#louise actually falling for joe

[itscuntingseason]

i might make a longer post collecting my thoughts on this at some point, but the problem with season 5 of You, to me, is that a lot of it is great in theory, but not so good in execution.

[neyafromfrance95]

i always wondered what would be the most satisfactory way to wrap YOU up and lowkey assumed that the finale would not be some sort of perfect culmination to the whole story.

and boy, was i wrong...

the finale of YOU s5 was perfect. it surpassed my expectations for a great ending bc it went beyond the show's assumed formula and became a self-aware, raw and surprisingly feminist meta commentary on the show itself, joe goldberg, his victims and the real world realities of the victim/predator dynamics.

throughout the season, i wondered what was the point of introducing a character like louise. was it to show once again that joe will always find a flaw in his "soulmate" and continue the pattern of his predatory behavior?

yes, but more importantly, it all clicked and made sense when the finale revealed the point of louise to be about HER, not joe.

louise is not a random chick whose life and story is split in "before joe and after joe". she is an echo of beck. through louise we see that beck was not just a tragic heroine in joe's story, she was someone who left an impact on people in her life such as louise.

she is not the perfect victim or heroine. she has some moments of internalized misogyny, thinking that she is smarter than those women who fall for toxic men. she believes that she can fix joe. she fantasizes about being saved and dominated by him, giving him control to build her up bc she does not know who she is and has self-esteem issues, struggling to love herself without a lover's validation.

in some sense, she represents joe's perfect victim; in some sense, she represents the audiences who romanticize him. and she is the one who snaps out and sees herself clearly, thus seeing joe as he truly is and becoming his ultimate reckoning.

and with her, we see joe as he is as well. a pathetic misogynist with mommy issues who does not accept anything he deems selfish in women he preys upon. a predator who kills his prey once she does not reflect the image of himself to him he wants to see. someone who does not take accountability for harming others, always making excuses for himself. his mask is finally off, he is naked.

once louise confronts him and takes her voice back, demanding joe to admit the truth, the story takes off the romantic lenses that reminded more or less intact throughout the show and turns into a pure horror of brutality and violence.

but joe can not kill louise. metaphorically, it's bc he does not have power over her anymore, she found her own power in herself. power that is found through self-acceptance and love for all the victims who were silenced by joe. she declares that she is not bronte built in his fantasy, she is louise.

i actually teared up when louise had a vision of beck autographing her books and then it cut to an older lady, showing the lifetime that was taken away from her.

in the end, we recognize what joe refuses to recognize - that he is responsible for his loneliness. yet, he is not wrong when he breaks the forth wall and confronts the audiences for participating the culture that blames the victims and gives power to the abusers.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Ghost Dan Masterlist

A Small Eternity - ihavecoldhands

Summary: Dan is a sort of ghost who can never be touched by a human, or he’ll disappear. Phil falls in love with him anyway.

Bad (Actually Very, Very Fucked Up) Romance - full-dark-no-starss

Summary: A year ago, a boy died falling down the stairs of A Block. A year later, Phil Lester who accidentally lets the ghost of the dead boy possess the body of school bully and his own personal nightmare, Dan Howell.

Bury the Dead Beneath You (ao3) - pinkieprimpotter

Summary: It was a car accident. A car had rammed into Dan, as he was texting Phil that he was just down the street. He was trapped behind heat and metal, and he felt so much pain he thought he would be ripped apart.

ghost boy (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: "Phil's house just might be haunted."

Ghost of you (ao3) - Latenightdream

Summary: Phil is recently graduated and finds his dream job as a weatherman in a cold and gloomy town but everything changes when he learns that he is not the only one living in his house. . . . . . . Aka weatherman Phil and sad ghost Dan fall for each other

Haunted - ficster28

Summary: In which Dan is a ghost. Just. Because.

Haunting My Life (ao3) - Anonymous

Summary: Any of you ever play that online game, Haunt the House?

Ghost!Daniel is antisocial as all heck, but when his house is flooded with potential buyers, he decides there's only one way to deal with it- flush them all out. Which would of course work better if he could stop getting distracted by PJ's uncomfortably pretty friend, Phil, who isn't even here to buy the house.

What began as a crack fic turning into pure fluff.

Losing a Life (To Gain Another) - harajukuhowell

Summary: Dan’s a ghost and a bit of a cock block but Phil likes him anyways.

Monster - full-dark-no-starss

Summary: Phil may have most definitely tried to bring his dead boyfriend back to life, after Dan Howell lost his life after electrocuting himself at the BBC. But is it really Dan he brings back?

New apartments bring stories with them (ao3) - gaywizard

Summary: good lord kill me

Dan's a ghost.

Phil moves into a new apartment.

Notice Me - full-dark-no-starss

Summary: Dan Howell just wants to be noticed by his crush Phil Lester. He never thought he’d be more visible as a ghost.

Paranormal Phantivity - sexyendscreensmut

Summary: Phil is haunted by not-dead university student and fan Dan Howell. Set in 2009 prior to the filming of Philisnotonfire1.

See Me (ao3) - Misha_with_wings

Summary: Dan gets in an accident, leaving him in critical condition. He ends up stuck in between life and death, watching his own body fight to stay alive- and watching Phil fall apart, but he can’t do anything about it in his ghostly form.

He was confused and didn’t know what to do but he was sure of one thing, he wasn’t going to let himself die.

Watchful - cafephan

Summary: Phil is part of one of the world’s most famous paranormal investigator groups, along with his friends Joe, Zoe and Louise. The never before investigated Harrowick Penitentiary catches the group’s attention, and they settle in the town for a week long investigation. Most importantly, they hope to make contact with one spirit in particular, Dan Howell, who was falsely imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, and was murdered in the building. When Dan becomes attached to Phil, things become a lot more complicated.

We Can Still Drown (ao3) - rain_on_his_umbrella (orphan_account)

Summary: Phil rents a flat he can more than well afford because of a reason he doesn't understand, until he discovers a lonely ghost named Dan is living there with him, and everything makes sense again.

You Are Not Trivial - phanimist

Summary: Dan being a ghost doesn’t once hinder the friendship between him and phil. the two are constantly there for each other, despite their various differences in problems, and they never let the concepts of what’s ‘real’ and what isn’t define them and the relationship they have.

[ariainstars]

Roman Holiday (film 1953): the Bitter Aftertaste

You know, I used to like Roman Holiday. It’s a classic old Hollywood movie that has it all - gorgeous pictures, beautiful protagonists, a princess (of an unnamed European country), a secret love story. It’s fun and romantic and simply a joy for the eyes.

I saw it first when I was a teenager and knew very little of the world. Looking back, Roman Holiday leaves a bitter aftertaste in my mouth.

After WWII, the Western world was swamped with both pieces of media and snippets of reality that wanted to show the entire world the greatness and superiority of the US culture. Unfortunately, I have just realized that this movie, in its essence, is one of those.

It’s the classic story of the star-crossed lovers which expects us to heave big sighs and think, “Poor things, they couldn’t live their love because… conventions.”

Really?

Relationships and marriages between people of different social status are as old as the world. Our “old continent” isn’t as backward as that. They are rather the exception than the rule, but they do exist.

Archduke Leopold Ferdinand of Austria married none other than an ex prostitute. Archduchess Louise of Austria married the Italian composer Enrico Toselli. King Edward VIII of England married Wallis Simpson, a divorced socialite. Rainier III of Monaco married actress Grace Kelly. Princess Margaret of England married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones. Carl Gustav XVI of Sweden married interpreter Silvia Sommerlath.

These are a few examples from the 20th century that I can think of, but there are many more.

The US have their fair share of “royalty” too, like entrepreneurs and Hollywood stars. Most of them marry among each other.

In this movie, princess Ann just wants to be a young woman like every other and have fun on her own terms for a few days. US reporter Joe helps her explore the city, hoping for a smash article for the newspaper he’s working for. It’s summer, the city is gorgeous, they have a good time, and needless to say, they end up falling in love. But duty calls, so Ann has to go back to her obligations. In the end Joe does not want to betray her confidence, so he does not write about her; and his photographer friend offers her the pictures he made of her as a goodbye gift.

And the viewers are expected to sob about a love story that ends with renouncement.

Why?

As I said above, it’s not like relationships or marriages between people of different social classes are impossible or even forbidden by law.

Ann and Joe spend three days together, never talk about the things that actually are important to them, and most importantly, their whole relationship is based on lies. Ann pretends not to be the princess and Joe does not tell her that he’s a reporter looking for an interesting story. In the end, of course “love wins over” because even when the truth comes out, they still have feelings for one another. But they have to part, and it’s not explained why.

Unless you see the movie through the cynical lens the way I did a few days ago. Poor girl, can’t have the man she loves because she has to marry a prince someday.

Like I said: this is a very naïve idea of love. Ann is portrayed as a young ingenue who makes her first experiences with romance but does not learn to stand up for herself. Joe is at first thinking only of himself until he decides the only decent thing to do, which he should have done from the start without falling in love with her: not to use a girl’s vulnerable position for his own advantage.

We’re supposed to sigh and to think that in a better world, where old-fashioned, restrictive rules do not matter, these two could be together and happy. That’s why the young man Ann meets is of course from the US, a supposedly more progressive country where anyone can marry anyone they love.

But do they actually love one another, apart from a romantic spark?

Would a relationship between them be really impossible, if both wanted it?

No to both.

Roman Holidays is still an enjoyable movie, but with a dissatisfying ending. It’s not really tragic; it just leaves you wondering how romantic this story would have remained if it had continued. Having to find out that the person you “love” is everything but perfect and that you actually might have to fight for your love, and then learn to live together, is not seen as romantic.

That’s why they say that the best love stories are the ones that end badly.

Roman Holiday, like so many “love stories” of this kind, ends before it could actually have become interesting. Looking back, its premise is silly - a love that is framed as “forbidden” when it isn’t - its arch is beautiful, and then its end falls flat. The fun time of this movie is authentic; its drama feels unnecessary and makes me roll my eyes.

But I have never been a fan of dramatic, star-crossed couples who could have certainly been happy together “if only…”, I admit it.

[secret-rendezvous1d]

i would absolutely love for the missus to be besties with Dan and Phil.... and that 2012 interview with One Direction is one of the first times Harry and D&P meet properly and afterwards they all hang out and Harry is just so happy because he has his boys and his girl has hers. And as the years go by, they buy apartments and houses not too far from each other, and when the babies are born, DnP are named as Godparents and it's just such a humble friendship group. (Even if Harry gets the piss ripped out of him when the missus jokes around with DnP)

the idea of yn being a part of the 'british youtuber' gang is something i absolutely love...

going to vidcon and all of those youtuber meet-ups in america or in london, going on big trips away with a large number of them, being one of the only ones who knew about zoella and alfie being in a relationship, collab-ing with marcus butler or caspar lee, doing silly challenges with joe sugg, doing chatty videos with louise pentland, and her being best friends dan and phil and always appearing in some of their videos.

yn would be one of the prime british youtubers back in the day.

and there's always been such a bond between her and dan and phil; they were her first youtuber best friends when she came onto the scene, they were there to guide her and help her when she needed it, she could always go to them for ideas and they were never against appearing in her videos to help her gain some clout and some popularity as she created her own youtuber personality. and they'd be the only two youtubers, from back in the day, that she would see a lot more of than others.

and she'd never fall shy on showing her affection towards one direction - in particular of harry so it makes everyone feel so happy when their relationship comes to light of the public eye and people are so supportive and loving towards the two of them. and that's why everyone could relate to her. and dan and phil would always joke around with her about how she'd get to be with him and marry him and have his babies and have a whole life with him - not knowing that that was how her life would actually unfold in the future. x

[let-the-dream-begin]

In My Daughter’s Eyes Chapter 23: You Could Be

Chapter 22

Read on AO3

The rest of the week following Claire and Jamie’s second date passed rather hectically  (they had decided to refer to it as such, even though Faith was there for half of it). Jamie had left on Wednesday night around one o’clock in the morning, Claire having fallen asleep close to the end of the movie. She’d garbled something unintelligible when Michael killed Fredo, something that she’d translated for him later to have meant: “Fucking traitor.”

He’d let her sleep, and when Claire had chided him about it, told him he should have woken her so they could talk or something, he’d just shrugged and said:

“Ye looked so bloody peaceful, mo nighean donn. Drool on my shoulder and all.”

That earned him a swat to the arm.

“I mean it. Holding ye while ye slept, not a care in the world…was like Heaven on Earth.”

That earned him a very generous kiss.

After saying goodnight, Claire collapsed into bed happy as a clam, and then the chaos began. She opened her eyes to Faith standing right next to her in bed, a la the twins in The Shining, and she’d nearly jumped out of her skin. The girl had proceeded to crawl right into bed with Claire, whining in protest when Claire’s alarm started going off. Claire tried to hold her off as long as possible, but when Mrs. Lickett knocked on the door and they were still in bed, she knew they were in trouble. The poor woman had to pry Faith off of Claire just so she could get ready for work, and she screamed her little head off the whole time. For some reason, Faith did not want Mummy going to work today, and did not want to be left with poor Mrs. Lickett.

There was no rhyme or reason to when Faith got in these moods; she just decided some days that Mummy was not going to leave. And, of course, with Claire’s chosen profession, she did not have the option to oblige her. Perhaps that was for the best; Mrs. Lickett did say they couldn’t always indulge her. But God, if it wouldn’t get her fired, Claire would get right back into bed and hold her baby until she calmed down, and she might never leave again.

Still hearing Faith scream even through the front door and then her car door, Claire finally shed a few overwrought, panicked tears. She glanced tearily at her phone in her bag, thinking to call Jamie, then talked herself out of it.

He doesn’t need to hear every time you’re going crazy, Beauchamp.

She put the key in the ignition, then caught sight of Faith in the window, slamming her palms on the glass, both Mrs. Lickett and Angus trying to talk some sense into her. And then she couldn’t stop herself.

She opened his contact and pressed the call button, put the phone on speaker, and put it in a pocket in the door before pulling out of the driveway. As the phone rang, she sniffled and swallowed thickly, even though she knew that her voice would give her away immediately. It rang for a while, and Claire immediately felt dread in the pit of her stomach, thinking he must be asleep. The stables didn’t open until ten, and she had him over until one. 

Idiot.

Before she could panic-hang-up, it stopped ringing.

“Everything alright, Sassenach?”

“Oh,” she said stupidly, putting on her turn signal to get on the main road. “Hi, yes, everything is fine.”

“Are ye crying, Sassenach?” His voice was alert.

“No, I’m — I’m fine. I’m so sorry I woke you, I had you up so late — ”

“Forget that. I’m an early bird. What’s wrong?” It was gentle, soft, but insistent. He was not going to let her let this go.

Claire sighed. “Really, nothing is wrong. Not really. I’m just driving to work. And it’s already been…a day.”

“How’s that?” 

So gentle.

“Faith did not want me to leave this morning. She just gets like that sometimes, doesn’t want me to go, doesn’t want to do anything Mrs. Lickett has planned for the day. She was screaming her poor head off and she didn’t even want anything to do with Angus, at least while I was there. I didn’t even get a chance to eat anything and I’m already getting a headache.” She chuckled nervously, wiping her eyes with one hand, keeping one on the wheel. “Sorry…I’m rambling.”

“Dinna be sorry, Claire. I’m sorry ye had a rough morning. And I’m sorry fer the wee lass. She misses ye when ye’re gone sometimes, eh?”

“Yeah…” she sighed sadly. “I suppose she does. She used to do it a lot more; there would be a meltdown every day I left the house. Every time I think she’s outgrown it, it comes back full force. And I just feel…awful just…leaving her like that. And I can’t call off for something that isn’t an emergency. I just can’t. And I…”

“Claire.”

She paused, having a feeling he was about to say something.

“Ye’re a good mam, Claire.”

She bit down on her lip fiercely, nearly losing sight of the road as her eyes watered. 

“I ken ye dinna feel that way when ye have to leave her every day, and I canna imagine how that feels. But ye’re no’ the only mam that works, and it doesna matter that ye’re a single parent, either.”

Claire sniffled again, haphazardly wiping her eyes. “I just…I know that I do so much for her. I do know that. But on days like today…it just feels like I’ll never be enough, like I’ll never be able to give her everything she needs.”

“Christ, Sassenach, ye’re more than enough. Ye have to know that. Ye have to work to give her those things she needs. Ye have to know that, too. Ye’re doing the best ye can, and it’s great. Ye’re a good mother.”

Claire sniffled again, quite loudly, and she almost laughed at how gross she must have sounded on his end. “Thank you, Jamie. I don’t even know what to say.”

“Nothing at all is just fine.”

She pulled into the employee parking lot of the hospital, and she sighed heavily. “I’m…I’m sorry again to have woken you up like this — ”

“No apologies, mo nighean donn — ”

“And I’m sorry I have to go so soon; I’m already running late and I’m sure I’m going to be reamed — ”

“No need to explain yerself. Hang up the phone, get yerself calmed down, and get in there and save some lives. Aye?”

Claire laughed as she pulled into her spot. “Nothing like a pep-talk from coach Fraser to get me in the zone.”

He laughed as well. “Glad to hear it.”

Claire took the key out of the ignition and picked up her phone. “Thank you again, Jamie. Really. This was…more helpful than I can even explain.”

“No explanation needed. I get it. I mean I don’t get it-get it. But I…I understand.”

“Right.” She smiled fondly at his carefulness to not even imply that he really knew what it was like while still ensuring her that he understood her. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Aye. Let me know if she’s alright when ye go home. I hope work isna too rough on ye today.”

“I will. Thanks. Goodbye, Jamie.”

“G’bye, mo ghraidh.”

She hung up and held her phone to her chest for a moment, closing her eyes and breathing deeply.

You’re fine, Beauchamp.

You’re a good mum, and a good doctor.

It was hard to believe even as she said it to herself, but she was at least able to get out of the car, checking how much of a wreck she was briefly in the rear-view mirror.

The day was just as hectic as it would be on an already bad day, and Claire was dead on her feet by the time she got to the break room, having not even had time for the shitty coffee it had to offer when she’d arrived. She collapsed in the chair nearest the door, pressing her eyes into her hand and watching the colors and shapes dance around in her head for a moment.

“Earth to Lady Jane.”

She inhaled sharply and picked her head up, finding Joe standing by the counter.

“Don’t fall asleep on me without getting a load of this.”

“What…?” She reluctantly heaved herself out of her chair and trudged toward the counter where Joe was smirking at a brown paper bag and a styrofoam coffee cup that did not belong to the hospital.

“What’s this…?” Claire said.

“Been here all morning. Louise said a very attractive redhead dropped it off for Doctor Beauchamp.”

Claire felt her face melt into the most ridiculously liquid smile. “He did not…”

She opened the bag to find a napkin sitting on top with writing scrawled in black pen:

Sassenach,

Got ye a BEC (that’s bacon egg and cheese) since you didn’t have breakfast. Plain bagel since I don’t know your preference (remind me to ask you that). Figured you forgot to pack lunch as well, so I got you a deli sandwich I thought you’d like. That coffee reheated is still better than the shite in your break room, I promise ye that. Good deli; I’m good friends with the owner. Great guy. Have to take you someday.

Hope this helps,

JAMMF

Claire shook her head in disbelief, handing Joe the napkin to read.

“Damn,” he said. “That man is too much.”

Claire pulled out her BEC and unwrapped it, melting into a nearby chair as she ate. Joe popped her coffee into the microwave for her and sat down next to her.

“Too much indeed,” Claire garbled, mouth full of food. “He’s too good to be true.”

“But it’s true, Lady Jane.” He patted her knee.

“Yeah…” She smiled dreamily. “It is.”

——

Saturday was another date-night, or rather date-afternoon. They went to see The Free State of Jones at the movie theater since it had been out for about a month and Jamie had been wanting to see it. Evidently, Jamie was more of a history buff than Claire had picked up on, and she thoroughly enjoyed watching him absorb the movie, and she also enjoyed the movie quite a lot herself. She knew next to nothing about the American Civil War aside from what was to be seen in Gone With the Wind.

They'd managed to keep kissing to a minimum in the theater, but they weren't completely prudish. There were, after all, only eight other people in the entire theater, and they were spread out enough that they managed to share a few lingering kisses. But outside of that, they actually watched the movie, and Claire did not fall asleep.

“I didna bore ye wi' my long movie this time, Sassenach?” Jamie teased as they left the building.

“Oh, don't even. I worked all day Wednesday, and it was past my bedtime,” Claire shot back. “And besides, I still retained what happened. I just retained this movie…better.”

Jamie tossed back his head in a barking laugh as they got into his car. He brought her to a pizzeria, and the man behind the counter cried out with joy to see Jamie.

“Hey! It's Fraser!”

“Hallo, Vinny,” Jamie called back, putting his hand on the small of Claire's back.

“And who is this?” the dark-haired, red-faced man asked.

“This,” Jamie flashed a smile at Claire, swelling with pride, “is my girlfriend. Claire Beauchamp.”

“A girlfriend!” Vinny boomed. “Hey! Luca!” He shouted at the door that Claire presumed led to the kitchen. His New York-Italian accent increased dramatically when he yelled. “Fraser’s got a girl here!”

Claire felt herself blushing fiercely, and Vinny reached over the glass display of pizza slices to shake her hand.

“Great to meet you, Claire.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Claire answered, shaking his hand.

“Ha!” Vinny laughed heartily, squeezing her hand and giving it another shake. “What’d ya do? Send for her from across the ocean?”

Jamie joined him in laughter. “She found me, actually. Her Englishness is a complete coincidence.”

“My daughter is a client at Harmony Stables,” Claire chimed in. “That’s how we met.”

“Oh! Well I’ll be damned! Hey! Luca! Get out here!” He yelled back again unexpectedly, causing Claire to jump a little. “Goddamn, Fraser, look at her!”

“Aye, I ken.” Claire blushed fiercely as Jamie swelled with pride again, squeezing her shoulder and pressing her into his side. “I’m a lucky man.”

“Ya gotta bring your daughter here sometime. I’d love to meet her,” Vinny said, leaning against the counter. “I know most of those kids already, but I think I’d remember you.”

Claire smiled.

“Vinny’s is where we get the pizza fer events,” Jamie explained. “All the kids know him by name.”

“Oh! Well then I’m already a happy customer,” Claire said with a chuckle.

“What’s her name?” Vinny asked.

“Faith.”

“Beautiful! Ya gotta bring her by, I just love those kids — ”

Just then, the kitchen doors opened, and a man who could have been a second Vinny burst in, apparently Luca.

“Well I’ll be damned!”

Claire chuckled to herself; they even said the same words in the same exact way.

“Where the hell did you find her?” Luca said.

“This is my brother, Luca. Vincent Senior is our old man. He’s around sometimes, just not today,” Vinny explained. “This is Claire Beauchamp. From England.”

“Great to meet you! Whatsamatter, couldn’t find a girl around here?” Luca ribbed, shaking Claire’s hand.

“Ye need original content, Luca,” Jamie said. “Yer brother said the same thing.”

“Alright, alright, enough gawking at the poor thing,” Vinny interrupted. “What can I get for ya?”

“The usual fer me,” Jamie said. “How about you, Sassenach?”

“What’s your usual?” she asked.

“Buffalo chicken slice.”

She wrinkled her nose at him.

“Yucking someone else’s yum again?” He cocked a brow at her, and she rolled her eyes.

“Do you have a meat lover’s slice? Something like that?”

“Sure do.”

“Alright, I’ll have that.”

“Anything to drink?”

“Just water for me,” Claire said.

“Ginger ale fer me,” Jamie said.

Claire pulled out her wallet.

“What are ye doing?”

“Paying for our lunch.”

“Sassenach — ”

“Jamie, you paid for that obscenely expensive food last week, and the carnival tickets, and you bought all the ingredients for that bloody lasagna. Not to mention today’s movie. Let me pay for one thing. I’m a doctor for Christ’s sake, it’s not as if I can’t afford some bloody pizza.”

Without another word, Claire handed Vinny her credit card, and Jamie did not try to fight her. Vinny’s brows were nearly at his hairline, and he was clearly fighting the urge to grin.

“I like this one, Fraser!” Luca called, shoveling their slices into the oven before departing into the kitchen.

Claire tried to hide her smirk of pride as she signed the receipt.

“So you’re a doctor?” Vinny said. “Stony Brook?”

“Yes, Emergency Medicine,” Claire said proudly. “Still a residency, but yes.”

“Goddamn, Fraser,” Vinny said again, shaking his head as he returned Claire’s card. “Don’t you even think about letting this one go.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.” Jamie winked, and then led Claire to a table.

“So, are you friends with every small business owner on Long Island?” Claire asked, flashing a glance at Vinny.

“Not every…but a fair amount,” he said. “Sorry about that, by the way. I should’ve warned ye that they’d be…curious. About my having a lass wi’ me.”

She chuckled. “That’s alright. They’re fun.”

“Didna scare ye away?”

“Not at all.” She laced their fingers together on the table.

They began discussing the movie and all the tangents it brought up, and then Vinny came by with their individual slices. Claire should have realized that Jamie would have ordered two slices; she didn’t even notice on her receipt.

“How you can eat neon orange on pizza is beyond me,” she said, watching him take a bite.

“Dinna like spicy, Sassenach?”

“I didn’t say that,” she said. “Buffalo chicken is a chicken wing flavor, not a pizza flavor. Two worlds that should not collide.”

He made an amused Scottish noise and took another bite. “So ye like buffalo wings then?”

“I’ve been known to handle a few.”

“We’ll have to test that someday.”

She hummed in amusement, and then dug into her own slice. Jamie was finished with both of his slices before Claire was finished with her one slice, even though she could tell he’d been trying to pace himself to be polite. Before they left, Claire ordered a plain slice for Faith to eat when she got home, since it would be dinner time shortly. Faith didn’t mind an off-routine early dinner if she was getting something special like pizza. Jamie also ordered them Italian ices, lemon for him and rainbow for Claire, and she caught him trying to pay for the ices and Faith’s dinner. One look was enough to have him putting his wallet back in his pocket, and this time, Vinny did laugh out loud.

With an aggressively friendly slap on Jamie's shoulder, Vinny bid them farewell, and they headed back to Claire's apartment. Though Faith was normally over the moon at the return of her mother (especially if she had Jamie with her), she remained entirely nonplussed at their arrival, entirely too focused on the puzzle she was doing with Delia. It wasn't until Claire said the word “pizza” that Faith sprung up from the coffee table and started pawing at her mother’s legs.

“That’s what I thought,” Claire said with a chuckle. “Yes, I know.” Faith reached up for the pizza and moaned in annoyance as Claire held it higher. “Pizza after you say goodbye to your friend and to Auntie Gail.”

Faith screwed up her face in protest, making exaggerated whining noises, but Claire just stared her down. “Stop whining, and be polite. Say goodbye.”

Faith turned around and gave Delia a reluctant hug, which Claire had to remind Faith to be gentle with in her reluctance. She hugged Gail with the same begrudging attitude, and then she began tugging on Claire’s shirt to pull her into the kitchen.

Claire looked back and forth between Faith and Gail and Delia.

“Jamie, can you go with her?” She handed him the box containing Faith’s slice, and he nodded wordlessly.

“C’mon lass. Let’s get ye settled fer supper.”

Claire shook her head in exasperation as she thanked Gail for babysitting once again, and then saw them off outside. By the time she got back to the kitchen, Faith was already sitting at the table with her pizza slice shaped plate, Jamie nearly finished cutting up the slice.

“How did you know about the pizza plate?” Claire said, amused.

“Well, I tried putting it on a normal plate, and she wasna having that. Tried one of those princess plates I ken ye’ve got, didna work either. Then she dragged me to the cabinet and wouldna move ’til I found this.” He finished cutting the pizza, having kept the general shape of it to fit the shape of the plate.

Claire’s grin was unabashedly enormous, and she closed the gap between them, meeting him behind Faith’s chair.

“Excellent work, detective.” He smirked, and she leaned in to kiss him, emboldened by Faith’s lack of attention, focused as she was on eating her pizza. Jamie hummed with amused contentment into the kiss, causing a brief vibrating sensation against her lips.

Jamie trailed his fingertips up over her hips to rest on the small of her back, pointedly avoiding her arse. Claire groaned in annoyance, but grinned anyway, pulling away to rest their foreheads together, draping her arms around his neck. For a moment, they just swayed absently to the music of Faith’s humming to the tune of “Someday My Prince Will Come,” not skipping a beat even as she chewed.

It wasn’t long at all before Faith pushed her plate away and hoisted herself up onto her knees, turning around to stand on the chair and tap on both of their heads. They both laughed softly.

“All done, lovie?” Claire took her hands off Jamie so she could sign. “All done?”

Faith repeated the sign lazily, and Claire was about to correct her when she started jumping in the chair, pointing at the freezer.

“Woah! Careful there, lass. Remember what Mam said about climbing, aye?” Without thinking, Jamie scooped her up from under her arms, lifted her over the back of the chair, and deposited her safely onto the ground.

Claire thought absolutely nothing of it, starting to head over to the freezer for Faith’s ice cream, but then Jamie froze. He drew away from Faith quickly yet gently, looking up at Claire, absolutely mortified.

“I’m sorry,” he stammered. “I should have asked. I’ve no right tae just pick her up like that. I’m sorry, Claire.”

Faith was none the wiser; she flitted over to the freezer.

“Jamie,” Claire said quickly, reaching for his hands. “She’s fine.” She maintained eye contact to emphasize her point, but the worry between his furrowed brows would not ease. “She’s been letting you touch her for a while now. That was perfectly normal for her. And perfectly natural for you to do it.”

“Are ye…are ye sure…?”

Claire still held his gaze as she raised his hands to her lips and kissed them fervently. “She trusts you, Jamie.”

Faith gave a small shout then, apparently not at all pleased that her request for ice cream was going ignored for so long.

“You ok?” Claire asked.

“Aye, sorry,” he chuckled. “Wee panic over nothing.”

“It’s not nothing.” Claire left his side to open the freezer, and Faith began bouncing with joy. “It makes perfect sense that you’d be afraid to cross that boundary with her. But I think in her head, you’re already past that point.”

She reached into the cabinet for a bowl and then the drawer for a spoon.

“I, uh…” Jamie stammered. “Hadna realized, I suppose.”

“You really don’t know how special you are to her? — Yes, yes, go sit down.” Claire crossed the kitchen to put down the ice cream in Faith’s spot.

“I suppose I…hoped. But I never wanted to assume,” Jamie said sheepishly. “I ken ye say I’m ‘dating’ ye both, but I didna ken if she…knew that.”

Claire chuckled softly, caressing Faith’s curly head as her spoon clanked against her bowl. “I think she does.”

Jamie’s grin widened lopsidedly, and Claire had to physically restrain herself from jumping into his arms and kissing him senseless.

“Ye’ll tell me, though? If I need to pull back wi’ her?”

“I think she would tell you, loud and clear,” Claire said dryly, her eyes full of mirth. “No, I know what you mean. And yes, I would. Surely it’s not the same with you as it is for me where you can just snatch her like I have to sometimes. It’s a bit different, as…”

“Her parent,” Jamie finished for her, nodding in agreement.

“Yeah.”

“Believe me, I understand. I ken I’m no’ her parent.”

Claire’s stomach flipped; not at what he said, but at what her brain decided to say after he said it.

You could be.

“Right,” she said instead, internally yelling back at herself that she was a nutter for thinking something so bloody serious about a man who she’d gone on a first date with a week ago. “But you’re…building something different, special in its own way. You both need time before you have to start laying down the law like I have to.”

“Aye, I understand.”

“But,” Claire said, finally making her way over to him and taking his hands again. “You can pick her up if it looks like she wants you to, you can hold her hand, hug her, whatever it seems she wants from you.” Jamie nodded, his eyes lighting up. “You read her well enough at this point. You’ll know.”

“Aye. I will.”

Claire pecked him gently. When she pulled away, Jamie was not looking at her, but instead looking out of the corner of his eye. When Claire followed his gaze, she caught Faith flitting out of the kitchen, hands and face still smeared with chocolate ice cream.

“Oh no you don’t!” Claire rushed to snatch Faith by the wrist and drag her back into the kitchen and toward the sink. “There will be no watching any movie that gets smothered with ice cream.”

Faith squirmed in annoyance and tried to get away, and then Claire got an idea.

“Hey, hey, listen, Faith,” she said. “Why doesn’t Jamie help you wash your hands? Hm?”

She looked up to Jamie, and he immediately sprang into action. “Right, how does that sound, lass?”

Faith immediately stopped fighting, and she turned around to face Jamie, holding up her messy hands expectantly. Jamie chuckled and turned on the water, then lifted her under the arms so she could reach the running water.

“Very good, give them a good scrub,” he crooned, and she obeyed clumsily. “Give yer face a good scrub too, aye? Dinna want chocolate-mouth fer yer movie. Aye, good girl.”

Claire stood there against the counter, paper towel ready for drying, her heart swelling three sizes.

How could I ever have thought we’d be better off without him…?

So occupied she was with adoration, she nearly missed when Faith was back on the ground and Jamie turned off the taps.

“Good job, Faithie,” Claire said, crouching down to wipe her face clean of any more smudges, using the lingering water on her face, then dried her hands. “Alright, all done. Let’s pick a movie, shall we?”

They shifted into the living room, where Faith retrieved Monsters, Inc., and they settled into their usual positions. Claire didn’t have a shift this week that ended early enough for Jamie to have time to come over and make dinner before Faith’s bedtime, so they were getting in their movie time tonight. Since dinner was a bit earlier than normal, the movie also ended a bit earlier than normal. They finished the puzzle that Faith hadn’t finished with Delia, then started and finished another one, all while Faith’s music played from Claire’s phone, with the occasional interruption for a little dance.

When bedtime rolled around, Jamie said goodnight to Faith, earning a pat on the cheek before she scurried off. After the whole routine, Claire poured them drinks and nuzzled into him on the couch. She flicked Netflix on and let The Office start playing from a random episode in the middle of season three.

“Ye’re like a wee kitten,” Jamie said.

“What?” She craned her neck to pick her head up from its spot on his chest.

“The way ye’re stretched out and balled up at the same time, all over me.”

Claire made an indignant little “hmph” sound, but made no attempt to move; she, in fact, buried herself in further.

“I hope you’re at least a cat person,” she said.

He made an amused Scottish noise. “More of a dog person, really. No’ those wee yapping ones; I need a beast wi’ more substance. Like Angus. That’s a fine creature.”

Claire scoffed indignantly, sitting up and facing him. “So you tell me I’m a kitten and then tell me you don’t like cats.”

“Didna say I didna like ’em.”

“You may as well have.”

“Och, Sassenach.” He leaned in, his lips lingering inches from hers. “Ye ken by now I like having ye on top of me, feline or no.”

He made to close the gap, to kiss her, but Claire leaned back, causing him to chase after her and open his eyes when he didn’t make contact. Claire laughed at the unconscious pout he made. “What on Earth ever made me think you were the smoothest talker I ever met?”

“Dinna ken about that. My foot ends up in my mouth quite more than I’d care to admit.”

“Hm. Indeed.”

“I’d much rather…” He moved in closer, and Claire had no further to go, stuck against the arm of the couch. “Have something else in my mouth.”

“Oh?” She raised a brow, then darted her tongue out to lick her lips, far too slowly. “What could that be?”

He growled possessively and claimed her lips with his, and she moaned lightly against them. She did not waste any time before obliging him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth and mingling it with his. They lingered like this for a moment, performing the carefully and repeatedly rehearsed dance of lips and tongue, then they parted, Jamie folding her into himself again. They focused lazily on the tellie for a bit before Jamie broke the silence.

“Ye ever seen the beaches around here, Sassenach?”

“No, actually. Seems silly after how long I’ve been here now.”

He hummed thoughtfully. “I was just thinking about my own family dogs running around on the beaches in Scotland — ”

“So now you were thinking of dogs while kissing me?”

“And I — Och, come off it.” He playfully swatted her arse, causing her to squeak and swat him back, directly on his left pectoral. “I was thinking that it would be nice to take Faith. She likes the water, aye?”

“Yes, she’s obsessed, ever since she was a baby. Bath time is a field day. Ever since I took her to the Abernathy’s pool that one time, every time Gail comes over Faith scurries into her room for her bathing suit.”

Jamie laughed softly. “She kens what she wants.”

“Indeed.”

“So…what d’ye think? Would she be alright if there was a crowd?”

“Well…we won’t know unless we try. And Angus is helpful during stable events. So maybe she’ll be alright.”

“Aye, he’s a service dog so he’ll be allowed on any beach we choose.”

Claire got an image in her head of Faith squishing sand in her hands, loving the sensory aspect of it, squealing as cold water rushed over her toes.

“If she canna handle it we’ll have a backup plan. We can take her to the stables and use the sprinkler from the Fourth of July. Fill a kiddie pool or something.”

Claire felt warmth spread from head to toe. He knew without having to ask that even if Faith didn’t want to be at the beach, if she was in her bathing suit, she’d be expecting a water activity and would not be happy doing anything else.

She sat up and tenderly kissed his check, caressing his stubbled chin and jaw. “I think that’s a wonderful idea.”

He smiled and took her caressing hand in both of his, then kissed her knuckles. “Alright. That’s braw. I ken most of the beaches, so I ken the ones that are most crowded, the ones that play loud live music, which ones have sand or rocks. Faith’ll want sand, of course.”

She smiled, nodding. “Right.”

“Next Saturday? I’ll prepare the lunches, you prepare the bairn and the dog?”

“Yes, okay. That’s perfect.”

Seemingly from sheer excitement nearly bubbling over, Jamie kissed her soundly.

“I’ll start preparing her starting tomorrow, give her a rundown of the routine — ”

“I’ll arrive at nine to pick ye both up — ”

“Great, I can tell her what time she needs to wake up, what time breakfast needs to be finished, what time she needs to dress and lotion up — ”

“Have her bring her tablet in the car, the beach I have in mind is an hour away — ”

“I’ll lay some towels on the living room floor, and we’ll practice staying on the towel so maybe she won’t bolt while we’re there — ”

“Fine idea. That’s braw.”

They were talking over each other, stumbling over their words like a couple of school children talking about recess. They shook their heads at themselves, then shared another kiss, lingering with their foreheads together.

“D’ye think it’ll ever stop?”

“What?”

“This…feeling. Like I’m…gonna burst at the thought of seeing ye again, even when ye’re still right in front of me.”

Claire pulled away only enough so that she could meet his eye and caress his chin.

“I don't know. But I hope it never does.”

[music-my-angel]

Always fussing over you

Prompt - Hi :) I love your stories!!! I was wondering if you could do a Jack Maynard Sick fic. Seeing as he’s recently been on tour. Could you do one where he becomes really ill and can’t do one of his shows but gets upset as he doesn’t want to let his fans down?? X

Prompt - Hey could you do a Conor or jack sickfic? Thx :) Love ur stories too

 ------

It is one of the things Jack was looking forward that entire month. There was actually going to be a show that reunited a number of youtubers. There were very rare occasions where Jack gets to share a stage with his older brother but this was going to be one of those very rare moments. He saw Conor perform a lot. He’s been part of the crowd who watched his big brother perform but this time, he was going to share the stage with him. Nothing could stop the boy’s excitement except a sudden onslaught of a flu right before the big day.

------

Jack had been a tad bit over excited as he stayed up late watching his brother go through sound checks and all, and it’s probably how he caught the flu as he sat without a coat in a freezing cold. Conor had been absolutely miffed when he saw the boy shaking slightly in the cold but Jack had brushed off any concerns from Conor, not wanting the boy to fuss over him in front of his friends.

But a day later, as he woke up with a strong ache in his bones, Jack wanted nothing than his brother fussing over him. And usually, Conor would be right there fussing over Jack but this time, Conor had simply frowned when he saw the boy walk down for breakfast looking not even close to what he could term as fine.

Jack looked a bit hurt at Conor’s lack of conversation that morning but he took comfort in the fact that he’d get to perform if Conor didn’t notice that he was sick.

------

Except that Conor noticed everything. He was painfully aware of Jack probably falling sick but the boy had made it clear that he didn’t want to be fussed over so Conor waited until Jack himself would tell him that he was sick.

“Dude, your brother isn’t fine” Alfie whispered to him.

“Must have caught a cold” Conor mumbled, “But he doesn’t want me to be a mother-hen!”

“He looks so close to passing out” Alfie pointed out and Conor could only sigh as he watch the boy move around gingerly.

“He’ll have to admit that he is sick eventually” Conor sighed.

“They never really admit it, do they?” Zoe added, with a shake of her head as she smiled at her own little brother.

Conor followed Zoe’s line of sight and smiled at Joe before frowning as he realized that sooner or later, he’d have to step up in Jack’s case.

------

Soon came a little too quick for both Jack and Conor.

“You can’t perform like this” Conor pointed out.

“I can” Jack whispered, sounding a lot more congested than before.

“Jack, your throat is probably killing you. You sound stuffy…” Conor muttered and sighed as he touched Jack’s forehead, “You’re running a fever kiddo.”

“I can’t not perform” Jack mumbled and Conor was ready to scold the boy except that when he looked up, he found Jack in tears.

“What’s going on kiddo?” Conor asked, squeezing Jack’s shoulder.

“Can’t let the fans down… They’ve travelled so far to see us… Can’t let you down! Been waiting to perform with you” Jack sniffled.

“Oh kiddo” Conor sighed, pulling the boy in a hug, as he squeezed the back of the boy’s neck fondly. “I’ll make a deal…” Conor whispered, smiling as how quickly Jack became interested.

------

Conor had been on the stage performing while Jack was wrapped in a blanket, backstage, lightly dozing. Alfie and Joe were tasked on keeping an eye on him while Zoe and Louise dropped by from time to time. He enjoyed his brother’s performance and even got to say a quick hello to the crowd during his brother’s stage time but that was it. Right after Conor’s performance, Jack was bundled up in the car on his way home. He’d have to wait for another time to perform with his brother but right now, he’d content himself with the fact that he never had to wait for his brother to fuss over him.

------

A/N

Hope you all like it.

[templeofshame]

Phil’s Own Fem!Phil AU & Violent Femininity in Phillippa

Long before there was the Norman makeup tutorial, before Phil talking about watching Louise's makeup vids, there was Phillippa. Uploaded in November 2009, Phil creates his own sort of fem!Phil AU with an ominous weird!phil edge. The Phillippa AU emphasizes a gendered lens on elements of Phil's persona and typical YouTube patterns, and even riffs on pieces of his own canon.

Visually, Phillippa is illustrated with an attempt at pigtails, smudges of makeup, and Mardi Gras beads. She's accompanied by Lioness, a heart-shaped pillow with other Phil appearances, and the edited-in image of a kitten's face that is emblematic of the cute/creepy vibe this vid plays with. As a '90s kid myself, Phillippa reads a bit violent Lisa Frank to me. In the first few seconds, we're introduced to Phillippa in silence, staring intensely into the camera. The mannerisms and intensity feel very weird!phil, and the expression is highlighted by the instantaneous shift to a smile when the audio and the lipsyncing begin.

The first thing Phillippa does, in the same breath as introducing herself, is express attraction to a man. Joe Jonas had that diagonal brown fringe, and while the primary effect of this bit is to jokingly place Phillippa into a bit of a teenage fangirl archetype, I wouldn't be surprised if Phil very much saw the Joe Jonas appeal.

Phillippa moves on to riff on a typical YouTube structure―the tutorial video―and a bit of Phil canon featured a month before in pinof: the cordless hammer drill. Phillippa starts as if to create a drill tutorial, but then she effectively proposes a masc!Phillippa AU that intersects with the Phil we know, but isn't just looking back at actual Phil. There's humor to the heightened masculinity that Phillippa describes Phil with because we know Phil's "show" and we know that the gendered line she draws isn't so sharp and clear. She describes it as "so manly," an echo of Dan's words in pinof; in both videos, the cordless hammer drill serves primarily as a way to laugh at the idea that Phil could be that type of "manly."

In her list of Phil's manly interests, we get the iconic lions, but also fighting and petrol and blood. And if we didn't yet with her interest in the hammer drill or her love for "blended unicorns" earlier, we quickly get the sense that Phillippa doth protest too much in her delineation of gender roles. She's very excited about the blood she lists as one of Phil's manly interests, and the kitten's eyes turn red before the image grows to block most of the screen briefly. (The cute fuzzy animal going demonic is a weird!phil bit I'm glad we got as recently as Bunny Biscuits.)

The sound of Phillippa's interest in blood is only surpassed by her disconcertingly long reaction to saying the name "Edward Cullen." The violent/cute vibe is very much Phillippa, so what could be better than a sparkly vampire? This moment is the second allusion to male attraction, and it transitions from the topic of blood back to the fangirl archetype and the idea that "sparkly things" are within Phillippa's realm of femininity. There's probably analysis to be done on Robert Pattinson masks, Living With Robert Pattinson, and Phil's Team Edward answer in the Friend Test. He justifies the latter in terms of liking vampires, which fits with the framing here, but we get a sense of attraction through Phillippa that is direct (and slightly creepy) relative to other appearances.

And so we reach... the makeup tutorial. In pinof, the cat whiskers are not gendered in any apparent way, and we see drawing on faces in a non-gendered way elsewhere (e.g., blindfolded cat face game). But the gendered element in Phillippa the focus, so the same act of drawing cat whiskers is presented as a "makeup tutorial." (We do see this association between cat whiskers and beauty YouTube recur a few months later in IF I RULED THE INTERNET...) The tutorial ends with fairly extended meowing, which, wherever you fall on furry discourse, isn't without its appearance in other Phil content. This meowing is marked as more ominous, though, with the kitten's eyes turning red again.

Phillippa leaves us with a return to her brand of violent femininity in "use unicorn blood to paint pretty flowers," but with a final statement (accompanied by traditional weird!phil visual effects) that could be from so many weird!phil vids without a gendered lens: "I want to eat your soul." Of course you do, Phil. Social constructions of gender could never change that.

[rye-views]

Pee Wee’s Big Holiday (2016) dir. John Lee. 7.2/10

I can’t believe he’s Pee Wee after like 30 years.

Oh, look Joe and B99′s Rosa. I like Freckles.

Memorable Quotes: “Breaking rules and breaking hearts, that’s what life’s all about.”

Spoiler: [About Pee Wee Herman and an alien saying goodbye and sharing friendship bracelets. Pee Wee wants to join, but can’t leave home. He’s awoken from this dream through his domino effect alarm. He rides a little car through the neighborhood and picks up his breakfast and an old lady that thanks him for the ride through root beer barrels. Marvin is a salesman that tries to get Pee Wee to buy to travel, but he refuses. Pee Wee bumps into Emily, who gives him the new Scuba Cop book. She tries to hang out with him later, but he gets away. He goes to work at Dan’s diner and everyone loves the meals he cooks. The rest of the members of the Renegades talk about breaking up the band since they are busy for nights now. Pee Wee burns their picture. Don asks Pee Wee to watch over the restaurant a bit, so that he can meet his friends. Joe Manganiello enters and Pee Wee thinks he’s cool. Pee Wee makes him the milkshake that he ordered. They talk about root beer barrels being their favorite and mention their following ranks of candy being the same. Joe convinces Pee Wee to take time off from the restaurant to give him a tour of Fairville. They get to Pee Wee’s place and Joe sees his model of Fairville. Everything is exact besides a treehouse. Joe learns that Pee Wee doesn’t know who he is and he invites Pee Wee to his birthday party in New York. He tells him to travel the open world. Pee Wee gets a sign from a big apple falling and recognizes that he has to go to New York. He tells Dan that he’s taking a holiday. He drives out of Fairville until three women rob a building and get into his car. They make him drive away and get to a motel. They tie up Pee Wee and he learns that their names are Pepper, Freckles, and Pee Wee. He connects with Pee Wee. The cops arrive, but they are actually just strippers. The ladies are gone by morning and so is Pee Wee’s car. A travelling salesman with gag products gives Pee Wee a ride. They head to a snake farm to sell products. Pee Wee is unimpressed by everything there even though he expected to be scared. The workers show him the monster to really scare him. He screams until he is dropped off by a bus. He ends up failing to hitchhike until the night. He comes across Farmer Brown’s home and he offers a bed and a meal. He also has 9 daughters and tells him to not mess with them. During the night, the girls consistently try to infiltrate his room, but he denies them and runs away. He sleeps in the barn until he’s awoken by Farmer Brown. He drives them all off to a wedding and Pee Wee learns that he’s being wedded to one of the daughters. He says Geez Louise and his wife is chosen as Louise. During the wedding, he excuses himself to the restroom and escapes in a cowboy costume. He gets picked up by an RV for Free Wheelin Hair Mobile Salon headed to the national competition. They help do Pee Wee’s hair for Joe’s party and it’s in the style of a helicopter. They get to the competition and Pee Wee’s hair is noticed by Penny King and she invites him to be her co-pilot in her flying car headed to NYC in 5 hours. He gets an on flight meal with garnishes that he eats. The car ends up crashing and Penny parachutes away while Pee Wee lands in a river and falls off a waterfall. He comes out to find Grizzly Bear Daniels, who takes him to his cave and says he’s the only way Pee Wee will escape the forest. Grizzly Bear Daniels performs a show for him and Pee Wee runs away screaming. He comes across the Amish, who take him to their community. He learns of their ways and shows them his own entertainment of making noises with a balloon, which they adore. He is introduced to other newcomers and it’s the 3 women criminals. They kick him to keep their secret. In the nighttime, the women aim to steal the Amish’s horse and buggy. They are interrupted by Pee Wee and they are convinced to leave behind some money for the Amish. They all leave with the buggy together. They get to New York and they say their goodbyes to Pee Wee. Pee Wee gifts her jack knife to Pee Wee and kisses him on the cheeks. He kisses her on the lips

back and leaves. The women get arrested in the meantime. Pee Wee roams NYC and gets to Joe’s building in the evening. He ends up falling into a well and can’t get out. Joe’s party has started and he hasn’t appeared to his guests since Pee Wee hasn’t arrived. Shelly tends to the guests for hours. Joe ends up hearing a news report of a boy stuck in a well and wanting root beer barrels. Joe rappels himself down to check the scene out with a bag of root beer barrels. He learns that it’s Pee Wee and helps as the authorities work to get him out. Everyone who has met Pee Wee watch the news report throughout the nation. Joe and Pee Wee talk about needing Pee Wee at the party. The cops say Pee Wee can’t be brought out for at least 2 days since the well might collapse. Joe remembers that Pee Wee has metal in his body and gets him out through a large magnet. Joe brings Pee Wee to the roof to show him his model of many different places in the world and his imagination. He also has a treehouse and they go in. They then have friendship bracelets together for Joe’s birthday present. They drink root beer barrels. Back at home, Pee Wee now makes his diner meals with garnishes. He also shows to people the other things he’s learned. He and Joe drive off together in a motorcycle.]

[three-drink-amy]

All the Shine of a Thousand Spotlights

masterlist - AO3

Chapter Four - The World’s Gonna Know Your Name

It was Thursday and Jamie still hadn’t reached out to John. I was sweating, trying to keep working. I knew John was surely losing his mind, too. We both tried to go about our jobs as usual. Actors made us wait all the time. But this felt different, and we both knew it. 

At 10:00 am, John ran into my office, nearly sliding against the wall as he rounded the corner. “Are you busy at lunch?” 

My brow furrowed in confusion. “Aside from actually eating lunch? No.” 

“Okay, we have a meeting at noon.” He started to walk away. 

I called to him, making him turn back. “John! Who is the meeting with?” 

His head came back around the corner. “Jamie Fraser. He wants to meet with us in person.” He eyed my office. “We’ll have the meeting in here. Your office looks more presentable than mine. Marilyn can’t make it, so it’ll just be us.” 

John was gone before I could reply. I stared down at my desk, seemingly frozen. There was plenty of work to do, but I thought it might be pointless for me to do it. For the millionth time since I talked to him last, my mind drifted back to Jamie. I wondered if he’d take my offer. Or was he coming to turn the role down in person? That didn’t seem likely. I looked at the papers on my desk, realizing I may be out of a job this afternoon. 

I couldn’t just sit there, so I got up and paced. When that wasn’t enough, I sat back down. I continued the pattern of pacing and sitting until I couldn’t take it anymore. I pulled out my phone and started looking at contacts, wondering who I could have help me get another show to direct. My mind was running too fast to focus on just one thing. I was certain though, that Jamie would be accepting the role. No one met in person to turn down a part. 

I prayed that my breathing was under control when John wandered back into my office. He pulled one of my chairs from in front of my desk and sat it next to my chair. I could tell that he was nervous. Even if I didn’t want to lose my job, I wanted John to stop being so antsy. We’d found the perfect lead and that was supposed to be the end of casting. Both of us were sweating nerves and there was really nothing we could do to stop it. 

A knock at the door shook us from our anxiety ridden silence. We looked to the door to see Jamie standing there, a nervous smile on his face. John jumped up quickly, welcoming him into my office. “Welcome, Jamie.” Jamie nodded his head politely, sitting down in the chair across from my desk. 

“I appreciate ye taking the time to meet wi’ me,” he started, leaning forward a bit. “I realize I left you hanging and I wanted to give ye an explanation.” 

My stomach was tied in knots. Surely, he wasn’t going to give a full explanation, right? His eyes were on John, only flitting to me for a short second or two. “I was very grateful to be given the opportunity to even audition for this role,” Jamie started. I couldn’t tell where this was going. “But when ye called me, something had come up in my personal life and I wasna sure that I would be able to take the role.” John nodded understandingly. I sat there frozen, wondering which direction he was taking this. “So, I really was thinking things over and trying to find a way to accept this part,” he continued. 

“And?” John asked. 

I looked between the two men, my gaze settling on Jamie. “And, I would be more than honored to accept the role if the offer still stands,” he said, a large smile gracing his face. 

I felt happy for a brief second before I remembered what it all meant. My eyes drifted closed, wishing I’d thought of another way to get him to take the role. 

“Thank goodness,” John said, standing up to shake Jamie’s hand. “I’m so relieved. You’re simply too talented for us to find another suitable lead.” 

“Well, thank you,” Jamie said, trying to hide a shy smile. “I canna begin to express what a great opportunity this is. I mean, it’s every actor’s dream to work wi’ Claire Beauchamp,” he exclaimed, finally resting his gaze on me. “I would be crazy to turn down that chance.” 

I felt my mouth fall open some as I stared up at him. Could that mean what I thought it meant? Was he letting me stay? But why? John was excitedly responding to Jamie as I tried to sort through the mess of my mind. 

“Let me go get something! I’ll be right back,” John said, turning to leave the room. 

Jamie sat back down, not looking at me. 

“Does that mean what I think it means?” I finally asked. I knew we only had so long to be frank before John walked back in. 

“What do ye mean?” 

“I offered to leave, but what you just said –”  I cut myself off, trying to find the proper way to explain my thought process. 

“Aye, it meant what ye thought,” Jamie clarified. “You dinna have to step down.” 

I nodded, looking down at my desk. Looking back at him, I tried to see if I could get any answers from his face. His face was a blank mask. “Why are you doing this?” 

His fingers tapped on the desk. “I thought back on why I was so desperate to get even just an audition,” Jamie started. “And the real reason for that was that I wanted to work wi’ Claire Beauchamp. I suppose at some point, perhaps, I should have looked ye up. I’d heard yer name enough to know how much of a legend ye are nowadays, but I didna even ken what ye looked like.” 

I chuckled to myself, shaking my head. 

“But no matter, I knew that I’d regret it if I made ye hold up yer end of the bargain,” Jamie finished, giving me a look. 

“What about your concerns? They were valid, Jamie. I completely understood where you were coming from.” 

He nodded, biting down on his bottom lip. “Ye’re no’ going to tell anyone what happened, aye?” 

“Of course not,” I promised him. I held his gaze, making sure he knew I was serious.

“Well, me either.” He took a deep breath. “It can be our wee secret, then. And hopefully it willna get out otherwise and I’ll be able to avoid such accusations.” 

“Very well,” I replied, unsure of what else to say. 

Thankfully, John walked back in and saved us from any further awkward moments. “Jamie, here you go. These are all the things you’ll be needing. The schedule is on top. As you can see, production officially begins Monday.” 

“Great,” Jamie said, picking up the stack John had just given him. “I canna wait. Thank ye so much.” 

“No, thank you!” John replied, shaking Jamie’s hand too hard. 

“John, I think you’re coming on a bit strong,” I told him softly. He glanced at me with an embarrassed face. I reached my hand out to Jamie, hoping no sign of our private conversation showed on my glass face. “I look forward to it, Mr. Fraser.” 

“Likewise,” he said, taking my hand. 

I tried my best to ignore the spark from just a handshake. Swallowing thickly, I nodded to him, taking my hand back. John turned to walk him out and I sat down in my chair. My head was leaning against the back of it when John wandered back in. 

“Isn’t he just the best?” 

“Mmhmm.” Suddenly, I was torn. Did I want to have to work alongside Jamie when just his touch made me react so? Or would I have rather lost my job due to a personal secret? I didn’t know the answer, but I did know that this show was going to be a very different experience for me. 

* * *

The entire cast was gathered for the first table read. I looked around the room at the people I’d handpicked to be there. As I watched them mingle while they waited to begin, I hoped that once again, I’d been right in my instincts. Louise de la Tour wandered over to me as I stood at the Director’s place at the long table. 

“Claire, so lovely to see you again,” she said, wrapping me in a hug. “I am excited about this one.” 

I smiled at her. “Me too. But are you sure you’re ready to return to the stage?” I teased. 

She rolled her eyes. “Goodness, if one more person asks me that…” 

I laughed, laying a hand on her arm. “No one should begrudge you the right to take your career in a different place than theirs. Believe me, if they’re actually mad at you, it’s because they’re jealous.” 

Louise smiled at me with a grateful expression. “Thank you, Claire. You’ve always been so kind to me. You know I wouldn’t come back for just anyone.” 

I grinned with a small shake of my head. “Oh, I know.” 

Jamie nodded to me as he walked past. I smiled in response. He was poised to keep going until he noticed who I was talking to. Freezing, his eyes went wide. “You’re Louise de la Tour,” he said, a bit in awe. 

She turned to look at him. “I am.” 

“Wow.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’m a huge fan of yers. I’ve seen so many of yer movies. Ye’re a phenomenal actress.” 

She put a hand to her heart. “Well, thank you. And — I’m sorry — you are?” 

He smiled, holding out his hand. “No’ to worry, I’m a new face. I’m Jamie Fraser.” 

“He’ll be Peter,” I told her. 

She nodded, her eyebrows raising. “That’s right. I remember hearing you went with a no name.” She glanced back at Jamie. “No offense.” 

“None taken. I am a no name.” He laughed, waving her off. I couldn’t help but grin watching their interaction. There was a dark, disturbed part of me that wondered if he was flirting with her. 

“So, how does your husband feel about being back in New York?” I asked Louise, mentally shaking my head at myself. 

She shrugged in reply. “I think he’s happy with it. He always loved the place. And we’ll be here for a while, so I think he’s excited for some stability.” She glanced over at some of the other actors. “Anyway, I need to go catch Joe before you get things started. Lovely to meet you, Jamie.” 

“Lovely meeting ye as well,” Jamie said as she walked away. He turned back to me, his eyes wide. “This is a whole new experience for me. I’m afraid I’m no’ holding myself together well. I just avoided Joe Abernathy in general because I fear I’ll make a fool of myself.” 

I chuckled. “Jamie, these are your colleagues now. You better get used to being around them.” 

He nodded, looking back over at the other group. “I suppose ye’re right. It’s still just a wee bit crazy to me.” He leaned closer to me, whispering conspiratorially. “I still canna really believe ye actually wanted me to have the part.” 

“You wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t earned it,” I promised him. “Same as everyone else.” 

He smiled, looking down at his feet. “Thank ye, Sassenach.” 

His eyes went a bit wide at his name for me, like it had slipped out. I wanted to ask him what that word meant, but I didn’t want to make him stop calling me whatever nickname he’d given me. He walked off toward his chair and I took a moment to pull myself together. The man brought out the wrong side of me and I needed to make sure that at work I was nothing but the consummate professional I’ve always been. I began to wonder if I should have been worried about my own set of accusations. What if people thought I went daffy for my new lead? 

Would they be wrong?

Shaking my head, I walked to my chair and stood behind it. I cleared my throat loudly, gaining the attention of most of the people in the room. Once the cast was seated and the crew behind them, I began my traditional start of production speech. 

“Welcome. Today is the first day of production which means that today is the first day of your new life. We have people in this cast and crew at every level of experience, but I’m going to treat you all as if you are completely new. Each director is different. I’m even different from the director I was three years ago. So, in a way, all of you are inexperienced in the ways of this show. But that’s not a bad thing. It’s good. It gives us a fresh look at our art. And in the end, gives us a better show. I expect the best from you and I hope you, in turn, expect the best from me. You all earned your place in this room, but you can easily be replaced if need be. I hope none of you take this opportunity for granted. Just think, right now, there is some high schooler somewhere who would kill to be in your shoes. So, don’t forget that. Put 100% of yourself into this performance and we’ll give the people the best that we can give them. Okay?” 

The rest of the room broke out in an applause of agreement, nodding their heads to me. “Great, then let’s get to work.” 

I pulled out my script and held it up to them. “We are going to read through the first act. After that, we will break for lunch. Once lunch is over, we will begin blocking scenes one and two. Alright?” Nods circled around the table like a messy version of the wave. “Great.” 

* * *

“So, production has officially started, right?” 

I was sitting at dinner with Uncle Lamb and he had barely waited for us to order drinks before jumping into my latest show. 

“That’s right.” 

“How are things going?” he asked, glancing up from his menu. 

“So far, so good,” I replied noncommittally. He shot me a look. “It’s just been the first week.” 

He nodded, sighing in agreement. “Alright, that’s fair. I read the script you gave me. This play sounds fantastic.” 

I smiled. “Yeah, I’m really excited about it. For a straight show, I think it’ll still get a lot of buzz. I mean, this playwright is incredible.” 

“Oh, yes indeed.” Uncle Lamb took a drink of his water. “Who did you end up casting in the lead?” 

My eyes closed for a split second. Even in my home life, I couldn’t get away from mention of Jamie. I knew Uncle Lamb was living vicariously through me. After he’d gotten sick, he hadn’t been able to return to the theatre. Each time I started a new play, he gave me the same rundown. There was no way for him to know what his current question was doing to me. And I’d never tell him. 

“We actually went with a new actor. Never been on Broadway before,” I informed him. 

He raised one eyebrow at me. “A no-name? Why, I’m impressed. I’d heard that Bradley Cooper was auditioning for the role.” 

I laughed into my drink. Hearing Uncle Lamb saying current non-stage celebrities names always amused me. “So he did,” I admitted. 

“Good for you for not casting based on name popularity.” 

I smiled. “What can I say? The man can’t do a Scottish accent to save his life.” 

“And this no-name can?” 

I nodded emphatically. “Yes, he’s actually Scottish.” 

Uncle Lamb chuckled. “Well, that’s basically cheating. But what a find.” I nodded in agreement. “What’s the man’s name?” 

“Jamie Fraser.” I took a deep breath, hoping my face didn’t betray any secrets. “His name is Jamie Fraser.”

Next chapter

[littlemeangreen]

Since you like my alt-Marauders (WHICH IM SO HAPPY FOR) how about challenge for headcanons of them interacting with the Smashers, as allies or foes or just a chance encounter? No need to, I just thought it might be something you'd have fun with!

@thecorteztwins k I'm suddenly in a big writing mood so!! FINALLY getting around to this I'm so sorry sksksk

For anyone who doesn't know: Thecorteztwins has an amazing au where she's collected Haven (thicc angel lady who was possessed by a demon disguised as a baby), Claudine (Miss Sinister),Madelyne (clone of Jean Grey), Pyro, Sebastian Shaw, Shinobi Shaw and sometimes Alice (a clone being tested by Claudine)!

I feel like the first few days are really testy. Everyone's got some bone to pick, the usual. But the biggest thing? The name. A brief encounter with paparazzi ends with their name and the reactions go from Pyro and Claudine scoffing at how silly it sounds and what a rip off it is (Pyro being a writer?? U KNOW he wouldn't stand for Alt Marauders) to Shaw sighing about the fact that he's been stuck on a team with a cliche super nickname.

Then there's personal names because once again, Pryo and Shinobi both agree that everyone needs a name to reapply make them unique! Hardly anyone goes for it, ranging from Haven's soft "no thank you" to Shaw punting Pyro into a wall. Madelyne is slightly soft for Pyro's RPG themed alias ideas for her and less than impressed for Shinobi's idea of "Mad Milf".

Alice....I'm definitely thinking she gets nicknamed "White Rabbit" or "Wonderland" because; 1) no one can leave her out of getting a name. 2) Pyro 100% would give a cheesy media related name and 3) I like the very small connections of white rabbit to the white and red queens in Alice in Wonderland (and 4) rabbits always get experimented on :).

Gamma Gals having amazing duos with the ladies of the Marauders? Absolutely!!

Jen and Haven, being an amazing duo and I feel like they'd be the two who would have that issue where they're the only ones who can save the day and end up learning a lot from each other? Haven is probably thanking her stars that she finally gets to meet a hero who believes in her kindness just as much as she does (S H A W).

Just....Haven being able to meet an even bigger woman and trading stories and being GalPals(TM). Its a really interesting concept to me that Haven is someone who was deliberately used to destroy and Jen is someone who's entire identity is formed around smashing and destruction. It's probably rather cathartic to be working with someone who purely doesn't want to resort to violence immediately and who has been used (Haven by her demon and Jen by different people).

But also learning something from each other? Haven being able to see that sometimes you do need to fight for what you love and Haven proves to Jen that even after all this time, it isn't the muscle or power that can save everything, it's her and her drive and will alone. Catch Red and Shaw scoffing about it.

Speaking of, those two could either REALLY clash or really get along, no imbetweens. Have we found another old man for Shaw to wrestle with, Roman style??? (Ngl that would be hot in a sick way)

Skaar and Shinobi? Both long haired, beautiful, sons of big figures, grew up in abusive environments,,,,its a duo. Just put Shinobi into a mini team with Skaar and Daken and we have the "Black haired brood squad"

Rick and Pyro working together to have a joint production??? FIrebomb productions baby!! My podcast ideas? Absolutely would happen when you combine these two and its hell. Aka; Rick and Pyro gossip on their podcast and give advice to starting heroes as immortals and smack talk. But also outside of that I imagine they can get along a lot in the "had a hard time accepting stuff" and "we were heroes who often did a lot for others and got disregarded and hurt for it".

Pyro: Hey if I set you on fire can you become a flaming bowling ball

Rick: well let's fine out!!

Red and Shaw....there's a lot there. Both are old men who have been pressed on in their lives and affected by masculine presences in their lives...both are regarded as awful shitbags but they're both MUCH more complex and driven by a need for power and stability...lots of thoughts here.

Shaw and Red are one team you do NOT wanna mess with because two old men who are perfectly willing to do what's needed? Red can respect a man willing to get his hands dirty with clear means and Shaw can probably like a guy who has the drive to do what he believes is the better good. Also big hulk man who can give you endless power.

But also differences in them because Shaw abused and continues to abuse Shinobi while Red neglected and most likely emotionally abused Betty but it seemingly trying to make a difference in it now that she's come back? I feel like these two probably have a SUPER in depth conversation when forced to or alone and then never speak about it again.

Spending of Betty! Her and Madelyne?? What a DUO they're litreally a great mix because Maddie is a clone of Jean, Betty was assumed to be a clone at first and often has to suffer being the "domintrix" she hulk. Both have serious issues with their mental health and identities as well as dealing with their lives being ruled or devoted to men who ruin them. Both want freedom and have such passion! I just....so much to say about these two and the similarities. They're both red.

But yeah Phoenix and Harpy?? Skksks Maddie voice: I'm FIRE HARPY nOW

Am I still yelling for her hero name to be Griffin because of how mystical they are and being a bird and lion??? Yeah.

Also sad thoughts but,,,gals talking about their lost kids (Maddie with Nate and Betty suffered a miscarriage induced from stress), the stress of their lovers and who they've lost to (Jean, Emma, Caiera, Jarella,,,) and being manipulated by men for their power (Maddie by Sinister into Goblyn queen and Betty by Leader into Red She-hulk, Harpy, both died).

Anyway point is I can fully see them two just CLICKING or fighting a lot at first until someone points out just how similar they are. Then? Maddie and Betty out here being the brand new Thelma and Louise. Red and Black styles, willing to use force but protect the innocent, both take Alice and this cute kid that Betty absolutely mother henned in her run and,,,two moms and their talented daughters pls step out the way sir.

Tbh I don't think I have much for Samuel apart form him having a small crush on Claudine (and like,,,,not in That Sense, but Samuel does have a big history of falling for smart women or just...OP women). And then a series of gags where Haven wants to know him because he's like Shaw but also incredibly different in thinking and everytime she walks into the room,,,,Samuel is doing some horrific experiment and she just NOPES OUT. Shaw wants to make use of this but it goes horribly wrong oh God why did he try.

Lyra! I just....feel like there could be a lot for her and Claudine and Alice. Lyra was genetically engineered to be used in a war and was bullied relentlessly for being "half man" which...is rather transphobic and sexist but that's her storyline and it's too deeply embedded for me to headcanon over it so...sighs.

But yeah!!! Lyra taking Alice and giving her a night of being able to just....be whoever that night, not being pressured to have an identity of the sorts from anyone and just being able to fight people with a giant green woman. Probably has a lot of deep talks later that night with Lyra, sitting over a building and eating ice cream because it was one of the first things Bruce shared with her and a first realisation that Lyra could be more than someone's daughter.

100% would picture this with Carmilla (Lyra's sister and...also messy kinda clone) or Laura Kinney hopping along and!! Clone weapon woman team!! I could GET INTO this!!! Just...pls marvel give me a team of women overcoming abuse and forming identities among each other and cool women,,,,

But also Lyra admittedly would respect Claudine for her skills and her...tenacity? Yeah, that. She has strength and guts and Lyra probably actually tells her that she'd rather get experimented on by Miss Sinister than some pig of a man and Claudine just "thhhanks?"

Hulk,,,,funny enough I don't think I have many ideas for him yet? Probably gets into a fair few fights with Shaw and Haven over different stuff, Maddie has a bome to pick for Betty,,,I am,,,blank.

I feel like a lot of things for him would be Haven trying to break through into him, maybe each of the Marauders dealing with different parts of the system? I can imagine Shinobi and Pyro don't have a high opinion of the oversized dad until Bruce turns super ashen pale and immediately Joe starts yelling for some whisky and GIRLS....and a fella or two for matchstick and ghost baby here.

Maddie thinking that he's another Scott and then finding out that Hulk's thing is more complicated than Scott simply looking for Jean again. Also Maddie demands that she will forcefully adopt Hulk's kids and these two bonding over abusive dads???

But uh,,,that's about it!! Hope you liked it!!! I probably could easily delve into more thoughts if there's anything specific for me to set my mind on.

[fritzllang]

Cool, lol. I couldn't decide between four and eighteen for Larry/Freddy, so either one of those would be fantastic!

I keep calling them drabbles but this is over 800 words long oops. Hope you like it! I chose 18 because I've read the black eye prompt with Larry/Freddy already from someone else and didn't want to be influenced by it. 

18. “It’s okay to cry…” + Larry/Freddy

“Hey, you wanna get outta here?” 

White’s leaning really close to him to make himself be heard over the bar’s racket, and the graze of his breath against Freddy’s ear sends a shiver down his spine. He attempts a casual nod that looks maybe a little bit too eager. “Sure.”

“Great. We can have another beer someplace else.”

Freddy assumes White wants to take him to another bar, to his house or maybe even a motel room. No. Freddy, don’t even think about that. So when they get in the car and start driving out of the city and to the hills he feels his usually tamed anxiety grow inside him. He shuffles through half a dozen different theories in his head on what might be happening, fearing White has found out he is a cop and is going to take him out execution style on the outskirts of the city, or maybe Joe doesn’t really trust him and has asked White to test him somehow. White seems to be reading his mind, because he reaches over and places a soothing hand on his knee, just low enough that it could be considered merely a friendly touch. It makes Freddy’s heart jump anyway.

“Relax, kid. I’m not gonna murder you out in the woods or anything.” 

Freddy laughs like he finds the occurrence really absurd and shakes his head. “Didn’t think so.”

“There’s just a place over here I wanna show you.” 

They drive up through roads full of curves and bends, the kind only used by hikers or people who own really expensive houses, and at some point they take a side lane without streetlamps and come into a dirt path that ends abruptly with a cliff. Below, the city shines with the glow of a million lights, like a neatly organized constellation. It’s been a long time since Freddy’s seen L.A. like this (he’s never been one for hiking) and the sight leaves him out of breath. He vaguely remembers seeing a similar sight once with his dad when he was a kid,way back, before his dad bailed on him.

White parks the car and walks to the trunk, then comes back on Freddy’s side with a six-pack and knocks his knuckles softly on the window. He’s smiling. “C’mon, get out.” Freddy does as White props himself up and sits on the hood of the car, leaning against the windshield; he imitates him and settles by his side. 

White takes one of the beers out of its plastic ring and cracks it open, passing it to Freddy before pulling another one for himself. For a while they just stand in silence and drink, which isn’t necessarily bad, but Freddy was already a bit drunk from the bar and the booze is starting to go to his head. Suddenly he can’t take the heist out of his mind and he realizes he likes the man laying by his side a little too much and he’s gonna be stabbing him in the back in a few days. He feels like his gut is twisted into a knot. The voice of White startles him out of his thoughts.

“So… I’ve been thinking... It’s been more than a year since I had a steady business partner.” He looks at Freddy, and it’s really dark but he could swear it’s hope what he sees in White’s eyes. “You’re a good kid, learn fast. Maybe we could team up, after the job’s done. I could teach you a thing or two you know.”

The knot in Freddy’s stomach jumps up to his throat and makes him feel like he’s choking. “I uh… I’m not sure I can… I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to… but I have this thing…” 

“Hey, that’s okay kid. You don’t have to answer now. And you definitely don’t have to explain yourself. We’ll talk after the heist.” 

Maybe it’s the poorly concealed look of disappointment in White’s eyes that does it, but suddenly the knot inside of Freddy is too tight and he feels like it’s all too much and he’s digging his nails into his skin because if he let’s go he might start crying. Fuck Freddy you haven’t had an anxiety attack since you were in high school for fuck’s sake. Get yourself under control. Shit. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. But the tears are already falling down his face and he’s making a great effort not to let out an actual sob, and just wishes the darkness will hide it all before White notices when there’s a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, hey. Are you okay? C'mere.” White’s embrace is just as gentle as his voice when he pulls Freddy closer and wraps his arm around him. Freddy leans into the touch, burying his face in the other man’s chest and letting out a soft sob. He feels embarrassed that he’s gonna stain his shirt with his tears, but White doesn’t seem to mind. He feels a hand softly brush his hair and a small kiss on top of his head. If he stops thinking, just for a moment, he feels safe and content. White’s voice is only a whisper when he talks.

“Let it out. It’s okay to cry.”

___

Send me a number from this prompt list (or any prompt from your imagination!) + a character/pairing from the fandoms I reblog (mostly Reservoir Dogs and Good Omens, but also Harry Potter, Brokeback Mountain, Thelma & Louise, whatever), and I’ll write something for you! 

[zwambysdelusions]

My Hella Mega Acknowledgement Acceptance Speech

Which I will orate upon acknowledgement by the Hella Mega Tour during the Boston show

There once was a thing named Zwamby

or should I say I was set free

I love Billie Joe

Pete Wentz is my hoe

And Weezer means nothing to me

I’m Zwamby.

My pronoun is it.

I’m less of a gender

and more of a forced to be reckoned with.

My given name is Louise,

but Zwamby is who I truly am.

I am known by Green Day fans as whatshername,

Fall Out Boy fans as

Wilson,

and my mother as

a pain in the butt.

I was a sleeper agent for the revolution,

but every time I try and start one,

they throw me in McLean’s.

McLeans’s?

More like McLame’s!

Can’t spell infamous without

famous.

Can’t spell notorious without

nooot.

Let me take you into the ZPR,

zipper for short.

It stands for Zwamby’s Parallel Reality.

I used to think that

Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy

was God

(Talk about “a loaded God complex.”)

Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day

was Jesus

and Rivers Cuomo from Weezer

was the Holy Ghost

I’ve recently come to my senses. That's impossible! Rivers Cuomo was a recent development in the zipper, I will confess, and I never really bought it. Even delusions can be wrong sometimes. I now know that all of us

(except for Rivers Cuomo)

Just kidding

*in a funny voice*

even Rivers Cuomo

Are all actually demons.

In the ancient Greek sense, defined as

“a supernatural being whose nature is intermediate between that of a God and that of a human being.”

Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Demigods, if you will.

Billie Joe was my first husband in this life but Pete Wentz is my Ultimate Soulmate and

current husband; Rivers Cuomo is just a swell guy

I cocked it, and I’m about to pull the trigger.

This is going to get a little iffy but I’ll keep it clinical.

On the winter solstice of 2017, I lit five candles in a pentagram formation and copulated with two astral projections; Billie Joe Armstrong and Pete Wentz. Remember, we’re in the zipper, so we can't make babies. But I also didn't really know if it was really them, so we'll call them Wete Pentz and Jillie Boe

I did not copulate with Civers Ruomo.

A couple of days before my next period, I bought a three pack of pregnancy tests.

I peed on one, and it was negative. However, Wete Pentz’s voice in my head kept insisting I was pregnant, so I knew that that test was what The Man wanted me to believe, and I peed on the other two. It’s important to mention that I was abstaining from the real deal and just sticking to astral projections because they, frankly, did a better job than your average person, and because I was going through a lot emotionally, having been hijacked by Zwamby for the second time. Instantly, it looked like the Wete Pentz one and the Jillie Boe one were duds. However, within the time window, because there's a Time Window for pregnancy tests, they became positive.

“Two out of three ain’t bad.”

Interestingly enough, Champion by Fall Out Boy was released earlier that year the day after the summer solstice of 2017. In Champion, Pete writes “I’m calling you from the future to let you know we made a mistake.” Can you guess what the mistake was? It was a baby! Therefore, the zipper overlapped with reality!

It was real life. It is real life. I was pregnant. Without having actually copulated.

Somehow I knew it was

the antichrist

aka

Wajesus

(like Waluigi).

Honestly, all the antichrist is

is “a person or force seen as opposing Christ or the Christian church”

Oxford English Dictionary.

And if you think there isn't corruption and evil in the church, you’re delusional. Anyway, Wajesus is a good thing!

Unfortunately, due to the over 2,000 mg of psych medication, the pack a day, and the binge drinking, Wajeezy didn’t stand a chance. But it happened! The astral ejaculate conception happened. On the winter solstice of 2017.

Every single human has the capacity to astral project into the fifth dimension, which is: everywhere, everything, and everyone on different planes, pocket dimensions, parallel universes, and alternate realities beyond linear time (like the zipper).

All fanfiction is real somewhere.

We access the fifth dimension if we are any of the following:

drugged, dead, delusional,

unconscious, and/or imaginative.

D-D-D-U-I

Socrates was right, there is a higher plane of innate knowledge that we can access, and I’m on that level. Plato’s cave is just an allegory for the spiritual shift between the fourth dimension, spacetime, and fifth dimension, which I just explained, keep up. E=mc²? More like E/c=mc because energy and mass are inversely related by a factor of the speed of light thus they're on the same scale and dark matter is just photons at absolute zero.

I busted out of Plato’s cave with a cannon, and I had my third eye ripped open with a crowbar.

I’ve seen the truth,

I’ve seen it all,

and this is not how life should be.

We are enslaved by capitalism,

we are oppressed by the powers that be,

and we are ignored and imprisoned by those who claim to protect us.

In Massachusetts,

they can chuck you in a mental hospital

for 3 days

for no reason other than because they said so. We need to fight back.

We need to be on the right side of history.

As Billie Joe says,

“I don’t want to live in the modern world.”

Yeah, neither do I.

But we can fix this!

The government isn’t going to like what I'm about to say, but what the heck has this administration ever done for me?

And what can they possibly do TO me?

Lock me up in jail

for civil disobedience?

Kill me

for starting a riot?

Death is but a sweet release from this suffering.

If you want to die

because the world is so tragic,

here is a reason to live!

To fight!

To win!

We need change!

We need freedom!

We need a revolution!

“Are you smelling that shit?

Eau du Resistance”

Consider me a threat to the system!

“I don’t care!“

The revolution is LIVE!

Spurch

[jmcolt]

character interview!

tagged by @fillianore!! thank you so much rina!!!

tagging @devotchkas, @sharky-broshaw to spite her, @operativezaneflynt, and the rest of the punk bitches haha gotcha!! also whoever else wants to do this tag me so i can see your wonderful characters

doing this for miss lola bc ofc

name ➔ Dolores Grant, but most others call me Lola. 

are you single ➔ I haven’t been for a while.

are you happy ➔ Yes, perfectly!

are you angry ➔ Not unless there’s something my boys aren’t telling me.

are your parents still married ➔ Yes. They’re just as happy as they were when I was a girl and I imagine they’ll stay that way.

NINE FACTS

birth place ➔ Savannah, Georgia.

hair colour ➔ Blonde.

eye colour ➔ Blue.

birthday ➔ November 3rd, but I don’t necessarily celebrate it.

mood ➔ I’m perfectly happy!

gender ➔ Female.

summer or winter ➔ I actually prefer Spring-- that’s when the peach trees back home start to bloom.

morning or afternoon ➔ I’m not much of a morning person, so I’d have to say afternoon.

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

are you in love ➔  Oh goodness. I’d say so, yes!

do you believe in love at first sight ➔ Usually only in romance novels, but... 

who ended your last relationship ➔ I guess that would be me. I wasted no time in kicking my ex-husband out of the house when I found him in bed with another woman.

have you ever broken someone’s heart ➔ Once. I don’t like thinking about it.

are you afraid of commitments ➔ Maybe a little. At the least, not enough to disrupt my current relationship.

have you hugged someone within the last week? ➔  Just Cole and the girls.

have you ever had a secret admirer ➔ I certainly had a few back in Georgia, but nothing came of it since I was already with Arnie.

have you ever broken your own heart? ➔ I’d... say so, yes.

SIX CHOICES

love or lust ➔ Love.

lemonade or iced tea ➔ Iced tea, of course.

cats or dogs ➔ Can I say both? I have my cat, but dogs are just so cute.

a few best friends or many regular friends ➔ Many friends!

wild night out or romantic night in ➔ I prefer a romantic night in, but getting cozy in a booth at the back of a bar isn’t so bad either.

day or night ➔ I’m a terrible night owl.

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

been caught sneaking out ➔ I was something of a rebel when I was a teenager, so.. yes, many times.

fallen down/up the stairs ➔ Well, I did fall going up a flight of stairs not too long ago because the heel on my shoe snapped. It wasn’t pleasant!

wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔ ...Maybe.

wanted to disappear ➔ Once or twice.

FOUR PREFERENCES

smile or eyes ➔ Nothing can make me melt faster than a handsome smile.

shorter or taller ➔ Everybody is taller than me, so I don’t quite think I get a choice.

intelligence or attraction ➔ Brains over brawn... though, I’d say a little brawn helps.

hook-up or relationship ➔ I was a bit... promiscuous after my divorce, but I’m definitely a relationship person.

FAMILY

do you and your family get along ➔ It’s... complicated. My relationship with my parents is a tad bit strained and I’ve never been very close with Henry or Edmund. Joe, on the other hand? I pretty much considered him one of my best friends growing up and I’d say he still is, but... things are different now. Nothing I can do about that.

would you say you have a “messed up life” ➔ I certainly don’t have it as bad as others. 

have you ever ran away from home ➔ I tried once. I didn’t get very far.

have you ever gotten kicked out ➔ No, but my mother did threaten it from time to time when I was being particularly unruly.

FRIENDS

do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔ Oh my goodness, no!

do you consider all of your friends good friends ➔ Yes, and I hope they feel the same.

who is your best friend ➔ Out of everybody, I’m closest with Cole and Louise, but... well, obviously, my relationship with Cole is a bit different.

who knows everything about you ➔ Again, Cole and Louise. They were the first people I opened up to about my previous marriage.

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 15 May 2019

Quick Bits:

Age of X-Man: Next Gen #4 hurtles towards the end as Glob, Armor, and Rockslide attempt to track down Anole before he does something stupid. Everything’s really starting to fall together in these minis as the lie of the world starts to unravel. It’s also interesting how Ed Brisson portrays the cultists fighting back against the “no love” edict as just as deluded and indoctrinated by X-Man’s change of reality.

| Published by Marvel

Aquaman #48 begins Arthur’s quest to recover his past in the first part of “Mother Shark”, with one hell of a twist for an ending cliffhanger. The high level of the quality of art on this series continues as Viktor Bogdanovic and his Greg Capullo-inspired style (with Jonathan Glapion and Daniel Henriques providing additional inks) join Kelly Sue DeConnick, Sunny Gho, and Clayton Cowles.

| Published by DC Comics

Batman #71 is part two of “The Fall and the Fallen” from Tom King, Mikel Janín, Jorge Fornés, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles. With the heavy reliance on dream sequences and simulations lately, it certainly makes me wonder who’s gaslighting who, whether anything in the story is real or if King is just playing us. Great art, though.

| Published by DC Comics

Bloodborne #12 concludes “A Song of Crows” from Aleš Kot, Piotr Kowalski, Brad Simpson, and Aditya Bidikar. This arc has been even more surreal than the first, embracing that odd mix of depression and existentialism that seems to permeate the franchise. This is going to take a few more readings to really sink in.

| Published by Titan

Calamity Kate #3 gives us a look into the disastrous relationship between Kate and Sandra. Though the accuracy of events might be a bit nebulous, given some missing time and an appearance that not everything is happening as we see it, this paints Sandra as a particularly resentful, hateful person. Also, another clue in Kate’s rival. Great action art from Corin Howell and Valentina Pinto, with an interestingly designed tentacle monster.

| Published by Dark Horse

Daredevil #5 is the gut punch. As great as everything that Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto, Sunny Gho, and Clayton Cowles have delivered in the first four issues (and seriously it’s some of the best Daredevil since Miller and Mazzucchelli), this one tops it. A reckless, dangerous Daredevil, a hazard to himself and everyone around him, having it dawn on him what he’s been doing. And all of the Catholic guilt, shame, and judgement, not just on himself, but on the revelation that he’s seemingly oblivious that all of his friends have also been in his situation.

| Published by Marvel

Fairlady #2 is another great issue from Brian Schirmer, Claudia Balboni, Marissa Louise, and David Bowman. The blend of fantasy and police procedural is seamless, presenting a completely believable world, building up bits of supporting characters and elaborating on the setting as the story unfolds. Also a great shift into a kind of storybook art style from Balboni and Louise during one of the flashback sequences.

| Published by Image

Guardians of the Galaxy #5 sees the other shoe drop. Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw, David Curiel, and Cory Petit deliver an excellent set-up for the finale of the “Final Gauntlet” here as Hela makes her move and we find out what the game actually was. Also, more hints about Rocket that don’t seem pleasant.

| Published by Marvel

Immortal Hulk #17 goes hard for thriller first before leaning back into horror as Bushwacker stalks Banner through the “abandoned” lab. Very interesting new “rules” that Al Ewing is laying out as what makes up a Hulk keeps consistently changing.

| Published by Marvel

Joe Golem: Occult Detective - The Conjurors #1 picks up with our dead hero being nibbled by fish, and it’s just downhill from there for Molly, Simon Church, and all of existence due to Dr. Cocteau’s meddling. Great art from Peter Bergting and Michelle Madsen.

| Published by Dark Horse

Justice League #24 is the penultimate chapter of “The Sixth Dimension” and amidst the dire situations, heroic sacrifices, and stunning betrayals, there’s a great opening sequence about the little disappointments that Superman feels when he lets someone down. It’s like Catholic guilt amplified immensely, but it raises some interesting questions about how superheroes deal with depression. Or not deal with it, as it were. Great work from Scott Snyder, Jorge Jimenez, Alejandro Sánchez, and Tom Napolitano.

| Published by DC Comics

Little Bird #3 is another incredible instalment in this story, with some interesting revelations about Little Bird and Gabriel, from Darcy Van Poelgeest, Ian Bertram, Matt Hollingsworth, and Aditya Bidikar. The artwork from Bertram and Hollingsworth is mind-bendingly awesome.

| Published by Image

Livewire #6 continues the PSEP arc from Vita Ayala, Kano, and Saida Temofonte as Amanda discovers more about the organization and gets introduced firsthand to the academy bully enforcer. The art from Kano, from the characters through the layouts, is next level.

| Published by Valiant

Naomi #5 explains everything. Mostly. Sure, there are still questions, and there’s likely a huge battle coming for the final issue, but we get a full-fledged explanation as Naomi tells her newly-learned origin story to Annabelle. And it’s brilliant. Wonderful parallels to other tales and a hint at implications for the DC Universe as a whole. Also, drop dead gorgeous artwork. Seriously some of the best ever to grace the comics page. Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker, Jamal Campbell, and Wes Abbott provide another excellent issue here. Highly, highly recommended.

| Published by DC Comics / Wonder Comics

Oblivion Song #15 is one hell of a page turner. Robert Kirkman, Lorenzo De Felici, Annalisa Leoni, and Rus Wooton barely give us a chance to breathe in this one as the Faceless Men attack, both those who’ve chosen to stay in Oblivion and the exploration teams jaunting back and forth from Earth. Great tension.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Pearl #9 is another visually stunning issue from Michael Gaydos. Seriously just look at this beauty.

| Published by DC Comics / Jinxworld

Sabrina the Teenage Witch #2 throws even more chaos Sabrina’s way as it seems like everything in Greendale is something supernatural or paranormal or straight out of weird science. Kelly Thompson is delivering some great humour, while the art from Veronica and Andy Fish remains perfect for anything and everything in Archie’s world.

| Published by Archie

Superman #11 swings back around to Zod after Superman unceremoniously left him being beaten by Rogol Zaar as this arm of “The Unity Saga” continues, delving further into the battle consuming Jor-El at the moment, but not really explaining anything. This is chaos, but it looks pretty.

| Published by DC Comics

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder in Hell #3 is worth it just for the glorious artwork from Mateus Santolouco and Marcelo Costa. The monster designs are incredible and the red, surreal glow of the colours just give life to the strange and deadly nature of this hellscape. 

| Published by IDW

Transformers #5 suggests that there’s a whole lot more going on under the surface of Cybertron and the mystery of the death of Brainstorm that we thought. More interesting things going on with Rubble too, as he gets kind of lost while Bumblebee’s off doing other stuff.

| Published by IDW

Uncanny X-Men #18 adds again to the body count as things continue to fall apart. The nihilism, darkness, and depression in this series has really been getting to me these past few issues. With announcements for House of X and Powers of X, this is starting to feel like a “throw the X-Men down a hole before rebooting” type of story. I’m still not sure if I like it, since it’s putting me in a sour mood.

| Published by Marvel

War of the Realms #4 drills down on Freyja’s defence of the Black Bifrost, intent on taking away its use from Malekith. All of the art on this series has been phenomenal, but Russell Dauterman and Matthew Wilson somehow take it up another notch. This is epic.

| Published by Marvel

War of the Realms: Giant-Man #1 kicks off another front in the War as Freyja tasks Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Goliath, and Atlas to infiltrate the Frost Giants’ bastion on Earth and get revenge, from Leah Williams, Marco Castiello, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Joe Sabino. Very nice bits of humour and wonderful artwork.

| Published by Marvel

War of the Realms: Spider-Man & The League of Realms #1 opens up another front as Spider-Man leads the members of the League of Realms into New Heven territory, from Sean Ryan, Nico Leon, Carlos Lopez, and Joe Caramagna. It’s great to see more Ryan-penned Spider-Man, even if he only ever seems to get to write the event tie-ins. He’s got a great handle on Spidey, effortlessly displaying that humour and humanity of the character every time.

| Published by Marvel

War of the Realms: Strikeforce - The War Avengers #1 is the second Strikeforce one-shot elaborating on encounters spinning out of War of the Realms #3. This one focuses on Captain Marvel’s motley crew of Avengers as they try to strike at the heart of Malekith in Britain from Dennis Hallum, Kim Jacinto, Ario Anindito, Java Tartaglia, Felipe Sobreiro, and Joe Sabino. Some nice Deadpool humour and art in what is one of the more bonkers tie-ins.

| Published by Marvel

Other Highlights: Age of X-Man: Marvelous X-Men #4, Amazing Spider-Man #21, American Carnage #7, Battlestar Galactica Classic #4, Bettie Page #5, Black Badge #10, Black Widow #5, Cinema Purgatorio #18, Farmhand #8, Firefly #6, Gideon Falls #13, Go Go Power Rangers #20, High Level #4, Infinity 8 #12, Ironheart #6, James Bond 007 #7, Kaijumax - Season 4 #6, Kick-Ass #14, KISS: The End #2, Last Stop on the Red Line #1, Life & Death of Toyo Harada #3, Low #22, Lucifer #8, Lumberjanes #62, Marvel Action: Spider-Man #4, Morning in America #3, Old Man Quill #5, Orphan Age #2, Planet of the Nerds #2, Port of Earth #10, Princeless - Book 8: Princesses #2, Spider-Man: Life Story #3, Star Wars #66, Star Wars: Age of Rebellion - Lando Calrissian #1, Star Wars: Tie Fighter #2, Teen Titans #30, Xena: Warrior Princess #2

Recommended Collections: Batgirl - Volume 5: Art of the Crime, Bitter Root - Volume 1: Family Business, GI Joe: A Real American Hero - Volume 22, The Horror of Collier County, Immortal Hulk - Volume 3: Hulk in Hell, Jeepers Creepers - Volume 1: Trail of the Beast, Justice League Odyssey - Volume 1: The Ghost Sector, MCMLXXV, Mister Miracle, Outer Darkness - Volume 1, Outpost Zero - Volume 2, RuinWorld: Eye for an Eye, Star Wars: Age of Republic - Heroes, Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet, The Whispering Dark

d. emerson eddy wishes there were more hours in the day in order to write about everything.

[music-my-angel]

I owe you one

Prompt - Please can you do one where Joe Sugg faints please xx? 

Prompt - Can you do a Jasper one (Joe Sugg centric) where Joe is ill and then he passes out with lots of fluff please x

Prompt - Hi could you do a Joe Sugg one shot where there at a YouTube event and Joe’s appendix bursts and he in pain so they have to bring him to the hospital?

 ------

Joe wasn’t stupid. He knew that he shouldn’t ignore the warning signs that his body was giving him. The slight fever, the chills, the stomach ache… It was all taking a toll on his body but Joe was hardly paying any attention to them. He was so busy with the upcoming events and projects that he didn’t have time to even meet up with his friends and family, let alone to see a doctor about his symptoms. In so doing, the boy ended up complicating his situation even more.

------

All of Joe’s friends were worried about him. They had hardly heard from the boy let alone see him since the past few days. In fact, it got to the point where Zoe, Alfie, Jim, Tanya, Louise and Caspar had to make a plan to get the boy out of his house.

“If you call him to your place, he won’t be able to refuse” Louise pointed out.

“Maybe have a lunch at your place or something” Tanya suggested.

“That sounds actually good” Jim agreed.

“But who’d get him here?” Alfie asked.

“I’ll do that” Caspar volunteered.

“I owe you one then Casp” Zoe smiled, clapping Caspar’s shoulder.

Caspar laughed out, setting out to see his friend, unaware of how he was about to see the boy.

------

Joe had pulled an all-nighter to work on a vlog of his as he had a few gigs lined up and he wouldn’t have the time for his vlogs. He’d spent the entire night brushing off his stomach ache as gas pains, given that he hadn’t been eating much lately.

But as he went to sleep in the early hours of the morning, Joe could feel the pain increasing. He somehow fell asleep but the pain never subsided.

He had woken up to the doorbell and as soon as he sat up in bed, Joe could feel himself being lightheaded. The pain in his side had gotten even worse.

A cold sweat running down his back, Joe painfully made his way to the door, hoping that he wouldn’t collapse until he’s opened the door.

Thankfully, he managed to open the door, managing a painful ‘Casp’ before promptly falling into the man’s arms.

------

Caspar was messing with the doorbell, ringing it a few times as he waited for Joe to open the door. He was prepared to shout at the boy for having made him wait for so long at the door but as the door opened, he couldn’t help but gasp at how poorly Joe looked.

He was about to ask Joe what was wrong when the boy fell right into his arms, giving Caspar the time to only hold onto Joe as the boy passed out.

Caspar had panicked as he helped Joe lie on the floor. The heat radiating off the boy was a sure giveaway as to the boy being sick but as Caspar tried waking the boy up, he didn’t miss how the boy moaned in pain, curling onto his side.

Clearly, there was something very wrong with the boy.

Deciding to drive the boy to a hospital, Caspar got the boy to his car before quickly calling Zoe with a brisk message, “Joe passed out. Get to the hospital as quickly as you can.”

------

Caspar getting Joe to the hospital turned out to be a good decision as Joe’s stomach ache actually happened to be his appendix which would have burst if Caspar hadn’t gotten him to the hospital at the right time. After a surgery, the boy was wheeled back to his room where his friends could finally meet him.

“Thank God Caspar went to his house or else we would have never known that he was this sick” Alfie sighed.

“Joe should have told someone that he wasn’t feeling well” Louise said, shaking her head.

“Zo…” Joe mumbled as he woke up.

“I’m here kiddo. I’m right here” Zoe assured him.

“What happened?” Joe asked.

“You passed out. Caspar got you to the hospital. You had surgery for your appendix” Jim explained.

“Surgery?” Joe asked, drowsily.

“Yeah buddy, it’s okay though. It’s all over now” Zoe said, rubbing the boy’s arm.

“Didn’t think it would get that bad… Thought it was just a stomach ache” Joe explained.

“You still should have let us known Joe. What would have happened if Caspar hadn’t come to your house?” Tanya said.

Looking up at Caspar, Zoe mumbled, “Thank you, Casp. I definitely owe you one now.”

Caspar couldn’t smile as he watched Joe blink at him, conveying his silent thank you.

------

Zoe was utterly grateful that his friends all thought of the plan to check up on Joe. She would always be thankful to Caspar for having gone to Joe’s house and brought him to the hospital at the right time. As far as Joe was concerned, this incident was a big lesson for him as to never ignore the warning signs from his body. Caspar, on the hand, had Joe promise him to always be in touch with him, especially when he wasn’t feeling well. They really owed Caspar one for having practically saved Joe’s life.

------

A/N

Maybe not exactly what the prompter wanted but still hope you all like it.