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writingismyhappytime · 5 years

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Crime and Punishment (Part 1)

Chris Cerulli x Reader

Warning: language, vampires, witches, Magic.

A/N: hi guys! Here's something new I hope you like, it's going to be a little different from the recent fics I've been posting. Let me know what you think!

Description: Vampire King Cerulli and you, the witch coven leader, have to team up to take down something attacking both of your people in the city you coexist in. You don't exactly get along, but with the help of his trainee vampire Vinny, and your ghost Claudette, you're sure you can work together long enough to figure it out, or die trying.

You hate waiting, especially in lobbies with the fluorescent lights and elevator music. It's been a long enough day as is, and now you've been drug to the museum over some nonsense you're sure.

You cut your eyes at the vampire standing a few feet from you, a bored expression on his face as he typed on his phone. He looks more like a businessman than the king of the undead, black coat with the collar flipped, tie the color of blood.

"You look nice today," you say after a moment, your voice full of sarcasm. "Drink enough virgins dry? You have a little color in your cheeks."

Cerulli glances at you. "I can see the sacrifice of children has done nothing for your personality."

You snort, crossing your arms as you stand beside him.

You're a witch, a snooty, brazen one at that. You lead the strongest coven that has ever graced the world, and therefore, you're sort of the wiccan leader. Your kind looks up to you for advice and leadership, which you've always been rather reluctant to give; you didn't exactly want to be the boss, but it sort of happened.

Cerulli is the vampire king; tall, dark, and handsome, he looks like he stepped right out of a Dracula movie.

You're not sure how old he is, you've never asked, but his mannerisms remind you of someone from the eighteen hundreds. You know he only became the king after his creator died, passing the unfortunate title off to him. He's always so cold, unreachable, it's like you're talking to a brick wall most times.

But then there are other moments when those hazel eyes of his seem so soft, so... human.

But he's about as human as a bear is.

"So, to what do I owe the misfortune of being in your presence?" You say after a moment, glancing over at him beneath black lashes. You don't dress like a typical witch leader, Cerulli will give you that. Your hair is long and loose, you wear many bracelets, but you don't wear flowing skirts or walk around burning sage; he's seen you most often in combat boots and clothing fit more for a rock concert. How you've been successfully leading anyone for the past thirty years is beyond him, but somehow you seem to make it work.

He knew your mother, Clarissa, and he respected her. She built the coven you now rule from nothing, finding stray witches and building bonds with them. She was a people person, full of laughter and sunshine, where you're like a beam of darkness bouncing off the walls. No one knows who your father is, not even you do he supposes, and Cerulli thinks the poor man probably got off easy escaping while he had the chance.

"Charles called a meeting for us, obviously." Cerulli responds, checking his silver cuff links. His black hair is slicked back, revealing the unnatural paleness of his skin, only made more obvious by the ink coursing it. He's always dressed so sophisticated, you look out of place standing beside him in his immaculate suit and tie, spikes jutting out the many piercings in his ears.

You wonder what he was like as a human.

"Charles never calls us in together, though. What do you think is happening?" You respect Cerulli, he's smart and conniving --- the only disappointment in your mind is that he's the stereotypical brooding, dark vampire and has absolutely no personality! He could like kittens, or enjoy knitting, or something interesting! Instead, you're fairly certain he lives in a cave with bats hanging from the ceiling, skulls and other bones skittered about and maybe a harem of enthralled groupies in chains for aesthetic.

"If I knew, I wouldn't be here," he responds coolly, arching one black brow down at you. Doesn't help the bastard is so tall, he towers over everyone. You don't like him glowering down at you all the time, but even in the most tolerable heels you can't reach his height.

"Right. Because you have so much to be doing right now." You scoff, tapping your nails impatiently; it's so easy to insult him. "Got fresh meat waiting for you back home?"

He rolls his eyes. "You're insufferable."

"Thanks, do my best."

"Chris! (Y/N)! Wonderful the two of you could make it!"

You and Cerulli look over, spotting the smaller man standing in the doorway opposite of where you bicker. He's only about four feet tall, with wide rimmed black glasses and a beaming white smile. His hair is thinning in the middle, gray mixing in with the white, and you can practically smell the stress rolling off of him despite his misleading smile.

"We didn't have much of a choice, you summoned us." You say after a moment, straightening. You know you and Cerulli are standing rather close, and despite the fact you tease and torture him, you don't dislike him entirely. You trust him if it comes down to it, against yours and everyone else's better judgment.

You're sure he can hold his own, he's lived as long as he has for a reason.

"Oh, (Y/N), I know you wouldn't have come if you didn't want too," Charles sighs, and turns, walking back into his office, leaving the door open in invitation. You and Cerulli exchange a look before following him, the heavy double doors shutting behind you by themselves.

You glance around the small office, noticing the files piling up on the oak desk, how the bookshelves in the corner are in disarray. There's a potted plant turned over, some papers still in the floor on the red rug that has... scorch marks?

"It smells of magic in here," Cerulli says after a moment, his nose curling at the acrid scent. He raises a hand to his mouth against the hideous smell. "What's happened?"

"We were robbed last night," Charles answers, pressing stubby fingers against his suit jacket. He adjusts his glasses before he goes to his chair, sitting down rather heavily and disappearing from sight. You give it a moment before the chair slowly rises, making it possible for him to sit at a normal height and see the two of you. "Someone broke into the museum."

"What could you guys possibly have in this place someone would want?" You ask skeptically, your skin prickling. What would someone want with dusty old artifacts? Everything in the museum is from the humans, nothing magical --- anything with any sort of magic tie is immediately turned over to the community it belonged too, whether it be witch, vampire, or etc. The museum is more like a tomb, full of artifacts from long lost civilizations. Charles runs it, and typically during the day, it's open to the public and bustling with humans. You don't visit often, you don't see a point in revisiting the boring past, and Charles rarely asks you too.

This must be extreme circumstances.

You're sure Cerulli must love walking down memory lane when the dinosaurs roamed and virgins were sacrificed in flames.

"I'll have you know, this museum is very interesting!" The shorter man huffs indignantly at your comment, displeased; must you always toss on his career? "We are keeping history alive here, reminding everyone of where they came from! You might find no use in it, but others disagree!"

"Charles, what has been taken?" Cerulli asks, irritated; is it possible for anyone to stay on task? He has important matters that are being postponed due to this meeting, he doesn't have time for it to take much longer! He wants to know what was taken and how it pertains to him. Listening to you agg on the short man will only lead the conversation to hell!

"Well," Charles fidgets slightly in his chair, causing the metal to creak as it rocks back and forth. "As you both know, we were housing a very special artifact from the medieval era."

How are you supposed to know that? "Okay, and?"

"This artifact was made by Aradia."

You straighten immediately at the familiar name. Aradia, the original witch from Tuscany, is basically looked as the "mother" of all witches for lack of a better term. Most think she's just a myth, but you're a descendant of her line, your family tree is so detailed it dates back to her... just nothing before her. It's as if everything started with her, that magic suddenly existed only once her presence became known to the world.

"You had something made by her and you didn't tell me?" You demand, staring at the smaller man incredulously. The hell? He's supposed to tell you when something comes in, that's the agreement! Why else would your coven still be offering funds to keep his stupid tomb of artifacts going? "Why would you keep this from me? She's ---."

"We were studying the artifact, it just arrived two days ago." The museum curator interrupts quickly before your rant can get started; he'll never get a word in edgewise if he let's you go too long. "We were still unsure of its connection, I didn't honestly believe it held any connection to her until it was taken, only suspicions!"

"Are you kidding me!? You should have told me the instant that thing arrived so I could have protected it! Anything made by Aradia is sacred, it's powerful and needs protection --- no wonder the blasted thing was stolen!" You fume; how could he not tell you? You're the leader of the witches, you're supposed to protect them and magic from any and all threats, and there was an artifact who belonged to the mother of all witches in town and you didn't even know!

"What, exactly, is the artifact you keep speaking of?" Cerulli asks after a moment of silence. He's heard the name Aradia before, but it holds no significance to him. He doesn't care of its origin, only its supposed worth. He checks his watch. "And what does it do?"

"It's a goblet, made of immaculate wood. We think it's dated back to the original times, and the condition," the curator starts, only to stop at the two very unimpressed expressions he receives. He sighs, then continues. "It was excavated out of an old abandoned site in Tuscany, where the supposed goddess lived."

"She wasn't supposed," you snap, your hands going to your hips; everyone always wants to speculate if she was real or not, when obviously, she existed. She wouldn't be written as so and hailed in so many oral stories if she didn't have some origin. "She's as real as you and I!"

"I never said she wasn't real, obviously she was." Charles says calmly, the light glinting off his glasses as he adjusts them nervously. "Not much is known about Aradia except she taught witchcraft."

"She was a goddess, the mother of all witches. Without her, I'm not sure that any of us would know about magic," you respond, frowning. "Why were you excavating a site in Tuscany, anyway?"

"We were just doing some digging, you know how it is. Harmless, really, just searching for any treasures that may have been overlooked by the human eye." Charles quickly brushes off the question, which immediately annoys you. "We found the goblet buried deep within the earth."

"How do you know it was hers?"

"You can feel the magic on it, even now. It makes the skin prickle, which means it holds some sort of significance."

"Maybe. Doesn't necessarily mean that she made it, now does it?" You're skeptical. "There's been many powerful beings throughout the ages. Besides, Aradia was poor, she ---."

"Are you really arguing with me about this? I know it's an artifact, it came from a very popular place she used to visit. Can you just take my word for once?" Charles interrupts, looking annoyed. "Point is, it's been stolen, and was the only thing as well. They tore up my office until they found the file on it, got it out of the wards, and disappeared with it!"

"Well, see if you'd told me about it, I could have put up stronger wards," you grouch, not about to be deterred. "Being robbed is your own damned fault, and I hope you haven't doomed all of us because of it! Really, Charles ---."

"Don't patronize me, I was going to tell you eventually! I just wanted to be sure!"

"Eventually isn't good enough!"

Cerulli groans out loud, leaning back on his heels as he casts his eyes to the heavens.

"Enough of this bickering!" He snaps, interrupting the two of you mid-hiss. He glares at you before turning his black gaze on the curator. "Why does this pertain to me in any damned way?"

"Oh, well, we're pretty sure it was a vampire who took it." Charles shrugs, as if the words aren't going to completely upset the man standing in front of him. He actually summoned you both at once so he wouldn't have to face you separately, at least the presence of the other is sort of a damper.

Cerulli's expression darkens. "You think it was one of mine?"

"Well, not necessarily yours," Charles fidgets uncomfortably; this is the part he was dreading. Cerulli rules his roost with an iron fist, and anyone who crosses him doesn't have a happy fate. He's not known for his mercy or his kindness, and Charles isn't necessarily saying that it was one of his vampires that stole the goblet, just... "Just... a vampire."

"And you've proof of this?" It's quite brazen to accuse a vampire of such theft, especially in the king's district.

"Whoever stole the goblet may have been quick, but they obviously didn't think about the security cameras." Charles turns, and he opens the drawer of his desk, lifting out a remote and clicking one of the buttons. You turn, eyes flicking to the wall where a painting slowly rises, revealing a TV hidden behind it.

Fancy.

The screen is in color, and you can see the warehouse where the artifacts are stored. The lights are still on, as they always are, crates and other large boxes dotting the concrete ground, a light flickering in one corner as it goes out. There's some statues covered in white sheets, which you find creepy, and some empty glass cases.

You don't immediately notice anything, and you wait impatiently, wondering when the thief is going to strike.

"You see, it was around midnight when he took the goblet, right out of that crate. I had wards all throughout that warehouse, there's no way he could have gotten through unless he was thoroughly educated in their removal. Even then." Charles sighs as he takes his glasses off, rubbing his tired eyes.

You purse your lips.

Did you miss something?

"I can see why you would think it was one of my kind, but I can assure you, none of my brood would be so foolish as to touch an object such as that. Should it not be cursed, it would be of no use to us." Cerulli scowls, displeased; he saw the vampire moving across the screen, much too fast for the regular eye. To any mortal watching, it would have just seemed like the lid of the crate moved an inch, nothing more. "However, I know of no rogue vampires in the city either."

"So it seems we have a mystery on our hands then," Charles sighs, nudging his glasses back up his thin nose. "A witch object, stolen by a vampire. You two must understand why I wanted you directly to be here, not one of your advisers."

You didn't even see anything get stolen!

Shit, maybe you should invest in some glasses. You glance back at the screen unhappily, but you know there's no way you'll see what they did. Vampires move so quickly, it's hard for your kind to even see them, unfortunately.

"I wish you'd told me of this sooner," you finally say, your voice completely serious this time. You're troubled over this. "I wish I had known."

"I know, and I apologize. I meant no disrespect, I was just unsure if it held any magical qualities that would be of any interest." Charles says as sincerely as he can muster; he'd been worried, admittedly, about the consequences of this conversation. He knew it could go one of several different ways, most of them ending with his head on a plate or turned into a tree, which seems to be your fondest type of torture.

Where Cerulli is known for his merciless kills, you... rather like to be creative with them.

What a pair of leaders you two make.

You run your ringed fingers through your hair with a sigh.

"Alright, so take me to the warehouse, I need see what I can find out. If he broke the wards, there's going to be some sort of trace of it." Honestly, vampires are not handy with magic, so you figure he didn't do the job alone. There had to be someone else who broke the wards, meaning another witch, meaning one of yours. You're sure Cerulli has already made the connection, although he would never mention anything to you; well, he avoids talking to you if he can, so anything he finds out, he's not going to share no matter how significant.

You doubt this is going to go well.

~~~~~~~~

Cerulli is silent as he watches you pace around the box where the goblet was stolen. He'd decided to accompany you to the warehouse, leaving Charles back in his office. He stands completely still, watching you just out of the circle of light zeroed in on the crate. His hands are clasped behind his back, and he's just... waiting.

Your face is serious for once as you pace, and he can tell you're doing something. Your fingers are trailing above the box, never quite touching it, light glinting off your painted nails. Your brows are creased in concentration, and your lips are moving wordlessly.

He can feel your magic, it makes his skin prickle and burn, and he much dislikes the scent of it. He can smell it all throughout the warehouse, it makes his nose feel numb it's so strong here. He knows he shouldn't linger, he has a very important meeting in an hour, but curiosity has gotten the best of him.

"Alright, so every single ward on this warehouse is gone," you say after a moment, your fingers finally going still. "Whoever was with the vampire made sure he wouldn't trigger a single one to alert anyone to his theft."

Ah, so you've caught on that there must have been an accomplice, good for you.

"So a witch then," Cerulli says after a moment, seeing your nose curl. He says it quite point blank, but not with any judgment.

"Possibly." You allow, disliking the thought of one of your own being so deceitful. "It's the only explanation for the way the wards were broken. It's darker magic that did this, anyway."

"Why do you say so?"

"Well, these wards," you gesture vaguely, glancing suspiciously at the sheets covering the statues; you have this phobia of them moving beneath them, that really there's someone standing there and you just don't know it. They're suspicious and you've seen your fair share of horror movies. Being a witch won't stop someone from shanking you, after all. "They're powerful, Charles doesn't mess around. Whoever did this knew where they all were and were very meticulous in canceling out every single one. But there's no way they could have known where they all were unless they've been scouting the place a week, but..."

But Charles said he's only had the artifact two days, which doesn't make sense. So either Charles lied to you, or... well, he probably just lied to you to cover his own ass, which only pisses you off more.

There's no telling what he just let happen.

If the object does belong to your ancestor and used in any ritual, it's sacred, and it has the residue of her power. The mother of all witches has been dead since the 1300's, and you'd prefer she stayed that way; the only reason someone would want a possession of hers is to either resurrect her for worship, resurrect her and steal her power, or something just as bad!.

You chew your lip worriedly; this is... a really bad situation.

"I'll inquire around my brood," Cerulli says after a moment, reluctantly gliding forward after a moment. He comes to a stop beside you, sniffing slightly; he can smell the vampire that was here, but he doesn't know the scent as one of his. "Find out if there's a stray in my area."

"Alright." You rub the back of your neck, grimacing. "I'll check around too."

Cerulli inclines his head. He doesn't honestly intend to keep in touch with you, there's no point. Any information he finds he will relay to Charles directly, or at least, that's what he would typically do. However...

"I find it strange that they were able to cancel out every ward," he comments after a moment, leaning back on his heels. "Don't you?"

You send him a look. "Obviously."

His lips twitch. Perhaps you're not as dim as you act, if you've already caught on that this was an inside job. He just can't understand why Charles would bring the two of you into the fold and go through so much trouble; obviously he could have kept the artifact hidden and neither of you would have ever known.

Interesting.

"Well, I must be going," Cerulli glances at the silver and black watch on his wrist for probably the hundredth time. "I have appointments to keep."

"Guess you can't leave those virgins waiting, huh?" You say thoughtlessly, seeing his eye twitch just the slightest; okay, so you don't mean to be snotty towards him all the time, sometimes it just comes out. You pick at him, you try to rile him up so he can have some personality! He doesn't need to be so stoic and stereotypical all the time.

"Goodnight, (Y/N)," He mutters, turning on his heel sharply. You sigh as he stalks off, heading for the open bay doors where his town car sits, lights on and the engine rumbling. Of course he has a driver, waiting for him behind the wheel.

Cerulli glances back at you as he gets into the car, opening his own door instead of waiting for someone else to do it like you expect.

You're not looking at him anymore, you're gazing down into the crate where the goblet once was, lost in your own thoughts.

Sometimes, he feels bad for you, thinking about your life. Only daughter of renowned Clarissa, a descendant of the mother of witches, you never stood a chance at being average. He wasn't surprised when you took over the leadership of the coven, just pleasantly amused when you actually did well and keep everyone in line.

Discipline is never easy but always needed.

Still, there's something about you --- you're more than you appear to be.

Perhaps he will keep in touch after all.

Perhaps.

~~~~~~~~ "My lady, I do not think this is wise," the ghost worries, wringing her hands as she follows you back and forth across the room. You're gathering your clothes together, shoving them in an overnight bag. You have intentions of paying a visit to an old friend, one whose magic you easily recognized from the scene of last nights crime. You'd kept the information to yourself, you didn't want Cerulli knowing about it.

"You never think anything is wise, Claudette," you grumble, zipping your bag. Claudette is the ghost of a housemaid, who died at an unfortunately young age and has haunted the house for as long as you remember. When times are peaceful, she's transparent, but the ghost can almost pass for human when she tries. She was your nanny when you were young, keeping you out of trouble while your mother ran the coven and the front of a bookstore.

"I am cautious and concerned of your well being is all," the ghost reminds, clasping her hands in front of her. She wears a dress from the 1800's, with a high black collar and long sleeves, a white apron over her clothing. Her dark hair is wound up into a tight bun at her head, and her eyes were once a pretty green. You're fond of her, one of the reasons you've not vanquished her or sent her soul on to the afterlife when you're perfectly capable of doing so.

Your house was once the home to a wealthy gentleman, complete with chandeliers and gas lamps that are pure decoration now. Claudette may keep it spotless, but you can't imagine she enjoys being in the home that she died in, especially since her late employer stabbed her to death with a fire poker in the upstairs study and shoved her out a window; lots of laudanum will make you go a bit bonkers.

"I know, and I appreciate it. I really don't know what I would do without you," you say, giving her a genuine smile as you slip your bag over your shoulder. "I'm just going overnight, I won't be gone long, so don't worry. Just keep the house safe and I'll be back before you know it."

Claudette frowns. "What if you are gone longer and some of the witches notice? You know one of them will fight for your position!"

"You act as if I'm going to the Bermuda Triangle." You shake your head. "I'm just going out of town like four hours drive, tops. I just need to check on Lydia."

"Lydia is a troublemaker, my lady. Tis why your mother banished her," Claudette warns. "She's not one to be trifled with."

"I know." You remember Lydia from when you were young. Her and your mother were close when you were a child, but then she just suddenly disappeared. It was only later when you realized she had been banished. Your mother never worried about just having one type of witch in her coven, she didn't discriminate between light or dark, and somehow the mixture has always worked. Lydia just couldn't get along with the other witches, and would use her powers to torment them instead of playing by the rules.

You understand why she was banished, although she obviously didn't go far from the city. You could have picked out her magic anywhere, it was so unique. She's the one who deactivated all of the wards meticulously, that much is clear to you.

Just not why.

Is she after a relic of Aradia, hoping it will give her a power boost? Does she intend to put it on the black market?

Why is she involving herself with vampires after she spoke against them for so many years?

That's what you're going to find out.

"I'll be back tomorrow. Should anyone ask, tell them I had to make a trip and they can always reach me." It's like Claudette ignores the existence of cell phones. "Alright?"

"Yes," Claudette says reluctantly, following you out of your bedroom and towards the front of the manor. "Although I still do not believe it wise. Those who are banished should not be brought back into the fold."

"I'm not bringing her back in, I'm just going to visit," you respond; you're not an idiot. You haven't been leading the coven for thirty years just on luck.

You turn just as you reach the front doors, looking at your friendly ghost.

"You're going to be alright for a night, aren't you? No more staring forlornly out the attic window and causing more rumors?" you say lightly; everyone believes the place haunted, and they're not wrong, it's the entire reason your mother decided to move in. What better place to live then somewhere no one wants to visit?

Claudette looks miffed. "That was a hard time, I was trying to come to terms with my situation! You try being dead and trapped in the same house forever!"

"I grew up here, I know it can be a prison." you shrug, shifting the weight of the bag on your shoulder. "Just keep it safe for me while I'm gone."

"As you wish," Claudette bobs her head. "Just be safe, and protect your amulet."

Your hand rises automatically. The gold amulet you wear is always tucked beneath your clothing, out of mind, out of sight. It's the entire reason you're not aging, why you still look young and not in your fifties. It belonged to your mother, and kept her alive and youthful for a good hundred years before she was killed. Of course it went to you, and it keeps you going. Should you take it off, you would begin to age like normal again, but you'd rather not. You're not ready to give up on life just yet.

You're sure others know about the amulet, but it's not something that's to be brought up in casual conversation. You don't mention it, and so no one else does. Not even the vampires question why you stay so young and leading your coven whereas the members themselves age and die off.

Circle of life, unfortunately.

Ah, well.

You'd better go witch hunting.

~~~~~~~~

"Allen, you say?" Cerulli says the name, disliking the taste of it. He stands at his study window, overlooking the fountain in the center of his garden. His hands are tucked carefully into his suit pockets, eyes thoughtful. "He's the stray?"

"He's not entered the city that we know of, sire. He's always stayed on the outskirts, so we took no worry of him," Vinny says hesitantly, unsure of his king's response. He's new to the position of the messenger to the king, as the last one died rather abruptly when he forgot to inform the King of some crucial news.

"Well, it seems he has entered the city under our watch, which is rather unfortunate." Cerulli mutters, glancing over his shoulder.

Vinny flinches.

Cerulli is in his office, where he conducts all of his business. The window he stands at leads out to a small balcony, the black curtains drawn back to allow the moonlight inside the room. Thick carpet covers the floor, wooden bookshelves lining every wall covered in tomes and manuscripts of old. Strange, unorthodox skeletons in little glass cases dot every other surface, and a large globe of the world stands as decoration at the far side of the room. A red velvet sofa sits against the wall below a painting of Cerulli in his youth, as a human, and before his large curving desk sits two more antique chairs.

The room fits him entirely, and Vinny always feels out of place when he has to come inside.

"Where has he been lurking? What is the residence?" Cerulli asks, his voice sharp. He's impatient to know what's going on and how it's connected to the witches, he certainly doesn't want any trouble. It's hard enough keeping a pack of vampires peaceful and not ripping out the throats of humans every time they lose their temper --- cleaning up the mess is such a hassle. He certainly doesn't want a war with your kind, you more specifically.

You're both leaders, of course of completely different kingdoms, but uneasy allies just the same. He has to admit, he's used to you leading the witches at this point and can't imagine a new monarch, he doesn't like change. He wants this situation to go away quickly and quietly.

"Some house out near the swampland, I can get the address."

"Who lives at this house?"

"Lydia St. Thames, I think."

"Is she human?"

"Witch, but banished." Vinny only learned all of this a few minutes ago, and he quells before Cerulli's withering look.

"One of our kind has been fraternizing with a witch and I was not told of it?" He hisses, turning abruptly to leave the moon at his back. He glares at the quivering vampire a few feet away from him. "How incompetent are you fools!?"

"We, we were unaware of her status! Our scouts didn't feel the information pertinent as the vampire was just supposed to be passing through!" Vinny gasps, holding up his hands in a placating manner. "I'm sorry, my king ---."

"Excuses! Have the scouts brought in immediately and questioned of all their knowledge on the witch and the vampire! I want to know everything about them by the time I return!"

"Return?" the messenger squawks in surprise, watching as the King strides towards the door.

"Yes. I'm leaving. Don't disappoint me." Cerulli growls, his black eyes brushing over the other vampire and making him feel very, very small.

"Yes, sir." Vinny wouldn't dare.

Vinny lets his breath go the moment the king leaves the room, pressing his hands against his knees as he tries not to panic. How he got stuck with this job, he'll never understand, he's new anyway! Only around a decade old, and he only transferred here because his maker was disappointed that he didn't quite turn out as planned, that he wasn't vicious and wanting to rip the throats out of virgins or steal candy from babies.

He literally got kicked out of the nest, and Cerulli took him as a favor, he knows that. The king hasn't been terrible to him, he's actually a decent guy, but yeesh, can he be terrifying! It's those black eyes, the barely controlled rage that sometimes pushes at the precarious hold Cerulli has against it.

Vinny isn't sure why the king is always so on edge and ready for a fight, but he has more self-control than the young vampire has ever seen in anyone. The king always just breezes through, pretending he's calm and calculated, amused at certain situations and not at all affected, but Vinny's been around him long enough to know that's not the case.

The king is ruthless, and the fact he actually let his anger show makes Vinny even more concerned about what might be happening.

What's so important about a banished witch, anyway?

Is she going to herald the end of their world as they know it?

Vinny sighs, and runs his hands through his brown, frizzy hair, trying to smooth it out of his face. He better do as the king said, bring all those scouts in for questioning. Pity the poor vampires who didn't relay the important information the king wanted. At least he's not one of them.

He never wants to be on the receiving end of the king's wrath.

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blankdblank · 6 years

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Tea? Oh Dear!

Some Hiddleston Fluff for you! Hope you like it! :D

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@himoverflowers, @theincaprincess, @aspiringtranslator, @sweeticedtea, @ggbbhehe4455, @thegreyberet, @patanghill17, @jesgisborne, @curvestrology, @alishlieb, and @ckc243 who requested this.

…

“We could still make the midnight showing of the new Jurrassic Park.”

Your brows rose as you locked eyes with the brown eyed southern actor claiming his spot on your arm for his first award show ever who turned his head nearly slurring out, “You can’t see that one, I dated x.” (X is nowhere near the main character in the film) His breath already reeking with the alcohol he downed before joining you in the car you’d picked him up in for your first official outing as a couple after your set up a week ago.

“So?”

“I’ve seen them naked, makes it so you can’t see the movie!”

You nod, “Alright then, in that case you can’t see the new Avengers movies or the one about King Arthur, or anything with any of the Lord of the Rings or Hobbit actors. To name a few.”

Their eyebrows raise, “How many actors have you dated?!”

You cross your arms, “None, But I’ve seen almost all of them naked, or at least close to it, and at one point or another had a far more emotionally fulfilling relationship with them. Even if it was entirely dreamed up on my side, but each was important in a way of helping me through some very hard times in my life. So that leaves you with a very small list of three actors whose movies are safe for you to see.”

“That’s not even the same thing!”

You turn to face them uncrossing your arms, “No, it’s not. But you know what, I can understand keeping your secrets, not that I have a huge list of people that I talk to in the first place, and in the least I would have enough respect that if you’re uncomfortable watching something with either you or a certain person in it I would understand and take it somewhere else, out of respect for you.” You point your finger at him, “But don’t you dare for one minute think that just because you’re this huge important actor that you have the right to tell me what I can or can’t do, say or watch. Because i’ve been there before and I will be damned before I let you or anyone else have that amount of control over me again. Now you’re an incredible actor but just because I like your movies doesn’t mean I have to like you as a person, so I think it’s best that we just leave it at nice to meet you.”

The car stops at the event and the driver is doing his best not to laugh as you get out and walk into the event thinking to yourself as you go to take your place in line on the long carpet entrance beside your waiting agent, “I spent hours getting ready I’ll be damned if I’m missing this.”

Around you your floor length sleeveless and backless velvet black gown settled as your agent held his hands at his sides, “Where’s Drew?”

Adjusting the pairing fake fur lined wrap in the bend in your arms while adjusting the clutch in your hand you answered, “We broke up.”

He raised a brow, “It’s been two hours since I left you!”

You nodded, “The six pack he bathed in was pretty off putting.”

Nodding his head he wet his lips before his hazel eyes met yours, “You’ll be alright on your own?”

You nodded offering him a gentle smile as a larger star passed you on your right stealing a glimpse of you in your gown while his date eyed your glittering ring and fake gem coated clutch, “Of course, not my first event alone. I can always meet up with Timmy back stage to wait between my presenting.”

He nodded again and motioned his hand to the side after reaching out after his request for permission adjusting the choker strap around your neck holding up the near sheer portion of your gown not being supported by the hidden wiring underneath the portion covering your chest also holding your cleavage in place. In a steady pace he led you to the first of your stops to do a short interview where as expected your first question was about your assumed date, “I would have guessed a certain Drew would be escorting you.”

With a large grin as you weakly chuckled you replied, “Up until about half an hour ago he was. Found out a bit late we didn’t see eye to eye on certain areas pertaining a relationship.”

With a raised brow the interviewer asked, “You’re not going to give me anything more than that?”

Your smile inched larger after you released your lip after a quick nip at it to say, “Some men believe they have far more say over their significant other’s lives than others. I’ve been a possession before, obviously it didn’t work for me.”

“Ah.” After wetting his lips he shifted the questioning to your latest role on a tv show, mixing in a hinted joke at your recurring and continuously dying character on two of the new Marvel shows, the same woman that just keeps popping up again and again in the background on each even after dying or being terribly disfigured or harmed without so much as a name or back story stirring hope through fans for one someday.

A few minutes later you had moved on again to the next interview before you paused for your pictures, tilting your head slightly as you got into place releasing your long braided ponytail to rest down the center of your back before walking inside. You had gotten there early as you were told, walking in you headed straight for the waiting area, a row of large rooms packed with arm chairs and couches around small tables perfect for teas or cocktails and a few snacks before moving to the main ballroom where you would have to claim your seat beside your now ditched date.

Easily you found your way through to one of the quieter rooms spotting your friend behind the bar, on the way however your path paused at the elderly group of women all dressed to the nines on the circle of love seats having a quiet discussion. With an easy smile you approached them and gently smiled at them when they glanced up at you curiously, their soft smiles growing as you said, “I was going to get myself some tea, you didn’t happen to want any did you?” With a round of nods you took the short walk to the bar placing the order then waited there to walk back with the waiter pushing the tea set coated tray, your forward glance leaving you oblivious to the pack of curious Marvel stars off in the distance watching the woman possibly pestering their Mothers.

Fully expecting to accept your cup of tea from the tray and stroll away leaving the ladies to their former discussion you had to force another smile and nod claiming the bare seat they offered you. With a sip of your tea your ankles crossed under your gown when you locked eyes with a woman in deep blue as she asked you your name after stating she’d seen you somewhere.

“Jaqi.”

Another in the group tapped a finger to her lips before extending it at you saying, “You were blonde last season, on that Marvel show.”

You nodded with a weak giggle, “Yes I was.” A few soft gasps as it clicked in their minds later and you were drawn fully into a conversation about your ever changing wardrobe and appearance that drifted towards a slew of actors from the golden age of Hollywood drawing out a near enamored smile from you at your shared love of that era. For nearly an hour you gushed and giggled with the rest of them, the most of it with holding your shivers after curling your wrap around the woman at your side who had forgotten to grab hers before her flight out. Her smile grew as she met your gaze with a somehow familiar set of glistening blue eyes to ask in a crisp British accent, “You’re here alone?”

With an embarrassed chuckle you replied, “I had a date, but he proved to be less than gentlemanly for my liking.”

A scheming smile spread on her face as she replied, “Are you free on Friday?” Your brow rose as she continued, “My Son’s free from a bad patch of his own. It would be simple, dinner, movie, as gentlemanly as possible I give you my word.”

After another weak chuckle your eyes scanned over the group as they all chipped in that if their Sons weren’t taken already they’d be doing the same and that he was a great catch. With a slight barely there shrug you replied, “If he’s anything like you I’m certain we’ll get along stupendously.”

Her smile grew as she reached in her purse collecting her phone stirring another curious round of glances from the distant group to gain your phone number as you offered her yours in return, smiling at you brightly as she settled the details of the restaurant to meet in before the following film. Moments later however your agent found you and called you away granting the men to see your full outfit without the wrap earning a few gulps they were thankful their significant others weren’t there to catch while you left your wrap in her care to keep her warm.

With a smile you met with the other first round of presenters all learning your categories and awards while claiming your envelopes and awards to be passed off while in the row of seats lined up to keep you all in order. Just before your turn to claim the stage your agent stopped before you with a relieved sigh saying, “Drew was dropped back at home a few minutes ago.” Your brow rose, “Apparently he couldn’t even manage to stumble out of the car to his first interview, his agent whisked him away. So no worries there.” After looking you over he asked, “What was it with the group earlier?”

“Oh, just offered them some tea and fell into a discussion on the golden days of Hollywood.” He nodded and you rolled your eyes accepting his help to your feet, “It’s far more interesting then you assume it to be.”

…

On their paths to their own tables the men went to claim their dates with Tom Hiddleston eyeing the fake fur lined wrap coating his Mother’s back causing him to ask, “Who was that woman?”

His Mother Diana replied with a large grin earning one from him instantly in return, “Jaqi, oh lovely young woman.”

At his side Chris Evans asked his Mother, “How did you start talking in the first place?”

Mrs Evans replied, “She asked us if we wanted some tea.”

Chris H asked, “What all did you talk about.”

After a huge smile with an excited gasp of air Mrs Evans replied, “Oh everything from clothes to movies, food, oh and the jerk she was supposed to come with.”

With curiously furrowed brows Idris asked, “She didn’t ask about us at all?”

They shake their heads, and Mrs Evans replied, “Didn’t even trade last names dear.”

On their path to the tables Diana nudged her Son’s elbow with hers and whispered as he leaned in, both with smiles, “I got her number, so you can call her.”

“Mum I…”

Her hand patted the back of his, “Oh psh…she’s an incredible woman, you’ll love her, just the sort of woman I want for you. Besides I already set it all up, dinner and a movie next Friday.”

“Mum..”

“Don’t Mum me.” Fixes his tie with a large smile meeting his gaze with hers drawing another smile from him at her beaming grin, “You’ll love her.”

After a short exhale he nodded, “Alright. Since you set it up I’ll go.” He eyed the wrap around her asking, “Did she let you keep the wrap, or-.”

She glanced down chuckling softly, “Oh I’d forgotten it completely. It really does feel quite incredible, nice and thick and not overly heavy, perfect for events like these. I do hope she doesn’t catch a chill.”

With a smirk Tom replied, “Perhaps she’ll drop by for it later when she remembers.” His eyes dropped to his jacket pocket as she eased out his phone and punched in your number before returning it and giving his pocket a gentle pat making him smile a bit wider again.

With a gentle pull he eased her into her seat before claiming his own scanning over the crowd hoping to possibly catch another glance of you without any luck. The lights lowered as the hosts took the stage and the show began, only bringing another glimpse of you as the third presenter, a soft snicker came from one of the actors on Tom’s right recognizing you from a scene you’d shared before as he got a full glimpse of your shimmering purple eyes on the jumbo screen through your reading from the prompter before finally opening your envelope welcoming up one of the actors from a nearby table to the men. With a smile you passed the award off and turned gripping your hem for your turn and walk backstage, then out to your two empty seats with the actors watching your path to the table nearly against the wall opposite them and your seat right up against it.

All night your paths seemed to just barely miss one another until you managed to bump into Diana in her path to the rest room as you were leaving to collect your warp again and confirm you would meet up with her Son.

…

Soon enough Friday came and you were early, claiming your seat in the candle lit restaurant you clearly realized to be perfect for an incredibly romantic setting for your start to what you hoped to be your best date ever, not much of a competition but you could still hope for it just the same. Shifting your crossed leg a bit higher over the other you accepted your tea you hoped to help calm you down as you mentally once again debated whether your deep blue dress was truly the best choice for tonight.

But at least you imagined yourself to appear somewhat suitable for this setting. Warmly the scent wafted into your lungs as you raised the cup just in time to spot the silver suited figure of the man portraying your character always seems to be donning a wink towards either in your clothing or a habit. Those same dazzlingly blue eyes turned to the waiter who set out another cup and poured it at his smiling request through your first sip.

Mentally between your panicked shouts you lowered your cup eyeing Tom Hiddleston as he claimed a sip of his own holding his lingering gaze on you with those same several hidden message filled eyes you’d yet to decipher their meaning towards you. Oh dear. Softly the words rang through your mind as he lowered his cup with a smile at your asking, “You’re Diana’s Son?”

After a weak chuckle he replied, “Yes. She speaks very highly of you.”

With a smile of your own you caught another shift in his eyes with a subtle shifting of his shoulders as you replied, “Obviously she did the same about you, rightfully so of course.”

Unable to help it the corner of his mouth twitched up as he wet his lips and shifted again to settle his arms on the table to ask, “I have to ask.” His eyes scanned over your face again before his continuing, “Who exactly were you expecting?”

You shrugged through a weak chuckle as his smile broke out larger in a curious chuckle of his own at your stating, “Not a clue. Someone able to borrow an incredibly expensive suit for a night at least was my best guess.”

“Then why-,” he wet his lips glancing up at the waving woman passing your table on the way to leave before meeting your gaze with a melting smile at your hint of a blush as you claimed another sip of your tea watching his eyes shimmering in the candle light. “Why agree to it. I mean, I’ve been set up before but by friends, family, agents…”

His words trailed at your next smile lowering your cup again, “The way I see it, anyone sharing my love for black and white films with swooning damsels and debonair lead men willing to dance their way down a flight of stairs or hurls chairs with the best of them would most likely have an equally as incredible child, at least by the odds my mind worked out. If not, at least I could stun the Son by keeping a friendship with his Mother.”

With another chuckle Tom watched your dazzling smile drop to the menu as he slid his fingers anxiously around the edge of his trying to calm his nerves, “You most likely would not be wrong in that.” Lowering his gaze to the menu only to keep darting it back up to you each few lines, simply choosing something his Mother had suggested from her last trip here being similar to what you had ordered.

Within moments of passing the menus over with your orders. After a casual mention of a book he’d gotten stuck in earlier, hence his only five minute early arrival tonight you both sank into a swirl of topics. Spilling out the depths of your shared interest as far back as the obvious Shakespeare and Elizabeth Gaskell to newer authors through the arrival and completions of your meal.

Before you’d known it the pair of you were on your feet headed towards the theater for your late showing, both partially dreading having to remain silent and drop your conversation for the next near two hours. But through your place in line your eyes rose to meet his as he smiled at you easing his jacket around your shoulders stirring a weak from you through your thanks before he eased your hair out from underneath it and waited for your hands to work through the sleeves before his fingertips grazed along your open palm soon wrapped in his.

Through the crowded line you led the way as the adorably tall figure snuggled with you in an attempt to hide his identity from those around you. With a grin he missed your reaching into your purse to draw out a large folded flat cap and tapped his shoulder with it gaining a wide curious grin from him answered with a simple explanation, “I always keep a hat in my bags, rain and all that.”

He chuckled again, “Thank you.” His eyes shining at you brightly through adding the hat he tucked as low as he could manage over his eyes only to release your hand to curl his arms around your middle resting his chin on your shoulder as he softly purred next to your ear, “Hope you still don’t mind my hiding place.”

His grin growing as he felt your cheek rising to press against his through your soft awkward giggle before whispering back, “I would never object to being your hiding place.” Your gaze dropped for a moment only to feel your heart skip at his lips pressing against your cheek before his snuggling stance again while he chuckled softly to himself.

For the short walk inside after your purchasing the tickets he remained fixed behind you until you entered the dimly lit theater with his hands fixed on yours behind your back following you to your pre-decided seats from your discussion outside, where he propped up dividing arm rest and happily curled around you. Holding his spot facing you against the wall in the two seats in the back set apart from the rest of the row. Your hushed conversation continued between his blatantly obvious lingering glances at your lips barely inches from his in his hiding hunch, missed by you entirely at your nervous gaze locked on the same replaying slides of random facts and guessing games for the wait. One more heated gaze at your lips after your wetting them after another of your soft giggles his head turned forward at the screen lighting up for the previews.

Wetting his own lips he forced his attention to the film as he settled a bit closer to your side, crossing an ankle over his knee as he adjusted one of his socks only to leave it there at its place resting against your crossed legs. As the opening credits rolled he drew his lower lip into his mouth withholding his idiotic cheek aching grin at your head settling against his chest, causing his arm to tighten around you out of reflex while your hands settled in a woven mess on his lower thigh draped across your lap soon covered by his free hand to stroke absent minded circles against your skin.

Hand in hand you strolled your way out of the theater strolling through the nearly empty streets to stop into a small diner with a giggle as he avoided a large group of young ladies passing a bit too closely for his liking. In a steady exhale he calmed at their passing by unnoticed and met your gaze with a smile offering a snack you happily agreed to. This time choosing to claim a curved booth in the mainly abandoned diner granting you much more privacy along with a chance to continue your close contact. Soon enough you’d melted into your same giggling mess of an entranced conversation flowing through your snack and out into the streets when the diner was closing for the night. Barely past three you were back out into the chilly air tucked under Tom’s arm for a lengthy stroll as your minds unknowingly took you out towards the not too distant beach.

One by one the ocean breezes blew over you on your stroll across the wooden walkway lowly sounding at your every step through your lamp lit stroll. Somewhere along the way as the sun was rising again your location was found out by the same camera crews from earlier had settled into a safe distance filming away your every moment, including your pause at the end of the long pier where his same lingering gazes on you lips ended. Your hat was folded and slipped into his back pocket as his free hand curled over your cheek moments after your head had turned just enough to meet his gaze again drawing his lips to yours. Firmly they melted against yours while his other arm drew you flat against his chest through your hands settling on his chest and in a slow easing path around the side of his neck through your rise onto your toes to lean more into the abruptly ending kiss.

A loud crash drew your eyes to the camera crews all beginning to shout at the person that had collided with their car they had parked halfway in the street and halfway in the shoulder. A weak giggle left you through Tom’s chuckling through turning his head to face you again only to ease his nose against yours to claim another kiss when you peered up at him again. A rumble from his stomach being your reason for parting this time earning another embarrassed chuckle from him at his locking eyes with you again to say, “Pancakes?”

With a nod you smiled up at him with another giggle, “Pancakes sound excellent.” He nodded and readied to pull back only to pause at your saying, “One thing.” He raised a brow only to chuckle as your arms eased around his neck in your rise onto your toes again to be met halfway through another tight grip on you through the passionate lip lock leaving him breathless at your pulling away. A wry chuckle left him at your hand sliding down his arm to grip his fingers loosely starting your walk back up the pier, past the crowd of still shouting cameramen. Your hat was added once again while his arm settled around your back through his kissing the top of your head at your lean against his side once again.

Not long after you’d strolled into the same diner claiming your same booth for breakfast filled with more lingering gazes until your final hand in hand stroll to your hotel not far from his.

Wetting his lips again he asked, “So, you live in the States?”

You nodded glancing up at him, “Renting a room at my Uncle’s.” His brows rose through his biting his lip eagerly, “Are you headed back to England?”

He shook his head, “No, um, where, does said Uncle live?”

With a giggle you replied, “Oh, California. Up in a vineyard, bit of a drive for work but I usually crash at his Son’s through filming nights mostly.”

“Wow, that sounds, incredible. I’m going to be out in LA for a bit, new show out there.” His tongue darted out to wet his lips as he eyed your bright smile up at him, “When are you headed back?”

“Um,” Your head turned and you glanced down easing the watch on his wrist to your view and you replied, “Four hours.”

Then met his eye again as he peered at his watch saying, “Hmm, we should be getting back then. Can’t miss our flights.”

Outside your hotel you shared another awkward chuckle as you passed him his jacket again confirming that Diana had in fact already given you each other’s numbers enabling you to set up another date when you were both settled into your homes again after the long flight. He stole another smiling glance at you on your path inside before crossing to the next block where his hotel was.

Each step drawing a mental growl louder in his mind at his body finally feeling the effects of your shared sleepless night. In the elevator you leaned against the wall feeling wobbly on your feet as you glanced at your tall heels you were shocked not to have triggered any pain until now, leaving only your obviously enamored trance with the amazing man.

Back in your hotel room you couldn’t help but hum along to the song ‘It only takes a moment’ from ‘Hello Dolly!’ replayed in your mind once again adding to your concluded thought that even if this ended, fizzled or blew up in your face you could now happily say no matter what you had a wonderful day with a one of a kind pure hearted man straight from your dreams. Softly to yourself you whispered, “I really owe Diana a room full of flowers.” Stripping and filling the tub to soak your feet, continuing your humming until you dried and changed into your comfy jeans, long socks and a baggy cardigan over your tight tank top finally freeing your long curls to flow freely after its night of being tightly pulled back into yet another form of ponytail.

…

Softly your sneakers tapped on the polished ground on your path to your gate after passing through security, each step nearly causing you to collapse as your exhaustion crept up on you ready to pounce all at once. Your smile flinched larger at your approach to the counter in your gate while you adjusted your small duffel bag on your shoulder then turned to claim your seat only to catch the smirk of the two Chris both smirking at you on their arrival to your gate. Their heads turned watching you pass them to claim your seat in the hard seats where you stole a moment to rub your face with a low grumble only to look up just as two bodies plopped into the seats beside you. Looking up you locked eyes with your image on the phone screen as two teenage girls leaned against you with large grins stealing a picture you barely had time to flash a smile for before they darted off again to do the same to the guys approaching you.

Heavily they dropped into the now empty seats both chuckling as Chris Evans said, “Heard the date went well.”

His answer came with an awkward giggle from you at your lean forward to rest your forehead against the duffel in your lap while Hemsworth laughed as he spotted Tom strolling into the same gate, turning his head towards the laugh only to find your head rising again to meet Evans’ eye replying, “How exactly?”

He laughed pulling out his phone showing you the pages of pictures and videos of your four dates in one stretching through the night leading to the ones of you kissing in front of the sunrise you mentally set a note to download a copy later for your background. Biting your lip you nodded and giggled awkwardly again before your head turned to Hemsworth shifting to the empty seat on his left allowing Tom to sit beside you while more of the same group of guys trickled in pooling around you through Tom scrolling through his phone to send you the copies of the pictures the guys had sent him. Your eyes shot up once again as in a moment you were squeezed in a beefcake sandwich as Idris drew his phone to snap a picture of all of you together, one that he switched off with Benedict to get one with him in it before sending them to everyone there including you.

Another giggle left you at Tom’s helping you back into your seat again after while phones dinged around you at the men uploading the pictures to their various social accounts. A clear voice sounded overhead announcing boarding, leading to your phones being shut off on your path to board as the guys all formed a line only to have those same teens approach Tom and the guys that had arrived last. All bearing large grins while you claimed your seat, in the back right in the first class section, your one splurge you only claimed, the extra space for the cross country flights. Looking up you flashed a weak smile at Sebastion who froze at his seat marked beside yours, with a turn of his head he caught Tom’s entrance and glance back at you after his adding his bag to the over head bin in the seat beside Evans in the front row. The soft urging of the stewardess brought them all to their seats and buckled up for take off.

All through the taxiing Sebastian kept chuckling softly at Tom’s fidgeting in his struggle not to glance back at you through it, his hand rose to rub his face mentally counting down the times he caught Tom’s hand flex and curl between his fingers rising to ease across his lips. Finally a soft ding sounded as your eyelids drooped as your head settled against your curled arm resting on the wall beside your seat through a steady exhale. A gentle tap on your knee drew your eyes open as Sebastian said, “As much as I’m sure you’re an amazing travel buddy I don’t think I can last 18 hours with that puppy dog stare.”

After a wink from him he smiled at you through his rise to his feet for the short walk a few rows up where his hand bumped Tom’s shoulder gaining his eye contact with a curious smile after a glance back towards your neighboring empty seat through Sebastian’s saying, “Up and out.” Tom’s brow rose, “Come on, it’s an 18 hour flight and I can’t imagine sleeping with you staring my row down with that puppy dog stare.” His head nodded to the side as Evans chuckled behind Tom nudging his back stirring his releasing his belt and rise to his feet catching your curious gaze as he passed the chuckling men around him then claimed the empty seat giving you a nervous smile.

Sliming back at him you said, “It seems you’re my new traveling buddy.”

His smile inched wider as he replied, “It seems I am.” With a weak chuckle he offered you his pillow catching your drooping lids, and smiled helping to pull your blanket you pulled from you bag higher over your shoulders as your head settled into the reclined chair. A smile eased onto his face as his hand resting with yours at your side wriggled your fingers tighter in his as you sunk deeper into sleep, within moments he’d joined you gripping yours tighter in return. Somewhere between switching and your first meal a few chuckles were heard as Tom stirred to find you somehow twisted onto your side under your seatbelt still with your leg resting on his leg rest with his hand under your blanket gripping your thigh just above your knee. Tom’s body somehow had shifted to rest halfway on your chair and half on his, with your head on his side while his legs curled up around yours. The chuckles stirred Tom’s curious glance over to the sound of a cranking revealing Benedict having just claimed another picture of his friend’s awkward position earning an eye roll from Tom as Evans chuckled saying, “You make a nice pair. Though I suppose it helps she’s got so much space on her seat to share with you.”

In a glance down at your grumble Tom caught your hand shifting and the soft clink sounding of your belt being released finally before your eye peeked open causing your hand to grip your blanket you pulled up over your head. A few chuckles sounded around you at your mumble, “Honestly, between you lot and my Cousin’s kids, can’t sleep at all without someone staring at me.”

Straightening up Tom rested across the small gap between your chairs holding you in place on his chest through another picture being stolen by Benedict who smirked stating, “I’ll have these developed right away, send you copies.”

From under the blanket you peeked out again as Hemsworth chuckled and stated, “You should have seen some of the positions Tom twisted into. Downright adorable on his wiggle over too.”

Chuckling weakly you settled back under the blanket on Tom’s chest feeling his kiss on the strip of your forehead still peeking out as you settled into another nap until the meal was served signaling the first film of a marathon you both snuggled through. All through to your landing when Tom’s agent ushered him away from you at the exit gate after allowing a few pictures of you both among the large group. But off on your walk towards the bus leading to the long term parking lots you caught that very same puppy dog gaze through Idris’ near hopping pace at your side once he heard your drive went past his rental house, saving him the need for a taxi while Robert tagged along too to claim his car as well beside Ruffalo who was crashing at his place.

#Tom Hiddleston x Reader OC

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hopeishappinessff · 6 years

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Holding Onto Hope: Chapter 41

Hope

The day was bright, beautiful, and surprisingly much cooler than anticipated. I appreciated that though, because I was in no way physically capable of dealing with too much heat and humidity. I had a real appreciation for cooler spring temperatures and the typically fresh Virginia air… especially since I’d been running around in it since we landed only a few hours ago. Destani, Tawny, and even Cammie and Angel and I all decided to hit the ground running immediately after our 8:37 a.m. arrival because it was the only way that I knew we could successfully get anything accomplished. Whenever we did finally arrive at my aunt’s house, I knew she would take full advantage of strapping me down to a couch or locking me away in my room to avoid having me overwork myself. So to avoid her overly concerned behavior, I made them promise me they wouldn’t say anything in regards to the 1:30 arrival time I’d fed her a few days prior to our departure. I didn’t intend to lie to her, I just didn’t want her worrying over me simply doing a bit of shopping with the girls for the party only two days away.

The party… Chris’s release party… it was Thursday now and in only two days he’d finally be able to walk out of that stale and sterile prison and come home to his mother as a free man. I wasn’t sure of the ins and outs of what all the release would entail, but I didn’t care… all I knew was that he was coming home and I was officially in Virginia to make sure I was right there when he walked in that house. And what warmed my heart more than anything was that he even had the support of two of my newest and closest friends, Cammie and Angel. I hadn’t asked them to join us on the journey to Virginia. I’d merely mentioned to them that Destani, Tawny, and I would be taking a trip home for a few days to be there when Chris got home and the next thing I knew they were showing up at our dorm room bright and early this morning with their bags packed and their high spirits in tow. Destani had even mentioned that Taylor would be making a surprise visit along with Coach Maddox.

“Sy,” Tawny squealed, startling me out of my thoughtful daze, “Come on, our Uber is here.”

Again, we couldn’t risk going anywhere near my aunt’s house or Destani’s mothers house to retrieve either of our cars, so we’d been hopping from one random Uber SUV to another until it was finally time to board the final one to complete the journey home. As the trend had gone all morning, the driver was friendly and talkative and the girls didn’t hesitate to jump right into small talk about where we were visiting from since we were indeed totting baggage around as though we were homeless. I kept quiet in the middle seat beside Tawny… I couldn’t quite slow my thoughts enough to really focus much on what they were talking about, so I gave the conversation to them and no one seemed to mind. The girls had all been well aware just how lost in my thoughts I was from the moment we boarded the plane. I thought I’d managed to put my emotions on the back burner over the past few months, but now… here… during this trip, it was only a matter of time before I cracked. For the time being I tried to do all that I could not to dwell so much on the thought of Chris, but… how could I not when I would be seeing him face to face in only a couple of days after months of no contact whatsoever. I mean… how would he look? How would he smell? Would he still be able to captivate me with his intoxicating natural aroma and his boyish baby face alone? I could feel the butterflies fluttering now, so by Saturday I was positive I would end up throwing up from nervousness.

The light conversation continued on for the entire duration of the fifteen-minute ride until finally we arrived just outside my aunt’s house. Swiftly our driver, Joseph, hoped out of the Chevy Tahoe and breezed around to the back of the truck to pull out each of our bags.

“Thank you Jo Jo.” Destani said with a playful smirk as she pulled the handle of her rolling suitcase from his hand.

“No problem beautiful.” Though I hadn’t paid much attention to majority of their conversation along the ride, I was already well aware just how flirtatious Destani and even Cammie and Angel could be. So it came as no surprise when they literally flirted their way out of six free ride coupons, two apiece. Joseph even went as far as helping to tote more than half of the bags up to the front door before finally hopping back into the truck and going on about his way.

“Girl that nigga was fine as hell!” Destani exclaimed.

“Tuh, who you telling,” Cammie chimed in quickly, “But you need to hop off his nuts for a minute and let me ride. Shit, you got a man… let me get one.”

They giggled as though one of them had just told the greatest joke… until their laughter was abruptly halted by the swift sound of the front door opening.

“What in the world!” It was my aunt standing there, holding the door open, staring out at us bewilderedly.

“Girls! What are you… what are you doing here?” She exclaimed with a lot excitement sprinkled with complete confusion. Not bothering to give us a second to respond, she flew out of the door and wrapped her arms around Destani who stood closest to her. After quickly moving on to embrace Tawny, she slowly roamed over to me and took a thorough moment to admire my not so small baby bump.

“Oh my baby… has it been this long since I last saw you? You’re all baby girl!” She swept me into her arms then, being careful not to mesh her torso against my protruding belly. In all actuality, the last time my aunt had seen me was during the Christmas break… when I was barely a few months along. Now with me barely being able to stand up straight without leaning back to accommodate the additional weight attached to my front side, the shock masked her face almost permanently.

“Lord honey, there is no way you should even be standing up right now. Come on in this house so you can get off your feet… before you know it your ankles will be too swollen to stand!”

Before she could turn and mosey off with my wrist in tow, I stood firm at the door and almost forced her to turn back to face me.

“Wait Auntie, I want you to meet a couple of my friends really quick.” My statement seemed to finally prompt her to turn to peep behind Destani where Cammie and Angel stood, both smiling like two innocent school girls.

“Oh Lord… girls I am so sorry! I’m just so all over the place sometimes. Hi, I’m Sy’Diyahs aunt, Madison… you girls can call me Aunt Maddie!” She bolted forward to Angel first, wrapped her in a hug before she could even blink, then turned to pull Cammie into a tight embrace.

“Oh I’m so glad you girls could come up for the occasion. It’s so wonderful to have you… we’re gonna make you feel right at home!”

With raised brows and genuine smiles, they both quickly glanced my way and followed along as my aunt led us into the house. Could they be overwhelmed by the super sweet force field that was Aunt Maddie… possibly. But it was simply in her nature to over accommodate whether you liked it or not. I wasn’t too familiarized with Cammie or Angel’s backgrounds or anything pertaining to their family life, but I was almost certain they couldn’t have been prepared for the charades of my aunt.

“There’s a guest bedroom up here, just down the hall from Sy’s room that I hope you girls don’t mind sharing. And Tawny honey you’re more than welcome to pull out the air mattress or share with your sister” My aunt had previously been rambling about something, but I tuned in just as she began to speak on sleeping arrangements.

“How we gone all fit in this one room?” Destani asked.

Stopping abruptly just outside the guest bedroom, my aunt swung around with a smirk and a raised brow “Ms. Destani Rivera, I was not referring to you.”

The girls all burst into laughter and I’m not sure what I laughed harder at… what my aunt said or the expression on Destani’s face.

With only one night left until the party, to say I was a nervous wreck would be an understatement. The girls and I spent quite a bit of time running back and forth between my aunt’s house and Ms. Joyce’s throughout the evening, splaying all the decorations we’d picked up when we got in town all over her backyard. Well, the girls were running back and forth… while I simply took up space on the back patio watching them work. I had managed to lend a helpful hand earlier in the day, when my aunt was still at work and Ms. Joyce had gone off to the grocery store with Destani’s mother, but the moment they both showed up at the house and ventured out into the yard to check our progress… I was bombarded by their complaints of overdoing it.

“What do you think you’re doing?”… “If you don’t come over here and take a seat, I’m gonna carry you over here myself and strap you to the chair!”… “I can see your ankles swelling from over here… sit down!”… it was overwhelming to say the least. In all honesty, I felt perfectly fine. There was no reason I couldn’t do a bit of harmless decorating in the yard, yet according to them that was entirely too much work for a six and a half month pregnant girl.

So there I sat, with literally nothing to do but drown in my thoughts and suffocate in anxiety. I couldn’t help but create scenario after scenario of what would happen when he walked through the doors of the backyard. I was sure he would be surprised and overwhelmed… but would he be happy? Would he bask in the presence of all his loved ones and rejoice because so many people came to show their love and support for him? Or would he be upset… overwhelmed in the sense that he’d be angry and run away, lock himself in his room because the amount of love and happiness would just be too overbearing? Most of all… how would he respond to me, or… would he respond at all?

As usual, my hand instinctively reached for my hardened belly and as if my seed could feel my very apprehension and worry, it began to kick and tumble in an uncomfortable way, but a way that made me smile nonetheless. My baby was the sweetest reminder that I would be alright. The thought of he or she always assured me that no matter how Chris reacted to me and my bulging belly, I still had something to be happy for and I still had a purpose… even if he pushed me away.

I sat there slowly massaging my stomach and absently staring out into the wide lush yard as the girls laughed and joked and bobbed to the music playing from the portable Bluetooth player on one of the fold out tables. The small box would be used to keep them entertained during set up, but tomorrow Tootie would be bringing out her on again, off again boyfriends stereo set for the actual event.

Still consumed with my thoughts and hypnotized by the sensation of my protective hand caressing my belly, I nearly missed the feeling of another hand landing softly on my left shoulder.

“Sweetheart,” Glancing to my left, I spotted Ms. Joyce leaning in close to me with a pleasant smile on her always angelic face, “Why don’t you come inside for a bit and help out with some of the food? It’s kind of muggy out here… you should come cool down.”

All I really tuned in to was the part about helping out in the kitchen. I was really starting to feel restless just sitting there doing nothing so I was thrilled at the mention of helping with something.

With a smile, I pushed up from my seat, not without the help of Ms. Joyce’s arm, and waddled along behind her through the sliding glass door. Inside, my aunt and Ms. Cynthia were chatting away and laughing over the light sound of Johnny Gill.

“How you feeling baby?” My aunt asked from her station near the stove. There was the largest cutting board I may have ever seen in front of her with an assortment of veggies laid out, solid and ready to be chopped.

“Really good.” I smiled and made it a point to straighten my posture so they could all see, as they simultaneously turned to face me, that I really was feeling just fine.

“You sure? Because I’m about to put you to work over here on the vegetables. I gotta get to work on the mac and cheese and I can certainly use your help.”

With more pep in my step than required, I shifted over beside her and listened intently as she listed off all the items needed for a veggie casserole that left my stomach churning. I fought the urge to gag though… I was too elated to lend a helping hand to ruin the opportunity by throwing up because this pregnancy had me completely against the thought of vegetables.

Happily, I plucked a medium sized sharp knife from beside the cutting board and got to work first on a bundle of carrots.

“Ms. Sy’Diyah honey, I have a question.” Ms. Cynthia asked from somewhere to my right.

“Yes ma’am?”

“Destani mentioned that her lil boyfriend was supposed to be coming up here, but I thought maybe she was just pulling my leg… you know, trying to be funny. Do you know anything about that? Is that boy really coming?”

I almost laughed aloud, because I could really hear the concern in her tone… even though she attempted to mask it by giggling here or there.

“Um, I think he is supposed to be coming in the morning.”

“Oh okay. So it’s a for sure thing?”

“Yes ma’am. He should be here for sure with the basketball coach.” I said.

“Cyn, why you so worried girl?” My aunt chuckled.

“I’m not worried, I just didn’t think Destani was serious about this young man. But now that he’s making appearances all the way in Virginia, I’m starting to see just how serious she is. I haven’t had a chance to really talk to this boy… and now I’m just trying to figure out when I’m gonna have time to sit down and grill him.” We laughed while she remained straight faced and serious.

“Well I don’t think you have anything to worry about Ms. Cynthia. Taylor is a really great guy and I think he’s great with Destani. They really seem to be into each other and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her as happy as she is with him.” I explained, coating my opinion of their relationship with a sugary layer of honesty.

“Hmm,” She hesitated for a moment, obviously her mind absorbing what I’d just said, “Well I guess I’ll just wait for this boy to get here. You got me curious now Sy.”

Giggling quietly, I shook my head discreetly and finished up the last of the carrots. Next up were a few bulbous onions. I wasn’t too thrilled to cut into them, because I had no desire to be left with burning watery eyes, but I figured I would get through them as quickly as I could and pray they weren’t too fresh.

“And you Ms. Sy’Diyah? Are you ready to see your other half tomorrow?” It was Ms. Joyce speaking now and just before piercing the first onion, I peeped over at her to my left at the stove.

She held a gentle smile, one that naturally left me smiling right back at her as I made my first slice “Yes… yeah, I think I am.”

“Girl, what you mean you think? I know you been missing that boy… ya’ll have been stuck to each other like glue since you were babies. Barely a day without each other since then.” My aunt exclaimed from the eye of the stove beside Ms. Joyce.

I honestly wasn’t sure how to respond to her, so I chose not to respond at all. The silence wasn’t meant for anything other than just that… silence, but it was clear that they thought otherwise.

“Sy…” I glanced over with a smile at the sound of my name and caught the quick worried glance my aunt shared with Ms. Joyce before she turned to face me, “I didn’t mean… I just… I didn’t mean to, you know…”

“Sweetheart, do you mind if I speak to you for just a second?” Ms. Joyce asked softly. Looking from her to my aunt then back at her, I dropped the onion from my left hand and the knife from my right onto the countertop and nodded. Wiping her hands against the front of her apron, she turned toward the arched doorway leading into the family room and I trailed along behind her.

We both claimed a seat on the smaller couch and she immediately turned to face me with a tight-lipped smile.

“How have you been?” She asked after staring at me for seconds longer than I could really bear.

“I’ve been okay.” I mumbled.

“Sy’Diyah… sweetheart,” She started, reaching for my idle hands and gripping onto them as if her life depended on it, “Really… how have you been?”

Scanning my eyes over her face, reading the emotion brewing there in her eyes… I could tell that she too could read the emotion in my eyes and she knew without word that I was just as much of a nervous wreck about her son coming home as she was.

“Ms. Joyce, I… I…”

“I’m scared too, you know.” She whispered… really whispered as though it was only a secret meant to be kept between the two of us. My eyes were beginning to tingle and water at the brims, from the onion residue still permeating my hands I wasn’t sure, but I blinked rapidly to contain the moisture.

“I feel like I haven’t seen him in years,” I spoke just as hushed as she and stared down at our conjoined hands, as I was positive that the moment I looked her in the eyes again the mistaken onion related watery eyes would surely unleash a tear or two, “What if he’s not happy to see me? I’m the reason that he’s even in that place now… what if he’s angry with me because of that?”

She sat there shaking her head and gripping tighter onto my hands with a frown on her face “Listen to me baby, nothing that happened with him is your fault, okay. Nothing. Is that what you’ve been doing all along… blaming yourself? These issues were something that were out of anyone’s hands, except mine perhaps. I should have gotten him the proper help years ago… I should have seen the signs in my son when he was a child and maybe some things could have been prevented. But that’s neither here nor there. Sy’Diyah, believe me when I tell you… you are not to blame in any of this. Chris was… sick. He needed help and his time at the institute was probably long overdue.”

“But… what if I wouldn’t have broken up with him? What if I wasn’t so selfish and just stayed with him and maybe just pushed him to get help then…”

She shook her head quickly then and released my hands to suddenly lean forward and capture my face in the soft palms of her hands “This was not your fault.”

Her words were firm, laced around the edges with anger even, and I had no choice but to stare directly into her honey dipped eyes as they bore into mine.

We sat quiet for a while, her tears falling first and mine not far behind. With the slightest shadow of a smile, she let go of my face and dropped her hands delicately to my belly that kept a gap between us.

“This… my grandbaby… do you know that more than anything, this is what keeps him going every single day? And you and Jaylen of course, but… I would be lying if I said that this wasn’t the most important thing to that boy. He or she… gives him purpose. Every day that I speak to him, he asks ‘Ma, how is she? How is the baby? Has she told you the gender yet?’ He is in that institute breathing life and making himself stronger mentally and emotionally every second of everyday because this baby is giving him a reason to push forward. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen my child this way, really. So… so amped with passion for a baby. He’s still a baby himself… and so are you. And I would never really imagine an almost twenty year old young man being so dedicated to being a father, but I am almost certain that this was his purpose in life. His calling… he was meant to love you hard and love his children even harder.”

“It may not be conventional in the eye of some for me as his mother to support him having not only one, but now two small children at his age and with… what’s going on with him. But it also may not be in my will to care what anyone has to say about my opinion… I am very confident in what’s to come for the two of you. I support you and I’m genuinely happy and excited to see what the future holds for you both, whether together or separate. I had both Chris and Tootie when I was very young, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, nor would I change a thing about the way I chose to raise them on my own. This is your life Sy’Diyah and now as a young mother, it is solely up to you to ensure that your child is raised to the best of your abilities. And I can only hope that you two decide to raise this baby together, and not just co-parent… but again, that is not my decision to make. I’ve been rooting for the two of you since he started dating that Gabriella girl, hell I’ve been rooting for the two of you since you moved in next door!”

She lightened the conversation in that moment and even granted me a moment of laughter, even through the steady stream of hot tears pouring down my enflamed cheeks.

“I love you like you were my own daughter and I think after all these years, I can say it with complete confidence… even as his mother, the one who gave him life and nurtured him for more than half of his life… that boy loves you with his entire heart and he’s barely left even an ounce of love for me,” She smiled and reached forward to swipe a thumb beneath my right eye, “He’ll be elated to see you. He’ll be ecstatic to have you close again. And he’ll go through the roof and straight to the moon when he sees this belly. This is your love child, don’t ever think for even a second that he wouldn’t be less than thrilled about it, okay?”

Nodding briefly, I allowed her to tug me forward into the warmest hug that only she was capable of giving. She held onto me for a while, sniffling occasionally with her head pressed against my shoulder and mine against hers. If those weren’t the greatest words of encouragement I may ever hear, I wasn’t sure whose words would be. She gave me confidence then… helped to push the nervousness right away and instead replaced it with utter excitement and anticipation for tomorrow.

#chrisbrown #chrisbrownff #chrisbrownfanfic #jasminesanders #chrisbrownfanfiction #jasminesandersff #teambreezy #teambreezyff #fanfiction #fanfic

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the-record-newspaper · 5 years

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The Life of Lucy Combs, Part XV

By LARRY J. GRIFFIN Special Reporter for The Record

No one knows how it feels inside your heart when you lose your baby… --From the Diary of Lucy Combs

October 23, 2008—that was the last time that Lucy Combs saw her younger son, Jeff.

For over 10-years now, this indefatigable Mother has been searching for him. Of one thing she is unquestionably certain—Jeff is dead but his remains have yet to be discovered. Her firstborn, Jerry, Jr. [George] shares that perspective. “…We know he’s past; [sic] he needs to be found so he can get a decent funeral and burial—no burial in the woods or a watery grave. He needs to rest in peace so we all can get closure.”

And Lucy’s search began almost immediately on the heels of her boy’s nearly traceless disappearance. Within hours of receiving his hastily scribbled note on Saturday morning, October 25th, the 61-year-old assiduously scoured a few of Jeff’s neighborhood haunts before returning to work later that day.

“I searched town; I rode for hours looking under the bridge, behind the [North Wilkesboro] ABC store, and where his friend lived under a tractor bed behind the Smoke House.”

On Sunday, October 26th, she traveled to the county courthouse to register a “missing person” report. “…I had to take a picture of him and his motor scooter back to the courthouse [the following day] on October 27th…and took out an second ‘missing person’ report on Jeff….I, myself, took off up through the woods…behind my home. I looked everywhere; it was 20- degree-weather; I didn’t care; I had to find him.”

As was previously reported, Lucy and her Combs family gathered on Sunday, October 28th to comb the banks of Reddies River where Jeff was last observed by neighbors. On Monday, October 29th, she and a friend journeyed to the river to question some of the homeless who had erected tents along the banks—one such tent housed the couple whom Lucy had encountered at Jeff’s house on the Thursday prior, Jamie and Tonya Clonch.

“I traveled through the woods for three weeks,” Lucy recalled. While doing so, she observed an old iron chair planted, curiously, on the worn trail of her searches. “…There was a liquor bottle and pop can there; I would turn the chair over and [the] next day another bottle and can and the chair was sitting back up….”

When Lucy sat down in the chair to ascertain the view afforded by its positioning, she found herself staring at her own front door. Somewhat alarmed, she returned home—with the bottle and can each on a stick—and called for detectives to come and obtain some fingerprints. “They never came; they told me that fingerprints couldn’t be lifted from anything that had been outside in the elements,” she recalled.

Across the 10 years of persistent searching, Lucy adamantly avers that the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Department has been less than responsive to her inquiries and requests. “I have had no help from the Sheriff’s Dept. I…called them everyday to see [what] they have found out about Jeff. All I get is an answering machine most of the time….”

After Lucy originated the aforementioned second “missing person” report at the courthouse, she returned home and called the Wilkes Sheriff’s Department, at that time under the supervision of Sheriff Dane Mastin. “They told me [that] it was too cold—I’ve never heard the like.” It was between 17-20 degrees that morning—however, undeterred, Lucy embarked upon her own search. “If they would have gone [to search] as soon as I took out the first ‘missing person’ report, they would have probably found him alive. It was too cold for them to help me find Jeff.”

“I have begged for almost two-years for the law to get a cadaver dog. They don’t have one and make out like they can’t get one. I have called them lots of times to give them phone numbers of [places to find] dogs—some are even ‘free.’ I begged for a diver to go behind the dam on the river—no good.”

Lucy requested that they search the pond where, she was told, Jeff’s body was dumped after he was murdered. To her knowledge, that plea has been ignored as well. “I have begged until I am begged out.”

On numerous occasions, according to Lucy, she has provided information to the sheriff’s department over the phone, taken documents to the local office, and asked for appointments to meet with detectives assigned to the case. To the best of her recollection, there have been at least six detectives assigned to Jeff’s case—Jeff Hemric, has been helpful and responsive in her estimation.

There have been instances in which she has simply driven to the sheriff’s department to see the sheriff or a detective and sat there for inordinately long periods of time waiting to talk with someone—the last attempt was made within the last couple of weeks. Lucy called Chris Shew to ask for an appointment to talk with him about a matter pertaining to Jeff’s disappearance. She was surprised when she received a call-back and a phone message.

“The Sheriff asked me to call back at the first of the following week, as that was the best time to set up an appointment with him. So, I did. Of course, I had to leave a voice message,” Lucy explained. “I didn’t hear back from him; so, I went to his office and asked to see him and was told he wasn’t there. I just went back home. When I got there, I had a message from Detective David Carson who asked if he could be of help in the sheriff’s absence—if so, call him back. I immediately called him back and got his answering machine.”

A few days later, Lucy returned to the Sheriff’s Department. “I was told that he [Sheriff Shew] was with someone else; so, I decided to wait. There was a little Bible on the table there; I picked it up and read through several chapters of Revelations. About 45 minutes later, he came out and said that he could see me. They told me that they didn’t think anything could be done; but promised to look into a few things and get back to me.”

Both Lucy and Son George aspire toward the same goal: to find Jeff’s remains and properly inter them in the family plot at Mountlawn Memorial Park.

“No one knows how it feels inside your heart when you lose your baby….I’m sorry I’ve let Jeff down cause I can’t find him…I am so tired; I just need some closure. I can’t hardly get through a day [that] I don’t see him sitting here.I am so alone; I don’t know what else to do. I have cried till I’m cried out.”

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rpmatchmaker · 6 years

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Partner search!

Name:Rhys Age:20 Timezone:Central Email:[email protected] Hey there! I'm looking for long term, descriptive roleplay partners. I do m/m, m/f, f/f. I am also very wary of being approached with "I only do this gender" because I am very flexible, and just want many different characters on both of our ends. I do not appreciate stereotypical 'top/bottom' and 'seme/uke' tropes (please don't call it yaoi/yuri and/or give anime-esque face claims) and would like for relationships to remain as realistic as possible, meaning switching. I do smut. (Note: I rdon't roleplay with minors. Please be 18+. If you aren't a legal adult, I will not respond.) Fandoms ----- •Life is Strange (Max/Chloe, Max/literally anyone, Chloe/Rachel, Warren/Nathan) •Game of Thrones (Gendry/Arya, Jon/Ygritte, Robb/Theon, Robb/Talisa, Sansa/Margaery [video game>>] Mira/Sera, Asher/Gwyn, Rodrik/Arthur, Elaena/Gryff) •The Wolf Among Us (Bigby/Snow, Bigby/Woodsman, Bigby/Bloody Mary) •Steven Universe (Ruby/Sapphire, [aged up] Connie/Steven, Pearl/Rose/Greg, Pearl/Amethyst) •The Mortal Instruments (Alec/Magnus, Simon/Raphael, Isabelle/Simon, Isabelle/Lydia, Jace/Clary, Clary/Isabelle, Jace/Simon) •The Walking Dead (Rick/Daryl, Rick/Negan, Negan/Dwight, Daryl/Carol, Rick/Shane, Rick/Michonne, Michonne/Andrea, Glenn/Maggie [video game>>] Luke/Nick, Lee/Carley, Lee/Kenny, Eddie/Wyatt, Nate/Russel) •The Last of Us (Joel/OC, Joel/Tess, Ellie/Riley) •Infamous; Second Son (Eugene/Delsin, Reggie/Delsin, Fetch/Delsin) •Marvel (Tony/Steve, Tony/Bruce, Bucky/Steve, Clint/Pietro, Clint/Phil, Natasha/Wanda, Peter/Wade, Peter/Harry, Peter/Gwen, Peter/Harry/Gwen, Wade/Vanessa, Wade/Peter/Vanessa) •Until Dawn (Chris/Josh, Chris/Mike, Ashley/Sam, Sam/Beth, Emily/Jess/Matt, Ashley/Chris) •Borderlands (Jack/Rhys, Jack/Rhys/Timothy, Fiona/Athena, Athena/Janey, Fiona/Yvette, Rhys/Vaughn, Jack/Nisha, Axton/Rhys, Axton/Maya, Maya/Lilith, Lilith/Roland, Timothy/Wilhem, Jack/Nisha/Rhys) •Underland Chronicles (Gregor/Luxa, [aged up] Gregor/Howard) •Uncharted (Nathan/Sam, Nathan/Harry, Nathan/Elaena, Elaena/Chloe, Sully/Chloe) •Miraculous Ladybug (Adrien/Marinette, Nino/Alya, Marinette/Lila, Marinette/Nathaniel) •Suicide Squad/Batman (Bruce/Dick, Harley/Ivy, platonic Harley & Floyd, limited Harley/Joker [i advise being very careful, as this pairing is extremely toxic and abusive], Floyd/El Diablo) •Brokeback Mountain (Ennis Del Mar/Jack Twist) •Shutter Island (Teddy Daniels;Andrew Laeddis/Chuck Aule) •Hamilton: An American Musical (Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, Alexander Hamiton/Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth Schuyler, Alexander Hamilton/Angelica Schuyler, Elizabeth Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, Aaron Burr/Theodosia Prevost, Philip Hamilton/Theodosia Burr, Lafayette/John Laurens, Alexander Hamilton/George Washington, Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan) Eyewitness (US): (Philip/Lucas) --- I don't do canon/oc, but can be convinced for some, I am all for it! If you don't see a certain pairing you're looking for, approach me with it! I may have forgotten or whatnot and could easily be swayed for that pairing! ---- I would love to chat OOC. Being friends is what really makes this work! I want to hear about what's going on in your life. I want to be someone that you can lean on! If I do not reply to an email within the span of a few days, it may be because it got lost in my inbox. Just send it again if this occurs! I write in third person, past/present tense, and in paragraph form. I'm going to be honest, if you show disinterest with one liners and very limited two-paragraphed responses to my six, then I will most likely not respond. I want to be friends, and get along, but if someone doesn't want to put in the effort, I understand. I know life is busy, and you don't always have time, but if it's a constant one-two paragraphs and not at least giving me a heads up that you'll be gone, I'm not going to accept it when I specified that I just want something over three. :( I feel bad for doing this, but it just gets tiring to try awfully hard and get a disinterested response in return. Original plot ideas ------ •Anthropomorphic medieval nobles that have to tame the beasts within themselves in the midst of a war. ((This is an extremely descriptive, multiple character plot that I have pre-planned.)) •Super duo/team coming together to defeat a mass villain/conflict •Pandemic survivor must take an immune survivor across the US in order to extract the cure (credit to The Last of Us) •Future where androids/robots are used as helpers for just about anything, for example: Keeping disabled and elderly people company in their homes, doing odd jobs to assist humanity, etc. among this, most people who don't need them as companions are very prejudice against the AI. It is up to our characters to stop the impending war between AI and human. (Credit to I, Robot. Two of our main characters can be a human and an AI! :V) •Assassin roleplay (can be assassin/target, assassin/assassin. historical or modern) •Explorers looking for a treasure on the coast of a tropical island(credit to the Uncharted series! Can be romantic or platonic) •Time traveller gets stuck in time, and another person has to help them get back to the reality they came from. • Oceanologists go to a secluded island to study the plants and sea life in the water, and on a scuba dive, discover creatures unlike anything they've ever seen. People with tails and scales! (Merpeople! :D Can be romantic, like all the others) •Person goes to live in a very wealthy relatives home after they pass away, and learns how secluded the neighborhood really is, with a small village of less than 30 people, and nothing more. Supernatural occurrences ensue, and characters must stop the thing/creature as it starts taking people in the night. •Detective duo goes to a secluded mental penitentiary together in order to solve the case of a patient that went missing out of nowhere. Throughout their journey, detective 1 is separated from their partner, and is put through a series of trials in order to find their missing patient. What they think is going on isn't what it appears to be. (credit to the movie Shutter Island. Heavily influenced on the plot, and will contain many, many triggers. Such as murder, mental illness, and deception.) ------------ Limits: I cannot do pedophilia, mpreg, beastiality and/or furries, gun/knife kink, bathroom stuff, a/b/o, or gruesomely detailed rape/forced sexual interactions. Other than that, anything is fair game. Please don't contact me with a "hey, wanna rp?" I appreciate you adding things about yourself, and things pertaining to the RP like your limits and what interests you most! :) thank you! I apologize if I seem straight forward or offend anyone over some specifics I want, but I promise I am much, much more friendly and relaxed when we talk OOC.

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umichenginabroad · 6 years

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All good things come to an end

My friends, it has been an honor sharing this journey with you all. I’ll go ahead and get into our last full week, but get ready for those sentimental words of wisdom at the end.

I believe my last blog post left off with departure to Bloemfontein for the South Africa Institute of Physics (SAIP) conference. As advisor Mike described it, this is where everyone gives themselves a little pat on the back for their work and you hear lots of boring speeches, but it truly was more than that—Mike likes to exaggerate! The week was filled with good food, interesting talks, supporting our student resident friends on their presentations, a gala dinner with some fresh African tunes, and much more. Oh and watching the World Cup, of course.

Monday was mostly travel, so Tuesday is where I’ll start with the action: after some morning inspiration with Mike’s presentation, our crew readied ourselves for the annual poster review session. Not gonna lie, many of us secretly hoped our posters looked boring enough that no one would stop to ask us questions. But as the picture below suggests, I ended up enjoying myself:

Zama and I are having too much fun (Photo cred: Chris Thaganyana)

I sort of got into a rhythm of explaining the poster background info and results as people approached, and then I was able to answer questions pertaining to my research quite well! Knowing that I can have a conversation with experts in the field (ionospheric science) and having them be impressed with the work and answers I gave was a great feeling. Never really been on that side of a poster session before, but it's super satisfying to explain what you've accomplished.

Wednesday was the long awaited physics bowl, and let’s just say that we are undergraduates in engineering, not masters/PhD students in the hard sciences like our competitors... HOWEVER, we rocked the best-dressed category, even though our attire was as far away from “Game of Thrones” as possible.

Rush Triangle (Photo Cred: Abby Huff)

Thursday was a fun one as well. While Kit and Kyle taxi-ranked to the nearby country of Lesotho, I journeyed with Mike Kosch, Ed, and Lerato (a postdoc researcher) to the Big Hole in Kimberley, Northern Cape. What is the Big Hole, you may ask? One of the 2 largest hand-excavated holes in the world.

Photos can’t do it justice, but it is huge. Courtesy of The Big Hole FB page.

Diamond mining was a huge colonial activity in South Africa once they were discovered, exacerbated by Cecil Rhodes’ quest for money, land, and influence.

Over 5000 lbs of diamonds came out of this mine. Kimberlite (the igneous rock excavated diamond typically comes from) is named after this mining town.

Very interesting history of the mine, paired with a replica of Kimberley’s historic mining town (some buildings authentic) and even an underground mining shaft exhibit.

We then stopped for one last local street-food health monstrosity of the trip: kota, an open-faced sandwich loaf filled with various meats and atchar (pickled mango & chili).

I swear, I actually love vegetables.

Friday was the highly-anticipated Gala dinner. Got all snazzy one more time and set off for the event:

(Photo cred: Tsige Atilaw)

Food was nice, but the most memorable times of the night were seeing our South African student-res friends go bonkers for Soweto club music. Once again, I am ashamed of my dancing skills...

After the return from Bloemfontein, some of us managed to wake up for church on Sunday to join one of our mentors, Pierre (standing next to me on far right above). Him and I got to know each other pretty well at SAIP, and we even went out for a run with Zama one morning. Anyway, church! I helped make some BREWED coffee with Pierre and then we got to enjoy this lively, upbeat service with a good amount of live music.

Later that night, we were all invited to Pierre’s really nice, thatched roof home for a lovely soup supper.

So precious.

Afterwards, we had a fun little board game session. Though about halfway through the night, we discovered something lurking in the bathroom...

vimeo

Heebie-jeebies! (Rain spider video cred: Kyle Webster)

Monday was my last day to wrap things up in the office and say goodbye to Zama before she left for the UK. The state of the project looks good, and I will continue to help her analyze data from European ionosondes for a future paper. Gives me something to do the rest of the summer—I’m looking forward to it!

That night we finally hosted our huge braai (South African barbecue) with all the other student residents, Mike, and Pierre. I had lots of fun tending the fire, prepping the meats, and just chatting with everyone. Oh and watching the World Cup, of course.

Photo credits: Eva Gnegy

Tuesday was primarily stuffing clothes into my bag, and scrambling to figure out a shark diving alternative once our original session was “cancelled” due to weather. Though it all worked out, and Kyle, Ed, and I made the trek on our final morning: we weren’t disappointed.

Rawrr? (Photo cred: Ed Lopez)

In total, we saw 5 great white sharks (2 absolute monsters over 4 meters and super girthy). The best view of the sharks came from above, but dipping down in the cage was exhilarating. You can’t really see anything while down in the cage with your head above water. So when the operators start yelling “down” and you dunk yourself, it’s always a total surprise how big the shark is and how it’s approaching (charging straight towards the cage or just meandering across, showing off it’s beastly bod). Tribute to Kyle for embracing the sea-sickness too, what a stud.

Finally that night, we had to say goodbye to our South African colleagues before departure to the Cape Town airport:

What a crew (Photo cred: Mike Kosch)

At the airport, Kyle read us back a touching poem (he’s single, ladies) about our trip as well as some classic, no-context quotes from the trip. Finally, we had our hugs and split ways in Amsterdam.

Now folks, we’ve reached our closing messages of the blog. Friends, thank you very much for supporting me on this trip by reading my blog and wishing me travel safety—it came in handy a couple times!

Thank you so much, Mark, CLaSP, and IPE, for providing this opportunity for me to explore the world and discover what research is all about. I really can’t express my gratitude enough for giving students this chance to test our boundaries, see another culture, and do good academic work along the way. Mark, it was a pleasure getting to know you on the Sutherland trip, and I’m in awe of how much you know about the world.

Zama and Mike, holy smokes you are fun people. Our group was so impressed with you guys going out of your way to give us cool experiences while in the country. Similar to Mark, I was blown away with how knowledgeable you were and I really enjoyed all our chats! Really looking forward to keeping in touch with both of you.

Probably starting to bore you all a bit, but Eva, Gabby, Abby, Kit, Ed, and Kyle, thanks for being such fun friends throughout the trip. We were a very adventurous group, and it was a blessing that we were able to do so much together. I apologize for pushing for certain activities fairly hard and being an ultra-organizer, but I’ve learned a lot about myself regarding just going-with-the-flow! Looking forward to continuing our relationships next year and keeping our GroupMe/Snapchats active this summer.

Photo Cred: Kit Ng

Keep it classy, friends, wish you all the best!

Joe Taylor

Mechanical Engineering

Research at South African National Space Agency (SANSA) in Hermanus, South Africa

#umichenginabroad #ipesouthafrica #JoeTaylor #ipesummer18

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emiyaseraph · 7 years

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My Thoughts on Sun Wukong : Why he's starting to annoy me

So what’s my problem with Sun ? Almost Everything even his ship with Blake is problematic in my eyes since he lacks consistency. Which is a shame because Sun was introduced on such a good and funny note. Add on that his voice actor is Micheal Jones whom I love as a person and in general. I feel like his character had a lot of potential but it was sadly wasted.

Sun Wukong—this little monkey boy has been plaguing me ever since volume 1, and it has taken me years to finally comprehend why. If it wasn’t obvious, I don’t have anymore love for him or his team of misfits. Perhaps it may not seem notable at first, but there also appears to be a line that segregates the community when discussing him.

Character and Development

Sun was introduced in chapter 15 of volume 1, and he was admittedly given a fairly minimal amount of screen time compared to the other character that we met in the same episode—Penny Polendina. In fact, Penny gets three times the screen presence than Sun (I know, I timed it). And while this doesn’t prove anything, it gives very little time to process that Sun even existed before having a more interesting character put in front of the audience.

However, chapter 16 is where we get to experience Sun in all his glory. Plus, we are told quite a bit from Blake concerning her background in the White Fang, giving reason to her actions in the previous episode. Keep this in mind, as this event is a very important detail that I’ll bring up later on.

To summarize his presence in the chapter, he comes off as a conceited, ignorant, light–hearted monkey faunus with tendencies for theft. If you think that’s being harsh, I can promise you that I am being generous in his description, giving him the benefit of the doubt like I did when I first watched the episode. Oh, and he has abs. This carries the same importance as Yang’s midriff… Which is none at all.

Moving on to volume 2—after the initial reintroduction of Sun and the premiere of Neptune (whom we will get to later), the pair are brought along on team RWBY’s secret mission. If I could ever find a good way to explain how shoehorned SSSN is, this would be it. I’ll give you a moment to let you remember the events of the next few episodes. Can you see where I might be going with this yet ?

To give a quick rundown without making you look at Wikipedia—Sun goes with Blake and Neptune goes with Yang; Ruby and Weiss are independent of the following events until later on. The purpose of their inclusion is unknown since both Neptune and Sun fail to contribute to the progression of these episodes. If you don’t believe me, then rewatch Chapter 4: ‘Painting the Town…’ for yourself and come back.

Sun says something quite notable in the first few minutes : “I don’t get it. If you believe what you’re doing is right, why hide who you are ?”

Again, I want you to keep this little interaction between Sun and Blake in mind, since it will become very important as we proceed. I promise, all of this will become relevant and culminate in your understanding of my stance on the matter.

Blake and Yang go about their task as they had planned, dragging Sun and Neptune around like dead weight. At most, the two contribute comedy to the episode, and I have no qualms with that act alone. It is the fact that it is ALL that they do. Can you see it yet ?

Even after everything goes down and Roman starts chasing after Blake and company in a prototype Paladin, both Sun and Neptune completely disappear for the rest of the chapter. Team RWBY then fights Roman and loses him after Cinder and Neo’s rescue. Where were the other two skilled huntsmen, you ask ? Eating noodles. Perhaps that was for the best.

I’ll skip to the end of this volume, since the whole school dance is irrelevant. There is no mention of team SSSN until the final episode of the second volume. To which they (again) are the butt of a joke and overshadowed by other characters—team CFVY.

Two down, two to go. I’ll be faster for these, for your sake and mine.

Volume 3 has the entirety of team SSSN, and it makes sure to show them off in the fight against team NDGO. They present Scarlet and Sage’s fighting styles, a swashbuckler and Monster Hunter Greatsword user respectively, and make more jokes. If it wasn’t obvious by this point, Sun and Neptune exist only for comedy. When there are no hijinks to be had, they aren’t accounted for.

Only in the last episode—I’m starting to see a pattern here—does Sun show any sort of character growth. He acts like a mature person, though only saying about three lines before being set aside for the real characters of volume 3 to do their thing.

In volume 4, Sun serves much of the same purpose (at least at the time of writing). Sun helps Blake fight the Sea Dragon, shows more of his ignorance to how the people around him function, acts all cute when he buddies up with Blake, and makes dem jokes. Seriously, I don’t have a problem with a character being funny (like Yang), but when your whole personality revolves around it. Well, I just don’t find you interesting.

And if you wanted to consider his bromance with Neptune as character development, you can include that too, but I would merely consider it a “Beavis and Butthead” situation; they’re both just stupid, regardless of their relationship.

Thus sums up the development and character of Sun… NEXT!

A Catalyst

So far, I’ve had you remember certain interactions between Blake and Sun. Well, this is where I use all of those things together. But, fear not, there is still another section after this one. Sorry, I know you wanted it to be over.

Throughout every volume and most episodes, Sun has been paired up with Blake. This has been a good thing… for Blake. See, back in volume 1 Sun was there to help Blake’s feeling of being alone when she thought that she couldn’t trust her team. In volume 2, there was the dance (which was irrelevant). In volume 3… well, not much. However, volume 4 is where the crux lies.

Blake left to do her own thing in volume four, abandoning her team and life at Beacon. Now, we can speculate the reasons all we want, but the fact is that she didn’t do it to track down Adam. Blake is a very mysterious person, and she often has a very self-destructive pattern in her actions. If you remember in volume two, she overworked herself to the point of exhaustion. This is where Sun comes into play.

In the series so far, we can conclude with evidence that Yang and Blake are extremely close friends, more so than any other combination of team RWBY. Whether you want to take that and run with it or dismiss it in favor of the monkey boy crush is irrelevant. Yang has kept Blake in check but is no longer with her in this volume. Sun is required.

The problem with the setup is this—Blake can play off of Sun, but Sun cannot play off of Blake. If you want my reasoning, recall the things that I asked you to remember. Blake’s character grew and matured through Sun and his attributes, but Sun has not changed at all. This is what we call a “static character”. But—in this case—he is simply a catalyst for Blake.

Team SSSN

I’ve spent the better part of the month trying to find people’s opinions on team SSSN, whether that be through places like Reddit, Tumblr, or even going so far as to seek out fanfics with Sun as a character so that I could ask the author some questions. I’m not entirely happy about that, but I was desperate for information. Surprisingly, it wasn’t often that I got a straight answer.

See, in this respect, team SSSN is an anomaly. Their presence throughout the series has been constant, making several appearances in multiple episodes across every volume; however, their presence in the community is comparable to team ABRN. Yes we talk about them, but we don’t have a lot to say… Here’s a quote : ”No human ever has become interesting by not failing. The more you fail and recover and improve, the better you are as a person. Ever meet someone who’s always had everything work out for them with zero struggle? They usually have the depth of a puddle. Or they don’t exist.“ ~Chris Hardwick

Of course you could say, “Sun is a fictional character and doesn’t exist; therefore, it’s okay.” But at that point, I think you’re missing the purpose what what Chris is trying to get at. Anyway, I doubt that most of you are saying this, so I’ll move on.

I believe that this quote accurately represents what it is that I am trying to prove—team SSSN sucks. It’s a bit more complicated than that, but that is as simple as I can break it down without removing the meaning. Oh, and before we really get into it, you should know that I am NOT telling you that you cannot like these characters. Opinion is opinion, and you are reading mine; if you disagree, please let me know.

Depth of Puddle

This section will pertain to team SSSN as a whole. While the quote I gave you only somewhat applies to Scarlet and Sage, they both must be looked at since they’re a part of the team.

Can you tell me a time where Sun was told “no“ ? Perhaps you bring up when he was denied the dance with Blake. However, he was able to go with her anyway. What about the times when he broke the law ? He never faced any repercussions. Has Sun ever been beaten in combat ? Not even once.

Sun is a living representation of a joke character with the attributes of a Mary Sue being forced into a role where he must not be any of those things. His character is so underdeveloped and flat that—at the current moment—having him with Blake actively works against him.

Look, I want Sun to be a better character for the sake of the show. I want him to be interesting and great, but I believe giving Sun the role that he now possesses without him ever showing any form of dynamism is a horrible mistake. And you can make the argument that he will grow as a character later on in the volume, but I have had three years to watch him make no progress.

His character is being given the role of an ocean while Sun only has the depth of a puddle. Speaking of water, Neptune is a person that exists !

Because of his nature, I don’t have as much to say about him as I do with Sun. He’s an egocentric but has redeeming qualities that tend to outweigh his faults (unlike Sun). He’s a flat character used for jokes, yet his quirks make him at least a little bit likable. And the fact that they haven’t used him in volume four (please let it stay that way) is a good thing.

Scarlet and Sage are much the same, though they’re less used for comedy. Still, they’re flat and uninteresting, but that is through no fault of their own. They played their part and didn’t come back, and that makes them neutral in my book.

My problem with BlackSun as a ship

So, like I said earlier Sun as a character only exist to further Blake’s character but only does so in volume 1 and 4. This is bad character writing Sun is either comedic relief or a catalyst for Blake’s character development and sometimes even fails as both of those. I was hoping they would explore him more in volume 4, but they didn’t which is saddening. Volume 1, he serves as a Faunus that Blake can open up to only to be forgotten in ch16 because Blake should be opening up to her friends not a random guy. Volume 2 Sun is useless and serves as a punching bag of disinterest that Blake continuously uses. She goes with Sun to the dance because I guess Sun asked so why not that’s my best explanation cause Blake sure didn’t show any interest in him beforehand. Mind you Yang also had to convince her not Sun. Don’t worry though that’s not the only time Yang does something that Sun the person who is in love with Blake could and should be doing.

Sun’s Disinterest

Does Sun even know who Adam is ? Why doesn’t Sun the person who loves Blake go out looking for her ? Why wasn’t it Sun who saw Adam instead of Yang ? Sun was pretty useless in the mech fight. Hell the students that were there were already enough to handle it especially after Weiss summoned. Soooo ? Sun ? You’re love interest ? They legit shoved Bumblebee in our faces by showing that Yang cares about Blake way more than Sun does considering he never even asked about her. Remember that wonderful scene that Bumblebee defenders always bring up where Blake grabs Yangs hand and cries and says “I’m sorry” ? Did you guys know that Sun was pretty much right behind them when this was happening ? Cause he was. Don’t comfort you’re love interest who just got stabbed and is now laying on the floor crying next to her unconscious teammate. This could have been a Bumblebee AND Blacksun moment but Sun literally didn’t do anything. She’s on the floor CRYING !!! Ruby and Weiss couldn’t do it cause they had to go save Pyrrha and Jaune. Ren and Nora were injured. So Sun why can’t you comfort her ?

God forbid you comfort her

It infuriates me that he didn’t do anything especially since he’s shown to not care about personal space considering all he does is stalk Blake but when a Grimm out break happens you don’t stop and wonder “Hey where’s that girl that I constantly stalk ?” It makes Blacksun look like such a stupid ship when the guy who’s supposed to love Blake fails to love Blake and what makes it worst is that’s his only job in the series so he’s failing as a character by not stalking Blake. Note that he also has a scroll so he could have just called Blake. By the way Yang remembered to call Blake and yes, she did call Blake cause Blake takes her scroll out of her pocket and talks to Yang immediately. Again Yang does things that Sun the person who loves Blake should be doing. This is why there are some many Bumblebee shippers cause Sun failed to stalk Blake at the most important time.

Sun is Easily Replaceable

This is gonna come across as me supporting Bumblebee but this really can be applied to a lot of ships with Blake that involve her with a human girl It’s just that Bumblebee has the most things backing it up than say Ladybug. So let’s look at the positives of Bumblebee and assume it happens. What do we get out of it ? Well at the current state of the show we can expect BOTH characters to develop from it. Mainly Blake but Yang too which is a department that Sun fails at he develops Blake but can’t develop himself. It can tackle interracial and homosexuality at the same time which could make for some really nice plots if done correctly. Sun has so far been such a useless character in this series that It’s like why even have him. Or if we are gonna have him WHY CANT HE BE GOOD AT LOVING SOMEONE ?

Yang and Blake together can bring way more than Blacksun because of how they have handled Blacksun so far which is horribly. It feels forced on Blacksun’s part because of how much Blake goes from hating Sun and slapping him to downright showing affection for him. Don’t get me wrong I actually really liked the talk between Sun and Blake in volume 4 it was really well done. BUT you wanna know who else could have delivered that speech just as good ? The girl who lost an arm for Blake. Or Blake’s father who was about to give Blake some valuable advice about friendship before Sun stalked his way into the conversation. Also I feel like Blake’s overall attitude would have been better without Sun which is something that I see a lot of people complaining about. Yang never angers Blake and they get along well consistently throughout the series until Blake leaves her, in fear of Yang getting hurt. Even then It’s less jarring than Blake hating Sun because Sun is invading her personal space almost all the time.

This is so accurate that it’s sad

In The End

Sun is funny and charming….in the first and second volume. Afterwards he becomes infuriating which is sad cause he had potential. They try to make Blacksun look like a possibility but fail by not having Sun care for Blake in crucial moments. He has been shown to infuriate Blake more than he has had her show affection. Then when his job which is to further Blake’s plot fails he’s just left there looking like useless. So many people turned on Sun this volume because of this. HE FAILED to further Blake as a character she would have been better off without him in volume 4 because he did nothing but take the conversation that she could have had with her dad and then the other thing he did was just flat out anger her throughout the volume. I’m not gonna say Sun is what was wrong with Blake’s arc in V4 cause he wasn’t but he was one of the factors that made it bad. Blake’s arc in V4 was BAD with little things that made it good and I feel comfortable in saying that it was the worst arc in volume 4 without a doubt in my mind. Sun tacked on to the already existing problems.

Sun almost ruining the family portrait

After reading this, I hope you can understand why there may be somewhat of a divide in the community when on the topic of team SSSN. Half of the team is lifeless and flat, while the other two are often used for comedy yet also forced to be characters that they aren’t. Sun is—from my experience and questioning—more of a problem than Neptune in many regards.

Sun and Neptune felt shoehorned into most things that happened at Beacon. Their presence contributed more than a laugh or two, but their characters never grew out of the “we’re just comedy relief” phase. It’s a problem that seems to be mirrored by the many people that I’ve talked to in the fandom.

The truth is the BB shippers who hate Sun for things like these are so vocal about it everyone thinks we’re all like this, but in reality, most of us are not. Personnally, I am a Bumblebee shipper and I personally like him… well I used to like him but he’s starting to annoy me. My main problem with him is the same anyone (shipper or not) has, and it’s been adressed by other users here: his lack of development or even character. I’ve never hated him, I just want him to become himself, and not some faunus-love-interest who serves as nothing else as that and comic relief.

I’ve hope he may get at least some development (and maybe mature a bit?) in this new volume, because if that’s not the case, it will only make many of us dislike him. Which I don’t want because again, when he’s himself and is around Neptune, for example, I like him.

The poor guy basically suffers from being a comic relief who can be very nice but whose biggest trait is… having great abs. And wanting to smooch with one of the Main Characters. And you need more than that to be actually liked. I only don’t like Sun X Blake because to me, it is incredibly boring. The 2 main Faunus that we have seen and they end up getting together seems incredibly cliché to me and not that cool, really.

If you’re reading this—and you haven’t just skipped to the end—then I sincerely thank you for going through all of it. I want to know what YOU think in the comments, and if all you have to say is “I agree/disagree with you” then that is already more than I could ever want. The whole point of writing these is to start discussion in the community. And if there isn’t any discussion, then I have no reason to keep making more.

Again, I hope you’ve enjoyed ! Thanks for reading !

#rwby #sun wukong #bumbleby #bumblebee #rwby characters #team sssn

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wyattvsmusic · 4 years

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R.A. The Rugged Man - All My Heroes Are Dead ALBUM REVIEW

I don’t think I’ve ever had the chance to talk about R.A. The Rugged Man on this site yet. Even though he doesn’t have that much music, he’s been rapping since the 90s. His musical output has had to do with his very explicit and outlandish style of rapping not meshing well with the labels he was signed to. Despite that, R.A. is an incredible rapper. He’s good enough to go toe-to-toe with some of the greatest and he’s so good, Biggie said R.A. was better than him. My first introduction to R.A. The Rugged Man was his second album, Legends Never Die which came out in 2013. We haven’t heard much from him since that album aside from some features. I loved that album but my biggest issue with it aside from the length of the album was the production. It’s not like the production was bad, but R.A. definitely needed some stronger beats. After many promises of dropping an album, All My Heroes Are Dead is his third studio album. The title is certainly a bold statement but a lot of R.A.’s favorite rappers are on this album. He’s mentioned in the past that Kool G Rap is his favorite rapper. Now, I do really like this album a lot but I do have some major problems with it. This album is way too long. I understand the decision for putting a lot of songs on the album after being gone for so long but there are definitely songs that could’ve been left off. I understood the point of the song Hate Speech but it really didn’t need to be a whole song. I also wasn’t crazy about certain hooks on this album like Living Through A Screen and Contra-Dictionary. The way R.A. started this album was so dope. He showed he could rap over anything by rapping over everything. There were so many beat switches and R.A. didn’t miss a beat at all. The lead single, Legendary Loser has a one of those really dope beats that I think he really needed but after all these years, R.A. playing the loser/low-life rapper guy is a little played out. It’s a good song though. Golden Oldies is so great and is probably one of the first songs I’d play for someone new to R.A. because it embodies his personality so well. It’s a song about being old and out of touch but R.A. doesn’t give a shit at all. The lyrics, “While I'm cherishing my collection of every vinyl LP / She's in the mirror with duck lips tryna take a selfie / I'm raised on X Clan, Brand Nubian and Chuck D She was raised on Imagine Dragons and Arctic Monkeys / I'm not tryna dance to trap music or dubstep / I'm the old man in the club with a headache upset” are a prime example of R.A. being an oldhead stuck in his ways. But this is the era that he grew up in and loved and is so influenced by it. He also had a line where he said “Reagan was the Pres, but I voted for Shirley Chisholm / Did you understand that lyric? / You're too young, of course you didn't.” What’s funny is that I’m young so I had to look that one up. What’s great about Hip Hop is that I learn so much about other things from it. This song has one of the best hooks I’ve heard Eamon deliver in a while and Slug from Atmosphere has a dope verse on the song as well. Slug was an unlikely but fitting feature because he’s rapped about being disconnected from the younger generation and being older before. One line pertaining to being older on another song is that line on Contra-Dictionary where he said “Rap fans treat rap legends like bygones / Rock fans treat rock legends like icons” because it’s absolutely true. When a rapper gets older, people view them as old and washed up but in other genres, the legends get their proper respect by both younger and older fans alike. I have conflicting feelings about Wondering (How To Believe) because R.A.’s storytelling on that song is so good but the hook is so bad. The hook the beat are super corny that it makes it a skip but I have to acknowledge how vivid both of R.A.’s stories that he tells on that song about the girl being raped and the heroin addict. He’s always been a great storyteller. If you haven’t heard Uncommon Valor or Legends Never Die, those are some good storytelling tracks. One of the craziest storytelling tracks on the album is Angelic Boy, which tells the story from the perspective of a school shooter. It’s really uncomfortable to listen to but R.A. did a good job at telling the story and keeping the story concise. One of the most important lines to me comes at the end of the song after the shooter carries out his horrific act. He raps, “I got what I wanted, attention, fame, I'm on TV / No one cares about the names of the victims or their family / I'm the super star, the ratings booster, I'm media friendly / And all the glorification is helpin' to create the next me.” Another one of R.A.’s strengths is his flow and if you haven’t heard Freedom Form Flowing or Definition Of A Rap Flow, check those out too. His flowing on both All Systems Go and Gotta Be Dope are crazy. I think he’s up there with Tech N9ne, Twista, Busta, and Eminem when it comes to rapping super fast. R.A. is one of the few rappers that when they rap, you never really hear them take a breath. He, Oddisee, Rakim and Aesop Rock are probably the only rappers where you never hear them breathe. To quote R.A., “I don't need to breathe when I rap, I got gills, fuck lungs.” One reason R.A. has been gone from Hip Hop for so long was because he had children and that is what First Born is all about. This is another one of these dope beats that is absolutely perfect for the song and Novel’s hook and verse were excellent contributions. You can really feel the love that R.A. has for his first born daughter on this song. One of the instant standouts on this album is the posse cut, The Slayers Club. The song features M.O.P., Vinnie Paz, Chris Rivers, Onyx, Chino XL, Brand Nubian and Ice-T. This song is an entire event and is the Hip Hop purist’s greatest fantasy coming true. The way the first triumphant beat and more sinister beats are intertwined and switch as often as all 11 rappers on the song switch vocals is fucking wild. Every single person on this song showed up to rap their ass off and delivered. That song is so crazy that damn near all the songs after it feel dry compared to it. The songs at the end of the album are very good but the album is so long, they feel dry. One dope thing about Legends Never Die is that R.A. showed that he can make political rap songs even though he’s said that it isn’t his lane. On Who Do We Trust and Malice Of Mammon, he’s more political and gets features from Immortal Technique and Chuck D. Another one of the more sort of political songs is EKNY which vividly paints a picture of a new York City ran by Ed Koch. Inspectah Deck is on the song and his verse reminded me of this class I took sophomore year of High School where we discussed the Central Park Five and Bernhard Goetz. Both R.A. and Deck, who knew were in NY during this time did such an amazing job at depicting this era of New York City. All My Heroes Are Dead has some of the best songs that R.A. The Rugged Man has ever made and some of the best beats he has ever rapped over but this album is way too fucking long and has a little too much filler for me to revisit the entire thing. I will definitely keep listening to the songs I love on here and there are a lot. It may be long but there’s enough variety and good rapping on it to keep you interested.

Fav Tracks: All My Heroes Are Dead (The Introduction), Legendary Loser, Golden Oldies, All Systems Go, First Born, EKNY, The Slayers Club

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fyrapartnersearch · 7 years

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Looking for tales and adventures!

Name:Rhys Age:20 Timezone:Central Email:[email protected] Hey there! I'm looking for long term, descriptive roleplay partners. I do m/m, m/f, f/f (+ any nonbinary or trans pairings!). I am also very wary of being approached with "I only do this gender" because I am very flexible, and just want many different characters on both of our ends. I do not appreciate stereotypical 'top/bottom' and 'seme/uke' tropes (please don't call it yaoi/yuri and/or give anime-esque face claims) and would like for relationships to remain as realistic as possible, meaning switching. I do smut. (Note: I don't roleplay with minors. Please be 18+. If you aren't a legal adult, I will not respond.) Fandoms ----- •Life is Strange (Max/Chloe, Max/literally anyone, Chloe/Rachel, Warren/Nathan, Rachel/Frank) •Game of Thrones (Gendry/Arya, Jon/Robb, Jon/Sansa, Jon/Ygritte, Robb/Theon, Robb/Talisa, Sansa/Margaery [video game>>] Mira/Sera, Asher/Gwyn, Rodrik/Arthur, Elaena/Gryff, Rodrik/Elaena, Mira/Margaery) •The Wolf Among Us (Bigby/Snow, Bigby/Woodsman, Bigby/Bloody Mary) •Steven Universe (Ruby/Sapphire, [aged up] Connie/Steven, Pearl/Rose/Greg, Pearl/Amethyst) •The Mortal Instruments (Alec/Magnus, Simon/Raphael, Isabelle/Simon, Isabelle/Lydia, Jace/Clary, Clary/Isabelle, Jace/Simon, Maia/Isabelle) •The Walking Dead (Rick/Daryl, Rick/Negan, Negan/Dwight, Daryl/Carol, Rick/Shane, Rick/Michonne, Michonne/Andrea, Glenn/Maggie [video game>>] Luke/Nick, Lee/Carley, Lee/Kenny, Eddie/Wyatt, Nate/Russel, David/Javier, Javier/Jesus, Javier/Kate, [aged up] Clementine/Gabriel) •The Last of Us (Joel/OC, Joel/Tess, [aged up?] Ellie/Riley) •Infamous; Second Son (Eugene/Delsin, Reggie/Delsin, Fetch/Delsin) •Marvel (Tony/Steve, Tony/Bruce, Bucky/Steve, Clint/Pietro, Clint/Phil, Natasha/Wanda, Peter/Wade, Peter/Harry, Peter/Gwen, Peter/Harry/Gwen, Wade/Vanessa, Wade/Peter/Vanessa) •Until Dawn (Chris/Josh, Chris/Mike, Ashley/Sam, Sam/Beth, Emily/Jess/Matt, Ashley/Chris) •Borderlands (Jack/Rhys, Jack/Rhys/Timothy, Fiona/Athena, Athena/Janey, Fiona/Yvette, Rhys/Vaughn, Jack/Nisha, Axton/Rhys, Axton/Maya, Maya/Lilith, Lilith/Roland, Timothy/Wilhem, Jack/Nisha/Rhys) •Underland Chronicles (Gregor/Luxa, [aged up] Gregor/Howard) •Uncharted (Nathan/Sam, Nathan/Harry, Nathan/Elaena, Chloe/Nadine, Sam/Rafe) •DC (Bruce/Dick, Harley/Ivy, Oliver/Dinah, Dick/Jason) •Brokeback Mountain (Ennis Del Mar/Jack Twist) •Shutter Island (Andrew Laeddis/Chuck Aule) •Hamilton: An American Musical (Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, Alexander Hamiton/Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth Schuyler, Alexander Hamilton/Angelica Schuyler, Elizabeth Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, Aaron Burr/Theodosia Prevost, Philip Hamilton/Theodosia Burr, Lafayette/John Laurens, Alexander Hamilton/George Washington, Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan) •Eyewitness (US): (Philip/Lucas) •Heathers: Kurt/Ram, Veronica/Heather M., Veronica/Heather C., Veronica/JD --- I don't do canon/oc, but can be convinced for some, I am all for it! If you don't see a certain pairing you're looking for, approach me with it! I may have forgotten or whatnot and could easily be swayed for that pairing! ---- I would love to chat OOC. Being friends is what really makes this work! I want to hear about what's going on in your life. I want to be someone that you can lean on! If I do not reply to an email within the span of a few days, it may be because it got lost in my inbox. Just send it again if this occurs! I write in third person, past/present tense, and in paragraph form. I'm going to be honest, if you show disinterest with one liners and very limited two-paragraphed responses to my six, then I will most likely not respond. I want to be friends, and get along, but if someone doesn't want to put in the effort, I understand. I know life is busy, and you don't always have time, but if it's a constant one-two paragraphs and not at least giving me a heads up that you'll be gone, I'm not going to accept it when I specified that I just want something over three. :( I feel bad for doing this, but it just gets tiring to try awfully hard and get a disinterested response in return. Original plot ideas ------ •Therianthropic medieval nobles that have to tame the beasts within themselves in the midst of a war. ((This is an extremely descriptive, multiple character plot that I have pre-planned.)) •Super duo/team coming together to defeat a mass villain/conflict •Pandemic survivor must take an immune survivor across the US in order to extract the cure (credit to The Last of Us) •Future where androids/robots are used as helpers for just about anything, for example: Keeping disabled and elderly people company in their homes, doing odd jobs to assist humanity, etc. among this, most people who don't need them as companions are very prejudice against the AI. It is up to our characters to stop the impending war between AI and human. (Credit to I, Robot. Two of our main characters can be a human and an AI! :V) •Assassin roleplay (can be assassin/target, assassin/assassin. historical or modern) •Explorers looking for a treasure on the coast of a tropical island(credit to the Uncharted series! Can be romantic or platonic) •Time traveller gets stuck in time, and another person has to help them get back to the reality they came from. • Oceanologists go to a secluded island to study the plants and sea life in the water, and on a scuba dive, discover creatures unlike anything they've ever seen. People with tails and scales! (Merpeople! :D Can be romantic, like all the others) •Person goes to live in a very wealthy relatives home after they pass away, and learns how secluded the neighborhood really is, with a small village of less than 30 people, and nothing more. Supernatural occurrences ensue, and characters must stop the thing/creature as it starts taking people in the night. •Detective duo goes to a secluded mental penitentiary together in order to solve the case of a patient that went missing out of nowhere. Throughout their journey, detective 1 is separated from their partner, and is put through a series of trials in order to find their missing patient. What they think is going on isn't what it appears to be. (credit to the movie Shutter Island. Heavily influenced on the plot, and will contain many, many triggers. Such as murder, mental illness, and deception.) •Original Game of Thrones House, story, and positions!!! (CRAVING VVVV MUCH AHHH) ------------ Limits: I cannot do pedophilia, mpreg, beastiality and/or furries, gun/knife kink, bathroom stuff, a/b/o, or gruesomely detailed rape/forced sexual interactions. Other than that, anything is fair game. Please don't contact me with a "hey, wanna rp?" I appreciate you adding things about yourself, and things pertaining to the RP like your limits and what interests you most! :) thank you! I apologize if I seem straight forward or offend anyone over some specifics I want, but I promise I am much, much more friendly and relaxed when we talk OOC.

#oc rp #multiple paragraph #long term #email #marvel rp #twd rp #dc rp #submission

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find-your-rp-partner · 7 years

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Partners needed!

#rp partner search #original #marvel #dc #mcu #videogame #email #submission

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itechaja · 4 years

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About The Author

Hermit Chawla is a MD at AIS Technolabs which is Web design and Development Company, helping global businesses to grow by Affiliate System Services. I would love to share thoughts on Social Media Marketing Services and Game Design Development etc.

Chris Holroyd

https://www.apzomedia.com/

Chris Holroyd is a tech magazine writer who has been extensively writing in the technology field for a few years. He has written several articles which have provided exciting and knowledgeable information on Digital marketing and tech support in United State.

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