#i know what the actor said about jim opening up and becoming more comfortable with the crew

[asteralien]

i know i know relationships change and people grow apart but i don't think i'll ever forgive ofmd for making me wait 18 calendar months for an olu/jim reunion and. they. break. them. up.

[televisionboy]

this gif is everything skdjdjfn and this is my first alphabet! so give me love and constructive criticism.

taglist: @punkgeekchic @visionsofsweettea @adoresobs @am4sawa @reblogsfandom @evarolines @somethingstuffy

Timothee Chalamet Fluff Alphabet

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Dates with Timothee are very very comforting and new at the same time. He LOVES getting out of the house and going to a city where shops are lining every corner and small cafes with coffee to die for. But he also loves to cook you dinner and rehash your days. He’s quite a domestic person.

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

Timothee finds all of you attractive. But his favorite thing to do is whenever you’re reading a book or the two of you are watching TV, and you’re at one end of the couch and he’s at the other end, he loves to run his hands up and down your legs while they rest in his lap. Drumming his fingers against your knees is like a calming thing

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

He doesn’t talk, at all. He’s an incredibly patient boyfriend who will sit there with you and sync your breathing while hugging you. He will listen for hours and hours to you talk about it. And if not, he makes tea for you and offers cuddles and comfortable silences. I mean, either way he always makes tea.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

He would love a family with you, he knows you’d be an incredible parent to his children. But he’s content being young, having new experiences and getting to be spontaneous. If he had to think about it, he’d like one or two children and maybe a dog. Living in a cozy but spacious home, of course there’s a pool in the back.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

well, when he’s in the mood, jealous/mad he definitely will be dominant (and especially in bed) but he’s in no way so dominant that you will feel like his maid or a child. But he really doesn’t want to consider your relationship to be that way. Both of you are just you and treat each other equally. 

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

He gets cold when he’s fighting with you. Timothee’s a bit like a younger sibling while fighting, he knows how to push your buttons and won’t stop until he see’s a reaction. But he has that guilty feeling wash over him so fast. He’s very very easy to forgive you because how could he say no to someone like you??

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

SO GRATEFUL. He spoils like no other. If you point out that you like a pair of earrings, they’re yours (it doesn’t matter that they’re pure diamonds) you mentioned that you want to see Italy? Tickets booked. And a great thing about him, on top of being a good listener is that he has a great eye. And he picks up on things and is quick to notice them. Which is a big reason he’s so successful in acting. Even if it’s something as simple as washing the dishes so he can relax, to something as kind as making him your very own fan gift.. he melts every time.

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

Mmm, he certainly tries not to but everyone keeps secrets. There are things that both of you prefer to keep private but he wouldn’t keep something like him kissing another woman a secret.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

You’ve inspired him and fueled him to become a stronger actor even if you’re not one yourself. Some of your advice is seriously helpful, and some are unhelpful but hilarious. No matter what you will tell him, he knows you’re waiting at home or even at his set with open arms, waiting for him to win an award and fangirl online to other Timmy fans. It makes him blush and cause a billion butterflies to erupt in his stomach.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

He trusts you 100% that you would never leave him, and he doesn’t want to be one of those boyfriends who restricts their partner. But there’s a part of him that’s incredibly insecure and is convinced you can do better. There are some parts that WANT you to leave him and do better. He would never ever show it in public, but you can read him well. You’ll put a hand on his bouncing knee and kiss his jaw.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like? 

He knows he’s a damn good kisser as well as charmer. You had been on a couple of dates with him, on one you mentioned that it was on your bucket list to be kissed in the rain. He made sure to schedule a date when there would be rain and he took you on a picnic. Towards the end, it had started to pour and you were trying to run back to the car but he grabbed your face and kissed you so hard but so passionately. His curls were dripping and the sandwiches were ruined but the feeling was incredible. 

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

Rightttt after that kiss, in the car you were drying off and laughing with him while the radio was on in the background. The car was on but he wasn’t driving. Instead, he turned to you and told you he was in love with you. Both of you had said “love you” but never “i’m in love with you”

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

He’s on the fence about babies but he knows for certain that he wants to marry you. You know that scene in The Office where Jim shows the engagement ring for Pam and is like “I got it 3 weeks into dating”? That’s Timmy. 

He brings you to a premire of one of his movies and at the end when all the credit’s are rolling, it says “y/n will you marry me?” and when you turn back around, Timmy is on one knee and Armie is most likely behind him crying his eyes out. 

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

“Babe” “Baby” “Mon cherie” When you two are married, he’ll join you in the kitchen while cooking dinner and call you “Mrs Chalamet” before kissing your shoulder and beginning to chop veggies. It’s just incredibly domestic 

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

so so so obvious and so in love. He shows you off as much as possible and talks about you on talk shows until he’s sure that the audience is annoyed and SNL mocks him (and even then, he’ll continue)

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

he brags but he does know when to dial it back for your own privacy and humility. BUT that doesn’t mean he won’t hold your hand in public, or banter with you on a twitter thread even if you both are right next to each other on the couch playing footsie

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

He has a great eye and is quick to pick up on things. It’s almost as if he has certain senses and can tell when you’re having a bad day or upset. He just knows. It’s incredible. He’ll run you a bath and order cake to indulge yourself in before you even get home.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

The most sickley, fluffy, romantic, boyfriend that it makes me sick. Timothee would dye his hair rainbow and cut of his toes if it meant you would smile. On a more romantic note, he pulls out all the stops but it’s a bit more subtle?? Like he is very romantic but it’s not overwhelming. There’s no string quartet and private dining room but there will be jazz and dancing at midnight or a homemade “restaurant” with Timothee as a one man (messy) staff but it’s the best thing you could have ever come home to

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

He’s your head cheerleader and the most selfless human ever. Will cheer for you until his voice goes mute and even then, he’s the one clapping the loudest and crying the most. 

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

both! Timothee is like a dog in some ways. He’s energetic and needs new things, to be outside, to be social. But he craves hugs and cuddling, he adores late night talks with you or watching you make him breakfast while he scrolls through Instagram. Like I said, a very domestic guy.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

He know’s you like the back of his hand and he could spot you with his eyes closed and only by feeling your face. He knows your habits, and the food you hate, your terrible cooking skills, and the kind of dad jokes you tell, the anxiety ticks, and what shows you’ll watch over and over again.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

He’d go insane without you. You’re addictive because you have a pure heart and a dirty mind and he falls in love the more you show that. He brings you back the weirdest things that remind him of you. Stationary cards with odd quotes, an antique necklace from the 40′s, peach earrings (because he enables your teasing)

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

He’s like the real version of “JOEY DOESN’T SHARE FOOD” but a little more loving lol “I love you, but I’m willing to defend my fries”

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

I said that he’s like a puppy! he needs kisses and scratches to his head (free scalp massage) and he’s a clingy puppy too. i mean, look at his eyes for the love of god. 

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

he aches so bad. He is your cheerleader but he can’t function without you. You’re his cup of coffee, an antidepressant. He’s fangirling inside for your new project but when he sees your mug or reaches to bring you close to his chest and you’re not there, he’s unable to fall asleep or make a cup of coffee.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

He’d travel to Mars and back if you asked him to. Just ask him, and he does it. One time, he was working on a movie with an actress who was quite snippy to you and he quit immediately, feeling incredibly guilty and nauseous. He got you very  expensive lox and bagels one morning because you were whining about it the previous night. He doesn’t want to close his eyes at night because there’s so many things he wants to do before he goes on to the next day. But when he closes his eyes at night, it’s all you, you, you, you, you and how much he’s overwhelmed with total adoration for you

[innocent-chris-evans-slut]

Trust me

Chris Evans x Actress! Reader – Requested

My Masterlist ✨

Word Count: 3,2k

Type: fluffy and smut

Summary: Y/N have been engaged to Chris Evans’ newest movie. The only thing that scares you is the sex scene; when you open up to your co-star, he’s more than understandable. Though he really doesn’t like girls faking with him.

Warning(s): fingering

When your agent said there was the chance for you to be casted in a movie with Chris Evans -the Chris Evans- you immediately said yes, no matter which the conditions were.

Then you found out who would you be playing an who would he be playing.

Long story short, you were supposed to play Chris’s love interest throughout the movie. And there was no problem so far. Actually, you liked playing the girl he was craving for. What you didn’t know, or better, what the director didn’t tell you was that you were having a scene of sex with Chris.

Better, Chris’ character would have sex -really rough sex- with your character.

The day your agent handed you the final script, you stood in silence and with eyes wide-opened up to the last page. You saw, you read things Christian Gray would have paled imagining.

Ropes, wax, fire, ice: everything beyond the imaginable was in there.

“If you think I’ll lay undressed in front of the whole crew, you’re wrong”, you sat down on the couch holding a glass of red wine in your right hand, “My boobs will be displayed on the screen. Do you think I like the idea?”

“You’re the one you agreed without even reading the script. This isn’t my fault”, your best friend, and agent, Carla stated taking a sip from his cocktail. She sent you a scolding look and chuckled when you put on your puppy face, “I’m not going to save your ass this time”.

“Shouldn’t it be your job?”

“Yes, but I am also your best friend…so, no. I’m not doing it.”

You were about to reply, referring to the money you gave her every month, when your doorbell rang, “You’re so lucky, girl”.

You came from Belmont and at the moment you were shooting in Los Angeles, so you had to rent a flat for you and Carla. It wasn’t a mansion, neither the tiniest flat you had ever seen, but it was comfortable you two -especially because back home you had spent a lot of time together and you were used to each other wandering around with only a shirt on.

“I’ll have a refill”, she warned you and headed to the kitchen.

“Then I’ll remind you which are your tasks as my agent!” you shouted smiling while getting closer to the door. You turned the handle and opened it; on the doorway of you rented flat there was Chris Evans holding a pack of beers, “Hi!”

“Hey…uhm, can I get in?” his hand went at the back of his neck and on his face an embarrassed smile spread.

“Sure!” you put yourself on the side and motioned him to come in, “Please, make yourself comfortable”, you lead him to the living room and sat down, “What brings you here?”

“Tomorrow’s shooting”, he replied handing you a bottle of beer opened by him, then he opened another one for him, “Mark decided to move up the last scenes of the movie…” Chris knew you were new in the industry -only two years of experience in a sitcom-, so he wanted you to be as comfortable as possible with him before shooting, “And the sex scenes are tomorrow in the afternoon, around three”.

You moved your eyes away, finding interesting the bottle of beer in your hand, and nodded at him. Silence hit both of you; neither of you knew what to say to make the situation more comfortable, yet you hoped he would be the one doing it.

He set his beer down on the coffee table and turned completely to you: “For being your first role on the big screen, it is a very important one. I want to make sure you’re comfortable with the crew and, most importantly, with me in view of the scenes we’re shooting tomorrow”, Chris placed two fingers under your chin and lifted it up, making eye contact with you, “And you’re not comfortable”.

“The problem isn’t you. I just…I don’t feel comfortable with…being naked on the set”, you blushed while confiding in your co-star, none other than your favorite actor -the one who inspired you becoming an actress as well, “I-I don’t like being watched by strangers”, you gave up, feeling tears at the corners of your eyes, “It is something personal…”

“Hey, listen to me!” he waited for you to look into his eyes before keep going: “I’ll have a talk with the director and ask him to limit the number of people on set in the afternoon”.

You shyly smiled at him and silently thanked him for the support he was showing to you.

“So, now…are we planning on getting drunk or what?” he opened another bottle of beer and handed it to you, then he opened one for himself. He quickly glanced at you, still uncertain on what to do, “Drink, or I’ll have to force the beer into you”, he threatened you, nudging at you.

You took a drink and looked at him, after a few seconds you both burst out laughing, tilting your heads back.

The next day, at lunch, you didn’t eat much as you were used to. A roll combined with a chicken salad was all that you ate that day as you prepared the sex scenes with Chris. You still hadn’t seen him, and you hoped for it since thanks to him, ad his words, you had been able to sleep peacefully -as a baby, your mother would say.

You were currently sat down on the couch in your trailer with your agent, quickly going through the script when someone knocked at your door, “Get in!” you shouted, gaining a bothered gaze from Carla.

It rapidly changed into a panicked one, and finally into a pleased one, “I have to make a call”, she warned you and got out of the trailer, leaving you alone with your guest.

There was some kind of wall between the small living room you were in and the front door and since it didn’t allow you to see who had just entered the place. You got to know it once he had approached you.

It was Chris, the man you had been searching for since that morning.

“Hey”, he greeted you with a quick hug and a kiss on your cheek -and you did the same, “Are you ready? We’ll start in fifteen minutes. Actually, I came here to bring you on set, not before…” from behind his back, Chris put out an unopened bottle of Jack Daniels, “Having drunk a couple of shots”, and he placed down on the table two little glasses and the bottle. Then he started pouring out the brown liquid into the glasses and, once done, he grabbed both of then, handing one to you. “Who said this will help?” you asked, after having swallowed the drink all together, “God, it burns…”

“A friend of mine. Always drink before shooting a sex scene, he would say”, Chris replied, pouring out another drink, “That’s for you”.

“Why you only one and I two?” you didn’t refuse it, instead, you brought to your lips and let the less burning liquid going down your throat, “And I have to remember you we’re not shooting the entire scene. Only the beginning”.

“And the tub scene, have you forgot about it?” he reminded you, “Speaking of which, have you practiced faking an orgasm?” he chuckled and crossed his arms over his broad chest, waiting for an answer from you.

The alcohol was already having an effect on you, in fact neither of you was expecting that kind of answer from you: “Do you wanna hear how good I am?”

Alcohol had always made you horny and that situation wasn’t helping the cause. “Then…I’m ready. Are you?”

“Yeah, I’m ready…I think”, you grabbed your script and your phone from the coffee table and followed you co-star as he exited your trailer; you stopped locking it and after sent a message to Clara, warning her you were heading to the set. “So…have you talked to the director? I mean, not that you had to, but-“

“Yes, Mark assured me it will be only him, the two of us, the two choreographers, and only two costumers. All the others have been said to leave”, he told you grabbing your arm and making you turn to him, “I know you’re a great actress. Show it to everybody and trust me”, Chris looked you straight into your eyes and for a moment you could swear that there was something more behind his words.

A hidden meaning, that, then, you couldn’t completely understand.

You walked until you reached the door of the studio and the built man let you enter first, then he closed the door behind his back. Chris followed you next to the choreographers and you vanished behind the curtains of your dressing room.

“Chris!” Mark, the movie director, yelled and approached him as he was being prepared at the makeup table, “You’ll be the first one entering the scene”, then he started telling him the scene, once again: “Jim is in the bath tub and yells Erin’s name, his maid. You ask her to join you in the tub and, although she isn’t pleased at the idea, Erin can’t help but accommodate every request of yours. She undresses herself and joins you”, the director stopped as both, Chris and him, had approached the set, ready to be played on.

Chris assigned costumers was suddenly behind him, as she helped him getting ready for the shot. Back in the dressing room, you were with your assigned costumer and she was now helping you zipping the maid uniform, “On the set you only have to pull down this zipper”, she showed you the long, easy accessible, zip she had recovered from you from another studio, “You’re not wearing a bra, so the only thing you’ll have to take off are your panties”, she motioned at the black, laced panties you were wearing underneath the dress, “Chris Evans will be the only one watching you walking naked towards him. Cameras will be behind you back”.

Once you were ready, you walked out the dressing room and met Mark, waiting for you and Chris to meet up with him, “Oh, you’re done!”

You frantically crossed your arms over your chest and quickly smiled at him. Soon after, you both saw Chris walking towards the point you were. In silence you approached the set and heard the last few tips of the choreographers as regarded the shot. The scene would be intense -as it was intended to be- and, for this reason, the screenwriters wanted you to call Chris’ character Sir and he would have called you Sweetheart. No names, afraid that you would have make a disaster.

The scene would have start right after Jim had called Erin, so you were brought at the end of the stairs, a camera following you. Your hands were shaking, and you suddenly regretted having drank before shooting.

Such a stupid idea, you thought while the director sat down on his chair. Everything went black and there was silence on set; you heard the ‘click’ of the camera and soon after the director called action.

You quickly climbed up the stairs, once on the top of them, you ran into the bathroom, from which you had heard your boss calling your name. Always careful not letting fall the tray you were holding with your left hand, and the glass full of red wine was on it; so you opened the door with your right hand. All your attempts not to let the tray fall vanished when you saw Jim -the man who had been teasing you for the past three days-, naked and in his bath tub; inevitably the tray crashed to the floor and the glass smashed against the cold marble, causing a dull noise.

“I’m bored, and alone. Would you mind joining me?” Jim didn’t look at you while asking you that indecent question, neither did him actually gave you the chance to say ‘no’ when he ordered you to get rid of your clothes and enter the tub.

“I-I don’t think…” you tried, but he coldly glared at you, shutting you up. You hadn’t other option than slowly undress yourself and get in the tub with him.

Jim welcomed you by spreading his legs, leaving enough room for you to sit in.

The water wasn’t hot as you expected, so you shivered once you had gotten in. You felt Chris’ right arm holding you close and, as you brought your back against his, his chest hair tickling you. He gave your thigh a gentle squeeze and whispered: “Trust me”.

“You shouldn’t think that much”, you felt his hand standing between your legs, forcing them open, “Instead, you should let you go more often” he slipped his fingers on your core, teasing your clit through the thin lace of your panties, “And I can help you”.

His hand had already bypassed your piece of clothing when you felt his thick and strong fingers between your folds, and you gasped in search of air. Jim’s other arm, the one free, wrapped your shoulder from part to part, preventing you to get up, either to fall in the water.

“Such a good girl”, he whispered to your ear as he forced your entrance with two of his fingers. Both the position and your natural tightness felt more than good around him. Your walls clenched together, as if they were closing the way to your g-spot, yet Jim pulled his fingers upper your channel and finally found what he was looking for. Meanwhile, you closed your eyes, tilted your head on his shoulder, and swift moans escaped your mouth.

“P-please…” you whispered to his ear, implicitly begging him to make you cum.

Jim played dirty. He always did. “Tell me what you want”, as his three fingers weren’t enough, your boss brought his thumb roughly rubbing your clit, “Use your words, Sweetheart”.

“Chris-t! Make me cum, please!” you almost yelled and you had the sensation he was smirking while bringing you to your highest point, quickly and violently thrusting in and out, you arched your back so much that your nipples almost peeked out from the water, “Please, Sir!”

When your orgasm came, the pleasure washed you over and you brought your left hand to the back of his head, poking his flesh.

“Stop!” Mark’s voice brought you back to the Earth, where you were just shooting a movie, “This was…perfect. We’re keeping it! Good job, Y/N”.

You thanked him with your shaking voice, and he gave you a questioning look, but then he called five minutes and went out, together with the camera operator. You slowly turned to Chris, whose ears and cheeks were red, “Did you just fingered me with ten people watching at us and a camera recording the scene?” you were incredulous and you did your best to keep your voice down while asking.

“Technically they hadn’t seen anything”, Chris saw your costumer approaching and whispered to you ear: “I couldn’t let a girl faking an orgasm with me”, he smirked and released you from his firm grip as he was told to get out in order to give you the right privacy. He put a toweling robe on and looked over his shoulder, to you, smiling sincerely, before disappearing behind the door of the fake room.

“Y/N, are you okay?” Carla asked you once you had reached your assigned changing room.

You had been just fingered by Chris Evans in the middle of the set.

You clearly weren’t okay. 

Author’s note: there’s a ‘bonus scene’, do you want me to post that as well?

Chris Evans-tag list: 

@stargazingfangirl18​

[puttingfingerstokeys]

and we danced

I’ve had this one sitting around for a bazillion years. Sequel to Faraday Cage, though I think I started this one first. Oh well, that’s been happening a lot.

Faraday Cage

prevented timeline 

Sunset in Beverly Hills was a time of peaceful winding down for some—very few, of course, but some—and for Johnny Cage in particular, it was a time to sit on his patio, crack a beer, and play with the new turntable Cassie had gotten him to replace the one that had been lost in the move. A few boxes of records stood about like milling party guests and he was going through them, deciding what to listen to first. There were albums of many genres, and not all of them were his. He held a Doors album that had belonged to his late ex-wife, Sonya Blade, and gripped his beer a little harder than was perhaps necessary.

 The sun sank lower, casting red-orange hues over the expanse of his home and yard, staining everything a rust color while the sky ran through shades of pink, lavender and, to the east, blue, Stygian and star-dotted, though only for the moment. As night’s blanket fell, the lights of the city—the brazen neon refusing to relinquish its hold upon the evening—would drown out those points of light, irreverently casting them aside as if they were shards of glass, rather than precious diamonds. A lot of life’s like that, Johnny considered, choosing a record and placing it gently upon the turntable, lowering the needle with relish.

 An almost muffled crack of thunder—how a lightning bolt could be muffled would forever remain a mystery to the aging actor—resounded across the yard just as night took hold and his hanging “fairy” lights came on, activated by the lack of ambient illumination. He looked up to see the protector of Earthrealm, Raiden, striding across the expanse of grass which marked his yard. He was glad his fences were high and his neighbors were, in all likelihood, out on the town.

 “Whoa Raiden—somethin’ wrong?” He was immediately alarmed and set his beer aside to stand and face the deity. In his defense, Raiden walked everywhere with purpose, as if something urgent was happening someplace and it required his attention. Johnny chalked it up to being a god, though perhaps it was simply Raiden’s personality. Some people had a hard time differentiating between Raiden’s duty and personality; they so often coincided that even the god himself seemed helpless in the face of that gap—if indeed gap there was. But Johnny knew better. The gulf was spanned with firm ties, but there was a divide. 

 “No, Johnny Cage,” said the god of thunder with relief in his voice. “I am sorry to have alarmed you.”

 “I wasn’t alarmed—just… y’know…” Johnny sat back down before realizing he should offer a chair. He stood once more and gestured to his.

 “You were,” the god corrected, “because you rarely refer to me in that way unless you are alarmed.”

 Johnny felt himself go red to the ears as Raiden took the offered seat and he retrieved another from the garden shed which was positioned off to one side of the patio. A push mower and a few lawn grooming implements were also placed therein, but for the time being, he was only interested in a chair. Grasping it with one hand, he lifted it and closed the doors behind himself, returning to the record player, the records, and the literal deity who had settled in his seat.

 “Should’ve known,” Johnny amended, setting his own on the other side of the player so he could still manipulate it. “I mean you’re… not in armor, so I guess shit can’t be that bad.”

 “An astute observation,” responded Raiden, regarding the machine, speakers, and vinyl disks. He touched none of these, knowing that even his presence could upset electronics, but wondering after their purpose. He was certain that the machine itself would be adversely affected by his lightning, even if the discs were not. Raiden was not ignorant of mortal machines or customs, just too busy to become intimately acquainted therewith. No one seemed to hold it against him.

 Rather, they found it endearing. This, for some reason, did not upset him. It delighted the god of thunder to know people found him… approachable. Long ago, he had relinquished the cloak of aloofness, finding mortals and their lives to be far too fascinating and precious to loftily hold himself above them. The irony is in my tardiness; Fujin understood eons ago what it has taken me much longer to learn. I am a fool.

 “So why are you here?” Johnny’s words fled his tongue before he could restrain them and he blushed once more as he reached for the beer he had discarded. “Sorry—not what I meant. What’s… uh… Up?”

 “A desire to commune with a friend,” said Raiden simply but in his usual elaborate fashion that made Johnny wonder if he should also be speaking that way—it was like feeling underdressed at a gala or five-star restaurant, but with words. “I would have called,” Raiden added after a moment, “but…” His hands rose, palms skyward to indicate that he had no means by which to contact Johnny—e.g. no cellphone. Magic amulets, of course, were plentiful if one knew where to look, but there was no need to saddle Johnny Cage with such an implement when he could simply touch down in the man’s back yard and speak with him personally.

 For Johnny’s part, the thought of Raiden texting sent a hysterical thrill through his body and he restrained the urge to laugh aloud. He made a mental note to say something to Cassie later, but for now, it was more important to focus on the fact that Raiden had come back after that weird afternoon a few weeks ago—or had it been months—when he had kissed him! 

 Johnny had been sure that would be the last he would see of the god of thunder, though he had hoped this would not be the case, and he had resigned himself to only hearing peripherally from the guy when Earthrealm was in peril. He had even gone through the “is he avoiding me” phase before the resignation had set in. It was almost thrilling to feel so young and stupid again. Next to him, I guess I am young and stupid.

 “Well, I’m havin’ a beer and listening to old records—and I’m all outta beer. Lemme put this sucker on.” He did just that, gently laying a record on the turntable and placing the needle, standing with what he felt was a thunderous crack of his knees and then straightened. “You want one?”

 “My body is a temple, Johnny Cage; I do not imbibe.”

 “Could be an amusement park, Sparky,” came the reply, but as he had never forced his alcoholic preferences on Liu Kang or any of his other White Lotus or Wu-Shi friends, he did not press and headed inside to grab a second beer and maybe breathe a little. In the background of his retreat, Jim Morrison’s voice filtered through the air and filled his back yard.

 Johnny’s fingers closed on the handle of his refrigerator door and he pulled it open, feeling nothing other than casual affection toward the strange being on his porch. As he reached toward the next beer, however, his mind began racing along, out of control. It felt as if casual affection was morphing. He needed the alcohol and the comfortable haze it promised. 

 His hand closed about the chilly bottle and he stood, regarding the singular illumination provided by his refrigerator and realized that he’d forgotten to turn any lights on. Sunset had come and gone and here he was, standing in his dark kitchen with the god of thunder relaxing on his patio and listening to the Doors. His heart began to pound and he fumbled with the bottle opener magnet. Casual affection was, indeed, quickly giving way to something which scared him.

 When he finally managed to free his bottle of its troublesome top and return to the door, intent on gaining the patio without fumbling anything, Raiden had once more removed his hat and cap and was running his fingers through his hair. Johnny wasn’t sure the guy knew he was standing there, hand poised just above the handle of his slider, watching that silvery-white stuff flow and wave, catching the warm illumination of his yard lights. Once more, he was assailed by the desire to see it spread out upon a pillow beneath him. 

 Johnny shook his head to clear that thought, swallowed hard and tugged the door open. Raiden straightened and shifted, softly glowing eyes turning toward his host. In the back of his mind, the actor wondered if Raiden could read minds. He had never asked, but he certainly hoped this was not the case. 

 “I apologize for arriving unannounced,” Raiden said, inclining his head. His hands had dropped from his hair and were poised almost demurely in his lap. Johnny shrugged and remembered that he was supposed to walk out and join Raiden on the patio, rather than standing in the doorway, frozen by the man’s divine beauty. 

 Fortunately, the possessor of the divine beauty in question did not seem to notice and as Johnny uprooted himself, he turned, politely, and resumed his relaxed position on the seat. Johnny could not help noticing, with offhanded curiosity, that the seat didn’t sink much with the god’s weight as it did with his own. Weird.

 “It’s fine,” Johnny assured him, raising a hand. “Really. It was just gunna be me and this record player.” He reached over and turned the volume dial down so they could converse without difficulty. Raiden’s voice, he had noticed, was firm, but gentle—except when he was pissed. The commanding tone doubled his voice, amplifying it to the point where it seemed to come from everywhere and rattled in Johnny’s ribcage and skull. He was glad this was not the voice he was hearing. “I’m glad you’re here, actually.”

 Once more, Johnny’s words were getting ahead of his brain and, as usual, he could not retract what had been said. It wasn’t a lie, of course, or an exaggeration, but some things were best left unsaid. He lifted the beer to his lips defensively, but the statement was already out there, hovering in the air between them.

 Raiden watched him with a Mona Lisa expression, almost half of a smile, certainly relaxed, and knowing, as ever. Johnny prayed he would not ask why the mortal was glad to see him. He did not have the energy for that explanation, short though it should have been. Just tell him you wanted to see him again because you’ve got a thing for him, simple as that. Liu was right. Better to get it out in one go and see what happens. Worst he can do is vaporize me.

 Johnny decided that was an unkind thought and busied himself digging through his records; better to do that than prolonging the awkwardness of the utter lack of conversation. Fortunately, Johnny was the only one feeling awkward, as Raiden seemed content with the musical quietude and had settled back in the provided chair, inscrutable eyes focused on nothing in particular, and then falling on Johnny’s back as he crouched near a box, having himself a trip through memory lane. A warm wind began to pick up, coming off the ocean and bringing with it the smell of salt.

 “That you, big guy?” Johnny, as usual, broke the silence. Raiden shook his head.

 “No,” he responded. “I am the god of thunder, Johnny Cage, not wind.”

 There was humor in his tone and a levity that Johnny had come to appreciate, even to crave. It was so rare, even now, when everything seemed to be at peace. Shifting from his crouched position to one of kneeling, Johnny clutched a record in one hand and reached for the turntable with the other. Raiden could not see what was on the cover, but even if he could, it would be insignificant. In all his time and travels, he had rarely taken the opportunity to sit and absorb the music of Earthrealm—or any other realm, for that matter.

 “Raiden I—”

 “Johnny Cage—”

 Both men paused as they began simultaneously and then that strange, utterly human embarrassment settled over them like the blanket of night which had tucked itself in for the evening. Johnny turned to face Raiden, still half-crouched. The god of thunder was sitting forward, elbows on his knees, glowing eyes meeting Johnny’s without reservation. There was something in those eyes; right then they were not as inscrutable as they had been in the past. Or maybe I’m just getting better at reading him, Johnny thought, unsure if he was comfortable with this.

 “Please,” ushered Raiden finally, extending a hand toward his mortal companion. Johnny shook his head.

 “Age before beauty,” he insisted, attempting to introduce humor to a situation in which it may not have been appropriate, a very on-brand move for him. His heart was seizing and then hammering and then fluttering, as if there was some kind of small bird within, fighting desperately to escape. Johnny was not even clear within himself just what it was he wanted Raiden to say, or what he himself was attempting to express. He had been content simply allowing his mouth to run away with him, to see where it would take this situation. Now, faced with the reality of what a runaway tongue might cause, he was terrified. To busy his hands, he gingerly switched records as Raiden conceded. 

 “Very well, although I have heard on the breeze that some mortals find me to be… exquisite.” This, too, seemed to be an introduction of humor, so Johnny didn’t feel as silly as he might have done otherwise. Raiden sat back, looking almost impish, and certainly amused.

 “Fujin promised he wouldn’t tell!” Johnny’s tone was jesting, but his heart continued its staccato tattoo. He had not, in fact, spoken with Fujin in quite some time—like Raiden, the man was busy. If he had, it certainly wouldn’t be to confess some kind of high school crush on a celestial being’s equally divine brother. Twins, he reminded himself, they’re twins—Thunder Cat told Cassie and me recently. Weird. 

 They were night and day, Fujin and Raiden, but Johnny assumed that twins among gods did not operate the same as mortal twins. Or perhaps they did and he simply had no firsthand knowledge. The only twins he had ever encountered were a pair of actresses in one of his films—notably not the Ninja Mime franchise. The music began, but it was secondary to the melody of Raiden’s voice as he spoke.

 “He did not have to,” said Raiden, his tone warm, almost inviting—or maybe that invitation was a misinterpretation of Johnny’s fevered mind as he tried to lose himself in a swig of beer and an ‘80s power ballad whose title was lost in the cyan pools of Raiden’s eyes. “I know it is not an appropriate custom,” he continued, “to leave someone for long periods of time with no contact, but the nature of my—of what I am—dictates that I must. Forgive me for that, if you can.”

 “Anything,” Johnny breathed. He realized that he had not yet been able to return to his seat, so enraptured was he in Raiden’s gaze. The soft, warm illumination of his backyard lighting fell upon Raiden’s statuesque face and, rather than making him look ghoulish as it might do to just about anyone else, he became an older Adonis, still painfully handsome—beautiful, even—but no longer pretty in that fleeing way of youth. His face lacked the innocence of a younger man and Johnny realized he had come to appreciate this, craved it too, along with much else.

 “Your kindness does you great credit, Johnny Cage,” Raiden said.

 It ain’t kindness. This is so far beyond that, Johnny thought, his mind losing itself in that strange warm haze of beer, good music, and good company. Without thinking, Johnny shifted once more, moving closer to the god of thunder and reaching out toward him, laying a hand upon his knee. There was a low buzz when he did that, not a sound, but a feeling under his palm and fingers, dancing up his arm. He squeezed, feeling his heart clambering in his throat and wondering if Raiden’s was doing the same—or if he even had a heart. What operated within the body of a being like him? 

 Was it all clockwork, or maybe ethereal light? He had seen Raiden bleed and the blood was red, but when it caught the light, it was clearly shot through with veins of gold, unless his eyes deceived him all those years ago. When it hit the ground, it clattered as if solid. He did not understand this, but all the times he witnessed this, Johnny had been more than a little preoccupied. Gods were not supposed to bleed; it was anathema to their nature. Yet Raiden and Fujin could bleed and, more than that, they chose to bleed for the peace and safety of Earthrealm.

 “You don’t have to say anything,” Johnny advised, speaking low, loud enough to be heard, but not to drown out the music. He was responding to a look on Raiden’s face that suggested he was searching for words. His smile was more tentative now, leaning in the direction of the Mona Lisa, inscrutable and ethereal. He clearly wanted to relax, to allow whatever was happening within him simply to happen. The mortal could almost see the fight in his eyes. It broke Johnny’s heart and he wanted, all of a sudden and more than anything in every realm, to help Raiden move past whatever was slowing him down, whatever strange barrier stood between the god of thunder and his happiness, his own desires. 

 The deity had no trouble being decisive, even vicious, and dropping one whopper of a hammer when the need arose, but that need was never his own; always, it was someone else’s burden, though he would remind Johnny Cage that it was a responsibility he had chosen and for which he would fight to the death—maybe beyond. This scared the actor, sometimes. He didn’t know if he had ever, or COULD ever, dedicate himself to something with such vehemence. Had he expressed this aloud, Raiden might simply have pointed out his daughter, Cassandra Cage. 

 “I do,” rumbled the god of thunder. “My silence has done damage in the past.”

 “Everyone’s has,” Johnny reminded him, moving so he was crouching before Raiden, both hands comfortably on the man’s knees. His connection with the ground seemed to be strong enough that the current was running harmlessly through him. Raiden’s corona of electricity was not arcing or dancing about, seeking to harm him. It simply flowed, rather like water, from the eternal battery that was the thunder god, into Johnny Cage, and down through the earth. Whence beyond that was anyone’s guess. “But this isn’t silence, is it?”

 Raiden reflected that it was not, in fact, silent in that yard. There was music, and there was the two of them, and they were capable of conversation, of healthy discussion, and of much else. He moved with a deliberate purpose that froze Johnny momentarily, both hands finding either side of the actor’s head, a motion he had seen turn healthy muscle, bone, and gray matter into so much electrified pulp. 

 Rather than lightning from Raiden’s fingers, however, he felt the soft press of lips on his own, not urgent, but hardly tentative. This, he realized, was a version of Raiden who knew what he wanted, even if part of him was still unsure he should want it. Johnny would like to flatter himself—it really would be hubris at that point—and think that Raiden had spent all that time away thinking about him, about how to do this. If no one disabused him of that little flight of fancy, he would gladly go on pretending it to be the case. 

 To that end, Johnny returned the gesture, pressing into it and forcing Raiden back into the comfortable seat. The beer spilled somewhere in the grass and its memory was lost in the haze of heat the actor had found between the two unlikely beings—and between Raiden’s thighs. 

 Johnny’s hands were now gripping these, firm and powerful, through the strange material of his pants. He had in the past made a mental note to ask Raiden of what his clothing was made, if it could be manufactured for himself and the SF “kids” (when you were old, everyone was a kid). Right now, that thought was not even in the same galaxy as the rest of his mind. Right now, he only felt that heat; he was a being of pure sensation and would be more than happy to drown in it.

 Slowly, gently, his hands slid upward. His thumbs soon found Raiden's hips through the fabric of what Johnny considered his "habit". His grip tightened briefly, testing the waters. The music hummed on, but Johnny heard nothing. His focus was solely on Raiden, whose grip had shifted to the front of his shirt, grasping the lapels of Johnny's button-down. He seemed content to keep the Hollywood superstar as close as he possibly could. Johnny's hands traced the curve of Raiden's waistline which, though offset by leather and cloth, was pleasantly molded, almost perfectly to Johnny’s grip, like the narrow portion of an hourglass. 

 He heard himself moaning quietly into the kiss while the epiphany of his attraction to the thunder god’s shape washed over him like an ocean wave. His heart's rhythm had regulated itself and was thudding along steadily, if a bit strongly. Blood was rushing to all parts of him and he felt himself break out in a sudden sweat. Maybe he's frying me and doesn't realize it; isn't this what radiation poisoning feels like? He had to remind himself that Raiden was not, in fact, radioactive. 

 “Dance with me,” Johnny heard himself say suddenly, breaking the kiss with plenty of surprise, but no reluctance at all, eager to share this next, utterly unforeseen desire. Raiden, too, seemed more than a little astonished, glowing eyes widening momentarily, before softening. In fact, his entire countenance softened, assuming the look of something more accessible than merely a benevolent deity which, Johnny reflected, he was. He’s seen some rough shit, thought the actor as he stood, hearing his knees crack once more as he did so, pulling Raiden with him. So have I. Now I want some peace and quiet.

 Raiden stood willingly, unsure of what was next. It was a refreshing feeling. In all the eons of his life, he had rarely felt unsure of something and also been very comfortable with it. Lack of information had often led him to make poor decisions. This was not one of those situations, however. He was not really making any decisions, save to follow Johnny’s steps as the mortal pulled him close, wrapping one arm about his waist and taking his other hand.

 Johnny was surprised, as he had been when noticing the lack of weight upon the chair, at how easy it was to heft the god of thunder, so to speak. He was not picking the man up, yet, but even the act of moving him from a seated to a standing position was utterly without strain. It felt natural to draw Raiden to himself, pressing their bodies tightly together, all potential awkwardness draining away in the notes of the song coming from the speakers attached to the turntable. 

 When he held out his hand to receive Raiden’s, the god of thunder offered it with no hesitation or complaint. When Johnny pulled him close, he did not protest. When they began to move to the ebb and flow of the music, it was very much as if they were made for this. When the mortal manipulated the deity’s movements and body into a deep dip, he felt Raiden bend and ride along with the motion. 

 When he kissed the god of thunder, both men held tightly to the lifeline the other had become.

[kristamariee]

24 Ways to Reclaim Peace of Mind

Victor M. Parachin

It is not an understatement to say that these are stressful times. Almost routinely there are news reports that further heighten our anxieties-airport security is lax; the country is vulnerable to chemical, biological, and even nuclear attacks; our water can be poisoned and our food contaminated; sleeper terrorists are in our midst. The litany of dangers can unnerve even the strongest, most optimistic person. In spite of challenging times, it is possible to be a person who lives with serenity and tranquillity. Here are two dozen ways to reclaim your peace of mind.

1. Focus on what you can control.

Rather than obsess about terrorism and lack of security, focus on life- and health-saving behaviors that you can control. Exercise to keep your body healthy and strong. Wear a seat belt when driving, or a helmet when bike riding. Install smoke alarms. Apply sunscreens and get regular physicals. For areas of life that are beyond your control, place your focus on God. Join with the psalm writer who prayed, “My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:15).*

2. Cultivate the “symptoms” of inner peace.

Inevitably, people who experience peace and serenity have some of the following characteristics of inner peace: a loss of interest in judging others; limited ability to worry; overwhelming episodes of appreciation; frequent attacks of smiling; feeling connected to others and with self; increased openness to receive love as well as an uncontrollable urge to extend it; a loss of interest in conflict and argumentation. Be guided by some wisdom from the apostle Paul: “The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).

3. Maintain perspective.

Often it is the loss of balance and perspective about life that increases stress and anxiety. Adopt the attitude that your cup is half full, not half empty. Consider this insight from Stephen Hawking, a world-renowned physicist. He is also imprisoned inside a body made helpless by ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Although he could have ample reason to feel sorry for himself, Hawking does not. Often he reflects on a young man he met while he was hospitalized: “I had seen a boy . . . die of leukemia in the bed opposite me. It had not been a pretty sight. Clearly, there were people who were worse off than me. At least my condition didn’t make me feel sick. Whenever I feel inclined to be sorry for myself, I remember that boy.”

4. Express gratitude.

The Bible instructs us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess-alonians 5:18). Take that advice to heart. Alexander Whyte of Edinburgh was famous for his pulpit prayers. He always found something to thank God for, even in bad times. One stormy morning a member of his congregation thought to himself, The preacher will have nothing to thank God for on a wretched morning like this. However, Whyte began his prayer: “We thank Thee, O God, that it is not always like this.”

5. Adopt the “as if” principle.

The late French actor Maurice Chevalier was once asked how he managed to be so cheerful. The entertainer admitted that even though he invariably appeared to be cheerful, he didn’t always feel that way. This was his last approach: “When I sense an audience responding to the gaiety I am trying to give out, I feel gaiety coming back to me. It is like a boomerang–a little blessed boomer-ang. This works not only for the performer. It is a good game anybody can play.

“A man goes to his office,” Chevalier continued. “He is grumpy, growls a greeting to his secretary. She may have awakened spirited and jaunty, but right away the ugliness is contagious. Or in reverse, he comes in whistling. Maybe he has picked a flower from his garden for his buttonhole. He extends a merry greeting. It boomerangs. The office brightens.” The lesson: even if you don’t feel joyful at the moment, act as if you are and exude joy toward those with whom you have contact. The joy you give out will be the joy that returns to you.

6. Life in the present.

“Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness,” declared writer James Thurber.

7. Be kind.

Live by the same philosophy that guided William Penn, founder of the state of Pennsylvania. “I expect to pass through this world but once,” he wrote. “Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

8. Try to make your world a better place.

Be guided by this wisdom from Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets: “I believe in taking a positive attitude toward the world. . . . My hope still is to leave the world a little bit better than when I got here.”

9. Ask God for inner peace.

Adopt the spiritual style of the apostle Paul, who prayed, “May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way” (2 Thessalonians 3:16). Personalize Paul’s prayer for yourself: May the Lord of peace Himself give me peace at all times and in every way.

10. Walk in the light.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that,” observed Martin Luther King, Jr. Be a person who lives and walks in the light.

11. Get back to nature.

Most people discover that spending time in the outdoors is a remedy for almost any soul sickness. Take advantage of this natural therapy by gardening, hiking, mountain climbing, or simply taking a leisurely stroll through a nearby park.

12. Practice self-care.

Your ability to deal with stress increases as you take care of yourself. Do this by eating nutritious, balanced meals, by exercising, and by getting enough sleep.

13. Smell serenity.

Take a walk through a grove of pine trees or light a candle that smells like cedar. Stimulating the olfactory senses can be a real spirit soother.

14. Believe in truth and love.

Consider this wisdom from Gandhi: “‘When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it, always.”

15. Get a daily dose of vitamin “H.”

Humor lightens the load of life and reduces anxieties. Buy a joke book and read it regularly, or check out the many humor sites on the Internet to get a laugh daily.

16. Finish what you start.

A great deal of satisfaction and contentment in life results from completing challenging and arduous tasks. John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania is sometimes described as “the greatest last-place finisher.” This unique description was given to him in 1968 while in Mexico City competing in the Olympics. Out of the cold darkness Akhwari entered the far end of the stadium, pain hobbling his every step. His leg was bloody and bandaged. The winner of the Olympic marathon had been declared more than an hour ear-lier. Only a few spectators remained. But the lone runner pressed on. As he crossed the finish line, the small crowd roared out its appreciation. Afterward a reporter asked the runner why he had not retired from the race, since he had no chance of winning. He seemed confused by the question. Finally he answered: “My country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race. They sent me to finish.”

17. Moonlight.

Go out on a cloudless night. Gaze at the moon. Use your mind to picture a river of moonlight. Imagine loading your anxieties and concerns into a gondola, and letting them float all the stresses away.

18. Maintain personal integrity.

Duplicity is stressful. Avoid that trip. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. Exemplify the values you profess to admire.

19. Remember that attitudes are more important than facts.

Television personality Hugh Downs observes: “A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.”

20. Forgive generously.

When you have been slighted, of-fended, or insulted, train yourself to forgive quickly and generously. Rehearsing wrongs and reviewing retribution can be tiresome burdens to carry. Let go of resentment and relinquish the need of retribution. In so doing, you will discover the weight of anger and hostility is lifted out of your life.

21. Simplify your life.

You don’t need to have what “everyone” else has in order to enjoy life. Trying to keep up with others can break you financially and emotionally. Consider Alay Desai, who is an executive in the Silicon Valley. Despite his large salary and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business, he returns home each evening to a one-bedroom apartment furnished only with history books and a used TV. He and his wife, Nilima, sleep on the floor on a comforter and two pillows. They drive a 10-year-old Chevy Nova. “I don’t need all those laptops and cell phones and Palm Pilots. I don’t need a BMW or a dream home full of tech toys,” he says.

22. Just say no!

You don’t have to do everything. You don’t have to agree to accept every request that comes your way. “No, thank you” can be the three-word sentence that gives you a less hectic schedule and more peace of mind.

23. Make mealtimes peaceful.

Never eat standing up. Don’t wolf your food down. Pace yourself at mealtime. Sit down to a table carefully set with china and silverware. Light a candle. Decorate a table with a floral arrangement. Offer a prayer of thanks for the meal. Eat carefully and consciously.

24. Know what’s important in life.

Don’t get caught up in chasing after superficial goals such as materialism, wealth, or success. Such a chase can become emotionally exhausting. Live by principles that are deeper and produce contentment with life. Tip O’Neill, the late congressman and former Speaker of the House, said some of the best advice he ever received was from his mentor, Boston politician James Michael Curley. Recalled O’Neill, “He said, `Son, it’s nice to be important. But remember, it’s more important to be nice.’ “

[deceptive-jo]

Who am I to you?

Based on this post where I said I wasn’t gonna do it. Not part of my Brotherly Divination AU.

The Actor lost his best friend years ago. Meanwhile the Host just tries to live in peace with the other egos and Dark. But is that all there is to it or might there be a past and future for them?

TW: death, mention of lost body parts (It’s the Host what do you expect), manipulation, loss of a loved one, cursing

Words: 2.909

@blood-stained-ink I have a feeling you might want to look at that.

Author loved the Actor. That was a fact, they were both aware of it and it was completely up to them what they made of it. Currently that meant small kisses in passing, hot cups of tea and a warm blanket whenever one of them fell asleep on their desks and cuddles in front of the fireplace after waking up from yet another nightmare. It was enough. Honestly, being able to live in peace in their cottage and continuing to work was more than he could have hoped for. So what if Dark wanted to come over to bother them from time to time? He could go back to hell for all Author cared. It was not like he had a place to judge their relationship as long as he had that pink maniac running around. So what if they were a pair of egoistical assholes that killed people from time to time? That was nothing less then the other Egos could say about themselves. Well, maybe King, that boy was precious. No, Author was content, as long as he had his partner and a successful novel from time to time.

Speaking of- “Where did you put my baseball bat?”, the yell rang through the house to catch the attention of a certain performer in his bedroom. The Actor, or Marc as called by most, turned away from the mirror he was fixing his hair in front of and marched out of the room. “What do you mean? You put it back in your room after last time- Wait are you going out?! We’re supposed to be at the restaurant at 7!” Author dragged his hand through his hair. Right, the dinner Ace had planned. “I’m gonna be quick”, he yelled upstairs not bothering to search for his bat. He’d have to do with his pen and notebook then. He was already half out of the front door when he caught the “Don’t get any blood on your clothes”. ‘Don’t worry, love’, he thought to himself, ’I am going to look my best just for you.’ With that thought and a last grin the door slammed close behind him.

The Actor paced back and forth in the living room, throwing a hurried glance towards the front door and listening intently for any sound the back door might make. Nothing. What ever the hell was ‘quick’ for that asshole? Sure, they still had 10 minutes left but Author knew how much he hated to arrive in the very last secound if he could avoid it. But they’d just have to go through the void. If only this idiot would finally come back. But Author did not come back. Not in the next 10 minutes. Not the next hour. Not even the next day. It was after waking up on the couch for the secound time in a row that Marc decided to start searching for his friend. So he wandered through the forest for hours, trying to pick up any trace Author or his ‘victim’ could have left behind. Nothing. Then the actor went into the city, checking the cafes and restaurants they frequented, the book shops his best friend would sometimes spend hours in, but again, nothing. No one he asked had any recollection of seeing the Author the last days. Marc even sifted through the void for 4 days in a row steering clear only of the blue-red pulsating area that was Dark’s aura. After two weeks he stopped searching. He didn’t know if that was an appropriate time or if he should search longer. To be completely honest, he hadn’t really lost a person before like that. The last person to not come back to him was Celine but he still knew where she was back then and he refused to think about the implication this left for his current situation. Truth be told, he also didn’t like the other implications that left. The man sighed, slumped over on his desk staring at the small ring box in his hands that had become increasingly heavy in his pockets over the last days. Where the hell was his best friend?

The Host didn’t remember much. In fact, before a certain point in his life his mind drew a blank slate. When waking up the man found himself unable to see. The room smelled of hand sanitizer and peppermint. A hospital perhaps? But why would he be in a hospital? The next he knew a person appeared at his side and the scent of peppermint and hand sanitizer grew stronger. “Hello Host. My name is Dr Iplier. I’m going to change your bandages real quick then Dark will want to speak to you”, a male’s warm voice reassured him. The Host – was that his name? It seemed so peculiar – had many questions but he still kept them in while the doctor was at work. After that he couldn’t feel him leave the room but instead another presence joined him and suddenly the Host was glad that the doctor stayed. This presence was different, repressing and dark. The new man set himself next to the Host and began to talk in a deep, echoing voice, for a long time. He told the Host that his name was Darkiplier and that he was the leader of what he called ‘Egos’. Apparently the Host was one of them. They took him in after finding him on the forest floor, unconscious and with his eyes ripped out of his skull. The Host was still very confused but Darkiplier was there to explain most of his questions. Whenever he awoke in the hospital bed in the manor’s clinic Dark sat next to him, no matter how late it was. He was there to comfort him after he had another nightmare, more wild and obscure pictures just flunked around in his head. It was Dark who helped him figure out how his new sight worked and when he had his first vision that left him thrashing and screaming it was Dark who appeared and calmed him down. When he was allowed to finally leave the clinic Dark awaited him in the hallway and took his arm. While escorting him through the manor Dark did most of the talking. That was alright. The Host was more then content with listening to his boss (friend?) complaining about the Jim’s newest shenanigans. He just contributed his occasional nod or short remark and in no time they arrived at his room close to Dark’s.

The next months passed in a rush. Despite mostly staying in his bedroom, the library he discovered soon and Dark’s office he still became well enough acquainted with the rest of the hosehold. RJ and CJ were always eager to listen to his stories, Bim liked to spend his rehearsal time before a show in his room and even Google tolerated his stay in the android’s office whenever the Host wished to escape the chaos of the house. But over it all it was Dark who he was closest to. Whenever he could spare the time the entity would visit the Host in the library for a game of chess, a talk or simply to read in the semi-silence of the room. The first time he touched him the Host still repulsed, startled. But Dark didn’t seem annoyed to announce himself before making a move and soon the seemingly random hand on his arm or shoulder brushes became a regular thing between the two of them. He had a feeling they were more and more trusting towards each other. The Host knew that it was no use to try and lie to his friend and Dark was aware that he could hardly keep a secret from him. So they didn’t. Besides Dr Iplier was Dark the only one to have seen the Host’s empty eye sockets. Whenever Dark would have an episode his friend would know and help him with his chronic pain as good as possible.

The Host assumed this to be a normal thing until he noticed the reactions of the others and how Dark always seemed to distance himself to them somewhat, or how he seemed to never enter any of their offices in a non-business related matter. After this revelation he also began to notice how the others treated him in a seemingly overly conscious way as well as the looks Wilford would throw him sometimes that he couldn’t quite place. Something had changed with his closeness to Dark and he didn’t like the effect it had on his relationship with the other Egos.

But all that didn’t matter right now. In this moment the only thing that mattered was Dark’s arm around his, pressing the Host close to his chest. His chin rested on his head and the man’s hand gently stroke his hair, twirling his blonde streak of hair around his grey fingers. “What is on your mind, dear?”, mumbled the demon who had noticed his friend to be in deep thoughts once again. “The Host was just thinking about the other Egos. He noticed how their behaviour regarding him has changed over the last weeks. They appear to have become more...distant towards him.” The fingers in his hair stopped just for a moment before picking up their motion again. Dark hummed, “Don’t worry about them. Who knows what’s gotten into them. They’ll get themselves together again, I’m sure. You should get your mind off of these thing. I’ll invite you to dinner.” That actually took the Host off guard, “W-What would bring Dark to such an offer?” “Can’t I just take out my boyfriend?” “Boyfriend?”, when had that happened? Had he not interpreted the change in behaviour right? Dark chuckled behind him, “That wasn’t supposed to slip out. I can take it back if you want me too.” “No”, the Host mumbled. He didn’t move his head, just slowly raised his left arm before his hand got grabbed by Dark’s, “the Host wouldn’t be opposed to that.” “Wonderful, I will come by at 7 to pick you up”, and with that and a quick kiss on his head Dark was out of the room. Leaving the Host behind, alone with his thoughts.

It was exactly 7 pm when the Host heard a knock at his bedroom door. He opened the door, trying not to look as if he had been standing behind it for several minutes already. Dark smirked down at him looking somehow even sharper in his suit than usual. He reached forward before stopping himself as if he had to remind himself of something. What was it- right, the Touch-Rule. Why had they put that up again? It was not as if he would mind, right? “Your tie is crooked”, a moment later he felt quick hands redoing and adjusting his tie. “You look good”, came from his escort as he took his arm and began guiding him down the corridor. The Host beamed at the compliment. He had found a suit in the back of the wardrobe that he didn’t even remember owning. He did not know why it seemed so important for him to impress Dark all out of a sudden. But that was normal for boyfriends, right?

Dark watched his pet as he rambled on about his latest works. He did look just as handsome in the suit as he had imagined. ‘Yes, I can definitely make this work’, he thought to himself. By now all his moves had played out in his favour, from gaining the seer’s trust and affection to wiping his memories. It hadn’t been easy, he had to admit that, but in the end it pay out. When they found the Author in the woods, alone and unconscious, they had to take the chance they got. Host would be thankful for knowing that he freed him from this obnoxious personality and the Actor’s influence were he ever to regain his memories. Not like that was going to happen any time soon.

The Host was...content. He should be happy. Maybe he was. Technically his life hadn’t changed. He still spend most of his time in his office, writing and recording. Bim and the Jims didn’t come to his room quite as often. Dr Iplier rarely talked during their appointments any more. He hadn’t seen the rest of the group for days, or was it weeks? He found it hard to sleep, often falling asleep only in the early mornings which usually resulted in Dark bringing him breakfast. That was the one constant in his life: Dark. And while he still stopped by from time to time and they spent most nights together...there was something keeping them at the points they were now. They didn’t grow apart, you couldn’t say that, but there seemed to be this one topic that stood like a wall of glass between them – the Host’s past. He still couldn’t recall exact memories (not like he was trying to) but much like with the Egos he managed to catch onto certain auras and atmospheres. And while those surely changed – from wild green swirling in deep oak brown over baby blue tinted with cold metal to flashing yellow playing with lavendel – one red aura always stayed there, omnipresent and calming, warm. He was unsure on the identity of this man, for he knew it was a man, but he was sure of his connection with him, which was a passionate and loving one. For a moment he wanted to assume it was Dark’s, though it didn’t match with his current one. Maybe he should ask him. While Dark didn’t like to talk about his past, he had always shown interest in any possibility of the Host’s memories returning. The Host did not tell him about the man.

It was the Host’s birthday. Well, actually it was the day he joined the Egos but they didn’t really have anything else to go of. He received some mumbled birthday wishes when he entered the kitchen but he could also feels how the others averted their eyes not even daring to look into his direction. He knew why they did it. He had had enough time to really think last night, seemingly for the first time in a while. That wasn’t to say that he liked the reason. He needed to get out of here before the air suffocated him.

The man sitting on the porch of the small cottage went by the name of Actor. His friends called him Marc but the last one of them had died three years ago. Exactly three years actually. That’s why he sat on this porch. Because he shouldn’t bother any more, right? He told himself he didn’t because that was not the kind of person he was. But that didn’t change the fact that he hadn’t had another partner since then, that he had taken no one here – home.

The man had lived in a manor once, together with his beautiful wife. When she left him the huge house felt too big and too empty for him alone. So he filled it with parties and music and loud women and men. Ten he had started to live here with his beautiful friend. When he left him the house felt way too tiny, suffocating, made him question how they had survived in it as two. So he didn’t need to fill it with noise. As it was it was enough. It had always been.

Movement out of the side of his eye caught his attention. Annoyed at the disturbance he turned around and looked right at- “Author?” The other man looked up at him, caught off guard. He could now see the bandage around his head, not the beautiful golden eyes of his beloved but besides that and the glimming golden streak of hair it was an exact copy of him. The man seemed to have noticed his stare and began muttering again. How had he not noticed that before? Actor opened his mouth again when- “The Host knows you”, the stranger (?) blurted out. “You do?” The man nodded, “Your...aura. He has seen it before. In his memory”, he tapped lightly against his temple as if to emphasize his point, “No, he doesn’t know who you are. But of all the few things he remembers...you are the clearest.” Actor frowned. He didn’t understand everything the man (the Host?) said but damn if he wasn’t going to try and help them both. “I’m the Actor”, he began while slowly walking towards the Host, “and you are the Author. But you’re supposed to be dead.” The Host (Author?) slowly shook his head, the same sad and omnipotent smile on his face as his partner, “He supposes that would have been three years ago.” “How did you know that?”, Marc hissed with narrowed eyes. “That’s when the Host was taken in by the Egos with no recollection of his previous life.” “The Egos- Fucking Dark”, Marc swore under his breath. That insufferable, disastrous bastard! How could he dare to- “What did he do to you?”, he had to know. And may the gods know if that absolute maniac had hurt just a single part of his beloved’s being he would make. him. suffer. But the Host just kept looking at him with that tilted head, the sad smile still on his lips as if he were to pity the other man. “He proposed.”

[ne-fe-li-bata]

Aye yo CORPSE!  ...

Dead ass;

You can't convince me that Corspe was/is/does ; 

in no particular order..

• Deserve to be held ( I would smother him with my chest and hold him tighter than he has ever been held) & protected from this world

• Pyro! Mans loves🔥🔥🔥 - mostly his fav elemental  (Leo is a fire sign); “WOOO... now that’s a fire!”

•  Loves knives/weapons- has a collection (quite a nifty 1, ay thank-a-you) & even knows how to use butterfly knives/ tackle combat.

      Has a collection of weapons (brass knuckle, daggers, swords, knives,etc.)

•  Highly interested in combat/training. Most likely has training in some sort of combat. Loves any form of physical combat < UFC,MMA, Boxing, any type of martial arts>

•  Absolute proper gentlemen / clearly has the utmost charm/cunning

      I.e holds the door open & will slap yo ass on the way in, moves you away from street side when walking, pulls chairs, defends your honor, etc.

• Takes A . L . O . T  to truly capture his attention- but once you have it ..%100

•  With his person; protective/obsessives/ possessive/ sensual/ affectionate .

              < mine is mine. me no share -like absolutely not at all>

             “ You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down for ya“

• RP'er on DeviantArt/chats had his own OC. (also prob had his fav person to RP with) 

         <prob even talked to them in MSN or private chat>

•  Watched mostly nothing by anime/cartoons (nick/CN) as a kid & also mostly watched certain shows/movies as a kid well into his teens

         (could recite quotes/scenes as second nature)

•  Not a major musical theatre type of kid. But musical movies/shows was 1 of his favs- but still highly interested/ in love with theatre/musicals/preforming arts none the less.

-EYES DON’T LIE

•’staring problem’ he’d just stare at you -deep in his head (both good & bad) you’d have to bring him back to you ..”babe- eh, come *snap*back to me. What’s on your mind my love?’

•  Genuinely a really warm person- but only to certain people, but comes across cold & distance 

•  Grew up in the internet & knows the way around the 'business' & 'faceless' YouTubers/celebrities

•  His teens/ late adolescents consisted & grew up on YouTube O.G videos/ video game commentary/content;

  Cry.. <Cry was a huge part of my life & still hold a special place in my heart. Corspe just like I was most likely devastated with the shit that went down> 

Jack

Nova

Sp00n

Jontron

Smosh

Nigahiga

Shane

Jenna

Hanna Hart

Phil/Dan

KevJumba

Ray William Johnson

Pewds

Machinima

EMT

ERB

Wassabi Prod.

VlogBros, 

-etc

• Has an oral fixating (lovebites indefinitely <like dead ass ya’ll be chillan/ out & he’d attack you> & just needs something in his mouth always)

• Fidgety af, always need to be playing with something in his hands/playing with 

•  Is a goddamn absolute certified freak--but also super soft bean boi. (can't stress how this boi needs& deserves to be protected)

• Constant hand/arm touching/stroking for comfort.

• Daddy{papi} / Mommy(mamá) . Master . Sir  kink - hard control kinks- but highly sub. 

hard(er) kinks

• Lovebites = M I N E 

obvs fishnets/ crossbody straps/ lingerie

lace

collars/ restraints 

toys

     •RP

degrading/praising

sub/dom switch

showing/proving your actually/completely & utterly his/ he’s completely & utterly yours..

& of course you know it's go time when 1 - if not both of you has kitty ears on. 

over stim 

*no touchy/ don’t let me go*

“look at what I’ve done to you”

“you kno only I can do this to you”

“look how greedy you are for me”

“look at the mess you’ve made because of me’ 

“cum on my face”/’cum for me”

“who do you belong to” / “you belong to me & only me”

100% all black clothing 🖤

*that once we get home / I swear I’ll deal with you right here, right now* look 

primal play  “when you run from me, it only makes me want you more” “you know imma find you kitten”

pet names (beast< i feel like you call this man “ (a) beast”-he about to lose his absolute fucking mind> , “oh Corpse/______, you absolute fuckin’ beast- my God” kitten, babyboy/girl, baby(e), bae, my love, lover boy, my darling, slut, needy little bitch, cum slut, lil’ whore, master/mistress, king/queen”

“only yours” “just ______” “ no-one but _____” “only____” “only you” 

‘I’ll keep you so no one can find you or bother us’

“that’s my girl” / “that's my boy”

“would you like to/ I saw----”

“look at me” “don’t look away from me”

GROWLING / talking through clenched jaw

not breaking eye contact 

     • his name & ‘Corspe’ being cried out 

“cry out my name for me baby. know who you belong to”

video/sexing/teasing 

breeding kink

voyeurism

abrasions

aftercare af 

impact play 

24/7

edging 

accidental stim; “holy fuck- I’m so turned on by you rn”

rope bondage 

begging 

worships 

•  But also soft kinks; 

MEME SENDING

head on lap/chest

naps

playing with hair 

matching outfits

voice messages 

always touching (somehow)

no space between bodies

picture taking together/ just of you

body rubs, head rubs

massages

competition 

play fighting

“this reminded me of you”

“I remember you said” “I know you...”

“you know I love you”

“I can tell by your eyes”

“ugh- I swear to shit imma marry you 1 day”

“nothing really made sense until you”

“do you wanna watch”/ “WAIT!? YOU HAVEN’T SEEN?!”

“damn- you really do love/like me, eh?”/ “you are SO fucking mine”

“that’s my girl”/ “that's my boy”

pet names/ “MY_______” “YOURS”

long stares

dates- stay at home dates are his fav, as your attention/focus is just on him 

choker/necklace/ jewelry (that 1 of you bought- NOT LIKE HIGH PRICE TAG, but like seen it & was like ‘omg ____ would so wear...’) 

cuddles with movies /anime watching time

just being in the same room/on call- even in silence 

* emojis*- just some sort of communication 

inside jokes/ puns/dark humor

seeing 1 another with kids

future kink (family, travel, etc)

playing video games 

dancing/ singing with 1 another

Sitting on the ground, wrapped around his leg when he streams/edits

Nerf gun fights 

Watching him record (tracks/editing/streaming)

•  Loves- loves surprises <like dead ass would set up a surprise date/ do a scavenger hunt for you/ surprise you with your fav thing>

•  Loyalty is everything & his best attribute (& pride) 

• The music that he make is from the soul/heart. He pit everything has has/what he has left into his art

•  No one has seen the real him - a side he truly hides

•  He's both book & street smart

           Taught himself through YouTube/Reedit/online 

•  Fav actors; Jim Carrey/Robbin Williams/Will Smith (?)

•  Man’s straight up dangerous. we only know like a  quarter of him & people fall at his feet. ( h e . i s . n o t . t o . b e. F U C K E D . w i t h) 

•  Hates silence 

         ( constantly needs background noise)  <also can't fight me on this babyboi cuddles pillows/blankets for night-night time>

•  People don't understand the pain he is in every day, unless they have fibromyalgia/GERD/high functioning (sever social)anxiety/depression/ agoraphobia 

(my mom suffers with fibro/depression <I myself have GERD/ sever social amenity/depression>& I wouldn't wish those illness on my worse enemy...)

• Over all pain has changed him

• Has dealt with self harm since a young age- most likely 9- 11 yrs old. (as someone else who’s suffered with SH for years- when you become so numb it 1 of the only ways to feel some sort of anything/makes you feel like you’re alive)

• Addiction (drugs/people/things)

•  Wrote & read a lot of fanfiction

        (most likely his main source of reading in pre/teenage years)

• Is a hopeless romantic but has his guard way up

•  Obsessed with Japan / Studio Ghibli

• Doesn't think he deserves any of the recognition/ fame he's gotten--but definitely deserves it all as he's creative & inspirational as fuck. Also he’s worked so hard for it & had put himself through so much

    Contrary is highly appreciative of those that are supporting

• Doesn't do it for the fame but for the fact he know how he's gotten people through hard time (just like those on the internet got him through)

• Was a scene boy that vibe’d of myspace/ listens to a lot of  ‘scene’ pop-punk, emo/ scene band shit (band?)

•  Also is/was a major tumblr boy

•  Would be a phenomenal father

•   His love language: physical touch & words of affirmation 

• He would flinch at touch movement but would melt in your hands

• Face caresses would trigger anxiety/ tears.. but once he’s calmed/comfortable would burry his face in your touch. neck & chest

•  Still caught up in daydreams

•  A part of him is still never satisfied even if it’s exactly to the pin point detail of what he wanted  

•  Has at least 40/50(ish) songs he hasn't released

•  Mommy & daddy issues (not saying his home life was really- really  fucked - but non the less- it certainly wasn't the best).. Also wants to protect/provide for his family (especially his sister) & was prob closer to a grandparent/aunt/uncle)

•  Definitely prefers to be by himself, as every time people come around, it's like;‘"this is why I'm okay (ish)with being alone" 

• lost an important person to him due to O.D/ suicided..

•  Also most likely to of heard his "friends" shit talking 'Corpse' or something correlated with him

•  His pride is his biggest sin (next to lust)

•  Has single-handedly defined a huge part of 2020 ( in the best way)

•  Went through a fighting stage where he was ready to fuck anyone up on a drop of a dime (middle/'high school'/street fights- possibly even under ground)

          but also a stage where he cut absolutely everyone off for a solid couple years

•  Most likely obsessed with 1 of 3 creatures; lion, dragon, wolf ( 5ish- possibly bear/fox)

•  Dinosaur obsessed 

• Internet & video games raised him

• He raised himself

Quick to adapt to surroundings/situations.

•  Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was his shit ( I CAN SO SEE YOUNG BABYBOI RUNNIN AROUND THE HOUSE IN A POWER RANGER SUIT) "IT'S MORPHIN' TIME MOTHER FUCKER"

              fav ranger- green 

•  Has up until next year planned out & is working on the next 'version of corpse' ( PR, vids, music, etc)

•  Also med/high key this man was most likely in a physcward (more than once) ..

•  This man deserves more than he'll ever give himself recognition for & knows in the back of his mind--people will hate just to hate

•  Rose is his fav flower  🌹

•⛈️🌧️. >🌞.  Loves storms/ rain & prefers them over sunny days

•  Loves the moon/stars/space (?) < observatorium dates = fuckin mint>

• Pixar/Disney lover

        <still believes- deep down in happy ever after ... but thorough an twisted yet not so twisted- simple(??), dedicated process(?)>

•  Fav Pixar movie.. either Wall.E or Toy Story 

    •  Pixar > Disney

         •  But fav Disney movie- Beauty & the Beast (?)

• Most likely had a Jackass obsession's (doing dumb hoodshit)

•  Fall is his fav season (?)

•  Horror/ thriller movies/shows over everything (obvs)

•   Had an escape place in town where he’d hide from the world- that absolutely no one knew about. 

•  Was really into graffiti/ street art 

•  Arested as a youth - but charges dropped- or was still considered a mirror (either fighting/ possession/ trespassing/ vandalisms)

• Arrested on heavier charges (also same as above - but not tried as an minor)

•  also-ALSO ... thou he feels like he owes people something. HE DOESN’T OWE ANYTHING TO A N Y O N E . His mental & well being is the most important.

•  On a side & major note. You can't deny that this man single handily is a (in my opinion) the 2nd biggest “C” that define 2020.

•  Was most likely really into skateboarding/BMX

• Late night drives/impulsive road trips & playlist/ sitting at lookouts, just in silence & touching 1 another. 

• Clingy af-.. but could also be distance & cold af- especially on high pain days. stormy brain days. PTSD episodes.

• Slow dancing/ dancing around the apartments. with or without music.

• Rocking out with each other- screaming lyrics in each other face.

• “hey baby- how you feelin” 

         *grunting* *shuffles over & lays on chest* 

• Huge comforts for 1 another;

      Especially when going out, being wrapped around him for comfort & reassurance. Even being at home alone together- panic attacks are shit, PTSD episodes are even more shit. helping each other with bathing & caring

     When he’d be hiding from his reflection- or stares just a little too long. Going up behind him & worship him (vise versa)

• He’d be your biggest hypeman/ #1 fan (vise versa)

• Would LOVE you wearing his clothes/jewelry & would love to wear you things.

Was probably engaged to his ex (that's why he gets offt when people mention "corpse wife"

There'd be days where he'd be so distance & cold.. & tell you to leave but wouldn't let you.

He'd sit in the bathroom with you when you shower/have a bath.

As he doesn't sleep most night. He'd be up just watching you sleep & caressing you.

Lil spoon > big spoon.

<more to be added>

I love you... genuinely . turly.  madly. deeply.

[vampire207343]

Diana Grace

What if.... Davis Motomiya is born a girl by the name Diana and she has a big secret that she kept from her friends she’s a ..... Demigod the Daughter of Apollo.

          Diana left Odaiba after the defeat of MaloMyotismon for good since she has been drifting away from the rest of the Digidestin even from her mortal bestfriend Ken Ichijouji, since he has been spending more time to his new girlfriend Yolie Inue. Which I didn’t mine, but it feels like were not even friends anymore.

While I was in the park with Veemon an old clock sales man aproach me and given me a chance to be a different type of Digidestin and I accepted his proposal to become different time of Digidestin, I become a General every since then.

                 When I arrived at Digi-Quortz which are similar to the Digital world except the whole place look like a digital version of the human world.

 The Digimon that join my army are:

Apollomon

Dianamon

Leppamon

Raze Greymon

Sakuyamon

Mermaimon

Mihiramon

Cutemon

Guilmon

Rosemom

Floramon

Stingmon

Falcomon

Agunimon

Lobomon

Kazemon

Beetlemon

Loweemon

Swanmon

Lucemon

Seadramon

Justicemon

Junomon

I am the General of Miracles and after all the Generals defeated Quortzmon we return to the real world, but we all stayed in contact with one another even if we aren’t in the same town or country beside some of the Digimon Generals are Demigod like myself for example:

Mikey Kudo the demigod son of Hermes 

Jeremy Tsurgi the demigod son of Hermes

Angie Hinomoto the demigod daughter of Ares

So all the general knows about Demigod, but they still accept them. So after I return home their seem to be no time past which I didn’t mind beside All the Child Digidestin wouldn’t miss me one bit since their all to busy with their own life so they wouldn’t even know that I’m leaving Odaiba and moving to New York.

Diana being a daughter of Apollo, she’s great music and healing like all her brothers and sister.

              5 months later...

 The Digidestin finally notice the absent of Diana’s prescent so they went ro visit her at her house.

                                                      Ding.....Dong....

And Jun open the apartment door.

“ Oh... it’s you guys, what do you want? ” Jun ask.

“ Can we see Diana ” Kari said.

“ She’s not here ” Jun replied.

“ When is she going to get home? ” Ken ask.

“ You guys don’t know do you? ” Jun aak after look at them all in the eyes.

“ We don’t know what ? ” Cody ask.

“ My sister moved ” Jun replied.

“ Moved?....Where did she moved away? ” T.K. ask shock.

“ She moved to New Yorkbto be closer with her father and other siblings” Jun said.

“ Ah... this might be little personal but don’t you and Diana shared the same father? ” Yolie ask.

“ No.... Diana is my younger half sister.... well if that’s all goodbye ” Jun said Before closing the aparment door to their face.

 Before all the Digidestin left the Motomiya home and meet up with the older digidestin and told them what Jun said to them.

“ Did you guys even know she move at all ” Matt ask.

“ No ” Yolie said.

“ But, where still pick up the signal of her D-3 in Japan ” T.K. said.

“ It’s quite possible that when she left Japan. Diana left her D-3 behind ” Izzy said.

“ I suppost ” Ken said.

“ But I still can’t believed that Diana moved ” Yolie said.

“ Yeah ” Kari said.

“ I guess we are to bussy with our own lives that we didn’t notice that Diana left Japan ” Cody said.

“ I guess your right.... we been slowly drifting away from one another since the the defeat of MaloMyotismon ” T.K. said.

3 years later...

   The war with Gaia and her giant are finally over the 7 Demigods are:

Percy Jackson the son of Poseidon

Annabeth Chase the daughter of Athena

Frank Zhang the son of Mars

Hazel Lavender the daughter of Pluto

Piper Mclean the daughterbof Aphrodite

Leo Valdez the son of Hepheatus

Diana Motomiya the Daughter of Apollo

Jason Grace the son of Jupiter

Diana and Jason are now offically a couple, and their friends Piper Mclean has her heart broken since she also has a crush on Jason. But the relationship that Jason and Piper had at the beging was the creation if the Mist it wasn’t real but she did fall in love with Jason for real but Jason fellnin love with the beautiful daughter of Apollo, Diana Motomiya.

   One of Diana’s friends Jeremy Tsurgi the sin of Hermes was their for Piper to comfort her broken heart and help. Jason Grace, Piper Mclean and Leo Valdez become a General aswell.

Jason Grace’s army consist of :

Jupitermon

Leppamon

Seadramon

Hawkmon

Ravenmon

Angemon

Beetlemon

Huckmon

Sorcermon

Veedramon

War Greymon

Kazemon

Justicemon

Garurumon

Cutemon

Apollomon

Gallantmon

Monochromon

Kudamon

Lobomon

Angewomon

Leo Valdez’s army consist of:

Vulcanusmon

Datamon

Clockmon

Mihiramon

Marine Angemon

Leomon

Armadillomon

Tentomon

Kyubimon

Impmon

Agunimon

Metal Greymon

Magnamon

Labramon

Metal Seadramon

Biyomon

Terriermon

Wormon

Gaomon

Hawkmon

Piper Mclean's army consist of:

Venusmon

Lilymon

Yokomon

Terriermon

Metal Seadramon

Biyomon

Impmon

Leomon

Gatomon

Gabumon

Strikemon

Floramon

That summer they all went to Japan to meet the rest of the Generals by thrn Piper began dating Jeremy Tsurgi, after getting over her feelings for Jason. Piper Mclean, Leo Valdez and Jason Grace get along eith the rest of the General.

       5 years later...

All the Generals are now 21 years old and finally graduate College even those who are demigods. Jason Grace recently propose to Diana they been together for 6 years now.

 And they had a huge wedding at the Plazza in New York that their mortal friends could also attend and the Gods  made sure that no monster can ruwin their wedding and Queen Hera/Juno also gaved them her blessing which they thank her for.

           A month after tgey gotten married they find out from Apollo that Diana is already pregnant with twin Daughters their names are Serenity and Minako Grace  born in June 30, 1978.

               5 years later....

My mortal sister Jun Motomiya invited my family to her wedding to Jim Kido the older brother of Joe Kido the child of Reliability and I haven’t  seen the child Digidestins for almost 13 years since I left Odaiba. I know that Jun would most likely invited them all their yo her wedding since she’s marrying Joe Kido’s older brother.

Mikey and Angie are also invited since their son Duo Kudo is the Ring Bearer like my youngest daughter Minako is the flower girl for the wedding.

We flyto Japan using my family’s private Jet and Jeremy and his wife Piper tag along since it’s also the Digidestin Genersls Reunion so Leo and his wife Airu Suzaki

Would be taging along with their 4 years old son Xavier Valdez.

Jeremy & Piper Tsurgi, Leo & Airu Valdez and their family went a head to where they were meeting with the rest of the Generals, While Mikey and his wife Angie Kudo, Jason and Diana Grace and their family attented Jun’s wedding

2 Hours Later....

   The wedding Ceremony are finish and now all the guest are taking a seat to eat.

“ Congrasulation Jun ” Diana said giving her sister a hug.

“ Diana you made it in time ” Jun said.

“ I got my scudel clear for your wedding and you made my youngest daughter your flower girl and beside our friends are having a 10 years reunion later ” Diana said.

“ Congrasulation Jun ” Jason said.

“Oh.., thanks Jason. And it’s nice to see you again”  Jun said.

“ You too ” Jason said.

“ Congrasulation, Aunt Jun "Serenity and Minako Grace said.

“ Oh thank you girls " Jun said.

“ Well we will leave you to talk to your other guest ” Diana said, before joing Mikey, Angie and their two sons Heero and Dup Kudo.

“ Alright ” Jun said. 

Unknown to Diana that Joe spotted her.

“Guy...Guys... you would gelieve who I just saw ” Joe kido said.

“ Who is it that your out of breath” Natt ask.

“ I saw Diana again with her family, and it turn out the flower girl Minako Grace is Diana’s youngest daughter ” Joe said.

“ What? ” Tai ask shock.

“ Dosen’t that mean she’s married ” Yolie said.

“ From the look of things, yeah ” Joe said.

“ She has longer hair now and her once pure brown hair turn to golden brown hair ” Joe said.

“ Really she use to have a boyish haircut" T.K. said

“Yeah” she right their point at Diana.

“ I suppost 13 years can change a person’s view on things ” Sora said.

“ I guess your right ” Yolie said.

“ So what dose Diana do now a days? ” Kari ask.

“ To tell you guys the truth I still don’t know that part ” Joe said.

After the wedding the Kudo and the Grace family left and went to Shinohome to meet up with the rest of the Generals.

“ Hey, Jun what is Diana doing now a days? ” Tai ask.

“ Well Diana is a famous Actress and Singer, but she also own a Resturant Businesss that she runs. She also went to Medical School like her brothers and Sister, but she never went to be a Doctor but she dose have a degree for it. And her husband Jason Grace is an Actor and he also own Grace Airline. ” Jun said.

“ What?! Diana’s an actress and Singer ” Yolie ask shock.

“ That’s right. Well this is wehere we leave you ” Jun said before She and Jim left for their Honeymoon.

  Nene Amano end up marrying Christopher Aonuma. And she work as a Zologu expert while Christopher becoje a Marshal Art Instructor and they have one daughter together Lita Aonuma who’s the same age as Minako and Serenity.

Mikey Kudo become a Gym Teacher in New York city and Angie open up her own resturant that could rivals that of Diana’s. Mikey and Angie has two children and they are Heero and Duo Kudo.

8 years later...

Serenity & Minako  Grace, Lita Aonuma, Heero and Duo Kudo are now 14 years old and their family are currently living in Japan and all their memories of their pass life has return to them a month ago, so they have discretly collected all the 7 Rainbow crystal before making it one and Serenity hiding it from her body.

Minako Grace was the reborn princesss of Venus and she was also the captain of Inner Senshi of Princess Serenity. She was Sailor Venus the Senshi of Love and Beauty. She already at Princess Sailor Venus while she is in active that dosen’t mean they don’t trainn well those who remember their true memory of their past life not the one Queen Serenity want them to believe.

Lita Anomua is the reborn eelf of the princess of Jupiter, she also happen to be the secound in command of the inner sendhi of Princess Serenity. She is the senshi of Bravery and Protection, Sailor Jupitor, and Like Minako she has trained hard to reach the level of princess Sailor Jupitor.

 Duo Kudo was the reborn self of the Prince of Saturn and the half-brother of Princess Serenity and Sailor Saturn, he is the secound in command of the Planetry Knights.

Then their’s Heeero Kudo was the reborn self of the Prince of Jupitor and the half-brother of princess Lita of Jupitor and the capatain of the Planetry Knights.

Then Finally their is Serenity Grace vthe reborn self of Princess Serenity of the Moon. She is tge crown princess of the white moon kingdom and the true misstress of the Sliver Crystal which she currently hiding inside her own body. While her mother  Queen Serenity didn’t want her to be train as a senshi dhe sneak out to train as one without her mother knowladge. She also reach the same level as Venus and Jupitor, she now Princess Sailor Moon.

Serenity POV

 I have cut  any bond that I may have with PrincevEndymione XII since they may have been enganged to marry one another in their first life, but they did not love one another their Engangement was only to stop War from breaking out between the Moon and Earth Kingdoms, hut instead their Engagement cause the destruction of the moon Kingdom. Because of Endymione’s ex-girlfriend who he had to leave because if their Engangement. Beryl who is a Noble daughter from Earth, broke the Ancient Seal that contain one of the most Evilnbeing on Earth Metalicana which  my mother Queen Serenity sealed away long ago. And now  Metalicana possesed Beryl and she had rallied an Army and attack the Moon kingdom the lead to it’s destruction.

   At that time I was not awared that my younger half sister Princess Selena of the moon.

Have been visiting Earth many times that she end up meeting Endymione and fall in love with him even though she know the moment she heard his name that he is the Fiancee of her older half sister, but she didn’t care, but her rendezvous stop after the annocment of Serenity and Endymione’s wedding. For our mother would have her head if she didn’t.

I’m not awared who Selena’s father is in our last life and I’m 100% sure that she was not the daughter of of King Hades of Saturn, no one really know who her father is.

   Recently Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury are awaken most likely by Luna and Pluto awaken Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus earlier with the other inner scouts no where to be found. After the battle with Queen Beryl, Minako Grace finally found Artemis again but by then we were to Japan to go back to San Fransico.

          And we arrived home, we meet tye reborn self of Sailor Saturn who happen be my younger half sister in our last life, she is a legacy like us being the daughter of Koichi Kimura the son of Ares and Legacy of Pluto. He happenb to be a different Digidestin, he is a Warrior Digidestin.

We become friends with her. Serenity & Minako Grace both dream of become a famous Actress and Singer like their mother Diana Grace. Since they have godly blood in this life they inhearte their frandfather’s power as a legacy of Jupitor and Apollo.

[olehistorian]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-interview-imelda-staunton-is-tight-lipped-on-playing-the-crowns-future-queen-pkzpb76b2

Have you watched Vera Drake lately? Obviously, you have to be in a certain Saturday-night mood to turn off The Masked Singer and choose to put on Mike Leigh’s tale of a big-hearted backstreet abortionist in the East End in 1950. But it’s worth another visit. It’s one of the great British films and turbo-boosted the careers of many a character actor. Leading the ensemble cast in the title role — in an Oscar-nominated, Bafta-winning performance — was Imelda Staunton, who would become queen of them all. And possibly even the Queen. We’ll come to that.

“Just the best, best, best job of my life,” is how Staunton reflects on Vera Drake now. “Yeah, it was very hard to continue after that.”

After Vera Drake, Staunton had the little-old-lady role pretty much sewn up. The “little” is unavoidable. She’s 5ft nothing. In the hotel sideroom in which we meet, she fidgets on the edge of an armchair, sipping a juice a similar shade of green to her blouse and trench coat, which she keeps on throughout the interview. The “old” is perhaps more unfair: she was in her forties when she played Drake. We meet the day before her 64th birthday. “I think a lot of women now don’t think about their age because it’s changed for women, hasn’t it?”

She did “harrowing” again last year in ITV’s true-crime A Confession, playing the mother of Sian O’Callaghan, the 22-year-old from Swindon who was murdered in 2011. But otherwise, of late, she’s been — in the nicest way possible — British cinema’s arch biddy: in the gay-rights drama Pride; in Nanny McPhee; in the Downton Abbey movie alongside her husband, Jim Carter, who plays the long-suffering butler Carson; and as Professor Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films. It all comes back to Mike Leigh. “I wouldn’t have got Harry Potter if my profile hadn’t been upped with Vera Drake,” she says. “They might have wanted me, but I wasn’t, you know, hot enough.”

At the end of last year, it was reported that the ultimate little-old-lady part was coming Staunton’s way: succeeding Olivia Colman as the Queen in series five and six of The Crown. Netflix played it down as “speculation”. But at a charity event at the Ivy before Christmas, Grant Tucker, the Sunday Times entertainment correspondent, asked Staunton’s husband, Carter, what it was like being married to royalty. “Thankfully I don’t have to start bowing to her for another two years,” he replied, “so I have plenty of time to practise.” So it’s true? Staunton’s reply is immediate, polite and professional: “I can’t discuss anything to do with that.” Which isn’t, you’ll note, a no.

She tells me she woke up at 4am today, thinking about her next big gig — Hello, Dolly! at the Adelphi Theatre. It isn’t on until August. Rehearsals don’t start until June. But “to me, that’s 10 minutes”, she says. “I just know the process is beginning. As Jim said, ‘This is the rest of the year, is it?’ I think about it and think about it. ‘How the hell am I going to do that?’ [Past success] means nothing at all, because it’s the next challenge. The more people say, ‘Ooh, it’s going to be great,’ the more I just get so depressed.”

And what success. In the West End, she’s busted free of the twinsets to become a bona fide, big-lunged musical star — a pocket rocket with a trail of five-star reviews and awards in her wake. Her first Olivier was back in 1991, for Into the Woods. In 2013, she won one for Sweeney Todd, in which she appeared alongside Michael Ball. Stephen Sondheim saw her performance and told her she should take on a revival of Gypsy next. The 2016 Olivier followed for that.

Her dog, Molly, a terrier, appeared on stage with her in the early performances of Gypsy, at the Chichester Festival Theatre. One time, during the West End run, a mouse snuck into her costume. “I did the whole first 20 minutes with a mouse inside the sleeve of my coat, singing the song, carrying on the scene. It’s good what your head can cope with, isn’t it?” It’s not the sort of thing that should happen to a Harry Potter star, surely? “That’s what you want. That’s the reality of the glamour of the thing.”

Staunton grew up in Archway, north London, above her mum’s hairdressing shop. Her dad was a labourer. Her mum, a first-generation Irish immigrant, was a big fan of the Queen. She died just before her daughter received her Oscar nomination for Vera Drake, and before Staunton collected her OBE and later CBE from the palace. “She’d have bloody loved all that,” she says.

She went to a convent school — “a really nice one because we had a lot of lay teachers”. Her report cards read: “Imelda could try harder, but she was very good in the play.” Her elocution teacher, Mrs Stoker, pushed her towards Rada, where contemporaries included Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and Juliet Stevenson. When she got her first job in London, in 1982, it was in a musical: Guys and Dolls at the National Theatre. Staunton, by now used to lead roles, was only in the chorus. “I was thinking, ‘I just played Electra, what am I doing? Oh God.’” But Ian Charleson, Bob Hoskins, Julie Covington and Julia McKenzie were higher up the bill. “That’s what I was doing there: learning, really, really learning. That was wonderful.”

Also in the cast, seven years her senior, was Jim Carter. They married the following year. In 1986 they appeared together in Dennis Potter’s classic TV musical The Singing Detective. But, until the Downton movie, their working lives seldom intersected. “We don’t ever try not to work together — we just haven’t,” she says. “On the Downton film, we got completely overexcited, as we went to work for three days at the same time. What was lovely was doing the publicity together: travelling, just being in a hotel. We made sure we enjoyed ourselves.”

They have had a long-standing pact not to spend more than a couple of weeks apart, a rule Staunton broke to film Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock (no, me neither). “I think it was five weeks: I was in America and thought, ‘Yep, that’ll do.’”

She enjoyed last summer filming Flesh and Blood, a new four-part ITV drama, on the coast near Eastbourne. “The sea does do something different to you, doesn’t it? I do think it would be brilliant to have somewhere by the sea, but it’s not going to happen.” She’s happy at home in Hampstead with Carter, walking the dog, spending days at the Test match and doing the gardening: “That’s probably an older person’s thing to say. Well, f*** it, you know? It’s healing, really healing. Having a stable place to come back to is quite necessary for me and for Jim, I think. It nourishes us. It allows us to go into a place that isn’t comfortable because you know you can get back to a more comfortable place.”

Flesh and Blood is an example of good parts being written for older people, especially women. “I’m encouraged by it,” says Staunton. “Very encouraged.” It’s not so much a whodunnit as a whodunnwot. In its rather gripping first episode, there’s a mystery body on a beach and a recent widow (played by 74-year-old Francesca Annis) starting a new life with a new fella who has a whiff of the gigolo about him. Staunton is back as the little old lady, Mary, a creepy next-door neighbour with a pair of binoculars and penchant for opening other people’s mail. This primetime drama does contain scenes of pensioners smooching.

“It’s not just for the sake of it,” says Staunton. “This isn’t trying to be ‘Oh, we’re beautiful things having sex later in life.’ There’s a loving relationship developing. The fact that [in one of Annis’s scenes] the dressing gown slips off is not extraordinary.” Would Staunton ever want a crack at being the older woman getting the, ahem, action? “I don’t think that would be required,” she replies. “I don’t think so, no — not unless it was funny.”

We talk about the trial of the film producer Harvey Weinstein. What experience has Staunton had of that grim — and criminal — casting- couch culture? “None. Absolutely none,” she says. “I’m not surprised [that it goes on], but I’ve always been in situations where women are treated equally. In the rehearsal room, women behave as they wish to behave and are listened to, and that’s normal. I never thought, ‘Oh, isn’t this marvellous, somebody’s listening to me?’ I’ve never witnessed it, but I hope good will come out of this. The irony of that” — she pauses to choose the word carefully — “situation is that that man [Weinstein] has made good things happen now. Hurrah.”

It won’t come as too much of surprise that she voted Labour in last month’s election — her MP, Tulip Siddiq, has a 14,000-vote majority in Hampstead and Kilburn, Glenda Jackson’s old seat. Staunton voted for remain. She also featured in a video last year for Extinction Rebellion, organised by Richard Curtis. “It was a friend who said, ‘Could you come along, they’re just doing it today, this bit of filming.’ Well, I was doing nothing else. I’m not climbing up the side of a building, so I’ll go and do that. If I can help, I’ll do that. As much as we can all do, every little bit helps.”

Does she worry about putting her head above the parapet like that? “No, not at all. That’s the only bloody point of any slight fame: you’ve got to use it, to put it to good use.” She has also provided the voice for some polar bears for Greenpeace. “Trump is just an absolute … It’s just a nightmare, and the climate’s a nightmare and Brexit’s a nightmare. And yet I wake up thinking about Hello, Dolly!”

At 64, Staunton seems to recognise that a Vera Drake or Hello, Dolly! might not roll round again. Even Harry Potter was, she says, “a very serious piece of work, weirdly”. She feels lucky that an actor’s life goes on. So no plans to retire? “I don’t think people do, do they? Name me an actress! No, you won’t get bloody Maggie Smith retiring. It’s a very nice job, if you can get it.” Plus, she’s still hoping someone will cast her alongside her 26-year-old daughter, Bessie, also an actress. “I’d love that. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

I hope they do give her the Queen job. If there’s anyone who could add some plausibility and empathy to the madcap past 12 months of royal history, from Megxit to the sweat-free antics of Prince Andrew, it is Staunton. I would pay good money to watch her, in standard-issue HRH lemon-yellow frock and tight-curled wig, look up, fix her aide with a stare and utter the words: “A Pizza Express … in Woking?”

Flesh and Blood is on ITV in February

[remasteredinnuendo]

Blue Bayou Part III

Synopsis: Ben is nervous as he prepares for Bohemian Rhapsody. But just as he thinks nerves will get the best of him, he’s introduced to a woman who might just be the muse he needs. Inspired by the song Blue Bayou by Linda Ronstadt

Warnings: insecurities

Info: There is one more part to this fic after this one! This one and the next have a time skip

Part III:

After dreading this very moment for months, the day had finally come. And Ben just couldn’t do it.

He sat on stage at Live Aid behind the drum kit and couldn’t make a single beat. It was the very first day, and if impressions were everything he was really mucking it up. Everyone in costumes had made sure he looked as like Roger Taylor as possible, but making him feel and act like Roger was something entirely up to himself.

The scene was set. Lucy was dressed as Mary and standing in the wings alongside a man made up as Jim Hutton. Joe and Gwilym were off to the side with Brian May, learning a few secrets. The King of Queen himself was present, sat on the piano bench and thinking quietly to himself; in the form of the brilliant Rami Malek. The only one unable to grip the situation was Ben.

He had lost track of how many times the director had yelled cut! Couldn’t bring himself to recall how many glares he had gotten when the scene had to be reset. It wasn’t supposed to be this hard. For an actor, he had gotten everything he could’ve wanted; first-hand accounts from Roger Taylor himself, shadowing the drummer and spending time with him. He had gotten pointers and advice from the rock star.

And still it felt like he knew nothing.

Ben’s palms were sweaty, making it difficult to grip the drumsticks. His fingers couldn’t stop shaking, so every time he hit the canvas it reverberated all wrong. His knee couldn’t stop jumping, and the wig kept getting in the way. Nothing was going the way he thought it would.

“What’s gotten into you?” a voice asked in a whisper.

He turned his head, mouth dry, and found none other than Roger himself. The man stood in a black dress shirt with jeans, black sunglasses over his eyes. And though his sunglasses covered him well, it was easy to spot the concern in his brows. In the gentle lines of his face.

“I….” Ben didn’t have an answer.

How was he supposed to say that he was just as afraid now as he had been the very first day of production? How was he supposed to tell him that no matter how much mentoring he received, he didn’t feel like he could do this role justice? How could he tell Roger Taylor that he thought he had nothing more to prove, but now felt like he had been wrong?

Roger understood the silence. He gave a small nod, like he could read his thoughts, and turned around with his hand in the air. “Can we have a twenty minute break?” he called out.

The producers spoke into their headsets before giving him a thumbs-up, and he looked over his shoulder. Gave Ben a sympathetic smile. “Go clear your head. Remind yourself that you’ve got this.”

Without waiting for a reply, Roger walked to the wings of the stage to confer with Brian. Everyone else pretended not to notice the panic that seemed to cling to Ben. He was glad they tried to avert their eyes as he rushed off the stage, breezing by Rami and Joe when they tried to speak to him.

He was at the lot of trailers faster than he thought possible, swinging open the door to his own and slamming it behind him. He got himself a glass of water and sat on the sofa, trying to think about why this was so hard.

After all the time he had spent building his confidence, it was all for shit. He was back to quivering in his own skin, imagining the headlines that would come out when the movie did. They’d say he was just a pretty face. Say that’s how he got the job, and how he bombed it in every other aspect. Pretty as Roger, but with no talent.

It made his head spin.

Made his heart pound.

The beats in his chest were almost in time with the three knocks that rapped against the trailer. Ben froze at the sound, holding his breath. He waited for the voice of Roger, telling him to come out. Waited for a producer to say they needed to talk. But when there was another knock and no voice, he stood. Wiped his hands on his thighs before opening the door.

Emmy stood on the ground, at the bottom of the stairs. She had her hands in the pockets of her big sweater, her long hair twisted away from her neck with a broken pencil. She met his expression of confusion with one of delight.

“Hey there,” she said, voice softer than any of his thoughts. “I saw you come out here and thought I’d see if you’re all right.”

Emmy had been on set nearly every day, and before filming had even begun they had seen lots of each other. That day in the studio, where Roger and Brian had introduced them all to one another, had only been the first moment of many. Any time the group went out, she was there, too.

“Thank you,” Ben said, clearing his throat and trying to gain his composure back. “I, uh…would you like some tea?”

“That would be lovely,” she decided with a nod, and he moved out of the way to let her inside, closing the door behind her.

Emmy made it to the kitchen area first, pulling two mugs from the cupboard and putting the kettle on. Like she knew he didn’t want her to see his hands shake. He was grateful to her, and sat down again on the sofa where he had been before. Watched her get to teabags out and the bowl of sugar before she came to sit in the chair next to him.

“You look great out there. Just like the real Live Aid,” Emmy said, trying to hold his gaze.

He couldn’t bring himself to look at her too long. “Except during the real Live Aid, Roger could actually play the drums.”

“You can do it, too, if you breathe.”

Ben’s mouth twitched up into a smile. One of the first group outings they had with her, shortly after that day at the studio, had been to a big fancy dinner. It was a party, really, thrown by Brian where his wife had made up the dinner table for everyone to eat. Ben had been so nervous, poking at his coat with fear it wasn’t up to the standards of rich living. He couldn’t even speak to anyone without fumbling with his words. And Emmy had come up to him with a glass of wine. Winked at him and told him that he fit right in. The only piece of advice she gave was, remember to breathe.

They had attended a fashion show with Roger and one of the directors of the film, and Ben again felt out of place. Imagined himself sticking out like a sore thumb. Emmy had come to the rescue yet again. Placed her hand on his arm and said for him to breathe, to stop worrying about what other people thought about him and worry about enjoying himself. She had taken him back stage where the drinks were better, and they could sit and talk without such a big crowd.

“I’m trying to,” Ben answered, thinking about all those times she had come to save him. “But I don’t think I can do this. The film, I mean.”

“Says who?” Emmy questioned, leaning back in her chair as the kettle boiled on its stand.

He could feel the dare in her voice. “I don’t want to be the one to screw up the entire film. Everyone else is so perfect and I—”

She gave him a small smile as she shamelessly cut him off. “Rami came to me a few days ago, held my hand, and said, ‘I don’t know if I’m doing this right. I want to do your father proud’. Joe spilled tea down his front last week at his last costume fitting for Live Aid and said, ‘I knew I was going to do something wrong’. Gwilym couldn’t remember the riff Brian taught him and sat in a corner with the guitar on his lap, just staring at it for a few hours.”

Ben was silent, half tempted to laugh at her half-hearted attempt at truth and amusement.

“I had Roger and Brian over for breakfast just yesterday morning at my place, and I cried,” she confessed, voice a bit more serious now. “I cried because no matter how many takes I did of Freddie’s favourite song, I felt so scared that he wouldn’t be proud. That if one note didn’t flow, I’d be letting both my dad’s down.”

“You sing beautifully,” Ben said under his breath.

Emmy reached across the coffee table and took his hand, and he knew she had heard him. “And you are a natural at acting. None of us are perfect, Ben. All of us are afraid. But it can build you up instead of tear you apart, if you let it.”

He looked down at their joined hands and couldn’t stop himself from rubbing his thumb over the back of her knuckles. They had been strangers not too long ago. And then they had gone out and he had made her laugh. She had made him smile. He recalled how nervous he had been just to be in the same room as her. And remembered all those times she had made him feel brave.

She had helped him during those outings when he felt like he couldn’t breathe. But as he became more comfortable with Roger and Brian being around, and not worrying so much about the film and what he couldn’t bring to it, it was him shaking peoples’ hands first. And that was new.

Once, when they were all dressed up at an estate for tea, going over a few scenes and getting last pointers from the rock stars and Queen family members, Ben had lifted her wrist and looped her arm through his. The confidence had come a little bit easier then, after so long. And he had taken Emmy out the back courtyard, and through the gardens, to where he had seen a pond. One he thought was so beautiful that he just had to share it with his new friend.

And every day he silently thanked her for making him feel like he didn’t have to become better. He was always good enough.

“I’m making such a big fuss over nothing,” he sighed, shaking his head at himself.

The kettle switched off, and Emmy pulled away to stand and pour the water into the mugs. “It’s not nothing. If it’s bothering you, it matters.”

“I just thought I was over this nervousness. Over this fear of needing to prove something.”

Emmy’s eyes were filled with an emotion he couldn’t quite read as she handed him the tea with milk and two sugars, sitting beside him instead of going back to his chair. “You’re pretty.”

The statement almost made him choke on his beverage.

And as he sputtered, working out something to say, she laughed. Like silver bells. “No, I mean you’re pretty. Everyone sees it. And if anyone were to deny it, they’d be lying.”

He wiped the tea that dribbled down his chin, still unable to respond to her. She was so blunt that it was comical, but he knew that this was just how she was: honest, ready to dive headfirst off the cliff into the waiting waters below.

“But that’s not why you got the part,” Emmy clarified, managing to suppress her giggles at his reaction. “You got the part because you bring everything to the table. You lied about being able to play the drums, but the director kept you still— not because you were pretty, but because you’re too perfect for the part to let go simply on a technicality. Do you get it yet?”

Ben suddenly felt embarrassed. He had been thinking that no one could see how nervous he was, and he was suffering alone; but Rami was playing goddamn Freddie Mercury. He was terrified. Joe was playing John fucking Deacon. He was nervous. Gwilym was giving life to a young Brian May. He was scared. And here he was, shaking to himself as he imagined what the reporters would say about how his looks didn’t match his ability to act.

“You can’t please everyone,” she told him softer this time, bumping his shoulder with his. “So finish your tea, and we can both go back to that stage where you’ll take a deep breath behind that drum kit. And after you do that, you’ll forget all your worries and smash it.”

Of all the fleeting moments they had shared over the last few months, this was Ben’s favourite. I’m sorry, he wanted to say. But he changed it in his head to, thank you.

And as Emmy smiled at him, he never felt more confident in his life that he could walk out of this trailer and get the scene done on the very next try.

When she looked down, a flush in her cheeks, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her.

But one thing at a time: he needed to kick ass at Live Aid first.

[borhapstyles]

Is There Somewhere (Ben Hardy Imagine)

PART TWO TO GIRL CRUSH !! Read it first so this comes a bit easier :)

Description (for this particular part): The story of how you fell for Ben on the set of Bohemian Rhapsody. And the story of how he broke your heart not too long afterwards. Based off my favorite Halsey song, Is There Somewhere

Warnings: Swearing and uh.. a whole lot of miscommunication lol  Word Count: 8.3k (I’m so sorry it’s so long omg but I wasn’t satisfied with it and eventually it just came to this) 

**Note: This takes place BEFORE the events of Girl Crush. This might feel like it’s lacking Ben’s perspective but I do plan to write a part three that tells his side of the story and explains why he does what he does. I hope you guys love this one! I tried. And happy birthday to this boy. Love xx 

–

July 2017: The table read for Bohemian Rhapsody 

“Miss Y/L/N, would you like some coffee?”

“Oh, uh, n-no, I’m alright.” You rose up the cup of tea in front of you. The PA shakes his head before rushing off to fulfill everyone else’s orders.

“Y/N?” Your head lifted up to meet the eyes of one of Bo Rhap’s producers.

“Hi, the table read actually won’t start for a bit but I’ve put you in here so that you can formally meet the other main cast members before it starts, I hope that’s okay.”

“Oh yeah, of course!” You smiled. “I know, I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for it last week.”

“Don’t be! We’re so glad to have you part of this and I think everyone else on the cast is too.” She consoled before exiting.

Out of both nerves and boredom, you tapped your nails against the table’s rough, wooden surface. The crew buzzed around out in the hallway but you sighed, left by yourself with butterflies in your stomach.

You weren’t able to make it to the original cast meeting as you were wrapping up your last film when it happened. This meant that everyone else already had the chance to get acquainted with each other, leaving you to feel out of the loop no matter how much all the producers reassured you that you were still welcome.

Halfway through scrolling through Twitter, your ears pricked up at the calling of your name.

“Hey, I’m Lucy.” The soft voice introduced, a toothless grin painted on her face. You stood and she pulled you in for a hug, quick to compliment your outfit.

“Thank you, it’s weird cause I’ve been to dozens of these table reads but I never know what to wear.” You replied and she nodded in agreement.

“I know, people either dress really fancy, in character or just go extremely casual. It’s odd to have to find the happy medium.”

Following that, you and Lucy spring into a conversation about clothing and bond over all the fashion choices Freddie Mercury had made in his time. You found the friendship to form quickly and immediately took a liking to your new costar.

“Is she in there?” A voice spoke from the hallway.

“Yeah, she’s there with Lucy.” Another answered.

Your eyes bounced away from your new friend to the doorway as three figures filed in, each handsome in their own form. The butterflies from earlier began to saturate your stomach again and you beamed nervously.

“H-Hi.” You said, anxiously bouncing off the balls of your feet.

“I’m Joe, it’s nice to finally meet you.” The American accent shined through as you shook his hand.

“Y/N, and you as well.”

“I’m Gwilym, but call me Gwil please.”

“I’m Rami.”

You grinned at the three men as they took their seats around the table. They politely asked about how your flight back to London went and were brisk to make you feel more welcome into the cast. You soon forgot that you missed the last meeting and felt right at home with them.

“Sorry I’m late!” A blond haired man shouted as he jogged through the door. He puffed out a few heavy sighs, wiping away sweat from his forehead. His eyes wandered through the room, throwing nods to all the other actors before landing on you.

You forced a smile onto your lips. He lent forward, sticking a hand out for you to shake.

“Hi, I’m Ben.” He smiled warmly, green eyes piercing through your skin and you breathed out slowly. God, he’s breathtaking. Are people as pretty as him allowed to exist?

“I’m Y/N.” You uttered, taking his large hand in yours. He squeezes it gently before pulling away, gaze not leaving yours.

This man is beautiful and I’m meant to be working alongside HIM? You thought to yourself. 

“Traffic’s terrible right now, isn’t it?” You said in an attempt to make conversation. He chuckled, taking the seat right next to yours. Your eyes willfully racked his outfit and disheveled hair, causing your mind to wander to dirtier places.

“Yeah, but I was just late cause I overslept.” He replied, causing everyone to laugh.

“Okay, everyone’s met and is for the table read, I presume?” The director poked his head in and everyone exits the room. Ben made sure that he held the door open for you, sporting a polite grin as you passed him.

You noted the habit he has of biting his lip, but just for a second before he realised what he was doing and stopped himself.

“Your flight in alright?” He questioned, tugging you away from your train of thought.

“Uh-yeah.” You answered. He reached a hand out to your hair, causing your heartbeat to pick up.

“Sorry, you’ve got something right… here.” Ben opened his palm out to show you a small piece of cotton that somehow made its way into your hair.

You gulped, half unable to look away from his large hand, half embarrassed at the revelation. “Oh, I don’t know how that got there.”

He laughed once more and you let out a breath, the sound of it like music to your ears already.

This man is going to be trouble for me. 

-

At the large rectangular table, you were placed in between Ben and Aaron McCusker, who you found was going to be playing Jim Hutton.

After chatting with Aaron for a couple minutes, you felt a pair of eyes sink into the back of your head. Aaron’s gaze bounced to and from your face, eventually drifting behind you.

“Looks like you’ve got an admirer.” He commented.

You followed his line of sight and became face to face with Ben, who you assumed was the person staring at you.

“Can I help you?” You sassily cut in. Aaron snickered from next to you and you couldn't help the smile that broke onto your face.

“Nope.” Ben replied, popping the “p” in the word. He shifted his body back forward and avoided your eyes, as if he didn’t just spend the last minute with his eyes locked on you.

You chortled and turned back to Aaron, who threw you an amused look and shrugs.

Minutes passed as you waited for everyone else to settle into the room. You couldn’t help but think about the on-screen Roger Taylor next to you, whose deep, husky voice and bright green eyes immediately took to your heart.

If you’re honest, you hadn’t heard of Ben Hardy until you found out who else was cast in Bo Rhap. After a quick google search on him, you thought he was cute but didn’t pay much mind to him until today.

Yet that day, you couldn’t stop thinking about him. And you’ve had a total of three interactions with the man, one of them including him pointing out the cotton in your hair.

Your teeth sank down into your lips as your eyes drift to the side of you, towards where Ben was sitting comfortably. He was chatting with Joe next to him so he didn’t notice your stares, or at least that’s what you wanted like to believe.

You shifted back to Aaron but felt the same pair of eyes on you again, and so you swung your body to face Ben’s.

“Do you always stare at people you’ve just met?”

“I don’t know, do you always stare at people you’ve just met?” He replied, a shit-eating grin making its way onto his face to report to you that he’s joking.

“Were you staring at me cause I was looking at you or were you genuinely staring at me?”

“So you admit to the staring.” He smirked, sitting back cockily with his arms crossed.

“I was merely glancing.”

“Then I was too.” Ben further teased, causing you to roll your eyes.

“But you started it!” You retort, well aware of how childish you sound. But to be fair, he did fire first.

Joe laid one hand on your shoulder, the other on Ben’s and patted them gently. “Now now children, settle down. We’re almost getting started.” Ben snickered to himself before turning his gaze back to you.

“Are you going to quit staring at me?” You snapped, feeling slightly annoyed at his persistence.

You were met with silence as Ben proceeded to survey your face, an amused smirk playing off his lips. You held up the script to act as a divider until Gwil strolled by.

“Is there a reason why you’re holding up the script like that?”

Ben shrugged. “I dunno, guess she just likes it that way.”

At this point, you were almost fuming, to which Gwil just laughed. He knew a good joke when he sees one and Ben was milking the shit out of it.

“Is that what the next few months are going to be like? You harassing me with your stares and smug face?” You prodded.

There was a wicked glint in Ben’s eyes as he leaned leaned in, as if he was going to tell spill something important. But a smirked wiggled onto his lips at the last second as he said;

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

-

Following the banter at the table read, your friendship with the Bo Rhap boys and Lucy flourished. To have chemistry on-screen and off screen was extremely rare for a group as large as yours but you all spoke as if you had known each other for years.

You found a family within them as you each looked after each other. Gwil and Joe especially came to be like older brothers to you. Lucy was quick to become your best friend and Rami was everything in between. 

And despite your efforts to evade feelings for him, you couldn’t stop your ever-growing affection for Ben (although you’d never admit it to him.) You found yourself lingering around him a bit more, whether it be through eye contact, brushing your fingers against his when handing him something, or the hugs he’d give you each day before you left the set.

To everyone else on set, it quickly became obvious how close you two had gotten in such a short while. 

You spent copious amounts of time in each other’s trailers, to which any other person would assume things, but in truth you and Ben were doing everything but. In the moments of free time that you guys did have on set, you’d either be running lines, watching Ben practice drums or having a talk about, well, anything.

The first day you felt something for him was actually on set, inside his trailer. It was the day he thought he had to play the drum solo for “Keep Yourself Alive.”

Mid-July 2017: On set 

“Ben?” You knocked on his door gently. With no reply, you remained in your place. “I uh, I heard you’re gonna be doing the drum solo today? I’m really excited to hear it.”

“Ben?” Your knuckles scraped his door again. The sound of footsteps filled your ears before Matt, Ben’s drum instructor opened the door, but just fast enough for you to come in. He eyed Ben once more and gave him a short wave.

“I’ll give you guys a moment.” Matt threw you a concerned look. You caught it and the last second and inwardly sighed.

With a gentle approach, you whispered “Hi.”, the couch dipping as you took the seat across from him.

He looked up at you, eyes full of a fear that you had never seen from him before. You wanted to frown, the bags under his eyes plus the unruly blond hair atop his head was a complete opposite from the confident, suave man you met just the other day.

“I just wanted to drop by and see if you’re okay. Everyone’s asking for you out there and I figured if you hadn’t come out by now, something must be wrong.”

“I can’t fucking do it.” Ben uttered, voice strained from the stress.

“What do you mean?”

“I lied, I can’t play the drums, or at least, I can’t play it to that degree. I know the basics but I lied when they asked if I could play the drums because I really wanted this role and I’m regretting getting it now because they’re gonna know I can’t play shit and I’m going to lose all this.” He let out. He refused to meet your eyes, shifting his vision from the window to the floor.

You bit your lip, knowing the truth behind the request for him to play drums. Part of you wanted to keep the prank on, Rami had worked hard and it wasn’t your place to spoil it.

But the man in front of you seemed quite torn up and you couldn’t help yourself. You hardly knew him except for the few jokes he made around you and the sarcastic lines you threw back but your heart went out to him. You didn’t expect him to unload on you but this only made you respect him even more. He wasn’t afraid to show his vulnerability around you, and the least you could do was rally for him.

“You wanna hear a secret?”

Ben lifted his head again, green eyes greeting yours. He gave you an expectant look, wondering exactly how you could fix the situation.

“It’s a joke.” You voiced.

His face crinkled into one of confusion, blinking rapidly at you. “What?”

“You don’t actually have to play that solo. Roger Taylor didn’t request for you to play anything.”

Ben’s eyes widened, jaw dropping in disbelief. “Tell me you’re not joking, please tell me you’re not joking.” He grabbed your hands eagerly and you glanced down at the gesture; he hadn’t really made moves of contact but now was not the time to dwell on it.

“I’m not, it was all a prank.”

“Well who’s fucking prank?!” He yelled, hopping onto his feet.

You squeaked. “I-I can’t tell you that, I’ve said too much, he’d kill me.”

“Well whoever he is, I’m gonna fucking kill him!” He said, bringing you to laughter. He threw his hands in the air and strolled over to the door. “Roger’s requested for you to do the solo, Ben.” He mocked the assistant directors that came up to him.

His eyes were glazed with a vendetta, gesturing for you to come along to confront the mastermind behind the prank.

Rami never quite found out who spoiled the joke as Ben kept you from getting thrown under the bus, but he had an inkling it was you. From that day on, you and Ben grew to be each other’s partners in crime on set.

Gwil was the first to truly notice how much time you spent with Ben when he walked over to your trailer, only for him to discover it was empty.

August 2017: Ben’s trailer. 

Your makeup artist told Gwil that you went over to Ben’s, and he raised a brow but strolled over to the blond man’s trailer. When inside, he saw that your makeup artist was telling the truth as he found you lying on the couch with Ben adjacent to it, deep in a conversation about existentialism.

“Are you guys okay?” Gwil cautiously eyed the two of you as if he had just walked in on something strange.

Ben lifted his head from the couch to nod at him. “Huh? Oh yeah mate, we’re alright.”

“We’re just talking about life and existence and how Freddie changed the world of music as we know it, and how we literally would not be here if it wasn’t for him, and the fragility of life as a whole, really. I mean, Freddie was just 45 when he left us but he’s forever changed all our lives, even if it’s been almost 30 years.” You rambled, glancing up at the Bo Rhap version of Brian May.

His eyes widen, perhaps he did walk in on something strange.

“Is that what you two do when you’re in each other’s trailers? Have heavy chats about life and death? Jesus.”

“I mean, not all the time.” Ben corrected, standing to grab a packet of crisps off the table. “Sometimes we talk about sports.”

“Ben does most of the talking when that happens.” You joked, reaching over to grab a crisp from Ben’s grasp.

“Interesting.” Gwil articulated. “And there we all were, thinking you guys were in some secret relationship.”

“No!” You hastily replied, causing both Ben and Gwil’s eyes to widen. “I-I mean, no, that’s not it. I can see why people would assume though.”

An awkward air filled the room as Ben continued to chew his food slowly.

You inwardly screamed and wondered to yourself why you were so quick to correct Gwil’s assumption. Would it be so bad if you and Ben were dating? Your teeth sank down to the flesh of your bottom lip as you hovered over the notion.

Yes, yes it would. You thought. You didn’t have much luck dating your costars in the past and had built up such a beautiful friendship with Ben that you didn’t want to ruin it. He was someone you knew you could trust, someone you knew you could depend on and someone you felt safe with. It wasn’t often that you found that in a person and yet there he was.

I’m not going to fall in love with him. You spoke firmly to yourself.

Gwil cleared his throat, stiffly looking down at the ground. The silence when Lucy peeked her head through the trailer door.

“Knock knock.” She announced sweetly and you sighed with relief.

“Lucy!” You strode over, wrapping your arms around your friend.

“We were looking for you guys everywhere.” Rami greeted as the couple moved in, taking seats around Ben’s trailer.

“We started at Gwil’s but he left a sign saying he was “out of trailer”...?” Lucy’s voice trailed off as she looked to the man, who shook his head briskly.

“Yeah, yeah. I decided to start putting that up in case people go looking for me.”

“You’re a dork.” You snorted, causing everyone to laugh.

“Excuse you! It’s actually very helpful, especially in cases such as yours where you weren’t even there!”

“Gwil if I’m not in my trailer, you and everyone else knows I’m either where the food is, at Lucy’s or at Ben’s. It’s not that hard.”

Everyone else but Gwil murmured in agreement, causing you to smirk in superiority.

“Okay, well, some of us aren’t as predictable, so.”

“Anyways!” Lucy cut in. “So we went over to the food and thought maybe we’d find Y/N there,” She gestured to you. “But she wasn’t, and when you weren’t in your trailer Y/N, we realised you’re probably at Ben’s.”

You nodded respectively. “You really aren’t wrong there Luc. I’m here half the time. Only cause Ben has the better snacks.”

“Hey!” He shouted before shoving another crisp into his mouth. You reached over again and quickly stole one, to which he just rolled his eyes and held out the bag for you.

“Why wasn’t I invited to the party?” Joe chimed in, suddenly appearing at the doorway. You all laugh before getting called over to lunch by the production assistant.

As if the previous awkward conversation didn’t exist, Ben smiled at you kindly and picked your bag up for you and held the door as you walked out.

“You’re still coming over later for pizza, yeah?” He asked, plump lips in a small pout to plead for you to say yes.

You nodded, a gentle smile approaching your mouth. “Of course, wouldn’t miss it.” 

Fuck, okay. Maybe I will fall in love with him.

At lunch, everyone knew that the seat to Ben’s right was going to be taken by you, even if there were no other seats left at the table.

“Oh, sorry mate. Y/N going to be sitting there. She’s just left to get a drink.” He told Allen Leech one day when he tried to snag your spot. Allen’s brows raised in amusement as he shrugged and proceeded to search for another seat elsewhere.

This became a running joke for everyone else on set, as whenever Ben had an open spot next to him, everyone avoided it like the plague.

“No one sit on Ben’s right!” The director would called out. “It’s Y/N’s spot, apparently.”

On those days, you would just roll your eyes and purposefully sit next to Lucy if it was convenient. She was another person who didn’t fail to tease you about your friendship with Ben.

Late August 2017: Lucy’s trailer.

“So you and Roger Taylor, hm?” She nudged, causing you to roll your eyes.

“Ugh, you wish.” You said, taking the spot across from her on the couch. “I told myself I wouldn’t, even if it were possible. It’s just never worked out for me and Ben’s too valuable of a friend to lose.”

“Yes, but think of the possibilities of you marrying your best friend! You get to shag them and then have fun while making morning-after pancakes together!” She teased.

“Don’t.” You groaned, shoving your hands in your face at the thought of it. “I can’t think about that Lucy, I can’t like him that way! Besides, I’m 99% sure he only sees me as a friend.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, he asked me if I wanted to play Fifa the other day and told me he “plays it with all his mates.”

She scrunched her nose. “Oh, no. I’m sorry love.”

“Eh, I mean. I think that makes it easier on me, knowing that he doesn’t see me that way? Saves all the confusion and heartbreak.”

“Well, I mean I wouldn’t be set on the idea that he doesn’t like you either. If you think about it, sports is one of the things he loves and he’s sharing that with you. Plus he saves your seat at lunch, holds doors open for you, calls you “love” and stuff.”

“He’s English. You’re English. Everyone calls each other love. The lady at Tesco’s called me “love” last night!” You argued, causing her to roll her eyes.

“I’m just saying. Keep an open mind, love. Guys can show love in their own, peculiar ways which you don’t realise until you think about it.

Lucy’s words planted themselves into your mind as you left set that day, but of course, you couldn’t explore it too much as Ben walked along with you.

This was another thing he did which drove you mad. Ben always walked you to your car.

At first, escorting you to your car was out of coincidence because you somehow parked next to him for the first week, but even when you were parked on opposite ends of the lot, he still accompanied you. You’d tell him he didn’t need to but he would shrug and say it’s a habit and how he wants to make sure you’re safe. On top of that, he never failed to tell you to “Drive safe” and bid you a goodnight.

Even then, it wouldn’t be the end of the conversation.

You’d return home and check your phone to find a meme or two from him, or a variation of snapchats based on whatever he was up to.

“Frankie’s beating me at Fifa.” He’d caption the photo, which was of his dog holding the controller in front of the TV.

“Frankie is my favorite Hardy.” You’d reply, causing him to send you a snap of him rolling his eyes and saying “He’s got nothing on me.”

September 2017: Ben’s flat. 

When the opportunity struck for the entire cast of Bo Rhap to bond, you’d all gather at someone’s house (usually Gwil’s or Ben’s) for dinner and drinks, which eventually turned into playing around with Ben’s nintendo switch.

“I’m partners with Gwil.”

“Aw! Joe, I was just gonna ask to be your partner.” Gwil fake shed a tear, going over to hug the man.

When it came to you and Ben, however, you two were automatically each other’s partners. This was secretly a doing of Lucy and Rami, who paired up on the first night because they wanted to see you and Ben together.

As it turned out, you and Ben were perfect together when it came to beating other teams at Mario Party and it was a rarity that you guys lost.

The games went late into the night, with which Lucy and Rami left when it turned midnight. You, Gwil, Joe and Ben remained.

And when Ben stepped outside to make a phone call, the three of you were left to your own devices as you waited for him to return to resume playing.

“So you and Ben, huh. I’d support it, 100%.” Gwil started.

“What do you mean?” You looked at him as if he had just spouted something ridiculous.

“You guys are getting pretty close, which means Gwil and I are gonna start fifth and sixth wheeling.” Joe remarked, turning to Gwil. “Unless..?”

Gwil rolled his eyes before you reply. “There is no Ben and I, we’re just friends.”

“But you like him.” Gwil prodded.

You open your mouth, suddenly becoming very flushed.

Come on Y/N, you’re an actress, you can lie.

Wait, why are you gonna lie? You don’t like him, do you?

OH FUCK. Do you like Ben???? OH my god.

He’s so cute though, and he holds the door open for you, he always makes you laugh, he’s got the sweetest eyes and oh god, that voice. Especially when you see him for those early mornings.

WAIT. NO.

You can’t like Ben. NO. You promised me, you promised you that you wouldn’t! Self control! You have a rule!

Fuck, what’re you gonna do?!

Okay wait no before we game plan this maybe juST ANSWER GWIL HE’S GETTING SUSPICIOUS.

“Jeez, did I break we or something?” Joe waved hand over your face, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“She likes him, that’s adorable.” Gwil murmured to Joe, who nodded understandingly.

“Well, I-” Before Gwil can say anything of substance, his phone rings, leaving just you and Joe in the room.

“I can’t believe I like him.” You whispered to yourself, barely audible but Joe picked it up. You had a rule against dating your co-stars and had told Gwil and Joe about it. However, they seemed adamant to push you away from that. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t know you liked him.” He laughed. “It’s so obvious to everyone.”

“Everyone?”

“Yes, even that PA that just passes out coffee to all of us. Even he knows.”

You bit your lip, concern washing all over you. Fuck, was it that obvious?

“If you’re wondering why I brought it up, well, I’m just going to say I think you should be careful, especially considering Ben’s situation.” Joe disclosed, reaching over to grab his drink off the coffee table.

“What situation? What do you mean?” You questioned, doubled in concerned over Ben and everyone knowing.

“Who do you think he’s on the phone with?”

“I don’t know, it literally could be anyone.” You retort, rolling your eyes. “C’mon, tell me, what’re you talking about? Is Ben dying or something?”

“I would sure hope not.” Gwil said, making his way back into the room.

“Oh shit.” Joe uttered. “You don’t know, do you?”

“Know what? What the fuck are you guys talking about?”

“She doesn’t know about Katriona.” Joe said to Gwil, but you picked up the name.

“Who’s that?” Your mouth went dry at the thought of him with someone else. Your palms begin to get sweaty as your heart rate picks up, who’s Katriona and what does she have to do with Ben?

“You guys never spoke about your love life? Like ever? Or have you ever even googled him, Y/N?”

You shook your head vigorously. “Love life, that just never came up. I dunno, I just never wanted to broach the subject because I think I’ve been afraid to know the answer.” Joe licked his lips, unsure of how to say the next few words but you seemed to know what he was going to say.

“Katriona’s not, oh my god. Is she his ex or something? Please don’t tell me she-”

“-I think you should speak to Ben on that one. We don’t know much but clearly there’s something you guys need to talk about, or at least something he hasn’t told you.” Gwil cut you off.

You stared down at the coffee table, noting the cookie you and Ben had shared earlier.

All of it felt pathetic now. All the little signs you thought were signs but just coincidences, all the conversations until the wee hours, snack sharing in his trailer, hell, the walks you went on with Frankie when Ben brought him on set. Ben knowing your tea or coffee order and taking all your song recommendations, making sure to give you a review on them the next day. 

All of it felt useless now in your mind, and you felt useless to him. A fool, really. 

You blinked away the tears that dared to escape your eyes as you watched Ben go through his phone call. You noticed the grin on his lips, the way he spoke with his hands when he got excited, all of it. All of that he used to do around you, and he still does. But there was a light in his eyes and you wondered if you ever did that for him.

Before anyone could say anything else, Ben returned from outside, the door slamming shut behind him. Gwil and Joe sipped their drinks awkwardly, not knowing what else to tell you. They had opened Pandora’s box and were afraid about what was going to happen to your relationship with Ben.

“What’d I miss? Why’s everyone look like they’ve just discovered something?” Ben spoke into the room.

You faked a smile as you raised an empty glass. “You’re out of my favorite wine, I think.”

“Oh?” Ben sauntered over to the cabinet, pulling out another bottle. “I bought another one just because I thought this would happen.”

Joe eyed you wearily, knowing the gesture would present a dull ache in your chest. He was right.

“You know what?” You began, standing from your position on the couch. “I think I’m just gonna head home, actually.”

Ben frowned, setting down the bottle of wine before making his way to you.

“No! Don’t go! We haven’t beat them yet!” He waved his hands over to the TV, a pout on his lips.

“It’s late, Ben. And I don’t feel so good.”

“I’ll make you some tea!” He pleaded. Gwil and Joe furrowed their brows at his eagerness for you to stay. “Don’t go yet, please.”

Gwil opened his mouth as if to protest but you cut him off knowing full well you’d regret your decision. But you couldn’t resist his sweet eyes and the prospect of him making tea just as he knew you liked it.

“Okay. Just one more round, though.”

-

Two weeks later, in the middle of September, just before the boys were set to film the famous “Not the coffee machine!” scene, you were pulled aside by Gwil and Joe.

You couldn’t help but giggle as Joe was still not wigged-up, but his perm was in full display.

“Can I help you boys with anything?” You questioned, voice raised in sarcasm.

“Y-Yeah, erm.” Gwil struggled to approach the subject. “Have you talked to Ben yet about you know… that night?”

Your smile vanished at the mention of it. You had yet to find a good time for it, but you were also reluctant because part of you didn’t want to find out if he was in the process of dating someone else. You really just wanted to ignore it all and hoped it resolved itself.

“N-No. I haven’t. I’m a little scared to, if I’m honest.”

Joe pursed his lips as Gwil sighed. Part of you wondered why they were so invested in it all. Did they know something you didn’t?

“I think you should do it soon.” Joe said.

“Why?” You spoke sharply. “What difference will it make if I approach him now about it versus next week or something? I mean, all in all, we can tell he’s in a pending relationship with someone that’s not me which means he clearly doesn’t like me so I truly don’t think me asking him now about his current relationship status is going to change how he feels about me, if anything at all.”

You breathed harshly, not knowing all the pent-up anger you were harboring. Perhaps the whole situation was affecting you more than you realised.  

But you didn’t treat Ben any differently, and he, you. Although one thing you noticed was that he was on his phone a bit more and seemed to take more of his free time to be on the phone instead of hanging out with you. Not that he was any different when you two were together, simply that he was more private about himself, something you weren’t used to as he was normally an open book.

You felt weird being so intrusive. I mean, who were you to be asking him about his own personal business?

Someone who’s in love with him, perhaps.

Fuck, did I just say I’m in love with Ben?

“Y/N.” Gwil spoke firmly, tone to show he was in an authoritative mood. “Please, don’t let this get the best of you.”

“Why do you guys care so much anyways?” You whispered lowly, eyes focused on the ground below you. It was a soft grass, and you wished you could lie in a field of it elsewhere instead of being in your current situation. “This isn’t going to affect you directly.”

“But it is.” Joe said. “We’re a family, now Y/N. And we look out for each other. We care about you and we don’t want to see you upset because of miscommunication.”

Too late for that.

“I-I don’t even know how to approach him about it. He’ll tell me anything but this, and I dunno, I’m just scared to lose him.”

“If he’s the good guy we know he is, beneath being so secretive, then we know that you won’t ever lose him in that way at least, okay?”

“How do I do approach this without making it completely obvious that I’m in love with him?” You said shyly, glancing up for their reactions.

Gwil and Joe exchanged looks before the latter spoke, scratching his head in reluctance.

“You’re an actress. You’ll figure it out.”

Your eyes met the back of your head at his words. “Wow, and the Oscar for best advice goes to Joe Mazzello with the perm.”

Mid-October 2017: Your flat in London.

When Bo Rhap reached its halfway point for filming, you decided to throw a dinner party for the close friends you had made.

And of course, you still hadn’t spoken to Ben about the mysterious Katriona despite all of Gwil and Joe’s hints at it. But one thing came out of it; you had reconciled with your feelings for Ben and came to the conclusion that you were without a doubt head-over-heels for him and would do just about anything to see him happy, even if it meant watching him be with someone else.

However, the day of the dinner party, when everyone but Ben seemed to cancel, you decided that perhaps that night would be best to approach him on the secretive subject.

“I’m sick.” Joe texted you.

“Lucy has a family emergency and I’m going with her for it.” Rami said over the phone.

Gwilym however, never confirmed to begin with, leaving just you to wonder if they had orchestrated this so that you and Ben would have the night to yourselves. Part of you was curious as to if he would even come at this point, knowing how far he had been from everyone lately.

“I’m not sure if they’ve told you but everyone else cancelled. You can still come if you want, I literally have so much food and no one’s going to eat it but it’s just gonna be the two of us so I understand if you don’t want to.” You sent the message to Ben, who replied not a minute later.

“Of course I’m still going to come, it can’t be a dinner party if it’s just one. That’s sad.” He joked, later bringing the bottle of wine you told him to after saying how good it would go with the rest of the meal. (And you were right, which Ben would never admit.)

It was all good fun with him and for a moment you felt normal. You slowly retracted any thought about asking him about whoever “Katriona” was and you felt a sliver of hope for a future with him. That is until his phone rang halfway through dessert.

“Oh, I should take this, I’m sorry Y/N.” He said. You nodded and watched as he shuffled off.

You sat silently, playing around with the ice cream in your bowl. Ben was as kind as they came, a gentleman from the day you met him. But there he left you, alone at dinner. Your thoughts on the notion were not pleasing to the brain or heart as you felt the latter crumble with every second that past.

The phone call was short, just a couple minutes, but enough to make you curious as to why he’d leave to take it. You even saw once when his mum called, he texted that he’d call her back later then returned to a meal with you.

“Who’s that?” You asked innocently as he returned.

“Oh, uh, that was Katriona.” He said carefully before taking his seat again.

Your palms dampened as your heart beat out of your chest, the same feeling you got when Joe first mentioned her. “And she is…?”

“My uh.. My girlfriend. Sort of, we’ve been on and off but I guess we’re back on now? It’s safe to say that, I think.”

You choke at his words, forcing a smile on your lips. “Girlfriend? Y-You never mentioned her.”

“Oh, yeah, I mean it really wasn’t until yesterday that I got to call her that. We reconnected again over the past month and yesterday she told me she wanted to get back together so I thought I’d give it a go.” Ben explained. He dipped a spoon into his ice cream, lifting his eyes up to watch for your reaction.

“W-Wow, I don’t even know what to say. I think I’m just a bit…” You licked your lips, trying to find the right words. “surprised, that you didn’t tell me. I thought I was-”

“Yeah, you’re one of my best friends, don’t worry on that. You’re the first person I’ve told, really. I didn’t want to jinx it and now that it’s official, well.” He smiles at the last bit.

Liar. You told to yourself. Ben told Joe and Gwil about her weeks before you even entered the conversation. And you don’t know what’s worse. The fact that he lied or the fact that he so clearly cemented you in the friendzone that you can’t even move your arm in your position, much less get out of it.

“That’s, wow. That’s lovely.” You finally spoke, hoping he wouldn’t notice the pain behind your voice. And he didn’t as he smiled, scooping more ice cream into his mouth. 

You set down your spoon and resigned yourself to feeling anything else that night. A big bowl of numbness for you instead. And the ice cream. 

Ben was quiet as you chortled to yourself, wondering how you allowed your heart to make you so delusional. So wrapped up in him when he was with someone else all along. 

“I wish you both nothing but happiness.”

-  

“He’s fucking dating someone, Lucy! He’s dating some girl named Katriona and didn’t even mention to me that he was speaking to her! Me! And I see him every fucking day!” You screamed into her trailer. Lucy’s face scrunches as she clutched a pillow, watching you pace around.

“Did I mean nothing to him? Did all the moments we shared together mean shit? Is he just that nice of a guy? He walks me to my car every bloody day and I’m supposed to take that as him just being nice?! My god, I genuinely thought we had something, but apparently I like to make shit up in my head because he certainly did not see that.”

Lucy gulped, patting the seat down next to her as you sigh.

“Has he treated you any different?” 

“No.” You answered solemnly. “I mean, not really. Sort of, actually. That’s what throwing me off. He’s on his phone a lot more and seems more to himself which I mean I can’t get on him for because I’m not going to force confessions and explanations out of him but he still walks me to my car and manages to bring me tea every once in a while.” 

You bit your lip before swallowing harshly at the memories. The pillow that was once in Lucy’s hands was now within your grip. It brought you some level of comfort, knowing there was something you could hold onto.

“But I’ve stopped coming to his trailer and stuff. Just to give it some distance. I’m not even sure if he’s noticed.” 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, causing you to look at her incredulously.

“What’re you sorry for?!”

“I feel like we all sort of put the idea of liking him in your head ‘cause we kept teasing you about it, the boys and I. And we genuinely thought you two would end up together because it seemed so fitting but…” She frowned. You grabbed her shoulders and tugged her in for a hug.

“Don’t be sorry, don’t ever say sorry. You guys did nothing but pull out feelings that were there anyways, I just needed to realise them. And now that I have, I can get over them, and him.”

“Don’t worry Y/N, life has a way of working itself out.”

“Aww.” Ben’s voice echoed through the trailer. The two of you pull away, Lucy eyeing him carefully. “That’s cute.”

“Can I help you with something?” You bit back, almost a bit too harshly. You wondered if he heard anything at all. 

“I-uh.” Ben stuttered, not expecting your hostility. “I was just looking for you cause you hadn’t stopped by my trailer like usual. I just wanted to say they called lunch… is everything alright?”

You shrugged, plastering a smile on your face. “It’s nothing.”

And that’s how it became between you and Ben.

You slowly distanced yourself from him following that dinner. You went from replying instantly to his memes and snapchats to leaving hours between them, although not that he sent them frequently anyways. If you did open his snapchats, some of them contained Katriona, and you left him on read half the time.

Around the set, you spent less and less time in his trailer. On days when you felt like going over there, you resisted and instead hung around other cast members or around Brian and Roger themselves if they were on set. At lunch, you began trading seats with other people, telling them it was okay to take your usual spot next to Ben and that you wanted to mingle with others.

Ben started to see less of you and wondered if he did something wrong, to which you always answered “You did nothing wrong, I just needed to do something else.”

But on the day he brought Katriona on set, you almost lost it in front of him. 

Late November 2017: On set. 

The set of Bo Rhap, aside from being around Ben, was the one place you could feel yourself because it was something she didn’t penetrate. Yet he strolled through the set with her on his arm and you didn’t know what to do with yourself.

“Guys! This is Kat. Kat, this is everyone.” Ben introduced her, beaming as he listed off everyone’s names.

You eyed her attentively, noting the genuine pleasure on her face from being around Ben and the people he cared for. When it got to you, she reached forward for a hug and told you words you weren’t expecting to hear.

“Thank you for taking care of him, Y/N.”

You felt the life sucked out of you when she uttered those words and you didn’t know whether to scream or cry. You’d do both when you got home of course, but for now, you settled for a smile and pushed down the tears that were simmering up.

“Anytime.” You whispered. “It’s lovely to meet you by the way.”

Ben and Katriona the moved on and continued to wander around the set, everyone seeming to give you looks of sympathy afterwards. They all rallied for you and Ben to be together so this came as a shock to everyone.

You ardently watched as they held hands, Ben occasionally wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

They’re perfect for each other. You stand pathetically, fiddling with the rings around your fingers as part of your costume.

You didn’t stop the tears from rolling down but Rami was quick to make sure Ben didn’t notice when he placed his arm around you.

“C’mon.” He said and you simply nodded, leaning into his grip for comfort as he lead you away from your heartache.

“I waited too long to tell him.” You uttered whilst finally allowing yourself to cry. “I could’ve told him at any point, even before he got into that relationship with her. But I waited too long to tell him I’m in love with him and he’s got someone else.”

“Shh.” Rami soothed, leading you back into your trailer. He figured you would skip lunch and you felt grateful that he knew you so well. “There’s no point in you dwelling on that, okay? It’s gonna hurt, it’s gonna fucking suck. But you know what?”

You met his eyes and died a bit more inside as the flecks of green in them so heavily reminded you of your favorite pair of green eyes.

“What?”

“You are so much stronger than what you feel right now. You are so much stronger than to let what’s happening to him, affect how you are. You remember how you were before him?” You nodded, following along with Rami’s words. “Okay, now you take that amazingly talented woman and you add her with all this shittyness and you make a better, stronger version of you who frankly does not need anyone. I know you don’t.”

“Rami, I think she just wants to sit and cry right now.” Lucy voiced delicately, standing at the doorway of your trailer.

Rami stood, chortling as Lucy made her way over. “I-sorry, I’m really trying here, Y/N.”

“No no, I’m grateful. I’m going to keep that with me Rami, thank you.” You said, smiling at him through tear filled eyes. “Now go get lunch before everyone notices all of us missing.”

“I’m staying here with you.” Lucy asserted whilst planting herself firmly in your trailer. She threw a look to Rami who nodded before exiting. She moved to hold you as you cried gently to yourself, occasionally handing you a tissue.

“Men are shit, Y/N. We really don’t need them.” She whispered, causing you to giggle. “She could be a terrible person, you don’t know that.”

“I doubt that.” You replied. “If Ben likes her then she has to be a good person. He shouldn’t and wouldn’t settle for anything less.”

Lucy sighed, even in your heartbreak you still wanted the best for Ben. She squeezed you tighter and rubbed your back gently.

“We’re going to get you through this. I promise.”

-

Ben turned his head back to glance at you. He observed Rami wrapping an arm around you and guiding you to the opposite direction. A frown swept across his face as he felt he had more to say to you but the moment did not permit for it.

“Ben?” Katriona echoed whilst tapping his shoulder.

“Yeah?” He spun back around to face her.

“Are you ready for lunch?” She grinned.

Ben nodded, glancing at your moving figure once more. He could’ve sworn he saw a tear fall down onto your cheek before Rami turned you around.

“Hey mate, is Y/N coming to lunch?” He asked Gwil who was passing by. Gwil pursed his lips, shaking his head.

“Probably not. She said she felt sick and Lucy’s in her trailer with her to help out.”

“Aw.” Katriona frowned. “I really wanted to get to know her better. Ben speaks about her so greatly and she seems like a nice person.”

Gwil nodded, although the idea of Ben speaking to other people about you remained on his mind. He made a mental note to talk to Ben about it later.

“Yeah, but she’ll be around.”

“Maybe we can swing by her trailer later?” Ben suggested. “We can bring her lunch-”

“No!” Gwil said a bit too strongly, raising looks from Ben and Katriona. “D-Don’t, she said she really doesn’t wanna see anyone right now. Sorry mate.”

Ben watched as Gwil then strode off and pondered on how little he had seen you over the past month and a half. He did want to help you if you were sick and hated the idea of not having you around, especially with Katriona there, who didn’t seem to mind their friendship. She trusted him and he loved that about her.

He let out a chaste breath, wondering why he felt such a draw to comfort you when he had a loving girlfriend right in front of him.

Ben’s eyes fell to the ground before he felt Katriona grip his cheeks, forcing him to stare at her. She smiled lovingly and Ben reciprocated.

Enough now. Ben thought to himself. Enough.

—

Read Part Three: “Lie To Me”

Send me a request, nsfw talk about Rami, Ben or Freddie, or just overall love here :) Let me know if you wanna be tagged for the next part! 

Tags: @mswinterfalcon @dreamy–far-off–look @xxx-kannstdunicht-xxx  @emothrash @intertwine-fingers@multifandomgirlrandomstuff @alexaaab @pietrorunsforme @rogerfuckxxngtaylor @bethboth @rogerinatrash 

[lord-rosenth0rne]

When Jim met Morgan Pt. 2

Last one before I go to bed. I couldn’t sleep yet unless I got this out.

Also, since Quackerjack does not have a canon name, he’s Jack Stones. Again. So original but it’s easier on me to remember. Was going to name him Tad Stones but I think he wanted a more serious Quackerjack and the one I have in mind is about as loopy as you can get. Besides, Jack is a very common name.

Part 1 here.

What had supposed to be a short audition ended up spanning the rest of the evening. As bad as it made Morgan feel that the casting crew had turned away other candidates for the role, she was having too much fun reading out her lines with the man himself. She put on a more mysterious, graceful facade while playing Morgana, channeling the women who inspired Morgana’s style while elongating her vowels slightly with a velvety voice.

Jim’s reactions to her talking to him seemed much more genuine than the script called for. He swooned into each line and nearly melted when ‘Morgana’ was instructed to caress ‘Darkwing’s’ cheek. This, in turn, caused Jim to give a more powerful performance, one that had put all his on-screen performances to shame. The chemistry between the two was absolutely perfect. By the end of the night, they seemed to have become quite comfortable with each other, something the casting crew had never seen before with Jim.

“Well, if you’re okay with it, we would like to give you the part of Morgana,” the casting director suggested when Jim and Morgan ended the scene they were working on. “Just to cut out the middleman of making you wait for a response.”

“Really?” Morgan blinked, falling out of the character she had put together.

“I mean, it’s obvious there’s chemistry here and I think what we saw here tonight would be a tough act to follow. We would like you to be Morgana. We can discuss details with your manager later but we want to extend the offer to you personally.”

Just beyond the casting director, Morgan could see Sparky spaz a little out of excitement and nod quickly to encourage her to take it. Jim, too, clenched his fists in anticipation of her answer.

“Well then, I accept,” she smiled.

“Excellent! You won’t regret it! Believe me!” Jim exclaimed then cleared his throat and running a hand over his head some with a slight smirk. “Well, now that that’s out of the way and we’ve been at this for hours now, how about we call it a night and maybe get dinner?”

The casting director rolled his eyes before wandering off, knowing very well that the offer was exclusively for Morgan. Morgan chuckled softly and shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Starling. That sounds wonderful but I’ve got to get back home to my little girl. She’s probably wondering where ‘Mommy’ is.”

Jim’s face fell.

“Little girl?” he repeated. He cleared his throat and his head before putting his hands up. So she was a mother. “No matter, we can swing by and-”

“That little feathery ball of energy has probably run her father ragged by now,” she smiled back at Sparky who laughed. Jim froze. The sound of everything shattering around him was nearly audible to everyone else.

“F-Father?” he asked, sounding defeated this time. “There’s a Mr. Nightingale?”

Morgan nodded.

“Yes. He offered to take over taking care of Mina while I auditioned for this role,” she explained. After a moment, Jim’s demeanor changed from disappointment to upbeat and he chuckled weakly.

“Of course you would be married! Silly of me to think you weren’t! And the studio does offer some of the best childcare services for actors, or so I’m told. I don’t have any kids of my own,” he waved a hand. “That way, dear old Daddy can also do what he needs to do away from the studio. But, ah, at least let me take you to your car. I have a golf cart around back.”

“That’s kind of you, but Sparky was my ride here since he knew the area better,” she snickered as she glanced back at Sparky who was twirling the golf cart keys around his finger. Jim’s shoulders fell once more.

“Oh.”

“Please don’t be disappointed! There will be plenty of time later to get to know each other when we’re on set!” her smile was genuine and even a blind man could see that she meant it in the most innocent way possible. “I look forward to working with you, Mr. Starling.”

“Please,” Jim started with a smile and his voice deepening as he took her hand with both of his and kissed the back of it. “Call me ‘Jim’. I, too, look forward to seeing more of you…r work. On set, of course. Heh.”

“Oh my, you charmer, you,” Morgan giggled. “Well, if we’re going to be on a first name basis, you might as well call me Morgan. Though, it might be hard not to call me ‘Morgana’ with how close the names are. I guess I’ll have to learn to answer to both!”

“Whichever you prefer, though I think I did see somewhere in the script where I or ‘Darkwing’ calls you ‘Morg’,” Jim released her hand to go through his script once more.

“I already answer to that, so just add that to the list! Ah, but this was fun. I can’t wait until our first shooting,” Morgan brought her hands together with a dreamy sigh. “I already love the pairing of Darkwing and Morgana. To see it in action on the screen will be amazing!”

Jim looked as if he was about to melt again, this time into the floor with Morgan’s enthusiasm.

“I hope I can keep a straight face when it comes time for me and Sparky to interact in the show.”

The mention of another man sobered Jim immediately as Sparky walked up and put an arm around Morgan’s shoulders.

“Oh trust me, I already thought about that,” he waved his free hand. “We had the hardest time keeping a straight face during the duet in Little Shop of Horrors back in college.”

“I remember that! You nearly tripped coming up the stairs while singing.”

The conversation had erupted in laughter but it was lost on Jim. In fact, he couldn’t hear a word of it. His attention was focused on Sparky’s hand resting on Morgan’s shoulder. An eye twitched heavily and his jaw clenched tightly. His body started to visibly shudder in rage but just as it began to reach its peak, the hand was removed and everything that had built up was released. Jim’s stance deflated slightly in relief.

“Ha, well we better head out. The area gets pretty busy at night with all the clubs and such nearby.” Sparky sighed as he wiped his eye. “They’ll probably call you back sometime this week for a costume fitting before anything major starts.”

“I can’t wait!” Morgan gushed as she followed her friend out.

“I-I’ll probably see you then too!” Jim called after her, causing her to look back. “You take care now, Morgan!”

“Until then, you do the same, Mr.- Oh,” Morgan paused then smiled. “Jim. Have a wonderful night!”

The two excitedly recounted the events of the evening on the ride back to Sparky’s car.

“I can’t believe they just handed you the part like that!” Sparky squealed. “I was sure they were going to pull the same ‘we’ll contact you’ bull they tell everyone! They did it to me!”

“I didn’t expect them to know who I actually was!” Morgan bounced in her seat but then calmed down, leaning a cheek against her fist. “Still though, I feel bad for the other actresses who didn’t get a chance to audition.”

“Nah, I’m sure they have a mountain of other auditions to perform at. The studio always has several projects going on at once.” he flicked his hand.

“True. Tonight was absolutely amazing though.” she sighed, staring off out of the window.

“It was fun watching you and Jim get into the roles,” Sparky nodded. Silence fell between the two for a moment before he continued. “You’re lucky Rodrick isn’t the jealous type. You and Jim hit it off almost immediately.”

This made Morgan look over.

“Hm?”

“I mean, Jim doesn’t normally open up to anyone like that. Not anyone involved in the show, anyway. I think he really does like you.”

“I guess I am lucky in that sense. Rodrick knows my heart belongs to him. I hope Jim understands that too.”

“Mm. I know if I saw what happened tonight happen with Jack, I’d be a tad jealous,” Sparky shook his head. “I don’t think I’d be able to help it.”

“I know. But most of what we did was in the script-,” Morgan started but paused then narrowed her eyes playfully. “Who’s Jack?”

“What?!” the man jumped in his seat some at the question with his face reddening suddenly. “N-No one!”

“Don’t give me that. I haven’t seen your face go that red in a very long time!” Morgan poked him in the side teasingly. “Who’s this Jack person and do I have to play cupid?”

“No!” he snapped. Once he parked the golf cart, he leaned down with his face in the steering wheel and grumbled. “Jack Stones is the actor for Quackerjack…”

“Oooooh! Someone’s got a crush!” she grinned widely. “Does he know or is this an unrequited sort of deal?”

“I’m… not sure. He flirts with nearly anything that moves but I’m never sure if he’s serious or not. They kinda found the right person to play the insane harlequin.” Sparky rubbed the back of his head. “And he keeps calling me “Sparky” too which annoys me because only people who actually know me can call me that. Unfortunately, it’s become a show staple now. I mean, I WANT him to know me that well but… I don’t know, it’s complicated.”

“I see,” Morgan rubbed her chin. “Might be easier said than done, but maybe you should try to flirt back next time and see what his reaction is. You never know, he might actually be serious and want you to do so. But, uh, you might want to brush up a bit on your flirting. Last time you tried that it was as limp as a wet noodle.”

“Hey, I-” Sparky tried to defend as he watched Morgan get out and he did the same. “You know what, that’s fair. My flirting game is a bit weak.”

“We’ll work on that,” she chuckled as she leaned against the hood of Sparky’s car. “You know, maybe it was a good thing you sought me out for this role. It’ll be like we were back in college. We’ll be able to support each other once again and goof off like no one’s business. I think this is going to be the beginning of something grand.”

[fly-pow-bye]

DuckTales 2017 - “The Duck Knight Returns!”

Story by: Francisco Angones, Madison Bateman, Colleen Evanson, Christian Magalhaes, Bob Snow

Written by: Francisco Angones

Storyboard by: Vince Aparo, Emmy Cicierega, Ben Holm

Directed by: Tanner Johnson

The big mid-season finale!

I knew right from the beginning that, yeah, this episode's going to be the big one. It turned out to be even bigger than I imagined. I must say something first.

If there's anything that should disqualify myself from reviewing this episode, it's that I'm barely familiar with Darkwing Duck. I have watched a few episodes, knew about some of the villains, and, of course, know that amazing theme song, but I wouldn't call myself a huge scholar of the subject. In another way, that should make it even better for me to review it, because, for the most part, the little kids this show is targeting have likely never watched any episode of Darkwing Duck. It's not on Netflix, for one. Let's get to the episode.

This episode begins with a masked villain who aims to blow up an orphanage by setting up bombs in the sewers. No real reason, he just wants to be bad. He is going to be stopped by the terror that flaps in the night, the pebble in the penny loafer of depravity, and someone who is willing to do things in a non-comfortable way. He words that slightly differently, of course.

He's not too sharp, ending up stepping on every land mine. However, he never gives up, and ends up living up to his notoriety, as whoever this bomber is seems to know his name. All in all, a good way to introduce the character for people who don't know who he is. He grabs the villain, and then decided to reveal who he really is...

...himself?! To be concluded...coming absolutely never! This turns out to be the cliffhanger series finale for the series. This was first detailed in Friendship Hates Magic, but this is the first time we actually get to see what would have led to Darkwing Duck's Finest Hour. There was this one villain from the original that could easily be what the payoff was, but there's no way anyone would known in-universe.

This all turns out to be something shown by the ever-so-proud-of-being-Darkwing-Duck Jim Starling at a special event attended by the biggest fans of Darkwing Duck. A comics convention? A Darkwing Duck convention? A Darkwing Duck comics convention?

No, he's at an opening for Siesta Rick's, a furniture store, being a last minute replacement for the much-more-fitting-for-this-event Johnny from the Ottoman Empire. No, Djinn, not that one. Can't help but notice it was just Johnny, too; apparently the two brothers have yet to make up after their incident from The Outlaw Scrooge McDuck. However, there's no time for that plotline.

I wasn't lying about how it was attended by the biggest fans, the plural only justified by Launchpad not being alone. This guy is just as excited as he is, wondering what he could possibly say to the actor who played his biggest idol as a kid.

I felt this episode was a lot longer than most of the previous episodes, though a reason for that is that we get an even shorter intro than usual. It's longer than just having the DuckTales logo fade in and out, but far shorter than the shortened intro that appeared after certain episodes. However, they did color the logo purple.

Right from the get-go, we see that Jim Starling is this washed-up superstar, sitting mostly alone, telling his agent that he is "the one and only Darkwing Duck" and he deserves better gigs. All he needs is an exorbitant price tag for one of his autographs, and I think that was mostly implied by him snatching the bills from the president of his fan club before he can even say his name. By the way, his name isn't revealed until the very end of the episode, and it's actually a minor twist to people who know the original. I'm just going to call him That Guy.

He's far more excited to see a young kid, in this case, Dewey, which makes a lot of sense. Darkwing Duck was a kid's show, and seeing someone from the next generation. Unfortunately for him, Dewey's just here to get an autograph for the pilot who's fainted a few feet away. After taking a photo of Jim Starling awkwardly smiling with a fainted man with his signature on him, Dewey notices a logo popping up as soon as he types the hashtag #DarkwingDuck.

Darkwing Duck has become a trending topic on their version of Twitter, alongside theories about Gizmoduck, National Pants Day, not that widely celebrated in this universe, and some horrible opinions. Hopefully not mine! The reason why it became trending is because a new Darkwing Duck movie was announced, and the boys take it to themselves to investigate. You'll see that will be fitting for pretty much all of them for different reasons.

While trying to keep Launchpad from looking at the rear view window to see the faint-causer, Dewey does raise that question of why they have to be the ones to bring "the one and only Darkwing Duck" to the studio making his new movie, and Launchpad merely agrees with the sentiment. To Launchpad, Starling is Darkwing Duck, and Starling lifts his head up and agrees in a way that indirectly calls him a buddy.

In an obvious chain of events, he ends up crashing. This fainting gives it a different reason beyond any inability to park a car, so it's still up in the air if that "surprisingly good parker despite everything else" gag is still happening. Dewey gets worried about this studio not taking kindly to someone who crashed a car into their studio opening, but it turns out said studio is owned by someone who knows that Launchpad and crashing go hand-in-hand.

That someone being Scrooge McDuck, who is in a meeting with Alistair Borswan, who is totally not Christopher Nolan. He's trying to get some more funding for the big finale of his new Darkwing Duck movie. This will be tough, as not only has he spent a lot of money already, Scrooge hasn't seen a film since the 30's. The only films he ever funded before this were instructional videos starring Donald doing stuff that workers shouldn't be doing. Kind of wish we could see those, actually; the DuckTales equivalent to those Goofy shorts I always loved as a kid that didn't need any guy to say "BLAAAM" over them.

Before Alistair can prove that he can use those funds to give Scrooge his much wanted profits, and be convinced by Scrooge's idea of giving the villain a giant mustache to twirl, Dewey, Launchpad, and Starling show up to crash this meeting, all for different reasons. Dewey wants his cinematic dreams to come to life, Starling wants to begin this great creative partnership, and Launchpad starts to stare at the poster for the upcoming film.

Launchpad: Aw, cool! A big budget reboot of a thing I loved as a kid! Those are always great!

See, it's funny because it's usually not true. See, not only is this going to be a new Darkwing Duck film, it's going to take Darkwing Duck in a different direction! In other words...it's a reboot. I was practically destined to review this episode, it seems. I review nothing but reboots on this site; it wasn't an intentional theme, but it became a theme nonetheless.

Alistair can think of only one thing to stop all of the questions: show the trailer. Hey, it would be good focus testing!

Unlike certain reboots, it's quite clear we're seeing a very different Darkwing Duck, not a continuation. One could say it's a Beginning of a Dark Knight that will eventually Return. People are running away from the "Dark-Wing", the entire movie is set in the nighttime, and Darkwing Duck is told by the not-Commissioner Gordon character that he shouldn't go flapping in the night, but he's too dark to go by anyone's rules, like "don't set the streets on fire with your initials". Darkwing: First Darkness, not suitable for children!

We do get one early reaction shot from the well-established biggest fan of the show, and let's just say that this trailer is not going to get a lot of thumbs ups.

We get to see the reactions from everyone involved, with only Alistair grinning at his own work. Launchpad is offended at the prospect of a Darkwing Duck that sets fires and harms innocent people that aren't accidental. Starling liked it, if only because he still thinks he's going to be a part of this. As for Dewey, he absolutely hated it; he couldn't tell who the villain was, or what was even happening.

He then describes his ideas for this movie. See, everyone has their own ideas to reboot a beloved series. Look at, say, Looney Tunes. Along with the normal "Bugs Bunny in the forest outwitting his foes" reboots, it's been a sitcom with everyone in a house, and even an anime-esque superhero show set in the future. What I'm trying to say is that Dewey seems to be batting for a Loonatics Unleashed, suggesting that there should be aliens and ninjas.

Scrooge decides Dewey should be in charge, because, hey, this is for children, and Dewey's the most childish child he knows. This sets up a sort of B-plot. I don't really remember too much about it, to be honest. Jim Starling has different ideas, and it should be him that should have them, because he's obviously going to be the star of this movie. Even though he did not appear in the trailer, nor did he know anything about this movie until Dewey told him, he has to be the star, right? Right?

What very few would have guessed, unless you took a good look at him and realized he's practically a splitting image of Darkwing Duck sans mask, is that the role is going to That Guy. The one grown man that wanted his signature who didn't faint at the mere sight of him. Hopefully, the guy who claimed himself as the "one and only Darkwing Duck" isn't too stabbed in the heart about it.

...sorry, I had to reference that at least once.

To make a long story short, Starling ends up getting thrown out of the building. Launchpad shows up, and his dislike for the movie's new direction has cured his inability to stand along Starling without fainting. Either that, or they realized that fainting joke was getting old.

Starling goes into his limo and comes out as the one real, original, don't-call-him-old Darkwing Duck. Jim Starling's to bring the glory of his original masterpiece in the only way he can, and calls Launchpad his sidekick. Hey, just like the original! This makes Launchpad faint again, which would have been a little more powerful if it wasn't a gag.

Starling's first plan: while Darkwing Duck distracts the guards with his ability to disappear into any role, which is definitely exaggerated by the far-too-over-himself Starling, Launchpad has to break into That Guy's trailer. Launchpad questions if this is really "heroic", but Starling talks him into it anyway.

Launchpad: Now I wait for that phony actor, lock him up, and us, the good guys, wins. Totally heroic.

I'll be honest: I know, it's Launchpad, he says stuff like this. Practically every line seems to be him unsarcastically saying something that should be said sarcastically. He does think he locked himself inside the trailer, until his savior shows up. That Guy recognizes him, and asks what he's doing in his trailer.

This leads to a fight scene, though Launchpad is completely apologetic about all of this. Eventually it stops when he finds out he was going to beat him with a vintage Darkwing Duck shampoo bottle, and almost suplexes him into a complete run of the Darkwing Duck Adventures comics.

Eventually, this just leads to two grown men playing with their toys. I mean, that's pretty much what this show is; a bunch of grown men who grew up with the Disney Afternoon playing with action figures of their childhood favorite shows, except it's animated, fully funded by Disney, and is generally really good. Eventually, we get to hear That Guy's story, and not just in any way, either...

...but in comic book form! Much like Launchpad, he idolized Darkwing Duck as a kid, buying his merchandise, and even using him as an inspiration to stand up against his bullies. Even if he got knocked down, he'd always get back up, and he has Darkwing Duck to thank for that. If the art style looks familiar, that's because it's drawn by Michael Peraza, as his signature at the end of this comic proves.

There's easily a contrast between the two Darkwings. That Guy just wants to inspire kids just like his idol did, while Starling, the man who played said idol, just selfishly wants his most famous role back, seeing himself as the "one and only" Darkwing Duck.

While That Guy convinces Launchpad to change his motives, Starling is a bit busy with the guards. What could possibly be a good cover for a purple-cloaked guy with a cape?

How about hiding in a crowd of several other purple-cloaked guys and girls with capes, courtesy Dewey and his wacky ideas? Finally, the Dewey plot actually managed to tie in with the other plot. The only real time it does outside of one other thing at the end.

With some convincing from Launchpad, That Guy confronts Starling, saying he's sorry for everything. He offers him the chance to teach him how to be the best Darkwing Duck, give him the opportunity to fix the movie, and just maybe, this new Darkwing will inspire generations to come!

This seems like this would be the passing of the torch from the old actor to the new actor, and it almost seems like it as he begins to shake his hand. And...there's 8 minutes left, is there?

Jim Starling: Yes...

Jim Starling: ...I will!

Right from the beginning, it seemed that his only problem with the movie is that he's not in it. But maybe he just needs a little more convincing of his own!

Forcibly taking over That Guy's role, Jim Starling tells a wandering Launchpad that the new guy told him he can be in the finale. Launchpad really questions this, far more than the apparent villainy from the last couple scenes. When Launchpad is not buying it, that's really something.

The scene is the big finale, directed by Alistair, Dewey, and a little mustache-related advisory from Scrooge. This is where, in a shocking twist, Darkwing will have to surrender to the classic villain, Megavolt, who, most important to Scrooge, has a villainous mustache.

Starling is not too happy about that script, though Dewey's new lines making Megavolt say that he's awesome doesn't exactly please Alistair either, and he ends up doing some improv. He ends up doing everything Launchpad didn't want a true hero like Darkwing Duck to do: harm innocents and cause fires!

Launchpad is certainly not happy about that, but before he can point out the obvious, he hears someone in the distance. It turns out it will take a lot more than just doors getting slammed into his face to stop That Guy.

We even get a fight scene, a real one with no apologies, between the new Darkwing Duck and the old one. I've seen FV shows with less violence, and I don't even just mean that other show! Not a bad thing, by the way.

In an excellent bookend with the first scene, we see that That Guy is well deserving of his role when it comes to not giving up. And not in the way that Starling "didn't give up" by not following the script. A box full of dynamite detonates below him? He just gets back up. A piano falls on him? He gets back up, spitting out those piano keys like that old cartoon gag. He even takes on Megavolt's gun, which was actually electric!

Launchpad eventually comes in. Even Scrooge talks, in a more in-character way, that this seems way out of character for him. However, since he is a huge fan of Darkwing Duck, Launchpad is actually far more qualified to speak to two Darkwing Ducks. Speaking of electric, he's also a guy who's really qualified to get into some sort of accident, as this electrical tower is about to electrocute him, and this could be a good chance for either one of them to show their heroism.

I don't like spoiling episodes unless I have something significant to talk about it beyond just outright ruining it for anyone who didn't watch the episode. Honestly, I felt the same when I spoiled the commercial break twist here, but this review would have been quite short.

Well, maybe I could talk about the ending of the Dewey part, which just ends with him apparently recording over the footage of the fight scene he wanted to use the salvage his movie. When did he even get the time to do this? I don't really care. The Dewey plot is definitely the low point of the episode. Really, that isn't saying anything, and it's really just low compared to the rest of the episode.

There's a lot of spoilers I didn't want to show off here. It's shocking, satisfying, and well worth a watch. In the end, at least one of them proves that he is worthy of his namesake, and the other...well, you'll see.

How does it stack up?

With good commentary on reboots, great new characters, and tons of twists and turns, this episode is just incredible in every way. The Dewey plot would have just taken away from it if there was more to it, so it's not that much of a problem. A Top 5 episode, a must watch.

What's going to happen next? A trip to the moon, that's what.

← The Dangerous Chemistry of Gandra Dee! 🦆 What Ever Happened To Donald Duck? →

[magic-and-moonlit-wings]

Chapter 42: The Show Must Go On

Becoming The Mask

It felt so good to jump back into his usual routine on Monday morning. Jim hummed as he diced vegetables for omelettes. He'd need to go grocery shopping after school, or maybe shop tomorrow and do coupon clipping today. How much leftover pizza did they have? Enough for dinner?

Maybe dinner for one, he confirmed, checking the fridge, so he really should pick up something more substantial. Unless …

Yes, there were cans of mushroom soup in the cupboards, so if they had that for dinner tonight, Jim could put off grocery shopping for one more day.

He brought Barbara's breakfast upstairs. She'd remembered to take off her own glasses last night. Jim kissed her forehead on reflex, and then froze.

Barbara didn't stir. He let out a whisper-soft sigh.

For the past week, Jim and Toby had been brushing their teeth side-by-side, since the Domzalskis only had one bathroom and there was only so much time in the morning before school. Jim had started checking on Jay-Jay using his cellphone instead, even after Toby learned he was a Changeling. Today, brushing his teeth alone, he spat on the mirror again.

Toby deserved something special for lunch, Jim thought, considering how well he had been handling all the strangeness and stress that Jim dragged into his life. Let's see, there were still more eggs …

Jim went through the first few steps of making French toast, but as soon as one side of the bread was finished and flipped, he put cheese on top to melt. He was frying thin slices of onion and tomato and some diced red peppers as well.

Toby loved Chef Jim's Famous Ultimate Grilled Cheese.

Jim left Barbara's lunch in the fridge, like usual, and left to bike to school with Toby, like usual.

It felt wonderful to cook in his own kitchen again.

+=+ 

Jim seemed chipper, Walt noticed. He hoped that meant the boy was in positive contact with his Familiar's mother again, not that Jim was putting up a façade.

Of course he wanted Jim to be able to hide his feelings well, especially vulnerability. Such thespianism was a vital life skill for any Changeling. But he could hope for Jim to genuinely experience whatever positive emotions the young Changeling expressed as well.

"I've got some worrying news," Jim announced, popping into Walter's office after school. The words were at odds with his tone, grin, and bouncing step. "We have a ticking clock, of sorts? The kids want to tell their families trolls are real. Mom hasn't met them but she knows they exist and she's given us a month to do it before she starts trying. So, they're trying to persuade Vendel it's a good idea. Thoughts?"

Walter just gaped. Jim had barely gotten the door closed before he started bubbling out this very disconcerting information. He was still adjusting the piano stool.

"I suppose the possibility of a troll being photographed or filmed and spread by social media could make it worth attaining human allies who are beyond adolescence."

Mrs Nuñez was a local politician, and Mr Scott was a police officer. The scope of damage control they could truly offer in the event of a secrecy breech was limited but existent. Truly, Dr Lake would probably be the best 'respectable figure' to calm the public, if it came to that, since many humans assumed their politicians and law enforcement were corrupt in any case, but first it would be best to try discrediting the evidence and minimizing its exposure.

"Yeah, Mary pointed out basically every human has a camera at all times now." Jim turned idly side-to-side on the rotating stool. "I'm worried about Enrique, though. If Claire exposes him to their parents … He can't 'stay with a friend' like I did while they cool down. But if they're only letting him stay for appearances and don't get a chance to calm down –" He spun all the way around. "D'you think we can talk her out of it?"

"You know Ms Nuñez better than I. Do you?"

Jim made a whining noise high in his throat and spun the stool again, in the opposite direction this time.

"If it's any comfort," Walter offered, "I've seen Ms Janeth's rehearsal and performance schedule for this week, and I imagine Ms Nuñez will be too thoroughly occupied with the Montague-Capulet feud to want to create additional family strife off-stage."

There was a rehearsal for the first three afternoons that week, with the full dress rehearsal Wednesday, opening night on Thursday, and with Friday and Saturday performances to follow.

He should tell Jim about his own worrying news, his plans to leave Arcadia once he found a deputy who wouldn't be subverted or murdered, but Walter hesitated. Face to face with Jim, he found himself wondering if he ought to leave at all. His presence offered some token protection; Otto knew, even if the Polymorph survived a fight with the Trollhunter, Walter would bring about consequences. But if Walter were gone, Otto would have time to disappear.

But Jim was an excellent fighter in his own right, Walter chided himself. The boy had successfully stabbed Bular and lived to tell the tale! And he'd be safer still if – when – Walter's plan succeeded.

Still, he hadn't found a deputy, so perhaps he needn't add to the boy's worries yet.

+=+

"There's a school play," said Jim, apropos of nothing, at dinner on Tuesday night. "Later this week. I'm not in it, but, do you want to go anyway?"

"That sounds nice," said Barbara. "I'll try to clear my schedule."

"It's three nights. I could get tickets for all three. You know, school fundraisers, they're not going to turn down extra money."

"What's the troll school system like?" Barbara had decided to try to ask this sort of thing casually whenever a conversation seemed like it could flow in that direction, to get Jim used to telling her things about trolls and get herself used to hearing it.

"I have no idea. I've never seen a school in Trollmarket, though, so they might do an apprenticeship instead of general education? I'll ask Blinky. Or you could ask Blinky."

Barbara hesitated. She wasn't sure she had the nerve to go back underground yet. "You should invite him to dinner some time."

Jim laughed. "I don't know if you'd want that if you knew what trolls ate." He gasped at his own words. "I meant garbage! The stuff trolls eat is usually really unappetizing to a human. Smelly socks are tasty snacks. I mean, we've – Changelings – we've found some stuff that tastes good in both forms, but I don't know how good they'd be to an unaltered troll."

+=+

"Where have you been, young lady?"

"Dress rehearsal?" Claire frowned at her parents. "The school play, remember?"

Enrique made a happy noise from his doorway-mounted baby-bouncer. Sometimes that dispelled the tension. Tonight it didn't.

"We're very proud you're keeping your commitment to the school," said Javier. "But you have to call us when you're going to be out late. We were worried."

"I told you when you dropped me off this morning!"

She had. Enrique had been in his car seat right behind her. He hated that thing. It was cushioned, and his Familiar's parents had been very fussy about making sure the straps weren't too tight when they noticed he always cried when they put him in it, but that wasn't the point. He hated not being able to move. He couldn't wait until he got big enough not to need it anymore.

"You at least remembered you promised to come tomorrow, right?" Claire continued, narrowing her eyes.

Ophelia checked her phone. Behind the parents' backs, Enrique winced.

"Of course. For opening night."

+=+

"Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance," said Logan – Mercutio – to Steve.

"Not I, believe me: you have dancing shoes, with nimble soles. I have a soul of lead, so stakes me to the ground I cannot move."

"Steve's a better actor than I thought," Toby whispered to Darci. He and Nana had ended up beside her and her parents. Darci's dad was a huge, muscle-y guy who had given Toby a suspicious look when the teens greeted one another by name, but hadn't tried to stop them from sitting next to each other.

Steve seemed utterly woebegone, being dragged by his friends to a party to make him forget the girl Romeo liked before meeting Juliet. Toby hadn't known Romeo had a past love – he'd never actually seen the play, but he'd thought part of the point of it was that first love made the characters reckless?

Mercutio launched into a speech about some fairy queen creating nightmares until Romeo interrupted him – "Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace! Thou talk'st of nothing!" – and Benevolio pointed out they were missing the party they'd planned to crash – "This wind you talk of blows us from ourselves. Supper is done, and we shall come too late."

Toby had to choke back a laugh, midway through the next act, when Romeo approached his priest friend and Friar Laurence fretted that young people didn't tend to be awake so early, and so Romeo must not have slept.

"The last is true. The sweeter rest was mine."

"God pardon sin! Wast thou with Rosaline?!"

Who knew Shakespeare had snuck so many raunchy and risqué stuff into his work? When Mary, as the Nurse, thought Juliet was simply sleeping in as opposed to faking her death, she teased that Juliet's arranged marriage would be keeping her up late soon and so it was best Juliet got as much sleep as she could before.

"Why, lamb! Why, lady! Fie, you slug-a-bed! Why, love, I say! Madam! Sweet-heart! Why, bride! … What, not a word? You take your pennyworths now. Sleep for a week; for the next night, I warrant, the County Paris hath set up his rest, that you shall rest but little. God forgive me," she added idly, in that way that meant she was only apologizing because it was expected, not because she was truly sorry.

There was a curtain across the stage, dividing Nurse from Juliet's 'bed' while the audience could see both of them.

"Marry and amen, how sound is she asleep! I must needs wake her. Madam, madam, madam!" Mary pulled the curtain back. "What, dressed and in your clothes, and down again? I must needs wake you." She started to shake Juliet, growing increasingly frantic as Claire appeared limp and unresponsive. "Lady? Lady! Lady!"

Mary's last cry was a full-on scream that made everyone jump.

It wasn't really all that different from a soap opera. Even with all the death and tragedy, Toby was quite enjoying the play.

At least, he was, up until the last scene.

"What's here? A cup, closed in my true love's hand? Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end. Oh, churl – drunk all, and left no friendly drop, to help me after? I will kiss thy lips. Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, to make die with a restorative."

Juliet leaned over Romeo. Toby had heard, once, somewhere, that the hardest role in theatre was a dead body, because the actor would feel the urge to move or laugh. Steve let out a brief little "ha!" at the kiss, and then went back to being dead.

"Thy lips are warm … Then I'll be brief. Oh, happy dagger," drawing it from Romeo's scabbard, "this is thy sheath!"

Toby, and several others in the audience, gasped as Claire pressed the prop weapon to her stomach.

"There, rust … and let me die."

"What?" Toby whispered. "Juliet dies in this? No!"

The curtain closed, and Eli came out to deliver the epilogue. "A gloomy peace, this morning with it brings. Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things; for never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo!"

The audience applauded, and cheered, and whistled, and Claire and Steve got up and started bowing. But all Toby could see was his friend collapsing from a stab wound.

"Toby?" said Darci, putting her hand on his. "You okay?"

"I can't believe Juliet died …"

Jim kept warning them that troll stuff could get them killed. Toby had tried to take the warnings seriously, he really had. This, though, actually seeing Claire die – even a staged death she got right back up from, like Juliet's first, fake death with sleeping potion – this hit Toby harder than all of those warnings all at once.

He forced himself to his feet, forced a congratulatory smile onto his face, and forced his hands into applause.

+=+

Previous Chapter (Vendel is reluctant to let more humans learn trolls exist)

Table of Contents

Next Chapter (Toby has an emotional breakdown)

Whee, I figured out a way to make Romeo and Juliet plot relevant!

I actually read a transcript of 'Romeo and Juliet' to prepare this chapter. I really wanted Mercutio's Queen Mab speech, but couldn't justify quoting the whole thing, so I just referenced it happening on stage. (No, I didn't study this play in school. The Shakespeare plays we studied were Twelfth Night, Julius Ceaser, Hamlet, and the Scottish play with the cursed name. You know the one.)

Logan is the guy partnered with Mary in the flour babies episode. Darci mentions, "Logan and Mary already killed theirs. They gave Dwight D. Eisen-flour a bath and he turned into mush." Based on screenshots of the classroom, I think Logan is also the unnamed boy seen in the seats at play tryouts.

My high school typically did three performances of the school play, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Arcadia Oaks High School seems to do only one performance, but I think that's because the first half of the first season ends on opening night and the writers were done with that plotline. The next episode starts a month later, according to Toby's dialogue. That's plenty of time for more performances.

In other news, I’m thinking of doing a podfic for this story. My computer has a decent microphone, but I can’t seem to convert M4A files into MP3s, except by using external websites. I’ve followed the tutorial for doing the conversion with Windows Media Player exactly and it doesn’t work. I need MP3s if I’m going to post podfic on tumblr because tumblr can’t accept M4A uploads.

Apparently I’ll need to have the files hosted on another website, because AO3 can’t accept audio files downloaded directly or works imported from tumblr. SoundCloud sounds like it would work? Do people have recommendations or suggestions? 

[hippychick006]

4.14 - Sex and Violence

I’m going to call this the episode that hellers should watch a hell of a lot more closely.  This is a very long post but there’s so much going on in this episode that can’t be summarised and��I want to capture it all so I’ll put it under a cut this time.

Dean wakes up and Sam’s not in bed, but in the bathroom whispering on the phone.  It couldn’t look more like Sam’s having a secret affair if they tried, which he kind of is, going off with Ruby.

Did Sam just call Dean kiddo?  Dude, he’s four years older than you and thirty!

Sam’s puppy eyes and “please” work on the guy they are interviewing who bludgeoned his wife to death in the opener with a meat tenderiser, so he tells them about the stripper he was going to run off with.

Sam goes to speak to the Dr involved in the case and oh my God, Dr Cara has dark hair, and if you change the last two letters, we get Cass!  Definitely hinting at Sastiel which is totally end game (me if I was a heller).

Dr Cara asks to see Sam’s badge again which he shows with a lot more confidence than when he was a bikini inspector in the early seasons. He also looks like an FBI agent instead of a kid just out of high school.   My bby is growing up

Hellers need to watch this episode if only because the doctor explains what oxytocin is - which explains why Destiel is not now and never will be canon because there is absolutely zero attraction between Dean and Castiel. I don’t even think Castiel;s body would release any hormones.

Dean walks in and Dr Cara brushes him off and goes back to speaking to Sam. Heh.  Later Dean accuses Sam of c-blocking him.  No Dean, she’s just into Sam and given your brother is really smoking hot, it should happen a lot more often than it does.  Dean quickly cheers up though as they seem to be on a case involving strippers, finally.

They figure out through a phone call with Bobby - and how did the Winchesters cope before him? - that they are dealing with a siren.

The strippers are named after Disney princesses: Ariel, Aurora, Jasmine and next up Belle.

Hellers, this line (which Sam says to Dean in the strip club) will be important later in the episode:  “Yeah. You see, sirens can read minds. They see what you want most and then they can kinda, like, cloak themselves. You know, like an illusion.”

Remember it looking like Sam was having an affair earlier in the episode?  Now Dean’s checking through Sam’s phone to see who he called.  He dials a number he doesn’t recognise and it’s Ruby.  Dean’s pissed.  When Sam returns and Dean tells him he forgot his cell phone, Sam looks guilty.  Oh show.

They find out from Bobby that to kill the siren, they need some of his venom which may be in the blood of the guys so they go back to the hospital.  Sam and Dr Cara flirt and Dean rolls his eyes.

FBI man, Nick Munroe’s arrived and incidentally, the actor, Jim Parrack, is listed as the same height as Jared on google.  I liked Jim’s role in this, quality guest stars in both Cara and Jim.

Nick phones the number on Sam’s FBI card to check their credentials and we see that Bobby has a list of phones covering Federal marshals, FBI, CDC, police and health inspectors which is a nice little detail.

Sam persuades Dean to work with Nick to get him out of the way so that Sam can get the blood samples.  Dean agrees, but he’s not doing it for Sam, he’s doing it for the girls.

Sam finds the blood gone.  Switch to Dean who is bonding with Nick in the strip club.  Nick hands over an evidence bag containing a flower which he says was found at each crime scene.  Dean recognises the flower from Dr Cara’s office.

Cut to Sam and Cara talking about the case, and Cara says at one point: “Come on. Haven't you ever been in a relationship where you really love somebody and still kinda wanted to bash their head in?  ”I’m thinking yes, Dr Cara and that person is his brother.

Dr Cara offers Sam a drink and for the first time in Sam’s history, he accepts (he’s normally the one stopping Dean from taking things - like the Carrigan’s offering peanut brittle in A very Supernatural Christmas episode.

Dean calls and Sam rejects the call.  

Sam and Dr Cara get it on and that’s twice Sam’s been shirtless this season.  I mean if I’d worked as hard as Jared to get that body, I’d want to show it off a little too. 

Sam returns to the motel - and we get a beautiful shot from behind of what appears to be a freshly showered Sam walking down the corridor to the room.  Velma Dinkley is right, those shoulders...

Dean’s not in the room so Sam calls him.  There follows a whole conversation which I can’t do justice to, but basically Dean tells Sam he thinks the siren is Dr Cara.  Sam tells him he doesn’t think it is.  Dean asks Sam if he slept with her, which Sam denies and we get this from Dean: “Holy crap. You did. Middle of Basic Instinct and you bang Sharon Stone? Sam, you could be under her spell right now!” and also this one, “No, It's just...first it's Madison, and then Ruby, and now Cara. It's like... what is with you and banging monsters?” 

Upshot of the conversation is that Dean doesn’t trust Sam and he’s going to finish off the case himself.  I love Dean, I do, and I’d love to say he’s already under the siren’s spell during all of this, but he’s not.  My bitter Sam girl is starting to rise up and Season 4 only gets worse from here on out.  

The only consolation I have is that Sam looks smoking hot during that entire conversation.  Jared really suits the dark suit and the open necked shirt look.

Sam throws his phone after that conversation and I think we’re supposed to see this as Sam becoming angry and unable to control it.  I’d have thrown my phone too after that conversation so try harder on the anger front show.

Dean phones Bobby and asks for his help and then Nick to help him with the case and they start following Dr Cara.

Dean tells Nick his crazy theory, and asks Nick to just trust him on that.  To Dean’s surprise and delight Nick agrees.  Dean says. “Thank you. That's actually nice to hear.”

They share a drink from Dean’s hip flask which is a bad move on Dean’s part, because Nick then says Dean should have wiped the flask before drinking, revealing he’s the siren.  

Hellers, this next line is also important: “ I should be your little brother. Sam. You can't trust him. Not like you can trust me. In fact, I really feel like you should get him outtta the way, so we can be brothers. Forever.”

Sam’s been out - not sure where - and when he returns to the motel, he sees Nick sitting on the bed.  He asks what he’s doing there but gets jumped from behind and pulled back against the door with a knife to his throat by Dean.  Sam quickly figures out that this is not normal behaviour - even for Dean - and accuses NIck of being “one butt ugly stripper.”

Sam doesn’t struggle in Dean’s arms too much and I got to say he looks kind of comfortable where he is.  Sam tries to appeal to get through to Dean, but Nick shows Dean is under his control by getting him to cut Sam’s neck a little.

Hellers, this next line is again important.  When Sam accuses Nick of poisoning Dean, Nick answers: “No. I gave him what he needed. And it wasn't some bitch in a G-string. It was you. A little brother that looked up to him, that he could trust.”   The episode could not hammer this home more clearly, how on earth do you all misinterpret the hell out of this episode?

Nick sprays Sam’s mouth with venom and I’m only slightly disappointed he didn’t get closer to Sam to do it.  Honestly, Jim and Jared only had a couple of scenes but they were good ones and I love when Nick beckons Sam forward and he just goes.

There follows a brilliant scene between Sam and Dean with lots of hurtful things being said between them (again it sounds more like Dean’s accusing Sam of having an affair than anything else).    

My favourite line during this is from Sam and the delivery was perfect: “You're too busy sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. Whining about all the souls you tortured in hell. Boo hoo.”

BROTHER FIGHT!  And we should have more of these, if for the only reason that Jared and Jensen are seamless in the fight choreography when it’s between the two of them.  

Dean wins the fight, by crashing Sam through the motel door and it’s interesting the only time I can remember Sam winning is when he was hopped up on demon blood.    

Sam’s lying winded on the door, Dean grabs a conveniently located emegency axe and goes to swing it.  

Bobby’s arrived!  And just in the nick of time.  He stops the axe and stabs Dean to get some infected blood and to Sam’s anguished cries of “no!”, he throws the knife at a rapidly retreating Nick, killing him. 

That shot of Sam on the floor at the end of the scene :(

At the end of the episode, they both say they didn’t mean the things they said:

SAM: 'Kay. So... so we're good?

DEAN: Yeah, we're good.

Narrator’s voice: They were not good.

What I am going to point out loud and clear for the final time, is that for all four men, the woman appeared as a stripper and they thought they loved her so the relationship was clearly sexual.    For Dean, his siren is a representation of his brother.

Coming up, Sam and Dean go to couple therapy.  (Which I’ll come back to in episode 4.18 (The Monster at the end of this book).

If it’s not clear, I loved this episode, even with all the brother angst - ok, if I’m going to be completely honest, especially with all the brother angst.

Next up Death Takes a Holiday.  

[seanbonner]

New Blog Post: Talking to friends, for no reason at all

[Originally sent out to my brilliant mailing list, to which dozens of people are subscribers.]

I snuck out for lunch the other day and grabbed pizza at a new favorite brick oven spot in Harajuku which happened to be silently projecting Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes on the back wall of the restaurant. (Unrelated, his upcoming film might be the best thing in cinematic history) It’s minimal black and white scenes making for a nice backdrop to the minimal black and white design of the dining room, though I don’t know if that was intentional. If you haven’t seen it and you enjoy people analyzing the subtleties of simple conversations then it’s worth adding to your watch list. I love it, but I can also sit and watch people all day long. It had been a while, but as it played silently I started remembering how fantastic some of the scenes are and decided to rewatch again soon.

Soon turned out to be last night. Michael Booth from the Denver Post originally wrote that “At least three of the spots make the hour and a half worthwhile through an addicting blend of hilarity and beauty” and before last night I would have agreed with that. The movie is made up of these short vignettes, conversations between 2 or 3 people that are completely unconnected, but begin to reference each other as they go. It’s hard to tell what is improvised and what is scripted, and if the actors are playing themselves or characters of themselves. Before I would have said it was worth watching just for the Iggy Pop & Tom Waits, and the Bill Murry & RZA & GZA scenes alone but something else struck me during this viewing.

In the episode entitled ‘No Problem’ Alex Descas and Isaach De Bankolé play a pair of old friends who haven’t seen each other in a long time, but are meeting up because apparently Alex called Isaach out of the blue recently asking to talk. Isaach expresses how happy he was to hear from his old friend Alex and the two agree it’s wonderful to see each other. Isaach then asks his old and obviously dear friend what the problem is, assuming that must have been the impetus for the call. Alex says there is not a problem leading Isaach to question why his friend can’t trust him with whatever the problem must be. This goes back and forth a bit, Isaach obviously cares for his friend and is visibly hurt by the silence, and Alex seems put off by the questioning leading to awkwardness that extends until Isaach decides to take off, leaving the invitation to confide in him open. This is a really long way to getting at the point – there is a notion here that is more powerful than immediately recognizable. The idea that we all have these friends, best friends, who we can not talk to for years and still consider them to be friends.  People who we wouldn’t hesitate to call if we had a problem and would expect the same from them, but in practice don’t even call otherwise.

And why not? Especially as adults the important interactions become fewer and farther between. Somewhere along the way catch up calls became text messages and social media likes.

I started wondering why that is. When I think of my very favorite people on this planet, I’ve actually spoken with very few of them in recent memory. Some I’ve interacted with online, liked a photo they posted or made a quick joke in an ongoing group email thread, but we haven’t really talked. Sure, I’ve been fortunate enough to see some of my very best friends while traveling through their cities but that requires planning and effort, and it’s the exception, not the norm. Living on the other side of the world now only makes that separation feel deeper, the distance that much more tangible.

“These days the people I love are spread so far apart. All out of reach.” – Ache, Jawbreaker

When I was younger, as I imagine many of you will remember, long distance calls were expensive and you had to hack pay phones to have any kind of meaningful chats with friends anywhere outside of your city. I still clearly remember the hours I spent at payphones when I lived in Florida talking with my friend Sean McCabe who lived in Philly at the time. I’d sit outside for 3-4 hours in a stretch. Talking about nothing really, but it meant everything. This was circa ‘95 and while we’d become friends online, when we wanted to talk we still picked up the phone.

And here we are all these years later with a million essentially free ways to video chat and I can’t remember when the last time I had a call with a friend without a specific preplanned purpose. When I think of the last people that I’ve had calls with who aren’t right in my physical vicinity it’s 90% work, 10% family and nothing else. Meanwhile I watch my 9yo son spend every second he can on the weekends FaceTiming with his friends in the US and Europe – time zones be damned. They play video games and watch YouTube on one screen and have another propped up with video just to hang out with each other. He doesn’t realize it now but these are precious, beautiful interactions that at 9 I couldn’t have even imagined having. At that age I was excited to steal 5-10 minutes on the phone with a friend from school, not much more was allowed because those were the days before call waiting and tying up the home line for any extended period of time was not cool.

So it’s easier than ever now, and yet I feel more out of touch than ever as well. I don’t think I’m the only one. One of my standout memories from the last few decades is a call a received from a friend out of the blue for no reason, just to say hi. This is stand out because it’s one of the only times post 2000 that I can ever remember it happening. But why? Are we so busy that we can’t spare a few minutes to reach out to people we love? Are we so stressed that the idea of trying to schedule something is monumental and the mere idea of calling out of the blue unsolicited feels monstrously rude? But maybe we need to be monsters if that’s the case. Scheduling a call for next week seems like it requires a purpose. An out of the blue call today, right now seems like it needs an urgent problem. But maybe the problem is that we haven’t talked recently and that urgently needs to be resolved.

I guess I strive to be both Alex and Isaach, from their own perspectives. I want to be there for my friends if they need me, and I want to be comfortable just calling them out of the blue for no reason. I’m better at the first thing than the latter, but I could be better at both. We probably all could.

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