#never rush a genius with their work fellas

[vampstel]

Obligatory life update: I’ve been working on a lot of things but also I’ve been doing nothing lol. I’m just vibing :]

I have some interesting things to say, though. I’ve recently been experimenting with my art style!! I’ve done a few coloring experiments since I want my art to look more colourful and so far it’s helped a ton. I figured out a better way to blend colours and I’m also trying out different shading techniques. Still have no clue how lighting works though but shhh

I’ve also been working on V’s redesign and I’ve got his face and hair done. He officially has black hair now and his hairstyle’s a really messy undercut that he can tie up in a ponytail or bun. His face is still the same, but his eyes look more tired and he’s got softer features. Also, he’s got more piercings. I really liked the first draft of him with shark bite piercings so I kept that in

…I’ve always wanted shark bite piercings but I know damn well my mom (and grandma) would say no if I asked :’)

His outfits are still works in progress. I got the general idea down for his main outfit, I just need to figure out which elements I want to keep and what colour palette I want. I’ll mostly keep his colour palette monotone probably. So far the only thing I’ve decided is that I want him to have a fur collar jacket and a pair of headphones around his neck…

It’s very difficult for me to make a new persona design. I enjoy so many things and I want to convey that but it’s almost impossible. My tastes in fashion can be contradictory, my fixations/interests change frequently, and I still have a bad case of depersonalization due to gender dysphoria. Like, it’s so hard to try to imagine what I look like in my head. Sometimes it’s a complete blur but ever since I drew drafts of the new V, I feel more connected(?) with who I am.

I honestly just want a sona that looks good in emo clothes but also rocks pink, girly clothes lol. I wanna present more femininely someday like my beloved Rei without feeling bad ;w;

And, this is a lot more niche, I’ve been reworking some of my Roblox assets (specifically face/makeup decals for RK2) and wow it’s a pain in the ass. Like what the hell. I got banned for a day because Roblox thought Rei’s smiling face was sexual. Am I allowed to say this is homophobic and transphobic of them to do?—

Oh… and I’ve been playing a lot of Bee Swarm Simulator. I dunno, man, it passes the time and it’s the only grindy game I enjoy.

Other than that, I have nothing else to talk about. I mean, I DO have videos in the works. Like that Gacha video, oh and a new art video, as well as a video about Roblox’s shitty moderation system, and— You get what I mean. I also have a ton of art ideas I wanna do and the list so far is:

Redrawing that one scene of Howl and Sophie as Lawrence and Rei

A lot of miscellaneous art ideas of Rei. Like a lot. I have two dress designs for him in mind and the drafts are adorable 🥺

Possibly a mini-comic of Rei and Lawrence... I won’t spoil it though

New social media layout as soon as I figure out V’s outfits

And there’s more but this post is so long already so I’ll talk about more things in the next life update. Good night

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

raven-san, can we please have a wedding crashing where jade needs to marry this girl from another crime family to consolidate power and become the next head of the leech mob :)) but floyd's like I'M BORED and annoyed that his brother's being snatched up by a random chick, so he asks basketball bros, and azul, to help save jade?

This one is super long, so I added some extra sections and placed the rest of the wedding crashing below the cut!

***Spoilers for Jamil and Floyd’s Unique Magic!!***

"I object to this wedding...!"

Pre-Wedding Jitters

A call comes for the twins in the dead of night, without warning. It’s their parents with exciting news: they’re naming Jade as the next Don Leech. The catch? The Leech mob’s in the middle of a merger with the Worm mob, and he’ll have to marry Don Worm’s daughter to secure the deal.

Jade, ever the dutiful son, is honored by his future title and calmly agrees to the arrangement. On the other hand, Floyd’s annoyed by the idea, and can’t keep quiet about his irritation. He calls out to his twin in the darkness.

“... Ne, Jade.”

“Ee, Floyd?”

“Are you really okay with going through with this? You’re just gonna do what they said? Even though you don’t know the Worms at all? Even if you’ve never met that girl before?”

“It is a request coming directly from father and mother. How could I refuse them? And, furthermore... If I do not undertake this task, then it would fall to you, the next choice to inherit the title of Don Leech. I cannot allow that to come to pass--fufu. You do so enjoy your freedom, yes?”

“... Jade, you’re so dumb sometimes. What’ll happen to your freedom, then? Will you get so busy with being the big boss and being married... that you won’t have time to play anymore?”

“... Perhaps. But that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.”

That thought doesn’t sit well with Floyd--not at all.

“I trust that you will make your own fun of the situation,” Jade reassures him. “You always do.”

As the weeks pass, Floyd sees less and less of Jade around, since he has to prepare for the wedding. Jade reassures him that he’s doing just fine, but Floyd can see right through his lies. He can tell that Jade’s more frazzled than usual--there’s a lingering to his words, and a longing in his eyes, savoring every last bit of autonomy he has before his fate is forever sealed.

Floyd hates it. He hates being lied to by his own brother, and he hates feeling powerless to stop the wedding. Floyd’s so angry that he develops this murderous aura in the weeks leading up to the wedding, which makes everyone around him shy away.

One day, he gets sick of being in the water--it’s a reminder of the wedding to come--so Floyd plays basketball on land to vent. He ends up chomping down so hard that he deflates a ball, then dunks another basketball so hard, he breaks the net.

He sprawls out on the ground and angrily shouts at the sky. His basketball bonks him on the head... and that’s when an idea hits him: maybe he can’t stop the wedding alone, but no one said he couldn’t phone some friends.

Assembling the Dream Team

Floyd first dials up Azul, who agrees to help after some whining and signing a contract agreeing to pay Azul handsomely for his services (... although truthfully, the octopus does want to help Jade, but doesn't immediately agree to do it because of his pride as a businessman).

Floyd also calls his old basketball buddies for help! Jamil and Ace are much more adamant than Azul, but Floyd strongarms them into pitching in. ("Umihebi-kun, Kani-chan, if you don't help me rescue Jade, I'll get suuuper mad, you know? I don't think you'll like me when I get mad. Moray eels are strong hunters, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem for me to track you guys down and give you a good squeeze~" "OKAY, OKAY, WE'LL DO IT!!")

Together, the four boys meet up to scheme of a way to disrupt the wedding without jeopardizing the Leech mob's future. Floyd actively leads the discussion, allowing his hidden genius to come to the surface.

Ace doesn’t contribute much to the strategy (laid out by Azul), but he does keep the spirit up with some jokes. Meanwhile, Jamil provides snacks for them when they work late into the night (though he keeps passing semi-glares to Azul whenever the octopus compliments him or tries to be friendly).

In preparation for the crashing, Azul brews some potions to give Jamil and Ace so they can take on temporary merforms. After all, the wedding will be underwater, in the Coral Sea, and they’ll need tail fins.

The date of destiny draws ever closer... and Floyd's never been so excited to cause chaos in his whole life.

The Crashing - Team Azul & Jamil

They split into two pairs on the day of the wedding—Azul and Jamil, and Floyd and Ace. Floyd uses his position as the future son-in-law to Don Worm to arrange a meeting between himself and the don... except Azul and Jamil will show up instead.

Don Worm shows up to the meeting in his finest clothes (which is very little, given that he’s a merman), sounding a bit annoyed the sudden summoning. “Make this quick, I’ve got to go see my baby girl’s big day... Wait. You fellas aren’t the F. Leech boy.”

“No, we aren’t, sir. We are his representatives... Proxies, if you will,” Azul insists, giving his warmest and most welcoming smile. He uses a tentacle to tug on Jamil’s tail, forcing him to smile too. “You see, there is an important business matter we needed to discuss with you on behalf of Floyd.”

“Hoh? And what would that be?”

“I believe my business associate would be better off explaining the matter than myself.” Azul gestures to Jamil, who has his head down.

“Oi, what’s with you? Don’t you know who I am, boy? It’s rude to not look your elders in the eye when they are speaking to you!! Show me the respect I deserve, from one professional to another!!”

“My apologies, sir.” Jamil looks up, locking eyes with the mob boss. “... Is this better?”

“Yes, that’s...”

“Snake Whisper.”

Don Worm suddenly goes glassy-eyed and slack-jawed. Azul claps at the sight, showering his partner with compliments. “As expected of the talented Jamil-san! Even one look from you can bring a mafia lord to his downfall. Truly, your Unique Magic is most impressive!”

“Save your flattery for later.”

Azul’s lips curl into a smirk as he whips out a golden contract from his briefcase and offers it to the don. “Now then, if you wouldn’t mind, sir... sign on the dotted line.”

The Crashing - Team Floyd & Ace

Ace and Floyd rush to the wedding venue, their tails cutting through the water like knives as they swim at a breakneck pace. Ace can barely keep up with Floyd, who surges far ahead.

“H-Hey, should we really be barging in like this?! Don’t mob families have weapons and other dangerous stuff? Is there a backdoor we can take instead? Hello?! Floyd-senpai, are you listening to me?!” (He isn’t.)

The open, underwater comes into view, and Floyd barrels in without any hesitation, tearing right through some decorations and knocking over the wedding cake with his tail. A loud CRASH! echoes through the waters, drawing eyes to him.

Jade stares at his brother from the altar—wide eyed, but a mirthful smile on his lips. Floyd waves to him, and then to his mom and dad in the crowd of guests. “Hiii, Jade! I’m here to pick you up now.”

The Worm girl starts sobbing, wailing something about how her special day’s been ruined, and where is her papa to put an end to this? At her signal, security guards, and some of the rougher looking guests—Worm family associates—lunge at Floyd, claws and teeth out. A few of them have produced wands, and what seem to be guns—loaded with harpoons.

“Bind the Heart!” Objects and stray magic go flying in all directions, hitting both people and wedding decorations. Cloth tears, columns crumble—but it’s one man against many, and he can only bind so many hearts before the blot starts to stack.

Ace makes it just in time, sending their foes and their weapons hurtling through the water with a blast of wind. “This is why I said to be careful, dammit! Your Unique Magic’s such a crapshoot—don’t just use it whenever, or you’ll be sushi!!!”

“Ahahahah! Kani-chan’s being all heroic today! That’s so cute. Don’t worry, I can play my part, too...!!”

Using his tail, Floyd hooks around a drifting merman and chucks him straight into another. They collide with a CRACK!—but Floyd barely registers it. He’s already bolting off, grabbing heads and smashing them together, slicing through others like a knife through butter.

There’s a crazed, frenzied look to him, gleeful laughter cutting through the waters and mixing with the Worm bride’s screeching. I forgot how scary Floyd-senpai can be, Ace realizes. (Jade and Floyd’s parents are cheering for him from their seats.)

Jade looks quite proud of his brother, even laughing along to the brutal slaughterfest. His bride stares at him incredulously. “Stop that brute! He’s ruining MY special day!!”

“No,” Jade replies calmly. “I don’t think I will. This is far too amusing to let it end so soon.”

She lets out a frustrated scream and launches herself at her groom, hands going for his throat. The Worm girl is slammed back with a strong hit to her gut, courtesy of Jade’s tail.

She flies back, slamming into a column—and feels a tail wrapping around her and squeezing tight. Constricting her to the point where it was difficult to breathe. A livid mermaid glares down at her, teeth bared in a snarl.

“No one lays a hand on my children,” Mama Leech declares. “No one.”

From the corner of her eye, the Worm girl can see that Jade has cast off his bow tie and flitted over to Floyd, embracing happily in a battlefield adorned with red ribbons trailing through the water. Her vision is abruptly blocked off by a broad-shouldered merman wearing a grimace.

“Now then, what shall we do with this one?” Papa Leech wonders aloud—though from his tone of voice, he has nothing good in store.

The Aftermath

“You’re all fish bait when daddy hears about this...!” the Worm girl warns, her words raspy. “Th-The merger won’t go through...! There’ll be war between the Leeches and the Worms...!”

A loud throat clearing comes from behind. “Fortunately, that won’t be happening.”

Azul and Jamil make their appearance, the octopus merman smugly showcasing a contract. “Ashengrotto—Azul Ashengrotto, legal and business extraordinaire at your service, Don Leech and Lady Leech.”

Papa Leech grunts. “What’s that you’ve got there?”

“This?” Azul’s smirk widens. “Why, it’s a prenuptial stating that, in the case that an act of violence is enacted by the bride toward the groom, the marriage is considered null and void... and the bride’s family assets are to be claimed by the groom. Signed by Don Worm himself.”

“Wh-What?! Impossible!! How did you get daddy to sign such a stupid deal?!”

“Oh,” Jamil says nonchalantly, “we have our ways.”

“So... Uh, Jade-senpai’s still gonna be the next Don Leech?! And he’s gonna be in charge of an even bigger and richer family... How is that any better than the situation before?! You’re just giving him more resources for committing crimes!”

At that moment, two hands come down on Ace’s shoulders, causing him to freeze up.

“Kani-chaaaaan! Everyone!! Thanks so much for your help~”

“Yes, you have my sincerest thanks, Ace-san, Jamil-san... Azul.”

“It is my pleasure to assist such VIP clients. Ah, but there remains the matter of my promised payment—” (Jamil and Ace internally groan at Azul’s words.)

“Payment?” Don Leech scoffs. “After the ballsy operation you boys pulled off today... I’m more inclined to give you job offers instead of a one time sum. How do you lads feel about being hired as the Leech family’s personal lawyer, interrogator, and... well, whatever the heart one is good at.”

“My, my! Such a generous and lucrative offer—“

“There is no way I’m accepting that, especially if that means working with Azul.”

“Oi, I’ll have you know I’m good at lots of stuff!! I’m the one that saved Floyd’s tail fins, is no one gonna acknowledge that?!”

“You did amazing, sweetie!!” Mama Leech chirps—her tail grip tightening until the Worm girl passes out. Ace leaps back in fright. “As a reward, why don’t you let me give you a hug?”

“S-STAY BACK!!”

“Ahahahah! Everyone’s getting along so well, Jade. Isn’t this fun? You wouldn’t be able to enjoy this if you had gone to get hitched.”

“Fufufu. You are correct, Floyd. How sad it would have been if I were to miss out on touching moments such as this. From the bottom of my heart... I thank you for thinking of me, and for rushing to my aid. I could not have asked for a better brother.”

... What Floyd doesn’t know is that this was all according to keikaku Jade’s own machinations. He would never take the order to marry lying down—but he couldn’t outright defy it without immediate consequences, either.

Thank the Great Seven Jade has reliable puppets friends to help him out of a pinch. I’ll be certain to put the additional funds we have gained to good use... Perhaps to start a little mushroom farm.

[anothertimdrakestan]

Totally F*ckabke

Tim Drake x Reader

(SFW don't worry haha)

Words: 1.8k

Requested? Yes! From a lovely anon!

“Hi! Can I request 20 with civilian fem reader and Tim?” (20. well fuck me. "gladly")

LINK TO PROMPTS  -> REQUESTS ARE STILL OPEN!

Ok so I don’t know who you want to say what and I believe with every ounce of my being that it could 1000% go either way and it’s totally cute so I decided why not write both! Thank you for the inspo!

Reader -> Tim

Public speaking was never your strong suit. You’d like to meet a person who doesn’t get sweaty, jittery, and just a complete nervous wreck during presentations. It didn’t help that this was one of those shitty presentations where the class got graded on paying attention so all eyes really were on you and you were the last presentation of the day. With note cards shaking in your sweaty hands you slowly walked to the front of the room, looking at your classmates who looked bored out of their mind.

Making your way to the front of the room you stopped when your teacher screeched “Timothy! No sleeping in class! What is this? The fourth time I’ve caught you this week?” Glancing up you watched as the school genius rolled his eyes, lazily sauntering to the front of the class slumping into a front row seat. With a yawn Tim propped his head up on his arm mumbling something about the irrelevance of this class for someone of his intellect. While you couldn’t help but agree, you needed to ace this presentation to secure your grade for the semester.

Finally done with the situation, the class’s attention turned to you. Taking a deep breath you began, hoping you wouldn’t run out of time before the bell; trying not to look at the notecards was easy for the first few slides, but nearing the end you needed to be reminded of a key fact to your presentation. Looking down at your notecards you realize you’d smudged almost all the words with your shaking, sweaty hands. So frustrated with yourself you just let slip “Well fuck me” with a groan. While this may have shocked any normal class it was what Tim said next that shook the world.

“Gladly” With that your high school classroom descended into chaos. Your teacher continuously switched between yelling at you for cursing and Tim for even worse while some people in the class whooped and patted Tim on the back and certain girls glared at you for drawing Tim’s attention. Standing in front of the class, a blushing mess, you wanted to melt into the floor and die in one of the cracks in the floor.

Suddenly the bell rang, the majority of the students in your class stood up as you froze, realizing you probably just flunked this class. Deciding you needed to stay back and beg for the teacher’s forgiveness you pressed yourself to the wall and watched students filter out, some winking at you, some glaring, and some making wildly inappropriate gestures.

After begging for another chance and explaining your outburst your teacher let you off, clearly more upset with Tim, who had already left the classroom. As a student who normally worked really hard she let you go, but you had to make a whole new presentation as punishment. More work, but not a flunk so it was a win. Thanking her profusely you practically skipped out of the class, all had not been lost!

Abruptly turning towards the exit you missed a certain classmate waiting outside the classroom for you. “Y/n- wait up!” recognizing the voice you rolled your eyes and kept walking, but you couldn’t help a little smirk at the idea of Tim - Mr. Future Wayne Enterprises CEO waiting for you. As you opened one of the double exit doors he sprung out the other jumping in front of you, looking a little regretful and surprisingly nervous. Stopping in your tracks you crossed your arms and waited for him to talk.

“So, um, I just wanted to say sorry cuz I, um, I just kinda blurted it out and I’m really sleep deprived - like all the time, I practically live off coffee you don’t even know - that’s not the point, basically totally my bad, but like: can you blame me you’re really pretty and very nice plus I think you’re smart even though you don’t show it off but what I mean is, uh, please accept my apology. Plus I heard you get to do the presentation again so that’s good!” Finally he paused to breathe, you took a moment letting it all sink in and somehow finding his exasperation cute. Tim looked up at you with expectant eyes. With a sigh you decided it was fine. Smiling up at him you nodded. “It’s okay, plus pretty boy you’re not so un-fuckable yourself” watching his face flush was payback enough.

“Well if you think so, maybe I can... make it up to you? I can help you with the second presentation?” you agreed, liking the idea of getting to know the sleep deprived, fast-talking, genius coffee monster. “It’s a date!” you smiled, exchanging numbers before you walked off, unable to wipe a grin off your face. What you didn’t notice was Tim behind you grinning punching a fist in the air mouthing “YES” as you walked away.  

Tim -> Reader

With a yawn you cursed yourself for covering the late shift for y/b/f at Big Belly Burger, especially after a long day of school. No one ever came in but the store was open 24/7 so for the night it was just a chef who was surfing the internet with earbuds in and you, trying not to sleep on the cash register. When the clock hit 3am you decided it was time for your shift drink, black coffee. 

While you were in the back grabbing a coffee mug you could’ve sworn you heard the entrance bell jingle, but it was probably just your imagination. Stretching your arms you made your way back towards the coffee pot and saw four boys sitting at the bar. Every single one looked different, the tallest looked bored, like he didn’t want to be there while the second tallest looked expectant, constantly messing with the shortest, ruffling his hair, pinching his cheeks, and just constantly mothering the young boy who looked about ready to fight anyone who messed with him again. In the back of the group was a lean looking boy, he yawned and looked intently at the coffee pot you had begun brewing, he pushed his slightly messy hair back and you couldn’t help but trail your eyes down to the skin showing when he raised his hand... 

“Hey princess a little help over here?” the tallest boy raised an eyebrow at you, snapping you out of your moment as you rushed up to the counter with a smile. “Yeah, sorry, long night. No one usually comes in this late but what can I get for ya?” putting on your best smile you couldn’t help but steal glances at the yawning boy, while the other two older looking guys were good looking, he was the only one who radiated kindness and a lack of the overconfidence the other three carried themselves with, he reminded you of yourself. 

Taking their order you had to shake the chef awake, but he began preparing the food. Walking out you noticed the boys had stayed at the bar, clearly waiting to order drinks from you. “Alright what do we want? Milkshake, coffee, soda pop, or water?” the tallest answered first, “Chocolate milkshake!” while the kid looked up at the once motherly figure as he replied, “I’ll do a vanilla and Damian, uh the kid, will take a water. What about you Tim?” mentally logging the two youngest’s names you and Tim made eye contact for the first time, looking directly at you he lost all form of language. Trying to cover for him you asked, “saw you looking at the coffee pot earlier, can I get you some?” he nodded, looking down as one of the boys started laughing. “Jay stop please” came from Tim. 

Trying to break some tension you said “So little fella here is Damian, tall and brooding is Jay, english major is Tim, and the one who paid is Dick” you waited for confirmation. Slightly impressed the boys nodded, adding that they were brothers. Chatting while you prepared and blended their shakes you realized they were the Wayne brothers, but you didn’t want to embarrass them. You were so tired, your brain holding no self control, wanting to learn more about the boys, especially Tim. Learning that Dick demanded they bond every other week and this was tonight’s chosen activity you understood the different boy’s emotions. 

While handing each boy their drink you held on to the handle in hopes you’d touch Tim’s hand. “Uh it’s hot here, grab the handle then I’ll let go” feeling his hand wrap around yours made the both of you blush and clearly distracted Tim as he dropped the mug of coffee. “Well fuck me” Tim groaned, he jumped up glaring at his brothers as the laughed, the two of you began wiping up the mess. Tim hopped over the bar to help you clean on your side where the majority of the coffee was spilled, you couldn’t help but be impressed with his agility. While both of you bent down below the bar you decided to be brave, whispering in his ear, “you said ‘fuck me’ and I just want you to know I would gladly” he completely flushed and you popped up, throwing out paper towels. 

Tim eventually rose from behind the bar, still blushing uncontrollably and smiling. “Shit lemme get behind that bar I want what Drake’s having princess” Jason began to get up with a smirk before he was pulled down by Dick. “Sorry buddy she’s clearly going for Timbers.” Dick smiled approvingly while the youngest Wayne rolled his eyes, tired with the flirting. “TT y/n I believe it is, I can see our food is ready but please take all the time you need trying to get with my brother but can I please eat while the two of you idiots make eyes at each other.” a wildly embarrassed Tim leaped over the bar again, this time going for Damian. 

Spinning on your heels you grabbed the food and placed it in front of each boy. As they ate you chatted with them. Damian and Jason were clearly bored with the small talk while Dick couldn’t stop grinning. Before leaving Tim tried to hype himself up to get your number. As the other boys walked out he stayed with hopeful eyes. Not having to say anything you knew what he wanted. “Would you like a receipt?” you asked with a wink, again unable to form coherent words he nodded. Handing him your number on a folded piece of paper, you kissed his cheek over the bar and waved goodbye. Watching him walk away unable to wipe a grin off his face as his brothers patted him on the back you felt like you could actually see a future with Tim.

[legendsoffodlan]

Wild West AU (Yeehaw)

The town? Garreg Mach. A growing boomtown on the edge of the frontier. Life out here is tough, but the people are tougher. Between the sandstorms, the corrupt politicians and business moguls, and the weird magic shit going on behind the scenes, the people of Garreg Mach are gonna need all their wit and gumption to survive.

-

Golden Deer

Claude: A popular young lawyer, half Irish Immigrant and half Cheyenne Native American. Claude is well known as a bit of a celebrity about town, frequently challenging the government and protecting the rights of Native Americans and their claims to land. A bit ruthless and a lot charming, Claude is a leader among the townsfolk, particularly the poorer folk.

Hilda: While the Civil War ruined most southern folk, Hilda’s family made it rich by siding with the Union and fighting the Confederacy. Hilda, a southern belle who also happens to be as strong as an ox, came to Garreg Mach to get away from her overbearing brother. A rich girl, she frequently funds Claude’s efforts to protect Native and African American rights.

Lorenz: Born to an old-money New England family, Lorenz talks and acts like British nobility. He’s come to Garreg Mach to expand his family business, but he aims to do it the proper way, avoiding his father’s unsavory tactics. He pays all his employees a living wage, and insists on paid vacation and maternity leave. A reluctant ally of Claude, Lorenz truly has a heart of gold under the snobbery.

Marianne: Marianne's family worked on the Underground Railroad, shepherding slaves to freedom. That got them killed. Alone now, Marianne has come out west to try and get away from her past as the town doctor. But he inborn compassion proves too powerful for her, and she frequently finds herself fighting alongside Claude in his legal suits. She’s smart and she’s ind, but blames herself for her parents deaths.

Ignatz: The son of a merchant who hit it big during the Gold Rush, selling to miners, Ignatz has been sent out to the frontier to both expand his family business and try to make it big selling his art. Ignatz loves to paint murals upon the various buildings of Garreg Mach, bringing some much needed color and beauty to the town.

Leonie: A spitfire girl who was born and raised to ride ‘em, rope ‘em, and brand ‘em, Leonie is a cowgirl through and through. She’s been making a name for herself as a bounty hunter, bringing outlaws and the like to justice. She hates big business and “civilized softies”, but she’s got a place in her heart for her more “upper class” friends. She thinks this whole “Manifest Destiny” thing is stupid and works with Claude against heedless expansion.

Raphael: The son of Scottish immigrants, Raphael’s a big guy with a big heart and an even bigger appetite. With a sick grandpa and a little sister to look after, Raphael makes his money working as the local blacksmith and occasional head-thumper at the bar when fellas get too fresh with the dancing girls. He does his best to keep the town honest and he’s more than willing to throw down against any corrupt old men looking to take over his home.

Lysithea: Smart as a whip and just as stinging, Lysithea is a genius chemist and scientist. Diagnosed with a nasty disease early on in her life, she’s determined to make the most of the time she’s got. She bought herself an old farm which she’s converted into a “science paradise”, Lysithea is determined to make as many breakthroughs as possible, making money to leave her parents comfortable. Much to her chagrin, she finds herself sucked into Claude’s legal fights

-

Blue Lions

Dimitri: Dimitri was a boy, son of wealthy Russian immigrants, when he enlisted in the Civil War. Now traumatized and trying to move, he’s come out West to find a better life. But his wish for a quiet existence seems to be for naught, as he finds himself made Sheriff of Garreg Mach and charged with fighting criminals and the corrupt. Hoping that protecting the living will silence the screams of the dead in his head, Dimitri is determined to protect his people, no matter what form the threat takes.

Dedue: The son of an escaped slave, he and Dimitri met during the Civil War. Hoping to liberate the rest of his family, Dedue found that the slaves of the plantation his mother had fled from had been butchered by their master, whom Dedue and Dimitri killed in revenge. Disillusioned, Dedue now leads many former slaves here in Garreg Mach, helping them find their footing as farmers and ranchers. A part-time deputy for Dimitri, Dedue will let nothing stand in his way of fighting for a better future for his people.

Ingrid: A girl who disguised herself as a man to fight in the war, Ingrid is firecly loyal to Dimitri as his full-time deputy. A powerful voice of compassion and justice, Ingrid is a devotedly “by the book” woman. She’s been softened to new ideas by many of the folk in Garreg Mach, but she remains decidedly stubborn towards change. Nonetheless, you’ll never find a more devoted and steadfast soldier than Ingrid.

Sylvain: The local lothario and heartbreaker, Sylvain is the self-proclaimed “good for nothing” son of a wealthy rancher. Despite this, his kind heart frequently triumphs over his self-loathing and he stands as a permanent friend of Dimitri and enemy of the forces seeking to ruin Garreg Mach. A surprisingly good quickdraw, Sylvain also fights alongside Dedue for the rights of the African Americans in Garreg Mach.

Mercedes: The daughter of slave-owners, Mercedes ran away from that life, unwillingly leaving her brother behind. Working first on the Underground Railroad, and then as a medic during the war, Mercedes has come to Garreg Mach to devote her life to the Goddess and the less fortunate. A permanent fixture of compassion and healing, Mercedes is beloved by the everyone for her willingness to heal and work with everyone no matter their race, religion, or nationality.

Felix: The son of New England wealth, Felix is the fastest gun in the west and one of the best bounty hunters to boot. Sickened by civilization by the horrors he experienced in the war, Felix is determined to make his own way in the world as a running gun and part-time vigilante. Despite his “lone wolf” status, Felix finds himself frequently coming back to Garreg Mach and the friends he’s made there, frequently ridding with Sheriff Dimitri, grumbling all the way.

Annette: The local schoolteacher and historian, Annette is a slightly flighty girl who loves her friends, her charges, and books. Always trying her hardest, Annette is behind several charities trying to take care of veterans and former slaves, working closely with Dimitri and Dedue towards that end. She’s also a part-time singer at the local saloon, much to the town’s scandal.

Ashe: A former thief, then the adopted son of a Southern Abolitionist, Ashe lost everything during the war. Gathering up the remains of his adopted and blood-related family, he now seeks to build a new life for them in Garreg Mach. Despite trying to stay out of trouble, his strong sense of fairness and compassion frequently suck him into problems that are not his own, fighting for the weak and downtrodden. He’s one of the few people who can sometimes outdraw Felix.

-

Black Eagles

Edelgard: The mayor of Garreg Mach, Edelgard was the daughter of a powerful plantation owner before she gunned her father down and rallied her friends to take up arms against the Confederacy. Now she fights for the rights of the poor and oppressed as Mayor with the same ferocity and single-mindedness that she fought in the war. She frequently butts heads with Claude and Dimitri over methods, but she is determined to create a better future, and damn anyone who gets in her way.

Hubert: Edelgard’s closest friend and bodyguard, Hubert is also a chemist and mathematician, using his deadly intellect to devastating results. While absolutely devoted to Edelgard, Hubert is also determined to make a better future through whatever means necessary, no matter how unsavory they might be. There are rumors about what happened to Hubert’s father during the war, but nothing that could be proven.

Petra: The daughter of a Lakota Native American Chief, Petra is determined to make a better future for her tribe and fights for their rights at every turn. As such she works frequently with Claude and Edelgard to secure the rights of the Lakota. As deadly as she is beautiful, Petra makes her money by keeping the frontier safe and taking out Edelgard’s political enemies to pave the way for her people’s future.

Ferdinand: While Lorenz only acts like British nobility, Ferdinand actually is British Nobility, come across the pond to secure his family’s interests. He ended up sucked into Edelgard’s crusade and provides support and money to her designs. Despite his loud demeanor and arrogant tendencies, Ferdinand is a kind creature at heart who will always put his neck out for the little guy, much to his family’s chagrin. He’s also the owner of the local saloon, and as such everyone want to be on his good side.

Dorothea: The star-singer of the town saloon, Dorothea is the face of Edelgard’s political machine, earning support and favor with her charm and her voice. She has a love-hate relationship with her boss, Ferdinand that veers between attempted murder and true love. She spends most of her money on the poor and badly-off as she knows what its like to go without. Despite her pretty face and gentle demeanor, she’s no less vicious in her pursuit of what’s right than Edelgard.

Caspar: The former son of a plantation owner, Caspar fought alongside Edelgard against the Confederacy and his own father. Tough, brave, and true-hearted, no one knows what Caspar’s job actually is. He just seems to do a little bit of everything from manual labor to bounty-hunting. A permanent shield for “the little guy”, Caspar will never give-up the good fight. Never.

Linhardt: As smart as he is, Linhardt could take over the world if he had a mind to. Fortunately, he doesn’t. A scientist and researcher who frequently works alongside Lysithea, Linhardt seems more interested in taking naps and reading his books than anything else. Despite this, he maintains polite friendships with many of the townsfolk, including his dearest friend Caspar whom he lives with and shares a bed with. But totally just good friends!

Bernadetta: The local shut-in, Bernadetta was the victim of an abusive father and neglectful mother, who jumped at the chance to run away when Edelgard presented it. Despite her shyness and her borderline agoraphobia, Bernadetta runs a large farm outside of town, frequently hosting political get-together which she barely shows up at. Hidden reserves of courage drive her to help Petra and her people frequently providing aid whenever she can. From insider her room, of course.

[romewritingshop]

A welcome interruption

Fandom: Choices, Perfect Match

Relationship: Detective Damien Nazario X Antihero F!MC (Name: Peach Park)

Warnings: Fight sequence, capitalism? Corruption. EROS, Guns.

Word Count Total: 2915

A/N: I had an idea and @ravenpuff02​ is such an inspirational help. She helped me with her reaction and I was aIso was thinking about the Halle Berry Catwoman movie. Peach is a vigilante by the name of Eclipse.

I was inspired by the prompt for the Monthly Challenge for August. This is for day 17 prompt: SURPRISE / PLOT TWIST. 

Hopefully it fulfils the prompt and is a different take on Damien. Thanks and I hope you enjoy.

There is a part 2: A not so welcome interruption

CHOICES MASTERLIST

Tagged: @ravenpuff02 ​ @choicesficwriterscreations ​ @choicesmonthlychallenge​ @kimmiedoo5​

Tonight was meant to be a day off for Peach Park, as she sat on the building ledge a little distance away from the EROS warehouse. Her eye mask scanned the building for entrance and exit routes because Sloane was unwell to do recon this week. Peach didn’t mind because Sloane was amazing at what she does so Peach owed it to her. It was early morning, around two a.m as Peach absorbed the details the digital mask presented. Ten storeys high, lots of windows and metal support beams which could help her with stealth.

The breeze was a welcome feel as she munched her packet of blue Sour Patch Kids. That blue raspberry just hit that spot and it made her recon all the more exciting, plus she expected that the Sour Patch Kids company put some additives to help her fight better and faster. So far nothing was happening at the warehouse but the guards switched positions every half an hour which was both stupid and smart. Stupid because it gives Peach more windows of opportunity to infiltrate but smart because different guards with different skills take the place.

One guard wouldn’t have spotted her but the other guard would notice something so she couldn’t take a guard out during rotation. Peach was alone because Sloane was resting and Hayden was taking care of her so she did not have any back up. Her earpiece picked up the low rumble of a lorry as she sat up attentively, turning to the direction of the sound and spotting the lorry driving straight towards the warehouse entrance.

It seems like her night was going to get interesting as the lorry parked and the warehouse doors opened. A couple of men stepped out of the doors with metal crates, and they were loading them into the back of the lorry. She creased her eyes slightly, so the mask would zoom in and switch to x-ray mode to scan the contents of the crates. It was just as she expected, special ops grade weapons which were illegal across various nations.

EROS were a lowly corporation that sold high grade weapons to terrorists, who take over a country and EROS step in as a support charity that ‘help’ the people with relief aids. Pretending to good yet doing even worse as Peach shook away thoughts that would incite her rage. She needed to keep a cool head because tonight was only to gain information, no interference even though she wanted to intercept the lorry.

After an hour or so, the lorry was filled and the doors closed, it began driving away and Peach’s eye darted from the warehouse to the lorry. Although she was only supposed to formulate a plan to break into the warehouse, following the lorry could help her establish the route EROS take to selling their illegal weapons. Her mind was made up as she downed the rest of her tangy sweets, the tanginess sending a rush of adrenaline through her body. She blinked twice to get a lock on the licence plate of the lorry.

She bagged the rubbish in her belt and walked off the edge of the shipping container, landing on the seat of her motorbike which automatically inflated with a cushion to prevent damage to Peach. Hayden was an absolute genius with the gadgets and vehicles as the cushion deflated, and she pressed her palm on the body of the bike. Connecting the data of the mask to the bike and she locked on a signal to follow the lorry.

Peach pushed her foot down hard to start her motorbike and drove through the containers with a little distance away from the lorry. She pressed a button on the side of the motorbike handle which unfolded a plastic panel in front of her bike, a camouflage shield that allowed Peach to follow the lorry without getting spotted. Hayden really thought of everything, silent engine and a shield to camouflage. Plus a compartment to store Sour Patch Kids which was the best gift she got for her birthday. After a good hour drive from the warehouse, she entered the city.

It was slightly quiet as the roads were empty save for three / four cars. An almost perfect night for Peach and it wasn’t long before the car turned down a street and Peach turned after, the lorry drove through a gated underground car park, as she parked a few meters away. It was an hour and a half long journey and this building was EROS’s offices. Peach smiled at the surplus of information she gained tonight. Her heart was demanding her to break into EROS and burn it to the ground but it wasn’t time yet.

The path she was on was the best way to ensure EROS’s permanent death. Peach deactivated the shield and drove out the street, stopping on the side, to upload her data to Sloane’s computer. Her mask vision flashed red as the sound of a broken glass echoed, she glanced behind her, her vision zooming in to see four crooks, dressed in all black breaking into a bank. Peach sighed as she took a note of the upload progress: twenty five percent. She had time but she had to wake up early the next day for work. She could not afford to fight these guys and wake up with soreness.

After a few seconds of deliberation, the Sour Patch tanginess hit her and which made her head towards the bank. This was a terrible decision but it would take off the edge from the recon she did. Approaching near the buildings, she noticed that the entire glass wall was shattered and the four perps were inside, breaking into four ATMs. The alarm hadn’t gone off which was a smart thing as Peach stepped over the broken glass and behind the guys. One bag was filled with cash and she was tempted to just take it but her fists were aching for a fight.

She straightened her eye mask and black wig, looking down at her outfit. A black bodysuit underneath deep red plastic armor which helped her withstand bullets and knives. She folded her arms and exhaled loudly which caught the attention of the four guys. They were wearing masks of the cast of Ocean’s Eight which was just demeaning to the actresses. Peach smiled as she fanned herself.

“Oh my god! It’s Sandra Bullock. You were amazing in Miss Congeniality.”

They didn’t seem to appreciate her joke as they all raised their guns at her, one of them noticed her.

“It’s that Eclipse chick that broke into the West Anderson Bank on twelfth street. She ain’t taking this job from us.”

That bank job was going to haunt her for the rest of her life as she rubbed her face with disappointment.

“Look. That was one time, and I needed money for upgrades. So fellas, we have two options here: We split the money and walk away from one another. I won't beat you up and you can settle life in San Diego. Or you shoot those guns, I beat the shit out of you and I take the money. Your choice.”

Her eye mask scanned their heart rates steadily, as the one with the Helena Bonham Carter, Cate Blanchett and Rihanna masks lowered their guns slightly. The eye mask vibrated as the Bullock mask brought his finger to the trigger and took a shot at her. A loud bang erupted as the bullet zoomed and got Peach in the left chestplate. The impact of the bullet caused her to stumble. 'Sandra Bullock' lowered his gun to see his bullet didn't even make a dent in her armor as Eclipse brushed off the bullet, standing straight and shaking her hands.

“Okay, now that’s just rude.”

At that moment, time slowed, Peach ran up to ‘Sandra’ and slid on the floor, jutting one leg out and kicked ‘Sandra’ underneath his legs to make him land on his back. He was the obvious first target because he insulted Peach and with that, she grabbed his collar to rip away the mask and send a powerful punch down onto his jaw which immediately knocked the perp out cold. Her fighting has definitely gotten a lot better and she needed to thank Hayden for his help. ‘Cate Blanchett’ decided to take a shot at Peach to avenge his fallen comrade, bringing his gun and taking a shot from the back.

They never learn as Peach felt the vibration of the bullet hit the back shoulder armor. She rolled her eyes, looking over her shoulder at ‘Cate’. Peach stood up to run at her next victim, sending a jab to his gut before swinging her elbow across his jaw which also knocked him out. She turned to find her two remaining perps running out of the bank and towards the getaway car. Wusses. She took a step when she heard the familiar sounds of police sirens approaching the open bank. She groaned at her fun being ruined as the driver door opened.

Seeing the person come out of the car made her smile widen like a cat as she took in the familiar black boots and tight fitting dark jeans, trailing up to a familiar red shirt under a black leather jacket. Long stubble and the slick backed brown hair as his tan skin glistened and she took in the fine specimen. Her favourite police officer, Detective Nazario. He had the familiar grimness to his face and he strutted towards Peach, stopping just before the wall where the glass would be, hands on his hips that made him look like a delightful menace.

“Papi! I was just wondering when you were gonna make your entrance.”

“It’s Detective.”

Peach would take any chance she could to mack on Detective Nazario: he was tall, grumpy and authoritative. Absolutely Peach’s type and the one good thing about being Eclipse, was that she could flirt without feeling embarrassed. The mask hid her real face and the truth was was that she would never have been able to go out with Detective Nazario in real life. He was too sleek and stylish to go out with her.

Detective Nazario just finished up with a day of reports which were a nightmare. They had been piling up for a week and since today was a quiet day, the Chief thought it was a good idea if he just typed up all his reports. Boredom struck him hard and after several cups of coffee he managed to finish his reports. He was driving home when he heard a report ring over the police scanner installed in his car: some fancy dress woman was breaking into Lowell bank in the Canarsie area. Damien rolled his eyes and pulled out a siren light, placing it on his dashboard and driving towards the location.

Stopping and parking the car just in front of the bank, stepping out to see Eclipse there with two guys by her feet. A black duffle bag by one of the ATM’s as he exhaled like a disappointed parent. Eclipse was a pain in his back as she would constantly break into EROS offices and now it seems to be banks. Clearly she broke her promise as Eclipse grinned at him with arms outspread. She welcomed him with ‘Papi’; although it sounded like rich whiskey dripping from her mouth, it was totally inappropriate because she was a criminal vigilante.

Peach raised an eyebrow as the Detective stepped into the bank and took in the scene. Two guys on the floor and a bag of cash must have looked dodgy to him and before he could scold her, Peach held her hands out to gesture at the guys on the floor.

“Before you say anything, these guys were stealing the hard earned money of the people of Brooklyn. They had a little accident with the glass.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Come on, you know I only steal from EROS and rich assholes.”

“Yeah, you’re a real robin hood figure. Does this mean you’re confessing?”

Peach enjoyed the game of debating morals with Detective Nazario, he would try to psych her out into confessing a crime so he can slap the handcuffs on her wrist and drag her to the police station. Soon as they would get to his car, she’d have picked the lock and run away by scaling the building with her grapple gun.

“It’s not a confession, it's a hypothetical opinion. Ever heard of ‘Eat the rich’? Same attitude, plus you need evidence.”

“Me and fifteen other cops saw you with a bag of cash at the West Anderson bank.”

The West Anderson Bank was EROS’s bank and Peach broke into it to steal all the important documents which highlighted their dealings with extremist leader, Daanish Sayeed. When she broke into the bank, the documents weren’t there but their money was and Peach was not going to give up the opportunity to take their cash and use it for good. She stole around a million from them but the place was surrounded by the cops and Detective Nazario. She scraped by to get out and stay under the radar for two months.

“That was for a good cause. Do you ever get my emails about EROS’s shady dealings with extremist leaders of the Middle East and Asia?”

“You sent those emails?”

Damien had been getting a few emails of documents from an anonymous source about EROS. He wasn’t sure who and from where but he did take it up to the Chief. The Chief then dismissed these papers false by having a forensic examiner show Damien the documents were altered. Since then, he never bothered to look into EROS. A small part of him believed she was right about EROS but the reality was, was that she was a criminal and she was accusing a charity of being some sort of organized crime organisation. She was in the wrong.

“Yes I did and I really hope you -” 

Before she could carry on, they heard a car door open. The both of them snapped their heads to Damien’s car as white paws hit the gravel. Damien’s face contorted to a bitter grimace as the face revealed floppy brown ears and black beaded eyes. A shiny black nose and an innocent aura as the beagle puppy bounded it’s way towards Damien’s feet. He had forgotten that he had picked up his sister Carina’s dog from the sitter’s. Carina had gone on holiday for a few weeks and Damien ‘kindly’ offered to dogsit with a bit of bribery.

His sister’s dog, Peanut was a small beagle pup of about fifteen weeks of age. Small for her size but she was a bright curious creature, right now Damien was confused about how Peanut opened a car door. Peach held her breath at the sight of the small puppy padding it’s way to Damien’s feet. Just when she thought he couldn’t get sexier, had a freaking dog. Correction: puppy and Peach was ready to throw her mask away and fall at Detective Nazario’s feet.

“Oh my god! It’s so fucking cute! What’s its name?”

Damien relented and told her the name, as she made her way towards the puppy to take it in her arms. Peanut welcomed her touch and brought it’s wet snout to her cheeks, it’s sandpaper rubbing on her cheek. At this moment, Peach felt she had died and was ready to go to jail if it meant seeing Damien and Peanut.

“Is she your new partner?”

“No. I’m dogsitting.”

Damien’s breath got stuck in his throat as she threw a soft smile towards him and for a moment he ignored the fact that he was a police detective and she was a vigilante. She was close and he noticed the way her costume fit snug on her body, it wasn’t bulky like he assumed it was. He wanted to take off her eye mask and absorb her face, examine the details and maybe brush his lips - wait! She was a criminal.

“You know, I’m almost tempted to throw away my mask.” Damien raised an eyebrow at her and she could tell he was amused from her words. “Almost.”

“Well maybe next time, I’d have to bring Peanut with me to get you into the car.”

“There’s a next time?”

“Although it’s against my job, I am intrigued by our encounters.”

Peanut was magical as Peach felt her guard relax. This was the closest thing to a date she had as she smiled at Detective Nazario. His face was threatening to break out into a smile and they felt a warm air swirl around them. Unfortunately their charged atmosphere was interrupted by a low groan as Peach and Damien turn to the perps on the floor. Both of them having forgotten the bank job. Damien wanted to spend more time with her and that moment he decided to let her go, he could always get her next time.

“Go on, make a run for it.”

Peach was stunned at his encouragement but gave a nod, handing Peanut back to Detective Nazario, completely ignoring the spark of electricity when her gloved hand brushed against his wrist. She sent a quick salute and jogged over to her bike, pushing the pedal hard before sending one last look to Detective Nazario.

“See you next time, Papi.”

“Don’t make me shoot you, Eclipse.”

[damnsel-in-stress]

It’s The End Of The World Every Day Of The Week

Commision by the lovely @welovetonystark​

Prompt: If you love me, why did you leave me? Ship: WinterIron Inspired by “Refrão de Bolero” by Engenheiros do Hawaii Tags: Angst With A Happy Ending; Pining James Buchanan Barnes; Slightly Not Steve Friendly (very slightly); Mutual Pining; Pre-Relationship

-----------------------------------

It ends when James—not Bucky, not the Asset— decides that Tony is too much. 

That James is too little.

Too little in comparison to the brilliant star that is Anthony Edward Stark. Tony is the Future, Tony is big and all encompassing, Tony is kind, Tony is generous, Tony is clever, Tony is funny, Tony is fierce, Tony is stubborn, Tony is loving and resplendent.

Tony is everything James can’t have.

James shouldn’t want Tony. He doesn’t deserve everything that Tony is. He should just content himself in a tentative friendship, it should be more than enough for him, a brainwashed assassin, the Fist of Hydra, the Winter Soldier, Howard and Maria Stark’s murderer.

His hands, hands that once held his family close and helped his friends, tarnished by blood he’ll never be able to clean off—and he tries, sometimes until his flesh one is raw and red—, are not worthy of touching Tony, not the hands that orphaned the genius. His arms, muscles gained through numerous fights from Before and After, are not good enough to hold Tony. His lips, once sweet on the ladies and few fellas he’d charm as Bucky, now are too bitter and poisonous to kiss Tony. James is a being made of winter, sculpted with ice and steel.

James is not a man worthy of Tony Stark.

He had been, once. Bucky had been a man worthy of Tony Stark. Good heart, loyal, pure. Untouched by the worst the world can provide, dreaming of ending that stupid war and going back to his family, maybe settling down and living his life peacefully in some job that involved mechanics, with a house that looked much like the others in a neighborhood that looked much like the others. James knows all that from what people around him—mostly Steve—had told him, and his own faded memories.

But he is not Bucky Barnes. He has his face, his voice, his body, some of his memories, but he is not him, much to Steve’s disappointment, who still holds the hope that James will suddenly snap back into being the guy he knew over seventy years ago.

Steve tried so hard to get at least one of the people he loved, clinging to the past so fiercely, he never stopped to think that the man he would find might not be the one he knew. And while he tries his best to be there for his friend, it’s clear who Steve really wants. It made James immensely uncomfortable in the beginning, when he barely was a person, to have someone look at him with so many expectations that he simply could not meet. Now it mostly just annoys him, but he appreciates that the blonde is trying.

“I don’t know if I feel bitter or vindicated.” Tony had commented when James brought it up. “Rogers turned his back to the world to get Bucky, but Bucky is not who he gets. Poetic.”

“You don’t.” James had answered, fiddling with the ball he had been using to play with Dum-E. “Expect me to be Bucky, that is.”

“I know a thing or two about being kidnapped and tortured. I of all people should know you can’t leave a situation like that without something changing.” Tony smiled at him, a broken thing that pulled on James’ heartstrings. “I just figured you’d have it worse. ’Sides, I like you just fine.”

Tony had then cracked a joke that flew over James’ head because he had been too distracted playing that last sentence on repeat.

Tony then proceeded to crack the walls of cold around the super soldier’s heart and make himself a home there, one smile and nickname at a time. Big things that mean a lot and little things that mean much more, that’s the language of Tony’s love, and the former assassin couldn’t help but learn it. Hydra had made sure the Soldier would always learn any language needed for missions, and Hydra would have combusted if it knew its ex-weapon used that skill to get closer to their most dangerous enemy.

It is hard not to fall for Anthony Edward Stark, and that’s exactly what James Buchanan Barnes does.

Exactly what he shouldn’t do.

It ends when he finally remembers that. When the true nature of his feelings appears to haunt and taunt him.

It ends, he runs away from it. ------------------------- It’s hard.

It’s hard to stay away.

Because if Howard ever taught him something—in between the alcohol fueled beatings and the rage fueled insults—is that if you want something, you go get it. That if you want something, you go get it because no one will get it for you. No, at most they will give you a broken version of what you asked. Most likely, they will take it for themselves or simply not get it.

But James is not an it.

James is very much a man. One Tony helped into freedom, a freedom Tony will never take away. One Tony will never lift a finger to harm.

So he keeps quiet when James reels back in the middle of their conversation. He accepts when James avoids his presence. He keeps his distance when there’s no way James can avoid him.

The genius knows that eventually he will end alone, that everyone will leave, it’s only a matter of time—another of Howard’s teachings that the Universe delighted in proving useful—and James is not different. James has all the reasons to go away.

So Tony stays away.

Lets go.

He does like to see things through the end, anyways. ------------------------- James is near the end of his rope.

No matter where one may go in this world, you can’t simply escape Tony Stark. The genius is everywhere. So it really doesn’t surprise James that he sees the man even in a remote town in some cold country.

Doesn’t make it less painful, though.

He had thought, had foolishly hoped, that putting on the full Winter Soldier gear would bring enough of a bitter taste in his mouth for him to finally let go of his affections. He is now once again the Winter Soldier, full on “murder strut”, deadly precision and cutting silence. It certainly works for Steve, who glares at the mask covering half of his friend’s face like it created arms and stuffed an entire lemon in his mouth.

But it doesn’t work for James. The mask, the gear, his gear, is more of a statement than anything, an act of making something that was once Hydra’s now James’. The Winter Soldier isn’t Hydra’s anymore, he belongs only to himself. All thanks to a certain fierce genius, who ensured James would forever be his own person. Tony made the gear, Tony made the mask, Tony offered James the title of Winter Soldier, and he had accepted it with pride and vindication running inside his veins. Had preened under the mechanic's appraising eyes, blushed under the mechanic’s gentle touches to “assure everything is in place” and smiled at the sweet warmth of the mechanic’s velvety voice.

The Winter Soldier is now a good memory of Tony Stark.

James wants to go back so much. Go back to the engineer, to his engineer, and their days in the workshop, their nights at the rooftop, the random mornings of breakfast cooked together, the rare conversations in vulnerable times. The big gestures—like the arm and the gear—and the small gestures—the softness of the mask’s inside and the hidden blade in the arm’s wrist. The warmth only Tony has, the warmth of a patch of sunshine, the warmth of a kind heart.

He yearns and craves and there is something coiled around his lungs and heart. Something glacial that squeezes a little more every minute he spends just outside Tony’s reach. It squeezes and squeezes and squeezes, a bit more painful each time, a bit more bitter each minute, a bit more cold each squeeze.

He can feel it as he sees Tony’s face appear in one of the TVs being sold nearby, Steve’s voice barely registering inside his mind. Too occupied drinking in the image of the man he adores, the man he loves, sitting all handsome in front of a giant public with his three piece suit and intelligent eyes.

Each word out of his mouth is the start and end of James’ world. ------------------------- It is curious, for sure, how much people overestimate the feeling of having someone kneeling at your feet.

Or, perhaps, it depends on who’s kneeling.

James Buchanan Barnes doesn’t look good on the floor. Well, he does, all that power and strength willingly restrained, obediently kneeling in front of Tony would, in any other situation, give Tony a rush of desire running down his spine, taking away his breath and reduced him to a needy beast.

Now it fills him with sour dread.

“Don’t get me wrong, Barnacles, this is very tempting, but can I ask why?”

Why are you here? He doesn’t say, be he feels each of those questions engrave themselves in his heart. Why are you kneeling in the middle of the workshop looking like a hot mess? Why did you come back? What do you want? What are you trying to accomplish?

And ultimately.

“I love you.”

“Why did you leave?”

James takes a sharp breath, and Tony feels his hands tremble in his jeans’ pockets, where he hid them once Friday alerted him of the soldier’s visit.

He knows why, he has always known why. Howard taught him, Stone taught him, Stane taught him, Natashalie taught him, Rogers taught him. Tony Stark is simply too much of a nothing for anyone to stay. Eventually, people get what they want, what they need, and they leave, because Tony isn’t it. Only a matter of time. He can count in one hand how many went against that expectation.

“If you love me, why did you leave?”

“I don’t deserve you.”

This time, the mechanic is the one to take a sharp breath.

“You’re more, so much more than I should ever wish for. But I love you, I want you, I need you. I shouldn’t, you can have so much better, so much more than me, Tony, but I can’t stay away, I can’t leave, I can’t.”

James looks up at him for the first time since he entered the workshop, and the mechanic sways where he stands with the force of the feelings the former assassin carries in his eyes. Icy blue filled with adoration, need, love, everything the brunet had long accepted would never be directed at him.

“Please, Tony. I’m not much, but I can be yours. I am yours.”

Silence reigns for a few minutes as thoughts run inside Tony’s head. James can probably hear the gears working in his head. There is a man kneeling in the middle of the room and confessing to him. James is kneeling in the middle of the room and confessing to Tony. Asking for a chance. Saying that he’s too little for Tony. The engineer feels like laughing at the irony. And crying, definitely feels like crying, because he can tell it’s not a lie.

He is loved.

“Get off the floor, Ice Scream, looking at you is hurting my knees.”

He says, extending his arms, inviting this new beginning.

[bluem0use]

It's about time I introduced you to the cast of The Crackin'-Up Studios. Don't worry. You'll be seeing them again, especially in the mini-comics!

**In order from top to bottom, left to right**

Billie Bob Willie-Nillie Black Sheep: The overall face of The Crackin'-Up Studios itself. She is the ring leader to the whole circus. The pilot to all the flight attendance. The manager to a corporate office. You get the whole idea. She's one poppin' fire-cracker (A.K.A. has a short temper) that's all for the business, but doesn't mind getting silly from time to time. On screen, she is the definition of unpredictable and crazy, fun and silly. She's a gun happy country gal that started off small and came out big with her talents for making people laugh. She worked hard to get her way to the top. And all of it has obviously paid off. If someone was to use words to describe her, it would be fun, loving, friendly, brave, courageous, generous, the list could go on and on. This gun-loving  little lady, no matter where she goes, always somehow seems to change people's lives. And for the better.

Poochie Pooh Poodle: Billie's partner-in-crime. Her bestest friend since her younger years. Her ride or die buddy. Poochie is the main co-star to the series, and a serious eye-candy to men. While Billie is featured as the funny, wacky, unpredictable, quirky character on-screen of the trio, Poochie is often featured as the sex-appeal. The sex symbol. The hot mama. She also models as a little side job whenever necessary. She's the sweetest sweetie-pie you will ever meet in your life. However, proceed with caution. When provoked, she's one sassy gal and won't hesitate to give you a mouthful (and probably a gun wound) if you mess with her, or her friends.

Wolfie Blackfang Wolf: What's the three musketeers without a male in the picture? Wolfie may not have known these two women as long as they've known each other, but their his closest family he's ever had since he left the orphanage. He is also the main co-star to the series, accompanied by being the musical genius of the three. Since a young boy, Wolfie has practiced music as not only his hobby, but his life. His alluring ability was able to trap the young black sheep and poodle in a trance on a fateful night in a club where he worked to try and make a living, thus landing him a job and a ticket to materialization through the ladies. From there, he has always acted as the stud of the three, protecting them whenever they needed an extra hand and also charming women with his attractive voice along the way.

Candy Bat: This "monster", this "usually nocturnal creature of the night", this "mysterious shadow" is nothing but a sweet treat in the eyes of many who travel far and wide to Nightwalk Bay to get a taste of his sweet treats at the local candy shop. At least, that's what Billie, Poochie, and Wolfie will tell ya. Famous for his line of business, Candy Bat is a harmless, humble candy man..err..bat that seeks nothing but to fill the mouths of the fortunate with a sweet after-taste. His delicious pastries, frozen desserts, and fizzy drinks aren't the only thing that appeals to the eyes of many. He's also a support character at The Crackin'-Up Studios during the day and a friendly (but hissy, due to his uncontrollable excited hisses whenever he meets someone new and/or is excited) candy shop-keeper at night.

Scratches: Whoa, watch out for that web! There's a BIG spider up there! And his name is none other than Scratches, yet another support cast character for The Crackin'-Up Studios. When in the presence of my six-armed friend, be cautious. Scratches loves the ladies and will go through extreme lengths to entangle you in his web, if he deems you a worthy enough mate. Don't worry fellas, he doesn't swing that way. Though..spider's gotta eat, right? What? Spiders only eat insects? Not this playful, flirtatious one. Note that this spider is dead, and has been ressurrected after a deal made by Ozzan (scroll down to reference Ozzan's bio). Therefore, Scratches likes human flesh too. Dont worry too much though. He's too busy chasing both Poochie and Billie around the studios, trying to declare his love for them. Though...something about a huge demon spider just..turns those two ladies off.

Honey Hyena: As the name implies, this hyena is sweet as honey! Raised on a bee farm, this little lady never expected to end up being a supporting cast character to The Crackin'-Up Studios. That was, until a little Black Sheep mozied on over and decided to offer her the position and the materialization process just like everyone else. She figured the nice lady would need the money boost besides "Milkin' bees all day long" - Billie. Honey loves bees. In fact, on her days off from woking at the studios, that's all she does! Is work, work, work at her long-descended family bee farm, making honey and selling it for some dough (money) as a side job. She is also the motherly figure to all the cartoon ladies on set and often tries to share her knowledge with them in hopes she can help guide them on the right path. I mean, not everyone is perfect, right?

Bon Isabell Bunny: Daughter of a long deceased magician (who was, ironically a white bunny), she has seeked to find more support by becoming a supporting cast character to the TV series. However, though, she wasn't looking to be a supporting character when offered the job by Billie Bob. Bon has a bit of a...strong hatred for Billie Bob. Bon saw how much love and respect the black sheep got, even from her "enemies". So, what does this tempered (its just as bad as Billie's, trust me), quick-to-anger, grumpy gal do? Well, it's like they say, "Kill the sheep, take her wool!". That is...if she could catch her first. Forever caught in this game of cat-and-mouse on screen and off screen, Bon decided to settle into this position for now. Hopefully one day, her magic tricks and traps can pay off and actually earn her a spot in the lead position.

Bon Iseah Bunny: Twin brother to the other Bon Bunny, this bunny seems the complete opposite of his sister. This magic bunny doesn't mind being a supporting cast character, and instead enjoys making others smile with her magic tricks and qurkiness. After all, its what his deceased magician father would have wanted. He admires Billie and everything that she does not only for everyone else, but herself. He just hopes with time, his sister can see that. For now, this calm bunny will just have to play as yin to his sister's yang (A.K.A., trying his best to calm her in her most stressed and ferocious moments).

Molly Cow: Before her rise to fame as another member of The Crackin'-Up Studios crew, Molly Cow, the half-pig half-cow offspring, could not keep a job to save her life! She was lazy, less focused, often slacking or ducking off, and/or giving up before she even set foot in the door! The funny thing is, she wouldn't care, and just go back to living with her parents. Seeing as though Molly's confident and care-free attitude was a necessity to bring on some laughs, all Billie had to do was offer a hand to the voluptuous, intriguing young woman and for some odd reason, this cartoon has managed to keep the job ever since. Side note, if you ask her what her "other" job would be whenever she brings it up, it would be shopping. She is ALL about the fashion!

Malachi (formerly known as "Michael Jamesking"): Yes, Malachi is actually an angel. AND, he is also a featuring asset to the team whenever needed. With the help of one of Veronica's potions (scroll down to reference Veronica's bio), he has the ability to shrink down to size on command. He also is a good line of defense if life-threatening danger ever be-falls the company, for even if he is a judgement angel, he is considered very powerful against a mortal (unless demon weapons are used against him). He is pure, friendly, and kind, however, you must not associate yourself with the presence of evil upon first meetings. He IS a jugement angel after all and will be quick to judge you and shame you for your choice of sin and avoid you like the plague while also be-littleing you. Ironically, the only exception to this treatment is Ozzan (his best friend in all universes) and Bendy (in the head-canon canon universe). Also note, Malachi was never always Malachi. Malachi was once Michael, a regular, normal, working business man who unfortunately got hit by a car on his morning rush to work.

Ozzan: Oh boy. This one's a bad one. If you thought Scratches (scroll up to reference Scratche's bio) was bad, wait until you get a load of this one! This foul-mouthed, ill-mannered, obnoxious, flirtatious pervert is somehow a necessity to The Crackin'-Up Studios. His crude sense of humor and anctics tend to get a good laugh out of adults more than oblivious children. He will flirt with anything, sleep with anything, hell even risk catching some sort of SEXUAL DISEASE for anything that has legs. This man lives, breathes, and embraces everything that is bad at every cost, every time. Its possibly why he was so close to Lucifer (the Devil) back when he was in Hell. Though, take caution. If you piss him off (which isn't really hard to do), he WILL tear you to bits and peices with his bare fists. Also, beware of tentacles and trendils ladies. He has them everywhere and can use them not only in battle, but also for...other things. So beware and..make sure your doors are locked.

Veronica Bat: Born "Daddy's Little Monster", Veronica is the daughter of Candy Bat and Valentine Naxxremis (formerly Bat)(She will be referenced in the next ref). For most of her life, she has lived with her mother and embraced her witch-hood, which usually ends up with the little gloom and doom bookworm getting bullied for being a "half-breed". However, her luck gets turned around when she meets Billie Bob (like a lot of these people's do) who helps instill in her to be happy to be herself and to screw what everyone else says..and to also get back at them at all costs. She looks up to Billie and Poochie as her "Aunties", though, has trouble getting along with her father. She was raised to believe she had left her and her mother and never really loved them. Which, is obviously not true, but, she has a hard time believing that. Once welcomed to the cast, Veronica is a huge hit with the goth little teen girls who aspire to be like her: beautiful and mysterious. Let's just hope she gets he powers under control first, for she struggles with that a great deal on screen for comical effect and off screen.

Patricia Greene Pig: (A/N: She probably has had the MOST change out of all of them, so beware) Patricia is Delloris's (scroll down for Delloris's bio) bestest friend since childhood. Snobby, rude, sassy, class. All of these combined makes her perfect for scenes where she's the girl that thinks she's too good for the male trying to win her heart. Likes are, their only trying to "woo" it for her money. Oh, did I mention she's very wealthy? Her and Delloris aren't friends for nothing. You have to have some sort of status when it comes to getting in goods with the mayor's one and only daughter. Also note that Patricia is an EXTREME germo-phobe and will pelt you down with germ-x if you've so much as TOUCHED an un-sanitized door knob.

Hank Kat: Hank Kat has been an aspired musician since he was a little boy. He has really known the struggles of what it's like to be broke from both of his poor parents. So, as a way to raise some money, he went out on the streets and played his father's old rusty trumphet for some pocket change. Crowds were so awed at his talent, before long, Hank was hitting the clubs to try and win over some cash to take care of his parents once he became of age. Similar to Wolfie, Poochie had just so happened to stumble upon him. Though they didn't exactly see eye-to-eye due to species war, they were able to put their differences aside the night they had spent together, dancing the night away. As they danced, Poochie would listen to this party-goer's story and become sympathetic for the poor fellow. Thus, she figured his wallet could be fed a little more and thus offered for him to be a support character on the team. With his toe-tappin', feed stompin', hand wavin; jams that he can play on trombone, trumphet, pretty much just about any instrument he could blow into, he would become not only a major asset to the supporting cast, but also the music, both at his day job at the studios and his night job in the clubs.

Puncho: This "unstoppable brick wall" can take a punch and also pack it. After all, they don't call him "Puncho" for nothing! Though he's not much of fan favorite unless it comes to his famous boxing episodes, Puncho is a well-served supporting cast in the crew. He's often seen alongside his partner, Scraps Skunk (scroll down for Scrap's bio), no matter what the situation. He has a temper just like Billie, girl Bon, and Ozzan, however, instead of unleashing it by yelling at coworkers and throwing large objects (Billie), chasing someone down the hall with a chainsaw (Girl Bon), or spewing a bunch of curse words that's enough to make a sailor blush (Ozzan), he lets out his steam in the ring. He is the undefeated champion (if you don't count his and Billie's first brawl in one of her posters) within the boxing ring and anyone who dare wants to challenge him in taking his belt, well. Better be prepared for the pain. Bring a lot of ice.

Scraps Skunk: A timid, shy soul who is pure and good at working the ring as a referee. He plays fair though, he always will support his bestest friend, Puncho no matter what. His often scared, frightened, shaky attitude is welcomed on screen whenever needed. He was often bullied through his childhood and unlike those who have toughed up from it, he only seemed to soften. Hell, even Billie has chewed him out for his overly push-over nature. Though, she gives up. For nothing can change this poor man's soft heart and kind ways.

Wallis Moose: What else to say about this guy besides him obviously being a horrible detective? After his first appearance as one in one of Billie's episodes, Wallis fell in love with the idea of being one and even off screen, tries to solve "mysteries" wherever he is needed. However, he always slips up short and makes himself to be a fool. How did he even earn a spot on the team? Well, to put it simple, Wallis is a stone cold, hard drunk. He drinks and drinks and drinks, and when he's hiccuping and stumbling all over the place, Billie couldn't help but find it amusing the first time they met. After all, the first night they met, they both danced drunkinly through the streets of Nightwalk Bay, where they somehow met. As kooky as it sounds, it actually happened. Believe me.

Chico Georgina Chick: This once poor broken flapper was able to leave her broken past of having to prostitute herself on the streets and go some nights starving behind. Coincidentally, Chico was given another opportunity at a better life by Hank Kat (scroll up for Hank's bio), who happened to run into her at one of the clubs and show her a much better life than what she was living by offering her a position at the studios and materialization through the machine. Now a re-born, classy lady, this former flapper...heh...well, let's be honest. Girl loves to party and dance like there's none tomorrow, is ready to bring all the club's joy and bump to the table on screen. Hank is often seen by her side, playing away on his trumphet while she dances on top of a table. Nothing too promiscuous or provocitive. Want to keep the adult's attention but not as much. She's known as the party girl out of the group and also knows a thing or two about fashion. Also, keep her as FAR away from Molly (scroll up for Molly's bio) as possible..they fight a lot.

Delloris Acorn: Delloris is the beloved daughter of the mayor of Toon City, within the alternate world where cartoons "live". Her mother died giving childbirth and though she never knew her mother. She was always expected to act lady-like and proper, is why she carries herself that way. Though, the day Billie met Delloris and her father and was allowed to spend the day with her, Billie turned her upside down and all around. To the point Delloris came home, dress cut into a tank-top, short short overalls, knee-high socks, messy hair, and busted shoes. Billie's excuse was they were pig wrestling (no pun intended Patricia). Her father was awfully upset and almost demanded Billie to be arrested, however, Billie's sly deal to offer Delloris a spot at the studios was the only thing that saved her from some jail time. Now, while away from her rich and perfect life as the mayor's "little princess", she's allowed to get down and dirty. Especially on screen where down and dirty are necessary for some laughs.

Mad Mouse (also known as "Maddison K Mouse"): Why is this mouse so quiet and mysterious? Why does he never speak or even take off his goggles? Wait, is this mouse even a "he" at all? Well, yes and no. To put a long story short, back in these days and times of the early 1900s, women weren't taken seriously. Even toon women. Born a genius, the only way to get people to notice her freakishly large brain talent is to disguise herself as a man and as to go as "Mad Mouse" instead of "Maddison Mouse". However, her little secret couldn't be kept that long, for an incident in her labs caused her to lose part of her disguise and have to come clean to Billie, Poochie, and Wolfie. It was through them who helped her realize that, no matter who you are, your voice deserved to be heard no matter what. From that point on, this support cast member decided to cease wearing the disguse and be her actual self. Though, I wouldn't mess with this quiet little genius. She's a little...mad (crazy), as the legends and cartoons portray her as.

[peach-mangos]

New Year’s Eve

☾ yoo kihyun/im changkyun ☾ holiday fluff/fluff/humor/meet cute/neighbors au...aka the changki new year’s eve au no one asked for lmao ☾ 2.6k ☾ can also read here

“What do you want?”

“Well good morning sunshine—at least you’re up, kind of surprised I must say” Jooheon chuckles on the other side of the line.

“Yeah well—pretty hard to get any sleep when the whole population on this damn apartment hall is up and about causing a ruckus” Changkyun grumbles, and just as he throws open his apartment door, a group of teenage kids zoom past him blowing party horns and leaving in their wake a trail of party tinsel.

“Kyunnie, it’s New Year’s Eve, lighten up. Of course people are excited and happy, they’re celebrating the end of a long ass exhausting year, new beginnings are always welcomed” Jooheon tells him, and Changkyun can’t help but roll his eyes.

He heads back into his apartment to retrieve a trash bag from his kitchen drawer and makes his way out once again.

“You know, in my opinion—every day is an opportunity for a new beginning—don’t understand why everyone and their damn mother lose their shit over this New Year bullshit”

“You know, you used to love celebrating New Year’s Eve until—”

“Whatever, I’m taking down all these damn decorations” Changkyun says cutting off his friend, “the regulations of our apartment complex doesn’t allow them for safety purposes”

“Dude” Jooheon laughs, “isn’t that a little too much?”

“I’m sorry, was there a reason for this call?” Changkyun asks shoving his cellphone between his ear and shoulder while trying to hold open a trash bag in one hand and ripping off “Happy New Year” decorations off the hallway walls with the other.

“Right, get showered, get dressed—we are going out tonight”

“Like hell we are” Changkyun chuckles bitterly and continues making his way down the hall ripping off decorations with a fiery purpose.

“Listen man, I know it’s been hard for you to celebrate New Year’s ever since Soobin—but damn it, we are doing something this year. We all let it slide last year because it was still pretty fresh, but not this year. You are not gonna sit in that apartment in your old man flannel pajamas and greet the year alone and bitter”

“Are you done?” Changkyun asks making his way towards the elevator.

“Yes” Jooheon concedes harrumphing at his friend.

With that, Chankgyun hangs up on his best friend and tries to close off the gate to the elevator.

“HOLD THE ELEVATOR PLEASE!” someone yells, and usually—well, usually Changkyun isn’t one to be an asshole— but he really isn’t in the mood to share an awkward elevator ride with some random stranger at the moment. So instead of holding the gate open as the unsuspecting stranger had asked, Changkyun rushes to close it.

As his crummy luck would have it though, the trash bag full of holiday decorations he was on his way to get rid of gets stuck between the gate, giving the stranger just enough time to reach the elevator.

“I know you heard me” the guy accuses, narrowing his eyes at Changkyun.

“Oh, sorry , I’m a little hard of hearing” Changkyun lies adjusting his hoodie and begrudgingly making space for the man to get in. He hates the fact that he has to do a double take because —upon closer inspection—his new elevator companion is quite the looker. Dressed to the nines beneath his cream colored winter coat in a silky red button up dress shirt buttoned down all the way to the center of his chest, nice black crispy ironed dress pants accompanied by shiny polished black dress shoes and hair slicked back.

“Are you a little blind as well, you literally saw me rushing towards you”

I wish, Changkyun thinks, a light chuckle escaping his lips. “You know, you’re kind of loud for such a small person” he muses, making the tiny handsome man blush.

“And you’re a little bit of a dick, but that’s none of my business, is it? Could you press the floor button now, please?”

Laughing at how easy it had been to ruffle the guys’ feathers, Changkyun obediently moves over and carries on with pressing the button to the apartment complex’s lobby.

Not even a minute into the elevator ride and the damn metal contraption begins to make a startling noise followed by staggering movements that cause both men to topple forwards in loss of balance.

“The hell was that?” the stranger asks, eyes wide and panicked.

“Think the elevator broke, genius” Changkyun sighs leaning against the metal wall.

“Broke? BROKE?!” Mr. Slicked Back hair wails, “it can’t be broke, I’m going to be late for work? Isn’t there an emergency button or something ?” he asks looking around franticly for the emergency button. He finds it behind a small door next to the button selection also containing a red emergency phone. “Hello, this is Yoo Kihyun from apartment 3B, can someone help us?”

Changkyun chuckles because of course, he’s the new guy that moved into 3B.

“Hey, 3B—phone doesn’t work, genius. Can’t you see it’s not even connected?” Changkyun tells him rolling his eyes.

“Well, do something, don’t just stand there!” 3B wails slamming back the phone into place.

“This happens every other week dude, they’ll get us out eventually” Changkyun shrugs, and the guy, Kihyun visibly deflates.

“How long do you think it’ll take?” he asks defeatedly.

“Could be a couple of hours, to be honest”

Kihyun staggers back into the opposite metal wall and groans, “couple of hours?” he whispers in disbelief. He runs a hand through his hair and gasps, as he looks up he notices an opening and walks over to slap Changkyun on the chest.

“Look, up there, there’s an escape door—you seem stronger I’m not even going to lie, and my shoulders are much narrower than yours—think you could maybe lift me up?” Kihyun asks.

“First of all, ow—your rings, asshole” Changkyun whines rubbing at his chest, “Second, I mean I guess I could, but that thing looks like it’s bolted shut man”

“Doesn’t hurt to try” Kihyun tells him already shrugging off his coat, and Changkyun can’t help but roll his eyes.

“This job so damn important you’re willing to squeeze out of an escape door in an old and faulty elevator?” Changkyun asks groaning as he awkwardly tries to lift Kihyun up. He isn’t that much taller than the guy, he doubts he’ll be able to reach the trap door even with Changkyun lifting him.

As Kihyun struggles to make his hands reach the ceiling, something slips out from around his neck and out of his shirt slapping Changkyun in the face.

“You’re a groupie ?” Changkyun asks, narrowing his eyes at the shiny VIP pass, voice full of judgement.  

Kihyun freezes in his arms.

“Put. Me. Down” he bites out.

Changkyun is quick to do as he’s told and let’s Kihyun slide down and out of his arms.

Once his feet are back on the floor, Kihyun immediately walks away as far away as possible from Changkyun, hiding his VIP pass and crossing his arms across his chest.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to say it like that, I just wondered” Changkyun tells him truthfully.

“Why the hell do you have a trash bag full of  party decorations?” Kihyun asks instead.

“Took them down from our hallway, we aren’t allowed to hang decorations like that. It’s against the regulations of the complex” Changkyun tells him as a matter of fact.

“Why is that any of your concern? Why is it up to you to police the way people enjoy their holiday? God, of course I get stuck in an elevator with the goddamn grinch of the apartment complex. Who hurt you dude?”

“Ex fiancé” Changkyun tells him, a sad smile on his lips, “two years ago, to the day, actually. Cheated on me the night of our engagement party with who I thought was one of my best friends”

“Well fuck” Kihyun groans blowing out an awkward breath and sits down on the little wooden bench lining one of the walls of the elevator. “Fuck, I’m sorry man—“

“It’s alright, it’s whatever now, you know? But yeah, you’re right. Did turn me into a bit of a grinch, which kinda sucks because I used to love celebrating New Year’s with my best friends” Changkyun confesses.

“I never understood the concept of cheating” Kihyun sighs, “if you feel like you no longer have strong feelings for the person you’re with, just tell them and set them free. Don’t hurt them and waste their time. It’s selfish and plain old mean” he tells him.

“Sounds like you have strong opinions on the subject as well then” Changkyun muses.

Kihyun smiles and stands up.

“You said it’d be a couple of hours right? Well then, I guess we’ll just have to have a party of our own. Rediscover your love for the New Year’s celebration. Come on, we’ve got decorations “ Kihyun says coming over to pull out the holiday decorations trash bag from his fingers.

“But the—” and the withering look Kihyun levels him with has Changkyun shutting up immediately and pliantly handing over the bag and it’s contents.

“Come on grumpy, start putting these banners up” Kihyun demands shoving an array of banners onto his arms. He then rummages through the bag and manages to find a pair of party hats. Making a small noise of triumph, he walks over to strap the red one on Changkyun, smiling when it earns him an eye roll.

“You are something else, 3B”

In comfortable companionship, both men decorate the elevator to their best ability with the few decorations they have, Kihyun occasionally humming random tunes.

“So what do you do for a living?” Kihyun asks as he strings tinsel around.

“I’m a comic book illustrator”

“Oh, is that so? Draw something for me then” Kihyun demands, pulling out a pen and paper pad from his bag, and Changkyun has begun to realize Yoo Kihyun from apartment 3B is quite the demanding fella.

“You’re so bossy” Changkyun says with a chuckle, he takes the man’s pen and pad nonetheless and begins to draw. “What about you? What do you do?”

“Well for starters, I’m not a groupie” Kihyun says pointedly. “I’m a singer, well back up singer right now. It’s why I have this pass, I’m supposed to be performing at the ball drop on New Year’s Eve in Times Square” he sighs sadly.

“Sing something for me then, so I can concentrate on your drawing” Changkyun laughs and Kihyun shakes his head furiously.

“No way man, maybe if we get out of this damn elevator you can come watch me perform instead”

Changkyun shoots Kihyun a look and both burst out in laughter.

They carry on talking for hours about the randomest things. From their earliest childhood memories to likes and dislikes to the reasons why they’re both in New York.

“Are we ever gonna get out of here?” Kihyun sighs defeatedly, “not that you aren’t wonderful company, but I’ve already missed the rehearsal. I’m sure it’s nearing ten p. m, god, I’m really going to miss my chance to perform at Times Square” he laments.

“I’m sorry dude—but hey, look we still have time before you have to go on, you said your performance is at 11:30, right? Perhaps by then” Kihyun gives Changkyun a, ‘thanks for trying’ look and smiles.

“You done with that drawing then?” Kihyun asks and Changkyun laughs nodding his head.

“Here, happy New Year’s” Changkyun laughs handing Kihyun his illustration of him frantically yelling for help earlier in the elevator clutching onto the emergency phone for dear life.

“You are insufferable, I hope you know” Kihyun laughs taking the drawing from his hands. “But you’re actually pretty good, this is so intricate, how do you do that?” he says voice full of awe.

Changkyun just shrugs rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.

“We’re supposed to be having a party” Kihyun comments, then stands up and begins to narrate his movements.

“The handsome young singer scanned the room, when suddenly, his eyes made contact with another handsome young man”

Changkyun tolled his eyes but stood up.

“They stared at each other for a moment, tentatively smiling at one another” at this point Kihyun shoots Changkyun a shu smile and he can’t help but birst out into a fit of laughter.

“Tentatively!” Kihyun exclaims laughing as well.

“Okay, okay—how about now?” Changkyun asks trying his best at a tentative smile.

“Eh, guess it’ll do” Kihyun teases. “We finally cross the room, just as everyone starts to count down…” Kihyun comes closer to Changkyun, smiling and begins to count. “Ten, nine, eight, seven” Kihyun’s words are barely above a whisper now, and Changkyun feels likes his face is on fire. He doesn’t know what to do with himself or where to look, so he settles for Kihyun’s eyes, which—kind of a mistake. A feeling of being able to lose himself in that pair of warm brown eyes settles over him and he really thinks, fuck it, it’s the New Year. If he were to kiss this man right here, it would be a perfect end to the year. “Six, five, four, three, two—”

Just as Kihyun is about to close the distance between them, the elevator shakes once again throwing both men backwards as it descends properly once again.

Both men clear their throats once the doors to the elevator open, and a group of tenants cheer.

“See, told you I’d get it fixed—and it only took what, leight hours” their landlord cheers, and several tenants erupt in a chorus of annoyed ‘shut ups’ and ‘took you long enoughs’.

“Oh my god, I can still make it, if I hurry”

“Then you should probably head out” Changkyun tells Kihyun clearing his throat.

“I uh—yeah, I’ll see you around. Happy New Year” Kihyun tells him as he rushes out the hallway.

“Yeah. See you around” Changkyun sighs making his way back to the elevator. “Hold that for me will you Mrs. Jensen”

And as Changkyun makes his way back into that damned elevator he notices a rubber pink balance bracelet on the ground.

Fuck.

He picks it up and rushes out of the elevator once more irritating a few dozen of his neighbors in the process and runs out hoping he can make it to Kihyun in time.

Turns out, he does make it to Times Square in time, he barely catches Kihyun on his way up the stage.

“HEY! 3B!” he exclaims.

Startled, Kihyun turns around, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in a silent gasp.

“You’re—what? What are you doing here?” Kihyun asks.

“I uh—well I found this, figured it might be yours. I don’t know” Changkyun laughs.

“How did you even get back here?”

“Security is actually so bad? They think I’m the band’s drummer” Changkyun laughs.

“You came all the way out here—in your pajamas, I might add—to hand me my bracelet?”

“It says it’s for balance, didn’t want you out there performing without it. And who knows, maybe it’s good luck. What do I know?” Changkyun mumbles, now blushing slightly.

“Thank you, that’s really sweet of you” Kihyun laughs taking the bracelet from Changkyun’s hands.

And he’s not sure what gives him the courage to do what he does next, but “ you also forgot this in the elevator,” he says. In one swift movement, he leans up to press a kiss to Kihyun’s lips, pulling him in by his dress pants belt loops. It takes Kihyun about 0.01 seconds to respond, clutching fiercely only the fabric of Changkyun’s hoodie.

“I’m—yeah okay, thanks for that” Kihyun says in a bit of a daze once he’s pulled away, “I’m glad you remembered that” he says clearing his throat.

Changkyun shoots him a million wat smile and presses a light peck to his lips once more.

“Go knock them dead, tonight, I’m your groupie” Changkyun jokes.

“Go!” Kihyun says laughing heartily and Changkyun supposes that maybe new beginnings really are welcomed.

[im-tops-bottom]

Natasha opens the door after the bell is rung and sees a crying baby. She picks up the basket and brings it inside. She picks up the baby and calms it down. Keeps it warm as it's only got a nappy on.

Natasha's husband Clint picks up the letter and reads it.

"dear hopefully kind hearted people,

This is my son Tony. Me and my husband Howard weren't planning on a baby. He got drunk one night and had sex with me. He is obviously gay and we only married so no one found out otherwise this would cause a scandal.

He doesn't know about the baby and hopefully never finds out. He said that if I ever got pregnant then he would kill the baby and divorce me making sure I never get a job or house ever again.

Please look after him and make sure he turns into a bright young lad. As soon as he is old enough on the back is my number so he can call me and we can sit down and talk about everything he wants to know.

I have a necklace with a photo of me under his pillow so he knows what I look like. Then again with Stark Industries he will know soon enough who his parents look like. Do not let him make contact with his father.

If anything should ever happen to me then please contact his Aunt Peggy. The number is also on the back.

Apologies dear people and i cant begin to thank you enough. I understand if you don't want to keep him but please keep him and everything safe when you find a nice loving home.

Love Maria Stark"

Natasha and Clint take a look at each other and let out a smile.

"I'll do some quick baby shopping"

"and I'll order in the furniture for tomorrow. I think we have a baby pouch in the fridge from when your niece and nephew came over"

"okay Tony dad is just going down the road"

Baby tony looks up and grabs Clint's index finger and giggles. Clint smiles before kissing Tony's forehead and leaves.

Natasha gets to online shopping while playing around with the baby waiting for Clint to come back with clothes, nappies and food.

"Tony we are your new parents now. Don't you worry about a thing because we will take real good care of you"

As Tony grows up he is taught different forms of fighting, how to be a great assassin, interrogate, how to live through a torture with fight left, how to use different types of weapons (especially bows) and instruments as well as how to dance, sing, draw, and several different languages.

Tony becomes really smart from a young age and in his spare time he loves doing science and creating stuff. He also learns first aid so he is prepared for almost any kind of situation.

Natasha and Clint spend most of their time mother Henning and being over protective of Tony. Teaches him how to respect people who deserve it and how to be sassy. They loved him like he was actually their own.

By the time Tony is 15 is when he asks about his real parents. They sit down and talk about everything that happened. Tony thanks them for telling the truth.

Next day they get a surprise visit from none other than a Peggy Carter. Peggy explains that Howard had found out about Tony and murdered his mother. She gives them coordinates on a safe house owned by a company called shield.

Peggy tells Nat and Clint that Shield have been after the two for awhile. Not to take down but to recruit. Tells them not to be surprised if someone from shield comes in every now and again.

When they ask why they have to move Peggy gives them a small smile and tells them that Howard knows where they are.

"At first he wanted to murder Tony however Hydra got a hold of Howard and now they are working together to bring Tony In as both sides made their own version of super soldier serums. There were 2 friends who joined they army but had split during the fight. One was Steve Rogers who became Captain America and the other is Bucky Barnes also known as the Winter Soldier"

"wait hold on are they still working for them? We are trained assassin's and have gone up against the Winter Soldier. There's no way we can go up against 2 super Soldiers"

"have no fear Natasha. Steve rescued Bucky and they did a runner when everything went downhill. Shield recruited them. Bucky has gone through brainwashing and torture so our team are finding ways to help him out. The mind wipes had been doing the most harm"

"wait a minute I have an idea"

"Clint no! We are not doing that to him. No way. We trained him incase something happened to us not so he can do shit like this"

"mum it's okay. I think I know what dad is trying to say"

"what's happening?"

"Aunt Peggy right? Your the aunty my real mum said i should contact if anything were to happen to her"

"that's right"

"great. So I have a blue print of a machine that I want to create. It would help with the memories. The only problem is I don't have the things I need to create it. If I can do that for him then maybe we can have it as payback for you guys giving us a place to stay."

"and what's the catch?"

"well I don't trust people around my things except for mum and dad. I would need full access to everything, be kept alone while building it, only access being mum and dad until it finishes and I would also need to meet this winter soldier fella so I can do some readings and tests on him."

"what about tests?"

"I'll be testing it on myself and if you could find me some people with memory issues then that would be great"

"deal"

"I don't like this. Not one bit. Trust is something hard to come by"

"I understand but let us prove that we have very good intentions"

"I'm going to regret this. Fine. Ok guys let's pack up everything. Nothing is to be left behind."

"we have a quinjet waiting out back so you guys can bring all the stuff there. We also have hands on deck"

"great then get them to do the heavy lifting while we pack"

"Steve! Bucky! Come on in! We need all hands on deck"

"they're here?"

....

Everything has been going well. Steve, Tony and Bucky have been getting along. Natasha still has trust issues but has decided that she can work for shield. Clint also decides to work for them.

The machine now known as BARF is built and all the tests are done. On Tony's 18th birthday is when everything is complete and a day later they use it Bucky.

They would have given it more time but Stark Industries and Hydra have located the main SHIELD building and is planning an attack to bring back their super Soldiers and Tony.

The machine works and Bucky recovers most of his memories. Tony manages after some hard work to remove the trigger words attached to Bucky's mind. He also puts in a word to send Bucky to sleep just in case it doesn't work. Tony also uses the machine on Steve just in case.

Since working alongside each other everyone has started noticing that Steve and Bucky have become very protective of shields new baby genius. It really shows when tragedy strikes.

2 days before Tony turns 19 is when Hydra strikes. There have been a lot of casualties between Hydra and shield. They couldn't capture the super Soldiers but managed to grab Tony who got hurt from the blast.

Tony is sent to one of their business partners in Afghanistan where he gets a battery in his chest to keep him alive while he gets tortured. They never give their names just in case. They send a video to shield telling them that they have tony and will keep him alive if shield hands over the super Soldiers.

Bucky growls at the video as a spoon breaks in his metal hand as soon as he sees the battery in Tony's chest. Steve hugs him promising that they will get him back.

The group that has Tony finds out he is very smart and tells him to build them some weapons. Tony is tortured beyond what he can handle because his parents never taught him how to handle this kind of torture. He says yes and gets tortured a week later when they find out he built something better to keep himself alive first. After someone is shot in front of him, he gets a new person to help. Yinsen who is a doctor that was taken from his family.

They devise a plan to make an armor with weapons to break them out. they plan it out as they make shitty weapons for their kidnappers.

It's not until a few weeks later once the suit is built is when trouble strikes. The kidnappers find out about the plan and murder Yinsen on the spot before Tony could reach his suit.

They are just about to shoot Tony when bullets come flying through their heads sending them to the ground. Tony looks up in surprise to see who is standing there.

"Bucky"

"come on let's get out of here"

Tony smiles as he runs over to his suit.

"meet me outside. I got something I want to test trial first"

"Tony now is not the time"

"Bucky trust me. I got this"

"fine but if you aren't back out in the next 10 minutes then I'm sending Steve in and you don't want that"

"absolutely not. See you soon"

Tony watches Bucky go before he gets into his suit.

"this better work"

Much to Tony's delight the suit turns on and he can feel his arc reactor vibrating as it powers the suit.

"I'm gonna need to work on that one when I get home"

....

Bucky is surprised when he looks up and sees people running out of the cave. He notices a machine come out and snorts because he saw it in the cell Tony was kept in.

"everyone weapons down, that's Tony"

He watches Tony set off flamethrowers from his arms turning everyone into kebabs before he destroys the weapons and tanks waiting outside. The enemies are done for.

"wait where is Tony going?"

Bucky notices steve following his line of sight to see Tony flying up in the air. 5 seconds later a large rocket flies past Tony and he starts chasing it.

"eyes on Tony. Follow him and do not let him out of your sights. The idiot is going after the rocket"

"as soon as we are done here, he is absolutely grounded"

After 20 minutes they find Tony in an open desert surrounded by broken parts of what looks like his suit. The quinjet lands and Steve races out to collect the genius who is unconscious.

As soon as they are on the jet, Steve and Bucky sit by Tony's side protecting him until they reach a new shield building where Tony is rushed to the medical bay.

They find out that whatever is in Tony's chest is acting like a magnet and keeping a piece of shrapnel away from his heart. They try to take the magnet out and race to put it back in as they see the shrapnel moving.

As soon as Tony wakes up, he demands to be taken to a lab. He's surprised when they tell him that he has his very own lab. Steve and Bucky requested it for a welcome back present.

"speaking of, where are they?"

"after rescuing you, they stayed by your side until Agent Carter demanded they get some sleep. I was to inform everyone on when you wake up."

"great then inform them as soon as I'm taking down to my lab"

"but t-"

"no buts just do it."

Tony is shown his new lab and locks the door as soon as he gets in. He gets to work right away.

"ok let's see if we ha-"

"good afternoon sir"

Tony jolts before looking everywhere.

"who's there?"

"I am an artificial intelligence known as Jarvis. I was created to learn and help you with anything you may need. No matter where you are I can be installed into whatever device or room you want."

"great we'll get to know one another and I'll question my sanity soon but first help me out here"

"what would you like help with boss?"

"I need to build a new arc reactor because this one in my chest won't last long. Oh and I want to open up another project called hmmmm tin man? Nahhhh that sounds dumb. Robot man? Nah. RoboCop? No I call Buckaroo that. Hmm hey Jarvis what would a good project name be for a robotic suit I'm about to make"

"iron man has a good ring to it"

"hmm that will do for now I suppose. I won't be making all my suits out of that."

"Project Iron Man is underway"

[imagine-lcorp]

Patient Zero (Part II)

A/N: Hi, everyone, here’s the second part of Patient Zero. Also, bear with me, there will be a Part III! Kudos to the anon that requested it and I hope you enjoy it!!

Lena Luthor x  Zombie!Reader//Word Count: 1,529//Full Text

00:00. Play.

00:03. [Y/N]: [Camera shaking] Say 'hello' to the camera! [Laughing]          [Lena]: [Laughing] Hi, camera!          [Jack]: Hello [Smiling and waving]

Four years ago, Jack, Lena, and you had been spending weekends and days off at Jack's garage doing an impossible research. The three of you were well aware about the implications and obstacles of trying to find, the so called, cancer cure. Even when your college research had come down to hardly a few insignificant discoveries, you three had been more than content to spend those days together. You were friends and nothing mattered to you more than keeping that friendship. But now, Jack was dead, you were part of the living dead, and Lena had no idea what to do to help you.

It had been barely two days since the DEO team, Supergirl, and she had found you, and other forty three people, in your research labs. Thanks to whatever authority, they had been able to move you from the company's labs to another facility of the DEO. Only eleven trial subjects, including you, were now contained in separated cells. There were ongoing investigations about their identity, medical history, and health conditions regarding the clinical trials. A team of biomedical engineers was working, along Lena, to revert the effects of the serum, as the antidote she had synthesized only managed to stop the development of the symptoms.

She had spent those two days looking over and over again at your research, your formulas, notes, your own medical records; whatever that could help her understand how the serum had worked on the cancer cells. They had also recovered some of your personal items from the lab and your department, your cellphone and laptop. Lena had checked every archive you had regarding this project, and something more. You had kept photos and videos of those early days. She watched that video with nostalgia, like she could find an answer in it but unable to find it. She just didn't want to lose you too.  

00:11. [Y/N]: [Clearing throat] Ladies and gentlemen, you're watching America's Next Top Scientist, starring your fave engineers, Jack Spheer, genius Lena Luthor and (Y/N) (Y/L/N).

          [Jack]: Wait, how's that Lena gets to be called genius?  

"Why are you still here?" Kara came into the lab, pulling Lena away from her distractions. "I thought J'onn had sent you home."

"Sorry, I lost track of time." She responded with a smile that didn't reach her eyes and put your laptop aside.

"Any news?" Kara stepped in, walking towards the table in which Lena had been working non-stop for the last four days.

"Not really," she sighted, "only what we already have but..."

"What is it?" Kara furrowed her eyebrows when she heard Lena's voice trail off.

Lena shook her head. "There's something off with the medical records, and (Y/N)'s last clinical tests are from three years ago."

"But, didn't (Y/N) have sent you everything?"

Lena remembered that day at her office in L-Corp, when you had sent the video and the research files had popped into her email. Everything is there. You remembered you saying, there was no reason to doubt that now. It will be easy for a genius like you to crack the code. Maybe it was Lena's exhausted brain but those last words resonated in her mind. Every document and piece of information you had sent had been considerably accessible, you hadn't put passwords or security codes... There was one somewhere.

"Where's Winn?" Lena snapped out of her thoughts.

00.28: [Y/N]: Because she is.           [Lena]: [Laughing lightly] Mm-hmm, don't contradict the presenter, Jack.           [Y/N]: Yeah, get with the program, Spheer.           [Jack]: Alright, alright [Rising his hands and smiling] so, what's todays challenge?

Winn had spent a whole day corroborating every single piece of information you had provided. Time that Lena was told to use to rest. She reluctantly left the facility with the condition that Winn would call her once he could find anything. He had promised to do so and, twenty seven hours later, Lena was again on her way to the DEO. When she arrived, Alex, Supergirl, J'onn and Winn were already gathered on a computer room, waiting for her. Several screens were displaying all medical test results from the forty people involved in the medical trials.  She looked at the screens not really understanding what was happening until Winn started to explain.

"Ok, so, I know the priority here is trying to find a cure for whatever is happening with our fellas in solitary confinement-" He started.

"Mr. Schott, to the point, please." J'onn stared at him.

"Sir, yes, sir." Winn cleared his throat. "Ok, so when we checked the documents (Y/N) sent, what we were looking for was essentially all medical information we could gather for the antidote, right? However, we never stopped to check if the information in previous test results was right."

"Yeah, that was not important at the moment." Replied Alex, crossing her arms. "We already knew the trial subjects were cancer patients and the diagnosis was confirmed in other records."

"What I mean is we never checked their personal information. Or the information stored by the labs and hospitals where their studies were made. Look." He typed something from his tablet and the test results moved on the screens.

"Why are there two copies of the same tests?" Asked Supergirl confused. Lena was the first to notice the differences.

"The numbers in the patients ID, age, birth date, and social security number are different." She took a step towards the screens.

"Yes, and I also found this." The screen changed one more time, showing what appeared to be the main menu of an app. "This is part of the system program used by the laboratory, and this is where they keep all records of research and clinical trials. And guess what? Their latest investigation is encrypted."

Lena stood there, watching the screens, when it all came rushing to her. This was what she was looking for.

00:43. [Lena]: Figure out how to stop the metastasis of cancer cells?           [Y/N]: Yep [Small pause] that and stop Jack from blowing up something else in his garage [Laughing]

Winn had spent another day deciphering the encryption system the lab had used to shield their information. J'onn had tried to get the intel directly from the people that ran the company but it had been useless. As far as they were concern, this case was nonexistent. Eleven people were still in airlock cells, waiting motionless with haggard faces and famished bodies. Only when an alarm went off or other person came in close proximity to them, they seemed to react. The black blood had stopped leaking from their eyes and, according to their recent test, the cancer cells in their bodies didn't present further changes or development.

Whatever was happening inside of them had stopped. They hoped they would stay that way. Meanwhile, Alex, Lena and the biomedical engineers, were still fighting for a solution to counteracting the serum, in hopes that the patients could be saved. But if there's something you cannot fight no matter how strong, intelligent, or brave you think you are, is Mother Nature. No one had expected this to ever happen again. The earth beneath them started to shake, slight movements becoming violent in a second. Everyone at the DEO started to move looking for a safe place, as cracks appeared from the ground and the lights swung, and flickered, from the ceiling. Lena and the doctors stayed in the lab while J'onn, Alex, and Winn were the first ones to reach the central controls after the alarms went off.

"Not again." Alex growled.

"The emergency system is working but when the power comes back it will reboot everything." Winn was typing as fast as he could on the computers.

"You need to stop that." Said J'onn with a strong voice. A minute later, the system rebooted.

00:53. [Lena]: [Laughing in the background]           [Jack]: Oh no, you didn't!           [Y/N]: Oh yes, I did [Laughing].

The alarms were still ringing when the energy came back. Lena and the engineers were the first ones to see eleven emaciated bodies run loose. What had happened at your lab was happening again inside the DEO. She only had a second to recover and seal the room's door near to her, as a figure was fast approaching. Even the glass door was closed, the figure didn't slow its pace and hit the door with its head. At the impact, Lena took a step back, raising her hands as if to protect herself.

She had lived this moment before but now she was the one trapped inside the room. The patient hit the glass once more but this time with angry fists. She wanted so desperately to get away but fear had woken up inside of her, paralyzing her in place. That instant of fear was enough for her brain to notice an evident fact she had tried to ignore. She looked at the figure and felt the cold chills crawl through her entire body. Oh, what she would give to stop it all.

00:58. Stop.

"(Y/N)." Lena's voice wavered.

[adtwixt]

Adtwixt - News: Early morning rush where you should have been out the door 5 minutes ago? Chalk it up to unfavorable circumstances, in this case, terrible bathroom storage

There have been so many times when I needed a hairbrush and literally tore down the bathroom in the process of looking for it. But on any other given day, I have like 3 hairbrushes littering the bed! Good bathroom storage is the key to an organized bathroom and with a little bit of creativity and the right materials, it’s easy to transform the bathroom from messy to stylish and organized in no time. Whether it’s additional units that can be stacked on your counter, or a small magnetic patch on the wall to stick your hairbrush on, your life is about to get a lot easier with these bathroom storage ideas. Use these genius storage ideas to stop the bathroom storage apocalypse. 30 Best Bathroom Storage Ideas to Save Space These simple, but clever bathroom storage ideas are sure to help you maximize the space you have in your bathroom and keep it organized. 1. Use Baskets Credit: HGTV Baskets always works. Whether it’s feelings, shoes, or ice cream, baskets are always dependable. This really helps with the storage space inside the bathroom by giving it a rustic, homely feel. After all, don’t we love lounging around in the bathroom anyway? Personally, and this may sound weird, if I enlarged my bathroom space to make room for a taco bar, I’m not sure I’d leave. These baskets can easily store the towels that keep falling off the rod or keep taking up the extra space in the bathroom. Buy similar baskets here. 2. Magnetic Organizers On The Wall Have you ever reached into the bathroom cabinet only to withdraw your hand that now looks like it took a trip to Color Me Mine? That will definitely not happen again unless you plan on sticking your hand in a bucket of neon matte paint.  These wall-mounted magnetic organizers will save your life. And lips. Never again will you have “bad lipstick days” where it feels like the lipstick is wearing you instead of the other way around! Stack up on those lip colors without fear, because this wall mounted storage will save those stacks of lip liners. Buy them here! 3. Bar Stool Credit:  Chango & Co Introducing a bar stool in your bathroom can make a difference between a stuffy bathroom, and an organized one. Take your pick as to which type of bathroom you want. The second one? Then keep reading. Not only is this bar stool a bold color choice, it adds a bit of oomph to a place where you feel like you don’t want to overdo it with decor. You can hide baskets under the barstool, put a cloth on top of the stool and use it to hold essentials. Want to stick a vase of flowers for a bit of freshness but not sure where to put it? The bar stool will heartily do the job. Forget Febreeze! Use actual flowers, it’s not weird trust me. Functional and cute? Yes please! Buy it on Wayfair! 4. Wheely Cart Credit: HGTV Remember those shoes that had little wheels attached underneath? And literally every kid with these shoes was the envy of every kid on the playground during recess? What I mean is, wheels make everything accessible, fun, and most importantly, functionally cute! This very roomy wheel cart has enough space to stock all the necessary items like paper rolls, towels, and any extra brushes. Of course, if you suddenly decide to give your kid a small ride around the house on this wheel cart, I wouldn’t blame you! 5. Integrated Storage Cubby Credit: Studio/Lifestyle If there’s one thing women can’t get enough of, it’s space. No fellas, I’m not talking about relationships. Jeez, take a hint! Of course, extra space in any part of the house is awesome. But, integrated space is even better. This way, there’s no extra renovation or remodeling required to create extra space. This integrated space cubby can store all those shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bottles that keep falling into the shower. And I’m pretty sure we can all relate to the times when you really need the shampoo bottle, and it gets stuck behind the various products piling up on the counter! 6. Spray Bottle Hangar Storing the Windex inside your cabinet is probably turning out to be one of the worst decisions you’ve made in terms of bathroom storage. Mostly because, every time you reach for it inside the cabinet, you end up knocking over 20 other spray bottles! This spray bottle hangar saves your space and sanity in the bathroom by providing an easy place to store your spray bottles. Without knocking over 10 other spray bottles you don’t need! Buy it here! 7. Hall of Baskets Credit: Simply DIY 2 Hall of Fame? I’m sure you’ve heard of it. But how about the Hall of Baskets? It definitely has a nice ring to it. And it’s not that difficult to build either. Hang two towel rods in a parallel manner. Of course, the size of the rods, and the weight is totally up to you. But make sure the rods themselves are sturdy and practical. Use a few ribbons to secure the baskets to the rods, and then fill up the baskets with whatever extra items have been stockpiling in the bathroom. These dark baskets will easily blend in with any decor you’re aiming for in your bathroom, whether its rustic, romantic or just chill! Buy baskets here! 8. Fabric Skirt Credit: Housebeautiful Personally, I think this is a genius idea. If you have any of those skirts that your grandmother gave you to “look pretty” at school, and you can’t explain to her that they’re not cool anymore….wait! Don’t throw them away or donate them or go with the old “the dog ate it” excuse. Size it, and cut it so that it easily fits under the sink and doesn’t flop over the side. This is a great way to hide any of those extra utilities or ahem tampons and pads that you’re so desperately trying to hide. Especially in a small bathroom. The struggle is definitely real ladies! 9. DIY Hair Tool Organizer Credit: Nellie Bellie Let’s be honest. The bathroom is where we spend 60% of the time doing hair and makeup, and 40% for actually using the bathroom for what it’s supposed to be used for. Checking yourself out in the mirror obviously. Since we’re always in such a rush in the mornings,  not to mention going through the Monday blues (or every day of the week except for Friday blues) , you’ll end up haphazardly scattering your straightener or curler. Not anymore! This DIY hair tool organizer will save your hair….but won’t cure your Monday blues. It’ll hardly take a minute or two to put back your straightener in this organizer every morning! 10. Spinning Makeup Playing dress-up starts at 5 years old…..and never stops. Make your space more organized and efficient with this tiered spinning organizer. The spinning part makes it one of those childish things you can’t stop doing, kinda like blowing bubbles in your water glass. The tiers provide a sort of vertical space that utilizes space much better, since it doesn’t take up as much area. Brushes can be kept in the section on top, while the jars and sprays can be kept at the bottom. Buy this stand here! 11. Organizers Behind The Mirror Door Counter space is definitely not easy to come by, especially if it’s already filled up with straighteners, makeup, and the general item mania. Honestly, there are times I pick up an item, wonder if I really truly need it, then instinctively rearrange it back into my “neat pile”. Who am I kidding? My neat pile looks like a mini-tornado tore through my bathroom. These organizers can easily stick to the back of the mirror door, and the small spaces within each organizer ensures that only necessary items can be stored. Get rid of those empty medicine and ointment bottles! Buy these StickonPods here! 12. Bottle Cap to Toothbrush Holder Credit: Ohohdeco Have you ever ended up at CVS at like 3 AM for something as random as a toothbrush holder? You’re not the only one (No, I don’t have insomnia). More often than not, we don’t want to spend too much money on something as little as a toothbrush holder. Try this ingenious hack of converting your bottle cap to a toothbrush holder. Make a slot in the inside of the bottle cap, for the toothbrush to attach to the bottle cap. Attach some Velcro to the back of the cap, and stick it where ever is most convenient. Voila! It probably won’t take you more than 15 minutes to make this simple item. 13. Lean a Ladder Credit: Housebeautiful Never trust a ladder. They’re always up to something. OK, sorry guys. Bad pun aside, this ladder adds a rustic, homely and unique feel to your bathroom. You can hang your towels and clothes on the ladder, instead of throwing it all around the bathroom. Honestly, even if you dump a bunch of clothes onto the ladder, it’ll still somehow look neat! That’s the uniqueness of the ladder! 14. Add a Rack Who said you need to have a closet or shelf already built in your bathroom? If you’re trying to add a small closet or rack, make use of the corner space that’s always overlooked. The corners are honestly the best places to store or mount racks to make use of unused space. The rack itself is inexpensive and easy to mount! It adds a bit of elegance to the bathroom without overdoing it by being bulky or taking up too much space. You can buy this rack here! 15. Get an Outlet Shelf Get rid of all your counter clutter! Keep your electronic toothbrush and razor on this outlet shelf. It’ll save your time, sanity, and counter space. Get it here! 16. Put A Hamper In It Hampers have a way of adding style to a room or closet without even trying. It’s the ultimate laundry dumping place, without making it look like a tornado ripped through your house of course. If you’re trying to decorate your guest bathroom without overdoing it, this item is a must-have! Other than dumping a year’s worth of laundry, it’s also great for stockpiling potatoes. I’m kidding! It’s perfect for storing those linen towels out of the reach of your messy toddlers for sure! Buy a hamper here! 17. Magazine Rack…In The Bathroom? For all my book nerds out there, who can’t even finish using the bathroom without reading at least one page…….I volunteer this magazine rack as a tribute. Hunger Games joke aside, this rack is elegant and will definitely act as a “statement piece” to the bathroom by being quietly exquisite. It also adds some vibrancy to those awkward unused spaces and corners that we so desperately try and fail to cover up with paint or wallpaper! Buy this magazine rack here! 18. Make A Skinny Alcove Credit: Dorseydesigns No space? No problem. If you’re renovating your bathroom, leave a bit of space for this skinny, yet extremely functional and rustic alcove. It’s inexpensive and adds a bit of oomph to an otherwise boring white or monochromatic bathroom. These shelves can easily store the towels, baskets, and cosmetic products that are taking up your counter space and making you generally insane every morning! This alcove doesn’t take up much space anyway, considering it’s already taking up a corner of space, which is especially perfect if your bathroom is already small. 19. Wall Mounted Bathroom Shelf Want a simple, stylish yet space-saving solution to your bathroom storage troubles? You’ve found it. This awesomely chic rack is for people like me who hoard essential oils, soap, conditioners, and other hair care products like the zombie apocalypse is about to happen tomorrow. In case it does happen, take the rack and run. It’s not worth leaving it! This rack is very sturdy and easy to install. So it pretty much covers all the basic areas of how perfect this product is! It’s also a great item to put in a guest bathroom, where you really want to show off how awesome your decorating skills are. Impressed guests? More brownie points to you. And maybe more Christmas presents on your doorstep….yo never know! You can grab this shelf here while it’s in stock! 20. Toilet Paper Holder/Phone Shelf Studies show that 19% of people, in other words, 1 out of 5 people drop their phone down the toilet, losing all their data and contacts (and their digital life).  Of course, if the phone was made of Vibranium, you could just pick up your phone and nothing would have happened. Then again, if I’m talking about the uses of a fake substance like Vibranium in real life, you can tell I’m suffering from an epic Marvel withdrawal. This toilet paper holder is also a phone shelf. It can easily be mounted to the wall, and it’s made of stainless steel so it’s sturdy and won’t rust. Avoid those oopsy daisy accidents with this functional and awesome toilet roll holder/phone shelf! Buy it here! 21. Good Ol’ Adhesive Shelf The old school way is always the best. You can never have enough shelves in the bathroom, especially in those awkward corners that you try to cover up using wallpaper or paint.  This functional, old school adhesive bathroom shelf is the best for hanging up items that you need as you’re rushing out the bathroom. And a great way to pop up speakers or your phone to watch reruns of Game of Thrones episodes. Don’t worry, the whole world is suffering from withdrawal from that. Join the club! The adhesive shelf can be personalized to your style, and the hooks at the bottom allow for more space for things like towels, sponges, and scrubs. Buy it here! 22. IKEA Picture Ledge Credit: Yasam Stil Turns out that picture ledges can be used for things other than pictures. Use this picture ledge from IKEA and add it right between the mirror and the bathroom sink. Store your favorite soaps, lotions, shampoos and of course essential oils right here. You’ll never knock things down from the countertop to the floor again! This is also a great place to keep all those scented candles without wreaking havoc on the already limited space in the bathroom (shelves and counters). Personalize this frame by painting or layering some wallpaper on it for a pop of color. Always appreciated when you’re short on time and want to spruce up your bathroom space! Buy them on Amazon! 23. Built-in Bathroom Storage Shelve Credit: Donna DuFresne Interior Design Do you know that the average space between wall studs is 16 inches? Do you also know that it’s enough space to make a small recessed cabinet? Yes, that’s right a bonus bathroom storage without just by smart utilization of space already present. 24. Magnetic Makeup Board Credit: Laurathoughts Shelves and picture frames to store your makeup essentials? Boring. And overrated. Did I mention, literally everyone on Instagram and Pinterest always has a DIY shelf but not something as cool as a magnetic makeup storage board? The words pretty much convey what this board does. So you’ll never have to worry about makeup falling out of your kit or off the counter. Crown yourself the DIY queen by making this easy storage board. It requires just a few materials including a picture frame, a metal sheet, your choice of fabric, hot glue, and a few other supplies that you’ll already have ready in your arsenal. 25. Second Shower Rod in the Shower Credit: Pinterest/Good Housekeeping Already have one shower rod? Great! You know the benefits then. But, you’re probably running out of space right about now, so install another one! They don’t take up much space, and can easily store the shampoos and conditioners that you previously didn’t have space for. Add a few hooks, so that items like sponges, shower brush and any other items that can’t fit on the rod can hang easily from the hooks. You’ll suddenly have more space for weird items like shower caps and bath salts! 26. Suction Cup Bottle Holders Credit: Dollarstorecrafts This hack is GOLDEN. If there ever was a creative dollar store organization hack that you really needed and didn’t fully appreciate, it’s definitely this one. If shelves or racks in the bathroom aren’t your thing, try this hack using suction cups and hair elastics. They will keep your shampoo and conditioner stuck to the wall like silly putty. It doesn’t take up as much space as a rack or shelf, because the only space it’s taking up is the area of the bottle itself! The best thing is that the suction cups and hair elastics both are only $1 each, so no need to spend any money renovating or buying a shelf when it literally takes just one minute to slap one of these onto the wall! As someone who regularly drops the shampoo bottle in the shower, this is definitely a favorite. 27. Storage Step Stool Credit: Builtbykids You didn’t think I’d leave kids out of this, did you? Don’t worry, I didn’t leave out your lovable, annoying brats. This DIY step stool also has a hollowed-out inside……to store bath toys!  As if the living room isn’t full of enough of their toys already. The stool is multi-functional as it’s clearly seen from the picture. It’s a great way to make sure your kids don’t look like they visited the dunk tank after washing their hands, and it provides easy access to their favorite toys during their least favorite time. Bath time! 28. Extra Products On a Turntable Use up all that extra cabinet storage to store all those added junk items like half-used lotion bottles or semi-used shampoos using a turntable. Store all these things on the turntable to make a bit of counter space. If you don’t already have a large bathroom, and I’m guessing you don’t, these turntables will come in handy. It stores all the extra items that keep falling off the counter, it’s basically a dump for extra storage! Buy them here! 29. Products on a Cake Stand Credit: Cosmopolitan You probably bought this cake stand thinking you’d suddenly turn into Paula Deen, but you’re probably realizing now that this cake stand is just collecting dust in the closet. This cake stand is perfect for storing extra products in the shower. Especially if you have little spaces in the corner of your shower that are awkwardly not being used. 30. Kitchen Utensil Tray Credit: Cosmopolitan Yes, let me repeat that. A kitchen utensil tray can also be used in the bathroom! Instead of shoving everything haphazardly into a random cabinet, and then having everything tumble out, use a tray! It will easily keep everything you need in an organized and clean manner without you having to break the bank for a new bathroom organizer! All in all, whether you’re adding a corner shelf, rack, or a turntable, the options out there to expand bathroom storage are limitless. Most of them are just a few hacks with a bit of creativity, so make sure you utilize existing space, rather than wishing for space you don’t have! If you found the post helpful, then please share it! The post 30 Nifty Bathroom Storage Ideas to Make Most of Space Available appeared first on OffbeatBros. #Organizing

Adtwixt - News source https://adtwixt.com/blogs/news/early-morning-rush-where-you-should-have-been-out-the-door-5-minutes-ago-chalk-it-up-to-unfavorable-circumstances-in-this-case-terrible-bathroom-storage

[jbuffyangel]

Rebuilt: Arrow 5x22 Review (Missing)

"Missing" was amazing! Emotional and action packed with zinging dialogue. 

What struck me most was how full circle it was. "Missing" sets up the heroes versus villains battle that will come to fruition in the finale, but it also kicks off the basic question Oliver must ask: What makes a hero? What makes a villain? Those concepts are not always rigid. In fact, the very essence of hero and villain is fluid.

Oh... and did I mention there's an Olicity reunion scene?

Let's dig in...

Olicity and OTA

The Throwing Star killer is in prison and Oliver Queen's approval ratings are in the 70th percentile. (That's how you know it's TV. If there's a politician in my lifetime with that high of an approval rating I'm just assuming it's the apocalypse.) Seeing both personas, Oliver and the Green Arrow, get the credit each deserves and Oliver being treated for the hero HE IS makes me want to run up mountains and sing songs.

The battle is won. Let’s party.

Quentin wishes Oliver a happy birthday because heart strings. 

Source:  olivergifs

Did y'all notice the size of that gift? Think about where these men began and where they are now.  What I love about Oliver and Quentin is how similar they are. Both men are hard shells, but once you crack it it's nothing but ooey gooey center. Oliver has earned Quentin's respect, trust and forgiveness. Quentin sees Oliver as the honorable man he is and put a motherf*****bow on it.  IT MAKES ME FEEL THINGS Y'ALL.

Thea and Oliver take a minute to recap her emotional trajectory.  They recall the last time Arrow celebrated a birthday - Thea's 18th birthday. Do you remember? It was a lifetime ago. Thea got a new car, did some Vertigo and crashed it. Good times.

But it led to THIS!!!!!

I miss Roy.

Anyways, Oliver talks about how far Thea has come because he reads my mind. Thea laments that she doesn't think she's come quite far enough. Oh... my sweet honey child. Let the pain go!

I am all ready to give Thea a pep talk, but Oliver "I Am 32 And Emotional Evolved" Queen steps up to the plate.

Source: olivergifs

Tear. 

Oliver Queen, you have been through some shit but you have seen the light my dear boy. This is hard earned character growth. Now go get your girl.

Thea wants to take Oliver out for his birthday. QUEEN SIBILINGS FOREVER. Oliver has plans. Oh? You don't say?

"Please say not Susan Williams."

Thea summed up Susan William's entire character arc for me in a single sentence. And did I almost see a shudder come from Oliver? Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but he at least gave a good awkward stammer.  In fact, no dear sister, dinner is with Felicity Smoak. You know, the human equivalent of a rainbow, forever light of Oliver Queen's life, future mother of his children and your nieces and nephews. That Felicity Smoak. 

As for Susan Williams, come Thea girl, pull up a chair because you have MISSED THINGS. Particularly the glorious break up in which Oliver dumps Susan's ass because, once again, he's not sure he can have a relationship and be the Green Arrow. Meanwhile, Felicity asks him over for dinner and homeboy falls over himself sprinting to the loft, but that's just details. I totally believed him about Susan. It was all concern about safety, balance, blah blah. Nothing to do with the urge to chew his arm off post coitus.

I'm sorry. The snark just flows. I can't stop it.

Thea wants to know if it's a date. 

Source: amanitacaplan

She was always with us fandom. Thea never lost faith.  Check her pocket. I half expected Thea to hand Oliver Moira's ring, slap him on the back and say, "Go get her big fella."  Also, somebody needs to fic this scenario.

Oliver plays it casual. Date? Pfft. What date? It's not a date.

Maybe it's a date.  Could it be a date? Dear God, let it be a date. Oliver is praying to the higher power like Are You There God? It's me, Margaret.

Thea doesn't believe him. Nobody believes you Oliver. You lack zero chill with Felicity. The heart eyes run deep my friend. Just embrace it. You can't change.

Of course, it's the surprise party which leads to Oliver putting Curtis on his back. This never gets old. A+ comedic reactions from everyone involved.

Source:  sharingmyworld

Oliver blows out the candles on his LORD MESA cake. 

Source:  legendsofcomics

The shout out to this man, who is an genius and absolute gift to this fandom, is so freaking earned. I cheered. @lordmesa-art​ brings us all a lot of joy with his artistry. He absolutely needs to be Arrow canon.  I love when Arrow goes meta. There's a Green Arrow with the #6 the arrows in the target - a celebration for their Season 6 renewal of course. Take that haters! Don't bitch at me about ratings. Seriously. Enough. The explanation for the 6 is Felicity ordered the cake for a six year old. She thought a Green Arrow cake for a grown man would raise alarm bells. That... makes a lot of sense actually. Our girl is so smart.

So why is Arrow celebrating Oliver Queen's birthday now after all these years? It's not simply because there's a lull in the action. This is about how far Oliver Queen has come, especially in these last few episodes. When Oliver came home he wanted to keep everyone he loved at arm's length. He shut down the very essence of who he is, his humanity, because Oliver  believed it was required to protect those he loves, save the city and honor his father. In the end, Oliver discovered the exact opposite was required to be the Green Arrow. 

He had to open himself up to family

friendship

and love 

to become someone else... something else. That's how he took the darkness used it for light. 

It hurt. A lot. Oliver has been to hell and back. He's faced the very worst parts of himself and came out the other side. 

Oliver has learned to honor truth over lies, team work over control, love over loneliness and forgiveness over self hatred. These past five years, Oliver has learned how to choose home over the island. He's not just surviving. Oliver Queen is living. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate that evolution than his 32nd birthday. Oliver has been reborn.

Source:  legendsofcomics

Everyone takes a moment to talk about what they are going to do with their summer vacations. Television shows are set up exactly like school. Where is the lie? Diggle wants to go fishing with JJ. Curtis wants to go to Florence. And Felicity... 

Source:  felicitys

The subtle look she shoots Oliver is not so subtle.

If you would like to see a man become a rainbow - this is what it looks like.

As for Oliver, he just wants some socks. 

Source:  bazingagubicorn

Source:  felicitys (I love this gif)

What’s to know people? He's gonna stop at Target, grab some socks and condoms, on the way to a night under the stars with Felicity Smoak.  He's a simple man. What else does Oliver need when he has his whole world looking back at him?

Picking up on the sexual tension/feels overload Team Arrow makes themselves scarce. Well, except for Curtis. He pulls up a chair and grabs a bowl of popcorn. This on top of his epic shipper spiral post party. 

Source:felicityssoliver

Curtis is me on a deeply spiritual level. Ship it hard my brother.

Diggle, Captain of the Olicity ship, actually wants to make this reunion to happen though so he physically removes Curtis.

Source:oliverdant

And we're here.  

Source:  legendsofcomics

When Arrow began Season 4 they had every intention of breaking Oliver and Felicity up. The moment Oliver lied about William to Felicity in 4x08 we knew that's where we were headed. However, I always believed Olicity would find their way back to one another. Arrow has been slowly and steadily rebuilding what they broke. It has been a long and hard road, but they are here. We are here.

Find My Way Back by Eric Arjes

One step closer

Closer to the light

No matter where we're going

I'll be by your side

And everything we used to know

Crashed into the great unknown

One step closer

We're gonna be alright

I love how simple this moment is. Love feels like an inertia out of our control, but the truth is, it is a choice. For those wondering how Olicity could ever get back together, it always boiled down to this: once Oliver and Felicity faced their issues, dug deep and dig the work, then all that remains is the simple choice to begin again. Love isn't always marked by a lot of fan fair. Most of the time, it's the quiet moments that define you. The moments when you look into the eyes of the person you love and say yes. Yes to trying again, to forgiveness, to rebuilding what was broken... one step at a time.

Source: amanitacaplan

Oliver came to the loft, dressed in a suit, hoping this was that moment but uncertain if it was. Felicity acknowledges the ruse and team's desire to give them alone time because of it.  All of Team Arrow just wants them to have all the babies.

I love how bold Oliver is in this moment. My boy gets his flirt on. He wasn't certain what the dinner meant, if it was about alone time for them, so he just... ASKS.  It's so freaking fantastic. There was a time when Oliver would have talked around something like this, or choose not to address it or simply let her go.  Not this time. Not ever again.

Oliver stumbles at the word date, his nerves getting the best of him, and I believe he didn't want to put too much pressure on Felicity. However, this is a man who isn't afraid.  This is open and honest communication. He doesn't hide what he was hoping dinner meant. Oliver is charging through that door Felicity opened in 5x20.

And Felicity, so sweetly and with a gentle little wink, confirms Oliver's hope because it's her hope too.  Felicity says yes  to trying again, but slowly. There's no rush to the altar here. She wants to be sure they are solid, so they never break up again. That means taking things slow. A walk under the stars, hand in hand, one step at a time, together.

This exquisite, beautiful, warm and loving light lives in Oliver Queen and Felicity always harnesses it. I often say Oliver Queen is the sun the other characters revolve around. With Felicity's answer, Oliver becomes pure sunshine.

And there it is. 

The moment David Ramsey promised at HVFF. The moment Marc confirmed we were building towards in July. A simple, quiet, open, honest, forgiving, and most of all loving, yes. This is how you repair what is broken. This is Olicity rebuilt.

I was so happy with 5x20. It was everything I ever wanted from Oliver and Felicity for the past five years. Whatever came after was always just going to be icing on the cake for me. What I love about this moment is how builds off of everything 5x20 established so perfectly. The moment Oliver celebrates his life with his family, he and Felicity decide to start their lives together again. If I'm being honest, it's satisfying AF. This moment is EARNED y'all.

Cause even underneath the waves

I'll be holding on to you

And even if you slip away

I'll be there to fall into the dark

To chase your heart

No distance could ever tear us apart

There's nothing that I wouldn't do

I'll find my way back to you

Felicity senses Oliver isn't quite at ease and questions him about it. 

Oliver immediately leaps to the conclusion that she's talking about them (because that's all he can process right now) and jokes about dating his ex-fiancé. 

THIS CUPCAKE. He's so scared to put an official label on it, but he wants to so desperately.

No Oliver, you love sick fool. It's not hypothetical. This is real. Embrace the joy my friend. She came back to you.

I expect the fandom to abuse this gif.

Source: gothsmoak

Oliver learning how to relax while being the Green Arrow is still a skill he has to master (*cough*fivemonthtimejump*cough*) 

and I love how Felicity encourages him to chillax - bad socks and all. 

So let's talk about the tie loosening. I refuse to see that as anything but Felicity beginning to undress Oliver right then and there. Coupled with night under the stars and eye sex, 

Source:  olicityloyalty

I feel it's pretty clear where Felicity thinks the next step should be.

Alright, it's pretty clear where I think the next step should be.

I'm not going to argue that Oliver doesn't frequently need his bottle uncorked, but he also has great instincts. These instincts kept him alive for the last ten years, they are almost other worldly. They also make him a pain in the ass too, but overall his instinces are helpful. Oliver knows something is up in his gut. It's no different than feeling a rocket a hair trigger before it explodes or someone sneaking up behind him. But he wanted to believe. Oliver wanted to war to be over, to be happy and just live so he let his guard down.  He ignored his gut.

The gun scene was as adorable as I hoped it was, 

but I wasn't anticipating yet another emotional reconnecting moment between Oliver and Felicity. Dinah and Curtis are gone and Felicity is rightly concerned about the League of Assassins. They be crazy. So, our girl is ready to hunker down and operate comms remotely. Oliver's response signals just how far he's come and how much he's grown.

Source:  oliverxfelicity

Felicity stays put. Right next to him. Exactly where he can see her. Didn't you love the part where Oliver reassures bae that Talia Al Ghul and her LOA flunkies can bring it? Oliver will handle business. Felicity doesn't need to be afraid. He won't let anything happen to her. 

Confidence is so sexy in a man.

Oliver knows he needs Felicity by his side if he has any chance of stopping Chase. He's not pushing her away. He's not trying to handle everything on his own. Oliver is admitting he needs Felicity's help. He needs HER.

It seems Oliver isn't the only one looking for a little firmer confirmation on status. Felicity wants to know if Oliver's motivations are simply tactical or is there a little more to it? Girl... you are his lobster. Come on now.

Source:  oliverxfelicity

Oliver immediately tells Felicity the truth which is OF COURSE it's not just tactical. Oliver ignored his gut and not only is his team in danger, but so is his son. 

Source:  klarolicityswan 

I love how William is just an open, honest and natural subject for Olicity now. Felicity tries to reassure him, but Oliver rightly corrects her out that while her assurances are appreciated there's no way either of them can know for certain if William is safe. And since Chase is crazy pants, Oliver feels it's highly unlikely that he is. (Gotta trust those parental instincts Oliver. They are seldom wrong.) Essentially, Oliver is telling Felicity that by allowing those he loves out of his sight made them vulnerable to Chase. He will not make that mistake with her. HE. WILL. NEVER. LET. HER. GO. AGAIN. Y'all I am emotional.

Except... then Quentin and Thea are taken. What follows is yet ANOTHER emotional scene not only with Oliver and Felicity, but with Diggle. Oliver finally realizes that Chase is taking away his strength, his team, to leverage his freedom. Oliver wants Diggle and Felicity to get out of town, which is meant with strong opposition particularly by Diggle. John will not abandon Oliver, but Oliver doesn't look at it that way.  Chase is slowly picking off Team Arrow one by one. Felicity and John are the only two left and they are the foundation of the team. Oliver operates on instinct, but he fears that instinct is what is putting Diggle and Felicity in danger.  Oliver depends on John and Felicity. If Chase threatens them, and he will, Oliver's instinct is to pull Diggle and Felicity close. His instinct was to send Thea, Quentin and William away. His instinct was to allow Curtis, Rene and Dinah to operate business as usual. Every choice, every instinct, Oliver has followed Chase has used against him. So, Oliver is mixing it up. He's going to directly opposite of what his heart tells him to do and send John and Felicity away.

Felicity doesn't want to leave. She's worried about Oliver. So, now it's time for Oliver to reassure her. If he's not worried about her, then he can focus on Chase and finding the others. If Felicity leaves then he'll be safer. This argument proves how well Oliver knows Felicity. She won't put her safety above Oliver's, but she will listen to him if she believes this keeps him safe.

Source:  tinaday3w

But even then, neither of them wants to let go. They hold hands like they've done many times before, 

as circumstance forces them to separate, 

their eyes conveying everything they are feeling in the moment- 

that be apart is the last thing either of them wants.

Source:  gothsmoak

The problem is, Chase wants Oliver to doubt his instincts. He wants him to rethink everything that feels right. As Diggle and Felicity are driving away from the city, Felicity's instincts tell her they were wrong. They've over thought this. They should have never left him alone. SHE should never have left him.

Felicity's right. She's always right. A LOA flunkie shows up with two swords which leads to a hilarious Delicity moment as they recall their encounter with Isobel Rochev. 

Source:  westallenolicitygifs

Emily Bett Rickards and David Ramsey's comedic timing is always stellar. I need more. All the time more.

Unfortunately, car versus murderous woman doesn't go exactly like it did with Isobel Rochev. Diggle and Felicity's car crashes and then IT EXPLODES. Not gonna lie, I screamed many screams. 

DO NOT DO THAT TO ME MARC GUGGENHEIM. THOSE ARE MY CHILDREN. WE DO NOT BLOW UP DIGGLE AND FELICITY'S CAR. THERE ARE RULES ABOUT THAT SORT OF THING.

But they are totes fine, so I could breathe again. I mean... they aren't ever going to kill these two, but I'll never be okay with the threats of it. Unfortunately, Diggle up against several LOA members isn't a fair fight even with those bowling balls for arms. Diggle and Felicty are taken... and Oliver is left to fight Chase and save everyone he loves alone.

Source:  legends-of-today

OR IS HE ALONE?

Malcolm Merlyn

My hatred of Malcolm Merlyn runs deep. 

Primarily because Malcolm sees himself as the hero and not the villain. This began over love for Malcolm. He was once a good and loving husband and father. Losing Rebecca shattered the man Merlyn was and he forged himself into someone else... something else. Love beget grief. Grief beget revenge. Revenge beget a lust for power. At every turn, Merlyn has operated in his own self interest, but firmly believed they were righteous and for the greater good. Merlyn unleashes evil and believes it is love. That's the level of sociopath we are dealing with here.

Merlyn is the reason Robert Queen died. 

He's the reason Oliver ended up on that island. 

He killed Tommy. 

He used his OWN DAUGHTER 

as the weapon to kill Sara Lance. 

Merlyn sent Oliver into a death trap into Season 3 to save his own hide. 

He put Thea in Ra's Al Ghul's cross hairs, which is how she wound up on a ventilator. 

Merlyn served William up to Damien Darhk like cheese and crackers. 

He was an active participate in Laurel's death (I'm not really mad about that though, but let's just add it to the list).

All of these crimes have gone unanswered on Arrow. Essentially unpunished. Sorry folks, a hand doesn't cut it for me. Ha! Cut it. Get it? 

There's a reckoning coming Malcolm Merlyn and it is long past time.

We haven't seen much of Malcolm Merlyn this season and I think it was a wise choice. The character, in my mind, is the new LL and has run his course. If they are bringing him back then it needs to be for an intended purpose and Arrow made that purpose wildly clear.

Merlyn has been busy this year though - on Legends of Tomorrow as part of the Legion of Doom. He partnered with Damien Darhk and Eobard Thawne to alternate time and change the world to their liking. However, I was always struck by what that meant for Malcolm. Both Damien and Eobard were after power essentially, but not Merlyn. His altered reality meant Rebecca and Tommy were alive and Thea adored him. He's still Merlyn though - he got revenge on Nyssa Al Ghul by making her life a closeted life in Ohio. Malcolm admitted to Sara however what he was searching for: a clean slate. He wanted all his mistakes, the pain and the death that came with them, jus wiped away. He didn't care if it wasn't real. What Malcolm wanted is redemption without the sacrifice.

So, this redemption arc was kicked off but if you weren't watching Legends then you didn't see it. Except, what does redemption really mean for Malcolm Merlyn? Is it really achievable? Yes, I think redemption is possible for all characters, but the desire has to be there. The willingness to make a sacrifice is what counts. That's why Merlyn's arc on Legends ultimately failed. He wasn't willing to do what is necessary to really make amends.

What is necessary isn't erasing all that he's done. It's facing it. It's making a different choice. Essentially, that's the only difference separating a hero from a villain - choices. It's why it's such a fluid concept. A hero can become the villain as easily as the villain can become the hero. While I  doubt I will ever be able to call Malcolm Merlyn a hero, I do believe Arrow is setting him up to make a sacrifice. Which is the essence of heroism and what is required for redemption.

Source:  zorro-rita

But first we gots to hash out some issues. Oliver and Merlyn go toe to toe over a lot of things, but first up is William. Oliver is still pretty ticked over Merlyn handing his son over to Damien Darhk. Oliver used his angry voice talking about his son. It felt warm suddenly.

Merlyn's concern is Thea. Malcolm never loved Tommy the way he should have. Tommy was never more important than his revenge. He rejected Tommy in every way. However, Merlyn's arc on Legends finally showed a desire to go back and change that, which we never saw before. Merlyn is prepared to do what is necessary to save his daughter. Even if it means helping his enemy.

And Oliver isn't exactly in a position to refuse his help. I know some may have issues with Oliver teaming up with his enemies like Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson, but I love it. It's incredibly full circle. Oliver has spent years building this family. It's pretty fantastic that to save his family he must work with all the villains who've tried to destroy it over the years.

Oliver and Malcolm have it out giving into Chase's demands. Merlyn is flabbergasted that Chase even needed to take Felicity and Diggle. He felt Thea was sufficient motivation.  He's prepared to do whatever is necessary to save his child - a concept Oliver should be more familiar with now that he has William. However, Oliver's concerns run deeper than Chase not holding up his end of the bargain (something Merlyn is an expert it).  Once again he worries that his personal connections are making him vulnerable. He has to become something else to protect them and he will never be free of it. Oliver will never be free of the darkness.  

And here we go again. 

This is an old tune from Oliver Queen. I won't harp on him too much. Chase did manage to take everyone he loves, so I'm not entirely shocked Oliver has a brief moment in which he reverts to form.

Source: dailydcheroes

This might be the single greatest line Merlyn has ever spoken and one of the truest things ever said about Oliver Queen. My precious big dumb oak tree.

Merlyn: Human connections are what keep us human. It is sad that it's a sociopath who is gonna have to point this out to you. You can't live on an island Oliver. You've already tried. You are always going to have people in your life, Oliver. They will always need you. For better or worse. Baggage and all. And if you can't accept that then your past is going to stay your anchor.

Round. Of. Applause. 

I hate the bastard, but when he's right he's right. It sounds completely out of character for Merlyn, but does make some sense given his arc on Legends. Merlyn pushed away human connection after Rebecca died and he has FINALLY learned the cost for those sins. If Oliver wants to beat Chase, and Merlyn's goal is to beat Chase in order to save Thea, then both of them have to do things differently - but especially Oliver. 

He's tried it the other way before. Oliver tried to go it alone. That "something else" never quite measured up into what was needed until he let people back into his heart. Until he allowed his humanity back in. There will never be a time where Oliver doesn't have people he cares about. He cannot shut off. He cannot isolate himself. He will lose. This much is fact. Nor can he allow the darkness to take the driver's seat. Oliver will lose the part of himself that makes him human - everything Diggle, Felicity, Thea and the team love about him. Then he'll be left alone again. It's a cycle. The only way to break it is to become SOMETHING ELSE. Be different. Embrace his humanity. Hold to those connections. That's how he wins.

And really, nobody knows this better than Malcolm Merlyn because doing the direct opposite is how he lost everything that mattered. Malcolm Merlyn is the one who sent Oliver to the island. So it's fitting that he is finally helping Oliver get off it. All it takes is a different choice and the villain can become a hero.

Even Malcolm Merlyn is rebuilding what he broke, which means... Malcolm Merlyn is going to die. I am absolute on this. They've set it up perfectly, what's more, I believe it needs to happen. Thea is still holding on to the fear that she's a monster - just like her father. What greater gift can Merlyn give Thea than by showing her the monster of her life can choose to do the right thing? Merlyn's death pays the price he's always avoided. It also may be the very thing Thea needs to be free from the past and find hope in herself again.

William

William plays an extremely integral role in "Missing" because, as Oliver explains:

Source: olivergifs

Arrow was never about one thing. It was never just about LL, L*uriver , Olicity or OTA. I think no matter which spectrum of fandom we're on, if we only focus one or two segments of the story then it leaves the potential to miss very important pieces that ultimately feed the segments we care about.

Arrow, at its core, is about family. This story began with a father and a son. We are here because of Robert Queen's sins and because of the love and faith he had in his son. For ten years, Oliver has been struggling with his father's legacy, what his dying wish truly meant and the guilt of Robert's death. Oliver shouldered the weight of Robert's sins while being weighed down by his own.

The next step in Oliver's evolution is to no longer just be the son. He must become the father. The point of the legacy theme is to rebuild what was broken so many years ago. Oliver's mission cannot be only focused on Robert Queen anymore. It has to grow beyond the past and look to the future.

William.

Oliver is right. William is the purest part of him. He retains the innocence Oliver lost all those years ago on the boat. More than anything, Oliver wants his son to keep that innocence. He wants him to be safe and untouched by the darkness both Oliver and Robert have battled. But no matter where William is, he will always be Oliver Queen's son.  He will always be Robert Queen's grandson. William will always be part of this family and part of this cycle. If Oliver wants to break it, if he wants to save William from paying for his sins (like Oliver paid for his father's sins), then he has to become someone else.... something else.

Source: olivergifs

This scene is heartbreaking. Stephen Amell makes me feel all the feels. 

All Oliver wanted was to keep his boy safe. To make sure William never became like him. Chase took that away. So, now William is the one on the boat. He's trapped in a world he doesn't understand and paying for sins that are not his fault. 

Robert tried to stop it. He tried to protect Oliver from his sins. He failed. All Robert could offer Oliver in the end was the chance to survive and to do it better.

This is the another chance to do it differently. To do it better. Maybe the most important chance. Oliver can no longer be mired down in the past. 

Source: olivergifs

Adrian Chase is the dark mirror to Oliver. He is what Oliver can become if he never lets the past go. Every step since 5x17 has been Oliver letting go of the pain, guilt, shame and anger. Every moment has prepared Oliver for this battle. For this choice.

Oliver has to hold onto the lessons he's learned, what he knows to be right and allow his humanity to make the calls. Oliver needs William as much as he needs Felicity. As much as he needs Diggle and Thea. This is the love that pushes Oliver past the dark into the light. This is the love that makes Oliver fight for the future.  Oliver's love for William makes him a better man and a better hero. A man and hero worthy of Felicity Smoak.

Source:  sharingmyworld 

It's why Oliver is willing to work with Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson. The past no longer matters. All that matters is his future and he's willing to whatever it takes to protect it. Oliver also knows to win, to truly save his son and everyone he loves, he has to do it differently this time.

Source:  olivergifs

I think this flashback actually foreshadows Prometheus' demise. Oliver won't kill him, but I don't think Chase will have the stones to face justice. He'll do what Oliver refused to do. Chase will kill himself.

Bl*ck Sir*n and Quentin Lance

Okaaaay she's back. Truthfully? Pretty minimal scenes. She kidnapped Quentin and Thea. The end. 

Although, I do enjoy KC as Bl*ck Sir*n. She plays a good villain. And Paul Blackthorne's reaction to seeing "Laurel" was out of this world. Break me into a thousand pieces sir!

There's certainly an effort to add some layers. BS owes Chase and wants to protect Quentin, so... she kidnaps him? 

The promise is Chase won't hurt Lance. Had me a nice chuckle when Lance called her stupid. BS gets to express some "she's not all villain" emotion. BS says it's equally hard on her to see Quentin as it is for Quentin to see her. So... this probably means Quentin is dead on Earth 2. Okie dokie.

Are we headed for a redemption arc? Eh. I don't know. Honestly, the reason Arrow says they brought KC back was because they enjoyed her performance as BS. I know the LL fandom wants Arrow to turn Laurel 2.0 back into Laurel 1.0 but the reason Laurel 1.0 died is because the character ran her course. So, there's no need to retread that old ground. Also, Laurel 2.0 is not Laurel 1.0 so can we just accept reality? 

The best thing Arrow has going for them with BS is that she is a villain. This plays to Katie's acting strengths and gives Arrow new ground to explore. I truly don't think they are in any rush to evaporate these positives.

Flashbacks

YAO FEI!!!!! Oh Yao Fei how I missed you. I don't even care that you were a manifestation of Oliver's guilt and urged him to commit suicide. I will take some Yao Fei anyway I can get it.

Imaginary torture. Well, that is one way to go Kovar. I'll give the guy credit. He did have Oliver's number. Emotional pain is far more torturous to Oliver than physical pain. This results in a series of flashbacks to remind us all that the past five years were of the suck for Oliver. Yeah, I didn't really forget that.

I like that Kovar gave Oliver a gun to commit suicide. Oliver killing himself is ultimate defeat and that's what Kovar wants. It's also a very nice callback to Oliver's first few days on the island. This isn't the first time he's considered suicide.

But then Oliver hallucinates Laurel. Well look at that. Flashback Ollie actually remembers Laurel! 

Better late than never I guess. They have to connect it with the pilot. Oliver has to give a crap about Laurel again, so Arrow took a break from all the Felicity foreshadowing in the flashbacks.  It's fine. We all know where their "love story" goes.

Oliver envisioning Laurel as his hope and salvation, begging him to come home when in reality he gets this when he does come home 

basically sums up this hot mess of a television relationship for me. 

Those were dark days my friends. Glad they are behind us. Huh. Snark is full on. KC being back might be fun after all.

Stray Thoughts

Lyla has a sister. Huh. Cool. Diggle's reassurance to Oliver (aka US) that Dyla is okay is appreciated.

Kovar nailed the Catholic belief on Purgatory.  Wave to me from heaven y'all because that's where I'll be for awhile.

Oliver's attractiveness in his attractive brown leather jacket is very important to me.

Only Josh Segarra can look threatening in that color of yellow.

Quentin Lance trying to process how messed up it is that LL has a doppelganger is so me.

Malcolm hand jokes never get old.

"Not yet but soon." Josh Segarra added another level to the Chase creepy factor - this sounded exactly like John Doe from Seven Deadly Sins. I still have nightmares about that movie.

Source: kendrasaunders

I've missed this goddess.

Call back to Legends of Tomorrow! Ra's told Nyssa where to find Sara because Sara told Ra's to tell Nyssa where to find her. Let that little time loop simmer on ya for a minute. Although, I'm confused. I thought in S2 Nyssa found Sara in a market place starving. I need a Sara Lance/Nyssa Al Ghul flashback episode like yesterday.

Source: sharingmyworld 

They all arrived by plane. Interesting. Methinks that Chase is planning on eliminating those means on escape. Perhaps, he expects to leave with Oliver after he destroys everything that matters? I also thought it was a little hint to Oliver of where his loved ones were. Things that make you go hmmmm.

"I'll cover you. Really." CLASSIC

I feel like Curtis should never go anywhere without backup. That should be a team rule.

"I thought you would have tagged your pets by now." Malcolm never stops being a supreme dick. It's one of the few things I enjoy about him.

Didn't you love all the preview clips promoting Bl*ck Si*n's return?

Maybe because there were only two scenes they couldn’t release any clips. Hehehe. I jest.

Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me. 5x22 episode gifs credited.

[masked-fox-creations]

When The Strangers Blew In, Ch. 8

Look at me posting on time and everything. Anyway, who’s ready for surprise date night? Hell yeah you are.

Oh, the song Stanley sings is an old folk song sometimes called ‘Ten Thousand Miles’ or ‘The Turtle Dove’.

Summary: Stanford and Stanley Pines dream of a different life. One where they’re not just tidying their pa’s shop or helping ma take care of the baby. Where they can live freely as the men they know they are, instead of pa hounding them to marry before they become spinsters. They get a taste of that possibility when two strangers blow into town, but with them comes a heap of trouble.

Pairings: Rick/Stan (stanchez); Fiddleford/Stanford (fiddauthor)

Warnings for this chapter: Some mild sexual content, suggestiveness, implied sex, nothing much else.

ao3 link

Chapter 8— There Are Sparks In the Fire and Stars Out Tonight

“Alright girls, I’m off to follow the voice of the spirits,” Ma told them, patting her hair into place. “Remember, I’m meeting your father at the store this evening and we’re going to sheriff Powers’ so we won’t be back until late.” She flashed them a smile. “Have fun.”

“You too, ma,” Stanley returned, the twins waving her out the door.

As soon as she was gone Stanford brought the motor out to the kitchen, spreading his tools and the leprecorn hair across the table. Stanley watched him work, bouncing Shermie on his knee. His free hand was mindlessly playing with his ball and cup toy.

Disassembling the motor was no problem. Weaving the strands of leprecorn hair through the inner workings was a more intricate task. It wasn’t necessarily difficult, more that the process was time consuming. Especially if he took it too fast and tangled the hair up in gears. Finally though, after twenty minutes, he was screwing the motor back together.

“Finished!” he declared proudly, holding it up for his brother to see. “Now the moment of truth.”

“Uh, what are the chances of it exploding? Should I put Shermie in the other room?”

“It’ll work. There’s a ninety-eight percent probability I fixed our issue, and that’s rounding down.”

Stanley decided to trust his twin, adjusting Shermie on his lap both so the curious baby could see and just in case things went wrong he’d be able to quickly shield him.

Stanford started up the motor and it whirred to life. They held their breaths as its insides clanked loudly, filling up the kitchen. Then it sputtered a few times, paused fully as though failing, then suddenly hummed. The twins grinned at each other.

“It worked!”

“Never doubted ya, Sixer.” “I am fully confident that this motor can hold up for what we need it to do now.” A curious expression crossed Stanford’s face, brow scrunching up and Stanley knew he had some complex question running through his mind.

“Something wrong?”

“Not necessarily,” he slowly replied.

When he didn’t offer anything else Stanley prompted, “Stanford, what is it?”

“I just find it all curious. I’ve noticed that some of Fiddleford’s notes have equations that don’t quite make sense to me.”

“They can’t be too smart for you—you’re a genius.”

Stanford gave him a small smile. “I appreciate the sentiment. But no, it’s something else, I just can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s like I’m not seeing everything.”

“What, like maybe they’re hiding something from us?”

Stanford frowned, then shook the notion away. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Probably just some old notions they already scrapped.”

Doubts niggled in the back of his mind but Stanley didn’t speak them out loud. Instead he told his brother, “Can’t wait to show Rick and Fiddlesticks.”

Stanford beamed. “The looks on their faces will be priceless. I don’t think Rick believed I could do it.”

He gathered up his tools and put everything away. Then the twins started up their chores, alternating the task of watching Shermie.

Stanley held him as he fixed lunch for the three of them. Stanford meanwhile was outside gathering up the wash before it rained. The sky had darkened without warning, and hung the threat of a storm over their heads.

“Oh, fare you well, I must be gone,” he sung, bouncing the gurgling babe, “and leave you for a while. But wherever I go, I will return—if I go ten thousand miles, my dear, if I go ten thousand miles.”

Shermie dropped his chin onto Stanley’s shoulder as the latter checked to see if everything was cooked yet. His brother made a curious sound so he started the song back up to quiet him.

“Ten thousand miles it is so far to leave me here alone, whilst I may lie, lament, and cry, and you will not hear my—ah!”

Stanley cut himself off with a surprised shriek as hands snaked around his midsection unexpectedly. Familiar lips teasingly brushed against his neck. He settled down, realizing who it was.

“What in hell, Rick?”

“Hello to you, too, babe. Nice singing.”

Stanley tried to face the other man, but Rick held him firm. Feeling no urge to fight against him Stanley relented. He was more intent on figuring out what fool thing had possessed Rick to show up there, anyway.

“What are you doing here? How did you even find out where I live?”

“Gravity Falls is boring,” Rick stated between kisses, “you’re not.”

Something inside Stanley fluttered but he pushed that feeling down.

“Really not answering my questions there.”

“Carla told us,” Rick admitted before nipping at Stanley’s ear. He resisted the urge to melt into Rick’s embrace.

“My pa—”

“Isn’t here. Neither’s your ma.”

Rick’s mouth roamed lower, one hand reaching up to push Stanley’s dress off his shoulder. Stanley let his eyes close halfway, reveling in Rick’s warm ministrations.

“Bold bastard,” he cursed fondly.

He knew Rick was smirking, could feel it against his skin then hear it as the other man asked, “Wh-what was the end of that verse?”

It took a second for the question to register, Stanley’s mind fogging with desire. When he realized what Rick was asking he replied, voice low and strained, “And you will not hear my moan, my dear. And you will not hear my moan.”

“Mm, that’s exactly what I want to hear.”

Suddenly Shermie let out a loud pitched giggle, tugging on Rick’s hair and effectively reminding them he was there. Rick pulled back and quirked his eyebrow at the babe.

“Ah-aren’t you cute, kid. I’m gonna steal your big brother so why don’t we dump you with Stanford? I bet Fidds will get a kick out of you.”

“He’s here too?” Stanley asked, trying to catch his breath.

Rick nodded and led the way out back where indeed Fiddleford was helping Stanford take clothes off the line. Or rather, he was exuberantly discussing something with Stanford, both of their faces bright and eager as the wind whipped the still hanging wash around them, baskets of folded linen laying forgotten on the ground.

Rick took Shermie and thrust him into Fiddleford’s arms with no preamble. The pair looked at them in shock, thrown off by the abrupt interruption.

“Ah, Stanley! I’m almost done here. Fiddleford and I got caught up in a conversation,” he admitted sheepishly.

“Take your time,” Rick told them, already dragging Stanley back towards the house, “I’m going to ravish your twin.”

“Food’s ready,” Stanley added before they disappeared inside.

——

Fiddleford looked down at the baby in his arms. Shermie returned the gaze, watching him curiously.

“Well ain’t you just a sweetheart? What’s your name, little fella?”

“This is Sherman, our little brother. Shermie, this is Fiddleford Hadron McGucket. Can you say hello?”

“Fih, fih,” the baby happily cooed.

“Aww, ya tryin’ ta say my name?”

Fiddleford beamed at the child and tickled Shermie’s chest, eliciting a delighted giggle. Watching the two, Stanford couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face.

“You are really good with children.”

“I would love to have my own one day. Hopefully one as cute as this little thing.”

“Feel free to hold him as long as you’d like. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’m not very good with children of any age.”

“Ah, ya can’t be that bad, Stanford.”

“I once sat him in the laundry basket and forgot about him for an hour. I dropped clothes on him and he just laughed.”

Fiddleford looked at him aghast. “I’ll hold onto him fer a while.”

“Thank you.”

“Thake!” Shermie repeated, reaching up and grasping Fiddleford’s nose.

A few drops of rain landed on Stanford’s head and he glanced up. One splashed against the glass of his spectacles and they hurriedly took down the rest of the wash before rushing inside.

Setting the basket aside Stanford offered, “Would you like anything to eat?”

“Only if Stanley made enough. I wouldn’t want to put you out.”

“It’s no problem, I’m sure he made plenty.”

As Stanford fixed them both a plate Fiddleford crossed to the table and settled down with Shermie in his lap. Stanford took the chair next to him.

“I can feed him if you’d prefer.

“If it’s alright with you I’d love to feed the little guy,” Fiddleford told him hopefully. “I always did for my little siblings.”

“By all means.”

Shermie didn’t fuss as Fiddleford fed him small bits of vegetables. Stanford admired the ease with which Fiddleford handled his brother, especially since they had just met. Of course Shermie wasn’t a difficult baby. In fact he was generally happy to meet new people. Fiddleford really seemed to hit it off with him, however.

After a few moments Stanford broke the silence, recalling their earlier, interrupted conversation.

“Oh, the motor! As I told you it should be fully prepared for whatever stress we put it under now.”

“That’s wonderful, Stanford! Isn’t yer brother so smart, little one?” He bopped Shermie gently on the nose, and the baby giggled.

A blush blooming across his cheeks, Stanford cleared his throat. “Ah, well, it was nothing. Tonight we can try it out and make sure I’m as smart as you think.”

“Whether it works or not, darling, I have no doubts about your intelligence,” Fiddleford assured. “But judging by that sky out there we won’t be testing anything tonight.”

Stanford waved him off. “A little storm is no reason to halt our experiment.”

Fiddleford gave him a dry look and firmly repeated, “Stanford, we aren’t testing anything in the rain.”

“You worry too much.” Fiddleford narrowed his eyes further and Stanford had to relent. “Fine, but tomorrow no matter the weather we need to make sure the reinforcement worked.”

Fiddleford rolled his eyes and compromised, “As long as it ain’t too bad. I don’t need any of us catching our deaths of cold.”

“Tomorrow it is, then.” Stanford brightened. “So, you were telling me about your other projects.”

Stanford leaned forward, practically forgetting his lunch as he listened to Fiddleford explain different ideas he had been tinkering around with, Shermie curling up against him as he dozed off.

——

Rick’s head was between Stanley’s thighs, kissing them as Stanley’s senses slowly returned. That man knew how to put his tongue to damn good use, there was no denying that.

Maybe it was the thrill of having a man he hardly knew in his room, with the possibility of his parents suddenly coming home hanging over his head maybe it was the euphoria that cascaded over him whenever Rick so much as looked at him or maybe it was the Spanish Rick murmured, words he couldn’t understand even as the tone conveyed all he needed to know, but Stanley had never felt more alive.

Rick finally crawled up as Stanley’s breathing slowed. He grinned down at him, cupping Stanley’s cheek and stroking his bottom lip. Then he swooped down and claimed them with his own.

Stanley forgot what it was like to breath without taking in Rick.

“Que bonito,” he whispered against Stanley’s skin, so soft Stanley wondered if it hadn’t been meant for his ears.

Stanley draped his arms around Rick and gently pulled them flush together. It didn’t take long for their mouths to find each other again, and Stanley tasted the wonderful mixture of himself and Rick again.

Outside rain pelted the roof. Either it had just started, or Stanley had been too far gone to realize earlier. Regardless, it meant the same thing: Rick and Fiddleford would just have to stay until it died down.

Unless pa came home first, in which case they were going to be pushed out the back door before pa saw—and shot at—them.

“Hey, Rick, you hungry?” Rick gave him a lascivious look. Stanley rolled his eyes. Then his eyes fluttered shut as Rick rolled his hips just right.

Food could wait a few more minutes. After all, Stanley couldn’t leave his man high and dry.

——

“How many, ah, murderous machines have you completed?” Stanford wondered. Fiddleford glanced away, seeming to find the wall suddenly very interesting.

“Ah, well, who keeps count of something like that?” he replied with a nervous chuckle. Then under his breath, barely audible, he added, “Except for Rick.”

“I’d love to see your designs sometime.”

Fiddleford turned back to him with a surprised smile. “Well next time someone crosses me I’ll be sure to show ya.”

If it had been anyone else Stanford might wonder if that was a threat. Fiddleford was such a genuinely sweet man, though, at least to him, and didn’t seem quick to anger. Stanford supposed that you couldn’t be if you were traveling with Rick. Otherwise the other man would have been done for long ago.

There were footfalls on the steps and poorly stifled laughter. A moment later Stanley and Rick came into view, hanging off each other and matching mirth across their faces. They sat down at the table so close together one might as well have been in the other’s lap.

“Hey Sixer, hey Fidds. We miss anything good?”

“Hello there, Stanley. Stanford told me all about the motor. And this little guy,” Fiddleford readjusted the dozing babe, “is all tuckered out.”

Stanley reached over and ruffled Shermie’s hair. The babe yawned and nestled further into Fiddleford’s chest.

“Heh, he really likes you. Shermie doesn’t fall asleep in just anyone’s arms.”

“Must not run in the family,” Rick snickered. Stanley elbowed him in the side.

“I have a  knack with children,” Fiddleford said. “Have to, riding with him.”

Rick made a lewd gesture which he ignored.

“Would you like me to fix you a plate?” Stanford offered, already rising from the table.

“S-sounds good to me, Sixer,” Rick replied.

“When are your parents coming back?” Fiddleford asked. “It wouldn’t be too wise for us to be caught here.”

“Yeah pa’s a real good shot,” Stanley agreed. “No worries, whenever they go to sheriff Powers’ they always end up staying late. And since it’s raining they’ll probably wait even longer until it dies down.”

Stanley noticed the stricken look the partners exchanged but didn’t mention it.

Stanford set a plate in front of his twin before sitting back down. As Stanley dug in Rick wondered, “Wh-where’s mine?”

Stanford snorted. “Serve yourself, I’m no servant.”

“You served him.”

“He’s my brother.”

“I’m a guest.”

“I didn’t invite you.”

Rick and Stanford held each other’s gaze, scowling and smirking respectively.

Fiddleford bit his lip, rumbling with laughter. Shermie stirred and he shushed the child back asleep.

With an exaggerated sigh Stanley said, “We can share.” He jabbed a piece of meat with the fork and held it up for Rick who smugly put it in his mouth, never breaking eye contact with Stanford.

“Please behave yourselves, children,” Fiddleford chided.

For the next few hours they joked and enjoyed mindless conversation, sometimes one pair regaling the other with a tale of their escapades. Rick and Fiddleford were half of the time impressed and half of the time in stitches at the twins’ stories of studying the supernatural creatures living in the forest. Likewise the twins were on the edge of their seats as Rick and Fiddleford told them about narrow escapes from angry men who found the former in bed with their daughters or wives, or the time Fiddleford saved their lives by playing his banjo beautifully enough to sooth a wild creature that was part beast part human.

Eventually the rain calmed down to a light drizzle. Fiddleford passed the babe to Rick as Stanford led him out to the stables.

“Th-the hell am I supposed to do with this?” Rick demanded, holding Shermie as far away from himself as possible.

“Not drop him,” Fiddleford instructed before disappearing outside.

Rick tried to give the babe to Stanley but he said, “I’ve gotta put the wash away. Just hold him for a second, Rick.”

“Fine,” Rick grumbled, “but y-you better hurry. I don’t want to hold this thing any longer than I have to.”

Stanley ruffled Shermie’s hair and pressed a kiss to Rick’s temple. Not quite sure which it was for he said, “Be good.”

There wasn’t too much to deal with and thankfully Stanley finished quickly. He hastened back to the kitchen, not wanting to leave Shermie alone with Rick for too long. Apparently his fears were unfounded; when he returned Shermie was sitting on top of the table in front of Rick, gumming the man’s thumb. They were both gazing intently at each other. Stanley watched for a minute, and not once did either blink.

“Are you having a staring contest with a baby?”

“Shut your mouth, I’m winning. His little eyes aren’t as trained as mine. They’ll go down in no time.”

Stanley snorted and set to washing the dishes they’d used. Soon he heard Rick’s triumphant whoop, followed by Shermie’s elated squeal as he was caught up in Rick’s celebration.

“Congratulations on defeating an infant in a game he can’t even comprehend.”

“You hear that, kid? He doesn’t believe in your budding talent.”

“Hey I believe in him just fine. Soon as he can hold cards without chewing on them I’m teaching him poker.”

That comment led to Stanley bringing out his and Stanford’s deck of cards and starting a game. A few hands later the others walked back in. Fiddleford shook his head while Stanford snorted.

“Never play poker with Stanley,” he said, going over and picking Shermie up.

Rick, stripped down to his hat and boxers, and the cloth around his chest, growled.

“Yeah I figured that out on my own, thanks.”

“The rain’s let up,” Fiddleford said. “We should probably head out before your parents catch us.”

“Better not let that happen,” Stanley agreed, tossing his cards face up for Rick to see his three aces, “especially not like that.”

“Y-you cheating—”

Fiddleford smacked him upside the head. “Watch your language around that sweet babe.”

Stanley leaned across the table and winked. “You can’t prove a thing.”

Rick speedily redressed, realizing how late it was. Then the twins escorted them to the back door where Rick and Stanley shared a much slower kiss. Involving far too many roaming hands.

“Alright that’s enough,” Stanford decided, pushing Rick outside.

“Night Rick,” Stanley said breathlessly. “Ah, you too, Fidds.”

“You fellas rest up,” Fiddleford returned. Rick smirked.

“You’ll need all the energy you can get next time I get my hands on you.”

Grinning back Stanley returned, “Can’t wait.”

“Sleep well,” Stanford called out to Fiddleford. Then, to Rick, “Get off my property.”

The brothers watched them disappear into the night. They had to force themselves back inside, and then solely for Shermie’s sake. Without the other men there the house was overwhelmingly silent.

——

As they were getting ready for bed that evening ma came in. Stanley barely had time to throw a shawl over his shoulders, hiding the fresh reminders of Rick’s visit.

“Girls, did you two have a fun day?”

“Yes ma’am!” Stanley answered far too quickly. She smirked in a way that made both twins very uncomfortable, like she was opening them up and laying them bare.

“How was your day, ma?” Stanford asked.

“Oh, uneventful. At least compared to yours.”

Their eyes couldn’t have gotten wider even if a pig jumped through the window and sprouted wings.

Talking over reach other and stumbling over their own words the twins attempted to deny the unspoken accusations. Ma held up a hand, though, effectively quieting them.

“Please girls, don’t forget that I was young once. I remember what it’s like.”

The twins let out nervous chuckles, throwing each other distressed glances.

“Ma, we don’t know what you’re talking about. We just did chores and played with Shermie. No, ah, nothing out of the ordinary at all.”

Martha reached over and pushed the shawl aside just far enough to reveal where Rick had either bitten or sucked too hard. Stanford idly wondered if Stanley could possibly turn any shade of red deeper than what he was now.

Before he could make another feeble attempt to convince her nothing had happened ma replaced the shawl, put a hand on either of them, and beamed.

“Like I said, I remember what it was like to be young. Mm, your father back then swept me off my feet. Made me feel like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.” They had a hard time imagining their pa as a romantic young man, but their ma’s eyes gleamed with old memories. Unfortunately she snapped back to the present. “Be smarter than me, Leah. You know I love you two with all my heart, but I would have appreciated you two coming a few years later.”

“Ah, don’t worry too, ah, too much about that, ma.”

Martha patted his cheek. “Good girl. So, what are their names. Let me guess—starts with t, rhymes with double.”

“Ma they ain’t trouble,” Stanley assured. “You’ll like them.”

“Oh, sweetie, if they ain’t trouble then they can’t handle my babies.”

The twins shared a grin and echoed, “They’re trouble.”

“Good. I want to meet them.”

Their hearts stopped.

Ma picked up on their hesitation and said, “You can’t keep them from me, girls. I need ta make sure they’re good enough.”

They knew there was no way around it, unless they jumped on their horses and rode off with Rick and Fidds that night. With a resigned sigh they both said, “Yes, ma.”

“It’s so nice when you decide to make things easy. Now, you two get some sleep. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

They gulped. Then as ma turned to leave something occurred to Stanford.

“Wait! How did you know there are two of them?”

Ma smirked at them over her shoulder. “Maybe the spirits told me. Or maybe I saw a pair of strange men leaving my house this evening. You’re lucky I was able to distract Filbrick, by the way.”

The color drained from their faces. Ma’s laughter trailed out after her.

——

A bubble of laughter veering on hysterical almost escaped Stanley. He managed to stifle it thankfully. Stanford was asleep next to him, nestled into his side, occasionally letting out a breathy snore. It wasn’t often he fell asleep before Stanley, and it was even rarer for him to look this content. Stanley didn’t want to disturb his twin.

It was just all a little bit hilarious.

Here ma was thinking both of them had a secret beau and now they had to pull off pretending they were sweet on each other when in fact Stanford and Fidds were just kindred spirits passionate about science together while he and Rick… Well, it was just all good fun while the portal gun was getting made.

It wasn’t like Stanley thought of Rick, from day to night no matter what he was doing, recalling his touch all over his skin, the way he’d look through half lidded eyes at Stanley as though the rest of the world didn’t matter. The easy smile that his mouth fell into when he didn’t think Stanley was watching. The look of concentration, where his tongue would stick out of the corner of his mouth, as he worked on the gun. His scent, that strange mixture of earth and musk and some chemical he’d never know the name of.

Stanley shot up.

“Oh no.”

Stanford shifted slightly. Stanley leaned over and whispered his name. When no answer came, not even a twitch to show he’d heard, Stanley shook him once.

“Stanford? Sixer, come on. Wake up, Sixer!”

His brother grunted and nestled further into the blanket.

“Sixer!” he hissed, shaking Stanford wildly until he was staring up with startled eyes.

“Lee, what’s wrong?”

Hands still clamped on Stanford’s shoulders he took a deep breath and admitted, “I think I’m sweet on Rick.”

For a second they just stared at each other. A hard pit of anxiety was growing inside of Stanley, and he could feel sweat coating his forehead. A brief flash of hope shot through him—maybe it was fever, not feelings—but he couldn’t hold onto the nonsensical notion.

“Did you hear me? This is serious, Sixer! I’m sweet on Rick!”

Stanford pushed himself up, his brother’s hands falling off him and hanging uselessly by his side. He reached over, one hand grasping Stanley’s shoulder and the other lying gently on his cheek.

“Stanley, look at me.” Stanford smiled, the smile he always gave to reassure his twin, and held it until it was returned, albeit shakily. Then he slapped Stanley upside the head. “Go to sleep.”

“Come on!” Stanley exclaimed indignantly as Stanford plopped back down. “You can’t react this way after I say something like—something like that.”

His voice had given a funny little hitch at the end which Stanley silently cursed. He glanced away, at the sliver of moonlight flitting into their room. He knew Stanford was watching him, felt his brother’s eyes boring holes into his skull. Finally there was a sigh, and Stanford squeezed his hand.

“Stanley, let me tell you something very important.”

Stanley waited, but Stanford didn’t continue. He glanced down.

“Stanley, I told you so.”

Stanley narrowed his eyes and ripped the pillow out from under Stanford’s head. Stanford let out a small squeak of surprise that was quickly stifled when Stanley smacked him with the pillow right across the face. Stanford burst into laughter and Stanley found himself joining in despite himself.

He plopped back down next to Stanford, and for a while the quiet was only broken by random fits of laughter. If one started the other joined in. It was a long time before they calmed down.

“Lee, I hope you’re not expecting love advice from me.”

Stanley snorted. “Not even a desperate man would sink that low.” The twins giggled again in agreement. “Night, Sixer.”

“Night, Lee.” He reached out in the darkness and took Stanley’s hand again. “It will be fine. Let’s just focus on surviving tomorrow. Or more accurately ensuring Rick and Fiddleford survive ma.”

“Yeah, that’s gonna take all our effort.”

“Indeed. Besides, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. The feeling is mutual.”

Stanley’s head snapped to the side as he demanded, “Wait, what?”

“Goodnight, Stanley.”

“You can’t just say something like that and not tell me more!”

“Hush before you wake up pa.”

Much quieter Stanley insisted, “Sixer, please. How does he look at me?”

“With his eyes. Sleep tight, Lee.”

Stanley could see the wide grin on his twin’s face. Frustrated he stared up at the ceiling, letting out a petulant huff. Then Stanford squeezed his hand again. Suddenly all the tension left him in one long sigh.

“Night, Sixer.”

He closed his eyes and managed finally to fall asleep, dreaming about a slick grin and warm kisses.

[artist-x-j-roman-cain]

Joker’s Wild

My name is super-unknown so I will shoot for the dome Aim through the window pane; leave two frames blown I am not Strange. But I will not change tones Proclaim Roman Reigns in any home Entertain through tomes Enter veins then splinter brains Highest on this sinner plane Center plain or inner sane? No. A soul so cold not even So Co Could help warm; dealt thorns Some have sworn tales, yelling “He’s loco!” “Si y yo soy el lobo feroz” Ferocious flows; ojos rojo Toke and choke on top rank dodo Coca blows? Mi es cabron? Oh no! Blow Coca? Por dinero? Best go hoe! Yo soy Joe Schmoe? Asi-asi? Si puto derecho! Direct foes, “vete a la mierda, conos”! Artista X es el Rey de todos los Reyes Sooth-sayer and smooth player Granuja de platas de lengua Ladies spreading legs, begging me to say yes. Weigh less than many but don’t call me mini Not one to waste pennies Immobile blades, not choppin’ on 20’s Mobile stays paid; minutes got plenty No cash in the bank; gas tank close to empty Yet more retail sells in smells than Scentsy My girl is a fine dime that OG’s envy Eyes green, hairs red plus always wet and sticky Ever leaving; burning and hitting like a heathen But she keeps returning Even after pimping her out for earnings Yearning for touch; by lips or finger tips She’ll learn you quick; bi so no bias when she unzips She flips all day but still chills at night Herb Knight in hempen armor Helping get over bored again Charming prints, used to disarm alarms Prince Charmin to soft; armaments’ armed Minced off the first cut; rinsed off like shit stuck to shoes In truth, I like going overboard and harming Like Carmen, no one knows where to find me Moving timely; double check nobody’s behind me Grinding to shine even when it isn’t Vision remastered after seeing how biz went? To guzzle gents jizz for cents Rather stick a muzzle in my mouth Than ever be asked where my fizz went Dissident miscreant because of medicinal Treants Gorgon like stoning; after all spinach is full of nutrients Beautifully bent; fine line between genius and insanity Underhandedly taking the lead; never mistakenly Make me your nemesis; own worst enemy to y’all I am limitless Illogically break chronological fate with paradoxical Genisys Forget Quicksilver; Wells wished in inventing this Luxury Mercury? Have H.G. mad as a hatter for penning this In lieu of Carrol; songs full of apparel Only autos should be tuned Putting hair pulling bitches on alert Better be careful Have them pissing; scared to twist up fisticuffs Baring tools; afraid to get face to face But I’m very cool; only thing up my sleeve is an Ace Thumping with my trump; then use the same spade to bury fools Joker’s wild; and I’ve been told the same Smoker’s smile plus a laugh cold and insane Broken stiles; never hold a flame to gain change Opening Styles all about showing up the Game At the Helm with a death wish like I’m hunting a hearse DRAC is the realm’s realest; still instilling hurts Curt versus legends or virgins; using perverse verses to abuse With no aversion to cursing this rough draft also the final version Shaft tough? Yes, when driven by me Not black enough to say I’m the bad-dest “shut your mouth…”, you see Keep it juicy; not goosing Lucy Truthfully I’m a prick spelt with a capital D Biggest you’ll meet; and above average in meat No need for lies; I know I satisfy Don’t believe me honey then come and see Relieve your cunny, have you cum a sea Endless returns like it’s my company Charge your Chakra; currently cum for free Currency for free milk? Then you can go ahead and get stepping permanently Ash into your urn Every sentence further sentencing eternity Hurting disconcertingly Adverting attacks; not possible when concerning me Genuine article Smashing particles like the Hadron at CERN discerning Emcees Splitting atoms While batting back at’em; scat’em like a cat. Kill every vermin I see Shivering cowards While stylishly delivering streets sermons for fees River of power That is, a strong flow with undertow current; currently Amped up Have them clammed shut; in bomb shelters like the emergency Is national But it’s natural to run urgently when faced by the beast from the murky deep Heard of me? Or been hurt by me? Try me when unworthy and meet A brief defeat By these feet. So take a seat or be beat down vertically Post mortem surgery Quicker to dig six one by ones; bury you very dirtily Curtly asserting Your curtains but far from my encore that’s a certainty Unmercifully Murdering psyches with words alone. Spurring the weak To purr back meek Lying while trying this Lion; King of Zion. Tired of burping these Babies and toddlers Going crazy searching for grown talent; licking talons and fangs thirstily Unnerving these Kids; knowing their lids will get peeled. Villain killing purposely Have curs cursing me Speaking cursively, curbing cohorts. Quit if your nursing teats Hyperbole Not when measured in pen; sink non-thinkers with ink poisoning Vent venom vehemently; little girls and boys playing with alloys Should quit banging noise My thoughts and voice concise Eyes on the prize; ions spliced off and thrown at my enemy’s head Radically rendering your ending; lending the term walking dead Stocking meds by the O-z From North of the O.C. Only importing the best, from Valleys’ in Cali to Co-towns alley’s G-13 and Maui Wowie The Doctor’s in Get re-T.A.R.D.I.S.; needing starting? Got Diesel too if you need to rally Tally the score Weighed straight, bud and not shake with proper tear drops; plus, I don’t dilly dally True wild card; evolved in being involved in anything called sin My balls’ in court never Alcohol in blood no more; instead soar above but feet still on the floor Claws in the ground This is my town. Come down sounding hard and I will leave you scarred With the loss of your crown Scalpel scalping. And if the laws in the Mudd come around? Still won’t be found. Proper noun; capital Artist using absurdly sharp wit for getting capital Known for ripping sharks to bits Sparks will arc; marked by X then know next your neck Will be stretched regardless Of your guards. I'll march right through your gardens. Embrace mayday Because by melee I have been hardened Leave them marveling at my carvings which cause starving Hungry but not eating beef; these freaking vegans are retarded Believe it’s better to give than receive Seas get wetter from here; forever in gear Achieving whatever I can perceive Seize vets ahead of my years; too clever for peers Deceiving none, yet some sectors still don’t bet on me Sieges settled in letters; vendettas never feared Easing at leisure; proceeding on with no etcetera Seasons become bygone; seasoning legions of chickens so long live Cain, King of Weird Erecting a dynasty Weapon selection is free form daggers called forth from the Nether Injecting arsenic Martial arsenal; impartial to arson. Coolly pulling the lever Irreverent to me Intellectual elephant and elegantly eloquent. Resisting transistors Close circuit Verdict shows consequences for the inoffensive; tethered to weather through endeavors On attack like a shredder Chipper sure as this plot runs redder Splendor found in splinters Cheddar made grating big cheeses Donning black and green Stripping clubs; beating pussies together Surrendering before being engulfed in embers Hand over your tender or be berated by Poetry, mixed with soul of the street Wholly complete when competing against the elite Never miss a beat; a capella teller Fellas that think they can swell up; one hell of whale tail Shelling out pain on the jealous Overzealous never. Well prepared with an umbrella Real life, not a telenovela Jotting rotten embellishments; relishing propellers developing yellows Punks pissing themselves when warships need worshipping Blood, sweat and oil mix Until the ill contents become flammable And all the malcontents Bow out; knowing good and well I’ll damn a fool Or a damsel If you think you can lay hands on me; your delusions are fanciful Panty puller Revealing fraudulent broads; inflict wounds that will require some gauze from the gods At odds with society Believe working a desk is a probity And I’m a writer Some consider a prodigy My odyssey cementing my property Foundation laid in Don't play pretend; make fake men Or women Shed their linens. Hollering no apologies; now follow me Make a joke out of any lesser F-5 force like Lesnar. Why so serious? Uncrowned underground jester Bound to pound the pavement With your cranium; straining some with that statement One truth inevitable Julian sliced in way that was absolutely unforgettable Unintelligible Little bulls should quit being foolish before getting whipped cool and made edible Cannibal but not named Hannibal Mechanically distributing electrically compressed waves To enslave your ladies Into behaving like a cowgirl; riding this bull and craving these testicles Undressing tools Cunning tongue; expelling fantasies for sensational pull Lessons blessing illiterate fools Honeys’ dribbling from touch so much they create literal pools In Sin City I rule Will not pity the drooling class; passionately fashioning Jewels Fastening dull blades To this mental lathe to gain edge; allegedly dredging up the typical Satirical lyrics searing spirits Phantom fandoms abandoning idols idling when I crash tidally Spiritually binding Ritual sacrifice; decisively knifing as if practiced on the habitual Basis. Run races never. Pace to slow. Basics way below. Spacing pros with tasteful prose Also slaying joes Embracing complacency only stagnates; changing notes lead to growth Flaying bros even Must stay on toes or fade; daily dough made by not taking a doze I only dose With Mary. Quite contrary to hoes bickering about which nose I’ll be sniffed through Some into inducing rushes via sphincter Keep your stinker away Couldn’t be helped with a bleaching tincture Suffering puncturing For lunch bringing nothing but punch and knuckle sandwiches Damn bitches. My hands twitching, itching to do ditch digging for snitches with no steel brandished Have no advantages Loose leaf my canvases. Not afraid to get scandalous; know y’all cannot handle this Gargantuan tarantulas Manhandled like tea candles as I dismantle men easier than destroying a mandolin Banding in Only amplifies the likelihood of meeting a random end Ranting and rambling Gambling when I'm done that you won't be able to keep ambling Knock you out in your sandals when my spit hits like an Ambien Watch me trample them; sampled but never sampling Entranced with sin Dancing in and out after romance ends Lancing them then off to the stands again Slanted bantering Can offend but also bend inhibitions; renditions of wishful visions and being the one granting them Dammed if dim Stranded in damages; can't get cantering, this Cancer managing Standards that can spin Rabidly rapid; static shock and awe. Addict not dropping off. Elaborate pens Radically pin backstabbing bastards; infinitely outlasting Simultaneously lashing Latching on with a firm grasp. Grabbing and toe tagging then afterward bagging them Meet my jagged friend Egging on until calm is Gone with the Wind On to win That is, magic tactics Exacting backward grins as in upside-down frowns Should I explain that again Batting bad men with a racquet like it’s badminton The raconteur bracket designed for the rhymer in his prime; letterman jacket Personally fitted Custom colors; clique unaffiliated but true Paid dues for these suede shoes Ensue wrath, crossing paths with me. Be phased through. Displace you Vibrate at a rate that frequently frequencies disintegration Blazing you with phazers set to stun Yep son, better run because here I come to erase you Each and every angle will be tangled with Break both ankles Then add in the mad tendency to strangle Take your Angel and go Jangle out the last bit of blood. Lots of love for being painful. But just be thankful Only got your bank; sank like the Titanic. Hitting like an ice cold tank; you're a lukewarm row boat frozen exposing you're shameful Wordsmith, perfectly working an anvil Not a man to steal; but guarantee I can and will Drop your body in a landfill Stop talking, get to walking; gawking awkwardly At the oddity who stands steel Resolute in Will; if looks could kill Mine would; shooting villain’s long as I am still in Adrenaline pumping; dumping loads of shit. Here’s the damn deal Entrepreneur Grade A manure; never has there been a truer Entrees pure Bade losers farewell; after a push down the stairwell Never been surer Any assurances weren’t accounting for me and my allure Got your cure For being average; lock you in a fridge and drop you off a bridge. Got the top rung secure And I haven’t been on tour Demure nature? No. Bigger ego than Troy McClure Stopping simpletons, pop them like pimples Catching them in the temple; listen as the song of a fat minstrel ends Stenciling by pencil Lengthy dismissal brought about by drizzling In a million missiles These difficult insults leave individuals’ pissed; the gist is: their coined phrases aren’t worth a single nickel Series: X Sin-to-Mint Artist: Artist X (Justin Roman Cain)

[abakersquest]

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – AT THE HEART OF THE STORM

Through the rapidly rebuilding marketplace that was the center of Galaga, Wally and Hector rushed back to the God’s Fortune, having gone to Alion’s to pick up their fresh off the anvil armor. The thick burlap sacks they carried clanked up a terrible racket as the turned up a side street and rushed toward the northern pier where the Fortune had docked and finished resupplying for the journey ahead. With little fanfare and great speed, the ship set off toward the open ocean.

As the sails hooked onto a strong and constant wind on the slightly choppy sea, Wistea finished tying off some rigging and approached the captain. “So, you know where the Storm Bell and the Fount of the Sea are, yes?”

“’Course I do! Whaddya take me for?” Blackeye retorted.

“Then why did you make a map to it?”

“Map ain’t for me, s’for who I end up givin’ all my worldly possessions to. Most likely Polly, lessen she meets a swarthy young fella who c’n outsail both her n’ me to earn her hand!” The captain heartily chuckled. “The Storm Bell and the Fount are fine on their own for the most part, but it’s safer to check’em every decade or so… And the person who made the bell agreed. Before me, the only way to find the Storm Bell was the lighthouse that stood on the Cape of Galaga Island. Every ten years the sun would shine in the right spot and show the way to the bell. Once I got there and saw how important it was? I tore down the lighthouse to make sure the only ones who knew to find it were me, and whoever I gave that map to. Now that thievin’ no good toad’s got his hands on it… I shudder to think what he’ll do when he gets there.”

Wistea hummed thoughtfully. “And here I was lead to believe the Storm Bell was just to warn the Icthy Isles of oncoming storms.”

“Used to think that meself,” Blackeye nodded. “But really, the bell rings when it makes a storm. See, storms’re what keep the surface of the world fresh and new, they’re part of the circle that we can’t do without… So someone, at some point, made sure there’d always be storms on the horizon to keep things rollin’.”

Wistea looked out over the broad horizon of blue ahead of them and spoke to no one in particular, “Light warms the Water. The Water grants strength to the Storm. The Storm brings Fire to the Forest, and stirs the Air that fans the flame and shakes the trees. The burnt Forest returns life to Earth. The Earth buries its fallen seeds in life giving Darkness until they sprout, and rise to request the blessing of the Light. The appeased Light shines on the new Forest, and in turn warms the Water.” She turned to face Blackeye again. “It is the oldest reference of the Wheel of Creation ever written, dictated by Elder Ygg himself.”

Blackeye made a small, yet content, hum somewhere in the back of his throat. “That ol’ ash tree still kickin’ about then? Good to hear.”

Meanwhile on the gun deck, Hector and Wally worked the special metal latches of their armor into place as each part easily linked to the next with no trouble.

“And you say your father thought of this design because of jam jars?” Hector said as he looked over the latching mechanics of his new rerebrace.

“My father always hated the leather straps wearing down in his armor, so one day, my brother Dale comes up to him and shows him the brass latch on a jam jar, and says, ‘wouldn’t it be easier if the linkage was just metal?’ So he worked for a week straight on a latching mechanism that would secure easily, but not pop off in the middle of a fight.”

“You’ll absolutely have to introduce me to him when we get back home.” Hector tested his range of movement and found this armor much more flexible than any he’d worn before. “Judging by the look on Alion’s face when you rattled off the design specifics, your father’s a genius.”

Wally smiled warmly. “Just don’t call him that to his face, he hates praise for his work. Bit of a Walter family quirk. We prefer a job well done to praise.”

“Well, that explains that little twinge you try to hide every time anyone compliments you.”

Wally stood still for a moment after securing his breastplate, mentally reviewing such interactions as quickly as he could before shaking his head dismissively. “I don’t have a twinge.”

“Whatever you say, Sir Wally,” Hector chuckled.

On the deck above them, Rozzi sat on the edge of her bunk and carefully sharpened her sickle with a whetstone.  She noticed it’d taken on a slightly otherworldly shine lately, no doubt a result of it being used as a mystical conduit now. She’d ask Wistea about it later, as right now this task was both essential and sufficiently distracting from the subtle yet undeniable throb of pain from the soles of her feet. It was also so distracting she hadn’t even noticed Polly was sitting on the bunk across from her, staring directly at her.

Polly tilted her head to the side as she observed Rozzi, there were more silvery ethereal snowflakes around her than before, just like everyone else onboard. She’d seen others with barely any or none at all, but never so many surrounding any one person at any given moment. In all her years of perceiving these mysterious particles, she knew they stayed close to brave and honest people. They were always strong and ambitious, capable and cunning. Which is why, before now, she never thought to experiment, to do anything that might upset or confuse these strangers passing by her as she went on her way. But here, now, with someone she knew she could call a friend, she finally felt brave enough to reach out and touch one of the mysterious things. As her finger tapped against it, a chill ran sharply up Rozzi’s spine, her eyes snapping up to see Polly scrambling back onto the bunk behind her and slapping her back against the wall.

“P-Polly?  What? How long have…” Rozzi’s voice trailed off as she saw Polly was clearly shocked by something, her eyes wide as dinner plates, staring at a patch of floor. “Polly? Talk to me, what’s happenin’?”

“Is… Is there a hole in the floor?”

Rozzi looked carefully before she slowly shook her head.

“Oh wow,” Polly clambered off the bunk to the floor, tapping it several times. “That’s so strange!”

If confusion were lamp oil, Rozzi would’ve caught fire by now.

“He’s clear as day.” Polly carefully knocked what looked to Rozzi to be a bit of normal wooden flooring. “How’s that work, ain’t ever been able t’ look through stuff before without makin’ it invisible first…”

“Polly what on Mondia are you talking about?”

“I can see Wally! That armor looks really interestin’! Ah! Oh… It’s gone…”

“Are you gonna tell me what’s goin’ on or not?!” Rozzi loudly complained.

The young Icthyite looked up at her friend and very slowly realized how rude and odd she must have been just then. She laughed and smiled nervously before finally answering. “S-Sorry… Do y’ remember when I met all of ya? I said y’ all had somethin’?”

Rozzi crossed her arms impatiently and nodded.

“Well some people have’em, I still don’t know what they are but you and the others have tons of ‘em just floatin’ ‘round ya like snowflakes. Least they look like snowflakes t’ me.”

“And?”

“And… I ain’t ever tried t’ touch one before, seemed rude, Y’know? But we’re friends so I thought y’ wouldn’t mind. So, I went n’ touched the biggest one and then I just kinda knew Wally was down in the gun deck, like, I could see him through the floor n’ all!”

Rozzi’s expression would’ve graced a textbook example on incredulity.

“No really! Watch, I’ll do it again!”

As Polly reached for a space in the air just beside Rozzi’s head and tap something entirely unseen, she felt another sharp chill rush up her spine that made her shudder.

She pointed at the floor and called out, “Yeah! See! There he is again! And… I… Ooh I think he felt that too… He looks worried. Oh! He’s comin’ up the stairs!”

Rozzi watched as Polly’s eyes seemed to trace movements through solid wood, while an open minded notion sprang to life in her mind. “Polly, what color is Wally’s armor?”

“It’s a real deep kinda metal blue… Why?”

Rozzi found herself flinching as a series of polite knocks filled the room followed by Wally’s voice.

“Um… Is everything all right in there?”

Rozzi tried her very best to keep hold of everything that told her that was most likely a coincidence, but it was certainly slippery. “Wally? Oh, um, everythin’s fine just… Could you come in for a moment?”

As he stepped in, the wallaby’s eyes immediately checked the position of the privacy curtain they’d set up to separate the male and female section of the bunk room before settling on the sight of Polly sitting on the floor with a very proud smile and Rozzi on the edge of her bunk, with an out of place expression of surprise.

She was staring, she knew she was staring but she couldn’t help herself. When she’d first met Wally she had no real idea what to expect. Cinera had called her using her Farsight Stone and said she needed help sneaking a pair of knights into Arborledan, and to expect one of them to be surprising. Sure enough; the sight of this fellow barely a few inches taller than herself, with an almost overwhelmed and entirely nervous look to his face, had been very surprising. The first thing he did when they met was wipe down a table, his manner, the way he carried himself, it all spoke of someone who better suited a role behind a counter or decorating a shop window for a holiday. That image had persisted until today, until this very moment. Despite all the fighting and danger, despite his bravery and strength; he’d still been this kindly shopkeep in her eyes. For the first time, in dark blue armor that made everything about him seem all the more broad, the wallaby that stood before her was truly everything she’d ever pictured when she heard the word ‘knight,’

Then he noticed she was staring and nervously rubbed the back of his head, and suddenly there was the baker once more. She sighed happily that, despite it all, he was still himself.

“Um… Rozzi?”

“Just wanted to see the armor,” she replied. It certainly wasn’t an outright lie so she wasn’t worried about him noticing it was only half the truth. “Not up to movin’ ‘round on my own just yet y’know.”

“Is that all… Because I could’ve sworn… No, it’s nothing. Anyway, I’m going to have to get used to moving around in all this. Hector recommended I keep it on while making a meal for us all. Not at all looking forward to how much it might heat up next to that stove.”

“Oh!” Polly sprang up and almost skipped the distance between herself and him. “Wally, Wally, Wally! Stand still for a second!”

He watched her curiously as she seemed to jab a finger into the air beside him and shook slightly as a sudden chill raced up his back.

When he was about to ask what she just did he was caught entirely off guard by the impossibly giddy look on her face.

“Oooh, I think I got it figured now!”

Wally, entirely confused, looked to Rozzi for answers and received only a shrug. “Well… I hope someone’ll tell me what all this is about at some point.”

“Sure!” She pointed at the empty air by Rozzi, “that one’s you, and this one…” She pointed at the air by his head once more with no chills. “Is her! And they’re the same size n’ everythin’! So if this one…” Another jab shook Wally’s spine again. “Ooh…” She looked toward the wall. “Oh wow, I think that’s Wally’s mum! Well she looks like Wally and she’s makin’ a dress…”

“Polly!” Wally and Rozzi shouted in unison.

“Oh! Sorry! I didn’t explain. See, I see these silvery snowflake things ‘round people all the time, yeah? ‘Til just now I never knew what they were. Now I do! It’s other people! It’s love! It’s that thing y’ get when y’ care about someone even when there far aways. But only some people have as many as you two. Wistea has the least of ‘em and Grandpa’s got the most I ever seen! But people like that stupid robe wearin’ toad ain’t got a one.”

The two Animani shared a pensive look before Rozzi quickly unhooked her Farsight Stone from its chain and set it to spin on the bunk room floor, summoning up once more the image of Cinera the Seer.

“Well that is interesting! For the first time, I have no idea why you’re calling…” The old squirrel’s eyes settled on the cheery fish girl. “Ooh, but I think I’m starting to see why. Hello there young lady, what’s your name?”

Polly’s jaw had almost unhinged itself at the sight of Cinera; she barely uttered a few syllables before Cinera continued.

“Guessing you noticed the big halo, right? You live long enough yours’ll be this size too.”

“I HAVE ONE OF THOSE?!”

Wally and Rozzi looked them both over, unable to see what they meant. But Polly’s eyes beheld a massive swirling emblem of light within a circle, idly rotating behind the small frame of the Seer. The silvery snowflakes orbiting it in a serene pattern she’d never seen before.

“Yes my dear, and it’s coming along quite nicely. Might I ask, can you see them? Those silvery slivers of light around people?”

Polly nodded slowly.

“Mmm, but do you know what they are?

“Are they love? Because that’s what I was thinkin’...”

“Little more complicated than that my dear… But judging by your answer, you’ve already touched them. Did they feel like threads to you as well?”

Polly nodded once more.

“As we move through life, the thread of our existence ties itself onto others and they you. Since these are ethereal things that exist beyond the sight of mortal eyes, we who’re gifted with the attribute of Light can only see the smallest portion of them. That’s the snowflakes if you’re confused.”

“Wow…” Polly turned to Wally and Rozzi, watching the dance of silver sparkles only she could see around them.

“Now don’t go pullin’ at them, you’ll go blind.”

Polly quickly turned to the older mage and saluted. “Y-Yes ma’am!”

“Cinera,” Wally began. “Is Kota still blocking your foresight?”

“Yes. I’m afraid I’ll be of little use to you all as a guide from this moment forward. You’ll have to decide what steps to take from here.”

“So, you wouldn’t know why Kota’s Generals seem to be after powerful sources of magic?”

Cinera shook her head. “I’m afraid not, aside from an obvious notion that her banishment from the world twenty years ago must’ve weakened her severely. She may simply be trying to drain out the magic to regain her power. But that’s little more than a fancy guess.”

“Thank you anyway, Madam Seer,” Rozzi chimed in.

The old seer smiled at her, then looked Wally over. “Finally looking the part, eh?”

He couldn’t help but stand a little straighter. “Well, my mother always said you have to dress for the job you want.”

“Smart woman, I’ll be sure to visit her soon and let her know her boy’s doin’ well. But…”

Wally grew slightly concerned, “but what?”

“I should probably leave out the part where you’re courting a self professed bandit. She’s got enough on her mind as it is.”

Wally sighed in frustration as Rozzi giggled.

“Good to know I can still get under your skin despite the fancy armor, best of luck out there.”

“Thank you, Seer,” Wally grumbled as he snatched up the Farsight and handed it to Rozzi.

---

Captain Blackeye ground his teeth at the sight of the enormous vessel parked over the Storm Bell’s tower. It was every bit as imposing as his new crew described, a fortress suspended in the air by massive propellers. It’d taken a full two days to reach the tower, so there was no telling how much progress Kota’s forces would’ve made in the interim. Polly looked down from her place on the foremast crow’s nest and waited for her Grandfather’s signal. With a nod from him, the ship vanished from sight and silently closed the remaining distance.

On the foredeck, Hector, Wistea, and Wally watched through the haze created by Polly’s magic as the ship approached the tower of the Storm Bell. Its height suited its purpose perfectly as it reached almost as high as the Lunar Swell had into the sky. It was also apparently made of smooth stones the same color as the sunset currently behind it. The captain claimed the tower always matched the shade of sky, making it almost impossible to see if you weren’t looking for it. More imposing than the spire was the fact it and its foundation hovered above the center of an immense whirlpool, at the bottom of which rested the Fount of the Sea.

The captain cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “There’s an updraft we’re approachin’ Y’ jump there and you’ll make it all the way to the base of the tower no problem.”

While Hector and Wally nodded, Wistea replied “J-jump?! Over that?!”

Polly made her way down to the deck, one hand held up with a tiny bubble of light in her palm, the source of their current invisibility, Blackeye stepped over to the others as he let her take the wheel, limbering up a little as he approached. “Don’t know what you’re worried about Miss Faboi; you ain’t the one covered in heavy metal bits.”

In the light of the setting sun, the colors of the knight’s armors were only slightly muted. Hector’s a cool shade of silver with black trim a stark contrast to Wally’s blue and darker blue finish. They both looked to Wistea with brave smiles. “We know you’re not the most athletic of us,” Hector began. “So Wally will be the one to carry you over, wallabies are awful good at jumping, you know.”

The two then affixed their helmets on some similar silent cue that was meant to no doubt look dramatic and impressive. But Blackeye was looking at the tower in the distance, readying to jump, while Wistea couldn’t take her eyes off the abyssal darkness of the whirlpool.

“… Maybe next time…” Hector mumbled, feeling a little disheartened at the loss of the moment.

Wally reached up and patted him conciliatorily on the back.

“Alright,” Blackeye clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Get your backs to the far railin’ and get ready to run as hard as y’ can, only way you’ll make the jump.”

Wally walked over with everyone and perched his foot against one of the railing’s balusters, holding his arms out and smiling confidently at Wistea.

With some hesitation she bundled herself around him, mostly to assure he wouldn’t lose his grip on her, partly from absolute terror. In a concerned voice she asked, “th-that was true, right? That wallabies are good jumpers?”

He nodded and with a total feeling of pride answered, “Absolutely.”

“Now!” The captain shouted as he barreled forward.

Wally pushed off the baluster and, in an instant, was moving at top speed. He bounded once off the deck, landed on the far railing, and pushed off it without losing a drop of speed. Behind him, Hector and Blackeye leapt just as he was feeling the powerful upsurge of cold, salty air from the watery din below. He shifted his weight, pointed his feet forward, ignored the panicked noises Wistea made as she buried her face into his armored shoulder and braced for landing on the platform ahead. With all that momentum, his speed hardly diminished on contact, so he planted his tail and skidded along the surface until a small pillar in his path afforded him the chance to brake.

When Wistea finally managed to open her eyes, she saw Wally’s serious expression, his foot halfway buried into the pillar, and the trench his tail had dug out behind them. “M-maybe,” her voice was shaky. “You are a little too good at jumping…”

Watching from the deck, Polly let out a relived sigh as the landing party crossed the gap and gathered on the tower’s base, then set about addressing the noise from the wheel’s pedestal. When she opened the cap covering the voice pipe, Rozzi’s voice came in clearly.

“-ey made it right? I could barely see it through this porthole!”

“They’re fine! Meanwhile we’ll just keep circlin’ ‘long this current on the edge ‘til they’re ready to come back.”

Rozzi sighed, in both frustration and pain. She had barely limped over to the voice pipe in the bunk room, and standing by it was a painful chore. She knew she wouldn’t be much help on the mission, but not being on the front lines with everyone else was even more distressing. It’d be another two days before Wistea’s ointment would leave her entirely healed and ready to fight again. So for now, all she could do is wish her friends luck.

Their residual invisibility slowly expended as Wally and the others made their way to a secluded spot near the tower’s entrance, spotting a solitary Black Rock Knight guarding the large stone doors.

“It cannot be alone,” Wistea whispered. “They would not position just one guard, would they?”

“Nay lass,” Blackeye cautioned. “Those knights of theirs are as tough as yer average sortie… Seen just one plow through a whole town in under an hour once, they ain’t trifles.”

“What I don’t understand,” said Hector. “Why would they start at the bottom of the tower, they’re capable of dropping soldiers from the air, why not just take the Bell from the top?”

The captain shook his head. “Whoever made that bell thought of that, had an Orni’Hulan on my crew the last time I was here, flew up to try n’ get a better look, the bell rang and a bolt a lightning knocked him clean outta the sky.”

Wally looked up at the belfry from their hiding place and thought back to their first meeting with the Thorned Princess. When she was taking the energy of the Silent Marsh there was a protective barrier around her that Wistea had to crack open. “I don’t think they’ve even reached the Bell yet.”

“Likely ’cause it’s guarded by a series of traps, challenges, and these big fellas with hammers and mean dispositions. I made it to the top of the tower once y’ see, cost me a broken arm and a lot of time. In fact, I done almost starved before I made it to the top.”

They all looked back to the captain.

“Oh right, the ‘almost starvin’’ part. Don’t worry, this’ll be different. I’m not just makin’ it up as I go along this time!”

“Right then…” Hector began. “Wally, you move in to distract the knight, while Blackeye and I charge it from the side and try to force it off the tower’s base. If we can avoid a prolonged fight we’ll buy ourselves more catch up time. Wistea, you stay here and look out for anything else, join up once we take care of it.”

With plan in place, Wally drew the Flare and rushed in, the offending Knight spotting him instantly. The bulky thing clomped in place as it entered a combat stance and drew its own sword, a broad black blade with a strangely forked end. Without word or sound other than its own heavy footfalls, it rushed forward with unexpected speed to meet Wally. Wielding its weapon with one hand, it opened with a powerful overhead strike that shook his bones as he blocked it.

It was strong, stronger than the Rogue. With some doing, Wally moved one hand from the Flare’s grip and pressed it up against the blade’s broadside. He shoved with all his might, forcing the Black Rock Knight backward. When it reclaimed its footing its helmet tilted slightly, as if curiously scanning Wally, before it gripped its sword with both hands.

“Oh, taking me seriously now, eh?” Wally joked as he went on the offensive, more to secure his own will than anything else. Sparks flew with every clash of their blades, neither giving an inch of ground. The dark soldier reared its blade back and thrusted forward, attempting to spear Wally with the forked end. The wallaby leapt up, landing on the sword’s broadside, swiping his own sword across the Knight’s helm, taking a sizable chunk out of it and throwing the brute off balance.

Hector and Blackeye saw the opening and dashed from cover, setting upon the massive warrior and shoving it with all the muscle they could muster before it could rally. Inches from the platform edge it planted its feet and shook them off with a single swipe of its arm. As it lifted its sword above its head, aiming for Hector, a single stalk of bamboo sprang from the ground to strike it, tipping it backward just as its arms reached their highest. With the change in its center of gravity exploited, it could only tumble backward into the whirling abyss below.

“TAKE THAT YOU SORRY EXCUSE FOR A BOULDER!” Shouted Wistea as she threw her hands up in triumph, she then rushed down to meet the others.

“‘Sorry excuse for a boulder?’ You’ve been spending far too much time with Rozzi.” Hector chuckled.

“Well since she can’t be here in person, I should make sure she’s here in spirit. That’s something she would’ve said, ain’t that right?”

Hector winced slightly at the accent Wistea had just tried to put on and patted her gently on the shoulder. “You’re trying, that’s the important part.”

Before joining the others on their way to the tower doors, Wally caught sight of the chunk he’d cut off the Black Rock Knight. Unable to repress his curiosity, he picked it up and looked it over. He couldn’t shake the sense he’d seen something like it before so he set upon investigating it.

The churning salt air around the floating structure made smelling it nearly impossible, so he moved on to the next test. He popped his gauntlet off and ran his bare fingers over the sheered surface and realization abounded. “Coal? How can this be coal?” He pressed his thumb down on it and the small piece crumbled in his hand as any bit of coal would. Whatever magic had made it as resilient as armor was gone when the source fell to the sea. He quickly decided to log the discovery for later and focus on the task at hand.

The doors to the tower’s interior were tall and imposing, and just as the captain described, and made of the same stone that changed to match the color of the sky behind it, which became more notable as the sun dipped further down the horizon.

“Huh… Still here. Figured those scallops woulda just blown the doors off or somethin’” Captain Blackeye looked over his shoulder to everyone. “The doors only open if you tell the absolute truth. As in somethin’ you ain’t ever wanted anyone else t’ hear. Not like the time you took a bit o’ candy when you weren’t s’posed to.”

They all exchanged looks before Blackeye continued.

“Worse, the doors somehow know not to open ‘til we all say one. Learned a lot from me crew back then that I ain’t been able to forget…”

Wally rubbed his chin thoughtfully, what could he possibly say that could count?

Blackeye cleared his throat. “When Polly was born, the first time I saw her I cried like a child for almost a whole day.”

The doors creaked and clunked as old stone tumblers moved and jostled within. Wally struggled to think of something.

Hector followed suit. “In a practice duel with an old rival, I intentionally cut off two of his fingers out of petty spite.”

The doors continued to sound. Wally continued to draw a terrible blank.

Wistea swallowed audibly before speaking. “I… I am desperately trying to be as brave as I believe my brother would be in my place!”

The click of an enormous latch resonated.

Wally, like a pot of tea set to boil practically shouted the first thing that came to mind. “I’M IN LOVE WITH ROZZI!”

The doors did nothing.

Hector looked back at his friend. “I… Suppose it only counts if it’s something we didn’t already know, despite you never admitting it out loud.”

The wallaby’s head dropped as he sighed. A moment later he crooked his head up slightly, a single eye on the door as he curiously pronounced, “I’ve always hated my mother’s cooking?”

Another latch clicked loudly and the mighty stone doors swung open.

With a mockingly shocked tone, Hector set upon his diminutive friend. “Wally! What a thing to say! Your own mother’s home cooked meals?”

“She puts far too much salt in everything!” Wally called out defensively. “It’s ridiculous! And half the reason I moved out…”

Wistea couldn’t help but giggle, then look very ashamed of herself for it.

“Only gets more challenging from here crew,” Blackeye announced. “Best brace yourselves.”

Their levity quickly subsided and the four charged inside, the doors slamming shut behind them.

<[Chapter 16]–[Index]–[Chapter 18]>

[newssplashy]

Pulse Blogger: Acrimony: A pity party I refused to turn up for

Tyler Perry was high on something hotter than the sun to be able to pull off such nerve racking movie. 

I was skeptical when I saw it trending on twitter like Black Panther did months ago. But deep down, I couldn't remember one time Tyler disappointed in a movie, from the Madea series to Diary of a mad black woman.

All of them had genius buried in the DNA of the movies.

Tyler knew exactly what he did in that movie. From the narration by Taraji who played Melinda— a narration that was steeped in brokenness, helplessness and most importantly an unconscious appeal to the sympathy of the target audience.  You cannot help seeing the movie and story from her standpoint.  You may try to maintain a straight line of thinking while watching but I bet you won't know when you stagger off the line and plunge into a mucky water of her story.

Before you notice what had happened to you, you must have turned into a model of pity.

Tyler Perry and his crew studied the human emotions thoroughly not because they had an exam to pass but because you cannot manipulate what you don't understand.  They had to understand the ‘why’s’, the ‘WTF's’, the ‘Awwwwws’, the ‘YES!’ the ‘this is cute’ and every other thing in relation to the anatomy of the human emotion. 

The movie had everybody thinking about what they will do in that case, it had some people interpret their relationship with that script; it had some other people on the sidelines of love say "You see why love is Bullshit?  You see why I am incapable of love?  Acrimony is why"

Lol

Read Also: One Africa music fest

 Bitterness, Hatred, Animosity, Enmity.

Acrimony is such a nice word that it barely even fits its description compared with the words above and other cruel sounding ones.

The reason the movie is raising eye brows is simply because Tyler tweaked the ending and instead of the conventional love story “Awwwwwns”,  he said "let's give them some WTF moments". And Boom!

He did it and a conversation ensued: who is wrong and who is right?

It became an irritating exercise of side taking and a festival of generalizations. It became a reminder to women that men were scum.  The movie made them forget that the art of "scumry" is like breathing.  Everybody owns a scum side that always shows or rarely shows.

Melinda.  A young pretty girl mistakenly runs into a young man Robert on a rainy school day and her books scatter across the wet floor like bottle covers in a pub. Her first reaction is what ruined her—anger.  Not normal anger—an abnormal violent anger that encouraged her to hit a sturdy black man who she didn't know anything about.  She threw logic to the wind and managed to land few punches on him. 

Robert picks up the papers and tracks her down with the INTENT of apologizing. He went to her room to apologize and just like many "one night stands" that ended in marriage; he fell in love with her.  The way he looked at her changed. He saw a glow that was never there when she hit him. She saw a walking and talking sexiness stand before her door armed with a chocolate skin and a broad smile.

I wouldn't say who fell before whom. I want to believe they fell together. Like an on-your-marks kind of falling.

Now, on their first date, he didn't hesitate just like everyone else with a big dream to tell her his lofty dreams.  I am sure that at the time Mark Zuckerberg was building facebook, the conversations he had on date nights must have had boring tales of how was going to bring the whole world together with a single application.

Robert was that and more. 

He shared HIS dreams probably expecting reciprocation but it never came.  She didn't have something she was chasing, like a dream job or something.  She had interest in just graduating from school.

Read Also: Dear Nigerian musicians,learn from Falz.Everyday is not for breast,yansh and popping bottles.

 They were direct opposites. 

Now, men or women who are given to inventions and great ideas stay either SINGLE or they are married to SOMEONE (Male or female) who completes them. Someone who they can run to and ask "hey, I'm trying to fix X but Y is popping up.  What should I do? Should a make an x out of the y? " 

Someone who supports the dream with something more tangible than money! 

Moreover, take this to the bank: Money didn't do half of the things sharing of ideas and criticisms of ideas did when facebook was a baby idea. I say this with a wonderful amount of conviction because money doesn’t birth ideas.

I honestly think people didn't watch this movie with an understanding of how society works.

She gave him an idea of a better name to call his battery.  It was a naming ceremony that involved lovers, like lord Lugard and his wife who after sex named the largest country in Africa Nigeria

Good.  Great!

But it wasn't the name that made it buyable or appealing. The name didn’t save that idea for the entire 18 years that it suffered rejection and neglect.

Let's digress a bit to the incident that marred the relationship at first.

Robert being a prostitute decided not to nurture his common sense by at least being faithful to a girl that just got you a car.  Now, I’m not even saying that you can cheat if you are not given a car.  I am saying that it takes a higher level of disregard to cheat on someone you love who sacrificed thousands of dollars to get you a car. 

Robert was a fool by letting the thought of cheating linger in his mind.

We humans have two sides: physical and emotional sides. Melinda’s emotional side was damaged already. Yet, Melinda wasn't reasonable enough to guard her physical side which was at least healthier than her emotional side. 

She decided to be impaired emotionally and physically by deciding to run into his caravan attempting to kill him. 

I won't defend her actions with "oh, she's got anger issues that she couldn't manage." I'm not doing that!  If not, it'll be cool to say "Oh, ISIS terrorists have a terrible anger problem.  If only they can be treated they'll stop bombing.” You see how stupid it sounds?

Now, small praise for Robert:

It is bad to hurt someone you love or better still someone who loves you.  On the other hand, it is also bad to attempt to kill someone you love because he cheated.

Like, Robert would have lost his life midway into orgasm.  She saw them having sex and then she decided to screw them too by attempting to kill them—a threesome gone wrong. 

Robert and Diana ran out unscathed and she was already bleeding from her nose.

Read Also: Dear Nigerian youths,we are not lazy,Buhari is a shame

 Scratch that. 

Robert didn't even think of how he almost got killed when he was begging her for forgiveness. He didn't bother thinking of how she would have moved on to another guy had he died.  He just wanted one thing: A second chance to prove he could be faithful. 

Had Tyler Perry turned the table of that scene where she hit his caravan house and let's say he gets injured and finally becomes a cripple, you'll be shocked at how the tone of the arguments will change.  We'll hear sermons of how karma is a wonderful soldier that defends the defenseless.  We'll have women trying to be employees of karma by attempting murder tomorrow.  And you'll be shocked at the percentage of people who wouldn't give a single damn about the dead fella. 

When she was running into that caravan with her car, she didn't mean to hurt herself.  She wanted him DEAD. She was pulling the bow so hard she didn't know the arrow was aimed at her forehead. 

She wanted him back.  She would have averted further misery by letting him go but she didn't.  She wanted to love him with his brokenness and his obvious imperfections.

Anger, third party and assumptions are the tripod on which their wrecked marriage stood on. 

I've discussed anger lengthily. Let's talk about third party and the role it played in Melinda's misery.

Melinda's sisters NEVER liked Robert. I remember her telling her sisters that they must like him.  Of course they tried but it wasn't cake walk.

When a third party is involved in a relationship, they are mostly foolish. The eldest sister of Melinda ticks all the boxes of foolishness.  She was selfish.  She just wanted to be able to say "Yo, I told you years ago to live his battery-inventing-broke-ass alone but you was in love.  Now see what has happened?”  This was her aim all through the movie.  To prove to her baby sister that she made a wrong choice.  Such undiluted bitterness deep seated in her heart.

She saw a purse that belonged to the girl that cost her sister her womb and all a grown woman thought about was running to her sister whose marriage has been standing on one leg because Robert didn't want any job.  He wanted his battery to replace the sun.  She ran to her sister with fulfillment in her eyes. Her dream had come true.

Robert DIDN'T cheat. They had just coffee and discussed his battery— a productive discussion that changed the cause of his life forever.

Melinda, a wreck rushes to the house to complete the beating she started years ago in school.  They created a scene.  He was already on his way going for the presentation of what will be the genesis of her dreams of luxury.  She almost stopped him but he staggered into that company and had a deal of 800 thousand dollars turned down. 

People argued on twitter that he was selfish by not taking that 800k. I didn't blame them for being so sincere with their Myopia. I blame social media that has replaced looking at the "big picture" with scampering for dope pictures that’ll illicit likes.

Robert invested 18 years of his life in this project.  No family.  Not one member of his family to tell him that all was going to be well. He was ALONE with his confusions and frustrations. You may say "He had a wife" and I'll tell you that you are estranged to reality.  As a man or woman in love,  no matter how you try to spin it, there are certain frustrations you go through that your spouse will know about but only your family will understand you a hundred percent. No disrespect to the marriage institution but it is what it is.

Robert didn't have anyone to run to—Just his wife who he wouldn't blame for giving up on him before he struck gold.

He was not going to take that meager amount all because of a house.  He will be doing himself a great disservice by doing that. There is a stubbornness that accompanies greatness and focus—a reckless disregard for desperation no matter how bad you want it. Robert had that stubborn trait which made him slam the door against 800k dollars. This was someone who didn't have 50 dollars on him at the time. 

To some, that was stupidity. To few people who can relate to such stubbornness, cheers. 

Getting home and announcing to his raging partner that he turned down such deal came off as insensitive to me. I think that there were other things to say apart from that. I mean, in a house that was choking with confusion and impending depression, you waltz in telling them that you turned down 800k that could easily barter their confusions.

Make no mistake; "Roberts" of this life do not think the way others do. He might have turned down that deal because of its pointlessness.  800k wasn't going to fulfill his promises to his wife. It wasn't going to get the diamond ring or the boat or even one engine of a private jet.  It doesn't even come close to what he had gone through for 18 years.

Read Also: Now that we are one month closer to our graves

 It is easy to label him "selfish" because of democracy of words but I feel that selfish is rather a harsh word. I feel focusing on the big picture was used interchangeably with selfishness a lot in the conversations I've seen on twitter.

Melinda defiantly puffing smoke to his face and wishing she could squeeze the life out of his neck.  She walked him out of the house that she sacrificed for his project.  He begged but he knew the woman he got married to. She even bragged about her madness once or twice in the movie.  She even said “You know me. I can be the devil”

Robert left and wandered into homelessness.  No job.  No wife. No family.  No love. 

Melinda stayed. At least she had family—her sisters and their husbands who played roles in their divorce. Talking about the divorce; Robert walked into that room crestfallen, he was forced out of his will to sign those papers.  He resisted by begging her before the lawyers and her family but Melinda was hell bent on that. The divorce meant a lot to her eldest sister whose dream finally came true.

He left the room he had walked into as a married man divorced.

Melinda got busy that night under the sheets moaning with eyes closed trying to see heaven. She went down with another man hours after divorcing.

Now, girls support this with an argument that it was her way of moving on from Robert.  I honestly do not understand how people maltreat their brains by saying things like this.   Sleeping with hundred men with the sole aim of moving on from one man is never logical and rather looks like choking the universe with all the promiscuity that being in a relationship didn't afford you.

Diana replaced the woman who had made sure that Robert was frustrated resigned from Prescott and that felt like God working according to Robert.  After she had met with Robert seconds after leaving her car, she got to the office and asked her secretary to get her all the files that had Robert Gayle on it.

She spent her time going through the videos from the first one he sent to the last one. She sat there watching the man she once had inside her frolic with his lover amidst hugs and mushiness.

People argued that she wanted Robert for herself and that was why she helped in the first place. I didn’t see an ulterior motive in her actions and inactions. When she helped him get an appointment with Mr Prescott, he was still married. As a matter of fact, he had rubbed it in; “Diana, I am married. I don’t cheat on MY wife”. Of everything he had wanted to do at the time, cheating wasn’t on the list because of the turn he life had taken.

Robert according to the judge was way too kind out of his own free will. He came to Melinda’s office with a bouquet of rose flowers just to tell her “Our battery hit”. He didn’t have to after all, I mean; she had forced him through a divorce and had thrown him out of their house. Yet, Robert deemed it necessary to come give her the news without contempt.

It was then that she knew that she had messed up. I can boldly argue that she left him because the battery dream seemed dead and she didn’t want to “Waste” more years with a loser. Now, let’s get something straight; I’m all for equality of the both sexes and I find this statement cringe worthy; “After wasting my time with you all these years…” You can hardly see a man that uses that statement.

It always comes from the females. When they say that, you can see the regret in their voice, you can see the unconscious plea for a refund of all those years as though the relationship didn’t involve two people. Melinda wanted a refund of all the money she had spent on Robert. Robert gave her a ten million dollar cheque with the keys to her mother’s house. The generosity level he showed was stratospheric even the judge said he hadn’t seen such in his court.

Honestly, I think demanding for all the money you spent on your lover after the love goes sour is as stupid as any other person asking for a refund of all the laughter’s, blushes, cuddles, butterflies and even orgasms.

Melinda realized she was a loser already and went ballistic. She created a pseudo account and stalked Diana as though Diana had her placenta. She threatened, she cussed, she promised to be a thorn in the flesh of Diana. Let us not forget how she believed that coming to Roberts house with lingerie will bring them back together after she had promised him at her office; “We are not getting back together Robert”.

Now, it is her that desires the comeback but sadly, he had moved on.  Make no mistake; she still loved him and he still loved her. I mean; who gives his enemy a 10 million dollar check? But, just as we have seen countless times— we almost never get to marry our one true love. We know them, they know us but there is something somewhere that makes it completely impossible to happen. 

Melinda blamed her sisters, she said that they got into her head and messed up their relationship. She wanted to seduce him with her strapped lingerie and Diana walked into them and kept her calm until Robert did an introduction that ran Melinda out of the house.

 Read Also: Life is nobody's age mate

The reason I refused to turn up for the pity party Melinda threw with her narration was simple; she was playing the victim. The narration was her point of view. Had Robert handled that narration, we would have seen and understood the anatomy of pain, rejection and frustrations. He would have taken the viewers down the dusty road of neglect and disregard.

If Melinda claims that Robert wasted her time and destroyed her life, Robert can claim that she was a bad omen in his life because it was after the divorce from her that his dream came true. Post relationship claims are full of crazy sentiments and well tailored blackmail. I stay out of conversations that see to a verbal brawl of people who once loved themselves.

Everything Melinda lost in Acrimony was her fault. Everything!

She lost her womb because of her anger. There was no point in trying to bring down that caravan house. She lost her marriage because a grown woman like her let her disgruntled sisters to advice her to leave her husband while they lived with theirs.  Losing her own life was her fault too. She didn’t pay heed to the judge’s instruction.

She found her way into the boat she claimed was hers. In fact, Melinda was a mad woman. She was an insane woman! I won’t exhaust the little sympathy I have left on Melinda. She doesn’t deserve the effort of pity. I will not feel sorry for her because of her anger issue. It was her duty to fix her life and not my duty to share pity when things go south as a result of her not seeking help.

Melinda ruins a boat cruise with her bitterness. Shoots at Robert and axes his leg. She dies and he dies. At least she had succeeded in killing him after trying years ago.  This was her only success in the movie—killing and Robert and ruining his new found love with her new found insanity.

Finally, I feel a certain level of gratification knowing that I have penned down half the way I feel about Acrimony and most importantly throw my weight behind the conversation. You may want to see my submission as insensitive or wicked but I promise not to budge because you won’t understand how I dislike being generous with sympathy. I use it sparingly like a foolish man uses wisdom.

Written by Mark Anthony Osuchukwu.

Mark Anthony Osuchukwu is a writer, social commentator and critic. He is on instagram as onye_mark. He can be reached via obumnemeosuchukwu@gmail.com

source http://www.newssplashy.com/2018/08/pulse-blogger-acrimony-pity-party-i.html