#mason being kinda mean but with good intentions

[captainpulisic]

when you splashed your wine into me - c. pulisic

authors note: first fic :) hope you guys enjoy! word count : 1.8k gif credits to owner

it is a well known fact that after winning a game, there must be a party to celebrate the victory. these parties always ended up with mason getting a little too drunk and making a fool of himself. currently, he was barely balancing himself on an unsteady chair and singing along to the catchy pop song playing on the speakers.

you couldn’t help but laugh when he clung to an unamused conor and insisted he joined him in the duet. you laughed even harder when conor gave in and the pair started giving a real performance. slightly turning your head and locking eyes with christian sitting next to you, you felt a wave of content as he gently kicked your foot. you stayed like that for a second, basking in the moment, before it all became too much for you. looking away, you survey the rest of the partygoers, as if there was anyone more interesting than the boy next to you.

raising the cup to your mouth, you felt your face grimace from the cheap tasting wine. these boys being who they were, you’d think they could afford something a little better.

does christian know the effect he has when he's mere inches away? that your cheeks were reaching an alarmingly red shade because his shoulder was brushing yours? you suddenly felt grateful for the two cups of wine you had already drunk. sober you wouldn’t have been able to cope in this situation. then again, sober you might have been keen enough to notice how christians eyes couldn’t stop staring at the lipstick mark you’d left on the rim of your glass.

christian couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he observed you clearly enjoying yourself. to his luck, you kept stealing glances at him but he was sure it was due to the crimson shade of his cheeks. they were a dead giveaway to his stupid feelings, he thought. trying to distract himself, he glanced to the other side of the room where ben was now trying to wrestle mason into drinking some water. catching masons eye, he knew it was mistake the moment he saw the drunken boys mischievous grin. mason couldn’t stop looking between the two of you sitting so close. mason knew all too well how he really felt about you and always encouraged him to speak his feelings. occasionally, mason would say he'd help him if needed. christian felt his stomach drop when he saw mason stand a little straighter.

“i just want to say a few words about my handsome teammates,” mason yelled, grabbing everyone's attention. the music was lowered and eyes were intent on the wasted boy. “first off, let's make some noise for kai and his game winning goal.” 

there were some scattered whoops and cheers, claps all around the room. this continued while mason toasted each individual player. and how much he loved every single one of them. soon enough, he got to his last honorable mention, christian. 

“look at him, being modest and hiding behind such a pretty girl. after your smashing performance, I think we all feel you deserve some sort of prize. but what sort of prize should you get hm?”

christian felt his face get even redder, this time for a whole different reason. he felt it in his bones, something very bad was about to happen. the way mason kept glancing between the two of you, panic was setting in.

for a dramatic flare, mason tapped his chin while confused looks were shared all around. "oi, i’ve got it! why don't you make your dreams come true and celebrate with a kiss from y/n. you’ll finally be giving her what she's been wanting for months, too. or am i wrong?"

if you thought you had been blushing before, you're sure your face was on fire now. you didn’t know if you were going to burst into tears or stay frozen from the shock of it all. you had once confided in mason about your crush but you thought you two were close enough that he wouldn’t use it as ammunition to embarrass you or to poke fun at christian. even in his inebriated state, he should know your unreciprocated crush shouldn’t be a punchline. you couldn’t help but look over at christian, at his furrowed brows and lost look. this can’t get any worse, you thought.

you barely hear mason being shushed by ben and a “you’ve done it now, idiot”. you barely hear the few unsure laughs and questioning glances being thrown at the two of you on the couch. all you can focus on is how still christian has gotten, not daring to look at you in the eyes. 

quickly, you get up, not wanting to suffer this humiliation any longer. christian reacts to this, reaching for your hand and starting to stammer out a jumble of words. this is the worst thing he could have done, not accounting for the half full glass of wine you were still clutching. both of you looked down, just as the remnants of wine splashed onto his white shirt and your dress, staining them red.

through tear filled eyes, you shove the glass into christians hands and run upstairs to hide in shame. you don’t dare to look anyone in the eyes as you feel the tears break loose. how could mason do that to you, you thought. we’re friends and he used my crush to get laughs out of people.

“y/n, stop,” your pace didn’t slow down as you heard christians steps behind you. “y/n, listen to me-” 

you weren’t quick enough to retreat into a room, christian grasping your arm again. turning to face him, “what the fuck do you want? to laugh some more like the rest of them?”

christian shook his head in disbelief, he couldn't believe you thought he’d ever laugh at you. he was still trying to wrap his head around how you had reacted when mason suggested a kiss between the two of you. did you really not feel the same way he did about you? his soft tone didn’t waver. “y/n, hear me out-”

“when i told him how i felt, he promised he’d never tell you. i know you two are close and shit but he said it’d stay between us. did you two plan this- are my feelings just some stupid joke you two laugh at?” 

instead of embarrassed, you were starting to feel angry. you were angry at yourself for being so emotional, angry at christian for following you up here and angry at mason for being a drunk idiot.

“y/n, just fucking listen. please.” christian pleaded, growing more confused with the situation. mason had put on that little show to embarrass him, not you. he was trying to make sure you weren’t weirded out by mason telling everyone how his dreams were to kiss you.

“i had no idea mason was going to say that, i promise you it wasn’t some joke we planned. i wouldn’t- i would never do that.”

you scoffed. you knew there had to be some truth to his words. you'd only known christian a couple months but he didn’t seem like the kind of guy to toy with your emotions for fun. 

“but can I be honest with you?” he added with a small grin. you felt his hand brushing yours, feather light. without noticing, he had stepped impossibly close to you. your faces mere specs from each other. “i’m grateful he was a drunk mess tonight and said what he did.”

you felt your walls come up again, not liking the direction he was going in. “christian, i swear to god-”

“hey, what i meant was that i’m grateful cause it’s given me the push i’ve needed for some time now. it wasn’t some dickhead joke between us or mase trying to hurt you. he knows how i feel about you and i think he’s sick of me talking about how much I want you.”

before your brain had time to process anything he said, you felt christian cupping your cheek and his lips on yours. it was rushed and messy but you couldn’t expect anything else from two people who had spent months longing for this moment.

“now do you believe me?” his lips still hovered over yours, foreheads resting on each other. 

instead of answering him, you bring him in for another kiss. this time, it’s slower and sweeter. next thing you know, he has pressed up against the wall and your hands running through his hair. breaking the kiss to go lower, he begins to leave soft kisses down your jaw and stopping at your neck. oh finally, you think.

you can’t help the small laugh you let out, finding the situation so bizarre. minutes ago you were swearing at him and now you were tugging at his shirt, wanting it off. if anyone walked up the stairs, they’d be greeted at the sight of you two devouring each other in the dimly lit hallway.

looking down at you, he couldn’t help the smile playing on his lips. after so many months of yearning, he can finally show you how much he wants you. he bumps his nose against yours, both of you in a lovesick bliss. you feel his hands leave your waist and rise up to brush your cheekbones.

both of your hands were desperately roaming each others bodies. it was a mixture of grabbing and squeezing and breathless moans from both of you. before either of your hands could go any lower than they already were, footsteps were heard coming up the stairs. 

both of you cursed as you saw ben and a somewhat more sober mason get up the last step. you all froze as the two processed the scene they had walked into. there was christian, pressing you up against the wall, both of you with messy hair and lovesick grins. 

ben broke the silence “we uhm- came to make sure everything was alright. and mason wanted to apologize for being an absolute arse… but we’ll let you get back to whatever you two were doing.”

you hid your face in christians chest as you giggled, embarrassed and overjoyed at the same time. you peeked over his shoulder to see the two boys trudge down the stairs again but not without missing the thumbs up and wink mason gave christian.

eventually you two also descended the stairs and were met with a smug mason, taking credit for playing cupid tonight. embarrassingly enough, he also took credit for the marks you and christian both adorned on your collarbones.

[llamamicrowave]

Why I ✨Hate✨ Phin Mason

(any racism will be deleted <3)

In the Miles Morales PS5 game, we are introduced to a new version of the Tinkerer. Originally a one-off villain from the original Spiderman comics, the PS5 game developers try (and fail) to elevate the character.

First off, her personality. In most of the scenes, she is in with Miles, she’s just ruthlessly bullying him, this would be fine if it were a mutual thing but Miles just sits back and takes it?? Her entire personality basically dissolves into an ‘asshole that is better than Miles in every way possible’. The developers make her a weird tech genius, implied to be smarter than Miles and even Peter Parker in some scenes. This choice makes sense with her Tinkerer persona but (in my opinion) they kinda give her Ganke’s original personality and reduce him to a social media guru (refer back to the Thanksgiving scene at the beginning of the game).

In her FIRST SCENE (before we know her as the Tinkerer) she and the Underground attack a Roxon plaza where Miles’ mom Rio is campaigning. At this point, Miles doesn’t know Phin is the Tinkerer but Phin knows for a fact that Rio would be there (once again, refer back to the Thanksgiving scene at the beginning of the game). She is KNOWINGLY putting her friend's (and implied crush) mom at risk along with innocent civilians. And the WORST part of this is that this was completely unnecessary to the Underground's actual goals. Their real target was a truck containing Nuform of the COMPLETE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN, and since Phin is the leader of the Underground SHE chose to send a ton of her men to the rally, all while knowing Miles and Rio would be there. She then, out of costume, apologizes to Miles and blames the attack on Spiderman. HUH????

This bitch is dumb. And I mean that literally, her plan doesn’t make any sense. Despite the developer's attempts to make Phin seem like an evil genius, her entire plan falls apart once you think critically. Her goal is to halt the production of Nuform, a new, dangerous energy source developed by her brother, Rick. Nuform was also responsible for the eventual illness. Keep in mind that this illness didn’t kill him. While trying to destroy all the remaining Nuform, he got electrocuted (I think?) by it and then died in front of Phin.

(Apparently, this whole family is dumb ‘cause who takes a teen girl into a highly secured lab?)

Phin’s plan is constantly changing from the minute she is revealed as the Tinkerer to the final act. At one point Miles tries to warn her of Roxon's plan but she doesn;t take his warning and her entire plan falls to shit. And she has the AUDACITY to blame him for that!

And I haven’t even gotten to when she finds out that Miles is spider man! She accuses him of lying to her (which he was) in order to get access to her DOMESTIC TERRORIST ORGANIZATION! Did Miles lie, yes. But did Phin put innocent civilians at risk, including Rio? Yes! Phin needed to be taken down and she wouldn’t listen to anyone else instead of Miles.

The game wants us to believe that Phin is a sympathetic foil to Miles instead of the aggravating dumbass she really is. We see this in almost every interaction the two have. Miles is painted as a liar who doesn’t deserve a friend like Phin and is constantly apologizing to her, despite Phin being the aggressor and often in the wrong. Where ass Phin is depicted as a misguided girl with good intentions.

This is a problem because the plot of the game depends on Miles and Phin’s relationship, and if we don’t care about that relationship the emotional payoff at the end falls flat. Spoiler alert: the bitch dies. (DING DONG).

[gecko290]

FAN-MADE BTD PROJECT!!!!

(this will be my first project so be nice hehe~) remember BTD belongs to gatobob

-First off, what is this project? Well i’ll be clear this project is for the boyfriend to death fandom.

It is essentially a pick your adventure fanfic but post apocalyptic haha.

-This will take me a while since ive never done this before, not to mention this is very ambitious for me. 

-when will it be complete? Idk yet but until my weird fanfic thing is out i will give updates. While art is not planned if someone wants to make fanart i will be super grateful (i'm a trash artist)

-characters

-Strade

-Ren Hana (fox during apocalypse) still trying to figure out both his and Strades routes

-Lawrence Oleander (he’s my fave teehee)

-Derek Goffard 

-Celia Lede

-Mason Heiral

-Jak Harasi (might include him but please understand if he’s not included this is my first time doing this)

-MULTIPLE SIDE CHARACTERS 

-i will try to do each character justice when it comes to this so understand why it might take lots of time.

-ANYTHING RELATED TO MY PROJECT IS OKAY AS LONG AS YOUR RESPECTFUL TO ME (also please if your a minor DNI) 

-please ask questions if you want I LIVE FOR QUESTIONS AND INSPO

-lawrences route might be done first but it depends

-IF YOU HAVE ROUTE IDEAS MESSAGE ME ABOUT THEM ... .I might just use them ;)

What is this AU?

-i don’t exactly have a name for the virus yet so for now it will be referred to as the blues this is due to infected peoples skin having moldy and decayed blue spots all over and the sounds they make resemble crying/sobbing. The outbreak started in India before quickly spreading to the entire globe; this happened due to extremists bombing government facilities and major cities through bioterrorism. And society fell currently everything is in a sort of dark age medieval setting with small settlements popping up. Weapons are a precious commodity so guns are only used when necessary as bullets are finite this means main weapons are melee. Clothing looks like that of from the road by cormac mccarthy if you wanna know.

-in the first stage of infection (either from being bit/scratched/or eating an infected) the victim will experience nausea, sickness, hallucinations and occasional blue spots in vision.

-in the second stage small  moldy spots will appear on the skin (like chicken pox kinda) and victims start to uncontrollably cry from their eyes and salivate.

-third stage victims become violent and attack fellow humans with the intent to bite.

-fourth stage victims start to decay before going into a fertile area and fully decaying there.

-final stage. They become fertilizer for the surrounding area. This is dangerous because if not diluted enough people that consume bits of decayed infected will not be fully fully sick but will have a very violent and deadly sickness that 99% do not survive. This means while not infected they are bedridden unless they get better. 

Current number of planned endings, good or bad, some routes have the same ending (bad and ‘’good’’ can be subjective) and number can change depending on story choices and how expansive I get. so this is the estimated number for now.

-strade: bad endings- 4  good endings- 3  7 endings in total 

-Ren/Fox: bad endings-5  good endings-4  9 endings in total

-Lawrence: bad endings-6  good endings- 4  10 endings in total 

-Derek: bad endings-5  good endings-3   8 endings in total

-Celia: bad endings-4  good endings-5  9 endings in total 

-Mason: bad endings-5  good endings 3  8 endings in total

-(if i do) Jak:  bad endings-4  good endings 3  7 endings in total

-SIDE CHARACTERS ARE IMPORTANT DUE TO THIS THERE MIGHT BE EVEN MORE ENDINGS SO BE WISE.

Tribe members (aka who belongs to what) i don’t have names yet because i suck at that stuff 😢 highlighted means leader

Green tribe-strade, ren, and lawrence

Red tribe-Derek, Celia, Mason (they all hate each other this tribe is together for survival 😂) and derek's buddies. 

Purple tribe- jak and his sister

Blue tribe- M/C, Jacqueline, Tom, Chamomile, and Richard. (found family?? Just maybe lol)

-

You: this character will be you or M/C basically i don't know yet if i will just do pick your pronouns and go from there or just stick to they/them this depends on route making. I might just stick with they/them but let me know! 🙂

M/C backstory: college student before the fall. Skills include melee combat (im gonna say M/C carries a sword around. Think of a knight's sword), M/C is a capable marksman carrying a rifle only for emergencies as bullets are finite. Clothing consists of warm layers (think of the road by cormac mccarthy for clothing reference) jackets, warm pants, you know the drill. 

Anyway i’m so excited to start this project with you all and I hope you can send me questions and ideas! I will update you all on the way. Please do also give me time as I have a life outside of this. If anyone wants to help by writing a route or being a beta player/reader send me a message and I’ll get back to you 

IM SO EXCITED AND I HOPE YOUR READY FOR THE RIDE!!

*this will all be on tumblr btw

[imagoddamnonionmason]

What was their first conflict? How did this shape their relationship?

From the ask meme!

hullo!! :3c I'm so sorry this took a couple of days to answer- been a lil busy but I'm here now!

So, regarding Frank and Jodie's relationship, I've mentioned before that they have had a couple of arguments, though generally they're pretty good; it's one of those relationships where 90% of the time they get along so well and barely fight, but when they do fight, damn... yeah...

Their first conflict actually comes a couple months after they kinda become official. Even if they weren't a couple this fight would have happened, but it hits a little heavier given that she has opened up to this relationship and already she feels like her worst fear is coming true; that her trust is being betrayed. And by Woods no less?!

So, let's get into the meat of it.

My plan is that in their pursuit of Perseus and his faction, a recon mission to Duga is going to take place; it makes sense given that this place was the other option in the campaign and I imagine that there would be some information there that could be useful. Now, in the briefing, it's discussed which operators would be going on this mission etc.

Frank, being concerned for the safety of Jodie, hangs back an discusses the mission with Hudson; he wants confirmation that whatever they find there, whatever information, it will not jeopardise her position within the CIA and that if they find something that affects Jodie, she'll have ample support etc.

Not only that, but he's making sure Hudson isn't going to pull a fast one and try and do something to Jodie. Frank just wants to make sure that there's support for her, from the top, and that she's not going to get fucked over because he doesn't trust Hudson. After all the shit that he's done to Mason, he's just... giving Hudson a heads up that he'll kick his ass if her tries anything. HUDSON HOWEVER decides to take Jodie off the mission altogether. If she's not there, she can't become a liability on the mission. He takes it that Frank thinks she could become affected by her brainwashing, like when Mason hasn't quite been able to fight his own conditioning and become compromised. He's thinking that Frank thinks she could also do the same thing (which isn't the same kind if brainwashing Hudson you absolute walnut).

Anyway, I think you get the picture that Frank is trying to look after Jodie, whereas Hudson is seeing her as a liability.

Hudson explains this to her, mentioning it was Frank's idea.

So, yeah, that's what their argument is about.

Jodie ignores him to begin with, unable to really acknowledge him because she's that angry. When they do eventually talk about it, she's letting him know that he's betrayed her trust, gone behind her back and said that he thinks she incapable of doing her job.

Frank is just as pissed off because that's not what I said, actually.

They do figure things out and Hudson gets collared for the misunderstanding and eventually everything is fine.

As for how it shapes their relationship, they focus on their communication - after all, the reason they had an argument in the first place is because Frank's intentions got lost in translation, you know? If there's any worry about the other person, they agree they should probably talk to each other about it first, than with other people.

tl;dr Hudson lacks tact. Frank tried his best.

Thank you so so much for this ask!! I'm currently suffering some burnout and though I don't think I've explained my plan for this well, I hope you can get the gist of what I mean!

<3 have a wonderful day Liberty!!

[adamwatchesmovies]

Holiday Inn (1942)

For many reasons, Holiday Inn is a classic but one particular scene prevents it from being a film you'd happily watch over and over. It makes me uncomfortable for multiple reasons but I can kinda-sorta defend it in this movie because of the context in which it's used. It sounds like a weak argument but hold on, listen to what I’ve got to say before you judge. Even if the scene in particular is a deal-breaker, there's a solution.

Jim Hardy (Bing Crosby), his fiancé Lila Dixon (Virginia Dale) and Ted Hanover (Fred Astaire) are a trio of successful singer-dancers. As Jim prepares to retire from the hustle-and-bustle of non-stop performances to live on a farm with his future wife… his partners announce they have no intention of stopping and ditch him. Finding the farm life back-breaking, he converts his home into “Holiday Inn”, an entertainment venue open only on holidays and featuring elaborate dance and musical numbers. The first performer to join Jim's new troupe is Linda Mason (Marjorie Reynolds), whom he quickly falls for but is afraid to show his feelings to due to a broken heart.

Plot-wise, there’s plenty going on. After Holiday Inn is up and running, Linda catches the eye of Ted and his agent, Danny Reed (Walter Abel). They don’t know what her name is, which prompts Jim to hide her from the two and try to keep her “for himself”. It creates all sorts of drama and comedic situations between the whopping twelve original numbers featured throughout this musical. The best and most well-known is White Christmas - yes, this is where that tune comes from. It's never been better than here. The song is romantic and beautiful. Seeing it in its original context fills your heart with warmth. Overall, this is a charming, romantic story filled with sometimes insecure and often messy characters. This is one of those movies that on paper would look awful but in action, works. Big credit goes to Marjorie Reynolds, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, who are great together.

Now let’s address the giant stain at the center of this story; the reason why you’ll probably wind up seeing an edited version of it on TV. Once Jim realizes that Ted is searching for Linda, he is desperate to find a way to hide her from his former partner. Unfortunately, he also needs to keep his clients happy with a stage number for Lincoln’s Birthday (February 12, for those who don’t know). His solution is to run the minstrel show number Abraham. This means Crosby and Reynolds (along with the band) appear in blackface so that no one watching will recognize them. It makes your skin crawl and isn’t helped by the limited amount of dialogue given to the black actors in the film (other than Louise Beavers, there aren't any other people of colour in significant roles) but as far as uses of a racist, offensive and disrespectful form of theatrical make-up, it’s probably the least offensive version you’ll see because it's less of a "let's make fun of Black people/find a way to avoid hiring Black actors in our movie" and more of a "hey, it's ok to use this as a costume/disguise, right?". It's still not ideal, but it could've been much worse.

A standout moment in Holiday Inn has aged so poorly that it threatens to derail the entire film. The rest is a funny, romantic and entertaining holiday story. The dance numbers are outstandingly shot, staged and performed. It’s extra exciting to watch because of how few edits break up the footwork and because you know the people making those moves were really doing them. No wires or backgrounds were removed via computer effects. As for the songs, they range from pretty good to instant classics. In the end, I choose not to judge Holiday Inn for its worst scene and would rather focus on its strongest moments. If you don’t think you can, this is one instance where I would break my usual policy and recommend you view the edited-for-TV version. (On DVD, November 30, 2019)

[mountymase]

OMFG CHAPTER SIX PART ONE????? Girl it was so good!!! so so so sweet and ugh. just melted my heart and made me feel all fuzzy i NEED moreee 🥹🫶 the family interactions melt my heart and i am so excited to see yns & masons relationships with each others familys develop along with their own 💞 but this new oliver guy…. he better watch his back im not letting anything come in between yn and mason and their chances of becoming a cute family for real🤺🤺 but i am looking forward to the possible angst 👀 im just so obsessed with this series!! their whole not-yet-family dynamic is so cute and lily’s relationship w her new family is so so so sweet and heartwarming and you capture it so well in ur writing!!! like fr youre giving me baby fever 🥲

and i know you said you wanted feedback and im not sure if you’re looking for constructive criticism and if not then just ignore this and not post it: the entire chapter was so well written and i loved every part of it! and i really hope you don’t think im being mean or anything because i think you’re a great writer and literally one of my favourites on here and i know you get pressured by a lot of other anons on here to post the next chapters asap so ik its not your fault but some parts felt a little bit rushed?? you probably felt pressured to push out as much of the next part asap so i completely understand bc i know how ruthless some people on here could be and this chapter was still wonderful of course and ive reread this part like 5 times since last night lmfao but i think what would make the series better/improve your writing is if you made each scenario a little bit more detailed? meeting masons parents for example felt a little bit rushed as there wasnt much detail about what exactly happened when mason explained everything and i would’ve appreciated more detail into how his parents reacted to everything he said and how that affected yn??? you have so much potential and are already so good at writing but i think if you slowed down a little bit, the whole story would be sm better (not that its bad rn, bc im obsessed with it regardless) i really hope im not being rude or hypercritical because that’s not my intention at all, i just think you have so much potential and i would love to see u reach that w this series <33 oh god this is a lot of words but basically i think you should slow down with the series and put as much detail as u can into each scenario (if you want to/are up for it ofc, because its still great as it is rn) because i honestly think this series and you as a writer have so much potential and i want to see u become an even better one w this series bc i LOVE the plot and all ur work. again, i love u i hope im not being a bitch or mean or too demanding but i think to make the series better u should slow down and like. kinda savour each scenario?? because personally i would love more detail to fuel my delusions LOL and i know its hard because of how much pressure anons put u under so if u think its easier to continue as is and forget about this anon then that’s completely fine too <3 im still gonna read each chapter over and over again anyway 😌🫶 but yea this chapter was 10/10 and really sweet and i am so excited for the next part and i really hope youre not taking this as me being mean, im just suggesting areas u can improve on but i dont want to be hypercritical at all and i dont want to make u feel bad bc i love u and think ur great and this is getting too long now lol ok love u bye

This. This is how you share constructive criticism and people should learn from you!

First, I wanna thank you for reading my story. Means a lot, and I’m really happy you’re enjoying it!

Yes, it was rushed, I think it has to do with how little I’ve been able to focus on it over the past week and how hard it is for me to write family interactions considering my experience with my own family has always been so fucking toxic I don’t know much what a healthy dynamic is like. I tend to rewrite Mason and Lily a lot because I’m never fully happy with their dynamic. But I was thinking of writing individual interactions? Like, Y/N getting closer to his parents and eventually telling them how she felt? I have some ideas for the next chapter and I think that’d fit and I’d love to know your thoughts on it if you’d like to DM me? ♥️

Thank you, again! ♥️♥️♥️

[rcmndedlisten]

Interview: Stephen Pierce of Gold Dust On His Band’s New Album ‘The Late Great Gold Dust’

Photo by Laura Mason

In his short time on this Earth thus far, Stephen Pierce has already become a cornerstone fixture within the Western Massachusetts independent music scene, having been a key driving force behind post-hardcore bastions Ampere and decibel-decimating shoegazers Kindling. Last year, Pierce took a sonic turn and introduced his latest creative chapter with the debut album from his psychedelic folk project Gold Dust, and this year, the band has expanded its view by many miles swith its standout sophomore effort and essential fall listen, The Late Great Gold Dust.

+rcmndedlisten spoke with Stephen via e-mail in depth about the kinship between Gold Dust and its surrounding nature, opening the door into the band’s scenic world with its cast of collaborators, being loud as a softer facet of his sound, and where the trail leads him next.

+rl: Last autumn's self-titled debut album as Gold Dust sounded like a seasonably accurate refraction of sunlit psych folk, considered indie rock songwriting, and autumn leaves crunching beneath your feet during a walk through the Western Mass trails. You're releasing its follow-up almost a year to the date. Do you take the seasons of New England into account when envisioning how and when your songs will enter the world?

Stephen Pierce: Definitely, yeah. I think most things are better during the fall, so my bias here might be exactly that, but I think the sort of experience that Gold Dust is proffering fits with the cold air and falling leaves. There's a sort of peaceful melancholy to the fall, for me, and I think there's some of that in what we're putting out there. Autumn is kinda a beautiful foreboding, you know? A "like it while it lasts, because it won't last long" sort of thing, the tension of enjoying something but knowing that immediately following that thing it gets dark, literally and figuratively in this case.

I spend a lot of time outside though, mostly on the trails of Mt. Tom, above Easthampton/Holyoke. The trails, the views, the experience -- it's all constantly changing, and I'm grateful for all of it, even when it sucks. In recent years I learned of the Japanese term "shinrin yoku" which essentially translates to "forest bathing": the idea that intentional and focused engagement with the natural world can help with depression, burnout, anxiety, etc., in addition to simply offering placidity and mind-freeing disconnect and an opportunity for mindfulness. I mean, it's broader than that, but that's sort of the bullet-pointed version of it. While the trails haven't cured me of depression or anything that dramatic, getting out there each day is definitely elemental to my wellbeing and provides me with at least a few hours of less ennui, or whatever. Especially when you're trail running, you're kinda forced to be present, noticing the roots and rocks, trying to keep your footing and shit. Everything else just kinda washes away for a bit.

+rl: The recording of the Late Great Gold Dust also involved more collaboration than its predecessor. Alongside your live drummer Adam Reid, Fred Thomas of Saturday Looks Good to Me, Jacki Sullivan, formerly of Hop Along, your Kindling bandmate, Gretchen Wiliams, and a very necessary guitar solo from J Mascis on "Larks Swarm A Hawk", there's also a short story in the liner notes written by Sean Yeaton of Parquet Courts. Add in Justin Pizzoferatto on production, and it's as if you gathered an aesthetically astute circle into Western Mass' weirdness. How much does the local music scene inform that creative process?

SP: It felt cool to open things up a little, to get some perspective that isn't my own. Everyone else's contributions -- Fred's synth part on "And Yet", Jacki's Hammond organ on "Catalpa" -- those are totally different from where my ear would've guided them. Adam's Rhodes parts in particular served to flesh out some moments that I thought were missing something, but wasn't able to pinpoint just what - I'm thinking particularly of the first minutes or so of "Unreliable Narrator" and the extra moodiness he brought to "All Things Aside" and "A Storm". Gretchen had ideas when I was working on the first GD record, but I very willfully wanted that record to be literally just me, for better or for worse, so it was good to have her along for the ride here. I'm thinking of songs like "Mountain Laurel" and "Absolutely Nowhere" that wouldn't have worked with just one person's vocals. Gretchen's probably as obsessive about getting "the right take" as I am, so it all came together quick and easy.

The approach with all of the folks who played on the record with me was just to say, like, "Hey, I trust your ear here, I trust your ability, here's roughly the idea that I'm working with, good luck and thank you," and to just sort of leave it with them to fill in how they saw fit.

Sean's liner notes are something else. A thing I've always really loved about older records -- and particularly a lot of the folk boom records of the mid-to-late 60s -- is that they included a bit of writing alongside it from someone who wasn't on the record, typically a producer or music journalist or something, and usually to the end of puffing up the musician. While I don't really see much value in liner notes being about the band, or about me, or whatever, it's such an opportunity to kinda thread some sort of connection to something else, some broader idea. It's all stage-setting, really. It's all community. Sean's been a good friend for a long, long time and to be able to work together in any capacity on these records has been awesome.

All that aside, I'm really fortunate to have such talented friends, and even more fortunate that some of them generously made themselves available to join me on this record. Half jokingly but with more than just a dash of sincerity, I'll say that it's pretty cool to look at the who's who of it all and think, "Man, I'm the least talented person on this thing!" A lot to be grateful for there.

+rl: One of the main observations of this album is that it's heavier, sonically and emotionally. "Go Gently" worships at the doom folk altar in a way that bridges your work in Kindling before segueing into lush, dream pastures with massive drums hitting behind it. That carries on forward. Inverting your shoegaze identity with more organically layered effects and long sighs popping equally heavily has been both a challenge, but also something that's come easy to understand once cracking the code from your perspective, one has to imagine...

SP: To be honest, a lot of it comes down to practice and familiarity with myself, my limitations and skills. Volume is great, I'd usually say that everything sounds better louder, but loud is only loud if quiet is quiet, right? It's sorta how a song like "Planet Caravan" or "Fluff" by Sabbath will make everything around it hit even harder by comparison, you know? Since I first heard "Washer" by Slint, or the song that everyone called "Angry Son" by Indian Summer, I'd been big on dynamics in a song. When those songs kick it up a notch, it's jarring and exciting and dangerous, and in a way feels like the wheels are threatening to come off. I figured going the opposite direction, massive-heavy to quiet-meditative, would have an inverse effect and, like, feel like the eye of a hurricane coming over you after a spell of 60mph winds.

There's also the question that I sometimes consider, "What is heavy?" Is heavy a riff, the way that certain notes sound next to each other? Lyrical content? Is it a mood that's created, or something else entirely, something unquantifiable? Fuck if I know, and I think some of the tension of not knowing shows up in song, or in production, or whatever. In any case, it's a cool journey, to see how something that often starts as just, like, something played on an acoustic guitar can unfold once you start digging to see what's beneath.

+rl: Do you feel like you've mined the depths of Gold Dust fully here, or can we expect to hear this journey go further and take on trilogy form come autumn of 2023?

SP: Yeah. I mean, I sure hope I haven't stripped the quarry of the last of its useful materials. I have like seven to ten songs, depending on what you want to consider a "song", towards the next record already. I'm taking my time with it, though. I'm really looking forward to a third LP. Maybe the move is to make each record progressively less "me" and more "us." It's a cool thing, to be able to make a record all by yourself at home, but it's an even cooler thing to make one with friends, with people whose musical intuitions you trust and who you really love being around. As it goes, they'll have different approaches to playing the songs than I would, which should bring some different points of view to the table. In any case, as long as I'm around, Gold Dust is around, I suppose. Making music is a compulsion, or I guess just some form of creation is, anyway, and I couldn't stop doing whatever it is that I'm doing if I tried.

Making music in the way that I've made these two Gold Dust records, it's fulfilling to have gone about it mostly on my own, but it's also a lonely thing. It's easy to end up feeling hypercritical and rudderless throughout the process, giving those nagging voices of self-doubt more weight than they're due. I've variously felt bad and at peace with that, but ultimately, pushing through it all was a pretty rewarding thing. It allowed me to actualize these two LPs that ostensibly ended up being exactly the sort of records that I'd want to make. That's why I didn't press too many of the first one, at first. I went into it all kind of free from any expectation that people would find it or listen to it, or buy it if they did. I just wanted to make something true to myself, that pushed me to write in a different way than I'd been writing, pick up some new technique and skill, and if possible at the same time try to kill the ego and make something that earnestly tries to answer the question of "Who the fuck am I and why?"

It's all kind of reframed my approach to doing this sort of thing: it's underlined and reaffirmed for me why I do this, what I'm hoping to get out of it. Helps me remember what's important, why I started strumming a guitar in the first place.

The Late Great Gold Dust by Gold Dust

Gold Dust’s The Late Great Gold Dust is available now on Centripetal Force Records.

[nagasakidivision]

Damien: Third Member Impressions

Saburo Yamada

Being that high profile at his age...honestly, I don't envy him, as weird as that sounds. Especially being...uh, you know, how he is? He's going to look back on this three years from now and want to die on the spot.

Riou Mason Busujima

It's kinda hard to agree with anything he did. I'm a pacifist. But force doesn't go away just because you disarm people. There's more ways to get someone to do what you want than just putting them at gunpoint.

Dice Arisugawa

We're not that different! I mean, I'm less likely to end up having a kidney taken out and sold on the black market, probably, I try to be careful about who I cross, but trust me, it's nice getting to live that free once you get a taste of it.

Hifumi Izanami

He really stands out on that team when the rest of them are pretty subdued, but I guess that'd be one reason it's good he's around, right? Like, a living morale booster, or something!

Rei Amayado

I don't like the way he looks at me. Like he thinks he knows something I don't. Uh, not to say that he's right, just like, kind of unnerving vibes, you know?

Hitoya Amagumi

They say there's some cases he'll take pro bono, which is pretty generous of him, I guess, especially with how high-profile he is. That v-kei singer on his team says that Hitoya saved his life too. Shirou and Haruto kind of have a grudge but like, nobody's all one thing or the other, so he's not a horrible person. Probably.

Kenei Saragi

He keeps looking at me like he wants to dissect me alive and I don't want to spend enough time around him to find out if he actually would, because I wouldn't put it past him.

Doshiro Yogo

Well, yeah, his whole group are kind of vigilantes, but they do keep things running smooth in Asakusa, and he's got some principles, so it could be way worse, and he's probably trying the hardest out of all of them...even if he starts a few problems himself. Effort and intention counts for something, right?

[writer-of-various]

Idk if your taking requests rn but if you are can you do an Alex Mason one with the prompt

"Why can't you see that?"

Sure! I wasn't sure if you wanted just Mason angst or to insert reader, so I went with the former. The crew is there for Mason, it's canon, and if it's not canon, we make it canon.

Also, I apologize if it's short and kinda eh, I would make it up later with a better story, promise! But uh anyways, I hope you enjoy!

Open Your Eyes, Love. [Alex Mason angst]

He wasn't good.

He wasn't worthy enough. He hated his appearance, his body, his mind; his everything. He never complained his feelings, always choosing to bottle them up and force a smile on his face. He was vaguely impressed at how he kept himself so distant from the others, especially Woods and Hudson. He couldn't have them worrying about him, he couldn't drag them down into the depths of confusion, guilt, and depression. He would kill himself before he did that.

He was a lost cause, a broken mind and soul. His superiors titled him that, it was in his reports. Woods practically has to babysit him during missions and the such. Useless.

Guilt ate him alive, as he would stare intently on the small knicks blemishing his arms, the little bubbles of blood arising and he was guilty that he was giving himself relief. He didn't deserve it. He wasn't worthy enough.

He hid those scabs with long sleeves and his jackets, muttering a response that he was cold if questioned about his choice of wear. His guilt seemed to impossibly grow when Bell would spiral into an episode, a side effect of MK Ultra. They had it worst then him, he shouldn't be complaining about his life. He stayed within himself, he believed he hid himself so well while interacting with others, especially since Woods was so close to him, and now Bell.

He thought.

Hudson was wary of the slightly younger agent's guarded stance and distance from everyone, mostly from Woods. He knew Mason, he was his care taker for a few months and had always kept close tabs with him. He helped attempt to deprogram him, and sure there were some results, but anything that was said to Mason in Vorkuta, it was engraved in his mind. Hudson didn't know Mason's life in Virkuta fully, as he had always changed the subject when mentioned. But he had observed Mason, and took note of some concerning observations.

Mason didn't like being touched, especially when he doesn't know that someone was behind or next to him. He seemed to shrink into himself when someone other than Woods and Bell would look at him, looking nervous and...scared.

A recent incident pushed Hudson to confront Mason.

_

It was after breakfast, and Mason had volunteered to clean up after everyone. Woods seemed grateful that his chore was taken, quickly leaving the room in case Hudson or Park forced him to wash the dishes. Said woman and Sims had also left, but only to look over some intel in the former's office. Hudson sat on the old couch in the main room, skimming through his newspaper, and for a few minutes, the safehouse had settled into a calming silence. Then a scream disrupted the quiet atmosphere, and Hudson ran to the kitchen when he heard Adler curse. Bell was also quick to follow, having been watering the plants around the safehouse, and they stopped at the sight of Mason, sobbing and shaking, his arms covering his head as he was kneeling on the ground.

"What the fuck, Adler?!" Hudson shouts, about to move toward when Mason suddenly stopped crying and began moving his shaking hands to the front of Adler's pants. Bell rushed over and embraced him, whispering soothing words while sending a glare to Adler, who remained frozen.

"I, I just patted his shoulder-"

Hudson sighed, moving over to Mason and cupping his face, surprising everyone at how soft he became in a matter of seconds.

"Alex? Hey, look at me. You're safe. Adler just wanted to help you, he didn't mean to scare you." His words seemed to bring Mason out of his trance, and his eyes trailed over Hudson's shoulder and they widened when he saw that everyone was staring at him. They knew. They knew.

He fucked up.

"I...I'm sorry-"

"Why the hell are you sorry, little one?" Bell cuts him off, their eyes so full of care that it put everyone at ease, even if it was the slightest. Mason look over at them, and his eyes glossed over as he looked down at his lap.

"I, I'm worthless. I shouldn't have overreacted, I'm sorry." He made a move to stand up but Woods came over, a frown on usual tugged up lips.

"Alex...were...did..." Park realized what Woods was trying to get to and coughed, pushing away everyone but Bell.

"Mason, dear, let's go talk in my office. It's quiet in there." Mason's eyes snapped back to Bell, and Park offered a soft smile. "Bell can come too. Come on, luv." Everyone but the three watched with relief and awe as Park walked Mason to her office, her body somewhat blocking everyone's view on him. Bell did the same, their eyes piercing and they growled when Sims made a slight movement, overprotective of Mason. No one heard anything for the next few hours.

_

After that, Hudson had made it his job to make sure no one but Woods, Bell, and Park came close to Mason. Adler looked the slightest sincere as he told Hudson to tell Mason that he was sorry; which the older man agreed on but hasn't purposed to the subject yet.

Bell was always by Mason's side, taking the role of guard and mama bear, even going as far as sleeping next to Mason at night. Of course Mason was okay with it, seeking whatever comfort he can. He seemed to not be there, his eyes looking far away, those hazel beauties dark and dull. He often mumbled, and Woods was frustrated and concerned when he told Hudson that Mason was mumbling the name Reznov. Hudson turned to Park, who only briefed him on what he suspected, but the rest was confidential: and for sure Bell won't whisper a word.

So he waited, grateful his patience stretched long when it cane to Mason, but the wait was painful as Hudson realized Mason wasn't getting better. He tried talking to the other, only to be ignored. It took time, Weaver had told him years ago, and he wondered if he would patient for those years.

_

It was hard to be alone for more than a minute, with Bell basically attached to his side, and Woods watching his every move like a hawk. He knew Hudson was watching too, and whatever he had said to Park also made her approach him often, asking him questions on his wellbeing. He lied expertly, feeling caged into a corner from the attention he was receiving. He never got so much attention since Vorkuta, and it wasn't helping his case.

So when Bell moved to grab him a cup of water, he quickly and quietly ran off to his room, shutting the door and locking it. The heavy weight on his chest seemed to lift as he realized he was alone: alone and safe. His eyes inspected every part of his untouched room, landing on his small desk, the small peak of sunlight shining upon his combat knife that rested on the old wood. He took long strides over to it, rolling up his sleeves and grabbing the hard handle of the knife, his eyes inspecting the dried blood on the sharp tip of the blade. For some reason, he was hesitant to hurt himself, his eight hand shaking as he held the blade a good few inches above wrist.

"Do it. No one loves you. No one gives a fuck about you."

"Useless American pig."

"The American whore is desperate, eh? Well, I have something to give him."

No, he had to hurt himself. They won't shut up. He needs them to stop. Stop.

"Fucking useless!"

"I think he can take another."

"Who are you going to kill, little American? Yourself?"

"MASON!"

Pain flared up his face as his right hand dropped the knife, both hands raising up to touch his jaw. His eyes trailed up and he flinched at the heated look pointed down at him from Woods. His arm stung but he ignored it, but risked a glance at it and was surprised to find Bell's hands wrapped tightly around it, with a staining white cloth dividing their hands from actually touching his pale skin.

"F-frank?" He whispers, angry when he felt tears burn his eyes. He flinched again when Woods placed a hand under his chin and gently raised his head, their eyes meeting. Woods' dark gaze softened and Mason let out a sob, letting his best friend embrace him. "I fucking hate myself..."

"Can't you see, Alex?" Woods pulled away and moved to the side, revealing the rest of the crew waiting by the door, concern itched across their features. Mason refused to believe it, they couldn't care about him. He didn't deserve it.

Seeming to know what Mason was thinking, Woods cupped his face and forced him to look at him, eyes so soft that it made Mason's heart clench.

"Open your eyes, sweetheart. We love you. We care about you. You aren't alone."

The room fell silent until Mason looked at his friends, his lips quivering as he let himself feel weak. He had strong guardians to keep him safe. He didn't have to hide no more.

"Woods. Hudson. I, I need help."

And those words would change Alex Mason's life, and shine a light upon the dark tunnel he had been stuck in.

[scroll-of-thought]

How would you go about doing a jar spell?

First of all, sorry it took me like a week to answer this one. I’ve been super busy with work and took some time away from tumblr to focus on that.

That is a pretty open ended question, because there are a lot of different types of jar spells and a lot of different ways to do them based on what you're trying to do.

I guess there's a bit of a common method I'd use between all types of jar spells, so we'll go over that and then maybe I'll give some examples.

So first you're going to need an appropriate jar. You can use anything from a new mason jar to a recycled food jar, and if it has some meaning behind it that can be related to the spell, that's even better.

Then I'd gather things to go in the jar. This varies dramatically based on the type of spell, but most will use a combination of ingredients like herbs,spices, liquids or objects.

The next thing is some kind of taglock, like a personal item, picture, hair, etc. of the person the jar is intended to affect.

I might also grab a candle, as a lot of spells call to finish the spell off by burning a candle on top of the jar for various reasons. If I'm doing so, I use the time of the candle burning to meditate on the purpose of the spell, or work in some final details of the spell.

Those are just common things used across many types of spell jars, but like I said before, there's a lot of different ways to do them, and aside from the common parts, there's a lot of stuff I'll use that's specific to the spell.

So here's a couple examples I've done.

The classic witch bottle is a spell used to act as a decoy, attracting negative magic and spirits to it, rather than you. Typically it's just a jar that has a taglock of something related to you (often something dead and discarded, like hair, nail clippings, dead skin, other nasty stuff you would throw away of flush down a toilet). After the taglock is in the jar you cut ties with it, so it's no longer part of you and negativity that finds the taglock can't find their way back to you. there's a bunch of way to do this, I created a ritual that involves visualizing a cord tying the object to you and then cutting it ritualistically (and I'm sure other's have made similar spells). Once the taglock is no longer actually a taglock tied to you, you tell it that it is a decoy to attract and trick anything negative targeting you. Fill the jar with sharp things like nails and broken glass, surrounding the taglock, maybe some apotropaic spices or objects. Put it somewhere safe near your front door. Traditionally their buried by the front door, but a lot of people don't like the idea of burying glass, so a good alternative is sticking it in a flower pot, or just stashing it in a place where it won't be disturbed. The idea behind this spell is that any negativity looking for you will find the decoy first and it'll have a hell of a time getting to it through all the nails and nasty stuff in the jar, hurting and deterring itself or the person attacking you in the process.

The next one is a sweetening jar I did for a client right before the pandemic. Disclaimer, this is far from my specialty, and I told the client up front that I don't do love spells, and this spell would be more geared towards rekindling fond memories between the client and their ex, within the possibility of the ex being open to those thoughts to begin with. Also the spell was kinda botched because the client forgot a taglock, and I don't think it worked, regardless. But in theory, this spell would have worked if things had gone as planned, and a pandemic didn't hit the next month, isolating both the client and their ex.

I started this spell by having the client help me prepare a petition stating that "the target will remember the good times that were shared between them and the client" and a few other details for moral and mechanical stuff. This petition can be placed under or inside the jar. Next we add some honey and other sweet ingredients along with a taglock of the person we want to be sweetened. This specific spell was to bring back some sweet memories before their mutual breakup, so items related to memories they shared were put in there. I also had the client whisper their intentions and a message just for the target into the jar, before closing it and sealing it with a candle. While the candle burned I wove a Memento Cord for them, where they told me stories of how they met and other happy moments in their relationship. I wove those thoughts and memories into the cord, as I explain how to do in that post, and tied it around the jar, letting the remaining candle wax seal it to the jar. After that he took it home and every once in a while he’d turn the jar over and mix it up. for jars like this that are active, it’s often said that you have to work the jar. Mix it, stir it, the motion of working it keeps the spell working.

Like I said, jar spells are pretty far from my specialty, but that’s a couple I’ve done in the past. Hope this gave you some insight, but I suggest asking some other witches for their personal ways they do jar spells.

[moiraineswife]

I am all aboard the Shadowgast hype train BELIEVE ME. But I feel like we’re all missing out on an absolute GOLD MINE of potential canon hilarity and that is: 

Caduceus and Essek interacting more. 

No but think about it, think about it: 

Essek: long, detailed explanation of gravity, dunamancy, and how magic that bends the fabric of the world and the nature of the universe is dangeorus, and should be treated with great caution.  Cad, who has absolutely Not been listening: hey, did you know there’s a type of moss that smells like decay but tastes like strawberries?  Essek: *does not know what to do with this* 

Caduceus: *wordlessly hands Essek a large bowl of stew the next time he comes to the Xhorhaus*  Essek: Thank you, but I did not ask for anything to eat?  Cad: I just figured you were looking kinda peaky. Don’t work too hard now, Mister Shadowhand. And eat that while it’s still hot.  Essek: *does not know wha to do with this*

Essek: With the beacons, we have pioneered and perfected immortality. We preserve the knowledge of ages, and can learn constantly from our pasts and our mistakes. We have discovered how to transcend death.  Cad, cheerfully: But the worms are still going to feast on you eventually.  Essek: I....  Cad, still cheerful: You can’t stop nature. Doesn’t matter how smart you think you are, she’ll make sure you get turned to mulch eventually. That’s just how things are.  Essek: *does not know what to do with this* 

Essek, desperate to have one (1) normal conversation with Caduceus: This herbal tea is very refreshing, thank you. Cad: Oh yeah, that’s from the Mason’s. They were all brutally murdered about fifty years ago because of some really unpopular political decisions. They make really good tea, though. I guess their loss is your gain, huh?  Essek: *does not know what to do with this* 

Cad: *approaches Essek*  Essek: Fear Cad: I just wanted to say thanks for, you know, getting us where we need to go. You’ve been really patient with us, and I appreciate that.  Essek, relaxing: Thank you, Mister Clay. You are quite welcome. It is my pleasure to serve, after all.  Cad: Yeah. You’re a good egg. *pats him on the head and walks away*  Essek: *does not know what to do with this* 

Cad: says one of those really deep, really profound things that he comes away with every now and then  Essek: *does not know what to do with this* 

Cad, spotting Essek glancing at Caleb every now and then: Be gentle with him whenever it finally happens, alright?  Essek: I don’t know what you mean.  Cad: Sure you do.  Essek: I...Have no intention of being rough with anyone.  Cad: ‘Course you don’t. But he’s had a hard time in the past. So have you. Be gentle with the both of you.  Essek: *does not know what to do with this* 

Cad: is at Essek’s place, chatting casually with his pristine house plants Essek: Can I help you with anything, Mister Clay?  Cad: Oh no, no, I’m great. They’re really good conversationalists, you know.  Essek, Peak Sarcasm: Oh I know. Wonderful listeners. I talk to them every night about how my day has been.  Cad, completely serious: Oh, I know. They told me.  Essek: *blinks*  Cad: They also said to let you know you’re doing a great job, and they’re really happy here with you. But they wish you’d come home early from work every now and then. They think you work too hard.  Essek: *blinks more*  Cad: *pats him on the shoulder* They’re probably right, you know. You can always trust a plant to give you good advice.  Essek: *does not know what to do with this* 

JUST. GIVE ME CADUCEUS JUST EXISTING IN GENERAL AND ESSEK CONSTANTLY BEING FLUMMOXED BY HIM AND JUST HAVING NO IDEA HOW TO HANDLE THIS GIANT COW MAN. 

Especially bc Cad is doing this deliberately bc he feels Essek should have his feathers ruffled every now and then. It’s good for him. 

[iwanttobeyourwonderwoman]

I can barely breathe when you are near.

I’m just gonna say I totally loved the show. Mad love. 

And in case you haven’t figure it out yet, or watched the show to get it, I’m talking about Ginny and Georgia. 

So many important topics touched on so many feelings and oh so many love triangles.

So join me as i dissect the whole show hehe .

Alright basic plot-

Young single mom Georgia and her teenage daughter Ginny, and younger son Austin, are always on the road and have now moved across the country to the small town of Wellsbury, Massachusetts from Texas, where they encounter a whole load of quirky characters. Ginny, who never had friends, slowly starts fitting in with the popular sophomores, mainly her neighbour Maxine, who also has a twin brother Marcus while Georgia befriends their mother Ellen. The series follows their attempts and struggles of fitting in with the town, all while developing their own love triangles (square in Georgia’s case). And the best part is, the unfolding of Georgia’s dark past filled with teen mom struggles and a little bit of murder mystery as to how she has gotten to where she is now. 

Teen mom and daughter combo again? Been there done that!

Well yes, as everyone compares it to Gilmore Girls (my personal favourite show ever) here are some similarities and differences as well as other show references.

*SPOILERS!!

It does explore that close relationship that Ginny and Georgia have, but obviously the kind of bond that Rory and Lorelai had were a lot stronger and had their own personal quirks and wit. There were often rifts in G&G’s relationship caused by the secrets of Georgia’s past as well as Ginny feeling inferior to her own mother in terms of looks and her ability to be a chameleon to fit in anywhere. Rory was more focused on her grades and was comfortable just having her few friends. Ginny on the other hand wanted to be liked and wanted to fit in with her school friends and eventually becomes part of MANG and the boys. And in the case of the mothers, Lorelai focused on raising Rory and worked her way up to eventually owning her own Inn while Georgia snuck and tiptoed her way around swindling money wherever she could but all in the best intentions of her kids more than herself, desperate to give her kids the life she never had. 

Also in a way I feel like this is also similar to Jane the Virgin except of course Jane’s character is older, but if you take the standpoint of the mother-daughter relationship and love triangle(Jane/Rafael/Michael) as well as a little psychotic Murder mystery Petra vibes.

, I feel like G&G is a good mix of Gilmore and JTV.

When it comes to love interests, Ginny was stuck between boyfriend Hunter and neighbour Marcus. Sweet, innocent Hunter (my favourite character in the whole series because if you know me you’d know I’m a hopeless romantic) was pretty much Dean to Rory, while cool skater and stoner guy Marcus was Jess. And honestly I see a similar trend here where most people are Team Jess/Marcus whereas I’m team Dean/Hunter for the main fact that Dean and Hunter both treated the girls really good and I like that. 

Georgia, as I mentioned was more of in a love square than a triangle, because why the hell not right? There’s Joe, the owner of the cafe where everyone spends most of their time, then there’s Mayor Paul, who Georgia pushes her way to work for to get on his good side. And then of course, Zion, Ginny’s father. Sounds a lot like Luke, Jason and Christopher doesn’t it. I love that Joe had a more interesting and different story, where it was depicted in the flashback scene where homeless young Georgia, just found out she was pregnant at a gas station and comes out to a crowd of high schoolers, which is when she meets Joe. She says to him  “I’ll look you up if I’m ever in Wellsbury” Joe was already attracted to her as a teenager and doesn’t realise it’s the same Georgia he met years ago till the last episode whereas Georgia has known all this while. I don’t know about you but I feel like now Georgia has the funds to move to somewhere she aspired to be, where she knows her kids will get the best and where she received “a sandwich and a pair of raybans that changed my life” Also let me just add that Raymond Ablack (Joe) is INCREDIBLY HOT.

Moving on to Paul, Georgia is attracted to him but there is that underlying greed because Paul can provide her stability and security and power. And that is when she will finally feel like she has achieved wheat she needs to. Towards the end, she almost chooses Zion because of her deep affection for him as ‘her penguin’ as she refers to him as. Being with Zion also means she can let her guard down and relax a little, and obviously is a great father to Ginny and even Austin who isn’t even his biologically. Which also makes both guys equally good contenders for Georgia. 

Another thing I love about the show is MANG. Their friendship is real, it’s not just Abby and Norah accepting Ginny because of Max. Yes Abby did throw her under the bus in the beginning but they soon became really close and never singled her out after the shoplifting incident. It wasn’t a whole case of Regina George and the plastics all over again. They didn’t care that she was different. 

So I feel like Abby is a very interesting character also. I read that her character was created based on a friend of the writer. So abby puts up a very strong front when actually she is feeling quite distraught from her parents ongoing divorce as well as her own issues with body image. Abby is very petite but still is not satisfied with her body so she tapes her thighs to make them look smaller and wear tight jeans so that she can look slimmer. I the Halloween episode, Press even calls her “whale legs” and she obviously gets upset and you can see it affects her because she’s striving for such a perfect image all the time but also I feel like she has a thing for Press so that really messes her up. You can also see she does get a little jealous of Ginny and Max’s friendship but that’s mainly because she feels lonely and unheard and she ends off being estranged from Norah and Max feeling like her whole world crumbled. I really hope MANG gets to patch up. They were the ideal friend group along with the guys.

“Oppression Olympics, let’s go.”

I don’t know guys, this line really stood out to me.

Basically this is the scene in episode 8 where Ginny and Hunter argue about racism and why Ginny deserved to win that writing contest with her unique style (girl used slam poetry for goodness sake that essay was amazing!!??) But Hunter won and he is clearly the favourite of their teacher. He talks about how he is half Taiwanese and the Asian stereotypes he faces here as well as the White remarks he gets from the Asian side of his family. Ginny too says she can’t fit in because she is half Black and how this town had a very small black population and people are not sure how to look at her. I feel like touching on these topics of race was really vital to not only the show but to the actors as well. From the bts, I read that Antonia (Ginny) and Mason (Hunter) were in a room with the writer and jus spoke about the kind of remarks they have personally faced which helped develop the argument scene because it was so real and raw and quite upsetting to watch. It’s something very relatable to the audience which also just amplified that whole episode overall. 

I mentioned earlier my favourite character is Hunter. I admit I have a major crush on both the actor and the fictional character. Ok so I think Hunter was a great character, a very good boyfriend too, I mean look at the way he cared for Ginny, supported her, just that unfortunately she was more attracted to Marcus in the end but also that ugly oppression olympics fight just gave his character more depth to show that Hunter wasn’t as perfect as he seemed. I think girls watching the show deserved to see what a good guy looked like. He was smart, in a band, a very caring boyfriend, popular but not cocky. If you compare to let’s say the character if Peter Kavinsky, I think Hunter made a better boyfriend. DO i also think Kavinsky is a damn dream boat? Of course I do. but then again, I thought John Ambrose was a much better guy in the TATB series. Kavinsky was originally dating another girl before the whole fake couple thing started. Whereas going back to Hunter, he already admired Ginny from the first episode and stayed truly respectful until the end of the show. And that’s something girls should see and aspire to have.

Yes I loved the song I loved the fact that he sang it for her, I am such a hopeless romantic and I absolutely hate that poor Hunter/Mason has been getting a lot of backlash for the song/character. I’ve rewatched a lot of the Hunter/Ginny scenes multiple times just because. Hunter was a good guy. Period. 

So looking forward, I think a lot of important topics were touched in this show, slightly different from let’s say 13 Reasons Why, and I hope that they can continue to delve into those stories such as racism,self harm, body image and so on which really hit home for me. Important discussion topics, important for kids to see like oh hey this character is kinda like me, and if they are facing these issues, how can they get through it?

Also I need answers to all my questions - Where did Ginny go? How does Georgia get away with everything? Will MANG get back together? Does Abby have a deeper story to tell? Do Marcus and Ginny end up together? AND WHAT ABOUT MY POOR BBY HUNTER??? Lots of unanswered questions, lots of stories to dig deeper into, and so many secrets. I loved the mother l-daughter relationship, the same way I loved Lorelai and Rory’s relationship too.

I obviously totally enjoyed the show, I’ve recommended it to many friends and I hope they enjoy it as much as I do, and get more people on my Hunter Chen bandwagon hahahaha! Let’s hope for a season 2!!

Another super long post, finally done. I can move on to watching other shows now (and still constantly wish I too had cool stuff like Sophomore sleepover)

Hate you, kidding! Love you, mean it!

(just gonna leave these here because why not????)

[bottlecapbaby]

Touchy Subject| Gage/SoSu

Pairing: Porter Gage/Fem!Sole Survivor

word count: 1432 

Summary: Gage doesn’t like being touched. But he’s starting to want to make an exception.

Sole was an intimate person by nature. Despite all her ruthlessness and capacity for sustained cruelty, she could be damn near cuddly. Probably too cuddly for her own good, too. Just another of the many traits working against her and her reputation as Overboss. 

The first time she touched Gage, it felt like ice water had been dumped all over him. And not in the poolside summer fun way, where he was in his swim trunks and totally ready. This was in the ‘he opened the door and the bucket precariously placed on the door fell over and soaked him, his favorite shirt, and all the shit in his pockets’ kind of way. One touch to his forearm and he was holding back a straight up scowl. Needless to say, Gage did not like to be touched.

And she read that, awkwardly withdrawing, leaving the heat from her soft palm behind. The touches did not come for a while after. At the time, he was thankful for it, despite the little tug he felt deep inside his blackened heart whenever he saw her wrist flinch backwards as she caught herself. 

Sometimes, Sole would leave. That’s just the way it was, everyone has their own shit to deal with, no one minded. She was never gone for too long, and compared to Colter’s entire year of doing fuck all, she packed enough action in Nuka-World to last the next decade. Sometimes, when she came back, there’d be some dog on her heels. Sometimes literally. 

The Irish brawler. The wide-eyed French medic. The mouthy reporter. The grouchy merc. A fucking super mutant. 

That last one got her some major reputation points. She even let him in on some of the Pack’s cage matches, where he literally tore apart the competition. 

But no matter who she brought, she was draped all over them for the whole visit. She kept her legs over Piper’s lap while they chatted on the couch. Linked arms with Curie on every elevator ride. Slung her arm around MacCready’s shoulder, and surprisingly he didn’t seem to mind. Even Strong was guided everywhere by the hand. And goddamn if Gage wasn’t starting to feel a little left out. The last time he was touched in a positive way from outside of the context of a casual fuck with some jet-fueled raider chick was… Well, it was that touch from Sole. And before that, his parents. Which left a pretty big gap he hadn’t really bothered to process before. 

Gage. Well known cyclops, tough ass, and manipulator, touch starved after a little touch on the forearm from the boss. Unbelievable. 

—————

Another park down, Safari Adventure, and it had gone to the pack. As if Sole needed any more brownie points from Mason. But how could she not give it to them? Animals were their whole thing, after all. She went straight to the Amphitheater upon their return. The flag had sent the news ahead of time, even if no one admitted that they waited with baited breath to see it raised after she and Gage had been out for a while.

 But she liked to inform the leaders personally. To be polite, to flex that she could do what none of their dumbasses could manage in a whole year in just a few days, or to demand respect and tribute, he did not know. The Pack celebrated her arrival. Gage was largely ignored, but he was fine with that. That was the price he paid for being the right hand man instead of the boss, and he didn’t like to be fussed over anyhow. 

But Mason. That son-of-a-bitch Mason. He got up to see her. Approached her almost tenderly, his form towering over hers. Confidently, but with measured caution, he laid his hands to grasp her shoulders. He leaned in, and she followed. Their foreheads touched, and in theory that may not sound so bad, but right then? It looked like the most important thing in the world. Like they’d established a complete link— total understanding. He lowered a yao guai necklace over her head, one not unlike his own, and that was intentional; it showed her complete acceptance from the Alpha, and therefore, the rest of the Pack. 

“Y’done good by us, Overboss. Kept your promises, and the promises made before you. The Pack thanks you. Now, everyone? Go fuckin’ wild!”

Mason let her sit on his throne— which kinda dwarfed her, by the way— while he sat on the arm. They watched the revelry, sneaking snide remarks to one another which Gage couldn’t hear from where he stood (nearby, but not crowding). The Alpha kept his hand on her shoulder, shooting the older raider a challenging leer. Gage glowered back, against his better judgement. 

When Mason went off to micromanage or whatever the fuck, she called him over. Clearly she didn’t want to yell, but did want to be heard over the noise of the party. Something in him fluttered at the excitement in her voice, which she never bothered to contain. Something about the way she said his name just made it sound a bit better than he’d ever heard it from anyone else. 

He took a knee. So she wouldn’t have to yell, given that he was already much taller than her and her stature had been further reduced in a seated position. He had found himself doing thoughtful shit like that for her, things he’d rather have dropped dead than do for Colter. Something about her made pretty much everyone around want to try a little harder, and he was no exception.

“What’s up, boss?” 

“Thanks for sticking around. Don’t know what I’d do if I was alone out here. You’re not too bored, are you?”

And there she was, being all thoughtful n’ shit when it came to him. He chewed on those words a little more. Surrounded by the Pack, in spitting distance of Mason, she’d be alone, but with Gage right there, she wasn’t? Fuck if that didn’t make him feel an alarming amount of special. The kind of special that gives a man ideas. Makes a man wanna act up. 

“Nah boss, don’t worry about me. I’ve sat through worse. Next time you’re at a disciple party I might have to abandon you, though.”

She giggled. Clear as a bell. She didn’t laugh a lot in public, and he could see why. She had a kiddie kinda laugh when she was really tickled by something. It made him smile every time. Then, her arm moved and her wrist twitched backwards in that telltale way. She was thinkin’ about touching him. And again, maybe against his better judgment, he spoke up. 

“S’okay, boss. You can touch me if you wanna.”

God, had he dreamed of saying that, but never in his imagination did it sound so stupid. The raider cringed inwardly at his own voice. Goddamnit, he was getting soft. She was making him get that way. And he couldn’t bring himself to dislike it. 

“Really? I mean. I do, but I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable, Gage. Even if I’m your boss, there can be boundaries.”

Sole interpreted the strain in his voice for discomfort with the idea, and for that she worried about him. Just like always; she was always thinking of him and his comfort. There was that little uninhibited twinge of excitement when she said ‘really?’ that was about to fucking end him. On top of that, she said his name again in that sweet, comforting way. He didn’t stand a chance. 

“I mean it, Sole. I mean it,” he all but sighed, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He only used her name like that to make points and be personal, which was seldom. 

She put her hand on the forearm he had resting on the armrest of the chair. Her hand slid its way, slowly, with her hypersensitive to any discomfort. Gage felt like he had to hold his fucking breath, or everything would disappear. It would all end. Her fingertips reached his wrist. He took a chance. 

He uncurled his fingers, and moved to face his palm upwards. Probably the most open body language he’d displayed in years. Her nails tickled him just slightly as her hand continued up his palm, leaving electricity in their wake. Her fingers slid perfectly into the gaps between his. Or at least, that’s how it felt. He mirrored her actions. 

They held hands. 

And honestly? It was more intense and emotional and intimate than anything he’d had before. 

[utterlyinevitable]

Dreams

a super sweet but very sad-rated mason dream i had retold to @withbeautyandrage​ and @angela8754​ as a bedtime story. 

Ok so BASICALLY it’s some time near-romance and m hasn’t figured out his feelings yet and basically bakery 2.0 happened. 

Lia had enough of his b.s. and pulled away - cutting the playboy off for good - to live her life. Go with the flow. Not spare another stupid moment for a stupid boy ever again. 

While Lia and Mason were having their tiff over the course of a week and ignoring one another at all costs (on Lia’s part. Mason was being Mason and only turning up when he was ordered to), the dogs were in town to deal with the whatever that’s lurking around Wayhaven in addition to all this bounty/trapper/rogue shit. 

Lia is at the local watering hole after a very tedious day. Sitting at the bar nursing her second drink when a familiar presence - a warmth attacking her like a radiating furnace. 

“Detective,” he says with a nod and a point to the bartender for a drink. 

She turned to her right to see Tane. 

Her brows furrowed and she expertly scanned the rest of the premise for the rest of Unit Alpha. Not a single dog in sight. Just Tane. 

He took the seat next to her without asking. 

“What’re you doing here?” 

“What, you think they keep us in cages?” 

Lia had a rueful smile; “Kinda, yeah.” 

They talk and talk and get on well with their shameless banter. and eventually he asks, “What’s going on between you and dark and smoky? That thing still happening?” 

Lia scoffs so LOUDLY then says with the slightest shake of her head before taking a loooong sip, “Absolutely nothing.”

Tane raises an eyebrow. 

All she responds is, “You’ve met Mason.”

And he kinda understands.

They talk and talk some more, and the alcohol hits her but she stops after 3 - girl knows her limits. And Tane’s actually kinda cool?? 

Ok so yadda ya he walks her back to her place after last call and they hook up. 

A few days later UB, Lia and the dogs are holed up at the facility for a briefing. It went well - if you take away the utter distain and contempt coming from Adam about giving UA this job while UB focuses on their ongoing case. 

UA were the first to depart after the meeting. Before leaving Tane crosses the distance and gets all up in Lia’s personal space. Not in a creepy way, but a delicate, for-your-ears-only kinda way that has the remaining members of UB watching intently. 

His words certainly were not delicate. The were blunt and to the point though they were said in his low, raspy accent, “If you wanna go for round two come find me.” 

He kissed her cheek then turned on his heels. 

And Mason over in his dark corner by the door snarls HARD. Stares at them. Then storms out of the room before either could fully acknowledge his reaction.

Hours later she’s sitting in the living room of the warehouse reading all alone. Due to the looming danger, she’s been put on lockdown here until the dogs’ finish their mission. Mason ever-so-quietly enters and slumps next to her. Just enough space between them not to touch but still closer than they’ve been in a while. 

Neither says anything. 

Mason’s watching her out the corner of his eye and she’s trying to ignore him. Eventually he speaks uncharacteristically softly; “Are we good?” His hand resting on the leather next to her aching to reach out. He has to ball it into a white-knuckled fist to fend off the offending urge. 

She closes the book and huffs. 

(I don’t remember what happened next) They talked. They said things they needed to say. She got so so angry and so did he but he refused to let the emotion consume him. Lia was ready to walk away for good - prepared to do so. But then... but then they kiss. and he pulls her on his lap in an instant to deepen it. he doesn’t understand why he’s missed this - her so much. and gosh they’re so desperate for one another. 

Mason uses the leverage to hike her up his torso to stand and carry her to her room without breaking the moment.

The second her bedroom door shuts behind them they waste no time disrobing one another. 

Then they’re buck naked. 

She’s sitting at the edge of the bed invitingly, ready, and he’s standing before between her legs. Mason’s eyes are dark and half-lidded and he’s somehow in a trance because he says something she wasn’t meant to know and he wasn’t aware was within him; 

“mine.”

It was said like a fact the whole universe knew, uttered so softly that if he wasn’t two inches away her normal human hearing would have missed it. 

Lia brushed it off. Not bothering to think further into it - Mason always says some sort of compliment every time she’s on full display. 

So they’re doing the do for what feels like forever - certainly the longest they’ve ever been romping around. Now she’s on top and he’s looking up at her with those entranced grey eyes again. and this time says in his soft voice like earlier, he says “you’re so beautiful” as his hand comes up to cup her cheek. 

And Lia stops. Breathing first. Then all motions. And just looks at him. 

Sooo many emotions swirling in them and around them. 

And Mason holds his breath thinking he’s fucked up again and ruined this for good. He’s waiting for her to pull the trigger. 

But her fingers wrap gently around his wrist and she nuzzles further into his hand.

Nsfw things are said in between and done. And at one point she begs/demands Mason to stop makin loveee and to just fuck her because all this unwarranted tenderness is making her emotional and she’s fucking over all this shit. she wants to get off and get off him. 

When they’re done she immediately gets up and heads for the shower. No cuddling much to masons chagrin :( 

so he gets dressed slowly. Listening to her beyond the wall. 

And she’s crying. 

And he’s confused and his chest hurts because of her sobs. But he’ll let her have her moment obviously not wanting to intrude on her space.

So he’s halfway out the door and a cigarette in his lips when Nate passes, giving him a half hearted smile but reserved because of how forlorn mason looks.

“Everything okay”

“I don’t fucking know”

“What’d you say?” Nate says all too knowingly.

Mason takes a few beats trying to remember if he did actually say anything offensive, eyes glued to the floor and hands shoved in his jean pockets, “That she’s beautiful.”

Nates brows furrow.

“Now she’s crying in the shower”

“Well... if I were you, I’d make sure she’s okay. Be there for her”

Mason looks like Nate has just said the dumbest thing imaginable but turns back around into the room and shuts the door. He puts his cig in the bin and heads into the bathroom all be damned and thank god it’s unlocked.

She’s sitting naked on the expensive tiled floor and doesn’t give him a glance. Mason bounds over, sits next to her under the stream fully clothed and wraps his arms around her pulling her into his chest as she cries. For many many minutes. And he just holds her. 

When the water starts to turn icy on his sensitive skin he turns it off and pulls her up to her feet, wrapping a plush luxury towel around her and guiding her into the warmth of her bedroom. She seems to be more with it now and steps away from him, tugging the towel around her tighter to give her strength.

Mason raises a brow to ask her what’s up.

She sighs and looks everywhere but at him.

“Sweetheart,” he practically begs.

“I can’t do this”

“Do what?”

She gestures around the bedroom where everything’s in the mess they made “This!”

He’s still not getting it.

“I like you so fucking much. I can’t do this if you’re gonna say those things and it mean nothing but bedroom talk to get me off.”

He lets her words sink in and swirl around a bit. He still doesn’t fully get it but he gets that feelings can change and that this is a two-way street, so he says “Okay.”

“Ok” she replies. 

Their eyes meet so briefly. She’s trying to stay strong and keep a bit of space between them. He’s seemingly unbothered, his eyes giving nothing away. Not letting her know his inner turmoil of why his skin is itching but not in the hypersensitive way or why he said those things in the first place or why he feels like he needs some fucking air even though he doesn’t need oxygen to survive.  

Lia points a lazy finger to the door, “I need to get dressed.”

Mason nods and leaves without another word.

He closed her door when Felix beams from his doorway across the hall, “You two are back together! Wait- why are you wet?” 

Mason shakes his head and gets as far away as he can.

The end.

[cassandras-blogg]

"Swallowing Courage”

(Danny Wagner X Sam Kiszka)

CHAPTER THREE - THE EPIPHANY Author's Note: VERY sorry it took so long, I have been super busy but here we go! Comment, tell me what you think. Warnings: Dry humping, intense touching, some sex talk, denial of sexuality (a reoccurring theme in this story).

Danny had asked Sam to come over earlier when he was high on endorphins and dopamine from the experimental kissing. The words "Why don't you come over later?" came from a place inside of him that he still did not understand. He sighed and sat down in his living room and began to contemplate different ideas of how he could ditch Sam or convince him today was not a good day to come over. Then the possibilities of what could happen if Sam came over later began to surface in his mind. Considering these possibilities quickly turned into fantasizing about Sam's lips and his kisses. Danny knew he wanted more, but he was trying his hardest not to think about it. There was no time for daydreaming about Sam, no time to be indecisive, especially if he was actually going to be seeing him within an hour. At this point, he felt that there was no going back, even if he did decide to cancel on Sam he knew he would have to face this feeling eventually. Danny decided to take an extra long shower so he could make sure he was completely clean. He left the conditioner in his hair for longer than usual and took his time rinsing the top layer of his skin. Once he became used to the temperature of the water he twisted the shower handle and made the water warmer. The heat irritated the blisters that were already on his hands which created a new burning sensation. After that Danny decided enough was enough and turned off the water. He attempted to soothe the pain in his hands with cheap lotion and a few liquid Advil’s he found in on his desk. Danny noticed the scattered mess on his desk and became very aware of how messy his room looked. After taking in the scenery, he started to pick up all the laundry off of his floor. Then he began to pick up anything random like chargers, papers, shoes, and bracelets he had on the ground. Danny shoved most of this stuff in the closet or under his bed so the mess could be out of sight.

”Danny! Get down here.” Mrs. Wagner called from downstairs. ”Coming.” Danny answered. He took one last look in the mirror and then he quickly made his way down the stairs.

“Sam was at the door.” Mrs. Wagner sighed. His heart stopped, Sam decided to come by earlier than expected. ”Good-Oh wait, was? Where is he now?” Danny asked. ”Gone. Your friends can’t just come over whenever they want. Your grades have been dropping, and you need to bring them up. I’m really being serious about that. I told Sam he can come another day.” Mrs. Wagner replied. Danny wanted to argue with his mom but he knew this was going to be a losing battle. ”Okay. I’m sorry.” Danny said turning around ready to go back up the stairs. ”Seriously. Get your grades up, Danny. You really need to stop slacking. It’s your last year of high school. Then it’s all over!” Mrs. Wagner said. Danny didn’t bother replying to her because he has heard her say this countless times in the past few weeks. This was unusual because Danny usually had great grades. This year was a different story. He really wanted to have the motivation to care about school, but he just couldn’t bring himself to complete assignments lately. Once Danny made it back up the stairs he stood in the door of his room and stared at his newly cleaned space. He climbed into his bed and grabbed his phone, preparing to text Sam his own explanation. Then he heard a knock at his window. He practically rolled off the bed and then lifted his head and saw Sam kneeled behind the window with a plastic bag on his shoulder. Danny quietly slid his window open and Sam swung one leg into his room. He put all of his weight onto this one leg, which knocked over a cup of pens on Danny’s desk.

”Shhh!” Danny whispered and glanced up at Sam with wide eyes. “Here I’ll help you. Give me your hand.”

“I’m sorry.” Sam squinted his eyes and clenched his teeth. Then grabbed Danny’s hand and quietly finished climbing his way into the room. Danny immediately knew something was wrong because the texture of Sam’s hand felt different. He looked down and unclasped their hands and saw a few uneven cuts over the palm of Sam’s hand. Looking at his own hand he saw little specks of Sam’s blood on his palm. His eyes trailed up to Sam’s wrist and his arms and he saw that there were bright red jagged cuts over his arms and a few on his legs.

”What happened to you?” Danny gasped. Sam’s skin looking ruined like that left him in disbelief. It was usually super smooth and flawless, now it was covered in red scratches. ”Oh. Well. I wanted to get you this Aloe Vera plant, for helping your hands heal. It is an indoor-grown plant, I stole it from my neighbors because they are on vacation skiing or something. But there is this fence in front of their house, and well to get the plant I had to climb through a barbed-wire fence.” Sam explained putting his arms out exposing all the scratches and cuts from the fence. ”Why did you do that?? You could have gotten me this bottled at the store!” ”That stuff in the store is fake Danny. Fresh Aloe vera is better, it's hard to find in the winter so I took the opportunity to steal it for you. Like I said I uh, thought the gel from the plant would help the swelling and the redness in your hands. I extracted the gel and put it in this.” Sam said pulling out a small mason jar from the plastic bag that he brought. Danny and no words. Sam went through all that pain and discomfort just to get him this plant.

”These cuts could get infected. You seriously hurt yourself Sam. You didn’t have to do this. Don’t ever do something like this for me ever again.” Danny said placing his hands on Sam's shoulders. ”It’s only little scratches. I swear I’m okay. Are you seriously mad at me?” Sam asked. Danny was a little bit mad at Sam because he hurt himself. At the same time, his heart felt overwhelmed with warmth and his mind was consumed with admiration for Sam. ”I'm just mad that you got hurt.” Danny said. ”I’m alright, I didn’t mean to get hurt but I sorta stumbled across the fence. It only hurts a little bit, but I will be okay. I’m not a baby.” Sam said. Danny looked at Sam’s arms again and his stomach felt uneasy. Then he stood up and walked to his bathroom without saying a word. There he gathered rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, band-aids, and a warm face towel. Once Danny finished assembling his first aid kit, he walked over to Sam and sat his supplies down next to him.

”Oh fuck that.” Sam said backing away from Danny. ”What?” Danny asked. ”That rubbing alcohol is gonna fucking burn! These cuts are fresh.” Sam gasped. ”We have to clean it. Come on! Now you are acting like a baby. Please?” Danny tried to tease but his serious pleading tone overpowered his attempt to tease. ”Really? Ugh. This sucks. You suck.” Sam complained and hesitated before he moved closer to Danny’s side. ”How about next time don’t go around stealing random shit for me that I don’t need.” Danny said pressing the alcohol-soaked cotton to Sam’s skin. ”AHH- IT - It wasn’t random! And you do need it! Stop, ouch! It hurts Danny, it feels painful and not in a good way.” Sam said pulling his arm away. ”Not in a good way? When does pain ever feel good?” Danny questioned while continuing to clean Sam’s wounds. ”Well uh, during sex it can feel good sometimes. Not like serious physical pain. More like when a guy slaps your ass hard or pulls your hair. It hurts a little bit at first but in the end it's fucking amazing.” Sam said maintaining his eye contact with Danny. Danny could not believe where this conversation was going. He had never talked about his sexual encounters with other guys before. Maybe he thought Danny wouldn't want to hear about it, but the reality was that Danny was incredibly fascinated and it was starting to turn him on.

”Okay. I see. When did you find out what you're into sexually? With guys?” Danny asked looking away from Sam while continuing to clean his wounds. ”After my first time I guess, it could have really gone bad. But it didn't, he really wanted to explore with me and make sure I found out what I liked before we moved forward. Kinda like what I'm doing with you. I’m getting with you because I don't want you to get with some random guy who doesn't give a shit about what you want in bed.” Sam said. Danny immediately stopped touching Sam’s arm and locked eyes with him once again. ”I am not having sex with you.” Danny whispered loudly. He really wanted to shout, but before he did that he remembered that his parents would hear. ”You said you wanted to ”explore” Danny. That word suggests that you were thinking of having sex eventually.” Sam shrugged. ”No. No! It means like kissing, touching, and maybe like a handjob but that's as far as I'm willing to go.” Danny said. 

He couldn't believe how far Sam was willing to go with him. Sam had just completely thrown Danny’s original intentions of exploring out the window and opened up a new rooftop of possibilities.

”Wow. So by the end of all this, ”maybe a handjob” is gonna be our grand finale? How epic.” Sam said. He held back a laugh and laid his head down on Danny’s pillow. ”Don’t lay down. I’m not done.” Danny said pressing the warm washcloth over Sam’s sensitive skin. ”It’s good enough. I'm good. Now your turn. I didn’t steal this for nothing.” Sam said reaching for the aloe vera again and breaking it open. He scooped up the gel on his fingers and smoothed it over Danny’s blistered hands. Sam’s touches were very gentle. He effortlessly glided his hands over Danny’s with the soothing gel. Taking his time moving from the back of his hand to the palm of his hands. Danny's breathing quickly became irregular. He became noticeably flustered and almost went into fight or flight mode, but he stayed put underneath Sam's touch.. Once this feeling became too much to handle, Danny quickly looked at Sam’s arms interrupted with, ”I think you need this aloe vera more than I do now.” He turned away from Sam and grabbed the little jar sitting next to them. Danny dipped his free hand in the aloe vera and smoothed it over Sam’s arm. ”That feels nice.” Sam smiled, letting go of Danny’s other hand. ”Can you put some right here?” He asked pointing to the huge scratch on his thigh. Danny had not touched there yet, because it was near his inner thigh and he didn't want to get too close. Now Sam was taking the initiative and asking Danny to touch him there. ”Sure.” Danny breathed out heavily and placed his hand on the top of Sam’s leg. Then he slowly moved his hand between his legs and gently massaged the area. Danny felt the bed move underneath him and noticed that one of Sam’s fists curled up and started to grip the bedding underneath them. ”Are you? Are you getting turned on or something?” Danny asked lifting his hand off of Sam’s thigh. ”Yeah. Sort of. It's a sensitive area. Look see, isn't it?” Sam asked moving his hand to Danny’s inner thigh. "Oh!" Danny let out a sharp gasp, but he didn't move away from Sam's hand and continued to let him touch him there. At first, he started with rubbing small circles lightly, then he slowly began to add more pressure. The bulge in Danny's pants started to grow larger and he started leaning into Sam's fingertips that were pressing into his skin. Sam reached out his hand and slightly hesitated before placing his fingers on top of Danny's bulge. "Well, now we are both getting turned on."

Sam’s voice oozed with confidence, but his complexion started to turn a light pink shade of pink once he started feeling and outlining Danny’s clothed dick with his fingers. Danny felt frozen in place like a statue. He really didn't know what to do except sit back and feel the pressure of Sam’s hand rubbing over his fully clothed hardening dick. Danny took deep breaths and tried to hold himself back from becoming more aroused than he already was. ”Does this feel good Danny?” Sam asked moving his hand faster. ”Yeah, Yes! It hurts a little though because I'm wearing jeans.” Danny sighed looking down at his pants. He looked back up at Sam, and they stared at each other for a few extra seconds. Then Sam moved closer to Danny and quickly stuck his hand inside his jeans and cupped Danny’s dick over the thin underwear he was wearing. ”Oh my goodness.” Danny exhaled and turned his head the side. He knew that he should have stopped Sam in his tracks, but it felt too good for Danny to say no at that moment. Danny gently moved his body upward, wanting more of Sam’s touch. It was not long before he felt himself relaxing into Sam’s hand, and no more worries were coming between them. He was only aware of Sam’s hand and the feeling of himself getting harder by the second.

”Your hand. Feels. Really. Good.” Danny sighed. Sam felt accomplished because he didn't even touch his dick with his bare hand yet, and he was getting this kind of reaction out of Danny. ”I can make it feel better than that.” Sam moved on top of Danny and started rubbing his hard on against Danny’s thigh. Sam lifted his head and crawled closer to Danny’s face using his elbows. Then he leaned down and kissed his lips.

Danny responded with a kiss and slow upward movements, his hips moved in steady motion pressing his aching bulge into Sam’s lower body. ”Oh my god. I'm so hard.” Danny gasped gripping the sides of Sam’s ribcage. ”Fuck. Me too Danny.” Sam said rocking himself back and forth against Danny. Once Sam increased the intensity of the rocking motions, 

Danny wrapped his arms around his shoulders pulled Sam into a tight embrace. After that, he heard Sam’s breathing in his ear and felt both of their hearts rapidly beating against his chest. ”Keep going Danny.” Sam sighed and started moving his hands up underneath Danny’s back and pressed his fingertips into his shoulders. Danny groaned and started to firmly grind up against Sam’s crotch. "Oh, holy shit." Sam moaned quietly and then gave Danny a lustful look before staring down at his lips. Danny noticed the look in his eyes and prepared himself to be attacked and kissed everywhere. Sam paused, then leaned down and softly kissed his cheek instead. He barely used any pressure and it was the most gentle kiss he had ever received from him. This pause and the little kiss on the cheek snapped Danny back into his usual fear-driven thinking mode. Right as he was going to tell Sam to stop, he felt fingertips gripping the waistband of his underwear.

The initial feeling of Sam’s knuckles against his stomach sent a wave of shock to Danny’s brain. He flinched and smacked Sam’s had away automatically.

”What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Sam asked sitting up on the bed, moving away from his previous position of straddling Danny. ”I’m uh. I’m gonna need you to leave okay?” Danny said looking away from Sam's gaze. ”What? Why?” Sam asked back moving towards Danny so he could find his hand and hold it. He squeezed Danny’s hand tightly and rubbed his hand with his thumb. ”This is. It’s a lot. It's too much for me, Sam I need you to go now.” Danny said avoiding Sam’s intense eye contact and trying to ignore this strong grasp on his hand. ”I really don't want to leave you alone. Can I just be here for you?” Sam asked gripping Danny's hand a little bit tighter. ”No you can't. And stop doing that! I don't want to hold your hand right now.” Danny said taking his hand away from Sam and drawing his arms back to his sides. ”Oh. Okay. I’m sorry Danny. I’ll go but, I want to know what I did wrong. So you know, I don't do it again next time.” Sam said quietly. ”I really don't want to talk to you right now. Can you just go? Please.” Danny said in a hushed voice, lifting his head and looking up into Sam’s shiny disappointed eyes. ”If you could just tell me what I did wrong, then we could-” Sam started to speak, but Danny's voice’s cut him off. ”Please get out Sam.” Danny whispered loudly. ”Okay I will. I will. I’m sorry Danny.” Sam said slowly moving off of the bed. Sam looked so sad and hurt, it made Danny think about taking back everything he just said. He didn't say anything though, Danny watched Sam slowly climb back out of his window and give him one last glance before he disappeared away from Danny’s sight.

Danny watched Sam walked away from his house and made his way down the street. Danny felt dizzy and disoriented, he stumbled back over to his bed and threw his body on the mattress. He could feel his heart beating in his ear, and he felt like his lungs had no access to any air. The dry humping and the kiss on the cheek lead Danny into an epiphany, and now he was spiraling alone with himself in the stillness and silence of his bedroom. The epiphany being his interaction with Sam today, it was proof that he liked guys. He did not need to explore any further, Danny just knew at that moment that he liked guys and there was no going back from that. He suddenly felt stupid and ignorant. Mad at himself for not realizing his sexuality sooner, for repressing so many feelings, and for lying to himself so many times throughout his life. He was also mad at himself for telling Sam to leave and not stopping him from going. Danny’s mind raced the entire night and he started to question and wonder who he really was on the inside. The only thing Danny was sure of was that Sam made him feel a certain type of way and uncovered parts of himself that he never knew existed. Danny allowed himself to float into an abyss of uncertainty for the rest of the evening.

-

END OF CHAPTER THREE - Do not worry everyone there is more action ahead, Sam and Danny are meant to be together in the end, but they will struggle along the way. I will be putting more work into the fic, and I have the rest of the chapters planned out in my head sooo enjoy the ride.Chapter 4 WILL COME SOONER than later.

Tagging: @imacrowcawcaw @therealswanqueen @tymeconsuming @satans-helper @dramaticjupiter @rupauls-slagrace

[jess-the-vampire]

Sky And The Forces Of The Multiverse, Chapter 43

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-

Sky had never seen her wand...crack, before, in fact she'd never seen any wand crack before.

What kinda force had that thing used against her to cause THAT?

Sky was left with a pit in her stomach, her wand had acted broken before, but this was on a whole nother level. Would it even still work? Could it even be fixed? Why would they break the wand they needed? Granted, with the panic they were in it was probably unintent6ional for them to actually break the wand at all, but now that it was broken, sky was at a loss for words.

All around them people were yelling and talking, the entire castle was being searched top to bottom, and everyone was contemplating everything that occurred. some people seemed injured, most were dirty, some were shouting for the criminal to be executed for this. There was so much going on it was kinda hard to even focus, how could anyone focus?

The castle wasn't too badly hurt, but it still had been wrecked quite a bit.

Not to mention the kidnapping and wand situation.

What a mess.

Judas could hear his father speaking to his grandfather nearby, remembering sunny, mason, and galexia were with him. How was he going to explain this mess to them? What was it like from their angle? God how was he supposed to explain all the damage that happened? Hopefully none of their bedrooms were super damaged, or their safe room for that matter.

Judas felt tired.

So did Sky.

This day had been a hell of a ride, everything went by too fast .

They'd be lucky if they didn't have nightmares from this.

Everything for awhile felt like a blur of people, too tired to focus on everyone around them sky felt herself start to pass out. Falling to the ground with a thud, scaring those around her as they cuddled up, making sure she wasn't sick or injured. She was asleep, her body tired and finally letting go, unable to gather enough strength for the time being.

She was drained, emotionally and physically.

And she drifted off to sleep.

-

Sky awoke later, finding herself in her castle's hospital wing, she couldn't tell how long she was asleep but there had been a plate of cookies set out for her, alongside some milk. She had to guess it was from either her mother or judas, but judas also appeared to be asleep in the bed next to her, though he was tossing and turning in his sleep, clearly not in the best shape.

In fact everyone was here.

Angel, Celeste, Landon, Bernard...

And on closer inspection, she saw their parents, all resting nearby.

They all looked dirty, like they'd probably been going through a damaged castle in fact. Though it seemed between whispers in the dark she could hear them talking about the repairs that were quickly going down. They couldn't live in a run down castle and they needed to get it fully operational for judas's coronation and for protection purposes, though sky couldn't hear much else.

They worked fast, though it probably wouldn't be fully together till the end of the week.

She felt achy still, feeling around for her wand, only to find it wasn't on her person. It wasn't on the bed next to her and it wasn't on the table nearby either. In fact it wasn't anywhere in sight. She sat up in the darkness, had it been taken when she was sleeping? It had been a bit cracked last time she saw it, so maybe it wasn't stolen. But what would-?

"Your mother confiscated your wand".

Sky turned to find angel was still awake, turned to face her, though he was whispering to avoid the adults listening in.

"She what?", sky whispered back.

"She saw what happened to it".

Well at least it wasn't stolen but at the same time, they didn't wand that wand confiscated, especially if it might help in returning the girls. Could they even go home now it it was cracked? Was her mom tasking it to repair it?

Sky wasn't that great with magic without her wand.

"What happened? I think I-".

"You passed out...and they escorted us here to check us for injuries and rest, sunny and the others are supposed to come back soon...but we aren't allowed to leave until they can be sure everything is ok.".

Sky fell back on the bed, "I guess you couldn't rest could you?".

"I'm too scared to rest...", she whispered back, shifting in his sheets.

Yeah, she couldn't blame him there at all, that would scare anyone, he'd come close to a panic attack back there.

"Are the others-?".

"I think they're ok, at least I hope so...nora was a bit scratched up though...mostly by rubble.".

Sky paused for a moment at the mention of nora being hurt, "It wasn't too bad...right?".

"I think so.".

Poor nora, that whole thing probably freaked her the heck out, especially since it was so unexpected for her. She couldn't even fight back like how most of them could, she could've been seriously hurt if she had been directly targeted. But at least no one had been too badly hurt, at least not like how angel had been hurt like the last encounter they had.

Guess the wand was better then any of them being badly damaged, she just wished she knew for sure everything would even be ok. Judas was a mess, her wand was damaged, luna was gone, Landon seemed to have unlocked new powers, how much longer could this whole thing even last at this point? Either they broke or that thing did at this point.

Though angel seemed...happy? He was tired, but there did seem to be a smile on his face.

Sky didn't even have to question it before he nodded to his sleeping mother, who was breathing better then the last time she had seen her. "While this was going down...they were working on her...she's making progress...". He almost seemed on the brink of crying, "I-I know today was crazy...a lot of days have been, but it...i can't thank you and your family enough for helping her".

Sky suddenly felt choked up, guess through all this mess, there really was some glimmers of hope out there.

"It's ok angel, I didn't play that massive of a role anyway-".

Only for angel to quickly pull her in a tight hug, sitting up in his bed and wrapping his spider legs around her, some attention drawn to them from the adults who were awake nearby. "I don't care sky, she never would've had a chance without your family or you in general. Not even nora would've had the courage to help without you, it just means...so much to me".

Sky was caught off guard at first, but she gave in, patting his back.

"Hey...I'm glad if i did anything to help her".

"I can't wait for her to wake up and see us like this, well I mean uh...last time she was...herself, we didn't get along".

"And you didn't have much friends", sky continued, the two ending their hug.

"Yeah...I think, I think she'll be really happy...".

"Yeah, i think so too".

"Kids, i'm happy you both are doing alright but maybe keep it down a little more and get some more rest, ok?", Queen lucitor called from where they were sitting, nodding towards judas, landon, nora, and well...mostly everyone. Sky rubbed at her head and apologized, but marco shrugged, "I'm happy to see you up and yourself again, but maybe you outta lie down some more after what happened...there will be time to talk about everything tomorrow".

Fair enough.

Angel laid back down on his back, knowing he needed to get a lot of rest after the events of today ,"We'll talk later.". He did seem sad he and sky couldn't talk longer about everything but he couldn't deny he was achy, turning on his side and folding his long legs together. Wrapping his covers over himself as the room was once again mostly silent.

But she could still spot the smile on his face.

At least someone came out of this in some kind of good mood, and if it had to be anyone, sky at least was happy it was the one most affected by what happened during their last encounter. Angel probably felt a little more...brave, for going in despite how terrified he was, like he really did something amazing. He wasn't wrong, he did do pretty great out there, sky could admit to that.

She just wished...well she wished this all hadn't had happened.

They couldn't keep this up much longer, otherwise they might not be so lucky to make it out like they have. Someone got kidnapped after all, no one was safe, not even those in other dimensions. Were their earth families going to move in too? Was there anywhere that was safe anymore? Were they going to have to move dimensions or something? There was no way they could continue like this.

Could she even go back to sleep after that?

Sky wasn't sure she actually could.

For all she knew they were around the corner, waiting for her, or waiting for everyone to fall asleep so they could strike. No one could claim that wasn't a possible reality at this point, no one could trust anyone and they couldn't trust their own homes. There was no way anyone could even go alone anywhere at this point, how was anyone supposed to relax?

And her wand...

"Can't rest?".

Sky turned her head towards the noise, seeing landon sitting against the wall and keeping an eye on his parents so they didn't listen in, "I can't either...". Guess that was expected, a lot kinda just happened today, she had the feeling he was probably growing a massive headache just from processing everything that had happened. Though he also just seemed rather sad, though sky had a feeling why.

"It's not your-".

"They kidnapped him because of me...you know that..."., he interrupted crudely, "There's no reason for them to even bother going after him if they hadn't known about us being friends, it was intentional to get to me.".

"They went after your grandparents first", after said those words she knew it wouldn't work as an argument, but it was all she could think about.

"That doesn't change anything, they knew he was a target because we're close...only reason they didn't go after your weird friend mel instead was because she was further away, bernard was right across the street. They knew about him because of the sleepover and everything, he was only in danger because we're friends and he could've gotten hurt and-".

"It's not your fault.".

"I can't believe i was so stupid to try and confess, what was i thinking, under these circumstances? Probably one of the last things he wants to hear is something like that.", this was really tearing him up inside. He was mostly staying quiet, he didn't want a lot of people to hear after all, bernard especially. "And these stupid marks...all this time i was so frustrated about judas and mason being special and i just had these dumb things on me for how long? And i can barely use them?".

"You only found out you had them today kinda...", sky mumbled, "C'mon, i mean, you'll get used to them, and you can confess later...when he's feeling better. Like it's not over or anything like that...you'll have other opportunities where he isn't in danger to do it.". Landon was silent about it, he might of just been in a bit of a mood swing right now, but at least talking to him seemed to help a little.

"How...how do you handle it?".

"Hmm?".

"Y'know...all these pressures and everything, you seem to not freak out so much about it...like me".

She gritted her teeth, hugging her legs, "Simple, i don't...i just kinda deal with it really.". Landon just stared at the floor, pressing his body further against the wall, "You ever think we'll actually catch them? Finally put this all to rest?". Honestly she had no idea anymore, even if they caught them, the damage had been done, no one would ever forget what had happened here.

But at the same time.

"We'll try...but i think maybe we can catch them, we just need to be one step ahead for once.".

"How can we be a step ahead if we don't know what they'll do and where they'll strike!?"

Sky tapped her fingers, "Well, i thought about this today and well...so maybe we can't guess what they'll do...but i mean, maybe we don't need to guess. Maybe we need to make them come to us instead of us figuring out them, like y'know, a trap? Then we wouldn't have to guess, we would be prepared, like i mean, then we wouldn't be caught off guard?".

Landon blinked at her, actually, that was a good idea.

"Honestly, i kinda personally don't think they intended to divert us, i think after bernard got found they just kinda y'know...took advantage of it? So maybe we're thinking too hard about this...maybe they're not as crazy smart as we think.". Granted, she could be completely wrong, but no mastermind would've forgotten about jude's grandmother or left all their stuff behind.

"If they aren't how do they keep getting away from us?".

"I didn't say they weren't smart enough to think on their feet".

She could hear angel shuffling next to them, he was probably still listening in on everything. She outta be careful not to say anything that might trigger him for now, perhaps save this conversation for when everyone wasn't tired. She looked over to landon and nodded her head to angel, "We'll talk later...with the others...but...i think...the only way we're going to get this done is if we outsmart them for once.".

"You're not going use him as...bait right?", landon said, whispering, his eyes glancing at the spider prince.

"Uh...no, but they want a wand...right?, and they'd probably freak if we tried to reveal them or something...so..."., she twiddled her fingers together, "Look, we'll figure it out later...but...i think i might have an idea".

Landon softly mumbled something under his breath before heading to his resting place, and sky had the feeling he simply told her "Alright". It would have to do for now, but at least having an idea of a plan was better then no plan at all. She laid back on the bed, tired and worn, the loss of her wand currently reeling her. But for now that would have to wait.

-

Sky awoke still in the wing, but the people around her were a lot more lively this time around. Some were still resting of course, but some were talking, debating, and checking on others. Sky took one of the cookies left for her and took a bite, she was hungry all right, and she needed some energy if she was going to handle whatever they were in for today.

She expected anything by this point.

Even the worst outcomes.

But the reaction around her seemed more mixed rather then sad and depressed, everyone passing information between each other rapidly. Some were stating their theories and others were trying to come up with plans and it seemed overall everyone was quick to get into the action after what had just happened. Not wanting something like this to ever happen again if they could help it.

Sunny was the first to come over to her, the small girl excited to see her up and well.

And with her was-

"Melaine?".

Sure enough, the human was there with her, accompanied by two guards and looking like she might burst with excitement.

"SKY! Your parents sad it was cool for me to come and see you! Well i mean, at first they said no, but when i saw them leaving with bernie's parents and grabbed onto their carriage thingy they couldn't say no! Though these guys haven't left me since.". Though personally she didn't seem to mind that one bit if it meant she got to see more magical stuff.

"Did...did they tell you-?"

"About bernie...yeah...but you saved him right?! That's great!" she looked excited, like this was one of those things that played out in her fantasy books. She could do with being a bit more concerned about her friend who got kidnapped and held for ransom, but i guess if you were from the outside perspective of this whole thing hearing your friend getting magically saved from a villian would seem fantastical.

"Well, yeah, we did...you're right about that.".

But melaine could tell sky wasn't exactly...happy about that either, despite her wide smile, her eyes staring at sky as if expecting her to say more. Sky coughing into her fist and eating more of her cookie, "Yeah but um...we didn't catch the guy again, they wrecked the underworld castle and my wand got kinda...broken. So...yeah, not as great as it could be...".

"I'm sorry i missed your texts.", she clutched at her hands, "Some stuff went down with my mom and I-".

"It's ok, i know you get busy sometimes...".

Sky offered mel a cookie only for the girl to turn her down, "Nah nah, no sweets for now, mostly because mom says they'll spoil my food later. But hey, talk to me later, i got some cool stuff to share with you!". That seemed to make sky a little more upbeat, new stuff? Did melaine find out more information about the individual they were after? That could easily help with setting up a trap.

"Um...sure ok! Uh how long are you staying?", melaine's arrival had been so unexpected sky had to wonder, especially at a time like this.

"Just another hour, mom doesn't want me here long, and neither does your family".

Guess if they could avoid another child getting kidnapped due to being close with their kids, they were going to take it. But at least she got to see melaine in person, if even it was on bad timing of all things. "Yeah, i can't say i blame them too much, but um...thanks for coming all this way to see me, i know we can't always talk like crazy with everything happening but-".

"Nah sky, i'm always happy to have you as my pal".

Sky smiled softy at that.

"To be honest, the more i'm here the more i wish my family lived on earth, the place seems far less chaotic.", she was mostly joking of course, but frankly earth seemed tame compared to all this. Melaine seemed to be in the opposite direction, where earth was tame in comparison to the excitement of the alternate world of mewni, with it's fantastical beings and lands.

Maybe they outta trade places sometime.

"So where's your wand?".

Sky gulped.

"Yeah, my mom has it...actually, i have no idea where she or it is now.".

"I think i saw them earlier!", sunny leapt up on the bed next to sky, "But i think she went into her office, so i can't be sure if she's doing anything more with it for now. I am sorry to hear it cracked...". She placed a hand on sky's shoulder, "The wand is pretty important to y'know...butterfly history, but hey, y'know, maybe they'll fix it! It's been broken worse before!".

Right, when her mom split the gem in half.

"But for how long though?".

Sunny could only give her a shrug on that, there was no way to be sure, but only time would tell. "Hey, cheer up, maybe for now you can work on well...wandless magic and stuff, till it gets back. Even if it's not from eclipsa, i'm sure others could help you out with that so you can keep defending yourself". Melaine seemed excited at that idea, "Oh ! YES YES YES!".

Wandless magic eh? But she was barely good at magic with a wand!

Though angel never needed a wand to do his magic, or judas for that matter, but it came a bit easier for them to learn when they never needed a wand in the first place. But angel was about as powerful if not less so before and he had gotten better, so maybe, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe she keep up with the others and manage without a wand.

Or fall flat on her face, that too.

"I-I'm not sure honestly...i'm not that great..."., not to mention she did feel naked without her wand, despite it not always working right, it still was a apart of her. She wasn't exactly much of a sword fighter like Luna or a merciless stabber like sunny, i mean, unless you counted tasing people and maybe on occasion headbutting them. Which wasn't gonna do much unless she snuck up on the enemy and zapped them.

Actually, that wasn't an awful idea...

"C'mon sky, you're better then that, but hey, we'll figure this out, we're not dead yet."

Way to be morbid Sunny.

"Sky! You're awake!", and soon enough angel approached, though for a second sky thought it was judas, but maybe it was just the fact angel was still wearing his clothes. Actually, judas didn't seem to be anywhere in sight, angel just noticing melaine standing there and pausing, melaine only ogling at seeing him in person. "Spider- Angel!", she corrected herself quickly, squealing.

"Mel...um, hi?".

Well at least she got his name right this time around.

But Sky didn't have time to worry about all of this right now, and she had questions, "Hey...where's judas? I saw him when he was sleeping last night but...I don't see him around here today for some reason. He's not hurt right?". Judas of course didn't have to be here but he usually would wait for his best friend to wake up and stay by her side then leave like this.

"Judas? He kinda got called off elsewhere...".

"Where?".

"The underworld, he's helping with fixing things up and getting looked at by his parents, he wanted me to stay here for him instead. He wasn't given much of a choice on the matter frankly". Though if sky had been awake she probably would've ushered him to go and get any kind of help he could really get while his arm was acting...how it was for now.

Trying to use that necklace like that and all that magic seemed to have had a weird affect on it, or maybe that was just the pain it caused that had seemed to trigger it so strangely. Having someone look at it might just do it some good, if they could come up with any theories about what happened, like was that magic supposed to do stuff like this?

If it was pure dark magic it would've been purged...wouldn't it?

But it wasn't.

The arm was very much still there and still thriving inside of the demon prince, coming and going. It had been affected but...it was hard to describe exactly what it did, and sky sure had no answers. The sooner judas got the whole thing looked at the better probably, lest it only gets worse and they feel the affects of it. There was no way he could do much like this.

"Well, I hope he's ok...y'know...considering everything.".

Angel seemed to agree just as much, sky offering him one of her cookies, which he took carefully, "I-I'm really sorry about your wand, it's a prized heirloom, it must be hard seeing it well...like that". She nodded, folding her arms together, "At least maybe it's possible to fix, it's been broken before and way worse then this but...I do feel rather naked without it".

"I can imagine".

"You could go back to using your earth wand!", The human suggested, sky suddenly feeling embarrassed having her taser brought up right next to angel of all people. "It's not magic but it can do the job if you need it to alright, give them a piece of your mind". Angel, realizing what she meant, only let out a sheepish smile, "Oh yeah, that wand uh...does hurt alright".

At least he seemed nearly amused by it rather then mad or upset.

"Is everyone else ok? Seems like most of everyone left already...nothing happened right?".

Angel looked over to the group behind him, "Nora was mostly shook up actually besides the scratches, she insisted to have a little break in the garden, eclipsa is with her actually. I think she wanted fresh air, which, all things considered sounds really good by now. I'm kinda personally feeling well...a bit stuffy surrounded by all these people...it's...maybe a mental break would be nice.".

"Maybe we all outta join you?", the demon said, smiling, and pointing to melaine as well, "I mean, with supervision of course, but...looking at pretty flowers actually sounds pretty good right about now." That actually did sound like a good idea, especially since sunny had yet to tell them what happened on her end since everything went crazy and they had yet to go into everything with them either.

Maybe some fresh air would help sky feel less...however she was feeling, away from all the mess and with some fun and happy company for a little bit. There was a little too much anxiety just staying here, hearing everyone discuss their next plans and form of action, some more aggressive then others, really wasn't reassuring her. At this point she just wasn't in the mood to hear about what they'd do about the guards or spies or anything.

She needed to get out of here.

Angel happily helped sky up, the girl shoving another cookie into her mouth, letting sunny and angel eat the rest as the four passed through the mess of people, guards still following behind them. There was people coming to and fro all over the halls, no matter where you looked there was a servant or guard running around. Some were interrogating others, some were comforting others.

There seemed to be a lot of underworld people here actually, probably till the castle was back to normal.

But even so, she'd be too terrified to even go back, who knows what backlash the Lucitors were getting from this whole thing by having a break-in twice by the same person, and having said person still get away with a partially destroyed castle. Doesn't say a lot of promise when your own royals couldn't even protect themsleves all that much, much less the poor people who felt the blunt of it.

Sky could even hear protesting going on outside in fact, even if she was mostly ignoring it.

Not that she could blame everyone who was mad, she'd be pretty mad too, but her family had been trying as hard as possible to just keep everyone safe. She knew how hard they'd been working to help everyone and keep them safe. They couldn't be blamed for all of what just happened, they all got dooped. Though sky could agree maybe they should have at least had one of them stay behind at home.

But on the other hand, a child had been in danger.

Sky was happy to leave the noises of the protests to be led to the much more relaxing garden instead, nora was right in finding this place calming and nice to just rest at. It had so many pretty flowers and sky could hear the sound of birds all around. Even though she wasn't all together, it gave her a much better feeling then the headache she'd been growing inside of the castle.

Angel seemed pretty happy to be able to stretch his legs as well, able to outstretch them to his heart's content without hitting anyone out here. Melaine of course just wanted to see more of the castle in general so she was happy no matter where she was going, looking at the plants to see if they'd attack her or do anything out of the ordinary from what they did on earth.

A Happy Mel was a good Mel.

Sunny looked tired herself, if the guards weren't right there she probably had a lot to spill to sky, but it seems they'd have to wait for more on that. However, she was qucik to point out that they were not alone. As expected, Nora was already there, Eclipsa nearby, looking at roses herself, nora drawing in her smaller notebook and speaking to her on occasion.

They both seemed too busy to have noticed them yet.

But that didn't last long as Melaine was quick to call out to them and wave, startling nora and making eclipsa turn and smile at the sight of having more guests. Sky wasn't even mad anymore, she was too tired to be mad, did eclipsa already know about the state of her wand? She probably did at this point, no reason at least one of their parents wouldn't have said something about it.

Not that eclipsa would be mad about that but-

"Sky! Sunny! Angel! It's good to see you as well!".

Eclipsa also seemed tired in fact, like she hadn't slept at all last night. Though she did seem pleased to have seen the kids, despite all that. Nora seemed to brighten a little at the sight of seeing her friends, looking up from her work. It seemed someone had given her fresh clothes after last night, and she got to clean up really well. Though she also looked very tired and they could spot Band-Aids on her legs and arms.

"Hey Eclipsa...hi Nora...".

Nora put down her book and walked over to her friends, hugging sky and angelus together as tightly as possible. She hadn't gotten to have a proper moment with them when everything went down and seeing them sparked something in her. The two hugging her back gently, sky patting her back and letting her hug them as tight as she could right now.

They all needed a hug.

"Judas still gone?".

"Yeah...", Angel said, sadly, "We'll see him soon, I think".

Nora left the circle of hugs, tugging on her slimy hair, "I guess after last night we might not be able to stay in our homes anymore...". Her parents were already scared stayed here to begin with after the first break in, no where seemed safe anymore at this rate. If the most powerful kingdoms were made fools through this, then was anywhere safe?

Maybe the safest place was far away from these families as possible.

"Well, maybe not...maybe", angel was trying to be optimistic but who really knew honestly.

They couldn't deny it being a real possibility, it was a real one all things considered. How could anything be trusted anymore? How could anyone live knowing no one was safe? There was a real genuine fear here and no doubt their parents had all been arguing about what they should do to keep everyone safe at this point. Maybe separation really was the best way to save everyone?

Though the thought of that seemed to build something in sky.

Made her angry.

This one person, one person, ruined so many people's lives, caused so much panic and anxiety throughout mewni, and nearly got her friends killed or in prison.

She worked so hard to be better this year, to make friends, to actually do things she never did before.

And now her wand was broken and she might lose everyone.

Was this how angry landon felt last night?

She felt her fists clutch, and sunny quickly put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"Sky?".

"I'm not letting them hurt anyone else...never again".

And she meant that too, more then ever.

"I'm so sorry about your wand sky...", nora mumbled, "I mean it, i know that it scares me sometimes, but i know it means a lot to you, i wish there was more i could do for you there.". Sky appreciated the kindness. from her and everyone today. They didn't need to be so nice, but they were anyway and didn't seem mad or ill willed towards her for the mess.

"I'm glad you guys aren't uh..."., she started, well to be honest, there were MANY things she was glad they weren't after that situation.

"Hey, that's because of you, you helped keep us safe!"

Sunny seemed to squeal a little about that last bit, "You went in to save your friends, like a hero! That's super duper cool! And you got them out without a scratch on you! That's not something most people can do!". Sunny was a master of pep talk, and sky had to appreciate the compliment, even if she knew far and away if sunny had been in her place she would've done way better.

Granted, maybe comparing her and the others wasn't a good idea at all after her already obvious mommy issues.

"I have to agree", eclipsa coming forward to the small group, brushing her dress off, "Not an amazing day by any stretch but you handled yourself rather well all things considered, going back for your friends was noble even if dangerous". Sky didn't seem to amused by her compliment, considering it was coming from the same woman who before felt it was too dangerous for her to go after the same person not that freakishly long ago.

Eclipsa seemed to recognize the hypocrisy, coughing into her hand.

"I...know what happened still bothers you, but with your mothers being absent, well...going back for them, sky i...I want to tell you i thought what you did was brave. Dangerous, but brave, even if it meant losing your wand". Sky didn't want to admit she was happy to hear her compliment, but in her mind she did appreciate it, even if it was coming from eclipsa.

"Look, I just...I wasn't going to abandon them...ok?".

"And I wouldn't expect you to, frankly".

Sky continued to glare and eclipsa sighed, "I don't regret telling your parents, the situation could've more dangerous, especially since no one knew what they were dealing with out there, but here...you knew what you were up against, you had help, and you handled yourself well sky. You're really starting to turn into your own queen, even if through baby steps.".

"I didn't get to fight them...".

"Saving your friends and not getting yourself hurt is just as good if not better, trust me".

She rubbed at her face, trying to rub the sleep out, "Spent all last night taking the watch, though it was hard to sleep with everything that went down, the Musty Mountains are just rioting for the commotion that happened and not to mention we have people there investigating the secret hideout. We're going over everything for evidence, i think we'll have their identity soon enough".

"You mean like...dna?".

The word seemed to leave eclipsa a little confused, even with humans around seems mewni still had some stuff to kinda learn.

"Uh...i'm not sure what that is...is that a fancy human word?", she was playing it off funny but the others didn't seem to be as amused as she was, sky shaking her head.

"Eclipsa, me and judas wouldn't exist without the stuff", her hands on her hips, "Anyway, like you know what they mean, hair or skin or blood...unless this person never took off their clothes one we outta find SOMETHING. Maybe then we can figure out why they have powers and know all this secret stuff and y'know...are the way they are, it could make things easier".

"You're not wrong, but i admit i'm nervous to find out whose behind this".

"I think everyone is secretly...whether it's someone we know or something we knew back for revenge or something, they're not some random mewman...they have to be someone we're aware of to know so much information, to frame me...I wish i knew who'd have this much of a grudge though, but the people who hate me are idiots and aren't even royalty...".

"Well, we'll hopefully sleep easier knowing who it is...", she fixed up her hair and looked to the crowd, melaine about a second away from bursting, "So...what brings you out here anyway? Getting away from all the drama perhaps? I know the feeling". She motioned to the roses, the flowers looking rather well taken care of, "Being out here is preferable to all the arguing in there...especially with Moon on the way".

"Granny's coming?", Sky asked, surprised.

"She wanted to come for a bit but your mom kept saying she'd take care of it, i guess she finally had enough and she's coming here to uh...help i guess? She said she'd never come back from her retirement unless it was an emergency, seems like this was more then enough to bring her back out. But um...considering what happened to your...you know, maybe this time around you might want to stay out of this".

Oh, right.

"Your mom's trying to convince her not to get involved, since she knows she'd freak, but, that's moon for you, can't be shocked.", she actually seemed to be amused by this all, judging by the smile on her face. Though this was no laughing matter to sky, who did not need another adult coming in to make things more stressful for her, her fists clutching as she spat out her next words rapidly.

"I have a plan to catch them!"

She didn't know why she said it how she did, as if the universe would stop just because she might have an idea.

But it got everyone's attention.

"You...do?",Eclipsa asked.

"Well, sorta...we should still stake out and stuff before we even do it, besides planning, but...it's an idea, for a trap.".

"What kind of trap?".

"Well, i haven't figured it out completely yet, it's just...y'know, lure them into the castle , make them think they're smart and then we catch them i think...", it didn't sound that great when she said it like that frankly, but it seemed to spark sunny's attention. "Wait, i'll ask lexi! She's super smart and creative with these kinds of things, i bet she can help!".

"I heard about this last night", angel said, "You spoke about it with landon".

Right, he did hear all of that.

"Yeah, i mean, i was thinking, a gathering? Lure her in and capture her there...and well...ok It's a bad idea but i thought that maybe, the least suspicious way we could do it is through...judas's coronation. I know that's a selfish idea cause that's important to him but i just thought that...if we did anything else it'd come off a on more suspicious then something planned in advance".

"Sky, a coronation is an important step in any new ruler's life, i can see where you're coming from, it's a special day and using it for a trap sounds like a rather good way to sour the mood of a wonderful night...", Eclipsa sighed, her eyes running off elsewhere, "But, you're not wrong in the fact that something like that would be something perfect to lure them in...but that's jude's choice.".

"I'd throw a party or something but c'mon, it'd look stupid considering how clearly panicked we all are", sure, her family could be a little party crazy sometimes but when everyone was going through what was an obvious crisis , something like a celebration would look funny to anyone, any trap they wanted to pull had to actually not look like a trap.

"Well ok, so you have an idea...but...what would make them WANT to go?".

"Well, we're all there, wands are there...and it's crowded, they could hide in plain sight", she tried to explain, "I just think, we need to be smarter, if they keep dodging us...we'll never catch them, but if we're one step ahead...well...maybe they can fall into our trap then the other way around...like we need to make them think we're dumb while also being super smart.".

Sunny seemed to be nodding along, tapping her foot, "You're right, but what if they do figure out it's a trap? I mean at this point they have to be expecting us to y'know? Be planning something to get them, unless you really think a coronation is inconspicuous ?". But sky did, if she was behind the mask, she'd think the royals would completely avoid making a day of celebration a trap for a serious matter.

If only because they'd want to protect every serious moment of happiness they could in a situation like this.

It's be more believable they'd still do a coronation then most things at least.

And her words seemed to make the others really consider this idea, hiding a trap beneath a royal event could actually work.

Maybe.

"We'll all need to think about it, but mostly judas...", angel rubbed at the shirt he was wearing, one of jude's obviously, only drawing more attention to the purple half demon who wasn't in the room. "His coronation is important to him, but...he seems to not want to draw too much attention to himself, with how others treated him and all, i'm not sure if this would make him better or worse".

"Yeah, me neither...jude was kinda afraid to make an impression others didn't like"., she had to agree, a trap at said party would definitely draw more attention then he had wanted.

"Also...", Sunny popped in, "The thief might not go anyway, they always wear their mask and well...they'll stand out pretty well if they go in with one when no one else is wearing one, it might not be worth it to them". Leave it to sunny to notice some of the flaws in this idea, but it was basically a rough draft anyway, so it wasn't going to be perfect without more ideas in the pot.

"We'll talk about this with your parents more later...maybe we can make something from this".

Sky could agree with that, for now, in fact she felt happy someone actually liked her ideas and supported them at all. It was nice despite all the problems going on, the girl heading away from the group to rest with the flowers, wanting to clear her mind. Sunny following her example and taking a seat in the grass, eclipsa watching as only angel stayed by her side.

Nora returned to her work.

Melaine and the guards went off to look at the plants and strange insects so melaine could squeal to her heat's content.

They were all ready for a breather.

Angel looking off into the distance, the queen smiling at him.

"I'm proud of you too y'know, for going back in there, no one could have blamed you for backing out, but i think it's lovely you went in to help sky save her sister". Angel rubbing at his head and nodding, "Thanks...but i was still pretty scared...i couldn't help it...sky told me to go back but i couldn't, so i helped her...and we worked together...I...I didn't want to abandon her.".

"That's pretty brave of you, doing all that for a friend".

"She went back to save me and make sure i was ok, I'd do it again if i could".

She patted his shoulder, " I miss teaching you both for the record, haven't had that much fun with some goofy teenagers since my own daughter, at least I'm glad it worked out for the two of you". He nodded, "Yeah, thanks a lot, for...teaching me and everything, well i mean, some of the lessons weren't great. But i well, i appreciate all of it...at the very least...if it wasn't for you...well...".

He looked to sky.

Eclipsa smirked, "Hey, if you wanna tell all of mewni about how i helped bring two kingdoms closer as friends and stopped a feud between their kids, feel free." She was partially kidding but she wasn't wrong either about any of that. Angel crossing his arms and snorting, "You think this plan of hers might work? I'm just worried about it going...well...like the last few plans".

It was a fair worry all things considered.

"Well think of it this way, the last few times no one had time to plan, they were in a rush to save people, they had no time to think when lives were on the line...", she explained, "Now, we have time to think about this, less chance for us to be fooled if we have more control and time to think about what to do and how to do it. Star was a master of "Winging it", but this just isn't like that".

"What is it more like?".

"It's more like try try and try again till at some point we do it, while getting better along the way, star got lucky...not to say she was never talented, but she never would've gotten through everything without luck and help, we're going to have to work through it". But she seemed rather confident all things considered, ruffling the prince's hair, "But...with all our heads together, i think we can do it...eventually".

"You went out there...to save them".

She nodded, "Yeah, i did...if i had known they were coming here i might've let globgor handle it, but...it is how it is...but i had no idea what we were in for when i went down there. The best thing i can say is because i went there, they were able to come back before anything got worse, so i can't say i regret it, i'm going to be in charge of investigating her lair.".

"Wait, why you?".

"Well, the queens and king are busy and it was a place me and globgor know a bit about, so they insisted we be the ones to go over it for any other evidence...such as well..dna i guess. Give us a few days and we might have a culprit...thankfully they weren't given any time to burn any of this stuff before we got our hands on it...i think nora's book might be in there".

Angel sighed in relief, "Well at least she'll have her book back".

"Well with her book, maybe she might finally be able to figure out what's wrong with poor judas...", she was right, nora had been doing a lot of research in that book, with it back maybe she could finally help judas properly, though maybe with him worse then he was before unfortunately. "Was anything else in there that had been stolen, or was it just from us?", eclipsa's head shaking.

"There seemed to be minor thefts, in fact mostly everything in there seemed to be stolen, so i guess when we hadn't seen them they had kept themselves rather busy, if to just steal old bottles and potion materials...but...once things are sorted through we might officially know their plan. If we know their plan, well that outta make things so much easier for everyone".

Angel's body felt heavy, tired, like he could barely keep himself standing right now. He outta join the others frankly, get a break, take a moment for himself for a little bit, though he didn't, and eclipsa could guess why. Her lips quivered and she let out a sigh, her fingers twisting together and her voice letting out a breath as she got it out of her system.

"Sky's grandmother isn't the only one showing up soon".

Angel's curiosity peaking, who else could possibly be coming? The high commission? The ghost of queen solaria? Glossiryck?

But eclipsa put on her best comforting expression, trying to be careful of her words.

"Your father is coming here, tomorrow, he heard about your mother and you being in trouble and he's coming, globgor is actually going to be watching over your kingdom in the meantime, i don't know for how long this will be going on...but it is how it is.".Eclipsa said it knowing angel's emotions were bound to be mixed on the matter, bracing for either impact to be possible with his feelings.

And Angel seemed speechless, his father was finally coming to see him? What would he think since the last time?

Especially with how his kingdom felt after finding out, they had been furious, and who knew how that would affect his own dad after he had to deal with the worst of it.

Angel wanted to see him, there was no doubt about it, missed how much he got frustrated with him, how much he wanted him to be a better prince, even if he wasn't the best dad he still cared and angel missed that. No wonder eclipsa was nervous to tell him, angel was nervous about it himself. He didn't even know what was going on in his own kingdom.

"I-...".

"I'm sorry if you're worried, but I know you miss him...and we wanted to make sure you saw him...so globgor offered to take over shorty. I know...if i was in your position, i'd wish i had my mother there to comfort me". She was right and he knew it, he wanted a hug from his father, he needed something more then just his friends, he missed his dad.

"Thank you...", he let out, eclipsa patting his back, "it's no problem, but you outta get some rest before this point, you need it...we have curfews and many other new rules to attend to for safety, so better enjoy all of this while you can, your friends are waiting for you". She motioned to the others, angel lugging his way over and sitting next to sky on the grass.

Proper rest at last.

-

"You know can't give this back to you...right?".

Star held the family wand in her hands, currently transformed into her old one, red horns, purple shell, star gem-

with a crack in the middle.

Sky shrugged, "I mean, kinda...I was expecting it".

What else could she say? She totally thought her mother would given her back a wand she had broken? Not when they knew she wanted the wand, to steal it, no way sky could have it with that happening. Granted, even her mom kept the wand when monsters tried to steal it, but the monsters who did were not as dangerous by the sounds of it.

So...fair.

Sky wished she was back in the garden already, she had a few hours of break and all of a sudden she had to get called into her mother's office? She knew it was important but still, this had to be the 20th time today someone talked to her about the wand thing and she already felt bad enough about it without everyone else talking to her about it.

"Will i ever get it back...at any point?", probably a dumb question to even ask in the first place but considering how important it was for her to have a wand, it was something she'd have to ask". Star gritting her teeth, "Well, yeah, but not until we catch the guy, on and uh...the girls? We might have to take their wands too...y'know...better not to have any wands that can be grabbed out there?".

Not so fair.

"But...they're not our wands to take...technically...and luna-".

"Isn't here, i know, but still".

"But they need them too! Without them they can't...mom their wands are important". She wanted to argue but how could she, what was even there to argue? Sky had lost this battle before it had even begun. He mouth gaping but no words coming from it, the girl standing there awkwardly as her mother smiled at her, knowing she did her best but her best wasn't enough this time.

In fact her best only seemed to have caused more problems then anything, as much as sky didn't want to admit it.

But if she stayed out of it, who knew if things would have gotten significantly better either.

"Look, i'm sure their wands are important, but so is making sure no one gets ahold of any of them, sending them home with a missing or broken wand isn't going to do much good either". She wasn't wrong about that, but sky wasn't sure any of the girls would be willing to give up their wands at all, especially since they were their biggest line of protection.

Well Sunny and Luna might be fine but the others...

Celeste would probably rather spend a week with luna then give up her wand, and that was saying a lot right now.

"I'm not sure the girls would give them up...", her tone was deflated, downer, "It's one of the last things they have from their home right now, this whole thing is kinda already stressful enough...". She knew it wouldn't make much of a difference, but at the same time she didn't want to just say nothing either, her sisters had been roughed up enough.

Taking away their safety, even if it was for the best, it just made her worry for them.

"I know sky...", Star tapped her fingers on her desk, sticking her tongue out in thought, "I...I know i haven't been like...an amazing mom, i should've trained you to fight without a wand more and helped you use magic better. I guess when you're put in the front for monster relations and dealing with the consequences of past queens sometimes you forget to focus on the stuff in front of you".

Sky said nothing, eyes glancing to the floor.

She hadn't been expecting her mom to get into this, not right now, it kinda caught sky entirely off guard. Her mom admitting she felt bad about her actions and taking responsibility, even saying she hadn't been a good mom, it's something sky always wanted to hear and yet...it felt weird now.

Her mother then bit her lip, tapping her fingers again, "When this is all over...I'm...I'm going to do better...train you better, help you more, not put so much on you...honestly i should've known better considering what i went through at your age". She seemed to actually be honest about all of this, her eyes tired and stressed, "Mom always put pressure on me and i guess i ended up doing the same thing...and then sorta shoved it on eclipsa quickly as a bandaid fix".

Well, that wasn't ALL her fault, stuff had gone down after all.

But, it was still nice to hear.

But Star almost seemed nearly defeated, the queen's head on her desk, moping, "You didn't even want me to know about...this entire situation, and i'm your mother, i'm supposed to be someone you can trust and i failed at that. Eclipsa's taken so much good care of meteora and made her a fine young woman and here i can't even help my own daughter properly".

Sky couldn't remember the last time she saw her mom so...like this.

How long had her mom been holding all this in exactly? Had to have been a few weeks at least, years at most, and sky barely knew how to react. She couldn't deny she hadn't trusted her mother, and she couldn't lie and say she had no issues with her all her life. But she didn't like seeing her mother feel so miserable either for everything that had happened.

But then her mom sat up, fixing her hair, "This is kinda partially my fault and i'm going to have to work on fixing it, well, when you're ready for my help that is. But...you're never going to fully be a good queen without me and i need to start helping with that...better then when my mom helped me...". She stood up, stressed still, but smiling this time around.

"I'm going to help all you girls in fact, we'll all be a team directly".

Wait...What?

Sky seemed utterly speechless about this, she was not expecting this to be the result of being sent to her mother's office, far from it. Sure she was technically their mom but also at the same time, not really, she wasn't ever going to be like the ones they knew. And with all the warnings judas gave about thinking too hard about the other universes...maybe her mom wasn't thinking this through enough.

"Uh...mom, maybe that's not-".

But Star wasn't done, raining her finger, "I have another thing we need to talk about before you go...i know you already know because of your little spying but...we found that mask when it was broken awhile back and well...you may want to know this...it's remarkably similar to the one your other mom owns...the transformative one...in her collection? Janna loved using it to play halloween pranks on us since it could be anything she wanted". Sky was at first annoyed by her mom stopping her but the information hit her like a bullet.

That mask?

That mask was only special enough for her other mom to keep because it could change appearances, it could look like a clown, a bear, anything the wearer wanted it to be. Not that that was important but those things were so rare and having a magic under who knew butterfly stuff and who wore a mask owned by the butterflies left butterflies in sky's stomach, and not the good kind.

Her mom weakly laughed at sky's anxious face, back to her usual mom once again.

"Yeah...i've been meaning to talk about that, i mean, janna's isn't stolen but well...if word got out...well...rumors might put you back on the list unfortunately."

Gee, thanks for the warning mom.

It made the gears twist and turn in the young girl's head, she couldn't help it. Left wondering just how much further this could go, granted it wasn't unreasonable the dangerous magic person had a magic mask but the coincidences kept piling up. Regardless her mom knew she'd have to let sky go anyways so she could get back to work and take care of everything.

Not to say she was happy about that but sky had enough going on today.

"We'll talk later...at dinner, we want to hear your input, so...if you have any ideas...we'll be all ears.".

Wait, was her mom saying she wanted sky's help? Because that's exactly what it sounded like. It sounded like her mom needed sky's help if they were to get further in this, something sky didn't expect at all. She looked kinda puzzled considering everything that happened, like her mom would've wanted her even further away after all of this, but she wanted her help more?

"W-why?'.

She couldn't help but ask.

"Well, my mom learned how to trust me before we were able to stop our foes, i should probably learn to trust my own kid too when i can...i mean, i still care for your safety, but... maybe i need to stop being my mother for once...". Her blue eyes met sky's, "We're finishing this, this kingdom has been through enough, we catch them or die trying at this point".

Die trying?

Let's hope not.

Star sighed before planting a kiss on sky's forehead, "I can't give you back the wand, not now, but i promise i'll make it up to you...it's time for a new course of action...time to think outside the box". Thinking outside the box was something her mother always tended to do but it seemed this time around even that had become predictable, especially for this person.

"How outside the box...exactly?".

"So outside the box, we'll be on another dimension!", she responded, clapping her hands together, 'Wand or no wand, we got work to do and they messed with the wrong family". Sky got up and off her chair, her mother pushing her to the door, "I'll see you soon, make sure everyone attends dinner, we all need to get to work and we'll start there".

Her mom actually seemed kinda excited almost for dinner, leaving sky a bit confused as the door closed behind her. Outside the doors she saw a friendly face who had already been standing there, the one of her best friend to be exact, judas standing here and waving to her. He still seemed to be rather tired but tired in a different way, as using magic to help with your castle was bound to cause stress and exhaustion.

How long was he out there? Had he been waiting for her? There's no way he had known she was here right? Or had angel told him when her mother called for her?

It probably didn't matter, she was just so happy to see her best friend right now.

"Jude...you're here...".

"Yeah, after i finished helping i wanted to talk to you...and i heard you were here so...", he shrugged, smile on his face and overall just looked like he could use a big hug right about now . Something sky could absolutely agree with, even if it meant being completely crushed by judas's amazing half demon strength, the more hugs the merrier right now.

Judas quickly pulled her into a hug, nearly pushing them both over from being so tired, not to mention his weight. Sky let him hug her as long as he needed, noticing his cursed arm was swelling a bit. She looked at it, concerned before looking back to judas, "Is it...is it painful?". It looked painful,. she couldn't imagine an arm swelling like that to be anything but painful.

But to her surprise, judas shook his head.

"Honestly, no more painful then how it usually transformed, it was the pure magic that made it act up...because that stung, but honestly...it's not that bad. I feel like...it feels like it's fading...i'm not sure what it did to it but ...I have ideas maybe.". Sky wanted to ask what he meant but just then landon came around the corner, the boy clearly still tired from lack of sleep.

"There you are jude...", he said, not as enthusiastic as the words out of his mouth would pertain. His feelings about what had happened to his crush and to him were still lingering in his mind and he looked a mess, had he even really eaten at all today? The demon clearing his throat to talk to his brother, "Mom says they're ready for you at the med wing to check your arm and whatever...".

"Oh? Thanks, i'll get to that...but first i wanted to talk to sky...about well...the you know what".

"You mean the wand?", sky blurted out, "You don't need to get so secretive with me lucitor, i know...everyone's talked to me about it it seems, my grandma's arriving and everything because of it...not to mention at this rate jackie might even come back from her luna mission". She huffed, "Honestly i feel rather naked without it, like i'm missing something about myself".

"I guess that's why you were in your mom's office?".

She nodded.

"But well, mom actually wants to work with us properly, over dinner, and uh...", seeing her friend made her remember her plan idea from earlier, stopping for a moment and eyeing landon before spitting out the question she was just going to have to get off her chest. "Look, i might have an idea of a plan and i was thinking...maybe we could set a trap and um...", she hated to ask, she already owed judas enough for his actions before, but she had to.

But judas sighed much to her surprise, like none of this surprised him whatsoever, smiling knowingly.

"My coronation, right? You want to do it there?", he said as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

Sky gritted her teeth, feeling like an idiot, "How did you know?".

"I mean, you wouldn't have to ask permission for any other reason, it had to be because of something like this. If we were setting up a trap any other way you'd be like Judas, i have an idea and we should do it here and there , But you had to ask my permission, and the only reason you'd do that...is if it was something to do with me, i'm no fool". But judas didn't seem mad or anything, which sky of course was expecting but even so she was expecting a bit more resentment. Even Judas could tell everyone was surprised, looking to explain himself.

He clutched at his arm, and looked to his brother, "Look, i spent awhile wanting a boring party...because i didn't want to be judged anymore, i wanted it because everyone else wanted it". He was looking for the right words concerning this, hoping it was coming out right, "I'll admit, i never REALLY wanted to have a party like that...i didn't...but i just thought...if i kept myself normal...i could manage better, less stress...no pressure to be this great uncursed king."

"Jude...".

"This whole mess though...I...I'm not going to be able to escape it, i know i'm not, i'm not a normal prince and i'm not a normal demon...no matter how much i want to be so and try, everything i've done won't let that happen, luna was right...i can't please them...especially not through force."

Even landon was left standing there, wordless.

"But...I helped save bernard and nora and angel and...no stupid coronation is going to remove all the insane things i did, it's not easy for me to fully deal with but...i...cursed or not...i'm...". He seemed to be having a hard time getting the words out but landon finished for him instead, "You're a hero...you mean, you're saying that despite being cursed...that never stopped you from being a hero...you saved people, not hurt people".

Judas snorted, "I'm not going to pretend i'm not still hurt...about everything, but the curse...it doesn't define me...or who everyone thinks i am, i...saved people...i went in and saved them...curse or not...and people were proud of me...for just being...me...and i held myself back because i was scared of myself...but if i could do all that, maybe...maybe i can really overcome all this, like for real ".

He actually did sound hopeful, and surprisingly happy despite all the stuff going on around him right now. He did seem to look a bit like a mess and there was clear evidence he had been crying earlier. Which he couldn't deny he had, helping out earlier had gotten him a bit upset, being left to think to himself and everything that had happened on his own till further notice.

Maybe he was acting a little crazy, but he had thought heavily about this.

"Judas...are you-?", she was a little concerned, reaching out to her friend just in case he was mind controlled or something.

"I'm ok, I just...with everything happening i stopped focusing on being judged and all i cared about was keeping everyone safe...because that's what matters to me", he looked like he had been crying on closer inspection, "Sky i...i might never fully get over all the stuff i went through...and the feelings or um...well...anxiety...but if it means saving you all, then i'm happy to help in any way possible".

"You sure?".

"Sky, let's be honest here, knowing us...my coronation was bound to take a wild turn anyway, might as well be because of us instead of something else much worse". She had to agree with that, his coronation was bound to be a target no matter what at the end of the day, better it had a good result then a bad one. Sky might still have been worried, but if judas was ok with it, then she wasn't going to protest too much.

The girl nodded, landon simple still standing and watching, rubbing at his currently normal cheeks. Judas pulling himself together to face his brother, "Hey landon...for the record...even if i think some of it was dangerous and stupid...i'm proud of how brave you were throughout the whole thing. You really clearly care about your friend and i think it's great how you stood up for yourself...even if i still think it was partially dumb".

Landon didn't say anything, but they could tell he appreciated it, even if he still wished judas had allowed him to go.

"What's...what's the plan now?".

"We'll talk about it over dinner...but...we'll figure it out", the princess then hesitated, before asking carefully, "Um...is bernard allowed to come?". She didn't want to come off as intrusive or anything, she just knew bernard should be included if he could and landon was the best one to get that information from. The demon's shoulders sagging in response to her question.

"I-I don't know...".

But there was no time for the demon to elaborate on what was going on, because soon enough some of the knights were running through the halls, getting the attention of the young royals, as if something had just happened that got their attention. And Star burst out of her office, startling the kids before catching her breath, a panicked look in her eye that at first made sky worry.

Only for the woman to turn to her daughter in disbelief more then anything, her eyes glistening.

"They caught her...they have her in custody".