#my mother was really skeptical when i first got the book

[leonardoeatscarrots]

Love reading about Rasputin's death and seeing shit like "We have nooooo idea what hit Rasputin on the head" or some other detail like that that was absolutely mentioned in Felix’s memoirs.

Like I get that Felix’s memoirs aren't entirely reliable. Shit just happens that way. But you can't honestly tell me you have NO clue when the guy who did it says, "Oh yeah, it was a rubber bat, lmao." And doesn't have a reason to lie about it.

It's not definitive proof in any way, but that's still better than nothing.

I also love when folks give me the whole "I think the reason he talks about himself so much before the murder is to make you trust him even though hes a murderer" as if he's some kind of big-brained mastermind manipulator. This is Mr Felix "Purishkevich shot my dog" Yusupov. He has the persuasion of a kindergartener.

""That's exactly what he wants you to think.""

Honestly, idgaf if Lost Splendor is exaggerated or inaccurate. In my opinion, the accounts from there are pretty reasonable if you take out the rich layer of devoutly religious. Far better than any other adaptation I've seen.

But besides that it's funny. It's actually entertaining. It's well constructed.

It's biased, but there's something distinctly human about that.

It is a. Good. Book.

[pretty-circa006]

Sneaking Out

Stepdad! Negan x F! Reader

summary Negan catches you sneaking out to go to a party and punishes you accordingly

tags age gap (reader is 19, Negan is pushing 40), spanking, unprotected p in v, making out, slight dacryphilia, stepcest, nudity, brief mentions of alcohol consumption, vaguely implied underaged drinking, hair pulling, use of pet names, cumshot

this is my first time posting my writing on here, kinda nervy!

*you are responsible for your own content consumption. if this is something you DO NOT like, simply DO NOT read or interact! :) *

wc: 2.65k

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She sat on her bed, crying. Knees tucked to her chest and head held in her hands as small sniffles and whimpers escaped her lips, despite her best efforts to stay silent. She resented her mom for being so strict and not letting her go out to parties like others her age. She was sure her mom would have let up once she graduated high school, especially since she was legally an adult now, but it only seemed like she doubled down even more. Things got even worse once her mom married her stepdad, Negan. Per her mother's request, he installed security cameras in the front of house and the backyard to ensure she couldn't sneak out. And the few times she tried, she failed, because Negan would be up late, playing video games in the living room or smoking a cigarette in the backyard by the poolside, making it impossible for her to sneak out. She was so miserable, watching everyone have fun over the summer before college while she wasted away in her room with her only entertainment being behind a screen or imbedded in the pages of a book.

It was so unfair. Especially because she knew tonight was gonna be the party of the year. One of the rich girls in her graduating class was throwing a pool party at her mansion, her mansion which housed one of the best pools she'd ever seen. And somehow, she was lucky enough to be invited. This was an opportunity of a lifetime and if it meant being grounded for an eternity, so be it.

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She had one foot out her bedroom window when she heard a knock on her door.

"Hey kid, can I come in?" her stepdad, Negan's, voice called from the other side of the door.

"One sec, I'm not decent!" she fibbed as she stumbled back inside her room. She shut the window as silently it would go before she slipped under the covers of her bed, hiding the fact she had on nothing but a tropical, triangle bikini.

"Okay, you can come in now," she called out. Negan let himself in, glancing around her room suspiciously. She couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked with his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, tattoos peeking out from beneath his white t-shirt, and obvious outline of his dick through his gray sweatpants that hung low on his waist. Despite being hidden beneath her sheets and comforter, she felt vulnerable and naked beneath his skeptical gaze.

"You're not plannin' on sneakin' out, are ya?" he asked, tongue seductively swiping across his bottom lip. She nervously swallowed, heat blossoming across her cheeks.

"N-no, why?" came her shaky reply.

"You are a shit liar, kid," he laughed, a handsome smirk on his face.

"Why would I sneak out? There's nothing for me to out there anyway," she doubled down, not feeding into his bait. He stalked closer to her bed before sitting down at the foot of it, hazel eyes boring into her soul.

"So you're not going to that pool party happening right now?" The tone of his voice was sarcastic, hinting that he didn't believe a word coming from her mouth.

"Pool party? What pool party?" She punctuated her question with a fake yawn to try and convince Negan that she really was tired and ready to go to bed for the night.

"If you say so, kid. Just know that if I catch your lying ass sneaking out tonight, you'll be in for a world of hell when I punish you." Her thighs involuntarily squeezed together at his words and the action didn't go unnoticed by Negan. She nodded her head while silently praying he'd hurry up and leave so she can sneak out.

His eyes narrowed at her as he stood up. "Night, kiddo," he said, patting her knee through the comforter for good measure.

"Night, Negan!"

She continued laying in her bed, petrified, for another ten minutes until she heard the door to her mom's bedroom shut. Negan's words did manage to strike some fear into her, but not enough to deter her from her original plan. She was sure he was in bed now and falling asleep for the night. After silently sliding out of her bed, she tucked a few decorative pillows in her previous place in hope they'd fool Negan or her mom if they peek in to check on her.

Her hands were shaky when she re-opened her bedroom window. Nerves were finally getting to her. She could hear her heart beating rapidly in her ears as she began having second thoughts about doing this. Negan was nowhere near as strict as her mom, so his punishment couldn't actually that bad. Not that she'd actually have to worry about his punishment, because she wasn't gonna get caught.

She crept out of her window and stepped onto the roof. She closed her window, only leaving it slightly ajar so she could get back inside later. Careful not to slip on the roof's slippery shingles, she tiptoed to the edge and looked over at the space from here to the grassy ground. Too late to go back now. She sat on the ledge and turned herself around so she could hang from the ledge before dropping into the soft grass.

She looked back at the house, elated she was finally out and what fun was about to come

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The dark morning sky was slowly beginning to turn into a lighter blue as she clumsily climbed the trellis back onto the second story's roof. Her slightly intoxicated brain made it so her movements weren't as agile and quiet like before. She lifted her window open and unceremoniously fell inside, smacking the carpeted flooring with her face.

The first thing she noticed was the potent smell of tobacco followed by his signature whistling.

"Aw, fuck," she groaned to herself. She heard the springs of her mattress release as Negan got up and soon his socked feet came into her view. He reached out a hand and helped her up after she gratefully accepted it.

He looked pissed. His thick eyebrows settled into a frown and his hazel-green eyes were devoid of any kindness. She nervously crossed her arms over her body, feeling naked under his gaze.

"How was the pool party?" he asked.

"I wasn't a-at a pool party!" she lied.

His look only darkened, making her weak in the knees. From fear or arousal, she couldn't tell.

"What kinda goddamn fuckin' idiot do you take me for? You are literally dripping wet and wearin' a damn bikini!" he pointed out the obvious.

"I was swimming in our own pool in the backyard!" she lied with such little conviction that she couldn't even fool herself

He stepped closer to her and if she wasn't already so close to the wall she'd have stepped back. She averted her gaze and chose to look at the chipped, bubblegum pink nail polish that adorned her toes. Negan wasn't having any of it, though, and forced her to look up at him by grabbing a fistful of her wet hair and tilting her head up. Hot tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

"What did I tell you would happen if I caught you sneaking out?" he asked between clenched teeth.

"That...that you're gonna p-punish me..." The tears were streaming down her face now as she sniveled pathetically.

"Attagirl," he darkly praised, a sinister smirk spreading across his face. The slight praise caused her stomach to do backflips and her core to clench over nothing. Her face felt hot and her breathing shallowed as her only thoughts were what Negan would do next.

His grip on her hair stayed firm as he walked her over to her bed. He released his hold before taking a seat onto the plush mattress. She stood before him, nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot and nibbling the skin around her thumbnail, awaiting what was to come. His large, warm hands gripped her hips, pulling her to stand between his legs. She glanced down at him as he looked up at her, but her eyes drifted past his face and down to the bulge growing in his sweatpants. She was embarrassed to admit it, but her mouth watered at the sight.

"Now, I want you to know that this shit could have been avoided had your stubborn ass just listened to me," he stated, his grip on her hips growing firmer. She nodded her head, not knowing what to say and not wanting to anger her stepdad even further.

He pulled the ties on either side of her bikini bottoms and let the damp garment fall to the floor between her feet. She nervously bit her bottom lip and looked down at him, but he was too busy eyeing her cunt and soft thighs, which glimmered with the slick of her arousal. He looked up at her as he licked his bottom lip. He patted his thighs.

"Bend over my fuckin' knee, doll," he ordered. She warily obeyed, despite the humiliation of having him see her bare, wet pussy. His roughish hands caressed the soft flesh of her ass, admiring the mounds. Without warning, his hand came down harshly on her right cheek, earning a yelp from her.

"Keep it down," he hissed before landing an even harsher slap to her other cheek. She only whimpered this time, pursing her lips to fight the noises that yearned to escape. He continued his assailment on her ass, leaving it stinging with numbness. Her whimpers turned into a mixture of sobs and wanton moans which only tightened his pants. By the looks of it, he wasn't the only one getting off to this punishment. Her cunt sparkled with her arousal, arousal which was leaking down her thighs.

"Negan, please!" she begged. Her thighs were clenched together as she tried to rub her aching clit on his thigh.

"What is it that you want, baby?" he questioned. His big hands kneaded at her squishy flesh. He knew damn well what she wanted, but he wanted to hear her beg. Her weeping pussy was practically begging to be stuffed with his big cock.

"Need you! Need to feel you inside me," she begged between sniffles and sobs. She stood up from being bent over his lap and sat on it, straddling him instead. His arms snaked around her waist and hers around his neck before she leaned down almost close enough to connect her lips to his.

"Please, Negan?" she whispered against his lips. His eyes flitted from hers down to her lips which were so close to his. Her eyes fluttered shut as she gently pressed her soft lips to his, his facial hair pricking at her skin. Negan could name a plethora of reasons why this would be wrong, but the one reason it felt right overpowered them all, so he grabbed the back of her head and crashed his lips against hers. The desperate moan she let out gave Negan the perfect opening to slip his tongue into her mouth. She tasted like some fruity cocktail that was really just a bunch of things mixed together by some inexperienced kid. He'd have to take her out for a real drink one day. His tongue traversed her mouth, consuming her. She desperately ground her bare pussy on his clothed bulge, eliciting pleasured groans from him. His hands felt up her body before untying her bikini top from the back and the neck, leaving her completely bare on his lap.

"Please, Negan, I need to feel you," she begged after pulling away from the kiss. His eyes were glued to her tits, watching them as her chest rose and fell while she caught her breath. He cupped them in his hands before giving them a squeeze. Her head fell back as she let out a wanton moan. The rough skin of his fingertips gave her hardened nipples some much needed friction as he rolled them between his thumb and forefinger.

"You got some nice fuckin' tits, babydoll," he complimented, only making her wetter.

Her hands slid down his chest, then torso, then stopped at the waistband of his pants.

"Neeegaaan," she impatiently whined.

"Well, baby, if you want it, go ahead and fuckin' take it." His dimpled smile almost brought her to her release right then and there. He lifted his hips so she could pull his cock free. His length audibly smacked his abdomen, the tip an angry, flaming red and leaking with precum. If her core wasn't aching so badly, she'd have gladly taken him down her throat. She took him in her hand. He was so big that her fingers didn't even touch. She stroked him a few times as he sucked bruising marks onto her neck and collarbones. He held onto her hips as she lined him up with her sopping center, stroking him along her slick folds before sinking all the way down on him. The stretch was there, but not painful because she was so wet and ready for him.

"Negan, you feel so good!" she moaned once he bottomed out inside of her. Her nails dug little crescent moons into his skin through his shirt as she began bouncing on his cock. He admired her tits bouncing as she rode him before pulling her closer and taking one in his mouth, kneading the other with his free hand.

The squelching sounds of her wet pussy and the smell off sex permeating her bedroom only made things more erotic. Negan was hitting every spot perfectly, but he wanted more. He freed her tit from his mouth before flipping their position. Her back was now laying against the bed and Negan stood over her, his cock still inside. Now that he had more control, his thrusts came harder and faster, his tip almost kissing her cervix.

"Goddammit, doll, you were made for my cock!" he praised. More profanities and moans fell from his mouth as her wet, spongy walls squeezed his cock. Her moans were growing louder and louder, making Negan worry that they might wake up her mom...who was his wife.

"I know that my dick is the best damn dick you've had and ever will have in your entire goddamn life, but you need to keep it down," he lectured. She rolled her eyes but pursed her lips in a feeble attempt to keep quiet.

They were both close to reaching their peaks and it was obvious by the way his thrusts grew rushed and sloppy and how her cunt was squeezing him.

"I'm gonna-" her sentence was cut off by a scream of ecstasy which caused Negan to cover her loud mouth with his palm. Her cunt squeezed him as her back arched off the bed and eyes rolled to the back of her head while she came. If he was thinking straight, he'd have left her high and dry as punishment, but his own orgasm was close and he'd be damned if he didn't cum. She removed his hand from covering her mouth and took two of his long, thick fingers into her mouth.

"Ho-ly fuckin' shit!" He swore, marveling at the sight. She hollowed her cheeks as she sucked on the digits.

"That's. My. Girl!" he praised with each thrust.He pulled out of her just as his orgasm came over him and shot his load onto her tits and stomach. He flopped onto the bed beside her and she rolled into his strong arms.

"Y'know I can't stay, gotta get back to your mom before she wakes up."

"Just ten more minutes?" she begged, looking up at Negan with those doe eyes of hers.

He sighed and lightheartedly rolled his eyes.

"Anything for my babydoll."

thank you for reading! if you have any feedback on how i can improve, i'd love to hear it!

[runningfrom2am]

cold nights // part twenty-nine

summary: you were back in the capitol, and you would be damned if you didn't try your hardest to make it worthwhile.

pairing: coriolanus snow x fem!reader

wc: 4.2k

masterlists / nav / requests

tags/warnings: tribute!reader and mentor!coriolanus, r is very sweet (too kind for this world. literally.), sunshine x grumpy trope kinda, he falls first, violence typical for the source material, depictions of mental illness, also she's is very smart (as she should), district twelve!reader.

a/n: ahh shit really hits the fan in this one oops

my asks are also open to talk about this series! (i do have emoji anons open now too!)

send me any and all of your thoughts! here!

series masterlist // playlist

"Coryo." You hum, knocking on your boyfriend's doorframe.

He looks up from his desk, smiling as he sees you standing in the door. You were still wearing what you had worn to class that day, a button up shirt he had bought for you with the orange skirt Tigris made, short and simple as if it was made by your own mother. It matched perfectly with his own mother's scarf that you always wore out, that was left draped over your shoulders. You were looking at him like you needed something, and it just made him light up.

"Love," He closes his book and stands up. "What do you need?" He asks, quickly pushing up his unstyled hair out of his face- the curls were beginning to come back, but they weren't quite as long as they once were. When he's with you, which is almost always, he makes a very conscious effort to keep it up and away from his face.

Your hands are tucked behind your back, nervously twisting your fingers. "Why must you assume that I need something?" You giggle.

"Because I know that look." He pokes your nose as he gets close enough to do so, now standing a foot away and looking at you expectantly.

"Okay, fine." You sigh. "I was wondering if you had any plans for Halloween."

"Hallo-what?" He asks, tilting his head at you. Your jaw drops.

"Halloween." You say again, wondering if it was possible he just misheard you.

He laughs, eyebrows raised in clear confusion.

"You don't know what Halloween is? You don't celebrate here?" You gasp.

"No, sorry."

"Oh my god, okay. Well, we must do something." You clap excitedly.

"Slow down, darling. You're gonna have to tell me what it is before I can agree." He chuckles, holding a hand out you to stop you before you got too excited.

"Okay, okay." You agree. "So, it's a holiday, similar to Christmas if you have that."

"Of course we have Christmas."

"How was I supposed to know?" You laugh. "Anyway, it's mostly for little kids, but still. Basically, on the last day of the month everyone dresses up in costumes of monsters or animals or different jobs- whatever you want, and the kids go knocking door to door and adults will give them treats."

"Treats." He states, but it comes out more like a question.

"Yes. Like cookies, or candy if you have it, really anything." You grin, nodding at him excitedly. "My Ma usually makes fudge."

"Okay..." Coryo laughs. "So... sorry, I'm confused. What do we do? Hand out candy to kids who won't come because no one's heard of it here?"

"That's the best part!" You clap. "We aren't parents; old enough to be stuck handing out candy, and we aren't young enough to go trick or treating, so we get to have the most fun."

"Okay..." He urges you on.

"We get to have a party!"

"A party." He eyes you a little bit skeptically.

"Yes!"

"Since when do you like to party?" He seems wholly unconvinced.

"I don't, but it's tradition! I always have fun, I just don't drink much anymore. It'll be good to make friends, Coryo. Please?"

"Anymore?" He laughs, but quickly shakes his head to stay focussed on what you were asking of him. "Love, I wish we could but I don't know where we'd have a party, we can't have it here."

You frown, thinking for a moment. "Oh! I'll call Sej." You grin, already bounding off down the hall toward the phone.

That was that, he couldn't change your mind even if he desired to- but really, if a party would make you happy, then you would get a party. He would make sure of it.

You had spent weeks handing out invitations to the other people in your classes, most of which, as you noticed, ended up in the trash cans or littering the halls. You didn't let it bother you, Coryo insisted that people just didn't tend to hold on to those kinds of things and it didn't mean they wouldn't come. (What you didn't know, was his near-constant cleanup efforts of asking anyone he knew or had classes with to come to his "costume party"- and people didn't like to say no to Coriolanus Snow.)

You had come up with a plan. Coryo would say it was his party, and he would be hosting it at the Plinth's estate. You couldn't run the risk of putting your name on the idea, especially after your interview assuring parents that you were just there to learn- not fraternize. You didn't mind, you knew more people would want to come if it was his party, and that it wasn't a "Halloween" party. Just a costume party that happened to land on the district holiday that none of these kids nor their parents knew about. Hopefully.

You were incredibly excited. You spent the days after Sejanus's parents left town over there making decorations, and begrudgingly, Coryo joined you after realizing you weren't only there to drop things off.

He never pictured himself spending so much money on orange and black coloured paper, but here he was. The list of things he would do for you is growing by the day, surprising even himself.

You had put a lot of time into your costumes, with Tigris's help over the last couple of weeks. It wasn't anything crazy, just a white dress and some small angel wings, and for Coryo a gray shirt with leather straps, some light chain mail on the shoulders, and silver sleeves. You were very proud of them, but you hadn't shown him yet. You would be Romeo and Juliet, and you thought it was just perfect.

You smile as you knock on his bedroom door, already in your costume. You would get there a little early to help Sejanus with some final touches, but you did have a lot of people confirm with Coryo that they were coming. You were excited.

He opens the door, his breath dying out in his throat as he takes in your outfit. He must have died and gone to heaven. "Well hello, angel." He grins as he regains himself, opening the door fully for you to come in.

"Do you like it?" You ask, giving a quick spin even as you're holding his matching costume behind your back.

"You look beautiful." He says quietly, nodding as he eyes how the white satin clings to your figure. He couldn't think of a more fitting costume for you; although to him, you always looked like an angel. But now, more beautiful than ever. Ethereal. "It's stunning, love."

"Thank you!" You smile, pulling his forward and holding the folded mix of fabrics up to him. "This is yours."

"Mine?" He asks, a confused smile on his face as he grabs it and unfolds it carefully. "What is it?"

"You're a knight!" You say, clapping your hands together excitedly. "Well, you're Romeo as a knight. And I'm Juliet." You grin, holding the hem of your dress and prompting him to look at it again.

"Romeo and Juliet." He chuckles, nodding slightly as he looks between the two.

"Yeah!" You smile excitedly. "Romeo! Here's drink. I drink to thee."

He laughs, nodding as he closes the door behind you and pulls off his shirt to put on the costume you made for him. "I love it, Y/N/N. Thank you."

"Of course." You nod excitedly. "I've always wanted to do a couples costume."

"Is that a thing?" He asks, getting ready to pull it over his head.

"Yes. It's so sweet! Couples will wear matching costumes and that's how you know they're together, I always loved looking at other peoples." You explain. "My parents always do matching costumes. One year, they both dressed up as cats. My mom made the ears out of felt, and they carried Tybs to the door with them to hand out candy. It was so cute. Like I said, they do matching costumes every year."

In your rambling, you don't notice how he freezes up completely, face falling. Hesitantly, he pulls it over his head. "How do I look?" He asks, gluing a smile back on.

You smile, nodding at him. "So handsome, Coryo." You confirm. "Tigris helped me make it."

"It's... a little uncomfortable." He tells you, pretending to adjust the light chainmail that hung over his chest.

You frown, reaching out to help him adjust it for a moment. "Is that better?"

He hates to do this- it fits perfectly, but he can't have people knowing you're together. Not yet. "Uh..." The hopeful look in your eyes breaks his heart. "Yeah, that's better." He nods, relieved by the smile that returns to your face.

"Are you ready to go, then?" You ask, tilting your head at him.

"Just give me ten minutes, love. Would you mind gathering up our drinks?" He asks, kissing your forehead.

"Of course, Romeo." You giggle, turning on your heel and leaving, closing the door gently behind you.

He hates himself for what he knows has to do.

When you got to Sejanus's house, you were practically vibrating with excitement as you ran around hanging up decorations and placing and replacing drinks and snacks on the tables, moving them around.

"Sej?" You ask, standing on a stool to be able to reach up above a doorframe.

"Yeah?" He calls back from across the room, turning to look at you.

"I'm out of tape, could you grab me another roll? We brought some, it's in the kitchen. Coryo will tell you which bag." You explain and he nods, giving you a quick thumbs up as he walks by and down the hall. 

Walking into the entrance to the kitchen, his eyes go wide.

There's Coryo, holding out the front of his shirt over the sink and pouring a glass of red wine down the front. Extremely, very intentionally.

"Uh... what are you doing?" He asks, and Coryo's head snaps up, eyes panicked.

"Uh, shit, I..." He laughs slightly, placing the glass down quickly and turning on the tap. "I tripped and, god I don't really know. I'm just trying to get this out..."

Sejanus nodded slightly, trying to hide how unconvinced he was. "I don't know if that will come out." He states.

"Shit..." Coryo sighs, albeit dramatically. If Sejanus hadn't just seen him do what he just did, he would be convinced. Coryo would make a good actor. "Well... Do you have something else I could wear?"

"Yeah... uh, yeah. Just go into my closet and help yourself." Sejanus tells him, gesturing down the hall.

"Thanks," Coryo says, brushing past him eagerly all ready to go and change into something else.

Your friend swallows, watching him as he disappears down the hall. Sejanus knew you had spent hours putting together that costume for him, could he even tell you that he saw Coryo ruin it on purpose? It would break your heart- but he did really want to know why.

Sejanus couldn't tell you. You were having fun, or at least trying to, and he didn't want to ruin that. People were talking to you, and to him, which was kind of new territory for the both of you. Your interview and your kindness in classes and to everyone you met did wonders for your reputations as "District kids". Surprisingly, your classmates had lots of questions and none of them seemed to have any real problems with you in a less pressurized setting. The alcohol was likely a contributing factor.

"Yes! Well, we'd go to the lake a lot. Oh! So, one time, my brother and I spent all day dragging this old barrel up a cliffside just to hang it off a tree at the top. We just spent our time doing the most random stuff." You giggle over the music, clutching your glass to your chest as you continue on a conversation with Hilarius, who you saw as a new friend even though Coryo wasn't his biggest fan. You had probably a little bit too much to drink, spurred on by your nervousness.

"A barrel..?" Hilarius laughs, tilting his head at you. 

"Well, yeah, what kind of stuff did you do for fun, then?" You ask over the loud music.

"Chess, I suppose. Reading, I don't know. Fun wasn't really on the schedule." He explains.

"Well, I'd rather drag a barrel up a hill than do nothing, wouldn't you?" You laugh.

"Touché." He tilts his glass at you before taking a sip.

"Y/N, can I steal you for a second?" You hear Sejanus say in your ear, suddenly beside you and you nod, politely dismissing yourself from the conversation.

You follow him down the hall to an empty corner. He couldn't take it anymore, he had to tell you. "I'm sorry about Coryo's costume, I know you worked hard on it." He says honestly.

"It is okay. Spills happen." You smile.

"Well, yes..." He agrees, looking around quickly to make sure he can't spot Coryo's blonde hair in the vicinity. It was a rare moment he wasn't with you, so now was his only shot. "But... it wasn't an accident."

"What do you mean?" You ask, tilting your head at him with a slightly nervous smile.

"Y/N I... I watched him pour the wine on it. Like, very intentionally."

You don't know what to say, slightly shocked. After a moment of him watching your expression evolve, you begin to laugh. "No, no. Sej, I love you, but how much did you drink before we got here? Because he wouldn't-"

"Nothing." He answers shortly, giving a firm shake of his head. "Not a drop, Y/N/N. I swear."

Your smile fades slightly at his abrupt statement. "Well..." You say quietly. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know, but I know better than to be the one to bring it up to him. You should ask."

"I mean, he said it wasn't very comfortable before we left the house. Maybe he just didn't want to hurt my feelings." You smile to yourself, nodding as you decide.

"By ruining something you made for him? Yeah, that'll spare your feelings." Sejanus scoffs, looking past you once more to make sure Coriolanus wasn't nearby.

"He tried to spare them, I assume." You sigh, giving him a reassuring smile in hopes that he won't let it worry him. "It's okay. Thank you, Sej, for telling me, but it's really not a big deal."

The knowledge that Coryo ruined his costume on purpose was eating you alive. The feeling of dread sat deep in your chest where it apparently couldn't be drowned out with more wine or posca or anything that you could find or was offered to you. It made you so horribly sad, that even though you couldn't seem to find your boyfriend in any room of the large house you weren't sure if you even wanted to.

Talking to strangers helped, meeting new people. Some people you shared classes with, and you could mostly discuss that. It was a lot of explaining and reexplaining that people in the Districts were more or less normal, just with less access to resources. You got a few laughs out of that, but a surprising amount of understanding nods. Maybe all hope wasn't lost.

You were here to have fun. It wasn't like Halloween parties back home, and the sheer volume of boys in their own father's old peacekeeper uniforms was chilling to you. Even back home, where you knew those old uniforms were lying folded up in an attic somewhere, very few kids would dare touch them even to make a joke out of it. You couldn't take it anymore, deciding to just step out onto the back patio to get some fresh air.

The air hits your lungs and brushes over your skin, instantly giving you chills but you don't mind. Hearing talking over to your right, you take a look only to see Coryo with a few of your classmates, smiling as he leaned back against the wall of the house. A couple of faces you recognized, and one you didn't.

You smile as you walk over to them, squeezing in next to Coryo. "Clemmie, Livia. It's good to see you." You smile at them, and Clemmie gives a polite nod while Livia just takes another sip out of her glass while the other boy with them just continues talking.

"I don't believe we've met, sorry." You smile at him during a break in his story, extending a hand to him. "My name is Y/N. What's yours?"

He laughs, hesitantly shaking your hand. "Festus. Festus Creed." He tells you.

"Lovely to meet you, Festus." You grin. "Are you a friend of Coryo's?"

"Yeah, you could say that." He chuckles and you look up at your boyfriend who suddenly looks annoyed, rolling his eyes.

"I just love meeting his friends." You smile excitedly. "Are you studying at the university? I haven't seen you before." You say, folding your arm around Coryo's and he tenses up, not so subtly shaking you off.

You look up at him for a moment, a confused smile on your face from his actions.

"Would you mind giving me some space?" He asks coldly, almost glaring at you. Your eyes flick to his, but it's dark. They're cold, icy blue even in the poor lighting. His cheeks are flushed, but maybe that's from the chill.

"Oh, sorry." You laugh nervously, taking a step back and abandoning your conversation. "I... um, I'm gonna go get some water. It was nice to see you." You wave quickly to his friends, turning and heading for the door.

"Sorry, apparently my tribute gets touchy when she drinks." You hear Coriolanus laugh behind you as you enter the house again. It was met by laughs from the rest of the group he was with, and your heart dropped practically out of your chest and onto the floor. You wouldn't have been shocked if you looked down and saw your white dress absorbing the remains of your heart.

Your white feather angel wings catch on the curtain of the door as you close it behind you, and you want to scream and rip them off as you feel tears well up in your eyes. You look around for your best route of escape, feeling the familiar tightness in your chest begin to build.

You'll have to go along the wall- clinging to the outside of the room as you avoid the chaos of the middle in an effort to make it up to Sejanus's room. You'd be alone there.

Tears stream down your cheeks as you keep your head up, eyes locked on the entrance to the foyer with the large staircase, which you know you can take to get to your friend's room. Your fight or flight is kicking in, you think, as the music and laughter and voices fade into nothing. You almost expect the familiar clang of a metal weapon to sound out in front of you as it slams into the wall- but you have to make a very conscious effort to remind yourself that you aren't in the arena anymore. Even if it felt like it more and more with every step.

Shutting the door to Sejanus's bedroom, you quickly shuffle over to his bathroom and lock yourself in, freezing when you catch a look at yourself in the reflection. She was hardly a reflection of you; tear-stained cheeks, angel wings- when you knew that these days you were just about the farthest thing from it. You had changed. You hardly recognized her, and that's the thing that forced you to look away.

You don't even hear someone enter the room until there's knocking on the bathroom door. "Y/N? Are you in there?" Lyssie asks, concern dripping through her tone.

You sniff, quickly wiping your eyes. "Yeah! Yeah, I just need a moment." You choke out, trying and failing to keep your voice steady.

"Are you okay?" She asks through the door, wiggling the handle now. "What happened?"

"I'm fine just fine." You insist, laughing nervously as you look down at how badly your hands are shaking.

"Can I come in? Can you open the door for me?"

God, how you wished it was Lucy Gray on the other side.

But Lucy Gray isn't here. Lysistrata Vickers is all you have- so with shaky hands you reach for the door and unlock it, letting her in. She won't hurt you, you're sure.

Her eyes are already wide with worry as she gets her first glimpse at you. "Oh, Y/N, what's wrong?" She asks, stepping in and quickly closing the door behind herself. "Here, sit down..." She nods to the floor, which has clearly been recently cleaned. Even so, she pulls a towel from the rack and lays it out for you to sit on.

"I'm just a little too drunk." You sniff, trying to dismiss her worries, and slide down against the wall on top of the towel she laid for you as sobs take over you.

"Want to tell me what happened?" She asks again, hurriedly reaching for a smaller towel and wetting it with what you assume is cold water, wringing it out before joining your side on the floor.

"Nothing." You shake your head and bring your hands up to cover your face as you cry into them. "I can't... I can't tell you."

"Okay, that's okay..." She soothes you. "Here, this will help. Can you move your hands for me?"

She doesn't want to touch you, no one really does. You lower your hands, squeezing them tight together in your lap as she carefully reaches up to dab the cloth across your forehead. It does feel good on your burning skin.

You focus on taking deep breaths, trying not to embarrass yourself any further.

"There you go..." She smiles. "You're good at this."

You laugh through your tears. "Well, it comes with my title, I guess." You sniff, wiping your cheeks again.

"I'd bet..." She hums. "But you're doing great."

You just nod slightly, running through lines in your head out of nervous habit. "I love him, oh, I love him; but he won't let himself be loved."

You don't even realize you're saying it out loud to yourself until Lysistrata speaks. "Is it... Is this about Coriolanus?" She asks, and you don't want to tell her that it's a quote from a story of her namesake because ironically, she is right, and ironically, that was the only line you could think of when you strained to remember any of it.

You nod slightly, biting into your lip and letting your shoulders shake with the latest round of sobs.

"Oh, I'm sorry..." She gently rubs your shoulder. "He's... He's not very sensitive to people's feelings. I know that. Just try not to take it personally. It's not your fault."

"How could it be anyone else's?" You sniff. "I embarrass him... But I try so hard to be good. I try so hard..." You cry, wet eyes making it hard to see.

Lyssie looks at you, a little confused. "What did he say?" She asks.

"That..." You hiccup, trying to breathe through it so you can explain better. "That I needed to give him space, all I was doing was standing next to him." You sniff again, wiping your eyes. "And he called me his tribute to his friends- it made me feel just sick... And earlier Sej told me that he ruined the costume I made him on purpose, we were supposed to match! Now I just look like I'm desperate for people to like me- dressing up as an angel when everyone here knows what I did! I don't know what I did wrong... Why does he hate me now?"

She watches you silently, trying to put together the pieces. 

"I don't understand." You say again, shaking your head. "He told me he loved me this morning! I don't know what I did to change that..."

"Sorry, he said he loved you?" Lyssie asks, eyes wide.

You nod slightly, looking over at her. Why does she seem so shocked?

"Wait, Y/N..." She pauses, shaking her head slightly. "Are you guys like... together?"

"Mhm." You swallow, wiping under your eyes. "But apparently not anymore."

"Oh my god, I had no idea." She stammers out, snapping out of her shock to pat the cloth on your head again.

"You didn't?" You sniff. "He didn't tell you?"

"No." She shakes her head, but quickly continues. "I'm sorry, he doesn't tell much to anyone, though..."

You let out a shaky breath, leaning your head back against the wall. "I should have known this couldn't work. I feel so stupid."

"He shouldn't have led you on like that..." She replies quietly. "I don't know a whole lot about you, but I know you're not stupid. I also know that Coriolanus always gets what he wants, one way or another."

"I just want to go home..." You cry, shaking your head. "I want to go home."

Lyssie looks back to the door, gently dabbing the damp material across your forehead. "I'm going to go get Sejanus, okay? Can you hold this on your head for me?" She carefully passes the cloth into your shaking hands and you nod, leaning your head down against it instantly.

She gets up and leaves, carefully and quietly closing the door behind herself. If one person in this city knew even a little bit about what you were feeling or how to help, it would be Sejanus Plinth.

taglist: @soulessjourney , @that-veela-girl ,  @dreamyysouls, @rockstarbfs, @maysileeewrites , @baybieruth , @kitscutie,  @fratboyharrysgf0201 , @totallynotkaibiased , @stelleduarte , @secretsicanthideanymore , @bejeweledreverie , @drewsandsebastianswife , @niicole-87 , @queenofshinigamis , @innercreationflower , @nallasstuff , @iovemoonyy , @thatmarvelchick19 , @wearemadeofstardust0 , @regulusblackcore , @puredreamagination , @fantasticchaosthing , @becauseseaotters , @secretsicanthideanymore , @strawberryflavouredkisses-deact, @cascadingbliss

okay suddenly tumblr isn't letting me tag more people than this so i just made some cuts unfortunately :') i just left the max amount of people i could whose users i recognized and see in my notifs all the time :) if you're not on here and you should be i'm so sorry!

also this taglist is closed now!! if you’d like to get a notification when i update, turn on my post notifications!! i promise i won’t spam y'all :,)

[joeshiestyslover]

save a horse (ride a quarterback)

pairing: joe burrow x southern!reader

summary: joe goes back to texas to meet your family and ends up learning about a very important rule

warnings: language, suggestive content, joe smoking a cigar because yes, it deserves a warning

a/n: y/n’s backstory is pretty much based off my life bc i’m from texas and i have an uncle james that smokes cigars 💀

when you first met joe, you were very weary of him. you grew up in texas and the football players there, especially the quarterbacks, all thought they were hot shit. but joe was the total opposite, so you immediately took a liking to him.

in high school, you were a trainer for your football team, so in college at lsu, you decided to do the same thing. that’s how you met joe. one day after practice, joe came to see you about an ice pack for his wrist. while you were grabbing one from the freezer he asked you on a date. you were skeptical, why would the star of the football team be talking to me of all people? you think.

joe somehow noticed your skepticism, and said, “don’t worry y/n, i’m not one of those dumbasses on the team. i don’t sleep around and that’s certainly not my intention.” you ended up agreeing to the date, and you’re glad you did.

you two have been together for about five months now, and you’re ready for him to meet your family. your entire family lives in texas, and they all know about joe and are dying to meet him.

after considering it for a few days, you finally decide to bring up meeting your family to joe. you’re both sitting on your couch when you decide it’s time to talk to him about it. “hey joe?” you ask him. “yeah babe?” “how would you feel about meeting my family this weekend? my uncle james is having a barbecue and they really want to meet you. so what do you say?” you ask, a little scared for his answer. “are you kidding? i would love to meet your family! i thought you would never ask.” he tells you excitedly. you were a little shocked with how happy he was.

“okay so i was thinking catching a flight on friday because the barbecue is saturday. is that cool with you?” you ask him. “yeah totally. i’ll book tickets right now.” he says whipping out his phone. “make sure you put down dfw airport because that’s the closest one to my uncle’s house.” you remind him. joe looks up at you and nods before going back to his phone.

on friday, ja’marr offered to give you both a ride to the airport, so you and joe loaded your luggage into his car and got in. as ja’marr and joe were singing along to whatever song was playing, you were texting your mom, who was overly enthusiastic about joe’s arrival. her constantly making sure that he’s coming and will be on time. you reassure your mother that everything will go according to plan.

ja’marr pulls up to the airport and you all get out of the car to get your bags out. you and joe thank ja’marr as he gives joe “good luck” before getting back into his car and driving off.

you and joe walk into the airport and check your bags then go through security. while sitting at your boarding gate, you notice joe’s leg shaking up and down. you put your hand on his thigh to stop it and you ask him “is everything okay honey?” “yeah.” he tells you. “i’m just a little nervous. i mean, what if they don’t like me or don’t think i’m good enough for you because i’m just a football player and you’re so fucking smart and guaranteed a good job and-” “joe” you cut him off. “everyone is going to love you okay? trust me, it’s all they’ve been talking to me about since i first told them about you. and even if they don’t like you that doesn’t matter to me because i like you. and my feelings towards you are much more important than theirs right?” you reassure joe. “yeah i guess. it’s just that i’ve never really met a girlfriend’s family before, so i don’t know what to do or what to say. and doesn’t your uncle own a gun?” he asks you still a little bit worried. “he does, but he’s not going to use it on you joe. he might whip it out to scare you-” “WHAT” he all but yells in the airport. “BUT i promise he won’t use it okay?” “okay yeah.” he says much more relaxed than he was earlier.

soon after, you and joe board the plane and the flight ends up being very smooth with very little turbulence. one of the things you loved about your home state, there was never much turbulence when landing. you and joe order an uber to take you to the hotel you’re staying at after you both grab your bags from baggage claim.

once you both check in you immediately go up to your room and lie down on the bed, exhausted from the plane ride. you and joe end up taking a nap for a few hours until it was time for dinner. you ordered takeout from a five guys, which joe has never had before, much to your surprise. “you’ve never had five guys?” you ask him shocked. “nope.” “we are getting five guys right now.” you grab your phone and click on the uber eats app to place your order.

once the food got to your room, you and joe immediately sat down at the little dinner table in your room. while you’re eating your fries, you hear “oh my god this is so fucking good.” “i told you joe. nobody makes better burgers or fries.” you tell him. “you’re so right babe. i’m never doubting you again.” you laugh at him. “just eat your food so we can go to bed.”

the day of the barbecue, you start to understand joe’s nervousness. your family’s opinion of him means everything to you. what if they don’t like him? what if they think you should break up with him? you try to convince yourself that that’s ridiculous. of course they’ll love him. everyone does.

once it’s time to go, you and joe head downstairs to meet your cousin, savannah, so she could take you to your uncle’s house. once you see her, you greet her with a hug. “i missed you so much.” she tells you. “i missed you too. let me introduce you to joe.” you say to her. “joe this is my cousin, savannah. savannah, this is my boyfriend, joe.” “it’s really nice to meet you, i’ve heard a lot about you.” joe tells your cousin. “likewise, joe.” she responds. “you ready to go?” she turns to you. “yeah let’s go.” you say to her.

once you pull up to your uncle’s house, you’re holding joe’s hand tightly in yours. you turn to him, “you ready joe?” “as ready as i’ll ever be baby.” he tells you with a newfound confidence.

you both get out of the car and walk into the house. there’s nobody inside, so everyone’s probably outside by the pool and grill. you open the back door and walk out. the first person to notice you is your other cousin, jamison. “hey y/n/n!” he walks over to you and gives you a bear hug. everyone else walks over to you and they also give you a bear hug.

“everyone” you get their attention. “this is joe, joe this is my family.” everyone turns to joe and they look at him for a second. you start to become worried, and you can tell joe is too. then all of a sudden, they walk over to him and greet him. the men in your family including all your uncles and your father give him a firm handshake while introducing themselves, while your aunts and your mom give him a huge hug.

you suddenly don’t know why you were worried. of course they would all love joe, i mean who the hell wouldn’t?

“oh joe!” your uncle james exclaims. “i almost forgot, i have a little gift for you to welcome you to the family!” “welcome me to the family sir?” joe asks confused. “well you’re family now joe. you’re the first boyfriend of y/n/n’s we’ve had the pleasure of meeting.” your uncle james tells your boyfriend and you feel yourself start to turn red. your uncle walks back inside to grab whatever it is he has for joe as he turns to you. “so, i’m the first boyfriend they’ve met huh?” he asks with a smirk. “yes but don’t let it go to your head joseph lee. i just never had many boyfriends in high school.” you tell him as you walk over to the mini fridge outside to grab a beer. you offer joe one and he accepts. you grab a bottle opener and just as you got joe’s bottle open, your uncle walks back outside… holding a cowboy hat?

“everyone in the family owns their own cowboy hat, even y/n, so i thought it’s only fair that you get one too.” your uncle says as he hands joe the hat. “go ahead try it on.” your aunt says to him. joe puts it on and you swear you could combust right then and there. you never imagined joe wearing a cowboy hat before, but now you couldn’t get it out of your head.

“i’m about to fire up the grill to make some wings, but i heard that you smoke cigars, so you wanna sit down with me and have one later?” your uncle james asks. “yeah sure that sounds great sir.” joe tells him. “don’t call me sir, just james. i don’t need to feel older than i already am.” joe laughs a bit and nods at your uncle.

“well i think this is going very well.” you tell your boyfriend happily. “yeah me too.” he smiles at you. “so… the hat?” you ask. “i actually really like it. think i might wear more often.” “yes please.” you tell him. “oh? so i take it you like the hat then?” he asks you cockily. “you could say that.” you smirk back at him. you walk away to go chat with your aunts as joe goes to talk to your uncle by the grill.

after everyone eats james’ delicious wings, your uncle walks inside to grab his cigar box and a lighter. he sits down on the couch by the pool and gives joe a cigar. james lights joe’s cigar first, then his own. you suddenly smell that familiar smell and look over to your uncle and your boyfriend. you see joe with a cigar hanging out of his mouth while he listens to your uncle talk about something you can’t quite make out. you can’t take it anymore. you can handle the cowboy hat, but the cowboy hat and cigar combo? you’re done for.

you walk over to the both of them. “what are you guys talking about?” you ask. “oh nothing” your uncle says. “just guy stuff.” joe adds. “oh well, joe and i are actually gonna head out, i’m exhausted and we have an early flight to catch tomorrow.” you say with false regret. “oh well, i’ll see you during summer, hopefully you too joe.” james says as he stands up. you give him a hug as joe gives him a handshake. you and joe wish everyone goodbye and walk out of your house to wait for your uber.

suddenly, you gave into your temptation and kissed joe in the sidewalk. he pulls away, “what was that for? not that i’m complaining of anything.” “oh nothing.” you tell him as you pluck the hat off his head and put it on yours. “why’d you do that honey?” he asks cluelessly. “oh i forgot you’re from ohio.” you tell him through your laughing. “well there’s this rule around here called ‘save a horse, ride a cowboy’ you ever heard that before?” joe shakes his head. “well the rule says you take the hat, then you ride the cowboy.” you tell him with a smirk.

it suddenly clicks in joe’s head and you see his eyes turn dark. “oh really?” he asks. “then we can’t break the rules can we baby?” “no we can’t joey.” you tell him while slowly creeping your hand to cup the back of his neck so you can pull his lips to meet yours. it only lasts a couple seconds because you notice that your uber has pulled up beside the two of you. joe grabs your hand and swiftly pulls you into the car with him.

you were in for quite a night.

[snapghoul]

*runs in flips over white bored and starts writing something down about the twins* okay hear me when the boys go to Texas Tyler enters them in team roping for old time sakes, and Jake is like “What the fuck man I haven’t done that in years.” “are you even cleared to ride after what happened?” Tyler then says “We can do, just no getting bucked off.” Jakes like “shouldn’t I be tell you that.” *looks at white bored and see chaos on f my writing, walks away*

Oh you know Tyler would annoy Jake into doing it. He would use every trick in the book, even saying Ma will record it so Jake could show off to Bradley.

Warnings: Mention of Injury

“Tyler, no,” Jake said firmly, his arms crossed. Their day at the hometown rodeo had taken an unexpected turn—though, in hindsight, he should have seen it coming.

“Yes, listen! We haven’t participated in an event in ages. It’ll be fun!” Tyler insisted, trying to convince Jake even though he had already signed them up.

“We don’t even have horses for to this—Tyler, Ma will kill us if we use Hurricane and Sandstorm,” Jake argued. Their mother had recently acquired new stallions, but they weren’t used to rodeo riding. He wasn’t even sure if they were ready.

Tyler dismissed Jake’s concerns with a wave of his hand. “They’ll be fine. Dad said Huri is a rodeo horse he got from an older gentleman who couldn’t care for him anymore. We’ll manage.”

Jake gave Tyler a skeptical look and put his hands on his hips. “Are you even going to be fine? When was the last time you were in a saddle?” He raised an eyebrow and stopped Tyler from answering. “Without breaking something?”

Tyler narrowed his eyes and pouted slightly. “I’ve never broken anything from horseback. I’ve never been bucked off.”

“Oh really? What about the time you cracked your skull?” Jake challenged.

Tyler pointed at Jake and shook his head. “Hey! Don’t bring SweetTea into this. She had it out for me from the start. Storm never bucked me.”

Jake rolled his eyes. It was true; after that incident when they were teenagers, Jake had taken over riding SweetTea, who clearly had a grudge against Tyler.

“And I didn’t crack my skull. It was just a cut from the railing,” Tyler said matter-of-factly.

“And the first-degree concussion,” Jake added with an unimpressed look.

Tyler stared back at him, the twins locked in a silent stare-down for a long moment.

“We’re doing it,” Tyler said firmly.

“No,” Jake replied, just as resolute.

[guardianspirits13]

Ok now for a list of things that I'm kind of iffy about or wish they had kept from the books. It's worth noting that I can't think of a single show exclusive scene they added that I did not like, and most of the changes were integrated flawlessly.

Starting out, the pacing. I'm hoping this gets better with time, especially given that the second episode has much more time to breathe. The whole first episode felt a little cramped, and some of the exposition felt a bit... exposition-y. I don' t think there is much they could have done to get around this though so I'm not gonna dwell on it.

As a fan of the series, I love how they introduced the structure and function of the PJO world with the intro, but I think the jump from "Percy sees things" to "everything is all real" felt a bit abrupt. I am curious what first time fans think about this, and again the first episode covers a lot more ground page-wise than ep 2.

Manchild Gabe... I am not sure how I feel about this. In the books he seemed downright threatening and even with Percy's 12yo bravado, he was still an intimidating figure. His bickering with Sally seemed more like your typical dysfunctional relationship than a power imbalance... both can be harmful in their own way, but I'm still undecided on how much giving Sally a bit more agency in her relationship with him effects the larger story. The whole "not all monsters look like monsters" thing works well in the books with Gabe, but I guess they were redirecting it to foreshadow Luke's betrayal? I'm not sure.

...which brings me to Sally. I was unsure about the casting, but she has earned her stay to me. I always imagined her as a bit more subdued, especially with the more intense iterations of Gabe. She's kind and gentle and has a rebellious streak, but as worried as she might be for Percy she hides it inside of herself. I think her being a bit more expressive as a character works in this setting though, especially since we aren't seeing her through Percy's kid colored lenses. She feels a bit less like the perfect, kind, and understanding mother Percy sees, and a bit more like a real-life single mother trying to keep some of that childhood wonder alive despite everything. She does seem younger than I would have expected, but that's a nitpick on my end. I think she is one character that I will always have a separate book/show counterpart for in my mind.

Ok. Now for Clarisse. Out of all the characters I was skeptic about, I think she's the only one who didn't win me over. This is a writing issue, nothing at all to do with the actress. She was characterized more as a 'queen bee' type mean girl than a bully who picks fights just to feel worthy of her father's approval. She would be better fit for a vindictive daughter of Aphrodite than a daughter of Ares. My mind might be changed in the future but we got most of her scenes in these first two episodes so I'm doubtful. The one moment that had potential was when Percy broke her spear, but the Clarisse I know would not back off just because there is an audience.

There was no hellhound... I was kinda looking forward to it, and it does emphasize that even camp isn't really safe for Percy and is a catalyst for both his quest and the idea that there is a traitor. I can kind of see why the cut it for thematic purposes so Percy feels safe for once in his life, but that's only if I squint.

The scene cuts. I know, I know they're supposed to mimic book chapters. I get it. But it just doesn't work for me, it feels like there's a lack of establishing shots and the black screen is long enough you think the tv is buffering. It's an interesting idea in concept, but the execution falls flat.

OH also as far as things that were missing- the 3 fates. I know this is in the show since it was in the trailers, but I'm curious as to where they're gonna put it now.

Anyways minor nitpicks aside these two episodes were an emotional roller coaster and absolute masterpieces of television cinema.

[ladykailitha]

The Promise

Just a little sweetness to break up the absolute angst fest I’ve been working on. I’ve have cried so many times writing the next few parts, my little romantic heart needed a break.

So I jumped on the “they met as children” bandwagon.

Or you can read it here on AO3

*

Eddie wandered around Steve’s bedroom as Steve went to answer the phone. He wasn’t surprised to see that the room held little personality. Not because Steve was a blank slate by any means. No, it was more that judging from what Eddie knew about Steve’s parents and the way they forced conformity on him.

So the book shelf was a bit of a surprise. Four neat little shelves crammed with books.

Steve opened the door and asked, “Hey, what are you doing?”

Eddie looked up from the bookshelf feeling caught out. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snoop. It’s just everyone says you don’t read, so the bookshelf was a bit of a surprise.”

Steve scoffed. “They only say that because I don’t read fantasy or science fiction. I read other stuff.”

“What’s wrong with either of those two genres?” Eddie asked, moving away from the shelf to sit on Steve’s bed.

Steve shrugged. “I guess I never found the right kind of fantasy, especially since you told me that there are so many sub-genres. I guess I got overwhelmed.”

Eddie nodded. Not every fantasy book was for every person. He would have to go through his books and find a nice variety for Steve and figure out what he liked.

“And what about science fiction?” he asked.

Steve wrinkled his nose. “I hate it. And I’ve read all of the supposed greats, too. Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury. They all spend so much time on the science that they don’t get to the fiction. And it hurts my head.”

Eddie sighed and cocked his head. He couldn’t fault that. “So what do you like?” Steve cocked an eyebrow at him and he laughed. “I didn’t get to read any of the titles before you came back.”

Steve still eyed him skeptically but came over to sit on the bed next to him. “I like biographies. Mainly sports but a couple historical figures too. Winston Churchill was interesting. Diary of Anne Frank. But mostly I like mysteries.”

“Mysteries? Really?” Eddie said lightly. “Will wonders never cease. So who’s your favorites?”

“I like Agatha Christie, of course, Nero Wolfe, Sherlock Holmes...” he trailed off. “The classics, I guess.”

“Nothing wrong with the classics,” Eddie said. “What’s your favorite Holmes story?”

Steve hummed. “I would say ‘The Adventure of the Silver Blaze’.”

Eddie frowned. “I don’t think I’ve heard of the that one.”

“It’s where a horse goes missing right before an important race and the trainer is found dead,” Steve explained, starting to talk excitedly for the first time since he caught Eddie going through his bookshelf.

“Whoa!” Eddie teased but Steve laughed. “Why do you like it so much?”

Steve blushed. “It’s one of the few times that Dr Watson finds an important clue.”

Eddie lit up with interest. “Yeah? What was the clue?”

“That the horse tracks start coming back about half way through.”

“And Holmes was so focused on seeing the clues in front of him that he forgot to look to the side?” Eddie guessed.

Steve nodded. “It’s really cool.”

“Now here’s the really important question...” Eddie said, leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees. “Poirot or Marple?”

Steve who had leaned forward before Eddie asked the question, threw his head back and laughed.

“Poirot hands down!”

Eddie put his hands over his heart. “No! Say it isn’t so!”

“Afraid so,” Steve said with a grin. He leaned over the bed to pull out his favorite book. “Elephants Can Remember.”

“It’s about a girl who’s future mother-in-law wants to find out if insanity runs in the girl’s family because when she was a little girl her father was with her mother both found dead on the top of the cliff near their home. Was it a double murder? Murder/suicide? And if so, who was the one that killed them both, the mother or the father?”

“So this old bat comes to Poirot to find out?”

Steve nodded. “It’s really good.”

“Huh,” Eddie said. “That does sound interesting.” He began leafing through the pages when a piece of paper fell out. “What’s this?

Steve shrugged. “Just a piece of paper I use as a bookmark sometimes.”

Eddie eyed suspiciously. Steve was far too causal about this little piece of paper.

He turned it over. There was a circle around a heart and a little note that said, “This is the best ring I can do right now, Love E”

“What’s this?” Eddie asked, his breath catching in his throat.

Steve blushed. “The first person I ever kissed.”

“Eleanor Jackson gave you this?” Eddie asked. He had heard the story of course. Everyone had. How when Steve was ten Eleanor declared him to be her husband and would kiss him every day on the playground. Everyone thought it was cute. Personally, it made Eddie gag. Mainly because no one had asked Steve what he thought.

But Steve was shaking his head. “She was the first girl I kissed.”

Eddie’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me, what?”

Steve looked down and began picking at a loose thread on his comforter. “I don’t even remember what his name was and since he only signed it as ‘E’ I guess I probably never will.”

Eddie looked down at the note again. “Tell me about this boy.”

Steve bit his lower lip. “When I was eight, my aunt took me out to one of the lakes to play on the beach. I don’t even remember which one. But there was this dark haired little boy making a sand castle too close to the water and would get frustrated every time a wave came up and destroyed his hard work.”

Eddie grinned. “Sounds cute. Even if he seems a little dim.”

“I asked why he didn’t simply move further up the beach,” Steve said, remembering with a fond smile. “He said that he had. Twice!”

“Oh the poor little bastard,” Eddie said, nearly doubling over with laughter.

“So I convinced him to make little soldiers instead for the waves to deliberately carry away.”

“Awww...” Eddie said. “Did he agree?”

“We made a game out of it,” Steve said. “Who could build the fastest army before the wave came back.”

Eddie was cackling now. “So who won?”

“He did by a landslide,” Steve said. “I could only manage to make three or four but he made ten!”

Eddie shoved his hair in his mouth to try and stifle the laughter. “Oh god, you are so competitive. How on earth did you handle that?”

Steve tipped his head back and sighed. “I pouted.”

“Of course you did,” Eddie said.

“It’s how I got my kiss though,” Steve said. “So I really couldn’t complain.”

Eddie tilted his head to side. “And how did that work?”

“When he saw me pouting, he kissed me,” Steve murmured. “Said that he had seen his mom do that with his dad when his dad pouted.”

“Cute!” Eddie said giggling.

“I kissed him back in retaliation,” Steve said. “He was just so sweet.”

“He really sounds like it,” Eddie said softly, looking down at the note. He crossed his legs and looked up at Steve. “When did he give you the note?”

Steve mirrored his position. “Just before him and his parents left. He told them he had forgotten something. He rushed back to me and gave me the note.”

“That’s real sweet, Stevie,” Eddie said. “So you just told everyone it was from Eleanor Jackson and kept it safe all this time.”

Steve nodded. “Everyone thought it was so sweet that she wanted to marry me, but I hated it.”

“Because you were already engaged to someone else,” Eddie teased. “Oh my what would Nancy think? You were cheating first!”

Steve protested, “Hey! It wasn’t like that!”

Eddie grinned. “I know, big boy. I’m only teasing you. You look so pretty when you blush.”

Steve pouted.

Eddie leaned over and pressed his lips to Steve’s.

Steve gasped. “Eds?” he asked, unsure.

“I learned that from my mom,” Eddie whispered as he worked a ring off his right hand. “Sorry it’s late, darlin’, but I finally got you a better ring.”

He slipped on Steve’s ring finger on his left hand.

Steve stared at the ring on his finger in awe and something softer, more dear.

“Did you know the whole time I was tell the story that it was you?” he asked, suddenly shy.

Eddie shook his head. “Not at first. I didn’t remember the sand castle or the little soldiers. Remember the kiss, though.”

Steve looked up at him through his eyelashes. “Yeah?”

“Of course I remember the first person I ever kissed, Steve,” Eddie cried. “Like you, I didn’t remember the boy’s name. I don’t think you ever said.”

Steve blushed. “Probably not,” he admitted still shy.

Eddie kissed him again and Steve melted into it. “So pretty boy: gay or bisexual?”

Steve frowned for a moment, thinking. “I want to lean more to toward bisexual because of Nancy, but the more I think about our relationship and how we are much better as friends, I start to wonder. And then there’s Robin. What straight or bisexual man suddenly stop having feelings for a girl just because she said she liked her own gender?”  

Eddie nodded. “You’ve dated women pretty exclusively, did you feel anything for any of them? A spark, a floppy feeling in your stomach?”

Steve shook his head. “The closest I ever got to that was with Nancy. I was happy with her. Maybe no sparks or fireworks or anything like that, but she made me happy. So I thought that’s what love was.”

Eddie smiled, “And now?”

“Happiness is just a start,” Steve said, pulling Eddie back for another kiss.

Eddie grinned against Steve’s lips. “Well you make me pretty happy.”

Steve looked down at the ring on his hand. “We haven’t even dated and we’re already engaged,” he said with a laugh.

Eddie moved to sit next to Steve and picked up his hand to admire the ring. “I didn’t think I would find you again. And even when I entertained those thoughts, I would come up with scenario after scenario where we hated each other because we become such different people.”

Steve blushed. “My nightmare scenarios where were I found you again only to find out you were already with someone else. Or you tell me that it was a youthful indiscretion and that didn’t mean anything.”

Eddie kissed the ring gently. “Turns out we were both wrong.”

Steve chuckled. “I’m glad we met when we did, Eds. Again, I mean.”

Eddie cupped Steve’s cheek with his other hand. “Why’s that, sweetheart?”

“I think our nightmares would have come true,” Steve said softly, closing his eyes and leaning into Eddie’s touch. “Only it would have been me telling you it was a youthful indiscretion so Tommy would still like me. And then we would have hated each other. And I can’t stand the thought of that. Not now. Not now that I’ve gotten to know you.”

Eddie smiled softly. “I know what you mean, baby. And I’m grateful, too.”

Steve kissed him again and let Eddie lower them on to the bed.

“You’re so beautiful,” Eddie whispered. “You were beautiful then and you’re even more so now.”

“I love you, Eds,” Steve murmured. “I think I always have.”

Eddie grinned. “Me, too,” he murmured against the skin of Steve’s neck. “Me, too.”

[daydreamer-in-reverie]

I think one of my biggest gripes about S3 of Bridgerton is that I am utterly unconvinced that Colin and Penelope started as friends.

Now hear me out. I believe that Eloise and Penelope are friends. I believe that they grew up together, having lived across each other. I believe that Eloise loved Pen so much, Penelope was always welcomed to the Bridgerton home. I believe that by virtue of Eloise loving Pen and having her as a best friend, the Bridgerton family loved Pen as an extension.

But I’m unconvinced that Colin ever saw Pen or loved her as more than his sister’s best friend.

They tried so hard to convince us that it was Colin and Penelope who met first and that theirs is a stronger bond than what Eloise and Pen have by virtue of this but I just remain skeptical. In S1 and S2, we never really see them interact without the intervention of a ball or a social gathering. Eloise and Penelope actively seek the other person out while it was only Pen who looked for Colin and never the other way around. Colin only ever stumbled upon Penelope. He never scanned the room the find her, never tried to pull her away from Eloise so they could have their own conversation. I always felt like Penelope was such an afterthought to Colin while Penelope always made space for Colin in his life. Even while Colin was writing letters to Pen, and it was only Pen who consistently read and replied to his missives, it felt so one-sided. Penelope was eager to know of Colin’s adventures but Colin never asks Penelope about her own life and hobbies.

In all honesty, I think this could have easily been remedied by a good flashback. In Bridgerton S1, S2 and even in Queen Charlotte, flashbacks were the mediums used to fill in the gaps of the story. To inform the readers of a character’s history, and why the choose to do the things they do.

In a single episode, we saw how horribly Simon was mistreated by his father. In a single episode, we saw how deeply Edmund’s death wrecked Anthony’s boyhood and broke his mother’s heart. These flashbacks told us why Simon refused to procreate or why Anthony didn’t want to marry for love. We saw how deeply these core memories hooked themselves into these characters psyches, forcing them to become the people we know today. Without these integral flashbacks, we’re left with words said in passing to convince us of the story they’re trying to sell.

And don’t tell me flashbacks in the Bridgerton-verse are unimportant. Flashbacks have always been Julia Quinn’s method of choice when trying to inform readers of a character’s decisions. In Book 1 and 2, we got the same flashbacks as S1 and S2. In Benedict’s book, we got Sophie’s flashbacks. How her father treated her and how much her life changed after he died. In Book 4, which is Polin’s book, we still got flashbacks on Pen and Colin’s relationship and how much their friendship actually meant to the other. Book 5 showed us Philip’s backstory while 6 showed Michael’s and Francesca’s and John’s friendship, and 7 showed Garett’s and 8 showed Lucy.. While these flashbacks maybe used to showcase the love-interest’s past, they were still utilized by Julia Quinn to give us insights on the characterizations that make up their respective relationships.

I feel like this season, while having its moments, wasn’t what I was hoping it would be. There were so many changes that I feel the original plot of the story got lost. Polin didn’t feel like the main couple, just a couple with a story to be told. There were so many plots told in such extended ways that the main event was sidelined. The Mondriches, Benedict (who by the way is my favorite character), Francesca were all put on spotlight more than Polin was. In the books Francesca barely gets a passing mention of her marriage until her actual book (an act I believe to be intentional on Quinn’s part. It fits that the black sheep of the family who prefers the quiet didn’t have all of the fanfare that came with marrying an earl) yet her time at the marriage mart was put as a spotlight. In fact, when Francesca and John marry, it doesn’t happen with the series and happens much in the same way as Prudence’s marriage is (by this I mean it happens off screen). Don’t even get me started on her character assassination and deviation from the books (I can write a whole essay on this without even mentioning Michael/Michaela). All of these plot points, were put as main focuses when they shouldn’t have been. A waste of Polin’s amazing love story, if you ask me.

[yourfandomfriend]

Gravitation || IwtV Meta

While doing my bookkeeping, I was pleasantly surprised to find I'd left some shippy meta lying around for these yaoi-ass mother fuckers and didn't post it. Yeah, you know I've got it bad for a series when the analysis spills over into other folders.

** SPOILERS** for Interview with the Vampire, Season 2 & The Vampire Chronicles **SPOILERS**

And Then What?

One of my favorite aspects of this series is the way it takes meta to the next level.

Anne Rice used the "interview" aspect of the novel to sew the tiniest seeds of doubt in her readers' minds, the idea being that the story could be true and Louis was out there somewhere. But then she retconned a lot from the book to justify making its villain, Lestat, the hero of the series. So any adaption of the book with a greater story in mind would basically be saying, "Yes, this story is all true! …Only it's not, this man is a liar. And his rebound is a psycho bitch!"

Meanwhile, with the benefit of decades of hindsight, the series doesn't just say, "The vampire story happened, it was an interview by some Boy." It treats the story with respect by interrogating it as if it can stand the sunlight.

"So if the first one was a pack of lies, as later books insist, then why didn't The Boy notice? And why did Louis lie? Why go to the trouble of telling his story to a reporter if he was just gonna lie about his boyfriend all night? And how come he didn't notice that Armand guy was an unhinged puppet master, hoaxing his ass for years?"

Well! Not only is the interview itself split apart -- between the year of its release and the time of the series -- but Daniel Molloy himself is split and now becomes the way in which the series reconciles the first book with the rest.

Daniel becomes a brave and skeptical interviewer, buying the premise of vampires, yet daring to ask -- if the story was true -- then why This and why That? Many fans of the books react to this as an insult. "Are you calling the first book stupid? The people who loved it stupid?" As if that was the only explanation for treating the material as though it could hold up to scrutiny.

Agency

I really love the idea of the series closing out Louis' story with his revelations. He has the truth now and is finally able to take control of his life. To accept himself completely in a way he never could before and stand on his own.

No longer forced to forget Paul, Claudia, and Lestat. No longer pretending he isn't a monster or a very human creature. No longer trapped in limbo, no longer an object at the mercy of the universe.

And can we all agree that Lestat got the best arc? One that wasn't possible in the books? Learning to respect Louis' autonomy and let him go with love instead of lying, cutting off his escapes, blackmailing, or breaking him? I'm way more impressed with the writing of the show here, for making Lestat learn his lesson instead of pretending, "Oh, no, he was perfect all along!"

Also, his behavior is juxtaposed with Armand's. We'd love to think he's the villain for the part he played in the Trial, but so many characters had done the wrong thing that led to that point --

Claudia for rushing (against all logic and advice) to join a cult created by the guy she "killed," thinking she could BS her way through it forever. Louis for ignoring Claudia when she reported her red flags, telling her to sit in the choice she'd made, choosing a guy he'd just met over her, refusing to join or even be kind to the coven, leaving bodies in the open to piss them off, and playing carelessly with the heart of an ancient demigod vampire he barely knew, who he just happened to have shared a suss ex-boyfriend with --

Lestat for keeping his fledglings weak and ignorant, abusing them and refusing to let them go, destroying the Paris coven and remaking it in his image then abandoning it, crossing the ocean for revenge he didn't deserve, and using his power to save Louis, but only Louis.

No, Armand's pertinent villainous act was The Lie. He didn't just allow Louis to believe the conclusion he'd jumped to, he created an alternate universe where he was Louis' savior and nanny and made him live in it for seventy-five years. And it's not even that he was dishonest, per se -- they all lied to each other -- but that his dishonesty was fueled by a desire to limit Louis' movement.

Like the rocks in that coffin. As if he'd never taken Louis out of it.

He would give his lover all the power in the world, submit to him in any and every way imaginable, and put his life in Louis' hands… but never give him the freedom to leave. That was the power and control Armand exerted behind a mask of innocence and deference.

It's the mask Lestat wore on more than one occasion, not realizing his guilt until the Trial's ludicrous, victim-blaming narrative inadvertently threw his cruelty, tyranny, and vanity in his face.

Which means that, as different as they were, Armand was used in the series as a Shadow Self of Lestat. Not the easy, shapeless alternative he was in Book One, nor the convenient scapegoat he was in Book Two, but a desperate, lonely, unaccountable Brat Prince playing with precious things that don't belong to him and breaking them.

Armand is more underhanded and tightly wound, but his greed and capacity for disaster are at least identical to Lestat's -- because they're godlike. No one can stop them, except themselves.

Gravity

But now, the love triangle has been thrown into daylight and all parties are finally free of one another. Louis can visit Lestat to reconcile and greave and embrace without either being sucked into each other's orbit... For now.

And what of the unmasked Armand? He didn't ask to be set free from either of their orbits or did he? and without the chase of Devil's Minion, he has no one to satellite now. Poor babby, all his friends are dead and everyone else thinks he's a hardcore bitch. Can he ever be happy alone, especially when there's no outside force to shake the shit out of him?

To the ancient texts!

In the books, Armand's relative wickedness was transparently both AR's alibi for Lestat and a way to keep him from undermining her OTP -- once he was no longer a threat to either, he was free to be as happy and lovable as a thing like him could be. So if Show follows Books, Armand is free now, too! Free of the toxic polycule! (And taking most of the toxins with him, but hey.)

The Bachelor Armand

A whole lot of fans who go from Armand in Book Two to Armand in Book Three have their minds blown by how… well? Cute and lovable and domestic he eventually becomes. You know… the further he gets from Louis.

Of course, Armand is never the healthiest, most stable character, but at least he's allowed to move on eventually. To finally grow and change. But must Show!Armand be lonely until that change happens? And if he's alone and won't introspect, what's the catalyst? Doesn't romance/love/the chase change him in the books? Why would anyone love him now that he's outed as horrible?

Well... all the other characters think he's a hardcore bitch... but one of them might think that's more a feature than a bug.

In the books, Daniel, the one remaining threat to loustat, is nerfed by AR throwing him to Armand like a wind-up cat toy. And as it turns out, he's a lot more into the evil nut-jobbery part of dating a vampire than the cute shit. Actually, he seems to find the cute shit annoying.

Before you know it, the spares are paired, Daniel is turned, and Armand is transformed from a severe, obsessive, sadomasochistic ascetic, to a soft, obsessive, sadomasochistic hedonist. He's still a hardcore bitch, but now he's the hardcore bitch Daniel's always dreamed of.

Suspicious? Yes. AR showing her hand? Undoubtably. But they seemed so happy, I don't have the heart to question it. And if that Chuck Tingle book cover come to life is Armand and Daniel's fate in the show, I'll cheer them on so loudly.

[naavispider]

Hey, what do you think life would be like for Spider and others in modern au? I mean the universe on Earth, nowadays. (For example - in my hc Jake is in a wheelchair, Spider has cystic fibrosis/severe asthma, Kiri has epilepsy and Grace is in a coma as a reference to the original story)

Spider Socorro Modern AU headcanons

Adding mine to the pile because I'm 😍 hooked 😍 Some of these are definitely influenced and adopted from other posts I've seen, especially @hyperfixatedfandomer (I searched but I couldn't find the other post that I really loved so I'm sorry whoever you are, know that you inspired me 🙌🏻) Again if you haven't, you need to read So close, yet a million worlds apart 🥰

has bounced from foster home to foster home growing up

Norm is his social worker who he has a good relationship with, despite Norm being pretty unable to find anyone to adopt him

Yes, Jake and Neytiri are one of the families who ended up fostering Spider as a teenager

He has asthma, which can occasionally flare up so he always carries his inhaler

His style is lots of oversized baggy clothes, a hoodie here or there but mostly bold t shirts, very grunge, very tumblr boy. His look reflects the care and attention he's gotten as a kid, which is obviously not a lot

Deffs has his ears pierced but hasn't braved his first tattoo yet

Plays guitar and can sing, but hates to do it in front of people

He's pretty musically talented all around, he once picked up piano pretty well

Very artistic, he definitely has a sketch book hidden somewhere and the sketchbook definitely includes Kiri's portrait more than once. The kind of kid that always has graphite on his fingertips

Skateboarder - so he can roll away from his problems

Alexa play 'They See Me Rollin'

Plaits his hair in cool styles, loves incense, would be into Yoga however he's never had the space or the vulnerability to try it in any of his foster homes.

Very popular at the children's home, lots of the younger kids look up to him and he has some cool friends his own age from there as well

Bright in school, though he can be cheeky so ends up in a few detentions, definitely has ADHD as well (high functioning)

Loves peanut butter! I feel it in my heart that it's his favourite food

relationship with the Sullys

when Norm called Jake and Neytiri and asked if they were willing to foster a kid for a few weeks, Lo'ak was Not Impressed

Tuk was delighted and Kiri and Neteyam were skeptical

The kid really needed fostering though due to a safeguarding concern (oh no Papa Miles found out where the children's home is but isn't allowed to see him so the only other option was to send Spider away across the country to another children's home)

As soon as Spider walked in the door Lo'ak knew they were gonna be thick as thieves, all trepidation vanished

Neytiri gives a warm welcome, but allows Jake and the kids to show Spider around. She definitely never tries to mother him, and Spider can feel that, it doesn't bother him (most of the time)

Jake is definitely in a wheelchair, and when he sees Spider's skateboard tucked under his arm on the doorstep he knows there's gonna be some wheel jokes

Spider is of course always respectful but the kid has banter, and Kiri and Lo'ak are all over it

Jake finds out his fave food is peanut butter and makes peanut butter chicken one night. The fam have never tried it before but it's an instant hit

Lo'ak and Spider sneak out together all the time, hanging around street corners and parking lots at night, and sometimes Kiri comes too

Spider got Lo'ak into skateboarding, Lo'ak eventually ditches his bike

Tuk is enamoured by Spider's hair, she thinks it's really pretty. Spider is great with her, because he has so much experience with younger kids in the children's home

Spider loved Kiri no doubt, but he's ace af so never thinks of her in that way. Kiri loves him back easily and they just know their souls align.

Someone at school once started taking the piss out of how friendly Kiri and Spider were, esp that they were foster siblings, and Lo'ak punched the guy square in the jaw, causing a big fight in the hallway and Lo'ak to get suspended for a day

Spider looks up to Neteyam, a little bit wary of him at first when he moved in, but doesn't see much of him since he's older and keeps himself to himself a lot

Neteyam will be going off to college soon (he's like 17 in this AU purely for the older bro vibes) and Spider can see that he wants that for himself as well, eventually

one time Neteyam catches Lo'ak and Spider sneaking in at like 3am from the skatepark and says that as long as they don't do it again he won't snitch on them

Lo'ak and Spider invite him on the next one

Neteyam notices a car parked on the street outside their house over a few days that seems kinda sus, and he mentions it to Jake, who tells Norm, who tells social services, because what do you know, it couldn't possibly be the dangerous Papa Miles stalking his son could it?? (someone please write a fic)

[tallaxia]

Writer James Wong and director David Nutter talking about X-files s01 e13 "Beyond the sea"

Cinefantastique #26 - 1995

“Dana, open yourself up to extreme possibilities only when they’re the truth.”

—Mulder

Beyond the Sea

Gillian Anderson and Scully come into their own in this first-rate script by Glen Morgan and James Wong. Scully’s personal and professional lives collide when, shortly after her father's death, she and Mulder interrogate a psychic death row convict named Boggs (Brad Dourif) who may hold the key to finding a serial killer and his latest victims. In a fascinating twist, Mulder for once is the skeptic, and Scully the unwilling believer, when Boggs claims he can locate the killer—his former partner—as well as give Scully some final words from her father. Director David Nutter drew scorching performances from Dourif. and a deeply moving one from Anderson, whose Scully tries mightily to repress both her grief and her belief, and his orchestration of the prison confrontations is masterful. The sholwhere the door closes behind Anderson, leaving Dourif centered perfectly in a narrow windowframe is quite unforgettable. The teaser is a study in how to communicate family tensions and emotions not spelled out in dialogue. Don Davis and Sheila Larkcn as William and Margaret Scully make an indelible impression.

“Beyond the Sea” originated from a number of sources, one of which, said James Wong, was “a book Glen had read which said that 75 percent of widows within three months have a vision of their husband, and 35 percent of mothers see their sons.” And comments from fans that Scully needed humanizing played their part. “Gillian needed a show to show off her talents,” Wong said. Added Morgan, "It was time to grow Scully’s character, because she was doing the same kind of thing too often.”

The character of Boggs grew out of Morgan’s desire to “do a psychic thing. And you start thinking, well, this guy’s got to have something at stake. Capital punishment was one thing I always wanted to write about.” The network executives were not high on the idea of a Scully/Boggs faceoff, and Chris Carter had to back the idea twice before the they gave the go-ahead. “They said it was too much like SILENCE OF THE LAMBS,” said Morgan, “so in order to not do Hannibal Lecter, this kind of cool intellectual, we had this manic high-strung cracker. I was directly trying not to write Hannibal Lecter.”

Noted director David Nutter, "Brad Dourif came in, and my job there was to create a setting where he could be what he really wanted to be. I would just tweak this and that, but basically I let him have the stage. In a sense, it was a static episode and it was important to let his performance be the moving element. I was also very happy with the work that Gillian and I did together. I thought she really proved herself to be quite a talented actress.”

Religious symbolism is a guiding clement in “Beyond the Sea.” The teaser opens on a Christmas tree angel and the statue of an angel also provides an important clue to locating the serial killer. Mulder's lack of faith in Boggs results in his being shot near a wooden “white cross” which Boggs had warned him about, a contrast to Scully’s evading death when she avoids a painting of a blue devil about which she had received a similar warning. “Scully has that Catholic background,” said Morgan. "I’m not a very organized religious person, but we got a lot of letters from people saying, ‘I need to see my religion portrayed positively.’ So you try to have somebody who was raised with that faith.”

The tattoos on Boggs’ hands which read “kiss” and “kill” are reminiscent of Robert Mitchum’s “love” and “hate” tattoos in NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, but Morgan said that although Mitchum was in the back of his mind, the words themselves came from a song by the band X. “There’s a lyric which says, ‘It’s kiss or kill.’ I was trying to think of something other than love or hate and I thought that was kind of neat.”

[lemonhemlock]

Hello,

I really love the posts from this blog. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to YouTube and Twitter which is dominated by Team Black stans.

Can we please talk about the ‘Rhaenyra is the best mother’ propaganda going around.

I’m not saying it’s untrue (though I’m personally skeptical) just that I only ever see it being used to denigrate Alicent as though their situations are in anyway the same. Worse still is when these people (Team Black stans obv.) bring in book ages into a discussion of the show canon arguing that Rhaenyra was only 17 when she had her first son and managed to be a good mother. I’m not arguing either woman, or any woman in general in Westeros, is in a good never mind better situation. Only that it’s easy to argue that Rhaenyra is mother of the year when she has like a half dozen scenes with her children that last all of 15 seconds. She only actually speaks to Jace and Luke in the show.

Alicent may not be perfect but let’s think more critically about the result of Rhaenyra’s supposedly Grade A parenting. Jace is violent and arrogant, Luke is petrified and timid. Neither can fight competently, never mind fairly. Jace cannot speak High Valyrian even though he has both Daemon and Rhaenyra around who were both fluent at the same age. And Rhaenyra send her underage son to the Baratheons when she Rhaenys right as a vastly superior envoy (that’s a different far more annoying topic) — All of this is true even with the buckets of narrative bias working on their favour. There’s a FF trope that Joffrey squired in the Vale, Luke regularly goes sailing with the Sea Snake, and Jace is such a wonderful diplomat. None of which is textually supported but those TB fic writers need desperately for Rhaenyra to look as though she wasn’t just sitting on her ass doing nothing during her stint on Dragonstone.

To me Rhaenyra while probably more affectionate than Alicent; she should nonetheless also be condemned because her selfishness (the reason TB say Alicent usurped the throne for Aegon) puts her children in active danger.

Case in point TB say Aemond needed to be punished because the accusation of bastardy is so dangerous but who might I ask put those children in that situation in the first place? Oh right Rhaenyra.

Additionally unlike Team Green, none of Rhaenyra’s family was truly in danger if she had just capitulated. She’s a woman and the children bastards of the female line. Alicent is there actively counselling Aegon against assassination and conflict. There may have even been a place for her on his small council or she could live out her best Lana de Rey vinyl life and a responsibility free rich lady on Dragonstone (bit rose tinned. I know but not completely absurd)

Just hoping you had some input on this idea that Rhaenyra is an UberMother or even that Alicent is supposedly the worst, most abusive, uncaring parent ever. (This is because she hits Aegon occasionally — but IDK that’s just how boys got disciplined in the past, and why is no one talking about the lack a father figure yet the reason Aegon is a lush is all on Alicent *head desk*)

Thanks

Hi there & thank you for your kind words about my blog. I think the difference in parenting style between the two can be explained due to structural factors, i.e. their social positions & respective privileges.

Rhaenyra is her father's favourite, a princess by blood and has an actual dragon. She's not just any regular Westerosi noble lady. She is THE it-girl. She can afford a laissez-faire approach to child-rearing. She is careless with the paternity of the children. She is oblivious to how she is perceived in court, because, for a very long time, it is not a subject of interest to her, as she just automatically assumes her status and dragon will render that aspect irrelevant ("their views don't matter"). It takes until her THIRD child for her to realise people are gossiping about her and that gossip can be dangerous the more her father is ailing. Because of her short-sightedness, she unintentionally puts her children's lives in danger because she insists on keeping them in the line of succession not just for the throne, but also attempts to steal another house's lands and titles. I have always thought that sending Luke to Driftmark to "rule" would just make him vulnerable to assassination attempts by his disgruntled Velaryon relatives.

Meanwhile, Alicent is terrified that her children's lives are in danger, her father's, her brother's etc. She's not going to be a lax parent, she can't afford that. She grows to be an anxious and dissatisfied adult. While Rhaenyra gets to explore her sexuality and have children she wants with someone she cares about & finds sexually appealing, Alicent is repeatedly impregnated against her will and maritally raped by an old, decaying man. She is always going to have a more complicated relationship with motherhood because of that.

Had Rhaenyra & Alicent been millennial mums living in the contemporary world, they probably would have both done a good job of it, with all the resources & information available today on child development & psychology and with enough wealth to afford appropriate childcare when needed. They also both would have benefitted from superior medical knowledge (so childbirth wouldn't have been a death gamble) and would probably not have been forced into teen motherhood.

[justanotherduck26]

Being Thalia and Jason's sibling

Also Y/n has no specific gender so anyone can read this  also posted on my quotev

Also this is in the book versions of Grover, Thalia, Luke and Annabeth

Let's just say you're Jason's twin

Thalia is the tired mom since y'alls  mother is a bitch

You and Jason have your own language as babies 

Jason blabbing 

Y/n blabbing back

Thalia: awwwe look at you two

The first time Thalia tried to give you a hair cut it went horrible..... you're hair never grew back right 

Your first word was Lia you were trying to say Thalia but could only manage Lia

Also you have a fear of water so while Thalia's trying to give you a bath you're screeching like a banshee and then there's Jason who calm as fuck 

Anytime Thalia gives you a hair cut you're hair ends up messy and short 

Jason crawled and walked first but you flew errrr floated you couldn't yet control so you just kinda floated 

Actually you're the reason Jason got his hands on stapler 

Thalia turned her back for 1 minutes and in that minute two year old Y/n had floated to the counter grabbed the stapler and gave it to Jason 

Thalia turned around just in time to see Jason about to eat the stapler 

JASON NO!

Like previously stated Thalia is a tired mother 

Little did y'all know it was about to go down hill very soon

7 year old Thalia carried two year old Y/n while Beryl carried two year old Jason

Beryl would've held you if you didn't bite her when she tried to pick you up

What Beryl didn't expect but probably should have was Thalia taking you with her when she went to go get the picnic basket 

Once Beryl abandoned Jason  Thalia took you and ran 

That's how y'all met you're favorite Goat boy Grover after being on the run for a few days 

 You plucked some hair off Grover

You've "accidentally" called him father goat actually the first time you did it was accident then you called him that to tease him

Is that really goat fur ?

You've also accidentally shocked Grover a few times which earned you the nickname Sparky 

You're offen used as a distraction for Thalia to steal food 

Ok Y/n do what I taught you!

Cue 3 year old you wailing and people rushing over to you 

Grover stays a few feet away but is still keeping a close eye on you because he's scared a stranger might actually try to kidnap you after a few minutes of you being coddled  and questioned by strangers Grover scoops you up 

"Oh Y/n there you! What have I told you about wandering off!" 

Grover to you 

"Thank you for finding my sibling they like to wander off."

Grover to the strangers as he carries you away to the spot Thalia told him to met her to with you 

Grover is a tired dad 

"Thalia how is hair dye important?" 

Grover to Thalia because she stole hair dye food to but still 

Like previously stated Grover is a tired dad of two soon to be four because a few years later you ran into two more demigods 

Luke and Annabeth 

Actually you got separated from Thalia and Grover that's how you met Luke and Annabeth 

Luke was very confused and concerned about why this five  old with a messy hair cut and random patches of hair dye in their hair was wandering around alone 

Annabeth being the same age as you was skeptical but happy to find someone her age 

" Hey kiddo are you hungry ?" 

Luke to you 

You let out a demonic screeching because stranger danger 

That's how Thalia and Grover found you 

Thalia slapped the back of your head not enough to bruise but enough to sting a little because you scared her when you wandered off

Luke , Thalia and Grover all hit it off 

You and Annabeth took a few days to warn up to each other but once you did you two became inseparable after bonding over parental issues despite being 5 you both knew what parental issues were 

You and Annabeth share a sleeping bag 

Learning Luke was a better thief than Thalia since he stole enough to feed all of you and no offense to Thalia she barely stole enough to feed you, herself and Grover 

That's actually how you started trusting Luke is he fed all of you 

Also Luke gave you and Annabeth his blanket when it was freezing so there's that to 

Sometimes you would hear Thalia talking to Luke about someone named Jason that name sounded so familiar to you but you couldn't quite put your finger on it 

When it was to cold you, Annabeth,  Thalia,  Luke and Grover would all cuddle up together 

Luke would try to read to you and Annabeth but y'all are dyslexic so he stop trying to read books and just started making up stories 

Honestly life was good for 2 years 

Up until the cyclops 

Everyone in your group was affected but you were affected by it the worst 

You see your beloved older sister get turned into a pine tree and you're heart is broken 

You just didn't take care of yourself the next few days 

Seven year old you couldn't comprehend seeing your older sister basically died in front of you 

You're traumatized even more than you all ready were

Luke and Grover and Annabeth all took care of you 

Then when your 10 Luke gets his quest 

You,  Annabeth and Grover are all terrified of losing him

So naturally you beg him to stay 

He just ruffled you're hair and promised he would come back 

Well he came but something seemed.....off about him 

Oh and he has a good sized scar over his left eye

You asked Annabeth about him and you both just thought it was because it was a stressful quest 

Oh how wrong you both were

Then a few years later When you and Annabeth where twelve 

Percy jackson entered the camp

[the4thmonth]

To Be a Hero - Book 1: Chapter 1

Chapter 1 | Their Weapon, His Sister: Prologue

Warnings: None A/N: This is the very first chapter of my first ever series, “To Be a Hero"! English isn’t my first language, and I don’t really have a lot of writing experience, so please lower your expectations. I’ve never read the manga, but I’m caught up on the anime, so this series is going to follow the anime. I honestly have a really loose idea of how I want this story to go, but oh well. This isn’t proofread, so there might be spelling and grammar mistakes everywhere. This may not make sense rn but you gotta trust the process yk?? Enjoy :D Word Count: 1.4k

The sky was never out of his reach; he had flaming red wings to take him to the clouds whenever he wanted. Feathers as crimson as blood and as soft as the finest of silk adorned his back. He was blessed with great wings that allowed him to do things many could only dream of doing.

Those wings are the very same pair that had landed him and his sister in the Hero Public Safety Commission. Hawks had little qualms about his role for the Commission. He obeys orders without hesitation, even though he does so with persistent cynicism. Hawks never liked getting his hands dirty, but he would do so for the greater good.

What Hawks never came to approve of, however, was his sister having to dirty her hands for the betterment of society. There was an inkling of guilt in Hawks’ heart whenever he saw [Y/N] obey when assigned another mission or task by the Commission. She was only an infant when their mother gave the two of them to the Commission.

Hawks hated watching his sister grow up in the Commission. He would have given anything to give her a normal life. [Y/N] was trained to become a weapon for the safekeeping of society’s peace from the moment she could walk and utter her first words. He could do nothing but watch while his little sister learned to sleep with a knife under her pillow instead of a plushie.

[Y/N] was subjected to harsh training once her quirk had manifested. Not a day went by where she didn’t spend hours in multiple training rooms, just like he did. Hawks loathes how the Commission has raised his sister to be an obedient tool. 

Hawks’ head is clouded as he flies over the city. He feels his phone buzz in his pocket. The caller ID is [Y/N]’s. A small smile breaks out onto his face as he picks up, “Heya, kid. What’s up?” [Y/N] didn’t call often, so this was a pleasant surprise. Hawks keeps the phone close to his ear as he snaps out of his reverie and finally becomes aware of the city below him. “Madame President asked me to call you and tell you to report back to the Commission." She’s straight to the point, as always. Hawks suppressed a sigh; it must’ve been important if they were resorting to having his sister call him back instead of doing it themselves. “Fine,” he drags out, trying to keep his tone light but running a hand through his hair. “I’ll be there in five.” Hawks headed in the direction of the Commission’s headquarters as soon as he gave his answer. He didn’t hang up, nor did [Y/N]. Hawks decides to keep the conversation going with a little small talk: “I heard you weren’t going to come back from that scouting mission until tomorrow; finish early?” “It was a false alarm,” [Y/N] responded plainly. Hawks was used to the one-sided conversations he had with his sister.

“Yeah? The Commission’s got us chasing dead ends lately, haven’t they?” “Yeah.”

Hawks chuckles at [Y/N]’s inability to continue a conversation. He figures he might as well just get to the point, “So why’d they get you to call me back to HQ? They usually just do it themselves; what’s different today?” There’s clear skepticism in his voice.

He hears a quiet sigh from the other line, “I don’t know either; they’re being tight-lipped about it. I’m guessing they want you here before they say anything.”

“Huh,” he hums thoughtfully, “guess we’ll find out.”

|

Hawks stood beside [Y/N] as they faced their boss. “Hawks, Nightshade,” the President addresses them.

“I’m sure both of you have heard of a villainous organization called ‘The League of Villains’ running about,” she begins, her arms crossed in front of her. “We need both of you to keep an eye out for them.” She rounds her desk to open a drawer and pulls out a file. The President hands the file to Hawks. It’s a U.A. recommendation for [Y/N]. Hawks raised a brow and browsed through the forms.

[Y/N] looked over at the forms, showing no reaction to the recommendation. Before either of them could ask anything, Madame President continued her explanation: “Hawks, your job is to discreetly keep an eye out for anything strange involving the League on your patrols.”

She looks at [Y/N] and says, “Nightshade, you will be enrolled in U.A. High. You’re to act as our eyes and ears as a student. We’ve given you a letter of recommendation; you’ll go through the Recommendation Entrance Exam next week.”

Hawks narrowed his eyes at the explanation, still looking down at the recommendation in his hands. The President addresses him, “Listen, Hawks, we need your consent and permission in order to be able to let Nightshade attend U.A.” Hawks hands the files to [Y/N]. The President may be asking for his permission, but he knows he has no choice but to give it. It would have a positive impact on his image once word got out that the No. 3 Hero’s younger sister was attending U.A. High. It was high time the public saw more of [Y/N]. There was little to object to in the proposal.

Hawks turns to [Y/N], “What do you think, sis? You alright with this?”

[Y/N] nods in response, “I’ll do what I’m ordered to.”

"Well, then, I give my permission,” Hawks says with his usual laid-back smile as he affectionately ruffles [Y/N]’s hair.

The President seemed pleased with his compliance, dismissing Hawks to discuss [Y/N]’s attendance in U.A. privately.

|

[Y/N] waits for the President to fill her in on the details of her mission. “Your identity as Hawks’ younger sister won’t be classified, but you will go by a false surname,” the President explains, handing [Y/N] another file. The front page was a flyer stating the time, date, and place of the Recommendation Entrance Exam.

“Don’t let yourself stand out too much; hold back as much as you see fit. We need you to act like a regular student,” she begins with a stern look. “I trust that you’ll keep your cover splendidly. We trained you to be capable enough for a task like this.”

“I won’t let you down,” [Y/N] reassures the president, flipping through the stack of forms in her hands. “All the information on your mission is written in those files. Your mission officially starts next week. Do not disappoint.”

“Yes, ma’am,” [Y/N] answers with a small bow of her head. [Y/N] turns on her heels to exit the suffocatingly minimalistic office. She’s seen her fair share of the President’s office, and it just gets duller every time. [Y/N] finds her older brother looking out the large window.

His eyes meet [Y/N]’s, ruffling her hair affectionately once more. "Hi." [Y/N] closes her eyes and leans into his touch with a sigh through her nose.

“Hi,” Hawks replies. "Y'know, most kids would be ripping their hair out in excitement when they find out they’re going to U.A.”

“I know,” [Y/N] mumbles.

“This’ll be the first time you go to an actual school. You nervous, sis?” Hawks starts to walk away from the door of the President’s office; [Y/N] follows. [Y/N]’s never needed to go to a formal school, the Commission made sure she had the best tutors.

[Y/N] shakes her head, unbothered by his tease. “No. I’m just not sure how I should act,” her eyes are glued to the floor, avoiding the cracks of the tiles. [Y/N] sighs, “I’ll figure it out.”

Hawks can tell [Y/N] is nervous, she’s never talked to kids her age, the Commission never prepared her for social interactions. He sets a comforting hand on her shoulder, “You’ll be fine, just be yourself and don’t try to be someone you’re not.”

All he gets in response is a quiet hum. Hawks decides it’s probably better to distract her for now. “How about we go to that new boba shop that just opened a few blocks down to help you relax? It’s been a while since we went out, yeah? I could make some time for you, my sidekicks could handle a few hours without me.”

[Y/N] perks up at his offer, she had a huge sweet tooth and a knack for shopping. She may have been raised as a weapon, but Hawks knew that deep down, his little sister was still a child at heart.

“So? You up for it?” He asks.

“Yeah,” [Y/N] replies.

yeah, yeah ik it's not ideal but like i wrote this at 3 am. just a lil background on how you end up in UA

[acquariusgb]

Billary Fic Drabble advent calendar: Day 5 Day 5: Meeting Family

Bill was nervous as he stepped out of his car and onto the driveway. It was not the first he had found himself in front of this house, but this time it was different. During their pitstop in summer, he had been the new guy who was going to drive their daughter to California and spend time there while now he was the man living with her and in a serious relationship.

He didn't even have the time to knock on the door that it flew open and he saw a figure rushing outside. He immediately recognized the feeling of being in her arms and he put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Did you miss me?" He said with a smug tone.

Hillary let go of him and lightly smacked his arm.

"I'm not sure how she could, considering how often she called you." Her brother Tony commented from the doorway "Mum and Dad will have a fit when they see the phone bill."

Hillary rolled her eyes. "It wasn't that bad"

"Oh, it was." Hugh agreed with his brother as he joined them outside.

Bill took his bag from the trunk and then put his arm around Hillary. "Let's go inside." He noticed she wasn't wearing a coat. “It’s cold outside"

Tony chuckled. "You can tell he's a Southerner. This is nothing for us."

Dorothy was waiting for them. “Welcome, Bill.” the older woman greeted him with a smile.

“Thanks for having me over or a couple of days., Mrs. Rodham.”

“Oh, call me Dorothy and it’s really no problem. It gives us the opportunity to get to know the man in our daughter’s life better.” She sent Hillary a mischievous glance.

“You’ll be sleeping in Hugh and Tony’s bedroom.” Hillary’s father said from the doorway. “You two might be living together and sharing a bed but my house, my rules.” He said firmly.

Both Bill and Hillary blushed.

“Dad.”

“Of course, sir.” Bill gulped. The man was so intimidating and Bill wanted to try and win him over.

That evening, after dinner, Bill helped Dorothy to clean up in the kitchen.

“You really don’t need to, honey.” Dorothy told him.

Bill shrugged. “I don’t mind. I’m the one doing the cleaning in our house.” He dried the plate Dorothy handed him. “I always joke that Hillary keeps me around because I’m serviceable around the house.” He chuckled.

Dorothy shook her head with a laugh. “That girl… I honestly taught her better.”

“But I love her”

Dorothy looked at him and saw the love in his eyes. That man really adored her daughter and that reassured her,

“Who’s reading this?” A book caught his attention. He ran his hand over a philosophy book laying on the table.

“Oh, it’s just a book I’m reading for my college courses. I know, college? Someone my age. It’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid. There isn’t an age limit for learning. I read this a few years ago.” He flipped through the pages and saw some notes.

Suddenly, they spent the next hour discussing philosophy. That was how Hillary found them when she didn’t see her boyfriend come back from drying the pots.

“Mum, did you kidnap my boyfriend?”

Dorothy jumped on her seat. “Oh gosh, look at the time.” She got up. “It was great talking to you about this, Bill” She lovingly patted his shoulder.

“Me too.”

And they all said their goodnights.

Hillary smiled and sat on his lap. “Well, look at you.” She put her arms around his neck. “Working that Clinton charm on my mother, being all buddy buddy.”

“Don’t worry.” He put his hands on her hips. “You’re the only Rodham woman I’m interested in…” He gently kissed her. “But it was great getting to know who raised the woman I love.”

“I’m glad. I know you were nervous about this.”

“I was but your family is so welcoming.”

“Even my father?” She raised her eyebrow, skeptical.

He chuckled. “Well, he might take more work, but I’ll make him warm up to him, you see…”

“I’m sure.” She rewarded him with another kiss. “How about spending some time together before my father sends us to separate rooms?”

“Sounds great.”

In the next few days, Bill spent time playing cards with her father, watching football matches together with him and her brothers and he was soon officially a member of the family. He even won over her friends. 

On New Year’s Eve, Bill and Hillary greeted the new year together for the first time with a kiss and the promise that they wouldn’t let their relationship slip away because of school and work.

“I think this one’s here to stay.” Dorothy said to her husband as they watched them from afar.

Hugh hummed in agreement. “I guess she could have done a lot worse than a Democrat.”

[bazyboo13]

Smiling Critters: New Family Part 1 chapter 1 segment 3 : TO SUMMER WE GO

*the next day*

"soooo, me and Edgar are new here, when does Baz get home from school?"

"3:00 p.m. give or take a couple minutes"

"it's about to be 3:00 p.m. guys"

"hey Theodore, can I talk to you about last night"

*Edgar's tone is a bit nervous sounding*

"sure"

*Theodore's tone is skeptical as his eyes narrow. the two leave presumably to go talk in the kitchen*

"soooo, about last night. Has he ever yelled like that before"

"no, not to my knowledge"

"I'M BACK! AND I'M NOT GOING TO SCHOOL TOMORROW BECAUSE IT'S AN EARLY RELEASE! DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?"

"YOU'RE TRAPPED WITH US FOR 3 MONTHS!"

*Baz bursts into laughter. meanwhile with Theodore and Edgar*

"look, after thinking for a bit, I realized that what I said last night was really messed up. I shouldn't have brought up everything with the proto-"

"-please don't mention their name"

"sorry"

"I forgive you, please don't do that again let's go back to the room, I think I saw Baz enter it"

"alright"

*Theodore and Edgar enter the room*

"hey guys, Dogday, would you mind telling them the news?"

"BAZ IS OFFICIALLY ON SUMMER BREAK!"

"that's awesome!"

"I'm going to change into some more comfortable clothes"

*Baz takes some clothes and leaves to go to the bathroom*

"isn't that nice"

*Baz enters the room again, now with new clothes as he throws his old clothes into the hamper next to his door. Baz proceeds to collapse on the bed followed by Theodore*

"aaaaahhhh it feels nice to be on summer break, finally, now I'm officially a sophomore."

*the other 3 critters climb into the bed*

"what do you guys want for dinner tonight?"

"Burgers sound nice"

"I'm okay with anything"

"yeah I could go for almost anything"

"what about pasta"

"alright, I'll see what the others are thinking about for dinner tonight..."

*Baz gives a weak attempt at a smile*

"later."

*not even a minute later*

"Baz, are you awake?"

"he's out"

"already????"

"I'll ask his mom what she's thinking about for dinner"

"alright Edgar"

*Edgar leaves and goes to talk with Baz's mom*

"I think I'm going to rest a bit"

"same"

"heh, you two. Same as always. Never change."

*Theodore curls up next to Baz and Thomas lays down next to the two*

"*yawn* I might need to sleep too"

*Ella grabs a blanket in the corner of Baz's bed and wraps her self in it*

"Hey guys! We're having pizza tonight!"

*he shouts from the top of the stairs, however he gets no response, because everyone is fast asleep. He proceeds to climb down the stairs into Baz's room and sees everyone asleep*

"It's barely 3:10 Pm... Baz... You just got home. *Sigh* might as well join them"

*Edgar grabs a book from Baz's bureau and reads it soon falling asleep*

(this segment is basically just the calm after the storm, don't expect this to last forever)

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