#also see: Leo nearly dies more than four different times | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

singingaboutwishingx · 3 years

Note

Hello! For the prompt list: Sam/Josh with Poorly Timed Confession/Grief Fic?

38. grief fic + 60. poorly timed confession

tw: death. starts under the cut.

sam wasn’t at leo’s funeral. he was invited, of course, but he wasn’t there. it’s still unclear as to why, but everyone was so wrapped up in their own grief that they barely noticed.

well, everyone except for josh.

josh looks fine on the outside (well, as fine as a person can be when their surrogate father-slash-vice president-elect dies right before he can become the vice president-elect), but for whatever physical signs of grief and stress his body is showing, it’s infinitely worse inside his head. and so, after he goes home from the white house that night, josh calls sam. and he pours his heart out.

“listen, sam, i can’t live like this anymore. i... i sat at leo’s funeral this morning, and i realized that i’ve let too many years go by without telling you this. the year we were together was the happiest i’ve ever been, and for a long time, i was content to just be your friend, to be near you, but four years ago, when you left, it nearly killed me. and i thought i could do it, i thought i could move on, but i couldn’t. sam, i’m in love with you. i think i’ve loved you since the day we met, and, god, i would do anything if you would just give me another chance.” josh is completely ruined, on the verge of tears while pacing around his house.

it takes sam a very long time to respond. josh waits for what feels like an hour.

“josh,” sam says in that choked voice of his that damn near kills josh, “i got engaged three days ago.”

and for once in his life, josh is completely, utterly still. he’s frozen for several moments with the phone to his ear, not moving, not blinking, not breathing. when he can finally move his body, he just hangs up the phone.

josh never goes to california to find sam. he grabs will bailey and asks him be dcos (subconsciously, will still reminds him of sam a little, which absolutely has nothing to do with it, and anyway, despite all the russell drama, josh knows that will can do well in this role). will accepts, and while he’s not afraid to speak up to josh, he doesn’t think it’s his place to tell josh to take a break. so josh doesn’t take a break, and a year into the santos administration, he has an eternal stress headache, too-high blood pressure, and ulcers. he doesn’t have donna this time, either. something in josh just snapped after he hung up on sam, and the heartbreak mixed with the unbelievable stress of the job is literally killing him. eventually, matt forces josh to take a week off because, seriously, between will and lou, we’ve got it covered.

josh spends most of his time in hawaii in his hotel room, essentially having an anxiety attack because there’s no one here to force him to actually relax. he calls once a day and is essentially told to shut the hell up and go sit on the beach. when josh comes back, he is not better, but they barely have time to notice because they’re on the brink of getting matt’s education bill introduced to the house.

all this time, sam has been living in malibu with his now-wife. and he loves her, she’s great, but not a goddamn day goes by where he doesn’t wonder what would have happened if he wasn’t engaged when josh called. he sees josh on the news sometimes, steadily looking worse and worse.

in the end, it’s donna who really notices. it always is. josh has already tempted fate twice, though. he was fine after being shot, and he was fine after putting his hand through a window, but third time’s the charm.

josh, in what sam thinks is the cruelest thing the universe could have possibly bestowed on them, has a heart attack. and unlike for his predecessor, one is enough.

sam travels to dc for the funeral alone. he sits between donna and josh’s mom in the front row, staring at the box that holds josh’s body. the women on either side of him let their tears flow freely, but sam is still barely able to process what’s happening.

in his hotel room that night, the emotion hits him ferociously. he wants to scream, shout, smash the lamp and the television and jump out the fucking window, but all he does is send himself into quiet hysterics, sobbing noiselessly, knuckles white from gripping a pillow to his chest as he sits against the headboard of the bed, feeling like he’s dying, too.

when he goes back to california, he’s quiet. that was to be expected, of course. his best friend just died. but the quiet lasts too long. sam used to be chatty, a nervous talker, but now he only speaks when he absolutely has to do so. he’s... different. his coworkers notice. his wife notices. she gently suggests that he see a therapist.

he just says “okay.”

the therapist has a lot of trouble getting anything out of him. week after week, he answers in single words, in short sentences.

sam doesn’t write anymore, either. he used to pen short stories, unfinished novels, poems, whatever, but now, he just doesn’t. he can’t. it’s like the sight of josh’s body drained him of his words. legal briefs, which used to be easy, are now a struggle. he pulls them off, he supposes. he’s still good at his job, but he finds no joy in it.

sam knows his wife locks herself in the bathroom and cries and he knows it’s his fault and he feels really bad because he can’t do anything about it because he thinks that there simply is no feeling better because he’s pretty goddamn sure he killed josh lyman.

and when he tells his therapist all this, she’s shocked (of course, she covers it well, as she’s been trained to do) because this is the first time he’s strung together more than six or seven words in one answer.

“i think it was my fault,” sam says. “he called me and told me he was in love with me, and i told him i was engaged, and he just hung up. i didn’t call him back. and when i would see him on the news, he just kept looking worse. i figured i was the last person he wanted to talk to, so i just... didn’t call. and then a month after the last time i see him on television, donna calls me, and he’s dead. and the worst part is that i loved him, too. dammit, i loved him, too.”

he spills everything that session, and a month later, he writes a poem: “requiem for a friend.” one and a half months after that, he starts initiating small talk again. slowly, week by week, he feels the pain in his chest start to ease, and along with it, the guilt.

there are good days and there are bad days and there are worse days, but sam lives through them all. he goes through every single one of them with the same goal: to be there. and he is. goddammit, he is there, he is present, because if josh can’t be, sam sure as hell will be.

and ahead he forges. in grief, in love, in life, ahead he forges.

color palate/vibes: black. too many people dressed in black. too-bright malibu sunshine. an ache in josh’s head, an ache in sam’s chest , and they just won’t go away.

this is partially inspired by that one fic where josh doesn’t take that vacation and works himself to death (that one was josh/donna, though, i think). very sorry, i do not know what it is, but it is on ao3 in case anyone happens to run across this.

also, holy shit. i write a lot of pining, but this is actually the saddest thing I’ve ever written. i’m about 99% sure that this is NOT what you meant, anon, but this is what my brain spit out. my apologies, but as always, if i had to feel things, you all have to feel them, too.

#this was a bit of a departure from my usual writing lol #bianca writes the tea #bianca's two tropes #the west wing #samjosh #josh lyman x sam seaborn #tw: death

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thiswasinevitableid · 3 years

Note

for monster march, ghost + indruck + nsfw?

Here you go! I borrowed some ideas we’ve tossed around on the Discord

A sketchbook, new pens, a Hershey bar, and a bag of jumbo marshmallows. A small but lively fire. And a new, huge, fuzzy sleeping bag waiting for him in the tent.

Not a bad camping set up for a city-boy art goth (as Barclay likes to call him).

Indrid sticks another marshmallow on the fork, roasting it until it’s deep brown, the smell of burning sugar curling through the air and settling in his hair. He’s never liked Graham Crackers, so he jams a square of chocolate into the molten center of the marshmallow and shoves the entire thing into his mouth.

Kepler is small. Barclay hadn’t been kidding about that. He’d also been right that one of the two tattoo shops in town was willing to hire Indrid after looking through photos of his work and confirming he completed his apprenticeship.

He’s been living in the Eastwoods campground in the Monongahela National Forest while he apartment hunts, and the tattoos he’s done so far netted him enough cash to buy his luxurious new sleeping bag. He might be waiting on a place for some time, so he may as well camp in style.

Three “s’mores” later, the moon is up and the night is chilly enough that he wants his sweatshirt. Ducking into the tent, he can’t find it on his pillow, where he swears he left it this morning. Maybe he accidentally buried it getting dressed.

A splashhiss interrupts his rummaging. Scrambling from the tent, he discovers his fire is now a pile of soaked ashes and logs being angrily stirred by a thick piece of kindling.

“Excuse me, but what the fuck?”

A man in a ranger uniform appears, the stick falling through his hand as he gives Indrid a disapproving stare.

“Look here, I know you’re new here, maybe to campin entirely. But you can’t just leave a fire burnin when you go to bed.” He doesn’t sound mad, more like he’s a disappointed big brother scolding his sibling.

“I wasn’t-”

“And all this” he gestures to the food on the table, “has gotta go in the bear box. Black bears are real good foragers and we don’t want ‘em comin’ into camp and gettin to comfy around humans.”

“Of course, but-”

“You didn’t take any food into the tent, right? Wouldn’t want somethin to decide to join you ‘cause it smelled a snack.”

Indrid pinches the bridge of his nose, “I am aware of all of these rules, and plan to follow them. Once I actually go to bed instead of ducking into the tent for my sweater. But since my evening appears to be over…” he grabs the marshmallows, roasting fork, and chocolate, carries them to the bear box, and slams it closed.

When he whirls back around, the ghost is still there, chagrined.

“Uh, sorry. I kinda jumpy about people leavin fires alone.” In the lantern light, his smile is as charming as his drawl. His stocky, bearish shape and unassumingly handsome face command Indrid’s focus, which is why his revelation comes so quickly.

“You...there’s a statue of you at the visitor center. Which makes you, ah, damn it what was the name-”

“Duck. Duck Newton. They put my legal name on there, even though Juno tried to stop ‘em. But my name’s Duck.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Duck. I’m Indrid.”

“Nice to meet you too. Uh, sorry for ruinin your campfire, looks like you were havin a nice time.”

“It’s alright. I suppose I’m grateful there’s someone haunting the campsites to keep them in order.”

“You’re takin me bein’ a ghost surprisingly well.”

“I’ve always been interested in strange things, to the point that I earned the nickname ‘mothman’ in high school.”

“Huh” Duck watches him a moment, then shrugs, “well, guess I better be goin’. Have a nice night, mothman.”

With that, he’s gone.

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

“Hello again.” Indrid says as the campfire smoke curls around a human form, “Doing your rounds?”

“More or less. I like my job, and ain’t about to give it up just because I beefed it and turned into a ghost.” A creak as Duck joins him on the picnic bench. When he materializes, he floats slightly above the worn wood, watching Indrid draw.

“That’s incredible, it’s so realistic it’s like you pressed the leaves into the pages instead of colored them.”

“Thank you.” adds depth to the leaf, “you know, I looked at the statue again today. It hardly does you justice.”

From this close, he can see a blush spread up semi-opaque cheeks. Then he starts fading.

“Oh, ah, I’m sorry. I was aiming for a benign compliment, not to make you uncomfortable.”

“S’alright, just surprised me. Not many folks wanna flirt with a dead guy.”

“I’m more interested in what the ‘dead guy’ wants.” Indrid smiles, hoping to convey he would submit to spectral touches as readily as he’d keep talking.

Duck floats closer, “Kinda curious about your other drawin’s.”

Indrid turns the sketchbook back to the beginning, “they’re half portfolio and half travelogue. Here” he holds up a fade, detached piece of paper, covered by an Morpho Butterfly that looks ready to fly away, “this is the first tattoo I ever designed.”

“Damn. Guessin’ that means you did this one” he touches the Rosy Maple Moth on Indrid’s forearm (or tries to). It’s chilly, but not in the way Indrid feared. More like taking a cool shower on a sweltering day.

“I did. Here, it gave me an idea for my first series of flash tattoos…”

They go over the illustrations page by page. Slowly, Indrid weaves in questions to Duck who, instead of recoiling from discussion of his mortal life, tells him rambling stories about the woods and which places serve the best food in town.

The conversation doesn’t end until the fire goes out on it’s own, Duck standing automatically, grabbing a water bottle, swearing, and then disappearing so he can pick the bottle up.

“Do you think that’s part of why you’re still here? Some unfinished business having to do with the woods?”

“Nah.” The water bottle thunks back on the table as Duck reappears, “I tried to live a normal life, improve the world the way I knew how, make some kind of difference to this town. Then I had to go play the goddamn hero.”

“I would say saving two dozen people from a forest fire makes a considerable difference in the world.”

A sad huff of a laugh, “Yeah, guess you’re right. Just...I meant to do somethin’ with my life, not my death, even if it was a small somethin’, and the closest thing I got to unfinished business is a model ship.”

“I...what?”

“It was four-masted and everything! I had Leo order it in special and everything and then I never, I never got to-” He tilts his head up, sniffs once, “never mind. I better let you get to sleep.”

By the time Indrid calls “goodnight,” the ghost is gone.

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

“Please tell me you’re gettin a place soon so you stop eatin everythin outta a can?” Leo bags the last of groceries.

“No such luck. Ah well, there are worse things than canned soup and Pop-Tarts.”

“At least let Barclay feed you, half the point of havin a friend who can cook is to let ‘em do it for you. You need stamps or anything?”

“N-” A box behind the counter catches his eye. It’s at an odd angle, as if whoever put it there is hoping no one will see it. Indrid can just make out an illustration of a four-masted ship.

“Is that for sale?”

Leo looks where he’s pointing, and for a moment something in his gruff affability wavers. Then he nods, “Yeah, suppose it is.”

“Can you ring it up for me?” Indrid nearly bounces on his toes when Leo sets the box on the counter and confirms his hunch.

The older man sets a gentle hand on the cardboard, sliding it across to Indrid, “Don’t worry about that, kid. It’s yours.”

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

“Duck?” Indrid turns in a circle by the picnic table, “Duck, I have something for you!”

He saw the ranger briefly last night, but he didn’t hang around. Gingerly, he sets the box on the table, tearing off a piece of sketch paper to write a note in case the ghost stops by while he’s asleep.

“Holy fuck.” Duck floats across the table from him, “‘Drid, where did, how did--why?”

“Leo still had it. As for why I, ah, it seemed like you still wanted it. If you can douse a fire and over my camp stove, I figure you can build a model ship.”

Duck disappears and Indrid’s heart sinks; that must have been too much. Then he’s squished in an invisible, wonderful bear hug.

“Thanks, ‘Drid.”

From then on, Duck spends every night at his campsite, building the ship while Indrid draws, reads, or talks with him. The model lives in the safest corner of the tent during the day.

“I mean, I’m up durin the day too, but I scared a few folks on accident and I don’t want people avoid the forest because of me.”

Indrid also learns that Duck is stuck within a certain radius of where he died, and that his attempts to talk with Juno when she was in his part of the woods only lead to his friend thinking she was hallucinating and Duck feeling miserable for three solid days. Indrid offers to act as messenger and invite Duck’s friends (many of whom have, by chance and by proximity to Barclay, become his friends) to the campsite to see him. The ranger is quiet for some time after that offer.

“Not yet. Maybe someday, but not yet. I, it ain’t even been a year, ‘Drid. I think a lot of ‘em are still hurtin. And, and maybe this is selfish but...I ain’t ready to deal with them findin’ out I aint fully gone. It’d be so much all at once.”

Indrid doesn’t bring it up again. More than once, when Aubrey tells a story about Duck only for her eyes to sadden halfway through, or when he sees Juno looking at Duck’s statue a little too long, he struggles to keep his promise.

A cold front blows into town and, since he’s still in the tent, he pops into Kepler Thrift N Find in search of an extra sweatshirt. Tucked in between one reading “Ranchos” and one with a picture of Garfield is a soft, well-loved hoodie with “Monongahela National Forest” on the front. He buys it and wears it home, the fact it’s loose in the arms making it even easier to tuck in his hands when he gets cold.

He stops by the visitor center out of habit, checking out the new plush wild animals. There are also hints of Duck here and there; his name on displays, his face in group photos. As he contemplates a small, squishy black bear, he notices Juno looking at him more than usual.

“Hello again” he sets the bear on the counter.

“Howdy. This all?

“Yes, please. Are you alright? You look, ah, tired.”

“Yep. Or, uh, just noticed that sweatshirt. It was one that got made special for staff a few years ago.”

Indrid fidgets with the cat-bitten drawstring, “It was Duck’s, wasn’t it?”

“Uh huh. He put that patch on the sleeve. Guess it startled me to see it on someone else.”

“I understand.”

“Knew him since we were kids. Hell, he’s my daughter’s godfather. Still don’t feel right, bein’ here without him.”

Indrid pushes the bear towards her and she pets it.

“What was he like?”

In the empty visitor center, Juno tells him. In her stories are echos of every conversation he’s ever had with anyone who knew Duck. When it’s time to close up, she asks if she can hug him, and thanks him for listening to her.

“Guess you weren’t kiddin about wanting to sleep with a bear” Duck teases as Indrid sets his new purchase inside the tent. Indrid whaps at him, arm going through his torso. The ranger floats nearby as Indrid heats up ravioli and opens a can of Mountain Dew. Indrid tells him about the conversation with Juno.

“Huh, guess that is my old one. Glad someone is gettin some use outta it. And it looks good on you.”

Indrid sets down his bowl, “We talked a lot, Duck. And it made me think about what you said to me one of the night after we met. You said you wanted a chance to make the world, the town, a little better. Everyone I’ve talked to, and I mean every one, has a story about you. How you helped them, how Kepler is worse off with you gone. You did so much, even with your time cut short. I, I wanted you to know that.”

The ghost looks away, “I wasn’t done tryin to help.”

“You still aren’t. You do what you can to keep the forest and the visitors safe. And you, you’ve made my life immeasurably better Duck. Seeing you is the best part of my day and I think I’m falling--ah, that is, you’re not done making a difference.”

Duck hasn’t moved since Indrid started talking about his feelings. When Indrid tries to meet his eyes, he disappears. Hurried, he reaches out to offer a reassuring touch and gets only air.

“Duck?”

Nothing, even after he calls his name three more times.

He slumps onto the bench, “well, fuck me I guess.”

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

This is a terrible idea. But it’s his last, and therefore his best.

Indrid even asked Barclay’s boyfriend, Joseph, if anything in his impressive library of the paranormal advised the reader on dealing with upset ghosts. A few did, always from the perspective of trying to get the specter to go away. They said nothing about what to do if your upset ghost was missing, leaving an ache in your heart you didn’t know you were capable of feeling.

Instead, after a week of silence, Indrid changes tactics: if he can’t coax Duck back, maybe he can annoy him into appearing.

Tonight, he finishes dinner and cleans his dishes, puts the bulk of the food in the bear box, and then tears open a bag of chips, scattering them across the table. He eats one, then leaves the open bag laying amongst the potato shards.

Next, he dumps his remaining water on the fire, which takes it down to embers but does not extinguish it. When none of that gets a reaction, he decides to narrate.

“Hmm, that should be fine, it’s not that dry and I don’t think sparks can go over the edge.”

“Should I leave these juice pouches out? Yes, I think I should, in case I get thirsty at night. Maybe I’ll take one into the tent, just to be safe.”

He already feels silly and like no one is listening, and so he escalates.

“I know I shouldn’t leave food out for the wildlife, but since there’s no handsome, ghostly ranger here to punish me for my transgressions, I am just going to leave some nuts out for the raccoons. I like raccoons. They deserve nice things. Hell, how about I just leave them a whole buffet since no one is stopping me!”

All he gets in reply are the few bugs awake this early in the spring and the crack of brush as a small mammal runs away from the weird bipedal thing yelling at his camp fire. He doesn’t leave out food for the raccoons; he climbs into his tent in a huff. What a bad idea, to think this of all things would bring Duck back to him. He’s being childish and bratty and selfish; Duck doesn’t deserve that, no more than he owes Indrid his company.

He changes into his pajamas pants and sleep shirt, intending to go back out to make the site safe and tidy. Except.

Except something just opened the bear box. The chip bag crinkles and the fire hisses out a minute later. He should be running outside to apologize, but his mind has simultaneously registered the full darkness of the night , the possibility that Duck is not the only paranormal thing in these woods, and the fact the nearest other campers are on the other side of the campground, meaning he is very, very alone.

The zipper on the tent moves, the flap falling open so his lantern shines on nothing but April air.

“Duck? Please say that’s you.”

A low chuckle, “It’s me, ‘Drid.” The fly zips shut, “mighty peeved about that trick you pulled.”

“I’m, I’m sorry. I missed you, but that was a bad way to communicate that.” He can’t see him, and the lantern only picks up the odd shift of sleeping bag or tent floor, so Indrid’s eyes’ dart about trying to pinpoint him.

“Oh, you communicated plenty, sugar. Like what you want a certain, uh, ghostly ranger to do to you.”

“Oh god” he winces, “please, forget I said that, it’s humiliating.”

“Not all that surprisin, truth be told. I mean, you and I flirted now and then. And you told me enough about yourself for me to suspect that you’re a kinky little weirdo who’s dyin to get fucked by a ghost.”

“I, I feel I should point out that I only want to fuck one ghost. You. I want to fuck you and that means fucking a ghoOOOst.” He gasps as cold lips press into his neck.

“I can make that happen, darlin, all you gotta do is say it. You were a pain in the neck earlier, so now I expect you to be real polite and use your words.” Duck’s voice has never been like this before, rough and possessive yet still, under all of it, the same warmth draws Indrid in like a flame.

“I want you, Duck.”

A bite to his ear, strong arms wrapping around his waist from behind him, “Want me to do what?”

“Fuck me” this is like every wet dream he had as a teenager, the supernatural being coming for a fellow outsider.

That gets him a tender kiss on the cheek, “That’s better. Though, if I’m rememberin correctly, word you used was punish.”

Indrid yelps as Duck turns and shoves him to lay across his lap, kicks his legs out in surprise when his waistband slides down to his upper thighs.

“Yesss” he wiggles his ass as Duck palms it, “yes, Duck, pleaseAHgod” the first strike stings, and Duck doesn’t let him recover before delivering five more, three to each side. His cock perks up at the pain. Stranger still, because Duck is invisible, all Indrid has to do is tilt his head to watch it harden and twitch with each slap.

Twenty strikes later Duck pauses, hand rubbing soothing, cool circles on the burning skin, “Learned your lesson?”

“Mmhmm.” Indrid presses an awkward kiss to Duck’s knee.

“Glad to hear it.” Duck hauls him up onto his knees, slides a hand under his shirt and up his chest, “I’m rarin’ to feel more of you--holy fuck”

“AH!” Indrid arches as Duck toys with his left nipple piercing, his other hand quickly finding the right.

“God, fuck, you’re fuckin hot, if I were alive I woulda taken you home first time I saw you.” Messy kisses cover his neck as Duck tugs the piercings.

“Gaahnnyes, that’s, that’s very flattering.”

“Ain’t flattery, sugar, it’s the truth. Never could turn down some skinny punk with piercin’s and messy hair, not when I was a teen burnout hidin in the woods and sure as hell not now.” He moves Indrid onto his back, rucking up his shirt as his legs twist in his half-down pants. The ranger cups his face, and Indrid is positive he’s meeting his eyes, “tell me what you want sugar, tell me so I can treat you right.”

“Marks, I want marks anywhere you’ll give them.”

A growl from above him, then lips smashing into his, drinking him in before continuing down his throat, biting and sucking hard enough that he cries out every time. Duck pauses, teasing his nipples with his tongue as he rakes his nails up his sides. He sits up and for a horrible moment Indrid loses him. Then with glee he watches five red marks drag down his chest. He moans, rolling his hips and discovering just how closer Duck’s clothed cock is to his own. The contact only feeds the rangers eagerness, and Indrid is tosses and turns as he sucks, bites, and scratches, laying claim to the illustrated expanse of his body.

“More, please, god that all feels so good.”

“Don’t worry darlin, still got plenty of you to mark up, but we’re gonna do somethin else while I do.” He eases Indrid onto his stomach, slaps his ass fondly, “don’t go nowhere.”

Indrid’s duffel bag unzips, clothes and pens moved aside until a bottle of lube hovers in the air. The tube compresses and drips coat the rough outline of fingers. When the two digits press into him he sighs, eyes closing as he melts under Ducks watchful eyes.

“That’s it ‘Drid, relax for me. Got well over a year of horny to work out, so this cute ass needs to be ready to take it.”

Indrid pushes his hips back in reply, taking as far as the fingers will go and whimpering excitedly when he presses in the tip of the third. Duck works that one more carefully, kissing Indrid’s face and shoulders as he whispers about how good he is, how much he’s wanted this.

“I want it too so for, for goodness sake please fuck me soon or I’ll leave my entire cooler out for the bears.”

“Only one bear in this campsite tonight darlin.” Duck laves his tongue down the base of his spine, bites down hard on his ass. Indrid’s still moaning from the pain when his cock pushes in.

“Fuuuckme that’s good. Shoulda snuck into your tent sooner, sugar, made you a fuckin cocksleeve you feel so fuckin good.”

“Ohgod” is all Indrid, voice muffled by the sleeping bag he’s biting, manages before Duck adjusts them so Indrid is on his knees. The ranger isn’t gentle, pounds into him like he’s nothing but a warm hole and chuckles whenever Indrid moans.

“H-handprints, Duck, want hand prints GAHyesyesyes” he struggles to move in time with the ghost as the air fills with ear-splitting slaps. He’s so close, the pain and the sensation of phantom fingers claiming his body making his body beg for release. When he slides a hand down to jerk himself off, the arm twists up and stays trapped against his back.

“You wanna cum, you know what to do.”

He blinks away the ecstatic tears, words raw in his throat, “Please let me cum, Duck. I want to, need to cum while you fuck me pleaseplease-” he cuts off into whine as the ghost works his cock hard, all the while jamming into him hard enough that the smooth fabric of the sleeping bag burns his knees. When he cums it’s with a weak cry of Duck’s name, which is swallowed up by hungry lips as Duck kisses him over and over, repeating Indrid’s name like an incantation as he pumps his hips and cums, pulling out as he does so it splatters on the reddened patches of his ass.

A final kiss to the top of his head, and then there’s no contact between them and the zipper is moving.

“Oh no you don’t” Indrid scrambles, sweaty and exhausted, between the tent fly and the invisible man somewhere in front of him, “for goodness sake, Duck, I thought you liked me enough to at least let me fall asleep before you ran.”

The ranger finally appears, hair a mess and cheeks noticeably pink, “‘Drid, all that was amazing, but it’s all I can give you. I, I can’t...you said you were fallin for me and I can’t give you that.”

Indrid cocks his head, “Why not?”

“Because I’m a fuckin ghost, ‘Drid! You deserve to be with a livin’ fella, you deserve someone who can be a real part of your life.”

He crosses his arms, “Duck, you are a real part of my life. Honestly, what part of all the nights we spent together, all the ways we take care of each other, all of this” he points at the rumpled sleeping bag, “suggests otherwise?”

The ghost doesn’t speak, simply hugs himself (or tries to).

“If this is too much, if I’m offering something you do not want, then please tell me. But if this is you thinking that some paranormal quirks keep you from being a worthy partner for me, kindly think again.”

Duck disappears and Indrid is gearing up to try and tackle a supernatural entity when a familiar face buries itself in the crook of his neck. The ghost clings to him, and Indrid clings right back.

“You really wanna give it a go?”

“More than anything.”

Duck lifts his head so their cheeks rest together, “Then fuck it. Let’s see what happens.”

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

Indrid finishes hooking up his lightly used Winnebago, AKA his solution to the lack of available apartments. He’s in a different section of Eastwoods, but he’s happy with his new spot. He opens one of his few boxes, gently lifts the completed model ship into a place of honor, and waits, humming happily, for an unseen hand to knock on his door.

#indruck #monster march #indrid cold/duck newton #reader request #ghost au

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whitewolfofwinterfell · 4 years

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if prue had met paige how would they get along and what do you think would happen? and do you think they have any similarities? I would love your full meta on this

Honestly, anon, I’ve thought about this a lot over the years and I still struggle to imagine what would’ve happened if Prue and Paige had met and what their relationship would’ve been like. There are so many possibilities and factors to take into consideration. If you ask me on another day, you might even get a different response, but here are my thoughts on this topic.

If Piper had died instead of Prue in All Hell Breaks Loose and season 4 started in the exact same way, I think Prue would’ve reacted to Paige the same way as Piper did. Recently, I’ve become more and more aware of the ways that Piper was turned into Prue 2.0 from season 4 onwards and this is what demonstrates it most for me. Piper’s reaction to losing Prue and finding Paige is exactly how I’d imagine Prue’s would be. The only difference is that Prue would’ve been worse. As the eldest sister, Prue felt it was her solemn duty to protect her sisters. She shouldered the burden of responsibility and was devoted to keeping them safe. If either one of them had died on her watch, the damage it would’ve done to her would’ve been irreparable. Prue would not have been grief stricken, she’d feel like she’d failed, that it was her fault and she would’ve been adamant that she was going to do something to bring Piper back, no matter the cost. If that failed, she’d turn her attention to revenge. All of this would’ve made it very difficult, if not impossible, for Prue to accept Paige or even remotely open herself up to the possibility of having another sister. Prue would be enraged - at the injustice of Piper’s death, at herself for failing Piper, at Leo for not being able to heal Piper, at the Elders for not doing more and at Penny and Patty for lying to her about Paige her entire life. Her emotions would be overwhelming and because of her stubbornness, it would most likely take her longer to push past that than it did for Piper. The one thing that would bring Prue around to Paige would be her being in danger. Knowing that The Source/Shax was after Paige would make Prue determined to stop him. That’d most likely result in a transference, whereby her anger and grief became an unhealthy obsession with hunting Shax down and killing him for revenge. I could really see Prue going completely rogue like Leo in season 6 with Gideon. She would stop at nothing to avenge Piper’s death.

Prue’s resistance to Paige wouldn’t be because of Paige, it would be because of herself - because of her grief and identity crisis as the eldest sister. But I think once she started to accept Piper’s death, she would’ve gone in the complete opposite direction and embraced Paige fiercely to overcompensate for the loss of Piper. This would involve her taking Paige under her wing, being overly protective, teaching her about the craft and acknowledging that Paige was an innocent. Paige would be Prue’s second chance in a sense - a chance to be the eldest sister again and to forge an eldest-youngest sibling relationship more positive than the one she had with Phoebe. Prue’s growth and foresight from her experiences with Phoebe would allow her to be more patient and understanding regarding Paige’s recklessness and impulsivity. It would also improve her relationship with Phoebe because she’d turn to Phoebe for advice and guidance, and to keep her grounded. Phoebe would fulfil that middle sister role perfectly. I think Paige’s inferiority complex with Prue in canon would’ve transformed into her viewing Prue as a role model if Prue had survived. Prue’s natural flair and dedication to witchcraft would’ve inspired Paige and allowed her to develop her skills and powers at an even faster and greater extent than she did in canon. There’d definitely be a power struggle between them, particularly in the early days, because both of them are stubborn and independent. In the original dynamic, Prue was used to having control and making decisions for the group, but Paige wasn’t the sort of person to sit back and take orders. Overall, I think the two of them would’ve butted heads a lot and had a very rocky start, but eventually it would evolve into a beautiful dynamic. Prue would’ve taken more time to guide Paige, not just as a witch but as a person. In season 4, Paige was a lost soul. She was an orphan without a family, she was working a job that she believed in but wasn’t satisfied with and she had a lot of ‘what ifs’ and ‘maybes’ going on. Prue would’ve helped her with this. Furthermore, their similar personalities and approaches would instil them with a mutual respect and understanding, whilst their strength and dedication to witchcraft would lead them to be a powerhouse duo.

Regarding their similarities, Prue and Paige’s main similarity was their perspective on magic. They saw their duties as witches as important and they were devoted to saving innocents. Prue and Paige considered being a witch a proper job as much as any other traditional job. They always went that step further in practising or perfecting their craft, and never wished away their powers or perceived magic as a burden. They were also both incredibly strong willed and operated on their gut instincts, which were nearly always right. They had a creative streak - Paige with painting and Prue with photography - and this is something that would bond them. Prue and Paige were also the two sisters out of the four that felt the least traditional. By which I mean they never seemed as concerned with motherhood or marriage as Piper and Phoebe did. They were more driven by their careers and being a witch (and/or whitelighter in Paige’s case). I’d also say that Prue and Paige were natural leaders. Their drive, determination and skill when it came to witchcraft meant they were full of ideas and actively thrived on their work as witches. Both also had the confidence, intelligence, power and empathy to take the lead. Obviously, this is the one similarity that would’ve caused tension between them as they grappled to be the leader. However, I think it would’ve led to growth for both of them. Prue would’ve learned to let go a little more and to trust Paige to take over, and Paige would’ve learned to respect that although she had ideas and drive, Prue was the more experienced and wiser sister.

Overall, Prue and Paige are a complex dynamic to analyse because it’s all based on guess work. The fact that I feel like I know both characters quite well does help to some extent, but not enough. However, I think if you look to Piper and Paige’s relationship you’ll see almost a carbon copy of what Prue and Paige’s relationship would’ve looked like. That’s really because the sister dynamics on Charmed aren’t shaped by the characters personalities as much as they are by the sister hierarchy. Allow me to explain.

There are two main sister groupings:

1. Prue, Piper and Phoebe 2. Piper, Phoebe and Paige

Within these two groupings there are always 3 sister pairings: eldest-middle, eldest-youngest, middle-youngest. Now let’s look at the pairings that fall under these headings and compare.

Eldest-middle

Prue and Piper

Piper and Phoebe

Both dynamics are characterised by mutual love and understanding. These two pairings get on very well - their relationships are loving, affectionate and are best friends as well as sisters. The eldest has a level of responsibility and burden that comes from being the eldest, that only the middle sister can fully appreciate and understand. The middle sister is fully allied with the eldest and supportive of what they do and how they do it. This leads the eldest sister to lean on the middle sister to be in her corner and to keep her grounded. For the eldest sister, the middle sister represents consistency - somebody who will always be there. The eldest sister feels protective about the middle sister whom they feel a deep bond to and at various points the eldest sister feels she has let down the middle sister in her duty to protect her (1. Prue lets Piper down in Coyote Piper and 2. Piper lets Phoebe down in Queen of the Underworld). Overall, the eldest-middle dynamic is a plain sailing dynamic of two best friends who are extremely close and rely upon each other.

Eldest-youngest

Prue and Phoebe

Piper and Paige

Both dynamics are characterised by an initial clash of personalities and power struggle. The eldest struggles with the youngest’s recklessness and lack of responsibility. The youngest finds the eldest judgemental, mean and too serious. As a result, the eldest sister chastises the youngest sister, pushing the youngest sister further away, making her want to rebel and go off on her own. Nonetheless, despite surface level disdain, the eldest sister is fiercely protective of the youngest and the youngest seeks the eldest’s approval and respects them immensely. Tensions prevail between the two; they disagree on how to approach situations and struggle to work together without clashing. However, over time, the eldest and youngest are able to push their differences aside, empathise, develop patience and appreciate the other sister for how she is different to herself.

Middle-youngest

Piper and Phoebe

Phoebe and Paige

Similar to the eldest-middle, this relationship is one between friends. However, it operates on the basis that the middle sister understands the youngest sister where the eldest one fails. The middle sister probably finds the youngest sister’s naivety irritating at times, but mostly they find it endearing and accept them for who they are. The middle sister strives to bridge the gap between the eldest and youngest, as a result the youngest relies on the middle sister as her greatest ally. If the youngest sister is in a tight spot, she will turn to the middle sister for non-judgemental support and advice.

So you see, the sister dynamics follow this same formula no matter who happens to be in the duo. The nuances of these sister relationships do differ, but the foundation of them is rooted in these outlines which were established by Constance M. Burge when she first created the show. Therefore, Prue and Paige would fall into the eldest-youngest and have a similar dynamic to Piper and Paige or Prue and Phoebe. Although I personally believe Piper and Paige is more reflective of the relationship Prue and Paige would’ve had, particularly in the beginning.

#answered #anonymous #charmed #prue x paige #my meta #charmed meta

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sonofsallyjackson · 4 years

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Family Never Truly Leaves Us: Chapter 1 featuring Baby Lost Trio

AO3

Summary: Thalia Grace was very good at finding her family. Keeping that family together was a completely different story. Her first family collapsed when her brother’s disappearance became too much to bear. She died for her second family, only to wake up years later and not recognize them anymore. Her third family is literally twenty-odd teenagers and an immortal virgin goddess, but she’s never been one for traditional.

AN: Basically this is a three part story that was inspired by @silima’s incredible art of the lost trio together as kids. I mean just look at it. Baby Piper, Leo and Jason are absolutely adorable and deserved to be celebrated. However, this turned into a Thalia piece and the three different families she’s made for herself. As I initially planned to have this chapter out by Jason’s birthday and it’s now the last hours of Leo’s, I cannot hope to have the next section up by Annabeth’s birthday even if that’s my unofficial deadline.

Thalia Grace was very good at finding her family. Keeping that family together was a completely different story.

Her first family was one pulled together just as much biologically as it had been by circumstance. Beryl Grace lacked the maternal instinct necessary to be a good mother, but she did have a strong ability for finding people who might be useful to her. Of course, her definition of useful was particularly fickle. Some days useful meant the literal king of the gods, who she would beg to make her queen of his dominion, to revere her above all others. Other days it meant the personal assistant, all too willing to fill their mansion with a never-ending supply of alcohol. On the best days, it brought Tristan Mclean, Esperanza Valdez and their children into their lives.

Beryl had mocked her agent at first. You really couldn’t get me anything better? The Oscar committee hates fantasy. But she had wanted to dive back into the world of Hollywood elite where she belonged. She wanted to prove that her second child didn’t mean she had let herself go or was less worthy of the public’s adoration. If anything Beryl claimed to six-year-old Thalia, I’m more worthy. Who can say they’ve attracted a god twice?

They met in the middle, as Beryl Grace’s fame was crashing, and Tristan Mclean's was preparing for a meteoric rise. He'd worked with the director on a few minor projects, but it was his first starring role in such a big-budget film. Regardless, it had taken a little convincing. After all, he was a single father with a daughter under the age of two, and his closest family was halfway across the country. But the director was insistent, sending scripts, pictures of the prototype animatronic dragons, and finally, a pretty young woman from the special effects department who also had a little kid. Esperanza Valdez and her honest approach to how she was handling her "tornado with legs" did more to calm his fears than anything else did. Tristan signed on enthusiastically after making sure childcare was handled.

Beryl Grace didn’t bother to consider something as bland as childcare. After all, she accumulated a list of nannies over the years. No one stuck around very long. The latest, Mrs. Costa, thought their house was haunted. She didn’t like the way wind danced through the house or the lightning that flashed even when the sky was completely clear. One day Mrs. Costa ran out of the house, screaming that the baby was floating and needed to be exorcised.

"I don't have time to be dealing with this, Thalia." Beryl snapped as if this was all Thalia’s fault. “I’m calling the studio.”

It turned out the studio had no problem with adding two more children to their makeshift daycare. Beryl Grace dropped them off at Tristan Mclean’s trailer, apologizing all the way as she runs to makeup. The trailer was a mess of children’s toys and storybooks. Thalia was not impressed, but Jason squealed excitedly at the other children already on the floor. The girl definitely dressed herself, decked out as she was in a rainbow tutu, a camo t-shirt and rainboots despite the fact they’re in the middle of a drought. The boy didn’t say anything but offered Jason the red block he’d previously been playing with. He’s smaller than Jason, with dark curly hair and an infectious smile. Thalia’s never felt more out of place as she watches the three of them play. She’s used to being Jason’s whole world, the one who always keeps him entertained and safe. The blond intern boredly watching them, jumped to her feet as the door opened again. A woman slightly younger than her mother with dark skin and twinkling brown eyes smiled at her easily.

"Thanks so much for covering for me, Sarah. We should be good to go. I only had to explain the controls about six times to Pat.”

"Really, Esperanza? They're letting Pat handle it." There's clear annoyance in her voice, but she also seems resigned to the fact.

"It turns out being the producer's son has its perks." Esperanza patted Sarah's shoulder encouragingly. "If it were up to me, you'd be the one running it.”

“I’ll come get you if we run into problems, but I think you’re good to stay with the kids.” Sarah glanced in Thaila’s direction as if to remind her boss of their unusual charges.

“Well, you’ll know where to find me.”

After Sarah had left, Esperanza set her walkie talkie on the table before kneeling down, so she was eye to eye with Thalia. "Hello Mija, you must be Thalia. I don't know what your mother told you, but my name is Esperanza. I’m going to be looking after you and your brother today.”

Thalia nodded uncertainly. She was used to new people coming into their lives, but that didn't mean she liked it. And she knew all too well, that even the people with the brightest smiles could bring trouble.

"The other little munchkins are Piper and Leo." Piper didn't even react to her name as she was too busy building a tower, so a giggling Jason could knock it over. Leo, on the other hand, gave his Mama a curious glance before promptly shoving a block in his mouth.

“Jason tries to eat everything too!” Thalia said with a slight laugh.

“They tend to do that at this age. It helps them explore their world better.” Esperanza gently encouraged Leo to take it out only to have her son holding tightly to her like a spider monkey.

Thalia sort of understood that. She didn’t understand the world either, but she didn’t think knowing how blocks tasted really made Jason any more of an expert.

“Most of the toys we have are meant for someone their age, but I’m sure we can find something for you to play with.”

In the end, Thalia settled down with a stack of paper and crayons. She sat as close to Jason as possible, just on the outside of the trio’s little circle. Even though she already felt like Esperanza was better at keeping an eye on Jason than Mrs. Costa, Thalia continually checked in on her brother, although her glances slowly subside from one for every new line she added to her drawing to only when she grabbed a new crayon or when one of the kids let out an indignant squawk or a giggle.

When Piper requested a song for naptime, it’s easy to slip into a gentle sleep until the trailer door opened, and Thalia heard her mother's voice.

Beryl fluttered her eyelashes at Tristan as she leaves exaggerated kisses on her children’s heads. “I really can’t thank you enough for helping today.”

He let out the hearty genuine laugh that he’ll be known for one day. “It was all Esperanza, really.” He said as he offered the other woman a smile. “In this industry, single parents need to stick together. Helping out for the week is the least we can do.”

It ended up being much more than a week.

Many days on set are often the same as their first, although a collection of toy cars, a robot, and a pair of lightsabers are added to the more toddler-friendly options. There are days when the kids are so full of energy there’s no possible way to stay in the trailer. The trio ran laps around the trailer or race between wherever Thalia and Esperanza are standing.

Sometimes if they promise to be good, they even go on adventures to see different parts of the studio lot. The women in the hair and makeup department dote on Piper. Leo is happiest in his mother’s workshop. Jason proclaimed he wants to be exactly like the stunt actors, which made Thalia’s heart skip a beat. Despite all of the cool things she’s seen on set, Thalia loved the days they watch their parents act the most. When Thalia watched her mother, she felt like she understands why Beryl is so determined to make it here. She thrived in front of the lights and camera. There's an ease to her smiles that Thalia hasn’t seen since her father left.

After one late-night shoot where the children all slept over in the Mclean house, the families traded the trailer for their homes. Esperanza's schedule barely overlapped with the other two. She got to set early to set up her machines, or she went later for the nightly repairs. In the hours where makeup calls overlapped with set-up, a tired production assistant lazily watched the kids in Tristan’s trailer. There are days where Beryl filmed, and Tristan didn't, and vice versa. Days when Tristan took all four children because Esperanza needed to get some decent sleep. They look out for each other. While Beryl was not thrilled about the idea of two additional kids in her house, it’s a lot easier to keep a babysitter than a nanny.

Undoubtedly, this strategy would have been completely impossible if the three toddlers hadn't been friends. Luckily, the kids got along almost too well. Even if they saw each other nearly every day, separating them was a nightmare. They also were more than willing to help out in each other's schemes. Jason’s determination to put absolutely everything in his mouth had only grown as he got older. Sure things kept falling off of high shelves as if pushed by some invisible force, but Thalia thought she’d probably be able to handle that if it hadn’t been for Leo. He was a week younger, but when he got the occasional look of mischief on his chubby face, Thalia knew it was over. She’d walked in from school twice now to find Jason chewing on something she knew was in one of the locked cabinets and Leo proudly smiling on the counter.

Of course all good things come to an end. Thalia worried that with no movie bonding the three families together, everything would fall apart, that she and Jason would be left to their own devices. She realized she shouldn’t have worried when Beryl mentioned they’re spending the Premiere night at the Valdez’s. Three assistants needed to sew Beryl into a form-fitting dress with embroidery that looks like the night stars. Her mother may have looked radiant on the red carpet, but Thalia preferred Esperanza’s mismatched pajamas and the genuine smiles she gave as she tucks the four of them in.

In the end, the film flopped. The only things critics deemed worthy of any praise are Esperanza’s mechanical dragons. The fans seem to prefer the shirtless Tristan Mclean scenes. It had the potential to be a cult classic one day, but Beryl Grace didn’t care about being famous someday. She wanted the world now when she’s young and beautiful. She already deserved the world.

It was probably for the best that Beryl misses most of the party. It's the easy sort of affair that she would hate. She's always been one for spectacle, and three kids sitting in highchairs flinging red frosting at each other was not a spectacle. She chose her career over her son’s third birthday. It didn’t even surprise Thalia anymore.

“You know I can’t Thalia. My agent says this is a big opportunity we’ve been waiting for. I just know it’s the one.” Beryl said as she pulled up to the Valdez’s apartment building.

Thalia didn’t mention that every audition, every lunch, every cocktail hour seemed to be the one lately. Her mother is frazzled in a way she’s never seen her before. She hasn’t accepted that there is no new movie coming. A new blonde-haired, blue-eyed ingenue showed up in Hollywood every day, and they’re almost all younger and easier to work with than Beryl Grace.

“I’ll be there later, Sweetie.” She handed Thalia a disposable camera. “You’ll just have to show me what I miss.”

It’s almost funny how their birthdays align so perfectly. Piper’s is in June and Leo and Jason’s a week apart. They held the party together since the kids wouldn't know differently anyway. Unlike Beryl, Tristan took the day off from auditions. Esperanza had already spent the entire night before making enough food for an army.

Thalia blew up a hundred silver balloons, never realizing that an eight-year-old should have been out of breath much sooner and that without helium, her balloons should stay firmly on the ground. Some of them do, but most float easily around the apartment. Piper and Leo bounced one back and forth to each other, giggling the entire time. Jason practically pounced on one and tries to eat it. It pops beneath him, which seemed to be enough to convince him not to put this strange thing in his mouth. He joined the other two, although he took great pleasure in hitting the balloon as hard as he can at Thalia to convince her to join them.

There’s easy laughter, homemade tamales, and little shouts of “Tree! Tree! Tree!” as the birthday kids marched around the room, announcing their age proudly for everyone to hear despite not mastering the sound an h makes. The pictures Thalia took are more for herself then Beryl, to remind herself of how happy she was. This is probably for the best as Beryl never asks to look at the pictures.

Maybe in another world, Thalia would feel like it was impossible to go to school, to leave Jason alone with their mother or the nanny of the month for the day. But in this world, Thalia has other adults in her corner. The three children stayed together in a play-pin in Esperanza’s workshop or Tristan’s office as he looked for his next big role. It wasn’t an ideal scenario since by the time they were three and a half, they were more than capable of making a break for it. But they’d learned early not to touch anything besides their toys, that masterful escapes were meant for playing in the yard or for grabbing extra crayons and that if necessary the parents could find other arrangements, potentially separate arrangements. Personal assistants and nannies filled in where the parents couldn’t, but these had been hired by parents who actually cared about their children.

School was hard enough in this world where the letters floated off the page, and Thalia couldn't sit still, so Thalia truly couldn’t imagine a worse one. But after school, when there were no glowering teachers or odd children with one eye, Thalia relaxed. She sat at the short wooden table in whoever’s living room they were staying at for the day and stubbornly work on her homework as Leo put together puzzles, and Piper roped Jason into creating larger than life storylines for her Barbies.

Piper seemed to know when her homework made her want to scream because she would ask in her sweetest voice, “Tally, play now?”

“Who am I today, Pipes?”

Jason might try to hand her the doll he'd previously been sucking on, but usually, Piper had something very specific in mind. There’s Sofia, the redheaded murder suspect complete with purple crayon scars. Or Ama, the princess in disguise that Jason attacked with a pair of safety scissors, so she's almost bald. Or a million other characters with intricate backstories.

Piper occasionally needed to pause their play because “Jason was doing it all wrong” or because she needed to ask Leo to build their characters a castle out of Legos. But overall, Thalia could play with the kiddos for hours after school.

Occasionally things were bad. Beryl would be sent home from a shoot early, alcohol heavy on her breath. Daytime soap actresses were a dime a dozen, and no one had the patience for a woman past her prime who could barely remember her lines and couldn't even stand without swaying. (Beryl’s character was given a brain tumor to explain her behavior and allow the writers time to get rid of the fan favorite.) Those days featured doors slamming and screaming. If they’re at the Grace Mansion, Thalia made sure the kiddos were safely out of sight and occupied, before ducking behind the kitchen counter so she can call for reinforcements. Mostly though, she found about these sorts of days after the fact, when Tristan’s assistant drove the two of them home, and there would be broken glasses and picture frames with their mother passed out in her bedroom.

Despite this, Thalia grew up loved, even if that love didn’t come from her biological parents. Tristan tried to entice her to read even though it's hard. He pretended he needed someone to run lines with and encouraged Thalia to be as dramatic as possible. Somehow it didn’t matter that the words are swimming in front of her, she’s only nine, and the idea of collapsing dramatically into fake tears is so much more powerful than her fear of getting something wrong. It certainly helped that her captive audience of toddlers seems to love everything she did. Piper and Jason always seemed to giggle when she reads the lines in a sing-song voice, so Thalia goes out of her way to do it, even when the part didn’t call for it. Esperanza played rock music that allowed Thalia to scream out her frustration and dance around the kitchen in the Valdez apartment. It's a wild mass of limbs, and she doesn’t even know which language Leo is yelling in half the time. But it feels right. She has a family that loves her.

When they moved out of the mansion into a cramped apartment, Thalia told herself it didn't matter. This cold house with its glass walls and minimalist furnishings never really felt like home. The new apartment sort of did after Thalia covered her side of the room in scotch tape and pictures. She's collected evidence of everything her mother missed during her auditions, her soap operas, and eventually her hours as a waitress. There's Tristan playing ring-around-the-Rosie, and Piper refusing to wear anything not dinosaur themed. Jason smiling despite his stitches because he tried to eat a stapler. Leo stands proudly in front of his first project, little wrench still in hand. There's a slightly blurry picture of Esperanza teaching her how to make enchiladas. Thalia captured everything. Maybe someday her mother would see them and be sorry she missed this.

On Thalia’s 10th birthday, her mother didn’t give her a gift. It’s almost like she can’t see her anymore. Beryl spent the entire day reminiscing about Zeus. Thalia is not her own person. She’s her father’s black hair and startling blue eyes. She has Zeus’ determined face and his chin. Thalia is proof that in the long scheme of things, Beryl has won, won the affection of a god, and that no matter how much further they fall, no one can take that prize away from her.

Thalia didn’t particularly like the idea of being the child of a god, especially since she hasn’t seen her father since Jason was born. She wasn’t sure she truly believed it either. It seemed like just another fantasy Beryl latched onto the idea in a drunken haze. Thalia barely saw her mother sober anymore. If she was a child of a god, Thalia should feel powerful and important. Instead, she's just alone with her baby brother on her birthday.

She got birthday phone calls from both the Mcleans and the Valdezs, but they’re not here. It’s three days before Christmas after all. Esperanza’s extended family in Texas took the holiday very seriously, and Tristan finally had a long enough break from shooting to go home to Oklahoma. She smiled brightly when they gave her presents later, a leather jacket and extra cameras, and doesn’t tell them the truth that even thinking about her birthday made her heart ache.

In the weeks leading up to Jason’s fifth birthday, Beryl got worse. She didn’t acknowledge her children, wandering the house in a daze, muttering under her breath.

Thalia put on a brave face and told Jason, “Mom’s just practicing for a new role,” but she was terrified.

Thalia saw her arguing with people who aren’t there, her mother’s eyes wide and tortured. None of her pleas made any sense. "No, you can't have him. I need more time." “He’s my son, not hers! You didn’t even let me name him.” “Why can’t you protect us?”

Jason nearly threw a tantrum when Beryl suggested they have a birthday picnic. “No! We always celebrate with Piper and Leo!”

Thalia glared at her mother before kneeling to face her brother. "We'll see them tomorrow, Jay. But for now, we'll go see the woods and the stars. You'll be able to run around as much as you want."

“Really? As much as I want?”

Thalia almost groaned, knowing she'll regret those words later. She’ll have to chase him down, and Jason runs like he's practically flying.

Beryl gave her a grateful look, but Thalia didn’t return it. Sure her mother was making an effort, but they both deserve so much more after everything she has put them through.

Jason was the only one to speak the entire drive to the state park. He sang the alphabet about six times and twinkle-twinkle little star twice. But he never stopped talking, not even as Thalia unbuckled him from his car seat, and the three of them walked through the state park.

Beryl’s hands shook as she set their picnic basket by the pond. “Sweetheart, I think we forgot the blanket. Why don’t you run back to the car and grab it?”

“Sure,” Thalia shrugged. “Jason, why don’t you come with me?”

He looked ready to shout that he’ll “race her back” when Beryl put an arm around his shoulder, a sickly-sweet smile on her face. “Really, Thalia. I can watch my own son for two minutes.”

Thalia swallowed. She seemed more put together today, but her mother is an actress, and appearances can be misleading. Thalia practically ran from their spot near the ruins to the car.

It took a few minutes to realize there was no picnic blanket. Thalia wanted to think it's a coincidence that Beryl actually thought they brought the blanket, but the sinking feeling in her stomach let her know it was likely always a distraction, a wild goose chase to get her away from Jason.

Thalia slammed the trunk of the car closed. Ten minutes. How much trouble could her mother cause in ten minutes? She ran until her lungs hurt, her heart throbbing in her chest. The path was uneven under her worn-out sneakers. Thalia tripped over a tree root and barely noticed her scraped knee as she set off again. It felt hard to breathe, but Thalia isn't sure if that's coming from her worry or her running.

Upon first glance, the meadow with the ruins of the old house was empty. As Thalia got closer, she saw her mother hunched over on the ground. Beryl was sobbing like she would never run out of tears. She’s alone.

Thalia couldn’t help but shake her mother desperately, “What’d you do? Where is he? How could you?” The questions rolled out of her uncontrollably.

She was barely gone ten minutes, but it felt like something has drastically changed.

“Hera claimed him. He’s as good as dead.” Beryl was able to manage between sobs.

Her mother had no right to cry. She didn’t know Jason, not really, not the way Thalia did. She didn’t know that Jason liked to pretend he can fly and preferred the Buzz Lightyear band-aids when he inevitably scrapes himself up jumping from furniture or the playground equipment to demonstrate. She didn’t know that Jason liked to build block towers just as much as Piper did, but he liked knocking them over more because he got to roar like a dinosaur or howl like a wolf. She didn’t know about the bird’s nest Jason decided to camp outside protecting because he was worried the mama bird wouldn’t come back. Thalia knows those things. She thinks he’s the most important person in the universe and now he’s gone.

They stayed for two hours. Thalia combed every inch of the area, looked behind every tree, in every bush. She screamed Jason’s name until she can’t anymore. When Beryl dragged her away from the site, Thalia didn’t even have the energy to fight her.

The drive home was oddly silent without Jason’s chatter.

Beryl disappeared into the confines of her bedroom as soon as they got home. She would wallow in her own grief away from her remaining child. Beryl knew Thalia deserved to be comforted, but she also knew that people seldom got what they deserved.

Thalia ran to her spot behind the kitchen counter. She wished it was a normal day as she picked up the phone. She wanted to just be able to call Esmeralda and tell her that her mother was having a rough day, to ask that someone come pick up Jason and her. But this time was different. This time Thalia calls 911.

The police cars pulled up to their apartment in a flurry of sound and lights. Thalia can’t move from her spot behind the counter even when they demanded someone open the door. She hugged herself tightly as her mother opened the door.

"Really, Officer, I don't understand what the problem is," Beryl said earnestly but firmly kept them outside.

“We have a report of a missing child from a Miss Thalia Grace.”

Thalia can’t see her mother’s face, but her mask must not firmly be in place. They knew something was wrong, even as Beryl attempted to push them away. "Oh, that's just my daughter. What a frightful imagination she has. I'm sure it's nothing, Officers. I'm sorry for bothering-.”

A female officer cut off Beryl's apology. "Even If it's just a simple mistake, it's still best that we talk to her. We'll even let her know that this isn't the sort of thing to joke about."

Thalia felt her tears grow heavier at that. There is no way she could ever joke about this, not with a memory of her baby brother singing twinkle twinkle little star running through her head.

The officer walked past a reluctant Beryl into the apartment. Her partner, a Hispanic man with greying hair, stayed with her mother as she sought out Thalia. The blonde woman didn't need to look far before she found her curled in a ball in the corner against the lower cabinets. Thalia was a mess, covered in scrapes and dirt from her time spent searching for her brother. The officer gingerly sat down across from her.

“You must be Thalia. I’m Officer Joan. You did a really good job calling us tonight. I know you told the person on the phone a little bit of what happened, but can you tell me everything please?”

Thalia’s words spilled out of her, a desperate flood of information on the off chance that literally anything is even the slightest bit helpful in finding Jason. She didn’t know if these people even can help. This felt strange, like her one-eyed classmates or her mother begging people who aren’t there, but Thalia needed them to be able to do the impossible anyway. She won’t ever forgive herself if the police could have done something and they didn’t

When she finished, Officer Joan nodded to her partner before helping Thalia to her feet. "Now, I know this isn't going to be fun, but we need to take your mom to the station so we can ask her more questions.

Thalia nodded, slightly unsure. She understood, but every second that someone wasn’t looking for her brother was time he could spend hurt. Why weren’t they moving faster?

“Do you have someone you can stay with while we do that? A relative?”

When the police car pulled up to the Valdez apartment, it is seven hours since she last saw her brother. Thalia thinks it isn’t possible to cry anymore. She’s done almost nothing but cry since Jason disappeared. She used up all her tears.

Esperanza answered the door with a look of confusion on her face. Her curls were already wrapped in a purple headscarf. Her fingers kept her thin robe closed over her nightdress. The look of confusion turned to one of worry when she saw Thalia. Officer Joan briefly explained the situation, but Esperanza never truly took her eyes off Thalia’s face.

“Tally!” Leo exclaimed as he saw the people at the front door. He peered around their legs eagerly before the smile fell from his face. “Where’s Jay?”

Thalia broke down into a fresh set of tears.

“Leo, why don’t you go pick out another book to read while I get Thalia settled?” The little boy looked confused. Thalia and Jason were a package set. If Thalia was here, his best friend should be too.

Esperanza pulled Thalia into a tight hug. "Oh, sweetheart, everything's going to be alright. You just let it out. I know it's been a hard day."

Esperanza maneuvered the two of them, so they're sitting on the sagging couch, all the while clutching her tightly. Esperanza wrapped her in a blanket and fixed some hot chocolate before she finally left to put Leo to bed.

After Leo’s safely asleep, Esperanza came back with a washcloth and a glass of water. She doesn’t force Thalia to say anything. She merely wiped away the grime of the day from her face before gently helping the girl lay down with her head in Esperanza’s lap. She ran her fingers through Thalia’s short hair until the girl settled into an uneasy sleep.

The police come back the next day. She remembered getting frustrated that they were here again, asking her the same questions instead of being out there finding her brother, but the rest of the interview is a blur. She sat on the couch, watching the rain pound harshly against the glass. A flash of lightning illuminated the sky, and Thalia prayed to whoever may be listening that Jason is somewhere safe and dry. The thunder didn’t stop all day.

Her mother must have been sober enough to give the performance of her life because she wasn't charged for Jason's disappearance. There is no body. It's Thalia's word against hers, and Thalia was just a kid. Still, the papers had a field day. “Who is Beryl Grace’s super-secret custody agreement with?” “Did Disgraced Soap Opera Star Kill Her Own Son?” “Where is Jason Grace?” Her brother’s face smiled at her on the cover of tabloids for weeks, and it just felt like too much.

Thalia tried to stay. She really did. She barely entered the apartment that she shared with her mother, instead crashing on Esperanza’s couch or the guest room in the Mclean house. These people seem to understand, at least. They’ve seen Beryl Grace at her worst. They believe Thalia without question. Although after Tristan gets reprimanded for drawing negative attention to himself, they don’t press the issue publicly anymore. No one says it, but the odds are Jason is dead already.

Thalia pretends she doesn’t hear Esperanza and Tristan’s frantic whispers late at night, knowing they’re talking about what to do with her. She ripped down every photo she ever put on her bedroom wall the one time she can bring herself to go back inside the room she shared with her brother. She can’t look at them, can’t see Jason grinning back at her with a red party hat holding up three fingers proudly or Jason making funny faces with Piper and Leo, without wanting to scream. Thalia tried to avoid looking at Piper and Leo’s disappointed faces. They don’t understand what’s happening, but their best friend is gone. Their little questions of “But is Jay coming back tomorrow?” break her heart. She can’t bear to stay here, but she also has nowhere else to go.

In the end, Thalia didn’t make the decision to leave so much as the monsters did.

She noticed the looming shadows before she saw them. Thalia ducked behind a mailbox to get a better look at them. They're over double her size, with wild eyes, pointy teeth, and hairy arms covered in tattoos. Their clothes wouldn’t look too out of place at a rock concert if it weren’t for their necklaces. The giants proudly wore chains with everything from beaded necklaces to gleaming weapons attached to it. Souvenirs, Thalia thought to herself. The spoils of war from the people who they killed before. She would not let herself be next.

“The hero is close. Their scent is strong.”

Thalia did not feel like a hero, especially as she studied the swords and spears that rattle against their chests. She’s only ten years old, but no one else on the street seemed to notice them.

"You better be right, brother. Halfblood is a treat, but I'm hungry now." Scraps of blood-soaked denim clung to the ogre's face.

Would they just eat whoever they come across if she didn’t come forward? This is a busy road, only a few blocks from the school. They could grab anyone; her classmates are at risk the longer she stays hidden. She knows in her bones that she’s the person they’re looking for. She may not know the word “Halfblood," but it felt right to her. Thalia wished she was in a position where she could fight, where she could leap up and just fight them. But all she has is a backpack, and as scary as math is, she didn’t think her textbook can do much damage.

Thalia was so absorbed in trying to think of an escape plan, something that both didn't draw attention to herself and minimized the casualties, that she didn't notice the hand inching toward the mailbox until it was too late. She jumped back.

The giants leered at her. “Little hero. I see we won’t have to wait long for dinner.”

She’s not an especially fast runner, but she is small enough to maneuver quickly, to change paths even as they lumbered toward her. They recognized that they could not win on speed alone. They use the very features of the street as projectiles. The giants lift cars as if they weigh nothing. Shop awnings fall in their grasp. Thalia did everything she could to avoid them.

Still, it was not enough. The stoplight may not have hit her, but she needed extra time to jump around it to avoid the sparks flying off it. It was time she did not have to lose.

Thalia can’t explain why she did it. Her back was against the rough concrete wall. She was out of options. So Thalia raised her right hand and directed it toward the closer giant. She just wanted a way out of here, any way. The lightning flashed until there was nothing left of the giant but the smell of burning flesh and his spoils of war.

“Child of Zeus, you shall pay for that.” He lunged for her, but missed, his hand impeding deep into the wall behind her.

Thalia swallowed, surprised despite the absurdity of her current situation that her mother was telling the truth. A god. Her father really had been a god. After Jason had disappeared, Thalia had completely dismissed the notion. What sort of god didn’t even protect his own son?

"I will have revenge, godling." The remaining giant ripped one of the streetlamps up from the base. It flew to her left, even if the miss was a little too close for comfort.

Thalia tried to recreate the feeling, the tug in her stomach, but no matter what she did, she could not summon more lightning. She had another option, though. The giant may have disappeared, but his necklace of souvenirs had not.

Thalia tugged a spear loose from the chain. It feels right in her hand.

“There is no escape, little hero. I will feast on your bones.”

Thalia didn’t have any time to think as the monster stalked forward. There was no time to worry about all the ways this can go wrong, that she's never held a spear, let alone thrown one. She flung the spear with all her might, hoping it would go straight.

Amazingly it did, and the Laistrygonian howled as he disappeared.

Even as the ogre crumbled into dust, Thalia kept panicking. He said her scent was strong, which meant more monsters would be coming. What would happen if she was with Piper and Leo next time? They were just little kids. Plus, Tristan and Esperanza had gone out of their way since they’d met to make sure that she was safe and loved. It wasn’t fair to involve them or put them at risk.

Thalia couldn't be here the next time a monster attacked. She wasn't going to let them get hurt. Thalia couldn't watch someone else she loved die and know she could have prevented it. She had to gather some supplies first, but then she was leaving. If the price to pay for her family’s safety was never seeing them again, she’d gladly pay it.

#pjo #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo/hoo #hoo #thalia grace #jason grace #leo valdez #piper mclean #my fic #Esperanza Valdez #because she's an icon in this #silima #moh tag #because I think you told people it was alright to tag you in content we hoped people would see #my writing

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digitaldreams0801 · 4 years

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Alitia Character Info Dump

I feel like doing another one of these, so here’s more Alitia character stuff since I love talking about this cast of characters in particular:

- Tanith hates sitting still. She can’t do it since she feels unproductive when not doing anything. She gets really jittery when forced to stay in one place for a long time. To remedy this, Jin decided to buy her fidget toys, and he keeps them all over his office. Zylphia has a few in her office that managed to travel between Angelwood and Alitia. Tanith keeps them in specific places around her room and plays with them often. Her favorite is a spinning disk that she keeps perpetually moving with her air magic.

- Luce’s secondary weapon of choice is the bow. Lewith taught her how to fire a bow over break between her first and second semesters at Alitia, and Luce is getting better quickly. She has the natural talent for using weapons that Altina does without the manifestation and can pick up nearly any weapon and learn how to use it after a few weeks of proper training. She can also use daggers and gauntlets, though spears and axes are taking some extra time for her to master.

- Fromir is terrified of Minerva because of his rocky relationship with his father. His father was the previous head of Sierra, and he passed down the position of headmaster to his son. Fromir’s father was incredibly intense on him, constantly pressuring him to be perfect, and it took a physical and mental toll on Fromir over time. Minerva’s occasional anger issues remind Fromir of him, and he hates it when she grows snappy as a result.

- Minerva’s anger problems are the result of her wings being torn out. When her magical core was disturbed by the forceful removal of her wings, she became somewhat unstable, and her magic is somewhat volatile because of it. Minerva’s hair catching fire is the primary outward symptom of her wing loss, though she is far more snippy than she ever was before due to the forceful removal of her wings screwing with her magical flow.

- Minerva and Leviathan have a sister named Brynn. Minerva is the oldest (older than Brynn by two years and Leviathan by four) with Brynn falling in the center of her and Leviathan. Brynn is a passive aggressive and manipulative person, wrapping everything behind a seemingly perfect smile. Brynn and Minerva have never gotten along due to Brynn’s petty nature clashing with Minerva’s stubborn attitude. Leviathan tends to avoid Brynn, not having enough time for her toxicity.

- Leviathan used to attend Sierra. He entered the freshman year just after Minerva graduated, though he had to clash with Brynn a few times due to their being in school at the same time. Minerva entered a year early at Sacred Heart (she was sixteen) while Brynn entered early two years later at Alitia. Leviathan was the only one to enroll on the regular timeframe, and he saw Brynn often because of it.

- Brynn is a magical elitist, for lack of a better term. She strongly believes that wings belong on women while they shouldn’t be with men, a traditional belief on their planet of Pyre. Minerva was cut off from the family after the removal of her wings after years of rocky arguments with their parents. Leviathan asserted his position after being accepted into Sacred Heart and left of his own free will after creating his own wings with his shapeshifting magic and leaving.

- Dawn hates feeling better than everyone else. After years of being treated as superior to most people, she grew to resent those who placed her on a pedestal, believing that she should be treated as all others are. She also hates blatant manipulation after years of people wanting to get close to her for the political power she possesses.

- Octavia gained her radical beliefs regarding leath equality from a revolutionary leader named Briyana Frazier. After sneaking out of the palace, Octavia met Briyana by chance, and Briyana told her about the horrors leaths endure each day. Octavia immediately decided that she wanted to help and began planning for revolution when she was given the throne while still maintaining a facade of perfection that her grandfather would approve of.

- Many things about Magia society closely resemble Earth because of where Starlight and Moonlight came from. They were born on Earth before creating Magia as a place for all magical or misfit people. The calendar year is the same because of this, and the sun remains called the sun. The same applies to the moon.

- The birthdays of the Second Camaraderie members are as follows: Luce (June 19), Iris (December 13), Sophia (June 21), Sylvia (May 7), S.M. (October 21), Helena and Carys (November 11), and Tanith (December 16). All of these birthdates are known to be accurate save for Tanith. Instead, her birthday is the day she was adopted by Zylphia and Jin since the true date is unknown. In honesty, the day is in September, though nobody is aware of such.

- The Sealed Ones in the Starlight Camaraderie are all connected to given zodiac signs, a tradition for Sealed Ones. Dawn is Tauros, Cryon is Capricorn, Jin is Leo, Minerva is Scorpio, Fromir is Aquarius, Altina is Gemini, Zylphia is Virgo, and Caius is Sagittarius. This leaves Cancer, Pisces, Libra, and Aries unoccupied. They are the first generation to not have a Keeper of Moonlight due to Ragnor’s treachery in starting the War of Starlight causing him to be deemed as impure and unfit by the gods.

- Nebula has an uncle figure by the name of Omen. He and Karver have been friends for years since the two of them both attended Sierra the same year as the Starlight Camaraderie. While Omen isn’t related to Karver or Nebula, he is fiercely loyal to them both. They never associated with any members of the group since Fromir was a few years younger than them, instead keeping to themselves.

- While he was attending Sierra, Leviathan was nothing short of a terror. He constantly played pranks on Fromir’s father using his magic, gaining him something of a reputation as a troublemaker. However, there was never enough evidence to prove that Leviathan was behind it, so he never got in trouble for it. He graduated at the top of his class, though Fromir’s father was not happy about it in the slightest.

- Leviathan would later learn about Fromir’s father treating Fromir poorly after the two of them got together. Leviathan expresses often that he does not regret his pranks in the slightest, claiming that Fromir’s father fully deserved everything Leviathan gave him. Fromir laughs such off to hide his silent agreement.

- Leviathan grows somewhat close with Nebula after he and Fromir begin dating. Both of them love to prank Fromir, so they became fast friends when they realized the prank potential of shapeshifting and illusions. Fromir has not had a moment of peace since they began to tag team with their already impressive prank skills.

- Originally, Minerva had scholarships to both Alitia and Sacred Heart. She had already earned her Isolis as a dark mage by that point, but she still considered Alitia until she learned Brynn had plans of going there. As soon as she learned that, she jumped aboard the Sacred Heart train. This was for the best given that Brynn would grow up to harass her endlessly when they crossed paths at the Millennium Six.

- Dawn is very good at persuading others. She likes to pull out huge puppy eyes when she wants to get others to agree with her, and nobody is immune to it. The first time she tried those ideas on Cryon, he immediately caved despite his stubborn nature because he couldn’t stand to see her looking so sad, even if it was an act.

- In order to properly communicate with each other through language barriers, all mages and leaths are given a long-lasting translation spell at birth that allows them to understand each other in a common language. This prevents misunderstandings by giving everyone a common ground to start a relationship from.

- Fromir was unanimously decided as the precious child of the Starlight Camaraderie. He’s two years younger than the rest of the group, but they all would do anything for him. Even Minerva, who still intimidates him some, would light someone on fire if she thought it would keep him safe and happy.

- Cryon grew up on Amity with his single mother. She was a leath who escaped the grasp of Iago shortly after his birth, and she did everything for him. Cryon loved his mother dearly leading up to her death. She died a year before he set out to attend Ridgeview, and he vowed to press on for her sake. This was when he took up mercenary work, getting him noticed by a teacher of Ridgeview who offered him a scholarship.

- Michaela also attended classes the same year as Minerva, Cryon, and the rest of the Starlight Camaraderie. She tended to run with a different crowd and didn’t openly associate with them often, preferring to keep to herself due to her introverted nature.

I think that’s all I have in me for now. That was a lot of facts, after all. Anyways, stan Alitia, thank you very much.

#alitia #ocs #original characters

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the-zodiacs-written-in-the-stars · 4 years

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Chapter 23: Team Angel Fish

“Doctor Korrapati, it is a pleasure to put a face to the name.”

“Likewise, Mister Hancock.”

Savitri and Sander were smiling at each other as they shook hands and all Joss could do was stand next to them, watching them miserably. This was like out of a nightmare. His longtime crush and his girlfriend were shaking hands, all pleasant and nice. Naturally did Joss know they would meet at one point, considering both were prominent figures in Joss' life (at the very latest, Joss' birthday party, he supposed), yet he wished he could have delayed it all. And the circumstances of the meeting were quite less than stellar too. Aliens, superheroes, villains trying to take over the world (or at least Los Angeles). Before Joss could say anything, he was handed a glass of wine by Sonia, who rested a hand on his shoulder and steered him away from Sander and Savitri.

“Let them talk”, requested Sonia firmly.

“But why?”, asked Joss lost. “I already told Savitri most-”

“Yes, quite. Most”, agreed Sonia bemused. “Sander and I have a better understanding of the overall picture, all this... passing on of information like that... Sander is a good teacher, he will explain everything to her. I'd like to have a word with you though.”

“What about?”, inquired Joss curiously.

“You got your girlfriend involved, dear.”

“I'm... aware, Sonia?” Joss nodded, a little confused.

“I'm just... curious, my friend”, whispered Sonia gently, sitting down on the couch on the terrace, motioning for Joss to join her. “I've been well-aware of your... interest in Sander. I didn't quite expect you to turn up with a girlfriend, to be honest. And now you have gotten her involved in something bigger than you, me or anything here.”

“I... My crush on Sander is... just that”, grunted Joss stubbornly, glaring out into the garden. “My feelings for Savitri are genuine. And I didn't get her involved in this out of selfish reasons or anything. She is... one of the most honest and genuine people I have ever met, she is more than qualified for this responsibility because she won't use it for her own gain and she brings the care and attention that Libra needs after what he's been through with Carroll Lewis.”

“Mh”, grunted Sonia thoughtfully. “I just want to make sure that I'm not stuck in the middle of some classic, overused love-triangle, Joss. If you bring romance to the work-place, it tends to add unnecessary drama and I do think that what with the aliens trying to take over the world, we have enough drama going on.”

Furrowing her brows, Joss turned to look back inside. Savitri and Sander were sitting at the table, talking, Sander writing something down to explain it. Both were bent over, seemingly in deep, excited conversation. Joss couldn't deny the way his heart hammered in his chest at it and he couldn't quite pinpoint for whom that hammering was. They were both so... lovely? The way Savitri's thick curls fell over her shoulder, her fingers running through it absentmindedly in a cute habit Joss had been observing for a while now, whenever Savitri was deep in thought. The way Sander's glasses framed his sharp face, the smile pulling on his lips as it always did when he got to explain something – his passion for knowledge. As Joss watched them, he couldn't help but marvel at how they complimented each other. Sander, who loved to share knowledge, and Savitri, who was always so eager to soak up new knowledge.

~*~

Savitri adored Angel. The tiny blonde was an excitable ball of energy and joy; exactly Savitri's people, really. Pure sunshine and optimism. Also really very tiny. Then again, Savitri was a rather tall woman so it seemed even more prominent. Unlike most other short people Savitri had met, Angel didn't seem to quite mind comments about her height – the green-haired one however, she had bared her fangs and jumped up and down at Savitri's comment. Babs. Babara. That was the green-haired one – the cousin of Angel's boyfriend.

“Here's to teamwork!”, declared Angel, lifting her glass up high.

The four of them were at Angel and Sebastian's flat. Angelique Lamour, Sebastian Weinberg, Joss and Savitri. They were to be a team. It was odd, because Savitri felt like an afterthought. Sebastian and Angel were in a relationship, Angel was Joss' best friend and Joss was also close friends with Sebastian. Savitri was just the new girlfriend of Joss'.

“We will be one of the three teams then?”, asked Savitri softly before sipping her wine.

“Yeah. We got Team Lionheart – what an adorable name and quite fitting, considering that Scorpio and Leo started it out – as well as the... Unicorn Princess Squad, and I admit to enjoying the irritated looks on their faces at their own team name thanks to the press”, giggled Angel.

“What's our name?”, inquired Savitri curiously.

“That... is an excellent question”, hummed Sebastian thoughtfully.

“Lionheart's named for the two companions that shared a form and started out their team. We don't really have that, with an owl, a fish, an ibex and a jackal”, noted Joss with furrowed brows.

“Well, the... unfortunately named Unicorn Princess Squad is named for their leader's companion”, offered Sebastian after a moment. “Matteo's Sagittarius.”

“So... you proposing that we're... the Mermaid Goat Squad?”, asked Savitri with a grin.

“Mer--” Sebastian sputtered, nearly spilling his wine. “You, how dare you. A capricorn is not-”

“Mon amour, it is”, interrupted Angel, giggling and leaning into her boyfriend. “Capricorn is literally a goat with a mermaid tail. It's a mergoat.”

“First of all, he's an ibex, not just a regular goat”, grumbled Sebastian with a pout. “And second of all, I am not the leader of this team. I am the most involuntary participant of this team.”

“Aw, Bastien”, huffed Angel with a puppy-dog look.

“No, no. I do not want to fight, I do not want this mess, but most of all, I do not want to be responsible for it all”, argued Sebastian fiercely, shaking his head.

“Well then, any volunteers?”, asked Savitri looking around.

“I volunteer Angel”, offered Joss after a moment.

“...What?”, asked Angel, her eyebrows up in her hairline.

“You're the most enthusiastic, you're a very social creature, you are excellent at staying level-headed”, explained Joss. “You're good choice as leader, Angelique.”

Quietly, Angel stared at them, before she nodded slowly. “Okay. Sure. Yes. Why not.”

“And do you have a name-proposal?”, asked Savitri curiously.

“Mh... how about... Team Angel Fish?”, asked Angel with a mischievous smile.

“Wait that's a great pun!”, exclaimed Savitri excitedly.

“I kno—ow, right?!”, yelped Angel, high-fiving Savitri.

~*~

“Okay, let me recap this”, started Savitri slowly. “Sonia and Sander are in an on-again-off-again relationship, current status... off. He is the one you had... have... a crush on.”

Joss bit his lips and nodded sharply, cheeks feeling hot.

“The one in the tight leather-dress is Tanya, who used to date both James and Babara – not at the same time though. James also used to date Angel, who is now with Sebastian, who is Babara's cousin. Barbara is the green-haired one. Then there is James' sister Jessie, who is no one's ex. They're the ones with the freckles? You actually have not one but two billionaires though because Matteo di Girasole is part of this team. And his fiance Michael. And Michael's sister Melanie. Not only are both your bosses and a model from your agency part of this team, but also your friend the graphic designer, Elizabeth. How...?”

“How?”, echoed Joss confused, blinking a couple of times.

“I mean that I understand, Sander explained that every marble landed in the same spot – or roughly the same spot, some seemed to have gotten a little lost. But this... very interwoven group of people? Not the random drunkard in the corner, or the couple who happened to be on a date? I see that not everyone is connected with each other, but... there is so many connections?”

“You mean that we, or someone in the group at least, were specifically targeted?”, asked Joss. “We... have been considering the possibility, but honestly what... motive would there be? We're just normal people. Matteo maybe, but...”

“I don't know”, shrugged Savitri thoughtfully. “I mean, you can cross me, Angel and Sebastian off the list, considering that we were chosen differently.”

“Me too, because I was outside. The main group landed inside the pub”, noted Joss.

“And the pub, it... it belongs to the siblings, right?”, asked Savitri.

“James and Jessica”, nodded Joss. “So... those two...?”

Savitri shrugged. “Your guess is as good, if not better, than mine.”

~*~

“So what, you guys think that we're the targets?”, huffed Jessie amused.

She sat backward on her chair, arms crossed on the backrest. James was leaning against the bar, right next to her. The pub was still closed, though renovations were going rather well with the help of everyone. And what better time to bring up their theory than when everyone was together.

“Savitri suggested it the other day”, shrugged Joss, brushing her hair behind her ear. “It's as good a theory as any, since the gems came here, to the pub. And the pub is yours.”

“Do you... Do you think anyone could have it out for you?”, asked Mike.

He looked like a big, kicked puppy-dog as he stared at Jamie. It made Joss roll her eyes. Mike and Matt were so very obviously pining for Jamie that it was pathetic. However, Joss was not one with a right to judge, considering her own sad track-record. Still, looking at them made Joss understand why Sonia had taken her aside the other week and asked her if she was bringing any love-drama into this situation. It only complicated things unnecessarily.

“Why would we have enemies?”, asked Jessie incredulously.

Joss furrowed her brows as she watched the way James avoided eye-contact and didn't seem to have any input. This seemed like he was trying to hide something. She wondered what... and she wondered why Jessie didn't seem aware of this. Because Jessica seemed genuinely disturbed by the mere notion of it. Was Savitri's hunch right? Was there something in the Saint Johns' past that had led all of them to this situation...?

“Attacks have increased lately”, noted Lizzy after a moment of working in silence. “I think they're either not happy we took Libra from them, or they see us all gathering as the go-ahead for... whatever they are up to. That ominous 'they' is pissing me off.”

“We've been trailing Carroll Lewis to see if she can lead us to whoever is in charge of her, but so far, no luck”, shrugged Mike annoyed. “...Rick's getting super suspicious.”

Lizzy turned a little, looking guilty. Joss understood why; she was glad that she could share this with her girlfriend. Having to lie and hide such a huge thing from someone you loved? (Or liked a whole lot, because Joss wasn't ready to put the big l-one there just yet.)

“Just means we gotta take care of this fast”, declared Lizzy seriously.

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#Own Story #Story: Written in the Stars #Project: Written in the Stars

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lucasseliott · 5 years

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Okay, so better late than never and I don’t know if anyone cares enough to read all this but I wanted all the cool things that happened to me and @saphy-supernova at EIL3 written down in one place so, here it goes.

- We arrived in Paris the day before the con and once we had checked into the hotel we met up with our Tumblr Mecs GC ( @jebentnietalleen, @chelouelou, @chelou-mecs-in-love, @aspewofnonsense, @isakvaltrsen ) and we visited ‘Le Petite Ceinture’ ( after a few minutes of struggling to try and find the gate, but we won’t dwell on that ) it’s so pretty and all the art and things people have written on the pillars are so cool to look at. One of my fave things I spotted:

- Then Saphron and I went back to the hotel and I spotted this at the correct moment on the clock #sickskamreference

- Then it was convention time!

- We met @srodvlv and talked about our mutual love of Bastille!!

- Our first photoshoot was with the boy squad and when Robin, Paul and Leo saw our shirts they freaked out and said to Saphron that we '...have to show them to Axel!'

- We then had our photo duos with Axel and Maxence and they also freaked out over our shirts and Maxence was like let me take a photo so on his phone there is currently a picture of Saphron with Axel, and me looking derp in the background of the pic, and this moment was then immortalised by skamfrance.live on their instastory!

- Our final photoshoots were with Rocco and Maxence and urghh, Rocco is so sweet and kind, we love.

- Saphron posted a couple of instastories of our shirts and stickers and DAVID SAW THEM AND SHARED THEM, which we then freaked out about!

- The Skam France panel was a whole different experience all together, we got to see Axel being chaotic and getting the cast to sing Happy Birthday to David, as is the norm nowadays... Also, Axel being amazing and making sure everyone had their questions answered even though they were running overtime.

- Seeing Axel and Maxence interacting on the panel was also a sight to behold #friendshipgoals, I also got this rare occurrence on camera, the exchange of the chaotic energy braincell from Axel to Maxence:

- We then met some of the Skam Italia cast and they were all sweet and cute af and Beatrice literally gushed over Saphron's name, and Saphron was slightly nervous when meeting Rocco and he told her not to be and pulled her into their selfie like the King™ he is, and then Rocco stared into my soul and said thank you so sincerely like four times I died.

- At some point during the day we were sat on the floor and Thomas Hayes walked past us and Saphron got a crisp high five!

- Also got to see Ulrikke Falch in person at her panel and she's beautiful and amazing and I love her, her reactions when listening to the host translate her answers to French were priceless!

- After a veryyyy long wait in a queue we finally got to the signing lines, props too all the cast that stayed for over four more hours to see everyone, they really do the most for us. We got to meet Laïs!, Assa!, Phillipine!, Paul!, Robin!, Axel! and Maxence!

- Assa saw my shirt and took a video of me with her freaking out about in the background and sent it straight to David while I watched on shook af 😂

- Paul and Robin recognised me from my shirt and I got compliments and an approving nod from both of them, also the both freaked out over the stickers I gave them and stuck them on the backs of their phones immediately.

- Oh. My. Gosh. talking to Axel one-on-one is An Experience™. What a legend, he was literally stood up behind the signing table the whole time I was in the area, like how did his legs not hurt? Calves of steel I say Calves. Of. Steel. I got the best selfies with him, he also freaked out over the stickers when I gave him a sheet and took a photo of them and texted it to David and was like look I texted him!! Urgh King. He also wrote a really nice message on the pic I had him sign 🥰.

- Maxence was also sweet af, but are we surprised? He was sitting cross legged on the signing table, and also got mega excited when I gave him a sticker sheet and was like 'oh wow, thank you! Wait, these STICKERS! Then proceeded to shout over to Axel across the signing line like ‘AXEL AXEL LOOK STICKERS! *some more excited French* and then thanked me again, definitely didn't think he had that much energy left in him at 10pm. I LOVE HIM! 😍

- Also, quick sidenote, a miracle occurred and I didn't have my eyes shut in any of my selfies, which I’m shook about, cause it's normally a common occurrence with me and pictures 😂

- THEN, on the way back from McDonald's after the con we were walking along the pavement back to the hotel and there was a group of girls heading towards us and they saw our David shirts and started singing happy birthday, it was amazing and we loled v hard!

- Heading into the hotel we saw Robin, Paul and Axel just chilling by the entrance talking to a couple of the convention organisers, and Paul legit recognised us with our shirts and gave us a smile!

- The next morning I woke up early and had a quick look through some instastories from the con and saw that skamfrance.live had posted that pic and then over breakfast they had seen that I had posted their story onto mine and they messaged me, and I nearly choked on my pain au chocolat not gonna lie, they told us how they thought the shirts were 'so damn cool!' and I told them they were amazing and a god send, we love wholesome interaction! Saphron was also messaged by them and they got Maxence to send the pics he took on!!! his!!! phone!!! over to her and we silently freaked out some more over our breakfasts.

- And finally ( if you've made it this far you are the true troopers in this fandom ), today Saphron posted our selfie with our t-shirts on her Instagram feed and David liked! and commented! twice! More acknowledgement from the king himself 😍.

INSERT PIC OF INSTA POST

- Finally finally, just wanted to say thanks to everyone I met and thanks to all the actors for being even more cool and amazing than I already knew them to be, and thanks to Saphron for making it the best trip, I’m looking forward to EIL4 with you already!

#eil #skam #skam france #skam italia #axel auriant #maxence danet fauvel #robin migne #paul scarfoglio #rocco fasano #ulrikke falch #assa sylla #legit the best time ever

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worldbecomefantasy · 4 years

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Some development on Pine:

Pine is the eldest of six kids. Her siblings are Mikel Nil, Ericka, Felix, Caleigh Bela, and Jasper. Their ages in that order are 15, 11, 9, 4, and 2. Her parents are Jae and Mathias. Her extended family spreads far, as her mother has two siblings, Brenden and Lena, who are both older than Jae, and Mathias has two brothers, Sinclair and Leo, and three sisters, Merylin, Sydney, and Lynn. Nearly all of her aunts and uncles have kids, so she has many cousins, though she doesn’t get to see all of them very often either from distance in where they live or distance from broken relationships. The three she sees most are also the three nearest to her age. Pearl and Canary are her uncle Brenden’s daughters, and Meredith is her aunt Lena’s daughter.

From a young age Pearl, Canary, and Meri all knew they wanted jobs to help people. Pine shared that want, but being a nurse or police officer just didn’t feel right to her. Regardless, a six year old didn’t need to know exactly what she was going to do with her life. The four of them commonly played various games of pretend- as children do- each with a new setting and commonly using Mikel as their “damsel in distress.”

Pine always loved Disney movies as a child. They fueled her imagination, and she loved the magic of it all. She loves the idea of finding true love, and even had a childhood sweetheart through elementary school. Her simple romance, that never went beyond a peck on the cheek, ended tragically when the girls were separated into different middle schools. After that point she began seeing how hard it is to find true love, from either situational things pulling people away, or marrying someone you’re not meant to be with. A prime example of this coming from her aunt Merylin who married and had kids with three different men.

Aside from romance though, she also loved fairy tale movies for the magic. Her grandfather, Tiberious, is a vampire. Because of this, her entire family that descended from him has an inclination towards magic, or sometimes simply vampiric traits, depending on how the chips fall. In her case she inherited a magical inclination. At the cost of her own life force, she can heal others or herself. As far as she knows there’s no way to get the time back that she uses to heal, so she’s not overly fond of using it for minor things, but she does not hesitate to sacrifice days of her life to heal others from injuries that would kill them.

Her mother taught her to be very careful with this ability, and not to use it too much, or too openly. Having grown up running from hunters, and knowing others with similar abilities that died in their 30s, or sometimes even their 20s, Jae worried for her daughter. Pine has assured her, all her life, that she’d be fine. Because of this promise, she tries not to heal minor things, as the days off her life aren’t worth the pain it will cause her family.

Going into high school she really came into being herself. Until that point her head was in the clouds, and she listened very closely to everything her parents told her. But as she progressed through high school she began to have something of a mischievous streak. Pearl and Canary took her shooting one time, she found herself flirting easily with the boy who worked at the range. Not long after those flirtations proved themselves useful. Argent became a regular part of her life, aka her boyfriend.

During high school she also started dancing. There was a local troupe that also provided dance classes, and she signed up to take classes during her freshman year. In this troupe she made many friends, but one of the best was Slate Grey. He was a senior in her high school, thus about to graduate when she joined, but they fast became friends. Slate had a similar interest in trouble making, though in a much softer way. He was also very theatrical, though he favored scripted things- or in this case choreographed. Improvisation was not his strong suit. At sixteen, which was around the time she also met Argent, she joined the dance troupe as a fully fledged member, allowing her to take part in the performances as a whole, rather than just class showcases.

As her friendship with Slate developed she learned he was no stranger to the world of the supernatural. In the last troupe he was in, an actor got entranced by a djinn, and he managed to save his fellow actor. After that he became a hunter, working alongside a military veteran that couldn’t adjust to civilian life, and a gorgon/human halfblood that had... qualms about the relations between humans and supernatural beings. Pine, knowing of her own supernatural lineage, asked Slate if she could join them. At first he hesitated, worried she wouldn’t know how to handle her own on a hunt, but she provided him with evidence in the form of paper targets with holes blown in the heads of them, and a quick show of her healing.

Their crew is an interested mix that’s for sure, but they’re a good team. Pine and Rusty are very sympathetic to other supernatural beings, while Slate is interested in protecting people- regardless of species, and Jet is more simply in it for the familiarity of a weapon in hand. None of them hunt for the sake of killing monsters without first evaluating if the supernatural being is causing problems or not.

Pine, however, is only with them half the time. Immediately after she graduated high school she became a teacher in the troupe, and spends a lot of her time there. In both positions she’s helping people, and so she’s happy with both. As a hunter she’s protecting innocents from monsters that are out of control, and as a dance teacher she’s helping children understand themselves and their bodies better, as well as teaching them how to care for themselves.

#about pine #ooc #this is so much longer than the bio she had before #theres so much more detail #i love it

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cy-fi-theansweris42 · 5 years

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My Thoughts During: TMNT (2007)

So I haven’t watched this movie in a good long while, so let’s see if it’s as good as I remember it being! (Also I think the last time I watched it was when I was like…15? 16? My taste in movies has improved significantly since then. Also, I apologize for the excessive lols.)

· RIP Shredder, I wonder if this takes place after a certain series and that shows what happened to him.

· Nothing good ever comes from stars aligning, does it?

· Y’Aotl, craving the sweet release of death since 1007 BCE

· “I just remembered I left the stove on” lol, never noticed that

· “I’m not afraid of a ghost” How about a teenage mutant ninja turtle?

· RIP that dude, I can’t believe Leo just murdered him.

· Good LORD April is skinny, I’m concerned (I know it’s an art style but still)

· Oh poor Donnie, working tech support, you poor child

· “No I’m not playing hard to get, I’m telling you it’s not that kind of phone line!” Oh, poor freaking Donnie, lol.

· Lol, just put on a turtle head, everyone thinks it’s a costume, perfect Mikey

· Lol, Raph being edgy, I forgot about his Nightwatcher costume, I guess that’s one way to avoid people discovering he’s a turtle

· How does one become a better leader by isolating themselves? Like, it might be a thing that I just don’t know about, but still

· “Why skate a halfpipe when you can skate a sewer pipe?” Sanitation for one (that whole scene honestly looks awesome though)

· “Those glory days are over” Wow, they’re teenagers and they’ve already finished the best days of their lives, poor turtles

· So Leo mentioned Donnie being the one to keep things together and Splinter lectured Donnie on being there for his family, so was Donnie supposed to take over as leader while Leo was gone? IDK why but I always thought of Raph as the second in command (of course I don’t know a lot about TMNT, especially the stuff before 2007).

· You know, I just realized how deep the whole “this home has become like an empty shell” line is. From my understanding, the shell of a turtle is basically like their spine and ribs on the outside forming a protective barrier, and all the squishy internal organs are inside. After the turtle dies and all the squishy stuff decays away, you’ll be left with an empty shell. A reminder that there was once life there, but now it’s just…empty. Freaking deep.

· “I was born careful” Proceeds to break something, lol

· “Friends you choose, but never your family” Freaking foreshadowing his relationship with his siblings (if they’re biologically related IDK) and the parallels with the turtles sibling relationships, stuff that went right over 11 year old me’s head.

· “If you’re here to kill me could you make it fast?” Lol, mood

· Why are all the monsters converging on New York? Is it because of the stars? I’m guessing it’s because of the stars.

· RIP this poor guy getting beat up by Raph again, lol

· OMG, Casey is literally just wearing a hockey mask, please wear some protective gear

· “I should have stayed in law school”, lol

· “What is it, some kind of performance art? I don’t get it.” LOL, there’s so many little lines in this that I never noticed before

· “I don’t ever care about Leo anymore” Lol, fake news Raph.

· Raph, PLEASE don’t fall asleep on roof ledges, that’s terrifying

· …I have no idea how that little pendant can bring stone that was once a person to life, but oh well

· LOL, Mikey whispering “dude” in his sleep, freaking adorable

· Aww, Splinter’s got pictures of his sons on his wall

· “I have nightmares about birthday parties.” Poor Mikey, protect him from the evil children.

· Jealous of Donnie’s casual bo skills

· How on earth has no one figured out that Raph is the Nightwatcher?

· “You never said anything about monsters.” *points sword* “Ooooohhh” Lol

· Lol, they are TERRIBLE at acting casual

· Raph: *angrily eats cereal*

· LOL, Splinter was watching Gilmore Girls???

· You have to love just how different and individual they make each monster look

· “What is it?” “The roof…you know what the roof is don’t you?” Lol, me too

· I am terrified for Casey when he goes out. Someone, please buy this guy some protective gear.

· “You do know I only have a wooden bat, right?” And who’s fault is that???

· “And I thought Girl Scouts were pushy!” Trust me, they are

· *only takes pulse* “Well his vital signs seem to be ok” Donnie, please, it’s a little early for a diagnosis, you only know his heartrate.

· “It can’t be!” She says while in a room with four mutated turtle teenagers trained as ninjas by their rat father

· Another dimension? Would it happen to be Dimension X?

· Ah yes, the familiar Raph and Leo arguments, classic

· Also, Casey’s expression when Raph is yelling about the whole “following the rule book thing”, he looks so confused, like he’s thinking “Dude, you haven’t been following that rule book either, why you going off on Leo about that?”

· “So it’s like Hailey’s Comet, only monsters come out of it.” People always underestimate Mikey, it’s their mistake

· Lol, the entire Raph vs. Little Monster fight. I love it

· I’m honestly surprised the ribbons on those little dagger things Leo throws are blue, lol

· Lol, the fact that Leo just starts lecturing this random guy and the fact that Raph is just like “he’s lecturing me!”

· Lol, sassy Leo, you got to love it when Leo just starts taunting his opponents.

· The whole argument between Raph and Leo is so emotional, like every little thing that’s built up from over the years, from Leo being gone longer than expected, and him suddenly returning just comes to a head. I love it while at the same time screaming at them to stop fighting

· You know, something’s got to be said about how when Leo thinks he’s fighting some random stranger, he beats Raph, but when he knows he’s fighting his brother, he loses.

· That moment when Raph realizes he let his anger get the better of him and nearly really hurts his brother, plus the Leo’s look of barely recognizing his brother, leading to him running off. What a freaking emotional moment. When Raph runs off you can hear him breathing heavy, like he’s struggling to breathe. He’s terrified of what he could do.

· Also, RIP Leo’s swords

· Poor Raph, he’s blaming himself and probably hating himself for what happened to Leo

· Once Leo is captured, Raph steps up as leader, so why didn’t that happen when Leo went away for training? IDK

· Somebody FINALLY got Casey some armor, bless

· I love the fight outside of Winters Tower

· “That would be the swirling vortex to another world, I presume.” Sassy Donatello, got to love him

· Raph being gentle with Leo because he still regrets what happened and really does love his brothers even if he can’t always show it

· “Winters!” “Looks more like fall” I THINK I KNOW WHERE MY LOVE OF PUNS CAME FROM, LOL

· Also, Donnie’s reaction to Mikey’s pun is hilarious, that’s like how my siblings were when I started making puns all the time. (We’re not going to talk about how they forgot to make Donnie’s mouth move when he was talking to Mikey then, lol)

· “I hate to see brothers fight like this.” LOOKS AT RAPH AND LEO (but mostly Raph) DONNIE JUST CASUALLY CALLING HIS BROTHERS OUT

· Donnie slamming his staff on a guy’s toes and then saying temper temper, give me more sassy Donnie please

· Leo arming up with a case full of swords, lol

· “The thing about you immortal stone guys is that you’re immortal and…made out of stone…I sound like Mikey.” Lol

· Lol, Splinter’s having fun fighting

· Karai and random foot soldier #27 just being done with April and Casey’s arguing

· Karai foreshadowing Shredder’s return (and then another movie is never made, lol)

· Lol, Winters’ laughter about finally being able to die is me at the end of finals week

· Winters just fading into dust (and then causing Mikey to start sneezing, lol)

· So many references on that wall that Splinter has

· Yep, still love this movie

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master-sass-blast · 5 years

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Whole list for Ellie, pls!!!!

Can diddly do, darling! Going under a cut, because again, Longe.

What is their favourite food: Mac and cheese. Cheesy potatoes. Pizza. Really, any combination of cheese and carbs.

Do they have a fear of an animal? If so, what animal: She’s not a fan of seagulls. Stupid fucking sky rats.

What do they wear to bed: Whatever. Actual pajamas, leggings and shirt, t shirt and gym shorts, whatever works.

Do they like cuddling: Yes, but she doesn’t initiate much after losing her family due to dealing with the trauma from that.

Do they have a secret handshake with anyone: She has one with Leo that changes every time they do it. It mostly exists to annoy Zach.

What do they look like: Ellie is a Very Petite, 13 year old girl, with pale skin, a round face, round, dark brown eyes, a button nose, pouty lips, and stick straight, pitch black hair. She’s too cute to be a mini-vessel of anger and murder.

Do they like chocolate: Yes. She loves chocolate. She’ll straight up eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Frank nearly has a coronary over her dietary habits, but he doesn’t have room to complain because he eats stuff straight out of a can with his Ka-bar.

What are their good and bad traits: Ellie is innovative, creative, and determined, but also aggressive, headstrong to the point of being difficult to work with, and steps past a lot of rules in order to “experiment” with different ideas.

Do they have any artistic talent: She plays the violin and eventually winds up taking dance classes and theater classes with Leo as a way to “keep her brain happy” (at the suggestion of David), but that’s about it.

What is their favourite room to be in, in the house they live in: Once Ellie, Frank, and Karen finally settle in a house? The dining room. They all spend the most time together there.

Do they believe in luck: No. There’s coincidence and probability, but luck in and of itself cannot be scientifically proven. Besides, luck is for people who don’t believe in effort.

Can they do magic: Real magic? No. Sleight of hand magic? Also no.

Do they believe in dragons: As a possible, past existing creature? The common media depictions had to come from somewhere.

What is a pet peeve of theirs: Being talked down to. She can’t stand it. She’s smart, she knows she’s smart, and she will be spoken to as such, thank you very much.

What was the last thing they cried about: In the order of the story? Being adopted by Frank and Karen, though she does get weepy over losing her family (as is natural).

What is their sexuality: She’s a babby gay, and later identifies as a lesbian when she’s older.

Do they have a best friend? If so, who, and what makes them their best friend: Leo Lieberman. They bond while Frank helps David keep an eye on his family, over their mutual love for academics and learning things, and from there they’re just... *crosses fingers* like that.

Have they ever been in a romantic relationship: Yes. Ellie and Leo do wind up dating (once they’re older, which probably won’t be covered in the story, but their mutual interest is hinted at).

What does their relationship with their family look like? Are they close? Distant? Ect: Before her biological family’s passing, she was closest with one her four brothers, Andrew, who was closest to her in age at 21. She was relatively close with her other siblings, save for her sister, whom she is heavily estranged from. Her biological mother died when she was two, and her biological father abused her by exploiting her intellect and mutation set for his own gain, but it takes Ellie a while to recognize that. Post being adopted by Frank and Karen, she’s closer to Frank due to having spent more time with him, but she still loves Karen dearly.

Do they have a pet: In the “good ending,” they get a black and white pitbull named Oreo.

Do they have a familiar: Still dunno what that is, so no.

Are they a supernatural being: Nope.

How do they usually wear their hair: Ellie’s hairstyle changes throughout the story/series. It’s longer at the beginning, then she shaves her head when Frank does (because she asks and he figures there’s no harm so he helps her shave her head), then grows it out longer on the top like he does in S2 of the Punisher, then wears it as an angled bob for S3 of Daredevil, and by the end of the story it’s about shoulder-length again. Eventually, she settles on switching between on longer on the top, shorter sides and the angled bob as her favorites.

Can they play an instrument? If so, what instrument and what can they play: The violin, and she plays just about anything on it.

What type a high schooler are/were they: Ellie graduated high school at the age of nine, so... yeah.

Have they ever been in a physical fight before? If so, with who? Who won: Several. It comes with the territory with being Frank’s “sidekick.” She wins most of them, though does take some notable loses to Billy Russo and Agent Pointdexter.

What is their favourite holiday: Halloween. Hands down.

If they could have one wish, what would they wish for: She doesn’t necessarily believe in wishes, since they usually create various paradoxes.

Do they wants kids? If they already have kids, do they want more: She’s too young to consider having kids during the story, but when she gets older she decides she doesn’t necessarily want any.

Do they have a job: She’s thirteen, so no.

Do they know how to drive: Yes. Her biological father made a point of teaching her how to handle just about any vehicle or craft.

Do they get stressed out easily: Not really. She has her snapping points (being talked down to, people she cares about getting hurt, etc), but all in all she’s pretty easy going.

Did they ever dye their hair before? If so, to what colour? Did they like it: She dyes it magenta when she’s sixteen with Karen’s help and LOVES it.

Have they ever broken the law: Yes. Many times. So many times.

Do they own a plant: Ellie and Frank both fall into the category of “would kill a plastic plant, somehow,” so no.

Have they ever rode a horse before: No.

What is their favorite gif: Don’t have an answer for this, so pass.

Do they get along with others easily: Not really. Ellie can run the end of being argumentative and superior, so she can be difficult to get along with at times.

Do they have any tattoos: Nope.

If I wanted to draw them, what would be distinct physical features that I would have to know to draw them correctly: She has to look like the most innocent, adorable, non-murdery teenage ever. Round face, button nose, big, round eyes, pouty lips, whole nine yards. Very pale skin, very dark hair, very dark eyes.

What is their favourite breed of dog: Ellie hasn’t met a dog she didn’t like.

Do they live with anyone? If so, who: Frank, at the beginning of the story, and then Frank and Karen at the end.

Where is their dream vacation: Ellie traveled a lot when she was younger due to her biological dad’s line of “work,” so she’s seen good chunks of the world. She’d probably enjoy going back to France or Iceland the most, though.

Do they know more than one language: Yes. Ellie speaks English, German, Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, and Arabic fluently, and is conversational in French and Italian.

Are they a quick learner: Extremely.

Have they ever won a contest before? If so, what for? What did they win: Not really. Her biological father had her more focused on studying as much as she could, so she didn’t enter any contests growing up.

If the world were to end in 24 hours, where would they be and who would they be with: She’d stick close to Frank, Karen, Curtis, and the Liebermans.

What does their room look like: In the “good ending,” Ellie’s room is painted shades of purple and blue, and has a desk with a chair, a dresser, and a double bed in it.

If they could have an extinct animal for a pet, what would they have: Probably a Dodo bird.

If they got called out by someone, what would they do: Argue with them. Ellie’s “flight mode” was replaced with extra fight.

Have they ever shot a gun before: Yes.

Have they ever been axe throwing: No.

What is something that they want but can’t have: The ability to kill the worst billionaires of the world and redistribute their funds to those who need them, and that’s only because there’s no way to do that without getting caught and getting other people in trouble.

Do they know how to fish: No.

What is something they always wanted to do but too scared: Scuba diving.

Do they own their own baby pictures: No.

What makes them standout among others: The way she speaks. She’s very intense in her voice and how she talks, which draws a lot of attention.

Do they like to show off: Yes. One hundred percent. She likes the praise.

What is their favourite song: It changes, but one of her consistent faves is “I Love It” by Icona Pop.

What would be their dream vehicle: Stealth bomber jet.

What is their favourite book: Percy Jackson series.

Who, in their opinion, makes the best food: Karen. Frank eats MREs like they’re going out of style.

Are they approachable: She looks it, but she doesn’t talk it.

Did they ever change their appearance: Yeah. She goes through a few phases of figuring out what style suits her best as she grows up.

What makes them smile: Dumb jokes, making Frank, Karen, and Leo laugh, and fail compilations.

Do they like glowsticks: Sure. Who doesn’t?

What is something that is simple, but always makes them smile: Seeing/talking to Leo.

Are they a day or night person: Night.

Are they allergic to anything: Nope.

What do you, the creator of this OC, like most about them: She’s a spitfire, and she challenges Frank to come out of his shell more.

Who is their ride or die: Frank, Karen, Curtis, and the Lieberman family.

Do they currently have a significant other? If not, are they going to get one later one: She and Leo date when they’re older, but that probably won’t be featured in any of the stories.

What attracts them to another person: Intelligence, humor, and willingness to question rules, ethics, and morals.

Who is one person that can always make them laugh: Leo Lieberman.

Have they ever partied too hard and their friends had to take them home: No.

Who would be their cuddle buddy: Leo is her first go to, but Frank and Karen also step up when she needs/wants it.

Who would cheer them up after a long day: Probably Frank, Karen, or Leo.

If they had a nightmare, who would they run to: Frank or Karen. They understand having the types of nightmares that she has.

What object to the care for the most: A phone built for her by her deceased brother, Andrew.

Do they like other people’s children: Eh, not really.

How would they react if someone broke into their home: Kill the intruder.

Does anyone make them have butterflies in their stomach: Leo Lieberman.

What is something that they are good at: Aside from her innate talents, she’s good at crossword puzzles.

What is their neutral expression: She looks like an adorable woodland fairy.

Do they like to cook: Not really.

What is something they can’t leave home without: The phone her brother built for her. It has access to her family’s private satellite network, their stores of information and blackmail data, and their private bank accounts.

Who is someone that they rely on: Frank. Ellie relies on him for protection (despite her abilities, she’s still thirteen) and companionship.

Do they liked to be tickled: Only by Leo.

Have they ever been a sword fight before: Yes.

What is a joke that they would find funny: Any dumb pun in existence.

Do they have a place that can go and turn off their brain: The Lieberman’s house. She really just gets to be a kid there.

What was their childhood like: Kinda tragic, considering her family’s death and the abuse she took from her biological father and sister.

What are they like as an adult: Ellie comes out well-adjusted, all things considered. She does land in the anti-social personality disorder spectrum, but she’s high-functioning and can blend in with society, for the most part. She does wind up picking up the Punisher mantle when Frank retires, citing that “someone needs to purge the city of its scum” as her reason.

Do they take criticism well: If it’s well founded? Sure. If it isn’t? Absolutely not.

Have they ever jumped out of a plane: No.

Who do they like to make jokes with: Frank, Karen, and Leo.

Have you ever drawn them before? If you are comfortable with it, would you post a picture: I have, but I don’t have anything of her I want to post yet.

#sass answers #the duckling verse #ellen 'ellie' long

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mermaidsirennikita · 5 years

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July 2019 Book Wrap-up

July was actually a really good month for me! I read a ton of books, and a lot of them were actually pretty good? It’s been a very transitory month for me; and I’m hoping to keep up the momentum as I start a new job. The standouts of the month include War, of my beloved Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse series by Laura Thalassa, and Lock Every Door, a creepy, apartment-centric psychological thriller by Riley Sagers.

What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon. 3/5. Heartbroken by the death of her grandfather--the only parent she really knew--Anne Gallagher travels to Ireland. Ireland was her grandfather’s homeland, she she grew up on his stories of a family she has little connection with. Going out on the lake, she suddenly finds herself thrown back into 1921, in an Ireland on the brink of civil war. Taken in by Thomas Smith, a friend of her great-grandfather--who himself died young in the conflict--she finds a young boy who is oddly familiar, and a group of people she can’t help but connect with. As she grows close to Thomas and enveloped in his political struggles, Anne becomes terrified of her lack of control over the time she’s in, or the future she’s facing. This is a time travel romance, as you’d probably guess. And it’s really not super amazing or much to complain about. There is fluff. There are the necessary “out of time” moments, the tension between the hero and the heroine. It does seem that Harmon did her research on the Irish political landscape of the 1920s--but I can’t verify the novel’s accuracy. To be frank, I think that this actually got in the way of the story to an extent. The amount of time Michael Collins took up in this novel, acting as like... the best friend character? Was a bit awkward. Otherwise, it’s a fluffy, nice read.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. 3/5. Olive and Ethan hate each other, which is awkward as his brother is marrying her sister. But after the entire wedding party--save Olive and Ethan--end up with food poisoning, they agree to go on the honeymoon trip together, to save it from being completely wasted. The plan on avoiding each other the entire time; but when Olive encounters her future boss at the resort and tells what seems to be a white lie, they end up having to impersonate newlyweds. You can probably guess what happens next! Christina Lauren books usually feature protagonists with a fun, sweet chemistry, and this novel is no exception. The beach setting and Olive and Ethan’s angsty, unresolved sexual tension makes most of this book a super fun read. The only reason why I didn’t give it 4/5 is that the last twenty percent or so really annoyed me. There is a very typical twist, which wasn’t the problem--how our male lead reacted to it was. It didn’t ruin the book, but it did make me much less likely to give it a wholehearted recommendation.

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager. 5/5. After losing her job and breaking up with her live-in boyfriend, Jules is desperate for money and a place to stay. As luck would have it, she stumbles upon an opportunity that offers both. The Bartholomew is an old building, populated by the wealthy elite; and Jules has long idolized it as the setting of one of her favorite childhood books. When the apartments are in between owners, their inherent value makes them targets for thieves--which is why the building’s managers employ apartment sitters. Jules is offered $12,000 to live in an apartment for three months; and despite her wariness, she can’t turn that kind of offer down. But when her newfound friend and fellow apartment sitter Ingrid goes missing, Jules sets on to a horrifying search for answers, which yield far more than she’s bargained for. It’s official: I really do love Riley Sager books. He’s 3/3 so far, and this one just may be my favorite. Sager isn’t shy about drawing from classic horror tropes, and this novel is no exception--it owes a good bit to Rosemary’s Baby and The Shining. But of course, another totally out there twist is thrown in, making the story his own. I can’t say much without spoiling it. But if you love thrillers and horror, try it. What pushes the book over the edge for me is that it has a real point about today’s class systems, and the privileges of wealth and the victimization of the poor in America.

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. 4/5. Following a disastrous breakup, Tiffy needs a flat, and badly. So when she sees the ad posted by Leon, she’s desperate enough to take it. As Tiffy is an assistant editor and Leon is a night nurse, they have different schedules. They live in the flat together and even share a bed--though they sleep on opposite sides--but never see each other, communicating through notes left about the apartment. At first, it’s stiff--but gradually, as they learn more about one another and their separate troubles (from Tiffy’s obsessive ex to Leon’s incarcerated brother) they begin to rely on each other for more than just room and board... This is a really fucking cute, very sweet romantic comedy that touches on deeper subjects than you might think. The way through which Tiffy and Leon connect is pretty unique, and I felt for both of them. They were pleasant without being annoyingly perfect, and I just had a great time with the novel.

War by Laura Thalassa. 4/5. As the apocalypse rages on, Miriam struggles to live in an Israel ravaged by the literal War--that is, the horseman of the apocalypse. When the supernatural warlord stumbles across her in the battlefield, he’s taken aback by her own fury, and declares that she was sent by God to be his wife. Thrown in with War and his followers, Miriam is exposed to the true horror of the battlefield--while also learning that there may be more to War’s purpose, and her connection with him, than she thought. This is the sequel to Pestilence, and part of a big fat series about women falling in love with the four horsemen of the apocalypse. And I love them. War is a surprisingly endearing hero, though Thalassa never shies away from how brutal the horsemen are--which I so appreciate. You never forget that War isn’t a human, however you may love him. Miriam is another fun heroine, and one of those lovely characters who is honestly quite softhearted but still aggressive and never weak. It’s a cheesy romance novel, and it’s exactly what you should read right now, immediately.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. 3/5. Elisabeth is a foundling, raised in the Great Library of Austermeer to take care of its magical grimoires. When the library is attacked and its most powerful grimoire unleashed, Elisabeth is implicated in the crime. Sent to the capital to be dealt with, she becomes wrapped up in a conspiracy, with only a suspicious sorcerer to rely upon. I adored Rogerson’s first novel (An Enchantment of Ravens), and I wish I’d loved this one more. It was well-written, and the characters were interesting, but I just found the story a bit hard to get caught up in. Honestly, I think this had less to do with the plot itself and more to do with the pacing and length of the book. It took way too long for things to get started, and things just moved too slowly for my taste. However, I do think that tons of people will LOVE this book--if sorcery and slow burns are up your alley, go for it!

On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves. 2/5. Thirty-year-old Anna is happy to take a dream teaching job--she’s tutoring the nearly-seventeen year old T.J. as his family vacations over the summer in the Maldives. Flying separately from the rest of the group, Anna and T.J. are thrown off course when their pilot has a heart attack and crashes into the sea, leaving the two of them trapped on an isolated island. As the years pass and Anna and T.J. survive together, they come to face the reality of a new world--and their changing feelings. I had to read this for the what the fuck factor, basically? To clarify, nothing happens between the leads until the guy is almost nineteen, and by then they’ve been alone for so long that it’s honestly pretty understandable. I feel like this could have been great, trashy fun and it still kind of was, but the writing was so........................................ Not great? It was really clunky and really awkward, and the characters kept repeating things to each other that didn’t need to be repeated. The dialogue took me out more than anything else. But I don’t know, I wasn’t disengaged? It’s a spectacle of a book.

The Royal Secret by Lucinda Riley. 3/5. After the death of acting legend Sir James Harrison, reporter Joanna is set to cover his funeral. There, she meets a mysterious older woman, who sets her on a path to uncover a secret that has been hidden for more than seventy years--connected to the royal family. I don’t have much to say about this one. It intrigued me because it was actually published a little over 20 years ago, but due to the timing--it was written when the royal family was at a peak low in terms of popularity, but published right around the time that the popularity took an upswing--it did rather poorly. It was an interesting enough read, but never grabbed me. The characters felt disconnected and bland, and ultimately the thriller aspects were pretty light, or maybe just not the types that I enjoy. It’s not a bad book, but it’s also not for me.

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo. 2/5. This non-fiction book follows three women throughout the years, focusing on their varied sex lives. This just wasn’t for me. Other people will love it, but I was looking for something less... intentionally poetic. I wanted it to be more honest and upfront and analytical.

The Last Leonardo: The Secret Lives of the World’s Most Expensive Painting by Ben Lewis. 4/5. An account of the history of Salvator Mundi, the allegeded Leonardo da Vinci work sold for $450 million. Lewis writes in an engaging manner, revealing both the painting’s history and the case for and against it being a Leonardo--and what I really love too is his examination of the questions surrounding its value even if it is a Leonardo, considering the painting’s extensive restoration (which could have arguably taken away from the artist’s original hand) and its general quality compared to other works by Leonardo. I’m not sure if people who aren’t into art history or at least history would be into this, but I found Lewis’s skepticism and reserve regarding the topic weirdly refreshing. I have a lot of feelings about Salvator Mundi, and I appreciated the way he communicated his.

The Descendant of the Crane by Joan He. 4/5. After the death of her father, Hesina is left as the heir to the throne. The issue? She thinks that her father was murdered--and in her pursuit of the truth, she seeks help from a sooth, one of the magic-users forbidden by the Eleven, the wise people who restructured the kingdom years ago. She is then set to work with Akira, a thief who’s meant to represent her in court as she struggles to find the killer--but ends up on a path that will reveal more than she’d bargained for. It’s hard to not spoil this one? It has many twists and turns, to the point that it did get kind of convoluted (and the ending is far from resolved, though there’s no guarantee of a sequel). But I admire He’s ambition and the scope of the story. I hope we do get a follow-up!

#books #book recs #book roundup

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lindburgsreviews · 5 years

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My Top 3 Favorite Quentin Tarantino Films Hey everyone. It’s been awhile since I’ve shared much of anything on here. If you follow me on Instagram, you have seen a few before/after movie reviews I’ve done over the past year. If you’ve watched any of those, you would also know this was my first year teaching high school, and that doesn’t exactly lend much time for me to share my thoughts on movies. There’s a couple weeks until school starts, so the reviews may be few and far between once again. But there’s been one movie I have seen this summer that inspired me to dust off the keyboard and talk about said movie’s director and his other works that I really love. That movie is Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and the director is the one and only Quentin Tarantino. I’ll be talking about my top three favorite movies directed by him. Just to be clear, there is no criteria that these movies have met that gives them an undisputed assessment of their quality. They are simply three great movies made by one of the most unique minds working in film today. #3- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) Granted I’ve only seen this movie once, it is by far my favorite movie of the summer and it may end up being the best one I see this year. The story is set in late 60’s Hollywood and follows Rick Dalton, a TV star played by Leonardo Di Caprio whose popularity is quickly fading. Rick isn’t taking it well, confiding often in his best friend and stunt double Cliff Booth, played by Brad Pitt. Tarantino is known for not playing by the rules as far as traditional movie making goes, but Hollywood is very different even by his standards. There isn’t much a of plot, as almost the entire movie focuses on following these two characters around as Rick comes to grips with the changing Hollywood landscape. There isn’t even that much violence until the final 20 minutes or so. It really is a movie that only a handful of directors pull off, and Tarantino happens to be one of them. Both Leo and Brad Pitt are fantastic in their respective roles and are especially great when they share the screen together. One of my favorite things a movie can do is recreate a very specific era in American culture, and everything from the sets and music to the costumes and dialogue transports you back to 1969 Hollywood. Even though it runs nearly three hours long, I was hooked every minute. And although Hollywood doesn’t have the same tension and violence that have become Tarantino staples, the threat of the Manson murders looming over the story (Margot Robbie plays Sharon Tate, whom happens to be Rick Dalton’s neighbor) simmers and finally comes to an exhilarating head in the final act. A few repeat viewings might bump this movie down or possibly even up in my list, but as of right now Once Upon a Time in Hollywood definitely has earned a spot in my top three. #2- Inglorious Basterds (2009) If you love moments of tension in your movies as much as I do and haven’t seen Basterds, I recommend you stop reading right now and watch one of the best movies of the past 20 years, (It is streaming on Netflix after all) and then finish reading. Like the last entry, the story that this movie tells could only come from the mind of Quentin Tarantino. As World War II rages in Europe, a ruthless yet charming Nazi colonel by the name of Hans Landa (played by Christoph Waltz in one of my favorite performances on film) is hunting down the remaining Jews hiding out in France. Meanwhile, a ragtag group of Jewish American soldiers led by Alado “The Apache” Rayne (again Brad Pitt) are also tearing through France, terrorizing Nazi troops with brutal surprise attacks. On top of that, a young Jewish woman that had escaped Landa before (Melanie Laurent) also owns a small movie theater in Paris. The top leaders of the Third Reich decide her theater would be the perfect location to debut a new propaganda film. Unbeknownst to them, both the theater owner and the Basterds are planning a daring attempt to take out some of the most evil people in history as they gather to watch the new film. What really makes this movie for me is how unique it is. Again, I’m not sure any other director could pull off a story like this. Three storylines are taking place simultaneously that are all entertaining. Moreover, most of the movie isn’t even in English. Over half of the script is spoken in French or German. Like all of his other movies, Tarantino’s dialogue here is top notch, but what makes it brilliant is how it builds edge-of-your-seat tension almost entirely through spoken words. Alfred Hitchcock’s explanation of how to create tension in filmmaking is perfectly showcased in multiple scenes, most famously in the opening act. Much like Hollywood, Basterds is two and a half hour long movie that is so gripping that it feels like it goes by in 30 minutes. It’s hard to write a detailed explanation about what makes this movie so great without just telling to just see it yourself. Brad Pitt is hilarious, Christoph Waltz is vilely suave, and too many other people to count are brilliant in their roles too. Just go watch Inglorious Basterds. I promise you’ve never seen anything like it, and you won’t see anything like it again. #1- Pulp Fiction (1994) Ezekiel 25:17. Royale with Cheese. “SAY WHAT AGAIN!”. The Jack Rabbit Slim’s Twist Contest. Mention these phrases to anybody that loves film and they will know exactly what you’re talking about. Sure, Tarantino had a solid debut with his first feature film, Reservoir Dogs (which would probably be number four on this list) but Pulp Fiction is the movie that announced to the world that he is here to stay. It may have been released a year before I was even born, but even I know that it was a cultural phenomenon and a cinematic gamechanger. Tarantino’s signature dark humor, pop culture references, nonlinear narratives, and even his first casting of Samuel L. Jackson were introduced with this movie. Even more so than in his other works, Pulp Fiction has an incredibly unique plot that’s pretty difficult to summarize second hand. Three different storylines that interweave to varying degrees throughout the movie are presented out of order. The main story focuses on two hitmen played by Sam Jackson and John Travolta that are out trying to recover a mysterious briefcase for a mob boss played by Ving Rhames. The other story focuses on a boxer played by Bruce Willis whom refuses to throw a fight despite being pressured by the same mobster. The movie opens and closes with the last story throughline about a British couple of bank robbers that decide to hold up the Denny’s style diner they happen to be in one morning. As unusual as this sounds, Pulp Fiction is yet again a movie that is wildly entertaining just through the dialogue alone. Anybody that knows me well can attest that I love quoting movies, and this one happens to be a favorite of mine to pull from. There definitely are some weaker scenes even with repeat viewings (mainly Bruce Willis and his French(?) girlfriend) but the rest of the movie more than makes up for it. There are a lot of deep themes that can be explored with this movie, and some amazing character arcs that can lead to hours of debate and discussion. Motifs like redemption, free will versus fate, hypocrisy, and basic ethics can be found throughout and will linger in your mind along with the great writing and memorable characters. I remember the first time I watched this movie was about five years ago. Once the credits rolled, I had no idea what I had watched. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. But after watching it a second time, and then a third time, I realized its brilliance. I now consider it one of my all time favorites. Even more so than with Basterds, this movie is so different than anything else out there and needs to be watched rather than having somebody on the internet try to explain to you why it’s so great. It definitely isn’t for everyone with the graphic violence and coarse language, but if you haven’t seen Pulp Fiction, it’s also streaming on Netflix I’d highly recommend giving it a watch as it happens to be my favorite movie written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. What do you think of my list? What are your top three Tarantino movies? What should my next editorial, analysis, or review be about?

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jasonsscar · 6 years

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I know you like the idea of Jason reincarnating, but for a one shot idea maybe a reunion with Jason and some of the other 7 in Elysium. Only if you want to if course

I’m all for any idea in all honesty. So here is an Elysium story that is short but hopefully enjoyable???

(Also, thanks guys for 100 followers!)

Death is inevitable.

Those were words all demigods found themselves having to live with. Heroes died in battles constantly, it wasn’t a secret. Sometimes they win battles and do so for years to come and other times that doesn’t happen for heroes. Plain and simple logic.

Jason Grace knew death was coming. He’d heard it himself, that five letter word that had been haunting him for months on end until, finally, he had to fall. It didn’t matter to him if he died now or later, Romans were raised to believe that dying in battle was an honor. It was an honor for Jason because his death meant that he saved someone else from never seeing their family or friends again.

The blonde sixteen year old hoped he wouldn’t be forgotten by his friends. He hoped wherever Apollo and Meg were on their journey to save all five Oracle’s, that they were safe. He hoped Apollo would remember to keep his promise and to remember what it felt like to be human. He hoped Piper would find her true self back in Oklahoma. He hoped Percy and Annabeth would be safe and happy back in New York. He hoped Frank lived to see a stronger version of himself. He hoped Hazel continued to live the best life she should’ve received in the first place. He hoped wherever Leo was, he was happy and stayed alive. He hoped Reyna would someday find love. He hoped Nico never had to hide his true self from others ever again. He hoped that the two camps never had to go to war ever again.

Most of all, he hoped Thalia would forgive him for not saying one final goodbye.

That, he knew, was too much to hope for.

As Judgement stood before him it, they allowed his life to flash before his eyes. Jason watched himself as a child, memories that he could never recall now, playing with his older sister Thalia as she tossed him around in the backyard of the mansion they lived in. The two of them laughing as the young girl just tried to enjoy the little moments she had left with her baby brother.

Jason watched while his mother bargained with Hero and he was taken away from the home he should’ve belonged in. He saw the memory of himself being dropped down with Lupa and being raised to become strong and show no signs of weakness. He saw himself arriving on the grounds of Camp Jupiter and being claimed by the Lord of the Sky and being feared by those around him. The moments that he had with Reyna on their quests were ones that he was able to vividly remember, with the friend he had grown to love like a sister. His fight with Krios was something that he could never forget; he remembered thinking how if he died then and there he hoped Reyna could defeat him and hold the glory high on her shoulders. He didn’t though, and instead four months later he found himself dropped in the middle of Nevada, holding hands with a girl he didn’t know and talking nonsense with a boy who claimed was his best friend. He watched his arrival to Camp Half-Blood and meeting a different cultural group he would have never anticipated to work with. He watched as he received a prophecy to free Hera and he travelled on a quest with his two new best friends Piper and Leo; the Prophecy of Seven unfolding before them and the battle with Gaea, something he had been anticipating for months, lasting only a few minutes. It was a good laugh in Jason’s opinion.

Then came his final moments, as he fought desperately against the Roman emperor Caligula as arrows were impaling him in his arms and legs until finally one went through his heart, the last thing he remembered doing was screaming to Apollo to remember his promise and giving Tempest one last order to take his friends to safety before he fell to the floor, dead.

Jason blinked a couple times, unsure whether he should cry or be relieved that the vision was over. He slowly brought his gaze upward where he saw the three judges of Judgement sitting and conversing quietly. He was able to recognize all three judges, thanks to Nico who seemed to know how the Underworld worked on the daily. The judges for this particular session he had Minos, Rhadamanthus and Aeacus. The most famous judges to ever sit on the Judgement Panel were now judging Jason and his incoming fate.

Jason had no idea how long he’d been standing there, waiting to see what they would tell him. He had nowhere to sit, so the boy just shifted into a different standing position every few minutes until finally the verdict was said.

“Elysium.”

Doors that sat behind the judges held the different locations. Jason could hear the screaming from the Fields of Punishment and the silence from the Field of Asphodel. The door for Elysium opened and Jason took a step forward seeing something more beautiful than he would have ever dreamed to see. The fields of grass and small children and adults alike, running around and having fun. The son of Jupiter stepped through the door and it closed behind him and Jason for the first time in a long time smiled, because now he was at peace and nothing would bother him again.

Jason wasn’t sure how many years had passed when the first person he recognized from his friends arrived in Elysium.

It was Percy first.

Jason had been talking to a couple who used to go to Camp Half-Blood; they were eighteen when they died in the Battle of Manhattan. Charles Beckendorf was apparently a good friend of Percy and Annabeth’s. Jason seemed to have a distant memories of Leo talking about him. He was a popular figure at Camp Half-Blood before his untimely death. He was a son of Hephaestus and was dating a daughter of Aphrodite, Silena Beauregard, another popular figure at Camp Half-Blood.

The son of Jupiter saw the door open at the entrance and the blonde boy inclined his head over and he smiled, a common facial feature that Jason was able to show more often after he had been assigned to Elysium.

The blonde slid down the roof of the house he was sitting on, landing on his own two feet to see who the new arrival was. It wasn’t everyday someone new got accepted into Elysium; when he saw the person walk through the door his smile got wider as Perseus Jackson walked through looking confused and unsure of where exactly he was.

Jason shouted his name once and Percy whipped his head over to see Jason Grace in the flesh looking alive and exactly the way he remembered he looked when he’d left him back almost a good twenty years ago. The son of Jupiter jogged over to his friend.

“J-Jason?” Percy stuttered out, his sea green eyes wide as he looked at his blonde friend in surprise.

Jason stood before Percy, the son of Poseidon had reached the same height as Jason by then, and smiled. “Hey, Jackson,” the eternal sixteen year old greeted. “How’s life been treating you?”

Percy looked down at himself in confusion, he was wearing an old Camp-Half Blood t-shirt, the lettering slowly fading from the amount of times it had been washed. Percy said, “I’m dead.”

The two started catching up, Percy telling Jason about the past twenty years that he had missed. Naturally, he and Annabeth had gotten married and had a little boy and girl. They lived at New Rome but a new prophecy had been declared and the camp had been infiltrated. Percy had defended the camp to his last breath, taking a gorgon to save Annabeth and their children. Percy was ridden with guilt though, for leaving his children without a father though. For leaving Annabeth alone.

Jason tried to comfort him as best as he could, but Jason knew what he felt. It was similar to the same guilt he felt when he had died as well.

It wasn’t long after Percy that Frank had entered Elysium. Another war was happening back in the world of the living. The camps weren’t getting along again, Jason wasn’t sure what that meant. People started dying and being sent to the Fields of Asphodel. Frank had wrapped Jason in a bear hug then hit him, for leaving him to run the camp blindly with no help. Jason had laughed and apologized but it was a good hearted conversation.

Not long after that, Annabeth entered Elysium, searching vigorously for Percy and even shoving Jason aside. The daughter of Athena wrapped her arms around the love her life and pressed kisses on his face, saying how much she missed him and loved him and if he ever died again she would never forgive him. It didn’t take long for Annabeth to see Jason finally and punch him, for being a hero and dying as one. She hugged him though, because that was their friendship. She may not have known him long or all that well, but they were friends and that was what mattered.

Years must’ve passed before Leo Valdez entered Elysium, greeting everyone with a wink. He froze seeing Jason and turning pale on the spot in surprise of not seeing his best friend after nearly forty years of not seeing him. Jason grinned at him and held out his arms and Leo ran up to him and hugged him, wrapping his legs around the blonde boy’s waist.

“Jason, you piece of shi-!”

Jason laughed. “There’s kids here!”

“You were dead!” Leo yelled, still hugging him tight.

“Well now you’re dead!”

Hazel entered Elysium a couple years later along with Reyna. The war with the camps had came to an end and now both of them were separated but Hazel and Reyna didn’t seem to mind, having finally arrived at a place where peace would overtake them. Hazel had greeted all of her friends with a kiss on the cheek, speaking of how she missed each of them. Jason just hoped she lived the best life she could.

Jason didn’t get to see Piper until almost another ten years later.

The doors had opened again and Piper McLean entered through, her head high and looking as beautiful as he remembered her. The memories of his last moments on Earth and declaring to himself and that he would save her. It was worth it, she had lived the longest out of all of them.

Annabeth had hugged her first, crying and saying how much she missed Piper. Then Hazel, Leo, Percy, Frank and last Jason and that hug lasted the longest. It held no romantic intentions it was a hug that meant so much more.

“Thank you for saving us,” Piper had mumbled as she let her friend go with a bright smile. Jason smiled and nodded his head.

Maybe dying a hero wasn’t so bad after all.

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italicwatches · 6 years

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Animal Sentai Zyuohger - Episode 29

It, has been a long day. Not a bad day, necessarily, but a long one. So let’s get this going. It’s Animal Sentai Zyuohger, episode 29! Here we GO!

-PREVIOUSLY ON Animal Sentai Zyuohger, we got Captain Marvelous and everything was better. Also I guess some stuff happened with the actual cast of this show.

-PRESENTLY ON Animal Sentai Zyuohger, Eagle and GokaiRed are in a ferocious dogfight that returns to the ground…While The World catches up to the rest of the crew to find them fighting a bunch of crazy looking Sentai members! And also, that he has nobody to fight…He falls into despair.

-But then, there is another man of silver and gold. …No purple, though. GokaiSilver has appeared!

-Meanwhile, GokaIRed has Eagle on the backstep…And right when Eagle manages to flip it around, Gokai Change! GOOOORANGER! With his whip of the first ranger against the Eagle Riser, it becomes a vicious lashing duel…Until Eagle manages to cut that whip apart, and come at GokaiRed with sheer speed and ferocity, barely managing to rip him out of his armor while holding his own…

-But Marvelous, when Eagle hesitates, puts three rounds from his space-flintlock right into the idiot’s chest, enough to make his armor fail.

-Back at the big fight, The World knows how this works, and is ready to fight GokaiSilver…But Silver isn’t here for a big fight, he’s here to really all you stupid idiots. They don’t need to have a big fight! …Marvelous said to keep these guys busy, though. Marvelous says lots of shit! Listen do you all even realize they’re in a crossover episode?!

-Marvelous has his gun to Yamato’s head. Too slow, too gentle…But Yamato sees the injury on Marvelous’s hand…

-Opening!

-Episode 29! The Champion of Champions

-So with everything able to calm down at last, the space pirates end up getting brought to the cabin, and our heroes get to learn the legend of the Super Sentai. There have been 39 teams, up to this point, making you all the 40th…Also Leo sees two cute girls and is immediately ready to flirt, until Sela hauls him back.

-All of that leads to the question of Marvelous, and why he’s seeking the Grand Champion Symbol. And speaking of Marvelous, back with him, Yamato’s bandaging up his wounds, and apologizing that it got so rough, that he had to go all out. …You were holding back, kid? Well of course he was. He saw Marvelous make a point of getting Bunglay and his summon’s attention instead of just slipping off…You had a reason for it. And there aren’t a lot of dishonest reasons to make that kind of show.

-You fight with honor, Marvelous. You’re willing for things to be harder, so long as they’re done right. Yamato can see an honest core to you. And so, he asks, honestly and earnestly, to return this relic of the zyuman people.

-Marvelous promptly pulls his gun, instead.

-While back at the cabin, the core four explain how that Symbol powers the Link Cube. Their only way home. It’s not just a weapon, or a tool, or a historical relic…It’s their only hope of getting to see their families again.

-And for these four pirates, who lost family to a great battle…They can understand and respect that…

-As Yamato calls Marvelous’s bluff, ice cold. You don’t have the eyes of a killer, captain. …And you’ve got stones bigger than your brain, kid. But then, what Red hasn’t, over these forty years?

-Aaand that’s when Bunglay finds the pair. Instincts Awakened! Gokai Change! The fight is on…

-While the others get vibes! Bungay’s got to be on the move…And neither crew i going to let him just have their leaders!

-While Bunglay manages to rip some memories out of GokaiRed’s skull…And though Eagle hauls him off, he’s on the ragged edge, running half empty…

-When Bunglay calls up a bunch of GokaiRed’s best foes! …Shit, those are some rough foes…They’re up against the edge of the cliff, with few options and fewer ideas…As the gun barrage begins!

-They’re sent to the dirt below, their armors failing…It’s a damn good thing the teams find them at that point, or they could’ve died.

-And while they have time…Marvelous presents the Zyuohgers with a simple dilemma. Bunglay’s after this Symbol of yours, and the Whale connected to it. He and his crew take it back into space, and Bunglay follows. You still want this thing, even knowing it brings that much danger?

-…Of course. By their honor and their pride, they’re going to set this right. Bungled needs to be stopped, not lured away like a dog after a bone.

-…Then good luck with it, kids. Have fun. He shoves the Symbol right into Yamato’s hands, and the thing activates, unfolding from a projector into a cannon…And that’s about when Bunglay and his pack of summons find them. Well then, one quick round along with the new kids…All together?

-They stand, twelve strong! Gokai Change! Instincts Awakened! GOOOKAIGER! And Yamato Instincts Awakened with the Grand Symbol, bringing upon the power of the WHALE! It showers upon him, forging a new helm and longboat….!

-Gokai Red! Gokai Blue. Gokai Yellow! Gokai Green! Gokai Pink. Goooookai SILVER! Pirate Sentai, GOKAIGER! Champion of the surging waves, ZYUOH SHARK! Champion of the savannah, ZYUOH LION! Champion of the forest, ZYUOH ELEPHANT! Champion of the snowy drifts, ZYUOH TIGER! Champion of the world, ZYUOH THE WORLD! Champion of champions…ZYUOH WHALE! Animal Sentai, ZYUOHGER!

-This planet, is under the Super Sentai’s protection! And all twelve of them charge forth full of fury and grand heroism, weapons at the ready, as they face a ferocious mix of historical villainy! Foes of all different eras that Captain Marvelous and his crew helped face down…But they stand united, bringing a ZYUOH SLASH down on one, and (All) Beast Unleashing on another to chew him to nothing!

-While Gokai Pink and Green polish up their weapons a little before being forced to get in, and stand with their crew!

-Gokai Change! ALL RED! FLASHGUN! BOUKENGER! CARRANGER! MAGIRUANGER! SHINKENGER! Gokai Change! ALL RED! SUN VULCAN! GOSSIPER! GINGAMAN! GEKIRANGER! ZYURANGER! FINAL WAVE! The strengths of ten years of history unite, taking down two more…!

-While GokaiRed and Whale face down Bunglay himself, and the few tricks he still has up his sleeve! But as fierce as these foes are, they’re not able to stop Whale’s sheer speed and power, or the Megaman-ass cannon strapped to his arm…!

-Which, when he gives it a charge, pulls so much more than he thought possible…Excess energy showers off the barrel, as he lines up a single shot…ZYUOH FINAL! One rip of the trigger, and it’s enough to send him nearly flat on his ass, as the beam arcs into the sky…. skirting around the moon’s gravitational field…And coming down onto them in a single mighty explosion! God. Damn. Even GokaiRed is boggled, and a little scared of that thing…

-And Eagle promptly puts it away, letting that new armor fall…While Bunglay, who survived the mess, calls up one last big monster to give himself an escape plan!

-Pulling in a movie villain…One who nearly handed the Gokaigers their ass!

-Well then, only one option. Animal Kingdom Combination! WILD TOUSAI KING! …Why are the Gokaigers here?! So how’s this one work, you spin the boxes right? Please, just, let the Zyuohgers do their job! You have to spin with PURPOSE!

-Yeah well there’s somewhere to shove keys in this thing, right? Because they’ve got a plan. DENJIMAN! Draw upon the strength of history…With the Electron Full Moon SLASH!

-And LINEMAN! Super Big Burst! The finishing blows, one after another, start to put this huge monster on the ground…

-But bring it all into one. Four decades of heroism. All to the center…! ZYUOH FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY! Two thousand battles worth of power come together, cutting the beast apart! It is done.

-And when all is said and done, the Gokaigers have to take their exit…They’ve got another haul to seek, another battle to fight. They’re pirates, after all. Ignore their grand heroism. Anchors UP! Thus are these six off, Gai joining them properly on the battle this time…And nobody entirely realizing they left their robot bird behind.

-When Mario gets back into the cabin and why is there a robot in his house? A TALKING ROBOT PARROT?! Tell him your secrets, mechanical marvel!

-Credits!

HELL YEAH

#where I watch #recap #tokusatsu #super sentai #animal sentai zyuohger

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