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#champ insights
i-mybrunettelady · 11 months
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she is shiny
huge thanks to a guildie who took it upon herself to finish the making of this legendary for me (with me helping out with ASS and mats) and now, nyra can be very shiny ;;;; once again thank you guildie
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soulsilencer · 2 years
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He doesn't even interact with the other Shadow Order cards... genuinely what was the reason. Please don't tell me they're going to pull the same bullshit with league where they make less quotes and interactions for champions because "players find it annoying they talk a lot" which is a feature that can be literally removed. Please.
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robfinancialtip · 2 months
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Passion is energy! Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you!
Explore the transformative power of passion with Daniel Graulau, a wrestling champ and Hollywood actor, as he shares his inspiring journey. In this inspiring video, Daniel discusses how wrestling became his true passion and offers valuable insights into discipline, personal growth, and the pursuit of dreams. From his experiences in WWE to Hollywood, Daniel provides a glimpse into the replica of his success. Learn about the genuine motivation of following your passion and discover the discipline needed to improve. Join Daniel in this motivational exploration, gaining guidance on maintaining dedication amidst challenges. This video serves as an inspiration for those seeking motivation to pursue their passion and become better individuals in the process. Take the chance to be uplifted by Daniel Graulau's captivating narrative of an inspiring and motivational journey.
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saltydkdan · 6 months
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Hey Salty,
You may not remember it, but one day, you were streaming Elden Ring on Twitch. And on that stream, you were at some point talking about pronouns, and how you felt like "they/them" felt just as right to you as "he/him". A short while later, on that same stream, someone in chat thanked you for convincing them to try new pronouns by having that discussion.
That was me.
I'm genderqueer; I realized it very recently. And I wanted to thank you personally, because as insignificant as that may have been to you, I feel like you were a pretty big stepping stone in my gender-questioning journey. That small affirmation that it was okay to try new pronouns was kind of the kickoff that made everything else come together for me.
Maybe you think all of this is weird. Sorry if you do. But yeah, thank you for sharing your insight and opening the dialogue for LGBT discussion. It helps people sometimes! Who would've thought?
(also i think you're really funny and i like your content a lot keep it up champ ok bye)
Thank you so much for sending this, you just made my whole October. I don’t think that this is “weird” at all, it makes me very happy! And also give yourself more credit, you took the steps in your own!!
I hope you are doing well and having fun being yourself!!
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arvensimp · 9 months
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your father should know, pt. 3
Arven leaves you with something more than either of you bargained for when he goes off to Kalos for an internship, and through a series of miscommunications and heartbreak, he returns a few years later to learn that he actually has a child.
arven x fem!reader, nsfw content (in pt. 1), pregnancy (pts. 1, 2, & 2.5), angst, and stupid miscommunications
[part 1][part 2][part 2.5]
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY I'M BACK. pls be aware that this got WAY too long so it's gonna have to be another part or two before we actually get to the happy ending that i promised. yes this will still have a happy ending. i won't hurt arven or the baby like this lolol. the skeleton for the rest of the fic is already written, i just need to flesh it out, given it some muscle, organs, and maybe cute accessories.
ANYWAY I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS PART. please thank my mega awesome beta Katie for her help with this too. she's my rock.
---
The ceiling rattles.
"So. How'd you get here today?"
"I, uh... I took my cyclizar?"
Rika nods and takes note of the answer. The not-so-distant sound of muffled battling can be heard through the thick walls of the League building.
"What brings you to the Pokemon League today?" Rika goes on as if nothing is happening.
"Badda!" The little one sitting on her lap shouts. Rika pats his head without looking away from the student in front of her. "Shh. Let her answer my questions first."
Basil babbles a bit in response, some of his words making sense.
"To...become a champion?" The student replies.
"Good, good..." Rika continues on with the rest of the interview, asking different questions and going back and forth with the kid in front of her.
"Okay," She says later, now addressing Basil. "Now you can ask her a question."
"What?" The student asks.
"Not you." Rika corrects tersely. "Go on, Munchkin. Ask the champ-in-the-making whatever you want."
"Um... " Basil seems to think for a moment, but then he gets shy and hides his face against Rika's torso.
The student blanches. "I... I-I'm sorry? Did I do something wrong?"
"Pssh, nah. He just gets timid sometimes is all. But let's see..." Rika leans into Basil and speaks soft and sweet to him. "Whaddya think, Munchkin?" She gives his tummy a bit of a tickle, making him laugh and open up a bit. "Does this kid pass our test?" Rika keeps tickling him as he shrieks with laughter.
"Uh....Is...is that a yes?" The student eventually asks.
Rika pauses, then stands with all the pomp and importance of one in her station, propping the baby up in her arms.
"Yeah, I'd say so." She announces casually, in stark contrast to the serious air she feigned just a moment ago. "Congrats, Kid. You've passed your first test." She holds out a hand to shake and makes sure that Basil also gets to shake too.
Never too soon to start teaching the ins and outs of professionalism or whatever.
"Before you move on to the next step, you'll just need to wait a few minutes for his mama to finish her battle with one of your peers. Once she has him back, I can start your battle test. Sound good?"
The student nods, and sure enough within a few minutes, you arrive through the elevator and greet the room cheerily.
"We've got quite a few challengers today, it seems!" You announce as you take Basil from Rika. The boy had been making grabby hands for you the moment the elevator doors had opened, speaking in broken little syllables of his desire to be in your arms again.
You boop his little nose and smoosh your mouth to his pudgy cheeks in a kiss. "I wasn't gone that long, Sweet Boy!" You tell him. "Were you good for Auntie Rika?"
You look to the woman in question for her assessment.
"He did great. He's getting a real knack for these interviews, I tell you what. Asks some pretty insightful questions, right, Kid?" She says jokingly, turning to the student.
"What?" The kid looks between the three of you. "Oh! Um. ...What? Is this another test?"
Rika laughs. "Everything here is a test."
The student blanches a bit. "Oh... Then. Um. What was the question again?"
Rika ruffles the kid's hair. "Yeah, that's about par for the course. Don't worry about it. You're doing fine." She turns to face you. "For real though, Basil was great. He ate all his snacks and took a great long nap earlier and slept through all the noise of the battling. Super well behaved.” You smile at the comments, your heart swelling with pride as Rika goes on. “So you're headed out then?"
You nod, adjusting Basil on your hip as he starts to fiddle with a button on his overalls.
"Yup. Today's the day!"
Rika whistles. "Well good luck. Lemme know if you end up needing anything, yeah?"
You nod. "Thanks, will do. It should be fine though. Basil, say 'bye-bye!'"
"Bye-aye!" He mimics, waving at Rika.
"Say 'Good luck, Challenger!'"
"Goobuh, tsaduh!"
You laugh and ruffle his hair while the student gives him a determined thumbs up.
"Good job." You murmur into his sweet little head.
You grab the rest of yours and Basil's things and leave the Pokemon League building. You thought it'd do your team some good to get some energy out before their big event today, so you convinced Rika to let you take on some of the Champion Testing battles.
Within an hour or so, you're in the meadows out by Medali with a picnic set up.
Basil is seated in a bouncing little chair that meets the height of the picnic table, and you're finishing up the preparation of food for him and the pokemon.
You kneel down to help him handle his sippy cup.
"Are you excited, my littlest?" You ask him, as he babbles happily. "I'm excited, too."
It had taken you a decent amount of time to build up your courage to quite this stage.
Sure, all your Pokemon met Basil back when he was just a little potato of a thing, barely had his eyes open and could really only eat, sleep, cry, and sometimes pull your hair. But you knew back then that having your Pokemon out and about in the house, within the grasp of a little person who could easily get hurt or unintentionally piss them off was a recipe for trouble.
So your Pokemon were temporarily kept separate from your son for everyone's sake. Of course you still saw them and cared for them and battled with them, but never when Basil was around.
Now he's...he's more like a real person. Now he can run around and play. He's still learning words, but he has thoughts and can speak for himself and understand many things about the world around him. Sometimes so much so that it surprises you!
So. You can trust him enough and teach him how to behave around Pokemon.
You know your team as well as, if not better than, you know your son. You know they won't hurt him.
Still... Tinkaton's hammer is so heavy...and Skeledirge's flames burn so hot... And Raidon...
But no!
You can't keep your loves apart like this any longer!
It feels like it's been ages.
You look back to Basil and swipe your thumb across his cheek where some juice left him sticky.
"Oh, you sweet creature. Are you ready to meet Mama's friends?"
"Mama!" He chatots back to you.
"Okay, Basil." You lay out all six PokeBalls before him. "Take your pick for who you wanna meet first, okay?"
Your boy regards the PokeBalls with shining, eager eyes. He's seen these before. Chubby fingers grasp at a red and white ball. Your oldest.
"Oooh, that's a good one, my love." You say, rolling the ball gently along the table's surface with a single finger, though never removing it from Basil's grip.
"My very, very best friend is inside here." You lean in close and whisper dramatically, making Basil giggle. "But you won't tell the others, yea? He and I have been together for longer than anyone else. He's super excited to meet you. Wanna say hello?"
Basil nods.
"Can you hand me the PokeBall?"
He picks it up, having to hold it with both hands as he maneuvers the thing to your outstretched palm.
"Very good, Basil! Alright. Let's meet Skeledirge!"
You toss the ball into the air, with only a little more than your usual flare that you have when you battle, and the big, beautiful crocodile materializes with a thud on the ground in front of the table. It rears back on its hind legs and gives a mighty roar.
Basil, for his part, stands as best he's able in his chair, with you holding a supporting hand behind his back, to watch the spectacle, clapping his hands at the pokemon before him.
"Keledur!" He shrieks, delighted, before moving to climb down and onto the ground.
You lift him up easily enough and prop him against your hip, but Basil wants no part of being held when something so cool is nearby. "Whoa whoa whoa, wiggle wurmple." You tell him. "We gotta learn how to say hello to Skeledirge, yeah?"
"Hello, Skel'dur!" Basil mimics automatically, still squirming.
Skeledirge has the patience and wherewithal to stay planted while you wrangle the little one to stand in your lap as you sit cross legged in front of the Pokemon.
"Okay, Basil. Now, you need to be gentle with Pokemon. They're our friends, so we always need to be nice. Can you say 'nice'?" You take both of his hands in yours.
"Mm..." He corrects the sound. "Nnnnice!"
"Very nice! Good job! So when we pet Pokemon, we have to be very nice." You help him lean in toward Skeledirge, placing his hand on the Pokemon's nose, just to the side of the tiny firebird, which graciously hops out of the way. "See? Nice. Gentle..." You help him repeat the petting motion.
Basil squeals delightedly, petting Skeledirge's snout as he stomps his feet between your legs.
The Pokemon grumbles softly and shuts his eyes, relaxing into the ground a bit.
"Aw, Skel'dur go slee'?" Basil asks you, as he keeps petting the massive creature. "'Ats okay, Skel'dur. You go slee'. Shh... Shh..."
"Good job, Basil..." You tell him, whispering into the soft bits of fluffy hair behind his ears. "You're being so nice to Skeledirge! While he naps, do you wanna try and meet someone else?"
Basil turns to face you and nods excitedly, gripping the hem of his shirt in his little hands.
You stand and lead him back to the table where the other balls are.
Once again, Basil selects a red and white PokeBall. Briefly you wonder why he doesn't care for any of your specialty balls, but you decide not to question it.
He holds the thing tight in both hands.
"Okay, Bas', that's another really good one! I mean, they're all stellar, obviously, but this one is fun. This Pokemon and I also go way back. All the way back to..." Your heart clenches a bit, but you push past it quickly. "The very start of my journey! A very special person gave me this Pokemon."
Is it bad that you haven't brought up Arven to Basil yet? He isn't that old yet... Not even two yet. He hasn't asked about a papa or a daddy... So? You just kinda let it ride.
"How about you throw the PokeBall this time, huh? Give it a shot. Just throw the ball, hard as you can." You mime the motion to him.
Basil nods solemnly, looking to the ball, then he takes a deep breath and chucks it with a shout!
Or.
Well, he...
He kinda tries to chuck it.
In reality, the ball falls to the ground beneath his feet. It doesn't really matter though because the reddish glow of the releasing pokemon is still able to distance itself from the pair of you as Raidon materializes upright and gives a full body shake, making a chirring sound. 
Basil stands in awe of the dragon that towers over the pair of you.
"Big!" He shouts, and you laugh.
"Yup! It's a big pokemon! This is Raidon!" You pat the creature lovingly along its shoulder, encouraging it to return to all fours. It eyes Basil up and down curiously, tilting its head from side to side. The sight of your baby helps bring it back down to earth a bit, and once it's on all fours again, you kneel to Basil's level.
"Now Raidon is really cool because--"
Basil shrieks, and your heart jolts momentarily before you realize it's a cry of laughter as the pokemon presses its snout up against his chest, chittering happily at him.
Your gaze softens, watching Basil pet along the dragon's snout, just as he had with Skeledirge.
"Good job... We always wanna be nice to pokemon, yeah?" You eventually say, petting along Raidon's shoulder and back.
Basil nods but doesn't take his wide, shining eyes from the creature in front of him.
"So... One of the neat things about this Pokemon is that..."
-
Just like both of his parents, Basil falls in love with Pokemon quickly and whole-heartedly. He's just as eager to meet everyone else on the team as they are to meet him!
Basil makes sure to play nicely and pay keen attention, or as good attention as his developing brain can make out. When someone shuts their eyes, they've "gone to sleep," so they're done playing. If someone is bouncing around, they can still play! He especially likes trying to kick around the little ball you brought along with them.
The Pokemon are also all very gentle with him. Not that you doubted any of them, really. Well, maybe Tinkaton, a little bit... But even then! They seem to understand their strength and how to tone it down for play with a teensy human.
When the sun starts to set later that evening, and Basil's eyes start to droop as his hands lose their grip on the last few bites of his cut up sandwich, you decide it might just be time to head in.
You recall all the pokemon to their balls, pack up the picnic, tuck your boy into his stroller and get started on the trek back to your apartment.
-
You're not alone.
You're not alone.
You're not alone.
You repeat the phrase like a mantra.
You're not alone.
You know that.
Not in, like, a spiritual sense or whatever, or even in the literal sense. You're fully aware that you have your little boy with you nearly at all times.
But you're not alone in raising him.
There's Nemona and Rika who are consistently proving themselves and trying to outdo one another as Best Tía of All Time.
There's Clavell who is always happy to take Basil for an afternoon when you're busy on research business for the academy.
Even Larry has taken your boy once or twice. You recall once how he gave a small sort of half smile when he took the stroller from your hands and waved you off.
"It's fine." He'd said, "He makes good company at meals."
"He can barely talk?"
"Exactly."
So.
Yeah.
You're not alone in parenthood.
Except when you are.
And...you currently are.
It's late at night. Well past Basil's usual bedtime. Past any time you'd feel comfortable asking a friend for an extra set of hands.
You can't blame Basil. Not really.
This isn't his fault. He's a good, sweet boy. He isn't even two yet, and he's already so smart.
Sometimes you even forget how little he is because he's so smart and perceptive.
That's your fault.
So... Maybe you jumped the gun a bit.
Maybe it was too soon for Basil to have a pokemon of his own.
Maybe you didn't realize how tricky it was raising a pokemon in tandem with a toddler.
How was Basil to know that dog pokemon can't eat raisins?
How were you to know he'd figured out how to open up the pantry?
You'd only been in the other room for a few minutes, changing into your pajamas and brushing your teeth when Basil had slowly pushed open your bedroom door, shuffling from foot to foot.
"Mama... Buddy frowed up..."
So...here you are, after a tearful admission on your son’s part, rushing your sweet baby's maschiff to the closest Pokemon Center.
Basil is inconsolable in your lap as the taxi flies. Your attempts to calm him fall on entirely deaf ears, partly due to the fact that he's crying so loudly that even the Taxi Driver can barely hear anything. You’ll have to tip him really well.
Basil is a good, sweet boy. He really is, but the situation isn’t aided in the slightest when he flails about in his tantrum, bashing your nose with one of his tiny fists more than hard enough to draw blood. Beyond the pain and having to hold back your own tears for your boy’s sake, you also have to calm the rage, the fear, the panic building in your heart that makes you want to scream. You also have to stanch the blood haphazardly, pressing your tender face to your shoulder, while Basil bawls out his apologies to you.
Maybe if someone else were around, someone could have been watching Basil while you changed.
Maybe if someone else was around, they could have stayed home with him while you rushed off to the Pokemon Center.
Maybe if someone else was around, they could have talked you out of letting your baby boy have a pokemon of his own.
Maybe if someone else was around, you could allow yourself to panic a bit, too.
As it stands, you need to be the sole pillar of support here. No one is here to give you a hanky to wipe at your nose or dab at the unshed tears in your eyes. No one can rub your back soothingly and let you know it’s okay, help you calm your racing heart. No one is there to help quell the nauseous churning in your stomach.
It hits you then that you’d been so busy today that you hadn’t eaten dinner. Again. An empty belly certainly didn’t help the situation.
You try to take a breath. At least, a breath through your mouth.
Buddy the Maschiff (newly hatched as of a few weeks ago from an egg that had been sitting in your box for so long you'd had no idea what was even inside) will be fine, you tell yourself. They'll get him to keep throwing up or whatever needs to happen to get the rest of the raisins out of his system.
Basil will be fine. Maybe a little scared, but fine.
You will be fine. You'll keep the food up higher. No, the raisins were plenty high. Basil pushed a chair. You'll lock the pantry. No, that's crazy, you don't want to restrict food like that. You'll... You'll...
You'll calm down after maybe a few hours of sleep and a snack, maybe. Then you'll be able to think straight again. Maybe.
It's hard doing this alone.
--
"Okay, I think I'm set to go then!"
"Aw, babe, that's great! You sure you don't want me coming along?"
Arven sighs, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. "I'm fine, really. I'm just packing up the rest of my stuff from my old storage unit in Mesagoza and coming right back here."
"Coming back to me, you mean?" His companion brazenly flirts. Arven lets it slide. He opens the door of the company car and steps out to the rush of the Lumiose City airport.
"I'll see you when I get back."
"Text me, babe!" She pushes, smiling wide, but Arven is already walking away.
He doesn't... He doesn't mean to be distant to the clingy woman. He's just...a little nervous for this trip is all. Paldea was the only home he ever knew before now, and he finally got the courage to leave for this Kalosian job. He was ready to grow from beneath the shadows of his world renowned parents and League Champion friends. He was ready to find something for himself and come into his own! And he’s done that! He’s still doing that! But it came at the cost of seemingly all of his friends back in Paldea. After your argument and subsequent blocking, everyone else dropped off like venonats not terribly long afterward. It really stung, and it still stings. Arven isn’t entirely sure what to expect when he returns to his home region. Has anyone been following his success? Will anyone even be happy to see him? Should he really just lay low, pack up his stuff, and spirit himself away like he was never even there? Somehow a Galarian goodbye feels worse than not even trying to rekindle a connection with some of his old pals.
Then again, none of this is an excuse to be rude to the woman who gave him a ride. She's been nothing but nice to him the last few years, serving as his PR rep at Bon Applintit. Maybe he should be nicer? Maybe he should finally cave and take her out on that date she's been seemingly begging for... He assumes she probably has some hand in the neat little reputation he's built online for himself as this chef-influencer guy.
Not that he really thinks it totally suits him entirely, but folks seem to really like his content, especially when he pairs human and pokemon food together, showing off how amazing Mabosstiff is.
That's really what it is at the end of the day, he figures. Mabosstiff is the real star of the show.
Not that he's bad, or something! He’s put a lot of effort the last few years into unlearning some of his old, unhelpful thought patterns. It's just... People love dogs, and Mabosstiff is the best!
So he's really lucky. He's hit a pocket of internet fame, and the company is keeping him on longer than his current contract. Kalos has been kind to him so far... It seems like a good place to plant roots, so... He may as well pack up the last bits of his life from Paldea and haul it off now.
The flight to Mesagoza barely takes any time. Boarding and disembarking truthfully take longer than total time in the air, but that's fine.
Arven steps into the streets and...
He's pleasantly surprised by how nice it feels to hear his own language again.
Kalosian isn't bad. He's gotten much better at it, really, even if he wasn't great with foreign languages back in his classes with Salvatore...
Maybe he should thank him? Or apologize? No, thanking him would probably be better.
Plus, if he stops by the school, he could see Clavell and Saguaro.
He wouldn't have to walk by his old apartment next to his storage unit yet.
The last place he hung out with you.
He won't have to think about how you weirdly got angry and shut him out after he had to cancel a few video calls.
He won't have to think about how empty his old place is. How he misses all his peers in his age group. How everyone else ended up dropping off within the year after you blocked him.
He won't have to think about his parents' old belongings that he needs to either pack up and move or toss.
...Yeah, stopping by the academy to see some of his old teachers might be nice.
Plus, Mabosstiff might like to check out the old stomping grounds again.
Arven makes the turn toward the massive set of looming stairs and releases his pokemon from his ball. The dog, for his part, takes a moment to slowly swivel his head from side to side, as if not quite believing his surroundings. He looks up at his person and tilts his head, one of his ears flopping inside out.
Arven laughs and pats his head, fixing the ear in the process. "Yeah, Bud." He says with a smile. "We're ho--...back for a bit. Wanna go stop by school? I bet Saguaro will have some treats for you."
Mabosstiff boofs loudly and gives a bounce--or, as much of a bounce as a dog of his size can really give--before bounding up the stairs. The sight makes Arven laugh even louder, taking after his pokemon, but Mabosstiff is much faster. He gets to the mezzanine landing in no time flat before pausing, his nose held high in the air. Mabosstiff clearly sniffs for several seconds before catching the smell of something and taking off like a bolthund, not bothering to wait for Arven to meet him.
"Hey! Buddy!" The man shouts after his pokemon, picking up the pace, but Mabosstiff pays him no heed and is out of sight within seconds.
The rational part of Arven's mind knows that Mesagoza's Academy is a safe place for pokemon, and that Mabosstiff knows how to handle himself, but at the same time, he can't help but worry just the tiniest bit as he rushes onward and upward along the stairway to try and catch up.
The tiny seed of worry sprouts and grows when he hears Mabosstiff's growling bark and a tiny shriek of a cry not long after.
"Mabosstiff!" He shouts, finally scaling the last of the stairs, doing his best to stave off the feeling of being winded. He isn't the teenager who used to traverse the region anymore, after all. His eyes dart along the courtyard, looking for a massive black cloud along the grass.
"Mabosstiff!" He shouts again, before another screech draws his attention to one of the benches where his dog seems to be perched on top of something.
"Mabosstiff, stop that now!" He calls over, running toward the scene. As he approaches, Arven makes out a speck of yellow and brown yampering and trying to climb up Mabosstiff's back, nipping at his ear.
Upon closer inspection, it's a little maschiff, but Mabosstiff is hardly paying it any mind, his attention entirely focused on using some kid in a stroller as a lollipop. Said kid is the one yelling up a storm.
"Bud!" Arven scolds him, grabbing Mabosstiff by the scruff of his neck. "Down! Now!"
With a pathetic sound, Mabosstiff backs off, as do the sounds of the little one in the stroller, whose squeals die into giggles and fits of laughter.
Arven breathes a sigh of relief that the kid wasn't frightened of his massive dog and that the shrieks he was hearing were probably just laughing. He returns his dog to its pokeball as the maschiff whines.
By now, Arven’s got enough wit about him to look to the kid's parent.
"Hey, uh, I'm so sorry about that. I really don't know what got into my Mabo--" Arven's words die on his tongue when he sees that the kid's accompanying adult was none other than Director Clavell, giving him a look as if he's seen a ghost.
"Oh! Director! Hi!" Arven greets him, embarrassed. "Sorry, I... I actually was stopping by to catch up and say hello to you. I'm back in town for just a few days and I wanted to, uh...catch...up... but, uh... Wow," He says with an awkward smile, gesturing to the stroller without actually looking at it. "Y'know, it's funny, I spent so much time with you as a kid, while Mom and Dad were in lab, and now–"
"Yes, well, Master Arven..." Clavell interrupts him, blithely moving to the child in the stroller who is briefly blocked from view as the director fiddles a bit, no doubt wiping away Mabosstiff's drool and adjusting their hair, something Arven remembers him doing countless times to him as a little boy.
A moment later, Clavell stands back up, an icy indifference covering his face, a perfect match to the chill that settles in Arven's veins as he actually looks at the kid in the stroller. "I'd say you bear a striking resemblance to your father now. We must be going. Good day."
Clavell turns the stroller around, and Arven watches as his old teacher walks off with a toddler that looks like a carbon copy of...himself, complete with a tiny maschiff following along at their heels.
His head swims. What? Who's that kid? How did Clavell get him? Why does he look just like Arven? And what was with that comment about him looking like his dad now?
Arven numbly lifts a hand to his chin. Sure, he'd let his facial hair grow out a bit, but... What? Clavell knows how Arven feels about his dad. That...that had to be a dig at him, right? Did...did the facial hair look dumb? It couldn't look that dumb? No, what was this about? And who is this kid?
By the time Arven has recovered enough to move his stupid legs into the building that Clavell and the boy had disappeared into, bolting to the director's office, the door is locked, and he's informed that Clavell has already left.
Fuck... He... He needs an answer here. Something is very wrong.
Did his mom or dad have some other kid he didn't know about or something? And then he had, like, a sibling or half-sibling somewhere who was unloading their spawn on the director?
No, that’s outrageous.
Maybe the kid just...just happens to look just like Arven?
This is stupid to just guess about. He just needs to be able to talk to someone.
Arven hurriedly makes his way to the Home Ec room and knocks at the door where the familiar face of Mr. Saguaro greets him with a friendly smile.
"Arven! Hello, my boy! Do come in, come in! Would you like something to eat? I just made pokemon treats, and I’m sure your Mabosstiff would love one!" His voice booms as Arven is ushered inside and enveloped in a tight hug.
The sensation nearly knocks the wind out of him, not just because of Saguaro's strength and size but because...well, he truthfully wasn't expecting such a warm welcome after getting the cold shoulder from Clavell. Or, he had been hoping for a warm welcome from his father figure only to be met with what he can only describe as paternal disdain.
Arven hugs Saguaro back. "Hello, Sir..." He says softly, forcing back the lump in his throat. "I, uh... I was just in the area..."
"Oh?" Saguaro asks, disengaging and pulling up a pair of seats for them to chat at a table. "Well, I'd love an opportunity to catch up with one of my most successful students. Please, sit and tell me what brings you by."
It's tempting. It's... It's really, really tempting to sit and chat about Kalos and Bon Applintit and all the good things lately, but Arven can't get the thought of that kid out of his mind.
"Sir..." He starts. "I saw Director Clavell on my way in..."
"Yes?" Saguaro asks, prompting him to continue.
"It, uh, it looked like he was... Maybe babysitting?"
Saguaro's eyes go distant for a second and he sighs. "Ah, so you saw..."
"Yeah." Arven interrupts before his former teacher has a chance to continue. "Who was that? The kid, I mean? And, well, why was the director taking care of--"
"Arven..." Saguaro sighs and stands back up, placing a hand on his shoulder. It's a comforting gesture, warm and heavy, but when Arven meets his gaze, hoping to find some type of answer to his confusion, he's met with sadness and what almost feels like disappointment radiating from the larger man. "Arven, I don't think I should be the one to tell you anything about that little one..." He says, his tone matching that same disappointment in his eyes. "That's a conversation you'll need to have with the child's mother."
"His mother...?" Arven asks, flabbergasted, his mind racing about who that could possibly be.
Saguaro nods. "You might find her at the Pokemon League this time of day, if you're lucky. I assume you don't have her number anymore?"
"Anymore? Wait, Sir, I'm not following here... I seriously have no idea what's g--"
Then it hits him.
You.
He slept with you.
It was...well, almost three-ish years ago? So...the timing would work out for a toddler. Not that he really knows what kids look like at different ages, but...
A toddler.
His toddler.
His toddler?
Arven doesn't realize his knees buckled. All he knows is that he's sitting in a chair, presumably placed beneath him by Saguaro just in time, a mug of water in his hands, while his teacher rubs gently at his back.
"Arven? Son, are you okay?"
"Don't say 'son'..." Arven mumbles out, his hands shaking as he grips the cup with near-white knuckles. He feels bile churning in his stomach. "I... I gotta go to the League... She hasn't spoken to me since...since..." He's trying to do the math in his head, but there's a block there, and between the rush of nausea and extreme anxiety, he can't focus.
"I gotta go. Sorry. I mean, thanks." He says, standing unsteadily before rushing from the room, Saguaro's protests falling on deaf ears.
Luckily, the Pokemon League isn't terribly far from Mesagoza, and Arven can make the trip on foot fairly easily in under an hour.
The whole trip there, he's panicking internally.
Did you really have his kid? That's...that's not what he actually saw was it? Then...then who was that little boy? Whose was he?
Beyond that, why hadn't you told him? Was this why you got all bitchy and dropped off the face of the earth? Well, maybe it wasn't bitchy...maybe it was hormones? But still! You never told him! Sure, he had to cancel your video calls several times, but... But you still could have found a way to tell him! You didn't need to block him! Was this why everyone else shut him out, too?
Actually... It all kinda lined up now. You blocked him, then...some number of months later, everyone else stopped talking to him, too. Even Penny stopped sending him the occasional meme.
What the fuck. Everyone thinks he's a deadbeat dad.
He is a deadbeat dad.
Or...is he? Can he be a deadbeat dad if he didn't know? ...Maybe that makes it worse? Fuck.
Maybe you didn't want him around for any of this, and that's why you didn't tell him... You knew he'd be a shitty dad or something. After all, what kind of dad could Arven be when his own dad didn't even want him? 
No.
No, that's not right.
That's no way to think about any of this.
Something...
Something else has to be at play here.
Arven has talked himself down from the precipice by the time he's made it to the top of the hill on which the League building sits.
He's just about to open the door to enter when a smartly dressed person with long, teal hair exits, arms crossed and a stern look on their face.
"Hello. How can I help you today?" They ask formally.
"Hi, yeah. My name's Arven Sada-Turo. I'm looking for, uh..." He falters for a moment before giving your full name and title. It felt strange saying the whole thing out loud again, like lead on his tongue.
The person hums at him critically, then gestures with their chin back toward the building.
"Let's talk, Arven Sada-Turo."
He breathes a sigh of relief, following them through the doors.
"Oh, thank you so much. You know, I spent the last few years in Kalos, and I just came back today, so--"
"You've been in Kalos?" The person--Rika, according to the nameplate and pronouns on her desk--says. "Kalos is pretty nice. You must've been having a great time over there." She goes on, taking a seat and folding her hands in front of her.
"I, uh..." Arven eyes her, unsure. "I was... Um, I just came back to, um... Actually, is she gonna be here soon?" He asks, confused.
"Please." Rika gestures to the chair across from her desk. "Have a seat. We can have a chat while we wait for my dear friend, yeah?" She asks, her eyes narrowing like a Luxray.
"Um... Sure..." Arven says, sitting down uneasily. "So, she'll be down? I, uh, haha... I never bothered completing the League challenge while I was in school, so..." He looks around the lobby. "I dunno where she might...um...be..ya know, in the building..."
"Yeah, don't worry about it," Rika speaks over him glibly, leaning back, crossing her ankles up on her desk. "I just wanna talk for a second. So you just decided to come back to Paldea to see my dear, sweet friend? Just a little pleasure call, or...?"
Arven splutters. "Excuse me?"
"I'm just trying to get your angle here, Sada-Turo. I don't see why you're bothering to come back after all these years. She's built a good life for herself, y'know? Super successful Champion, one of the best field researchers for our scientists. One hell of a mom. She doesn't need you or whatever pathetic excuse of an offer you might be trying to attempt here."
"Wh...What?!" Arven stammers, his heart pounding painfully in his chest when your status as a parent was confirmed. "I didn't even come back to see her! I came back to get the rest of my stuff and move permanently back to Kalos! It was only--"
"Then why are you here? Why don't you go?" Rika asks, her eyes going dark. "We don't need you. She doesn’t need you."
Arven's heart sinks. Rika was re-affirming all his worst thoughts, and as much as he feels urged to believe them, he fights it. This isn't a conversation he needs to have with some random woman at the Pokemon League. Who was she anyway? Your girlfriend? No, she called you a dear friend, but still…
Ugh, Rika’s relationship to you doesn't matter! He needs to talk to you.
"Is she coming down or not? Is she even in the building?"
"Not anymore." Rika smirks, checking her phone.
Arven audibly sighs and stands to leave. "You're wasting my time. I need to talk to her about...whatever this is that’s going on." He says, gesturing vaguely as he leaves the building.
"Oh, now you wanna talk to her? Why? Wanna try and convince yourself you're better than your own daddy because of your follower count or some tauros-shit?" Rika calls after him. "See if she gives you the time of day, Sada-Turo! Just see!"
Her words sting. Really badly, actually, but Arven tries to just let them slide off his back best he can. That woman doesn't know him. She isn't the priority right now.
You are.
He just needs to figure out some way to find and talk to you…
His phone buzzes obnoxiously in his pocket. He spares a glance at it as he hails a taxi on the off-chance that maybe you'd reach out, then turns the screen off. He doesn't have time for his PR rep right now.
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wardenparker · 11 months
Text
Down the Rabbit Hole - ch 15
Jack ‘Whiskey’ Daniels x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst
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When Jack accidentally shoots a civilian on a mission he takes on not only the guilt of the man’s death, but inherits his soulmate as well. To you, it’s a dream job with more perks than you can imagine - but for Jack it’s a nightmarish complication. Even more so when he starts to develop feelings.  
Rating: Mature, but this blog is always 18+   Word Count: 14k   Warnings: *Blanket warnings - mentions of deceased spouse, a lot of food and alcohol consumption, family recipes, age gap, cursing.* Flirty and somewhat explicit banter, pregnancy, discussion of symptoms, mood swings, cemetery/deceased loved ones, speaking to deceased loved ones.  Summary: A bittersweet return home to Montana brings mixed emotions for Jack, while you get some insight into the young man that he used to be via some unexpected new friends.  Notes: Sincerest apologies for any typos/mistakes I missed in editing this week, my loves. Chronic illness has reared its ugly head again. Next week’s epilogue will be the final installment of this beautiful rollercoaster ride, and I am so, so grateful to all of you for sticking with us on this adventure! Though I’m absolutely heartbroken to see it end, when one door closes another opens, and I know that we’ll have just as much fun with the next story as we’ve had with Jack and Sugar. 🧡🤠
Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9 ~ Ch 10 ~ Ch 11 ~ Ch 12 ~ Ch 13 ~ Ch 14 ~ Ch 15 ~ Epilogue
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The last step off the jet's ramp makes him pause. One little step between him and the ground. Staring at it for a second before Jack Daniels steps foot back in Montana again officially. It's been a long time. Boot hits the tarmac and Jack turns, holding out his hand to help you down even though he's well aware you don't need it. He had decided to bring the jet, the smaller one. Needing the expedience of the private plane if something that required his attention happened, it also allowed him this moment without prying eyes. Swallowing slightly as he offers you a nervous smile. "Welcome to my home state, sugar."
"Looks a lot like every place else so far," you squeeze his hand gently and smile, knowing that this trip has been causing him a lot of apprehension in the weeks leading up to it. He had even called up the board overseeing the ranch to have the main house cleaned up for the two of you to stay in. It was still his house, after all. "I'm sure the rest of the state is lovely beyond this little airport."
"Hell, this airport wasn't even here the last time I was here." He had been shocked when he learned there was an airport within an hour of the ranch. He had purposefully ignored anything about the entire state while he had been an agent and Champ had not given him any missions that would taken him there.
"It's been a long time." With your suitcase in one hand you reach for Jack with the other. He might need an extra bit of grounding on this trip and you're happy to provide it. Especially with the added weight of things sitting on your shoulders. Happy, of course, but still heavy. "Let's find our ride and head for the ranch? I'm excited to see where you grew up."
The ranch. Jack nods, gripping your hand tightly in appreciation before he lets go so he can grab your suitcase from you. His own bag is sitting beside him right as two dually trucks pulls up, both with the emblem of a beautifully scrawled 'D' emblazoned on the side with the Daniels Ranch est. 1851 written underneath. The director of the ranch had told him he would have a truck from the ranch dropped off at the airport for his use. A younger man, obviously a cowboy, hops out from behind the wheel and dashes back behind him to the truck following to climb inside and the second truck takes off.
"I guess that's us." There's no mistaking the yellow logo on the side of the black trucks, and Jack loads your bags in the back before helping you up into the cab where the keys have been left in the ignition.
"Been a long damn time since I've been in a ranch truck." It's obvious that the truck has been cleaned and polished up, but it's a working truck. The toolbox in the back held plenty of tools and ropes for any issues they could run into. "You ready, sugar?"
"Ready as ever." It's a beautiful day and the flight was easy. There's no reason that this drive should be difficult at all beyond the emotional weight that it holds for Jack, and you turn on the radio to see what the ranch hands had been listening to on their way to drop off the truck. Classic rock pours through the speakers - currently a song by the little-appreciated band Little Feat that has you turning up the sound with a gleeful cackle. "This is my mom's favourite song," you explain, when Jack raises an eyebrow at you over the lyrics 'If you'll be my Dixie Chicken, I'll be your Tennessee Lamb'.
He grins, relaxing slightly at the way you start singing the song. Off key and not even trying, but he thinks that might be on purpose. “Should be at the ranch in no time.”
It's a beautiful drive. The Montana countryside is in full bloom as the end of the summer starts to just barely wave at autumn, and there are as many folks out on horses as there are in trucks or in cars. The rolling hills and striking distant mountains remind you of home much more than you had expected, lending a sort of calm to the whole thing. By the time the big iron main gate of the Daniels Ranch comes into view, you're nearly sighing. "I know we just got here, but I kind of love it," you tell him honestly.
Montana does have a sense of magic. At one point in time, Jack would have been content to spend his entire life here. “Wait until you see the main house.” He chuckles. “The master suite is the original log cabin, the rest of the house was expanded over the years.”
"1851." The year is on the gate as you pass under it just like it's on the side of the truck you're in. "That's before statehood, right? I barely remember all those dates from history class. But does that mean your family were early settlers or something?"
“I guess you could say that. Montana became a state in 1889. My family decided to move to the territory because a change of heart.” Jack explains. “The way I understand it, the first Daniels here wanted to go to Oregon in the ‘40s, but didn’t manage to convince his wife until ‘49. Then there was some kind of dispute on the trail and they turned north.”
"Sounds like it took a whole lot of convincing." You laugh, imagining the conversations that must have happened over the course of almost ten years. As he drives further onto the property it's apparent that his family's land is as productive as it is vast. There are fields as far as the eye can see and plenty of activity to boot. "Well you really are a cowboy, aren't you?" Past one pasture, you can see a heard of maybe two dozen head of cattle being inspected by a pair of men on horseback. "Right down to your bones."
“Born on this ranch.” Jack chuckles. “In the same bed we are sleepin’ in.” He breaks away from looking at the activity to wink at you. “New mattress though.”
“That’s a good thing.” Though you’re practically hanging out the windows for a better look at the ranch, you tangle your fingers through his on top of the gear shift. “Hope the bed frame isn’t as old as the ranch, either. Or we might break it.”
“Don’t think you’re gunna break that frame.” Jack hums, wondering what you will think of the rough hew timber bed frame that is polished smooth after over a hundred years of use.
“Maybe not.” Turning to flash him a mischievous grin, you also leave a kiss on the palm of his hand that you’re holding for good measure. “But we could sure give it a good try.”
Humming quietly, he smirks as he pulls your hand across his body to hold it against his heart. “We’ll give it a good try. I know you’ll like the tub that my momma had daddy put in.”
More than anything you just want this trip to be good for him. He has avoided coming back here for decades with good reason but you want this week to give him some new, positive memories to associate with the family ranch. “I’ll love every inch of it. Especially if there’s a good tub.”
“It’s big enough that I used to swim in it when I was younger.” Jack throws you a grin. “It was my swimmin’ hole when I couldn’t get out to go to the real one.”
“I like your parents’ style.” A swimming hole sized bathtub sounds like perfection to you. “We’ll have to have at least one bath while we’re here.”
“Oh yeah. I told them to make sure that we could use it.” He doesn’t mention Abigail. His daddy had still been in that bedroom when she had lived here.
“My back aches from hunching over the line at the restaurant thank you.” There’s been other aches lately, back and hips and those sorts of things, but it doesn’t matter. Life is good these days. Better than good.
“Well then, we’re going to get you set up with a Jack Daniels specialty massage.” He winks over at you and then nods as he spots the main house. “There she is. The old homestead.”
The ranch house is on top of a small hill, sprawling out against the late-summer sun like it’s welcoming Jack back with open arms. “She’s fantastic,” your eyes light up at the sight, already falling in love with every inch of Montana that unfurls around you.
“Lot of memories here.” They aren’t as bitter as much as bittersweet these days. “Most of them good. Unless you count the first time I broke my arm when I got bucked off my horse.”
"First time?" You raise an eyebrow at him as he pulls the truck up the driveway and parks in front of the garage. "What was the second time you broke your arm?"
Jack grins. “Uh…might have been jumpin’ off the roof.” He admits with a chuckle. “Thought I was bulletproof back then.”
"Of course you did." Despite huffing and rolling your eyes heavily, you just chuckle until your breath.
Snorting, Jack pulls up to the house and lets go of your hand so he can put the truck in park.
"Mr. Daniels." There's a man in a suit and bolo tie with a crisp Stetson on his head coming out of the house when Jack comes around to help you out of the passenger side of the truck. "Ma'am," he nods to you and tips his hat. "Hope your flight was alright. Did you find the place okay?"
“Like ridin’ a bike.” Jack keeps his eyes away from the northwest corner of the property. The iron fence is small and neat but he doesn’t want this to crumble now. “You always know your way back home.” He holds his hand out to shake the director’s hand. “Everything ready for our visit?”
"Yes, sir. Neat as a pin and fully stocked with essentials. I think you'll find everything in order, and of course you have my number if you need anything additional." Since it was the first time ever that the owner had asked to come out to the property, the director and his team had gone slightly overboard in making sure that everything was here that could possibly be needed.
“Place looks good.” Jack looks out over the front pastures with a hum. “I’ve been looking over the reports and it seems like the ranch is doing well.” Since Champ had retired, Jack had to take over his own oversight of the board for the ranch.
"Very well. Blue ribbons and record profits, actually." And clearly the director credits himself with that, from how puffed up his chest is. "Can I ask, sir...what prompted this visit? It's been a mighty long time since we've seen you. Not that we're not glad you're here, of course."
“My soulmate wanted to see the place.” He’s aware the director has been informed of the circumstances that had caused Jack to leave the ranch. Reaching back, he draws you forward and into his side to hug you to him. “It’s time to put old ghosts to rest.”
"Sounds like a very good reason for a visit." The director commends. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Anythin' you need, you give me a call. The crew knows not to use the main house this week while you're here but they'll be going about their duties as usual."
Jack nods. “Thank you. I’m sure we will enjoy ourselves. Thank you for having the truck brought to the airport.”
"Of course." With one more tip of his hat and another, "ma'am" to you, he gets in his car and heads off for the main road.
“Well, that went well.” Jack blows out a breath and grins at you. “Ready to go inside? I’m not sure if the house has been redecorated or not in the last…well, since I left. So, wanna find out?”
"Let's go find out." He earns a pout from you when he won't even let you carry your own suitcase, but you follow just behind him as he heads into the house with curiosity. It's a comfy little place - even though it looks small it seems to sprawl on forever as you step inside. One room after another with a long hallway and a carved stairwell leading to the small second floor. Everything looks hand hewn even though it couldn't possibly have been, and it seems as though the dormer dining room downstairs has been transformed into a working office. Other than that? You could trick pretty much anyone into thinking that a family still lived here every day.
“Damn.” The place is immaculate, telling Jack that they probably keep a housekeeper on. He doesn’t mind that, the old place deserves the respect. “Bedroom we are staying in is through here.” He nods down a hallway that connects the original cabin to the rest of the house.
"So upstairs was your room?" You guess, glancing up the stairs as you follow him down the hall. There's a little bathroom at the top of the stairs and another closed door. "At some point the attic got turned into a second bedroom?"
“Yeah.” Jack sighs. “Momma and daddy were tryin’ for another. When they remodeled that area last.” She had gotten sick and passed, making his daddy concentrate on the ranch.
One hand rests on his back gently in support, but when you follow him into the master bedroom you end up sighing a little. One entire cabin was now just a room - but what a gorgeous room. Carefully crafted and lovingly done, it's obvious that the whole rest of the house was done to try to mimic the style of the original little cabin and no one could come close to the beauty of the original craftsmanship. "Oh..." You breathe out, looking around as Jack sets the suitcases on the bed. "Jack, it's beautiful."
“The bed is original.” Jack reminds you, showing you the large bed in the middle of the room. “Mattress has to be special made.”
"This bed is from 1851?" You raise an eyebrow at him again, though this time it's in surprise. "That is some damn good craftsmanship."
“Solid.” Jack chuckles. “Hundred-year-old oak.” He sets the bags down and slaps one of the solid wood posts.
"Alriiight," you relent like it pains you. "We won't try to break the antique bed. But we will damn well enjoy having it all to ourselves."
“Oh yeah we will.” Jack smirks as he takes your hand and pulls you through to the bathroom. “Just like you will live in here.”
"Oh yes, yes I absolutely will." The bathroom isn't overly large but it is dominated by an enormous tub that fits neatly into the far corner of the room.
“Told you that you would like it.” He chuckles quietly.
"I'm gonna live in this room every night," you promise him with a grin. "We are going to live in this room every night. Long, indulgent baths after walking around town or the ranch all day."
“That sounds good. That tub has seen many nights of soaking aching muscles.” Jack tells you, smirking slightly.
"You trying to tell me you were conceived in that tub?" The smirk on your lips is barely holding back a giggle, and you lean in to kiss Jack in the doorway. "Let's unpack, baby. I want to drive around town and have you point out all the places that you used to hang out as a teenager that are different now."
“We can do that.” Jack stops you from moving, pulling you close and cupping your cheeks as he stares into your eyes seriously. “A lot of those stories include Abigail, baby.” He reminds you softly. “But I want you to know that I love you.”
"I especially want to hear the ones that have to do with Abigail," you promise him. To you, that really is part of the whole point of this trip. To give him the opportunity and the freedom to tell you those stories about how he came to be the man he was when you met him. The man who was very much formed by his experiences with his first soulmate. "I love you more than anything, Jack. All of you."
Closing his eyes, Jack leans forward and presses his lips to your forehead and then your lips. “Let’s get this trip started then.”
******
The day really is mostly spent in that truck driving around. For as small as Lloyd is, it holds a lot of memories and that means Jack has a lot of stories to tell. It's past dusk when he parks the truck on Main Street and helps you out, intending to walk down the main drag of town and pick out someplace to eat before heading back to the ranch for the night.
“So that little candy show used to be an ice cream shop. Or soda shop.” Jack points out, holding your hand as he slowly reacquaints himself with the little square. “They made the best floats.”
"I can see little Jack pulled up to the counter at the soda shop for a root beer float." The visual makes you grin, picturing a glass as big as his head and how big it would make his eyes with anticipation while he watched it being made. "I can't believe you still had a soda shop growing up. That's positively picturesque."
“The little old man who ran it, Mr. Johnson, he met his soulmate there. So he couldn’t bear to let it go.” He explains with a small smile. “Nearly all of our dates where there.”
"That's pretty much the perfect date place if you're a teenager." You can acknowledge that wholeheartedly. "That, and Lover's Lane." A place which he had already pointed out to you with an especially sly smirk on your drive earlier.
“Remember, nothing too bad happened on Lovers Lane.” He hums. “We were good and waited until our wedding night for the full experience.
"Definitely not something you and I can say." With the wedding still nine months away, you almost have to laugh at the irony of the amount of time you have left.
“No way I could wait with you, sugar.” Jack smirks, sliding a gaze down to your lips. “Not when you look like a sin wrapped angel.”
"Oooo, that's a good one." You crack a grin, beaming at him as you hold hands and stroll down the street. "You should remember that one. It's guaranteed to get a reaction out of me."
“It was good, wasn’t it?” He’s proud of that one. “Maybe you’ll ride me in that bathtub tonight. I did bring a bottle of whiskey with me for tub drinks.”
"Nobody's gonna make a noise complaint on that big ranch when it's just you and me at night." The smile on your face gets a little wider. "So I can all but promise I'll be taking my cowboy for a ride tonight."
“That’s - are you ready to go back now?” He waggles his brows playfully just to get you to laugh. He won’t cut this short, enjoying watching you experience it too much. It solidifies his theory that you and Abigail would have been good friends.
"You promised to take me to dinner on our first night here," you remind him with as pretty a pout as you can manage. It's not that the little town has anything grand to offer in the way of restaurants, it's just that you're enjoying seeing where he came from. The kind of place that brought your Jack into the world is exactly the kind of place you want to explore.
“Anything you want, you know you’re gunna get when you poke that lip out.” He groans, shaking his head even though he’s grinning.
"How about a kiss and whatever they serve at..." Arbitrarily looking around, you blindly point at a store front about a block in front of you that has a big bear's claw on the sign and not much else. "The Bear Claw," you read the name off the sign with a shrug. "If there's not one single thing on the menu containing bear, I'm gonna be disappointed."
“Done.” Jack pulls you close and doesn’t hesitate to cover your lips with his own. Groaning slightly at the way your arms immediately curl around him and hold him to you. There’s a sense of deja vu, he had kissed Abigail here a hundred times before on a rare night in town. Because of the Rollins bullshit, most often they were at the ranch, but on the nights that they ventured into town, it had been just as sweet as this moment.
The enthusiasm and sweetness of the moment has you giggling in his arms, loving how relaxed he is so far. It’s a little bit of a surprise - I had thought he would be more serious or more guarded - but this stroll down memory lane seems to have been a wonderful idea for him. Being wrapped up in each other on the little Main Street without a care in the world is a very good look for both of you.
“Are you hungry, sugar?” Jack pulls away and grins at you. “Might need your strength for later.”
“Let’s get some dinner.” Your nose wrinkles as your smile grows, not wanting to let go of him even for one second. “I’m suddenly ravenous.”
“For food, sugar.” Jack hums playfully, letting you turn and tuck yourself into his side. The lights that are strung over the street come on, giving the Main Street a very quaint and homely glow. Obviously set up for the festival, or maybe the town has them year round now.
“Yup. For food.” Deciding to go see what The Bear Claw is all about, you and Jack walk down the next block and find yourselves in a homey little restaurant-and-bar with a dance floor and pool tables not unlike Shootouts back in Louisville - but definitely more family oriented. There are kids at tables and some arcade cabinets lining one wall, giving you the impression that the place has put more of an emphasis on family dining than being a bar over the years.
“Have to admit, this place wasn’t around when I was here.” Jack tells you as you both walk up to the host stand. “This building used to be an old office humoring for lawyers.”
"I like it." Even at first glance it's homey and welcoming. Exactly the kind of place where you can imagine the owner knows every single regular's name without hesitation. You stay tucked into the side while Jack chats politely to the teenaged hostess and she brings you to a booth along the windows before retreating again. There's a sizeable drink menu, which makes sense, but you spot a section of the drinks list marked Homebrewed Iced Tea with raspberry listed as a flavour and hum happily.
“The menu looks good and I spy something….” Jack taps the menu where it says that all beef is provided by the Daniels Ranch. “Looks like I’m getting the largest damn steak they have.”
"Sounds like I'm going to satisfy my burger craving after all." If you've maybe been having more burgers than usual lately it is probably a complete coincidence, but you've definitely been on a kick lately. "So..." you venture quietly, reaching your hand across the table for his. "How has your first day back been so far?"
“It’s….” Jack pauses and tilts his head. “It’s not as painful as I thought it would be.” He admits quietly. “I thought I would be a mess. I probably would be if it weren’t for you.”
"Then I'm very glad to be here with you." Not that you wouldn't be glad to be with him anywhere, but it seems like it's especially important right now. "I love you, honey. And I'm so glad that this has been easier than you expected."
“I’m sure there will be some moments where it’s not easy.” Sunrise will be one of them. Abigail had loved sunrise on the ranch, often sitting with her tea or coffee on the front porch and soaking it in. “But just bear with me, sugar, and I’ll get through it. I love you so much.”
"I love you, too." You squeeze his hand gently as the waitress comes over, smiling sunnily when she greets you and takes your drink order.
Jack hums when you order the raspberry sweet tea, ordering a plain Arnold Palmer for himself and grinning when you impulsively order the Korean BBQ sliders as an appetizer.
"So the festival starts tomorrow." The little town seems to be booming with excitement - decorations are up and the streets are bustling. Tomorrow morning the town square will be transformed and there will be booths, competitions, and from the flier you saw there's even a beauty queen to be crowned. "Is there anything in particular you want to check out? I know you were peaking at the town website."
“There’s a roping competition.” Jack chuckles, smirking slightly at you. “Thought I might throw my hat in the ring.”
"You gonna show off a little?" It's definitely not something you're going to discourage him from, and you shoot him a sly grin. "You know...they're handing out a blue ribbon for a few categories of baked goods on the second day." The page dedicated to the rules on the town's website had caught your attention and you had wiped away the thought of showing off in your own right, but if Jack is going to throw his hat in literally, you could do it figuratively.
“You gunna make your coconut cupcakes?” Jack chuckles, sending you a wink. “Or that lemon tiramisu you made and nearly sent the restaurant into a frenzy?”
"That tiramisu is incredible." It was the final result of all of your experiments with lemon curd and the combination of the tart fruit with fresh basil had resulted in a new permanent menu item from how popular it was. "They have categories for cake, pie, and cookies. I bet if we took a spin around the nearest grocery store after dinner to look for ingredients, I could find everything I need for the coconut whiskey cake I made back when Champ first brought me to Louisville. Bring a little Statesman spirit into things?"
“I knew you weren’t gunna be able to resist.” He leans back on the booth, grinning. “Tequila owes me a hundred bucks.”
"I wasn't going to!" You groan playfully, sitting back at the table and pouting at him pathetically to keep yourself from laughing. "I was going to resist! I was! And then you said you might try your hand so I figured it was okay."
“Never make excuses for making me money.” Jack teases. “Even better than the hundred bucks is the braggin’ rights.”
“How do you know you’ll get to brag? Maybe someone here is a much better baker than me.” You pause for a moment to thank the waitress when she brings your drinks and appetizer, and you and Jack order dinner at the same time. “It’s not impossible.”
“Pretty damn near.” Jack snorts. “Face it sugar, you’re gunna win that competition.” He winks again. “Just like I’m gunna win mine.”
“I see we’ve come home to show the old town a thing or two about who Jack Daniels grew up to be.” There’s pride in your voice, and you don’t bother to hide it for even a second as you sip your tea. “Sounds like maybe you should get some kind of extra prize if you win.”
“What kind of prize are we talkin’ ‘bout?” His brow arches and he leans in, real interested in hearing a hit this secondary prize he could be winning.
“Let’s see…” His attention is piqued and you grin, always loving the slightly hungry look in his eyes. “The first thing that comes to mind is an extremely sensual massage from your devoted fiancée, but I’m open to requests.”
“Depends on if this massage comes while you are sitting naked, on my cock.” Jack leans in and murmurs the last part quietly.
The corner of your mouth twitches into a smirk. “You don’t want me to do your back first? Weird choice, but alright. It’s your massage,” you tease him, throwing a wink his way when you pick up a slider to have your first bite of dinner.
“How is that slider, baby?” Jack asks, watching as you moan softly after you bite in. “Is that what you wanted?”
“I guess I was hungrier than I thought.” He hasn’t remarked at all if he’s noticed your appetite increasing, but you know it has. He’s fired up the grill every time you’ve asked and let you call the shots when you had something in mind for a meal. “They’re crazy good. Try one.”
Jack does take one, taking a bite of it and then eyeing it. Humming in appreciation as he chews. “That’s really good.”
“No wonder,” you grin, inspecting the shredded beef in the sandwich before taking another divine bite. “I hear the ranch they use is excellent.”
“It’s an old operation.” Jack hasn’t had anything to do with the ranch in forever, but he’s damn proud of the quality. “What else are you getting to eat? Might want to try that too.”
“They have a burger with bacon, onion straws, sharp cheddar, and a barbecue sauce they mark as award winning.” The look on your face makes it clear that it’s as close to heaven as you could get right now. “With fried pickles and tater tots on the side, apparently. It’s called The Hot Mess on the menu.”
“Hot Mess sounds appropriate.” He chuckles. “All it’s missing is a fried egg.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to remake it at home.” The quiet moment between you is so welcome, even with the music playing through the restaurant and the sound of families all around you - and therefore of kids. This is just your personal little bubble of happiness and you couldn’t ask for more. “What did you decide on with your steak?”
“Sautéed mushrooms, onions with potatoes and red eye gravy.” The rolls that it comes with sound heavenly, although he had a feeling he would lose one of them to you. Not that he minded at all.
You moan softly at the choices, any and all god sounding amazing to you right now. “Sounds like we’re going to eat amazingly tonight.”
He chuckles, fully aware that you are going to be stealing some of his meal. That’s perfectly okay to him. “We will.” He nods. “Especially because we are going to be picking up something to snack on later if I’m knowing you.”
“We have to go to the grocery store to get cake ingredients,” you defend, those it’s half-assed.
“Oh, I know. And then we’ll find some shredded beef ‘n jalapeño cheddar dip.” Jack predicts. “Or you’ll get a hankerin’ for some cheeseburger dip. And then we gotta have some of that smoked Gouda.”
“You’re teasing me.” The wry observation comes with a little flustering in your part, and you bite your lip before sitting back in your seat. For a week now you’ve been walking around with something zipped into the pocket of your leather jacket or sitting in your bedside drawer, and not found the right time to give it to him. You feel like it’s finally crept up on you - finally - and swallow down your nerves. “I have something for you,” you tell him finally, reaching into the interior pocket of your jacket. “I haven’t…really…been sure of how to do this. But I feel like it’s time.” Here, in this little booth in this little restaurant in his hometown - a place that didn’t exist when he was growing up here seems to be an appropriate choice. It’s a new memory, just for the two of you.
Jack frowns slightly at the box that you set down in front of him. Reaching for it and watching you squirm in your seat. Happy or anxious, maybe both. He shakes his head as he flips the lid open and sees a gorgeous watch, butter leather band and gold trim. Obviously an antique that has been lovingly kept, gorgeous and expensive. “Sugar, you shouldn’t have.” He huffs, even as he is already moving to pull his Statesman watch off, so he can try on your gift.
“I know you like the one you were issued, but this one is…special.” It’s not even a birthday present, since you had abided by his wishes and not celebrated it this year. The Statesman watch, thankfully, is just for show and not a necessary gadget now that he’s out of the field. Otherwise you would never think to replace it.
“Special how?” Jack quizzes you, rubbing his thumb over the leather grain of the band and then there is a tiny imperfection on the back. His brows knitting together as he turns it over. Frowning as he reads a date on the back.
March 21, 2019 the date reads. It’s this coming spring but it’s not your chosen wedding date. Not a birthday. Not an anniversary. You exhale carefully when he looks up at you again, and find yourself beaming through the nerves. “I’ve been trying to find the right time to tell you,” you murmur softly, keeping the moment just between the two of you. “I—I’m pregnant, Jack. For certain, this time. That’s our due date.”
Jack’s lips part, his tongue running out to wet them as he absorbs your news. Thumb rubbing over the date again and he swallows harshly. “Pregnant.” The sheen to his eyes is nearly instantaneous and his gaze flickers between you and the watch. “Sugar, I—” he chokes out and slides out of the booth to join you on your side.
“I know it’s not exactly what we planned.” As soon as he slides onto the bench beside you, you feel like you’re going to start crying instantly. “But I think it’s right. You’re out of the field and the restaurant is doing so well. We have plenty of room in the new house to start decorating a nursery whenever we want and…” It feels like you’ve been rambling since your last breath when you finally stop and smile. “Do you want to see them? Ginger sent the last sonogram to my phone.”
“Yes.” Jack breathes before his eyes widen. “Them? Are— are there two?” He asks, breathless at the idea. You could just be using them as ambiguous terms or there could be two babies in your womb.
“Just one this time.” You could melt at how excited he sounds, though. It had worried you that you hadn’t exactly planned the timing. “We just can’t tell the sex yet. It’ll be a couple more weeks.” Digging into your pocket again, you come out with your cell phone and open the message from Ginger that has the picture from your last appointment. “Look…”
“Jesus.” Jack nearly sobs the word as he looks at the tiny little nugget that is in the middle of the sonogram. “I— sugar, you’re pregnant. With our baby.”
"Definitely ours." There's no way it couldn't be, this time. All doubts have been erased from your mind. "I love you so much, honey. I wanted to find some way to tell you that you could always remember."
“I’ll never forget.” Jack promises, lingering gaze on the photo before he reaches out and cups your cheeks to kiss you passionately.
It's a beautiful moment to get lost in, and you don't even hear the waitress come or go but when you part again your dinners have magically appeared on the table. "Ginger thinks she got the due date pretty dead on," you murmur, looking down at his watch and momentarily ignoring your plate even though it smells amazing. "She, um...when she took out my IUD it was crooked. So she asked if there was any particularly active night in the last few months that I could remember."
Jack frowns, trying to remember before his face clears and a slow smirk rides over his features. “You mean the night of Tex and Sophia’s wedding?” He asks smugly. “Where you could barely walk for the entire next day?”
"That's the one." You cover your face with one hand to smother the giggle that bubbles out of you. "If that's the right date, then I'm ten weeks along already."
“Almost through the first trimester.” Jack murmurs in awe. “I can’t- sugar, this is amazing.”
"I'm so glad you're excited." Of course there will always be worry, but seeing how happy he is - how the happiness completely overtakes everything else - makes this moment so worthwhile. "I've been bursting at the seams to tell you but just couldn't pinpoint the right moment."
“I— it’s perfect.” The urge to bundle you up and keep you locked inside a bullet proof room is there, crawling under the surface, but he tamps it down. “I— love you so much. A week? You’ve known for that long and kept it a secret? I don’t know how you did it.”
"I've known a little longer than a week," you admit. "But I wanted to find you exactly the right gift and find exactly the right time to give it to you. I swear it's all I've talked to Ginger about since I went to her for a test. If I didn't have her I would have broken and told you immediately."
Jack grins and shakes his head. “I would have been just as happy, but—” he looks down at the watch again. “I love this. I love you and I love our little nugget.”
******
You knew that after you told him that he would start pampering you immediately, but everything from the gentle way he washed every inch of your skin and caressed your belly in the bath to the slow and gorgeous way he made love to you last night has been amazing. This morning he had caressed you all over again before dragging himself out of bed to make you both breakfast and now he's being as gentle as a breeze in helping you out of the truck when you arrive for the festival.
He knows you won’t put up with him being too protective, but he manages to caress your belly gently only once before he is pulling away to gather your baked treats for the competition. “I’ve got all this, sugar.”
"You're not going to let me carry anything for the next seven months, are you?" You tease, shooting him a grin and sliding the strap of your purse over your shoulder. The little town square is already full to bursting with people even though the festival supposedly only started a half hour ago, and you're excited to see what sort of booths will be around.
“I can’t carry cupcakes for my soulmate?” He pouts, his own grin matching yours. Of course you will carry things, but he was going to dote more than usual. You deserve it.
"Of course you can." It's sweet, the way he has already jumped into high gear to take care of you. "I'm just teasing you, baby."
“I know you are.” Jack doesn’t want you to think he’s upset at you. “Helping mitigates the fear.” He leans in and kisses your cheek.
"Then help as much as your heart desires." That one little explanation is all you need to be nodding and letting him take over completely - leading the way with his hand on your back and a proud smile on his face. If helping is what lets him adjust and be less afraid, then you'll welcome every second of it.
It’s not that you are pregnant, per se, it’s that you’re pregnant here. If he had sat down with the doctor - which he had, but he didn’t know you were pregnant - before coming; he might have cancelled the trip. But you were right to do it this way. He knows the circumstances are completely different and he needs to work through the fear. This is a healthy coping mechanism and if you get to benefit from him pampering you, that was just fine with him.
The tent where they are accepting submissions for the baking and cooking competitions is bustling this morning. Everyone is supposed to drop their items off with a sheet of information and then show up for judging at various points during the weekend. It’s a nice and tidy way of doing things and you step into the line of folks dropping off submissions with Jack easily enough.
“Now that our mission is accomplished…” Jack takes your hand in his hand tucks it around his elbow, resting his hand on top of it. “What do you want to do first?”
“How about we take a walk and see what catches our eye?” There’s plenty here, of course, and you know that at some point this weekend you’ll get sucked into the game booths and the flower displays, but right now the bright excitement of everything is just the right way to begin your day.
“That sounds good to me.” Jack murmurs quietly. “Let me know when you need to rest or a drink.”
“I’m okay, honey. I promise.” Of course he’ll worry, but you’re feeling pretty good about the fact that you’ve made it through most of your first trimester with so few symptoms that you found out about the little nugget from being concerned over missing periods again and not from being sick in any way. The two of you start to walk through the maze of booths, tents, and stands in the town square. Some are new and flashy with colourful printed signs while others are old fashioned and folksy with handwritten and hand painted materials, but either way the effect is always welcoming. The town library has an Adopt-A-Book drive open at their booth and you can’t resist, nudging Jack toward the crowded tables with glee. Each volume with wrapped in brown paper and tied up with twine, with a one or two sentence description of the plot, setting, and characters written out on the paper. “They’re all duplicates,” the young librarian is explaining to the people gathered around. “Books that the library has more than two of, and we want them to go to a good home instead of sitting unread on the shelf.”
“That’s pretty good.” Jack nods. “You guys still have the Book-Mobile?” He asks, turning towards you. “Back when I was a kid, because we were so far out of town, they had this old van that would come and bring books to the ranch.” He explains. “All the kids on the ranches loved it because we didn’t have time to run to town to check out a book.”
“Yes sir, we do.” The young woman beams happily, obviously proud of that particular program. “Where’d you grow up, if you don’t mind my asking? I thought I knew just about everyone in town.”
“Daniels Ranch.” Before you or Jack can answer, a deep, smooth voice answers for you. Been a long time since we saw Jack Daniels’ face around here,” the man tells the librarian. “You were probably still in diapers back then.”
Jack stiffens slightly, wary, but not upset about hearing that voice. It’s been a long goddamn time though. Turning, he finds his former brother-in-law watching him with the same sense of appraisal. “Aiden.” Jack murmurs quietly, nodding his head towards the man. “Good to see you.”
“Surprised to see you.” There’s a ghost of a laugh in the imposing man’s voice, and he nods to you politely but without bothering to mask his curiosity. “What brings you back to town?”
He probably should have called the man. Warned him, but there’s nothing for it now. “It was time.” Jack admits quietly. “Past time. We’ve come to visit ‘em. Pay respects.” Jack subtly takes your hand and displays where the tiny bull’s eye tattoo rests on each of your left hands. “Finally got the sons of bitches that killed her, Aiden.” He manages, emotions and sorrow thick in his voice.
“You said you would.” Aiden nods solemnly, remembering the way Jack had railed about it years ago. How nearly unhinged it had made the man. He shakes his head, banishing the anger that he’s worked so hard to be rid of, and levels his eyes on you again. “I take it this is the second Mrs. Daniels?” He asks, not meaning to be unkind but able to read the situation easily enough.
“Not yet.” Despite that, you offer to shake his hand and smile warmly. “You must be Abigail’s brother?” The name does ring a bell, after all, and Jack has told you a little bit about her and her family over your time together. “I’ve heard some very nice things about you.”
Jack knows that this is going better than he would have ever expected, but Aiden knows how he had grieved Abigail, there has been no question of his devotion to his first soulmate.
Aiden accepts the handshake and you chat for a moment, mostly with him asking polite questions like what you do for work and if you’ve chosen a wedding date yet. The kind of low key chit chat one would expect to make with a new acquaintance or friend of a friend. “I have to be getting back,” he tells you both after a time, looking curiously once more between you and Jack. “You should stop by the farm’s stand later. We went all out this year.” He wants to say more - the urge to reconnect for Abigail’s sake is strong - but he doesn’t know how you would feel about it. “I’ll…I’ll put together a basket for you?”
Grinning, Jack shakes his head. “You’ve done it now.” He warns his former brother-in-law. “She’ll be askin’ for shipments to Kentucky.” He laughs. “Aiden’s place produces the best damn fruit and vegetables in the state.”
“Then we will definitely be stopping by.” Your eyes light up with possibilities, thinking of autumn and winter menu specials. When Aiden’s hand extends to you again you shake it warmly and offer him a smile. “I’m very glad I got to meet you. We’ll be sure to stop by the farm stand this afternoon.” Aiden finds himself chuckling, moving to shake Jack’s hand after yours. While he had first felt a twist of sadness to see his late sister’s husband with a new woman, even he had to admit that it wouldn’t be healthy to cling to old memories. Abby wouldn’t have wanted Jack to be miserable. “I’ll save you a bottle of cherry blossom honey to take home,” he promises. “It goes fast and it’s too good to pass up.”
Jack chuckles at the way you gasp in excitement, squeezing Aiden’s hand slightly. “You still visit ‘em?” He asks quietly. The Daniels cemetery still hadn’t been visited, although that will be something that is done soon.
“Every month.” The way Aiden nods is solemn, but not sad. He’s grown accustomed to the loss, as all survivors must after losing someone. “I planted some flowers. Keep their headstone clean. Nothing fancy, but I like to talk to her from time to time.”
“If you’ve not visited this month….” Jack shrugs, trying to extend the invite as casually as he can. “I’m plannin’ on visiting day after tomorrow. Properly introducin’ ‘em.” He licks his lips and looks up at the older man who had once kept him from doing something extremely stupid. “If you’re wanting to visit with us some more?”
“That…” For a moment the older man hesitates, but it’s a mixture of surprise and perhaps gratitude. The idea that Jack is remarrying but hasn’t pretended that Abby never existed is comforting in an unexpected way. “I’d like that,” he says finally, looking between you. We’ll have lunch? I—” He shrugs and grins slightly. “If you’re alright with it, I’ll bring Sheila? You guys always got along well, if I remember right.”
“Sugar?” Jack turns towards you, wanting to confirm that you are okay with the idea. “Sheila is the sweetest little spitfire you ever did meet.” He promises. “She runs that farm, truth be told and shame the devil. Always had since she came into the picture.”
"I think it sounds wonderful." Which isn't even an exaggeration, or an attempt at being polite. For you, this was part of the hope for this trip. A glimpse into Jack's past and the young man that he was before he grew into the man you fell in love with. "But you won't be able to stop me from cooking if we're having company. Consider yourselves warned."
“I know.” Jack sighs softly and shakes his head. “That’s why I was askin’.”
"He's making noise, but he likes to be kept on his toes." Aiden shakes his head and chuckles under his breath. "I really do have to get back, but come by the stand later and we're figure out what time we're doing this." "He's nice." When Aiden is out of sight again, you snuggle into Jack's side and leave a kiss on his cheek. "and obviously still thinks well of you."
“I’m glad that he does.” Jack admits with a loud, exaggerated exhale. He had been worried about what the man would think about him having a new soulmate.
"We'll talk to him more in a few days. But I'm glad we ran into him." Both of your arms rope around Jack to give him a squeezing hug. "Now I have someone I can ask for stories of when you were a kid."
“Great.” Jack rolls his eyes, but he’s grinning at you. “You know he was the one who convinced me to jump off the roof, right?” Jack chuckles. “I was in Abigail’s room and he had told me that his daddy was gunna stomp me. We weren’t doing nothing but kissin’.”
"Oh, I am going to enjoy this lunch." You practically cackle as you give him another kiss. "I can't wait to hear every single story."
Jack pouts at you, knowing that Aiden will tell you everything. “Well then don’t be surprised when you learn I ran down Main Street in my birthday suit.” He grunts, shaking his head.
"You did what?" The shock and glee on your face are joined by an absolutely delighted peel of laughter. "I have to know. I have to know why."
“I’ll let Aiden tell you that story.” Jack grumbles, smirking slightly. “Again, that was his fault.”
******
When the time for that lunch comes just two days later, Jack has resigned himself to the fact that there is nothing he can do to calm the whirlwind of you in a kitchen. The lemon tiramisu was made last night and will be the perfect thing to cool off after the enormous platter of spicy, smoky steak tacos with plenty of sides that you went overboard in spending all morning preparing. You've been perfectly honest about wanting everything to be perfect for Aiden and Sheila's visit, and since you're hosting in a house that is technically Jack's but he hasn't lived in in decades, you don't truly feel that comfortable. It will all be okay, of course, but it has you a little more jittery than normal.
“I put a gallon of that raspberry tea you liked in the fridge.” Jack murmurs, watching as you scrub the same spot on the counter for the millionth time. “There’s some coolers, I put some waters and beer in them.” Anything he can do to help calm your nerves, he will. “Anything else you need, sugar?”
“No…I’m just nervous.” Finally realizing that the spot you’ve been trying to clean is a natural dark spot in the granite countertop, you sigh and force yourself to step away from the counter. “I’m sorry. I just…Aiden seems like a very nice man, but I don’t want him to think you’ve picked some inferior after his sister. That’s probably stupid, but I can’t help it.”
“You are not inferior.” Jack frowns and steps in front of you, wrapping his arms around you to pull you into his embrace. “Sugar, Aiden will love you. Shelia will too. He knows you aren’t Abigail, and he doesn’t resent you for that.”
“I’m just glad the baby’s not making me feel sick during all this.” Although you do reach over and rap your knuckles on the wooden dining table just so you don’t jinx yourself. Your morning sickness has been next to non-existent so far. Hopefully that doesn’t mean it will come back with a vengeance in the second trimester.
“Come sit down with me, sugar.” His hand immediately goes to your stomach and he caresses it gently. Marveling at the still fresh news that you are carrying his baby. “Take a little rest.”
The love seat in the living room is where you’ve taken to sitting, and you relished the stories from Jack on the first night about how it was his mother’s favorite place to sit. Now you let Jack lead you over and plop down in his lap with your arms around each other. “Sorry if I’m a tornado,” you murmur near his ear.
“In a trailer park.” Jack jokes, squeezing you tight. “I know that you’re nervous, but you don’t need to be. I’ve known them both my entire life, and despite Aiden being Abby’s brother, he wants me to be to happy.”
“I think I’m nervous because of that,” you admit, laying your head on his shoulder. “Like somehow…” A sigh escapes you, resigned and acknowledging. “Like I know I’ll never have Abigail’s approval to be with you and make you happy. Her brother’s approval is the next best thing.”
“She would have loved you.” He promises, turning his head to kiss your forehead. “I know she would have, sugar. Aiden is going to love you.”
“I know it’s silly to worry.” Sniffling slightly, you snuggle deeper against Jack and huff softly. “Maybe I’m having my first overly-emotional-pregnant-lady moment.”
“Might be.” He honestly thinks it’s more to do with wanting approval by his original soulmate’s family, but he doesn’t say that. “And you are completely justified in feeling that way.” His hands slide up and down your back soothingly. “No matter what sugar, I’m going to be right here with you. Your backup.” He teases playfully.
"Thank you, honey." He's damn good at not making you feel like an idiot when you're being emotional, which you appreciate, and you trail your fingers through his hair softly while you sit firmly in his lap. "I love you so much."
“I love you too, sugar.” Jack hums, closing his eyes and smiling softly. “It’s good to be back.” He admits. “To see them. It doesn’t hurt like I expected it to.”
"If you still feel that way when we leave in two days, we'll have to see about making the trip more often." It will always be up to him whether or not he wants to come back to the place he called home for the first part of his life, but you've thoroughly enjoyed spending time here. It's quiet and homey, and feels like a world away from Louisville just for the slower pace of life. "It might be nice to have family vacations out here."
“I can see your family gettin’ a kick out of the place.” There’s plenty of room and it might be fun to see your dad on a working ranch. “The kids would shit themselves over the horses.”
"By the time we do another family vacation, we'll have another family member." Your hand drifts fondly over your belly. "I can't wait."
“Yes we will.” Jack nods. “Maybe we can figure out how to do some kind of reveal or somethin’ for your folks.”
"Yeah?" You had just figured on FaceTiming with your parents to let them know, but they would adore a reveal. It would be fun to see your father a blubbering, excited mess again like he was when he found out about both of your sister's kids.
“Maybe we should fly up there? Bring them some baby themed gifts?” Jack offers, wanting to make it special.
"They would lose their minds." It's such a sweet thought, and absolutely characteristic of Jack. "Do you think there's a store for baby things around here that we could go poke around this afternoon or tomorrow?" Without knowing how long Jack's former brother-in-law and his wife will be comfortable staying or how emotionally taxed you'll both be after the visit, it's good to be flexible.
“Whatever you want to do.” Jack smiles, happy you liked his idea. “We can do that for sure.”
"Let's see how we feel tonight." Like a cue in a play, the doorbell rings just as you're tipping your head back to kiss Jack's cheek.
Patting your thigh, Jack gets up after you do and throws you a smile. “It’s going be a good visit, sugar. You’ll see.” He promises, walking towards the door to let his brother-in-law and his wife in.
"Jack!" Sheila is an energetic woman with a personality as strong as she is physically, so when she opens her arms to hug Jack after crossing the threshold of the house she means business. "I'm so sorry I missed you at the festival! Heard you took home a shiny prize though, good for you."
“Hey Sheila.” Jack allows the other woman to scoop him up into a hug that would crush a lesser man’s ribs. “It’s so good to see you. How have you been?”
"Good!" Her exuberance is shining through at seeing an old friend again, and her head bobbles on a nod. "Really good. Farm is doing great and the kids are grown so the house is mostly quiet these days."
“That’s good.” Sheila had just found out she was pregnant with their second when Abigail had been killed. Their oldest boy had just been a year old, so the idea of the cousins growing up together had been very real. “Real good.”
"Let the man breathe before you start giving him the whole rundown." Aiden chuckles softly, obviously used to his wife's boundless energy. He pats Jack's shoulder but steps past him with a basket in hand to offer you a warm, if polite, hug. "Brought you something, hon. As promised."
"That's so sweet of you. Thank you, Aiden." You easily accept the small embrace as well as the basket, looking inside eagerly. There are all kinds of jars and a few fresh things as well as a bottle of the first batch of cider of the season.
“He was eager to show off.” Sheila appraises you with unabashed interest as she walks over towards you. “Something about you being a professional chef and wanting to show you farm to table.”
“That’s true, I do have restaurant.” Something about the way she’s looking you over makes you hesitate self-consciously, but you still put your hand out to her to shake. “You must be Sheila. It’s really nice to be able to meet some of Jack’s old friends.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Sheila shakes your hand heartily and pulls you towards her. “I can see why Jack likes you. Besides the obvious part of being soulmates.” One arm goes around you in a quick, half hug.
"It was...a surprise. To say the least." When you and Jack had gone to get your playing card put back on your arm he had also gotten a bullseye on your hands, and Sheila smiles softly at the mark now before letting you go. "Who knew that kind of thing actually happened in real life?"
“I know that it’s not something to be taken lightly and it looks like you aren’t.” She sends you a devilish grin. “So what embarrassing stories do you want to know about Jacky? He used to get so mad about being called that, but it was that or Jackson.”
"I want to hear everything." You return her grin with glee, already feeling much more relaxed than you had been a second ago. Maybe it was just a mood swing after all. "Why don't you both come in? We can have lunch before we go up and make our visit, if you want?"
“I wish you hadn’t gone through the trouble.” Sheila huffs, shaking her head. “We could have brought something from town. But I have a feeling it’s hard to keep you out of a kitchen.”
Jack snorts and nods. “Yeah it is. Practically impossible. Swear that’s why she moved in with me, I’m convinced. For the kitchen that I had.”
"And then we moved and now our kitchen is even bigger." That grin is now flashed at Jack, and you reach out to squeeze his shoulder gently as he and Aiden trail behind you and Sheila through the living room and into the kitchen. The basket sits neatly on the corner of the counter while you go about checking on the food that you have cooking, and Jack starts pulling out drinks from the cooler before pouring you a glass of tea. It's the small amount of caffeine that you're allowed each day and you relish it, hating having to give up coffee.
“Really thought you would have brought a bottle of that Statesman.” Aiden chuckles, lifting the tea. “Since you run the company.” Shrugging, Jack grins. “We aren’t big on drinking whiskey right now.” He admits, glancing at you before he decides to go ahead and break that other news when you give him a subtle nod. “Don’t think it’s quite fair for me to drink when she can’t.”
"Well damn." Aiden looks between you with dawning realizing. "I, uh...congratulations. That's real good news." It stings a little, in that deep part of his heart that misses his sister most, but this isn't about him. Feeling jealous on Abby's behalf isn't going to bring her baby boy back.
“It’s not something that we— well, it’s a little earlier than we planned but I am trying not to smother her.” Jack huffs with a slight grin. “It don’t replace Timmy in my heart one bit, just like Abby’s still there too.”
"We only just found out." As you bustle around the kitchen, it's easy to see how comfortable you are in this particular room versus every other. "And I mean just. I only told Jack a few days ago."
“That’s wonderful.” Aiden watches Jack, wondering if the other man is worried about the loss of another child. He knows he would have many sleepless nights. “I mean that.”
"Do you know what you're having yet?" Not willing to be impolite and assume she can tell how far along you are by your figure - something that the mother of three knows is pretty impossible to do anyway - Sheila just offers you a soft smile with the question.
"Not yet. It's a little too early." It comes with a shake of your head and you step back from the counter to go to the fridge for all the accoutrement you made. "It's a little nerve wracking, but we're excited. Everything right now is...it's really going pretty perfectly."
“I swear I almost didn’t believe it.” Jack admits, glancing down at his watch that you had given him. “But we are going to be good parents.”
"So your fiancée has a restaurant," Aiden sips the beer that Jack handed him as he sits down at the table with his former brother-in-law. "And you work for Statesman?" He hadn't been clear about it during their quick conversation during the festival. "What is it you're doing there?"
“I’m the Director of the distillery.” Jack admits, taking a sip of his tea. “I own the operation.” He doesn’t tell Aiden about the other side of Statesman, but he shouldn’t have to.
"Damn, Jacky!" Sheila spins around to face him with an impressed look of surprise on her face. "That's a pretty huge company, isn't it? I heard they - you - have an operation in Europe somewhere now?"
“We’ve partnered with a company called Kingsman in the UK.” Jack leans back and smooths his mustache down. “They make tailored suits. All keys to being a gentleman. It actually has been a very profitable venture.”
"So it's what..." Aiden tilts his head curiously. "Scotch and fancy suits?" That's a hell of a long way from the little town he grew up in, yet somehow he still fits here as much as he ever did.
“Pretty much.” Jack chuckles and pushes back from the table. “I’ll get that bottle for you to take home and try.” He offers.
"Sounds like you've been doing damn well for yourself," Sheila commends, offering him a genuine smile. "Running a bit company like that isn't easy." When she thinks about it, her smile softens a little. "Good job, happy wife, and a kid on the way. Sounds like you're settling down again. That's...that's really good, Jack. I'm happy for you."
“Peace only came after getting the men who killed Abby.” Jack can admit that. He glances over to you with a wry smile. “Fought the idea for awhile, make her and myself miserable until that happened.”
"It wasn't always smooth sailing, but it's good now. Everything is so good now." You step back, setting the tray of things on the table so you can leave a kiss on Jack's cheek. You're not going to be overly physically affectionate in front of his first wife's family, but you are so fucking happy. It's worth showing it just a little.
The bottle is retrieved from the side board, and set down in front of the couple. “Want you to know that it’s my involvement with Abigail that got her killed.” He murmurs quietly. “It’s not my fault, but she died because of me.”
"What happened?" Aiden hadn't wanted to sully the good atmosphere of the lunch with the question, but he needs to know. He has to know who the bastard was that killed his baby sister and unborn nephew.
“Rollins.” Jack grunts, still of a mind to go by that spread and burn it to the fucking ground. “Crazy ass Rollins killed her because he couldn’t have her.”
"Jesus." Aiden and Sheila exhale in unison, shaking their heads as their eyes cast down to the floor. The five of them - Aiden, Sheila, Jack, Abby, and Hank Rollins - had all been in the same class at school together. Grown up together. They had watched Rollins' madness grow over the years without understanding more than the fact that he was crazy. Dangerously so, apparently. "How did you find out?" Aiden asks, shaky breath hovering just below the surface.
Jack moves over to you, wrapping his arm around you protectively. “He kidnapped her.” Held her so I would sign over the ranch to him and let him kill me.” You shudder and his hold on you tightens, reassuring you. A lot has healed since that time, but he knows you still think about it sometimes. “He confessed everything. I have a video of it.”
"I—Jesus H. Christ." Sheila shakes her head with one hand clutched to her heart. "I don't think I need to see that." The shudder Aiden gives could be discomfort or disgust, it's hard to tell, but either way he shakes his head along with his wife. "Whole goddamn family needed help. They haven't been back to the valley in years. Bank repossessed the ranch near a decade ago."
“None of them will be back…ever.” Jack promises ominously.
“Just glad you’re both okay.” What else can Aiden say, really? He’s not glad to know that men have died - though the death of his sister’s murderer doesn’t pain him at all. It’s just not as comforting as he thought it would be during the many years he imagined it.
“Appreciate that.” Jack leans in and kisses you again before he lets you get back to finishing up and walk back over to slap Aiden on the back. “Tell me about the kids.”
“Tyler’s married.” Immediately, Aiden is reaching for his wallet to pull out family photos. “Actually…he and Faith just made us grandparents.” He beams when he holds out the photo. “Kayce is seven months old. Happiest little baby boy in the world.”
“Jesus.” Jack’s eyes wide dramatically. “I can’t believe Tyler is a daddy.” He looks over at you. “Last time I saw that boy was right before his second birthday.”
“He keeps talkin’ about wanting to move out and see the whole country,” Sheila shakes her head and laughs. “I told him it’s gonna be mighty hard with that little baby to think of.”
“Yeah it will be.” Jack smirks slightly and looks over at you. “Only reason we are as travel ready as we are is the company jet.”
Aiden whistles, making you grin as you finish putting lunch on the table. “Company jet, huh? That’s a pretty perk of being the big man in the building.”
“Sometimes it’s good to be the boss.” He agrees, winking at Aiden and Shelia and standing to get your tea from on the counter. “Sit down, sugar. I’ve got it.”
“Everybody dig in,” you encourage, knowing that you made something social and familiar on purpose. Tacos aren’t exactly a formal meal and that’s what you like about them.
“Tacos.” Aiden chuckles. “I’m guessin’ the beef is straight from the freezers in the big barn?” He asks, knowing that Daniels Ranch produces top quality beef.
“It’s been sort of a craving lately,” you admit, knowing that you’ve been eating a lot of beef than usual lately. “But how could we pass up such quality ingredients?”
“I see now why you wanted cilantro.” Jack teases, well aware of your cravings and completely okay with that. “We’ll see about having some beef shipped home with us.”
Settling himself across the table, Aiden slides another photo over to Jack for him to see - the other two of his grown children, the photo looking to be just a few months old if the little bundle they’re holding is indeed their nephew Kayce. “That’s Wayne,” he explains, indicating the boy on the left. “And our youngest is Abby. After her aunt, of course.”
Covering his mouth with his hand, Jack studies the photo, staring at his first soulmate’s namesake. “You— you named her Abigail.” He breathes out quietly, watery smile on his face.
“They have the same birthday,” Sheila explains, a little teary eyed. “It seemed like a sign.”
“That does seem like a sign.” Jack nods, handing the photo back to Aiden. “Beautiful family, brother. I’m happy you have that.”
“You will too.” The smile Aiden offers is to you this time as he tucks the photo away. “You’re already on your way there. Abby would… she’d be glad to see you happy.”
“If they knew each other…” Jack points at you. “I would never know peace.” He jokes, laughing at himself.
“Not in your whole damn life,” Sheila agrees with a chuckle. “And you wouldn’t ever mind.”
“Not a lick.” Jack winks at you again. “Not one damn lick.” He picks up a taco and takes a bite, moaning at the perfect balance of spices.
“Please tell me you have tacos on your restaurant menu.” The twin groans from Aiden and Sheila are music to your ears, and she looks up at you immediately.
“It’s a family favourite.” The compliment has you beaming, though, and you have to admit this is a particularly good batch. “The restaurant menu is a little different. But I made one of our specials for dessert.”
“This woman makes a crawfish salad that would make you slap your momma for another bite.” Jack promises, grinning at you. “Her cooking won me over slowly. I couldn’t stay away.” It’s a lot more than that, but it’s an easy, playful tease.
“Oh, wait a minute.” Like she’s just remembered an amazing fact, Sheila smacks her hand in the table and points at you. “You ran away with a baking prize this weekend, didn’t you?”
“Yes she did.” Jack puffs up proudly. “Just like I knew she would.”
“That cake recipe means a whole lot to my family, so I’m glad it went over well.” Jack looks as proud as a peacock beside you, and you can’t help but be pleased by it. It doesn’t matter that Tex will tease you mercilessly when he finds out you couldn’t resist entering. It just matters that it made one more happy memory.
“So you feel Jack’s sweet tooth?” Aiden grins. “He would bring candy out onto the ranch. Can’t imagine he’s gotten better.”
“Oh no, he hasn’t.” That makes you laugh, conjuring the image of young Jack on the ranch with a pocketful of sweets. “His desk has a secret candy drawer he thinks nobody knows about, and he’s my taste tester for all my desserts.”
“Hey.” Jack pouts. “You said you liked me trying your desserts.” Just because he’s had to start using the treadmill in his office doesn’t mean he’s eating too many sweets. He’s not running around on missions like before.
“I do!” His little pout makes you laugh, delighted that this meal is going so much easier than you expected. “It’s sweet, pun very much intended. And you’ve given me some great ideas.”
“What can I say? I know my sugar, sugar.” Jack smirks when Shelia and Aiden laugh, happy that this is going well. He hadn’t anticipated them not liking her, but it has to be odd to see Jack happy with a woman who is not Abigail.
******
The rest of the lunch goes about the same way, small jokes and stories shared as the four of you graze the taco platter and eventually break out the lemon tiramisu to have a sweet ending to the meal. It's midafternoon by the time you get up from the table, and though the mood shifts it doesn't become uncomfortable. It's easiest to bring both trucks up to the family cemetery on the east side of the property, and you climb into the vehicle that you and Jack are borrowing from the ranch beside Jack with a look on quiet concern on your face. "I was thinking," you turn completely to face him in the cab of the truck. "If you wanted to spend some time alone with them - with Abigail and Timmy, I mean – I can go for a walk so you can have some privacy after Aiden and Sheila leave. I wouldn't mind at all."
“Sugar…” Jack picks up your hand and kisses it. “I appreciate that, but I would like you to be there. If you’d rather not, that’s one thing.” He wanted to share this with you, but not if you didn’t want to.
"I absolutely want to." Originally, of course, it was the entire reason for the trip. "I just wanted you to know that if you want privacy, I totally understand."
“I’ve got nothin’ to hide.” Jack promises. “I might cry, but don’t blame me for that.”
"I would honestly be surprised if you didn't." He might not cry in front of many others, but you certainly have shared your fair share of tears between the two of you.
“It’ll be okay, sugar.” He kisses your hands again and he squeezes it slightly. “Let’s go introduce you to Abby.”
The drive up to the site doesn't take long. Maybe twenty minutes of driving total, and that is filled with quiet music pouring from the truck's speakers as Jack steers down the long ranch trails. When you pull up beside Aiden and Sheia's truck, Jack hustles around to help you out and you give his hand a squeeze before lacing your fingers together. A hundred and fifty years of his ancestors are buried up on this hill, and there are plenty of headstones to prove it.
Jack’s stomach flips and rolls as he holds on to you. His momma and daddy are buried here. Along with every other Daniels. In the newer potion of the cemetery, there’s a large angel rising up from the ground, standing guard over two headstones that are covered in colorful blooms.
The tulips all around the headstone have been planted in every color imaginable, and it's obvious that the other buds of flowers you don't recognize as easily have been very carefully tended to over the years. Aiden's expression is set in pride and sorrow and Sheila swallows a lump in her throat, but you hold on to Jack like a pillar. His need to do this is very different than yours, and you won't let go of him for a second unless he makes the move to let go of your hand first.
Abigail Monique Daniels April 24, 1976 - August 12, 1998 Beloved Daughter, Sister, and Wife A Light from Our Life is Gone
Timothy Charles Daniels Too Precious for This World
The two headstones stand side by side, and the fact that Abigail's can't even credit her as a mother breaks your heart. Tim's stone doesn't even have a birth date listed. It's agonizing in a way you truly didn't expect, and you can feel the tears pushing at your eyes immediately trying to imagine what kind of agony losing your baby before you ever got to hold them would be.
“Hello sweetheart.” Jack’s voice catches and he has to clear his throat. “It been a long time since I’ve been to see you. I’m sorry, I couldn’t do it before now.” In his minds eye, he still sees the raw ground, broken open as they lower the caskets in the ground. No one would dare interrupt Jack in this moment but the wind, a gentle breeze picking up and making the tulips wave in their own little hello. “There’s so much I want to say, that I should have said.” Jack stares at the dates on the stone and his heart aches but it’s not the bleeding agony that he had thought. “I got ‘em baby.” He manages first. “I got the bastard that took you and our little boy away.” Your hand tightens in his slightly, always the silent 'thank you' for keeping you safe. “I know you’ve been watchin’ from up there, shaking your head and chewing me a new one, so I won’t tell you about the last twenty years. But I—” he brings you up closer. “The universe gave me something special, sweetheart. I have another soulmate.”
“I wanted to come and meet you.” Unlike Jack, you kneel down beside the stone, instinctively feeling closer this way. It’s also so you can take the daisy blossom out of your jacket’s lapel that you’ve been saving there since you bought it from a florist at the festival. Jack has shared some wedding pictures with you and you had loved Abigail’s bouquet of daisies. “And to say how sorry I am we didn’t get to meet. Jack seems to think we would’ve made the best of friends,” you tell her softly, laying the daisy in the grass.
Jack’s lip trembles and he bites it to keep from crying already. Listening to your compassion, the flower, it makes him see that you are just too damn good for this place - for him. The universe has messed up, but it was to his benefit.
“I know you’ve been watching us, like Jack said, but just…please know that he’s loved. And taken care of. And that he thinks about you and Timmy every day.” There’s no denying it, and you never would, but as you stand back up with Jacks hand still in yours, you wipe away a few tears with your free hand. Saying goodbye is never easy, but sometimes saying hello can be just as emotional.
“I do think about you two all the time. You’re always in my heart, sweetheart. You and our baby boy.” Jack rasps out. “I’m not ever gunna forget you.”
“He’s going to have a brother or sister in about seven months.” You place a hand on your belly and try to bite back tears. “Not sure which yet, but the next time we come back, they’ll be with us.”
“I’ll protect them this time, Timmy.” Jack promise, his choked sob muffled by his hand. “I p-promise.”
Your arms come around Jack quickly and without hesitation, letting him bury his face in your shoulder to cry as much as he needs. There’s no reason to be ashamed of this moment of emotion, or to leave or anything like that, but you want him to feel safe and supported.
Jack knows that Shelia and Aiden are there, witness to this, although he feels no shame. They have seen him at his lowest, prevented him from destroying the place after coming home that first night. Stayed with him so he didn’t do anything stupid. They know how he has grieved Abigail. So he feels no shame in sobbing into your shoulder in front of them, letting the anger, sorrow and rage flow out of him cathartically.
“We are safe,” you remind him quietly, knowing that while there is nothing in the world that can bring back his first family, his second is going to love them with everything you’ve got. “We’re safe and no one’s ever going to hurt us again, because you saved us.”
“I know, sugar.” Jack clings to that fact and to you as the tears start to ebb. “I know. I know.”
Nothing will change what happened before, all of you know that. But even Aiden’s shoulders slump a little knowing Hank Rollins won’t be hurting anyone else ever again. “You’d like her, Abby,” he murmurs to his sister when he steps forward to lay his hand on the top of her headstone in an old, accustomed gesture. “I’m sure you’ve been watchin’ and shaking your head at Jack like always. But I promise I won’t lose track of them this time.”
That vote of confidence means the world to Jack. He knows you have been worried about what Abigail’s family would think, if they would accept this. He pulls away from your shoulder and kisses your forehead softly. “Thank you, sugar.”
“I love you.” Small words, just on a whisper, but right now they mean more than anything. Your arms around Jack are tight and sure and you know in your heart that this trip needs to happen more often from here on out. Coming home has been good for him. Not running from his past has lifted something almost visible from his shoulders.
“I love you too, sugar.” Jack stands in front of the graves of his first soulmate, his love, and the sweet baby boy he never got to meet. For the first time since that horrible day years ago, his soul is completely peaceful and at rest. His heart open to the future and what is to come with you, the other third of his soul. “What a journey.” Jack murmurs quietly, turning you in his arms and tipping your chin up slightly. “Thank you.” He whispers. “Thank you for going down the rabbit hole with me.”
“Any time, my love.” The shared ink on your skin, the twists and turns in the beginning, the ups and downs and in-betweens; all of it has brought you here to his arms. And from now on, that’s the only place you ever want to be. “Any time.”
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pleasereadmeok · 3 months
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A Goode year ... 2023
Time for my usual review of Matthew Goode's year. Every year I sit down to write these thinking - hmm - we didn’t see enough of Matthew Goode this year.  [NEVER enough]  But then each year I’m surprised by how busy he is. But this year we had several months of Goodey being MIA. How did we cope?
January -
You can tell I'm searching for 'news' when the biggest thing that happened in January was the release of a 13 year old interview with Matthew on the Ellen Show! Well it got us excited coz most of the old YouTubes of it had disappeared.
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[📷 screenshot by @matthewgiggles - she did 1061 of these babies 👏] Oh and Matthew was robbed in the Critics Choice Awards for his performance in 'The Offer' . ROBBED!!! Oh well - at least he was nominated.
February -
Not a Goode month - I seriously couldn't find any Goode news in the archive.
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March -
In March we got excited about Matthew playing either A RABBIT or a hedgehog (coz we will take ANYTHING during this drought) in a new animation 'Tally Ho' also known as 'Spiked'.
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📷 @goodecollective Hoping Matthew plays Walter the rabbit coz that's a bigger part - but I guess he could be the older brother.
April -
We got our first look at Matthew filming 'Freud's Last Session' -
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[📷 Mark Doyle/Splash News]
... and the first 'official' promo pics from Sony Pictures Classics -
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... And, bizarrely, the Whitehead Railway Museum (a location for FLS) spilled the beans that we'd see this in December.
May -
We were starved of Goode news -
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June -
I mean WTF happened in June?
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By July -
We were starting to worry....
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August -
Luckily some more FLS casting news started trickling out and we were READY.
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Oh and some of Matthew's costumes for ADOW were up for auction - so hopefully some lucky fans are sniffing those as I write this -
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In September -
We started getting little bit of buzz about Matthew being a contender for Best Supporting Actor Oscars. 😯
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And then towards the end of the month - this happened -
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Matthew and ex F1 World champ Jenson Button doing lots of outdoorsy stuff to promote Hackett London's Autumn Winter collection -
Hallelujah - proof of life at last!
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As well as the vid we were treated to loads of gorgeous promo pics by Charlie Gray. 😍
October -
Started off about the devil game golf. Matthew played at the Dunhill Links golf tournament -
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📷 Dunhill Links and 'Gaz the Caddie'
So great that @asgoodeasgold was there so we got some gorgeous pics. Check them out here -https://www.tumblr.com/asgoodeasgold/730860856364122112/im-so-glad-you-enjoyed-goodeywatch-thank-you?source=share
Then, at last, we got a sneaky look at 'Freud's Last Session' -
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... and guess what? Matthew was SO goode.
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The movie premiered at AFI Fest but sadly, due to the strike, we missed out on seeing Matthew there. The review started appearing and guess what - our guy did good. More than holding his own working with Sir Anthony Hopkins so who could ask for more?
November
The superlatives about Matthew's performance as C.S. Lewis kept on coming. AND Matthew was spotted in Seville with his mate Jenson again for yet another Hackett campaign...
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📷 all from @RenegadeJFG Twitter.
December
OMG there has been so much Goode action I don't know where to start. Matthew packed with so many interviews, zooms and articles to promote 'Freud's Last Session'. Exhausting for Matthew and a bit overwhelming for fans - but I'm not complaining. Here's just few appearances -
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Matthew's interviews gave us some fascinating insights to the type of human he really is and what he believes - as well as the usual fun, laughter and the constant 'non-verbal leakage' that he is SO aware of.
AND a few hints that he is in talks to reprise BOB!
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We got the official trailer in December and 'Freud's Last Session' had a limited release in the US (L.A. and New York).
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Matthew has continued to receive great reviews for his work in FLS and let's hope that directors and award voters sit up and take notice!
So what will the next year bring? Well - it's looking goode.
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l3rking · 7 months
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We got a HUGE Dev Insight post today full of the nerdy detail I love reading about. I'm gonna try and point out the big stuff and summarize the longer wordy bits.
WEAPON BALANCING
This first part is just going over weapon Usage Rate/Kill Rate pre and post mid season balance patch across both high skill and all-skill lobbies. TLDR is Immortal was top pick in high skill lobbies despite not performing higher than intended. Top performers were Hand Cannons and Pulse Rifles (Bungie once again proving airmchair dev pvpers wrong). Post patch Hand Cannons and Immortal stayed the same and Pulses went down a bit.
Interestingly, across all skill lobbies, Auto Rifles were some of the highest performers. Both in Usage and Kills. Hand Cannons, however, were still the most picked. Peak shooting and playing cover are ubiquitous to higher skill tiers, preventing autos from becoming too effective in those particular lobbies. Thus, the Hand Cannons come out. Really neat stuff. Check out the graphs on the OP.
SEASON 22 WEAPON BALANCING (the one about the Range rework)
Double Special will no loner drop more Heavy than intended
Although I will say, unless they addressed how much special you can get off Heavy kills, I don't see this changing the effectiveness of double special too much. We'll have to wait and see.
Range. Range and Zoom are being decoupled. Mid Range options are being brought closer together and down in regards to effective range and damage falloff. At 100 Range stat: Hand Cannons, Autos, and Sidearms are going up. Pulse Rifles and SMGs are going down. Bows and Scouts will remain the same. Several exotics received hand tuned adjustments (i.e. Ace of Spades (when Memento Mori is active) damage falloff range penalty has been increased to 15%, more on the OP).
Weapon Archetype Adjustments
Hand Cannons. On top of the range buff they will receive:
General
Increased reload speed at 0 stat by 15%.
PvE Damage
Increased damage against minor combatants (red bars) by 20%.
Increased damage against major combatants (orange bars) by 75%.
Heavy Burst
Changed Warden's Law to be the first member of a new sub-family, Heavy Burst
Fires a 2-round burst.
Bows are having their projectile adjusted to be more reliable.
SMGs. 750s have been 720s this whole time (visual UI bug) and will show the appropriate RPM now.
Sidearms. Aggressives are receiving a bodyshot damage nerf. 32 to 30.
Pulse Rifles. BXR is back to 20 zoom
Shotguns. Please use The Comedian (UI bug fixed).
Fusions. Fixed a bug with crafted fusions, charge times, and damage
Heavy Wave Frames. Made it harder to kill yourself with.
Swords. This is an enormous rework. The TL;DR is Sword Guard is about to be way more effective. No longer drains energy while guarding. provides 82.5% to 95% damage resist (whoa). Has duration increased across the board and increased movement speed while guarding. Huge.
Exotics:
You can now use the bayonet on the Monte Carlo (new catalyst)
Verglas Curve works with Fissures now.
DMT and Quicksilver got bug fixes.
Two-Tailed Fox + catalyst now fires a 3 rounds of rockets instead of 2 (with an extra rocket in the 2nd)
Le Monarque. Hoo boy. Is being converted to a Lightweight bow. Damage is going down. Rate of Fire is going up. Damage over Time effect duration down from 3 to 1.75 seconds. Same DoT damage as before (more per tick, 6 ticks). Poison damage INCREASED 50% in PvE. Net buff for PvE. Obvious nerf for PvP.
Vex Mythoclast's RPM is being reduces to 360. Increased damage against minor combatants (red bars) and major combatants (orange bars) by 25%
Tommy's Matchbook scorch stacks adjusted but overall the same (w/Ashes)
Touch of Malice got some big changes. The Blight will now stun Unstoppable Champs and deals Arc damage. The Final Round will no longer kill the player and instead hold you at 1HP and deals 20% more damage in PvE. Self damage reduced from 10 to 7. Health on multikills up from 30 to 75 and now functions like Unrelenting. Excellent excellent buffs. The Scout Rifle Enthusiast Club will be ecstatic.
Cloud Strike will be less effective vs players. Lightning strike kill distance reduced.
Wicked Implement also getting some buffs. The timing window for Creeping Attrition has been increased from 3.5 seconds to 4.5 seconds. You can now also active Tithing Harvest by destroying Stasis crystals. The catalyst now gets Headstone (yay). I'm personally very excited about this.
Perk Changes
Bipod is getting it's nerf to damage reduced.
Envious Assassin's weird timer has been removed. Much easier to activate now.
Over-Under now does bonus damage to Woven Mail, combatant shields, and the overshields provided from Dark Cabal and Lucent Moths. Still not a good perk.
Under Pressure. Too good on Fusions. 25% nerf to accuracy scalar.
Shoot-To-Loot works with explosive rounds now.
Bug fixes to Valiant Charge, Ambush, and Explosive Light.
Chill Clip will now take 3 shots to freeze. Slow stacks reduced from 60 to 40. Big nerf. RIPtide amirite?
CRAFTING ECONOMY CHANGES
They're essentially buffing how much weapon XP you get across the whole game. Neomuna red borders will be easier to farm.
And that's about it as far as what you need to know. Some very very nice changes in there. Very excited about seeing two Exotic Scouts getting substantial buffs. Range rework seems like a net positive change. I suspect Scouts may be more useful now that their ranges just got a lot more rigid. I hope the Hand Cannon buff feels substantial. I've been itching to use them in PvE again for a long time. The insight on PvP usage was very interesting to see. I love this kind of stuff but it can seem a little dense in places. Hope this helps!
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Well turns out our rupture with E was because I have DID and wasn’t retaining my memories of our sessions. Rip. We’d been trying to ask her about her experience with TBMC and we wanted to make sure we were on the same page and that she understood what we were talking about when we described one of the levels impacted by that. We wanted to feel confident that she was able to help us. But we kept getting our memories stolen and kept leaving our sessions with zero clarity without understanding why.
E kept assuring us we were on the same page but we felt like she wasn’t giving us a straight answer or telling us what was even on her page. We were so confused and disoriented. We had a session last week where the main thing I remember is getting ready to leave and abruptly telling her that I just still don’t feel like I got the clarity I needed about where she’s at with this stuff. Like are you familiar with this stuff or not?? I felt like I still didn’t know.
Apparently she felt like we were just asking the same things over and over which she wasn’t fazed by because she assumed it was just different parts who hadn’t heard the previous convo. But we had NO idea what was happening and felt like she was being cagey and was intentionally withholding info from us and didn’t want to be direct about what she knew. Which, she wasn’t wanting to be super direct because she wanted to go at our pace and not flood us. But since we didn’t know what was going on we were just losing our minds like, why won’t she give us a straight answer??? When she was over there thinking she was being reassuring and confirming that she understood us.
It culminated in someone lashing out at her, accusing her of treating us like we’re fragile and like we shouldn’t have access to information about our own experiences even though we’ve been working through this shit for three years. He accused her of not knowing what she was talking about and not prepping for our session about this even though we had sent her our questions in advance. He said a number of other things too. It was. Intense.
E, being the champ she is, took it all in stride but admitted she didn’t really know exactly what was going on, but she said she suspected maybe this was a sign of us getting “too close.” We were able to see her today instead of having to wait until Thursday, and we had more insight to share about the huge clash of forces between the parts who wanted to confirm her expertise in this area and parts who don’t want us talking about it, who want to make us distrusting of E, and who don’t want us to feel like we’re on the same page as her. I don’t even have direct confirmation of the second group’s efforts; it’s more like an educated hunch that explains all this mess. It seems to make the most sense.
But man it’s been crazy up in here. I’m so tired. I’m so worn out. I hate feeling so insane and confused and disoriented. I’m so glad we were able to sort things out with her but of course now the other group is frustrated that their efforts weren’t sufficient to drive us away from each other. Just want some peace please.
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spotsupstuff · 10 months
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heyo! I'm not sure if this is the best place to ask but what route do you find the most optimal for the hunter campaign? I've seen you have completed it a while ago and figured i could ask for some insight
hm! well, i don't really know about Optimal world-wide, but personally i've taken the general Sky Islands route. lemme map my way for you
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def open this in new tab n zoom in, sweet stars thats a big file
either way, this should take off like 13 cycles from your run in total at max, so all's fine. my mindset for it was to not linger anywhere and not start any fights that i wasn't entirely sure i could win and be kind to scavs like giving them a spear if you have two. or if a pearl is nearby take it and give it to them. don't forget to eat one of Pebs' neurons, else that trip thru Shaded is going to be a pain in the ass
at the point i went on Hunter i spent a lot of time in Sky Islands and Shaded as Arti so i knew how to navigate that. sacrificing a cycle in Sky Islands allows u to die like... twice before you will be unable to get Spades on the way to wall. i suppose if that happens n u don't wanna reset u can pick the ghost squid up when u'll be coming out of the Pebs visit. any death in Sub doesn't matter so you don't gotta be frustrated about that
i now DONT REMEMBER if you need five or four echoes(/Pebs) to get max karma so if what i wrote doesn't get u there u go n get that Shaded Citadel echo, champ, i believe in u 👍
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allieebobo · 8 months
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My hot take of the week:
Barbie + oppenheimer: meh x 2
The true dual pillar of entertainment glory happening right now: womens world cup + sport climbing world champs.
Imo, Barbie was entry-level feminism (sorry, you're welcome to change my mind), but Bern 2023 has been one hell of a celebration of women being absolute CRUSHERS while also being so wholesome and amazing and supportive of each other.
Five billion spoilers for the event below and also a very unwarranted climbing geek-out sesh, under the cut.
Janja Garnbret being the absolute GOAT all through bouldering semis and finals (also her absolute monstrosity of turning on beast mode in the last couple of seconds to clinch a buzzer beater top in lead)
Ai Mori's absolute MASTERCLASS in the lead semis and finals, her composure and NERVES good god, to have to climb last knowing Janja's probably already topped the route
Brooke and Ori's stunning inventiveness and SWAG in the bouldering segment
Seo Chaehyun beating her recent streak of bad luck to get on the podium
Up and coming stars like Zelia and Molly and Elnaz
LEGENDARY mothers like Jain Kim (and shout out to Brooke's mom in the audience too)
Miho's had a tough time of it but can I just say she continues to give clutch performances when she needs it (what a stunning climb she pulled off in the lead semis)
Shauna being a GEM in the commentator's box, rattling off these super insightful/wholesome comments like it's NOTHING...
Everyone hugging and being so happy for each other when everything's said and done. Like omg Brooke and Janja's double hug after bouldering finals nearly made me tear up, and Seo/Ai's little smiles at each other while waiting to receive their medals even though they both so rarely smile...
I just feel SO well-fed. These women are the absolute bomb (ha) and I have slept at 3am on 2 consecutive days but god am I hyped for combined boulder + lead next.
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g1ga-byte · 11 months
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Werewolf AU - Chapter 2 Reference Sheets and Bio
I have finally got around to draw a simple reference sheet for all 5 members of the wolf pack (MORE TO COME BTW!) and include some brief informatio for each one. This is for the Paldean E4 + Champ werewolf AU, hence the chapter 2 in the title (Chapter 1 is the SUBMAS/TRAINWRECKSHIPPING story). A special thanks to @monterraverde for their insight on the AU and the RPs we had Discord which helped flesh out this world! Here are the members!
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Name: Larry
True name: UNKNOWN
Species: Common Feathered Wolf
Info: Larry was born and raised in the “facility”, bred to be a labor worker. Of all the labor wolves, he was the smallest, in terms of body build and strength; easily getting overwhelmed by both his fellow slaves and the inmates he had to wrangle but does have knowledge of most wolf breeds that was held in his home. After the facility’s shutdown, all werewolves, both inmates and laborers, were released out into the wilds, however for Larry, since the facility was the only home knows he eventually found his way back to the abandoned compound, where he lived the rest of his days as a feeble, meek hermit; Until he was found by Rika. Now, he lives with Geeta and her tiny pack as a “wolf in-training “, trying to relearn his wolf instincts and learn to live like a real on. Larry is serious and blunt, but is a bit of a gentle soul, not looking to get involve with any conflict.
About the breed: The common Feathered Werewolves are usually seen working with human, whether by choice or enslaved; mostly the former. Feathered wolves have long, feather-like hair throughout their body, especially in beast form; thought to be used to court potential mates. The most and flowy, the better!
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Name: Rika
True name: Chiri
Species: Green Mountain Wolf
Info: The most aggressive and feral of the small pack, acting as the main huntress thanks to her love of combat. Orphaned as a young pup after her parents were hunted down, Rika wandered the lands to find a way to survive, until she met another lonely pup – Geeta. Both pups were always together, looking out for each other and honed their hunting skills; Geeta being the Alpha and Rika being her second-in-command. By adulthood, they were captured by humans after they attacked a hunting settlement and sent to the “facility”, where they were tortured with experiments, with her being the most difficult to handle, causing several researchers injuries. One fateful night, Rika was able to breakout and get both her and Geeta out of the facility. Despite her deminer, Rika has a strong sense of family, especially those who are welcomed into her packed, even going as far as being Poppy’s older sister. Energetic and curious, Rika is always up for an adventure. About the breed: Green Mountain Werewolves are born with the skill to climb steep hills and cliff sides. This breed is one of the most aggressive kind of werewolves despite their slim body structure. Their fur is thicker than most mountain dwelling wolves.
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Name: Hassel
True name: Hassaku
Species: Golden Plaines Werewolf
Info: Unlike most wolf packs, which are small and lead by 1 Alpha, Hassel hale from a wolf tribe, rich with culture and knowledge; best known for their cave paintings. Before meeting this pack, He lived with his fated mate name Colza (who is male but has mated with females and even father a pup at one point) and was a teacher to younger pack members. Tragically, his tribe was attacked by a rival group in a territorial dispute, resulting in the death of Colza and his family; falling into a deep depression and isolated himself from everyone. Hassel swore to he would never art again, but it was a passion both he and Colza shared, so in secret, he has left small cave paintings within his old territory. His isolation only lasted a few years until he found Geeta and Rika wandering into his turf, and at first was aggressive and tried to chase them away, but once he saw them in dire need for help, Hassel took them in and after some time, Geeta convinced Hassel to join their pack, even view the female as his Alpha. Currently, he is the “muscle” of the pack, protecting his little group with brute strength, but he continues his role as a mentor to the other wolves, not wanting knowledge and art to fade from existence. Hassel is seen as a gentle giant but is prone to running his mouth when he’s in “teacher mode.” About the breed: Golden Plaines wolves have the longest lifespan of all werewolves. Unlike most other species, GPW are more active during the daytime. It is currently unknown if this breed form packs big enough to form tribes…
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Name: UNKNOWN (Will have one when she becomes of age)
True name: Poppy
Species: Timber Werewolf/Midnight mane hybrid
Info: The youngest of the pack, Poppy is the daughter of Geeta. Her conception was a result from the breeding program during Geeta’s imprisonment in the facility. Poppy was raised by both her mother and Rika, seeing the latter as a big sister and sharing the same energetic personality. She is sweet and caring with those she’s close with, but like “big sister”, she has a little competitive side, wanting to one day be as strong and brave like her mother and Rika. Her biggest accomplishment was a day her pack fought off a small group of hunters and as spoils of war, kept a big hunting knife, hoping to be the best knife wielder of all wolf kind. Little is known about the pup, due to her young age, but loves her weird little pack to bits. About the breed: Timber Werewolves are another common breed seen around the region, and mostly live in heavily wooded areas. Like Green Mountain Werewolves, Timber Werewolves have climbing skills, but for them, it is climbing trees to chase fleeing prey or to gather fruits. For this werewolf, she is a cross breed with the extremely rare Midnight Man Werewolf, which do share similar body structure and some DNA.
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Name: Geeta
True name: Omodaka
Species: Midnight Mane Werewolf
Info: Geeta is the leader and Alpha of the pack and mother of Poppy. As a young pup, Geeta was separated from her tribe during a fierce blizzard, which resulted in her being all alone to fend for herself. She eventually meets Rika and together survived the winter, by sharing her pelt to keep the other warm. The 2 formed a strong bond, having great synergy when they are out hunting, but Geeta took the role as the leader, the Alpha, when Rika becomes too aggressive and feral. While a prisoner of the facility, researchers took interest in growing the Midnight Mane wolf’s population due to their scarcity; endangered. However, Geeta stood her ground and became uncooperative, forcing the researchers to do artificial insemination, using sample from a male Timber Werewolf. After her escape and the eventual birth of her daughter, Poppy, Geeta has become firmer and harden, and yet still has a gentle side to herself, being caring of her pup and other pack members, even worrying about Larry when he was welcomed into the pack. Despite her soft deminer, she is a powerful wolf, with an equally strong beast form with pitch-black fur and mane and great speed, but if humans intrude into her territory, she will put the safety of the pack before anything and swiftly move away from any conflict.
About the breed: Midnight Mane Werewolves are considered endangered, due to overhunting for their beastly fur. In the dead of night, if you see a bunch of golden colored specks running through the dark forest, then you are within attacking range of this speed beast. With the thick locks, it is common for mother wolves to allow their pups or even other pack members to sleep on or within the mane to keep warm.
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chroniclesofamber · 8 months
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Zelazny's 'Shadows', NyCon 3, The Statler Hilton, September, 1967
"Literature, of necessity, contains shadows"
[O]ne of his most crucial self-critiques was [Zelazny's] decision that he was “overexplaining” to the reader and should instead “avoid the unnecessarily explicit” and not “go on talking once a thing had been shown.” In a speech given at a 1967 science fiction convention he elaborated on this insight, declaring, “Literature, of necessity, contains shadows … A writer never writes an entire story … You live part of it yourself.” He went on to identify these shadows, gaps that the reader fills in, with the fabled “sense of wonder” that, to science fiction readers, defines the texts they love:
“Writing involves your taking everything in through those little cryptic bugs that crawl across the page and construct things around them. This is where that strange thing called ‘sense of wonder’ comes into play … It sort of enfolds this shadow area. Into those shadows you project those things you are looking for.”
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Krulik considers this determination to avoid overelaboration “a central philosophy” of Zelazny’s writing. But what Zelazny posits in his speech, and what remains foregrounded even in a linear, plot-heavy work such as The Chronicles of Amber, is that readers experience the magic of shadow, and thus the sense of wonder, through language. Readers can imagine the streets, the plumbing, the business models of Amber as they see fit; the “emotional archetype” of the fantasy novel derives from Corwin’s story and how he tells it — both the worlds themselves and the ellipses that lie between.
Just as the reader experiences Amber through Corwin’s voice, the fate of Amber lies in Corwin’s hands, even after he decides he doesn’t want to be in charge any more. The outcome of the first half of The Chronicles of Amber comes down to learning who among the scheming, self-involved members of the royal family can master the Pattern — can, that is, control and focus their actions to execute a careful plan in order to achieve a goal.
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"...the Pattern I drew to the sound of pigeons on the Champs-Elysées..."
By walking the Pattern, Corwin regains his memory and Dara assumes her true form; by failing to master the Pattern, Brand is defeated; by failing to repair the Pattern, the patriarch Oberon is doomed. And when Corwin gains access to the Courts of Chaos, enabling his ultimate victory, he does so not through the old, broken Pattern but by making a new one, a process that calls forth memories of a happy interlude in his past — on Earth in 1905 Paris — even as it demands an excruciating precision:
“I did not meet with the physical resistance that I did on the Pattern … a peculiar deliberation had come over all my movements, slowing them, ritualizing them. I seemed to expend more energy in preparing for each step — perceiving it, realizing it and ordering my mind for its execution — than I did in the physical performance of the act. Yet the slowness seemed to require itself, was exacted of me by some unknown agency which determined precision and an adagio tempo for all my movements.” (542)
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Could there be a better description of the act of writing? If Zelazny began The Chronicles of Amber struggling to find his preferred artistic path, he ended the series’ first half with a reminder of the difficult requirements of both creative process and practical accommodation, and, arguably, a more mature vision of both. For Corwin, if Amber is not what you thought it was, it is well worth preserving. If the Pattern you thought was your legacy no longer works, the only thing to do — the only way to defeat the forces of Chaos — is to draw a new Pattern of your own.
— Cox, F. Brett, “A Series of Different Endeavors 1972-1979”, Roger Zelazny: Modern Masters of Science Fiction, 99-101, Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2021
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shakibone · 2 months
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okay so writing all that made me realize some of my musical tastes are really weird lol. would you have any recs?
Weird? I guess, but they slap
Bill Wurtz is always fantastic, and Snail House is so vibes~!
Never heard of Heaven Pierce Her before but dagnabbit this slaps. Order is on my Starred playlist now. War Without Reason also slaps, shocking no one.
Ooooh, Tooboe is an interesting introduction to me. I'm jamming to this alright, it's good stuff! Not sure what this genre's called, but I like it a lot.
NOW TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION!
My music tastes are a wild mix. People used to ask me what music I like and I'd just be like "...all? Depends on my mood I guess...?" Se here in no particular order are some faves or recs:
Louie Zong is a big fave of mine. He covers many genres, but my favourites are "I Sing Your Song" feat. Hatsune Miku, and his Mario disco-funk remix album "Let's-a Go!", his soundtrack to a videogame that doesn't exist "Levels", and most favouritest his album "Cozy" which will put me to restful sleep when the anxieties are biting my brain.
Following on from there, I enjoy Hatsune Miku a bunch! My favourite musicians to work with her are Wowaka (who among other songs did "Rollin' Girl", a mood piece about the pressures felt by creatives), and Mitchie M (whose songs include "News-39" a cheerful bop about propaganda, "Ohedo Julia-Night" a pop-disco ballad to the prosperous Ohedo era in Japanese history, "Cutie Angels" an homage to pro wrestling).
Speaking of pro-wrestling! The Mountain Goats album "Beat the Champ" hits hard for me, particularly "The Legend of Chavo Guerrero", which is both a tribute to legendary luchador Chavo Guerrero and insight into singer/songwriter John Darnielle's childhood and his relationship with his abusive stepfather. The Mountain Goats also made the song to get me through 2020! That being "This Year", a ballad of defiance in the face of a cruel world.
What else...
Carly Rae Jepsen! Her album Emotion has a bunch of bangers, but my favourites are "Boy Problems" about a friend who realises she's a bad friend for always venting to her friend about her boy problems without ever listening to said friend, or her album Dedicated which has my favourite of hers "Want You In My Room" which is a blatantly horny and cheerful song.
I have
more. But I'll stop here for now.
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revanchistsuperstar · 3 months
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If y’all want a bit of insight into the psyche of my friend group, just know we have a group chat called “Scrooge- Fuckers, Inc.” that was originally formed with the express purpose of tier ranking the actors who have played Ebenezer Scrooge in various media in terms of fuckability.
Michael Caine remains the all time champ.
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animeomegas · 2 years
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Can you trust this BNHA boy to give your child the birds and the bees talk?
Midoriya: His hands are shaking, the pup’s hands are shaking, there’s enough blushing that neither can stand because all the blood is in their heads. But he gets through it. Probably made flash cards. Neither can read them because they’re both about to pass out. He gives the pup the flash cards to read alone later. Asks ‘do you have any questions?’ like he’s being held at gunpoint. It gets done though. 
Rating: Turn off your heating because the blushing will heat the house for you/10
...
Denki: Actively volunteers to do it. The pup is rolling their eyes bc they know what’s coming. Gets a little too into the social parts of the talk and not enough into the biological parts. Stresses that he made loads of bad decisions on this topic when he was their age, so they shouldn’t be ashamed to come to him for help. Asks ‘have you got any questions?’ like it’s a challenge. 
Rating: Doesn’t know what a fallopian tube is, but surprisingly insightful on some deep topics/10
...
Aizawa: Will only agree to do it if it’s time sensitive and you’re not there, or if the pup specifically requests him for some unknown reason. Better with younger pups who just need a biology lesson. Worse with the older ones. If the pup only takes one thing away from the conversation it’ll be ‘contraception, protection, contraception, protection’ because he says it like 25 times. Directs ‘have you got any questions?’ towards the other parent. 
Rating: No personal anecdotes/stories under any circumstance/10
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Iida: Buys a textbook a month in advance and reads the whole thing first. Makes a lesson plan. Does not occur to him that a teenage pup might be putting the information into use fairly soon. Has a ‘when you’re at least 26 and married’ vibe, but only because that’s how he viewed sex and is baffled to find other people disagree. Waaayyy better with younger pups, but waits too long for that to be a useful skill. Asks ‘have you got any questions?’ and is baffled by the questions that follow.
Rating: ‘Yes dad, I’m definitely a virgin 🙄’/10
... 
Kirishima: Buys snacks for the talk for some reason. Injects a whole load of talk about consent and respect for others and oneself. Is surprisingly good at figuring out the pup’s existing knowledge and not patronising them. Probably the best at it from the people so far. Asks ‘have you got any questions?’ with enough sincerity to encourage the pup to actually ask their questions. 
Rating: ‘Hey champ, I was your age once, I understand what you’re feeling, let’s hug it out’/10
...
Tamaki: Why are you doing this to him? What if the pup asks about his sex life? Or about something weird they’ve seen on he internet? What if he doesn’t know how to answer??? Walks to the living room to have the talk like he’s walking to his death. Wants to be there for his pup, but would really rather you sat there with him and led the talk. Asks ‘have you got any questions?’ without breathing.
Rating: Crying, screaming, throwing up/10
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Dabi: Too much detail, too little detail, never finds the balance. Keeps going to share personal anecdotes before realising how inappropriate they are and aborting half way. Focuses on how to beat the shit out of someone who won’t take no for an answer. Is surprised by how stressed he feels afterwards and has to take some time for himself. Asks ‘have you got any questions?’ very blasé like, but has some triggers that he won’t deal with and will send them to the other parent.  
Rating: ‘Aiming for the crotch is temping because of the setting, but aiming for the throat does more damage, so do that’/10
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All Might: Feels confident going in, has all that confidence stripped away the second his pup uses one (1) slang term he doesn't understand. The kind of talk that ends up being more informative for him than the pup. He ages 20 years and dies instantly if any of the following topics are broached: kinks, already being sexually active, any sex acts other than penetrative missionary for baby making, etc. Doesn’t ask ‘have you got any questions?’ because he has more questions than the pup could ever possibly have. 
Rating: Kids these days (baffled)/10
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