#the season ends. you've got a new family now. you don't want to pack up and leave them for anyone else. you WANT to stay for them

[stromer]

[ddoxhan]

snowy christmas

all I want is you

word count : 2k words

genre : fluff; minjeong loves the snow during the christmas season but this year is different; winrina au

tw : none :)

a/n : merry christmas everyone and happy new year in advance :3 enjoy !!

it was christmas eve. the first snow happened some time ago and the forecast did not help anymore with minjeong's wishes. snow and christmas had always came in a set ever since forever to the girl who sat by the window with a hot cup of chocolate milk in her hands. she was home alone, with her girlfriend on an extra shift at work so she would be late.

another sigh left her lips, being the nth one on this christmas eve night. drinking the last sip of milk, she stood up from her seat after being on it for an hour now, just admiring the night scenery it had offered that night. figuring that being down just because it hadn't snow wasn't the best way to spend the upcoming christmas, she decided to take a night walk in the neighbourhood park.

walking to their shared bedroom, she slipped into a thick cardigan and wrapped a scarf around her neck to keep herself warm in the cold atmosphere. although it didn't snow for the past week, temperatures would occasionally drop below zero degrees and that night was one of them. she had brought heat packs just in case her hands freeze.

as she made her way to the park, she seemed to have some company. families had come after having their dinner and everyone seemed to have much fun, except for minjeong. although she knew it wasn't nice to be grumpy, she couldn't help but to feel disappointed. the year's been rough for not only her but everyone and she had really looked forward to this holiday.

a bench was empty so she found a comfortable spot on it. looking at the different families who had some of the children run around and at the playground, she felt her heart clench a little at how she was alone on this christmas eve night. she knew her girlfriend would be busy despite it being all festive with the holiday feels. and that as an understanding girlfriend, she shouldn't be clingy when her girlfriend has important work to attend to.

just as her thoughts came to an end, her phone buzzed in her cardigan pocket. picking up the call, she seemed to have forgotten about her saddening thoughts.

minjeong : mm, jimin-ah. why did you call?

jimin : where did you go? the house's empty so i got a little worried.

minjeong : I'm at the park. I'll be-

jimin : what? why are you out in such a weather?

minjeong : it just felt a little stuffy, being in the house...

jimin : hah, alright. stay put, I'll be coming over now.

minjeong : okay.

with that, she hung up first. her hand plopped on her lap and let her phone rest there. the children were shouting and running around and they looked so happy. should i be that happy too, minjeong questioned herself. a sudden thought struck her, it would be so nice that she had a family like that. 

"oh look at you, look at how thin you've dressed."

she had quickly rushed to the park after hearing that her girlfriend was at the park and she knew that she wouldn't have dressed warm enough to not catch a cold. wrapping her coat around her tiny frame, it wasn't really hard to do so. she made sure she was comfortable in her embrace.

"no, look. it's a thick cardigan and i put a scarf on. also, I brought a heat pack just in case."

she reached for the heat pack in her left pocket and showed it to jimin, proud of herself. she just shook her head at how she was and let out a soft chuckle at how cute she looked under the moonlight.

"but still, you can still catch a cold."

"no, I'm warm enough."

"trust me, I've worn three layers and still caught a cold when I was 15."

"that's because you're weak."

"hey! I was athletic even when I was young. so much from someone who hates to exercise."

"at least I don't get sick often unlike someone."

minjeong put out her tongue at jimin, who's in disbelief because of her words. she couldn't say anything because she was right. although she works out almost every day, she still got sick more often than she did. deciding to get revenge at her, she tickled her, knowing that she was a weak one when it comes to tickles.

"hey! stop, haha!"

"not until you say sorry!"

"okay okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! now will you stop!"

she did stop but here came another request.

"what?"

"give me a kiss then I'll stop. if not, you won't be able to leave this spot and I'll go on."

without hesitation, she leaned in for a quick peck on her lips. she was taken aback and just stared at her with wide eyes. minjeong was never one to initiate skinship, let alone kisses. the last time she had kissed her first was probably at the start of the year during the new year.

"what now? do you need more?"

"n-no. j-just u-uh..."

"aw, is my baby shy?"

"wha?? are you minjeong?"

"then who am I? of course I am."

"you don't... you never..."

"but you liked it... right?"

a little worry was evident in her eyes, afraid that she didn't like it. she didn't know if it was something right to do as jimin was her first love. they had been dating for about 2 years now, ever since they were first years. the older noticed and immediately cupped her cheeks, not wanting her to feel that way. she liked it that she was being initiative. like was more of an understatement, she loved it. she loved it with her whole heart.

"oh, bunny, of course I liked it, I loved it. though, I wish you would do it more often."

"really? then I'll.. try..."

"you don't have to force yourself, okay? I just need you to be by my side."

"I'll always be by your side. will you too?"

"mhm. how can I get myself to leave this angel?"

"you and your cheesy lines. you were pretty cute, looking a little flustered back there."

"who wouldn't? it's not every day I get kisses first AND hear you call me baby."

"then I'll kiss you first and call you that every day, baby."

"maybe this isn't such a bad christmas after all."

she placed a soft kiss on her forehead before looking into her brown orbs and admiring them. jimin was truly lucky to be able to be her girlfriend. when the younger said yes to her confession, she felt like her heart was about to explode that time.

"jimin-ah."

"yeah? I thought you said you're gonna call me baby."

"alright then, baby."

"yes, bunny? what do you need?"

"do you think it's gonna snow tomorrow?"

"depends, I don't really believe the forecast so if we wish harder, it may."

"really? you really think so?"

"of course, I know you want it to snow because it's christmas tomorrow."

"but aren't chances low?"

"it doesn't hurt to try."

minjeong just snuggled closer into jimin's chest and wrapped her hands around her waist, taking in her scent. they stayed like that for a while before she had suggested for them to get back and sleep as it was getting late and colder by the second.

before they did, she took a shower after being out for the whole day. the younger had sat on her side of the bed and scrolled through the shopping site, awaiting for her orders to arrive tomorrow.

"what you looking at?"

"hmm, the couple rings we ordered last week, they said that they would send it tomorrow."

"that's nice, maybe we can flex it to aeri and yizhuo.

"seriously? that's all you can think of?"

"well, I can't forget that the ring is for our 3rd anniversary."

"I thought you forgot."

"how can I? I literally confessed to you on new year's and the fireworks went boom! as you said yes."

she blushed at how she just said that and placed a kiss on her lips right after she said yes. and of course, it didn't go unnoticed by jimin, who still found it cute of her to blush at the event. she just hugged her out of the blue and buried her nose into her neck. minjeong too wrapped her arms around her and they stayed in that position.

"minjeong-ah."

"yes, baby?

"I can never get used to you calling me that.

"of course you can't, I just started calling you that about two hours ago."

silence engulfed the two before jimin spoke up again.

"thank you. thank you for being my girlfriend. thank you for being there when I was having it hard. thank you for accepting me for who I am. thank you, kim minjeong for being in my life."

she didn't receive a response from the younger so she let go from the embrace to see her teary eyes. seeing them, she panicked, wondering if she had said something wrong.

"bunny, look at me. what's wrong?"

"I know I shouldn't be like this, but I just miss you so much. it's not like you don't come home, but I just felt a little lonely these days. I do have my social life however it's different when it comes to you. you are someone special and precious in my life too."

she felt bad, guilty. jimin had been coming home late at midnight and leaving early in the morning, not letting minjeong see her properly. she too had missed cuddling to sleep and waking up to cuddle again then going for brunch. work just hasn't been allowing for her to do so.

"bunny, don't cry. I'm the one at wrong here."

"no, you're not. it's work after all, it's something you can't ignore."

"no, I can. it is important but you come first. you're the first priority in my life."

minjeong just nodded at her and sniffled a little. jimin just laughed at how cute her red nose was although she had just cried. how did she get to meet such an adorable bunny and make her the love of her life? she patted her back slowly to calm her down before they had cuddled to sleep. it was christmas and she had the day off, planning to spend all of it with her. starting with her waking up by her side.

☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜゜・。。・★

the next morning came and it was colder than the usual winter mornings. though they had the heater on, the slight chill had minjeong shuddering in jimin's embrace, waking her up from her slumber in the process. she pulled the younger closer, making sure she was warm. her warmth had warmed the older up too.

jimin slowly opened her eyes to see her sleeping beauty, from her closed eyes to her nose to her slightly parted lips. pecking her lips, the younger's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the bright light shining in through the window. although she should be admiring jimin who was finally able to spend time with her, she couldn't help but notice the sight she had been waiting for the entire time.

sleep was soon a long gone matter as it was snowing outside right now. throwing the blanket off, minjeong ran to the window and placed her hands on the window as she felt the cold seep through the glass onto her palms.

"jimin-ah, look! it's snowing! it's actually snowing!"

"yeah it is..."

"aren't you excited?"

"I am, just that I'm still feeling a little groggy..."

"then will this wake you up?"

she tipped toe to place a morning kiss on her lips, returning the earlier favor.

"yup, definitely did. good morning by the way."

"good morning to you too, sleepyhead."

jimin hugged her from behind as the younger was still mesmerized by how it actually snowed on christmas day. she had little to no expectation since the forecast said it wouldn't. she looked at jimin and smiled like a little kid. she smiled back at her too, glad that she was happy. because of the snow and because she was there with her as well.

"merry christmas, baby."

"merry christmas to you too, bunny."

"anything you wanna do today?"

"umm.. everything you wanna do with me. I'm all yours today, and forever."

[stargazer-sims]

Epilogue (Journal Entry #62)

Postscript (Journal Entry #61) // STORY INDEX

Victor

I have everything I've ever wanted.

Not many people can say that, and I feel exceptionally privileged to be among the lucky few.

I know we said we weren't going to use our journal any more, but earlier tonight as I was packing up for our flight home, I was struck by the feeling that I needed to record one last entry. To be honest, I haven't even thought about our journal in over six months, not since our anniversary trip to Sulani, but I remembered something Yuri said to me during our visit to the islands and I kinda wanted to share my feelings.

He asked me if I'd ever felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be in life. At the time, I’d said no. I told him I wasn't there yet because there were still things I wanted.

The funny part is, I just realized today that I'd misunderstood the question. I thought he'd been talking about tangible, definable things like good health, a nice home, a job, or the support of family. And yeah, maybe that was part of it, but what I think he really meant was something less easy to measure; confidence, self-worth, happiness, and the knowledge that we really do have an impact on the world and the people around us.

I should have said yes. Sitting there on the balcony of our Sulani rental cottage, gazing at the sea with my brave, beautiful, intelligent husband by my side, I could easily have said I had it all. I was happy, secure and loved, and everything seemed perfect. But, unfortunately, I hadn’t viewed the question that way because my mind had been on all the things I still wanted to accomplish, such as going to university, finding a new job, and of course getting back to competing in my sport.

Now I have all those things too, and more besides. If you've got a minute to stay and listen, I'll tell you all about it.

Maybe I should've mentioned from the start that we're currently in Switzerland, 'cause it probably isn't obvious from the inside of this hotel room. Like, it's an upscale hotel, but it's pretty generic as far as hotels go and I don't think there's anything particularly Swiss about it.

We've been here for the past week, for the FIS World Snowboarding Championship, and let me just say, it's been an absolute whirlwind of travel, activity and excitement. Tonight's been the first opportunity I've had to stop and process it all, and I think I'm going to need a while for some of it to fully sink in.

As you guys already know, last season ended catastrophically for me, but it wasn't as epic a disaster as I initially imagined. I was doing really well up until my accident, with top-three finishes in a handful of qualifying competitions. As it turned out, my wins from last season plus my wins from this current season were enough to qualify me for two events at Worlds this year, super-G and my best event, parallel giant slalom. I may have mentioned it before, but the world championship competition for snowboarding is held every second year, so if you’re confused about why last year’s points counted, that’s why.

I was thrilled about qualifying, needless to tell you, and so was Davey, my coach. I've qualified for Worlds twice before, but didn't do as well as I'd hoped on either attempt. This time, I was confident going into it, and I was ready physically as well as psychologically.

That's not to say I wasn't nervous. I think a person would have to be crazy not to be at least a little nervous about hurtling down the side of a mountain at seventy-five kilometres per hour with nothing but a helmet, wrist guards, and the grace of the Watcher to protect them. But, alpine snowboarding isn't a sport for people who don't know how to conquer their fear. Out there on the mountain, fear could literally kill you. Any kind of distraction could, and every time I think about my crash last January I'm reminded of that, and of how lucky I am to be back on my board and still able to compete at this level.

Anyway, seven days ago me and Yuri boarded a plane for Switzerland along with Davey, his partner Lindsey, and their sign language interpreter Kayley. Having travelled with Davey before, I knew what to expect, but I think it was jarring for Yuri. Davey and Lindsey are both super loud, and it's not entirely because they're deaf and can't hear themselves properly. They're just... extreme. Like, they bring the party with them wherever they go and it’s never a quiet affair.

By the time we reached our destination, all Yuri wanted to do was hide in our hotel room. He said he'd had enough of interacting with other people, and told me that he wouldn't mind if I wanted to go hang out with some of the other athletes on my own. I decided to stay with him because my first event was on the following afternoon, and I like to get lots of rest the day before I compete. As much as I enjoy a good social gathering, I didn't want to break my ritual. Athletes can be superstitious, and it'd be silly to try convincing you I'm an exception.

So, you're wondering how I did in that first event, right? I came in third, which earned me a bronze medal. That was the highest I'd ever placed at any event at Worlds, and even if I didn't win anything else, I would've been totally satisfied with that.

But, there was still my second event. In the middle of the week, I made it through the elimination races, and the final for the men's parallel giant slalom was yesterday morning.

I woke up early, too excited and full of adrenaline to sleep as much as I should have. I slipped out of bed and headed for the shower, trying not to wake Yuri as I went. My efforts were in vain, however. I was only in the bathroom for about ten minutes, and when I exited it, I saw a very sleepy-looking Yuri sitting up in bed and talking on the phone to somebody. The second thing I noticed was that he had my phone.

"Yes, I want to tell him, but I'm not sure that's a good idea right before his event," Yuri was saying. He was speaking English. "Maybe we can call you after—"

"Who are you talking to?" I asked.

Yuri looked up, clearly startled. "Oh! Victor, I didn't hear you coming out. It... it's your mother. I'm sorry. I saw the caller ID, and I decided I'd better answer it."

"It's okay," I said. "Can you put it on speaker?"

He lowered the phone from his face and touched the speaker button as I flopped onto the bed next to him. "You're on speaker now, Dr. Grace," he said. "Victor's right here."

"Hi Mom," I said. "What's up? Everything okay? It's like, the literal middle of the night where you are, isn't it?"

"Yes," Mom said. "I think you're five hours ahead of us."

I glanced at the time display on the top of my phone screen. "Mom! It's one-thirty in the morning over there! Why aren't you in bed?"

My mother laughed. "Excuse me, sir. Which one of us is the parent in this relationship?"

"Sorry," I said, but I was relieved she sounded so upbeat. I told myself that her reason for phoning couldn't be anything too bad, or she wouldn't be joking with me. "Seriously, what's up?"

"I checked your mailbox after work today. You got a letter from the university."

"Really? What does it say?"

"I wasn't about to open your mail, was I?" she said. "But, I knew you'd want to know straight away."

"And you waited until it was morning here, so you could tell me as soon as possible?" I met Yuri's gaze. "And you didn't want her to tell me before my event."

"I didn't want you to get distracted," he said. "I thought it'd be better to wait until later."

"I guess I can't get mad about that," I conceded. "I mean, it makes sense, and I'm glad you were looking out for me, but now I'm going to be distracted if I don't know what it says."

"What if it's not good news?" Yuri asked.

"Either way," I said.

"I have the letter," Mom said. "Do you want me to open it and read it to you?"

"Yes, please."

We could hear her opening the envelope. Yuri reached for my hand.

The university's application deadline for the nursing program had been the first of November, and I'd gotten everything submitted on time. According to the admissions website, applications would have one of three decision statuses — rejected, accepted or waitlisted — and decision letters would start going out around the end of March or beginning of April.

Now, here we were at the very end of March, and we'd arrived at the proverbial moment of truth.

"Okay," Mom said. "Are you ready?"

I nodded, mostly because I was too worked up to speak, and Yuri said, "He's ready."

"Dear Mr. Okamoto-Nelson," my mom read. "After a careful review of your application, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Bachelor of Nursing program. We will be pleased to welcome you as a new student in the fall semester."

There was more, but I didn't take in anything after the first couple sentences. Yuri flung himself into my arms with a little cry of joy, and we nearly rolled off the bed in our excitement. Poor Mom was trying to explain something about registration fees and student health insurance, but we weren't paying attention.

When we finally composed ourselves, I apologized and asked Mom to keep the letter for me until we got home. I knew there would be things to do and deadlines to have them done by, but at that moment, the competition was priority one. I couldn't lose sight of why I was here in the mountains of Switzerland. As overjoyed as I was about the news that I'd gotten accepted into nursing school, I couldn't let it take my focus away from what I was doing today, not so much because I wanted to win, but because of what I said before. Distractions can be deadly.

"I'll let you go for now," Mom said. "You can call me later and let me know how the competition went."

"We'll definitely call you," I said.

"I'll be looking forward to it. Good luck, and be safe."

I thanked her, and then we said goodbye and hung up. It took me a while to calm down after that, and Yuri had to help me do some concentration exercises.

Once I sorted myself out and we were both dressed and ready, we met Davey, Lindsey and Kayley for breakfast. After that, Yuri and I went back to our room to collect Elsa and the rest of my gear, and then we all headed to the venue.

When we got there, I tried not to look around too much, but it was hard to ignore the huge crowd that had already gathered to watch the competition. We hadn't even started yet, and people were already cheering, using noisemakers, and waving flags of various countries. I think the flags were mostly Swiss, but I spotted lots of others. There were even a few Canadian red maple leaves among them.

It was obvious that even with the help of his hearing aids, Davey was struggling to hear amid the ambient noise from so many people. I was the one competing, but he looked extraordinarily stressed. I was sure it was the confusing jumble of sounds that was upsetting him more than thoughts of the competition though, and I couldn't help wondering how he coped with it when he was still a competitor himself.

I soon found out. Lindsey poked him to get his attention, and then signed something to him. He grinned at her before deftly tugging his hearing aids out and putting them in the front pocket of his coat.

He gave us the thumbs-up, and then practically yelled, "Yes! Sweet silence!"

I lost it.

Laughter did the trick. I instantly felt more relaxed, and although I knew Davey hadn't been trying to be funny on purpose, I still offered him one of the few ASL signs I know. "Thank you."

He signed something to Kayley, and she told me, "He says you're welcome, and also he's going to leave his hearing aids in his pocket. I'll come up to the top of the run to help you." She paused while Davey signed something else. "Because he wants to give you the best damn pep talk ever."

"Sounds good," I said, and when Kayley interpreted that for Davey, it was his turn to laugh.

"Okay, my dude, let's get up there!" he said loudly. "You're gonna crush it!"

"Here's hoping," I said.

I turned to Yuri, and just like at every competition he attends with me, he put my helmet on me. He stood on tiptoe to give me a kiss, and then while our heads were still close together, he whispered. "I love you."

My heart was full with that simple phrase all the way up the mountain, but at the top of the run, it was a different story. I don't know if you've ever heard athletes or performers talk about being in the zone, but it's like this intense state of hyper-focus where nothing exists except the task in front of you. I don't experience it every single time I compete, but most of the time I do, and this morning I was totally in the zone.

I was in the middle of the start order, and there were about eight riders ahead of me. When it was my turn, there was nothing in my mind except the mountain and the snow and the course of red and blue flags stretching out in front of me. I was aware of every muscle in my body and every breath and each beat of my heart. I snapped my boots into Elsa's bindings, and waited for the starting buzzer.

I barely remember the run itself. All I know is, it was fast. Elsa and I were flying, and it felt glorious.

I didn't even realize I'd won until Davey found me later at the bottom of the run. He was screaming in my face about a record-breaking time, and I honestly wasn't sure if he was talking about me or somebody else.

In fact, the reality of my victory didn't truly hit me until the event was over, and Davey was dragging me towards the area where the medal presentation was taking place. They presented the bronze medal to a Swiss rider, and the hometown crowd cheered their hearts out for him, so much so that we could barely hear the recorded national anthem playing as the FIS official placed the medal around his neck. A Norwegian guy won silver, and he got a pretty healthy cheer from the supporters too.

Then, over the slightly crackly public address system, I heard. "And now, the presentation of the gold medal. Please congratulate your FIS World Champion in men's parallel giant slalom. Representing Canada... Victor Okamoto-Nelson!"

For a second or two, I didn't move. Davey nudged my shoulder and urged me forward with a not-so-subtle, "Dude, go!"

I was simultaneously crying and smiling when the official put the medal around my neck. As O Canada played on the speakers, I searched the crowd for Yuri. He was right there in front with Lindsey beside him, and they were holding up a huge Canadian flag between them. I have no idea where they’d gotten it from, but the sight of it and Yuri's brilliant smile ensured that the happy tears didn't stop running down my face until well after the anthem finished playing.

The only way I can describe it is: Best. Day. Ever.

As I was putting my stuff in my suitcase this evening, I kept glancing over at my medals on the nightstand. They were going in mine and Yuri's shared carry-on bag, and I wanted them to be the last things I packed. Not gonna lie, I was tempted to leave them there on the bedside table until morning so I could see them when I woke up, but I ultimately decided not to do that. There'd be plenty of time to admire them when we got home.

After I finished packing, I picked Elsa up from the floor and placed her on the bed. Yuri never used to like it when I put my snowboard on the furniture, especially the bed, but he seemed to change his mind about it after my accident last year. I lay down next to my board and rested my hand on her. Her smooth surface was cool against my palm, and her bright blue and yellow paint job stood out in contrast against the muted beige of the hotel bed's duvet.

"We did it, Elsa," I said aloud. "Sometimes dreams really do come true."

That's how Yuri found me several minutes later when he'd finished enjoying his bath, lying curled on my side and idly stroking my snowboard. I must've looked ridiculous, but he didn't say anything about it. He just climbed onto the enormous bed with me. Wrapped in one of the hotel's luxurious bathrobes and smelling of chocolate from the fancy hotel shampoo, his presence was warm and sweet.

He cuddled against my back and slid an arm over me, trying to be the big spoon despite his tiny size. His voice was soft, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," I said. "Just thinking."

"Anything you want to share?"

"I'm going to nursing school."

"You are," he agreed.

"I won a gold medal. A World Championship gold medal."

"You did," he acknowledged. "And a bronze one."

"Yeah." I closed my eyes and let myself soak in the comforting feeling of his little body pressed close to mine. "You know what's weird?"

"What?" he said.

"I'm happy about it and I'm proud of myself, but like... I don't know if it's the medals that're important, or something else."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You wanted to know what I was thinking about," I said. "I was thinking about Sulani, and how you asked me if I ever had the feeling of having everything I ever wanted."

"I remember."

"I said I didn't, but I think I missed the point of what you were asking."

"Oh?"

"You weren't talking about things, were you? Like going on a trip or getting accepted at university or winning a medal."

"No, I suppose I wasn't," he said. "It was more abstract than that."

"I get it now," I said. "It's not about doing stuff or getting something. It really is more abstract than that. It's like, being satisfied with where you are and with what you've accomplished so far, and just... being content with your life and the way the people around you make you feel."

"Yes," he said. "That's what I meant. I felt that in Sulani. I feel it right this minute."

"Me too," I said. "I felt that way in Sulani too. I'm sorry I didn't understand."

"It's all right," he said. "I'm glad you understand now."

I do get it now, and maybe it's gonna sound strange to say that it took me winning the most important competition of my athletic career to figure it out, but there it is. I'm thrilled about the medals and I can't wait to show them off, but they're not what I value the most. My biggest source of pride is in the fact that I battled my way back from one of the lowest points in my existence to make it to this place. Last January, I thought life as I'd known it was over. For a while, I lost sight of everything; my goals, my hopes and dreams, and even my will to go on. Yet here I am today, a world champion.

A world champion.

And I couldn't have done it without Yuri or my mom and Julian. I couldn't have done it without Sakura, Davey, and all the other friends and family members who love and support me and who never gave up on me. I'm a champion thanks to them, but more importantly I'm happy and I know that I'm valued, safe and loved.

So yeah... I have it all, and I know I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.

[mdhwrites]

I know you've been asked this before, but still, now since toh has ended would you consider giving Arcane a chance? Not right away but maybe when feel like it. 👀

I promise it's not a bad show, I watched it after starting toh to pass the time. It's only 1 season for now and it has just 9 episodes, but these episodes are so packed! The world building is easy to grasp, the characters do interact, there's development, it has a diverse female cast and fighting scenes. There's at least 3 conflicts that interconnect at the end.

The thing about it that amazes me is that it does so much in such a little short time, 9 episodes only. I often compare it toh and wonder about how much toh could've done if they knew how to plan beforehand, because toh had all the time in the world in comparison. (I'm mentioning this because I'm also bitter about the shortening thing being thrown around to excuse the bad writing).

So I will 100% admit that Arcane sounds entirely up my alley. It's in a universe that has had literally over a decade to flesh out its lore and ideas, characters they've been working with for at least half the games life cycle, it has rave reviews, lesbians, the animation is GORGEOUS, I've actually heard surprisingly little analyzing the plot and that could be fun for me. I... just don't know why I haven't watched it. And it's not like I'm so busy as to not watch shows. I watch WAY too much Youtube and streams. That stuff is mostly mindless and pure entertainment and I can't make blogs or stories about it. But that might also be exactly why I don't watch much scripted content. See, I watch a lot of stuff while I'm on walks to have some noise going, or music while I think about writing ideas, or while I'm playing a game or the like. It's distraction. It's to turn off the part of my brain that's too wound up and emotional and analytical. Also a lot of media has the unfortunate problem of me going "What can I be inspired by this for?" Which if I was going full blast would be great! At 8k words a day, having things to distract me or keep my motor running would be almost necessary. And that's technically a conservative statement as when I first joined TOH, I did 200k words in 2 weeks. That's 15k a day. The fact that it took me months to burn out during that time period is a miracle. But when I'm depressed? Those ideas honestly hurt more than anything else. I still haven't done Amphibia blogs because I just can't get myself to bring my thoughts together independently on the subject for some reason despite the fact that I DO have things to talk about, whether that be talking about what sells the characters as family to me, what makes Sasha's introduction one of the best charismatic villains I've ever seen, how Hop Pop is showcase of fantasy trauma done right, why people CAN skip the first season and how insane that is and even for a more negative one: Why Marcy is so far easily the most awkward element of the show so far that I've seen. Not even bad but just not nearly as natural as the rest. And yes, while I'm still only at the First Temple, you can still send me Amphibia asks. It honestly helps my literal personality disorder to be responding to asks instead of making them myself.

I don't know. I wish I did. My head is a chaotic mess and I honestly just need to learn to calm down a lot more but my literal two main disciplines as a creator require my brain to be on. at maximum volume all the time. And it only gets worse when I go "Well what about Amphibia, or that TMNT series, or Molly Mcgee- Oh but you really ought to be looking for something new. Preferably something you can write for within its first week of airing. Even better if before then. Got to get that ENGAGEMENT after all! GROW YOUR COMMUNITY!" *sigh* And I don't want this to make you all feel bad. PLEASE let me know what you're interested in seeing me maybe talk about. I commonly forget about Arcane because it just flies under my radar for the most part for some reason. Just understand I'm slow to move. I'm trying to get better but I don't know when or if I'll ever be good at it. Edit: Because I feel like it, I do want to shout out a few channels I like to watch. Youtube: Noah Caldwell Gervais is one of the best video game essayists out there. When I talk about just putting on something to zen out to for a few hours... Well, I've watched his 8 hour Resident Evil Retrospective twice. He also has a great, dry sense of humor and great analytical skills. Todd in the Shadows is where I go for pop song reviews. Honestly, I'm pulled in more by his One Hit Wonderland Series and his Trainwreckords but it's also nice getting incite on modern pop music. If you're into animation, you NEED New Frame Plus in your life. Daniel Floyd is absolutely amazing at his job, he's ex-Pixar so that's not surprising, and pretty much all I know about animation comes from that channel. Absolutely phenomenal work. Twitch: CauseImDanJones is my favorite streamer period. Not only is his chill vibes immaculate, he has this insane talent to say the most bat shit crazy things and act like they're entirely normal. He never is an over the top streamer but he still manages some of that "WHAT JUST HAPPENED!?" energy those people have. JHobz296 is someone you likely know if you watch GDQ. For those who don't know him though: He's my go to for speedrun content. He does a lot of Kingdom Hearts speedruns, does a lot of Kingdom Hearts 2 Rando WAY better than I do and when he does variety, he keeps it laid back and casual. (I like chill streamers). Gilbot9000 is my last callout. He does a lot of fighting game streams and likes to throw it back old school, or play games with an old school vibe to them. He's a nice dude and a good friend of mine so I'd be remiss to not mention him.

[golbrocklovely]

just gonna vent about something that happened to me today lol

wow why is this so long? dear lord lol tldr at the end in case you don't care sksks

so some prior backstory: a day or two before new years, my mom and i went to the grocery store to get some stuff for new years, along with some beer. and as you all know my mom is disabled so i went in.

if you don't know about pa laws, we are one of the more stricter states with alcohol. for the longest time you could not get any alcohol in store, you would have to go to what is called a state store (where you would get beer), or wine and spirits store. recently, the law has lifted somewhat which is why now you can get beer in grocery stores.

the issue is you can only get a 12 pack, and only one at a time. so if you want multiple beers, you have to go in, buy the 12 pack you wanted, go back to your car and drop it off, and come back in to get the next one.

but besides all of that annoying me, the major thing that got me was the cashier. now, the first time around when i came up to him at his separate from the rest of the store register, he informed me of the rule of only one case per transaction. i, not knowing this, was surprised but not upset by him. obviously he doesn't make the rules. so i paid for the one, went to the car, dropped it off, came back in and got on more case of stuff, and did a very light shop. a little over 15 items, which for my family is VERY light.

(side note, how do ppl just pop in to store and only get like 3 items????? it is insanity to me, probably bc growing up my family, if we were going shopping for food, we were going shopping for food)

so i get back in line, with the alcohol, and there is no one behind me. there are a couple ppl in front of me, but no one else. i get up to him, and i figure i can pay for both my food (which again, wasn't that much) and the alcohol (which technically you're supposed to pay for either first and get it out of the store or last after you've already shopped). this kid then stops me after i put like two items up on the counter and goes "this lane is only for five items or less" in the dullest, annoyed voice.

there is not a single sign that says that here. and mind you, the person that was in front of me, had more than five items. so…. wtf.

i was annoyed about it, but i kinda just went "oh", paid for the alcohol, and then jumped into the self-checkout line. i particularly didn't like his tone, but i get what it's like to be working the holiday season and be exhausted so i get it.

now this brings us to today…

went to this store, got a full cart, went to the self-checkout. i always do self-checkout. i don't want to be bothered. especially if i just finished work, i don't want to make pleasantries with ppl. i just want to get my shit, buy it, and be on my way without ppl talking to me. also, i nine times out of ten don't like the way ppl bag my groceries but like… i'm not gonna correct someone that's barely making above minimum wage about something so trivial and nitpicky. so again, it's better i just take my time and do it the way i want to.

now, i have been shopping at this place for well over a decade, either with my mom back in the day when she could shop, or by myself in recent years. i've never had an issue with the ppl at the self-checkout line. they sometimes look at me like i'm crazy to want to scan all of this shit myself, but i've never had anyone come up to me and be rude or make a comment.

until today.

lo and behold, the same cashier from before was now at self-checkout. today i had contemplated going to a regular line, but there was only one regular line open (and one express line, along with all the self-checkouts) and there were open registers in self-checkout so i went over and started scanning my stuff. everything was fine until randomly the machine popped up a message that i needed an assistant. i've seen it happen before when you try to scan your items too quick, so i think they just do it as a way to make sure you ain't stealing lol

he comes over, scans his card, and then in a very snotty attitude says "ma'am, this is way too many items for self-checkout."

first off… ma'am???? i despise when ppl call me ma'am sksks i get it, it's a politeness thing. but like… you could just not say that at all and just go "excuse me" or literally anything else. i've been called ma'am since i was like 21, which is a very weird feeling when literally last year someone legit thought i was 15 so….. am i too old looking or not?

but secondly, there is not a single sign or anything saying 'you can only have x amount of items here'. the whole point of a self-checkout line is to do it yourself, regardless of how many items you have. yes, ppl that have a small little basket or whatever usually are the ones that use self-checkout, but that doesn't mean that it's only made for them.

not to mention, again, they only had one regular lane open, which had a line. so………….

now usually, when i do self-checkout, i am FAST. i get in and get out asap. but literally bc he said it to me in the tone he did, i took the LONGEST time i ever have.

did i get some stares from ppl that had to wait for a register to free up? yes. but fun fact, i don't care. go to the express lane. oh, you don't like using the express lane bc you don't like talking to ppl? IMAGINE HOW I FEEL.

and my thing is, i know what it's like to work retail. you deal with some of the dumbest, annoying-est ppl. like "how can these ppl be legally allowed to vote" dumb. and i know what it's like to be going thru a lot outside of work and having to come in and deal with stupid shit on top of it. i had to work the holiday season while my dad had just freshly died. i get it. however, don't take your shitty day out on me. i don't like when customers do it, and i assume he's the same way, so don't do the opposite.

and the worst thing about all of this is now i feel like i should complain to the store. not about him specifically, bc while he pissed me off i don't want him to lose his job or anything, but i just don't like what he said. bc it wasn't like he was informing me "hey you're not supposed to be in this line it's for smaller orders", it more sounded like his own comment. also, why did he wait to say something to me until i needed his help and not when i literally got in line? i was already 10 or more items in when he said this comment so like….. if you had said it before, i would have got in the regular line.

my whole thing is, he was in the wrong - for both the attitude and for the contents of the comment. if i was wrong, i would gladly admit it. but i wasn't, so… fuck him lol

TLDR: did self-checkout today with a big order, and cashier had to help me for two seconds. came over and said "ma'am this is way too many items for self-checkout" in a snotty attitude. and i'm pissed about it bc he was wrong for saying it. i've been shopping at the same grocery store for years and have never had a problem until this person. also i had a not so great experience with this same person near new years so…. yeah.

[chaeiimimi]

14 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖔 𝖇𝖆𝖇𝖞

Summary: you weren’t really sure how it happened, but an average student who wore glasses and spent all her extra time on bookstores and library managed to date your school’s volleyball club setter. On your 3rd year of law school, your ten years anniversary to be exact, he went home from Argentina and it was a week before he was going back, he broke up with you with the reason of he can't handle long-distance relationship anymore despite being at it for two years. You didn’t cry, you stood there as he was sobbing in front of you, you held his face in your palms and offered him a gentle smile, gentle enough to let him know you’ll support him and will always be watching him, together with the child in your stomach right now, but he doesn’t need to know that.

Oikawa's press conference broke the internet, who could've thought that the kind, lovely and innocent Sato Himari wasn't who she seemed to be?

The internet was quick to switch sides, of course some of Himari's avid fans were still on her side and were still pushing the fact that Oikawa was the father of the child and Y/n manipulated Oikawa to do the press conference, but the majority was on y/n's side

The night after the conference, there was a huge celebration at your house, since you and Himari decided to cook up a huge feast, Oikawa's teammates from Argentina stopped by and visited your home and had a few drinks, Iwaizumi, Akira and the Seijoh Volleyball team of your batch was also there

The night was filled with a lot of tone-deaf singing from Akira, Iwaizumi trying to save his girlfriend from embarassment and misserably failing, Kindaichi having to vomit every few minutes but still decided to drink more, the twins being passed around because people can't get enough of their cuteness until Haruto just fell asleep on Kunimi's lap and Hayato fell asleep on one of Oikawa's teammates lap, Maki and Issei slow dancing to Akira singing "Hello" by Adelle which was very off key, Oikawa taking a picture of them with his left hand while his right is securly wrapped around your waist, Oikawa's argentinian teammates speaking in spanish while Oikawa translates for the team and vice versa to his Japanese friends

It was indeed a fun time, it felt like your head was lifted from underwater, you can breath again, the heavy burden you've been carrying for the past few months evaporated into thin air

A week after that, you were able to file a case against Himari, although you didn't want to do it in the first place because she was still your cousin and she's also pregnant, but you were also a mother and you were only trying to save your kids and your family on what she can do in the future

It was also later on found out that she was mentally unstable and needed therapy before having her baby

Everything seems to be falling in place, and it was a week before Oikawa had to leave for Argentina to begin a new season

You laid in your bed face to face, his hot breath fanning your forehead while you nuzzle into his chest

"bubs?" he calls

"hm?"

"i'm going back to Argentina next week"

"yeah, I know you're gonna do well this season"

"for sure, I have to make you and the twins proud"

You chuckled

"win or lose, we're still proud of you Tooru"

He smiles as he pulls you closer

"I know this might be too fast, and I know it still hasn't been long since we got together, god this is the lamest way to say it, but, will you move with me? To Argentina"

You feel his breath hitch and his heartbeat quicken, was he nervous?

You looked up at him and smiled

"we'll follow you anywhere babe"

And just like that, the day after Oikawa was helping you pack your things, he also insists on only bringing your clothes and not empty out the whole house since he still plans on staying here during off seasons, which was why, unbeknownst to your knowledge, he bought the house

A week later, you flew to Argentina to start a new life with Oikawa and your sons

"papa rapido!" Hayato exclaims while clutching the bag filled with baby bottles

"Mama are you okay?" Haruto calmy rubs your back and stomach as you were sweating buckets and breathing deeply, a puddle of water in front of the chair you were sitting on

The twins are now six years old and grew up to be fine boys

You were now expecting your third baby and your first daughter, but you didn't expect to give birth to her in Japan, you travelled here during mid-pregnancy and Oikawa had a long off-season, but you weren't due in like a week or two and you were planning on returning to Argentina tomorrow

Looks like that's going to have to wait

"OIKAWA I AM NOT ABOUT TO GIVE BIRTH IN THIS HOUSE" you screamed

Your husband came out of your room, multiple bags hung in his body, his lips were trembling and his hand clutching his phone was shaking

"y-yeah yeah l-let me call an a-ambulance"

He shakingly dials a number

It rings three times before somebody picks up

"hello!"

"hello pizza delivery how may I help you sir?"

...

What the fuck?

"did you just dial a pizza place while your wife is in labor?"

The twins looks at the door and cheered "Seijoh Uncles!" synchronised like they were looking at their saving grace

Lo and behold it was indeed the Seijon ex-volleyball team, right there to save the day

Maki and Watari took the bags hanging on Oikawa's body

"carry your wife to the van"

Oikawa mindlessly nods and carries you in bridal style to Issei's van, which by the way had a huge fucking funeral home logo on it

But it didn't matter to Oikawa, what mattered was to get his wife to deliver their baby girl safely

And soon a whole ass volleyball team except for Iwaizumi, a shouting pregnant woman and two hyperactive twins were able to fit in the funeral home van

Thank god it wasn't traffic 'cause you ain't never seen a funeral home van travel so fast it was practically flying

Your arrival caused a huge commotion, imagine fully grown men, stepping out of a funeral home vam, screaming "help she's giving birth!", two identical boys screaming "our sister is coming!" and a very pale husband who was carrying his pregnant wife with wobbly knees

What added even more to the commotion was an arrival of another van, it was black with a huge MSBY sign to it

It revealed a Bokuto in a maskot costume without the head, Akaashi holding his-well the maskot's hand, Atsumu and Hinata practically screaming "this is an emergency! A baby is about to come out of her!", Sakusa who was clutching all the baby bags looking very embarassed at his teammates while Iwaizumi was there, his trainer clothes crumpled, his hair dishevelled and carrying Akira who was practically going hysterical

The medical staffs were flabbergasted at the sight of a lot of tall, muscular man in the ER, they immediately led the two husbands to the place their wives on the bed and rolled them over to the same delivery room since there wasn't any vacant one

"hey Iwa, I don't mind if my daughter falls in love with your son"

Oikawa says out of nowhere, their screaming wives in the background

"shut up shittykawa...I don't mind either"

"YOU TWO BETTER STOP THAT BROMANCE MOMENT OF YOURS WE ARE LITERALLY DYING HERE" you screamed in so much pain

"IWAIZUMI YOU MOTHERFUCKER I'M NEVER GOING TO HAVE SEX WITH YOU EVER AGAIN AHHHHH" Akira was having it worst since it was her first time

Oikawa was pale, because of the nervous and the fact that you were squeezing his hand so tightly it felt like it was going to break

While Iwaizumi was taking Akira's tugs, kisses, and curses like a champ

After a lot of abuse for Iwaizumi and Oikawa, they finally heard theur babies' cries which made it all worth it

Oikawa takes a look at your daughtee, his eyes watered as he cuts the umbilical cord

He went to you and peppered your sweaty and unconscious face with kisses

"thank you bubs, thank you for making me the happiest man on earth now"

I may or may not be posting special chapters. Anywayssssss~ i just got home from a fam reunion and I'm finally updating this BHSHSHSHS, i love you guys so much, thank you to all those who read this until the end😭💖 sending virtual hugs and kithes😘 and remember to stay happy, healthy and safe babeesss💗💓

Taglist:

@heiressofdexter @artsamber @seashellmichellee @meri-soni-meri-tamanna @misssugarless @minnieminnie00-got7  @karakento @maizumis @torus-wiife @fiaesco @stormcastello @tintina365 @sakusasimpbot   @falconfeather23435 ​ @jojowantstocry @pluviophilefangirl ​ @qualitygiantshoepsychic

[paradoxolotl]

Are there any quotes or moments from any of your fics that you've had to leave out of the final product? Like, deleted scenes. If so, do you feel like sharing?...(Particularly Inked Truths because I'm obsessed with it. I fell in love with BoM, read it multiple times. When I found out you were doing a prequel I was very excited and have not been disappointed since.) (I also love TftR but it makes sad.)...Absolutely no pressure. If you don't want to answer please just ignore this, I'll understand.

Truths for the Roof didn’t lose anything but Inked lost a bit. Really, it was just redone to flow better and fit the characterization better, or moved somewhere later on in the series. I’m more likely to add then take away. It’s pretty rare I scrap something completely, and usually find somewhere else to put it, even if it’s a different fic. But originally BOM was very different. Andrew was medicated and Aaron knew Neil Josten from class.

Here’s a scene that was reworked in Ink Blotted Memories ~

Aaron did his best to avoid Andrew after that. He made himself busy at work, hauling dishes back and forth and hanging out with the bouncers on his breaks. When they were home Andrew was usually shut up in his room or outside smoking which made avoiding him all the easier, giving Aaron space to dick around on the TV or be in his room. Nicky still tried to involve both of them in stupid bonding activities like family dinners and movie nights. When they did happen, it was tense and uncomfortable, mostly filled with Nicky’s inane chatter. Aaron purposely did not look at his brother on these nights. He was torn between wanting Andrew’s acknowledgment and wishing he had never found out about him.

He marked his days with video games and his nights with alcohol and cracker dust, counting the days until he could once again use school as a distraction.

And the entire original Brother of Mine, which I rewrote most of when I got partway through ~

Aaron could still remember lying in his bed in his mother’s house, body bruised and hurting, wishing to have someone who could help him. Someone to make things better. To stand with him and hold him up when he was so close to crumbling. Learning about a long-lost twin felt like something out of a movie. An answered prayer. Finally, Aaron would have someone, a brother, who he could talk to. He imagined late night talks and secrets shared between them. They would have a bond so strong that nothing could come between them.

Andrew’s response of ‘fuck off’ had felt like a back-hand across his face.

Still, he held out hope. He was told to try again in the Spring, and that was what he planned on doing. Even when Andrew was sent to juvie, Aaron held onto his hope of a brother who would care about him. They were twins after all, how hard could it be?

The first time he had met Andrew face to face, Uncle Luther beside him and a metal table separating them, Aaron’s idea of what their relationship would be went up in smoke. His face was looking back at him, but there was no expression, no emotion at all. A blankness that revealed nothing of what he was thinking. It was hard to make eye contact with Andrew, his eyes sharp enough to be cut on. Andrew didn’t speak to Aaron at all that first visit; he just stared at him with a flat glare the entire time.

And yet he still came to South Carolina to live with Aaron. Aaron desperately wanted for Andrew to open up to him when they lived together. He thought he had to, now that they shared a room. He also hoped that home would get better, now that Andrew was home. Maybe mom would get better, would stop being so stressed. So angry.

It only took one incident for Aaron to believe Andrew was untouchable. They were in the backyard so Andrew could smoke, both sipping from a bottle of vodka Andrew had acquired. He had only moved in a week ago, and so far, things had been quiet. Aaron had no new bruises, but Andrew’s blank stare made him warry. The slam of the front door had made Aaron flinch, Andrew’s cold eyes tracking the movement. Aaron could hear their mother calling for him, her words tight with anger. Remembering the pills he had swiped earlier in the day, he swallowed back the lump in his throat and went inside.

He remembers her screaming. He remembers the pain of a hand across his cheek. Then there was Andrew, her wrist gripped in his hand, twisted far enough to make her bend at an awkward angle. It was then that Aaron saw the first expression on his twin’s face, and it terrified him. His lips had curled back in a snarl, his eyes bright with an anger Aaron had never seen before.

It was that night that Andrew had offered Aaron a deal. They would stick together, just the two of them, and Andrew would protect him. Aaron believed this was the answer to what he had been asking for. Finally, he wouldn’t be alone. He made his promise to Andrew.

Months passed, and Aaron was still collecting bruises. It was almost worse now, to have a witness to his suffering. Someone who had promised him protection but couldn’t stop everything.

Then, the accident where Aaron was left with only Andrew. Just the two of them.

The funeral where Andrew’s arm was in a sling, a cigarette hanging from his mouth, and a strange gleam in his eye as the dirt was poured on their mother’s grave.

Nicky coming back from Germany, taking them in.

Moving into a new house and Andrew installing a lock on his door.

The agony of being locked in that bathroom, withdrawal clawing his body to shreds.

The slow isolation at school, Andrew refusing to let anyone close.

Nicky’s assault and the mandated therapy.

That awful laughter and empty smile.

And Aaron had to wonder if instead of his prayers being answered, he had been cursed.

~~~

Things began changing the spring of their freshman year of college.

When they first joined the Foxes, there was a clear divide between Aaron’s family and the others immediately. Any interactions ended in spitting insults at best and violence more than not. The others feared Andrew and his knives, circling their group like alley cats. Not that the three of them were much better. Nicky constantly antagonized the others, and the twins’ general lack of effort to get along definitely rubbed a few people the wrong way. The Columbia trips solidified their isolation from the others. Honestly, Aaron couldn’t care less about getting along with his teammates. He would leave them alone as long as they did the same. He was here for a degree, not friends.

Now, they had officially been knocked out of the championships. Not that Aaron could bring himself to care, but games days usually also meant Columbia, and Aaron desperately wanted to get off campus. Between the upperclassmen, Day’s bitching over the season and Nicky’s whining, Aaron was looking forward to drinks, crackers, and music loud enough to lose yourself in.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t go without Andrew. His twin was currently perched on his desk by the window, smoking and staring out at the campus, fingers rapidly tapping. Normally they would already be packed up and gone by now, but they hadn’t gone once in over a month. At first Aaron thought it was because of exy, but then Andrew would disappear from the dorms for hours at a time, much to Day’s frustration. The only reason Aaron even noticed this as odd was because his brother rarely left Day alone. He never told them why they stopped going, or where he disappeared to, and any complaints fell on deaf ears.

“Come on Andrew!” Nicky whined, “We never go to Columbia anymore!”

Andrew’s laughter made Aaron’s jaw tick. “Oh, poor Nicky, don’t you know that no means no?”

“But why not?” Nicky was still going.

Aaron didn’t know why Nicky thought he could reason with Andrew. Unless you were Renee the best result from interacting with him would be victim to a cutting insult or dismissal. Worst case you’d need stitches.

His phone buzzing in his hand distracted him from the conversation happening. Looking at the screen, he felt a wave of relief wash over him, soothing the tension in his shoulders.

Katelyn

You played great today! It’s too bad the season is over

Katelyn was an instant balm to Aaron’s anger. It was still new, this thing between them. They had met in their intro biology class and had spent many late hours at the library studying. She had been the first person at Palmetto who had bothered to get to know Aaron for him, not just as ‘Andrew’s twin’. At first, he was a sullen asshole, but her endless patience and positivity snuck past his defenses and made a place for her in Aaron’s very bones. The only issue was they had to sneak around; Aaron couldn’t risk Andrew finding out about her.

Glancing up to make sure Andrew was still distracted with Nicky, Aaron settled further into his beanbag.

Aaron

Whatever it’s just stickball

Katelyn

Still, I’ll miss watching you ;)

Aaron had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep the smile off his face.

Katelyn

How’s Columbia?

Aaron

Wouldn’t know we’re still in the Tower

Katelyn

Think you could sneak out for a bit?

We’re in that bar with the turtle

Nicky’s yelp brought Aaron’s attention back to the room in front of him. Andrew was still on the desk, but Aaron caught the glint of metal as a knife was put back in one of his armbands. His eyes followed Nicky as he retreated to the bedroom, face split in his usual grin. When the door closed behind Nicky, Andrew’s eyes snapped to Aaron, pinning him to his spot. Aaron glared back, daring Andrew to say something to him. To say anything.

Instead, Andrew flicked his cigarette out the window, slammed in shut, and left the dorm completely. Aaron wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or not.

He sat there for a moment, fingers tapping on his phone. If this was going to be following his typical pattern over the past few weeks, Andrew would be gone for hours, and wouldn’t notice if Aaron left. He would just need to be back before Andrew. Really, it wasn’t that hard of a decision.

Aaron

Be there in twenty.

Katelyn

<3

Grabbing his jacket, Aaron hurried out of the dorm, eager to get away. Even if it wasn’t Columbia, even if it was with the Vixens, any time with Katelyn was worth it.

Aaron didn’t look up as he left the Tower. If he did, he might have seen a heavy stare and two lit cigarettes.

~~~

Summer came, and somehow Betsy had convinced the courts to change Andrew’s medication. Something about an incorrect diagnosis or dosage. Aaron wasn’t sure how they thought an Andrew off the pills would be any better, but no one asked him for his opinion.

The upside was that Aaron had weeks free of his oppressive twin, and he could spend as much time with Katelyn as he wanted. It was the first time in years Aaron felt like there was no weight pulling him down, like he could finally breathe.

It was in those few perfect weeks that Aaron came to a decision.

He couldn’t lose this.

~~~

Andrew had come back from Easthaven reverted back to the emptiness of when Aaron had first met him. He had barely said a word to anyone since he came back, simply leveling that bored glare at them whenever someone tried to speak to him. Whenever Aaron saw him, he was fiddling on that damn flip phone, barely acknowledging his surroundings. Even the upperclassmen had noticed his attachment to the device.

It was during a meeting before the first game of the new season that someone finally snapped.

“Damn it, Andrew, what are you doing?” When Kevin got really angry, his face flushed. Right now, he was approaching tomato.

Andrew snapped his phone shut, “Nothing.”

“Bullshit, you need to focus. Our first game is tomorrow, and we are nowhere near ready.”

“Maybe,” Andrew drawled, “instead of worrying about me, you should focus on what you’ll do when you see Riko again.”

It was a low blow, but effective. Kevin immediately fell silent, his skin changing from red to white so quickly Aaron was surprised he didn’t faint. Edgar Allen had joined their district after Kevin announced that he would be joining the Fox line-up. Last year Kevin had showed up, hand bloody and broken, looking for sanctuary. Apparently, Riko had broken his hand in a fit of rage. Kevin had tried to sue, but with the connections and money behind the Moriyama name, it was ruled as an accident. The public backlash of that along with Kevin’s transfer to the Foxes had caused several headaches last year.

“Jesus, Andrew,” Nicky whispered.

Andrew opened his phone again. No one else tried to speak to him for the rest of the meeting.

~~~

It was a new bet among the Foxes: what Andrew was doing on his phone. Everyone agreed that it was pretty clear he was texting someone, but the question was who. Some believed it was a secret girlfriend, while others were still convinced Renee and Andrew were together. Others thought it had to be something illegal.

Aaron knew what he thought, and he silently watched and cataloged information away.

~~~

The season was going terribly. They were winning games by the skin of their teeth and they were more divided than ever. Seth and Kevin couldn’t stop fighting, their newest striker was a nervous wreck, and Andrew didn’t give a shit.

Their last game was against the Ravens, and they had been destroyed. Now, Wymack and Dan were looking for a win.

They were in the locker room getting ready for the game when Andrew’s phone began to ring. Aaron didn’t recognize the song Andrew used, but he knew he normally used the default setting for his ringtone. Andrew picked up before Aaron could think too much on it.

“What?”

At this point everyone was staring at him, not even trying to act like they weren’t eavesdropping.

Andrew scoffed, “Junkie,” he said before snapping his phone shut, tossing it into his locker, and slamming it door closed. A moment later he was stalking out of the locker room.

Silence was left behind in his wake until Nicky broke it, “So it isn’t a girlfriend?”

When the team was gathered again (...missing...)

~~~

(...missing...)Today though, Aaron needed to talk to him.

The chances of Andrew brushing off any attempt Aaron made to speak to him were high, so Aaron waited until Andrew would have to acknowledge him. On Wednesday, when Andrew walked into Reddin, Aaron was waiting for him.

~~~

“Fuck off,” Aaron growled.

Josten had that stupid smirk on his face, his finger tapping on his test score. It wasn’t even that Aaron did bad. It was that Josten did better. He always did better in this stupid class. Aaron hated statistics, but apparently Josten was a math major and took every opportunity to show him up.

From day one Aaron had disliked him. He had plopped down beside Aaron, ratty clothes and shaggy hair, and called him ‘the second Minyard’. Not only was he a complete ass, but he was completely unnerving. His eyes were a blue so pale they were almost glacial, and his face and arms were covered in slashes and burn scars.

Once, Aaron had overheard someone call him ‘Scarface’, and Josten had just asked, with a terrifying grin, if they were looking for some to match.

And Aaron was stuck in a room with him twice a week.

Josten tsked at him, still tapping at his score. “What? Still second?”

“Fuck off,” Aaron really wasn’t in the mood.

He just hummed, pulling his phone out, a god damn flip phone, and spent the next few minutes ignoring the review happening. Aaron could barely focus as Josten texted away; each click grating on Aaron’s already frayed nerves.

Aaron wasn’t even sure how Josten did so well; he spent most of the class doodling in his notebook.

[fitzs-trained-monkey]

Chapter One: Lonely Together

Jack Kline x OC

Rated: PG

~I might hate myself tomorrow

But I'm on my way tonight

Let's be lonely together

A little less lonely together~

Sent: 10:52 PM

Merry Christmas, stranger. I hope yours is as bright as new fallen snow. Stay warm.

I smiled down at my phone before clicking it off and slipping it into my pocket. I didn't know who I had sent the message to. It was just a number I had punched in at random. I didn't expect anyone to reply.

Wrapping my dark green cardigan tighter around my body, I pulled my knees in closer to my chest and pressed myself closer against the wall of the bakery. The wall was only slightly warmer than the frigid air around me. It was December 2nd and icy gales were blowing in from Lake Superior and stinging the skin of the city's occupants.

The sky hung dark, low, and flat over Copper Harbor, Michigan. Copper Harbor was an itty-bitty town at the northern most tip of the northernmost part of Michigan. You know that piece of land that's only connected to the mainland by a highway, that in-between place that really should be Canada, but isn't? That's where Copper Harbor is and that's where I was.

Copper Harbor was the sort of town where newcomers and visitors are as common as flying pigs and are treated with about as much scrutiny. It's not one of those small, friendly towns just off the highway; the ones that are pleasant to find yourself in if you've taken a wrong turn. It's quite the feat to get lost and turn up in Copper Harbor, considering its miles away from anything and everything remotely interesting, unless you're searching for Bigfoot or a drunk Canadian that took a wrong turn. Though those two things might just end up being one and the same. No, nobody came to Copper Harbor unless they had a reason. That's just the sort of place it was. And aside from the mind-numbing cold, it was exactly the sort of place I wanted to be.

The clouds were so heavy with the snow that now drifted down, dusting everything in a layer of fine white powder, it seemed that someone standing on even the lowest rooftop could reach up and touch them. The snowflakes raining down from those clouds gave the appearance of tiny shooting stars. Many would have found the sight beautiful. I didn't. I just found it cold and somewhat depressing. Some people say that shooting stars are angels, falling to the earth to bless the lives of people in need. I've never liked those sorts of stories. The stars belong in the heavens. The dust belongs on the earth. Collecting in puddles, the sparkling, sugar-like ice crystals did nothing to ease the bitter cold. I shivered and coughed, my breath fogging in front of me.

I should have frozen to death hours ago.

But I can't die. At least, not that way.

Suffering, on the other hand, I can do that to no end.

I put my head between my knees, hoping to retain what little heat my walking corpse had to offer. I struggled to remain conscious. The story of the little-match-girl was playing in my head. I'd never liked that story's ending. Hallucinations really weren't my thing, especially hallucinations about things I tried not to think about, the things I tried to burry in the farthest corners of my mind. I had to distract myself, to think about anything that would keep me awake. The problem was, there was nothing to distract me.

Pling!

My phone buzzed in my pocket with a text. I grasped it quickly, greedy for a distraction, but I paused upon seeing the number displayed upon the screen. It was that number I had texted the Merry Christmas message to. Whoever it was had texted me back. I unlocked my phone and peered at the mystery person's message.

Received: 11:18 PM

Merry Christmas to you as well!

The message read. I smiled a little, surprised that anyone would care to return my quiet Christmas wish. The screen of my phone lit up with another message.

Received: 11:19 PM

Who are you?

The question was a simple one. Though tone can often be difficult to infer over written text, the question seemed to bear no hostility, only innocent curiosity. I thought for a bit about what to say, the answer was not as simple as the question had implied.

***

Located quite literally one thousand miles away from Copper Harbor, was the small, out-of-the-way town of Lebanon, Kansas. Now, in the outskirts Lebanon there was a hill. The hill was modestly sized and carpeted with thick grass painted with a layer of frost. Although it was a rather pleasant sight for some stray hiker to find, the hill was really quite unremarkable. That is, if you ignored the hulking steel door built into the side of it that looked like the entrance to a post-apocalyptic hobbit hole. See, built under that hill there was a bunker. It looked like any ordinary bunker if one can ever describe a bunker as ordinary. But inside this ordinary looking bunker, sat something rather extraordinary and his name was Jack.

Jack Kline was quite happy where he was. Sitting with his legs crossed on a chair beside the bunker's fireplace, Jack held Sam's beloved lap-top between his knees. Sam let him borrow it on the nights he couldn't sleep. Those nights were many. Sleepless nights were one of the many side effects of being half-angel, but he didn't really mind. Jack wasn't overly fond of sleep, not like Sam or Dean who adored the few hours they got. Jack would much rather be awake because if he was asleep then he couldn't observe. He liked to observe. He loved learning. He loved taking in anything and everything going on around him, soaking it all up like a sponge with legs. He especially loved to soak up a story. Epic ones with heroes that defeat powerful villains. Jack loved stories.

So, no; Jack Kline was not overly fond of sleep. No, Jack preferred to just sit quietly and watch those epic stories as they played out in front of him on the screen of Sam's lap-top.

Currently, he was watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The computer had said he would like it, and the computer had been right. He had just finished season 2 and had begun on season 3. Some small voice in the back of his mind told him he should slow down and draw the series out a little longer, but Jack just couldn't find the will to do so. This story was just too good to stop. Jack shoved a hand full of popcorn in his mouth as he pressed the play button on the next episode. He had managed to sneak several bags of popcorn from the kitchen and into the secret stash in his room a few nights earlier. It was perfect, except popcorn needed to be popped and popping the kernels without attracting notice was a bit of a challenge. But he found that if he popped them during the day, when everyone was clamoring about and busy with whatever, the noise from the popping kernels wouldn't peak any suspicion. The only downside to his strategy was that it left him with cold popcorn. Though this too could be remedied via his angel powers, if he was careful about it, he could warm up the popcorn undetected.

Now, don't get the impression that Jack was being starved, or held in this bunker against his will, or something awful like that. As was mentioned before, Jack was very happy there. The Winchesters, Sam and Dean, and the angel Castiel, lived there with him and took care of him. They were his family and Jack loved them. The only reason he had a secret stash at all was because Sam was the only one in the bunker who cared about the importance of having a somewhat healthy diet. Whereas Dean let the boy eat pretty much anything he wanted and Cas- well in Cas's mind food was food and that's all there was to it. But Sam didn't like it when he caught Jack eating what he referred to as 'junk food'.

Somehow, Sam always caught him.

"That stuff’ll rot your teeth, Jack!" He'd sigh, as he'd flip on the kitchen light and catch Jack eating cereal sometime around midnight. Then he'd look at Jack with a disappointed look on his face until Jack threw the cereal away and went back to bed. Jack hated it when Sam looked at him like that, he just couldn't bear to let the Winchesters down.

But Jack loved to eat. Eating was enjoyable as it brought with it something new every time. Yet more things to absorb and to experience. Although the younger Winchester disapproved of the more sugary foods; Jack liked those a whole lot more than the salads Sam tried to get him to eat. Jack didn't like the salads or 'Rabbit Food' as Dean called it. No, Jack liked popcorn a quite a bit more.

He smiled as he brought another handful into his mouth. Yes, Jack Kline quite enjoyed eating.

Plip! Ploop!

Jack's head swiveled away from the screen to stare at the phone laying face-up on the arm rest of the chair in which he sat. The screen was alight with a text message. He picked up the phone and unlocked it. The message read:

Received: 10:52 PM

Merry Christmas, stranger. I hope yours is as bright as new fallen snow. Stay warm.

That was all. Jack was quite confused; he didn't know that number. Who had sent the text? What should he do? Should he say something back?

Curiosity and caution struggled in a match tug-of-war in his head. He wanted to know who the message had come from. He wanted to know why that person had sent it. He also wanted to know why he had a strange feeling that whoever had sent the message was horribly sad. But would the Winchesters be mad at him if he answered? Sam and Dean had given him the phone just a few days earlier.

"For emergencies," Sam had said as he laid the device in Jack's hand before resuming his packing. Jack had stared at it, rather confused as to its purpose. Castiel had been off somewhere doing something and Sam and Dean had been leaving for a hunt, leaving him alone which Dean was completely and utterly against.

"Only for emergencies," Dean had stressed, jabbing his finger in Jack's general direction as he inspected various articles of clothing before tossing them into a duffle bag. "That means don't text or call unless someone is breaking in or you're dying!"

Sam shot his older brother a warning look. Dean ignored it and pulled a pair of socks out of his dresser, sniffing them briefly before making a face and chucking them to the other side of the room. Jack looked back down at the small black rectangle in his palm.

"Okay so, only text or call in case there's an emergency. Got it." Jack clinched the thin black box between his thumb and forefinger, carefully lifting it up as if it might explode in his face. "But, one question, if something happens like-like you said, like somebody breaking in or me dying, how-how would I do that?" He asked, looking back at the two brothers. They both froze their hasty packing and pivoted to stare at him, their eyebrows raised with disbelieving question.

"What?" Dean asked the young Nephilim. Jack shrank away a little, not wanting to upset the older Winchester.

"How do I text or call you? I don't know how to do that," Jack had timidly replied. Dean just shook his head and returned to over-stuffing the duffle. Sam, however, was much more understanding.

"That's right, you-you don't, do you?" Sam asked, realizing his mistake. Jack turned his attention to the younger of the brothers, shaking his head in an answer to Sam's question.

"Unbelievable," Dean muttered, rolling his eyes. Sam shot him another glare which Dean merely shrugged off.

"Well, come on then, I'll teach you," Sam had said. Jack watched as Sam set the contacts and explained how everything worked. He showed Jack how to send a text, how to dial and answer a call, and all the other things Jack would need to know. Jack just watched him and took note of every little thing. Watching and replicating was how Jack learned best.

"Now, if I don't answer my phone, you call Dean. But if he doesn't pick up, I want you to call me again, if I still don't answer a second time, I want you to call this number right here. That's Jody Mills, she's a friend of ours and she'll help you, alright? You get all that?" Sam finished explaining and looked for Jack to confirm his understanding. Jack nodded.

"I got it!" He said, enthusiastically. Sam gave the young boy a nervous smile.

"You do? Can you repeat it back to me?" Sam asked Jack the question the same way Sam and Dean's father had always asked them.

"If something happens, call you, and if you don't answer, call Dean. If Dean doesn't answer then I call you again, but if you still don't pick up, then call Jody Mills." Jack repeated all of Sam's instructions perfectly, grinning proudly at the younger Winchester when he finished. Sam laughed a little, but nerves twinged his voice.

"Good, yeah. Okay," Sam paused, thinking things over, "You know what, Jack? If neither of us answer your call and it's really that urgent, don't bother calling me a second time. Just call Jody right away if you can't get through to either of us. Alright?"

"Alright!" Jack nodded, grinning. Sam nodded back, stiffly.

"Alright." He seemed like he wanted to say something else but didn't know how to say it.

"You two done in there, Sammy?! We gotta go!" Dean called, walking in from another room. Sam stood and looked at his brother.

"Uh, yeah. I think we're good," He took a few steps towards the stairs that lead up to the door before pausing and turning back to Jack, "We're good, right? You're gonna be okay here by yourself?" Sam asked again. Jack grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

"I'll be fine. You don't have to worry."

Sam nodded and smiled with so much nervousness it almost hurt to watch.

"Okay, good. It's good. We're good," He said, nodding and trying to reassure himself more than anyone else. Dean raised an eyebrow at his overly anxious little brother, tugging his old leather jacket on over his shoulders, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he directed his remarks at Jack.

"Hey, kid. Whatever you do, don't do anything stupid," He'd said, half glaring, "We'll be back in a few days." Then they'd left.

Now, Jack glanced back down at the phone in his hands, remembering Dean's warning about not doing anything stupid. But his curiosity regarding the sender of the message was overwhelming. It couldn't hurt to text this person back, right? Was that what Dean had meant by his warning? Did this count as something stupid? What was the worst that could happen? Deciding that the benefits outweighed the risks, he texted back.

Sent: 10:18 PM

Merry Christmas to you as well!

Jack wrote.

Sent: 10:19 PM

Who are you?

No sooner had asked his question, he began to worry that he might have sounded rude. He waited with anticipation for the mystery person to reply. He didn't have to wait long.

Received: 10:20 PM

It doesn't matter, you don't know me.

I'm just someone wanting to give you a warm holiday wish.

Jack frowned. Again, he got the distinct feeling that the person on the other side of this conversation was deeply saddened by something. He desperately wanted to know what. So, he did the thing he did best. He asked and waited to see what would happen.

***

Received: 11:21 PM

If you don't know me, why do you care?

I don't mean to be rude. I'm just curious.

Why do this?

I read the person's question once, then twice, then three times and I realized that I didn't have an answer. Why did I care? Why was I texting some random person a Christmas wish? For all I knew, this person may not even observe the holiday. I had so many of my own things to worry about I was nearly drowning in them. I didn't know this person. I had nothing to do with them. So, why did I care about their holiday season? Why was I doing this?

I told myself it was just a random act of kindness. But deep down I knew what the reason was, and even if I didn't want to think about it, I felt it in my heart. I was doing this for the same reason I did everything. So, I took a few moments and came up with a reply.

Sent: 11:25 PM

I'm doing this because I believe that no one should ever have to be alone,

especially during the holidays.

I sent my reply and remembered to keep on shivering. I could hardly feel the cold anymore, I had gone almost completely numb. But I knew if I didn't keep moving, I would surely freeze in place and be unable to move until spring came. I vaguely wondered how cold it was. I remembered having heard on someone's car radio that this was supposed to be the coldest winter Michigan had experienced in the last decade. Though winter had only just begun, it was already cold enough for the district council to be suggesting face coverings to prevent citizens from getting frostbite and losing their nose.

I sneezed. I had no such face covering. Hell! I didn't even have a jacket! Let alone a coat or anything mildly warm. All I had was my oversized green cardigan, my black Star Wars t-shirt and my black jeans. That was it. Yet here I sat, outside a bakery in well below freezing temperatures, shivering myself into next decade.

I could go to a shelter. At least there I wouldn't have to endure the bitter biting of the wind as it gushed with double its normal force through these tight, abandoned alleyways. But if I went to a shelter then there was no chance of leaving undetected, I reminded myself. No, it was better to stay here, cold and alone, than to risk human contact.

I was pulled from my thoughts by another pling from my phone. Another message from that unknown contact.

Received: 11: 27

Are you alone?

Again, the question was simple. And although the mere thought hurt like a knife twisting in a fresh wound, I looked around at the dark, trash littered alleyway I sat in, watching the scattered rags of paper flutter and tumble in the winter gales, and I looked at the brutally beautiful puddles of speckled ice gathering along my body and melting on my skin, and I examined the bleak night sky, choked starless by the drifting dreary clouds; and the utterly silent stillness of the sleeping city revealed the harsh reality of my answer.

No one was here.

Nobody cared.

Not even the stars would keep me company. Because the stars never cared who I was.

So, with no reason to keep the truth hidden. I answered the question honestly.

Sent: 11: 29 PM

Yes.

Sent: 11: 30 PM

I am alone.

I was completely and utterly alone.

***

Received: 10: 30 PM

I am alone.

Once again Jack got the distinct impression that these words carried a heavy burden. It made him frown. What could he do to help a person he didn't even know? He wanted to ask this person if they had any friends, but something about those words told him the answer. When this person had said they were alone, Jack got the feeling they weren't just talking about the current moment. But maybe that's what this person needed. Maybe they needed a friend.

Sent: 10: 32 PM

Well, I'll be your friend and talk to you. There, now you're not alone anymore!

Jack smiled as he sent the text. The reply didn't take long.

Received: 10: 33 PM

Thank you.

You don't have waste your time on me but thank you.

It didn't take any special powers to read in between the lines this time, anyone could see the sadness in those words. Though Jack wasn't sure if it was his powers causing that strange feeling or if he was just imagining things.

Sent: 10:34 PM

I don't mind. Really!

Besides, I don't have anyone to talk to either.

Received: 10: 35 PM

Well, in that case, we can be lonely together!

Jack grinned. He'd made himself a friend. He couldn't wait to get to know them.

***

Received: 11: 36 PM

Since we're friends now, what's your name?

I smiled down at my new mystery friend's message. There was something about the words that made them seem innocent and earnest. It couldn't hurt to give my name, right? It’s not like he could find me. After all, I'm supposed to be dead.

Sent: 11: 37 PM

My name is Martina.

I sent my name and waited for the response. It came quickly.

Received: 11: 38 PM

I like your name Martina!

It's very pretty.

I flinched as I read the text. Something about seeing my name written in the text brought me back to a conversation with a different person a long time ago. It was a painful memory, and I didn't want to see it anymore. I didn't want another reminder of the still bleeding wounds in my heart. I remembered why I didn't let anyone call me that name anymore.

Sent: 11: 39 PM

Thank you.

But I would prefer you call me Marty.

I didn't want to be so sensitive to things like this, but I just couldn't help it.

Received: 11: 40 PM

Alright! I like Marty too.

It's a fun name.

I smiled; grateful they didn't ask why it was so important that they called me by a nickname.

Sent: 11: 41 PM

Thanks for understanding.

So, what's your name?

Received: 11: 42 PM

My name is Jack!

I grinned to myself. I'd made me a friend. I just couldn't wait to get to know him.

Sent: 11: 43 PM

Heya, Jack!

It’s nice to meet you!

I think this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

Received: 11: 44 PM

I agree, Marty. We are going to be great friends!

Sent: 11: 45 PM

So, what's your favorite movie?

And just like that, we talked until the sun came up. And suddenly, for the first time in quite a while, I wasn't completely alone.

***

"Hey, uh, Jack? We're back!"

Sam's voice drifted in from just outside Jack's bedroom door. Jack was surprised. He hadn't heard the brothers come in which, for him, was quite peculiar.

The door creaked open and Jack hastily attempted to pretend like he hadn't been using the phone.

He failed.

Miserably.

The device slipped from his hand and he fumbled to catch it before it smashed against the grey, polished concrete floor. He let out a sigh of relief as he snatched it just in time.

Sam peered around the door, checking in on Jack, who was now hanging halfway off his bed and clutching the phone. Scrambling to sit upright, Jack gave Sam a half-panicked smile.

"Hi Sam!" He waved a greeting, shoving his phone behind his back. Sam raised his eyebrows in a questioning expression and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. He folded his arms and leaned back on his heels.

"Hey Jack," Sam seemed a little distracted, "Have you seen Cas?" He asked. Jack shook his head vigorously.

"He's not back yet," He answered. Sam nodded and started to leave before stopping and turning back. Only now seeming to notice Jack's odd behavior. Sam gestured at the phone hidden behind the boys back,

"So, what were you doing in here just now?" Jack's eyes flew wide as quarters and his gaze shifted rapidly around the room, focusing on anywhere but Sam. His mind was working overtime trying to find a viable excuse.

"Uhhhh...Nothing!" Jack tried; his brain had gone blank. Sam raised an eyebrow.

"You sure about that?" Sam leaned forward a little, narrowing his eyes. Jack leaned back to match; his face scrunched up with the guilt he was trying very hard to hide. Everyone in the bunker knew how terrible Jack was at lying. He might be able to pass a few simple fibs by a stranger, but his family saw through him like he was made of glass. He couldn't deceive them. But that didn't stop him from trying, however.

"Yes..." Jack said slowly, his eyebrows pulling together in a rather sad attempt at looking sincere.

"Jack, what were you doing?" Sam asked more sternly. Jack looked at his feet and didn't answer. His shoulders moved up and down in a shrug.

"Do I have to go get Dean?" Sam pressed. Now Jack's head shot up. He stretched his hands out in a pleading gesture.

"No, no! Don't tell Dean!" Jack begged. Sam's expression shifted into one of concern.

"If you tell me, I won't tell Dean." Sam agreed, moving to sit on the bed beside Jack who shifted to give him some space. Sam waited patiently for the young Nephilim to speak. Jack kept his head down and rubbed his hands together nervously as he tried to think of how he should explain himself.

"Well, last night I was watching Netflix when I got this text from somebody wishing me a merry Christmas-" He started.

"Someone we know?" Sam asked, interrupting. Jack shook his head and continued.

"I asked them why they would do that, and they said it was because they thought that nobody should be alone this time of year. So, I asked if they were alone and they said, yes ─" Jack looked the younger Winchester in the eyes ─

"I don't know why but I just got this- this feeling, and they sounded just so sad, and now we're friends! But Dean said not to do anything stupid, and now I'm worried that I did! Are you mad?" Jack finished, worry coloring his features. Sam blinked. Once again astounded by the size of the half-angel's heart, he shook his head.

"No, Jack. I'm not mad," He said, softly.

"Really?"

"Really. I think you did a good thing. Everyone needs a friend." Sam patted Jack's shoulder and smiled. Jack looked down, grinning to himself as pride filled his chest.

Sam waited a moment before getting up from the bed. Stretching his back out and groaning a bit as he stood. It had been almost 48 hours since he last slept, and he was more than ready for a long nap. His hand rested on the doorknob and he paused a moment before turning back around.

"Hey, uh, Jack. Just one more thing. Do you by chance know this person's name?" Sam asked. Jack looked up briefly before looking back at the floor again, trying to hide the embarrassment creeping up to stain his cheeks.

"It's, uh, it's Marty," He replied. Sam nodded and moved to leave again but he stopped. His eyebrows pulled down with confusion before he turned back.

"And uh, is that a boy's name or a girl's name? Do you know?" Jack turned his head a bit to the side and picked at a thread in his jeans.

"Does it matter?" He questioned back. Truthfully, it didn't. Sam wouldn't make Jack stop if he didn't want to. But to say that the boy's current evasive behavior didn't pique his interest, would be a lie. Though, the kid’s flushed cheeks told him quite a bit about the answer.

"It doesn't matter," Sam said, shrugging, "I'm just curious is all." The tall man watched the boy's reaction. Jack nodded and shifted as if uncomfortable.

"Marty's a girl." He answered, trying to force his voice into sounding nonchalant. And failing.

"Okay, cool." Sam nodded, turning around again, and reaching for the handle. Jack's head whipped around.

"Wait, Sam!"

Sam looked over his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"Don't. Tell. Dean!" Jack stressed. Urgency was evident in his voice. Sam huffed a laugh.

"Okay, Jack." With that, Sam pulled open the door and walked out letting the heavy steel swing shut behind him. Behind the door, Jack sighed with relief. He'd dodged a bullet with that one.

Walking a ways down the hall, Sam got to Dean's room where his older brother was now unpacking. The younger brother leaned on the door frame and expelled the laughter he'd been holding on to since Jack’s room. Dean turned around, holding a pistol and a pair of weeks old and hopelessly blood caked socks in his hands, he faced Sam with a questioning look.

"What's got you so giggly all of a sudden?" The older of the brother's asked.

Dean glanced at the pair of socks in his hand. He grimaced at the stench and held them further away from his face, trying not to breathe. It didn't work. The socks odor was so pungent, Dean could smell them through his mouth. There was no hope of washing them. Nope, those things would have to be burned. Though, taking another whiff of them, Dean wasn't sure that even incinerating the socks would do him much good now. The stomach-turning stink would be branded into his memory forever. Sam straightened up, shaking his head of shoulder length hair.

"It's just something Jack said." Sam smiled and laughed again before taking notice of the unholy stench wafting off the socks. He coughed. "Dude, those stink. Bad!"

"Yeah, it's a sad day, Sammy." Dean nodded solemnly. Sam covered his nose.

"Why?"

"These were my second luckiest pair of socks."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well, they're not anymore," Sam pointed out. Now, they were just rancid.

"I think we should give em' a Viking funeral, something to honor their service. I mean, I remember one time when I wore these things for two weeks straight!" Dean reminisced, grinning. Sam looked mildly disturbed.

"That's, uh... nice... But, uh, is there somewhere we could put them before the funeral? Because they, uh, they reek." Sam was trying hard not to gag and couldn't understand how Dean could be holding them and remain unaffected. Dean smirked.

"You wanna go put em' somewhere?" He asked, waving the socks into Sam's face. Sam leaned away.

"Ah! God! No! Put those things somewhere! Please!" He choked out. Dean just grinned and moved to the other side of the room. Grabbing a cardboard box from off the shelf, he shoved the socks in there and sealed the lid. The stench quickly began to dissipate.

"Better?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"We're gonna have to burn that box too."

"Yup." Sam still felt a little sick but at least the socks were gone.

"So, what was it Jack said that you thought was so funny?" The older brother asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing. It was nothing," Sam said. But laughter began to creep up on him again. Dean rolled his eyes and went back to pulling more dirty clothing from the duffle bag.

"Are ya gonna stand there or are ya gonna spill?" Dean pushed. Sam sobered up again.

"Well, I'm not supposed to tell you," He said.

Dean shook his head, mildly annoyed. He knew Sam was going to tell him whatever juicy information he had gotten, just like he always did when he got that sly look on his face. Sam could be a bit of a schoolgirl that way. Except, of course, when it came to the important things, the things Dean was supposed to know. Those things Sam always kept to himself.

"Well, Sammy, if you ain’t gonna spill─" he used the gun in his hand to gesture from Sam to the duffle bag─ "get workin'."

The younger Winchester moved to the bag and started unpacking, grinning his face off all the while. Dean knew his little brother was waiting for him to ask about the thing with Jack again, so he said nothing. He just waited for Sam to look over to him eagerly, which is exactly what Sam did.

"So get this!" Sam started.

'Here it comes.' Dean predicted internally. Sam kept starring.

'Yatzee.' Dean thought. He knew Sam like the back of his hand. Actually, he probably knew his brother better than that.

"Apparently, Jack got a text from some random person last night wishing him merry Christmas. And, well, you know Jack! So he─" Dean stopped his brother mid-sentence.

"What's her name?" He interrupted. Sam looked confused.

"I didn't say anything about a girl," Sam trailed off. Dean sighed and shook his head.

"Geez, Sammy! If you love drama so much, you should go be an actor. You ain't foolin' anybody. We both know where this is goin' so just cut to the chase!" Dean sighed, opening a trunk and tossing in the gun he'd been holding along with several knives. His small outburst had startled his younger brother, but Dean didn't really care. Sam wasn't the only one who hadn't slept in 48 hours. Sleep was calling and Dean wanted nothing more than to answer. Sam frowned.

"Marty. The girl's name is Marty," Sam stated, sounding rather put out that Dean had guessed at his not-so-cleaver ploy. The older if the pair turned to the younger with a perplexed expression.

"Wait, wait. Marty?" He clarified. Amused disbelief written all over his features.

"Marty," Sam confirmed.

"Marty?"

"Yeah. Marty."

"Like the zebra in Madagascar, Marty?" Dean asked, grinning. Sam nodded.

"Yeah, like that. But remember, you didn't hear anything from me!" He answered, smiling as well. Dean laughed as he turned his attention back to the mess of clothing and weapons surrounding him on the floor.

"Yeah, whatever, drama queen." Dean rolled his eyes and kept working. The room was silent for a moment before the older Winchester burst out laughing again. He couldn't help himself; he found the subject hilarious.

"Ah, man. Marty! Now there's a name!" He exclaimed as he started folding the few clean clothing items laying in the pile. "What? Did her parents just take one look at her and say: 'Look at our beautiful baby! Let's name her Marty!'" Dean scoffed.

Sam snorted and shook his head at his older brother's bad joke. Then he leaned his head back and yawned.

"Man, I think we need some sleep," Sam sighed. Dean smirked.

"Is it your bedtime already?" He taunted, expecting a playful retort. But this time, Sam didn't argue. He just nodded.

"Yeah, I think it is." Though worried about his little brother, Dean held his playful smirk in place perfectly, just like he had been doing for so many years.

"Well, you go ahead and hit the sack. I'll finish up here." He said, easily. Even though he was just as tired and Sam was, he would finish out like always. Sam raised an eyebrow.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, o'course. There's not much left anyway." That was a lie and they both knew it, but Sam took the offer of sleep while it was on the table.

"Thanks, Dean."

"You're welcome, Sammy."

Sam patted his older brother on the arm as he stood and left the room. Traveling down the corridor he got to his bedroom and was out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Meanwhile, Dean mouthed the strange name of Jack's mystery girl and chuckled about it to himself. Sitting on the floor in his room as he continued folding the rest of the clean clothes, cleaning out all the weapons and putting everything back in its place. The chore took him two more hours to complete but when it was done, he stretched himself out and laid back on his bed.

"Marty. Now, that's hilarious." Dean snickered to himself as he drifted off to sleep.

~I might hate myself tomorrow.

But I'm on my way tonight.

Let's be lonely together.

A little less lonely together~

Lyrics from: Lonely Together by Jasmine Thompson

[karazor--el]

Supergirl's Brainy Teases Intense Resolution to His Double Agent Storyline

Supergirl star Jesse Rath teased Brainy's confrontation with Lex, some 'intense' scenes, the return of his sister Meaghan Rath and more.

In the fallout of "Crisis on Infinite Earths," Supergirl's Brainiac-5 has embarked on his most difficult mission yet. On the advice of his female doppelganger, he distanced himself from the Super Friends and aligned himself with Lex Luthor in order to keep an eye on the supervillain's moves against Leviathan. As Season 5 moves into its final two episodes, this will come to a head when Brainy makes a decision that could nullify all the sacrifices he made to protect those he loves.

Speaking to CBR, Brainy actor Jesse Rath previewed what's in store for his character in the last two episodes of the season. He promised his double agent storyline will be resolved by the end of the finale, although some consequences will extend into next season. He teased a confrontation with Lex, some "intense" scenes, the return of his sister Meaghan Rath and more. He also reflected on creating a new voice for uninhibited Brainy, what it is like to work with Jon Cryer and why he'd wear his new comic book-inspired costume all the time if he could.

CBR: This season has been big for Brainy. I mean, his personality got almost an entire overhaul. How did you go about crafting this new voice for him?

Jesse Rath: I thought, for episode 10, it was important that each of the Brainies be distinct from each other. There was five of them, including my sister [Meaghan Rath], and two of them had transformations within that same episode. It was emo Brainy turning into the evil Brainy, and our Brainy Prime turning into the uninhibited Brainy. So I thought it was very important to be able to tell it was a different Brainy and a transformation through their voice. I thought it was very important that you could tell just by hearing that it was a different person. So I wanted there to be a distinct sound that could differentiate them between each other.

So yeah, the green Brainy -- uninhibited Brainy, who they referred to in the script as Suave Brainy -- is just like... I like to think of Family Matters when Steve Urkel takes the potion and becomes cool and he becomes Stefan Urquelle. It was more just uninhibited, more confident in himself and socially grounded. That's kind of what I was going for.

We've also seen a shift in terms of his looks, with a move towards a more comic book-inspired costume. Obviously, you're not wearing that getup all the time, but how has that changed your hair/makeup experience when do you get into it?

The green and blonde look? I mean, I love it. I would wear it all the time, if I could. I'd wear it home. I'm a big fan. It's made my life a lot more comfortable. I don't know if it's easier, but it's comfortable. I no longer have to wear a prosthetic forehead on on my face. That makes a world of difference, because it's very uncomfortable. There's a wire running down my back to turn on the lights and the thing is hot and I'm not very expressive in it and so it becomes hard to emote. You know, it's just a grueling process to put it on and take it off. So the fact that that's not in the mix anymore and that all have to worry about is being painted and get the wig thrown on me, it definitely is more comfortable and it's made my life a lot easier.

And you know what? Even if it was harder to do and more uncomfortable to wear, I'd still do it, because I love that it's the comic-accurate look and I know that it means a lot to a lot of fans out there that I look like this beloved character from the books and it means a lot to me too. I want to do the character justice and I want him to look the best he can. So it was a long time coming and I couldn't be more happy with the results.

Brainy has acted almost like a triple agent all season. Now, with the understanding that the season was cut a bit short due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, is that something we'll see a resolution to when everything wraps up?

Yes. You will. All that stuff comes to a head in these next two episodes. When I heard that we were obviously going to have to cut episode 20 from the schedule, I felt okay about it because episode 19 is such a strong episode. It's a great episode. David Harewood directed it. It's epic, action-packed. The whole storyline with Brainy comes to fruition. It comes to a point, and we leave on a cliffhanger. Whereas with episode 20, before we had time to resolve everything and see how the pieces landed, episode 19 will end on big cliffhanger, which is cool. I love it. It kind of puts Brainy in a very dangerous situation and I'm excited for everyone to see it. I think very strong episode. So I'm not worried about it at all.

How does Brainy's dynamic with Lex Luthor continue to evolve?

I think their patience with each other is wearing thin for both of them. I think Brainy can't really take it anymore. You know, knowing that Lex is actively manipulating him is a very frustrating thing for Brainy. You see in episode 18, he pulls the trigger on a decision and things start to crumble around him. He's aware that Lex is manipulating him and that, I think, is part of the whole reason why he's forced to work with Lex. It's working against all of his instincts that would put him opposite Lex, and so working with him, it's not the easiest thing in the world to do. I think you see, in these next two episodes, how that all unfolds.

You've been working pretty closely with Jon Cryer this season. What has that experience been like?

Well, it's a lot of fun working with Jon. He is a tremendous actor. I learned a lot from working with him, as I do with all my cast mates. It's great. He's a really down-to-earth, funny guy. Yeah, I've had a lot of scenes with Lex and then some more to come. We have a great one -- we have a couple great ones coming up in 18 and in 19, so I'm excited for everyone to see that. I think he does such a great job as Lex. I couldn't imagine anyone else playing that role now. It's so much fun working with him and I can't wait for you to see these next two episodes and see what happens with this whole Lex and Brainy storyline.

I'll admit that I'm particularly fond of the BrainNia relationship. That said, how will we see their relationship continue to grow?

Without 20 in our lineup anymore, there are certain scenes that I don't know if we'll see or if we'll have to wait till next season to see. But in this next episode, in 18, Nia does confront Brainy about everything, about him lying to her, working behind their backs and Supergirl and Nia do confront Brainy about how he's been acting. And in 19, I believe she starts seeing dreams of him. So yeah, there'll be some Brainy and Nia scenes. I don't know if it'll all be sunshine and rainbows, but we do get a lot of Brainy and Nia stuff to come in these next two episodes.

Last year, you had this frankly incredible scene where you ran through a gamut of emotions in about 30 seconds. As the season winds down, will we get to see a spiritual successor to that?

The closest thing I could think to that scene would be episode 10. I think that scene at the end of Season 4 of going through all the different Brainies maybe was like an audition in a sense to show that I could play multiple different versions of the same character. And I think that's what I really got to do in episode 10, which was physically embody all these different versions of Brainy.

But in terms of what's to come in these next two episodes, I'm not saying you should expect a bunch of Brainy cycling through a bunch of personalities, but things get just as intense and emotions are high and the situation is very dangerous. There are some epic scenes to come, and I think you'll be happy with it and I'm very excited for everyone to see. I'm very excited to it see myself!

Can you tease your favorite moment or scene from an upcoming episode?

Well, in 19, my sister comes back to the show. She will return to the show. So I have a handful of scenes with female Brainy, or Meaghan Rath, or whatever you want to call her. So I'm very excited to see those scenes. I always love working with my sister and I'm very grateful for her to come and do the show, so I can't wait to see those scenes.

Martian Manhunter actor David Harewood has directed a few episodes, and now Supergirl herself Melissa Benoist has made her directorial debut on the series. Would you be interested in directing, yourself?

I would! Yeah, I've always wanted to direct. It's something that I think is so cool, that Warner Bros. and The CW, that they allow their actors to direct. It's pretty cool. You know, I don't know any other networks that give us this opportunity and it's definitely something I'd like to take advantage of in the future. I think it's pretty cool. Yeah, I would like to do that. So who knows! Maybe Season 14 I'll be directing some episodes.

You joke, but look at Supernatural!

Exactly! Yeah. Fly in on my private jet and direct a couple. [laughs]

With Melissa directing the last episode, what was that experience like for you?

Oh, it was so cool. We were all so happy for her and proud of her and trying to support her. None of us had any doubt that she would be great. She's always filming and editing stuff on her laptop and she has a great eye for this kind of thing and, as you saw, the episode was amazing. Such a great episode! I love that whole sequence with "The Man Who Sold the World" song over Lex -- that montage of Lex giving speeches around the world. I thought it was a great episode, and I think she is a very talented director. We're all just very happy for her and very proud of her.

Do you have any game/book/TV/film recommendations for everyone stuck at home?

I've been playing a lot of video games. I play Mario Kart with my friends online. We've been doing a lot of Zoom calls and playing Codenames and games with my friends and family online. I watched all of Sopranos with my girlfriend and we really devoured that. We've just been making our way through television series. We watched Community -- for the fourth time, for me. I love that show so much.

I'm really taking this time to just consume a bunch of television and entertainment. It's really kept me going throughout this whole process. My girlfriend Holly and I, we're bunkered down here in LA, and we've been having a great time with each other, and we've been enjoying our quarantine. So we're making the most of it.

Airing Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, Supergirl stars Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers, David Harewood as Martian Manhunter and Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers. The Season 5 finale will air May 17.

CBR.

[ducklingdraws]

My Idea for a Scooby-Doo! Reboot

So a while back, after noticing that Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated was on Spectrum On Demand, I decided, "Hey, I'm gonna rewatch this show." I don't know why I did it, because I rarely ever rewatch shows. I'll watch reruns, but never have I actually decided to rewatch a television series. But, I did it for Scooby-Doo.

And frankly, I had forgotten how good the show was. It's honestly really dark, while also being absolutely hilarious; and in its humor, the show actually does really unique things with the Scooby-Doo gang, with the biggest example being this show's version of Fred Jones. It's wild. But in my opinion, the thing that really makes this show what it is...

...is its story. I feel like the story and characters are fuel for this show in a way that feels different from other shows, somehow. I don't really get it, but that's the way I see it.

So, seeing as there's all these serialized cartoon series nowadays, and Scooby-Doo is always getting rebooted in one way or another, I figured... what if I rebooted Scooby? If I had the opportunity to reboot Scooby-Doo and the only Warner Bros requirement was "just make it," what would I do with it?

Without further ado, this is To the Future, Scooby-Doo!

First up: The Premise

To kick things off, I'll discuss how the show is set up. This version of Scooby-Doo is set in the future. Technology has become more holographic and stuff like in the movies, but fashion hasn't evolved to be nothing but latex bodysuits yet. Flying cars are real but not very widely used, and clothes can tell the time.

On the biological side of things, prosthetics are holographic as well, and incredibly easy to attach. It's almost like having your original limb. Food is healthier while also being more environmentally friendly, and animals have been genetically modified for a very long time. They have been allowed to mate, which has eventually lead to many domesticated animals being able to speak!

The main setting is a large port town known as Port Intrigue, where all sorts of goods are traded, and many people lead peaceful lives. It's a nice place, and a lot of the economy is structured around it. There are other important trade cities like it, but Port Intrigue may be the most powerful.

It's also probably the weirdest, because in true Scooby-Doo fashion, no one can just "be a criminal." Heck no! Where's the fun in that?? If you're gonna try and get money through illegal fear tactics, you've gotta do it in style!!

And for some reason or another, the police get a little help with solving a lot of the more, uh... colorful mysteries. Help from a group of kids attending Intrigue High...

Next up: The Scooby Gang!

So here's the big part! All of my redesigns of the classic gang! Let's kick it off with:

FRED JONES

So this version of Fred is definitely toned back from various recent versions of Scooby-Doo, particularly the DVD movies and Mystery Incorporated. He's a lot more laid back, and has a sort of "cool guy" persona.

One day a long time ago, his parents, 2 great scientists, didn't pick him up from school, and apparently they mysteriously disappeared. So since then he's been living with Shaggy. At Intrigue High, he is in the theater program as a Tech, so he's good with pulleys and ropes and other various behind-the-scenes theater things, which makes him really good at making weird Rube Goldbergs - and traps, whenever the need arises. But when would Fred ever need to build a trap?

NORVILLE "SHAGGY" ROGERS

...Y'all can excuse the scribbles in the lower corner, right?

Anyway, this version of Shaggy is just as uptight as he always is, but instead of that only being attributed to mystery solving and creepy ghoulies, it's evolved into some much, much greater!!!

He's the mom friend now.

Y'know, telling everyone to watch their eating habits and be careful of opening soda cans because so help me if you scratch yourself...!

Long time ago he lost his arm so now he has one of those cool prosthetics. The trauma of losing it though has made him extra cautious, and a bit of a scaredy cat. Of course, he's willing to do whatever it takes for his friends, just like the Shaggy we all know!

He still likes to eat and is a bit of an amateur chef, participating in the culinary club at Intrigue High.

VELMA DINKLEY

This is my rendition of Velma Dinkley. She's still the smartest one of the group, and good at technology, but is also a boxer! She's not just strong, but also strong willed!

The Dinkley's have a long, long history of scientific endeavors, and Velma's father is a great scientist as well! Though really, it's more of a hobby for him.

Velma lives with her younger sister Madelyn (who some of you might remember from Abracadabra-Doo) and her father, Victor.

This Velma is snarky, yet quirky. She's got a real go-getter mentality, which everyone can't help but to respect.

DAPHNE BLAKE

Daphne Blake is a bit of a softie. She was never very forward with making friends, but developed a clique of her own with Fred, Shaggy, Scooby and Velma.

Her house used to be the gang's main hang out spot, but after the kids moved on to high school, they haven't been over to her house at all.

Daphne likes to draw, and really wants to be a fashion designer. In fact, she's a part of Intrigue High's costume design team for the theater program!

SCOOBY-DOO

Scooby-Doo has been part of the Rogers family ever since he was a puppy, and Shaggy was a little kid. The two have been basically inseparable their whole lives, with Scooby even attending school with everyone else.

He likes belly rubs, scratches behind the ear, and food. So in other words, he's the same Scooby we all know and love! Still fearful, but dedicated to his friends, including...

MEASLES

Shaggy and Scooby may have been buds since they were little kids, but before Shaggy, Scooby had Measles.

Since they're both GMO animals, they both have the ability to speak human language, which they would use to try and get food. Eventually, Measles was able to get Scooby into a good home with the Rogers family. Unfortunately, Mr and Mrs Rogers couldn't afford to take care of Shaggy, Fred, a dog, and a cat, but Measles promised to visit Scooby whenever she could, or that they'd at least see each other around. And she's kept that promise! Even to this day, the gang will sometimes find her in random locations, like... the Theater Program's costume box?

Measles has a lackadaisical, yet somewhat snarky personality, but definitely cares for her friends. It just may take a while to show it.

Last up: Everything Else

Uh, hm. I guess this is the generalization of the show.

Well, it's a giant celebration of Scooby-Doo. The gang wears different outfits, rarely wearing the same one in consecutive episodes. And each outfit would be pulled from a previous Scooby series (yes, including *shivers*... Get a Clue).

Also, other characters from previous series and Scooby media are not only in the show, but play decently sized rolls. For example, I already mentioned Madelyn Dinkley, but there's also Red Herring from A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, or Mayor Nettles and Sherriff Bronson Stone from Mystery Incorporated (they're married from the start this time!). Even the dreaded Scrappy Doo makes his return at (what I imagine to be) the start of Season 2, hopefully to redeem himself and not be relegated to a tired joke about "lol Scrappee sux XD"

Flim-Flam is back too, but is rebranded as Frida McScam, the fast talking troublemaking free spirited girl who takes everybody's crap and spins it in her favor (and also might be psychic).

Scooby's family tree is mentioned, and his parents even have a major role in Season 1.

Just a whole lot of Scooby-Doo trivia and stuff. Stuff that I imagine the people working on the show would be way, way better at remembering and putting to use than I am!

As for the overarching plot?

Well, what futuristic setting would be complete without aliens? I imagine the aliens would be a race of owl creatures known as the Willawaw (another Scooby reference because I hope this show is FULL OF THEM). Basically, these aliens are the bad guys, both in the show proper, and in a lot of the show's backstory. They're like myth villains, or greater scope villains, or something.

I was even thinking like, when the gang ends up running, rather than using a recyclable run cycle from a side view, everyone could have brand new running animations, like to distinguish them all as unique. Although I guess that's what the running cycles were... but the chase scenes are a lot like Mystery Inc, where they were a lot more action packed. It could be great! And of course, everyone would use the classic running style at some point throughout the show, because that seems to be tradition for Scooby-Doo.

This was a really big post! But if you read all of it, thanks a million! I hope you liked the small amount of art within, or just the idea in general! Maybe I'll even draw my reimagined takes on the other characters some day. But for now, I'll leave at this.

[s4msepiol]

Headcanon #1 | Yeux Disent Le Contraire

• Title: Yeux Disent Le Contraire  • Type: Fluff                                  • Requested by: @ramimalekrp-roleplayerpage • Request: “Can you do something with the character falling in love but using the attack method of hating you that couldn’t express his love to reader?” • Prompt: How the two of you went from enemies to lovers. • Pairing: Rami | Ahkmenrah | Josh | Finn | Reader

Whenever someone asked you about your relationship with the actor you weren’t quite sure about what to answer them.

You were his stylist that was a fact, something concrete and tangible, black on white. Unfortunately, most interviewers weren’t satisfied with such a pragmatic answer.

Was it friendship? Totally not. “Friend” was probably the last word that would have come to your mind to describe your relationship with Rami.

“Okay… Mr. Malek look over here… Perfect.” You heard the photographer say to Rami who was pretty photogenic under that light.

In fact, you could have found him handsome if your opinion of him wasn’t polluted by his extraordinary ability to make you lose your temper.

“Thank god, now I can take off that horrible shirt…” Rami said loudly enough for you to hear at the end of the photo shoot, with the exact same smirk he had every time he tried to get on your nerves.

That smirk could have sum up the whys and wherefores of every argument you had had with him.

The outcome of which was always the same, no matter what the reason.

He would fire you or you would resign then both of you would fight to prove that you were the one that had decided to put an end to that disastrous collaboration.

He would finally call you at an ungodly hour to stammer some excuses explaining that you were the only stylist he wanted to work with. After a few minutes you would put an end to those bowing and scraping with a concise yet so satisfying ‘I hate you, Malek.’ and at those words he would know that you would be back at work the following day.

At the end of the photo shoot, you packed up your things and were going to leave when you heard Rami’s agent’s voice.

“Y/N wait! I would need you to go to L.A next week with Rami for the SAGs.” And before you could answer anything you heard an all too familiar voice say:

“What about just sending the outfit to my hotel, trust me you would do me a favor by not coming with me.” Rami snapped directly at you.

“You’re sure you’re gonna be able not to put your pants on backwards without me, Malek.” He opened his mouth only to be interrupted by his agent.

“Are the two of you done? I’d like to see both of you alive by the end of the award season.”

“It wouldn’t be a great loss…” Rami sputtered ignoring his agent’s remark.

“Yeah picture that ‘Stylist kills an extra from Twilight.’” You retorted miming a newspaper cover.

“At least you would get to make the cover for once.”

“Fuck you.”

 “You wish.” And at those words, his agent handed you your plane ticket.

“We have a reservation under Malek, please.” Rami declared to the receptionist.

The latter gave Rami only one key…

“Excuse me, sir. There must be a mistake… Hum… I’m pretty sure we reserved two rooms for tonight…”

Do I need to mention that Rami���s attempts to find a solution were vain, the hotel being completely booked…

“You can have the bed, if you want, and I'll take the couch.” You heard Rami say from the bathroom.

“I’ll save you from that cliché...” You stated putting on your jacket. “I’m gonna sleep at a friend’s place, I’ll see you in the morning.”

And when you opened the door to leave, you froze at his raspy voice.

“Why do you always do that?”

“Do what?” You said turning away from the opened door to face him.

“Take two steps backwards every time I take one forward.” He literally took a step towards you, as if to prove something. You didn’t flinch.

“Rami, look I’m really not in the mood to fight with you at the moment. I thought you’d be happy not to have to spend the night with me, but you’re even more complicated than I thought…”

“Why wouldn’t I want to spend the night with you, Y/N?” He whispered to your ear, his left-hand closing the door behind you, his right-hand pulling you to him before crushing his lips to yours…

At your arrival at the museum while everybody was greeting you, he stayed away and stared at you with a look you couldn't quite identify at first. Hatred or indifference, maybe both but before you could put your finger on it Sacagawea dragged you through the hallways meanders of the museum.

Your first argument was about his guards obeying to you whenever he wasn't around, your Arabic being better than his. This disagreement only being the first of many.

He wasn't sure about how he had figured it out, probably because of the Iris scent floating in the Egyptian exhibit hallways when he came back or because of the chuckles of his stone giants whenever he would speak to them in Arabic.

I “أتعتقد ان هذا مُضحك ؟” I (you think that's funny?) He asked you dryly, interrupting your daily attempt to reconcile Jedediah & Octavius after the latter had insulted the first one’s mother in latin.

I “أتعتقد ان هذا مُضحك ؟” I You corrected him, putting the emphasis on the right syllable. He had developed a special ability at hiding what he felt when he was around you but you could see by his clenched-jaw that his annoyance was overflowing out of him like Nile after the rainy season.

“Lady Y/N, would you join me for a walk?” Lancelot asked you politely, interrupting Larry’s daily attempt to reconcile Ahk and you, his main idea being about looking for what the two of you had in common instead of fighting about your differences.

“It would be a pleasure.” You answered, secretly thanking Lancelot for putting an end to Larry’s lecture. Standing up to follow Lancelot you felt a pair of eyes on you and for some reason the feeling of those vibrant green eyes on you felt kind of pleasant.

“So what, you’re just gonna leave us here, Y/N?” Larry deplored as you passed your arm through Lancelot’s inviting him to walk with you.

“Don’t take it personally Larry but those little sessions between the three of us are less pleasant than the ten plagues of Egypt, deaths of firstborns included.” And before you even finished your sentence, Ahkmenrah’s expression went from a gaze darker than his coal hair to a chuckle he was desperately trying to hide, in vain.

Joining back your exhibit at the end of that little walk with the knight, you noticed Ahk sitting on your sarcophagus, in the dark.

“How was it?” He asked, his tone closer to the whisper than to a question. For the first time in what felt like millenniums there wasn’t a single ounce of irony, sarcasm or bitterness in his voice.

“It was like feeling what Jews felt when they crossed the Sinai desert…” You retorted, sitting next to him.

Another half-hidden chuckle… and for some reason you realized that his laugh was one of the most melodic thing you had ever heard. Still, his eyes were avoiding yours.

I “هل حاول تقبيلك؟” I  (did he try to kiss you?)

You couldn't tell what surprised you the most, his question or the fact that he asked this in a perfect Arabic.

I “لا.” I (no.) You didn't know how many seconds, minutes, centuries had passed between his question and your answer but you were sure of one thing: his eyes never left yours during that span of time.

“Good.” And at that word he pressed his lips against yours…

You and Josh used to be very good friends.

Your friendship often earning you some dumb jokes from the band about when the two of you would take it to the next step.

You don't really know when that friendship (not to say little infatuation) turned into the taste of ashes you had in mouth every time Chris would mention Josh's name.

You had been one of the few persons he had accepted to see after his sisters’ disappearance.

The only person, in fact… and that for a while…

You used to pick him up after his sessions with Dr.Hill, and despite circumstances that tradition was your favorite moment of the week.

And something was telling you that he looked forward to this Wednesday tradition as much as you did.

He would always find an excuse not to go home right after his appointment. Excuses that went from a new horror movie you desperately needed to see, to a new pizzeria in town which pizzas were “better than almost any trip to the bone zone.”

You often caught yourself smiling at the thought of the note he had once left you on a napkin willingly forgotten in your car.

You can't tell when or why he decided to put an end to those traditional Wednesday afternoon trips but one thing was sure, you hadn't seen it coming.

“Hum… Sam offered to take me home after my session tomorrow… I’m hope you don’t mind…”

Not that you were against the idea of Josh making up with Sam, Chris and the others. You had been encouraging him to do so for months.

But he had done it so quickly almost precipitously…

And the closer he got to them, the farther you felt from his orbit…

Your exchanges soon only consisted of a nod in the morning when the two of you would join the band.

You weren’t even friends anymore, just two persons having friends in common.

Soon enough, the indifference turned to hatred.

You often thought about tearing that freaking napkin apart.

Still, you've never been able to... Because that stupid piece of paper was the only thing proving that you had been friends, if not more. The only thing proving that you hadn’t made it all up…

To your surprise, he invited you to the lodge with the band.

But you knew Josh, probably better than he knew himself, and you had noticed that the closer you got to his sisters’ disappearance anniversary the harsher and more acrimonious were the few remarks he granted you of.

You soon concluded that he didn’t want you to come, that he just didn’t want to be the kind of asshole that invites everyone besides one particular person.

So you came up with some lame excuses about not being available because of a family dinner.

And for the first time in months, you caught the glimpse of a smile on his face at your words. It was official, he hated you...

You're the first person he asked for after waking up in the hospital, the day following his prank.

At first, every cell of your body told you not to go, that he wanted you only because everyone had turned their back to him after his demonstration of humor.

Unfortunately for you and your will not to care, while you were on the phone with Josh’s mother explaining you how important you were to him and how he didn’t want to see anyone besides you, your eyes lingered on the piece of paper pinned on the wall.

“I’ll go.” You said out of the blue, interrupting whatever she was saying while your fingers brushed the words on the napkin, as if to feel the hand that had left them there.

“Y/N? You came?”

“I did it for your mother… and because that’s what…” You stopped at the thought of Beth and Hannah. “… they would have wanted me to do.”

You hated that man with every fiber of your being, still your heart bled at the sight of the scratches, bruises and stitches on his face.

You can’t tell how much time you stayed there on that chair next to his bed, your mind emanating and analyzing a thousand thoughts per second.

“What are you thinking about?” Josh asked, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“I just don’t understand you, Washington. So what, you hate me enough to destroy every shred of affection I used to have for you but not enough to pull that sick prank on me?”

He remained silent.

“You know what? That was a bad idea, I shouldn’t have come.” You declared before standing up to leave.

He grabbed your wrist before you could do so.

You looked at him, searching in his eyes to know what was happening in the battlefield that he called his mind.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” And before the sound of his voice even stopped resonating within you, his lips captured yours.

Tobey hired you after you beat him in a car race.

The guys were so excited at your arrival, their team despite being the best of the country desperately needed to be spruced up.

Finn quickly shook your hand before going back to the mustang he was working on.

You decided not to care, your attention being fully caught by Joe and Benny's questions about your favorite brand of hubcap or your opinion on this or that car model.

The first car you worked on with the team was a Swedish Koenigsegg Agera R.

After 1 month spent pampering that car, you could count on one hand the number of times you and Finn had talked to each other.

“Guys… hum and Y/N, the work you did on that beauty is breathtaking. I’ve been thinking about this a lot and I’m sure everyone here will agree with me… Y/N I would like you to drive her at the next De Leon.” Tobey solemnly declared handing you the keys of the car. Benny and Joe opened a beer and drank to you.

“To Y/N and her new steed. I hope that it won’t be the last thing you will be riding.” Benny declared raising his beer.

You hadn't been able to appreciate every sexual nuances of his joke, the latter reminding you that the De Leon, despite being the most prestigious race was also the most dangerous.

“That’s out of question.” Finn retorted suddenly, reminding you by doing so that he was there.

Joe, Benny and Tobey defended you, reminding him that you were the best and that he knew it.

“You heard me, that’s out of the question. I’ve put so much effort in that car that there’s no way I’m gonna entrust it…” He stopped as if to gather the courage to speak. “… to a girl.”

The garage remained silent for a few minutes.

“Go fuck yourself, Finn.” Tobey finally said, putting his jacket on and inviting Joe and Benny to do so.

The minute you heard their cars driving away, it took you all your will not to kill Finn right there and then.

Wrenches were thrown.

You had never noticed his skill at avoiding objects thrown in the air by a woman’s bruised ego.

“You know that I’m gonna drive it whether you like or not.”

“Nope.”

“You know I am.”

“That’s what we’ll see.” Finn taunted you before trying to break the window of the car with a wrench you had “placed” there sooner.

You stood in front of the car window before he could do so.

You were not even sure, given your relationship with him, that it would keep him from ruining 4 weeks of hard work (or incidentally from putting an end to your life).

It worked.

He dropped the wrench, the impact sound of which on the floor made you flinch.

“Don’t you ever do that again.” He ordered you, while staring at your face to be sure he hadn’t hurt you.

He had a smile drawn on his face. Finn was a handsome man; a thousand thrown wrenches wouldn't change anything to that.

“What makes you smile?”

“You’ve got a bit of…” He said low while wiping away a small stain at the corner of your mouth. “… motor oil.

You couldn't tell if it was true or not but the kiss he placed on your lips right after felt better than winning any race.

✉️ @dearmrmalek @ramimalekrp-roleplayerpage

[risefirstorder]

-”Alright! Perfect! That's a wrap. You all did absolutely wonderful and I enjoyed working with you for this drama.” The director announced.

-"But, as you know we still have many things to prepare for it before this gets broadcasted. As of now we have three months for our editing team to put everything together. For our main actors and actresses you will have a short break before interviews start rolling in. Have a wonderful week everyone! You are dismissed!"

-She claps and everyone starts gathering your things to clean up the set.

-"Ah, Taehyung, y/n, may I speak with you?" The director pulled us to the side.

-"We have three months until broadcast, so we asked if you not signed contracts for any other company until the three months are up."

-"Okay, that's fine. I was planning on taking a break anyways. This season was tough." Y/n says slumping her shoulders.

-"Yeah, I think I'll take a small brakes for the time being, it's only three months." I shrugged glancing at y/n.

-"Okay good, then I'll see you then, call me if you need anything!"

-"Okay." We said simultaneously.

-The director wandered off to help everyone else, leaving me y/n behind.

-"So, when are you leaving?" I asked her, I have something important to ask her today.

-She smiles, "Not for about an hour. I'm going to miss it here." There are some good memories in these walls.

-"Me too, this was my second set, so it does mean a lot to me." She nodded looking around with distance in her eyes.

-"Well I'm going to pack up. Talk to you later. Be safe on your break." She smiled her beautiful smile that can brighten even the sun.

-"You too, I mean it, be safe." I confirmed as she walks away to her dressing room.

-I stand there for a minute calculating I should have just enough time.

I had to my room and gather my stuff up that I moved last night.

-After about 20 minutes I grabbed the only thing left in the room, a bouquet of breathtaking fresh red roses.

-They're so perfect she won't be able to refuse! I went through five floral shops just to find the best flowers, and here they are.

-I walked out of my dressing room for the last time. These times are sad, saying goodbye to everyone you've worked with for over a year.

-But they are also happy times, to look forward to new adventures in the future on other sets.

-I'm near y/n's room, but I hear a voice, male for sure. It sounds familiar.

-I peek inside, of course! It's Yeo Jingoo. He is the other main male role besides I.

-So, of course it would make sense for them to be talking, right?

-I stand outside, what should I do? Wait?

-I look inside again and notice a lily in her hand, a few minutes go by as they talk and laugh. Her smile is brighter than ever.

-She hands the lily to Jingoo. He scoops her up in a big hug.

-I stand there horrified I feel my heart shatter at that very moment.

-My bouquet of roses falls to the floor as I rush out of the set, my eyes swelling with tears.

-I'm just overthinking that's all. They are just friends I hug my friends and co-workers all the time. We're all a close family.

-I said outside on a bench collecting my thoughts. I can't just leave without saying anything, I regret it forever

-I stand up deciding I have to do it, I have to tell y/n.

-Marching back inside with a newfound confidence I think to myself, good or bad, I'm telling her.

-She is standing just outside her room looking over scripts. As I walk up to her she smiles distracting my overthinking mind.

-"Hey, what's up Tae?"

-I look straight into her eyes, "I have something to tell you."

-Her smile turn to a serious expression, "I'm listening?"

-"I-I've been working with you for a while now." Memories race through my head of all the times we had on set, and even off set. We've gone out to lunch and dinner countless times, we've laughed at each other stage mistakes. So many things…

-"I don't regret any of the time I spent with you. I had so much fun, I've come to realize that I was truly happy, and you seemed the same."

-She nods slowly seeming to know where I am going with this, "I just wanted you to know I'm here for you," I pause for a few moments summing up my courage, "I like you, y/n, I like you a lot, to the point where I am so happy just seeing you.

-She clenches her jaw at my words, her eyes are difficult to read.

-"Listen Taehyung, I like you, but don't get me wrong. you're a cool and seriously funny guy, but I don't think I can return your feelings you have for me." she looks away.

-"I understand," I lower my head to stare at the floor in complete anguish.

-"Uh well… I'm sorry, but I have to go…" she shoots me for smile. As I look back up at her.

-She waves awkwardly and sprint's off to another group of actors and actresses. I stand there in silence, I got what I wanted didn't I? Closure.

-I stumbled out to my dark car that stood out in the parking garage of the huge filming studio.

------

-I kicked the leaves as I walked up to my door and unlocked it with a free hand. I dropped off the contracts that I can't even sign, on my desk.

-I stare at them for a minute with my mind retracing my steps. So that's how it feels to be rejected by someone you secretly loved so much.

-She doesn't realize I would do anything on this Earth for her.

-A tear streaks on my face,"Why, y/n?" I croaked, "Why…" I fell to my knees as tears gush from my eyes like a serene waterfall during a flood.

-I cry until I can't anymore and everything hurts. I drift off in the end exhausted sleep with swollen eyes.

------

-I sit by the cafe window watching the snowfall in Christmas lights twinkle as the local news plays softly in the background.

-I scroll through my phone with nothing particular my mind.

-I finally signed a new contract for a Christmas drama being the lead male role. Something to look forward to, starting it at least.

-The TV flicked to the latest celebrity news, the reporter smiled, "Y/n just announced that she will be taking a short break for the holidays before starting back up again on a new schedule and drama that is yet to be released.

-She also announced that she and the popular actor Yeo Jingoo are in a relationship. That's so sweet considering they were both in…" My mind trails off.

-Of course they were dating. The signs were all there, I was just in denial. Our poor hearts. Aren't the pitiful, haha.

-I gently smile while starting my coffee, she seems happy, her smile is as bright as the snow.

-As long as she's happy, I am at peace, because that's all I ever wanted for y/n, to live her best life and smile with her heart.

[caranfindel]

Recap/review 14.11: “Damaged Goods”

THEN: Oh, good, we're going to have a Nick episode. I was hoping for that. (NOT.) Michael is trapped in Dean's internal walk-in. Billie has bad news related to that.

NOW: Nick interrogates a demon about another demon named Abraxis. The name sounds a little familiar and I waste a few seconds wondering where I've heard it before, but then I realize it's the demon who killed Nick's family and this has been Nick's entire focus and that's how little I care about Nick and his quest, that I couldn't even bother to remember who he was after. Anyway, he learns that the hunter who last dealt with Abraxis is in Hibbing. Oooh, who else do we know in Hibbing?

Title card!

Dean is packing. Books about angels. Tools. Work gloves. I was a little afraid we were going to ignore last week's horrifying revelation, and Dean would just sit on that information for a while. But he's wearing his Red Shirt of Bad Decisions, so we know the shit is going down tonight! \o/

He leaves the storeroom and kind of looks down the hallway, which is really insignificant the first time you watch this episode, but on rewatch you realize what he's thinking right here, and that he doesn't ever expect to see this hallway again... but I'm getting ahead of myself. He goes into the library, where Sam is quietly studying in the darkness (is that a new shirt? I like it). He ignores it when Sam asks how he's feeling. Dean tells Sam he appreciates that he's trying to help him, and Sam's all, yeah, what else would I do? He asks if Dean wants to join him, and they have this conversation.

Actually, I thought I'd go for a drive, you know, just me and Baby, long stretch of road. And figured I'd make it a two-fer, go see Mom at Donna's cabin.

Yeah, yeah, that sounds great. Be good to see them. Just let me find a stopping point and get packed up.

Actually, I was, uh, I was kind of hoping for some one-on-one time with Mom, if that's cool.

Yeah. Sure, yeah. Whatever you need.

And I thought this conversation was going to break my heart, because Sam clearly does NOT think this trip sounds great, but he's going to go anyway because it's what Dean wants/needs to do, and then Dean rejects that, and Sam's little face is going to do me in. And on rewatch, it kind of seems like Dean is stalling here, like he can't bring himself to leave (but again, I'm getting ahead of myself) AND THEN THIS HAPPENS.

Dean comes around behind Sam and HUGS HIM and says "take care, Sammy" and I'm just WHAAAAT. NO THIS IS NOT RIGHT. THIS IS SUCH A BAD, BAD SIGN, SAM WINCHESTER, AND YOU KNOW IT.

And also, there goes the rest of my heart.

Cut to Mary at the aforementioned cabin, talking to Sam on the phone. She says the cabin's been quiet since Bobby took off for a few days. The old "I need a little space after killing the ghoul version of my dead son" thing. Happens to the best of us. Sam tells her he's worried because Dean's acting so weird, and mentions the hug. Mary says "that's sweet," proving that she doesn't know her sons at all. Really, Mary, you've witnessed ONE hug between them. ONE. Sam points out that they don't hug unless it's "literally the end of the world," which isn't quite true. It would be more accurate to say "unless one of us is dying or just came back from the dead," which is slightly more frequent than the end of the world Either way, Mary assures him that everything will be fine. But as Sam's talking to her, he's walking through the storerooms in the bunker and he sees some books are missing.

(Sidebar: Why are these books kept in the storeroom and not the library? And why are regular tools apparently kept with supernatural paraphernalia? Couldn't that cause problems? What if a MoL novice was sent to Storeroom 2 for a reciprocating saw and he couldn't figure out why a saw would reciprocate or what that would look like and he came back with something he dug out of a curse box instead? I'm seeing all kinds of potential OSHA violations here.)

Now we see Dean enjoying a messy burger. Oh, he's with Donna! I love Dean and Donna, y'all. She tries to ask him about himself, but he keeps deflecting. Which doesn't fool her at all, and she finally says "just wondering if you've run out of ways to ask me how I'm doing, so as to avoid me repaying the favor." She knows about Michael, because of Sam. "What, has he got a freaking newsletter," Dean grumps. But I'm glad to see Sam's been talking to his support system, because in the past, he's not done that as often as he should.

Dean ends the conversation with the typical "I'm fine" nonsense and gives Donna one of those big hugs where he looks absolutely stricken while she can't see him and then plasters on a smile when they pull apart, and you KNOW how I love when he does that. He pulls away and says "I'll see ya." But it's pretty obvious Dean is on his farewell tour and never intends to see Donna again. It's also pretty obvious that Donna can tell something is up.

Dean pulls up to the cabin, which is seriously in need of some work on the roof, and immediately hears gunshots. It turns out to be Mary murdering some pumpkins for target practice. (SHE'S STILL GOT THAT LOCK OF TOO-LONG HAIR.) He tells her he wants to stick around for a couple of days, which surprises her. She suggests they call Sam to join them, but he says he wants to be "a little greedy with my Mom time." No, Dean, that's not suspicious at all. Jesus. (Or, as someone pointed out, Sorry Sam, but Mom was MY gift.)

Mary pushes it, and Dean comes right out and says "I don't want Sam here," and again, Dean, that's not suspicious at all. How is someone who lies professionally such a BAD liar? He explains his mood away by claiming to be hangry, even though he just finished the best burger in all of Minnesota, and tells Mary he wants the one thing she can cook, something called Winchester Surprise. She heads out to the grocery store, and doesn't suggest that the son who drove all this way to see her would want to ride along. Or maybe she does, and he refuses, and they just didn't show us that part. Anyway, the important thing is, Dean's alone and he has work to do.

He gets his bag out of the Impala and strides purposely into a large shed decorated with pictures of topless guys with 70s porn 'staches. The first one reminds me a LOT of Doug 2.0, so I laugh when Dean says "Well, Donna certainly has a type." Yes she does. He finds an 8-track player, of all things, but is interrupted by a sudden burst of Michael banging on his door. The tape he chooses is the Guess Who, and the song is "No Time Left For You," which I've never liked (lots of experience with 70s music here, kiddos) but it seems appropriate. And then he gets to work, and if you thought Sam soldering last week was hot, you're in for a treat. Let's forget our annoyance with the soundtrack and concentrate on how much we appreciate Metalworking!Dean, complete with welding helmet and safety goggles, under the watchful eyes of several shirtless moustachioed cowboys.

Mmmm, yes, we do appreciate it.

(Sidebar: Where did all this metal come from?)

Meanwhile, at the grocery store, we get a fake-out where we think someone threatening is accosting Mary, but it's only a friendly employee. And we also see that Mary puts her grocery bags in the bed of her truck? So not only does she not know how to cook, but she doesn't even know where to PUT FOOD? I.e., IN THE CAB?

He says buying food is new for her, because she usually buys whiskey, pumpkins, and crossword puzzles. Damn, Mary, it really seems like things aren't going well out there at the Love Shack if you're spending all day drinking, shooting pumpkins, and doing crossword puzzles. I'm gonna go ahead and call it - Mobby is doomed. She tells him she has family in town, which I expect to turn into the inevitable oh no, this guy is a demon and now he knows Dean is there.

But I'm exactly wrong. Nick pulls up in the creepiest windowless van possible and asks the guy if he knows where Mary Winchester is. Because why wouldn't he? Why wouldn't Random Grocery Store Guy know where everyone in Hibbing Minnesota, population 16,361, resident or guest, lives? Random Grocery Store Guy pretends he doesn't know who she is. Good for him.

(BTW, the fastest route from Lebanon to Hibbing is about 12.5 hours. But it's all interstate and I suspect either Winchester would take the route that uses more state highways and is 13.5 hours.)

(Sidebar: Yes, when I open Mapquest, Lebanon is always in my Recents. Is that not normal?)

Apparently Nick decides he'll just cruise the greater Hibbing area and try to find her, because we seem him after nightfall driving his creepy van. A police car drives by, and then turns around and pulls him over. He makes sure his stolen angel blade is in place and hides a paperclip somewhere on his person before the officer gets to him. Oooh, it's Donna!

She cuffs him and tells him the van's been reported stolen, but she also reveals she knows he's looking for Mary, and don't like the way she lays all her cards on the table like that. Let him think you're just arresting him for a stolen car, Donna. Don't let him know you're onto his Grand Scheme. He says his name is "Nunya" and then "Eat Me" (oooh, is he related to the Eat Me Sam met a few seasons ago?), but she's got some kind of mobile fingerprint scanner. Does this thing exist? She discovers who he is, but while her back is turned, he uses his paperclip to get out of the cuffs. They fight, and she seems to have the upper hand, but he gets her taser and that's the end of that.

Love Shack. When Mary pulls up, Dean is outside by the door to the Shed of Mysterious Building. He lies about what he's doing out there and carries the groceries inside, to where the table is set and he wants to help her cook (THIS IS NOT OKAY) and she FINALLY realizes something is up. (Also, Dean, we know you're not a terrible cook. Don't lie just to make your mom feel better.) She quietly talks to Sam from upstairs (though not quietly enough, Dean totally would have heard her in the real world) and agrees that something is going on. Sam tells her about the missing items and says he thinks he should come up, but she says to give her more time. WHY, MARY. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THE PERSON TO ADDRESS THIS AND NOT SAM. WHY DO YOU INSIST ON KEEPING HIM 13.5 HOURS AWAY. WHY. It doesn't matter, because when Sam hangs up, we see he's already on his way. YES. THAT'S MY BOY.

Dinner. Dean tells a funny/tragic story about their childhood and Mary gets a case of The Sads, realizing how much she's missed and "how much the two of you just..." Just everything, Mary. They just EVERYTHING. Together. Without John, without you. AND STILL YOU THINK SAM SHOULD SIT IN THE BUNKER AND LET YOU HANDLE THIS. DAMMIT, MARY.

Anyway. Dean says her being alive has meant "everything to me, and everything to Sam." He claims to appreciate this wonderful time they're having, but he falters when he says "there's no clouds on the horizon." Because it's a LIE. She tells him he can talk to her about whatever he's going through, and he says "Everybody keeps asking me how I am. And how I am, is I don't want to talk about it. Please."

Oh lord, his face.

Later, as he snores gently on the couch, we see Mary tiptoe downstairs and outside, to check out what's happening in the Shed of Mysterious Building. (Sidebar: Dean sleeps with one arm flung behind his back, which I think we first saw in No Escape, and I always thought it was an odd and fake-looking way to sleep until I realized I actually do that sometimes myself.) She looks through the books and things and figures out what he's doing and it must be bad because she says "no, no, no." Meanwhile, Donna is waking up inside her own cruiser. I wonder why Nick left her alive?

Dean wakes up to the sound of a ringing phone. It's not his, it's Mary's. Donna is calling to warn him about Nick. But it's too late, because when Dean goes outside, Mary isn't there. But Sam is. "Hey, whoa, easy!" he says, facing down Dean's gun, and that tickles me for some reason.

Creepy van. Nick whines to Mary. He found email from Mary in Donna's phone, giving the address of the Love Shack. He thinks Mary knows where Abraxis is. She does - the demon is trapped inside an Enochian puzzle box in a storage locker, locately conveniently in or near Hibbing. I don't care about any of this.

At the Love Shack, Sam blames himself for Nick running around like a free madman, because of course he does. Donna's APB gets a result - the creepy van has been spotted outside Grand Rapids. Donna says that's 30-40 minutes away, but Grand Rapids is actually 11.5 hours away from Hibbing. Maybe there's a little town called Grand Rapids near Hibbing. A town so small that Mapquest doesn't even know about it.

(I KNOW. NO ONE CARES. MOVING ON.)

Nick gets the Enochian puzzle box (yeah, this scene goes on FOREVER and I'm skipping a lot here, is anyone complaining? nope didn't think so) and wants to release the demon so they can talk. Mary points out that the demon needs a host to talk, and it can't be Nick and it can't be her, and she flashes an anti-possession tattoo as explanation. So drills the box open and Nick forces the storage locker employee to be the host. Abraxis says he'll tell Nick why they killed his family if he kills Mary slow and bloody.

While this is happening, we see Sam and Dean on that 30 minute/11.5 hour drive to Grand Rapids. Sam looks despondent, and they have this conversation:

Say it. I can see you want to. Might as well go ahead and say it.

All right. Nick is not a project. He's not a freaking puppy. He was Lucifer's vessel for years.

I know that, Dean, I thought -

You thought he'd what, just walk it off? Come on, man, you're not that dumb.

It's not about being dumb, Dean, it's called compassion. Look, what happened to Nick could have happened to me. It almost happened to me. You change one little thing in our past and that WAS me! Lucifer wearing ME to the prom. Besides, since when do we give up on people? Since when do we just cut people loose?

Well, maybe you need to learn, okay? Because when people are past the point of saving, maybe you need to learn to walk away.

Ouch. I hurt for both of them. Poor Sam, seeing himself in Nick and wanting to save that guy the way he wishes someone had wanted to save him. Having faith in Nick's potential the way he wanted someone, anyone, to have faith in his own. And Dean obviously isn't talking about Nick, at least not there at the end, because we've heard it from Dean before, talking about himself. I can't be saved; walk away.

The guys arrive at the storage locker just in time to stop Nick from killing Mary slow and bloody. Nick scratches out the devil's trap that's holding the demon, and Abraxis immediately tosses them around and tells Nick he was chosen completely at random. Damn, Nick is as whiny as Lucifer was. (I wonder who influenced who? Discuss.)

Dean tries to quietly exorcise the demon, but Abraxis flings him against a shelf and we get a flash of skin. But before he can start killing anyone, Nick stabs him with the stolen angel blade. Then Nick acts like he's going to stab the others if they don't let him escape, so Donna shoots him in the leg. Dammit, Donna, this was the perfect opportunity to kill him. He already killed one person, and he was threatening to kill the rest of you. It would have been a clean shoot. Instead, Mary punches the wounded whiny baby and Sam does a wee little version of his glorious post-exertion huff.

Outside, Sam gives Nick a sad, confused look.

Why?

I needed the truth, Sam. I needed revenge for my family. You would have done the same thing.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't help you, I'm sorry I didn't know how.

It's not about you, Sam. It was never about you. You couldn't fix me because I didn't want to be fixed. I was never broken.

Yeah, Nick, you are. I don't feel sorry for you, Nick. I feel sorry for the people you hurt, the people you murdered. The people whose faces will haunt you every night for the rest of your life. You can burn.

FUUUUUCK. That's cold as hell and it's not like Sam Winchester at all and I love it to pieces. He's finally given up on this asshole. But it's finally time to move away from the B plot, and Mary tells Dean she saw what he was building in the shed. She knows what he's building, she knows what he's planning, and the three of them ARE going to talk about it. And if he doesn't tell Sam, she will. So, you finally think Sam's input is important, Mary? Good to know.

When the sun rises, we're back at the Shed of Mysterious Building. Dean is showing Sam what he's done. He calls it something like a "maloch box," which I'm sure is spelled wrong. It looks like a giant coffin (yeah, about that...) Nothing can escape it, not even an archangel. Sam knows what they are but says they're impossible to build, and Dean's all, "not so much." And then they have this conversation and I'm sorry (no I'm not), but I had to transcribe the whole thing.

That's your plan? You want to be buried alive?

Buried's not safe enough. Plan is, pay a little hush money, charter a boat to take me out to the Pacific. Splash.

You and Michael, trapped, together, for eternity.

Yeah.

You do realize how insane this is, right?

It's the only sane play I've got. Michael gets out, that's it for this world. And he will get out.

How do you know that for sure?

Because I do. Because I can feel him, in my head. That door is giving. I can feel it giving.

There has to be another way.

There's not, okay? There's... Sam, you've tried. Cas has tried. Jack. And I love you for trying, but none of it's going to work.

But we don't know that!

Yeah, we do.

What?

Billie. She paid me a little visit. She said that there's only one way that this ends right. And this is it. This, right here. This box. So she gave up the special recipe and all I had to do was the work. It's fate.

Since when do we believe in fate?

Now, Sam. Since now.

So, you came out here, to see Donna, to see Mom, on some what, some sick secret farewell tour? You were gonna leave, and you weren't even gonna tell me. Me. Do you realize how messed up that is? How unfair that is?

I didn't have a choice! Sam, you're the last person I could tell, the last person I could be around, cause you're the only one that could have talked me out of it! And I won't be talked out of it. I won't. I'm doing this. Now you can either let me do it alone, or you could help me. But I'm doing this.

...

All right.

Oh, guys.

Well, I've got to admit, Dean's prophesied horrifying death was a letdown. First, because it wasn't even new - it was basically the same fate Death offered him when he had the MoC. Worse, sure. Being locked in a box with an angry archangel rather than floating in space and having some kind of dream life, never a good option. (ASK SAM. HE KNOWS.) But mostly because it didn't live up to his reaction when he first read Billie's book. I was sure (and I wasn't alone) that his tearful reaction meant it was going to involve something horrible for someone he loves (SAM). But this? The Dean we know would have reacted the way he did when Rowena told him he had to "be the bomb" in order to destroy Amara. Yeah, this sucks, but I always knew it was gonna end ugly, so, whaddya gonna do?

(Sidebar: This brings up an interesting question. I know an angel's vessel is immortal, but would Dean still be immortal even though Michael was trapped inside his head? Would the fact that Michael wasn't in the driver's seat stop him from keeping his vessel alive? Or would the angel's grace do that all on its own?)

But oh, guys. This scene. THIS SCENE. These two. Dean saying I love you for trying. Dean at the beginning, chin up, so defiant, so defensive because this is exactly what he was afraid of - telling Sam, and having to stick to his plan. (He's probably remembering the last time Sam talked him out of this very thing, kneeling on the floor in front of him, agreeing to support the plan for Dean to lock himself up with the Mark of Cain forever, looking up at him with the puppy dog eyes and nodding to accept that Dean has to cut his head off in order to prevent him from undoing that act; or maybe he's not actually remembering that but now I am, goddammit guys, I need a minute.) And Sam realizing that last little hug was Dean's last planned goodbye, and being so angry and so hurt, and the way he looks so young there at the end, when he stops and finally says "all right." I know we've seen this before but IT STILL GETS ME. EVERY DAMN TIME.

(Sidebar: Did Dean leave Sam a note? Is it in the bunker somewhere? Because Sam's last conversation with his father was the old man saying I don't know why we always fight, now go away and his last conversation with his brother would have been I want to go visit Mom without you. Discuss. Fanfic it. Come wail with me about it.)

(Also... Dean's farewell tour didn't include Cas? Jack? Jody?)

Well. Happy 40th birthday, Dean Winchester.

Worst. Birthday. Ever.

So, this episode? Too much Nick. Not enough Sam. Things that did not live up to expectations. But also, things that were wonderfully unexpected. I've seen worse, my friends. What did you think? And please help me stay unspoiled, thanks!

[seekandsekkle]

Blessed New Moon Family. Happy Gemini Season Whoo Hoo!!!! We've got a Sun, Moon and Eclipse in Gemini. What a Birthday Gift (6-14, 51 Summers Baby) I'm grateful to be here. Excited for what life is bringing me these days and excited for all of you who took a chance on ya girl and let me fill your inboxes up with Pots, Cups and Sips of Tea. The energy of this moon is bringing the new as all new moons do but its coming in slow due to the retrograde of Mercury and Neptune. Technology has not been allowing us to shine with glitches and freezes, shut downs, zap outs and malfunctions of every kind. The universe really wants us all to have several seats and read a damn book or take a long walk or something. She really aint feeling us having all this screen time and is asking us to reflect, plot and plan our next moves so we're ready when the Summer Equinox comes sauntering in. (June 21st) This Moon/Eclipse energy will have you having epiphanies and revelations and such. You will be communicating with the seen and unseen forces. Dreams will be prophetic and deep af. Pay close attention to what they are showing you, get a dream interpreter if you need one ( I'll do it for you) so you are clean and clear with what Muvah Moon is trying to tell you. This Eclipse of the sun will cast a fire ring around the moon asking you to do a once over on your shadow side. This ain't a time to be marinating where the low vibrations reside. Check your privilege, check your attitude and get back in alignment with your higher self. This double double energy is a set up for some fuck shit, resist at all cost. You will be so sorry you fell for it when it's all over. Take the high road in all things, stay low, pray high is what I always say. Some of us will feel like lead is in our shoes. You really don't wanna do nothing and I'd listen to that somewhat. Take care of the major things in your life as much as you can but don't be surprised when you do try shit aint working right. I'm learning to just wait it out cause it beats trying to break through a brick wall with my tender head meat. The blessing of this moon cycle is that we get to call things into existence. Be clear about what you are asking for, make sure secure housing, coins and good health are on your list. Due to things opening up people are everywhere doing everything, acting as if the pandemic is over. Tread lightly in these streets and keep that hand washing and face covering going on around people. Spirit has spoken and we need to keep our protection game strong especially for those of us who are anti-vaxin and relaxin. 

Ritual: Sit in your sacred space with the scented candle or incense, vase of fresh flowers, and a list of your intentions. Use the power of the word and speak your peace out loud. Not in a shout but with conviction. We want it known that what we want, we deserve. Muvah is listening with a keen ear. She will flush out the superficial and give you exactly what you need, not always what we want. Be grateful because we don't always know what we need until it lands in our laps. That don't mean you can't ask...ijs I'd burn that lil' piece of paper and let the ashes blow in the wind. This double double air energy is sure to send your message right up to Muvah herself and that's a blessing.

Big O'pot of Tea (read your sun, moon and rising for a full cup of tea)

Aries - Getcha coins right. Investments, budgets, piggy bank, rainy day fund. Do any or all of this and thank me later. All the cards talk about the bag, getting it and keeping it. Think long term money, retirement money and generational wealth. The universe is on your side while taking these steps so get into it. Call in the Money Gawds and ask them for help with your stock portfolio...invest in something good...think of what we always need and putcha money on that. Your song for this moon cycle is "Money don't matter 2 nite" - Prince. It matters for you right now fa sho

Taurus - This new moon is giving you all the goodies baby. Things are stacking up on the luxe level, the coins and the bae. Enjoy all this goodness and be grateful for it. Call in support to stay in a good mood and trust the process. You don't want to spoil your pot of gold before you even have a chance to spend some of it. Stay tuned into the light and spread that love on the people who support you since they may not be as abundant as you are these days. Your song for this moon cycle is "D.M.S.R."  - Prince. Because you want it and need it .

Gemini - It's your time baby!!! Your sun, your moon, your eclipse. One would think its a good time to throw a big ass party and invite all 10,000 of your fans but no. You get to have a seat...a Royal seat, a luxurious birthday seat but a seat nonetheless. This is a quiet time, a relaxing time an alone time. Yeah I know this don't sound like a fun birthday but your body and soul is begging and pleading for it. Listen for once cause the fuck shit is lueming in the background waiting for you to step out. We want you safe, hydrated and refreshed this trip around the sun. Call in peace this moon cycle and allow it to be just that. Your song this moon cycle is "Shhhhhh" - Prince. For encouragement to lay around in luxury and quiet.

Cancer - You've been on the receiving end for the last few moon cycles in some way now it's time to give back. Make sure the people who show up and show out for you know that you love them. Do something special to brighten their day. They will be shocked that you even care and that makes this even more special. You are very good at receiving now lets see you give where it counts. Call in abundance in all its forms so you never feel like you are lacking in anything. This will keep your spirits up when this moon fuck your emotions up. Your song this moon cycle is "I Wish You Heaven" - Prince.  So you feel prayed on when you get sad

Leo - The sun might be setting on your old job/career and the Black moon might be rising on a new opportunity. If you like what you're doing great but if you don't this is a good time to start looking. Call in work that is in alignment with your heart. You should be working smarter, not harder. Make sure your intentions reflect something better than what you currently got going on. Your moon song this cycle is "Let's Work" - Prince

Virgo - Be excited about life dear one. Life is worth living. You can tend to stay on the brooding side of things and aint no fun over there. I dare you to take a walk on the wildside...just pack up and go. I feel the grin on your face now. There is a whole world out there waiting on you, go see it while you can still fully enjoy it. Call in Adventure Time, alone, with bae or with some friends. Your song this moon cycle is " Party Up" - Prince

Libra - You deserve to have your needs met. This comes up in a real way this cycle. Make sure your boundaries are known with the people close to you so they can avoid your explosive outburst when you reach your limit. Call in the support you need to make your dreams come true, ask for the help to stop procrastinating and actually get some shit done. Your song this moon cycle is " Good Love" - Prince. It's clear you need some.

Scorpio - Have a clear-the-air day with bae, or housemates or the kids. This ain't a time to bite your tongue. Ion mean pop off, just don't let small irritants pile up. Speak to your beloveds and get back to having fun cause that what hot human summer is all about.  Call in cooperation with the fam so all this talking you gotta do is worth it. Your song this moon cycle is "Gett Off" cause why not since you're so good at it *wink*

Sagittarius - You're coming in Hot to new and old flames and that's dope. You workin workin working day and night and that's securing the bag. But where is selfcare on the list? You can't forget you in all this. Call in a break and body work so you don't blow a flat tire on the side of the road within ya self. ya dig? May your care be just as important and the people you take care of. If you are ok they will be ok...okay. Your song for this moon cycle is "Forever In My Life"- Prince. So you make sure you are forever on the got damn schedule umkay!

Capricorn - Love is calling your name Capricorn. Stay open to the possibilities of love or at the very least tenderness and sweetness. You act like a hard ass but your creamy center is showing. This will let the ones who like but are a lil scared of you come out of the closet and make a move. Try not to be too awkward and allow some goodness to pour over on you. Call in the courage to say what you need in these new interactions. If a muthalova baulks when you speak your truth it ain't the end of the damn world this just ain't your person. Just move on and dont make it mean nothing. Your song for this moon is "Somebody's Somebody" - Prince

Aquarius - Your emo flag is flying high. It's ok to wanna be with family, it's ok to reminisce on the good times. It's ok to wanna feel loved and appreciated, It's also ok to stop doing too much so you don't get sick or hurt. Sit down somewhere and relax. The streets will wait for you. Call in spa treatments or long dead sea salt soaks at home. Your song this moon cycle is "I Feel For You" because we love you!

Pisces - Life got you wide open. You workin, you socializing, you doing all the things. Life is lifin' and you're making the best of it. At the end of the day it feels good to be in the flow of it all. Call in the inner knowing and innerstanding so you don't get distracted and fall off. Trust the process and enjoy the journey. Your song this cycle is "Trust" - Prince. Trust you know what you're doing even if you never did it before. The creator brought you this far trust that she is taking you to the next level too.

Personal Message: Do you want this pot of tea in your inbox twice a month. If so you also get a personal reading at the end of the pot. To subscribe for the next 3 months send your $150 to either of these payment sites with "Subscription" in the notes so you never miss a pot of tea. Cashapp $bushmamaafrica of Venmo: ReshawnGoods@omimagic

Extra Sips of Tea -

Crystal

Blue Kyanite is perfect for this New Moon and Eclipse energy because it helps you make sense of the unstable transmission of communication due to the retrogrades, You can tap into hidden potential in yourself and spiritually you can use this to really connect with the positive unseen forces around you to help you manifest greatness in your life. Use this stone with your ritual to call in your needs and wants with clean clarity. 

Herb

Make a pot of fresh Mint Tea before bed to relax your muscles, to aid in your digestion and get rid of headaches. This tea will be extra soothing to your mind and body. We all need this balm soul calming tea to deal with the double air energy brewing right now. Have extra cups this week.

 

Yes Gemini Tea. PRINCE songs. I had too