prodgreys

[olipeaksforever]

Season two of Twin Peaks if the writers hadn't butchered what was left of Josie and a tons of things about Coop:

[lmelodie]

TSCS Season 2 Episode 5

This episode...threw A LOT at me hard and fast, and me specifically. If you are also a fellow Council stan, you probably won't like this episode.

First, not too impressed that Cal is taking after his father and needlessly lying to Sandra to go fight Mad Santa. I love Cal, he brain really is empty, but come on dude. At least try rubbing your two braincells together.

I also keep forgetting that the way the lore is set up, Scott is the first and only human Santa. So, when it's said that Magus was Santa for centuries, I had to do a double take lol. Keeps throwing me for a loop!

Can't believe they got rid of Bernard YET AGAIN. IN A FUCKING FLASHBACK. It's almost funny how they've just given up on giving good excuses as to why Bernard can't be there. They just give him a mention and be like, "Yeah he's not here right now/anymore, ANYWAY."

And I wanna know why Bernard is at the very top of the maim list? What did he do that's worse than leading an actual coop? Good for him though, slay.

SO UGH!! My main beef with this episode is the fucking council! Because its utter BULLSHIT and completely out of character that they wouldn't help! I'm actually with Scott on this one surprisingly, you're telling me they can send Cupid to spy on him in his own home but not help the elves to rebel against a very clearly evil Santa???

They don't even give a good reason for it either! It's just a non-answer of "Legends can't interfere" which they most DEFINITLY CAN! Its bullshit! And I refuse to believe that the council would do this.

Like, you're telling me that this is the same council that seemed so sincerely supportive of Scott and his issues for the last two movies? The same council that came down to the pole to personally help pick up the slack in the third movie??? No, simply put I refuse to acknowledge that bullshit their trying to feed us, the council is nice and cares about the other members okay!

Also, I don't know how to feel about Befana being an ex-council member. I kinda liked her better as a cool forest dwelling Christmas witch that does her own thing and doesn't listen to a higher authority.

And maybe this could've worked better if there were any hints AT ALL to this being a thing, but it was never once implied up until this point that there has been any other council member's period. But of course, there wasn't! So, this development falls a little flat for me, not very impactful and a little jarring if anything.

He's a lemon...they turned him into a lemon. I can feel the years being taken off my lifespan...

And stealing the legendries powerful artifacts? NOT NECCESARY IN THE SLIGHTEST. Especially stealing cupid's arrows when normal arrows would've worked just fine! Are these arrows benign?? Are these gnomes gonna start falling in love when they wake up? Does the council currently know about all the stolen shit and have forgiven the elves and Befana? Do they STILL not know that this happened??

Also, really didn't need to use the arrows and sleep dust if you had Mother Nature's WIND AND LIGHTNING. LIGHTNING!! You couldn't win a battle with the actual (ill gotten) forces of nature???

This might be what I need to start drafting that hate fic. The spite fueled one shot. Because god damn there is so much petty CRIME happening here committed BY THE GOOD GUYS.

I don't even know how they're gonna possibly wrap all of this up, I am so tired.

[ben-talks-art]

Let's talk about entitlement

A couple of weeks ago I discovered that a voice actor from my country, an incredibly popular figure that is known for voicing super big roles such as Superman, Samurai Jack, Optimus Prime, Coop from Megas XLR (my favorite dub from the dude btw, he absolutely kills it!), and also acting as the voice for many popular actors such as Jim Carrey, was cast to play the role of Future Devil in the Brazillian dub of Chainsaw Man.

Now... I myself have not watched anything dubbed in my home country in eons, in fact, the Puss in Boots 2 movie was the first time in a while where I saw any form of media dubbed with Brazillian voice actors, if only because I wanted to see this thing as soon as possible so I just rushed to the nearest cinema I could find, and sadly Brazillian cinema doesn't show animated movies in their original dub...

So anyway, I wasn't exactly going "OMG!! Superman is gonna voice the "the future rules!" guy!!!" or anything like that. I was mostly just going "Oh, neat!", but after watching Puss I was kinda curious to find out how the whole Brazilian Future Devil thing went and... Ugh...

Apparently, the voice actor got a lot of hate on Twitter because they didn't adapt the line from the manga in the same way it was done by the fan translations... I repeat, people got angry at the actor because the line was different from the FAN TRANSLATIONS! And he received so much backlash from the watchers that he decided to drop out of the show and thus won't be returning for a future season.

Cool...

So... Let's talk about entitlement a little bit

Let's just assume for a moment that there is a girl you really, really like (I'm using "girl" but just replace it with whatever works for you), but she couldn't care less about you, so you try to make yourself look better, more desirable, more "worthy" of her by, let's say... Having a very well-paid job, or being someone who donates a lot to charity, or paying for the surgery of her grandma, or finding the cure for cancer, or ending world hunger... Let's just assume you did everything you could to be considered the most perfect person ever...

You're still not entitled to that girl's affection, appreciation, or even attention if she doesn't want to give you that.

Entitlement is the mentality of "I earned this, so I deserved it!"

But the fact of the matter is, unless you're paying someone for a job, and they agree to it, nobody really owes you anything.

(Although I guess one could argue that you're also owed your parents' support in order to survive since they're the reason you're here at all but... I'm not sure I have enough knowledge to talk about this so casually.)

But long story short, entitlement is this idea that you should have things done in the way you want them to be, just because you convinced yourself that this is how it should be.

I mentioned before in my Makima post that I really don't like this mentality because it works to make people think they have power over something they have nothing to do with.

This happens a lot with fanbases. Sonic, Kingdom Hearts, Chainsaw Man, Star wars... There are so many pieces of media where the public will go "this isn't how I wanted" or even worse "this isn't how it is supposed to go!" as if they were the creators or something.

They use arguments like "I complain because I care!" but in reality, it isn't about caring. This isn't about displaying your love for an IP you care about, it's about you not being able to handle a reality different from what you wanted.

It's basically the premise of the movie "Misery" where this one fan wants to act like she knows the story better than the actual author.

Now... Thinking that you deserve something even though there is nothing that says you technically do aside from your own belief is already bad enough, but it gets even worse when people use it as an excuse to act violently.

Harassing a voice actor and making him give up on his job just because a line was changed is just beyond silly. It's not the fans' duty to tell how a story should be told, same way it isn't right for fans to harass an actor just because they played an unpopular character in a live-action performance like it Happened with Rose in Star Wars, or telling someone they should kill themselves just because they made a joke about an infamous ship in Chainsawman.

It's even weirder in Chainsawman's case because part 2 literally starts with someone getting so much harassment by their classmates that it makes her want to die, which just makes me wonder if people are even trying to pick the messages of the story they are consuming.

Bottom line, entitlement is ugly. It is in my opinion THE ugliest mindset anyone could have.

It makes people perform actions out of selfishness, arrogance, anger, and it only works to spread pain and misery. It makes you look at other people as objects that only exist to satisfy your desires and makes you forget they have feelings and that they can get hurt, all because they happen to want to do something you disagree with.

If someone writes a story in a way you don't like it, you're not entitled to attack that writer. If someone performs the role of a character in a way you don't like it, you're not entitled to attack that actor. And if someone has an opinion about a piece of media that you disagree with, you're not entitled to attack that commenter.

You NEVER have a reason to attack anyone. Trying to put others down just to make yourself look big, ironically, doesn't make you look big! It just makes it look like you don't have enough faith in what you stand for and are too afraid that someone might prove you wrong.

Entitlement and aggressiveness are huge symbols of insecurity, cowardice, and immaturity, because people who truly believe in what they believe in, don't resort to harassment so fast just because a different point of view showed up.

We only attack when we feel threatened, when we feel someone is trying to hurt us or trying to take something important from us.

Attacking should only be reserved for self-defense, or the defense of someone who can't defend themselves (and even then I feel like there is a whole other grey area of debate on how to know who needs and should be defended and from whom, which I really don't feel I have the skills or maturity to properly talk about myself).

A random line on a fan translation of a popular manga that got changed when the official dub came out... Is just not a good enough reason to feel threatened, and not a good enough reason to attack someone, even if it's just an online attack.

We all know the line, "If you have nothing good to say, don't say anything!"

Unless someone is asking for your opinion, unless someone is paying you to speak and make a criticism or provide some sort of honest feedback, or unless you're being harassed first, you are NEVER entitled to use your words or body to try to harm someone!

You are free to live your life in any possible way you want, as long as no one is getting hurt from it.

...

At least in my opinion...

I am not a psychologist, or psychiatrist, or a psychic, or any form of expert in the field of the human mind.

These are just my casual thoughts about a... Not so casual topic, but I feel it's important to be talked about nonetheless because I feel not many people seem to realize how big of a problem entitlement really is, and how it seems to be getting worse as the years go by as the media and internet keeps making us feel like we have more power over other people's lives than we actually have.

Just... Try to think twice before you get that sudden urge to want to complain about the way something is or how someone is acting just because you don't agree with it. Think a little about who might be getting hurt from it and if it's truly worth it getting so upset about it.

...

Anyways, this was a downer talk... Anyone seen Puss in Boots 2 yet?

[furryprovocateur]

**saren voice** dragon's gate was a major victory!

let's start off with the bad: rapier and wolf beil are both at one use so they're going to sit in storage until i get my paws on the hammerne. i basically had to use them both, but for different reasons: wolf beil because darin is a son of a cunt to kill without using hector, and even then a steel axe was 3HKOing before throne recovery, 4HKOing after it and 75ish% accuracy wasn't doing me favors (as the fiora video could show you, my luck is exceptionally shitty) and rapier because eliwood may be my oswin but the dude still can't double consistently and i needed some of these cavs dead. despite darin being a huge asshole and hunting down the thieves being tight, dragon's gate is an easy chapter if you know the reinforcements and what to expect. you know what that means?

low experience unit catch up time! i fielded lowen, bartre, rebecca, raven, matthew, fiora, florina, priscilla, serra, and the mandatory lord trio. sain would've been entirely unnecessary and overkill (though he'd have solved the darin problem at the cost of soaking up too much experience). i didn't feel like bringing kent either because he's at a comfortable 15 and this map doesn't even really need/reward cavs that much. you basically have to force them through chokepoints (movement penalty terrain or breakable walls) and it's just smarter to ditch them. that said, i brought lowen because he was in that sweet spot of needing experience without being entirely helpless. everyone else was because i could find a good niche for them. lyn and eliwood having to come along is a blessing in disguise for the same reason, though i had to work around them a bit more.

so, strategy-wise my plan was to send bartre to deal with the knights on the left open area + the cooped up archers that spawn in the brave bow chest area + the PK reinforcements. raven + rebecca go to the middle enclosed area because raven is just shy of 2HKOing a lot of the reinforcements that spawn, so i could feed kills to rebecca, with anything he was killing giving her an opportunity to peck away at for free experience basically. fiora basically stuck around the mage spawns that i otherwise didn't have a decent answer for (in the casual run, i used canas, but i'm not fucking using him in the ranked run at this rate). serra stuck around to heal bartre + fiora as necessary. everyone else rushed through the middle path to encounter cameron and the partridge family. fielding matthew isn't strictly necessary, but i used my only door key in 19xx with hector to expedite the process, so i had no choice left but to use unlock or a lockpick. i had unlock on serra so it was smarter to just field matthew since he could double for getting the treasure chests. i COULD have given it to priscilla, but priscilla had a sniper rifle staff in the form of the sleep staff. i've never seen anyone recommend this strat, but i used sleep on the thief with the member card to stop him from being an even bigger pain. she only had a hit rate of about 60% but it landed, and good god it's such a lifesaver to have it land so i didn't have to play grabass with him. lastly, the lord trio do clean up with florina in darin's room. florina ended up soloing a lot of the top section's enemies, truth be told i got pretty lucky she didn't die due to her dodging the hand axe dudes.

even in spite of this good fortune, there are still shortcomings that happened with this chapter. for starters, i was only able to save 4 turns, which i'm happy with, but i think if i had played ever so slightly smarter, i could've gotten a turn or two shaved off. also, in spite of me getting a shitload of experience, i still fell short of the experience goal. thankfully, the profit wiggle room + 19xx helped make that a negligible concern, but i was really hoping that i hit the 2100 mark, because it totally felt like i did when playing it. oh well. probably the biggest failing i made was not getting the brave bow. unfortunately, it was just way too far out of the way to justify getting and considering it's 7500 gold, i really had to weigh my options. ultimately, turns are more important than funds right now, and i'm doing fairly well on funds. it's really disappointing to have that hanging over my head, but it was either that or sacrificing 4 turns to get 7500 gold. if i played my cards right, i could make that much gold back from burning turns in the arena, so i'm gonna just console myself with that.

most importantly: i got the fucken physics. 4 of them to be accurate. it might seem excessive, but the ability to heal from a distance is nothing to sneeze at + it's actually a large amount of experience to get per use, which will help priscilla and serra quite a bit considering they're lagging behind in levels. side note: my priscilla has gotten only HP as a level up like 3 levels now, lol. combine that with my rebecca being stuck at 5 strength in both the casual and ranked run and the game is being mean to some of my favorite units. but yeah, i definitely want those staves because they're not only a great utility but going to help with experience goals + pent joins with one rounding me out at 5 physic staves, which i can't help but imagine will last me the entire playthrough. that and buying them with the silver card means there's no loss on funds until i use them, so if i did overbuy, it's not even at a cost.

look at those benchmarks! we're 1/3rd the way done with experience, a little over 1/3rd the way through tactics' turn count, and 1/4th the way to being done with funds. things are gonna start snowballing here i think, the hardest part of HHM is definitely past us. and i'm really happy i was able to get all my major goals in dragon's gate + managed to save 4 turns. i have a good stretch of chapters i can save turns on now, so tactics is gonna stop being a concern soon.

[fruitcoops]

I just reread that one thing you wrote where Kasey found out Remus wasn't innocent by accidentally reading the message, and now I need the rest of the team finding out that Remus is the kinky one and Sirius just grinning so fucking smugly cos out of all the players, he's the one that gets the kinky fiancé (like Kasey said at the end of the thing) 😂🥰💙

Valentine’s Day Part 2! This is the follow-up to the spicy Coops from earlier--hope you enjoy! Sweater Weather credit goes to @lumosinlove!

TW for hickeys, friendly chirping, and implied smut on many accounts

Sirius had never dreaded going to practice more. He could hardly sit down, and the hickeys that freckled his body and ringed his thighs showed no sign of going away anytime soon. Part of him—a very, very, very small part—wished Remus had gone a little easier, but the rest of him still got a thrill of excitement whenever he saw the marks.

The locker room was quiet when they entered; Sirius tried to hide his slight limp, but he noticed Logan’s wince as he bent to grab his bag off the floor. Kasey lowered himself onto his bench with a slow breath, and even James fiddled with the edge of his shirt instead of pulling it off.

“Loops, you seem to be in good shape,” Finn said with a half-laugh. Remus cleared his throat and, sighing, pulled his shirt off. There was a low whistle. “Damn. Never mind. I guess you’ll be breaking out the turtlenecks, eh?”

Remus’ courage seemed to reassure the others, and within a few minutes most of the shirts and pants had come off, revealing hickey patterns over just about all of them. The chatter started up again, then went dead silent when Sirius removed his own shirt. Talker snorted. “How’re you feeling, Cap? Do we need to get Loops a mouthguard, or…?”

Sirius shot him a mock-glare as he pulled his pads on and a ripple of quiet snickering washed through the room, then died down as Kasey slid his sweats off his legs and revealed a whole fucking handprint on his thigh. “Yeah, yeah, I know,” he huffed. “Haha, very funny.”

Be a good captain, be a good captain, be a good captain—“You’re in good company, Bliz.” He steeled himself and tugged his own pants off, reaching for his under armor and pointedly ignoring the four different jaws that hit the floor.

James leaned over and smacked Remus on the head with his glove. “Dude!”

“Ow! What?”

“Are you trying to eat him alive?” When Remus hesitated, James hit him again. “Bad Loops!”

“Alright, we’re all adults here,” Sirius interrupted. “It was Valentine’s Day, things happened to everyone. Let’s all agree not to speak of what we see in the locker room today, okay?” There were a few murmurs of agreement. “Okay?”

“Yes, Cap,” they chorused.

“Good talk.”

Ten minutes later, Arthur knocked on the doorway and poked his head in. “Hey, guys. It has come to my attention that yesterday was Valentine’s Day, so I wanted to apologize if I interrupted any plans you may have had. That being said, this is a professional team—Potter, what’s on your hip?”

James swallowed hard. “Nothing, Coach.”

“Are you hurt?” Across the room, Leo stifled his laughter in his elbow. “I can call Hestia—”

“It’s, uh, a bite mark,” James said at last, staring at the floor.

Arthur’s eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?”

“A bite mark. From my wife.” He shrugged his jersey on and grimaced a little. “I thought we would have two days for it to go away.”

Arthur’s eyes flickered around the room and settled on Logan. “Tremblay, you’re favoring your left leg.”

“Yes, Coach.”

“You’re not hurt, either?”

“Nope.”

And then Arthur’s gaze fell on Sirius. “Cap. Your ankle’s not causing that scowl, is it?”

“No, Coach, it’s not.”

Arthur sighed and glanced down at his clipboard. “Holy fuck.”

“Yes, it was,” Dumo said under his breath with a smirk. Both Logan and Sirius turned to him in abject horror.

“Everyone, stand up.” Arthur ran a hand down his face as they all shakily got to their feet; Sirius bit his lip and leaned on the side of his stall for balance. Oh, Lupin, I hope you’re proud of yourself. There was a beat of silence before he shook his head. “Practice is called off, seeing as half of you apparently got laid so good you can’t walk. I expect you to work twice as hard on Monday, alright?”

“Yes, Coach,” they said in unison.

Arthur took a last look at them and a smile twitched at his mouth, then devolved into full-blown chuckling. “Oh, fuck, this is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. Good for you, boys. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

They could still hear him laughing as he walked down the hall and immediately began stripping their gear off with sighs of relief. Logan outright groaned as he pulled his sweats back on and Sirius saw Leo’s pupils dilate. “Easy there, Knut,” he teased. Leo made a face. “What, you don’t have a comeback? That’s a first.”

“I’m taking a day off,” Leo rasped.

Finn went vibrant red and Kasey’s eyes got huge. “You good, baby rookie?”

“A-okay.” Leo gave him a thumbs-up and took a long drink of water. “It was worth it.”

“Yeah, I bet,” Remus muttered with a sly grin.

“Oh, you are in no place to talk—”

“At least I can talk!”

“At least he’s got his thighs intact, unlike some people!” James cut in.

Kasey raised his eyebrows. “Should I give Lily a call and ask for details? I’m sure she’s got a real fun story for us.”

“Should I give Nat a call and ask how her hand is doing?” he countered.

“What happened to being adults about this?” Sirius asked as he zipped his bag up. “Because if we’re forgoing that, I’d love to see Logan try and sit down.”

Logan narrowed his eyes and tilted his chin toward Sirius’ legs. “I’m three seconds away from asking how those lines got so crisp. Try me, Cap."

Talker whistled. “Low blow.”

“No, a low blow would be calling my sister and asking if she’s currently at her own apartment,” Logan said smoothly, though he fixed Talker with a look that could curdle milk. “Watch it.”

“It’s times like these that I’m grateful none of you want to know about my sex life,” Dumo said as he stood. “Because last night was—”

“No!” half the locker room shouted at the same time. Packing was quick after that—nobody wanted to stick around any longer than necessary and risk being chirped for their various kink giveaways. Sirius practically broke the speed of sound while he changed back into his cozy pants.

Logan caught up to him just as they were leaving the locker room with a devilish smile. “So, was it garters or thigh highs?” he muttered, keeping his eyes on their respective partners up ahead.

“None of your business, you nosy little shit.”

“I’m guessing thigh highs.”

“And I’ve got several guesses for why Leo can’t get more than three words out, but unlike you, I know how to hold my tongue.”

“Were they comfortable?”

Sirius sighed through his nose. “Very.”

“Hmm. I might have to get some of my own.”

He actually laughed aloud at that—Remus and Finn glanced back, confused. “You’re already having trouble walking, mon frère. Let’s not make it worse on you.”

“Hey!” Logan jogged a bit to keep up as Sirius increased his pace, both wincing a little. “I would look fucking incredible!”

“Not as good as I did.”

“What are we talking about?” Leo asked, falling back to join the conversation.

“Knutty, I’d look good in thigh highs, right?” Logan demanded. Finn choked on air and Leo’s eyes went a little unfocused at the thought. “Right?”

“Point proven,” Sirius said with a smirk, ruffling his hair. “See you Monday!”

“I’d look better than you!” he called after Sirius.

“Oh, no you wouldn’t!” Remus shot back, tucking his hand in Sirius’ pocket as they headed for the door.

[kaiparker-avengerssmut]

CURSED: CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“Knocking on Heaven’s Door”

Kai Parker x OC!Mack Grace

Series synopsis: "We're both cursed, in a way."

We all know the story of Kai Parker, but he once lived in a very different life. Do you ever wonder what that life looked like?

Chapter summary: Kai realised he fucked, Mack isn’t so willing to forgive him, Joshua is a shading little shit

Warnings: swearing, slight violence, arguing, mention of drug use (or misuse I guess)

Masterlist | series Masterlist

Kai’s affection didn't last long, the second the announcement was over he released Mack's hand with such haste you'd think it'd burnt him. Kai was quick to ignore his girlfriend - looking straight ahead and following the Police with his eyes as they made their way out of the room - but not before announcing they would be questioning certain individuals.

This put Mack's stress on overdrive, knowing that they'd find out that she killed him and that Kai helped destroy the body and they'd both go to prison. The girl shuddered at the thought of the cold, dingy cells; the cool metal bars that would not doubt be lathered in a layer of thick rust; the grumpy, disgruntled guards; and lastly, the inmates - the ones who had done awful things, much more so than she had than her, or even worse, the ones she outdid.

Mack visibly shook, a chill tickling along her spine as the thoughts encased her mind in a state of anxiousness. She hardly noticed the police had left until the jabbing of the bell pierced her ears, bringing Mack back to her senses as she scrambled to her feet. What she'd also failed to notice was that Kai was no longer in the class, having snuck out when he'd let go of her shaking hand.

...

"Who the fuck are you?" Kai hissed, approaching Shawn, shoulders squared and jaw locked. Shawn smirked, leaning away from the wall and closing the distance between them. Both boys were around the same height - neither of them having an advantage of dominance due to being tall.

"None of your damn business." He smirked, winding Kai up even further.

"Oh, you're right - it's none of my damn business that your asking my girlfriend to kiss you in front of me, is it?" Kai mused, a sinister looking smirk reaching his own lips. Shane's didn't falter either.

"Mmm, girlfriend? She looked more like a slut to me." Shawn pondered and Kai's jaw clenched uncomfortably, hands balling into tight fists at his sides.

"What did you just call her?" Kai spat through gritted teeth and Shawn chuckled, looking back at the group of friends stood behind him with amused expressions.

"What? That's what she is, isn't it? I mean you only called her your girlfriend when you pissed off your sister so bad and her ex went missing." Shawn smirked, his friends laughing and egging him on with cheers. "I bet she's the one who killed him, right? Then ever the hero you swoop in, claiming to be her boyfriend so any motive she may hold becomes futile." Shawn declared, before turning back to his friends with outstretched arms. "Am I right, boys?" He called loudly, met with hoots of agreement that made Kai's anger bubble, their laughter creating a scowl on Kai's brows.

"I mean, nice catch though dude - a bet she's a real freak in bed, probably hard to keep up with her, huh?" Shawn taunted.

Shawn only stopped at the impact of Kai's fist colliding with his jaw, snapping the boy's head to the side as Kai's ring caught the soft skin of his cheek, a slither of crimson breaking the surface. Shawn's jaw clenched tight lung, his thumb swiping the blood from his cheek as his dangerous glare met Kai's.

"You son of a fucking bitch!" Shawn growled, grabbing Kai by his jacket and shoving him into the wall behind him. "Don't you dare fucking touch me again!"

"Or you'll what?" Kai smirked, Shawn's nostrils now flared and his breathing heavy. He was clearly bothered by how unaffected Kai was, this frustration showing clearly when he moved to punch Kai.

But Kai got there first.

No one was really sure how I'd happened, including Kai, but next thing either of them new a teacher was peeling Kai off of Shawn as he straddled the boy, landing punch after punch to his bartered and bruised face.

...

And yet weeks went by and neither Mack nor Kai said a word to each other.

Awkward silences became more awkward, uncomfortable moments became more uncomfortable, wistful gazes became more wistful.

It was getting too much, and Mack was dying for Kai just to say something to her, yet she was too stubborn to say anything first. She sighed heavily, slamming the front door behind her and dumping her bag on the floor. Mack quickly chucked the car keys onto the table before walking into the kitchen for a glass of water. For the past month Mack has been borrowing her dad's car to get to school.

"Hey dad!" She called and Ian soon walked round the corner, joining her in the kitchen.

"Hey, kiddo." He smiled, "how was school?" But before Mack got a chance to answer Kim called from the other room.

"Mack! Kai's here!" The colour instantly drained from Mack's face, her smile falling and her thought spiralling into dread.

Why was Kai there? And why had he now decided to talk to her?

Mack quickly shook off the thoughts, pulling on a hard stare and calling as emotionlessly as she could to Kim,

"I don't want to talk to him. Tell him to leave!" Kim merely shrugged, giving Kai a half-ass apologetic look before letting the slab of wood slam shut in his face, the tiny draft the force created combined with the monotone drawl of Mack's words felt like it hit Kai's face almost as hard as if the girl had charged outside and slapped him across the face herself. He took a deep swallow, choking down the lump in his throat as he stared blankly at the door, fist twitching as he tried to make up his mind.

Another hollow knock on the door. Kim's hand still remained on the handle, so she simply yanked it open before giving Kai a bored look, Amber eyes rolling dramatically.

"Look, lover boy, give it a rest. She doesn't want to talk to you." Mack's sister deadpanned, before letting the door smack shut with an even louder thud than the first time. Kai took a deep breath, his chest rising greatly as he rose his hand another time.

Another hollow knock on the door. Kim scoffed, turning to open the door once again - figuring it could be another person as the pause between knocks had been much longer this time. The second Kai's face met hers Kim huffed out an exasperated sigh, not even bothering to speak before letting the door close dully in Kai's face. A wince escaped him when the last thud met his ears, shoulders slumped as he slowly made his way back to his jeep.

He'd just have to wait Mack out.

10pm. Perfect. Kai claimed out his car hastily, limbs aching after being cooped in his jeep for the last five or so hours. He crept as quietly as possible past her front windows, letting out a small sigh of relief when he noticed that the curtains were already closed so he wasn't in trouble of being seen. Only one light beacons out from the house, the yellow hue of Mack's lamp echoing into the crisp night air. Even though it was already February, the weather was still as harsh as it had been throughout the bitter January.

Kai grabbed onto the bricks, suddenly much more appreciative to the fact he had a small magical boost as he scaled the side of the small building.

Mack nearly jumped three foot in the air, her heart beating so fast she thought it jump out of her chest. The unexpected, unwelcome and unnecessary rattle of Kai's knuckles against her old window bounced off her bedroom walks, filling her ears with anxiety as she turned to see her ex-boyfriend's concerned face looking into her room. Mack inhaled sharply, biting her lips to hold back her grimace as she realised what he'd seen.

The window climbed upwards, Kai's hands sliding the glass up enough to stumble through until he was awkwardly stood in Mack's room, both teens staring at each other uncomfortably.

"That's how you've been coping?" Mack's gaze dropped to her bed, guilt washing over her at the sight of the half-rolled joint. "Weed? Really?" Kai scoffed and Mack's guilt soon rolled into anger, rage.

"That's none of your business." She said with an unturned nose, scooping the mess into a bag and shoving it in the little drawer in her desk which held a small lock. The sound Kai made resembled one of mocking laughter, short and bitter.

"None of my business, huh? I think you doing drugs is damn well my fucking business!" Kai demanded, shaking his head at her in disbelief.

"It stopped being your business the second you decided to dump me!" Mack was raising her voice now, her enmity melting into her face in a deep red hue. Kai's jaw clenched and unclenched, his eyes burning holes through the little wooden drawer shed just stuffed the weed into.

"That was a mistake." He muttered and Mack's eyes lit up with fury.

"A mistake? Kai you've made hundreds of mistakes!" Mack said harshly, voice cracking. Kai wiped his hand over his jaw, hiding his pout. "No. That wasn't a mistake, Kai. That was your shitty past making you doubt me as much as you doubt your shitty father and your shitty coven!" Mack shouted, eyes shellacked with tears.

And awkward silence fell over them, but Kai's stung expression told Mack everything she needed to know.

"Kenz..."

"Why are you here, Kai?!" Mack spat.

"Ben, he's uh- he's been confirmed dead." Kai murmured meekly, pressing his lips together. Mack's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"What?!" She whispered-shouted. Kai nodded.

"The police- they confirmed it, earlier. It was on the news." A somber mood had undertaken the room, a mutual air of what-do-we-do-now becoming the two teens.

"How-?"

"They found the ashes in the woods. And Kim talked." Kai admitted and Mack's face quickly morphed back into one of acrimony.

"That bitch-" Kai's hand quickly caught her wrist, pulling Mack back into him before she could get any further. He quickly backed her up into the door, a finger hovering over her lips.

"Shhhh. I have a sneaking suspicion that your name wouldn't have come up." He whispered calmly, but the fear and anger in his blue eyes were evident.

"What are you going to do?" She asked, a hint of concern creeping into her eyes.

"Well, I was thinking we could run away. You and me." Kai suggested, a hopeful glint to his voice that made Mack scoff.

"You haven't spoken to me in weeks," she emphasised the word heavily, "and you just expect me to run away with you? Not a chance." Mack dismissed, pulling away from Kai and quickly slipping out of her room - feet padding down the stairs swiftly. But Kai's heavy footsteps could be heard behind her.

"Come on, Kenz, you know you want to-" at that Mack turned harshly on her heal to face him

"What makes you think I'd want to go anywhere with you?" She hissed and Kai was taken aback.

"I thought you loved me.." he mumbled and Mack rolled her eyes, but really she was only trying to hide the siege of tears persisting at her bottom eyelids. She continued her path out, pulling the front door open harshly. "Where are you going?" Kai called, before coming to a stop a few feet behind Mack outside the small house.

"I'm just asking myself, why do I," Mack took a pause, inhaling a deep breath, "pick people who treat me like...nothing..." she exhaled deeply, turning around to face him and Kai's bottom lip began to quiver. Tears pooled in his deep blue eyes and he shook his head slightly.

"That's not true." He murmured, head still shaking as Mack kept her eyes trained to the floor. She gave him no response.

Kai's lips smashed to hers, his hands cupping her face and his eyes closed. Mack balled her fists by her sides, trying with all her strength to not kiss back. She finally pulled away, her hand making a hard connection with Kai's cheek.

"No! You don't get to do that, Kai!" She screamed, tears running down Mack's red cheeks. "You don't get to screw everything up and expect to kiss me and make it better!" The tears stung his eyes too now, an expression of sadness over coming him.

"I'm sorry." The words were mumbled, directed at the floor.

"Sorry?! You thought so little of me that I'd throw away what we had for some - some guy I'd just met! I can't be with you if all you can do is think of me as some lying, manipulative bitch like you do you coven! I can't, Kai. God, I can't believe I actually fell in love with someone as- as immature as you!" Mack seethed, but Kai was crying silently now, shaking his head no as she spoke even though deep down he knew every word she spoke was true.

"Please don't leave me." Kai begged, his desperation lacing his deep blue eyes with a rim of sadness, eyes finally making contact with Mack's. "Please, Kenz, I can't live without you."

"Kenz? Oh we are so not at nicknames right now Malachai." Mack spat out his name like is tasted bad, as if the word held a lingering bitter taste on her tongue. It stung Kai, Mack using his full name.

"I love you." Was all Kai suggested and Mack let out a heavy sigh through her tears.

"If you truly loved me, you would have trusted me. I can't be with someone who I have to tread on eggshells around, Kai. I can't do that." Mack cried, biting down on her lower lip to hide a sob. She looked at her feet, then back up again and put on a brave face as her eyes bored into Kai's blue orbs. "We're done." She whispered and Kai's eyes widened.

"No..." he muttered, shaking his head slowly in protest as Mack sorrowfully nodded.

"Yes, we're done. For good. I'm sorry." Mack said authoritatively, wiping the tears away quickly before turning back around and walking over to her dad's car.

"Kenz!" He shouted after her, but Mack pretended to ignore him - a new wave of tears threatening to drip down her chin now. The lights on the car flashed orange, the button on the keys clicked and the door now open. Mack slipped in, seating herself in the car and pushing the keys into the ignition, starting the car with a small sob.

As Mack attempted to shut the door, a strong hand caught it, Kai's wrecked face looking down at her with a pleading beg.

"Please don't leave, don't you get it? I love you Kenz." Kai begged. Mack shook her head.

"Let me go, Kai." He shook his head back, pressing his lips together to stop himself choking over a sob.

"I can't."

"And you've lost the right to call me anything but Mackenzie." She whispered, finally out manning Kai and slamming the door shut, not even hesitating before driving off.

...

The words buzzed through Mack's mind, her eyes trained on the road ahead of her as she desperately drove further away from home. She couldn't put her family through this, not right now, couldn't face him. She had to get away, go somewhere to think.

Mack tapped her foot restlessly, chewing on her bottom lips as she drove down the secluded road. As she approached a corner, she turned around it to see a car parked up at the side of the road, lights flashing.

As she drove closer, she realised it was Kai's father's car, so she made to pull over. Even thought she was avoiding Kai, Joshua hadn't done anything wrong and he could be in serious trouble. Once parked at the side of the road, Mack quickly climbed out her car, locking it behind her and walking over to Joshua - who was stood by his tyre, bent down to examine it.

"Hey, Mr Parker!" She called, arms crossed over her chest, and he looked up.

"Ah, Mackenzie! What are you doing out here alone?" He asked with a small frown.

"Well I was just driving to clear my head and I saw your car...are you okay? Do you need help?" She asked worriedly, stepping back slightly as Joshua rose to stand.

"Actually," he spoke rather menacingly, "there is something you could help with." He continued walking until Mack was backed into a tree and she let out a sharp gasp. Joshua raised his hand. "Phasmatos Somnus!" he spoke, and Mack's body fell limp, eyes closed as she fell unconscious.

[flameontheotherside]

Drinking

I remember when my intuition told me Erik was dead. The same feeling is what I had when in between awake and asleep; when Erik verbatim said that Matt, my ex bf passed away...I've been drinking everyday for nearly a week. Had nursed a few hangovers too. Fun fucking shit.

It feels almost the same; I'm crying, drinking, avoiding talking about it...But today I went for an almost 2 hr walk. It didn't help. Every time I listen to certain songs, I'm seeing us jamming and right now, I don't want to see that.

It's funny I kind if have a whole band on the other side.

We jam all the time. Matt played keys when he was alive, Alex played the drums, and Erik on guitar. I played bass guitar. It's become such a habit that every time I hear a song we play, my mind goes there. Today I tried very hard not to invision Matt with us. Besides, most songs on our jam list don't have keys. The thought of Matt just being there at all makes me upset.

I thought going for a walk would clear my head but it didn't. I came home tired and ready for a shower. That's just about it. I can't stay cooped up inside drinking and getting high. I've even worked and watched Netflix. Im feeling the only peace I get is just to sleep. Then there's this motivation to get in better shape. I can't be this overweight for long. It's affecting my health. I gotta get back in shape and work on music with the band but I just lack all the motivation.

2 years ago yesterday, Matt asked me to be his gf.

I remember it. I thought sure, why not? I mean both of us were homeless and we needed each other. Now, looking back, I've talked it over several times with the frustration over his obsession with his toxic ex. So I gave up on Matt and just did my own thing while in Texas. I felt used by Matt who I helped so much.

I didn't feel appreciated because against my predictions, he continued to contact her (the toxic ex) and when my predictions were right he ignored it. He went to Wisconsin to move in with a chick he met online. I warned him about her too. Something wasn't right. Turned out I was right and I had already moved to Washington. There was nothing I could do for him. Naturally I gave him the "I told you so" shit. Asked him to worry about futhering himself instead of needing a women in his life all the time. He didn't listen to me of course.

I came to terms I was being used by him but he apologized and said several times he appreciated me and missed me very much. His apologies were enough. I figured something must have happened to make him want to suddenly have this moment of clarity.

Now he's dead I guess Matt knows the kind of BS he dragged me through.

I'm happy that he's seen how much strife he gave me. Anger? Try Pissed-the-fuck-off for size. Constantly having to babysit him. Why I cared so much is because he reminded me of Erik in some small ways. I felt like I was doing what I failed to do. Just like Erik, Matt died anyway. I guess I used him as much as he used me. To be honest, I loved him but I only loved the fact that being with him almost felt like Erik.

I remember sitting with Matt on some steps of some abandoned building in Waco, TX. I think we were high or whatever. I looked at him straight in the eyes and told him I loved him for who he was. It wasn't true. I wasn't talking to Matt, I was talking to Erik. So I guess Matt knows that too. Two wrongs don't make a right. Maybe he knew what I was subconsciously doing and his way of payback was to piss me the fuck off. I honestly don't care. It changes nothing. Matt was still a friend to me. I remember the day I first saw him. It's ingrained in my head.

I was at a shelter in florida when I saw Matt being taken away in cuffs at the gate.

Peeking behind the corner, I saw this buff dude that I used to call "the unibomber" guy because he carried a backpack all the time, wore hoodies over his ball cap and shades over his eyes. He always looked mysterious. I like puzzles and interesting people. I glanced over to watch the police get him inside the car. He was hospitalized in a psych ward.

The reason was fucked up. Long story short, he told me he was basically raped. The shelter stands in a city known for its gays/lesbians. Matt wasn't a bad looking guy. I believed him when he shared with me the traumatic stories. I sat with him and just listened. He needed someone to believe him. So at the shelter from time to time I'd sit with him, go for walks and I'd like to believe that he knew I was genuinely just trying to help. I wanted to care for someone and he was just another I started to babysit.

The other Matthew at the shelter left. Turned out to be a psycho, so I cut him loose and he left the like a big baby because I called him out on his psychotic bullshit. His rich parents kicked him out to teach him a lesson. He was really disturbed and he hated that I knew it. Several times he'd say some hurtful shit just because I didn't want to be his gf. Pulled the "don't talk to other guys" shit and I don't play that game. I talk to whoever I fucking want. I don't like insecure men. Fuck that.

I'm not going to be that person anymore.

Josh is left. We've been friends since early 2009, it's a bit late to cut ties. Of course Josh is having a hard time right now and I'm doing the best I can to be there for him while I am functioning at 75%. I'm so tired of caring and getting shit on in one way or another. All I ask is to be listened to and to be appreciated. Thankfully Matt did and so does Josh. He tells me all the time. I just don't know how well I'll handle things if Josh goes too.

😘��� Good night yall!

[supernaturally-in-luv]

Chapter 7

Cont. Ash POV

I started breakfast and heard the boys shuffling and waking up. I turned on some music and started scrambling eggs. The boys clunked downstairs in their boots and each were wearing a cotton t-shirt and faded blue jeans. I couldn’t help myself but looked at Dean as he rounded the corner to head to the fridge for a breakfast beer.

Jesus Christ. Did he have to look that good?

I darted my eyes to focus on the eggs that I almost burnt and felt him walk toward my direction.

“What’s cookin’ good lookin?” He asked and I nearly dropped the plate that I was holding. I looked up at him and he had a playful look in his eyes and I felt a pang in my chest knowing that this was just his mindless flirting. Nothing would ever come of this.

“What does it look like, Winchester?” I asked, a bit more cold than I meant to. I felt like being indifferent toward him just made it easier to face the inevitable. I just didn’t have the heart for meaningless flirting. I didn’t have the courage to look at him and just continued to plate eggs and toast on plates for the boys.

We all sat and Bobby and Sam were talking about the finishing touches to the panic room. It sounded like the Winchester boys were planning to get back to their bunker and were heading out today. My heart raced at what my next plan was. Dean didn’t say much. Just did the occasional grunt and nod to the plans that the other two were creating. I ate in silence and just listened. Soon enough Sam turned his attention to me.

“What’s your plan today, Ash?” He asked and my stomach did a backflip. I was dreading this question. I wasn’t even sure what my plan was. I was all of a sudden extremely glad that I could think on my feet.

“I was actually thinking of hitting the road today. Being cooped up for too long makes me antsy. I might try to find some trouble to get into” I lied through my teeth.

I couldn't look at Dean. I knew that this was me telling him that I would not be joining him and Sam at the bunker, but I knew it was for the best in the long run. I noticed in my peripheral view that he had stopped chewing and was staring at me.

“Oh, okay. Well, be safe out there.” He said and I smiled in his direction. He flashed those doe eyes and I knew that he was being genuine.

I immediately got up and started washing my plate. When I was sure that I had washed a hole through the plate I went down the hall and decided I needed to wash off the awkwardness that I felt within my soul.

Deans POV

My mind was racing and I wanted to slam my fist into the table as I heard the conversation that was happening around me. I watched Ash walk down the hall and I jumped up and threw my plate in the sink. I darted outside and made my way to the panic room and swung the door open hard. I walked in and kicked a piece of the metal that was laying on the floor and let out a frustrated grunt. My head swirled with rejection and heartbreak and I cursed myself for even thinking that a girl like her would even be interested in someone like me.

I wasn't capable of love. I destroyed everything I touched. I was nothing. Am nothing.

I was stupid to concoct this ideal life for the two of us. Hunting things, saving people. That was all I would get out of this life and I let myself think that I was, for the first time, capable of a bit more. Idiot.

I didn't hear Sam come in behind me and I immediately tried to compose myself. I want in the mood for his stupid advice.

“Dude, you okay?” He asked and I shot him a look that should have answered his question.

“No, I just want to finish this shit so we can get the hell out of here.” I said with venom dripping from my voice.

“Dean, what’s going on?” He asked and got closer.

“ I just need to kill something. We’ve been here too long.” I said just wanting to get this conversation over.

“Dean, that’s not it and we both know it. Does this have to do with Ash? Did you do something?” Same asked feigning innocence. I wanted to wipe that concerned smirk right off his face.

“I didn't do anything. I offered for her to come to the bunker, but I guess she decided that wasn’t good enough for her.” I said against my better judgment. I was such a mess of emotions, I was only able to show the emotion that I knew that best, anger.

Sam just stood there and stared for a moment.

“oh.” He said under his breath and I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Sam stop standing there gawking at me and let’s get this damn thing built so we can leave and go home.” I practically screamed and Sam took the cue to get to work. At that moment I heard Ash’s car crank and heard her pulling away from the house.

Good riddance.

Ash pov

I stared at the open road in front of me and felt the beginning of tears sting at the brim of my eyes. I knew that Dean would be disappointed, but I couldn't handle the pending disappointment that I knew I would feel seeing him with someone.

Kissing him

Holding him

Loving him

I turned my music up and wiped my tears away and pressed my foot to the gas. I choked on my tears and hoped to whatever God was out there that I wasn't making the dumbest decision of my life.

[ma-gic-gay]

A few hours (and ice cream cones) later, Donna leaves to go to the Q's to play with Wiley and Ophelia. "I finally found a dress. It took three stores and way too many dresses that fit like crap but I've found one and I'm ready for the Ball tomorrow," Carly says excitedly when she finds him in the park. "I ditched the guards hours ago."

Of course she did. He rolls his eyes. She's going to get kidnapped again or something as a part of some new competitors revenge on him and she ditches guards. The mob is not a friendly business but leave it to her to forget that, less than six months after her kidnapping and rape. Only Carly. "Stop ditching guards."

"Well I've got you to protect me," she argues, smiling. When his expression doesn't change, she relents, "Fine. I'll take the guards when I'm not with you."

"Thank you," he says. "Donna's with Wiley and Ophelia at the mansion."

"So long as Nina's not there, I'm fine with it." Not this again. "Don't roll your eyes or tell me to play nice, Jason! She wants me arrested and she's acting like Nelle wasn't a terrible person! I don't care if she's Wiley's other grandmother."

Sometimes, Carly's exhausting to deal with.

He rolls his eyes again as she rests her head on his shoulder. "You know, Joss has been complaining lately she's feeling stuck in Port Charles. Which is stupid but it reminded me that I've never taken her to Florida, or any of the kids besides Michael and now I want to. So you coming with me or am I bringing guards?"

The last time they went to Florida, Michael was barely one. It was to officially bury Virginia and it was a very bittersweet experience to see Florida for the first time and also be packing up the house of a dead woman.

"Who exactly are you bringing?" Carly cheers when he agrees to go without agreeing fully.

"Donna, clearly. And I'll bring Joss and, do you think that Ava will let me bring Avery? Michael should go too, he spends way too much time cooped up in that house or at Aurora, so him, Willow, Wiley and Ophelia. Ooh, you should bring your kids! Scout and Danny will have fun in Florida and I'm sure Jake would love it. Well, of course, that involves Elizabeth letting you take him. Maybe if we bring Cameron too- well actually, no, that won't work because him and Joss broke up a few weeks ago and it's still way too raw for her. I'd suggest we bring Dante but he broke Lulu's heart so that's a big no, I don't care if he's my children's brother. Should we bring Brando and Sasha?"

She's rambling excitedly about this trip that seems to double in size each minute and he chuckles to himself at the absurdity of it. Somehow, within five minutes, Carly's built herself an entire vacation to Florida. Complete with exactly when they should go ("The third week in June! It shouldn't be too rainy or humid yet,") and how long they should stay (a week, she's decided). This woman owns an island and insists on going to Florida for a week so her kids can see her old home.

Before he can figure out what's happening, someone has taken him hostage, his hands inexplicably behind his back and he notices that another one of the surprise humans has taken Carly hostage. Fuck. No. He can't fight this guy, somehow he's too strong. And he can't reach for his gun because he's got his hands tied behind his back! Which means she's getting kidnapped and so is he.

Of course, the same thing is happening to Carly, but the dude who grabbed her is underestimating her gravely. She's got enough sense to try and kick him in the balls (so that's why she always wears heels) before settling for a good slap or two to wherever she can reach moments before her hands are tied as well.

He's basically fucked. And so is she.

"Let me go or so help me god-" Carly threatens before they put a gag in her mouth which she does her best to spit out. Fucking hell, these people are terrible.

"Let her go," he demands, feet unrooting themselves from the ground as he desperately tries to break out of this hold.

"How sweet, he's willing to sacrifice himself for his girlfriend. Touching, truly. Not going to work, however, Morgan. Enough of the touching goodbye, you better stop fighting if you want to see her alive again," his goon threatens. This guy sounds like one of Cyrus's old guys. Cyrus is behind this. Which means-

Carly comes to the conclusion at the same time he does and spits out her gag (impressive). "You better have a damn good excuse for this."

The goons don't even bother threatening them, they just drag them apart and Jason gets dropped in the back of some truck before he gets knocked out. His last conscious thought is where the hell Carly is and where he's going.

A few hours later, he wakes up, disgusted by the surroundings he's found himself in. He's handcuffed to a chair with his legs and his hands. And there's no blonde in here with him, he realizes. At the very least, he senses that they haven't took his jacket off or phone or gun from him. "Good, you're awake." Who's voice is that? He recognizes it from somewhere.

"Where is she?" He asks instead of worrying about his own surroundings.

"Your concern for her is really quite touching, but your girlfriend is fine," the dude says again, yet another voice he remembers but can't trace.

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Sure, you just sleep together, live together and act like a married couple. Oh, wait, is she your wife? That would make more sense," the voice says. Who's voice is that? It's on the tip of his mind but he can't remember.

"Very funny. We're not married. Now, tell me, where the hell is Carly?"

"Calm your tits," that's a stupid expression, "she's being well taken care of. Let yourself worry about you for a minute, please. Your relationship with her is..."

"None of your business. I need proof she's okay." Why the hell aren't his demands being met? Who is this?

"Protective, how sweet. Answer the question."

"She's my best friend," he answers calmly. "Got any more questions or do I get proof she's okay and alive?"

"You don't sleep with a best friend, Jason." Shut up, they're not labelling things and this has nothing to do with the damn kidnapping!

"And who are you to judge us?" Mouthing off to a kidnapper, great idea.

"Me? I'm just the messenger. Don't shoot the messenger."

What the fuck is this dude getting at? He's speaking in goddamn riddles of sarcasm. "Where is Carly?"

"Well, that's none of your business." This man is absolutely infuriating. He's a douche and dead the second he gets to his gun. Or, really, anything that can be used as a weapon. Maybe even a pair of handcuffs. Kill him with handcuffs, yeah, that'll work after he finds Carly's location out.

"If so much as a hair on her head is harmed-"

"Your threats are in vain, though your concern for her is adorable. Tell me, do you expect you're calling the shots here? You're not, dumbass. I am. Well, technically my boss, but you know what I mean." Infuriating.

"You lay a hand on her and-"

"Are you going to keep threatening me? You're the one tied up to a chair, not me. I can move whenever I want to, you cannot." Bile pools in his stomach at the thought of someone's hands on her, hurting her. Causing her pain. Doing what Cyrus did to her again, as often as they please because he can't save her. "But, for your information, no one's gotten handsy with her yet."

How relieving. "Keep it that way."

"You know, she keeps talking about you like you're some damn superhero. To be honest, I don't see it. You're so in sync though, she's worried one of us are going to hurt your pretty boy face."

"Careful, you don't want to show all of your cards at once," Jason teases. It's probably a bad idea but Carly's kidnapped too and he can't get out on his own dammit.

"Keep mouthing off and I'll make sure she's beaten up good. Bruised so bad it won't go away for months."

That's a damn good threat, he's got to admit.

Clearly enjoying his silence, this dude continues, "Your only chance of getting to her is playing by my rules. Then again, she's been mouthing off to us the whole time we've had her. Stubborn brat, that one is. She won't let anyone even give her food, she's just been saying that you'll save her because it's how you two work." That's his girl. He can't help but smile at the thought of her talking the ears off of a kidnapper. He might talk the dude into letting her go. "You two are adorably in sync, her fighting us using your name as though you're a hero. Tell me, what did you ever do that made her think of you as her hero?"

"I guess I've just always been there to save her," he answers. Looking the kidnapper in the eyes, he continues, "and I always will, no matter the consequences."

"Cute. Your whole hero thing is cute and I think it's adorable that you both love each other so much. She's already about to kill us if it means she'll get a single piece of information on her big hero who always saves her."

Sounds like Carly. "If that's supposed to surprise me, it doesn't. I've known her so long nothing she can do surprises me."

"And you love her enough you'll do anything for her. Touching, really. Never have I ever had the pleasure of having two hostages who are so helplessly in love with each other like you two are, yet they're apparently only friends. Tell me, is there anything you wouldn't be willing to do for her, if it meant she'd be freed?"

"No."

"Good, good to know. I think we're ready to discuss the terms of your mutual release, because she's pissing my guy off so much he's had to get a little handsy." Name, address, the whole nine yards. The second he gets them, that dude dies. "Calm down, it was only once. She won't even scar."

"The terms," he spits out in an attempt to control his anger. This is infuriating.

"In exchange for your mutual release, you will give approximately fifteen million dollars to my boss." Who the hell needs that much money? Whatever. If she's free, he'll do near anything.

"I don't have my checkbook on me right now, but I can make that deal." Donna. How is she dealing with this? He suspects he's been gone long enough now that she's been able to understand what's going on.

"Good. You will make a check for fifteen million dollars to Miss Fiona Svlankovich," the hostage holder says, handing his checkbook to him.

"Wait. This seems too easy."

"It's not, I assure you. Fiona's a bit of an evil lady, but when she says she'll set you free after you do something, you and your “best friend” will be released," he informs him. A bit of an evil lady? She's a lot more than a bit evil.

"I can't exactly sign this with my hands tied behind my back," he says calmly.

"Shit," the hostage holder mutters. "I'll uncuff one of your arms, but only because you don't have any weapons on you." Idiot. He can feel his gun in his pocket as he gets uncuffed and signs the check.

Before he can be recuffed, he pulls out his gun and fires a single bullet into the dude's leg. "Tell me where Carly is or I'll take you out right now."

"On a date or in a murderous way?"

What type of fucking question is that? "Murder. So, her location."

"Someone's horny," kidnapping dude chuckles before he gets punched. "Fine, fine. She's somewhere in this house. You figure out where, that's up to you. So, you gonna kill me now?"

"Thinking about it. You take me to exactly where she is, right now," Jason answers, gun trained at this hostage dude.

Without a witty remark, he gets led the way to Carly. Conveniently, she's screaming at that exact moment, "He will find me and you will die. I hope you look forward to death because he's been getting me out of messes for longer than you've been alive."

She's tied up in a pantry, he notes before kicking the door open. "I swear to fucking god-" she starts before noticing he's there and tearing up. "Oh thank god you're here."

Unceremoniously, her guards pull out their guns and he shoots them both before shooting his own guard, Carly yelping each time. She's not a fan of the sound of a gun going off, nor kidnapping, so he doubts this is fun for her.

He makes quick work of getting her uncuffed and she falls into him, embracing him in a tight hug and burying her face in his neck as he does the same. "I knew you'd save me," she says and he can feel her tears soaking his shirt, but it's okay. He's got extras at home (and, of course, the clothes she bought a few months ago).

"We've got to get out of here," he mutters and she pulls away, tears of joy and relief still flowing down her face.

A few minutes (and dead bodies) later, they make it out of the weird ass mansion they're stuck in. Now, of course, the big issue is how the fuck they get out of here. There's no cars he can see.

"I don't want to walk but I will," Carly says, frowning as she looks at her disgusting outfit. "I liked this outfit too."

To be continued hopefully after this headache clears up

@ryleighjosephine