#(his dad. except he suspected their bond. his mom. except he reminded her of someone who cant be mentioned. heaven. except he's not as good
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Fruits Basket, Se03. ep 4.
and we’re back to the main plot! This ep was good & visually expressive.
-Isuzu ( Akito’s perfect abused toy):
Isuzu embodies everything Akito hates; She’s the exact image of Akito’s mom; the dark long hair, sexy body, womanly charms, the steaming explicit love relationship with Haru) but unlike akito’s mom who’s hard to control & torture, Isuzu is a helpless zodiac who can’t fight back against the zodiac Ruler! Akito can hurt Isuzu verbally & physically while projecting it all on Ren. Through hurting Isuzu, Akito can fantasize on getting back on her mother for neglecting, hating her & stealing a zodiac (sleeping with Shigure ).
In Akito’s delusional mind: ISUZU IS REN. Therefore,
cutting Isuzu’s floating seductive hair (means cutting her mom’s control over her. deforming her mom’s image & “uglifying” it. “Ren” can no longer be prettier than “me”.
Hurting Isuzu’s body (means deforming the seductive womanly charms that Ren used with Shigure). Shigure won’t find “Ren” sexy now with her “short hair & scarred body”, he’ll stay faithful to “me”. No ugly creature will “steal” him or anyone of “them” anymore.
locking Isuzu in the cat’s room (means that in Akito’s mind, REN is the zodiacs monster! locking her away meaning gaining control over her status. “The horrible monster is locked away, the majestic ruler saves the poor zodiacs”.
Isuzu is locked while everybody “suspects” sth bad has happened to her & are “advised” against investigating (means the policy of obeying the family heads, turning their back on the abused & enabling abuse is still going on).
Even when Isuzu was saved, it took some time before anybody dared to take action. Even while taking action to save Isuzu, it is only for saving this current victim, the abuser still stands, still free to try again, still able to punish others.
-Kureno taking action or protecting an abuser?
There’s no doubt that kureno is kind & wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to Isuzu or anybody for that matter. However, Kureno’s brand of kindness has always been toxic & immensely harmful to him & others. While he indeed helped free Isuzu, he continued to shield Akito, holding her cheek kindly, softly lecturing “bad Akito, please no hurt/torture/kill poor zodiac girl”. He waits for Akito to “realize” her wrongful deeds & “ heals” herself & “decides” to stop the abuse. Abusers don’t just decide to stop one day after they realize oops, I’m bad. Abusers must be stopped at once. Especially the ones with mental & emotional issues. I know it is hard for Kureno to stop protecting Akito, as you could argue that he’s “conditioned to obey” from young age. However, it doesn’t matter if his his intentions are good, he’ll either be Akito’s silent accomplice or get her fury.
-Isuzu’s quest to save kind haru:
Isuzu has always looked at her self as rotten/bad, while haru is good. She’s dirty & he’s clean. The theme of “ don’t take advantage of kind ppl as they’re too stupid to save themselves” has always tormented Isuzu. That’s why she was cold & mean to tohru, to save her from her foolish kindness. That’s why she was harsh to yuki, she believed haru’s kindness towards helpless yuki is harmful to haru. Above all, she wants to save kind haru from her “sinful” self! She wants kind ppl to be happy & away from rotten/ bad ppl like her! (does she reminds you of someone? kyo!). Alas, this self-condemning mentality led her to a locked room. Hurt, sad, in pain, tears, darkness, all alone & on the verge of death. That’s why when haru showed up, he said” is your journey over? come home to me” The quest is over. Rest & accept that you’re not a burden.
-Guilt is the immense monster tearing you from the inside:
Hiro is a huge parallel to kyo this ep with kisa & isuzu paralleling tohru, Kyoko & kyo’s mom. He felt immense guilt towards kisa for thinking that he’d caused her physical & emotional suffering by confessing to Akito. Kisa’s journey for recovery from her physical & emotional scars was especially hard on hiro. Even when she smiled, he’d think if only I hadn’t caused her pain. He feels the same towards Isuzu. This is the exact situation where kyo’s at except it is amplified ten times cause of DEATH. tohru’s journey towards recovering from her mom’s sudden death is not easy despite all the smiles. Tohru talks to a framed picture as her mother for God’s sake!!!! this sad! so sad! It hurts to see her craving her mother’s presence & knowing that he is involved somehow. Kyo’s guilt amplifies each time tohru fake smiles. This guilt that kyo built inside him was drilled by a past experience of his moms death & the sohma’s, his dad verbal accusations. While kisa & hiro found escape from guilt’s vicious suffocating grap by confessing their fears, the fact that both kisa & hiro are younger somewhat less traumatized helped. The ppl hiro fears he hurt are saved, alive & will be happy. Kisa is surrounded by her family. Kyo can’t apologize to angry kyoko or his miserable mom. they’re dead. Tohru is an orphan who lives “ temporarily” with the sohma’s. The time where she MUST leave & pursue her life after graduation is near... where will tohru go?.. where is her own family? This is all a set up to the climax! Epic writing!
Side Notes:
Akito scared me with her, “ do you know what’s inside the box? it’s father” ! chills!! is it his ashes? This reminded me of tohru’s cold photo frame of her mom. I see tohru/akito parallel in the making! love it!
Isuzu’s eps always full of good visual symbolism.
Dark haru is always a good sight! whether for comedy or for plot. It is always well-used!
“Pity love” is a theme here. Haru, a teenager, declared his true love, while kureno, a grown man, stood silent. watching. learn kureno learn!
The cat room is a hideous place! OMG! the cell’s /“cage’s” door is small & doesn’t fit a standing human, like a cat’s door! so, the prisoner crawls to get inside? ugh!
Isuzu was there for days even weeks. let this sink. She refused food. she was mentally crushed & blackmailed by Akito using her love for Haru (the same way she blackmailed kyo using his love for tohru). This is a huge crime. Hideous deed that deserves more than a gentle touch on the abuser’s cheek with soft reprimanding. Akito’s response when she lost haru was the childish behavior of screaming & piunding with her fists on the ground. Kazuma’s “ akito is like a spoiled child”.
The scars Akito inflected on the young sohma’s run deep. It would be interesting to see if akito gets redemption, how’ll they react? will the scars disappear cuz yay the baddie is goddie now? or the scars remain & they’ll choose forgiveness like yuki did? or they’ll hold grudge? can’t wait to see.
So Isuzu got her hair cut... man, the only hair cut I wanted was yuki’s! I wanted part of his growth to be loosing the Akito’s look.
Speaking of looks, Hiro is the spitting image of kyo but with bigger eyes! He looks exactly like kyo in Kazuma’s flashback in se01 finale & in kagura’s memories in se02, ep, 11 with the exact uniform!
loved that haru avoided hitting Akito. Not for akito, but knowing haru, he’ll suffer once he cool down cuz he hurt someone.
The bond is tearing. I honestly thought that haru leaving akito will cause more than that & it will tear!
I hated that one shot of naked Isuz walking away. Why not clothed? She wasn’t on the bed with him, so it doesn’t make sense.
so, how did Kureno get Isuzu from the cat’s cage? She’ll transform??
Also, Hatori what will you do now that another victim was hospitalized? still carry screaming Akito, comforting her? Who will have to be hurt before you take action? silently treating the victims wounds is NOT action.
I knew Isuzu will run from the hospital as soon as they said she was hospitalized! XD. They should’ve kept an eye on her. she’s weak.
So, shigure’s “ love” didn’t heal Akito nor his “ love-making” toned her fury on Ren’s look alike. Feeling guilty shigure? No?
Also, while it is not directly his fault, but it is ironic that kureno’s meeting with tohru where he decided to “ stay” by akito & not leave, has led to Isuzu tracking him right into Ren’s trap & falling victim to Akito. In short, his passive choice to NOT take action has led to unintentional disaster. Take the right action kureno. Leaveeeeee~~~
please let the next ep continues the plot & not jump somewhere else. give me at least tow/three continuous eps, then jump.
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The Mall
im not gonna lie i lowkey based this off of my own (very few) experiences going to the nasty old mall in the next town over with my friends. lets just say: very worried parents, sticky atmosphere, and great people watching but also pedophiles left and right sksksks. the movie is also based on a movie I saw with friends when I was thirteen, but I saw it at the nice, trustworthy outlet mall closer to my house lmao. anyone else ever seen the boy? anyway, enjoy me projecting my awkward young teen experiences on the AU where Nova’s parents live. this is unedited as well:)
Part of the Nova’s family lives AU***
Masterpost of all my Renegades Fics
Nova was practically vibrating with happiness. She bounced up and down in the passenger seat of her mom’s car, leg jiggling in excitement. Only half paying attention to the radio, she hummed along to the music playing. Today was a new day. A breakthrough in Nova’s thirteen years of life.
For the first time ever, after countless hours and years of begging, Nova was being dropped off at the mall to hang out with her friends.
Her parents were what most would call overprotective. By this point, Nova was used to it, but it was still annoying when she had to miss out on fun activities just because Mom said no. They never even gave a clear answer when she asked why, too. It was always “Because we’re the parents and we say so,” usually followed by them telling Nova to go clean her room or entertain her siblings. Even with this new experience, Nova hadn’t been completely honest when her parents grilled her on the details. As far as they knew, Nova was just seeing a movie with a few friends and would not be venturing into the main mall. They were under the illusion that Adrian Everhart, Nova’s best friend and the only boy her parents trusted, was going to be the only male present. Not that it mattered much, anyway, seeing as Nova had expressed her attraction to girls as well at dinner one night about a year ago. Still, according to her parents, adolescent boys were trouble. All except for stupidly perfect Adrian Everhart. He was the kind of kid that everyone and their mother couldn’t help but be friends with. The kind of boy that, after leaving someone’s house, the mom would say “I always liked him. Good kid.” The same couldn't be said about Nova, his partner in crime since they were six and seven years old.
Her mom parked the car along the curb outside the movie theater entrance of the mall. Leaning back from the wheel with a heavy sigh, she looked over at Nova. “Just a movie, right?”
Nova nodded firmly, hand already reaching for the door in her hurry to escape. She could see the silhouettes of her friends, waiting in line for tickets.
“Hold on there, young lady.” Nova heard the clicking of the lock and groaned. “I want you to text me once every hour, okay? Stay with Adrian no matter what. If anything happens, call me or your father immediately.” Nova inched toward the door again, this time trying to unlock it subtly. Her mother still noticed. “Don’t talk to anyone you don’t know.”
Nova felt an evil smile creep onto her lips. “But what if they’re selling candy?”
“I mean it, Nova Jean.” She swore she saw the flash of fear in her mother’s eyes. “No funny business. You know how I feel about leaving you, and here of all places.” She gestured to the building before them. “Be on your best behavior. There are-”
“Eyes on me at all times, I know.” She rolled her eyes, thinking back to all the times those words had been repeated to her whenever she went anywhere. When she was younger, they confused her. But now, Nova knew her mom meant the media and how the older Nova got,
the more people watched her every move. After all, her family had a reputation. “Can I go now? Adrian’s already coming over here.”
Closing her eyes, Tala Artino nodded. She reached for Nova’s hand when her eyes reopened, now soft. “I love you, sweetheart, Be safe. I’ll pick you up at 10.”
“Love you too, Mom.” Reaching over, Nova pressed a kiss to her mom’s cheek. Then, she was finally allowed to exit the vehicle. Adrian, waiting outside, greeted her with a hug. Nova couldn’t help but notice his growth spurt in recent months. She had always been the short one, but there had been a time once where she didn’t have to tilt her head up to look at him. Now, her neck stretched more and more each time she saw him. She should’ve seen it coming; his mom had been tall, and he was a spitting image of her.
“Hi, Mrs. Artino.” Adrian waved as the passenger window rolled down. All traces of a stern parent vanished from her mother’s face when she waved back.
“Hi, honey. You’re going to make sure my daughter doesn’t do anything she’s not supposed to, right?”
“Mom!”
But Adrian laughed and simply nodded, putting on his dumb charming smile that won over every parent. They said bye to her mother. Nova watched until the car had disappeared from view before turning to face her friend.
“Where should we go first?”
Adrian frowned. “Are we not seeing the movie? Everyone else already has their tickets.”
“They can see it if they want.” Nova wrapped an arm around Adrian’s and pulled him forward. “But it honestly looks boring. All horror movies are the same.”
But Adrian didn’t look convinced, and while Nova wanted nothing more than to explore the mysterious place her mother hated with a passion, she could tell he wanted to see the movie. Well, the movie was only an hour and a half. And it was only 5 in the evening right now. They had plenty of time.
Nova let out a sigh, then pulled Adrian in the direction of the ticket line. “Fine, but you’re staying in line with me to buy a ticket.”
Adrian snorted. “Just as long as you sit next to me in case I get scared so I can hold your hand.” He seemed almost shy in saying that, despite trying to be nonchalant and joking. Nova glanced over at him and noticed how his cheeks and neck had darkened. A flutter twirled in her belly, but she pushed it aside. Those feelings were nothing new by now. But for whatever reason, she only felt them when she was around her best friend.
———-
“That movie was terrible!” Nova said as soon as she exited the theater with her friends. A few people glanced over at her, shooting disapproving looks before recognition dawned on their faces and their eyes flitted between her and Adrian and the linked arms between their bodies. Nova had to refrain from making faces at them, remembering her mother’s warnings.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Ramona said with an eye roll. “At least it wasn’t the same as every other horror movie.” Ramona was a Renegade, like Nova and Adrian. She had been chosen by Nova at the last trials a few months before to be a part of her team. Usually, the Council didn’t let the younger Renegades participate in the trials other than to watch, but they gave Nova an exemption at the ripe age of thirteen. Why, she wasn’t fully sure, especially when Adrian’s dads were on the Council and still wouldn’t let him create his. She suspected her parents had a bit of a pull in that, as well as the Council recognizing the amount of time Nova put in every day for the organization. After all, she was dedicated to righting the wrongs her uncle had done in the past. Her team couldn’t do much anyway. Patrols were too dangerous, so they were forced to stick to duties inside headquarters, something that quickly grew boring but at least helped Nova’s team bond.
Benton, Nova’s other recruit, shook his head. “No, I’m with Nova on this one. Possessed dolls? C’mon, it’s been done like, fifty times already.”
Nova headed the group as they ventured into the main part of the mall. The aroma of pretzels and stinky children pierced her nostrils. Nova hadn’t been inside a mall for some years. Her mom tried to avoid the place as much as possible, as it wasn’t the cleanest place on earth. Usually, if they had to go to a store in the mall, they would spend time only in that store, parking near an entrance by the store in order to spend the least amount of time in the main mall as possible. Tala had practically drilled Nova every single day leading up to her mall escapade on what to do and what not to do, as well as reminding her of the dangers of the media and of course, the splotchy-faced pedophiles who camped out in the food court all day watching teen girls pass by in crop tops and cut off shorts.
“Okay, but you have to admit the creepy dude at the end was a surprise,” Adrian countered, pushing his glasses up over his nose. Nova bit back a smile; she had promised not to make fun of his scratchy, changing voice. Even if he did squeak every other word. “Living in the walls?” He shuddered. “Spying on her that entire time?”
Ramona muttered something under her breath in Spanish. “No wonder his parents left. I honestly would’ve left sooner if I were them. Screw his feelings.”
“Yeah, he was weird, but that kind of came out of nowhere.” Benton ran a hand through his blond locks. “The plot holes are endless. Why didn’t his parents just up and abandon him? What was keeping them there? Why was he in the fucking walls to begin with? Why didn’t they get him mental help sooner?”
Nova gasped, quieting the group. She had spotted one of her favorite shops, a small store that sold band and other nerdy merch. Her mom wasn’t a big fan, seeing as they sold goth and emo type stuff, and their workers were ‘scary looking’. She grabbed Adrian’s hand in her excitement, missing the way his gaze widened at the gesture, and tugged him in the direction of the shop.
“There’s a shirt I’ve had my eyes on for the longest time,” she explained to him as they halted in front of the wall lined with band t-shirts. Benton and Ramona trailed off from them, drifting over to the racks and cubbies of fandom merch.
Adrian hummed in understanding. “The West Side?”
“East Side,” Nova corrected, glaring at his teasing shit eating smile. “If you’re going to their concert with me in November then you better learn their name at least, you asshole.”
Adrian bumped her shoulder lightly, but helped her look for the shirt after she gave him a brief description. Just when she was beginning to think they didn’t have it, Adrian let go of her hand to reach forward and to the left. When he turned back to her, he had the shirt, and in a size medium, just as she liked it. The baggier, the better. She grinned and accepted the shirt, wrapping an arm around him in a loose hug.
That’s when she saw a flash in the corner of her eye.
Flipping around, she saw a girl a few years older than her, the phone in her hand dropping awkwardly. Her group of friends all giggled and whispered to one another. Based on the way they were dressed and were acting, Nova could tell they had followed her and her friends into the store.
The girls entire face turned beet red, but that didn’t stop her from tearing her gaze from Nova to look at the photo she had taken. Before Nova could even open her mouth to ask her to delete the photo, the group of girls was gone, flocking out of the store quickly as if they hadn’t even been there.And that was when Nova noticed the hidden phones of quite a few shoppers. One was held in crossed arms as the lady pretended to look at a pair of shoes, another behind a clothing rack. One didn’t even try hiding their camera, or even bother to whisper to the person beside them.
A chill ran through Nova’s body, and suddenly she didn’t feel very well. Well, her few minutes of freedom were fun while they lasted. She closed her eyes and practically leaned against Adrian, jaw clenched as she pressed the shirt back into his hands.
“Shit.”
#renegades#supernova#archenemies#nova artino#Adrian everhart#nodrian#Oscar silva#danna bell#ruby tucker#tuckva#osby#anarchists#my writing
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Alright, I’ve been talking about The Witcher TV show for months and months, and now I’ve FINALLY seen it.
I've skimmed through the books here and there, but really I’m a diehard fan of the video games, particularly The Witcher 3 (I’ve played TW1 and TW2 as well). Because of all the hype, attention and love the TW3 got over the years, with even Henry Cavill being a major fan of the video games, Netflix went and made this tv show, with Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, The Witcher.
MY THOUGHTS
It was GOOD! \(^0^)/ I really liked it!
Alright, don’t get excited, I think this show had some serious problems. But we’ll start with the good before getting to the bad and the ugly.
THE GOOD
THE ACTING
Everyone was top notch, and did a fantastic job. I freaking LOVE Grandma Calanthe, omg. I wanted more of her, and Mama Tissaia, and the different sorceresses (when Sodden started I was like hooo boy, I know how this goes; the finale is WORTH the price of admission, folks).
I even liked Eclipse-Princess (her name escapes me, my bad; I was calling her Arya 2.0 in my head). Don’t think I effing missed how they threw in a nod to the Eclipse Princess from Blood & Wine; that was awesome, featuring the Black Sun “curse” again.
I already knew I was gonna HAVE to tune in to see Yennefer’s story, and it was every bit as superb as I suspected it would be. Dare I say it was THE most interesting story arc of the three? Caught me tearing up a few times. I still don’t see book/game/Polish Yennefer with her, but she did a GREAT job, nonetheless--her emotions and delivery and everything was excellent.
She sounds so dang young though, which throws me off with the timeline, cuz when exactly does Yenn’s story take place in all of this? It’s hard to match her with the more...well....matronly/mature persona we’re more familiar with in the games. But I guess she develops that over time, after getting to raise Ciri. Though this does put in better perspective why she was so mean to Ciri at first, calling her ugly and everything. She wanted a child so badly, and Geralt just...gets one by surprise, and she was feeling bitter, I see it now.
THE ACTION
And I gotta give it to Cavill. Boy can MOVE. My favorite moments with Cavill were when he was sword fighting; whoever choreographed all that needs a frikkin award. I imagined the Butcher of Blaviken just tearing up mofos, and that’s exactly what we got. And he was WERKING them pants! XD
Except we never really saw my favorite sign, Igni. Oh well. And I hate that he doesn’t have cat eyes. And the Toxicity ISTG makes him look like a vampire and makes no effing sense, but whatevs.
And sometimes he was sounding WAY too Batman or demonic with this really deep and gravelly voice -- I appreciate that he was trying to give us that gruff and sandpaper dry video game Geralt, but when they’d make him yell or be mad I was like JFC NOT TODAY SATAN. But an attempt was made, and I appreciate it. ^_^ He was fine for the most part. More than fine, even. As I said, the acting & action was great, and they played to Cavill’s strengths.
THE SPECIAL EFFECTS
I also thought the CGI was fine--not the best, no, but I’ve seen way worse in shows with bigger budgets. The dragons...eh.... And that kikimore.... Well, I’m just remembering the Polish tv show, the Hexer--BIG improvement. Trust me. O_O The practical effects were excellent. Even though they messed around A LOT with the Striga plot from TW1, and what it looked like, I did like that they stayed pretty faithful to the fight.
THE STORIES & CHARACTERS
IMO, the best episode was E04, with Pavetta & Duny. It was just REALLY well done, and the one I was LEAST expecting. My favorite episode was E06, with the dragon, because of course. Reminded me of Hercules the Legendary Journeys, IDKY. The finale was really good, too; I love the sorceresses and all the magic. And E07 when all the plots and flashbacks come together was great.
And now for MY COMPLAINTS
THE BAD
#1) OMG WTF WAS UP WITH THE TIMELINE?
I feel BAD for anyone who’s watching this show fresh, who’s never played the games, read the books, seen the Polish Hexer tv show, played Gwent, or anything related to the Witcher world.
I was thrown off several times, as they shot from Ciri running for her life or Geralt fighting a Striga in the present time; to Yennefer learning magic in the past. Geralt & Dandelion go on adventures Shrek & Donkey style--I ASSUMED in the present, with the Sylvan, Djinn & Dragon, until an episode or two later they’re in Cintra together in the PAST, and Ciri’s not even born yet, and we’re seeing a drunk Ermion/Mousesack and young Crach an Craite (I squeed, my dad~!! His accent was on point!), and Ciri’s mom and grandma. (And WOW, the lady they got to play the mom looks just like the actress playing Ciri--are they related?)
And they do this over and over again over the episodes--present day with Ciri, eff knows when with Geralt or Yennefer. Especially since you know from the books/games that they’re both almost 100 years old. Yenn keeps throwing out “it’s been decades“ this and “years” that. But W H E N though!?!
I mean, I could follow along, sure, but they REALLY needed to make it clearer SOONER for people who have NO idea who TF these people or which kingdoms are which, that some things are happening YEARS apart from each other. Pay attention to how many times GoT shoved those maps of Westeros and Essos in our faces. Or how different shows use color filters for flashbacks or something. Properly situate the audience in time AND space--we’re not Cirilla, who can travel willy nilly between both. They bounced back and forward between past and present with the toss of a frikkin coin.
And speaking of coins...
#2) THE MUSIC WAS...Well.
youtube
Oh, Dandelion. XD
Anyone who knows me knows I fangirl HARD over the Witcher video game OSTs. And unfortunately, the music on the tv show was just...alright. :\ And for a franchise so closely connected to iconic music like the band Percival, it’s a crime against nature that the tv show never had a single track that made me go YES. Give it up for POLAND. The end credits song is okay, but I only started getting into it at like Episode 6, soooo... :\
And no, I didn’t like Toss A Coin to Your Witcher in this show. It didn’t sound like part of this medievalesque universe AT ALL, but something kinda pop/country, aimed at I don’t even know who. Sure, the dude playing Dandelion can sing. But so can Ed Sheeran, and when GoT got him to sing on the show, he sure AF didn’t bust out with the next Billboard Top 40 on us in the middle of nowhere.
#3) THE CHARACTER BONDING?
The acting was top notch...it was the plot/writing I didn’t like. Or rather, the relationships between the characters. I felt more for Yennefer & Istredd, and Geralt & Roach, and Ciri & the Elf boy (and her grandma), and even Pavetta & effing Duny/Emhyr (that royal piece of sh!te) than I did for any other characters on this whole show. And that’s a bit of a problem.
First off, I HATED how they made it seem that TEENAGED Ciri had no idea who TF Geralt was. TV Ciri’s gotta be what? 15? Geralt said something about it having been 12 years since Pavetta & Duny, but even that’s too old. Book!Ciri met Geralt IN the Brokilon or whatever forest with all the water drinking and the dryad queen and mess.
They were already obsessed with each other before the fall of Cintra even happened! Ciri was like 10 already when Geralt took Ciri to Kaer Morhen to start her Witcher training, but this girl on the show’s way older, and effing clueless. They don’t even meet til the final few SECONDS, wtf!! It’s just Destiny~! Destiny~! Child of Surprise, but we never even have a scene together~! Destiny~!
Speaking of children, we have Yennefer and Geralt, which was better, but again, WOAH with the pacing. I felt effing BAD for Istredd! :( I don’t really GET why Geralt & Yenn fell so hard for each other; I don’t really feel that connection. Geralt had just as much bonding time with that eclipse-princess! They only had the Djinn episode, really, and by the end of the Dragon episode it was already over!
I mean, yeah, in the books/game they have A LOT of ups and downs, but come on; we’ve already wasted so much time on Geralt & Triss (that homewrecking wench, I’m glad her airtime was minimal), and I just want more BAMF battle couple parents Geralt & Yenn raising Ciri already! >_<
Same with Geralt & Dandelion. Geralt’s kinda mean to him, which is fair; Geralt hates everyone. But I don’t feel where they’re friends at all, and they part at the end of the season on NOT great terms. I kinda feel Geralt doesn’t really like Dandelion at all. :( Even with the whole comedic relief Shrek schtick,
THE UGLY
#4) THE LENGTH
I dunno what’s up with all the 8 episode miniseries lately (GoT, Mandalorian, Witcher, etc), but it REALLY isn’t enough to really flesh out a story. Especially not one as convoluted as The Witcher, AKA the GoT of Poland.
Again, I REALLY feel for the casuals watching, who probably don’t know what the Conjunction of Spheres Istredd keeps referring to is, or what exactly a Witcher is, or why Ciri’s so dang special -- was Lara Dorren or the Elder Blood ever even MENTIONED???
We know Yenn’s got elf blood, but it’s waaaay more than that with Ciri -- though I don’t think they mentioned her elf blood, either, just that Calanthe’s grandmother or someone had their Banshee powers before Pavetta & Ciri.
BTW, wtf with Ermion/Mousesack? That’s gotta be a red herring or something. Cuz we know this dude’s old AF and thriving in Skellige, sooo....? TF. Why the Doppler? Why?
TBH this felt like Season 1A, if anything. I don’t feel the plot really progressed much at all, other than us getting Yennefer’s story. Ciri & Geralt finally meet (cliffhanger supreme right there), but jfc this felt like a prequel -- so much of the season was dedicated to backtracking us in a roundabout way up to the fall of Cintra, then skipping ahead to the Battle at Sodden Hill.
And why the heck did they wait so long to get to get to Vigelfortz!? That’s what I was sitting here WAITING for! You mean I gotta wait for Season TWO to see my Hanse in full force!? :( URGH. Reeeeeeeegiiiiiiiis~! :(
Maybe cut out some of the unnecessary nudity every frikkin where and tell the full frikkin story, hmm? (Yenn’s boobs look great, we got it the first 5 times. Meanwhile these cowards won’t even have a dude’s left testicle be shown on screen, but whatever.)
So yeah, those are my 4 biggest complaints.
Well, and that wig’s hard AF hair line, jfc.(I was DYING during the Pavetta & Duny scene, when Cavill was holding on to that wig for dear life. XD XD)
Otherwise, I really liked the show! B+!
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Anyone who knows me from FF.net remember, years ago, when I said I was debating writing a sequel to my Danny Phantom fic Confessions and possibly tying it into Complications so I could pretend those all happened in the same universe? The fact that I never decided whether I should officially tie it in is one of the reasons this sequel stalled, but here’s the start of it.
All Maddie did was look at the ghost files on the computer; she didn’t expect to learn so much--or be reminded of just how little she knew.
It wasn’t very often that Maddie was home alone. Usually, Jack was with her or Jazz was up in her room, studying or doing homework. But both her husband and daughter were out with her son, doing something she never would have dreamed they would be doing even a month earlier: they were out patrolling. Ghost hunting.
Target practice, Danny had called it. Jazz had improved since she’d started helping him, he’d said, but Jack still needed to work on his aim. “I shouldn’t be safer floating in one spot than flying around,” Danny had pointed out. “And let’s face it. I’m better off staying right where I am when Dad’s shooting at me.”
But it wasn’t just target practice. It wasn’t just patrolling. It wasn’t just hunting together, giving Danny and Jazz a chance to bond with their father. They’d needed to make a statement: that the Fentons had decided to support Danny Phantom. Working with him was their way of getting the public to accept it.
They hadn’t waited until a major ghost attack to start working with Danny. Jack had been too eager to hunt ghosts with his son, and Maddie hated the thought of aiming an ectogun at Danny, even if it was for practice. So, whenever they turned up at the scene of a ghost attack before Danny had taken care of the threat, they focused on fighting the hostile ghost. They left Phantom alone.
There was still a bit of a show each time. Danny always reminded them, loudly, that he was the good guy. But it was more for the benefit of bystanders than a reminder to them to resist the urge to shoot at a ghost. Because Phantom, at least in her eyes, was no longer just a ghost.
He was her son.
He always would be, and she’d never stop loving him.
They’d managed to get most of their weapons to ignore Danny’s ecto-signature. The Ghost Gabber was a strange exception, for instance, and Danny refused to test a ‘supposedly modified Fenton Peeler’, as he put it. Maddie couldn’t blame him, really. But she made sure she kept a non-modified Fenton Finder on hand and, at Danny’s request, a Fenton Thermos. Three, in fact, all to be stored in different places.
He’d never explained that request, though it wasn’t for lack of her asking.
She’d even opened her mouth to ask Jazz once and received only a significant look and a deliberate shake of the head in return. The intent had been clear: don’t ask. Don’t push it. If she knew, she wasn’t going to say. It was up to Danny and Danny alone. They weren’t to force him to say anything to them.
It was as much Jazz’s reaction as Danny’s actions that made Maddie suspect that the Fenton Thermoses were indeed being kept for a deliberate reason rather than merely for simple caution. That just made her worry more, of course. There was so much that Danny had told them, but so much more he hadn’t….
She found it hard. She wanted to protect Danny, but she couldn’t do that when she didn’t know what sort of danger he was in half the time. And as much as he had proven that he could protect himself, that he could protect her more than she could protect him, she couldn’t stop worrying.
Maddie smiled wryly. That must be how Jazz felt. How she and Jack hadn’t picked up on the increase in Jazz’s protectiveness of her little brother was beyond her. In retrospect, she knew that the signs had been there; she could recognize them now.
Of course, she could also now recognize the reason for Jazz’s fierce defense of Phantom.
It was quiet in the lab; she was so used to the soft hum of machinery in the background that she hardly heard it. Maddie took a sip of her coffee and grimaced. It had gone cold. A shame, since it was rare that she allowed herself the luxury of food or drink the lab, even though Jack had no such misgivings and it was he who usually encouraged her to fill her favourite mug.
“Perhaps I’m too sentimental for a scientist,” Maddie murmured, knowing her occasional inability to separate her emotions from her work was one of the reasons it had taken her so long to believe the truth about her son. She placed the ‘World’s Best Mom’ mug on the countertop. It was one Danny and Jazz had proudly presented her with on Mother’s Day the year Danny had been five. They’d pooled their allowances and picked it out, filling it with little trinkets they’d made. According to Jack, they’d also bought a few candies to put in it, but those had been gone before they’d made it back home.
To this day, she wasn’t entirely convinced that her children were the reason for the disappearance of the sweets.
Maddie smiled. She might not have Jack’s confession, but she knew his sweet tooth wasn’t restricted to fudge. A double batch of cookies didn’t always make two days in her house, particularly if they were one of her kids’ favourite kinds. Especially now; she hadn’t had much time to bake of late, and her cookies had become a rare commodity.
No, that wasn’t quite true. She’d had time; she simply hadn’t spent it baking. Instead, she’d worked with Jack to ensure all of their inventions were safe for Danny. She’d watched the news channels and listened to the radio to monitor ghost attack reports more fervently than before. She’d turned her attention to ways to help Danny combat problems he might encounter in the future, brainstorming everything from smaller, more inconspicuous ghost containment devices to chemical formulas that could counteract potential pregnancy complications arising from Danny’s unique DNA—something that would be infinitely easier if Danny would simply let her take a few samples. Until he did that, she couldn’t so much as begin to genotype his DNA and identify ecto-markers that could be useful if he ever ran into any complications in his own life, like a ghost-related disease such as the ecto-acne that plagued Vlad.
And she’d debated, over and over, how to get more information out of her son.
She’d questioned Danny frequently now. Not about anything major; just small things. Who he had fought tonight. Whether he’d gotten injured. If he’d started his homework. Why he hadn’t called them in to stop the ghost so he could study for his upcoming math test.
She hoped to start getting more things out of him. Tactical information, perhaps, like the fighting styles of each of the ghosts he faced regularly. Something he would be comfortable with answering. It would be easier to move from those questions to the more difficult ones. How he had coped after the accident and how he had learned to control his powers, for instance.
Those still weren’t the questions she wanted to ask, of course. She’d gotten a few reasons for her son’s more questionable actions as Phantom from Jazz’s scrapbook, but a jotted note did nothing to really explain anything. Hypnotized? Framed? By whom? She couldn’t just accept that it had happened and leave it in the past. Someone had tried to use her son, had tried to turn everyone against him. She couldn’t just…. She needed answers.
There were so many things Danny kept from them. She’d given him ample opportunity to talk to her, but he ignored every opening. He’d change the subject. He’d suddenly remember he had homework to do or, more often, that he’d promised to meet up with Sam and Tucker somewhere. He’d come up with any excuse he could to avoid talking about it.
She didn’t want to push too hard too soon, for fear that he’d soon find reason to avoid talking to her at all.
Maddie breathed a soft sigh. She’d been sitting in front of the computer, just thinking, for far too long. When she’d first come down here, hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee, she’d thought she could turn her focus to the latest FentonWorks invention in development. The Fenton Spectre Binder had been pushed off to one side in favour of the Fenton Freeze Ray—“To look at once we get the kinks of this baby,” Jack had said, proudly patting the prototype for his latest brainchild. Despite the fact that Jack had insisted on taking the prototype for a trial run, she knew it could stand a good deal more refining.
Jack had originally intended to call it the Fenton Phantom Freeze, until Danny and Jazz had heard the name and immediately forbade him from ever saying that again. “It’s not a secret if you practically announce it to the entire town,” Jazz had argued. “Danny doesn’t need you to hand out any more clues than he already does!”
Danny, in the end, had been the one to suggest the Phantom Freeze be renamed the Freeze Ray. “It’s basically an ectogun that shoots out stuff that’ll temporarily turn ectoplasm to ice, right? I mean, it won’t stop time, but it should still be pretty cool if you can get it to work.”
They had never dreamed of suggesting that Danny act as a test subject for them, but his input had moved their research along considerably. He had offered to give them some spectral ice—something he hadn’t realized was any different from regular ice until she’d studied it and informed him of its differing properties. By using the product of his ice powers as a guide, she had been working on synthesizing a chemical that would freeze when it came in contact with a ghost’s ectoplasmic structure. Jack was refining the design for the gun and, she suspected, trying to discover how much pressure the liquid could withstand before the weapon would either explode in the user’s hand or simply freeze up and not fire.
It was thinking about Danny’s reaction to the Freeze Ray that had led her to thinking about Danny himself. Danny, and his secret, and everything she still didn’t know. Shortly after Jack had first announced his idea, Danny had told her, in passing, that he was good friends with the ghost who had taught him to keep his ice powers under control.
“Klemper?” she’d guessed, remembering that this was the ice ghost’s oft-repeated request, but he’d doubled over laughing.
“Frostbite,” he’d managed at last. “He’s the leader of the ghosts in the Far Frozen. I’ll introduce you guys sometime.”
She’d never even heard of the Far Frozen, but then again, she could count the places in the Ghost Zone that she had heard of on one hand. Even now, after a month of off-handed references from Danny, she felt she knew very little. She knew the reason, of course. Even after the Spectre Speeder had been finished, she and Jack had never ventured into the Ghost Zone. The only time she’d been there was the time the entire town had been transported there, essentially held hostage by a terrible ghost.
It was another time Danny had yet to tell them about.
There was no single reason that she hadn’t begun to explore the Ghost Zone. She and Jack had long ago agreed that it would be too dangerous to take the kids—ironic, really, since Danny and his friends had begun mapping the Ghost Zone because of the frequency of their travels there and that map had given her more knowledge of the Ghost Zone than she’d gained before. The danger, however vague, had felt real enough to them as ghost hunters to be wary. It was one thing to fight ghosts in the Real World, but quite another to fight the ghosts in their own territory, even if they intended to do no more than defend themselves from attack.
She’d been making…preparations…for when she and Jack made their first trip into the Ghost Zone.
Just in case.
But there was also the fact that there had never been a good time to venture off into the Ghost Zone when they were unsure of how long the journey would take, the fact that Jack always seemed to be thinking up new modifications for the Speeder, the fact that the ghosts might take advantage of their absence from Amity Park….
There was reason enough to put the trip off again and again, but Maddie now felt that she’d been trying to find one more excuse not to go, even if she couldn’t pinpoint the reason for the avoidance.
Maddie glanced at the computer again, at the three accounts on it—hers and Jack’s, Danny’s, and Jazz’s, though Jazz preferred to use her own computer—and wondered, just for a moment, if she’d always felt that they didn’t know enough about the ghosts themselves to venture into unknown enemy territory.
“Collaborating with Danny Phantom will give you an instant insight into almost every ghost that you’ve seen in Amity Park,” Jazz had told them. “Danny keeps his own files.”
Danny didn’t have his own computer. He’d never earned it, and he’d never saved enough to buy one.
If he had electronic files—which was likely, considering he was friends with Tucker—they would be here, on their shared lab computer.
Maddie hesitated for a moment, then clicked on Danny’s account. He’d never told them not to look, and Jazz wouldn’t have informed them of the existence of his files if Danny was keen on keeping them a secret. She’d forgotten about them at first, and she knew her son well enough to know that he had likely forgotten that they hadn’t seen them.
Maddie stared at the blinking cursor in the password box for a moment.
She knew her son.
She wasn’t sure if he had yet accepted some of the things she, along with almost everyone else, knew about him.
Slowly, Maddie typed a name into the password box and hit enter. INCORRECT PASSWORD glared back at her, so she tried again. Capitals and space, like last time, but this time, the full name. The name that would be used for the signatures, when the time came, for she was sure it would.
This time, the screen loaded, and Maddie smiled. “I’m proud of you, Danny,” she said quietly. “Perhaps you aren’t so clueless after all. Just nervous, like your father was.”
Maddie found Danny’s files in a folder on his desktop. She found the ghost files, as he called them, to be surprisingly organized, and she couldn’t help but wonder if Jazz had had a hand in their creation. Of course, Danny would be more likely to keep something like this organized than, unfortunately, his room or his schoolwork. To him, they were more important, and if something happened, if someone other than him needed to access the files, they needed to be navigable.
Maddie started reading the files, skimming them over rather than taking the time to absorb their full detail. She wanted to know who her son had faced down, who he had beaten, all without her knowing, and she wanted to know who his allies were. Who she could trust, if she really needed to.
The files were alphabetized, and it became all too clear that there were many ghosts she had never heard of. Amorpho? Aragon? The first one she recognized was the Box Ghost, and he wasn’t even the first of the ‘B’s.
Danny had more ghosts on file than she had ever seen in Amity Park.
He had more details in each file than she and Jack had managed to garner collectively.
And, for some inexplicable reason, he had some of them locked down.
Tightly.
She could understand perfectly well that Danny would have met more ghosts and discovered more about them. She wasn’t particularly happy with the idea, since she knew most of his encounters had probably been unpleasant ones, resulting in fights of which he undoubtedly would never want her to know the details. She could understand why he had his own file encrypted and password protected and otherwise locked to her. She was even sure he had only called it Phantom, D., in case she or Jack had stumbled upon it before he had confessed his secret to them, despite the fact that they were both well aware that he was calling himself ‘Danny Phantom’.
Still, judging by the number of subfiles she could ascertain it contained…. It had to be more than just a description of his powers.
But she respected Danny’s privacy, at least in this instance, and after a half-hearted attempt at guessing the password for the folder, she’d moved on.
It was when she came upon the second—and last, she suspected—file that was locked up so tightly that it was undeniably Tucker’s work that she knew she would be having a talk with Danny when he got back.
She’d seen enough of his fights to know that Plasmius, V., was not only the true name of the Wisconsin Ghost, but also that he was one of the strongest enemies Phantom—her own son—had ever faced. Their fights ended in draws or with one party or the other conceding, just for a time, than there was a clear victor. If Plasmius was Danny’s enemy, quite possibly his arch-enemy, then she wanted to know as much about him as possible. They could even design a weapon for Danny to use against him, if it would help.
But she couldn’t even think of personalizing the weaponry, specifically targeting Plasmius’s ecto-signature, when she didn’t know any more about him what he’d looked like, the places he’d haunted, and the fact that, for some inexplicable reason, he wanted her son.
Plasmius didn’t want to destroy Danny Phantom. He didn’t see her son like a trophy as the hunter ghost Skulker did. But it was as if her son was the ghost’s obsession, which did not make sense when accounts of the Wisconsin Ghost predated the day of Danny’s accident. The day of Phantom’s creation.
It had to be something else. There was some reason that she couldn’t find, a reason she suspected, by the unopenable file, that Danny already knew.
Jazz’s words from that day a month ago flitted through her mind once more, as they had so many times since she’d first heard them. The unfinished question that was proof enough that Jazz still knew so much more about Danny and his secret—his secrets—than she. “You’re not even going to tell them about…?”
Perhaps this was it. Perhaps this was the end of the question. You’re not even going to tell them about Plasmius?
Danny’s answer, at the time, had been simple: “Not yet.”
Not then, but perhaps now.
Because secrets…. Secrets had a way of coming between people, when important things were kept from those dearest to you. And she didn’t want to see Danny hurt at the hands of Plasmius, not when she might be able to do something to help him. He wasn’t alone anymore. She and Jack weren’t hunting him down, and even the Red Huntress—though if Danny knew her identity, he was being tight-lipped about it, too—seemed to have accepted that Phantom wasn’t about to destroy the town.
But Plasmius’s actions, true to form for the ghost that he was, hadn’t changed.
“I hope you’ll tell us what’s going on, Danny,” Maddie whispered. “This is too important to keep secret.”
2XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Did you have fun, sweetie?”
Danny drained his glass of water, set it on the counter, and looked at his mother, who was sitting at the table. Jazz had already gone upstairs and Jack down to the lab, the former to study and the latter to tweak the Freeze Ray, which hadn’t done well in its first field test. Well, it hadn’t done well considering it was supposed to freeze ectoplasm instead of create so much friction when discharging that sparks flew. But he somehow got the feeling that wasn’t what Maddie was getting at.
“Uh, yeah?” Danny could hear the uncertainty in his own voice, brought on more from the clear unease in Maddie’s stance than anything else, and when he wasn’t called on it, he knew something was wrong.
Well, something was wrong or she’d found out something that unsettled her. She was on edge, at any rate. She didn’t look a whole lot better now than she had when she’d been on the trail of his secret. And if he could see that….
“Mom, is anything wrong?”
Maddie sighed softly and tucked a stray auburn lock behind her ear. “I think we need to talk,” she said.
Danny’s gut twisted unpleasantly in a way it hadn’t for a while around his parents. “What’d I do?” he asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down beside her. He should’ve known that she’d wanted to talk when he’d seen her sitting at the table, waiting for him, not so much as a notepad or file of blueprints in front of her.
“Oh, you didn’t do anything, honey,” came the immediate reassurance.
Despite the words, Danny felt his insides take another cruel twist. Then what? Ghosts were his first thought, but Maddie Fenton was used to dealing with ghosts. It was hard to find a ghost-related situation that would have his mother looking like she did, where she didn’t know what to do. She’d already faced the worst she could—finding out that her own flesh and blood could now technically be classified as an ectoplasmic entity—so there was no reason for her to look like—
Oh.
Oh, crud.
He didn’t want to go there yet.
Danny’s mouth went dry. “Mom, what were you doing while we were out?” He was pretty sure he had everything even remotely related to Danielle buried, but he’d been hoping to have a little more time to figure out how to best dig that skeleton up—and ideally track down where Dani had gone off to—before he said anything, but now….
Maddie stretched out her hand, found his, and squeezed. This did nothing to help Danny’s racing heart. “I didn’t think you’d object to my reading your ghost files.”
Danny shifted in his seat. “I don’t,” he said, “but….” Some of those files were locked for a reason. Who knew his mother could hack stuff better than Tucker? He hadn’t even thought the Guys in White would be able to get into all of his files if they confiscated the computer.
Maddie sighed. “I’m sorry, Danny. I should have waited.”
“No, it’s fine,” Danny said immediately. “It’s just….” How was he supposed to explain Dani? How could he explain Dani? He didn’t even know where she was, and that ate at him more than anything else.
He should have bitten the bullet a long time ago. Told his parents about her—about him—when she had first turned up. But he’d known how much she’d needed to get away from Vlad and everything he represented, get away from him and all his influence, and find her own self. He’d thought…. He’d made excuses, talked himself into thinking that letting her go was the best thing for her, when in reality, it had only been the best thing for him.
It was selfish. He was selfish. Danielle wasn’t old enough to live on her own, especially if he considered her actual age rather than her physiological and mental one; she shouldn’t have to fend for herself, and that’s what he’d let her do. She was…. She was his responsibility, and he hadn’t even opened his mouth to say she should stay with him.
All because he didn’t want to face his parents.
Vlad being in town definitely didn’t help matters.
“Mom,” Danny said slowly, “I think I know what this is about.”
Maddie was looking at him earnestly, the worry clear in her eyes. “I don’t want to push you into telling me,” she said quietly, “but I think it’s for the best if I know more about the situation. I might be able to help.”
Considering he was going to propose Danielle live with them once she’d had her fill of roaming and they figure out how to come up with her background story and the appropriate papers after the fact, he was definitely going to need her help. And probably Tucker’s. And Sam’s. And Jazz’s, if only for the transition.
“I didn’t know how to tell you,” Danny admitted.
“Just start at the beginning,” his mother said, tightening her grip on his hand for a few seconds. “Once I understand why he’s after you, I’ll be able to help you defend yourself.”
Wait.
What?
“Once you understand why who’s after me?” Danny asked, pulling his hand out of Maddie’s grasp and staring blankly at her.
He was both relieved and ashamed that this wasn’t about Danielle.
It was a few seconds before Maddie answered, and in that time, Danny saw what she was thinking displayed clearly on her face. There were still more secrets. Secrets she hadn’t uncovered yet. Things he was deliberately keeping from her. This wasn’t it, and he still didn’t trust her enough to tell her everything.
But Maddie Fenton was quick to hide her dismay—heartbreak, the little voice in Danny’s mind corrected—and, keeping her face carefully blank as she studied him, said, “Plasmius. The Wisconsin Ghost.”
She didn’t ask what he’d thought she’d been getting at.
She didn’t want to push him too hard.
That just made him feel even more terrible than he already did, really. Keeping his secret from them had been hard enough. Keeping everyone else’s secret from them when they already knew his was even harder. Only this time, they weren’t pushing. They were letting him keep it. Even though they knew that, if he was keeping it a secret, they probably wouldn’t like the truth—despite being convinced they should know it.
Of course, the subject of Vlad wasn’t a whole lot better than Danielle, even without considering they were connected. Danny swallowed. “Plasmius is, um, kinda a, uh….”
“Danny.” His mother’s voice was gentle. “I just want to help you. Please, let me.”
“It’s a long story,” Danny managed weakly.
Maddie’s face fell. “And you aren’t ready to tell it,” she concluded.
“It’s just….” He’d have to tell them sometime. He just wasn’t sure now was the right time.
How long could he use that excuse?
Latching onto something Valerie had once said to him, Danny offered one more point to make his case: “It’s complicated.”
He could see the unspoken response in his mother’s expression: But if you’d just let me, I’d help you make sense of it.
Danny took a breath and let it out slowly. “You’ve probably noticed,” he said carefully, “that the Wisconsin Ghost isn’t still in Wisconsin.”
Maddie didn’t say anything. She just sat quietly at the table, waiting. Waiting, and watching him, and listening to every word he was willing to tell her.
She wanted to help him, and she didn’t understand the half of it, and he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted her to understand.
Sure, it would cement her view that Vlad’s a creep. She’d see him for the fruitloop that he was. His dad would finally understand that his old college buddy wasn’t his friend and didn’t deserve to be treated as such. Vlad wouldn’t be able to pull any more stunts to try to work himself deeper into their lives.
Frankly, Danny would be happy if he never saw Vlad again.
But this…. He wasn’t sure he could say it like this. True, he found it hard to find any sympathy for Vlad, but his dad would be crushed. There had to be a better way to go about this.
He needed Jazz.
He hadn’t said anything for a while, and Maddie took this as an opportunity to prompt him. “He fixated on you when we brought you and Jazz along to our college reunion, didn’t he?”
Close enough. “That was the first time I met him….”
Maddie bit her lip. “I didn’t know, sweetie. Your…. After your accident, I’d attributed the increase in ecto-activity to the Fenton Ghost Portal.” She hesitated. “The other ghosts don’t usually seek you out, do they?”
Besides Vlad? Sure they did. Skulker. Walker. The list could go on, but Maddie didn’t need to know that. “Not all of them,” Danny said after a moment. “I mean, even in Wisconsin, the Dairy King only really showed himself to me because I needed help.”
Maddie didn’t so much as raise an eyebrow, meaning she remembered the name from his files. Instead, she asked, “How often do you need help?”
Right. He shouldn’t have admitted that. “Plasmius surprised me, that’s all. Besides, you should know now that the Dairy King isn’t the only friendly ghost out there.”
“Honey, I’m not sure you should—”
“It’s okay, Mom. Honest. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
#danny phantom#phanfiction#fanfiction#dp fanfiction#dp fic#dp fanfic#my writing#ladylynse#lynse's random WIPs#dp snippet#snippets#dp wip
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➹Danielle Rose Russell
x | meme status: accepting!
TW: Assisted death, poisons, poor parent-child relationships, school for murder, psychopath mindset
Warning! Always check your food, drink, and medications before taking or enjoying – especially if Crystal Yorkshire is present.
Crystal was born to two business people that owned one of the most famous pharmaceutical company in the world. They say some people are better off not being parents and Crystal’s were no exception: they were fixated on power and money, often spending time jetting off to various countries and cities to battle lawsuits against their products and leaving their two daughters with nannies. The girls rarely saw their parents, which affected Crystal’s younger sister Ruby more than the older girl.
In Crystal’s words, “Ruby was sweet, but she was stupid. And I mean that in a kind way – see, Ruby wanted the all-American family where Dad read his newspaper with his morning coffee and eggs, while Mom packed our lunches and ruffled our hair before telling us not to miss the bus. Instead, she got our parents who were probably distracted with lawsuits and paperwork that resembled a manuscript for some big Stephen King novel.”
Ruby tried to impress their parents with her achievements, but her efforts went unnoticed. As they grew older, Crystal tried to remind her sister that their nannies cared and that they were technically better to them than their own parents. But this wasn’t good enough for Ruby, who was desperate to have what her friends and classmates had – a loving family that cared. Crystal had bonded with their current nanny, who encouraged the former to use her memory skills and interest in chemistry to do something useful with it. Crystal didn’t want to mimic what her family did, and considered Forensic Toxicology after her nanny showed her true crime TV specials and programs where lab techs helped to analyze crime scene evidence with chemicals and machines.
Before Ruby turned 16, she asked Crystal to give her something that would allow her to die peacefully in her sleep. While the older girl tried to persuade her younger sister to change her mind, Ruby’s mind was made up and she explained that she wanted Crystal to “find” Ruby and tell their parents that she committed suicide and couldn’t stop it. Knowing that Ruby wasn’t going to settle for someone else showing her the love and care that their parents couldn’t give them, Crystal reluctantly complied and swiped a couple of chemicals from the labs at her parent’s company headquarters to mix together a poison that would allow her sister to die without pain or suffering, while remaining undetectable to the regular poison tests.
Unfortunately for both sisters, Crystal put on her best fake crying and acting for their parents when she “discovered” her sister’s body and ran to tell her parents as they were about to head out the door. Instead, her mother flatly responded, “That’s nice dear. We’re off to Belgium because there’s some moron who’s claiming that the aspirin we produce gave him stomach cancer. I suspect we’ll win $1.9 million after this. Use the credit card to pay for your meals and the nanny will be over shortly.” After her parents left, Crystal called 911 and sought comfort from the nanny who stayed with her as the medics took her sister away in a body bag.
A few days later, the principal of King’s Dominion knocked on her door and privately spoke with Crystal. According to his sources, he discovered it was not suicide, but Crystal willingly helping her sister consume a poison. He was impressed with Crystal’s knowledge of Chemistry and poisons and offered her a scholarship and entry into the assassins school. Seeing there was nothing to lose, Crystal agreed and transferred to King’s Dominion to begin her studies.
While she is not part of a gang or clique with high ranking street cred, like one student who is the son of Stalin’s favorite assassin, she did use her under the radar status to survive and study. As per the school’s final assignment, she is asked to choose a target to remove from society without getting caught, and she settles on her parents.
“I haven’t decided if I should kill them both at the same time, or pick them off one-by-one. If the remaining one actually showed any real emotion after I off one, I’d be pretty amused, seeing how they had no range of emotions when I was around...”
#rp meme#meme#[tw: suicide]#[tw: assisted death]#[tw: parental abuse]#[tw: psychopath mindset]#[tw: 1980s]#[tw: assassin school]#[tw: poisoning]#[tw: Deadly Class]#warsinmyhead
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Roleplay partners wanted!
My name is Rhys. I am 21 years old, she/her, from the CT, love the color magenta, and own two orange tabbies. I’m looking for partners in my conquest to write! While I can't get responses in every day, I am almost always open to chatter and geeking out about all sorts of things.
I write third person, past/present tense, and paragraph form. I'm a novella-ish writer, and do try to crank out at least four-six paragraphs each time I get a response in. Like previously mentioned, I want to stress that while I can't respond every day, everything I do write is full of TLC! I always want to mention this to partners beforehand, because I know some people would rather do rapid fire responses than one or two a week. My limits are pretty general; toilet stuff is a no-no. I don't like to write out top/bottom stereotypes or "seme/uke" tropes. Beastiality, pedophilia, and the like are icky things I would rather avoid.
I write for all genders, ethnicity, and orientations! I am open to any pairings, and beyond that, varying genres.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18n3iuj4m9X1hBo9P2IezrKdTfkTrSKt0H34ZP6v3hHs
LIMITS
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No unrealistic stereotypes of queer relationships, please. Yaoi, yuri, seme/uke, etc. Can't do that. Characters need to both have versatile roles; switching, so it's fair for everyone. Though, my characters do tend to be a lot more dominating!
{{Very welcoming of BDSM, dom/sub, but this does not mean someone needs to be penetrated every single time in order for the dom to dominate. Get it? This can also apply to heterosexual relationships. I would literally love to see female characters who top, if you know what I mean. If given the chance, I will definitely have dom!females in bdsm-related situations}}
Furries; blegh, no thanks. Beastiality, nekos, anything of sexual animal-related nature is a no-go, fam.
Vore, scat, bathroom stuff, pedophilia. You know the drill! ((I am not opposed to consensual, legal age and non-reproducing incestuous relationships in FICTION! Sex is fine, just no children resulting from it. Reminder; this is fictional.))
Okay, so despite those few limits, I am actually pretty welcoming of anything else. Smut, of course. Some kink a little out there that you want to suggest? Let's do it, dude. I am open to polyamorous relationships, any queer shit you're willing to throw at me lmao I am super OOC friendly and I am pretty much a garbled mess when I get to know you! I am open to crooked relationships, ones that don't function right, fluff and all cuteness, unconditional love-- my interests fluctuate! I am down, 24/7, guys! Here's a list of fandoms and pairings below.
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**=Craving
Borderlands
Handsome Jack/Rhys
Handsome Jack/Rhys/Nisha
Rhys/Axton
Handsome Jack/Nisha
Fiona/Athena
Fiona/Vaughn
Rhys/Vaughn
Until Dawn
Josh Washington/Chris
Chris/Mike
Jess/Mike
Sam/Beth
Matt/Jess
Emily/Matt/Jess
Life is Strange
Max Caulfield/Chloe Price
Max Caulfield/Kate Marsh/Victoria Chase
Nathan Prescott/Warren Graham
Rachel Amber/Chloe Price**
Rachel Amber/Frank Bowers
Frank Bowers/Damon Merrick**
DC
Dick Grayson/Jason Todd**
Dick Grayson/Koriand'r
Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson
Dick Grayson/Wally West
Oliver Queen/Dinah Lance
Harley Quinn/Pamela Isley
Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent
Batman: Telltale Series
Bruce Wayne/John Doe**
Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle
Bruce Wayne/Jim Gordon
Bruce Wayne/Harvey Dent
Bruce Wayne/Harvey Dent/Selina Kyle
Marvel
Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Tony Stark/Bruce Banner
Bucky Barnes/Sam Wilson
Thor/Bruce Banner**
Clint Barton/Pietro Maximoff
Peter Parker/Harry Osborn
Peter Parker/Wade Wilson**
Gwen Stacy/Peter Parker/Harry Osborn
Peter Parker/Wade Wilson/Vanessa Carlysle
Uncharted
Nathan Drake/Samuel Drake**
Nathan Drake/Harry Flynn**
Chloe Frazer/Nadine Ross
Samuel Drake/Rafe Adler
Game of Thrones
Arya Stark/Gendry Waters
Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell
Daenerys Targaryen/Jon Snow
TTGOT
Asher Forrester/Gwyn Whitehill
Rodrik Forrester/Arthur Glenmore
Mira Forrester/Margaery Tyrell
Gryff Whitehill/Elaena Glenmore
Gared Tuttle/Finn
Gared Tuttle/Josera Snow
The Walking Dead
Rick Grimes/Shane Walsh
Rick Grimes/Negan**
Daryl Dixon/Paul “Jesus” Rovia
TWDG
Luke/Nick
Javier Garcia/David Garcia**
Clementine/Gabriel Garcia
Javier Garcia/Paul “Jesus” Rovia
The Mortal Instruments
Simon Lewis/Raphael Santiago
Simon Lewis/Jace Lightwood
Isabelle Lightwood/Lydia Branwell
Alec Lightwood/Magnus Bane
Infamous: Second Son
Delsin Rowe/Reggie Rowe
Delsin Rowe/Eugene Sims
Delsin Rowe/Hank Daughtry
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Anyone/your dadsona (for the love of god someone give me a good, not cliche john doe dadsona and you will win my heart!! I just want to play a dad lol bring me some great ass ocs)
Far Cry 3
Jason Brody/Vaas Montenegro
The Last of Us
Ellie/Riley
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Some basic ideas that I do have pretty big doc ideas for;
A few marine biologists go to an island off the coast to study the marine life there, which in turn, turns out to be something much bigger. (Mermaid/siren prompt!)
Soul mates; it can be like some of those AU’s where you don’t see color until you meet them, your tattooed timer counts down until then, or maybe even soulmates continuously reincarnating and one of the two has killed them for centuries in order to be “immortal”. For the first time, the victimized partner gets close enough that the other begins to fall and they start aging, together.
Character A has an awful time living in the city; alone, and without mom's guidance, completely lost. One day they receive a call about a deceased relative, one they'd never heard of and apparently left their estate and everything in their will to A. With nothing but the clothes on their back, A took a shot and drove out to this presumed "estate", only to find that it's a mansion in a tiny little town with an eerie vibe and populated by the typical small town churchgoers and farm folk. Living in this town was a hell of a challenge; everyone was nice, too nice, and people were missing. Character B is an exceptionally charismatic, charming person and the only mechanic/handyman in town. A and B become friends, partially, when A needs to fix up the piping in their estate. A stumbles upon the attic one day, and for once, they start to get why this whole town reeked to the roots in weird shit-- their deceased relative was tracking something here in this town, having to do with all of the MIA townsfolk. DR has a board of possible suspects, and at the center? B. OSJFODSFHSDJSODFJD!!! Bonus content: B is, in fact, not the murderer, instead a vampire on a mission to track down the monster, same as DR. small towns give me honey moon vibes and I??? am so down for some kinky, albeit eventually fluffy romance between people who are trying to make it work. I actually have a doc for both TBD characters and a location. None of this is set in stone, so please share your thoughts.
A doesn’t have any memories of their life, only being conscious and staring down at a mutilated body in a ditch. When they meet B, they learn why; welcome to limbo, they say. You just died. A has unfinished business; finding out who murdered them, why, and what else is holding them here. B is a reaper intent on helping lost souls pass over-- they were never born, and A shows them the delights of life before it’s taken. B learns to love A, and A doesn’t want to leave limbo. While A’s soul is clinging between realities, B must make a pivotal decision; squeezing tight on the concept of love, and letting A go. (BONUS!! REINCARNATION; A & B ARE GIVEN THE GIFT OF LIVING AGAIN, TOGETHER.)
Coming of age story between two childhood friends who are separated by circumstance, and after ten years, reunite and learn that your first love doesn’t have to be the one that got away.
Two friends drop their whole lives to go on a road trip once they turn thirty-- they elope together, leaving their unhappy lives behind them and in this grand scheme of mental breakdowns and tearful smiles, they find that love may be the only cure to a broken existence.
In a post-apocalyptic world where a pandemic has killed off most living species, Character A is a lone wolf with little to do with other people that don't benefit him, except for a select few. A is especially rough around the edges, as he's lived through some sick shit and lived to tell the tale. A had once been part of a group dedicated to finding a cure, but things went south, and a lot of people died. A had a close bond with the leader of said group, and coincidentally they were the only survivors. Their past together, having been deeply demented and twisted, caused them to fall out. Said leader has rebuilt a new group in the ten years since the last time they'd seen A. Character B is the only known immune person alive, and has dedicated their life to being a resource to finding a cure. A and his (current) contact/partner in crime have something taken from them, and are determined to get it back. They do some searching, and are confronted with this group-- they have what they need, but are only willing to give it to them for a favor in return. No one can outrun their past forever. (Last of Us-inspired!)
An architect/treasure hunter is being funded an expedition to find a lost treasure and they are forced to bring along a reporter in order to receive the funds. the reporter and architect certainly don't get along in the beginning— they bicker, and clash on most fronts. the expedition wasn't meant to be dangerous. what was initially thought to be a simple job turned into something treacherous; bandits, a team of hired hitmen and their leader looking to take the treasure for themselves, and some rather supernatural elements that they both couldn't quite put a finger on. the treasure hunter and the reporter have to work together to get out of this alive, and get to the artifact before someone else does.
..and many more!! Thanks so much! If you've read through, please contact me at [email protected] and mention kiwi somewhere in your email. n_n
Rhys xoxo
#Writing Partner Wanted#Roleplay Partner Ad#Long Term Roleplay Wanted#21+ Roleplay Wanted#submission
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Para: Samcedes Thanksgiving
Who: Mercedes and Sam
When: Afternoon, 23 Nov 2017
Where: Granny Truitt’s Farm, Hohenwald, TN
What: Thanksgiving with the Truitt’s
The hour and a half drive to Sam’s grandmother’s house was filled with singing and chatter as Sam caught Mercedes up on life at his job and her about school and work, and all of the crazy things she and Santana seemed to get up to. His feelings about her aside, Sam was genuinely happy that she seemed to have bounced back completely from almost getting married just a few short months ago, and that things seemed to be on an upswing otherwise for her. Her happiness had always been the priority over his own feelings for her, and that hadn’t changed in the last few years. If anything, it just reaffirmed his commitment to being the very best friend to her that he could be.
Mercedes loved hearing about Sam’s work and all the things he and his team had to do for clients. Sometimes they asked for some of the most ridiculous things to be put on their websites. As they talked about school, she mentioned the senior project she had done with her friend Todd, who was a musical theater major. She promised him that she would give him a sneak peak of it once they got back home later. Home. Mercedes needed to get her mind right and remember that Tennessee and Sam’s apartment were not home. No matter how much it felt like it, and no matter how much she found herself wanting it to be true. She was about to meet some of his family and she needed to make a great impression as his best friend.
They drove up the long drive of Sam’s grandmother’s 10-acre farm and parked among one of the many cars always parked outside. Kids came running from around the back of the house, sporting their Sunday best as they chased each other loudly before stopping to look and see who’s arrived. Once they realized who it was, they all came rushing over, throwing their arms eagerly around Sam with excited greetings and questions.
Mercedes just looked at the vast acreage with wide eyes like a kid. It was beautiful land, and the trees that still had leaves were full of red and gold colors. When she saw Sam get swarmed by a team of kids she couldn’t keep herself from giggling at how cute it was, it reminded her of the way the twins would always greet him when he came home from school. She made sure she was dressed church appropriate, opting for a simple teal colored dress that complimented her full figure. She was wearing her hair natural (because Sam would sweat out any other style she wore except braids), so her curls were on full display. She let Sam introduce her and made sure she greeted each child by name once they gave it, so she would remember.
Sam made sure to take a moment to chat with his younger cousins before they were off again. They’d given Mercedes a few shy replies when he introduced her, but then they were gone, leaving Sam to shake his head before he led the way to his grandmother’s front door. The moment he opened the door, the delicious smell of his grandmother’s home cooking wafting as they walked in. “Granny, your favorite grandson is here,” he called out.
The closer they got to the front door, the more nervous Mercedes felt. She shook her head in amusement however at Sam’s words as they entered the house. “Just wait until I tell Stevie you said that,” she joked softly. She was not surprised at the immediate aroma of good food that hit her senses, and contrary to her big brother’s foolishness, she knew Granny Truitt had major cooking skills. Mrs. Evans was as amazing in the kitchen as her own mom, and she knew a lot of those recipes had been passed down through family. She could hear the football game playing nearby, as well as the distinct sound of a busy kitchen.
The sounds of his uncles and cousins cheering and jeering at the game on in the other room drew Sam’s attention and he stopped when his mom’s oldest brother came out of the family room. “Well, well, look what the cat dragged in,” his Uncle Vernon drawled, a huge smirk on his face as he eyed up Mercedes. “And he brought a lady friend. Look at this, boys,” he said, glancing over his shoulder.
The next to make an appearance was Sam’s uncle, Rhett. “Hi there, welcome. Sammy didn’t tell us that the friend he was bringing along was a lady. Must be special. I’m his Uncle Rhett, and this here is Uncle Vern. It’s nice to meet you…” His blue eyes turned to Sam expectantly.
Welp, Sam thought. He should’ve known that his uncles would be in rare form. He shook his head. “This is Mercedes...Mercedes, these are my mom’s brothers, Uncle Vern and Uncle Rhett.”
“Oh...this is the famous Mercedes. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Vernon said, holding out his hand for her to shake.
Rhett offered her his hand next. “All this time we figured that he’d made you up when he moved to Ohio. “ He was joking because, of course, they’d all seen pictures of her and heard stories from his parents and siblings, but Sam had never brought her home before and now they figured that meant things were finally official.
“Hi, nice to meet you both,” she said as she shook each uncle’s hand. She could already tell this was going to be an interesting evening and that Mrs. Evans was going to get all kinds of calls and texts from the family. She also could start to see the hints of family traits that were running through the family as well. Truitts had some mighty fine genes from what she had seen so far. And even though she knew that he may have mentioned her before, it had been forever ago! At least since they would’ve really heard about her from him. It was kinda cute how Vernon said it like she was a big deal. She looked over at Sam discreetly, wondering if he was thinking this was a colossal mistake.
By now, his cousins had started to gather around, and Sam almost rolled his eyes. He hadn’t expected them to remember Mercedes at all. It had been years. So a part of him suspected that his mom may have let it slip or one of his siblings. Which was just peachy. Not. Though he had known that people might make assumptions since he’d brought her along to meet the family. It was just that now they wouldn’t believe him when he said that they were just friends. He took the time to introduce her to the other cousins, ignoring his uncles’ constant poking. “Come on, ‘Cedes, let’s go find my granny,” he said, ushering her away towards the kitchen.
She waved politely at the posse of relatives, her nerves coming back tenfold now that they were off to find the matriarch. She knew it was silly to be this worked up, especially since she and Sam were just very close friends, but she knew how much he loved his granny, and she wanted her to know that she loved her grandson, as a friend of course, very much. “Your uncles are hilarious,” she said softly as they made their way towards the kitchen. “I bet they gave your dad hell for his first few visits.”
“Still do. My mom said she never had to fear bringing anyone home to her daddy. It was her big brothers that were likely to threaten the guy within an inch of his life,” Sam replied with a laugh. He walked into the kitchen, spotting his grandmother, Aunt Patty, and his cousin, Connie, working on dinner. “Well, Granny, your favorite has finally arrived,” he announced with a grin.
Turning, Ruby Truitt let out a happy scream and rushed over to her grandson, throwing her arms around him. She had a close relationship with all of her grandchildren, but she and Sam had always had a special kind of bond. She squeezed him tightly and kissed all over his face until he was squirming away and made her laugh. “You know I have to give you a kiss for every month I don’t see ya. I still owe you five.”
Sam hugged his aunt and cousin and then turned to Mercedes. “Everyone, this is Mercedes. Mercedes, this is my Granny, my Aunt Patty, she’s married to Uncle Rhett. And this is my cousin, Connie. She’s married to Brady. Uncle Vern is her dad.”
“But don’t hold either one against me,” Connie teased.
Walking around the counter, Ruby approached Mercedes. “It’s great to finally meet you, Mercedes.” She hugged the young woman to her. “You can call me Granny or Miss Ruby.”
Mercedes had to cover her mouth to keep her giggles in check when she saw Granny Truitt love up on her grandbaby. It was the most adorable sight. He looked more like one of the little kids running around outside than a grown man for those few moments. She greeted his aunt and cousin, a soft laugh coming out at Connie’s words. She wondered if Uncle Vern put the fear of everything in Brady when they started dating.
“Oh my goodness, you too,” she smiled brightly as she hugged the older woman back. “I’ve heard stories about you for quite awhile now. And yes, they were all good, especially when they involved your legendary cooking. Although, he always seems to leave out the ones where he probably got in trouble for stuff.” She could only imagine the kind of mischief little Sam probably got into. “Thank you so much for letting me come visit and spend Thanksgiving with y’all.” Hanging around Sam had caused her to pick up certain words and use them. She wasn’t as twangy as Sam could get at times, but it was obvious that some of her words had started to get a bit of an accent to them.
She let out a hearty chuckle. “Oh honey, do I have some tales to tell about that one over there. After dinner I’ll get out the photo albums. It isn’t a proper Truitt Thanksgiving if someone isn’t getting just a bit embarrassed, and I think our Sammy is way overdue.” She gave her grandson a wink before she moved back around the counter. “Now we’ll be ready to eat in about fifteen or twenty minutes tops.” That meant it was time for parents to wrangle up the kids and get their hands washed and get them seated so they weren’t running under anyone as they brought the food to the table. “Sam, why don’t you give Mercedes a little tour and also make sure none of your cousins are upstairs.”
Sam had to bite back his groan, knowing his granny would have his backside if he didn’t. He’d never brought a love interest home to meet his family. So he had actually escaped the baby picture embarrassment. There was no way anyone was gonna let him live it down either. So he nodded for Mercedes to follow him and started on his was to show her around.
——
The Truitt Thanksgiving meal was a spread worthy of Bon Appetit magazine it looked so good, and it tasted even better. After Uncle Rhett said grace, the turkey was carved and the plates began getting prepared. As the sides and bread began to pass around, the talking picked up. Kerrianne wanted to know all about New York, so she and Mercedes fell into an easy conversation about the pros and cons of living there. The fact that Mercedes told her Tennessee was way safer and just an all around better place in comparison did not miss Granny Truitt’s ears.
The nerves that had been eating at Mercedes all morning had faded away for the most part. Everyone was so nice, and there were some hilarious people in this family on top of it. And the best part of it all, at least in her opinion, was watching Sam interact with his family. There was an ease and almost childlike demeanor to him when he joked with his cousins or playfully got into it with his uncles on who was the best quarterback playing. She’d catch herself every now and then just smiling at how happy he was in this environment.
What she was also grateful for was that no one questioned their relationship as being anything other than friends. She knew that some were wondering, but they never brought it up, which she appreciated greatly. Once bellies were full, the table was cleared and the family dispersed to different areas of the house. Some to the den to resume football watching, others went outside to enjoy the back deck or go play out in the yard. For some unknown reason, baby Mason had taken to Mercedes and she was currently holding him as Granny Truitt showed her old pictures of Sam. There was one of him buck naked except for a pair of cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, running out the front door. He couldn’t have been more than two. Apparently he was going through an au naturale phase she told her. Mercedes couldn’t stop laughing, which made Mason laugh, and that only made her laugh even more. Tears were in her eyes and was glorious.
“You’re pretty good with the little ones,” Ruby smiled. “Sam is too. He could get the twins to sleep even when I wanted to pull out my hair. Twins run in our family too.” She liked Mercedes. She fit in with the family and all their antics, and she didn’t even bat an eye to help out with the cleaning, even though she didn’t have to. She also saw the way she looked at Sam when she thought no one was watching her. She wasn’t sure what the two of them were trying to prove, but they weren’t fooling her in the least bit.
Mercedes shifted Mason so he was laying against her, his head on her shoulder. He looked like he was getting tired so she was rubbing his little back. “I used to babysit a lot in high school, even help Sam with the twins at times.” She smiled, thinking back on those times fondly. “He’s an amazing big brother.”
“I agree. He can be a bit stubborn at times though, set in his ways when he makes up his mind about something. He gets that from his grandaddy. He’s still young so he hasn’t fully learned that bending a little isn’t a bad thing. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.” She smiled as she put away the photo album. “You two look at each other like no one else is in the room, did you know that?”
“No ma’am,” Mercedes replied softly, not sure if she was going to get a stern talking to or an interrogation about her intentions with Sam, but she hoped she wouldn’t be asked any questions, because lying to a grandmother to her face is probably an unwritten 11th commandment, separate from just the plain thou shall not bear false witness one.
Ruby chuckled, noticing the worried look on her face as she sat back down. “Oh hun, it’s not a bad thing as far as I’m concerned. I’m glad he has someone that cares about him that deeply. But y’all do need to talk about your feelings, because you’re not really fooling anyone with the whole friends thing. And I know I’m just being a meddling ol’ woman, but you make that sweet grandson of mine smile like you hung the moon just for him. And I’ve never seen anyone get all his corny jokes and think they’re funny too. So I’m not sure if the timing isn’t right or maybe something else is going on that’s keeping y’all from saying you’re together, but let’s just say I wouldn’t mind having you back for some more family gatherings.” She got up and gave Mercedes a wink. “Looks like Mason is passed right on out, I can go put him in the crib if you want.”
“That’s okay, Miss Ruby, I’ve got him,” Mercedes said softly. “Thank you for sharing those pictures and stories with me. And for the talk.” It meant a lot to her that she knew how much she cared about Sam without her having to say it. She made her way toward the room where Mason’s travel crib was set up so she could lay him down.
Sam had had his own talking to by his uncles and grandfather. He hadn’t stopped to examine too closely why he’d thought it would be a good idea to bring Mercedes to meet his family, but at the time, he’d just wanted her to meet them because she was important to him and so was his family. However, as his Grampa had pointed out, bringing someone to meet your family was the opposite of cooling things off, especially when it was so apparent to everyone else that he had feelings for Mercedes. So he hadn’t bothered to deny that part. He’d just pointed out that having feelings for someone didn’t mean that they should be together when their lives weren’t compatible. They’d argued with him about it, but no amount of counterpoints were going to make him think differently. So he’d excused himself and went in search of Mercedes, whom he’d found putting Mason down for a nap.
He stood in the doorway and just watched her with the baby, his love for her growing even stronger as he thought of what she’d one day be like with her own children. She’d always been so good with the twins. He had no doubt she’d excel at being a mother. It just really sucked that it wouldn’t be with him. He pushed the thoughts away and cleared his throat to announce his presence. “There you are. I came to see if you wanted to take a little walk with me before the sun sets and we get back on the road.”
She looked at the cute little boy as he slept, and it made her think about how much she wanted her own little family someday. How she wouldn’t mind having a house just outside of a big city, with land for kids to run and play and climb trees. But the problem is that she kept wanting Sam in that family, and she knew that wasn’t an option. Miss Ruby meant well, and as wonderful as her words had been, she knew where she stood with Sam. She was the ride or die bestie, and she’d probably end up in his wedding party with Blaine and Stevie. She turned her head when she heard him, smiling slightly. “Sure, let me turn on the baby monitor and we’ll go, okay?” She was glad he showed up before her brain went any further down the rabbit hole it was tumbling down. She turned on the monitor sitting on the nightstand and then followed him out the room.
He waited as she turned on the monitor then led the way down to the back door. He told his Aunt, Patty, that he was going to show Mercedes around the farm before the sunset then he headed out the door with Mercedes behind him. “I hope you tell your brother that I didn’t feed you unseasoned, nasty food,” he joked after the peaceful quiet of their walk had stretched between them.
Mercedes laughed, her head shaking slightly,”He is a fool for sending you that. But believe me, by the time I finish telling him about all the delicious food, he’s going to want to come down here and meet Miss Ruby.” It was so peaceful out here. She had always thought she was a city girl, and she did like the city, but there was something so relaxing and nice about being away from all the buzzing and lights.
“That was probably one of the nicer things he’s ever sent me, if I’m honest,” Sam replied with a chuckle. It was weird to think that, even though his relationship and friendship with Mercedes was completely separate, he’d managed to get close to her brother in the years where they’d lost touch. It probably had to do with the fact that, until recently, she was a subject they avoided altogether. Sam didn’t ask any questions, and Royce didn’t volunteer any information. Once he didn’t have to fall into the protective older brother role, the older guy and Sam had just kind of reached a natural flow in their friendship. It was really something Sam had come to cherish. And if things were different, and he could end up with Mercedes for the long run, having that bond with her brother would make it all the better. “If he came to visit, I think he’d never leave. Plus, I don’t trust him with any of the Truitt women. He’d probably end up trying to sweet talk one, then I’d have to be the protective family member, and I don’t reckon I’d like that kind of role reversal.”
She was happy that Sam and Royce had stayed really good friends all these years. That was a positive outcome of their mutual and amiable breakup, that friendships could remain intact and that there was no drama or bad blood between them. “I am not surprised at all. He has sent me some ridiculous stuff, and he tends to censor things with me like I’m still a teenager.” Which made her laugh softly. “He definitely can’t be trusted around the women in your family, that’s a given. I think Miss Ruby would get a kick out of him though.” She looked at him with a slightly worried look, mirth in her eyes. “Oh no, he’d probably get along with your uncles way too well. That could be dangerous.” It wasn’t lost on her that this was a talk that would happen if they were going to be together. Blending families and who would get along with the other. The impeccable battle of the grandmas that would happen via delicious baked goods. A massive flag football game with all the cousins. It was nice to think about, but she knew it was unrealistic and selfish to hope.
“Definitely, my Granny would love him, and I can’t have anyone else vying for the spot of her favorite. I already have a gajillion cousins doing that. Beau is the closest on account of him and my granddaddy having the same name, but she loves us all ‘equally’ as she likes to say, but I know I’m up there at the top because my mama’s the baby of the family, and she was spoiled to hear the other’s tell it.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Royce would mess that right on up with his good looks and his flirtin nature.” He wasn’t even aware that as he spoke, his southern accent had become even more pronounced. It tended to happen whenever he was around his family for a long time. It was even worse when he was with the other Evanses. “Stevie already looks up to him way too much for my likin. So, I don’t need anymore competition.” He gave her a little grin and led the way over to the stables. He missed getting to take care of the horses even if he didn’t miss having to wake up before the sun to do it. “But I think everyone took a shine to you today, not just little Mason. You didn’t show fear. That was good,” he teased, but he was happy she fit in so well. If they were different people in a different life, he’d probably be proposing right now.
“Stevie is trying to be a thot in training, and I’ve told Royce he needs to stop influencing him. However, I am thrilled that he has a girlfriend now, so he can stop trying to be my man.” She laughed and just shook her head as she remembered the last time she talked to Stevie. That boy was too much. “And don’t tell Royce he’s good looking, he will start posing and primping around like a dang peacock.” She followed behind him to the stables, marveling at the pretty horses that were there. “Your family is amazing, Sam. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. And I don’t know why Mason likes me so much, maybe it’s the boobs.” She teased. “And you’re right, Beau might come for your number one spot with Miss Ruby, better stay on your toes.” She could spend every night of her life like this, just walking and talking with him. It was so natural and easy, and she just felt happy. “Which horse is yours?” She asked.
Her comments about his little brother made him laugh. He wanted to be annoyed with Stevie, but all in all, he and Stacy were pretty great siblings. “Well, I’d be mad, but the boy has good taste in ladies. My mom said his girlfriend is from a good family and very polite and sweet.” He looked out into the distance for a moment then turned back to her. “I love my family. It was why I missed Tennessee so much when I moved to Lima. I mean, you...and the others helped, but I knew I had to come back.” He glanced at her for a long moment then looked at the stables again. “If you were here...and like Blaine, it would be the most perfect place. I keep trying to talk my parents into moving back, but they don’t wanna move the twins. I get that, but I still wish they would.” He paused when they got to the doors and opened. “I don’t have one that’s just mine, but I’m pretty fond of that little filly over there. Her name is Ruby-Jean. My grandpa took one look at her and said she was as beautiful as the first time he seen my Granny. So they named her Ruby-Jean. She’s really gentle and sweet, but she’d got a stubborn streak. Just like my Granny...and you.” He said the last bit with a sly grin before he went over to the aforementioned horse.
She couldn’t look away from him when he mentioned how perfect it would be if she and Blaine were here too. It felt like her heart had dropped and then slowly made its way back into her chest. That wonderful feeling of awesomeness before reality snatched the dream away. She couldn’t even entertain that idea for several reasons, one of them being she was going to be out of the country soon, and then graduating college, and who knew where she would be after that. Maybe another tour? Maybe she’d finally get signed? There were so many maybes in her life, and Sam did not like maybes. She was about to comment on how his grandpa Beau had to have mad game to get Miss Ruby, but then he had to throw in that last bit. “Wait. Me? Stubborn? Surely you’re joking.” She said as she put her hands on her hips. Yes, she knew she was stubborn, but she didn’t want him pointing it out!
Sam laughed loudly at how incredulous she was. “Yes, you. You are one of the most stubborn women I have ever met. It would actually be frustrating if you weren’t so dang nice and beautiful, and you know it. So you can wipe that surprised look off your gorgeous face and come meet the other stubborn filly in my life.” He whistled and called Ruby-Jean over to them, letting her nibble some of the oats he’d grabbed from nearby. “She’s a beauty isn’t she? She was born three summers ago. She’s nearly a full blown mare, but she’s still got a lot of filly in her.” He smiled and looked at Mercedes. “RJ, this here is MJ...no relation to the famous one,” he joked. “She’s gonna be famous one day and we’re gonna listen to her songs on the radio.”
He may not have known it, but her entire day was made by getting him to laugh like that. She rolled her eyes at him, but was smirking the entire time as she moved closer to meet Ruby-Jean. “She is gorgeous, Sam.” Her voice was soft as she gazed at the chestnut hued mare. She nudged him gently with her elbow, laughing at him. “The famous part isn’t really important, I just want to share my music with people. Also, we’re not stubborn women, we’re just determined and headstrong, right RJ?” She gave the horse a wink.
“I don’t know how anyone could hear you sing and not fall in love, Cedes. You have such an amazing gift, and it’s only gotten better with time,” he said sincerely. He could listen to her sing anything. He’d never met anyone as good as she was. “I just can’t believe a voice like that comes from anyone who isn’t like...some kind of weird half-angel/half-mythical creature hybrid.” He’d thought about making a graphic novel about a siren that bore a striking resemblance to Mercedes, but he just hadn’t gotten around to it. Maybe he should, though. It was the perfect storm for graphic novels that were more diverse.
She couldn’t say anything for almost a minute. She just stood there and looked at RJ, gently combing through her mane, until the burning from the tears that wanted to fall went away. “You know you hype me up way too much, right.” She finally whispered out. “You’re going to have me thinking I’m all that and Miss Ruby’s cornbread dressing when I go back to New York.” Which she had been repeatedly reminded over the last several years that she was not. Her voice wasn’t marketable enough on it’s own, she wasn’t what they were looking for, or the usual was check back after she lost 50 pounds. She wanted to be accepted as she was, and even though it wasn’t happening the way she wanted career wise, she knew her friends and family, the people that knew and loved her, they did. “Sounds like another character you can add to your king and queen from different kingdoms novel.” She loved the way Sam’s brain worked, his imagination and the way he could create some of the most beautiful characters and art she had ever seen.
Sam smiled when he looked at her again. “I’m saying it because it’s true! I know it takes a long time for some people to really get into the music business, but I know when it happens, it’s gonna be huge,” he said, jokingly mimicking Donald Trump’s favorite saying. “But seriously, what’s up with the people in New York? In Nashville, you’d be on your third album. I’m sure of it.” He paused a moment and wondered why, in all of this time, he’d never considered that she could get her break in Nashville. It was just really random that neither of them had ever mentioned the possibility. Now he was certain that that had more to do with the fact that neither of them had truly wanted to “make it work.” “Though, going on tour with PMJ is like hella impressive. So, someone must have ears.”
“When has anyone signed with a record label from Nashville and put out a soul or R & B album though? I could probably get signed with a gospel label, but I’m not really trying to be the next Yolanda Adams. I’ve got way too many songs that have nothing to do with praising the Lord.” She chuckled softly. “Even though y’all are getting more famous folks living here. Justin Timberlake. And did you know Jill Scott lives in Nashville?” She probably shouldn’t have shared that info, Sam loved him some Jill Scott. “But who knows really, the New York angle isn’t working at all. I am so lucky that the PMJ tour worked out, and I’m really hoping one of the songs Kelly put on the album gets radio play. Once I graduate, there isn’t much keeping me in New York. I feel that Santana is going to move to be closer to Finn once she’s done with this semester. Maybe not back to Lima, but there are some good schools that are close. I’m sure Puck isn’t going to care, he’ll probably be relieved.”
Sam’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know much about the music scene around here, but I know there are some R&B artists and like some other soul type music I hear a lot but don’t know the name for.” He scratched at his chin. “Yeah, I did know. I’ve resisted looking her up though. I wanna give her time to heal from her divorce then I’ll slide on in there like ‘hey, you ever think about dating a younger man?’ Think that’ll work?” he joked, shaking his head. “I’m sure that your shot’s coming. Next year is gonna be your year. Mark my words.” He didn’t like the idea of her being alone in New York, but he had no idea what she should do. “Blaine might be there next year. Then you’ll be in one place, and I can get some besties’ time in all at one time.”
“Boy if you do that, I need to have screen caps so I can see what she says. I mean, you a fine looking man, Jill might take you up on the offer.” She chuckled and then tilted her head, making a face. “So 2018 is going to be my year, huh? I’m going to hold you to it too. If it ends up sucking, I’m moving into your guest room on January 1, 2019.” She turned to look at RJ. “You have my permission to kick him in the butt if next year ends up being anything less than amazing, okay? Not too hard though, he doesn’t have a lot of padding back there.”
“I’ll show you if...she doesn’t turn me down.” He tilted his head back and laughed again. “No way am I gonna show you proof that she shot me down like a hurt deer needing to be put out of his misery.” He sobered a little and shook his head as he looked at her. “If I’m wrong, you can move in...rent-free.” He liked the idea of her living with him, and he knew that was just a terrible idea. “Hell, if you’re still in New York, and Santana does actually move, then you should just come be my roommate anyway. How fun would that be?”
“Aww, my poor Sammy. If she turns you down I promise I will tell her that she’s missing out on being with the most amazing man and it is her loss.” She raised her eyebrow, amused slightly. “One, you know I’d never stay with you rent free. Two, I think your neighbors would move out if I moved in,” she laughed, keeping the mood light, even though her heart was nearly doing somersaults and screaming ‘do it’ in her chest. Her brain, ever the buzzkill, was reminding her of all the reasons that would be a bad idea. She could only imagine how their parents would chew them out if they were living together but no ring or commitment on the table. “It would be fun though, we’d have the best Titans watch parties for away games. Ooh, I wonder if they’d let me sing the national anthem? Maybe we could get season tickets?”
“Maybe I should have you write me a letter of recommendation. You can tell her how funny and sexy I am, and how good I am at laying it down.” He paused and started doing body rolls as a demonstration. “Tell her about my sweet moves,” he joked with a laugh. “Nah, it’d be totally fine...especially if you can get us some season tickets.”
She just shook her head at him, doing her best to hide a giggle. “Okay now you’re asking me to do too much, sir.” She was grinning though, so he knew she was teasing. “I’ll let her know you have a thing for thick thighs, and that your public dance moves have nothing to do with your private skills.” She gave RJ a few more loving scratches around her face before she moved to see the sun as it started to lower into the horizon. Even though they were joking around, the idea of Sam being with someone else put a knot in her stomach. She thought back on the evening of girl talk she and Quinn had not long ago, how she had told the gorgeous blonde that she knew Sam would find his perfect girl someday, and she’d be happy and supportive. Smile even though your heart is breaking, right? “It’s so beautiful here,” she said softly.
“Oh am I? I don’t think so. You’re the one that would know best.” He grinned at her, shaking his head. He wished it could just be her and that this was another time where they could just be together, but he also reminded himself she’d never even brought up being together, and she’d just almost married someone else not five months ago. It was great to reconnect and all, but she could’ve easily been Mrs. Puckerman right now. It was just that easy. He didn’t think that she still had feelings for Puck, but he was sure she wasn’t even thinking about settling down right now. For one, she was about to go on a tour. Plus, he knew her. She wasn’t one to just hop from relationship to relationship. She was probably just having a bit of fun or something. It didn’t upset him because this wasn’t something either of them planned. It was just something that had kind of occurred. It was nice, and sometimes it felt like they were just drawn to one another no matter how hard he tried to resist. Only the truth of the matter was that he didn’t try to resist her at all. He’d probably given up on that the second she’d shown up at his door in that UPS outfit, and he hadn’t even bothered to wait until they got his room to be inside of her. So, it was kind of a lost cause. “Yeah, I used to want to own this place someday, but it’s not really a functioning farm anymore. It’s just been in my family for three generations, and my Uncle Rhett’s gonna take it over because Uncle Vern doesn’t want it.”
She wished that she could bare her heart and soul to him, confess all her fears, hopes, and dreams. But to open herself up that way would leave her with no protection when he had to say that they just wouldn’t work. At least with her keeping part of herself to herself, she could save him from having to go through that talk with her again. Once had been more than enough. “That’s good that it will stay in the family.” She looked at him and smiled. He was so unbelievably handsome, and she really wanted to kiss him, but that would be very inappropriate. “We should probably head back to the house before they send out a search party.” Or before she said or did something she shouldn’t.
Looking at her with the sun setting behind her at his grandparents’ farm was kind of breathtaking. It was kind of something he’d always dreamed about when they’d been in high school, bringing her here to meet his family. He’d always imagined he’d have a big ol’ ring, and he drop to his knee and ask her to be his wife. It kind of made the pit of his stomach knot nervously because for a moment, he worried he’d just blurt out his thoughts, and that was trouble. He reminded himself to calm down because he didn’t want to ruin the moment. It was just so intimate, and he couldn’t tear himself away. He moved closer to her, telling himself in his mind that he shouldn’t want to kiss her right now, especially after he told himself that they weren’t meant to be. But she was standing there before him, and she was just so beautiful. “Yeah, probably...but hang on. I just wanna…” He didn’t finish the sentence in favor of pressing his lips to hers.
Had he been thinking the same thing she was? It wouldn’t be the first time. She would’ve laughed about it if she wasn’t so caught up in kissing him back. This wasn’t a hot and heavy kiss that would lead to intense sex. This was a tender, sweet, full of a lot of unspoken emotions kiss. All the words that she knew she couldn’t say to him, she mentally said them in that moment. Everything about today, meeting his family, talking to Miss Ruby, being loved on by Mason, and meeting RJ was so perfect and amazing, she felt like she was seeing a glimpse of what she wanted her future to be, and it was beautifully overwhelming. She let her hand find his, threading her fingers between his own.
The kiss transported him for a moment to the land where this was real, and she was his. They were happy and had a future so bright before them that they needed shades. He kissed her with all of the emotions he felt in that make believe world, relaying to her feelings that he couldn’t speak into existence for fear of shattering the fragile bubble they’d carefully constructed around themselves. He felt her hand in his, and he gentled the kiss, pulling back. He brushed her hair back from her face and ran his thumb over her full lips before he tugged slightly at her hand. “Come on, let’s get inside,” he said softly, leading her back towards the house.
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Countless Roads - Chapter 10
Fic: Countless Roads - Chapter 10 - Ao3
Fandom: Flash, Legends
Pairing: Gen, Mick Rory/Leonard Snart, others
Summary: Due to a family curse (which some call a gift), Leonard Snart has more life than he knows what to do with – and that gives him the ability to see, speak to, and even share with the various ghosts that are always surrounding him.
Sure, said curse also means he’s going to die sooner rather than later, just like his mother, but in the meantime Len has no intention of letting superheroes, time travelers, a surprisingly charming pyromaniac, and a lot of ghosts get in the way of him having a nice, successful career as a professional thief.
———————————————————————————-
“I’m not helping you smuggle supervillains out of this city!” Len yelps. “You owe me a favor, kiddo, not vice versa!”
He's been keeping a low profile these last few weeks - a few heists in Keystone, a few jaunts further away, nothing that would disturb Barry and Nora's bonding time - but he still hangs out at Saints and Sinners on a regular basis, and that's where they found him.
Len blames Nora for telling Barry the location of his usual haunts.
But not as much as he blames Barry for coming to him with the world's stupidest suggestion.
“You don’t understand –” Barry starts.
“No!”
“But the city – ”
“No means no.”
“Len –” Nora starts, floating behind Barry, wringing her hands.
“Both of you!" Len exclaims, glaring at both of them, even as he gestures for the bartender to clear the place. "What the hell? When did you two start thinking of me as a go-to charity dispenser? I’m a supervillain. I even have the action figures to prove it!”
Mick is very, very proud of the action figures.
“But you’re a good one,” Barry says.
"Yes. Very good at being very bad."
"That's not what I meant -"
“I know what you meant, and I am not. Plus I’ve got my own problems to deal with – don’t know if you’ve forgotten, Nora, but I think the Santini Family has been trying to assassinate me –”
“But Len –” Barry says, and trails off.
Len makes the mistake of turning back to look at them.
Turns out Barry's got a hell of a set of puppy dog eyes.
Nora, too. It's clearly a familial trait.
Also, Barry’s picked up Nora’s habit of calling him ‘Len’ instead of ‘Snart’ somewhere along the line and Len’s always been weak to a good set of puppy eyes accompanying his given name.
He blames Mick and Lisa for that.
But he's not going to give in, because -
Because -
Oh, damn it.
"You've got to be kidding me," Len says, pinching the bridge of his nose in a vain attempt to keep off the headache he swears is coming for him. "Smuggling supervillains. It even rhymes."
They both brighten at the fact that he's stopped resisting so hard.
"That doesn't mean I agree," Len reminds them, though he suspects Nora knows him well enough to know that he's just resisting the inevitable out of sheer stubbornness at this point. "Also, Nora, I thought we agreed that you'd have the whole 'why private prisons are wrong' talk with him. Why are these guys even still there?"
"We did have that talk," she says, managing to look simultaneously penitent and embarrassed. "We just got a little distracted – you see, I was hanging around in STAR Labs, waiting for Barry, who wanted a bit of private time -"
"I'm an adult, Mom," Barry says, turning bright red. "It's not that weird to not want your mom around all the time and possibly coming through walls at awkward moments."
Len, who has had to deal with many, many such an awkward moment growing up, understands completely.
"Anyway," she says, "That's not important. While I was there, I saw Wells. I mean, not Wells, we don't think it's Wells. The man who calls himself Wells. He didn’t realize I was there, of course, I was invisible, but he - he stood up, out of his wheelchair - and he ran. Not regular running. He ran the way Barry runs, the way a speedster runs – except unlike Barry, he wore yellow and trailed red lightning."
Len blinks. "Harrison Wells is the man who killed you?"
"The man masquerading as him is," Nora agrees.
"We're planning to capture him," Barry says earnestly. His puppy dog eyes game is spot on. "We need to get the supervillain metas out of the way so that we can catch him - Len, this means we have a chance of avenging my mom and freeing my dad! We just need your help for the plan -”
“Didn’t the first plan you mention along these lines fail?” Len asks suspiciously. “Which is why he escaped and is wreaking havoc and you need to get a bunch of supervillains out of town?”
“Well, yes, okay, we let him go free for a little at first, trying to get him to confess, but there was no way to guess that he was secretly recording us. But how were we to know that he’d convince Hannibal Bates to shape-shift into him!” Barry exclaims.
“I would’ve done it,” Len points out. "If I had access to cameras and a shapeshifter."
And didn't have ghosts.
Actually, given the resources he does have, he could -
This is not a helpful line of thought.
“Not everyone’s a supervillain, Len,” Nora says briskly. “Anyway, we have a better plan this time.”
“We just need some help. From you. Maybe from Mick and Lisa too – wait, Lisa's not dead, is she? Because Cisco is, like, super into -"
"She's not dead," Len says, giving up and just putting his head into his hands. "If I give you her number to give to Cisco, will you lay off?"
"Is she interested?"
"How the hell would I know if – " Len cuts off and sighs. "Apparently the ghost consensus is yes."
Barry looks over to where Nora is hovering. "It is," she says, laughing. "Everyone here just shouted 'YES SHE IS' at the top of their lungs."
"Your life is, like, the most awesome," Barry tells Len, and damn him, he even sounds sincere about it. “And I’m a superhero, so I know awesome.”
"Given that seeing ghosts is likely to kill me before I turn fifty and I’m already hitting forty, not so much," Len says tersely. He's still amazed by how far he's gotten.
"...oh," Barry says, frowning. "Really? We can't let that happen."
"I'm so happy you got super-speed," Len tells Barry, rolling his eyes. "If you got my curse instead, you'd be dead inside a year."
"Why's that?"
"’cause you’ve got a serious problem accepting the inevitability of death, you strawberry-colored sparkplug. Not to mention the fact that you’re a reckless idiot. Do your friends even know you're here?" Len asks, gesturing around the now-vacant interior of Saints.
"Well, kinda?" Barry hedges, his shoulders going up to his ears.
"Kinda?" Len asks, having a sinking sensation that he's about to hear something incredibly stupid. "What do you mean, kinda?"
"Well, I mean, I didn't tell them about the ghost thing," Barry says. "Mom says most people don't believe in them, and I didn't want my friends to think I was crazy – well, think I was crazy again, I kinda had this supernatural blog for a while that on second thought you totally don’t need to know about so just maybe forget that I ever mentioned it – and, well, anyway, getting back to my friends, I just, you know, didn't mention the whole ghost thing or the mom thing or any of that. But I did tell them I was going to ask you for help!"
Len stares at him, making a mental note to look up that blog; judging by Nora's smirk, it's undoubtedly amazing. But still, that fades in importance next to the fact that Barry came to Saints - "Based on nothing more than, what? My record of supervillainy?"
"I like this kid," Mick opines from Saints' kitchen, poking his head out. "Kid, want food?"
"He always wants food," Nora says fondly. "Let me come back there with you; I'll tell you his favorites."
"Yeah, cool."
Len groans. He knows how to read Mick’s reaction: Len is now officially outnumbered by people who want to help out. Damnit, as he keeps reminding Mick, they're villains, now. Villains don’t go around helping people, that’s what makes them villains instead of heroes.
On the other hand, as Nora's always reminding him, ensuring continuing marital bliss requires some measure of sacrifice, and if Mick wants to go…
"Okay, okay," Len says with a sigh. "I’m in. Tell me your plan."
Five minutes of biting his tongue later, Len says, "That is a terrible plan."
"What are you thinking, then?" Barry asks, crossing his arms.
"Same start – me helping you escort the bad guys to the drop off point, but instead of you putting them on a plane, I take the metas and send them out of the city," Len says. "I'll enforce it, too. That way you don't worry about where they are, about them fighting you at an awkward moment, or about them being dissected or abused in some private prison that you sent them to without due process."
Barry pauses for a moment, then says sheepishly, "Yeah, okay. Good point."
Len groans.
He’s going to have to get Nora to really hammer in the ‘private secret illegal prisons are bad’ thing a bit more, it seems.
But if there's one thing Len's good at, it's plans - and when he's in, he's in.
The escort mission is easy enough to set up, at least. Lisa volunteers to sabotage the transport truck, no doubt because it gives her more flirting time with Cisco; Mick goes invisible and wrangles the ghosts that will be hovering over the escort, ready to help if anything goes wrong but primarily serving as a watchmen; and Len takes point on his motorcycle.
He's strapping in when Mick shows up.
"Yeah?" Len asks.
"Got a new recruit," Mick grunts. "Been snooping around, apparently. Knows the whole plan, but says he thinks someone on the good-doers team still called ARGUS to come in and pick up the metas."
"ARGUS? Why? We ain't handing anyone over to ‘em. Part of the agreement with Barry – the whole transporation gig is all acting to get the metas to feel indebted to me so they don’t cause trouble on their way outta town. No need for anyone to involve ARGUS at all."
"If I had to bet," Mick says, "it’s probably someone thinking that if government – quasi-government? – authority shows up, Barry will buckle on the giving ‘em up issue."
"Must be Joe," Len says, after a moment of staring in disbelief. "No one underestimates a person more than their overprotective dad, I'm given to understand. No way Barry buckles, not after the tongue-lashing we’ve all given him on the subject."
Mick rolls his eyes, not disagreeing. He'd been there for most of the excruciatingly long lecture Len and Nora had subjected Barry too.
"I assume you've got a plan to handle it?" Len asks, putting on his helmet.
Len is aware that people view him as the planner between the two of them, and they're usually right, but he needs time and space to make his plans. Mick is far better at coming up with plans on the fly to handle problems that arise spontaneously. That's what makes him an excellent enforcer – Len designs the overall plan, Mick makes it actually work by whatever means necessary and reasonable.
Mick grins. He definitely has a plan. "You remember the run-up of which metas we're transporting? One of 'em being Mark Mardon?"
"Weather guy, yeah," Len says. "Say, I didn’t ask Cisco about their nicknames. You think his villain nickname is 'The Weatherman'? Or ‘Storm’? He-Storm, to distinguish him from the comic books?"
"It better not be, because that’s just dumb," Mick says. "Putting that aside, here's the thing - his whole shtick is that he's out for revenge against West and the Flash for bringing down his brother when they first got started. A brother who got the same powers he did. Name of Clyde Mardon."
"Our new ghostly recruit, I'm guessing," Len says, starting to grin. "He gonna knock that ARGUS plane out of the sky?"
"All Clyde needs is enough juice to poltergeist and he assures us that we'll be seeing lightning."
"Excellent plan," Len says approvingly. “Send him to me; I’ll give him what he needs.” Then he hauls Mick in for a kiss. "See you on the other side."
All in all, the job goes well. ARGUS does send a plane, but it gets struck down by lightning, just as planned, and the metas are mostly rescued. Mostly, because one decides to gun for Barry with laser eyes, which, is unacceptable; Len ices him right off because that sort of stupidity deserves to be put to an immediate end. He spends a minute regretting the fatality of his actions – he really needs to figure out that whole cold field idea so that he can do more non-lethal stuff – before he realizes that he’s managed to get lucky and the guy didn’t have enough regrets to become a ghost.
At any rate, after that little show of force, the metas all give in pretty quick. Len's escorting them out of Central while Barry recovers from his latest bout with the cold gun – if you’re putting on a show, you’d better be ready to sell it good, in Len’s view – and goes to deal with his yellow archenemy problem.
Barry had better have a good plan to capture the guy this time, or Len’s gonna have to take matters into his own hand. At least Nora managed to find time to assure him that both Firestorm and Green Arrow’d been called in for the capture process, which should hopefully increase its chances of success.
But Len’s never been one not to stack the deck.
"Nora," Len calls.
"Isn't she back with Barry?" Lisa asks from where she's curled up behind him on the motorcycle as he leads the truck filled with meta supervillains out of town.
She is, but Len's found that more and more, the ghosts come when he calls them, no matter where they were originally.
Sure enough, it takes a minute, but then Nora appears alongside their convoy.
Len can feel Lisa's eyebrows go up behind him.
"Nora, what're BB's chances?"
"His name's Barry, not 'Baby Barry'," Nora says, like she hasn't been talking about her 'Beautiful Boy' since Len had first met her. "And – I don't know. Wells – Eobard, he says his name is – is still faster, I think, and he's taught Barry everything he knows."
"The time comes when the Apprentice turns upon the Master," Len intones. "Such is the Speedster code."
"I think you mean 'Sith'," Lisa sniggers.
"Maybe a little bit. Nora, when we stop, I wanna give you some extra juice, and I want you to save it for the big boss fight, okay?"
"How will I know –"
"You've seen enough movies, TV, video games, the rest. You'll know when it's the big boss fight."
“Why do you even think there will be a big boss fight?” Nora asks, crossing her arms and still easily keeping pace with Len’s bike. Ghosts, always overdramatic. “The plan is to gather everyone into a group and use our numbers to overwhelm Wells – er, Eobard, I think he said his name was? – and put him into a containment unit. No big boss fights.”
“This guy’s been a step ahead of you the whole way,” Len points out. “I’m not disagreeing with your plan, but I’m telling you, there’s going to be a big boss fight, and I want you to be ready.”
"I guess,” Nora says hesitantly.
Len reaches down and pulls a kitchen knife – long and sharp – out of a pouch on the cycle, and hits the gas until they're accelerating even more. He needs more speed for this. Besides, he doesn’t want the metas to see this, and he’s not going so fast that he can’t multitask. "Nora Allen," he says, and his voice has gone weird and echoing again, and he has no idea why. He really ought to make some time to look into that. "You died through steel and speed. I kill this knife for you, in the same way, for you to have. Take it as a gift from me to you."
And then he releases it.
Kitchen knives were not meant to hit asphalt at a hundred miles per hour.
He slows down carefully, braking by the city limits and waiting for the metas he's escorting to catch up.
Nora is staring at the knife that's just appeared in her hands. "Len," she says tremulously. "I can't –"
"You can," Len says, and extends a hand to her. "I'm gonna make you a full manifestation, and if Barry can't finish the job, you've gotta do it for him, okay? Your son is a good boy, a hero, and sometimes that's not what's needed."
"I've never killed anyone before."
"You're not killing someone," Lisa puts in. Huh, Nora must be on the audible spectrum at the moment. "You're killing the creature that orphaned your son, imprisoned your husband, killed you, and, according to Cisco, videotaped and manipulated your son for over a decade, shaping his opportunities and decisions in order to eventually kill him."
Nora's fingers tighten on the knife.
"You can do it," Len says encouragingly. Nora was never a violent manifestation, but she's still a ghost - and perhaps more importantly, a mother. "You're probably going to have to."
"Okay," she says, and takes Len's hand. Len feels the strength going – more than normal, since Nora Allen is so very far away from being a violent spirit and he's never raised her so much before, but it's fine; he's not expecting there to be much need for more energy tonight. A large dinner and a good night’s sleep should set him to rights.
"Good luck," Len says, and Lisa echoes it.
Nora nods, and vanishes.
"I hope she puts that knife into that fucker's heart," Lisa says. "Beautiful bit of irony, wouldn't you say?"
"Why do you think I got her a kitchen knife?"
"You drama queen you."
The other metas pull up as well when they see Len idling there, stolen truck coming to a halt. They jump out to look at him.
"I rescued you," Len tells them. "That earns me something. Now, I want you out of the city for a least six months, lying low, and then I get a heads-up before you come back. And that's not counting the favor you owe me."
One of the metas sneers. "Why should we listen to you?" he asks.
"Because you’re Central City criminals, the whole lot of you. You've all heard of me," Len points out again. "You know my rep. If you listen to me, you’ll get through this, the heat will die down, no problem; you don't, well..."
"We end up dead," one of them finishes. He looks like Clyde, so he must be Mark. "I've heard plenty about you, Snart."
Len shrugs. He's not wrong, even if Len has mostly stopped killing people in the last few years. Unless they’ve tried to kill him or a friend of his, of course. "I'm not gonna ice you for not listening to me on this, since you didn't sign up willingly," he says, ignoring Lisa's quiet groan at the pun. "But if you know what's good for you, you'll listen."
"Six months isn't so long," the nervous looking girl says. Shawna Baez, Len thinks her name is.
"I’ve got another idea," the first one says, sounding a little giddy, and Len's abruptly concerned about the look in his eyes.
"Lisa, off," he snaps and she scrambles away even as the meta turns into a poison gas and rushes towards Len.
Len barely has time to jump off his bike before lightning hits the ground in front of him, forcing Nimbus – that's his name, Kyle Nimbus; Len's heard of him before, a Family killer-for-hire gone bad – back away from Len.
"Picking sides, Mardon?" Nimbus snarls, reforming his top half like some sort of murderous genie.
"I didn't – " Mark says, eyes going wide. "That wasn't me!"
"Bullshit! Lightning strikes are your domain, Weather Wizard!"
"Wrong Mardon," Len says, and fires the cold gun at the more gaseous parts of Nimbus, freezing them solid and heavy.
Nimbus roars in rage and pain. "You little – "
"For some reason, I take it personally when people try to kill me," Len snarls back. Not just him, no less – attacking him when Lisa is around – that's more than enough for Len. Forget the no killing rule; some things are a step too far. “And when you try, you’d better damn well succeed on the first try – which you didn’t.”
"Your little cold gun doesn't work on me," Nimbus replies, kicking his way out of the ice. Len can see it's not true - he's having trouble moving, now, and he's left some parts of himself behind.
"How do you feel about gold?" Len asks.
"Gold? What about – "
Lisa fires.
The resulting gold statue is very pretty, all gaseous clouds clunking down to the ground.
Just for good measure, Len ices the statue and smashes it with his gun. Then he turns to look at the other metas, who are all wide-eyed. He grins, shoulders relaxing and voice going neutral again now that Nimbus is pretty definitively dead.
Len can always tell when someone dies. No ghost, either, but that’s pretty standard with psychopaths – you can’t have regrets if you don’t know the feeling.
"Any questions?" Len asks the whole group of them, pointedly not putting his gun down.
"Out of town, six months, yes, sir," the last guy – Bivolo? – says. "Also, I'm never making you mad."
"Good idea," Lisa says. "You really don't want to see that."
The metas leave, in drips and drabs and small groups, but Mardon – Mark – stays behind.
"Can we help you?" Len drawls.
"You said –" he says, hesitating. "Earlier. You said – 'wrong Mardon'?"
"Your brother also had weather powers," Lisa says.
"My brother – Clyde's dead."
"Death doesn't stop our reach," Lisa says haughtily. ”Your brother's a ghost."
"He – you can see ghosts?"
"Oh, and use them too," Lisa says, smiling in her best fake-sweet manner. "My big brother did tell you not to underestimate us. Listen, you get out of town, do as we say, and then make yourself useful coming back, we'll see what we can do about making him visible for you. Deal?"
"Yes, ma'am," Mardon says, eyes wide and impressed. "No offense, lady, but with a meta power like that, why're you bothering with the golden gun?"
"I like gold," Lisa says. "And ghosts make terrible weapons."
This isn't strictly true, but Len keeps quiet anyway until Mark leaves, practically oozing out awe as he does.
"You know he'll tell everyone you're a ghost-controlling meta, right?" Len asks mildly.
"I'd rather that I get the rep for that than you, big brother," she says. "This way, if anyone tries anything, you'll be able to rescue me."
"I'm assigning you ghost guards."
"Like you don't do that anyway."
"Yeah, but you ain’t supposed to know about 'em."
"I’m not stupid, Lenny – I may not be able to see them, but I know you."
"Maybe you two want to stop arguing and get home before the big speedster fight?" Mick suggests, appearing nearby.
"Not the worst idea," Len says.
As he told Nora, he has a bad feeling about the speedster fight. Len knows he's good with plans and Barry’s good with speed, but this Wells-Eobard guy's had a whole decade to plan this out and months to figure out the best ways to get under Barry's skin. If he's anywhere near the planner Barry has made him out to be, he's developed contingencies.
That’s why he gave Nora the knife.
He can only hope that’s enough.
Still, Len knows when it's not his fight. If he tries to get involved, even on Barry’s side, he'll just end up distracting the heroes right when they most need to focus.
He does drop Lisa off at the train station, sending her back to continue her masters' program in New York despite her complaints and whining.
"You sure you don't want her around for whatever's gonna happen?" Mick asks.
"I'd rather she not fail out," Len replies. "Plus, y'know, her not dying is rather important to me."
"I feel like you're being biased against the living-challenged."
"That is not a thing and tell Julie that it will never be a thing."
"Stop trying to make fetch happen," a nearby car-accident ghost pipes up.
"Not helping."
“I want to do more about the Santinis,” Mick says grimly. He’s been taking the lead in the Santini investigation, for obvious reasons; they still don’t know why they’ve been taking pot-shots at Len.
“They’re probably just pissy about me being back on their turf,” Len says. Not for the first time.
“We tried that theory out,” Mick points out. “We let the local Don take us in and gave him what for.”
“He didn’t know anything,” Len replies, revving up his cycle and driving home. “That much was obvious, given that he thought he could scare us away with a warning.”
“Which means someone else is trying to gun you down, and we don’t know who, or why, or how to stop them.”
“Mick…”
“Don’t Mick me! I wanna know who’s trying to kill my partner – and then I wanna get my hands on ‘em.”
“You will,” Len assures him. “I’m just saying, I still think it’s some up-and-coming asshole working with the Santinis to prove himself by offing me.”
“And I still think it’s something else.”
“Which is why you’re doing the investigating,” Len points out.
Naturally, less than two days later, someone tries to shoot Len from a window.
Mick tries to find them, but they’re gone by the time even he can get there; they must have not even bothered to wait to see if the bullet hit.
“Amateurs,” Len says, scowling. “That could’ve hit someone.”
“That could’ve hit you,” Mick points out.
“That, too. Okay, fine. Let's go figure this out."
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hella blows
Previously on Insecure: Issa is cool with Daniel, but he knows what it is. She’s all about her hoe-tation. Molly’s dad cheated on Molly’s mom which made her feel stupid enough to sleep with Dro. Issa wanted to make sure Daniel knew they were both seeing other people.
Issa’s alarm goes off and at first it looks like she’s beyond late for work. But it’s something even worse than that: she has to get up to move her car out of designated parking to a free side of the street before she gets a ticket or tow. Ikr? About 65% of the reason I want to move out of my current neighborhood even though it’s a huge hassle. “Ay! Your bumper bout to fall off,” some idiot points out obliviously. “Thanks!” Issa trills in a curt “no duh” kind of way.
Molly is working late. Dro calls and she hesitates before answering, clearly not looking forward to it. She thinks they’re going to have a serious conversation but of course he is just calling to shoot the shit. I feel like probably unfairly this paints Dro as suspect? Who fucks their lifelong friend while in an open marriage and then calls like nothing is different? I get the counterargument that that may be WHY he would call and act like nothing is different. But I don’t trust these fools.
Molly gets a call on the other line, and tells Dro she has to go because it’s her mom. But rather than brace herself for the sure emotional baggage that would come from that, Molly actually doesn’t answer, and just sits there thinking about what a mess her life is. She and Dro apparently have plans to see each other the next day, which is ostensibly the real reason why he called.
Shout out to Issa’s superfluously woke outerwear. She’s wearing that sweatshirt with a somewhat less than casual long skirt by the way. She has no car, so she has to take the bus. She eyes some latino kid as though she recognizes him. He regards her awkwardly as if he recognizes her too. She slides Daniel a potential come thru text and heads into her apartment, bored and restless. She has an email for somethin called a “Sexplosion,” which is appealing to her in this moment of drudgery. She bored.
Deciding this particular boredom is not something she can merely abide, Issa figures maybe she’ll stop in on Neighbor Bae. Her bathroom freshen up routine consists of mouthwash and an aggressive verbal affirmation seminar. She’s one hundred percent gasssed up.
She obliviously heads downstairs and knocks on Neighbor Bae’s door. He is surprised to see her, but he’s clearly pretending not to know whether or not he asked her over, which is polite. Issa assumes her dropping by should be welcomed, but Eddie has company. He makes needlessly polite excuses when honestly he didn’t have to because who the fuck is Issa? Mama gotta have a life too.
Although Issa has to vent via mirror freestyle (“I could cry right now I’m so embarrassed and mad, I hope you can’t get it up and that her pussy is trash”) I mean, come on. Be reasonable. You’re going to have to get a much thicker skin and a lot more comfortable with rejection if you’re going to try to be about that ho life. And you know what, it’s not for everyone. I had a friend who for some reason thought she was this perfect princess in her mind when really when she’d tell me stories I’d be looking at her like this is some random bitch who will do cocaine with strangers on a first date and then fuck them on the way home so why you think you deserve a doctor husband though? The answer to that question is that she was white and therefore delusional, but the overall point is that not everybody can brave the harsh landscape of being single and dating, and if you try to fake it you’ll just end up crying at bars when men ask you why you’re single (which also happened to this friend).
I really hate when I take accidental pauses like this one lol:
As Issa irritatedly deals with not getting the dick she psyched herself up for, she gets a double whammy of rejection when Daniel answers her come thru text that he’s busy. Issa is not feeling singleness at this moment. There’s an interlude with Baby Voiced Darius where he asks her, just randomly for no reason, if she’s going to Target. “Why would I be?” Issa snaps. I mean, it’s a fair question. I’m potentially going to Target 40% of the time in any random day.
In some other cool, quirky, millennial loft in Los Angeles, Lawrence is making some kind of pitch to a motley group of assembled coworkers. So now we finally get some details on the elusive Woot Woot: “it aggregates all of your data, where you shop, where you eat, where you drink, and it makes recommendations based on that.” Motherfucker how is this any different from all the bullshit Netflix keeps recommending me 67 times that I’m not going to watch, or how google is so Big Brother on us now that if I’m watching or listening to something and decide to look up part of it, it can autocomplete my search based on less than one word? I mean to say… technology been way able to do that for a long time, bruh. Everyone cheers and applauds and Lawrence, in a very ugly navy cardigan, grins big at what seems like praise and encouragement of his idea. And… this was the idea he’d been working on while unemployed for two years? AND WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH “WOOT WOOT”?!
Two guys that I’m going to assume are Lawrence’s superiors are giving him feedback. Bosses in the start up world look like this:
I’m glad I’m not inclined to this field because it’s honestly not something that I think I would be able to take seriously lol. They say it’s great and they loved the presentation. While their feedback sounds positive and Lawrence obviously thinks it’s a vote of confidence, if you listen closely they’re doing nothing but praising him individually and offering compliments to the fact that he is working hard and competently, not praising the viability of his work specifically. They make no comments whatsoever about the app being a good idea or potential product. Then, just to underscore the fact that they are Clueless White People, the fat guy asks Lawrence about his shoes, and calls them fly. I would take issue that at this point it seems like the show just makes fun of white people just to mock them and make white people as a whole unsympathetic but on the other hand… white people stay doing fake bonding shit like this when they don’t have to, so if they look bad, then, motherfuckers, stop doing the shit.
Where do you suppose Issa and Molly are? I’m at a loss as to whether this is a Chinese restaurant, a really shitty travel agency, or somewhere where you can get your eyebrows waxed for eight dollars. Molly is telling Issa she’s worried that she may have fucked up her friendship with Dro, and Issa points out that that wouldn’t be surprising considering that she fucked her friend. I think that it’s nice just a couple episodes ago Molly was having this talk with Issa, and now Issa’s having it with Molly.
It turns out they’re in a mechanic waiting room while Issa gets an estimate to fix her car. Molly opines that Dro is the only person/man who’s seen her at her worst so why would she go and complicate things this way? And the way I feel about that is… if you start fucking a married man you really can’t be thinking about any of this shit where he may potentially be a person that is anything other than a married man. Remind me again that at some point during this story line I take a complete break to tell y'all about how I was fucking a married man. The point is anyway that Molly is doing the most emotionally when you’d think it would be easy to understand that in a situation like this specifically you need to do your best to chill. Her current thought is to tell Dro she doesn’t want it to happen again when they hang out later that night.The mechanic comes back and tells Issa they’ll have to order parts to do the repairs (which duh she’s getting body work done) and it’ll be about 5500. Issa balks at that price tag.
Remember in the previous episode where Molly and Issa talked about a vacation? Molly still wants to go (listing a bunch of countries and islands that start with M, prompting Issa to chide annoyedly “there are other places with other letters”) seemingly oblivious to the fact that if Issa can’t afford to repair her car, she can’t afford to go on vacation. In hindsight, this show really put a LOT of effort into very deliberate continuity between episodes, for really small things.
Issa is frustrated because she had been doing really well with all her various life parts and now all of them seem to be scattering out abruptly. She’s still having trouble accepting that men she’s seeing casually aren’t just available for her whenever she wants them to be. Ok so… how are you saying you want Daniel to know to stay in his place, and you want Mexican Bae not to expect anything from you, but you want them to be willing to do whatever you want when you want it? Again: be reasonable sis. If you’re gonna dish it out then obviously you have to take it back too. Then she acknowledges sex with her is mediocre and, again, this is where she loses me. I don’t think I would ever describe sex with me as “acceptable” except on occasions when I know I am making no effort to leave an impression. Come on now. Half the dudes I got to stick around as adults - when sex is less of an issue and everyone has more baggage - is probably 80% because sex was the only draw. And I’m partially joking (clearly I have the delusionally high self esteem of a complete asshole and I like it that way), but seriously it’s something that you have to think about as you get older. The Panties Card gets flimsier and flimsier, until it is no longer a guaranteed bargaining chip to maintain someone’s attention which frankly was news to me.
Back at the super cool Los Angeles tech start up, Lawrence stops by Arpana’s desk and playfully asks her questions around what he should do with his impending takeover of the app world. Arpana makes this face:
Clearly she is clued into what Lawrence is not, which is that the presentation did not go as well as he thought it did. She tells him he should lower his expectations, because she doesn’t think Woot Woot is viable: it felt outdated. Speaking of delusional self esteem, Lawrence cooly replies that it’s fine if she doesn’t see the vision and who cares because she’s not the one greenlighting it anyway. As he gets up to leave, Arpana adds that clearly the bosses weren’t into it like they were some other app where they asked questions and dug through the pitch looking for flaws then scheduled a follow up. It slowly sinks in on Lawrence that maybe she has a point, but when she says “it’s like they didn’t want to offend you,” Lawrence puts his defenses back up and tells her that she’s entitled to her opinion. While I don’t approve of Lawrence’s childish blindspots, I do approve of his polite passive aggressive work rebuttals. (Professional environments love passive aggression.)
Laker bar. Molly shows up for her date with Dro, nervous about the speech she plans to drop. She awkwardly explains that she feels like things are different though objectively Dro’s behavior doesn’t seem in any way out of the ordinary. He tells her she’s being dramatic and to calm the fuck down. They playfully joke about french fries and apparently that’s all it took to defuse the tension.
The tension was so de-fused that they went back to Molly’s place after the game to offer us another excellently choreographed sex scene. A.) Molly’s headboard is everything (quality headboards are not in reach of everyone’s financial adult life, sigh) and b.) of all the ones we’ve seen so far I think Molly’s sex scenes are the only ones that are actually sexy.
Meanwhile, Issa has invited Mexican Bae over to her place. She doesn’t really want to date him, so this is all a ruse to hopefully get some dick. As she makes pointed conversation drawing attention to her visible bra and the obscene shortness of her skirt, at this point it’s like… do you even actually want some dick or is this just about proving a point? Like are you actually horny and wanting to get fucked? Nico plays along politely, even ignoring her obvious come ons. We are then treated to an awkward scene where Nico wants to treat Issa like a person and she wants to treat him like a conquest. It’s painful to witness.
Issa decides to try a more direct move and just initiates kissing. Nico tries to bring the date back around to their dinner reservations. I feel like the fact that he’s meant to be fairly older than Issa is supposed to play into this. Issa goes so far as to try to bypass this, and when Nico tells her to slow down - “I really like you and I don’t want to rush past this, I want to get to know you” - it just makes Issa angry. Even then, Nico is STILL WILLING to go out to dinner, but Issa apparently is too prideful for this so she flatly rejects him and watches him leave. Sigh. I do understand where she’s coming from, I do. But she’s going about it all the wrong way - very defensively and insecurely. (Oh! I get it now! Ba dum bum.)
Back at Molly’s, she and Dro are doing the post coital thing. He points out that she said she didn’t want to do this anymore. Molly is clearly in a dick haze because her defenses are vastly lowered. She wants to know the boundaries of their non-relationship but Dro is all cool and aloof. He does tell her he isn’t looking for a second side piece which you’d think considering the circumstances would clue her into how ridiculous a conversation this is. She’s asking a married man whether he wants to fuck other women on the side of his wife, isn’t that inherently answering its own question?
Anyway Dro says that Candace knows they are sleeping together and in fact it was her idea to open the relationship. Or so he says. Molly, like a fool, just wants to indulge her butterflies. Her caution is just lip service. She wanted to be told what she wanted to hear.
Another day at work, Lawrence decides to stop by the bosses’ office - where they are standing at waist high desks instead of sitting - and follow up regarding his presentation. Recalling Arpana’s words, he asks whetehr they have any feedback regarding his Woot Woot pitch. I really like the way they framed this shot:
as they shoot each other uncomfortable looks at being put on the spot. Lawrence is speaking in terms of how to to move forward with a viable project, but the bosses do nothing but offer more empty compliments. They have no additional thoughts that would signify any real concerns that would be relevant were this to be an actual project they undertook. The fat boss says they love having his “perspective and input” which delicately suggests Lawrence is there as a diversity hire and not as a real and valuable part of the team. “You bring a lot to the team,” the skinny guy says. The fat guy gives a typically encouraging bullshit line of being excited to see “Lawrence 2.0” and the skinny guy laughs sycophantically. If Lawrence still doesn’t get it, the fact that they overcompensate about his shoes again (“what store did you get those from again?”) should leave him in no doubt. Emasculating… no? (I have far too many thoughts on this subject so let’s move on. They aren’t particularly original, so I’ll spare you.)
Sexplosion. Hey! There are strippers doing pole tricks and chocolatey penis cakes so… what is Tiffany’s job again that this is a thing she does? Issa, Molly, Kelli, and Tiffany stroll up and take a bunch of free condoms. Issa thinks Molly broke things off with Dro because she asks why she needs condoms. They talk about barriers for oral sex and I just remembered this is the episode where they have the problematic, regressive conversation about oral sex.
So, let’s just get this out of the way: Tiffany, the only married one who is clearly the most whitewashed of the group, is the only one to openly acknowledge she loves giving blowjobs. Kelli doesn’t do it wholesale, Issa doesn’t like to do it, and Molly gives the Carrie Bradshaw (because of course this was a conversation on SEASON ONE of sex and the city) response of how it’s not her favorite but she’s flexible. Question: is this what black women are still on in the streets?
Being called a “ho” and ostracized for having any kind of sexuality is something that I left behind in high school once I was an adult and didn’t see any reason to need my choices validated by gossip and/or people I didn’t know. And the conservative quasi-religious culture of patriarchal standards and misogynist perspectives is something I completely abandoned in grad school when the only black men around that wanted to date me behaved like the shit I’d left behind in high school and I realized I was totally unfamiliar with any other cultural norms. I’m not going to go off on a tangent to get to the bottom line that I would hope this is not still a widespread understanding amongst young black women these days though I would not be entirely surprised if it were. I want to sum it up as so: when I exclusively dated black men some of the time I’d be sleeping with a guy who would refuse to ever kiss me, for apparently no reason whatsoever other than it was culturally normal. I was surprised when I started dating white men and they really do want to wake up and kiss you on the mouth first thing in the morning. I slept with a motherfucker all four years of undergrad who never went down on me ONCE. Like, I can’t - I feel like I’m biased and I don’t want to preach from that perspective, so I’m not even going to dig into this.
I will say this - I don’t know how the fuck you expect to successfully date as an adult when you have whole chunks of sexual entrees completely off the menu - for WHATEVER ideological reason - yet continue to think you are dating as a normal person. It’s a hang up. Call it a hang up and accept it.
The next day, Molly is reading an article by Serena Williams about closing the pay gap. Damn, that makes me feel bad. Her mom is still calling and leaving voicemails. At an office across town, Lawrence makes amends with Arpana by acknowledging “Woot Woot” is dead. He tells her she was right, and also there was a racial component to their behavior. Arpana bonds with him as a WOC. Lawrence finally starts to accept he was wrong about his app. They both slowly realize there’s some attraction there that might go somewhere, sometime soon. Every single Woot Woot joke this show has made has been hilarious.
Issa is at Daniel’s listening to some song he produced. It sounds good. Issa says it has a black Daft Punk vibe whiiiiich… it sounds good and nothing like Daft Punk at the same time. They have a moment about how apparently Issa likes champagne with a shot of Jameson. That’s new. They are very flirty and comfortable and eventually start kissing. Issa pushes him down on the couch and as they start to undress, she stops him and gets down on her knees. Speaking of hang ups, I refused to ever give a blowjob literally on my knees, until I started playing it up as an ego thing.
Somewhere across town, Molly is also having a sexy night, in some fancy sterile bathroom taking a bubble bath while Dro sits on the edge of the tub. Before they get too far along, Dro gets a text from his wife who has accidentally locked herself out of their home. Molly is disappointed, and plays it off badly. They were doing a fancy hotel thing ordering in romantic shit which… I mean, I don’t know, if they like it then I’ll abide it silently. Have taken a bath with a guy I was casually sleeping with though. The water was so hot we were both sweating and the wine glasses were fogging up. He asked me how my day was and when I started to reply he started using his fingers on me, but ordered me to keep talking. That dude and I were basically hate fucking, but that moment was always sexy as hell to me.
Back at Daniel’s he is impressed with Issa’s blowjob skills. And then this sequence of events happens: he’s about to come, and he grabs Issa’s head, somehow holding it in place until:
Look! I took a screenshot for you! Bwahahahaha. Seriously how would that work logistically? He’s holding her head down, so he… strategically pulls it up and manages to put it in exactly the right place so that he could shoot her in the eye? Issa is pissed. Daniel acts like he doesn’t know why she’s upset. Issa is so mad she’s incoherent, and forcefully pushes him away when he tries to touch her. Issa’s anger is on one level due to the aforementioned hangups about blowjobs - she said she felt like once you sucked a dude’s dick he felt like he conquered you and relegated you to ho status - but on another level, Daniel is rude as fuck and it is NEVER ok to do a facial without express consent. Her anger is justified, even if it is a bit exacerbated by other issues. Any man who is not an ain’t-shit knows it’s rude to come in your mouth without permission LET ALONE ON YOUR FACE! Hell I’ve dated men that wouldn’t come on me even when I asked, or my ex who would always pull away without my asking, even though I didn’t give a goddamn WHERE he came, EVER. Like, Daniel’s rude as fuck.
So, Issa tells him fuck you and leaves. She ends up hovering around a gas station waiting for her Uber pool that already has two people in it, holding a wet towel to her eye. “Issa?” the driver asks. “Issa car pool!” and everyone laughs except Issa because she’s tired of getting the idea that she’s the butt of every joke.
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hella blows
Previously on Insecure: Issa is cool with Daniel, but he knows what it is. She's all about her hoe-tation. Molly's dad cheated on Molly's mom which made her feel stupid enough to sleep with Dro. Issa wanted to make sure Daniel knew they were both seeing other people.
Issa's alarm goes off and at first it looks like she's beyond late for work. But it's something even worse than that: she has to get up to move her car out of designated parking to a free side of the street before she gets a ticket or tow. Ikr? About 65% of the reason I want to move out of my current neighborhood even though it's a huge hassle. "Ay! Your bumper bout to fall off," some idiot points out obliviously. "Thanks!" Issa trills in a curt "no duh" kind of way.
Molly is working late. Dro calls and she hesitates before answering, clearly not looking forward to it. She thinks they're going to have a serious conversation but of course he is just calling to shoot the shit. I feel like probably unfairly this paints Dro as suspect? Who fucks their lifelong friend while in an open marriage and then calls like nothing is different? I get the counterargument that that may be WHY he would call and act like nothing is different. But I don't trust these fools.
Molly gets a call on the other line, and tells Dro she has to go because it's her mom. But rather than brace herself for the sure emotional baggage that would come from that, Molly actually doesn't answer, and just sits there thinking about what a mess her life is. She and Dro apparently have plans to see each other the next day, which is ostensibly the real reason why he called.
Shout out to Issa's superfluously woke outerwear. She's wearing that sweatshirt with a somewhat less than casual long skirt by the way. She has no car, so she has to take the bus. She eyes some latino kid as though she recognizes him. He regards her awkwardly as if he recognizes her too. She slides Daniel a potential come thru text and heads into her apartment, bored and restless. She has an email for somethin called a "Sexplosion," which is appealing to her in this moment of drudgery. She bored.
Deciding this particular boredom is not something she can merely abide, Issa figures maybe she'll stop in on Neighbor Bae. Her bathroom freshen up routine consists of mouthwash and an aggressive verbal affirmation seminar. She's one hundred percent gasssed up.
She obliviously heads downstairs and knocks on Neighbor Bae's door. He is surprised to see her, but he's clearly pretending not to know whether or not he asked her over, which is polite. Issa assumes her dropping by should be welcomed, but Eddie has company. He makes needlessly polite excuses when honestly he didn't have to because who the fuck is Issa? Mama gotta have a life too.
Although Issa has to vent via mirror freestyle ("I could cry right now I'm so embarrassed and mad, I hope you can't get it up and that her pussy is trash") I mean, come on. Be reasonable. You're going to have to get a much thicker skin and a lot more comfortable with rejection if you're going to try to be about that ho life. And you know what, it's not for everyone. I had a friend who for some reason thought she was this perfect princess in her mind when really when she'd tell me stories I'd be looking at her like this is some random bitch who will do cocaine with strangers on a first date and then fuck them on the way home so why you think you deserve a doctor husband though? The answer to that question is that she was white and therefore delusional, but the overall point is that not everybody can brave the harsh landscape of being single and dating, and if you try to fake it you'll just end up crying at bars when men ask you why you're single (which also happened to this friend).
I really hate when I take accidental pauses like this one lol:
As Issa irritatedly deals with not getting the dick she psyched herself up for, she gets a double whammy of rejection when Daniel answers her come thru text that he's busy. Issa is not feeling singleness at this moment. There's an interlude with Baby Voiced Darius where he asks her, just randomly for no reason, if she's going to Target. "Why would I be?" Issa snaps. I mean, it's a fair question. I'm potentially going to Target 40% of the time in any random day.
In some other cool, quirky, millennial loft in Los Angeles, Lawrence is making some kind of pitch to a motley group of assembled coworkers. So now we finally get some details on the elusive Woot Woot: "it aggregates all of your data, where you shop, where you eat, where you drink, and it makes recommendations based on that." Motherfucker how is this any different from all the bullshit Netflix keeps recommending me 67 times that I'm not going to watch, or how google is so Big Brother on us now that if I'm watching or listening to something and decide to look up part of it, it can autocomplete my search based on less than one word? I mean to say... technology been way able to do that for a long time, bruh. Everyone cheers and applauds and Lawrence, in a very ugly navy cardigan, grins big at what seems like praise and encouragement of his idea. And... this was the idea he'd been working on while unemployed for two years? AND WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH "WOOT WOOT"?!
Two guys that I'm going to assume are Lawrence's superiors are giving him feedback. Bosses in the start up world look like this:
I'm glad I'm not inclined to this field because it's honestly not something that I think I would be able to take seriously lol. They say it's great and they loved the presentation. While their feedback sounds positive and Lawrence obviously thinks it's a vote of confidence, if you listen closely they're doing nothing but praising him individually and offering compliments to the fact that he is working hard and competently, not praising the viability of his work specifically. They make no comments whatsoever about the app being a good idea or potential product. Then, just to underscore the fact that they are Clueless White People, the fat guy asks Lawrence about his shoes, and calls them fly. I would take issue that at this point it seems like the show just makes fun of white people just to mock them and make white people as a whole unsympathetic but on the other hand... white people stay doing fake bonding shit like this when they don't have to, so if they look bad, then, motherfuckers, stop doing the shit.
Where do you suppose Issa and Molly are? I'm at a loss as to whether this is a Chinese restaurant, a really shitty travel agency, or somewhere where you can get your eyebrows waxed for eight dollars. Molly is telling Issa she's worried that she may have fucked up her friendship with Dro, and Issa points out that that wouldn't be surprising considering that she fucked her friend. I think that it's nice just a couple episodes ago Molly was having this talk with Issa, and now Issa's having it with Molly.
It turns out they're in a mechanic waiting room while Issa gets an estimate to fix her car. Molly opines that Dro is the only person/man who's seen her at her worst so why would she go and complicate things this way? And the way I feel about that is... if you start fucking a married man you really can't be thinking about any of this shit where he may potentially be a person that is anything other than a married man. Remind me again that at some point during this story line I take a complete break to tell y'all about how I was fucking a married man. The point is anyway that Molly is doing the most emotionally when you'd think it would be easy to understand that in a situation like this specifically you need to do your best to chill. Her current thought is to tell Dro she doesn't want it to happen again when they hang out later that night.The mechanic comes back and tells Issa they'll have to order parts to do the repairs (which duh she's getting body work done) and it'll be about 5500. Issa balks at that price tag.
Remember in the previous episode where Molly and Issa talked about a vacation? Molly still wants to go (listing a bunch of countries and islands that start with M, prompting Issa to chide annoyedly "there are other places with other letters") seemingly oblivious to the fact that if Issa can't afford to repair her car, she can't afford to go on vacation. In hindsight, this show really put a LOT of effort into very deliberate continuity between episodes, for really small things.
Issa is frustrated because she had been doing really well with all her various life parts and now all of them seem to be scattering out abruptly. She's still having trouble accepting that men she's seeing casually aren't just available for her whenever she wants them to be. Ok so... how are you saying you want Daniel to know to stay in his place, and you want Mexican Bae not to expect anything from you, but you want them to be willing to do whatever you want when you want it? Again: be reasonable sis. If you're gonna dish it out then obviously you have to take it back too. Then she acknowledges sex with her is mediocre and, again, this is where she loses me. I don't think I would ever describe sex with me as "acceptable" except on occasions when I know I am making no effort to leave an impression. Come on now. Half the dudes I got to stick around as adults - when sex is less of an issue and everyone has more baggage - is probably 80% because sex was the only draw. And I'm partially joking (clearly I have the delusionally high self esteem of a complete asshole and I like it that way), but seriously it's something that you have to think about as you get older. The Panties Card gets flimsier and flimsier, until it is no longer a guaranteed bargaining chip to maintain someone's attention which frankly was news to me.
Back at the super cool Los Angeles tech start up, Lawrence stops by Arpana's desk and playfully asks her questions around what he should do with his impending takeover of the app world. Arpana makes this face:
Clearly she is clued into what Lawrence is not, which is that the presentation did not go as well as he thought it did. She tells him he should lower his expectations, because she doesn't think Woot Woot is viable: it felt outdated. Speaking of delusional self esteem, Lawrence cooly replies that it's fine if she doesn't see the vision and who cares because she's not the one greenlighting it anyway. As he gets up to leave, Arpana adds that clearly the bosses weren't into it like they were some other app where they asked questions and dug through the pitch looking for flaws then scheduled a follow up. It slowly sinks in on Lawrence that maybe she has a point, but when she says "it's like they didn't want to offend you," Lawrence puts his defenses back up and tells her that she's entitled to her opinion. While I don't approve of Lawrence's childish blindspots, I do approve of his polite passive aggressive work rebuttals. (Professional environments love passive aggression.)
Laker bar. Molly shows up for her date with Dro, nervous about the speech she plans to drop. She awkwardly explains that she feels like things are different though objectively Dro's behavior doesn't seem in any way out of the ordinary. He tells her she's being dramatic and to calm the fuck down. They playfully joke about french fries and apparently that's all it took to defuse the tension.
The tension was so de-fused that they went back to Molly's place after the game to offer us another excellently choreographed sex scene. A.) Molly's headboard is everything (quality headboards are not in reach of everyone's financial adult life, sigh) and b.) of all the ones we've seen so far I think Molly's sex scenes are the only ones that are actually sexy.
Meanwhile, Issa has invited Mexican Bae over to her place. She doesn't really want to date him, so this is all a ruse to hopefully get some dick. As she makes pointed conversation drawing attention to her visible bra and the obscene shortness of her skirt, at this point it's like... do you even actually want some dick or is this just about proving a point? Like are you actually horny and wanting to get fucked? Nico plays along politely, even ignoring her obvious come ons. We are then treated to an awkward scene where Nico wants to treat Issa like a person and she wants to treat him like a conquest. It's painful to witness.
Issa decides to try a more direct move and just initiates kissing. Nico tries to bring the date back around to their dinner reservations. I feel like the fact that he's meant to be fairly older than Issa is supposed to play into this. Issa goes so far as to try to bypass this, and when Nico tells her to slow down - "I really like you and I don't want to rush past this, I want to get to know you" - it just makes Issa angry. Even then, Nico is STILL WILLING to go out to dinner, but Issa apparently is too prideful for this so she flatly rejects him and watches him leave. Sigh. I do understand where she's coming from, I do. But she's going about it all the wrong way - very defensively and insecurely. (Oh! I get it now! Ba dum bum.)
Back at Molly's, she and Dro are doing the post coital thing. He points out that she said she didn't want to do this anymore. Molly is clearly in a dick haze because her defenses are vastly lowered. She wants to know the boundaries of their non-relationship but Dro is all cool and aloof. He does tell her he isn't looking for a second side piece which you'd think considering the circumstances would clue her into how ridiculous a conversation this is. She's asking a married man whether he wants to fuck other women on the side of his wife, isn't that inherently answering its own question?
Anyway Dro says that Candace knows they are sleeping together and in fact it was her idea to open the relationship. Or so he says. Molly, like a fool, just wants to indulge her butterflies. Her caution is just lip service. She wanted to be told what she wanted to hear.
Another day at work, Lawrence decides to stop by the bosses' office - where they are standing at waist high desks instead of sitting - and follow up regarding his presentation. Recalling Arpana's words, he asks whetehr they have any feedback regarding his Woot Woot pitch. I really like the way they framed this shot:
as they shoot each other uncomfortable looks at being put on the spot. Lawrence is speaking in terms of how to to move forward with a viable project, but the bosses do nothing but offer more empty compliments. They have no additional thoughts that would signify any real concerns that would be relevant were this to be an actual project they undertook. The fat boss says they love having his "perspective and input" which delicately suggests Lawrence is there as a diversity hire and not as a real and valuable part of the team. "You bring a lot to the team," the skinny guy says. The fat guy gives a typically encouraging bullshit line of being excited to see "Lawrence 2.0" and the skinny guy laughs sycophantically. If Lawrence still doesn't get it, the fact that they overcompensate about his shoes again ("what store did you get those from again?") should leave him in no doubt. Emasculating... no? (I have far too many thoughts on this subject so let's move on. They aren't particularly original, so I'll spare you.)
Sexplosion. Hey! There are strippers doing pole tricks and chocolatey penis cakes so... what is Tiffany's job again that this is a thing she does? Issa, Molly, Kelli, and Tiffany stroll up and take a bunch of free condoms. Issa thinks Molly broke things off with Dro because she asks why she needs condoms. They talk about barriers for oral sex and I just remembered this is the episode where they have the problematic, regressive conversation about oral sex.
So, let's just get this out of the way: Tiffany, the only married one who is clearly the most whitewashed of the group, is the only one to openly acknowledge she loves giving blowjobs. Kelli doesn't do it wholesale, Issa doesn't like to do it, and Molly gives the Carrie Bradshaw (because of course this was a conversation on SEASON ONE of sex and the city) response of how it's not her favorite but she's flexible. Question: is this what black women are still on in the streets?
Being called a "ho" and ostracized for having any kind of sexuality is something that I left behind in high school once I was an adult and didn't see any reason to need my choices validated by gossip and/or people I didn't know. And the conservative quasi-religious culture of patriarchal standards and misogynist perspectives is something I completely abandoned in grad school when the only black men around that wanted to date me behaved like the shit I'd left behind in high school and I realized I was totally unfamiliar with any other cultural norms. I'm not going to go off on a tangent to get to the bottom line that I would hope this is not still a widespread understanding amongst young black women these days though I would not be entirely surprised if it were. I want to sum it up as so: when I exclusively dated black men some of the time I'd be sleeping with a guy who would refuse to ever kiss me, for apparently no reason whatsoever other than it was culturally normal. I was surprised when I started dating white men and they really do want to wake up and kiss you on the mouth first thing in the morning. I slept with a motherfucker all four years of undergrad who never went down on me ONCE. Like, I can't - I feel like I'm biased and I don't want to preach from that perspective, so I'm not even going to dig into this.
I will say this - I don't know how the fuck you expect to successfully date as an adult when you have whole chunks of sexual entrees completely off the menu - for WHATEVER ideological reason - yet continue to think you are dating as a normal person. It's a hang up. Call it a hang up and accept it.
The next day, Molly is reading an article by Serena Williams about closing the pay gap. Damn, that makes me feel bad. Her mom is still calling and leaving voicemails. At an office across town, Lawrence makes amends with Arpana by acknowledging "Woot Woot" is dead. He tells her she was right, and also there was a racial component to their behavior. Arpana bonds with him as a WOC. Lawrence finally starts to accept he was wrong about his app. They both slowly realize there's some attraction there that might go somewhere, sometime soon. Every single Woot Woot joke this show has made has been hilarious.
Issa is at Daniel's listening to some song he produced. It sounds good. Issa says it has a black Daft Punk vibe whiiiiich... it sounds good and nothing like Daft Punk at the same time. They have a moment about how apparently Issa likes champagne with a shot of Jameson. That's new. They are very flirty and comfortable and eventually start kissing. Issa pushes him down on the couch and as they start to undress, she stops him and gets down on her knees. Speaking of hang ups, I refused to ever give a blowjob literally on my knees, until I started playing it up as an ego thing.
Somewhere across town, Molly is also having a sexy night, in some fancy sterile bathroom taking a bubble bath while Dro sits on the edge of the tub. Before they get too far along, Dro gets a text from his wife who has accidentally locked herself out of their home. Molly is disappointed, and plays it off badly. They were doing a fancy hotel thing ordering in romantic shit which... I mean, I don't know, if they like it then I'll abide it silently. Have taken a bath with a guy I was casually sleeping with though. The water was so hot we were both sweating and the wine glasses were fogging up. He asked me how my day was and when I started to reply he started using his fingers on me, but ordered me to keep talking. That dude and I were basically hate fucking, but that moment was always sexy as hell to me.
Back at Daniel's he is impressed with Issa's blowjob skills. And then this sequence of events happens: he's about to come, and he grabs Issa's head, somehow holding it in place until:
Look! I took a screenshot for you! Bwahahahaha. Seriously how would that work logistically? He's holding her head down, so he... strategically pulls it up and manages to put it in exactly the right place so that he could shoot her in the eye? Issa is pissed. Daniel acts like he doesn't know why she's upset. Issa is so mad she's incoherent, and forcefully pushes him away when he tries to touch her. Issa's anger is on one level due to the aforementioned hangups about blowjobs - she said she felt like once you sucked a dude's dick he felt like he conquered you and relegated you to ho status - but on another level, Daniel is rude as fuck and it is NEVER ok to do a facial without express consent. Her anger is justified, even if it is a bit exacerbated by other issues. Any man who is not an ain't-shit knows it's rude to come in your mouth without permission LET ALONE ON YOUR FACE! Hell I've dated men that wouldn't come on me even when I asked, or my ex who would always pull away without my asking, even though I didn't give a goddamn WHERE he came, EVER. Like, Daniel's rude as fuck.
So, Issa tells him fuck you and leaves. She ends up hovering around a gas station waiting for her Uber pool that already has two people in it, holding a wet towel to her eye. "Issa?" the driver asks. "Issa car pool!" and everyone laughs except Issa because she's tired of getting the idea that she's the butt of every joke.
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Life is Strange : Before the Storm Episode 1 : Awake
Repost from previous blog.
Warning, Life is Strange and Life is Strange Before the Storm spoilers (not huuuuge spoilers but still, so you do you.)
Last night I was fixating on my ps4, watching the countdown, waiting for midnight croissant-time (Paris GMT) to be able to play Life is Strange : Before the Storm that I pre-ordered (Deluxe version that allows you to have bonus outfits, mixtape mode and a bonus episode at the end with Max). So the clock stroke midnight and I played until 3.30am.
You have to know that when I play, I go everywhere, I talk to everybody, so if you don’t, I guess you can finish it in 2h30.
I was really nervous as I hit « New Game » as I was really expecting it, to learn more about Chloe and Rachel, but knowing it was from a totally different studio and that the Chloe I fell in love with in Life is Strange wouldn’t be the same as her voice actress, Ashly Burch (a.k.a the best voice actress ever, sorry not sorry but a 71hrs platinum of Horizon Zero Dawn and a platinum in the first Life is Strange will do that to you. And Borderlands. And I mean I saved her grandpa and fought Baba Yaga for her in Rise of the Tomb Raider so…) wasn’t able to come back as Chloe. I didn't know that when I pre-ordered it, and knowing the reasons why I kind of regretted giving them money. Link if you want to know more.
So in a mix of fear and excitement I started to play and didn’t stop for almost 4hrs (except for some screenshots and pitiful tweets)
Story
No mosh pit for you shaka brah.
The story begins with Chloe wanting to go to a concert, kind of a playground intro as it shows you the ropes. You make your first graffiti (Chloe’s version of Max’s pictures), you talk to some people, you ponder in front of the fire to think about your shitty teenager life and when you try to enter, you have your first « Backtalk Challenge » which is a list of insults/arguments to help you talk your way into what you want.
So you enter the concert and then you meet your angel, Rachel Amber. And it goes really fast from there.
Basically it’s love at first sight for Chloe, and the next day you ditch school to spend it with Rachel, flirting with her like crazy (if that’s your choice -even if I feel that no matter your choice you end up making a fool of yourself) and that’s basically it. The core of the episode -minus some weird dreams about your dead father and some family drama- was Chloe trying to please Rachel Amber and Chloe falling in love with her and Rachel kind of returning those feelings but when you’re 16, nothing is simple.
Although I liked it, it felt really fast for me. I do believe in love at first sight but this story happening 3 years before the OG Life is Strange, I’m wondering how long the girls are going to spend together before Rachel goes missing. The short life expectancy of the game, being a 3 episodes game, is probably the reason why it’s all happening so fast. I’m kind of wondering if it’s not just a « let’s give the gays what they want right away » as we already know Chloe had a special bond with Rachel. Maybe I would have preferred a slower burn. Even William is on it.
The ending of this episode was kind of predictable, with a question that I read a few times « Did Rachel have powers? »
I stayed away as much as possible from trailers, theories and all but I think it was a legit question to have about DeckNine implementing a supernatural element into Before the Storm or not.
Dialogs
Ugh. Okay.
First of all, the writing.
I know we are playing a 16yo who lost her dad, but some of Chloe’s lines were so cringy it made my heart ache. In the first Life is Strange Max had some « loser-Max » lines that I thought were really funny but in Before the Storm, it looks like they are trying too hard for her to be emo. We know, Chloe is a rebel. But shit.
And in another hand, some lines made me burst into laughter. The scene with Rachel where they invent people’s life was really funny, Chloe’s « flirting » skills felt real and spoke to the 16yo me, and that tabletop game session was one of the best thing I’ve seen in a while (I suspect someone with A.B initials helped write that but I obviously don’t have any proof of that.) written by Christopher Means.
…
Some prime Chloe Price as « People can eat a dick », her love of booty and of course her first mention of « hella » were mandatory but the delivery of those lines. Man.
I’m not going to compare the actors with the previous ones (not only Chloe’s voice actor changed but basically all of them -although I have doubts about Chloe’s mom but she doesn’t have the same Southern accent so…) because it wouldn’t be fair. But in my opinion Chloe’s voice actress, even though I’m sure she did the best she could, was flat. Her delivery was pretty monotone and even if sometimes I was hearing the old Chloe in the musicality of her voice, it wasn’t it a lot of the time. Rachel’s voice was a lot better than I expected for the few images I saw before, but in the end it was really a shame that seeing the characters you once knew and loved/hated meant you wouldn’t be able to hear the characters you once knew and loved/hated.
There was also another problem in the rhythm of the dialogs that were in « cutscenes » (meaning you don’t have a say in them) as there was some latence at some points, like a silence before the second part of a sentence or when someone answers to someone else. I guess it could be fixed to make it a bit snappier and more real.
Characters
Chloe Price
As I said before we meet a younger natural haired colored Chloe, and the roles are kind of reversed with the OG Lis. In Before the Storm, Chloe is the one trying to follow Rachel’s idea, trying to please Rachel, to be cool with the most popular girl in Blackwell. She’s not the alpha to Max’s beta anymore. She lacks confidence, she doesn’t have friends and it pains her.
Rachel Amber
Aaaah Rachel. Rachel Rachel Rachel. We heard so much about you. Blackwell’s most popular girl. You didn’t disappoint. Witty and sassy and sexy. Just like Chloe. It’s kind of difficult to trust her, knowing what we know from the OG Life is Strange, so I’m not giving her my heart just yet (you know, the pics in Frank’s trailer and stuff). Even though the choices were pretty easy to do as we know Chloe loves her (asshole).
Old Faces
Funny to see Nathan being bullied, Victoria being Rachel’s kiss ass, the science teacher and the skater we knew Chloe was familiar with in Lis. And Frank I hope you’ll have some beans.
New Faces
I decided that Eliot is the new Warren. Except he may be Chloe’s bf ? Ex-bf ? He left a note about a two month anniversary and Chloe said her v-card had been punched (that was hilarious btw).
I really liked Stephanie, she was really something. Can I please date her instead? Even if she crushes on Rachel.
We got a new bully, a guy named Drew who bullied Nathan (whom we learned bought his way into the team) and we have a new security guy who makes really good music.
Choices
Before the Storm works on the same mechanics as Life is Strange, meaning you have choices to make. The ones you faced in episode one seemed pretty inconsequential, but I guess the game being a prequel doesn’t give you much options to change the story. Unlike Max, it’s really nice that they don’t torture us after every choice, knowing you can’t undo them. (I’m thinking about the paint on Victoria’s face, whether you chose to take a pic or be nice to her, once you did what you did Max automatically say she should have chosen the other option.) Although you have a very easy way to go back with the « Load last save » option which is an easy way to explore other dialog options or other choices.
But it’s kind of hard when you know what you know. I chose to help Nathan, but it won’t change what will happen in Life is Strange. And I was kind of nice to David even though you can’t betray LiS Chloe as it wouldn’t make sense to have her being super nice to him and then angry in the sequel.
But honestly, the best option of the game was probably being able to pet the dog.
Life is Strange legacy
There were a lots of elements reminding me of Life is Strange (as it should) with a lot of mentions of Max that freaking broke my heart. You are able to see Chloe’s texts and Max not answering (freaking bitch) and you had some nods to the LiS plot as Rachel saying she could just leave at any given moment without telling anybody.
The soundtrack is in the line of the first one but a little bit more rock to fit Chloe’s taste, and the bonus outfit with the design we knew as Max’s was a sweet idea. Some line as a guy wanting Rachel to pose for his portfolio. (I’m obviously not going to list everything)
Chloe is also keeping a journal that she dedicated to Max because she doesn’t want to risk her not answering and damn, my heaaaart. There are a lot of little things screaming « Chloe is gaaaaay » and I honestly wish it was a little more subtle (but nice Blade Runner dream Chloe.)
It’s also difficult as a Pricefield shipper to be totally into it, because in my heart Chloe belongs with Max, someone that truly appreciates her, never used her and because we were Max. So we wanted her to be happy. Even if we knew Chloe loved Rachel. But without Rachel there wouldn’t be a blue haired Chloe Price so I have to put her needs and her young love before my own agenda.
Next episodes
From the pictures presenting the two next chapter, we can assume that the girls will go on a roadtrip, probably to try to leave Arcadia Bay. And in the last pic, Chloe is wearing a flannel we all know as the “ready for the mosh pit shaka-brah” shirt and her legendary tri-bullet necklace.
So yeah, it’s a prequel to Life is Strange, from another studio, with new actors, but overall it was pretty decent and I’m looking forward to the next chapter (even though they lose points for using Comic Sans a few times.) I really got the feels at some point, I laughed, I got really emotional during the junkyard scene with the car, and even though it wasn’t perfect, I still want to protect Chloe Price at all costs. So that’s a win. Not a huge win. But it’s one.
Quack -
Monotony of Chloe’s voice
Lots of loading points
Things moving too fast between Rachel and Chloe
Dialogs lacking rhythm
Lines that make you want to stab yourself
The graffiti are really easy to find
You can’t skip forward in collector mode
Too much gay (not subtle enough)
Most of the small choices you make just change one line of the other choice
Use of Comic Sans
The time I had to pause the game because my cat was playing with the biggest spider I’ve ever seen.
Quack +
Legacy of the first LiS respected (ost, graphics, nods in the storyline)
Better graphics than first game but still in that same line
Some hilarious lines
The tabletop game
You can pet the dog
All the gay
#life is strange#lis#life is strange before the storm#before the storm#lis: before the storm#lis review#life is strange review#deck nine#deck nine games#chloe price#rachel amber#max caulfield#pricefield#pricer#video game review#review
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Ignis x Reader Fic: Next To You Pt. 8
This was one of the tougher chapters to write. I intended it to go a different route, but ultimately decided to go with this. That and I’m a sadistic af writer who love torturing her readers xD
While you’re reading, I’d like for you to listen this ONE OK ROCK song. I think it best reflects the mood of what I was trying to capture.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9
Last night felt like a dream. Dinner and dessert was perfect.
Then it all came crashing down.
(Y/N)’s eyes lazily fluttered open with a blanket wrapped around her like a cocoon. She found herself in the darkness of her bedroom. Streams of light snuck through the small break in the blinds, suggesting it was near noon. She sighed aloud and turned to the other side, hugging a stray pillow.
Being alone was fine. She didn’t have to hurt anyone nor anyone her.
This was predestined for those of the (Y/LN)s.
Build bonds only to break them. Love only to use them. Blackmail only for self-gain.
She felt herself regressing back to being numb to everything as the pain radiated in her chest. Her world was turning back into the monochromatic one she’s grown so accustomed to from her youth. Mechanically reaching for her phone, she debated messaging Ignis but decided against it. She’s done enough.
She lost her one and only friend, her confidante.
If someone were to jump into her room and kill her right now, she wouldn’t even put up a fight.
As (Y/N) drifted back into a dreamless sleep, her phone suddenly chimed with a message, jolting her up. Her eyes desperately scanned the notification, only to leave her disappointed.
“Don’t be stupid...” she assured herself aloud, feeling her eyes heat up with the need to cry again. She tossed her phone back on the nightstand with a clatter. “He’s already rejected you.”
How foolish of her to think she could be in the brilliant light like him while running from her shadows. They were at opposite ends of the same coin, always parallel to each other. As much as she reached out, no one could reach back to save her from herself. Unable to sleep anymore, (Y/N) rolled to the opposite end of her bed and reached for her phone again to check the message.
It was from her father; there was to be a family meeting at the house tomorrow and she had to dress up. No exceptions. A sudden uncomfortable feeling rose up from the pit of her stomach; tomorrow was the treaty signing with Niflheim. The timing’s all too coincidental.
What could they be scheming?
Maybe it’s time to dive back onto the Dark Net for some intel. It’ll make for some good emotional distraction.
–
When the morning of the treaty signing came, she hesitantly reached for a box buried underneath her bed and pulled it out. The top was lightly covered with dust bunnies and cobwebs. This was one of the many things she never wished to show Ignis. Reaching for the lid with shaky hands, (Y/N) balled them up tightly into a fist to steady herself. She had to remind herself she’s only wearing it to appease her parents and won’t become what it represents. Taking in a calming breath, she lifted the lid and revealed a neatly folded black garment.
The Phantom Fatigues, the only known signature clothing from her family.
Made of air light breathable material and resistant to almost all the elements, it allowed the wearer maximum mobility and speed without making a sound. Wearing this also allowed them to vanish at will and into stealth mode; perfect for sneaking in and out of places. As nice as that sounds, it always felt suffocating for her as it was a constant reminder of her being bound to her so-called weighty family legacy. Each piece she put on heightened her anxiety to the point where she physically shook. Taking deep, drawn out breaths to calm down, she squeezed her eyes close to find her happy place.
The first person that came to mind was him.
(Y/N) never realized how dependent she was on Ignis up until now. Almost every aspect of her life revolved around the crown adviser. How did that happen? Whatever the reason may be, it worked. Nervously taking a step forward, she walked up to the small full length mirror leaning on the wall. Gods, the outfit was exactly how she remembered it. She didn’t care her face looked like shit from crying and drinking whiskey.
The long sleeve loose fitting asymmetric top with a hood draped just past her hips. Her bottoms consisted of bandaged leggings with mesh panels and a pair of black shorts on top. To complete the ensemble, a pair of sturdy black leather boots with interior sheaths for weapons. Sighing heavily at her appearance, she figured the sooner she got this done, the sooner she can get out of these clothes.
Grabbing her go-bag, she took one more look around her apartment and left. Making her way out to the street, she looked at her phone again.
“Stupid girl,” she uttered to herself. “Ig’s gone. Let it go.”
(Y/N) closed her eyes to collect her focus and emotions. She reopened them and ducked into a narrow side street and jumped up to a building rooftop like a dragoon. She couldn’t possibly take the train in these clothes. Even regular Lucians would find her suspect. Throwing the hood over her head, she willed herself to vanish and made tracks to her parents’ house. The Kingsglaive would be on high alert and seeing someone jump on rooftops wouldn’t help calm them down either. After hopping over a variety of city buildings and admiring the skyline of Insomnia and the oncoming parade for Niflheim, she arrived with a few minutes to spare before the meeting time and reappeared after making sure no one was around.
She’s always hated her familial home. The concrete fort-like exterior with dark window frames always made it feel more like a prison than anything. The only sunlight the house got were in the hallways leading to the study and dining room. As a child, she’d often stay there, staring out at those very same windows wondering about the world outside; wondering if she’d ever be able to bask in the light like everyone else. Her room was often dark as it was at the far end of the house. When she had the chance to leave, she did so without hesitation and opted for a place with the best angle for natural lighting.
Staring at the cold, intimidating structure, she took a breath and went through the small entrance gate. Her presence was greeted with faint, echoing footsteps from far away and deafening silence. Before going to the meeting spot, she stashed her bag behind one of the many curtains in the main hallway to make a quick getaway; hiding it in her old room would be too obvious and she’d be trapped. She removed her hood and heard two sets of footsteps approaching her way. (Y/N) quickly turned to see her brothers in their respective fatigues and dark slacks.
“Azrael, Chronos,” she tersely greeted her older brothers.
“What the hell happened to your face?” Azrael asked with contempt.
“So sorry the way I was born offends you so much,” she snarked back and rolled her eyes.
Her brother merely huffed an annoyed breath and the three slowly made their way to the study.
“Either one of you have any idea what this meeting’s about?”
“I overheard we’re to have some guests arrive,” Chronos replied and had to do a double take at (Y/N). “You’re in uniform.”
“At the request of father,” she listlessly pointed out.
“I’m surprised it still fits you,” Azrael sneered.
“You and me both.”
They walked on in tense silence with the midday sunlight dancing past them from the wide french styled windows. Every nerve in her body was screaming danger up ahead as her mind played through the infinite amount of scenarios in what it could be; and the information she found on the Dark Net wasn’t helping any either.
“Why are you nervous, (Y/N)?” Azrael pointed out, noticing her fidgeting fingers at her sides. “I’m sure whatever we’re meeting ‘bout doesn’t concern you.”
She stopped in her steps and turned to her brothers, pausing their pace.
“Don’t you think it’s weird dad called us here on the day of the treaty signing?” she abruptly blurted out.
“What do you mean?” Chronos asked and saw the hesitation in her expression.
“I think… it’s some kind of trap,” she quietly spoke with bated breath.
“Mom n’ dad would never set us up like that,” Azrael dismissed the theory and placed his hands on his hips. “With you, maybe.”
“But what if they are?” she challenged. “They’ve been bitching non-stop about reclaiming our proper place.”
“You know how they are: they shoot the shit to pass the time. They’d never side with the Niffs,” Azrael firmly concluded. “We may be fuck-ups in the eyes of the Lucis Caelems, but we’d never stoop that low for influence.”
“That may be, but what do we have to lose now that the King’s agreed to the ceasefire?” she argued back.
Chronos saw the top of the her dagger handles sticking out of the sides of her boots and inquired, “Is that why you brought those, (Y/N)?”
“Call it insurance.”
“We shouldn’t dawdle,” her middle brother dismissed her theory and walked ahead.
“Let’s go, (Y/N),” Chronos called.
Her palms were sweaty and her heart was beating like a double-pedaled bass drum at her throat. Everything felt heavy and off.
But what choice did she have?
It was time for a ‘go as you see fit’ strategy as she entered the Lion’s Den.
–
Days passed and news of Insomnia’s fall hit the radio waves and papers. Mixed emotions hit the four royal travelers: anger, worry, fear, rage, and most of all, revenge. After retrieving one of Noct’s Royal Arms with Cor’s help, they received a call from Iris to confirm her safety and slowly made their way to Lestallum from Hammerhead. While resting at a camper at Coernix Bypass at night, Ignis’ mind wandered to (Y/N). He’d tried to reach her on several occasions unsuccessfully when he was alone. Sighing and staring at his blackened phone screen, he decided to give it one more try, hoping to the Six she’s alright.
Hearing the phone ring twice on the line, a click suddenly connected. His heart leapt anxiously and heard the most discouraging message.
“I’m sorry. The number you have reached has been disconnected.”
Disconnected…
Did the Niffs capture her? Or was she already among the dead? Reaching up to his necklace, he unconsciously ran his thumb over the hand-carved skull she made for him, trying his best not to think of the worse case scenario. There were still so many things left unsaid between them since their kiss. But that would have to wait; his priority right now is to get to Lestallum and regroup with Iris. (Y/N)’s whereabouts had to be second.
Gladio entered the camper and noticed his friend’s sullen expression in the breakfast nook area.
“Iggy, you alright?”
His head jolted up and nodded.
“Yes, thanks for the concern,” he dryly responded, his face still full of worry.
“Have you heard anythin’ from (Y/N)?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“I’m sure she’s fine,” the Shield tried to persuade his friend. “She’s a fighter.”
“That she is…”
He suddenly clapped his hand on Ignis’ shoulder, making him look up.
“Trust in her like you trust us.”
After a few rounds of “King’s Knight,” the four turned in for the night and it’s back on the road at the break of dawn. The change in the air was very noticeable as they drove through the Clegine area. The humidity clung onto their skin even when standing still. And wearing full leather attire certainly didn’t help either. They pulled over to the side for a quick photo op Prompto requested.
“Ugh, it’s so damn hot,” Noct complained after the photo was taken and wiped some sweat off of his forehead with his arm.
“It’s most likely because we’re so close to the astral shard,” Ignis remarked and rolled up his sleeves. He left his jacket back in the car.
“Alright, let’s head out!” Prompto called and retracted his tripod.
Placing their personal effects back into the Regalia, they hit the road again and arrived at Lestallum an hour and a half later. Feeling the wind and humidity blow past them in the underpass, the city welcomed them with a sultry sun above. Ignis parked the car and they all exited the vehicle.
“Nice little town,” Prompto remarked and looked around, taking in the relaxing atmosphere. “People seem friendly enough.”
The aroma of food coming from the stalls danced around the humid air, catching Gladio’s nose.
“I smell meat skewers. Let’s get some after we meet up with Iris.”
The four explored the town to take in the local flavor and energy. It was certainly different from Crown City and was definitely a nice change of pace from hunting beasts and cave explorations. Gladio’s wandering eyes couldn’t help but look at all the females passing by in local clothing.
“The women here are… really well built,” he muttered to himself and checked out another one with an ice cream cone in hand, nearly breaking his neck in the process.
While walking along, Ignis couldn’t help but feel like they were being watched. He quickly looked over his shoulder with suspicion and found no one in the vicinity. As he turned back, he could’ve sworn he spotted a someone from his peripheral. They were already gone by the time he darted his eyes back.
“Ignis?” Prompto called. “You alright?”
“Yes...” he hesitantly answered and glanced around once more for good measure before rejoining the group to The Leville. Everyone was relieved to see Gladio reunite with Iris, Talcott and Jared as they greeted one another at the hotel lobby. At least one good thing came from the trip. With everyone tired from traveling, they decided to check into the hotel and rest up. The front desk clerk called for Ignis after their accommodations were set up by Jared.
“Is something the matter with our rooms?”
“No, sir. It’s just that there was something left for you,” the clerk responded and reached into a nearby drawer. He took out an envelope and handed it to him.
“Did you see who gave this to you?”
“Unfortunately not, sir. I couldn’t get a good look at their face.”
“I see… Thank you.”
Ignis looked at the unaddressed item with furrowed eyebrows, unsure of who it could be from. Erring on the side of caution, he pocketed it and decided to read it upstairs in the room. After spending some time to catch up with what happened within Insomnia with Iris, the four boys were emotionally and mentally exhausted. Once everyone fell asleep, Ignis snuck out to the balcony for some privacy with the letter.
Staring at it with unease, he opened it and read the contents. It was from (Y/N). When they were children, they created a system and code names for each other in the event either one came into a life threatening situation. Should their messages get intercepted, it’d look like nothing more than gibberish to the third party.
He let out a small breath of disbelief upon reading it. From what he could decipher, her parents turned their allegiance to Niflheim, her brothers were killed and she’s either on the run or in hiding. The Niff’s attacks will start coming their way at a more aggressive pace and may be a while until they can see each other again. His disbelief then turned over to concern.
She used the initials W.R. as a sign off.
It was the abbreviated codename her parents gave her.
Had she finally decided to fully embrace the part she fought so hard to deny?
“(Y/N)...” he whispered to himself and gripped the edge of the letter. “Please be safe.”
A few more days passed by and the boys found themselves staying around Cleigne occupied with hunts for funds, helping out the locals and getting the second Royal Arm. Upon blowing up the first nearby Niflheim base to exact revenge for Jared’s death, they realized they needed more information on the enemy. Vyv, the local tipster slash editor in chief for a magazine publishing company, reached out to them for pictures for some Niflheim bases.
When asked where he found out about the locations, all he said was his source wished to remain anonymous. Knowing they won’t get any more out of him, they hit the road to locate the bases. Pulling the Regalia aside upon finding the second base, Ignis noticed a figure surveying something at the top of the wall with the sun setting behind them. Squinting his eyes to get a better look, he was interrupted by Noct calling for him.
“We’re good, specs! Let’s get outta here before they decide to give us the full welcome wagon,” the prince noted.
The adviser nodded and made tracks to regroup with his friends. He turned to look back again, only to find the person was already gone.
“Iggy, you alright?” Gladio asked.
“Yes...” he trailed off. “Just seeing things.”
“Maybe you should clean your glasses,” Noct joked.
“A fine idea.”
The four lost track of time wandering and going after extra hunts as the night crept up. Nearing a safe haven, exhausted and dirty from nature, a Red Giant suddenly ambushed the four with a swing of its blazing sword. Just the force from the aftershock alone knocked them all down. Prompto was the first to get up and fired a Starshell up in the air while Noct Warp-Striked the daemon as it flinched in pain. Gladio and Ignis backed Noct up by taking the creature’s blind spots. Frustrated with the two-legged ants, the beast roared angrily struck the ground, knocked them all off their feet from the shaking.
Having exhausted the last of their curatives from the previous hunt, they had to make a tactical retreat. With the daemon slowly creeping up to them step by thunderous step, the four conserved what stamina they had left to make a sprint for it. As it raised its sword above its head, the monster swung down at Ignis’ direction, only to have it intercepted by an invisible force. He staggered backwards from the reverberating ring of the clash of metals.
The figure he saw earlier at the top of the fort wall appeared out of thin air in front of him. The adviser quickly noticed the unmarked clothing made of flowing, air-light material; they were Phantom Fatigues.
There was only one family he knew who wore those.
She faced the Red Giant with unflinching bravado with a pair of fabricated curved blades at her hands. The daemon quickly parried her attack with its giant sword and she quickly jumped back. The figure then wrote something illegible in the air followed with swirling red wisps surrounding her. Lunging at the creature again, she jumped up into the starlit night sky and landed the dual blades onto the shoulder blade of its sword arm. The giant roared in pain as she freed one blade, turned and beheaded it with one swift movement from behind.
Holy Ifrit. She took down a Red Giant alone.
As the daemon melted back into the black puddle it spawned from, the four boys saw their savior dismount back on the grassy earth, waver and collapse on the ground in a short beat. They slowly picked themselves back up and gathered near her fallen form.
“Who the hell is she?” Gladio panted out.
“Whoever it is, they saved us,” Prompto chimed in. “That’s all that matters to me.”
“It’s (Y/N),” Ignis finally answered in a hushed voice. “It appears she’s been watching us.”
“Let’s get outta here first before more of these things wanna come out to play,” Noct finalized with a huff of breath.
Ignis scooped her up into his arms and hurriedly made their way to the haven. He felt (Y/N)’s muscles were stressed and heavy, her breathing shallow like she was teetering at Death’s door. While Gladio, Noct and Prompto set up the camping equipment, Ignis stayed by (Y/N)’s side to make sure she was comfortable. He folded his jacket up into a makeshift pillow for her. Upon removing her hood, he found it strange the glasses he was so used to seeing her wear were replaced with a mesh fabric blindfold. His worries and concerns were slowly drifting away now that she was in front of him.
When she slowly came to, a soft groan escaped her lips and her eyes fluttered open. They gradually widened to meet Ignis’ worried ones. Before he could say anything, (Y/N) jumped up and assumed a defensive position as panic rose up. Gladio and Noct jumped while Prompto and Ignis remained neutral. Heaving hard breaths, she looked like a cornered feral animal ready to pounce.
“Whoa! Whoa!” Prompto soothed with his palms up. “(Y/N), i-it’s us! You’re safe.”
“Where...” She spoke through a clenched jaw, still hyper-sensitive of her surroundings. Her veiled eyes darted around with fear. “Where are we?”
“Camp,” the blond boy tranquilly answered. “We’re at a safe haven.”
She softened her stance and collapsed on the ground, letting a drawn out shaky breath. Her hand reached up and gripped the side of her head, lightly hissing in pain.
“(Y/N)...” Ignis softly called and reached out to her, only to have her violently flinch away.
“Don’t touch me!” she screamed and shook in place.
He tried to get a good look at her; her fragile state of mind and heightened senses indicated she hadn’t slept much, if at all. Even the smallest sound could scare her away. He needed to act quickly before she decided to run.
“(Y/N)… I received your letter. At the hotel in Lestallum,” he quietly spoke. “I’m sorry about what happened.”
She merely nodded and wiped away some stray tears streaking down her cheek.
“Stay with us tonight. You’ll be safe here,” Ignis suggested in a soothing voice.
She silently agreed with another nod of her head while the prince and the Shield let out a small breath of relief. The four boys then gathered at one end of the haven.
“So what should we do?” Noct asked and looked over his shoulder at (Y/N), placing his hands on his hips.
“Leave her be,” Ignis replied. “Let’s get the fire going first and I’ll start food.”
“Iggy, we can’t leave her like this,” Prompto objected. “Look at her!”
“Prompto, just trust me,” he tiredly insisted. “There’s nothing we can do right now.”
“You’ve… seen her like this before, haven’t you?” Gladio quietly inquired.
“Unfortunately, yes.” He sighed and pushed his glasses up. “From when she locked herself away from the world.”
They went about their usual tasks while (Y/N) stayed stationary and silently observed. The pain from her temples died down to a pulsating numbing sensation like a caffeine withdrawal. Her eyes then wandered to Ignis’ back profile, who was in the middle of preparing dinner. She never realized how wide they were, as if he could shoulder the weight of the world on them. Sensing a presence to her left, her head quickly jerked to see Gladio with a cup in his hands.
“Here,” he softly said and handed her the mug. “Iggy said the tea would help.”
Meekly thanking the muscular man, she took it from him and slowly sipped it, taking in the aromas of honey and chrysanthemum. The two sat quietly. Eventually, Noct and Prompto made their way over to her end.
“How’re you feeling, (Y/N)?” Prompto gently asked with worried blue eyes.
“Bit better, thanks,” she quietly answered hoarsely.
“You really saved our asses back there,” Noct chimed in and rubbed the back of his head. “Thanks.”
She curtly nodded at the prince and went back to sipping from her cup, exuding an aura of not wanting to talk. Dinner was ready after a short moment and Ignis handed out everyone’s portion. He then gestured to (Y/N) to sit in his chair, to which she shook her head and declined.
“I’m fine on the ground,” she muttered out and stirred her food with her spoon. Tonight was Dry-Aged Tender Roast Stew. She took a small bite of food and paused to take in the flavor. She then took a bigger bite, as if trying to make sense of something. Her body felt like it was being healed and comforted with every spoonful.
It tasted different than his usual cooking, it was… deeper. She glanced up at his side profile, focused on eating and deep in thought.
Did he make this with her in mind?
Ignis felt (Y/N)’s stare and turned to her.
“Is the food not to your liking?”
“N-No. No...” She immediately looked down at her now empty bowl. “It was… delicious.”
“I can see that.”
Gladio noticed the amount of earth on her clothes and asked, “How long have you been out here by yourself?”
“Four, five days, maybe...”
“When was the last time you slept or ate?”
“Four, five days...”
“That would explain the paranoia and disorientation,” Ignis concluded. “Earlier today… that was you on top of the Niflheim fort, wasn’t it?”
“I was looking for weak points,” (Y/N) responded emotionlessly and set her bowl down. “To infiltrate.”
“By yourself?! You lookin’ to die?!” Gladio scolded.
“I refuse sit by and watch everything burn.” She stared down the tattooed man down through her blindfold. “Not anymore.”
The five sat in silence while the fire crackled into the dark night. Prompto was the first to break the ice.
“So how come you’re wearing a blindfold, (Y/N)?”
She unconsciously reached up and gently touched it, trying to think of the words to explain.
“It’s… complicated.”
“But you can still see, right?” the blond gunslinger asked with concern.
“My vision’s more than substantial, yes...” She took a small breath and lightly sighed, fully aware of what’s running through their minds. “I’m sure you all have questions about what happened and I’ll… try my best to answer them.”
Gladio was the first to jump at the opportunity.
“So how were you able to take on that Giant alone?”
She searched for the right way to answer him.
“You were awakened,” Ignis assumed.
“Forcefully, yes,” she dejectedly confirmed.
“Awakened?” Noct asked.
“Everyone in the (YL/N) have a different ability based on their personality,” she explained. “There are three ways to awaken; Kill someone closest to us, experience a traumatizing situation or willingly transfer your powers to the last person you’re thinking of before dying.”
She took a brief pause before continuing.
“It’s rare an ability’s repeated in our bloodline, but it’s happened. It’s considered a blessing from our ancestors. Both my brothers, Azrael and Chronos had that. It was only natural for my parents to think they were the gifted ones.”
“So what’s your ability?” the crown prince enquired.
“Remember how I told you at the start I was a taker?”
She inhaled and raised her right hand up. She scribbled the kanji of “sound” with her index finger. The character then dissipated into a wisp of air and almost instantaneously, a loud buzzing rang in their ears as they looked around in confusion. Prompto opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He grabbed his throat and tried again, only to be met with silence and started panicking. She then negated her previous action with a simple wave of her hand.
“–DUNGEON ALL OVER AGAIN–” the blond boy screamed and abruptly stopped by clasping his mouth shut with his hands. His voice echoed into the vast darkness, where distant roar from a daemon replied.
“Do go on, (Y/N),” Ignis disregarded the blond boy’s outburst and casually rubbed his ear.
“My ability, ‘Spirited Away,’ allows me to take things and use it to my advantage. When I took away ‘sound’, I could fully utilize my stealth and efficiently eliminate a threat. With the Red Giant, I took its ‘strength,’” she revealed. “However, I can only use half of what I take and the time-limit has built up to around three to four minutes.”
“Do you have conditions that need to be met when you use it? What about the rebounds?” Ignis questioned with concern.
“As expected of a Scientia to do their research...” she applauded. “It seems the only condition so far is the opposite party can’t know my ability exists. Otherwise, its effects are nullified. As for the rebound, well...” she wryly chuckled. “You saw for yourself.”
“If your ability’s to ‘steal’ something, how was it that you used dual blades with the Red Giant then?” Noct questioned.
“The answer to that is condition number three.”
“Your brothers…” Ignis concluded. She merely nodded in silence as a confirmation and sighed heavily.
“The blades, Silentium Ferro,” She held her hand out and summoned one with a grey haze exuding out of her arm. The curved black blade gleamed with ill will from the reflection of the camp fire. “Were Azrael’s. And…” (Y/N) removed her blindfold and slowly opened her eyes, revealing golden orange colored orbs. “These were Chronos’. The blood binding us makes rejecting them impossible. Our powers feed on the darkness of our souls, so the more we kill...”
“The stronger you become,” Gladio finished.
(Y/N) then released Ferro from her hand and dissipated back into the air. Her expression was dark and emotionless, as if the memory of how she obtained her brothers’ relics played on repeat in her mind.
“Their abilities are much more draining to use due to the weight of their sins compared to my own.”
“You said your family forcefully awakened you...” Noct circled back. “What exactly happened?”
(Y/N) sighed and looked down at the rocky ground.
“It started with the day of the treaty signing...”
#ignis scientia#ffxv fanfiction#ffxv fanfic#ff15 fanfiction#ff15 fanfic#gladiolus amicitia#prompto argentum#noctis lucis caelum#ignis x reader?#next to you
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pjo au!!!
Ok so the au is pretty intricate so my plan is to do a post for each character’s backstory and then do another post for the plot! I’ll also probably do some miniposts on character relationships in this au that get glossed over- this post will be about Lance
Lance is a son of Aphrodite (and great grandson of a son of Poseidon), Pidge is a daughter of Athena, Keith is a son of Ares, Shiro is a son of Jupiter, Hunk is a son of Demeter, Allura is a daughter of Bellona, and Coran is a centaur (like Chiron)
Ok so the Garrison is a safe house where demigods can go (Roman and Greek) run by older demigods and others (Coran, Alfor, etc.). The Garrison offers academics for demigods, boarding, training, and pretty much everything in between
Alright so I want to delve a little bit into Lance (like i said this will be a bit lance centric before I get into actual plot)
Lance has been there the longest out of almost the entire group (Allura has officially been there the longest, her father was the grandson of Justice and she grew up only ever knowing the Garrison as home)
Lance arrived at the Garrison when he was nine. Lance is the oldest sibling of 7 and he was the only demigod out of them (the poseidon blood in all the kids wasn’t potent so no one had any powers or the like). But because Lance was a full on demigod he kept attracting monsters to his house, and he felt really guilty, so his mom took him to the Garrison where he stays full time (only writing some letters back and forth with his family)
To say he’s homesick is an understatement
At the time of this story he’s 19 and yea he’s got insecurities…
When Lance first arrived to the Garrison he thought things would go great for him, he imagined glory and training to fight monsters… but that didn’t exactly go as planned
Lance was automatically labeled the stereotypical Aphrodite kid and this kind of branded his life there
Lance always tried desperately to break the idea that all Aphrodite kids’ were airheads and only cared about makeup
He studied so hard in his classes, and trained even harder. He brushed off his homesickness and just put in all the effort he could
Yet he was still one of the last picked for capture the flag and even then he was given little responsibility
Sure, he fit a lot of the stereotypes, he was a massive flirt, his pride was his skin care routine, and his saturdays were spent watching rom-coms with his other sibling
But he still was a good demigod- he was an excellent sharpshooter and if anyone let him prove himself instead of brushing him off they too would see his talents
Though the campers will admit that he has an exceptional ability with the pegasi- especially a grayish mare named Blue, who only has one wing and was too scared to let anyone near her before Lance showed up
Then when Lance is thirteen in walks two new demigods- Takashi Shirogane and Keith Kogane
At the time Lance had few friends (other than his siblings) despite his seemingly outgoing personality. He mostly was too afraid that he’d have to leave them like he did his family, so the majority of his time was spent hanging with Coran, creating wild variations of common card games (Allura was also a constant for Lance, she was two years older than him and Coran’s niece, so they ended up forming a brotherly/sisterly bond with one another- which definitely entails Lance braiding Allura’s hair all the time and especially before she goes on a quest)
Shiro was 17 at the time and Keith 13, they had been foster brothers coincidentally and their foster mother may or may not have been a monster in disguise
Lance despises Keith from the start- he’s everything he’s not
Keith is a son of Ares, he barely has to work to match right up to Lance’s fighting abilities that took years of practice and he’s instantly respected by fellow campers
So yea, Lance declares a rivalry on him and Keith is honestly just really confused because he’s barely even had a conversation with the guy ??
Shiro ends up being a bit of a star at camp, being one of the few children of the Big Three
He’s powerful and has especially skill in controlling lightning and storms, Lance immediately looks up to him
And then not even a week into Keith being at the Garrison he gets a quest
AND LANCE IS FLOORED
because he’s been there for four years now ?? and where is his quest at ??
Coran makes sure to calm Lance down a bit and it works mostly, but it still leaves a lasting impression and Lance can’t help think that it means something (maybe he is just a stereotypical Aphrodite kid after all)
Alright so it’s almost a year later after all this, Lance is keeping his rivalry going with Keith, and he’s chilling with Allura, drinking some lemonade playing a card game when he meets a new demigod, Hunk Garrett (son of Demeter)
They’re basically instant best friends (and Coran is a proud dad bc look at his son finally making friends!!)
Hunk is one of the best things to happen to Lance, he reminds Lance of his mom which provides an even greater sense of home to the Garrison
Hunk is the first person that Lance takes to try and befriend wit Blue
It takes awhile but eventually Blue takes a liking to Hunk (especially after he shares his famed oat cookies with her)
Hunk is Lance Protection Squad (you know how Demeter went apeshit on those people that trespassed in her woods- yea thats Hunk when people try to disregard Lance, etc)
The friendship is just really good for both of them and they make an awesome power duo (especially in capture the flag- which no one suspects)
However, there’s this one time when Lance is going through a rough spot. Keith had gotten another quest (Lance still was holding out for his first) and when he came back he was praised by everyone. However, he got injured on it and has to sit out for capture the flag that night. The Ares Cabin reluctantly adds Lance to their team, but ensures that he knows it’s only because Keith is injured
And yea that reinforces a lot of insecurities that Lance was just starting to get over
Hunk tries to console his friend after the game by bringing him some comfort food, but Lance just snaps at him and tells him to throw it all out- he doesn’t want it, and Hunk does just that
Lance is shocked
Hunk is shocked (he would never waste his food)
And that’s how it was found out that Lancecould charmspeak
Lance immediately apologized, he felt awful for snapping at Hunk and even worse for forcing him into something. Lance and Hunk come to an agreement not to tell anyone about it, but it terrifies Lance. He hates that his voice can make someone go against their will (he makes sure to never give anyone orders)
Then just a couple months after Hunk arrives, so does a new demigod, Pidge Gunderson, child of Athena
For some reason Lance just has this overwhelming feeling that he has to be friends with this little shit
To say Pidge is unwelcoming to the idea was a major understatement
But eventually Hunk and Lance grew on Pidge
They became known as a trio, never separating from each other
They were each other’s best friends for nearly five years when a great prophecy was given
It called for six demigods
apparently, there had been an underground resistance group composed of gods and demigods that wanted to overthrow Olympus
they were known as the Gods Allegiance to the Lesser Revered Authorities, or GALRA for short
So Lance finally got his wish to go on this quest and three of his best friends were going with him and so was his hero! But then there were the downsides… like the imminent death of the whole thing
And the worst of all- spending an indefinite time with Keith Kogane
#pjo au#voltron#vld#lance mcclain#pidge gunderson#hunk garrett#takashi shirogane#keith kogane#allura#coran#voltron: legendary defender#lance (voltron)#pidge (voltron)#hunk (voltron)#shiro (voltron)#keith (voltron)#allura (voltron)#coran (voltron)#langst
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