#tried to make it look like a circus or movie poster

[icecreamsodaaaaa]

"Ringleader" Ruby and scarlet

[amenders93]

3 Weeks till Chicken Run 2!!!!

No relationship is perfect; we all know that. Not even in the movies or on TV shows either. We've all seen it happen and we've all been there too. Every relationship can have a little bit of a setback that can put the whole thing into perspective. For example, you may think you know someone well but then you discover something about them that you never expected and it makes you rethink everything you thought you ever knew about them or maybe even how you feel about them. For this week's post, we are going to review the times that Rocky and Ginger were apart. This all happens the next morning after their rooftop moment when Rocky tries to tell Ginger the secret he's been hiding from everyone including her but unfortunately, he just can't get the words out. That's because Rocky is realizing he's fallen in love with Ginger and he knows how much his contribution means to her. He doesn't want to hurt her so he's forced to make the biggest, toughest decision he's ever had. But could it also be the biggest mistake he's every made? And what about Ginger? She's falling in love with Rocky; how will this affect her too?

Let's pick up the next morning when Ginger is energetically hanging up Rocky's poster outside of hut 17 with all the chickens surrounding her. They were all excited to finally see their charming last hope demonstrate his flying technique. Today is the day they're going to fly, up and away from their horrible prison after so long. Ginger is excited to see the rooster she's falling for in action; she tells the others to start warming up and that she'll get Rocky. When she reached Fowler's hut, she knocked on the door and opens it, expecting to see Rocky's charming smile and his handsome face. But to her shocked surprise, the room is empty; Rocky is gone. Ginger's heart dropped to her feet.

Looking around the room, her eyes lit upon the torn piece of paper on the bed. It was the same paper that Rocky held in his hands the night before. Sitting on top of the paper was the medal that Fowler had given to Rocky. He left it behind because he felt that he didn't really deserve it. Ginger sadly walks over to the bed, picks up the medal and looks at it, wondering where Rocky was and why he had left. Then she notices the paper; maybe it holds an answer to the questions gnawing at her mind. Oh boy; here comes the big reveal 😳. Ginger picks up the paper, slowly unfolds it and stares at it in disbelief. She has just gotten the biggest shock of her life!

We now find Ginger walking back to where the hens were waiting. As she walks by them, all their smiles dropped and part ways to let Ginger by them. They could tell she was upset with her sad, wide eyes looking only forward, towards the poster of Rocky flying. With her shoulders hunched and dragging her feet, she raised the bottom half of the poster, matching it to the top half that was hanging up. It was the bottom half of the poster that she had found on the bed. And on it was a picture of a cannon - the cannon out of which Rocky had been fired. There was a lightning flash and a thunderclap, illuminating the shocking reveal. Then, as the rain began to fall, they start to lose hope again, even more so than before.

Ginger was starting to feel the same thing, for the first time ever. Lifeless and speechless, she stared at the poster, tears filling her eyes and her beak quivering. She finally knew the truth; the big secret that Rocky had been trying to tell her last night at the dance party and later on the rooftop. Rocky couldn't fly after all; he was part of a chicken cannonball circus act. Ginger feels utter betrayal and is frustrated at him for being a traitor, but she's also frustrated at herself for not finding out sooner and being blinded by his charms just like everyone else. She loses all hope and wants to forget about Rocky entirely. We don't see it happen but I bet you that as the rain falls, Ginger's tears are falling down her cheeks showing just how sad and angry she is about Rocky right now. Sad about him leaving and angry at him for lying to her 🥺.

At that same moment, Rocky is standing on the crest of a hill on the road outside the farm, looking back at it. Guilt was not a feeling that he was used to having, but he was sure having it now, even more than last night. Even though he has fallen in love with Ginger, he knew how much his contribution meant to her and therefore makes the tough decision to leave the farm immediately without her knowledge in order to avoid confronting her and hurting her feelings after calling her out on her brutal honesty. I mean, can you blame him? Rocky was in a lose-lose situation so either way he was going to lose something. If he told Ginger the truth, he'd lose her. But if he didn't tell her, he'd have his dream girl but he'd lose his self respect. I know it was wrong of him to leave without talking to Ginger, but he had sacrificed his love for her by doing so, even if it meant that he would never be truly happy again 🥺. Rocky reminds himself that he was trying to do what he thought was the right thing and just hangs his head in shame and continues to walk down the long stretch of road - alone.

Meanwhile back on the farm, Ginger is sitting on the ramp onto hut 17 and staring at the ground, totally depressed. The other chickens were still huddled around the poster too shocked, stunned and dumbfounded to move. They all turn to Ginger for a new plan but Ginger, with her hopes dashed, breaks the bad news to the hens. Their only way out of the farm now is smothered in vegetables, marinated in gravy and wrapped in pastry. Actually the pastry part was Ginger's saying but I added the vegetables and gravy parts 😉. Without Ginger's dreams to guide them, the hens begin to squabble which turns into an all-out mud fight. When Fowler steps in to break it up, he gets in on the fight too when Bunty challenges him after she flings his precious medal into the mud.

Ginger, meanwhile, isn't slinging mud. Instead, in the middle of the chaos, she was having a thoughtful moment. She sees the medal in the mud, picks it up and stares at it, remembering about how Fowler always talks about his days in the RAF. Ginger silences the fighting and asks Fowler what the RAF is, with the old rooster explaining that the RAF stands for the Royal Air Force. When she also asks him what "the old crate" he also keeps talking about is, Fowler takes her and the others into his hut where he pulls out a photograph out of his footlocker and shows it to Ginger. The photo was of a WW2 Royal Air Force bomber airplane. As Fowler once again launches into one of his long-winded explanations, Ginger wasn't really paying attention - because she was once again coming up with another idea. She tells the chickens that they're still going to fly out; they're going to build an airplane just like the one Fowler used to fly.

With no time to lose, the chickens all get organized with everyone lends a hand. Mac will handle the engineering, Babs will handle the manufacturing, Fowler as the chief aviation advisor and Bunty providing the eggs to give to Nick and Fetcher for gathering the tools and supplies they need to build the crate. That entire day, while the chickens built the crate, Mr. Tweedy is in the barn trying to fix the pie machine. There was one close call when they thought the machine was fixed but all it did was squirt out hot gravy at Mrs. Tweedy, ending up with her painfully kicking her husband. Even though they still had more time, Ginger wasn't taking any chances. She walks among her troops and encourages them to keep going with their tasks, feeling proud of the amazing enterprise they had pulled together out of nothing.

But then when Ginger compliments Babs on her progress, Babs calls back, "No problem, doll face". Ginger walks out of the hut, her smile faded away. What Babs said had suddenly hit her: she actually missed that big dope calling her doll face. Ginger is realizing that even though she wanted to forget all about Rocky, she couldn't help but miss him. She missed hearing his voice, seeing his handsome face, and just being with him entirely. She looks at his circus poster still clinging to the wall, wondering where he had gone. At least we now know how Ginger really feels about Rocky. Even though she was mad at him, she still loved him with all her heart. If only he were here with her ❤️.

Meanwhile at that moment, Rocky was out in the world, riding along on a tricycle. A radio was strapped on the back and it was playing his favorite song "The Wanderer" by Dion. He is singing along with it as he pedals down the road. Pretty soon, he stumbles upon a large billboard. A moment later, he stops the tricycle, pedals backward and stopped in front of it. Our dashing rooster looks up at the billboard. It read "Mrs. Tweedy's Chicken Pies" and showed Mrs. Tweedy all made up to look very charming in her gingham apron. But yet only those who truly knew her would notice that sinister something lurking behind her little smile.

This advertisement starts to remind him of the hens once again, especially Ginger. It also reminds him of how much he cared about the chickens back on the farm, how much Ginger's dream of freedom for her and her friends really meant to her, and most of all, how much he really did love that determined and spunky hen. Rocky is now beginning to question his decision to leave Ginger, Fowler and the other hens in their time of need. He starts to feel absolute shame in himself. How could he leave when he was their best hope? His empathy for the chickens begins to grow even more. Rocky is now making another big decision; one that will surely change everything. I just hope this new big decision is better than his first one 😒.

During the time they have spent apart, Rocky and Ginger had plenty of time to think about how much they truly meant to each other. With Ginger, when she discovered Rocky's terrible secret, she first felt heartbroken that he was gone, but then she felt betrayed and frustrated that she allowed herself to be blinded by his charms and not finding out the truth sooner. She lost all hope and wanted to forget about Rocky entirely. This was easier said than done because she gets reminded of him again in the midst of everyone building the escape plane, with Babs uttering in response to her, "No problem, doll face", just like Rocky used to do. Ginger realizes at this point, she misses him greatly for he had made it into her heart and she couldn't help but fall in love with him. That cocky yet charming rooster had become a big part of her life and now he was gone. Don't worry, Ginger. Your Prince Charming will return; love always finds a way. Especially if it’s true love ❤️.

With Rocky, he had considered all the hens his friends, thought of Fowler as a father figure and even had fallen in love with Ginger. Unfortunately because of the immense guilt he felt about the big lie he has kept from everyone and knowing that he was falling in love with Ginger, he knew how much his contribution means to her. Therefore, he made the tough yet stupid decision to leave the farm immediately without Ginger's knowledge in order to avoid facing the spunky hen and breaking her heart after calling her out on her brutal honesty. Well you did anyway, you big dope 🤦🏼‍♀️. Rocky thought that he could move on with his life now that he was free, but he soon discovers that freedom can be a lonely road to follow, especially after seeing the billboard. All that does is remind him of Ginger and the other chickens again and that he made a big mistake to leave the farm when they truly needed him. Rocky is now starting to listen to his heart and not his head, and his heart is telling him that his friends needed him. Especially how much he truly missed Ginger; he still loves her with all his heart ❤️. What do you think he's going to do this time?

Anyway this is my tenth weekly Rocky/Ginger moment post commemorating the upcoming sequel to Chicken Run. I hope you enjoyed this post. There will be 2 other posts about the first film coming up in the future. Waiting for this long-awaited sequel may not be easy but these posts are making it easier as the release date draws nearer. But now the wait is almost over!!!!

[englishmoribund]

"Exploring Uncommon Vocabulary: 12 Words to Add to Your Word Bank"?

Vocabulary is an important aspect of language learning, and it can be fun to explore new and unusual words. In this blog post, we'll take a look at 12 interesting and uncommon vocabulary words, along with example sentences to help you understand how they can be used.

Tonitruous: (adjective) characterized by a loud or thundering sound Example sentence: "I was trying to sneak out of the house early in the morning, but my tonitruous sneezing gave me away and woke up the entire neighborhood."

Funambulist: (noun) a tightrope walker Example sentence: "I've always dreamed of running away and joining the circus, but the only job they had available was for a funambulist, and I'm terrified of heights."

Minimus: (noun) the smallest or least significant member of a group Example sentence: "I was trying to impress the judges in the hot dog eating contest, but I'm such a minimus that I could barely finish one frankfurter, let alone the whole plate."

Lickspittle: (noun) a person who behaves obsequiously in order to gain favor or advantage Example sentence: "I was going to ask my boss for a raise, but I chickened out at the last minute and turned into a lickspittle, showering him with compliments instead."

Leptodactylous: (adjective) having slender fingers or toes Example sentence: "I was trying to fix the broken shelf, but my leptodactylous fingers kept dropping the screws and making everything worse."

Acroamatic: (adjective) intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest Example sentence: "I tried to join the secret society, but I was rejected because I couldn't understand their acroamatic handshakes and code words."

Lingua: (noun) a language, especially one used for communication between people of different nations or regions Example sentence: "As a lingua franca, English is spoken by millions of people as a second language."

Odontalgia: (noun) toothache Example sentence: "I was trying to enjoy the amusement park, but the odontalgia from my cavities ruined everything, especially the cotton candy and funnel cakes."

Luculent: (adjective) shining or glowing Example sentence: "I was trying to sneak into the movie theater without paying, but the lucent glow of my phone gave me away and the security guard kicked me out."

Transpicuous: (adjective) easily seen through or understood Example sentence: "I was trying to hide my love for romantic comedies from my friends, but my transpicuous ogling at the posters and trailers gave me away."

Viator: (noun) a traveler, especially one on a journey Example sentence: "I was trying to be a savvy viator and save money on my vacation by booking a cheap hostel, but I ended up sharing a room with snoring wrestlers and a parrot that wouldn't stop squawking."

Viaticum: (noun) provisions or supplies for a journey, especially food and drink Example sentence: "I packed enough viaticum for the road trip to last us a month, but my travel partner managed to eat it all within the first three hours."

[chessclubfriendsblog]

Freitag, 31. März 2023

tip of the spoon episode 2: a seminar about hardrock and metal

dear beloved friends, 

i'll write this in small caps mostly because i forgot everything i learned at school.

i’m working at the store today and since it’s tuesday and the weather is not too nice, i won’t be expecting many customers. there is one section in the shop i rarely go to and don’t know that much about. it’s the hard rock and metal section and i think the store has quite a good overview to offer. these are some bigger band names i have heard before: Black Sabbath, Deep Purple(its the garage band dads that like to play their bass line), AC/DC ,Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motörhead, Metallica, Slayer, Thin Lizzy, Van Halen etc. etc.

first of all i noticed they always have the most creative fonds. i tried to copy them, but it’s quite hard.

the first singer is someone i always wanted to listen to since i saw the „Dark Shadows“ movie. he liked to sing about schools going out for summer. do you know who i mean?

 „yes, you?“

„i think you mean Alice Cooper, since he was in the movie and is in a hard rock band“

„yes exactly“

ALICE COOPER

and the album we are going to listen to is obviously „schools out“.

the cover shows a picture of a wooden wall or something and there’s initials and names engraved in it. it looks like the thing we used to get at school when we wrote tests to put on the table between us ,to prevent cheating, and i’m almost sure that it is this thing on the album cover.

theres also a red heart drawn on it and it has a knife stuck in it. ouch! i know this feeling.. who doesn’t?

i like that Alice is addressing the topic of emotional pain, maybe he was rejected? 

i want you to take the next 5 minutes to make a mind map, of what Alice could imply with this heart. here's a picture of it to help you get ideas, task starts 1…2…3 …now!

i think it's nice that he isn’t ashamed of being vulnerable about love, especially in the show-no-softness environment. 

but maybe that’s what hard rock is about, building up walls (wooden, or just mental ones), because feeling vulnerably hurts too much, like a dagger in an organ. they like to turn their pain into anger, a well known coping mechanism. wow. 

fun facts about Alice Cooper:

-son of a pastor

-his real name is Vincent Damon Furnier (but who cares)

-not satanist, in his shows he always killed satan or the evil

-did he have a buccal?

my favorite song on the album was 'Alma Mater', it’s a bit softer and has a nice melody, cool breaks and i want to make a cover of it someday. he’s singing about missing his high school.. a strange feeling i can’t emphasize with but i like being confronted with topics i don’t understand.

we listened to the whole album, it was very rocky but not so much hardcore as i imagined, i think the stage performances, his costumes and the face paint were more responsible for putting him into that category. 

HELTER SKELTER

now we move on to another record that i picked randomly from the shelf. the cover looks like a poster for a circus musical. it’s an air brush picture of four guys with huge wolf cuts in glam rock clothes. they are standing in front of an amusement park, like dom. in the first song we get introduced to the band by a raspy voice blabbing about a world of fantasy ,strange happenings and amazing people, and bright colors.. the voice sounds very creepy. and then the first song „ what are you doing right after the show“ starts and it sucks very much. there's this trashy 80s sound with overuse of stupid guitar solos, and it reminds me of David Bowies soundtrack to the labyrinth movie. i’m going to listen to one more song and then i’ll turn this **** off. 

0/10

MOTÖRHEAD

after this unfortunate choice i need to make a better one next, something that is helpful for my seminar. 

i need to think some steps ahead so i did the thing that was necessary and asked a customer. he said i should listen to Motörhead, and handed me their first album from 1977. it's way rougher than Alice, less corny than holterdipolter Helter Skelter. i really like it , but i would like anything after what my ears just had to consume. i can definitely say its cool, very punky. i realize punk and hard rock are not far away from each other, it goes hand in hand, especially in the early stages. but hard rock bands may be playing their solos more precisely. 

there’s a lot to read about Motörhead on wikipedia, but i’m too lazy to read it. it’s mostly about what bands the members were in before and after, about their personal fights, their issues with the big labels that unsurprisingly screwed them over, about the band casts changes BLABLABLABALBALBALBALABLABALBALABLBA, all the things that are interesting for the guys to prove how big of a fan they are. they have to know everything, every fart and shit, secure their spot in the Motörhead community. good for them! i don’t blame them i’m not a monster. i’m happy for them that wiki’s got so much to offer.

!i think this is a bop!

also very much guitar in this one of course: imagine a big bucket with a lot of snakes in it. they are crawling over and under each other, always in movement. each snake stands for one guitar solo, that’s what Motörhead sounds like to me. the solos get a little bit annoying after a while but as i’m writing this now i feel bad because i don’t want to insult them. they put their whole life into those guitars, probably even risked a minor finger injury, and i’m making fun of it, look at me...

BLACK SABBATH 

another name probably everyone has heard of before. black sabbath with their album „The Headless Cross“. it’s not really what i expected from such a big reputation. i don’t like it and i’m not sure i’ll make it through the whole album. i want to respect it but it cringes me out a bit. it's like the music Bill & Ted like to rock to. or the Ghostbusters. i thought Black Sabbath sounded different, a bit more deeper voices maybe? not all this feisty screaming.

oh! i just noticed the album is from 1989, so my mind is not made up yet. 1989 is a very unbearable year for many genres i think, especially bands that have founded in the early 70s, in my opinion. i will give them another chance one day but not now, i need a little break, so let’s continue to the next band.

CINDERELLA

a nostalgic choice for me. i grew up with the movie, and my grandma always had the videocassette in a stack with lots of other ones. every time we visited her we had to choose one and cinder was a popular pick, accompanied by Barbie Rapuzel. we used to sit on her sofa and she gave us pencils and paper to doodle around with. it was a good time, but i don’t want to get too personal. 

i chose a greatest hits album and while looking at the people on the front i notice that big wolf cuts are a common thing in the 80s hard rock times. Cinderella likes to scream a lot and she’s addicted to cowbells. i love cowbells so they get a little star for that. still not such a big fan of the screaming……………………….. but well „shake me“ is a bit fun. i would go to a cinderella show. i could imagine it having a story line of some sort like Alice Cooper had. it sounds a bit like a musical, Rocky Horror or like Queen but different kind of singing, and less poppy. i would be interested to see how they would look like without this statement hair they’re hiding behind. the music would probably sound very different, maybe they would have to scream even more to prove their coolness. i just turned the CD off, as i’m beginning to feel a bit exhausted and might end this seminar soon.

SLAYER 

now that i think, is pretty nice, i like it. but i don’t know if i actually do or if i’m unable to make an opinion after the last hours of absorbing a to me relatively unknown genre. i think its fun but very masculine. probably the most masc of all the mascs i’ve been listening to today. my eye is flinching to the beat of the bass or what is it? it’s super quick! here's a diagram i created to visualize the rhythm of slayer.

so Slayer and Metallica is 'trash metal', a subgenera of  metal and it goes like this: very fast, very fast, and then slow, but one element stays fast, a lot of drum rolls, and then very fast again. it’s like they couldn’t choose what to eat for dinner so they bought everything and mixed it together. they do it right because who is forcing you to choose? it is possible to do it all at once.

but now my stomach is full after all this mix of food.

let’s put an end to it: 

first of all i’d like to thank the male community with their big hair to let me enter their safe space for a little.

i’m not sure if i could see myself being a steady hardrock/metal fan, especially not after what happened in the end of 80s.. to be fair, i just had a very small insight but as i said i don’t feel like having opinions anymore. i’m just taking it in as long as i can.i think this way of thinking is just proving that i’m not the biggest fan. if i actually liked it, i wouldn’t want it to end.

and that was it here you go. don’t forget to get your signatures! if you have any questions, or recommendations, let me know. see you at the next seminar. have a nice day.

yours sincerely,

Prof. F. Lenzmann

PS.  yesterday me and my dad talked about the shortest song in the world. it’s exactly three seconds long and it’s called „you suffer“ by Napalm Death. i think it could either be about someone who is worried about their friend, and is now trying to bring up a conversation about it.“you've been sitting all alone on this wall for some hours and all you did was stare at the lake the rain has made. in your eyes i can see something that looks like pain, pain is caused by suffering, do you need any help? i’m here for you, look at me, here, my hand is warm, hold it i’ll take you to a cafe“

or it could be about someone who really isn’t doing well and feels misunderstood. „you suffer like me ,and then you’ll see how it feels, that it is not so easy to do things when you feel hurt like this, try that, and then you might want to rethink about criticizing me about my way of accomplishing things.“ it could be about many other things, something i really like about this song. of course you can also decide not to think what it might be about, it’s your head, nobody is forcing you to. in my seminar at least, i’m not forcing anyone to think.

this is the music video to the song, it reminds me of my sleeping paralysis, it scared me a little bit so i ask you to look at it with caution. 

bye!!

[the-letter-horror-lover]

The Greatest Show: Noah's Ark Circus

PandoraButler

Summary:

Vincent Phantomhive decides to round up a collection of mistreated misfits and form a show; the greatest show.

Notes:

This is heavily inspired by the movie: The Greatest Showman. Since, like the nerd I am, I couldn't watch that movie without thinking of Book of Circus. So, now we're here. Enjoy. (or hate)

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Vincent sat at his makeshift desk staring at the long line of individuals. His advertisements in the paper, and the posters he'd hung around town, had worked! People of all sorts had come to his (recently purchased) building! His dream was bearing fruit. In no time at all he'd be selling tickets and creating a place for the misfits. Most importantly: he'd be making money.

"So, what do you do?" Vincent asked.

"I can juggle and do slight of hand tricks," the ginger with an artificial limb replied.

"Magic? Great!" Vincent smiled and pointed to his partner in crime, Angelina, for her to write him on the 'ok' list. The next individual walked up to the desk.

"I can tame animals," the woman said.

"But can you tame tigers?" Vincent asked.

"I can tame anything," she replied, "I have a way with cats especially."

"Fantastic!" he pointed to Angelina again and the next individual walked up.

"I, uh, I can sing?" this person's hair was a bright shade of red and incredibly long. Vincent hadn't seen another person with hair like Angelina's before. He smiled. The male before him blushed and looked at the ground. He scratched his arm nervously.

Vincent stood up and grabbed his hands, "Would you hate to wear dresses? I don't think there is an outfit under the sun that would do you justice if it didn't at least have a skirt. You're too beautiful for pants! Ah, but, please don't be offended by my asking..."

"No offense taken, I'd actually prefer that," he smiled to reveal his abnormally sharp teeth. Vincent smiled back and, once again, pointed to Angelina. The woman shook her head but added him to the list. She always knew Vincent was crazy, but now he just seemed insane.

Vincent continued to converse with the people waiting in his long line. He didn't seem to turn many of them away. He had so many performers to advertise now! So many ideas burst through his head! The only problem he had now was getting it all to work smoothly. His new crew followed his every order to get his (recently bought) ex-museum fixed up and turned into a place for show business. No act was a bad act! No individual too weird or too abnormal! Everyone was welcome. And then, the night of their first show came to be.

"Places everyone!" Vincent clapped his hands and gave out orders. This was their first night! It had to be perfect! "Wendy and Peter, be careful out there! Black and Suit, if you two get into a fight, I'm finishing it! Doll and Smile, you're looking fantastic! Dagger, I know you're tempted, but please don't throw knives at Black again." Vincent tried his best to calm everyone's nerves but he knew that they'd be freaking out until their first performance was over. Vincent stopped walking when he reached Grell. He paused and kissed Grell's hand, "I don't care what anyone tells you, you're the most beautiful creature anyone will ever meet, Madame Red." Grell smiled in response.

Vincent grabbed his cane and top hat and left to greet the crowd. The people silenced and watched. They didn't know what to expect but they certainly couldn't have expected what they were about to see.

"Welcome one, welcome all, I'm about to show you the greatest show you've ever seen!" He bowed to the crowd and outstretched his hand to the people entering the ring one by one. Each act gave a glimpse of what they'd do later. Vincent introduced them and the show continued. The crowd laughed when they needed to, cried when the needed to, and were shocked when they needed to be. Everything was just as Vincent had planned it; however, he sensed it would not remain that way for long.

The next morning Angelina walked into his office and slammed a newspaper down on his desk, "What are you going to do about this?" she asked. There was an article written by a famous critic: Diedrich. It was not in favor of Vincent's new business, to say the least.

"'The last time a group of animals came together like this, God flooded Earth. Nothing good can come of Vincent Phantomhive's circus.'" Vincent read aloud. He laughed, it wasn't a bad name for his new venture. "Post an ad saying 'half off ticket prices to anyone who brings this paper in.' Oh, and, get Joker to paint 'Noah's Ark Circus' on the side of the building. I quite like the sound of it, don't you?" Angelina shook her head in disbelief. Was Vincent an idiot? Or was he actually just insane? No one would ever know.

Vincent examined the rest of the paper when Angelina left. He jumped up, grabbed his coat, and left. He ran to the bar mentioned in a different article. There was a famous male opera singer there that had retired due to an accident. Vincent wasn't about to let that go to waste. Maybe some class would lead the ridiculous rich people to stop messing with his plans. No, probably not, because he'd ruin this singer's image for the good of his cause.

When Vincent arrived, it didn't take him long to realize which one was the retired singer. There was only one person with a hideous scar across their face. Vincent grinned and sat next to him, since no one else would, and bought him a drink.

"If you've come to laugh at me, like the rest of 'em, I'd prefer if you cut to the chase and left me alone," the ex-singer said without making eye contact. He accepted the drink but refused to acknowledge Vincent's existence.

"My name is Vincent Phantomhive," he said, "I'm here to recruit you!"

"I've heard about you, and I'm not interested in being one of your showpieces. I'm not a singer anymore. I don't plan to be one in the future. There isn't going to be anything productive about having me participate in your little show."

"I beg to differ," Vincent replied. "There is nothing productive about you sitting here and drinking your life away. Why not perform for me? It couldn't hurt anything. You'd be doing something you love and getting back on stage. What is so wrong with that?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't exactly fit the part of a singer anymore," he looked towards Vincent so that his scar was fully visible to him. His yellow-green eyes glowed with a twinge of rage. Vincent wasn't the least bit put off by his appearance. In fact, he found it oddly satisfying.

"Looks have nothing to do with your talent," Vincent smiled. "If you're so ashamed of the way you look, and I do think you look quite handsome, we can fix that by making you look far worse!" Vincent ran his hand through the ex-singer's hair so that his fringe fell in front of his face. There was an aura of mystery about him now, since only half of his scar was visible. The man laughed at Vincent.

"You certainly have a weird way of thinking," he said. "Have you even heard me sing?"

"I don't need to hear you sing, the rest of the world already knows how good you are. Besides, I already have a good singer. If you're singing and appearance is terrible, Madame Red will just appear to be that much better. It works either way, don't you think?" Vincent smiled. "So, what do you say? Will you join me?"

"Fine, I'll join you."

"I look forward to your performance, Undertaker."

"Undertaker?"

"There are only a few things that disgust or mystify people: death and the unknown," Vincent explained. "I can't think of a better name for you, an individual that both disgusts and mystifies."

Diedrich, the critic, only continued to write bad reviews of the Noah's Arc Circus, and yet, his reviews only brought more and more individuals to see the show. Some crowds were good, while other crowds were bad, but business continued to boom. Rachel, Vincent's fiancee, hated it all. She wanted Vincent to stop dreaming already and start making a family, a real family. She didn't realize that the circus was Vincent's family and she didn't care either.

"Vincent," Rachel said, "when are you going to stop this nonsense? And come home?" she asked while she followed him around in the ex-museum.

"What nonsense?" Vincent replied. He wasn't giving her his full attention, he never had. Their engagement no longer appealed to him. Rachel was much too snobby for his tastes after she revealed her true nature to him.

"This nonsense! The circus! When are you going to stop caring so much about it and marry me?" Rachel asked. Vincent stopped walking immediately and turned around to face her.

"If you can't recognize the true beauty in what I'm doing here," he gestured to all of the people preparing for the next show, "then maybe you're the one who needs to stop the nonsense." Rachel couldn't believe her ears. After all these years, was Vincent actually breaking off their engagement? He couldn't do that! That was preposterous!

Rachel, not believing that to be the true reality of the situation, decided that maybe if the circus was destroyed Vincent would come back to his senses. Yes, that has to work! Rachel grabbed the nearest lantern and traveled to the most remote location of the museum. She smashed the lantern on the floor and made her escape. The fire soon traveled and everyone screamed in the chaos of it all. People were running around, trying to save what they could, and leaving to save themselves from the flames. The fire spread too quickly for the building to be saved. Vincent stood, outside his creation, staring at it as it burn to the ground.

"Where's Smile?!" Black asked. The blue-haired boy wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Is he still inside?" Suit questioned.

"Oh! That poor boy!" Grell gasped and fainted at the shock of everything that was happening around him. Suit caught him before he fell to the ground though.

Vincent ran into the flaming building to search for Smile. He called out his name and coughed due to the smoke. The boy wasn't responding; that could only mean something terrible had happened. "Smile?! Smile! Are you there? Where are you? Please answer me!" Vincent yelled over the crackling of the flames. A small voice whispered. It was nearby, thank goodness, but would Vincent get there in time? The flames were already beginning to burn his skin. Vincent tried his best to remove the fallen beam and free Smile. It was difficult, but he managed it. He picked up the boy and carried him out to safety. Black took him from Vincent and ran him to the nearest medical team. Vincent smiled before passing out. At least Smile was safe, that's all that mattered at this point, since the rest of his circus was already destroyed.

When Vincent woke up he was staring at the ceiling to a hospital. Undertaker and Angelina were by his side, waiting for him to wake up. When Angelina realized he'd opened his eyes, she slapped him.

"How dare you go into a flaming building like that?! Don't you have any concern for your own life?!" she scolded. "Do you realize how worried we all were?"

"Now, now," Undertaker tried to calm her, "he has just woken up."

Vincent's cheek burned like the rest of his body. He felt like a roasted marshmallow. "What am I going to do about the circus?" he questioned. Angelina and Undertaker both looked at each other before looking to him again. Even in his current condition he was thinking about other things. This guy truly was crazy.

"Go back to sleep, for now," Undertaker kissed Vincent's forehead, "we'll figure out something later." Vincent closed his eyes, reluctantly, and fell into a light sleep.

A few days later, when the hospital realized he wasn't dying, he was released. The first thing he did was return to the building that had been destroyed. The remains of what was were still there. Not much of it had been removed. Vincent stared at the pile of trash that had previously been his circus. His mind, that had previously created new ideas, seemed to be broken. He didn't know what to do anymore. Smile and Doll grabbed a hand on either side of Vincent. They both looked up at him and tried to provide comfort.

"We're still here," Smile said, "so the circus can be rebuilt."

"I don't have the money for a new building," Vincent replied.

"Who says we need a building?" Undertaker snickered.

"All we need is a place to do our show," Angelina smiled, "and lucky for you, I know you too well. I've been saving money in case something like this happened. We can use my inherited land a few blocks away. Nothing is built there, it's just an empty lot, so all we need is a giant tent and we're ready for business."

Vincent hugged Angelina and gave Undertaker a kiss. "I honestly don't know what I'd do without you two."

"You'd be a lost cause without us," Angelina said.

"He's a lost cause either way," Undertaker laughed.

Chapter 2: -| A Million Dreams |-

Notes:

Because I couldn't stop thinking about The Greatest Showman and Black Butler...

I took some of the plot (and the song lyrics) and made a bit of a mashup between the two. If that makes any sense...it'll make more sense as you read.

Chapter Text

Every night he lies in bed. The brightest colors fill his head. A million dreams are keeping him awake. He thinks of what the world could be, a vision of the one he sees, a million dreams is all it's going to take. A million dreams for the world he's going to make. They can say Vincent Phantomhive is crazy. They can say he's lost his mind. He doesn't care if he's called crazy, he's going to run to world that he designs.

"However big, however small, let me be a part of it all. You may be right, you may be wrong, but say that you'll bring me along, to the world you see," Rachel looks him in the eyes. Vincent smiles. He grabs her hand.

"I close my eyes and I can see, a world that's waiting up for me. Through the door, through where no one's been before, but it feels like home." He gestures to the sky. "There's a house we can build. Every room inside is filled, with things from far away. Special things, I compile, each one there to make you smile." She smiles at this. Vincent Phantomhive has always been entirely talk. She was ready for the action. She wanted to see this plan of his take place.

"I think of what the world could be, a vision of the one I see, a million dreams is all it's gonna take. A million dreams for the world we're gonna make," he says as he runs through the field. He points at the grass and gestures to the sky, outlining the house inside his mind. Rachel laughs. She follows him and gestures to rooms inside her own mind. They laugh at each other. The stars shine above them. It's a beautiful dream. A beautiful image. But, she doesn't really think it's going to bear any fruit. She loves this man, but he is all talk. Nothing he says every happens. Imagine her surprise when, for the first time in his life, he does start to make the plan for the action.

"They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy," Vincent holds her hands. "They can say that we've lost our minds. I don't care if they call us crazy, run away to a world that we design." She nods. She smiles. She's ready for the show to begin.

She watches after him as he builds the house of their dreams. He gathers the people. He rallies the crowds. It starts out as a small show, but it becomes so much more beautiful. There are so many unique individuals, one after the other. The shock of the tent doesn't bother anyone in the slightest, in fact, it makes it all the more thrilling. Vincent loves it. Rachel loves it. The workers are bonded together over their collection of oddities.

"Every night, I lie in bed, the brightest colors fill my head, a million dreams are keeping me awake," Vincent whispers to his wife. She gives him a good old fashioned hug. Her belly bulge presses against his stomach.

"A million dreams, for the world we're gonna make," she responds back to him. It's a promise. A promise to each other and to no one else. Their life will be filled with beauty. Nothing more and nothing less. As long as they imagine with their hearts and refuse to see with their eyes. Everything will be absolutely fine.

. . .

"It's working! It's working! It's really really working!" Vincent bursts through the door. "People are coming to Noah's Arc Circus! Can you believe it? Can you really believe it? We are going to break the bank! Rachel, darling, it's fantastic!" He yells out but Rachel isn't responding. Where in the world could she be?

"Vincent, honey," Rachel begins, "I can't keep doing this," she is holding Ciel's hand, with a bag filled with her most precious belongings.

"What do you mean? What are you talking about? Where are you planning on going?" Vincent's brain scrambled to connect the dots. None of it made sense.

"It was fun, while it lasted, but this isn't a life I can live anymore. I love you, I do, but there are things in this world we can't fight. Can you look me in the eyes and tell me you've been faithful?" She begins to cry when Vincent cannot answer.

"I've always been faithful to you, Rachel," Vincent reaches out to grab her hand, like he did all those nights ago under the stars. She pulls her hand away.

"That singer, of yours, the one you call 'The Undertaker' he is more important to you than I am, isn't he? Don't lie to me. Don't lie. That song of his, I know it, it's for you, isn't it?"

"Rachel, darling, what are you talking about? I've only loved you. I've always loved you." Vincent tried to assure her. It wasn't going to work. Not this time.

"I saw you, I saw you with him. You kissed him, Vincent, you kissed him!" Rachel's tears turned into heart-wrenching sobs. Ciel squeezed her hand. He was too young to understand what was going on, but he squeezed it nonetheless. For support.

"He kissed me! Rachel, I turned him down. I am slow to react. My reflexes are poor. You know that. You know that. I told him I had you. Do you not trust me? Darling, please." An echo of a slap resounded off the walls.

"You're crazy, if you think I can believe that bullshit. I know how you look at him. I know, I know Vincent because it's the same way I look at you. I can't do this. You can be with him now. I'm setting you free." Rachel grabbed her things and walked out with Ciel.

Vincent fell to the ground. He was stunned. His cheek still burned. The newfound emptiness of this house he'd built was fresh to him. "She can say, she can say that I'm crazy," Vincent held his head in his hands. "She can say I've lost my mind," he sobbed. "I'm going to run away to a world that I design..."

Chapter 3: -| From Now On |-

Chapter Text

"I saw the sun begin to dim, and felt that winter wind blow cold, a man learns who is there for him, when the glitter fades and the walls won't hold. 'Cause from that rubble what remains can only be what's true... if all was lost there's more I gained 'cause it led me back to you," Vincent said. His head rested in the lap of The Undertaker. There was a lot that had happened in the past day. His wife left. His son was gone. There was no family. There was nothing left for him. It was only the circus. Only the circus. And, even that was going to be taken from him soon. They were running out of money. The Undertaker played with his hair, trying to comfort him. It was the only way he could think of.

"From now on, these eyes will not be blinded by the lights. From now on, what's waited 'til tomorrow starts tonight, tonight," Vincent stood up. "Let this promise in me start like the anthem in my heart, from now on," Vincent looked The Undertaker in the eyes. He walked a few steps away and closed his own. He outstretched his hands up to the roof of the giant tent.

"I drank champagne with kings and queens. The politicians praised my name. But those were someone else's dreams, the pitfalls of the man I became. For years and years I chased their cheers, a crazy speed of always needing more, but when I stop and see you here, I remember who this was all for," Vincent pointed to The Undertaker. Their relationship was never meant to be. This was for his wife. This was all for his happily ever after. The dream that ended abruptly, because of his foolishness. Now there was barely anything left.

"From now on, these eyes will not be blinded by the lights. From now on, what's waited 'til tomorrow starts tonight. Let this promise in me start like the anthem in my heart, from now on," Vincent repeated his vow to the tent. To the circus. To his friends in the room. The ones hiding in the shadows, not wanting to interrupt the moment between their boss and #1 face.

"And, we will come back home?" they asked.

"And we will come back home," he said.

"What's waited 'til tomorrow starts tonight," Vincent pointed to the ground. He pointed to their places. They got into position. Their leader was back, out of the dumps, finally moving forward. He came back home. This was his home now. It would remain his home from now until the end of time.

. . .

"Do you think he is really okay now?" Grell whispered to The Undertaker.

"He is as okay as he is ever going to be," The Undertaker replied.

"Do you think he is going to accept his love for you now, now that his wife is gone, that is," Grell asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine. I wouldn't count on it. Vincent Phantomhive is a strange man," The Undertaker looked at his boss cleaning up after the night. Many people came and went. That was part of the fun, but man did they leave a mess. The purple of his coat reflected light into their eyes. Grell and The Undertaker both averted their gaze in unison. This man was a flashy bastard. Purple, the color of royalty. It's as if he was daring the universe to strike him down.

"Vincent," The Undertaker walked over to help him. "Are you sure you want to do this alone?" he asked.

"I'm not alone, now am I? You and Miss Red over there are here. Get your butts moving if you're that concerned about how I'm doing," Vincent laughed.

"I'll have you know, a lady never wants to get her hands dirty," Grell crossed her arms.

"Lady? What lady? All I see is a spoiled girl," Vincent snickered. "You're lucky I didn't steal the red from you, Miss Red," Vincent winked. Red was his first choice of color for his ringleader gear, but he ultimately went with purple. There were too many red-wearing members of his crew, a total of two.

"You wouldn't dare! And I am a madame! Not a miss!" Grell stomped her foot in anger.

"No, Angel is the madame, get with the program. I wasn't out of it for that long," Vincent sighed and picked up more pieces of trash. This may be a circus but it didn't have to look like a dumpster.

"I'm always amazed with how much you manage to get back up again," The Undertaker said. He hadn't intended to say it, but he had said it.

"A million dreams are keeping me awake," Vincent said. "I don't have time to sleep," he explained. The Undertaker didn't understand Vincent any more than he had the day before. But, there was something about him that he couldn't help but admire. Maybe it was the hair, the outfit, or the fact that even though his wife left him because of something The Undertaker had done, Vincent never once blamed him for it.

"I'm not going to apologize for kissing you," The Undertaker finally managed to say.

"I never asked you to," Vincent replied.

"Well, good, because I'm not going to," The Undertaker crossed his arms.

"Good, because I didn't ask you to," Vincent repeated.

"Oh, just get a room already," Grell huffed. "We all know you have a thing going on! I just wish my man would look at me the way you two look at each other!" Grell said as she walked off.

"Grell has a man?" Vincent looked at The Undertaker confused.

"No, but she has one she really wants," The Undertaker explained.

"Now that is crazy."

"Not as crazy as you, Vincent."

"Fair enough."

Chapter 4: -| The Other Side |-

Chapter Text

"Right here, right now, I put the offer out. I don't wanna chase you down. I know you see it. You run, with me, and I can cut you free, out of the drudgery and walls you keep in," Vincent pointed at Diedrich and nudged him in the chest. "So, trade your typical, for somethin' colorful, and if it's crazy, live a little crazy. You can play it sensible, a king of conventional, or you can risk it all and see." Vincent smiled and wrapped his arm around Diedrich. He gestured to the ceiling of Diedrich's mansion. Gesturing to the great unknown. Vincent had a thing for the stars.

"Don't you wanna get away from the same old part you gotta play? 'Cause I got what you need so come with me and take the ride. It'll take you to the other side. 'Cause you can do like you do, or you can do like me. Stay in the cage or finally take the key. Oh, damn, suddenly you're free to fly. It'll take you to the other side," Vincent grinned.

"Okay, my friend, you wanna cut me in. Well, I hate to tell you but it just won't happen. So thanks, but no. I think I'm good to go. 'Cause I quite enjoy the life you say I'm trapped in," Diedrich took Vincent's hand off of him and returned the smile. "Now I admire you, and that whole show you do, you're on to something really it's something but I live among the swells and we don't pick up peanut shells. I'll have to leave that up to you," Diedrich was done with this conversation. He wanted Vincent to leave.

"Don't you know that I'm okay with this uptown part I get to play? 'Cause I got what I need and I don't wanna take the ride. I don't need to see the other side. So, go and do like you do, I'm good to do like me. Ain't a cage so I don't need to take the key. Oh, damn, can't you see I'm doing fine? I don't need to see the other side." Diedrich opened the door and gestured for Vincent to leave. He wasn't having it.

"Now is this really how you'd like to spend your days? Whiskey and misery and parties and plays?" Vincent refused to take one step out of this mansion. He was going to convince Diedrich if it was the last thing he did.

"If I were mixed up with you, I'd be the talk of the town. Disgraced and disowned, another one of the clowns," Diedrich frowned. He had his public image to think of. It wasn't just about the enjoyment of the circus or anything like that. Diedrich was nobility. Vincent was not. They were friends but never in public.

"But, you'd finally live a little, finally laugh a little, just let me give you the freedom to dream and it'll wake you up and cure your achin' take your walls and start 'em breaking." Vincent leaned forward and got his face incredibly close to Diedrich's. "Now that's a deal, that seems worth taking." He shrugged and began to walk out of the door. "But I guess that's up to you."

Diedrich shut the door and trapped Vincent between it and himself. "Well, it's intriguing but to go would cost me greatly. So, what percentage of the show would I be taking?"

"Well, fair enough. You'd want a piece of all the action. I'd give you seven we could shake and make it happen," Vincent said as he outstretched his hand.

Diedrich laughed. "I wasn't born this morning. Eighteen would be just fine."

Vincent rolled his eyes. "Why not just go ahead and ask for nickels on the dime?"

"Fifteen."

"I'd do eight."

"Twelve."

"Maybe nine?"

"Ten."

Vincent smiled. "Don't you wanna get away to a whole new part you're gonna play? 'Cause I got what you need so come with me and take the ride, to the other side." Vincent's hand was still outstretched and ready for Diedrich to grab. He grabbed it. He shook it. This was a partnership waiting to happen. "So, if you do like I do-"

"So, if you do like me," Diedrich corrected.

"Forget the cage because we know how to make the key. Oh, damn, suddenly we're free to fly. We're going to the other side," they said in unison with linked arms.

"So if you do like I do-" Diedrich began.

"So if you do like me," Vincent corrected.

"We're going to the other side," they nodded in agreement. It was time for Vincent to show Diedrich the lay of the land. He'd gone to Noah's Arc Circus before once or twice, but never really entertained the thought of staying permanently. Now was better than never. Vincent was glad to have an ally so soon after Rachel left. Now the circus wouldn't leave him like she did.

Chapter 5: -| Never Enough |-

Chapter Text

The Undertaker pulled Vincent aside. He looked him in the eyes and dragged him off to an unknown location. He was happy, truly, that everything was running smoothly in the circus again. But, there was something bothering him. Vincent hadn't once tried to answer his feelings. When they were far enough away from everything, The Undertaker had to get this all out in the open. He had to make it blatantly clear how he felt about Vincent. Once and for all.

"I'm trying to hold my breath, let it stay this way, can't let this moment end, you set off a dream in me. Getting louder now, can you hear it echoing? Take my hand, will you share this with me? 'Cause darling without you..." The Undertaker paused. There was something burning in his chest. What were the right words? He let go of Vincent's hand. He placed his own hand on his heart and let his eyes do some of the talking.

"All the shine of a thousand spotlights, all the stars we steal from the night sky, will never be enough. Never be enough. Towers of gold are still too little. These hands," The Undertaker put his hands in front of Vincent's face. "These hands could hold the world but it'll never be enough. Never be enough, for me."

"Never?" Vincent asked.

"Never," The Undertaker said.

"Never?" he repeated the question.

"Never," The Undertaker said more firmly. "Never for me. It'll never be enough for me."

"I need time to think about it, Uny," Vincent replied honestly. "It's not that I don't feel whatever this," he gestured to himself and The Undertaker, "is. But, it would be betraying my wife."

"Your wife is gone, Vincent. She isn't coming back. That's practically her giving you her blessing. Please, just, will you see reason?" The Undertaker frowned. He was tempted to force another kiss on the man, but the first time he was lucky. This time he wouldn't be. Vincent was pretty fragile at the moment. He didn't want to break him. He loved him. He didn't want to hurt him.

"All the shine of a thousand spotlights?" Vincent raised an eyebrow.

"All the stars in the night sky," The Undertaker nodded.

"Will never be enough?"

"It'll never be enough," The Undertaker smiled albeit sadly, "Without you."

"That's so touching. Did you come up with that yourself?" Vincent smiled. "It should be a song. I'd love to hear it as a song."

"It is a song," The Undertaker laughed. "I'm going to sing it tonight, watch me."

"I'll be paying close attention." Vincent promised.

"Good," The Undertaker walked off. He waved his hand as he walked. "I'll be waiting, darling," he said. Vincent watched him go, unsure of if he should stop him or not. He sighed. When did life get so complicated? Couldn't things go back to the way they were? Back to being simple? No, of course not. He did run a circus after all. Where was the fun in standard?

Chapter 6: -| Tightrope |-

Chapter Text

It was Vincent's turn to pull The Undertaker to the side. The past week had gone well, if not for the fact that he was constantly thinking of The Undertaker's confession. Everyone was asleep now. This was the only time they'd have alone. Vincent guided him to the top of the stand, where the tightrope was. The Undertaker didn't know how to walk one.

"Some people long for a life that is simple and planned, tied with a ribbon. Some people won't sail the sea 'cause they're safer on land, to follow what's written. But I'd follow you to the great unknown. Off to a world we call our own," Vincent said. He stepped backwards onto the rope. He gestured for The Undertaker to grab his hand.

"Hand in my hand and we promise to never let go. We're walking a tightrope. High in the sky we can see the whole world down below, we're walking a tightrope. Never sure, never know, how far we could fall, but it's all an adventure that comes with a breathtaking view. Walking a tightrope, with you." Vincent looked at the ground. The Undertaker tried to avoid staring at it.

"Mountains and valleys and all that will come in between. Desert and ocean, you pull me in and together we're lost in a dream. Always in motion, so I risk it all just to be with you. And, I risk it all for this life we choose." Vincent had guided The Undertaker all the way to the center of the rope.

"Do you trust me?" he whispered into The Undertaker's ear.

"Quite honestly, I'm not sure," The Undertaker frowned.

"Hand in my hand and you promised to never let go," Vincent made a motion and The Undertaker lost his balance, nearly falling to the ground. His hand tightly clinging to Vincent's, clinging to life. "We're walking a tightrope, high in the sky, we can see the whole world down below, we're walking a tightrope. Never sure, will you catch me if I should fall?" The Undertaker glared at that statement. He didn't want to fall. Why did he get on this tightrope in the first place? He wasn't made for this kind of thing.

Vincent pulled The Undertaker up and held him close. "All the shine of a thousand spotlights, all the stars we steal from the night sky, will never be enough, without you," Vincent repeated the phrase. "I've been thinking about it constantly since you sang it in the circus that night. But, this life we lead is filled with ropes like this one. Are you sure you want to walk the tightrope with me?"

"I'm already doing it, aren't I?"

"Fair enough," Vincent smiled.

"I'm not going to stop loving you Vincent. No matter how many crazy stunts you pull," The Undertaker promised. "Although, I had no idea you could walk the rope." The Undertaker glanced at the ground again.

"I can't, not really, but I'm very good at pretending I'm good at it," he winked.

"That is not reassuring," The Undertaker could feel sweat on his brow. No backing out now. He was walking the tightrope with Vincent Phantomhive.

Chapter 7: -| Rewrite the Stars |-

Chapter Text

Grell had watched from a distance as Vincent and The Undertaker got closer and closer. She was happy for them, really she was, but there was something about it that made things miserable too. She wanted a romance of her own. William had been her crush for a while now, but he was busy with other things. He didn't necessarily enjoy being a part of the circus. He was here for no other reason than to get money. He wasn't accepted anywhere else, because of his unusual eye color. She'd tried to confess to him before but he felt as if he wasn't worthy. Something about him just didn't seem right. Maybe it was his overly self-conscious attitude. But, she didn't care anymore. Grell accepted her fate. She was going to be alone. That's all it was going to be.

"You know I want you, it's not a secret I try to hide," Grell began. She sat in the tent the two shared. Vincent had thought it a magical idea. It was the worst thing in the world. "I know you want me, so don't keep saying our hands are tied. You claim it's not in the cards and fate is pulling you miles away, out of reach from me, but you're here in my heart. So, who can stop me if I decide that you're my destiny?" Grell looked at William. He was lying on his bed. Unresponsive, as usual whenever Grell tried to get an honest answer out of him. She sighed.

"What if we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine? Nothing could keep us apart. You'd be the one I was meant to find. It's up to you, and it's up to me, no one can say what we get to be. So, why don't we rewrite the stars? Maybe the world could be ours, tonight," Grell suggested. She'd pushed all the right buttons. William was tired of listening to the same thing over and over again. He sat up and glared at her fiercely.

"You think it's easy?" he spat. "You think I don't want to run to you?" William grit his teeth. "But there are mountains and there are doors that we can't walk through. I know you're wondering why because we're able to be just you and me within these walls. But when we go outside you're going to wake up and see that it was hopeless after all."

William stood up and walked over to Grell. He leaned down to stare her in the eyes. "No one can rewrite the stars. How can you say you'll be mine? Everything keeps us apart and I'm not the one you were meant to find. It's not up to you. It's not up to me. When everyone tells us what we can be. How can we rewrite the stars? Say that the world can be ours, tonight?"

Grell lifted her hand to touch William's face. Tears welled up in her eyes. "All I want is to fly with you," she insisted. "All I want is to fall with you," tears continue to moisten her cheeks. "So just give me all of you, tonight." She pleaded as best as she could. William wasn't buying it. This circus wouldn't last forever. Vincent was a just mad man with crazy and foolish ambitions. No one could be this successful forever.

"It feels impossible," he said. No, it didn't just feel impossible, he knew it to be impossible.

"It's not impossible," she said. "Say that it's possible. Nothing can keep us apart. 'Cause you were the one I was meant to find. It's up to you, and it's up to me, no one can say what we get to be. Why don't we rewrite the stars? Changing the world to be ours?" Grell pleaded and pleaded. "We can reach for the stars. We can make it all fine."

"You know I want you," William pushed Grell away. "It's not a secret I try to hide. But I can't have you. We're bound to break and my hands are tied," he said. He laid down on his bed once again, leaving Grell alone just like before. He pretended to sleep although they both knew he wasn't sleeping. Grell laid down, sobbing into her pillow, more heartbroken than ever before.

Chapter 8: -| This Is Me |-

Chapter Text

Grell stood in the middle of the street. She was dressed in her most outrageous costume. Red, red, more red, and lots of sparkles. Frills, strange patterns, it was a sight to see. She searched the crowd for William, grabbing his attention and holding it. This was going to happen. This was going to be her last attempt at winning him over completely.

"I'm not a stranger to the dark. Hide away, they say, 'cause we don't want your broken parts. I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars, run away, they say, no one'll love you as you are," she began, pausing only to take a deep breath an affirm herself that this was worth it. "But I won't let them break me down to dust. I know that there's a place for us. For we are glorious!"

William looked at her with fear in his eyes. What was she doing? Out here? Saying such bold things in the middle of the street? Was she mad? Daft? Crazy? Totally insane? He looked away, telling himself this was an idiotic scene. He didn't want anything to do with her or whatever she was doing. They didn't know each other. Circus? William didn't know the word.

"When the sharpest words wanna cut me down, I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown 'em out. I am brave. I am bruised. I am who I'm meant to be. This is me," Grell said. She took steps forward, walking towards William. Not allowing him to pretend they had nothing to do with each other.

"Look out 'cause here I come and I'm marchin' on to the beat I drum. I'm not scared to be seen, I make no apologies, this is me." People whispered around her, making comments, insulting her strange behavior.

"Another round of bullets hits my skin," Grell brushed off her arms as if wiping away the words. "Well, fire away, 'cause today, I won't let the shame sink in. We are burstin' through the barricades and reachin' for the sun. We are warriors! Yeah, that's what we've become." William was mortified by her strange actions. He wanted nothing more to do with this. He walked away. He was going to walk away. They didn't know each other. Grell? Grell who? But he couldn't stop the rage building up inside him at the comments the strangers were making.

William tore off the shades covering his eyes. He turned on his heel and walked at a brisk pace to stand next to Grell. He grabbed her hand. "I won't let them break me down to dust. I know that there's a place for us. For we are glorious." He tried to repeat the words he'd heard but he didn't know if he was saying them correctly and stumbled over them a few times. It was taking every bone in his body just to stand here holding her hand while they made a mockery of themselves.

"When the sharpest words want to cut me down. I'm going to send a flood, going to drown them out. I am brave. I am bruised. I am who I'm meant to be. This is me," William said. The two began walking down the middle of the road.

"Look out because here I come," they said in unison. "And I'm marching on to the beat I drum. I'm not scared to be seen, I make no apologies. This is me."

"And I know that I deserve your love," William smiled.

"There's nothing I'm not worthy of," Grell winked.

"This is brave."

"This is bruised."

"This is who we're meant to be," William said.

"This is me," Grell replied.

Chapter 9: -| Come Alive |-

Chapter Text

There were a lot of rumors going around about Noah's Arc Circus ever since the stunt that Grell pulled. It was because of this that morale was low. Vincent sighed. He needed to give a pep talk of some sort. The words hadn't quite come to him yet. He clapped his hands to silence everyone in the main tent. This was going to take a bit of work.

"You stumble through your days, got your head hung low, your sky's a shade of grey. Like a zombie in a maze, you're asleep inside, but you can't shake awake 'cause you're just a dead man walkin' thinkin' that's your only option. But you can flick the switch and brighten up your darkest day. Sun is up and the color's blinding. Take a world and redefine it. Leave behind your narrow mind. You'll never be the same." Vincent walked around as he talked. He made eye contact with everyone, reminding them of what they used to be.

"Come alive, come alive, go and light your light let it burn so bright. Reaching up to the sky and it's open wide you're electrified." Vincent made grand gestures with his hands as he spoke. "And the world becomes a fantasy and you're more than you could ever be 'cause you're dreaming with your eyes wide open. And you know you can't go back again to the world that you were living in because you're dreaming with your eyes wide open. So come alive."

Vincent made eye contact with one of them. "I see it in your eyes. You believe that lie that you need to hide your face, afraid to step outside, so you lock the door but you don't stay that way." Vincent was trying to get them out of the gutter, not throw them back in. He wanted them to be more confident, more trusting in him, and believe this circus would stay the biggest and the best.

"No more living in the shadows. You and me, we know how that goes," Grell spoke up.

"Because once you see it, oh, you'll never be the same," William chimed in. He grabbed Grell's hand and smiled. She blushed, looking away.

"A little bit of lightning striking, bottled up to keep on shining. You can prove there's more to you. You cannot be afraid," The Undertaker gave his two cents. He winked at Vincent.

"Come alive, come alive," Vincent and The Undertaker spoke in unison, walking towards opposite sides of the crowd, "go and light your light let it burn so bright. Reaching up, to the sky, and it's open wide you're electrified."

"To anyone who's bursting with a dream, come one, come all, you hear the call," William said. He looked left. He looked right. There wasn't anywhere else to walk so he got a running jump and grabbed the rope dangling from the ceiling. He spun around and jumped again to stand on top of it.

"To anyone who's searching for a way to break free..." Grell smiled, amused at William's performance. "Come alive."

It was the final moment. This would be when Vincent knew for sure if his circus was going to stay afloat. Diedrich had given him the money. He'd tried his best to make this place happier. But, with the press the way it was at the moment, he couldn't force anyone to stay. At least he knew that The Undertaker, Grell, and William were all on his side. That was better than nothing. There would always be more fish in the sea. Vincent just had to build up his persuasion skills.

"When the world becomes a fantasy and you're more than you could ever be 'cause you're dreaming with your eyes wide open. And you know you can't go back again to the world that you were living in because you're dreaming with your eyes wide open," Diedrich said as he walked into the tent. Vincent hadn't expected that. The guy was strict about staying locked up in his mansion. Apparently, he was going to be more than just a wallet. He wanted to be really a part of this circus.

Everyone turned to stare at him. Vincent swore he could see a bit of a blush. He smiled and walked over to his friend. "Come alive! Come alive! Go and light your light, be electrified!" He slapped Diedrich's back and pushed him forward into the bundle of misfits. William dangled from his feet on the rope and grabbed Diedrich's hands, swinging him and forcing him up on the rope with him. Two of the most serious individuals doing things that weren't serious in the slightest. The Undertaker snickered. Grell laughed. Vincent smirked. The rest of their crew joined in one by one. Vincent still had a chance.

"The circus isn't dead yet," The Undertaker placed his hand on Vincent's shoulder.

"I certainly hope you're right," Vincent placed his hand on top of The Undertaker's.

The two smiled at each other before going over to save Diedrich from the mischevious William. He kept 'dropping' and catching him over and over again to mess with his mind. Grell had created a monster.

"Please talk some sense into this one," Diedrich frowned, clinging to the rope like a monkey. He refused to grab William's hand another time. He'd been betrayed far too much.

"I apologize," William said. "You're just so amusing." He held out his hand for Diedrich to grab. Reluctantly, Diedrich accepted his apology and grabbed his hand, only to be betrayed again, and this time properly fall from the rope. Vincent caught him.

"Thanks for dropping in," Vincent smiled.

"I hate all of you," Diedrich frowned.

Chapter 10: -| The Greatest Show |-

Chapter Text

Vincent stood in the center of the circus ring with his arms outstretched and pointed towards the crowd. "Ladies and gents this is the moment you've waited for. You've been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor. And burned in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore. Taking your breath, stealing your mind, and all that was real is left behind," he turned on his heel and held out his cane, signaling his crew to enter through the back entrance of the tent.

"Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at you, it's only this moment, don't care what comes after, your fever dream, can't you see, getting closer? It's fire, it's freedom, it's flooding open. It's the preacher in the pulpit and your blind devotion. There's something breaking at the brick over every wall that's holding all that you know," the lights flickered with the tempo of his speech. Each new crew member entering with his hastened breath.

"So tell me do you wanna go? Where it's covered in all the colored lights? Where the runaways are running the night? Impossible comes true, it's taking over you. Oh! This is the greatest show! We light it up we won't come down! And the sun can't stop us now! Watching it come true, it's taking over you, oh, this is the greatest show!" Vincent grabbed a rope dangling from the ceiling of the tent and flew upwards. He grinned as the audience stared in a bewildered gaze. Yes. All eyes on him, please. He moved from one rope to the next, spotlight still on him, now on a tightrope with zero support. Just his feet, just his cane for balance, as the show continued.

"Colossal we come these renegades in the ring. Where the lost get found and we crown 'em the circus kings," out of his top-hat he pulled a crown and dropped it down below. It landed directly onto The Undertaker's head. Timing. Perfect. As usual. He winked.

"Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at you. It's only for this moment, don't care what comes after. It's blinding, outshining, anything that you know, just surrender cause you're coming and you wanna go..." his voice stopped immediately upon seeing a small boy, looking like a smaller version of himself, walk through the entrance of the tent. He grabbed a swinging rope, stealing it from the stars, and used the momentum to propel him forward. Flinging himself off of it, doing a few flips, and landing, perfectly on his feet, safely, before the boy. (Don't try this at home, kids. Only Vincent Phantomhive could pull it off.)

He held out his microphone to the boy, signaling for him to continue the speech, "Where it's covered in all the colored lights. Where the runaways are running the night. Impossible comes true, intoxicating you. Oh! This is the greatest show!" the boy began stammering at first, trying to remember the words, but eventually they came to him. Vincent smiled. So, this was his kid. He picked him up, grinning from ear to ear, as they both yelled in unison...

"We light it up, we won't come down, and the sun can't stop us now! It's everything you ever want. It's everything you ever need, and it's here right in front of you. This is where you wanna be. This is where you wanna be!" Lights shining around them all. Focusing on various acts all being performed at the same time. Vincent couldn't help but smile at his achievement. Indeed, this was the greatest show. And he would keep it that way.

The boy smiled in awe as he watched from the best seat in the house. He pointed and he laughed and he loved the event. Vincent felt an intense connection to him. Pride. Love. But, where was his mother?

He looked around the arena. No sign of her anywhere. Did she abandon him here? Vincent placed the boy on his shoulders. He would have to find her later. And, if he never found her at all, that was fine too. He just wanted to give his son a night to remember.

"Do you want to join the circus?" he looked up at the kid. A light lit up in his eyes that only Vincent would be able to notice. It was the same light he had.

"This is the greatest show! It's covered in all the colored lights! How could I pass it up?!" he smiled and reached out his hands for the stars of artificial creation.

Tears formed in Vincent's eyes. "Yes, how could you?" his question not aimed at his son, of course, but Rachel. Well, she didn't matter anymore. Vincent looked towards The Undertaker and smiled. He got a toothy grin in response.

Vincent ran to the center of the arena and jumped onto a ball. He gestured to the crowd, hoping they'd humor him. He held his hands to his ears and then outstretched his hands to them, beckoning a response. "Welcome to...?"

"The greatest show!" they all yelled. Yes, indeed. There could never be another like it. Not as long as he lived. No, even after he died. No one would be able to replicate this.

Notes:

When I finished it, I was so happy, that I gave up on trying to edit it. I'm sorry if it turned out to be total trash. Maybe one of these days I'll go back and make it slightly better trash.

Series this work belongs to:

← Previous Work Part 2 of Rewritten Movies Next Work →

[dweetwise]

new chapter hype! have some quick hcs about how i think the killers would react to ji-woon.

The Trickster & killers headcanons

Evan thought he’d seen it all, but now there’s an obnoxious kid in a ridiculous costume prancing around in their ranks. Ji-Woon immediately makes it clear, in heavily accented English, that he’s not going to take orders from anyone, so Evan mostly leaves him alone and waits for the Entity to put him back in line.

Philip senses how unhinged the new killer is under the carefully presented flamboyant exterior. He stays in his cloak to avoid the Trickster as much as possible, even leaving his own realm if the other killer trespasses on the Autohaven grounds.

Max is wary at first, on edge due to Ji-Woon’s sudden, maniacal outbursts. But after the killer proves more than happy to completely ignore him, Max starts watching his song and dance routines from afar, the Trickster’s flashy getup reminding him of whimsy he hasn’t seen since his childhood movies.

Sally is brought back to unpleasant memories of the asylum and some of its patients with delusions of grandeur. She has no desire to deal with the Trickster’s god complex and usually blinks away whenever he’s in the vicinity.

Michael, mistaking Ji-Woon for a survivor, tries to kill him right off the bat. When the Entity intervenes to prevent it, he settles for staring at the teen instead. As usual, the mask betrays nothing, but Michael is secretly disgruntled when the idol only seems to thrive on the attention instead of being unnerved.

Lisa is more confused than anything. Why is some supposedly big pop star joining their group of horrible, disfigured monsters? Seeing his youthful, unmarred face is a cruel reminder of the life she missed out on, and she withdraws to the swamp to reminiscence about her past.

Herman is quick to strike up conversation with the boy; not to make friends, but to study him and find out what makes him tick. He’s intrigued by the clear sadistic tendencies the Trickster displays, promptly inviting the killer over to the hospital for experiments.

Anna is on her guard, despite the Trickster not appearing to pose much of a threat due to his small stature and skinny build. She knows better than to underestimate people, having learned that brightly colored animals are often the most venomous.

Bubba is terrified of Ji-Woon, even though he could probably overpower the lanky killer if he had to. The Trickster is loud and unpredictable, spooking Bubba on numerous occasions with sudden movement or a maniacal laugh.

Freddy loves murdering teenagers and is a little peeved that the Entity doesn’t allow him to do so with this one. He tries to give a snarky, villainy monologue to get under the Trickster’s skin, but the idol only starts talking over him in Korean before turning on his heel and arrogantly flinging an autograph over his shoulder, robbing Freddy of his moment.

Amanda is initially fascinated by his power; throwing small blades into people’s skin until they eventually collapse from their wounds is a creative way of torture, after all. But as soon as she approaches Ji-Woon, it quickly becomes evident that he sees himself as above her, claiming she should be honored to even be in his presence. Having none of that, Amanda starts plotting petty revenge to sabotage his knives.

Jeffrey is entertained, claiming the Trickster’s knife-throwing act would have landed him a spot in the circus he used to travel with. He has no issue with the kid, and as Ji-Woon doesn’t have a realm of his own, the idol can sometimes be found wandering the chapel or practicing his throwing skills on the circus target board.

Rin has a moment of nostalgia, Ji-Woon reminding her of her life before, when she was just a normal teenager with idol posters on her wall. However, his arrogance is very off-putting to her, angry that his behavior taints the few pleasant memories she has left.

Legion laugh their asses off. They have a field day with mocking his outfit and music, egging each other on with the dumbest of jokes, claiming he looks even more like a clown than Jeffrey.

Adiris, through his body language and golden outfit, concludes him as a false idol. Thinking he’s mocking her god and trying to lead people astray, her contempt for him only grows, and she’s known to burst into reciting sermons to draw attention away from the Trickster’s performances.

Danny’s narcissism knows no bounds and it doesn’t take long before he sees Ji-Woon as competition, hogging the spotlight from Danny and his genius. While the Trickster boasts about killing fans and managers alike, Danny can’t help the pure rage bubbling up, thinking how unprofessional and downright sloppy the novice killer’s methods are. However, he keeps his cards close to his chest, already planning how he’ll undermine the new arrival instead of direct confrontation.

Demo sees a lanky teen with a baseball bat and instantly distrusts the Trickster. Will aggressively hiss and be extremely on edge whenever the killer is near.

Kazan is angry. The new killer is loud and flashy and seems to have misunderstood the concept of honor entirely, having replaced it with pure arrogance. If the two are in the same room, the Oni can usually be found roaring Japanese insults at the Trickster or trying to club some sense into the youngster.

Caleb views Ji-Woon as nothing more than an annoying brat. He has no respect for the killer’s ineffective choice of weapon, the pathetic blades all bark and no bite; just like their owner.

Pyramid Head’s fingers twitch where he’s grasping his sword. The new killer reeks of sin and would their captor allow it, the executioner would inflict proper judgment on him once and for all.

Talbot sees the killer’s narcissism and immediately starts planning how to exploit it in his next experiment. He’s curious to see what would happen should he make Ji-Woon as ugly on the outside as he is on the inside.

Charlotte and Victor are hesitantly intrigued by Ji-Woon at first, as he’s got an aura of entertainer all around him. They watch one of his numbers in awe, but their joy is short-lived. Immediately after his performance, the Trickster sneers at them in disgust, as if the twins are nothing but a fleck of dirt on his shiny coat.

[avengerscompound]

It’s You and Me - Chapter 10

It’s You and Me: A Hawkeye Fanfic

Series Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Buy me a ☕ Character Pairing:  Clint Barton x  F!Reader

Word Count:  1758

Rating:  E

Warnings:  Mentions of past abuse, some kinda sexual stuff (though it’s light and probably pg movie worthy), some of this is canon comic stuff - so you may have already read it.

Synopsis: You and Clint Barton go way back.  Since you joined the circus as a child, he took it upon himself to keep you away from the people who really wanted to hurt you.  For years the two of you danced a line between dark and light.

When he chooses light the two of you go your separate ways.

Fifteen years later he tracks you down.  Those feelings the two of you shared never went away, but now he is not only an Avengers but a single father.  Can the two of you make it work after all this time when your lives have gone in such different directions?

A series told in flashbacks and current day.

Chapter 10: Then

Clint ran through the circus looking for Eden.  He’d been in town getting some things when he’d spotted the paper.  The words ‘Art Dealer Murdered’ were splashed over the front page, with a photograph of the man Clint recognized from when he’d had the meeting with Tiboldt and a picture of some of the missing art.  He knew it had to do with the circus.  That someone from here had killed him when they’d tried to steal the art.  After what you had said about Eden potentially being involved, he was terrified that someone was her.

“Anyone seen Eden?”  He called as he ran through the carnies setting up the tents for the show tonight.

He spotted Bruto the Strong Man hammering in some of the larger poles and rushed over to him.  “Bruto,” he said, slightly breathless.  “You seen Eden around?”

Bruto thrust his thumb over his shoulder.  “Check Tiboldt’s trailer.”

Clint nodded and ran towards the orange trailer that had the large banner advertising the circus on the side.  “Eden,” he called.  “Tiboldt - you guys in there?”

The door opened a crack and the thin weasley face peered around the corner.  “What do you want, Barton?”

“Where’s Eden?”  Clint asked.

Tiboldt narrowed his eyes.  “What… do … you… want?”

Clint thrust the paper forward, right into the Ringmaster’s face so he could see the headline.  “This is the guy you were talking to a few days ago!”

“Really?”  Tiboldt said, playing coy.  “I talk to so many people when we do our shows…”

“He was the museum guy - we were gonna do some children’s charity gig for him?”  Clint questioned.

Tiboldt chuckled drily and handed the paper back to Clint.  “Apparently, we won’t be now.”

Clint scowled, taking it.  “Where’s Eden?”

Tiboldt pushed the door open so that Clint could see inside.  Eden was sitting at the dressing table, naked except for a small towel wrapped around her waist.  She turned, obviously startled that the Ringmaster would give her away.  “Clint!”  She yelped.  “I…”

Clint fumed.  He wanted to yell.  To fight Tiboldt.  To do something to express how angry and hurt he was right now.  Tiboldt was the boss though and he was stuck.  He’d been sleeping with Eden and they’d gone and murdered someone together and Clint was just some dumb sucker.

He spun on his heel and stormed off.

He’d made it halfway down the big top before Eden came chasing after him, the towel only barely wrapped around her.  “Clint!  Wait!” She called.  “It’s not what you think!”

“Yeah?”  He snapped, tossing the paper into the air.  “‘Cause I’m thinkin’ you’re with him when you said you were my girl -” he loosed an arrow at it and shot past Eden’s head, pinning the paper to the wall of the trailer she was standing next to, the arrowhead piercing the picture of the murder victim through the head.  “- and you helped him commit murder!”

“You…” Eden stammered.  “You really think I would murder someone?”

Clint faltered.  He didn’t know what he believed.  He loved Eden and had loved her for a while now.  But seeing her naked in that trailer only days after you had warned him about what was going on, he wasn’t sure if he could trust her.  “I - no… no, I don’t…”

She approached him running her hand up into the back of his head and leaning into him.  “As for Tiboldt and me - please - I was posing for a new trailer poster.”  She looked into his eyes and tilted her head.  “No one touches me - you know that.  No one but you.”

She opened her towel, and wrapped it around him, bringing her naked body to his right out in the open in front of everyone.  Heat flushed Clint’s skin and every coherent thought left his head.  He kissed Eden deeply and hungrily the only thing even remotely resembling a coherent thought was the deep animalistic hunger he felt for her.

That night as you and Clint got ready for the show, he’d all but forgotten the incident from earlier and the murder of the art dealer.  You were fussing with the horses as he checked his equipment.

“Five minutes ‘til showtime!”  Tiboldt called.  Clint flexed his bowstring and the bow snapped.  “Ah, nuts!”  He cursed and looked around, while Tidbolt called out the run list.  “Anyone got a soldering iron?”

You shook your head while the other performers ignored him.  “Hurry, Clint,” you said.  “We’re first.”

“I’ll be quick,” he agreed and ran out the back of the tent.  Eden was coming in from outside.  She was wearing a bikini that would match her flesh if it wasn’t covered from neck to toe in intricate tattoos.  “Eden, baby, I need a soldering iron,” he said.

“Oh, I got one, Clint,” she teased.

“You do?” He said, completely missing the teasing in his desperation to fix the bow before curtains up.

“You wanna know where I’m keeping it?”  She smirked

Realization dawned on him.  Of course, the woman who was basically naked didn’t have a soldering iron on her.  “Oh,” he said.

“Try one of the storage chests, you big dope - the purple one, I think,” she said.

He rushed down to where the storage chests were but instead of one, there were three purple chests, each identical to the other.  “Aw, man…” he whined.  “Eden… three of them are purple!”

“Two minutes!”  Tiboldt called.

“C’mon…” Clint muttered, opening one of the trunks.  Sitting on top of the chest was the painting from the paper.  It had been Tiboldt, just like he’d thought.  Which meant it was probably Eden too.

His heart sunk.  He didn’t know what to do.  It was one thing when it was just stealing - but murder?  How could he stay with the Circus knowing they were doing that?

“Ladies and Gentleman -”  Tiboldt called, his voice amplified over the big top.  Clint cursed again and began digging for the soldering iron in the other trunks.

He’d well and truly missed his queue when he reached you.  Eden was out on the floor working her contortionist routine.  “Where have you been?”  You asked.  “You missed your queue.”

“I’m sorry!”  He said and came over close to you.  “I was fixing my bow and I found a painting… one of the missing ones.  They killed that art guy.”

You frowned.  “Shit.”

“Did you have anything to do with it?”  He asked.

You held up your hands.  “I swear I didn’t, Clint.  I thought about it, but I knew if they had that over me, then they’d have control of me.”

“You think Eden did?”  Clint muttered.

You looked around and pulled Clint behind the horses more.  He tried to see what had got you spooked and noticed Tiboldt watching you both.  “I don’t know.  Maybe,” you whispered.  “You should ask her that.”

Clint’s shoulders sagged.  “I might get us a motel room.  Maybe if she’s away from the circus she’ll tell me.”

You shrugged.  “Maybe.”

“Hawkeye, Sugar.  You already missed on queue, you better get this one,” Tiboldt snapped, appearing around the front of the horses.

“Yes, sir!” You said, getting on your horse.

Clint did the same and waited for his queue.  You leaned over to him.  “Clint, what are you gonna do if she did do it?”

Clint shrugged.  “I dunno.  I dunno if I can stay here.  Would you come with me?”

“Where would we go?”  You asked.   “We ran away to the circus, what’s after that?”

“Welcome to the ring, the man who can’t miss, Hawkeye!”  Tiboldt announced, interrupting Clint’s train of thought.  He spurred his horse on through the curtains.  Not that he was sure what he was going to do, but if he turned everyone in, there was no way that the answer could be this anymore.

You sat next to Clint by the payphone in the street.  He’d done what he’d said.  He’d taken Eden to a motel.  They’d gotten dirty and then clean again, and while they showered he’d asked her about the murder.  She denied the murder but not the theft and then got mad at him for not trusting her.  Clint had gone to bed feeling sick to his stomach and the next morning he woke well before Eden, come back to the circus, and got you.

“You really gonna do this, Clint?”  You asked.

He shrugged.  “I dunno.  They killed someone.  That guy has a family.  Friends.  They deserve some kind of closure.”

You nodded.  “The circus will be done.  What will we do?”

“Go on the road together,” Clint suggested.  “The act won’t be quite as good without the horses and the clowns, but we could do a pretty good routine.  Maybe some solo work too.”

“Maybe if you do it anonymously they won’t know it was you,” you suggested.

“Eden will know,” he said.  “So will Tiboldt. This is gonna burn us.  I already got my leg busted because I threatened to turn them in once.”

“I guess… make the call, and we go back and … pack our things?”  You said.  “If we can get as much of our stuff as we can, we won’t need to start from scratch.”

“You’re really going to come with me?”  Clint asked.

“Clint,” you said softly, lowering your eyes.  “I know you don’t know exactly what happened to me before I joined the circus, but when I joined, and Jacques said I needed to take those pictures - he said that he wouldn’t touch me.  That it’d just be some naked pictures and that’d pay for my upkeep.  I didn’t like it, but … it was like levels, you know?  When someone keeps breaking your bones, and then a different person says, come here I’ll bruise you, but I won’t break your bones, you go because compared to the broken bones, the bruising feels like heaven.  And you… you said you’d protect me from anyone hurting me at all.  And you did.  You kept Jacques away from me and you gave me a way to protect myself.  And you’ve never expected anything from me.  I kept expecting that one day you’d be like ‘well look what I did, now you owe me so open up those pretty legs of yours’ but you didn’t.  So yeah, Clint.  I’ll go with you because it’s you and me.  You’ve always got my back, it’s only fair I have yours too.”

Clint looked at you and smiled sadly.  “You and me,” he said and patted your thigh.  “Okay.  I’m gonna do this.”

// NEXT

[aueua]

Marona’s Fantastic Tale (2019) AU where the dog lives and others are happier. Idea bounced with @mushrium a few weeks back; details under cut.

Yes, I am aware that hardly anyone knows of this movie (but maybe more’ll know it now due to the streamer albeit even then this is unlikely to be a proper fandom, maybe, maybe not). Doesn’t matter. This now exists for archiving purposes.

First and foremost: Spoilers abound, don’t seek further if you don’t want them by any means - with that said, also good luck if you aren’t aware of what the movie is but I’ll do my best to give some context as necessary. (Post-edit: No clarification. Very sorry.)

See also: The movie is not for everyone but it can be appreciated artistically for its fluidity and variety of styles. There is also a lot of symbolism and the dog narrator is impeccable. I love Nine. I love her, I do.

Okay! Here we go.

Recall the [Lost Dog Sign] that is posted some scenes after Nine (protagonist, dog) left Manole (red and yellow, acrobat entertainer) and she’s picked up by Istvan beloved (Tumblr nose, big guy). Istvan may be driving and potentially distracted; however, he absolutely sees that sign. And it doesn’t quite click, not yet. He’s worried about his mother, his wife, himself, this dog. Dog... Dog! This doesn’t register until he’s arrived at his ill mother’s home. That dog on the wanted sign looks eerily like the one he just picked up... and come to think of it, it did seem well cared for...

So he fudges around, figures out what the number is.

An answer. And with one thing leading to another, Istvan figured that this guy is sincere: He loves this dog much like he does. (But he believed that Manole loved her more, deserved her more, and it isn’t likely he can bring her quite anywhere...) So. They meet up. Guy really is nice, but Istvan can see it - the acrobat’s nerves are a bit shot after all that worrying and desperation to find this dog again. Ana (dog), was it? (There was an inkling that he should call her Sara but Ana is also quite the nice name. It’s fine. And thank goodness, that he did not name her, since goodbyes would be worse.)

They part, and that is that. Istvan checked on his mother, returned to his choking snake of a wife (yellow skin ostritch, black fluff); Manole reobtained his beloved boy (girl, he knows), managed to get a contract that allowed him to work with her in the La Circe (???) troupe thingamabob since it was either them or nothing. Both of these two keep in touch with each other as Istvan is worried and, admittedly, attached to the dog after those moments in the dumps viva la his loneliness. Plus Manole’s a fun personality. He’s considered going to see one of his acts, once, but his wife’s a bit overbearing.

A bit overbearing, as in a time skip occurs and he still had yet to leave her toxic self, nor could he bear to see his mother but still stuck it through.

Come to think of it though. Manole is obviously happy, and so is the dog. He can’t recall a moment with his wife recently where he felt... happy, sincerely. Perhaps in the past, when he’d strum his guitar and skate around - free and without the exhaustion of judgment and micromanagement? He deserved better. There’s just no right timing, though, as he can’t find the motivation to work himself up and tell his wife they need a divorce for both of their own sakes.

And then his wife gave him the ultimatum: Her, or that stupid acrobat with the dog and his mother.

Well, well. Fine. He doesn’t need to pack much, and he doesn’t need to say anything. He’s rearing to go. The wife? Cocky. All until she realized quite quickly that he was serious, dead serious, and she begged and pleaded and smothered herself all over him trying to get him to obey her every whim just like before. That it was a joke, an act, a test to see where he would be really happy but she needed him and who else would indulge her needs and fluff up her ego with the beefcake of a man?

Too bad! He’s gone, but he’s also an incredible mess and it was incredibly short-notice and maybe he should’ve thought things out better, but he’s free. He’s never felt so relieved. It’s quite cold, dark, and alone, but everything seems so much more colorful and bright now but also he really should find a place to say and strangely, his immediate thought is to call up Manole -- but he’s asleep, isn’t he? Or working? He shouldn’t bother him, he should go to his mother. But...

He called. Decided that if he did not get an answer, he would let him know another time (never, really). And nobody picked up. So as he’s ready to drive out, he gets a call: It’s Manole. He picked up, and he heard the groggy-confused voice of an acrobat ringing out with the delightful barks of Ana in the background to give him the image that oh, she must have woken him up, and oh, he’s smiling. They chat for the night. As in. They meet up again, and the two take a quiet stroll out with Ana, and Istvan gets to vent, tell his story. (His little audience is quite expressive too, he noted. Loose red strings of disbelief and high-pitched barking. Dramatic flailing of arms, a growl.)

In the end, they have to rest. Manole and Ana depart (with Manole insisting that they continue their little interactions and that Istvan finally comes to one of his showings, he swore he’d make it worthwhile - Ana agreeing in her little pip), and Istvan is home. A home of memories. Bad, good, but a place that made him nevertheless and he supposed... he should probably go to that therapist Manole recommended. He gave his word that she was fine; she had helped him back then, too, when things were dire.

Solange was her name. And oh, she was understanding - the best, at least for his circumstances. He revealed his feelings, and she helped him through most of it - enough that he was in better shape than before. Enough that he can lift his head high even with his impressive stature. But - he did ask, out of polite curiosity. What was it that made her want to be a therapist?

And it was an easy answer, the way she’d told it. A deadbeat father, a single mother with a cat and her father - her own grandfather. She had been... rebellious, in a sense, and she was a menace to her family. They had financial issues, relationship issues, the works. It was only until they’d discovered the (grand)father dead that things really started to change. Viva la insurance money, they were able to handle most of the debt and loans. She felt more inclined to... help, seeing as how badly-shapen her mother was, mourning and all. And during that - she realized it was something she wanted to pursue wholeheartedly.

Overall, they’re happy. Istvan and Manole eventually get together (after a long amount of time, only when Istvan was ready to open himself up again - easier, when he’d started acting as accompaniment as (a tech) crew and occasional musical act in the streets and they realized how well they clicked). Ana thrives (with a few other secret nicknames that the others gave to her; well. She doesn’t mind.) Solange occasionally helped out in using her artistic skills with some of the advertisements.

They’re all comfortable. They’re living.

That is all.

 SUMMARY:

・[Overall] The canon diverges with Istvan actually noticing and recognizing the missing dog poster Manole put up. Manole and Ana are reunited. Istvan eventually divorces his wife and gets therapy from Solange, and Istvan is later friends (or more than that, ah-heem) with Manole.

・[Manole] Acrobat for that dreamy circus, but with a dog.

・[Ana] Dog! Beloved! Living! Happy! SO Happy. Maybe gets to meet her old litter of siblings again.

・[Istvan] No more toxic wife that tries to control and restrain him with false affections and silly desires built on creating a dumb image! Musical fun time! Also lifts and flexes.

・[Solange] On good terms with mother now! Grandpa is deader than dead but it’s for the better, promise. Insurance money and her mother made her realize she’d wanted to be a therapist. Occasionally does art for Manole’s circus thing.

No I did not proofread this. I do not care. I have self love, and this is, in fact, indulgent.

[mischiefandspirits]

Doppelgänger (14/19)

Previously on Doppelgänger ~ Masterlist ~ Next time on Doppelgänger

Danny, Sam, and Tucker were just 14 when they took a look inside the portal Danny’s parents had built. From there, everything changed. They woke up with white hair, green skin, and powers they could learn to control. They were hybrids, halfas.

They were the hero Doppelgänger.

{Memory Blank, Part 2}

Something sunk into Danny’s stomach as the pieces started coming together. “And you were wearing this all night, up until school?”

“Yes, why? Do you know what’s wrong with me?”

“Not you, us.”

“Us?”

He waved his hands around, trying to encompass everything. “All of us. Everyone. This is supposed to protect you from ghostly powers. So if you think the entire world changed on you overnight, maybe it did! Maybe a ghost used some… some reality altering ability.”

Valerie’s eyes widened. “And since I was wearing that, I was unaffected.”

“Do you remember any ghosts that were about lately?”

“The last ghosts I saw were the circus ones and none of them were that strong. Oh, and Terminatra.”

“Termi-who?”

“The ghost in the park, the one that attacked Paulina. She looked just like the movie monster Terminatra.”

“Movie monster… Wait! Like that new movie coming out. The chick flick.”

“Chick flick?”

“The one with the three female monsters.”

“Trinity of Doom is not a chick flick,” she chuckled.

“It’s the closest Sam gets to chick flicks and she’s the only girl I hang out with.”

“I’ll give you that.” She shook her head in amusement. “Yeah, Terminatra is in Trinity of Doom.”

“And let me guess, one of the others is some green shark-alien thing.”

“Femalien?” Valerie pulled up a picture of the poster on her phone and showed it to him. “Yeah. Why?”

He pointed at Femalien. “That’s the ghost that attacked our class.”

“Why are movie monsters coming to life to attack people?”

“Not people, Paulina,” Danny corrected. “And I don’t know why, but I know it’s connected to Sam. Femalien said her name just before Phantom beat her and Sam really wanted to go see the movie, but Tucker and I wanted to go to Paulina’s party since she actually invited us for once.”

“Wow, she hates Paulina on the best day. She’d probably wish hell on her after you guys pulled that.”

Danny went pale. “Wish. Oh man, that explains everything.”

“What? What’d I say?”

“There’s a ghost -- Desiree -- she’s basically a genie. She grants any wish she hears, can make anything come true so long as someone wishes for it.”

“Such as bringing movie monsters to life or changing all of reality as we know it?” Valerie said, her eyes widening.

“Theoretically. I’ve never seen her grant such a big wish before though. What would someone even wish to change things so much?”

“I don’t know, but we need to fix it. Do you know how she was defeated last time?”

Danny snorted. “I wished she’d go into the thermos.”

“It was that easy?” she laughed.

“Like I said, she grants every wish she hears.”

“So we just need to find her then wish everything back to normal before she can grant any… more… wishes! The meteor shower!” Valerie said, grabbing Danny’s shoulders. “She’s going after the meteor shower!”

“Everyone will be making wishes,” Danny said as he caught on. “We need to find her, now.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What happened to you?” Tucker asked as Danny stumbled up to them, dreary-eyed.

“Was up all night. Finally figured out what was up with the ghosts and Sam,” Danny yawned.

“Still blaming me?” Sam asked, slamming her locker shut.

“I wasn’t -” Danny groaned and slumped against the lockers. “Look, it was Desiree, okay. She’s back and she messed up big. I need to stop her. I just wish I knew what idiot made a wish to warp the entire world and what they’d even wished for.”

“What are you talking about?” Sam asked.

He opened his mouth to explain and his breath fogged in front of him. “Wait, no,” he hissed as he realized his mistake. He spun around to see Desiree forming in front of him.

“Well, this is even better than I’d hoped,” she laughed. “You really are getting rid of all my problems, aren’t you?”

Danny took a step back as she pointed a glowing hand at him.

“So you have wished it, so shall it be!”

He dropped to the ground as pink mist washed over him.

“Danny!” Sam and Tucker shouted, running to his side as the ghost flew off. “Are you okay?”

He groaned as he opened his eyes. “What’s going on? Why are we at school?” he asked, sitting up. He looked at his partners, then flinched away. “Who are you? Where are Sam and Tucker?”

They both frowned. “We are Sam and Tucker.”

“Yeah, no you’re not. I’d recognize my partners anywhere.”

“Dude, what did Desiree do to you?” Tucker asked and Danny froze.

“Desiree? What about Desiree?”

“She just hit you with her magic and now you think we’re imposters,” Sam explained.

Danny got to his feet, looking around. “I-I don’t remember anything about Desiree. The last thing I remember was getting home from our pity party and going to bed.”

“Pity party?” Tucker asked.

“Yeah, where Sam and Tucker -- the real ones -- were cheering me up after Val and I… decided we couldn’t date.”

“Date!” the two shouted.

“You can’t date Valerie,” Tucker said.

“I’m aware,” he huffed.

“Seriously Danny, she’s trying to kill Phantom! Why would that even be an option?” Sam said and Danny gave her a confused look.

“Phantom?”

They shared a look and Tucker said, “Danny Phantom, your ghost form.”

“My ghost form. My, as in not yours.”

“Duh, you’re the half-ghost. Not us.”

Danny sucked in a breath. “Oh no. No, no, no. You guys said Desiree was here?”

“Yeah?”

The school bell rang.

“Crud,” Danny hissed. “Meet me after class. We really need to talk.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You realize how crazy this all sounds, right?” Sam said as she and Tucker watched Danny pace around his room.

“How do you think I feel?” he said, rubbing his neck. “No one remembers anything!”

“Danny, maybe this is just Desiree,” Tucker said.

“Of course it’s Desiree.”

“No, I meant she’s why you’re thinking these things. None of it happened, man.”

“It did though! I know it did!”

“But you only knew this stuff after she blasted you.”

Danny scowled and pinched his nose.

He missed his partners, which these two weren’t even if they were the real Sam and Tucker because these two were human and weren’t in a relationship with him so not only couldn’t they soothe him mentally, but he couldn’t even cuddle with them because the one time he’d mentioned it he’d gotten weird looks and Sam had flushed brighter than a stop sign. He also missed Valerie, but he couldn’t talk to her because they weren’t even friends in this backward world, let alone the messy whatever they were now that they’d admitted their feelings but couldn’t actually date back in his reasonably crazy world.

“I need a nap,” Danny groaned, laying down on his bed.

Then he wondered if he could even take a nap. He was the only halfa in this world. How much extra work did he have? Clearly enough that he screwed up a lot, judging by the stories his friends had told him.

“We don’t have time for that. We need to track down Desiree and fix you.”

Danny moaned and pulled his pillow over his head.

A knock sounded, but Danny ignored it. Who knows how weird his relationship was with Jazz. They’d gotten so much closer since the Spectra thing, he didn’t want to know how not having Sam and Tucker there to save him would have affected that.

“Uh, why is Valerie in her ghost hunter getup outside your window,” Tucker whispered just loud enough for Danny and Sam to hear.

Danny threw the pillow off. “Val?”

Sam scowled at his reaction, but he ignored her and ran to the window.

“Hey, Danny,” Valerie said as she opened it.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, trying to push down his excitement, this wasn’t his Valerie. This Valerie didn’t even like him.

“Checking in,” she said, climbing into his room. “I haven’t seen any sign of Desiree, have you?”

“How does she know about Desiree?” Sam asked.

“You didn’t tell them?” Valerie asked.

“My head’s been in two places lately,” he chuckled. “Were we, uh, working together or something?”

That didn’t make sense given what San and Tucker had said, but he kind of hoped it was true.

Valerie retracted her suit and gave him a worried look. “Yes, after I explained everything to you about Doppelgänger we figured out Desiree was behind it. Don’t you remember?”

“Thank god!” Danny cheered, pulling her into a hug. “You remember Doppelgänger. You don’t know how good it is to hear that, Val.”

“Of course I re-Wait, Val?” She pulled back so she could see his face. She studied it for a moment before smiling. “Danny?”

“Hey, cage buddy.”

She laughed and hugged him back. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, Fenton.”

“Sorry.”

“Uh, hey, yeah, what’s going on?” Sam said, but the two ignored her.

“How did you get your memories back?”

“Heck if I know. All I know is Sam and Tucker said Desiree blasted me and when I woke up I could remember everything from our world. This one’s bananas by the way.”

“Tell me about it.”

“How do you remember everything?”

“Your Specter Deflector. It stopped me from being affected.”

“Go me.”

Suddenly a hand grabbed the back of Danny’s shirt and he was yanked away from his -- honestly, much needed as he hasn’t gone this long without cuddles in ages -- hug.

“Yeah, hi, still here,” Sam growled, sending Valerie a death glare.

She stared at Sam for a moment, then glanced at Danny. “Does Sam have a crush on you in this world?”

Danny shrugged as Sam sputtered and Tucker snickered.

“I don’t have a crush on Danny!”

“Right, back on topic. Desiree, any ideas,” Valerie said.

“Last time I met her, Tucker and I went to a W-ing fountain and W-ed for her to appear so we could capture her. We could try that again,” Danny offered.

“Good enough. Let’s go.”

“Hold on,” Sam said, yanking Danny back when he tried to follow Valerie to the window. In a low voice, she said, “What are you doing? You can’t go to a ghost fight with her. Your secret.”

“Calm down, Sam. We’re just going to W for her to fix everything then go in the thermos. No fighting involved. Besides, I’ve fought in human form plenty of times. I won’t give myself away.”

“No, you haven’t.”

“Yes, I have. You need to trust me.”

“You can’t go alone. You need to let us help you.”

Danny gave a sad smile and grabbed her hand off his arm. He squeezed it, saying, “Trust me, if this has taught me anything, it's that I need you guys at my side. But not this time. You guys don’t know what’s at stake. Besides, I’m not alone. Val’s got my back.”

“That’s worse than alone.”

Danny leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “I’ll be fine, promise.”

He pulled back and was surprised to see she looked floored and was cherry flushed.

Okay, Valerie might have been right about the crush. Weird.

Danny took that as his chance to follow Valerie to the window. He sent Tucker a smile, but the tech geek was too busy gaping at him and Sam.

“Let’s get out of this crazy world,” Danny said as he climbed onto the hoverboard.

“Agreed.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Home sweet home,” Danny sighed as he brushed against the mind link. His partners seemed confused, but affectionate and he quickly assured them he’d explain later.

He and Val were currently hovering over the park, sitting side by side on her board. Valerie had the thermos containing Desiree in hand, fiddling with it as they stared out at the sunset.

“I’m glad you were there to help.”

“It was the least I could do. The, uh, W was actually mine,” he admitted.

“Really? What had you been W-ing for?”

He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. It was a stupid one. I was just sad and frustrated and worried about Sam and Tucker.” He looked up at her. “And you.”

She smiled and took his hand. “About what we talked about?”

“Val -”

“I know what you said, but I don’t care if you have a secret.”

“I do,” he sighed, pulling his hand away. “I don’t want to have to lie to you.”

“Then don’t. If you can’t tell me something, then just tell me that.” She turned fully to Danny. “This whole mess has made me realize that I want to be with you, Danny. If that means you have secrets, then I can live with that. I,” she thought about Doppelgänger floating before her with blood-red eyes, “have my own secrets too. And it wouldn’t be fair for me to ask you to keep my secret, then be turned off by the fact you’re keeping someone else’s.”

“You’ll be mad I kept it from you when you find out,” he whispered.

“Then you can hit me over the head and remind me it’s my own fault.”

He snorted. “I don’t have a death wish, thanks.”

She reached up to cup his cheek. “I’m serious, Danny.”

“This is a bad idea,” he said, but he didn’t pull away.

“It will be fine.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I want this, and I know you do too.”

“I…” You deserve to be selfish sometimes. “I do. I’m just worried.”

She leaned forward and kissed him, soft and sweet.

When they pulled back, she said, “Don’t be.”

He smiled and squeezed her hand. “Sam, Tucker, and I were going to see a movie tomorrow, but do you want to come over after to watch the meteor shower together? The best time to watch is supposed to be one in the morning.”

“Can’t wait.”

[katcadecascade]

ORV DND Episode 2

The GM tells us five PC that Main Scenario #2 has begun right as the bus we’re in breaks down in the middle of the road. 

It’s called The Guide where we have to meet some guide, meaning that now things are going to divert from canon Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. My GM friend already warned me not to expect the scenarios to be the same but I’m still paranoid to what’s to come because then this sub scenario pops up.

Sub Scenario: Survive Mental Prison. 

A fog cloaks our surroundings and we must roll a constitution check. Two PC use their attribute skills to be immune to the fog, while the rest of us roll our dice. I succeed but the other two PC fail and thus describe their selves in a state of panic. 

It takes a while for us to drag those two out of the bus as we run to the safety of an abandoned convenient store. Along the way we had to discard half our of equipment to speed up our progress. It took a lot of our braincells to remember that our suitcases can weigh us down. 

Anyway we escape the fog and rest in the store. We eat some food, rest up, have our PCs interact and name a cat Sprinkles. 

Okay so I forgot to mention this in the last episode post, there was a cat that I thought about killing for the first scenario but in the end I choose to kill a person. As for the cat, well it killed a rat and survived. Does this cat have a constellation sponsor? I don’t know. 

We’re still deciding what to do at this point. Our only leads are from an email that brought us all to that bus that was supposed to take us to Disneyland. Our best guess is that Disneyland is where our guide for the second scenario is. 

And then busting out of the employee only door is a bunch of hooded people. These new NPCs are clearly in a well organized group, they have gas masks and bags full of food. The NPC with a sword interrogates us, asking how we survived the first scenario. The PCs who only killed insects or a plant are open about it but me and last PC reluctantly share that we killed people. 

From an insight roll, the NPCs were not expecting that. My guess was that they also killed people and to hear that there was another way pass that to survive was tough to realize. 

The sword NPC then tells us that there are people sheltered in a mall nearby. Their group has it barricaded and their leader sent them out to get more food supply. We get to talking a bit more and with some high charisma rolls we learn something important.

The NPCs shared that they were from different Scenario #1 groups and that their Scenario #2 are also different. 

As a reader of ORV, I did not see that coming. Lowkey, I did expect the GM to directly use canon scenarios but the idea of people getting different scenarios and advancing at different paces did not form in my brain. 

One PC raises the question of what if these NPCs has a scenario to kill us. 

Another PC suggests we have the cat do a vibe check. 

Sprinkles the cat looks at the NPCs and meows in approval. 

So we go with them. They give us their extra gas masks and we go through the fog and reach a mall. If you’ve ever seen Netflix’ Daybreak, the mall is like that, the shuttered pulled down and barricaded. Inside we meet the leader of all these hoods. 

I quickly realize this is like a thuggish version of Inho Cheon and Geumho Station. This leader NPC believes in survival of the fittest and gathers other strong people to follow his lead. The mall has the same division of power, people who have low stats and have to pay a coin fee to the leader’s group of high stat people. 

This leader NPC is also okay for any of us to leave the mall, he expects us to die but still, we have the option to leave. Problem is that the Mental Prison fog is still out there so we hatch a plan to steal some gas masks before we bail this place.

Meanwhile, we get a tour of the place. Again it’s kind of like Geumho Station where the scavenger group gets access to the food supply but also the mattresses store, and running water while the large group of low stats people gets none of that. Classic power imbalance, yah know.

But then my entire being stops when the NPC casually points at the movie theater and says, “That’s the theater dungeon.”

The other PCs get confused and poke fun at the dungeon part, thinking this NPC made a sex dungeon until they get the explanation that the theater itself really is a dungeon and people with low stats died in there while his strong group survived. 

As for me, out of character I tell my friends, “I’m going into the theater dungeon no matter what.”

“All we do is give our characters pain,” a PC comments.

Anyway, we wander off to talk about how to steal or buy off the gas masks because one, our Scenario #2 is probably not here and two, this place is sketchy as fuck. Sprinkles has been hissing at the leader and we all agree with this cat. 

This is where I turn to the GM and ask to roll for my personal skill to predict the future.

So this is how the GM and I hatched out this skill. My PC is not a true prophet like Anna Croft cause that’ll be too overpowered. We decided on using percentile dice and make my skill into an accuracy reading on what routes I pick. If you know about the fortune teller from the Danganronpa series, its like that. 

So I ask questions on what would happen if we stay here and if we can leave safely. I roll sort of high and the GM messages me this.

There will be a bloody fight in the future, innocents will die, you may not leave. 

Again, the GM reminds me that this is only like a seventy percent accurate. Nonetheless, me and my PC are shocked and scared. I retell my accursed knowledge to the other PCs and things are looking grim. 

That’s when a kid NPC approaches us, asking if we’re strong. This kid tells us his friend went into the theater dungeon and hasn’t came out yet. 

Before a PC could say ‘you’re friend is probably dead’ a sub scenario pops up.

It’s basically a rescue quest to save the kid’s friend. From the two hour time limit, the friend is still probably alive we guess. What really catches out attention is the reward of having this NPC use a skill to increase our bond or power with our constellation sponsors. We take up the the quest and head off to the theater.

There the sword NPC from earlier is guarding the entrance and warns us that we might die but the rewards are pretty good. Then she asks if we’re really taking our cat with us. 

Sprinkles has chosen only one PC to be his designated human so that PC tries to hand off Sprinkles to the care of the NPC. 

“Wait just a second,” our GM announces and we hear the roll of a dice. 

Sprinkles decides no, jumps out of the arms of the NPC and runs into the theater dungeon. 

Things are going great.

We head into the theater, its just the main lobby and two hallways. We see Sprinkles head to the left hallway but we try to investigate the lobby first. We get some clues about the NPC we’re supposed to rescue but not enough to know where he is. Eventually we decide to go left and trust the cat is leading us in the right direction.

The hallway has posters with slash marks, later explained to be done by the sword girl NPC accompanying us. She’s just here for the cat. Sword NPC explains how this dungeon works and like canon, we would get sucked into the movie according to its poster. We make jokes about avoiding Avengers: Infinity War. 

Anyway we spy Sprinkles at the end of the hallway in front of a movie poster that has not been slashed out. 

GM has us roll perception. Four of us roll low and only get a look at some woodland picture. We all make guesses like Pet Cemetery, Blair Witch, Cabin in the Woods. 

The PC who rolled high gets messaged the movie name. 

“Guys,” the PC is almost choked up in shock but exclaims, “It’s Bambi!”

We all go ‘oh no’ and think it can’t be that bad right? We go approach the poster and get sucked in.

We appear in cottage in winter, dressed in hunting gear and the GM tells us that we are freezing and starved. Oh and we all have shotguns. 

Outside we explore and see a bunch of animals, two of which are deers. 

Yeah, we’re in Bambi alright. 

Somewhere along the way, we think the way to get out of here is to shoot every other animal but the deers. It takes a while cause some of us rolled low, argued about the ethics of this, pull the trigger, and we make it out with the shotguns as our rewards. 

We head off to the other hallway, similarly enough there’s only one unslashed poster for us. 

Again we do a perception roll and again only one of us rolls high to be messaged by the GM.

“Wait, is this the reboot or original?”

“Original.”

“Guys, it’s Dumbo.”

At this point, we’re convinced all this Disney stuff really is a clue for us to go to Disneyland. Like, that’s why we were all on the bus right when the first scenario started. It’s all. an elaborate. conspiracy.

So we enter the movie and appear backstage of a circus tent. The ringmaster yells at us to prepare for our acts. We split up into pairs. The clowns are up first.

“Why did the chicken cross the road?” PC says rather dully, evident in their frowny face clown makeup. 

I honestly don’t remember the end of that joke because immediately it was a low performance roll and everyone, including us PCs, booed. 

Smiley face PC holds up a large peanut bag and asks, “Want some of deetz nutz?” 

That gets the crowd roaring with laughter except for the mysterious cloaked figure in the audience. 

The clown PCs notice this and tries to do a fire extinguisher prank to hose the NPC out. It doesn’t work that well as they got other audience members and the ringmaster kicks the clowns backstage. They warn the rest of us about the cloaked figure right as me and my PC partner are suddenly up high for our trapeze act. 

PC partner unfortunately rolls low for acrobatics and is falling. I roll high to swing on a rope and catch them and we basically recreate the Rewrite the Stars song. During that we notice the cloaked figure is leaving the audience. We both get the brilliant idea of me throwing my partner at the cloak figure.

Yeah, um, PC ends up pile diving on the audience. Nonetheless that PC chases after the cloaked figure as the third act begins. Basically its the fifth PC and the NPC riding horses through rings of fire. They do really well. 

Back with the mysterious cloaked figure, PC confronts them but the only response is this NPC throwing smoke bombs into the tent and running away. 

Pink smoke spreads out through the circus tent and the GM tells us to roll for a constitution saving throw. The entire audience and half of the party suddenly become drunk and a PC explains in horror that this is the pink elephant scene from Dumbo. 

I do not remember much from the movie so my friend explains that this infamous scene is about Dumbo getting drunk on champagne. Wow. 

Anyway me and another PC have to watch over our drunk party members. It does not help that they still have the shotguns and they want to shoot at the birds they see in their drunken state. 

Meanwhile, the last sober PC runs out to find the mysterious cloaked figure who caused this but no. Instead the GM gives that PC a bunch of angst and describes how this stressing situation is enough to give the PC a panic attack. It’s all about character development, gotta give them conflict in nature to their backstory. 

Backstage, I’m trying to pry away the shotguns from another PC. It does not go well and my PC gets fed up, decides fine, shoot the birds. 

Low and behold, shooting the birds that’s only seen in this state is what gets us out of the movie. As we’re all relieved that we made it out, the GM points out that the mysterious cloaked NPC has also made it out with us. 

We chase after him to the lobby and we manage to tackle him down. The hood is now off and we see that this NPC is the kid we’re supposed to rescue in the first place. But there’s obvious something off, his eyes are glowing. 

Classic signs of mind control. 

The NPC struggles out of hold and suddenly the lobby starts to slip apart before our very eyes. Our allied sword NPC tells us that this should not be happening, that this is not normal as the theater lobby shifts to become a battle ring. 

Next to the mind controlled NPC, two caricatured figures appear, also with glowing eyes. A PC manages to perceive the nametags they’re wearing, one is labeled ‘Dumb.’

We all immediately guess we’re somehow in Wonderland without a movie poster. Right as we’re doing that, the GM rolls a die and the mind controlled NPC shapeshifts to look like one of us PC.

We roll for initiate. 

Okay not really, that’s where we called it a night. You all have no idea how excited I was when I learned that the theater dungeon is here. Like I was grinning so much. So what I got so far is that GM is pulling plot devices from canon as resources but yah know, twisting it into their own direction. 

Thanks for reading!

[purplesurveys]

1074

survey by voicedance16

answer these questions using the first letter of your name!

Ok, to start off with, what's your name? Robyn. Hmm I don’t tend to see R much when it comes to being the first letter of different things, so it’ll be fun to see where this goes.

Now, name something for each question starting with that letter.

A girl's name:  Rhiannon. I first encountered this name reading Everyday by David Levithan and I’ll always remember how well-written the character was. The name sounded a little too foreign to me at first, but I ended up loving it.

A boy's name: Rocky, because I have an uncle with that nickname. His first name also starts with an R - Robert, if I remember correctly.

A fruit: Rambutan. Such a strange-looking fruit too.

A vegetable: Radish.

A country: Romania.

A city: Reykjavik in Iceland. Also a place I would love to visit.

An animal: Raccoon.

Something people do outside: Ride public transport. You’re inside modes of transport when doing so, but still.

An actor/actress: Rooney Mara. Sigh, reminds me of the film Carol and all the memories associated with it. Now that I think about it, I should give that a watch again for a more refreshed take on it.

Something you keep in the kitchen: The refrigerator, obviously.

Something you keep in the bathroom: Razor.

Something you'd bring on a trip: Also a razor. But erm, my mom likes bringing reusable bags on our longer trips so that we have somewhere to put our dirty clothes in for the next few days.

Something people do in the summer: Ride amusement/theme park attractions. Can’t relate though, as I hate theme park rides and I’m usually only the guardian of my friends’ stuff as they tick off all the rides hahaha.

A song title: Renegade, by Paramore.

A book title: Revolutionary Road, though I’m only aware of it because I’ve seen the movie based on that exact book. I saw a copy of it - with the film poster as the main cover - in a used book store around a year ago, but I was saving at the time so I couldn’t buy it. I wish I did, because that will probably be the only time I would have ever seen the book.

A movie title: Room, which was also based on the Emma Donoghue book. It’s one of my favorite films too, along with Requiem for a Dream and Revolutionary Road.

A Broadway musical title: Rent. I had to watch the movie adaptation for a film class. It absolutely sucked.

A clothing or shoe brand: Roberto Cavalli.

A reason for being late: Rode the wrong train/bus.

A band/music group/artist: Let’s go with Rhye. Reminds me of happier and simpler times.

A musical instrument: Recorder.

Something that's hot: Ramen broth that’s freshly made.

A type of bird: Robin! :)

A pizza topping: Ricotta? I’m just guessing though. I’ve never tried putting it on my pizza.

A fictional character: Rachel Green from Friends or Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead.

A breakfast food: I’m completely out on this one.

A school subject: Religion - I went to Catholic school so we definitely devoted 45 minutes of each day to learning more about Christianity.

A holiday: Rizal Day.

A relative: My uncle Rocky, who I mentioned at the beginning of this survey.

An article of clothing: Romper.

A school supply: Ruler. I never owned one of them for long, and whenever I did buy one if I needed it for class, I’d lose it within a day or two lol.

A color: Red.

A state: I’m guessing in the US? Rhode Island.

An ice cream flavor: Rocky Road.

Something found in the ocean: I dunno...rust from old shipwrecks? Haha I don’t really go snorkeling a lot.

A drink: Red wine.

A part of the body: Ribs.

A stone/gem:  Ruby.

Something found in a park: Rocks. Can’t say I know a lot about parks though, given we don’t have any public spaces in this country other than malls.

A college/university: Rutgers. I specifically remember that school because they made the news at one point for having a course on Beyoncé, lmao.

A type of fish: Rays.

A historical figure: Rosa Parks.

Something in the room you're in: We have a rug here in the living room.

Something you save up to buy: Rings, especially if it’s an engagement or wedding ring.

A kind of candy: Razzles. The Razzles scene from 13 Going on 30 always makes me feel giddy.

A reptile/amphibian: I got nothing. Reptile? HAHAHA

A spice/herb: Rosemary.

A type of car: Racecar, if it counts. I don’t exactly know car terminology.

A hobby/leisure activity: Rock climbing, which I reeeeeally would like to try out soon.

A restaurant: Ramen Nagi,  my second favorite ramen spot after Mendokoro Ramenba. There’s also Racks, though I’ve never tried eating there before.

A household chore: Is raking a chore in other countries? We don’t really do that here but maybe people do in other places?

A body of water: River.

A weapon: Rocket launcher.

An ethnic food: Rellenong bangus, which is stuffed milkfish.

A mode of transportation: A rickshaw, though in the Philippines we call them tricycles.

A type of flower: Rose.

Something found on/in a desk: Reminders? Hahaha if it counts. I put reminders written on sticky notes on my desk.

A word associated with money: Revenue.

An item you'd buy from a vending machine: A pack of Reese’s.

A game (any type): Ridge Racer, which was a PSP game I loved playing as a kid. There was also Rock Band, which was a game I had on the PSP as well.

Something at a circus: Ring toss games/stalls.

Something you throw away: Results of an exam or a particular application that I failed. Like you know how schools will sometimes send you a physical letter just to say you didn’t make the cut? I’d rather not own those for longer than 10 minutes, and to crumple them up and throw them out immediately instead.

A store name: Rustan’s. It’s a whole-ass department store chain, but whatever.

A type of tree: I’m not familiar with a lot of trees, so I’m unable to think of any.

Something that uses a remote: Racecar toys.

A website: Reddit.

Something in a grocery store: Red onions.

A tourist attraction: I can’t think of any particular tourist spots, but Rio de Janeiro is somewhere I’d love to be able to travel to.

A weekend activity: Resting, heh.

A Christmas/holiday song: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

A type of seafood: OMG my specialty. I can only think of roe and rellenong bangus for R, though.

An acronym: RT, which just means retweet on Twitter.

Something you'd see at the zoo: Rabbits, maybe? I’ve never been to a zoo.

A kind of soup: I’m not sure I know of any; I’m not a big soup person.

Something you'd find in NYC: Erm, restaurants? Hahahaha. And lots of them.

Something you'd get tickets for: I wouldn’t know; I’ve never been handed one before.

An animal noise: Ruff, for dogs.

A word associated with winter: I have no clue. We don’t even have winter here, so I wouldn’t know the things people prepare for it.

A historic event: The Rape of Nanjing.

Something you get in the mail: Nothing’s coming to mind.

Something you sit on: A rocking chair.

A reason to make a phone call: Resolving a fight? Idk.

A type of weather: Rainy.

Something that has buttons: Rompers, at least some kinds.

Something that makes you smile: Reminiscing.

[bloodyfeverdreams]

So for the Greatest Showman: I have this thing with P.T. being a sort of, kind of father figure to Phillip. So maybe P.T.'s going to a show a few months after Phillip's taken over, and Phillip is clearly unwell but still trying to push through for a sold-out show, and P.T. kind of assesses his condition and tends to him backstage after? (It's been a HOT minute since I've watched the movie, but Phillip Whump is A+) Also, only write this if you want, of course! ily!

I love this prompt!  I almost couldn’t wait to write it, ily too!

Line break

It almost made Phineas jealous with how often Phillip’s shows sold-out.  He knew he and Phillip had built quite the empire of acts from around the world, and with Phillip at the helm, the circus was growing bigger and more acclaimed every week it seemed.  The newest faces on the posters, two sword swallowers who could swallow a foot-long sword and spit it out without harming himself, were debuting today, so Phineas found himself on the train to see the circus, with Charity’s blessing, saying she’d wanted some mother-daughter bonding time with their girls.  But, as was his habit from his ringleader days, he still showed up early to help.  He said his hellos, and entered the mostly empty tent where he found Phillip up on the trapeze shelf, seemingly leaning against the pole.

“Need any help up there, Phillip?”  Phineas called up, already getting his feet on the ladder.

Phillip didn’t answer him, which was odd but not unheard of.  Phillip would sometimes get so invested in his work that his ears just stopped working.

So he tried again.  “Phillip, is there anything you need? Anything I can get you?”

Still no answer.

Phineas didn’t think anything of it, approaching the trapeze pedestal board with ease.  He found Phillip nearly slumped over, with the pole keeping him upright.  His face was flushed as he was panting, seemingly exhausted, and his hands shook as he was trying to rethread the trapeze wires.

“Phillip?”

His voice startled the young man.

“PT!  Hi. Didn’t hear you coming up.” Phillip’s voice was strained, rough. His eyes were a little bloodshot, and sweat beaded at his forehead.

“You alright?”  Phineas asked, concern slipping into his voice.

“I’m fine, PT, just didn’t sleep that long last night.” Phillip dismissed.  “I was up too late trying to get everything done.  You remember what that’s like.”

Phineas sighed.  “I really do. Need any help?”

“I can’t get this wire tied right.”  Phillip admitted.  “Usually W.D. or Anne can take care of it, but I’ve got W.D. on helping with the elephants since two of the trainers are out sick and Anne’s helping out Lettie and the girls with their make-up and I thought I could get these wires tied while they were doing that and I just can't.”

Phineas nearly snickered but didn’t want his apprentice feeling like he was laughing at him.  Phineas easily sideswiped Phillip on the platform and Phillip moved to allow Phineas access to the wires. With a practiced ease, Phineas tied the wires to the platform tightly and correctly.

“Come on, let’s head down.”  Phineas said once he was done.  “You don’t look too good, kid.”

“I'm fine, PT.”  Philip groaned in annoyance.  “I'll get some good sleep tonight.”

“If you say so.”  Phineas acquiesced.

They made their way down the ladder, with Phineas going first and Phillip slowly following after.

“This should be the last of it, PT.”  Phillip said.  “At least the last of the stuff I know how to do.  I've got to go and change, why don’t you grab your seat and wait for showtime?”

“Trying to get rid of me already, kid?”  Phineas teased, his hand moving of its own accord to ruffle Phillip’s hair.

Phillip dodged easily, laughing lightly.  “Always, old man.  I'll see you after the show.”

Phineas nodded, and left for his usual spot on the benches, where he had the best view of the show in his opinion.  The show would be starting soon, and the benches would be filled with throngs of people waiting for the incredulity of the circus.

It was Phillip's first near fall where Phineas first noticed it. It was a small slip, one the audience had no idea was a misstep, but Phineas saw it clear as day.  It was an easy step, one he'd rehearsed with Phillip a dozen times over but Phillip struggled, as if his body couldn’t keep up with his muscle memory.  Phineas then zeroed in on Phillip nearly the entire show, forcing himself to look at the new acts he'd come all this way to see, but his thoughts couldn’t help but drift back to Phillip.  He knew the tells, he'd done them himself, of a performer who wasn’t up to performing but was still pushing on.  He saw Phillip cough into his jacket as the audience’s attention was drawn elsewhere, saw his feet struggle to move to the choreography he knew Phillip would know asleep, and saw him leaning far too heavily on the spat he used as ringmaster.

It was the smiles that bothered Phineas most though.  Ever since recruiting him, Phineas saw how much Phillip loved performing.  The joy that exuded from the young man often brought delight to anyone who saw him dance, the lilt in his voice causing anyone who heard it want to sing out with him and garble any lyrics they didn’t know, and his smile was a blinding, infectious smile that grabbed your attention and wouldn’t let go until the last curtain call.  But Phineas didn’t see those smiles tonight, he saw the fake ones Phillip used when talking about his , how he spoke about the plays he wrote under the influence of several different kinds of alcohol, how he spoke when his father somehow ended up coming up.  It was a smile he had learned was hiding so much pain Phineas could hardly bear it.

When the last note hit, the audience already jumping up in their seats, screams and applause deafening the area, Phillip seemed to be panting like he’d just carried an elephant on his back.  On instinct, Phineas was on his feet, his hands clapping together like his life depended on it, but he couldn’t stop staring at Phillip.  He seemed out of breath, muffling coughing that didn’t appear to stop, and his whole body looked like it was shaking. An untrained eye would confuse it for the adrenaline of the show but Phineas knew better.  Phillip never shook after a show.

As the people started to head out once the applause died down, and Phillip encouraged them to visit the stalls and sellers on their way out, encouraged them to come again to see something new every night, that Phineas started to make his way to Phillip.  Phillip must not have seen him coming because he turned to Anne, and gave her an excuse he couldn’t hear, and immediately made his way to their office.

He could hear the cough before he opened the door, deep and wet. He opened the door to find Phillip on one knee, struggling to keep himself upright by holding onto the desk with white knuckles, an overused handkerchief pressed against his mouth.

“Oh, Phillip.”  He knelt next to the boy.  Phineas gently rubbed circles into his back, trying to soothe Phillip's irritated lungs. He noticed an unnatural heat seeping into his fingers, and he placed a hand on Phillip’s forehead.

“You're burning up!”  Phineas shouted.  “Why didn’t you say anything?  I could’ve gone on tonight.”

Phillip opened his mouth to try and answer but only more coughing came out.

“You didn’t know the new steps.”  Phillip finally gasped out, his eyes wet with unshed tears.  “No time to teach you.  Show sold-out.  Couldn’t postpone the debut.”

He bit back another reply about improvising but the long conversation about how them being partners to share fifty-fifty of the business meant allowing Phineas to take over when Phillip wasn’t feeling well would have to wait. Phillip was certainly in no condition for it now.

“Come on, let’s get you to the couch.”  Phineas said, hauling the young man into his arms, half-walking, half-carrying Phillip to the couch.

Phillip groaned as he sank into the cushions.  “’M sorry.  Didn’t mean to worry you.”

Phineas sighed, pouring Phillip a glass of water from the desk pitcher. It was a bit warm from being in the heated office but warm water was better than no water at all.

“Drink up, Phil.”  Phineas pressed the glass into Phillip’s hands.  Phillip's hand shook as he raised the glass to his lips but he managed a few sips without spilling.

With the practiced ease of raising two children, Phineas managed to get Phillip out of his sweaty ringmaster’s jacket and undershirt, undid his belt and removed his shoes.  Phineas then took the water pitcher and brought out his own small handkerchief, Charity had just done laundry, so it was nice and clean though it wasn’t very big. He dipped the handkerchief in the pitcher, and wrung it out.

Phineas then pulled the chair from behind the desk to sit beside him, unable to fight the urge to run his hands through Phillip’s hair like he would with his own daughters.  Phillip's eyes fluttered, and his entire body appeared to relax a bit.

“Feels good.”  Phillip slurred, seemingly halfway to sleep until a harsh coughing fit ripped through him. “Ugh, I feel like an elephant stepped on my chest.”

Phineas frowned.  “How long have you been coughing?”

“Couple ‘a days.”  Phillip replied after another sip of water.  “Didn’t think it would get so bad.”

“Did you fall?”  Phineas asked quickly, trying to check the boy for hidden injuries.  Of course Phillip would push himself too far for the circus, of course he wouldn’t tell anyone he was sick,

Phillip shook his head just as quickly, though he didn’t open his eyes.  “No, woke up with the cough.”

Phineas sighed in relief, falling back in the chair.  If Phillip had fallen, he could have had broken ribs. Against his will, his mind showed the boy beside him with a bloody cough, burning with an infection, collapsing when he wasn’t looking, dying because he wasn’t there for him.  So instead of entertaining that image in his head, he focused on mopping the sweat from the young man’s brow, gently brushing his handkerchief across the searing skin.  Phillip moaned at the contact.  Phineas then rewet the handkerchief and folded it, placing it upon Phillip's head.

“You should go home.”  Phillip murmured after a little while.  It nearly startled Phineas, he'd thought the boy had finally fallen asleep.

“I'm not leaving you, Phillip.”  Phineas replaced the wet handkerchief, and cupped Phillip's cheek.  The fever hadn’t gotten worse but he wasn’t entirely certain it had gotten better either.  “Someone needs to look after you and I can handle any circus problem that comes up. Just get some rest, son.”

Phillip didn’t notice his slip, or didn’t comment on it, and Phineas was grateful.  Phillip already had a father, no matter how strained their relationship, and it wasn’t him. Phineas had already nearly lost the title once to his own children, he couldn’t go giving himself the title to another, especially a grown man who could make his own decisions.

But his hand still found his way to Phillip's hair, threading itself with Phillip’s curls.  Phillip gave a small noise of contentment, one he probably wasn’t even aware he made. Phineas couldn’t fight the smile on that one.

They stayed that way until Phillip shivered under Phineas' touch, and he took off the handkerchief.

Wordlessly, (which was a miracle all in itself) Phineas got the spare blanket he knew was still in the side table drawer.  It was a bit old, a bit thinner than what they had for when they needed to sleep on the sofa but that blanket, sewed with love from Lettie to keep them warm on cold nights, was entirely too thick for a fever.  This one was perfect.

He draped it over Phillip's still form, and even though the blanket was threadbare, the young man’s shivering eased.  On instinct, he tucked Phillip in as if he were one of his girls.

“Thanks, Dad.”  Phillip murmured, seemingly dropping off into sleep, his breath evening out.

For a moment, Phineas just stared at him, his body and mind frozen by the simple words Phillip had barely managed to say.  Slowly he sank into the desk chair, his hand dragging across his face.  Phillip could’ve been thinking of his own father, but whenever he spoke of the elder Carlyle Phillip had not given the impression that he was allowed to call his father ‘Dad’, let alone that the man would tuck Phillip in when he was a child, and he did have a fever.  But, in that moment, he decided he didn’t care.  If Phillip even remembered this tomorrow, which was doubtful, they could discuss it then.  For now, Phineas merely leaned down and kissed the top of Phillip's head, eliciting another noise of contentment.

“Goodnight, son.”

[revengeworld]

The Circus VII

Werewolf! Kylo x Reader Modern/Monster AU

Words: +3.300

Warnings: Just fluff

AN: Feedback plz! And sorry for the late post, lots of stuff to do when you have to take care of your Bridge Baby ;D

MASTERLIST: Can be found in my bio if you are interested in more!

-

Walking back with a cage in his arms that could fit a cat or a middle sized dog, Kylo debated with himself if he should tell Y/N what she was or if he just keep his mouth shut.

Turning a corner, he saw Y/N already sitting on the big creature, brushing clean its ears.

The only thing he could do right now was to shake his head with a smile.

“Did you get some medicine?” she asked from above and he held up a pouch with salve.

“Sure did. The director gave me an amulet that will shrink him to a better size. If you connect it, the rune closes and makes him smaller.” he explained and threw them up to her.

“Shrink him first so the medicine will be enough.”

“Got it!” she grinned down and started to whisper in the big creatures ear. First he didn’t seem to eager to get the collar on but still let her throw it over his head so he could slip through and she could close the clasp.

Quickly sliding down it’s side the big Toriko started to shrink until it was as small as a big cat.

“Wait! Why is he so small now?!” Kou protested who came slithering through the grass.

“I thought you might like him more in your own size so you two can play.” the director approached them.

“Nah, fuck that! Make me as big as him!” Kou snickered and his mother was shocked at the curses that just came out of her sons hissing snout.

“Kou!” picking him up, he let his head hang low, ready to get a lecture from Phasma.

“Sorry Mama.”

“I know you are excited that you have another new friend, but please behave.” she sighed and let him crawl in her hair.

“Okay Mama.” resting his head on hers, he watched the now small Trico who was sneaking around Y/Ns leg and let out a disappointed sigh.  

Kneeling down Y/N held out her arm, which the Toriko jumped on and rolled itself together.

“Now we can give you a better treatment.” gently brushing over it’s head it started to purr again.

“Why the cage?” Y/N asked Kylo and he held it up.

“It’s a safe space for him were he can rest if he has enough of us. Look inside.” 

Taking a closer look she could see a tiny forest inside, similar to the one that was around them.

“The director created it so he would feel more at home.”

“That's so amazing ...” Y/N mumbled fascinated still not able to realise how much magic was around them.

“Can I sleep over?” Kou suddenly hissed and Phasma looked up at her son with a frown.

“He might be scared the first night!” the little snake defended itself and Phasma needed to admit that it wasn’t a bad idea from her little son.

“Fine, but you listen to what Y/N and Kylo say. If that’s okay with you guys?” looking over to the two, Y/N nodded excited but Kylo rolled his eyes. Knowing that he would not get his hoped alone time with his mate.

“Sure, whatever...” Kylo waved dismissively with his hand before reaching it out so Kou could climb on it.

A bit reluctantly the little snake let itself fall onto Kylos hand who put him on his shoulder.

Walking back to their own tent, Kylo laid his arm around Y/Ns waist and watched her calming the new creature. When he wanted to lean over to press a kiss against her temple a light breeze brought her tempting scent right in his nose.

Feeling his fingers dig lightly into her waist she looked up at him while he held his nose closed.

“S...So bad?” she asked as if it was her fault that he was feeling so tempted.

“Its fine… but here, please wear it.” he mumbled, pulling another amulet from his jeans.

“It will hide your scent from me and others… the Director was so nice to lend it to us… I didn’t think it would be needed, but please wear it...” he explained while laying it around her neck.

Taking a soft and especially careful sniff the last bit of her aroma lingered in his nose before it was gone and he took a relieved breath.

“Sorry...” Y/N only mumbled while he held the cloth of the entrance aside so she could enter their tent.

“It's not your fault, Moonshine. But even I can’t control myself forever, with you tempting me like crazy. And I want to respect your feelings.” gently laying his hand against her cheek, she smiled up at him.

“Thank you for being so understandable. Its just that ….” Y/N stopped her sentence when her eyes landed on Kou on Kylos shoulder, who listened to them.

“How about we talk about this another time?” she suddenly chuckled nervous and grabbed Kou so she could place the two creatures onto the bed for now.

“You don’t have to explain anything. We will take our time. I’m not ready for cups either. Besides we have all the time in the world.” he let out a barking laugh before cupping her face and pressing a long kiss against her forehead. “I will get some hot water for our new addition.” 

Looking after Kylo she smiled for a while, before she looked for a good place for Tricos cage, placing it right next to her desk and turned around to the two who already started playing what seemed to be hide and seek between the sheets and pillows.

“Kou? Do you want to take a bath with him?” Y/N asked the moving blankets until both their heads poked out.

“Yessss sounds like fun! Do we get bubbles?” 

“Lots of them!” she promised. At first the Toriko was scared of the warm water and the unfamiliar foam that was swimming on top of it, but when Y/N let him down into the bowl Kylo had brought, it chirped and started to swim around in it.

Giving both of them a gentle bath, Y/N had a constant smile on her lips. She was proud of herself that she could help this lonely creature that had approached her, now realizing that maybe it really was a good thing that she was different, like most of the people here.

“So did you find out what I am?” she asked Kylo, after she had wrapped the two in a towel and joined her boyfriend on their bed, who was looking for a movie that they could watch on her laptop.

“You are basically Steve Irwin for magical creatures...” he grinned while munching on his beef jerky.

“I’m what?” she started to laugh.

“To be more detailed, you my Moonshine are a fairy. There are lots of them, but your specialty lies with creatures like Trico and Kou. So we could call you Khaleesi, Mother of creatures.” he started to laugh again which also made her giggle even more.

“I like the sound of that!” rubbing Kou and Trico dry, she made a little blanket cave for them.

“But why didn’t my parents tell me that?” leaning against his shoulder, Kylo calmly brushed over her arm.

“They probably don’t know either, Darling. Rey told us that most fairy children get switched with human babies, she can explain it better than I can. But I would prefer it if you just look it up yourself instead of hanging out with her.” 

Hearing her slight chuckle, he looked at her.

“This is something I don’t understand. I’m your mate. We’re meant to be … and you still get jealous?”

“Mhmm… probably the instinct to defend whats mine. And that will not change.” pressing a gentle kiss against her cheek, she chuckled and cuddled closer against his chest.

“Can we watch this one?” Y/N heard a hiss from Kou and told Kylo about the snakes decision.

“Fine by me.” the werewolf grinned and carefully patted the snakes head and Tricos, after hearing the now quiet roar.

Smiling at the three, Y/N was more than happy to spend her evening with them, cuddled up in their pile of pillows and watch a calm movie.

-

With a last stroke of her brush, Y/N stepped back to look at her finished and probably last big banner. She now had finished everyone that had a part in the show, which also meant she would have a bit more time for other things.

“Are you done?” Kylos head poked around the corner, Trico completely rolled together on top of it. Chuckling lightly she took the hybrid animal from his head and nodded.

“What do you think?”

“It looks awesome! Just like all the others, but my own is still my favourite.” he snickered in her ear before biting it lightly.

“Kylo!” pulling away she tried to avoid his little love attacks with a grin.

“Do you have time later? I want to drive into the city for a little surprise I have prepared for the others.” she grinned from one ear to another and he raised his eyebrows a bit in suspicion.

“Sure thing, Moonshine. I could stock up on some snacks while we’re there. But we have to be back by nightfall, they want to make a big fire and celebrate a bit, since the show is doing so well.” helping her clean up her brushed, Kylo soon nuzzled himself against her back before burying his face in her hair.

“Sounds nice. Then let’s get the Flyers and Posters ready! Maybe … we could have a little bit of a date...” she suggested shyly which only made Kylo grin, showing his fangs.

“Sounds wonderful! Then get ready I will clean the rest of the car.” 

They had just arrived in this town yesterday and they hadn’t unpacked everything yet. To be honest Kylo had expected that Y/N would already be sick of all this traveling lifestyle but she seemed more than in her element than when he met her.

“Your not taking your drawing stuff with you?” he asked surprised, when he saw that she had her camera in her hand instead.

“No, too time consuming. The paint would need to dry and we have so much to do …I just can’t resist my water colours.” she mumbled while looking at herself in the mirror. Brushing through her hair and adjusting the cardigan she had chosen to wear, Kylo just watched her for a moment before throwing his leather jacket over.

Dropping Trico of at Phasmas tent, Y/N and her werewolf were soon on their way into the city.

“Where do you need to stop by?” he asked while looking for a good parking spot.

“Just the copy shop. I preordered everything so we just have to pick it up.” she smiled while Kylo brushed through her hair with a soft look in his warm brown eyes.

“Always so organized and prepared. Nobody would expect you would live with the likes of us.”

“Well I Am one of ‘us’. Sorry that my fairyness is too normal for you Mister Werewolf.” leaning over to him, she gently kissed his plum lips. 

“No, you are just perfect for me, Moonshine.” placing his arm around her waist, he pulled Y/N closer, brushing with his nose against hers while admiring her beautiful eyes.

“Lets get our tasks finished and then we can have a nice evening.” pressing a last kiss against his cheek, Y/N left the car while Kylo looked around for a moment. His eyes suddenly landing on a Poster of a shop. 

“H… hey, you can go on. I can’t seem to find my wallet. I will catch up to you.” 

“Oh sure. It’s the store right on the corner there.” showing him the direction, he nodded and waited for Y/N to be a bit further away, before making his way into the shop that caught his attention earlier.

Waiting patiently in the copyshop while someone was getting her order, Y/N was slightly swaying from side to side to the music that was playing.

“Uhm excuse me?” looking back at the counter another worker was looking at her, it was a small asian woman who adjusted her glasses.

“Yes?” asked Y/N politely and smiled at her.

“Are you from the Circus that you are getting the Posters for?” the other woman was whispering as if she didn’t want to get the attention of her co-workers.

“We are.” Kylo answered instead who was just entering the shop and pressed a kiss on Y/Ns head before laying his arm around her hip.

“Uhm well… is this really ...real?” she whispered again and Kylo leaned over to her to take a small wiff of her scent, which made her look shocked at him for a second.

“Ah … I understand.” nodding to his girlfriend she grinned as well while someone placed the posters and flyers on the counter. Y/N grabbed one Flyer and placed her Signature on it. “Why don’t you come over. The shows will start this weekend. We invite you, uhm?”

“R...Rose.” nervously pushing up her glasses again, the young woman took the flyer.

“We will be looking forward to seeing you at the show, Rose!” smiling at her, Kylo already took the posters while Y/N took two bags from the counter.

Making their way back to the car, Y/N caught a glimpse of another paper bag Kylo was carrying.

“Hey whats that?” she tried to peak but Kylo pulled his arm away.

“I’ve got surprises too. Only for you though.”

“What? What is it?” waiting for Kylo to open the trunk, she tried to sneak around him to get another glimpse.

With a soft chuckle Kylo just lifted his arm and Y/N let out a disappointed huff while watching the bag he was holding.

“I show you mine if you show me yours.” he winked and for a moment she considered it, he could tell it by how she was squinting her eyes a little.

“F...fine! Let’s get some tea and cake and we can give each other our gifts.”

“Perfect!” he exclaimed and pressed a quick kiss against her cheek. With a light grumpy mumbling Y/N searched through the bags before pulling out something in a thin white box.

Locking his car again, Kylo gently took her hand before they looked for a nice cafe were they could rest for a moment.

Sitting on a table for two outside, Y/N was already taking a few pictures of Kylo with his milk moustache.

“Hey, stop that!” holding his hand in front of the lens of her camera, Y/N started to laugh.

“Why? You’re looking so damn cute!” still giggling, she redirected it to the towns square to take a few more pictures and just watch the people walking by.

“So? Wanna do it at the same time?” Kylo asked , already munching on his cheesecake.

“Al..alright, but it's nothing big...” mumbling quietly she placed her present on the table while Kylo handed her the bag he had tried to hide from her earlier.

While she started to look into it Kylo unpacked the box and soon found a framed poster from his Banner.

It seemed like she had worked extra hard to get everyone their banners in a form so that they could hang it in their homes and by the number she had picked up, she hadn’t only done the banner from the show artist but for every single one in the camp.

“This is wonderful sweetheart. I hope you made one for yourself as well so we can hang it in our tent.” with a grin he looked up at her but saw only her shocked face.

“Hey what's wrong, Moonshine?”

“I can’t accept this, you wolf idiot!” she scoffed and he immediately grinned at her.

“Well I’m not taking it back, so you have to live with it.”

“Kylo this is too much… ” looking down at the electronic device in front of her, she could determine that it was a tablet that she could use to draw digitally.

“Well, you talked about that your paints wouldn’t dry fast enough, but I know how much you love to draw. Try it out. The guy in the shop prepared everything.” taking her hand he gently let his thumb brush over her soft skin.

While he enjoyed his coffee, Kylo watched his love trying out her new obsession, letting the pen run over the screen to sketch the towns square. Already seeing that happy smirk on her lips made his heart flutter.

“See, you love it.” he whispered in her ear which made her chuckle.

“Shut up! But really, thank you Darling.” kissing him shyly Y/N could only smile at him.

-

“Snacks, huh?” Y/N grunted under the weight of the heavy grocery bag, while Kylo pulled the Posters and Flyers out of the trunk.

“You know how much I can eat. Just drop it, I carry it inside, my little Fairy. Take care of your surprises if you want to give them away at the big fire, later.” ruffling through her hair, he pulled her back into a long kiss until Poe cleared his throat behind them. 

“Why do I always catch you guys snogging when I come over?” he teased and grabbed the new Posters and Flyers that he and Phasma would take care of tomorrow.

“Not my fault you’re a creep.” Kylo laughed with a bark.

“By the way, we found someone at the copy shop. She will come to the show. She might join us. She seemed at least eager.” he explained to his friend and already grabbed the boxes with framed pictures, while Y/N vanished in their tent to change.

“She seems excited.” Poe grinned.

“Yeah, she has a little surprise for everyone and we had a very nice calm date. Much needed after the last few days.” Just when the werewolf put the boxes down, Trico jumped up on them.

“Hey little guy, Y/N will be here soon.” Kylo promised while brushing through the creatures feathers. Grabbing the bags with the framed pictures, Poe and Kylo made their way to the middle of the circus where a big stack of wood was already standing.

Letting out a small roar it jumped on his shoulders before jumping right in Y/Ns arms who was standing behind Kylo.

She had changed into a comfortable shorts and one of Kylos sweatshirts that was way too big for her, making her look even cuter to him.

“Want some treats?” she asked Trico who was pushing his head against her cheek before he let out another roar. Pulling out some shining white blue crystals she held them while Trico was devouring them. “Still can’t believe that his food is crushed stardust.” she sighed with fascination and watched the creature. After he had finished everything and licked her hand clean he purred and Y/N held the pouch of the sweatshirt open for him and he quickly climbed into the darkness.

“I will go make my round.” she was already trying to grab one of the boxes and look at the name, but Kylo stopped her.

“That would be too chaotic Darling, let them come together by the fire.”

“But how am I supposed...” she flinched when Kylo suddenly let out a loud howl, getting the attention from everybody.

“The stage is yours.” he bowed slightly and she hit him gently against his forearm with a nervous giggle.

“Uhm … hey guys! I just wanted to let you know that I had a little surprise prepared for you. And it would be awesome if you quickly let me hand them out to you!” she called to the big group and to her surprise they calmingly came one to another to her so she could give everyone their Artwork without it getting too crowded.

Kylo had sat down in a chair near the fire while taking a sip from his cold beer, carefully watching the situation,  just to make sure  it didn’t get too overwhelming for his precious love.

After a while, Y/N giggly as ever, let herself fall onto his lap, before nuzzling her head in the crook of his neck.

“Happy?” he smiled and pressed a gentle kiss against her hair, before offering her the bottle, which she took a gulp of.

“Very!” wrapping her arms around his neck, she let out a relaxed sighed while watching the flames, and feeling the warmth.

“I love you...” she suddenly whispered and laid her hand against his cheek to turn Kylos head towards her.

“I love you too, my little fairy.” he purred back before pulling her into a soft kiss.

-

Tags: @celestiaelisia​ @sdavid09​  @ayatimascd​ @acunningstargazer​ @agirlwithlonelymusic​ @ev3e​ @ellie-emb​ @siren-queen03​​ @luna-xial​

[catharrington]

Been dreaming of a small Au. Older Steve who forgoes college to work at a local zoo or sanctuary around Indiana. They are not big but they have their own share of animals including goats for a petting zoo, a donkey and horse that was rescued from a circus, a whole area of outside bird cages with eagles and owls, some local reptiles that schools love to visit and teach about, and a small pack of wolves.

Steve decides that he wants to take care of others but was never one for the gore of nursing, so he applied to be a keeper and was given the job of cleaning the wolf enclosure. He cleaned it diligently while listening and learning from the keepers who took care of the wolves.

Eventually he gets a promotion? To start helping feed the wolves more hands on. Cue Steve struggling with buckets of meat lol.

Steve realizes he loves and feels a want to protect these wolves just like how he babysat the kids and it makes him so happy to have found something he cares about that he can do for a living.

Billy is still living in town as a struggling musician playing gigs as he can get them. Thankfully with his Camaro he can travel out of town and into larger cities so he isn’t without work. He just doesn’t get paid or tipped for shit.

Steve and Billy because friends after Billy was released from the mind flayer and rescued by El and Hopper. Yeah he’s not dead thanks. They relate with the struggles of living in a shitty small town and dealing with fighting monsters.

They don’t see each other much and that’s okay because Steve has to hide how he likes likes Billy ;) but Billy visits when he is in town. He knows to come to the wolf enclosure. And even tho he won’t tell Steve he loves to watch him at work. Mutual thirst and not saying anything because what he’s not gay that’s weird to ask.

Robin is still Steve’s friend so she’s been very helpful in realizing that he’s bisexual and that’s okay but also don’t force yourself on straight people, dingus.

Jump to the conflict I’d love some big wig marketing company coming down and trying to rebrand the sanctuary into something it isn’t. They want to remodel it only for children and make it more hands on about learning and models and charts.

Steve questions does that leave room to actually see the animals? And the big wig says some animals are not great for children. They want to condense and focus on their strengths.

Aka the big animals have to go.

Like the wolves.

Steve is taken a back. These are all rescued animals that have no where else to go you can’t just pull the plug on them because a kid can’t pet them? The big wig says they will release them into the wild where they can live their life fully. But these wolves have never been in the wild they don’t know how to hunt or mate like a wild wolf they would die for sure.

Steve tries to tell everyone but they all don’t listen because sure the wild sounds like it would be nice. There is the older man who taught Steve all about the wolves who agreed it’s dangerous but he has no fight and just lets them decide without him.

I’d love to see Steve hopping around to the sanctuary owner, the wolf keeper, and the big wig getting flustered and stuttering but demanding to be listened to. It all falls on deaf ears tho.

Steve is meeting up with billy for drinks one night and he jokes about kidnapping the wolves and taking them to a better place but it’s a joke. Billy sees that this means so much to Steve so he tries to come up with something else.

Billy tells Steve about he heard that the land might be up for sale and that’s why the owner is rebranding so they can get enough money to not go bankrupt. Steve is confused about how Billy heard of that but he takes it at face value.

They look into it with Hopper who is still sheriff and for sure the sanctuary is almost upon foreclosure, they haven’t been paying their bills and Hopper knows about it because some people have reported that they haven’t been paying their workers.

Steve is heartbroken. He thought the place was heaven but not so much. Steve gets another idea to buy the sanctuary out from the owners and run it much better. But that would still cost thousands of dollars and Steve doesn’t just have that laying around.

Firstly he tries to get it from his parents and that doesn’t work because his dad says he should be working harder if he wants that money. And these wolves are just dogs just pets who cares what happens to them.

That makes Steve angry but he doesn’t know what to do. Even with loans and his stashed savings he doesn’t have half the money. He asks around the sanctuary and no one can donate much. And some people are hateful and don’t want to donate.

Some people even report to the big wig uUgh cue this ass hole being mean to Steve and pushing him around, gross old man get your hands off me and shit.

Steve just won’t give up tho he has to fight for his wolves!

Billy has his own plan to get money for Steve. He has some savings and plans to get money with a show dedicated to the sanctuary. But Billy has a secret. He’s got a sugar daddyyyy

This older man who books gigs for a bar outside of Hawkins promised Billy steady work and good pay for a good time. Billy agreed be sure he needed the work and the man isn’t bad looking. Salt and pepper hair and he takes care of himself but almost to an egotistical way. He reminds Billy a little of how he doesn’t want to turn out.

Billy mentions it to him that he would like to do a fundraiser instead of a typical gig and the man shoots it down. Saying that’s some kid friendly crap no one would care about. It wouldn’t make money.

Billy gets angry and says that it’s not about making money. The sugar daddy says isn’t it all about that, that’s why they are together for the money. Billy jumps to cutting their relationship off. He tells him to shove it and shove his shitty bar.

In hindsite Billy is pissed at himself for cutting it off but it was about time. If he was serious about his music he couldn’t have anything holding him back. Except who he wanted to grow with and help. That’s Steve baby.

Billy reaches out with the kids who are now much older and organizes a show for raising money for the sanctuary. They rent out the movie theater that is almost extinct and get all of Billy’s equipment and a small stage set up inside.

Steve is taken aback with how much the kids and Billy, who until then Steve thought still hated them, have worked to make this great.

Now they just needed the people. And they rally the town like Joyce to hand out flyers at the store and Hopper to go around and hang posters. The kids plaster the school with posters and even tho they are nerds Billy is just popular enough of a musician that other kids agrees to go.

Omg now it’s epic show time. The kids suggested the movie theatre because it’s old and cheap but also with the classic projecter screen they recorded and clipped together some film of Steve and the wolves in the sanctuary. Mostly the wolves but we can’t help but to film cute Steve with such a bright smile. What if Billy confessed his love for Steve after the last song right behind the big red curtain uwu

The raise lots of money and buy the sanctuary and pay all the workers and keep all the animals and shit it’s a happy ending.

Ugh I might write this thanks for coming.

[yridenergyridenergy]

Dir en grey - Otaru GoldStone 09/28/2019 live report

1. Zetsuentai

2. Aka

3. Downfall

4. Devote My Life

5. Rubbish Heap

6. Merciless Cult

7. Keigaku no yoku

8. Celebrate Empty Howls

9. Ningen wo Kaburu

10. Keibetsu to hajimari

11. Values of Madness

12. Ranunculus

13. The World of Mercy

Encore

1. Fukai

2. Followers

3. Gaika, chinmoku ga nemuru koro

4. THE DEEPER VILENESS

5. Utafumi

What a night. Otaru Gold Stone is small, we were around 500 in it but the stage was low, the sound was too loud for some instruments depending on where you were in the venue, and holy hell I thought moshpits were forbidden here in Japan. We kept getting pushed and pushing, and someone we got closer everytime, so apparently people in the centre were getting squashed out toward the sides?!

This live report will be even more Kyo-centric than usual, because I could only crane my neck and stand on my toes among that wall of fans to concentrate on one member. But Toshiya seemed stern at first but as the show progressed, he came foth and enjoyed the crowd, even though he never fully cracked a smile. He encouragedthe audience though and appeared to approve of our reactions in general. He was just as entranced with his bass, turning his head upward during Ranunculus. As for Die, his vest really matches Kaoru's custom guitar. His long hair kept blowing in the wind and he would flip it occasionally. In one of the first few songs, he was staring at his side of the crowd with a grave expression but raised his chin a couple of times as if to say: "Oh yeah? That's it?" Kaoru I think remained very serious the whole time except that, at the end, he stayed the longest and really enjoyed the night. Shinya, all I could notice was that he rumbled away like there was no tomorrow at his heavy drums during The World of Mercy, he was in his own universe.

Kyo has a full pectorals tattoo! I doubt it is completely new, but it was definitely news to me. I have no idea what it is, it looked like the marks on a leopard's fur at first but it looks more complex, almost as if it's supposed to be the shadows of the skeleton inside his chest? And on his right side of his neck, it really looks like the drawing from Junji Ito, with the conjoined heads - the hair of a woman stretching toward something in the back. Just below his chin, it looked like a bunch of vertical lines only. He is going full on yakuza for sure.

He came on stage wearing a matching suit: both top and bottom were black with sparse big white feathers. The vest looked like it had a flap, like a short cape behind the neck, because at some point he crouched to give a growl or something and a piece of fabric came to cover his should, but it could not possible have been the lower ends of the vest itself... The dress shirt he had underneath was classic black, and he had a black tie. After three songs or so, he loosened it and also undid the first couple of buttons at the top. Near the end of the main setlist, more buttons had been undone and that's how we were able to see his chest, wide enough to see his nipples.

His hair! With the stripes of the feathers, the formal clothing, his styled hair and the smudged lipstick, he looked almost nazi-esque. This hairstyle is so close to the Tabula Rasa/In Situ one! I am so glad that I witnessed it in person! I guess, to describe it, it almost looks like Levi's hairstyle from Attack on Titan, but he styled the left side toward the back of his head. After sweating though, it was even more awesome and resembling!

He smoked twice or three times during the show. For the first instance, its scent came to my senses before I could see it, during the pause. He tried to do the iiiiiii high-pitched sound in Downfall (?) while having the cigarette on the corner of his mouth: that failed. Later, he was holding his cigarette with his two middle fingers, giving us the horns/fox sign he is now known for!

Aka was more dramatic than I remember it being. Kyo looped his mic cord around his neck twice and caressed it into a hanging string. I think it was during that song that he was dancing like a maniacal pantomime a lot too.

At the very beginning of Rubbish Heap, Kyo cones to the forefront of the stage next to his stand and he holds his fist up in the air for the first 'Fist!' of the song and he has that very obvious facial expression like "Come on guys, here's what I want you to do! Come on, you can do it, go!" which you would use for a child. And yet, what do the majority of the fans do? Still hands...

I cannot remember which song it was exactly, but Kyo started by hitting his forehead repetitively with the mic, and then the chest/heart, and again with the head. It might have been Ranunculus, because I remember that the sound of the hits came just before the circus-like sound and he was singing about kokoro. Doing it right before those sounds was nice, like a preclude, it made sense altogether.

Ranunculus was at least if not more intense than usual. I think that it was during it that Kyo clawed at his dress shirt's sleeve on his left arm, then brought his wrist to his mouth and actively bit it. Had his teeth been any sharper, he would have undoubtedly drawn blood.

After Ranunculus was The World of Mercy. In the transition between the two, Kyo spoke to himself, asking 'Naze?' (why) often, and he then began The World of Mercy fucking depressed, sad and desperate. The end of the song was very beautiful with the simple idea of blasting white light from behind the stage while he chants 'The World of Mercy', it really looked more angelic.

When singing about the game of life and repeating game ('yuugi'), Kyo kept tracing a large circle with his arm fully extended, strenghtening the never-ending nature of this foolishness/challenge.

When doing the return after the break in The World of Mercy, since there are no instruments at first, he yells the 'Jou ni-' with his mic near his hip.

People don't understand the intensity of tge part after 'sekai de' yet.

By the way, the stage just has a large poster of the The Insulated World cover, with fingers on each side. No movies at all this time.

In Keigaku no yoku, Kyo definitely changed that last sentence to 'ore-', but the part he adds after sounded more like 'watashi...'. He also changed or added an 'omae no' something to one of the songs, but it wasn't to make a compliment...

In the encore, Kyo came back wearing black jeans with ripped knees and a D.E.G. shirt without sleeves. The image was identical to the sticker they are currently selling in the goods, so perhaps this design will be used for the T-shirt sold in the USA, Mexico and Europe?

Kyo is such an amazing rocker. I believe that it was during Gaika chinmoku that he did that headbang, where he needs to lean his left hand on his thigh because of how heavy it gets, you know? Ugh. Really the total opposite of sukekiyo's feminine songs. He's so good all around.

As always I am probably forgetting stuff. I will try to draw some of my memories though.

[celestica-1988]

As Always

TheDirtNikkiSixxXFemaleReader.

Requested: Yes, by anonymous. Sorry fr the delay, I hope you like it.

“ If you're taking requests for the Netflix movie The Dirt, can I get a Nikki Sixx one-shot where the reader's a singer but a solo artist instead of in a band and she's been Nikki's girlfriend since he was in his band London and he forms Mötley Crüe and the band becomes famous and the reader becomes famous too and she drinks but doesn't do drugs and then Nikki overdoes on heroin like in the movie and it's a mix of angst and fluff?“

You were there since the beginning, even before Mötley Crüe existed.

You always been side by side with Nikki Sixx since day zero and you could remember everything that happened very well.

It was a stormy night, the noise of the rain on the roof was made to recall memories, especially now that things were so uncertain. Nikki presence in your life was so uncertain.

1978.

You remember like it was yesterday how you noticed that young homeless boy with long black hair and leather jacket. You were eighteen, he was around the same age as you. You watched him sleeping on the benchs of the park next to your apartment and you didn’t find the guts to talk to him.

In a rainy night like this one you finally asked him if he wanted to sleep in your house for a night. That was the beginning, your beginning. Nikki never left your house, you become friends and then one night he told you that he loved you, your heart started to beat faster, but it was natural answer “me too”.

You had so much in common: you both spent your teenage years in a foster home, you both have a difficult relationship with your parents and authorities, you both dreamed to hit the big time in music.

Nikki dreamed to create a band who would break the ground and give people something that they never saw before. You were a skilled singer who could also play guitar, you loved Janis Joplin and wanted to do a solo carrier.

Together you encouraged each other.

1981

The year in which Mötley Crüe was created.

At the time Nik was playing in a band called London, but he wasn’t happy. He kept having arguments with the singer, till one evening they fought on the stage. You knew that for Nikki London were over after this and you weren’t wrong. You were sitting in a bar and he was looking for band members on a local music paper.

“I wanna have my own band so I can decide the music I wanna play, Y/N.

I wanna create something new, Y/N. A show who will shock people.”

You nodded and caressed his hair, he had some tissue in the nose due to the fight. At some point a tall and lanky boy with long dark hair showed up to your table. He kept twirling drumsticks and he was a fan of Nikki, you could tell when he said he had a London’s poster. He was like a puppy, Nikki asked him where he learned the drumsticks’ trick, he said he learned it in the school’s band, but he said he did rock too.

And so you found your drummer kid.

After a while Mick came to your apartment and became the guitarist. There were a guy before him, but as much as he tried he didn’t fit with the band’s sound.

The last one was Vince. He was a Tommy’s friend who was already playing in a cover band, you went to a party and gave him a tape with your songs and the phone number. You were sure he would never call, but he did. He and his girlfriend came to the apartment and his voice was the last piece, now the band was complete.

1983.

Mötley Crüe carrier skyrocketed and so you had time to think about yours.

You followed Nikki in the first tour with Ozzy Osbourne, it was funny: parties after every concert, cocaine, alcohol, sex with Nikki.

All these thing made you happy, but on the long run they weren’t enough for you.

So you let him do his own thing.

You kept supporting and loving him, but you stepped back and in some ways you found your balance.

You lived in a mansion with him, when he was at home you spent quality time with him, it was like the time had stopped for you in those day. You and Nikki were still in such a bubble that you ignored the fact that he was too much cocked or drunk.

In the meantime a talent scout noted you while you were playing in a Hollywood local.

You were put under a contract and started to record an album. It was pop music, but still with a rock influence, it was okay. The only thing that bothered you was that you were forced to keep your relationship with Nikki a secret. Your contract said clearly that you should appear single at the eye of the public; least at the beginning, moreover a relationship with such problematic rockstar would not help you in any way according to your manager.

Nikki found it funny, the secret made everything more exciting to him.

So the time you spent together become more and more important and put you two in a bubble.

The bubble burst when one night you found Nikki in the wardrobe with a gun in his hand, shaking, next to him there were a syringe, a tie, a piece of something, a lighter and a bend spoon.

It was heroin, he was addicted to it and you didn’t even noticed.

It was 1985.

You felt a complete idiot.

……………………………………………………

Two years after you were sure idiot was the right word to describe you.

You were a hopeless idiot, who lived for the day Nikki finally would be free from drugs.

The last two years were difficult. The first thing you do was confront Nikki about heroin and why he took such a dangerous drug.

The answer shocked you, it was because heroin gave him that sense of being loved that he didn’t experienced during his childhood. You would ask him why you weren’t enough but you swallowed the question.

Deana started to call Nikki to make things worse and after every call he shot heroin in his vein, you never hated anyone more than his mother. One time you were so done that you smashed the answering machine against the wall. You didn’t want to hear her anymore, you didn’t want Nikki hear her anymore and suffer. His pained expression broke your heart, the tears and then the heroin killed you slowly.

What could you do to stop him?

You talked about it countless times, he always apologized but never said he would do something like rehab, there were some method in the way he was destroying himself and you were frustrated that you couldn’t do anything.

You grew to hate the contract that gave you fame and fans because it didn’t let you move freely on the heroin question. Roadshows were unbearable, you were scared that you would read that Nikki was dead or overdosed.

Even in happy moments Nikki needed drugs: he was completely drugged at Tommy and Heather wedding and you couldn’t stop him.

He was out of control and it seemed you were the only one worried about it

None of the Crüe were doing anything, Tommy said that maybe Nikki liked to stay there, but you couldn’t accept it. You were willing to fight, but he wasn’t.

You sighed thinking about your last fight: once again you found a syringe and Nikki was high of heroin.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I can’t help it, I need heroin.

I need to…”

“Feel loved?  Than what am I to you?

I fucking love you, Nikki, I fucking love you before this band circus didn’t even exist, still you said you need to feel loved?

What the fuck should I do?

What the fuck is our relationship?

Do you even love me now?

Because I fucking love you and I’m fucking tired to not know what to do to help you.

Tell me something!”

“I’m sorry, Y/N.” Sorry was the word he used most with you, he was sorry for everything but not willing to change.

“I think I need to reach the rock bottom before doing something, I can’t stop myself, Y/N.”

“Do you know what is the rock bottom? Fucking dying!

How could you do something after you are dead? Nikki, for God sake, let me help you.” He shook his head and that was how the conversation ended.

Now you were with your head in your hands, thinking and thinking about him.

You decided to turn on TV and the news you received was your worst nightmare: Nikki was dead by overdose.

You screamed like an animal, kicked everything you can, smashed things: everything not to think about the fact he was no longer on earth.

You could never talk to him again, nor kissed him or told him you loved him.

He was gone and your last memory of him was you two fighting and his pained expression, why didn’t you just kiss him and make love?

How could you ever know that it was the last time you would see him?

You cried your heart out, you watched your bloody hands and thought that if Nikki were there he surely would kiss them and said some nice words.

But he wasn’t.

He would never kissed you again.

You started to break stuff another time, than you curled up in the debris, holding and smelling one of the Nikki’s t-shirt you stole to him.

It was the fucking end.

It was the fucking rock bottom.

It fucking hurt like hell.

………………..

Some times later you heard the footsteps of someone.

“Y/N?”

Called a voice, it was Tommy.

“Where are you?” “I’m here.” You said in a low tone, Tommy reached you and he kneeled beside you.

“He’s dead, Tommy.

Fucking dead. And the last time we met we fought about heroin, I would give the world just to tell him that I love him.”

Your voice was raspy.

“Y/N, he is alive.”

“Are you kidding me?”

You got up and gave a deadly look at Tommy, he got up too.

“He was declared dead on the ambulance, his heart stopped, but he was revived by a paramedic.

He used two shot of adrenaline and Nikki woke up, he’s in the hospital now and I thought you wanted to see him.” “Is it true, Tommy?”

“Yes, come with me.”

“Sure.” You ran to the door and Tommy followed you.

You jumped in his car and he hurried to reach you. He started the car and you still couldn’t’ believe it was true. You needed to see him to be sure it was real, that Nikki was real.

You didn’t say a word during the drive, your fingers kept tapping nervously.

Finally you were at the hospital, you followed Tommy and you ended up in front of a white door.

“He’s in that room.” “Yes.”

You swallowed your anxiety and fears and you opened it.

Nikki was laying on the bed with his eyes open, you ran to him and then kneeled next to the bed.

You took his hand in yours and kissed it while you were crying.

“You are alive. You are fucking alive, thank God.

I’m so happy.”

Your head lowered on the hands, you felt Nikki’s other hand caressing your hair.

“You are a fucking idiot, but I love you more than my life.

Don’t scare me like that anymore, please.” “Y/N… I love you too, please, kiss me.”

You got up and kissed him softly and slowly, you felt him smile against your lips.

“When I was dying I was thinking about you and to all the shit I put you in.

You always stayed and never left, I don’t deserve you.” “Nikki…”

“But… I guess this is my rock bottom. I can’t lose you because of my own stupidity, I don’t wanna see you cry again for me.

Y/N, I wanna go to rehab and try to fix my life.”

You kissed him again.

“I will be by your side.

Always.”

He smiled.

“You always been…” “And I always will be.” You kissed him again and again.

You meant every single word you said, Nikki was willing to live finally and you weren’t going anywhere.

You two would be together.

As always.