#the rumors are true okay i am nothing if not predictable

[dindjarindiaries]

Yes yes I saw the footage descriptions of Gladiator 2 yes yes I will be projecting another Pedro character onto Din Djarin

[itsgrimeytime]

Magnolia in May (Part Twenty Seven) || Rick Grimes (TWD) x Greene!f!reader Regency AU

Parts 1-20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26...

Taglist: @loliakeoghan23 @curlycarley @queenie32 @mgparker

rick grimes taglist: @golden-hoax @mgparker

AVAILABLE ON AO3

Inspiration (in honor of Speak Now Taylor's Version): Enchanted by Taylor Swift.

Summary: Your town was small, not the smallest you knew, but anyone of high fortune was the gossip of the week. Predictably, Richard Grimes was a thing of whispers -rumors of a search for marriage among the grassy hills. You weren't one to buy into town gossip, but something about him... just seemed a little too intriguing.

TW: none.

[[A/N: Live for this gif, it's the epitome of mim! Rick, except Judith is a bit older. Thanks for reading !!! ]]

The buzz of the street was comforting, a bit like the bickering of your home dinners -Headmistress speaking, Maggie biting back, and Beth and Father merely watching on. It was much of the same, just on a wider scale -words being said but you didn't listen not as though you were at home.

The stalls were busy and the street even busier, and it felt like Alexandria.

"You're Ms. Greene," someone spoke, you turned to listen, "-Mr. Grimes's courting you!"

That day at the ball, he'd asked you to stand by him -at the center of it all. All the eyes on you had been unnerving, but being by his side was important -he'd requested you.

In his concern, he must've forgotten the gossiping.

"I am," you hummed, moving along the space with certainty.

"Are you of great fortune?" The woman asked, not quite young but not quite old, "-Or perhaps you're pursuing him for-"

"I'm pursuing him to pursue him," you interrupted, turning to face her with a seriousness in your tone, "-nothing else."

Her lips pursed, dark brown hair framed her face and blue eyes staring rather intriguingly -like you were a sort of wonder.

"You say such a thing so firmly," she spoke, tilting her head, "-Do you truly believe it?"

"I much more than believe it, madam," you echoed, a bit distant -this battle was one you had won before, "-I live it."

She didn't follow you after such a thing was said, but the whispers that followed you only carried. Each crowd formed around you as if you were infectious -swerving and eyes downcast.

Oftentimes you missed old Alexandria, like the day you met Mr. Grimes where you could exist in harmony -no one of note. But you supposed now that you were here, you couldn't wish to be back there. He meant far too much to you to wish before him.

Far too much.

At the thought, something in your chest warmed, and you found something claws up your throat -you turned back to the woman, the crowd really.

"I love him-"

It wasn't an explanation, not really, and sure, they didn't need to know such things. But something in you wished to say it, to get it out -to tell people I love him and he loves me. He wishes to marry me-

"-if you must know."

The rest of the day went by rather uneventfully, no one chose to speak to you out of turn -only whispers followed behind you like a gust of wind. But by then, you didn't truly care.

You hadn't thought about the papers, not then anyway, but looking back on such a confrontation -you probably should have.

"Look at this darling," Headmistress motioned the paper to you, "'I love him,' says the lady of such elite courtship. Further comments to Mr. Grimes were made but he merely smiled at such words. The ring of a proposal is upon our ears, certainly, it will be the wedding of the century."

You peered over the paper, "The front page, it's certainly not worth such importance-"

"I beg to differ, my dear," Headmistress hummed, setting the paper in front of your Father without much other thought, "-Mr. Grimes being off the market is sure to be news."

"Very true," your Father echoed, "-upon his visit to Alexandria, all that could be talked about was of him being a bachelor. Your courting is bound to make the papers."

"Yes, okay," you started, "-but my own words? Truly, they must be inconsequential-"

"Not in this case," your Headmistress shook her head, absentmindedly adjusting the pin of your hair -it was falling from the day's work, "-you neatly confirmed the seriousness of such a courting. That's news-"

"Yes, but-" you spoke, curious, "-How are they not to assume I am not longing after the man?"

"Well, because he clarified," Beth spoke, looking over Father's shoulder, "Upon further pursuance, Mr. Grimes said, rather happily, 'I love her.' Silencing the rumors of a rather morbid affair for the public eye, he gave us no further comment."

"Where?" you jumped up from your seat -gathered by your Father's side, "-Did he truly-"

And there it was, written in ink -a confession to farther than even Alexandria, he'd done it. He told the whole town that such affections were mutual, that was- That was-

"Darling, why are you crying?" she echoed, still fidgeting with your hair -she decidedly smoothed it down, "-You certainly knew such affections before, haven't you?"

"I did, I do," you gasped out between your breaths -smiling, "-I just can't believe he'd say such things for the whole town to know like he's-"

"Proud of you," Maggie finished, ducking in from upstairs, "-which he very well ought to be."

"Maggie-"

"No, she's right," agreed your Father, matching your eyes, "-He's very well lucky to court you, my darling daughter. Through it all, you still find love in your heart for him, and he's very well earned that."

"Oh, Father," you smiled, wiping at your tears and pulling him into a hug -hands wrapped around his shoulders, "-don't make me cry more-"

You supposed the next time you went out, you should've expected it.

"Ms. Greene," his voice echoed over the crowd, and you spun in place to catch him, "-lovely to see you, out and about."

Mr. Grimes was grinning, the kind of grin that had a sparkle in his eye -playful. In his arms was Judith -dressed wonderfully for such a simple occasion, and Carl was tightly to his side -still overdressed, but suited it lovely.

"You say that as though I'm not out every morning."

"You are?" He hummed, "-I should join you more often. Speakin' of, may we? Join you?"

"I'd love the company," you smiled at each one of them, lingering on Mr. Grimes if only a moment.

"Certainly you would," he echoed, biting down a grin.

Ah, you noted, that's what this is about.

"Yes, and tell me," you began, looking at him -suspiciously, "-What exactly are you out here for? Grocery?"

"I simply love the company."

"You are ridiculous, you know that?" You laughed, out loud -improperly but it was with him, so you thought it alright.

He shook his head, following you through the shops and stalls -you lingered by the chocolates only a spare moment. But of course, he noticed such longing looks -he always did.

"Sir," he spoke, and you nearly startled in place, "-may I receive some of those strawberries?"

"Certainly, sir," the man spoke with high respect, only meeting his eye.

"What do you need those for, Mr. Grimes?" You quirked, basket neatly rested in the crooked of your arm, "-Not dinner, I suppose."

"For you," he stated, matter-of-factly -extending out the bag to your basket and squarely dropping them into it.

"Mr. Grimes," you relented, "-I cannot accept-"

"A gift," he smiled, "-We are courting, are we not? Accept a gift on my behalf."

"You certainly cannot gift me everything I long for," you echoed out, fingers lingering on the little packet -you had always wished to try one.

"I can," he hummed, "-and will, if you allow me."

"Only a little."

Mr. Grimes laughed at that, loud and boisterous, and something in your chest warmed that such a noise came at your expense. It was almost as if every shop turned to you, unexpectedly, looking more than they already had.

You began to gather the groceries for the house, sticking by every stall neatly and avoiding when Mr. Grimes wished to pay. You had the funds, and you could buy them, so you would.

"Let me get somethin'," he started, sighing -a little exhausted you could tell.

It was just then, that you rounded in front of Mrs. Sweets's shop -new dresses, beautiful dresses lining the windows. You always loved this part of the trip, eyes dashing along the stitching, the color, everything. Your dreams of seeing such things on your skin were just that, dreams.

You stalled in place, stopping as you always did, looking through the windows and Mr. Grimes continued, not noticing the stop. Until a few moments later, he rejoined you -tight by your side, eyes dancing along your face as you looked on.

"You like to-"

"Look at the dresses," you finished, they each were beautiful, but something in your mind lingered on one from weeks prior -lavender with lacy finishes, and detailing you could never imagine to own.

"They are rather beautiful," he conceded.

You started, a little dreamy, "One week, I saw such a stunning gown," you sighed, "-lavender with a bit of lace at the ends of the sleeves. It was far more beautiful than anything I believe I ever owned."

"And?"

"And what?" You laughed, "-I could never buy such a dress, the detailing costs much more than you can imagine. Plus, I know each dress is one of a kind here, and it is far gone."

You reached out to touch the glass, as if it was still there and you could feel it between your fingertips.

"A woman much better suited found the same beauty in it I did, I assume."

Mr. Grimes was rather silent.

"Now come on," you hummed, undeterred, "-I've got run by Wheatley's for some dairy."

He merely followed behind, silently playing with Judith as you roamed around what was left -stalls and shops, Mr. Grimes kept reaching out to pay. You kept beating him to it.

Every time you lingered on something, however, he'd have it within his fingers in a snap -you'd ended up with a new lavender ribbon (it reminded you of the dress), a pair of shoes, and the chocolate strawberries. You allowed him only those three, despite your heart aching for many different things -you did not wish him to spoil you.

Perhaps, one day but not now.

Perhaps, when he married you-

You stuttered in your step for a spare moment, and the thought split into your head -when? Would he do such a thing soon? You knew he planned it-

"Everythin' alright?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed and head tilted down to speak to you over the buzz of the stalls.

"Yes," you hummed, softened at such a tone, "-I am well, just thinking."

"Anythin' you want to talk about?"

You smiled, reassuring, "It's nothing, Mr. Grimes, I promise. Just thoughts of no note."

He pursed his lips as to ask more, but someone interrupted him.

"Ms. Greene!" A voice echoed, not one you knew -a man who seemed to speak to you with intention, "-You are in the courtship with Mr. Grimes-"

He spoke it as though you didn't already know.

"Did you have anything of note to say?"

"To say to who?" You questioned, Mr. Grimes still tightly by your side, but at the moment the crowd seemed to block them off.

"The town of Alexandria," he clarified, "-Courting such a man, you must have lots to say. Perhaps, to say to those who don't get such pleasantries."

"Are you asking me to brag sir?"

"Certainly not," he hummed, "-just wishing to know more details. Has such courting been elite? Does he spend much fortune on you?"

"You must certainly know not to ask that of a lady, sir," you started, a little stiffened at such questions.

"I was born to ask questions, miss," he spoke, "-With the courtship of Mr. Grimes, you'd think-"

"Excuse me," Mr. Grimes spoke, gently, pushing through to join your side clearly.

"You'd think what?" You asked, genuinely, "-That my privacy is disregarded upon the courting of a man?"

"Well, a man like Mr. Grimes-"

That was when he stepped forward, Judith and Carl by his side -his hand intertwined with his son's and Judith within his other arm, "A man like me?"

"Mr. Grimes," he tensed, and something in you soured -he took him seriously, "-lovely day, is it not?"

"Are you not listening to Ms. Greene?" He questioned, rather intently, "-I believe her privacy being questioned is her own issue, yet you don't listen to her?"

"Well, sir," he laughed, a little nervously, "-She's a lady-"

"My lady," Mr. Grimes corrected, "-I ask you to respect that, respect her, certainly."

"I understand," he echoed out, "-I apologize-"

"Not to me," Mr. Grimes spoke, tightly, "-To her, speak to her."

The man, still nameless, turned to you, "I apologize for being so intrusive, miss, I request you forgive me."

"Thank you," you spoke, strictly, still not quite settled. Mr Grimes brushed his arm against yours -sleeve upon sleeve, and something in you calmed slightly.

You wished you could hold onto his arm, but both were quite preoccupied.

It wasn't long after that Judith fell asleep, blond curls snug against her father's shoulder and eyes squeezed shut. You found it rather sweet, keeping such an image safely in your chest.

Your eyes lingered over the three of them, they stood a few steps ahead. You realized it then, such a thing as today was a rather family affair.

The group waltzing along the stalls, together, you playing with Judith, quietly speaking to Carl and playfully bickering with Mr. Grimes -it was as though you belonged. Like you were on an outing with your family-

Something in your heart shifted.

Maybe you were. The thought settled along your shoulders, and you began smiling -watching the three of them step forward, all wandering along the stalls. You grinned, you liked this little family, liked being a part of it.

You wanted to be a part of it-

And just then, Mr. Grimes turned around, blue eyes fluttering across your face, "You comin'?"

"Of course," you whispered out -stepping forward to join his side, "-Of course."

Perhaps, you already were.

[brightnote]

Marvel owes Maria Hill her moment and she better get it!

SECRET INVASION EPISODES 1 - 4 SPOILERS BELOW 

Ok folks, this blog may be the unhinged rambling of a bitter queer Maria stan out for vengeance against the ruthless cold hearted wasting of Maria Hill in Secret Invasion, but I have some thoughts (some more thoughts) on why this simply cannot be Maria’s true fate in the MCU. Delusional? Maybe, but is it any more delusional than killing off Maria Hill AND TALOS in one six episode “event” with not that many viewers? It’s actually not.

Okay, hear me out. Did you see Far From Home in theaters? I did, and the one moment that everyone freaking went wild at was when they thought Maria Hill shot down that drone in front of Fury’s face. This was an EPIC Maria Hill moment only for the audience to then discover that actually it’s wasn’t her moment at all--but Soren’s. This means Marvel owes her a moment, and what better moment to give her than killing Gravik? Wouldn’t you go fucking nuts if there was actually a misdirect/fake out Maria death and she ends up being the one to get him? I mean Maria did say Fury wasn’t ready for this despite having helping him come back to earth just to tell him to sit this one out and then for her to show up to that bombing sans bullet proof vest--MAKES TOTAL SENSE (dramatic eye roll).  Multiple websites have pointed out that Maria showing up to this event with nothing but a sweatshirt makes absolutely no sense at all. Can the script be this bad or is it all about something else? I’m just saying, that since that one Maria moment was really not a Maria moment at all maybe she DOES have something big coming that she truly deserves.

Also regarding the questions I have gotten on Maria Hill and Talos appearing in the Marvels... as stated in my many posts this cast list is a rumor but it has been out for awhile. HOWEVER assuming Marvel is being as terrible as we predict and not doing anything fucking awesome or ballsy like they should in a show advertised as a freaking spy thriller

What if Cobie and Ben are on the Marvels cast list because in the movie they will show flashbacks to their deaths!!! I mean Cobie is getting a special guest star appearance in 4 out of 6 episodes and so far in 2 of those appearance its the same 3 seconds of her dying. Wouldn’t be surprised if that’s case. But I am going to hope that instead Talos and Maria are somehow coming back to us and they are the ones who kill Gravik to prove to Fury that he can’t do SHIT alone.

[somuchyoudontknow]

Didn’t you predict that something like this was coming?? Or am I misremembering??

Okay, I am going to post everything that I have been getting past few months. I will post the links to my original posts too.

So I had two visions in May of some kind of PR content being filmed. In one I saw Chris and Alba, Chris looking grumpy and the other I didn't get what it was. I believe the other one could be Scott's podcast.

"I had two visions of some kind of a video being filmed last week. I am not sure about this because when I had these visions I was not feeling well so I am not sure if they would come true or not. But just to give a head up, a video might be coming. One thing. Chris might act very grumpy in the said video. It is highly possible it might drop on his birthday. Again, I could be wrong about this."

Also, there was a dream where Chris seemed adamant about having photos with Alba. I had it on May 10th. Both of these are in this post.

-https://www.tumblr.com/somuchyoudontknow/718151969508917248/new-visions-and-dreams?source=share

Then in the last week of May, I had another dream about a possible engagement and wedding push coming from their teams. I saw many fans leaving, but only a few remained. I saw Chris being locked up in his house (he deactivated). I also saw Alba but in a different space. The main thing is there was a distance between them. I saw all things happening up in the air like they were creating all the rumors out of nothing but nothing was happening in reality. I got a possible timeline also. I saw in the end the wedding didn't happen. You can all read about it here.

Then last week I got a new vision and the message was he had one last hurdle to deal with but he would manage to go around it. That's why I am doubtful if we would get any pics of Chris with her. he might have decided to let his friends do the work and not show up because he knows how bad the backlash always is. Something embarrassing for Alba is coming up and I felt it could be related to this PR. I feel in August something will surface that will probably confirm it was PR all along and Alba might face a little embarrassment. I still feel August is going to be good although the start has been rocky. Let's see what happens.

-https://www.tumblr.com/somuchyoudontknow/723958412808011776/hey-sophia-i-was-wondering-if-there-is-anything?source=share

-https://www.tumblr.com/somuchyoudontknow/723965913895927808/i-am-going-to-write-the-interpretation-of-the?source=share

-https://www.tumblr.com/somuchyoudontknow/723966357384871936/obstacle-is-probably-the-caa-or-his-teammaybe?source=share

-https://www.tumblr.com/somuchyoudontknow/723966866933055488/nope-i-dont-think-it-is-caa-or-his-team-it-is?source=share

-https://www.tumblr.com/somuchyoudontknow/723967860463075328/it-could-be-another-stunt-one-thing-i-know-it-is?source=share

-https://www.tumblr.com/somuchyoudontknow/724002629494194176/for-alba-some-kind-of-unease-is-coming-its-not?source=share

-https://www.tumblr.com/somuchyoudontknow/724029611669929984/i-just-saw-him-overcoming-an-obstacle-i-am-not?source=share

-https://www.tumblr.com/somuchyoudontknow/724033902834073600/for-alba-some-kind-of-unease-is-coming-its-not?source=share

[fa-by]

Hi babies and dear Anons 👋🏼🤗 Back with a new 'Q&A' post. Enjoy 🙃

Hello to you too, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 and yes, I did. You can find it here, dear: https://fa-by.tumblr.com/post/648192029691691008/camren-timeline-tittle-edited.

Yes, I heard about that rumor, dear Anon, and veeery false.

I knoooow 😍😍😍 Let's cry in joy and queerness 🥺😭🌈🏳‍🌈

Yep, dear Anon. And unfortunately for us, they will continue to do so for a veeeery long time 😒🙄😔

No, dear Anon, I highly doubt it's another duet. They'd be really, but really stupid if they do 🤦🏻‍♀‍

No, dear Anon, these are just people who want attention. People who have problems in their lives and talk shit about others to feel better. This is just the work of those people who believe in black magic and want to involve as many people as possible to think like them, and if they fail, they attack you because you didn't agree with them and you didn't go to their side. They can get so desperate they even get to the point of, oh I don't know, since you've blocked them, sending an anonymous ask to your girlfriend with a death wish for you:

The funny thing for me besides thinking that maybe this person believes they're a witch and imagining them with a voodoo doll with a needle in my stomach, is that I was kind to them the first time 🤷🏻‍♀‍ I tried to make them reason, I really tried to meet them halfway, but sometimes that's not enough with people like that.

But anyway. My point is that no, management has nothing to do with it. Thank you for your ask, dear 🤗

It's okay, dear Anon, don't worry 😄 In last time’s ask you wanted my opinion on the song, right? Well, Not Killin' It Today simply talks about how not every day is a good day. It can happen to all of us not to feel 100%, and Mila says just that. For us girls it can happen even more during or just before the red sea period, if you know what I mean, and indeed, she herself sings “I'm PMSing” = PMS: premenstrual syndrome. If that's why, I think she wrote this song precisely around that period 🤣

Hello to you too, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 Don't worry, dear, I can understand you, and if I hadn't, we would have found a way to do it. English is not my first language either.

1) Yes, I do think that.

2) (I knew all this) I know she did; she's been doing it for years if that's why because Taylor is one of Camila's mentors. Taylor is what can be defined as the celebrity master with PRs. She’s always done what she was asked to do and she’s always fulfilled her PRs duties of her contracts, and indeed, look where she is now, as well as being a great songwriter. So yeah, who better than her?

Hope you're great too, dear 🤗

Hello to you too, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 I'm sorry I'm bad with general questions like this 😅 I'm so much better when I'm asked a more specific question, and usually, when I have something in mind, I write it and create a post with my opinion about it. I'm not kidding about how bad I am at this, believe me. It’s the same thing as when I get the typical “tell me something about yourself” phrase. It's like my brain suddenly switches off 😅🤣 Can you take a look at all my posts from my archive to see which ones I’ve already responded to and maybe come back with a question? I'm really sorry, dear 😖🥺

I'm sorry but Camila can't stop anything, dear Anon. Not Camila, not Roger, and not even Shoo. I understand your frustration, believe me, I do, but you, and anyone else to which this is still not clear, need to understand that it's a contract. A contract called a relationship contract, and it's a legally binding document. I know it's hard, but the advice I can give you is to ignore the 12-year-old SS and their fantasies, and wait for it to finish without wasting your energy on the bullshit they say. Don't let them get to you and unleash your anger. You make them win this way. Rather, have a laugh at their ignorance.

Hey dear Anon, I'm good, thanks, and I hope you're doing well too 😊 They broke up for a little while, for about a month before, so more than a breakup I would call it a little break. And to answer the rest of your questions, dear, I'll sum it all up by telling you that when they're not together, or they're on a break, they have a different way of acting than when they're together. And I speak in general. It shows in the way they behave in general. Now it's much harder to see since they're no longer in the group and you could clearly see when it happened, and it’s also hard since the pandemic, but there are patterns. I’ve spent so much time analyzing them that they're quite predictable in my eyes 🤣 Forgive me if I'm not going into details, but these are personal observations that not everyone can agree on, you know? Maybe I'll do it in the future, who knows 🤷🏻‍♀‍ We'll see 😉 Have a good day/night too 😄

Hello to you too, dear Anon 👋🏼 and thank you very much 😄 and yes, of course. To answer the rest of your questions, I'll summarize everything by telling you that you have to take into account that I entered the fandom at the Work from Home's time, so they were all just rumors to me initially. Camren themselves were just a rumor to me. I had to search, analyze, and find the proofs on my own to prove to myself which ones were true or not. The first example that comes to mind and that I can give you is the kiss in the van in London that I recently explained in my ‘Inauguration’ post.

I'm sorry you think this way, dear Anon. I honestly think she doesn't even know. She has said many times that she tries to stay away from social media, and I really believe that. She did it before already, but I'm convinced that she does that even more since she was going through that bad time and she was about to give it all up. Besides, it's known that she doesn't manage her accounts, just as it's known that she doesn't even control how they’re used I would say 90% of the time. I don't know if she'll find out and eventually will say something about it. We don't even know if she has the freedom to do so. So, I'm really sorry you're making a decision based on something she didn't do.

Hey to you too, dear Anon 😄 Yeah, it's nothing new. I'd already debunked the whole Laucy story with my very first post (https://fa-by.tumblr.com/post/648191757219250176/there-is-a-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel), so as far as I'm concerned, she can say what she wants in future podcasts/interviews as well, but she'll never be able to convince me that she's not actually talking about Camila. This was simply a much more chill, fun, with no tears, and no mention of Camila repetition. The first podcast served to plant the seed. We know that Lucy is her main narrative and we know that she will continue to use her for a very long time. I mean, it’s convenient for her. It's the perfect cover for our Mila. But if people want to keep believing they (Laucy) were real, that's honestly their problem 🤣 Let them be convinced of their beliefs, dear, and have a laugh 😉

Hello to you too, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 Here's the thing……… Yes, to everything you said 🤣 but let me explain why.

1&2) Yes, Laur is like ‘part’ of their contract but for simple narrative, as you yourself said too. If that's why, so are 5H and all the rest of the people who are or have been involved with them. I'll give you an example. You know the bullshit they said about the Austin Mahone tour? That Sunsilk was always isolated in his bus playing guitar? That no one spoke to him outside of Camila when there are actually plenty of videos showing him spending time with the rest of 5H and the other people on the tour too? Certainly none of those people can call him out on that bullshit today and say it wasn't true. They'd blow his cover. They'd make him not credible in the general public's eyes. So everyone needs to be quiet for what they know (that's how it works in that world for every damn thing), and that's Lauren's involvement in their PR. Be quiet. Be quiet and go along with the game. Just as Camila had to during hers with Tymbal.

3) They have to, dear, or all the farces told so far would go to shit for the GP too. 4) 100%, dear Anon, 100% 😏😉 but it must also be said that they'll remain connected forever anyway because of the group.

Hello to you too, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 Welcome and thank you very much 🤗

1) Everything she's been doing lately leads us to think that the first single for the EP will arrive shortly. I think and hope it will arrive for the summer, but as far as the actual EP is concerned, it will depend on the release of the single. So if the single is out this summer, it's very likely that the EP will follow its course by arriving towards the beginning of autumn. We'll see, dear, we'll see 🤞🏼 🤞🏼 🤞🏼

2) I know that many people get upset and that they're disappointed, and while I too would like her to interact with us more, I also know and understand that it's not just up to her. Although she's much but much freer than before, she still has contracts, people, and patterns to follow.

Take it from someone who's waiting for Rihanna's new album for 5 years 😅🤣 It takes patience, and I have a lot of patience, dear. I fall into the category of those who don't mind waiting simply because I'll always support Lauren.

People forget this: we have to consider ourselves lucky that after what she went through, she decided to pursue with music.

If you love her, if you stan her, then be patient. Stay metaphorically speaking by her side no matter what. That’s what I think, dear Anon.

Do you mean the first breakup they had that lasted from late November 2014 to late December/very first days of January 2015, or do you mean the bad one that took place in October 2015? But in any case, both of your questions rejoin only one event, dear Anon: the real breakup of the group that happened in mid-October 2015. But answering you more specifically:

1) You can see with your own eyes the videos of the interviews of that period by starting with this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WqOb9qBQ_M&t=11s.

2) Camila’s unofficial departure from the group at the time was the icing on the cake, but you have to consider a lot of things, dear. The fact that they were young. The fact that they were in the spotlight and were being monitored by both fans and management. The fact that they had those same people controlling them and telling them what to do all the time. The fact that they were constantly under pressure. The fact that they couldn't be together freely as a couple. The fact that they were forced to pretend they didn't love each other. The fact that they were forced to do PRs, despite being much lighter than now. I could go on with the list, dear Anon, but I think you get the point. It's a lot of stress and a lot to digest, especially considering how young they were and the environment around them.

Have a nice day too, dear 😄

Of course I can answer you, dear Anon 😊 So, in my opinion, and always keep in mind that I could be wrong, she told every person in her clique at different times. I think Mila knew about her attraction to girls back in school, but she didn't say anything to anyone because she didn't have a reason to. In the sense that she hasn't had the opportunity to approach another girl and therefore have a reason to tell someone about her queerness. After her first kiss with Lauren on New Year's Eve, I'm willing to bet that the first person she came out to was her mom. Camila's number one best friend is and always has been Sinu, so I can feel it in my bones that she was the first one to know. Oh and, we're in early 2013 here, so Mila was still 15.

After Sinu, there were the girls (DNA) who obviously lived their story with them step by step and therefore I don't think it was a real coming out with them, and her best friends back at home, Sandra and Marielle Guzman (and maybe also Mariana Luna since she was the other one with whom she was very close immediately after the two sisters, but I'm not very convinced of it), and Jenny Runza, who despite being a little younger than Sinu, Mila has always regarded as one of her best friends.

In 2014, when Camren were official, there were more confirmations that led to her automatic coming out with the rest of her clique's friends since the word Camren had already spread around like wildfire for almost two years by then.

At the beginning of 2015, it was the moment when Laur came out to her family, so I strongly believe that that was also Alejandro's moment, although I'm convinced that like the Jaureguis, Ale knew about his daughter all along and that he was even more convinced at X-Factor. Sofi was last on the list simply for a matter of age and I'm talking about 2017. I can't tell you when she told her grandpas. I don't even know if she could have told Norberto because I don't know the kind of relationship she has with him, but Mercedes? Well, abuelita certainly knew this before 2018 because I laugh when I think about the way she looked and talked with Mattress during their PR.

It's not that simple, dear Anon. You're not considering the fact that they didn't communicate during that time. You're dwelling on only one thing and are not looking at the big picture of their relationship at the time. Okay. Let's do something. Picture a scenario that has nothing to do with Camren.

Picture a couple living together. A couple who often quarrel over even the most trivial things or who don't talk at all because they almost avoid each other. Their relationship is very unstable and they're basically at the end of it. Now picture a conversation between this couple in which the only exchanges spoken in a normal way are by then just daily information such as: “I'll be at work from 8 to 4” - “Okay. Will you come home right after?” - “Yeah, I think so” - and then that person comes home at 6 pm despite the worried calls and messages received.

They're so distant that the person who came home late didn't feel compelled to pick up the phone and tell them about the delay. Probably that person didn't even feel compelled to give an explanation and justify the delay once they got home because they're convinced that their partner doesn't really care and that they're just looking for yet another excuse to argue. That person will have felt even more trapped and suffocated by their partner who was really worried instead, but neither of them tells the other the truth because they're too busy arguing and blaming each other instead of meeting each other halfway and really talking about what they feel and makes them vulnerable. They will surely end up in bed with their backs to each other without saying a word to each other after the fight.

Now look at these phrases from the song itself and put Camren's faces in place of the couple in the example: “With no confrontation, I really wish we could talk about it instead” – “All I need from your side is for you to communicate”. Is it easier for you to understand the dynamic now, dear?

Hello to you too @camilalauren0327 👋🏼😄 [why can't I ever tag you in posts?]

No, no, no, dear. None of this happens. So. I'd like to start by saying that OCD begins when people misunderstand their own thoughts. We've all had unwelcome and intrusive thoughts at least once in our lives, right? Well, the importance of those thoughts becomes much more intense or sometimes even extreme for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Like, I'll give you a stupid example, okay?

Most of the time I park, I lock the car, and after I’ve taken a couple of steps, I ask myself: “Ma ho chiuso la macchina?” / “Did I lock the car?”. So, I turn around and lock it again with the keys' remote control even though I've already done it, but I do that anyway to be sure and because maybe I really didn't do it because it happened for real. Now. What would a person with OCD do? Most likely they would do like me, and after getting halfway, they would go back again to close it AGAIN. They would do it a couple of times, and most likely, they would do it a third time after they got home. They would leave the house to go lock the car they've already locked five times.

OCD can begin in adolescence, early adulthood, or even childhood. The onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder is typically gradual, but in some cases, it can begin suddenly. Symptoms vary in severity from time to time and this variation may be related to the occurrence of stressful events. Now. Doesn't all this rings a bell for you? No? Okay, let me explain. I'll copy a piece of my ‘Camren Timeline (Tittle edited)’ post for you: “Camila suffers from one of the variants of OCD since she was 8, and despite seeing a therapist since 2013, her OCD was diagnosed at the end of 2015. C also suffers from anxiety, panic attacks, mood disorders, and depression (all linked to her OCD).”

Why did she start suffering from it at the age of 8? Because little Mila moved back and forth between Havana and Mexico City until she was 5, almost 6, right? After that, she moved to Miami with her mom by leaving behind her family, her friends, basically everything she knew, and her dad. Her dad finally managed to rejoin them almost two years later when she was almost 8 years old. Although she had her family with her again, her little mind didn't relax. It didn’t bring peace to her. In fact, that sprang her first OCD symptoms, which gradually worsened and then fully erupted years later in the group.

What triggers OCD? Stressful life events.

Got it now? Were you able to put the pieces together, dear? I've also answered other questions on the same topic here if it may interest you: https://fa-by.tumblr.com/post/648194918161989633/%C9%9F.

Hello to you too, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 Don't worry, nobody’s asked me to do it yet.

So, as I think we all know, The Boy was originally titled Care About Me. Ed Sheeran wrote it and gave it to Mila for her self-titled album Camila. Mila almost completely rewrote it (Ed said 90% of it) and lastly discarded it because it didn't fit well with the rest of the songs on the album, and I totally understand that.

Intro:

“Yeah, he's messed up a couple times

But he's my glass of cherry wine

And I drink and I drink 'til I'm drunk off of him

I'm in love

(Ash:) He just hit me up to come over

He said what?”

So. The song begins with Mila trying to justify the boy by saying that even though he made mistakes, she's so into him to get past it. I know she used terms like drunk off of him and in love, but she doesn't mean that she's actually in love with him in this case. Just very into him. She's jokingly explaining the situation because she's talking to Ashlee, her friend, and I don't know about you, but my friends and I often use the term in love to make people laugh and to indicate interest in someone.

Like if we see someone for the first time and they're really hot, or if one of the celebrities we like posts like a selfie, we say “I'm in love”. Or, like, another kind of example: one of my best friends has been dating this guy for a few months, and last week he surprised her with some flowers (which he paid very much by the way) and with dinner just because. Hearing her happiness since she has always had only assholes so far, when she finished telling me everything, I made fun of her by laughing and saying: “Lost in love, huh?”. Not because she's actually in love with him, but because it was such a nice thing and she's into him.

So Mila used those phrases to indicate how much she liked him and not because she was actually in love. Also because if she had really been in love with him, she wouldn't have said she didn't care about him for the rest of the song.

Then ‘Ash’ receives the text, and this leads us to understand that the boy is a player and a cheater.

Verse 1:

“Momma said, ‘Always be kind, girl’ (Girl, what's on your mind?)

But I got something I should say (Say it, girl), uh

Boy, I'm sick and done and tired (There's something on my mind)

I'm not yours to manipulate, uh-huh (Tell him girl, tell hi)”

It explains itself quite well. She can't take it anymore.

Pre-Chorus:

“Oh boy, hold your tongue, I don't want no 'pology

‘Cause we both know you're thinking wit' was under your jeans”

Mila tells him not to waste his breath on justifications derived from his member because she doesn't need them. Tsk, Tsk. Typical male behavior. 80% of their thoughts are formulated based on how and where to put their tool in 🙄

“Sent your friends over to tell them you're missing me”

He even sends his friends to her to try to change her mind, but:

“But I don't care, so tell that boy that I am fine”

But she doesn't care. She doesn't care because she's fine this way. In fact, she's better off without him.

Chorus:

“I don't care about the day he decided to leave

I won't be there when he tells another lie so”

This makes us understand how many times she's had to forgive his bullshit.

“I'm gon' use all of my words for weapons”

We know how lethal words can be.

“'Cause the boy don't care about me, lemme say it again, now, babe

I don't care about the way he thinks it's so sweet (Ah)

All that sugar cone gon' be bad for me tomorrow (Ah)”

He can try to kiss her ass as much as he wants, but she won't change her mind. Talking sweet to try to win her back doesn't work because she doesn't want to deal with a player who lies to her and messes up every time.

“I'm gon' use all of my words for weapons

'Cause the boy don't care about me”

He doesn't really care about her, so it's even useless to her that he tries to fix it.

Verse 2:

“All my girls inside the place now (Say we don't need no man)

No wonder we switch sides sometimes (We got this)”

Camilita, Camilita, Camilita 😏 No wonder many girls prefer other girls, huh?

Switching sides can mean switching sides in the true sense of the word, that is for example going from one side of a room to the other. It can mean changing your mind about something or someone. And, most interesting of all in this case, it can mean switching sides in sexual orientation.

I've said many times that she's a fucking genius, and we know how sneaky she is with her songs. She was really smart at using this hidden meaning because a lot of people took it for granted that she meant the meaning of changing her mind since we girls have this nomination about often changing our minds about something.

“Wipe that good look off your face (Say we got better plans)

Ooh, you better not act surprised (For real)”

Exactly. What would be the point? A lot of guys do that 🙄

Bridge:

“Oh, oh, don't care about me

That's fine with me, babe

You don't care about me

And that's fine with me

Fine with me, fine with me (Don't care about)

It is what I need, oh (That's fine with)

Don't care about, care about

Care about, care about me, oh”

She's fine with it simply because she doesn't care about him either.

Outro:

(Ash:) “Girl, that's old, we're done with that”

Yep. She's definitely done with that/him.

And this is my interpretation, dear Anon 😄 In my opinion, if this song really ended up on the self-titled, it would've been used to give yet another proof of her light, old PR with Michael. People were supposed to remember her last, sure, Jan, flame before meeting the love guru Matrix. It was supposed to be like: “Hey, hey, guys, I'm straight, look! I was with a boy and now with another grandpa one!”.

It's just a different version of the Cinderella song for me: she doesn't need a guy in her life. Don't wrap your head around it too much, dear Anon. There's no deep meaning behind it at all. After all, this song was given to her by her idol, and she certainly couldn't refuse. She changed it in a sassy and fun way, she saw that she couldn't fit it with the others because it wouldn't have made sense, and she then discarded it. The end. She was like: it was funny, but I actually have a story to tell. Bye-bye.

Have a good day too, dear ❤️

Hello to you too, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 and yes of course I can do both, but for what purpose am I supposed to do All Again? I mean, I can give you my interpretation of that song without any problem, but it wasn't written by them. By none of them five. That's why I'm asking you for what purpose am I supposed to do that. And that should answer your second question as well. Like No Way and many other songs, the girls may have related to them, but they didn't write them. The only songs they wrote, and not alone but with other songwriters, are:

- Me & My Girls, Don't Wanna Dance Alone, and Who Are You for Better Together,

- All in My Head (Flex) for 7/27,

- and for the self-titled album we have Sauced Up: Arlen (+ other songwriters), Make You Mad: Normally (+ other songwriters), Lonely Night: Norminah (+ other songwriters), Messy: Normally (+ other songwriters), and Bridget: Alren (+ other songwriters).

It's like you ask me to give you my interpretation on for example Who Are You. I could do it without a problem, but that song was written by 8 different heads. With the exception of the bridge that we know Lauren wrote, I can't tell you who among Camila, Dinah, Normani, Ally, Julian Bunetta, PJ Bianco, and Nasri Atweh wrote which part. Analyzing a song sung by a single artist/songwriter is completely different because the idea and concept and feelings are based on a single person. The songwriters who co-write the song together with the artist adapt to them, or maybe the idea comes to one of them, but they modify the concept together with the artist based on their personal experience, as happened for example with Consequences.

Now that you know all this, do you still want me to analyze All Again? Let me know 😄

Let's move on to More Than That.

Lauren wrote four songs in 2016, two of them were meant to be for someone else, but one of them, as we all know well, she kept it to herself. She decided to keep More Than That to herself once she modified the original lyrics along with Prince Charlez and SoundzFire, aka Hue Wayne Strother.

Intro:

“M-M-M-Murda”

This small part of the initial effect intro we hear, is simply a shoutout to Murda Beatz, one of the two producers of the song.

Verse 1:

“I see you watching so I walked into your stare

'Cause I ain't in the position to be walking over there”

She's not in the position to go there simply because she's taken, but she likes to be watched. She likes the attention she's receiving, so she puts herself in plain sight so that this person can keep looking at her.

“I got a situation, I can tell you wanna know”

This guy must have wondered: ‘Why if she's looking back at me, then she won't approach me? Is she someone who likes playing hard to get? Is she a teasing sort? Is she waiting for me to go to her? Or maybe she's in a relationship?’ Typical questions you ask yourself in that situation, and Laur summarized them all in one simple sentence.

“How you can take an honest girl and turn her to a …

If I'ma take a gamble, then you better come correct

I need more than them diamonds that you got around your neck

Shit, anybody can flex, my baby do it best

If you come with somethin' better, then we might just take it there”

The stare, the fact that this guy has the money (diamond necklace), the physical appearance, are not enough for her to push her to cheat. Because if she has to take the risk of cheating, these are certainly not the things that would drive her to do it, but she could if he had something better to offer her. [And with that, please keep in mind that Lauren is a very loyal person and that she wouldn't have done it even if this guy had gone with something better]

Pre-Chrous:

“I know I ain't right for tempting you

But I just wanna see what you would do

If I gave you a taste of what I do

Just remember that I don't belong to you”

The fact that she returned his gaze, that she spoke to him and gave him just a little taste, doesn't mean that she’s no longer taken. As I said before, she likes the attention, and although she knows that it's wrong to instigate him, she does it anyway because she's playing with him. “It's kind of more like clowning him” as she said herself.

Chrous:

“You gon' have to come stronger than this liquor

Wanna take me home, better be more convincing

It'll take more than that to get to me

More than that to get your way

Boy, you better come stronger than this liquor

Wanna take me home, better be more convincing

It'll take more than that to get to me

More than that to get your way

I'm stronger than this liquor”

During the approach in which the guy tried to ‘take her home’ for the night, Lauren easily manages to reject him despite being drunk, because her loyalty is stronger than the attraction she may have felt for him and certainly stronger than what she was drinking.

Verse 2:

“If my man notice, there’ll be some issues”

🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

I'm sorry but every time I listen to this part I can literally picture Camila turning into the Incredible Hulk as we've seen many times. And shit, despite her being tiny, Mila can be scary when she's pissed off.

“But take my number down, I just might hit you

No, I'm just playing, I'm so deep in love

But the way you talkin' might just have me actin' up”

Drunken thoughts mixed with attraction/arousal blocked by common sense and loyalty.

“The way you looking at me, boy, I know what's up

I can feel how you feel without even a touch”

Let's not fool ourselves, guys. You too will have felt when a person is ready to jump your bones. To feel it in the air. To perceive it from the way they look at you, talk to you, and yes, even using excuses to innocently touch for example your arm even if the intentions are far from innocent. These kinds of things, whether you're in a relationship or not, whether you're loyal or not, and especially if you're attracted to the person in question, make you feel appreciated. They make you feel good. But:

“But don't think that's gon' make me give it up

Boy, your time is up”

But that doesn't mean, however, that you take action on it. It doesn't mean you give in to temptation. It was nice, but no thanks. Bye-bye.

Outro:

“It'll take more”

It takes more than good looks, money, and fake, shiny people from L.A.

And that's it, dear Anon 🙃 This is just a funny song about a situation that happened in a club, in which Lauren shows her flirtatious side but also her loyal side. It wasn't that good for her image, but I have an explanation for that as well.

Remember how I initially said that Lauren wrote this song to give it to someone else and then decided to keep it for herself after modifying the original lyrics? Well, in my opinion, she ‘decided to keep it’ and was even chosen as a single, simply for the narrative. It was chosen to go along with the fake love square cheating bullshit [Lauren and Ty who cheated on Lucy and Alycia to be together]. People should have believed even more that Lauren was a person capable of cheating, and this song served the purpose.

🤸🏻‍♀‍🤸🏻‍♀‍🤸🏻‍♀‍

Aaand I'm done 😜 I hope I was helpful in this case too 😄 Thank you all for your asks and as usual, know that I'm available for those who have questions, so feel free to ask 😊

Always remember to be kind, to others and to yourselves. Be a good example. Be patient. Be safe and take care of yourselves. Don't let our ship sink. Keep shipping them, but please respectfully 🙏🏼 Sending you virtual love and hugs 🤗🤗🤗 I love you, babies. Always with love, F ❤️

[sensesdialed-aa]

TRAILER THOUGHTS

okay so i have a LOT of random thoughts and things to comment on about this trailer and instead of splitting it into a bunch of annoying posts i’m just throwing it all into one, sO UH here you go, my observations and feelings:

alright i’m gonna put some of the actual feelings first bc that’s a little more relevant so

I AM VERY EXCITED... this looks so fun and really interesting, i’m ESPECIALLY looking directly at how they handle peter’s identity issue,, i’m so glad they are NOT glossing over it at all, it seems like it’ll really dive deep into both his issues trying to live two lives and how he’s grown

I’M?? NOT OPPOSED TO HOW THEY’RE TYING THE MULTIVERSE IN, i like how peter’s arc leads directly into it instead of it just being a separate plot

i do have.. mixed feelings on the fact that the villains are from other universes though. on one hand it’s really cool to see, but on the other i am disappointed that mcu peter Isn’t allowed his own versions of these villains? like i’d be okay if it was one, maybe two, but we know three at the LEAST already all from separate universes, and.. idk? i would’ve liked to see mcu osborns? i want to see peter’s own little spider-man world IN the mcu, i want to see him have his own set group grow, i’ll figure out how to handle this when the movie’s out though

the fact that the movie feels so big also makes me nervous,, i WISH the mcu would realize that every movie does not need to have insane connections and they Can take some time to focus on a smaller part of the universe? what i’m hoping for is a generally peter FOCUSED movie with the presence of others ( similar to ragnarok tbh? ), i’m also not looking forward to how people are going to use this to call peter strange jr or claim he isn’t capable on his own, bc NO mcu project is going to allow just one hero anymore and it’s stupid to give peter so much more shit for it than anyone else

OVERALL i am generally hopeful and excited, i just don’t want them to rely too much on nostalgia or fanservice and REALLY give him a good closer for his trilogy

now for random observations/comments, this is just my freaking out bullshit that i had to get down somewhere if anyone wants to read it SDHDSJK

PETER AND MJ ON THE ROOF??? that was so cute please,, i’ve wanted a rooftop scene for them forever i am already fed, also i always love their dialogue... the humor between them is so good, it feels like mj’s trying to get him to laugh too? help me... also confirming that there’s a TON of bullshit rumors and fake news out there Beyond just the video which you’d assume but :(( he sounds so tired when he mentions staying up there... wtf 

although, peter why the fuck are you laying on a textbook that’s so uncomfortable what is wrong with you-

MJ COVERING HIS FACE WHEN THEY SWING AWAY.. like bestie that’s not gonna do anything BUT IT MADE ME SOFT ANYWAYS?

the interrogation we see for him.. seeing him cuffed to the table shattered me thank you, BUT what i’m getting from that is i?? GUESS he WAS arrested or some variation of that, goes through interrogation/a lot of legal trouble, but it SEEMS like there’s gonna be a pretty long gap between that and an actual trial/resolution, so he’s probably bailed out and for the time being he CAN exist in public without being? hunted down? it’s still a huge fucking deal but he doesn’t have to RUN/can go to school you know 

the crowd when he’s walking into school.. people yelling at him and taking photos... he can’t go ANYWHERE without stuff like that anymore i’m miserable he’s just baby 

PETER LAYING DOWN UNDER A BLANKET AND FACETIMING MJ... HE’S SO CUTE THERE HELP ME... also i thINK HE’S WEARING MJ’S SHIRT THERE? AHHHH????

the shot of may and peter sitting on the couch.. with the sirens outside.. they have takeout on the table what the fuck leave them alone SAVE THEM 

“this is hurting a lot of people” you BET he feels so much damn guilt over this, he’s so worried about hurting the people he loves and this just makes it so much worse, the fact that they all have to be interrogated? peter’s miserable thanks

the initial scene with stephen where he tries to call him sir sent me that’s it SDHJSD,, i do love how stephen seems to have a soft spot for him though, like going through with the spell, peter’s true power is making other adult heroes soft for him SDSDHJ

THE FACT THAT THE SPELL FUCKS UP BECAUSE HE’S TALKING THOUGH... like come on he was just asking for the three (3) people he has to remember him and that’s enough to break reality itself? i’m in the peter did nothing wrong club sorry SDGHJSD ,,, peter himself however,, yeah this one’s not gonna do wonders for the raging guilt complex is it

the train continues to haunt him i guess DSHJDS at least he’s standing on it good job,,, please give me a “you know this didn’t really go that well last time!” comment or something that’s so funny pl-

strange doing the weird funky thing where peter is punched out of his body,, nice visual metaphor with having the suit and him separate but also damn what he do SDJKSD

GREEN GOBLIN!!! THE BOMBS AND THE LAUGH!! FUCK!!!! DOC OCK!! AHHHH!!! thinking that doc ock shows up on peter’s court date or something bc of the suit,, if so i will lose my fucking mind considering i predicted it through a joke and i will bring up the proof if that happens ... HELLO PETER... OH BOY!!

[iffeelscouldkill]

say what we wanna do, make it all come true (chapter 1)

A/N: It is! My fic for the Fiction Podcast Big Bang @podcastbigbang! I am a bit terrified to be posting this after working on it for so long! Also this is in the running for the Longest TSCOSI Fic I’ve Written So Far (not sure if it’s the longest because I don’t remember where my wordcount is up to for Adjusting, but like... it’s long, guys). This is Chapter 1 of 3, and the remaining chapters will be posted weekly!

You can read this on AO3 where the formatting is honestly much better, but here it is on Tumblr anyway. Also, please check out the FANTASTIC artwork made for this fic by the wonderful @bluereadingdolphin and @demonic-kitkats, who are my artists for this fic and their artwork is so good, you guys, I’m in love and they did such a phenomenal job with the honestly pretty vague info they got from me 😂 

bluereadingdolphin’s piece

demonic-kitkat’s piece (from Chapter 2!)

Please give them all the love!

Content warnings: There is a relatively brief physical altercation described in this chapter, but it isn’t graphic or bloody.

Also, I play a little fast and loose with POV in this; the first section is told from Sana’s perspective, the rest from Arkady’s.

---

“Hello and welcome back to Radio Indie, Folk and Techno, also known as RIFT, where we play all the bands that matter outside of the mainstream! I’m Piper Tanaka, and I’m your co-host for this programme! I’m joined as usual by the lovely Kestrel Colvin, with Reina Sakamachi in the booth! Now – where were we?”

“You were introducing our guests for this next section,” Kestrel replied in a slightly despairing tone.

“Right! Indie fans, I am joined today by two members of the fabulous up-and-coming indie band Rumor! With me in the studio are frontwoman and lead guitarist Sana Tripathi—��

“Hey! It’s a pleasure to be here.”

“—and bad girl bassist Arkady Patel.”

“Bad girl?” Arkady repeated, sounding halfway between taken aback and annoyed. Kestrel just shook her head.

“Ignore her. She’s got a thing for a certain… aesthetic.”

Next to Arkady, Sana was doing an incredibly poor job of hiding her laughter. “It’s the combat boots,” she whispered to Arkady.

“These are practical,” Arkady told her in a tone that suggested they’d had this conversation a few times. Sana said nothing, but straightened back up with a smirk.

“Sana — or should I call you ‘Captain’?” Piper began playfully. Sana grimaced.

“In hindsight, it was a poor choice to share that nickname in an interview.”

“You know, I think it suits you,” said Piper. “There’s something commanding about your aura. Sana, you and the band — which I understand you and Arkady originally started as a duo a few years ago—”

“That’s right,” Sana confirmed.

“You’ve always had a dedicated and loyal following, even from your early days — and we’re proud to have been playing your music here on this station for almost as long — but I think it’s fair to say the past few months have seen that rocket to a whole new level,” Piper said. “You got signed to a record label belonging to the mysterious but notoriously discerning Red Gregor, are working on your second album, and played a major gig at the CUI stadium just a few weeks ago. And we are definitely going to talk later about what went down at that gig, which is already the stuff of online legend — but first I want to backtrack a little, because I think the moment that everything started happening for you was when you added a new member to your band. In the middle of a gig, if the rumours are true. Can you tell us how that happened?”

Sana and Arkady exchanged a sidelong glance, and Arkady gave Sana a tiny nod. Sana took a deep breath, and began to tell the story.

---

“Jeeter, for the last time, put the keytar away,” Arkady said irritably as she and Sana entered the draughty, abandoned warehouse that the band was using as their current rehearsal space. The acoustics were pretty weird, probably due to all the broken windows, but it was otherwise hard to beat a free place to rehearse — especially a free place with no asshole neighbours who would yell at them to turn it down and threaten to call the cops.

Admittedly, it was in kind of a rough area, but Arkady had only needed to knock someone unconscious with her bass once.

In retaliation, Brian played another bright riff on his beloved instrument, accompanied by some jazzy keyboard chords from Krejjh. The two had been jamming together before Arkady and Sana arrived. “Dude, c’mon, can’t you hear how good this sounds?” Brian wheedled. “How many other indie bands do you know that have a keytar?”

“None. For good reason,” Arkady said, unzipping her case and slinging her bass around her neck. Sana, unpacking the sound equipment, smiled in fond amusement at their well-worn argument.

“It would give us such a great edge! Totally unique. And Krejjh and I have so many ideas that would sound great with both instruments—”

“Okay, Jeeter,” Arkady interrupted him, twiddling one of her tuning pegs. “You can play the keytar. Just as soon as you find us someone else who can play the drums.” She stooped to plug her bass into the portable amplifier that Sana had just unpacked. “Or are you planning to grow an extra pair of hands so you can play both at once?”

“Oooh! No, I should have an extra pair of hands!” Krejjh immediately (and predictably) enthused. “Then I’d sound four times as awesome! Four hands, all rockin’ out!”

“I think you mean ‘twice as awesome’,” Sana told them, as Brian reluctantly put away his keytar and picked up his neglected drumsticks.

“With me, twice the hands equals four times the awesome,” Krejjh replied with irrefutable logic. Brian laughed and held up a hand.

“Dude, high five.”

Sana waited for the two of them to finish their congratulatory high-five before she called the band to order. “Okay, guys — remember that we’re only a few days out from our gig at the IGR Corp function, so we need to have our crowd-pleasers up to standard.”

Arkady immediately wrinkled her nose. “Ugh, corporates. Why are we taking money from them again?”

“Because we need to pay for rent and food,” Sana said, bluntly. “And they’re giving us a lot for it. I know none of us love playing corporate gigs—”

“Understatement.”

“—but we are living a hand to mouth existence at this point, and if I can guarantee our survival as a band by relieving some corporates of their excess funds, then I’m going to do just that,” Sana continued. She waited a beat, and then added, “Also, we’re gonna let them get really drunk and then start playing our best anti-capitalist anthems, and see how long it takes for them to notice.”

Arkady broke into a shit-eating grin. “That’s more like it.” Krejjh cheered, and Brian did a little run-down on his drumkit, hitting each of the drums in turn.

“All right, let’s start with ‘Fear for the Storm’? One, two, three, four…” Sana started strumming the intro on her guitar, joined after a few beats by Krejjh’s melody on the keyboard.

“So long, can’t dodge the dawn, red light shines on and on and on and on and on…”

---

Arkady had been on edge ever since the band set foot in the agonisingly hipster office complex — excuse me, ‘headquarters’ — belonging to IGR Corp.

It wasn’t just the fact that these guys were extremely corporate corporates, or that the whole place radiated an almost aggressively minimalist aesthetic, or that the walls were covered in bullshit, chipper slogans that were all fancy ways of saying, ‘Work should be your existence – if isn’t, you’re dead to us’ — although those things sure as hell didn’t help, reminding her of the absolute worst parts of every soul-sucking corporate job she’d worked before Sana mercifully re-entered her life and suggested they form a band.

No, there was just this weird vibe, like everyone was super on edge and trying to hide it — the higher-ups were stone-faced, muttering into earpieces or barking orders at underlings, who scurried, terrified, to carry out their wishes. And everyone else, from the tech types in plain white T-shirts and jeans to the smartly-dressed sales reps in suits, looked like they were there on pain of death. Wasn’t this supposed to be a party?

The atmosphere didn’t go unnoticed by the other band members. “Kind of a weird feel to this place,” Jeeter remarked as he unpacked his drumkit on the raised platform at the front of the ‘rec center’ where they would be performing. Normally, setting up was a noisy, clumsy affair, with the band elbowing each other, tripping over wires, and getting in each other’s way in the tiny space they were afforded in bars and nightclubs. Here, the platform that would be their makeshift stage was huge and extremely visible — but everyone was completely ignoring them. There was also very little background noise for a room packed with people, and the band found themselves speaking in hushed murmurs, almost tiptoeing around. “You’d think there would be a bit more… chatter?”

“Maybe the alcohol just isn’t flowing yet,” Sana speculated, but she sounded uneasy as she looked out over the tense crowd. Even Krejjh, with their signature hot pink, heart-shaped sunglasses perched on top of their dyed-lavender hair, dressed in a clashing, flamboyant jumble of clothes and accessories, seemed subdued.

Arkady plugged in her bass with a burst of static, and deliberately played a loud riff. Brian startled and dropped his drumstick, but not a single member of the sea of blandly-dressed IGR Corp employees flinched.

Weird.

The sound equipment was all set up, sound check performed and instruments tuned by half past, but the set wasn’t due to start until o’clock. Normally, Arkady would be making a beeline for the bar, but she didn’t really feel like rubbing shoulders with any of these weird drones. She found herself reflexively checking the exits, mentally charting their fastest route out of there in case something really fucked up started going down. Sana half-jokingly called it paranoia; Arkady called it long, hard experience.

It was on one of her scans of the room that she noticed the woman with the septum piercing. Arkady chalked it up to professional interest — as a kid, she’d picked up some extra money working as an assistant in a tattoo and piercing shop, The Landing. She’d first met Sana there when the other woman came in on several occasions to have work done on an amazingly intricate floral sleeve tattoo — her own design. Later, Sana had led a campaign to save The Landing from being shut down over a bunch of bullshit health code violations so that the billionaire Cresswin family — who owned the property — could sell it off to a shitty corporation.

The campaign hadn’t worked, and there was now a high rise office block where Arkady’s home from home had once stood. But Arkady had never forgotten Sana.

Anyway, it was definitely the woman’s piercing and not anything else about her appearance that caught Arkady’s attention first. But then she noticed that there was something off about her body language and the way she was moving — something that Arkady recognised. She wasn’t scurrying about in a panic or affecting bored disinterest; her eyes were flickering around the room, carefully monitoring the comings and goings of the other employees while seeming not to do so. There were little devices studded around the room that Arkady had clocked as security cameras the moment they entered (it was the kind of thing she made a habit of noticing), and she saw the woman glancing up at them.

She was dressed like an employee – white blouse, dark rinse blue jeans – so why was she acting like she was casing the joint? Of course, Arkady reasoned, the outfit could easily have been chosen to blend in. It didn’t necessarily mean she worked there.

“Seen something interesting, ‘Kady?” Sana asked playfully. Arkady didn’t startle, but it was a near thing; she’d been so focused on watching this woman.

Unfortunately, Sana saw where she’d been looking. “You know, we’ve still got close to half an hour before we start our first set,” she said. “You can go and mingle.”

“I’m not here to socialise,” Arkady said witheringly. “Least of all with corporate drones.” She tore her eyes away from the woman to meet Sana’s amused look.

“I’m just saying, you seemed pretty absorbed there…” Sana said, and Arkady rolled her eyes, determined not to respond to her best friend’s teasing. She glanced back at the spot where the woman had been standing and found it empty.

A second later, Arkady had found her again, weaving through the crowd with her head ducked down. She was taking an odd route across the room that Arkady realised must have been calculated to avoid the security cameras. Occasionally she disappeared, behind people or objects (like a huge, obviously fake ficus plant), but it wasn’t hard for Arkady to spot her again. Clearly there was some kind of purpose to what she was doing, but the woman wasn’t a professional.

There was an elevator against the far wall, and as Arkady watched, the doors opened and a small group of people in suits – latecomers to the party – walked out of it. The woman mingled with them briefly, and then disappeared inside the elevator. The doors closed.

Well, that had been a way to kill five minutes, but now Arkady was stuck with nothing to do again. Krejjh and Jeeter had pulled out a pack of cards, and were playing one of their weird games on top of Krejjh’s keyboard. Arkady turned to Sana, about to make another comment about how much this place creeped her out, when she caught sight of the other person moving across the room.

Judging by the expensive suit, they were a higher-up, and were taking none of the precautions the woman had when making their way across the room, which suggested that they were confident about being allowed to do whatever it was they were doing. And to Arkady, it looked an awful lot like they were following the woman she’d seen. Based on the way the suit jacket fell, she’d also bet even money that they were armed.

Sure enough, the suit called the elevator, and disappeared into it a second later. Arkady swore under her breath.

It was none of her goddamn business whether a person she didn’t even know might be in danger, Arkady told herself. She was here to play music, not to get in the middle of whatever might be going down at this godawful corporation. Which again, was none of her business anyway.

Her resolve lasted all of ten seconds.

“I’m going to get a drink,” she told Sana, and placed her bass onto its stand.

“Oooh! Bring me a cocktail – no, a mocktail!” Krejjh said. Sana just looked at her quizzically.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Arkady nodded briefly. “I’ll be right back,” she said, and jumped down off the platform.

She wasn’t under any illusions that Sana wouldn’t notice where she was going, and just hoped that her best friend would trust her to be back in time for the set. She slipped through the crowd, following the same path that the woman had taken to avoid the watchful eyes of the security cameras.

This worked right up until she entered the elevator, where sure enough, a security camera was embedded into the top corner. How had this woman planned to avoid getting caught?

Arkady pulled out her smartphone, and began to quickly and expertly worm her way into the closed network that IGR Corp was using for its security systems. After just a few moments, she’d managed to identify the IP address that the lift camera was using, and wow, whoever had set up this system was either incredibly lazy or was trying to lay out a welcome mat for hackers. They hadn’t bothered to change the default access password.

Arkady wound back the last few minutes of recorded video, and watched as the woman with the septum piercing pressed the button for the top floor. Arkady did the same, and as the elevator moved upwards, she introduced a glitch that would cause the security camera to loop footage of an empty elevator instead of showing who was actually inside. Then she worked to edit out the archive footage of the woman riding up in the elevator, and of herself getting in.

If it turned out that there was nothing weird going on here after all, well, she’d had some fun exploiting the corporates’ shitty security system.

But Arkady was pretty sure there was something weird going on.

The elevator came to a silent stop, and Arkady silently thanked the deities she didn’t really believe in for the fact that this place was too hipster to have an elevator that made a noise when it arrived at the right floor. The doors slid open, and Arkady immediately spotted another security camera on exiting the elevator. God, these corporates were paranoid. But apparently not paranoid enough to pay their security person to do their job properly.

Annoyingly, the security cameras for this floor seemed to be on a separate network, and Arkady started another hack as she crept down the corridor, straining her ears for the sounds of a confrontation. Further down, she saw an office door swinging open, as if someone had gone through it in a hurry. Arkady approached it, being careful to stay out of sight of the doorway. Closer to, she could hear a voice coming from inside – the suit’s, if she had to guess.

“…sure CEO Golding-Frederick will be very interested to hear just what you’re doing in her office, Ms. Liu.”

“Seiders, I can explain,” the woman – Liu – replied, her voice high with tension. “Project ADVANCE – it’s not what we’ve been told. The company is using it to-”

“What the company may or may not be doing with Project ADVANCE is not your concern,” Seiders said smoothly, over her, “and is a long way above your pay grade. But I’d be very interested to learn where you got your information from.”

“Do you know what’s going on at this company?” Liu demanded, outraged. “And that’s – you have no problems with what they’re doing?”

The closed network for the top floor of the building was much less of a pushover than the elevator, and Arkady kept half of her attention on the conversation inside the room as she worked to find a flaw in the system. Finally, she made it in, and began trying different password combinations for the camera in the hallway.

“It’s not my job to ask questions, Ms. Liu,” Seiders had been saying. “Neither is it yours. And if you value your job – not to mention the safety and security of your loved ones – you’ll step away from that computer, and go back downstairs to the party.”

“Are you threatening me? Are you threatening my family?” Liu demanded. “No, I’m not going to stay silent about this. Someone has to take a stand against what this company is doing. And if anything happens to me, that’ll only raise more questions.”

“We’re very good at making those questions go away,” said Seiders, and Arkady heard Liu suck in a breath. She moved so that she could see inside the room and shit, that was a gun. Arkady rapidly began calculating her angle of attack. “Didn’t you ever wonder what happened to Connors from Engineering?”

“That’s not – you can’t just make a person disappear,” Liu said, desperately. “I – I have insurance! Documents that I’ve sent to a friend of mine. If I don’t check in with them in two hours, they’re going to send them to a journalist contact, and it’ll be all over the press in the morning.”

Arkady could hear the lie in her voice so clearly, and she knew Seiders could, too. “If you had enough evidence to be worth a damn, you wouldn’t have broken into this office,” they replied. “I’m going to ask you one last time. Step away from the-”

Arkady slammed into the room, deliberately making as much noise as she could to draw Seiders’ attention. She took two, three steps towards them and grabbed their gun hand, forcing it down and towards the floor. She managed to hook one arm around their throat, pulling back and applying pressure. Seiders choked, struggling and jerking against Arkady’s grip. With the hand that was holding their gun hand, Arkady twisted and pulled their fingers open, causing the weapon to drop to the floor.

“Liu, grab the gun!” Arkady ordered. She saw the other woman yank something out of the computer that looked like a flash drive, stowing it inside her blouse. She dove for the gun at the same time that Seiders managed to thrust an elbow back, driving it into Arkady’s midsection.

All the air left Arkady’s lungs and as she struggled to draw a breath in, Seiders took advantage of her loosened grip to twist free. They grappled with Liu for the gun, but Liu succeeded in kicking it away, where it spun underneath a nearby cabinet. Then Arkady was on Seiders again, jumping onto their back and choking them.

She heard the sound of running footsteps, and someone else burst into the room. Arkady didn’t get a chance to see who it was before Seiders slammed their head back, knocking into Arkady’s and making bright white lights explode across her vision. She dropped to the floor and staggered, trying to clear her head.

She heard an oof and a thud, and blinked rapidly, sure that she would open her eyes to see Seiders bearing down on Liu – or worse, standing over her unconscious body.

Instead, she was greeted with the sight of Seiders crumpling like a sack of potatoes as Sana flexed her fist, having delivered a powerful uppercut that knocked them out cold.

Silence reigned for a few seconds, broken only by Liu’s sharp, panicked breaths. Rubbing her head, Arkady said, “Hey, Sana.”

“The next time you decide to go off on a rescue mission,” Sana said, wryly, “you could at least tell me where you’re going.” She frowned as she took in Arkady’s dishevelled state. “Is your head all right?”

“I’ll be fine,” said Arkady. She was more concerned with Liu, who looked like she might be on the verge of a panic attack. “Hey, uh, it’s okay. We took care of them.”

“Who-” Liu managed, taking deep breaths in and out, clearly trying to steady her breathing. “Who are you?”

Sana smiled at her, warm and reassuring. “My name is Sana Tripathi, and this is Arkady Patel. We’re-”

There was a noise that sounded not unlike a herd of elephants storming down the corridor, and Arkady closed her eyes. She had a bad feeling she knew what was about to happen. Sure enough, in the next second Krejjh and Jeeter clattered through the door in all their clashing multicoloured glory: Jeeter in his signature loud paid shirt and those stupid khakis, and Krejjh with their… everything. Most of the clattering was coming from Krejjh’s many bangles.

“Cap’n Tripathi!” Krejjh said. “We’re here to assist you with – oh my god, are they dead?” They stared at the unconscious form of Seiders on the floor.

“They’re not dead, they’re just unconscious,” Arkady said, irritated. “Did you two really take off without anyone to watch the equipment?”

Sana turned back to Liu like nothing had happened. “We’re the band,” she finished succinctly. “I’m the guitarist and lead singer, Arkady here plays the bass, and Krejjh and Brian are our keyboardist and drummer.” She indicated each of them in turn. Jeeter waved, and Krejjh saluted for some reason. “And who are you?”

Liu blinked at her. “You… you just saved my life, and you don’t even know who I am?” she said. “Why would you do that?”

“For one thing, because you’d probably be dead if we hadn’t,” Arkady said. “You’re welcome for that, by the way.” She pulled out the phone to finish the hack on the security cameras that she’d started before she entered the room.

“I – no, I know that. I’m not ungrateful,” Liu said, sounding a little stung. “I’m just a little… in shock. My name is Violet Liu,” she added to Sana. “I, uh, work in IGR Corp’s neuroresearch division.”

“Good to meet you, Violet Liu,” Sana said, sounding like they were old friends catching up at the bar instead of total strangers talking to each other over an unconscious body. “’Kady, are you erasing the security footage?”

Arkady nodded.

“Good; Brian and I will carry our friend here,” Sana indicated Seiders with her foot, “into the hallway. I think I noticed a closet there we can hide them in.”

“Uh… are you guys really the band?” Liu asked, as Sana and Jeeter – who was much stronger than he looked – bent down to pick up Seiders. “You seem very…” She struggled to find the right words. “…good at this.”

“We have some unorthodox skillsets,” Sana said, beaming and dimpling at her. “We don’t normally make a habit of rescuing people in the middle of a gig, but Arkady has a soft spot for damsels in distress.”

Arkady fumbled her phone, and nearly dropped it. “Sana,” she hissed, mortified. Sana, who was already partway out of the door, winked and disappeared into the hallway.

After a moment, Arkady realised that she and Liu were the only ones in the room, Krejjh evidently having decided to go along and supervise, or something. She refocused her attention on the hack she was carrying out; she’d managed to hack the hallway security camera, and was erasing the footage from that, but she still needed to do the one in the office.

“Uh…” Liu awkwardly broke the silence. “Is there anything that you need me to…”

“Is anyone likely to be monitoring the security cameras in real-time?” Arkady asked her. The question came out sounding a little harsher than she’d intended, but it was hard to be diplomatic when she was focused on trying to break into a security system. Also, it was a little annoying that Liu apparently hadn’t thought about security cameras beyond the ones on the ground floor.

“N-no, the system is all automated,” Liu replied. Well, that was something, at least. “I, uh, I do have a virus that I was planning to use on the security system that would corrupt the footage. I just needed to find an access point.”

Fine, so there had been a plan of sorts. “This is quicker,” Arkady told her. “And the way I’m doing it, it won’t be so obvious that someone has tampered with the footage.”

“Thank you for that,” Liu said, quietly. “And thank you for – I mean, you don’t even know me, but you came up here to help me. Why?”

Arkady shrugged, keeping her shoulders hunched and avoiding Liu’s gaze. “You looked like you were in trouble,” she said shortly. And that was the office camera done. Arkady resisted the urge to change the password to something rude, and withdrew from the network. “And I don’t like corporations. What were you trying to do, blow the whistle on them or something?”

“Um, I-”

Before she could explain, Sana poked her head back into the room. “Arkady, are you done? Because I don’t think we should be hanging around up here.”

“I’m done,” Arkady said with a nod, pocketing her phone. The two of them joined Sana, Krejjh and Jeeter in the hallway.

“We need a plan to get Violet back downstairs and out of the building without her being seen,” Sana said quickly. “’Kady, do you think you two can make it out in fifteen minutes?”

Arkady huffed. “I can hack the security cams, but I can’t actually make us invisible,” she pointed out. “People are gonna notice us. If we waited until you guys started the set, then we might have a better chance, while everyone’s attention is on the band.”

“Listen – it’s not that I don’t really appreciate the help,” Liu cut in. Her face was set, like she was preparing to go to the gallows. “But none of this needs to be your problem. It’s my mess, and I can get myself out of it. You guys should go and start your set.”

“Oh, pshaw!” said Krejjh. “We’re not just gonna leave you to the bears!”

Jeeter smiled. “To the wolves,” he corrected Krejjh.

“Are y’sure? Because bears can be pretty terrifying.”

“We’re not about to abandon you now,” Sana said to Liu, gently. “Between the five of us, I’m sure we can figure out a pretty good plan.”

“Can’t we just pretend to be loading something into the truck?” Jeeter suggested. “And Violet can help us? We could give her a band jacket – make her look like she’s with us-”

“It’s too bad you don’t play!” Krejjh said to Violet. “We could add you into the set. The ultimate entourage!”

“Uh…” Violet said (at the same time as Arkady said, “Camouflage.”) “I mean, I do play something? But you guys already have a drummer.”

“Wait, you’re a drummer?” Jeeter said delightedly, as Krejjh straightened up so fast that Arkady thought they’d pull a muscle. Even Sana looked interested. “Are you good?”

“Have you ever played with a band before?” added Sana.

Liu smiled and shrugged awkwardly. “Well, drums aren’t really a solo instrument, so yeah. I used to jam with some friends in high school, and played some underground rock concerts in college. I was never really with a band – we just sort of used to form collectives based on who was around and wanted to play. It was fun, though.”

She’d avoided answering the question about how good she was, Arkady noticed, which probably meant she was good and was being modest about it. Goddamn it.

“So if, hypothetically speaking,” Sana said, “you joined a set without having rehearsed any of the music beforehand, would you be able to figure out a drum part?”

“Okay, hold on,” said Arkady, before Violet could respond. “Don’t you think IGR Corp is going to notice that one of their employees has just… joined the band?”

“We’ll swear up and down that it isn’t her,” Jeeter said. “And even if someone figures it out, what are they gonna do about it in front of everyone?”

“But wait, what about you?” Liu asked Jeeter. “Wouldn’t I be putting you out of a role in the band?”

“Nah,” Jeeter said happily. “I brought my keytar!”

“Oh my god,” Arkady groaned. She could tell when she was fighting a losing battle, but it didn’t stop her from making one last, token protest. “This is going to sound really goddamn weird.”

Sana grinned at her. “Well, you wanted to annoy some corporates,” she pointed out. “What better way to do it?”

---

The problem was, the new line-up didn’t sound weird at all.

It sounded good.

Liu, hastily disguised with an old band jacket and a spare pare of Krejjh’s sunglasses, fitted in with their set like she’d been rehearsing with them for weeks – months even. They did a quick sound check, Jeeter looking far too delighted as he amped up his keytar. Sana gave her usual cheerful introduction into the microphone, introducing the band as Renegade, the name they adopted for corporate gigs (Arkady was even more glad of it now, since it would make them harder to track down later). After a lukewarm reception from the assembled employees (none of whom seemed to notice, or care, that the band had grown an extra member), they launched into their first number, a reimagined cover of ‘What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor’.

It started off with Sana singing alone, before Krejjh joined in, their voices singing in close harmony, and then Arkady and finally Jeeter, the harmonies becoming increasingly layered as they went. The addition of the keytar made the song sound futuristic, almost the kind of thing you could imagine crews of space explorers singing together as they made their way into the unknown.

Liu picked up the beat easily, and as the song unfolded Arkady suddenly realised she could hear a fifth strand to the harmony, weaving in and out of the other voices, soft but distinctive: Liu was singing.

They moved on from the conventional crowd-pleasing openers to a more eclectic mix of songs, including some punk and anarchist numbers. Each time, Arkady was sure that the choice was going to throw Liu off, but she adapted smoothly to each one, altering her style to fit the vibe of the song. In one of the louder, heavier songs she even threw in an impromptu drum solo that had Krejjh whooping at the keyboard and Sana laughing as she riffed on her guitar.

Sana threw Arkady a look as the song ended, and there was a light in her eyes that Arkady knew far, far too well. It was the same light that Arkady had seen when Sana tracked her down at her latest deadbeat job and persuaded her to quit and start playing music with her; the same light that she’d had when they met Brian and Krejjh a year later and Sana had decided to turn their duo into a band.

Sana wanted Liu to join Rumor. And Arkady couldn’t even think of a good argument against it, apart from the fact that they barely knew anything about the woman other than that she could play the drums. And that she was a corporate, which Arkady thought was important not to lose sight of, even if Liu wasn’t on the greatest terms with her employer any more.

Speaking of which. Arkady was on high alert throughout the whole set, constantly scanning the crowd for signs of trouble, anyone who might be looking too closely at Liu or showed signs of moving towards the elevator. As they’d been setting up, Liu had told them that Seiders was middle management: someone who outranked her, but not someone who held a position of particular influence within the company or had the ear of the CEO. Someone who had ambitions above their station. It didn’t mean no-one would notice them missing, of course; but it meant that they might be someone who, for instance, would go after a rogue employee without notifying their superior, hoping to reap all of the credit.

The band moved into their final number, ‘Landers Never Stand Down’ – one of Sana and Arkady’s early compositions, whose lyrics Sana had written as a tribute to The Landing, and her and Arkady’s shared history. Normally, Arkady would object to wasting it on a corporate audience, but tonight, it felt like the right kind of ‘fuck you’.

“Landers never stand down,

Landers never bow,

Landers never stand down,

We don’t know how…”

They wound up the song in their usual fashion, repeating the chorus and getting fiercer and more defiant with each repetition, before ending in a final blaze of guitar chords.

“Thank you, everyone, you’ve been a wonder to perform for!” Sana said into the microphone as the chords faded away. She said the same thing at the end of every gig, but it had never felt more like a colossal understatement. “We’ve been Renegade, and we hope you have a great night!”

There was a small scattering of applause. Sana beamed out into the audience again, and then turned away from the microphone, sliding the power to ‘off’. “Well, that was-”

“Attention, all IGR Corp employees,” came a voice over the loudspeaker system. Sana froze, and Liu, who’d been leaning over to say something to Krejjh, paled visibly. “Please stay where you are. We will be carrying out a routine attendance check. Please do not exit the building.”

“Attendance check?” Arkady repeated.

“It’s a standard employee procedure,” Liu explained. “To make sure everyone’s… accounted for at corporate functions. Supposedly they’re optional, but it looks really bad if you’re not there and you don’t have a reason.”

“Do we think there’s a chance this is linked to…” Sana gestured towards the elevator. Liu shrugged helplessly.

“It could be, but even if it’s not, they’re gonna discover that Seiders is missing pretty quickly. And that I’m… unaccounted for.”

“Don’t worry,” said Jeeter, reassuringly. “We’ll figure out a way to get you out before that happens.”

“Dashing escapes are our speciality!” Krejjh contributed. This was true; the band hadn’t always played at the most above-the-board venues, and there’d been more than a few times they’d needed to get the hell out of Dodge before things got ugly. Well, uglier.

Sana nodded. “For now, just keep packing down, like nothing’s wrong,” she said.

As Krejjh packed down their keyboard and Jeeter helped Liu to disassemble the drumkit, Arkady said to Sana, “I’ll go with Liu, and we can sneak out a back entrance-”

Sana shook her head. “It’ll be more suspicious if we’re not seen leaving as a group.”

“We’ll just say we’re going to the bathroom,” Arkady said. “We’re allowed to do that, aren’t we?”

Sana started to reply, but then stopped, squinting at something on the other side of the room. Arkady tried to follow her gaze, but couldn’t see what she was looking at. “What is it?”

“I thought I saw…” Sana shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s try the front way first, and if they won’t let us leave, we’ll get creative.”

Unsurprisingly, when they carried the first load of equipment over to the rec room entrance, two stoic-looking IGR employees blocked their path, bouncer-style. Arkady eyed one of them, pretty sure she could take her in a one-to-one fight.

“Sorry, we can’t let you leave while an attendance check is ongoing,” said the employee, with a bland detachment. “Company policy.”

“It should only take about an hour,” the other added. “You can enjoy the free refreshments while you wait.”

An hour? Even if they hadn’t had a very pressing reason to get the hell out of there, Arkady would have been looking for the nearest fire escape to break out of. They were just supposed to cool their heels at IGR headquarters for an hour?

“Can we not at least load our equipment into the van in the meantime?” Sana asked reasonably. “This is a very heavy amplifier…” She made a show of struggling with the amp she’d been lifting with ease a few seconds ago, and Arkady suppressed a snort.

One of the corporates had opened their mouth, looking like they were about to object, when a friendly voice spoke from behind them. “Is there a problem here?”

They all turned to look at the person who’d spoken, and Arkady carefully masked her surprise: the tall, dark-skinned man dressed in an expensive-looking suit jacket, T-shirt and jeans combination was none other than Red Gregor, a close friend of Campbell’s. They’d met him once or twice, but what was he doing here?

“Who are you?” asked Corporate One, audibly unimpressed.

“Theodore Gregor; I’m the band’s executive producer,” Gregor introduced himself smoothly, handing Corporate Two a business card. Their eyes widened at whatever was written on it. “My clients have another engagement to get to tonight, so you can understand why it’s very important they be allowed to leave promptly. Additionally, their contract stipulates that they’re only obliged to perform for your company until-” he made a show of checking a gold watch, “-nine-thirty P.M., after which time we’ll need to bill you for every additional half-hour. Will your supervisors be signing off on the additional expenses?”

Corporates One and Two were visibly thrown by the torrent of information. Krejjh made a noise that was hastily stifled, while Arkady did her best to look bored and important.

“I… no, let me just contact my superior to get you the all-clear,” said Corporate One, reluctantly. “Johnson will help you to load your equipment into your…” She eyed the band’s battered van, visibly out of place in the parking lot full of sleek cars. “…vehicle.”

“Great!” Sana said brightly, handing the amplifier to Corporate Two, who took it and staggered slightly. As Corporate One spoke into a walkie-talkie, Sana and Red Gregor strode quickly ahead, the rest of the band trailing behind. Arkady lengthened her steps to catch up with them so that she could hear their quiet exchange.

“…doing here? Did Campbell send you?” Sana was asking Red Gregor.

“In a manner of speaking,” Red Gregor said. “He talks about you so much, I wanted to come and hear what all the fuss was about. Love the new line-up – you guys sound completely different to when I last heard you play.”

“It’s kind of a new thing,” Sana admitted. “New as of… today. I can fill you in, it’s just a long story.”

“I can’t wait to hear it,” Red Gregor said, and Arkady remembered that she’d liked him, the couple of times that they’d met. She could see why he and Campbell were good friends. “But let’s focus on getting you out of here. I’m guessing you need an exit?”

“And fast,” Sana agreed.

“Well, fast’s your speciality,” Red Gregor said with a grin. Sana smiled back at him, and Arkady wondered if Red was basing this off stories from Campbell, or if he and Sana knew each other better than Arkady had realised. It was a strange thought to have in the middle of everything.

Sana unlocked the van and slid open the back door. While Krejjh, Jeeter and Liu loaded their items into the trunk, overseen by Corporate Two, Red Gregor pretended to help Arkady and Sana with their instruments.

“So what now?” Arkady asked Sana. “I think I can probably take Johnson.”

“Arkady, you’ve already been in one fight today,” Sana said, disapproving.

“What’s your point?”

“I have a more bloodless suggestion,” Red Gregor said. “You’ve got a few pieces of equipment left in the venue, right? I’ll go back inside with Johnson to ‘collect’ them, say we’re going to check their supervisor has given you the go-ahead, and you guys make a break for it. I’ll bring the equipment in my car and meet you at the dive bar, half a mile down the road.”

“Are you sure you’ll be able to get away? What happens when they realise we’re gone?” Sana asked.

“I’ll come up with something,” Red Gregor assured her. “Just focus on getting yourselves out of here.”

He walked over to Johnson, who was slightly bemusedly watching Jeeter and Liu (who were clearly stalling for time) rearrange pieces of the drumkit in the trunk, and took him by the arm, steering him back towards the building and talking rapidly all the while.

“As soon as they’re out of sight, everyone needs to get in the van quickly,” Sana instructed. “And hang onto something. Okay? Now!”

Krejjh slammed the trunk of the van shut and everyone piled into the back without a word of protest. Arkady jumped into the front as Sana slid into the driver’s seat, reversing out of the parking space like a shot and executing an alarming hairpin turn to get them onto the road. Liu cried out in alarm, not used to Sana’s driving, and Arkady hung grimly onto the handle on the inside of her door.

“Everyone okay back there?” Sana asked, peering into the rearview mirror.

Arkady looked back to see Jeeter and Krejjh scrambling to put on their seatbelts, each of them having thrown an arm over Liu to keep her in place. “Oops, sorry, I forgot we don’t have a seatbelt for the middle!” Sana said cheerfully as they thudded over a speedbump. Liu closed her eyes. “There’s normally only four of us.”

“It’s not far to where we’re going, right, Captain?” asked Jeeter.

“Just a half mile down the road,” said Sana. “Red Gregor’s going to meet us there with the rest of the equipment, as soon as he can get away.”

“What was he doing at the gig? Did Campbell tell him where we were?”

“I think so. He said that he wanted to come and hear us play,” Arkady said, watching buildings blur past on either side of them. “I guess it was lucky he did.”

“We would’ve figured something out,” Krejjh said confidently.

“Uh, who’s Campbell?” Liu asked, cautiously opening her eyes again.

“He’s our… manager? Kinda?” Krejjh replied. “He doesn’t tell us what to do or anything, but he has a lot of contacts, so he gets us most of our gigs.”

“Contacts in the music industry? Or contacts in like… events venues, bars and clubs?”

“Yes,” Krejjh said helpfully.

“He just has a lot of contacts,” Jeeter said with a smile. Arkady smirked at Liu’s look of consternation.

“Tonight’s gig did not come through Campbell,” said Sana, spotting the dive bar Red Gregor had specified and indicating to turn off the road. “We got it through an agency, Fowleys. I guess that’ll teach us not to go outside Campbell’s network.”

“Hey, it worked out!” Krejjh said. “We got a new drummer out of the deal.”

“Well, for tonight, at least,” Sana said, now reversing into a parking space. “I gotta say, Violet, the way you fitted in with our sound? That was amazing. Our set sounded better than I could’ve imagined.”

Liu blushed. “They were great songs,” she demurred, as the van came to a stop.

“Too bad it was wasted on IGR Corp,” Arkady remarked, undoing her seat belt as they all climbed out of the van.

They got a table in the corner of the dive bar, which was pretty full and made it easy to blend in. As Sana went to get them all drinks, Krejjh and Jeeter started up some kind of nonsensical word game. Arkady and Liu glanced at each other occasionally, but otherwise sat in awkward silence.

Finally, Arkady asked something that had been on her mind since she intervened in the confrontation between Liu and Seiders, though it had taken a back seat to more pressing concerns. “What was it you were trying to get from that computer, anyway?”

“Sorry?” Liu asked, looking away from Krejjh and Jeeter, where she’d been listening in on the game with a slightly baffled expression.

“In the CEO’s office,” Arkady clarified. “I saw you take a flash drive out of the computer. What were you trying to get?”

“Oh,” Liu said, drawing out the little drive from inside her blouse. “Yeah, I was… trying to copy some files onto it. I’m not sure how much I got, though – I had to pull it out before the transfer was complete, and I think they’re encrypted.”

“What kind of files are they?” Arkady asked, thinking that she could probably break the encryption in an afternoon. Maybe less.

Liu hesitated, and Arkady narrowed her eyes. “You’re not still trying to protect your company, are you? In case you don’t remember-”

“No, no,” Liu said quickly. “I just – I’m not sure if it would be safe to tell you. Safe for you,” she added. “Right now, you have plausible deniability if anyone questions you. You genuinely don’t know what’s on this flash drive. So maybe it would be better to keep it that way.”

Arkady was a little bit pacified by that, but still – “Considering I’ve already aided and abetted you, I think that ship has sailed,” she pointed out. “No-one is going to believe I did it without having any idea what you were up to. Which I’m fine with,” she added, as a guilt-stricken look crossed Liu’s face. “I made a choice to help you, and so did the others. But I may as well know what the stakes are.”

“Yeah, that’s… fair,” admitted Liu. Next to her, Krejjh was doing a fairly poor job of pretending not to listen in. “They’re blueprints. My company – the company – has been developing… do you know what IGR Corp does? What kind of a company it is?”

“Some kind of a tech company?” Arkady said. She vaguely remembered Sana saying something about that when they got the gig. She hadn’t really been paying attention to the details.

Liu nodded. “Smart technology – specifically, smart home technology. We produce – I mean, they produce things like smart security systems, smart doorbells, systems that can detect when someone has a medical emergency. Systems that are designed to help keep people safe.”

Arkady had to work to keep from grimacing. She wasn’t sure that being monitored by a computer 24/7 fitted everyone’s definition of ‘safety’, but maybe Liu had never had cause to doubt that the people with power had her best interests at heart. Lucky her.

“But then,” Liu went on, her voice bitter, “I found out that the latest product we were developing – the one that was supposed to make everyone’s lives so much easier, so much better – is being created as a surveillance device. To eavesdrop on people and send their data back to the company. And I know that a lot of smart devices have audio capabilities, but – this was hardwired in. Impossible to disable. And this weird, secretive new division of the company has been set up to process the data.”

“What are they gonna do with it?” Arkady asked.

“Who knows,” Liu said. “They could be collecting it for the government, but – I think it’s more likely they’re just planning to sell it on to the highest bidder.”

Arkady’s eyes narrowed, and she wished that Sana had brought the drinks already so that she’d have something to down.

“You know,” Liu said, her voice suddenly much softer. “I, uh. I still haven’t thanked you properly for, uh, well-”

“O-kay!” came Sana’s voice, loudly, as she finally arrived at their table carrying a small tray laden with glasses. “Sorry for the delay, guys, there was a heck of a crowd up at the bar. Also, the bartender was really interested in talking to me while he pulled these drinks.” She made a wry expression, her dimple deepening in one cheek. “Cheer up, ‘Kady, I’ve got your favourite-” She slid a pint glass of raspberry ale in front of Arkady.

“Thanks,” Arkady mumbled, not looking at Liu.

Red Gregor arrived not long after, having apparently evaded IGR Corp by pretending that he was going outside to look for the band, and then driving off with the equipment before anyone realised what was happening. Sana passed him a drink from the tray; no-one asked how she already knew his preferred drink order.

“So look,” said Arkady, after they’d done some small talk and toasted to a successful getaway (Sana’s idea, of course). “Not that we didn’t appreciate the save earlier – you had pretty good timing – but why’d you go to all the trouble of coming to an IGR Corp function just to hear us play? How did you even get in?”

“I know a lot of people,” Red Gregor said mysteriously, with a fluid shrug. “As for why I came – you probably don’t know this, but I’ve been getting into the music biz lately.”

Arkady tried to remember what ‘biz’ Red Gregor had been in before, and couldn’t. He was one of those people who seemed to do a bit of everything.

“That’s awesome!” said Krejjh, looking delighted. “Are you going to start a band? Or manage one?”

Red Gregor smiled. “Actually, neither. I’m starting a record label,” he said. “And I want to sign you guys to it.”

Liu choked on her drink; Jeeter said, “Wow, really?” and even Sana looked taken aback. Clearly this hadn’t been the answer she was expecting.

“Us?” she said, as if Gregor could have meant anyone else. “As in…” She gestured around the table, including Liu.

Red Gregor nodded. “Look, your new sound is like nothing I’ve ever heard from a band before,” he said. “Campbell has always spoken highly of you guys, and I really liked your originals the last time I heard you perform. But with this new line-up? I think you could become really big. If that’s something that you want, of course.”

Sana sat back in her chair, looking thoughtful, while Krejjh looked practically ready to vibrate out of theirs with excitement. “That would be a pretty big step for us,” she said. “Not that we wouldn’t love – more exposure, better opportunities-”

“Gigs in legal venues?” put in Jeeter.

“More above-the-board performances,” agreed Sana. “But we’ve only played once with this new line-up. We don’t know for sure if we can replicate that – and I mean, we’d be asking Violet to just drop everything and join us full-time-”

Red Gregor held up his hands. “Like I said, it’s completely up to you,” he said. “I’m not here to pressure you into something you’re not ready for. But don’t underestimate yourselves. I wouldn’t be offering if I didn’t have faith in you guys.”

Sana looked around the table, taking in the mixture of expressions, ranging from Krejjh’s eagerness to Liu’s uncertainty to Arkady’s… Arkady didn’t know what her face was doing. “We’ll have to put it to a vote,” she said, predictably. “And if any of you need more time to think this over-”

“I’m in!” Krejjh said instantly. “We rocked tonight! I want to keep on rocking that hard. And we should totally record an album.”

Jeeter smiled fondly. “I’m on board with anything that will let me keep playing the keytar,” he admitted. “And I thought we sounded pretty awesome, as well.”

Sana looked at Liu. “Violet, you’re the one who this would be the biggest change for,” she said. “The rest of us are already playing in a band full-time. Well, with the odd side gig,” she added, because yeah, they did not yet make enough money from performing to cover the bills. “You barely know us, and you’re not under any obligation to stick around – or to switch careers.”

Liu gave a slightly broken laugh. “Well, I don’t really think I can go back to my old one,” she said. “That option evaporated as soon as one of my colleagues pulled a gun on me. Not… sure I’ve really had time to process that yet.”

Sana nodded. “If it’s too soon-”

“But no amount of processing is going to make my situation any different,” Liu went on. “I could try to get another job in my field, but… IGR Corp is a pretty well-known company. Word’s going to get around that I’m untrustworthy, especially if they put it about that I tried to steal corporate secrets.”

“They can’t do that,” Sana said immediately. “I used to do some union work; whistleblowing is a protected activity, and it’s against the law for them to blacklist you – to make it more difficult for you to obtain future employment.”

Liu smiled slightly. “I don’t think IGR Corp are too concerned with breaking the law,” she pointed out. “I appreciate it, but… this isn’t my first experience with a hostile work environment.”

Okay, so maybe Arkady should take back her earlier thought about Liu never having had cause to distrust the people in power.

“Besides, I haven’t even blown the whistle on them yet – I’m not sure if the information I have is worth anything,” Liu said, a little grimly. “And anyway… I think it’s time for a clean slate. So, if you’ll have me… I’m in.”

Which just left Arkady. She could see how pleased Sana was that Liu was willing to join the band full-time, even though she was trying to hide it. Krejjh and Jeeter, too, were excited – and not just at the prospect of getting better gigs and earning more money (though that was a very appealing prospect).

The fact was, Red Gregor was right – they’d sounded like a completely new band during their performance. Arkady had always liked their stuff (of course she did; she’d even co-written some of it) but the new sound gave it a flair she hadn’t even realised it had been missing. As much as she couldn’t help thinking of the dozens of ways this could go wrong, she wanted them to keep sounding like that. She wanted to see what else they could do.

“‘Kady?” asked Sana.

Arkady took a deep breath. “Sure. Let’s do this.”

[kalgalen]

God I haven’t a clue how this would actually work out but sleeping beauty au where Oliver is the one wakes Jon up (bc he’s magic or something idk) and Martin is initially sent to bring him back when Elias finds out he’s vanished but they end up running off together and falling in love (and Oliver is just like sweet good for y’all I’m going back to vibing with my corpse paperwork)

Okay i am definitely going to write it At Some Point (so tmtmtm) but have my notes on the subject because I’m obsessed with this

AU IN WHICH:

- jon is elias' protégé and has been cursed to sleep "until the vines are untangled"

- everyone expect it to be about the vines around his tower

- it's not. it's the dark vines that keep him asleep in the first place and are invisible to most people

- (elias is like? court advisor or such? eminence grise who pops up under different names monarch after monarch to rule the kingdom from the shadows)

- (jon has also been predicted to be the only person who'll be able to kill him, and so elias has adopted him to keep an eye on him, and got someone to curse him when he started to become suspicious)

- it's a mix of rapunzel and sleeping beauty really

- martin is the prince whose queen mother is very sick so he's looking for that mystic being who supposedly knows everything. he knows jon has been cursed but hopes being able to wake him up because like, he's the prince, you know, and perhaps he's developed some sort of crush on jon after hearing all those rumors, and aren't curses supposed to be solved by True Love?

- (has martin made himself fall in love on purpose so he could save his ungrateful mother? that's a can of worms we will open later)

- he goes on several expeditions to try and save jon but never manages to wake him up despite the numerous attempts (very gingerly kissed his cheek once, felt extremely awkward about it, Never Again. falls madly, desperately in love on that time span though.)

- why has oliver decided to visit jon? needed to tell a story? or totally unrelated, got lost in the woods, guided to the tower by the dark vines only he can see.

- tells jon the story of how he can see the dark vines maybe, he's prob been cursed too

- (i think the vines are less strong at night, which is usually when martin visits) the next day martin arrives at the tower and the vines are dead (he was? delayed? by elias perhaps?) and is devastated when he finds out oliver has woken jon up (it has nothing to do with True Love but martin can't quite reconcile that and is terribly jealous.)

- oliver tries to explain that he doesn't really care about jon in that way, in fact it was totally an accident, but martin doesn't buy it

- when they exit the tower elias is waiting for them (evil chuckle and corrupted guards and all)

- he says it's too bad that he'll have to kill the crowned prince, what with the queen being so close to dying

- he doesn't really pay attention to oliver during the fight, which is how oliver manages to do something (stealing horses and strapping jon to one?) to save them all

- something something quest and stuff

- martin starts to appreciate oliver, jon finally confesses to martin he remembers everything that happened while he was asleep and likes him back, oliver just wishes those 2 idiots would finally kiss or something so he could have a good reason to leave them alone bc this is getting painful (YES maybe he's starting to like both of them. a Lot. shut up.)

- idk? but it ends up in polyamory

- (oliver is Very aro but they make it work)

- the ende

[mercurygray]

Merc, I need the morning after WW1 Nix and Dick's enlightening trip to Lulu's! 😏😄🤭

Two coupes of our finest Alternate Universe, madame. The 1918 was a good year.

(You can read the beginning of this adventure here)

Dick awoke to sunshine on his face, a certain lightness in his limbs, and a strangely repetitive pounding in his head that, on further review, turned out to be Lewis, pounding on the doorframe. "Morning, tiger," his friend said with his trademark shit-eating grin, already dressed. "Sleep okay?"

Dick sat up and screwed his hands into his eyes, his head swimming a little, trying to remember the night before. Lulu's. Champagne. Leonie. Leonie.   Lew grinned as he watched Dick run through just exactly what had transpired, knowing full well that sleeping had...not entered into it much.  “I suspect you may become a popular guy around here,” he added, as his friend tried to square up his memories. “Leonie looked pretty pleased with herself on the stairs just now.”

Dick blushed, his French just good enough to keep up with some of last night’s commentary as her voice had brushed against his ears, his collarbones, his chest, his - 

His blood surged. He needed a cold bath, he needed his clothes, he needed church, or a beating, or both, and he needed to be gone from here, which was why, despite the pounding in his head, he surged forward, blearily stumbling towards the chair over which she’d hung his uniform jacket, now only sightly rumpled. “Easy does it, man, we’ve got time,” Lewis said with a grin. “Grab a croissant and some coffee, head back. It’s a 24 hour pass.” He followed Dick’s agitated dressing with a smile, amusement quickly turning to concern as he realized what was going on. ‘Hey - hey!” Lewis grabbed his shoulder. “Look, Dick, if you didn’t like it...”

Dick turned to look at his friend, shirt half-buttoned, suspenders around his hips. “No, that’s not - it’s that I did.” It would be a lie to say that his body had not enjoyed the night before - she was a professional, and good at her trade. But he’d wanted to wake up with her beside him, to...to speak poetry into her ears. He wanted something predictable, and routine, a Sunday through Saturday kind of love. This was not the place for that. Tonight Leonie would put on another face for another man and play whatever role he required of her - kitten or vixen, pursuer or pursued. He wanted a woman who said what she meant.

Desire looked, in Lewis’s mind, to be the exact opposite of a problem - but at least he was no longer laughing. “You’re not a statue, Dick. And no one needs you to be one, either. I’ve settled the bill. It’s fine. We’ll - we’ll go as soon as you’re dressed.”

It did not quiet his unrest, but it helped - he finished dressing quietly and followed Nix downstairs, the rest of the house just beginning to stir, a maid flitting around the front room collecting glasses and misplaced handkerchiefs. It looked strange, in the light of day - like a stage set without its actors. The light was wrong, with the sun up and the windows open - the artifice was exposed, the shabby paint one could not see when the gasoliers were lit, and the tatters in the velvet drapes that champagne fuddled eyes would not note. It was a dream - it wasn’t real. He wanted something real.

It was early still, but not early enough - in the streets around them, the town had woken up, and the regular business of a Saturday morning was in full swing - the vendors with their pushcarts, shopboys with their deliveries, the occasional governess with a pram, out for their morning stroll.

There was a wolf whistle from out in the street, and the two turned, trying to see from whence it had come - a long, lean figure across the road, walking up from the farther side of town. “Have a nice time last night, Captain Nixon?”

It wasn’t often that one saw this particular woman on her own - usually hiding in her uncle’s shadow, she was something of an enigma, a woman who wore a lieutenant’s bars as a matter of courtesy, of the Army but not officially in it, a creature apart. They said she was her uncle’s ADC, but who knew what role she really played - driver, courier, secretary - spy? There seemed nothing she did not do on behalf of the General, and the air in which she moved was rife with rumor -  that she was secretly married to a French officer, that she spoke fluent German and had once been sent to dine with Bismarck, that several of the other ADCs had once cut cards for her, that she’d ridden a horse naked down Pennsylvania Avenue for a bet. (The last one was mostly true, Nixon had revealed one night over bourbon and poker; It wasn’t for a bet, but a suffrage parade - she had been Victory, and she’d been wearing a corset and classical drape and not much more. Blanche had been there, he’d explained - she’d helped pin the laurel crown in her hair. “She looked like a goddess,” his sister had said afterwards. “I saw her and I believed in Amazons.”)

Well, if she’d been Victory then, Joan Warren looked like Justice now - a woman in uniform jacket and riding trousers, garrison cap cocked low over her face, ready to pronounce judgement on the guilty. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell two fine upstanding officers such as yourselves that there’s a prohibition in this army against visiting brothels.”

“But not bars,” Nixon said with a smile. As the intelligence officer, he was more often in the places of power she frequented, and his sister had flown in the same society circles. They were known to each other, knew the same people, attended the same parties, played by the same rules, and it showed in their demeanor, the almost playful way that Nixon found and reported his loopholes. But Dick had only observed her from a distance, content to listen to his friends’ reports. (And now, in close quarters engagement, he was finding that the intelligence reports were not exaggerated.)  “We stopped for a drink and lost track of the hour and - you know men, when we get a little bit of liquor in us…” He shrugged expansively. “Fell asleep in our chairs. Terrible, but what’s to be done?”

She nodded, smiling in a way that pronounced her utterly unimpressed, but amused by the effort.  “Do the women in your life usually believe you when you lie, Captain Nixon?”

“Usually,” Nix offered, his bluff well and truly called. “Can we...make it worth your while?”

Her smile was slim. “You don’t have anything I want. You’ll just have to owe me.”

“And how do we know we can trust you?” The words were out of Richard’s mouth before he’d even had a chance to think, and before he could regret it, she had turned and smiled at him, looking him over with an assessor’s eye. He felt much the same way he had the night before, when Lulu’s girls had stood in the parlor in their underthings winking and grinning. Joan Warren was the picture of a parade review and under her gaze he felt undone, and for half a fitful, filthy moment, he wanted her to do the things that Leonie had done to him last night.

“I grant I am a woman, but withall, a woman that lord Brutus took to wife. Think you I can bear that with patience, and not my husband’s secrets?”

The Shakespeare hung between them like a sword, waiting to see who broke first. But neither gave way.

“Fair enough,” Nixon cut in, following the invisible line between the two of them with an intelligence officer’s interest. “We’ll owe you.” He held out his hand, and they shook on it, the shared language of the gentleman’s agreement, and she touched her cap and went on her way, back in the direction of Pershing’s headquarters, not even bothering to glance behind.

“Christ, that’s a woman,” Nix said with bald appreciation, watching her go. “I’d stab Caesar for a piece of that.”

And, already feeling damned and guilty in so many ways, Dick followed her footsteps with his eyes and silently agreed.

-

Unlike the rest of the Allied Nations, the AEF did not sanction official brothels during their time in France, a move that stunned their European colleagues, since this was a fairly standard public health move from an army standpoint. Pershing had brought a morally clean army to France and he was going to try damn hard to bring one home.

He did not succeed. If you’re wondering why condoms were official army issue by World War Two, this policy is probably part of why. 

The Shakespeare that Joan (mis) quotes is Julius Caesar’s Portia.

[my-miraculous-headcanons]

𝕮𝖆𝖙𝖋𝖎𝖘𝖍 : Part I

[Next] [AO3]

In all his seven years of being a pirate, Adrien had never been truly stunned enough to fully break character. 

The infamous Chat Noir had a reputation to uphold. Handsome though he may be, he was frequently described as a creature that crawled out of the very depths of hell. He showed no mercy, took pleasure in watching his victims beg, and was considered a strategical genius, although his strategies were borderline suicidal at times. (They always work, didn’t they?) With how often he danced upon the fine line between the dead and living, he even had rumors circling the far kingdoms of being immortal. 

Of course, what not many know is that pirates were typically theatrical. A lot of the fear they invoked from the masses was brought about by intentional performances, usually for the purpose of making their lives easier. Black Beard was a stellar example; Adrien knows the man likes to set the ends of his beard aflame before pillaging merchant ships, and really, who in their right mind would not comply to the demands of a man whose face is framed by hellfire? 

Yes, their performances may be considered overdramatic, but it’s effective. 

Which is why Adrien has never truly allowed himself to break character. As Chat Noir, he is dangerous, cocky, and clever. His crimes are typically large-scale, like defeating an entire fleet of 63 naval ships with just his one, or single-handedly taking control of an entire town and turning it into a pirate rest stop by faking the mayor’s death and impersonating his son. 

Hah. That last one is definitely one of his favourite adventures.

His crimes are big and loud and meant to truly broadcast just how much of a threat Chat Noir truly is, going hand-in-hand with the persona he had created. Naturally, this led him to, at some point, decide that robbing the seaside palace belonging to King Tom Dupain and Queen Sabine Cheng of Merveilleux was a fine idea. And, of course, kidnapping their only daughter to ensure a safe departure, just to add a little pizazz. 

Things did not go as planned, however. It was rare when things don’t go as planned.

It was even rarer to find a King, the type of men Adrien was used to being stoic bastards, break down into messy tears and bow at his feet.

“Please return my daughter,” he begged. “Please, I will give you anything you desire, you will be allowed to leave peacefully, but please, do not take my beautiful little girl away from me.”

Adrien, along with every member of his crew, were stunned.

“Uh,” Adrien— wait, no— Chat Noir said, darting his eyes around the vast throne room. “Are– Are you crying? Please stop doing that.”

For some reason, this makes King Tom sob even harder, leaning his head even further to the ground until his bow could go no lower.

“No, just. No. Get up.” 

He’s aware that he’s getting flustered, but he can’t find it in himself to care. He had expected many things to happen in this heist, but for the King to immediately bow before his feet was just... Not on the list of things he had considered feasible. He was wholly unprepared for this interaction, and taking a look at the faces of his crew, they look no more prepared than him.

This was just really uncomfortable.

Thankfully, Nino finally enters the throne room from the door directly behind the King, along with the three other crewmates he was given to retrieve Princess Marinette. The perfect distraction.

Nino was momentarily halted by the sight of the sobbing man in front of his Captain, but he continued to walk forward and whisper the news into his ear.

“We could not retrieve the package, sir,” he said. “We searched the entire castle. She’s nowhere to be found.”

And this is when things really started to get confusing.

“What the actual fuck,” he says, not really caring if the King hears him or not. “He’s begging for her return, Carapace. He’s already gotten news of her kidnapping, and we didn’t tell him. Her Majesty was already passed out on the throne from the news. Look at her! She was like that before we even got here!”

Just as he said, Queen Sabine sat unconscious on her throne, tear tracks staining her cheeks. He’s thankful, truly, that she is no longer awake, because if she’s anything like her husband, Chat wasn’t confident that he’d be able to handle their combined blubbering. 

“I don’t know what to tell you, Captain,” Nino says, grimacing down at the sobbing father. “It wasn’t us.”

That drastically changes things.

Without Princess Marinette physically being in their possession, they cannot promise to drop her at the nearest port in return for their safe departure. A lie like that could end up with the King believing that they either kept her or killed her, breaking the deal, and would result in him sending out every single ship at his disposal in order to eradicate Chat Noir and his crew. A fleet of 63 ships was one thing, but having hundreds of ships on their tail? Really, really bad.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Chat Noir snaps at the King. “Get up! Stop your crying and begging, I’m sick of it! Are you a king or are you an infant? Up, up!”

King Tom scrambles to right himself, once again surprising the pirates. It was difficult to tell, with him pressed so far to the ground, but now it was evident that the man was easily the tallest and the beefiest man in the room. However, with his eyes so red, and the way he sniffles miserably, he still somehow managed to make himself seem rather small.

A part of Adrien is envious of Princess Marinette. Seven years ago, he remembers the way his own father had reacted in the face of his only son’s disappearance. Cold, impassive. Just like most noblemen.

“We do not have your daughter,” he says, clearly catching the King by surprise. “I won’t deny that we planned it, but unfortunately, that didn’t seem to pan out. We are only here to take whatever valuables we can find, and leave.”

“There is nothing more valuable in this palace than my beloved daughter,” the man whispers to himself. “I... I do not care what you take. Strip the walls bare for all I care. It does not matter.”

The King turns, drags his feet as he approaches his wife, and kneels before her. He takes her hands, buries his face into her lap, and shakes.

Adrien knows he isn’t the only person in the room that feels very, very guilty at the sight. They may not have personally kidnapped the girl themselves, but there’s no denying that if she had been taken just recently, then the ones responsible for poking holes in the castle’s defense and making her kidnapping possible was them. 

“Your guard is incompetent,” Chat says, causing the King to look over his shoulder. “They rely on numbers to make up for the fact that, in one-on-one confrontations, they fight predictably with the use of chivalrous technique that typically leaves them open to attack. They have no concept of the idea of fighting dirty, their speed suffers for the sake of accuracy despite the former clearly being more important than the latter, they have no control over their emotions and their presentation, which makes them appear as weak as they are, and their uniforms are impractical and a hinderance in their performance. They favour—”

“What good does that do me?!”

The King was towering him in seconds, his roar loud enough to make the walls tremor. In that instant, and just for that instant, Adrien felt genuine fear, and had taken a step back at the furious gleam in the King’s eyes.

“My daughter is gone! My guard has already failed! What use is this knowledge to me when the worst possible outcome has already been reached? I cannot pull off a miracle and get them in shape fast enough to save her! By that time, she could already be dead! There was no ransom, no demands, they must be... She could be...”

Just as King Tom began to wilt as his mind ran wild with the possible fates of his daughter, Chat Noir intervened with a confident smirk.

“True, you could not pull off that miracle. Your guard is incompetent and have no chance at retrieving her. However,” Chat’s grin is wide and devious. “We do. Tell me, your Majesty, you are capable of paying in more than just things like diamonds and gold, are you not? Say, immunity in your country, land, unlimited supplies, ships, and more?”

“I, er,” the King stutters, opening and closing his mouth reminicent to a fish. “I can only go as far as to promise pardon for past crimes, but as for the rest of your demands... Yes. Yes, I am capable of that.”

“Well then,” Chat Noir holds his hand out. “I think we can come to a deal, don’t you agree? Land, supplies, ships, and official pardon for our past crimes... in exchange for the return of your daughter.”

Without even a second of hesitation, the King takes hold of the Captain’s hand, shaking it firmly.

“Deal.”

[ayamari-no-goshi]

Eidolon 1 | (T)

ff.net | AO3

Fandom: Danny Phantom (DP)

Summary:  AU: What started off as the result of a simple act of rebellion ends up causing his life to spin out of control. How will young Danny cope with the results as well as a past that has a strange habit of coming back to haunt him.

Warnings: rated T for violence, mentions of death, kidnapping, and various other things

Parings: hints of Danny/Sam much later on

Notes: originally uploaded to Ff.net. Cross-posted to AO3 and tumblr.

1. Prelude

It was getting worse. In a last attempt for some stability, he desperately grasped at one of his bed posts as another convulsion coursed through his body. That pain that accompanied it was even more intense than it was the previous time.

It was the pain that had him clinging in a desperate plea to not be consumed by its fire. With each convulsion, the fire burned hotter and more forcefully, slowly replacing the living with the dead.

Another shudder rocked his body, causing him to collapse. He was now fully aware that the fire had spread to his lungs. As he took his last breaths before they seized completely, he reached out in one last attempt to find something that might explain what he had done to deserve such a terrible fate…

…

…

Winston Wolfe was definitely angry. As a man with military training, he usually was very good at keeping his emotions under control. However, with the current situation, there was little his training could do. Something of his had gone missing, and he was tearing his house apart trying to find some clue as to where it could have gone.

As he searched his house encountering little luck, he muttered Russian curses at himself and the missing 'object' in question for being so idiotic. He had left the house for a few hours in order to see if he could get some sort of information about a call that he was expecting, and, in that time, it appears that the object had managed to slip out of the house, again.

"Daniel!" he shouted in a tone that was mixed with anger and exasperation. For, the object that was missing was actually Winston's teenage charge, Daniel.

This had not been the first time that the boy had decided to sneak out of the house. In fact, this sort of thing was beginning to become rather frequent. It was definitely irritating to the former military man, since it was a clear disregard of his orders. However, once he found the boy, he knew that it was going to be difficult for him to remain angry with him for too long. The boy was his son, even if there was no true relation between them.

Besides, he really could not blame the boy for sneaking out of the house. He had been in Winston's care for several years and had been home schooled for most of it. And, frequently, he had not been allowed out of the house much, mostly due to Winston's own fears and his sense of duty. He had tried on his own to take care of the boy, after giving his word that he would do everything in his power to protect him. Even though Amity Park was a relatively safe place to live, one could never be too careful.

A gnawing fear as well as anger coursed through him each time the boy escaped, even though he knew this was just part of normal teenage rebellion. What normal child would be content to stay inside all the time? However, Winston had begun to get harsher with the boy, once he was located. It was becoming a bit too regular for his liking. Who knew what an almost-fifteen-year-old boy might get himself into?

Also, even though the boy was usually not too hard to find, another thing that had begun to worry Winston was what had become the boy's favorite place to go. It was strange. One would think that he would go to a place where he could meet other kids his own age, since it was clear at times that he was lonely. Yet, he never seemed to go where there were any, choosing instead to claim the local graveyard as his favorite haunt.

The first time he found the boy there, he thought the boy might be looking for some sign of his parents, who had disappeared when he was an infant, although it quickly became apparent that was not the case. Daniel never seemed to be looking at the headstones when he found him. Instead, he had either been wondering rather aimlessly or peacefully sitting on one of the benches. There had been times that he had mistaken the boy's form for that of a shadow or even a ghost, not that he would ever admit that. Something about that quite graveyard seemed to take away the boy's human presence.

That, perhaps, was the most unsettling part of all of this.

Winston ran his hand through his still dark hair in frustration. The boy was definitely not in the house. After grabbing his coat, he marched out of the small house in the direction of where he was sure the boy had gone. Unsettling as Daniel's choice might be, at least he tended to be predictable.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He figured that he should probably head home, but that really didn't concern him too much at the moment. It was a nice day, and he really didn't get a chance to be outside for prolonged periods. Even if he did get in trouble, it was worth it.

The house was nice, but it really never changed. Sure, items, like furniture and clothes, came and went, but the house itself never changed, and that made it boring. That sense of boredom never seemed to come to him, at least quickly, when he was outside. From day to day, the scenery seemed to change. It was one of the things that enjoyed the most, along with the feeling of freedom.

Though he could not purchase anything, due to the lack of money, he felt as if he was able to do just about anything while he was outside. Yet, he never really felt any real urge to 'go crazy', as others might. It was enough just to wonder and to watch.

Something he never quite understood was his desire to wonder in locations where there were not many people. Every time he thought about it though, he just figured that Winston's warnings of staying away from strangers… well, most people in general, was so ingrained into his mind that it just happened subconsciously. Winston, however, did not like his normal choice of haunts, which he always thought was a bit strange.

When he first stumbled across the town's graveyard, he thought that perhaps he might find something about his parents. He knew that it probably would not amount to much since he had absolutely no information about them (Winston would often keep his mouth shut when the topic was breached), but he had gone anyways. And, it was that initial search that had peaked his interest.

Dates and epitaphs gave him clues about the lives of those who had come before him. The carvings, statues, and mausoleums showed him a macabre sense of beauty that could not really be found elsewhere. That art also would make him think about the possibilities of what might be out there. Many of the statues often depicted angels or religious figures, which often seemed to, in a sense, keep watch over the sacred grounds. At times, it even seemed like they were protectors as he occasionally felt as if there was something unseen lurking in the shadows of the trees. Although he knew there was nothing there, that feeling never seemed to be there when he was near one of the statues.

He suddenly stopped walking and turned towards his left. That feeling, the one of being watched, was back. His eyes narrowed as he glanced around. Nothing seemed to be there, but it was definitely more pronounced and uncomfortable than usual.

Although he really did not want to head back home just yet, that feeling made him too nervous to stay. It was better to play it safe, so he began to head back towards the entrance.

He tried to keep himself calm as he moved. Something was definitely not right. That feeling, whatever it was, seemed to be following him. Something seemed to move at the corner of his vision, causing him to stop. Was it just a squirrel or something? Or was it something else? It seemed a little too big to be just an animal…

"Hey, there he is!"

He was so startled that he could have sworn he jumped at least three feet in the air. He turned to the source of voice and was somewhat surprised to see two kids, about his age, coming towards him. The first was a girl with dark hair and clothes. The sounds of her heavy boots and accent chains seemed overly loud to him as she ran over. The second was a dark skinned boy wearing classes and a red beret. Although he was following the girl, it was clear that he was being cautious in his approach.

"Um… can I help you?" he asked cautiously as he watched them.

The girl ignored him for a moment as she turned to the other boy. "See Tucker, I told you he wasn't a ghost!"

"Oh yeah? I'm not too convinced of that. I've heard of legends were ghosts look so real that you can't tell they're not human," the boy, Tucker, said as he adjusted his glasses. He seemed to be examining him, which he found even more unnerving than the presence, which conveniently seemed to be gone. "Besides, how come the only place anyone's ever seen him is here?"

He glanced at the two strangers. Ghost? Him? What in the world where they talking about? "Excuse me," he interrupted irritably, "but am I missing something?"

The girl gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry about that. There's a rumor going around our school that a ghost has been seen here. They say that it's the ghost of a teenage boy with dark hair and light eyes. He's usually seen wearing jeans and a t-shirt."

"And, that fits you to a T, sorry to say," Tucker finished. It was clear that he was still not convinced that his status was that of 'among the living'.

"Tucker!" the girl snapped as she glared at him. "Just because you've never seen him before, it doesn't mean that he's a ghost!"

"Okay, Sam, than tell me why the only place he's been seen is in the graveyard. Or, better yet, why we found him here." Tucker's voice was almost as challenging. Almost. In truth, it seemed like he was hiding the fact that he was somewhat scared of the girl's temper.

"Can you stop treating me like I can't hear you?" he asked, not betraying the fact that he was somewhat amused by their argument. "Look, I am not a ghost. I've just gotten in the habit of taking walks here…" He frowned as he tried to find the right words to explain why. "It's…" he foundered for the word. "Peaceful… here…?" He wanted to kick himself. That sounded like he was so unsure of himself.

Tucker's eyes narrowed as he considered the answer. "Okay, if that's true, then why haven't I seen you before? You don't go to our school."

"Have you ever thought that maybe he just moved here and that his parents are setting all of that up?" Sam demanded.

"Parent," he corrected quietly, which caused both of them to stare at him, making him a bit nervous. "I only have one parent…"

"Right… So, did you just move here then?"

"No… From what I understand, we've been here since I was little. And," he added before Tucker could interrupt, "I've been home schooled the entire time."

"Okay, that's almost believable." He sighed as Tucker continued, "But that still doesn't explain why none of us have ever seen you before."

"It's not my fault that I have an over-protective parent! It's gotten so bad recently that I've practically had to sneak out of the house in order to get a change of scenery. Do you have any idea what it's like to stare at the same thing day after day with no real variety? It's boring!" He took a breath before he continued his tirade. "And, I'm sorry that you've never seen me before! It's not like I've been given the chance to get to actually introduce myself to anyone. In truth, I think that you two, people who thought I might be a ghost, are the first people my age I've spoken to for… Jeez, I don't even know how long. You might even be the first."

His expression was challenging as he waited for one of them to speak again. Although he was a bit angry, at the same time, he felt oddly relieved. It was nice being able to vent and have someone listen.

It was Sam who spoke first. "Wow, that's pretty rough…. Well, it won't solve your problems at home, but how about we show you around town? Oh, and by the way, I'm Sam." She nudged the boy beside her, "And this scaredy cat is Tucker."

"Sam! What are you doing? He's going to attack us… or something!"

"Tucker, will you give it a rest already?" She then rolled her eyes and held out her hand. "Well, are you interested?"

He looked at her hesitantly before he shook her hand. "I'm Danny… And, that sounds kinda nice. I'm already in trouble, so I might as well do it thoroughly." He was then distracted by Tucker, who seemed to be examining him closely. "What is your problem?"

"Y-you can actually touch her!" he stammered before he decided to touch Danny's arm.

"Uh, yeah. I thought that we had already established that I'm not a ghost."

Tucker nervously adjusted his glasses. "I was just trying to make sure. You can never be too careful." He tried to keep his embarrassment out of his voice by passing it off as if it was really nothing.

With a grin, Danny glanced over at Sam, "Do you think he's finally convinced?"

"No, but give him an hour." She seemed just as amused. "We should be able to get it through his thick skull by then."

"Hey! I resent that!"

"And what are you going to do about it, huh?" Although it was clear that Tucker had wanted to say something, he thought against it, which pleased Sam. "I thought so." She then grabbed hold of both of the boys and started dragging them towards the entrance. "Come on! We don't have all day!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Winston was really starting to get worried. He had already looked in Danny's normal haunt and found absolutely no sign of the boy. This was definitely not good. He couldn't contact the authorities to help find the boy for various reasons (first and for most was that Danny hadn't been missing for more than twenty-four hours), and he really didn't have anyone else that he could turn to for assistance.

He knew that the boy would probably come home on his own in a few hours, but he would rather know where he was. There was something about this particular day… a sort of uneasy feeling in the air. He really wasn't a person who believed in premonitions, but something told him that he should pay attention to this particular one.

As he hurried down one of the main streets, he thought about the situation at hand. Amity Park was supposedly safe from the kind of attacks that had cost Danny his parents, but after being in the service, he had learned that no place was completely safe. Could that thing really be in the area? No, that was a ridiculous thought. It hadn't been seen in years. Possibly someone had killed it by now….

He shook his head as he continued his trek, there were more concerning issues at hand, like trying to find that boy. Where the heck was he?

A familiar voice and figure distracted him from his thoughts. Winston had looked up just in time to watch his young charge round a corner. What was strange was that he was not alone. Unless he was mistaken, Danny was actually accompanied by someone. That was not good. What if he said something? That could put today's work out the window! Without a second thought he started sprinting after them.

Luckily for him, the kids had decided to stop for some reason about midway down the street. From a distance, it seemed like the two kids who were with them were pointing out something to him. Maybe they were just showing him around… He would have to get the full story from Danny later since it appeared that they were about to start moving again.

"DANIEL!" he shouted putting as much anger as he could muster while being winded into it. The shout had the desired effect as Danny turned around and stared at him with a classic 'deer in the headlights' look. He knew he was in trouble.

Thankfully, the kids did not decide to run as he approached him. Perhaps that was Danny's doing. "Young man, could you explain to me what you were thinking?" he demanded once he fully caught his breath. "You are supposed to be at home, and, yet, you're here. Care to explain?"

For a moment, Danny seemed absolutely lost for words, so he just floundered around for a moment. Surprisingly, the girl beside him answered for him. "He's been stuck at home! What do you expect him to do?" From her challenging tone, it was clear that she wasn't intimidated by him in the least.

"Sam, please, don't get involved," Danny told her while looking at the ground.

That comment just seemed to make her angrier. "Don't I? Danny, grow some backbone! You said earlier that you want to be out more! You have a right to be free! He can't take that away from you!"

"Actually, since I am his guardian, I have the full right to limit that freedom." Winston then sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "Danny, we'll talk about this more when we get home. Let's head back."

"Oh, now you act all nice to him."

Danny then placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. Just let it drop. I'll… hopefully see you again." He then glanced over at the other boy who had decided to remain silent during this. "Do you still think I'm a ghost?"

The boy smiled at him. "Nah. You're just a guy who needs to work a little on his sex appeal, if you know what I mean."

"Really? And you can judge this how?"

The boy grinned arrogantly. "Don't you know who you're talking to? Tucker Foley. That's T.F. for too fine. All the ladies love me!"

Sam snickered. "Yeah, all the ones in your dreams."

"Hey!"

Danny just laughed as he watched the two of them continue. Winston was actually surprised by them. He was pretty sure that this was the first time that Danny had met either of them, but it seemed like they were already good friends. That was going to cause a little bit of a problem with the situation he had to face once he got Danny home, but he could probably work around that… somehow.

....................................................

Notes: This was inspired by the story, "Home is Where the Heart is" on ff.net, and the song "Say you'll haunt me," by Stone Sour.

Winston Wolfe is the creation of my friend Hornswaggler. I have her permission to use him.

[fixxofvixx]

POSSESSION - TAEKWOON AU - CHAPTER 8

I'm here again with another update~ I hope y'all don't mind! This time it's our sweet, fire-wielding demon hunter~

We'll have some lovey-dovey stuff coming up soon~ Who am I to deny our lead couple a smooch or two? That will be coming soon~

Anyway, let me know what you think! Enjoy!!

🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰

"Get some sleep and I'll answer your questions tomorrow."

You sighed and started to walk out of the room. As you got to the door, you turned back to him.

"Leo," he looked up in surprise but gestured for you to continue, "would you.....um....you know before you said you could...."

"Help you sleep?"

"Yes."

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

Leo followed you to the bedroom. The closer you got to the room, the more your hands shook. You blamed the adrenaline coursing through you as a result of the whirlwind day you'd had. But in the back of your mind, you knew that a good part of it was because of the man silently walking behind you. Perhaps you had asked Leo to help you in a rash decision.

You stepped inside the bedroom and then abruptly turned. Leo was closer behind you than you'd thought and now you were standing less than a foot from him. You panicked and backpedaled only to trip over the rug that lay out on the floor. Leo quickly reached for you to keep you from falling. One hand shot out and caught your arm. Another hand wrapped around your waist and pulled you upwards and keep you on your feet. His actions brought your body flush against his. You stared at him in shock for a second or two before he spoke.

"Are you okay?"

"I....."

"Y/N?"

His voice, now louder to grasp you attention, finally broke your spell and you gasped, hastily removing his hands from your body. You backed up a bit more and busied yourself straightening your skirt.

"I apologize for grabbing you but I didn't want you to injure yourself further by falling." Leo didn't move from his spot and let his hands fall to his sides.

"I-It's fine. It's just with everything that happened today and especially just now......I'm a little on edge."

"Yes, more so than usual."

"What?"

"You usually are on edge around me." He crossed his arms over his chest and your cheeks flushed. Well, you supposed he was right. "I believe you wanted me to help you sleep?"

"No! I....I mean, I think I will be fine. There is no need." You lowered your gaze to the floor and bit your lip in an attempt to quell your anxiety.

"What happened in the last five minutes to change your mind? I thought we were doing better." If you heard correctly, it actually sounded as if he was disappointed.

"I just....."

"I did it before and no harm came to you. It would be the same."

"I know. But with everything going on, maybe now isn't the time. We need to figure out how to get Hongbin back and Ken is still unconscious. There is also the man who attacked us earlier."

"If you want to use those things as an excuse, then fine. I will abide by your wishes. But I think you will find, for all the reasons you just listed, you will have trouble sleeping tonight. We can't do anything right now with everyone recovering. Hongbin might be taken but he is too valuable for them to harm, so he is safe. We need to make sure we are at full strength before planning a rescue. Ken will sleep for the night, as will the rest of us."

Leo's words were wise and correct. You also doubted that you would be able to sleep tonight.

"Last time......"

"Yes?"

"Last time I woke after you put me to sleep, I'd suffered a nightmare and saw you as a demon. I...I don't want that again." Being honest with him was just as difficult as lying. You didn't want him to know your thoughts for some reason.

"I understand your reluctance but last time you were still under the influence of the red snake poison. It was the poison that caused the hallucination, not me. I can promise that I can put you in a deep enough sleep that you will not dream. We can work on fixing the nightmares later."

"I...." Why was this so hard? "Alright.....if you are certain. Should I just lie down or....?"

"Are you planning to sleep in that?" He gestured towards your clothing and you looked down to see how much of a mess they were. Torn and blood-stained was definitely not appropriate sleeping attire.

"Oh! Oh, dear..."

"I will step outside. Knock on the door when you are ready." Leo silently walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

You quickly went to your clothing to sort out what to sleep in. You took care of everything and then went to stand in front of the door. The easy part was over. Now you had to let him back in. Would he still even be out there? It seemed to you that much time had passed. Taking a deep breath you reached forward and unlocked the door. Opening it revealed Leo leaning up against the wall opposite the door. His arms were linked over his chest and his long legs were crossed at his ankles. When he looked up, you noticed his face looked tired and worried. In an instant, the look was gone, replaced with his usual stone facade.

"Ready?" You nodded at his words, unable to create a sentence. That look on his face was etched into your mind.

You walked over to your bed and climbed in.

"What do I need to do?"

"Absolutely nothing. Just lie back and get comfortable." He waited until you settled in and then reached forward. Before he touched you, you stopped him.

"Wait! How long will I sleep for? What if something happens? Or if someone needs me?"

"I can put you under for any amount of hours that you would like. However, if something happens, I can bring you back." He brought his hand up to your temple as he had done before. He hesitated and looked at you to make sure you were ready. When you nodded he continued.

"Sleep." He touched your temple and instantly you were under.

Leo didn't move for a while. He simply sat next to you on your bed, listening to your rhythmic breathing. Your face was devoid of worry and fear now. He had every intention of letting you sleep for several hours. He pulled the large blanket up to your shoulders careful not to touch the new wound you now carried.

"I'm surprised she let you do it." Hakyeon's voice softly called from the door.

"As am I." Leo turned to his oldest friend but still didn't leave your side.

"She seems to trust you more now."

"She still fears me."

"She is still getting to know you. Give her time. Look at how far you both have come already. I predict soon she will be as smitten with you just as much as you are with her."

"Hakyeon..."

"Fear not, old friend, I will not speak a word of it to her. Although your actions make it fairly obvious. Even to outsiders." Leo knew who Hakyeon was speaking of.

"Did you ban him?" He worked hard to quiet the rage within himself.

"Yes, of course. I never thought I would have to but I suppose the rumors are true."

"If he comes near her again, I will not hesitate to end his life."

"Yes, I am aware of that. But you can't let rage guide your actions. That's the path he went. If you do, I fear you will only succeed in pushing her farther away. Let her be your anchor."

"She already is."

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

"Y/N?" You felt something touch the side of your head as you struggled to climb out of the fog of sleep.

Something touched your face again and you jumped, fully aware that someone was hovering over you. You opened your eyes to see Leo standing next to your bed.

"It's only me."

Surprisingly, your heart settled when you saw that it was Leo.

"Did I sleep too long?" You rose to a sitting position and rubbed your hands over your face to help wake yourself up.

"No, you've been out for about 6 hours or so. But, Hakyeon detected some demons loitering around the grounds and I wanted you to be awake in case we needed to move quickly."

"Oh! Alright, I'll get up." You threw off your covers and stood quickly. You only made it a couple of steps before your world started spinning.

"Y/N!" Leo caught you before you hit the floor. He stood there with you in his arms until you gathered your senses. "I'm sorry, I should have told you not to move too quickly after I put you to sleep."

"That's alright. I should have waited for a moment before getting up. Thank you for catching me."

"Of course." Leo tightened his arms around you and lifted you effortlessly. You gasped but breathed a silent sigh of relief when he placed you back on your bed. Once you stayed upright he released you.

"Now that this wonderful moment is over, I must insist that you both come with me."

The voice that belonged to the man who caused your now sore shoulder last night spoke from the corner in your room. Before you or Leo could react, a thick white smoke filled the air. Just before the smoke reached you, Leo grabbed you again and held you tight against him. You closed your eyes when the smoke caused you to be dizzy. You could still feel Leo beside you. You held on to him as tight as you could. You buried your head into his chest and tried not to pass out.

"Y/N....y/n? Are you okay?" Leo's voice reached your ears and you took a chance to open your eyes. What you saw around you was only stone walls. You raised your head and found yourself in a stone room. There was a door to the far side but there was no door knob. It was too dark to make everything out and it was getting cold.

"Where are we?" You reluctantly let go of Leo, although you really wanted to stay close.

"I'm not su--"

"Welcome to my home. Well, the basement anyway." The voice of the man who had appeared in your room was now standing in front of the door you had seen moments ago. Leo grabbed your hand and pulled you to stand behind him.

"Dammit, Alek, what in the hell are you up to?"

"Just a bit of an adventure. We all used to enjoy our adventures, right?"

"Yes, until you betrayed us and almost got us all killed. How the hell did you get back into the house? Hakyeon banned you."

"I never left. I have to be out of the house in order for you to bar my entrance again, don't I? You failed to thoroughly check the house before you tended to your lovely charge here." The man named Alek looked at you now. "Did you know you are very beautiful when you sleep?"

"You were in my room?! What is wrong with you?!" You were livid. How dare he!

"That is a loaded question, my dear. Now, I have a couple of things to take care of. You both make yourselves at home and I will return later."

"Wait!" You stepped around Leo and yelled after the man but he had disappeared. You turned back to Leo but he was calmly inspecting the cell. "How are you so calm about this?!"

"This isn't my first encounter with being abducted."

"So, what do we do? I'm guessing you can't teleport like him?" You crossed your arms over your stomach in an effort to keep yourself warm.

"No, I haven't mastered that ability yet." He looked disappointed in himself and you instantly felt guilty for asking.

"Well, you still have more than me. I can only patch up wounds."

"Which is a respectable ability."

"Says the man who can launch fire balls." You sent a half smile in his direction and he returned it. Feeling a bit calmer due to Leo's relaxed state you began searching around the room.

You immediately tried to push open the doors. There were no door knobs but it felt like it was locked. Which didn't surprise you. You sighed and walked back over to the side where Leo was at.

"I don't suppose you have some special ability to blow a hole in the wall, do you?"

"No, unfortunately, I don't."

You turned and sat down on the bench that sat against the wall opposite of the door. You wrapped your arms around yourself, attempting to ignore the increasing cold. You jumped when you saw a flame erupt before your eyes. It grew on the floor until a blazing fire stood before you about 2 feet tall. Waves of heat wafted towards you. You looked up at Leo and smiled.

"Thank you."

"You looked cold. It won't burn you, so you can get as close as you like." You stretched your arms out towards the flame, enjoying its warmth.

"Who is that man?" You were planning on asking today anyway, just not in a cell in that man's basement. Leo sighed and began pacing within the cell. He touched the walls looking for ways to get out as he talked.

"He used to be one of us. We used to be seven. But, he became consumed with anger and hatred. He began making deals with demons to get what he wanted. He was too driven by his own agenda and greed. One day, he lured us into a trap. He told us it was to rid a town of a demon presence but he was really using us as a trade. We barely got out of there. We were injured so badly that we sought out a local healer to help us."

"What?" You stared at Leo in shock. "It was because of that when you came to my house asking for help?"

Leo nodded, continuing his search around the room.

"See? I actually helped you meet? Shouldn't you be thanking me?"

Once you heard Alek's voice you rose from your seat at the bench and met Leo on the other side who was already making his way towards you.

"Kidnapping doesn't exactly put me in a thankful mood." You glared at the man and then smirked when you noticed the red stained bandage wrapped around his leg. He followed your gaze and anger took over his features.

"Proud of yourself?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am."

In an instant, the man disappeared and before you realized, you were pushed up against the wall with Alek's hand circling your neck. He squeezed slightly and held you up to where your feet barely touched the ground.

"Alek, you psychotic son of a bitch, let her go!" You saw Leo advance on Alek but he was stopped by what seemed like an invisible wall. He pounded on it repeatedly, hoping to break through.

You pulled at Alek's hand around your throat desperately tried to free yourself. You kicked your legs wildly, hoping to strike him hard enough for him to let you go.

"Stop moving!" Alek yelled into your ear and you flinched, closing your eyes in fear. You obeyed, stilling your body but he didn't release you.

"You've got fire, I'll give you that." You looked back at Leo still trying to break through the invisible wall. "But it would seem that your fire dies out when our dear Leo is in your presence. Now, why is that?"

You looked at Leo who was preoccupied with the wall. You shook your head, not trusting your voice.

"Don't try to deny it. Don't forget I saw you last night. You were full of fight when you drove that dagger into my leg but by the time you made it back to your room, you turned into a nervous, scared girl. What has my dear Leo done to you?"

"H-He's not......y-yours." You sent the man a look of pure hatred. You suddenly felt an overwhelming need to defend Leo.

"Then, is he yours?"

"No."

"Hmmm, somehow, I don't believe that." He smiled and you caught a strange smell coming from his breath. You knew that smell buf you just couldn't place it.

Finally, Alek released you and you fell to the floor, coughing. At the same time, the wall separating you and Leo vanished and he immediately rushed to your side. You looked up to see Alek on the other side. He laughed for a few seconds before vanishing into thin air once again.

[sockparade]

tips for surviving the pandemic: things i learned from my immigrant parents

It’s hard to believe that it’s only been a little over a week since the WHO announced that the coronavirus (COVID-19) was officially a pandemic. This has been a long, challenging week for a lot of people and it is nothing short of terrifying to read reports of what is happening in Asia and Europe as many predict that we’ll likely endure a similar fate here in the United States. In the midst of all of this chaos and uncertainty, I’ve been reminded of so many lessons that my Taiwanese immigrant parents taught me. I’m sharing them here so that others might also benefit. Thanks Ma. Thanks Daddy.

你昨天已經出去了.

“You already went out yesterday.“

1. Learn how to stay home. Our family is eight days into self-isolating at home and Tony asked me this morning if I had cabin fever. And strangely, the answer is no. I’m not. Not to downplay the difficulty of this moment but my experience with this “shelter-in-place” ordinance reminds of pretty much all my summers between kindergarten and 8th grade. Both of my parents worked full-time so summer was just three blissful months of nothing. No structure, no plans, no camps, no playdates, and no responsibilities. My parents never made me feel like I was missing a thing by staying home and I don’t remember ever feeling bored. There were always library books to read, stories to write, and thoughts to journal. Hours were spent playing school with my big sister (now a first grade teacher!), making up random games like who can avoid touching the carpet longest, learning Kim Zmeskal’s latest gymnastics floor routine, writing lyrics to Kenny G saxophone solos, and rehearsing for our variety show that we would perform to our tired parents at the end of the day. And that’s not even including the hours we spent watching The Price is Right, CHIPS, Knight Rider, and Airwolf (yep, no cable).   

As a teenager I carefully plotted all my hangouts with friends so that I didn’t have too many consecutive days when I was out of the house. Whenever I asked my parents if I could hang out with friends, they would always say, “But you already went out yesterday. What’s wrong with staying home? Why do you always have to go out?” It was as if having too much fun two days in a row was off limits. If there was a big party on Friday, I would purposely make sure I stayed home Wednesday and Thursday just to increase the chances of being able to go out on Friday. I know a lot of people talk about how awful their high school years were but I was one of those lucky kids who had a really great group of friends that made me feel seen, loved, and cared for. The downside was that I couldn’t get enough of it. I was always thinking about the next hangout, the next event, the next thing. It took me all the way until my late twenties to fully appreciate the fine art of staying home and to finish my unexpected transformation into the expert homebody that I am today. 

I’m reminded of that old quote by Blaise Pascal, “All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." 

It’s great to be out and about, but it’s also really important to learn how to stay home.  

______________________________________________

晚上要吃什麼？清冰箱.

“What are we eating for dinner?” “Cleaning the fridge.”

2. Be creative with what you have. I love food. Not in a foodie sense, but I get a lot of pleasure out of eating. I’m not a food snob by any stretch of the imagination. I thoroughly enjoy a Stouffer’s frozen lasagna or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as much as I enjoy a fancy, inventive, Michelin-starred meal at Commis. What’s hard for me is when food is eaten as sustenance rather than with delight. But my parents taught me that you can always take pride in preparing a meal. No matter your ingredients.

My mom is an excellent cook. I know a lot of people think their mom is a good cook but my mom is legitimately skilled in the kitchen. There were some nights when I’d ask what was for dinner and my mom would just reply, “Cleaning the fridge.” 

Now for some, this might sound terrifying. But my mom could honestly make something out of nothing. I still crave my dad’s simple egg and garlic fried rice. My parents raised me to be able to make an tasty meal just from rummaging in the pantry and fridge for random leftover things. There were plenty of summers where lunches and snacks were an individual culinary adventure for each of us kids. I still remember the day I witnessed my baby sister add a Kraft single on top of her onion ramen noodles. She saw my confusion, shrugged and said, “You should try it, it’s good.” 

With all the hoarding folks have been doing during this pandemic, I’ve found myself feeling quite anxious. Trying to calculate if we have enough food. Estimating how many more meals we can eat at home before we need to make another grocery run. As someone who struggles with a scarcity mentality it has been hard not to panic. But then I keep reminding myself that I know how to make good food using just whatever’s available. 

You know, I was pretty disappointed with Mary H.K. Choi’s second novel, Permanent Record, given how much I enjoyed her debut novel, Emergency Contact. But I was absolutely thrilled with the shine she gave to what her protagonist calls “Hot Snacks”.

Here’s an excerpt from Permanent Record that is a beautiful ode to creative food mashups and immigrant kids everywhere: 

“I edit and post a Shin Ramyun Black video set to music. My favorite instant noodles with three flavor packets and so much garlic. It’s a classic Korean HotSnack, especially when you throw in cut-up hot dogs, frozen dumplings, extra kimchi - and this is where the artistry comes in- eggs, cheese, corn from a can, and a drizzle of sesame oil on top. And furikake if you’re feeling wealthy. The next night I put up a bacon, egg, and cheese not in a bagel but in a glazed honey bun. Laced with sriracha and pan fried on the outside. Then it’s chilaquiles with Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos and chorizo. Jamaican beef patty casserole disrespected with a smothering of Japanese curry and broiled. With Crystal Hot Sauce over the top and pickled banana peppers. I’m trolling with that one but the controversy is berserk. When I run out of old videos, I make saag paneer naanchos with Trader Joe’s frozen Indian food, and it’s a hit. Especially when I add yogurt and a thick layer of crushed-up Takis on top.”

______________________________________________

看連續劇.

“Watch soap operas.” 

3. Find a way to escape. I’m generally pro technology but I’ll admit I’m a little bummed at the way iPhones and iPads have made TV viewing such an individual activity. I like how Disney+ has gotten some families back to watching TV together again. Although I will say, we really coddle our kids these days. I grew up in a time when movie ratings only applied in the theaters and we watched movies with our families like Alien, The Fly, and Gremlins. We were scared out of our minds and sometimes could only watch through the cracks between our fingers covering our eyes because it was so scary. Okay, this also might be why I can’t watch horror movies as an adult. 

From a young age, my parents taught me that watching other people’s drama unfold on screen is one of the best way to escape your own drama. Some people say binge watching became a thing when the TV networks started releasing shows on DVD. Others give credit to Netflix releasing their original content a whole season at a time. But truth be told, I first learned how to binge watch from my parents. 

We would rent 30-40 VHS cassette tapes from that random spot in Bellaire Chinatown. Can you picture it? You needed multiple plastic bags to transport that many VHS tapes. 

Do you remember the one about the dying mother who needed to find homes for each of her 7 children? I don’t think it’s normal for a 10 year old to cry so much but you better believe it’s made me learn the true value of a soap opera escape hatch. 

Are you in a pandemic? Now’s the perfect time to pick up that YA novel, binge that reality show, start that kdrama, or rewatch all six seasons of The Sopranos again.

______________________________________________

下個禮拜會下雨.

“It’s going to rain next week.”

4. Be informed about what’s ahead. If you ask either of my parents about the weather at any given time they can reliably tell you the daily percent chance of precipitation and humidity for at least seven days out. They’ve always been this way. They would inform me of the weather at various points throughout the week. They planned their yard work and car washes around the weather forecast. There’s something about the way the weather forecast is available to everyone. And it feels like it’s just a matter of making the small extra effort to access it and gain a slight advantage. I feel like so much of the immigrant mentality is to be diligent in making the right choices to not screw yourself over and seizing opportunities whenever you can. And it wasn’t just weather but this is such an obvious example of it. 

I remember my dad saying to me once, "Can you imagine if someone decided to read every book in their local library? If they just went shelf by shelf and systematically read all the books? You could do it, you know. It’s free, it doesn’t cost any money to check out a book from the library. But no one really does it.” 

I think immigrant parents get a bad reputation for forwarding chain letters and health/science hoaxes they get on email, WeChat and Line. And in a pandemic, yes, they are definitely susceptible to misinformation, rumors and flat out untruths. But the thought behind it seems right. 

The mistrust of government leadership is actually quite relevant right now in this pandemic. Many immigrants left countries with governments that were overtly corrupt, oppressive, and used propaganda to influence its citizens. And while many Americans still take pride in living in a country that verbally champions freedom and democracy, the truth is that our government has already failed us and lied to us in many ways. During this pandemic, we cannot wait on leaders to tell us what to do. We must be diligent in reading for ourselves, seeking experts, using our critical thinking skills, and making preparations accordingly.

______________________________________________

會不會冷?

“Are you cold?” 

5. Check in with yourself. Check in with others. I have so many memories of my parents walking through the living room and asking me and my sisters if we were cold. It felt like they couldn’t walk past the thermostat without asking us if they needed to raise it or lower it. As if they couldn’t hear us sneeze and wonder if they needed to turn off the ceiling fan. They couldn’t see us sitting in a dim room without turning on a light for us. There are so many times I fell asleep reading on the couch and woke up with a blanket over me. Or sometimes I was fully awake doing something random, like playing Egyptian Rat Screw with my sisters (a cardgame for the uninitiated), and my mom would walk by and wordlessly drop a warm, heavy blanket over my shoulders. That’s care, y’all. Consistent, immediate action, and often without words.  

The tip here is to pay attention to your discomfort during a pandemic. There’s this immigrant stereotype of stoicism and that’s true to some degree but maybe the resilience is made possible not because of unnatural toughness but largely because immigrant parents can also be so incredibly perceptive and tender in some very tangible ways. 

When everything is chaotic around you and you’re busy multitasking these next few months, don’t ignore your needs. Notice how you’re feeling. Physically and emotionally. Where are you carrying your stress and tension in your body? You don’t have to tough it out. Oh and remember to check in with your people on how they’re feeling. Is there a light switch you can turn on for someone? 

______________________________________________

笑死人.

“Laugh to death.” 

6. Laugh to survive. Look, we didn’t have the perfect family or anything like that. We’ve definitely had our share of difficult times, financial stress, health issues, arguments, and pain. But my parents also really knew how to laugh and taught us to laugh with abandon. Like, bent over, tears running out of your eyes, can’t breathe kind of laughing. Our dinner table was kind of like a writer’s room. It was difficult to tell a mediocre story. You had better come prepared with a punchline or a point. It was a tough crowd, every night. On many occasions I stopped myself halfway through a story upon the self-realization that there was no real way to land the plane. Polite laughs were nowhere to be found, except perhaps a charitable smile from my baby sister. But it didn’t stop us from trying. I think my sisters and I are all probably better storytellers for it and we definitely have learned to try to bring humor into difficult times.  

I know that this pandemic is so incredibly dark and depressing that it can sometimes feel disrespectful, inappropriate, or childish to laugh at anything. But my parents taught me that you laugh to survive. Nothing is ever so dark that you can’t find a reason to laugh. And sometimes you really need to find something to laugh about.

I’ve been taking long breaks each day from major media news outlets but I have been finding such joy and laughter from the meme creators on IG and the comedic geniuses on Twitter. In Taiwanese when something’s really funny, people will say a phrase that is imperfectly translated as laugh to death. Like you killed a person it was so funny. Now’s the time to find that content or those people who will get you to laugh to death. 

______________________________________________

我要去挪車.

“I’m going to go re-park the cars.” 

7. Go to bed with a plan for the next morning. I grew up in a suburb of Houston, Texas where one property developer built the entire neighborhood and used the same eight or nine floor plans for all the houses but changed up the brick and trim color to keep things interesting. Most homes have a long driveway that connects a garage set near the backdoor of a home to the street. By the time I was driving, we had four cars in total -- two in the garage and two on the driveway. At the end of the day when everyone was home for the night and my dad was getting ready to go to bed, he’d announce, “I’m going to go re-park the cars.” Then we’d all kind of stop what we were doing and rearrange the order of the cars to match our morning departure schedules. This meant figuring out who was leaving when in the morning and sometimes also prompted brief check-in conversations about any changes in our usual routine. 

In a pandemic it can sometimes feel like there are a million different things to attend to and large conceptual concerns that demand your attention. But there’s something calming and centering about spending a few minutes each night thinking through specifically what needs to happen just tomorrow. Not the day after or next week. Get super tactical and specific about what tomorrow morning looks like. Check-in with your partner about any aberrations to your schedule (e.g. I have a super important conference call at 7am tomorrow) to minimize any unnecessary surprises. There’s something magical about setting up your morning that helps you rest just a little easier at night. 

______________________________________________

星期三我們有禱告會.

“On Wednesdays we have prayer meeting.”

8. Make time for your spirituality. Growing up my parents both had physically demanding jobs. My mom was a seamstress for many years, providing alterations at my aunt and uncle’s dry cleaners. She later worked in an elementary school cafeteria and then eventually became a classroom aide for special needs students. My dad worked at that same dry cleaners for years until he got a job at the post office. He then became a letter carrier, delivering mail on foot. The summer months were especially grueling, carrying a heavy sack of mail in 100 degree, humid weather, and walking until sweat soaked his shirts and blisters formed on his feet. They had every excuse to skip weeknight events. But unless they were sick in bed, I can’t remember a time when they missed their weekly prayer meeting with their friends from church.  

Pandemics have an unsettling way of forcing us to confront our mortality and can trigger a bunch of unresolved shit that has been bubbling underneath the surface. We’ve lost some of our usual coping mechanisms and it can be super hard to quiet the anxieties, fears, and other demons that we usually try to keep under control. This isn’t a lecture about a particular faith or belief system. It’s just a reminder to prioritize your existential questions, your interior life, and your connection to things much bigger than yourself -- whether that’s a community, a yoga practice, a faith group, a tradition, or something else. 

I have a fledgling meditation practice that I’ve been trying to strengthen since last year. When I say fledgling I mean that sometimes I bail before the ten minutes is up and check my phone. Even though I’m not very good at it yet, I can really tell the difference on the days that I make time for it. Our church started hosting its weekly Sunday service online and that’s challenging for me because a church service feels like it’s designed to be so much about the physical rhythm of going to a place, seeing faces of people I love, hearing their voices co-mingling with mine in song and in prayer, and tasting the bread and wine in my mouth. The online service was short, and just for viewing through a zoom conference call, but there was still something meaningful about setting aside that time Sunday morning, asking our wiggly kids to be present, and saying the liturgy out loud knowing that in homes all across the country, other people are doing the same. 

If things are really going to get as bad as some are predicting, we’ll need the spiritual strength to make it to the other side. Those habits are hard to form overnight. My parents taught me that you really have to make the time for your spirituality non-negotiable, so that you won’t abandon it when it’s inconvenient or when you are too tired.    

______________________________________________

沒辦法.

“What choice do we have?” 

9. Rise to the occasion. Whenever my parents are telling old war stories about things they had to do to get to where they are today, inevitably one of us will say, “Man that’s crazy, how did you manage to do it?” And instead of pointing to some super personality trait of theirs or some complex self-help principle, they always say, “We had no choice.” It’s not said in a defeated way, but in a posture of accepting that life can be cruel, unfair, and capricious. And that it’s not helpful to dwell too long on the why’s and how’s. My parents taught me that you can’t stay in despair mode. You eventually have to push yourself into problem solving mode and you do whatever it takes to move forward.  

This coronavirus is so unlike anything we’ve ever experienced in our lifetime. It is so unprecedented for me that my brain is having a hard time processing the reality of what’s happening right now and the rest of my lived experience. I spent the first few days of this week just being overwhelmed, anxious, angry, and irritable. At this point though, I’m in go mode. I’m doing what needs to be done for our family and taking care of business. What choice do we have? I can hear my parents saying it. One day, if we’re lucky, we’ll say it to our kids too. 

[bluepenguinstories]

Happiness Overload Chapter Fifty-Seven

As I fell, I couldn’t help but smiled. Not at first, but after the initial shock of falling passed, I was really able to take in the moment.

Those two really are the real deal.

It was just as Dr. Michelangelo had said (yes, I was listening in). Their love was at a level I could not comprehend, a power so great that, gah! Yes! That was it! The oft rumored ‘power of love’! I’ve heard of such things!

While my love was for art itself (not that women weren’t beautiful, though I was more interested in the aesthetic beauty than any kind of emotional evocation. So long as I could paint a beautiful picture, that was all the love I needed), theirs was unparalleled!

Thud!

I hit the floor as if I were a blot of ink and a pile of popsicle sticks were the canvas. Pain meant little to me. After all, what was art, if not pain?

No. There was no need to answer that. Instead, I allowed my ears to absorb the surroundings; Every little fixture, movement, heartbeat. Two bodies (the gay baby jail had been moved off the stage, as it was no longer needed), two muses. Two little pieces of inspiration that would provide me the answers to any question related to art and pain. All I needed to do was listen.

All I could think about was how weak I had been to fall into such a trap like that. That I couldn’t figure out a way out, and that I even gave in to the delusion. Even after I woke up, the effects continued to linger, if only a little.

“Yes! We got her!” Coriander cheered. She sounded triumphant, as we watched Dr. Lynch...and whatever other names she might have had, fall, along with her tower of popsicle sticks.

“Good job!” I managed to reply. Despite the blurred vision, if nothing else, I could tell from the vibes that we were victorious. No, not we. She was. “That was badass!”

She looked back at me. “It was?”

Why do you sound surprised? You’ve always been cool.

I laughed. “I don’t know! But if people can call me that, I don’t see why you can’t be!”

“Was I admirable, too?”

Of course. You’re getting better all the time.

I nodded, then started to lose my balance.

“Velvet, are you okay?!”

I watched as my arms swung around, as if I weren’t the one doing the swinging. As I managed to stand back up, I grinned, folded my arms over my hips, and looked her way. “Of course! What, are you worried about me or something?”

She looked away. “Are you going to hold it against me if I say yes?”

Oh my god. So cute.

“Yes! In fact, I will! Every chance I get!” I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. But then I shook my head. “Sorry, I got a little carried away. We’ve got more pressing matters to deal with.”

Coriander nodded; one moment, we stood next to each other, triumphant. Then, I blinked, and it must have been the longest blink ever, as between those few seconds, she had sprinted toward the mad artist and pinned her to the floor. There seemed to be a passion to the way she was positioned on top of her. Or maybe it was just my thoughts drifting elsewhere.

God, I wish that was me.

No, that passion was anger. Pure, unfiltered rage.

“I’ll kill you!” Coriander screeched. “How dare you?! Huh?” Coriander tightened her grip. I watched her let go, only to reach for Dr. Lynch’s throat instead. That snapped me out of my trance.

I got over there and pulled Coriander away. It was a much heavier task than I thought it would be. She kicked and thrashed about and I heard her seethe.

“What are you doing, Velvet?” She struggled to break free. “She tried to kill you! To kill us! Let me at her!” Then, the one on the floor started to cough.

“H-Harder…” Dr. Whoever wheezed.

Coriander groaned. “You know what. I suddenly feel gross.” I let go of her. “But seriously, why Velvet? This person is our enemy! We should kill her! She’s not good after all, she’s not going to help us, she’s just going to keep trying to get us killed!”

“I know, but we need to stay calm if we have any chance of getting through this. Besides,” I rubbed my forehead. “I still don’t feel very well. I’m not Peak Velvet right now.”

Like it or not, my current state was NOT what Peak Velvet looked like.

Through awkward motions, I stroked her hair. After a few expended sighs, she calmed down.

“At least tell me where my backpack is,” she growled.

“Tell us if there’s a way out of here, too,” I added.

As if she would know. If she had, she wouldn’t be in there, would she? “Backpack, no. Way out, yes,” wheezed the art hoe.

“What?! You took it from me and here you are, defeated, and you can’t give it back! I ought to kill you, I don’t care! I ought to beat you senseless!” Well, that didn’t last long. At least I managed to calm her down, for, what? A minute at most?

Dr. Lynch/Dr. Bob Ross leaned up and smiled with the same kind of smirk that I would give Coriander when I wanted her to ravish me.

“My back hurts…” She winced, then went back to giving such a sly, evil look. I noticed that she was holding up a device in her hand. “You broke the button that would’ve been able to give it back when you threw that gun at my popsicle stick tower. Shame, too, all that hard work to build such a magnificent sculpture,” she shook her head, as if it was some fucking tragedy. “Ah, but that’s the beauty of art. You can put your all into your work and watch it get easily destroyed.”

“All it takes is a click or two to delete an important document,” I found myself sympathizing.

“See, you get it!” Popsigirl beamed. “Ah, right! An exit! Look behind me!”

Both Coriander and I looked past the defeated intern. There was a tunnel, which we had failed to notice before.

“I didn’t realize until I was done building my popsicle stick tower, but it ended up blocking the exit.”

“Wait. If there’s a way out, why are you stuck in here?”

No, better question: Why am I trying to apply logic to this equation? For that matter, I’m now expecting her to say “I’m not stuck in here with you, you’re stuck in here with me”. Great.

“At the end of the tunnel is a door. Need a code, and I don’t know it.”

Oh, then that’s perfect for me!

“Let’s go, spiced Kimchi,” I turned to Coriander.

“Fine, but let me at least grab the gun,” Coriander scrambled.

As I walked toward the tunnel, I turned my attention to the mad artist.

“By the way, if you come after us, if you try anything to hurt her in any way, I swear, I won’t be as forgiving,” as sincere as my threat was, I felt like I was about to pass out again at any moment. So I felt like I had to add, “it doesn’t matter how little energy I might have – if you try anything, I will end you.”

In response, all I got from her was a thumbs up.

Oh well, I’ll take it.

With that, my seasoned companion and I departed through the tunnel.

Names can be difficult, can’t they? Can’t just stick with one, especially if it doesn’t fit for all situations. As my dad would say, “a different name for each learned medium”. Then, with all the media art could encompass, I could have a near-infinite amount of names. But life didn’t work that way, not really. For us humans, we are every bit a piece as any other. Our lifespans cannot accommodate for a near-infinite amount of names.

That was okay with me. Names have their meaning, but some believe if a word is repeated enough, it starts to lose its meaning. So, with that in mind, why was “love” the subject of many a work of art. Hell, it was even a subject in my inner monologue!

There was little I could do at the moment, what with my bad back. It was the worst feeling one can have when the desire to create was overpowered by the inability to do anything. I was left to stew in my thoughts. Such a thing was never good. Over time, left alone, like a painting, thoughts take on a life of their own.

What else could I do? Those thoughts of mine turned to the past. Specifically, back at Flashbulb University.

Most days in the cafeteria was spent studying the various students/interns/human shields/aspiring corporate slaves (take your pick of titles, they all meant the same). Their beauty was something I sought to capture more and more of. Not just their features, but ways in which their deepest selves could be translated into ink.

Dr. O’Keefe and Dr. Pollack approached me with a glow and vigor that I needed time to capture. If I could get them to stand still for just a few minutes…

“I have the biggest crush on you!” Dr. O’Keefe announced, as if it were any surprise; I knew how those two eyed me. I looked up.

“Can you hold that pose?” I got out a wood block. Work was about to commence.

“I have an even bigger crush on you!” Dr. Pollack leaned in. He had a face full of acne in such an intricate way that I just wanted to connect the dots. Perhaps it would have made a shape…

“Quite the dynamic. If I could make a suggestion, Dr. Pollack, you should stand in the background with an angry expression on your face while Dr. O’Keefe, you should lean in and hold out your hand as if you were holding a rose. Then, I will turn my head away, and deny the both of you.”

The two of them gasped. I predicted which would speak up first…

“Why couldn’t you just reject us outright?” Dr. O’Keefe was the first to speak. Just as I predicted.

“Because, it’s all about the art of rejection.”

“Also, I thought you said you had an appreciation for the female form!”

I nodded. “That is true.”

“But wait! I thought you said you preferred the abstract!” Dr. Pollack argued. “So that means me, right?”

That was my cue. I erased the image of a cafeteria in my mind and replaced it with a stage, which I proceeded to take to as I got up and placed my hand over my chest. My eyes closed, my head up, so began my (external) monologue:

“For so long now, the two of you had been holding in such feelings, while I, feigning ignorance, took to my paintings. But now you come to me, wishing to know the answer. Do I like you, or you? The truth, I love the art, not the artist. For that reason, we are incompatible.”

“But why?” Dr. O’Keefe seemed confused. How unfortunate. I thought I couldn’t be any more clear. “Don’t you like women?”

“Aesthetically.”

“But don’t you like contrast more?” Dr. Pollack argued.

“Ah, I see what this is,” I paced. They wanted me to educate them. “Attraction does not mean interest. You would do well to know that. For the record, on the subject of sexuality, I am a cubist.”

Each of them nodded. It seemed they finally understood. However, my monologue was left unfinished. That needed to be corrected.

“O’Keefe, I love your paintings of flowers that resemble...begonias. As for you, Pollack, I just adore the way your paint seems to lack any sort of structure, as if you just threw some against a canvas. But, as people, I find you two uninteresting.”

“Um,” Dr. O’Keefe spoke up. “You do realize we’re not actually Georgia O’Keefe and Jackson Pollack, right?”

I blinked. I should have known that, but…

“You aren’t?!”

They shook their heads in unison. “Most of us here aren’t even famous artists. You’re an exception.”

For lack of another expression, I too shook my head.

“No, being famous means nothing. Long after the artist dies, the art will remain.”

Yes, that was the whole reason for the recollection: those two, the ones who expressed such strong love, Velvet and Coriander. Neither fame nor infamy interested me, but the act of artistic expression itself. That was why I lived. To that end, I wouldn’t mind dying in order to create something beautiful.

We had been walking through the tunnel for some time, but at last, I couldn’t take it. I dropped to the floor.

“Velvet!” My beloved cried out.

My beloved...who would have thought? But then, even with all the teasing, it doesn’t feel bad to think of her that way.

“I’m fine. I just need to rest a bit,” it sounded more like I was trying to reassure myself than her. For whatever reason, I felt about ready to break down. Maybe that was what I needed. Maybe then I would wake up and be back to my old self.

“Okay, but we should hurry. What if she shows up again?”

Shit. That was something I didn’t want to consider.

“Then I’ll...I’ll think of something. I’ll figure something out. I always do, don’t I?”

“Right,” she replied, not sounding any more assured than me.

“You sound worried,” I pointed out.

“What? Me? Worried? Why?” I heard her slunk down next to me. “Maybe it was because when that weirdo had us separated, I wasn’t sure if you were going to make it out of there. I shouldn’t have had any doubts, because you’re you, so sorry about that.”

Hearing that made me tighten my hands into fists and I found myself lowering my head.

“No…” I muttered. “I don’t think I would have made it out of there if not for you.” I really was glad for that, but at the same time, it hurt. “I’m sorry.”

“What? Sorry about what?”

“You were right. I shouldn’t have trusted that person. We should have left then and there. Found another way.”

“Yes, well…”

“Also,” I continued. “You were right all those times you said we needed a plan. I thought that something would come last minute and it would all fall into place, and technically, that happened, but even still...I don’t know what I’m doing. I act like I’m so bold, but I’m a nervous wreck.”

She snapped her fingers in front of me. “Hey. Hey. We did what we could with the information we had. It’s just one of those things that no matter how much we could have prepared, we might not have known what to expect. But you know what? You’re doing great.”

That should have been the rousing speech I needed.

“Jeez, I feel like I’m the Velvet in this situation,” she groaned. Then, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“What?!” I kept laughing.

“Well, it’s weird cause aren’t you the tough and mature one or something? I think I’ve had to encourage you twice now. Not that I’m counting.”

The laughing fits wouldn’t stop. I slapped my knee.

“I need encouragement sometimes too, you know?”

Despite the dim lighting of the tunnel, I could see her face go red. She must have noticed as well, as she turned away.

“Well, I’m not saying I don’t like it. In fact, I think it’s cool that I can be there for you.”

Right. That was probably why that woman separated us, trapped us in her little boxes.

“Verse was right, too…”

Her words echoed, the ones she spoke when she was trying to convince me against going.

They would rather experiment on you or torture you than kill you.

“What do you mean?” Coriander leaned forward.

“If this is just what one member is like, then just imagine fighting a whole organization of folks like that. Can we really handle it?”

Silence tore into me. That dream, hallucination, movie, whatever you wanted to call it started to linger on my mind as well. How it started off so fun, but then at the end…

How long has it been since I thought of ‘her’? No, more than that, ‘she’ said that I was still my old timid self.

It all stung. To be reminded of such things. Not only that, but to have such a drop in confidence that I couldn’t seem to shake. The culmination of it all formed into little beads of salt.

Those soon went away. I felt Coriander’s soft hand brush across my face.

“What are you doing?”

“Beats me! I just couldn’t think of what else to do!”

There she went again, able to bring a chuckle out of me, and she probably didn’t even mean to. In response, I held her hand.

“Thank you.”

Again with the blush. She let go and looked away. “I just didn’t like that funk you were in. That’s all.”

I picked myself up and stretched. I even grinned for good measure. She got up as well.

“So? Feeling better?”

“Hell to the yeah. I’m ready to kick some bubblegum!”

“Jeez,” she grimaced. “Just how old is that reference?”

I shook my head. “Never mind that, let’s keep going.”

That’s right: all I have to do is put on a face. Sure, she can usually tell when I’m lying, but so what? I don’t need to have all my energy back. It doesn’t matter how confident I am. All that matters is that I act. Act in every sense of the word

Drafts swept below, which intensified into a gust, and what descended were a pair of what looked like life-sized marionette dolls with those old Victorian Gothic dresses. They shimmied about and threw themselves at the two of us. I tried to brush the one that had flung against me aside only to find the thing heavier than I expected.

Then I’ll just have to rush it…

I rammed myself into the figures, elbow out and all, and knocked them to the floor. Coriander, meanwhile, bashed the doll over the head with the gun.

“What in the fuck?” I mouthed the words. I still felt dizzy, but I knew that I would do whatever I could to carry on. As I looked down on the floor, I noticed that they weren’t dolls. Not quite. Once I looked back up and saw who stood ahead of us, I had my answer.

How did she get ahead of us so fast? I couldn’t help but wonder, even if it may not have done me much good to wonder such things.

“You!” Coriander shouted. “Strike three! You’re out!” She opened fire, but a group of dolls appeared out from the walls and took all the hits instead.

“Wa! Ha! Ha!” Cackled the oh-so-evil resident artist.

“Didn’t I tell you? If you try anything, I will kill you,” I growled. “So if you want my advice, stand aside.”

Instead, she just gave another laugh. “Wa! Ha! Ha! I don’t mind that one bit! Don’t you know the quote? ‘Find what you love and let it kill you’! But please, call me Dr. Geppetto. I like to make dolls as a hobby, you see.”

“Yes,” I glanced down. “I see. What’s with these? Why do they lack faces?”

“They’re manikins! Pure, unfiltered wood! Bendable! Over a hundred possible poses! Perfect reference material! Just like the two of you!”

“The only reference material you need is a therapist!” Coriander shot back.

I think all of us could use one of those…

“I could provide that for you!” Dr. Geppetto sounded much more self-assured than she had any right to be. “Artistic therapy!”

Gag commencing in 3...2...nope, never mind. It didn’t happen. False alarm. Oh well, I kinda expected that kind of thing from Dr. Artist. What I didn’t expect was to be grabbed from behind by one of her manikin dolls.

“Velvet!” Coriander cried out.

“Not this time!” I said, without a shred of certainty. But nonetheless, at first I struggled to break free, but then I realized that was pointless. So instead, I leaned back and flipped the doll over, bringing us both to the floor. As the doll collapsed, I got up.

Amidst the struggle, I failed to notice a wall erect from the floor, separating Coriander and I from each other.

I pounded my fists against the wall, to no avail.

Damn it! Her plan must not have been to capture me; she knew I could and would break free. No, she just wanted to create some distance between us.

Please don’t let there be any more poison gas. No more dreams.

“Sorry, Ms. Fabric! You should have known it wouldn’t be that easy! You’re in the headquarters of The Flashbulb, for crying out loud! You’re in the belly of the whale!”

Yeah, she was right, but I wished that she wasn’t. It really would have helped if she was genuine about helping us.

I kicked the wall.

“Yeah, it’s my own fault! But I thought things would be better than this!”

“We’ll figure something out, right Velvet?” Coriander called to me from the other end.

I nodded. “Right. But until then, you have my permission to bust her up.” I growled those words. Never did I think I’d hate such an experience as I did.

Popsigirl (no matter what name she used, all I could see was ‘Popsigirl’) started to run off as soon as I cracked my knuckles. She must’ve known I meant business.

“That’s right! Run!” I chased after her.

Don’t lose your head. She’s already proved she’s willing to throw traps at us, even now.

In spite of that reminder, I figured that as long as I had that gun, it wouldn’t matter. No, that wasn’t right. Thing was heavy and it wasn’t like I should’ve expected to carry it forever. So as soon as I lost sight of her, I started walking. There weren’t many places she could go, so again, I figured I’d run into her sooner or later.

Even when that time comes, keep your eyes peeled. You have no idea what she’ll do.

My self pep talk was all I had at the moment. Velvet suffered a blow of confidence, but I still couldn’t help but think of her as the greater one. She could hack things, and she was also physically tough. Me, on the other hand, I was good with assembling hardware, but I wasn’t that great on the physical side.

“Let’s see...first I’m going to get my laser backpack back, then I’m going to reunite with Velvet, then we’ll kick ass,” I started listing off the agenda on my fingers. Then, when I looked up, I saw it: the door to the exit.

But if I’m already here, then where would Popsigirl be?

My answer must have lied with the door on my right. It said ‘art supply room’ on it.

Bingo.

I made my way through the door.

Be cautious. She’s probably watching you. She wants you to come in here.

The room was much less dark than the tunnel had been. It blinded me to the point that I had to cover my eyes with my arm just to carry on.

“Come on out! No more games!” I shouted.

“Please, I’m just a humble dollmaker!” Dr. Geppetto’s voice called back. “Making dolls is my hobby! I’d be happy to make you one!”

I ground my teeth. That word…

No. It’s just one word. Nothing to be bothered about.

“Stop that! Just give me my backpack and I promise not to use it on you!”

“I’d be happy to!”

My heart jumped. It felt like the air was about to be sucked out from me.

“S...Stop!” I huffed.

Just a few steps forward, I bumped into something. I uncovered my face to find a tall doll, hung from the ceiling by a string around the doll’s neck.

This one looks different. It’s not a manikin…

I pushed past it, only to be met by more. They must have been stuffed dolls. Like, five foot tall Raggedy Anne dolls or something. As I brushed past more, I noticed their faces. Yes, they had faces: freckles, short blue hair, and a backwards cap. It was me.

“What the hell?” I whispered.

I pushed them aside. “What kind of sick joke is this?!” I yelled.

More than that, where did she find the time to make these?

No more of those life-sized dolls were to be found, but in its place was an endless expanse of shelves on both sides of me, each with porcelain dolls sitting on them. I glanced on either side. Both sides were identical dolls, but on one side, they each had long, red hair with some kind of form-fitting outfit. On the other, short blue hair and casual clothes.

“Which face would you prefer?” Dr. Geppetto’s voice entered once more, though she was nowhere to be found.

I’m not going to answer. I’m just going to move forward.

As I took my next step, the doll’s faces turned to face me, then, their mouths opened and music played out.

“Me and you, and you and me, no matter how they tossed the dice, it had to be. The only one for me is you, and you for me, so happy together…”

Why that song?

“So happy together...so happy together…”

“Stop that,” I groaned.

Instead, the volume grew louder, as those three words looped.

“Stop...stop…” I tried to keep forward and cover my ears, but I could feel its intensity. The dolls around me, their faces. It was like they were drawing closer.

Get it together. Together. So...together.

I ran. I thought I could escape the sound and their faces, but it persisted. Then, I bumped into more of those life-sized dolls with my image and they stared down at me. I fell over. I tried to get up, but my arms shook. The intensity of those three words being sung kept me from getting back up. No, not three words. Just one.

“Stop!” I yelled. “STOP!”

Tears filled my face. I found myself crouched on the ground. I felt like I was about to lose my breath and pass out, but it didn’t happen.

“What’s the matter? You went from acting all tough to getting like this,” Dr. Geppetto’s voice broke through. That’s when I realized that the music had stopped.

“You!” I tried to grab onto her leg. I’d squeeze so hard that it would break her bone and make her lose circulation. But that didn’t happen. I couldn’t see her well. Everything was a blur.

“Wa! Ha! Ha! You can’t even reach me right now!”

“Why are you doing this?” I wheezed. It was the best I could muster.

“Doing what? I’m just doing what makes me happy! You’re the one on the floor.”

Again. It had to be deliberate.

“Do you know?” I asked while wincing.

“I would like to hear about it. It doesn’t make me very happy seeing you like this.”

“There was an incident...months ago…” I tried to explain. I didn’t even know why I bothered. “I was on the verge of death...my resentment...I thought the only thing that would make things better…no, I didn’t think that. It wasn’t me. I lost control.”

That memory. I didn’t want it to resurface. But all those forced images, I couldn’t block them out, either.

“It wasn’t you? Why wouldn’t it be? She took the life you knew from you. One where you were comfortable. Then, even though she was an enemy, she was all anyone around you would talk about. How great she was with technology. How she was able to break in, and out, of the most impenetrable places. Of course you would both admire and resent her. Then, when pushed to such a place, wouldn’t it be natural to want to steal her face and take it as your own, as that was the face of the one who got all the recognition from your peers? Despite working so hard, it wasn’t you who got the recognition, it was the enemy.”

“SHUT UP!” My voice shook. I shook. I didn’t want to think about those things anymore. “That wasn’t true. I never wanted to feel those things! I was made to feel them! And I lost control because…”

“Because you were cloned several times with the angel in you and conditioned to think that way, yes, I know.”

I knew it. She’s doing this on purpose.

“How?”

She paced about the room. In her hand was a stick, as if she were a conductor.

“Then, with all that concentrated amounts of that entity within you, it was only a matter of time before you overloaded. All it took was enough bad experiences to really twist you up. Your body wanted you happy, and you weren’t having a very happy time.”

“Use some other word…”

“But saying it makes me so happy!” She laughed again. “But enough with that. I saw your profile. Saw footage of what went down. That’s when I knew what I’d do with you. What really strikes me is that the whole thing wasn’t planned that way. Yes, you were conditioned, but so was most the rest of the world. Everyone was supposed to be all sunshine and rainbows, but instead, it all grew to be too much and now your Earth is having a breakdown of its now. None of that was planned, but doesn’t that make it more beautiful? When things just fall into place like that?”

I gave no answer.

“But it must be so hard for you: finding out you were a copy in a series of copies. Unsure of who the ‘real’ you is.”

She knows. She knows and she’s toying with me.

“Well, I’m here to tell you,” she continued. “I don’t think it matters who the original was! Who cares if you’re a copy of a copy of a copy? Maybe it feels as if your existence was a mistake, but I don’t think there are any mistakes! I think you’re a happy accident!”

I growled and tried to swipe at her, but she skipped over my hand.

“Whoa there, mighty lion. I’m just trying to help you. I think you’d be very happy, happy, happy, happy, with my help.”

“Stop.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m an artist. If there’s anything I hate, it’s counterfeits. That’s why I don’t like children, is because they’re just copies of their parents. But then again, there’s something beautiful about copies, don’t you think? The way they try to replicate the original, yet you can tell there’s something just a little bit off. Hell, my mustache is a fake,” she ripped it off. As if I really thought it was real to begin with. “Then there’s you…”

She took her stick and whacked my hand with it. I cried out.

“Yes,” she continued as I felt the sting and seethed. “You really took on a life of your own, didn’t you? So that’s why I say don’t worry about it!”

“You’re sick,” I muttered.

“I am? Sure, I’ve swallowed paint before, but it was the non-toxic kind. Plus, last time I visited the Medical Department they said I was healthy. Though hard to say when that was, seeing as time doesn’t really serve much of a function in this place. All I know that they haven’t let me see anyone in a long time. Ah, but that’s art for you. Sometimes you just need your space to let out your creativity.”

“That’s not what I mean by sick,” I scoffed. With emphasis on ‘coffed’. I felt like I was about to hack my lungs out. Maybe it was me who was sick. “Art isn’t everything.”

“Wrong!” She hit me again. It should have been so easy to avoid. I cried out, and she continued to pace as if it were nothing. “There is art in everything. Sun Tzu, The Art of War. Peace itself is an art, as it needs a certain degree of creativity to achieve. Literature is an art. Religion itself is an art, as you need a basis for belief, you need to create a set of rules to abide by, a mythology. Same goes for society. Ah, yes, and what do we live in? A society. Thus, we live in art. Art lives in us, as well. It takes the act of creation to create us, after all.”

She continued her spiel, with or without my involvement.

“Art is the absolute, but it also goes beyond the absolute to the possible and impossible. There are those who think that math and art are incompatible, as they use different parts of the brain, but wrong! Math is an art! It is the creation of numbers that we are able to formulate. Geometric figures factor into both art and mathematics. maps, statistics, perspective. All a necessity.”

“Why are you even obsessed with art? I thought you guys were all scientists,” I found the words escape me.

“Because: art is a math, art is a religion, art is how we communicate, but what is art? Art is a science!”

“Oh, you’re a real work of art all right...”

I struggled, but managed to pick myself up. I lunged at her. She jumped out of the way, then hit me across the back. I fell against a shelve of dolls, which knocked over and fell on me.

“Ow…”

She walked over, lifted my head up, and leaned in.

“This makes me happy. That you still have some bite.”

She pointed her stick up as a screen descended. “Ten-hut, soldier. Here’s an educational video.”

The video on the screen played: there I was, but it wasn’t me. It was me from a past life. Many past lives, if I had to guess. The original “Mavis”, or whoever her name might have been instead.

“Oh my god! I can’t believe in the actual Area 51! This is a dream!”

Sgt. Michaels stood by. I half-expected him to comment on his mustache, but instead, he announced: “you were selected from a pool of candidates to fulfill a certain task.”

“Ooh! What task?” It was odd seeing “me” so excited about something.

“Just the other day, someone broke in and stole a ship. This kind of thing is unheard of. Now, regardless of if she ever shows up again, we need intel on her so we can find her and kill her. We can’t have her leaking the stuff she’s seen to the public, and we must recover that ship.”

“Ugh, so no aliens?”

“No. This is an air force base.”

“Suuuuure. I bet you tell everyone that. So where are they? Downstairs?”

He didn’t look amused. Instead, he shoved a folder into “my” hands.

“This is all the intel we have on her. She posed as a soldier and went by the alias Pvt. Jo-Ann. Perhaps that’s some kind of clue.”

“I” burst out laughing. “You know she only used that name because yours is Michaels, right? She probably figured ‘one craft store reference for another’ or some shit like that. Jeez, that’s hardly a clue at all!”

Again, he did not look amused. “Just get to word, cadet,” he said.

The next scene, “I” was in “my” little room, watching security feed on several monitors and complaining about my predicament.

“Man, when they told me I’d be stationed here, I thought I’d get to see aliens, but instead they have me looking up information on this person who probably has no intention showing up here again and doesn’t even really matter in the long run. Like, I’m a typist. I can invent gadgets. But instead here I am doing useless tasks.”

The original me slumped over her desk and complained further. “How am I supposed to pick up cute girls when I leave if I never see any aliens?”

“Mavis, report your findings!” The commanding voice of Sgt. Michaels came in through the speakers of one of the monitors.

“Yeah, uh...so this ‘Jo-Ann’ person matches the same face and voice of someone who was in the CIA who went by the name ‘Velvet’, last name redacted. I should probably clarify that it said redacted in brackets, not that that was her actual last name.”

“We know what redacted means, Mavis.”

“Right. So, anyway, this ‘Velvet’ person totally just leaked some documents then bailed. Kind of a ballsy move, if we’re being honest here. Not to mention, she’s this totally cool hacker apparently and I mean, she stole a ship from here for crying out loud! That takes guts.”

“She’s an enemy of the state!”

“Which state, though? Nevada? I’m guessing this one because that’s where we’re at, but maybe she’s an enemy of Colorado? I don’t know.”

“The United States! How are you this smart, yet this dense?”

“I don’t know! Quit patronizing me!”

“Is that all you have to report?”

“Yeah. That’s all. Nothing else.”

The chat ended, and the original Mavis let out a deep sigh. “Jeez, Velvet. Why’d you have to give these guys so much grief? You’re so cool, but I guess I shouldn’t say that out loud.”

“Huh? Did you say ‘Velvet’?” A voice I didn’t recognize came in.

“Who’s there?” That Mavis demanded. “I’ve got lasers, so you better not try anything.”

Someone dropped down from the ceiling. After she stood up and dusted off her pants, I noticed: she had purple hair and wore a tuxedo paired with corduroy pants.

The lasers which normally lay dormant propped up above the monitors turned their attention to the mystery woman.

“Identify yourself.”

“Relax, I work here. Name’s Violet.”

My eyes widened as I heard that name. The same story Velvet had told me before. I was led to believe that Velvet and Violet were the same person. But that couldn’t be. There was a time where I suspected the original me might have been Violet, but no. That wasn’t it.

“How do I know you didn’t just sneak in here?”

She reached into her pocket and showed a badge. “Anyway, not like it’ll mean anything. I’m leaving this place.”

“You mean you’re resigning?”

She shook her head. “More like going MIA. But first, what was this about a ‘Velvet’ person?”

I turned away. “That’s classified information.”

“Fine enough. I just thought it was interesting because I used to date someone named Velvet back in high school. Probably not the same person, though.”

“Red head? Lanky arms?”

“Hmm...too vague. Do you got a picture.”

If it were me, I’d have found that suspicious, but then again, that person technically was me. Or someone I was based on. I watched as that Mavis handed Violet a picture.

“No way…” Violet mouthed. “That’s her all right. Why so interested, anyway?”

“Not me. Michaels. Apparently this ‘Velvet’ person broke in and stole a ship. Now everyone’s freaking out.”

“Wow. That doesn’t sound like her at all. Sounds more like something I would’ve done, actually. Or used to do.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, I used to break into buildings and stuff just for fun. Or run off places. I was a bit of a free spirit. Velvet on the other hand was more of the opposite: reserved, liked to hide herself away. Never could quite understand how I could just do such risky things. Still, I guess people change, huh?”

She put her hand on her chin. “Actually...now that I think of it, maybe she went looking for me.” She let out a bit of a laugh. “Funny thought, but if I recall, it was her first relationship and she was pretty nervous, but she seemed more serious about it than I did. I tried to warn her that I’d run off sooner or later, but she was so convinced that we’d stay together.”

“Ugh. First I don’t get to see aliens, now I have to listen to relationship drama. Not what I signed up for. Sheesh, Velvet, you sure have been pain in the ass.”

Hey! Watch it! That’s your future girlfriend you’re talking about, past me! I mean, you’re not wrong, she is a pain in the ass, but still!

“Well, if she was looking for me, guess she didn’t find me. Neither of us knew the other was there. Maybe she thinks I’m dead. If she doesn’t, maybe she should.”

“Why do you say that?”

“For starters, she probably wouldn’t like what I’ve become. I mean, joining the military? Really?”

“Well, she joined the CIA, so not like she’d have much room to judge.”

“Ha. That’s a good one. Anyway, I’d rather be thought of as a ghost than a recyclable corpse.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Trust me, you don’t wanna stick around. I’ve seen some things that you don’t wanna be a part of. You want my advice? Try to break out as well.”

“Hey!” That Mavis pointed at Violet. “You’re just trying to make me paranoid. Well, it won’t work. I’m making lots of money here and I ain’t about to throw that away.”

“What good is such a promise if you aren’t ever allowed to leave? You can never spend it, either. It’s just something to hang over your head.”

Mavis gave no reply to that. She sat in silence until she finally said one word: “Go.”

“What?” Violet looked taken aback. “You’re not going to kill me?”

“I don’t have anything to do with you.”

The clip ended there and the screen faded to black.

Dr. Geppetto let go of me and I fell onto the floor. Not only that, I was still trying to process what I saw.

“So, you see, that was the original ‘you’. If that’s how you wish to see it. Furthermore, you were not Violet, as you may have believed, and yes, Violet existed, and we knew she escaped. As for what happened to her...not important. This is about you.”

“All you’ve been doing is breaking Velvet and I down.”

“Yes! I’m helping you two realize your potential! Sometimes you must break your work to see it come to fruition. You know the saying, ‘kill your darlings’.”

“What is your end goal with this? Huh?”

She waved her stick around, as if it were a magic wand. “Simple: I want to recreate that scene. The one where you broke down and wanted to rip Velvet’s face off.”

I shook. I didn’t want to remember that moment. I wanted to block it completely from my memory.

“...That...won’t work,” I managed to say.

“Oh?” She sounded surprised.

“I’m free of that creature. It won’t happen that way. So all you’re doing is torture.”

“That’s okay! We can improvise!”

I gasped and yelled out in pain; hooks attached themselves to the skin of my arms and dug in. Attached to the hooks were strings.

“Now, while we’ve been having this nice little chat, I’ve set up an obstacle course to keep your little friend Velvet busy. So don’t worry, she’ll be totally exhausted by the time you two meet up again, so feel free to go all out!”

I had nothing more to say. No rebuttal. It wasn’t as if I was about to go along with her plan, and yet it felt like I already had. Both Velvet and I fell into her trap. Not once, but twice.

“Don’t get me wrong. I am helping you. But in order for you to become real, first I must make you a puppet.”

There was no way that things would play out the same as before, but she didn’t seem like the type who could be reasoned with. I considered a sort of prayer, to myself and myself only.

Please, Velvet. Hang in there.

Then I closed my eyes.

[proxylynn]

Underfell: File Name not Edgy Enough #24

Chapter 24: Drama

WARNING: I WANT NO RESPONSIBILITY OVER SPOILING THINGS FOR OTHERS. THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS HOW FILE NAME NOT FOUND WOULD FUNCTION IN THE AU OF UNDERFELL. BEFORE YOU READ THIS, UNLIKE THE NICE TIME OF UNDERTALE, THIS WORLD IS KILL OR BE KILLED. THIS STORY WILL BE GRAPHIC, GORY, USE SWEARS LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS, AND DEAL WITH SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE READ THE FILE NAME RELOCATED SPOOF WILL KNOW HOW I PICTURE THIS VERSION OF LYNSIE COMING TO THE UNDERGROUND. IT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT. IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING DUMB. IT IS BECAUSE SHE CHOOSES TO END HER LIFE. SO TAKE THIS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. I MADE IT BECAUSE I NEEDED TO LET SOME OF THIS EDGINESS OUT OF MYSELF. WHICH I GUESS MAKES UNDERFELL LYNSIE EVEN MORE TRUE TO WHO I REALLY AM. ANYWAY, ENJOY. ^_^

You know...I used to love darkness. It was the one element that felt the most kind to me. Now it's a different story. At this point I hate it. Nothing good comes when I'm in darkness anymore. If I'm not dreaming then I'm being used by a maniacal scientist as his personal experiment.

{What are you doing here?}

Or this crap happens.

"Seeing as I don't get a choice in these matters, I should be asking you that. So...Why am I here, Chara?"

{Go away.}

"Why so serious? You've been avoiding me like the plague."

{You've been listening to Gaster behind my back.}

I sigh.

"Are we really about to do this?"

{Do what?}

"A childish back and forth of 'how could you do this' b.s."

{I warned you not to trust him. And what do you do? You cut deals with him.}

"You've been rummaging in my head. Not very nice of you, bro."

{Don't call me bro. Family doesn't backstab family.}

"Heh...You've been dead so long you forget what humanity is like. And I didn't backstab anyone."

{Yes you did!}

"How? How does seeking aid from the best source of soul knowledge so I don't go kill-crazy backstab you or the family?"

{That's not the point! You didn't listen to me! Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?!}

Where is this coming from?

"Dude, calm down. You're a kid. A dead kid. You should be used to no one listening."

The darkness rumbles with thunder. Energy swirls around like wind or unseen water. A form begins to take shape, distinctly that of a male child. The boy is pale-skinned, has bright pink cheeks, piercing red eyes, as well as light brown hair, and dressed in a red sweater with a black stripe across the middle, black pants, and brown boots. This is Chara...at least...Chara pre-death. And oddly he's intimidating.

{I am so sick and tired of people not listening to me.}

"*scoff* Join the club, kid. You really think I ended up here because others heard what I had to say? You can't expect me to ignore help because you tell me no. It's MY soul. MY problems. And I will deal with them MY way. Not anyone else's."

The energy gets stronger. It's starting to become visible as it clashes around him.

{Not again...I won't let it happen again...}

I don't like the looks of this. But what can I do about it? It's not like I have power here.

"Look, I'm sorry if I piss you off. I have an annoying tendency to do that. It's not intentional. I..."

{I won't let you kill Asriel again!}

Confusion seems to be my normal state of mind these days. Does he actually mean me? Is he having a moment like Sans and thinks I'm Frisk? Could he even be thinking of Gaster? Or is he calling out all the other past humans to fall before me? Either way, I'm not going to get through to him. The look in those eyes of his gives me the message loud and clear. Talking is pointless. Now I'm left to do the one move I've done all my life...brace for impact.

{Not again! NEVER AGAIN!}

As expected, his rage causes the energy to lash out at me and all I can do block. Damn things cut like knives. I can't tell if bleeding is possible here but it feels like it.

"*mutter* Geez...And I thought I had issues. *grunt* No one is out to kill Asriel! Calm down!"

He doesn't say a word. Yet the energy intensifies. Hitting harder. Pushing back. Pushing me away.

"*strained* Do you think this solves anything? That lashing out at me keeps him safe? Harming me only puts him in more danger!"

Again, he's not in a mood to listen. The energy is cutting away at me more. I won't be able to take it much longer at this rate.

"*snarl* Damn it, Chara! Don't be like Toriel and put your problems on me like it's my fault!"

For only a moment there's a break in his attack and I think that maybe...just maybe...maybe he sees that this isn't the right way of handling the situation. This hope is dashed when he suddenly rushes me and grabs my shirt. The look he has. So spiteful. It breaks my guard.

{If we're really family...You won't come back here again.}

He blasts me at point-blank range and everything flashes from black, red, and then white.

"*gasp and cough*"

God, I hate this shit. Each time I wake up I feel closer to dying. Like one day, I'll open my eyes but be unable to breathe or I won't wake up at all.

"Bad dream?"

...Or I'll wake up in an unknown place with lord only knows who.

"With the wack you took, a little nightmare is the best outcome you could've gotten. Though we still can't rule out brain damage quiet yet."

I can't see anything apart from the ceiling. A brace of some sort is restraining my head. I can feel bands on my wrists and ankles. And something else...something cold.

"Hmmm...Vitals look stable. Then again, it's been a long time since I've had to human hooked to this thing. Oh well."

Great. From bad to worse.

"Not a big talker, huh? Or are you just slow to take in what's going on?"

I am in no mood for this crap.

"In any case, the short version is you're now in Hotland. No one knows you're here. And if you ever want to go home, it's best that you cooperate."

The sigh that leaves me is one oozing with boredom. I'm numb to this. I've been here too long to care.

"You're taking this oddly well, human."

"I'm in no position to care. I'm restrained in a place I don't know. You already have points on me I can't bounce back from. So why not skip the spiel and be blunt. It'll be easier on us both."

There's a scribbling noise.

"Subject is reasonable yet bitchy after having woken up."

Okay...Now I have some clue.

"You're Alphys, right?"

By the sudden startle that shakes her, she wasn't expecting me to know.

"H-H-How do you...?"

"People talk. It's not like there are others down here that know what a human is and have done things to them before. Makes for a very select list of names."

She huffs through her nose.

"Perhaps you'll be of more interest than your predecessors after all. Aside from your soul that is."

She taps on something and it makes me snarl in discomfort. No wild guess needed that it's my soul.

"You're a first. I've never seen a human soul infused with magic before. Though it is funny how it can be afflicted with something so common to growing children and you are...clearly not one."

I try to not think about that stupid issue of soul puberty.

"Yeah, well...What can do? Stuff happens."

"Lucky for you...it's a condition that is easily fixed with some stabilizing magic. You might be able to feel it. It's rather cold. Much like everything else in this world."

So that's another mystery solved. I'm basically getting the equivalent to hormone balancers. The question...Why?

"Seems a little odd."

"How so?"

"No offense, but experience has taught me that no one does something for someone else down here without there being a reason. So spill it, doc. What reason could you have for treating my condition?"

There's a sigh and a loud click before the slab I'm on begins to move, slanting me to almost stand. Now I can see the room better, the machinery, the odd patch on my exposed purple soul, and her. A slightly corpulent reptile-monster that appears smaller than she is due to slouching. She has yellow skin/scales, wears spiral-shaped glasses, a red and black striped sweater with a matching black skirt, and topped off with a classic white lab coat with a few frayed ends.

"If you must know...He insisted on you being fully healed. I swear things would be more interesting if I didn't fix you. But no...he was going to annoy the piss out of me. And frankly, I'm not in the mood to tear him apart for scrap."

He? Oh...Him.

"Ah, I see. Mettaton is a crafty guy. Must be his inner ghost."

She gives me a questionable look.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because I know his cousin and he told me."

She groans and adjusts her glasses with her middle finger.

"That information is not for the public to know. You'd be wise not to spread any rumors about it."

"*scoff* Please. If I haven't blabbed by now than I ain't blabbing ever. Besides...There's no point telling anyone anyway."

She scribbles on a pad.

"You'd be wise to keep that mentality."

I roll my eyes.

"So where is he? Dude went so far as to have his flunky give me my second bat to skull injury and drag me here, the least he could do is show himself before overly explaining some elaborate plan."

She stops writing to look at me.

"HE is getting himself and I quote 'ready to shine like the star he was born to be' end quote."

If ego was hot air that metal body of his would be floating like a parade balloon.

"But what you said makes me wonder. You've watched his shows before, haven't you?"

"Enough to notice predictable patterns. Sure, the first show is fresh. But then he repeats the same theme in every show the rest of the day. It's hard not to notice."

"Like he tries too hard and looks like a moron."

"I wouldn't say that. It's endearing that he tries when it comes to an idea he likes. Whether or not the audience likes that sort of thing is subjective. You can't please all the people all of the time. Only some people some times."

"Try none and ever. Ratings have been in the dumper. The only small increase to have happened was that time he tricked you into phoning in. Heh...I still can't believe that worked."

"I'm not heartless. I don't want to see anyone hurt or die if I can help it."

She goes back to scribbling.

"Subject is a bleeding heart idiot."

I struggle to shake my head.

"Not the first time I've heard that and it won't be the last. Yet you can't honestly tell yourself that there isn't at least one person you'd risk it all for."

She pauses. Her scribbling stops to tap the pad. But this is not a long pause before she resumes again.

"Side note...If the subject is this stupid, how has it lived this long and what does that mean for surface humans?"

I can't roll my eyes hard enough.

"So you'd do anything for that fire elemental, huh?"

This has my attention.

"It's one thing to associate with monsters. Most are ignorant of what a human is. Making it easy to blend in and not be killed. But to be romantic with a monster? And to have been so dumb as to do so in public no less? That's just begging for trouble."

My glare has her smirking.

"Be a real shame if something unfortunate were to happen to him."

"You do not want to go down this road. Not on those tires."

"You are in no position to stop me if I do."

"Trust me, doc. You don't want to make me angry. Bad things happen when I snap."

My seriousness is not taken seriously.

"I'll be sure to enjoy studying every moment of it."

I sneer daggers at her.

"Humans are such pathetic and pitiful creatures."

"And yet we won the war. Go figure."

That earns me a very nasty look.

"I think you need to learn your place, human."

"I'm strapped to a table. I think I know my place."

"Let's double-check that..."

She reaches into her pocket and suddenly I'm thrashing harshly as electricity is sent shooting into me. After the longest five seconds ever, it stops. I'm left panting through my teeth and smoking faintly.

"Seems your tolerance is stronger than expected. Still...that should be enough to remind you to behave. Right, human?"

I want to defy her. I know I can. But the situation is not favoring me. She holds the power and knows it.

"*huff* Whatever."

She smiles and heads for the doorway.

"This will be interesting. That much is sure."

The door closes behind her and I sigh. Is it wrong that I miss the days of Papyrus beating me? Fuck my life. Okay...Time to make a plan.

[Meanwhile: The Ruins]

Fear. Fear is laced on the wind. Paternal fear of a mother for her child. When Toriel's voice was met by silence alarms went off. When she found the doors open when last she had shut them panic sank in. Her child's belongings were left behind, including the flower called brother. And one look at the snow beyond the door only added to her worry. The pristine snow was a disheveled mess. Footprints. In every and all direction. The worst part is the snowfall beginning to fill in the indents.

Searching.

Screaming.

Scanning for any clues as to where her child was. Yet she was lost. Second-guessing which set of tracks were the human's and uncertain if the ones she first picked were indeed the right ones. Scrambling, she picked another set and stuck to it. Swerving and swiveling through trees like dogs along a pole line. These tracks seemed hopeful enough. Stretching further into the distance than previous sets. At the rate she was headed, she would find herself in town and the location of the child would then follow suit. Just a little more. Just a bit further and then the real path shall be clear.

Yet...Why were the trees still constant?

The environment the same?

Where was this going?

...

The bridge.

These tracks made her head back towards home. Never faltering as they beelined for the bottomless pit. No deviation. No hesitation. Just clear forward motion to death. Her heart stopped. Everything stopped. She just stood there. Staring into the abyss. Contemplating just how deep or where it led. Could the human...did she...was this her fate? No...NO! There...There had to be a way to check. The...Oh! The phone! If she was in that pit or not, the ringing of that simple phone will provide her with answers.

[RING...]

She held that object muffled in her paws. Listening to the wind and anything at all.

But there was nothing. Simply the sound of snow landing on the world.

This...gave her hope. Hope touched the monster's soul for the first time in ages. Yet this begged the real question...Where is she? Perhaps some aid to this situation will be necessary. Seems like a visit to the town is in order.

[A cold walk later]

The hour is late. No one is out and about. Except for one. One that has very limited options at her disposal. In all their talks and jokes, Toriel never learned what Sans's house looked like. With a nervous lump in her throat, she approaches the bar and trembles as she knocks on the door of the obviously closed establishment. As one would guess there is no response. So she continues to knock, pressing with her urgency. After about five minutes of the most polite pounding on a door ever, a faint light approaches.

"*grumble* We're closed. Can't you read the sign?"

She ignores the annoyance due to the situation.

"Please, I need your help."

There's a pause. The door clambers open enough to show part of Grillby's face.

"M-Mrs. Dreemurr?"

"Forgive my rudeness. But I must speak to you about Lynsie."

"I didn't mean for it to be so big! It's just a hickey! I didn't hurt her, I swear!"

His defensive words confuse her and this makes the panicked man of flame become shamefully aware.

"You didn't know about that...Did you?"

Her eyes squint in judgmental frustration.

"I did not."

A small snort of steam comes out of her snout. Grillby, feeling like shit is going to end badly, slams the door in fear. Her own fear, overwriting her motherly rage, has her pounding on the door.

"Open this door!"

"I don't want to die!"

"Please! My daughter is missing!"

"...What?"

He opens the door fully now, knowing well the former queen would not lie about such a thing.

"She's missing?"

"Yes. I can not find her. Only footprints from many bodies."

She is surprised by the real concern coming to Grillby's face. He is quick to go for his phone but she shakes her head.

"I have already tried. She does not respond."

"Hmmm...This is sounding like an abduction. Has there been any notice left for you? A note? A call?"

She mopes.

"No. Nothing. I was hoping you might have a clue. Was there anything odd you noticed on your way home?"

He shakes his head.

"Unfortunately, no."

Her heart sinks. Seeing this has Grillby goes into support mode.

"Don't lose hope. We don't have much left. You know her better than I. She's prone to getting into trouble. But you know what?"

"What?"

"I know someone that can help. Just...Let me bundle up. If you can imagine, the cold and I..."

"Understood."

Grillby shuts the door and Toriel waits outside.

[Elsewhere: the Ruins]

"Ugh...my head..."

A dazed and delirious Flowey stirs in the dark confines of a bag. Unzipping a pack from the inside is bad enough, but doing so with leaves for hands is fucking ridiculous. And while hungover to boot. After some time, mixed with muffled swearing, the great escape is complete! The flower is free! Yet...Something is amiss. The bag he was contained in was not in the bedroom as he would have expected and the doors leading outside are wide open. This isn't right. It is time to ditch the pot and sink his roots into the ground to do some stealthy investigating. Covert flower style.

[Meanwhile: in Snowdin]

"Are you certain we will not be bothering them at such a late hour?"

"Don't worry about that, Mrs. Dreemurr. It's part of their job to deal with stuff like this. Plus, you're the Queen and they are in charge of looking after her. If they don't want to go through hell, they'll help."

"I hope so."

Grillby guilds Toriel the out of place house on the edge of town. Of course, they lived in a place like this. Why she expected different she didn't know. The curtains were closed yet glowed with the light of activity still going on inside. Muffled chuckling could be heard behind the walls. She recognized it easily...Sans.

"Sounds like someone's having a good time."

"Is it normal for others to be up still at such an hour?"

"Depends."

"Depends?"

"You know. Reasons. Some can't get these kinds of moments during day hours. Others just can't fall asleep all that well. Him? I think his reason is therapeutic. Ending the day on a laugh to forget all the bad stuff. But that's just my guess."

She pouts as he knocks on the door. Sans's puns when behind the Ruins exit were always on the borderline of being sad, she never thought much of it other than guessing the outside was just terrible. Now, learning more and more, she couldn't dismiss it as easily as before. But such thoughts are broken with the movement of the curtain and door opening seconds later to show the confused skeleton.

"what happened?"

Even with no word said, Sans is smart enough to know that their being here means nothing good.

"She's gone."

Sans's sockets widen.

"...get inside."

Further goading wasn't needed and once inside the door was locked much to the former queen's concern.

"now what do ya mean she's gone?"

"Not getting Papyrus? You know how he gets."

Sans sighs.

"fine...hey, pap! get your ass down here!"

A loud thud bangs the inside of a door upstairs.

"*MUFFLED* I TOLD YOU NOT TO BUG ME!"

"the queen's here! the human's gone!"

Rampant scuffling rushes to a door that is flung wildly open.

"SHE'S WHAT?!"

Toriel fiddles with her fingers.

"My child is missing. I believe someone has taken her."

Now in serious guard mode, Papyrus joins the group.

"ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT SOMEONE HAD THE GALL TO COMIT SUCH A BRAZEN ACT IN MY TERRITORY?!"

"what clues do you have that she didn't just pull a stupid stunt like last time?"

She swallows dryly.

"There were tracks. Lots of them. All scattered about the snow that were not there before. It looked like some person or persons were trying to make it as difficult as possible to distinguish what track lead where."

Papyrus growls lowly.

"SANS, CONFIRM THIS AND SEARCH FOR ANYTHING SHE MIGHT HAVE OVERLOOKED."

Sans nods and teleports out.

"Overlooked? I searched those woods for what felt like ages. I overlooked nothing."

"DO NOT TAKE IT AS AN INSULT. IN SITUATIONS OF PANIC, IT IS EASY TO MISS DETAILS. I AM MERELY CHECKING FOR THE BEST RESULTS. AND, AS LAZY AS MY BROTHER IS, HE HAS SHARP EYES. IF SOMETHING IS AMISS, HE WILL FIND IT."

"Awww..."

Grillby smirks.

"You actually complimented him. Shame he wasn't here to hear it."

Papyrus folds his arms and glares at the elemental.

"AND YOU'RE HERE, WHY?"

Grillby copies his pose except his expression is that of cocky smugness.

"I think any monster worth their dust would be man enough to care about what's happened to their girlfriend. Don't you?"

Papyrus opens his mouth to say a condescending remark but then doesn't due to his mind registering what was just said and putting things together now that it's clear.

"YOU...YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE HAVING THE INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ENEMY!"

"If you want to put it that way, yes."

"YOU'RE SICK."

"And loving it. What's your point?"

A weird energy could be felt between them as if they had something to say yet weren't, and it was making Toriel feel rather uncomfortable. Though part of her was miffed at Grillby for being too blatant about being with her daughter while she is present.

"YOU KNOW NOTHING GOOD WILL COME FROM MAKING YOURSELF SO VULNERABLE."

Of all the things Papyrus could've said, no one saw that coming. Yet Grillby takes it well.

"I've been spurned before. If it happens again, it won't sting so much."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT."

This had the flaming man sneer and bite his tongue, holding back words that weren't ready to be said at this moment. Papyrus turns his attention to Toriel and she flinches.

"I NEED YOU TO TELL ME EVERYTHING."

She nods.

"Understood."

[Elsewhere: Snowdin forest]

The old lady wasn't kidding. The path outside of the Ruins looked like the frenzy made on kids the last day of school. The only difference was these tracks were randomly deliberate. Whoever made these wanted them to be seen. Not a thing normal folk do around here unless goading others into a trap. Following them would be pointless. They likely only go where they wanted them to go and covered up the real tracks. Bastard smugglers. They know what they're doing. Though someone was a little sloppy. A few stray drops of blood dot the tread of a couple of tracks. Who told them about a human being down here?

[RING]

Must be Papyrus. Maybe Toriel shared something helpful.

"sup."

"WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND SO FAR?"

Guess she didn't say much.

"not a lot. but from what's here, it looks like the work of the body snatchers."

"IN SNOWDIN? ARE YOU POSITIVE?"

Why would he not be?

"it's like the reports undyne briefed us on. a group goes about making distractions and cleans up the evidence made by the single soul doing the dirty work."

As if life down here isn't hard enough.

"ANY LEADS?"

Sans looks back towards the Ruins.

"her boot tread doesn't go past the exit door all that much and i found a few stray drops of blood. my guess is they laid her ass out with a sneak attack then carried her off. such active numbers couldn't have just got here all at once or it would be too noticeable."

"YES, IT'S POSSIBLE THEY WENT THERE ONE AT A TIME THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND HID TILL THE TIME WAS RIGHT."

"bet it helped that this was our worse day."

"TRUE. THESE PRICKS ARE CLEVER."

Is it really clever to take advantage of a missing worker and one too distracted to pay attention?

"don't praise them just yet. i might have an idea of where they come from."

"REALLY?"

"yeah. some moron decided to wear mtt brand shoes. you know? the expensive ones that have his likeness on the bottom."

"HMMM...MTT BRAND ITEMS AREN'T COMMON OUTSIDE OF HOTLAND. THERE'S NOT A LOT OF JOBS IN THE OTHER ZONES TO MAKE GOLD FROM."

"yeah. so either someone saved up for ages or we're looking at scum from hotland."

"YOU DON'T SUPPOSE ALPHYS IS INVOLVED?"

"Then what are you doing with the human? Because, frankly, it should've been sent to my lab by now."

"wouldn't surprise me. bitch knows about the human. and i've had the feeling she's been behind most of the reported disappearances. but you know undyne would never question it. thirsty fish bitch."

"IF TRUE, THEN THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET VERY DIFFICULT."

"so...they told ya anything?"

"BOTH OF THEM REPORT NOTHING UNUSUAL LEADING UP TO THE HUMAN'S ABDUCTION. THOUGH THE QUEEN MENTIONED THE GIRL RECEIVING A PHONE CALL BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED."

"a phone call?"

"THE QUEEN ALSO NOTES SHE HAS SEEN AN UNKNOWN NUMBER POP UP IN THE HUMAN'S PHONE. WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW ABOUT THIS?"

"can't say i do. it's not like she told me about..."

"Hell, you used Mettaton for that tile puzzle. The guy's been obsessive ever since seeing her. He hasn't stopped talking about being so close to the human since he came back from Snowdin Forest."

"It was Mettaton! He traced my phone number from the other night."

"It's Mettaton. He called me again. And you know that he knows what I am."

"*soft* BUT DID I JUST HEAR THAT SOMEONE IS LAYING THEIR NASTY HANDS ON MY HUMAN?"

The realization hits Sans like a brick to the skull.

"...*whisper* oh shit."

A faint ringing can be heard.

"HOLD ON. SOMETHING'S HAPPENING."

The soft voice of Toriel answers a random call, possibly from the kidnappers. But her worried tone quickly turns to excited hope and the word child is heard.

"COME HOME, SANS. YOU'LL BE NEEDED FOR RECOVERY EXTRACTION."

"got it. be there in a sec."

He hangs up and sighs. This was worse than he figured if Mettaton was indeed the culprit. Damn machine was the reason for a RESET on what was a peaceful timeline. Well, at least there are some things he can count on when it came to the human. The girl was no damsel in distress. He just hoped nothing triggered her soul to turn black. He teleports back home completely unaware of the flower spying on him the entire time and intends to follow to find out more.

[HOTLAND LAB: around the same time]

Alphys has left me alone for a good long time now. Letting me assess my surroundings and bonds. They're tight. While one of my wrists is slightly loose. It's a trap. A ploy. She wants me to try. To make an escape attempt. I can do it. The issue is what happens when I do. Probability is not on my side. A scientist of unknown IQ has my on their turf and has who knows what in the line of traps lined up for prey that it has studied for years. Mines. Turrets. Lasers. Gas. Flamethrowers. Swinging blades. Spike pits. Razor wire. Possibility is limitless. Yet the possibilities only worsen if I remain here. I hate double edge swords. Damned if do and don't. Argh...Fuck my life.

"*wince*"

Yanking my wrist through the restraint brings back memories of the skeleton's shed. Seems like this is my role in life. Getting taken and escape. So annoying. At least that damn thing didn't dislocate. I need to keep quiet. Though it's kinda pointless. I'm more than likely being monitored in some way. Still, my odds are better if I adhere to being paranoid and ninja my ass through this place. Belt restraints are effective but old fashioned and flawed, easy to get out of if you have a free hand. I'm free in less than a minute and rips the patch off. Medical or not, I don't like my soul being out. It makes this already messed up thing even more messed up. If my paranoia and overthinking brain are on point, then the door is most likely unlocked. There's probably even a set path I'll be forced on too. Drive the cattle to the slaughter, or so they say.

A light touch on the door has it open to a dimly lit hall. Totally giving off horror movie vibes. The air has a faint stale scent, this area most likely hasn't been active in a long time. The darkness makes the hall look exceptionally long. But down it I must travel and travel I do. My steps echo like I'm walking in an empty school. Giving me unease. Like, at any second, someone or something will pop out. I haven't felt so skittish since my middle school days dodging campus security to cut class and leave the building. I'm too on edge. A slight humming isn't helping my equilibrium either. Did she set up some sort of audio mind scrambler? Am I overthinking shit? It's a 50/50% on either at this point. So I change tactics. I run. If something happens it'll at least happen quickly.

Yet...I don't seem to be going anywhere. I pass countless doors without turning a corner. I must be going deeper into insanity or something isn't normal about it. It's almost like it's...

"Son of a whore!"

I stop and grab onto the edge of a door frame. Only for the floor and walls to pull me in two directions.

"A möbius strip? No...A treadmill. Very sneaky either way. Almost didn't catch on if it weren't for that humming getting louder when I ran. Heh...Willing to bet the motor is basic and can't push past its standard limits. Which means..."

I start running backward, the hum grinding loudly as momentum builds before stopping and allowing the convener to drag me in the direction I was headed before.

"You can't correct the way it moves until it slows down to the bare minimum speed."

I ride the out of control road up to where a door, unlike the rest, becomes noticeable, this thing has a knob. Flinging it open and jumping out saves me from that dumb endless hall. One annoying trap beat. Who knows how many more to go. At least this area looks normal enough. It's open, much like a normal living space, but it's not that exactly. The interior is faint red. There are two floors, the ground floor is what looks like a workplace and the second floor is a more personal space. I'm on the second floor.

"The hell...?"

The door behind me shuts itself, sealing to blend with the wall and its knob covered by a decorative mask of an angry looking cat-girl. Everything up here seems out of place and clearly belongs in some oddball bedroom. Beside me are five fully stocked bookcases containing all sorts of things. Alphys's obsessions and hobbies, comics, anime figures, an ice cream machine, unopened letters, etc. litter her room. It's honestly very creepy. Especially the wall posters of that same angry cat-girl that have eyes that follow you. I bumpy slide down the escalator handrail, not trusting the walkway to not be a trap, and feel instant unease once my feet touch the tile floor. On the ground floor, there is a large screen that's probably been used to monitor me, a fridge with a supply of instant noodles, a messy desk with her computer surrounded by odd instruments, and a washroom. This place is creepy. Where's the exit?

*RUMBLE*

The building shakes faintly though the sound was rather loud.

*RUMBLE*

It feels like it's moving...closer?

*RUMBLE*

*RUMBLE*

*RUMBLE*

*RUMBLE*

"The hell is going on?"

The lights suddenly go out. All is very still. Till...something explodes and sends into what I guess is a wall.

"SURPRISE!"

The lights come back on and reveal Mettaton, who is now posing after bursting through a different wall.

"SUCH A FABULOUS AND RANDOM ENTRANCE. DON'T YOU THINK SO, DARLING? HUH...DARLING?"

I am less than happy shoving rubble off of me.

"Unnecessary and overly flashy. Yep...That's a Mettaton entrance alright."

"TOO MUCH?"

I dust myself off.

"Just a tad. Though, I'll give you points for it being memorable."

"BUT IF GIVEN THE CHANCE TO RATE IT?"

"Um...7 out of 10."

"HMMM...NOTE TO SELF, NEXT TIME ADD FIREWORKS AND LASERS."

Is it cute that he's trying to be cool?

"So...Is being whacked with a bat your way of saying I was taking too long to get here? Or is that how you treat all your fans?"

His screen flashes.

"OH! NO. THAT WAS MORE OF AN IMPROVISATION ON BURGERPANTS'S PART. I DO HOPE YOU CAN OVERLOOK MY POOR JUDGEMENT IN HIS COMPETENCE."

I rub my head.

"I'll give you a pass this time. Mainly because I'm thick-skulled. But no more headshots. It sucks being unconscious so often."

"FAIR ENOUGH, DEAR."

"Well, you got me here. Caused a little trouble maybe? So now what? What does a bot like you want from little ol' me?"

"OH, DARLING...WHERE TO BEGIN?"

He rolls over to me and my creep vibes are tingling. Especially when two of his four hands start posing my arms and the other two cup my face.

"AMAZING. I'M ACTUALLY IN THE PRESENCE OF A REAL LIVING HUMAN. I'VE HEARD STORIES AND SEEN FOOTAGE, BUT I NEVER THOUGHT I'D EVER GET...TO TOUCH...YOU."

What the...? Why is he saying that in such a captivating tone of voice? And why is it making feel like a dumb cliché girl? I thought Alphys fixed my soul's emotional sensitivity? I shake it off. Now's not the time for this.

"Getting a bit handsy don't you think?"

I usually save that joke when talking about Gaster, but this fits the situation too. His screen blanks for a moment at my playful voice, though I feel stupid on the inside, before flickering randomly and he lets me go.

"MY APOLOGIES. I LET MY EXCITEMENT GET THE BETTER OF ME. PLEASE...FORGIVE MY ILL BEHAVIOR."

It's so hard to get a read on him. His TV self and off-camera self are like night and day. I don't know if I can drop my guard around him just yet. This isn't normal. I'm out of my element and still dealing with lots of unknowns. Better to play safe than end up sorry...or dead. I sigh and clap my hands.

"Be kind, let's rewind."

A "?" appears on his screen while I offer my hand to him.

"Howdy, Mettaton. It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Lynsie."

He's confused, that much is certain. Though it's short-lived as he swoons dramatically and falls into my arms. Dear lord! He's heavy! Must be the junk needed to work those four arms.

"MY GOODNESS. AFTER BEING TREATED SO RUDELY, YOU CHARM ME WITH A SIMPLE GREETING? OH, WHAT MARVELOUS CHEMISTRY! I KNEW YOU'D BE PERFECT FOR THIS."

I knew there was something sketchy. I drop him.

"Once again, I encounter the creature known as selfish d-bag. I'm going home."

Not sure where the exit is but I walk away from him anyway. He, of course, scrambles to get us and zips in front to block my path.

"NO, NO, NO, DARLING. YOU HAVE IT ALL WRONG. PLEASE DON'T BE SO HASTY TO LEAVE."

"Then to prevent my irritated departure you must answer me these questions three. Doing so truthfully will have you see me remaining here with thee. But...if deception is sensed, then you shall be cast into the Gorge of Eternal Peril. But since it's under renovations, I'll resort to smacking you instead."

God, I'm a nerd. Like he, or anyone else down here, knows Monty Python and the Holy Grail. However, the idea of a game seems to excite him.

"A Q&A? OH, DARLING, DO ASK AWAY. MY ANSWERS WILL SURELY BE THE STUFF YOU LONG TO HEAR."

I hold up a finger.

"First question...What are your plans for me since you have me here?"

His top set of hands twiddles their fingers while the bottom hands move as one does when dramatically speaking creatively.

"MY PLANS? OH, NOTHING MUCH REALLY."

I cock my eyes.

"Mind telling me what exactly what that is?"

"DO YOU WANT THAT TO BE YOUR SECOND QUESTION?"

I sneer.

"No. But you're not doing this right."

"HOW SO?"

"While you technically answered the question, you did so in the laziest and non-informative way."

"VERY WELL. I SHALL BE MORE INFORMATIVE WITH MY NEXT ANSWER."

"Thank you."

A second finger is put out.

"Second question...Nothing weird happened while I was unconscious, right?"

"*GASP* DARLING! THAT IS VULGAR OF THE HIGHEST DEGREE! WHILE I SHALL ADMIT..."

His hands cup my face and hold my shoulders.

"SEEING SUCH A HAPLESS FLOWER LIKE YOURSELF BE BROUGHT HERE. HURT AND UNRESPONSIVE. A LESSER MONSTER WOULD BE TEMPTED TO DO ALL SORTS OF THINGS. FORBIN THINGS. ANYTHING WOULD BE ON THE TABLE. LIMITED ONLY BY IMAGINATION..."

His voice is different. Completely monotone. All too personal. A shiver trembles down my neck. He lets the hands drop from my face but not the shoulders.

"BUT I AM NOT LIKE THOSE WEAKLINGS. I KNOW BETTER THAN TO PLUCK A FLOWER BEFORE IT BLOSSOMS. AND OURS IS ONE THAT IS JUST STARTING TO BUD."

I hate so much right now.

"DARLING?"

"Too much info."

"WELL, YOU DID ASK FOR MORE."

"Then...*sigh*...Never mind."

"AND YOUR THIRD QUESTION?"

My third? Oh! Oh shit!

"Yeah, my third question...Did you or your goon bother to inform Toriel of this impromptu adventure/kidnapping in a way that won't result in property damage/loss of life?"

"WELL..."

Big red flag warning! Fuck being nice! serious time!

"Where's my phone?"

"HUH?"

"I know it's not on me. Do you think I can't tell if there's suddenly no weight in my baggy pockets? Now if you want to escape death at her hands or mine, please...Hand it over."

He throws his hands up.

"DARLING I DON'T..."

*Bang*

He is surprised by the sudden strike.

"Don't make me do that again. Now, please, give me my phone."

"I PROMISE, DARLING, I DON'T HAVE IT."

I want to hit him again, but my throbbing hand is screaming. Change of plans.

"Give me your phone."

"W-WHAT? WHY?"

"Don't make me break my hand in repeating myself."

He rumbles and a phone shoots out of a port on his side.

"YOU ARE SCARY WHEN SERIOUS. HERE."

"Thank you."

I reach for it and he pulls back.

"AH AH AH. FIRST, A LITTLE PROMISE. YOU CAN USE THIS, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING FOR ME."

I growl in building annoyance.

"WELL? THE CLOCK IS TICKING."

I don't have time for this crap.

"...Fine."

He giggles and hands it to me. I scroll through his past calls. My number appears under some others all marked as SLAVE #...I guess he fits in down here more than I thought. Metal boss from hell. My phone could be with any of the goons so I thank my lucky stars that Toriel's number is burned into my head. Time to brace for impact.

[Snowdin: Skeleton House in present time]

Sans returns home in the kitchen, needing a drink to replenish his magic if he's to teleport any more tonight. He steps into the room to see the other three all trying to listen to the small phone at once. Guessing they are too focused to remember phones have an intercom function.

"Child where are you? Are you hurt?"

"A little sore, but otherwise okay."

Oh...never mind then. They're just being weird.

"As for the where I assume this is the Lab in Hotland. *muffled* There are no other labs in the Underground, right?"

"*faint* THAT'S CORRECT, DARLING."

The electronic voice is recognized by all except Toriel.

"Young one, who is that with you?"

"Would you believe a robotic TV star?"

"*faint* OH, DARLING, YOU FLATTER ME."

"Make that a robotic TV star with an ego bigger than Papyrus's."

"FUCK YOU, HUMAN."

Papyrus interrupts.

"Oh wow. I expected this but had my doubts Nanny would actually do it. Who else is there?"

"You had us worried, pussycat."

There's a pause.

"Don't tell me you thought he took me?"

Toriel laughs nervously.

"*groan* Mom..."

"ENOUGH WITH THE CHIT CHAT. ARE YOU ABLE TO LEAVE ON YOUR OWN OR NOT?"

"Hmmm...As far as I know, I'm able to go. But I have to do something for Mettaton first."

"Why?"

"I had to promise to do a favor to use his phone. Mine might be in the hands of some goon."

"What is it you have to do?"

"That's a good question. *muffled* Yo, what's this thing I have to do?"

"*faint* NOTHING TOO DIFFICULT. I JUST NEED YOU TO BE YOURSELF FOR THE NEXT...OH...LET'S SAY TWO HOURS."

"*muffled* What?"

"*faint* I THINK IT WOULD BE EASIER TO UNDERSTAND IF YOU TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO TURN ON THE TELEVISION."

The mood shifts ominously.

"*muffled* You can't mean what I think you mean."

"*faint* GO ON. TELL THEM."

"Uh...Turn on the TV?"

Sans grabbed the remote before the other could scramble and with a heavy feeling in his soul hits the on the button. The screen comes alive to a timer counting down. The caption above reading "Live Once In a Lifetime Event Special". The timer has less than five minutes remaining. Panic strikes. Papyrus steals the phone.

"GET OUT OF THERE, HUMAN!"

"Okay, ow, my ears are bleeding."

Grillby snatches the phone.

"Lynsie, you need to get out of there. You're being set up to appear on TV."

The next sound the group hears is the phone clattering to the floor and sprinting feet hitting tile flooring. Other sounds can be heard. Mechanical and aggressive sounds. Then...the line goes dead.

"SANS, GO GET..."

"i can't."

"What? Why not?"

"all she said was she's at the lab. do you know how big that place is? i need to know exactly where or i'm just wasting magic."

"But, Sans, you promised me you would..."

"i know tori, i ain't forgetting it. i don't want her exposed to the underground either. trust me on that. but i can't just poof to a secured building. alphys is probably expecting interference. and trust me, it's not a good thing to just pop in with no quick plan to get out."

Suddenly the TV begins beeping. The timer clocking down the remaining ten seconds. And all they could do was watch and wait. At the timer's end, the screen darkens to black before a flashy title screen appears while glam-rock plays. The image then cuts to live footage in a weird game show looking room and then...

"GREETINGS ALL YOU BITCHES AND BASTARDS. WELCOME TO A VERY SPECIAL EVENING OF ENTERTAINMENT. TO START THINGS OFF...A QUIZ SHOW!"

Mettaton flamboyantly parades around.

"BUT WAIT. WHAT MAKES THIS SPECIAL THAT IT WARRANTS LIVE BROADCASTING? WELL, YOU INGRATES, IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE A GUEST THAT'S GOING TO BE WORTH WATCHING. ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE OUR LEADING LADY...THE ONE THE ONLY..."

The camera jumps to a stand where a spotlight illuminates onto the bound and gagged human. Arms restrained behind her back and ankles cuffed to the floor.

"THE HUMAN!"

Her glare is full of rage and the beastly noises escaping the gag as she trashes in the binds make her look as dangerous as the humans of old.

"THAT'S RIGHT, A REAL LIVING HUMAN. YOU MIGHT BE QUESTIONING THE AUTHENTICITY OF THIS CLAIM. YET I ASSURE YOU, SHE IS THE REAL DEAL."

One of his hands stretches out towards her. She recoils from the grasping appendage but she can't move from the metal hand that proceeds to taser at the chest. The pain makes her screech and her light blue soul briefly emerges. Upon seeing the heart, Mettaton stops the attack.

"AS YOU CAN SEE, HER SOUL IS CLEARLY THAT OF A HUMAN'S. SHE IS 100% HUMAN AND NOT CGI OR SOMEONE IN CUSTOM. FOR NOT EVEN THE GREATEST ACTOR OR SPECIAL EFFECTS CAN MAKE A HUMAN SOUL. AND DEFINITELY NOT ONE SO LOVELY."

The assaulting hand tease touches where the soul came from and the human cringes. Though she's not the only one. Toriel is appalled and Grillby is fuming.

"OH BOY! I CAN ALREADY TELL IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT SHOW! EVERYONE GIVE A BIG HAND FOR OUR WONDERFUL CONTESTANT!"

All four of his hands clap as he moves over to podium across from her.

"I TAKE IT YOU'VE NEVER PLAYED BEFORE, GORGEOUS?"

She huffs loudly through her nose.

"NO PROBLEM! IT'S SIMPLE! THERE'S ONLY ONE RULE. ANSWER CORRECTLY...OR YOU DIE!"

Mettaton laughs evilly yet the human rolls her eyes. The others look to Sans again.

"don't look at me. i have no clue where that room is."

Their attention goes back to the screen as the Fair Fight Field actives as if they were in battle.

[METAL CRUSHER begins to play in the background.]

[Mettaton attacks!]

"YOUR MOVE, DARLING. YOU GET ONE FREE TURN BEFORE WE START."

The girl weighs her limited options.

[FIGHT]

[ACT]

[̴͝SP͜͞E͡L̵͜L͟͠͏]͘͢

[ITEM]

[MERCY]

Her confusion is warranted. An unknown option could lead to bad things.

[ACT selected.]

[New options available.]

[CHECK]

[CRY]

She huffs and makes a choice.

[CHECK selected.]

[Mettaton – HP: 9999 ATK: 300 DEF: 999 – His metal body renders him invulnerable to attack.]

Her eyes nearly bug out of her head.

"NOT A BAD FIRST MOVE, DEAR. IT'S NEVER BAD TO CHECK ME OUT."

A screen mounted behind him blinks on.

"LET'S START WITH AN EASY ONE!"

A question appears on the screen.

[What's the prize for answering correctly?]

A) Money

B) Death

C) Freedom

D) More questions

Four buttons pop up on her stand.

"CHOOSE CORRECTLY OR BE MET WITH TERRIBLE PAIN."

The look she has is one filled with hate. Yet she complies and presses the D button with her chin. A pleasant fanfare goes off.

"RIGHT! SOUNDS LIKE YOU GET IT! HERE'S YOUR TERRIFIC PRIZE!"

Her turn is skipped due and the screen puts up another question.

"What sort of crap is this?"

Grillby interjects.

"Her turn was skipped. How is that even possible?"

Toriel ponders.

"leave it to that quack to figure out a way to break the rules."

Sans says between drinks.

[What's the king's full name?]

A) Lord Deathbeard

B) Killer Killington

C) Asgore Dreemurr

D) Krampus

The human quickly presses the C button and the fanfare goes off again.

"CORRECT! WHAT A TERRIFIC ANSWER! ARE YOU SURE YOU'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE?"

She nods.

"ENOUGH ABOUT YOU. LET'S TALK ABOUT ME!"

She groans as the screen brings up another question.

[What are robots made of?]

A) Hopes&Dreams

B) Metal&Magic

C) Blood&Guts

D) Hate&Spite

She pops her neck and presses the B button. Once more the fanfare plays. This time Mettaton gets some attitude.

"TOO EASY FOR YOU, HUH?"

She shrugs.

"WELL THEN...HERE'S ANOTHER EASY ONE FOR YOU "

[Two trains, Train A, and Train B, simultaneously depart Station A and Station B. Station A, and Station B are 252.5 miles apart from each other. Train A is moving at 124.7mph towards Station B, and Train B is moving at 253.5mph towards Station A. If both trains departed at 10:00 AM and it is now 10:08, how much longer until both trains pass each other?]

A) 31.054 minutes

B) 16.232 minutes

C) 32.049 minutes

D) 32.058 minutes

She's hesitant now. Her eyes hold uncertainty.

"Oh no..."

Toriel mutters.

"We have yet to go over such math lessons."

"THEN SHE BETTER BE A GOOD GUESSER."

The human's eyes dart from button to button. She has no clue. She picks one at random...A. A buzzer goes off.

"WRONG! WRONG! WROOOOOOOONG!"

Mettaton points at her and fires a laser blast into her left shoulder. If it weren't for the gag her cries would be excruciating.

[HP ██████████████████████████ 26/36]

She pants, biting the gag to brace some of the pain.

Toriel is understandably horrified and Grillby is worried. Though Sans and Papyrus are impressed.

"SHE'S GOTTEN TOUGHER."

"the is no pushover. the tin can is gonna learn that the hard way."

"SORRY, DARLING. BUT THE CORRECT ANSWER WAS D. MAYBE YOU'LL HAVE BETTER LUCK WITH THE NEXT QUESTION. THEN AGAIN...DON'T 'COUNT' ON YOUR VICTORY."

The next question pops up.

[How many eyes are in this jar?]

An image appears for a split second.

A) 54

B) 53

C) 55

D) 52

Not given much time to study the image, she once more has to guess.

"What kind of game is this? She is not being given a fair play."

Toriel complains.

"ACTUALLY, AS WRONG AS IT LOOKS, HE IS FOLLOWING THE LAW."

Papyrus corrects.

"You must be joking."

"he's not. one of the laws enforced after you left the king was to stop humans at all costs while giving them some form of a chance. the tin can is giving her multiple choices and only inflicting minimal damage. if he wanted to, he could just off her right there."

Explains Sans.

"As much as I don't like it, it makes sense. With one soul remaining to break the barrier extremes are bound to be made to get it. For what is the life of one human when held next to the entire Underground?"

Grillby comments and Toriel frowns. Even she sees the point in that. But that does mean she likes it.

The human contemplates her choices and seems to do a mental coin flip before pressing the D button. This time, the buzzer sounds.

"COMPLETELY UTTERLY WRONG!"

Mettaton blasts her again in the right shoulder and her roar is bloodcurdling.

[HP ████████████████ 16/36]

The bloody gaping holes in her shoulders make her slump over against the stand. She won't last much longer if this keeps up.

"THE CORRECT ANSWER WAS A. YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRY HARDER FROM HERE ON."

An annoyed groan was her reply.

"HMMM...MAYBE YOU NEED SOMETHING ELSE. LET'S PLAY A MEMORY GAME."

The screen produces a new question and image.

[What monster is this?]

The monster shown is half of a Froggit's face.

A) Froggit

B) Whimsun

C) Moldsmal

D) Mettaton

This one seems like a no-brainer yet the human seems unsure. Mostly because blood loss makes it hard to think.

"WHY IS SHE HESITATING? THE ANSWER IS CLEARLY A."

Papyrus bitches.

"Really? You think it's that easy?"

Grillby retorts.

"THEN WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS?"

"I'm surprised you do see it. It's obviously D."

"BULL CRAP. I BET YOU 10G IT'S A."

"Fine. Just don't be upset when you're wrong."

After thinking long and hard about the question, the human presses the D button. The fanfare plays.

"I'M SO FLATTERED YOU REMEMBERED! LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE WHOLE IMAGE."

The picture unfolds to reveal Mettaton wearing a shirt with a Froggit's face on it.

Papyrus's jaw clenches as Grillby folds his hands behind his head with a smug attitude.

"You need to listen to pussycat more often. She did say he had an ego bigger than yours."

"FUCK YOU."

"Just pay me by week's end."

Papyrus grumbles while turning back to the TV.

"YOU'VE BEEN ON A ROLL SO FAR. BUT CAN YOU GET THIS ONE?"

The screen brings up a new and rather odd question.

[Would you smooch a ghost?]

A) Heck Yeah

B) Heck Yeah

C) Heck Yeah

D) Heck Yeah

The human and the watching group all share the say "what the fuck" look.

"GO ON. CONSIDER THIS AN ACT OF MERCY."

She sneers and reluctantly presses the B button. With no wrong choice to make, the fanfare plays.

"GREAT ANSWER! I LOVE IT!"

A steaming Grillby hates it.

"HERE'S A SIMPLE ONE."

The screen pops up the next question.

[How many letters in the name Mettaton?]

A) 11

B) 6

C) 8

D) 10

A relatively easy question except for the number of Ns at the name's end increases and eventually goes out of the screen with the numbers in the answers increasing accordingly.

"How in the world do you answer that?"

Toriel puzzles.

"it's c."

Sans says softly to the confusion of the others.

"for a second, the real numbers were there. c had eight, which is the right answer regardless of the increasing."

"Here's hoping she saw that too."

Says Grillby while adjusting his glasses.

The human is beginning to look paler than normal. The strain on her body and mind making things difficult. She wearily presses the C button, mainly due to landing on it after a slight dizzy spell, and the fanfare plays.

"OF COURSE THAT WAS EASY FOR YOU!"

She grunts against the stand, pushing herself to keep going even as her body wants her to stop.

"Come on, pussycat. You can hold out just a bit longer."

Grillby says to himself before flinching at the feel of Toriel's hand holding his. She gives him a motherly smile and it helps calm his nerves for now.

"YOU'LL BE SURE TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS ONE!"

The screen pops up another random question.

[What's a pretzel's favorite color?]

A) Black

B) Yellow

C) Red

D) Dusk

This had to be one of the odder questions to be done though tame. The human wastes no time picking a button. Either to end it faster or knowing it, who's to say. But her head thuds onto the B button and the fanfare plays.

"CORRECT! YOU'RE SO LUCKY TODAY!"

The amount of blood pooling on the floor says otherwise.

"TIME TO BREAK OUT THE BIG GUNS! HERE IS YOUR FINAL QUESTION."

The screen shows the question.

[How bright is this text?]

A) 85% Bright

B) 84% Bright

C) 86% Bright

D) 83% Bright

This made little sense. The question text was the same color as all other questions. How was this even answerable to her when she can hardly even look up at the screen?

The group is just as confused. How do you tell the percentage of brightness to text?

Though after some time of no movement from the human, Mettaton rolls around his podium.

"DARLING? ARE YOU ABLE TO MAKE A CHOICE?"

A tired moan drones out of the gag.

"TELL YOU WHAT, I'LL BE NICE AND HELP YOU OUT."

Mettaton zips over to the slumped over human.

"MY MY. SUCH A MESS YOU'VE MADE BACK HERE. GOOD THING NO MESS IS TOO BIG FOR MTT BRAND INDUSTRIAL CLEANER. IN STORES NOW."

The robot plugs his latest product in the middle of a show...real classy.

"what a jackass."

Scoffs Sans.

The other soundly agree.

"OKAY, DEAR, ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS STARE AT THE BUTTON YOU WANT TO ANSWER FOR AND I SHALL PUSH IT FOR YOU."

She tilts her head and stares.

"IS C YOU'RE FINAL ANSWER?"

She exhales long and loud through her nose.

"I'LL TAKE THAT AS A YES."

He unnecessarily extends his arm in a twisty and bendy way before pushing the C button. However...Buzzer sounds.

"OH BOY, THAT'S EMBARRASSING, HUH?"

This time he blasts through her right leg making her buckle in pain to the crimson soaked floor.

[HP ██████ 06/36]

[Background music briefly pauses in silence]

"WELL WELL WELL. THAT SETTLES THAT, DOESN'T IT?"

To much befuddlement, Mettaton proceeds to remove the restraints and gag from the broken girl.

"*weak* W-What are you doing?"

"SUCH A SILLY QUESTION. IF YOU DIE THE SHOW HAS NO DRAMATIC TENSION! WE CAN'T GO ON LIKE THIS!"

She's in no position to fight this or wants to. He collects her from the ground and seems to gently hold her in two of his arms. So much red coats just about everything. He then addresses one of the many hidden cameras in the room.

"I KNOW WHAT YOU ALL MIGHT BE THINKING. BUT METTATON, WHY AREN'T YOU GOING TO KILL THE HUMAN? YOU CLEARLY HAVE THE CHANCE. TO THAT I SAY, NO. SHE WON THIS GAME. AND THEREFORE, SHE PROCEEDS TO THE NEXT ROUND OF OUR LITTLE GAME. THAT'S RIGHT! THIS WAS JUST THE FIRST ACT! NEXT UP, MORE DRAMA! MORE ROMANCE! MORE BLOODSHED! STAY TUNED, LOSERS...! NOW IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME...THIS LOVELY LADY NEEDS TO HEAL. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THESE COMMERCIAL MESSAGES."

The broadcast fades into commercials. The four of them are left with more questions than answers. But at least one thing is going in their favor. Mettaton wants to keep her alive. Perhaps in the next show, she'll appear in a location that's more recognizable and rescue can be done before anyone else tries to get her. Though the four of them weren't the only ones watching the show. A small indent in the window and ground below were all the tells of the sneaky flower. His mission now clear. Save his sister.

[Hotland Lad: Medical Room]

Alphys finishes setting up life-support systems by the time Mettaton wheels in with the now very near dead human.

"Put her here."

He need not be told twice.

"Some first act. She's almost dead."

Less of a reprimand and more of a statement by Alphys while she begins plugging the human into the machines.

"I WAS WORRIED NEAR THE END. HAD SHE MISSED ANOTHER QUESTION I MIGHT HAVE NEEDED TO GO OFF SCRIPT. MAIN CHARACTERS CAN'T DIE SO EARLY IN THE SHOW."

"You're just lucky I can fix this."

"WILL SHE NEED LONG TO HEAL?"

Alphys sticks in an IV drip and taps it for bubbles.

"Don't rush this. Your blast, while clean, went through a lot of muscle and bone. Not to mention all the blood that'll need to refill. That kind of stuff will need longer to repair."

"BUT...WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE COMMERCIALS GOING TILL THEN."

The annoyed scientist shoots him a look.

"Then I guess you need some filler till then."

Mettaton cringes.

"FILLER?! SUCH A DIRTY WORD. WHAT WOULD IT EVEN BE?"

"How about you figure that out elsewhere? I need to work. Or do you want this to take longer?"

That had him speeding away as she then shouts.

"And clean up all this blood! This is a lab! Not a butcher shop!"

She was unsure he heard all that but focused on monitoring the human.

"*sigh* You are so lucky I'm bored or you'd be under my knife right now."

The human involuntarily twitches, earning a smirk from the spectacle-wearing lizard.

"Maybe you'll heal sooner than expected."

Oh, how she enjoyed her work.

[lula1991]

My Jewel

Summary

 An ancient spell causes a millenary young lady to weaken, it is up to Larry and her friends to help her find the key to return her to normal while a stranger pretends, along with three already known individuals, to take over a captive jewel somewhere in Egypt with the in order to proclaim it “yours.” (The shock of all the chaos in her).

 Objective? The guard and the exhibits must prevent it from falling into the wrong hands while between Ahkmenrah and the girl, a romance will slowly emerge that will bear fruit over time.

Genre: Adventure, comedy, romance, fantasy

Warnings: None.

Chapter 4

  Our little girl was going around the museum looking for the "tree" that was with her a few minutes ago but did not find much, until Larry showed up at the right time ..

"Larempteh, do you need help?" Larry asked somewhat unfocusedly watching as she looked for something she couldn't find.

"Hi Larry, have you ever seen a tree walking around here?" Larempteh clasped his own hands with Royal delicacy.

"A tree? That sounds weird .. ”Larry chose to cross his arms trying to analyze the girl's restlessness.

"It is .." Larempteh said.

"And how was it?" Larry asked.

"Well, he was short and had a rather peculiar accent, as between French and English." Larempteh described the subject  while still thoughtful.

“French and English? A quite striking mix. For a moment Napoleon came to mind trying to talk like that ..” Larry commented.

"Who is Napoleon?" Larempteh asked.

“He was Emperor of France. Well, but keep telling me ..” said Larry.

“It was very strange. He claimed to be a bonsai and be called Chang, although the bonsai are from China and according to him, he learned to speak French during an exhibition at the Department of Flora Conservation in Paris. ”Larempteh explained but she still didn't close any of that talk.

"How crazy!" Larry exclaimed in surprise.

"Too much!" Larempteh stressed and then left a little left in his thoughts. "Maybe I should downplay it, what do you say?"

"Maybe, but .." Larry paused cautiously.

"But .." Larempteh kept a smile of knowing the meaning of the word. "I know, I must be careful." She said with good energy at last. "I have heard the rumors that Ahk's brother can return from the dead and is somewhat bloodthirsty." The queen spoke quietly for safety.

"Kahmunrah. Yes, he is only an extravagant character but nothing harmless. You must take care more than anything for his army. I may be willing to go back to Ahkmenrah's table. ”Larry predicted and at the comment the girl began to laugh spontaneously.

“Army, which one? Nobody told me anything. What is a kind of alliance or how..?” Larempteh wanted to know to be more careful.

“They are quite clumsy because they are the most detestable villains in history. They are nothing more or nothing less than Ivan the Terrible, Al Capone and Napoleon Bonaparte. ”Said Larry.

“Are you serious, Larry? How crazy! ”Larempteh couldn't believe it at all.

"Yes, even if you don't believe it," Larry said without further ado.

"Who would say it .." and Larempteh was thinking with a smile of not falling into what he heard. "A picturesque, despicable and megalomaniac pharaoh, a dwarf with complexes, a ruthless Russian and an extremely scary Italian gangster, together?"

“I know, I know, it sounds pretty paranoid but it happened. Some time ago I had to fight them together with the boys. So you have to be cautious in speech and in the information you give.” Larry said.

“That's why I'm looking for that tree. It left me somewhat restless. ”Larempteh shook his head, removing thoughts. "But what..! I must remember that all this happens due to the power of Ahk's tablet and even the bushes usually come to life, I think .. ” she was thoughtful. "But if he was sent to the underworld, it is impossible for him to return without the help of the tablet." The queen sounded convincing.

"It's understandable too, although remember to be careful, Larempteh." Larry used a warning tone was very fatherly. He was beginning to take love as much as Ahkmenrah.

"Yes thanks. Maybe I'm chasing myself a lot. ”Larempteh put that issue aside to go back to another that was somewhat worried. "Larry, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what's up?" Larry said.

“Nothing, it's just that since I arrived there are no papyrus records regarding my parents' reign or information on where they are. Do you know if they are in a museum near here? I need to see them. I haven't done it for 4000 years and I would like to meet with them. ”Larempteh seemed worried.

  From his tone of voice it could be said that it sounded like despair but it was a mixture of many things, a little hope for the answer, a little disappointment due to a hard blow for a no. Anyway, she had a storm inside her ..

"Larempteh, I want to help you but even working here I don't think they can give me access to that request you want again ..." Larry felt guilty and upon hearing this the girl was a little sad. "I'm really sorry because I would gladly do it, you're really a great girl just like Ahkmenrah, they're both good guys and .." Larry stood up, wanted to continue but her interrogative look didn't leave her.

"Yes ..?" Said Larempteh.

   It was something curious to be the exhibition of an Egyptian mummy returned to life, Larry could not contain himself and resumed the thought that was pending ..

"And you make an adorable couple and deserve to be together." Larry took that comment by surprise.

"Do you really believe it?" Larempteh said very seized.

“Really, both are great, jovial and very intrepid. Yes, of course you deserve all possible happiness. I still don't understand how it is that you are not yet .. ”Larry added.

"Yes, he is a great pharaoh already ascending and me too .." there was a hint of something else to glimpse, the girl was very transparent and that Larry noticed but preferred not to add comment. He had to respect his privacy. "Thanks Larry, except for the fact that we are both very friendly, I appreciate your praise from that perspective towards us .." The little girl answered her why in a good, genuine way.

"I did not know. I, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude .. ”said Larry.

“No, no, don't worry it's fine, you didn't have to know. You know sometimes things happen that way. ”Larempteh's voice denoted a bit of neutrality, hidden anxiety perhaps, as if his gaze lost some brightness at the mere idea that this long decree would come true. She was looking for an answer that her friend Larry couldn't answer beyond what he said, maybe a sign? but the queen was not to be excited even though her heart gallops like one of the many horses her father's kingdom had every time she heard young Ahk's name as her old future? pending. "In fact, we may be friends until proven otherwise." She was mature and with a spontaneous talk." Larempteh said simply.

“I am sure it will be, Larempteh. Just time to time. ”Larry advised her and she took it very well.

  But something rocked Larempteh's existence again, she was trapped in that trance where she lost her balance a bit and Larry was able to sustain her in time..

“Larem? Larem, are you alright? ”Larry worried holding the girl's arms.

"Who?" Asked a disoriented Larempteh.

"It's you." Said Larry.

"Who are you?" Said Larempteh.

"It's me .." said Larry.

"I don't know you .." Larempteh said looking at him with a strange fixation, the girl seemed lost.

  The guard was worried due to the sudden state of the girl, it seemed that she was not only tortured with a hypnotic trance with temporary fades but also produced a slight amnesia ..

"Larempteh ..?" Larry asked watching the girl while she was still a little absent. "Larem .." the guard snapped his fingers causing her to react from that confused state. "Larempteh, are you alright?"

"What happened?" Larempteh asked slowly returning to himself.

"Larem, you didn't recognize me." Larry said.

"What..? Did I do that? ”Larempteh said.

"Do you at least remember it?" Larry asked as she shook her head.

"No, nothing. ‘Nut’ (‘Heavens’). I'm sorry, Larry, I don't know what got hold of me .. ”Larempteh held his head processing what happened.

"All in order? It seems as if you had aged 300 years .. ”Larry saw how she regained her stability.

"All in order. Yes, I'm fine. ”But Larem wasn't quite sure, one thing was wrong.

"Don't fool me, Larem." Larry tilted his head pressing the girl to speak for her sake.

“You know me very well. What, I was very obvious? ”Said Larem.

"Well, your trance would scare anyone .." Larry mentioned.

“Good, okay. I can't hide anything from you. ”Larempteh gave up before a sigh. “Larry, you better know this. A little less than a few minutes ago before I was talking to you, the same thing happened now, except for the amnesia thing. Suddenly I felt like I was going to fall and then I didn't fall. How a strange magic in the air .. ”

“Wait, it makes me familiar. Larempteh, I would like to know if you have any precious item that has been corrupted at this time by an essential fault .. ”Larry wanted to know and she frowned.

“Wait, wait, object ..? Corrosion? What are you talking about, Larry? ”Larempteh was confused.

"A possession." Larry said at last.

“A possession? How of what kind? ”Larempteh asked.

“Yes, just as Ahkmenrah has his tablet, you must have something similar. Some talisman, you might even have a tablet too. ”Larry said simply.

“No, I don't really remember it very well but no, I didn't run with that luck of containing a tablet. I only have this necklace that is considered a talisman but it was not what caused me that discomfort, I think so. Maybe it could be that .. ”she was thoughtful on alert. "Larry .." the queen took her hand instinctively.

"What happens? I'm something big for surprises .. ” said Larry.

"It's late! Yes there is something, a jewel. It's a bracelet, but I don't have it with me. I just don't know what happened to him after Cambridge managers transferred me here, nor am I sure what the right cause is for these symptoms. ”Larempteh sounded convincing.

"Then we'll have to take you to her to find out." Larry said.

"You mean go to my old home in Cambridge?" Said Larempteh.

"Yes." Larry said.

"No Larry, forget about that idea." Larempteh said.

"Why?" Larry asked waiting for more.

"You won't understand." Larempteh seemed scared of herself.

“Larempteh, I managed to solve the dilemma in Ahkmenrah's table, so just tell me. Explain to me how you are born to narrate it .. ”said Larry.

"It's strange, because without knowing where he can be at the same time, I feel like he's in a part of the Middle East, maybe it's a hunch, but I suspect that I should be connected to him through ..." Larem emphasized his collar. "Or something similar .." she instinctively squeezed her usej with the winged beetle along with three ahkn charms, a significant symbol of life.

“Have you seen yourself like this before? Because it's the same state the boys have suffered including Ahk and the tablet a while ago. ”Larry inspected the girl but it was not safe to venture to say that this was happening for the same reason the boy's board had.

"Never. This situation had never happened before. I was always exactly the same. ”Larempteh sounded convincing.

“And what happens? I don't understand. ”Larry continued without finding answers.

“Being honest, I have no idea. But it turns out to be that way, my father knew the secrets of that jewel better than me. Unfortunately he swore never to reveal them and he did so .. ”Larem explained and again it happened, the girl went into a trance that barely made her back when her friend came to hold her until she could stand. "Perhaps it is for this reason that I want to meet again with my parents ..." she wanted to remove all possible doubts and answer her whys that grew slowly.

“Quiet Larem. We will take care of this and I will do my best to help you. Just relax tonight, okay? ”Larry somehow managed to calm her.

"Very well." And she smiled in thanks.

  Larry had to take another course after corroborating that everything was fine and Larempteh also had to continue before that problem got bigger in his head, without suspecting that Napoleon heard every detail of the talk so he smiled to get more information about it ..

  Honestly the villains were quite fools, it was easier to get a candy from them than to another person. But returning to the subject, Napoleon took the information that he managed to bring with him thanks to the young woman and the queen tyrant began to reproach, so as not to lose the habit ..

"Is that all ?!" the queen shouted with an unknown name.

“Mona mi, the girl is quite cunning. I couldn't collect more data than those .. ”Napoleon excused himself at the dissatisfaction of the leader.

“We have enough information, piccolo. We know that she is and that she is friends with the boy. The plan marches on wheels .. ”Al Capone remarked with his Italian accent.

“And that is a possible weakness of the Egyptian and vice versa. This will be easier than snatching a candy from a brat. ”Ivan, the Terrible decreed with his Russian accent.

"What's your next step, girl?" Al Capone seemed impatient.

“She will be forced to renounce what my dad and my mom unfairly destined for her, referring to the throne, the crown and the jewel, of course.” Said the queen.

“And the boy? What about him? ”Al Capone asked with one hand in his dress pants pocket.

“It's just what we need, guys! If one yields, the other must yield, they will remain occupied only by the simple fact of wanting to try to save each other more than the world itself, thus leaving us the free path .. ”said the queen and the others waited expectantly for their next words .

"Highness!" Tahmenk exclaimed.

"It will be how to attract fish to the water .." the queen continued.

"Highness!" Tahmenk exclaimed again.

"What?! I hate being interrupted! ”Shouted the queen who looked annoyed.

"His goal was always found here." Tahmenk reported and a countenance that would terrorize the same god of the underworld was embodied in the woman's face. "The jewel was in the basement all this time."

"Well, go get her ..." the queen smiled demandingly.

"No .." said Tahmenk.

"Why not ?!" the queen reproached.

"Because we can't do much if the jewel is being scheduled to be transferred to Cairo just now, less if it was already packed to get there in a couple of days." Tahmenk reported.

   And the queen formed an uncertain grimace on her lips, an indecipherable rarity..

"Cairo .." the queen whispered.

"Yes .." Tahmenk continued.

"Cairo .. Middle East .." the queen raised a finger remembering what the Emperor of France mentioned.

 The aforementioned collected finishing spinning the information to continue forging its plan ..

"This is wonderful! This is divine! ”The bewitching woman laughed jokingly.

"Mona mi, we must act fast!" Napoleon exclaimed plaintiff.

“Stop sir! No one rushes me! The night is still young and we also have plenty of time to take possession of it, but first of all, Army! ”The queen shouted and her faithful men stood firm. "Get ready to start, let's visit my little sister whom I call, Larempteh and at least notice, the world will be ours and Larempteh is not welcome in him, nor will she be much less a hero." The queen murmured happily looking for the crystals of the big window.

  The young queen walked quietly through the exhibition of Egypt, when passing through the room and before the room facing the old temple of Ahkmenrah where she was previously, a hand brought her to the beautiful interior of such a hall representative of her time where there was more to see the magical place where both came from, it should be noted that this place was where the ornate sarcophagus of Larempteh was with its walls covered by hieroglyphs with considerable lighting ..

 "How is it that I missed so much time from his pleasant presence?" Ahkmenrah wondered..

   Yes, that's right, neither of them was aware that they were so close during all that time since she was exhibited as a historical piece on this site, around 1958..

"Hey ..!" His mouth was covered with one hand to meet his bright pupils.

"At last alone .." Ahkmenrah whispered close to her nose as he placed his hands at the girl's sides, cornering her.

  The king was caught with the exquisite aroma that she possessed by her natural perfume, she smelled of papyrus mixed with fragrance to Sol also counted the small help of the aromatic oils that they prepared especially for her beautiful and royal queen, those balms that she still preserved from his embalming ..   He brought his face close to the queen's neck to wear that scent impregnated in his nostrils for weeks, so stock up on Larempteh by olfactory memory when he didn't see her after returning to his sarcophagus or when his new duties allowed..

"Ahk .." Larempteh muttered looking at Ahk's lips.

"Mm ..?" Ahkmenrah muttered sensually looking at Larem's lips.

"You're very close .." Larem murmured as he approached dangerously.

"Do I make you nervous ..?" Ahkmen spoke with his best seduction tone.

"No .." Larempteh whispered comically sensual almost falling for Pharaoh's appeal but woke up from that trance. "Ahkmenrah, are you crazy?" Larempteh spoke quietly looking everywhere.

"Mm, maybe .." Ahk smiled slyly as he scanned her with a scan from top to bottom all over his body carefully.

"It is good that you admit it, you are one step further .." Larempteh admired her virtue by accommodating a bretel of her dress and a wing of her little cape. "Now, why did you do that?"

"Why did I do what?" Ahk faded.

"That!" Said Larempteh.

"That?" Said Ahkmenrah.

"Yes, that!" Said Larempteh.

"What is that?" Ahkmenrah despaired comically when she shook her head clearing the argument.

"Nothing, forget it. Why did you bring me here? ”Larempteh demanded with the demand for a sovereign but without being severe and without losing spontaneity by bringing her hands to her hips, she looked so tender before Ahkmenrah's eyes.

"For this .." Ahkmenrah took his face crashing his lips against hers.

  Due to the abruptness of her act, the queen was caught between the wall and the body of Ahk, opening her eyes for that reason and for the clash of Ahkmenrah's hips against her own where that impact caused the king to rub only intimately in Larempteh, although then the girl closed her beautiful eyelids slowly keeping up with Ahkmenrah, due to an unconscious submission to the girl. By the way, the young man kissed perfectly well and where the king asked permission in his mouth to have tongue in between ..

    An instrumental of romantic melody from Egypt sounded in the background making that moment less uncomfortable and more relaxing..

  But a mental click caught on his conscious for a few moments trying to get rid of the king's lips, pushed him scared ..

   Maybe Larem let his guard down and was vulnerable under Ahkmenrah's charms ..

"Don't do it again!" Larempteh graciously ordered indignantly.

"I'm not done yet .." Ahkmenrah took revenge.

"Ahkmenrah!" Larempteh said and he kissed her again but this time with more intensity.

  They continued kissing for a good while until she reacted after several seconds since they both separated comically while Larepteh tried to incorporate some air before speaking..

  They looked at each other, detailed themselves, memorizing every gesture that will be impregnated in them. They were agitated, both had large pupils due to the low light provided by the lights, a strong blush with the adrenaline that shook their hearts predominated on their cheeks, but still she did not know what to say..

“Ahkmenrah, I thought it was all clear, young man. That way you don't win a girl, not the gross. What was that? ”Larempteh inquired graciously and spontaneously, wanting to erase that moment from his mind.

"Fluid exchange?" Ahkmenrah raised her eyebrows as she smiled and opened those imposing eyes, captivated by the young woman.

"I reaffirm, you're crazy." She had no idea that Ahkmenrah was so impulsive.

"You are beautiful when you get angry, did you know that?" Ahk smiled at her sensually and then approached and she looked at him expectantly for some trace of mischief, her eyes gave him away. "I, yearned to see you give me a dance." Ahkmen murmured in his ear.

"Ahkmenrah, you .." Larempteh muttered about Ahkmenrah's boldness.

 That guy was sensuality in person when he returned to give a smile and a sexy wink before leaving slowly ..

 Larempteh was a little silly after that moment, touching his lips confirming that this kiss was real and yes! it was, so much that he still felt the heat of that fleshy mouth in his, he smiled biting his lower lip while resting his head on the wall when he closed his eyes remembering everything. The girl mentally sailed in an intoxicating and captivating sea because of the effect that had the pleasant and seductive perfume with aroma of herbs and Sun that Ahkmenrah gave off, coincidentally also its natural fragrance emanated from papyrus, a long and captivating smell of masculinity ..

Of course she was also crazy about him, but Larem hid it better ..

"Little girl?" Teddy was surprised to see her in that way and of course, the girl was petrified. "Are you alright, pretty?"

   It was a little funny scene to see the young queen biting her lip and trying to align her thoughts by inventing a good lie so that he would not suspect anything but it was late, if only she had a minimum idea of what she already has in mind. Mr. Roosevelt about them ..

"Yes! It's just that I had a little skin on my lip and I had to take it out. It is not attractive that a queen looks like this with her lips .. ”Larempteh sighed a nervous smile and was more so when Teddy looked at her, happily discovering the king's step with her while smiling, squinting his warm eyes. "Me, I must go ... to another place .." Larempteh gave him a pretty smile and resumed his path.

"I wish she knew instead of both being hiding .." Mr. Rooselvelt felt good knowing the truth and on the other hand he longed for that day where Ahkmenrah would finally know what role Larempteh plays in his life.

  They are friends? Yes, although the young man does not feel that danger of crossing the “prohibited..?"

  And in fact, he already crossed it, quite a bit or maybe there was never such a crack because after all, they are free to choose their concubines..

  Maybe it was all in his imagination ..

"I saw her, miss .." Lancelot turned to the young woman.

"What?" Larempteh was a bit self-conscious.

"You like each other, right?" Lancelot wanted to truly lie him.

"No .." maybe, sometimes Larempteh was awful hiding his heart, not always. She tried to do her best with regard to Ahk but it was impossible. The two liked each other very much.

"Yes, of course .." Lancelot said elbowing her.

"Already! Stop bothering, Lancelot .. ”Larempteh couldn't help but let out a smile when she ran away.

****

Tags: @underworldsheiress @txmel @s4msepiol @itsme690 @xmxisxforxmaybe @moon-stars-soul @1970smalek @singyourheartout4-rami @seafrost-fangirl @sherlollydramoine @mrsahkmenrah-malek @hazeleyedbeth @yousaycoke-isaycaine @r-ahh-mi @rocketrhap4229 @eschnei7 

I want to label them in this chapter so you don't miss out on this beautiful story, I hope you don't bother, girls .. :D💕