#palaye Royale imagine

[sleekervae]

The Neighbour [4.6]

Masterlist

A/N: Christ on a crutch, here we are!! Thank you again to everyone for your patience! It was so tough writing a good conclusion to Eva's journey and over all I'm very happy with this! And I think considering that we're about to enter into another new Palaye era speaks volumes to this transition. Thank so much again for your patience! Happy reading!

Warnings: some emotional angst, fluffy reunion, Happy American Thanksgiving to those who celebrate

--

Thanksgiving was rarely ever a grand, extravagant affair in the Kropp family; nonetheless, subtle nuances from the previous year's celebration were easily discernible. Their once exuberant friends-giving festivity now found a cozy haven within the confines of Remington and Emerson's dining room. The smells of warm spices and gravy wafted through the air, a mouth-watering promise for what was to come. A select few friends exchanged shared, delectable side dishes amid clouded conversations, all the while Sebastian was attempting to carve up the turkey in the kitchen. He had only uttered a few cuss words so Remington figured it was going well enough.

He was only partially listening to Caity's conversation with his mom, catching up on work endeavours and whatever plans they may've had for Christmas. However, Remington couldn't help but keep glancing at his phone, once, twice, his mind racing as he wondered where Eva could've been. She told him she'd call him before their own Thanksgiving dinner, though he noted how quiet she'd been since the latest update on her mother's health. He wondered if he should just say fuck it and call her himself, though he'd panic before he could, assuring him that she probably just needed her space. She was supposed to be home in a day, and it felt like it couldn't come fast enough.

"Earth to Remington!" Caity waved her hand in front of his face and he instantly snapped out of his trance, “Copy if you read us,”

"What was that?" Remington asked.

"What do you want for Christmas, doofus," Caity asked, holding back a chuckle, "C'mon! You've been so quiet all night! I know we're still pandemic-struck but still!"

Stephanie simpered, "He's missing Eva, that's all,"

"Mom," Remington grumbled, "That makes me sound like a whiney pre-teen,"

"Well, you're certainly moping around like one," she replied, "Why don't you go help Sebastian?"

"Mom, he's supposed to be slicing turkey, not me," he replied.

Caity simply just rolled her eyes, "Oh, c'mon Remi! He's not gonna do that. Not with witnesses around, anyway," she joked.

"Speaking of your brothers, where's Emerson?" Stephanie turned her head, glancing around the room.

"Probably seeking refuge in his hobbit hole," Michael said as he passed by, crunching on a cracker with slathered in artichoke dip, "Great dip by the way, Stephanie,"

"Thank you Michael!" she beamed back.

None on them were the wiser to Emerson curled up on the stairs, sketching away in his notebook and far away from the camaraderie in the kitchen. He had Pluto nestled beside him, his leg still wrapped in the blue cast, though he was unbothered as he snored away beside the youngest brother. Emerson would pause between pen strokes to give the tabby an affectionate head pat, he figured this was the coziest the cat had ever been in the time he'd known him.

Emerson's train of thought was broken suddenly when the doorbell echoed through the hall, and his heavy eyes glanced up to the front door. Pluto perked up as well, raising his head and his ears sprung up. Emerson glanced over the railing towards the crowd, calling out.

"Hey! There's someone at the door!" though to no surprise, nobody could hear him. He figured he could've answered the door himself, but he was already comfortable in his spot and he didn't want to disturb Pluto, "Remington! Sebastian! Michael!" and still, no one could hear him.

And so, in true Emerson fashion, he whipped out his phone and began to type...

Remington had just finished pouring himself a glass of wine when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket, whipping it out faster than a gunslinger in the west. However, he was dismayed when he saw Emerson's text:

Someone's at the door

With an eye roll, Remington texted back.

Where are you?

Sitting on the stairs

So why don't you go answer the door?

Because I don't want to disturb the cat

The cat with a broken leg, mind you...

It's sprained, not broken

Same difference

Remington huffed, setting down his wine glass and begrudgingly heading for the front door. Sure enough, he passed his little brother on the stairs, the tabby cat nestled against his legs. He glanced between him and the front door.

"You really couldn't make the ten foot walk to open the door?" he asked, tone verging on bitterness.

Emerson shrugged back, "Would you disturb this innocent child?" he pointed to Pluto with his pen, "Besides, our visitor is probably catching a cold out there,"

"They'd be catching less of one if you just got proactive," he muttered back, "Did we invite anybody else?"

"I don't think so," Emerson replied, "Maybe it's Amazon?"

Remington reached for the door knob, "I didn't order anything..."

He wrenched the door open, steeling himself to welcome a potential unexpected visitor or perhaps discover a package-bearing Amazon delivery person. Yet, astonishment washed over him as his eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of Eva standing on his stoop, luggage in tow behind her.

"-- Eva!?" his voice quivered slightly, yet the edges of his mouth tugged upward in a smile tinged with incredulity.

She locked her left right ankle in front of her left, smiling with giddy and a twinkle in her eye, "... surprise!" she half-sang, half-giggled.

Remington scooped her up in his arms without a second thought, hugging her tightly to his chest, inhaling her vanilla essence. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, her cold nose pressed to his skin but quite frankly he couldn't care. He missed her so damn much.

"I thought you weren't coming home until tomorrow?" he murmured, relief laced in his voice nonetheless.

"I was, but I just... I needed to come home," she replied, "I missed you so much,"

"Fuck me, I missed you more," he kissed her, aching for the comforting familiarity of her chapstick's faint sweetness, the pillowy softness of those lips he could've spent hours kissing. Eva wound her arms around his neck and pulled him to her with an intensity that surpassed mere physical proximity, reveling in the sanctuary of his embrace.

"Eva?" Emerson's voice suddenly rattled from behind them. The couple broke apart and glanced over, Remington was none too surprised to see Emerson hadn't bothered to move from his spot on the stairs. That didn't stop him from craning his neck like a giraffe to try and see what was happening.

"He's still not getting up!" Remington shook his head as he grumbled.

Eva tittered softly, "Hi Emerson,"

"How did you get a flight so fast?" he asked.

She shrugged, stepping aside as Remington moved to grab her luggage from out of the cold, "My sister's boyfriend has a cousin who works for the airline, turns out," she replied, "... I hope you guys don't mind having one more dinner guest?"

"Are you kidding me?" Emerson gawked back, "I'm willing to sacrifice Sebastian in order to make space for you myself. Right Pluto?" he glanced down at the tabby.

Pluto finally made the move from the stairs, slinking down the marble and hobbling over to his master. Eva was nevertheless quite concerned when she noticed the bright blue cast on his leg.

"What the -- Pluto!" she was careful as she picked him, cradling the big baby in her arms as she turned to Remington, "What happened?"

Remington smiled sheepishly, glancing between her and the cat as he nervously puffed his cheeks, "Ah... well, he -- uh... Emerson?"

"Nope, you're on your own here," the youngest brother muttered.

"Remington..." Eva stared up up at him, anxiously awaiting some sort of explanation.

Remington sighed, "He... it's a long story but basically your neighbour is insane and he fell off your balcony. But we rushed him to the vet as fast as we could!"

"I've never seen Sebastian drive that fast," Emerson tacked on.

Eva glowered at her tabby, who was none the wiser as he cuddled into her shoulder, his claws gripping tightly to her jacket, "Jesus Christ. Why didn't you call me?" she asked the brothers.

"Because you had so much you were dealing with and we didn't want to worry you," Remington replied, remorseful and uneasy, "But I should've called you. That's on me, I'm sorry,"

Eva shook her head, "You're damn right you should've! I have pet insurance!" she exclaimed, "I could've had the bill covered!"

Remington simpered, "Honestly Eva, don't worry about the bill," one hand moved to her waist and the other rubbed between Pluto's ears, "As long as Pluto's still running around, I couldn't care less,"

Eva's apprehension settled as she relaxed in his embrace, cuddling the cat closer to her chest, "You god damn chaotic mess of fur; I'm seriously gonna' get you a bell!"

"Wouldn't be the worst idea," Emerson said, finally making the move to stand, "C'mon, I'm hungry," and he started for the dining room, notebook still tucked under his arm. Remington simply shook his head as he walked off.

"You know, he just watched while Sebastian yelled at me about peeling carrots. Like -- it's not hard to peel carrots!" he said.

Eva shook her head with a gentle laugh, pressing up on her toes to press another kiss to his cheek, "I'm sure you did just fine. It smells amazing in here,"

"That's mom's artichoke dip,"

She followed Remington into the dining room, still holding Pluto in her arms as they joined their friends. Shy was the first to rise from her seat, rushing over to envelop Eva in a tight hug. Meanwhile, Sebastian poked his head out from the kitchen, curious about the sudden commotion. Eva wasn't surprised to see his apron draped over his stylish pinstripe suit underneath. Chairs were shifted, a new place setting was prepared, and despite Eva's offer to assist, Larissa and Stephanie insisted that she sit back and relax.

The turkey was brought out soon enough, accompanied by a spread of sumptuous sides and a delicious bottle of wine. The table was alive with chatter: Michael animatedly discussing the band's latest video plans, Caity and Hayden enthusiastically sharing their upcoming Christmas trip itinerary. Amidst it all, questions came Eva's way—about her mother, her early return home, her fatigue, and more. Yet, in that moment, Eva couldn't have felt happier. She basked in the warmth of the gathering, feeling entirely at ease, all traces of anxiety vanishing with Remington's arm draped casually across her shoulders.

Only a couple hours later the house was emptied, plates were partially washed and thrown hastily in the dishwasher, any leftovers were packed up and sent home with friends. And because he had shown the least amount of effort in prep, the brothers decided it was Emerson's job to tidy up the table. Remington meanwhile had hauled Eva's bag upstairs, much to her protests that she could do it herself but he remained insistent; he was just so happy to have her home.

Her bag was barely unzipped before Remington threw himself on the bed, chin cupped in his hand as he watched her begin to unpack. There were a plethora of questions burning in his brain.

"Soooo..." he trailed.

"So?" Eva queried.

"Why are you home early?" he asked, "I didn't want to pile on at dinner but..."

Eva placed down the shirts she was about to pull out, sighing as she took a seat on the bed, "Well... you want the long story or the short story?"

He simply shook his head, "Whatever you want to share, where ever you wanna' start,"

She shifted over so she could lay beside him, her hands coming to rest over her stomach as she stared up at the ceiling, "Well... we got a call from the hospital Friday morning..."

Eva's heart dropped when she saw the caller ID flash for the hospital, nevertheless she picked up the call and brought the speaker to her ear, hesitating before she answered, "H-Hello... yes, that's me..."

Magda, Greg, and Theo watched silently as Eva turned her back, her voice coming to a hushed octave. Impatient as ever though, the oldest sister turned to her brothers, "What the hell is going on now?" she asked, tone verging on exasperation.

Greg scoffed back, "Well, in not so many words, Eva's not a match for mom's transfer. But someone else is," he replied.

Magda glowered at him, "And are we waiting for a 90s soap-opera style dramatic pause, or...?"

"She's seeing someone else," Theo admitted, "I guess you guys already knew that -- but he stepped up as a potential donor..."

Magda's eyes went wide, "-- No... Greg!" she turned to him, "Please don't tell me..."

Greg nodded solemnly, "He's a perfect match for the kidney. They're gonna have him prepped this week, after the holiday," he confirmed.

At that, Eva got off the phone with a simple, "Alright, thank you..." and she turned to her siblings. She felt her hands shaking, her heart racing as though she'd had drank coffee on an empty stomach and the caffeine was just beginning to kick in. This whole journey, all of this fighting and tiptoeing and pillage of more trauma had all in turn been for nothing.

"Whelp, she struck again," Magda sighed with a head shake, "Crazy old battle axe did it again..."

Greg steeled himself against the wall, utter defeat overcoming his face, "So, is Julien asking dad for the number of his divorce attorney, or..."

"He has someone," Theo admitted, his eyes averted to the ground, "He said he's always kind of suspected something was up,"

Magda scoffed, "Not to be a downer but as the saying goes: if they cheat with you, they cheat --"

"Mags!" Greg stopped her with a swift glare, nodding his head to their younger sister. Eva was just frozen on the spot, dark blue eyes glazed over as she stared off into space. There was partial relief overwhelming her, she didn't have to go under the knife after all. However, so much had happened in three days, so much mental strain and it had finally taken its toll on her.

"Eva?" Magda stood up and approached her slowly, picking off the reflection of tears brimming, "Eves, are you okay?"

Eva didn't -- couldn't respond. For once in her life she was at a complete loss for words; and yet she had so many thoughts scratching in her brain, so much jumbled jargon to spew out in a twisted heap of nerves and fear but all she could do was give a silent nod, her eyes clamped shut in a futile attempt to stop herself from crying.

Magda caught her just before the dam burst, holding her tightly as the first few sniffles and sobs left her. The two sisters held each other tightly, the eldest not uttering a word as she just held her, rubbing her back as she cooed softly, "It's okay honey, let it out. It's okay,"

Theo couldn't stand to watch anymore, stepping forward to throw his arms around the pair. Greg followed suit, a solemn scene in the antiquated kitchen with the despair finally being lifted from all of them. Eva had so much anger she was still holding on to, but in this moment she couldn't care less. This mess was finally over, tremendously and brutally over, and all she wanted now was to go home...

"... we didn't really plan for a proper Thanksgiving, so we kind of threw some stuff together last night and called it a day," she finished off, her gaze having never left the ceiling, "And Magda's boyfriend got me a last-minute ticket this morning. I was on the second standby out of town,"

Remington stayed beside her the entire time, listening intently, his mind blown at the full revelation of Eva's trip. He was relieved on the one hand knowing she wouldn't have to go under the knife after all, on the other hand he could see how such a plot twist had rattled her, dredging up old feelings she was sure she didn't have to deal with again.

"Holy fuck..." he gaped in awe, "She just threw away her family like that? No explanation, no nothing?"

"Straight to the calculating point, it's her pattern," she sighed, chuckling with pity, "It's classic: she'll let him play as her white knight until she gets bored and finds someone else to pull into her web. She's never gonna' stop, Rem,"

"And that's not your problem," he cuddled up beside her, gently drawing his arm around her body, enfolding her in the embrace of his chest, "I'm so sorry, Eva,"

"Why?" she glanced up at him.

"Because, you went over there with the best intentions and it just -- I just don't want this to affect you more then it already has. I'm worried, is all," he explained.

"I'm okay, Remington," she turned over onto her side, coming nose-to-nose with him, "I'm okay, I swear to you. I'm a little worried about Theo, but Greg assured me he's gonna keep an eye on him. He's done nothing to deserve any of this,"

"Neither have you. I'm proud of you, though," he said.

"Why?"

"You made up with your sister. That's not nothing, believe me," he chuckled at the end, "And you and Greg got closer, and you gaped bridges with Theo and his dad, that's not nothing,"

Eva simpered quietly, "I think you meant 'mend bridges'? 'To bridge a gap' means having the qualities of two different groups or things or... stuff,"

All Remington could do was laugh, at her train of thought, at the sleepy slur of her voice, how her lips curled when she knew she was correcting him but she tried to play it off as no big deal. Words alone couldn't express how much he missed this girl, and how it would be a long damn time before he spent such time away from her again.

"There's my girl," he awed, pressing kisses to her cheeks and her nose, "I missed you so fucking much,"

"I missed you, too," Eva giggled, squirming in his arms but she made no move to push him away; she was just so happy to be home again. She sighed when he let up, pushing loose locks of blonde hair behind his ears, "Do you think you're ever gonna' cut your hair?" she asked curiously, "Not that I don't love this look on you,"

Remington scoffed, "It is getting a liiiiittle long," he admitted, "You miss my spikes?"

"Yeah! They're so quintessentially you!" she replied, "But then there's so many more layers to you than just your hair. I love every side of you,"

With no hesitation he buried his face in the crook of her neck, overwhelmed in her familiar scent, pressing soft kisses to her pulse point as she wrapped her arms around him, "You're so fucking cute. I love you so much," he mumbled.

Eva smirked back, her fingers threading through his hair the way she knew he melted at, "Mmm, I think I love you more," she said.

"Not possible," he squeezed her tighter to him to make his point.

"I don't know about that," she teased, "You're only the greatest thing that happened to me in my life, so..."

Remington couldn't keep the beaming smile off of his face, shifting up so they were at eye-level with each other. His next words spilled out before his brain could catch up, impulsively escaping from his lips:

"I'm gonna' marry you one day,"

To say Eva was a little taken aback was an understatement, "What?" it took her another minute to process what he'd just said to her.

Remington chuckled bashfully, "Not like -- now or anything. But one day down the line... when you're least expecting it, I'm gonna' ask you to marry me," he decided.

"Oh really?" Eva cocked a brow, resisting the urge to bite her lip, "And you just assume that I'm gonna' say yes?"

"Of course I do," with tender affection, Remington traced small circles under Eva's sweatshirt, his touch light and comforting. She turned towards him, a soft smile gracing her lips, and met his gaze with a warmth that spoke volumes, "I love you. I'm a way better person everyday because of you. You are every reason, every hope, every dream I've ever had and no matter where we go in the future, I will always be yours," he brought his hand up to her cheek, caressing the soft skin as though she were porcelain, "And you, my darling, will always be mine,"

Earlier that day, Eva had sworn to herself she wouldn't cry upon her return. Yet, despite her determination, she couldn't stifle the swell in her chest, the insistent pull at her tear ducts, nor the overpowering wave of affection she had for Remington. Each word he spoke felt like a lifeline, flowing from his lips in his husky voice, and she clung to them fervently.

"Oh my God," her eyes fluttered closed as she tried to bury her face in the sheets, "I take it back: that's the most romantic thing I've ever heard you say,"

Remington's expression softened, a gentle smile gracing his lips, "Better than William Blake?"

"So much better,"

Closing the distance between them, Remington reached out to brush a stray tear from Eva's cheek. His touch was tender, his fingers lingering against her skin as if tracing the delicate contours of her emotions.

Their connection intensified in the silence that followed, a subtle electricity lingering between them. Remington gently tucked a loose strand of Eva's hair behind her ear, his touch a tender gesture filled with unspoken affection.

Eva's gaze met Remington's, a softness in her eyes that spoke volumes. In that moment, amidst the quiet intimacy of his -- their bedroom, they shared an unspoken understanding, each wordless glance conveying a depth of emotion that transcended spoken language.

[the-world-is-spinning-round]

This Grave I Call My Home - Palaye Royale fan fiction (Spooktober Writing Challenge)

He’s still going at it, still ignoring everyone. Can you get here any quicker?

Vic slammed the car door shut, shouldering her rucksack as she headed towards the football pitch.

Across the car park, her younger sister watched her with wide eyes - but Josie didn’t move away from her boyfriend’s side to come and talk to Vic. It wasn’t just because Andrew had an arm wrapped around Josie’s waist; Josie was one of the ‘cool kids’ now, and Vic most definitely was not.

Neither was the reason Josie had texted her.

Remington was in the middle of the football pitch, shovel in hand, dressed only in a cheap (and thin) looking black slip, digging what looked disturbingly like a grave.

It was no wonder Josie had asked her to come talk to Remington. Despite their separation, Sebastian and Emerson - two of Josie’s friends, who happened to be the leaders of their little clique, and Remington’s brothers - still cared about Remington…at least in their own weird, shallow kind of way. And what they cared about, the rest of the group cared about, in their even weirder, even shallower kind of way.

Hence why Josie had text Vic. As Remington’s…sort-of friend, Vic was probably the only one who might be able to talk to Remington when he was in his current state.

Not that she was overly hopeful.

Still, she made her way over to where Remington was clambering down into his makeshift ‘grave’, disappearing from view entirely when he lay down inside it, and plonked herself down on the edge, legs dangling into the hole.

A hand shot up to grab her ankle, but Remington didn’t shove her foot away or pull her leg any further into his grave, he just…grabbed her ankle, and then seemed to freeze.

“So, I’d ask if you’re okay…but I have a feeling the answer is no.” Vic announced, knowing that she was unlikely to get a response.

Remington was capable of speaking, but he didn’t do it often. He was quiet by nature, and even more so when he was in this kind of headspace.

Fortunately, Vic could speak enough for both of them: “I’m pretty sure if nothing else you most be fucking freezing. It’s cold as shit out here, even for October. Not that the dress doesn’t look amazing by the way, it’s great, but it just seems like more of a summer night kind of dress than an autumn-winter night dress, you know?”

Still nothing, but Vic could tell Remington was listening to her - if only because he was starting to frown at her like he was talking absolute nonsense.

Which, to be fair, she was.

Because she knew it would eventually get a response.

She just had to be weird enough.

“Do you think I’d look good in a slip like yours?” Vic asked, saying a quick prayer no-one would remember this part tomorrow morning, before she reached up to push her tits together and up, like she was wearing a push-up bra: “I think my tits are too big. Or not big enough. I think they’re kind of an awkward size, you know? Like, too big to be small, but too small to be big.”

Remington was frowning even deeper now: “Too…big to be small?”

“Yeah! Like, mid-sized, but…also not, you know? Maybe if I got some interesting tattoos, like a treasure map with some dragons and flamingos, it would be a distraction? Or maybe I could get a desert scene with a cow’s skull…”

Eventually, Remington laughed: “You’re…you’re just so fucking weird.”

Vic grinned: “You say weird, I say interesting.”

“Interesting?” Remington repeated, still laughing: “Okay, let’s go with ‘interesting’.”

Vic nodded in agreement, but let the conversation drop.

She could tell Remington was more present now; his grip on her ankle had moved so he could tug absently at her laces, wrapping them around his fingers before unwrapping them, flicking at them before catching them again. Vic was kind of reminded of her cat, Walter…and honestly, Remington probably wouldn’t mind that comparison. He’d be the first to say he was cat-like - although he’d probably like Vic to say it was because he was graceful and mysterious, rather than because he was sometimes weirdly obsessed with odd bits and pieces shoelaces.

In truth, it was a bit of both.

Remington could be extremely self-confident and could carry himself with all the grace and self-assurance in the world…and then other times he could be her dork of a friend who just wanted to be near someone. Vic wished he had more options than just her for times like that, not because she didn’t want to hang out with him, but because she wanted him to be happy…

…but as it was just her, Vic would try and do her best to make sure her friend was okay.

So she sat on the edge of this grave Remington had dug, lightly swinging the foot Remington wasn’t holding onto back and forth, until Remington was ready to speak.

Eventually, he sighed, and leant up on his elbows: “Are they all watching?”

Vic didn’t turn and look, but given that she had been ignoring the feeling of eyes digging into her back the whole time she’d been sitting here: “Probably, yeah.”

“I…I don’t know why I did this.” Remington admitted with a weak voice: “I just sort of…did what I felt like I had to do.”

“Fair enough.” Vic nodded, knowing it was best not to question Remington when he was feeling a bit fragile: “Want me to get rid of them?”

“If you think you could…”

Vic pulled her phone out of her pocket and pulled up her texts with Josie.

Can you get everyone to go somewhere else? He doesn’t need everyone staring at him.

Yeah, give me five minutes.

“Five minutes.” Vic told Remington: “Then I’ll check.”

“Thank you.” Remington sighed, clearly relieved: “And thank you for, you know, coming down here.”

“Remington,” Vic said softly: “You don’t have to say thank you for that. If you need me, then I’ll be here.”

Despite the stragglers of the group behind them still being in view of the pitch, Remington carefully clambered to his feet so he could stand in front of Vic and throw his arms around her hips, burying his face in her shoulder.

Vic didn’t hesitate in hugging him back, wrapping her around his neck, holding him close.

They held onto each other in silence, waiting for the last of the group in the parking lot to leave and for Remington’s shivering became too noticeable to ignore before eventually separating - maily so Vic could open up the rucksack she’d brought with her.

Remington smiled when he saw the blanket she pulled from her bag, and dutifully allowed her to wrap it around his shoulders.

“You kept it?” he asked, running a hand over the faded chequered pattern.

“Of course I did.” Vic responded, getting to her feet and reaching down to help pull her friend out of the pit: “You gave it to me for sake-keeping.”

“Like five years ago.”

“Yeah?”

Remington accepted her hand and clambered up out of his pit, and hanging onto Vic’s hand as they headed towards her car - the only one left in the parking lot. Josie had been as good as her word, and gotten rid of everyone, but Vic didn’t doubt that she’d be grilled about what happened later.

She couldn’t bring herself to care - it was a problem for another time.

Perhaps after she worked out how Remington could not get caught for digging a fucking grave in the middle of the school’s football pitch if they were caught by the groundskeeper locking up for the night.

As if sensing her thoughts, Remington looked over his shoulder to the pile of mud and hole n the ground he’d left in his wake, and then looked back at Vic: “I’m a little bit fucked, aren’t I?”

“Not if we get out of here quickly.”

[strange-birb]

INDRODUCING: ROY HARPER “ the P U N K” 🤘🤘

Finally finished I actually had such a hard time with him Ngl but I love him

He is backup guitar sometimes lead

Him and Jason had a make out arch while guitar barreling ….. how you ask ? No idea but they did lol

He is super fun with the crowd

Matches Jason with subtle green stiches and jewelry

Flips while solos

Climbs on shit

Upside down I’ve the crowd playing

Smashed guitar at end of show

Neon green strings that light up under black light

JASON

CASS

TIM

STEPH

[open-your-heart-and-your-eyes]

Every band has….

The parental entity that makes sure no one dies.

The one with an arrest record from here to Chicago, probably for doing alot of dumb things

The really nice/wholesome one… who would kill you in your sleep if you crossed them. They know where you live, and will see you under your bed tonight

The one who could throw you into the sun with their pinky finger, either through strength or determination

The overgrown twelve-year old

These can mix and match even if there are two members and can apply to more than one person/ same person.

[sleekervae]

You Look So Cool | Remington Leith x OC | The Robbery AU

Masterlist

A/N: wow, so this got really long and it took on a whole other life of its own. However, I haven't written action sequences in a long time and I'm proud of myself! I hope you all like it, don't forget to like, comment, reblog, whatever you feel like! And I'm super excited for the Debilitate video!

Warnings: guns, violence, swearing, some naughtiness but no smut

No one ever batted a second eye at the Hideaway Diner, a local truck-stop dive outside of Vegas that hosted a variety of curious and outlandish characters. The owner didn't really give a damn so long as his patrons paid their bills and no rough housing went about. The paint was peeling off of the walls, the wooden tables were chipped and worn down, and the end-to-end carpet could've used a good deep cleaning, nevertheless the mighty portions and enticing smell of crackling bacon was enough to leave every customer satisfied.

On a particularly sunny late morning, the diner was bustling with truck drivers and hitchhikers. Overworked and underpaid staff went about brewing pots of watery coffee and the kitchen staff were sweltering in the humid kitchen. There was indistinct chattering, retelling of stories and old men getting into debates over their bets for the next big football game. Nobody was paying attention to the young couple in a back booth, two half-eaten plates of hash and eggs sat cold between them.

Remington looked like every straggly, lanky weirdo you'd see on the side of town your mother would warn you not to visit. The people who didn't understand him would make assumptions, he's heard them all: drug addict, drug dealer, parolee, a deviant. Nevertheless, no one could deny how handsome he was, alluring in a dangerous classification that could spell trouble in the best way. The younger waitresses would always light up when he strolled in, instantly smitten with his sharp gaze and his charming smile.

He didn't have a lot to hold on to, just his car, the crucifix chain he kept around his neck, his two brothers, and of course he had his girl. Sitting opposite to him, Vera was a statuesque beauty with pixie-like features, and at first glance not many people would understand what such an innocent-looking girl was doing sitting across from Remington. But those same people making assumptions about Remington made poor ones for Vera, too. They couldn't possibly imagine what greatness the inconspicuous couple had to sit on.

Vera picked at her scrambled eggs absent-mindedly, taking bites between reading through the drawn plans Emerson had given them the night before. Remington had skimmed through them already, but he knew how prepared Vera liked to be for everything. He watched her curiously; the loose hair from her ponytail swinging across her face, how her eyes darted between Emerson's notes to the ones she made on the napkin, and her lips moved slow, chewing her food thoughtfully. They were all such simple things, but Remington couldn't deny watching Vera be in her own presence was a true privilege.

She looked up when she felt his eyes on her, dropping her pen and sitting back in the booth, "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he shrugged back, his fingers inching across the table towards her free hand, "I just like watching you,"

"I'm not doing anything, though," she smiled at him skeptically.

"So what? You're pretty cool, anyway," he replied.

"I know," she teased back, "Maybe not as cool as you... but still,"

"We're gonna have to disagree on that," he simpered.

Vera didn't hesitate as he took her hand into his, giving her an affectionate squeeze. Even the simplest things he did, how he complimented and took care of her, Vera appreciated him so much. She had never met anybody like him. Underneath all his faults, Remington was truly nothing more than a dorky goofball.

"Well then, would you like to read your brother's blueprint so you can get on my level of cool?" she asked.

"I already read them," he replied simply.

"You barely glanced at them yesterday," she noted back.

"But I cased the place last week. I memorized every exit and noted all the shift changes in security," he reminded her.

"Sweetheart, all due respect, but you have the memory of a goldfish," she smirked.

"I do not!" he exclaimed, mocking offence, "I have a great memory!"

"Oh, really? What movie did we watch last week?" she asked.

Remington shrugged listlessly, he truly couldn't ever recall, "It was at the drive-in, right?"

"No, we were at home," Vera replied, "What about what I cooked for dinner Tuesday night?"

Again, Remington regretfully drew a blank, "You know, it was just so good I was more consumed with eating it than actually taking in what it was," he decided, trying to work his charm. Vera however had been around long enough to know when he was bullshitting her.

"Hmm. My point," she nodded victoriously.

"Hey, hey, hold on now," he interjected, "Those are just minor things. I remember all the big things,"

"Like what?" she asked.

Remington smiled coyly, "Like the red dress you wore for our first date; it had the white buttons going up the front and you had a black shirt on underneath," he recalled, "How about our first vacation together? We booked a ratty little BnB and the generator went out so we had no heat?"

Vera blushed, "And we had to find creative ways to keep warm. I remember," she chuckled.

"Not to mention our first heist together," he went on, "I was all nervous because it was your first one but you handled everything so fucking smoothly," there truly was no denying how proud he was that day, watching Vera take command of ten people so seamlessly and keeping them all in order while the guys took what they could from the bank safe.

Vera giggled some more, "Does it make a difference if I mention I was absolutely shitting myself and was just trying to impress you?"

"It worked!" he agreed, "And every time, you've done better and better,"

"Well, I did have a great teacher," she winked, "He's a pretty cool, guy,"

Remington slid out from his side of the booth and slide in next to her instead, looping his arm around her shoulders and Vera let her head rest on his chest, "Not as cool as you, V,"

Her eyes slipped shut as he kissed her head, a simple gesture but it made her heart flutter every time. No one had ever treated her as well as Remington did, and Vera didn't care if people didn't get it. He was her person, now and -- God willing -- forever.

However, their moment of bliss was interrupted as the waitress strolled over, a pot of sloshing coffee in her hand. Vera moved quickly to hide the evidence of what they were doing under her arm. The waitress, an older woman with greying raven hair, smiled at the couple.

"Well, aren't you two just adorable!" she drawled in a Carolina accent, "Can I offer you some more coffee?"

"That would be great," Remington smiled, pushing his coffee cup towards her, "Breakfast was excellent, as always,"

The waitress giggled merrily, "Oh, you're just the sweetest thing, hon," she then caught on to the blueprints under Vera's arm, "What're you two up to with them papers?"

Vera opened her mouth, her mind racing for a believable answer, but Remington beat her to it, "Oh these? They're plans for our new house," Vera looked at him skeptically. The waitress gasped in delight.

"Plans for a new house? You two are building a house?" she asked.

"Yeah," Vera nodded, quickly catching on, "We're just figuring out whether we have the space to put in a walk-in closet or a man cave?"

"You know which one gets my vote," Remington added.

"Well, good for you! That is excellent! I don't see a lot of young people these days taking the initiative like you two are. That is wonderful," she spoke as she topped up their coffee.

"Thank you," Vera grinned sweetly, covertly brushing her foot up Remington's leg. He did his best to bite back his smirk.

"Can I get you two anything else?" the waitress asked.

"Just the check would be great," Remington nodded.

"You got it," and she walked off back to the front.

Vera slumped in her chair, shaking her head as she began to put the plans away, "Okay. That was too close," she mumbled.

"C'mon, she didn't suspect a thing," Remington assured her.

"To be fair, we could rob this place right now and she wouldn't bat an eye," Remington chuckled as she went on, "But now the next time we come in, she's gonna be asking us about our house that we do not have," she replied.

Remington pulled her in closer, bringing his lips just over her ear, "Hey, depending on how this goes tonight, we can totally have that house,"

At that, Vera was intrigued, "To buy or to build?"

"How about both?" he suggested, "We could get a plot of land out in the country, build our dream house. My brothers wouldn't be around, either, just you and me,"

As much as Vera loved Emerson and Sebastian, having their own separate life to build sounded wonderful, "Sounds like heaven," she drawled, "Let's just not fuck up tonight,"

"We won't," he assured her, "We never do,"

She eyed him skeptically, "People who say 'never' always tend to get it in the end, Remi," she pointed out.

"Okay," he nodded, "How are you going into this, then?"

"With skewed optimism and a prayer to Jesus,"

Ambition was Sebastian's middle name -- or so he liked to think. However, when he saw the news of a diamond bid a year ago, he didn't bat an eye before he told his brothers of their new target. Emerson was skeptical at first; a great big convention centre in the heart of Las Vegas brimming with people of all walks of the economy, housing millions of dollars worth of diamonds. The money alone couldn't compare to the jewels and priceless accoutrements the crew could get away with. But the security was unparalleled to any bank they'd hit before. Nevertheless, the brothers, as well as Vera and their right-hand man, Andrew, had spent the past year preparing and planning for what would be the peak of their heist career.

The ultimate prize tonight was the Warhol Diamond necklace, worth a reported 11.5 million dollars. That should be more than enough for a house.

Of course, since this event was so upscale, it called for upscale tactics. They had to use some of the funds from previous jobs to score some invitations, and of course the invitation required them be dressed to the nines to get in. Of course, this was no problem for the crew, they always liked to dress it up a little on their jobs.

The evening came upon them quickly, and already the strip in front of the convention centre was packed with people. It would be so easy for any of them to slip away unscathed. The top of society was attending, limos and high-roller cars were lined up around the block while dashing men and extravagant woman stepped out, practically dripping in jewels. Remington licked his lips like a hungry predator.

"Did you have to wear the hat?" Sebastian grumbled at Emerson, who was dressed in a tailored red jacket and dark slacks. He had an antique top hat on his head, the brim lined in gold thread.

"I like the hat," Emerson grumbled, not very impressed with Sebastian's own velvet maroon suit, "You're the one wearing an ascot with an open-neck,"

"It draws less attention than a top hat," Sebastian pointed out. The brothers were hanging around in the lobby, shuffling through the herd of people who were oohing and awing at the gold-crusted, lavish Venetian decor. Everything oozed expensive, even the security guards at the metal detector appeared in bespoke tailored suits.

"Hey, c'mon. He likes it, just leave him alone," Remington grumbled back, dressed up in his own dark tartan suit.

Emerson was gawking around the halls, "They really beefed up security around this place. Are you sure about the shift change schedule?" he asked Remington.

"Of course I'm sure. We've been casing this place for a month," he assured, "Trust me, everything is under control,"

"It's all under control as long as V does her part," Sebastian whispered.

Remington smirked back at him, "You talk like she never pulls through," he said.

"I'm not saying she doesn't," Sebastian replied, "But it doesn't matter how many of these we do; there's always an outlier,"

"You were the one that wanted to hit this place," Emerson mumbled.

"Vera is gonna' be fine," Remington assured them, "She knows what she's doing. As long as Andrew's not late we'll be just fine,"

The boys got into the security line up, separately of course. They didn't want to draw attention as a group. One by one, they each went through the metal detector and a pat down, neither of them were flagged.

Meanwhile, Vera was already inside the party. She assimilated well into the crowd of philanthropists, politicians, and unabashed millionaires. She stood off from the bar while she waited for her drink, appearing lusciously priceless in a sleek, velvet black gown. It was a more expensive piece she bartered for, it made it so easy for her to slip into the persona of someone she could only dream to be.

She thanked the bartender for her whiskey soda and she wandered around the venue, meeting eyes with inconspicuous guests. Everyone was gathered around an empty stage front, awaiting when the bidding would start for the extravagant variety of jewelry pieces. Where would the money gathered be going? Well, the front man, Alister Warhol, announced that a percentage of the proceeds would be going off to benefit various charities. The only thing he neglected to mention was he was keeping over 90% of the proceeds for himself, as most philanthropists did.

With most of the guests distracted, she stopped to bend down in front of one of the vent grates. Attached to her garter belt were five canisters, each the size of a large fingernail. Vera had distributed the other four already, having slipped them into the vent grates. Making like she was adjusting the strap of her shoe, she was about to slip the last canister inside when she heard a throat grumble from above her.

Vera looked up, coming face-to-face with an older, distinguished gentleman. He was slender, his stark cheekbones protruding harshly through his skin, and his sunken eyes made him appear older than he appeared. He nursed his own champagne flute, and he smelled as though he'd enjoyed a few beforehand.

"Hello," he drawled, looking her up and down.

Vera strapped an alluring smile to her face, "Hello,"

"I'm sorry if I startled you, but I noticed you from the bar," he said, "You are absolutely stunning,"

"Why thank you," Vera smiled back, "Are you a bidder, tonight?"

He chuckled blithely, "Not exactly. I'm an acquirer for Mr. Warhol,"

Vera raised a brow, "Ah, so these pieces have come from your collection?" she asked.

"Some are mine, some are from other generous cohorts, some have been sold off to Warhol to pay off debts," he replied.

"I imagine I wouldn't want to be the person to owe Mr. Warhol money," she said.

"Absolutely not," he then took her hand in his, "The name's Redmond. Redmond Barrymore," and he kissed her knuckle.

Vera swallowed back her distaste, "Sophia Blackwell," her public cover name.

"Sophia Blackwell..." Redmond drawled, his expression furrowing, "... Oh, yes. I recall seeing your name on the guest list,"

Vera hummed, "I thought you were just Mr. Warhol's acquirer, Mr. Barrymore?"

He chuckled heavily, brimming with the bravado of a man with enough secrets to eradicate every person in this room, "Well, I like to have a handle on who may be bidding on my diamonds,"

Across the room, the brothers had finally entered the major ensuite. Remington immediately accepted a martini from one of the passing serving staff, scanning the room for their target. And there it was, the Warhol Necklace on full display in bullet proof glass, shelved on a high platform and out of reach for any person of general stature. Of course, it was surrounded by a handful of security guards.

"God, it's beautiful," Remington awed, "All 11.5 million of it,"

"We could make out pretty well with some of the pieces on these guests, too," Emerson added, looking around at the crowd.

"Remember, we have to stay focused," Sebastian reminded them, "Where's Vera?"

"I'll find her," Remington nodded, "You remember where we put the bag?"

"Yeah, I'll get it," Sebastian nodded, "We'll meet at the south-east corner in twenty minutes," and he ducked out of the crowd.

"I'm gonna' get a drink," Emerson decided before he too took off.

Remington sipped his martini meanwhile, his dark brown eyes skimming for faces and the odd Tiffany or Rolex he could knick away with. In the next pass he locked on Vera, her exquisite appearance accentuated against the shimmering gold and marble fixtures, not to mention the peak of her long leg beneath the high slit in her dress was so sexy. Remington had so many ideas of what he could do to her in that dress... if only that old man chatting her up wasn't ruining his picture.

He finished the martini promptly and placed it on a discard tray, making his way through the crowd and towards his girl. Vera meanwhile made her attempts to leave, though Redmond wasn't ready to let her go.

"Why don't you join me at my table?" he offered, "We're having dinner courtesy of Wolfgang Puck,"

Vera smiled politely, "That's very kind of you to offer, Mr. Barrymore, but I'm afraid I already have a table tonight," she replied in kind.

"Oh? With whom?"

"With me," Remington appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and Vera was relieved. Redmond looked him up and down, a little more critically than he had with Vera.

"Ah. And you would be...?"

"Aldous Blackwell, sir," Remington shook his hand, "Of the Toronto Blackwells,"

Redmond nodded slowly, "I see. I haven't seen you around here," he replied skeptically.

"I was kept late at an important business meeting, so I sent my wife ahead," Remington explained.

"And... what business do you run, Mr. Blackwell?" he asked.

Vera linked her arm with Remington, "The type that could afford him over half of Alister Warhol's diamond collection," she said. Remington squeezed her hand, never breaking his gaze with Redmond Barrymore.

"Very well, then," Redmond nodded, "I wish you luck in the bidding. As for you, Mrs. Blackwell," he took Vera's hand again and planted another kiss on her knuckle. Remington felt his blood pressure flare, though he kept his composure without a flinch, "It was a pleasure,"

"The pleasure was mine," she tried not to sneer as he walked away. She squirmed on the spot and rubbed her soaked knuckle on her hip, "God, what took you long?" she whispered to Remington.

"I couldn't help it," Remington ushered her through the crowd and towards the back hallway, "They got into it over accessories,"

"Well, they sure picked a time. If it wasn't for you, that creep would've suckered me into sitting for a dinner by Wolfgang Puck," she scoffed back, not thinking as Remington ushered her away from the crowd and into a dark, quieter hallway, "Not that I'd complain about the latter part,"

"I think with this, we could buy us a set meal from Mr. Puck's restaurant," before her eyes, Remington held up Barrymore's Panerai watch.

Vera wasn't shocked per say, though more or less impressed at his speed, "When did you take that?"

In a sharp instant, Remington had her backed into the corner, the watch shoved deep into his pocket, "While he was slobbering all over your hand,"

Remington stepped impossibly closer and pushed her legs apart with his knee. Vera's gasp was swallowed by his mouth engulfing hers, lips and teeth smacking in a rough, passionate kiss. She squeezed her legs around his, fingers threading through his hair as he moved to nip at her neck, his hand coming up to wrap around her throat. She had to bite her lip as he marked her, the rush of adrenaline and carnal tension shivering through her body, every touch of was electrifying and excitement bubbled beneath her skin.

“Remington,” she breathed, trying her best not to smirk as his dark expression, "Did it really bother you seeing the old man so close to me?"

He chuckled suddenly, though she knew it wasn't from amusement. His hand left her throat, slipping down the silky material of her dress until he reached the slit of her dress. His hand slipped up, caressing the inner part of her thigh, his eyes never leaving hers and his smirk widened.

"You belong to me," he mumbled, the intensity of his stare so dark and sharp, "You're all mine, and anybody who tries me will fucking regret it," he did not hesitate before pressing his lips firmly against hers, a desperate attempt to feel more of her. Vera looped her arms around Remington's neck and threaded her fingers within his soft locks, tugging it, smirking against his lips in satisfaction once he hissed at the action.

He swiped his tongue against her lower lip and pushed his tongue inside her mouth, deepening the kiss. With his other hand, he jerked her hips closer to his and pushed his hips against her, she moaned at the sensation of him rubbing against her. He emitted a low groan, his eyes clouded with pure desire as he pulled away from her lips in order to trail kisses down her throat. Oh, if only they had the time, the privacy, she would wrap her legs around his waist and let him take her against the wall right now, the crowd be damned.

"Are you for real?" their moment was slighted by Emerson, standing at the mouth of the hall, his unimpressed glower lit dimly in the shadows. Remington groaned, pulling away from his girl to face his brother, "You guys are like God damn rabbits; can you wait at least until we leave the premises?"

Vera couldn't help but laugh, the brothers equal annoyance with each other a nice breather for her.

"Alright, c'mon then. Let's go find Seb," she patted the lapel of Remington's jacket and walked off, all the while he stared a hole into his cock-blocking little brother.

"Five minutes," he grumbled at him, "You couldn't have let me have five fucking minutes?"

Emerson shrugged, not bothering to hide the shit-eating grin on his face, "You forget your room is right next to mine. You take way more than just five minutes," he smirked.

"Oh, fuck off," and he brushed right past Emerson.

Sure enough, twenty minutes had past. Bids were called, alcohol was consumed, and the diamonds glittered so deliciously under the chandelier display. No one was the wiser to the crew crouched down behind the stage, the dapper looking group having switched out their classy shoes and heels for treaded sneakers, and each of them slipped a gas mask over their head. Sebastian kept checking his watch, it was almost time for the canisters to go off.

"Are we all ready?" he asked.

Remington nodded as he checked his phone, "Andrew's ready and waiting downstairs," he reported.

"And the canisters should be going off in five minutes," Emerson added.

At the mention, Vera's face changed. A sharp fear ripped through her as she realized she never finished her assignment, "Fuck!"

"What?" the boys turned to her, praying her exclamation wasn't anything bad.

"I forgot one," she whispered, reaching under her skirt.

"Forgot one what?" Sebastian asked nervously. They were stunned in silence as Vera pulled out the last canister from her garter.

"Fuck," Emerson covered his mouth.

Sebastian glowered at her, "How could you forget?!" he snapped.

"I didn't mean to! I'm so sorry!" she gaped.

"It's not her fault," Remington cut in, "She was almost caught by Warhol's collector,"

"And yet you wanted five minutes," Emerson snickered at him, slipping his mask over his now hat-free head.

"Shut up!" Remington snapped at him.

"Five minutes? Five minutes for what?" Sebastian asked.

"Nothing!" Vera replied swiftly, "You guys go ahead, I'll slip the last one in the vent real quick," she pulled her mask off and hid it behind her back.

"You're gonna' go out there without your mask?" Sebastian queried.

Vera started for the curtain, "I'll make it. Security just hit shift change," and she disappeared around the velvet material.

"Is she serious? Fuck," Sebastian kicked at the wall.

"She's right, though. She'll be fine," Remington assured, slipping his gas mask over his head, "Let's move,"

Sure enough, the security was switching to the late shift, leaving just a few crucial minutes for the boys to take the stage. Sebastian was swift to subdue the first guard and Remington hopped onto the platform. The auctioneer was more than confused as he turned mid-bid of another diamond piece, coming nose-to-nose with a stranger in a gas mask. Remington knocked him upside the head with his own microphone, taking the stage to address the astounded crowd. Gasps and screams of horror bounced off the marble-slated walls.

"Ladies and gentleman!" he announced, his voice muffled by the mask, "Please, we ask you to remain calm! You are not in danger! However, in case it wasn't clear: this is a robbery!"

Vera meanwhile was slipping through the crowd, the gas canister clutched tightly in her fist as she ran for the last vent. She heard it begin to sizzle and it burned against her skin. In the chaos of the mess however, she was suddenly slammed by another body. The impact threw her to the side and the canister went flying. It was long gone by the time Vera realized what had happened, and she was sure to catch shit for it later. Nevertheless, the canisters were beginning to release the gas from within them and she needed to get her mask on fast.

Some people tried to run for the door, though they found they had been locked in. It was all thanks to Andrew and his quick skills with heavy chains wrapped around the handles from the outside. The sleeping gas began to fill the room, no one would be getting out.

"We're not here to hurt you! In just a few minutes, you're all gonna' feel the most relaxed you've ever been," Remington called out. And sure enough, the gas had begun to take effect. The echoing of coughing, sputtering, and gasping bounced across the walls and bodies began to slump. It wasn't just the guests within the hall, the gas traversed through the vents, reaching the security wing above them, as well as the kitchen below. No one within the immediate vicinity would be able to call for help. Sebastian was holding some taken aback guards at gun point while Emerson was tying them up with duct tape.

"Hey you!" Remington glanced down towards a brave security guard, aiming at the younger boy with his gun, "You get the hell down from there, right now!" he shouted angrily.

Remington, ever so the one to tempt fate, stepped out from behind the podium, his arms raised in an open target. He was goading the guard to shoot him, revelling in the chaos, the panic, and the thudding of bodies beginning to hit the floor.

"You talking to me?" he chided. The guard coughed, trying to cover his mouth and nose with his jacket lapel, and he fought diligently through the gas.

"Yes! Now, I won't tell you again!" he exclaimed. He was none the wiser to the striking young woman coming up from behind him, the bottle of champagne in her hand she used to crack him upside the head. He went down hard and fast, his gun flying off to the side.

Vera stared up, annoyed with her showman boyfriend, "Really?" she groaned at him.

"Hey! You love my theatrics!" he replied, pulling her up on the stage.

"Not when you're goading a loaded gunman into shooting you," Vera rolled her eyes, watching as the last few groups of people began to succumb to the sleeping gas. It was truly a marvel to behold, the room that was bustling with excitement not ten minutes ago was wilted and weak, struggling for air like plants in a drowsy, dark room.

"I saw you coming, anyway," Remington assured her, "Did you get rid of the canister?"

Vera inhaled sharply, "Kind of,"

"What does that mean?" he popped a brow.

"... I might have lost it," she admitted sheepishly, fear flashing through the eyeholes of her mask.

"What do you mean you lost it?"

"I got knocked into one guy who knocked me into another guy and it's out there somewhere!" she pointed to the sea of bodies.

Remington peered out in shock and dismay, scanning as though he could magically spot the canister in the mess. He had a sinking feeling in his gut.

"And which vent were you supposed to put it in?" he asked tentatively.

Vera shook her head, self-resentment and disappointment settling in her chest, "... The one that leads to the security office,"

"Shit," Remington turned to the plethora of diamonds, calculating as their estimated time was now cut by half. Surely, security would be down within minutes, and it wouldn't take them long to cut the chains off the doors.

"Sebastian's gonna' kill me this time," Vera shook her head, "I fucked up, I fucked up real bad --"

"Hey! It's okay," Remington took her by her shoulders, "Listen, you tried. Shit happens,"

"But Remington --"

"But nothing, Vera! We'll be fine! I'll handle Sebastian, you start on the codes for the cases. Let's just get what we can,"

Remington directed Vera to start getting the diamond cases open. Emerson went to help her while Sebastian kept watch over the guards. Remington wandered over to him sheepishly, knowing fully well he was going to be pissed.

"Don't be angry," he muttered to him.

Sebastian eyed his younger brother cautiously, "... Why should I be angry?" he asked.

"Our time was just slashed in half," he admitted. Sebastian gawked at him, his furious expression maximized by his mask.

"Okay, I'm angry. What happened?" he asked.

"It's not important right now,"

"Remington --"

"Don't argue with me right now, please? It was one slip up," he pleaded. Hell, Sebastian of all people had to know nothing was perfect, not even circumstance. Remington just prayed that they could get away with enough bounty to calm him down later.

Sebastian was at a loss for words, staring back and forth between him and the diamond cases. He decided quickly; if they only had half the time then they had to go for the most valuable pieces. He immediately looked up to the Warhol necklace, still perched on its high platform.

"Alright. You scale the platform and get the Warhol. We'll take it and whatever else these guys can get, and we go," Sebastian decided.

"Deal," like a bat out of hell, Remington began to climb the stage set up, clinging to the bars like a howler monkey in the jungle. He had had enough practice that every move was a calculated piece of cake. The Warhol diamond was just within reach.

He jumped for the platform, clinging tightly to the shelf as he shoved at the glass case, moving it until it just teetered off the edge.

"Hey sweetheart!" he called down, garnering his girl's attention, "Here's our house! Heads up!" and the case plummeted down into Sebastian's arms. Emerson and Vera meanwhile had broken out a few key valuable pieces, definitely enough to warrant Remington and Vera their own property and then some.

However, the true crown jewel of the collection was the Warhol Diamond Necklace; a custom waterfall design with stardust African diamonds, ordered by Alister Warhol himself. The rumour around town was he'd had it especially made for the woman he wanted to marry, the only woman in the world who had supposedly rejected him and his high-class attempts.

"Emerson! C'mere!" the youngest brother discarded the last case he had in favour for the big one. He was an expert at cracking codes, give him any safe in the world and he could have it open within minutes. Time of course was not a luxury they could spare.

"What house is he talking about?" he asked.

"I don't know," Sebastian shook his head, "They're at the stage where they wanna' start playing house,"

"Ew. Gross," Emerson chuckled, working as quickly as he could to unlock the case.

"I heard that!" Remington called, still hanging from the rafter. Vera laughed to herself, working quickly to pack what few pieces they had into the duffel.

"Don't be upset, honey. They're just jealous," Vera teased.

"Oh, you wish," Sebastian simpered.

It was painstaking process, and every second they spared was another second authorities had to gain on them. However, Emerson heard the last click of the combination lock and the lid snapped open. With glazed eyes, he pulled out the million dollar masterpiece, truly feeling as though he had grasped the Golden Idol.

"God, she's beautiful!" he mired.

"All 11.5 million of her," Sebastian agreed, swinging around to Vera, "That's buy each of us a house and then some,"

"Hell yeah it will!" Remington leapt down onto the stage with a hard thud, though he walked away unscathed, "I can see it now: large open yard, rock wall faces, Italian fixtures --"

"How about a pool?" Vera suggested.

"Dream house needs a dream pool," Emerson agreed, slipping the necklace into their bag.

Remington chuckled, "And a big pool we can light up at night so we can --" however, he was cut short when a sharp bang rang out through the air, and a crippling pain in his torso followed. Remington fell to the ground to the horror of his crew, Vera and Emerson dropped what they were doing and rushed to him.

"Remington! Oh my God!" they quickly turned him onto his back. Remington was still alive, he was sure of that as he saw the gruesome fear rippling through his brother and his girlfriend, and his body felt as though it was burning from the inside out. He had been shot.

Sebastian meanwhile turned out to the crowd, finding himself in a gun draw with Redmond Barrymore. The older gentleman's gun was still smoking from his fire. He wheezed heavily, keeping himself upright on the table with shaky limbs. It wouldn't have taken much to take him out if not for the nine millimetre he had aimed for Sebastian's head. He grunted through the gas, his willpower seemingly stronger than the gas.

"You put my diamonds back! Or you're next!" he sneered.

"How in the fuck..." Sebastian drawled.

Redmond chuckled darkly, "What's the matter, son? You didn't expect to see an old man come back from the dead? You don't work for Mr. Warhol without having some special tricks of your own," he reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like an epipen at first glance. Whatever was in that needle was a counteract to the sleeping gas, an insurance policy should an occasion as this arrive.

"We don't want to hurt you," Sebastian assured him, "We're just gonna take our loot and go. You'll never hear from us again,"

The older gentleman was in hysterics, "Really? You're quite brave for a man with no options, sir! You're down a man with no escape route because the security will be busting through those doors any minute!" he roared, "I commend your efforts though, the gas masks are a nice touch!"

Remington was gasping for a deep breath under his mask but he knew he couldn't remove it. The air was still too thick. Emerson had to hold him down while Vera ripped off part of the curtain, trying to clot the pack the wound so he bleed out. In his haze of pain and uncertainty, Remington focused on the giant chandelier. Thousands of crystals glinted and twinkled, giving him a brilliant yet crazy idea.

"The chandelier --" he sputtered, "The chandelier!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's pretty," Emerson grumbled.

"No! The chandelier!" Remington snapped at him.

"What about it?!"

"Use it!"

"What?"

Vera faced up to the ceiling, almost being blinded by the chandelier and its many glinting, sharp crystals. There was a cable holding the entire structure up; and it hung smack over Redmond Barrymore. If only she had something to cut the cable, they could make a clean get away. It was then she remembered the guards carried their own guns.

She raced over to the group of large men, each of them still out cold as she felt around for a gun. She found the perfect line of trajectory behind the stage, aiming at the guesstimated angle she prayed would make quick work for their escape.

Sebastian froze as another gun shot rang out, but it wasn't from his nor was it from Redmond's. He heard a distinct tinkling, jewels clanging together above his head. The cable holding the chandelier up was sizzling, and he caught wind of what was about to happen. He took a cautious step back.

"You know, I believe things are looking up for us," he noted. Redmond glanced up to the vibrating chandelier, just as another shot rang out. He leapt out of the way just as the chandelier plummeted to the ground, sending thousands of crystals smashing and flying everywhere, electrical sparks raining down from the cable.

The brothers didn't have time to take cover, they made quick work to get Remington to his feet. Vera took the gun with her and grabbed the duffel bag while Emerson had the bag with their stuff.

Redmond hadn't gotten away from the crash unscathed, his leg was pinned down by a metal rod, effectively shattering his shin bone. He cried out in pain and in anger, lashing out as the crew headed for their escape route. He roared like a lion who had missed his dinner, rage flaring through his body as he called, "Who the fuck are you people!?"

The crew stopped, turning back to Redmond with a great smugness hidden under their masks. Remington gathered his wits enough to taunt him back with a sassy remark, "Us? We're The fucking Bastards,"

A loud banging thundered from the doors, and they knew their time was up. Vera and Emerson lead the way while Sebastian hobbled along with Remington, all the while the middle brother kept pressing the curtain tightly into his wound. It hurt like hell, but it was nothing compared to what being caught would feel like.

They cut through the kitchen, a mess of passed out staff, bubbling pots and burning pans. The smell was distinguishable of just burnt, burnt flakey char that nobody would eat. The service elevator was in the back and they all piled in, just as a flood of footsteps entered the kitchen. They had a second to relax.

"Well, that was fun," Emerson puffed.

"Yeah," Sebastian turned to Vera, "Nice thinking with the chandelier,"

Vera shrugged, "It was all your brother's plan," she replied simply.

"Do we have everything?" Remington groaned.

"Not like we can go back," Emerson replied.

"I just hope Andrew's ready," Sebastian shook his head.

"What's he driving?" Vera asked.

The boys looked between each other, realization hitting that they never asked what vehicle Andrew was going to be in. Vera stared dumbfounded between them.

"He didn't tell you what he was driving?" she asked in disbelief.

"We were running late, we just trusted him," Emerson replied.

"It's okay," Remington assured, "Andrew always pulls through,"

The elevator dinged to the basement level and the giant doors swung open. Much to their luck, security hadn't reached the basement yet. They quickly shuffled out, looking around for any sign of Andrew. It was then Emerson found the obscure looking ambulance in the sea of high-end cars, and sure enough, Andrew and his wild head of hair were sitting upfront, his own gas mask covering his face.

"I found him!" he pointed to the ambulance.

"Huh, fitting," Remington chuckled.

Andrew looked up from his round of candy crush and spotted them immediately. He started the truck before Sebastian could wave him down and pulled out in front of them. Sebastian ripped the back doors open and they all clamoured inside. Remington slumped to the floor.

"We all good?" Andrew called them.

Sebastian took the seat beside him, nodding and panting heavily, "Yeah. Drive,"

Andrew however had focused on Remington and the pool of blood staining his shirt, "What happened to him?"

"Just drive!" Sebastian snapped.

Andrew didn't need to be told again, he peeled out of the delivery truck exit and onto traffic. Police cars whizzed by them meanwhile, all stopping at the convention centre. Vera watched out the back window with bated breath, finally relaxing when she saw they were safe.

"We're clear," she announced, and they all pulled off their masks.

The fresh air was a welcome reward for their strife, that and the bag full of diamond trinkets and other jewelry pieces the crew pocketed. They drove unscathed out of the city, the flashing lights of the Vegas strip quickly dissipated into blacked out desert. Some lights flared from homes in the distance, the further they drove the less there was around. Remington stayed slumped on the ground, breathing slowly through his pain whilst he gripped tightly to Vera's hand. She cleaned his wound as much as she could, more of the dirty work would have to be done at home. When they hit a particular checkpoint they had to switch vehicles, Andrew already had a camper van waiting and left the ambulance behind.

After thirty minutes of driving through seemingly nowhere, they turned into an obscure bungalow neighbourhood. It was a lower middle class community where nobody asked questions and everybody usually kept to themselves. The camper van pulled into their home, and the engine hadn't even been cut before the back door flew open and Emerson and Vera helped Remington inside. Sebastian and Andrew meanwhile took charge of unloading their loot.

Remington groaned as he fell into the bathtub, turning over to rip his shirt off. Vera began soaking rags in disinfectant, beside her a hastily thrown together medical kit. It wasn't much, but the tools she had were enough to patch her boys up when necessary.

A half-drunk bottle of whiskey sat on the rim, and Remington swigged it plentifully to numb the pain he knew was coming. Vera's hand were already a sticky mess of blood from the centre and she scrubbed hard to get herself clean.

"I thought he'd killed you," she rattled off, "I didn't know he had a gun, I should've known. He's a diamond collector of fuck sakes --"

"Vera. Vera!" he called, "Sweetheart, we got away scot-free,"

She fell to sit on the rim of the tub, staring at the open wound in his skin with marred distain, "But you got hurt, anyway," she huffed.

"We knew what we were signing up for," he assured her, taking her hand, "You did so fucking well tonight,"

"I fucked up, Remington," she sighed, "We could've gotten more than double what we made away with,"

"And it's enough. Vera, I don't care what we take or what happens to me, I just need you to be okay," he replied, searching for a depth of sparkle in her eyes, "Are you okay?"

She inhaled deeply. She couldn't lie that she had been rattled, and it was surely just a fluke of luck that she had shot down that chandelier so skillfully. She hadn't done her job properly and yet Remington was still so concerned for her. She couldn't imagine how she could even begin to repay him for his love. But then that was it: love wasn't supposed to be something transactional, it was a deep connection and profound fondness for one another. Remington wasn't just her partner in crime, he was her partner for life.

"I'm okay," she nodded, staring wistfully at the rags on the sink counter, "You're probably not gonna' like me in a few minutes," she warned.

"Impossible," he smiled, "You're so fucking cool,"

Vera blushed, supporting herself on the rim and wall of the bath and leaning in to brush her lips against hiss, but was interrupted when their foreheads bumped together, making them both giggle and the tension faded away.

She kissed him sweetly, muttering softly under her breath, "I love you,"

"I love you, too," he sat back in the tub, bracing himself for the stinging pain of retrieval and cleaning. He'd done it before, but every time it never got easier.

Vera took her own swig of the whiskey bottle, holding it out for him, "Drink," she ordered. He obliged her happily, his eyes stayed glued to hers.

Vera sighed as he handed her back the bottle, making a silent apology, "Good, now bite your tongue," and she poured the alcohol over his wound.

The boys couldn't help but tense up when they heard Remington shouting from the bathroom, a position neither of them envied him for. He would bitch and complain for about twenty minutes, grovel about his pain for a day, but he would be back to normal in no time. It was all worth it anyhow as Emerson held up the Warhol necklace, every individual diamond sparkled in the low light. No matter how many hitches they hit in their job tonight, The Bastards were successful in what they'd come for.

[the-world-is-spinning-round]

Beastly - Emerson Barrett fan fiction (Spooktober Writing Challenge)

The full moon hung heavily in the dark sky, steadily climbing upwards, prompting Gwendoline to walk a little faster.

It was the first full moon of the year - the Wolf Moon - and she could already hear the sound of howling beyond the village walls.

Most nights, those walls were enough to keep the forest’s wolves out of the village, but on the night of a full moon? And on the night of the Wolf Moon of all full moons? The walls were no obstacle to the monsters that lurked within the trees. Once the moon was at its highest point, those howling beasts would vault the wall that separated them from the humans in the village, and Heaven help those humans then…

Which was why Gwendoline had to get home quickly.

She knew she didn’t stand a chance against a hungry wolf, especially not one that had probably been starving all winter. Hunger made monsters of them all, and for a creature that was already beastly…

Another howl split the quiet night air, sending a cold chill down Gwendoline’s spine.

Time’s running out.

Almost running now, Gwendoline rounded the corner that was the end of her street…and froze in her tracks.

In the middle of the narrow street waited the very kind of monster she’d been afraid of coming across, watching her with cold, hard yellow eyes.

Gwendoline felt the heaviness of it’s gaze like the leaden merchants’ weights from the market, pinning her in place, making her shiver even in her thick woollen dress and even thicker shawl. Fear shot an icy trail down her spine, sharp like a claw dragged down her skin - just like the claws of the monster watching her.

He might not look it yet, but the yellow eyes were a dead giveaway, even as they looked at Gwendoline from a deceptively handsome young man’s face. And if they weren’t, the smile he gave her - more of a baring of too-sharp teeth than anything close to an expression of happiness - was the final nail in the coffin.

The final nail in her coffin.

As if there’ll be enough of me left to need a coffin.

The beast took a step forward, prenaturally graceful and with all the precise measurement of a predator, and everything in Gwendoline screamed at her to run, but she knew that that would only entice the beast. 

It was a hunter. And just because she was its prey didn’t mean she had run scared like a fawn or a rabbit.

She drew herself up to her full height, even if it wasn’t much, and stared straight back at the monster. Then she simply waited for it to lunge.

Only it didn’t. Instead, it tilted its head to the side and watched her with a curious expression, before eventually speaking in a voice that was rough and croaky as if from disuse: “Not running?”

“I thought you’d be thanking me for that.”

The monster pouted - like a child: “Not fun.”

“I won’t apologise for taking the fun out of my own death, creature.”

Now the monster smiled: “Emerson.”

“Excuse me?”

“Emerson. ‘S my name. Not 'creature'.”

Gwendoline was about to tell the beast that she didn’t care what his name was, considering that he was about to kill and eat her, but then he tensed as if to finally leap at her, and all her willpower was spent locking her trembling knees and forcing herself to stand tall where she was.

She wouldn’t die on her knees. She wouldn’t run. She wouldn’t plead.

If she was going to go, it was going to be with dignity.

The monster didn’t leap, though. It watched her brace herself, and when she didn’t scream or flee, it relaxed with a mysterious smile on its face.

“More fun than I thought.” he said, nodding approvingly.

Gwen was, once again, about to tell him that she didn’t care about any of this - his name, his ideas of fun, his ‘approval’, but then he was slinking towards her, and she considered it might be smarter to keep her words to herself, lest her voice shake and give away her fear. 

The beast approached her with all the predatory grace of its less human form, taking its time moving forward until it was just inches away from her, filling her head with the scent of the frozen forest: pine and ice and cold water, and leaning down so that it could look her closely in the eye.

“Definitely more fun than I thought.” he murmured softly, reaching up to run the pad of his thumb along Gwendoline’s lower lip: “I’ll be seeing you again soon, little rabbit.”

Gwendoline didn’t think - she just tried to bite the monster’s thumb where it was still pressed to the corner of her mouth: much to his delight.

He merely laughed at her, trailing his fingertips over her cheek and down the side of her neck, before stepping back and removing his hand entirely.

Gwendoline forced herself to ignore the way she missed the feeling of his calloused fingers on her skin.

“Go home, rabbit, and lock your door. Keep yourself safe.” he smirked at her: “I’m looking forward to seeing you again.”

He loped away, radiating self-satisfaction and smugness, and Gwendoline watched him go, uncertain whether or not this was some kind of joke…but then he didn’t reappear, and neither did any of his packmates, and Gwendoline turned to run to her cottage at the end of the row.

She’d, somehow, been given a second chance, and she wasn’t going to waste it dithering in the street.

She slammed the front door shut behind her, pressing her hands against the silver studs that ran through it, her heart hammering in her chest and her thoughts whirling in her head.

Everything that had just happened - right down to the fact that she was still breathing - felt impossible. It felt like it shouldn’t be real…but Gwendoline just didn’t think she was creative enough to dream anything this nonsensical up.

And she wasn’t sure if she was terrified by that…

…or perversely relieved.

[strange-birb]

More Remington Tim lol

I can’t get it out of my head… tim would . He would….

He would be a menace in stage and I want his family (except Jason and Steph) to be horrified!!! 🤣

first post

JASON

STEPH

CASS

ROY

[grav3yardbb92]

Remington leith x f!reader

*********

I woke up in the small cubby, that I currently call my bed. I pull back the curtain and step down into the small hallway that separates the two rows of bunks. I then walk into the main living area of the tour bus, expecting to find my boyfriend, Rem, or atleast one of his brothers or band mates. Instead I found no one. I then realize that the bus is stopped, so I slip on my Chuck's and step outside. I notice Daniel smoking in front of the steak & shake. 

" hey there, sleepyhead" he says to me as I approach him. " where is.....?" " inside, corner booth" he answers simply, gesturing toward the door. I smile and thank him as I head into the restaurant, the smell of fresh coffee hitting my nose. I turn toward the corner and spot REM, with his back facing me, laughing with his brother Emerson. Em looks up and smiles at me. I place my finger over my mouth, gesturing for him to be quiet as I sneak up behind Rem

" oh My God! You're that vampire guy from that band! " I shout, making my best impression of a fangirl. Remington looks up at me and smiles. Emerson slides out of the booth and exits the restaurant, laughing his ass off.

" oh my god, you're that vampire guy's amazing girlfriend " Rem responds, imitating me. I laugh and slide in where Emerson just was. When I sit, Rem leans in to kiss my lips.

I then notice an almost empty plate of fries, so I snag one and eat it. He then slides his half gone milkshake in front of me.  " what is it?" I ask. " guess" he answers simply. I look at him questionably but accept the offer, taking a sip. I taste chocolate along with something else undetectable. " chocolate?" I question " nope" he says shaking his head. I take another sip. " reesee" I guess again.

He gasp and holds his hand to his chest. " how dare you insult my baby." He says shocked. He then stands up and walks away toward the door. " hey, wait" I shout, following him" I know it" I say, catching up to him. " nutella " I whisper in his ear. He smiles and turns to face me. He nods, then grabs my hand and we walk out.

" I thought I was your baby" I say, faking a frown

" you are" he answers smiling " but don't tell nutella that" he adds in a whisper, kissing me again. " o..kay" I respond, rolling my eyes. " you're a weirdo" I add jokingly. " yep. But I'm your weirdo, right?" He ask. " of course" I respond as we enter the bus.

Cuddle time!

[hildegardladyofbones]

going to see palaye royale in december which can only mean that i must become as unbearable as possible as i can about them. for my dignity

[matchaloverlikesflannel]

My shower thoughts:

A Festival with all my favorite artists:

Imagine Dragons

Måneskin

Palaye Royale

Yungblud

Cage The Elefant

Arctic Monkeys

Twenty One pilots

The neighborhood

I could go on for ages. Harry Styles and Hozier would be sickkkkk too but they are another vibe 😂 also Joris (German artist) would be nice

And on top of it the last show would end at 10pm, party until 11 pm cause I'm not a night person xD

Who's in? 🙌

[sleepisoverrated]

Hey here's some songs that I think match (, but keep in mind I was reading Angst fics when collecting the songs)

Jason- Mad Hatter Malanie Martinez, Control Halsey, I'm gonna show you crazy Bebe Rexha, Ain't No Rest For The Wicked Cage The Elephant, House Of Memories Panic!At the Disco, I'm Just Your Problem Adventure Time(Bruce), War and Apologize by grandson, Wonderland Caravan Palace and Boy in the Bubble Alec Benjamin

Dick- Sarcasm Get Scared, Favourite color is Blue Robert DeLong, SAD Young Rising Sons, Novocaine and Last of the Real ones by Fall out boy, Lonely Palaye Royale, Wolf in Sheeps Clothing Set it of(id crisis), Shit Bo Burnham(depressed),Burn the House Down AJR, Teeth 5 seconds of summer(SlaDick), Lotta True Crime Penelope Scott(rape, dark), Best Friends grandson, Wake me up and Hey Brother by Avicii, Medicine Artist vs Poet and Victorious Panic! At the Disco

Damian- Bones Imagine Dragons(Robin is magic), If I Killed someone for you Alec Benjamin, parents YUNGBLUD(his perspective/scared of saying he's gay), Love Like You and Here comes a thought Steven Universe,and Immortals Fall out boy(mini SuperBat)

Tim- I'll Sleep when I'm dead Set it off, Crazy=Genius Panic!At the Disco and Two Birds Regina Spektor

Bruce- Teenagers and Welcome to the Black parade by MCR and Wilson(Expensive mistakes) Fall out Boy

There are less songs for Tim and Bruce because I don't know their lore that well or don't listen to music that matches them.

[honeydais]

Hey friends! I returned a month later and brought for you a list of songs with which I associate the characters.

And with it you can determine my favorite characters :)

Jeff Woods ( Jeff the killer)— Psychosocial (Slipknot)

Americano ( Lady Gaga)

Lights out ( MSI )

Enemy ( Imagine dragons)

Liu Woods - Hayloft II (Mother Mother);

GOSSIP ( Måneskin )

Replay ( Lady Gaga )

Two birds (Regina Spector)

Lira Rogers - Looking at me ( Sabrina Carpenter )

Jane Richardson ( Jane the killer )- Telephone (Lady Gaga)

Bloody Mary ( Lady Gaga)

Bad girls ( M. I. A. )

She wants me dead ( Cazzette i AronChupa )

Jane Arkensaw - Genesis (Grimes)

The mess you made ( AJA )

Nina Hopkins ( Nina the killer ) - Mamma Mia (HUGEL)

Vicious ( Bohnes )

Criminal ( Britney Spears )

Take your shirt off ( Millionaires )

Toxic ( Britney Spears)

Nina Hopkins(new) - Toy ( Netta Barzilai )

Slumber party ( Ashnikko )

Troublemaker ( Olly Murs )

Jack Nairas ( Eyeless Jack)- HURT ( 1 800 PAIN )

Ate my heart (Lady Gaga)

Valentino ( Olly Alexander )

Devil town ( Cavetown ) 

Mama ( My Chemical Romance)

Benjamin Lauman ( Ben drowned )- That That ( PSY )

Don't try sucide ( QUEEN ) 

Tobias Rogers ( Ticci Toby )- My alcoholic friends ( The Dresden Dolls )

Teenagers (My Chemical Romance)

Mama's boy (Dominic Fike)

Blow ( Kesha )

Natalie Ouellet ( Clockwork )- People I don't like (Upsahl)

NO ( Meghan Trainor )

Haunted house ( neoni )

Seventeen ( Marina and the diamonds) 

Tim Wright - GRRRLS (Aviva)

Older ( Isabel Larosa )

House of memories ( Panic! at the disco)

Brian Thomas - Guys don't like me ( It Boys )

Don't trust me ( 3OH!3 )

Kate Millens (Haze) - She homeless (Creep - P)

Helen Otis ( Bloody painter)- dump dump (mazie)

yes & no ( Paige Duddy )

She likes a boy ( Nxdia )

Dina Angela Clark ( Judge Angel )- Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land ( Marina )

Mary on a cross ( Ghost)

Bloody Mary ( Lady Gaga)

Jonathan Blake ( The Puppeteer)- Drunk-Dazed ( ENHYPEN )

Lost in the fire ( Gesaffelstein )

Look what you made me do (Taylor Swift)

EYES ON ME ( asteria)

Ann Luzen Mia ( Nurse Ann ) - Take a hint (Elizabeth Gillies and Victoria Justice)

Sweet dreams ( Eurythmics)

Primadonna ( Marina )

Emra Amelia Aldridge - Dance to forget (TryHardNinja)

Cake ( Melanie Martinez )

Oh no! ( Marina and the diamonds)

Material girl ( Madonna)

Zero - Hole-Dwelling

Hermit the frog ( Marina and the diamonds)

Jason Meyer ( Jason the toymaker )- DARKSIDE ( neoni )

Super Psycho Love ( Simon Curtis)

Sexy dr_g ( Falling in Reverse)

Jealously, jealously ( Olivia Rodrigo)

Louis Vuitton Body Bag ( Jeffree Star ) 

Laughing Jack - Lonely (Palaye Royale)

Happy face (Jagwar Twin)

Backstabber ( Kesha )

Bad feeling ( Jagwar Twin )

Laughing Jill - Lone Digger (Caravan palace)

What are you watching for?  (Gwen Stefani)

Applause ( Lady Gaga)

Maniac ( Michael Sembello ) 

Shoot him down! ( Alice Francis)

Candy Pop - HIP ( mamamoo )

Nathan Nobody - Gladiator ( Jann )

Beautiful is boring ( BONES UK )

Mammamia ( maneskin )

Sally Williams - Who is she?  (I Monster)

Dollhouse ( Melanie Martinez)

Tag, You're it (Melanie Martinez)

Lazari Natalie Svong - I hate my mom ( GRLwood )

Lucille Tiffany Greatfield( Lulu ) - Tag, You're it (Melanie Martinez)

How do you sleep? ( AJA )

Slenderman - I didn't find the right song 

[isadollie]

★ isadollie's 100 followers event! — matchup for @karusenka

♡ eren jaeger is your match!

here's how i imagine you two together:

★ 12 year old humor you say? oh i'm afraid that's him. when others are giving you weird looks, he just says that no one has a good sense of humor like the two of you do

★ he's a big physical touch guy, loves to hold you

★ won't ever admit it but he loves when you come to him for comfort, he loves knowing that he's the one you trust enough to cry against

★ would make sure that you think of yourself more, instead of caring about others all the time

★ buys you everything you lay your eyes upon without blinking

"i'm home!" you said as you walked through the door, taking your shoes off. you heard steps echoing through the house, and soon eren was by your side.

he was wearing a cute, pink little apron, holding a spatula in his hand. you couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. he looked so funny, yet pretty adorable as well.

"welcome home." he said simply, wrapping his arms around you in a quick hug. "had a long day?" he stroked your hair.

"mhmm" you hummed in response, but when you wanted to hug him tighter, he pulled back.

"c'mon. i made your favourite for dinner." he motioned for you to follow him into the kitchen. "it's almost ready."

you happily followed him into the room, but then the smile quickly faded away from your face, replaced by a frown.

"oh my, eren, what is that smell?"

he scoffed, turning back to the stove. "dinner."

"dinner?" you walked closer, peaking from behind his shoulder. "it's burning!"

he sent you a glare. "do you want me to remind you what happened when YOU were making dinner last week?"

you sighed and took a step back. "fine, you win... I'll go light up some candles." you mumbled. "if one thing's burning, we might as well burn some candles as an addition."

something about eren always screamed palaye royale to me, and well, i think it's a very good song anyway, so there you have it

i think he'd relate to this song and would like it

your second choice? armin arlert! he was originally my first thought but you said you like the opposites attract trope, therefore i settled for eren in the end:3

also, did i just spot another polish person on tumblr for the very first time???!?!

jeśli tak, mam nadzieję, że się podoba hihi<3

[surr3al1sm]

Chapter 5 of Maybe Loving You is Dangerous is here! ✨🌹

I don't have alot to say about this chapter that I didn't mention in the notes already, so be sure to check those out!

I will say that I have been incredibly stressed for my exams this week, so I imagine that this chapter suffered a little due to that. So maybe lower your expectations, idrk.

I really do hope you enjoy the chapter! If you do take a moment out of your day to check it out: thank you for that!

"The fighting that I keep inviting could lead me to grave. I keep feeling like I'm not enough, not enough, not enough. But I don't run away from you. Knock me down and twist me up until I'm all fucked up. But I don't run from you. I guess I'll asphyxiate, let my heart break straight in two."

[sleekervae]

The Neighbour [4.4]

Masterlist

A/N: woo, I'm back! Sorry updates have been coming up slow for this one, I'm trying. But we're almost near the end and I'm so excited!!

Warnings: pets at the vet, some self loathing, familial drama

--

If there was anything more stressful than taking an animal to the vet, it was having to wait outside the office, fearing the unknown just like they were. There was no sitting in the exam room, no clamouring to keep the pet on the table, no reassuring faces from the doctor that your little guy was going to be okay.

Remington sat on the curb, the car was too stuffy but the air was uncomfortably dry. His knee shook incessantly. Emerson had called the vet to get Pluto in while Sebastian drove them, swerving in and out of traffic like a super spy in a Jason Statham flick. The entire time Pluto lay limp in his arms, he would shift his head from spot to spot, cradled in Remington's arms, mewling when his leg was moved.

A doctor had rushed outside just as they'd pulled into the vet hospital, took Pluto and instructed them to stick around, they'd come out soon after their exam. Pluto kept watching Remington as the doctor took him inside, either it was a look of gratitude or a plea to get him the hell out of there.

It had been forty minutes.

Emerson was sitting shot gun in the car, smoking a joint, the brim of his beret was pulled over his eyes. Sebastian was pacing back and forth in the parking lot, taking calls from Chris, Larissa, their mom. He was concerned not just for Pluto, but for Remington as well. He had been unusually quiet through all of this, now and again asking how much longer Pluto was going to be. He wasn't indifferent or in a hurry, he was scared -- for Pluto, to tell Eva, maybe even for the bill for all of this.

Sebastian approached him, "You hungry? There's a strip mall over there," he nodded across the street.

Remington shook his head, "No, I'm good. You guys go,"

"And leave you here to -- what? Worry?" he sat down beside him, adjusting his suit pants, "Maybe you should call Eva?"

"No," he shook his head swiftly, "She's got too much to worry about right now, she doesn't need to tack on me almost killing her cat,"

"What?" Sebastian gawked at him, "Remington -- this wasn't your fault,"

"Eva trusted me to look after Pluto. I left the window open, I didn't pay attention, I made this happen," he deduced, still staring into space.

"And even if you hadn't left the window open, you know how much of a shit that cat is. Eva's told us how many times he almost got himself killed," he reasoned back, "You think she finds out about this, she'll never speak to you again? No way,"

"That's not the point!" Remington snapped, "I was irresponsible -- like always! And if she does forgive me she's probably not going to trust me with him again! And then she won't trust me to take care of the house, or to be without her on tour, or to even -- I don't know, not separating the laundry correctly,"

Sebastian's brow fell, glowering quizzically at his little brother, "Hold on -- what are you...? Eva doesn't trust you to do the laundry?"

Remington refrained from rolling his eyes, "It's the cycle, Sebastian. It's my cycle. I fuck up and my relationships are down the hole from there. And this is a pretty big fuck up," he pointed to the vet's office.

He didn't mean to sound whiny or weak, but he was speaking from experience. It was why relationship after relationship fell through, somehow he always ended up disappointing his lovers. At least, that was the pattern with his ex. Time after time he'd apologize, try to make up for mistakes, for time, but it was never enough. And that little voice in his head would return, taunting him over and over about how done for he was.

However, Sebastian -- ever the voice was reason -- placed his hand on his shoulder, trying to bring Remington back to Earth. His insecurities were never a secret; Sebastian had lost count of the number of times he'd either have to comfort or fight Remington on his own self worth. At the end of the day, Sebastian would go to the end of the Earth to make sure his brothers were okay, and it broke his heart seeing how lowly he thought of himself.

"Remington... Eva is not Marcy. She's not Lauren, or Thea, or Christina... she's honestly the most pragmatic and -- dare I say -- likeable girlfriend you've ever had. She's a very understanding person, and you've done a lot of growing up with her. And she will understand that what happened to Pluto was a complete and utter accident," he squeezed his bony shoulder, "Okay fine: so you took your eye off the cat for a minute. He's a slippery little bastard. But you didn't throw him off a balcony with a broom, and you were the first person to jump into the car so we could take him here. And you didn't just do it because you love Eva, but you love that cat like he's your own,"

Emerson piped up from the car, "He may as well be your cat, at this point!" he called, "He got hair all over my baroque armchair!"

Sebastian waved him off and turned back to Remington, "Pluto is gonna' be fine because you were there to rescue him. Now, I think Eva might get pissed off if her cat in a cast was a welcome home surprise, so you need to tell her," he said.

"She's already got so much she has to deal with, though," Remington replied.

"Exactly. So, it's better for her peace of mind to know that Pluto is gonna' be okay," he said.

Remington finally looked to him, conflicted, "You think he'll be okay?"

Emerson hopped out of the car at that, shuffling over to the curb as he flicked away the butt of his joint, "Sure. Cats have nine lives, don't they?" he smirked.

"The worse he'll come away with is a cast, we'll probably have to carry him around everywhere. He'll fucking love it," Sebastian chided.

Emerson sat on the other of Remington, already thumbing at his pocket for another pre-roll, "Rem, Eva's crazy about you. You know how much it took for her to not drag you on this trip with her?"

Remington shook his head, "I would've gone. If she wanted me to that badly, I would've gone," he huffed.

"And the same reason you're afraid to call her, she was afraid to bring you up North. Your opinion of her could change for the dumbest or most profound thing, and because she loves you she wants to protect you like how you wanna' protect her from -- our bullshit," Emerson explained.

Sebastian leaned over to glower at the youngest brother, "How do you know all that?"

"What do you think we talk about when we're working?" Emerson replied, "I mean -- the only thing she loves more than Remington is hot cheetos for God sakes,"

Remington's face softened, "Yeah?"

"I mean, I personally prefer the cheddar jalapeño flavour --"

"No, I meant Eva," he elbowed him, "You guys talk about me?"

Emerson shrugged back, "Of course we do. After her, I'm the only person in the world who loves you the most. She's pretty close, though. No offence, Seb,"

"Okay," Sebastian scowled.

Remington shook his head, looking blithely up at the sky. Some cloud cover had come to form over them, sending a sharp chill and fraying shadow across the block.

"This has been one of the strangest days of my life," he huffed.

"... Because of your ghost?" Emerson asked.

Remington glowered at him, "No, because I can't make sense out of those commercials for IBS -- yes! Because of the ghost! And all of this!" he waggled his finger at the vet's office.

The boys turned around when they suddenly heard the office door swing open. The doctor had emerged, scrubbed and masked up... with no Pluto.

Remington's heart sunk.

"Are you guys here for Pluto?" she asked.

"Yeah," Sebastian replied, the three of them slipped their own masks on as they stood up. Remington held his breath.

"Is he okay?"

The family home was bathed in the gentle glow of evening as Eva's father and brother bustled around the dining area, setting the table with care and exchanging light banter. The clinking of plates and the savory aroma of dinner floated through the air, creating an inviting atmosphere. However, an unspoken tension lingered, casting a shadow over the impending gathering.

As they all worked together to prepare the meal, a knock at the door announced Magda's arrival. Eva's heart skipped a beat as she wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and headed to the door. Promising Greg and her dad that she would be kinder, she took a deep, calming breath. She greeted Magda with a smile that blended eagerness and apprehension.

"Hey, Magda," Eva greeted, her voice attempting to thaw the chill that had settled between them, "Good to see you,"

Magda's response was surprised at first, curt nonetheless, lacking the warmth that had always haunted their relationship, "Hey," she replied, her gaze momentarily meeting Eva's before flickering to her daughter, Arleth.

Eva gestured for Magda and Arleth to come in. The little girl's wide eyes took in the surroundings as they stepped into the living room.

"Eva, could you give us a hand here?" their father called from the dining room, his voice carrying the joviality of the occasion.

Eva nodded at Magda and gestured toward the dining area, "Is -- is Bryan coming?" Arleth's father.

Magda subtly shook her head, refraining clearly from rolling her eyes, "He's working, couldn't make it," she took a brief look around the foyer, noting the few pairs of shoes scattered at the door, "I assume the crotch goblin isn't here,"

Greg strolled in from the kitchen, a towel tossed over his shoulder, "Julian took him out for dinner. We figured it was safer for him," he smirked.

Magda glowered at her younger brother, brushing shoulders as she strolled past him, "For him or for her?"

Her words burned painfully in Eva's ears, and despite how her lips twisted, how her eyes narrowed, the pleading look on Greg's face urged her to calm down. Not tonight, not now and not tonight.

As they all worked together, Eva tried to engage Magda in casual conversation, inquiring about her daughter's interests and her life with the pandemic. However, her attempts were met with brief answers, Magda's attention primarily focused on her daughter and helping their dad.

As dinner approached, the atmosphere from the kitchen moved to their old dining room, growing heavier, the unresolved emotions between Eva and Magda casting a shadow over the family gathering. Eva found herself seated next to Magda at the table, their silence more pronounced than the chatter around them. Rosie of course was laying beneath the table, waiting patiently for scraps of food to fall.

Unable to ignore the gap that had formed between them, their father tried to engage them both, "Magda's just started a new job at the law courts,"

Eva's eyes lit up, "No kidding?"

Magda shrugged nonchalantly, keeping her focus as she tried to keep Arleth eating and not throwing her peas on the floor, "I'm just a typist,"

"It's a good foot in," Greg said.

"It's crumbs," she mumbled, eyeing Eva peripherally, "Definitely won't make me enough to run off to Hollywood,"

Eva's fingers tapped across the table, "I don't live in Hollywood," she pointed out.

"Those instagram pictures could've fooled me," she grumbled back.

Her interest peeked, "You still follow me on insta?"

"No," she scoffed back.

Greg rolled his eyes, "I showed her some pictures,"

"You sure you can make ends meet over there? Pluto's looking awfully skinny," Magda said.

Eva huffed, "He's just lean. He eats plenty,"

Magda's gaze met Eva's briefly, bordering on resentment, "Excuse me," she whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Greg asked.

"So Arleth doesn't have to pick up and remember this dinner when she's older," Magda replied.

"Okay," their father's utensils clanged against his plate, immediately drawing everyone's attention, even Rosie's, "Magda, I understand there's some problems you and your sister need to work out, but she had travelled all this way to help us out. You could at least pretend to be a coherent human being,"

Magda laughed bitterly, "What problems? I just didn't know we were a family that took back run aways," she glowered at Eva.

"What the fuck does that mean?" Eva asked.

"Language in front of the baby!" their father scolded.

"It means why would we take back things that cause us great pain and sadness when we could just lock 'em out and move on with our lives?" she replied.

"Really?" Eva glowered.

"Yeah, really," Magda nodded back.

Eva stole a glance at her dad, who shook his head in dismay. She and Magda got their stubborn streak from their mother, he could recognize it in an instant.

"Magda --"

"What? What do you think could possibly justify this, Dad?" she asked, "I don't even know why she's here. She's of no help to us!"

"She's a candidate for Lydia's transplant," Greg replied, quickly becoming exasperated.

"Exactly! Why are we entertaining all this!?" she exclaimed, "We were fine! We were doing just fine! We don't need to help her, and we certainly don't need your help!" she pointed a bony at her sister, "After it's over, they're both gonna' leave again and we just jack shit shoved up our asses!"

"Language in front of the baby!" their dad scolded again.

The legs of Magda's chairs squealed uncomfortably as she stood up suddenly, taking Arleth out of her chair and starting for the kitchen. Her dad's eyes followed her as she walked away.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To mash Arleth's food in peace so she'll eat!" she snapped back, storming away.

The comforting food on the table was long forgotten, an icy tension coming over the remaining three family members. Even Rosie appeared deflated.

Eva felt as though she was going to throw up or throw her fist into a wall. She had always fought with Magda, and quite frankly she was tired of it. Magda was right, she had the right to be upset given their circumstances, and quite frankly Eva wasn't sure how she was going to prove to her sister that she wasn't here to cause more pain to her.

"Excuse me," Eva pushed her plate away and stood up, starting for the kitchen. Greg watched her perilously, pushing her vegetables around his plate.

"God speed," he murmured. His father through a scolding glare at him.

Magda had propped Arleth up in her high chair at the island, having mashed her peas and carrots in her bowl so she could eat. Her curly, curly brown hair bounced, spots of green and orange stained her cheeks and nose. Magda didn't have the energy to clean, certainly not as Eva shuffled in.

"We need to talk," she exhaled shakily, tentative.

Magda refused to meet her gaze, "I don't know what about,"

Eva stood in the brightly lit kitchen, her heart pounding as she faced down Magda. The air was thick with tension, their unresolved emotions swirling between them like a storm about to break.

She scoffed, "What about? What about this?" she motioned between them, "I don't want to fucking fight with you, Magda. I get that you're mad at me for leaving, but I didn't move to Asia! I'm a two hour flight away, I'm here! I came back here because -- like it or not, I still care!"

Magda's eyes bore into Eva's, a mixture of anger and hurt clouding her features, "You care? You even know what it means to care? You think you can just waltz back into our lives like you're the great Deux Ex Machina in one of your stupid books?" Magda's voice trembled with suppressed emotion.

Eva swallowed hard, feeling the weight of guilt press down on her chest, "Magda, I never meant to hurt you. I needed to follow my own path, I have dreams and I wasn't going to realize them if I stayed here,"

Magda's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Dreams? That's what you call it? You left me alone, Eva. Just like Mom did," Her gaze flickered toward the small, innocent face of her three-year-old daughter, playing with her toys in the corner of the room.

Eva's heart ached as she looked at the little girl. She took a hesitant step forward, her voice gentle, "I never wanted you to feel alone, Magda. I thought you wouldn't care, or at least understood that I needed to find my own path,"

Magda's frustration boiled over. "Your own path? Well, your own path led you all the way to the west coast -- w-with a swanky apartment and a rock 'n roll fucking boy toy while I struggled to finish college with a baby in tow. Just like Mom, Eva. You abandoned us,"

"Bryan was there to help you!"

"Bryan's a fucking deadbeat!!" she roared, "He works until six and then goes to the bar to drink with his buddies and forget about the fact that he was too fucking lazy to wrap it up before he ruined my dreams! And hers!" she pointed to Arleth.

Eva spoke tentatively, "Does Dad know?"

"No! Because I can here the 'I told you so' from here, and quite frankly, I don't need him or you judging me for it! I got enough to put up with!" she snapped back.

Eva's eyes glistened with unshed tears, guilt riddling up her spine, "I came back, Magda. I came back for you, all of you. I've never judged you for anything; not your prom date, not your clothes, I don't even judge you for Arleth. I just wanted my sister to acknowledge me a little more. It was so easy for me because I didn't think you cared about me!"

Magda's voice cracked, her anger mixing with the pain that had festered for years. "Of course I cared about you, Eva! You're my sister! But you're just so impulsive and it's gotten you into trouble before! I was scared for you, and I thought 'yeah, she's gonna' come screaming back within two weeks', and then the pandemic hit and you were barely talking to Dad and I thought 'fuck it, if she wants to stay away from us, then let here stay away!' You didn't walk, Eva, you ran away! You didn't look back,"

Eva reached out, her fingers brushing against Magda's hand, "I don't want to be like Mom, Magda. I'm sorry I hurt you like that, I never meant to. But I'm here now, and we have the opportunity to prove that we're still here for each other! I will be here for you no matter what!"

Magda's shoulders trembled, her anger slowly giving way to a mixture of sadness and longing. She looked down at her daughter, then back at Eva, tears welling up in her eyes, "It's not that simple, Eva. You're going to leave again after all this!"

Eva nodded, understanding the depth of Magda's pain, "I know it's not simple, but we're sisters. We're supposed to look out for each other, doesn't matter we live on opposite sides of the country. I will -- I will vouch for you, I'll help you any way that I can. I can send you money, I can find you great daycare programs, I'll even listen to you rant on about changing diapers everyday if you want. I'm here for you!"

Magda's gaze softened, her defenses crumbling as the years of pent-up emotions spilled forth, "I don't want your money," she pulled Eva into a hesitant, emotional hug, "I missed you so much, Eva,"

Eva held Magda tightly, feeling the bonds of sisterhood rekindle. "I missed you too, Magda,"

As they embraced, Magda's toddler watched them, sensing the change in the air. The three of them stood there, a tangle of emotions and connections, the past and the present overlapping in a bittersweet moment of reconciliation.

And in that moment, Eva realized that repairing their relationship wasn't just about seeking forgiveness; it was about proving to Magda that she was willing to face her mistakes and make amends, that she wasn't going to be a fleeting presence like their absent mother, but a constant support in their lives.

They returned to the table soon enough; the tension hadn't quite lifted but the spirit at dinner was a little more optimistic. Eva and Magda were speaking civilly to each other, it was then Magda let Eva hold her niece for the first time in forever, and it was one of the most fulfilling moments in her life. Eva wasn't sure she wanted kids, the scale was still tipped heavily in the 'No' end, though she hardly minded snuggling up with her niece so Magda could finally eat properly.

While their dad and brother did the dishes, the sisters decided to reconnect in the living room, quietly chatting between each other while Arleth played with her toys in the corner.

"Mom is cheating on Julian," she admitted then. She wasn't sure why it had slipped out, the harrowing conversation with her mom still ringing in her ears.

Magda froze, pulling away from Eva, staring at her with disgust, shock, "What?"

Eva nodded, "She's cheating again. Both of her husbands are doing everything they can to get her good treatment and she's having another affair at the same time,"

"How do you know?" Magda asked in disbelief.

"Theo told me. He knows about everything. Everything with us and our family and mom's bullshit," she shook her head, "She's doing it again, Mags. She's never gonna' stop,"

Magda leaned back into the couch cushions, her head shook as she mulled over Eva's confession. One the one hand, the anger she had for Eva dissipated and was replaced with disdain for her mother, though given what she knew she knew she shouldn't have been surprised.

"Is she touched or something?" she gaped, "She broke up our family for this new family and even that's not doing it for her?"

Eva scoffed, "I would laugh if it wasn't so fucked up,"

"Does Dad know?"

She shook her head, "I don't know how to tell him. You think we should?"

"Yes!" she replied, "He's paying for part of her hospital stay, for some reason beyond me!"

Eva sighed heavily, "He still loves her," she spoke with disbelief, "After everything she put him through, he still loves her. I can see it,"

Magda glowered, "... Does Julian love her?" she asked curiously.

"Too much. And... I don't want Theo to go through what we did," she admitted, "It's not his fault his mom's a fucking floozy,"

Brash realization fell over Magda, "He's around the same age we were..."

Eva shrugged, "Maybe the difference will be... if the outcome is gonna' be what I think it's gonna be... he could at least have some people to lean on who've been there,"

Magda shook her head with a scoff, "I already got my hands full with a baby. I don't need to throw in hormonal twelve-year-old-boy-trauma into it,"

"I'm not saying be his counsellor," Eva scoffed back.

"Should we confront Mom? We're older now, she might listen to us!" Magda suggested.

"I tried today, it's futile," she shook her head, "She's so wrapped up in the delusion that she's a 'good mother' and convinced that Theo will be 'just fine' with all of this," she spoke awestruck.

"Would she be a malignant narcissistic?"

"Communal. Malignant narcissistics are vindictive and sadistic,"

Magda scoffed back, "This feels pretty sadistic to me,"

Eva stared up at the ceiling. She was feeling a lot of things; relief that she and her sister were talking, all-out frustration at their mother, pity for their half brother, and she missed her cat. She missed Remington. That part of her that Magda had despised so much had flared again, wondering if it was too late for her to catch the next flight out of here and just let their mom suffer. Because as much as it scared her, it hit her then that Eva didn't want to help their mom. She was too full of anger and spite to give her the time of day, let alone her kidney.

No matter how much therapy and time to heal they'd had, Eva was sure that as long as her mother's narcissism reared its ugly head, she would never be able to forgive her.

"I don't want to give Mom my kidney," Eva muttered suddenly.

Magda looked to her, surprised, "Then why the hell did you come out here?" she asked.

"Because I was going to before, but I just changed my mind," she shook her head, glowering at the carpet below them.

Magda covered her hand with hers, exhaling slowly, "Eva, don't change your mind because of this,"

"I'm not," she looked to her, "But it just dawned on me that even if I give her a kidney, a house, a million dollars, whatever -- it's never gonna' end, Mags. She'll never be grateful, never acknowledge what she's done, she'll never apologize,"

Magda nodded, "Eves, if you came out here for an apology in exchange for a kidney, you got another thing coming. That being said, you're allowed to change your mind. Makes going home to your rockstar way less complicated,"

Eva simpered, "He told me before I left, if I had to go under the knife that he'll be on the first plane out here to take care of me. I like to think he's being honest with me,"

"Why didn't you bring him with you?" Magda asked. Eva's knowing look gave her the answer, "... Right, right. Gotta sort out the toxic family drama first. Have you talked him since you left?"

"Everyday," she smiled back, "He's working on his next album, and he's looking after Pluto,"

"Godspeed," Magda chuckled.

"He's not a bad cat,"

"He chewed up my Dolce Vitas!"

"... I'll pay you back for those,"

"Don't," Magda chuckled, smiling genuinely for the first time since Eva had been there, "If that rockstar can put up with Pluto's bullshit, and put that blushy Alllie Hamilton smile on your face... then I guess he's okay,"

[the-world-is-spinning-round]

Wonderful Things Surround You - Remington Leith fan fiction (Spooktober Writing Challenge)

Remington looked up through the waves, at the human who came down to the shore every day.

Just like every other day, she came down in her strange rubber boots and her puffy bright yellow coat, and just like every other day she wandered along the shore, looking for something. She never seemed to find what she was looking for - every day she came back and kept on looking, making her way through the early morning mist and fog, like a ball of sunlight shining through the haze.

A lot of his fellow sirens couldn’t understand his fascination with the little human, but Remington just found her enticing.

There was just something compelling about her. Remington wanted to know what drew her down to the water’s edge every morning. He wanted to know why she kept coming back, even though she never found anything. He…he just wanted to know.

Interacting with humans was dangerous: all sirens knew that. Humans were fearful and vicious - a nasty combination, especially when it came to meeting things they thought shouldn’t exist.

Like sirens.

Despite that knowledge, Remington was still determined to finally get to know his little ball of sunshine. And today was the perfect day to do so.

Swimming over to a narrow outcropping of rocks, Remington pulled his upper body out of the water and pressed his tail to the wall of rock beneath the ledge - just in time for his human to hop down onto the ledge.

“Good morning!” he called out. He wasn’t completely certain of human behaviour, but he was hoping that that was the right one.

Going by the confused look on the human’s face, Remington wasn’t sure…but she did smile at him, albeit slowly: “Good morning.”

“I’m just out for a swim,” Remington explained cheerfully: “I do this most mornings. I see you down here a lot.”

His human still looked confused, and now a little wary, but she didn’t turn and leave: “I like it here. It’s peaceful.”

“It is. That’s why I like swimming here.” Remington agreed, hoping to get on her good side.

It didn’t seem to do much to convince her - if anything, she looked even warier than she had before.

Remington didn’t understand why; he might not know much about humans, but everything he’d seen suggested that him being polite and agreeing with humans made them more inclined to like him! He didn’t know why his human was scared instead of happy - and it was upsetting. He didn’t want the human to be scared! She seemed so nice…he’d never wanted to upset her.

“You’re scared.” he stated, tilting his head to the side.

If anything, his words seemed to unnerve the human more, making her eyes narrow in suspicion: “What makes you say that?”

Remington floundered, suddenly afraid that he may have bitten off more than he could chew: “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Something in his expression must have conveyed how much he’d meant what he just said, because slowly the tension leaked from his human’s shoulders, and the suspicion melted from her eyes: “It’s okay. I’ve just…been a little on edge recently. It’s nothing to do with you.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Remington asked, partially because he remembered humans liked sympathetic friends, and partially because if there was the slightest chance he could help this human, he’d take it.

He was certain that this human was worth helping. Even if he couldn’t say why, he just…knew it. 

And even if the odds he could help were slim, he had to ask. If only to see more of that tension leave her bones.

“I…” his human trailed off, before sighing: “I don’t know. I feel like I’m looking for something, you know? I keep getting drawn back here because it feels like I need to be here, but I can’t work out why.”

“I understand.” Remington replied.

Because he did.

He kept coming back here every day, to see his human, even though everyone else told him that it was pointless: that it would never change anything.

It had though. Once he’d plucked up the courage to make a change.

Remington knew that the human would find the change she wanted, somehow.

“It just…makes me feel a little hopeless, you know?”

Remington nodded: “I do. But you’re here every single day - or at least every day that I’m here. That means a lot.”

His human smiled, but it wasn’t a happy expression: “Yeah, probably that I’m crazy. Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different outcome at all…”

“I’ve never heard that before.” Remington shrugged: “But I don’t think it means you’re ‘crazy’, I think it means you’re determined. And if you’re determined enough, I think you’ll achieve anything.”

This time his human’s smile was a little more genuine - and it made her even more beautiful in Remington’s opinion. 

She truly did remind him of sunlight breaking through the clouds, warming him merely by being present. Especially when he was the one who had put that smile on her face.

“That’s really kind of you to say, thank you.” she said, voice the lightest it had been since she’d started speaking to him.

“Any time.” Remington smiled: “I mean it. I really enjoyed speaking to you this morning; it’s nice having a conversation with someone after I’ve seen them around a few times.”

“It was nice speaking to you.” his human nodded: “I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

She gave Remington a small wave, and he waved back cheerily, before she carried on on her way, and he ducked back below the ledge of the rock. He waited until he was sure that the mist would obscure the deep grey colour of his tail, and then swam out to sea - far enough that he couldn’t be seen from the shore, but close enough that he could still see the small smudge of bright yellow moving along the shoreline.

His little ball of sunshine might not be as sunny as he thought she was…but she could be. If someone gave her a reason to be.

Remington was more than happy to be that reason.