#i’m just a julian girl i can’t help it

[romajuliettesupremacy]

stephanie garber wrote scarlett dragna for the mentally ill girlies, the older sisters, and the swifties

[treedaddymcpuffpuff]

Excessive Force : Tom Ludlow x Fem Nurse Reader (COLLAB W/ THE INCREDIBLE @johnwickb1tsch) - Chapter One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven

TW: angst, fighting, discussion of nsfw topics

The alcohol you ingested certainly does not help with your coordination. You nearly bump into several club-goers, as if you are a salmon struggling to make your way up stream. You feel as though you can’t breathe, your skin crawling on your bones.

Once you finally burst out the doors you gasp for breath, grateful for the outside, if not polluted, air. You do not stop moving, your feet mindlessly carrying you down the sidewalk, away. All you can think, is that you want to get away.

You don’t really pay attention to your surroundings in your manic dash. Julian’s face keeps flashing in your mind. Of all the men in your life who had hurt you, none of them had been half so beguiling as Julian. None of them so fucking clever at hiding the monster inside. 

You have been a fly caught in his web, baited by his puppy dog eyes and his kindness in his doctor’s persona–you cannot understand how that man can share the same body with the dom who literally licked your blood from your palm earlier, and loved it. He lured you but now you know the only way you can be intimate with that man is through playing dangerous games with his darker side. Maybe some of them you could have enjoyed, but this? He would tease you with the crumbs of his sweetness, his kisses and caresses, but he would make you pay for them with your pain, your blood, and your submission.

It can only end in your ruin.

You would destroy yourself, trying to heal this man, while he just kept taking pieces out of you and swallowing them whole. 

As your feet slow you look around, and you realize you have no fucking idea where you are.

Well done, you fucking little idiot. Filled with crippling despair, you sink to the cracked concrete curb, ruining the seat of your silk dress, hanging your head in your hands. Asking Julian to take you home is out of the question. You can’t really afford a taxi. You could call an Uber, but the thought of getting in a car with a total stranger right now makes you feel ill. And you are way too drunk to try to navigate the Byzantine bus system of LA.

You stare at your phone, and your fingers swipe and tap of their own volition, as though to say we know what to do, you messy bitch. The phone only rings twice before a familiar, deep voice comes over the line. “Hey baby.”

“Tom?”

“What’s wrong?” 

The sleepy warmth in his tone immediately sharpens, and the fact that he hears the distress in your voice after just one word fills you with a relief that maybe you have no right to.

“Can you come get me?”

“Yes. Where are you?”

You laugh a little at that, a brittle sound you have not heard in your own voice in a long time. “I don’t know?” Your voice cracks, your throat tight, on the verge of tears. “I’m somewhere in Venice.”

There’s a silence on the other end that communicates he has an inkling of what you’ve been up to. “Are you hurt?” There’s an undertone of something dangerous in his question, but you don’t think it’s directed at you. 

“No. Just…” Scared. Embarrassed. Stupid. Heartbroken. Drunk.

You can’t bring yourself to say any of these things aloud. You settle for, “Lost.” 

It was the understatement of the century.

“Ok, honey. I’m on my way. Tell me what you see.”

You describe your surroundings as best you can, and it’s enough for this man who knows this city like the back of his hand. He has you stay on the line, asking you little questions you hardly even think about the answers you give. You’re in a different place, in your mind, and like the forever original creature that you are, you sit there and cry quietly while Tom tries to keep you talking. Meanwhile, you cannot stop picturing Julian’s face, the hunger in his eyes as he watched that poor girl being lit on fire.

By the time you hear the bass growl of Tom’s Charger swing up to the curb, you don’t know how long it’s been, only that you’re grateful for the sight. Moments later he’s kneeling in front of you, his big hands cradling your tear-streaked face like you are something precious and breakable.

At least the last part is true.

“Y/n? You ok, sweet girl?” He wipes your tears with his thumb, sweeping your damp hair back from your face. You can only imagine how terrible you must look. Waterproof mascara has its limits.

Bravely you nod, though your chin quivers tellingly. “Thank you for coming.” 

“I’ll always come for you, y/n,” he tells you with a frown, and goddammit if you don’t believe him. He’s looking you over, inspecting you for damage you’re too in shock or too embarrassed to disclose. When he finds the bandage on your hand his expression turns murderous. “What the fuck is this?”

“I cut myself,” you assure him, certain that if you don’t convince this dangerous man of the truth, Julian’s not days, but hours, are numbered. “With scissors. Opening a plant.”

Tom narrows his eyes, glaring down at the bandage like he’s not sure he believes you. “What happened then? Why are you out here alone like this?”

“Julian wanted to show me the club,” you try to answer as vaguely as possible. “But I…couldn’t handle it.” You shake your head, unable to meet his eyes. He wants to hurt you. Julian had outright told you so, but somehow before tonight, maybe you didn’t really believe him.

“Do you need to go to the hospital?” Tom asks, his voice low and pointedly gentle. You realize, a beat later, that he’s asking if you need a rape kit. You never imagined, for some reason, that this man could be as equally gentle with victims as he is harsh with perps. That warms your heart for some reason. 

You shake your head slowly. “No, nothing like that.”

He searches your face with those sharp black eyes, and you imagine that stare is probably just as effective as a lie detector. You almost didn’t even register it, maybe because it feels so natural, but his hands are on you. His hands have been on you this entire time, and his touch makes you feel anchored, like just maybe you won’t get blown away in this shitstorm.

He looks at the matching bangles around your wrists next, the thin bands of gold bearing Julian’s monogram in that delicate slanted script.

“Fucking asshole, really thinks he owns you,” Tom growls, sliding one from your hand, and crushing the soft high karat gold in his fist.  

“Hey.” Your protest is half hearted at best, and all you do is watch as he does the same to the other one, bending it beyond recognition. Destroying the precious little objects that weighed on your wrists with such heavy meaning seems to make him feel better. 

Maybe you feel lighter too.

“Trade ‘em at a pawn shop for scrap value, honey. That’s all they’re good for.”

“They were Tiffany,” you tell him with a half smile and a raised eyebrow.

“They were Bullshit & Co, baby girl.” He might just be right about that. “Didn’t really think you cared about stuff like that?” 

You shrug, because you don’t, but you’d never owned anything so fine. The novelty of it was enchanting, but maybe the real price for them was far too high.

“Can you take me home?” You think you probably look as pathetic as you sound.

He nods, pulling you to your feet with those strong hands, lifting you like you weigh nothing. You lean on him, more than you have to, and it takes all your self control not to wrap your arms around his solid torso and not let go. You realize, this is the first time all night you actually feel safe. “I’ve got you, honey. Come on.”

He walks you to the passenger side of the Charger, tucking you down into the seat, even fussing over the seatbelt. “I can do it,” you tell him softly with a brittle smile. You only see it for a flash of a second, but the rawness in his expression wipes that stupid smile right off your face. You realize that he was scared, for you, and the unlikelihood of it all makes you reach for him. 

He freezes as you touch his cheek, your thumb tracing his high cheekbone. Only belatedly do you remember it's the hand with the bandage, because you really have had too much to drink, and you start to withdraw. Not before he turns to press his lips to your palm, his hand dwarfing yours. “You’re safe now. Alright?” 

You nod, and your heart hammers in your chest as his gaze drops for a telling moment to your lips. In this vulnerable, inebriated state, safely ensconced in his car, you decide there’s nothing you would like more than to kiss Tom Ludlow, your unlikely knight in shining armor. It seems like the least you can do. You even start to lean towards him, but with a small growl he’s suddenly gone, shutting your door, and striding around to the driver's side. You almost can’t believe it.

But then again, you’re a fucking mess. Why would he want to kiss you?

Julian chooses this moment to start blowing up your phone. You send it to voicemail. As Tom pulls away, the Hemi snarling down the streets of Venice, your doctor demands,

WHERE ARE YOU?!

In answer you tap out, I can’t do this, Julian. I’m sorry. I left. You look over at Tom, a small warmth blooming in your chest, before adding, I’m safe.

Julian tries to keep talking to you, but you decide to just turn off your phone entirely, tossing it down on the floormat with your little clutch purse.You close your eyes, and sit back in the seat. Even then, you can feel Tom looking over at you.

You don’t know where you get the courage to speak, except maybe it’s just the liquid kind, and you’ll really regret it in the morning. “You’re a smart guy, Tom. Maybe you can tell me. What is it about me, that makes men want to hurt me? My whole fucking life…” Your courage does fail you then, and your mouth snaps shut.

There’s the regret. You knew it was there somewhere.

“Honey…” He reaches for you, engulfing your hand in his catcher’s mitt of a paw, squeezing. “I’ve seen a lot of bad shit over the years as a cop. The world is full of assholes. It’s full of evil. Maybe even more than good. It’s not your fault, when it finds you. Ok?”

You nod silently, but you still can’t help but think you’re like a fucking magnet for it. Julian had seemed like such a nice guy, but it turns out he literally wants to beat you with sticks–and maybe light you on fire? A bit of a roué. The understatement of the century.

And Tom seemed like an insufferable alpha asshole, but here he is, saving your ass when you had no one else to turn to.

Maybe the real lesson of the night is that you can’t trust your own judgment at all. 

You feel Tom looking over at you again, that evaluating gaze that you fear misses nothing. “You sure he didn’t hurt you?”

You shake your head again. “He just…wanted to,” you admit. “He told me about it. That’s as far as it got.” 

“Ok, sweetheart.” He squeezes your hand again, and you can’t help yourself from looking down at it in your lap, and imagining what it would be like if he slid those long fingers up your thigh, and into your panties while driving this powerful machine at breakneck speed down the road. His voice breaks you from your fantasy, leaving you blinking from the brightness of the passing headlights. “Look. Maybe that shit is all done up as something safe with all its rules and consenting adults and blah blah blah, but I’m a cop, and I know an abuser when I see one. If a man cares about you, he shouldn’t want to hurt you. Ok? Don’t let him mindfuck you, baby girl. Stay away from him. You don’t owe him anything, and he doesn’t own you.”

“You think you own me. By that logic, shouldn’t I stay away from you too?” 

He gives your thigh a little possessive squeeze. “I don’t wanna hurt you.” 

Maybe you’re a horrible judge of character, and maybe you should just listen to yourself every once in a while and stop getting into these situations, and maybe you’re just fucking stupid, but you believe Tom Ludlow. You believe him with every part of you. 

“Well, you’re sorta.” A big hiccup cuts off the middle of your sentence, and you cover your mouth. Oh, that’s how you absolutely know you’re too inebriated for your own good. 

Tom laughs. “Sorta what? Mean? Domineering? Bull headed?” 

“Cocky,” you add, using the hand on your mouth to cover your smile. Somehow, this man has already managed to cheer you up a little. 

“You can be dominant without hurting someone,” he tells you, tapping the side of your thigh with one chunky finger. You twitch a little bit, and it spreads a big grin on his face. The temptation exists to grab his hand and guide it right under the skirt of the dress, but you’re sadly not that drunk. 

“Maybe…I need a demonstration?” 

He looks so handsome when you catch him off guard, that rugged eyebrow quick and easy, raising in either confusion, humor, or a little bit of both. “Maybe I need to have dinner with you.”  

Nope. No more dates. No more, says panicking sober brain. 

“I was thinking maybe we just… skip the date?” 

“Why? So you can avoid all those feelings you have about me? This might surprise you, but I’m not much for one night stands.” 

Really? Fucking really? All his sexual innuendos and suggestions and poking and prodding and he’s suddenly the Virgin Mary? 

“Are you kidding me?” You ask, unable to hide your anger. Alcohol. It does wonders. And horrors. 

“I’d like to fuck you more than once, honey.” 

“I’m not saying it would only be once.” 

“Oh? And then the rest of the time, when we’re not fucking, you avoid me and ignore my calls?” Impenetrable Tom Ludlow seems a bit annoyed. Meanwhile, you are internally melting at his words. A man that wants to do more than just fuck you? Take advantage of you? Tom wants you? Fucking asshole. For making you feel…special. Wanted. Even if it is true.

“I don’t believe you.” 

“What?” His anger makes you flinch. 

You knock his hand off your thigh. “I said, I don’t believe you.” 

“Maybe you would if you’d give me a chance.”

“You don’t take no for an answer.” 

“Because I like you, and I’m not stupid enough to let you go.” Your internal monologue is screaming, resist. You’ve heard this shit before. 

That’s the mantra. 

You’ve heard it before.

“You just don’t get it.”

“Because you won’t let me. For Christ’s sake, it’s just one date. You wanna act all tough, but if you ask me, you’re being a coward.” 

His words hurt, and you shrink back from the deep bite of his tone. He must notice the withdrawal, because he’s reaching over to touch your cheek, to soothe you, to tame you easily with that big, warm touch. 

You smack him away. “Don’t touch me.” 

“Baby.” His voice is soft, now, and fuck him for plucking every single one of your heart strings with it. 

“No. Just let me out. I’ll walk home. I’ll call a fucking Uber.” 

“You’re not getting out of this car until I watch you walk into your apartment.” 

“You’re not the boss of me!” 

“No, but I’m bigger, stronger, and have double locks on these doors, so you’re getting home safe whether you like it or not.” 

So you stew in your frustration for the rest of the ride home, your arms crossed like a petulant child. When he pulls up to your apartment building you remember that you had not, in fact, told him where you live.

“How do you know where I live? See, this is why I didn’t go on a date with you. It’s weird that you know where I live. I didn’t even tell you, and you think I’m the one who’s doing something wrong here? You’re a real piece of work, Tom.” You’re babbling, rambling, trying to restrain drops of salty liquid from falling down your face and failing horribly.  

He turns toward you, calm and despondent. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings.” 

This is the second time he’s said sorry to you since the day you met him. No, maybe the third. He just swings that word around like he does his badge, and it’s so strange. People do not say sorry to you. That apologetic roll is usually yours and yours alone, and here he is just… Just saying it? Why does it piss you off even more? 

You get out of the car, slam the door shut, and punch the security buttons for your complex. It's only after you’re safely inside that Tom drives away. 

[feeder86]

Dominate

Levi loved sex. He wasn’t ashamed to admit it and he didn’t really care that the people sharing the corridor of his dorm all prudishly looked down on the fact that he had so many guys staying over. He was eighteen, handsome, and in college for the first time. There were sexy guys all over the place. Of course he was going to indulge himself!

But whilst he could shrug off most of the disapproval, the thing that did annoy him was the fact that the guy living right opposite him was pretty much exactly the same. Julian seemed to bring a different girl back almost every time he went for a night out; sometimes more than one. However, no one seemed to mind about that. The girls all loved him for his toned body and good looks; whilst the guys admired Julian for his confidence with the ladies and generally fun personality. Julian seemed to get on better with people in a way that Levi didn’t. Maybe that was why they accepted his promiscuous lifestyle more than they did Levi’s. Was that where he was going wrong?

Two months into college, Levi decided to forgo a night hunting for his next conquest and graciously accepted an invite from the people in his corridor to meet up for a social evening in the shared kitchen. He knew it would be lame, so it didn’t come as too much of a surprise when he was trying to stifle a yawn after only twenty minutes. Still, he plastered a smile on his face and made the small talk that was expected of him. Eleven o’clock came and people started to drift away to bed. Within another hour, everyone had gone, leaving only Levi and Julian left behind. The pair looked at each other, seeming to think exactly the same thing.

“What a lame party!” Levi said aloud, looking at his watch and seeing that it had only just turned midnight.

Julian laughed and nodded, clearly in complete agreement. He opened another bottle of beer and seemed quite prepared to stick around and keep the night alive for just a little longer. 

“At least Sally won’t be complaining about you tomorrow morning,” Julian joked. “She says she has to sleep with ear-plugs in when you bring guys home. These paper-thin walls aren’t great for privacy!”

Levi smirked at that. Sally wouldn’t know fun if it bit her on the ass. “I can’t help it if I’m good in bed,” he joked back, suddenly feeling as if he wanted to be a little flirtatious. That was probably the beer.

“Well, you’re doing something right, I’ll give you that!” Julian laughed, nodding in agreement. “Even I’ve heard you a couple of times!” He looked impressed, then added, “Well, maybe not YOU. But I’ve heard the guys you’ve been with. They sound like they’re having a pretty decent time with you in there.”

Levi nodded proudly, deciding that Julian was tipsy enough not to be offended if he flirted with him a little. “You’re welcome to find out for yourself,” he teased. “Although I’m not so sure that you could handle me.”

Julian seemed to delight in being flirted with. It was a weekend and they had both given up a night out in town for this lame party. Maybe Julian felt just as sex-starved as Levi did? “Oh, yeah?” he grinned. “What makes you think that?”

“Because I like to be the dominant one,” Levi stated frankly. “I’ll admit that I’m pretty good at making guys submit to me.”

Julian reacted by losing eye-contact with him. He closed his legs, as if he was suddenly turned on by the idea but unwilling to admit it. “I figured as much,” he nodded. “You definitely have that slight edge to your personality…”

“I have even more of an edge in the bedroom,” Levi pressed on, making an undeniable advance on the guy. “Seriously,” he smirked, “Come see for yourself.”

Julian looked around, as if he was suddenly unsure that they were truly alone, Then he leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “So, what? Do you have handcuffs and stuff?” he asked with undeniable interest.

Levi chuckled. “Handcuffs, ropes, cable ties… you name it,” he flirted, suddenly realising that this might actually happen. “Are you telling me you have a submissive streak?” he asked excitedly.

Julian seemed to consider before he answered. “I might have fantasised about it a few times,” he nodded. “I’m a lot kinkier than most people realise.”

Smiling, Levi let his hand travel down to Julian’s knee. “I really don’t think you understand the meaning of the word ‘kinky’ until you’ve spent a night with me.” His cock was hard with anticipation of spending some sexy time with such a handsome guy.

Considering things, Julian seemed to weigh up his options in his head. “Your room, or mine?” he asked at last.

Levi pulled out his rolling desk chair into the middle of the room. “Sit,” he ordered and smirked as Julian did exactly as he was told. Of all the guys he had had in here, he’d never expected to have the handsome jock from across the hall. “Get your shirt off,” he barked next. Again, Julian did as he was told, revealing his awesomely toned and athletic chest. Levi had never been with someone this in-shape before, but he wasn’t about to tell Julian that; this session was all about his dominance over him. He instructed him on where to place his hands and then watched as a tent formed in Julian’s pants, just as the handcuffs came out. But Levi didn’t set to that straight away; that wasn’t his style. Instead, he made Julian wait, watching as he rattled his handcuffs and realised how restricted he was. Then, at long last, he unbuckled Julian’s pants and pulled them down, along with his underwear, leaving the young stud completely naked.

Julian’s cock was just as pretty as the rest of his body. Long and perfectly shaped, it almost made Levi jealous to behold. No wonder all the girls loved this guy! He bent down, taking some rope and tying Julian’s ankles to the chair, just above the wheels.  As he did so, he could see the guy’s hardness weeping with excitement. He hadn’t been lying, he really did have a submissive streak to him. But again, Julian was in no rush. He teased the handsome boy by kissing him and then pretending to go down on him, before aborting and chuckling with laughter at his torturous ways. He smirked, seeing Julian getting more and more aroused by this. He could smell the lust coming from the guy, as he ached to be touched.

At long last, Levi put a little lubrication on his hand and started to handle Julian down below. Gasps and moans escaped from the guy’s lips each time, followed by frustrated sighs whenever he deliberately stopped. But this was Levi’s method. If anyone wanted to know how he got his conquests to moan with such deep delight after he’d finished with them – this was it.

Levi took Julian to the edge a couple of times; expertly pulling back at the very last second. “You say you’re a kinky guy?” Levi questioned, sitting down on the edge of his bed and pulling the strapped in guy towards him; as if to interrogate him. “I want to know everything. Every last dirty, kinky little thought in that brain of yours.”

“I want to be dominated,” Julian whispered, out of sheer exhaustion. It had been over an hour since he had been first strapped into this chair.

Levi laughed. “I can already see that!” he exclaimed mockingly. He reached in and grabbed Julian’s hardness again, massaging it to relax the guy and loosen his lips. “Tell me about how you fantasise about being dominated?” he insisted soothingly.

The sexy guy’s eyes rolled up into his head from the touch. “I want to be owned…” he confessed. “I want someone to take complete control.”

“Don’t stop there…” Levi whispered back. “Tell me everything…”

Julian was relaxed and more aroused that he had probably been in his whole life; wound up like the tightest of coils. Making him say out loud his weirdest, dirtiest and kinkiest fantasies was bound to ensure that he came like never before.

“I want someone to treat me like a pig,” Julian admitted, his cock pulsing dangerously as the words slipped beyond his lips. 

Levi eased off. Now he was getting somewhere. “A disgusting little piggy, huh?” he asked interestedly. “How perfect!” he smiled. “I think you’d make the perfect little pig for me!”

Julian moaned and listened carefully, having his secret and closely guarded kink indulged for the first time. “I want someone to turn me into one!” he stated more confidently. “I want them to take control and make me look like nothing more than a fat, greedy pig!”

Julian grinned from ear to ear. Of all the kinks he had heard guys confess to him, this had to be the weirdest, as well as the most perfect. What could be more submissive than this?

“Pigs have big, fat bellies on them, you know?” he teased, just massaging the very tip of Julian’s hardness in an almost unbearable way. “Does that mean I’d get to destroy your abs?” he whispered.

Julian moaned louder than ever. “Bury them in blubber!” he pleaded, sounding as if he could come in a microsecond with the right push.

Levi looked around his room, spotting a box of cookies his mom had sent him. He stood up and collected them. “Look what I’ve got!” he teased, shaking the box. “The perfect pig food!” he chuckled, ripping open the box as the helpless, horny young guy watched on. “Open up!” he insisted, popping the first into Julian’s mouth. “These will turn you straight into my fat, little piggy!”

Julian chewed, but even as Levi kept his hands away from the guy’s crotch, he could see it pumping as if it was about to give way. 

“You're mine, Julian!” Levi stated forcefully, taking hold of the guy and stimulating him with the utmost ferocity. “My fat-bellied pig!”

Even with a full mouth, Julian moaned louder than any other guy Levi had brought back here. His long dick squirted endlessly, with high jets landing all over his torso and even on his face and hair.

Grinning, Levi looked at the mess he had made of the hot jock from across the hall. The guy was completely spent, exposed and vulnerable. The sight was absolutely thrilling. But there was one thing Levi knew for certain; Julian would be back for more of this. There was no going back.

After being released and sent back to his room, Julian’s shy gratitude made Levi chuckle to himself. He thought about it all the next morning, still grinning as he went into the shared kitchen.

“There he is!” grumbled one of the girls. “Did you really have to make so much noise at two in the morning? No one wants to be woken up to the sound of one of your one-night-stands coming!”

Levi felt a little ambushed, with them all looking at him, annoyed. In the background, Julian quietly buttered his toast, not saying a word and clearly not wanting to be implicated.

“Yeah, he was a bit of a squealer, wasn’t he?” Levi laughed, completely unrepentant to the grumpy faces that surrounded him.

“It’s not on!” another argued at him. “We all have to live here, you know!”

Levi simply raised his eyebrows and carried on with what he was doing. He wasn’t about to apologise; especially when the person who had actually woken them all up was stood right there, saying nothing at all. But as he got his milk and cereal, Levi noticed that Julian was deliberately avoiding eye contact with him. Was he embarrassed? He’d never been with a guy before last night and probably didn’t want to advertise that fact.

Over the coming days, Levi waited for Julian to come to him to discuss what had happened. But, instead, the handsome jock seemed determined to ignore him entirely. Maybe if Levi was a better person, he could have left things there and allowed Julian to forget the whole thing. But with the guy playing hard to get, it seemed to make Levi all the more excited. It was the thrill of the chase. He was the predator and there was Julian as his juicy little piggy, just waiting to be taken.

By the end of the following week, Julian had seemingly bounced back. He’d been out on the Thursday night and returned home with a new girl. He spoke about her loudly in the kitchen area, as if he wanted Levi to know that he was over whatever had happened the weekend before. That was when Levi realised that he was going to have to get more creative.

“Whose is this massive cheesecake in the refrigerator?” asked one of the guys that Saturday night. 

Levi smirked. It certainly did look delicious and it was large enough to comfortably feed everyone on their corridor. “It’s mine,” he replied. “I have a hot date tonight.”

Collectively, everyone sighed. “You’re not going to keep us up all night, are you?” one jumped in.

“That whole cheesecake is for you and your date?” asked another.

“Oh, the guy I’m seeing absolutely LOVES his food!” Levi smirked, noticing how Julian was trying his best not to get involved in the conversation, despite the fact that he was undoubtedly listening in. “He could eat this whole thing in one go!”

“You’d have to be a real pig to eat that in one sitting,” dismissed the girl who had first noticed the cheesecake in the refrigerator, closing the door to it.

Levi laughed. “Oh, he sure is!” he nodded, noticing that Julian had turned to look. “He’s coming over at nine this evening,” he said directly to Julian, leaving him in no doubt that it was actually him who was expected. “And he’s in for a real treat!”

Waiting in his room later that night, Levi nervously watched the clock. Would Julian show up? Had he connected enough with him, or been obvious enough in his approach to calling him over. But at nine o’clock on the dot, a faint knock came at his door. Julian was standing there, having crept over silently from his room so as not to alert the other people in the dorm.

Levi raised his eyebrows with a grin on his face. “Get inside!” he whispered in the same dominant tone that had driven Julian so wild last time.

When Julian walked in, he would have immediately seen the desk chair, with handcuffs ready to hold him, left in the middle of the room. The cheesecake was sat to the side, along with a large container of full-fat milk. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Julian muttered, as if he was simply talking to himself.

Levi didn’t say a word. He simply stood before the handsome boy, unbuttoning his shirt and pulling out his belt, undressing him without a hint of emotion on his face. He could hear the fast, nervous breathing of the jock and could tell, just from looking, how fast his heart was beating.

Before Julian seemed to make sense of what was happening, he was standing entirely naked, with his pants dropped to his feet; his perfect hard-on looking dangerously erect, just like last time. But Levi had chosen this spot very carefully. He opened his closet door to reveal the full length mirror screwed into it; allowing Julian to see his athletic physique. “Tell me, what do you see?” Levi asked him.

Unsure what to see, Julian shrugged. “My body,” he replied.

“Do you see your tight abs?” Levi asked teasingly, stroking his stomach. “Or your strong chest? What about that handsome jawline? Or this cute, little butt?” he continued, grabbing Julian’s ass with that last question. 

Julian nodded, knowing that this was all part of some twisted game that he was being lured into. 

“And what am I going to do to those things?” he asked, lubricating his hand and already starting to gently caress Julian’s hardness in preparation for what was to come.

Immediately, Julian melted, just as easily as last time. “You’re going to reshape me,” he replied. “You want to transform me!”

“I’m going to fatten you like the greedy little piggy you are,” Levi stated more bluntly. “But…” he paused dramatically. “...Only if you beg!”

Julian looked at him as if he had not been expecting Levi’s sudden request.

“On your knees!” Levi grinned wickedly, taking his hand away from Julian’s groin and standing there expectantly.

Slowly, Julian sank to his knees. He hesitated only for a second, then looked up at Levi and placed his hands together. “Please…” he whispered obediently. “Please do it to me!”

“Do what?” Levi smiled, wanting the boy to elaborate.

Julian sighed slightly, relinquishing his control on those kinks of his a little more. “Fatten me,” he stated. “Turn me into your own, greedy little pig!”

Levi sank to his knees as well and kissed Julian sweetly. He resumed his teasing of the guy’s hard-on and whispered seductively into his ear. “Am I going to grow a large, fat belly on you?” he teased. “And a round, jiggly ass?”

Julian nodded and became more aroused with every word Levi said. In fact, Levi estimated that another ten seconds would have seen the boy come already. And so he stopped, leaving Julian gasping with disappointment. But he knew what had to happen now. Without a word, he got up and slipped into the chair that had been left for him. He then waited excitedly as the cuffs were set and the rope was tied around his ankles. But this time, Levi added another rope, pulling the guys knees out and ensuring that his legs remained splayed.

“Aw! Such a handsome boy!” Levi cooed teasingly. He picked up the cheesecake and dug his large table spoon in violently. “It’s such a shame!” he smiled, stroking Julian’s handsome jawline. “A shame that you got yourself mixed up with someone who is going to feed you into a greedy, gluttonous porker!”

Julian gasped with delight. Those words, every one of them, seemed to deliver a shot of adrenaline into his system.

“Open up!” Levi insisted, slapping him gently on the side of his face. “It’s time to fatten into my pig!”

Julian’s mouth couldn’t have been opened any wider. He took the large spoonful like a professional; chewing, swallowing and then opening up again, just as wide. Every now and then, Levi would tease the guy’s hardness, but he hardly needed it; it wasn’t going anywhere. In time, as Julian started to slow down, Levi smeared the cheesecake around his mouth, laughing at the ridiculous sight as the boy’s tongue came out, licking all around it and trying to scoop as many of the calories up and into his mouth. Levi would also space things out, unzipping his own pants and feeding his harness to the jock in short intervals. Then he’d wash it all down with the milk, watching as the guy’s stomach bloated more and more. Julian could clearly see it too, and his legs twitched as he ached to come.

“I meant what I said last time,” Levi stated seriously. “You’re mine now! I don’t want anyone else going home with you.” He paused and looked harshly at Julian. “You’re MY personal plaything from now on!”

Julian nodded in agreement. “I’m yours,” he exclaimed emphatically.

“Swear it!” Levi insisted, taking hold of Julian’s cock for the grand finale.

“I swear! I swear! There’s no one else but you” the guy cried out as he finally gave way, with those forceful jets streaming all over his bloated form.

Julian managed to sneak over quite a few times over the following week. Neither of them wanted to announce their new romance, if it could even be called that. The secretiveness of it all was, in itself, rather thrilling.

“I haven’t been to the gym in over two weeks!” Julian grinned, rubbing his still flat stomach with excitement.

“Good!” Levi shot back. “Pigs don’t use gyms, so why should you?”

Levi smiled at that and gave a short little ‘oink’ of excitement before leaning in to kiss Levi. His attitude towards Levi had completely changed. He seemed full to the brim with gratitude; delighted that Levi was so willing to indulge his kinks to such an extreme. They talked about it endlessly and, over the coming days and weeks, Levi began to understand it a lot more. He knew the TV shows and movies that had sparked the gaining interest in Julian as he was growing up. He knew the phrases and scenarios that the guy imagined to be the most arousing, and he also knew how much Julian’s sexuality was driven by it all. Within only a couple of weeks, he could tell just how much Julian was falling for him; the way he held him in bed, or kissed him upon his arrival. In a way, it almost made Levi panic. He hadn’t anticipated being in an exclusive relationship, but he also no longer had the desire to explore with other guys; not when he had Julian, who could submit to him better than any other guy could.

Being a ‘Trust Fund Brat’, Julian lived on a surprisingly healthy allowance from his family. While other students were scraping by, he’d had money to burn. Now he’d handed over one of his cards to Levi, asking him to use it to buy foods to fatten him up with. That was the only brief Levi had been given. At first, he’d used it to buy in pizzas and doughnuts. Then he’d researched it better, buying in crates of extremely high calorie shake products, which he kept concealed under his bed during the day; bringing them out in the evening when his horny little piggy came over to see him.

It was hard to know which of the measures was having the most effect, but it was soon clear that Julian’s body was gradually succumbing to it all. The gentle softness that covered his abs formed a distinct, fleshy crease across his belly button as he slouched, handcuffed to the desk chair most evenings. The guy’s sides had also thickened, although it was only really noticeable when his shirt was off. However, it excited them both immensely to know that Julian’s narrow waist was on the way out.

“Pretty soon you’ll have a fat, little pot belly sticking out of your shirts,” Levi declared as he spoon fed very soft ice cream to his horny lover in the dead of night. “Then everyone will be able to see what a greedy pig you’re becoming!”

Talking about the future always excited Julian. It made him eat more and made his hardess flex and pulse. Levi only had to watch it to learn all that he needed: Which words worked best on him? Which names got him the most excited?

“You’ll be a whole new man after the holidays!” Levi grinned, poking his finger into the new flesh on the boy’s lower stomach. “You’re going to secretly gorge and guzzle everything in sight while you’re without me.”

Julian nodded. He’d already been reminded of the expectations of him during the three week break. In the time they had been dating, he’d gained twenty-two pounds, taking him from an athletic 140lbs, to a more robust 162lbs; yet it still wasn’t all that noticeable to most people. “I promise, everyone will see how chubby I’m getting when we come back to college!” Julian declared; his voice full of enthusiasm and lust. “I’m going to eat so much for you whilst I’m back home!”

“I’m very glad to hear it,” Levi replied, gazing down and seeing how much the guy’s long, perfectly shaped cock was weeping with joy at the thought of it all. He both loved and hated that thing. But having a boyfriend who was so well-endowed somehow made it harder to see him as a true submissive. He poked a finger around the flesh that surrounded the shaft and pondered. “Maybe I can get the fat to start swallowing this dick of yours soon,” he mused aloud. “I want to take off a good few inches off this thing!”

Julian’s eyes widened and he suddenly looked around in a panic. His hands were bound and Levi had been busy holding the tub of ice cream, spoon-feeding it into his mouth. Yet, Julian gave a long, agonising groan and picked his butt up as much as he could from the chair. Gentle waves streamed down his shaft as he came, entirely on his own, from just a few simple words.

Levi had hardly had any time to react. He dropped the spoon into the almost melted ice cream and threw it down onto his table, exchanging it for a large, fluffy muffin. Then he stuffed the fat-filled treat into the greedy boy’s mouth; pressing it firmly against his teeth and deliberately stifling the loud moans that the horny guy always made, never failing to get Levi in trouble with his neighbours.

Even though Levi had not intended to let him come for a little while yet, he was still pleased. Now he’d found something else to get Julian excited, just as much as himself.

Despite their regular contact over the holidays, Levi’s eyes still widened slightly as he saw Julian for the first time. He’d popped into the kitchen after getting back and saw Julian with his back to him chatting to one of the guys. He’d seen pictures of how far the horny guy had been pushing his stomach, but he hadn’t been expecting how dramatic a transformation was taking place from this perspective. Previously tight and cute, Julian’s butt had somehow developed a little width to it. It looked rounder and fuller, pressing up against the material of his pants. The sight gave Levi an instant boner, and he wondered why Julian had failed to show him this change through the many, many pictures he’d sent him over the holidays. Then an even more exciting thought came to Levi: maybe even Julian wasn’t aware of just how much his body was changing!

“Julian’s been eating well over the holidays,” chuckled Dan, one of Julian’s supposedly best friends, once the former jock had left the kitchen. “Did you notice?” he asked the room collectively.

“I noticed!” nodded Emma, one of the girls Levi knew that Julian had slept with in the past. “He’s getting chubby cheeks,” she chuckled, with a little bitterness.

“And the rest!” exclaimed Dan. “Did you not see his belly?” His eyes were wide, as if the whole thing was a lot more serious than it actually was. “What the hell has that dude been eating?” he joked cruelly. 

“Well, it’s no wonder,” went on one of the other girls, opening up one of the refrigerators and spying on what Julian was storing on his dedicated shelf. “Look at all the crap he’s eating!”

Dan gazed in and then went over to Julian’s designated cupboard, opening the door quickly. Out fell candy bars and packets of savoury snacks which had all been packed in tightly. 

“Shit!” Dan laughed. “What the fuck?”

“No wonder!” Emma tutted. “He’s going to have to watch that, or he’ll end up getting fat!”

“He already is fat!” Dan replied, laughing in sheer shock from their discoveries. “The guy’s a complete pig!”

As hot as it would have been to explain to Julian all that he had heard, Levi decided to keep it to himself. Hearing it second hand wouldn’t have been quite as thrilling as Levi wanted it to be for Julian. Instead, a rather cunning and wicked plan was forming in his head.

Julian sat strapped to the chair. It was a Friday night and so the two boys went late into the night, stuffing and packing as much as they could into the transforming porker. Levi noticed with glee that the boy’s chubby butt seemed to be spreading out a little wider in the seat and his overall capacity had increased dramatically over the last few weeks. Tonight, his beautiful belly had bloated up well, looking round and packed to the brim. And so it should have been; Julian had been fed a feast of treats: a rather strange mix of ice creams, cookies, bacon, pizzas and sodas; along with the usual calorie shakes that Levi had become accustomed to making.

“Ugh, I don’t think I can actually finish this…” Julian winced, twitching his strapped up hands as if he itched to stroke and soothe his tight gut.

“That’s all right,” Levi smiled. “I don’t need you to eat it all. Do you want a little break?”

Julian looked up at him, completely shocked, for this was not how Levi usually pushed him. Levi didn’t compromise when it came to feeding his pig.

“Yeah, please,” Julian nodded with relief. “Just a quick break.”

Levi smiled. “Okay. But if you’re not going to eat for me, you can wait out in the corridor until you’re ready. Then, with that, he began pushing the naked boy’s chair to his door.

“No, no! Please!” Julian quietly cried out as the door was opened. His eyes were wide with horror as he suddenly found himself being wheeled into the very middle of the corridor, his head throwing itself from left to right and back again, searching for anyone who might come out and see him like this. “Please!” he begged quietly. “I’ll eat whatever you want!”

“I don’t know…” Levi pretended to consider. “A pig who can’t finish his meal is no good to me. I might as well just leave you here. That way, everyone can get a peek at that small pot belly you’ve grown, if that’s the biggest it’s ever going to get.”

“I’ll grow it bigger. I’ll grow it so much bigger!” Julian promised. “Take me back in and I promise I will show you how much I can eat for you!”

Levi smiled. He always knew there wouldn’t be anyone about at this time, but the exercise had helped to make his point. When Julian was taken back in, he ate everything up without complaint. Then the greedy glutton came, knowing with complete certainty that he had a feeder who would push him to the very extremes.

“Who ate my ice cream?” Emma cried out in shock, as she opened the freezer.

“Someone took my frozen pizzas as well!” Dan nodded, sounding unsurprised.

“My bacon’s been taken too,” Levi threw in, trying to build momentum.

Suddenly, like a pack of cards falling down, everyone was complaining about items that had been taken from their cupboards, freezer or refrigerator space. Everyone, it seemed, had lost something.

The timing was absolutely perfect. It had gone exactly to plan. Levi stared across at Julian as the realisation dawned on him. Everything that had been stolen had been fed to him by Levi the night before. His face flushed a little red and he looked over at his secret lover.

“Well, I think, whoever the greedy pig who has taken everyone’s food, should own up to it immediately!” Levi declared.

Julian’s feet shuffled, but he clearly knew what he had to do. “I might have… accidentally taken some of it,” he mumbled.

“You?” Dan asked, dismayed. “You don’t have enough crap in your own cupboards?” he asked, opening it up and seeing that Julian had made a good dent in all of his supplies.

“What the fuck has gotten into you, man?”

“That’s not cool,” agreed one of the others.

“I’m sorry,” Julian offered. “I just got a little hungry.”

Levi looked around. Was anyone going to properly call him out on it, like he deserved?  “You know…” he began, pretending to find the situation delicate, “…we’ve all noticed that you’ve put on a little weight recently.”

Around him every single person was nodding, looking with disappointment at Julian.

“That t-shirt you’re wearing is looking pretty tight. We can all see that belly you’re getting,” he stated, as if only commenting on the sight for Julian’s own good.

Everyone gazed at Julian, as if this was some form of intervention. In turn, a few more people commented on how they had seen Julian cooking up large portions for himself, or sneaking out for snacks constantly throughout the day. But their message was clear and made with complete agreement: Julian needed to do something about his greedy appetite.

Levi sat in his bedroom, hardly able to contain the smile on his face. He listened out until all the activity settled in the corridor and everyone went back into their rooms to study, before the inevitable gentle tapping sounded on his door. Julian entered with a shocked look still on his face. “I can’t believe you did that!” he chuckled, as if the adrenaline rush was continuing to pump through his body.

Levi nodded and grinned, undressing the increasingly stout boy as he always did upon him entering his room. “I needed them to start seeing you as the greedy little pig that you’re turning into,” he explained. “And I needed you to hear the sorts of things they’ve all been saying about you behind your back,” Levi added, giving Julian’s increasingly oversized butt a pat.

Julian’s hardness twitched. “They’re talking about me behind my back?” he asked excitedly.

Levi opened the door to his closet before he spoke, revealing the mirror inside. “Of course they are!” he laughed, pushing Julian forwards a little so that he could see his body better in the reflection. “The best looking guy in the building suddenly starting to let himself go; growing a little pot belly and one hell of an ass! You bet they’re talking about you!” 

Julian sighed with lust. He loved his stomach being referred to as a ‘pot belly’ even if it wasn’t quite there yet. It was simply a little, chubby paunch, but the abs were now very much gone. “Look at what you’re doing to me!” he mumbled excitedly as he gazed at his reflection. He rubbed his stomach and twisted his body to marvel at the changes to himself. “I’m actually fat!”

Shaking his head, Levi closed the closet door. “No, you’re not,” he clarified. “Not yet! But I’m going to get you there; one jiggly pound at a time!”

Just as he had been trained to, Julian sank to his knees. “Please!” he begged, looking up at his dominant boyfriend. “I want to get so damn fat for you!”

Now Levi smiled. He reached out and grabbed one of the pre-bought calorie shakes he’d left out, punching a hole in the top to let the liquid flow out. Then he reached his hand out and pulled at Julian’s chin. “Open up!” he ordered.

Doing as he was told, Julian’s mouth stretched to the widest it would open; as if that would allow him to take on more calories somehow, or to show just how much he wanted it. The highly fattening liquid poured into his mouth, filling it up and making him swallow every few seconds. Then, out came the next shake; then another, and another, providing a hearty base of calories before the food came out. Each time he would pause, placing Julian’s mouth over his crotch and setting his greedy tongue to work in payment.  By the time they both came later, Julian was massively stuffed and well on his way to generating even more comments about his expanding waistline.

“Are you trying to hide this double chin?” asked Levi a few weeks later, as Julian’s head popped up for a brief break from blowing him off. He’d noticed that Julian hadn’t shaved for a few days now.

“I’m just trying out a new look,” Julian replied innocently.

Levi simply shook his head. “Shave it,” he stated. “I’m finally softening up that jawline and I want EVERYONE to see it!”

Julian’s eyes twinkled with delight. He loved to be told how to present himself. He got a kick out of Levi insisting on him wearing tight shirts and pants that showed off his gains; those t-shirts that clung unflatteringly to his developing love handles, or the overly tight pants that showed off how out of shape his butt was getting. “Yes, sir!” he nodded eagerly, setting his mouth back to work.

“Pig!” Levi called, holding out a cookie and feeding it into Julian’s mouth to give him another brief break. This was their routine. Julian could eat so much more than he realised if he was kept busy with a job. Besides, he’d really improved his skills in giving blow jobs recently; so it worked on multiple levels. The boy was so grateful, so in love, and in lust, there was no one on Earth who would try harder at pleasing him with his tongue.

People were cruel, Levi realised, readjusting his crotch as he’d been turned on once more. Since no one knew that he was sleeping with Julian, they didn’t hold back around him. The girls were especially nasty. As if trying to make up for how much they had all lusted after Julian back in September, now they sounded full of disgust whenever they mentioned him.

Levi had insisted that Julian wear his tight jeans that morning, resulting in Emma getting an eyeful of his butt crack. And that had fuelled an entire morning of petty, mean talk in the kitchen. Emma had recounted it over and over again, pretending to gag as she thought back.

It was as if the entire past had been erased. As if Julian had never been that hot, stunner that they all loved. Now he was just the chunky, overfed ex-jock. At 200lbs, his beautiful, tight butt had been bloated and morphed into something of ridicule, rather than admiration. His handsome face no longer looked the same. Those puffy cheeks and slight double chin removed the athletic look that made him appear so energetic and lively before. Now his pecs were starting to grow pointed and a tight, round little stomach was slowly pushing its way out of his torso. Julian was transforming, all because of his desire to submit to Levi – and the eroticism of that was unlike anything Levi had ever experienced. When he heard people discussing the changes like this, it made him want to speed it up; increase the effects; make it more extreme - and get his little pig oinking!

Julian never knew whether he was eating the food Levi had bought in for him, or whether it had been stolen from the other residents’ cupboards in the kitchen. Whenever food went missing, the finger was always squarely pointed at the growing glutton, making him flush red with embarrassment and yet grow harder than ever before. His popularity was dwindling and chains started appearing on cupboards to help protect people’s food. ‘Pig-proofing’ was how Levi described it. He’d then spend hours picking those weak locks to get at their snacks to continue to rile them all up. Then he’d smile broadly, watching Julian unknowingly taking it all down into his chubby body.

“How fat are you going to get for me? he’d ask his horny lover.

“As fat as you want me!” Julian would reply between chews. Talk like that was always so arousing. Levi couldn’t help how horny it got him to hear those submissive moans of discomfort as Julian was stuffed beyond reason. Yet he would still open his mouth and take in more food for him; knowing how it would transform his body.

The chubby boy looked at him in confusion as his handcuffs were unclipped before he had even come. Then he looked with even more bemusement as Levi laid a complete and oversized chocolate cheesecake on the floor. “Come on, Pig!” he ordered.

There was a groan from Julian as he had to lift his bloated body up. Movement was always hard when he was this full, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t keen to see what Levi wanted from him. He was sent down onto his knees and then fell onto all-fours; the little chub that had been gathering on his stomach now drooping downwards, along with the slight fleshiness of Julian’s chest. Levi simply admired for a short while, until he encouraged Julian’s knees a little wider so that his hole was exposed and stretched. Rubbing in a little lube, Levi heard Julian moan softly at the gentle touch, even as the tips of his finger slid inside; knowing that he was being prepared for something new.

Levi grabbed at the flesh in Julian’s middle, pinching it and jiggling as he laughed mockingly. “You’re going to guzzle down this whole cheesecake while I fuck you,” he explained bluntly, as the boy looked awkwardly up at him, wide eyed and obedient. Then, as if to counter any potential protests, Levi once again grabbed at the fat roll around Julian’s middle; jiggling it until the boy moaned in delight. He slapped the widening butt and then pushed the guy’s head, lowering it into the cheesecake that had been placed under his nose. There was only a little resistance and soon Julian’s mouth had been plunged into the creamy surface.

The sight was even more arousing that Levi had anticipated. Seeing his pig’s teeth biting into the fattening dessert for him, with such enthusiasm and greed, his hardness was ready to explode.

“Come on, Pig!” he called again, slapping the softening butt in approval. “Get it all down!” he ordered, now beginning to pushhis hardness inside. He could already feel himself getting ready to come. It wasn’t the first time he’d fucked Julian, but it definitely hadn’t felt as good as this before. He gazed down at him, shouting more words of encouragement for the pig to continue eating. In return, Julian gave grunts and moans of compliance. It was all so intoxicating. Levi could feel the power of the orgasm building and he had to close his eyes to take it all. He was exploding into the chubby boy, like never before. Then he heard other moans from below, as Julian had done the same, cheekily grabbing his own hardness at the last minute and climaxing.

As they both got to their feet, Levi’s face was a mess, covered in chocolate cheesecake. His plate however, had been almost entirely licked clean.

Exams were soon over and the first year had come to an end. It was going to be a long summer apart, as both of them went home to their families. As always, Levi would be spending the free time working, building up cash to fund his studying next year. Meanwhile, Julian would return to his family in Manhattan, living the pampered lifestyle that he was used to.

“I’ve got you something,” Levi smiled, passing over a bag. “I want you to wear it all summer.”

Julian nodded, smiled and slipped his hand inside, taking out a bright red baseball cap. “Thanks!” he replied automatically, turning it in his hands to inspect it. Then his eyes caught the logo on the front and he simply stared at it in shock. “Zarian?” he mumbled.

Levi nodded. Zarian was an expensive brand, but that wasn’t why Julian had been shocked. It was also a brand for very large and heavy men; their sizes ranging from XXL to quite simply ginormous. Their logo was unmistakeable. “You may not be ready for their clothes yet, but I want you to wear this all summer, as a promise to me; a promise of what will happen to you next year.”

Julian looked at the hat with disbelief, then there was an unmistakeable bouncing throb in his crotch. “Next year,” he echoed, with a cheeky smile.

All summer long, Levi had been working. But each evening he had set aside to video call Julian. He’d chat to the rich boy, relaxing in the comfort of the family’s fancy Upper East Side apartment. It was when the glutton would eat for him and excitedly show off all of the clothes in his wardrobe that no longer fitted. He’d also recount tales of family or friends who had reacted to his new, chubbier physique; all of which seemed to excite him more and more as the weeks went by. Levi hadn’t just indulged Julian’s kink, he’d also developed it; made it more extreme and urgent. Now the idea of getting fatter wasn’t just a fantasy, it was a reality. And, even more than that, it was imperative that it happened as soon as possible.

Julian returned to college with a sizeable belly. Levi measured the width of him and placed him on the scales before they had even kissed each other for the first time. “Right, our first job is to push you over the 250lb mark as soon as we can this semester,” Levi declared, seeing that Julian was still about 12lbs off. 

The new fat was hypnotic. It had gathered all in his chest, softening up his nipples like never before. “I’m getting tits!” Julian threw out excitedly, the moment Levi’s eyes spotted them. But that wasn’t all. Julian’s love handles had thickened to rather extreme proportions, even considering the fact that his butt was already strangely wide. When Levi sat him back down in his old chair, he could also see how deep his belly button had become as his fat little tummy rolled up in the pinched position.

“Oh, boy! Look at what hashappened to your face!” Levi marvelled, seeing the fat that had now swollen into Julian’s neck, developing a sizeable chin and almost melting into his chubby cheeks. “You’re almost unrecogniseable!” His fingers explored it all, knowing how erotic Julian would be finding it, having his fat touched again. He slipped his finger lower, inside the belly button and bounced it, seeing how excited and aroused the fat boy became. He pressed his mouth up against the nipples, realising that they were becoming large enough to be developing some real sensitivity now. He listened keenly to the moans of delight and then ripped open a fresh gainer shake from the massive collection he already had stashed under his bed. He shook it and watched the erotic excitement fill Julian’s face. He’d waited all summer for this. “If you think you’re fat now… just you wait and see what I’m going to do to you…” he teased.

Julian’s eyes widened in excitement and he tipped his head back to take the shake, swallowing it down with more speed and enthusiasm than ever before. He wanted this. He really wanted this!

No one was left on their corridor from the previous year. Everyone had moved out, or requested transfers away from the greedy thief who made their lives so much harder. Levi grinned as he saw them all, taking a peek in their kitchen cupboards to see what treats he could feed to Julian later on. The pig was going to be waking up a little fatter tomorrow.

Julian had brought far too many clothes with him back to college. Levi knew how excited the boy got, feeling them all getting so tight on him, but there was no room left for anything else. “You do know, this isn’t just a fantasy, don’t you?” he asked the porker a little impatiently. He was searching through his underwear drawer, having already been through the shirts and pants, now pulling out endless amounts of overstretched boxer shorts and briefs, shaking his head crossly. “Do you really expect any of this to fit in a few weeks’ time?”

“I like it when I put them on and….” Julian began.

“I know you do,” Levi nodded. “But this is impractical. You are actually going to need some clothes that fit” he explained, finally compromising on a few items that they could keep for future comparisons and letting the rest of the stuff go. Most of it, Levi kept for himself. His wardrobe had never had such an influx of a rich boy’s designer shirts and pants. He certainly looked a lot better in them than Julian had for quite some time; all he had to do was sew a couple of the buttons back on.

Julian settled back into his evenings of being fattened. Like the food he was eating, the regular schedule was comforting and predictable. He would allow himself to be strapped to his chair, taking the food and shakes as his hardness was slowly teased and edged. The process could take quite some time. There was always a lot to get down. Julian would gasp and moan as he was stopped from coming each time he got close. He should have known better; he was never allowed to come until his food was all eaten.

The fat boy had been particularly aroused that night. Someone on his course had made a comment about his weight and he hadn’t been able to shake his boner since. He’d been desperate to come, even before he’d arrived there that evening. That was why he had tried being sneaky. As Levi edged and fed him, Julian must have been trying to hide how close he actually was. He gave none of the usual signs, trying to act as normal as he could. It was only when Levi felt the eruption that he knew he’d accidentally jacked his pig off far too early. 

“Oh, Julian!” he cried out crossly. “You know you’re not allowed to do that yet!”

Julian gave a satisfied smirk as he sat back in his chair, feeling that he had finally outsmarted his feeder.

“That was naughty!” Levi grumbled, continuing to work Julian’s hardness regardless.

The boy’s smirk faded a little and he looked at Levi with only the smallest traces of concern at first. He’d enjoyed coming, but he’d never been so disobedient with Levi before. Now his penis was getting sensitive after the ejactulation, yet Levi was still stroking it up and down. What was worse, Levi didn’t look like he was going to stop anytime soon. 

Julian wriggled a little, but the guy simply reflected that smirk back at him, letting him know that this was exactly what his punishment would be. Julian gasped as the feeling became almost unbearable. He jumped and panted, but never once told Levi to stop; even as Levi placed his palm over the head of Julian’s cock and ground into it with that sly smile on his face.

“Fat boy is not allowed to come until I say,” Levi stated with absolute authority.

“I understand!” Julian squeaked, almost in panic. “I understand!”

“You’re going to eat even more than I had planned tonight,” he demanded. “Pig has to be punished.”

“I will! I promise!” Julian bellowed back, repeating it over and over until Levi finally pulled his hand away. He was true to his word too; gaining an appetite that Levi had rarely seen in him. His hardness never faded. Julian had always wanted to be owned and dominated. Now he seemed to understand, even better than before, just how far Levi was willing to go.

Julian’s punishment continued over the next few days. Levi was concerned over how much the blubbery guy had enjoyed coming early, and the consequence that had been given to him. So instead, Levi began a hands-free strategy. No matter how much he begged, Julian was strapped to his chair and not stimulated by Levi at all. “You need to earn my trust back,” Levi simply stated as he watched Julian’s untouched hardness dribble with arousal. “Obedience will need to be trained back into you.”

When everything was eaten, Levi simply unstrapped him and watched as the guy’s hand flew in desperation onto his aching erection, stroking it with a ferocity; needing to come as fast as possible. Some days, Levi would insist that Julian got up off his chair and slide onto all-fours on the floor. It was always amusing to watch that bloated gut sag and jiggle as Julian came all over the carpet like a pig. Other days, he would allow Julian to stay where he was. As the guy worked his hardness, Levi would pick up the flab around Julian’s stomach and push his arm back so that the fat sat effortlessly on his wrist, jiggling and shaking from the movement of the guy’s attempt at masturbating. 

It was November and still Levi hadn’t touched Julian in the way that he was used to. He knew that Julian had learned his lesson, but the punishment had had the most remarkable effect on Julian’s appetite. He now seemed more willing than ever to submit. He ate, he gorged, he talked about getting fatter every second of the day. 

Like a true glutton, Julian snacked constantly, taking down sodas and cookies with only one aim in mind. Even his fat clothes were getting tight, with an umistakable build up of lard in his tummy, chest and butt. Levi especially admired the way the fat had crept from the guy’s chest and under his arms, giving his shoulder blades a strange puffiness that looked incredibly amusing next to his swollen love handles.

“Do you miss the way I used to make you come?” Levi asked at long last.

Julian nodded; his eyes filled with lust, just as they always were, half way through a feed.

“I’ll make you a deal then,” Levi smiled. “I’ll make you come on one condition…” he looked thoughtfully down at Julian’s pulsing dick, pleased with how well the fat was starting to make its way into the guy’s groin and, in turn, gradually swallowing the shaft from the base. “...Once I resume making you come, I don’t want you to ever pleasure yourself again. Only I can make you climax from now on. Forever.”

“But… the holidays are coming up…” Julian fretted, knowing that they would soon be parted for three whole weeks. That amount of time without being able to come at all was definitely not something the horny ex-jock would be acustomed to.

“Just think of how much extra time you’ll have for eating…” Levi teased, beginning to touch Julian’s dick for the first time in weeks.

Julian moaned in surrender as their lips met and tongues slid into each other’s mouths. Of course Julian agreed; parting with yet another piece of control over his life.

The New Year brought even greater revelations as Julian returned with the most shocking news. 

“They bought you an apartment?” Levi asked, flabbergasted that Julian had been keeping this little surprise right up until they had arrived back in college that January.

“My dad decided that the dorms clearly weren’t encouraging a healthy lifestyle…” he smiled, rubbing his bulging belly fat and giving it a pinch. Having gained so consistently over the last few months, Julian had seemingly developed layer upon layer of fat; blubbering up to make him appear more fleshy and lardy than ever before. “It’s across the street from this super expensive gym they’ve signed me up for as well… as a Christmas present,” he grumbled. He looked a little sheepish and shook his head. “But I have no intention of using the gym,” he clarified, trying to assert his absolute determination on that point.

“So your folks think that if they get you out of these dorms you’ll suddenly start losing all the fat you’ve been packing on?” Levi chuckled to himself.

“Something like that,” Julian nodded, mindlessly picking at the cookies Levi had brought over with him.

“You know that I need you a lot fatter than this, don’t you?” Levi asked, always loving the way Julian’s eyes sparkled with arousal whenever he talked about making him even fatter. “You do also realise that alll this blubber is only just the beginning of what I have planned for you?”

Julian’s big, docile eyes looked up at Levi as he moved to stand over him, before sliding behind him to whisper into the softening boy’s ear. 

“If your family want to buy you a nice apartment to live in, that’s fine by me. But I’m coming with you…”

Julian’s arousal could be heard in the sudden deep breaths that he was taking as Levi’s hand swept over his large, doughy stomach.

“Out of the frying pan and into the fire. I think your folks have just given me the perfect opportunity to keep my greedy little piggy growing twenty-four hours a day!”

It wasn’t long before Levi had packed up his stuff and signed out of the dorms, eagerly counting up how much cash he would be saving by living rent-free with Julian. Money that he could reinvest into massive amounts of calories and joyously pour down his fat boy’s throat.

Obesity had taken Julian, there was no doubt about it. His stomach was bulging like never before and even his arms had become fleshy and jiggly as he began to make a steady climb up and over 270lbs. Watching the gentle flutter of body fat as he strolled around the apartment naked was intoxicating; the awkward grunts as he bent down to slide socks on in the morning. The gut was now starting to wrap around his back, making him almost stoop forwards with the increasing mass of it. Then came the lines where the fat began to fold and eventually emerge into creases of blubber that asserted the dominance of the love handles. Oh, those beautiful fleshy love handles! 

Meanwhile. Levi had dutifully taken the free gym membership that Julian had been gifted by his family. In doing so, he had discovered a whole new thrill of working out with the personal trainer, whilst leaving a whole stack of gainer shakes for Julian to finish before he got back. As long as he answered to the name Julian at the gym, no one would ever know.

As the exam season arrived, Julian and Levi found their shared lives consumed in a way that it had never been before. Suddenly the reality of only having a single year left in college dawned upon them both. But whilst the shift in focus had been entirely justified in order to finish their academic year on a high, Julian’s gains had started to plateau for the first time. Partly, he had become slightly enthralled with how toned and fit Levi was getting with the personal trainers in the gym. The contrast between them was even more distinct once they both got shirtless after a day of lectures, and the thrill of their very different bodies led to more than a few steamy sessions together.

It hadn’t been something Levi had especially looked forward to, heading out to Manhatten with Julian to meet his family. But now that they were over eighteen months into their relationship, with only a single year left of college, they both knew that this was something that had to be done; speaking at length about it for months. Julian had laid the groundwork, heading home for a weekend a few weeks earlier to drop the bombshell that he was dating another guy. It meant that Levi wouldn’t have to sit there as Julian awkwardly explained their relationship, with all of them having plenty of time to get used to the idea first. Still, the prospect clouded his mind for weeks.

No one was home when they both arrived. Even though Julian had taken Levi on a virtual tour of the apartment many times in the past when they were online together, it was still incredibly awe-inspiring to see the wealth of Julian’s family so lavishly displayed in the luxury of their Manhattan home: enormous windows with incredible views of the park, giant rooms and the most contemporary of designs. Yet, as the time trickled by, there was still no family at home to enjoy it all. The refrigerator was all but empty and there was no sign that any of them had been expecting their arrival at all.

A cell phone pressed to his ear, Julian’s father was the first back, just before seven. He raised his eyebrows in greeting as he continued to chat, roughly shaking Levi’s hand, listening keenly to whoever he was chatting to on the other end. Julian’s mother had arrived back from the gym then, kissing them both politely on each cheek without actually pressing her lips to them; not getting at all close until she had showered. 

Dinner arrived soon afterwards, confirming to Levi that the immaculate designer kitchen was indeed hardly ever used. Then all four of them sat down awkwardly at the large, grand dining table, beginning to make difficult conversation. To Levi, it felt more like an interview than a friendly ‘get to know you’ chat. Julian’s parents wanted to know about his schooling, his career goals, what his parents did for work; whether his siblings had made anything of themselves yet. Then, with each unimpressed and disappointed look Levi received, he felt himself resenting them both more and more.

For the first couple of days, Levi swallowed his dislike of Julian’s family. It was only as he walked quietly down the large spiral staircase one morning that he heard the sharp whispering of Julian’s mother as she grumbled at him before heading to work.

“You’re going places, sweetheart. You’ve got a dazzling career in front of you, here in New York. Levi is never going to amount to anything, and you know it!” She gathered her bag and slipped a light, sleek jacket over her arm in case it rained later on. “Find someone better connected because, I’m telling you, that boy upstairs is just going to be a dead weight.”

Levi heard Julian trying to protest, but his mother clearly wasn’t listening as she slipped out the door. Then Julian sighed loudly and rested his arms against the kitchen counter.

“I see I’ve failed whatever test your parents have put me under,” Levi laughed, sneaking up behind Julian and hugging his increasing bulk from behind.

“You heard all that then?” Julian sighed sadly.

“I sure did,” Levi smiled. It might have been difficult to hear that Julian’s parents disapproved of him, but at the same time, it felt incredibly freeing as well. “Come on!” he chuckled. “You hardly expected your folks to like me, did you? I’ve been purposefully fattening you up since we first met!”

With that, Levi gave Julian’s chubby rear a pat and grabbed at both of his love handles, pinching and jiggling them; immediately taking away Julian’s depressed state. Now that Levi had met Julian’s parents, he felt like he understood his boyfriend more than ever before. He’d grown up with two cold, money-hungry parents who had clearly never put him first in their entire lives. They’d been overly concerned about looks, wealth and status, sending their boy off to college in the hopes that he would return, ready to live life in exactly the same way that they had. But Julian had always wanted something else; that true feeling of being properly loved and looked after; fattened to the point that no one could doubt how much he was cared for.

“I want to apologise to you,” Julian stated seriously. “I think, ever since we moved in together, it was obvious that we couldn’t keep our relationship just between us anymore; that we would have to do the whole ‘meet the parents’ thing by coming here.” His hand went back to exploring Levi’s large rear, pulling down his pants to get a peek at the blubbery cheeks. “I think it may have been holding me back a little bit; stopping me from doing what I was always meant to be doing.”

“And what is that?” Levi asked. His dick already hard; it had always been pathetically easy to get him aroused.

“Now that your parents have decided they don’t like me, your final safety net has gone. There’s nothing holding me back anymore; nonone’s approval that I need to obtain. If your parents don’t want me to have you, I’m going to take you anyway. I’m going to turn their chubby boy into the greediest, most disgustingly fat piggy that they’ve ever seen.”

Like always, Julian’s eyes sparkled with lust as he craned his neck to see Levi feeling up his rear; squishing and bouncing the glutes in the way he always did before he would bend Julian over the counter and take him there and then.

“I’m done hiding this. From now on, I want everyone to know exactly what we are to each other.” He pointed to himself and then at Julian. “I’m the feeder and you’re my big, fat, growing pig.”

Julian looked aroused enough to climax right there and then. He’d always loved Levi making declarations about how fat he was going to make him, but this one felt more real than ever; that this really was it; the final mental shiftt that they both needed to make in order to ensure their fantasies became a reality.

Levi saw Julian’s parents several times over the coming months and years; relishing in their mutual shock and disapproval of Julian’s physique. It was one of the things he was most excited about as their wedding day approached; letting them see just how much he had pushed and pushed the weight onto their boy as he stood there in his custom made suit; large bulging belly pushing its way out in all directions. At over four hundred and fifty pounds, Julian’s entire neck had completely disappeared, with his fat-filled chins constantly kept shaven and on display for all to see. His face had widened with the balloon-like cheeks swelling up with each passing week; yet those piggish, lustful eyes still sparked with desire. He grunted as he stood up to use the bathroom and watching the enormous man struggle to move when he was stuffed never failed to get Levi hard. Every inch of his body spoke of his monstrous obesity; the sagging of his enormous former pecs, the mass of his giant, flabby arms and thighs. Every stick of furniture they owned groaned under the weight of Julian’s wide and lard-filled rear. Even now, sat at the top table at their wedding reception, Levi secretly longed for Julian’s inadequate chair to buckle underneath him, sending his almost spherical husband crashing to the floor in front of all of their guests.

“Try some of this,” Levi smiled wickedly, feeding Julian from his own plate in what most others would view as an entirely romantic gesture. But if Levi couldn’t will the chair to break, the least he could do was to ensure that Julian’s most strained shirt button blew before the end of the night. With a two-week all-inclusive honeymoon to enjoy from tomorrow, the journey to five hundred pounds and beyond was well and truly underway.

Julian watched as Levi’s greedy, obedient mouth opened and accepted whatever was on the fork without a second thought, hopeful that the boy’s parents would be scowling at him from further down the table.

“Just think,” Levi teased, placing his hand on Julian’s bloated, ball-like gut and stroking it just below the table, “you could have been marrying some beautiful, well-connected member of New York’s elite right now. That gorgeous, hunky guy I met in college could have had any girl he wanted, until I came along.”

“Do you think that’s what everyone else is thinking as well?” Julian asked; always enjoying hearing about the potential life he could have had were it not for Levi indulging every last one of his suppressed kinks to fatten up well beyond the gigantic size he was today.

“Of course they are,” Levi nodded discreetly. “They’re thinking what a shame it is that you fell into my hands; that you let yourself go and allowed yourself to be so uncompromisingly overfed by me, day after day. You’ve been fattened into a pig, Julian.”

“Do you think they’ll miss us if we sneak back to our room for a little bit later?” the horny, greedy man asked before filling his mouth with even more food.

Levi smiled and placed his strong arm over the wide shoulders of his massively obese husband, whispering into his ear. “Not just yet, Piggy,” he teased. “We’ve got a five-tier cake to cut and I’ve been training your appetite up for weeks in preparation for this. It’s time to show our guests exactly what my pig is made of…”

[gudsouplady]

Watching ghosts (S1,E1)(spoilers) ‘Who do you think you are’

• Lonely grey house…

• The old woman is dying with the ghosts watching her :(

• Why are they betting on a ghost

• Guys if you please - I love Pat

• The Captain is obviously getting any room he wants, He is a king 👑

• Everyone just left Humphrey’s head alone with Thomas

• House hunting is going unsuccessful

• Alison inherited button house

• I love the intro

• Mike ranting about what he did to Daniel Bellingham’s ear and Alison stopping him is hilarious

• They don’t like the look of the house from the pictures

• Robin got a checkmate

• Learning how to make a basket from Mary

• The captain is furious

• *Arguing intensifies*

• Why does the captain lay down like that ????

• Fanny has returned

• Car karaoke 🎤

• Fanny can’t help it

• It’s Kim Wilde!!!

• “He’d make a very fine soldier” I’m sorry what ???

• They ghosts aren’t very supportive and are plotting to kill them

• “she’s married Thomas” I died

• The pigeon in the bedroom

• The plague girl scares Pat and The Captain

• They all failed to scare them ????

• Dark creepy basement with dead bodies that had the plague

• Mike being a terrible plumber

• Looks like YouTube can teach you anything

• JULIAN JUST PUSHED ALISON !!!!!!!!!

• ANSWER THE QUESTION,DAMN YOUR EYES !!!!!!!!!!!

• Poor Fanny :(

• Pat would be a great therapist

• The Captain can sleep again

• Alison is alive and awake

• Mike is such a good husband

• The builders have arrived

• She can see the ghosts

I rate the episode a 9.5/10 because I didn’t like the cliffhanger

[unhingedthirst]

“It’s my thigh or nothing, I’m not helping you get off.” For Cyrus × Fem!Reader

I was promised a kidney for this but honestly the fact that you love and support my work will always be more than enough!

Edit- I wrote this right when it was requested but intended to finish it at some point- I didn’t so have this first part of an unfinished fic :3

Living in Sunnyvale and having a situationship with Cyrus came with its own set of difficulties. You didn’t know exactly what you guys were but you know that living next to his sworn enemy was the catalyst for a lot of rough angry sex. Not that you were complaining. Julian, bubbles and Ricky pestered you often about your involvement with Cyrus. You were all sitting around in Julian’s trailer smoking dope laughing about something dumb Ricky said. You all sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments and than Ricky turned to you “why are you dating that fucking dick Cyrus anyway?” It seemingly came out of nowhere but you looked around your friends and they just waited for your response with eager eyes. You sighed “one we aren’t dating..we just hang out.” You say sheepishly and Julian scoffs at you “I can’t believe you bang that creep” you roll your eyes at the man; their disgust used to bother you a lot more but now it was just par for the course. “You guys are just mad that you aren’t banging me” you say confidently and the men collectively groan. You didn’t even know if that statement was true but by how jealous they all acted it be seemed like the logical answer. Bubbles finally spoke after awhile of just listening “you’re a pretty lady and all” he sqawks out and you smile softly with pride “but we care about you. He’s not a good guy!” Bubbles explains and you pat his knee lovingly. A deep blush forms on his cheeks and than Julian speaks again “he can’t even protect you he’s a fucking pussy” Ricky nods. You huff a frustrated breathe and than quickly duck and cover when Ricky pulls out his gun and starts waving it around “he can’t even shoot anything! He’s a dumb idiot coward! He can’t protect you from shit!” Ricky yelled and you got up to leave as Julian and bubbles start scolding him. You yell a goodbye and leave the rest of your dope as a sign of good faith. What they didn’t understand is how sweet Cyrus is with you; fingers in your hair and lips pressed to your neck. Every time you saw him he’d pull you into his lap and say “tell me about your day baby.” It felt so intimate. There was definitely feelings involved on both sides but you weren’t about to be the dumb girl that tries to tie a guy like Cyrus down. He was also so amazing in bed; when you guys were alone and he starts touching you, you lose all brain function. you found your way once again in Cyrus’s car; you’d called him the second you left Julian’s trailer. He was quick to pick you up; eager to get laid probably. As he pulls in front of your trailer the boys are sitting around the shit mobile now drinking. You close your eyes and take a deep breathe bracing for the annoyance you are about to endure. Cyrus makes eye contact with Ricky as he goes in and kisses you hello. Before you could commend Ricky for keeping his cool Cyrus yells out “Fuck off Ricky. I’ve got work to do” and points to you. You shove him with your elbow as you bury your face in your hands. Ricky loses it throwing a beer bottle and screaming at your non boyfriend’s red corvette as he speeds out. Cyrus has always been a tough nut to crack, if felt like he was constantly on a losing streak but with you it felt like he was winning. It started out as just fucking someone hot that he was pretty sure Julian and Ricky were interested in but now it turned into another person accepting him as he was even if it meant you being okay with him keeping you at arms length. You hadn’t discovered how much of a loser he was yet and he was eager to keep it that way.

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

Vesuviella: Part 13

The rehearsal goes surprisingly well. It’s easy for the two troublemakers to pour their frustrations into their lines, which leaves Julian excessively pleased with himself. You watch the scene unfold, Portia standing haughtily by the tomato vines as she swirls an imaginary glass of wine and watches her daughter and stepdaughter duke it out.

“Cinderellaaa!” Lucio screeches, tossing his head and stamping his foot on an unfortunate rogue strawberry. “I told you to send that note to the butcher’s son, not the baker’s! Now he’s going to think I have crush on him!”

Asra tiptoes over between the cabbages, demure posture completely betrayed by the smirk on their face. “My deepest apologies, dear stepsister. Would you like me to relieve him of your letter? I’m sure he’d appreciate it if I cleared up the misunderstanding.”

Lucio sighs and sinks down onto a bench, a perfect image of maidenly suffering apart from his sprawling knees. “No, it can’t be helped. I suppose I’ll just have to manage two admirers. Oh Cindy, you don’t think they’ll fight over me, do you?!”

“I doubt it.” Cinderella’s standing with a foot on either side of a row of carrots. The Ugly Stepsister continues, undeterred by her lack of enthusiasm.

“You’re so lucky you don’t have to worry about these things, Cinders. You’ll never have to know the dark side of being pretty and popular. It’s much harder than keeping the house clean.”

“It can’t be any harder than resisting the urge to -”

“Girls, girls!” Portia steps in the fray, hip cocked and wine glass swirling in a manner vaguely reminiscent of a certain courtier. “Stop this at once. Cinderella, you should know better than to speak out of place. I expect better from you.”

Cinderella nods her head and withdraws shyly, amusement dancing around her face. “Yes, stepmother.” The Evil Stepmother whips her head around to her languishing daughter, haughty demeanor softening.

“And Drisella, I expect better of you too. Young ladies do not indulge in such petty squabbling.” She brings the invisible glass to her lips as she rolls her eyes. “Save that for your elders.” She does a double take at the Ugly Stepsister’s posture, mask slipping to reveal entertained scandal underneath. “And sit with your knees together! Legs closed! My goodness, it’s like you’ve never worn a skirt before.”

Lucio blinks and straightens self-consciously. “I haven’t worn a skirt before. At least not the kind you’re thinking of.”

Portia’s whirling around before he can continue, accusatory finger aimed at the snickering magician. “And you! No self-respecting maidservant straddles carrots like that! Anytime you’re standing still, both your feet should be as close together as they can get, hands folded, elbows out. No funny business.”

Julian interrupts her stream of double entendres, gloved hands clapping his delight. “Wonderful performance for our first rehearsal! Pasha, keep practicing your reactions. The Evil Stepmother is only watching for most of the scene, but she is still reacting. Asra and Lucio, please practice wearing skirts like ladies. In fact,” he turns back to his sister, eye widening, “would you have any spares for us to rehearse in?”

Portia settles back and nods, blowing a stray curl from her face. “There’s some extra petticoats in the uniform closet. I’ll ask milady.”

“Perfect.” Julian whirls to face you, expression relaxing into an easy grin. “I have something to ask the Countess myself. Perhaps you could accompany me.”

You tense in your spot between the step siblings, concerned both for leaving them without a buffer and for whatever scheme Julian’s about to drag you into. “Are you sure I’m necessary?”

“Of course you are. Don’t worry, it’s only about casting the minor roles. Shall we?”

You sigh, slide your script into your satchel, and pick your way out of the garden.

[hyperfixatedonstuff]

Hello :) I saw your recent/pinned post. I'm assuming you'll write for lucio cuz you said you like him in another post, so just gimme literally anything for him, hcs, a minific, idc. All I ask is for some fluff (maybe some angst 👀(just as long as there's some fluff) the rest is up to you bc I'm a dumb bitch and can't think of anything specific so :/

ok so i have lots of random headcanons for Lucio and this is a good chance to share them! also i’m writing a decently sized oneshot about him so expect that too!

he loves your hair! no matter if it’s curly, straight, wavy, red, brown, blonde, short, shaved, super long, etc

it does not matter

he’ll play with it and run his hands through it constantly

he’d be sooo happy if you let him braid it

he definitely remembers how his mom taught him to put up hair

he definitely enjoys being the little spoon but he also tosses and turns so much while sleeping so you have to hold him tight or he’ll end up on the floor

remember in his route where he talks about always wanting a familiar? he still doesn’t realize Mercedes and Melchior are his familiars

if you tell him he will genuinely gape at you

“is that why i can understand what they say??”

he loves summer and the beach but he BURNS in sun

like bright red skin, sobbing, can’t move type of sun burn

you will absolutely have to use magic to heal him

also never uses sunscreen

really bad at riding horses bc he never learned as a kid and was too embarrassed to learn later on

he’s also terrified of horses

he teaches you how to fight if you don’t already know and will let you win a lot

but he’ll dramatically act like you killed him and say the only way to help is to give him a kiss or two

he snores and no one can tell me otherwise

but he’ll deny it in the morning

he has his dogs spy on people in the castle sometimes because he likes hearing the petty tea

he secretly really likes when you act responsibly and pull him out of conflict

he thinks it’s cute but he also just appreciates it bc he saves face

he pouts a lot but if he’s desperate to convince you he’ll get his dogs to do it with him

yk that one tweet where it’s someone saying like “my girl is mad at me. i hope i die.” that’s him (Julian too)

if he makes a small mistake like accidentally bumping you or forgetting to get you something he will dramatically swoop you up into his arms and kiss you

yk those images of sailors getting home and tipping their wives over to kiss them? that’s him, all the time

he’s one of those guys who’s allergic to a million things

morga will tell you all of the stories of her figuring out what he was allergic to

most of them are embarrassing

he eats some of those things anyway because he thinks he can outsmart his allergies by eating fast

he takes forever to get ready bc he’s very picky about his outfits

he’ll give you little fashion shows if you let him

[x-ceirios-x]

letters: emma and jensen

a handful of letters/fire messages between jensen ashfair and his friend emma carstairs. takes place between the end of city of glass and the beginning of city of lost souls

Emma,

Sorry I haven’t been answering your letters. Things here are still crazy. I feel terrible all the time. Mom’s trying her best to cheer me up, but I can see she’s upset too. I slept in her bed with her the other day—I think it made us both feel better. 

Thanks for checking in. 

- Jensen

— —

Emma,

Mom says she thinks its a good thing for me to talk to you some more. I want to, I guess I don’t know what all to say. Life’s not too interesting right now, just a lot of Rowan and Dad fighting. Alec’s on vacation with Magnus which is super cool, I wish I was on vacation. Maybe one day, I can come visit you in LA! That would be fun, right?

I’m gonna go back to reading my comic books now. It’s good to hear from you. Mom says thank you, too. 

- Jensen

— —

Em,

How are things in LA? I hope they’re good. Thanks for asking about the comics. I’ve been reading this Spiderman series that I think is super cool! I really like that Spiderman could be anybody behind the mask. Maybe I could be spiderman one day. That sounds lame. Ignore that. 

I’m still missing Max but I had dinner with Jace and Clary and Izzy last night. I think Rowan was at Simon’s house. They seem to spend a lot of time with him lately, which is funny, because I think he’s dating Izzy. They hang out a lot, though, and I think Rowan has a crush on him. You can’t tell anyone that, though!! Please. Rowan will kill me. 

Dinner was good. Dad cooked, and he made this chili stuff that he says Uncle Patrick can’t eat cause it’s too spicy. I think it’s funny. I’m gonna write to Aline and see if he’s messing with me and trying to make me laugh or if he’s being serious. 

I found out from Mom today that Dad likes to draw. I didn’t know that. I asked and he didn’t say much about it, but maybe that’s where I get the steady hand from. Clary says when I draw runes it doesn’t hurt so much. Don’t you have a friend that likes to draw? Maybe he could teach me one day.

It’s late where I am right now. I should probably go to bed soon, Jace said he’s gonna take me out for training tomorrow morning. I don’t feel like running, maybe he’ll let me climb for a bit. I like climbing. 

Say hi to the Blackthorns for me.

- Jensen

— —

Emma,

I’m worried about Jace. He seems really closed off lately. No one really wants to tell me what’s going on, which is fine, but I’ll ask him about it later, maybe. Everyone’s off at that party for Luke and Jocelyn tonight, which is cool, but I didn’t really wanna go even if I was invited. 

Otherwise, things seem okay. I think my dad and Mom are hanging out a lot lately, and that Andy girl is third-wheeling a lot. Andy is Jace’s sister, I guess (Jace has a sister, it’s not Clary, it’s a whole thing. I don’t even know anymore, I just stopped asking). She’s an adult though, so I guess she’s helping Mom. 

I forget if I ever explained this. Mom and Dad aren’t actually together. Mom is Maryse, who isn’t “technically” my mom, but she’s Mom. Y’know? Dad is my actual dad. It’s strange, but I call the Lightwoods family too. Kinda like you and the Blackthorns, right? I think family is whoever you decide to annoy for the rest of your life. 

I hope things are good. I like the picture you sent with the last letter with the palm trees—things are getting colder here and all the trees lost their leaves. I wish it was 70 again, not below freezing when it gets dark out. Visiting sounds better every day. Maybe with some convincing, we can get Mom to bring me for a few days. 

- Jensen

Jen,

I think a visit sounds great! Maybe I’ll talk to Julian’s dad and the parents can work something out. Let me know! I don’t envy your weather right now, the sunshine feels amazing. It NEVER rains here though. You might have to get used to the dry heat. It sucks. We’ll take you to the beach sometime. 

That’s funny about your mom and dad. I don’t have that, but Julian’s dad is pretty cool. I think you just collect moms like crazy. You’ve gotta have at least two, is there any others you haven’t told me about?

Sorry things are stressful, but I’m glad you’re doing better. Things are good here, too. Not much different in my life, but you guys in New York seem to have something different going on every week. Keep me in the loop—I’m rooting for you!

With love,

Emma Carstairs

— — 

Jen,

Hope you’re doing okay. I haven’t heard from you lately. There’s some council meeting happening soon and Helen is going to that with Julian and the Blackthorns. I dunno what it is. I’m gonna see if I can go so I can see you! It’s been too long. I’ll keep this short so I can tell you all about life when I get there. 

With love,

Emma Carstairs

— —

Jensen, where are you? I know this won’t go through, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Everyone’s trying to find you. Just hold on a little for me. 

With love, 

Emma

[gothamslostboy]

📁 for Micheal tlb!!

A/N: I’m in a Michael mood rn so I figured I’d do this request first, but to the person who requested it, I will do the Jervis fic soon I promise

My boy has perfect pitch

Sam just walks up to him and hits random things together and is like “what note was that”

Michael put a lock on his door bc one night sam did rt his at 4:00am

He loves Disney movies

I’ve said this so many times but he LOVES cooking

Especially for ppl he cares about

His favorite season is summer

It would be spring but he’s allergic to flowers

Still buys Star flowers every week

His favorite fruit is cantaloupe

Likes the look of button up shirts but cant stand actually wearing them

Solid B+ student

Does well in math tho

Has 5 pairs of shoes: 1 set of foot flops, 1 set of dress shoes, 1 pair of boots, 2 sets of tennis shoes

Looks identical to his grandpa on his dads side

Prefers quilts over blankets

Decent singing voice but thinks it’s awful

Mamas boy, but in the good way

Normally his room is pretty neat, but around important tests it gets messy

Always wanted brown eyes

Used to help grandpa Emerson with his taxidermy when little until he realized it was actual animals

Nanook was originally his dog, but gave her to Sam after realizing he didn’t want the responsibility

Still lays on the floor with Nanook’s head on his chest like they did when she was a puppy occasionally

Learned piano for a couple years but dropped it for guitar

Has a tiny scar just below his hairline on the back of his neck bc Sam threw a pencil at him in elementary school

Collects quarters

Favorite candy is pop rocks

When he was a toddler he was a dance machine and Lucy constantly brings it up and accidentally embarrassed him

Michael and Lucy have had special nights just for them since he was 2 where they watch their favorite kids movies together curled up on the couch

He saved up money from his first job in Santa Carla and bought a tv so they could continue this

At some point in life he gets a chicken named Julian

I Like @persephone-s-moon ‘s Rat Series so even though they aren’t they boys, laddie, and Star, he gets 6 rats to help with anxiety after the night in the house

Names are Joey, Bobby, Danny, Chloe, Rosie, & Frankie

Yes all their names had to end with an “e” sound on purpose

He and Star end up dating for a couple years, but decided to be friends after a while

Michael ends up dating a bleach blonde guy who he just can’t figure out why he looks so familiar no it’s not actually david

Kinda regrets not turning when he reaches his 30s

Would never tell anyone that tho

His favorite Disney movie as of 1987 was The Fox and The Hound

But adored the Little Mermaid when it came out and took Laddie to see it all the time

Also was the one who went with Star to return laddie to his parents after everything, and the pair became his official babysitters

He gets a little creeped out whenever laddie acts like the boys tho

Still bought laddie a new jacket when he outgrew his old one, and it looked a lot like Dwayne’s

Becomes a music teacher in 50s, but was a producer before that

Ends up married to a girl named Susan, and has a son- Gabriel David Emerson

Yes Sam and everyone besides Laddie gave him hell for the middle name

Ends up being a great dad

Favorite shape is a trapezoid

Listens to Queen a ton

He and Star end up life long besties

[treedaddymcpuffpuff]

Excessive Force : Tom Ludlow x Fem Nurse Reader (COLLAB W/ THE INCREDIBLE @johnwickb1tsch) - Chapter One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine

TW: little bit of nsfw, BDSM mention, angst

You shouldn’t be googling ‘how to tell a guy no in a nice way’ at the nurse’s station, but something has to be done. You thought after you left Julian’s place that there would be a mutual understanding of “this isn’t going to work out, we’re too incompatible”, but he didn’t seem to get that memo. 

The gifts just keep coming:

A pretty black silk dress in your exact size by Prada. Two crescent thin golden bangles for each wrist from Tiffany & Co that come in a robin’s egg blue box wrapped in a white satin ribbon. Upon close examination, you make out that they are subtly engraved in slanting script, JM. Really? His initials? You almost chuck them out the window just for that. 

An expensive lunch from the fancy bistro that you can never afford, though you would have preferred a gourmet sandwich to an artisan salad. 

A bouquet of fifty fucking red roses for Christ’s sake. They take up so much room at the nurse’s station that they’re a nuisance. They’re addressed to you, not signed—but you know exactly who they’re from. Then you have to field all the annoying questions about who’s your secret admirer? You hear Karen grumble that it must be that Officer Romeo and didn’t know cops got paid that good. 

If only they knew. It would serve Julian right, if you just ratted him out to everyone. 

This has to stop. 

“Julian?” 

He looks up from his mountain of paperwork. “Hey, look who it is. Are you feeling alright?” 

“I’m fine. How are you?” Yeah, great, egg this on a little bit more instead of getting to the point. When will you learn? 

“I’m spectacular,” he says. “I was wondering if you were alright because you called off for the first time yesterday?” 

Yeah, so I didn’t have to face you after receiving the expensive ass jewelry…

Your smile feels forced enough to induce a migraine, but at least it gives you an idea for an excuse. “Yeah, I had a really bad migraine.”

“Oh, that’s not good. Do you get them frequently?”

“Yes.” It’s not exactly a lie, although these migraines you’re admitting to are actually just mild caffeine withdrawal headaches when you don’t have enough time to drink your coffee. 

“Have you talked to your primary care provider about it?” He asks, standing up to flash his penlight in your eyes and dilate your pupils. He grips your chin and turns your head to check lateral eye movement, but you stop him. 

“Julian, I’m fine. I didn’t have a stroke.” 

“Don’t tell me you’re fine if you’re not fine,” he orders. “I can see there’s something wrong. You're pale and clammy.” He pulls out his big leather chair and guides you to sit in it. “Tell me what I can do to help.” 

You look up at him, at this kind eyed, two sided man, and can’t do it. You can’t tell him to stop sending you gifts or buying you food, because you don’t want to be an asshole and you don’t want to hurt his feelings. Your nerves die along with your resolve.

“There, see, you look like you’re feeling better already. I’ll go buy you some water.” 

“No, you don’t-“ he’s already gone halfway down the hall with those mile long legs. 

You decide to take all the expensive gifts and shove them in the bottom of your closet to avoid feeling guilty when looking at them. But that doesn’t change the fact that you still have to look at Dr. Mercer and endure his caring, golden retriever persona.

This is what happens when you lie to yourself. You swear off relationships, move to a different part of the country, and then decide to go on a date—idiot—and these are the consequences for it. You feel like you have absolutely betrayed that girl that packed up her whole life to come to LA for a fresh start, and you’re sure she’s not forgiving you this time. 

“No more,” you say to yourself, pushing the gift boxes to the back of the cobwebby closet. “No more dates, no more men. No more heartbreak. You stupid bitch. Yes, that includes Tom Ludlow. Shut up. I said. No. Tom. Ludlow.” 

You end up screaming into a pillow, then calling your sister. She doesn’t answer, which is typical—probably on the road or using again or even dead in a ditch for all you know.

“Hey, Aggie, it’s me, gimme a call.” You play the voicemail back and then decide to delete it and hang up. You’re not exactly on speaking terms, but that ebbs and flows from one year to the next, so you’re not sure what she’ll think or do when she sees your name on her phone screen. 

Your friend, Sheila, doesn’t answer either; she’s probably at work.

It sucks. You could really use some reassurance and comfort that you’re not alone or unwanted in this fucked up little world. Maybe that’s why you end up with your finger hovering over Tom Ludlow’s number while you sit on the floor of your bedroom. You stare at those digits for a long time, then tuck your phone away and cry. 

You only get a chance to dive a little bit into this self pity session before your phone rings from your pocket. It’s not Aggie, nor Sheila, but a number you’ve unintentionally memorized nonetheless. 

Now, you really have to fight with every piece of yourself not to answer Tom Ludlow. The lecture you just monologued becomes irrelevant next to the burning, awful fucking desire to hear him talk. You almost pick it up. Almost. 

Watching your phone ring and ring, his name emblazoned on the screen, without answering feels like cutting out your heart and crushing it under your heel.

It goes to voicemail, but he hangs up before leaving a message.

A part of you that you didn’t even know that you need dies.

Good. Good riddance. Your heart only gets you into huge fucking trouble anyway.

You wait for your inner strength to return over the days that go by afterwards. Tom continues to call. You keep declining to answer. For some reason, you feel worse and worse every time the phone ceases to ring.

Where is you fucking girl power now? 

All you really feel, is empty, and that is the vulnerable state Julian finds you in one late night at the nurses station.

“Y/n,” he greets you, leaning on the counter, looking down at you with a glimmer of something dangerous in his dark eyes. It’s a look he almost never lets out of the box while at the hospital, and suddenly your heart is in your throat.

“Doctor.”

For some reason this causes him to smile down at you, a slight curl of lips that unleashes a handful of fluttering butterflies in your belly. 

“I’ve been thinking about you.”

You recall the massive bouquet of pure white lilies he had sent to your door yesterday, and believe him. 

“Julian…”

He comes around the counter, smooth as a dark lake, reminding you of when he jumped over the couch and chased you like he was a wolf rather than a golden retriever. Your pussy gives a timid little throb at this, almost as if she’s asking for permission to come out after days of being punished, locked away in her gilded cage while you dealt with other, more pressing emotions, like the one that stabs you repeatedly in the chest while you let Tom Ludlow’s number go to voicemail. 

“I can’t stop-“ he clears his throat, chin up as if he’s trying not to be nervous, and brushes some wispy, rogue hair off your neck. “I can’t stop thinking about you.” You can tell by the black matte of his eyes he means more than just platonically. 

Every hair on your body stands at attention for that hungry, eat you alive look on the handsome Doctor’s face. Part of you, and it’s a bigger part than you’d like to admit, wants to have a gag stuffed down your throat and a tight slip knot holding it in place so that he can do whatever he wants without you ruining things with your fat mouth again. 

“We’re just. We’re really not—Fuck.” You slap your forehead into your hands, and he takes it out, ever so gently with a big, shiver-inducing palm at the back of your neck, gripped softly in your hair, not exactly pulling, but lifting your face up to look at him nonetheless. 

“Please, just hear me out.” It doesn’t sound like he’s used that first word very often—maybe not ever, or at least not for a very long time. Dr. Mercer’s picture is in the dictionary under the word ‘Polite’, but he practically runs this hospital, and with that responsibility comes a certain authoritative entitlement. 

“Julian, we’re at work.” You don’t know how he manages to get you on the desk without alerting anyone around. The way he can just lift you easy and gentle has a familiar desire bubbling hot in your hips, and you can’t decide if you’re glad that you chose to chart in a more secluded area of the floor tonight or not.

“I can’t help it.” It sounds like he’s honest about that, voice splintering and needy as he presses his hard torso between your soft thighs. “I know that I fucked up, but if I don’t get a second chance to at least try and rectify this…” He’s not usually a man that doesn’t know what he wants to say. 

This whole swearing off men thing? How is it supposed to fucking work if the men look and act like Julian? How are you supposed to do the whole proverbial keep it in your pants bit when a sexy, tall, beautiful doctor wants—desperately—to string you up to his bed and do horrible things to your body?

You can’t believe these words are coming out of your traitor's mouth as you bend under his will: “what kind of a second chance?”

He kisses you in response, long and slow, tongue slipping teasingly against the sensitive inner sanctum of your mouth. It leaves your toes curling, your chest rising quick and rapid, your white knuckles clutching the polished counter. He’s not exactly nice about it, pressing you back into the lip of the granite, holding the entire side of your face in his hard grip, turning your mouth red and swollen. 

You’re going to have to bleach wipe this desk after all of this is done, because the insistent need of his mouth is making your comfy cotton underwear damp and warm like a humid summer night back at home. 

“Let me take you to the club. Let me show you…let me help you understand.” 

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” Isn’t that the fucking understatement of the century? It sounds like a terrible idea. But, you were the one that wanted to understand him better. “When?” 

The thrill seeker, she’ll never die. She needs blood, she’s thirsty, she doesn’t want a boring life of reading and watching the news. She wants to go to a BDSM club in Venice with a fine ass doctor and probably ruin your—her life in the process.

“When are you off next?” The grin on Julian’s face is all Mr. Hyde. 

[wqintraining]

NEW X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES - SEASON 1, EPISODE 7

We open on Julian angrily packing his things. Brian tells him he can’t leave. What happened was awful, but he wasn't even the one who got shot. 

Julian tells him he's not waiting around for that to happen. His parents have a sweet mansion in LA he can crash at, and everyone in the gang is welcome. 

JULIAN: “The girls don’t even HAVE homes they can go back to”.

As far as he’s concerned, they should ALL be getting out of here. The only cool teacher is gone, and getting kidnapped by an interdimensional freak was one thing, but the other night made it pretty clear they aren’t safe here even from normal people. 

Brian tries to argue that if they really wanted to, they could all just go to Genosha, but they WANT to stay here. What happened was a fluke, and they can’t let it scare them off. 

Julian loses his cool against Brian, shouting that he isn’t scared of anything, he’s just practical, but before he can get too aggressive, he gets a call. 

Walking into the hall, his face lights up when he answers and it turns out to be Emma on the other end. Julian tells her he’s leaving Xavier’s, not about to die with the rest of these losers. Emma tells him that’s just the attitude she knew she could count on him to have in this whole mess. She’s already got a new teaching job working at the school she used to run, the recently reopened Massachusetts Academy, and she’d love for him to visit and see if he’d be interested in transferring there. 

EMMA: “The school presently has an entirely Flatscan student body, but the new headmistress is a Mutant, and I’ve been asked to help fill out the school with our kind. In the past, I’d seek out and bring in any Mutants I could to be my Hellions, but with us so populous now, I can afford to exclusively bring in only the most elite of young Mutants. And you, Mr. Keller, fit the bill perfectly.” 

Julian smiles maliciously. 

JULIAN: “I’m SO there.” 

In her bedroom, Jean wakes up, but Scott isn’t there. She’s concerned at first, but when she messages him, he tells her to come to get dressed and come to the teacher’s lounge. 

Jean arrives there to find Scott’s made breakfast for her. She asks what this is about, and he says he just woke up and felt like doing something nice for his perfect wife. Jean says she loves when he’s a sofite, kissing him before sitting down to eat. When she isn’t looking at him, Scott’s smile disappears, replaced with a guilty stare. 

In the cafeteria, Julian’s whole crew is on Brian’s side; they don’t want to leave, and they don’t want him to leave. For Laura, this is where Scott and James are…among others, and it’s where Logan wants her to be. For Sooraya, she can’t attend a school with a uniform, and Cessily wouldn’t pass among the mainly human students. Brian is the one to point out that Emma said she wants him as a *Hellion*. 

BRIAN: “Ms. Frost having Hellions is basically her screaming out loud that she’s evil again.” 

Julian thinks he’s being overdramatic, and tells the girls they’re just jealous; if they got in, he’s sure Emma wouldn’t let Cess and Soo’s concerns be issues. With all of them getting annoyed at him, he flies over to Noriko and Sofia’s table, telling the latter that he just got an offer to transfer to a way cooler, Mutant-run school, and if she plays her cards right, he’s sure he could get her in. 

Sofia and Noriko laugh at him. 

JULIAN: “What’s so funny?” 

SOFIA: “We both received the same call.”

Julian is confused. Not about Sofia, obviously she’s better than everyone else here and deserves this, but *Nori*? 

JULIAN: “You’ve never done anything but run your mouth at Ms. Frost.” 

NORIKO: “Maybe, but apparently a flashy power and a dad who owns a bank were enough to get me an invite.”

JULIAN: “Wait…but you…”

NORIKO: “Were homeless? Yeah, and I was also a rich kid. Not all of us turn out to be jerks.” 

Julian grunts and asks if they’re going on the visit. They both are. 

SOFIA: “In just over a month, I’ve already been kidnapped and shot. Why would I ever stay here when there’s a better, safer alternative?” 

Noriko trusts Scott and Jean more than Emma, “Though that’s not saying much”, but going to a place where they can train and live without having to worry about supervillain attacks or isolating themselves on Genosha just makes sense. 

JULIAN: “Heh. Maybe you’re not so dumb after all, Ashida.” 

In Scott’s office, he and Jean are trying to figure out how to divy up Emma’s classes among the rest of their teachers. Jean’s not complaining about Emma’s early departure, but they hadn’t exactly worked this out yet. 

JEAN: “They may not enjoy the extra work, but Kitty, James, and Storm are probably throwing a party over her being gone. Or, at least they would be if two of them weren’t still blaming themselves for what happened.” 

SCOTT: “What about Sunspot?” 

JEAN: “About what you’d expect from him. Hiding his guilt and trauma behind a smile and jokes. 

Scott knows from personal experience the team won’t work if they’re all guilt-ridden and depressed, so he’s changing today’s plans for training. 

JEAN: “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Scott grins. 

SCOTT: “Batter up.” 

Outside the school, Sofia is leaving, carrying her bags with her winds. Laura runs out after her, trying to convince her to stay, getting more emotional than usual. 

SOFIA: “Why do you seem to care so much? I like you, Laura, but we don’t exactly speak often.” 

LAURA: “I…I just…this just seems too good to be true.” 

SOFIA: “Why? Because you’ve never been happy? The whole world isn’t as miserable as you think it is. It isn’t as miserable as you.” 

LAURA: “Why are you being like this?” 

SOFIA: “Because not ALL of us can regenerate. If Jean wasn’t half-way between a Mutant and a god, I’d be dead. Not again.” 

Sofia flies off, leaving behind a depressed Laura. 

Sofia lands over the gate, where Julian and Noriko are waiting, as a limo arrives to pick them up. 

JULIAN: “Perfect timing, Beautiful.” 

The three get in the car, and it drives off. 

Cut to the X-Men’s baseball field, with Scott and Jean hyping everyone up to play. Storm and Roberto get into the mood, while Kitty and James really wish they could just be punching something right now. They’ve brought out six teachers to play against: Beast, Kurt, Dani, Xuan, Northstar, and Dazzler. Most of them are in the proper spirit, though when Beast accidentally kicks sand all over her, Allison expresses that she really needs to get back on tour. 

Dani is also still focused on work, asking Scott and Jean if, with Emma gone, she could take over mentoring her training squad. She’s the one who brought Noriko and Sofia here, who got them off the streets and off drugs, and away from their terrible father, respectively, and she thinks that unlike Emma, who only bolstered Julian’s bad attitude, she could temper it. The headmasters think if she can handle advising two squads, this would be perfect. 

SCOTT: “Now then…let’s play!” 

In the limo, the kids are enjoying the amenities provided to them. Julian and Sofia are still  supremely confident in their decision, also getting close to holding hands, with Julian commenting how the campagne here is so much better than the crap they drank the other night, while Sofia is insisting on taking a million selfies. 

SOFIA: “I don’t miss it, myself, but my followers have definitely missed seeing me in luxury.” 

Noriko, meanwhile, has a realization: She doesn’t think Emma’s gone evil again, but just on the off chance, what if being Hellions really does mean being supervillains?

NORIKO: “I mean I know that’s not a problem for you, Keller, but we’re no villains. Right, Sofia?” 

SOFIA: “Obviously.” 

The two girls agree that if they even slightly suspect Emma wants them as anything other than students, they’ll get out of there. Julian chimes in that, despite Nori’s insistence otherwise, he’s  not interested in being a villain either; he wants people to love him like they should, not hate and fear him. But he also doesn’t want her jumping the gun on this. Emma’s finally free to teach things her way without following the lesson plan of an old guy they’ve never met. He wants them all to agree that unless it seems like she actually wants something from them, they don’t panic, regardless of what she wants to teach them. 

JULIAN: “Some of us are eager to learn.” 

Sofia and, reluctantly, Noriko, agree. 

The car stops. A moment later, the door is opened for them. As Juilan gets out and the driver helps the girls out, they’re greeted by three figures. 

EMMA: “Welcome, children, to Massachusetts Academy. We’re delighted you all had the sense to accept our invitation. Allow me to introduce my old business partner, Sebastian Shaw, and your hopefully soon-to-be new headmistress, my sister, Adrienne.” 

Outside Xavier’s, the X-Men and teachers are going all out against each other at Mutant baseball. As we montage through a game, we see various snippets. Jean and Storm don’t cheat nearly as much as they could for the X-Men, just taking it easy, while the teachers do everything they can to counter the heroes and the two gods among them, with Karma momentarily possessing them, Dani bringing out their worst fears, and Dazzler blinding them with her sparkles, while Kurt’s teleportation, Northstar’s speed, and Beast’s agility all just make them excellent players. While the rest of his team are still mostly just treating it as a game, Northstar takes it way too seriously, offended at how badly they’re losing. 

Through all of this, however, Kitty and James are grouchy and barely trying, despite Roberto’s best efforts to lift their spirits and/or tease them into competing with him. This comes to a head when the three, all in the outfield, get in each other’s way trying to catch the ball, all of them failing and falling over. 

The three all start screaming at each other, even Roberto finally losing his temper, each of them calling out different ways each of the others could have caught the ball, with it very quickly becoming clear this isn’t actually what they’re talking about. When Kitty points out Berto joined this team just to catch Mystique, and this is both of the boys’ second time failing to stop her in a month, and the two of them pissed off that she’s acting like she’s better than them when she’s equally responsible for Sofia getting shot, things turn violent, and the three begin fighting. 

Dani and Karma shout at their friends to knock it off. When this doesn’t work, they sigh and tell the others they’ll handle them, but Scott has them stand down. He wants to let this play out. 

At the Massachusetts Academy, Emma, Shaw, and Adrienne tour Sofia, Julian, and Noriko around the massive campus. Compared to Xavier's smaller, centralized campus, MA's is massive, with multiple builds as large as the school they've been living in. 

Emma is thrilled all three students she called accepted her invitation. Especially Sofia. She can't imagine how she'd feel comfortable continuing to live at that X-shaped target. Here, they would all be safe, while also living in luxury and not being taught not to survive this world, but to thrive in it. 

Shaw, who comes off as a stuffy, snobby and imposing, but good-natured man, adds that its no surprise to him that three of the most gifted young Mutants of today also come from good families. 

Adrienne, who appears extremely similar to Emma, is happy to explain the details of the many amenities and facilities her school has to offer. She says to Julian that Emma told her he was on the basketball team at his old school. She's sure he could be a great asset to theirs - especially once they can teach him to use his gifts covertly. As Julian is pleased by this idea, Adrienne moves on to telling Sofia about how wonderful their dance building is; she'll have a wonderful time practicing her ballet and hip-hop there. 

SOFIA: "I–"

She's cut off. 

NORIKO: "Yeah, yeah, sound like great bribes. I don't have any real hobbies though, so watcha got for me?"

Shaw tells Noriko that between the three of them, they have infinitely more resources than Scott, and, just as importantly, entire teams of dedicated scientists in their employ. 

SHAW: "Given some time, I believe we could figure out a far less…noticeable way for you to control your powers, and get those eyesores Mr. DcCoy developed off of you."

Noriko looks down at her gauntlets with wide-eyes. 

NORIKO, still looking down: "And, to be clear, when you said you wanted us as Hellions…"

EMMA: "Its only a name for your special class, Darling. Just as before, you will only be students."

Noriko's grin only widens. 

Julian asks if they'll be able to get the rest of the squad here "once I convince them", but Adrienne tells him there will be time to talk about that later. For now, she wants to show them they're training room. 

Julian and Noriko are fully excited, but now Sofia appears slightly hesitant. 

Back at the baseball field, Roberto and James are brawling. James tells him now that Mystique’s been dealt with, he should just go back to Genosha. Roberto counters that if the X-Men were really so desperate that they recruited HIM, he has to stick around and help. Kitty pops out of the ground and punches James in the ground, and, while Roberto is laughing at him, Kitty neck chops him. 

KITTY: “Neither of you should be here! You’re just kids!”

ROBERTO: “You’re younger than us!” 

KITTY: “Yeah! Fine! We’re all still just kids!” 

As the other X-Men and teachers continue to watch the fight, the three’s personal insecurities come out. For James, this whole incident just confirmed his fear about himself that he’s not good enough to be on this team. For Roberto, it's a wound to his massive ego. 

ROBERTO: “How wonderful can Roberto Da Costa be if he still can’t even protect her?!” He pauses. “A…a single student, I mean.” 

Dani and Xuan hold their heads down, knowingly. 

He also can’t hide what he’s talking about from Kitty, who stops fighting and takes his hand, James also halting. Kitty then walks over to Scott. She knows he didn’t JUST bring her onto the team to help manage conflict. She figured out what was really going on here back on Genosha. 

KITTY: “You’re not gonna be around forever.” 

Kitty realized that Scott’s reaction to seeing how she’d grown and how she was able to handle the kids was to think that she could be next in line, should anything happen to him, Jean, and Storm. But while she failed that night, he stopped Mystique effortlessly. He needs to consider someone else. 

SCOTT: “You kept her alive.” 

Yes, what happened was awful, but while they’ve been beating themselves up all day, they’ve all been forgetting that THEY were the ones who kept Sofia alive long enough for Jean to save her. James WAS good enough for the team, Roberto WAS able to protect her, and Kitty? 

SCOTT: “I’m not planning on dying soon. You’ve got time.” 

Storm holds Kitty, while Dani and Xuan give Roberto a hug, and even Kurt teleports over to James to give the poor guy a pat on the back. 

Jean gives Scott a kiss on the cheek. 

JEAN: “Well handled, Headmaster.” 

Scott smiles and says they should finish the game, but before they can, Laura comes running up to them. She’s been angsting about it all day, but she decided her friends possibly hating her is worth protecting them. The X-Men need to know where Julian, Sofia, and Nori went. 

Back at Massachusetts Academy, the kid trio are sitting among dozens of uniformed students in a formal dining hall. Julian is completely sold and pumped. Everything about this place rules, and from the sound of it, they may as well be set for life. Noriko hates agreeing with Keller, but when he’s right, he’s right. Screw Xavier’s! They tell Sofia she should take a pic with all of them announcing the transfer, but she’s lost in thought. When they finally get her attention…

SOFIA: “How did Adrienne and Mr. Shaw know what we all most hoped to hear?” 

Nori laughs and shrugs. “Mr. Frost probably just told them.”

SOFIA: “Yes. Except I don’t DO hip-hop.” 

Sofia makes clear she only does ballet. The others figure she just made a mistake, big deal, but Sofia counters that Ms. Frost has the most practiced performance for day to day life she’s ever seen; she doesn’t just get things wrong like that. 

SOFIA: “I believe she may have been trying to send us a warning.” 

Nori thinks she’s being ridiculous. Whoever Adrienne and Shaw are, no one can force Frost into doing anything she doesn’t want to. Julian begs Sofia not to make him side with Ashida over her. 

JULIAN: “After what happened to you, I get being nervous…” 

Sofia cringes as she flashes back to getting shot. 

JULIAN: “...but you’re worrying over nothing.” 

Sofia glares at the two. Since when does Nori even hate her gauntlets so much? And doesn’t Julian want to be a beloved hero? Whatever good life their potential new headmasters can provide, does he really think that’s the direction they’ll be taking him down? Laura warned her this seemed too good to be true…

While Sofia seems to get through to Julian a little, Nori gets pissed. She’s sorry she hasn’t complained enough about the giant, ugly hunks of metal on her arms that no guy would ever wanna go near. She was too busy resigning herself to the fact she was stuck with them forever and didn’t see the point in making it everyone else’s problem. 

Sofia apologizes. She didn’t know. Nori screams that of course she didn’t. Not like she pays attention to her. She’s too busy making googly eyes at Julian. When ARE they just gonna kiss already? 

As Julian and Sofia stumble over their romantic awkwardness, Nori storms off. 

Sofia buries her face in her hands, screaming and cursing in Spanish. Julian uses his TK to pull her hands down into his, smiling tenderly at her. 

She can’t help but smile back at him. 

JULIAN: “You really believe something’s going here?” 

Sofia’s face turns stoic, but confident as she nods. 

Scott and Jean, accompanied by Dani, hop onto the Blackbird. No need to bring in the whole team just yet, but they want Dani with them to help convince the kids to come home in case they decide to be difficult. Dani’s pissed, indignant that Scott ever gave Emma these kids in the first place. That he even brought her here! 

DANI: “Do you KNOW how many times she tried turning my team into her “Hellions”?” 

As they take off, Scott apologizes. For some reason, he thought they could trust her. It won’t happen again. 

Noriko, Julian, and Sofia sit across from Adrienne in her office, Emma and Shaw on either side of her. Alongside the degrees and decorations Adrienne has up on her wall, we also see a family photo showing the sisters, their other two siblings, and their Mother and Father. Emma in it is a brown-haired, small-chested teenager who doesn’t even have the confidence to look right at the camera. 

Adrienne just wanted to know if they’ve made up their minds about transferring. If not, they’re more than welcome to sleep on it. Nori says she’s in, but she’s not sure about the others. Before she can even finish that sentence though, she’s cut off by Sofia saying they’re in too. 

SOFIA, smirking at Nori: “I’m sorry for panicking over nothing earlier. As well as the other thing.” 

Nori shrugs. 

Emma is thrilled, but Julian has one more question before they make this official: What are they really doing here? 

Yes, they all come from “good families”, but none of their parents are about to pay tuition for them. And they’re planning on getting even more kids, right? For a place like this, that doesn’t make any financial sense. They believe Emma’s got their backs, but these total strangers? They want something. 

SOFIA, smirking maliciously: “With how much you're offering, we're more than happy to meet your desires. Regardless of how Hellish they may be."

Adrienne, Shaw, and Emma laugh, the former complimenting Emma on her chosen children not being fools. Emma assures her she was confident from the start they'd catch an idea of what was happening here. 

Noriko, suddenly back to being the nervous one, asks what they're all talking about. 

Shaw says that he's sure Emma's told them at least a couple stories about their time together, plotting to take over the world. Emma defected and, after the X-Men foiled one too many plans, even he gave up. But after Adrienne "woke up", she became the Hellfire Club's new White King, and reignited a fire in him. And as fortune would have it, right as they were about to start recruiting young Mutants here, Emma returned to her senses and joined them, and recommended the three kids as the future of their little club. 

ADRIENNE: "Right now, we only ask that you be good, hardworking students. But come graduation, we want your gifts, and your families' resources, to aid us in our bid for global domination."

Julian and Sofia express their full support, while Noriko is about to have a panic attack. 

SHAW: "Oh. Is this one going to be a problem?" 

EMMA: "Please don't be a spoilsport, Noriko. Doesn't this all sound…X-citing?"

Julian and Sofia's eyes widen, the two leaping up and blasting Shaw and Adrienne through the wall. 

Noriko is so confused, and only getting more freaked out. 

EMMA: "I'll explain momentarily! For now? To me, my X-Men!"

We cut to a cemetery. Kitty stands over a grave holding rotted flowers. 

KITTY: "Hey. Sorry I haven't visited in a while. I was gone for a few years, seeing the world, seeing other worlds, and after I got back…I'm sorry. More pressure's been put on me since I got here than I expected, and I just, I don't know. I just wish you were here with me. With us." She sets the flowers down on the grave. "Been letting those wither and die for the last couple weeks. Thought you'd like them." She chokes up. "I love you."

We see the grave belongs to Illyana Rasputin. "Sister. Queen. New Mutant". Based on the years on the tombstone, she was only alive for 10 years. 

Kitty says she got her private time done, and the others can come over. She's joined by Roberto, James, and Xuan. They all just stand in silence, holding each other. 

Back at the Academy, Adrienne barks that they knew they couldn’t trust her. 

EMMA: “No, I’m afraid if that were true, you would have put me on a shorter leash. You really shouldn’t have though. As if I’d ever lower myself to working for you.” 

Adrienne psychically attacks Emma, with the two appearing even as Emma defends herself. Emma thanks Julian and Sofia for picking up on her hint and tells them this is what she needs them for. Adrienne is hardly as strong as her, but because of how long Adrienne spent in her mind as children, she has natural defenses against her. She needs them to deal with Shaw, while she tires out her sister. While the kids both seem nervous about the prospect, she tells them they don’t need to fight. “You CAN’T fight Shaw, physically”. Fortunately, the two of them have gifts which excel at keeping opponents at bay. 

As Shaw rips his shirt off and charges at the kids, shouting that clearly the real reason their parents abandoned them isn’t because they’re Mutants but because of their lack of class solidarity, Julian and Sofia use their powers to levitate him, and keep him in the air. 

EMMA, telepathically: “Perfect. Noriko, dear, you deal with the Hellfire soldiers who will be here any second so they don’t shoot us while we’re stuck like this.” 

Sofia once again flashes back to getting shot, but she’s able to keep it together. 

As the Hellfire goons show up, Noriko takes a deep breath, before proceeding to run all around them at super speed, stealing their guns and hitting them in the heads with them to knock them out. While she’s doing this, with more and more continuing to show up, she shouts at super speed about how much she hates this, hates the X-Men, hates Emma, and how she’s totally gonna die, and would really love to know WHAT is happening before she does. 

Accompanied by flashbacks, Emma finally explains. Years ago, during her time teaching Generation X, Adrienne became a problem for them. As she’s sure they can tell, her sister is a lot like her. Only while Emma’s heart stopped beating for sometime, Adrienne was born without one. She gets that from their father. A tragedy occurred, and, in retaliation, Emma put Adrienne in a coma. 

Upon waking up, she quickly made a new alliance with Shaw and took over her old school. They approached Emma and told her they had no desire for a repeat of history with the X-Men and Hellfire doing battle, but if she wanted to avoid that, and keep the kids from getting caught in the crossfire, she’d come work for them. 

She went along with this, but, naturally, she was already working on a way out of this situation. She made sure to act reluctant at first, before doing something she knew Scott would fire her over so she could use that as an explanation for why she’d have another change of heart, and be able to gain their trust. 

She knew if she could just put Adrienne back to sleep, Shaw on his own would hardly be a threat to worry herself over. So she arranged for this battle to take place, easily able to sell Shaw and Adrienne on the three kids based on their gifts and backgrounds, and playing things from there. This was the only way she could have done this as, if she’d telepathically informed the kids, or, worse, told the X-Men, Adrienne would have known, and they wouldn’t have a chance to stop her. 

Julian and Sofia are in awe of Emma’s strategy, and of how she did all of this to protect them. Noriko, meanwhile, points out that she still tossed them right into the literal line of fire. 

EMMA: “Why do you think I’ve been making sure you’re all prepared to defend yourselves?” 

Adrienne laughs that this isn’t gonna go how she thinks. Ever since she was an annoying little brat, Emma’s wanted to be a teacher. But that’s not a life for people like them. Maybe that’s why her students *always* die. Maybe that’s why she was able to kill one herself. What was his name? Silk? Cyan? 

Emma shouts that his name was Synch, but, in her moment of rage, Adrienne is able to pierce Emma’s defenses and knock her out. 

Julian shouts for Nori to take her out fast, but as Nori turns around, one of the soldiers manages to finally get a gunshot off. It doesn’t hit anyone, but it does bring all of Sofia’s recent trauma right to the surface of her mind. 

Adrienne hits all three kids with psychic blasts, but purposely doesn’t knock them out or kill them. As Shaw recomposes himself and the last of the Hellfire goons surround them, Adrienne tells the kids they’re still going to work for her, and kill anyone who stands against her, whether they want to or not.

As Sofia’s anguish bubbles over, she says “No.” And as she does so, everyone is knocked away, and Sofia levitates, as a storm of winds surrounds her. As the goons pull their guns on her, Noriko and Julian take them down with their TK and electricity. 

Shaw tells Adrienne to end the brat’s tantrum. A moment later, he begins choking. 

SOFIA: “What’s wrong, big man? Do you not feel well?”

Using her winds, Sofia is pushing the air away from him.

SOFIA: “You remind me a lot of my father. I hate my father.” 

Adrienne is finally going to take her down, but Sofia then begins using her winds to repeatedly slam Adrienne into the walls, ceiling, and floor. 

Sofia’s face fills with sadistic glee. 

Nori tells her to stop. It’s over. At this rate she’s gonna kill them. 

Sofia doesn’t see the issue. THEY would kill THEM. Everyone WANTS to kill them. Or use them. Or do anything but just let them live freely. 

Noriko and Julian exchange looks of panic. They know they can’t let this happen. 

Nori steps forward. Nori’s sorry. The world is a scary place, especially for them. Things like this may keep happening to them. But the answer isn’t to lose themselves. It's to have each other's backs, and protect one another. She can’t fully blame her for not noticing how she felt about the gauntlets. Not with how she’s gone out of her way to isolate herself. But that’s done now. Even if it means putting up with Keller more than usual, she wants to be there for her more. Julian quickly follows that he’s got no problem adding someone even as lame as Ashida to the crew if it’ll make her happy. 

Sofia starts to hesitate. 

Nori tells her she thought she’d be a bitch when they first met, but now she knows she’s the sweetest girl in the world. She doesn’t want to do this. 

JULIAN: “Come on, Wind Dancer. Breathe.” 

Sofia questions if she should do that or finish what she started. Ultimately, she breathes. As she calms down every so slightly, her storm ends, and she falls to the floor, completely exhausted. Fortunately, both of her friends are there to catch her. 

Later, the Blackbird arrives, with Scott, Jean, and Dani getting off. Dani tells Jean to point her toward Emma so she can put an arrow in her, but, meeting them with perfect timing, they’re approached by Emma and the kids, Julian and Noriko helping Sofia walk. Scott demands to know what’s going on and Emma’s happy to oblige, filling all three of them in telepathically on everything that she was privy to, also mentioning for the audience that, after she woke up, she did what was necessary with Adrienne. 

Scott takes a moment to process. He’s grateful to Emma for the lengths she went to to protect the kids. He is. But he also can’t discount how reckless she was, how her plan still involved putting kids in danger, and how she continues to act the same way she always has without remorse. He thanks her, but this changes nothing. He orders the kids to get on the Blackbird so they can take them home, but…

JULIAN: “Yeah, that’s not how this is happening.” 

Sofia stands up on her own and makes clear that her and Julian aren’t going back to the school unless Ms. Frost is rehired. Nori adds that she doesn’t really care about Frost, but she goes where they go. 

As the two groups stare each other down, Jean creates a link between her, Scott, and Dani so they can reach a consensus. 

Ultimately, Scott reluctantly agrees to rehire Emma, but as far as her squad goes, she’s sharing it with Danielle. While Sofia and Noriko are more than okay with this, you can feel the passive aggression between Emma and Dani as they agree to this. 

JEAN: “Was this all part of your plan?” 

EMMA: “Hardly. Children just love me.” 

As they load up onto the plane, Nori hates to admit it, but she and Julian made a pretty good team back there. Julian’s sure he could have carried her weight without her…but he was glad to have her there. 

NORIKO: “This doesn’t make us…*friends*, right?”

JULIAN: “God no. Never. But it does mean you’re part of the crew.” 

While Nori sits down next to Sofia, Julian sits next to Emma. 

EMMA: “Something you’d like to talk about, Julian?” 

JULIAN: “Yeah. My codename.” He smirks. “Call me Hellion.” 

Emma smirks back at him with pride. 

EMMA: “Use it well. 

Back at the school, while we silently see Cessily, Sooraya, and Brian scolding Noriko and Julian for being idiots, Sofia finds Laura. She says she’s sorry she was a jerk to her, and didn’t listen to her, but Laura’s just glad she’s okay. Sofia isn’t sure she is though. 

SOFIA: “You have…violent urges, yes? Do you think you could help me with my own?” 

Laura is worried, but visibly happy Sofia trusts her like this. 

In their bedroom, Scott and Jean settle in for the night. Jean can’t believe Emma. She’s unbelievable. As Scott turns to face Jean, we flash through various shots of Emma from their earlier encounter and previous episodes, including “their” kiss, and an ass shot. 

SCOTT: “Yeah. She is. Good night, Jean.” 

JEAN: “Good night, my love.” 

The light is shut off. 

[the-knights-who-say-book]

just another haunted house // a Scapegracers playlist

Gravel to Tempo — Haley Kiyoko Catch my name for kicks Thinking I would be right by your side I don’t feel adequate Thinking I’m a monster in disguise

Control — Halsey And all the kids cried out, “Please stop, you’re scaring me” I can’t help this awful energy God damn right, you should be scared of me Who is in control?

Heaven in Hiding — Halsey Sitting on the concrete in your basement But I don’t have no time for conversation Said, “this ain’t what you usually do, and a girl like me is new for you” And I can tell you mean it ‘cause you’re shaking

Control — VÉRITÉ Please excuse me for the way I act So I’ve asked too many times Drawing circles to show where I’m at As if they leave me to unwind

Haunted House — Sir Babygirl This party’s just another haunted house I can’t wait to lose all my friends tomorrow This party’s just another haunted house I can’t wait to carry it with me forever

Witch’s Rune — S. J. Tucker Darksome night and shining moon Balance of the dark and light hearken ye our witch’s rune as we perform our sacred rite

Human — (cover by) Kim Petras Pay my respects to grace and virtue Send my condolences to good Give my regards to soul and romance They always did the best they could

Floor — VÉRITÉ It’s no surprise on most nights How black skies poured down around us And I’m tired of waiting for our lives to crash against the surface

In the Woods Somewhere — Hozier When I awoke The moon still hung The night so black that the darkness hummed

clementine — Halsey Wish I could see what it’s like to be the blood in my veins Do the insides of all of my fingers still look the same? And can you feel it too, when I am touchin’ you? And when my hair stands on ends, it’s saluting you

Siren Song — Julian Moon They say I’ve got a serpent’s tongue And a body like a loaded gun You wanna tame me You wanna make me forget where I come from

Mile Magnificent — molly ofgeography This is my favorite part, the start Not the fire but the sparks The hold-your-breath, let loose your heart We burn ourselves to ashes Lighting fires in the dark

Hold Me Down — Halsey My demons are begging me to open up my mouth I need them mechanically make the words come out They fight me, vigorous and angry, watch them pounce Ignite me, licking up the flames they bring about

Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene — Hozier With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean She’s the angel of small death and the codeine scene With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean

It Will Come Back — Hozier Oh, please, give me mercy no more That’s a kindness you can’t afford I warn you, baby, each night, as sure as you’re born You’ll hear me howling outside your door

Need Nothing — VÉRITÉ I’m sorry I’m not what you wanted A blissful expectation of something you never got And I’m sorry we’re not where we started You’ve wasted all your time in holding on

Graveyard — Halsey They say I may be making a mistake I would’ve followed all the way, no matter how far I know when you go down all your darkest roads I would’ve followed all the way to the graveyard

[super-caribe-suomi1012]

Françoise Gilot, the accomplished painter whose art was eclipsed by her relationship with Pablo Picasso, has died at 101.

She made celebrated paintings exhibited at the Met and MoMA, and wrote a best-selling account of her years with Picasso. By Harrison Smith

The Washington Post: Françoise Gilot had just finished dinner at Le Catalan, a Left Bank bistro in Paris, when Pablo Picasso approached her table with a bowl of cherries. He was 61, a master artist who had already reinvented himself several times over. She was 21 and, like the friend accompanying her that night in May 1943, starting out as a painter.

“That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day,” Picasso told the two elegant young women upon learning they were artists. “Girls who look like that can’t be painters.”

In fact, Gilot’s work had just appeared in an exhibition for the first time; one of her canvases was a veiled swipe at the city’s Nazi occupiers, showing a taxidermied hawk with the Eiffel Tower rising in the background.

She would continue to paint through the tumultuous years that followed, as she became Picasso’s mistress, model and muse, the mother of two of his children and, by his account, the only woman who ever left him.

Ms. Gilot, who was 101 when she died June 6 at a hospital in Manhattan, achieved a distinguished career as a painter, with her work shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art and Centre Pompidou in Paris.

She also published graceful, incisive memoirs and poetry collections, even as she spent decades battling with those who sought to define her by the men in her life, including Picasso, her friend Henri Matisse and her second husband, American virologist Jonas Salk, who helped eradicate polio.

Those men certainly influenced and inspired her, Ms. Gilot said. But there was no reason to view her as a supporting figure rather than a leading one. “Lions mate with lions,” she told Mirabella magazine. “They don’t mate with mice.”

The only child of a wealthy agronomist, Françoise Gilot was born in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine on Nov. 26, 1921. As a child, she borrowed paintbrushes from her mother, a homemaker who worked with watercolors and ceramics. Her father, who pined for a son and dressed Ms. Gilot in boys’ clothing, pushed her toward international law.

Gilot graduated from the Sorbonne at 17, in 1938, with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. She was studying law when the Germans invaded France in 1940. “After that,” she told TV interviewer Charlie Rose, “I thought, ‘Well, you know, I don’t know how long we will remain alive. So I’m going to do what I want.’ ”

She dropped out of law school at the Sorbonne, an event that marked the beginning of a years-long estrangement with her father, and was studying at the Académie Julian art school when she began visiting Picasso’s studio in 1943 after their initial encounter at the bistro.

By then, Picasso had separated from his first wife, Russian dancer Olga Khokhlova, and taken up with photographer Dora Maar. He soon abandoned her for Ms. Gilot.

Their relationship, she wrote in a best-selling memoir, “Life With Picasso” (1964), was “a catastrophe I didn’t want to avoid” — a passionate romance that was intellectually and artistically fulfilling but marred by episodes of physical and emotional abuse.

The couple lived together for nearly a decade, spending much of their time at a Riviera villa known as La Galloise, where Picasso introduced Ms. Gilot to friends including the existentialist philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, the filmmaker and artist Jean Cocteau, and the painters Georges Braque and Matisse.

The latter “acted like a visa on my passport to the realm of art,” Ms. Gilot said. Picasso incorporated Gilot and their two children, Claude and Paloma, into sculptures, paintings, ceramics and lithographs. But Gilot’s own work drew more from Matisse, whose brightly colored, emotionally reserved style she preferred over Picasso’s expressionistic technique.

When their work was exhibited together in 2012 at the Gagosian Gallery in Manhattan, Picasso biographer John Richardson declared that “Picasso took from her rather more than she took from him.”

Reviewing her 1965 solo exhibition at the Findlay Gallery in Manhattan, New York Times art critic Stuart Preston wrote that Ms. Gilot “is an artist very much in her own right …

"Without any self-indulgent interest in sensuous or ‘interesting’ textures, she has a feeling for the quality of paint itself and for the mysteriously effective relationship of color and shape that lends her paintings, large and small, a genuinely authoritative air.”

In 1970, she married Salk, perhaps the most famous physician in the world for his work on polio two decades earlier. He was running a lab in San Diego when a mutual friend introduced him to Ms. Gilot.

Salk knew next to nothing about painting; she knew little of science. The couple remained together until his death in 1995.

Gilot eventually sold all the Picasso works she owned, including “La Femme-Fleur,” because of the “bad luck” that seemed to trail him — including the suicides of his mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter, his wife Roque and his grandson Pablito.

Gilot chaired the fine arts department at the University of Southern California. She also wrote books including “Matisse and Picasso: A Friendship in Art” (1990) and “About Women” (2015), with Lisa Alther, and was appointed an officer in France’s Legion of Honor in 2009.

Despite losing vision in her left eye, she continued painting into her 90s.

[sofiamantegafan110]

NEW X-MEN SEASON 2 EPISODE 4

EPISODE 4- A WEB OF LIES

WE OPEN UP IN CESSILY AND SOFIA’S ROOM AS CESSILY AND ROXY SNUGGLE TOGETHER. ROXY ADMITS THAT SHE APPRECIATES THE TIME CESSILY PUTS IN TO SPENDING TIME WITH HER, AND CESSILY CHUCKLES, SAYING THAT SHE’S WORTH IT. THE TWO KISS BEFORE CESSILY SAYS THAT THEY SHOULD PROBABLY GET TO CHEERLEADING PRACTICE, AS SOFIA DOESN’T LIKE IT WHEN THEY’RE LATE. THE GIRLS START FOR THE DOOR, BUT WHEN THEY OPEN IT, THEY SEE ALANI STANDING OUTSIDE. SHE SEEMS A BIT SURPRISED THAT ROXY IS THERE AND ACTS FLUSTERED WHILE CESSILY ASSUMES THAT SHE’S THERE TO REMIND THEM OF PRACTICE. ALANI NODS NERVOUSLY WHILE ROXY TELLS HER THAT THEY ALREADY GOT THE MEMO AND WALKS OFF WITH CESSILY.

CESSILY TELLS ROXY THAT SHE WAS A BIT HARSH, BUT SHE SAYS THAT SHE DOESN’T REALLY TRUST ALANI. SOMETHING SEEMS OFF ABOUT HER. AS THEY WALK OFF, ALANI WATCHES THEM BEFORE EMMA FROST SENDS A TELEPATHIC MESSAGE TO HER, SAYING THAT SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE HAS TO DO.

CUE INTRO AND CREDITS

WE TRANSITION OVER TO LAURIE AS SHE EXITS A CLASSROOM. ALL OF A SUDDEN, A BLACK-GLOVED HAND GRABS HER SHOULDER AND SHE WHIRLS AROUND TO SEE KEVIN STANDING BEHIND HER. SHE IMMEDIATELY ASKS HIM WHAT THE HELL HE’S DOING AND KEVIN SAYS THAT HE NEEDS TO TELL HER SOMETHING. LAURIE SIGHS AND ASKS HIM WHAT HIS PROBLEM IS; HE GHOSTS HER FOR ABOUT FOUR MONTHS IN FAVOR OF HIS NEW SQUAD BUDDIES AND NOW HE SUDDENLY WANTS TO TALK TO HER AND EXPECT TO PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF. KEVIN SIGHS AND BEGINS TO SPEAK.

KEVIN: LOOK, LAURIE, I WANT YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM JOSH. I KNOW THAT THERE’S SOMETHING UP WITH HIM AND I DON’T WANT YOU TO GET HURT. HE’S BAD NEWS, LAURIE.

LAURIE STARES AT HIM, GOBSMACKED.

LAURIE: OH, I GET IT.

KEVIN: YOU DO?

LAURIE: YOU’RE JEALOUS. YOU ABANDON ME FOR THE COOL KIDS AND NOW THAT I HAVE FRIENDS OUTSIDE OF YOU, AND A BOYFRIEND WHO LOVES ME, YOU WANT TO DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO BRING THAT DOWN. THAT’S REALLY SELF-CENTERED, YOU KNOW? I WANNA BE HAPPY, KEVIN. I’VE CHANGED. I’M NOT THE SAME SHY WALLFLOWER WHO WOULD TALK WITH YOU ABOUT SHAWN MENDES ALBUMS IN THE LIBRARY. I’M HAPPY, KEV. SO PLEASE, IF YOU CAN’T ACCEPT THAT, I NEED YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE.

WITH THAT, LAURIE WALKS OFF AND KEVIN WATCHES HER, DETERMINATION IN HIS EYES.

MEANWHILE, SOFIA LEADS THE CHEERLEADERS IN THEIR CHOREOGRAPHED DANCE TO ‘THEY DON’T KNOW’ BY ARIANA GRANDE. AS THE SONG ENDS, SOFIA CONGRATULATES THEM ON THE NEW ROUTINE AND DECIDES TO GIVE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THEIR NEW MEMBERS; MIRROR GIRL, ALCHEMIST, AND THE STEPFORD SISTERS. AS THEY APPLAUD, MONET COMPLIMENTS SOFIA ON THE NEW ROUTINE, BUT SOFIA SAYS THAT CESSILY CAME UP WITH MOST OF THE CHOREOGRAPHY. THE GIRLS APPLAUD AGAIN AND CESSILY SMILES WHILE ROXY PROUDLY ANNOUNCES THAT SHE’S HER GIRLFRIEND. ALANI SHIFTS UNCOMFORTABLY AT THAT, WHICH MEGAN OBSERVES. SOFIA THEN TELLS THEM ALL THAT THEY CAN LEAVE AND THEY ALL START TO EXIT THE GYM.

AS MEGAN LEAVES, ALANI SAYS THAT SHE NEEDS HER HELP. WHEN MEGAN ASKS HER WHAT SHE NEEDS HELP WITH, ALANI SAYS THAT SHE WAS THINKING OF PUTTING TOGETHER A BRUNCH AND SHE WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF MEGAN COULD ASK CESSILY IF SHE WANTS TO GO. MEGAN NODS, A BIT SUSPICIOUS, AS MONET LOOKS AT ALANI IN INTRIGUE, AND SHE ULTIMATELY AGREES TO TALK TO CESSILY.

AS MEGAN FLIES OVER TO CESSILY, MONET GRABS ALANI BY THE SHOULDER AND ASKS HER IF SHE’S LOST HER MIND. ALANI INNOCENTLY ASKS HER WHAT SHE MEANS, BUT MONET TELLS HER THAT SHE’S A TELEPATH AND SHE KNOWS WHAT EMMA SUGGESTED. ALANI TELLS MONET THAT SHE KNOWS, WHICH IS WHY SHE WANTS HER TO DO THE PROCEDURE, WHICH MONET IS HORRIFIED AT.

MONET: ALANI, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND. THAT PROCEDURE IS DANGEROUS. YOU SHOULDN’T LET YOUR FEELINGS FOR CESSILY COME BEFORE YOUR COMMON SENSE.

ALANI: YOU’RE JUST JEALOUS BECAUSE THE ADVICE THAT MS. FROST GAVE YOU FAILED AND NOW JULIAN’S WITH THAT GOTH WOLVERINE.

MONET: GOD, ALANI. THE WORLD ISN’T ALL BLACK AND WHITE. I’VE MOVED ON FROM JULIAN. AND YOU SHOULD MOVE ON TOO. CESSILY IS HAPPY WHERE SHE IS, AND THIS PROCEDURE COULD RUIN YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH HER. IT’S BETTER TO ACCEPT CESSILY THE WAY SHE IS RIGHT NOW.

ALANI: MONET, PLEASE JUST DO THE PROCEDURE. I REALLY WANT THIS, AND I NEED A TELEPATH TO DO IT. IF YOU WERE REALLY MY FRIEND, YOU’D DO IT.

MONET SIGHS, AND THEN TELLS ALANI THAT SHE KNOWS WHEN HER MIND’S MADE UP AND SHE’LL DO THE PROCEDURE IF ONLY TO BE A GOOD FRIEND, BUT ALANI HAS NO IDEA WHAT SHE’S DOING. ALANI BEAMS AND TELLS MONET THAT THEY’LL MEET AT THE GRIND STONE IN FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE WALKING OFF TO MEET MEGAN AND CESSILY. MONET THEN WALKS UP TO SOFIA AND TELLS HER THAT SHE NEEDS HELP.

SOFIA: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

MONET: I THINK… I THINK ALANI’S ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING AWFUL. AND I JUST AGREED TO HELP HER.

LATER, CLARICE WALKS ALONG THE HALLWAYS OF XAVIER’S BEFORE RECEIVING A TEXT FROM SOFIA, SAYING THAT SHE’S A BIT BUSY WITH SOMETHING AT THE MOMENT, BUT THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF TIME FOR THEIR DATE LATER. CLARICE TEXTS BACK BEFORE ENTERING A CLASSROOM AND MEETING UP WITH TWO MORE STUDENTS. ONE IS A BLUE-SKINNED, POINTY-EARED GIRL WITH THREE FINGERS AND TOES, AND THE OTHER ONE IS A BALD, PALE-SKINNED BOY IN SHORTS AND A HAWAIIAN T-SHIRT THAT READS ‘PARTY NAKED’ ON IT. CLARICE EXCITEDLY GREETS TALIA JOSEPHINE WAGNER AND KEVIN SYDNEY, ALSO KNOWN AS NOCTURNE AND MORPH, WHO BOMBARD HER WITH HUGS.

TJ JOKINGLY SAYS THAT SHE’S GLAD CLARICE COULD TAKE SOME TIME OFF FROM HANGING OUT WITH HER NEW MUTANT BUDDIES WHILE MORPH APPLAUDS CLARICE FOR NOT ONLY SHOWING UP TO COMIC CLUB ON TIME BUT ALSO BEING ABLE TO HIT SOME SEXY LATINA TAIL. TJ WHACKS HIM ON THE ARM WHILE MORPH COMMENTS ON CLARICE’S OBVIOUS SEX HAIR, SAYING THAT SHE’S CLEARLY NOT USED HER BED FOR MUCH SLEEPING, IF SHE WAS EVEN IN HER BED. CLARICE REMINDS MORPH THAT HER SEX LIFE IS NONE OF HIS BUSINESS, BUT MORPH SAYS THAT HE CAN’T HELP IT. AS HE SPEAKS, HE MORPHS INTO A CHALK-WHITE VERSION OF SOFIA WITH PORN-STAR LEVEL LIPS AND BOOBS BEFORE CLARICE GRABS HIM BY THE NECK, MAKING HIM INFLATE LIKE A BALLOON.

TJ GIGGLES BEFORE ASKING WHERE BEAK AND ANGEL ARE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THEY’VE FLAKED AND THEY CAN’T MAKE COMIC CLUB OFFICIAL AND GAIN NEW MEMBERS IF THE OG MEMBERS DON’T KNOW THE VALUES OF PUNCTUALITY. MORPH THEN SAYS THAT HE HASN’T SEEN THEM IN CLASS FOR A WHILE, AND CLARICE WONDERS WHERE THEY ARE. SHE KNOWS HOW EXCITED THEY WERE TO TALK ABOUT MARIA LLOVET AND HOW HER ART REVOLUTIONIZED THE AMOUNT OF SEXUALITY IN COMICS.

SUDDENLY, THE DOOR FLIES OPEN AND BEAK ENTERS, WRINGING HIS HANDS WITH WORRY. HE PACES AROUND THE ROOM RAMBLING SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS LIKE A MIX OF ENGLISH AND SQUAWKING. CLARICE TELLS HIM TO CALM DOWN AND TJ ASKS WHAT’S WRONG. BEAK TELLS THEM THAT HE REALLY MESSED UP AND HE NEEDS THEIR HELP, AND MORPH ASKS WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN COMIC CLUB.

BEAK: OH GOD… OH GOD… I’M SO SORRY, GUYS. I DIDN’T KNOW… I SWEAR I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT I DID WHEN I DID IT AND NOW… OH MY GOD… AND NOW ANGEL IS PREGNANT WITH MONSTER BABIES!

THE TRIO LOOK AT HIM IN SHOCK WITH MORPH MIMICKING THE EXPRESSION OF A SHOCKED CARTOON CHARACTER AS BEAK STARTS SQUAWKING AGAIN.

MEANWHILE, MONET, SOFIA, CESSILY, ALANI, AND MEGAN HEAD OVER TO A LOCAL COFFEE SHOP AS CESSILY THANKS ALANI FOR PUTTING THIS BRUNCH TOGETHER. THEY THEN OPEN THE DOOR AND SIT DOWN AT A BOOTH AS SURGE GREETS THEM, DRESSED IN AN APRON.

NORI: WELL I’LL BE DAMNED. MONET ST. CROIX DARES TO ENTER AN ESTABLISHMENT THAT SHE PREVIOUSLY REFERRED TO AS A ‘GHETTO STARBUCKS’.

MONET: HEY ASHIDA. LONG TIME, NEVER SPEAK.

NORI CHUCKLES BEFORE MEGAN COMMENTS THAT SHE DIDN’T KNOW SHE WORKED AT THE GRIND STONE. NORI SAYS THAT SHE’S JUST LOOKING TO MAKE A QUICK BUCK, BEFORE TAKING THEIR ORDER. SOFIA EXCITEDLY GREETS NORI BEFORE TELLING MONET THAT A LOT OF STUDENTS GO HERE BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL. SHE THEN POINTS OVER TO WHERE DAVID, CAM, AURA, JAY, SOORAYA, LIN, AND LAURIE ARE SITTING AT A BOOTH AND WAVES AT THEM. AFTER TAKING THEIR ORDER, NORI SPEEDS OFF TO THE KITCHEN WHILE CESSILY AND SOFIA WAVE GOODBYE.

MEGAN: JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, ALANI, WHY DID YOU PUT THIS BRUNCH TOGETHER?

ALANI: OH, UH… I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO JUST HANG OUT WITH MY FRIENDS, ENJOY A LITTLE DOWNTIME, Y’KNOW?

MONET: I BET YOU DID.

SOFIA LOOKS OVER AT MONET BEFORE TURNING TO ALANI, A BIT WORRIED.

MEANWHILE, JOSH CHANGES FOR FOOTBALL PRACTICE BEFORE WALKING OUT WITH BRIAN. AS THEY LEAVE THE LOCKER ROOM, KEVIN SNEAKS IN BEFORE LOOKING AROUND THE LOCKERS. HE THEN NOTICES A KEYCHAIN POKING OUT OF ONE LOCKER AND HE TOUCHES THE LOCK WITH HIS BARE HAND, WITHERING IT. HE THEN PULLS OUT JOSH’S DUFFEL BAG AND RIFLES THROUGH HIS STUFF BEFORE PULLING OUT HIS PHONE. HE THEN LOOKS THROUGH JOSH’S CALL HISTORY BEFORE TAPPING ON A MESSAGE FROM AN UNKNOWN CONTACT, WHICH HE PLAYS.

MESSAGE: JOSH, IT’S RAHNE. RAHNE SINCLAIR. LOOK, I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE. I LIKE YOU. YOU’RE A GREAT GUY, BUT THIS IS WRONG. YOU’RE A STUDENT AND I’M A TEACHER. WE NEED TO STAY PROFESSIONAL. SO I’M SORRY, BUT WE CAN’T SEE EACH OTHER ANYMORE. DON’T CALL OR TEXT ME AND DELETE MY NUMBER FROM YOUR CONTACTS. IT’S OVER. I’M SORRY.

KEVIN PLAYS THE MESSAGE AGAIN AS HIS EYES NARROW.

MEANWHILE, CLARICE TELLS BEAK THAT SHE’S GONNA GO OVER THIS ONE MORE TIME; ANGEL ACCEPTED A BET TO KISS HIM BUT KNEW HOW SAD HE WAS, SO SHE HAD SEX WITH HIM TO MAKE HIM FEEL BETTER, AND NOW SHE’S PREGNANT ALREADY WITHIN THE SPAN OF FIVE DAYS AND HE THINKS FROST AND CYCLOPS WOULD KICK THEM BOTH OUT IF THEY FOUND OUT. BEAK STARTS TO SOB AS CLARICE SPEAKS AND SAYS THAT HE DIDN’T KNOW THAT IT TOOK FIVE DAYS BETWEEN THE SEX AND THE BIRTH FOR A FLY’S PHYSIOLOGY.

MORPH: HEY, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, NOW YOU KNOW WHAT A FLY’S VAGINA LOOKS LIKE!

BEAK STARTS SOB-SQUAWKING AGAIN AS TJ ASKS HIM IF ANGEL IS STILL PREGNANT THEN. BEAK TELLS HER THAT ANGEL HAS ALREADY STARTED LAYING EGGS AND HE COMMENTS THAT THEY’RE LIKE MONSTERS HANGING IN BAGS MADE OF SKIN AND IT’S ALL HIS FAULT. CLARICE SIGHS AND PUTS A HAND ON HIS SHOULDER.

CLARICE: BARNELL, LOOK, THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT, NOR IS IT ANGEL’S. PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES, AND THEY ARE NOT TO BLAME FOR THEM. BESIDES, DANI SAYS THAT YOU’RE AN AMAZING STUDENT. SHE’D NEVER AGREE TO KICK YOU OUT.

MORPH: BESIDES, CLARICE HERE WOULD KNOW A LOT ABOUT ACCIDENTAL, AND SOMETIMES INTENTIONAL, SEX.

WHILE TJ ELBOWS MORPH IN THE GUT, BEAK ASKS WHAT HE SHOULD DO NOW. TJ THEN TELLS HIM THAT THE NEXT MOVE IS SIMPLE; THEY NEED TO KNOW WHERE THE EGGS ARE.

MEANWHILE, CESSILY AND ALANI EXIT THE COFFEE SHOP, LAUGHING. CESSILY THEN TELLS ALANI THAT SHE’S REALLY GLAD SHE PUT THE BRUNCH TOGETHER AND ALANI THANKS HER. CESSILY SAYS THAT SHE’S BEEN WANTING TO HANG OUT WITH ALANI FOR A WHILE, BECAUSE SHE LOOKS LIKE A REALLY FUN PERSON, AND ALANI SMILES IN RESPONSE.

CESSILY REACHES FORWARD TO TOUCH ALANI’S HAND, BUT HER HAND PHASES THROUGH IT, GETTING SHREDDED IN THE PROCESS. AS CESSILY’S HAND FALLS TO THE GROUND, ALANI APOLOGIZES, BUT CESSILY LAUGHS AND SAYS THAT SHE WAS LOOKING TO LOSE A FEW POUNDS ANYWAY. ALANI LAUGHS NERVOUSLY AS CESSILY REABSORBS HER HAND, AND SHE COMMENTS THAT HER POWERS ALWAYS TEND TO GET OUT OF CONTROL WHEN SHE GETS EXCITED. CESSILY SYMPATHIZES WITH ALANI’S INABILITY TO ACT UPON HER FEELINGS, AND SAYS THAT SHE WISHES SHE COULD DO SOMETHING TO HELP.

AS MONET, MEGAN, AND SOFIA EXIT, ALANI TELLS CESSILY THAT SHE’S ACTUALLY HEARD OF A TELEPATHIC PROCEDURE THAT CAN ASSIST IN JUST THIS OCCASION. THE CATCH IS THAT IT NEEDS TWO PEOPLE IN ORDER TO WORK. CESSILY LOOKS OVER AT MONET BEFORE ASKING IF IT’S BASICALLY PSYCHIC SEX. ALANI SHRUGS AND CESSILY LOOKS A BIT NERVOUS, BUT SHE ULTIMATELY ACCEPTS. ANYTHING TO HELP OUT A FRIEND. SOFIA LOOKS OVER AT MONET, WHO SIGHS AND SAYS THAT SHE’LL PERFORM THE PROCEDURE IF THEY BOTH INSIST ON IT, BUT WARNS THEM THAT IT CAN BE… A LOT TO HANDLE. ALANI AND CESSILY NOD AND THE QUINTET GATHER UNDERNEATH A LARGE OAK TREE.

UNDER MONET’S INSTRUCTIONS, CESSILY AND ALANI LIE DOWN ON THEIR BACKS AND CLOSE THEIR EYES. MONET THEN SITS BESIDE THEM AND SAYS THAT THEY SHOULD RELAX THEIR MINDS AND HOLD HANDS. ALANI TIMIDLY REACHES FOR CESSILY’S HAND AND SURPRISINGLY, IS ABLE TO HOLD IT WITHOUT DISASTER. MONET INSTRUCTS MEGAN AND SOFIA TO WATCH THEM BEFORE ASKING AGAIN IF THEY’RE OKAY WITH THIS. ALANI AND CESSILY AGREE AND MONET CLOSES HER EYES. A BLUE LIGHT THEN EMERGES FROM MONET’S HEAD BEFORE REACHING ALANI AND CESSILY’S HEADS WHILE MEGAN AND SOFIA LOOK ON, THE FORMER SEEMING EXCITED WHILE THE LATTER IS MORE WORRIED. MEGAN THEN ASKS WHAT THEY’RE SEEING IN THERE.

WE THEN CUT OVER TO THE ASTRAL PLANE, WHERE ALANI AND CESSILY ARE ENTANGLED IN A PSYCHEDELIC RAPTURE. THEY’RE SURROUNDED BY COLORS AND LIGHT WITH THEIR BODIES TURNING IMMATERIAL AND BATHED IN WARMTH. MONET SAYS THAT THEIR RESPECTIVE SUBCONSCIOUSNESSES ARE BLURRING TOGETHER. NO BORDERS, NO BOUNDARIES, EVERYTHING IS SHARED. EVERY HOPE AND DREAM. EVERY FANTASY. EVERY PLEASURE. EVERY CRY FOR DELIGHT. EVERY SECRET. ALTHOUGH, AS CESSILY AND ALANI’S FORMS ARE ENTWINED TOGETHER, CESSILY LOOKS MORE SAD THEN EUPHORIC.

HOWEVER, AS THEY CONTINUE TO BE ENTANGLED TOGETHER, A DARK RED SPOT EMERGES IN THE ASTRAL. IT SLOWLY STARTS TO GET BIGGER AND BIGGER AND SLOWLY OVERTAKES THE PSYCHEDELIC RAINBOW BEFORE OVERTAKING CESSILY AND ALANI. IN THE REAL WORLD, BOTH GIRLS THRASH AND CRY OUT AS IF THEY’RE HAVING A NIGHTMARE, AND SOFIA ASKS WHAT’S WRONG. MONET SAYS THAT SHE WAS WORRIED ABOUT THIS. THEY’RE SHARING TOO MUCH. AND THEIR UGLIEST SECRETS ARE STARTING TO TAKE CONTROL. IF THIS KEEPS UP, THERE WON’T BE ANY OF CESSILY AND ALANI’S PSYCHE LEFT.

SOFIA THEN SAYS THAT SHE’S GOING IN, AND MONET WARNS HER THAT IT’S TOO DANGEROUS. IF SHE GOES IN, SHE RUNS THE RISK OF FRYING HER MIND. SOFIA SHRUGS THIS OFF, SAYING THAT CESSILY IS HER BEST FRIEND. SHE’D DO THE SAME FOR HER. MONET THEN TELLS MEGAN THAT IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG, SHE SHOULD GO FOR HELP, AND MEGAN NODS, NERVOUSLY. WITH THAT, SOFIA LIES DOWN AND CLASPS CESSILY’S HAND WHILE MONET TOUCHES THE TWO GIRLS’ FOREHEADS.

WHEN MONET AND SOFIA APPEAR IN THE ASTRAL PLANE, THE AREA IS COMPLETELY RED, MADE UP OF CESSILY AND ALANI’S TWISTED PSYCHE. A FEW MILES AWAY, AN ORB LIES, MADE UP OF CESSILY AND ALANI’S WRITHING AND SCREAMING FORMS. SOFIA IS THEN BOMBARDED WITH CESSILY AND ALANI’S VOICES AND CRIES OUT BUT MONET TELLS HER TO FOCUS. IF SHE SUCCUMBS TO THE DARKNESS, HER BODY WILL SUFFER PERMANENT DAMAGE. SOFIA NODS AND MONET SAYS THAT ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS GET TO THE ORB AND TOUCH IT, AND EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. SOFIA SIGHS BEFORE TELLING MONET THAT SHE’S READY. AS THE GIRLS FLY TOWARDS THE ORB, CESSILY AND ALANI’S VOICES SPEAK, OVERLAPPING EACH OTHER, AS THEIR DARK SECRETS ARE EXPOSED.

CESSILY: --WHEN I WAS 4, I BURNED A LITTLE FROG WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS. I KNEW I SHOULD FEEL GUILTY, BUT I ACTUALLY KINDA ENJ--

ALANI: --BARELY KNOW YOU, BUT I GET THIS VIBE LIKE WE CAN BE REALLY HAPPY IF WE JUST DIVE RIGHT IN AND—

CESSILY: --AFTER MOM CALLED ME A FREAK, I SPENT HOURS FANTASIZING ABOUT TURNING TO LIQUID AND JUST… JUST FILLING UP HER MOUTH AND HER NOSTRILS AND HER LUNGS AND—

ALANI: --SO I WAS THINKING FIVE KIDS, THREE GIRLS AND TWO BOYS, MAYBE WE ADOPT A COUPLE MORE, AND—

ALANI AND CESSILY’S THOUGHT REACH SOFIA, CAUSING HER TO SLOWLY BLEED FROM HER NOSE AND EYES. MONET NOTICES THIS, HER NOSE STARTING TO BLEED AS WELL, AND ASKS SOFIA IF SHE’S OKAY. SOFIA TELLS HER THAT SHE’S FINE AND INSISTS THAT THEY KEEP GOING, AS THEY’RE ALMOST TO THE ORB.

CESSILY: --SOMETIMES DREAM ABOUT CUTTING AND CUTTING--

ALANI: --I SWIM IN THE OCEAN AND IT’S… IT’S JUST CALLING… LIKE I JUST WANT TO DISSOLVE INTO THE ENDLESS BLACK AND NOT FEEL ANYTHING—

CESSILY: YOU MOTHERFUCKING MEAT PEOPLE WITH YOUR WARM BLOOD AND BEAUTIFUL SENSES… YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LUCKY YOU ARE—

ALANI: --I DIDN’T EVEN WANT TO DO THIS BUT MS. FROST INSISTED THAT IT WAS FINE AND THAT IT WOULDN’T HURT AT ALL, BUT THIS HURTS SO MUCH AND I JUST NEED—

SOFIA CRIES OUT IN PAIN AS BLOOD POURS FROM HER EYES, NOSE, EARS, AND MOUTH. MONET LOOKS AT HER AND SAYS THAT SHE NEEDS TO GET OUT NOW. THE DAMAGE TO HER BRAIN COULD BE TOO SEVERE IF SHE CONTINUES. SOFIA REFUSES TO LEAVE MONET ALONE, NOTICING THAT SHE’S BLEEDING TOO, BUT MONET INSISTS.

MONET: SOFIA, I KNOW I HAVEN’T BEEN THE BEST FRIEND TO YOU. YOU’RE SWEET AND PRETTY AND I JUST FUCK EVERYTHING UP. IF IT CAME BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, THEY WOULD NEED YOU MORE THAN ME. IF I DON’T MAKE IT OUT, TELL CESSILY, TELL ALANI, TELL EVERYONE THAT… I’M SO SORRY.

SOFIA CRIES OUT TO MONET, WHO CLOSES HER EYES AND EJECTS HER FROM THE ASTRAL. SOFIA WAKES UP IN THE REAL WORLD, WIPING BLOOD AND TEARS FROM HER EYES AND SHE LOOKS AROUND, NOTICING THAT MEGAN ISN’T THERE. SHE LOOKS OVER AT MONET’S UNCONSCIOUS FORM AND STARTS TO PRAY.

MEANWHILE, CLARICE, BEAK, MORPH, AND TJ WALK THROUGH THE WOODS AS CLARICE ASKS BEAK IF HE’S SURE THAT THE EGGS ARE HERE. BEAK NODS, SAYING THAT THEY FOUND AN OLD SHACK HERE THAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE GREAT TO HIDE THE EGGS. TJ NOTICES THE SHACK AND APPROACHES IT, NERVOUSLY. AS SHE TRIES TO OPEN THE DOOR, SHE FINDS OUT THAT IT’S LOCKED AND TELLS THE OTHERS TO STAND BACK. THEY DO SO AND TJ FORMS A BLUE BOLT IN HER HANDS, WHICH SHE USES TO BLAST DOWN THE DOOR. MORPH THEN TURNS INTO A PALE-SKINNED POLICE OFFICER AND DEMANDS THAT WHOEVER’S INSIDE SHOULD PUT THEIR HANDS UP, BUT A FEMALE VOICE YELLS NOT TO SHOOT.

INSIDE THE SHACK, ANGEL SITS CROSS-LEGGED AND SMILING AMONGST MILLIONS OF SMALL FLYING CHILDREN. THEY ALL HAVE ANGEL’S WINGS AND SOME OF BEAK’S FEATURES WITH MOST HAVE HIS FACIAL FEATURES. THE QUARTET’S EXPRESSIONS LIGHTEN AS ANGEL CONTINUES TO BEAM AT THEM, HAPPILY.

ANGEL: THE BAGS BURST, BUT IT’S OKAY NOW. CHECK ‘EM OUT!

MEANWHILE, MONET CONTINUES TO FLY TOWARD THE TWISTED ORB, BOMBARDED WITH SECRETS AND FANTASIES. BLOOD CONTINUES TO POUR FROM HER ORIFICES AS SHE KICKS HER LEGS AND REACHES HER HAND OUT TO TOUCH THE ORB. HER MOUTH OPENS WIDE IN A SCREAM BUT BLOOD POURS OUT INSTEAD. THE MOMENT HER FINGERTIP TOUCHES THE ORB, IT EXPLODES INTO A BRIGHT LIGHT AND MONET FINDS HERSELF BACK IN THE REAL WORLD, WITH CESSILY AND ALANI WAKING UP BEFORE STARING AT EACH OTHER, SHOCKED.

ALANI: Y-Y-YOU’RE SICK! YOU’RE TWISTED ON THE INSIDE!

CESSILY: I’M SICK?! YOU LIED TO ME! Y-YOU TOOK MY FEELINGS ABOUT YOU AS A FRIEND AND YOU FUCKING VIOLATED IT! YOU MANIPULATED ME! PLAYED WITH MY FEELINGS! YOU RAPED MY MIND BECAUSE YOU KNEW I WOULD WANT TO HELP YOU BECAUSE I WANT TO BE A GOOD FRIEND AND YOU DIDN’T CARE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN! AND NOW YOU WANNA PLAY THE VICTIM BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU SAW IN MY HEAD?! WELL GUESS WHAT?! MY HEAD IS FUCKED UP! FUCKING DEAL WITH IT!

ALANI: F-FUCK YOU! YOU’RE EVIL! YOU’RE A MONSTER! YOU’RE INSA-

CESSILY: NO, YOU’RE THE INSANE ONE! YOU’RE A LYING SLUT AND A BITCH! Y-YOU LIED TO ME AND BETRAYED MY FUCKING TRUST! YOU’RE A BAD FRIEND AND A TERRIBLE PERSON! I HATE YOU, ALANI! YOU’RE A SNAKE! A LYING, SELFISH, MANIPULATIVE SNAKE!

WITH THAT, CESSILY RUNS AWAY IN TEARS WITH ALANI STORMING OFF IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. SOFIA IMMEDIATELY RUNS AFTER CESSILY AND MONET WAITS FOR A WHILE BEFORE MAKING UP HER MIND AND RUNNING AFTER HER TEAMMATE.

MEANWHILE, MORPH AND TJ PLAY WITH THE BABIES WHILE BEAK COMMENTS THAT IN HIS DREAMS, HE WOULD SEE AN ARMY OF MONSTERS SHOUTING ‘FATHER!’ BUT THIS IS JUST WONDERFUL. ANGEL LAUGHS AND SAYS THAT SHE’S GONNA NAME THEM AFTER THE JACKSON FAMILY BEFORE SAYING THAT ONE LITTLE FREAK LOOKS ABOUT AS CUTE AND USELESS AS BEAK, WHO COMMENTS ON THE WINGSPAN OF ANOTHER LITTLE GUY.

CLARICE KNEELS DOWN AND REACHES OUT TO THE CHILD IN ANGEL’S LAP BEFORE TELLING THEM THAT THEY SHOULD’VE BEEN HONEST FROM THE BEGINNING. ANGEL SAYS THAT SHE WAS WORRIED THAT THEY’D GET KICKED OUT, SINCE THERE’S NEVER BEEN A STUDENT AT XAVIER’S WHO’S GOTTEN PREGNANT. CLARICE AGREES, BUT SAYS THAT SINCE IT’S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE, THEY SHOULD AGREE TO HELP IF A SITUATION LIKE THIS EVER ARISES AGAIN. SHE AGREES TO TALK TO DANI TO SEE IF THEY CAN LIVE HERE AND MAYBE THEY COULD SKIP SOME CLASSES TO TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN. MORPH THEN SAYS THAT THEY SHOULD DO THE SAME IF BEAK AND ANGEL ARE TOO BUSY, AND PLUS, “UNCLE MORPHIE” NEEDS TO BE THERE FOR THE KIDS. TJ ALSO VOLUNTEERS TO HELP SPIFF THE PLACE UP AND MAKE IT MORE FAMILY-FRIENDLY AND CLARICE COMES UP WITH THE IDEA OF SIGNING THEM UP FOR THE LOWER SCHOOL SO THAT XUAN CAN HELP WHILE BEAK AND ANGEL ARE AT SCHOOL.

ANGEL AND BEAK THANK THEM FOR THEIR HELP AND CLARICE ASKS IF THEY’RE GOING TO STAY TOGETHER. THEY BOTH SMILE AND SAY THAT THEY HATED XAVIER’S AT FIRST, BUT THERE IS ONE THING THAT THEY LOVE ABOUT IT, AND IT’S THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND EACH OTHER.

MEANWHILE, SOFIA SEARCHES FOR CESSILY, EVENTUALLY FINDING HER CRYING. AS SHE ASKS CESSILY IF SHE’S OKAY, CESSILY TELLS HER THAT SHE’S NOT OKAY. SHE’S NEVER BEEN OKAY. SHE FEELS LIKE A MONSTER AND KNOWS THAT EVERYONE WILL REJECT HER ONCE ALANI TELLS. EVEN ROXY WILL LOOK AT HER LIKE A FREAK AMONG FREAKS.

SOFIA: CESSILY, I UNDERSTAND HOW YOU FEEL—

CESSILY: NO YOU DON’T! HOW COULD YOU OF ALL PEOPLE KNOW HOW I FEEL?! YOU’RE THE PRETTIEST GIRL IN SCHOOL! YOU’RE POPULAR, YOU HAVE FAMILY WHO LOVES YOU! YOU COULD NEVER KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WAKE UP ONE MORNING A FREAK! MY PARENTS LOVED ME! I WAS EVERYTHING TO THEM! AND THEN WHEN I GOT MY POWERS, THEY DIDN’T SEE ME AS THEIR PRECIOUS GIRL ANYMORE! THEY JUST SAW ME AS A FREAK! YOU SHOULD SEE HOW QUICKLY THEY SENT ME TO XAVIER’S WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT! I… NO ONE LOVES ME! NO ONE EVER WILL!

SOFIA STARTS TO CRY AND PUTS A HAND ON CESSILY’S SHOULDER.

SOFIA: CESSILY, LOOK AT ME. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL AND YOU ARE LOVED. ROXY LOVES YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD, AND I KNOW YOU’D NEVER CHASE ME OR HER OR ANYONE AWAY. I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE REJECTED AND I KNOW THAT IT MAY MAKE YOU AFRAID TO TRY TO FORM A MEANINGFUL CONNECTION, BUT I’M HERE FOR YOU. I WILL ALWAYS BE. YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND, CESSILY. AND I LOVE YOU. WARTS AND ALL.

CESSILY COLLAPSES INTO SOFIA’S ARMS, CRYING AND SOFIA HUGS HER. AFTER A WHILE, CESSILY WIPES AWAY TEARS AND SNOT AND THANKS SOFIA FOR HELPING HER. SOFIA THEN ASKS IF SHE’S READY TO GO AND CESSILY NODS, STANDING UP WITH SOFIA’S HELP.

MEANWHILE, MONET FINDS ALANI BESIDE THE COFFEE SHOP. ALANI SWIPES AWAY TEARS AND TELLS MONET THAT CESSILY’S RIGHT. SHE’S A LIAR AND A SNAKE. SHE REFLECTS ON HOW SHE BETRAYED CESSILY’S TRUST AND VIOLATED HER MIND. SHE KNOWS THAT SHE HAD NO RIGHT TO INTRUDE UPON CESSILY’S SECRETS AND SHE SHOULD’VE BEEN HAPPY TO HAVE HER AS A FRIEND. AS MONET SITS DOWN, ALANI TAKES OUT A VAPE PEN AND PLACES IT TO HER LIPS, BLOWING A STREAM OF SMOKE FROM THEM AS SHE ASKS MONET IF SHE THINKS SHE’S A BAD FRIEND.

MONET: ALANI, I NEED TO TELL YOU SOMETHING. I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE UNABLE TO TOUCH ANYONE. NOT LONG AGO, SOMEONE DID SOMETHING TERRIBLE TO ME. THEY TRAPPED ME INSIDE A HOLLOW SHELL, UNABLE TO TOUCH ANYONE WITHOUT CAUSING THEM PAIN. I LIVED THAT WAY FOR A WHILE, UNABLE TO SPEAK OR TOUCH ANYONE. THAT WAS MY CURSE. THAT WAS MY PENANCE. I WAS NEVER THE SAME EVEN AFTER I WAS FREED. THE TWO OF US, WE’RE UNTOUCHABLE. BUT WE DON’T HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE THAT WAY. WE CAN BE BETTER.

ALANI LOOKS UP AND STARTS TO SMILE. SHE SAYS THAT WHEN THE YEAR BEGAN, SHE REALIZED SHE WAS BISEXUAL. SHE WANTED SOMEONE TO LOVE HER AND SHE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW GOOD A FRIEND CESSILY WAS TO HER. BUT SHE SAW HOW HAPPY SHE WAS WITH ROXY AND SHE WAS JEALOUS. BUT SHE KNOWS THAT DEEP DOWN, SHE SEES CESSILY AS A GOOD FRIEND AND SHE WANTS TO STAY THAT WAY. MONET STANDS UP AND OFFERS HER HAND TO ALANI, WHO STANDS UP AND GIVES HER A HUG.

A FEW MINUTES LATER, SOFIA AND CESSILY MEET ALANI AND MONET. SOFIA REMINDS CESSILY NOT TO LET ALANI GET TO HER, AND CESSILY WALKS UP TO HER.

CESSILY: ALANI, I’M REALLY SORRY. I SHOULD’VE-

ALANI: YOU HAVE NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR. I SHOULD’VE BEEN A BETTER FRIEND. I… I SHOULDN’T HAVE PRESSURED YOU INTO THIS. I’M VERY TRULY SORRY.

THE TWO GIRLS HUG.

ALANI: SO, STILL FRIENDS?

CESSILY: QUID PRO QUO, CLARICE. YOU DON’T TELL ANYONE ABOUT WHAT YOU SAW IN THE ASTRAL PLANE. THOSE ARE MY SECRETS AND I’LL TELL THEM TO ROXY WHEN I WANT TO.

ALANI: DEAL.

CESSILY: AND I, FOR ONE, AM SO GLAD THAT YOU’RE THINKING OF COMING OUT, BUT I CAN’T RECIPROCATE YOUR FEELINGS. I’M HAPPY WITH ROXY. BUT I CAN HELP YOU FIND SOMEONE ELSE. SOMEONE WHO YOU CAN LOVE.

ALANI: WELL… I WAS THINKING OF ASKING SUDI OUT. WE’VE BEEN PRETTY CLOSE.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, MEGAN DASHES OVER, RED-FACED AND PANTING, AS SHE DRAGS A CONFUSED TRAFFIC WARDEN BY THE COLLAR. SHE’S SWEATING LIKE CRAZY AND LOOKS HALF-CRAZED.

MEGAN: I COULDN’T FIND A POLICE OFFICER SO I GOT A TRAFFIC WARDEN! WRITE THEM ALL A TICKET!

SOFIA GIGGLES BEFORE TELLING MEGAN THAT THEY’VE CLEARED EVERYTHING UP, AND MEGAN RELAXES, ASKING IF THEY CAN GO HOME NOW. THE GIRLS START TO WALK BACK TO THE SCHOOL AND CESSILY AND ALANI START TO TALK TOGETHER. SOFIA IS ABOUT TO JOIN THEM WHEN MONET STOPS HER.

MONET: I TRUST YOU SAW THAT SECRET OF ALANI’S, RIGHT?

SOFIA: YES. EMMA FROST WAS THE ONE WHO TOLD ALANI TO DO THE PROCEDURE. JUST LIKE WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOU AND JULIAN.

MONET: I KNOW SHE MEANS WELL, BUT…

SOFIA: I KNOW. WHO ELSE DID SHE AGREE TO HELP?

MONET: WELL, EDIE, MARCOS, SUDI, AND MARK JUST WANTED HELP ON CLASSWORK, SO THE ONLY OTHER ONE WHO WANTED HELP IN THE OTHER WAY WAS… KEVIN.

SOFIA: THEN WE NEED TO FIND HIM BEFORE HE DOES SOMETHING HE’LL REGRET.

AS THEY WALK HOME, ‘PIANO MAN’ BY BILLY JOEL STARTS TO PLAY. WE SEE TJ, DANI, AND MORPH HELPING BEAK AND ANGEL FIX UP THE SHACK AND SOME OF THE BABIES PITCH IN AS WELL. THE COUPLE EMBRACES, SMILING HAPPILY. MEANWHILE, ALANI FLOPS ONTO HER BED, LOOKING OVER AT A NOTE FROM MIRROR GIRL SAYING THAT SHE GOT INVITED TO A PARTY AND SHE’LL BE BACK LATE. ALANI THEN PULLS OUT HER PHONE AND STARTS TO TEXT SUDI, ASKING IF SHE’D LIKE TO GO OUT WITH HER SOME TIME. WHEN SHE SENDS THE TEXT, SHE WRITES ANOTHER ONE THAT CLARIFIES THAT SHE MEANS TO ASK HER ON A DATE, BUT SHE HESITATES. HER FINGER HOVERS OVER THE SEND BUTTON AND SHE BITES HER LIP, NERVOUS, BUT SHE EVENTUALLY LOOKS DETERMINED AND SENDS THE MESSAGE, WAITING FOR SUDI TO TEXT BACK.

MEANWHILE, CLARICE AND SOFIA LIE IN BED, AS CLARICE TELLS SOFIA THAT SHE LOOKS HAPPY. SOFIA SMILES AND SAYS THAT SHE’S NOTICED THE SAME ABOUT CLARICE, WHO SAYS THAT SHE DID A GOOD THING TODAY. SOFIA SAYS SHE DID TOO AND THE TWO KISS BEFORE PROCEEDING TO HAVE SEX. MEANWHILE, ROXY LOOKS OVER AT A SMILING CESSILY AND ASKS WHAT’S UP. SHE JUST KISSES HER AND SAYS THAT SHE JUST CAN’T IMAGINE LIFE GETTING ANY BETTER THAN THIS.

WE THEN CUT OVER TO ONE FINAL SCENE AS JOSH KISSES LAURIE GOODNIGHT. LAURIE SAYS THAT CLARICE IS PROBABLY HOOKING UP WITH SOFIA AGAIN AND ASKS IF MAYBE JOSH COULD SPEND THE NIGHT WITH HER. JOSH SAYS NO, HE HAS A TEST TOMORROW AND NEEDS TO SLEEP, BUT ASSURES LAURIE THAT THEY’LL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TOMORROW. AS LAURIE CLOSES THE DOOR, JOSH STARTS TO WALK TOWARD HIS ROOM BUT KEVIN WALKS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM.

JOSH: THE FUCK, KEVIN? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

KEVIN: I’LL CUT TO THE CHASE. YOU’RE GOING TO BREAK UP WITH LAURIE.

JOSH: WHAT? ARE YOU ON CRACK? WHY WOULD I DO THAT?

THE CAMERA ZOOMS IN ON KEVIN AS HE GIVES JOSH A DEVIOUS, SHIT-EATING GRIN.

KEVIN: BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T, I’LL TELL THE ENTIRE SCHOOL ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE DOING WITH RAHNE SINCLAIR LAST SEMESTER. AND YOU’LL GET EXPELLED!

TO BE CONTINUED

[blackink-onpaper]

The Descend and the Resurface

Damian Hart (Beyblade) x OC

Summary: OC comes from a complex background, and in the midst of trying to save it all and help her family she enters a strange arrangement, which will change her life forever.

Masterlist 🖤

Tags: Beyblade, Beyblade Metal Masters, Damian Hart, Julian Konzern, Gingka Hagane, Jack, OC

A/N: (ambience suggestion) this chapter and the next few will go along with the canon storyline, for this chapter watch Beyblade Metal Masters episode 89 if you like, it’s available on youtube!

Chapter 2

At the airport, I was reliving the events of that night over and over again. I did not feel particularly sad about the breakup, but I was full of mixed and contradicting feeling made worse by my parents. My mother encouraged me to reconcile with Julian, saying he was just putting too much pressure on himself and that I should be more understanding and supportive. Although I do agree and understand her point completely, I truly believe I gave it my all: all my time, all my energy, my support, and I don’t know how much more I could actually give.

In an attempt to see if we are truly meant to be together, I bought a ticket for Excalibur’s match against the US team; after Julian satisfies his fixation on winning he will be more open for talking. As I was boarding my plane, completely and solemly lost in my thoughts and complex feelings, I was even considering if all I’m missing him for is the stable life I got used to, or if I’m even doing this for us as a couple at all.

“Wear something classy for the match” my mom instructed over speaker on my phone, I called her from my hotel room to have someone to talk to while I unpack:

“Yes mom..” I yawned “I’ll wear something light, they said it will be very warm tomorrow” Staring blankly out of the window while my mom gave me a full report on what the Italian side of my family did, I couldn’t help but wonder where I’m going with this plan. If Julian decides he wants us to get back together, I will simply re-install myself into my previous life of arrangements, but at least everyone will be happy, and if he doesn’t I am going back home to my parents lecturing me on how I shouldn’t have let such an opportunity go. Sometimes I wondered if Julian and I would’ve been better of as just friends, or one of those “could’ve been but never was” relationships. Either way, I needed to get to sleep, because tomorrow was going to be an eventful day no matter the outcome.

In front of the stadium, seemingly hundreds if not thousands of people gathered happily blowing whistles, baloons, telling each other who they think is going to win today’s battle. The American fans were particularly loud with enthusiasm, but I really can’t defend some weird statements I overheard from the European fans. Because it was a very warm and sunny day, I wore a linen jumpsuit with an attached belt at the waist, black leather bag and a black leather jacket just in case a cold gust of wind changed the feeling within the arena. Entering the stadium went much more smoothly than I’d expected, judging from the bets and proclaimations going on in front, and I was sitting on my seat in no time. It was hard to estimate what Excalibur’s warplan was for today: perhaps Julian was going to open strong for the team, scare the opponents and lower their confidence for the following two matches so Sophie, Wales and Klaus can take on, or if it would be the other way around. Or maybe they were going to change their plan according to the Americans. Come to think of it, I had never seen or heard of the American team playing. In my time with Julian, I’d been to countless matches but they were usually among European countries, and occasionally with opponents from Asia, the Middle East, Australia and South Africa.

My train of thought was broken because in the row in front of mine a boy with red hair and an unignorable high pitch voice began explaining to his two friends - a girl with brown hair and a pink vest, and two boys: one in a green top with black hair, and another with green hair - how a particular seat is his and not hers. They were an interesting bunch, as I saw them earlier discussing specifications of some Beys that are currently circulating in the championship. But then the boy with the red hair sat right in the seat right in front of mine, almost spilling his drink on my white jumpsuit:

“Wooah! Sorry about that, miss!”

I am an unbelievable idiot! How did I not recognise him immediately: “Gingka Hagane! Is that you?”

He seemed startled that someone had recognised him: “yes yes, please keep it down I don’t want to attract too much attention, heh” he smiled awkwardly.

But from his tone and facial expression, I’d relised he forgot that one time I met him while accompanying Julian to a match: “Gingka do you not remember me?”

A vibrant flush of red, separated by a single tone from the hue of his hair, covered his face: “I’m so sorry, we’ve met before? When?”

But just as I was going to answer, the loud duo of presenters started their announcements of today’s match, with an interlude of what’s happened in the last matches. Gingka gave me a sign that we will talk after the battles, and I gave him a reassuring smile completely unaware that my every move since he spoke to me had been thoroughly watched.

“This is the second stage of the final round! The first blader for Excalibur is the axe of destruction - Klaus!” The presenter announced as Excalibur made their way out of the backstage tunnel and into the view of the cheering crowd. They all looked so fit and strong, yet I could see the tension around them: a need to succeed I was so often a witness to.

“And his opponent from Starbreaker is… whatsup here?!” The presenter protested as the crowd gasped - Starbreaker showed up with only two members. Honestly, I haven’t even Googled them before coming to the match because I thought it unimportant as Julian and Excalibur would crush them either way. But they were definitely not what I’d expected. One of the two that emerged from the dark tunnel was quite tall, with long pink hair and makeup. He looked very unique and flamboyant, but then he began talking in a strange way. Something about the stadium being a canvas? I was impressed to see Excalibur members completely composed, perhaps they were tipped in advance.

Just after the pink hair blader’s metaphorical announcements, the presenter announced him as Klaus’ opponent, apparently his name was Jack. “Well, that should be easy” I thought to myself. I couldn’t stop staring at Julian while Klaus and Jack approached the dome-shaped floor stadium. I wondered if he was okay. My attention was again disrupted by the bladers commencing their battle, which drew my attention to the other American: he was shorter than Jack, blue hair and a fair complexion complimented by a white and gold outfit. Strange how different these two members are from each other. Excalibur at least honoured European heritage by having their tailor make their outfits cohesive in colours, historical references, etc., but these guys look like… As if they were put together by someone else.

[fictionalreads]

Love is Blind Season 3 Episode 1

Bartise

Sir. You seem full of yourself. You might change my mind. I’ve only heard one sentence from you.

Nancy

There’s nothing wrong with not having kids. There’s also nothing wrong with wanting a whole football team.

Why are y’all going back and forth with these subtle shots?

That’s not manly. That’s stupid. You were helping people create their families.

Wow so you find out he’s young and suddenly move on.

She feeling hot and heavy with Andrew.

Raven

That is very self destructive to let shit slide. At least you’ve acknowledged it.

Like…what?

Girl you acting like you sleeping with other people while in a relationship. You just serving drinks. Get yo coins girl.

SK

Oooh SK what girls have you been dating? Really? A lion as a pet?

Colleen

I can’t flirt either, you aren’t alone.

Cry today, move on tomorrow.

I feel like Colleen genuinely likes him but he’s there for the physicality.

Colleen I feel like you might be out of luck. He seems into zanab.

Colleen, as someone who’s been there, vulnerability is not a weakness. It’s okay to open up to other people. That’s when it’s real.

Cole

Cole relax my guy.

What do you have against nurses?

You seem like this season’s Shake.

Alexa

Can you stop saying like? It’s been every other word out of your mouth.

Oooh good question. Asking about the relationship with the parents.

LMAO He called her his lobster.

Is he crying?

IS BRENNON ABOUT TO PROPOSE?

HE DID PROPOSE AND SHE SAID YES

Do they not have rings this season?

Did she just say what the fuck? Was that a bad wtf or a good one?

Height girl (I missed her name)

Girl the point is not to know about their physical attributes. Why is height on your checklist?

Zanab

She seems adorable.

Honest to God did not recognize Cole with the glasses at first. I owe Superman fans an apology.

Don’t be sorry for sharing your story.

Grade A top choice beef. I’m saying that now.

Predictions

I like Brennon with Alexa

Bartise and Raven

I don’t know how I feel about Andrew and Nancy.

Miscellaneous

At least Brennon was honest with her.

Julian’s kind of cute.

You weren’t rude Brennon. You were honest and didn’t string her along.

Japan’s Love is Blind has a better set.

Awe Brennon seems really in love.