#Let Carol Spirit Bomb

[topazy]

Teen spirit

Pairing: Carl Grimes × reader, Maggie Greene × sister reader

Warnings: Blood and violence

Chapter: 5.03

You stand in the church hall, holding Judith protectively as Sasha pulls her blade from her belt and threatens Father Gabriel. Daryl, Carol, and Bob had gone missing during the night, and she blamed him for it.

“Where are our people?” She screams.

He raises his hands defensively and says, “I didn’t have anything to do with this.”

“Where are our people?”

“Please, I don’t have anything to do with this. I…”

Rick pulls Sasha back, then steps directly in front of Gabriel with the same crazed look in his eyes that he had when your group was taken. “Why’d you bring us here?”

“Please, I…”

“Are you working with someone?” Rick asks, stepping closer to him.

“I’m alone. I’m alone. I was always alone.”

You felt bad for Father Gabriel; it didn’t feel right to question a man of God in his own church. It was obvious Gabriel was hiding some dark secret, but you believed he had nothing to do with the three members of your group going missing.

“What about the women in the food bank, Gabriel? What did you do to her? ‘You’ll burn for this.’ That was for you. Why? What are you going to burn up for? Rick suddenly lunges forward and grabs him by the collar. What? What did you do? What did you do?”

Gabriel’s eyes fill with tears; he struggles to maintain eye contact with anyone in the room. “I lock the doors at night. I always lock the doors at night. I always…they started coming, my congregation. Atlanta was bombed the night before, and they were scared. They were looking for a safe place, a place where they felt safe. And it was so early. It was so early. And the doors were still locked. You see, it was my choice. There were so many of them, and they were trying to pry the shutters and banging on the siding, screaming at me. And so the dead came for them. Women…children. Entire families called my name as they were torn apart, begging me for mercy.” He breaks down in tears, “begging me for mercy. Damn me to hell. I buried their bones. I buried it all.” Gabriel takes a deep breath and says, “The Lord sent you here to finally punish me. I’m damned. I was damned before. I always locked the doors. I always locked the doors.”

You watch as the father crumbles to the ground, an emotional mess, grieving the loss of his congregation that was indirectly caused by him. Hearing a whistling sound, you turn behind you to look out the window. You manage to make out a figurine wriggling on the ground outside. “There’s someone lying outside in the grass!”

Sasha leads the way as the adults rush outside, with Rick ordering you and Carl to stay behind with Judith. When you hear gunfire, you run away from the window and stand by Carl on the other side of the room. At the same time, Sasha and Rosita carry Bob inside. You fight back the scream that builds inside you as you notice one of his legs is gone.

They sit Bob down in the middle of the aisle. “I was in a graveyard,” he explains. “Somebody knocked me out. I woke up outside this place; it looked like a school. It was that guy, Gareth. And five others. They were eating my leg right in front of me, like it was nothing. They were all proud, like they had it all figured out.”

The room falls silent until you clear your throat and shakily say, “Rick was right; you should have gone back and killed them all.”

“Hope,” Maggie says, looking across at you with a look of shock on her face.

“Like I’m wrong? Look at what they did to Bob! What if they took Daryl and Carol as well?”

“Gareth said they drove off,” Bob says before letting out a groan of pain.

Sasha tries to get painkillers for Bob, but he tells her to save them. He pulls down his top at the shoulder to show her a walker bite. “It happened at the food bank.”

Everyone in the room's eyes tear up. Bob was going to die regardless of what anyone did; nobody could help him now.

—

While Tyreese and Sasha move Bob to the sofa in Gabriel’s office, Carl puts Judith, who is starting to cry, to bed in a basket full of blankets. Rick and Glenn try to discuss what should happen next, but Abraham interrupts them.

“It’s time for a reality check,” the redhead says. “We all need to leave for DC right now.”

Rick stares him down. “Daryl and Carol are going to be back. We’re not going anywhere without them.”

“I respect that, but there’s a clear threat to Eugene. I need to extract his ass before things get any uglier. So if y’all won’t come, good luck to you. We’ll go our separate ways.”

As Abraham and Rosita head for the doors leading out the church, Rick asks, “You leaving on foot? “

“We fixed that damn bus ourselves.”

“There are a lot more of us.”

“You want to keep it that way? You should come.”

Rick and Abraham now stand in front of each other in the church aisle, both of them riled up with anger and ready to burst.

“Carol saved your life; we saved your life,” Rick hisses at him.

“Well, I am trying to save yours. Save everyone’s.”

“We’re not going anywhere without our people.”

“Your people took off.”

“They’re coming back.”

Glenn jumps between the two men when Abraham shives Rick, separating them before things can escalate. “Do you really think that you’re going to be any safer leaving right now in the middle of the night?”

“Yeah,” Abraham nods. “Yeah, I do, actually.”

“It doesn’t matter when you leave,” you say as you step forward. “Those freaks will still be outside. They didn’t bring Bob back here to be saved; they brought him back here so you would go after them. I guarantee you they will either be outside waiting for someone to wander off on their own, or they will be waiting for the rest of us to be left here vulnerable.”

Rick narrows his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Think about it. You go out there looking for retaliation with your best fighters, who’s left here. Me? Carl? Judith? They don’t just want to kill us; they want to make us suffer first, and the best way to do that is by hurting the ones we love.”

A look you’d never seen before appears on Rick’s face; it’s caused a lump to form in your throat. It’s hard to tell, but he looks a mixture of furious and sad.

“She’s right,” Tara says, walking to Abraham. “I have a plan, but for it to work, we need to all stick together. If you still have one more day, I’ll go with you to DC.”

Abraham nods. “Glenn and Maggie, too.”

When Rick tells him no, Abraham orders Rosita and Eugene to leave with him immediately. As they go to leave, Rick says they can’t take the bus again, causing another argument that almost comes to a physical fight, but Glenn jumps in between them again. “If you stay, you stay and help us, and me, Maggie, and Hope will go with you.”

Your heart sinks. Maggie was your sister, and Glenn was your brother-in-law but the rest of the group was your family as well. You weren’t leaving, but now wasn’t the time for that argument.

—

You, Carl, Rosita, Tyreese, Eugene, and Gabriel all hide in the back office, watching over Bob and Judith while waiting for the plan to roll into action. Nervously, you bite at your nails, which doesn’t go unnoticed.

“You worried they won’t be back in time?” Rosita asks quietly.

“No, it was just something else.”

She smiles softly at you. “You don’t want to leave for DC, do you? It’s okay if you don’t.”

Your mouth suddenly feels dry. “No, I don’t, but that wasn’t where my head was at. I was thinking about what Bob said about the school.”

“The elementary school?”

“He said it was jammed packed full of walkers, and it didn’t look as if it would hold for much longer.”

She says, “One problem at a time, kid. But I like that you are thinking ahead; it’s a good quality to have.”

After some time, you sit alone again, back pressed against the wall, until Carl sits down beside you with Judith in his arms. You smile at the baby until you hear the sound of wood being broken. Scared, you grab Carl’s free hand, as the door to the church is broken. For a split second, Carl allows you to do this, but he quickly pulls his hand away, then hands you Judith before standing and aiming his gun at the door leading into the office.

“Well, I guess you know we’re here.” Gareth calls out. “And we know you’re here. And we’re armed. So there’s really no point in hiding anymore.”

Rosita puts her fingers to her lips, then steps closer to the door, aiming her own gun at it.

The floorboard creaked underneath the weight of footsteps, meaning they were getting closer. “We’ve been watching you. We know who’s here. There’s Bob, unless you’ve put him out of his misery already. And Eugene. Rosita. Martin’s good friend Tyreese. The girl who kicked Steve in the balls, Hope. Carl. Judith.”

The moment Gareth says her name, you stand and pull the blade from your belt. There was no way you were letting them take her.

“Rick and the rest walked out with a lot of your guns. Listen, we don’t know where you all are, but this isn’t a big place. So let’s just stop this now before things get more painful than they need to be.”

Tears of terror swell in your eyes when the door handle begins to rattle.

“Look, you’re behind one of these two doors, and we have more than enough firepower to take down both. I can't imagine that’s what you all want.” Gareth cocks his gun. “How about the priest? Father, if you help us wrap this up, we’ll let you walk away from it. Just open the door, and you can go. You can take the baby with you. What do you say?”

Judith begins to cry, her eyes heavy with tiredness. You quietly try and coo her to sleep, prying; she stopped being so loud, even though you know Gareth and his men heard her cry.

“It’s your last chance right now to tell us you’re coming out.”

Seconds later, gunfire echoes in the church, followed by an altercation and people screaming. Tyreese cracks the door open and looks out before slowly coming back into the room. He mutters, “It’s our people.”

You hand Judith to Carl and leave the room to check on your sister, but you’re greeted by the grisly sight of massacred bodies. Their blood was splattered across the walls and windows. Father Gabriel steps out behind you and says, “This is the Lord's house.”

“No,” Maggie states. “It’s just four walls and a roof.”

You step over the bodies and hug her and Glenn.

—

After burying Bob, who died early in the morning, your group began to part ways, leaving you with the difficult task of letting your sister know you weren’t going with her and Glenn. You wanted them to stay, but they weren’t going to go back on their promise to Abraham.

“It’s not up for debate; you’re coming with us, and that’s final.”

“No, I’m not. I’m not leaving for DC.” In truth, you didn’t believe there was much hope in DC but wouldn’t dare share it out loud; you doubted and wanted to cast doubt on those who did believe.

“Yes, you are.”

Glenn ushers you both to the opposite side of the road as others begin to listen in on your conversation, which is quickly turning into an argument. “What about Beth? We can’t go if she’s still here.”

“I’ve already lost one sister; I’m not going to just lose you too.”

You shake your head. “I’ve made up my mind.”

“Maggie, she’s fifteen,” Glenn says quietly. “We can’t force her to come; let her stay. We’ll all meet up again. Besides, she’ll probably be safer here than on a bus.”

“Whenever our group splits up, something bad happens.”

Rick clears his throat. “I don’t mean to pry, but I’ll look after Hope as if she’s my own. I won’t let anything happen to her.”

Maggie looks torn, but after thinking about it, she agrees. “Fine, but you’ll do everything Rick says.”

“I will, I promise.” You wrap your arms around Maggie and say, “I love you.”

“I love you too, and I need you to stay safe for me.”

After an emotional goodbye, the bus taking one half of your group drives off. Part of you feels lost. You really thought you and Maggie would stick together this time, but you couldn’t bear the thought of leaving and starting a new life halfway across the country while Beth was possibly still looking for her family. Rick squeezes your shoulder. “I’m glad you stayed; I know Carl and Judith really need you.”

You sigh, “I need them too.”

You turn to look up at Rick, who still had small traces of blood on his top, face, and neck. “Last night we might have walked into a trap, but you were able to see something we didn’t. I’m proud of you; I'm sure Hershel would be proud of you as well.”

“Thanks Rick.”

You go inside to join the remaining members of your group. The bodies of the dead had already been moved outside, but their blood still remained everywhere. Seeing Gabriel looking so distraught, you go to the small kitchen and fill a bucket with a small amount of water, grab some old-looking clothes and a small amount of soap of water, and return to where the blood stains are. You kneel down and begin to scrub at the blood on the floor. Carl joins you, giving you a small smile as he does.

#the walking dead #carl grimes x reader #carl grimes x you #Carl Grimes #teen spirit #carl grimes/reader #carl grimes fanfic #carl grimes fanfiction #Carl Grimes/you #maggie greene x sister reader #the walking dead fanfic #the walking dead x reader #the walking dead fandom #the walking dead fanfiction

[averyqueerchristmas]

I've been putting together this list of Queer Holiday films for a while now and I'm honestly surprised at the amount I have found. Now I haven't seen most of these, a lot of these have Queer side characters and not main characters (I'll be sure to mention which ones are which). I currently have over 40 Holiday films that feature a Queer character, I'll obviously not be watching all of them this year but I'll watch a good bit of them and post my thoughts about the representation and how much said Queer character is actually shown in the movie and whether or not it should be on this list. (Apologies if any of these are wrong, again I haven't seen most of these). I’ll add to this list if I find more. Obviously the ones you don't want to pay for you can probably find *ahem* elsewhere..

Some Of My Best Friends Are... - 1971 (I believe this can be found on Youtube) - Gay, Lesbian (Main).

Home For The Holidays - 1995 (Redbox, Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

What's Cooking - 2000 (Tubi) - Lesbian, Gay (Main).

Holiday Heart - 2000 (Tubi) - Gay (Main).

8 Women - 2002 (DVD) - Lesbian, Bisexual (Main).

Tokyo Godfathers - 2003 (Tubi) - Trans (Main). (There is Transphobia in this but that doesn't put Hana down, she's great. In the Dubbed version she is voiced by a Trans Actress).

Rent - 2005 (HBO Max) - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual (Main).

Imagine Me & You - 2005 (AppleTV, Redbox , you have to pay) - Lesbian, Bisexual (Main).

The Family Stone - 2005 (Starz Subscription, Hulu Premium, Amazon Premium) - Gay (Main).

Regarding Billy - 2005 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

Breakfast With Scot - 2007 (Vudu, SlingTV , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

Make The Yuletide Gay - 2009 (Amazon Premium) - Gay (Main).

Everybody’s Fine - 2009 (PlutoTV) - Bisexual (Main).

Scrooge & Marley - 2012 (Vudu, Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

Red Lodge - 2013 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

Carol - 2015 (Tubi) - Lesbian (Main).

Tangerine - 2015 (Paramount+, Showtime Subscription) - Trans (Main).

Shared Rooms - 2016 (Tubi) - Gay (Main).

Anna And The Apocalypse - 2017 (Tubi) - Sapphic (Main-ish).

We Need A Little Christmas - 2017 (Youtube) - Lesbian (Main).

Lez Bomb - 2018 (Tubi) - Lesbian (Main).

Christmas Around The Corner - 2018 (Vudu, Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Side/Background).

Holiday Help Desk - 2018 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Lesbian (Main).

Season Of Love - 2019 (Tellofilms , you have to pay) - Lesbian (Main).

Let It Snow - 2019 (Netflix) - Lesbian (Main-ish).

Turkey Drop - 2019 (Youtube) - Lesbian (Main-ish).

The Postie - 2019 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Lesbian (Main).

City Of Trees - 2019 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Lesbian (Main).

Moonlit Winter - 2019 (Tubi) - Lesbian (Main).

Twinkle All The Way - 2019 (Amazon Premium) - Gay (Possibly Side but idk).

Ghosting: Spirit Of Christmas - 2019 (Hulu Premium) - Sapphic (Main).

I Hate New Year's - 2020 (Vudu, Amazon , you have to pay) - Lesbian (Main?).

A New York Christmas Wedding - 2020 (Netflix) - Lesbian (Main).

Happiest Season - 2020 (Hulu) - Lesbian, Gay (Main).

Will You Merry Me? -2020 (Lesflicks , you have to pay) - Lesbian (Main).

The Christmas Lottery - 2020 (BET Subscription, Hulu Premium, Amazon Premium) - Lesbian (Main)

Dashing In December - 2020 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

The Christmas House - 2020 (Prime) - Gay (Main).

The Christmas Setup - 2020 (Hulu Premium, Amazon , you have to pay, if you’re in Canada this movie if free on CTV) - Gay (Main).

Friendsgiving - 2020 (Netflix) - Several Queer characters (Main).

Christmas With The Darlings - 2021 (Philo Subscription, FuboTV Subscription) - Lesbian (Side)

Christmas At The Ranch - 2021 (Tubi, Prime, Peacock) - Lesbian (Main).

The Syd Family Xmas Eve Game Night - 2021 (Apologies I don’t know where to find this, they have a website though) - Lesbian (Main).

Silent Night - 2021 (Amazon Premium) - Lesbian (Main-ish).

Christmas ...Again? - 2021 (Disney+) - Gay (Main-ish).

An Unexpected Christmas - 2021 (AppleTV, Amazon, Vudu , you have to pay) - Lesbian (Side).

A Picture Perfect Holiday - 2021 (Lifetime) - Lesbian (Side).

Christmas Is Canceled - 2021 (Amazon Subscription) - Sapphic (Side)

You Make It Feel Like Christmas - 2021 (Peacock Subscription) - Lesbian (Side).

Every time a Bell Rings - 2021 (Amazon Premium) - Lesbian (Main-ish).

Single All The Way - 2021 (Netflix) - Gay (Main).

The Christmas House 2 - 2021 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

Under The Christmas Tree - 2021 (Hulu) - Lesbian (Main).

A Jenkins Family Christmas - 2021 (BET, Hulu Premium, Amazon Premium, you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

The Bitch Who Stole Christmas - 2021 (Amazon , you have to pay) - Gay (Main).

The Holiday Sitter - 2022 (Hallmark) - Gay (Main). (Releases Dec.11)

Merry & Gay - 2022 (AppleTV) - Lesbian (Main).

Spoiler Alert - 2022 (In Theaters) - Gay (Main).

Looking For Her - 2022 (Tubi) - Lesbian (Main).

A Christmas To Treasure - 2022 (Lifetime) - Gay (Main).

The Christmas Clapback - 2022 (BET+) - Lesbian (Side-ish).

Something From Tiffany's - 2022 (Prime) - Lesbian (Side).

#christmas #xmas #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqa #gay christmas #lgbtq christmas #winter #christmas eve #lgbtq shows #lesbian #gay #bisexual #transgender #pansexual #asexual #non binary #queer christmas #queer #christmas movies #happy december #merry christmas #november #snow #christmas blog #gay couple #lesbian couple #alphabet mafia #christmas shows

[princesshillaryellaworld25]

Lila Sky's Execution(My AU)

*Shrugfriend household*

Drugfriend: Ah, such a peaceful day. Hmmm I should check the news on my phone.

Drugfriend pulled out his phone to check the news.

Drugfriend: Hmmm *gasp* Oh....my...GOD! GUYS YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!

Sick BF: Huh?

Sick GF: What's up?

Penelope: What happened Drugfriend?

Yuki: Dude, what happened?

Nan Pengyou: We came as fast as we can, what happened?

Drugfriend: You know the trial of Lila Sky's sentence?

Sick BF: Uhhhh yeah, we watched it. She was found guilty.

Drugfriend: Well good news guys....SHE GETTING EXECUTED!

Yuki: Wow! Really?!

Sick GF: WOOOOO FINALLY, THE DAY HAS COME FOR THAT BITCH TO DIE!

Sick BF: Yay! Now we don't have to deal with her anymore.

Penelope: Finally!

Nan Pengyou: I never thought Lila Sky would be executed. I thought she get life in prison.

Drugfriend: Well she did do a lot of bad things but everyone wants her dead.

Sick GF: Well I wanna watch!

Yuki: Me too!

Sick Girlfriend and Yuki sat next to Drugfriend on the couch.

Yuki: I heard the execution would be sacrificed Lamb, That execution involves three security robots with chain-jaws and the a killer dog while the prisoner has a bomb wrapped around their neck! Ohhh I can't wait to see Lila Sky torned apart!

Sick GF: it's gonna be very bloody and gory! I can't wait!

Drugfriend: Me too! What about you guys?

Nan Pengyou, Sick Boyfriend and Penelope looked very unpleased when they heard there was gonna be blood.

Sick GF: What's wrong guys?

Yuki: Yeah, are you okay?

NP,SBF,P: Mmmmmmm.....

Drugfriend, Sick Girlfriend and Yuki then realized that they are not comfortable with blood, gore or violence.

Drugfriend: Hey, you guys don't have to watch it.

Sick GF: Yeah.

Yuki: You guys don't have to watch it if you're uncomfortable.

Sick BF:Hmmmmm, It's fine we'll watch it.

Penelope: Yeah, E-Even if there's gore and b-blood....

Nan Pengyou: I guess....

Drugfriend: That's the spirit! Come sit with us!

Sick BF: Okay!

They all sat down as Drugfriend turned on the tv and put it on the news.

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

PTN: Parodies town News!

Molly Wonder: Good morning, I'm newsreoprter Molly Wonders with some breaking news! Apparently, Parodies Town's most hated and evil troublemaker Lila Sky Bridges is finally going to executed after being found guilty of many crimes. I'm pass it on to SunnyDay, Sunny?

Sunny Day: Thank you, Molly. I'm here at the Parodies town police station where there are holding the execution live on tv and online. As you can see, there are a lot of people crowding around the police station waiting for Lila Sky to be executed. Let's see what everyone's response's to this:

Pico: I'm glad Lila Sky is getting executed, I can't stand that psychopath, she's worse than my ex-girlfriend Tiffany!😡

Tabi: I hope she gets what she deserves!😡

B3: Serves her right!😡

Shaya: Yeah, we want her dead!😡

Vincent(BF): Hope you get what you deserve Lila Sky!

Galina(GF):Yeah!

Darnell: That bitch is getting what she deserve!

Benny(BF Wow): That mean lady is being punished for what she did!

Corey(Child BF)& Chloe(Child GF): Yeah!

Carol: I'm glad she's getting what she deserves.

Mr. Bridges: I never thought that Spoiled brat that my so-called wife would get executed, I hope in the next life, she changes.

Marifriend: I hope she gets what she deserves.😔

Sunny Day: Well there you have it folks, everyone in Parodies town wants Lila Sky dead for all the terrible things she had done. Now let's head to the execution chamber.

In the execution chamber:

Lila Sky was strapped into sliver board standing up. Lila Sky was afraid that this was happening to her.

Officer Meggy: Lila Sky Bridges, you are found guilty of a lot of crimes such as theft, kidnapping, attempted murder, assault, fraud and other crimes that may not be mentioned. You are hereby sentenced to death by being a sacrified lamb to the killer security bots and the razor dog.

Lila Sky: THIS IS BULLSHIT! I DEMAND YOU LET ME GO! I DON'T DESERVE TO BE EXECUTED!

Officer Meggy: Well you should've thought of that before you decided to do all those bad thing, now it's time to face your punishment!

Lila Sky: No I don't want to die! Let me out!

Officer Meggy: Too bad, Lila Sky. You deserve this, now let's start the execution. *presses the button*

Two Security bots showed up holding chain-saws in killer mode and a razor guard dog with red glowing eyes showed up and it was growling at Lila Sky.

Officer Meggy: Alright, now let's get this execution started!

Lila Sky: W-Wait, can I have a say in this?!

Officer Meggy: Nope, you don't. Oh and by the way, you see that mechanical collar on your neck?

Lila Sky looked down on her neck to see a techincal collar on her neck.

Lila Sky: W-What is this?!

Officer Meggy: You're about to find out! Any last words?

Lila Sky: I'LL DESTROY YOU ALL WHEN I COME BACK, YOU'LL ALL SEE!!!!!

Officer Meggy: Yeah,Yeah whatever. *turns the robots and dog on to killer mode*

Security bots: *Killer mode activiated, target locked*

Razor dog: (growling and barking) *opens his mouth to show his buzzsaw teeth*

Lila Sky: *gulp* W-wait, I don't wanna die, p-please, AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Security bots and the razor dog began to brutally attack Lila Sky who was screaming in pain. Blood was coming out of everywhere and the razor dog began to eat her body.

Drugfriend: Yeah! How do you like that Lila sky?!

Sick GF: KILL HER A$$!

Yuki: Yeah, tear her ass up!

Sick Boyfriend was covering his eyes while Penelope and Nan pengyou were looking the other way not seeing the bloody torture.

Penelope: *mind* Too gory!!!!!😫

Nan Pengyou: *mind* Don't look, Don't look, Don't look!

Sick BF: *mind* I don't want to look! But I wanna see Lila Sky get tortured, It wouldn't hurt to take a peak, will it? *slowly pulls his hand down and opens his eye but when he saw the blood, he got scared and covered them again* *mind* Eek! Too much blood! 😩

Drugfriend: YEAH, RIP HER TO PIECES! THAT'S WHAT SHE GETS FOR CHEATING ON ME AND USING ME!

Sick GF: AND FOR BULLYING PENELOPE!

Yuki: AND FOR TRYING TO KILL EVERYONE INCLUDING SICK BOYFRIEND IN PARODIES TOWN, YA DAMN BITCH!

Penelope: *mind* I wanna look but i'm too scared!

Two minutes later....

The security bots and the razor dog stopped and they moved back. Everyone was shocked to see Lila sky.

Lila Sky looked horrible. Both her arms and legs were ripped off and the razor dog ate one of her legs. Her stomach was ripped opened and all of her organs including her heart was eaten from the razor dog.

Drugfriend: Damn....She got fucked up real good...

Sick GF: Yeah, she looks like shit then before, but even more ugiler *laughing*

Yuki: Yikes, I wouldn't wanna be in that situation like her.

Everyone was shocked and frustrated that Lila Sky was still breathing, her heart was ripped off, how the hell is she still alive.

Sick GF: What the hell? They took her heart out! why the fuck is she still breathing?! 😡

Yuki: Yeah, She's still alive!!!😡

Drugfriend: How is she still breathing?!😡

Sick BF: God damnit!, I thought she would die from all that!😡

Penelope: I thought she would die once they rip out her heart!😡

Nan Pengyou: *sigh* She's probably a different kind of demon....

Meanwhile.....

Officer Meggy: WHAT?! HOW ARE YOU STILL BREATHING?! YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!😡

Lila Sky: I'm a *coughs* demon you idiots! Even if you take out my heart, I'll still be alive!😈

Officer Meggy: Not so fast, There's one thing that can official kill you!

Lila Sky: W-wait what?! What do you mean by that?!🤨

Officer Meggy: Hehehehe *pressed the button to the collar* 😈

Lila Sky: What was that noise?!

Officer Meggy: Look down 😈

Lila Sky looked down at the collar again but this time, the light turned red.

Collar: *Target found; Activating self-distract mode!*

Lila Sky: WAIT WHAT?! WHY IS IT BLINKING RED?! 😰😨

Officer Meggy: You see, that is a self distract collar. Once it reaches to zero....BOOM! it will explode/ blow up your head.

Lila Sky: WHAT?! THAT CAN OFFICALLY KILL ME FOR REAL!!!!!!😰

Officer Meggy: I know! 😏

*self-distract activating now starting in 10

9.....

8.....

7.......

6.......

Officer Meggy: So long Lila Sky, this is where your terror ends.....

4.....

3......

2........

Lila Sky: *crying* NO PLEASE, I DON'T WANNA DIE, I DON'T WANNA DIE, PLEASE, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-😫😭

1!

*BOOM!*

Lila Sky's head was blown up, all was left was her brain and left eye.

Officer meggy checked Lila Sky's pulse to see if she still breathing, there was no pulse.

Officer Meggy: She's dead, everyone. Lila Sky is gone!😄

Everyone cheered from outside the station.

Sunny Day: There you have it folks! Lila Sky is now gone! Now everyone can live in peace now!😊

After all that....

They were all cheering Victory.

Drugfriend: WHOOO! YEAH, SHE'S DEAD!

Sick BF: YAY!

Sick GF: WOOHOO! WE'RE FREE FROM HER BULLSHIT FOREVER!

Penelope: YAY! NOW I WON'T GET BULLIED BY HER ANYMORE!

Yuki: FINALLY SHE'S DEAD!

Nan Pengyou: Oh thank goddness for that.

Sick BF: So what now?

Drugfriend: Let's go out to eat to celebrate!

ALL: OKAY!

The end. That was the end of Lila Sky.....

Everyone is happy....

#friday night funkin #fnf spongebob parodies #fnf mod #fnf au #scriptwriting

[themattress]

Archie Sonic: Full Issue Database

THE CLASSIC ERA #0: Don't Cry For Me, Mobius/Oh No Robo! No Mo' Mobo! - Gallagher #1: Run, Sally, Run/Something Fishy - Gallagher #2: A Crowning Achievement - Gallagher #3: What If.../Why Ask Spy? - Gallagher --------------------------------------- #1: Hedgehog & Vine/You Bet My Life - Gallagher #2: Triple Trouble/Vertigo A' Go-Go - Gallagher #3: The Bomb Bugs Me/Rabbot Deployment - Gallagher #4: The Lizard of Odd/Tails' Little Tale - Gallagher #5: Olympic Trial and Error/Chomp on This - DeCesare #6: The Spin Doctor/Sonic's Christmas Carol - Gallagher/DeCesare #7: Uncle Chuck's Treasure/Sorceress in Distress - DeCesare #8: Bot's All Folks/A Little Sonic Goes a Long Way - Gallagher #9: Pseudo-Sonic/What's the Point? - Gallagher/DeCesare #10: Revenge of the Nerbs/Twan With the Wind - DeCesare #11: Good, Bad and Hedgehog/Beat the Clock/Food for Thought - Penders & Kanterovich #12: A Timely Arrival/Bold-Headed Eagle/Lynx is a Jinx - Gallagher/DeCesare #13: This Island Hedgehog/Space in Your Face - Penders & Kanterovich/DeCesare #14: Tails' Taste of Power/Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - DeCesare/Penders & Kanterovich #15: Rockin' The Bot/Animal Magnetism - DeCesare #16: Sonic Under Glass/The Man From H.E.D.G.E.H.O.G - Penders & Kanterovich #17: The Apes of Wrath/Princess Sally's Crusade (1) - Penders & Kanterovich #18: Wedding Bell Blues/Princess Sally's Crusade (2) - Penders & Kanterovich SP1: Princess Sally's Crusade (3) - Penders & Kanterovich #19: Night of 1,000 Hedgehogs - Penders & Kanterovich #20: That's the Spirit/Deadlest of the Species - DeCesare/Penders & Kanterovich MS1: Princess Sally - Penders & Kanterovich #21: The Three Phases of E.V.E - Penders #22: The Return/Tail's Knighttime Story - Penders/DeCesare #23: Ivo Robotnik, Freedom Fighter/The Vol-Ant-Teer - DeCesare #24: When Hedgehogs Collide - Penders & Kanterovich #25: Go Ahead...Mecha My Day - Gallagher SP2: Sonic & Knuckles - Penders #26: Way, Way Past Cool - DeCesare SP3: Sonic Triple Trouble - Gallagher #27: A Scrambled Hedgehog/Coming Soon - Penders/Gallagher #28: Saturday Night's Alright For a Fight/Growing Pains (1) - Penders/Gallagher #29: Steel Belted Sally/Growing Pains (2) - DeCesare/Gallagher MS2: Sonic's Buddy Tails - Gallagher #30: The Return of Uncle Chuck/Who Stole My Chaos Emeralds? - DeCesare/Castiglia SP4: Knuckles' Chaotix - Penders #31: A Robot Rides the Rails/Lost and Found/Tundra Road (1) - Penders/Gallagher #32: Blast From the Past/Prisoners/Tundra Road (2) - DeCesare/Penders/Gallagher #33: Let's Get Small/The Big Picture/Sonic Shot - Gallagher/Penders SP5: Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles - Gallagher/Penders #34: To Bot or Not to Bot/A Sense of History (1) - DeCesare/Penders #35: Rings of Truth/A Sense of History (2) - Gallagher/Penders #36: Heart of Darkness/A Sense of History (3) - Penders MS3: Sonic's Friendly Nemesis Knuckles - Penders #37: The Day Robotropolis Fell/Bunnie's Worst Nightmare - DeCesare/Koslowski #38: The Rise of Robotropolis/Bedtime Tails - Taylor/Penders #39: Rage Against the Machine - Gallagher SP6: Sonic & Knuckles Mecha Madness - Gallagher/Taylor #40: Court Martial - Gallagher #41: And One Shall Save Him - Penders MS4: Sonic Quest (The Death Egg Saga) - Gallagher #42: In Every Kingdom There Must Exist Chaos/Knuckles Quest (1) - Taylor/Penders #43: The Dream Zone - Penders SP7: Sonic Live/The Substitute FFs/Knuckles Quest (2) - Penders/Koslowski/Taylor #44: Black and Blue and Red All Over - Penders SP8: Sonic Blast/The T.U.F.F Awards/Bugged Bunnie - Gallagher/DeCesare #45: Guerilla Thriller/Knuckles Quest (3) - DeCesare/Taylor/Penders #46: Countdown to Armageddon/Knuckles Quest (4) - Taylor/Penders SS1: Battle Royal/The Map - Taylor/Penders/Rolston #47: Endgame (1) - Penders #48: Endgame (2) - Penders/Taylor #49: Endgame (3) - Penders/Gallagher #50: Endgame (4) - Penders/Gallagher/Bollers/Taylor ------------------------------------------------------ KTE#1: The Dark Legion (1) - Penders/Taylor KTE#2: The Dark Legion (2) - Penders/Taylor KTE#3: The Dark Legion (3) - Penders/Taylor

THE ADVENTURING ERA #51: Reality Bytes - Bollers #52: The Discovery Zone/First Contact - Rolston/Bollers SS2: Brave New World - Penders SS3: Sonic Firsts - Gallagher/Penders & Kanterovich #53: Unfinished Business/Sounds of Silence - Penders/Bollers SS4: Return of the King/Down and Out in Downunda - Bollers/Gallagher #54: Running to Stand Still - Bollers #55: Monkey Madness/Rise of the Robians - Strom/Bollers #56: Immortality is Forever, Life is Finite - Taylor SS5: Sonic Kids - Gallagher/Rolston/Bollers #57: Back to Basics - Bollers #58: Friendly Rogues and Foul Villains/The Living Crown - Penders/Emery #59: Opposites Detract/The People's Princess - Gallagher/Penders #60: Arsenal of the Iron King/The Ultimatum - Strom/Penders SS6: Sonic 50 Directors Cut - Penders/Gallagher/Bollers/Taylor #61: Outback Check/Total Turbulence/Secret Service (1) - Gallagher/Bollers/Penders #62: Icon (1)/Secret Service (2) - Bollers/Penders #63: Icon (2)/Secret Service (3) - Bollers/Penders SS7: Parallel Paradigm - Penders #64: The Naugus Trilogy (1)/Secret Service (4) - Bollers/Penders #65: The Naugus Trilogy (2)/The Library - Bollers/Penders #66: The Naugus Trilogy (3)/And Then There Was One - Bollers SS8: Sally Moon - Slott/Brown/Ribeiro/Strom/Oliveras #67: Tomb Raider/Shadows in the Dark - Bollers/Penders #68: Surprise/Survival of the Fittest - Bollers/Penders SS9: Sonic Kids 2 - Gallagher #69: A Day in the Life/Weathering the Storm - Bollers/Penders #70: Saving Nate Morgan/Statute of Limitations - Bollers/Castiglia #71: Retro Activity/Tales of the Great War (Prelude) - Bollers/Penders SS10: One Enchantra Evening/Zone Wars: A Tale of Two Hedgehogs - Gallagher/Bollers #72: I, Robotnik/Tales of the Great War (1) - Bollers/Penders #73: The Truth is Out There/Tales of the Great War (2) - Bollers/Penders #74: Don't Call It a Comeback/Tales of the Great War (3) - Bollers/Penders #75: I Am The Eggman - Bollers SS11: Girls Rule - Penders/Gallagher #76: Business as Usual/Tales of the Great War (4) - Bollers/Penders #77: Rebels Without a Pause/Tales of the Great War (5) - Bollers/Penders SS12: Turnabout Heroes/Zone Wars: Giant Robotno - Penders/Bollers/Slott #78: Changes/Tales of the Great War (6) - Bollers/Penders #79: The Discovery/The Chaos Factor/Tales of the Great War (7) - Bollers/Penders #80: If Wishes Were Acorns/Land Fall/Swallowing Trouble - Bollers/Penders #81: City of Dreams/All You Need's a Bit of Chaos/A Rose Plucked - Bollers/Penders #82: Night of Chaos/A Door To The Past/Double-Crossed Circuits - Bollers/Penders SS13: Sonic Adventure - Bollers/Penders #83: Menace to Society - Bollers SS14: Law of the Land/Best of Times, Worst of Times - Skolnick/Spivey/Penders #84: Perfect Chaos/Bridge Under Troubled Waters - Penders #85: The Big Payback - Bollers #86: Heart of the Hedgehog (1)/Against the Haunted Past (1) - Fingeroth/Strom #87: Heart of the Hedgehog (2)/Against the Haunted Past (2) - Fingeroth/Strom SS15: Naugus Games / Spin City - Penders/Gallagher ------------------------------------------------------------ KTE#4: Lost Paradise (1) - Penders KTE#5: Lost Paradise (2) - Penders KTE#6: Lost Paradise (3) - Penders KTE#7: Dark Vengeance (1) - Penders KTE#8: Dark Vengeance (2) - Penders KTE#9: Dark Vengeance (3) - Penders KTE#10: The Forgotten Tribe (1) - Penders KTE#11: The Forgotten Tribe (2) - Penders KTE#12: The Forgotten Tribe (3) - Penders KTE#13: The Chaotix Caper (1) - Penders KTE#14: The Chaotix Caper (2) - Penders KTE#15: The Chaotix Caper (3) - Penders KTE#16: Reunions - Penders KTE#17: Deep Cover (1) - Penders KTE#18: Deep Cover (2) - Penders KTE#19: The Forbidden Zone (1) - Penders KTE#20: The Forbidden Zone (2) - Penders KTE#21: The Forbidden Zone (3) - Penders KTE#22: Dark Alliance (1) - Penders KTE#23: Dark Alliance (2) - Penders KTE#24: Dark Alliance (3) - Penders KTE#25: Childhood's End - Penders KTE#26: The First Date (1) - Penders KTE#27: The First Date (2) - Penders KTE#28: The First Date (3) - Penders KTE#29: My Special Friend - Penders KTE#30: King of the Hill (1) - Penders KTE#31: King of the Hill (2) - Penders KTE#32: King of the Hill (3) - Penders

THE DECLINING ERA #88: Family Matters/Picking Up the Pieces - Bollers/Penders #89: Thicker Than Water/A Matter of Self-Interest - Bollers/Penders #90: Sword of Omens/Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Bollers/Penders #91: Crash/Hired Guns - Bollers/Penders #92: The Wrath of Khan/Premonition - Bollers/Penders #93: Crime 'N Punishment/Bagging the Big One - Bollers/Penders #94: New Order/The Best Laid Plans - Bollers/Penders #95: Enemy Mine/When Destiny Calls - Bollers/Penders #96: The Messenger/The Chosen One - Bollers/Penders #97: My Secret Identity/To The Brink - Bollers/Penders #98: Sonic Adventure 2/As the Shadow Awakes - Bollers/Penders #99: Blow by Blow/What Comes Around Goes Around - Bollers/Penders #100: Reunion/Welcome to the Dark Side - Bollers/Penders #101: Altered States/Reboot - Bollers/Penders #102: Family Dysfunction/Life's Realities - Bollers/Penders #103: FFs of the Galaxy (1)/Myth Taken Identity (1) - Gallagher #104: FFs of the Galaxy (2)/Myth Taken Identity (2) - Gallagher #105: You Say You Want a Revolution?/Myth Taken Identity (3) - Bollers/Gallagher #106: Crouching Hedgehog, Hidden Dragon (1)/Reunification (1) - Bollers/Penders #107: Crouching Hedgehog, Hidden Dragon (2)/Reunification (2) - Bollers/Penders #108: Robotnik x 2 = Trouble/A Girl Named Hope/Reunification (3) - Bollers/Penders #109: Heard it Through the Pipeline/The Crush/Reunification (4) - Bollers/Penders #110: War Games/One For All - Bollers #111: Kids of the Spider Woman/I'll Shoot the Sheriff!/The Trouble With Grrrls! - Bollers #112: Mistaken Identity Crisis/Forgiven - Bollers #113: Cry of the Wolf - Oliveras #114: Twice Told Tails/Ultimate Power (1)/Young At Heart - Bollers/Penders #115: Meanie in a Bottle/Ultimate Power (2) - Bollers/Penders #116: Operation Off Switch/Bat Fight/Ultimate Power (Mid-Logue) - Bollers/Penders #117: Cyber Race/The Tortoise and the Hedgehog/Ultimate Power (3) - Bollers/Chacon/Penders #118: Robotnik Returns/Heart to Heart/Ultimate Power (4) - Bollers/Penders #119: Cater-Killer is Coming!/Dust Bunnie/Time Code - Bollers #120: She's Gotta Have Him/Those Were the Days/The Royal Signet - Bollers/Penders/Chacon #121: The Prince and the Revolution/Afterlife (1)/Song Bird - Bollers/Penders/Chacon #122: Hearts Held Hostage (1)/Afterlife (2)/Only One Guardian - Bollers/Penders #123: Hearts Held Hostage (2)/Afterlife (3)/The Last Robian - Bollers/Penders #124: Sonic Adventure 2.5 (Alpha)/Afterlife (4) - Bollers/Penders #125: Sonic Adventure 2.5 (Omega) - Bollers

THE MISERABLE ERA #126: Tossed in Space (1 & 2)/Better Read Than Dead - Bollers/Gallagher #127: Tossed in Space (3)/Agent Sonic vs. Agent Knuckles - Bollers/Gallagher #128: Tossed in Space (4 & 5) - Bollers #129: Tossed in Space (6 & 7) - Chacon/Bollers #130: Home (1) - Bollers #131: Home (2)/Mobius 25YL (Prologue) - Bollers/Penders #132: Home (3)/Mobius 25YL (1) - Bollers/Penders #133: Home (4)/Mobius 25YL (2) - Bollers/Penders #134: Home (Epilogue)/Mobius 25YL (3) - Bollers/Penders #135: Agent of K.N.O.T.H.O.L.E/Anonymous/Mobius 25YL (4) - Chacon/Bollers/Penders #136: The Infiltrator/Mobius 25YL (5)/Patience - Chacon/Penders #137: Robo-Dyne Systems/Mobius 25YL (6)/Ooh-La-La Treachery - Chacon/Penders #138: Return to Angel Island (1)/Mobius 25YL (7) - Bollers/Penders #139: Return to Angel Island (2)/Mobius 25YL (8) - Bollers/Penders #140: Return to Angel Island (3)/Mobius 25YL (9) - Bollers/Penders #141: Return to Angel Island (4)/Mobius 25YL (10) - Bollers/Penders #142: The Original FFs (1)/I Wanna Be a Freedom Fighter/Mobius 25YL (11) - Chacon/Penders #143: The Original FFs (2)/Mobius 25YL (12) - Chacon/Penders #144: Mobius 25YL (13)/Love and Loss - Penders/Chacon #145: Shadows of Hope/Training Day/Harbringer - Penders/Bollers #146: The Good, Bad and Unknown (1)/Out of Your Shell/Circuit Me - Penders/Chacon #147: The Good, Bad and Unknown (2)/This Side of Parodies/Fox and the Hound - Penders/Gallagher/Chacon #148: The Good, Bad and Unknown (3)/Playing Around/Destiny's Child - Penders/Ribiero #149: The Good, Bad and Unknown (4)/The Chosen One (1) - Penders/Chacon #150: From Hero to Zero in No Time At All/The Chosen One (2) - Penders/Chacon #151: Chaos Emeralds are Forever/Stargazer - Penders/Del Rio #152: Engage/Sonic's Angels - Penders #153: Songoose (1)/Fairy Tale - Bollers/Chacon #154: Songoose (2)/More Than Meets The Eye - Bollers/Penders #155: Line of Succession (1)/The Price of Flame (1) - Penders/Gallagher #156: Line of Succession (2)/The Price of Flame (2) - Penders/Gallagher #157: System Shutdown - Penders #158: System Reconfiguration - Penders #159: System Reboot - Penders

THE RENEWAL ERA #160: Birthday Bash (1)/Sonic Rush (1) - Flynn #161: Birthday Bash (2)/Sonic Rush (2) - Flynn #162: The Darkest Storm (1)/Ties That Bind - Flynn #163: The Darkest Storm (2)/Sonic Riders (1) - Flynn #164: The Darkest Storm (3)/Sonic Riders (2) - Flynn #165: Leak/Call of Duty - Flynn #166: Mobius 25YL (14)/The Chaotix Connection - Flynn #167: Mobius 25YL (15)/Hedgehog Day - Flynn #168: Order From Chaos (1)/Courage and Honor - Flynn #169: Order From Chaos (2)/For a Friend - Flynn #170: Comings & Goings/The Island of Misfit Badniks - Flynn/Gallagher #171: I Am/Enforcers - Flynn #172: Truth of the Heart/Worth the Effort - Flynn #173: Round Up!/See Ya Later, Chao (1) - Flynn #174: Union/See Ya Later, Chao (2) - Flynn #175: Eggman Empire - Flynn #176: Cracking the Empire - Flynn #177: Home, New Home - Flynn #178: House of Cards (1) - Flynn #179: House of Cards (2) - Flynn #180: Preparations for War/High Stakes on the High Sea - Flynn #181: Enerjak Reborn (1)/Undone - Flynn #182: Enerjak Reborn (2)/Albion's Shameful Secret - Flynn #183: Enerjak Reborn (3)/Ashes and Dust - Flynn #184: Enerjak Reborn (4)/Anything - Flynn #185: Mogul Rising (1)/The Misfit Badniks Sequel - Flynn/Gallagher #186: Mogul Rising (2)/Honor-Bound - Flynn #187: Mogul Rising (3) - Flynn #188: Mogul Rising (4) - Flynn #189: Bold New Moebius (1) - Flynn #190: Bold New Moebius (2) - Flynn #191: Metal and Mettle (1)/Invaders From Beyond - Flynn #192: Metal and Mettle (2)/Father and Son - Flynn #193: Otherside (1)/Sonic Unleashed! - Flynn #194: Otherside (2)/Sleepless in New Megaopolis - Flynn #195: Hedgehog Havoc (1) - Flynn #196: Hedgehog Havoc (2) - Flynn #197: Consequences/Knight Time - Flynn #198: Egg Phoenix Down - Flynn #199: Knocking on Eggman's Door - Flynn #200: Turnabout is Fair Play - Flynn ------------------------------------ SU#1: Living Weapons - Flynn SU#2: Time & Again - Flynn SU#3: Old Soldiers - Flynn SU#4: The Ultimate Lifeform - Flynn

THE BURDENED ERA #201: Change in Management/Devotion - Flynn #202: Dangerous Territory/A Lonely Girl's Story - Flynn #203: Heavy is the Head (1)/Friend in Deed (1) - Flynn #204: Heavy is the Head (2)/Friend in Deed (2) - Flynn #205: On the Run (1)/Birthright (1) - Flynn #206: On the Run (2)/Birthright (2) - Flynn #207: Blackout/The Iron Queen - Flynn #208: Iron Dominion (1) - Flynn #209: Iron Dominion (2) - Flynn #210: Home Invasion (1) - Flynn #211: Home Invasion (2) - Flynn #212: The Road We Take - Flynn #213: Reigning Cats and Dogs (1) - Flynn #214: Reigning Cats and Dogs (2) - Flynn #215: Family Matters (1)/Future Tense (1) - Flynn #216: Family Matters (2)/Future Tense (2) - Flynn #217: Thicker Than Water (1)/Welcome Back, Chao! - Flynn #218: Thicker Than Water (2)/Hindsight - Flynn #219: In Service to the King (1)/Sonic Colors - Flynn #220: In Service to the King (2)/From the Inside Out - Flynn #221: Changing Tempo/Second Impressions (1) - Flynn #222: The World Can Wait/Second Impressions (2) - Flynn #223: Chaos and the Crown (1)/Special Zone House Call - Flynn #224: Chaos and the Crown (2) - Flynn #225: One Step Forward - Flynn #226: Genesis (1) - Flynn #227: Genesis (2) - Flynn #228: Genesis (3) - Flynn #229: Genesis (4) - Flynn #230: Two Steps Back - Flynn #231: Lost in the Moment/Haunted - Flynn #232: Dark Tidings/Fragile - Flynn #233: The Trial of Geoffrey St. John/From the Shadows - Flynn #234: Unthinkable/Dark Hearts - Flynn #235: Remember the Fallen - Flynn #236: Cry Freedom!/Leader of the Band - Flynn #237: Loyalty (1)/Heart to Heart - Flynn #238: Loyalty (2)/Foundation Works - Flynn #239: Heroes (1) - Flynn #240: Heroes (2) - Flynn #241: Unraveling - Flynn #242: Olympic Trials/Unfriendly Skies - Flynn #243: Endangered Species (1) - Flynn #244: Endangered Species (2) - Flynn #245: Endangered Species (3) - Flynn #246: Endangered Species (4) - Flynn #247: At All Costs (1) - Flynn #248: Worlds Collide (3) - Flynn #249: Worlds Collide (6) - Flynn #250: Worlds Collide (9) - Flynn #251: Worlds Collide (12) - Flynn ----------------------------------- SU#5: Mobius 30YL (1) - Flynn SU#6: Mobius 30YL (2) - Flynn SU#7: Mobius 30YL (3) - Flynn SU#8: Mobius 30YL (4) - Flynn SU#9: Echoes of the Past (1) - Flynn SU#10: Echoes of the Past (2) - Flynn SU#11: Echoes of the Past (3) - Flynn SU#12: Echoes of the Past (4) - Flynn SU#13: Journey into the East (1) - Flynn SU#14: Journey into the East (2) - Flynn SU#15: Journey into the East (3) - Flynn SU#16: Journey into the East (4) - Flynn SU#17: Trouble in Paradise (1) - Flynn SU#18: Trouble in Paradise (2) - Flynn SU#19: Trouble in Paradise (3) - Flynn SU#20: Trouble in Paradise (4) - Flynn SU#21: Treasure Team Tango (1) - Flynn SU#22: Treasure Team Tango (2) - Flynn SU#23: Treasure Team Tango (3) - Flynn SU#24: Treasure Team Tango (4) - Flynn SU#25: Fractured Mirror (1) - Flynn SU#26: Fractured Mirror (2) - Flynn SU#27: Fractured Mirror (3) - Flynn SU#28: Fractured Mirror (4) - Flynn SU#29: Inside Job (1) - Flynn SU#30: Inside Job (2) - Flynn SU#31: Inside Job (3) - Flynn SU#32: Inside Job (4) - Flynn SU#33: Babylon Rising (1) - Flynn SU#34: Babylon Rising (2) - Flynn SU#35: Babylon Rising (3) - Flynn SU#36: Babylon Rising (4) - Flynn SU#37: Scrambled (1) - Flynn SU#38: Scrambled (2) - Flynn SU#39: Scrambled (3) - Flynn SU#40: Scrambled (4) - Flynn SU#41: Unsung Heroes (1) - Flynn SU#42: Unsung Heroes (2) - Flynn SU#43: Unsung Heroes (3) - Flynn SU#44: Unsung Heroes (4) - Flynn SU#45: Racing for the Stars - Flynn SU#46: All For One (1) - Flynn SU#47: All For One (2) - Flynn SU#48: All For One (3) - Flynn SU#49: All For One (4) - Flynn SU#50: Forged in Fire - Flynn SU#51: Worlds Collide (2) - Flynn SU#52: Worlds Collide (5) - Flynn SU#53: Worlds Collide (8) - Flynn SU#54: Worlds Collide (11) - Flynn

THE REBOOT ERA #252: At All Costs (2) - Flynn #253: Countdown to Chaos (1) - Flynn #254: Countdown to Chaos (2) - Flynn #255: Countdown to Chaos (3) - Flynn #256: Countdown to Chaos (4) - Flynn #257: Damage Control - Flynn #258: The Chase (1) - Flynn #259: The Chase (2) - Flynn #260: Waves of Change (1)/Light in the Dark (1) - Flynn/Baker #261: Waves of Change (2)/Light in the Dark (2) - Flynn/Baker #262: Waves of Change (3)/Light in the Dark (3) - Flynn/Baker #263: Waves of Change (4)/Consequences - Flynn/Baker #264: Control (1)/A Nice Day to Start Again - Flynn/Esposito/Bailey #265: Control (2)/The Grand Tour - Flynn/Esquivel/Baker #266: Ambushed (1) - Flynn #267: Ambushed (2) - Flynn #268: Champions (1) - Flynn #269: Champions (2) - Flynn #270: Champions (3) - Flynn #271: Champions (4) - Flynn #272: A Ray of Hope - Flynn #273: Worlds Unite (3) - Flynn #274: Worlds Unite (7) - Flynn #275: Worlds Unite (11) - Flynn #276: Cold Hearted/Back in Business - Flynn #277: Thunder, Rain and Lightning/Hidden Costs (1) - Flynn/Baker #278: Face of the Enemy (1)/Hidden Costs (2) - Flynn/Baker #279: Face of the Enemy (2)/Hidden Costs (3) - Flynn/Baker #280: Keys to Victory/A Special Occasion - Flynn #281: Wings of Fire (1)/Homesick - Flynn #282: Wings of Fire (2)/Shards and Sparks - Flynn #283: The Mission/Zero Hour - Flynn #284: Panic in the Sky (1) - Flynn #285: Panic in the Sky (2) - Flynn #286: Panic in the Sky (3) - Flynn #287: Panic in the Sky (4) - Flynn #288: Genesis of a Hero (1) - Flynn #289: Genesis of a Hero (2) - Flynn #290: Genesis of a Hero (3) - Flynn #291: Genesis of a Hero (4) - Flynn #292: Epilogue: Breaching Paths - Flynn --------------------------------------- SU#55: Pirate Plunder Panic (1) - Yardley SU#56: Pirate Plunder Panic (2) - Yardley SU#57: Pirate Plunder Panic (3) - Yardley SU#58: Pirate Plunder Panic (4) - Yardley SU#59: Shadow Fall (1) - Flynn SU#60: Shadow Fall (2) - Flynn SU#61: Shadow Fall (3) - Flynn SU#62: Shadow Fall (4) - Flynn SU#63: The Great Chaos Caper (1) - Flynn SU#64: The Great Chaos Caper (2) - Flynn SU#65: The Great Chaos Caper (3) - Flynn SU#66: The Great Chaos Caper (4) - Flynn SU#67: Total Eclipse (1) - Flynn SU#68: Total Eclipse (2) - Flynn SU#69: Total Eclipse (3) - Flynn SU#70: Total Eclipse (4) - Flynn SU#71: Spark of Life (1) - Flynn SU#72: Spark of Life (2) - Flynn SU#73: Spark of Life (3) - Flynn SU#74: Spark of Life (4) - Flynn SU#75: Fury - Flynn SU#76: Worlds Unite (1) - Flynn SU#77: Worlds Unite (5) - Flynn SU#78: Worlds Unite (9) - Flynn SU#79: The Silver Age (1) - Stanley SU#80: The Silver Age (2) - Stanley SU#81: The Silver Age (3) - Stanley SU#82: The Silver Age (4) - Stanley SU#83: Eggman's Dozen (1) - Flynn SU#84: Eggman's Dozen (2) - Flynn SU#85: Eggman's Dozen (3) - Flynn SU#86: Eggman's Dozen (4) - Flynn SU#87: Shattered (1) - Flynn SU#88: Shattered (2) - Flynn SU#89: Shattered (3) - Flynn SU#90: Shattered (4) - Flynn SU#91: Case of the Pirate Princess (1) - Flynn/Baker SU#92: Case of the Pirate Princess (2) - Flynn/Baker SU#93: Case of the Pirate Princess (3) - Flynn/Baker SU#94: Case of the Pirate Princess (4) - Flynn/Baker

#Sonic the Hedgehog

[cadhla182]

Captain

#Carol Danvers #Captain Marvel #Marvel #Avengers #Let Carol Spirit Bomb

[theteasetwrites]

The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning

Chapter 29: Try, Try, Try

❧ Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Reader ❧ Era: Season 5 ❧ Pronouns: she/her ❧ Warnings: scary situations, mild swearing ❧ Word Count: 4.5k

❧ In This Chapter: Spirits are low despite narrowly escaping Terminus and reuniting with your group. Upon meeting a strange priest, however, things begin to look up, and a new lead regarding Beth's whereabouts reignites the search.

❧ A/N: Here we are—Season 5. Man, do I have some exciting stuff planned for this season. And if you know the show, you know we get to a very nice place... but that's later. For now, the gang has to narrowly avoid being cannibalized, we meet a priest who vomits on Reader's shoes, and Daryl and Reader resume their search for Beth (yes, slight canon divergence since Carol is the one to go with him in the show... but this is fanfic, my friends).

You were still coughing profusely from the smoke bomb they threw into the train car. You couldn’t see a thing despite the sunlight beaming through the now open ceiling.

Your group was expecting them to come in through the door first. They took all your weapons away, but that wasn’t stopping you all from preparing to put up a fight when they came to get you for whatever it was they had planned.

The smoke cleared a while later after the chaos subsided, and you couldn’t feel Daryl’s presence anymore. You waved your hand in front of you to clear the lingering smoke, still coughing and squinting your eyes desperately to see what was going on.

When the smoke cleared, you searched frantically for Daryl. He wasn’t there. Neither was Rick, Glenn, or Bob. You turned to Maggie. “Did you see what happened?” you asked.

She shook her head. “I couldn’t see anything. They took Glenn,” she said, her voice quivering.

You rubbed your forehead trying to calm yourself. “Okay, okay,” you said, pacing around. “I’m sure they’ll be fine,” you tried to convince yourself.

The man with the mustache, who introduced himself earlier as Abraham, looked at you sternly. “So we’re just gonna sit our asses?” he asked. “They might be dead right now, and we’re next if we don’t get out of this death trap.”

Maggie backed you up. “They’re fighters, and they’re smart. They’ll figure something out.”

The young woman named Rosita crossed her arms. “I hope you’re right,” she said. “If they don’t come back for us, I don’t see a way of getting out of here.”

You swallowed hard. “They’ll come back.”

Michonne looked worryingly outside the small crack that let in your only source of light and availed a small vantage point. “What do you think they want with us?”

You had a few ideas.

The one that kept coming back to you, and the one you tried to push away the most, was something out of a horror movie.

If you were in a better mood, you would’ve smirked at the thought. Horror movies. They were one of your favorite guilty pleasures back in the day (that is, back when you weren’t living in a bad Night of the Living Dead reboot).

You weren’t a big fan of the exploitation shock-horror films like Cannibal Holocaust, but you did have a soft spot in your heart for anything that involved a family of backwoods hillbillies, usually inbred, hunting a group of unsuspecting tourists as they passed through their territory—Deliverance, The Hills Have Eyes, and, your perennial favorite, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre were genre staples in your VHS collection.

In the case of the latter, the family hunted the young travelers for dinner. Unfortunately, the darkest parts of your mind considered that, maybe, these people were cannibals.

It was bad enough that the world was filled with flesh-eating corpses, and now you might be dealing with the more dangerous threat of living cannibals.

The signs added up when you thought about it: the great lengths the group went to to get people to come to their “sanctuary,” the mystery meat Mary was barbecuing, the relatively small amount of people they had considering how much they advertised, the strange altar you found, and the fact that they were aiming at your feet when they shot at you.

And now, they had Daryl.

You shook your head to rid yourself of your catastrophic thoughts. “Doesn’t matter,” you said to Michonne. “We’re getting out of here, one way or another. Alive.” You turned to Maggie. “With the others.”

Maggie took your hand and smiled at you. Well, it was more of a slight upturn in one corner of her mouth, but it was something.

Before she could say anything, a loud boom reverberated throughout the train car. You were familiar with that sound—you heard it back at the CDC and at the prison when the Governor attacked: it was an explosion, you were sure.

Abraham rushed to the crack to see if he could get a view of what was happening. You peeked over his shoulder as he banged against the metal wall in frustration. “What the hell is going on?” he asked through gritted teeth.

You peered out to see some people running around frantically. They had guns, but they looked terrified.

“Someone hit ‘em,” Michonne said.

“Maybe our people got free,” said Sasha.

You felt a tall presence beside you just before he, Eugene, pushed past you towards the door. “Excuse me,” he said with fear in his voice.

“What the hell are you doing?” Rosita asked impatiently.

“I might be able to use this shell to compromise the door,” he said. “From the sound of things, there may not be anybody left to open it.”

He was an odd one, Eugene. You liked him. He said he was a scientist who knew the cure to the disease, and that interested you. It always frustrated you to think that this was the state of humanity for the rest of your life. If there was a cure, you wanted to be a part of it.

That was what brought Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene together—they were trying to get him to Washington, D.C. so he could meet with other scientists there and work on the cure. The idea excited you, and if your group made it out of this, you were hoping you could all join them. Plus, they were going to have to go through your home state of Virginia, and you thought a change of scenery would be nice.

“Eugene, I’m sorry, but shut up,” the other new woman, Tara, said to him.

“Okay,” he huffed.

You gulped, hoping what he said wasn’t true. “It could have been them,” you said. “Maybe they caused the explosion somehow.”

“Hey,” Carl’s voice came out from the other side of the train car. You didn’t recognize it at first. It was still hard to get used to how much deeper his voice was nowadays. He was growing up so fast that there were times you swore he was older than you. “My dad’s gonna be back. They all are.”

“They are,” Maggie agreed. “And we need to get ready to fight our way out with them when they do.”

You got to work making wooden shanks with Maggie, all the while shuddering at the sounds of moaning and snarling coming from outside your train car. Whatever that explosion was, it must’ve torn down some of their fortifications and attracted a herd of walkers. That was the least of your problems, though.

You just hoped the herd would be a distraction for Daryl and the others to escape.

When the door to your train car suddenly opened some time later, Rick was the first person you saw.

“Come on!” he yelled, wielding a large sniper rifle. “We fight to the fence!”

You tightened your grip on the sharp wooden shank you made and joined the others as you poured out into the chaos.

Stepping out, you felt Daryl’s eyes on you. He grabbed your hand and pulled you to his side. “Let’s go!” he yelled.

You used your shank to stab any walkers coming your way, aiming for the eye as it was the best point of penetration for your sharp albeit weak makeshift weapon.

Daryl pushed you forward towards the fence, killing several walkers with a metal pipe all the while.

He hoisted you up over the fence. Climbing over, you took Daryl’s hand and helped him up with you. Just as he didn’t want you leaving his side, you didn’t want him going anywhere, either.

Making your way back into the woods, Daryl helped Rick track your group back to the place where the duffel bag full of weapons was buried.

“Right here,” he said.

“What the hell we still around here for?” Abraham asked.

“Guns, supplies,” Rick replied. “Go along the fences, use the rifles, take out the rest of ‘em.”

“Rick, we got out, it’s over,” said Glenn.

“It’s not over til they’re all dead,” Rick replied.

There was a bit of arguing between Rick and some of the others about your group’s next move, when out of the corner of your eye you saw the familiar movements of Carol approaching your group, Daryl’s crossbow and your axe in her arms.

She had been separated from you all for a while now, a few days before the Governor attacked. Daryl told you that she was the one who killed Karen and David when the illness first hit. It was her way of stopping the problem, though it didn’t work.

You didn’t agree with what she did, not one bit. Neither did Daryl, but seeing her before you reduced you to tears. You ran and hugged her first, practically picking her up with the strength of your embrace. “You’re alive!” you cried.

When you found out that Carol caused the explosion and fought to set you free, you were willing to let her back into your group. Rick was, too.

That wasn’t the only reunion that day. Carol led you all to a small shed where Tyreese was hiding with Judith. The three of them had been together for a while now, and Rick’s face when he saw his baby daughter was truly something to behold.

Tyreese and Sasha reunited, reminding you of your own brother who you missed dearly. When he hugged you too, you were surprised. You didn’t think he liked you much after your initial hostility towards his group back at the prison, but he didn’t seem to mind that much at all.

You felt so whole, so alive. You were surrounded by your family, some you knew less than others and some you knew since the very beginning. Still, you were all a part of each other.

A few days passed relatively uneventfully. Your group was still wandering the woods in search of the next place to go. A part of you worried that it would be like this for the rest of your lives, but then you remembered that Abraham and his group were heading to D.C. You kept your ear open around him and Rosita, and you heard that they were planning on asking Rick about the group joining them. You were hoping he would take that offer when the time came.

In the meantime, you found yourself in the middle of nowhere. One night, you and Daryl were on watch, sitting in comfortable silence against a tree until you asked him what had been on your mind since Terminus.

“What did they do to you when they took you out of the train car?” you asked.

He was quiet for a while, looking at you as he chewed the inside of his bottom lip. “Took us to some kind of butchery.” He paused again. “Leaned us over a trough, bludgeoned the first guy. Before they could get to us, that explosion distracted ‘em, and we were able to take ‘em out.”

You swallowed hard. “They’re cannibals,” you said, more as a statement than a question.

Daryl nodded. “Guess so.”

You let out a deep breath. “God, I’m glad they didn’t eat you,” you said seriously.

He raised an eyebrow at you. “Why? You don’t think I’d taste good?”

You snorted and shook your head. “No, I just like having you around.” You elbowed him playfully. You shared in a brief moment of silence. “You think we’ll ever find someplace permanent?”

Daryl stared at you silently for a while. “You want the truth?”

You sighed and nodded your head. “Always.”

He looked down at his feet. “Nah. Gonna be us on the road for a while. Ain’t no place left in this world either unsafe or crawlin’ with psychos.”

You nodded sadly, looking off at a cluster of small white mushrooms that caught your attention. “You’re probably right.”

He noticed your reaction, and quickly began berating himself for his callous comment. Sometimes he forgot how sensitive you were. “Hey,” he said, resting his hand on your thigh, “it ain’t all bad. We can find places to hole up, stay there till it ain’t safe no more. Just don’t want ya to get your hopes up. Ya tend to do that.”

You looked back up at him. “I know, I just… wish we could have a real home, security. That’s all I want. I think we deserve it after everything we’ve been through.”

Daryl nodded. “We do. Ain’t about what we deserve anymore, though.”

“It’s a cruel world,” you said, then nodded to the mushrooms you were eying. “And I bet those mushrooms are poisonous.”

He followed your gaze and scoffed at the sight of the very same mushrooms you were picking the day he met you. “Don’t you know destroying angel by now?”

You smiled. “Of course, it’s my favorite mushroom.”

Suddenly, you both darted upwards at the sound of a rustling in the bushes nearby. You couldn’t pinpoint exactly where it was coming from, but you felt a pair of eyes on you, too. Daryl had a feeling someone might be following you, he told you in confidence earlier that day. You had hoped it was just his overprotective paranoia, but the sound and the feeling seemed to back up his theory.

The next morning, Daryl couldn’t find any tracks to indicate someone was following them, but you both knew what you heard, what you felt. You knew there were probably survivors from Terminus, and maybe they were following you. You just hoped they weren’t hungry.

With a lack of concrete evidence that you were being followed, your group continued on walking through the forest. You had spent so much time out there lately that you never wanted to see the color green ever again.

The group’s slow gait quickened to a jog when you all heard the screams of a man crying for help in the distance.

“Help! Anybody, help!” the voice cried in desperation.

It was a strange sight—a man in priest’s garb atop a large rock, and at the base of the rock were several walkers clawing at him.

You all took out the walkers, and when the priest climbed down to greet you, he vomited on your shoes.

Looking down at your feet in disbelief, you moved away from him and almost felt like vomiting yourself. Luckily, being surrounded by rotting corpses for almost two years gave you a stronger stomach.

“Sorry,” the priest said to you. He composed himself, and you just stood there bewildered. “Thank you,” he said to the group. “I’m Gabriel.”

“Do you have any weapons on you?” asked Rick.

He chuckled. “Does it look like I would have any weapons?”

“We don’t give two short and curlies what it looks like,” Abraham retorted.

Gabriel turned more serious. “I have no weapons of any kind. The word of God is the only protection I need.”

You scoffed, and Daryl said what you were thinking. “Sure didn’t look like it.”

Gabriel smiled at you both. “I called for help,” he said. “Help came.”

You all stared at him. Surely this was some kind of joke. A priest? You were beginning to think they didn’t exist anymore, and if they did, they certainly weren’t wearing the whole getup.

“Do you—do you have any food? Whatever I—I had left… it’s on her shoes now.” He chuckled nervously as he gestured to your boots.

“We’ve got some pecans,” Carl said, offering the man a handful.

In return for your group’s kindness, or maybe just from fear that Rick would kill him, Gabriel led you all to the church he was living in. His church.

It was Episcopal, called St. Sarah’s Church. Funny, you thought, Mom always hated the Episcopalians. They were much too tolerant for her taste.

You, on the other hand, had an aversion to churches of any kind. Still, a roof is a roof, as you and Daryl would say.

When Rick, Daryl, Michonne, and Glenn finished ensuring the church was safe, you all began filing inside.

The inside of the church was immaculate, except for the piles of empty cans of food. That must have been what he was living on. Still, you found it odd that one man could survive on his own for so long without having killed any walkers or any people as he said. He didn’t even carry any weapons. There must have been something he was hiding.

Abraham, however, was not pleased with the group getting too comfortable at Gabriel’s church. He insisted upon starting to work on the church short bus and using it to get you all to Washington, D.C. You wanted that too, but you also wanted to take a respite for a night.

Everyone else seemed to agree with you, and Rick made the decision to stay.

Shortly after setting up camp in the church, Gabriel agreed to lead Rick and a few others to the one place nearby he hadn’t scavenged for food yet. While they did that, you and Daryl got to work filling up jugs of water from the creek.

“I don’t trust him,” you said as the two of you began walking back to the church down a dirt road, with several jugs of water. “I mean, how did he end up by himself, and with all that food? It’s kind of suspicious.”

“Guess we’ll find out,” he replied.

You were silent for a while, with the chirping of birds and the running of water from the nearby creek the only sound between the two of you. Though you were tired of the constant green, you didn’t mind the sounds of nature so much.

“Maybe he was the one following us, watching us in the bushes,” you suggested.

He shook his head. “Nah, it wasn’t him. He wouldn’t have made it that far from the church.”

Another few more beats of silence. “Maybe…” you trailed off as you laid eyes on an abandoned car ahead of you on the road.

The car seemed to work when you and Daryl tried it, so you decided to leave it there for backup in case things went wrong.

That night, you all feasted on what Rick brought back from the scavenge. You felt a little bad for Daryl, though, as his squirrels seemed to be pushed to the wayside. Still, he cooked some up for you all, and you gladly took a big helping to satiate his pride.

“It’s good, honey,” you said to him as you sat on the church floor, watching the others eat their canned food on paper plates. “The best squirrel I’ve ever had.”

You leaned your head on his shoulder before giving him a kiss on the cheek. He tensed up as he usually did when you kissed him in public. He tossed a piece of squirrel into his mouth. He never used forks.

“You’re just sayin’ that,” he mumbled as he chewed.

You rolled your eyes. “It’s true.” He smiled at you affectionately, seeing every ounce of hope he had left in this world in your eyes as the flames from the candles danced in lively profusion against the color of your irises. “I’ve never met anyone who makes squirrel the way you do.”

He chuckled at your faux romantic talk, knowing that you had never had squirrel made by anyone else before.

Rousing you both from your quiet conversation, Abraham made a toast to you all, proclaiming loudly that you were all survivors. You raised your wine glass (which had water in it, you weren’t about to get drunk on your shitty tolerance), and toasted to each other.

You leaned over and gave Daryl a sweet kiss on the lips, to which Carl let out a mock disgusted “ew” sound. That was the little kid you once knew, you thought. Daryl playfully tossed a squirrel bone in the boy’s direction, but it ended up hitting Rick in the face. Daryl’s aim was a whole lot worse when he was wine drunk.

When the laughter died down, Abraham began to speak seriously. “Is that all you wanna be, survivors?” he asked. “Wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse and repeat? ‘Cause you can do that. You got the strength, you got the skill. Thing is, for you people, for what you can do, that’s just surrender. Now, we get Eugene to Washington, he will make the dead die and the living will have this world again, and that is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip.”

You exchanged a look with Daryl, a look of questioning as to whether or not to get your hopes up again.

“Eugene,” Abraham continued, “what’s in D.C.?”

Eugene was quiet for a moment as you all turned to look at him for an answer.

“Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this fubar magnitude. That means food, fuel, refuge. Restart.”

“However this plays out,” Abraham continued, “however long it takes for the restart button to kick in, you can be safe there. Safer than you’ve been since this whole thing started. Come with us. Save the world for that little one.” He gestured to Judith as she sat in Rick’s lap. “Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there who don’t got nothing left to do except survive.”

You looked to Daryl, then to Rick as Judith cooed at him. “What was that?” he asked the baby. “I think she knows what I’m about to say. She’s in. If she’s in, I’m in. We’re in.”

You all cheered and clapped. That was it. You officially had a destination. No more wandering around Georgia aimlessly. Washington, D.C. it was. A new thing to look forward to.

What Washington meant to you wasn’t just a new start, it was the journey through Virginia. You would have to pass through Richmond, and your hometown was just a stone’s throw away from that city. Though you weren’t especially close to your mother, your stepfather, or your younger stepsister, seeing what was left of your family home would provide some kind of closure for you.

Though you had your doubts, it was possible your brother was there, too. He had an even worse relationship with your mother, but if he left Atlanta for anywhere, it would have been there.

In any case, you wanted to see what was left. You knew your mother probably wasn’t alive, and you felt a little guilty that you didn’t try harder to find her, but things, as they so often do, happened.

You found your family in a group of strangers. You lost some of them along the way, but they were still your family.

You found the best man you ever met in Daryl, and he was everything you could ever want.

Though your life wasn’t at all how you thought it would turn out to be, it was as damn good as it could get. If you could find some sort of closure with the whereabouts of your biological family, that would make the weight on your shoulders that much lighter.

When you and Daryl were finished eating, Daryl surprised you by pulling you up by the arms and taking you for a moonlit stroll along the road.

You laughed as he pulled you out of the church. “Where are you taking me, wild man?”

He pulled you closer to him. “Nowhere,” he said. “Just wanted to walk a bit.”

You smiled as you began walking, your hands intertwined and swinging between your bodies. He had his crossbow over his shoulder, and you had your axe looped around your belt as always. Though you wished you could walk around freely, the world was a dangerous place now, and walkers lurked around every corner.

You walked in comfortable silence for a while, the only sounds were of crickets and other nocturnal creatures, and the gravel crumbling beneath your feet with each step.

“How do you feel about going to D.C.?” you asked him.

He shrugged. “How do you feel?”

You tilted your head at him. “I asked you first.”

He thought for a moment. “If you’re okay with it, I’m okay with it.”

You let go of his hand to loop your arm around his and lean your head on his shoulder. “Good,” you said. “I have a good feeling about it. I know we shouldn’t get too excited, but I’m just glad we have a destination, you know? Something to keep us going. And who knows, the world might change after we get there. Things could… be kind of normal again.”

He looked at you solemnly. “What if there ain’t anythin’ left, like at the CDC?”

You were silent as you gathered your thoughts. You did think about that, but it was a thought you put out of your mind. “There can’t be any harm in at least trying. That’s what we do now, right? Try. Try, try, try.” You sang out each repetition of the simple word with a happy melody before looking at him and smiling. “Try for each other, for our family.”

He nodded. “You’re my family.”

“You’re my family, too.” You looked forward, then saw the same car you and Daryl stumbled upon earlier that day, the one you left there just in case of an emergency. “There’s our car,” you said. “Don’t think we’ll need it. That bus will fit us all.”

Daryl grunted in agreement. “Yeah,” he said. “Shitty car anyway.”

When the sound of screeching tires hit your ears, you and Daryl ran to hide behind the car. On the intersecting road just ahead, you saw another car speeding past. Rising from your crouch, you both focused your eyes on a white cross painted on the back window of the car.

“Those are the people who took Beth!” you said.

Daryl moved quickly to punch out the brake lights of the car with the stock of his crossbow, that way it would be harder for others to see it. “Come on!” he yelled to you, throwing himself into the driver’s seat as you jumped into the passenger side.

You knew the rest of your group at the church would wonder where you two went off to, but you also knew they’d understand your decision to try to find Beth. It had been weighing heavily on both of your minds since you lost her, and you felt you owed it to Maggie to find her.

As you kept your eyes focused on the taillights of the car in front of you, Daryl always keeping a distance away so you wouldn’t be detected, you had a sneaking suspicion of where they were taking you: Atlanta.

~

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[my-mt-heart]

TWD 11x15 “Trust” Review

I’m going to kick this off with a major apology because my thoughts are not as organized or fleshed out as I’d like them to be. Maybe all these late Saturday nights are taking a toll, but after watching this episode twice, my head is still spinning. Princer sex? Daryl and Mercer dropping F-bombs? Carol wearing a ring? Lance and Leah? Where do I start?? 

How about with my favorite scene, Carol walking Judith and RJ to school. It’s so rare that we get to see her interact with her niece and nephew, and I’m inclined to think that’s no accident. You can tell in this scene Carol’s a little stiff, like she’s trying to maintain boundaries. Given the number of children she’s lost, it’s understandable she’d be hesitant to let herself get emotionally attached to any more of them, not only for her sake, but for theirs. It’s possible she doesn’t trust herself in a maternal role, but she steps into it anyway because she knows she has an obligation to them, and perhaps to Daryl as well who isn’t there to look after them himself. I do find it very curious that she’s shown to be wearing a ring on *that* finger in this episode. Wardrobe choices are always well thought out, so just like her new look in last week’s episode meant something, the ring has to mean something too. Frankly, I’m just not sure what. Perhaps deep down she wishes she could be more for Daryl and the kids than her trauma will allow her to? I can tell you what it doesn’t mean though…

When Ezekiel shows up at the school with his kingly persona, RJ lights up and I can’t help but wonder if it’s that particular version of him he’s drawn to, the one who’s seemingly always optimistic and wearing a smile. Carol on the other hand is acting closed-off, not that she isn’t glad to see he’s recovering, but in stark contrast to her run-in with Daryl, she dismisses all of Ezekiel’s efforts to reconnect, vaguely stating how busy she is with her “new job” with Lance and how she needs to “fix things.” She’s not looking to join Ezekiel on his personal quest to rebuild his future.

As suspected, Ezekiel has converted a barn into an underground clinic for patients who can’t get treatment within the system. He recruits Tomi (apparently pronounced Toe-mee?) to perform an appendectomy on a woman, but the two get caught trying to sneak out medical supplies, prompting Carol to bail them out. I know what you’re wondering. Does this cheapen Carol coming to Daryl’s rescue in last week’s episode? Not at all, babes. Whereas Carol seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to Daryl, springing into action at the first sign he does something out of character, she has no idea Ezekiel is in trouble until he summons her and she seems quite exasperated about it. 

This further establishes Zeke as the proactive one when it comes to their relationship. Before this episode, I hadn’t been sure if he had any desire to rekindle their romance, but in the spirit of taking full advantage of his health, it seems like that may actually be the case. At one point during his Fandemic Tour panel, Khary mentions that the show tends to do just enough to make the audience wonder if a reconciliation is in the works, and this episode is a good example of teasing those boundaries. All throughout, Carol and Zeke are placed in quasi romantic situations like sharing an umbrella or sitting together under low lighting. Ezekiel even pines after Carol a little bit, saying things like she’s “stuck with him” and he trusts her “more than anyone.” But as Carol flatly tells Ezekiel, which I also believe is Angela’s reassurance to us, they’re  “not getting back together.” Though Ezekiel may not realize it yet, their story is coming full circle. They’ve helped each other, they’ve cemented a friendship, and very soon they’ll have to go down different paths. 

Despite Ezekiel gaining a new appreciation for the things Carol does to make a difference and “taking her words to heart,” he’s still making the same mistake he made in “The Storm” and possibly all throughout their marriage, which is assuming Carol wants (or can be talked into wanting) the same things he does. On the cusp of getting emotional, though still holding back to avoid too much vulnerability around him, Carol tells Ezekiel that “the light suits him.” In other words, she’s still an outsider looking in, hovering in the darkness without a clue how to escape it for herself. Many of us have lamented the lack of recognition Carol gets for going above and beyond to keep everyone safe and now that she finally does receive it from Ezekiel, it isn’t enough. Saving lives with an underground clinic may be Ezekiel’s light, but it isn’t hers. Whether Ezekiel’s accepting this or he’s still motivated to try to align their goals, he wisely advises her to make her own light. And I think we can all guess what that light ultimately is. Here’s a hint: “Follow my light.” 

Carol isn’t the only one feeling stuck. Mercer, newly disillusioned by the place he calls home, the place he’s devoted his post-apocalyptic life to, feels guilty, yet powerless to do anything about it. He struggles to confide in Princess despite her insistence that she’s a good listener and the fact that the two are now physically intimate, pointing it out to each other at every opportunity (take a shot every time they say the word sex? Haha). Mercer views the Commonwealth as an imposing force, ironic considering how imposing he is visually. While flexing his huge muscles at the gym, Max calls him out for continuing to be the community’s poster boy instead of using his influence to promote real change. To me, this is definitely foreshadowing his eventual rise to power over the Commonwealth, but for now, he is still playing it safe. At least we see him take the first step, opening up to Princess about having to kill his own men because of their involvement in Sebastian’s heists. Their conversation is important for Mercer’s growth, but it also shows us new dimensions to Princess’s character.  Like she tells him, she may give off this carefree vibe, but she can also handle the heavy stuff. That heavy stuff is bound to get her in deep trouble eventually though, and I fear Connie, Kelly, Rosita, Eugene, and Max are all in the same boat. We don’t know what they’re going to end up doing with the list of names, but my prediction is they’ll publish it anonymously. Cue public outcry. Cue mass arrests.

Aside from Carol, none of the other characters at the Commonwealth seem to be aware of the danger Lance poses, looking at the Miltons instead. However, Aaron, Gabriel, and Daryl are quick to catch on while Lance is investigating the massacre at the apartment complex (paying homage to crime dramas again). To be fair to Lance, it is a little ridiculous that “a man with one arm and a priest” could fight their way out of it while an entire fleet of trained soldiers couldn’t. But, hey, that’s plot armor for you, Lance. Both there and at Hilltop, Daryl tries to play mediator if only to prevent Lance from hurting his people, and it seems like Lance is testing him, ordering Daryl to suit up or put on his helmet multiple times. It’s his way of of telling Daryl to fall in line and pledge his allegiance to the Commonwealth, but then Lance takes things a step too far when he confronts Hershel at Glenn’s grave (which conveniently did not get destroyed in the fire), trying to manipulate him into confessing what really happened at the apartment complex. 

Things get heated when Elijah tries to intervene and Daryl has to reveal who he’s really fighting for. He even drops an “F” bomb for the first time since season 5 I want to say (Edit: I guess he dropped one in season 9 to Rick), and I find it a little baffling that of all places for the show to do so, it’s here. “Before something really fucking bad happens” seems to carry a lot less weight compared to him saying “fuck the way it was” in Consumed, but I suppose it’s worth noting that in both instances, he’s rejecting the old world. The first time, it’s to help Carol see that she can be more than she thinks she can, and now he’s having to reaffirm that for himself. This probably marks the beginning of his realization that he and the Commonwealth don’t mesh well, which will eventually lead to him choosing a fresh start with the person who is also still looking for a fresh start. Unlike Ezekiel and Carol, Daryl and Carol both want the same thing. It’s just a matter of telling each other. 

Always having a new trick up his sleeve, Lance ever so conveniently runs into Leah in the woods and offers her a job. From the promo for the mid-season finale, we know she’s being hired to assassinate Maggie, and while centering the tension around these two women instead of Leah and Carol is certainly not unexpected at this point, it is nonetheless deeply frustrating. I will reserve my judgment until I see how it plays out, but I’m warning you right now, prepare for a long rant. 

The title of the episode is “Trust,” and we see places where trust is being reinforced like between Maggie and Daryl, Eugene and Max (who share their first kiss), Princess and Mercer, and Carol and Ezekiel. Trust is also being broken if it wasn’t already broken to begin with. Lance doesn’t trust Team Family. Mercer, Carol, Daryl, Maggie and some others don’t trust the Commonwealth. Everyone is being challenged to find their true paths, and we at least know what that means for Carol and Daryl. How much progress they’ll make in the next episode, it’s difficult to say. I can’t even be sure how much Carol will be in the episode, but what else is new? Honestly, I’m just excited to wrap up 11B so we can look forward to the good stuff that’s bound to come out of 11C. Sorry again if this review isn’t doing the episode justice. I will do a deeper dive, specifically looking at Daryl’s and Carol’s arcs, sometime after next week to make up for it. 

11x09 “No Other Way” Review

11x10 “New Haunts” Review

11x11 “Rogue Element” Review

11x12 “The Lucky Ones” Review

11x13 “Warlords” Review

11x14 “The Rotten Core” Review

#caryl #caryl positivity #caryl is endgame #twd #twd season 11 #twd review #twd trust #twd spoilers #mercer twd #princess twd #eugene porter #rosita espinosa #connie and kelly twd #aaron twd #father gabriel #king ezekiel

[alwaysmarveling]

Rock Band

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x fem!reader

Warnings: None, just fluff :)

Word Count: 3.2k

A/N: Not too sure how I feel about this one, but it’s Wanda so hopefully you guys enjoy it (also I miss playing Rock Band)!!

“You ready for game night, Bird Boy?” Bucky winked.

“You bet, old man. I’m going to crush you, just you wait.” Sam smiled at Bucky with a glint in his eye and mischief clear in his voice. “You guys coming?” Sam turned to look at you and your girlfriend. “The theme is Wii games. Even Thor is coming.” You looked at Wanda for confirmation before answering.

“Yeah, sounds fun. Don’t know if we have the same need for total domination as you losers, though.” Tony laughed from his position in the chair next to you.

“Just you wait, kiddo. You’ll get into it. They all do.”

“Even if I do, I doubt it’ll be that hard to take a bunch of grandpas down,” you winked at the men before scooping some salad into your mouth.

“Since when am I a grandpa?” Sam scoffed.

“Since you became old, which, according to my calculations, has been… oh, right, always. Grandpa in spirit.”

“Well this grandpa is going to beat your ass, so just prepare yourself,” Sam challenged.

“I personally would like to go back to the ‘losers’ thing,” Steve countered. “The only loser is going to be you. Do you even know what games we’re going to be playing, Y/N?”

“Nah, but I figure whatever it is I’ll win,” you smirked.

“Oh, someone’s feeling cocky today. I’d be scared if I were you.” You turned your head slightly to your right, noting how Wanda’s lips curled upwards at Steve’s warning. “Nat has yet to be defeated in Mario Kart, and I, for one, am pretty decent at Smash Bros.”

“You’re on,” you winked at him, the table beginning to clear out. “See you tonight.”

When everyone had left the table but you and Wanda, you turned to your girlfriend. “I suck at Mario Kart. And Smash Bros,” you whined, burying your face into the crook of her neck. “What got into me?” Wanda laughed and ran a hand down your arm.

“You’re too competitive for your own good, detka. If it makes you feel better, Nat already knows you’re bad at Mario Kart,” Wanda smiled, reflecting on the many game nights the three of you and Carol had had together over the years.

“That doesn’t make me feel any better. I’m going to be a loser,” you complained, your voice muffled.

“You’ll be fine, babe. You’re good at, um... What's that game called again?”

“Mario Party 8?”

“Yeah, that one!”

“I can’t win game night with one game, Wanda.”

“Well, you’re always a winner in my book,” your girlfriend reassured you as she played with your fingers.

“Cute, Wan,” you huffed. “Maybe there is a way I could be a winner…” you smiled. When Wanda began to shake her head furiously, you began to beg. “Please, baby, you don’t have to do a lot. Just distract them a little? Please? Pretty please?”

“As much as I love you, Y/N, there is no way I’m messing with their minds just so you can win a game night.”

“I guess you have a point,” you sighed, making sure the fake sadness was clear in your voice. Wanda only laughed, brushing your cheek with the back of her hand.

“I’ll make it up to you. I promise. Besides, if you win, I can’t kiss away your pout.”

“But if I win, you can kiss me as a little ‘good job,’ you know?”

“You’re cute when you pout, though.”

“Am I not cute when I’m smiling from the pure joy of winning?”

“Weren’t you just saying you didn’t want ‘total domination’ less than five minutes ago?”

“Don’t change the subject,” you grumbled. Wanda chuckled, pressing her lips to your forehead.

“Sorry, printsessa. You’d better go practice if you want to try to win tonight.”

“I suppose,” you mumbled, pulling away from the witch. “You’re going to help me, though, right?” Your girlfriend pecked you on the lips, causing a smile to slowly form on your face.

“Of course.”

---

Later that night, you and Wanda were sprawled across your bed watching the first show that played when you turned on the TV. Your head laid in Wanda’s lap as Wanda traced invisible patterns in your hair and along your face.

“Okay, but why is ‘womb’ pronounced ‘woom’?” you spoke up. “Shouldn’t it be ‘wom’? You know, like ‘bomb’? Or what about ‘tomb’? Why is it pronounced like that? Who said that putting a ‘b’ at the end of the word makes the ‘o’ long for some words but not others?” Wanda brought her gaze down from the screen to your face, her brows furrowed and nose scrunched.

“What the heck even made you think of that?”

“I don’t know,” you shrugged, “I’ve just been thinking.”

“Maybe you should be thinking a little less, printsessa,” Wanda giggled, drawing a swirl on your cheek with the tip of her finger.

“That tickles, Wan.” That didn’t stop the witch, who simply pinched your cheek before resuming her tracing. “But I thought you liked my thinking. I have some pretty good thoughts,” you defended yourself, crossing your arms in front of your chest.

“Like ‘what would happen if the French used the Statue of Liberty like the Trojan Horse?’” Wanda raised her eyebrows.

“It was a hypothetical!”

“A pretty bad one, if you ask me.”

“Well sorry, Miss Smartypants.”

“You can be smart too, dorogaya. You just… have your moments,” she winked at you.

“I hate you,” you grumbled, turning away from her so that you were facing the flashing screen, images playing across it but neither of you really sure—or caring—what was going on.

“You love me.”

“Nuh uh.”

“Yeah huh.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No, I-”

“Guys, game night is starting,” Tony knocked at your door.

“Okay, we’ll be down in a second,” Wanda told him. You didn’t listen for if he had left, instead turning your gazes back to each other.

“Okay, maybe I do love you a little bit.” Wanda raised her brows, her finger now running along your lower lip.

“Only a little?”

“I might be able to be persuaded otherwise, but as of right now, yes, a little.” Wanda hummed before leaning down to join your lips.

“What about now?” she asked, her lips brushing yours as she spoke.

“I love you a medium bit.” She kissed you again, this time a little longer than the last.

“And now?”

“I love you a lot a bit,” you whispered. Wanda smiled, giving you one last kiss before sitting back up.

“I love you a lot a bit too. Now, let’s get down to the living room. I believe we have a bunch of ‘grandpas’ waiting for us.”

---

“Wanda, Y/N, I missed you. How has life been treating you on Earth?” Thor waved at the two of you. You guys had little time to wave back, let alone respond, before Tony spotted you.

“There they are,” Tony clapped his hands together. “We were just about to get started. First on the agenda is Smash Bros because this one,” he aggressively pointed in Steve’s direction, “said he needs to go to bed before 1. Party pooper.” Steve rolled his eyes. 

“Some of us just don’t want to destroy our entire sleep schedule in one night.” He turned away from Tony to face the two of you, holding out one controller. “We’ve got one spot left, who’s playing?”

---

More than three hours later, the clock read 11 PM and the group of you had made it through several games. As you expected, you hadn’t won anything, but Wanda held her own in Smash Bros and was actually close to beating Nat in Mario Kart at one point (that didn’t last long, but you were proud nonetheless). Thor beat you all at Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, but with all the jumping and yelling going on at the time, you weren’t sure the tower would hold up long enough for you guys to actually finish the game.

“Are you planning on winning any time soon, Y/N?” Nat winked at you from her spot on the couch, one leg resting above the couch and the other bent at the knee on a cushion.

“Oh, shut up,” you laughed. “You know that I suck at video games.” No one else could hear your conversation with the chaos going on over Cooking Mama. That’s right, Cooking Mama.

“I actually thought you were playing us the first couple game nights. And then I finally realized you were just that bad,” Natasha chuckled, quickly having to dodge the pillow you’d thrown in her direction.

“Would it kill you to sit normally for once?”

“Yes,” she smiled, “Yes, it would.”

“How’re you doing, babe? Not too upset yet?” Wanda joined you on the couch with a peck to your cheek.

“Doing just dandy, Wan. See, I can be a good sport.” The witch laughed.

“I’ll check back in with you in an hour.”

“Hey, ladies, we were going to play Rock Band. You guys interested?” Bucky held up the controllers.

“Who won Cooking Mama?” you asked, a smirk clearly written across your face. Bucky rolled his eyes before responding.

“Clint. Now are you guys joining, or what?”

“Mm, I think I’m going to grab a drink. I’ll enjoy the show for a little bit first,” you winked as you slowly rose from the couch.

“She’s only saying that because she doesn’t want to lose,” Sam scoffed. “Y/N’s just upset she can’t deliver on her promise to beat us all.”

“Just you wait for Mario Party 8, Sam. Just you wait.”

“We don’t have that game,” Bruce whispered to you apologetically. “We let Peter borrow it for the weekend. Sorry, Y/N.”

“Are you serious?” You threw your hands up.

“Coward,” Clint teased, sticking his tongue out at you.

“Oh, calm down, Clint. Rock Band doesn’t even have a winner,” Nat chastised.

“Yes, it does! Whoever gets the highest score wins.” The redhead simply rolled her eyes before winking at you.

“Alright, I’m in. Put me on guitar. You coming, Wan?” Natasha turned to her.

“I’m a bit exhausted from the last game. Soon, though,” the witch promised.

“You want anything, babe?”

“A water would be nice,” Wanda smiled at you. “Thank you, detka.”

“Of course.” You squeezed her hand before heading toward the kitchen.

“How come you didn’t ask any of us if we wanted anything?”

“Okay, Sam,” you turned, crossing your arms, “Do you guys want anything?” A chorus of “no’s” echoed through the room. You shook your head, letting out a puff of air before continuing into the kitchen and grabbing one water for you and your girlfriend.

After a small argument over the song choice, Sam, Bucky, Nat, and Tony were all jamming out to ‘Say It Ain’t So,’ and you couldn’t help but laugh from your position on the couch. Wanda’s left arm was wrapped around your waist, holding you close to her, not that you were complaining. You appreciated the body heat, and her, of course.

Sam did have a pretty decent voice, you had to admit. You didn’t think he’d get so into it, but it was quite entertaining.

Speaking of entertaining, it was extremely difficult to hold in a giggle every time you looked at Bucky. Not that he was bad at it—he was surprisingly very good—but it was obvious he’d spent hours playing this game. Eyes closed, head shaking frantically side to side, and cheeks rosy, one might’ve thought Bucky was actually playing at a concert. You were sure Bucky had his part memorized, which was quite a lot for a guy who was still complaining about all the “confusing, new technology nowadays.”

Nat couldn’t be farther from the opposite of the Winter Soldier. As one might expect, she was hitting every note, but from the look on her face, you had a harder time going up the stairs without tripping than she was having playing the game.

And Tony, well, you didn’t really know what to expect with him, but it certainly wasn’t this. For a guy with all the charisma in the world, you thought he would’ve been more… coordinated. He dropped a drumstick at least twice already, and he could never seem to hit the pedal when he had to use the sticks at the same time.

Unfortunately for you, the song quickly came to a close and a new distraction arose—you.

“Y/N, no avoiding it any longer. C’mon, get up here. Which one do you want to be?” You glanced reluctantly at Wanda before answering. If you wanted to play to win, your best bet was singing, but none of the Avengers, including Wanda, had heard you before, and you were in no rush to change that. At the same time, your girlfriend was right; you definitely had a competitive side to you, and seeing the looks on the guys’ faces when you won would be a glorious sight. But maybe it wasn’t all about winning, after all, Wanda had promised you a kiss…

“Put her on the mic,” Natasha smirked. She removed the strap of the toy guitar from her neck before handing it to Steve. Before you could protest, the microphone was shoved into your hands and someone pushed you towards the front of the room.

“Good luck, Y/N,” you barely heard Wanda call from behind you, more worried about what you were going to do.

“Okay, so, Steve and I will be on guitar and bass, Thor on drums, and Y/N on mic. We ready?” Bucky scanned the room for approval. When everyone except for you nodded, he went to choose a song.

“‘Wanted Dead or Alive?’ Really, Buck?” Steve shook his head.

“It’s a good song,” he shrugged, moving to his spot next to Steve. “Should we show them how it’s done?”

“Ha, funny of you to think you’ll win,” Thor boomed, rubbing the drum sticks together.

“Y/N? You’re awfully quiet.” Sam smirked.

“Oh, shut up, Big Bird. Let’s just get this over with.” The man held up his hands in surrender as he backed away from you slowly.

As the first few measures of the song passed, you made a decision. Screw what the rest of the Avengers thought, you were going for it. You took a deep breath as the words rolled across the screen.

“It’s all the same, only the names will change.” The second you started singing, you heard everyone else go quiet around you. Steve, Bucky, and Thor all stopped playing for a second, and you could practically feel everyone’s mouth drop as you forced your eyes to stay on the screen in front of you.

“Every day, it seems we’re wastin’ away.” Just keep going, you told yourself. As much as you wanted to shrivel up in a corner somewhere far, far away, you had already started this. Might as well finish it.

“Another place where the faces are so cold, I’d drive all night just to get back home.” A whistle erupted from behind you—it had to be Tony—and amongst the hooting and hollering, you smiled, relieved, as the rest of the Avengers seemed to snap back into it.

The rest of the guys got back into the groove, and at one point you weren’t even sure you could hear yourself over Thor’s rather enthusiastic drum playing. You had a hard time not laughing at Bucky when you were watching him earlier, but it was pretty much impossible to not laugh now when you were seeing him with Steve. They were definitely feeding off of each other’s energy, and, wow, was it a sight. You’d never seen them this… loose before. They’d definitely need a comb after this game.

Nevertheless, your teammates’ antics helped you fully relax into the song, and it was over before you knew it. On the last beat of the song, you heard a loud crack and whirled around just in time to dodge part of a drumstick coming straight for your face.

“Thor, what the heck are you doing, man?” The god laughed sheepishly.

“Are you trying to kill my girlfriend?” You glanced over at Wanda, who looked ready to grab Thor around the neck. One stern look from you made her hesitate, but the anger remained obvious in her eyes.

“I guess I got a little caught up in the game. In my defense, your human toys are way too fragile.” After one harsh glare from Wanda, the god swallowed and added, “I apologize, Y/N.”

“Dude, how the heck are we supposed to keep playing with a broken drumstick?” Clint inspected the broken piece, which was at least the size of his palm, passing it from hand to hand.

“Ah, forget it. We can just switch to a different game. Y/N’s would’ve won the rest of the rounds anyway,” Bruce shrugged as he pointed at the screen.

The rest of the Avengers followed his finger, and sure enough, you had finished with a perfect score.

“Okay, Y/N, I’ll give it to you. That was good. How come you never told any of us you could sing?” You laughed, shaking your head.

“Nobody asked me.” You shrugged before handing the microphone to Bruce, allowing the conversation to return to what to do about the broken drumstick and returning to your seat next to Wanda. “Babe, I defeated the grandpas,” you whispered before pushing your face into the crook of her neck. More relaxed now that you were safe next to her, she chuckled, grabbing your hand.

“You did. I thought you would’ve been more excited about it?”

“I’m very happy about it,” you murmured, just loud enough for her to hear.

“You’re cute when you’re embarrassed,” she smiled, squeezing your thigh. You whined, prompting your girlfriend to laugh softly and kiss the top of your forehead. “I wouldn’t mind hearing you sing more often. You’re a good singer, malyshka.”

“Thanks,” you muttered.

“Wow, Wanda, you didn’t even know your girlfriend could sing?” Clint teased. With the conversation back on you, you pushed yourself further into Wanda’s body. She reassured you by tracing small circles at the top of your knee.

“Obviously none of you knew about it either.”

“I did,” Natasha smirked, causing you to look up at her in shock. “I heard you singing in the shower the other day when I went to drop off the sweatshirt you left in my room.” You threw your head back in laughter before chucking a pillow in her direction, which she easily caught.

“You suck. You put me on singing on purpose!”

“You wanted to win, didn’t you?” your best friend shrugged, clearly not feeling bad for what she had done.

“Okay, okay, can we get back to game night now?” Sam whined. “Sure, Y/N can sing. But can she dance?” Everyone groaned playfully as Sam pulled out a copy of Just Dance. “Natasha, you’re not allowed to play,” he quickly added. The redhead crossed her arms, a smile on her face.

“Fine with me. Go get ‘em, Y/N.” You grinned. Giving Wanda a peck on the cheek, you stood from the couch yet again and rolled up your sleeves. This was going to be a long night.

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x fem!reader #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff imagine #wanda maximoff #avengers x reader #marvel #mcu #I wrote something #again #alwaysmarveling

[unknown-songs]

BLACK LIVES MATTER

A list with black artists who have a song in the Unknown Songs That Should Be Known-playlist (Can be a black artist in a band or just solo-artist) (no specific genre)

Bull’s Eye - Blacknuss, Prince Prime - Funk Aftershow - Joe Fox - Alternative Hip-hop Strangers in the Night - Ben L’Oncle Soul - Soul Explore - Mack Wilds - R&B Something To Do - IGBO - Funk

Down With The Trumpets - Rizzle Kicks - Pop Dans ta ville - Dub Inc. - Reggae Dance or Die - Brooklyn Funk Essentials - Funk FACELESS - The PLAYlist, Glenn Lewis - R&B Tell Me Father - Jeangu Macrooy - Soul

Southern Boy - John The Conquerer - Blues Hard Rock Savannah Grass - Kes - Dancehall Dr. Funk - The Main Squeeze - Funk Seems I’m Never Tired of Loving You - Lizz Wright - Jazz Out of My Hands - TheColorGrey, Oddisee - Hip-Hop/Pop

Raised Up in Arkansas - Michael Burks - Blues Black Times - Sean Kuti, Egypt 80, Carlos Santana - Afrobeat Cornerstone - Benjamin Clementine - Indie Shine On - R.I.O., Madcon - Electronic Pop Bass On The Line - Bernie Worrell - Funk

When We Love - Jhené Aiko - R&B Need Your Love - Curtis Harding - Soul Too Dry to Cry - Willis Earl Beal - Folk Your House - Steel Pulse - Reggae Power - Moon Boots, Black Gatsby - Deep House

Vinyl Is My Bible - Brother Strut - Funk Diamond - Izzy Biu - R&B Elusive - blackwave., David Ngyah - Hip-hop Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down - Heritage Blues Orchestra - Blues Sastanàqqàm - Tinariwen - Psychedelic Rock

Disco To Go - Brides of Funkenstein - Funk/Soul Circles - Durand Jones & The Indications - Retro Pop Cheesin’ - Cautious Clay, Remi Wolf, sophie meiers - R&B Changes - Charles Bradley - Soul The Sweetest Sin - RAEVE - House

Gyae Su - Pat Thomas, Kwashibu Area Band - Funk What Am I to Do - Ezra Collective, Loyle Carner - Hip-hop Get Your Groove On - Cedric Burnside - Blues Old Enough To Know Better - Steffen Morrisson - Soul Wassiye - Habib Koité - Khassonke musique

Dance Floor - Zapp - Funk Wake Up - Brass Against, Sophia Urista - Brass Hard-Rock BIG LOVE - Black Eyed Peas - Pop The Greatest - Raleigh Ritchie - R&B DYSFUNCTIONAL - KAYTRANADA, VanJess - Soul

See You Leave - RJD2, STS, Khari Mateen - Hip-hop Sing A Simple Song - Maceo Parker - Jazz/Funk Have Mercy - Eryn Allen Kane - Soul Homenage - Brownout - Latin Funk Can’t Sleep - Gary Clark Jr. - Blues Rock

Toast - Koffee - Dancehall Freedom - Ester Dean - R&B Iskaba - Wande Coal, DJ Tunez - Afropop High Road - Anthony Riley - Alternative Christian Sunny Days - Sabrina Starke - Soul

The Talking Fish - Ibibio Sound Machine - Funk Paralyzed - KWAYE - Indie Purple Heart Blvd - Sebastian Kole - Pop WORSHIP - The Knocks, MNEK - Deep House BMO - Ari Lennox - R&B

Promises - Myles Sanko - Soul .img - Brother Theodore - Funk Singing the Blues - Ruthie Foster, Meshell Ndegeocello - Blues Nobody Like You - Amartey, SBMG, The Livingtons - Hip-hop Starship - Afriquoi, Shabaka Hutchings, Moussa Dembele - Deep House

Lay My Troubles Down - Aaron Taylor - Funk  Bloodstream - Tokio Myers - Classic Sticky - Ravyn Lenae - R&B Why I Try - Jalen N’Gonda - Soul Motivation - Benjamin Booker - Folk

quand c’est - Stromae - Pop Let Me Down (Shy FX Remix) - Jorja Smith, Stormzy, SHY FX - Reggae Funny - Gerald Levert - R&B Salt in my Wounds - Shemekia Copeland - Blues Our Love - Samm Henshaw - Soul

Make You Feel That Way - Blackalicious - Jazz Hip-hop Knock Me Out - Vintage Trouble - Funk Take the Time - Ronald Bruner, Jr., Thundercat - Alternative Thru The Night - Phonte, Eric Roberson - R&B Keep Marchin’ - Raphael Saadiq - Soul

Shake Me In Your Arms - Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’ - Blues Meet Me In The Middle - Jodie Abascus - Pop Raise Hell - Sir the Baptist, ChurchPpl - Gospel Pop Mogoya - Oumou Sangaré - Wassoulou Where’s Yesterday - Slakah The Beatchild - Hip-hop

Lose My Cool - Amber Mark - R&B New Funk - Big Sam’s Funky Nation - Funk I Got Love - Nate Dogg - Hip-hop Nothing’s Real But Love - Rebecca Ferguson - Soul Crazy Race - The RH Factor - Jazz

Spies Are Watching Me - Voilaaa, Sir Jean - Funk The Leaders - Boka de Banjul - Afrobeat Fast Lane - Rationale - House Conundrum - Hak Baker - Folk Don’t Make It Harder On Me - Chloe x Halle - R&B

Plastic Hamburgers - Fantastic Negrito - Hardrock Beyond - Leon Bridges - Pop God Knows - Dornik - Soul Soleil de volt - Baloji - Afrofunk Do You Remember - Darryl Williams, Michael Lington - Jazz Get Back - McClenney - Alternative Three Words - Aaron Marcellus - Soul

Spotify playlist 

In memory of:

Aaron Bailey Adam Addie Mae Collins Ahmaud Arbery Aiyana Stanley Jones Akai Gurley Alberta Odell Jones Alexia Christian Alfonso Ferguson Alteria Woods Alton Sterling Amadou Diallo Amos Miller Anarcha Westcott Anton de Kom Anthony Hill Antonio Martin Antronie Scott Antwon Rose Jr. Arthur St. Clair Atatiana Jefferson Aubrey Pollard Aura Rosser Bennie Simons Berry Washington Bert Dennis Bettie Jones Betsey Billy Ray Davis Bobby Russ Botham Jean Brandon Jones Breffu Brendon Glenn Breonna Taylor Bud Johnson Bussa

Calin Roquemore Calvin McDowell Calvin Mike and his family Carl Cooper Carlos Carson Carlotta Lucumi Carol Denise McNair Carol Jenkins Carole Robertson Charles Curry Charles Ferguson Charles Lewis Charles Wright Charly Leundeu Keunang Chime Riley Christian Taylor Christopher Sheels Claude Neal Clementa Pickney Clifford Glover Clifton Walker Clinton Briggs Clinton R. Allen Cordella Stevenson Corey Carter Corey Jones Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd Cynthia Wesley

Daniel L. Simmons Danny Bryant Darius Randell Robinson Darius Tarver Darrien Hunt Darrius Stewart David Felix David Joseph David McAtee David Walker and his family Deandre Brunston Deborah Danner Delano Herman Middleton Demarcus Semer Demetrius DuBose Depayne Middleton-Doctor Dion Johnson Dominique Clayton Dontre Hamilton Dred Scott

Edmund Scott Ejaz Choudry Elbert Williams Eleanor Bumpurs Elias Clayton Elijah McClain Eliza Woods Elizabeth Lawrence Elliot Brooks Ellis Hudson Elmer Jackson Elmore Bolling Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford Jr. Emmett Till Eric Garner Eric Harris Eric Reason Ernest Lacy Ernest Thomas Ervin Jones Eugene Rice Eugene Williams Ethel Lee Lance Ezell Ford

Felix Kumi Frank Livingston Frank Morris Frank Smart Frazier B. Baker Fred Hampton Fred Rochelle Fred Temple Freddie Carlos Gray Jr.

George Floyd George Grant George Junius Stinney Jr. George Meadows George Waddell George Washington Lee Gregory Gunn

Harriette Vyda Simms Moore Harry Tyson Moore Hazel “Hayes” Turner Henry Ezekial Smith Henry Lowery Henry Ruffin Henry Scott Hosea W. Allen

India Kager Isaac McGhie Isadore Banks Italia Marie Kelly

Jack Turner Jamar Clark Jamel Floyd James Byrd Jr. James Craig Anderson James Earl Chaney James Powell James Ramseur James Tolliver James T. Scott Janet Wilson Jason Harrison Javier Ambler J.C. Farmer Jemel Roberson Jerame Reid Jesse Thornton Jessie Jefferson Jim Eastman Joe Nathan Roberts John Cecil Jones John Crawford III John J. Gilbert John Ruffin John Taylor Johnny Robinson Jonathan Ferrell Jonathan Sanders Jordan Edwards Joseph Mann Julia Baker Julius Jones July Perry Junior Prosper

Kalief Browder Karvas Gamble Jr. Keith Childress, Jr. Kelly Gist Kelso Benjamin Cochrane Kendrick Johnson Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. Kenny Long Kevin Hicks Kevin Matthews Kiwane Albert Carrington

Lacy Mitchell Lamar Smith Laquan McDonald Laura Nelson Laura Wood L.B. Reed L.D. Nelson Lemuel Penn Lemuel Walters Leonard Deadwyler Leroy Foley Levi Harrington Lila Bella Carter Lloyd Clay Louis Allen Lucy

M.A. Santa Cruz Maceo Snipes Malcom X Malice Green Malissa Williams Manuel Ellis Marcus Deon Smith Marcus Foster Marielle Franco Mark Clark Maria Martin Lee Anderson Martin Luther King Jr. Matthew Avery Mary Dennis Mary Turner Matthew Ajibade May Noyes Mckenzie Adams Medgar Wiley Evers Michael Brown Michael Donald Michael Griffith Michael Lee Marshall Michael Lorenzo Dean Michael Noel Michael Sabbie Michael Stewart Michelle Cusseaux Miles Hall Moses Green Mya Hall Myra Thompson

Nathaniel Harris Pickett Jr. Natasha McKenna Nicey Brown Nicholas Heyward Jr.

O’Day Short family Orion Anderson Oscar Grant III Otis Newsom

Pamela Turner Paterson Brown Jr. Patrick Dorismond Philando Castile Phillip Pannell Phillip White Phinizee Summerour

Quaco

Ramarley Graham Randy Nelson Raymond Couser Raymond Gunn Regis Korchinski-Paquet Rekia Boyd Renisha McBride Riah Milton Robert Hicks Robert Mallard Robert Truett Rodney King Roe Nathan Roberts Roger Malcolm and his wife Roger Owensby Jr. Ronell Foster Roy Cyril Brooks Rumain Brisbon Ryan Matthew Smith

Sam Carter Sam McFadden Samuel DuBose Samuel Ephesians Hammond Jr. Samuel Hammond Jr. Samuel Leamon Younge Jr. Sandra Bland Sean Bell Shali Tilson Sharonda Coleman-Singleton Shukri Abdi Simon Schuman Slab Pitts Stella Young Stephon Clark Susie Jackson

T.A. Allen Tamir Rice Tamla Horsford Tanisha Anderson Timothy Caughman Timothy Hood Timothy Russell Timothy Stansbury Jr. Timothy Thomas Terrence Crutcher Terrill Thomas Tom Jones Tom Moss Tony McDade Tony Terrell Robinson Jr. Trayvon Martin Troy Hodge Troy Robinson Tula Tyler Gerth Tyre King Tywanza Sanders

Victor Duffy Jr. Victor White III

Walter Lamar Scott Wayne Arnold Jones Wesley Thomas Wilbert Cohen Wilbur Bundley Will Brown Will Head Will Stanley Will Stewart Will Thompson Willie James Howard Willie Johnson Willie McCoy Willie Palmer Willie Turks William Brooks William Butler William Daniels William Fambro William Green William L. Chapman II William Miller William Pittman Wyatt Outlaw

Yusef Kirriem Hawkins

The victims of LaLaurie (1830s) The black victims of the Opelousas massacre (1868) The black victims of the Thibodaux massacre (1887) The black victims of the Wilmington insurrection (1898) The black victims of the Johnson-Jeffries riots (1910) The black victims of the Red summer (1919) The black victims of the Elaine massacre (1919) The black victims of the Ocoee massacre (1920) The victims of the MOVE bombing (1985)

All the people who died during the Atlantic slave trade, be it due to abuse or disease.

All the unnamed victims of mass-incarceration, who were put into jail without the committing of a crime and died while in jail or died after due to mental illness. 

All the unnamed victims of racial violence and discrimination. 

...

My apologies for all the people missing on this list. Feel free to add more names and stories. 

Listen, learn and read about discrimination, racism and black history: (feel free to add more)  Documentaries: 13th (Netflix) The Innocence Files (Netflix) Who Killed Malcolm X? (Netflix) Time: The Kalief Browder Story (Netflix) I Am Not Your Negro

YouTube videos: We Cannot Stay Silent about George Floyd Waarom ook Nederlanders de straat op gaan tegen racisme (Dutch) Wit is ook een kleur (Dutch) (documentaire)

Books: Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt Don’t Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri Freedom Is A Constant Struggle by Angela Davis How To Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo They Can’t Kill Us All by Wesley Lowery White Fragility by Robin Deangelo Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge Woman, Race and Class by Angela Davis

Websites: https://lynchinginamerica.eji.org/report/ https://museumandmemorial.eji.org/ https://archive.org/details/thirtyyearsoflyn00nati/page/n11/mode/2up https://lab.nos.nl/projects/slavernij/index-english.html https://blacklivesmatter.com/ https://www.zinnedproject.org/

#black lives matter #blm #racism #george floyd #breonna taylor #mlk #black history

[docholligay]

An Overwatch Christmas Carol: Stave IV-- The Last of the Spirits

Creeping out of the shadows of the subway station, little bits of shadow began to move toward her, and even as Ana stepped back, they came into a pile on the ground, growing higher and higher. As it grew she heard voices overlapping, little snippets of conversations, things that could not be, in contradiction with each other, wave upon wave of idea, none real and all real, at once. 

The shadows became one. It was a tall, imposing figure, the face unable to be seen, its body barely formed, wavering in the air. The darknesses overlapped one another, shade upon shade, and Ana felt a chill knowledge come into her heart that she was looking at her very own future. Darkness upon darkness. Shade upon shade. Moving and whispering in every second. 

The future. 

“Are you,” her voice sounded so high and so fearful even to her, but she could not control it, “Are you the ghost--the spirit---that Jack and Reinhardt and Tra--my friends. Are you the ghost that my friends have sent to me?”

No face fell into view, just that same blue and grey and black in a muted palette, brushing up against each other, as the spirit nodded and whispers of a dozen different voices emanated from in it and around it. 

Nem. Ja. Tak. Of course. Ken. Oui. Yes. 

“You’re here,” she walked cautiously about the spirit as it towered over here, “to show me things that haven’t happened yet.” 

More nods, and more whispers, and more shadows. The shade of an arm outstretched, and pointed on toward the stairs that led up and out of that tube station, toward the future. No longer was Ana concerned with narrative structure, nor surprised at the spectre of a spectre itself, and yet, in a way that no spirit before it had managed, she felt herself tremble before the gliding shadows and barely audible whispers in some form of human shape before her. 

“Are you,” she thought of those that had come before, “A friend?” 

No. Nein. Nyet. Nej. La. Meiyou. 

She gave a low, shaking chuckle. “Not that you need to be. I’ve worn out my chances with that, I think.” 

The spirit did not respond but with the same hand, pointing up the stairs, out of the darkness into a far more terrifying morning gloom. Ana’s eyes followed the hand, knowing where she had to go, wishing she could go anywhere else. 

“I am afraid of you,” she steadied her voice, let herself like in that terrible, vulnerable truth, “In a way I have not been of any ghost before you. But I know they would not send you if you couldn’t help me. I will try to learn from you, more than I ever have have before, Spirit.” 

A shadowed finger to the stairs, the only response. 

“Yes.” Ana tightened her scarf and tied her robe tight, trying to crack a smile, “Come on, then, as Tracer would say.” 

They started up the stairs, but they did not so much climb them as the stairs fell down around them, revealing the city as they fell away, and suddenly Ana was on a snow-dusted street, and then the cafe with the black awning and the gingham tables, and then they were inside of it, the two women behind the counter, same as they were every morning. 

Ana looked around, not much about the place but a few pastries left here and there, the two women cleaning up tea pots and chatting amongst themselves. She knew this place well, had frequented it many times before, and yet she was nervous to enter it again. 

“You seen that old bat of ours lately?” One of them said to the other. 

“Oh, the one grumbling every morning, with the coffee? Naw, not for a week or better now.” She did not seem to give the matter any thought, but squeezed out a mop. 

“Wonder if she’s died.” From over a wiped off counter. 

“Think we might have heard?” 

The first burst into a peal of laughter. “From who exactly? Not as if she’s ever with anyone, right? And I’m more noticing than mourning, mind you.” 

The other chuckled appreciatively. “Maybe it’s only that she’s decided to grace someone else with her growling.” 

“We should be so lucky, I think!” 

The women collapsed into laughter as the sides of the cafe fell away, and then more walls began to be constructed in its place, newspapers on the walls falling away to clean, crisp white, the floor from wood to a highly polished stone, the counter becoming a front desk with pictures behind it, the plaque above them reading For Those Who Gave All In The Cause Of Good. 

“Well I don’t know anything about it, just that she couldn’t be reached. Commander Amari said to send someone over later, been two weeks since she checked in,” the little secretary laughed behind the desk, ‘She told me, the agent is either gone rouge or dead, and handed me plans for both, said not to worry till after the holiday. Commander Amari said I should go home to me and mine, it’s nearly Christmas.” 

“That was kind of her,” a dark haired man leaned against the edge of the desk, “I think it’s only a handful of us that don’t bother with it on today. You know,” he laughed, “I’d really rather her be rouge. More entertaining, and I don’t have the energy for an official Overwatch funeral.” 

“Oh,” she stood up and grabbed her coat, “I doubt there’d be any kind of funeral, even if the devil has taken his own at last. Or a cheap one, none of the trimmings.” 

“I mean,” He laughed, “I’ll go if there’s a tea at least. I heard when Commander Oxton died, there was a spread for the gods.” 

She slipped on her coat. “Not likely to be that. Maybe a bag of crisps, for the memory.” 

They laughed together, him wishing her a Happy Christmas with her family, and again the walls fell away as Ana turned to the spirit. These conversations were so small and could have been insignificant, and yet Ana felt something twisting around her heart, tighter and tighter. It came to her so fast, here with this cold and silent spirit, this lesson, and yet she cursed the Ana of the past, and the present, who had taken so long to see their own lessons. 

“I understand, Spirit.” She nodded slowly. “This woman could be me. My life--it does support that sort of treatment, right now. I won’t ever forget this lesson that you’ve taught me, but--what about...my Fareeha? She must--”

But before she could finish the thought, the walls fell away again, and constructed just as quickly, until they were on that same street she had seen with Tracer, in what had been earlier this evening, and so long ago. It was no more impressive than it had been, though certainly more built up, no longer many empty shells of what had been bombed and shot out in the Battle for London, but apartments and a market, a pub and a bakery, all the street looking so much more complete for all of it. 

Pharah and Mercy’s home was there, standing where it had before, in a row of newer apartments made to incorporate the old bits of what had been there before the unpleasantness of battle. 

The apartment was not at all decorated, a light in the upstairs window the only indication of anything at all. In the dim light it glowed like a candle, beckoning them on. The doors to apartments around them were covered in garland, trees lighting up the windows, but this one was quiet, and undecorated. 

“Fareeha.” The name escaped her lips before she could even finish the thought, “I know this part of the story. I mistook Tracer for Tiny Tim but--She must have---” she paused, and looked down at the snow made dull and muddy by the traffic that had already walked by. “She was so angry. And I never did anything. I encouraged it, in her. I told her to set it aside. I never helped her deal with it. And now--” 

She looked back to the spirit, who simply pointed to that grey door, a hole opening in it, darker grey still, overlapping colors of the night so much like the spirit itself. 

Kommen. Ma. Priyti. Come. 

“But, I have to see. Yes.” 

She walked into the house, and looked around. Still dark, thought it was fully eight am and if Pharah had been here there would have been a flurry of activity, certainly. She smelled a hint of cinnamon in the air, that must have been wafting over from one of the other close-knit apartments, but she stared and stared up those stairs, where she knew that bedroom sat, where she knew she would have to look and see what all her failures had wrought. 

The Spirit pointed up the stairs, not even whispers from its lips as it points, Ana looking up into the hallway that should have been cheerful and bright, but seemed so foreboding, so dull, so frightening. A step. She had to climb. 

“Poor Angela.” 

It surprised her even as she said it. She had spent so long thinking that Mercy was weak, that she wasn’t built for the work that she had chosen to do, that she would have been better off choosing a softer job, marrying into a softer family. Now, she felt a stirring in her, something that could remember Mercy had lost her parents young, Mercy had seen soldiers crying for their parents in their last moments, Mercy had plucked dead children out of rubble. And she refused to callous. She cried every time. 

Maybe she was braver than Ana had ever given her credit for. Maybe she was braver than Ana. 

She turned around, nearly up the stairs now, to the Spirit. “Are you going to tell me what happened to their child?” 

An outstretched hand, pointing. 

Another step. Another turn, another pause. 

“Pharah can’t be dead. I know this, because she was mentioned at Headquarters.” 

Nothing but that finger, those moving, shifting, shading darknesses. Ana turned around, and took those final steps. Staring down the hallway where the light circled the door, waiting to be opened, knowing she had to do it. 

“I can’t imagine Fareeha leaving…”she kept walking, even as she feared it, “Angela must have left her. I should have...This is all my fault. ” She stopped at the door. “Oh no. Angela can’t have died, Spirit, that would be the most unfair thing of all. I could have--I will stop it. I will.” 

She rested her hand on that cold, hard doorknob, and let the rage flash in her. Knowing that she would change Mercy’s death, knowing that she would heal Pharah, knowing that she would go back and fix it all. She twisted, and let it open. 

Pharah lay in bed, her arm not even on, reading a book in the dim light. The smell of coffee filled the air, and that cinnamon she had been so sure earlier was coming from another house was the cinnamon roll sitting by her side of the bed. 

And Mercy’s. Mercy was tucked in next to her, hair piled high on her head, in an oversized t-shirt and her glasses, paging through her own novel. Between them was a little blonde girl, sitting crosslegged and also determinedly reading her own book, a blanket drawn around her shoulders, a battered stuffed sloth tucked into her lap, helping her read. 

“Mama,” she turned to Pharah, “Can I have a bite?” 

“Of course.” Pharah smiled warmly, and the little girl crawled onto her, mouth open as Pharah chuckled and stuffed a piece in her mouth. 

“I love you, Mama.” She chewed on the bun. 

“I love you, too,” she swung over her arm and pulled the little girl onto herself, “Don’t talk with your mouth full. You could choke.” 

The little girl nodded, and carefully swallowed, then treated Pharah to a sticky kiss, Pharah smiling contently all the while, as Mercy looked on, licking her fingers from her own cinnamon roll. Pharah tucked her own blanket around the little girl, and patted her affectionately. 

“We’ll have to dig into the cookies, at this rate. And so early.” 

“Oh do we?” Mercy sat up and looked over at the both of them. 

“Avi’s stolen most of my cinnamon roll, you see.” 

“Nuh-uh!!” Avi protested. “You said I could have a bite, Mama!”

Pharah gave a deep laugh. “I should have made more.” 

Ana looked at her daughter as she leaned against the doorframe. She had told herself as she came up the stairs that now was the time when she would see all the mistakes that were made, that now was the dark part of this story, that there was nothing but sadness to be seen here. And yet. It was warmth and coziness and comfort, all. There were none of her fears, either of the old Ana or the new, in this family. 

“But I thought…” Ana stepped forward a few steps, staring at Pharah. 

There was no red about her at all, no halo about her spelling trouble, just, if anything, the gentle light of a contented love. 

The breath left her as she realized. 

“It has nothing to do with me.” She felt it catch in her throat. “Her anger...she didn’t need me. She, she let it go herself. Because I mean nothing to her.” 

The floor dropped out from beneath her, falling, falling, through all the grey and the darkness, like smoke surrounding her and clouding her, entering into her as she opened her mouth to scream. 

And then, as soon as the fall started, it stopped. 

She was on the floor of that same raggedy hallway in her apartment building, with that same flickering light, though it seemed somehow even dimmer than the last time. She struggled to her feet as the Spirit materialized beside her, extending that same arm, pointing to the door that she knew, oh, very well indeed. 

“Am I--going home?” she looked for a moment, confused, and then let the moment settle in. “No. This is the woman everyone was talking about. This is the woman no one was talking about.” 

She took a step. 

“I have a question. The future, I mean, these can only be the shadows of what might happen. Things could change, in any moment. This is true of the future, it always is.” 

There was no response, not even a whisper, just pointing, pointing. Ana looked at the door, and slowly inched forward, knowing she had to see the truth, knowing she could hardly bear it. She reached out her hand to the knob, and could feel the cold breeze coming from inside the room. She took a shaking breath, and tightened her grip. 

She lost her nerve, and pivoted, looking back at the Spirit, so close behind her she could smell those hundreds of smells, just like the whispers, one overlapped over the other. 

“I know what’s behind that door. What is the point of any of this? Why bother showing it to me if I can’t change!? It exists only to torment me!” 

Ana felt her hand on the doorknob, though she could not remember placing it there, and heard that horrid, dark click as the door creaked open, calling her inside. 

“No.” She whispered. 

But she looked, because she must look, and there it was, on the terrible, dank, threadbare carpet, but her own self, stone dead where she had fallen. There was a squeaking Ana realized could not longer be coming from the door, and she adjusted her vision a moment, saw two rats eating at the edge of her hand, their own Christmas feast offering the filling warmth Ana never had otherwise. 

She cried out, bent against the doorframe. How long had she been here? Days, and no one had noticed she was missing, more than a week, at least, and in that time not one person had reached out to see her, to check on her, to even know that she was dead. How much longer might her body lie there, eaten by rats in the cool of the evening? 

Ana looked up at the Spirit, hurt and angry, most of all with herself and her own thousand failures. 

“Tell me who you are! Let me at least know the face of my accuser!” 

The Spirit stepped back away from her, and slowly, slowly the shadows began to drift, two hands becoming many tiny hands as they ringed around the cowl that hid the face, the horrible face that Ana had asked to see and yet now wished to see no longer, and she took a step back as it pulled away the cowl, like a peel slowly retreating from the fruit. 

Pharah’s eyes glowered at her, and Ana shrank back, shaking her head, opening her mouth to apologize, to say something, and then the shades turned and moved and became Waldemar, and then again to Mercy, to Tracer, to Zeina, to Reinhardt, moving and shifting between all these people she had known, all their voices and whispers surrounding her and cutting her as she held back, and then, there it was, locked in and staring furiously: Ana herself. The whispers started, the accusations, everything she had learned and already known coalescing in her head, tying tight around her, and she felt that same chain, cold and hard. 

She fell to her knees, grasping at the Spirit. 

“Please! I can change! Jack must have sent you because he knew!” The words choked up in her throat and stuck there, tears coming to her eyes, “Tell me these things can be changed. Why show me if these things can’t be changed? A life CAN BE CHANGE--”

[florenceandthemachine]

(my @911giftexchange contribution for @brcttshvghes!!) Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) Characters: Evan "Buck" Buckley, Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, Howie "Chimney" Han, Bobby Nash, Athena Grant Additional Tags: First Kiss, Christmas, Secret Santa, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining

Last Christmas, Eddie had—as Hen would put it—his ‘oh’ moment.

No, it wasn’t when Buck had thrown himself into action to help some random dad see his daughter sing for Christmas.

No, it wasn’t when Eddie caught Buck trying to sneak extra presents (for he and Christopher both) under the Diaz tree.

No, it wasn’t even when some random elf had complimented Buck on his “beautiful family”.

Eddie’s ‘oh’ moment came when Athena announced that she was saving them all from themselves, when he walked into the firehouse loft and saw his kid standing there, beaming like a megawatt spotlight, smiling not only up at his dad but at Buck; and suddenly things clicked into place. Buck had set all of this up, and sure, it was for the whole house... but it was also for him. Buck had done this all, for him. He had Chris in his arms, he had Buck by his side, and Eddie realized—not for the first time, but for the first time with this level of severity—that this was exactly what he wanted, for the rest of his life.

Forever.

Hence the ‘oh’ moment.

(Hen had suggested calling it his ‘no fucking shit, you clueless moron’ moment instead. Eddie had politely declined.)

--

The ‘oh’ moment was one thing. The ‘oh’ moment was great.

Afterward, though, afterward everything was kind of sucky.

Valentine’s Day was rough. Watching Athena lock up a newlywed couple together, that was fun, sure, but seeing Buck with Ali? That was... literal torture.

--

The tsunami sucked. The bomb sucked.

The lawsuit, that really fucking sucked.

But pulling Buck into his arms underneath some shitty Halloween decorations, being back together again, that... that was almost worth it.

Even if he had to watch Buck bat his eyes at Taylor Kelly a few days later.

--

“Why don’t you just tell him?” Hen had asked the next month, sprawled out over the couch in the loft, idly kicking Eddie’s thigh as he groaned, full of Bobby’s turkey and homemade cranberry sauce.

“And risk it all?” Eddie had asked, long since beyond the point where he wanted to even pretend that he didn’t know what Hen was talking about.

And when Abby reappeared in Buck’s life with a fiancée and two stepchildren, Eddie knew staying quiet was the right idea. He wouldn’t risk it. He couldn’t risk it.

--

“Hey, Eds, hand me another nail?”

So now here he was, almost a year later (“A full year of pining, Eddie, seriously, if you don’t say something by New Year’s—“ “I hate you, Hen.”), staring at Buck’s ass as he struggled to hang another loop of garland haphazardly throughout the station.

After a moment of hesitation, he did as he was asked, sighing as he held up another couple of tacks that Buck could push into the wall. “Why are you even doing all of this, Buck? I don’t know if you noticed, but the station was already decorated.” Eddie said with a hum, leaning back against the wall as he looked up to Buck, not-so-subtly admiring the way Buck’s entire body reacted as he laughed.

“Please, it looked like Pottery Barn threw up in here. We needed something other than stark white garland and red ornaments, Eds.” Buck descended down the step ladder and stepped back to admire his handiwork as Eddie looked around the station—as much as he hated to admit it, Buck was absolutely right. The station had been decorated by what looked like the night crew after one too many cups of coffee; too clean, too pristine, all glittering white garland neatly tacked up to every corner with a giant red bauble tacked at every intersection.

Needless to say, once Buck had gotten through with things, it was... definitely far from a professional looking decor job. Buck had rigged up huge wreaths made of fake garland and bows made out of giant, floppy, silver and gold ribbon, and hung them all over the station.

He had all but stapled his hand to the wall hanging up Christmas lights—the old, slowly blinking type, on the thick green cord, the type where if one light went out they all went out. There were twinkling, colorful lights all over the walls, mounds of fake snow around the staircase, big, fake poinsettias all over the kitchen.

At some point in time, while Hen and Chim were passing time upstairs in the loft and Bobby was stuck in his office doing paperwork, Buck had even rigged up his iPhone to play Christmas carols over the entirety of the station PA system (“Don’t worry, Eddie, calls will still come through and cut out over the alarm,” Buck had assured him, and Eddie was struck, not for the first time, with pride as he realized how much planning Buck really put into things like this).

The station was a mess, honestly. It was a jumbled, disorganized, chaotic explosion of Christmas. The station had gone from Pottery Barn to looking like a Yuletide grenade had gone off.

Eddie loved it.

“There! All finished. Back up, Eddie, I’m coming down.” Eddie blinked as he was jerked back into the present, standing back to admire the latest (and apparently the last) wreath that Buck had woven on the wall, acutely aware of the closeness that he and Buck shared as Buck beamed up at his handiwork.

He managed to look away from Buck’s smile—glowing didn’t even begin to cover it—right as Buck turned to look at him, clearing his throat. “Alright, Buck, what gives? Not that I’m mad about the extra decor you’ve doused the place with, but this is even bigger than what we did last year. There another surprise party that I’m supposed to be aware of?” Eddie asked, smiling as Buck threw his head back and laughed.

“No, no, nothing like that,” Buck started, looking over his shoulder as he folded up the ladder, heading back through the gym to the utility closet. “We’re still on for Christmas dinner at the station with everyone’s family, and unless Hen or Bobby has something else planned—because let’s face it, Chim would forget it was Christmas all in all if Maddie didn’t remind him—that’s all that we’re doing as a station. I just figured we needed as much holly-jolly as we could this year.”

His words were innocent enough, but Eddie had known Buck for years now, and the last year had been spent watching Buck a little more… closely than usual. So he knew that Buck’s innocent smile was just a shade on the wrong side of sneaky, how his words were carefully chosen so he wouldn’t be technically lying. Buck was smart—seriously, Eddie didn’t understand how people always forgot that—and they were the kind of things that Eddie would have missed if he wasn’t so… invested.

Sure. Invested. That was the right way to think about it.

“Hey, Eds,” and damn, a nickname shouldn’t bring him that much joy, “can you open the closet up for me?” Buck asked, the smile on his face seemingly innocent as Eddie rose a brow, stepping around him and just taking the ladder from his hands, pushing the door open behind him, not missing the look of surprise on Buck’s face.

“Wait, Eddie—no, I can—“

“Buck, it’s a step ladder, it’s no big deal. Did you take anything else out of the closet, or was it just this?”

“Well no, but it’s just that—“

Before Buck could continue his protest, the Christmas carols died out throughout the station, the siren blaring in its place, and for a split second, Buck looked absolutely crushed, which was weirder than anything else Eddie had witnessed that morning, because Buck loved going out on calls.

The moment was gone in a heartbeat, but it still made Eddie’s mind reel as they darted off to their lockers to suit up, mind racing with questions as Buck was all laughs with Hen as Chim got behind the wheel.

Something was up, and Eddie was going to find out what… even if the day had other plans.

--

There were two ways that shifts around the holidays were destined to go. Either the 118 would be dead quiet, or the crew would be completely dead on their feet.

Unfortunately, today seemed like it would be the latter.

No sooner than they had been cleared from their first call of the day did another roll in, and then another, and then another, to the point where the only time that Eddie had to text his kid was between calls, and the 118 was probably trapped in their turnout gear for a good five hours without a single break.

Buck, to the surprise of absolutely no one, only grew more and more alive with every save—he had an absolute knack for riding the rush that came with the job, and by the time they finally pulled back into the 118, Buck and Eddie couldn’t have been in a more different place in their lives.

“Alright, six calls in five hours. I think I’ve earned a fucking nap.” Eddie grumbled as he slid out of his designated spot next to Buck in the ladder truck, barely even waiting to get to the rack on the wall before he started pulling his turnout gear off, impatiently tugging at his sleeves and kicking his boots off before he bothered to even loosen anything.

While the sound of Buck’s laugh behind him certainly raised his spirit, he still pouted as Buck sauntered up beside him, easily removing his own jacket and boots and hanging them up with a certain sense of maturity that Eddie couldn’t muster at the moment. “Come on Eddie, a nap? Did you turn fifty while I wasn’t looking?” Buck asked, the teasing tone of his voice bringing a smile to Eddie’s face as he shoved Buck’s shoulder playfully.

“Just because you can keep up with Chris’ special blend of all night holiday nonsense doesn’t mean we all can, Buck.” Eddie started, rolling his shoulder as he hung his turnout coat back up. “Right now, he’s probably running Carla through literally every last strip mall in the state, trying to find a perfect present for our Buck, and… uh.” Eddie cut himself off, far too late, cheeks pinking up as he clamped his jaw shut.

He feared the worst for a moment when Buck looked at him with stars in his eyes, thinking that his slip hadn’t gone unnoticed, and he had to work to hide his sigh of relief when Buck grinned. “He’s getting me a gift? I mean, I know he doesn’t have to, and you know he doesn’t have to, but… fuck, Eds, I’m all excited now. Okay. Forget it. Anyway, come on. I want to completely obliterate you in Mario Kart.”

Eddie sighed softly, his smile big and dopey on his face as Buck got himself all excited, shaking his head as he kicked off his boots, finally leaving his gear behind. “Buck, if you think I’m going to add insult to injury and let you completely wipe the floor with me, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“Fine, then you don’t have to play. You can just hang around and bask in my awesome.” Buck said, his effort at being nonchalant almost going over Eddie’s head, just barely catching the sidelong glance that Buck shot him while he was re-lacing his work boots.

He narrowed his eyes for a moment as he watched Buck’s shoulders tighten, sighing as he shook his head. “Fine, but you better fucking dazzle me, Buckley.” he said as he started walking to the tiny corner of the bay they had set up as a miniature rec area (a fancy word for three couches and a big-ass television, courtesy of Chim’s baby brother), but not before he saw the abject joy that bloomed over Buck’s face.

As much as he wanted to believe that that much joy could simply come from Buck getting to spend time on a couch with Eddie, he had a sneaking suspicion, much as he did earlier, that something else was up.

“Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something by osmosis, and actually stand a chance against your kid the next time he—“

Buck was cut off by a bang as the firehouse door hit the wall, a panicked cry pulling Buck and Eddie’s attention as they both automatically started to move.

“Help! Please, please I need help, I don’t think she’s breathing!”

Eddie and Buck were both immediately moving, Chim and Bobby close on their trail as they came down the stairs from the loft, Hen already opening the back of the ambulance and yanking out one of her bags.

Eddie slowed himself down as he reached forward to take the body of a young girl from her clearly distraught mother, Buck already a step ahead of him as he put a braceboard down on the ground, placing her too-small body down on it.

(Eddie still hated situations that involved kids.)

The little girl was conscious, but only barely, wheezing along as Eddie laid her down, taking her pulse instinctively as he gave her a simple once over. “Signs of angioedema, breathing is shallow, pupils are tight, plenty of hives across the neck and chest. Ma’am, does she have any allergies, any—”

“No! I mean, I don’t think so, we tried a new recipe for our christmas cookies this year… uh, almond, maybe? I don’t know!”

“Okay, we’re gonna give her some epinephrine, you need to look into an epi-pen, Buck?”

Buck nodded, grabbing a pen from the ambulance, pressing it against the thickest part of her thigh (she was so tiny, Jesus) and plunging the needle into her skin. “Alright, now, we’re going to take her to the hospital, so hop in the ambulance—” Bobby started, nodding to the vehicle as Hen and Chim jumped into the drivers cab, “—and you can ride with or follow along, whatever you want.”

Eddie and Buck had the gurney popped up in a heartbeat, wheeling it in the back of the rig as mother and daughter were loaded up, doors slamming behind the pair of them as Hen practically burned rubber.

Eddie felt his heart rate start to slow back down to a regular, human level as the ambulance tore out of the bay, and even he couldn’t keep the small smile on his face as he turned back to Buck, expecting the expression to be mirrored on his partner’s face.

So, you could imagine his surprise when Buck just looked… tired.

“Buck? You good? You still wanna get a round of the… uh… whatever?”

He rose a brow as Buck hitched his smile back on, giving a half shrug as he shook his head. “Nah, Eddie, it’s good. I’m gonna get started on Bobby’s chore list.”

With that, he started up the stairs to the kitchen, and Eddie was left in the metaphorical dust, staring up to Buck’s retreating backside as he was left alone on the main floor of the 118.

The fuck was going on?

--

buck fifty: why do i have to clean the kitchen if bobby and athena are just going to be cooking in an hour anyway

sent: Because, Buck, normal people clean the areas where they’re going to be preparing food.

buck fifty: miss me with that logic i havent had food poisoning in weeks dont @ me bro

Eddie let out a breathy bark of a laugh as he pushed up on the leg press again, his back drenched in sweat as he read over Buck’s reply. As much as he hated doing anything even remotely close to leg day, he figured that now was the time to work it out—a workout did better than a nap to help him wind down from back-to-back calls (and a near poisoning, Hen and Chim weren’t even back from the hospital yet), but it was a great way to keep his hands free so he could text Buck.

It was kind of sad, honestly, how many decisions that he made in his day to day life that were focused on Buck.

Today, though, the mission was a little more ‘what the fuck is up with Buck’ than it was anything else—Buck was a weird dude, sure, but he was acting jumpy and weird all fucking day today. Even in the moments when they were out on call, and Buck was in the zone, he still felt a little… off.

It was like there was a fucking satellite delay between them, and there had been all day. Eddie usually prided himself on being able to read a room, but today, it was like Buck was intentionally throwing walls his way.

Not that he was that attuned to Buck’s everyday emotions and mood, anyway. Nope. Definitely not.

…

fuck.

sent: Why don’t you come down here and do a few reps with me? Burn off some of that energy.

sent: Oh, wait, that isn’t an option for you yet. How sad.

buck fifty: look its not my fault that you happened to finish your chores earlier and i didnt

sent: …Buck, that is 100% your own fault. Are you good today? You’re weirding me out.

“Hello, 118! Did someone order a chef?” Eddie looked up as he heard Athena’s voice echo throughout the station, a smile on his face as he waved over to her. He loved the way that she had fit together with the station so well, and how she and Bobby got along as well as they did (even if he felt like he had to pay for it whenever Hen shot him a knowing look, less and less subtle with each passing day… okay, month), but he loved even more that she usually brought food, especially now, in what Eddie sincerely hoped would be a new tradition — Christmas dinner with his work family.

Make no mistake, Bobby’s cooking was phenomenal, but there was something about Athena’s family style everything that settled right in Eddie’s soul.

Maybe it was because she had the uncanny knack at seeing through his bullshit and calling him on anything and everything that he tried to pull when she was around, in a way that was both kind and hilariously firm.

Or maybe it was because she actually understood how to make a decent tex-mex meal.

Either way.

“Eddie, where’s our boys?”

Eddie looked up as Athena closed the distance to his machine in the gym, smiling as he did another rep. “Hey Athena. Buck’s cleaning up the kitchen, getting ready for you and Bobby.” he said easily, his legs giving a little wobble as he realized what he had said, eyes snapping to her easily. “Uh, I mean—“

“Diaz, please, we both know that was who I was talking about.” Athena said, cutting him off before he could answer, the knowing smile on her face making Eddie wish the ground would open him up and swallow him whole, but apparently LA was fresh out of earthquakes for the moment. Thankfully, Athena took some pity on him, keeping the conversation moving easily as she looked around the station. “I see he got a hold of the decorations. Good, the place looked too… clean before.” she said, and Eddie laughed even as his face flushed red, swinging his legs off the machine, the familiar burn in his thighs anchoring him in the moment. “Yeah, it really did. Buck said it looked like a Pottery Barn threw up.”

Eddie shook his head as Athena laughed, that same smile on her face again, but it was different now—easy, familiar, like she was seeing the answer to a puzzle that Eddie only had half the pieces to. “He’s a good man, Eddie. Both of you are. It’s just such a shame neither of you would know what healthy communication was if it bit you in the ass.” She said, shaking her head dramatically as she started up the stairs, leaving a completely baffled Eddie to grab his phone off of the machine as it buzzed again.

What the hell was she talking about? He and Buck communicated all the time.

buck fifty: ok now you have to help me

buck fifty: if athena and bobby are going to be in the kitchen together im going to wind up drowning in mushy

sent: How is that my problem? And don’t think you got by avoiding my other question.

buck fifty: eddie plz

sent: Use your words, Buck.

buck fifty: u gotta get up here and save me

sent: Have you cleaned out the oven yet?

buck fifty: ………

buck fifty: save me by helping me clean the oven

Okay, Eddie may have already lost the fight, but—

buck fifty: pleeeeeeeeeease

—but that didn’t mean he had to admit how wrapped around Buck’s pinky he was. He could still whine about it, he could still complain about it, he could still bring this up the next time he and Buck argued about who’s turn it was to go and answer the door when they ordered takeout. Cleaning the oven, that was absolutely something he could hold over Buck forever.

He made a quick detour to the locker room to change out of his gym clothes as he heard Athena greet the boys upstairs, his own smile begrudgingly pasted on as he remembered what Athena had said.

His boy. She had called Buck his boy.

It was… well, it was nice to dream.

He was basically floating on air as he made his way up the stairs, to the point where he almost walked straight until Bobby’s chest from where he stood at the top of the stairs. He let out a very masculine noise as he jumped back, nearly dropping his phone as Bobby clucked his tongue.

“Nope, Eddie, you know the rules. You and your black thumb need to stay far from the kitchen while we’re cooking.”

Eddie tried to sputter out a protest even as Athena laughed from her position near the fridge, unloading what looked like an actual mountain of groceries. “Come on Bobby, I’m sure he can’t be that bad—“

“He’s burned pasta, Athena.”

“That was one time!”

Eddie felt his face heat up as Buck immediately came to his defense, equal parts pleased and perturbed, as Bobby shook his head. “Not taking that chance, kid. Especially not while Athena is armed with two whole hams. Come on, go downstairs, shower up, and then we can find a way for you to help get ready for dinner that keeps you far away from the kitchen.”

“Cmon, Bobby—“

“Buck, you can clean the oven on your own. Now let’s go, we all got work to do.”

Eddie felt his mouth snap shut as Bobby dismissed him—not unkindly, nothing that Eddie hadn’t heard before, but the way that Buck was looking over at them was nothing short of tragic. He hadn’t seen Buck look that defeated since their run in at the grocery store in the midst of the lawsuit-that-they-didn’t-talk-about-seriously-Buck-we-both-apologized-it’s-fine.

Eddie’s brain continued to churn as he showered, nearly drowning himself beneath the scalding hot water as he tried to understand what the fuck was going on.

Buck had been acting weird. Which, honestly, wasn’t that unusual for Buck. Buck was a good man. He had his heart on his sleeve, like, constantly. He was happy when he was happy, he was sad when he was sad, and there was no hiding it when he was down.

And now, somehow, Eddie was bringing him down.

Or… when Eddie really thought about it, the lack of Eddie was bringing him down…

Eddie didn’t get to spend time with Buck, and Buck looked like someone had just stamped out his dreams.

And that… that was interesting.

The last piece of the puzzle finally sank into place as he toweled off his hair and stepped out of the locker room, right in time to hear Athena’s laugh ring through the station. He looked up to the loft in time to see Bobby dipping her into a kiss, but that wasn’t where his eyes focused—no, they were instead focusing on something red and green. Something red and green and small and something that was definitely not there before Buck started his redecorations this morning, hanging in front of the oven.

The oven that he was supposed to help Buck clean.

Eddie felt his eyes narrow as he looked around the station, trying to retrace his steps throughout the station from the moment he walked in that morning. The utility closet… the recreation area… and back to the kitchen again.

He felt a small smile, in spite of himself, spread across his face, something dangerously close to hope blooming in his chest. Fate seemed to smile on him as Hen and Chim pulled back into the firehouse bay, and he took the opportunity to smack Hen’s arm as she walked past him.

“Ow, Eddie, what the f—“

“I’m gonna risk it, Hen.” Eddie said, effectively cutting her off, knowing that she would pick up on what he meant immediately. “But I need some help. You got a minute?”

--

“Buckaroo, will you take these plates down to the table? Here, bring Eddie some silverware.”

“Yeah, no problem Chim.”

Eddie elbowed Hen away from him as Buck started down the stairs, trying his best to act like he was doing anything but listening up the stairs. He and Hen had been busy setting up the table (and a few other things) while Chim was assigned on running interference upstairs, which turned out to be the easiest job of all while Buck… well, while Buck moped.

Eddie hated Buck moping. Almost as much as he hated how cute he thought it was, now that he knew what Buck was up to.

Or, at least, he thought he knew what Buck was up to. He was still painfully aware of how wrong this could all go—maybe it was the magic of the season, maybe it was a year in the making, maybe it was Hen egging him on, but Eddie…

Eddie actually felt like he could do this.

Even if it meant that he had to play completely oblivious in the meantime.

“Alright, Buck,” Eddie started, taking the stack of plates out of Buck’s hand, somehow fighting the smile as Buck handed them over, “what’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird all day.”

Buck grumbled as he tugged at the corner of the table cloth, straightening out a few placemats as he shrugged. “Nothing, Eds, I’m fine. Just a weird day, I guess. Dinner should be good, though!” Buck said, hiking a smile up onto his face. Eddie did his best to hide a little laugh as he nodded to Hen, who had slipped into the cab of the ladder truck.

“Buck, come on. I’ve known you for years, you’re not fine. Weird, yes. Fine, no.”

Buck stuck out his tongue as he started to dole out forks and knives, the little lighthearted gesture doing something to ease the worry that Eddie felt at the base of his spine, but he could still see the tension coiled through his best friends shoulders.

“Seriously, Buck, I—“

“It’s fine, Eddie! I just…” Buck’s shoulder slumped as he started to deflate, the harsh tone of his voice giving way as his face flushed. Setting the last fork down, he started to pace in earnest, speaking with his hands as much as he was with his voice. “I just had a certain thought about how things might go this year, and fate, or destiny, or whatever, has made it very clear that’s not going to be how it goes. I dunno, I thought I could make things… different, or special or whatever?” he started, and Eddie seriously had to swallow the words that were threatening to spill over his lips.

Buck wanted to make things special. Buck wanted to make things special. For him. Like Buck didn’t do that kind of thing every day simply by existing.

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter, you don’t have to worry about it.” Buck sighed as he put the last fork down and started pacing at the head of the table, and Eddie had to make sure his voice wasn’t going to waver when he spoke again.

“It still can be special, Buck—“

“Eds, it’s whatever. It was stupid anyway.”

“Buck.”

“No, Eddie, it’s okay, I shouldn’t have—“

“Buck. Stop. Breathe.”

Eddie grabbed both of Buck’s shoulders to stop him from pacing, raising his eyebrows as Buck finally made eye contact with him.

“Are you breathing? Okay. Great. Good. Now look up.”

“Eds, what are you talking about?”

“Buck, for the love of God, listen to me for once in your life and just look up.”

Eddie took a moment to savor the complete confusion written on Buck’s face as he finally comprehended what Eddie was asking (with a murmured complaint of “I always listen to you”), and Eddie let his eyes lock on to Buck’s face. Mostly because he wanted to see Buck’s reaction, but partially because he was afraid of what said reaction would be. Even if Buck was seeing the mistletoe above them for the first time, that Eddie had painstakingly tied to the top rung of the ladder that Hen had extended over the table from the truck, this was the moment of truth—and Eddie already knew what was up there.

Besides, Buck was a much better view than some green garnish.

“That’s, uhm.” Buck started, and Eddie finally gave up trying to keep the smile off his face. “That’s mistletoe.”

Eddie hummed thoughtfully as Buck looked back to him, “It is. I pulled some from the kitchen, found a sprig near the rec room, one from the utility closet…”

Buck actually had the decency to look surprised as he looked back to Eddie, literal stars in his eyes. “And you… put them together. And tied them to the ladder, and… got me to stand under it with you.” Buck continued, slowly, and Eddie gave a little chuckle as he nodded his head, taking a step closer. “I did. I mean, unless I’m misreading this entire situation, in which case I have no idea what you’re talking about, and if that’s the case, I’m going to go dig a hole out back and throw myself—mmhph.”

Eddie was more thankful than anything when Buck took the step forward to close the distance between them before he could start rambling, one hand on Eddie’s jaw to tilt it up (god he loved that Buck was taller than he was), the other warm and heavy on his hip (god, he loved Buck’s strong hands), lips slotting together with an ease that Eddie had never experienced with a first kiss before (god, he loved kissing Buck).

He also loved Hen and Chim, because no sooner did Chim hit the switch near the bay doors to dim the lights around the ladder truck did Hen manage to restart Buck’s Christmas playlist, Irving Berlin’s voice crooning about a white Christmas over the station speakers as Eddie’s arms wrapped around Buck’s neck.

When they finally pulled back to breathe, Eddie found himself tiptoeing up to chase Buck’s lips, his face flushing bright red afterward when he realized what he had done. They both started laughing as Buck’s hands dropped down to Eddie’s waist, Eddie following suit and letting his hands rest on Buck’s shoulders, fitting together in a way that Eddie had only imagined.

“So… I guess the mistletoe worked out for you in the end.” Eddie said with a smile, and Buck laughed, shaking his head, that beautiful ruddy color staining his cheeks again. “Eds, I, uh… I’ve kind of been working up the courage to do something like this for weeks.” He said sheepishly, and Eddie couldn’t help but laugh, smacking Buck’s shoulder.

“Weeks? To think, you still had months to go before you were anywhere close to my level.” Eddie said as he pulled away, sighing as he smoothed over Buck’s collar, a smile on his face as he turned and left a stunned Buck in his wake.

“Wait, Eddie, what?”

Eddie shook his head as he walked back into the locker room, Buck following suit shortly after.

“Eds, no, wait! How long did I pine without needing to?? Eddie!!”

#911giftexchange #buddie #911 #evan buckley #eddie diaz #idiots in love #mutual pining #first kiss #fluff #christmas #merry crisis! #flospeaks

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #141: Jeanne d’Arc Alter Santa Lily

That’s right, an unseasonably warm Christmas is upon us yet again, because it’s time for another Santa build! Today on Fate and Phantasms we’re making Jeanne d’Arc Alter Santa Lily yes that is her entire name. J Lils is a Divine Soul Sorcerer for some Christmas magic, but she’s also an Eloquence Bard, so she can deliver presents to good kids and stern lectures to bad ones. Plus, it makes all your spells Christmas carols!

Check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

Next up: Look up in the sky! It’s a bird! A plane! Its... Venus?

Race and Background

Normally we cheat a bit and call servants humans, but you’re on the losing end of Six Degrees of Separation with Mortality, so your Lineage is as Custom as it gets. (Seriously, you are the kid version of the evil version of the good version of Jeanne d’Arc.) This gives you +2 Charisma, a Small size, Performance proficiency for your next stage show, and the Lucky feat. This lets you re-roll your saves, checks, or attacks three times per long rest. You can also force attacks targeting you to be re-rolled using the same luck pool. 

Like your big sister you’re getting the custom Magic Doppelganger background, giving you proficiency in Arcana and Religion.

Ability Scores

Like your even bigger sister, we’re going with the standard array here. Feel free to roll if you really want to, but make sure your Charisma is your highest stat. You’re a cute kid, and you can also dish out a mean tongue lashing when you need to lay down the law. Second is Constitution, because that’s not just how beefy you are but how lucky you are too, and you’re lucky to be alive. Your Strength isn’t bad, you’re good with a spear but you’re still a kid. You are a bit clumsy when you get worked up, so your Dexterity isn’t great. Your Intelligence isn’t amazing, at least one version of you is illiterate and I don’t know how much that affects you, but we’re dumping Wisdom. Honestly a wiser servant probably would have logic-bombed themselves out of existence by now, so this might be a blessing in disguise.

Class Levels

1. Bard 1: Going into bard first gives you proficiency with Dexterity and Charisma saves, as well as three skills from the bard list. That is to say, the entire list of skills. Intimidation is probably the closest thing to lecturing people, but that might also be Persuasion, it depends on how you word it. You also get Deception proficiency, because you absolutely did not steal any cookies from the cookie jar.

You also learn Spells that you can cast using your Charisma Modifier, as well as some Bardic Inspiration. These are a number of d6 equal to your charisma modifier that you can give to allies to help with their checks, saves, and attack rolls. They recharge on long rests.

For cantrips, Friends and Vicious Mockery run you through D&D’s gamut of social interactions. Healing Word and Heroism make for nice gifts under the tree; Sleep and Comprehend Languages give you skills any santa will need to keep on top of their duties, and Identify will make sure you get the right gift to the right person!

2. Sorcerer 1: I was going to save the multiclassing for a bit, but you really don’t wear heavy armor and your dexterity isn’t great, so here we are.

As a Divine Soul sorcerer, your Spells are augmented with Divine Magic, letting you choose sorcerer or cleric spells when you level up, and you can cast them with your Charisma. You’re also Favored by the Gods, letting you add 2d4 to a failed save or attack roll once per short rest.

For your cantrips, Control Flames will make going down the chimney a bit less hazardous. Fire Bolt gives you a quick and dirty noel ball, otherwise use Light on an ornament and just throw that. You can also Spare the Dying for a last minute gift.

For spells, Mage Armor is almost mandatory for you, and Bless and Cure Wounds are both great gifts, just in time for the holidays. The former adds 1d4 to all attacks and saves three targets make for the duration, and the latter is healing! Everyone loves healing, it’s almost like money.

3. Bard 2: Second level bards are a Jack of All Trades, adding half of your proficiency bonus to all checks that aren’t already proficient. Santa-ing requires all sorts of skills. You also learn a Carol of Rest, adding 1d6 to the healing your party does over short rests. Your Magical Inspiration also lets your allies use your bardic inspiration to increase their spells’ healing and damage rolls. 

You can also cast Unseen Servant to deliver presents with the utmost secrecy!

4. Bard 3: Third level bards graduate from a college, and the college of Eloquence lets you lecture on par with the sternest of professors while also properly enunciating your Christmas carols. Your Silver Tongue lets you treat rolls of 9 or lower as 10 when you make a deception or persuasion check- naughty or nice, it’s up to you.

You can also use your Unsettling Words to point out all the naughty things a creature has done lately, spending a bonus action and an inspiration die to reduce the next save it makes based on the inspiration roll. 

You also get Expertise in two skills- Persuasion to rally your party members, and Deception to pointedly ignore how you refuse to let other people help you and bottle up all your problems due to a crippling lack of self-worth. 

By that I mean you also learn Knock. That’s exactly what I meant.

5. Bard 4: Use your first Ability Score Improvement to round up your Strength and Charisma scores for stronger spells, more inspiration, and a better time actually using your spear as a class named after a weapon.

You also get the cantrip Dancing Lights for more decorations, and Silence so that Knock from last level doesn’t wake up the house.

6. Sorcerer 2: Going back into sorcerer makes you a Font of Magic, giving you sorcery points equal to your sorcerer level. Right now you can turn those into more spell slots and vice versa, but better uses are coming.

You also learn the other half of Bless, Bane. Up to three creatures need to make a charisma save (DC 8 + proficiency + charisma modifier) or they subtract a d4 from their attacks and saves for the duration of the spell. By the way, yes, that does mean you can subtract 10 from an enemy’s save before blasting them. Life’s fun like that.

7. Sorcerer 3: At third level, sorcerers learn Metamagic, ways of altering their spells to suit their individual style by spending sorcery points.

Careful spells will let you protect your friends from the splashback of your choices in life. That’s not much of an issue right now, but we get scarier spells later. Otherwise, Twinned spells let you basically cast two spells at once, as long as the original could only target one thing. Now you can have red and green lights at the same time!

Speaking of spells that use neither of these options, Prayer of Healing will heal your entire party for a little bit! It has a casting time of 10 minutes though, so I’d save it for out of combat.

8. Bard 5: Heading back to bard for a bit improves your bardic inspiration, growing them to d8s. You also become a Font of Inspiration, meaning you regain inspiration dice on short rests instead of long ones.

You also learn Mass Healing Word. It’s Healing Word, but Mass.

9. Bard 6: At sixth level bards can waste their action on Countercharm, giving nearby allies advantage against being charmed or frightened. More usefully, you also get Unfailing Inspiration so your inspiration dice don’t go away until they’re used on a successful roll. 

You also learn Universal Speech, spending an action to make yourself understandable to any number of creatures within 60′ of you for an hour, regardless of the languages they speak. Now you can bring the joy of Christmas all over the world! You can use this once per long rest or by spending a spell slot.

If you’re still dealing with naughty children though, you can use Fear to put them in their place.

10. Bard 7: Seventh level bards get fourth level spells. There aren’t any here we really need for the build, but Hallucinatory Terrain will help you make sure it’s always a white Christmas.

11. Sorcerer 4: Use this ASI to bump up your Strength. Now your stabbing’s good. Yay!

You also learn Thaumaturgy for more of a stage presence and Magic Missile as a stand in for that green and red thing you do. You know the one.

12. Sorcerer 5: Fifth level sorcerers can use Magical Guidance to re-roll a failed skill check by using a sorcery point. They can also cast third level spells, like Gaseous Form, which makes your whole body a bit dreamlike to pass through solid objects.

13. Sorcerer 6: Sixth level divine souls get Empowered Healing, letting you re-roll any healing dice near you at the low cost of one sorcery point. You can only do this once per turn though.

In keeping with the tradition of “getting cool sorcery abilities and spells that 100% don’t use them”, you can now cast Sleet Storm to really let it snow.

14. Bard 8: Use this ASI to max out your Charisma. You also learn Greater Invisibility, so you can personally deliver presents to kids whether they’re sleeping or awake.

15. Bard 9: At ninth level, bards see their song of rest grow to a d8 as well. They also learn 5th level spells, like Mass Cure Wounds. It’s Cure Wounds, but Mass.

16. Bard 10: At this level your bardic inspiration grows again to d10s. 

I know we’ve been calling your healing spells “gifts”, but we also said they were like money- appreciated, but not really in the spirit of things. Thanks to Magical Secrets you learn two spells from any spell list. Grab the Mending cantrip for your normal cantrip this level, then grab Creation to make any sort of toy you could imagine out of thin air. Then use Conjure Volley for some mass production!

You also get Expertise in two more skills- Arcana and History are good picks here.

17. Bard 11: Eleventh level bards get sixth level spells, like Heroes’ Feast, for a great Christmas dinner.

18. Bard 12: Now that your magic’s stupid good, we should probably beef up your defenses. Normally we’d go with dexterity, but honestly your AC isn’t amazing anyway so we’ll go with Constitution. More health to burn through, and better concentration!

19. Bard 13: Your song of rest joins your inspiration in d10ville, and you get seventh level spells! Etherealness is next to ephemeralness, as the saying goes, so grab that spell and hop on the Ethereal Plane for the ultimate in home burglary skills. Now you can pass straight through objects and are completely undetectable to anything except ghosts. And blink spiders. Watch out for the blink spiders.

20. Bard 14: Our last eloquent goody is Infectious Inspiration, letting you spend a reaction to shuffle your inspiration to another person after it helps out the first person. You know how Christmas music is suddenly everywhere as soon as one radio station starts playing it? This is why. You can use this a number of times per long rest equal to your charisma modifier.

You also get one last round of Magical Secrets, and since we’ve covered most of our bases as far as presents and santa-ing goes, let’s spend these last two on Heal and Regeneration. Healing never goes out of style.

Pros:

Thanks to your maxed out charisma and unsettling words, your spells come with very difficult saves. Getting a 19 or higher on a d20-d10 is rough.

You also come packing a little bit of everything. You’re not terrible with a spear if you really need it, but you’ve also got some utility spells, healing, damage, social spells... you’ve got plenty of spread.

Speaking of being social, your guaranteed 10s on persuasion and deception, plus your expertise with both, means it’ll never be hard for you to sway crowds to your side of an argument.

Cons:

Despite having super tough saves you don’t really use them that much since you’re mostly a healer, or dealing with threats through indirect means.

We didn’t do much with your dexterity this time around, so your AC is honestly pretty terrible, especially for a caster class build. Your HP almost makes up for it, but it’s still not a great look for you.

Those levels in sorcerer we took might make your healing spells stronger and give you your only source of decent AC, but that also splits your spell list, keeping you from getting 9th level spells. Like every build, almost no benefit outweighs the wish spell.

#Fate Grand Order #D&D 5e #FGO #Jeanne d'Arc Alter Santa Lily #Fate and Phantasms #Bard #Sorcerer

[bakersstreetirregulars]

Costume Of The Year- Round 2

💫 Whew- that first round went quickly! Did your favorites make it through?

Dark Choco’s Young Prince VS Milk’s Herald of Victory

Fire Spirit’s Lord of Flame VS Sour Belt’s Choc’au Latte F/W Collection

Princess’s Royal Crown VS Cream Puff’s Dark Magic Hat

Alchemist’s Guileful Queen VS General Jujube’s Grand Marshal

Peach’s Garden of Delights VS Shining Glitter’s Superstar Airport Attire

Cheesecake’s Party Royale VS Sea Fairy’s Dread Trident of the Abyss

Mint Choco’s Magnificent Symphony VS Mala Sauce’s Unyielding Rook

Peppermint’s Ballad of the Starry Seas VS Moonlight’s Blissful Full Moon

Adventurer’s Explorer Tyke VS Matcha’s Witherbark Shaman

Roguefort’s Pursuit of Lost Time VS Cocoa’s Enchanted Waltz

Sparkling’s Star Guest VS Squid Ink’s Pirate “Hunter”

Adventurer’s Accidental Host VS Werewolf’s Shadow Lurker

Carol’s Picturesque Performer VS Pink Choco’s Ribbity Water Beam

Marshmallow’s Merry Year’s End March VS Lilac’s Midsummer Bliss

Cinnamon’s Fortuneteller Apprentice VS Purple Yam’s Champion of Valor

Angel’s Voice of Virtue VS Chocolate Bonbon’s A.C.i.D F/W Collection

Grapefruit’s Phenomenal Stuntmaster VS White Choco’s Blazing Knight

Vampire’s Insouciant King VS Beet’s Blooming Chef de Partie

Pancake’s Fluffy Unicorn Jammies VS Popping Candy’s Red Carpet Attire

Wind Archer’s Zephyr of Life VS Whipped Cream’s Night of Reverie

Rockstar’s Epic Year’s End Concert VS DJ’s Megastar

Moonlight’s Alluring Crescent Moon VS Sea Fairy’s Luminous Coral

Cherry’s Water Bomb VS Spinach’s Pouch of Wishes

Moonlight’s Milky Way VS Yogurt Cream’s Midsummer Plentitude

Common- 0

Rare- 0

Epic- 24

Super Epic- 22

Legendary- 2

🪄 A strong start for the Epics and Super Epics, but the Common and Rares just seemed to disappear! Any trace of the Island of Memories has also disappeared! And among the disappearees we have Dark Enchantress’s Chaos Incarnate… uh oh. She’s not going to enjoy that. Three for three losses in round 1 will definitely cause her to seek vengeance- wait. Cream Puff, you mentioned Yam in the example, right?

💫 Y-yes?

🪄 He’s facing me!

💫 There’s not much we can do.

🪄 I know. Let’s see what happens!

#cookie run #crob #cr ovenbreak #costume of the year #round 2

[thiswasinevitableid]

Hello! I hope you’re having a great holiday. I’m not sure if you’re still taking winter prompts, but I have a specific request. Have you ever written a sad/comfort holiday fic? Doesnt even have to be romantic. Maybe Aubrey is alone on Christmas but gets to video chat with Duck who reminds her she’s not alone - idk. Something like that would melt my heart. Thank you, again I hope you’re having a nice winter season!

Here you go, I hope this fits the bill! And thank you, <3

In retrospect, trying to fly back to Kepler early Christmas morning when there’s a snowstorm AND a pandemic was not Aubrey’s best plan.

She’s been visiting her aunt and uncle, her only remaining relatives on her mom’s side. It was in part because, after returning Sylvain home, it’s hurt a little less to think about her mom, so seeing the family wasn’t the painful ordeal it used to be. But it’s also because the memory of Dani reuniting with her family sits fresh and bright in her mind. Dani was cut off from them for years, wanting to see them but forbidden under the terms of her exile. Aubrey teared up when she watched her girlfriend be swamped in hugs by an overyjoyed, vampiric extended family. She’d never been cut off from her extended family that way, and a voice in the back of her head that’s she’s sure (okay, mostly sure) doesn’t belong to anyone but her told her it was time to reconnect. So off she flew.

Dani was supposed to come so she could meet them, but came down with a cold the day before they flew out. It turns out that Poinsettias are bad for vampires, and one snuck through Barclay’s careful monitoring of the Lodge lobby.

On the plus side, it meant Dani could stay with Dr. Harris Bonkers, who was not permitted as a carry-on for MJN Air and also was pretty clearly not a normal rabbit, something Aubrey isn’t ready to explain to her relatives.

The downside is it means she’s well and truly alone, sitting in O’Hare and cursing her luck, the weather, and over-priced salad she bought at a kiosk.

She’s far from the only stranded traveler, but everywhere she looks, she sees people in groups or duos, huddled up under vaguely non-denominational seasonal lights and tinsel or sipping fancy coffee.

There was a dinner at the Lodge tonight; it was probably the bomb, Barclay likes an excuse to bust out the fancy menu and make a hundred different things.

She picks up the book she brought, but can’t focus on it. Has the same problem with the games on her phone, the fidget snake Indrid gave her, or her favorite Youtube magic trick how-to series.

Dani is asleep, Barclay said she’d been out more or less all day, even though she felt way better, and Aubrey doesn’t want to call and wake her up. 

The shitty bucket seats near the gate that she sat down by at random are killing her, no matter how she perches or sprawls on them, so she shoulders her bag and trudges down the shiny concourse, looking for somewhere to sit.

It’s not that she’s never been alone, though even when she first traveled away from home she had Dr. Harris Bonkers. It’s more that she;s gotten so used to being around a bunch of people. First at the Lodge, then in Sylvain.

She’s gotten used to having a family. Being without it, on a day when everyone says you should be near them, reminds her too much of the first Christmas without her mom.

God, if she start crying in an airport, it’ll suck. In part because blowing her nose still sometimes leads to little bursts of fire. Janelle is still stumped by that one.

A sign on a little wooden post says the place she’s stopped in front of is open until 2 am. That’ll work. She glances at the name.

It’s the Bigfoot Bar and Grille.

She laughs a little louder than she means to, but it’s 10:30 P.M in an airport; no one gives her a second glance, all too busy doing their own weird thing in a liminal space.

The place has wi-fi, and she plus her phone in to the courtesy socket by her booth. She orders nachos and a root-beer float, because why the hell not, she’s in an airport, lonely, and hungry.

Her phone flashes, an incoming video call where the only thing in the caller I.D is a duck emoji.

“Hey, Lady Flame.” Duck grins at her from the couch; he’s in a Christmas sweater, and Winnie is whapping a shiny toy just out of frame.

“Hi!” She waves, “Indrid tell you I was bored?”

He shakes his head, “Nah, he’s asleep. Zonked out on a carton of nog and two dozen cookies. Barclay mentioned you got stuck when we were at the Lodge earlier. Thought you might like some company.”

“I really, really would.”

“Even if I don’t got much excitin to report?”

“I’m, like, this close to ripping out the speakers in this terminal; they’re all playing Muzak Christmas Carols.”

Duck grimaces

“I know, right? Frosty the Snowman is bad enough on it’s own.”

“Yeah, never cared much for that one. Always liked ‘Silver Bells.’“ He mumbles a little on the admission.

“Duck, you’ve never lived in a city.”

“So? Kinda fun, imaginin Christmas in a different place.”

“0/10, would not recommend.”

He snickers, says encouragingly, “c’mon, gotta be a song that puts you in the Christmas spirit.”

“I kinda like the ones from the Rudolph movie, the one with the kinda creepy animation. Mom liked to sing them to me when I was little. She’d be, like, decorating the tree and singing to herself and let me help and-”

She sniffs, not noticing the tear until it falls.

“Sorry. I’m still getting used to talking about her like that to people.”

“S’okay. You don’t have to.”

“I...I kinda want to. Even though I did it a bunch this week, I couldn’t talk to my relatives about the whole fire-guilt-surprise you’re a god thing.”

The view shifts, Duck adjusting the laptop so the small Christmas tree is in the background.

“What else did she do?”

And so Aubrey tells him; about the year of the badly burnt cookies that they ate anyway, of her mom reading her the same picture book, even when she got too old for it, because it was a tradition for the two of them. Of her mom wearing the flamebright pendant at Christmas parties and Aubrey always asking if she could wear it this year.

Eventually, the harried waitress puts her food down before dashing off to cover eight other tables.

“Better let you go, don’t want those nachos gettin cold.”

“Yeah. Cold nachos are sad. Thanks for keeping me company.”

“Any time. And Aubrey? Know it feels like, being stuck there tonight, but you ain’t alone. And I don’t mean in some weird, woo-woo way. I mean we’re all thinkin about you, and we’ll all be waitin for you tomorrow. It ain’t like before you came to Kepler, when there wasn’t anyone waitin for you at the next stop, or the one after that. Where there wasn’t really a home. You got a home now, hell, you got two of ‘em, one on each planet.”

Aubrey wipes her thumb under her eye.

You ain’t alone, Lady Flame, you’re just a little further away than usual.”

“Yeah” the words sink in and she smiles, brighter this time, “yeah, you’re right. Thanks.”

“No problem.”

“Merry Christmas, Duck.”

“Merry Christmas, Aubrey.”

[wastelandcth]

12 day of dovemas - cth

day eight: christmas spirit

summary: with a newborn, the christmas spirit is lost in the Hood household, good thing Calum loves his wife as much as she loves Christmas. 

author’s notes: this one was a little soft, and it’s also a prequel to christmas baking so enjoy! 

masterlist || request ||  series masterlist

Calum wasn't really one to delve into the Christmas spirit. Every year on Christmas it just seemed like his life was too chaotic with scheduling tours, recording sessions, promo, and fitting his new lifestyle into all of that. He and Dovey had just welcomed their son into their lives a few weeks before the start of December and Calum couldn't remember the last time he had a full eight hours of sleep. If he wasn't waking up to care for a very whiny baby who would only fall asleep if Calum sang to him in a hushed voice or if Dovey was holding him near her chest, he was busy at the studio with the band finishing up the album they were meant to release in the new year. 

Dovey had always loved Christmas traditions, whether it was decorating the tree with strung up popcorn or going out caroling with her family around the neighborhood. All of those things were too time-consuming with a newborn and Dovey feared that this would be the one Christmas where she and Calum would have to miss out on the holiday traditions. She'd been too tired to even go out and buy a tree, Charlie having kept her up most nights with feedings and making sure he was breathing every thirty seconds. She'd even tried to have a Christmas movie marathon with Calum, which ended with both of them making it fifteen minutes into A Christmas Carol before falling asleep in each other's arms. It just seemed like Christmas was going to have to wait another year. 

It was the middle of the month when Calum noticed something was off about his wife. Having spent multiple Christmases with her, he knew that his wife loved nothing more than getting into the holiday spirit and going all out for the holiday. But as the days of December passed by and Dovey and he got used to their new parenthood, Calum couldn't help but notice that their house still had fall decorations up and that the speaker in the kitchen hadn't played a Christmas carol once. It wasn't until he found Dovey in the nursery with tears falling down her cheeks as she held up a Santa onesie that he'd bought to celebrate Charlie's first Christmas that he realized exactly how much of the Christmas spirit he'd felt the past years came from Dovey.

"Sweet girl, why don't you get some sleep? I'll watch the little one, yeah? Maybe he and I can go for a walk around the neighborhood and give you some peace." Calum had whispered into his wife's shoulder, his arms wrapping around her waist as both of them watched their baby boy squirm around his bassinet. 

Usually, Calum would complain when it came to putting up a Christmas tree, Dovey and he never agreed with the theme of their Christmas tree and it usually ended with them making another family member choosing for them. But here he was, in the late hours of the night with a sleeping baby strapped to his chest and his wife finally sleeping soundly upstairs while he strung up popcorn to wrap around the Christmas tree that Luke had gone to pick up for him after Calum had told him about the Hood household struggle to take on a newborn and Christmas. Luke had shown up a few hours before, helping him set up the Christmas tree in the living room and sneakily taking the time to hang out with his favorite baby while Calum set up a few decorations in and around the house. 

"You know, Charles, your papa loves your mama so much he would do the one thing he hates for her, getting on ladders to hang up Christmas lights in the dead of night." Luke had whispered to the sleeping newborn, chuckling as he heard Calum walk back into the living room carrying bags of Christmas baubles and tinsel. "He'd do the same for you, little one." 

By the time Dovey had woken up the next morning after managing to have a full night's sleep for the first time in months, Calum had transformed their house into a winter wonderland complete with the Christmas tree of Dovey's dreams. Dovey's first step in the morning was usually to walk into the nursery and check on the baby, so the panic rose in her when she was met with an empty bassinet. She'd rushed downstairs, her eyes wide as she was met with the smell of Christmas candles and twinkling lights that lit up the living room. It was still dark outside, the early morning sky still showing the stars outside, and her heart swelled as she heard soft snores coming from the couch. 

In the middle of what seemed like a Christmas bomb that had exploded, Dovey found Calum fast asleep, his hand resting flat on Charlie's back who was snuggled into his papa's chest, both of them the perfect image of one another. Squished cheeks and soft snores were all Dovey needed to see before she pulled a blanket over the two loves of her life, making sure to keep the chill away while she walked around the living room to explore exactly what Calum had been up to while she slept. When the fussy newborn let out a soft whine, Dovey hadn't hesitated to take him from Calum, who only shift and chose to hug a pillow instead. 

"Did you and papa do this, sweet boy?" Dovey whispered as she soothed the baby in her arms, his brown eyes staring up at her and then on the twinkling lights that shone above their heads. "He's a very special guy, isn't he? Just like you." 

It wasn't long until Dovey found herself in the kitchen, Charlie once again asleep in his sling while Dovey pulled out ingredients and preheated the oven, the quiet house filling with scents of Christmas cookies. Calum soon waking up to find that the Christmas spirit was once again in the Hood household and that his son's first Christmas would be one to remember. 

taglist:  @hoodhoran @finelliine @moonlightcriess @dinosaursandsocks @mxgyver @calpops @karajaynetoday @notlukehemmo @calumrose @devilatmydoor @lyss-xo @lowkeyflop​

#calum hood blurbs #calum hood imagines #calum hood fics #calum hood oneshots #5sos fics #5sos blurbs #5sos imagines #5sos oneshots #calum hood #5sos #5 seconds of summer #12 days of dovemas #the doves take on christmas #gemma writes

[thecluelessredhead]

This is how I think JATP characters would act on Christmas morning.

Starting off strong with Julie. I think she’d pretty much be a normal kid in a sense that she would be super excited. But she would also make it known to her dad that’s she’s grateful for everything he’s done for her.

Luke would be nostalgic for all the Christmases spent with his parents, but he would be happy to be spending this time with Julie and the boys. And the entire time Julie is doing her Christmas Day thing Luke would just be doing the heart eyes that he’s so good at but denies. The whole day.

Alex is also remembering times with his family before he came out, but mainly tries to think about times now. He spends the day with the Molinas and is a quiet observer, but a happy one. He disappears after dinner to meet Willie.

Reggie has chosen to ignore his past in light of the happy holiday. He makes gentle side comments after every gift, and even gives Ray a little something himself.

Nick is dressed very festively. He’s glad for a chance to spend some time with Julie, which pisses Luke off. He’s very polite, but Ray sees what’s going on and doesn’t know what to think.

Carrie must keep up her facade, despite the fact that she is overwhelmed with joy at being invited. Her father never had time for her on Christmas, and here Julie was, making her feel welcome.

Flynn is the heart, life, body, and soul of the party. She’s dancing, vibing. She frequently asks Julie if the guys have made an appearance. She’s overall a hoot. Socializing with everybody.

Poor Ray is being pulled in a million pieces. What with receiving a mystery gift from Reggie and trying to keep up with all the people that have been let into his house, the man needs a break. But he rallies and even finds energy to encourage Julie to sing them a carol.

Carlos is young, and the Christmas magic is still there for him. So he’s a cutie. He’s also suspicious of Rays mystery present, and is convinced ghosts are afoot.

Aunt Victoria, bless her heart, is helping Ray keep up with everything.

Caleb shows up after the festivities, to drop some horrible bomb on the boys.

Willie, like I said, goes on a nice winter wonderland romantic walk with Alex. Also, his Christmas spirit is only rivaled by that of Booboo Stewart’s Max in the Grinch Live.

Trevor arrives to collect Carrie. He tries to make amends but unfortunately revived a phone call that simply can’t wait until Boxing Day and rushes away.

Happy Holidays!!

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #charlie gillespie #luke jatp #jeremy shada #reggie jatp #alex jatp #owen patrick joyner #julie jatp #madison reyes #sacha carlson #nick jatp #savannah lee may #carrie jatp #jadah marie #flynn julie and the phantoms #yay #christmas #christmastime #jatp christmas #willex jatp