#blame chester it's his fault!

[fizzybizzness]

No post today because I got distracted by drawing an idiot mushroom </3

#blame chester it's his fault! #totally not my fault... no #blame the mushroom he is to blame #ooc #doodle #bizz audino #chester shiinotic #i was gonna color this but bedtime beckons...

[femboyishcharm]

lee told me that everyone romancing a clowns on themselves and makes memes about how they're still starved by book three bc i think he didn't want me to be disappointed (which is super sweet) but like,,,,, thats what i CRAVE !! adam unintentionally negs my detective, self-sabotages, then grabs my detective's arm before running away to hide in his fucking room all within like less than five minutes !! tHATS MORE THAN I COULD'VE HOPED FOR I'LL TAKE IT

#HE CALLED MY DETECTIVE BY HIS NAAAAAAAAAAME #a: *gets a crush then blames said crush for making things more complicated than necessary* #EXCUSE ME SIR BUT I AM NOT MAKING PASSES AT YOU I'M TRYING TO BE CIVIL AND WORK AS A TEAM #IT IS NOT CHESTER'S FAULT UR FEELIING FRUITY! #the only one chester's technically hit on is felix !!! #f isn't enough of a walking red flag for chester's liking tho :3

[cyndrastic]

ok so y’all seemed to like the first part of the Fairly Odd Parents AU so here’s more characters!!

Tolkien and Jimmy are AJ and Chester!! They’re Clyde’s best (and only) friends at school! As I was making this au I realized how oddly well Tolkien and Jimmy actually match AJ and Chester character wise, so not much has to be changed for them honestly. Meanwhile I needed a character to be Vicky so I figured “hey Clyde has a sister doesn’t he?” so boom there she is.

more in depth character descriptions under the cut for those who want them!

Tolkien is the smart rich kid who tries and generally fails to talk sense into Jimmy and Clyde, and is the only one of the three with any brain cells. Also probably the only neurotypical one of the three. He’s also the only one in school who will point out when stuff randomly changes, usually in benefit of Clyde. Like, he’s the one who always notices when Clyde suddenly has a new super expensive looking bike, or he’s suddenly the most popular guy in school for like 3 days before everything just goes back to how it was for no reason. Tolkien is the only one who notices and is concerned with this.

These changes are obviously Clyde making wishes, and it scares Tweek that Tolkien will eventually figure out that Clyde has fairy god parents. Tweek wants to wipe Tolkien’s memory every time he notices a spell, but Clyde and Craig stop him. Craig thinks it’s hilarious because in all his time being a godparent, no godkid’s friends have ever noticed anything wrong until Tolkien, so he’s automatically Craig’s second favorite human (second to Clyde).

He rewards Tolkien for this by letting him be the only human that can hold or play with him when he’s in his pet form (like how Cosmo and Wanda become goldfish, Craig is a guinea pig) without getting bit when the trio hangs out at Clyde’s house.

Jimmy, for the sake of this au, will not be as dirt poor as Chester is in the actual show cause idk what good that does for this au lol. Otherwise Jimmy is the wisecracking friend who has a good heart and pure intentions most of the time but covers it with crude humor and kinda offensive jokes. Also he sucks at reading a room (me coded) and can never tell when his comedic genius won’t be appreciated (the deleted scene of him making a joke about Clyde killing his mom to Clyde like the day after it happened lives in my head rent free it’s so funny) His hair is also wavy cause I said so and that’s just how I like to draw Jimmy, i do what i want.

Also, just like how Tolkien is Craig’s second favorite human, Jimmy is Tweek’s. Most of the time when Jimmy cracks a joke, even if it’s a supremely unfunny one, Tweek laughs at it. Tweek’s pet form is a parrot, so that means if he’s chilling as an animal he can still talk and laugh. Jimmy thinks it’s hilarious that Clyde’s bird finds him so funny and Jimmy will frequently go to Clyde’s house to write and test out new comedy routines for Tweek because he’s “such a terrific audience.” Craig kinda hates it but won’t object because Tweek genuinely enjoys it.

Clyde and Craig don’t understand how Tweek finds Jimmy genuinely funny all the time, but it’s literally only because Tweek has spent the majority of his life around Craig, who is incredibly blunt, sarcastic to a fault, and so unfunny it hurts. Craig is only ever funny by being overtly honest when he doesn’t need to be (autism moment), and couldn’t make a normal joke if his life depended on it (if i may remind anyone of the Craig clip: “i got a good one: why do girls wear makeup and perfume? because they’re ugly and they stink” this man would not know a joke if it punched him in the face)

Lizzie is Clyde’s older sister. Shes a good bit older than him, Clyde being around 15 years old and her being around 22. She’s a massive bitch and has always been mean to Clyde, but it got worse once their mom died and she blamed it on Clyde (Betsy died the same way in canon as in this au, so it is kinda Clyde’s fault but still, he was 8). Luckily with her being way older than Clyde, she lives at college, but he has to deal with her whenever she goes home and during her school’s breaks. She takes Vicky’s role in this au so even if she isn’t an evil babysitter, she acts similarly to Clyde as Vicky does to Timmy.

She’s one of the reasons Clyde even gets god parents: abusive older sister, dead mom who’s death was because of him, crazy teacher (Garrison is his own level of traumatizing just as he is in the canon of the show but i haven’t decided if i wanted him to be exactly like Crocker yet), and Roger (Clyde’s dad) is ok but he’s kinda neglectful cause he’s mourning his wife and has to work double to support his kids now that Betsy is dead.

#south park #south park fanart #south park au #cyn art #south park art #fairly odd parents sp au #<- idk what tag to use for now #clyde donovan #clyde’s sister #tolkien black #token black #jimmy valmer #sp clyde #clyde sp #tolkien sp #sp tolkien #sp token #jimmy sp #sp jimmy

[twistedtummies2]

Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes - Number 10

Welcome to A Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes! During this month-long event, I’ll be counting my Top 31 Favorite Fictional Detectives, from movies, television, literature, video games, and more!

Today, the countdown enters the Top 10!

SLEUTH-OF-THE-DAY’S QUOTE: “The enemy of my enemy is my enemy.”

Number 10 is…Dick Tracy.

Created for a series of newspaper adventure strips by Chester Gould, Dick Tracy has been considered the forerunner to a lot of popular superheroes. However, the actual character isn’t really a superhero so much as a classic detective character. In the comics, Tracy starts off as a member of the Navy, who falls in love with a beautiful woman named Tess Trueheart, and becomes close with her father, Emil. Things take a sour turn when the notorious gangster called Big Boy kidnaps Tess and has Emil murdered. Outraged at the loss, Dick vows revenge, and joins a plainclothes police force. He thus takes down the mobsters, and ultimately saves Tess. Thus begins Dick Tracy's long and dauntless crusade to stamp out crime with uncompromising fortitude: over time, Dick Tracy rises in the ranks. He eventually becomes the head of the homicide squad, before opening his own private detective agency (briefly), and then eventually returning to the force. The comics have sort of been made off-and-on over the years, both in papers and in comic book format, and are still around even to this day.

Tracy himself is essentially an avatar for law and order, as a concept. He is almost obsessively “straight”: he scoffs at bribes, and shows no mercy to most criminals when on the case. And considering he’s facing dangerous thieves, bootleggers, enemy spies, and more murderers than you can shake a skull at, I don’t think you can blame him for being a bit hard-edged. Tracy’s viewpoint of the world is very simple: “all criminals are rats, and should be treated as such.” While at times this is a fatal flaw in his character, normally you can’t really fault Tracy, because the villains he takes down ARE rats. When he’s not on the case, however, Dick is a much warmer sort of person: he’s a devoted (if often distracted) family man, has many good friends he trusts and cares for, and even shows what I can only describe as a jolly side to his character, as upbeat as he is firm and strong. Indeed, despite his own philosophy, Tracy has - on the rarest of occasions - helped some villains reform and redeem themselves, and some of them have become not only allies but close friends. It's probably best to say that Tracy CAN recognize when there's good in a person...but he also recognizes that most of the people he deals with are either too far gone, or there just isn't time to worry about that when lives are at stake.

On that note…if there’s one place where you can definitely see the influence on superhero fiction with Tracy, it’s his villains. The bad guys from Dick Tracy were among the first “supervillains,” as we recognize them today: grotesque and eccentric antagonists with various unique gimmicks, as well as bizarre costumes and/or physical features that make them as eye-catching as they are blood-curdling. The villains of Dick Tracy are a big part of what made and still makes the series popular: from the ever-pestering Flattop Family, to femme fatale Breathless Mahoney, to the soft-spoken but thoroughly psychopathic Mumbles, and so on and so forth. Honestly, a lot of these villains are best experienced through the comics themselves, since while a lot of other media portrayals do Dick Tracy himself decent justice, the iconic villains usually either lack the right amount of grotesque appearance, or the depths of personality and modes of operation that their original sources have.

On that note, most people recognize Tracy for his portrayal in the 1990 film, appropriately titled “Dick Tracy.” This version starred Warren Beatty as the detective, with supporting roles played by Al Pacino, Mandy Patinkin, and even Madonna, of all people! While I do enjoy that film, and Beatty’s somewhat darker take on Tracy, I think my favorite portrayer of the character is a much older actor: Ralph Byrd. He played Tracy first in a series of four old movie serials, which, despite changing a lot of the lore around the character, still captured the spirit of the comics and Tracy himself. Byrd would later reprise the role in more source-accurate interpretations, first in two of four films by RKO (including one where he faces off against Boris Karloff, in the role of “Gruesome”), and then later in a largely-lost 1950s television series, which adapted various storylines from the comics into TV format. While the actual quality of all these outings fluctuated, to say the least, Byrd, himself, was the definitive screen Tracy: he looked, sounded, and felt the part better than anyone else.

Other actors have played Tracy over the years, of course, from radio to films and even to TV. Some noteworthy names worth looking at include Bing Crosby, Morgan Conway, and Everett Sloane. However, the comics are really the only way to enjoy Tracy and his villains to their fullest potential. They’re somewhat hard to track down at times, but if you can find a few good storylines, they’re well worth checking out.

Tomorrow, the countdown continues with Number 9!

CLUE: “How do you think this all works? By being big and being bad.”

#list #countdown #best #favorites #top 31 fictional detectives #gathering of the greatest gumshoes #number 10 #dick tracy #comics #movies #film #tv #serials #radio #mystery #crime fiction #noir

[audiofictionuk]

New Fiction Podcasts - 27th October

All Our Faults New Audio RPG! In the city of Chester's Chasm, four teenagers grapple with lives divided between the mundane and the supernatural: Burt working for Death to save a friend, Crispin yearning to escape a zealous cult, Michael indulging his vampiric nature, and Saline pursued by creatures from the Fae. All Our Faults is a Monsterhearts 2 actual play podcast produced by the Tabletop Talespinners Network. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231018-01 RSS: https://feeds.transistor.fm/all-our-faults

101.7 OUROBOROS New Audio Drama! Welcome to the town of Ouroboros, Michigan! In this quaint town next to an infinite lake and surrounded by an infinite forest, stop by the shopping center, sit by the fountain in the town square, DON’T go in the water reservoirs, and try your best to stay away from the lake towards the end of the month. Kayla “Kay” Gray, local news reporter, photographer, and wannabe circus runaway is here to report on all the goings-on in this town… and hopefully not get too caught up in them. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20230611-03 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/e37b76e8/podcast/rss

Metastories New Audio Book! Metastories is a drama audio series made up of stories which includes Greek mythology, history, Shakespearean tragedies, and a bit of philosophy. You will witness how the characters will blame each other for being responsible for the downfall of mankind. The strong could become the weak, the right could become the wrong, and the innocent could turn into the greatest villain… Nevertheless, in a way, this show will still be about our disappointments, our tragedies, and some of the darkest consequences of our greatest achievements. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20230917-03 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/metastories/feed.xml

FORBIDDEN CASSETTES: CONSUMMATION New Audio Drama! Join Dov Kandel, host of the hit late-night talk radio program, KANDEL AGAINST THE DARK, as he interviews author Orson Libretti about his latest book, CONSUMMATION — an apocalyptic tale that seems too terrifying to believe. But here’s the thing: Orson swears it’s all true. And he’s brought the tapes to prove it. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231018-02 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/forbiddenpod/feed.xml

Court of the Grandchildren New Audio Drama! Three years after the Great Ice Sheet Collapse, an ailing politician must defend his climate legacy before his long-lost niece will grant him his final request. Now they both must fight against an AI-dominated world to find redemption. A ‘found-audio’ drama in four episodes. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231016-08 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/courtofthegrandchildren/feed.xml

Starlight Outerworlds New Audio RPG! Welcome to Starlight Outerworlds, a collaborative storytelling experience using the sci-fi role playing system Starlight. Join Elta the Ace, Landon the Hunter and C@-nrd the Construct aboard the starship Meadowlark as they traverse the margins of civilized space in search of freedom, answers, and what it means to be alive at the margins of civilized space. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231019-01 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/starlightouterworlds/feed.xml

The Nightmare Collective New Audio Book! Dive into the abyss of the human psyche and beyond with "The Nightmare Collective," a podcast that weaves tales of horror, science fiction, and fantasy into a tapestry of dark wonder. Are you ready to venture into uncharted realms where the eerie and the extraordinary collide? Our tales will transport you to places where reality blurs, nightmares are born, and the impossible becomes all too real. From haunted houses to distant galaxies, from ancient curses to futuristic dystopias, "The Nightmare Collective" explores the darkest corners of human existence and the boundless possibilities of the unknown. But beware, dear listener, for once you enter, there's no turning back. Welcome to your new nightmares. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231017-08 RSS: https://audioboom.com/channels/5116352.rss

Second Story Work The Novel New Audio Book! Josh Cybulski’s debut novel explores a generation who were told they could do anything. Some did, and without a doubt still are, and some became disillusioned at the first signs of adversity. Meet Sarge, Messy, Hecky and R-Luv, four media school grads who head towards the booming film industry in Vancouver. Art is a distant memory as they pursue North Hollywood lights and their spoils of sex, drugs, and, let’s face it, more drugs. But, good luck turns bad in Second Story Work as these young men scramble to sustain whetted appetites that they could never satisfy. Cybulski’s gritty tale is one of crime, betrayal, and moral apathy, where the difference between friend and foe is blurred line after line. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231018-03 RSS: https://feeds.transistor.fm/second-story-work-the-novel

OFF AIR New Audio Book! Step into the clandestine world of 'Off Air' and let your imagination roam free. In this enigmatic audio series, secrets lurk in the shadows, and tales of defiance echo through the airwaves. Uncover the mysteries of a neon-lit dystopia where the boundaries between reality and rebellion blur, as we guide you through a realm of intrigue and unfiltered truth. Are you ready to embark on a journey that will leave you questioning the very fabric of this cyberpunk world?" https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231018-04 RSS: https://media.rss.com/off-air/feed.xml

God Knows Podcast: Live from Valhalla New Audio Drama! Thor, the legendary god of old, is a little vexed with ”Head Office’s” rehousing scheme. His tier-four divinity lodgings - a dilapidated terrace in the North of England - now hosts the once mighty Valhalla within an attic conversion. He’s also been lumbered with a motley crew of divine D listers: Dionysus, the alcoholic god of wine and party time; Cupid, the snack-addicted god of love and poor bodily hygiene; Amon, an oily demon with a passion for musical theatre. They’re not 100% sure of what a podcast is, but the guys live in hope that it’ll raise their profiles and help reclaim some of their former glory. And with heavenly guests popping in each episode, god knows, they might yet do it! https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231018-05 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/godknowspodcast/feed.xml

Carcosa Radio New Audio Drama! A audio series focused of the mysterious happenings and horrors of Etapas, Join along as you hear from a enigmatic radio host sharing the stories of this city, dragging you further and further into Understanding and Fright. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231012-05 RSS: https://media.rss.com/carcosa-radio/feed.xml

Before We Die New Audio RPG! Before We Die is an actual play podcast that focuses on variety. Every campaign will use a different tabletop RPG system with varying genres, and may even rotate cast members. Join Emily (Lemon), Iggy, Pleu, Aaron, and Matt every other week as we hunt monsters, explore the vast expanse of space, or bake delicious pastries. New stories, new friends, and lots of ways to play. What do you want to do before you die? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231013-08 RSS: https://feeds.simplecast.com/a_K9nPIM

SCURIU - audiodrama de s'arrori in sardu New Audio Book! Attività realizzata col contributo della Regione Sardegna - IMPRENTAS 2022-2023. LR 22/2018, art. 22. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231012-06 RSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/5971835/episodes/feed

The Shadowbrook Files New Audio Drama! Three girls at a boarding school try to contact the ghost of their dead best friend. As the seance continues, the remaining three grapple with their unresolved grief and unearth secrets that will forever shatter how they view the world. This show has major dark academia vibes and is perfect for fans of Dorian Gray, Buzzfeed Unsolved/Ghost Files, Dead Poet's Society, The Secret History, Edgar Allan Poe, and a whole array of classic literature. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231010-06 RSS: https://media.rss.com/shadowbrookfiles/feed.xml

The Jack of Hearts Podcast New Audio Book! When Stillwater, Minnesota's brightest and best, Jack Anderson, disappeared on August 31, 1991, the entire town went into shock. Over thirty years later, the woman closest to him has opened up to tell the story of Jack's life, his love, his friends...and his enemies. Get a first-hand look at the brilliant young man whose eight-year disappearance stumped a town determined to find him -- and left a woman heartbroken. A fiction podcast series, told by April Sauntry-James. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231002-08 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/e84c3298/podcast/rss

#audio fiction #fiction podcast

[enchantedchocolatebars]

Here's a scene I imagined of Nicktoons Unite.

Timmy is at Bikinni Atoll Island, he's been quiet for 2 weeks now. Spongebob asks Mindy for help, since Sandy is at Texas, Squidward is a busy (in reality he's just playing his clarinet badly), Mr. Krabs is counting his money, and Patrick is sleeping. Cosmo and Wanda are at Fairy World, enjoying their day off.

Mindy sat down beside, she gave him his space. Timmy, are you alright, SpongeBob and Gary, told me you've been here for at least 2 weeks now, is something bothering you?

Timmy shakes his head but Mindy knows he's lying.

Timmy what happened at the game is not your fault, Wanda said the Baseball game was hard but everyone was rushing rather then practicing. It's not fair they pinned the blame on you, it's not your fault-

Timmy interrupts her, his voice is breaking down as tears can be seen. IT IS MY FAULT! It's my fault Mom and Dad would be rich and better parents with a daughter instead of having me. Vicky wouldn't have been an Evil Babysitter, she would've been a cheerful assistant to Dr. Bender. Francis would've been a star jockey instead of a mean bully. Chester would've had Cosmo and Wanda, and had a perfect set of teeth. Mr. Crocker wouldn't have become a crazed fairy hunter. AJ would've went straight to college with a full head of hair. Elmer wouldn't have had a boil!!!

Mindy is shocked and heartbroken, to see Timmy this sad, she didn't know that in his universe he's the scapegoat to everyone flaws. She knew he didn't have the happiest life, but she didn't think he'll be the punching bag to everyones misfortunes.

SpongeBob and Gary, overheard the whole thing. Gary is shocked, while Spongebob tries to hold his tears. Timmy continues crying after his verbal breakdown, Mindy is also crying bad she doesn't let them stop her.

She quietly hugs Timmy, Timmy is still crying but he hugs her back, knowing he needed a hug. Oh, Timmy I'm so so so sorry. I didn't know you were going through this, you should've told Spongebob or me sooner, than bottling them up.

Soon, Spongebob and Gary joined the hug, Timmy felt his heart beating, he was always the scapegoat to everyones flaws and misfortunes, he received no appreciation for his good deeds. While he can be a jerk, he had every right to be upset with no one appreciating his work, especially since many of the complaints he got (particularly from AJ and Bickles) were completely petty. He always felted so hurt and humiliated, he become a selfish jerk because he stopped caring about the consequences of his actions. After all, the world is better off without him.

But after meeting Spongebob and Mindy, he felted a warm feeling inside. Spongebob always says thanks to him, and he appreciates his help. Mindy showed Timmy compassion and that it's okay to not be the best at everything. Timmy the pain your going through isn't your fault, your still a child, it isn't fair that people use you as there scapegoat, Mindy said to Timmy, as she comforts him.

Timmy is still sad, but he smiles happily, Thanks for being there for me you guys.

The End :)

The Mindy in this is the Mindy from the SpongeBob movie, right?

If so, this is really sweet and well written, anon.🥹 💕

#ask #asks #anon #anonymous #nicktoons #the fairly oddparents #fairy oddparents #timmy turner #spongebob squarepants #spongebob #writing #not my writing

[sakuraswordly]

Syaoran: Tails. You really love adventure, don't you?

Tails: Of course! I love adventure! 

Syaoran: Me too but go adventure was still not my favourite in the past. But when travelling for too long....

Syaoran & Tails: It was like an amazing mystery!

Syaoran & Tails:...........!!

Syaoran: I apologize....

Tails: I’m sorry....

Syaoran & Tails:...........(Smile at each other)

Tails: Thank you for taking care of Sonic when he was missing. Shadow went to another world to search for Sonic. But I wonder where he is now. Amy also went travelling with Shadow....I hope she'll be alright...

Syaoran: I heard from Amy if I had to guess. They're looking for clues about Fei Wang Reed and the curse of death. Shadow told me that he was afraid that Sonic was cursed by that person.

Tails: Because Artorius did connect to Fei Wang Reed. That dark super form...Shadow thought that was a curse...Syaoran...can I ask? Who's Fei Wang Reed?

Syaoran: Fei Wang is a mysterious man that watches and directs every movement of the party. His true origins are unknown. His true objective is not to obtain the feathers; rather, scattering Sakura's feathers was to force her to travel between dimensions so her body would contain a map of the dimensions. This is necessary, in combination with the feather that Clone Sakura left behind in Clow Country, and real Sakura, to grant Fei Wang's wish: that is, to bring the dead back to life.

Tails: Clone Sakura?

Syaoran: But after we defeat him, his main goal is not only to bring the dead back to life. His main goal was also after Vaten Hörmulegt. Dhaos told hint that Vaten Hörmulegt was a curse a death.

Tails:......! So that’s mean.....

Syaoran: If Sonic really was Vaten Hörmulegt, he's in danger....That's what both Shadow and Amy are afraid...

Tails:...........

Syaoran: I'm scared as well....I don't want him to get invade in to this...

Tails: I'm scared too...but even so...I want to help him...include you too, Syaoran...

Chester: You know? You guys are really alike.

Syaoran: Chester-san?

Mokona: I agree too. Your feeling very similar.

Chester: That mad scientist did mention that Syaoran-kun and Tails are alike. That's why he's okay in intrust Syaoran-kun to take care of Sonic. Even he doesn’t trust or even hate Velvet.

Tails: Eggman did once as my friend a long time ago, so knew me before meeting Sonic for the first time.

Mokona: I had a feeling that Mad scientist did care for Sonic even though he's not a good guy.

Tails: True....Sonic and Eggman are rivals but I knew that deep down he cared for Sonic. And because of that...he turned against me.

Chester: You don't blame Sonic for what happened, right? You're really a good kid.

Tails: Yes...because Sonic's our hope. If I never met him, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I would be a coward forever.

Syaoran: No Tails. You're braver than you think. You’re smart, you’re strong, and you can even fly with your two tails. I respect you because you can do things I can’t.

Chester: I agree with Syaoran-kun on this one. You're smarter than any of us. You're cool enough more than call yourself a coward.

Tails:.......!!

* Flashback  *

Sonic: But it’s true. You're braver than you think. You’re smart, you’re strong with mechas, and you can even fly with your butt! I respect you because you can do things I can’t. Don’t make me say that, it’s embarrassing.

* End of Flashback *  

Tails: Is that really what Sonic was thinking?

Skits: Conviction(Tsofph season7)

Amy: Argh!! So tired! I need a long bath! And a real bed for once!

Shadow: Complain and Complain

Amy: Yeah! I will complain! Shadow and Cosmo don’t even need to sleep or food!

Shadow: Besides, Amy. If it’s too late now to go back. Whose fault is that exaxtly?

Amy: Well. I mean...You can’t just leave the Metarex do whatever they want. The Metarex are also known to be very dangerous and vicious as they will do everything just to destroy all planets in the galaxy even if it means losing part of their army. 

Tails: It’s true. They have traversed the galaxy, stealing the so-called "Planet Eggs" and objects of great power, leaving whole worlds dead or dying in their wake. Among their victims are Cosmo's home-world, along with every member of her species except her. They also implanted Cosmo with a hidden sensor in her brain, turning her into an unwilling spy.

Amy: Feel like it's been that way ever since Sonic clashed with Dark Oak there was a large explosion and Sonic was thrown back.

Cosmo: The bad news is Mr Sonic was Vaten Hörmulegt. It is a power that will change the world and that will power will bring troubles and disturbances. I hope Mr Sonic's doing all right....

Tails: Even without chaos emerald, Sonic still had unknown power inside him and was very dangerous even costing his own life.

Cosmo: Don't you think this is too much?

Shadow:.........

Amy: They're just about to finalize the peace treaty. Sonic's got too much to worry about without us adding to it. And don't forget...we did ask Syaoran for help so we don't have to worry about it.

Tails: Are we okay with this decision? Even meant we need to leave our home behind and won’t ablr to come back.

Shadow: I'm okay to leave but you're not planning on telling Sonic?

Amy: Some things are better left unknown.

Cosmo: Miss Amy.....

 Amy: Ok! That’s enough! Let's go take a bath! Come on, Cosmo!

Cosmo: O...okay....

Shadow: Are you okay with this? I mean I did hurt your girlfriend.

Tails: You had already been burdening yourself or self-destructive behavior for too long. You worry about us, I appreciate it. If I won't forgive you and who will forgive?

Shadow: Tails.

Tails: Let’s follow Syaoran’s lead for now.

Source Character: (Translations: Link)

Name; Miles Tails Prower English Name; MILES “TAILS” PROWER Known as; Tails Species; Fox Gender; Male Height; 80cm Weight; 20kg Age; 8 years old Special Skills; Can spin his two tails to fly in the sky Hobbies; Toying with machinery, mechanical  maneuvering

English Name; COSMO Known as; Cosmo Gender; Female Height; 90cm Weight; 15kg Characteristic; Very lightweight body Dislikes; Metarex Favourite thing to do; Basking in the sun.

Source Profile: Link

Also Known As Syaoran Age Manga: Mentally 21, physically 14 Birthday April 1st Relatives Clow Reed (distant relative)                  Syaoran Li (clone/father)                  Sakura Li (mother)                  Kimihiro Watanuki (other self) Residence: Clow Country                    Originally of Japan Powers: Highly skilled martial artist Expert archeologist Skilled Swordsman Excellent use of magic, spells, barriers, and detection

Explanation 4(Analysis) (Warning contain spoilers)

Source information: wiki Sonic X Personality 

Basic you should know. Tails is Sonic's loyal sidekick. He is very intelligent and acts very kind and friendly to others, and as well humble and innocent. Tails has also been shown to be rather shy and he often had little confidence in the beginning of the series as he depended on the other characters, especially Sonic, to help him in times of need. Tails can also be shy and easily flustered around girls, as shown by some of his interactions with Cosmo and his reaction to Rouge kissing him on the cheek. Due to his timidness, Tails was often overshadowed by the other characters as he can be seen often keeping quiet as the far more outspoken characters got their ways in discussions. However, through the series Tails gained more courage and developed more leadership skills, which was especially seen in Season 3 where he was the captain of the group (being the owner of the Blue Typhoon) and his love for Cosmo furthered his courage.

Source information: wiki/Tsubasa_Li Personality

Syaoran is a kind-hearted and driven young man, with one of his greatest traits being staying true to his words. He will stop at nothing to protect "those dearest to him". Syaoran's dedication to collecting Sakura's feathers after the clone Syaoran never wavered; even when in a twisted situation, his strong heart and fierce determination assured he never looked back. Syaoran loves Sakura romantically, although just like his father, he tends to undermine his worthiness, leading him to avoid the thought of being in that sort of relationship with a princess when he is just a commoner. Unlike the clone Syaoran, who had a cruel start to his life until his adoption, the real Syaoran had a much more fruitful start to life which shows us the true character of Syaoran when he was younger. He is shown to smile more and shows a less uptight persona, although we eventually get to see some of these traits in the clone Syaoran as a result of Sakura's warm nature and friendship.

In Tsubasa of Phantasia, original Tails had a strong heart, kind-hearted and driven. But not innocent. He became shy and fearful after the old friendship or family was broken. Tails gained more courage and developed more leadership skills when he found "those dearest to him". Sonic was the first dearest to Tails. Because Sonic, relationship with Eggman improved, Tails grows braver and dares to challenge Eggman and protect Sonic. For Sonic, Tails taught him what is love as friendship and why we need to listen to the friends where we need them the most. Sonic also learned what humans were from Tails because they need to know information about Eggman as a rival. But because Tails was kind-hearted, Tails also taught Sonic that Human was not evil(Eggman was the only human remaining in Sonic's homeworld before went to Chris' world) The same goes for Syaoran too. He originally had the courage and developed leadership skills when he found "those dearest to him". Sonic was also dearest to Syaoran as the family that even make Syaoran want to protect him. Sonic and Tails are best friends, sharing a close brother-like relationship. At first for Syaoran too, Syaoran and Sonic were only thought of as friends but not best friends. But when go travelling together. They share a close brother-like relationship but more than that. Sonic could feel that he couldn't live without Syaoran. Syaoran was someone he couldn't live without. Based on Sonic, he can be alone, even if he has a lover and his best friend, which can be called inseparable. Tails saw that happen that Syaoran was very special to Sonic a lot. Chester also sees that the relationship was deep even Syaoran can feel heartbroken when seeing Sonic broken. Even Syaoran and Tails' relationship with Sonic was similar or you can say that “the same”. Kinda like human children can't go themself without parents rising them. Kinda like human children can't go for themself without their parents raising them, Syaoran and Sonic' relationship is kinda like that. Based on Syaoran, he can be alone, even if he has a lover and his best friend, which can be called inseparable. Syaoran and Tails are similar and even able can read each other's minds without using technology or communication devices, similar to Sonic and Tails' friendship. Perhaps the biggest strength of Tails and Sonic's friendship is the united bond their hearts share. Whenever the two are around each other, they both feel as if they can overcome any struggle they may be facing. Also, without even having to say anything to each other, they know inside of themselves what is needed of themselves to be a good partner to the other. Tails understand why the first time Sonic saw Syaoran as Tails. When he consoled Sonic, Sonic was calm because it's the same method that Tails used for Sonic when Sonic is upset and impulsive. Sonic accidentally treat Syaoran as a little brother too. Because Sonic knew that Tails was originally brave, smart and leadership. For Sonic view, Sonic legit thinks Tails is just the coolest person he’s ever met and it show’s when ever he talks about what Tails has accomplished and just when he talks about Tails in general. Sonic thinks his inventions are awesome, loves to adventure with him and just hang out with Tails.( When Tails first encountered Sonic, he exclaimed that the hedgehog was cool and followed him to tinker with his Tornado. ) The same goes for Syaoran too. That's why Sonic already see Syaoran as a good leader or the cool human he ever met.(Note: Great more than Chris) Sonic knows Tails has self-esteem issues and he does his best to encourage him and mitigate those thoughts when Tails tells him he’s having them. But Sonic is just so proud of Tails and just thinks Tails is literally the most amazing person he knows, so he legitimately just can’t fathom why Tails does not see what he sees. Sonic sees is this amazing kid he was lucky enough to meet and grow as close as a brother too. Syaoran make Tails to understand what Sonic see in Tails and make Tails to understand Sonic more.

There is one thing that makes Tails different from Syaoran. Both Syaoran and Sonic, even when in a twisted situation, their strong heart and fierce determination assured they never looked back.

Source some pictures: https://www.tumblr.com

Pictures Black White from Tsubasa chronicle manga

Both Tails and Syaoran had kind-hearted. Both Tails and Syaoran also sometimes think it was their fault and blame themself.

Both Tails and Syaoran had the same feeling heartbroken.

Both Tails and Syaoran were aware of the others as well.

Even Syaoran and Watanuki shared the same reaction face, similar but not the same.

Chester is more similar to Watanuki. Both Chester(Tales of Phantasia) and Watanuki(xxxHolic) are sly.

Both Tails and Syaoran were also good at mechanisms.

Both Tails and Syaoran would always be there for the people and encouraged them as well.(First picture below From Tailstube)

Both Tails and Syaoran had skills in cooking.(But Syaoran cooking is more delicious)

Both Tails and Syaoran were polite and sometimes quiet.

Both Tails and Syaoran are straightforward and not afraid of what's ahead. Both Tails and Syaoran had someone that wish to protect. Tails had Cosmo and Syaoran had Sakura.

Source video: https://www.tumblr.com/

Both Tails and Syaoran are interested in learning new things. They also love to read books too.(Bookworm)

Both Tails and Syaoran will always be by Sonic's side no matter what happens.

Both Tails and Syaoran cares extremely much for Sonic, having sacrificed themselves to save him on different occasions to ensure Sonic's safety when he is too careless or reckless. Even more so, when Tails thought Sonic was gone for good after his battle with Infinite at the beginning of the War to Take Back the Planet, he lost his way in the aftermath for six months until his spirit was lifted by the arrival of an alternate Sonic. Furthermore, he was overjoyed to learn that Sonic was alive shortly thereafter.

#sakuraswordly #tsofph season 7 #tsofph season6 #tsofph #tsubasa of phantasia #miles tails prower #cosmo the seedrian #syaoran tsubasa #sonic crowe #unbreakable bond #tsubasa li #tails and cosmo

[bedlamsbard]

1250 words written today -- this chapter is so much dialogue, and I already know I write too talky.  (I’m not actually sure it reads like I write too much dialogue, but it feels like it to me.  This one is pretty much just various conversations, though.)

Snippet from The Horizon Line chapter 5.

“Steve, it’s not your fault.”

“It’s my blood,” he said. “That’s what they used – what we used.  Trying to make another me.  How is that not my fault?”

“Because you’re not the one who did it.”  When he just shook his head, Natasha said, “Steve, just because awful things happened in your name, it doesn’t make you responsible.  As far as anyone knew, you were dead.  There was nothing you could have done.”  He shook his head again, and Natasha went on, “Do you blame Abraham Erskine? Or Chester Phillips?  Howard Stark?  Peggy Carter?  Anyone who worked on Project Rebirth?”

“That’s different.”

“Why?  Because none of them are Captain America?”

Steve grimaced, but said, “Yeah.”

She brushed snow off the photograph she was still holding and put it into his hand. “If you’re not going to blame Abraham Erskine for creating the serum in the first place, then you can’t hold yourself accountable, either.”

He stared down at the photograph. “God, Dr. Erskine would hate this,” he said eventually. “This is exactly what he wanted to prevent.”

“Don’t give the bastards who actually did all this shit – and at least some of them are still alive, not even counting Ross – the satisfaction of absolution because you think you’re responsible for crimes that happened after you died saving the world,” Natasha said.

#daily fic snippet #roleswap endgame au concept

[briamichellewrites]

24

Brie continued working on her album with Brad and Mike. The evening before, he had a boys night with Chester while she stayed home. He promised her nothing would happen and he was not interested in him, romantically or sexually. Okay. She let him go because he promised to check in with her. He kissed her forehead before thanking her. I love you. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, she was afraid Chester would kiss him again.

No, they went to a sports bar and had dinner while watching the game. He had a beer while Chester had a water since alcohol made him suicidal. They talked about Brie, the band and other guy things. It had been a month since they got married. They were still trying to get pregnant but were not having any luck. She had a feeling something was wrong, while he was trying to be patient.

With Phoenix, Chester and Brad, their wives got pregnant easily. He wished that was the case for them. But, it wasn’t. They talked about hiring a surrogate or adoption. Both were very expensive but they could afford it. He didn’t want to be too old to be a father. His biological clock was ticking, as he got closer to forty years old. There were also concerns about their children having Down syndrome or autism due to his age. Chester asked about how things were going.

He knew he could trust his best friend, so he confided in him. They were having trouble getting pregnant. It was extremely difficult for Brie. He expressed sympathy. Thank you. He then asked him not to say anything. I won’t. He promised. Did she go to the doctor? Not yet. They had to wait a year before seeing a fertility specialist. What about him? He was supporting her.

But, it was also difficult for him. He wanted to be a father and he wanted to talk about his kids like he, Brad and Phoenix did. Did he feel left out? Yeah, he did. It wasn’t their fault. He just needed to work through it. Maybe they could babysit and have that experience. Yeah, he would talk to her about that.

He returned home to find her taking a bath while listening to music on her phone. The dogs were asleep downstairs in their crates. He sat down on the edge of the bathtub as she turned down the volume. How was the game? They weren’t really paying attention. He did have fun with Chester, though. Did she eat anything? Yeah, she had some leftovers. Good. How was he doing? He sighed because he didn’t want to tell her.

“Do you want to know?”

“Yes, I’m your wife. Whatever it is, we need to work together.”

He nodded and admitted she was right. She listened carefully to him talk about his feelings about being left out and his impatience about becoming a father. It wasn’t her fault, which was why he didn’t want to tell her. He didn’t want her to feel like he was blaming her. It was going to happen. He was trying to convince himself of that. She admitted that she was scared that it wouldn’t happen. He was scared, too.

He appreciated her pushing him to talk about what he was going through. Instead of burying himself in his work, he had to confront what he was feeling. Thank you. Did they want to continue trying or take a break for a year to enjoy being married?

Since she was working on her music, it was probably best for them to wait. If she got pregnant before then, great! He agreed with that. Did she want him to join her? Yeah, the water was still warm. He got up and got undressed before getting in. She swam over to him and used the water to rinse his hair. He laughed before kissing her. I love you. She loved him, too.

I’m pregnant. Mike was over the moon! He bent down to his knees and kissed her stomach. After six months of trying, they learned he was infertile for unknown reasons. They talked about their options. He was so determined to have a baby, he brought up the idea of using a natural sperm donor. Chester and Joe were the only single men left in the group, so he talked to them. You’re loaning out your wife? Yeah, it sounded crazy but she was open to it.

The father of their baby? Chester. She met him at his house and they hooked up a few times. It was six weeks later that she started having symptoms of pregnancy. They held their breath as she took a test. It came back positive. They were both extremely happy! Of course, they told their parents they were using a sperm donor. It was a white lie and they would never know the truth.

Mike drafted an agreement that stated Chester would be involved in their child’s life, he would sign away his rights to him upon birth and everything related to the creation of their child would remain confidential. The three of them agreed and signed off.

At their six-week appointment, they learned they were having twins. It was too early to find out the genders. Pregnancy was weird for Brie. Her body felt different. She also got tired more easily and was going through morning sickness. Chester was extremely happy he was able to help his best friends. They both thanked him by taking him out to dinner at his favorite restaurant. For six months, they struggled with not getting pregnant. It was very stressful and it took a toll on their mental health.

She apologized through tears more than once for not being able to give him a baby. Nothing was wrong with her. It was him. Now, he could do everything new fathers did. They talked about names, parenting, grandparents, godparents, and their careers. He was going on tour with Linkin Park to promote their new album. She assured him she would be okay at home.

If anything happened, she would call Linsey, Elisa, or his parents. Okay. He kissed her forehead. The band was so happy for them! Fatherhood was something he wanted for years and they were aware of how difficult getting pregnant had been for them, both mentally and emotionally. He admitted to feeling jealous about them having children and how scared he was that it would not happen. They didn’t take it personally because they couldn’t imagine what they were going through.

They joked about their babies being born with tattoos, just like Chester. Brie was doing everything required of her. She was taking her prenatal vitamins and was keeping track of her mental health. Her doctor prescribed medication that would not hurt the babies. She attended his rehearsals with him to get out of the house, though she wore headphones to block out the loud music.

Yeah! They are growing more every day. Mike and I have four names picked out. Two of each. Mike is going to be a GREAT dad! Oh my god. He’s so excited it’s adorable! Lol. His parents are also so amazing! They have been nothing but wonderful since we got engaged. I feel so blessed! – Brie

Mike didn’t mean to snoop through her phone but he remembered that she had her next doctor’s appointment in her text messages. After finding the date and time, he found a text message conversation with her sister. Jessica asked if it was true she was pregnant. She confirmed it was. They both started excitedly talking about the pregnancy. He discovered her last text message, where she praised him and his parents.

He had to smile. How did he get so lucky to marry a woman like her? His parents loved her and he was thrilled that she loved them! She needed a stable family like his because she didn’t have that growing up. Her parents would never know their grandchildren. They would never even meet them. He and his family would make sure of that.

They would be multilingual in French, English, and Japanese. He would teach them everything his parents taught him. Yeah, it would be hard with twins but they could do it, even though they would be twice as exhausted. Double feedings, twice the number of diapers, twice the number of clothes, and confusing them. But it would also mean double the fun. He hoped they were like her: fearless, funny, outgoing, and creative with a ‘Don’t Give a Shit’ attitude.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon @fiickle-nia @boricuacherry-blog

[fanficsfromyesteryear]

LEVERAGE (PT 2)

A DEADLY CLASS ONE SHOT

— PAIRING: Marcus Lopez Arguello x Reader — WORD COUNT: 2,202 — WARNINGS: Cursing, violence, kidnapping — REQUESTED BY: N/A; literally one person commented that they wanted a part two and I already had it planned so- — A/N: So....... this got super long. Oops lol. I used some of the same dialogue from episode 10, but most of this deviates from the original source material which I did on purpose because it fit better for the sake of this story so please don’t come for me about not sticking to the “right” plot- Anyway, I had lots of fun writing this, and I hope you guys like it :)

Marcus could’ve sworn he felt his heart drop straight out of his chest when he got back to the van and saw you weren’t there. It was the strangest thing—he’d snuck off as the fight inside Shabnam’s house died down with a weird feeling that he should go check on you, needed to make sure you were still okay. You’re just being paranoid, he’d told himself, but he had to follow his instincts, just to be sure. Instead of finding you safe and sound where he’d left you, however, you were nowhere in sight.

When Marcus got back to the sprawling mansion, his friends were regrouping on the bottom floor in the kitchen. “Has anyone seen Y/N?” he asked as soon as he was within earshot, not even bothering to keep his voice down.

As the rest of the group exchanged questioning glances, Billy sighed. “I told you not to bring them,” he said, but he started to get to his feet regardless as if to help search the house, but Marcus was quick to shut him down.

“No, you’re right,” Marcus agreed. “It was my idea, and it’s my fault we’re even in this mess. I can’t risk losing any of you, too. Go back to the van. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

The calm facade he’d put up for his friends’ sake was gone as soon as they were. Running through the house, bat poised and prepared to strike down any redneck friend of Chester’s that dared to get in his way, Marcus was absolutely frantic. Each time he called your name and no answer returned, gruesome images flashed in his head of all the reasons that could’ve been the case, of all the things he’d endured at the hands of Chester in Sunset Boys’ Home, and while he wouldn’t wish those things on anyone—especially not you, of all people—he couldn’t help that his mind naturally wandered to where his worst fears lied in wait, ready to overtake him at the first sign of danger.

You’re being paranoid, he told himself. This is like Vegas all over again. They’re fine. They probably just—

In Marcus’s haste and clouded state of mind, he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going, and the sound of a cage door rattling cut off his internal monologue. “What the hell?” he muttered, fumbling in his pocket for his lighter. The room was dark, too dark to make out any specifics save for the vague outline of a figure squatting inside the small, metal prison. The flickering orange glow of the flame coming from the lighter in Marcus’s hand revealed his company—an old, angry woman in a pig costume snarled at him from behind the bars, and he couldn’t say he blamed her—he would’ve been pretty pissed, too, if Chester had dressed him up like an animal and caged him like one. It had been bad enough having had to share a room with him.

“Love him, my bull god!” the woman shouted abruptly. “Love him with your murder stick!”

She probably would’ve said more if it weren’t for the sudden bullet she received to the head. Marcus stumbled away in surprise, dropping his bat in the process. “What the fuck?” he said, ducking as he glanced around warily for the source of the deadly shot.

“A bat?” said Chester, stepping out of the shadows, gun in hand. “You watched the Warriors too many times, bud.”

And before Marcus knew what was happening, Chester overtook him like he had done so many times before.

The first thing Marcus noticed when he came to was the warmth. He opened his eyes, blinking in the bright light of the many bulbs that had been drilled into the makeshift sign that leaned against the wall beside him—Fuck Face, it read, in big, red lettering.

The next thing he noticed was the tape on his mouth.

Shit. He didn’t have time for this.

Marcus was vaguely aware of the old man from Shabnam’s party—the one who’d tried to correct him about what classified as a gravity bong—giving some sort of talk show introduction, but his attention was focused on where Chester stood behind the camera, now wearing a tacky blazer over his t-shirt and a manic grin on his mangled face. He seemed defenseless at the moment, and one look at Marcus’s unbound wrists told him that he could make a run for it, but he didn’t. It was too easy. Marcus had already underestimated Chester enough as it was, and he doubted he could live through making that same mistake again.

Instead, Marcus remained planted to his seat on the couch, but his eyes followed Chester as he moved to sit in front of the camera. Marcus saw Chester’s mouth move, he heard the music playing softly in the background, but it felt distant, like it was nothing more than a scene he was watching on a TV screen. It was as if he was a member of the live audience Chester was supposedly talking to through the camera lens, being forced to take part in the horrific game Chester was playing, and he couldn’t find the remote to change the channel to something better, something more pleasant where you were still safe with him.

“You’re gonna admit that you’re not the Orphanage Killer.”

That sentence alone was enough to bring Marcus back to the present. His dark eyes narrowed at Chester, whose smile faltered ever so slightly.

“And if you don’t,” he continued, “I might just have to take somethin’ of yours in return.”

Marcus’s brow furrowed. He didn’t want that to mean what he thought it did, but Chester turned to the man on the other end of the couch and said, “Why don’t you bring in our special guest, Mr. Shandy?”

The older man disappeared into a back room, and when he came back, he had you by the arm, leading you onto the shoddy set that Chester had put together for his talk show. You caught Marcus’s gaze as you were prodded toward the vacant sofa cushion beside him, silently pleading for help.

And Marcus wanted to help you, but for the first time in his life, the only thing he could think of was the consequences. He was scared, scared of losing you, but even more so of being the one responsible. He’d never be able to forgive himself if you suffered because of something stupid and reckless he’d done as some poor attempt to be the hero yet again. He was already the reason you were in this mess at all, and he couldn’t risk dragging you down any further into the hole he’d dug for himself. So, Marcus sat, watching quietly as you were placed next to him, unable to meet your tear-stained face.

“I found this pretty, little thing out in the yard,” explained Chester, “and I was about to kill them for seeing too much when I realized something. After your fireworks display, I needed to get back the upper hand. I needed some leverage. You’re too much of a good guy, Marcus, always tryin’ to save everyone, so I knew you’d come runnin’ straight to me once you found out they were gone. It was only a matter of time.” He paused, letting his words sink in, his gruesome grin returning. “So, either you give me what I want, or I’ll hurt you the way you hurt me. An eye for an eye and all that.”

You glanced nervously at Marcus, but he stared straight ahead, his jaw set and gaze hardening.

Chester waved a hand at Shandy, who reached across you to rip the tape from Marcus’s mouth. Marcus winced, but he didn’t make a sound save for the quiet exhale of breath that escaped past his lips. He was eerily calm, and you hated it. While you were moments away from yet another breakdown, he was just as stoically unreadable as ever.

Swallowing, Marcus, at last, said, “Chester killed all those people.”

Chester leaned forward in his seat. “Because?”

Marcus’s eyes darted over to you, then back at Chester. Why was Chester dragging this out? It was supposed to be simple—give Chester the credit he thought he deserved, and maybe you’d have the chance to walk away unharmed—mostly, anyway, though being held hostage in a stranger’s basement is bound to have lasting psychological effects. Marcus wasn’t so sure about himself—knowing Chester, he’d want to exact some sick sort of revenge—but he didn’t care about himself anymore. Your safety was all that mattered, but Chester seemed no closer to letting you go now than he did when you were first brought in. Marcus needed to buy more time. No, said the voice at the back of his head. You need a plan, dumbass.

So, Marcus did what he did best: he improvised. He was no stranger to talking his way out of dangerous situations, so what was one more? “B-because,” he started, his gaze drifting through the room as if he was going to find the words he needed scratched into the walls or hanging off of the ceiling.

Chester again leaned forward, this time so far you were sure he’d fall out of his chair. He gave Marcus his undivided attention, eagerly waiting for the next sentence to fall out of your boyfriend’s mouth.

“He’s desperate for some semblance of significance in the world,” Marcus continued, “to make a mark even if it is just a smear shit stain.”

What the hell? you thought, your irritation growing by the minute. You weren’t sure how kidnapping worked—this was only your first time playing the victim—but you were almost certain you were supposed to appeal to your enemy’s better nature. Tell them what they wanted to hear, and maybe they’d have mercy.

Marcus knew better, though. Chester wasn’t capable of mercy. All he knew was anger, an anger that, if fueled enough, could become blinding. Marcus was well-acquainted with that fiery rage—the scar on his face was a testament to that—and if he could redirect it onto himself, he could act as a shield for you.

Chester’s face fell, an eye twitching.

“Because he can’t make anything, so he destroys,” Marcus said, pressing on. “Because he’s the kind of guy who’d screw a goat on national television if it got people to pay attention.”

You wanted to scream at Marcus to stop, to tell him that he was only making things worse, but the tape on your mouth and the sheer fear of what would happen if you took it off prevented you from doing so.

“He doesn’t need a camera to do that.”

The focus of the room’s inhabitants shifted onto Dwight Shandy. There was a pause, the only noise filling the sudden void being his misplaced laughter, before Chester bolted upright, grabbed the gun off the corner of his desk, and lunged at Shandy.

“You hypocrite!” yelled Chester.

Maybe Marcus should’ve been thanking Dwight Shandy for drawing the attention onto himself and being the ultimate recipient of Chester’s rage, causing enough of a distraction for the Nicaraguan to grab your hand and drag you off the couch, but there was no time. Marcus led you aimlessly through the bottom level of the house, unsure from which direction he’d come but absolutely certain that he had to get you as far away from Chester as possible.

“I ain’t finished with you, boy!” Chester yelled, his voice echoing down the hallway after you as you ran. Marcus squeezed your hand tighter, pulling you to the side abruptly and into an alcove just out of sight. The space was small, and despite Marcus’s somewhat composed performance on set, you could feel his heartbeat hammering against you now, his breathing ragged as he held you close, doing his best to block you.

Soon after, Chester ambled past, unaware of your hiding spot. Carefully, Marcus crept out after him, much to your dismay.

The room was too dimly lit for you to see anything more than the faint outline of the two boys as they fought just on the other side of a tall shelving unit. One of them got thrown to the ground—Marcus, you assumed, if Chester’s bragging was any indication—as the other hovered over him, landing punch after punch. Eventually, you had to turn away, snapping your eyes shut as you forced down the taste of bile in your throat.

There was a metal clang, followed by the screech of a latch as a cage door opened, and the angry dog within was set free. Claws scrabbled against concrete, teeth snapping, and a set of hands grabbed you by the shoulders. You nearly jumped out of your skin as you cautiously opened your eyes only to see Marcus, now covered in blood, staring down at you. He gently grabbed a corner of the tape covering your mouth, his expression apologetic as he peeled it off.

You sighed in relief, collapsing into Marcus’s arms. “Is this what they teach you at that school?” you choked out, another round of tears already beginning to soak your boyfriend’s t-shirt.

Marcus buried his face in your hair. “You have no idea.”

#marcus lopez arguello x reader #marcus lopez arguello one shot #marcus lopez arguello #marcus lopez x reader #marcus lopez one shot #marcus lopez #deadly class x reader #deadly class one shot #deadly class

[l4verq]

almost yours | s. r & b.b

pre-serum steve x reader, bucky x reader

in which you’re sure you’ll fall for bucky soon enough

warnings : angst, mentions of death, war, fights

fic : oneshot?

masterlist

|| gif by @go-fandom-imagines ||

-

“I can do this all day.”

You roll your eyes cause you know he can’t.

“No, he can’t.” You trudge in between the filth, your peep-toe heels doing little to help you walk.

On closer inspection, the man is clearly intoxicated. He has his hands squared up, body swaying slightly but firmly planted infront of Steve.

You know he’s already had a few punches in judging by the bruises on his knuckles and the cuts on Steve’s face.

Steve mutters a silent curse as he sees you walking up to them.

Why did you always have to see him in such a pathetic state like this?

You give a stern look at him like always and he can’t meet your eyes every damn time.

“Who are you?” The man slurs, the smell of alcohol almost suffocating you.

“His friend.” You lift your neck a little higher as you meet the man’s eyes, your heart beating out of your chest.

Friend. Of course, that’s what he is to you.

“Y/N.” Steve steps in between, shielding you from the man.

You’re about to give him a piece of your mind when you’re shoved back roughly, falling into a pile of trash.

“A broad should know better than to meddle in men’s business.” The man wags his finger before repeatedly hitting Steve who’s yelling at you to run.

You hastily unstrap your heels and fling it across with a smack against the man’s back.

But the punches don’t stop.

“Stop, you stupid geezer.” You scream, grabbing his hair and thrashing your arms around, hoping you get a solid punch in.

“Hey!” The man slips away from your grasp as Bucky grabs him and pulls him away from the both of you.

“Pick on somebody your size.” He snarls, ramming his arm into the man’s body, making him double over in pain.

The man staggers off and Bucky turns to face the both of you, anger evident in his eyes.

“I don’t want to hear it.” He objects as soon as you open your mouth.

“Steve, you good?”

“I’ll live.”

You two share a sheepish smile as Bucky helps him up.

“Okay, just so you know, this thing you guys have with getting beat up in alleys is stupid and moronic.” Bucky huffs, hands on his hips, foot tapping the ground impatiently.

“I was just trying to help Steve.”

“I didn’t need any help.”

“Says the guy who’s just had his ass handed to him.”

“Okay, funtime’s over. You have an aptitude test today, we can’t be late.” Bucky intervenes, retrieving your heel.

“Go to the hospital!” You shriek as Steve limps his way out.

He never stayed. He never could.

Because he didn’t like his thoughts when he’d see you and Bucky together.

Bucky sighs, kneeling on the ground, with your heel in hand.

He glances at you for approval before strapping on your heel for you.

“Thank you.” You mumble, a dull ache spreading throughout your elbows as the adrenaline subsides.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” He asks, concern in his eyes.

This is when you hate yourself the most. Disgusted with yourself because you can’t bring yourself to accept the unconditional love that he has for you. Disgusted that you keep telling yourself you’ll fall for him soon enough.

“I’m fine.” You lie, something fairly common to you.

-

“Still mad?” Steve sits next to you, hands shoved in his jacket.

You notice he did go to the hospital, judging by the white bandage on his hand peeking out.

“Maybe.”

He smiles but it quickly turns into a grimace, the cuts on his lips still healing.

“Heard you got in.” You continue, transfixed on his blue eyes.

“Had to see the look on your father’s face. Priceless.”

The two of you burst out laughing, his face contorted in a mix of pain and laughter making you laugh even more.

Your father, Colonel Chester Philips had made it clear on several occasions that Steve would never make it in the army despite your best attempts to convince him otherwise.

“Don’t forget about me when you get all buffed up and go off fighting scary men.” You joke, half serious.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

There it starts again. The stupid fluttering in your heart as you dare to think his gaze at you right now means anything more. And the guilt that floods in right after.

“You two take care of each other.” You both look over at Bucky waving at you from the registration office.

Childhood friends, you’d never known life without the two of them. And now both of them were leaving to possibly never return.

“We’ll be back before you know it.” He gives a soft smile because he knows how much you hate that he’s going too. How much you hate the war. How much you hate that your father’s never home.

He’d made up his mind about this years ago when he realised an asthmatic 90 pound man wasn’t exactly the ladies’ man but the butt of the joke and an easy prey for bullies.

And he didn’t like bullies.

But right now, the way you’re looking at him, his heart wavers a little.

“We are all set to go. You have been assigned to Camp Lehigh.” Bucky arrives, waving a form at Steve.

Your heart drops as it sinks in that they have to leave now. Tears spring to your eyes which you try to blink away.

“I’ll write you whenever I can.” Steve gets up, eyes glossy.

“You’d better.” You smile at him, an uncomfortable ache growing in your heart.

You almost give in to embracing him but the rock on your left hand weighs you down.

He lingers around for a while, perhaps thinking the same. But, he gives a smile, walking away towards the office.

“He’ll be okay,” Bucky reassures you, placing his hands on your shoulders, “Steve’s a tough cookie.”

You look up at your fiance, a lump forming in your throat.

“I’m going to miss you two.” You bite down on your quivering lip as a single tear trickles down your cheek.

God, were you beautiful, he thinks, gently wiping your tears away.

He hated leaving you, each time hurting quite possibly even more than the previous.

If you’d just ask him to stay, he’d leave everything right then and there all for you.

But you never do.

He leans in and you think he doesn’t catch the slight clench of your jaw but he does, everytime.

Each time, he rationalises it in his head, chiding himself for overanalysing.

Cause it’d hurt to think otherwise.

A ghost of a kiss on your forehead you barely feel as you force yourself to swallow the growing lump.

-

The mornings were tolerable.

A few chores here and there. Breakfast if you felt like it. Maybe drop by the salon, have a little chat with the girls.

You kept busy, finding faults in your own cleaning everytime. A spot you definitely missed while cleaning yesterday, you immediately attend to it, scrubbing away.

Sometimes, your father stopped by during the late afternoons, carrying a bag of fresh produce from the local market.

He’d little to say about Steve’s training, gruffly humming whenever you enquired.

Then, you’d have dinner with him, pretending that it wasn’t awkward having an empty seat across you that once belonged to your mother.

The last time you saw your father smile was during your engagement to Bucky. He’d pulled you in a tight embrace, wordless.

It wasn’t like this before.

He actually stayed home, smiled often and had a spark in his eyes.

But after your mother passed, it felt like he was just going through the motions everyday. Buried himself in more work, drowned himself in alcohol somedays.

You couldn’t blame him. You were no better, bottling up your own feelings.

But you wished he’d remember he still had you.

The nights were unbearable.

More often than not, you’d wake up in a cold sweat, heart still racing from the nightmares that plagued your mind.

Then, the worries’d take over.

The war was unforgiving and cruel and you’d pray every night that they wouldn’t fall victim to it.

The shiny rock on your hand catches your eye as it glistens in the moonlight. It’s a thin, silver band with a delicate diamond on top.

You felt like an impostor wearing it.

But, you’d gotten used to it. You’d just remember your mother’s wish, the way Bucky’s face broke out into a smile when you said yes and your father’s brief moment of happiness.

It didn’t help when you remembered Steve.

You don’t really know what you were expecting when you gave him the news. Maybe, you wanted to see if he’d be affected by it? If he felt the same way for you as you did him?

“I’m happy for you two.”

He had the biggest smile on his face as he tugged around with Bucky, teasing him.

But his eyes. You could swear you saw a flicker of sadness in them for just a split second or maybe you were just delusional, projecting your own feelings.

Most probably, the latter.

You pull the neatly folded up letter from your drawer, opening it for the umpeethn time.

Skimming over the scrawlings, your eyes land at the very end where Steve promises to return in the next few days.

You’d received the letter three weeks ago.

Your father’d informed you that Steve’d agreed to an experiment, where he’d be injected with a serum that would apparently make him a super soldier of some sorts.

“Is it safe?”

The grim silence that followed twisted your insides up into knots.

“We don’t know.” Your father grunted, the greying on his hair more prominent.

The following week he came bearing news of Steve’s successful transformation. That he’d grown two feet taller and more than a hundred pounds heavier.

You muttered a silent thank you to God as the coil in your stomach loosened.

“Do you want to see them?” Your father looks up at you from the table, eyes not leaving his newspaper.

He couldn’t bring himself to meet your eyes. Not after he’d failed as a father. He’d done a lot wrong but the worst was dissappointing you each time you welcomed him back with a warm meal and forgiving eyes.

You nod, a small smile breaking out at the thought of them.

One of the few privileges that came with being the daughter of a Colonel was to be able to go to the Army base closed off to everyday people.

That evening, Bucky arrived, daisies in hand cause he knows how much you like them.

“For my daisy.” He’d say everytime, a grin plastered on his face as you’d roll your eyes, unable to hold back a smile.

You carefully place the letter back into your drawer and crawl under your blanket, hoping to cram in some sleep.

Travelling to Camp Lehigh would take the entire day on a train and you could never really fall asleep anywhere but your own bed.

-

Envy.

The green eyed monster that doesn’t seem to leave your shoulders as your gaze flickers over to them.

A total of atleast six different women have made their rounds, tossing their hair and giggling when he leans in to say something in their ears cause the music’s a little too loud.

But who could blame them?

Steve stood tall at an impressive 6.1 feet, a far cry from the 5.4 he used to be. Though clothed, anyone could see the mass of muscles bulging out, the suit straining whenever he raised his arm.

The first time you saw him, you were speechless.

Bucky had emphasized on the drastic change in Steve’s appearance but you were still taken aback, mouth gaping like a fish out of water.

Everything about him was so different yet his eyes still had that twinkle to them that you always swooned over.

You down your fourth shot in a row, throat burning.

Did she really have to feel his shield and kn-

“Dance with me?” Bucky gives a coy smile, eyebrow quirked up.

Taking his extended hand, he chuckles as you wobble sightly while getting up.

“Someone had a lot to drink.” He comments, guiding you to the dance floor.

A hand slightly above your waist, the other holding your own, Bucky was always a great dancer.

You always let him take the lead as he swayed you back and forth, always managing to expertly avoid stepping on your dress.

You start to regret the alcohol, your head spinning a little.

He seems to notice and lulls down to a gentle pace, holding you tight. You lean into his chest, breathing in the sweet musk that’s just so, Bucky.

He calls your name, barely above a whisper, which you probably wouldn’t have heard if you weren’t so close to him.

You hum in reply, head now leaning on his shoulder.

“Remember that time you got mad at me,”

“and you came crying to me, begging for forgiveness.” You finish his sentence, chuckling.

A throaty laugh rumbles from his chest as well.

“And we promised that we’d never lie to each other anymore.”

You lift your head, to see a soft smile playing on his lips.

“It’s time you kept that promise.” His eyes trails over to Steve.

The low tune that crooned on fades out as a ringing in your ears take over. You could only stare at him, paralysed.

It takes him everything he has in him to stay composed. But he has to do this.

“Tell him, before it’s too late.” He whispers, an urgency in his voice.

You shake your head, tears threatening to spill any moment.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to worry about me.” He reassures you, taking your hands in his.

Shuffling bodies bump into you as you look away, incapable of holding his stare.

If only you’d known it would be the last time you saw him.

-

It’s the last thing he wants to do.

But he tells you anyway that he has to leave. That he needs to go.

Ever since Bucky fell to his death, Steve knew nothing but revenge. All he could really think about was taking down Hydra.

When you found out about Bucky, you’d done the same thing you always did.

Bottle your grief, pushing it down and down and keep busy.

Steve knew this too so he was patient, never poked around too much, lent a shoulder to cry on.

He often blamed himself, the event still haunting him at night, his own mind locking him in an endless tunnel.

But you’d always be there, at the end of it, a dim light that led him out.

“Just don’t die on me.” You whisper, hand grasping onto his jacket as he turned to leave.

This time, you don’t think twice before embracing him.

You want to keep him right there, safe with you.

And he probably would stay if you asked enough but you know he has to do this.

You just wanted to be selfish for once.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He wraps his hands around your waist, allowing himself to bask in your arms for a while.

As he pulls away, his face is so close that you can see the golden flecks splattered throughout his blue eyes, forming a psychedelic pattern that seemed to only hypnotise you.

He leans in before stopping himself, eyes flickering down to your slightly parted lips.

You can’t help but stare at his too.

But, the both of you awkwardly pull away, perhaps both appalled by their own selfish thoughts.

He couldn’t do this to his bestfriend ; you’d always be Bucky’s, not his.

As he leaves with the soldiers, the coil in your stomach tightens even more, heart sinking when he fades out of view.

You immediately station yourself at the air traffic controller office, where you man a radio transceiver.

It’s a large room filled with machines and a screen that displays the plane that he took.

It’s a long, long while before the transceiver crackles, a familiar voice blaring off it.

“Steve?” You grab it, almost jumping out of your seat.

The screen shows the plane heading north, further beyond the grid.

You think he called your name too but it’s barely audible.

Then, you hear it.

The whistling of the wind. The rattling of the controls.

The screen blares a warning when the plane doesn’t seem to stop going down.

“Steve, get out of there now!” You beg as it sinks in that he doesn’t plan to.

“Y/N, I’m sorry.” His voice breaks.

“No, come back to me, please.” The room grows smaller and smaller as the air suffocates you.

A distorted reply arrives.

Your heart breaks at the thought of him all alone in that plane, headed for his death.

“I never really said thank you for all the times you beat up my bullies.”

You smile, swallowing the lump in your throat.

A surge of courage runs through your body as you say the words you’ve wanted to say to him ever since you discovered what love even was.

“Steve, I love you.”

But the line goes dead.

-

a/n : idk wtf this is, it was better in my head lol, might fk around and make this into a mini series😬 also tfatws🤑😈

#steve rogers #steve x reader #steve x you #steve x y/n #captain america #chris evans #mcu #marvel #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers fluff #steve rogers imagine #bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky x y/n #winter soldier #bucky barnes x reader #bucky imagine #bucky fanfic #angst

[warwickroyals]

CHESTER PALACE - EARLY JULY - 21:14

Transcript under the cut! - Click for HQ photos

Beginning | Previous | Next

(Irene) Are you out of your God-forsaken mind?! He is your son, not some sort caged beast

(Louis) I understand that he is my son, but his position has become untenable

(Irene) The why are you refusing to see him? And this arragement you made with that woman to deprive him of his own children while he’s ill . . . I’m at a loss

(Louis) He is not sick. He’s a drug addict and he has been that way for a very, very long time. How many times are we going to have this damned conversation, hm? He’s made his bed, he can lie in it. And if I can control anything regarding the matter, it will be to make sure that my grandchildren are far away from his influence while he is under the influence

(Irene) 54 years we’ve been married and yet your capacity for cruelty never fails to amaze me

(Louis) Cruelty is a virtue, this place would have fallen apart without someone with the stomach to handle it. Stephan, I hope I've made it clear that Phillip will be stepping back from his duties and patronages permanently. Not indefinitely

(Stephan) Of course, sir

(Irene) You will not skirt past this conversation, Louis. I am not just your queen, but the mother of your children. He might not be a child anymore, but I will not let you sacrifice Phillip to the Crown as you did with James

(Louis) James has nothing to do with this, don't you dare invoke him to impune me!

(Irene) James has everything to do with this! Because it's happening again, this nightmare is starting all over again and you don't care!

(Louis) You are treading a very, very thin line with me, madame, do not make me say something we'll both regret

(Irene) This whole thing is an abomination, I can't even stand the sight of you

(Stephan) Ma'am, you mustn't think that any of this is your fault

(Irene) Who else is there to blame, if not the mother?

#warwick.story #chapter two #arc: happiness over everything #ts4 royal simblr #ts4 royal legacy #ts4 royal family #ts4 royalty #ts4 monarchy #ts4 storytelling #ts4 story #the sims 4 royalty #the sims 4 royal simblr #the sims 4 royal family #the sims 4 monarchy #the sims 4 royal #the sims 4 royal legacy #the sims 4 story #the sims 4 storytelling #ch: irene #ch: louis #✨

[cheryls-blossomed]

please now, tell me in your opinion what are the positives and the negatives of this episode?

Um... so the episode was decent, I thought. A solid episode. I was pleasantly surprised, in the sense that I went in, as I always do, skeptical, and I came out pleasantly surprised with what happened, mostly with regards to Iris really getting the chance to deal with her trauma and go through, first by burying her trauma and then slowly being okay with not being okay.

So the positives of the episode: Iris’s story, I thought, was good. I wish there was more with regards to her working through her trauma, but I hope this particular arc just doesn’t end with this episode. She said to Allegra at the end of the episode that she wants to reach more people in a big way, and so I’m curious as to what she means and how that arc will also help her heal. Candice was really, really lovely during that final scene: Iris’s voice breaking as she’s talking about what she went through, and then her finding strength and healing in those who went through something similar as her. I really loved how we got to see all these people really empathize with Iris; Iris never gets those kinds of stories, as she’s always just expected to be strong and to be okay, and it was so heart-warming. 

The Westallen scenes were lovely, obviously. I loved the opening scene. “Usually we have to kiss before the ground shakes,” UM EXCUSE ME. And then when they lean back into the kiss, the lightning storm which they technically created last episode rattling outside their window. I liked the second scene at the loft in highlighting Iris and Barry ignoring their traumas. They just are so desperate to getting back to normal together, and so I liked what that scene conveyed. Also, Barry being like the dopiest in love husband is just so, so cute. 

The Speed Lab Westallen scene was sweet, but I think this is sort of where we run up against the fact Iris needed that vice versa from Barry. Like this scene is so in character for Iris: she’s telling Barry that he went through this huge trauma, and that he cannot blame himself for what was done to him and how he was emotionally manipulated, and obviously there’s this sense of Iris also having to realize through the way she feels so much for Barry and his predicament and trauma that SHE cannot blame HERSELF for what she went through in the Mirrorverse. And that she has to deal with her trauma. But I would have liked a follow-up to this between Barry and Iris where Barry tells her that it’s not her fault what she went through and that he’ll be there, right by her side always, helping her through anything. Hopefully, we’ll get that in the next couple of episodes, but idk, I don’t know if we will, and it feels like this show just forgets about threadlines... 

Which I guess comes to my main point which is that really while I loved seeing the portrayal of Iris dealing with her trauma, she’s dealing with it very much by herself. And to a degree it’s because she spends most of the episode having to come to the realization that she’s not okay and that she has to deal with her trauma. We really only see that towards the end of the episode, but I still think that there’s this sense that she’s dealing with this alone in this episode. It was nice to see Allegra there with her at therapy (I think Barry should have been there), but even wrt Allegra, it’s not like Allegra was necessarily someone in the episode helping Iris through her trauma. This was very much something Iris was dealing with herself. I loved the final therapy session with the Mirrorverse survivors support group because it was very cathartic, and it was really heart-warming to see so many people just empathizing with Iris and being so proud of her for working through her trauma. I just wanted to see Barry (and um... JOE... we’ll get to Joe in a moment) be there for her and help her work through her trauma as well. 

Cisco and Chester are fun together. That’s a positive

Joe not caring to check up on Iris once is just... really infuriating to me. WHAT ARE YOU DOING @ FLASH TV WRITERS? Joe’s lack of care for Iris is so aggravating; like she’s been trapped for so long, and we haven’t even seen them interact since she got out of the mirror, and honest to god the misogynoir, which is narratively entrenched, most deeply affects Iris’s relationship with Joe. He’s written to be so uncaring of her in these last two episodes that I am actually flabbergasted, and i’m somebody who’s been very critical of this for seasons.

Abra Kadabra was great when he was just a chaotic villain. I’m sick of these sob stories for every villain. That man was not a hero; he didn’t die a hero. Sick of this nonsense.

I actually don’t really have any thoughts on the Caitlin and Frost split. Thought it was going to happen for a couple of weeks or so now, and I just find it funny how they do such random things with her: no build-up, just here’s the next plot development with some minor exposition next episode I’m sure.

The show once again trying to make a story about Iris and Barry’s respective traumas also about the villain and then randomly about the Team (???) is just so... annoying, please stop with this @ show. Let Iris and Barry have these stories to themselves. 

There was way too much science fiction exposition nonsense in this episode. 

Oh and the strength force stuff looks... interesting, but yeah again, the show is going to try and rush this story with the forces. It really needs longer than eight/nine episodes imo. 

Aaaand I think I covered everything. 

#anonymous #replies

[nightingiall]

head in the clouds: part iii

{story page}

“You know,” says Rory through a mouthful of popcorn, picking a stray kernel out of Spike’s fur. “I don’t think it’s healthy for Spike to be this large.” 

She doesn’t remember how exactly Niall Horan convinced her to come to his place to spend some time with Spike, especially after she’s been adamant on wanting nothing to do with this. They’d bumped into each other at, of course, a party, somewhere at the Residences, somehow ending up alone on someone’s balcony. They shared a joint and he said something that made her laugh so hard tears sprang to her eyes. And after he showed her some photos of his very large, stolen, perpetually frowning cat, it wasn’t long until she caved. 

And, now, here she is, two bottles of beer and a whole bowl of popcorn in, curled up into Spike on his couch with some true crime show playing on his television.

“How do you mean?” Niall is three bottles of beer in and is still going quite strong. Rory can’t deny that she’s impressed. 

She runs her fingers through Spike’s fur, smiling at the resulting purr the gesture elicits out of him. “Like, I’m pretty sure it’s not normal for him to be this size. And he drags his paws when he walks sometimes, like it’s a struggle for him.” 

When she looks up at Niall, he’s quirking an eyebrow at her, that stupid grin of his threatening to break through his features, and Rory just knows he’s about to say something that’ll have her rolling her eyes. “Rory Bhatt,” he draws out, and his voice is low and slow as he leans forward to narrow his eyes at her. She tries to ignore the swoop in her tummy at the way his accent lilts through her name, at the way the blue in his eyes appear brighter than she’s ever seen. “Are you fat shaming Spike?” 

She doesn’t know why she does it. Doesn’t even want to do it. But a laugh bubbles out of her so abruptly that Spike moves away from her and starts slithering towards Niall, clearly not appreciating being disrupted as he’s trying to take a nap. “No!” She has to clutch her stomach she’s laughing so hard, and she’d blame the beer but she’s not even drunk. 

Niall joins in regardless, scooping up Spike into his arms as he cradles him. “Did ol’ Rory offend you, Spikey boy?” he coos at him. He leans back into the armchair and the cat curls into his lap, purring contentedly the whole time.

“I’m just saying!” she attempts to continue, swiping at the moisture that’s collected beneath her lashes, and Niall’s full-on grinning at her now. “How many cats do you know have grown to that size? Maybe Dreyfuss wasn’t taking care of him properly.” 

Niall hums, looking at her thoughtfully now. Spike has already made himself comfortable, tail flicking once against Niall’s chest, and Rory has to hold back a laugh at the thought of Spike falling asleep and Niall not being able to move for the next hour or so. “Suppose you have a point,” is what he finally says, looking at Spike fondly. Rory startles for a moment at how tender the moment is, how gently his fingers skim across Spike’s fur, how closely he holds him. It’s a side of him she’s never seen. “But what should we do? We can’t exactly take him to a vet right now.” 

Rory ignores the we in his statement, figuring that she’s in way too deep now to be insisting that she doesn’t want to be a part of this. She wonders where his head is, though. He’s always annoyingly optimistic and preppy, but she also hopes that he understands the gravity of the situation he’s gotten himself into. “Well, what’s your long-term plan for Spike? Are you going to keep him once the summer’s over?” 

“Of course!” Niall gives her a look like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I didn’t rescue him from Dreyfuss for no reason ya know. Just because she’s rich and owns shit or whatever doesn’t mean she gets to treat her pets like shit.” There’s a fire in those blue eyes, lit up into the most electric hue, accent thickened significantly. He’s hypnotizing. Rory can’t tear her eyes away. “He’s mine now. Aren’t ya buddy?” he murmurs, voice all gentle and sweet now, like it always gets when he talks to Spike. “I won’t treat ya like ol’ Dreyfuss did. We’ll get you healthy in no time.” He looks up at Rory, smile intact. “Won’t we?”

Rory finds herself smiling back. For the first time, she feels as though she and Niall Horan might just get along. After all, he’s shown her nothing but kindness. And he may be annoying sometimes, with his loud, obnoxious laugh and terrible jokes, but his positive attributes are among the rare finds at Hightstown, especially with people their age. He’s incredibly attentive, has always been respectful of her boundaries, thoughtful, and overwhelmingly empathetic, even to a fault. Most of all, he has made her laugh in a way she hasn’t in a long time. So maybe, she thinks now, looking into those big blue eyes that always seem to reflect whatever light that gets thrown into them, helping him keep this cat a secret isn’t such a bad idea after all.

“Yeah,” is what she ends up saying, more conviction in her voice than she’s ever heard. “We will.” 

***

This is how it starts. Fiery hot summer days melting into cool, breezy nights. Racing to Niall’s place after their lifeguard shifts, giggling the entire way. Sharing beers and laughs over figuring out the best cat diet and getting Spike to be more active.

This is how it starts, and there are only 42 days of summer left. 

***

Rory is kind of drunk. 

Chester from the kitchen, an older man with kind eyes and a big personality who’s worked at Hightstown for as long as Rory can remember, had given her two bottles of wine that were from an extra shipment that came in by accident. She’d gone there to snag some extra meat and other scraps they could use to make something healthier for Spike to eat and ended up with an interesting tidbit of gossip from one of the assistant chefs. Apparently, Mrs. Dreyfuss was going crazy searching for her missing cat. She’d laughed it off then but quickly detoured to Niall’s place to let him know that he’d have to be more careful now that people may actually be keeping an eye out for a stray wandering around. 

Somehow, that turned into them sharing a few beers, then chasing Spike around the apartment for a while, luring him through the obstacle course Niall built for him before giving him his food and letting him rest. They’d learnt the hard way that Spike got impossibly irritated with them after they made him exercise, so they always give him some alone time afterwards so he can enjoy his food in peace. 

Now, they’re sprawled out on his floor, one bottle of wine already drained by the both of them, stomachs full from the chocolate-peanut butter cupcakes Niall made—another thing she’s learned about him, he’s an excellent baker. Her limbs feel all lax and sated. They’d fully intended only to drink a glass or two each, but the wine went down so smoothly, a burst of sweet tartness on her tongue, and before she knew it, the entire bottle was empty. 

“That was,” Niall slurs, and she can see from her peripheral that he’s rolling onto his side to face her, “the best wine I’ve ever had.” 

She finds herself giggling at his words. Stupidly, inanely, happily. “Agreed.” The ceiling looks as though it’s rippling like waves in an ocean above her, all long, fluid lines, the muted colors of white and brown swirling together. She rolls her head over only to find Niall looking at her already, that stupid grin plastered onto his face. His lips are stained cherry red from the wine, chocolate, brown hair looking incredibly soft as it sticks up in every direction, cheeks tinged a perpetual bubblegum pink, presumably from the alcohol thrumming through his system. It appears that she’s so drunk that she can look at him and only think of sweets. “You look ridiculous by the way,” is what ends up coming out of her mouth, even though she’s gone enough to admit to herself that she thinks anything but. 

Niall laughs at that, a loud, guttural cackle that reverberates off the walls and bounces around the entire apartment. It’s resounding and vibrant and it has the alcohol in her veins feeling like champagne bubbles instead of the velvety wine she actually consumed. She finds herself laughing too.   “What do I look like?” 

She simply stares at him for a moment, lower lips worried between her teeth, and she nearly wonders why she’s unable to formulate words before she’s realizing that she can’t tear her eyes away from that magnificent blue. They’re intoxicating, magnetizing, and if Rory weren’t already drunk she’d think that those eyes alone could get her wasted. She’d never looked close enough before, but there’s a ring of gold, right around his pupils, blending up into a bright, sapphire blue. Brilliant, soulful eyes that somehow sparkle in the light, that somehow look as though they held the entire universe, constellations of stars orbiting around in those deep pools of blue. 

“Rory.” He’s still laughing, waving his hands in front of her face, snapping her out of her thoughts and she blushes, wondering dumbly if he could somehow read her mind, skin tingling in mortification at the idea. “Don’t pass out on me now.” 

She rolls her eyes but giggles at the way he unwittingly hits his hand against the couch. “You look like…” She feels around for her phone so she could snap a photo and show him but she can’t find it anywhere. “Where’s my phone?” She shifts around to sit up and her head immediately starts to spin. She is so drunk. “I’ll just,” she mumbles, spotting the notebook and pen on his coffee table they’d been using to write down a recipe for Spike’s food and grabs it, “I’ll just draw you.”

“Ooohh.” Niall sits up too, limbs flailing around clumsily as he laughs at himself. He accidentally knocks over the empty bottle of wine that had been sitting between them, the action sending them into another fit of giggles. “Draw me like a French girl,” he slurs out through his amusement, grinning wildly at her as he shifts into a ridiculous pose, “or however that saying goes.” 

Rory can’t breathe from the way the laughter escapes her at the way he tries to pout seductively, tears springing to her eyes as she tries and fails to control it. “You’re such a dumbass.” Her fingers find the pen, dragging it across a clean sheet of notebook paper in short, quick strokes. It’s a hasty and slightly sloppy sketch of a boy who seems to have her laughing more than she ever has in her entire life. Of a boy who has a bright smile and a raucous laugh and a big, kind heart. “There,” she declares once she’s done, flipping the book around so he can see her creation, and it’s only when she’s paying attention again that she finds that they’ve unknowingly moved closer to one another. 

“I think I look quite good actually.” He’s still laughing. Rory wonders how he still has oxygen in his lungs left to do that, how he manages to make it take up the entire room. “But I think your hands can make anything look good.” He’s grinning at her but then his eyes go impossibly wide. “Because you’re a good artist!” he quickly clarifies. “Not anything dirty! That sounded like it could be dirty. But I just meant—”

He can’t finish because he’s curled up on the floor again, overtaken by another round of the giggles, and Rory’s sucked right into it, dropping the notebook because she’s laughing so hard. Niall’s all sprawled out, limbs knocking into hers, hand over his chest as a tear rolls down the side of his face, and Rory reaches out to swipe at it. But she’s drunk and is lacking coordination so she accidentally pokes him in the eye, falling into another bout of laughter because of the way he yelps. 

And they laugh and laugh until, somehow, his hands are in hers. Until, somehow, she’s falling into his limbs, warm, gangly legs tangled within hers. Until, somehow, they’re not laughing anymore, just looking at one another, all soft smiles and flushed cheeks, the spiral of the notebook poking into her side. Niall is still working through a giggle, the sound knocking around in his throat as he rubs his eye, leaning onto his elbow as he looks down at her, and it’s happening again, her getting lost in the wonder of his eyes. Until, somehow, he’s saying, “Is this the part where you kiss me?” 

Her eyes widen at him, heart skipping a beat in her chest. “What?”

There’s that grin again, wide and bright and blinding. “Isn’t that what happens in the movie?”

Another laugh threatens to break out of her throat. “What movie?”

“The ‘draw me like a French girl’ movie,” he says simply, shrugging. But he leans closer regardless. 

This time, she actually does laugh again. “Titanic?”

“That was Titanic?” He sounds skeptical, eyes going out of focus as he tries to remember the scene he’s talking about. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Niall, I’m pretty sure.” She rolls her eyes at him again. “And I’m pretty sure you’re getting the quote all wrong.”

He makes a face at her. “That’s not even the point, Rory.” 

She almost rolls her eyes again, a retort already sitting on her tongue. But it disappears when suddenly, her eyes are zeroing in on those wine-stained lips, and all she can think of now is how sugary and delicious they must taste, like the wine they just drank, like California grapes and chocolate-peanut butter cupcakes and whatever else he must taste like. “Your lips look like they taste like all the sweets in the world,” she blurts out, and immediately blushes at the sound of her own voice. 

Niall raises a brow at her, eyeing her a bit coyly as he unconsciously runs his tongue across his lower lip. Rory watches the action in a daze, humiliation at her drunken admission simmering away into a hot ball of desire, melting down her throat and into the pit of her stomach. When he speaks again, his voice is low and deep, a smirk slowly spreading across his face. “Wanna come over here and find out?”

And, god, she does want to lean over and find out. She really, really does. Because he’s so close and he smells clean, like lemongrass and lavender. Because it’s all she’s been thinking about the whole night. Because he’s joking around but is looking at her like he absolutely wouldn’t mind kissing her if she wants it too. 

But she can’t. She can’t let last summer happen again. 

So she forces a chuckle and shoves his face away and slyly says, “In your dreams, Horan.” Niall shoves her back and suddenly she’s actually laughing. “Wanna open the other bottle?” she asks, waggling her eyebrows at him. 

“You know I do.” He winks at her, already getting up to go find it, and Rory only allows herself to watch him go for a moment before following after him. “We should watch Titanic while we’re at it because now I need to know how that scene actually goes.” 

Rory starts laughing at that, wondering if he’s ever actually seen the movie because she figures that any guy would remember a scene where Kate Winslet stripped her clothes off so Leo DiCaprio could sketch her wearing only the fancy necklace that everyone in that movie was obsessed about. When she gets to the kitchen, Spike is still curled up in his food corner, licking at his paw, clearly still mad at them. She frowns at him for a moment, wondering if perhaps they were going about this the wrong way. 

Niall must see her face because he says, “Don’t worry about Spike, he’s just being pissy.” He smiles at her when gets closer, reaching out to playfully nudge at her chin. “I FaceTime’d my cousin who’s a vet and she said that a little exercise won’t hurt and to not let him guilt us into letting him get out of it. Turns out cats are smart little buggers.” 

As if replying to Niall, Spike meows lowly from his corner, and the two of them burst into a fit of giggles again. “Hey, have you seen my phone by the way?” she asks, suddenly remembering its absence earlier. 

He twists the wine opener into the cork, looking around before gesturing behind him. “Is that it on the counter over there?”

Sure enough, when she looks over, there it is. She’s surprised to see how late it’s gotten when she turns it on. The surprise quickly melts away into dread at the notification telling her that she missed four calls from her mother, one voicemail waiting for her. She sighs as she opens it up, forgetting how annoyed her mom always got whenever she didn’t answer the phone. The past few weeks have been good because Rory actually remembered to call her every night. And if she was too tired to call then she’d send a text saying as much. But with radio silence tonight, her mom must have been pissed. 

Rory opens the voicemail and presses the phone to her ear to hear it, but her mom always talks irritatingly low on the phone so she has to turn the volume up and start it over. “Hey, sweetheart,” comes her mom’s voice through the speaker, and to Rory’s surprise, she actually doesn’t sound upset. “Nani came over today and wanted to talk to you, hence the many calls. You’re probably busy but she’s here for the next day or so, so call me back whenever you’re free. Love you, Aurora.” There’s a rustle of movement before she speaks again. “Nani says she loves you too. Talk soon.” 

The message ends and Rory figures that she’ll call back tomorrow when she’s sober and actually has time to talk. So she shoots her mom a text telling her as much, apologizing for good measure. She knows she didn’t get yelled at because her Nani was around. 

“Aurora?” comes Niall’s voice from behind her. When she turns around to face him, he’s looking at her all surprised. She’d forgotten they were standing in the same room before she played the message out loud. “I’m learning so much about you today.” The beginnings of a laugh are threaded into the seams of his voice, and Rory can’t even find it in herself to be annoyed that he now knows her actual name. Harry and Leslie don’t even know, and they’re some of her best friends. He smirks at her, sending her a wink, saying, “Beautiful name for a beautiful girl.” 

Her skin begins to burn at his words, and she’s glad that her hair is down because she knows even her ears are turning bright red. “I don’t go by that name,” she mumbles out, pocketing her phone and moving towards him to grab the now opened wine bottle, pouring a generous amount of the deep red liquid into their glasses.

Niall’s looking at her curiously, but it’s not the judgemental kind that Rory nearly expects from everyone. “Why not?”

She shrugs, but can’t come up with an answer. There isn’t really a big story behind why she prefers to be called Rory. She’s just always thought that it fit her better. “Aurora was always too prim and proper for me I guess.”

At that, Niall laughs, taking his glass and leaning against the kitchen island where they’re standing. “Why, because it’s a Disney princess name?”

She laughs back, leaning against the island as well, flipping her hair back over her shoulder just for something to do. “Well that definitely didn’t help. But, I don’t know.” Her mind searches for a memory of having a bad experience with the name and none comes up. Everyone’s just always called her Rory except for her mom. But that was always because she’d told them to. “I just never felt like an Aurora. I always wanted people to call me Rory.”

When she looks up at him again, his face is softened up around the edges and he’s smiling that fond sort of smile at her that he usually reserves for Spike. Or maybe she’s imagining it. Maybe she’s too drunk. “Well,” he starts, voice a mere whisper in the already quiet kitchen, and it makes her lean in just to hear him. He leans in too, hand coming around to rest on the island ledge beside her, and she’s suddenly thinking about kissing him again. “I think ‘Rory’ is beautiful too.” And the way he says it makes her heart stop, makes her mind go blank as she gets lost in those eyes again, wide open pools of honesty and sweetness and what also looks like affection. But then he clinks his glass against hers and the spell, once again, is broken, and she’s crash landing back to earth. “Cheers,” he murmurs, still smiling at her, still leaning into her space ever so slightly. 

Rory smiles back, but she doesn’t make a move, knows she won’t. Not after last year. Not after falling for a boy who made her feel like she could float up into the sky only to turn around and break her heart. So she simply says, “Cheers” back and they quietly sip their wine before somehow finding their way back to the living room. 

They end up finishing off the second bottle, wine glasses abandoned on the table in favor of passing the bottle itself between them, and getting way too drunk to even get through Titanic, instead sprawling out on the couch, Rory on one end and Niall on the other, sharing stories they’ve accumulated over the course of the summer and laughing their heads off. At one point, Niall nearly falls off the couch and Rory nearly spits wine into his face so, yeah, they’re wasted.

They’re currently dying over an impression by Niall of Mrs. Dreyfuss when she realized Spike went missing, and Rory doesn’t know how she still has the energy or lung power to laugh as hard as she has. She’s wiping streaks of tears from her eyes when Spike finally crawls in next to them, curling up into their tangled feet in the middle of the couch, and both she and Niall start cooing affectionately at him before they realize how stupid they sound and start giggling again. 

“I really love it when you laugh,” Niall says suddenly, and when she looks up at him, he’s leaning his head against the back of the couch and watching her with a soft smile. “You, like, light up.” He makes a gesture with his hands to mimic sparks and Spike makes a sound that, to Rory’s drunken mind, sounds almost like agreement. “This whole summer, all I wanted to do was make you laugh.” 

She doesn’t know what to do except roll her eyes and toss a pillow from the ground at him. Her skin always feels impossibly warm whenever he throws a compliment at her, and she’s starting to think that he’s just doing it to watch her go red. “You’re drunk,” she says, still laughing a bit. 

Niall tosses it right back at her, and it hits her square in the chest. “But it’s true! You and Spike could have been twins with the way you were always frowning.” 

Rory looks at Spike, who is indeed frowning, and she gasps, feigning offense. “That’s so mean!” She throws the pillow at him again, narrowly missing Spike, who watches her almost warily. “But also probably true.” They laugh again, and every time Rory thinks she simply cannot laugh anymore, something happens and it just bubbles right out of her. Once they’ve finally settled down, silence overtaking them for a few moments, Rory slides down to make herself more comfortable on the couch, eyes trained up at the ceiling, which once again looks like fragments in her drunken vision. 

She closes her eyes and just feels the alcohol pumping through her system. Just feels the way she’s light and airy and carefree. Just feels how good it is to be here, laughing away at everything and nothing with Niall, like there isn’t anything else that matters. Just feels how Spike’s warm fur is curled up against one of her legs and Niall’s fingers are tracing circles along her ankle on the other and smiles to herself because it all just feels so right. 

“You know,” she starts, voice slightly slurred but also slow and quiet in the sudden calmness that’s enveloped the living room. “I wasn’t going to come back this summer.” The words flow out of her naturally, and once she starts talking, she realizes that it’s something she should get off her chest, once and for all. “Which is actually crazy now that I think about it because I’ve been working here for as long as I can remember, and everyone here is like family.” She thinks of Gigi and Harry and Leslie and Chester and all the other staff who have basically seen her grow up. Summer would not have been the same without them. It wouldn’t have felt right. “I was afraid...that things would be different. After last summer.” But she stops herself before she says too much. 

Niall is apparently very perceptive though, because he says, “Someone hurt you, didn’t they?” His voice is hushed and gentle, and when she shifts her head to look at him, he’s watching her carefully. 

“Why?” she asks back, feeling wary all of a sudden. “What have you heard?” She feels like she’s been asking him that a lot lately.

He shrugs, looking down at Spike, who seems to have fallen fast asleep. “Nothing. It’s just,” he’s shrugging again, as though attempting to fill up the space between his thoughts and his words, trying to get them right. And when he looks at her, there’s something in his eyes that she recognizes, even though the space is dimly lit, the only light coming from the lamp at the far side of the room. “I see it, sometimes. In the way you carry it, in your shoulders.” At his words, she suddenly realizes how tense she’s become and relaxes into the pillows slightly, but not tearing her eyes away from him. “You get this look sometimes. When someone says something and you want to laugh but then don’t, as if realizing you shouldn’t. Or when we’re at a party or event and you tense up because you start to realize you’re having fun.” 

Rory doesn’t know how Niall Horan has noticed all these things about her. Doesn’t realize all these things about her even existed. But it’s sort of eye-opening. She’s spent this entire summer feeling sorry for herself, feeling insecure over what others might have thought of her after last year, that she’s forgotten how to have fun. Forgotten why she even loves this place. 

“Sorry,” Niall’s suddenly saying, eyes widening as though he regrets the words that just left his mouth. Rory realizes that silence has stretched between them for minutes and she was too lost in her thoughts to notice. “I didn’t mean to cross a line or anything just—”

“No,” she says, and tries to sound reassuring but instead it sounds sluggish and slurred, her tongue heavy in her mouth. “No, you’re right. I—” She sighs, looking up at the ceiling again, hands folded over her tummy. “I guess I just didn’t realize that I became this person that...I didn’t even want to become.” 

Niall gives her a moment to mull over her thoughts before he says, “I don’t think you realize how much of an impact you have on people.” His fingers are tracing random shapes into her ankle now. Rory wonders if he even realizes he’s doing that or if the gesture is just absentminded. “Everyone here loves you.” 

And for once, she allows his words to take on the meaning he intends, allows them to wash over her bones and settle into that Shack boy-sized hole in her heart left from the summer before. She is more than her heartbreak. She can rise from it and move on.

“Thanks, Niall,” she murmurs after a moment, and as she smiles up at the ceiling now, she can feel herself being pulled into sleep, limbs feeling lethargic and heavy from the day’s events and the silky smooth wine buzzing through her. “Tonight was fun. I needed that.” 

She doesn’t have to look at him to know that he’s smiling too. “Good night, Rory.” 

And silence blankets them for a final time that night, wrapping around them snug and warm. Just two people and a cat, all tangled together, slow, deep breaths lulling them into a state of calm until they listen to sleep’s call and drift off to dreamland.

***

“When are you going to tell me about what’s happening between you and Niall Horan?”

Gigi’s waggling her eyebrows at Rory from where she’s sitting at their kitchen table the next day, sipping on a cup of coffee, and it reminds her too much of a similar conversation they had at the beginning of the summer. 

Except this time, a searing heat cascades across her skin, her cheeks prickling with the telltale signs of a blush, and she’s glad to be holding up a book so Gigi can’t see the way her skin is undoubtedly turning red. “Nothing is going on between me and Niall Horan.” 

There are 40 days of summer left, and that feels like the biggest lie Rory’s ever told.

--

tell me what you think! :)

#this one's all giggly and stupid lol hope u enjoy #head in the clouds #niall horan fanfiction #1dff #writings #one direction fanfiction #niall horan fanfic #niall horan x ofc

[rebelwith0utacause]

It’s 2 am, but it’s a music tag, so I’m doing it. Thanks @5sosofficial, sleep can wait ✌😌✌ 

Edit: it’s 4 am, and I’m a long-winded bitch, so everything goes under the line.

Right, so, first order of business, 20 songs on shuffle:

5SOS - Talk Fast

The Band CAMINO - Berenstein

Phillip Phillips - Miles

Nao - Bad Blood

You Me @ Six - Liquid Confidence (Nothing To Lose)

Yves Tumor - Noid

Patric Fiori - Que Tu Reviennes

Bigflo & Oli - Dommage

Dido - Hunter

Anarbor - Tasty

5SOS - Empty Wallets

TOOL - Vicarious

Roseburg, Kellin Quinn - RIP

Jack’s Mannequin - Dark Blue

While She Sleeps - I’VE SEEN IT ALL

OK Go - Another Set Of Issues

Galantis - Runaway (U & I)

Zayn - BoRdErSz

While She Sleeps - GATES OF PARADISE

Julie Zenatti - Si Je M’en Sors

10 songs I’ve been listening to in no particular order:

Architects - Gone With The Wind

X Ambasadors - Unconsolable

Onlychild - Teeth

Bring Me The Horizon - Teardrops

While She Sleeps - FAKERS PLAGUE

5SOS - Thin White Lies

Architects - Animals

ASL - Voodoo

Ina Wroldsen - Sea

Normandie - Holy Water

10 albums that influenced my taste and made me a music snob (with commentary):

1. Linkin Park - Meteora

I think I’ve already talked about this, but I was in my early teens when this album came out, and I had a classmate that liked rock(ish music) so I went to the local CD shop that sold burned CDs (we won’t talk about it, 90s and 00s Macedonia was in a different century than the rest of the world) and asked for something cool and rock, and they gave me this CD. Now, like the nosy music nerd I was, I decided to play it once before I gave him the CD. Long story short, loved it so much, ended up buying him a picture frame and keeping the CD for myself. The angst in Chester’s voice and the tiny electronic twists together with the dark tunes made my teenage years (and still do) bearable.

2. Kyo - Le Chemin

I was maybe 9 when I first heard these guys on TV and fell in love with the guy in the red shirt. This was around the time I started understanding a bit of French and it certainly helped when a few years later I found a copy of this baby in our local French Institute. I’ve been listening to a lot of French music throughout the years, but nothing compares to this album. It made me understand emotions in French if that makes sense. There’s always a dark undertone to every song and I love how Ben’s able to infuse his voice with enough desperation/anguish/urgency while still talking about love.

3. Maroon 5 - Songs About Jane

Early teens again, on a vacation in Montenegro, bought it from a shop right off the beach lmao. The cover looked dope, and it was 2 euros. Mainly bought it because I loved that there was Jane in the title, a male name in Macedonian, also the name of the guy I had a crush on. When I went back to camp, he played it for me and he liked it as well (he was an employee there and a biiiiiiiit older than me). Little did I know that the syncopation, the embellishments and the raw energy Adam sang with in (only) this album was gonna make me compare every pop album to this one for years to come. This is like IT for me when it comes to pop music, even if it’s not entirely pop.

4. Six Pack - Minut Cutanja

I was 13, my brother wasn’t at home, so I decided to raid his computer for music. “Borrowed” a lot of punk music and this album which was titled just Six Pack. I didn’t really listen to Serbian music (tbh, I turned my nose at it bcs I thought it was something older people did, or ppl with no taste), let’s just say that living in a post-Yugoslavia world as a kid was fkn weird (@httpsgfg might agree). But there’s this song called 2 Minuta Straha (2 Minutes of Fear) which served as a soft transition to punk (punk-rock) for me, and consequently heavier rock and metal. Like, it’s such a great album, and made me open to finding other ex-Yu bands that sounded modern before their time.

5. Opeth - Blackwater Park

It was late 2007 and I made my first friend in high school (other than the ppl I already knew). She was this goth type that had a brother in a band and she listened to a lot of the music he listened to. Long story short, she showed me Bleak and that was IT for me. Loved the oriental vibes, the distorted guitars and the growls so fkn much. To this day I’m a growl > scream girl, and Mikael Akerfeldt’s to blame. Like... his growl is so smooth and homogenous, I love it, and wait until you hear his clean vocals. Top that all off with the jazzy solos and acoustic-sounding guitars, just makes it all so perfect damn it!

6. Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold

2007-2009 was definitely my a7x moment. I started my journey with Waking The Fallen, but The White Album (self-titled) was the pivotal one for me. There’s just something about the complexity of the composition, like the drums are fkn vicious, the guitars are more technical but also more melodic and the lyrics are liakfjndjflsdkjn! It’s also the album The Rev wrote some of my all-time faves like Brompton Cocktail, Afterlife and Almost Easy, and in hindsight... no, don’t want to think about it. But yeah, it set the bar for modern metal music for me.

7. Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime

Now, where do I fkn start with this one. Found it in 2009 or 2010, the peak of my prog metal days and I was just blown away that someone thought to create banger sonics with a banger backstory. Queensryche (at least those bandmembers back then) were absolutely genius in their craft, and I’m just sad they never got to make another album similar in quality.

8. Alice In Chains - Dirt

Back in the day, I really hated grunge, and if I’m being honest, I still hate Nirvana with a passion, hated the fact that musically they weren’t the best but got so famous post-mortem. I mean it’s not their fault, it’s their fans’ fault for being such dicks lbr. But in 2010 I bit the bullet and played me some AIC. I was trying to broaden my horizons so to speak, and grunge was next in line. Layne’s vocals had me hook, line and sinker. I’ve been a fan ever since and I even gave Soundgarden and Pearl Jam a chance.

9. The Police - Synchronicity

My mom’s to blame for this, she’s always liked them, and I used to listen to a lot of ska-influenced music as a kid (I still love it today). I think Synchronicity was the peak of their musicianship as a band and it’s just such an evergreen album. Like... It doesn’t sound like something produced in 1983, yknow? Sting is a mf genius.

10. Ludovico Einaudi - Divenire

The beginning of the last decade was a weird time for me music-wise. I think I wanted to make myself appear more grown-up in the eyes of ppl, and I got a lot of shit for listening to metal. So I went in all sorts of directions, from grunge, to pop-rock (ATL, Paramore that kinda thing), post-rock radio hits and even a bit of minimalist classical music and instrumentals. I used to play classical guitar, so this wasn’t really anything new, but the minimalist subgenre definitely was. I think I could classify my taste as sounding modern/timeless, I really don’t like music that’s stuck in a certain decade, and this album, or more like the song Divenire because that’s the one I’ve played the most, is exactly it. I could be 80 and still listening to this, thinking it just got released. This man is a genius.

Alright, almost 2 hrs after I first started writing this, I’m tagging: @tigerteeff @pxrxmoore @karajaynetoday @wheniminouterspace @httpsgfg or anyone who wants to do it. I guess I missed a few albums, but it is what it is.

xx

#music tag #misc

[okaybutlikeimagine]

i'm LOSING my mind over this tommy story you wrote??? y'know the "woman throws copy machine out of window - i said keys?? vine"? the copy machine is my feelings and i am not okay. like lmao i didn't even really have an opinion on tommy beforehand, but now... poor boy :'

aaaaah! i’m simultaneously SO sorry but also not!

i honestly didn’t use to have that much of an opinion on Tommy H. either, other than I adored Chester Rushing’s freckles and also I thought he was kind of a brat. and like, i’m usually very much drawn to bratty characters, but even then i didn’t care very much.

but then Chester Rushing had to go and talk about how he’s CONVINCED his character Tommy has had a crush on Steve since they were kids and that he wants Tommy to come back in S3 to fucking SACRIFICE HIMSELF FOR STEVE??? GOD. truly he’s the one to blame. the goddamn NERVE of that boy…

either way, i’m OBSESSED w/ that idea now, and I love that song that I linked and i was listening to it one day and consequently made myself cry just thinking about lil freckly Tommy H. and how it like……. totally has gay-unrequited love potential. I’m truthfully just glad anyone liked it at all bc i really liked writing it (as upsetting as it was to do so  😂) and i was SO worried that the style would be off-putting/irritating/tiring for people to read. I’m just glad anyone had the energy to read it.

and like……. AUGH it makes so much sense to me?? if Tommy is anything other than straight, who ELSE would he have a crush on?? and i think that Steve may have also had some ~Feelings~ for Tommy that bordered more on Curiosity and then kind of fizzled out from his own internalized homophobia. PLUS Steve like… held himself in a weird sense of power OVER Tommy in S1??? I dunno if you’ve seen that post about how Steve is clearly the Ringleader and Tommy is the muscle?? like, there’s that scene where Tommy’s about to rough Jonathan up and everyone’s looking at Steve to tell Tommy to stop. Like… I think they’re friends but I also think to a certain extent that Tommy was just kind of a tool for Steve in certain situations and I need someone to look me in the eye and tell me Tommy wouldn’t notice that shit bc he 120% WOULD notice. and probably be okay w/ it so long as he gets to keep his friend w/ him but then he doesn’t even get THAT. and like… Steve just CHANGED and it’s partially Tommy’s fault, for sure, bc Steve definitely changed for the better and Tommy didn’t change with him.

but just imagine everything that could have possibly lead up to it!! like, they have a whole history we don’t even KNOW about which I guess is why i wanted to write that thing bc I think Steve was probably a very selfish kid/teen growing up. and I don’t exactly blame him completely. He’s an only child and his family is wealthy and he’s attractive, so like, of COURSE he’s used to getting what he wants. and that comes w/ not really minding other people and their feelings. and Tommy’s always just been there so maybe he takes advantage of that. like, Tommy’s not gonna leave him bc for as few friends as Steve himself seems to have, Tommy has less. Tommy needs Steve as much as Steve needs Tommy- maybe even more.

and so when he drifts away Tommy just doesn’t get it. I can’t imagine Tommy understanding. Suddenly Steve is so obsessed w/ this girl he doesn’t even laugh at Tommy’s jokes anymore and what’s up with that? and then Tommy makes a “friend” in Billy and he thinks he has something over Steve and he gets to watch Steve get bullied too and it’s like payback for all of these stupidly confusing feelings Tommy’s had his whole life but then that implodes on itself bc Billy gets what Tommy’s always wanted. and maybe it’s not okay to think of Steve like that but it’s true for Tommy. He had Steve first and imagine Tommy’s grief and pain seeing Steve leave him so easily… and so many times. Seeing Steve get rid of Tommy so fucking easily, for Nancy and then Jonathan and then Billy like, he even takes Billy away from him and how is that fair??

I DIGRESS. didn’t mean to rant, i just have so many THOUGHTS on Tommy i could explode. for as much of a brat as he is, he’s also still a kid like the rest of them and i just… love to try to put myself in the shoes of others.

anyway, please watch this video of Chester Rushing being the cutest little jelly bean and talking about how Tommy probably definitely had a crush on Steve. legit the BIGGEST Stommy shipper, he’s such a cinnamon roll.

#ask #silly-lioness #tommy h #stommy #but like #unrequited #i'm SORRY #but chester is a jelly bean and therefore i like Tommy now wOOPS #just imagine how ridiculously confusing and painful that whole thing must have been??? #but also don't #♥ #sorry i ranted so much there i didn't mean to #random