#in tonight's episode she fit in one plane seat!!!

[chubbychiquita]

oh my god i weigh more than tammy slaton

[cjsinkythoughts]

Suits, Dresses, and Heels

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Reader

Word Count: 4000

Warnings: !FATWS SPOILERS!, Cursing, More Mentions of PTSD, Gun Violence, Slight Mentions of Drinking, Club Dancing (You’re all gonna hate me for that part, but I’m not sorry)

A/N: Here’s Part 4.2 - The Second Part to Episode 3 - as requested. This is a little more scene-by-scene, but there are some off-screen moments. I’ll be posting Part 4.3 (which will have the rest of the episode) later tonight.

There’s a bit more information on Reader, but not as much as the last chapter. Sharon comes in during this part, so you get to see her and Reader’s relationship.

Also, I have mixed feelings about Zemo at this point. Not in the story, the Reader’s not a fan as you learned previously, but for me personally, he’s surprised me a couple times by coming back and helping.

Anyways! Thank you so much for reading! This isn’t beta’d so excuse any mistakes! Check out my other parts before you read! Thank you again! Stay tuned, loves!

FATWS MASTERLIST

cjsinkythoughts MASTERLIST

!SPOILERS UNDER CUT!

The dress was far too tight for your liking, and showed way too much skin. Not that you didn’t like being a tease every once in a while, but for this mission, you’d rather have more cover and movement.

You had to admit though; Zemo had nice taste. The dress fit deliciously - which made you wonder how he got your size. The color and cut was devastatingly flattering. Plus, he let you do your own makeup.

Being the only female, you were in a separate area of the jet getting ready. Once you were done, you made sure to knock, even though you’d walked in on Sam changing too many times to count while on the run and had seen Bucky answer the door in nothing but a towel. It was mainly for Zemo’s sake, just a warning that you were walking in whether or not they were ready.

“Damn, girl! You clean up nice!”

You rolled your eyes at Sam, painted lips quirking up as you studied him, shooting him a wink. “You should try a mirror, Sammy.” You turned to Bucky to find him staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed at you. “What do you think, Buck?”

His mouth snapped shut and he cleared his throat, eyes exploring the dips and curves your body. “You…” He blinked once. Twice. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, his intense eyes making you heat up, before he shook his head. “You look good.” He rushed out, before spinning on his heel shoving past Sam who was snickering.

“Where’s Zemo?” You noticed he wasn’t in the main area of the plane when you walked in.

“Rearranging our ride once we get there.”

You huffed, fixing your hair. “Oh God. We’re really doing this.”

“Yup.”

“Okay.” You looked down at yourself before looking up at the boys. “Something’s gonna go wrong, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely.”

“No doubt.”

Giving a slight groan at their simultaneous answers, you nodded. “Let’s try not to screw up too badly, boys, alright? I at least want to live long enough to see Peter graduate.”

Sam rolled his eyes with a scoff. “That kid’s a punk.”

“You’re a punk.” You shot back.

Bucky raised his hand. “I second that punk thing.”

“For which one?”

“Both of them.”

You chuckled as Sam gaped at Bucky, who shrugged innocently. The former assassin tilted his head in your direction to shoot you a grin and a wink, making you laugh more. Shaking your head, you go to make a joke when Zemo walked in.

“It’s time. We’re landing now.”

And just like that, the teasing atmosphere dissipated, leaving you anxious and regretful.

*******************

You walked by Bucky, arm linked with his metal one, listening as Zemo told Sam about his “character” he was to play.

“He’s a known womanizer - always has a gorgeous lady on his arm.” Zemo gestured towards you. “It’s the only way they’d let in a woman.”

“Aren’t we going to see a woman?” You questioned, gently patting Bucky’s metallic bicep when his hold on you tightened.

“Which makes it more imperative that you don’t act threatening. Women don’t make the same mistake men do; they don’t underestimate other women.”

You nodded. He had a point there. Bucky faced you, a frown on those pretty lips. “I don’t like this.” He mumbled.

“You think I do?” You whispered back. “With you being him again? Even if it’s just pretend? And need I remind you whose idea this was?”

“I know, I know. Just…” He sighed. “Promise me you won’t get hurt on purpose.”

Your forehead creased. “Why would I-?”

“To protect people. You always do. And I get it, I do. It’s why you started this in the first place, but…save yourself first, this time, okay?”

“Buck-”

“Promise me.”

It wasn’t often you could see the fear in his eyes, hear it in his voice, but you could then. Unable to do anything else you nodded, a soft, “okay” falling from your lips. He nodded back, pressing a kiss to your head, before letting you go as a car approached.

Bucky helped you in - the heels you were wearing were no joke - before sliding in himself, Sam getting in on the other side of you. “And you two can’t be…” Zemo gestured to the two of you as the car started moving, eyeing your still connected hands. “Doing that.”

“This isn’t my first theater production.” You snapped at him. “We’ll be fine.”

He raised his hands in surrender, turning back to look out the windshield. Once you arrived, you gave Bucky’s hand one last squeeze, before accepting Sam’s hand to get out on his side, linking your arm with his like you were doing with Bucky earlier.

“I finally get to see one of your performances, baby.” Sam grinned at you.

You smirked back. “Best seats in the house, too, Smiling Tiger.” He groaned at your jest, nudging you playfully with his elbow as you giggled.

“This way.” Zemo cut in, jerking his head in the direction you’d be going. You took a breath, steeling yourself, before the three of you nodded at each other and followed his lead.

You found the fellas reactions amusing, their heads turning to study and scan everything they could see. You were more subtle in the way you analyzed your surroundings, feeling a bit more at home in this situation than, say, fighting super soldiers on top of semi trucks.

Your jaw tightened, as did your grip on Sam’s arm, when Zemo started speaking Russian, the four of you pushing through a crowded bar. Sam ran his fingers over your arms, giving your hand a little squeeze, silently reassuring you.

It was a bit obvious Sam hadn’t done much undercover work, put he stayed in character and you were impressed. Especially when the bartender started cutting up the snake, which you had to look away for because if there was one thing you couldn’t do…it was snakes. You nearly gagged when Sam reluctantly downed the drink. 

Bucky eyed you, lips pursed in a way you recognized as him trying to hold in a smile. That made you feel a little better, hiding your own smile by turning into the crook of Sam’s neck. “Not. Funny.” He growled through clenched teeth, lips not moving.

“Kinda is.”

He grumbled under his breath, before the two of you tuned into the conversation between Zemo and a thug that came up, learning about the apparent power broker of Madripoor, which you a bit of from your time undercover there.

Sam held you tightly when Zemo turned to Bucky, knowing what was about to happen.

You didn’t like it. You didn’t like how easily aggressive he became. You didn’t like the little smirk Zemo gave as Bucky attacked. You didn’t like the cellphones being pointed in his direction. You didn’t like it.

“Didn’t take much for him to fall back into form.” You gave Zemo a warning glare, a shaky breath leaving you.

He’d been doing so well. At least, for someone who had been through what he had. Especially considering it’d only been a few months since he’d been pardoned - half a year since everyone came back. You knew bringing Zemo on board had been a bad idea, but-

A squeeze to your hand pulled you out of your thoughts. You let out an inaudible sigh of relief as Zemo allowed Bucky to let the man he was choking go.

“Selby will see you now.”

One step down. You hoped that would be the hardest part, but you knew it most definitely wouldn’t be.

“You good?”

Bucky sniffed, giving you two a curt nod, before following Zemo. You bit your lip. “That wasn’t really an answer, was it?”

Sam shook his head. “No. No it wasn’t.”

Selby wasn’t exactly what you were expecting, but you’d come to expect that. You stayed on Sam’s arm, giving the guards coy smiles and playing with the fake nails you had on in faux-boredom.

When she purred at the man besides you, you and Bucky glanced at each other, with you resisting the urge to scrunch up your nose. “And who is this gorgeous creature?”

Your eyes snapped back to Selby, giving her a slightly bashful smile. “Celeste Addams. Pleasure.”

“Trust me, dear. The pleasure is all mine.” Alright, you thought as she scanned you with a smirk. She was swinging for both teams. You could work with that. “What’s the offer?” She looked back to Zemo.

Zemo gave her the offer - information about the super soldier serum for the Winter Soldier and the code words to control him. Your blood boiled as Zemo touched Bucky, fingers grabbing his chin. You swore, once this whole thing was over, you would kick Zemo’s ass. You should make a list, just to keep track of all the things he’d done, and no doubt would do, to piss you off. That way he’d know why exactly you were beating his ass.

A name came up, Dr. Wilfred Nagel, along with the knowledge that the super soldier serum was, in fact, in Madripoor. You and Sam met eyes. Second step down.

But before they could get anything else, Sam’s phone buzzed. You ducked your head, closing your eyes, mumbling “fuck” when you saw it was Sarah. Sam’s responses just made you inwardly cringe even more.

“The bank, yeah. We laundered so much mo-” He chuckled nervously. “Yeah. They’ll come around.”

Is he fucking serious? For the love of God, Sammy…

And then she called him Sam. Next thing you knew, Selby was shot and you, Bucky, and Sam were taking out a guard each, you growling at the fact that you couldn’t use your legs because the dress was too damn tight.

You had no choice but to trust Zemo’s lead, but word traveled very quickly here, and less than a minute after walking outside, you were getting shot at.

“C’mon!” Bucky grabbed your arm, pulling you besides him.

“Can you not right now?!”

“I can’t run in these heels!”

You glared at Sam, the killer six inchers on your feet feeling like hell. “Hell no! You did not just say that in front of me!”

“You started it!” You scowled at him, following Bucky into an alley, only to duck as shots rang out. Chest heaving, you looked around for the source of the bullets that killed the men chasing you.  Your “guardian angel” as Zemo put it.

She soon appeared in all her stunning, blonde badass glory. “Sharon?”

Sam quickly explained the situation, trying to get her not to shoot Zemo who she had a gun pointed at.

“I stole Steve’s shield, remember? I also took the wings for your ass,” she pointed the gun at Sam, then Bucky, “so that you could save his ass, from his ass.” And the gun was back on Zemo. She shot you a smile. “And your ass is looking beautiful as always.”

You grinned back. “Thanks. You’re not looking too bad yourself.”

As she spoke, your lips turned down. You had tried calling her after Germany, but it always went to voicemail. First thing you did when you got back was try to get everyone pardoned, but it was a process. And then you found out about Wanda and ever since…

Sharon was your first real friend. She was only a couple years younger than you and had been one of your first partners during your time with SHIELD. And the fact that she’d been on the run for years now, even with the Blip, her family not having seen or talked to her since…that was exactly why you couldn’t take a break. She was family and you found there was nothing more important than family. But when she needed you, you were out searching for someone who didn’t want to be found.

How were you supposed to choose between two sisters? How could you cope with the fact that you chose the wrong one?

“Sharon, we need your help.” She laughed at Bucky’s statement. “Please,”

She glanced at you and you nodded. “I’d appreciate it, Share.”

She gave a sigh before nodding. “This isn’t over. I have a place in High Town. You should be safe there for a while.”

She turned and started walking, and you were about to follow, when you remembered something.

Spinning around, your fist connected with Zemo’s cheek, Sam and Bucky shouting in surprise while the man stumbled back. “Don’t you fucking dare touch him like that ever again, or I will break every bone in your body.” You threatened, your expression twisting into a scowl as you grab his hand and bend it awkwardly. He grunted but didn’t move, knowing one wrong turn would break his wrist. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal.” He ground out.

You pushed a little more, making him wince, before letting go and rounding back to Sharon, who was smirking at you. “Let’s get moving.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She jerked her head back over her shoulder to where a car was waiting, leading them over.

You quickly followed after her with Bucky on your heels and Sam dragging Zemo along. Speaking of heels, as soon as you got in the car - getting shotgun for the first time ever at Sharon’s insistence - you prodded the stupid shoes off your feet.

“Nice kicks.”

“Yeah.” You scoffed. “Unless you’re trying to kick.”

“Did you rip the dress?”

“I was tempted to.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you in something more comfortable. And you’ll look just as good. Not that you wouldn’t look good in literally anything.”

You chuckled, giving her a look. “Let’s not test that theory.”

She smiled back, nodding. “Fine. I’ll let you pick something out.”

Sam huffed, crossing his arms best he could, being squished with the two other fully grown men in the back seat. “Women.”

The two of you exchanged looks, rolling your eyes at the three pouting guys. “Men.”

*****************

“I’m gonna go check on the boys. But I’ll be right back.”

You nodded, looking through her closet. No dresses. And absolutely no heels. Flats, if you had to, but you’d definitely prefer sneakers right now. You decided on shorts and an off-the-shoulder blouse, grateful for the looser clothing.

“They’re idiots.”

You laughed and looked over at the door as Sharon entered. “Yeah. I know.”

“Cute.” She commented on your outfit, sitting on her bed. “They explained the situation. Sam said if I help, he’d clear my name-”

“Sharon.” You sighed, biting your lip. “I tried. I really did. I-”

She shook her head, smiling at you reassuringly. “No, I know. It’s why I’m not mad at you. Sorry I didn’t call back. How’ve you been?”

You shrugged. “Fine, I guess.”

“Even with the whole ‘Cap is back’ thing.”

“Walker’s the government’s pet. He’s not Captain America. He’s not…”

“Steve?”

Looking up at her from the ground, you nodded. “Yeah.”

“Do you miss him?”

You smirked, wagging your eyebrows at her. “Do you?”

She rolled her eyes, tossing a pillow at you. “It’s kinda weird now, isn’t it?”

“Maybe a little. But I can’t blame you. Have you seen him shirtless? Good God.”

Sharon laughed, shaking her head as you joined her on the bed. “How come it’s always you getting wrapped up in these things?”

“I have no clue.” You chuckled, crossing your legs underneath you. “First I’m answering a phone call from Bucky at five in the morning and next thing I know, I’m being kicked off of semi trucks, breaking criminals out of prisons and running in six inch heels.”

“You answer Bucky’s calls at five in the morning?”

You gave her a look. “Sharon-”

“No, no. Hey. That’s cool. Some girls like bad boys, some like jocks, others like nerds. You like super soldiers from the 40’s. Everyone’s got a thing.”

A playful shove turned into a pillow fight, which turned into a sparring session, during which you pin her on her back. “You’re getting better.” You complimented, getting up.

She glared at you, taking your outstretched hand and letting you pull her up. “I guess that’s why you’re an Avenger.”

“That’s still weird to say.”

“Why? You’ve been an Avenger since, what? Ultron?”

You nodded, straightening your clothes. “Officially, anyways.”

“Right. Because you were there for the Battle of Manhattan as the secret seventh superhero.”

“Yeah…I miss it. The anonymity. I’m pretty sure I’m one half the Senators’ speed dials.”

Sharon frowned, brows pinching together. “What about the other half of the OG? Where are they?”

“Thor’s in space, Bruce is MIA - which I can’t really blame him for - and Clint’s retired with his family.”

“You think he’s gonna stay retired?”

You shrugged. “I hope he does. He’s been trying to retire for years. He deserves it. Knowing him, though…probably not.”

Sharon crossed her arms, nodding at you. “So that leaves you.”

“Yes it does.”

“Do you ever think of taking a break?”

You gave a half-sigh, half-groan, making her smirk in amusement. “It’s…come up a lot recently. I dunno. I think I’m burning out, anyways.”

“What makes you say that? I was watching you guys with Selby. You’re still one of the best I’ve ever seen.”

“I-I’ve been having…problems.”

Her eyes narrowed, her hands setting on her hips like a mother about to scold her child. “What kind of problems?”

“Just flashbacks. Of different things. It happens at random times. Certain triggers; something someone says or does, or something I smell or hear.”

“PTSD?”

“Something like that.”

“Has it affected you in the field?” Hesitating to answer was answer enough and she nodded. “Then…maybe it’s time you do start considering retiring.”

You snorted, shaking your head. “At 36? There’s no way.”

“C’mon. It’s not too late for you to settle down. Go one a few dates. Meet someone. Maybe have a couple kids-”

“Woah, woah. Slow your roll.” Your features scrunched up in incredulity. “Pump your breaks. No one said anything about marriage or kids.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying…think about it. I heard even Bucky’s been on a few dates.”

It was your turn to narrow your eyes at her, hearing the suggestive tone in her voice and seeing the eyebrow raise. “Yeah. He has. A few. I told him to. Told him it might be good for him to, I dunno, get back out there.

“Or, you could just…go out there with him.”

“Not you too! Have you been talking to Sam?”

“Is it Steve? Is that what’s stopping you? Because you know he’d just want you to be hap-” She stopped as he phone vibrated, grabbing it and reading the text. “Company’s arriving.” She pointed a finger at you. “You got very very lucky. This conversation isn’t over. I’m not dropping this.”

You bit your cheek and nodded. “Alright, mom. Can we go party now?”

She breathed out a laugh and nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go party.”

**********************

“Hey, gorgeous! There you are!”

You smirked at the boys as they met you near the top of the stairs, eyeing Sam and Bucky appreciatively. Damn, could Sam pull off a turtleneck. And Bucky in black and skinny jeans? Sharon sure had good taste. “Today’s the day for attractive outfits, huh, gentlemen?”

“I’ll say.” Bucky hummed, glancing at your own outfit. “You look beautiful, doll.”

“You look very dashing yourself, Barnes.” You grin, pulling at the lapels of his black blazer and fixing the collar. You smoothed your hand down the front of his shirt, looking up at him with an eyebrow raised when he caught your wrist, keeping your palm over his heart.

He clenched his jaw, taking a breath, before letting it out, almost dejectedly, and letting your hand go. “Um,” He cleared his throat, hand falling down by his side. “Did, uh, did Sharon say anything more about these friends of hers to you?”

“Nope.” You shook your head. “Just told me to enjoy the party.”

“I guess we should go enjoy the party, then.” Sam nodded towards the stairs, where the music was floating up, her guests already pouring in.

You made your way downstairs, looking around the room. Sharon sure did know how to throw one, that’s for sure.

People were pushed together, dancing to the beat of the music, drinking, with colored lights flashing every which way. Bucky’s hand found yours almost instantly, and you smiled at him. “C’mon.”

“What?” His eyes were wide as you dragged him towards the groups of people dancing. 

“Dance with me.”

He shook his head violently. “I-I can’t.”

“I thought you used to be a dancer?”

“Used to. And I was a swing-dancer. Not…” He gestured around to the people bobbing up and down, moving their bodies with each other.

You waved dismissively, pulling him closer. “All you need to do is feel the beat. I’m sure you can do that, can’t you, Mr. Tough and Scary Assassin?”

He licked his lips, looking around nervously. You brought his hands to your hips, making his eyes snap back to yours, your own arms winding around his neck. You started moving rhythmically, nodding your head to the music, smiling up at him and giggling at the adorable concentration on his face.

“You, uh, you go to parties like this a lot?”

“I specialized in undercover operations, remember? I practically lived at these places for some of them.” He licked his lips, his grasp on your hips tightening. “Loosen up a little.” You laughed, catching his jaw between your fingers and making him look at you instead of the crowd surrounding him. You scratched at the scruff, speaking softly, but loud enough for him to hear. “It’s just me.”

He nodded and, slowly, a bit hesitant, started moving his body with yours, relaxing his tense muscles the longer you two danced.

“Nice hit, by the way. With Zemo earlier.”

You shrugged, turning in his arms, biting your lip when he pulled you closer, your back to his chest. “I didn’t like the way he grabbed you. It was unnecessary. I was thinking of making a list, actually.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” Your arms wound around his neck again, your head falling back to his shoulder. “Of things he’s done so far that warrant’s me beating his ass once this is done.”

He chuckled, warm breath tickling your cheek, thumbs tracing circles on the bare skin just above the waistline of your shorts. Your own fingers had found home in his hair holding his head where it was, his lips centimeters away from your ear. “Share it with Sam. I’m sure he has a few things to add.”

Your breath hitched as his metal fingers danced along your bare navel, arm tightening around your waist. “I’m sure he does…I thought you said you can’t dance.”

“I guess I just needed to warm up. I’m a bit rusty after eighty years.”

“Don’t seem that rusty to me.” You breathed out, turning your head to look at him. His tongue ran across his lips again, his eyes glancing to your own.

“Hey, guys!” The world and your situation came crashing down on you, the music you didn’t realize you’d been tuning out, along with the crowd’s boisterous laughter and cheers, rushed back to yours ears. The little bubble with just you and Bucky shattered. You both stepped away from each other; you cleared your throat and pushed down the heat that had nothing to do with the hundred bodies in the one room, while Bucky rubbed the back of his neck, the tips of his ears red with no help from the colored lights. Both of you were panting lightly, avoiding eye contact with the other three staring knowingly at you. Sharon nodded her head, gesturing behind her. “I found him.”

Sam nudged Bucky - who was staring at you, his jaw ticking and his throat tightening as he swallowed thickly - before jabbing his thumb in Sharon’s direction. “Here we go.”

You nodded, eyeing Bucky with a small smile. “Here we go, Buckaroo.”

[buckyswintersoldiermask]

The Super Soldier and His Friend

Part 7

Bucky Barnes x friend!reader

(Bucky x Sam, Sam x reader, Sarah x reader)

⊙ Bucky Masterlist ⊙ Main Masterlist ⊙ TSSAHF Masterlist ⊙

Summary: Bucky tells Yori the truth, and tells you that you’re his family. Bucky invites you to go with him to Louisiana for a cookout with Sam.

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: spoilers for FATWS Episodes 5 and 6

A/N: this is the final part of the series, I hope it’s to y’all’s liking :)

I don’t want FATWS to end :((

“You weren’t amending, you were avenging.” Those words rang in Buckys mind. He truly wasn’t amending, so he knew what he had to do.

“So you’re going to tell Yori today, are you sure today is the day?”

“I’ve waited long enough, he needs the closure (y/n) and it’s one step closer to me making amends.”

You patted his shoulder and gave him a warm smile, “I’ll be at my place, come over if you want, when you’re done.” He nods before you both leave his apartment. You went into your apartment just hoping the best for Bucky.

He’s had so much growth since you’ve met him, he’s finally getting closer to peace. Something he’s wanted since you met him.

Bucky didn’t take long. Bucky knocked on his door, Yori surprised to see him, he let him in. They sat down and Bucky told him straight up,

I, uh, have something to tell you. About your son.

Yori was confused to say the least, what could Bucky know about his son? Bucky and Yori sat down as Bucky slipped off his glove.

He was murdered. Bucky said, making Yori even more confused.

By The Winter Soldier. And that was me. Bucky finally spits out, as his voice shakes. Taking everything in him not to fall apart.

“Why?” Yori asked, Bucky inhales, trying to compose himself, “I didn’t have a choice.”

Yori showed Bucky out after that. Bucky took a little walk afterwards, before showing up at your door.

Once he knocked on your door and you saw his face, you knew he had told him. He had tried to tell Yori multiple times, but this time he stuck with it. You let him in and he sat down on your couch.

You stood just a few feet away from him, wanting to know if he’s okay. “So how did it go?”

“I told him, he asked why, and I told him why.”

“I know that was hard and I’m proud of you.” Bucky nods, as you pat his shoulder.

“Do you want to stay for a bit?” He nods again and you grab a bunch of delivery menus from your kitchen. “You’re lucky I don’t have work tomorrow.”

“Your hours are never consistent. Why do you even work there?”

“Well some of us aren’t a World War II veteran and need to work to have a roof over our heads.” You retorted, passing him a menu. “Order us some food, and if I didn’t have a job I wouldn’t be able to pay for our food.”

He smirked before ordering the food as you brought 2 sodas to the table. Setting them down, before sitting down across from him. “Do you want to talk about it?” He shook his head, popping the lid on the soda off.

Trying to lighten the mood you say, “Well I know what we could talk about.”

“And what’s that?”

“Sam’s new suit.” You say, before opening your own soda.

“I’m not following.”

“That’s a nice suit. The Wakandans did good.”

“How did-“

“Just a hunch. Now let’s talk about your suit.”

“My suit is fine.”

“I mean it could use some tweaks.”

“We are not doing this.”

“Sam’s suit is better than yours.” You blurt out, teasing Bucky more. His mouth drops open in fake shock.

“Take it back.”

“He has wings and a shield. You just have a jacket and some pants and a gold and black metal arm.” You exclaim, making Bucky roll his eyes.

“And here I thought you were my friend.”

“I am, and as your friend I’m saying your suit needs an upgrade.”

“Alright, fashion expert.”

After some more light bantering between the two of you, your food arrived, you paid for it then brought it inside.

You noticed the bag being extra heavy than usual. “Geez, Bucky how much did you order?” You asked, taking containers out of the bag.

“Enough.”

“Yeah enough to feed 6 people.”

You and Bucky ate as he told you about him and Sam stopping the flagsmashers. It was nice to hear Bucky and Sam working together and not being a pain in each other’s sides. You saw Sam’s speech on TV the other day, it was beautiful and inspiring. Sam is Captain America.

It was way past 12am and Bucky decided he should go home. Even though you didn’t mind him staying, he insisted. “Will you be alright tonight?” You asked, making sure he’d be okay after that day's events.

He nods, “if not, I’ll come over.” You give him a tight hug before he leaves.

It was quiet and calm in your apartment as you were getting ready for bed. Bucky seemed fine after talking to Yori but he knew he’s always welcome at your place anytime. Which you always expressed. You were getting ready for bed and was interrupted as you heard a knock on your door. You groaned as you trudged to your front door.

You unlocked it to see it’s Bucky. You let him in and close the door behind him, “why didn’t you just use your key?”

“I didn’t want you to think someone was breaking in.”

“Good point,” you sat down on the couch and patted it, telling him to come sit down. “You okay, Buck?” You asked, remembering what he said earlier. He sat down beside you as you got ready to listen to what he had to say.

“Yeah, I just wanted to ask you something.”

“What’s up?”

“Sam invited me to a cookout in New Orleans and I wanted to know if you’d come with me.”

“I’d love to, only if Sam and his family are okay with it. I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“I asked him if it was okay. He said you’re welcome to come.” You smiled, “well if it’s okay with him.”

“I got us plane tickets.” He says, handing you a plane ticket he bought.

“You just knew I’d say yes, huh?”

“I just want all of my family to be there.” You stare at him for a moment, with a jaw dropping expression on your face.

“You’re family (y/n/n). I thought I had nothing when Sam gave up the shield, but I had you. Even though we are an usual pair of friends, you’re very important to me.”

“So that’s why you came here at almost 2am? To tell me I’m your family.”

“Yes?” Bucky answered, unsure of how you were taking this.

“I love you too, Buck.”

You glanced down at your plane ticket to see the date you’re supposed to be leaving.

“We’re leaving in 2 days?!”

“Yes..” you glared at him as he slouched in his seat avoiding eye contact with you.

After about a 3 hour flight, you and Bucky landed in New Orleans. You rented a car and you were on your way to the dock, where the cookout was.

“Wait.” You said, making Bucky stop the car abruptly.

“What happened?”

“We have to bring something. We can’t show up empty handed.”

“What should we bring?”

Bucky drove to the store and the both of you settled on a cake with buttercream icing and 2 liters of soda. You pull up to the dock and Bucky puts on some shades and his jacket. You shook your head as you grabbed the drinks and Bucky got the cake. Music was playing, food was being cooked and everybody was just having a good time when you walked up.

The first people who greeted Bucky were Sam’s nephews, Cass and AJ. Bucky pretended to fight with them for a little bit before walking over to the table and placing down the cake. You came behind and placed the drinks on the table as well. Bucky glanced around looking for the man of the hour. He was getting hugs and pictures from people in the community.

Bucky brought you over to Sam, giving him a hug. Buckys come a long way from ignoring his messages to hugging him, you thought. Bucky glanced over to you, introducing you to Sam.

“(y/n), this is Sam. Sam, (y/n).”

“Nice to meet you in person, Sam. Thank you for inviting me.”

“Anyone who’s friends with Bucky is a friend of mine.”

You met a lot of really nice people that day. You talked to Sarah and offered to help her cook. And man did she put you to work. After you were done, you sat at a picnic table, enjoying the atmosphere.

You watched as children played on Bucky's metal arm as he talked to Sarah, which warmed your heart. Bucky’s arm being a bar to play on for kids. It was nice to see him happy and peaceful there in Louisiana.

Bucky excused himself before coming over to you, “you okay, doll?”

“Yeah, I’m just taking it all in. You fit right in down here.” Bucky nods, agreeing with you, he does fit right in. “Why don’t you come over here with me, Sarah and the kids?” Bucky questioned as he grabbed your hand, leading you over to them.

“I know you two have met.” Bucky smiled, as you sat down at the table.

“Yeah, (y/n), helped me with the food earlier, she’s the one that deals with you in New York.” You laugh, before nodding at Sarah’s comment, “that’s me, though, I feel it's a mutual thing, we deal with each other.”

“Thank you for being so welcoming.” You said as a big smile appeared on your face.

“Of course.”

The music continued to play as everyone danced around, chatted, and ate. The sun began to set. Bucky went to talk to Sam for a moment and Sarah went to go talk to some more people. You stayed there watching the kids play, such innocence and beauty. You glanced over at Sam and Bucky as Bucky nudged his shoulder, a huge grin on his face. You had never seen him smile as much as he smiled that day.

Sam and Buckys moment was short but sweet. Bucky came back and sat next to you, still smiling.

“You’re really enjoying yourself.” You said, turning to him, making eye contact.

“I am, I’m really glad you came (y/n/n).”

“I’m glad I came too.”

That day Bucky realized something. He had a family and he was finally happy.

A/N: tell me what you thought about this part! Might make an alternative ending or something idk.

Bucky Tags: @ragnaroqk @mollysolo @mogaruke @whothehellisbuckybarnes @amelia-song-pond @fredweazleyswh0re @tinylumpiaa @i-reblog-fics-i-like @weenersoldierr @stephthepeach @sammypotato67 @ttalisa @mxltifaves @supremethunda @hanniebee33 @gamerartisy @afraid-to-be-me @qhbr2013 @kidswhofightmonsters @bahama-mama-llama @teti-menchon0604 @jbreenr

TSSAHF Tags: @nialeesato @marvel-ousnesss

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[dragonrajafanfiction]

Genji Heavy Industries (Part 1) Preparations

The MC doesn’t play a major role here, because there’s not much role to play. But she has a lot to say and lots of THOUGHTS.

The book is funny and I’ve kept the humor of the original novel. I also like that the MC here has a genuine sense of humor that makes her likeable and relatable to the rest of the boys.

ENJOY

There are several luxurious private rooms on the third floor of the Takamagahara for private party guests, and the spending amount is, of course, much higher than the card seats on the first floor. A guest can't go to the third floor without throwing a few million yen a night. 

The music inside the room where Chu Zihang and Caesar were hosting was deafening. You knock loudly to be heard.

"Little Sister, is that you? Don't come in!" Lu Mingfei yelled from inside. He sounds breathless, panting. In fact, when you press your ear to the door, all you hear is his heavy breathing and grunting from physical exertion. Your heart beats faster and your cheeks flush as your imagination runs wild with what must be happening. You back away from the door. You've been up to your ears in man-meat for hours so it wasn't a stretch to conjure images of Chu Zihang and Lu Mingfei embracing passionately. Poor Nono. Surely Caesar wouldn't be unfaithful to her, right? You bring your fist to your lips and your heart squeezes in sympathy. 

The door swings open and Caesar appears. He's stripped down to his underwear. Your eyes snap to the gentle curve of Caesar’s crotch, which, in your alcohol-addled mind, seemed to bulge out to enormous proportions!

 He grabs your arm and drags you inside, slamming the door behind you.

Women were lying side by side on the floor, their dresses in disarray. Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang are breaking a sweat to drag all the bodies around. 

“What do you need me to do?” You stammer and glance away. Were you going to end up on the floor too?

“Just wait until we’re finished. How was your time downstairs? You seem a little tipsy. How much did you drink?” Caesar picked up a woman and settled her gently back on the couch.

“I’m not sure. I think someone kept refilling my cup.” You twine your fingers. You can't turn around and look at him in his skivvies. Nono would probably laugh at you and the rest of the girls in the Student Union might resort to mob violence!

Lu Mingfei hissed. “What? That’s awful! Someone should do something about that! Those brutes didn’t do anything to you, did they?”

You shake your head. The room tilts and you try to hide it and the fact that youre suddenly breathless. “No, nothing like that. They were just… um… Are those women drugged?” You change the subject as the memories of the physical proximity of Diamond's and Chance's lips to yours, Calypso’s unopened rose and Armani’s lustful glare spring back to mind and combine with Caesar's sudden full frontal to create a sexual kaleidoscope you couldn’t handle.

"Strong sleeping pills plus strong alcohol. They have to sleep at least until tomorrow morning." Caesar shook a small pill bottle.

“Isn’t that a little dangerous? Sounds like a great way to make them sleep forever!” You recalled heroin and vodka was strictly forbidden because combined someone could easily commit suicide.

“I made sure it was alright.” Chu Zihang said, straightening a girl’s skirt. "We have about eight hours between now and tomorrow morning, enough time to get to and from Genji Heavy Industries. We ordered enough champagne before we came in so that no waiter would come in to check on us during that time. And these women were so drunk before they arrived, they won't remember what happened tonight." 

 He straightened his back and moved to the next. “By the way, did you give out any Star-flower tickets? I would have watched but, as you can see, I had to work.”

“No… no tickets.”

“Little Sister’s purity is as strong as Fort Knox! I’m so happy!” Lu Mingfei sighed with relief. “Don't worry, we’ll be out of here before anything happens!”

“That’s a good strategy in any case. You don’t want to show your favor to anyone in the first episode…” Chu Zihang gave a sage nod and moved to the next lady.

Lu Mingfei bristled. “What kind of lewd advice are you giving, Senior Brother?”

“So what’s the plan for the Genji Building?” You ask. You calm down and feel tired and tense, but seeing them working so hard despite having one of the busiest nights at Takamagahara was inspiring. The couches looked soft and inviting but you wouldn’t look weak in front of them so you continue to stand and try to look energetic.

"Uncover the skeletons in Hydra’s closet. And while we’re there, blow shit up." Caesar lit a cigar, the firelight illuminating the colored makeup on his face. 

"There are 15 pounds of C4 explosives in the equipment box, is that enough?" Chu Zihang took out a packet of Play-Doh-like stuff from the box. 

You recognize the packets. They’re dark green and can be arbitrarily pinched into any shape. They are easy to carry and easy to use. As the world's worst terrorists, according to Hydra, C4 plastic explosives would fit your needs. 

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! What are you doing with explosives out? We are turning into the kind of people on the wanted list step by step!" Lu Mingfei exclaimed. 

"We are wanted by the police department for smuggling nuclear fuel, terrorist attacks and raping young girls. As long as we don't do that last thing, we're not on the wanted list yet." Caesar fastened the leather sheath of the Dictator on the outside of his thigh, the Desert Eagle in the holsters on both ribs, and the eight magazines filled with Frigga bullets on the side of his waist, "It won’t be that bad. Chu and I are just going to blow up Kaguya's storage core. Kaguya is the first line of defense for the Hydra Clan. We blow it up and Hydra will go blind. Norma can take advantage of the opportunity to regain control of the network within Japan." 

“Caesar?” You ask.

“Yes, hun?”

“Am I also wanted for raping girls?” You give a dry smile.

He shoots you a genuine grin and snorts.

"Do not rush to change clothes, we have to leave some evidence." Chu Zihang said. 

"Almost forgot." Caesar took off his weapons and re-dressed in the slim purple suit, "Good thing I didn't take off my makeup." 

Chu Zihang fished out a cell phone from a guest's bag and handed it to you. “Here, take our picture.”

“Got it.” You say.

Caesar sat down on the sofa, dragged a woman to his side and pressed her to his body. He stuffed a microphone in her hand, and took a microphone himself, as if he was singing. 

Then Chu Zihang sat in the middle of the guests wearing a conical hat singing birthday songs, and Lu Mingfei pretended to accompany guests drinking and playing craps. Chu Zihang and Caesar pantomimed topless arm wrestling.

For each photo, Chu Zihang and Caesar adjust the phone time, so that the guests will wake up and, after checking their phones, they’ll think they spent an unforgettable night with the beautiful boys! But, unfortunately, they can't remember any details because they drank too much and can only imagine. Looking at the phones, you’re filled with a sad sort of regret that the boys actually didn’t have fun like this.

Lu Mingfei is full of panic, "If these photos leak out our reputation is finished! But we didn't do anything at all!" 

"MC, help me check the fuses on this C4.”

You scurry over without hesitation. Caesar leans in close to you. “You know about this too, huh? First shooting, now explosives…?” He says with a grin.

“I can hotwire a car… or I used to be able to. Not sure if I can do it with the newer models. I can’t fly a plane though.” You look up at him. “I’ll be the cutest little terrorist right?”

“Are you hearing anything I’m saying?!” Mingfei whines. 

“Are you sad because you didn’t do anything, but you now have a bad reputation?" Caesar looks bored. "Then do you want me and Chu Zihang to go out and wait for you for a while, so you can earn your bad rep?" 

"Bullshit! From now on I'm going to fight alongside you guys every step of the way! You guys aren’t going to leave me to take the blame alone!"

Caesar hands you a bundle of clothing. “Here. Put these on and get ready to go.” 

You take them and quickly duck behind the couches, pulling your dress over your head and slipping out of your heels. You unfold a skintight black bodysuit that fits you near perfectly and a trench coat with the splendid Ukiyo-E on the lining, made to look like they are from the Japanese Executive Department.

“Here. Don’t use them all at once.” Caesar draped a belt with a pistol holster and pouches of ammunition over the couch. Your heart warms at the side of this deadly weaponry more than the rose of Calypso. You were finally being trusted with a gun. 

When you step back around, you're fully equipped. Your tired haze is gone and your mind is only on the mission again.

Chu Zihang put his sword on his back, slipped into a black trench coat and screwed a black baseball cap on his head. Caesar is also in a black trench coat and was covering his face in dark makeup to conceal his fair skin.

"Isn’t it a little too risky? We can barely speak Japanese. How are we going to impersonate the Executive Board? People just have to ask us something complicated and we'll be exposed!" Lu Mingfei said. 

“I know it’s hard but you could try keeping your mouth shut…” You grumble, screwing on the belt. Just putting on these dangerous weapons brought you away from the Takamagahara summer of love to the cold winter of Siberia.

"MC, be nice…” Caesar chided. 

“Of course we can't break in. Genji Heavy Industries is a heavily fortified building, as tight as the Japanese Self Defense Force headquarters. Caesar and I spent a few days researching. It is a general office building from the first floor to the twentieth floor, and above the twentieth floor is the office area used by the Hydra. Access is by access card, and there are security guards patrolling. Those security guards are all armed. Even wearing the clothes of the Executive Board, an unfamiliar face may be questioned. Not to mention, that without the help of Norma, I cannot make access cards." Chu Zihang spread out a hand-drawn map, "The only possibility is to sneak in from the sewers and enter the so-called 'inner district'. There is no access control system in the inner district." 

You remembered that they had taken the elevator down below ground when you visited the Genji Heavy Industries and you saw the huge sewer system in Tokyo. The submarine dock of the Iwarui Institute was located in a giant twelve-meter diameter pipe. 

“Shouldn't the inner district have a tighter security network than outside?" Lu Mingfei looked completely unsure. 

You’re not confident either. Looking at the map, with only one way in and one way out, you get the sense that the moment something goes wrong, you’re going to be trapped inside with the enemy. The pipe was deep and led to the ocean. Given the volcanic activity down there, if you had an opportunity to use your soul skill you might be able to open an alternate tunnel like a lava tube to escape or even block this pipe with lava on the way out. The problem is your Soul Skill is not instantaneous.

"No one knows what the security system in the inner zone is, but at least we can avoid the people coming and going by going through the inner zone passage." The map Chu Zihang drew by hand was a map of the sewer system in Shinjuku district. His finger moved along the spider web of sewer pipes, "There's a sewer right below Takamagahara. We'll follow it east, bypass under the Shinjuku subway station, and shortly after entering the main channel, we'll see Genji Heavy Industries. Total length is two kilometers." 

"It’s like we’re just going to wing it right? But come on, This isn’t some My Little Pony Ride. Genji Heavy Industries is like a rushing river, we'll be up a creek if we make one misstep." 

"How can we know if we don't try? If we get caught, we’ll kill our way out." Caesar said gently.

"Hey! Of course you two Robocops can easily kill out! Have you considered that there are still civilized and weak students in the team?”

“Mingfei,” You say softly. He looks over at you, genuinely frightened. "You think I'm weak? Who has the biggest body count for this mission?"

“Little Sister, how can you smile in such a situation. Have you lost your mind? You of all people should be on my side…”

“Don’t you remember what I did in the streets of Chizuru?”

Mingfei frowned, recalling how you killed over and over. “But it’s not right for you to be doing things like that.” 

Chu Zihang confirms your assumption. “Her Soul Skill is the first one that I’ve witnessed that is truly S-Grade.” Chu Zihang rolled up the map. “Her control of it is impressive. Her ability to misshape the earth will help us find a way out by creating a new tunnel underground if necessary, and we have scouted several promising escape routes. Not only that, Royal Fire could take down the Internet Cafe’s wooden structure, but it wouldn’t be able to shift the Genji Heavy Industries building. But her ability is likely to do it. Right, MC?”

You nod gravely.

“If it comes to that, we can threaten the entire building. They were extra proud of that building and probably wouldn't want to lose it in a tragic earthquake..” Caesar smirks.

“I still don’t like it.” 

"Then you'd better stay and take care of the girls. Watching over a dozen unclothed and sleeping women alone in a room late at night is a job for a frail scholar, right?" Caesar shrugged.

"Am I such an unkind and unrighteous person? Can I watch you two go into the dragon's den and wait here by myself? Don't answer that. Just give me a gun!" Lu Mingfei was once again bold and firm, though he gave an owlish glance at the women.

"Very well! We in the Student Council never back down from a fight!" Caesar drew out a heavy Beretta 92FS and threw it to Lu Mingfei, "I”ve been waiting to give this to you. Thirteen-round magazine, the first nine rounds are Frigga anesthesia ammunition. The back four rounds are specially designed to deal with dragons. Mercury core, blunt armor-piercing ammunition. Don't use that kind of bullets against humans or hybrids. Although mercury is not that deadly to humans, it’s troublesome after contamination, and the armor-breaking warheads will leave penetrating wounds on ordinary bodies.”

"Will there be any dragons in the Genji Heavy Industry?" Lu Mingfei thrust his gun into his back waist, "I say just load them all up with Frigga tranquilizer rounds." 

“MC was the last witness to Lenin's last voyage when a dragon embryo was sunk in a Japanese trench. They tried to kill her once before to hide what happened that day. The Japanese Hydra  leader speaks with the same Russian Accent as the MC and then turns on the Academy as soon as he thinks we’re dead at the bottom of the sea? And then tries their hardest to capture us in Chizuru? And now tries to pin us down in Japan…”

Caesar looks down at you. “MC… you were invited on this mission for a reason. I intend to find out why. I think they’re after you… more than they are after us.”

[ikleesfiction]

Will you follow through if I fall for you?

Fandom : One Chicago Word count : 1,652 words Disclaimer

Previously on this fic : Part 1 🞂 Part 2 🞂 Part 3 🞂 Part 4 🞂 Part 5 🞂 Part 6 🞂 Part 7

Part 8

"Okay, you have passed all our tests. We can officially clear you now. Congratulations, Y/N!" your therapist informs you while you are sitting on the floor, panting, after pushing yourself hard.

You grin widely, elated. "Thank you!!" With your phone in hand, you are so excited to share the good news with Jay.

"I will send my notes to your physical trainer in Amsterdam. That way, he can correctly maintain your fitness level." your therapist pats your shoulder and leaves.

Your heart suddenly dropped. How could you forget that you're leaving? What should you tell Jay now?

◢◤

Jay's cell phone rang on his desk when he went to the restroom. Hailey planned to answer it if it's related to the case they're working on. But when she sees your name on the screen, she lets it ring. The phone soon stops ringing. It only chirps one time after that.

"Your boo was calling," Hailey says, a bit miffed, to Jay. He grabs his phone to check it. "She gets that you're currently working, right?" Hailey continues as Jay scrolls on his phone. Ignoring his partner's comment, he immediately leaves the room.

Jay sees you standing on the sidewalk outside the 21st District. "This is a nice surprise," he walks toward you. "But unfortunately, I don't have much time to enjoy it," Jay continues with a warm hug.

"I know. That's why I bring lunch here, instead of asking you out. Maybe we can sit down somewhere quiet and have it together?" you hesitantly suggest.

Before Jay can answer, he hears Hailey coming out from the District. "Hey Halstead, let's go. We got a hit on our suspect!"

Jay gives you an apologetic look, "Sorry, I gotta go."

"Of course. I understand," you say even though your face doesn't betray the disappointment. "Here, take this. It's enough for two. You can share it with your partner," passing him the paper bag from your hand.

Jay accepts the bag and kisses you quickly. But you know each kiss now is counted. So you palm his cheek and give him a lingering kiss before dejectedly resting your forehead on his lips. Jay notices something feels wrong. He puts his hands on your face and looks at you in concern, "You okay?"

A horn is honking impatiently behind him. You clench your jaw, frustrated. "Go. Be safe, okay?" You tap his chest gently.

"I will," Jay answers instinctively. He then quickly goes to the car, where Hailey's already waiting.

◢◤

You have laid on the couch since you're back from The 21st District. The sun already sets, the room has darkened, but you're still not moving. Your thoughts are all over the place.

You jerk in surprise when you hear your phone vibrates angrily on the coffee table. You see Nick Kroes is calling. Nick is initially, and still is, Alex's manager. When you started to gain more recognition for your work at Alex's record label company, Pyramid, Nick then decided to take you under his management as well.

"Hey, Y/N. I heard the good news! It's been a long time coming, girl! Cannot wait to have you back here,"

"When do I have to leave?" you cut to the chase.

"How about next week?" Nick ponders.

"A week?" you stutter in disbelief.

"I know, I'm sorry I couldn't arrange it to be sooner," Nick misunderstands your upset.

"No, I mean... Can you give me a month?" you plead.

"You want to stay there for another month? I thought you'd be asking me to send you a plane tomorrow." Nick startles.

"Yeah. Just.. there's something I need to do. Please, Nick?", Your voice sounds desperately close to begging.

"Ah... I'm sorry, Y/N. We really need your help here. Two weeks is the maximum time I could give you," Nick ruefully tells you.

You close your eyes in resign. "Okay. I'll try to sort it out in two weeks."

"Thanks, Y/N. If you need anything else, just tell me, okay?" He says as he ends the call.

◢◤

It's already nearing midnight. Jay calls you even though he's not sure if you're still awake. The phone only rings twice before you pick up.

"Hey, love. You're not asleep yet?" Jay greets you.

"Nah, I can't sleep without knowing you're okay," you reply, which is a half-truth.

"I'm always okay. Well, most of the time." Jay chuckles. You smile but stay silent.

Taking a deep breath and ready to bite the bullet, you start to say, "Jay, I need to tell you.."

But you hear him speaks at the same time. "So, babe. I'm going to.. "

Both of you laugh nervously. "Okay, you start first," you decide.

"I need to go undercover soon. So I might be unreachable for quite some time," Jay informs you.

"Is it dangerous?" you faintly ask.

"A bit. But my people will keep an eye on me. I'll be fine." He tries to assure you.

"How long is it gonna take?" you feel more disheartened. Really, time is not your best friend right now.

"As long as needed. It might be a week or two. Hopefully not more", Jay tells you lightly.

You close your eyes, trying to contain your tears from falling. You only have two weeks before leaving Chicago. "That's long." your voice sounds shaky.

"Yeah. But it's my job, Y/N", Jay huffs.

"I know, I know. I understand," you say as calmly as you could while hiding your anguish at the same time.

But Jay doesn't feel console. "Do you? Because you sound uncertain about it. Did you just realized the consequences of dating me?"

"Hey, I don't wanna fight," you toughen your voice. "You're going to be away soon. I don't wanna us be mad at each other for a long time."

Jay stays silent, but you can hear his ragged breaths. "Please be careful, alright, Jay?" you continue.

"Yeah, I will," he promises. "Look, I gotta go to sleep. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day."

"Okay. Sleep tight. I love you," you murmur your goodbye. Jay hangs up the phone without saying anything else.

You slept restlessly through the night. The next morning, you wake up to two text messages from Jay.

I gave your number to Hailey. If anything happens to me, she'll call you. I'm sorry for snapping at you last night.

I'll try my best to come back to you soon. I love you

◢◤

Nearing your departure, you hang out at Molly's every night. Whenever your friends from Firehouse 51 are not on shift, you always have someone with you. But tonight, all of them are working. So you sit alone at the bar, with a glass of ice water in front of you.

"Mind if I sit here?" says someone on your left. You look to your side and find Will Halstead standing there.

"Dr. Halstead, Hi," you nod at him as he takes a seat.

"Just because the other Halstead isn't here doesn't mean you can keep calling me that, Y/N," Will jokes. You smile shyly.

"You just got off shift? How was your day?" you ask him. Will has heard from Jay about this before. How genuine and caring you are to your friend. Always asking simple, but thoughtful questions.

"It's great. Busy, but I'm glad I didn't lose anyone today. How was your day? How is the podcast going? I cannot wait for the next episode," Will says.

"You listened to my podcast?" you ask him, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, I did. Jay told me about it. It keeps me company on my way to work. I like the remix that you played in the last episode. Smokey Robinson's song? What's it called..." Will tries to recall.

"Tracks of My Tears?" you reply. You smile to yourself, remembering your first car ride with Jay.

"Ah yeah, did you make that remix?" Will asks.

"Oh, I wish I were. But no, that was a work of the great Avicii," you explain. "You really enjoy it?" you ask him, still with a hint of doubt.

"I do, yeah. We have a similar taste in music, I think. Unlike Jay, though. Bet the only reason he listens to it because he likes to hear your voice", Will mocks his brother. You burst out a laugh. "But I know he's proud of you and your work." Will continue after his laughter.

"Hmm, yeah. I'm proud of Jay and his work too. Even though, sometimes it sucks," you harshly tap your phone that sits peacefully on the bar table. It lits up after your touch. Will can see a picture of Jay making a ridiculous face on the screen.

"You heard anything from him yet?" you question him.

"Not from him, no. But I saw Burgess today at the hospital when she's interviewing a victim. Said Jay's fine. They think they could wrap the case in a few days." Will informs you.

"Good. That's good." you pause to sip on your water. "Hey Will, may I ask you a question about Jay?"

"Sure. Ask away." Will nods.

"Is Jay.." you falteringly begin. "When Jay's mad, is he a type who's holding grudges for a long time?"

"Well, depends on the person. If they are a criminal, absolutely. If they are someone he's close to, sure, sometimes he can be a stubborn asshole. But in the end, he always forgives them, especially if it's someone he loves," Will answers. "Why? You guys had a lover's quarrel?"

"Hmm, something like that," you vaguely answer.

"I say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Jay must've been impatient to go back to you." Will tries to comfort you.

You are so close to telling Will the truth. That, instead of thinking of a past quarrel, you're actually preparing for the upcoming storm. But in the end, you change your mind. "Thanks, Will." you just give him an unconvincing smile.

Next on this fic : Part 9

+x Taglist +x

@shipshipshipau @itsdesiree86 @thevelvetseries @annaallicce

[get-lost-in-fanfiction]

LOST - Another Story

Rating: M

Word Count: 3.7k

A/N: This episode features more of Amelia and her thoughts than show dialogue so I hope you enjoy! So, here is Walkabout!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Walkabout

I can’t sleep. I’m up thinking. Part of me wonders how much I should get involved with the group. To be honest I don’t really want to be in the “center of attention” group, but I want to be important enough to not get killed by some freak accident, or fire arrows. I shudder at the thought. I would not want to die by a flaming arrow. Suddenly I hear Vincent barking and Michael shushing Walt to keep the dog quiet.

I walk out of my tent like everyone else and gather with the small group. I see Sawyer standing behind Jack so I stand near him. We can hear sounds of rummaging and growling coming from the fuselage. Boars. Our food problem is solved, finally. Walkabout couldn’t come any sooner.

“What is it?” Kate asks, breaking the silence

“Somebody's in there,” Claire replies.

“Everyone in there's dead,” Sayid reminds.

“Sawyer,” Jack says.

“Right behind you, Jackass,” Sawyer says next to me.

I nudge him with my shoulder and say, “Nice one,” Sawyer looks proudly at me. Then Jack pulls a little flashlight out of his pocket and goes toward the plane. Sawyer follows with a big flashlight. I follow not far behind Sawyer.

“Jack?” Kate calls to him, but Jack doesn’t answer or look back.

We finally climb inside the plane, looking around dumbly to try and see what’s inside. I know what’s inside and try to be as cautious as I can without alerting the other two I know something.

“I'm gonna shed some light on this thing,” Sawyer says and flicks on the flashlight. Suddenly bright eyes meet ours and Jack says:

“Run!”

We boost off the fuselage and run, Kate coming with Sawyer and I. Sayid helps Claire run. Boone helps Shannon run. Jin helps Sun run. Suddenly somebody knocks Charlie down and I turn my head to see Jack helping Charlie. I can see 3 boars running into the jungle and I slow down with everyone else.

“They're gone,” Sayid says, relieved.

“What the bloody hell was that?” Charlie pants, and I nod along with the others.

“Boars,” Locke states happily.

We walk back to the beach, Sawyer walking quietly beside me. Kate walks a little ways ahead and Jack leads the group. I hear a weird sound and see Sawyer opening and closing his lips like he’s going to say something. I tilt my head in question and he looks up ahead towards Jack and Kate. He doesn’t want him to know what he has to say. I quickly get fed up, at this point not really caring.

“What is it Sawyer?” I say a little too loudly and both Kate and Jack look back at us.

“Nothin’ blue-eyes I’m just tired. Keep walking,” Sawyer replies, trying to diffuse the situation.

“Then why were you looking like you wanted to say something, just tell me,” I say angrily.

“Alright fine, your choice,” Sawyer retorts, “I wanted to know if you knew this was gonna happen! Havin’ to wake up in the middle of the night for some boar.” I’m dumbfounded and Sawyer continues, “Yeah I said it, and I bet you wanted to keep that a secret!” I can feel the eyes of almost everyone in the group turn to me.

“Sawyer,” I begin but Jack cuts me off.

“Amelia what is he talking about?” He asks.

“Nothing he’s probably just tired-“

“Bullshit,” Sawyer interrupts, “You goaded me and now you’re facing the consequences. Tell them all how you’re from the future, go on!” He shouts at me and I feel tears prick at my eyes. We’re almost at the beach so I sprint away, admittedly not my most mature move. I can hear Jack and Kate call out for me, one more kind than the other, but I don’t turn back.

I get to my tent and collapse in front of it pulling my knees up to my chest. I fucked up royally, and Sawyer was right. I should have just waited until we were alone. Everyone returns to their spots and I can see them glancing at me. So much for trying to fit in. I press my face into my knees and don’t look up at anyone anymore. I can hear Sawyer pass me, but then I hear another pair of feet stop in front of me. I look up and it’s Jack.

“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?” He asks.

“Jack, I-“ I stop myself, I don’t have an explanation.

“Do you or do you not know what’s going on, what’s going to happen?”

“I.. I do. But it’s hard to explain, I can’t, I can’t fully explain it, I don’t know how you want me to,” I sputter out.

“Then try.”

“Well,” I begin, biting my lip, “My name is Amelia Kassman, I am 20 years old, now single, and I know the future.” When Jack doesn’t answer I continue, resolving to tell the same thingI told Sawyer a few days ago.

“I know the future because where I come from this world doesn't exist. This reality, or whatever, is from a TV show called Lost. This Island isn't actually real, and the show was filmed in Hawaii. I come from 2010, and the show has just finished it's 6th and final season. Weeks before this I had just watched the finale. Happy?” I spit, not realizing until the end how my tone got more aggressive.

“I don’t believe you,” Jack says finally, “Nor do I trust you.”

“I know, man of science.”

“What?”

“Nothing, never mind. Listen,” I begin, looking away from Jack nervously and to the fuselage, “You're going to have to make a choice tonight that you’re not going to want to make. No one will agree with you, but you’re going to make the final decision to go ahead and do it anyway. That’s your proof. When it’s done, come find me.”

“I don’t-?” Jack begins but I cut him off.

“Goodnight, Jack,” and I walk into my tent. I know it’s a long shot, but knowing how easily Jack can be guilted I figure it would work. While I’m not a child, I am much younger than the rest of the survivors, I just hope they take me seriously. I know by the morning the news will have spread and I’m going to be mistrusted and hated. God I hate the early season!!

“Amelia! Living room!!” Mom calls me from downstairs.

“Coming mom!” I call back, finishing getting dressed and tying the front of my shorts. I scramble down the stairs, smiling at my parents.

“I’m ready for movie night!” I exclaim as I plop on my favorite spot on the couch.

Dad presses play on the pre-recorded movie, so there are bound to be ads. The first thing we see is a promotional ad for a new TV show, Lost. I watch curiously, already interested. My dad seems to be intrigued as well and I turn to him excitedly.

“Dad dad! Can we watch this?” I ask him, eyes sparkling.

“Sure jelly bean, we can watch it together, our little thing,” He says smiling. I bounce in my seat happily as my brother shushes me. The movie begins to play, Incredibles, I haven’t seen this one before.

About halfway through the movie, my mom sniffs the air weirdly. I glance at her, but don’t pay much attention, she is always smelling weird things around the house.

“Ugh it seems like rotten eggs!” My mom exclaims.

“Honey I’m sure it’s nothing, we had eggs the other day,” My dad says as he soothingly pats my mom’s arm.

My mom sniffs the air again and makes a disgusted sound. “Hon go take out the trash, it’s horrible!” My mom says to me.

“Okay mom! Hey dad can you pause it?” I say as I scramble out of my seat.

“Sure jelly,” my dad replies and pauses the movie.

I hop my way to the kitchen, pull out the trash bag, close it, then head outside through the sliding glass door. I carry the bag around the house, reaching out for the trash can. Suddenly the world fell apart. My back screams in pain as I’m blown away from the house, the explosion pushing me towards the street. Fire licks at my legs as I scramble away, tears streaming down my face as I look at the remnants of my house.

People rush out of their homes, and everything looks blurry and in slow motion. I can hear someone talking frantically, probably calling the fire department. Everything feels heavy and strange, and my eyes want to close.

“Stay awake honey,” someone says to me, and I nod slowly, unable to see any defined face.

“They’re coming, don’t worry,” another voice says to me. My back and arms feel sticky and burning. God I just want to sleep.

I wake up with a loud gasp, scrambling to get under my shirt and touch my back. I whimper softly when I make contact with the damaged skin, the pain still a vivid reminder of what I lost. Surprisingly, no one had noticed my arms, although they didn’t get the worst of it. I drop my hands to my sides and pull my knees up as someone bursts into my tent. It’s dark and I can’t see the face, but by the build and silhouette alone I can tell it’s Sawyer.

“Blue eyes, you alright?” He says worriedly, and I can feel a tear roll down my cheek.

“Y-Yeah,” I gulp, steadying my voice, “I’m alright.”

“You don’t seem alright, your knees are pulled up.”

“I’m okay, Sawyer.”

“Amelia,” he begins calmly.

“James,” I shoot back. He pushes in further into my tent, letting the flaps close behind him. He sits next to me and I allow myself to drop my legs.

“What’s going on blue eyes,” I knew he wouldn’t say my name for long. I hesitate to tell him, looking at his face with watery eyes. He’s concerned, genuinely, and I can see LaFleur in him. I take a steady breath in and pull off my shirt, “Whoa whoa-!” Sawyer begins but I shush him.

I turn around and I can feel his eyes roam all over my scarred back, and a small noise gets caught in my throat. I swallow and begin to tell him my past.

“My mom, dad, and brother were all killed in a fire and explosion at our house when I was 14,” I begin, my voice more steady than I feel, “I survived with nasty scars and burns on my back and on the back of my arms. I should have died, but I didn't.”

“Can,” Sawyer begins but stops himself.

“Can you what?” I ask quietly, to keep my voice from shaking.

“Can I touch your back?” Sawyer replies just as quiet, so quiet that if I wasn’t listening I wouldn’t have heard him. I nod in response and I feel his warm palm against my rough skin. I shudder slightly as he begins to trace the burn scars with his fingers. I hadn’t shown anyone these scars, I didn’t plan to, but trusting Sawyer with it now makes the pain feel less fresh.

“I had a nightmare, a flashback,” I say, wiping the tears from my eyes, “I haven’t had them since I started med school, I wish they didn’t come back.”

“My daddy shot my mom,” Sawyer says, and I bite my tongue. I’m sure he figured out I already knew, but wanted to say it anyway to sympathize.

His hand leaves my back and I inhale sharply, “Put your shirt on blue eyes,” He says to me. I do so and turn back around, and when I do I see tears in his eyes.

“James…” I begin softly but he shakes his head.

“You an’ me aren’t all that different are we?”

“I suppose not,” I say quietly. Suddenly he gets up to leave, but I grab his arm.

“Stay,” I say quickly, “Please?” Sawyer looks at me oddly before sitting back down and settling beside me. I lay next to him, watching him silently before turning my back to him. I can feel his eyes on me for a long time. Just as I’m falling asleep I can feel a heavy arm sling across my body and a hoarse whisper that says, “I promise to keep you safe.”

Waking up I find Sawyer is gone, I sigh quietly, I knew he wouldn’t stay. Wouldn’t want to hurt his reputation and all. I crawl out of my tent and blink in the bright light of the sun. I look down the beach and.. Sawyer is fighting with Hurley. Shit. Running up I catch the tail end of what Hurley is saying.

“....We kind of—ate it all.” Right, no more food.

“What?” Shannon cuts in. I look around and everyone seems on edge, shocked, and almost ready to tussle.

“Okay everybody, just calm down,” Jack says, holding his hands out a little.

“We can find food,” Sayid adds, “There are plenty of things on this Island we can use for sustenance.”

Sawyer sits down on a nearby airplane seat and adds “And exactly how are we going to find this ‘sustenance.’”

Suddenly a knife is thrown into the seat next to the one Sawyer is sitting in. Everyone’s heads snap to look at who threw it, Locke.

“We hunt,” Locke says simply as Jack reaches over and grabs the knife. I laugh a little at Sawyer’s stunned face.

“How'd you get that knife on the plane?” Kate asks.

“Checked it,” Locke answers simply.

Jack hands the knife to Locke and says, “You either have very good aim, or very bad aim, Mr…”

“Locke,” Micheal cuts in, “His name is Locke.”

“Okay Mr. Locke, what is it that we're hunting?” Jack asks, I think that is the first and only time Jack ever calls Locke ‘Mister.’

Locke takes a breath and begins what seems to be a pretty well prepared speech, “We know there are wild boar on the Island. Razorbacks, by the look of them. The ones that came into the camp last night were piglets, 100, 150 pounds each. Which means that there's a mother nearby. A 250 pound rat, with scimitar-like tusks, and a surly disposition, who'd love nothing more than to eviscerate anything that comes near. Boar's usual mode of attack is to circle around and charge from behind so I figure it'll take at least three of us to distract her long enough for me to flank one of the piglets, pin it, and slit its throat.”

“And you gave him his knife back?” Sawyer says incredulously to Jack.

“Well, if you've got a better idea,” Jack answers.

“Better than the three of you wandering into the magic forest to bag a hunk of ham with nothing but a little bitty hunting knife? Hell no, it's the best idea I ever heard,”

Sawyer replies, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Locke opens his case, which is full of knives and everyone looks around with mixed expressions.

“Who is this guy?” Hurley says, saying out loud what we were all thinking.

I decide not to go boar hunting. To be fair I’m not a big fan of Locke and I don’t need him to be telling me all about fate and destiny. I don’t want to know, at least not right now. I want to act like I don’t know what will happen. I want to stay naive and think that we’re going to be stranded on the beach forever. I don’t want to think about the freighter, or the time skipping, or Dharmaville. I realize this leaves me with not a lot to do, except watch.

I can watch Micheal as he talks to Sun about watching Walt. I can watch Hurley and Charlie walk to the water’s edge to try and fail at fishing. I can watch Claire give Sayid his envelope. I can watch Jack walk over to Rose and talk to her. I can watch Sawyer give Claire a stack of wallets. I can watch Sun and Walt talk about plants. I can watch Kate and Micheal emerge from the jungle, and I can watch Hurley and Walt run up to them. I decide to get up and join them.

“It's okay. It's not as bad as it looks,” I hear Micheal say as I jog up.

“The mighty huntress returns,” Sawyer says to Kate, not seeing I was there, “What's for dinner, hon-“

“Not now,” Kate interjects, annoyed.

“So, it was like a boar fight?” Walt asks Micheal.

“Not too much of a fight,” Micheal answers, “It was more like me getting gored.”

“So, um, where's Mr. Locke?” Walt asks and I remember his showdown with Smokey in the jungle. I sigh, oh John Locke.

I sit on the beach as I watch the sun go down across the ocean. Across the Ocean, I smile to myself. Out of my peripheral I see Jack sit by Rose, far down the beach where I’m sitting. I glance towards them, watching Rose tell Jack she is sure her husband is not dead. Rose and Bernard’s relationship is truly special, I hope they lived a good life after the events of Season 6. They deserve that. I scan the beach, looking for Sawyer. When I don’t see him, I resolve to staring out at the ocean.

I realize how boring I must be to the other survivors. Time traveler be damned. I wonder if they think I’m crazy, maybe they can attribute my staring to that. I think I’d be okay with that, they’re going to be dead anyway. I really need the main cast to believe me. I know Sawyer does, or else he wouldn’t have revealed my secret. I’m hoping Jack does as well, otherwise things are going to get really tough. I’m glad I don’t have the gun anymore. I’m sure they’d take it away from me if I did.

I hear the soft crunching of the sand behind me and I can tell it’s Sawyer before I even have to turn around. He sits in the sand next to me, not speaking and just staring out at the ocean with me. I want to ask if he’s going to the memorial, but he speaks up first.

“You goin’ to that thing tonight?”

“Maybe, I don’t know.

“I’ll be there.”

“I know.”

“Do you know blue eyes? Really?” He says and I turn to look at him. He’s been looking at me the whole time. I swallow and nod, but he shakes his head in response.

“What do you mean James..?” I ask quietly, making sure no one else can hear me use his real name.

“What I mean is, you say you know all of us. You say you’ve watched us,” He begins, “But do you really know us?”

I look away from his face, unable to place the tone he’s using for me. I press my face in my hands and I wonder what he really means. Of course I know them, really know them. How could I not? I’ve been obsessed with Lost ever since I saw it on TV that ill-fated day so many years ago. I can feel Sawyer’s eyes on me, then I feel his hand rest on my knee.

“C’mon blue eyes, let’s go,” he says and stands up. I take his hand and let me help him up. I move to let go of his hand but he stays put, so I stay content as well. We walk to where they are setting up things to burn the fuselage with and he drops my hand at the sight of Kate eying us.

“That’s the cure”, I think to myself.

“Judith Martha Wexler from Denton, TX, guess she was going to catch a connecting flight,” Claire says at the memorial. I look around for Jack and spot him sitting on the beach. “Um, she wore corrective lenses and she was an organ donor, or at least would have been. Steve and Kirsten, I don't know their last name, but they were really in love and were going to be married. At least, wherever they are now, they're not alone.”

Sawyer stands next to me and I can feel his head turning slightly to look at Kate every now and again. Part of it hurts me, but the other part of me knows that if I want Sawyer I have to wait. I have to wait for Kate, and I have to wait for Juliet. Claire’s voice seeps into my thoughts.

“... video store receipt lists his overdue charges for Willie Wonka and A Little Princess. Looks like he hadn't traveled much... as far as I can tell from his passport.”

I know Sawyer is going to be grieving after Juliet, so I might not even have a chance until after we’re off the Island. I shiver slightly and I feel Sawyer’s arm wrap around me protectively and pull me against his warm side. He’s just looking out for me, he probably thinks of me like a daughter. I shudder again and he tugs me closer, and my stomach sinks with guilt. It’s not even cold out.

“... Wollstein, Harold, seat 23C,” Claire’s voice cuts in again.

I can’t stand it anymore, so I try to tug away from Sawyer. He doesn’t budge so I try again, tapping his arm to let me go. I look up at him as he looks down at me. He releases me and I walk away from the memorial. I can’t stand it anymore.

“That's all we have on Harold, his name on a boarding pass... I just wish there was something more... Goodbye, Harold,” Claire says as her voice gets quieter as I walk away. I can’t stand it anymore.

I walk past Jack, and I can feel his eyes on me. I can’t stand it anymore. I walk faster down the beach. I can’t stand it anymore. I collapse in the sand. I can’t stand it anymore. I can’t stand it. I hear voices call out to me. I don’t listen. I’ll deal with it later. I can’t stand it. I cry out into the sand and hold my face in my hands. I’m not meant to be here, I know it and the Island knows it. The Island doesn’t want me, no one wants me. I look up at the ocean, my tears blurring my vision. I’m not meant to be here.

LOST

[tonyspep]

we made these memories for ourselves

a/n: soooooooooo thanks to the wonderful rocketrhap4229 i decided to combine my latest fic ideas into one. originally i was going to do richard as a dad and then one where he and his bride runaway from their big fancy wedding like jim and pam did in season six of the office in episodes niagra part one and two. instead, i put both ideas together and here we are. for the “you” aka mia i imagined gemma chan who's going to be in the eternals with richard this fall.

~*~we made these memories for ourselves~*~

pairing: richard madden/you

summary: when you're overwhelmed by planning your wedding, richard has the brilliant idea of whisking you away and creating memories just the two of you and your daughters

rating: t

As the date to your wedding drew closer and closer, you found yourself running more and more ragged. You were seriously regretting not listening to Rose who had kindly offered the services of the wedding planner she and Kit had used. It's not that you weren't adverse to taking advantage of what Richard's celebrity had to offer, you loved getting pampered and dolled up before his premieres and such, but this was your wedding.

And while you (obviously) had no experience planning a wedding, you were determined to do it yourself.

You didn't want some stranger – as impolite as that may sound – handling the most important day of your life with Richard. You wanted everything to be perfect, but you didn't realize how much work went into making sure everything was perfect. From seating charts to choosing the church to handling the fittings not just for your dress and your daughters flower girl dresses but for your bride's maids and his groomsmen and the tasting for the food and cake, you didn't know how you found a moment to breathe, and things were only getting more hectic as the day drew closer.

“Hey,” There was Richard's familiar brogue in your ear while you sat at your vanity and as his fingers slid through the grooves of yours, pulling you to your feet, you clung to him like you had during those first frantic months Millie had been born and you were so afraid you were a horrible mother because you could not get her to sleep.

You couldn't stop the floodgates; the stress of it all finally catching up with you and your whole body shook in the strength of his arms, tears spilling from your eyes as you struggled to catch your breath.

“I'm sorry,” You murmured, pulling away as you furiously rubbed at your eyes, willing the tears to stop.

You hated yourself for crying over something as trivial as wedding planning, no matter how important it actually was. You reminded yourself how blessed you were to have the life you did and that you shouldn't have been crying at all, despite everything that had been weighing you down these past few months.

Richard had done his best to help, but the fact that Marvel was even giving him time off from filming to give you the spring wedding you had always longed for, was more than most studios would have done so he was sometimes pulling doubles to get as much of his scene work done as he could.

“Talk to me,” His crystal blue eyes boring into yours and the genlte tone of his voice almost had you spiraling again, the familiar saline sting starting all over, but you steadied yourself. You felt your lip wobble slightly, another sob desperate to escape, but you shoved it down. “I'm fine,” You assured, waving your hand dismissively. “How many stories did it take before Bella finally went to sleep?”

You didn't want to talk about what was really bothering you, so you turned the subject to your youngest daughter. Though, your oldest Millie looked more like Richard, it was two year old Bella who had your husband wrapped around her finger. One tiny tremor of her bottom lip or pleading bat of her obscenely long lashes and he was a puddle, and it was much worse when he would return after being gone filming for long periods of time.

“Mia,” He's nearly pleading, his large hand cupping the sculpted plane of your cheek to keep you looking straight into his too-perfect-too-beautiful eyes, and you crumble because what else can you do?

“I didn't,” Unable to keep the floodgates at bay like you hoped you would be, and you begin to full on sob once more. “Think it would be this hard. I should have,” A few hiccups here and there, and you don't fight being pulled into the safety of his strong arms, your own winding around his neck so you can anchor yourself against his sturdy frame. “Listened to Rose,” A brief bout of laughter. “She was right, you know? I don't know why I thought I could do this. I've never planned anything except your surprise thirty first birthday and even then, your sisters did most of the work. I just didn't want some,” Several more hiccups escape as you try to regulate your breathing. “Stranger,” You sigh, fingers carding through the hair at the nape of his neck. “Planning the most important, the most special day of our lives. The girls already think you're Prince Charming and I'm supposed to be the beautiful Princess and it's just a mess.”

“Oh, darling,” A warm chuckle underneath his brogue as he shakes his head, fond smile you know so well curling at his plush lips. “Is that what all this fuss is about? Don't you know by now, Mia Elizabeth Wu, I'd marry you anywhere? If our little terrors weren't fast asleep, I'd marry you right now just as you are in this very becoming dressing gown,” His voice goes low as he slips his other hand, that's not holding your cheek, underneath the hem of your silk robe an indulgence from early on in your relationship before two beautiful little girls and diamond rings and future in-laws and such, when you would jet here and there and everywhere just because, packing nothing but bikinis and lacy teddies.

“And don't you know?” He continues, bending his head so it falls forward into the curve of your neck. His teeth nip at that spot where your shoulder meets your collarbone, his lips sooth the nip, taking care of your decolatage and it takes everything for you not to moan, he's always known just what to do to you. “You are the beautiful Princess. One more beautiful than I deserve. Tonight, I'll show you that you are.”

“Richard,” His name tumbling breathlessly off your lips. “But you must be quiet, lovely,” Husky and low against your lips. “If not, I'll have to take this tie off your dressing gown and bound these pretty little wrists and I quite like your hands all over me.”

It still amazed you after two children how he could leave you so thoroughly satisfied, that years later he was still able to leave you as breathless as ever and that even now he was discovering new ways to bring you to the brink and fall over the edge. You were a tangle of arms and legs, his fingers lingering along your spine before dipping past the dimple at your back to grab a handful of your right cheek, hiking your leg further up his hip and you laugh as he nips and bites at your lips before drawing them into a proper kiss.

It's soft and warm, everything you longed for as a little girl, his tongue leisurely melding with yours until your panting all over again.

“Better now?” His voice rough and deep, making a shudder roll through your practically boneless frame. “Better now,” You whisper back, your forehead resting against his. “Don't tell Rose,” You say as your eyes begin to close. “She was right. I'll never hear the end of it.”

“Your secret's safe with me,” He assures, chuckling before he presses a loving kiss to your forehead.

~*~*~*~

There are two things you don't have to plan and that makes you ever so grateful, your own Hen Night and Richard's Stag Night. You could feel a headache coming on, as you sipped at your customary cup of lavender tea the next morning, just from the thought of it. Though, you took comfort in knowing Alfie wasn't in charge of the planning and that Kit had taken the reigns, assuring you your fiancee` would be back to you in one piece.

Of course Emilia who had immediately bonded with your younger sister, Charlotte, had not made the same promise to Richard. You, briefly, shuddered from the thought of them along with Rose, Gwendolyn and your gaggle of girlfriends from your days at Grayford and then Cambridge all at your door forcing you into some garish sash and tiara while they kidnapped you – basically – with the intentions of taking you somewhere you didn't know. You hoped you would only end up at Emilia's or Rose's and the living room would just be decorated in hot pink crepe paper streamers while every bit of penis paraphanalia in London surrounded all of you.

But you doubted they would plan something so tame.

You laughed softly to yourself as you shook your head and took another sip of your tea.

You didn't want to look at your phone – who knows how many messages you had already – but your day would have to start soon enough, after all you didn't know when those loons would decide to kidnap you. Or when you would receive a text from Alfie that he and the boys were planning on whisking Richard away and not to put up a fight.

Just as you were about to turn and reach for your kettle, an exicted squeal of “Mama!” turned your attention to the kitchen's doorway and there was a very happy Bella squirming inside Richard's arms, her own chubby limbs stretching as she tried to reach for you. You returned her excited squeal with one of your own, “Bella!” which made her giggle as you did grabby hands before reaching her and Richard in three easy strides.

You bent forward to nuzzle your nose against hers and tickled her wonderfully round tummy before plucking her out of Richard's arms and into your own. “Mama,” Soft as her tiny hand moved around your face, squeezing your nose and you laughed, knowing she wanted to play.

“No Eskimo kiss for me, darling?” Richard doing his best to sound put out and you shook your head before leaning over to nuzzle noses with him as well.

Then came the sound of rushing feet, which meant a certain someone was about to come rushing at your legs, not wanting Bella to have all of the attention. You were prepared for the speeding blur that was your oldest daughter to come rushing at you, but you weren't prepared at all for what Millie was wearing. Your eyes went wide at the sight of her in her flower girl's dress, which made you look at Bella in your arms and you found her wearing her dress as well.

“Richard...” You started to say, but Millie's small voice interrupted you. “Daddy, how come Mama isn't dressed, too?”

“Dressed, too?” You asked, your eyes narrowing sharply in the direction of your fiancee`, your lips forming the familiar thin line they always did when you were struggling to show just how upset you were, a habit both you and your sister had inherited from your mother.

And in that moment, you realized Richard was standing in your kitchen wearing the white tuxedo you requested him to wear for the wedding. It was identical to the one he had worn at Cannes for the Rocketman premiere, the one you very much adored. Though, he could tell you were upset and confused, he still approached you with that so hard to resist and ever so charming smile on his plush lips. He reached for your hand, careful not to jostle Bella who was still nestled in the crook of your arm and brought your knuckles to his lips just like he had when he introduced himself to you at the Dolce and Gabana show all those years before.

Like always you couldn't help but shudder. Bella may have had him wrapped around her finger, but you had been wrapped around his the moment you met.

“Say yes to running away with me,” He murmured huskily into your ear, his teeth briefly tugging at your earlobe before he soothed the bite with his lips, then he trailed them down the elegant curve of your neck, taking special care of that spot he knew so well. “To being the beautiful Princess Millie and Bella know you are.”

“Are you...” You couldn't form the words, your voice trailing away as you felt tears spring to your eyes. “Rich....”

“Shhh,” He pressed his thumb to your lips, halting your inevitable protest. “We can still have the wedding everyone expects. Nothing will change, except we'll have this, something that's just for ourselves and the girls.”

The romantic in you couldn't help but swoon. You had never imagined yourself as the type to run away and get married, you were more like the Monica Gellar type who had been obsessing over your wedding since your were a little girl. You bit down on your lip, twisting the flesh between your teeth and then there was Bella's voice in your ear, “Mama wear dress, too?”

The hopeful look in her warm brown eyes made you melt. A soft hiccup escaped your trembling lips as you nodded shakily, taking in an unsteady breath as you pressed a kiss to her soft dark hair and whispered, “Yeah, Mama's going to wear a dress, too. Yes, she is.”

“Mia...” Now Richard's tone was shaky, his crystalline eyes just as hopeful as Bella's had been. “Yes,” You assured, your voice louder than before. “Yes, Richard Madden I'll runaway with you.”

Even with Bella in your arms, the two of you shared a heady kiss, your head spinning when he finally pulled away after briefly letting your tongues tangle. He easily took Bella from your arms, throwing her up in the air and then catching her easily as she howled with laughter. Millie rushed toward the pair, not wanting to be left out and you shot your fiancee` a withering glare over your shoulder before you retreated back to your room, silently warning him not to ruin the girls' dresses. They would still need them for the wedding you had been slaving away for as well.

~*~*~*~

Briefly, you panicked about what you would wear. Your dress – unlike the girls' dresses wasn't here – you still had at least two more fittings to go through to ensure it was absolutely perfect. Then you remembered how you had requested Richard wear the white tux and as if he was behind you, your senses assaulted by his heady scent of verbena and musk, you remembered him going into your side of the closet and pulling out his own request. It was the dress you had worn on your very first date, a simple silk charmeuse slip dress in a deep green by Dior that the fashion house dubbed as holly.

He confessed– after you had been together for months – he had seen you wear the dress on the runway for the famed French fashion house and thought you were the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He had been too nervous to talk to you then, only introducing himself to you at the Dolce show because his friends had given him such a roe about it. You had found him handsome, of course, but more so he was utterly endearing; fumbling and wringing his hands and biting his lip.

yes, you thought, soft smile blooming across your lips, this is the one.

~*~*~*~

i'm speechless

staring at you standing there in that dress

what it's doing to me ain't a secret

cause watching you is all that i can do

“speechless” - dan + shay

Keeping a four year old and a two year old from ruining their beautiful dresses was easier said than done. Especially his squirmy little monkey Bella. Mille had, more or less, settled down happily munching on her favorite snack of butter cookies and strawberry jam that managed to only cover her cherubic face and thankfully nothing else. Richard had been just about ready to surrender and take Bella back upstairs and put her pajamas back on until they were literally almost ready to leave and then he heard the familiar trills of your soft laughter. He breathed a sigh of relief, ready to question how you could handle them for days on end alone when he – apparently – couldn't do so for all of twenty minutes, when every word died on his tongue.

You were wearing the dress. At least that's what he called it in his own head, anyway.

You told him most models didn't get to keep the clothes they walked the runways in, but sometimes they got lucky. The first night he stripped you of this very silk slip dress, he told you it was him who got lucky.

That dress had followed the two of you from your flat downtown to his newly purchased Hidden Hills home in Los Angeles to both of your childhood homes and finally the sprawling cottage in the Essex countryside where you would raise the girls.

He'd pulled the straps down with his teeth, then raised them again after you had stumbled from the closet at his parents anniversary party, he had slipped his hand underneath the hem teasing you the first time he met your parents for dinner. He let you slip it from your own body only once... After the worst fight you ever had, you threatening to walk all the way back to your own flat – even in your strappy delicate golden heels – and after words he promised – the first time he had ever promised anything so fiercely – that he would never let you go.

He had been so careful of the dress when you whispered in his ear after Kit and Rose's wedding that you were pregnant again and soon the two of you would have your hands full with another little girl.

“Mia...” Your name heavy on his tongue as his mouth parts and he can't stop from licking his suddenly dry lips.

“You wore the white tux for me,” Your voice heady in his ear, your lips teasing his ear and throat like his had done to you. “There was nothing else that I could wear for you.”

and i'm speechless

you already know that you're my weakness

after all this time i'm just as nervous

every time you walk into the room

i'm speechless

~*~*~*~*~

You couldn't stop your eyes from flooding with tears as Richard stared deeply into yours while saying his vows, ending them with, “And yet I wish but for the thing I have; my bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.”

Though, you ended up forgoing graduate school to model, you still remembered those words from the late night cramming sessions over Shakespeare as an undergraduate at Cambridge. You always thought those words from Romeo to Juliet were beautiful, maybe the most beautiful in the whole play and for a brief moment you thought you might be dreaming, that you would be woken up by two little girls pouncing on you or Richard's lips latching here and there, but you weren't.

His hand shook as he slid the beautiful sterling silver band over your knuckle, kissing the finger after he secured it against your engagement ring and you released the breath you didn't even know you had been holding.

The Justice made his pronouncement and then Richard gently took your face in his hands and your lips touched, so soft and warm, and like always you tasted forever.

[donotexterminateupgradepudding]

Further defining the relationship between the Doctor and Clara Oswald; Season 9 episode 1 & 2

Blargh.  I’ve been busy with work stuff and getting ready for some travel so it has been taking longer for me to sit down and actually get this going.  To make my life easier, I’ll try to work on smaller chucks of season 9.  Hopefully, this will prevent me from getting too involved in the post. 

After the Doctor and Clara are reunited in the Last Christmas special (one of the more emotionally rewarding Christmas specials might I add) they are back to traveling together. Episode 1 starts with the Doctor doing a solo trip where he encounters the a young boy, Davros in a creepy handmine field.  Upon learning his name, the Doctor flees seeing that he shouldn’t help the creator of the Daleks himself!  And thus the tension builds as he hides while Davros’ snake servant goes in search of him. 

Of course, Missy decides to catch the entire world’s attention and Clara is summoned to U.N.I.T headquarters and we get a badass scene of her riding her motorcycle to the Tower of London. The biggest shift in how she behaves is how she acts like the Doctor when talking with Kate and the others as they try to determine what is happening.  Clara throws out big picture ideas and almost automatically starts thinking of all of the possibilities that this could be.  She has always been a self-assured and intelligent person, but she commands authority now.

As Missy expects Clara appears with the U.N.I.T. and the two of them have a very tense conversation about the disappearance of the Doctor.  As Missy really wants to have the full attention of the Doctor, she will stop at nothing to rile up Clara and insult her including her hurtful words asking about if Danny is still dead.  Missy presents the Time Lord confession dial to Clara stating it is the equivalent of a will.  She makes it clear it is delivered to his closest friend of the eve of his final day.  Clara’s reaction here is her at her best trying to give nothing away to Missy.  Her concern is evident, yet she knows she can’t be riled by Missy and must remain calm both for her safety and the Doctor’s.

Clara glances down at the dial, back at Missy, back at the dial before reaching for it before it zaps her.

She has a look of complete shock as it hurts her.  Clara believes herself to be the Doctor’s closest friend.  She declared it to Danny when he was just another cyberman.  Yet, Clara is not a Time Lord.  To add insult to injury, Missy points out that Clara is like the puppy with the random couple.  This implies that Missy and the Doctor are like a married couple and Clara is just some dumb pet. I get that the Master/Missy isn’t supposed to be a nice or sympathetic character, but I really personally hate Missy.  She spends all of her time trying to state how intellectually advanced she is, how she has risen over feeble and dumb emotions yet it is 100% clear that she is extremely jealous of Clara and the Doctor’s relationship.  She set their relationship into motion, but she’s not a fan.  Missy and Clara have a very tense exchange as Clara implies that their relationship must be love and Missy is totally offended by the remark and can only retort back Time Lords are better than that.  Clara clearly hit a nerve, not like Missy will ever state the truth.

Missy wants to state that her level of friendship with the Doctor far exceeds any understanding that Clara may have, so thus, she can’t even begin to comprehend a 2000 or so year relationship.  Honestly, not matter how old the Master may be, I really think as a character he/she will never develop a deeper understanding of “humanity” as a concept that includes Time Lords and humans. 

The 10th Doctor has stated that he’s observed people who have done more in 20 years than 80 years implying that time does not always equal wisdom or accomplishments.  He also stated he was just a young one at 90 implying as well that even though Time Lords live much longer, they clearly mature at a slower rate than humans or other species. 

Being the overly analytical nerd that I am, let’s say a 90 year old Time Lord is like a 13 year old human.  It means that at 2000, the Doctor is like an ~ 289 year old human.  Therefore, Time Lords can be more mature and wiser than a standard human, but not as much as one would expect with a different rate of maturation.

Back to the whole Clara - Missy face off, Clara clearly isn’t buying this and provokes Missy by stating that she’s to believe that Missy is best friends with the Doctor and turned good.  Obviously, Missy takes immediate offense to the concept of being good and kills two of the U.N.I.T staff in the area.  Of course Missy threatens to kill the rest of the U.N.I.T people in the area, but is caught when Clara tells her to kill her next.  It shows that despite all of her bravado and her Time Lord intelligence, she can’t figure out where the Doctor is since she isn’t as close as Clara is.

Therefore, Clara wins by telling her to prove that she is serious.  She only needs to point at the plane above her to get her point across.  And with that, Missy has no choice but to obey.

Oh sure, she tries to write it off as something easy and something that she couldn’t actually do anything bad with; yet at the end of the day Missy has to recognize she is out of her depth.

The framing then shifts where Clara is not the one seated and Missy is standing behind her since by her own admission, she can’t find where the Doctor is and Clara is the only person currently who can.

This also gives Missy a chance to put a vortex manipulator on Clara while she is distracted, thus removing her from the assistance of anyone else.  I have to admit, if Missy is so smart, she should have figured out what it took Clara all of 10 seconds to put together - where is the Doctor having a crazy party.

As Clara ponders what will let them know he’s there, Missy states it will be a small anachronism.  Of course both are shocked as he enters playing guitar on a tank . . .

The Doctor then tries to have some hilarious stand up a few hundred years too early and Clara cringes at his fish tank joke while Missy seems . . . not amused? befuddled?

Clara then asks Missy what’s the matter with him.  She’s never seen him like this - and she has seen the 11th and 12th Doctor, so she got to compare to totally different personalities.

He immediately hears her and pulls his sunglasses down a bit to get a better look at Clara and Missy.

Clara then wonders if he heard them and realizes that they are there.  Instead of verbally answering, he proceeds to play some of “Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison.  Of course based on their facial expressions both Missy and Clara think the song is about her and likely not the other.  However, Clara wins for having the more totally adorable smile.

As he continues to play, the camera will quickly switch back to them for a moment where Clara beams, Missy then gets a side glance over at her before she stops smiling and is more serious looking.  The camera pans back to the Doctor and then back to a very flattered and happy looking Clara who only stops smiling with her teeth as he finishes playing as if she were caught on tape.

Now the lyrics for “Pretty Woman” aren’t very deep or anything like that, but they are appropriate for the relationship between the Doctor and Clara. Pretty woman, walkin' down the street Pretty woman the kind I like to meet Pretty woman I don't believe you, you're not the truth No one could look as good as you, mercy

Pretty woman won't you pardon me Pretty woman I couldn't help but see Pretty woman that you look lovely as can be Are you lonely just like me

Pretty woman stop awhile Pretty woman talk awhile Pretty woman give your smile to me Pretty woman yeah, yeah, yeah Pretty woman look my way Pretty woman say you'll stay with me 'Cause I need you, I'll treat you right Come with me baby, be mine tonight

Pretty woman don't walk on by Pretty woman don't make me cry Pretty woman don't walk away, hey, OK If that's the way it must be, OK I guess I'll go on home, it's late There'll be tomorrow night, but wait What do I see? Is she walkin' back to me? Yeah, she's walkin' back to me Oh, oh, pretty woman.

The Doctor is always lonely - the Doctor travels through time and space yet can never have a friend able to keep traveling with him.  Therefore, these lyrics really fit both of them at the beginning of season 9, the only person they have is each other.

Clara runs down to ground level while Missy continues to watch from above.  The Doctor has to visually look at Missy before she will even come down while Clara was already there waiting for him.  She then comes up to him and asks how he knew she was there.

Clara:  Did you see me?

Doctor: When do I not see you?

Clara: What, one face in all of that crowd?

Doctor: There was a crowd too?

Clara: Wow, we’re doing charm as well now, are we? [laughs] Which one of us is dying?

As she states he’s “doing charm” it means she is impress with how he’s grown as a person and is trying to impress her.  Of course it totally works, she’s beaming at him here as she smiles, though obviously concerned.

After some nervous glances between the two of them, he then hugs her.  She’s thoroughly overwhelmed as the Doctor has initiated a hug between the two of them.

Clara can’t keep up with these changes.  This all makes sense.  Clara, like the 12th Doctor uses her quick wit and sarcasm to deflect when she’s not sure what is happening.  She’s clearly concerned based on her facial expression, but she has to be strong for him since his hugging means he’s worried. 

And we get that worry as the camera finally shows his face as he tells her it is a great way to hide your face.

When they finally break from the hug, she’s able to guess that he’s throwing a party, but this was not the type of party she was expecting.  The lighting in this scene is telling, his light eyes dart back and forth and when she pulls away we see shadows under Clara’s eyes.  She knows this is not the Doctor and he deflects her by stating he’s been many men and all of him is invited to this party.  12 may have come a long way with his emotions, but at a time like this he really still doesn’t know what to do.  He also has to deal with Missy as he then introduces her as the wicket stepmother.  He also uses this transition to place himself directly between Clara and Missy.

It is quite clear that he’s protecting Clara since he already realizes that Missy brought her there and he can’t trust Missy with Clara alone.

There is a bit of chit chat and eventually Colony Sarff, Davros’ snake errand boy shows up and confronts the Doctor.  He states he followed his friends to the location and asks for the Doctor to come see a dying Davros. 

The sonic screwdriver is thrown down before him and he looks ashamed and can’t say anything only able to reply to Clara’s comment that it used to be his sonic.

Not surprisingly, Missy has to ask what the Doctor’s facial expression is.  I waffle on if this implies that Missy knows exactly what that facial expression is and only says that so that Clara states that he’s ashamed.  This is him feeling ashamed for some sort of action.

Clara looks on with great concern as she asks him what he’s done.  That then leads to the rest of the flashback explaining what happened at the beginning of the episode.  Upon learning that the boy’s name is Davros, the Doctor freezes and is unsure what to do.  As the fog rolls in, he uses that as a chance to escape as the fog obscures the TARDIS, yet the tell tale sign sound of it departing before returning to the current events implies that the Doctor abandoned a young Davros.

The Doctor agrees to go and says the lamest good-bye to Clara ever as he just turns to her before turning his back to snake errand boy.  In true Clara fashion she barely even glances at Missy before she springs into action stating that they will come with him. 

And with that, the trio are transported to the ship as they travel to where ever Davros is.

While waiting to meet Davros, the Doctor reveals that he’s the creator of the Daleks (a surprising thing for Clara to not know seeing that she knows tons about the Doctor) and that the bigger question is “Who created Davros?” as an almost rhetorical question.

As Colony Sarff comes to take the Doctor away, he and Clara have a very awkward conversation.  She immediately calls him out on giving the confession dial to Missy.  Therefore, the Doctor knew she was not dead and he had someway to reach her - though she was unable to find him without Clara.  This clearly does not sit well with Clara.  She’s the one who is supposed to be able to lie, not the Doctor to her, Clara.  Their facial expressions are so strained, he’s trying his best to look calm and looks so sad as he hid things from Clara while she tries so hard to look tough. 

The tension between them is so palpable you can almost taste it.  Clara is off her game, he ran off to 1138, had a crazy party, made it so that Missy and Clara would have to find him, he tried to coldly say good-bye and how she’s stuck in a holding room with Missy who keeps trying to kill her.

When Missy and Clara get captured escaping from the room and the Doctor sees her trapped in the room with the TARDIS, he begs Davros not to hurt her.

There is then a discussion between Davros and the Doctor about how compassion was his weakness and he asks himself why he let him live when he stumbled upon him as a boy in his present time. The Doctor looks quite distraught as the Daleks wait for Clara to run before zapping her, the TARDIS is “destroyed” and the episode then ends with the Doctor deciding to save Davros to save his friend. I would say this scene is a complete parallel to the 9th Doctor and Rose when they were on satellite 5.  It appears that Rose was killed by the laser beam, instead she was transported to the Dalek command.  This is the exact same thing, I’m sure the Doctor knows that Missy would have messed with the vortex manipulators, the big question is if she only made it that hers would transport her elsewhere while Clara ends up dead.

Already this meta has gotten out of hand and I haven’t even gotten to episode 2.

The second episode makes it very clear that indeed the Doctor knows that they are fine (again as long as Missy didn’t kill Clara on purpose).  With Clara hanging upside from the rope (where did Missy get the rope? and the stick?) Missy makes Clara take her “Doctor intelligence test” to determine if she should keep or alive or not.  Of course Clara, knowing the Doctor so well, is able to determine not only why Missy wasn’t dead in the first place, meaning the Doctor knows that they are still alive and that the Doctor always assumes that no matter what, he’ll win.

Missy seems to need some convincing as to if the Doctor is actually thinking that, which Clara simply states, he’s expecting them to pick up the slack for him.  Therefore, they should assume that they will win.  All of this must annoy Missy on several levels since she wants the Doctor’s attention but has to deal with the puny and pitiful Clara.

Since the Doctor and Clara are separated, I’ll only briefly [try to briefly] get though parts of the episode.

The Doctor is upset and steals Davros’ Dalek chair and a laser as he messes with the Daleks.  They point out that he does not use violence, confident that he will not actually fire a weapon at them.  They do seem to forget that the 10th Doctor clone did commit Dalek genocide, but for some odd reason that doesn’t count. . . .

However, Clara is involved and this is clearly foreshadowing to how far he will take things for Clara.  Really, the Doctor has two great enemies, the Daleks with Davros and the Time Lords, well the Time Lord establishment that is.

Meanwhile, Clara and Missy are stuck in the Dalek sewers as Missy really defines how she really can’t work with anyone despite her opinion that she is a great friend of the Doctor.  Clara is 100% correct that they are not a team and the entire time it is like the worst Time Lord - human team, with the Doctor and Clara making the “best” Time Lord - human team.  I digress.

The Doctor then gives his demand to the Daleks, that he wants Clara Oswald returned unharmed and alive and he even makes sure it is broadcast through the whole city so Clara and Missy can hear it as well.  Missy comments on it while Clara only listens.  Clara clearly is trying to understand what it all means.  What is interesting is that Missy states this is the Doctor without hope . . . upon saying that Clara only shifts to look at Missy in shock.

Does Clara think he’s actually without hope?  She does look like she’s holding back tears, but she is unusually silent and instead Missy keeps commenting.  With Danny’s death Clara was talking non-stop when she was upset.  Now, she’s oddly silent.

To be able to infiltrate the Daleks, Missy makes sure to stick Clara in a Dalek casing, which has the added benefit that, she can no longer say her name . . . this is a bit of an odd thing since when Clara’s part of her self that had been scattered through the Doctor’s timeline was her Oswin Oswald, who was a fully transformed Dalek and could still say her name.  I think you wrote yourself into a little contradiction there Steven Moffat. . . not like your whole weeping angels issue between “Blink” and when Amy and Rory get stuck in 1880 something.  Sorry dude, your writing is not the most consistent.

The point is, everything that Missy does, is to use Clara to her advantage while still keeping her expendable and Clara just had to roll with it. . . . the whole thing highlights how her relationship with the Doctor is so much more equal even though there are times Clara will act as bait to assist the Doctor.

A huge portion of this episode is dedicated to philosophical discussions between the Doctor and Davros as Missy tries to use her negotiating skills with the Supreme Dalek.  I’m personally surprised that they can’t figure out that Clara is in the one Dalek shell, it is one hell of an assumption to make after the Doctor stole Davros’ chair.

The Doctor being himself, knows that Davros will likely try to take advantage of his compassion, a constant theme these two episodes but damn well knows he’ll also wake up the zombie Daleks. 

Missy runs into wake up the passed out Doctor and has procured the Dalek laser.  The Doctor immediately asks where Clara is and if she is fine, while Missy is upset he’s not asking about her at all.  Of course he gets the last laugh and runs out with his confession dial and runs into Clara.  He stops as the Clara Dalek says “Doctor.” and he tries to tell her to run.  The framing of this shot is good, we see Clara at the end of the hall and then it switches to a view behind Clara looking at the Doctor.

This is a classic “reunion” style shot as two characters approach each other after being separated.   The issue is that the Doctor thinks it is a regular Dalek and the weird Dalek programming won’t let her explain things clearly (really seriously, this plot inconstancy is bothering me, Clara should be able to override the Dalek programming since she already has done it).

Missy confirms that it is Clara and then tries to convince the Doctor to kill the Dalek as it is the one that killed Clara.  All of her cries that she is his friend and that she would never hurt him eventually result in the the Dalek saying “mercy” which is enough to get the Doctor to step back a second and realize that something is off with this Dalek (as well as Missy’s insistence to kill it).  Upon realizing that it is Clara, he lowers the laser and tells her to open the casing and helps her figure out how to open it.

He is at a loss for words as he sees Clara as tears run down her cheeks.

She’s trapped inside and he reaches his hands out to hold her face as she cries and really, we don’t get a great look at his face as it is shaded most of the time.

What is clear is he feels terrible about everything and to steal an oft used phrase from the 10th Doctor, he states that he is “I am so sorry.”  Since the 12th Doctor is much less social and has only had one companion so far, Clara, the guilt he must feel this time has to be immense. 

It is clear that when he tells Missy to run, it is a threat that if Missy doesn’t leave him and Clara alone, there likely will be consequences. 

The action then skips back to them returning to where the TARDIS was.  They return to the location and Clara looks perplexed why they were not shot when the Doctor reveals the TARDIS is fine and with that statement Clara is beaming and smiling as he explains things to the Daleks.

This is clearly and expression of deep love and appreciation for the Doctor here.

And back to form, now with Clara, he can show off as he looks back at her softly with that spirit in his eyes.

He has his Clara Oswald back safe and sound.  He knows what he needs to do.  With that he puts his sonic sunglasses on with more bravado than necessary (since it is all for Clara) and we get a repeat of how she looked when he had the invisible watch and was playing around with her.  The two of them look like two idiots who can’t get enough of each other.  What seals the deal is when the Daleks ask what is happening.

The Doctor’s reply.

Oh same old, same old.  Just the Doctor and Clara in the TARDIS. [Clara giggles]

As they escape it is just the regular old Doctor and Clara looking at each other, smiling, beaming at each other.  The two of them are 100% into each other and the fact that he makes it sound like they’ve been at this forever and will be at it forever shows how different 12 is compared to some of the other Doctors. He’ll do anything to hold onto Clara.  This really is the normalization of the two of them as an inseparable duo.

As they watch the Dalek city on Skaro succumb to the zombie Daleks, she asks if she’ll get to know what is on the confession dial, but she damn well knows he’s not going to tell her.

As he discusses the ability of Clara to get the Dalek to say “mercy” he ponders how it would be left in their programming so to speak. 

Realizing that it was the Doctor saving young Davros (and giving him his sonic) that it was himself who then allowed himself to save Clara.  He sprints off to the TARDIS and rescues Davros and only tells him that mercy matters, and likely based on Missy’s behavior, he tells him that friends and enemies likely doesn’t matter but that mercy does.

The first two episodes of season 9 serve a purpose both to shadow what will happen at the end of the season as well as show how far the Doctor will go to make sure that Clara is safe and sound.  His love for Clara is almost extreme compared to his love for others that he has traveled with before.

I found their reunion at bit flat, when they reunited during the “Last Christmas” episode, it felt much more of a connection between the two of them.  Instead, we the viewers barely get anything, we don’t even get to see him pull her out or hug her.  Did they think this would be too much too early? 

Overall, they do set up the depth between Clara and the Doctor and really highlight how much they love and care about each other while Missy acts as a foil to both of them wanting to have the Doctor’s full attention, yet never able to do so.  It seems like episode 1 did a better job of connecting Clara and the Doctor, while episode 2 fell flat for sure and just didn’t seem sincere enough even though there were dramatic events.

It went from the Doctor almost shooting Clara to them back to normal as the TARDIS materializes around them and no discussion of this afterwards.  Clara was unusually silent as well in the episode, it just felt off.  By this point, they should have had a long detailed conversation about what happened, but no, he hops back into the TARDIS, saves young Davros and the episode ends.

[winchester90210]

The BH 90210 Rewrite. 1x03: Every Dream Has It’s Price Tag

Rewrite Masterlist

Read the previous chapter here!

Chapter Summary: Y/N pays a visit to Brandon at his new job.

Pairing: Patience is a virtue, guys.

Warning: Swearing, feelings, minimal editing

Disclaimer: My work is not to be reposted or edited without my expressed written consent. (Reblogging is fine and encouraged!!)

Word Count: Roughly 2,700

A/N: Third episode is up! It’s a little short this time, but I enjoyed getting into romance novel territory with the descriptions this time. Next episode is a doozy, it’s one of my favorites. The First Time– Brandon’s old girlfriend from Minneapolis pays a visit.

The bell rings as Ms. Rye finishes her lecture,

“Okay, papers due on Monday. Remember, I want you to explore how…one decision, one event can change one’s whole life.”

You and Brenda both shuffle to get your things in order before standing up. She turns to Tiff as she and Kelly walk out of the room.

“Hey, Tiff, that was really funny what you said,”

“Who was trying to be funny?” She responds, mocking tone in her voice. You weren’t sure who Tiff was, exactly. Rumors say she was best friends with Kelly until they had a blowout over some guy and it didn’t end well. You didn’t have the best feeling about her, whoever she is.

-

“Male, female, root for your school, West Beverly’s team on against Beverly High, no fail! And don’t get lured by that sweet sweet nitro sale s-s-sale sale sale!” Once again, the D.J’s voice calls out, which marks the end of another glamorous day at West Beverly.

You spot Brandon, taking down names and numbers off the corkboard, hair blowing lightly in the breeze.

“You job hunting?” You ask, looking up at the different flyers and ads sprawled out amongst the board.

“Yeah, I’m just doing my bit for car insurance, you know,” He studies the board, writing things down as he goes.

“Anything looking good yet?”

“Well, I got uh, “Garden Graphics, Veggie Heaven Produce, This Town Restaurant.” I think we’re talking slam dunk here, Y/N/N,“ He jokes, tapping his pencil on his notepad.

You laugh, brushing a piece of hair behind your ear. “Hey, if your mom is anything like mine, she’d kill for a discount at Veggie Heaven,” you jest,“I gotta run, I promised Brenda I’d go shopping with her and Kelly. Good luck!” You tap your hand on his arm before walking off.

“Thank, Y/N/N.”

-

“‘Inverted Nipple Trouble?’ Pass. ‘Are you always attracted to losers? Here’s how to break the cycle,’” Tiff laughs at the magazine in her hand while Kelly searches through the tracks.

“Ugh, here is the cycle,” Kelly groans as she walks past Steve, with David Silver at his side.

“Trust me, dude. They’ll drool over this stuff,” Steve convinces, spraying a little black bottle of cologne on the collar of the much younger boy.

“Aw, finally found someone your own maturity level to play with, Steve?” You tease, joining Brenda at the other set of racks. Steve rolls his eyes and turns away from you.

“Oh, hey Tiff. How is that waterbed?” He smirks, turning back to the gold cologne wall.

“Kelly and Tiffany got nuclear over Steve,” Kelly’s friend gossips. Wow. Steve was the guy that tore them apart? Who would fight over him? Doesn’t exactly sound worth it.

“Details, please!” Brenda leans into her, interest piqued.

“But It was intense fallout. They just started speaking this semester in English class.”

You all grab the things you want to try on, and all five of you scurry into the freshly painted dressing rooms. You find a blue floral mini dress with cropped sleeves. It was so cute. And so two hundred dollars. Bummer.

“Do you really think one event can change your whole life?” Brenda asks, muffled by the white doors of the dressing rooms.

“Sure, like in pretty woman? Sorry Julia Roberts, but I’d wear this on the plane with Richard Gere.” Kelly responds. Such a deep thinker, that girl.

“No, I mean like what Ms. Rye was talking about– one thing you do ruining your entire life… I dont know, forget it.” Brenda continues.

“I don’t know, maybe,” You ponder. Your mind runs through the events of that night at the Bel Age. What would have happened if you stayed? Just being there for 30 more minutes probably would’ve caused you to bang Dylan’s brains out. That couldn’t be a good thing. You barely knew him, for one. You had to handle one confusing crush at a time. I mean, not that your thing with Brandon was really a crush, more of an appreciation… for a friend… that happens to be attractive. You didn’t like him like him.

“Maybe it wasn’t ruined,” Tiff calls out, “Maybe he wanted it that way.”

You change back into your normal clothes, fighting with yourself over the dress. Your parents would kill you if you spent all of your money on one dress. It was a totally cute, show-stopping dress, though. Go for it.

You walk over to the check-out counter with Kelly. You may be smart, but at this very moment you’re feeling weak.

-

The next morning you trot into english class, setting your bag down with a thud.

“Do you remember, Jake kissed like a wall?” Kelly giggles, practically linked at the hip with Tiff.

“OMG yeah, but he was better than the Lizard remember?” She sticks out her tongue, making a gross slurping noise while she walks to her desk.

You sit at yours, next to Brenda.

Tiff turns to both of you, “Hey!”

“Hey,” You give her a half smile, taking your book out from your bag.

“Hey, cool dress!” Brenda smiles, a nervous tick in her voice.

“Yeah, it’s a kick for sure!” Tiff spins around, posing before sliding into her seat. You notice Kelly roll her eyes in annoyance before sitting down.

“How nice of you to model for us,” Ms. Rye jokes.

“Ms. Rye?” Brenda asks, sneaking over to the teacher, “Um, I was just wondering, who’s more guilty– someone like in Les Mis who didn’t want to steal but had to, or someone who wanted to but didn’t?”

“That’s an interesting moral twister, um, and we’ll get to that,” She’s cut off by the bell, “now.”

-

You’re lying on your bed, eyes closed, finally getting some wel deserved peace and quiet. Away from all the gossipy peers, drama, and Tiffany. She exhausted you. You feel yourself drifting off to sleep, but the deafening ring of the phone jolts you up. Who could be calling this late? Why?

You sit up and grab your phone, answering it with a groggy “Hello?”

“Did I wake you up? I’m sorry, I can call someone-” You can’t help but smile sleepily at the sound of his voice.

“Brandon?”

“Yeah…listen, can you pick me up? I took the bus to work today and they don’t run this late at night,”

“So… You need a ride? I can do that. This Town?”

“Yeah,”

“See you in 10,” You hang up, frantically fix your hair, and throw on that $200 dress. You tiptoe down the stairs and out the door, not wanting to wake up your parents. Hopping in your brother’s 1990 Red Mustang Covertible, you slowly back out of the driveway and over to the bistro.

You pull into the parking lot, and see Brandon anxiously pacing back and forth, muttering to himself. You step out of the car, the cool nighttime air almost cold enough to leave you shivering.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Brandon Walsh, Beverly Hills’ own Working Girl,” you tease, a smile on your face. He smiles back, pushing the long blue sleeves of his sweater up his arms. “You ready to go?”

“Yeah,”

Your tired eyes meet his own. You get lost in the blue of them, admiring the way the moonlight looks on his face… Until the clearing of a throat shakes you out of your trance. You both silently get in the car, and you pull out of the parking lot.

“How was it?”

“I’m beat, the job’s a total bitch,” He confides.

“Really? It at least pays well, though. Right?”

“You know, that’s what I thought walking in there…but I make next to nothing, and these guys I work with, these– Vietnamese, Portuguese, Israelites, they’re coming here with no money and they’re getting completely exploited. They’re working for pine nuts,” He explains, a frustrated tone in his voice. He’s always looking to make things better for other people, it’s something you picked up on quickly since moving to Beverly Hls. It’s one of the things you quickly grew to love about him… Something that shines brightly in times like these.

“Wow…is there anything you can do?”

He sighs, resting his head against the seat. “I don’t know,”

The streets are totally dead, totally quiet. Peaceful. Only the occasional car comes around every so often. The crickets are loud tonight, though. Filling up the empty space. You see something as you stop at a red light.

“Hey, Bran? What’s that?” You smirk.

You point over to it, a large automobile, stopped at a red light with “Beverly Hills Transit” painted on the side. He looks over, and a smile– a goofy, nervous one, spreads across his face.

He stays quiet for a moment, the smile sticking to his face, shaking his head slightly. “It’s a bus.” You both look at each other and then back at the bus, slowly. You start breaking into a fit of tired giggles. You slowly get Brandon, who’s majorly exhausted from work, going too. So now you’re both sitting at a red light, giggling ike idiots. At a bus. A bus that wasn’t supposed to be there, according to Brandon.

Instead of overthinking the situation, you just drive him home, both of you giddy from exhaustion. You pull into his driveway, putting the car in neutral. This has been a weird night. Fun, but weird.

“Thanks for driving me home,” he says, his voice soft and barely above a whisper. You give him a soft “mhmm,” in return. And, like earlier, you’re staring into his eyes again, and he’s staring into yours. You’re drifting closer and closer…

And then his mom comes out. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” You nod in response, leaning back to your normal sitting position.

“Goodnight, Brandon,” You sigh. Happily, sleepily, defeated.

“Goodnight, Y/N,”

-

Sunday night came, and you were getting ready to go out to This Town with Dylan for dinner, to go pay Brandon a visit. You had told your parents you were going to study at the library with a friend, which…okay, this time it was a total lie, but you weren’t doing anything illegal. So it’s okay. You apply your red lipstick before heading out the door. You see Dylan in his black Porsche Speedster ,parked down the street. Just far enough to avoid creating suspicion from your parents. Perfect.

-

“So, was this place any good when you went?” You ask, perusing the menu.

“It was alright. Small portions, fancy plates. Good cumin,”

“Brandon’s been running the entire time we’ve been here, I don’t think I’ve even seen him take a breath,” You chuckle, watching him make his rounds. He was nothing if not a hard worker.

“You really like him, don’t you?” Dylan inquires, watching you watch Brandon.

“Come on, we’ve been over this. Brandon’s one of my best friends,” you insist, setting down your menu. You pause. “Okay. maybe I…I do like him. But I wouldn’t ever act on it. He’s kind of attractive, so what? He’s still my friend.” Brandon makes his way closer to your table.

“Yo, boy!” Dylan gets Brandon’s attention, who’s getting swamped with dishes from other employees.

“Hey!” He calls back, turning around. You admire him in his all-white uniform. It shouldn’t look so good on him, yet you’re breathless.

“'This Town,’” Dylan begins, reading the restaurant’s menu, “'This Town is an eating experience for the morning moments, a medley of sages, cumin bouquets, fragrant vegetable jewels,’” he drops the menu onto the table, then proceeds to drop his head, fake snoring. You and Brandon laugh at his antics, but Brandon’s interrupted by his boss not long after.

“Many people would love your job,” She states, black curls hair-sprayed into place as she moves along.

“Yeah, love that minimum wage,” He remarks, sarcasm rolling off his tongue. An asian man steps beside him, helping him with his work.

“You get minimum wage? Congratulations,”

“Yeah, right, same to you,” Brandon responds, raising his eyebrows.

“None of us do,” The man replies. Brandon cocks his head at that, turning to the man.

“That’s illegal!”

“So? Who’s going to do anything?” His coworker walks back into the kitchen. You see the look on Brandon’s face and you can tell…shit’s about to hit the fan. He stomps over to his boss at the counter.

“Listen–”

“I loathe apologies, make it up to me, Brendon, the cumins need filling,” his boss nags, putting on makeup in a compact mirror.

“It’s Brandon! Brandon Walsh! I’m an investigative reporter for the West Beverly newspaper–”

You watch Brandon rant and rave from your table, not able to quite make out what he’s saying because of the loud music. He starts unbuttoning his white coat while he vents.

“Uh oh…uh oh…Dylan, why is he stripping?” You tap him on the arm frantically to get his attention.

“What, I thought you’d like that,” Dylan jokes, playful grin on his lips.

“Oh, shut up!” You laugh, taking the little ball of paper from your straw and throwing it at his face. “I hate you.” You manage to catch the last bit of the conversation.

“…How you scam your help for under minimum wage! So you can take your cumin, and you can shove it,” Brandon slams his white coat down on the counter, walking back to you guys. Wow. You don’t know whether to be amused, proud, or incredibly turned on. All three?

“Take a load off, Minnesota. ‘Dinner Delectable’ is on me,” Dylan encourages, pulling out a seat for Brandon. You can almost see the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

“Whew, free at last, free at last. Thank god almighty–” he stops the waitress, “Excuse me, can I get a round cup and a round saucer? And I’d like it before the second coming please,” Dylan shakes his head and silently laughs, while your jaw is slightly slack, loving whatever mood Brandon’s in right now. “Come on, let’s get out of here. ”

“Done deal, I know just the place,” all three of you catwalk out.

-

The Peach Pit

Brandon takes a spoonful of apple pie, “The job wasn’t just to support my car insurance habit,” he tells you. “My dad’s always worked.”

The owner of the diner leans in, both hands on the counter, “He sounds as bonkers as me.” You take a bite of your own pie as he continues, “I was 10 when I worked my first big character part in an old bogie film. There was a real pro with a sweet tooth,”

“Now I know why you dragged me all the way out here,” Brandon turns to Dylan, who’s on the other side of you.

“Best pie in L.A., food for real people,”

“Here’s to real cups and real saucers,” you quip, and all three of you raise your glasses. You look around the diner, pictures upon pictures on the walls, pink wallpaper, and rock and roll music.

“Take it or leave it,” The owner, Nat smiles.

“What I like, is you get a real cross-section of people, you know?” Dylan comments, bringing his tea to his lips.

“This really is a nice place you’ve got here,” You smile fondly.

“Listen, uh, Dylan here has been bugging me about hiring someone to help me out, I figure who would be nuts enough to want this bit? Take you, you look nuts enough,” He faces Brandon, raising his eyebrows.

“Take me!” Brandon exclaims. Oh, those were words you dreamt of hearing come out of this mouth. “I’m nuts enough!” Dammit. He’s so cute.

“I’ll vouch for that,” you giggle.

“Me too, I’ll even waive my commission,” Dylan says.

“So, when do I start?”

“How about right now?” All three of you exchange cheeky smiles.

The night ends after a few slices of pie, some milkshakes, and a curfew that’s about to break.

“Thanks for coming out with me tonight, Y/N/N,” Dylan thanks as you slide into the passengers seat. You smile at him as he pulls out of the diner’s parking lot, and turns down the street, his engine humming and the crickets chirping. You look at him for a moment, lost in your thoughts. You admire him, the night sky, and the fresh, cool, nighttime air. You speak up.

“I don’t want to go home yet,”

Tags: @be-patient-be-good @fangirl-imagines @lilo-1988 @bevelyhills90210

[s-j-ace]

The Same Question

Chapter Six

Characters:  Shuichi Saihara, Ouma Kokichi

Words: 14290

Summary:

After Detective Shuichi Saihara encounters mysterious thief Kokichi Ouma  for the first time, a game of cat and mouse ensues as both men ask themselves the same question. Why exactly does the elusive phantom thief  do what he does?

This is Chapter Six, Here are Chapters One, Two, Three, Four, and Five

Read on AO3

[Log of Text Messages from Maki Harukawa’s Cellular Device]

From: Me

Did you touch down at Haneda yet?

From: Principal Emo

Yeah

A while ago actually

I’m actually on the train home right now

Which I guess is a little silly considering I’m coming right back over tomorrow

But also I definitely need to sleep in my own bed at least once before meeting people Kaito works with

From: Me

Ugh

Meeting people

From: Principal Emo

Yeah

Especially meeting people with Kaito “What’s your favorite blood type?” Momota

From: Me

Hey that’s my boyfriend you’re talking about

And your description is completely accurate, continue

From: Principal Emo

Ugh sorry that was mean

I’m mean today and I don’t like it

I need coffee :(

From: Me

Or, you know

A decent night’s sleep

From: Principal Emo

Too hard

From: Me

Oh, you’re right, taking care of yourself is too hard

Back to relentlessly roasting Kaito it is

From: Principal Emo

What no

I’m not roasting him

I’m just

Trying not to be mad at him because the only reason I have to be mad at him is that I’m going to miss him while he’s on his mission and I don’t understand why he didn’t tell me he was going on the mission soon enough that I had time to ease into missing him and if I’m just angry at him about that then I’ll be missing him when he’s here so I should try and not be angry at him so that I don’t let time with him go to waste while he’s not in space yet

That makes sense right?

From: Me

I mean feel about it how you wanna feel

But I’d just be mad at him if I were you

From: Principal Emo

:(

From: Me

*>:(

From: Principal Emo

*<:(

From: Me

What is that

A party hat?

From: Principal Emo

No its like

Concerned eyebrows

From: Me

What are you concerned about?

From: Principal Emo

Right now? Or in general?

Because right now I’m worried that people on the train are giving me weird looks because my suitcase is taking up too much space

But like in general I fear that I am somehow secretly inadequate according to an unclear set of standards that only exist in my own mind

From: Me

Cool

Well not cool actually

You want me to give you a ride to the open house so that you don’t have to take the train again tomorrow

From: Principal Emo

I would actually very much appreciate that

I know that the lines under the Towa bridges have the newest trains and the most up to date security and all

But also there’s just a lot of people on trains and places to hide knives one would use for a train stabbing and even thought that’s super unreasonable maybe it’s not that unreasonable because we have a lot of stabbings in proportion to other countries but also we have a low homicide rate

From: Me

Ah so you don’t just want to carpool for my charming company

From: Principal Emo

If you’re trying to be sarcastic let me just say your company is genuinely more charming than the motley crew of characters one would expect on the Towa to Tanegashima line at ten in the morning

From: Me

Even though my car has the same amount of places to hide knives?

From: Principal Emo

Yeah but those knives are for your purposes and not train stabbings

From: Me

My purposes?

From: Principal Emo

You know what I mean

From: Me

Yeah I do

Also

While I do not want to validate your fear of train stabbings via the association of an abrupt subject change

I’ve been meaning to say for a while that I am sorry that I don’t trust your detective work more often

Well I don’t know about more often

What I mean is

I think that you are a good detective

Even when you say stuff that obviously sounds stupid

And if I implied a different stance through my words or actions

Then I regret those words and/or actions

From: Principal Emo

What?

Oh are you talking about what you told me before I went to Paris

From: Me

Yeah

I mean I don’t think I’m in the wrong when I say clowns stealing toilets from the louvre is a stupid premise for a crime

But I guess criminals are stupider than popular media and common sense would lead me to believe

And I think I should have believed in you more

But also I think I was right that you need a vacation and you haven’t taken one yet and I think that’s not great for you either

From: Principal Emo

Oh um

I guess not?

From: Me

And Kaito told me you’re not allowed to chase the clowns anymore

So maybe you should take a break now

From: Principal Emo

Well

I feel like in a way following the DICE case was a break?

Because I essentially didn’t get any cases done the whole time I was working it

Which means I’ll have catching up to do when I get back to the office

From: Me

Not if I kill you first

From: Principal Emo

Sorry, we’ll have to fit that in later

If you kill me then I’ll be even more behind

From: Me

Your eyeballs better be behind your eyelids at 8pm today or else I’m taking them

From: Principal Emo

Taking what?

From: Me

Your eyeballs

From: Principal Emo

No I need those

From: Me

Then hide them because I’m coming for you

From: Principal Emo

Okay, maybe I’ll sleep a little tonight

From: Me

You better still be sleeping when I get to your house

I’ll be there 8:30

From: Principal Emo

Maki if you want me to sleep at 8pm then that means you want me to sleep for 12 and a half hours

From: Me

Did I fucking stutter

From: Principal Emo

<:( --- Kokichi Ouma's flight from the Malpensa Airport in Milan, Italy to the Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan was the first time he had ever been on a plane by himself. He had done that on purpose when organizing the flight groups yesterday. Ace and King had suggested that groups be made up of twos and threes to avoid "unnecessary danger," which Kokichi heard as avoiding "letting our boss eat paper and be in vents." Naturally Kokichi responded that it was a positively splendid suggestion, considering he had come up with it already, and he had obliged by it, organizing them into four groups with Kokichi's own group including Queen and Jack. Except somehow they had booked tickets for the wrong flight. Oooh noooo, how could that be? And Queen had been the one to book the tickets too…

Kokichi supposed that he hadn't quite thought this whole being on a plane alone thing all the way through when he was hacking into the airline's online ticket system last night. It seemed now, in the daylight of sitting in the window seat of aisle 22 watching the clouds stroll listlessly across the sky so that he wouldn't have to look at the lady next to him paint her toenails, that there was nothing overtly beneficial about the lack of a familiar audience to his exploits. Sure, it was nice that he could have his blue eyes white dragon on the plane with him in his pocket instead of hidden within the checked bags, but what was the point of it if there was no one to duel with?

Basically he was bored.

But also weirdly not motivated to do anything to end the boredom. Which seemed counterintuitive, because not being bored was his whole deal. Then again maybe having a whole deal was counterintuitive to his supposedly liquid personality. If he wanted to stir things up maybe he should indulge this part of himself that wanted to be boring because then that would vary from his constant need to not be boring, which in excess could be viewed as boring. Then again, changing things about his personality just to avoid an arbitrary standard of boring-ness would also be pretty boring, wouldn’t it?

He tried to think of what the Kokichi who didn't want to be bored with all of his being would do right now. Maybe he would turn around and just start picking apart the insecurities of miss "my toes need to be pink for the beach!" over here until she started crying and jumped out of the plane. Then again, he didn't trust his brain not to imprint onto the next person who had long eyelashes and who he thought might fuck up his whole deal if he let it wander free into the dangerous world of airplane small talk. Sure, he could steal something or break something or just cause some sort of problem on purpose, but, very concerningly, it didn't seem like he wanted to.

It just... seemed like a hassle right now, to think about things and scheme. If he was the maitre d' of mischief then what was the point of it if there wasn’t someone important's perceptions to attend to?

So his brain was left here, grasping at straws, rewatching episodes of Detective Conan in his head, and wondering where he went wrong with the whole dashing phantom thief thing.

It also felt like there was something he was supposed to be doing that he was forgetting to do but he didn't have a lot of time to think about it, what with the recently discovered antique fabregé egg being stolen from the Suzuki Modern Art Museum in Osaka and all. How did Kaitou Kid do it?

Oh, wait, Kokichi knew what this feeling reminded him of. It felt something like being twelve again. Back when DICE was just around a year old and they were still living in that apartment in Hokkaido. They were barely scraping by at that point. Spades and Clubs were in junior high, still seriously considering going back to the old home. All the other teens were still in highschool, except for King, who was just starting nursing school, and Ace still had their first job with that phony resume Kokichi made them. Wait, they hadn't even come up with their code names yet had they? Yeah, they still called him Ouma-sama back then.

That seemed kind of silly, looking back on it. While everyone was at school or work, Kokichi would stay in that little apartment and watch anime for hours, sometimes making nasty little bills disappear through some light, white collar crime. Well, it wasn't always anime he watched while committing tax fraud. Sometimes he would watch game shows or browse the internet while sending emails that would topple companies in just the right way so that rice cakes would be on sale the next week. He memorized a lot of different security detail layouts while lazing around and rerouting rubber horse mask deliveries to the CEO of the Towa corporation because their stupid TVs were too expensive. He also played a lot of video games. Like… a lot a lot. Most of his time was spent playing video games now that he thought of it...

Recalling those times now felt like looking down at half of a person. Or more like looking back at someone who didn't know he was a person yet.

Except now he was a person and he knew that he was one and he was on a plane by himself because he wanted to sulk defiantly. Wait sulk? Sulking? Was that what he was doing?

Well yeah, maybe he was a bit bummed about Saihara. He hadn't been able to think about that earlier because if he thought about the pit of disappointment sapping in the back of his head it might suck the rest of him in too and then he'd be no use to anyone. But now he was alone and it didn't matter how he felt about anybody and somehow he was still confused by it.

Maybe Saihara just wasn't the hot shit Kokichi thought he was. Actually, Kokichi was probably just being dumb for expecting more. Or, on the other hand, Saihara might just be doing things the right way. Tracking an internationally traveling thief through flight records was logical, but somehow knowing how the trick was done made it lose a little bit of magic. Or all of it, seeing as magic isn't real and all. Maybe Kokichi had just been excited by the possibility that Saihara had presented, and thus blew his minor deductive talent out of proportion.

Obviously whatever had made Saihara so interesting to him was of no consequence now, because the detective wouldn't be able to find them with his little method this time, what with DICE staggering out the ticket buying and all. He wasn't even going to leave a note to Interpol this time around. And so the semi-epic story of Shuichi v. Kokichi would end here.

Then Kokichi could just keep leading DICE in heists. Forever. He guessed. He didn't know, actually, what the long term plan was vis a vis their ever escalating chain of petty thefts. Bishop had said they made ¥2,000,000 this month. Kokichi didn't even know how much they had saved up in out of country bank accounts. It seemed like too much.

What was he supposed to say about that to DICE though? Ok guys, we’re making too much money actually, time to slow it down a bit and face the fact that we've wasted our young lives on being only mildly disruptive to but somehow somewhat supportive of the institution of capitalism.

Then what would happen after that?

When he started planning these heists, Kokichi had never really thought of an “after” to becoming an internationally wanted thief. He had seen it as the end goal. The destiny career.

How do you end that?

Maybe he should just pull a Ryo from GX except instead of a heart condition killing him he could just jump off a-

“Ladies and gentlemen,” The crackling voice of the Captain over the plane intercom interrupted the train of thought Kokichi was having as well as where he was in his mental Detective Conan Kaito Kid best hits Marathon, “As we start our descent, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you.”

Uh. What? This was a twelve hour flight and that sounded an awful lot like a landing announcement. Was the Captain on crack or someth-

Kokichi realized that the sky outside the window he had been spacing the fuck out through was dark now. Even more telling of the passage of time, though, was the fact that he was on episode 703 now, the train one where Kaitou Kid disguises himself as a maid.

In order to function like a real living person who experienced the passage of time, Kokichi banished anime from his brain.

Okay, not thinking about anime anymore… thinking instead about what to do when not on the plane….

Right, he was supposed to wait at the baggage claim until Rook, King, Queen and Jack’s flights came in. Then they would drive to the rendezvous in central Tokyo where they would meet the members who landed at Haneda instead of Narita. Then they would head to the JAXA launch site on one of the islands in the Kagoshima prefecture and Kokichi would lay out the heist plan he came up with on... the…. plane….

Oh... he forgot to do that, didn’t he?

…

See, who needed a nemesis when Kokichi had self foiling down to a science? --- Shuichi Saihara really meant to sleep last night. He really did. He went through the whole thing too, brushing his teeth, putting on a sleep t-shirt, and lying down in the bed. Yet somehow his brain never got the message that it was time to shut down.

Instead, it compulsively lit up with anxiety, which began dueling it out with the half hearted self reassurances he postulated to pretend he was coping.

The afternoon before, Shuichi had returned to the small building which served as his dual purpose home/office to find a slew of missed phone calls and letters. He spent three, gut-wrenchingly guilt-ridden hours sorting through everything from distress calls from potential clients, some well wishes from clients he had been following up with, and worst of all extremely distressed calls from clients he had failed to follow up with in wake of the DICE case.

He felt like the stupidest, most pathetic excuse for a detective on the face of the earth. He knew that he shouldn’t feel that way, but how could he not come to that conclusion with all the evidence that lay before him? Every call and letter was from a person that Shuichi had failed to help because he had somehow decided vainly pursuing international thieves was something only he could do. Maybe early on it had seemed like the logical step to pursue the thieves where interpol couldn’t. Shuichi had just come off of a big bust in the organized crime sector of Towa City, tracing back a series of revenge killings at the behest of a secretive swordswoman, and had been passively keeping up with the DICE case on the side. When he had managed to get his hands on one of the encoded letters sent to Interpol, he was certain DICE was going to hit the Smithsonian, so he and Kaito had gotten on a plane to America. And then they didn’t catch the thief and obviously that was Shuichi’s fault because the evidence was all in his hands if he had only been fast enough… So he got the next letter and pursued the thieves to Paris and he got even closer and when he failed it was even more obviously his fault because he should’ve been smart enough to notice an internationally wanted thief sitting literally right next to him. And then some how he had decided that? Stealing plane records was the next logical step? How did he even get there? It was so obviously over the line… But would he really have been satisfied, then, if he had just given up on the truth? Was he really satisfied now? He couldn’t possibly-

It didn’t matter whether he was satisfied or not. Not everything was about him. He had his own job to do here in Towa City and he had forgotten that for about a month and a half to chase after a group of essentially harmless thieves. There had been four murders in Towa City since then! And Shuichi knew that because four people had called him to investigate them! And Shuichi was aware that people would be calling him about violent crime! And he had seen the evidence that the thieves had a zero casualty count! And yet somehow he still had to have Agent Ishimaru spell it out for him that he should’ve just stayed home!

Okay he was freaking out a bit, things were fine. Interpol was going to take care of DICE now. It wasn't Shuichi's case. He needed to calm down. Stop trying to convince himself there was more to the case. Why would he think he knew the case best when he worked on it for less than half a hear? Interpol had been tracking criminal activity suspected of the organization for nearly a decade now. Then again maybe that was a point against interpol. What if they were in-

Stop! No! Not his case! Stop being suspicious!

Shuichi had other things to focus on now. He had managed to get into contact with most of the people who had left him messages, and to make up for lost time he had decided to try and take up a few cases at a time. Except contrary to his own self-conceited beliefs there were more detectives in Towa City than just him, and everyone who had called him about a case had managed to hire someone else already.

He tried to convince himself this was a good thing, as he lay awake at night. Everything was fine. He wasn’t failing anyone. There were so many other capable detectives in Towa city. No reason to be concerned.

Yeah, nobody needed him, the pathetic detective he was anyway. He hadn’t even managed to get close to catching DICE’s leader, let alone the nine other members of the group…

Well maybe he had gotten pretty close. He remembered grappling with the thief in Taipei and Milan. The close contact with the pilferer of his pursuit only made Shuichi’s own incompetence more frustrating, his mistakes made more obvious in the light of hindsight.

He really wanted to know why-

Not his case. God what an idiot. What had Dr. Iruma diagnosed him with after the thief escaped? Ah that’s right, shit for brains.

… That reminded him, he should follow up with the Idabashi labs people. He had gotten so caught up in making sure he stayed on DICE’s tail that he forgot to even perform the most basic courtesy in his practice as a detective. Being able to check up with clients, bystanders, and victims without risking a witness tampering charge was one of the main benefits of being a private detective versus being a police detective. When he had started his private practice Shuichi had promised himself that now that he could put the people involved in a case before the case itself he would do so to the best of his ability. He usually took much better care to address concerns of breaking and entering victims, what had he been thinking leaving the labs immediately to pursue DICE? Dr. Iruma had still been uncertain if her friend would recover from being shut down right in front of her! Shuichi was shocked at his own behavior. It was the kind of awful thing he would have pulled as a reckless teen detective, pursuing the truth without regard for who he accused or lied to along the way. The resurfacing of this behavior seemed appalling to him now.

He should call Idabashi labs right away to apologize.

It was this thought that finally stirred him from his half-awake stupor at 4 AM. At realizing the time, the part of Shuichi’s brain that was still capable of higher reasoning decided that calling would be rather rude at the hour, but he was too anxious he’d forget to call at all if he postponed now to abandon the idea altogether. In compromise, he took out his laptop and began drafting a letter to Dr. Iruma instead, expressing his regrets and apologies of every little thing he could think of. The broken windows, the used bomb, the cup of coffee he had made in her kitchen without asking…

He was typing and retyping the sign off at the end of the letter (Sincerely was a good stand bye but not very personal? Concernedly? Too personal. Thank you for your time? Ugh not the right tone) when he heard the knock at the door.

Shuichi blinked, breaking the trance-like state that he now realized had led him to write a four page letter. He looked at the grandfather clock on his mantle. It read 10:31 AM. Which meant it was actually 8:27 AM because that clock was 2 hours and 4 minutes fast and Shuichi was too afraid he might break it to try and fix it.

Maki had promised to pick him up at 8:30 so by process of logical deduction Shuichi could safely assume that it was her outside, coming to bully him for being sleep deprived.

Sure enough, the sound of the spare key he’d given her and Kaito could be heard jiggling in the door knob. Maki opened the door.

The desk Shuichi was working at was in his client reception area, which was unfortunately immediately in view of anyone opening the door. Maki locked eyes with him almost instantly, and the look in hers was that of disappointment.

“And here I was thinking you might actually be asleep.”

“Uh. Sorry.” Shuichi said, closing his laptop. Then he opened it again. “Hey if you were apologizing to someone for not catching a burglar in their home/place of work and then leaving while their friend was sick so that you could chase said crook to another continent, would you sign the letter ‘sincerely’ or with something more like ‘once more expressing deepest apologies...”

Maki frowned, coming in and closing the door. “I’m not good at apologies. Those both sound polite but, knowing you, you probably didn't do something you would actually need that level of politeness to apologize for.”

“Um.” Shuichi went with ‘deepest apologies, -Shuichi Saihara.’ “Better safe than sorry?” He hit print. The printer his laptop was connected to was upstairs in the office where he kept his case files, so he had to run up the stairs to grab the printed letter.

Maki, seeming to sense he was going to need a second to put his four page letter in an envelope, sighed and came into the building from the entryway. She took off her shoes, heading towards the kitchen in the next room over.

When Shuichi got back down stairs with his four page apology letter safely tucked away in an envelope with a nice international stamp on it, he came into the kitchen to find Maki unplugging his coffee maker.

Both took a moment to register what one another was holding in their hands. Then they both frowned disapprovingly.

“Maki come on…” Shuichi protested weakly. “I don’t want to fall asleep at the JAXA open house.”

“Shuichi you’re at ten-page-apology-letter crazy right now and you think caffeine is going to help you?”

“Yes.” Uh. Wait. Was that healthy? “Maybe.” Probably not. “It’s only four pages.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. Okay Shuichi was not on the winning side of logic here that much was clear. But still…

“Okay you win.” Shuichi relented, moving toward the kitchen counter as if to set down the envelope in his hands.

The second he dropped it, he made a mad lunge for the coffee maker cord. Maki effortlessly pulled it out of the way and grabbed his wrist, twisting him into a lock and then bringing him to a pin on the ground.

“What was the plan there?” She asked. Was it just him or did she sound bemused? He couldn’t really look at her face to garner her expression because his own face was currently smashed against the tile of his own kitchen.

“No plan.” Shuichi admitted through a mouthful of the floor. “Only caffeine withdrawal.”

“Okay.” Shuichi felt his center of gravity flip once more, “You’re sleeping in the car.” Shuichi realized that Maki had scooped him up into a princess carry too late to actually do anything about it.

“Hey!” Shuichi protested, a little indignant.

Being close friends with Maki Harukawa came with the knowledge that you were going to be treated like you weighed less than a ragdoll from time to time. She had a tendency to muscle her way through social interactions if at all possible. Her significant other just gave her a compliment she didn’t know how to deal with? Punch him. That guy at work wouldn’t stop talking to her about his fucking car? Walk through a door and close it in his face if he tries to follow. Her best friend wants to make a series of regrettable decisions? Physically prevent him from doing so because he is easier to lift than a handful of grapes.

Shuichi had been friends with Maki for about seven years now, and he knew this all well enough, but that didn’t mean he had to go down without a fight. “Maki I have to get my letter to the-”

“Shuichi when you get back to that letter tomorrow morning you’ll be embarrassed you even wrote it.”

Okay, maybe Shuichi would go down without a fight. Maki made a good point, Shuichi was very often embarrassed by things he himself did while off his daily recommended prescription of z’s and or caffeine.

“Okay! I give! You’re right.”

“I know.” Maki had gotten to the front door and seemed to be puzzling out how to open it with her elbow.

“Here I can walk by myself.” Shuichi made a move to roll out of Maki’s arms, but she was still gripping his shoulder in place.

“Walk to the car by yourself or walk to your kitchen and feed your caffeine addiction?” She looked down at him with a stern expression that implied only one correct answer.

“The car.” Shuichi relented.

“Alright then.”

Maki set him down and opened the door while he grabbed his coat from the closet.

She gave him another look.

“What is it?” Shuichi thought she was scrutinizing his appearance, so he mentally did the same. “Oh! I forgot to do my eyes-” Today his morning routine had been: get out of bed, go to computer, write apology letter, whereas usually it went: get out of bed, apply eyeliner, worry about inadequacies, drink coffee, feel marginally better. Shuichi had skipped the second step, and he was about to rush to the bathroom to correct it, but Maki grabbed his arm.

“Shuichi we’re going to Tanegashima in August. It’s 30 degrees there. Your eyes are going to melt. Along with the rest of you.”

Shuichi took a moment to realize that Maki herself was wearing shorts and a loose aloha shirt. Meanwhile he was standing here in his baggy sleep t-shirt, skinny jeans, and black trenchcoat.

“Uh.” Shuichi took off his coat and tied it around his waist. “Better?”

“Hmph.” Maki grumbled, walking out onto the sidewalk. “If you die of heatstroke on the way there, I’m not going to your funeral.”

“Not even if Kaito went?” Shuichi followed, locking the door behind him.

“Especially not if Kaito went.” Maki pulled out her keys and unlocked her car, which was parallel parked on the street by Shuichi’s office. “He’d cry like a baby. It would be insufferable.”

Maki’s car was an old black honda that always smelled a little like burnt sugar. With Maki, Shuichi couldn't be sure if the smell came from a baking mishap or the trace of nitroglycerin from a recently fired gun. It was probably both. On hot days the air inside was unbearably warm until the AC was turned on for at least a minute, because the seats were made of a dark, greasy pleather sort of thing that made it its mission to absorb as much heat as possible. Shuichi had a distinct memory of pressing his face against the material to avoid being shot from behind. In fact he sort of had a slideshow of bad memories associated with riding in this car on various high stake chases or on the approach of even more stressful social situations. Yet despite all that, the second Shuichi settled into the passenger seat and pulled the seat belt over himself, he felt more at home than he had pulling up the covers when he’d been trying to sleep last night.

What happened next was embarrassingly predictable. From Shuichi’s point of view it seemed like Maki started the car, he closed his eyes, and then when he opened them his face was pressed against the window and he could see the Towa Bridge Expressway zooming past him.

The road was on the upper side of one of the bridges Towa Corp had built about a decade ago connecting Islands like Tanegashima, Yakushima, and Towa City to the mainland. On the underside of the bridges were bullet trains that ran underwater between the islands.

Regardless of this, all roads feel the same under the wheels of a car you forget falling asleep in.

“Hghh.” Shuichi was half aware that his throat was the thing that just made that noise.

“Wow you got a whole REM cycle in there.” Maki seemed to hear his rooster cry of wakefulness despite the interference of some sort of j-pop song coming out of the car speakers. As Shuichi’s eyes adjusted to the pale daylight stinging his retinas, he could make out that his friend had her eyes fixed on the road. “That must be a new record.”

“If you’re gonna-” Shuichi realized his speech was muffled and that it was because his face was still against the window. He made an effort to sit up straight and started his sentence again, unobstructed. “If you’re going to make fun of me for sleeping the same as not sleeping then why should I even bother?”

“Because your health is your health and that isn’t beholden to my judgement.”

“Everything about me is beholden to judgement.” Shuichi muttered, still thinking miserably about his poor uncle’s good name, which he was most certainly running into the ground by having the office closed for another day. He was working a sum total of NO cases right now. Maybe he should write his uncle an apology letter too. Then again he wouldn’t want to bother him in his retirement… Who would want to have their nice day interrupted by their whining nephew? No one.

“Yeah, you should fix that.” Apparently driving for an hour and a half hadn’t changed Maki’s stance. She still had biting comments about his poor self esteem at the ready.

“Hghk.” Shuichi replied eloquently.

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Maki muttered in reply.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing." Maki replied a little too quickly. She was chewing her lip. After a moment of thought she went on. "Well I guess it means something. But I'm still trying to wrap my head around it and I don't want to tell you until I have it phrased right in my mind."

"Hm. Okay."

Shuichi tried to regain faculty over his higher social functions in an attempt to discern what Maki was upset about and to make sure it wasn’t anything that he did. But while he was performing this heroic feat he closed his eyes on accident and then when he opened them again Maki was parking, presumably on the campus of the Tanegashima Space Center.

Shuichi groaned, now finding himself leaned in the opposite direction of the window. “Why does it feel like the part of my brain that produces melatonin is always waiting to get me by surprise?”

“Because you keep trying to drown it in caffeine,” Maki replied readily, seeming to have lost her contemplative mood after another hour of driving, “it’s fighting for it’s life, of course it’s going to use guerilla tactics.”

Shuichi shook the feeling back into his legs as Maki pulled into a spot. He remembered when he used to drive a lot more. When he was on the force he had access to a police cruiser, but nowadays Shuichi had trouble driving a car while he was on his own. He kept having intrusive thoughts about accidentally hitting pedestrians. A lot of grisly murders happened like that. Even now he could picture that guy whose head had been crushed under the wheel of a yakuza boss’s car…

“Come on, we haven’t got all day.” Maki tapped him in the arm with her fist, then got out of the car. Shuichi was going to follow suit, but he paused to check himself for eye crusties in the pull down mirror. He had just regained the mental capacity to remember he didn’t put on his eyeliner and now it was time to be anxious about his appearance again. Well, at least this would probably go better than the last time he encountered a social situation without doing his eyes. He really thought he’d be safe going to ask Keebo about the wi-fi, but he had managed to stumble into a robbery in process, which had then turned into a hostage situation, which had then turned into an all night police investigation and journalists tried to talk to him again and then Dr. Iruma was doing robot surgery and he got chewed out by Ishimaru again and-

“Shuichi?” Maki had ducked her head back into the car. “Are you coming?”

Shuichi startled out his internal anxiety tirade. “Y-yeah! Sorry.” He shut the mirror and opened the door of the car. It took a second to untangle his coat from the seatbelt, but he managed to get out and retie it around his waist.

“Hey…” Maki had locked the car and come around to his side. Her eyebrows were furrowed. “Are you alright?”

“What?” Shuichi blinked. Did he really look that bad? “No, yeah, I’m fine.” It only occurred to him he was kind of lying for no reason after he said it. “I mean, well. I’m just like. Embarrassed about not being able to see that case I was doing through all the way to the end. Like, I’m thinking about all the ways I messed it up, you know?”

Maki nodded. “Yeah. I feel that way too. About my own stuff. Sometimes. A lot of times. Actually.” Her fingers tangled into a strand of her hair. “But… Well, you know what he would say about it already, don’t you?”

Oh yeah. “Probably something like… the past is the past. What really matters is what you do now.” Just thinking about what Kaito would say made him feel better... He shook his head. “I really should just get ‘what would Kaito do’ tattooed on my brain…”

“Yeah, as long as you’re not in a haunted house.” Maki pointed out.

Shuichi laughed. “Yeah… I guess so…”

Maki looked down at her feet, still carding her hands through her hair.

“I’m… Going to miss him.” She confessed.

Shuichi suddenly felt extremely guilty. Here Maki was trying to keep his anxiety from preventing the performance of his every day functions and he had totally neglected to consider she was going through a lot right now too. Shuichi knew that Kaito had been a lifeline for Maki for a long time, and even though she was in a much better place now Shuichi would be much less of an awful friend if he had realized how much harder Kaito’s absence would hit her.

“What’s with that expression?” She muttered. Shuichi realized he was making a very fretful face. “Ugh. Nevermind, talking about this is pointless anyway…”

“It’s not pointless!” Shuichi rebutted quickly. “Of course you’ll miss Kaito. Talking about your feelings is an important step in processing them… And you know I want to be here for you if you ever need that. I’m your friend.”

“Yeah.” She pushed her hair back from her face. “I know.” She was chewing her lip again. “Uh. Thanks. Sorry if I’ve been kind of… mother henning you today. It’s just. I don’t want to be… Alone again.”

Now Shuichi really felt like a bad friend. “Oh, Maki-”

Shuichi was interrupted by the 2012 song ‘Space Unicorn’ blasting from Maki’s phone. Whenever Shuichi heard that song, it reminded him of udon noodle soup, because that’s what he’d been eating in the college cafeteria when Kaito set it as his ringtone in Maki’s phone.

“Ugh. I hate that song.” Maki took the phone out of her pocket. “We’ll talk later.” She told Shuichi, before answering the call.

“What is it.” Shuichi overheard Maki’s side of the conversation. “We just parked… Yeah… Where?... That’s troublesome… I’m kidding… Ok, see you there… Gross.”

She hung up.

“He says he’s waiting for us by the bus terminal at the museum. Which is on the other side of the campus.”

Oh, Kaito… “It’s like he’s making us run laps again…”

“I’ll try not to leave you behind.” Maki offered, kindly.

“Hey, maybe I’ll be able to keep pace…” Shuichi postulated. “I’ve been in a lot of chases recently.”

“You won’t be.” Maki said, already jogging in place.

“I’ll try my best…” Shuichi promised. --- Kokichi Ouma found himself wondering where exactly that big old brain of his had wandered off to. He knew that by all accounts he was very good at coming up with plans on the fly. Yet for some reason the performance of the actual organ that processed his mental functions was lacking at the moment. Like it didn’t know it was supposed to be the brain of an internationally wanted criminal today. Spontaneity was supposed to mean fun for him, but for some reason this whole build a plane plan seemed more like a point of stress than anything else. Which was weird because Kokichi didn’t usually get stressed. There was just something about this heist that he wasn’t looking forward to and he couldn’t identify what exactly it was or how exactly he was supposed to get around it.

Kokichi was still trying to halfass his way to a half decent plan when DICE reunited in Tokyo. And on the drive down to the Kagoshima prefecture he had more than enough time to think about a plan. In fact he had another 15 hours. And he just… Didn’t. He just didn’t think of a plan. He just sat around pretending to be sociable and analyzing the rest of the group’s conversations and sleeping habits. He thought that maybe he was anxious about them scheming behind his back again, but realizing that he was anxious should have made the being anxious go away, so he decided that it wasn’t that.

So when they finally did arrive at the Tanegashima Space Center in their stolen Space Center Tour bus the next morning and everyone huddled in the backmost rows of seats to hear what exactly the plan was, Kokichi had to pause for a second.

Uh. Okay. Plan time.

“You may not have noticed,” Kokichi started off after compiling some observations in his head, “But there’s an open house happening at this facility for JAXA employees and family members right now. We’re going to capitalize on that for our fakeout heist, which will be centered around the museum’s gift shop.” Right because the open house wouldn’t let them have access to the non-touristy shit. “Rook, King, Bishop, you’re going to be on that.” Ugh that wasn’t very detailed. “The fake mark is…” Fuck think of something stupid. “As many of those freeze-dried ice cream things as you can carry.” Okay that left him with 7 pieces for the real heist. “Jack, Clubs, Spades you’re on floor duty, make sure to call in suspicious personnel, we have the map of the space center in the heist planning chat.” He had remembered to do that much at least. “So spread out as much as you can.” Four pieces. “Queen, you know what you need. Get Ace to handle transport.” Should he really be delegating that much power to Queen after his little upstart? Or did it just show insecurity to not trust him? Too late to contemplate. “When you get back to the bus, text us and then take off ASAP.” The jet engine would take up most of the tour bus, so they had to get an alternative means of escape. “Hearts, you and I are going to disable security systems and get the secondary escape car.” That was something he knew how to do at least. “Any questions.”

Kokichi would usually expect a hearty “No sir!” to that concluding statement, but instead he observed a smattering of queer looks from the car full of clowns.

Hearts was the first to pipe up. “Uh, boss, your plan for disabling the security system wouldn’t happen to involve getting into the vents, would it?”

“Yeah.” There wasn’t really a better way to covertly sneak around a facility like this when their identities may be compromised. “What about it?”

Kokichi really didn’t have time for Hearts’s whole ‘I don’t like getting vent dust on my white uniform’ thing. He would just pretend like the whole group misheard him and he assigned her to ground duty in the first place if she said she wanted to swap-

“No, I just think maybe I could handle the security system myself.” Oh. That was a new one. “There’s not really a need for you to... You know, risk yourself.”

Kokichi was suddenly made aware of the bandage that was still wrapped around his forehead. He consciously resisted the urge to graze his hand over it. He didn’t want to play into the whole damaged goods bullshit that was going on right now in terms of how his subordinates were viewing him. Then again maybe that’s exactly what he should do…

“Believe me, I’ve considered the consequences,” Kokichi compelled himself to shed a single tear, clenching his fist like a shounen anime protagonist. “And though I may be suffering great pain and personal injury… I’ll risk it if it means not letting my friends down…”

Queen rolled his eyes, seeming to buy Kokichi’s bit, but Hearts still looked concerned, and now King was getting ready to add his two cents.

“Uh, Boss.” Ugh him and his stupid Nurse’s license, “It’s really fine if you wanna stay back…” Maybe if Kokichi cried he could derail this? “Your head is still healing and if, you know, an accident happens, you could re-open it and then we might have to suture...”

No, crying would just make him look worse now. The power dynamic would make it look like he was trying to convince King to let him go on the heist, which didn’t make sense at all. Maybe he could slot himself into a different group? No, most elements of this plan involved being in civilian wear and that’d just remind his crew about that time he just casually let a detective get a police sketch done of him like one of his french girls. Besides, he didn’t strictly need to participate in every step of this heist anyway. Kokichi’s real goal here was to maintain the idea in his subordinates’ minds that he was not a twerp trying to find the most unreliable time to bleed out. Hmm, okay, let’s go with this then.

Kokichi flashed an incredulous grin before smothering it into an exaggerated damsel expression. “Oh,,, I hate to admit it, but you’re so right, King.” He leaned over dramatically, “Every second is torture in this frail body of mine, it’s taking all my strength just to stand here before you!” He wasn’t standing but that was probably the easiest thing he was lying about right now, “I guess I’ll just have to.. Stay here, and.. Regain my strength… While you guys do all the work.” He pulled out the handkerchief he just remembered he had and was going to blow his nose into it before he remembered at the last second it wasn’t his handkerchief. He settled for a grotesque imitation of blowing his nose instead. He lay down across the back seat in a faint. “Ohh, alas, I fear I am not long for this world…”

   “I vote we leave him here to die.” Jack bought in, rolling her eyes.

   “I second the motion.” That was Queen, and yeah, Kokichi had expected that much.

   “Hey, since when is this a democracy?” Kokichi sat up, adjusting the fluidity of his motions to reflect perfect health once more.

   “Since our boss died,” Jack wiped away a fake tear with her finger. “I miss him every day… Sometimes I even hear his voice…”

Kokichi tossed aside the handkerchief and took a bag of chips out from the seat in front of him where he had seen Bishop stash them earlier. He poured the chips into his own lap and then crumbled up the bag into a ball before throwing it at Jack’s face.

Jack, in turn, batted it away, and it hit Spades, who caught it and threw it back at Jack, who dodged, which led the bag to hit Rook instead. Rook picked it up and got ready to throw it again, but Hearts took it out of their hands, leading to Rook just throwing air at Clubs, who squealed despite nothing actually hitting him and jumped out of his seat.

Okay, success. Concern about Kokichi’s injuries had all but dissipated as Club’s reaction got a smattering of giggles.

“Wow,” He remarked to Hearts, who was still holding the crumpled chip bag. “I’m sure a dove of peace such as yourself can handle the security system all on your lonesome.” He gestured to his lap, which was still covered in chips. “As you see I have other business to attend to.” He picked up one of the chips and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly. When he finished the first chip he issued his final direction. “You guys better get started on your assignments. I’ll be here when you need to hijack the second getaway car.”

“Yes, Boss!” Most of his crew said the words more for their ritualistic purpose of ending the team huddle rather than out of genuine enthusiasm. They collected their gear, mostly stored in beach bags and casual purses, and filtered out of the van one by one. Everyone was still in their civilian clothing, so they’d blend right in with the crowds of tourists and open-house-goers.

And then Kokichi was alone again. Except instead of a plane he was on a tour bus. Eating chips off his lap. He got through them in about four minutes, which he estimated was about how long it would take DICE to get out of sight’s distance from the bus. When that time had passed, he licked the remaining salt and grease of his fingers and then stood up, brushing chip crumbs off his lap. Once he was clean, he picked up the handkerchief he had thrown aside earlier. He folded it up along the crease lines into a square, and put it in his pocket again. He convinced himself it was just because he wanted something to do.

He went up to the driver’s seat, sitting down. He didn’t have his license to drive a normal car, let alone a bus, but it didn’t really matter because the bus’s windows were reflective from the outside. They had parked the tour bus close to the entrance in the bus lane, so Kokichi had a good view of the people coming and going from the space center. If he had put any effort into this plan at all, he might’ve stationed Club or Spade here as a look out. Well, he guessed he was the look out now. Hah. Great.

….

BORED. He was bored again. Hgghghgfffkk.

He considered hitting his head against the horn of the car just to do something and by “considered” he meant he tried to actually do it but missed and almost hit his head on the dashboard before stopping and realizing that was a bad idea. For one, honking the horn would just make the vehicle look conspicuous, which was not ideal for a getaway car. And then there was also the fact that his plan had needlessly included bashing his head again which could open his cut and just cause a big hassle when King got back with his whole ‘I’m a licensed practical nurse’ thing he had going on.

So, okay. No horn honking. Right.

Kokichi took out his phone and checked Discord. The channel for heists had no new notifications. He put his phone away again.

God he was going to die in here. Wow, needy much? Shut up brain. Um.

Kokichi leaned over, smushing his chin against the dashboard, and occupied himself by looking at the passersby and picking out random details to build conspiracies about them. That guy’s shirt was untucked, untucked had eight letters in it, magic eight balls could see the future, eight balls were round, you know what else is round? An eyeball. Illuminati, natch. Next. That woman’s achilles tendon was chapped even though she was wearing sandals, which meant she wore heels a lot. Heel was something you said to train a dog. Who was trying to train the human race like dogs? The Illuminati. Next. That guy had really ugly hair. Looked like he used a lot of gel. Gel has three- wait, what?

Kokichi recognized that dumb hair style. It was almost like… No, it couldn’t be. The guy who had been with Saihara at the Smithsonian. What?

Kokichi didn’t let himself get excited until he spotted the slightly less dumb and slightly more familiar haircut on the guy standing next to him.

There was Shuichi Saihara, who was, apparently, the best detective in the world. Also, he was wearing a T-shirt, which was hilarious because he usually wore business casual button ups under his dark trench coat. Kokichi could see his arms, which were-

Wait, no, forget about his arms. How did any part of him even get here? How did he know? There wasn’t any way- Did he lie? HE LIED TO INTERPOL.

Wow, Saihara had more balls than Kokichi had originally anticipated. He should get out there and tickle them a little.

Kokichi started reformulating everything he had originally thought about this heist. If Saihara was going to buy into the phony heist he would have to get into the mix himself. How much would the detective have learned from their last bout in Milan? He knew about Kokichi’s head injury, surely. Kokichi stood up and headed for the door out of the bus. He would have to make his approach subtly, but the buffoon probably wouldn’t be much trouble to deal with. If anything he might make Saihara easier to trick. They were on the move, Kokichi would have to catch up. Was that woman in the hawaiian button up with them too? Yeah, it seemed like it. When she paused to look around, they paused too, looking back, presumably to see what was keeping her. Her eyes were scanning the crowd like she was some kind of terminator bot or something-

Every part of Kokichi froze when that gaze slipped past his.

He saw her face in that moment. Blunt brunette bangs. A dark birthmark. Blood red eyes.

For one shallow breath, a metallic tang poisoned the air in his lungs.

The eyes glanced unnotably over the JAXA tour bus. And then the red woman just... turned and walked away.

Saihara followed her into the building.

Kokichi sat back down.

…

…

What the fuck was she doing here. --- Shuichi Saihara’s best, it turned out, was most certainly not enough to keep pace with Maki Harukawa in a run across the Tanegashima Space Center’s beautiful green campus. Shuichi had plenty of time to admire that beautiful green color the grass had as he stood doubled over trying to catch his breath in front of the center’s main entrance.

Maki was standing by Kaito, breathing perfectly fine with only a modest sheen on her forehead as evidence of the run. Meanwhile, Shuichi was over here sweating through his t-shirt and trying not to let his lungs burst.

“Is he okay?” Kaito not so quietly whispered to Maki.

“He will be.” Maki replied, “He’s just an idiot who decided black skinny jeans were the way to go even though it’s the middle of the sunny season…”

“In my… Defense…” Shuichi panted out between gulps of air. “I didn’t… know… I’d be… running…  today…”

“Hey man, sweat’s just another word for hard work.” Kaito claimed, coming over to pat Shuichi on the back. “Awesome effort, sidekick.”

“Thanks… Kaito…” Shuichi was still trying to suppress his aching lungs into a normal pattern of breathing.

“Hold your hands over your head.” Maki advised, “It’ll open up your chest.”

Oh right, right. Shuichi should know that by now. He moved up from his hands-on-knees-to-make-sure-he-didn’t-fall-over position to one where his arms were up with his hands on his head. Immediately he found breathing easier, although the air was just as hot and stifling as before.

“You know,” Maki was looking at Kaito now. “We wouldn’t have had to run if you had been more specific before I paid for the parking permit… You said you wanted to show us the launch spectation sites, so our car is parked all the way out there...”

“Well, yeah, I did say that…” Kaito was characteristically unflustered by the accusation, “but, then I realized it would be better to show you guys the museum building first! This way we can take our time looking at the launch viewing sites without having to worry if the museum will be open or not later...”

Shuichi wondered if that was just an excuse for Kaito changing his mind about hiking when he realized how hot it was today.  Kaito had a tendency to be a little unreliable when it came to making plans with friends, but then again Shuichi also had a tendency to forgive him for that.

Maki usually did not. So when Maki just sighed and shook her head, Shuichi took that as a signal to let Kaito off the hook on this one.

…

It was so strange to think that in just another week, Shuichi wouldn’t be able to make any plans with Kaito at all…

Ugh. He shouldn’t think about that right now.

“Hey, what’s with the sour looks, you two?” Kaito’s words made Shuichi aware of his own conflicted expression, “Come on, I know what’ll cheer you up!” Kaito turned, walking towards the entrance and gesturing for them to follow him with a sweeping arm movement.

Shichi complied, but stopped when he noticed Maki wasn’t moving with them.

Instead, she was scanning the parking lot behind them with a dangerous look in her eyes…

“... Maki?” Shuichi asked hesitantly.

She didn’t seem to register him, but Kaito did, turning back around.

“Is something the matter, Maki Roll?” He called.

That seemed to snap her out of it. “It’s nothing.” She shook her head and started walking into the building. “Let’s go inside.”

“Hey, what’d I say about secrets?” Kaito confronted her, but he followed her through the doors anyway, Shuichi not far behind him.

“I never agreed to that…” Maki muttered, still walking. “But it really isn’t anything. I just felt like someone was watching us out there…”

Shuichi felt a chill go down his spine. He had also felt something off, but he thought it was just a him thing. He had been seeing the faces of DICE in random passerby ever since he touched down in Tokyo and it was setting him on edge even though he knew his suspicions were completely unsubstantiated. In fact there had been that big tour group of 9 or 8 people that passed them by while they were at the entrance... Could-

“Oh well, they probably were,” Kaito shrugged, “You know, I’m a famous astronaut and all.”

Oh. Yeah. Duh. Maybe the chill Shuichi had felt was just the museum’s AC …

“That isn’t…” Maki cut herself off, seeming to think better of whatever she had been about to say. “You’re probably right. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“Alrighty, whatever you say, Maki Roll.” Kaito moved forward as if the issue was entirely settled and had maybe never been unsettled in the first place. “Now come on! I want to show you something!”

What Kaito had wanted to show them turned out to be a series of star maps that were up for display as a promotion for the upcoming launch. Included were larger infographics about which lights in the sky were actually satellites, but those weren’t what Kaito was interested in.

“Look!” He exclaimed, pointing at a section of one of the maps, “Right here! What do you see?”

“Stars?” Maki asked, looking mildly amused by her boyfriend’s enthusiasm.

“Well, yes but…”

“Oh!” Shuichi exclaimed, now pointing as well. “I recognize this one! It’s the beard of despair!”

He was pointing to a circle of stars that he and Maki had named after the cheek to cheek beard Kaito came back from his winter break with in their last year at Towa Community College.

“Hey, that’s right!” Maki exclaimed.

“Why is that the only one you guys remember…” Kaito grumbled.

Come to think about it, a lot of the stars looked familiar… “Are these the stars that appear over TCC?”

“Well, it varies depending on the season, but yeah that’s what we were looking at most of the time!”

Shuichi was overcome with a wave of nostalgia. He first met Maki and Kaito when he had been doing the mandatory two years of training it took to become a Towa City police officer after he had passed the national exam. He had been disillusioned with a future in his uncle’s practice because the idea of getting paid to dig up dirt had skeezed him out, not to mention that he still had huge doubts about his own ability as a detective to earn a living off of it. A police detective had seemed like a more secure, if more restricting, job than private detective work.

Well, maybe it was more accurate to say that Kaito had met Maki and Shuichi and then decided they were all going to be friends because he said so. He used to make them meet him in the school court yard every night after dark to do exercises of various kinds. Sometimes they put aside exercise in lieu of star gazing when Kaito was in the mood.

“Hey, do you remember when Kaito told us which planets he thought were most like us?” Maki asked Shuichi, probably remembering the same times he was, “And when we asked him what planet he was, he said the sun?”

Shuichi squinted. “Oh yeah… I think I remember…” he vaguely recalled thinking that the planet Kaito assigned him was weird, but he didn’t remember why or which planet it was.

“Well, now that I know more about space and stuff, I think he was right.”

“Aww… Maki Roll.”

She smiled a little. “Yeah… The sun is a big ball of gas, just like him.”

“Hey!” Kaito smacked his chest, acting as if taken aback, but Shuichi was pretty sure he was secretly delighted that Maki admitted to knowing more about space now.

Maki laughed, “This is what you get for talking about astronomy every night…”

Shuichi remarked to himself how long it had taken for Maki’s laugh to seem commonplace in a conversation. She was really a lot more open then she had been when they spent those first few nights under the stars. It was understandable, though, considering…

“Which planets did you say we were again?” Shuichi found himself asking.

“Hm?” Kaito paused, squinting for a second in thought. “Uh… I’m pretty sure it was…”

“You said I was Mars,” Maki supplied, “And I think Shuichi was Venus.”

“Oh yeah!” Kaito made a sort of ‘That’s it!’ gesture with his palm and fist, “Maki was Mars because she tried to seem dry and uninhabitable, but there was definitely a frozen ocean in there somewhere, and Shuichi, you were Venus, because even though you thought you tried to blend in with the stars all the time, sometimes you could appear in the day as a second sun!”

Huh. That was pretty nice to say, but Shuichi wasn’t sure it was what he remembered…

“Oh, wait.” Maki interjected, “Didn’t you say something else last time?”

“Hm?” Kaito put on his ‘I’m remembering something’ face again. “Did I say… Oh yeah!” He laughed. “I said Venus suited Shuichi because Venus is the goddess of love and Shuichi’s clients keep falling in love with him!”

Shuichi suddenly remembered exactly why he had been so offended by Kaito’s characterization of him all those years ago.

Maki gave him a bemused look, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s the face you made last time too...”

“Yeah, that’s because it’s a really weird thing to say about my clients Kaito…”

“Oh yeah?” Kaito grinned now that he wasn’t the one being teased, “You can’t say I’m really wrong though, bro…”

Shuichi shook his head, “A detective can’t think that way about his clients! It’s exploitative!”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t stop them from thinking that way about you…” Maki pointed out.

“I- What- Maki-” Shuichi did not want to talk about this actually, he turned to Kaito hoping for some kind of escape, but his so-called friend just shook his head.

“You gotta face facts some time, Shuichi. You’re a heart-throb!”

“I don’t know what you mean…” Shuichi was finding that there was nowhere to hide his face and he cursed himself for letting Kaede talk him out of wearing his hat again.

“What about that girl who gave you chocolates?”

Oh, why had he told Maki that story?

“They were just for gratitude-”

“What about the guy who invited you on his yacht?”

Maybe asking his friends to help him out on cases all these years had been a mistake…

“That was to set up a trap for the-”

“The person who asked you out for dinner?”

Hghk.

“That was only to meet another contact-” “But then the contact didn’t show up and it was just the two of you.”

“They got in a car accident!”

What about the guy who pretended to be your husband on a plane? His own brain supplied rather unhelpfully.

*Bweeeeoop* *Bweeeeoop* *Bweeeeoop*

Shuichi had never been so grateful to hear an alarm sound off in his entire life.

Maki and Kaito stopped railing into him, looking around as if to see where the noise was coming from.

“I didn’t even know we had one of those…” Kaito muttered, barely audible over the continuing beep of the alarm. “I’m going to go ask someone what’s going on.” He declared, before storming off into a door marked ‘employees only.’

Maki, seemingly unperturbed by the sign, was about to follow him, but Shuichi grabbed her arm.

“Wait,” He said, retracing his own memory, “Come with me, please.”

“What?” She looked at him like he was crazy. “Where are you going?”

“Somewhere I’m more likely to get in a fight than Kaito…” Under scrutiny, Shuichi found that he didn’t recall seeing that group of suspicious tourists among the exhibits… They disappeared at the entrance, which was by the...

Shuichi started making a beeline for the gift shop, untying his coat and wrestling it onto his shoulders as he went.

“You two are so high maintenance…” Maki grumbled, following him nonetheless.

Sure, Shuichi had thought his gift shop theory was pretty on point, but when he got to the doorway of said gift shop the cartoonishly big mallet coming down over his head took him by surprise.

Maki grabbed him, pulling him back just in time. “Watch where you’re going, idiot.” She scolded him before grabbing the hammer and pulling it out of the hands holding it, which were the gloved hands of, you guessed it, a clown with a checkered scarf, standing over the doorway and poised to pounce.

This wasn’t one of the DICE members Shuichi recognized, but it seemed that they recognized him.

“What the hell is this guy doing here?” They called back into the shop, where Shuichi realized two other DICE members were shoving freeze dried ice cream into a bag, before diving down and trying to sweep Maki’s feet from under her. Maki jumped up and tried to use the gravity of her dodge to kick the clown in the head, but the clown rolled away, hopping back up, where Maki was waiting to meet them with their own mallet in the face.

Shuichi heard a sickening crack and the clown crumpled to the floor.

“Rook!” The leaner looking of the two members grabbing ice cream dropped his bag and ran up to help his friend.

“Maki!” Shuichi exclaimed, rather horrified at this level of violence, “They’re just thieves!”

“What?” Maki asked, unshaken. When she saw Shuichi’s expression, she blinked as if genuinely confused. Then she straightened up in a gesture that Shuichi recognized as sheepish even though her tone remained flat as she clarified, “That wasn’t the clown’s skull, it was the hammer.” She raised the big mallet to show him the end of it, which had popped off, “This is just a toy.”

“Yeah! That don’t mean it don’t smart, lady!” The one on the floor, ‘Rook’ if their friend was to be believed, waved off the other DICE member, rubbing their face under their mask.

“Was I talking to you?” Maki fixed the clown with her patented death glare, taking the stick of the broken mallet and twirling it into a fighting ready position like a bo staff.

“Where’s your boss?” Shuichi muttered aloud. “And the rest of you for that matter…” Maybe the gift shop was a distraction, it didn’t seem like the most attention had been given to it. Then again if there were something happening further inside the facilities then Kaito’s people were probably wise to it by now, so there might not be any point in wondering...

“I dunno, ask your mom!” The bearded DICE member standing next to ‘Rook’ threw something at him.

Maki acted quickly, hitting the object dead-on with the broken mallet handle before it could smack him in the face. It burst open, and by the time Shuichi realized it was a smoke bomb his eyes were already stinging from exposure.

“Gah!” He exclaimed, hiding his face in his arm to prevent himself from inhaling the smoke.

Maki, however, ignored the smoke, pressing forward into the gift shop.

Shuichi stayed back, blocking the doorway and tried to remember if he had seen an external entrance to the gift shop. The question was dismissed from his mind as he heard the clattering of shattering glass and remembered that these thieves had no qualms about making their own exits. When the smoke cleared, Shuichi saw that Maki was now holding the bag stuffed with freeze dried ice cream. She dropped it and started walking towards the wall of windows opposite to the entrance. She pulled back her hair and grabbed the side of the window like she was going to try and climb out the hole at the top, which the clowns seemed to have escaped out of.

Except… As Shuichi came up the steps from the entrance he didn’t see any clowns beyond the window. Remembering DICE’s knack for misdirection, Shuichi did a quick glance around the room and… There!

“Maki!” He called as he moved forward, “There’s a sliding door back by the register!”

It was open just a jar, and as Shuichi got closer he spotted the last DICE member vaulting over the balcony just outside.

Maki beat him to the door, sliding it open and hopping on the balcony. She paused for a second, then turned back to look at him. “Stay here.” She ordered, as if it had crossed her mind Shuichi might try to scale down the wall as well.

He would have found it weird that Maki would take the time to tell him something so obvious as ‘you would fall if you tried this,’ but Shuichi remembered what Maki had said to him before, about not wanting to be alone again. He nodded in an effort to reassure her. “Right, I’ll call the police.”

She seemed satisfied with this, turning around and shifting off the balcony to climb down the wall. Shuichi, in the meantime, pulled out his phone and called 110. The operator put him through to the Kukinaga substation, which was the Tanegashima police station only four minutes away from the space center. Shuichi reported what had happened, and the substation representative asked him to stay put to give a report to the officers when they arrived. He voiced acquiescence and thanked the representative before hanging up.

And then Shuichi was standing alone in a gift shop with broken glass and a bag full of freeze dried ice cream on the ground. He noticed some things he hadn’t before. For instance, it looked like the gift shop was partially divided into a sort of cafe, with a freezer full of purchasable food and tables by the windows to sit and eat. For some reason, he decided that sitting alone in a gift shop with broken glass and a bag full of freeze dried ice cream on the ground would be marginally better, so he pulled out one of the chairs, sitting at the table.

…

It was weird how much time Shuichi sat around, waiting for things to happen. Well, maybe less weird and more just plain old pathetic… He wasn’t really the action type like Maki and Kaito were. A lot of his work as a detective was done in the aftermath of events. He was usually only trying to figure out what had already happened. This whole DICE thing was a bit of a change of pace, requiring him to be able to predict the next course of events and perhaps even stop potential crimes. Except, well, maybe he wasn’t so good at that part of it… Today was pretty clear evidence of that. This gift shop robbery was obviously a ruse covering up some sort of bigger crime. Something similar had happened in Egypt, where in order to keep one room’s artifacts secure, Shuichi had to alert the actual museum security to take care of things. Except, had that really been the right choice? The entire museum besides the room Shuichi was in were rugless because he refused to take action. Shuichi knew that staying in this gift shop would prevent it from being robbed, but he had to weigh that against the great uncertainty of what was happening elsewhere right now. It just felt shitty, knowing he could do nothing right now but wait. It had been part of the reason being a detective had yucked him out when he was a teen. For a while he had been solving exclusively murder cases, which were the worst way to be reminded his job was usually only useful after the horrible things happen… Maybe working on the DICE case had felt good because so much of the work was preventative. Predicting where DICE would strike next always gave him the hope that the next time would be the last and it would all be thanks to him… How stupid…

A memory flashed through his head

“You’re really something else, Shuichi.” A face very close to his had said.

Maybe that was something else about the case that felt good. Chasing DICE’s leader had been light and exciting. A mystery less pursued out of a sense of requirement or needed justice, but rather because the mystery itself was genuinely intriguing. Shuichi had started out fearing that DICE may have had some sort of tie to organized crime or some sort of international conspiracy, but… After investigating into such ties and looking at all past robberies attributed to them, Shuichi had turned up nothing. It was almost comical how good these clowns were at going about their globetrotting crime-spree untraced. And it was weird that Shuichi kept crossing paths with them by almost complete happenstance. Sure, he had predicted their movements in DC, Paris, Reno, and Milan, but Egypt, Taipei, and now… Yeah, completely by chance. Unless… DICE weren’t following him, were they? No, there really would be no point to that at all… Hah, Shuichi was starting to see why Interpol suspected that he had ties with-

Oh, fuck. Interpol.

For about four minutes, Shuichi had forgotten how much trouble he was going to be in. --- [Log of Text Messages from Kaito Momota’s Cellular Device]

From: Me

Hey where are you guys?

I can’t find you anywhere?

From: My Sidekick

Sorry I’m talking to the police right now

From: Me

What??

Bro

I’m gonna need like

A follow up on that

From: Maki Roll

Did you not know the police were here?

From: Me

Uh no

Should I have?

Oh I get it

They’re here about the alarm right?

Well you can tell them it's nothing to worry about

We figured out that a sleeping security guard tripped it on accident...

From: Maki Roll

The museum got robbed

From: Me

What??

From: Maki Roll

Well Shuichi thinks something was stolen

I’m pretty sure I chased the clowns away though

From: Me

Wait the clowns are here?

From: My Sidekick

Sorry Kaito! I’m back

Maki is being questioned now

The alarm going off was probably staged as part of the distraction

Did you check the other exhibits to see if anything was stolen?

From: Me

Yeah everythings fine we did a whole check

From: My Sidekick

What about other buildings on the campus?

Anything missing?

From: Me

Nope everything is where it should be

From: My Sidekick

Well I guess that’s somewhat of a relief

Although that does open up a lot of questions about what exactly happened here…

From: Me

Shuichi I need you to come down to the Space center building

The one with the rocketship

Like right now

From: My Sidekick

What?

What happened?

Kaito?

From: Maki Roll

Where are you guys?

The police are gone and you’re not by the space center

From: Me

We’re chilling in the museum gift shop

From: Maki Roll

What?

It’s not closed?

Isn’t it a crime scene right now?

From: Me

Nah nothing was really stolen

So me and Shuichi were fixing the window

But now we are c h i l l i n g

From: Maki Roll

Huh

I thought you might be investigating still

From: Me

Nah

Shuichi needed to do something with his hands

From: Maki Roll

Oh so you mean Shuichi was fixing the window and you were watching

From: Me

I was moral support!

From: Maki Roll

You know you won’t be able to get other people to do your chores when you’re in space…

From: My Sidekick

He wasn’t making me do it

It was something I needed to do

To like

Avoid freaking out

From: Maki Roll

Oh

Are you okay?

From: My Sidekick

Yes

I just uh

Lost an entire space engine and i can’t do anything about it

From: Maki Roll

What?

From: Me

He did NOT lose a space engine

He was interrupted while doing an investigation on our STOLEN rocket engine

From: Maki Roll

What????

The engine in your shuttle was stolen???

Are you not concerned about that? You can’t fly without one of those right?

From: Me

Hey we’ll find it!

Or maybe we’ll build a new one

It doesn’t matter I’m going to space no matter what!

From: Maki Roll

Wait and you’re not out looking for it right now?

From: Me

Well Shuichi was having a moment here

And hey when it comes to looking after your ride or looking after your sidekick your sidekick has gotta come first

From: Maki Roll

A moment?

From: My Sidekick

I

Uh

Found out I’m on red notice

From: Maki Roll

What’s that

From: My Sidekick

Uh

It like

Means that

Interpol thinks I should be arrested

But Interpol doesn’t actually have the power to arrest me

So they’ve basically told every recognized country in the world to arrest me if I’m spotted

So maybe Japan will try to arrest me if they find that they agree with interpol that I should be arrested

From: Maki Roll

What??

Did you do something???

From: Me

No! He didn’t!

Get this

Some asshole in a green coat just came up

And told Shuichi that his boss thinks Shuichi is too good of a detective to be doing things legally

But it's like

No actually he really is just that good

From: My Sidekick

Hhhhghhhghghhghg

That was Agent Sakakura

Them sending him means they really want me dead…

From: Maki Roll

That’s so stupid

You’re just doing your damn job

Hey do you want me to kill that guy for you?

Because it sounds like he sucks and I will totally kill him for you

From: Me

No you won’t because killing is not good

But your anger is valid I am also very angry about this

From: My Sidekick

Hghfgfhhghhhgggggggggg

From: Me

Hmmm Maki roll Shuichi needs to vent some more so we’ll stop texting

From: Maki Roll

Ok

I’m bringing the car over

Tell me if you want me to kill someone for you Shuichi

From: My Sidekick

No thank you

But I appreciate the sentiment --- [Log of Messages sent via Discord to “#boss-where-he-shouldnt-be” from ???’s Cellular Device]

Ace: Hey, I know this is like a meme chat

Ace: But it's like the only one boss doesn’t have access to

Ace: And I wanted to know if anyone has noticed anything up with him?

Ace: Because I feel like he’s been kinda weird since we got the rocket

Queen: It’s not a rocket its an engine

Queen: In fact it’s actually only about 2/3s of an engine

King: What do you mean weird?

Queen: Rocket engines are built with mechanisms of fuel oxidization that won’t be strictly necessary for an aircraft that isn’t designed to operate in 0 ppm oxygen environments

Queen: So we’ll have to substitute it with an intake mechanism

Queen: Although the pre-existing combustion mechanism is EXQUISITE

Rook: No one cares queen

Queen: Its an important distinction

Hearts: Queen we have a channel for infodumping

Hearts: rn this channel is for gossiping about boss

Ace: He’s been quiet

Ace: Idk ive been worrying about it

King: Do you think it has to do with his injury?

Ace: Naw like

Ace: I feel like he was actin weird because of that before the space station

Ace: But now he’s actin weird a different way

Ace: Like before he seemed a little terse

Ace: And now he’s like catatonic in conversation

Queen: wym

Queen: I literally talked to him five seconds ago

Rook: no wait that is suspicious

Rook: if I were him I wouldn’tve just sat there and let you yap

Queen: oh shut up

Rook: MAKE ME

Ace: honestly i don’t know

Ace: but like you guys saw that detective guy there right

Ace: Do you think something happened with them that we didn’t see

King: What??

Jack: Oh you mean how boss definitely has a crush on him

King: What?????

Jack: Literally in Paris he dropped his entire 100 page plan just to go bully that guy

Jack: He’s like a middle schooler pulling pig tails

Hearts: Hmm… Hate to bring it down but pulling pigtails is a misogynistic notion that reinforces the normalization of violence against women...

Jack: It's true tho

Jack: My pigtails got pulled all the time because as you all know I am extremely attractive

Hearts: Maybe they were just bullying you darling

Spades: Yeah I can see that /s

Spades: Hey you know who really normalizes violence against women?

Spades: That detective guy

Spades: He flipped me in Milan!

Spades: Guy knows fucking aikido or some shit

Spades: And boss isn’t really a fan of violence

Rook: No wait

Queen: What? I thought he really liked yamikawaii shit

Rook: Even though that guy’s friend literally gave me a black eye

Spades: No I’m pretty sure he hates it

Rook: I see what Jack is saying

Rook: Boss totally has a thing for him

Rook: Like literally you can see the hearts pop into his eyes when he spots that guy

Rook: He dropped a display case on my foot when you told him the detective was in Cairo

Ace: Okay well thats not what I meant though

Jack: What you mean you don’t think he got his heart broken by aged up kid conan

Clubs: Conan’s name in his adult form is Shinichi Kudo.

Clubs: Also I think that talking behind Boss’s back is kind of not cool guys. :(

Spades: If you snitch I’m firing you from being my brother

Clubs: :(

Ace: I just meant like maybe he embarrassed himself platonically

Ace: Or I guess adversarially? Idk whatever word you would use for that

Queen: kismesissitude

Ace: What?

Spades: I will swiftly execute you

King: I mean i guess i could see him getting bent out of shape about that

King: But we were kinda onto the detective the whole time

King: I don’t think they would’ve had time to interact at all

Jack: Maybe he’s just sad he missed him

Ace: Ok sorry I don’t know if he’s sad

Ace: Just maybe in a weird mood

Ace: We haven't been in japan for a while and we haven't stuck around a place for more than a week in an even longer while

Ace: It’s putting me in a weird mood too so maybe that’s it

Hearts: Yeah he always likes to be on the move maybe he’s just antsy

King: Or maybe he feels bad cuz Rook got kinda beat up today?

King: I mean I feel bad about that

Rook: I’m okay <3

King: I know <3

Queen: Gross

Queen: You two are literally sitting right next to each other get a room

Bishop: He seems fine to me

Spades: Oh wow Bishop stopped scarfing for a second to weigh in...

Bishop: And by fine I mean terrible because he just dipped his pork dumpling in his panta right in front of me

Bishop: Also you guys know he can see you texting each other right

Bishop: We’re literally all eating at the same table rn

Queen: Oh yeah

Spades: Oops

[frolwriting]

A Whole New World: The Phantom Traveler Part 4

Hey guys!  So bad news.  I’m come down with bronchitis.  I am currently back home and resting.  Thankfully, I’ve gotten a lot written for this story that it doesn’t effect this upload.  Tomorrow I might not feel good.  Also, I’m almost at 100 followers, and its almost my birthday!  If I get to 100 followers, I’ll do the postcard giveaway AND a birthday special.  2 more followers guys!  I only need two more!  Anyways, I hope you like this chapter!  

Fandom: Supernatural

Episode: The Phantom Traveler

Warnings: Violence, cuss words

_______________________________________________________________________

We somehow made it to the airport in a record time. I'm sure Dean broke every driving law in the book to get here. We somehow got here in one piece and wasn't pulled over. I find that to be a miracle. We rushed in and looked at the Departure board. "Right there. They're boarding in thirty minutes." Sam said pointing at our flight.

"Okay. We still have some cards to play. We need to find a phone." Luckily there was one nearby. Dean grabbed it and started calling someone. "Hi gate thirteen…I'm trying to contact an Amanda Walker. She's a flight attendant on flight, um,…flight 4-2-4…Come on…Miss Walker. Hi, this is Dr. James Hetfield from St. Francis Memorial Hospital. We have a Karen Walker here…Nothing serious, just a minor car accident, but she was injured, so-…You what?…Uh, well…there must be some mistake…Guilty as charged…He's really sorry…Yes, but…he really needs to see you tonight, so-…Don't be like that. Come on. The guy's a mess. Really. It's pathetic…Oh, yeah…No, no. Wait, Amanda. Amanda!" Dean sighed and put the phone back. "Damn it! So close."

"Thank you for flying United Britannia Airlines." Someone said over the intercom.

"All right, it's time for plan B. We're getting on that plane." Sam said going over to the ticket machines.

"Whoa, whoa, now just hold on a second." Dean looks terrified. I would be too if I was terrified of flying.

"Dean, that plane is leaving with over a hundred passengers on board, and if we're right, that plane is gonna crash. We need all hands on board."

"I know."

"Okay. So we're getting on the plane, we need to find that demon and exorcise it. Kate you get the tickets, and me and Dean will get the stuff out of the car." Sam said as he handed me a credit card and left with Dean. I went over and bought three tickets for the flight. I'm not afraid of flying, but what if something goes wrong. This is a demon for pete's sake. I know Sam and Dean survive, but what if I don't? I waited a little while when Sam and Dean finally come back with a duffel bag small enough to fit on the plane. I knew Dean was anxious also, so I needed to play cool. Hopefully with me and Sam not stressing, he'll be okay as well. We went through security with no problems and got onto the plane. I guess we only had holy water. We took our seats also with no problems. Dean sat down and started humming. I wasn't sure what it was exactly, but I'm pretty sure I've heard it while in Dean's car. Sam looked over at him.

"You're humming Metallica?" Sam asked. That was it. It was a Metallica song.

"Calms me down." Dean snapped back.

"Look, man, I get you're nervous, all right, but you got to stay focused."

"Okay." Dean said.

"I mean, we got thirty-two minutes and counting to track this thing down, or whoever it's possessing, anyway, and perform a full-on exorcism." I hadn't seen them do a exorcism on the show in a really long time. They generally just stab them with a knife.

"Yeah, on a crowded plane. That's gonna be easy." I said sarcastically. Although, stabbing someone with a knife would be even harder.

"Just take it one step at a time, all right? Now, who is it possessing?" Sam asked looking around. Me and Dean did so as well. I couldn't tell from just looking. They won't be showing their black eyes right now.

"It's usually gonna be somebody with some sort of weakness, you know, a chink in the armor that the demon can worm through. Somebody with an addiction or some sort of emotional distress." Well crap. Let's just hope the demon stays in the person it's possessing at the moment. I have no protection.

"Well, this is Amanda's first flight after the crash. If I were here, I'd be pretty messed up." I don't remember it being Amanda who the demon possessed. I think it was a guy.

"Mm-hm." Dean said. A flight attendant walked by us at that moment. "Excuse me. Are you Amanda?" Dean asked stopping the flight attendant.

"No, I'm not." She said.

"Oh, my mistake." Dean said.

"Mm-hm." The lady said as she walked past. Dean and I turned around. There was a lady in the back of the plane. I think that was Amanda.

"All right, well, that's got to be Amanda back there, so I'll go talk to here, and, uh, I'll get a read on her mental state." Dean said.

"What if she's already possessed?" Sam asked.

"There's ways to test that." Dean said grabbing a bottle of what I guessed was holy water from his bag. "I brought holy water."

"No." Sam said snatching the bottle and hid it. "I think we can go more subtle. If she's possessed, she'll flinch at the name of God." Oh yeah there's that as well.

"Oh. Nice." Dean said standing up about to leave.

"Hey." Sam said.

"What?" Dean asked turning back to us.

"Say it in Latin." Oh Latin, I'm going to have to learn that one day.

"I know." Dean said as he again turned to leave again.

"Okay. Hey!" Sam said again.

"What?!" Dean asked getting annoyed.

"Uh, in Latin, it's Christo." Sam said.

"Dude, I know! I'm not an idiot!" I wouldn't have known that if I didn't watch this show. Dean finally went back. I grabbed the book I bought not too long ago. Not going to do anything till Dean gets back. After a few minutes, Dean returned. "All right, well, she's got to be the most well-adjusted person on the planet." He said frustrated.

"You said Christo?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." Dean said.

"And?"

"There's no demon in her. There's no demon getting in her." Dean said running a hand through his hair.

"So, if it's on the plane, it can be anyone. Anywhere." Sam said just as the plane started to shake.

"Come on! That can't be normal!" Dean exclaimed getting really anxious.

"Hey, hey, it's just a little turbulence." Sam said. I put a hand on his hand to try and calm him.

"Sam, Kate, this plane is going to crash, okay? So quit treating me like I'm friggin' four."

"You need to calm down." Sam said.

"Well, I'm sorry I can't." Dean was getting more anxious.

"Yes, you can." I said rubbing his hand.

"Dude, stow the touchy-feely, self-help yoga crap, it's not helping."

"Listen, if you're panicked, you're wide open to demonic possession, so you need to calm yourself down. Right now." Sam said. Do they not have the tattoos? Dean took a deep breath.

"Good. Now, I found an exorcism in here that I think is gonna work. The Rituale Romanum."

"What do we have to do?" It would be much easier if we could draw a devil's trap but that's not going to happen.

"It's two parts. The first part expels the demon from the victim's body. It makes it manifest, which actually makes it more powerful." I don't remember the exorcism being more than just saying the words.

"More powerful?" Dean asked.

"Yeah."

"How?"

"Well, it doesn't need to possess someone anymore. It can just wreak havoc on its own."

"Oh, and why is that a good thing?" I asked.

"Well, because the second part sends the bastard back to Hell once and for all." They don't do this part anymore in the show. I don't remember them doing this after this episode actually.

"First things first, we got to find it." Dean said. He grabbed his EMF meter and started walking up the aisle. Sam stood up and clapped him on the shoulder. I wasn't sure what he was doing. I got up and followed them. We were standing by the bathroom just as the copilot walked out of the bathroom and started back to the cockpit.

"What? What is it?" Sam asked.

"Christo." Dean said subtly. The guy turned back to us. That was when we saw that his eyes were black. He went back to the cockpit. Dean turned and looked at us. We, of course, headed to the back of the plane to Amanda to try and get her help.

"She's not gonna believe this." Sam said.

"Twelve minutes, dude." Dean said taking a look at his watch.

"Oh, hi. Flight's not too bumpy for you, I hope." Amanda said as she saw us walking towards her.

"Actually, that's kind of what we need to talk to you about." I said as Sam closed the curtain.

"Um, okay. What can I do for you?" Amanda asked obviously getting super nervous. I would be nervous if two huge guys walked back here to me alone.

"All right, this is gonna sound nuts, but we just don't have time for the whole 'the truth is out there' speech right now." Dean said. She started looking even more nervous.

"All right, look, we know you were on flight 2485." Sam said. Amanda's smile disappeared.

"Who are you guys?" She asked.

"Now, we've spoken to some of the other survivors. We know something brought down that plan, and it wasn't a mechanical failure." Sam said.

"We need you help because we need to stop it from happening again. Here. Now." Dean said.

"I'm sorry, I-I'm very busy. I have to go back-" She said trying to go past us. We stopped her though.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a second. I'm not gonna hurt you, okay, but listen to me, uh…the pilot in 2485, Chuck Lambert. He's dead." Dean said.

"Wait. What? What, Chuck is dead?" She asked surprised.

"He died in a plane crash. Now, that's two plane crashes in two months. That doesn't strike you as strange?" Dean asked.

"I-"

"Look, there was something wrong with 2485. Now maybe you sensed it, maybe you didn't. But there's something with this flight, too." Sam said.

"Amanda, you have to believe us." Dean said.

"On…on 2485, there was this man. He…had these eyes." They were probably black.

"Yes. That's exactly what we're talking about." Sam said.

"I don't understand, what are you asking me to do?" She asked still confused.

"Okay. The copilot, we need you to bring him back here." Dean said.

"Why? What does he have to do with anything?"

"Don't have time to explain. We just need to talk to him. Okay?"

"How am I supposed to go in the cockpit and get the copilot-"

"Do whatever it takes. Tell him there's something broken back here, whatever will get him out of that cockpit." Sam said.

"Do you know that I could lose my job if you-" This poor woman.

"Okay, well you're gonna lose a lot more if you don't help us out." Dean said. That was true. We could die. She hesitated, but it looked like she might believe us somehow.

"Okay." She said as she went into the cockpit. She walked back with the copilot. When he got in here, Dean punched him knocking him down. Dean pinned the guy and put tape on his mouth. "Wait. What are you doing? You said you were just gonna talk to him." Amanda started getting scared. I would too if I was her.

"We are gonna talk to him." He's not wrong. It's just the copilot won't be talking back. Dean splashed some of the holy water on him. The guy's skin sizzled.

"Oh, my god. What's wrong with him?"

"Look. We need you calm. We need you outside the curtain." Sam said looking at Amanda.

"Well, I don't underst-I don't know-" She said nervously.

"Don't let anybody in, okay? Can you do that? Can you do that? Amanda?" Dean asked looking at her.

"Okay. Okay." She left.

"Hurry up, Sam. I don't know how much longer I can hold him." Dean said struggling. I got down and helped Dean keep the guy down.

"Regna terrae, cantate Deo, psallite Domino-" The demon broke free briefly and hit Dean and Sam till Dean pinned the guy again. Sam started doing the exorcism again. Just then the demon knocked both me and Dean to the ground and pulled the tape off. He grabbed Sam.

"I know what happened to your girlfriend! She must have died screaming! Even now, she's burning!" Dean hit the demon as Sam just sat there. I took my place again. Man, I really wished I memorized that exorcism now.

"Sam!" Dean and I exclaimed. Sam snapped out of it and started the exorcism again. Sam put the book down and helped us pin the demon down.

"I got him." The black smoke exited the copilot's body and disappeared. Crap. "Where'd it go?"

"It's in the plane. Hurry up. We got to finish it." Dean said as we got off the guy. The plane started dipping. Sam struggled to grab the book that the demon kicked away from us. I was holding onto the counter for dear life. Dean was pushed against the exit door. He was also screaming. Sam grabbed the book and read the rest of the exorcism. A bright light went through the plane just as it leveled out. I guess we did it. Me, Sam, and Dean went back to our seats and relaxed. Dean was even somewhat relaxed. Once we got to our destination, there was police and paramedics. We wanted to wait around to see if the copilot was okay. Amanda was standing near him as he was being checked over. After a few minutes, she turned to us and mouthed thank you. "Let's get out of here." Dean said as we went to find a rental car. "You okay?" Sam stopped and turned to Dean.

"Dean, it knew about Jessica." Sam said.

"Sam, these things, they, they read minds. They lie. All right? That's all it was." I said trying to comfort him.

"Yeah." Sam said.

"Come on." Dean said as we went into the airport rental car place. We then drove back and decided to go see Jerry before we left.

"Nobody knows what you guys did, but I do. A lot of people could have been killed." Jerry says as he shakes our hands. "Your dad's gonna be real proud." I nodded my head.

"We'll se you around, Jerry." Sam said. We started heading out when Dean stopped and turned back.

"You know, Jerry." He said.

"Yeah." Jerry said.

"I meant to ask you, how did you get my cellphone number, anyway? I've only had it for like six months." Dean said.

"Your dad gave it to me."

"What?" Sam asked confused. Their dad hasn't been talking to us much less someone he barely knew. I mean he didn't know me, but I'm with two of his sons.

"When did you talk to him?" Dean asked getting hopeful.

"I mean, I didn't exactly talk to him, but I called his number. His voice message said to give you a call. Thanks again, guys." Jerry said as he left. We headed out to the entrance of the airport.

"This doesn't make any sense, man. I've called Dad's number like fifty times. It's been out of service." Sam said. Dean pulled out his phone and dialed what I assumed was John's number. When the voicemail started playing he put it on speaker phone.

"This is John Winchester. I can't be reached. If this is an emergency, call my son, Dean. 785-555-0179. He can help." John on the voicemail said. After we heard it, Sam looked mad and stormed into the Impala. Me and Dean exchanged a look and followed shortly after. I began to think about what was next. Bloody Mary. I am not looking forward to this.

[verdigrisprowl]

Jan 14 Bevel’s Movie Stream - two Leverage episodes

Because Ratchet couldn’t make it, Bevel didn’t show Star Trek Discovery tonight. Instead, she showed criminals being treated like heroes for doing crimes, which Prowl heartily disapproves of.

That said, he thinks the hacker is hot.

Prowl and Tarantulas got into a dumb fight that will probably culminate in absolutely nothing.

Bevel 7:13 pm *everything's set up just as before, some chairs and couches and a table for snacks and energon* FakeProwl 7:21 pm *appears; takes a seat by himself* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:22 pm *Arrives and, looking around, does a mental shrug since there's nobody he doesn't expect and parks himself by Prowl - if allowed. He'll stop like two feet from and look at the spot next to questioningly.* FakeProwl 7:23 pm *a nod. permission granted.* *and a greeting ping.* Bevel 7:23 pm *she'll give all three bots waves upon their arrival, she might look a little hesitant about waving to Prowl but that's on her, not him* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:25 pm *Nods to Bevel and Prowl and drops down with a [[Hello]] to both.* Tarantulas 7:25 pm *tarantulas doesn't know bevel well, but he's invested in the series now - in he comes, scoping out the room for a moment and gravitating toward the energon* *hey bev are there straws with the energon pls say yes* Bevel 7:25 pm *of course* Tarantulas 7:26 pm *more importantly are they fun-shaped* Bevel 7:27 pm *Bevel would never offer straws that weren't fun shapes, no boring straight straws for this party* Tarantulas 7:30 pm *good! a tiny bow to bevel, then tarantulas is gonna snag the purplest funnest one and a cube, and plant himself in front of prowl and sw on the floor* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:30 pm *Nudge with ankle. Contact forbidden?* Tarantulas 7:32 pm *permitted* FakeProwl 7:32 pm *the temptation to lean forward and bury his hands in Tarantulas's shoulders... no. resist. no displays like that in front of a near stranger.* Bevel 7:36 pm ((Starting in ten minutes! ItsyBitsySpyers 7:36 pm *Would tell Prowl that this is probably one of the near strangers he can trust the most, but doesn't know to. Will keep the ankle up against Tarantulas' hip though.* FakeProwl 7:37 pm *trusts no near strangers* Bevel 7:38 pm *knows way too much about Prowl's relationships and will go to her grave with the knowledge, but would understand the not trusting if she knew about it* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:40 pm *Well if SOMEONE hadn't pretended to be him.* Bevel 7:43 pm *yes, yes, don't pretend to be Soundwave where Prowl, Tarantulus, Shockwave, or Soundwave might appear* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:46 pm *...He would question why Bevel has decided not to be him where he'd appear, but he DID make out with that alternate.* Bevel 7:49 pm *mostly so he won't ruin the fun but omg don't ever tell her that* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:55 pm *Don't worry. He won't.* FakeProwl 7:55 pm *... this isn't starfleet* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:55 pm *Tilts his helm.* [[Did you not acquire more tapes, then?]] Bevel 7:55 pm Ratchet could not make it tonight so I found something else to show so he would not miss anything. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:56 pm *Oho. Now he's interested.* FakeProwl 7:56 pm ... Ah. Pro-crime propaganda. Bevel 7:56 pm *whoops* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:57 pm [[Crime done for the purpose of helping others.]] Bevel 7:59 pm *not sure this tape is about them helping anyone but themselves but she's curious enough because it seems to be a mystery* FakeProwl 8:00 pm Yes. "For the purpose of helping others." Like I said. Pro-crime propaganda. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:03 pm *Laces his fingers together.*

[[It might be. But he is interested in this story.]] Bevel 8:03 pm *humans look so alike to her that she can believe this human can be two people at once and most people fail to realize it* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:05 pm *LOUD HUFF* Bevel 8:05 pm *giggles* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:05 pm [[So it's going to be one of these things.]] Bevel 8:05 pm One of those? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:06 pm [[Yes. Multiple people working different plans with the same goal. Not unlike some of the times he and Jazz tried to get the same information.]] Tarantulas 8:07 pm *had completely spaced out for a while playing around with the cube&straw and a packet of additives he'd pulled out of his subspace, but now he's nibbling on the straw and paying attention* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:08 pm *Still huffing.* Bevel 8:09 pm I bet those are really interesting war stories. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:10 pm [[Wouldn't you like to know.]] Bevel 8:10 pm I really would yeah. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:11 pm [[You and everyone else interested in classified historical events.]] Bevel 8:11 pm *huffs* Bevel 8:13 pm *now this is getting convoluted* FakeProwl 8:14 pm *... gently leans against soundwave's shoulder* *quietly* I'D like to know. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:17 pm *Looks around his shoulder to get a glimpse of his leaner.*

@P: [[Attempting to seduce it out of him?]] FakeProwl 8:17 pm @S «Depends on whether or not it's working.» ItsyBitsySpyers 8:18 pm @P: [[...Perhaps with a little more effort.]] [[He "lives this job" but doesn't know his employees...?]] Bevel 8:19 pm Maybe he is distracted because he let her get away? *still not a good excuse but she can't think of anything better* FakeProwl 8:20 pm @S «I'd slide into your lap but we've got an audience.» ItsyBitsySpyers 8:21 pm @Prowl: [[An audience that knows. But, very well. He'll give you an example when we are alone and you can.]] FakeProwl 8:21 pm @S «That doesn't mean I want it watching.» ItsyBitsySpyers 8:22 pm *Small nod. Fair point.* *...He also likes the continual mangling of the one human's accent.* FakeProwl 8:26 pm *perks up slightly* *pegged the bartender as the guard from the second story* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:28 pm *Would be delighted to know how he did that if Prowl felt like sharing.* FakeProwl 8:31 pm *... wasn't expecting THIS characterization* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:33 pm [[He hasn't stolen anything. It fell into his hand.]] FakeProwl 8:33 pm *okay, didn't get it, he was suspecting the other guard* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:34 pm [[...He broke the artifact?]] Bevel 8:34 pm Fake Gold is soft but not like that. Bevel 8:35 pm Oh! FakeProwl 8:37 pm So we're supposed to sympathize with these thieves for going out to steal art from an oil mogul who just polluted the ocean. ... Rather than... doing something, anything, to contribute to cleaning up the pollution or preventing it from happening. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:37 pm [[...It does seem less helpful than was originally suggested by the credits.]] Tarantulas 8:38 pm Mmm, "sympathize with" probably isn't the correct phrase. "Be amused by" seems more fitting. FakeProwl 8:38 pm So noble. Stealing useless trinkets from villains. Now the poor have the useless trinkets instead, and isn't the world better off for it. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:39 pm *Can practically feel his paint bubbling under the heat of that sarcasm.* *Pings Tarantulas his agreement. The stories were definitely amusing.* FakeProwl 8:39 pm *sorry, he'll try to turn it in another direction.* Bevel 8:39 pm *can't disagree but she still finds it amusing* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:40 pm *No, no, he likes Prowl leaned on his shoulder.* FakeProwl 8:40 pm *he'll just make sure the flamethrower coming out of his mouth is aimed at empty space* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:41 pm [[...If that is a murder, the helpfulness seems more promising in this one.]] FakeProwl 8:41 pm Mm. *he dislikes stories that argue that the criminals and thieves are the helpful ones.* *rather than what they really are: villains stealing trinkets from villains.* Bevel 8:42 pm *her attention is caught briefly by mention of the Titanic* FakeProwl 8:43 pm *same* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:43 pm *Hm. Points for fighting efficiency.* FakeProwl 8:43 pm ... Dismissing the Titanic for being "designed by smart people" completely diownplays th... *sorry he got distracted by hackervision. somebody who sees the world the way prowl does!* FakeProwl 8:45 pm ... Completely downplays both the brilliant work that went into it, AND the remarkable circumstances that caused it to sink in the first place. Bevel 8:46 pm Yeah. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:49 pm *Sort of half-tilts forward in fascination. How are they going to stop thi--?* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:52 pm [[...Corruption?]] FakeProwl 8:53 pm *and, now we're supposed to dislike the police. sighs.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:53 pm [[...Ah. He wanted privacy.]] FakeProwl 8:54 pm *ah. the police are using a valuable asset. less dislikable.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:56 pm [[...Tell him none of the current enforcers would just let that happen. Tell him he has taught them better than that.]] FakeProwl 8:57 pm What, let three criminals steal a truck? Tarantulas 8:57 pm *snorts at the "hot but disturbing"* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:57 pm [[Fall for a stolen badge and someone speaking about technology at a fast pace.]] *Pause.* [[So, yes.]] *Can't disagree with the assessment Tarantulas is snorting at* FakeProwl 8:58 pm I've only been working with them for three days. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:59 pm [[And your estimation?]] FakeProwl 8:59 pm So, yes. I'm sure most of them would. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:00 pm *Rubs his crest with his good hand.*

[[Of course. Of course they would.]] Tarantulas 9:00 pm *ooooh* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:00 pm *Stops rubbing to look through his fingers. What's all this?* FakeProwl 9:01 pm Unfortunately, enforcers are just people. Which means idiots, who easily fall for people who act authoritative and look like they know what they're doing. Tarantulas 9:02 pm *small laugh* I adore how awfully frightening biology is being portrayed... And how many extraneous beakers they had in that fake lab setup. Pft. Bevel 9:03 pm All the beakers. Makes everything look official. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:03 pm [[Hmm. It's been a long time since he heard that phrase.]] FakeProwl 9:03 pm Which phrase? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:04 pm [[Creepy spy truck.]]

[[...How do you know they were extraneous?]] FakeProwl 9:05 pm *snort* When you get me intel would you like me to say "thank you, creepy spy plane"? Bevel 9:05 pm *giggles* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:05 pm [[Primus.]] Bevel 9:05 pm ...*that's a lot of pigs* Tarantulas 9:06 pm Labs need functional equipment, not masses of containers. It's about the same as you having a slew of empty data slugs instead of a console setup. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:06 pm *Uh. What was he--* [[He hopes you don't find him creepy. But, if it amuses you.]]

[[...He keeps both.]] FakeProwl 9:06 pm *thinks about the drawer he's got devoted solely to empty data slugs* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:07 pm [[But he thinks he sees your point.]] Tarantulas 9:07 pm Of course you need data slugs, but not /that/ many. FakeProwl 9:07 pm *it's a big drawer* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:07 pm [[...Of course, they were talking about the Earth year 1918. He does not expect they had much in the way of 'functional equipment' then. They did not even have computers.]] Bevel 9:07 pm *keeps a lot of extra scrap metal, most of which she'll probably never use around, not sure that applies to data slugs and beakers* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:09 pm *Huff* Tarantulas 9:10 pm Are those two /actually/ involved? FakeProwl 9:10 pm ... she could have just walked around him. Bevel 9:10 pm The other one said the whole floor could be rigged. FakeProwl 9:11 pm Ah. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:11 pm [[He suspects they are.]] [[Involved, that is. In answer to Tarantulas.]] FakeProwl 9:12 pm *he likes that hacker* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:12 pm *Does too.* Bevel 9:13 pm *ok that is cool* FakeProwl 9:13 pm *that was extremely attractive* Bevel 9:14 pm Soundwave? Are humans really this easy to track? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:15 pm [[...He probably should not answer that.]] Bevel 9:15 pm *takes that as a yes* FakeProwl 9:15 pm So yes. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:15 pm *You said it, not him.* Bevel 9:15 pm *snickers* FakeProwl 9:17 pm YEAH! ... Sorry. It was an— impressive turn, there. Tarantulas 9:17 pm *giggling* FakeProwl 9:17 pm *look he doesn't get to see the cops do cool things in shows like this very often.* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:17 pm *Light trembling.*

[[Do not apologize. You're free to enjoy such things.]] FakeProwl 9:18 pm It's the volume I'm apologizing for. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:18 pm [[Still fine.]] *Frenzy. Turning it down is something of an instinct these days.* Bevel 9:19 pm *amused by Prowl's enthusiasm* I like him. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:20 pm *Mild blip of alarm. The red shirt human is shot.* Bevel 9:20 pm *look at him all shot and still beating up bad guys, that takes a lot of willpower to power through that kinda injury* FakeProwl 9:21 pm ((as red shirt humans are wont to do)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:21 pm ((LOL)) FakeProwl 9:22 pm ... the aerosol and the virus are contained separately, right? If they separate them, they can pop the aerosol and the virus won't do anything. Bevel 9:22 pm ...or that? Tarantulas 9:22 pm Or that. *visor smiling* FakeProwl 9:23 pm *smirks* Same theory. Bevel 9:23 pm Ha, that was awesome. Bevel 9:24 pm He really should go to the hospital though. Tarantulas 9:24 pm *mentally nudges sw - he has a theory, wanna hear it?* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:25 pm *Accepts the nudge and nudges back. Go for it.* Tarantulas 9:26 pm *every thought is accompanied by a mental snicker, but here: one might be able to make certain parallels between these characters and the mecha in this room, don't you think?* Tarantulas 9:27 pm *not that tarantulas knows much about bevel, but she'll do to fill the role of one character* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:27 pm *...Go on.*

*In the meantime:* [[He finds himself pleased that they stopped the virus. It sounded something like the rust plague.]] *When did he begin to sympathize this much with organic species? Insidious little meatlings.* Bevel 9:28 pm Is that the one that killed a lot of bots during the war? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:28 pm [[No, no. That was the Cybonic plague. The great Rusting was long before.]] Tarantulas 9:29 pm *snort* Really? By that I mean - yes, its contagiousness and lethality are similar, if that's what you were implying. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:30 pm [[It is. Of course, the rust plague took entire planets, but we do have a habit of doing things on grander scales than most species.]] *Oh? What an interesting song.* Bevel 9:30 pm Oh. *oh geez don't tell Ratchet she mixed them up, she'll get a lecture* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:31 pm *Still hoping to hear these comparisons. Was amused by the docked reference and the 'sitting next to you' bit.* Tarantulas 9:35 pm Humans are young and fairly isolated - the influenza virus might be mighty, but it can only spread among the species it evolved to infect. Tarantulas 9:36 pm Grander scales are reserved for diseases that are brought about by non-species-specific causes. FakeProwl 9:37 pm Influenza affects several species. Tarantulas 9:37 pm It mutates between species. FakeProwl 9:38 pm I was given to understand that it evolves. *he says, revealing he has no idea that those are basically the same thing.* Tarantulas 9:38 pm Besides, the difference in genetics between the affected species is negligible. *amused* Yes and no. But don't worry yourself over it. *he's got other things to do besides squabble over biological specifics - he's gotta explain this silly theory to sw* FakeProwl 9:40 pm ... What do you mean, "yes and no"? *look you can't just imply prowl is wrong about something and not provide him with the right info* Tarantulas 9:44 pm *an offhand wave and some casual rambling* They're essentially the same thing, although I used the term 'mutate' since they're viruses and generally not accepted to be quote-unquote "alive" - not to mention the fact that mutation is the genetic change, and evolution mostly refers to the phenotypic results of the mutation. FakeProwl 9:45 pm *... processes that* *... what does phenotypic mean* Bevel 9:45 pm Phenotypic? *it's ok, Bevel got you Prowl, because Tara just spit out a bunch of words that sounded like blah blah blah* Tarantulas 9:46 pm Viruses can only be said to evolve if one considers slight changes in RNA to be sufficiently significant differences in something that could or could not be called a living organism in the first place, much less a species. Personally I'd rather just stick with 'mutation' . ItsyBitsySpyers 9:46 pm *...He feels like he got this lecture once from a Shockwave when the Cybonic plague was being created. Some of the content is familiar, at least.* *He listens to see how it is different for organics.* Tarantulas 9:46 pm Phenotypic. Referring to the resultant phenotype of the organism as encoded in its genetic material. Bevel 9:47 pm ...*is gonna use robot google for this or they'll be here all night and SW will never hear Tara's theory* FakeProwl 9:47 pm Okay, you can't just say "phenotypic" refers to a "phenotype," as if we are likely to know what "phenotype" means when when don't know what "phenotypic" means. Bevel 9:48 pm *Soundwave sent her a link...* Tarantulas 9:48 pm *snorts* I told you not to worry about it. Bevel 9:48 pm *giggles* Tarantulas 9:48 pm (( oh my god ItsyBitsySpyers 9:48 pm *INORDINATELY pleased with himself* Tarantulas 9:48 pm (( how. how are they making the chicken do this Bevel 9:48 pm ((props to them for getting this to go along with the lyrics so well omg FakeProwl 9:49 pm You've just said "Here's something you don't know about but I do, now be quiet and stop caring about the fact that you don't know this thing and the person who could tell you about it can't be bothered to tell you about it." Have you ever met me, Tarantulas. Ever. For more than two minutes. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:50 pm *He hopes so, since Tarantulas has been in here all night.* FakeProwl 9:50 pm *he's sure not acting like it.* Tarantulas 9:53 pm *huff* Forgive me for not necessarily wanting to wax encyclopedic at the moment - and I never said I /wouldn't/ explain, just - not now. FakeProwl 9:53 pm Don't command me not to "worry" about something when what you mean is "I don't want to discuss it anymore right now." Tarantulas 9:55 pm I - *rubs at his helm* You're misinterpreting my tone. And I'd much appreciate if you didn't make such a fuss of this right here and now. Tarantulas 9:57 pm *geeeeez he just wanted to wrap that up and nudge sw with something amusing, not get in an argument with prowl* *huff huff* FakeProwl 9:57 pm You mischose your words. Bevel 9:57 pm *will just enjoy the music like y'do* FakeProwl 9:57 pm *but fine. he's dropping it. looks at screen.* Tarantulas 9:58 pm *narrows his visor at prowl for a moment, then sighs with his shoulders. oh boy* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:59 pm *Is not entirely sure what he's supposed to do or if he ought stay out entirely. This... seems like a thing he should maybe let them work out on their own. He can at least stay here as a shoulder without causing upset, probably. He hopes.* Bevel 10:00 pm *oh yes, enjoy this cool video about a sister and her brother being torn apart, it's meaningful* Tarantulas 10:01 pm @P: ::I didn't mischoose my words. Will you /please/ stop assuming things of me and putting words in my mouth and accusing me of things in front of other mecha who have absolutely nothing to do with our personal com -:: *oh my god what* *sufficiently distracted* FakeProwl 10:02 pm *good, because Prowl's not replying to that.* Bevel 10:02 pm *victory for Bevel, distracted Tara* Tarantulas 10:05 pm *would enjoy these AMVs more if he were in a better mood though* Bevel 10:05 pm *sorry Tara* FakeProwl 10:06 pm *not sorry. feels condescended to.* Tarantulas 10:09 pm @SW: [[...Did I /actually/ do anything wrong or am I right in thinking that Prowl's overreacting?]] *yes, you're getting dragged into this, sw* Bevel 10:10 pm *yay for not being dragged into things* Tarantulas 10:10 pm *don't jinx yourself bevel, you're still a potential witness to be called upon* Bevel 10:10 pm *shhhhh no she's watching fanvideos now* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:11 pm *Oh, Pit. This isn't - he's not familiar with - uh. Think quickly, Soundwave.* FakeProwl 10:11 pm *rude, tara. prowl's stewing in his crippling self-doubt like a responsible mech.* *you can't just drag other people in* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:14 pm @Tarantulas: [[What he thinks is - irrelevant. He cannot appropriately take sides in a personal argument in which he does not have a stake. The two of you will need to discuss this between yourselves.]]

*That's. That's acceptable, right? Right?* Tarantulas 10:14 pm *squinnnnt* @SW: [[...I'm using you as a reality check, not a pawn. Come now.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 10:16 pm *How do you ask someone "how am I supposed to believe there won't be temperamental repercussions" without implying you already think you're in for some?* Tarantulas 10:17 pm *you don't - you lie, just like tarantulas is doing* Tarantulas 10:19 pm *looks over at bevel in the meantime* How rude of me, hyeh. I've been here this whole time and not spoken a word to the lovely host, haven't I. I apologize. Bevel 10:19 pm ... It is ok. *no really please no need to talk to her at all* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:20 pm *...Oh, oh, he knows.*

@T: [[He understands that there was a breakdown of communication. He cannot advise on the nature of it, or on which side or sides it has occurred. You will have to speak to Prowl about it.]] Tarantulas 10:21 pm @SW: [[Prrrrrowl's not speaking to me. I'm sure you can see where my dilemma lies.]] Tarantulas 10:23 pm *a nod at bevel, thanks* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:23 pm @T: [[He does. He also knows that you are an intelligent mech capable of working out how and when to have the needed conversation once any possible immediate ire has passed, if it exists.]] *Suddenly feeling a little bit like the tap-dancing lawyer from the Chicago movie.* Tarantulas 10:24 pm *smol audible whiny whine @ sw* FakeProwl 10:24 pm *... why's prowl still here? they're watching music synchronized to humans beating each other for no reason, nobody is talking to him, tarantulas essentially told him to shut up so that he could then comm him and rant at him privately, then stopped talking to him mid-sentence and has ignored him since.* Bevel 10:25 pm *sorry Prowl, Bevel is still working up her nerve to talk to him again* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:25 pm *Soundwave would LIKE to talk to him as soon as he gets himself out of being dragged into this. He is, currently, using most of his wits to escape that fate.* FakeProwl 10:25 pm *glances at tara, who's just whined. and now, apparently, he's talking privately to soundwave, and prowl's sure it's not about anything good.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:26 pm *Soundwave shakes his helm at the whine. He has several deployers. You're not getting to him like that.* Tarantulas 10:26 pm @SW: [[You sorely overestimate me.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 10:27 pm @T: [[Then it is a good time for you to learn.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 10:28 pm *Pings Prowl as a nudge for nudging's sake. Hasn't heard anything. Is beginning to suspect brooding.* FakeProwl 10:29 pm *he shouldn't have said anything. and he should just leave. they're already talking about him behind his— hm?* @S «What?» Tarantulas 10:30 pm *weak mental shove at sw. well that was useless* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:31 pm @P: [[Have you noticed how well the humans creating these videos have timed their clips of the original product to new sound?]]

*Pathetic attempt to engage on a different topic when he wants to avoid the current one and doesn't know what else to do? Go.*

*Accepts the shove. It was, and that was the point.* FakeProwl 10:32 pm @S «... No. I didn't. Sorry, I wasn't really watching them.» ItsyBitsySpyers 10:32 pm *Oh Primus, Bevel, that's not a selection he wanted to draw attention to...* Bevel 10:32 pm *she did nothing* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:33 pm @P: [[Ah. He is sorry to hear that. Many of them were quite masterful. Organic creativity continues to surprise.]] FakeProwl 10:33 pm @S «Mm. I'll take your word for it.» Tarantulas 10:34 pm *hmm. what happens if he pings prowl, let's see* FakeProwl 10:34 pm *... he should have left.* @T «What.» ItsyBitsySpyers 10:36 pm @P: [[He'll see about replaying them some time.]] FakeProwl 10:37 pm @S «It's fine. I'll just take your word for it. Musically-synchronized violence doesn't do anything for me.» Tarantulas 10:37 pm @P: ::...Are you upset with me?:: *probably best to start with clarifying the basics, right?* FakeProwl 10:38 pm @S «... Sorry.» *because soundwave would undoubtedly like to share a musical thing with prowl, wouldn't he?* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:38 pm @P: [[It is all right. He understands.]] FakeProwl 10:39 pm @T «/Don't worry yourself over it./» ItsyBitsySpyers 10:39 pm *Soundwave decides to ping Bevel next. She's an uninvolved party, at least.*

@B: [[You do a fine job of hosting. And he appreciates your musical selections.]] FakeProwl 10:40 pm *farewell ping to soundwave. leaves.* Bevel 10:40 pm *well since no one's making suggestions...* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:40 pm *Returns ping and watches the avatar flicker.* Bevel 10:41 pm ((oh geez this is old, still good Bevel 10:42 pm @S: Thanks! @S: What are you gonna show tomorrow? Tarantulas 10:43 pm *winces a bit. bah* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:44 pm @B: [[He has not fully decided. Something from the starship timelines.]] *Came out to have a good time and is feeling personally attacked by this video.* Bevel 10:44 pm @S: Awesome! I will try to get some files from the stuff I showed before. *sorry* Bevel 10:46 pm ((and now that i've played one of their songs i want to play my favorites but they're not really things Bevel would play ItsyBitsySpyers 10:46 pm *It's fine. He's enjoying it. It does have a point.*

@B: [[With the Discovery humans?]] Bevel 10:47 pm @S: Yeah! I think I found some more records but I want to make sure. Tarantulas 10:48 pm *is slumped forward with his chin in his paws sulking* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:49 pm @T: [[Perhaps some time to think?]] Tarantulas 10:52 pm @SW: [[Yes, lovely. How I do adore waiting and drowning in uncertainty in the meantime.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 10:53 pm @T: [[Unfortunately, it happens to everyone. Even himself.]] Tarantulas 10:53 pm @SW: [[Hah hah.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 10:53 pm @B: [[Good, good. He is intrigued by the Ripper creature and the spore drive. It is... somewhat like a space bridge.]] Bevel 10:55 pm @S: Our ships do not do the neat flippy thing though. *pity* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:56 pm @B: [[They also do not gather condensation. It is for the best, as we are made of metal.]] @B: [[But... he thinks he will retire to his building after this video.]] Bevel 10:57 pm @S: Yeah, true and ok. Thanks for coming again. Tarantulas 10:57 pm *tara suspects there's a conversation going on, but he'll bring his back into the audible realm anyhow* So - might you know when your next showing will be, Bevel? Bevel 10:59 pm A few Earth days from now. *not sure how Tara's Cybertron days move so...* I can message you if you want? Tarantulas 10:59 pm *a hum that sounds happier than tarantulas actually is* Ah, yes, please do. Bevel 11:00 pm *grins* Ok! Tarantulas 11:01 pm I'll make sure not to get myself wrapped up in any immediately-dire projects, then. I'm looking forward to the next installment. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:02 pm *Stretches a little, pushes himself up, and nods to Bevel.*

[[Thank you.]]

*Nod to Tarantulas, who is probably grumpy with him. And a departure.* Bevel 11:03 pm Did Soundwave show you the other files from the starship universe that I found? Tarantulas 11:03 pm *of course he's grumpy with you sw* Yes, he did - they're quite enthralling. Bevel 11:04 pm Oh all the science must be really cool for you. Tarantulas 11:06 pm *actual visor smile* Yes, quite! Bevel 11:06 pm Then I will definitely comm you when I can show more files. Promise. Tarantulas 11:07 pm Much appreciated. Unfortunately... I probably ought to be going. I'm sure you can imagine I might have a bit of a mess to clean up. Bevel 11:08 pm I am sure you can. Tarantulas 11:08 pm Hyeh. Thank you for having us. Until next time, then. *a smol bow, and he's out* Bevel 11:09 pm *waves before he goes and then vents a little once she's alone. then she gets started cleaning up*

[jaclynnicole-blog]

NYC BIRTHDAY TRIP (MARCH 2019)

Ok, so it has been awhile since I have written on my personal blog. Time to update and all that has happened this year. I cannot believe half of the year is over! Where did the time go? Well, the year 2019 didn’t really start off too well and was dealing probably what has been one of the hardest moments of my life. Our family dog, Romeo, (who had just turned 14 November 8th 2018) was diagnosed with Cancer in December... He seemed a bit better as we had a given him some pain medication to help but as soon as it ran out he was not eating or drinking... It happened so quickly and by the end of February we had to make the THE decision to put him to sleep. We had gotten Romeo my Senior year of high school so our first dog, Sonny, had someone to be around. I was super close with Romeo remembering every step of when we got him (Close to Valentine’s Day 2005). I cried myself to sleep the very first night without Romeo and will never every forget to this day still have this hole left in my heart...

This Birthday Trip seemed like one that was meant to be more than ever. As I sit here writing this blog post, I am listening to one of my favorite Musical Soundtracks, “Anastasia: The Musical”. It has a very special meaning to me and it all started last Summer (Read one of my previous blog posts).

As soon as I saw “Anastasia” for the first time, I knew I had to go back but this time I decided to plan a trip during my actual Birthday week and see the show on my actual Birthday. Mind you I was thinking this as soon as I got off the plane Summer 2018. In November, I started planning out my Birthday trip and knew I wanted to see “Frozen: The Musical” as an actual Birthday Gift so that is what my whole family decided to chip in on. I originally planned to see the show by myself but ended up seeing the show with my younger cousin Charlotte. Only fitting since she took me to see the 1st “Frozen” movie. My Aunt found a really good deal on tickets and we had the best seats ever! More on that later. as March was getting closer I knew I wanted to spend more than one day in NYC, especially sine I was seeing “Frozen” the night before my actual Birthday. Before I had even purchased a ticket, “Anastasia” announced that the show would be closing on March 31st, just a few days after my Birthday (March 28th). I definitely had a moment of sadness but I knew this Birthday Trip would mean even more now. Calling to get tickets was definitely a bit crazy I was afraid of not securing a ticket before it closed. I purchased a ticket which was one of the last deals I would fine last minute over the phone. There are two shows usually on Wednesdays on Broadway, so I asked myself what other show did I want to see that would be super special? “Prom: The Musical” had started on Broadway in November but had a long Journey before getting there and one of my former dance friends (we were swing partners) was a part of this Musical! I said “Ok, this would be perfect!” I quickly purchased a ticket and was set to see three Broadway shows my Birthday week! I was super excited as I have never been away on my actual Birthday!

TUESDAY: MARCH 26TH 2019

Come Tuesday, March 26th I was all set and ready packed for my week away. I was staying with my Aunt and Uncle who I always have a wonderful time with.My flight was at 7:30AM and I would get into NY around 10AM. My whole flight to New York, I finished up the rest of my book and biography of Sara Bareilles “Waitress: The Musical”. My Aunt picked me up and we headed back to their house. We had a nice lunch at the house and caught up. Mid day my Aunt and I decided to head to the stores. Later that night, my Aunt took me to a Chinese place that was super good! Was so great to spend time with my Aunt and was excited for the rest of the week! We headed back to their house and my Aunt and I sat down to watch an episode of “This Is Us”! As soon as we finished I got settled and ready for bed.

WEDNESDAY: MARCH 27TH 2019

It was nice not to have to rush out to NYC, but I would be there everyday if I could. I left for the train station around 10:30AM. Took the train into the City to get there between Noon and 1pm. I was set to see “Prom: The Musical” at 2pm. As I was on the train, I was texting my dance friend, Teddy, and asked about him coming out after the show, he sadly had told me he had something scheduled and wouldn’t be out. I took one shot and asked about seeing him quickly before the show. He said he could make that work as he would arrive at the theatre a bit later than some of the other cast members. I got into the City just before 1pm at Penn Station on 33rd. I headed over to 48th Street where “Prom: The Musical” was at Longacre Theatre. I was super excited to get a message on the way there that Teddy was able to say a quick hi BEFORE the show as he was going into the theatre. He waited until I arrived for a quick hi and photo. I was super blessed to be able to see him. I was at the top of the theatre but was super intimate and was still a great seat to enjoy the show! Before the show, I of course had to head to the merchandise table to buy a few memorabilia from the show I bought a key chain (I collect Broadway Keychains!), Broadway Program Playbill, and of course the soundtrack to the musical! The show started around 2pm, and ended around 4pm. This show was super powerful and loved all the dancing and choreography. What really stood out was after the bow, at the end of the show, the cast went right back into dancing.. As soon as the show finished, I exited the theatre and headed over to the stagedoor. I waited for Becca (who danced with Teddy in the show), to come out and introduced myself. I kindly mentioned that Teddy offered to sign and get a few other cast members to sign if I left it with someone after the show. Becca kindly asked me to leave it with Security and she would get it to Teddy later that day. I was so grateful to Teddy and Becca for helping me out. As soon as I got a quick photo with Becca, I headed back towards 44th Street area to meet up with my cousin Charlotte and her dad Eric for a quick bite before the second show of the evening, “Frozen”! We met at a fun little Japanese place near 44th Street and we caught up while we enjoyed a nice dinner. My cousin Charlotte and I have been very close since she was super little. I remembered she had taken me to “Frozen” the movie, so back in November 2018 I started planning my trip with her mom and we booked our tickets pretty quickly. I was super excited to take my cousin to see her very 1st Broadway Show! After we finished eating, we walk towards The St. James Theatre, where “Frozen: The Musical” was. Last Summer, I was quickly able to say hi to all four of the girls/talented kids who were part of this musical some from the original cast. We said our goodbyes to Charlotte’s dad for a few hours and headed into the theatre. We headed to the merchandise table to purchase a few items. I picked up my Playbill/Program with some amazing photos of the original cast which came with a keychain if we bought it online (Which I did while purchasing the tickets). Well, my parents did as my “Frozen: The Musical” ticket was a Christmas Gift from my parents. I also splurged and purchased a jacket with the “Frozen: The Musical” logo on it. We headed to our seats and were amazed how incredible seats they were! This is a quick story from when I was planning my trip. My Aunt messaged me and told me about two seats that were considered partial view right behind the conductor but one of my cousins had looked it up on a website to see what the seat view looked like, and guess what? The seats were perfect! So we purchased them because they were a lot cheaper ($57.50) than what the seats around it were (around $175). Back to being present at the show. My cousin and I got to the theatre pretty early, so we sat right in the front row and took in everything around us. I wished the conductor luck before the show and the curtain went up. I was super excited. Throughout the show, I would look over at my cousin and saw a huge grin and smile on her face just in awe of the show. I loved every second of it and seeing everyone, the costumes and every detail up close made it even better! There were some amazing special affects throughout the show and the snow coming down at the end topped everything off! My cousin Charlotte and I left the theatre with huge smiles on our faces. We headed to the stagedoor and had a chance to meet a few of the cast members from the show. My cousin and I said our goodbyes, once her dad had shown up and I headed across the street for one more thing I just had to do before headed back to Penn Station. The Broadhurst Theatre, where “Anastasia” went on every night was just across the street from The St. James Theatre which I was very familiar with from last Summer. Both shows finished around the same time so I decided to go pay a visit to the stagedoor since I knew the cast members were still out there signing. I waited until most had spoken to Christy Altomare (the lead “Anya”). I went up and I had mentioned to Christy I had come last Summer to see Nicole right before she left, and ran into her backstage. She did remember and then I told I was so sorry to not see the show tonight...I mentioned the next day was my Birthday and she wished me a Happy early Birthday. I quickly then mentioned it would be super special because I had a ticket to see “Anastasia” one last time on my actual Birthday and I would be back tomorrow. Christy had the biggest smile on her face and we grabbed a quick photo before I said “see you tomorrow!” I just couldn’t wait until my Birthday. First time being away on my actual Birthday. As I headed to Penn Station, I reflected on what had happened all that day. On the way back to my Aunt and Uncle’s place, on the train, I was looking at my phone and realized it was passed Midnight and my Birthday had actually begun! With a huge grin on my face I quickly got settled back at my Aunt and Uncle’s home and fell asleep after 1am.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28TH 2019

Birthday began waking up and headed upstairs to eat a little breakfast with my Aunt and Uncle. Although I wasn’t seeing “Anastasia: The Musical” until later that night, I still wanted to get into NYC a bit earlier as I had to walk back to 48th Street to pick up my Playbill/Program from the theatre “Prom: The Musical” was. I took the train back into NYC around the same and arrived sometime after Noon. As soon as I walked out of Penn Station I walked over to Sprinkles Cupcakes to get my FREE Birthday Cupcake (My fav Salted Caramel Flavor). Then I headed to 48th Street. Teddy did more than just him signing the Playbill and had most of the cast members sign the whole front of the program! It is super special and reminded me of the memories I had made the previous day. As I walked back to 44th Street I was thinking about where I could eat for my Birthday Lunch/Dinner. I did try to meet a few friends but nothing ended up working out, so I walked over to Buca Di Beppo (on 45th Street). I got my favorite all time dish I hadn’t had in what felt like years, pasta with chicken and capers in a spicy sauce! I just felt like having something I couldn’t eat back at home and treated myself for my Birthday. After finishing up my Birthday lunch, I headed over to The Minskoff Theatre where “Lion King: The Musical” was, and met up with one of the young cast members who portrays “Young Nala” in the Musical, Suri Marrero. We had connected on Instagram, Suri had done an Instagram Takeover for my online Magazine. Suri was performing on my Birthday night as she shares the role and they each do four shows a week, but I just had to see “Anastasia” on my Birthday (You will see why later in this blog post). I did get a chance to say hi to Suri and take a few photos with her in front of the beautiful theatre. Was super fun to meet Suri in person. This was all around 5:45pm so as soon as I finished I headed back to 44th Street and The Broadhurst Theatre where “Anastasia: The Musical” was. The doors open well before the show starts so I ended up going in and just taking in this theatre for the last time. I was on the second level this time around (1st visit I was about 8 rows back in Orchestra). The view was just as great and I still had a chance to get a an amazing video of the company’s bows (There were only around four shows left after the one I attended). Right before the I got a Facetime call from my Niece and Nephew wanting to sing and wish me a Happy Birthday, the show was about to start, so instead my sister took a video and sent it to me. During intermission of the show, I quickly took a look at the video. My heart melted with my Niece and Nephew singing me Happy Birthday. I also was sitting pretty close to the upstairs merchandise table so during intermission I was able to quickly take a look at what else I wanted to purchase from the show before it closed. I decided since I was planning to the National Tour of “Anastasia” in May, I made a quick decision to get the jacket with the “Anastaisa” logo on it. It is very thin and perfect for Florida weather to bring to inside places and very lightweight. Now the weather, in NYC, was a bit colder than what I was used to, but I still insisted on wearing my jacket outside after the show finished.The show started around 7:30pm so it finished around 9:45pm. As soon as the show’s curtain was down, I headed outside to the stagedoor. After about 10-15minutes some of the cast members started making their way out of the theatre. I was able to grab quick photos with many of the cast members (unlike my first trip to “Anastasia” I really truly just took it all in the very first time). Said a quick hi to Delilah who I had just found out that day I would be seeing as “Little Anastasia” on The National Tour as well she was going to join as soon as the Broadway company had finished. I gave Deliah a special ring I purchased for her, the understudy of “Little Anastasia” Annika”, and of course Christy. I truly couldn’t wait to see Christy again and explain how much she made an impact on me the second I met her last Summer even if it was just for a quick moment. It was after 11pm when the crowd kind of got smaller and smaller (as Christy made her way to talk, sign and take photos I mean with EVERY single person waiting). That was practically two hours after the show finished Christy was still out there enjoying every moment with her fans. As Christy got closer I got a bit nervous because I sort of knew what was going to happen but was a bit unsure as she was on vocal rest the whole week to take care of her voice for the very last week of the show. Christy approached me and at first wasn’t really looking at my face because my Butterfly necklace and “Anastasia” jacket caught her eye. But she then quickly realized it was me, from the day before, and said “isn’t it your Birthday?” I had said “yes” I handed her a very special “princess” ring I had gotten for a few members of the cast in the show to remember their family at “Anastasia”. She looked at me and said “This is your Birthday and you are giving me a gift?” Christy made sure someone was actually videoing her speaking with me as she was about to do something she does for anyone who mentions it is their Birthday the day of the show. Christy first asked how old I was, and when I told her I was 31 she had was like “ No way! You look like you are 25! I want your genes!” I quickly laughed (as I get that a lot) but she didn’t and at this moment still doesn’t know the whole story. I didn’t have a chance to mention I wrote her a letter last Summer mentioning a lot. I didn’t want to keep her and left soon after she went onto the last few of the crowd. I headed back to Penn Station with this huge smile on my face and kind of starting to tear up as I watched the video a very kind fan was able to take for me of Christy singing me Happy Birthday as I headed back to my Aunt and Uncle’s home after Midnight (my usual time).

FRIDAY, MARCH 29TH 2019

I woke up and had breakfast with my Aunt and Uncle. We talked about what were planning to do that day as they wanted to celebrate my Birthday a day later since I was in NYC the whole day on my actual Birthday. We decided on seeing “Dumbo” which had just began in theatres that day. After getting ready for the day, we headed up to the movie theatre. We saw “Dumbo” and headed out to an outside mall to make a few quick stops. Then we headed to an Italian place for my Birthday dinner. Of course I loved every moment getting a chance to spend time with family and was a great end to my Birthday week in New York. We finished up dinner and headed back to my Aunt and Uncle’s place. I packed up for the week and settled in for the night. Although I ended up going upstairs and having a late night talk with one of my cousins and Aunt. We had fun talking and catching up.

SATURDAY, MARCH 30TH 2019

The next morning I had an early flight out headed back to Tampa, Florida. The plane ride home I was reflecting on my whole trip and definitely shed a few tears realizing this trip was probably one of the most memorable trips that I have ever taken. Each trip I have taken has had their moments and memories but this one was just extra special. I have no clue when my next trip will be but visiting NYC is always fun and making memories (even if it on my own) won’t stop me from doing what I love.

[skarletterambles]

GoT 7.3

Another week of travel times not making any damned sense whatsoever unless there are secretly jet planes in Westeros.

The dragon flyover scaring the crap out of Jon and Davos was awesome.

[Minor books spoilers, mentions of incest and rape]

Sansa taking exactly zero of Littlefinger’s shit is extremely satisfying.

Bran is creeeeeeeeeeeepy.  I feel bad for Sansa.  What a letdown to go from “YAY MY BROTHER IS ALIVE!!!” to “Okaaaaaaaaay, why are you taking about three-eyed birds and omniscience and somehow remotely viewing my wedding/rape?”  *backs away slowly*

Nothing about the treatment or recovery time from Jorah’s greyscale makes any kind of sense.  It’s all on the surface, there’s no virus or whatever kind of pathogen left in his body that will cause a relapse, and all those horrible raw sores just healed over in no time at all.  Sure.  Seems legit.  Who knew it was that easy?

It looks like they’re building up to Dany discovering Jon’s status as formerly-dead, which gives me hope that they might actually have his whole death/resurrection thing finally matter somehow.  Seriously, it doesn’t seem to have changed Jon at all, and it really should have.  Maybe when Dany confronts him about it, he’ll finally break and have some kind of reaction.

I did like the scene where they’re watching the dragons fly around, and not just because, well...yay, dragons!  She’s like, “I named two of them for my brothers!” and all of us are like, “Oh yeah, Viserys and Rhaegar!  You know, Jon, YOUR REAL DAD?”  Except he doesn’t know.  (You know nothing, Jon Snow.  Heh.)

I know the show has the tendency to make Tyrion do no wrong and be right all the time, which can indeed be over-the-top, but I did like the scene where he teases Jon about looking better whilst brooding on a cliff than he does.  (And it’s true.)  

And he’s right that it would be a terrible sign of Daenerys’ sanity and fitness to rule if she was like, “Oh hello, person I have never met before who is technically in rebellion against me.  What’s that you say?  Army of the undead?  Of course that’s a thing!  No, no, I don’t need any evidence to suddenly believe in this supposed myth!   Let’s drop all my life-long goals and go fight ice zombies!  Whee!”

Yeah.  If she’s any kind of ally worth having, she would take a bit of convincing.  Otherwise halfway to the Wall someone might wander by and ask her to go help them fight a bunch of rollerskating vampires, and she’d go with them instead.

Moving on...  It seems like a waste of resources and time to try capturing Casterly Rock, since it involves sailing all the way around the southern tip of the continent, and at least in show!canon the Lannister treasury is broke.  It’s a symbolic victory, at best.  Dany would be better served keeping her fleet in one place, especially with the (magically teleporting) Greyjoy navy prowling the waters.  If she would just go ahead and take over King’s Landing, she wouldn’t have to worry about the message she’s sending to Cersei via capturing her family’s seat.  Because Cersei would be dragon chow.

And after that torture scene tonight, I would be quite happy to see that happen sooner rather than later.  (Not that it wasn’t very well-acted, because it was, but yeeeeeeeeesh.)

Speaking of Cersei, can this PUHLEEEEEEEZE be the last time she and Jaime get intimate? Ugh!  His character arc is not only stagnant, it’s drifting backwards every time they get frisky.  At this point in the books he’s at the “new phone, who dis?” stage, burning her letters and being angry and disgusted by her needy, self-centered pleas for attention.  

Jaime was supposed to have broken down to his lowest point and then be carefully rebuilding himself to be a better man, a man his idealistic teenage self would have been proud of.  Part of that was cutting ties to Cersei, who is repulsed by the new man he’s turning into.  THAT WAS INTERESTING!  This “lol twincest so shocking omg” thing they’re plodding along with on the show...not so much.  Since his Life-Changing Road Trip With Brienne(tm) was immediately followed by the sept scene (that absolutely was a rape no matter what the show runners tried to say), I’ve pretty much given up on the show doing anything resembling book canon with his character, but it’s still frustrating.

That last scene with him and Olenna, though...  Oh my.  Exquisitely acted on both their parts.  The dawning look of shock and horror in his eyes was amazing.

TL;DR:  Overall an enjoyable episode, as long as you could look past the nonsensical travel times and not think about Jaime’s book characterization.  Could also have used more dragons, but that’s true of everything.  ;)

[mikeyd1986]

MIKEY’S PERSONAL BLOG 156, May 2019

On Monday morning, I took myself to see the dentist at Casey Smiles Dental Clinic in Cranbourne. This was a very unexpected last minute appointment after the dental pain I’ve been experiencing recently was becoming more and more severe. Of course I thought that I could tackle it myself by simply throwing pain killers and mouthwash at it. WRONG! After a week of this, I had to face the music and get a professional to look at it.

I heard about Casey Smiles thanks to a post on Facebook which has been regularly popping up on my newsfeed. It’s been at least 3 years since I last visited the dentist mainly due to financial struggles and anxiety but today both of those things had to take a back seat. After filling in the new patient form, two dental assistants dressed in bright pink escorted me to the treatment room where I met my dentist Dr. Mohamed Massaud. He was tall, handsome and wore bright blue scrubs.

Sitting back in the leather dentist chair, he asked me what I needed. I really didn’t have any concrete answers for him besides the fact that I’ve had spikes of severe pain on the left side of my mouth. It sure was a strange feeling to be back at the dentist after several years but this was urgent. I got taken into another room to get an x-ray done. Here I had to stand inside a machine called an O.P.G. (Panoramic Radiograph) which is similar to an M.R.I. but for taking images of teeth.

It turned out that I’d have to get a tooth on the upper left side removed. I certainly wasn’t prepared for this and yet this wasn’t my first rodeo either. My last dentist appointment was to get one of my wisdom teeth removed. Thankfully the team made this process as relaxed and comfortable as possible. They had music playing in the background and a computer scene displayed a lovely, picturesque landscape.

Of course having numerous surgical instruments and a suction tube being shoved in your mouth isn’t exactly a pleasurable experience but I did my best to remain calm and focused. I knew this had to be done to stop myself from suffering in oral pain. There was lots of pressure, crunching and bleeding but thankfully not too much pain as I’d been strongly numbed up on the left side of my mouth.

Dr. Mohamed constantly checked in with me to make sure I was doing okay and gave me several breaks as the tooth had to be extracted in stages. Considering how much I was sweating in the chair, I did remarkably well to not freak out and bolt for the exit. For my first time being at this dental clinic, I was really satisfied with the service even in the face of my own uncertainty and doubt. Now I just have to let the area heal over the next couple of days.  https://caseysmiles.com.au/dr-mohamed-massaud

On Thursday afternoon, I had an appointment with my new occupational therapist Meghan. This session, we really honed in on having more structure and organisation around my cleaning tasks. She asked me to list them in order of importance to me, set specific times during the week in which to complete each of the tasks, use some motivation boosters such as doing the tasks in the morning and playing music in the background.

I had some reservations from my previous appointment as to whether Meghan is really a good fit for me as she could come off as a beauty cosmetics consultant at times with a charming smile and a forced giggle. My biggest concern was that these sessions would be a complete waste of time for me and that Meghan wouldn’t take me seriously. But I feel like we’re finally going to be making some progress as she’s laid out some concrete actions and strategies to use before the next session.

On Friday morning, I completed the daunting and overwhelming task of dusting my bedroom. When it comes to tasks such as these, I always seem to get myself worked up, emotional and stressed out. To me, there’s a lot more going on. It’s confronting how much clutter and mess there is, how long the task will take to complete, whether I’ll be able to get it all done, whether I’ll have the energy to do it. But thankfully with the help of mum, I managed to do it. Of course there was a lot of barriers in the way for me but I still did it.

On Friday afternoon, I finished my creative writing homework exercise for Week 3. This week we had to choose an idea and work out a rough plan for a very short story of around 500 words. Then write notes on the background of the characters, locations etc. I really didn’t have much time to focus on doing this exercise but I gave it an attempt and did write at least half the story. I decided to go with “A disastrous holiday”.

SHORT STORY: A DISASTROUS HOLIDAY 

Ryan, a busy corporate worker with long hours, endless deadlines and a consistently tight schedule. He wishes to escape his dead-end, stressful and demanding job by going on a relaxing holiday to Fiji.

Upon arriving at Tullamarine airport, there are massive delays and a long queue of disgruntled, impatient and irate customers demanding to know what is going on. Despite making his best endeavours, scrambling and worried that he wouldn’t make it to his gate on time, the flight ended up being cancelled anyway. There would be a lengthy wait until his next scheduled departure to Fiji. Defeated and exhausted, Ryan collapses into the nearby seat at the departure lounge.

On the flight, the plane’s engine malfunctions and one of the propellers catches fire. This triggers the emergency alarm which blares loudly. With all this commotion, Ryan suffers from a panic attack thinking that he’s going to die. A nearby flight attendant rushes to his aide and attempts to calm him down. The plane begins to tear itself apart and the passengers are forced to evacuate. Ryan finds a parachute and begins to descend slowly towards the South Pacific Ocean.

Ryan’s main objective is to find safety, survive from the plane crash and hopefully find his way home. He’s lost all his luggage and only has personal possessions on him such as wallet, keys, phone. Ryan ends up landing in New Caledonia, which is halfway between Australia and Fiji. 

Ryan eventually finds help from the locals, makes contact back home in Australia and ends up being rescued. He finds that even though he’s had a disastrous holiday, he still has a lot of things to be grateful for.

NOTES· 

Background of the main character/protagonist Ryan – wants to escape from his dead-end corporate job and enjoy a relaxing holiday in Fiji. Ultimately, he hopes to “find himself” by going on a personal journey like in the novel Eat. Prey.Love.· 

Research into the locations, settings and disaster scenarios – I will need to look into things such as air crash investigations, how planes function and operate, emergency procedure’s used while travelling on a plane, the geography of Fiji, South Pacific Ocean, New Caledonia and nearby islands.· 

The physiological and psychological changes that Ryan endures from panic attack episode to escaping from the plane and needing to be rescued. He’s literally in “survival mode” and will need to use his problem-solving skills in order to overcome this situation. · 

How will Ryan get out of this situation? Who can he contact? How will he manage his stress and anxiety levels?

On Friday night, I went to my boxing class with CinFull Fitness. I’ve had to shuffle a few things around this week due to my unexpected dental procedure but thankfully I do have some flexibility when it comes to slotting in my training sessions. Being the only male in a room full of females does present its challenges (my knowledge of babies, pregnancy and dating is pretty average at best) but it doesn’t bother me too much either. I couldn’t be further from macho and masculine in my nature and I get along with most people, even if I’m not the most social of people.

Tonight we did the usual combos and partner work plus a mini-circuit (sit-ups / plank hold knee taps, non-stop jabs into pad, step ups / step jumps / crossover lunges) and a 5 round AMRAP (10 jab crosses, 6 star jumps, 20 hooks, 4 squats / squat jumps, 10 Russian twists, 20 highs). I’m finding that my boxing technique is improving but the fatigue does kick it pretty rapidly. I know what my limits are though and when I need to take a break. It’s obviously really important to listen to my body and not overdo it when it comes to my fitness levels.

To be honest, this election has probably been the most difficult one to decide. It's true that I do vote for Labor 95% of the time. But do I completely trust opposition leader Bill Shorten and the past track record of the disastrous Rudd-Gillard-Rudd government? Not really. However, I detest everything that the Liberals / Nationals have done over the past 6 years far more.

The current PM Scott Morrison leads an unstable government who has changed leaders twice through an embarrassing and public leadership spill. Wasted millions of dollars on an unnecessary and divisive plebiscite for same-sex marriage. Have made many cuts to schools, TAFE, hospitals, medicare and penalty rates. Has lied in their recent budget about being in surplus and Australia having a "strong economy". Have not done enough to support women in parliament with MP's like Julia Banks and Kelly O'Dwyer leaving before this election.

I'm voting for Labor many because I align myself with most of their policies. Better funding for hospitals and schools. Higher wages for low and middle income earners. Restoration of penalty rates. Cleaner renewable energy. Real action on climate change. Improving the NBN. Investment in mental health services. Investment in the NDIS. More places for university and TAFE.

Bill Shorten is far from perfect but I'm willing to give him a chance considering the past 3 prime ministers have been arrogant, corrupted, untrustworthy and fake. Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison have put their own agendas first and the interests of the Australian people last. Plus the entire Liberal / National party has been in a shambles with many members jumping ship before the election this month.

P.S. I did consider voting for The Greens as I do agree with SOME of their policies (renewable energy and climate change, fully funding TAFE, university and public education, introducing medicare for dental and mental health services, legalising medicinal cannabis). It's just that I align myself more strongly with Labor policies.

I've always found the white senate ballot paper to be ridiculously long and cumbersome especially in recent years with many independent parties signing up and making the sheet of paper longer and longer. It used to be so much easier to vote for, simply putting a number 1 in the box above the line.

NOW you have to choose a minimum of 6 parties to vote for above the line or 12 candidates below the line. It essentially forces you to do your research into which political parties aligns with your values and views. And which policies do you find to be the most important. Or else you just follow the How To Vote cards which is really the easy way out.

Even before I turned 18, I considered myself to be a "Leftie". Always voting for Labor, The Greens or both. But even now at 33, I consider myself dumb and uneducated at times when it comes to politics. I can get myself easily mislead by the bullshit politicians and the news media are selling, confused by complex economics and tax policies, and just not knowing who to believe anymore.

Before yesterday, I didn't even know how preferential voting works. So now I'm forcing myself to do a bit of research and give some of the smaller independent parties a go particularly in the senate. The most important things to me are healthcare, mental health, autism awareness, education, workers rights, wages, penalty rates, sustainable energy, climate change and protecting the environment.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve done a lot of research and careful consideration into each of my electorate’s candidates as well as the individual parties to see what’s important to me and where my values lie next to them. With the federal election fast approaching this Saturday, my brain has been conflicted between voting for Labor and The Greens.

Which policies do I align myself more with? It’s even harder to make a decision after watching the many interviews, debates and news stories about the major parties. Plus social media is loaded with misinformation and internet trolls trying hard to tell you who you “should” vote for. Only recently have I learned about how preferential voting works, which adds further confusion as to which way I should vote.

So here is how I’ve decided to vote in this year’s federal election:

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (ELECTORATE OF HOLT)                               1. Anthony Byrne (Australian Labor Party)                                                             2. Jess Wheelock (The Australian Greens)                                                            3. Jatinder Singh (United Australia Party)                                                               4. Jennifer Van Den Broek (Liberal Party of Australia)

SENATE (VICTORIAN UPPER HOUSE)                                                                1. The Australian Greens                                                                                        2. Australian Labor Party                                                                                        3. Australian Democrats                                                                                          4. Australian Worker’s Party                                                                                  5. Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party                                                                              6. Animal Justice Party  

[canaryatlaw]

So, today was, alright. And after the trainwreck that was yesterday, I'm satisfied with alright. Woke up somewhere around 10:25 and got ready, but didn't bother to do make up (lazy and sick) then got a Lyft out to this new doctor. He's out in one of the suburbs, not too far outside the city, but enough that it's a considerable distance that I probably couldn't get to by public transportation alone so I ended up spending a fortune on Lyfts today, but oh well. We got out there in good time and find the office easy enough, fill out some paperwork and get called back. Of course, the first thing they want to do is the lung functioning test that I've done, not exaggerating, completely literal- about 50 times at this point. Like, I've done this test to death. But I was of course interested to see what it would say now that it seemed like my lungs had been pretty severely compromised. So the whole thing is they have you breathe into this mouthpiece thing in and out and then you take a really deep breath and blow it all the way our for as long as you possibly can and its not terribly pleasant. So we do it the first time, and at the end I'm coughing a good amount from the effort and need a minute. So then we do the second one, and after that I straight up could not stop coughing, like I had to sit down and get water because it was that bad. And yet I'm staring at the image on the screen and I know it means my lungs are functioning normally because I've seen that 50 times before. Sigh. So I go to talk to the doctor and I explain my whole complicated medical history (well, not all of it, but the relevant pieces to here. He pretty much straight up rejects the idea that I have asthma or should be treated using asthma medication, which makes sense being that not once in my life have I ever tested positive for asthma (despite being screened about 50 times) and asthma medication generally has no effect on me, although it can help with the cough sometime, but he explained that that's just how the medicine works that it would have that result anyway but it's not doing anything to solve the problem. And I mean, everything he's saying seems to makes hell of a lot of sense so far. So what is this? Well, then we start talking about my acid reflux, and he says that it can cause way more symptoms than just heartburn, and just because you're not getting heartburn doesn't meant your reflux is controlled, and it can be causing other symptoms, including coughing and back drip and all that ever stuff. Huh. So he says for now he wants me to double the acid reflux medication I'm on, and that if I'm in a coughing fit pop a tums, and he gave me a nasal spray as well, saying hopefully we'll see results in 5-7 days and I can call and update him. My symptoms overall did feel better today, though I don't know what to attribute that to, but I was significantly less miserable that yesterday so that was interesting. So, hey, I'm willing to give this a try at this point, a lot of what he said does make sense with my medical history and he does remind me of my old allergist who was always spotting things other doctors totally missed. If none of this works though and we're back at square one, the next step would probably be getting on a plane to NY for a day or two for an emergency consult with my pulmonologist there, because at least he knows me and he knows me case and most importantly, he's successfully treated my symptoms. But I'm hoping we don't have to go there. I'm gonna try to get an appointment with him while I'm home in June for a bit anyway just to check in with things. So yeah, hopefully this will work. Got a Lyft home, got into my apartment with enough time to drop my things then run right back out to physical therapy, that is thankfully only around the corner. It felt like a pretty productive session, lots of shaky muscles which is something that's been happening to me forever now, so maybe that can get fixed here too, that would certainly be nice. I'm just hoping I can remember all the exercise he wants me to do at home now, lol, since he was introducing new ones. Oh well. So that went well. I passed the kosher deli on my way home and stopped in for some matzoh ball soup, because I'm sick and I can, and went home and ate that before heading back out yet again to go downtown. On my way there, I check my email to see that my prof has cancelled our class for tonight because she is sick, but I was already meeting my partner for my oral argument before hand and I had to pick up my prescriptions so it wasn't a big deal. Got off a stop early and grabbed my prescriptions from target, then met my partner in the library and talked things over. It's pretty basic, each of us is taking one argument and going up against the lawyer on the other side about it. I ended up doing the impeachment argument just because I thought that it was stronger due to the 4th amendment principles supporting it (I won't get not what all of that means because believe me, you'll be bored) so I typed up an outline for that that I likely will not take one look at until the oral argument, but oh well. We finished up and left the library, and I had to stop at Starbucks and try this ridiculous unicorn frappuccino because I'm a basic white girl and I've given up fighting this, so hopefully you saw my post about that earlier (and it's rather brilliant Moana pun that I was quite proud of). So that was an interesting experience. It's hard to describe, just kind of sweet and tangy and a bit sour, it's good though. After that I headed home and decided to give myself the rest of the night off because I was tired dammit, so I got some food and turned on my shows, starting with Brooklyn 99 which was hilarious of course. Then I went to the last two episodes of trial and error, which (spoiler alert obviously) I FUCKING KNEW FROM THE BEGINNING THEY WEFE GONNA RIP OFF THE STAIRCASE AND THEY RIPPED THEIR CONCLUSION LITERALLY RIGHT FROM IT lol. I mean it was totally brilliant and it cracked me up that they did that, it was a great move on their part. After that I realized designated survivor was on, so I watched that slightly delayed from real time by about 5-10 minutes. Another solid episode, not quite as good as the last two weeks I think but still quality in all the places it needed to be and did a good job in setting the plot forward. Given the circumstances I get why he wanted to go with the eight Justice Supreme Court, but given our current judicial situation (if you're unaware, we currently have an open seat on the supreme court since Scalia died, so there's not gonna be a tie breaker vote in a close case). And I mean they're right, most cases down come down to a split 5-4 decision, but a lot of crucial ones do. I understand he was trying to get the court up and functioning, and I can see why he did that, but I'd like to see that vacancy filled sooner rather than later, so I hope it's a plot line they follow up on. As far as real life selection of a judge goes, ugh, don't talk to me about it. And yeah, that was pretty much my day. Not too bad overall. I'm tired now though, so I'm going to take my leave and get some sleep. Goodnight babes. Sweet dreams.