#man today i was planning on posting my silly comic where i from real life talk to metal sonic on the phone but no you guys get-

[girlmetalsonic]

something that makes me so ill is thinking abt the parallels between gemerl and neo metal sonic. both of them went against eggman in a way that still caused destruction, but then when gemerl is defeated, hes reprogrammed, he gets a family, and a home. when neo is defeated, sure, theyre taken by shadow and omega, but nothing really comes of that. at the end of the day they let them go back.

[greenandsorrow]

"Boytoy"

WARNINGS; sexual references, ken x fem!reader, reader uses she/her pronouns, ken finding out about periods, fluff & happy ending, plot doesn't connect with the movie, probably grammar mistakes

Bonus Part

After their rather intense night they just got comfy under the covers, this time with Ken being the big spoon. Y/n was laying her head on his chest, just where his plastic heart is, his heartbeat lulling her into a deep sleep. Our lucky Ken had his arms wrapped around y/n's frame, while nuzzling the top of her head, inhaling the flowery scent of her shampoo, feeling his eyelids getting heavier.

~~

Since that day they've been inseparable. Ken figured out how to control his waking up in the real world or in Barbieland. He was also informed that there's a portal to y/n's world at his favourite beach. Y/n's house has become his own and she was happy and patient to get him used to human activities such as going out for a snack, walking her home after her classes and so on.

Life is good, it's sublime. Y/n is looking forward to Ken's surprise for her birthday...she was able to figure out what it was but she'd never reveal that to her giddy man. Ken is planning to take her to Barbieland for a day and that means she can meet her childhood friends, the Barbies.

Currently, Ken is waiting for y/n at her apartment because she had exams to take. He is so proud of her for the silliest of accomplishments so y/n can hardly imagine the excitement he feels for her determination and wit at studying. Unfortunately, she wasn't in the mood for celebrating, or making out, or having a tickling session, or watching horse documentaries. Ken was devastated.

Y/n went straight to her bedroom to change into the fluffiest pyjamas possible before curling up next to Ken and letting out a deep sigh.

"Why did it have to happen today out of all days?!"

Ken is puzzled by her statement. His expression is rather adorable as he tries to understand what is going on in her head. He finally speaks in a sheepish but also curious manner.

"What did happen today that shouldn't have y/n?"

She huffs and buries her face in his arm. She is already tired from all the studying, frustrated with her headaches and exasperated from the too familiar cramps.

"It's nothing Ken...", she murmurs.

Under any other circumstances she would've been delighted to share this part of her human experience with Ken...however the thought of having to break down what periods are to her blonde partner has y/n riled up now.

Ken is of course too dramatic at his reaction to her dismissive answer. He takes an expression of pure heartbreak.

"Are you bored of me?! Oh no y/n!"

Y/n can't help but chuckle a bit and her mood lightens up. He can't be so pure, it's infuriatingly cute.

"It's my period Ken, it's not your fault I act like so grim..."

Ken's confusion is comically obvious and she decides to explain what needs to be explained.

~~

By the end of her primary school teaching moment, Ken is looking at her with a new kind of awe. If women weren't fabulous enough before in his blue eyes, they definitely are now.

And so another monthly ritual is added to Ken's list of being y/n's hype man. He makes a huge, too bright and silly looking calendar and writes down his human's days of the month. She always has a bag of chocolates and plush toys waiting for her, maybe a flower or a cowboy accessory. Y/n has a whole collection at this point. The best part, though, is what comes after the marked days on the calendar end....

Let's just say Ken's libido is that of a teenager's and how could she complain when she's ovulating?

notes~~

Well, that's it... the little happy ending I had promised. Boytoy was the first thing I ever posted on here and the first thing I wrote in general for the public eye🥺 Looking back, I know I could have done it better, but I don't want to be ungrateful because Boytoy made my blog gain an audience. I want to expand my writing on other fandoms so stay tuned! Thanks for all the support <33

Dividers by; @cafekitsune

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[ptergwen]

truth serum

a/n: ok ok ok i've had to post this four times now because it won’t show up in tags for some reason? i’m so :/ tumblr pls stop setting me up bruh. but moving on here’s a summary of the original request and i hope ya like

warnings: little bit of cursing here and there

-

when tom asked if you‘d be interested in going to a comic con with him, there was only one answer: yes. you‘ll take every chance you get to see him in his element. you’re looking forward to checking out some of the cool exhibits they’ll have — and people. comic con is a safe space for all your nerdiness. so really, both of you will be in your element that day.

the only thing you’re uneasy about is tom’s fans. you have no idea how they’ll react to seeing you by his side for hours on end. paparazzi caught you together once or twice, but you couldn’t tell much from their blurry pictures. that didn’t stop everyone from talking.

you’ve been named his new “mystery girl,” and tom still hasn’t adressed the whole situation. no matter how much he loves his fans, he’s not willing to spill every single detail of his personal life. spending time with his girlfriend doesn’t need some big explanation to please the public.

this is the first time you know for sure that you’ll be seen with him. comic cons are huge, and somebody always has their phone out at these things. you don’t want the fans to end up hating you for being there, or tom for bringing you. the way he sees it, they should just be happy he’s happy. anyone who isn’t never truly cared in the first place.

tom usually arrives early to go over his schedule and any last minute details. this time, he’s sleeping in a few hours extra with you. no one knows better than him that all day events can be draining. he wants you well rested and feeling good for it. since people are already at the venue, you’re using a different entrance to avoid getting mobbed.

“stay close, okay? i’m not sure what it’s like in there yet. might be a few people by the door, or a crowd.” you’re walking hand in hand with tom through the back lot. he feels you tense up next to him at the mention of a crowd. they overwhelm the hell out of you, and you’re suddenly feeling way underprepared for this.

“but we’re going in through the back. how are they gonna know that?” you grip his hand tighter without realizing. tom half smirks at your question and leads you over to the door. “my fans figure everything out... almost everything. you ready?”

shrugging your shoulders, you lean into his side for comfort. “sort of. i’m just getting nervous about being around so many people.” “i know, baby. not gonna lie, it’s pretty scary at first. but i’ll be with you the whole time.” he presses a quick kiss to the side of your head. you do feel better knowing he won’t leave you alone when you get inside.

“just try turning your nerves into excitement. it works for me every time. “i’ll do my best. i guess we can go in for real now.” tom’s thumb brushes over yours reassuringly, looking at you once more for any signs of doubt before he opens the door.

only a couple of fans notice tom is there, so it’s not as hectic as you thought it would be. he waves to them and says hi, a smile lighting up his face. you chew your lip nervously and let him take you to where he needs to be. obviously, you get a few stares. some pointing, some whispering. they’re all things that come with being pressed into tom holland in front of thousands of people.

tom brings you over to the check in area and gives both of your names. a woman with a headset on hands him two ID cards. he thanks her before pulling you aside so you two can have a moment of privacy.

“how is it so far? feeling okay?” his voice is soft unlike the yelling around you, which is nice. tom slips the lanyard with the ID over your head. “i’m getting used to it. i don’t know how you do this almost every day,” you admit, tugging on his own lanyard that he’s holding. he wraps an arm around your shoulders.

“i’ll tell you what, it’s a lot easier when you’re with me,” he mumbles into your ear, using that as a way to subtly leave a kiss to the skin. the little things like that are what will keep you together throughout the day.

a man with a headset and planner comes up to tom. why are so many people wearing headsets? he reads off tom’s plans for today, then ushers the two of you over to do meet and greets once tom has everything down. tom already called and explained that you’d be joining him, so he had it arranged for you to sit with the photographer and watch.

that’s definitely going to get people curious. he doesn’t mind too much, as long as it makes the experience more comfortable for you.

“i’ll be right over here. you’ll tell me if you need anything, yeah?” tom gazes out at the long line of fans waiting to see him, meeting your eyes after. “don’t worry about me. go give your fans some hugs.” you squeeze his hand and smile to let him know you’re okay. he smiles back even bigger before going over to greet the first person they send over.

this set up is way better than what you’d expected. you get a front row seat watching tom do silly faces and poses, and he can check in with you from time to time. there’s the occasional “who is that?” or “is it true that you’re dating her?” question from someone nosy.

tom responds with something along the lines of “that’s y/n. she’s a really lovely girl. she’s super awesome,” followed by a wink only for you to see. you find yourself having to hide your blushing face from all of his antics.

after about two hours, tom gets a break from photo ops. he decides to use the time to do whatever you choose, since you’ve been watching him for a while. you just walk around until there’s an announcement that a hypnotist show is about to start, and anyone can attend. you’ve never seen people be hypnotized in person, and it sounds like it could be fun.

tom lets you pick the seats. you end up towards the front for a closer look. his hand rests on your thigh as soon as you’re both seated, missing being able to touch you all day. you lace your fingers with his and watch as the show starts.

you’re both having a good time, laughing along at all the different segments. the guy hosting it is really entertaining. “now, let’s move onto a part of the show i like to call ‘truth serum.’ it’s simple. i’ll choose a member from the audience and get them to spill their guts for all of you, about anything i ask. who shall it be?” he rubs his chin and looks around the room.

he makes eye contact with people around you. you’re regretting getting seats in the third row. you pray he won’t call you up, but that would be too convenient. “ah!” he claps his hands together, gesturing to you. your mouth runs dry. “thanks for volunteering, come on up!”

you look at tom, silently asking if you should. “go on. i kind of wanna see this,” he wiggles his eyebrows at you devilishly. clenching your jaw, you walk past him and onto the stage. the hypnotist taps a chair for you to sit. you just had to be the lucky person he chose. “can we get a round of applause for...” he holds his microphone down to you.

“y/n,” you say into it, your voice coming out shaky. there are at least two hundred people staring up at you right now. “y/n!” he repeats. “everyone put your hands together for this brave soul.” the audience claps, tom cheering the loudest among them all.

“so, y/n. you seem excited to be up here,” the man jokes. tom watches with amusement as you give an unsure smile at the audience. “is it that obvious?” you get a few laughs. maybe this won’t be the train wreck you’re anticipating.

“extremely. y/n, i want you to look at your right hand for me.” he takes a step back, you doing as he says. “focus on your fingers and how they’re curling towards you. keep focusing. notice how you’re feeling more and more relaxed.”

everything he’s saying is actually happening. wanting to remember this, tom takes out his phone and starts recording. “bring your hand over to your forehead. let yourself feel the skin to skin contact. just like that.” you’re starting to feel sleepier. “and close your eyes.” the hypnotist snaps, and there’s silence throughout the auditorium. “you’re in a deep sleep. well done.”

you’re completely passed out with your head hanging low. everyone claps again, gasping and chatting to each other. tom is one of the gaspers. “y/n, you just guzzled a whole can of truth serum. you’re an open book. you love to share. when i snap again, you’ll wake up and answer whatever i ask you. truthfully,” the hypnotist tells you.

he waits a moment, then snaps his fingers. your head immediately snaps up. more gasps. tom puts his hand over his mouth, muffling his laughter at whatever you’re about to say.

“good morning, y/n. how are you doing?” “stiff. my neck hurts a lot for some reason,” you answer honestly, rubbing the back of it. the hypnotist has a smug grin on his face. “very good. we’re going to start off with some basic questions to see where you’re at. they mirror the five senses. y/n, what’s your favorite thing to hear?”

“my boyfriend’s voice. oh my god, and he has the cutest hiccup laugh,” you clasp your hands under your chin. tom is glad his phone is hiding his face so no one can see his cheeks turning pink. “hiccup laugh?” the hypnotist makes a face. “it gets stuck in his throat sometimes. it’s actually so cute.”

“what about your favorite smell?” “oh, that’s an easy one. sandalwood.” you casually reveal to the audience. “tell us why you like sandalwood so much, y/n,” the hypnotist prompts you. “it’s the scent of shampoo my boyfriend uses.” tom practically melts when he catches on. all your favorite things so far are related to him.

“i think we should skip ahead and talk about that boyfriend of yours. you seem to really love him, huh?” “more than anything. if you were planning to ask about anything else that’s my favorite, i’d say him.” there’s a big “awwww” from the whole audience, tom included.

“isn’t that sweet? where is your boyfriend right now, y/n? i’m sure he’d want to hear this.” “he just did, he’s in the audience.” you tell the hypnotist as if he should already know. tom’s lovestruck smile fades away. he hopes the hypnotist realizes it’s too personal to make you keep talking about something like this.

you have no control over what you’re saying, and it’s not going to end well. “why don’t you point him out for us so we can give him a big round of applause?” scanning around for tom with bright eyes, you get out of your seat. you point at him. “he’s right there.”

the whole audience turns to look at who you’re pointing to. tom lowers his phone, his mouth open in shock. everyone starts shouting as soon as they notice it’s tom. you’re confused over what the big deal is, since you’re still not fully yourself. the hypnotist realizes the mess he just caused, quickly sitting you down again to bring you out of it.

“y/n, i’m going to snap again. when you wake up this time, all the truth serum will be out of your system,” he says just to you over the noise, tom sinking down in his seat to avoid questions. the man snaps his fingers. there’s silence like the first time, everyone waiting to see what you’ll say.

you have no memory of anything that happened a few seconds ago. all the eyes on you are freaking you out. “wh- what did i say?” you ask him, biting down hard on your lip. his eyes dart over to tom. he speaks to you without the microphone. “you told the audience about your boyfriend.” it takes a second for you to register what he said. then you see tom down low in his chair, and you’re humiliated.

for yourself, but mostly him. you can’t believe you exposed your relationship in front of all these people. you run off the stage and out of the auditoruim, too embarrassed to say anything else. tom doesn’t hesitate to chase after you.

you’re breathing hard and fast, stopping somewhere there aren’t too many people around. your mind is racing while you try to figure out what’s going to happen next. someone puts a hand on your shoulder. it’s tom. he turns you around to face him.

“fuck, i- i’m so sorry. i don’t know what was going through my head, i shouldn’t have talked about any of that stuff. this is gonna be a nightmare for you,” you spit out all at once. tom only pulls you to his chest. he rubs circles around your back, trying to calm you down.

“it’s not your fault, angel. you didn’t have a choice about saying those things. you know that, right?” huffing, you hide your face in tom’s chest. “but still. i exposed us and i exposed you and now everyone knows something you didn’t want them to. you should hate me right now.” his lips press into a deep frown at what you’re saying. he rests his chin on your head and sighs.

“baby, i’m not mad. the only reason i wanted us to be a secret was for you.” you look up at him hesitantly, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. “so i didn’t destroy your whole career in two seconds?” “of course not. there have been way worse things i’ve had to deal with than publicly dating my really lovely, super awesome girlfriend. this won’t be easy, but i promise we’ll get through it together.”

you cheer up a bit hearing him repeat his words from earlier, nodding as you let yourself process everything.

“do you think anyone got me on video? or will they just post about what i said and everyone will believe them?” “i personally recorded the whole thing. not sure about the rest of the audience though,” tom proudly admits to you, making you groan into his chest. “great. that means we should probably say something before the twisted versions of the story come out,” you reason.

he considers it for a moment, and you can see when a lightbulb go off in his head. “what if i officially introduce you to some fans at my next round of photo ops? tell them about us, see how it goes. then we can decide what our next move is.”

it’s a huge relief that he’s taking this slow and giving you a say on how to go public. feeling brave, you peck his lips as a thank you. he’s surprised at first, but kisses back. he can finally see why those annoying pda couples exist. his arm takes its place around your shoulders again, yours going around his waist this time.

“let’s go share our not so secret relationship with the world.”

[mittensmorgul]

Today on the TNT loop, a wonderful direct callback to 15.09 and 15.10, via 4.15, 4.16 and 4.17...

I need to start out by reminding everyone that the entire purpose of s4 was to manipulate Sam and Dean into “playing their roles,” even before they knew their roles existed as roles. Cosmically fated to act out a specific story for the entertainment of a bored God. Remember, they’re about to learn of the existence of “Chuck the Prophet” who’s been writing their lives down, in explicit detail, and publishing them as a series of pulpy horror novels. Hooray, 4.18, up next for me.

But I really need to pause here, because the sort of manipulations that Sam and Dean suffered through in 15.10, while I’ve already pointed out a lot of other “silly” episodes they referenced:

https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/190430063655/mittensmorgul-episodes-i-expect-1510-to-remind

I’m gonna now add 4.17 to that list, too, because holy HECK.

Remember the setup to this episode? 4.15 and 4.16 both? Where Dean had been DIRECTLY MANIPULATED into stopping Alistair from breaking another seal-- to “kill death twice” by ritually murdering two reapers-- a hunt that Cas “tricked” Sam and Dean into taking on by literally making them think that Bobby had sent them on that hunt.

Then 4.16 used Uriel to manipulate both Dean AND Cas into believing they needed to torture information out of Alistair. The goal was to break both Dean AND Cas here, because Uriel knew all along that Alistair was literally just a distraction, a diversion from his own actions, recruiting angels for Team Lucifer and murdering those who refused to join him. But also breaking Dean’s will to just... do what he’s told. Because Dean himself was never destined to be anything more than a tool to Heaven, a vessel for Michael to wear to the apocalypse. Of course, Dean didn’t know any of that yet, and neither did Cas. He knew Dean was “important,” but truly didn’t know why. 

At the end of 4.16, lying in a hospital bed, Dean felt hopeless:

Castiel: It's not blame that falls on you, Dean, it's fate. The righteous man who begins it is the only one who can finish it. You have to stop it. Dean: Lucifer? The Apocalypse? What does that mean? Hey! Don't you go disappearing on me, you son of a bitch. What does that mean! Castiel: I don't know. Dean: Bull. Castiel: I don't. Dean, they don't tell me much. I know our fate rests with you. Dean: Well, then you guys are screwed. I can't do it, Cas. It's too big. Alastair was right. I'm not all here. I'm not—I'm not strong enough. Well, I guess I'm not the man either of our dads wanted me to be. Find someone else. It's not me.

Tell me this isn’t super similar to his state earlier in s15. Let’s say... at the beginning of 15.06, holed up in his room in his bathrobe, bingewatching tv shows and eating cereal directly from the box. By the end of the episode, he still wasn’t sure what was real and what was Chuck’s doing in his life, and he’s absolutely right to question that, given his lifetime of experience being manipulated in exactly this way by higher cosmic powers.

In 4.17, that higher cosmic power was Zachariah, literally giving Sam and Dean alternate memories and directly inserting them into entirely different lives to prove a point. In 4.17, the Winchesters had their lifetime of knowledge of the Supernatural excised from them-- and even all the practicalities of hunting like “how to buy guns,” and “how salt can repel ghosts,” and “how to fight.” Throughout the episode they were forced to re-learn all of these skills for themselves, ironically using Ghostfacers videos about ghost hunting that directly referenced information that the Ghostfacers had learned from “The Winchesters.” Very much like how the Winchesters were “depowered” in 15.10, and yet... they were saved because of their prior relationship WITH GARTH, in which they had not only saved Garth’s life a couple of times, but had also learned things and imparted knowledge and information TO GARTH in the past. 

I guess what I’m attempting to point out here is the direct parallel to Chuck’s active manipulation of Sam and Dean in 15.10. They may not have had their memories removed like Zachariah did to them, but they’ve been reset to a similar sort of “baseline” status where NOTHING they do actually works this time. It’s... it’s almost a perfect inverse of 4.17.

Literally the episode leading up to the first appearance of Chuck The Author in canon.

Tell me Dabb isn’t explicitly suggesting an inverse parallel here, framing everything as Dean’s CHOICE, when it’s been one grand manipulation to pressing him into making that choice through any means necessary-- up to and including direct deceit and false narrative:

Zachariah: Believe me, I had no interest in popping down here into one of these smelly things. But after the unfortunate situation with Uriel, I felt it necessary to pay a visit, get all my ducks in a row. Dean: I am not one of your ducks. Zachariah: Starting with your attitude. Dean: So, what? This was all some sort of a lesson? Is that what you're telling me? Wow. Very creative.

and

Zachariah: I know, I know. You're not strong enough. You're scared. You've got daddy issues. You can't do it, right? Dean: Angel or not, I will stab you in your face. Zachariah: All I'm saying is it's how you look at it. Most folks live and die without moving anything more than the dirt it takes to bury them. You get to change things. Save people, maybe even the world. All the while you drive a classic car and fornicate with women. This isn't a curse. It's a gift. So for God's sakes, Dean, quit whining about it. Look around. There are plenty of fates worse than yours. So are you with me? You wanna go steam yourself another latte? Or are you ready to stand up and be who you really are?

Zachariah KNEW the bigger plan all along. Here he showed Dean an “alternate life” that was entirely manufactured to be a “false choice.” Dean, because of who he is as a person, would never have chosen that corporate falsehood. Just like he rejected Zachariah’s intended lesson in 5.04. And Gabriel’s lesson in 5.08.

Dean... doesn’t want to play his role. His role sucks. It’s a river of crap that would send most people howling to the nuthouse, after all... oh... wait, that’s a direct quote from 5.09, aka another episode where Chuck is directly involved, and directly manipulates them into a hunt... Dean... is not a fan...

But... we also learn something that I still think is true, and that I still think is IMPORTANT to s15. And important to Chuck as a character on this show we’re watching. I really don’t think he’s omniscient. I don’t think he can actually see every possible outcome. I don’t think he can control everything. But I think, and will always think, that because of Free Will, his ability to truly influence the outcome of his story is hindered. Unless he can use everything he CAN manipulate to crush Sam and Dean’s free will... to force them into making choices directly against their own interest, because of their perceived situation, or in this new post 14.20 universe, Chuck’s perceived intent for them.

Sam and Dean (and Cas! remember this was also about his discovery of the “rot” in Heaven, and how he himself had been used and manipulated into helping start the apocalypse) spent s4 thinking they were doing the right thing, because they’d been lied to from the start. When they questioned their path, questioned each other, their actions were met with often comically implausible verging on outright ridiculous situations that nudged them back into this cosmically “destined” series of events.

And Chuck’s history of this is directed at Sam and Dean in different ways-- Sam through the psychological manipulation and emotional angst, and Dean through physically hindering him. Chuck needed to break Sam’s trust in Dean, and replace it with the false belief that he was actually doing the right thing back in s4:

SAM: Dean’s not... he's not Dean lately. Ever since he got out of hell. He needs help. CHUCK: So you got to carry the weight? SAM: Well, he's looked out for me my whole life. I can't return the favor? CHUCK: Yeah, sure you can. I mean, if that's what this is. SAM: What else would it be? CHUCK: I don't know. Maybe the demon blood makes you feel stronger? More in control? SAM: No. That's not true. CHUCK: I'm sorry, Sam. I know it's a terrible burden – feeling that it all rests on your shoulders. SAM: Does it? All rest on my shoulders? CHUCK: That seems to be where the story's headed. SAM: Am I strong enough to stop Lilith tonight? CHUCK: I don't know. I haven't seen that far yet.

Chuck needs to break Sam’s will in 15.09, but Dean? Dean he needed to break his car, break him physically, and break his belief in his own choices and actions. Break his belief in his own identity. Because Dean’s will is not so easily shattered. He’s still willing to punch God in the face, for all of this.

And that’s how we end up with 15.10...

bonus destiel content: Dean’s very first prayer to Cas, ever, is asking him for help to stop Chuck’s prophecy from coming true. Dean question’s Cas’s “mission,” i.e. the thing Dean is unaware Cas has been questioning himself all this time, in the face of Dean’s refusal to just sit around and wait for Chuck’s prophecies to happen to them. Cas supplies him with the bit of information Dean needs to interfere and break the prophecy. I’ve written about the importance of that act before:

https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/187983341865/i-always-thought-anna-said-only-an-angel-can-kill

(and it bothers the everloving fuck out of me that people still don’t see that Chuck is a flim-flam artist of the highest order, and is the most unreliable narrator in the history of unreliable narrators, because not only is he biased to his own view of the story, he has the power to make the story conform to his own views, even if he can’t fully control each of the characters like glorified puppets)

and then Lizbob has also written about this scene and its import:

https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/169437649690/elizabethrobertajones-dean-cas-are-in-love-a

which is incredible when paired with Dean’s most recent prayer to Cas in 15.09, not about a problem he needs help fixing, but directly about their relationship... to quote Layla from 1.12, speaking on the subject of prayer, there’s a miracle right there.

[atths--twice]

Wedding Countdown 

Chapter Five 

Saturday, Three Days to Go

Mulder feels the need to pick out a possible “first dance” song, much to Scully’s absolute horror.

11e/15

Mulder paced across the living room, waiting for Scully to come downstairs after putting Faith to bed. Pausing, he glanced up and listened, to see if he could hear her coming yet. Looking down at his phone, he saw the song he had queued up. He had heard it earlier and he knew how Scully was going to react when he played it now, but he was ready for that battle, he had his story all prepared.

Hearing her footfall on the steps, he put his phone in his back pocket, turned around and grinned at her. Regardless of the questioning look she gave him, he put his hand out to her, her frown making him smile even more. Always skeptical, that was his Scully.

“What are you up to, Mulder?” she asked.

“Dance with me,” he said, smiling as he gestured with his hand for her to come closer.

“Mulder …”

“Humor me, Scully,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her close.

“There’s no music,” she teased, looking up at him and raising her eyebrows, causing him to laugh.

“This is true,” he said, dancing slowly in place. “I was thinking as you were upstairs, that we don’t have a song to dance to at the wedding. You know, our first dance and all.” She pulled back again and shook her head, opening her mouth to say something. “Relax, Scully. I’m joking. I don’t even know if we’ll have dancing, Tampa is in charge of all of that. But, I did hear a song today and if you’ll humor me …” He took out his phone, pushed play, and she groaned.

“My Heart Will Go On, Mulder? You know how I feel about this movie,” she said in a warning tone, as he put his phone back in his pocket, and they began to dance around.

“Ah yes, Scully. I believe the words ‘just sink already’ were yelled at the screen. But I chalked it up to you being irritated by the ‘non-case case’ you worked on while in Maine. You know, on your weekend away. With Jack.” He twirled her around and pulled her back, spying the grin she was trying to hide. “You know it’s a good thing the theater was basically only us, because I think people would have taken offense to you yelling that, taking into account the history of the ship and all-”

“Mulder, shut up. Why in the world this song?” she asked, as she rested her head on his chest.

“Well, I was listening to it recently... by chance,” he stated, as she pulled back to look at him. She nodded, unconvinced, and put her head back on his chest. “It’s true, it played on that station you like, and I swear to God … ever since you were pregnant and then even more so after Faith was born, I feel so emotional about things. I don’t know if you’ve noticed.” He waited and was not disappointed when she scoffed out a laugh. He smacked her ass and she yelped, digging her nails into his waist.

“The way back past, Scully, the circumstances out of our control … I never, I never thought I would be a father and not just one … in theory, so to speak,” he whispered into her hair. “We puttered around here, you and I, and we were happy, but the sadness … it was palpable at times and though we never said it, this home lacked something. William … he left us both with an emptiness that became bigger as we tried to make it smaller. Thinking of him growing up here, having a catch outside, camping out in tents, building rockets … it was a dream and something I didn’t share with you. I see now how stupid that was, I do.” He could feel her taking deep breaths and heard her sniffling, but he continued on, holding her close to him, dancing slowly, the song set on repeat.

“It’s not a … a replacement with Faith. I don’t want you to ever think that …”

“I don’t, Mulder. I understand what you’re saying. I … have those moments too. Looking at her, seeing her milestones being met and knowing how much we missed. Her calling me Mama, Mulder, I will not take that for granted even once. She can say it with love, anger, or annoyance, and I will love it every time. I wasn’t a mother to William, not the way I am to her. He is my son, our son, but … I understand.” They were quiet as they stopped dancing and simply held one another, the words of the song finding new meaning for them in the moment shared.

Every night in my dreams

I see you, I feel you

That is how I know you go on

Far across the distance

And spaces between us

You have come to show you go on

“He’s with us, Scully. He always will be, and one day we’ll see him again,” he whispered, and she nodded as they began to dance again. “I honestly didn’t mean to traipse down this path, but we obviously needed to discuss it. Again.” She laughed softly and nodded her head again. He sighed and was quiet, following the trail back to where he had planned to go.

“When I heard this earlier, I was remembering watching this movie after you came back from Maine. God, I had missed you so much, it was embarrassing,” he laughed and she chuckled.

“Pencils falling from the ceiling embarrassing?” she teased and he laughed.

“Exactly. So, I had suggested we cut out early, hit that head shop for you to buy a poster, for some other man I might add -”

“Of which I never sent it, if you remember correctly.”

“A moot point, at this juncture,” he replied, and she laughed again. “Anyway, I suggested we go see what all the fuss was about with this movie and you rolled your eyes, but agreed. Like I said, there were only a couple other people in the theater and I was glad of it when you yelled for it to sink.”

“Ha! That was hilarious, because I remember the other two people in there said Amen! and I didn’t feel like such an asshole. But Mulder, I just … I didn’t feel it and so, I wanted to get to the, for lack of a better word, the action part of the movie.”

“Mmm-hmmm,” he said, and she laughed again.

“Then, God, this song was everywhere. And then oh, do you remember how it had dialogue from the movie added to the song? Mulder …” She pulled back and looked at him with wide eyes. “It felt never ending at times.” He stared at her and shook his head.

“You did start an “I love Cal Hockley” fan club, didn’t you? You went into online chat rooms and discussed how he was the real victim, didn’t you?” he deadpanned, causing her to throw her head back and laugh. When she had finished, she looked into his eyes and smiled, her eyes twinkling.

“Yes, Scully, I remember your disdain for the movie, but if you would shut up, remove the preconceived thoughts from your head, and listen to the words of the song, you’ll see why I was affected by it. So I’m going to start it over, and you’re going to be quiet, you got it?”

“Or what, you’ll smack my ass again?”

“I will, but let’s save that dirty talk for later.” She laughed as he queued up the song again. “Now just shut up.” She raised her eyebrows at him, and then put her arms around him, and her head on his chest, as they began to dance slowly.

Every night in my dreams

I see you, I feel you

That is how I know you go on

Far across the distance

And spaces between us

You have come to show you go on

Near, far, wherever you are

I believe that the heart does go on

Once more you open the door

And you're here in my heart

And my heart will go on and on

“That, Scully, that right there,” he whispered.

Love can touch us one time

And last for a lifetime

And never let go till we're gone

Love was when I loved you

One true time I hold to

In my life we'll always go on

Near, far, wherever you are

I believe that the heart does go on

Once more you open the door

And you're here in my heart

And my heart will go on and on

“So much has happened, Scully, and yet here we are, together, dancing in our living room while our little girl sleeps upstairs,” he whispered into her hair.

You're here, there's nothing I fear

And I know that my heart will go on

We'll stay forever this way

You are safe in my heart and

My heart will go on and on

“I know it’s super cheesy, I know you’ll roll your eyes, but it’s true, there is nothing I fear, not when you’re here. We can face anything, we will face anything as we’re meant to, together,” he said, his chin resting on her head, as this time the music stopped and did not repeat.

“So cheesy,” she breathed and he smacked her ass again, causing her to laugh softly, and then sigh. “Mulder, you have always been a cheesy kind of guy. Your puns, whether I laughed or not, it’s part of your charm and makes you who you are. It’s one of the things I love most about you. You take things seriously, to a point, and then you bring the comic relief. Sometimes it lands and sometimes I don’t want to encourage you, so I hold the laughter inside. But..." She looked up at him and smiled. “I love your cheesiness, because I love you.” He bent his head and kissed her, before pulling her close again.

“I’m happy to hear that, Scully,” he said and she hummed. “It’s nice to know that you appreciate my silly humor.”

“To a point, Mulder,” she warned.

“Like the point of an iceberg?” he asked excitedly. “Because I think we could even get through that, Scully. Our ship wouldn’t sink and there wouldn’t be any casualties.”

“Okay, see now,” she said, pulling away and stepping back, her hands up in surrender. “That’s too far, even for you, Cheeseball.”

“What? I’m saying we’re unsinkable,” he said, with a huge smile. “Our love has anchored us and kept us from drifting off into the horizon. No more rough seas, only smooth sailing, as far as the eye can see. Scully? Where are you going?”

She did not answer, but continued across the room, a slight gagging sound heard as she began to walk up the stairs. He laughed and walked around the room, turning off the lights and locking the doors. Taking the steps two at a time, he arrived quickly at their bedroom door. Standing in the doorway, he grinned at her.

“Permission to come aboard?” he asked, and she threw a pillow at him, hitting him in the face. He laughed and stepped past it into the room, closing the door behind him. “Now about that dirty talk …” He pulled her close and she raked her nails up his chest.

“You got the green light, sailor. Full steam ahead,” she teased with a purr, and he groaned, gripping her hips tightly.

“God, I love you.”

“I know. And, Mulder, you definitely have permission to come aboard.”

“Oh, Scully …”

___________________________________________________

Song credit - My Heart Will Go On written by James Horner / Will Jennings. Sung by Celine Dion.

*Full disclosure, I was the one who totally thought, “just sink already” as I watched Titanic. I just ... it didn’t do it for me. It’s all visually stunning, but 🤷🏻. At least I didn't yell it at the screen like Scully did, so there is that at least.

Although Titanic was not my absolute favorite movie, I do love the song and I DID like when the dialogue from the movie was added to it years ago.*

[brothermouzongaming]

E3 2019 overview

I wanted to take the time to look at and talk about some of the games we’re more than likely seeing at the conference. E3 is...dying and it’s misleading trailers don’t help, but despite this, the show is still important and at least gives us a little insight into what may come in games/tech. So let’s cross our fingers and dive in. I’ll be focussing more on main titles and not DLC and updates. Available footage will be linked in the corresponding title.

Avengers project (Crystal Dynamics/ Square Enix)

It feels like ages since the teaser for the Avengers project dropped. Since then I have been trying to keep my hopes high, I even thought it was canceled for a time when we heard literally nothing since that trailer. I know nothing about this game, but I just hope Crystal Dynamics and Square are treating something this big with the care it needs. The last thing Marvel, more importantly Disney, want is another Battlefront 2 situation on their hands. If Square can incorporate their over the top combat style to the Marvel universe, it could be amazing, incredible, invinci- okay I’ll stop.

Borderlands 3

Getting back into Borderlands just before the big press release was very serendipitous. Something about this made me even more excited for some of the additions coming like loot instancing, slide/mantle (finally), secondary fire weapons, more diverse and varied play spaces, and a lot more. So many of BL2 and the Pre-Sequel’s flaws are glaring with me having played them recently and to see the long-awaited title addressing these exact issues so comforting when I get to thinking about this next adventure into the wastes. It isn’t some massive leap forward or anything, it’s more Borderlands and there’s nothing wrong with that to me. Finally, an online optional looter shooter that isn’t some strange mmo lite, long live the king. Randy Pitchford is a weirdo but I’m not gonna hold that against the devs lol.

Cyberpunk 2077

This is more than likely going to be my game of the show. E3 is typically full of surprises and anything can happen but in all honesty, I just can’t see much coming close especially since we aren’t seeing Death Stranding (thattrailertho). I was literally giddy when they released the gameplay trailer that they showed press and influencers and the FPS RPG looked very good but not unrealistic. Recently it’s come out that the game is “pretty different” from that showcase and that statement interests me as much as it gives me pause. Regardless, we are going to be seeing more of this game with CDPR claiming they’ll have an even bigger presence than last year. I just hope that we get solid gameplay footage and not buzzwords and theatrical trailers.

CoD 2019

Black Ops 4 came out guns drawn and it really impressed at first. Since that time Activision has found a way to completely reverse the conversation around BO4 and where the franchise is headed/ is as a whole. Activision needs a win, and with this being their main and essentially only franchise it has to be big. The rumor is that it’s Modern Warfare 4 which would be a “soft reboot” if that is the case. If not this year then next, I’m surprised it’s even taken them this long so hopefully all this time will lead to something good. Honestly, I’m shocked we’re still getting annual releases of this game. I don’t forsee CoD lasting much longer and this tug at our nostalgia may be a sign of that. 

Destroy All Humans (THQ Nordic)

I spent so many hours with my friend Walter terrorizing the meat bags between the tools the game devs gave us and some gamer creativity that was a relatively new aspect of gaming compared to nowadays where player creativity is often an aspect of gameplay. THQ has reported something insane like 50+ games in development which...sounds like a stupid choice but if this is one of them it’s definitely going to get people’s heads turning. Can you imagine what they’ll be able to do with today’s tech? They don’t have to go crazy but then again for the sake of a concise vision but...maybe they should?

Dino Crisis (Capcom)

Let’s talk more about old ass games I’m completely shocked could be coming back. So in light of Capcom bringing back past titles and breathing new life into them, it is reported that Capcom is looking to bring back...Dino Crisis? I swear to god if they make Dino Crisis before Viewtiful Joe and Onimusha? POWER STONE ANYONE?? I’m more than willing to suspend my meh-ness because Capcom has proved that not only can they bring back an old game we love, but they can do it damn well. If this is true, then maybe there is hope for some of my favorite Capcom titles from the past but mother of god why Dino Crisis?

Doom Eternal

Doom 2016 was one of the best first-person shooters I’ve ever played. “Smooth as butter” isn’t something I would use to describe most games but god damn if that game wasn’t lubed up before they packaged it because it’s damn slick. So imagine the stiffy I got when that gameplay was dropped and mobility was increased. Can we talk about the grappling hook shotgun? The new demons and takedowns to dispatch said demons? God knows what else is under the hood for us to find out when it releases let alone when they talk about it during the conference. A more open level design in tandem with the conventional “kill room” here and there is gonna really spice up the combat especially if exploration is properly rewarded. Rage 2 was a disappointment but I do have hope this is gonna live up to the hype the way it did the first time.

Gears of War 5

Lawd Microsoft needs a win. This is quite clearly their attempt at a blockbuster event like God of War was for Sony. Everything about the trailer screams “Oscar bait but for games” and I hope they do the damn thing. Make me sad I don’t have an Xbox dammit! This could be a big step for Gears and could even lead it down a more character focussed design. The world of Gears of War is rich for a deeper explanation, and I know that isn’t what Gears is known for but I won’t be told that they can’t do both. It appears to be heavily cinematic though gameplay can be seen in the trailer above. It seems interesting and I hope they really make something worth owning an Xbox for. The fans deserve it.

Halo: Infinite

Did I say Microsoft needs a win from the software perspective? Cause they do. The Xbox One is fine, the One X is a huge step up and is the most powerful console but there are next to no exclusives for this console. Ya know, the reason why you buy a certain console outside of interface and services. What better way than to bring back the most successful franchise Microsoft has associated with. There’s talk of it having an open world which is jarring initially especially when the history of Halo is rich with environments that tell stories alongside the mid-range combat. If they can properly expand that baseline to fit an open world format, it’ll be amazing. Whether or not they can is the question.

Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

Warner Brothers does a great job of shooting themselves square in the foot. They just put on the finest shoes money can buy and BAM queue the red kool-aid fountain. Shadow of War is the pinnacle of such stupidity with the way the monetization completely bankrupted the integrity of the game. The brief footage that was up involved a third-person real-time action reminiscent of the original games. Warner Bros. jumped on the trailer takedown but it’s safe to say the cat is out of the bag and casting spells in the kitchen. This could be a unique adventure involving a custom character, it could involve something more directly related to the books. Anything is possible but if we heard about it this year it wouldn’t entirely surprise me.

My Friend Pedro

A twin stick shooter of a different kind. Imagine stranglehold but cartoony, John Wick but even more comic book like. It looks like the entire game is going to be centered around ballerina jumping through levels and enemies leaving every enemy in your wake riddled with bullets. It seems light, fun, and self-aware in it’s silliness which can lead to the most fun type of games.

Session

Oh boy, SKATE was my jam back in high school and if you’re anything like me you’ve been waiting for the next game/ literally anything like it to come along. Session appears to be that game, we weren’t told a lot when it was revealed so I’m hoping that E3 will lead to some more information on gameplay and ya know, a release date. 

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

Anthem is in shambles and in my opinion, it’s this year’s No Man’s Sky. Between the games they put out, and the Star Wars games they put out (or don’t put out depending on your perspective); this does not bode well at all. Respawn is working on the project and their track record is very good, but I can’t help but worry about what EA is planning. They always find a way to put their hand directly into a project and do exactly what needs to be done to ruin it. Sometimes that’s on the front end in development and planning or lack thereof, and sometimes it’s on the back end with moving devs to other projects/ not hold their devs to the post-launch promises they tend to make and not fulfill. This story of a padawan in hiding after Order 66 is ripe for gameplay development and storytelling. So long as Respawn has the vision and can execute, all we need is for EA to stay the fuck away and let them work. We’ll see.

honorable mentions: Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Vampire Bloodlines 2, From Soft and George R. R. Martin collab, Fable remake, Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad, Wolfenstein Young Blood, Afterparty, Beyond Good and Evil 2, Bleeding Edge (Ninja Theory’s new game), Last of Us 3 (v hype just not a lot of info)

[girl4music]

There’s a bad Horror movie called “Heroes & Villains” in production in America. It’s so bad, it should be shut down.

“You see everything when the world doesn't see you.” - Liz Taylor, American Horror Story: Hotel.

When making a movie most people think the actor or even the director has the most power in what happens with that movie, who gets cast in it, and what the whole scenario for it is going to look like. The power behind the movie is actually the producer. So tell me, America, who is producing your movie? Who is putting the creation (the idea) into manifestation (the reality)? The answer to this question stares at you right in the face when you wake up in the morning, and go to brush your teeth. It’s you. 

The producer has no idea he/she is producing anything when they are also an actor in it, and they get so invested in playing their character. So, think about this. In your movie you've got the “image of corruption”, and then the actual corruption itself. What is stronger? What is more powerful? You're your own worst enemy, America, and you don't even know it. You don’t see that you’re the producer of this bad Horror movie. You don’t even see that you’re an actor in it. You only believe you’re a character. I’ll come back to this perspective in a bit. I need to explain something first.

The solution to corruption:  The man in the snazzy suit with the megaphone shouting orders and hateful, angry rhetoric at you, to get you riled up, is fragile. He will fall when you stop giving him a platform to stand on.  It takes one person on both sides of the argument to walk away from it to dissolve it because then it's no longer an argument. It's an agreement. Then you can go after whoever it is you think started that argument in the first place. The power of the people are stronger than the people in power.

There are deep opposite matters of opinion between you. But there is one thing in common no matter how much you may fight. What do you think that one thing is? Work it out and work together because in the end, the winners of the war are both their greatest enemy and their greatest saviour. They're one in the same. They're always one in the same. It just takes one brave person from both sides of the divide to change their mindset and say "ENOUGH" for there to be a conquer. It's called ‘Divide and Conquer’, but it's the divided that conquers when they see behind the curtain of corruption. That being said, you may hate to hear it but Donald Trump isn't your biggest problem. You are. You all are as the divided. The division is a distraction. The one thing you have in common is that you are distracted. You think the enemy is each other, but you're both the enemy together. Donald Trump isn't even relevant other than to keep the show entertaining...  Divided, you won't see that. Together, you will. See behind the curtain of the show before it closes on you. Don't take my word for it. Read ‘the Art of War’. Read the winning strategy of war throughout the ages that still works today. In the end, love and war, are one in the same.

It's perception that matters when watching a movie. It's the perception that can change the whole movie from a drama into a comedy. You stand on the sidelines and watch and you get a movie, not a reality. ‘Cause the producer makes the movie, the producer has the power to start it and shut it down whenever they want. You are the producer of this movie that you so fully believe is real. It's not real. It looks real. It feels real. But when you're only the observer... you see that it's just an illusion projected in front of you. When you’re watching a bad Horror movie... You know the character shouldn't walk towards the danger, and you scream at the screen because they do. Now, as real and as awful as it might be, take a second just to stand and watch your life as you experience it, as if it was just a movie.... and you'll know how it ends. It's easier said than done, I know that, and you can get at me all you like for saying this about what’s happening in America right now. I won't blame you because you believe it's that real that you need to tell me off for saying it isn't. But please hear me out when I say, that your solution to all of this corruption, isn't to keep fighting against Donald Trump. It never was. It's to find a common ground between each other, come to an agreement that the corruption is much worse for the both of you than it is to be fighting against each other because of it... and then you can go after the one who you think started all of this chaos in the first place TOGETHER. You have to... for just a moment, pretend as if it's not real and then you'll know what you need to do. Being the observer is incredibly important. Just paying attention to the chaos, without being the partaker in it, is the way to peace. That's one of the lessons in ‘the Art of War’. In this movie, you're focusing on the wrong characters, the wrong environments, the wrong plans, and the wrong problems. You're not focusing on the one who is making the movie itself. The producer. That's you. That’s all of you. 

I don't care whether you're on the Conservative side or the Liberal side. Nor the Republican side or the Democrat side. You're all the producer of this movie, if you would take a second to actually watch it, instead of portray the characters of the heroes and villains in it. You have to stand at the sidelines and watch what’s happening, as if it was a movie, to know how to end it. Seems nonsensical. Seems contradictory. Seems completely idiotic. I know that it does. But that's what you've got to do if you want to end that movie. Once you see the way you act in that movie, you will be appalled because it's such a bad portrayal of that character... You’ll go to the producer and say "Well, if the acting is awful, what's the point in keeping the movie going?" You'll want to shut the production down altogether. It seems like a silly, childlike, fantastical and probably completely insulting way of looking at the reality of what is happening in your country. I understand that, and you can call me out if you want, but eventually you'll come to see the wisdom in what I am saying. 

Everything in my life I see as a movie, whether I'm at war in my life, or not. ‘Cause I observe this movie rather than just partake in it, I know exactly how to navigate in it because I know I am the producer of it, and not just an actor playing the lead character in it. That's what you’ve got to do. If you pretend your life is a movie of which you play the lead character in. I guarantee you, you'll know all the right lines to say and all the right moves to make in it. This is why I posted that quote by the character Liz Taylor in American Horror Story: Hotel. “You see everything when the world doesn't see you.” The way I interpret it is... the moment you disappear from where everybody can see you and just observe the scene going on.... you know exactly what's going on, you know how you feel about it, you know what you must do to stop it. Something as awful as what's happening in America right now needs to be immediately shut down. It's a bad Horror movie that will never end until the producer/s come out and say "I'm not doing this anymore. It's not worth it.” The enemy in this movie isn't Donald Trump. He is the idiotic pauper or comic relief that makes it entertaining to watch because it's so bad. The characters in the movie that play the heroes and villains that think each other are either heroes or villains, are also actors and producers of this movie.

It might be ridiculous and childish to look at the situation like this. It might be extremely disrespectful and insulting to see these awful events as a bad Horror movie, but that just shows you how invested you are in the script when you play your character so awfully. The rest of the world is watching you and saying collectively... "This is why you never watch free cable". As awful as it may come across to you, as invested into the reality of this bad Horror movie as you are, you know I'm speaking wisdom because it bothers you that much to want to tell me off for it.  We produce and act in a movie of the heroes and villains all the time, that we might as well name the movie as the ‘Heroes & Villains’. No one is a hero or a villain in our movie... we're just playing different characters, and we’re all the producer of our movie. We had the power to start it, and we also have the power to completely shut it down if it really is that bad. Right now, it's such a bad Horror movie, even the audience wants to walk away from it. The only thing they keep coming back to it for, is for the comic relief. He keeps it entertaining. So, as ridiculous and disrespectful as it is to compare what's happening in America right now to a bad Horror movie... can you see the wisdom in what I'm saying at all? If you can, you've awakened. You at least know you're an actor playing the role of a character, if not the producer of the movie itself. That’s at least one step up to shutting it down.

America, do yourselves a favour and shut down that bad Horror movie because the world doesn't like watching it, and we’re not anticipating act 3, scene 1.  When you come to see that the producer of this movie is actually EVERYONE, and not just one person because they all need to be in agreement with the decision... That's when something is finally done about all the corruption and chaos and a solution is found or created. All the characters disappear then. The heroes and villains... and the comic relief, who for all purposes, keeps the audience watching while the movie is showing because everyone loves to watch an idiot be an idiot, even if he is still perceived to be the greatest enemy at the same time. He isn’t. You are. Yet, you are also your greatest saviour. Remember your motto...

“Together we stand, divided we fall.” 

You are stronger and smarter than Donald Trump!

[jceydrew]

ice cream.

so i told @aceofintuition i’d write them a little drabble about their version of joey (who we all like to call ‘snowy’ in our little group chat) spending time with his daughter. i figured i should post this somewhere.

warnings? it’s sugary sweet and i didn’t proof read it. typo’s and errors beware!

Sundays had always left the Drew household a little more occuppied, a little more lively; and yet at the same time, a little more cozy. Where Joey had often found himself in the studio during the week and, if his sacrifices had called for it, late into the evening, Sunday had been a roadblock to all every gripe and headache that had been work. It had been one of the days that he could not only spend relaxing, but within the company of his family. No longer in the presence of uptight workers who he often found himself frustrated with, but with those who had cherished that had broken down that business demeanor that he usually upheld, that cracked away at a man who had been more soft than one would figure.

Particularly, Joey found the Sundays where he spent time with his daughter to be his favorite. The atmosphere had changed since her dreadful diagnosis, one that had plagued him with levels of sorrow and an inexplicable force in his veins to reverse that, to free her of the pain. But around the household, he and his wife had, and would do, absolutely anything to make sure she had everything she had ever needed and wanted. Her smile had been worth every penny in the entire world, and every drop of blood and life that he could offer. Even with their efforts in mind, she had always been a wonderstruck girl, not unlike her father; Even when her health had been rapidly declining, she had faced the odds with an optimism only his own blood could have. It had made the pain and stress far, far easier on them.

His footsteps had been light as he carried himself to her bedroom door. Knuckles rapped against the door, his other hand holding onto the knob, awaiting approval. A familiar voice had squeaked out a, 'Come in', and that had been his green light. Slowly, he pushed the door open to not disturb her too much, half of his torso and head peeking through the space made. No matter how many times she had seen him, she would always light up like a firework at the sight of him, the book in her hands--Something he and his wife had supplied for her when they had been busy, so she could get lost in her own little world of whimsy and imagination--Long forgotten in favor of his presence.

"Papa!"

"There's my little star. Didn't interrupt too much of your reading now, did I?"

Her hair follows as she shakes her head in a sound no, her hands outstretching as a silent plea for him to come closer. Obligation is hardly the word, the sheer act of spending time with her more so a pleasure: What sort of father would he be, after all, if he didn't enjoy spending time with his family? Slipping fully into her room, the door shuts behind him soundly, soon walking over to the edge of the bed.

"Well, that's mighty swell. I'd hate to interrupt story time -- What's new in that book of yours?"

Blue eyes blink as she grabs at her book and thrusts it towards him, excitement radiating off of her like a buzz.

"This one's a book you'd like very much papa! It's about a--a engine! He's real sad lots," She pauses, a little thoughtful. In a single second, she seems to have hopped back onto the next train that was giddiness, "He thinks he can't do nothin'--And all those other trains are mean to him. But he shows them, papa, he really shows them!"

"Is that so? Well, I'd sure love to meet that little train. I think me and him would get on just dandy."

She nods again, opening to a random page and pointing to the colorful train character. Joey squints as he examines the little engine, the shot of him finally making it over the hill; It was a sign of hope. He considers it good that she had decided to read that one.

"Do you think--D'you think he can be in an episode with Mister Bendy?"

"Well, sure he can! You know, Bendy's real fond of trains."

Those words are enough to make her over the moon, reaching over just enough to hug his arm.

"Yay! Mister Bendy's gonna meet the little engine that could, he's--" She pauses again, lips pursed curiously as her eyes peek up at him, quizzical. "Don't you gots work to do, papa? Mama says you're always so busy."

Joey's tongue clicks, his hand carding through and ruffling her hair. "Oh, don't listen to her. I can always make time for you."

That seems to satisfy her enough, the smile once again present, but her eyes not leaving him. "Are you gonna read a story with me?"

"As much as I love tellin' stories, I've got something better planned for us today!"

A tilt of her head. "What's that?"

"Why, we're going on an adventure!"

The look that had reflected in his daughter's eyes had said it all; The way that they had squinted in skepitcism, in disbelief had left his heart wince with a sting, but it had been fresh coal to the burning fire that was his relentless ambition to give her a life nothing short of golden.

"Papa, you're silly," She giggled at that, and Joey knew that her laugh was worth all the years off his life that he could give. "Mister Doctor man says I can't go on adventures no more." No matter how depressing the thought had been, one that could break down even the strongest of people like dust, she had said it all so cheerfully, so full of life and spirit. It was something he knew that he could admire in her; Something that had reminded him of himself, at one time, that he was thankful to see it on her than himself. She had needed it more than he did.

Still, he plays along. With a shake of his head, his lip curls into a scowl and his eyes narrow rather comically; A caricature of one of his employees would witness.

"Now that's no way to talk, little lady." Up into his arms he scoops her from the lonely, depressing shell of her bed, tucked against his chest as a form of safety. "Doctors are awfully smart fella's, I'll give them that much. But you can let ol' white coat ruin your sense of adventure! What is it I always say?" There's a hum in thought; False, but his eyes roll to the ceiling in faux thought, a finger raising to tap his chin. "Gee, I just can't seem to recall. Think you can refresh my memory for me?"

There's another melody of a laugh at that, and he knows he's done well. Where skepticism once sat in her blue eyes had been replaced with stars. "With enough belief," She starts carefully, as if reciting something so terribly delicate and dear to the heart, "Anything is possible--There's no such thing as im...impa..." The one cheerful grin warps into concentration, struggling with the word. This time it's his turn to  laugh; light and warm as a finger taps her nose, not condescending but endeared by the display.

"Im-poss-i-ble." Each syllable is pronounced slowly for her to gauge and understand, soon met with an eager nod from her in response.

"Yeah, that!"

"You'll get it next time, sweetheart. Remember; Practice makes perfect!"

There's a silent confirmation between them as he carries her over to her wheelchair. She may have the spirit of a lion, but he can't help but see her as so fragile; That if he isn't careful with her, she much break in his hands like glass. It shows in the way he slowly settles her in her wheelchair; A sight, when empty, only makes him clench his fists and brainstorm on how he can give the Gods more to grant him with what he had truly desired, on what he can do to get her walking again. Someone so young, so nimble, so full of life and stars and sunshine had deserved to walk and run just like all the other children. Why she had been the one of the unlucky ones to be so cursed with such a damned disease had been beyond him, but it had been tragedies like that that had left him questioning the world.

Whatever trance of his own thoughts he'd been momentarily lost in, however, she breaks him out of with a soft question: "Papa? Where are we goin'?" Snapping to life, his hands take hold out of her wheelchair's bars, pushing her out of the room, as careful as he had put her in it. The smile is evident in his voice, even if she can't see it with him behind her.

"We're going to the park. Now, I told your mother we were just going for a li'l air, but," He leans enough for her to see him as she cranes her neck up at him, and he greets her with a finger to his lips and a wink, "Don't tell her I'm gettin' you ice cream. She's gonna have my head on a plate for that."

A light twinkles in her eyes as she gasps, tiny hands covering her even tinier mouth. He knows that that's a light that deserves to shine. "I won't tell her, papa, I promise!" Her voice is meek and small like a mouse, a whisper that's interrupted by childlike giggles.

His grin widens at that, a state of happiness settling through his bones, of affection only a father can hold for his own child. "That's my girl."

--

Joey couldn't say that his memory held the exact date of when he had last gotten her ice cream. Taking her out and about on Sundays had never been against the norm; He and his wife had done the best they could to make sure that she hadn't stayed cooped up inside all day. Hell only knew what it would mean for her happiness to be left in a dreary room and no way to get around that had been free of struggle. So they had taken her anywhere her heart had desired; To the park, to the beach, once even, by her persistance and a firm sweep of his employees to make sure nothing had gone wrong, to a small lot of the studio to show her 'Daddy's workplace.' They had all been fond memories, but there had always been something special about having ice cream and watching the clouds in the park.

The weather seems to be perfect for the outing; Not too hot and not too warm. Clouds speckle the sky, fluffy and a bright white against the clear blue sky, and many families had been out on such a day. There came a certain delight with her pointing out strangers and making commentary, asking him questions about nature, or when she saw a dog playing fetch and how she so badly wanted a puppy for Christmas. The fresh air had done her good--And with his shortening age, Joey supposed his own had benefited from it, too. His eyes scanned around before stumbling upon a lone ice cream stand; The line slowing to an empty queue. Wheeling her towards it, they waited patiently behind the following patron, who had waited for their scoop. Once given, Joey approached.

"What can I get for you folks?" His voice held a twang native to Brooklyn, the positive expression on his face genuine rather than the forced smiles some workers seemed to have.

"Two, please. One mint chocolate chip and--" His head turned down to his daughter, who had been staring at the menu as if it was the hardest decision known to man. "What would you like, sweetheart?"

"Strawberry!"

"And one strawberry." Joey punctuated it with a snicker, raising his head back upright.

"You got it, pal." The owner turned his back to them, busying himself with getting the waffle cones and their share of scoops.

Reaching his back into his slack's pocket, he pulled his wallet out, flicking it open only to be disrupted by the sound of a blown raspberry. Furrowing his brows, his head again turned downward to meet his daughter, who this time had her arms crossed and her face scrunched up in that of disgust. It was obvious what had come over her, such were the way of children, but Joey couldn't help but ask.

"What's the matter?"

"Mint is yucky, papa!" Her tongue stuck out with an exaggerated 'blech' sound. "Tastes like toofpaste!"

"Oh, cut your old man a li'l slack. See, when you grow up into an adult, you don't get to enjoy normal, fun flavors anymore!"

At that, her expression fell, caught up in the lie. "Huh? Why's that?"

"It's a sad story. Real sad. I don't think you'll be able to bear it."

A whine came from her throat, insistent.

"Alright, alright. Y'see, when you grow up into one of those--Adolescents, you start to lose your right to have fun like all the old tykes and tots. You can't enjoy this or that anymore--There's this big council of fun--We call 'em uh, well, the Bee Oh Cee Eff--That tells you what you can and can't like. And the most heartbreakin' thing they tell you is that us adults only get two ice cream options: Raisin and mint! Scary, in'nit?"

She nodded with a pout. "I don't wanna be an adult!"

"Well, everybody's got to be one. That's why you gotta make a promise -- You gotta stay young at heart, no matter how old you get. Even when you're ninety-two. 'Cause that's the best thing you could ever be."

A nod came from her, followed by a little salute.

The ice cream owner seemed to laugh at that, boisterous and the sort of laugh that had been booming, enough to snap Joey's attention back to him.

"Mint for the fella and a special double scoop for the li'l lady."

Fingers pulled across the bills in his wallet. "How much do I owe you?"

"Naaah-ah-ah, no way, pally. Dis one's free a'charge, a'ight?" There was an unquestioning look in the owner's eyes when they had met Joey's; A look of sympathy. Of silent, agonizing apology for his situation. It had been pity in it's rawest form, of a stranger trying to make life even a touch easier for a girl so troubled. It was people like that that had made the world a better place, hadn't it?

"Well, thank you very much." First he took her cone, then his own. "What do we say to the nice man?"

"Thank you, mister!" Her hands waved to him, before reaching out for her ice cream. Joey obliged, handing her both his--One she pouted at--And her own, something she hadn't minded. His hands would be occupied with pushing her around until he could find some place to settle, a routine they had gone through before.

It hadn't taken him long to find a bench underneath the shade of an old oak tree: One barren and free of too much activity from other visitors. It had been the perfect place for a rest stop, her chair left right besides him as he sat on the bench with his own ice cream. The two sat in a comfortable, understanding silence; Conversation hadn't always been needed. There was a certain harmony, a certain easiness, in just sitting down and enjoying the presence of family. Gaze lost on the lazily drifting clouds, a much tinier hand overlapped his large one that had rested on the flat surface of the bench, pulling his attention away. Glancing over, he blinked in question; She hadn't looked upset by any means, enjoying her ice cream, although a little sloppily. He'd clean her face off in a minute.

"Papa?" She started, voice quiet.

"What is it?"

"Next time, can I get three scoops?"

The sudden question, asked so privately as if she would get in trouble for it, brought out a laugh from him. It was moments like these that made everything worth it.

"Sure, sweetheart. Whatever your dream is, it's my job to make it come true."

[wbwest]

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New Post has been published on http://www.williambrucewest.com/2017/04/21/west-week-ever-pop-culture-review-42117/

West Week Ever: Pop Culture In Review - 4/21/17

Star Wars Celebration (I can’t say that without thinking of Dave Chappelle’s Rick James yelling “It’s a celebration, bitches!”) happened in Florida last weekend, and we got our first teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Folks seemed to like it alright. I’ve never claimed to be the biggest Star Wars fan, but nothing about this really gave me a Force Boner or anything. That’s probably because Rogue One left such a bad taste in my mouth. Anyway, I’m sure I’ll see it, but it’s not really on my radar.

In other movie “news”, we got the track listing for Awesome Mix Vol 2 from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2., which comes out today. Is it just me, or is it weird that Mama Quill gave Peter mixtapes of all the songs that played while she was banging dudes in Camaros? Come on – she was totally that chick! Anyway, there are no real surprises here, as it seems to be in-line thematically with the first volume. Personally, I’m ecstatic that “Come A Little Bit Closer” will be introduced to a new generation, as I’m a huge fan of Jay and the Americans (check out “Cara Mia” if you’ve never heard it).

This rumor came out a few weeks ago, but it kinda floated under my radar: apparently Warner Bros wants to release 4 Batman-centered films in 2019 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Detective Comics. This slate would include Nightwing, Gotham City Sirens, the Joss Whedon Batgirl, and the oft-delayed The Batman. Nice idea, but there’s no way this happens. DC just doesn’t have its shit together enough to pull this off. Marvel could do it, but they would’ve been planning it since 2012. It’s already 2017 and they expect to crank out 4 movies in 2 years? Shit ain’t happening.

Bring on the teen angst train, as we’ve got two more comic-based series just dripping with it! First up is Cloak and Dagger on Freeform, which looks like the Freeformiest show that ever Freeformed. It’ll be right at home between the show about the deaf girl and the show about the foster kids. I’ve never been a huge Cloak and Dagger fan, but the series follows teen runaways Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson, who were kidnapped and injected with an experimental drug. The drug left Tandy (Dagger) with “light daggers”, while Tyrone (Cloak) has a mystical cloak that transports people and things to a dark dimension. Oh, and there’s that sweet, sweet interracial love/Jungle Fever aspect to things. Based on the trailer, it’s gonna focus more on the love thing than the power thing, which is understandable since powers are expensive on a weekly TV budget. I haven’t heard if this is actually considered part of the MCU, but it’s nice to see the Roxxon sign at the end, so there are clear ties to the universe itself.

The angst doesn’t end there, though, kids! We also got a trailer for Syfy’s Krypton series (which has since been yanked down) – ya know, the one that nobody asked for. It’s hard for me to get excited about Krypton when very little about that planet has ever seemed appealing. It’s most recently been painted as a cold, stoic, science-based society. And since they don’t have our sun, it means they’re powerless. Here’s what I don’t get about the trailer: the show takes place approximately 200 years prior to Man of Steel (I guess making it the first series to be an official part of the DCEU), but the monologue is of Kal El’s grandfather leaving a message for him. Um, how does he KNOW his grandson’s name is Kal El if he hasn’t been born yet? Anyway, it’s about Grandpa El, who happens to be a sexy, CW-ish twenty something, trying to restore honor to the disgraced House of El. The effects look nice (AKA expensive), but nothing about this show makes me want to see it.

There’s some laughter coming from a different comic-based series, however, in the form of Freeform’s New Warriors. I mentioned it a few weeks ago, but it’s been confirmed that Kevin Biegel of Enlisted/Cougar Town will be the showrunner, and we got a confirmation of the roster. Led by Squirrel Girl (who has never been a New Warrior in the comics, but I won’t harp on that), the team is comprised of Speedball, Night Thrasher, Microbe, Mister Immortal, and Debrii. I’m familiar with career Warriors Speedball and Night Thrasher, but I don’t know anything about the others. Considering Mr. Immortal and Squirrel Girl are Great Lakes Avengers characters, this is something of a hybrid team.

I’m the furthest thing from a foodie, but I love a good dairy-based gimmick drink, and this week featured TWO of them! First up, I’d read online that Burger King had been testing a Froot Loops Shake at certain East Coast locations, with plans to roll it out nationally today. Well, I traveled around until I found one that had it early (well, I didn’t travel too far – it was down the street from my apartment), as I had to see what the fuss was all about. I had heard it described as made from vanilla soft serve, with Froot Loops pieces, topped off with a sweet, syrupy drizzle. Sounds exotic, right? WRONG. Whoever thought of this probably got a bonus for the idea, but it lacks in the execution. It’s basically a vanilla shake with edible confetti in it. From Loops don’t really have a strong fruity flavor to them, so it’s not like it’s rubbing off into the soft serve. And when you do get some Froot Loop chunks through the straw, they just taste like flavorless corn cereal. I didn’t taste any kind of drizzle, and I kept waiting for the WOW to kick in. It never did. I drank this so that you don’t have to and, trust me, you really don’t have to.

Next up was the Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino. I hadn’t even heard of the thing until Wednesday morning, when everyone and their mom was talking about it. Looking at it, I was reminded of the Birthday Cake Frappuccino that comes out in March (I remember this because it was out at the time Evie was born). I LIVED on those things for the two weeks or so that they were in stores, so I was expecting this to be more of the same. I wasn’t sure what flavor this one was supposed to be, but there were certainly visual similarities. Anyway, after dinner Wednesday night, I snuck off to the corner Starbucks to try it out. You’ve heard of a Butterface, right? Well, this is a Buttertaste. It looks cool and everything, but the taste…THE TASTE! Its marketing emphasizes that it magically changes flavors while you drink it, but I could never really nail down what those flavors were supposed to be. There was a pervasive muskiness to it, making me feel like I’d basically sucked off a real unicorn. Of course, that would be silly – everyone knows you’ve got to buy a unicorn dinner before it lets you do that! Then, near the end, the muskiness gives way to a hyper berry taste, reminiscent of the Blue Raspberry that candy scientists seemed to have discovered in 1992. At no point in the drink was it what I would call “enjoyable”, and even the whipped cream on top was disappointing. As far as I’m concerned, this drink can fuck off back to Narnia where it came from.

Things You Might Have Missed This Week

Bill O’Reilly was fired from Fox News following sexual harassment allegations. See, if he’d told Billy Bush he only grabbed ‘em by the pussy, he’d be President by now!

Nintendo officially ended production on the NES Classic, followed by rumors that an SNES Classic is coming later this year

Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck were announced as the directors for Captain Marvel. I’ve never seen anything they’ve done (Half Nelson, episodes of Billions, and The Affair), so I’ve got no real opinion right now

Speaking of Marvel films, Black Panther wrapped production this week, as Hollywood braces for the return of every living Black actor

Will Smith is in talks to take on the classic Robin Williams role of The Genie in Guy Ritchie’s live action Aladdin adaptation. Obviously, Jaden Smith will probably get the role of Aladdin.

Stranger Things co-star Shannon Purser came out as bisexual on Twitter. Well, she’s bisexual in real life. She just used Twitter to announce it.

Director James Gunn announced that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 would be the final iteration of this lineup of the team

Black-ish was sold into off-network syndication, launching in Fall 2018

Jane The Virgin’s Gina Rodriguez will voice Carmen Sandiego in a new animated series coming to Netflix

Steve Harvey will host a revival of Showtime At the Apollo for Fox

Fate of the Furious debuted to $532 million internationally, beating the record-setting $529 million earned by Star Wars: The Force Awakens

With its original pilot rejected by Fox a few years ago, Joe Hill’s comic Locke & Key will have a new pilot filmed for Hulu

The X-Files has been renewed for a 10-episode 11th season. I couldn’t even make it through the last 6-episode batch they gave us, so I think this is a pass for me.

For the past 6 seasons, I have pretty much hate-watched HBO’s Girls. I hated Lena Dunham’s dumpy, Play-Doh body which was constantly on nude display. I hated all of her character Hannah’s “problems”. I hated her boyfriend Adam. I had convinced myself that I was really just watching, hoping that the characters would eventually be hit by a truck or something. Then, this season came along. Even through all my hate, I had to admit that this was a pretty strong season. From Hannah’s odd interaction with a bestselling author to Marnie finally realizing she sucks at life, there were some great episodes of television to be found in this season of the show. I was also forced to admit things about myself.

First off, I always knew I liked Shoshana because she had enough sense to know that she deserved better than the friends with which she’d found herself. And I definitely missed her once she decided to finally distance herself from them.  I also realized there was much more to the Ray character and, while they didn’t exactly put a bow on it, I’m glad they led us to believe that he had found a happy ending. Even a character as originally unlikable as Elijah had some strong development this season, and he was truly missed in the finale, even though this chapter of his story had come to a close. As I already admitted in my Get Out review, I had to come to terms with my crush on Allison Williams and, by extension, Marnie Michaels. Yeah, she sucked at life, but she seemed like the one out of the four who had Tony Starked her way into that situation; she was the cause of her own problems. Once she began to realize that, the character held more promise. And I realized I hated Jessa because she reminded me too much of girls I’d hooked up with in college: damaged, tattooed, pseudo-junkies who are lucky to still be alive. And I guess Hannah reminded me of girls I’d hooked up with post college. Yeah, I hated a lot about Girls because, I guess, I hated a lot about myself.

This Sunday saw the series finale of the show, and I wasn’t quite sure I was ready for it. After a season that had given us a pregnant Hannah, but also showcased the dissolution of the group’s friendship, I didn’t really know how they could “end” the story. I was further distraught when I read an article last week saying that Jessa and Shosh’s final appearances had been in the penultimate episode that had just aired. While I would miss them in the final half hour, I had to admit that their chapters had also come to a close.

When we get to the finale, there’s a five-month time jump, where Marnie and Hannah are living in a remote house upstate, raising Hannah’s baby, Grover. Yes, that’s what she named him. Anyway, it was 30 minutes about what it means to be happy, but also what it means to be an adult and a parent. I like to think that Hannah finally grew up once she realized that Grover wasn’t another problem that she could simply run away from. The entire episode, she’s freaking out because Grover won’t breastfeed, but in the final seconds he finally takes to her breast. The look on her face is a mix of relief and maturity. It was then that I realized the show had to end at that point, as Hannah was no longer a girl. The entire series had been about millennial drama, as they skirted adulthood, but those times were over. The title Girls no longer applied to Hannah because she was now a Woman, with all the responsibilities that entailed. I used to worry about Hannah, and I sure as Hell worried about Grover when we learned she was pregnant. After Sunday’s finale, though, I think they’re gonna be OK. It was a finale that I had to give some thought to, but it didn’t leave me unfulfilled like Don Draper creating a Coke jingle only to end up hocking tax prep software six months later. For this reason, Girls had the West Week Ever.