts out, it stands out as super unique, written from the point of view of the Midnight, the bartender at The Lodge on Vandor (where Han meets Lando), as if he is telling the story to a guest. It’s such a fun outsider’s point of view of Han and the other characters of Solo. The best part though, is the parts of the book that are just a shameless love letter to Star Wars Legends, with nods to stuff like The Wookiee Storybook, LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace and several novels. Jason Fry’s love for the franchise really shines through.

8. Star Wars: Poe Dameron by Charles Soule and penciller Angel Unzueta

This year we said a bittersweet goodbye to Marvel’s monthly Star Wars: Poe Dameron and goodness gracious it was good. Between the Legend Found arc that was to be the original ending and the final The Awakening arc, where Black Squadron is reunited after The Last Jedi, this comic really touched my heart. The last couple pages of issues 25 and 31 still make me cry. :’)

7. Solo: A Star Wars Story directed by Ron Howard and screenplay by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan

THIS MOVIE IS CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED AND I’M MAD AT EVERYONE WHO LET IT FLOP. I’ll admit I wasn’t exactly desperate for a Han Solo Backstory Movie, but Solo was just AWESOME. Just some good, raw, Star Wars-y fun that you can’t help but smile the whole way through. It might not be groundbreaking, but it introduced some super cool characters in L3-37, Qi’ra and Enfys Nest, gave us Maul’s grand triumphant return to the public at large and has INCREDIBLY charming performances by Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover as the Han and Lando we all come to love.

6. The Mighty Chewbacca in the Forest of Fear! by Tom Angleberger

If Solo, is good, this kid’s book written to accompany it is even better. I mean, Chewbacca meets K-2SO meets Tooka cats meets teenage bounty hunter/librarian?? On a planet with scary monsters and a spooky evil Force user? Also Cassian is there?? And the daughter of This Funny Hat Dude from Return of the Jedi? Hell yeah!!!!!

The book is hysterical, ridiculously fun and I can’t recommend it enough. I just have to say if you do get it, try and grab the audiobook it’s got a full cast of voices for the main characters including Marc Thompson giving his best Shyriiwook as Chewbacca. I laughed so hard I cried at the narration and a K-2SO’s lines done out loud. You won’t regret it!

5. Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy by Amy Ratcliffe and eighteen awesome artists!

THIS is one of the coolest Star Wars books out there and a celebration of all the women we know and love (and sometimes hate) in a galaxy far, far away. It’s such a wonderful collaboration, created by all women (& non-binary) artists and author. I love that it’s got characters from practically everything—movies, books, comics, video games, you name it! We even got to see characters like Jas Emari for the first time which makes me SO HAPPY. it’s one of the books I come back to all the time just to flip through it and enjoy the illustrations.

4. Star Wars Resistance created by Dave Filoni and executive produced by Athena Yvette Portillo, Justin Ridge, and Brandon Auman

I LOVE RESISTANCE SO MUCH!! I didn’t quiiite know what to expect with the new animated series, but was super excited and it hasn’t disappointed one bit. It’s such a fun show and really enjoyable to have a Star Wars show that is almost just ‘slice of life’ compared to the others. The animation is so cool to me and the characters really cute. I’m ridiculously charmed by all of them, especially our main man Kazuda Xiono and really hyped to see where these characters go. It’s more happy and fun than anything, but I know it will break my heart to pieces soon enough (KAZUDA XIONO. HOME PLANET: HOSNIAN PRIME). I hope more people give it a chance because it really is awesome!

3. Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader's Castle by Cavan Scott and various artists

LET THIS BE MY LOVE LETTER TO CAVAN SCOTT AND ALL THE COOL AND AWESOME STUFF HE’S DONE WITH THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE!! I was soooo excited when these came out because it’s such an AWESOME idea, I mean? Star Wars Horror story one-shots connected by a wider plot??? YES PLEASE AND THANK YOU. Doubly so when they star Lina Graf, of the Adventures in Wild Space series by Cavan Scott and Tom Huddleston. I was soooo excited to see her again and it’s amazing to see how she’s grown from a young kid to a brave and capable pilot and Commander in the Rebellion.

Then the individual stories are just awesome. It was a joy to see Kanan and Hera back together again after Rebels (or, well, pre-Rebels). The Dooku story was just amazing and such an enthusiastic tribute to Christopher Lee as Dracula. The Frozen inspired Han and Chewie story was also pretty great and I LOVE that it referenced the events of The Mighty Chewbacca in the Forest of Fear! And, my personal favorite story, the spooky ewok story featuring a young Chief Chirpa and Logray was brilliant and I enjoyed getting a closer first-hand look at ewoks (something we don’t have much of, at least in canon!). All in all just an absolute masterpiece in my book and a great reminder of why IDW Comics’ Star Wars stuff has been so freaking awesome.

2. Join the Resistance: Attack on Starkiller Base by Ben Blacker and Ben Acker and illustrated by Annie Wu

I’M BACK AT IT YELLING ABOUT WHY MORE PEOPLE NEED TO CARE ABOUT THESE WONDERFUL, CHARMING LITTLE KIDS’ BOOKS!! This was such a perfect end to the J-Squadron kids’ story. To me, this series is such a hidden gem and I really hope more people give it a chance. It was wonderful how all the characters’ stories closed out. I loved seeing Jo finally openly defy his parents, Mattis putting his faith in the Force and his friends, the return of Klimo, AG-90 and Dec fighting as brothers but growing stronger for it, and Lorica becoming the hero everybody thought she was. There’s so many fun cameos, from Rey, to Hux to Poe and Black Squadron, with the backdrop of the actual climactic battle in The Force Awakens.

And, one thing I really want to talk about that I love, is how the book (in tandem with the first two) give us the first gay character in a Star Wars kids book, with Dec Hansen. I wish they could’ve said it a bit more explicitly, but we actually got the kid and his friends talking about it in the books? And, with most of the LGBT characters falling more on the “scum and villainy” circles of the galaxy, it’s so refreshing to see a brave and unambiguously heroic gay teenage starfighter pilot trainee. Like, holy shit that actually happened!!!! ANYWAYS READ THIS SERIES I LOVE THEM AND YOU SHOULD TOO.

Oh, also, Annie Wu’s illustrations are AWESOME and I hope she does more Star Wars stuff (Pirate’s Price, out in a week!)

1. Star Wars Rebels created by Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg and Carrie Beck

I don’t think there’s way I could place anything but Rebels at #1. This show changed my life in so many ways and I’m just. ridiculously thankful it exists. without Rebels, I wouldn’t have this blog, I wouldn’t be up to my ears obsessed with Star Wars and I there’s so many friends I wouldn’t have either. It’s touched my heart in a way that.... gosh I don’t know if I can even think about anything that resonates with me quite in the way Star Wars Rebels has. Pretty sure most if not all of my followers have seen Rebels, haha, but if you haven’t. You won’t regret it. Well, you might. It hurts. I hate to say, but it does. But even if the end destination leaves you heartbroken and uh prone to randomly bursting into tears about it, you will never regret the journey. Everything I learned and experienced with Ezra, Kanan, Hera, Sabine, Zeb and Chopper is beyond precious to me and I’m thankful it exists because it made my year in so many ways.

[reliquiaen]

round two! 13, 23, 37, 53, 54

i love you so much sib wow okay here we go. under a cut this time

13.   Who takes longer getting ready?

I’m gonna say tarryn but only bc like lmao her canon everyday outfit involves arm and leg wraps instead of long sleeves n stockins so yeah man that’s gonna take a bit. She wears like four layers, give her a minute

23.   Who likes to wear the others sweatshirts?

Tarryn is always stealing callas shirts. Like all the time forever. She insists that calla has the superpower of always being able to find the warmest, baggiest, snuggliest hoodies/sweaters. (tarryn is the wardrobe thief in general tho)

37.   Who reads while the other snuggles up to them?

Tarryn does the reading and calla does the snuggles. She loves snuggles. Can, will and has on several previous occasions fallen asleep while tarryn plays with her hair

53.   Who has an adorable sneeze and who sneezes so aggressively they pull a muscle?

tarryn sneezes like this. this cute lil eeee sorta sneeze lmao calla teases her about it. calla sneezes with her whole body like coughing it’s weird

54.   Who checks the prices while grocery shopping?

Tarryn. Growing up on a budget will do that to you. like depending on the scenario (again) but in pretty much all aus where grocery shopping is a thing she grew up pretty poor so it’s just a habit for her to check to see how much things will cost. doesn’t wanna blow her budget. (even in canon she’s pretty careful too like she grows most of her own food but other stuff she has to be real miserly with that’s why her clothes are all so heavily patched)

i’m gonna bonus add this question bc i love it.

87.   Who comes home from work to see that the other one bought a puppy?

“you bought a puppy”

“technically I rescued her from the shelter down the road”

DEEP SIGH “tarryn we have two cats, a pig, half a dozen chickens, two goats and six sheep. We don’t need a dog”

“the dog is to help herd the sheep”

“YOU CAN TALK TO ANIMALS”

“her name is apple, isn’t she precious”

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] Rewards of Losing:  Chapter 18

Vector strolled alongside of Yuuri, taking in the scenery. A few Fusion soldiers eyed him cautiously, probably disturbed by his lack of uniform, but the fact he carried one of their duel disks and Yuuri seemed to have him “in custody” meant they didn’t bother him directly.

Too bad. I could use the exercise. It might lessen his chances of succeeding at what he was doing but it would be fun, and fun wasn’t to be sneezed at, especially not these days. He would take it where he could find it.

“You wouldn’t be taking me the long way around, would you?” He asked. He suspected under other circumstances, he and Yuuri could have gotten along splendidly. And probably terrified a lot of people. Too bad things turned out the way that they had.

Yuuri snorted. “No. The Professor is just deep inside the building. He likes being protected.”

Well, that was interesting. Vector stored the information away to deal with later. He strolled onward, humming a bit under his breath. Yuuri asked something that he wasn’t quite expecting as they walked.

“Why do you people put up with those Cats? They’re repulsive. Cats shouldn’t be that large – or able to talk - let alone anything else.”

Vector snorted. “I don’t put up with them. I want nothing to do with one of them. They’re smelly and you have to get them registered and they walk in and out of your place all night long.” He shook his head. “Not worth the effort.”

Yuuri’s lips twitched at that. “You’re probably the first XYZ person I’ve met who has some intelligence, then. Most of them seem to fawn over the creatures. Quite annoying if you ask me.”

A few more minutes and they stood outside of a door guarded by two duelists, who eyed Vector untrustfully and respectfully saluted Yuuri. “Can we do something for you, Yuuri-sama?” One of them asked.

“I believe I sent a message that I was on the way with this XYZ defector to come and see the Professor,” Yuuri said, waving his fingers. “Step out of the way.”

The guards leaped aside at once, opening the door. Yuuri strolled inside without a care and Vector followed, adjusting his jacket and watching everything he could to commit it to memory. The room itself was large, with a few tables set out of the main way, and some sort of odd machine in the back. Vector had no idea of what that was. But he followed Yuuri all the way up to where the man on the throne sat, watching their progress. “Professor,” Yuuri said, tilting his head forward. “This is Vector. He offers to give us the location of the Heartland survivors, if we find him a Firestarter to bond to.” The Professor – a wrinkly old man that didn’t impress Vector at all – turned a stern gaze onto him. Vector sketched a salute and grinned. “A strong Firestarter, mind you. Someone worth the effort.” His eyes gleamed with desire. “Someone I can have a lot of fun with.” Yuuri chuckled at that. One of the Professor’s eyebrows quirked. Vector suspected he wasn’t as awed – or terrified – by Yuuri as most people seemed around here. “And your reason for this is? I find it unlikely that you would do this for such a small price.” “It’s not small to me,” Vector pointed out. “But if you want to give me more – a powerful Firestarter and a luxurious place to live here. For that matter, let me have some fun carding people. I’ve done it since I got this.” He raised the duel disk. “Let me keep on doing it.” The Professor made a faint noise that Vector chose to interpret as agreeing. His eyes rested on the duel disk. “Explain to me how you got that. My soldiers are trained to self-destruct their duel disks in the unlikely even they’re defeated.” “Oh, I know.” Vector waved one hand carelessly. “That's what I didn’t bother to defeat the one I took this one off of.” Again the Professor’s eyebrow twitched upward. Vector slipped his favorite knife from the hidden sheath and licked it slowly, savoring the taste of it. “I just killed them. It’s hard to self-destruct when you’re dead.” Yuuri’s eyes brightened in approval. “I don’t suppose you bothered to get their name? I want to talk to whoever their trainer was.” “Didn’t bother.” Vector shrugged, sliding his knife back. “Does it matter that much?” “Not really. But it would have bee amusing.” Yuuri turned back to the Professor. “I think that he could be useful.” “Then which Firestarter would you suggest for him?” The Professor wanted to know. Yuuri folded his arms over his chest and considered the options. “Most of the ones I can think of are either too weak or someone’s already bonded to them,” he mused. He gave Vector a measuring look. “Though there is one exception.” The Professor twitched his fingers; apparently that was enough of an incentive for Yuuri to keep on going. “Marufuji. He’s coming along reasonably well, though I might need a little help to get his memories properly restructured.”

“And who would you bond to in that situation?”

Yuuri’s grin turned feral and wicked. Vector approved. “I’ve got my eye on a Firestarter from XYZ. Brother to the girl you want taken. It will keep him out of the way so he won’t try to get her back.”

That got a small nod from the Professor. “And why not allow this XYZ Firestarter for our new – comrade?” He regarded Vector for a few seconds.

“Because I want to try him out for myself. We can make Marufuji what Vector would like. And I still haven’t decided that I don’t want him anyway.” Yuuri shrugged. “There’s time to make the decision.”

Vector nodded his own agreement. “I don’t know what Firestarter from XYZ you’re talking about but I don’t care. Just meet my demands and I’ll keep my part of the bargain.”

Both of them nodded, and Yuuri looked ready to say something else. He broke off with a sudden wince, one hand to his forehead, and in the same moment, Vector’s breath hissed between his teeth. He suspected, once he had a moment to consider, that he wasn’t as strongly affected because he wasn’t from this world. The Professor stood up.

“What is it?” He looked ready to summon troops with a single word if the occasion called for it. But Yuuri shook his head, turning around.

“There are intruders in my garden. Two of them -” His eyes narrowed as he listened to the voices in his heart. “They’re after Marufuji.”

Akaba Leo drew himself up. “From XYZ?” He raised one hand, starting to point at Vector, who snarled. He could hear the garden’s call, though not as loudly as Yuuri did.

“I have nothing to do with this.” It would be ridiculous to even consider. But the Professor didn’t back down, not until Yuuri spat out the next words.

“Only one – the Healer Cat. The other – from here.” His fingers curled into claws and Vector thought he saw Yuuri’s eyes flash slitted for a heartbeat. Strange indeed. “It’s Marufuji – Marufuji Shou.”

Well. This was getting more and more interesting. The Professor nodded then and snapped his fingers. His two guards stepped up at once.

“Send a contingent of Obelisk Force Firestarters to Yuuri’s Garden. Have them restrain the Healer Cat and Marufuji Shou. Ensure Marufuji Ryou’s safety.”

Yuuri snorted. “They won’t be able to. My Garden won’t let them in. It only let those two in because they could find the routes inside. But Firestarters can’t. I’ll go.”

Akaba didn’t rescind his order, however. “They can encircle the Garden and make sure that they don’t escape with Marufuji Ryou, until you get there.”

If Yuuri cared about that, he said nothing. He simply turned and stalked his way out. Vector watched for a few seconds, shrugged, and followed afterward, curious now to see what would happen next. What he saw as they exited the building – taking a short cut that he’d never dreamed existed given the way they’d come in – impressed him. Every tree, flower, bush, and blade of grass wove and danced in the wind of Yuuri’s rage. Some flowers burst into bloom and then fell into dust as he walked by. Vector didn’t think he’d ever seen a Healer that angry before. Most of them never reached that point since their Firestarters kept them balanced and steady. Yuuri needed a Firestarter more than anyone he’d ever seen.

Vector also wondered just which Cat it was that had snuck in and why. One way or the other, this was getting a lot more interesting than he’d originally thought.

Mizael sheltered himself underneath an overhang of stone. He’d grown a good concealing breadth of thorns to ensure that no one else would see him, but he could peer between them and see what was going on. He’d waited here for close to an hour and so far they hadn’t found any Fusion soldiers.

I know they’re here. What are they doing? Are they hiding? That didn’t make sense. Given the whole situation, there wasn’t any reason for them to hide. But he couldn’t see any.

He leaned back against the stone, closed his eyes, and let his mind wander, touching onto every tree and bit of lie that he could find, murmuring his questions. He wanted to know where the invaders were, what they were doing, and how to get them closer to him.

Eventually – he couldn’t have said when – he could feel an answer. As always, no words, but a sense that here there were Fusion soldiers – ones who couldn’t get away.

Mizael blinked at that. Why couldn’t they get away? He formed the question in the blink of an eye, and the answer floated back.

Because the wild foliage of XYZ wouldn’t let it. Because another Healer had asked them to hold onto these.

Who? Mizael wanted to know. Who asked you?

The Cat. He went away with another one of them, a nicer one.

Mizael shifted and frowned. That wasn’t what he’d expected to hear. A Cat who “went away” with someone of Fusion? Then he sat up. Kei? Was it Kei?

Cat. The whisper came. That was all he was likely to get. Finding the plant-life that could tell the difference between individual Cats and Healers that weren’t actually Dark wasn’t easy. Especially when he didn’t know the trees and bushes he asked.

Well, that gave him an answer regardless. He wriggled out from behind the thorns and headed over to where he knew Chris attempted to find Fusion soldiers. As soon as he walked up, the other Healer opened his eyes and looked at him.

“I know where to go,” Mizael said, gesturing down what had once been a pleasantly busy street. “I think Kei’s been dong some work.” He shrugged. “I should have thought about that before.” The Cat had said he was going to find a way to get to Ryou. How else could he do it except by stealing a Duel Disk, or a duelist?

Chris came to his feet in one graceful movement, Durbe joining him. He’d kept a watch on the area, ready to capture or incinerate anyone who came too close to his Healer. Mizael looked forward to one day having a partner like that – no, not Ryou of course.

“We’ll have to thank him,” Chris said, his lips quirked into a smile. “Do you think he’d accept fish?”

“I think what he wants is Marufuji back,” Mizael replied. He glanced away; if he were being truly honest with himself, he wanted the same thing. He wanted that pleasant night they’d had together to be real – to know that he wasn’t being lied to or used. To know that Ryou defended him because he cared, not for – whatever reasons he’d done it. Mizael didn’t know and hesitated on finding out.

He put it aside. If he ever saw Ryou again he would ask then what all of that had been about. He wasn’t sure if he should expect that or not.

I should go and help Kei. The idea formed simply and calmly. Kei was a powerful Healer but he was in Fusion, where he didn’t know anyone or anything. He would need all the backup that he could get.

But that would have to happen later. For now, they needed to find those Fusion soldiers Kei so politely left behind and capture those duel disks.

In point of fact, that didn’t take very long. Half an hour, more or less, to find where the captured Fusion soldiers were being held, securely wrapped in vines and branches. There were two of them, held back to back, muttering to each other. As soon as Durbe, Chris, and Mizael entered the clearing, one of them looked up.

“Get us out of this!” He snapped. “You could at least do us the c0urtesy of carding us instead of leaving us like this!”

Mizael exchanged a glance with Chris, who looked far too amused for words. “Now, why do you think we’d do something like carding you?” Though truth to tell, Mizael guessed a few people would happily do that in revenge for all those who’d already been lost.

The other soldier snorted. “Because we’re prisoners and that’s what happens to prisoners! What else would you think? So either let us go and let us card you, or card us.”

Durbe tilted his head, examining them carefully. “We know that you self-destruct your duel disks when you’re captured. How could we trust that you wouldn’t do that if we attempted to ‘card’ you? Or that it can’t be set up to work on us regardless?”

The first one rolled his eyes. “Because we can’t get to the self-destruct button the way we’re tied up. That monster Cat did this to us and brainwashed one of our good soldiers to take him to Fusion.”

Well, that was interesting indeed. Mizael strolled closer and peered down at them.. “Kei’s not a monster. At least not the usual kind. And I doubt he did any brainwashing.”

“You’re wrong,” the same one declared. “He made it look easy! He didn’t even duel her! He just asked to go to Fusion and she took him!”

Quick glances shot among the three XYZ defenders. Mizael held back a grin, but not by much. “So, he asked politely and she agreed. The only thing I find wrong about that is that one of you listened to someone asking politely.” His smile widened ever so faintly and the two Fusion soldiers stared at him, aware in that moment of why he was the supreme dragon user of XYZ. “Well, we’re not really going to ask politely. But I’m not Kei so I don’t have to.”

He leaned down, spied their duel disks, and unfastened them. It wasn’t that easy, especially since the trees and vines held them in a fashion so the Fusion duelists couldn’t get to them. But he managed, handing one to Chris and the other to Durbe.

“Good,” Durbe said, staring down at the one he held. “Now we can start doing to them what they’ve been doing to us.”

Akane hurried through the corridors of Academia, hoping to find Tenjoin Asuka before anyone else found her. She didn’t think anyone knew that she��d brought the Healer Cat there, but Fusion had a way of knowing what one did almost before one actually did. Even if she managed to get to Asuka in time, what about what happened afterward? She couldn’t be sure.

She couldn’t even be sure that Asuka would listen to her. But she’d always admired the other duelist’s strength of will and heart. After what she’d seen in the XYZ dimension, she couldn’t let that happen to such a pure and powerful Firestarter as Tenjoin Asuka.

“Akane?”

Akane pitched to a halt at the utterance of her name, her breath catching in her throat. She looked up to see Asuka standing there, a curious tilt to her head.

“Akane, are you all right? I thought you were in XYZ.”

Here it was. Akane swallowed and stepped closer, glancing here and there to ensure that no one else stood close enough to hear her. “I was. I saw what we’ve been doing there.”

Asuka nodded, a gleam of light in her eyes. “I envy you. I want the chance to go there and -”

Akane shook her head at once. “No! No, you don’t!” She clasped her hands together and stared at the other, wishing as she never had before that she were a Healer and could offer the strength and balance that Asuka needed. All she could offer was herself, and Asuka hadn’t ever indicated that she’d wanted that.

But she kept going regardless. “What we’re doing there is wrong. We’re carding people – ones who don't fight back. Who are innocents.” Akane fought to keep the tears out of her eyes and didn’t think she succeeded very well. “This isn’t a war. This is a slaughter. It’s wrong. It’s unfair. They can’t fight back. They’re trying so hard, but they just can’t, and I can’t be part of that anymore.” She swallowed, wringing her hands. “I’m – I’m going to leave,” she whispered, pitching her voice so low that Asuka had to clean in closer to hear her. “And I want you to come with me. Please. You shouldn’t be part of this.”

Asuka’s eyes were round and shocked with every word Akane said. When the Osiris Red girl stopped, Asuka quietly reached out to her, resting one hand in her shoulder.

“If that’s what you want, then let’s go.”

Akane wasn’t certain what she’d heard at first. Asuka believed her? Asuka would leave with her? She wasn’t sure where they were going to go but they wouldn’t be a part of this anymore.

Then she slowly began to smile. A heartbeat of hesitation held her back. “All right. But first – would you like to meet a Healer Cat?”

To Be Continued

Notes: Remember, Akane got carded in canon. Will I do that to her? Will I send Asuka off with Yuuya’s dad? Not telling! But you’ll find out soon.

[black-wolf066]

Well, You Do Have My Chin

Update: OMG!!! MY TIRED 36 HOUR LACK OF SLEEP BRAIN ACCIDENTLY DELETED THE STORY I POSTED THIS MORNING!!! I meant to hit edit, and apparently I hit delete and when it gave me the prompt to hit yes or no, my tired brain that it said “would you like to edit: yes or no”.... so here goes round two... so sorry guys. I wanted to add that i have this on Fanfiction.net now too (under my account Wolf-shadow666) but I just curfunkled everything... ANYWAY underneath is pretty much the post that got deleted... thankfully i save everything on document...

First off, let me just say. I’M ALIVE!!! It is now 8am in the morning, I’ve been working on the better part of this little shit that wouldn’t leave me alone i mean piece since 9pm last night…. i have TO GO TO WORK IN AN HOUR!!! HELP ME!!!!! *flails all over the place* I swear i can adult right sometimes… just not today apparently…. keep this in mind as you’re reading cause even though I’ve proof read this thrice, I’m sure some (or many) things have escaped my brain’s notice.

anyway….

Here is the comment that inspired me to write this one-shot:

@timetravelingpotatoast said:

All I really want from this season is for Killian and Henry to become good friends and talk about Lucy’s “conspiracy” only for Killian to ask who she thinks he is. However, somewhere in the translation it’s lost that Killian is his step-dad, so Henry just says his dad, leading to a “well you do have my chin,” commentary from Killian.

When the curse breaks they just squint at each other for a really long time.

Now, for the sake of the prompt, this is gonna be very heavily AU from season 7. This is by no means a “fix-it fic” because I really am enjoying season 7; I’m only writing this because I really wanted to see something like this be a thing after reading the comment. I absolutely love father/son bonding fics between Killian and Henry and I need more of it in my life… (Seriously there aren’t enough Captain Cobra centered fics to satisfy my craving for it). And I know that I said “I wish I was creative enough to contribute to the fandom of Once Upon a Time”, but after posting my last little snippet; I figured “what the hell I’m gonna do it anyway” because that’s what fandom is (I still feel like I suck terribly but *shrug* if you’re having fun doing it than screw being good at it, right?). (((Also something that should have been maybe 2000 words or less, ended up running away from me toward 4000 (my brain projecting my need for more Captain Cobra moments I guess)… I realize a lot of it is probably considered filler and I could have done away with it, but I kinda wanted to build that relationship between cursed Killian and Henry much like the relationship between Snow White and Emma in season 1)))).

Anyway, here’s a bit of backstory that I came up with for the AU universe of this fic…. If you don’t care and simply just want to read the story, than you can simply scroll down to the Continue reading link:

So in this AU, I’ve pretty much figured that Rumple, Killian, Regina and Emma came to save the day for Henry (Henry may have asked for Killian, Regina and Emma, but the three probably went to Rumple for help or something and Belle urged him to go). I’m thinking the timeline in the realm Henry is in moves faster than the timeline that is Storybrooke, so Henry might be 25 and not 18, but to the rest of his family only 1 year has passed since Henry left in search of his own story((((wondering if this is actually canon considering how shocked they were at seeing him so grown and I don’t believe for a single second that it took Emma and Killian that long to have a baby)))). Emma wasn’t pregnant at the time but eventually as they all stay and help the resistance against Tremaine and Drizella (after finding a way to send word back home that everything and everyone is alright and that they’re staying to help… maybe Rumple being pushed by Belle to stay and help them too), she and Killian end up having twins, and barely a year later Henry has his own kid with Ella. When the curse comes and separates them all, the curse spans the whole state of Washington (Tremaine or Drizella wanting to separate as many of them as they could and not keep them all in the same place… especially the true love couples. But they didn’t bank on Lucy remembering or Rumple finding a loop hole so he didn’t get cursed along with everyone else), so HH is the main hive so to speak but the fairy-tale characters are scattered across other cities and towns. Emma is off in one city (maybe Walla Walla), their twin daughters are in a group home in another city, Henry lived somewhere in Olympia (which is close enough to Seattle and HH), Robin (because I need Regina to be happy damn it! And I figure maybe they found that his soul wasn’t destroyed but simply stuck in the crystal, even across all alternate versions of said crystal in any realm, so he ends up getting freed) is also scattered somewhere, and Rumple, Killian, Regina, Ella and Lucy remained in HH where Tremaine and/or Drizella could keep an eye on them and make their lives a living hell. When Lucy finds Henry, and Jacinda steals his car (much like in the show and what not), he decides to stay at a motel for a week, finding the place interesting (and spurring a bit of creativity that he hadn’t felt since his failed first book) and eventually that week turns into him finding an actual place to stay once he gets to know the people in the neighborhood (made hard by the outrageous prices being asked). When Detective Rogers hears about his search, he offers to turn his den/office into a spare room (the only reason Regina/Roni didn’t offer is because she lives in a small studio apartment above the bar with the only closed room being a bathroom)…. Eventually Rumple as Weaver manages to get everyone back into the neighborhood (((he was the one to give Lucy the book. He was the one to find and bring back the cursed versions of Robin—Kevin Adams, who is a struggling lawyer that ends up helping Jacinda, by Rumple/Weaver’s prompting, get custody of Lucy back—and Emma—Danielle “Dani” Stevens, who was a sketch artist for Walla Walla police department. He was also the one to find which group home the twins were staying in and try to adopt them, since he wasn’t sure how long it would take to break the curse, and he didn’t want them staying there… Rumple and Killian might be civil borderline grey area friends, but he likes the twins and it’ll get them back to their family that much quicker once the curse is broken if he does it like this…)))) and the curse gets broken the same as in season 1 with Henry and Lucy (cause I’m unoriginal and my brain can’t think of anything else right now) ((((That should be enough of a background right? I don’t know… I’m terrible at this… don’t question the plot holes too much okay? You might get sucked into its black hole…))))

(((I looked at apartment averages in Seattle as a guideline (got rid of link since it wasn’t working)… and even though almost 3000 is very high for a one-bedroom apartment that Henry was looking for; I figured that Tremaine and Drizella were trying to weed out the people in the neighborhood slowly so they could bulldoze and improve and bring forth a ‘richer’ environment and a “richer” culture of people to surround themselves with, therefore causing more suffering and separation for those cursed and gaining something else for themselves….))))

((also when it comes to ages, I’m probably way off from canon, but these are my head canon ages for them here so… Emma was 28 at the start of season 1; Killian was 29, Regina 32. Adding 9 years considering Henry left at 18 and only a year passed in Storybrooke whereas 7 years passed where Henry was, that would make them 37, 38, and 41. With another 11ish to 12ish years they are now 48, 49, and 52 with Henry being 37ish.

tagging @superchocovian since she kindly asked me to (hope you enjoy it!!!)

Anyway, without farther ado, i give you this Captain Cobra one-shot in all it’s (step)father/son bonding glory!

Well, You do have my chin

Word count: 4203

Rating: pg-13 for my potty mouth

The din of Roni’s bar was oddly relaxing to Henry as he searched on his laptop for available apartments to move into, but after another site herald the same results, he sighed, closed the screen, and dropped his head into the crook of his arm. Was it too much to ask for a place within his price range? Hell, he was sure he could find something cheaper in the heart of Seattle than he could here.

But no, he stubbornly wanted to stay in this part of the neighborhood. There was something about Hyperion Heights, something that spoke to him, and not just Lucy’s crazy theory that his book was real and they were all fairytale characters scattered across the state (never mind the even crazier theory that he was her father—there was no way he could ever forget meeting a beautiful girl like Jacinda or be stupid enough not to fight for more than a one night stand with said woman).

The scraping of a chair across from him brought Henry’s attention up to that of the arrival of Detective Logan Rogers. The cop’s eyebrow was raised at him in silent question and concern as he sat down and nabbed the untouched bear claw from his plate.

“Bad day?” he asked finally with a tilt of his head as Roni approached with his usual beer.

When Henry still didn’t move to answer, simply groaning and hiding his face back in the crook of his arm, Roni supplied. “He’s looking for places to stay… and failing by the looks of it.”

“The asking prices are outrageous! How do you guys survive here?” he griped into his arm.

Roni snorted and Henry peeked up at her with a perturbed eyebrow raised. “You’ve seen the state of the neighborhood and the state of my bar before I decided to fight back. Isn’t that answer enough for you?”

“What’s your budget?” Logan cut in with his query before Henry could snark back and start an argument with the ornery bartender.

“Well,” Henry’s eyes shifted to him just as the older man took a bite out of the pilfered pastry. “With Seattle, I kind of figured I’d be lucky to find something for twenty-two hundred, but there is no way I’m paying almost three thousand for a place that’s barely in the city’s limits.”

“Welcome to the land of Belfrey greed.” chimed Roni as she walked back to tend the bar and the new arrival of customers.

Henry scowled un-amusedly at her back as she went.

“I have space,”

Startled, Henry gazed, wide eyed, back at the Detective. “What?”

“Well, it’s not really a ‘room’, but the den can easily be turned into one.” Logan continued, his good hand going up to scratch nervously behind his ear.

“Wha—Why?” Tilting his head and narrowing his eyes, Henry pressed on. “I know the three of us are ‘kinda’ working together, but we barely know each other. Hell, for all you know I could be a serial killer.” at Logan’s snort and raised brow, Henry rolled his eyes and said defensively. “Shut up, you know what I mean.”

“I trust you.” Logan relented simply with a shrug of his shoulders. “Besides, I have a gun I’m not afraid to use, and you look to be out of options, mate.”

Still eyeing the older man with suspicion, not used to blatantly kind gestures from others, he asked. “Can I swing by to look at your place before I decide?”

“Of course.” taking a swig of his beer, Logan gestured with his head to the closed laptop. “Now, what was it you wanted to show me?”

(***)

Walking into the apartment after Logan, Henry took in the sparsely decorated living space with a familiar pang beating against his chest. It was neat and orderly, everything he considered the detective to be, even after a week of working covertly with him and Roni. But seeing it so bare, devoid of… well, devoid of life and personality; it all just resonated with him. There wasn’t even a single picture or photo on the walls or table tops (Henry knows there are photos of Logan out there. He’s seen the pictures Roni hangs proudly on the walls of her establishment, knows that the picture of Logan and Roni—two best friends, he’s come to learn, that grew up together in the neighborhood—has a special place right behind the bar where she works). There was nothing, other than the books neatly tucked into a shelf, to give Henry a glimpse into what made this man Logan Rogers.

Walking through the 900 square foot space, he knew it wasn’t just the home of a bachelor; it was the home of someone who was just as lost as Henry himself felt. A space made entirely out of necessity rather than be made to feel like an actual home. It reminded him of his years after the foster system, before he had met his late wife, where he had had nothing of that old life worth keeping. Anything he had gained afterwards had been destroyed by the fire that took his wife and daughter three years ago, and after that he had just never bothered to start over (it wouldn’t bring them back and honestly they were all Henry wanted, not materialistic things).

As Logan led him through the kitchen toward the open den, Henry wondered what kind of past the man must have had, wondered if he too was an orphan looking for a place to belong.

“Here it is.” Logan stated with a flourish of his hand and ultimately cutting Henry out of his thoughts.

His eyes roved over the small space, at the neat and tidy desk underneath the window and the wall lined with more bookshelves and books and a single three-drawer filing cabinet.

“Sorry, I know it’s not much… doesn’t even have a door.”

Henry’s eyes cut to the older man just as he saw his good hand go to scratch behind his ear (a nervous tick he’d come to realize early on in the week). “No, it’s perfect,” He reassured as he walked around the opened room; envisioning where his stuff would fit. “I don’t really need that much space anyway.” he moved back to the opened archway and gave the man a small smile. “And privacy can be fixed with a curtain,”

“Does that mean you accept my offer?”

“If you don’t mind me for a roommate, than yeah, I’ll take it.”

(***)

A little over one month since his move into the neighborhood, and not once did Henry regret his decision (well, maybe a little; after all, Victoria Belfrey and her daughter are a force to be reckoned with… and good god did those two give him a headache sometimes). He genuinely liked it here; he liked most of the quirky people and he could clearly see why the neighborhood was worth trying to save. He also found rooming with Logan to be better than he originally expected. Sure they had their moments (like the kitchen incident that nearly gave the detective an aneurysm, or how scarily grumpy Logan could get when he’s had a bad day at the station), but their camaraderie was easy going between them, and for once after three years, Henry felt like he had a true friend again.

It was because of this easy camaraderie that Henry and Logan, one Saturday morning, found themselves planning a Star Wars marathon and arguing over the order in which to watch it (“They’re my movies, Rogers!” “And it’s my TV, Mills.”).

Somehow Henry won the argument, which found Logan sitting on the couch with the large popcorn bowl settled on the middle cushion and a beer in his hand, while Henry squatted down in front of their combined movie collection to find the first disk.

As he skimmed the neatly ordered DVDs for the one he wanted, his finger froze on a particular title and could barely contain the Cheshire cat grin as he pulled it out and pivoted to face the detective.

“The Princess Bride: Special Edition.”

Logan scowled and pointed his finger at him as he defended. “Shove off, mate, it’s a good book and a good movie; leave it alone.”

The grin on Henry’s face turned impish as he pivoted back and added as he went, “As you wish.”

The couch pillow thrown at his back did nothing to curb his mirth.

(***)

It was almost three months after his move to Hyperion Heights, that Henry managed to work the nerve enough (more like getting the quadrant that was Roni, Logan, Sabine and Lucy to shut up, and to stop hounding him to try and move on and be happy) to ask Jacinda on a date.

Glancing at himself in the hallway mirror, and trying to ignore the grinning idiot leaning against the wall a few paces behind him; he felt the bubbling of nerves roiling in his stomach as he finally turned to face his roommate.

“You’ll be fine,” Logan soothed with the utmost confidence. “You didn’t have any problems when you were flirting with her, one date isn’t going to kill you, mate. Just be yourself.”

“Yeah, be myself.” Henry snorted and rubbed his sweating palms against his jean clad thighs. “Cause any girl would swoon at a failed writer, a widowed husband, and a nerd for all things 80’s, Star Wars, Harry Potter, or Tolkien related.”

“Henry,” Logan stepped forward than, placing his hand and prosthetic firmly on his shoulders as he earnestly stated. “You’ve told Jacinda all of this already and yet she still accepted to go to this concert with you. So cut yourself a little slack, give her a little more credit than that, and go out tonight and have fun.”

(***)

It was almost six months after his move, and during one of their covert meet ups at the bar, when Henry felt a little friendly revenge against Roni and Logan was in order (because dear god, if they didn’t stop and take their own damn advice, he was going to go crazy… or take Roni’s bat and beat himself or them with it… really, he wasn’t picky).

It hadn’t been long after his and Jacinda’s first—or even their second— date that Jacinda decided enough was enough and it was time to try and win custody of her daughter back from her step mother. Detective Weaver had recommended a Lawyer from Spokane, and ever since Kevin Adams stepped foot into Roni’s bar, the two had done nothing but snark at each other.

Within the same month, a missing person’s case had popped up that apparently Weaver thought required the work of a sketch artist from Walla Walla… or so Logan kept griping to him to no freaking end. Honestly, Henry thought Danielle (or Dani as she asked to be called) a rather nice woman, maybe a little too bubbly and Chatty Cathy at times, but if Logan was to be believed than she was the worst woman he had ever had the displeasure to work with.

Yeah… right…

Denial, she is a river, and both of them are currently drowning at the bottom of it.

“So,” He began innocently around a mouthful of pizza. “When are you both going to stop pussy-footing around and ask Dani and Kevin out?”

The soda Logan was drinking and the pizza Roni was currently chewing, both ended up spat out on the table and floor, and the word vomit that followed as they tried to deny it had Henry rolling his eyes so hard he was surprised that they didn’t just roll right out of his head.

“Uh-huh,” putting his slice back down on his plate, he folded his arms across his chest and stared them both down, feeling for all the world like the no nonsense father he should have been to the daughter that would have been thirteen now. “Guys, I’m not stupid… and the last I checked my vision was perfect, so not blind either.” He cut them off before they could rush to deny it any farther. “If I have to sit here and watch you two continue with this charade a moment longer, I will either be checking myself in somewhere or Detective Weaver will have not one but three missing person’s cases to contend with.”

They didn’t try to feed him any more bullshit after that, which he was grateful for, because seriously there was only so much a person can take.

And if he caught his roommate dressed (rather nicely) in a blue button up shirt, black iron pressed slacks, and trying to rush past him and out the door before Henry could say a word with a bouquet of pink and yellow roses in hand.

Well… he could only thank whatever deity listening for small miracles.

(***)

It’s at elven months since his move, that Henry felt for all the world a content man. Jacinda had won her battle against her step-mother, and Lucy had become a constant presence in the apartment, especially since he had offered to watch her after school while Jacinda worked. He loved Lucy and her precocious nature, found her imagination beyond incredible for an elven year old and even began to look forward to hearing her crazy theories about them being cursed.

Sometimes they would be alone, with him helping her with her homework and other times Logan would be there, smiling and humoring her and her theories like they all had agreed to do.

It was during one of these nights, after Jacinda and Lucy had eaten dinner with them and left, that Logan’s curiosity had gotten the better of him. They were in the kitchen, Henry washing the dishes while his roommate dried them, that Logan broke the comfortable silence.

“Who does she think I am?”

“Huh?” Henry glanced over with a brow raised.

“Lucy,” he elaborated. “With her theories, who does she think I am? She never tells me when I ask.”

Henry snorted out a chuckle as he handed over the plate and proceeded washing the next one while answering. “Captain Hook.”

“You’re kidding.” The dry look Henry gave him caused him to roll his eyes. “It��s the hand isn’t it?”

“Probably,” Henry shrugged. “Or it could be the fact that she thinks you’re my dad.”

“What?” Logan froze mid swipe with the towel and Henry could practically feel the man’s eyes burning his profile.

“Yeah, crazy, I know.”

“Mate, if she is to be believed and you are my son; I would have had you when I was 11…”

They both chuckled at that.

“Again, crazy, I know.”

They went back to the comfortable silence as they worked, but the occasional contemplative side eye he would catch Logan giving him in his peripheral as they cleaned up the rest of the kitchen, eventually had Henry turning to stare blatantly at the man’s profile with an eyebrow raised in question.

“Do I have barbeque sauce on my face or something?”

Startled, Logan shifted his attention away from the stove top he was wiping down, and met his eyes with that contemplative expression still in place.

“No, you’re fine.” He distractedly answered.

“Than what’s on your mind? And don’t tell me nothing; you’ve been staring at me off and on for the past five minutes?”

“I was just thinking.”

The other brow rose to meet its twin as he deadpanned. “Clearly,”

Logan rolled his eyes and elaborated. “I was thinking about what you said, about who Lucy thinks I am.”

“Logan, none of that is real.”

“No, I know that… but—now that it’s been said, I can’t help but see it. Hell, Henry you can’t tell me that you can’t see it, not even a little bit.”

Henry tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at him; his eyebrows practically at his hairline now.

“We do look a little alike, mate; long lost cousins or brothers or something. I mean you do kinda have my chin, our noses are almost similar and the brow structure too…” he trailed off.

With a snort, Henry joked. “You’ve been hanging out with Dani too much, you’re even starting to sound like a sketch artist.”

“Shut up,”

He dodged and caught the wet rag thrown at him, before tossing it back; both chuckling at the ridiculousness of it all as they finished up and moved to the couch to see what was on TV.

Expect, as the days and weeks progressed (and Weaver shockingly adopted two pre-teen girls from Aberdeen that looked eerily like Dani and Logan), Henry found that he couldn’t stop thinking about it too (no matter how hard he tried to shake the insane notion from his head each and every time it sprung back into the forefront of his thoughts).

He’d often catch himself staring at Logan when the older man was distracted and—illogically enough as it was—could practically see what the other man was talking about.

It was crazy.

It wasn’t conceivable.

But damn it all if Logan wasn’t right.

They did share the same freaking chin, and though his nose was a bit larger than Logan’s, it was the same freaking shape.

Maybe he needed to check himself in somewhere after all…

(***)

Sixteen months after moving to Hyperion Heights, the curse was broken.

It had been an emotionally exhausting week beforehand, with Lucy suddenly falling into a coma that the doctors couldn’t medically explain. Jacinda had rightfully been beside herself with worry, and all Henry could feel was the crushing feeling of losing another loved one… another child. It had been the very reason why he didn’t like opening up, didn’t like taking these leaps of faith when it came to his heart and feelings. Yet he had stupidly allowed himself to get close to all these people, and stupidly thought he could have a second chance at a family, but those dreams had gone up in flames the first time and now plummeted back down from the stars a second time with the flat lining of the heart monitor as Jacinda brokenly wailed her heartache.

He didn’t feel the hand of his roommate trying to console him as he numbly watched Jacinda break down in the waiting room they had been forcibly moved too when the doctors came swarming into the room. Didn’t hear the words being spoken as Jacinda fought and then bonelessly collapsed in Sabine and Roni’s arms; her wails gut wrenching and shredding his already scarred heart to pieces. The flood of his emotions and his own tears didn’t come until after the doctor told them that their precious, precocious little Lucy was truly and utterly gone, that the defibrillator failed to restart her heart.  

It was Logan who caught him when his legs refused to hold his weight any longer, when the world suddenly came crushing down around him and nothing felt right anymore. And it was Logan who helped him into the chair; the warm presence of his roommates hand at the back of his neck guiding his head to lean on his broad shoulder. And he took the comfort and sobbed for all he was worth. Sobbed for the loss of the wife and daughter he had had to bare losing and moving on from all on his own, sobbed for Jacinda and how much she didn’t deserve to know the gut wrenching pain that losing a child brought, sobbed for Lucy who had been robbed of her own dreams, who had been robbed the chance to live and grow.

His heart hurt as he followed Jacinda into the room to say goodbye, the tears blurring his vision at seeing the white sheet lying over Lucy’s little body; so final in its position that it made him want to collapse all over again. But he couldn’t, he had to be strong for Jacinda as he was the one to hold her upright as they moved toward the bed.

Her sobs as she pulled back the sheet to view her daughters pale face tore at him even more, her words a broken, jumbled mess as she climbed onto the bed and wept onto her daughters unmoving chest.

Running on autopilot, Henry’s feet moved of their own accord; one hand going to Jacinda’s shaking back and the other to card the bangs off of Lucy’s forehead.

“I’m sorry Lucy, I’m so, so sorry.” He whispered as he leaned down and pressed his lips to her crown.

The whoosh of wind startled him and before he could right himself to wonder where it came from, the overwhelming flood of memories came next; slamming everything back into place and causing the air to deflate right out of his lungs. The watery, startled gasp from Ella (his wife, his true love) told him she remembered too, but it was the choked rush of life from his daughter, his daughter (his beautiful and very much alive little girl, his other true love), that was bloody music to his ears and heart.

“Papa? Mama?” she wheezed out as her eyes foggily and confusedly took them and her surroundings in.

“Baby!”

Everything was alright.

Everything in the world was right again.

(***)

The moment Lucy was cleared to leave; the overdue reunion of their family came afterwards. The battle was far from over; not with Tremaine and Drizella currently in hiding and no one knowing where they had run off too, but they were together again, and at the moment that was enough for them all as they celebrated at the bar that had been his adoptive mother’s home for the last eighteen months.

Henry had his wife and daughter back, his half-sisters, both his mothers, both his step-fathers and his grandfather. To say he was over the moon would have been an understatement as the din of fairytale characters and his family filled the industrial styled establishment.

It was all so overwhelming still that he had to take a seat at one of the tables; simply content to watch as he sipped at his beer. Killian soon joined him with his own glass, rum he was sure now that the man remembered who he was, and the thought of step-fathers in general had his mind venturing to their conversation once again.

It must have been on Killian’s mind as well because before either knew what they were truly doing, they were starting at one another, eyes narrowed and the rim of their drinks to their lips as they tried to see what apparently their cursed selves had been able to see.

“Man, I hope this is the last curse we ever have to face. I’ve lost count at how many cursed memories we’ve had forced into our heads at this point.” Emma groaned, yet her arrival didn’t completely break their staring contest as she dropped into the chair next to Killian; her eyes not yet looking at either of them but at her daughters who were laughing along with Lucy near the corner of the bar. She blindly but efficiently snatched her husband’s glass out of his hand and downed the last shot of the dark amber that was left as she continued. “Seriously though, can you imagine the identity crisis we’ll have in our old age if we get Alzheimer’s?” Finally glancing over at them, and realizing she had neither her son nor her husband’s attention, she raised an eyebrow and asked with trepidation. “What’s up with you two? Is everything alright?”

“Yeah love,” Killian briefly met Emma’s eyes, before he was squinting back at Henry as he continued. “Apparently while cursed, and thanks to our lovely granddaughter, the two of us got it into our heads that we were blood related; something about seeing similarities in our features and what have you.”

Blinking once than twice, Emma’s eyes bounced from one to the other, before she was tilting her head and squinting at them as well. Satisfied with what she saw, she nodded to herself, shrugged, and stated. “I can see it, especially when you wear your hair like this and stop shaving.” She grinned and chuckled and leaned forward to ruffle her son’s gel slicked hair, which Henry swatted away with a scowl as he tried to fix it back into place.

However her statement only proceeded to have them squint even harder at each other, and Emma could do nothing more than laugh at her first two goofy true loves.

As the celebrations began to die down and people started heading home, Henry and Killian simply shrugged and let it go as they hugged each other goodbye for the night (each having every intention of spending this night with their loved ones).

“Well,” Killian began softly. “Blood related or not, you’re still my son Henry; always have been, my boy.”

The smile that stretched Henry’s face, nearly threatened to split his skin from ear to ear as he replied just as softly but no less sincerely. “Thanks, dad.”

And if they hugged each other just a little tighter and their eyes shone just a little brighter with emotion, no one that witnessed the moment commented on it.

[copierleasing0]

ᐅ Best Photocopy Machine For Local Business

ᐅ Best Photocopy Machine For Local Business

Copier Leasing USA

Would certainly You Gain from Upgrading Your Hp Printer?

Why Select Kyocera Copiers For Your Company?

Extra Printer Types

Best All-in-one Printers In 2020

Cincinnati Printer Fixing

Exactly how They Ranked: The Leading Ten Shade Photo Copiers For Local Business

How We Examine All-in-one Printers

Some copy machine consist of special software program that can prevent duplicating money which contains an unique pattern. The typical expense to print a web page on a laser printer is around 5- to 8-cents for white as well as black, and also in between 12- and 15-cents for color laser prints. However, the price of color print can climb as high as 60-cents per page for photos and also heavy graphics. Factors vary commonly, yet many inkjet customers praise theHP OfficeJet 8720 All-in-One Printer, which supplies white as well as black prints at around 1.8-cents per web page, as well as color prints for regarding 9.7-cents each. In general, inkjet printers have a greater ordinary expense per web page of about 20-cents for a tinted print, and 7.5-cents for black and white.

Would certainly You Benefit From Upgrading Your Hp Printer?

It uses about one year's well worth of ink in each Ultra High-Yield cartridge and is geared up with the Sibling Web page Gauge to keep an eye on how much ink it has utilized and also how much remains. The Xerox WorkCentre 6515 is an affordable, all-in-one printer suitable for small companies with creative groups. Its little dimensions, printing rate as well as responsibility cycle of 50,000 images each month, as well as its sharp, crisp colors, different this model from others in its course. Numerous photo copiers also have integrated functions that lower waste in the office, cutting prices and also relocating more companies closer to eco-friendly procedures. Expect much more copier manufacturers to incorporate developments that prioritize power performance and also the use of recycled materials to decrease their ecological impact in 2020 and past.

How much does a Xerox copier cost?

A standalone copier's function is quite self-explanatory: it copies documents. Copiers that are networked and perform several functions often print, scan, copy, and fax. MFPs generally print, scan, copy, and fax, as well as copy to file (such as creating a PDF from a scanned document).

The difference in between leaving your printer on or transforming it off is normally irrelevant in terms of energy prices. For healthier print heads and more efficient ink consumption, however, it's much better to leave your printer on. Continuously changing your printer on and off will lower your printer's life-span, so attempt to keep the off/on to a minimum. Some high-quality printer as well as copiers steganographically installed their identification code right into the published pages, as nearly undetectable and also fine patterns of yellow dots. The EFF likewise reports that the US federal government has actually asked these companies to implement such a monitoring plan, to ensure that counterfeiting can be mapped.

Due to the fact that each vendor has actually priced them in a different way, numerous of these printers had a variety of expenses. We did not consist of "reconditioned" system pricing for any of these copiers. Many multifunction printers and also copiers support full-disk file encryption.

The device is not just a fantastic printer, yet it's likewise aimed at ensuring that you never need to think of keeping it going. Well, for beginners, it features Amazon.com Dash Replenishment Services, which essentially suggests that it can monitor just how much ink you have and also instantly order even more ink when you're running reduced. On top of that, the printer provides a 500-sheet paper tray, and provides a print resolution of 4,800 x 1, which is respectable for the substantial majority of normal users.

Its automatic duplex feature for two-sided printing helps save paper as well as optional high return printer toner cartridges are offered to help reduce your operating costs. Using the duplex printing attribute, you can help reduce your printing prices and also generate specialist looking two-sided documents, brochures as well as discussions. Only a lot of workers can count on the same printer without facing logjams, so services commonly choose to purchase a laser printer for every division, team or group.

Why Select Kyocera Copiers For Your Business?

Is there any License required to start Xerox shop?

Printing is much more expensive and only the people with enough budgets can afford having them done this way. Photocopying, obviously, is cheaper. If time is a consideration and not the quality, this is how you should go about reproducing your project. Also best for small amounts and budget-conscious people.

• Dye-sublimation printers, which come very near picture high quality by using heat-transferred color. Generally, these printers are reserved for organizations such as graphic style firms, which have to have exceptional picture high quality. The working of Printer and also scanner is entirely opposite where the Printer is utilized for changing the digital document into a physical paper. On the other hand, a scanner takes the data from a things such as data over a paper is exchanged a digital file.

However the real draw is the ink savings, exceptionally reduced per-page costs of 0.4 cents for text pages, and 1.6 cents per shade web page. The in advance cost might be high, however the combination of high quality, features as well as super-low overhead make this one of the best investments you can make for your office.

The Brother MFC-J6945DW INKvestment Storage tank is our pick for the best budget plan color copier because it's a strong all-in-one copier that can help local business lower their printing costs. Each maker includes approximately one year of ink and also the Brother Page Scale to track just how much ink has actually been used as well as just how much is left. Couple that with the fact that it's simple to maintain and also operate, and this equipment is a terrific selection for small companies on a budget plan.

Different printers can live on the same network, enabling workers to switch to and fro amongst them. This is particularly handy if staff members require to switch over from a monochrome device to a color device, as an example. Or, you can utilize subnetworks that enable specific customers accessibility to only certain printers.

A copier lease locks you right into a year, two-year, or 3 year month-to-month contract. For numerous companies, a copier lease is a terrific method to conserve hundreds of dollars on a preliminary acquisition, and also can minimize the impact on the annual report by expanding the cost in time. Service agreements are an additional major factor individuals choose a photo copier lease over getting a machine, because they consist of cost-free solution telephone calls as well as can cover huge parts that break gradually. So overall, a photo copier lease does make sense for a well-known service, whether you're a small business or Lot of money 500 business. Multifunctional copier can spare workplace and also cost, operating as facsimile machine, printers, as well as a lot more, nevertheless their complexity should likewise be thought about.

Additional Printer Brands

On the other hand, the scanner is utilized for the inverse procedure, where the data over a sheet of paper is transformed right into an electronic paper. A xerox is especially the product/result of scanning a notepad on a copy machine or printer.

They varied from a minimal capability of 138 Megabytes in memory to 1Gb of memory, and 4 of the top carrying out devices had options to upgrade their memory to a bigger storage space ability. When you have a small business, it's important that you make the best buying choices, specifically when it concerns workplace technology. Typically, a photo copier is an investment that you wish to carry out various features in your company like duplicating, printing, scanning, and also faxing and also anything else to aid you take care of records or workflow. If you think your solution contract does not have solid enough information safety preventative measures, ask what the firm can do to enhance them. This might entail a cost if your printers don't require safety and security features.

Substitute laser cartridges (Sibling) only cost $70 and last a long, long period of time.

Like Chuck, I have actually obtained both mono laser as well as 6-color inkjet in my home office, and would not recognize exactly how to live without them both.

Canon is a very long time leading brand name in the shade photo copier field as well as this design can print 37 ppm as well as scan 29 ipm.

Methinks Grobart was simply seeking a very easy target, yet he shouldn't have picked something as liberating as the individual printing press.

The best component is that the inkjet is a MFP that works as a facsimile machine (still need one one or two times a year) and does WIRELESS scanning at really high resolution with superb high quality.

Unlike Gordo, I've discovered that the inkjet's nozzles do not block (as long as I leave the printers connected in, so they can run the occasional maintenance cycle).

Best All-in-one Printers In 2020

. A lot of organizations opt for networked printers that can be shared by numerous customers, rather than individual printers for each workdesk. These machines conserve sources and often tend to last much longer than out-of-the-box ranges.

Cincinnati Printer Fixing

Inkjet printers are more usual for individual usage and office, although they can be ideal for some small company uses. Inkjet printers are less expensive in advance and the photo high quality is high, so they are wonderful for brochures, fliers as well as files which contain graphics. The working device of an impact printer includes the generation of the effect over the paper. When it pertains to non-impact printers, these consist of the small ink nozzles and resisting home heating result (in inkjet printers). In printer, photosensitive material as well as laser (to bill the photosensitive plate negatively) are an important part of it, after which with the aid of printer toner the printing is accomplished.

Most of the times, the cost of the repair will certainly surpass the value of the printer. Additionally, substitute parts are not easily offered for HP inkjet printers. Most HP printer fixing service providers do not offer service for HP inkjet printers.

A Printer is an output gadget whose work is to obtain the text and graphics outcome from the computer system and transportation the info over a paper. There is a wide variety of printers based upon their size, price, rate and also intricate building and construction. Normally, the expense of printers boosts as the high quality of printing (in regards to the resolution) increases.

With its small dimension and also basic as well as smooth layout, it is winning every person's heart, as well as its effective copying as well as printing capacity makes it one of one of the most considered Xerox makers out there. Doesn't matter if you are looking xerox device for store or home us, the size will certainly always matter.A3 Xerox makers that are suggested to offer A3 paper printing and also hence are of large sizes. Desktop computer Xerox makers that are typically small in size with lots of sophisticated attributes compressed in it as well as can quickly fit on the desktop. Unlike the contemporary ones, it uses both mirrors and also lenses, to mirror the photo of a paper placed onto the photo-receptor for printing. The Sibling MFC-J6945DW INKvestment Storage tank is a wireless multifunction shade copier (MFC) that can help small businesses minimize their supply costs while raising productivity.

With its multi-function ability, it assures to accomplish the daily office requirement with its finest effectiveness. Once, its budget-friendly rate as well as effective attributes make it worth examining it. You can make use of the PIXMA Printing solutions application print as well as check kept papers and also photos or check a document directly to your device.

These are often made use of to limit or restrict accessibility to printer since their operating costs are so much greater. , if you're solely publishing basic company papers in ordinary message-- spreadsheets, copy machine leasing memos memoranda and also-- monochrome is probably fine And also . If you require to print graphics, custom logo designs or documents with graphics and also various other visuals, you'll wish to go with a color printer.

We'll clarify the kinds of business printers, offered features and capabilities, networking alternatives, price and also repayment alternatives. We'll likewise supply some sensible ideas for choosing the ideal supplier. The kind of printer you would certainly grab at a workplace supply shop is not mosting likely to suffice for service use, at the very least for the most part.

Just how They Ranked: The Leading Ten Shade Photo Copiers For Small Business

Is it safe to copy documents at FedEx?

Like most top brands, Kyocera manufactures a wide range of laser printers and multi-functional devices that incorporate faxing, scanning, copying and printing. Overall, the printers have a reputation for being extremely reliable, easy-to-use and capable of producing high-quality prints in large volumes.

The VersaLink C405 Color Multifunction Printer is built on Xerox ConnectKey Technology offering remarkable integrity, seamless combination, and also progressed efficiency. The C405 gives cloud connection and also includes a mobile-ready app which is easy to personalize. The print high quality rated high as the print resolution, providing up to 600 x 600 dpi with extraordinary color vibrancy as well as fine line information. The device can publish up to 36 ppm as well as as much as 80,000 pages monthly. We rated the expense to be extremely budget-friendly, and a 1 year service warranty is included.

How much does it cost to lease a copy machine?

How much does it cost to lease a copier? Most businesses pay anywhere between $100 and $650 a month to lease a multifunction copy machine. However, we can lease color copiers starting at $49.00 per month. What is the average length of a copier lease?

Identify exactly how the printer will be utilized, then make a list of your must-have functions and leading priorities. Possibilities are, you'll stumble upon other features as well as concerns later on the process. Nonetheless, making the effort to analyze your requirements ahead of time makes it simpler to weed via the myriad alternatives available, and it aids suppliers suggest the types as well as models that are best fit to your company. Dots per inch (dpi)-- The variety of dots per square inch the printer can fit on a notepad.

Just How We Test All-in-one Printers

Earlier variations included the Gestetner stencil duplicator, invented by David Gestetner in 1887. This attribute allows a Xerox device to link to the workplace network and work as a network printer. With this feature, one can duplicate any document or print from any kind of corner with the assistance of a remote.

Do scanners have memory?

Your best option for quick and everyday document printing. Ideal for sales sheets, resumes, newsletters and menus. Choose from 3 paper types, single- or double-sided, stapled or loose. From $0.13 per page in black & white.

from https://copierleasing0.blogspot.com/2020/07/best-photocopy-machine-for-local.html

[supermortalavengers]

ToG & ACOTAR

1) Which of the ToG characters do you relate most to? Dorian Havilliard.

2) Which of the ACOTAR character do you relate most to? Rhysand.

3) Which character in either series do you think you would dislike the most in real life? Tamlin.

4) Which character wouldn’t like you in real life? Probably Tamlin.

5) Which character would you be best friends with in real life? Cassian, honestly.

6) Who’s your OTP from ACOTAR? Feysand. 100% no matter what. I can’t believe I ever shipped Feylin.

7) OTP from ToG? Doraelin (though Rowaelin is growing on me)

8) Did you ship Rowaelin from the moment he came into the picture? HELL NO.

9) How quickly did you stop shipping Chaolaena? Or do you still ship it? I stopped shipping it pretty quickly.

10) Which character do you ship yourself most with and why? Rhysand, because shit, man. Everyone that he’s around he BUILDS on, gives them the tools to make themselves better, he doesn’t MAKE them do it, he gives them the choice, and it honestly just… He is the person that I wish most people could act like because of that. I mean, he’s also beautiful. And sassy. And I need that in my life too, but mostly the other part.

11) Ships that annoy you and why? Feylin. Because Tamlin is an abusive little asshole and nobody will convince me otherwise.

12) Do you ship Amren and Varian or would you rather Amren remain alone? I don’t necessarily ship them, per say, but… They’re cute.

13) Any theories about where Amren came from and what her real form is? Fuck if I know.

14) How do you view Rhys’s actions UtM? Ah… When I first read the series, without having read the others, I really hated him for everything he did. But, after reading the other two books, and seeing where he was coming from, I’ve given him a little leeway. Yes, some of it was cruel and unnecessary, but… He was doing it to save Feyre, and in the end, save everyone from UtM.

15) Do you want Tamlin to die? Are you pro redemption arc? How do want his arc to end? In all honesty, I would never wish a bad thing on anyone, even a fictional character. So, I would prefer he didn’t die. I don’t think he should get a redemption arc though. He deserves a shitty ending, because he was/is abusive. He needs some God damn therapy.

16) Which villain out of both series do you hate the most? If I can count Tamlin as a villain, I really disliked him because of how he treated Feyre. And how Feyre didn’t see anything wrong with it until she was shown actual love and care. I also DESPISE Dorian’s father. He makes me want to slap a bitch.

17) Do you blame Elena? …Lemme get back to you.

18) Which villain do you want to slowly suffer and which one do you want a painful death for? Dorian’s father, even though he’s already dead… But whatever.

19) Tell me how you feel about Moriel, Elucien, and Nessian. Fuck, I think they’re adorable. Lucien really needed a good ending. He was put through so much shit, and he was stuck under Tamlin. He deserves a hug. Nessian… Just AH. I can’t describe it better than that. Moriel… Jesus Azriel needed a good ending too. Come to think of it, Mor needed it too. Both lived through hellacious beginnings… So… I think they’re all well deserved relationships.

20) Thoughts on “nameless is my price?” Gotta reread the series. So badly. I’ve forgotten so much. My only clear memory is that I love Dorian with all of my heart.

21) How do you think ToG will end? …With all my babies happy?

22) Do you prefer the Celaena story arc or the Aelin arc? Or do you find that the difference between the two is simply character growth? I think that it’s just character growth, though I do miss Doraelin.

23) Long haired Rowan or short haired Rowan? *shrugs* Don’t particularly care. I’m just starting to care about Rowan in the first place lmao

24) Which character would you most like to hook up with? Cassian. Would definitely be a good time.

25) Which character would you most like to fall in love with? Rhysand. I don’t think I need an explanation for that. And maybe Lucien… For some of the same reasons as Rhys, but also because Lucien has those fast comebacks and snippiness, and I need that in my life.

26) How would you feel if Sam were resurrected in ToG7? …I… Just… Don’t know. I feel that would make things problematic?

27) How do you feel about Elorcan at the moment? Do you forgive him and think Elide should? Or are you angry with him? …Lemme read the books more. I honestly skipped a lot because I was unhappy with Rowan. I need to reread the entire series. So…

28) Thoughts on Fenrys and Connall? As said in 27: I gotta reread the series.

29) What do you think the importance of “princess of carrion” and all the other stuff the book says to Feyre is? …Fuck, I’ve read these books enough times, but I’m drawing a blank to this.

30) Do you think any major characters will die in ACOWAR? Who? …Considering I read the book… I mean, I was so terrified near the ending about Rhys… But I’M OKAY RIGHT NOW.

31) Did you ship Feylin in ACOTAR or were you always side-eyeing it suspiciously? …I fucking shipped it, head over heels. Oh, how I regret that.

32) How do you think Feyre will handle being in the Spring Court again? Like a God damn boss, because she’s grown a lot.

33) Head canons for your OTP! I just… Mhmm

34) Name a ship you hope ends like the Titanic… …That one of them dies? Tamlin?

35) What do you think Feyre’s father is up to? Some stuff.

36) Do you forgive Nesta and Elain for how they treated Feyre? …Mmm.

37) Favorite morally grey character. Is Chaol morally grey? I feel like he is. Just a little bit.

38) Favorite villain. Mm… None particularly. A lot of them are just… Not to my liking.

39) Favorite god from ToG …Lemme get back to you on that.

40) What theories do you have about the Bone Carver? Fuck me running.

41) Any theories about the cauldron? That it’s a God damn mess.

42) Favorite funny moment from ToG Anything that was relatively funny between Dorian and Aelin.

43) Who is funniest character? …only one? UHM. Rhysand. Really. He just… He always makes me laugh.

44) Where is Nox??? On the God damn moon, probly.

45) Are you down for Rowaelin/Feysand babies in the epilogues or would you want them to wait? Oh, HELL YEAH. BRING ME ALLLLL THE BABIES.

46) What is the King of Adarlan’s name? “Piece of Shit”?

47) Do you have any f/f or m/m ships? Hm... None that stand out to me in ACOTAR? But, I really need to reread ToG though, so that could change.

48) Any part of the plot in either series that you would change? Honestly, I wasn’t a fan of Aelin jumping around from guy to guy in the beginning of ToG. I understand that a lot of people do that, but to me, it just created a lot of unnecessary drama. And I really do hate drama.

49) How do you think the lock will be forged? Carefully.

50) Who is a better male lead? Rhysand or Rowan?  RHYSAND FOR THE GOD DAMN WIN.

[appleflavoredkitkats]

Book of Mormon Fanfiction Recommendations (Mostly McPriceley)

 These are my favorite Book of Mormon fanfictions. These are mostly McPriceley because most more than half of the fanfictions that the Book of Mormon archive has is McPriceley. This is a much bigger list than my other one. Extras at the end and if I find more in the future, check the notes.

Bold and italicized are my favorites.

I do not own any of these.

McPriceley

1. Little Syncopations

Five times Elder Price made matters terribly frustrating for Elder McKinley…well, sort of.

2. The Size of Orlando, Florida

“What are you keeping from me?” Elder McKinley asks. “I’m supposed to be your district leader, Ke- Elder, and I have to say you’re making it darn near impossible. I try to ask how you’re doing, I try to show you I’m there for you, I try to make sure you feel valued and supported by m- us, and you just… run away! Every single time, Elder! I’ve had enough of it! I will not let you leave this room until you feel cared for.”Kevin Price has everything under control… except for his inappropriate reaction to his district leader.

3. Saints of a Different Kind

Elder Price realizes he might have more than platonic feelings for Elder McKinley at a super inconvenient time. Also, he’s 100000% straight, so that makes no sense. Ignoring it should work! He will just sit there, consumed with lust for the rest of the evening.

4. just not telling the whole truth

That’s why Elder Price is safe to like, is safe to dote over, is safe to fantasize about, because he can learn to feel more comfortable with his – with his alternate thoughts, if you will, without any fear of his thoughts being reciprocated. Without his reoccurring fear that any close bond he forms with a man will crumble in on itself due to his own discomfort and self-hatred just like it did with Steve.He learns that he shouldn’t love boys years before he realizes he does, he learns that he doesn’t love himself years before he realizes he should, and he learns that he can do both less than one year after he meets Elder Price.

5. Settling for More

He wanted to kiss Kevin. He wanted to do more than just kiss Kevin.He couldn’t tell Kevin he wanted that.

6. Sing For Ourselves Alone

In which Connor is a flirty drunk and Kevin is a dork.

7.  Of Pop Tarts And Elephants

In which there is a completely reasonable, heterosexual explanation for why Kevin can’t stop thinking about Elder McKinley. Also, the Game of Life is played.

8. Sardines

The Elders of District 9 decide to play a game of Sardines and end up packed into a closet and Kevin can’t keep his hands to himself.

9.  Cookies and Confidences (Cunningham/Nabulungi)

Elder McKinley and Nabulungi talk about their boy problems.

10.  As It Is

In a world where people’s first touches leave a spot of color on each others’ skin, some more vivid than other, Kevin has never given much thought to how and when he will receive his actual soulmate mark. 

11.  Rules Are Overrated

Elder McKinley twirls the feather between his fingers which, for some reason, spurs Elder Price into a choking fit. “May I ask what I was doing?”

Elder Price mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like, “More like who,” but he’s still coughing a little and Elder McKinley can’t be sure that he heard correctly.

(In which Elder McKinley finally finds out that he was in Elder Price’s hell dream).

12.  miserably, honestly, imperceptively

“Does he make your heart kind of flutter?” Arnold asked one day.

Kevin felt like he couldn’t breathe as he choked out, “Yes.”

“Does he make your eyes sort of blur?” Nabulungi asked, on his other side.

Kevin closed them and said, “Oh no.”

13.  Of Coffee and Kisses

Elder Price couldn’t sleep that night. Turns out, he wasn’t the only one. 

14.  A Minor Crisis

It was Elder McKinley’s birthday, and they did not have a cake.

15.  Have You Tried Turning It Off And On Again?

It isn’t long after Elder Price and Elder Cunningham appear in Uganda that Connor McKinley realizes that Turning It Off is going to be a lot harder than it used to be. 

16.  5 Times Elders Price and McKinley Accidentally Flirted With Each Other And One Time They Did It On Purpose

While Elder Price and Elder McKinley are both talented at many things, neither of them are adapt at flirting, especially not with each other. 

17.  Maybe

Caught in a violent storm during a shopping trip in town, Elder McKinley and Elder Price are forced to check in to a hotel overnight. 

18.  With a Sunflower Tie

“Connor waves him off, grinning in delight. ‘No, that’s fine, it’s just a little… well, unconventional. I kind of assumed you’d be more of a vanilla guy, but… wow, Kevin Price has a kink. I don’t suppose you want me to tie you up or anything while I’m at it?’

Holy crap. 'Geez, Connor,’ Kevin says, pressing one hand firmly to his crotch. 'You can’t just say things like that.’ He didn’t even know that was a turn on until it passed Connor’s lips.”

19.  lean into the unexpected

Kevin remembers, when he was younger, being mesmerized by the idea of having a soulmate. Seeing his mother’s name in her neat script on his father’s wrist, just there all the time, made him want his own; every time he asked about it, he was always just met with a shrug and the same answer of “You’ll know eventually.” The thing was, he didn’t want to wait for eventually. He wanted to know now. He wanted that name to be there so he could start looking for her, but no adult would tell him anything. 

20.  Soul-Eater

 "Shame is a soul-eating emotion.“ - Carl Jung

21.  Graceful

Connor McKinley never really considered himself exceptionally graceful, but years of dance lessons had left a mark. A great sense of balance, good posture, quick reflexes – Connor didn’t realize how much he took it all for granted until the day Kevin Price walked into the mission hut and turned him into a clumsy oaf. 

22.  McPriceley Prompts

a collection of short one-shots inspired by this tumblr post I found (which I would link if I knew how to do that in an AO3 summary)

All of it is in the same universe (canon Uganda), but each prompt exists by itself.

23.  Shifting Priorities

The Hell dreams have been getting worse. Ever since Kevin Price strode into Connor’s life, they’ve been getting worse, so bad that he resolves that the only solution is to stop sleeping.

It’s a temporary solution. Connor knew it wouldn’t last forever. He didn’t think, however, that Kevin would be by Connor’s side when he awoke from the Hell dream, didn’t think Kevin would care so much when he woke up screaming, or wonder why he was still crying.

He didn’t think anyone would care at all. He’s not sure he understands it.

24.  In-Between

The Christmases of 2011-2013 are entirely different, yet never bad. 

25.  you’re my christmas present this year

Christmas in Uganda is… different, to Christmas at home. 

26.  A Portrait of Kevin Price as a Young Mormon

“Get lost,” says Connor, smiling. “We are nineteen years old, we have our whole lives ahead of us. Screw secure futures. It’s about here and now, right?”

Kevin nods. “Latter Day doesn’t mean afterlife, it means tomorrow.”

“Right,” Connor says. He hums to himself, a tune that Kevin doesn’t recognise. “Screw the past, too.” “Aye aye, Captain,” says Kevin. “Screw the past.” Or; Arnold is the greatest best friend in the world, Connor is a jerk, and Kevin Price is hot and bothered.

27.  Team Building

McKinley suggests a board game night and somehow ends up in a closet with Elder Price. 

28.  Right. Anyway. Off.

"five times McKinley says he doesn’t love Kevin, and the one time he admits it."  

29.  The District Leader Is Short

Being short wasn’t so bad for Connor McKinley. It meant he was always in the front for dance recitals and never had to worry about ducking his head. The only downside to being as tall as of a middle schooler was having to look up to Elder Price, which really wasn’t all that much of a downside.

(Basically, Connor needs someone who can reach all the tall things and Kevin accidentally gets the job.)

30.  The Pros and Cons of Breathing

"It wasn’t until the third night he refused kitchen duty that they started to worry.”

31. Telephone Wire 

Your run-of-the-mill Mcpriceley: Connor has some serious self-esteem issues, Hell dreams, romantic talks by a lake in the fine Ugandan wilderness… 

32.  Oh..

In which Connor has a HUGE crush on Kevin and Kevin likes him back, but Kevin himself is the last person in Uganda to realize. 

33.  Touch Me

The elders of District Nine are all, as a rule, unimpressive alphas or betas, except for Elders Cunningham and Price. They are poor, unfortunate, unmanifested souls; people without a secondary gender. At least, they were. 

34.  Loathing Self-Assassination

No one is going to worry about him. As much as it hurts, he knows that he doesn’t deserve to be worried about. He doesn’t deserve to be spoiled and pampered with attention. But that doesn’t stop him from thinking about it miserably sometimes. Oh, how nice it would be to have someone dote on him. Comfort him. Love him. But who could ever love pathetic Connor McKinley?

Sometimes, on those self-indulgent nights, he thinks that someone is Kevin Price.

35.  Almost As Exciting As Orlando

Kevin Price is a great Secret Santa. 

36.  Seven Boxes

“i did that annoying thing where i put loads of smaller boxes inside one big box and you’re getting really mad but you don’t know that the ring is in the smallest box and i can’t wait to see your face” 

37. Imitation

When Kevin finds himself having gay thoughts, he turns to the resident expert on them to sort them out and ends up getting more than he bargained for.

38. National Hug Day

Even back home in Utah Connor suspects that there will probably be times when he’ll need to keep his elders’ spirits up, and how better than by celebrating some fun holidays together?

 39.  Poster Child

Connor was convinced that God was slowly mending his sinful, perverse mind. He wasn’t having a difficult time turning it off, the other Elders were handsome, but they weren’t his style.

That was until he showed up and ruined everything with his stupid beautiful face and his obnoxiously endearing ego.

Elder Kevin Price, the gosh darn b-word!

40.  You’re A Good Mormon, Elder Price

The missionaries are assigned new companions for the next three months, and Elder Price’s new roommate brings out things in himself he never thought he was capable of.

41.  Three Times Arnold Didn’t Get It (And The One Time Kevin Spelled It Out For Him) 

Not bothering to knock, he opens the door to their quarters and says, “Oh Battlestar Galactica!” Which wasn’t what he was going to say, but when he sees a very shirtless Elder McKinley straddling an equally shirtless Kevin Price, all rehearsed dialogue goes flying out the window. :: - :: Arnold knows he can be a little dense about some things but to consistently miss the fact that his district leader has been boning his best friend? That has got to be some sort of feat.

42.  Butterfly Kisses and Birthday Wishes

A stolen caress and inadvertent cuddle during Movie Night plunges Connor McKinley and Kevin Price into their first ever romantic relationship in post-canon Uganda. As their relationship progresses, Kevin tries to move things a little bit faster than Connor is ready for, but eventually the time is right for both of them.

Or shameless McPricely fluff where Connor and Kevin share all of their firsts together.

43.  Sydney Carton Doesn’t Have Shit On Me

Connor McKinley has Great Expectations, and arrogant, brooding, straight Kevin Price is most definitely not his dashing, heroic love interest. Seriously.

44.  “Obviously You Are Not Skilled In The Art Of Doing Things You Aren’t Supposed To.”

Sentence Prompt #11- “"Obviously you are not skilled in The Art Of Doing Things You Aren’t Supposed To.”

45.  “Hey! My Eyes Are Up Here!”

Sentence Prompt #2- “Hey! My eyes are up here!”

46. “How Much Does It Hurt?”

Sentence Prompt #17- “How much does it hurt?”

47.  Latter-Day Blues

“Our rules can change too, guys. I really don’t think anything bad will happen if we let a few of those things slide — I mean, who here is going to care now?” In which the Church washes its hands of the Uganda mission, leaving a bunch of confused, abandoned boys who are unaccustomed to freedom in its wake.

48. Untitled

49.  In All My Years

Connor has had many things happen in his life. Ballet lessons, rejection, and first loves. This is a look into eight different parts of his life.

50.  .laundry

(drabble) prompt fill: slow dancing

51.  .malaria

(drabble) prompt fill: caring for the other when sick

52.  Want To Talk About It?

Kevin can’t sleep, it’s Connor’s fault.

53. Season of Love 

Connor hasn’t been to church in a very, very long time.

54. Blue and Pink

Connor McKinley looks in the mirror.

55.  Tan and White

Sequel to “Blue and Pink”

56.  Desperation

Arnold then grinned mischievously. He sat up to face Elder Thomas. “Well, Poptarts, if you’re in, we could do a spot of matchmaking.”

Nothing ever seems to happen between Connor McKinley and Kevin Price, except longing looks and gentle brushes that are just platonic enough to not imply anything. Chris and Arnold think that something should be done.

57.  Turn It Off

“Where’s your 'nifty, little Mormon trick,’ now? What good is it if you can’t use it when you need it most?”

58.  Baby Steps (To Our Paradise Planet)

Elder Price was something else, he really was. Boys like him were the reason Elder McKinley came up with his entire lightswitch coping mechanism in the first place, and boys like him were why the lightswitch coping mechanism did not actually tend to work very well. Sure, in theory, it worked like a charm; memories of the fifth grade could be flicked off just like that. Everybody did that. Everybody did not have to look Elder Price in his glowing, grinning face and pretend that they were not halfway in love with him.

59.  Poorboys and Pilgrims

Officially the remaining Elders are running themselves as a collective in the absence of their District Leader. But to nobody’s surprise Elder Price has declared himself in charge. You can lead a horse away from conventional Mormonism but you cannot force him not to be self-important and overly-righteous, even if this the new and improved Elder Price has learnt a little humility alongside his propensity towards vulgarity.

(Or, Elder McKinley and Elder Thomas go missing after a routine trip.)

60.  Rarefied Air

“Elder Price,” and Connor only called him that half wistfully and half in jest, although he looked deadly serious now, “are you attracted to me?” “No,” said Kevin, decisively. And even though it was the right answer, Kevin blushed and looked away, as though he was lying. “Oh,” Connor said, face paling even as his smile widened, “that’s good.”

In which Kevin wishes to experience temptation. It proves harder than expected.’

61.  Nocturne

Kevin is sick; Connor cares for him. The subconscious is a strange thing. Price/McKinley, indulgent sick!fic. Part of the same universe as Rags to Rags but can be read as a stand-alone.

62.  Dead Guy Walking

Heathers the Musical Dead Girl Walking!AU

What it says on the tin. With the District 9 Uganda Mission shut down and the weight of disappointment from the Church and his family riding on his shoulders, Connor decides that Heaven Father can forgive him for one more sin.

63.  What’s One More Broken Rule?

The alcohol had been a gift from the villagers and, after a particularly bad day, the ex-Elders need a bit of a pick-me-up. With lowered inhibitions, Connor McKinley really starts letting his feelings out.

64.  Cockblocked

Elders Price and McKinley have been hitting it off recently and all they want is a moment alone, but their 'prophet’ has other ideas.

65.  Rivers Run

Former Elder McKinley hadn’t know what to expect when he heard that Kevin Price had been in an accident.

66.  Cooking from the Soul

When it came time to pack his bag for Uganda, Kevin Price decided to bring with him the one thing from home that he knew would help him get through the next two years. But then the General stole it, and now that he’s been driven out of village, Kevin wants it back.

67.  Let Food Be Thy Medicine

Kevin and Connor head over to Kimbay’s house to learn about traditional Ugandan recipes.

68.  Kiss the Cook

Four times Connor failed in the kitchen, and one time he didn’t.

69.  So Close

“A drabble about a time McKinley wishes he was dead”

70.  Until We Both Fall Asleep

After date night, Kevin and Connor share a bed for the first time. It’s easier said than done.

71.  Something Magical

If someone had told Kevin Price before his mission that someday he’d make a list of Awesome Date Ideas because he wanted to ask out his district leader, he wouldn’t have believed them. The only problem was, he couldn’t think of any awesome date ideas. He couldn’t even think of any mediocre date ideas. Clearly, Disney was the answer.

72.  Not Today

Price had grabbed his arm just seconds ago, a strong grip at the elbow, and dragged him outside with no explanation. The other elders in the kitchen, making dinner and talking loudly with each other about market day tomorrow, had hardly spared them a glance. Now they were alone.

73.  Mission: Prom

“a drabble about McKinley dancing”

74.  I Went To Your Funeral

Written for a tumblr prompt: “I THOUGHT YOU’VE BEEN DEAD. FOR TEN YEARS. WHY ARE YOU ON MY FRONT DOORSTEP. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN. WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME CRY LIKE THIS I HATE THAT I LOVE YOU AND WHY DID YOU EVEN LEAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE.”

75.  Frogs

When life is at an all-time low for Kevin, he’s reunited with an old friend from his mission who acts as a perfect distraction.

76.     Gemstones

Elder Price has trouble ignoring Elder McKinley’s eyes.

77.  Let In Light, Banish Shade

They’ve sat through the worst of the summer but the heat is dry and intense and Connor can’t help but picture snow. The fresh, damp kiss of a new start on his skin. For a moment he could almost picture it, could almost feel snow instead of sweat in his hair. For most of them this is going to be their first Christmas away from home, it is certainly Connor’s first Christmas away from his family and as District Leader it is Connor who has a responsibility for the welfare of his Elders. He should be able to provide them this, to make their first Christmas in Africa something incredible, something special.

78.  A Fire Escape Symphony

And you, with your new born eyes, Have you ever loved a man like I love him? Do you hurt but still feel alive, like never before?

Connor has never had fire marshal training, the Missionary Training Center had focused on how to engage ill at ease people in conversations about religion, or about proper attire and social cues. They hadn’t taught what to do in the case of disaster. Perhaps, thinking back on their mission, they should have done.

79.  A Collection of Firsts

After breaking away from the Church, Kevin Price knew he would be experiencing a series of firsts in his life. He just never expected Elder McKinley to be involved in so many of them.

A brief look at the many firsts shared between Connor and Kevin in their rapidly evolving relationship.

80.  1 Year

"So you know how Naba is finally coming here later?"

"You have literally been talking about nothing else since we came back from Uganda last November."

"Anyway, I may have organised a teensy tiny party..."

One year after Kevin and Arnold's mission on Naba's arrival to America, Arnold organises a party- oh- and Kevin's having some difficulty with a crush.

81.  Planet Orlando

AU where your soulmate's name is printed somewhere on your body.

Kevin finds out Elder McKinley's first name.

82.  Easter in Uganda

The villagers and missionaries in Uganda participate in some fun Easter activities! Light, fluffy fun with no angst or smut

83.  Sweet Understanding

After Kevin's parents kick him out for being gay, he moves in with Connor McKinley.

84.  All The Time In The World

Of Disney movies, and ten o'clock curfew, and Connect Four, and plane sex, and a whole lot more.

85.  My name is-

Connor and Kevin share names, a sweet moment and a terrible secret before bed.

86.  Work in progress

“Hell’s not all fire and sulphur, you know. Sometimes Hell is being reminded every night of what you want so badly but you know that you can’t have. Torture isn’t just pain, it’s discomfort, disillusion, disassociation; it’s being shown happiness and having it ripped out from underneath you.”

Elder Price and Elder McKinley get some things off their chest after a few not-so-spooky Mormon Hell Dreams.

87.  Burst

He's got all his feelings locked away.

88. from salt to shore

“You know, I- When I went to Orlando, when I was a kid, y’know- When I went to Orlando, we road tripped there."

Or- the McPriceley road trip fanfic we all needed.

89. Roommate Wanted

Connor is kicked out of his home. Kevin needs a roommate. That's it. That's the summary.

Others

1.  Untitled

Mark 5:2-5

And when He was come out of the ship, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

2.  12 Cups of Coffee

Arnold shows up at twelve cups of coffee; Elder McKinley came at six. 

3.  Just the Flu

4. Scream

5. Forget About the Other Boy (ChurchTarts)

Poptarts hears Kevin and Connor having sex and gets upset because he wants Connor. But he finds comfort and a little bit more in Elder Church.

6.  Not So Long Ago When I Was Five

Kevin’s bad attitude gets him turned into a little kid by the village shaman and the other Elders try to fix him

7.  Like One of Your French Boys  (ChurchTarts)

Chris volunteers to be the drawing model for James’ art project.

8.  Some Assembly Required (Churchtarts)

James and Chris buy a new bed from IKEA and attempt to build it without the instructions.

9.  Peep Show (Churchtarts)

Things are getting heated in the mission quarters, and Elder McKinley has set up webcams all around the house to find out who has been tinkering with the thermostat. Much to his, and soon-to-be-wed Cunningham and his best man’s surprise, it’s not just the thermostat that’s being tinkered with.

10  Threnody

Exodus 11:4,6

“And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.”

11.  The Answer

12.  The Lion and the Lamb

Sequel to Threnody. 

13.  Falling

14.  Thanksgiving

The holidays are the worst time to be lonely.

15.  Wine Free Wine (ChurchTarts)

PT and Church spend a quiet night in, that is until they are interrupted.

16.  Four States, One Journey (Though McPriceley at the end, more mentions of college life)

Life throws so many things at you that you don't expect. Rejection. Addiction. Doubt. Divorce. But maybe, with the right people in your life, it can still be greater than you ever imagined. Chronicles of the characters' lives post-Uganda.

17.  Plus Nine (Hinted McPriceley but not so obvious)

The plan was simple, he and Elder Cunningham would talk about their objectives at the airport, say goodbye to their families with a smile, a hug and a handshake and then they would board their flight. Perhaps pray together for their mission to be a success, read up on the documents the Missionary Training Center had given them about District Nine, and then the two of them would loosen their ties and put their seats back to rest. They could sleep on the plane and wake up fresh faced and ready to start the most important two years of their lives.

The plan had little reflection on reality.

Or; Elder Price has jetlag, canon... doesn't actually change at all.

18.  The Three Times Chris Thomas Tried to be Sexy, and the One Time He Was (ChurchTarts)

All Chris wanted to do was make sure James knew how much he loved him.

19.  The One Where They Sleep Together (ChurchTarts)

The first time Chris and James slept together, it was a little unexpected. 

20.  The Other Team (ChurchTarts)

High school was hard enough for Chris Thomas without an attractive football player trying to lure him out of the closet - for all the wrong reasons.

21.  Eyes on the Road (ChurchTarts)

Chris and James get pulled over after some less-than-safe driving antics. (Vague smut, nothing M-worthy.)

22.  Making a Date (ChurchTarts)

The reality of the distance between them finally starts to set in, and Chris and James just need to see each other again.

23.  Prom Night (ChurchTarts)

James wanted to make sure that prom would be special.

24.  Long Distance (ChurchTarts)

Chris thought he could handle a week away from James. 

25.  Show and Tell (ChurchTarts)

Christopher Thomas always gets what he wants.

26.  The Phone Call (ChurchTarts)

Letting his family know about his diagnosis was hard enough on Chris to begin with.

27.  No Turning Back  (ChurchTarts)

They were at that point in their relationship where they realized there was no turning back.

28.  One Day at a Time  (ChurchTarts)

It all started with a cough.

29.  Lovestruck  (ChurchTarts)

James Church and Chris Thomas thought they knew everything about each other.

30.  Heading Home (ChurchTarts)

With their mission reaching its end, Elder Church realizes he's got nowhere to go. Elder Thomas wants to give him the home he deserves.

31.  For The Both of Us

  It was the one day of the year Christopher Thomas was guaranteed to have a Hell dream.

32.  Letting it Out (ChurchTarts)

Elder Thomas thinks it's about time for Elder Church to let all his feelings out.

MORE TO COME (if there are more fanfictions for this fandom).

[motherhenna]

The Power of the ‘Boy with the Bread’: Gender Roles and Defiance in the Hunger Games

Most, if not all, fans of the Hunger Games trilogy can unanimously agree that Peeta Mellark is a polarizing character in any discourse: some adore him with the same intensity that he adores our narrator, while others wish that he had stayed dead after his run-in with the arena forcefield in Catching Fire. Regardless of one’s personal affection for him, however, Peeta Mellark is still incredibly crucial to the series as a whole: he stands as a foil to the toxic brand of masculinity that tends to plague the heroes of young adult media, and his partnership with Katniss challenges many of the traditional gender roles that are so often thought to be absolute and unconditional. Moreover, he is instrumental to both Katniss’ physical survival and emotional growth, as well as to the flow and coherence of the entire narrative in and of itself. Though many readers accuse him of emotional or physical weakness in comparison to both Katniss and Gale, the truth of the matter is so much more complicated than that.

From the first moment of his introduction, Peeta Mellark is defined by his kindness, a trait that seems to be difficult to find in the dog-eat-dog world of Panem. When his name is drawn for the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss’ first response is distress, as she is intimately aware that he is the one person to whom she owes everything.  “Oh no [...]. Not him,” she thinks during the Reaping. “To this day, I can never shake the connection between this boy [...] and the bread that gave me hope, and the dandelion that reminded me that I was not doomed” (Hunger Games, 25-32). From this point on, it is constantly emphasized how unusual and out of place much of Peeta’s behavior is, especially when compared to the more self-sufficient survivors of District 12 and the gluttonous, apathetic denizens of the Capitol. Indeed, this sort of compassion is so out of place that our narrator spends almost the entirety of the first book trying to analyze and decode his actions, as she is unable to believe that such behavior could possibly be genuine, even though “when young Peeta first gave the scavenging Katniss a loaf of burned bread, he was assuming a great personal risk. Katniss was bewildered. ‘He didn’t even know me,’ she reflects” (Foy, 214). As Katniss is defined by her acute ability to endure and carry on, Peeta is similarly identified by his willingness to sacrifice—not simply for the sake of family and friends, but rather for the greater good. Since this concept is much discussed throughout the series, Abigail Mann reflects upon it in her essay, Competition and Kindness: on the odd phenomena of altruism and how this developed among the human species as a whole. “The fact that some people do give to beggars [...] demonstrates that we don’t always take the easy way out; rather, we choose actions that we think will best benefit others who are in need,” she explains. “Peeta burned the bread and endured a beating because [Katniss] and her family were badly in need of that sustenance at the time, and he cared enough to help” (Mann, 117).

Peeta’s personality also exists in sharp contrast to his harsh and often-violent mother, who regularly berates him, belittles him and even goes so far as to physically abuse him on several occasions. The only positive role model depicted in his life seems to be his father, who extends acts of generosity to Katniss that are quite similar to that of his son’s. For example, Mr. Mellark buys Katniss’ game for unnecessarily high prices, gives her cookies after the Reaping, and even promises to watch out for her beloved sister during her absence. –But the interesting thing about the Mellarks is how they deviate from traditional familial norms. In most iterations of media, the authoritative and controlling head of the household is almost always the man, while the woman is generally the sympathetic yet passive nurturer. In spite of this, said gender dynamics are completely flipped within the Mellark family: rather, the domineering mother is clearly in charge, while Mr. Mellark is described as being meek and soft-spoken: “We always wait to trade with him when his witch of a wife isn’t around because he’s so much nicer. I feel certain he would never have hit [Peeta] the way she did over the burned bread” (Hunger Games, 37). And like the Mellarks, we see similar non-normative gender roles reflected in their son and his eventual relationship with Katniss:

“It may take readers the entire first book, or even the entire series, to realize that from his earliest descriptions, Peeta is an equally complicated match for Katniss. Just as Katniss’ masculinity is expressed in her status as hunter, so Peeta’s femininity is expressed in his role as baker. Even Peeta’s shrew of a mother undercuts his masculinity by suggesting that Katniss might actually win this year, a sharp testament to his perceived feminized weakness.” (Mitchell, 132-33)

Though Peeta’s talents and occupations are never actively gendered either way by Katniss’ narration, baking, cake decorating and painting are all coded as ‘feminine’ skills by modern Western society, and are therefore widely considered to be inferior. This is probably why Katniss is lauded for her ‘masculine’ ability to hunt, kill and suppress ‘negative’ emotions like sadness and fear, while Peeta is mocked for his own penchant for nonviolence and creativity. “Of the major characters in the Hunger Games trilogy, Peeta is the closest to being an androgynous blend of the most desirable masculine and feminine traits,” Jessica Miller explains in her essay, Katniss and the Politics of Gender. “He’s confidant and self-reliant [...but] he’s also trusting and open. He’s physically strong, but avoids violence and aggression except in self-defence. Emotional and expressive, Peeta [...] cried openly when he took leave of his family for the Hunger Games” (154).  So even with his muscular build, physical strength and experience with hand-to-hand combat, Peeta is still not considered ‘manly’ enough for many readers, as they have come to expect only the aggressive, authoritarian male lead and tend to reject any character who differs from this archetype. However, in the end, there is no ‘superior’ skill set: Collins portrays both Katniss and Peeta’s abilities as different but of equal merit and importance. After all, “individuals ‘vary’ [...]. From the perspective of Darwin’s theory, it’s just as natural for Katniss to fail in one environment (as she surely would during the Victory Tour without Peeta, Haymitch Abernathy, and Cinna’s help) as it is for her to succeed in another” (Mann, 106-107). Anyway, it’s unlikely that readers see Peeta as a damsel in distress solely because he ‘constantly’ needs to be rescued by Katniss, as canonically, they support each other both physically and emotionally in relatively equal amounts throughout the series. No, in reality, Peeta is probably designated as weak not because he is unable to protect himself, but because he needs to be saved by a woman at all.

Now, while this titular couple is well known from their differing-yet-complimentary personalities, we actually see that Katniss progressively comes to understand and even adopt many of Peeta’s beliefs over time. From the death of her District 11 ally in the first Games to her ethical conflicts with Gale throughout Mockingjay, Katniss is actually influenced by Peeta far more than many readers care to admit. Truth be told, Peeta “risks a beating because it’s the right thing to do. Strange as that motive must have seemed at the time to young Katniss, she will become more and more like Peeta over the course of their relationship, displaying a growing concern for others and a willingness to sacrifice herself in order to do what’s right” (Foy, 215). In fact, Peeta Mellark’s sense of morality is perhaps one of (if not the most) important aspects of his character, as it directly influences his actions, relationships and inclination towards kindness and altruism, as well as contributes to the grander themes of the trilogy at large. A prominent scene that displays said ethics takes place on the night before the Hunger Games. Katniss finds herself so worried about survival strategies and fear for her own wellbeing that she is unable to sleep, and while wandering the District 12 quarters of the Tribute Center, she discovers that Peeta is still awake too. When she asks him what he’s thinking about, he clarifies:

“I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?” he asks. I shake my head. [...] “I don’t want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I’m not.”

I bite my lip, feeling inferior. [...] “Do you mean you won’t kill anyone?”

“No, when the time comes, I’m sure I’ll kill just like everybody else. I can’t go down without a fight. ...Only I keep wishing I could think of a way...to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I am more than a piece in their Games.” (Hunger Games, 142-143)

Upon hearing this, Katniss is at first flummoxed, then irritated, and misunderstands his explanation as pretention and superiority rather than a sincere personal dilemma. She is at first unable to grasp that “when [Peeta] insists that he won’t let the Games change him, part of what he means is that he’s unwilling to [...] sacrifice his human decency, even at the cost of his life” (Foy, 214). Katniss goes on to put this encounter out of her mind, and the meaning of his moral impasse remains beyond her comprehension for a considerable duration of the 74th Games. But when her young ally, Rue, is brutally murdered by the male career from District 1, Katniss’ whole perspective turns on its head. Upon killing the boy and comforting Rue during her final moments, Peeta’s words are the first to enter Katniss mind, and it is at this point that she makes the decision to do something that will somehow force the Capitol to be held accountable for their cruelty. This is what leads to her memorial to Rue: the first act of subtle insubordination and solidarity to the rest of the districts that proves to be the spark of what will soon become the final rebellion.

With that in mind, although it was Rue’s death that triggered the defiance that eventually turns Katniss into the figurehead of the uprising, it was actually Peeta who first planted that seed of defiance in her head.  After this, both Katniss and Peeta together are “determined to hold onto their humanity by preserving their ethical autonomy, which includes the sense of moral obligation that Katniss has come to feel, in large part because of Peeta’s example. And because they do, they live to see another dawn” (Foy, 216). With the progression of each book, Katniss’ understanding of the broader concepts of ethics and selflessness increases exponentially, and by Mockingjay, her entire worldview has altered significantly to the point where it has become almost indistinguishable from Peeta’s. For instance, in the later days of the rebellion, Katniss is appalled at Gale’s strategy for defeating the Nut: he suggests that they bomb the mountains around the Capitol stronghold to trap and eventually suffocate both enemy and civilian within. When she protests, Gale “makes a classic ends-justify-the-means argument, insisting that war always involves collateral damage, the sacrifice of innocents, and inflicting tremendous suffering upon others” (Henthorne, 87-88). If this controversy had taken place at the beginning of the series, Katniss might have very well condoned Gale’s merciless viewpoint, albeit reluctantly; however, after both witnessing firsthand the damage this line of thinking can do and coming around to Peeta’s perspective, she is now utterly unable to justify the murder of innocents simply for the ambiguous goal of ‘victory’.  In effect, Katniss eventually divorces from Gale entirely, as she has realized that “choosing Gale would mean a betrayal of one of her highest values: the preservation of innocent life” (Myers, 143). Like Peeta had the day before their first Games, Katniss has come to value mercy over justice.

Be that as it may, if our meadowlark and mockingjay are both as similar as they are different, where does that leave the third member of this infamous love triangle? By the closing of the final novel, Gale Hawthorne becomes the true antithesis to everything that Peeta represents. After all, in almost every sense, Gale is what would be considered a traditional and ‘desirable’ male lead, defined by his ability to hunt and existing as the sole provider for his family. Furthermore, he feels intense romantic feelings for Katniss that he expresses passionately, physically and often without her prior consent.  However, these sorts of Byronic heroes and their displays of what might be considered ‘sexual assault’ in the real world are usually seen as alluring when exhibited in fiction. Many individuals, especially impressionable teenage girls, find themselves unable resist the “slightly mysterious and protective” type: so even though he might be “prone to displays of temper and violence [...], Gale fits the stereotype of rugged masculinity” to a tee (Miller, 153). Consequently, when confronted with the ‘Gale versus Peeta’ quandary, plenty of readers default to the taller, darker and handsomer individual without hesitation. However, if one looks closer, one might notice that Gale is actually a vessel for many a toxic aspect of hyper-masculinity, aspects that are entirely absent from Peeta’s character. For example, Gale is the embodiment of the male concept of ‘friend-zoning’. To clarify, this is a relatively recent slang term formed to describe a common situation in which a person is rejected by their romantic interest (typically a woman) that wants to keep their relationship platonic. Instead of mourning rejection but respecting her decision, ‘friend-zoned’ men typically lash out at their former flames and refuse to remain on good terms—friendship, to them, is insignificant if amorous love is not the end result. Throughout Catching Fire and Mockingjay, we see Gale engage in strikingly similar behavior to what was described above. On multiple occasions, he pressures Katniss to admit her feelings for him, even after she expresses discomfort at the prospect of romance, and he coerces and guilt-trips her into kisses or other displays of affection on numerous occasions. Though it is clear from day one that he does indeed care deeply for Katniss, Gale is still unable to accept her platonic friendship at face value, thus putting his own desires above Katniss’ emotional wellbeing.

In contrast, while understandably stung by Katniss’ romantic indecision after the first Games, Peeta is quickly able to swallow his disappointment and extend the olive branch in Catching Fire. While he admits that he “was jealous of [Gale],” he goes on to say, “I thought if I stopped being so, you know, wounded, we could take a shot at just being friends” (51). Despite the reality of his obvious attraction to Katniss, Peeta is more than willing to simply be with her in any way, romantic or not. This is an incredibly uncommon occurrence with any narrative that features a love triangle, as both parties are generally expected to be possessive of their ladylove. It is because of this that these boys are often keen to ‘duke it out’ with their rivals, so to speak, regardless of the apex of said triangle’s possible qualms; friendship just isn’t part of the equation. And yet with Peeta, Collins gives us a new possibility: that a man respecting his significant other’s choices and happiness isn’t just feasible, but healthier than the more conventional alternative. With that being said, the differences between Gale and Peeta go much deeper than just straightforward appearance and personality. In fact, these two young men stand on complete antithetical sides of morality. On one hand, Gale Hawthorne champions the tactic of fighting fire with fire. To him, morality is irrelevant in war, and he is more than willing to sacrifice others in order to achieve what he believes is just. And yet, in the end, it is Gale who falls short; more than that, he is ultimately reproached and sent away by Katniss: essentially exiled by Collins for the remaining few chapters. ...But why is this so important in terms of toxic masculinity and divergence from the gender norms that so constrain modern fiction? And what does Peeta have that Gale doesn’t? –In the end, ‘EverLark’ is the only resolution that makes sense: “Gale is correct when he says that Katniss would choose the one who would best help her to survive—but it’s not just physically. Peeta helps her to survive as herself, with her values intact” (Myers, 143). Though Katniss could have very well chosen Gale, not only would it have gone against everything she believes in, but most if not all of the uniqueness of the series’ romance would be nullified. So despite the fact that many fans of the books are confused and even angry about the final pairing, it remains evident that “Katniss and Peeta—the hunter and the baker—offer something that Gale and Katniss never could have: a partnership that helps us imagine an alternative to dominant romance narratives and a way of valuing both masculine and feminine roles, regardless of who fills them” (Miller, 159).

           In conclusion, Peeta Mellark is not just an accessory to Katniss, nor is he in any way detrimental or irrelevant to the narrative at large. Though he is involved in what could be viewed as a ‘gimmicky’ love triangle, what matters is that he provides us with refreshing divergence from the aggressive, often-damaging masculinity and misogyny that so many leading men in popular fiction are reduced to. Peeta is a multifaceted and three-dimensional character, but most importantly, he is unique—both within and without the narrative. He is kind instead of harsh, gentle instead of violent, calm instead of domineering: he is the peaceful sunset to Katniss’ raging fire, and the Hunger Games trilogy would not be the same without him.

Works Cited

Collins, Suzanne. Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. New York Scholastic, 2008—

2010.  Print.

Foy, Joseph J. “Safe to Do What?” The Hunger Games and Philosophy. Eds. George A. Dunn

and Nicolas Michaud. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2012. 193-203. Print.

Henthorne, Tom. Approaching the Hunger Games Trilogy : A Literary and Cultural Analysis.  

Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2012. Web. Jan. 2016.

Mann, Abigail. “Competition and Kindness.” The Hunger Games and Philosophy. Eds. George

A. Dunn and Nicolas Michaud. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2012. 193-203. Print.

Miller, Jessica. “Katniss and the Politics of Gender”. The Hunger Games and Philosophy. Eds.

George A. Dunn and Nicolas Michaud. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2012. 193-203. Print.

Mitchell, Jennifer. “Of Queer Necessity”. Of Bread, Blood and the Hunger Games : Critical Essays

on the Suzanne Collins Trilogy. Eds. Mary F. Pharr, Leisa A. Clark, and Donald

Palumbo. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2012. 118-128. Print.

Myers, Abigail E. “Why Katniss Chooses Peeta.” The Hunger Games and Philosophy. Eds.

George A. Dunn and Nicolas Michaud. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2012. 193-203. Print.

[punishmentismyjob]

Muse Quizzer - Lucifer Morningstar

RULES ____________________________________

1. Pick one of your muses. 2. Fill in the questions/statement as if you are being interviewed for an article and you were your muse 3. Tag 10 people to do this meme, (repost, don’t reblog) Tagged by: No one. _____________________________________

1. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?  Lucifer Morningstar 2. WHAT IS YOUR REAL NAME? Samael 3. DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU WERE CALLED THAT? Yes, it was what I was created to do. 4. ARE YOU SINGLE OR TAKEN? Depends on the verse.  5. HAVE ANY ABILITIES OR POWERS? Yes. I’m good with desires and other things. 6. STOP BEING A MARY SUE/GARY STU. This is not a question - Canon/Canon Divergent 7. WHAT’S YOUR EYE COLOR? Dark Brown, sometimes red. 8. HOW ABOUT YOUR HAIR COLOR? Dark Brown 9. HAVE YOU ANY FAMILY MEMBERS? Too many. 10. OH? WHAT ABOUT PETS? The Britanies count as pets, right? Or the dective’s child,  11. THAT’S COOL I GUESS, NOW TELL ME ABOUT SOMETHING YOU DON’T LIKE. Those who do not believe in what they say. 12. DO YOU HAVE ANY HOBBIES/ACTIVITIES YOU LIKE DOING? Sex and punishing those that deserve it. 13. EVER HURT ANYONE BEFORE? Oh yes, more than I’d like. 14. EVER… KILLED ANYONE BEFORE? ...Yes... 15. WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL ARE YOU? A sexual one. 16. NAME YOUR WORST HABITS: I hurt the people I care about. 17. DO YOU LOOK UP TO ANYONE AT ALL? Dective Chloe Decker and don’t tell him I EVER said this, Amendadiel 18. GAY, STRAIGHT, OR BISEXUAL? Bisexual 19. DO YOU GO TO SCHOOL? I did one time but it was for chlidren. 20. DO YOU EVER WANT TO MARRY AND HAVE KIDS ONE DAY? No, I detest children. 21. DO YOU HAVE ANY FANBOYS/FANGIRLS? This one girl, odd thing, named  Suki Price. 22. WHAT ARE YOU MOST AFRAID OF? Being trapped in my personal hell. 23. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY WEAR? Tailored suits. 24. DO YOU LOVE SOMEONE? Yes, I do. 25. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WET YOURSELF? I’ve never been incontentent.  26. WHAT CLASS ARE YOU? (HIGH CLASS, MIDDLE CLASS, LOW CLASS) Divine 27. HOW MANY FRIENDS DO YOU HAVE? A few, though I’m not sure, I haven’t counted. 28. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON PIE? I like pie, especially apple. 29. FAVORITE DRINK? Bourbon 30. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE? LUX 31. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SOMEONE? I am . 32. WHAT’S YOUR BRA CUP SIZE AND/OR HOW BIG IS YOUR WILLY? Is that a not-so-subtle way or asking to measure? 33. WOULD YOU RATHER SWIM IN THE LAKE OR THE OCEAN? Ocean. 34. WHAT’S YOUR TYPE? I’m a leg man. 35. ANY FETISHES? Most of them. 36. TOP OR BOTTOM? DOMINANT OR SUBMISSIVE? It depends on my partner’s desires, but I like to be in control. 37. CAMPING OR INDOORS? Indoors 38. ARE YOU WANTING THE QUIZ TO END Yes.

[chocolatequeennk]

To Make Much of Time chapter 37 and 38 commentary track

Another author’s choice. To Make Much of Time This was The Scene that made people yell at me.

Timelines shifted, and [the Doctor] knew this had been the endgame all along. “Rose, hold on! Hold on!” he shouted, but when she looked at him, he knew she’d felt the timelines too, and knew what was going to happen next.

One of the fun things I did in TMMOT was really play with the idea of “there’s a storm coming.” The Doctor started feeling someone messing with their timelines all the way back on Krop Tor, trying to split him and Rose up. So the whole time they’ve been together (because the first I love you came just after Krop Tor), they’ve been fighting this growing sense that disaster is looming. 

And this--Canary Wharf, Rose trapped in a parallel universe--this was the endgame of all that timeline fiddling. 

The suction slowly lifted her body until she was stretched parallel to the ground. She screamed against the pressure, and the Doctor winced, knowing how much her hands and shoulders must be hurting for her to cry out like that.

Rose, love—hold on!

Their eyes met, and she readjusted her grip on the lever. I won’t let go, she promised, just like she had in the dream. I don’t want to leave you.

Oh yep! That growing realisation included a prescient dream on Rose’s part. In fact, the next chapter starts with this scene from her POV, and she recognises this room from her dream as soon as she steps into it. 

I said this morning that I love writing Doomsday related things because of all the emotion involved, and this is a large part of it. I love their growing awareness of exactly what is going to happen in this room. Sometimes they avoid it, but even then, they know how close they came.

But they both knew it was an empty promise. Watching her fingers slip from the lever one at a time was worse than dying a thousand deaths. Rose smiled at him, but the Doctor could only stare in mute horror.

When she finally lost her grip entirely, time slowed, and the Doctor was vaguely aware that he must be slowing it down, trying to give Rose a way, somehow, to save herself.

Rose can promise never to leave him all she wants, but in this particular case, they both felt the timelines slide into place as soon as she let go of her clamp. How awful must it be for the Doctor, to watch her fall and be so close, yet not be able to do a thing about it?

And Rose is trying to be so brave for him, but I hurt for her, too. Especially because in this story, they have a telepathic bond and she knows it’s going to hurt when she’s gone. Not only that, the Doctor had offered earlier in the day to undo the bond (because remember, this is just the provisional bond, not the permanent one), and she said no because she was so certain they would make it through the day.

Ugh, think of how guilty she must feel, knowing that very soon, they will both feel that bond tear. It’s not that it’s her fault, but she was the one to make the call of not dissolving it. She decided, and they’ll both pay the price.

“Rose!” he yelled, not wanting to see her drawn into the Void, but unable to look away from her.

The second before she reached the wall, Pete Tyler reappeared. Rose landed solidly in his arms and she looked back at the Doctor. I love you.

The Doctor focused on the bond, opening himself up to it so she could feel how much he loved her. Her answering love and sorrow reverberated back to him, then Pete hit the button on his hopper and they disappeared.

Ah, the benefit of writing a couple with a telepathic bond! Because you can say something telepathically much faster than you can using your actual voice, so she had time to tell him she loved him, and he had time to answer. 

One last chance to tell your beloved how much you care for them...

And now we’re to the heart of the scene, the part that I get yelled at for.

The suction slowly faded, and then for a few seconds he could actually see the breach weave itself back together before closing entirely. His bond with Rose pulled like it had before, but this time it tore completely, and he shuddered at the pain.

The Doctor’s breath came in heaving sobs. When his feet touched the ground again, he stared at the wall for a long moment, as if he could will Rose back into existence by focusing on the point from which she had disappeared. Then he walked toward it in a daze, not stopping until he was pressed against it, his hand splayed out flat.

Oh, this hurts so much. they were so happy just before coming to London, and now... what, three hours later? He’s left alone, with a ring in his coat pocket that he’ll never be able to give Rose and a telepathic bond that’s left a gaping wound in his mind.

The place in his mind where Rose was supposed to be was empty. His mind tried to reach across the Void to find her, but the breach was well and truly closed. There was nothing there; no answer from her, no brush of her warm, pink-gold mind against his. She was just gone, and the bone deep loss nearly brought him to his knees.

The emptiness in his head after the war had nearly driven him mad. Then he’d met Rose, and even before the Game Station, she’d filled some of the hollow places left by the loss of his people. Later, their empathic connection and bond had given him the telepathic communion he’d needed.

Losing her ripped open wounds that had barely begun to scab over. He stumbled back a few steps from the wall, his vision clouded. The TARDIS sang to him, and he turned around, letting her call him home.

The hardest part about writing this scene was that I had to make it worse than canon. And the canon Doctor is pretty much catatonic as he walks out of this room. 

Losing Rose... he was never supposed to lose Rose. She was always supposed to be there with him, in his mind, and now she was gone. The idea that a mind suffering from a broken telepathic bond would constantly try to reach out for its partner is... it hurts. It hurts a lot, partly because it makes sense so you can’t really argue that the author is just making things up so the scene will hurt more. When you rip apart two things that have been connected, it hurts.

And losing Rose is so much more than just losing a telepathic partner. It’s losing his other half, the person who he’d planned to be with for the rest of his life. 

Oh, because of course, here’s something I never really touched on but ow.... He knows that Rose’s life has been extended. So part of what he’s thinking here is that she’s trapped in a parallel universe where she will outlive everyone. That curse of the Time Lords he went on about once? She’s going to go through that, alone, without anyone to stay with her. At least when seh was in this universe, they could share their forever.

Chapter 38

Being at all points in time at once, the TARDIS felt everything her Thief had felt, was feeling, and would feel. A moment ago, she had caught a ripple of his horror as he watched Rose lose her grip on the handle.

Have I mentioned how much I love writing from the TARDIS’ point of view? The way she relates to Time is so differently from how you or I see it, and that means that even while she’s parked in one moment in time, she can still look ahead and back and see all the results of this single event.

Then she felt the utter devastation and loss as he stood—would stand shortly—in front of a white wall, with their Wolf trapped on the other side.

His sorrow as he tried to say good-bye to Rose and his guilt when he realised their severed bond was hurting her, too.

But we’re with the Doctor right now. Ugh, it was so hard to write this. Because I didn’t just mention these moments, I went and got quotes. Losing Rose devastated the Doctor in a way the TARDIS could only understand because the two of them have a connection of their own. 

The emptiness as he continued to travel, trying to carry on with a life that was certainly better with two. Always reaching for her hand, always wishing she were there to explain things that he didn’t see. Remembering her every day, aching for her every day, until the TARDIS thought the pain would drive them both mad.

Oh, poor Doctor--and poor TARDIS. Because with their connection, his grief is affecting her, too. They both want Rose back. The Doctor needs Rose back. 

His lonely timeline continued on, but the TARDIS turned to her Wolf, the one who had looked into her heart. In her, she saw someone so determined to never leave the Doctor’s side that she would literally step through universes to get back to him.

This is a personal bit of headcanon. I already mentioned earlier in this story that the TARDIS made the possibility of becoming Bad Wolf available to Rose only because she already knew what option Rose would take. Rose would always choose to do whatever was necessary to keep the Doctor safe. 

And so here, the TARDIS has seen how much losing Rose will devastate the Doctor, but she also wants to see how Rose will react. They both know the Doctor won’t continue looking for ways to get across the Void, mostly for his own sanity. Will Rose let his “You can’t” stop her, or will she fight to prove him wrong?

In the present moment, the TARDIS watched Rose’s fingers slip from the lever and saw the despair on her face. A man appeared and grabbed her Wolf, and then they were gone.

Two timelines diverged then—the one she had seen, and the one she would create. The TARDIS reached across the still open Void and grabbed the part of herself she’d left behind in Rose when they were Bad Wolf, with all of Time at their fingertips, and she pulled.

And this is why I needed Rose to fall. I could have written a fixit where she didn’t, but the idea in my head was that her falling would prod the TARDIS into action, so she would reach out and bring Rose home.

Oh! And also, this whole scene was part of the reason I really worked hard at showing that Rose in my series is even closer to the TARDIS than the canon Rose was... well, if the TARDIS could have saved the canon Rose like this, why didn’t she? (Shh, don’t talk to me about actor contracts.) I wanted there to be an in-universe reason, some way that my Rose was already slightly different. And by heightening her telepathy over the past 8 months or so, which of course brought them even closer, I could do that.

Again, thanks to the way the TARDIS sees time, she could look down both their timelines in less than a second and reach out for Rose just before the Void closed. To the Doctor, it would seem as if Rose were trapped, so we keep the integrity of that gut-wrenching scene at the end of chapter 38. And for Rose... well, read on.

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

Rose took in a deep breath and quickly examined her surroundings: a beach, somewhere chilly, on a grey day. There wasn’t anyone in sight, but she did see a path leading up to the road. Following it, she found a sign that named the beach, and a shiver ran down her spine.

Bad Wolf Bay.

I take the words, I scatter them in time and space. A message to lead myself here.

So. Rose was in Pete’s World Torchwood for all of maybe... fifteen seconds, and then the TARDIS pulled her home. Only she got the landing a bit off, as she so often does.

I thought about having her pulled into the TARDIS. But that’s been done, and I really liked the idea of a reunion on Bad Wolf Bay--in this universe. To Rose, those words were always about coming back to the Doctor. It’s why I think the canon end to Doomsday was such a shock to her. She heard the Doctor’s voice, and it called her to a place named after a force that had brought them together against all odds. Why wouldn’t she think the same miracle was about to happen?

It had to be a sign, but of what? Why would she and the TARDIS have decided to put her on this deserted beach in a parallel world?

Something tickled at the back of Rose’s mind, and she looked harder at the sign, trying to figure out what it was. Alongside the name of the beach there was a map, indicating she was fifty miles outside of Bergen. But what… And then she realised. Bergen was in Norway. The sign was in Norwegian, but she was seeing English. If I’m in Pete’s World, how is the TARDIS translating for me?

Having Rose piece this together was fun. Even if you were taken out of your step-father’s arms and deposited on a beach, I don’t it would automatically occur to you that you’d also crossed the Void. 

But once she realises the TARDIS is still translating for her... well, that changes things.

As she walked back down to the beach, Rose allowed the possibility that she was still in the same universe as the Doctor to take hold of her mind. She was still here, not trapped on the other side of those white walls.

And then Rose settled in to wait. Wait on a windy beach in Norway until she heard one of her favourite sounds in the universe--the TARDIS materialising as her Doctor came to bring her home.