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queencocoakimmie · 5 years

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Only You

Chapter 1

Duncan Shepherd x Female Reader

Word Count: +1700

A/n: This is my first Duncan fic. It’s been on my mind for months now. I absolutely love this character, so I hope I do him justice.

Summary: Vanessa Rivera is a no-nonsense girl from Texas. She moved to D.C to attend George Washington University Law School, where she takes evening classes and works at a nice restaurant during the day. Her life is boring, with the occasional fling with a guy named, Scott. Then Duncan Shepherd shows up one day at her restaurant and introduces a little bit of chaos into her life. The good and the bad.

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“Vanessa, can you start table 5 for me? I’ve already gotten their drinks, so just take their orders. I’m swamped over here. Table 3 keeps sending their food back.”

She knew I was about to leave, she saw my backpack slung over my shoulder. “Dios mio, Lizzie, I have class in a little while. You know that.” She looked at me with pleading eyes, “Please, I’ll owe you one, I swear.” I sighed and put my bag back down, “You owe me 5 actually.” She gave me a hug as I picked up my pen and pad, “You really are such a good friend,” She sings as she walks away.

I plaster a fake smile on my face and walk over to table 5. It was a booth filled with the typical good-looking D.C elites, “Oh goody,” I say to myself sarcastically. “Good afternoon, gentlemen, what can I get for you.” They all ignore me, continuing their conversations amongst one another. I repeated my question and when I still received no response, I politely told them that I’d give them a minute to look over the menu, then I’d be back. As I turn to walk away, one of them grabs my hand and laughs, “Oh we’re ready honey”, he says.

“Vanessa, is it? I’m looking for something that’s not on the menu. Can you help me with that?” said the smarmy guy to my right. He wiggled his eyebrows at me and actually high-fived the guy next to him. I sigh, “Well, Sir, our Specials aren’t on the menu, but I can place an order for one of them if you like?” I smile sweetly at him. He thinks for a minute and stifles a comment, he orders a Caesar salad instead. The other guys ordered their food without an issue. But the last guy eyed me up and down and said, “Vanessa, I’m in the mood to have some spicy. What do you recommend?” his voice was so alluring it almost lulled me into a daze.

My breath hitched in my throat and I stammered, “The, uh, spicy tomato pasta is really good and has some heat to it.” He leaned forward and said, “I bet it does, Vanessa, I bet it does. I think I’ll have that if that’s what you like?” The way he purred my name made me slightly uncomfortable and slightly something else. I nodded quickly and added his order to my notepad. I whirl around on my heel and walk to the kiosk to input their orders. Secretly happy to get away from them. But I could feel someone staring at me, so I turned back just to confirm, and I was right. His friends had gone back to talking, but he kept his eyes on me. He even smiled at me.

I was so focused on typing in the order at the kiosk, that I didn’t notice that someone had walked up to me. “Um excuse me, but…” he paused. I was so startled that I nearly jumped out of my skin, “I didn’t mean to scare you, but um, I was… looking for the restroom.” It felt like there was something else he wanted to say, but instead, he took my directions and went down the hallway. “Oh my god, V, do you know who that is?” a voice from behind me called. I turned to see the new girl, Maisie, bouncing up and down. “That is THE Duncan Shepherd. He is so hot!! Every time he comes in, I secretly wish I get his table.”

Every time he comes in?

A lightbulb went off in my head, “Maisie, I have a great idea. I’ve got to leave and get to class so you can have that table if you want. I’ve already placed their orders, you just have to bring their food out. You can even have the tips.” She squealed with excitement, “Maybe he'll even ask me for my number!!!” I nodded and gave her a thumbs up. Once I had my things, and I see that he has already made it back to the table, I start to walk out of the back door. But then I remembered that there was no parking there this morning, and I had to park across the street from the restaurant. Meaning, if I wanted to leave, I’d have to walk right past their table and him to get to the exit.

I take a deep breath and begin my trek to the front door. “Aw Vanessa, did we scare you away?” one of them calls after me in a mocking tone. I turn to smile at them, but I see only him, and his blue eyes are locked onto mine. Is that a flash of disappointment I detect on his face? I shake my head and quickly walk out of the door. I felt like I had been holding my breath the entire time.

Amongst all the fancy cars on this side of the street, sat my little old red Volkswagen Beetle. I found relief as I got in and sat down. Before I pull off though, I just happen to look out of the window towards the restaurant and see that Duncan is staring right at me. His friends still consumed in their conversation, but he was watching me. I wave at him awkwardly and drive off. Cursing myself for being so foolish. Foolish enough to think that maybe we both felt a tiny connection. “Nope, just me and my unrealistic view of guys,” I say.

Class went by so slowly. My mother kept texting me. Wanting to make sure that I was eating right and sleeping right. Hoping that I had finally gotten rid of that pendejo Scott. “I know, ma. He’s no good. But we’re just having fun.” I text back to her. Deep down I know, it’s not really what I want. I’m caring and kind. I just want my guy to be the same, to take the time to care. Or even to remember my birthday, for that matter. Scott was the one piece of the puzzle that didn’t fit. I mean, we used to hook up a couple of times a week. Now? I barely even hear from him anymore. It definitely didn’t feel good. I wasn’t naïve enough to think that an ultra-rich guy like him, and his fancy family would ever really accept a poor Mexican girl, like me, from Texas. My family were immigrants, that came over from Culiacan in the 1980s. His family? They own half of Washington. “Mija, you’re a good girl. You need a good boy who will be nice to you.” I stare at that text until class is over. Damn, why does she always have to be right?

Hours later, as I was stepping out of the shower, I hear my phone ring. “It’s almost midnight, who’d be calling me this late”, I say to myself. I towel off quickly, throw on my bathrobe and run to it. “Lizzie, are you ok? What’s going on”, I ask. She laughs and tells me that she’s fine but that she needs to give me a heads up. I ask her if someone called in sick for tomorrow, she says no, but I can tell she’s nervous about something.

“Ok, V, don’t be mad at me. Promise you won’t get mad, please?” I shake my head as though she can see it, “I can’t make promises, but I’ll try to be understanding,” I say. “Ok, you remember that table you took for me? The rich guys?” "Yes”, I tell her, “I remember.” She clears her throat, “Well, one of the guys came up to me asking about you.” I say nothing, and she continues, “Well…he wanted your phone number and though I would never give it out, I did tell him that you’d be working tomorrow.” “What?” I yell into the phone, “Who Lizzie, which one was it.”

“Duncan Shepherd.”

After a moment or two of shock, I ask, “Why would you tell him anything about me? We don’t know him. He could be some crazy stalker or something”. She scoffs and said, “Honestly, I thought I was being a good friend. You need a nice guy, V. Whatever it is that you have with Scott isn’t working. Is it like a friends with benefits thing? Are y’all together?” She goes on and on and though I know she’s right about Scott, it still feels like a punch in the gut. I tell her it’s ok and thank her for looking out for me and I’ll see her tomorrow.

After we hang up, I sit on my bed, still in my bathrobe and I Google Mr. Duncan Shepherd. He’s very smart, graduated from an Ivy League university, top of his class, of course. A philanthropist and a talented writer. I can also see that he is developing an app for the Shepherd Freedom Foundation. Hmm…that’s impressive. But then I fall down the rabbit hole of images of him. Scrolling through dozens of pictures of beautiful blonde women on his arm for various Charity events. Holding his hand, kissing him on his cheek. I click on a link and it takes me to some girl’s Instagram page. He’s featured prominently on it. The two of them mid-embrace. There’s one of them in a pool, kissing. There’s even one of him with nothing on but a towel.

“Aargh”, I let out a strangled moan and throw my phone down. I flop backward onto my bed and stare at the ceiling. I don’t know what it is that’s drawn me to him. But, I can't stop thinking about he looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes. Or the way he smiled at me with those perfect pink lips. I can imagine how his hands would feel on the small of my back. I can't stop myself from thinking about his tongue would taste. I wonder what his beard feels like on the inside of my thigh. I audibly sigh and say to no one in particular, "I need to stay away from him. He's probably just like all those other guys. He's probably just like Scott" Right?

A text at 2 a.m. chimes on my phone and wakes me from my sleep. I roll over and fumble to turn on the light. Surprise sends shocks down my spine when I look at my lock screen.

“Looked up your number and wanted to see if I could take you out to dinner this weekend? Text me if you can. Text me even if you can’t. Just text me.”

-DS

It was him.

Duncan…Shepherd.

/Chapter 2/ /Chapter 3/ /Chapter 4/ /Chapter 5/Chapter 6/Chapter 7/Chapter 8/Chapter 9/Chapter 10

Taglist:

@lovelykhaleesiii @petersfern-fics @langdonsoceaneyes @katiekitty261 @xtheinevitableprophecyx @michael-langdon-appreciation @langdonsrapture @langdonsinferno @confettucini @queenie435 @kinlovecody @ghostiesbedroom @floweryshell @itschelseag @flowersirenreads @maso-xchrist @thelangdoncooperative @icylangdon @my-ahs-nightmare @americanhorrorstudies @the--queen-of-hell @trashisawayoflife @mytrash-mylife @ccodyfern @sojournmichael @michaellangdom @hisgirlwonder @winxfred @langdons-rep @langdonsdemon @sassylangdon @napping-is-my-favorite @stupidocupido @sloppy-little-witch-bitch26 @7-wonders @elangdon4 @michaellangdong @khaleesimel @snowandicicle @fanfictionrecommendations-com @disappointing-cheesecake @whoviancumberbunny @thedeviltohisangel @jimmlangdon @lvngdvns @lxngdonscoven @duncvn @marvelgal666 @heda-mikaelson @lovemesomeworlddomination @ritualmichael

#duncan shepherd #duncan shepherd smut #duncan x reader #houseofcards #fanfic #fanfiction #duncan shepherd fanfic #my writing

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fanfics4all · 5 years

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Found You

Request: Yes / No I know you’re busy, and since I probably didn’t send this request I hope you don’t find it hard. Can I have a KJ x reader where the reader is kidnapped at a party and KJ does everything to find her and he does after a month. Lots of angst and fluff pls!! @river-fics

Request are closed <3 Have a nice day/night

KJ Apa x Fem!Reader

Word count: 2682

Warnings: Kidnapping, Rape/sex slave, starvation, dehydration

Y/N: Your Name

A/N: I’m not tagging anyone else in this because I don’t want to trigger anyone

PLEASE DO NOT STEAL MY WORK, I WORK HARD ON MY FICS AND IT’S NOT COOL TO STEAL SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK!

If you want to be on the tag list for anything (My series fics, specific character fics, or just all of them) All you have to do is send me an ask and I will add you!

Masterlist

(Not my photo, credit to whoever made it!)

We had just recently finished filming the first half of Riverdale season three. We all were going to celebrate since we had a few week break. My boyfriend KJ was so excited for a party, he really loved them. Roberto had set up the party and it was gonna be huge. The girls and I decided to have a get ready get-together before the party. We all went to get our hair done, nails did, then we went back to Mads’ place and finish getting ready. I put on a black and white crop top, black skirt, my favorite pair of chunky heels, some bracelets, and I had my Michael Kors purse. For my makeup, I did a black and white eyeshadow look with a wing, and I decided to go with a soft neutral pink lip, instead of a bold red one.

Once the girls and I were finished we finished getting ready we headed to the party to meet everyone. I couldn’t wait to get to this party and just relax. Filming could be stressful and since we didn’t get too many long breaks, a party was just what we needed. We got there and it looked awesome! We were in the Playhouse Nightclub in Vancouver, it was so amazing. The music was loud, people were dancing, the bar was fully stocked, and best of all… it was all free! The boys noticed us almost immediately and came over to us.

“Hey babe, you look amazing.” KJ said and I smiled.

“You don’t look too bad yourself.” I said with a wink. He smirked and pulled me to him.

“How about we get you a drink?” He asked and I nodded.

“Yes please!” I said and he chuckled. The two of us walked over to the bar and got some drinks.

The night ws going amazingly and everyone was having a great time. Us girls were dancing while the boy were catching up with each other. I walked to the bar to get another drink when someone I wasn’t super familiar with came up next to me.

“Hey Y/N.” He said and I gave him that smile you give someone that you don’t remember.

“Hey, um…” I said trying to think of his name.

“Steve, I’m one of the writers.” He said and I acted like I knew him.

“Right! Sorry, I must have already had one too many drinks.” I said with a laugh.

“Don’t worry about it, how are you?” He asked as the bartender made my drink.

“Good, glad to finally have a nice long break. How about you?” I asked with a smile.

“Good, also glad to have a break.” He smiled back.

“So what’s with that guy over there?” He asked and pointed to a random guy. I turned to look at who he was talking about.

“I don’t know, but there are a few people here I don’t know.” I said turning back to him. I grabbed my drink and took a sip.

“So do you guys get the same break as us or do you guy have a shorter break?” I asked and took another sip.

“We get a few weeks off, gotta get those episodes written.” He said with a smile.

“Haha, true.” I said. The two of us talked for a little while longer and I felt myself start to feel weird. I put my glass down on the bar and grabbed my head.

“Whoa, you okay?” He asked grabbing me.

“Uh, yeah. I think the drinks are just hitting me now.” I said.

“Maybe you should get some air.” He said and I nodded. I went to go walk but it was hard.

“Here, let me help you.” He said and I gave him a small smile.

“Thanks.” I said and we walked outside. The night air hit me and it felt nice. However, before I knew it my legs collapsed from under me. Steve caught me and I felt like I couldn’t move.

“Finally, I thought we’d be here all night.” Some guy said and I saw two guy walk out from the club.

“The damn drug takes fucking twentyish minutes to work.” Steve said lifting me up.

“Damn she looks so scared.” One of the two guys said with a smirk.

“Come on, let’s get her in the van before someone notices.” The other guy said. They took me into a truck and I felt us drive off.

“Don’t worry hun, you’ll be well taken care of.” Steve smirked. I’m pretty sure he gave me a fake name. I shouldn’t have trusted him… but he was so kind…

A day later

I woke up naked and sore, what the hell happened last night? I must have drank too much, KJ and I must have had some fun. I tried to roll over so I could wake him up, but when I tried I couldn’t move. I looked up at my arms and saw I was cuffed to the bed.

“What the hell?” I said out loud.

“Look who’s finally awake.” I heard a familiar voice.I look at the door and saw the guy I was talking to last night.

“Steve?” I asked confused.

“You really think I would give you my real name? You dumb bitch.” He said and I was even more confused.

“What? What the hell happened and why the fuck am I cuffed to the bed?” I asked annoyed.

“Shut the fuck up, God all you actresses think you’re so much better than everyone else.” He said taking off his shirt.

“Good thing your family won’t give a shit where you are, not that it would matter. They wouldn’t find you anyway.” He said taking his belt off. My eyes widen.

“This is your life now. You’re nothing but a stupid slut for men to play with.” He said and finished getting undressed. He climbed on top of me and used me as he wanted.

KJ’s POV

I walked over to the girls that Y/N was hanging with and saw she wasn’t there. I looked around the club confuses. I didn’t see her anywhere. Where could she possibly be?

“Hey, where’s Y/N, ay?” I asked the girls.

“I don’t know, she went to get a drink and never came back.” Lili said with a shrug.

“We thought you two ran off somewhere.” Ashleigh said with a wink.

“I haven’t seen her since you guys took her to dance.” I said and their faces fell.

“What? It’s been like three hours.” Vanessa said.

“I’ll call her.” Madelaine said pulling out her phone.

“It’s too loud in here, let’s go outside.Cammie said. They all got up and I followed them outside. She called my girlfriend and we heard her phone go off in the alley next to us. I walked over and saw her bag on the ground. I picked it up and saw her phone was in there along with the rest of her stuff, minus her money.

“Something’s wrong!” I said rushing back to everyone in a panic.

“Her money’s gone, but the rest of her stuff is in here.” I said and everyone looked at me worried.

“Someone must have taken her.” I said freaking out.

“Okay, let’s call the police.” Tiera said called the cops. They were here within twenty minutes and we told them the situation. They checked the camera and saw she was talking to someone, we saw that he put something in her drink. He made sure not to show his face to the cameras and he took her outside. He took her down the alley I found her stuff and that was the last we saw of them…

“Well he definitely took her.” One cop said walking up to us. The party was over and we were all freaking out.

“That was fucking obvious!” I shouted and Cole put his hand on my shoulder.

“They’re here to help dude.” He said.

“Whoever this guy is, this isn’t his first time doing this.” Another cop said.

“So what do we do?” Mark asked for me.

“Wait and see if there’s a ransom. She’s an actress you said? They’ll likely want money.” He said. I sighed and grabbed my head.

“I shouldn’t have let her out of my sight.” I said with a sigh.

“Hey, don’t blame yourself.” Luke said.

Y/N’s POV/ A month later

I’ve lost track of time. I wasn’t allowed to leave this room alone. I was almost constantly locked to the bed, in whatever position the three monsters wanted me in. They didn’t use protection so I was worried that I was already pregnant. They just barely fed me, and just gave me enough water to stay alive. I was in hell. I kept praying someone would find me and save me. It never happened… It would always wake up tied to the bed and wait for however many times they wanted to use me today. Please KJ, I need you more than ever right now…

KJ’s POV

It’s been a fucking month and I’ve only gotten pictures of her naked and tied to a fucking bed! That asshole was raping my girl and there was nothing I could do about it! The cops were working as hard as they can to find her. I was a fucking wreck without her. We had to put off filming Riverdale until she was found, none of us could work knowing she was being tortured by some shitty person. Charles and Cole had been staying with me for the past few days, everyone was kind of taking turns to keep an eye on me. I was a depressed mess without her, she was my world. She was in hell and I could do nothing but sit here and wait for something we could use to find her… Cole walked in with the mail and I noticed the familiar envelope that has become a routine at this point.

“Another envelope?” I asked with a sigh.

“Yeah…” He said and sat next to me. He handed it to me and I opened it to see another picture of her naked, this time she wasn’t on a bed. She was outside a house in the middle of nowhere… I shot off the couch.

“Where are you going?” Cole asked shocked.

“I know where she is.” I said and ran out to my truck. Cole and Charles followed me outside. I go in my truck and went to leave, but they stopped me.

“KJ, wait. We should bring it to the cops.” Charles said.

“You two can, I’m going to get my girl.” I said.

“Then we’re coming with you. I’ll call them on the way.” Cole said and they got in. I drove off and as promised he called the cops telling them where we were going. We obviously got there before them and I pounded on the door.

“KJ, hey what’s up mate?” Zach, a guy that use to be my best friend said like nothing’s happened. He tried to ruin my life when I started dating an actress, that he asked out but she turned him down and asked me out. I asked him if he was cool with it and he said he was, turns out he wasn’t and tried everything to fuck with me. This was all before I met Y/N, before I even moved to America.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I growled at him and he just smirked.

“I live here as you know, what are you doing here?” He asked crossing his arms.

“Give me my girlfriend back!” I shouted at him and he looked at me confused.

“You have a girlfriend?” He asked like he didn’t know. I pulled out the picture I got today and he raised his eyebrow.

“Why are you showing me your porn?” He asked and I glared at him.

“That’s my fucking girlfriend and this is your house. Where the fuck is she?” I asked and he rolled his eyes.

“I don��t have her.” He said and I shoved him aside. I stormed into his house and Cole and Charles followed me.

“KJ, we should wait for the cops!” Cole said.

“Y/N!” I called out to her.

“I told you she’s not here!” Zach shouted and tried to get us out of his house.

“Y/N! Where are you baby?” I called out.

“KJ!” I heard a muffled scream and rushed towards it. I busted open a door and saw a guy on top of her naked and smacking her in the face.

“You stupid bitch!” He growled at her.

“Get the fuck off her!” I shouted and slammed the guy on the ground. I punched him repeatedly and Y/N was crying.

“KJ stop!” Charles said and pulled me off him. I got him off me and ran up to Y/N. I unlocked the cuffs holding her and pulled her to me. I took off my jacket and wrapped it around her. She grabbed my shirt and cried into my chest.

“Shhh, it’s okay babe. You’re safe.” I whispered kissing her head. We heard the cops outside and I held her closer. The cops stormed in and grabbed the three guys that were in the house.

“Sir, we need to take her to the hospital.” One of the cops said to me.

“I’m not leaving her.” I said and picked her up.

“KJ, let them take her. We’ll be right behind them.” Cole said and I sighed.

“It’s okay..” Y/N said looking up at me. I sighed and nodded. They took her and we followed them. Charles and Cole called everyone and told them she was found and safe. They all came to the hospital and we waited till we could see her.

“Y/N Y/L/N?” A doctor said walking to the room.

“Is she okay?” I asked walking up to her.

“She’ll be okay. She wasn’t fed like a normal person, and she’s dehydrated. She’ll be okay though.” She answered and everyone sighed in relief.

“Can I see her?” I asked and she nodded.

“Room 203.” She said and I nodded.

“You guys mind if I see her alone first, ay?” I asked everyone.

“Go see her. I’m sure she wants to see you more than us.” Casey said with a smile.

“Thanks guys.” I said and walked to her room. I walked in and saw her laying on the small hospital bed with a small smile.

“Hey…” I said sitting next to her.

“Hey.” She said and her smile grew.

“How can you be smiling right now?” I asked her.

“Because, you saved me.” She said and grabbed my hand.

“This should have never happened.” I said with a sigh.

“KJ, I’m alive and with you again. That’s all I care about right now. I thought I was gonna die in that hell, but you saved me.” She said.

“I love you and, fuck, without you it was hell, I hated that I couldn’t do anything to find you…” I said and tears fell down my face.

“I love you too KJ.” She said and pulled me in for a kiss. I put all the love I could into it and she did the same. We pulled apart and I rested my forehead on hers.

“I’m never letting you out of my sighed again…” I whispered to her.

“And I’m not talking to random guys that act like they work for Riverdale again.” She said joking.

“You’re the only person I know that could joke after what you went through.” I said with a small smile.

“What can I say, I’m a tough girl.” She said and I nodded.

“I know, but you went through something traumatic…” I said and she sighed.

“I know… I’m just trying to push it out of my mind. I just want an okay day, or an okay couple of hours.” She said and I nodded again.

“Whatever you want babe.” I said and kissed her again.

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dpinoycosmonaut · 4 years

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BIGGER IN DEATH

by Bert A. Ramirez / February 02, 2020

The shocking, tragic passing of Kobe Bryant last January 26 in a helicopter crash that also killed his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others generated an outpouring of grief, anguish, sympathy and pathos worldwide the likes of which might have never been seen before. Why, even my own daughter Tintin, previously so casual, if not apathetic, towards my love for basketball, suddenly became involved herself, posting even more material in the family chat group than I did.

Obviously, the way Kobe died along with his daughter and the rest of their companions had something to do with such a universal reaction. It was a case of being gone at a remarkably young age (41) that isn’t even approached by the death of another legend, pop music and entertainment icon Michael Jackson, as Kobe died in such a cruel manner while Jackson, whose own demise at 50 shocked the world in 2009, died of a natural cause, albeit induced by an external factor.

What made Bryant’s death oh-so-tragic is the fact that he was just about beginning a second act just after a remarkable career that made him a pop culture icon in the mold of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Lionel Messi and Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, to name just a few sports figures who have reached iconic stature in this age of the Internet.

“Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act,” former US President Barack Obama, himself an avid basketball fan, said.

“To think that Kobe was at the peak of his life, retired from basketball but capable of taking care of his family and doing charitable works with all the resources he had, is something anyone cannot comprehend with this tragic life ending,” my own brother Tony, a passionate basketball fan like me, told our Celtics chat group.

“Oh man. This is just so sad!” Ryan Mercado of the same Celtics chat group exclaimed. “Kobe is not only a loss to basketball but he was an icon, an ambassador and a humanitarian as well.”

“A true legend in the game of basketball and an inspiration to the world,” baseball great Barry Bonds tweeted of his friend as he mourned his passing and that of his young girl.

“I guess sports fans all over the world are devastated by the tragic loss of a transcendent figure and his daughter,” my own kumpare and fellow roundball enthusiast Erick Reyes said. “Kobe always played the old-fashioned way. He didn't demand for (star) teammates. He always believed that he could carry the team by being a good role model. He played injured, didn't go for load management. He didn't bring his talent elsewhere and could have won many more championships. Instead, in the tradition of the greats like Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and others who wore that purple-and-gold uniform, Kobe stayed with the Lakers until he retired.

“I was in Negros when Kobe played his final game in the NBA. I watched the game while having lunch and I thought this was one of the emotional farewell games. Instead, we were treated to a feast. He scored 60 points and led the Lakers to a 101-96 victory over the Utah Jazz. That is Kobe for you. He wanted the ball till the end.”

Indeed, what made Kobe Bryant different from his peers was the way he approached his commitment to his sport and his profession, spawning what eventually became known as “mamba mentality” (in reference to his nickname “Black Mamba”), a kind of work ethic and passion that simply prescribes how one should approach an endeavor in order to be successful.

“There was nothing inauthentic about Bryant’s intensity,” Bryan Armen Graham of The Guardian wrote in explaining Kobe’s commitment and approach to his job as a pro athlete. “He was probably the hardest worker in sports. Often it is supporting players who are praised for getting the very most out of their talent, but Bryant was an example of a supremely gifted athlete hell-bent on squeezing every last drop from his natural gifts, propelled by a maniacal competitive streak that wouldn’t have been out of place on Wall Street in the ‘80s and often led to flare-ups with cooler-tempered teammates, most infamously with Shaq (O’Neal).

“He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated no fewer than 20 times (when such appearances still mattered) and became one of the rare sporting figures to genuinely transcend the sports pages in the US and become a household name. His international popularity may have even exceeded his standing at home as he became a crucial figure in elevating the sport’s global profile. Michael Phelps may have won a record eight gold medals at the (2008) Beijing Olympics, but Kobe was the star of those Games on the ground.”

Kobe had game, all right, but this goes far more than his basketball stature. He was viewed as an inspirational figure who after his retirement became one of the greatest ambassadors of the game, if he still wasn’t one as an active professional. As Kobe himself remarked, “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great at whatever they want to do.”

This is why even the staunchest Celtics fans like me cried (secretly of course) when I learned about Kobe’s and his companions’ tragic death. Bryant, I told a friend who had met him personally in his basketball academy in Los Angeles, was one of my most hated rivals because of my lifelong affinity with the Celtics, but the tragedy that befell him and the rest of his companions that included his daughter Gigi knows no bounds. We're all human, after all, and thus we cry with their followers and loved ones.

As a member of Facebook page Celtics Nation said, “As Celtics fans we are taught one thing, hate the Lakers. But this is bigger than basketball. He was a husband, a father and an icon. Loved by millions around the world. The impact he made will never be matched.”

Kobe Bryant’s persona that had gained worldwide fame because of modern technology has no doubt also contributed to the worldwide impact of his passing. Many who had the privilege of having had personal encounters with him, from avowed Lakers fan and sports broadcaster Jinno Rufino to that friend of mine who used to work at the now-defunct RPN 9, Babette Pascual-Yllana, are all unanimous in saying that Bryant was a gentle human being, a humble and gentlemanly character who belied that sporting image of an arrogant competitor who had that undeniable swagger and confidence.

“When I met him, there was not a tinge of yabang. Very accommodating,” Babette said. “During those times he was already planning for his retirement, that’s why he put up the Kobe Bryant Basketball Academy and, later, the Mamba Sports Academy. At that time, he was already working on the legacy that he would leave behind.

“He was a gentleman, it stood out. Maybe perhaps he was raised in italy? I noticed that in my travels, mas well-mannered sila kaysa Americans. (Kobe, of course, partly grew up in Italy as his father, former NBA frontliner Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, played for a while in the Italian League, one of the top professional leagues in Europe.) Even if they (the Italians) also have superiority complex, di sila entitled kung umasta. You could see it in Kobe then that he had a good heart.”

Of course, that good heart knew no bounds when Kobe needed to mentor or to simply encourage fellow basketball players young and old alike when they needed some words of wisdom or encouragement, like what Kobe did to current and former Celtics Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward and Isaiah Thomas. Bryant was one of the first to advise Hayward on what attitude to take when the then-first-year Celtic suffered that horrific ankle injury in 2017.

Perhaps what also made people relate more with Bryant was the fact that they could identify with him despite his superstar image because of his own frailties and weaknesses, which he never hid from the public but eventually overcame with that single-minded purpose and determination for which he became noted. In 2003, for example, he was accused of raping a woman in his hotel room while he was in Denver for knee surgery. While admitting having sex with the woman, he denied rape, and a judge eventually dropped the charges, although he had to eventually settle out of court when the woman went on to file a civil lawsuit.

While issuing a public apology, stating that he was sincerely ashamed of what he had done, Bryant had to go through a turbulent phase in his life that culminated with wife Vanessa filing for a divorce in 2011. Eventually though, the two reconciled, with Kobe turning to his Catholic faith and upbringing to overcome his personal crisis. Kobe and Vanessa later founded the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation that is dedicated to, among other things, helping young people in need, encouraging the development of physical and social skills through sports, and assisting the homeless.

Asked about this commitment in 2013, Bryant said, “My career is winding down. At the end of my career, I don’t want to look back and just say, ‘Well, I had a successful career because I won so many championships and scored so many points.’ There’s something else that you have to do with that. (The homelessness) issue is one that kind of gets pushed on the back burner because it’s easy to point the blame at those who are homeless and say, ‘Well, you made that bad decision. This is where you are. It’s your fault.’ In life, we all make mistakes and to stand back and allow someone to live that way and kind of wash your hands of it… that’s not right.”

Is it still surprising why Bryant achieved that iconic status of his?

“An icon is the perfect word for him. His impact was far more than basketball. Unbelievable,” Brandon Goldberg of Celtics Nation said.

“Kobe was an icon and a legend. He was always driven and committed to his goals. A man with vision,” said my own sister in the US, Kitchie Beltran, not especially a staunch sports fan like another younger sister, Lourdes Beltran is (they’re married to brothers, thus the similar surnames), but who knew Kobe through the extent his stature reached. “The impact of his death was felt by almost everyone. They say that the people’s reaction to Kobe’s passing could be compared to the way the world reacted to the death of JFK (former US President John Kennedy) and the loss of Princess Diana.”

That’s true, of course. And that's also due in part to the available technology nowadays, which really brings more intimacy to a worldwide public, providing infinitely more people much closer knowledge about a celebrity or icon, particularly a great basketball star like Kobe whose game has become a global sport much like football. And this is why the impact of Kobe's death is felt more not only because of the circumstances of his death, but also because basketball is now in the world's cultural mainstream due to the technology available.

Even then, all those factors wouldn’t have made a difference in making Kobe Bryant even bigger in death than he was in life perhaps without the element that counts most of all – his character and greatness as a human being. That element transcended race, sports and cultural boundaries for him to be universally mourned.

As my favorite golfer of all time, Jack Nicklaus, said, “Kobe Bryant embodied excellence. Legendary talent; inspirational athlete; great role model; American icon loved globally. Sports lost a tremendous friend but (you) don’t have to be (a) sports fan for your heart to hurt. Just have to be human!”

“You inspired a generation,” my brother Raul’s inaanak Angel Espejo de Llana said in his own obituary for Kobe. “You were the example of hard work and determination. You will always be remembered as an inspiration and a hero.”

“Kobe was truly larger than life, a legend,” Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio tweeted. “LA will never be the same.”

Perhaps Bill Velasco, in his eloquent tribute to Bryant in The Philippine Star, put it best when he wrote, “I believe that the deepest, core reason why Kobe Bryant stirred us so is that he took us to places inside us that very few of us dared to go… It was his fearlessness to look within, to face his weaknesses, to pile onto his strengths, to refuse to recognize limits, that is what we mourn… Kobe Bryant ventured alone into the realm of what is possible more deeply than most of us ever will… He showed us the light that leads inside of us, and faced his own demons and flaws to prove that it could be done.”

Rest in peace, Kobe. Yours was a life that was short by human standards, but it was a life well-lived, and a life that gave joy to millions of people.

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ahouseoflies · 4 years

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The Best Films of 2019, Part I

On one hand, I fear the direction of American cinema, and I feel more personally distracted from great art with each passing day. On the other hand, my viewing was up 5% from last year despite my belief that I’ve gotten choosier. I even approve of most of the films nominated for Best Picture. Are the offerings just top-heavy this year? Are my standards declining? Answering questions like those is part of why I present a paragraph or two on everything I see each year, though I can’t even imagine someone sitting down and reading all of this.

Full disclosure: I haven’t seen Just Mercy, Monos, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Good Boys, Frankie, For Sama, or An Elephant Sitting Still. The tiers, as always, are Garbage, Admirable Failures, Endearing Curiosities with Big Flaws, Pretty Good Movies, Good Movies, Great Movies, and Instant Classics. GARBAGE

129. Cold Pursuit (Hans Petter Moland)- A film professor of mine showed us Wings of Desire and City of Angels, its American remake, in order to show us how a film can technically cover a story while losing the essence that made it special. I can only hope that Hans Petter Moland's Norwegian original is better than his stab at an English language remake, which fails completely at balancing violence and comedy. The movie almost announces its own boredom with the protagonist as it shifts focus first to the villain and then to cops on the case, all of whom have artificial quirks to try to give them life where there isn't any. The Neeson character's journey toward revenge is empty, so the film drifts from him, but it doesn't have anything to say with the other characters either. 128. Domino (Brian De Palma)- Seeking revenge, a Libyan informant roughs up a potential terrorist by throwing him over a restaurant bar. Cut to two cops driving wordlessly. Cut to the Libyan guy dunking the other guy's head in boiling soup. That interruption spells out what the rest of the film does: De Palma could not be less interested in his replacement-level actor's shoddy policework, especially in the self-parody of the last twenty minutes. Any intensity the movie has comes from terrorists (or Guy Pearce over-salting a salad), and then the police drain the momentum. Just make a movie about terrorists, Brian! And, as I've urged you for years, get rid of Pino Donaggio. 127. Beach Bum (Harmony Korine)- Moondog, the spacey, Floridian hedonist poet at the center of the film, is supposed to be "brilliant" and "a good guy" at heart according to his daughter. But at the daughter's wedding, he shakes the hand of her fiance, whom he usually calls "limp-dick," and he says, "What's your name again?" The line got a laugh in my theater, but is it likely that he didn't know the name of his daughter's fiance? Especially if he's a good guy who doesn't hurt people on purpose? It's one example out of a thousand of Harmony Korine making the goofy decision instead of the one that would benefit character or story. I thought that Korine had taken a turn for the lucid with Spring Breakers, but he just isn't interested in making anything consistent enough for me. There's an hour of consequence-free episodes to follow, though I did cherish Jonah Hill's three improvised scenes, for which he tries a sort of Tennessee Williams voice. You can admire how audacious some of the choices are--describing Zac Efron wearing Jncos makes the film sound more fun than it is--but looking at the poster gives you about 70% of what you would get out of the long ninety-five minutes. Yes, McConaughey's shoes are funny, but what else have you got? 126. Fyre Fraud (Jenner Furst, Julia Willoughby Nelson)- Half as good as the Netflix one. Please, by all means, explain to me what a millenial is again. 125. The Kitchen (Andrea Berloff)- One of my mentors stressed that Shakespeare worked in "cultural touchstones," truisms that weren't difficult to prove but served as a sandbox for all of the juicy stuff. So we all know that, say, too much ambition is a bad thing, but having that North Star at all times allows Shakespeare to ply his trade with character development and imagery and symbol. I know that The Kitchen isn't funny or cool or original, but it also doesn't really have an emotional or thematic core. It's a movie with neither the window dressing nor the window. I don't know what I'm getting at, but I watched the last five minutes twice to make sure that it actually was as anti-climactic and inert as I thought.

124. Climax (Gaspar Noe)- Ah, to be a provocateur who has made his best work already and took all of the wrong lessons from it. I don't envy Noe, who insists on formal rigor even when it adds nothing, who goes to greater, more desperate lengths to shock. A third of this film, embedded somewhere between the three openings, is gross young people talking, lewdly and clinically, about whom they want to bone. I thought I started watching French art movies to get away from locker rooms. 123. The Best of Enemies (Robin Bissell)- The supporting cast of Anne Heche, Wes Bentley, and John Gallagher Jr. avail themselves better than the finger-wagging, scenery-chewing leads, but that hardly matters in a movie this fundamentally broken. Apparently no one saw the problem with making a Ku Klux Klan president the dynamic hero of a school integration that he fought against, but that's how the story functions. He's the guy who casts the deciding vote and gives the speech at the end, but it's a bit anti-climactic for an audience that assumes, yeah, the White race is not morally superior to any other race. Congratulations on your realization, buddy. Long before that, Sam Rockwell’s character is inconsistent. Neither the Rockwell performance nor the Robin Bissell script can thread the needle between showing the heinous terrorist that a Klan member is and revealing the depth that foreshadows the character's change. The answer is to show the character being nice to his developmentally disabled son, which, again, doesn't get all the way there. That's cool that you love your own son, but, uh, that has nothing to do with the hatred that made you shoot up a girl's house because she has a Black boyfriend. Of course you can show these contradictions and changes in a character incrementally--lots of good movies have--but this one ain't going on the list. 122. The Intruder (Deon Taylor)- Probably the most two-star movie of the year. Prototypical in its two-starness. Instructive to me as far as what I give two stars. There’s a point of view error in the first twenty minutes that ruined it for me. ADMIRABLE FAILURES 121. Little (Tina Gordon Chism)- We're all good on body swap movies for a while. This one, otherwise undistinguished in its comedy or storytelling, is notable for just how specifically 2019 it might look in a time capsule: Here's a joke about transitioning as we're on our way to our job developing apps; there's a kid doing The Floss and talking to Alexa. Whoops! Bumped into a guy wearing a VR headset! 120. The Kid Who Would Be King (Joe Cornish)- I appreciate that somebody is still making movies for 9-10 year old boys, but I checked out hard and kind of just left this on until it was done. I don't like lore. Much less funny and urgent than Attack the Block, and it's crazy that this is the only project that came together for Joe Cornish in the intervening eight years. 119. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Michael Dougherty)- Exhausting and joyless in its large-scale destruction, Godzilla: King of the Monsters pitches everything at the same volume, and even the end of the world ends up not mattering as a result. Despite (or maybe because of) the presence of such great actors, the screenplay dilutes the characters by having three fighter pilots or three scientists when all the lines really could have been given to one of these interchangeable figures. That's first draft stuff, homie. Still, Kyle Chandler is kind of awesome as the weathered one shouting about how everyone else is playing God. He reminds me of Larry Fitzgerald toiling away with professionalism on teams that would never sniff the playoffs. 118. Blinded by the Light (Gurinder Chadha)- I made it about twenty minutes into this movie before flipping the switch and making fun of it relentlessly. It tries to strike the heart-on-sleeve authenticity that a Springsteen song does, but if The Boss never overwhelms you with language, almost every line of dialogue in this film spells out what the character is thinking. The overbearing father is especially intolerable: "What is this music? You need to get rid of distractions and focus on getting a good job so that you don't end up a taxi driver. Like me!" I'm only sort of paraphrasing. Blinded by the Light is too well-meaning to be offensive, but it's absurd in its spoon-feeding. LMK, ladies: On the third time that I have headphones in my ears during a conversation with you, and I start buttering you up with lyrics to "Jungleland," will you still love me? 117. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (David Leitch)- What a summer, huh? The go-for-broke final setpiece redeems the film somewhat, and Vanessa Kirby is a welcome addition to the universe. But Idris Elba's first line, responding to a question about who he is, is "Bad Guy," and the characterization doesn't go too much further. I feel as if I have honed the requisite disposition to enjoy a Fast and Furious movie, but that doesn't mean that the most cliched thing has to happen at the most cliched time in the most cliched way.

116. I Lost My Body (Jeremy Clapin)- Not for me ultimately. The film presents itself as above the tropes of cinematic romance but sure seems to circle around them. Clapin is willing to set up the pins of, say, "I'm actually the pizza delivery guy but have kept it a secret for a year," but he is unwilling to knock the pins down with anything resembling catharsis. I don't know if the French bowl, but feel free to substitute whatever kind of metaphor they might get offended by.

115. The Lion King (Jon Favreau)- I saw the original Lion King when I was ten: old enough to think that Disney movies were beneath me but young enough to know nothing about art or the world. And I remember the way that the songs transcended reality: "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" turning into a Busby Berkeley number, "Be Prepared" taking on an expressionist green tint. It was mass entertainment that was far from experimental, but I remember thinking, "Can you do that?" As an artistic experiment, this remake is kind of confounding, to the point that I don't know whether to classify it as an animated or live-action film. The final scene starts upside down, and your eye adjusts to the idea that you're looking at a reflection in a stream, but that stream is a Caleb Deschanel-aided, computer-generated reflection of a reality. However, I return to my original point: You're missing something if you think The Lion King is a better story if it's more realistic. Capably made as The Lion King 2019 is, no one is referencing 42nd Street. These Disney remakes just reference themselves. 114. Stuber (Michael Dowse)- The critical community has been pretty forgiving of Stuber; I guess because it's a type of studio film that used to be common but now is not. Judged on its own merits, however, it's labored. The screenplay circles around questions of masculinity, but not in a way that hasn't been done better in other recent comedies. Perhaps most disappointing of all, I've seen Iko Uwais and Bautista fight before, and it looked a whole lot cooler than the way they're sliced and diced here. The ending's sweet at least. 113. After the Wedding (Bart Freundlich)- Think of what Julianne Moore could have accomplished in the time it took in her career for her to shoot four crappy movies with her husband. This is the type of melodrama that makes more sense after all of the revelations have cleared the air, but that doesn't mean the preceding hour and a half was any more fun because of the aftermath. 112. The Goldfinch (John Crowley)- One day someone's going to figure out how to coherently adapt a Dickensian novel and actually do that thing Crowley is trying to do: condensing two hundred pages of back story into 1/8th of a page here or a line there. Somebody's going to be able to figure out the little moments that are important and the big moments that aren't. And you'll all be sorry. The movie is ultimately hampered by the bad ending of the novel, in which a person who isn't a mystery writer has to solve a mystery. Perfect casting for Luke Wilson though. He definitely looks like a whiskey-faced dad who would steal your social security number. 111. The Souvenir (Joanna Hogg)- This movie is autobiographical. The protagonist has the same initials as Joanna Hogg, and she's attending film school at the same time Hogg did. But what a self-own it is for your hero, based on you, to be this inexpressive and restrained and deferential. The film is mostly about a cold romantic relationship--and I guess what the character learns through that experience--but when her beau's friend asks what she sees in him, she can't really say. Neither can the audience. I guess it's a skill to write a scene in which a family is having an argument that is so clenched-jaw reticent that the viewer can't even discern the topic of conversation for a few minutes, but it's not a skill I appreciate. 110. The Dead Don’t Die (Jim Jarmusch)- Jim Jarmusch must be a very good friend.

109. Velvet Buzzsaw (Dan Gilroy)- If the film were funny, I wouldn't mind the lack of narrative drive. If the film had narrative drive, I wouldn't mind the lack of atmosphere--glaring for a film that circles around to horror eventually. If the film had more to say, I wouldn't mind how pedantically it says it. If the protagonist's change of heart made sense, then I wouldn't mind that his conversion apparently happens off-screen. At least most of the actors seem to be having fun. I wasn't. 108. It: Chapter Two (Andy Muschietti)- I started squirming in my seat during a sequence somewhere in the circuitous second hour. Bill sees his old bike in an antiques window, haggles with a Stephen King shopkeeper cameo, and finishes the scene on a triumphant note, believing that his old bike will ride like the wind. Cut to the bike falling apart on the road, deflating his pride with comedy. Cut to a flashback of him riding the bike with young Beverly, serene and warm. Cut to him riding the bike again with determination until he stops, terrified. Within fifteen seconds, the film jerks us into four divergent emotions at a whim. The overall tone felt just as arbitrary to me, and that's before we get to the always-unclear line between fantasy and reality. And this time, the flashbacks of each young character's encounters with Pennywise are less scary because we know they all live into the present. Andy Muschietti just does not have a light enough touch to make this movie work.The last forty-five minutes are interminable. But I had all the same gripes with the first chapter, so personal taste is a factor. 107. Trial by Fire (Edward Zwick)- Perfect example of a true story that could use some poetic justice. I don't want to give away anything that the first line of the imdb summary doesn't already, but this ending could have been much more satisfying by changing one or two lines. This is a movie that recreates, multiple times, babies burning alive, but the ending is somehow more punishing. It's also one of those films that should have just begun at the halfway point. If we can praise special effects when they're done well, then they should be fair game when they're this embarrassing. Zwick definitely put his flash drive into the Lifetime computers for fire.exe.

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bumi-illustrates · 5 years

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Reverie: Chapter 5

“Michael, you can’t be serious. You’re putting too much trust into that slimy little furball!” Chrome protested, pointing accusingly at Vene.

“How can I be slimy if I’m a furball?” Vene challenged with a smirk.

“Because; you’re hairy with a rotten personality.” Chrome said flatly.

“Look, I know this is crazy. All of this is. But we need to recover more of those flash drives.”

“So, send me. Why would you risk that information falling into their possession instead of sending a trusted friend you know?”

His tone made me nearly second guess myself. He was hurt, that much was obvious. Beyond that, he was scared. Who wouldn’t be? Only a handful of survivors in a crumbling city with monster predators at every corner and a leader who wants to send one of those said monsters to retrieve important information? I would be scared if our roles were switched. I’d also think whoever came up with that idea was an absolute moron. It’s a good thing I’m the leader.

“You know why I can’t. You’re the only doctor here. What if you get hurt, or worse?” Chrome pulled a face and I smiled softly, “I get why you’re concerned about my decision, but this is how it has to be. As long as no one finds out about Vene, we’ll be fine.”

“And I’m a master sneak!” Vene puffed his chest proudly, “No need to worry Chrome-a-lot! I’ll get your precious little flash drives and you can study to your heart’s content!”

Chrome opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a knock at the door. All three of us froze and trained our gaze to the direction of the noise.

“Chrome? Are you in there? Is Mr. James with you?”

“Uh, yeah! Oh second!” Chrome croaked out, trying not to sound panicked.

Vene quickly jumped onto my shoulder, disappearing somewhere in the straps that held the gun to my back as Chrome and I tried to look as if we hadn’t just been making friends with the enemy.

“Come on in, Nessa!” Chrome called, attempting to look busy.

I had a hand placed on the desk next to him, acting as if I had been looking over his shoulder. I straightened to greet the young girl that came walking through the large doors. She smiled at me and I felt my eyes widen in a mix of shock and horror. I pushed the memories away and smiled back at her. It’s not her. I told myself, you know that.

“What’s up, kid?” Chromed asked, turning on his seat to face her fully.

“Tabi wanted me to discuss the plans for the excursion tomorrow with Mr. James. Who knew he was so hard to find?” She laughed, it reminded me of bells jingling but sent a chill down my spine.

“I’m afraid I don’t recognize you, I’m sorry.” I apologized, watching carefully for her reaction.

She only laughed, “I can’t imagine you would recognize me. I spend most of my time helping Tabi with inventory and I occasionally help Chrome with any filing he needs done. My name is Vanessa. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Mr. James.”

“Please, just call me Michael.” I spoke carefully.

She beamed, “Alright, Mr. Michael.”

I felt my eyebrow twitch slightly but, decided to leave it, “what did you need to discuss with me?”

Her face fell slightly, and she looked up at me with large golden eyes, “well, Tabi had gathered a troop for you, but with the attack, our defenses are weakened considerably. She made some suggestions on a troop change but wanted you to approve them first.”

“My guess is she wants to keep some of them here to help repair the first sector.” Chrome said.

I sighed and nodded, “you’re probably right. I’ll go talk to her.”

I began to walk off only to have the raven-haired girl step in front of me, “Tabi is in the second sector trying to work out scheduling the shifts for tonight. I’m not currently needed anywhere, so I will accompany you!”

“Uh, sure. Okay.”

She smiled and turned to lead the way. I felt something shift on my back and almost went to swat it until I remembered that Venenata was back there. As I began following Vanessa, the Noctis spoke quietly from behind me.

“There’s something off about her.”

I narrowed my eyes at her back, “I’m glad you think so, too. I’ll need to talk to Chrome about this later.”

“I don’t think you should. You may think she’s mostly normal, but she smells horrid! Like rotting flesh! I doubt Chrome-dome would be much help.”

“Rotting flesh?” I hissed.

I narrowed my eyes further at her. I knew it.

“Vene, I need to play it cool for now. I need to know more about the situation, but be ready to act.”

“Say no more.” I could hear the smirk in his voice as he shifted back into his original hiding spot.

“Are you coming, Mr. Michael?” She asked, her voice bubbly and bright.

“Right behind you.” I replied with a smile, cringing slightly inside.

When we finally reached the second cavern, she led me to the tent that Tabi was in. We found her leaning over a map spread out on a table with a few men and women standing around her.

“There you are. Here are the troop suggestions I’ve written up. Vanessa, go back to the-“

“Hold on, Tabitha. I’d like her to stay here. Let’s finish one thing at a time. She can do whatever you need after we finish here, understood?”

Tabitha narrowed her eyes, “why? She has no other duties here.”

“She’s young. I want her to learn.” I argued, glaring steadily back at her, challenging her to say something else.

She grunted softly, “fine. She can stay here.”

I gave a tight smile before turning my attention to the list she handed me. I raised an eyebrow, “why do you want us to go alone?”

She sighed, as if irritated with my question, “we need soldiers here to repair the main gate. I run inventory so I know exactly what we need. It will be a quick trip.”

“You have no combat training. If we’re attacked you won’t be able to protect yourself. Absolutely not. I will not allow you to leave.”

She straightened up and squared her shoulders, as if ready for a fight, “I don’t recall giving you a choice.”

I stared at her wide-eyed, “excuse me?”

“This is the only option we have! We need the manpower here and you can’t go alone!”

I glared down at her, unmoving, as I went to speak, Vene stopped me, “be cautious. She smells of death and power.”

I wanted to ask him how he can smell power and what the heck he was talking about, when a white light glinted just above Tabi’s mop of blonde hair. Trying not to be obvious, I threw my head back slightly and groaned, acting as if frustrated. In this position I caught a glimpse of a few white lights above her head. I quickly glanced over and noticed similar anomalies above Vanessa’s head. As I moved my head back down, I growled, seeing the same strings of white light above the others’ heads.

“Hey, do you guys smell that?” I asked, my smile turning crooked.

I wanted to believe I was crazy, I wanted to be wrong. But I wasn’t.

“Smell what?” Vanessa asked curiously.

My heart broke. I had already lost her once. I could feel Vene shift slightly as he hissed in my ear, “What are you doing?”

“They’re puppets. Each person in this room is already dead.”

The silence covered us like a thick blanket. No one spoke for a long moment. It was Tabitha who finally spoke.

“I’m sorry, we’re what?”

I looked at her from underneath my eyelashes, “I never got to meet you before the Day of Dreams. I had only heard about you from Chrome. Three weeks after the massacre, you and a small group of others show up here, looking for other survivors. From then on, stragglers continue to show up every few days.”

She stared at me, waiting for me to continue. By this point, the others in the room were also staring at me, but not like I was crazy, no. The look in their eyes. They were smiling like a madman. I had caught them, and they knew it.

“Honestly, I’m surprised it took me this long to figure it out. But if you wanted your ruse to last longer, you shouldn’t have brought Jenna into this.”

Tabitha’s smile spread wide across her mouth as she began laughing. It sounded as if violin strings had just been snapped as the bodies hit the ground in a heap. All except two.

“I underestimated you, Mr. James. You’re smarter than you look.” Vene whistled, poking at me with the name.

“So, Mr. James. You’ve figured me out. I’ve been watching you for some time now.” A familiar voice spoke through Tabitha. Her lips moving, but her eyes were beginning to glass over.

“I figured as much.”

She laughed, “I suppose my little rat turned out to be a little rat indeed.”

At that, Vene pulled himself up to sit on my shoulder, “I beg to differ on the rat thing. You got me on the little part though.”

She ignored him, “I have a proposition for you, Mr. James.”

“Whatever it is, you can forget it. I want no part of you and this horrible reality you seem to so badly want.”

She cackled horribly, “Oh dearest me! You have become much stronger since last we met, child. I thought the sight of your dead lover would certainly leave you a shaken mess.” She sighed, almost dreamily, “I suppose you humans are more unpredictable than I originally thought. What fun!”

I tried to ignore my stomach dropping as Jenna’s body hit the floor next to me. Chrome had never met Jenna, so it was easy for this monster to make him believe she was a girl named Vanessa.

“Did you like my puppet show? Oh! I so hope you liked it! I’ve been practicing, you know! You wouldn’t believe the amount of energy it takes controlling all my puppets!”

“I suppose I wouldn’t.” I growled.

“Well, it’s been fun, dear. But I must attend to some business. I do hope we’ll see each other soon, young Michael James.”

With that, the invisible strings holding Tabitha snapped with an eerie echo. Her body hit the floor and all I could do was stand there. Trying to work the nerve up to look outside the tent. Sucking in a breath, I began a swift pace back towards the lab. My heart was racing, my blood was boiling. And with each crumpled body I passed, the urge to vomit intensified. How many of these people did I hug? How many corpses did I care for and grow attached to? How long did these people suffer?

“How did you figure it out?” Vene asked quietly.

“I didn’t.”

“What do you mean? You just-“

“She gave me the answer. Between you suddenly being able to smell she was a corpse to me being able to see the strings controlling them. She wanted me to find out. She gave me the answers and she knew you were here. Whatever tricks she was using before she nullified them so we would catch onto her. She wanted us to figure it out.”

Vene was quiet for moment as we entered the safety zone. It was worse than the floor above. Bodies littered the ground. Bodies of woman and children, bodies of people that most likely died seven years ago and until now, they were unable to rest peacefully. It sickened me. It wasn’t until we approached the lab doors that he spoke, “You don’t think I played a part in this, do you?”

His tone made me stop in my tracks. I didn’t turn to look at him, but I found myself smiling slightly, “it hadn’t even crossed my mind.”

I began walking again and I could physically feel Vene’s mood brighten. He’s a strange thing.

I took another deep breath to steel my nerves, afraid of finding Chrome the same as everyone else. A corpse being used in that witch’s sick game. As I went to open the doors, a sneeze was heard from within followed by muttering, something about dust and cleaning. I couldn’t help the smile that rose to my face as I quickly opened the doors to find Chrome digging around in a rarely used drawer, a large dust cloud rising around him as he shifted papers around inside.

“Oh good! I thought you were going to be a useless corpse now, too!” Vene sighed loudly in relief.

Chrome slowly stopped and looked at us like a deer in headlights.

“What?”

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