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#sitting here watching season 1 clips
evilyurifan · 5 months
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how do i start setting firm boundaries with this kid in my club who keeps making unfunny jokes and taking over the whole meeting and pissing me the fuck off without like dragging down the vibes of the entire thing. because i did not manage it tonight, i got genuinely hostile and killed the vibes👍
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bluberryfields · 7 months
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This is what happens when you're raised by TV and trained in literary analysis
Beyond the crushing heartbreak of that finale, one thing in particular has stuck with me when I look at it in the context of S2 as a whole.
He lays out their relationship, "We're a team, a group. A group of the two of us. And we've spent our existence pretending that we aren't."
He then turns his head away and says, "I mean, the last few years, not really."
He pauses here, facing the interior of the bookshop. Really looks it up and down.
Turns back, "And I would like to spend" before choking on his words and looks toward the window. He can't finish saying something like "And I would like to spend eternity with you" because that's too much, too fast, for both of them.
But it's that "last few years" bit that has firmly lodged itself in my very broken brain.
According to Gaiman, it's been "a few years" since the end of Season 1. Armageddon has been averted. Heaven and Hell have reluctantly retreated. Crowley and Aziraphale have been effectively cut loose from their "sides," leaving them to form their own side.
So at the start of Season 2, we get a glimpse of the “fragile existence” they have carved out for themselves. To me, the biggest difference that we see is how they exist together in front of others. Going to the coffee shop, the pub, and the other shops along the street that Aziraphale has lived on for over 200 years. And don’t forget how they act in front of Nina, Maggie, and sweet, dim Muriel.
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At the coffee shop, Aziraphale stammers a bit when Nina asks who Crowley is, but he still seems to have affection in his voice when he says, "We go back a long time."
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Compared to Shakespearian "He's not my friend! We've never met before. We don't know each other!" panic, this is an incredible difference.
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Of course, each time, Crowley is cool and cheeky and does nothing to indicate that they aren't a pair. Though, of course, he does deny it when Nina asks about Aziraphale being his side piece. “He’s not my bit on the side! He’s far too pure of heart to be anyone’s bit on the side.” And refers to him as an “Angel [swallows]I know.”
When they go the pub, Crowley's joy at doing something together in public that they do not normally do is super cute, including his cheeky order for Aziraphale's sherry. Then, when bringing the drinks over to the socially trapped Aziraphale, he greets Mr. Brown with a truly adorable, "Hello" and a signature DT smile. Then upon hearing how “excited” Mr. Fell is to host the meeting, he looks down and says, “Oh? You astonish me.” while Aziraphale sips his sherry and squirms.
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We also watch as Crowley follows Aziraphale as he goes to each shop and talks to the owners about the meeting/secret ball. In theory, Crowley has no reason to tag along, and he certainly doesn’t help sway anyone who doesn’t want to/can’t go. He goofs around at the magic shop. He splays out on the bench, chin on hand, looking for all the world a husband waiting for his wife to pick out a dress at the department store. They are so married it’s ridiculous.
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Finally, their behavior in front of Muriel while inside their sanctuary. Crowley sits on the arm of Aziraphale’s chair, somehow looking supremely comfortable on the old-fashioned furniture. He folds up those gloriously long limbs and presses himself as close as possible.
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He smiles and plays along with Aziraphale’s coaching of Muriel in her disguise. Calls him Angel and asks to speak in private. And at the end, during the awful wait while Aziraphale talks with The Metatron, Crowley cleans up the shop and tells Muriel that he and Aziraphale will need some “us” time after all this. No beating around the bush. 
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Without oversight, they can be openly together and happy. But Heaven just can’t let that happen. 
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showtoonzfan · 7 months
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Now that the episode is out officially, here’s my rant review of Oops!
PROS:
- Fizz and Ozzie were adorable and I honestly love them. Despite the sex jokes, you can tell they love each other for who they are OUTSIDE of sex. While I did wish we would have seen more, (like how Ozzie took him in and fell in love) they’re still adorable to watch. They’re the better version of Stolitz, can the show be about them instead?
- Brandon’s voice acting holy shit, he really knows how to sound like he’s in tears or is broken. As much as I hate the character and feel no sympathy, he displayed genuine and broken emotion very well.
- Alex Brightman Alex Brightman
Okay that’s it. Moving on to the Cons. Bear with me, it’s a lot and I go back and forth a bit. 😭
CONS:
So for a quick short summary, this episode:
- Once again puts more focus on the filler plot rather than actually focusing on the relationships between the characters, so all we're left with is a 10 second clip of Fizz being burned while the rest of the episode is surrounded on sex jokes/petty bickering and Stolas and Ozzie sitting around.
- Completely erases what made Blitz and Fizz's dynamic interesting in the first place because it retcons it with a dumb miscommunication trope about how Fizz actually wanted to see Blitz and Blitz tried reaching out to him. Not only does this feel like a cheap attempt to make Blitz out to be sweet/sympathetic and NOT the one in the wrong so Fizz can suck up to him, but this also makes no sense within the narrative.
- Has Fizz forgive Blitz despite him being the last person anyone would think would forgive him. (So honestly ruins Fizz himself because it turned him into a soft boy who's forgiving compared to the asshole he was in Ozzie's) All because Viv would sell her whole soul before she even remotely considers painting characters like Blitz and Stolas out to be the one's in the wrong.
- Takes Stolas out of the hospital completely, erasing all the drama/tension Western Energy had and proves that that episode was utterly pointless.
- Turns Striker from an interesting complex villain to a Saturday morning cartoon goon.
- Proves to us that Crimson is just a flat tool and gives us more prove that the world building rules Viv set up in season 1 legit don't matter.
-Ruins Blitz/Barbie's feud now because now you're making Barbie look like the one in the wrong since the fire was an accident. God forbid a female characters emotions in this show are justified.
But if you want my more in depth rants, it’s under the cut! (There’s a lot so bear with me lol)
- As usual WAAY too many sex jokes and swearing. It gets annoying and repetitive at times and some of them distract from the main plot. There’s a long and I mean LONNG dragged out joke of Fizz talking about Ozzie’s dick, then later saying he’s hard when Striker has a gun to his head, as well as Blitz making a joke about him and Fizz making out once they hug. Again, Viv can’t be serious for 2 seconds without an unfunny shitty gag. I genuinely wonder if Hazbin is ganna be like this, where a character is in a life threatening situation or a deep dark serious scene happens only for the next scene to be sex related.
- This is one of those “shit happens because the plot demands it” and it shows. Crimson and Striker COINCIDENTLY meet up with each other, and Fizz and Blitz just so HAPPEN to be in the same exact area they are. Viv wonders why we call her shit a fanfic and this is what we mean, when she creates wild wacky plots and focuses more on THAT rather than the actual character writing. This entire episode hinges on a useless poorly last minute planned kidnapping plot that didn’t need to happen. Also way to once again make the characters idiots so the plot can happen, cause Fizz KNOWS Ozzie worries for him and that the Greed Ring is dangerous, yet purposefully puts the spotlight on him.
- Stolas did NOT need to be in this episode. The plot completely ignores the fact that he was in the hospital the last time we saw him, and he’s only here for Stolitz banter. You’d think that a character admitting they have feelings for someone would be a big deal but he just flat out says it and it’s so underwhelming and feels half assed with no weight to it. Fan comics have made more dedication to this than Viv has. We're supposed to believe him too despite the show failing to actually SHOW us this. Same for Blitz ranting about how “nice” Stolas has been to him, laughing at his jokes and liking his posts…hey Viv, can we actually SEE that on screen so it’s more believable? Or are you only determined to show them sexually flirting? 😑
- Once again Viv felt the need to shove a B plot into this episode and this one sucks because it’s just two characters sitting and doing fucking nothing. It felt like Viv had no idea what to do with Stolas and Ozzie, and I refuse to believe that Ozzie just sat there knowing Fizz was in danger. If anything he would have said “fuck the paperwork” and went to save Fizz himself. Way to show that gif of Ozzie getting mad as a sneak peak to get fans excited, only to see that Ozzie spends the rest of the episode sitting in a dark room LMAO what a let down.
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- Ozzie is weirdly chill and cool with Stolas and it’s something I don’t get. While he did say that Stolas had the real “spirit of Lust” in S1E7, it still gave you the impression that he was also more poking fun at Stolas rather than respecting him. The whole point of House of Asmodeous was that Ozzie outs him and publicly embarrassed him. Stolas literally was intimidated just by Asmodeous’s mere name, and hid his face around him. It seemed like Stolas certainly didn’t want someone like Ozzie to know about his private life especially since they’re both part of the Ars Goetia. Now here Ozzie is just cool with him and it feels like a missed opportunity for their dynamic.
- Stolas confessing his feelings about Blitz also makes…no sense narrative wise. I thought the whole point of The Circus and the ending to Western Energy was that he was realizing that Blitz didn’t like him that way and was finally waking up. I thought that’s why he was doing this whole crystal deal in the first place, so he can let Blitz go, yet the show keeps flip flopping and insisting that these two love each other and are good for each other. It’s really making you realize how this season and the previous stuff set up is becoming nonsense because the writers retcon EVERY damn episode. Also….why the hell is Stolas telling Ozzie his feelings for Blitz? Out of all people, why is it Ozzie, the person who outed Stolas and embarrassed him. Why is Stolas even respectful of Ozzie? He has no reason to, and he’s not under the impression that he’s dating Fizz either. I get that he needs the crystal but mentioning his love for Blitz makes no sense.
- Striker and Crimson teaming up to kidnap Blitz and Fizz was such an ass puller last minute decision. It feels overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time, more because it feels like Viv has no idea what to do with these two villain characters other than give them something evil to do to start the plot. Also…why…are they working together? It feels so random.
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- Striker’s character especially is all over the place. First he’s working for Stella, then he’s painted as the best assassin in hell, and now he’s…looking for more work I guess and working for Crimson? Why? Does this guy even have a motive anymore? It feels like his character is just dangling around until Viv wants to use him for another wattpad kidnap plot and it ESPECIALLY shows when Striker escapes for the THIRD fucking time. Can this character/storyline actually GO somewhere or are you just going to keep introducing him and have him run away. 🤦🏽‍♀️
— How did Crimson not know who Striker is despite him being labeled as “the most popular assassin in hell”, and how the hell does Crimson know Ozzie and know all the information about him being in a relationship with Fizz?? Oh right because we needed the plot to happen somehow. Still, even if Crimson did know that Ozzie was the "weakest" and loved Fizz, (which….what about Beezlebub?)) he still should have known he was playing with fire. I get that he's supposed to be evil and intimidating but how could he have predicted that Ozzie would actually stand down and fill out the paperwork? He could have immediately came there and killed Crimson for all he knew. It's just distracting how..not planned this shit was.
- Fuck this episode for calling Striker a supremacist. It makes no sense?? Viv is trying SO hard to villainize him despite him being the one in the right and it pisses me off. He has every right to be mad at the upper class, he’s part of the lower class that we’re said Hell takes advantage of, but god forbid we call out Rich and powerful Stolas because that would mean he’s a b-bad person and we can’t have that complex morality! This is so not a “eat the rich” story and it shows bc Vivzie is rich as hell. Striker as a character deserves so much better man. Congrats writers, you had an interesting character and motive set up for him, now he’s nothing but a silly goon that you might as well kill off already cause you clearly don’t care about him. Crimson meanwhile is just a piece of paper, a boring plot device I could give less of a shit about. I thought his motive was to go after Moxxie, now he’s just doing fuck whatever because this show desperately wants a bad guy for their filler fanfic plots.
- We get more world building issues, Ozzie and Fizz are so determined to hide their relationship for obvious reasons, but then at the end of the episode just say “fuck it, no one would dare tell anyway”. So now they’re being open about their relationship and lmao I told y’all the newspaper scene of Ozzie being called out for being a hypocrite wouldn’t go anywhere. Even if Ozzie did threaten his workers to not tell, they can’t be so sure that someone wouldn’t see or snitch, it’s kinda a retcon too cause they were pretty lovey dovey in Ozzie’s. Still, it makes the characters look dumb and it makes the rules Viv set up for Hell once again not mean anything.
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- We finally get to see Fizz’s backstory in action and it’s executed in the most underwhelming way possible. It’s literally a fucking 10 second clip of what went down, and rather than experiencing the event for ourselves, it’s in flashback mode but with Fizz’s voice talking over it. That’s it. I’ve seen fan comics/fanart that built this shit up better than Viv did, that actually took the slow time and dedication it needed, and here it feels like such an afterthought, like Viv could care less. Maybe if this actually was a character driven show like Viv claims, Stolas, Striker, and Crimson would be taken out of the picture and then that would leave us with PLENTY time to actually explore and develop Blitz/Fizz, bc most of this episode is just them pettily bickering and Stolas and Ozzie sitting around. But nah, we gatta have our fanfic kidnapping plot. Same goes for the reveal of Blitzo’s mom dying in the same fire. Glad to know that she got the same treatment Moxxie’s mom did, where we don’t even know her and yet we’re supposed to feel moved and care about her death. You nailed that one Viv. 👍
- I predicted that this episode would victimize Blitz and have the fire incident be an accident, (because Viv is a pussy writer and can’t make her characters actually do bad things like god forbid) but I never thought they’d actually have the balls to have Fizz forgive Blitz immediately in the same episode and pull the “actually turns out that horrible thing you did to me helped me in a way”- trope. Biggest flaw of the episode, fuck you Viv. I was actually going to applaud Blitz for taking accountability, but then the dialogue reminds you that an abuser wrote this, and he shifts his apology to “okay but I lost something too see so it’s not all about you” as if he’s fucking dismissing Fizz’s trauma and making it about himself. “I love flawed characters” my fucking ass. I would have smacked a bitch if I was Fizz because Blitzo loosing his mother in the fire too isn’t an excuse?? Fizz lost his fucking ARMS AND LEGS, and at the end of the day Blitzo STILL KNEW HE WAS HELPLESS IN THE FIRE BUT LEFT HIM BEHIND. He could have gotten help and came back, but didn’t. If this were a good show Fizz would have threw that apology back in Blitzo’s face and said “I don’t care if it was an accident or not, you still left me there and then proceeded to loathe me for years”. This is why Helluva will never be Bojack cause at least characters in that show who got treated horribly by him knew when to say “no, fuck you.”
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- The episode retcons again, this time they make it out to be that Blitz TRIED contacting Fizz the years they were apart but no one would let him see him. Then they say that Fizz actually WANTED to see Blitz but assumed he didn’t want to, so their entire feud was solely because of miscommunication?? Number one, show don’t fucking tell omg. And number two, that makes ZERO sense. Blitz talked badly about Fizz in Loo Loo Land, and when they finally reunited in Ozzie’s, it was clear they fucking loathed each other. You got the impression that Blitz was petty and jealous just because Fizz was more popular, and Fizz not only loathed him for the accident, but liked to rub in his face about how much of a big shot he was. They literally do that in this episode too, so the episode is literally contradicting itself. Blitz and Fizz had multiple chances to meet up with each other, you can’t just say “oh they couldn’t because no one would let them”- So which is it? Did they hate each other because of bad blood, petty drama, or that they thought the other didn’t want to see them? Pick ONE Viv and stick to it, but she never does. Their feud was interesting and now you ruined it just to have some sweet happy ending. “Adult mature show” my ass lol.
-Bottom line is Fizz shouldn’t have forgave Blitz so easily, or forgave him period. I find it funny how he says “it’s hard to just forgive you” and then he literally does lol. I feel so bad for Fizz fans, him and Blitz’s feud was honestly interesting, so to see all of this go down in a half-assed piss poor way as if this was Care Bears is….wow. The fan interpretations had more thought and care put into this storyline but what else is new lol.
- I’m really tired of these shitty annoying songs. If you’re going to get Broadway actors, please put effort into your songwriting and actually have them sing something good, not something that’s literally nonsense. This Fizz song sounds like it took less than a minute to write and Sam Haft was just thinking of anything he could think of at the top of his head. Also Why the fuck are Striker and Crimson just STANDING there while Fizz sings. They look like idiots, just SHOOT them omg. If this were a funny show, Fizz would have started his first note and Crimson just rolls his eyes and pulls his gun out.
- Fizz and Ozzie kill the lawyer but not…Crimson? Despite Fizz knowing what ring he’s in and even Ozzie knowing what he looks like? Same for Blitz, he doesn’t try to make sure Striker is dead. I get that the plot demands for these two to still be around, but there’s a way to keep them alive without making the main characters look like fucking idiots. Also Stolas just leaves without doing or contributing anything to the plot yay.
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- Fizz: “Let him have it, you could say he’s earned it”— Uhm….Nope. Blitz did NOT earn shit. He didn’t even earn Fizz’s forgiveness. Last time I checked, the moment Blitz cried and said it was an accident, Fizz forgave him, knowing he didn’t mean it. What effort did Blitz do to “earn” that as well as the crystal? Because he saved Fizz and didn’t leave him behind for the SECOND time near the end?? Cause if so than the bar is extremely low. That’s the bare minimum, just because Blitz cried and felt bad about it doesn’t mean he should be let off the hook Viv. I hate this so much, what a shitty conclusion, it feels forced just so Blitz can have the crystal and just so the writers can once again paint him as the one in the right. It’s almost insulting that they make it seem like Fizz was in the wrong for assuming Blitz starting the fire too, same for Barbie.
God what a shitty day it is to be a Fizz fan, I’m sorry. The episode did NOT do him justice. Fizzarolli deserved better than that half assed gaslighting apology for someone who lost their arms and legs man, and I’m tired of the show letting every character suck up to Blitz and Stolas for their horrible treatment just because they feel bad. Not only that but the episode (as most recent HB episodes) was a huge time waster. Everyone was really hoping for an in depth walkthrough of his character/backstory but again, when he’s not with Ozzie, the rest/most of his screen time is dedicated to him being helpless and pointlessly arguing with Blitz, plus a long dragged out nonsense song that didn’t need to happen. It felt like SO much time was wasted when we could have used the runtime we have to dive deeper and see more, like….again it would have been nice to see Fizz’s life AFTER the accident and how he became well known as well as how he fell in love with Ozzie, but his backstory is briefly scratched upon in a single scene and that’s it, all because Viv wanted this filler plot and wanted to dedicate more time to THAT rather than actual character expansion/development, something we could have got had you took out Stolas and Ozzie’s B plot and Striker and Crimson.
Viv is so on her way to murder/ruin every character that isn’t Blitz and Stolas and I won’t be here to watch further. I’ll check out the Mammon music video thing but that’s it man, this show is going off the rails, Adding Fizz to the character adoption list!
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bellezaycafe · 3 months
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Get Your Shit Together - Chapter 4
genre: 2024 Season AU
pairing: there will be romance but I haven't finalised who yet. platonic! oc x literally the whole grid.
warnings: lots swearing, major car accident, mentions of broken bones, blood and hospitals. A lot of shit happens. Limited knowledge of Silverstone or how the structure of their emergency response on track works.
context: Sadie, a 20 year old university student from Melbourne, decided to take a gap year and volunteer at 2 Formula One races in different countries.
Sadie's Faceclaim: Maia Mitchell (but you can visualise her howver you want :) )
comments: ...prepare for pain. I'm not sorry. I did speak to a doctor friend, and Sadie continuing with her injuries is plausible.
Part 1 | Masterlist
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----$----
“Fuck me, it’s a bit cold,” Sadie complained to the middle-aged paramedic beside her.
“Is it too cold for the Australian kid?” Mark laughed.
Sadie turned to him, looked up and frowned. “Not a kid, fuck you.”
Mark laughed again and tried to pat her on the head, which Sadie swatted away.
“Let’s just hope today’s race is dry,” he said after a moment.
Sadie nodded, stray wisps of her dark brown hair loosely flying around her face in the breeze.
Silverstone, in June, was the same temperature as Sadie’s home town in September, just leaving winter into spring.
“This is not summer weather,” she whined.
“You volunteered, kid,” Joe reminded her.
“I know, I know.”
“Where have they placed you?”
“Medics at turn 13. That’s Stowe, right?”
“Yeah. It can be a dangerous one. But you’re with my older brother Keith, so you’ll be fine.”
"How is it in the wet?"
"Worse, but the drivers are in safe hands."
----$----
Sadie paced as she watched 18 -Pierre Gasly and Oscar Piastri had sent each other out early in the race- of the best drivers in the world speed past.
“Sadie,” Keith called, “you should sit down.”
“I’m more anxious when I sit,” she replied without taking her eyes off the track. The track that was getting wetter and wetter as the minutes past.
"Mark said to let you pace and I will, but nothing is going to happen," the grey-haired man reassured.
Sadie sent him a kind smile but didn't reply out loud.
It was a good thing she didn’t. They might have missed it.
Two Red Bulls, the McLaren and a Mercedes flew into view. The McLaren, Lando's McLaren, clipped the back wheel of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes, sending a shower of debris into the misting rain.
Lando's car spun, twice and then slammed into the wall side on. Lewis spun once but managed to pull his car to a spot in the gravel before it could collide with anything.
Sadie was out the door, pulling on her mandatory helmut and grabbing a first aid kit before Keith was out of his chair.
"Go to the McLaren!" Keith shouted to her as he followed with another kit. "I'll take the Merc!"
She didn't acknowledge his order but followed it without hesitation. She jumped the barrier, her gaze locked on the fluro yellow helmet. The helmet that was barely moving.
"Lando," she shouted as she reached the car. "Are you okay?"
"No!" His voice came as a strangled croak, barely loud enough for her to hear him.
She dropped the first aid kit and grabbed the steering wheel he was holding out.
"You will be, we're here." She stated. "Can you get out?"
Sadie didn't breathe as Lando cried out. "My foot!" he wailed. "My ankle!"
"Okay, take a deep breath, Lando. Push yourself up with you arms. You're strong, mate. Push."
She didn't know what she was saying. She was running on instinct and adrenaline. Purely, instinct and adrenaline.
Get them off the track, Mark's voice rang in her head. Get them somewhere safe.
Lando hoisted himself onto the halo and Sadie saw his ankle bent at an unnatural angle. She couldn't let it show on her face.
"Alright, Lando swing to me. Swing around."
He did so, wobbling dangerously.
"Drop onto your right foot, I'm here."
Cars sped past, the flag only yellow.
Lando didn't drop onto his feet, he fell from the car and into Sadie. She was lucky she had braced herself as she caught him.
He screamed in pain as his ankle hit the ground.
"Lando, my name is Sadie. I've got you now, do not put your right foot on the ground. I'm gonna get you to the medical tent."
"Sadie? Melbourne Sadie?" He whimpered. He couldn't stop making small sounds of pain.
She opened his visor, met his watercolour eyes. She knew her helmet had no visor, knew he could see her eyes.
"Yes, Lando, it's Melbourne Sadie. I've got you now, we've got to get you off the track."
She hauled his left arm over her shoulders and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Walk with me Lando. That's it, with your right foot. Good. You're gonna be okay, mate. It's just a scratch."
Sadie still hadn't registered what she was saying, or the fact that Lando was leaning almost all of his weight on her.
Her head snapped up at the sound of approaching cars. With hands firmly on his waist, Sadie slipped out from under his left arm and placed herself under his right.
She put herself between him and the oncoming cars. She didn't know what might happen, hadn't thought about it. She hadn't thought at all.
It was Perez's Red Bull that struck the McLaren or Mercedes debris. More debris flew through the rain, some thing off all three cars. Sadie pulled Lando tighter into her and shielded him as she continued to pull him towards the closest exit.
Pain tore though Sadie's adrenaline. Her right side, both arm and leg. She stumbled, barely, but right herself and Lando cried out in pain again.
She knew two things, do not stop and do not let the pain stop you.
"I've got you Lando, you're going great. Keep going!"
"Sadie," he whimpered. "Fuck. My ankle, Sadie, my car."
"I know, Lando, I know. You're going to be okay. Your car will be fine, you will be okay."
"Fuck," he whimpered again.
"Keep going, pretty boy. Don't put that left foot on the ground. You're gonna be okay, pretty boy."
More hands joined hers and pulled Lando over the barrier. She didn't register who it was, only that he was on the other side and being treated. She heard a lot of swearing, she heard someone call her name.
She looked up to see Lando staring at her leg. He was laying down, on an ambulance stretcher.
"Sadie," he croaked, his eyes rising to hers.
She didn't look down, a part of her knew she didn't want to know. Sadie kept his eye contact as she tried to stand upright. "I'm okay, Lando. I'm okay." She reassured.
Some one stepped into her line of sight and she lost view of his face. They hauled him into the waiting ambulance.
"Fuck, kid." She recognised that voice.
She turned, limped around to face Mark.
"Mark, Lando he's -" He recognised her voice, just as she had his. She was still wearing the medic's helmet.
"Sadie, your leg. You've-" He stepped forwards and pulled a chair with him.
"I don't know," she whispered. She couldn't be louder, she tried to say it louder but it was the same whispered, "I don't know. I haven't looked."
The paramedic rushed to her, placing the chair beneath her as her right leg gave out.
"Don't look," he muttered. "You're gonna be okay, but you can't look."
Someone handed him gauze and bandages. Another handed him saline and scissors.
Lewis stepped into Sadie's quickly narrowing line of sight.
"Oh my god," he exclaimed.
When Sadie saw him, she remembered what she'd done. She thought about what she'd done.
The crash. Catching Lando. Essentially dragging him off the track. Putting herself between him and the cars. Her leg. She didn't know the damage but her leg was on fire.
"Sir," she breathed. "Lewis, my helmet, please."
"Oh my god, kid. They're gonna look after you, okay?" He dropped to his knees next to her, leaving his own helmet in the dust.
"I know," she croaked as he undid the straps at her chin. "It's not that. The media- Lewis, hide me from the media. Please."
That's when Lewis recognised Sadie. Her brown hair was plastered to her pale face. Her brown eyes were wide with fear.
"Oh shit. Okay kid, yeah. They'll never know your name, they'll never see your face. I swear it, kid. I promise."
Someone handed her a green piece of plastic. The green whistle. Pain relief, and a very strong one.
He last words before the high kicked in were, "Lewis, please. No reports, no one can know it was me."
Needless to say, the rest of the day was a blur. She barely remembered the ambulance ride, getting the piece of Formula One car embedded in her thigh taken out or the stitches in her arm and leg.
It was all over the news.
Medic gets stabbed with shrapnel while helping driver Lando Norris.
Norris out of SIlverstone GP: The Medic Who Saved Him.
Two in hospital after dangerous crash at Silverstone.
But Sadie's name was never written. Every reporter was baffled at the disappearance of her identity.
----$----
Lewis had gone to Max that evening, before the winner had the chance to go out.
"It was the Melbourne volunteer," he'd told him in his hotel room. "The medic in hospital, it was Sadie."
Max's face snapped towards Lewis. He'd been making Lewis a coffee, but it was abandoned.
"What happened? Is she okay?"
Lewis shrugged, shadows passing over his face. "I don't know, man. I- Her leg was bad."
"Fuck," Max muttered. "How did it happen?"
Lewis rubbed his face with his hands. "I don't know that either. I didn't see it. It's what happens now that I want to talk about. I need your help."
Max froze. Lewis knew why, he'd never asked Max for help before. They were friendly, finally, but they weren't close.
"She begged me, Max, begged me, to keep her name out of the media. So far, so good but I need your influence in the paddock. You still have the unpredictable 'Mad Max' reputation to some people. I need you to use it."
He nodded and there was an understanding between the champions. Sadie had protected their friend, maybe saved his career if some of the initial reports were true, and it was their turn to protect her.
"I don't why she was so desperate. She was begging me. She had a piece of fucking metal sticking out of her goddamn leg and she was begging me to hide her from the media."
"it doesn't matter," Max stated. His eyes were dark as he search his contacts for a name. "It doesn't get out. Her name appears no where."
They would protect her.
----$----
I'm not sorry. I hope you enjoyed! Feedback in welcome :)
Taglist (never thought I'd write one of these, I'm very happy to):
@snubug
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onyichii · 10 days
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The only time I didn't like Yugo 👆
I REALLY wanted them to have a talk about this in season 4. I guess Ankama couldn't fit it in or didn't think it was important.
This occurs after he kisses her and calls it a mistake which hurts her feelings. As she is upset, Yugo tries to talk about it but she gives him a hard time (she does act like a butt). They don’t talk about it but instead sit together in silence. After a while, they kind of have a nonverbal “we’re good” moment.
How do we know this? We see that she is playful with him and still values what he thinks in this moment.
[Click this link to watch the clip]- I can't add more than 1 video per post. So here are screenshots from the “we’re good” scene.]
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You're not playful with someone you're mad at. I think she thought about it and understood his dilemma and set it aside for the time being. She loves him and she can’t stay mad at him not now at least. After this playful interaction—HE STILL SAID THAT to Ruel-sipho)!! It’s fair that he’s still a little mad but damn.
Many audiences agreed with Yugo that Amalia was being obnoxious but to me that little playful scene defused their little quarrel. They were good at least from her perspective. From his reaction to her little playfulness it seemed like he agreed…but I guess not.
For the audience agreeing with Yugo…I blame misogyny tbh. It’s easy to hate female characters for the tiniest things. We see it time and time again.
I too agree that she was being bratty when he wanted to talk about it. But…i think she needed a little more time to collect herself. When they got that time to just sit in it we get that playful interaction.
Amalia literally left the side of her sick dying father to help him. He didn’t see her pain?
Then when she comes back (in s4) her father is dead. Missing her opportunity to say goodbye. At least they showed he felt guilty about that.
So then after all of this, when did he realize it was “romantic love.” Or did he always know but try to lie to himself to not give himself hope? I need answers because what they gave is not enough.
But yeah, that was the only time I didn’t like Yugo.
If Wakfu had the proper funding, I wonder if they would have spent a little more time on the interpersonal dynamics. We see time and time that they have a good nonverbal communication dynamic.
This is my interpretation. My perspective of that situation. If your interpretation is different that’s fine. I would love to ask one of the writers about this. Imma try to find one.
I keep comparing it to shows like Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, Avatar, and The Owl House who make time to show their characters have these tough talks. But those shows had the funding to do it. Wakfu did not. They had to use what they had to focus on the most important plot points and sum up the others.
Either way, the animated series is over. And they're married now…so that’s a win. I still wish we got more tough-talk scenes though. (But it's an action show with a male target audience so of course)
(I figured out how to screen record! 😆)
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black-swan-slaps · 11 months
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Top 10 Sus Jikook Moments
There are way too many moments to possibly list, but my friend and I thought it would be fun to compile a list of sus jikook moments. 
10. 2021 Jimin Birthday Live
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Cute and flustered Jimin calling Jungkook? Jungkook coming immediately to spend time with his boyfriend? Hobi calling out why Jimin was in Jungkook’s studio? So many questions.
9. 2015 Award Show Back Hug
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Let’s be real, there are plenty of questionable back hug moments, but this one is particularly interesting. The fact that it was so early in their relationship. The fact that it took place at a public award show. The way Jungkook held onto Jimin and how they swayed together. The questionable looks from the other members. I see you jikook, I see you.
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Honorable back hug mention is the BE live and the way Jungkook caged Jimin for an incredibly long time with their matching hair. Exuding boyfriend energy to the max.
8. Cute Feet During PJ Run
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Honestly, this is just one of my favorite moments that makes me feel giddy. How comfortable they are resting on one another. The way they’re playing with their feet. Jimin’s surprised laugh when Jungkook plays along. And let’s not forget the special photo of Jungkook spooning Jimin.
7. “Let me give you a hug” Dance Practice
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Am I the only one who has watched this clip over and over? We get to see how even during work they are always having fun together. But how can we not swoon over Jungkook’s smitten face as Jimin fails to lift him, and the way his smile grows brighter when he lifts Jimin like it’s nothing. Jimin tries to lift him one more time, but fails and instead hugs Jungkook and nuzzles into his neck ever so slightly. 
6. Jungkook’s Snow Gift
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We should all know this moment. Bon Voyage season 4 in New Zealand. This is the beginning of Jungkook really doing whatever the hell he wants, and he disappears one morning to go on a mountain hike and returns with a chunk of snow, much to everyone’s confusion. He specifically waits for Jimin to wake up and excitedly shows and gives it to him. Jimin is, understandably confused, but we all understand the intent.
5. Malta Room Sharing
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I’ll be honest, finding out about this speculation was what thrust me into the world of jikook. (It doesn’t seem to exist anymore, but I had wandered across an analysis video a few years ago). Obviously, we don’t know anything for sure, but there are enough clues here, as well as in many other occasions, that make it possible jikook were room sharing.
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(And let’s not forget their cute Malta date)
4. Osaka Live
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Similar vibe to number 5, but cranked up to 100. I don’t need to go in depth into this, because we all know, but my two cents is that Jimin was in that room. (Just as he hid in Jungkook’s room during the 2019 NJ live). What were they doing in a dark hotel room with sensual music playing? Eating bread, of course.
3. GCF in Tokyo
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Enough said.
2. MAMA 2018
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What I would give to hear everything the man sitting next to them heard. Something was truly in the air that day. They were all over each other and incredibly lovey dovey. While we can’t know for sure what they actually said to each other, the look in Jungkook’s eyes speaks volumes.
1. Rose Bowl
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Are we surprised this is my number 1? There are so many moments that exist, but all jikookers come back to this one. There are so many questions about why. Why nibble the ear? Why confess his love? Why give a kiss? (We all know why). But the emotions are palpable, as they would be at the end of a high intensity concert. Jimin was emotional, and Jungkook went to console Jimin, as we know he usually does. Hanging onto Jimin’s back isn’t out of the ordinary, but Jungkook took it a step further. And put Jimin’s ear in his mouth. My assumption is that he was saying something, but ultimately decided actions would speak louder than words. To be clear, he says something first, pulls back, and then goes back in, catches Jimin’s ear, and then delivers a clear kiss to Jimin’s head. There’s no mistaking it. Jungkook was taking care of his baby. 
Honorable Mentions:
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Rainy day fight
“I was with Jungkook [at 4AM on his birthday]”
That award show moment where Jungkook is singing a love song to Jimin and Jin is staring at them lovingly. (There is a video somewhere, but I can’t find it. Please, someone find it. I think it’s from the melon music awards)
Jungkook waking Jimin up on In the Soop season 2.
Jimin breaking Jungkook’s mosquito net on In the Soop season 1. (And the spooning that occurred the next day.) 
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Black Swan Lift
Honestly, there are too many moments to mention. Please share your top sus moments!
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Several Sentences Sunday
Fanonwriter2023 on AO3
Where CANON and FANON collide!
This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!
Season 7 FANON Speculation: Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”
Chapters 24 & 25 will be posted soon (two chapters will be posted instead of one).
Buck and Eddie got married and Buck's officially Chris' second dad!
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Currently 23 chapters completed: 893.1K Words; Rated: Mature
One chapter will be posted at a time.
{#1 Previous snippet linked here}
{#2 Previous snippet linked here}
{#3 Previous snippet linked here}
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I'm excited to finish writing Chapters 24 & 25 because Buck and Eddie are married and the Diaz family is starting the second half of their two-week long European family adventure. For anyone who hasn't read Chapters 22 and 23, here's a brief overview. In Chapter 22, Buck and Eddie got married, Chris was their best man and Eddie successfully surprised Buck with all the things he had planned for him including a three-tier wedding cake. Their honeymoon started that night and they had an important conversation before they consummated their marriage. In Chapter 23, they left Rome the day after their wedding and proceeded to visit 5 other cities for the remainder of their time in Italy. By the end of it, they agreed to continue speaking Italian even after they return to the U.S. because while they were in San Gimignano, they made a decision that could affect the course of their family's lives forever. What was the decision? 👀
They departed Rome at the end of the chapter and they landed in London on Christmas Eve to start the second half of their family adventure. What else are they going to do while they're still in Europe? Will Buck meet his biological father? 🤷🏽‍♀️
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Here's another snippet from Chapter 24 of Buck and Eddie being romantically fluffy Christmas night.
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They lean in at the same time and kiss each other again.  It’s soft and sweet and it's filled with promises of them being together indefinitely.
When they pull back, Buck says, “Ti amo.” [I love you”.]
“Ti amo anch’io.”  [“I love you too”.]  He replies then he leans his forehead against Buck’s.
They stay there for several seconds with their eyes closed just breathing each other in and enjoying this intimate time they’re spending together.
Eddie closes the millimeter or so of space between them and places a soft kiss onto Buck’s lips.  After he pulls back, he says, “I got you something too.”
“You did?”
“I did but before I give it to you, I want to show you something first.”
Buck looks at him and waits then Eddie stands, grabs his phone off the coffee table, walks over to the TV and connects it to the Apple dongle that allows him to use the USB type A connection.  Once the TV is in video mode, he scrolls through his video app and presses play on the iMovie he’s been working on for weeks.
He returns to the couch and sits next to Buck.  When the video begins, he watches as Buck’s mouth falls open from the first clip of Buck and Chris.
“I recorded that when we went to Catalina Island.  Look at how happy the two of you are.” 
Buck quickly meets his eyes and after a few seconds, they return to watching.  In the second clip, Buck sees himself instructing Chris how to fish when they went to Hollenbeck Lake.  Then he watches as he teaches Chris how to cook lasagna for Thanksgiving and it’s followed by them cooking in the kitchen of the villa they stayed in while they were in San Gimignano, Italy.
Eddie says, “There’s one more”. Then he stands, walks back to the TV and presses the next video and once he finishes, he hurries back to the sofa and sits down.
Buck’s eyes widen when he sees the three of them sitting around the table eating the last of their breakfast and he sees Eddie and Chris discuss the last present that’s underneath the tree.  He turns to face Eddie and says, “You recorded everything that happened this morning?”
What happened Christmas morning that prompted Eddie to record it and add it to the iMovie he's been editing for months? 👀
Also, what did Eddie get Buck for Christmas? 🙃
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This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!
Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.
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Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.
Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.
Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.
Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.
Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.
Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.
Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.
Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.
Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.
Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.
Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.
Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.
Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.
Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?
Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.
Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.
Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.
Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.
Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.
Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?
Chapter 21 - Buck, Eddie and Chris are finalizing their ‘To Do’ Lists, double checking their itineraries and packing their suitcases in preparation for their trip to Europe so they can board their flight that departs Los Angeles, CA on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:25PM.
Chapter 22 - While Buck, Eddie and Chris spend the first 8 days of their European family adventure in Italy, their primary reason for going will be fulfilled as well as several others they hadn’t considered or anticipated.
Chapter 23 - As the Diaz Family continues their Italian family adventure, they’ll say, “Ciao” or hello and goodbye to a lot of things almost immediately after they become an official and legal family.
Chapter 24 - Will be posted soon.
Chapter 25 - Will be posted soon.
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Read chapters 1-23 are available on AO3.
Continue reading on AO3
Chapters 24 & 25 will be posted this week.
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thebiggerbear · 6 months
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Only Ever Holding Onto You Chapter 1
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A/N: Hey all! I just want to let you know up front that this chapter is HUGE. When writing, I go more by what I feel needs to be in the chapter for setups and flow than I do the length. It's something I'm still working on as a writer so I apologize. The following chapters should not be nearly as long.
I began writing this back in July and at that time, I hadn't watched the rest of the 3rd season of Big Sky so I did a lot of guesswork based on gifs, clips, and posts I had seen on here. So that's why some things might not line up to the show, sorry about that. Also, I completely made up the name of the pharmaceutical company.
This story actually was the gateway to Ghosts so there might be some similar threads you might notice. ;) I hope you like it!
And a huge thank you to my beta Em! You rock, girl!
Please let me know if you'd like to be tagged for this story. Feedback and reblogs are much appreciated. 😊
You can also read on AO3
Warnings: mentions of animal cruelty, mentions of animal injuries seen by Reader, mentions of kidnapping of minor
Word Count: 13,543
Taglist: @deans-spinster-witch
Series Masterlist
<-->
“I didn’t do anything wrong!”
You rolled your eyes and made a left onto Washington. “Yeah, yeah. That’s what everyone who breaks into a chem lab says.”
“It’s true,” the man currently sitting handcuffed in your backseat insisted. “It’s the corporation that’s doing something wrong. They’re benefitting from those animals’ pain.”
“Doesn’t give you the right to enter the premises illegally,” you pointed out.
“What they’re doing is illegal,” he scoffed.
You couldn’t exactly argue with that one. When the call came in for a 10-62 and it was advised that the prowler was armed and dangerous, you had immediately rushed to the scene, beaten there by two officers from Helena PD and one deputy from your department. The perp had already been secured and in handcuffs, proclaiming loudly over and over that he was innocent as were the animals he had been trying to set free. Deputy Davis informed you that the only weapon that had been found on the man was a pair of bolt cutters, which had barely made a dent in the cages’ padlocks, never mind were they ever a real threat to anyone on the premises.
After contacting the higher-ups of her employer, an onsite supervisor insisted the company wanted to press any and all charges, maintaining that the animals in their possession had been obtained legally and the accusations against them were baseless. One glance past the woman’s shoulder at the cages of rabbits and cats being wheeled into another area showed that perhaps the man’s claims weren’t as baseless as she said they were. You had to keep yourself from hauling her down to the station on some trumped up charge once you noticed one cat in particular that had half of its fur missing and its side was littered with obvious injection sites. One rabbit even had sutures where an eye should be. 
Unfortunately, you had a job to do and the law needed to be upheld. You insisted on taking the perp, one Martin Webb, into the station yourself. Since Davis had arrived on scene first, Helena PD couldn’t say a peep. That was one thing that hadn’t changed with your transfer here: the good ol’ jurisdiction issue between departments. Although, up in these parts, the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Department and Helena PD did play nicer together than most other places you’d been. As Webb continued to ramble on in the back of your car, you were thankful for that little fact.
When he mentioned for the fifth time that he was doing the right thing, your phone began to ring. One quick glance at the screen showed that it was Deputy Poppernak. Without saying a word, you picked up the call. “What’s shaking, Pepper Snaps?” 
You smirked when you heard the slight huff he let out when you called him the cute little nickname you had come up for him. He knew you did it to tease him good-naturedly but it still exasperated him at times. Truth be told, you had a fondness for the guy even though he did prove to be a bit of a suck-up when you first stepped into the station about six months back. Still he had always been welcoming towards you, took your quirks in stride, and he was a decent cop. That put him under the good list in your book.
“Hey, Y/N. The boss asked for me to give you a call and see if you were on your way back to the station.”
Your eyes practically rolled out of your head. Apparently, the sheriff had forgotten how phones worked along with the knowledge that you were more than capable of doing your job. If Poppernak got exasperated with you at times, your patience could be worn thin by one Beau Arlen on a semi-often basis, and that hadn’t changed with both of you relocating to Big Sky Country.
“Pops, correct me if I’m wrong, but when I radioed in to Madge that I was transporting a suspect back to the station, did I say it in Portuguese? French maybe? Japanese? Or in Gaelic perhaps?” You quipped.
“Uh, no. No, of course not,” Poppernak let out in a nervous chuckle. “It’s just, uh…sorry, one second.” You could hear his muffled voice speaking to someone; it was obvious he had covered the mouthpiece with his hand. You nearly rolled your eyes again, knowing exactly who he was speaking to, and instead chose to glance in your rearview to check on the man in the back. He had still been talking when you picked up the call but he must have gotten the hint when the deputy’s voice filled the car. Now, he sat quietly, staring straight ahead. 
“Okay, sorry about that. Madge was asking me—”
You’d had enough, especially when you heard him using a quieter tone than before. “Cut the crap, I know very well who was asking you something. What does he want and why is he not calling me to ask me himself?”
He laughed nervously again. “Uh, well, he was just—I mean I was just wondering, do you mind stopping by The 1889 and grabbing the usual order on your way in?”
Your jaw tensed. You had a sneaking suspicion of the reason why your boss wasn’t calling you directly and instead was asking his employee to do his dirty work, and it infuriated you.
“If it’s not too much trouble,” Poppernak added meekly.
You forced yourself to remember that he wasn’t the one who your ire should be aimed at. You’d get to that soon enough after you booked your suspect down at the station. You made another quick turn to head in the direction of the coffee shop. “Call the order in. I’ll be there in fifteen to pick it up and they better run it out to me or no dice. In case anyone at that station is too thick-headed to remember, I’m currently transporting a suspect.”
You heard a relieved breath come down the line. “Thanks, Y/N. You’re the—” 
You ended the call before the deputy could finish speaking. Pops knew you weren’t mad at him and knowing him, he’d get right on placing the order at the coffee house you all frequented so the order would be ready in the timeframe you’d given him. 
“Amazing. Animals are being cruelly treated in your own backyard and all you cops can worry about is your coffee order. ‘To protect and serve’...yeah right.”
You shot Webb a glare in your rearview mirror. “You have the right to remain silent, you know. Wouldn’t hurt to exercise it every now and then. Like right now.”
“How can I be silent? Do you have any idea what they’re doing to those animals? Do you have any idea how much pain they’re in? God, you people are heartless!”
“Uh huh.” You brought the car to a stop at a traffic light and took a deep breath. Losing your temper on Webb or Pops or anyone at the station would not help anything, but damn did Beau get on your nerves sometimes with his desire to placate and diffuse things. Most of the time, it was something you heavily respected about him; it was a great quality for a leader to have. At the same time, some people needed to be stood up to, put in their place, and knocked down a few pegs — and that is where you and Beau never saw eye-to-eye. It drove you crazy but you told yourself you would play the long game on this one. Beau knew how you felt. You two had argued about it enough times when it was just you two — but he refused to budge an inch. He believed time would resolve things. Six months was plenty of time in your mind but apparently, he didn’t share that sentiment. So, you did as you always had: you had his back and you followed his lead. It didn’t mean you had to like it sometimes, though. Especially not when—no, you would put it out of your mind for now.
“I’m serious, you saw the animals yourself. Do you really think they’re well cared for like they said? If you only knew the half of it!”
Webb’s rantings broke you out of your reverie. You thought over what he said, remembered the cat with the missing fur, the rabbit with the missing eye, and bit your lip in contemplation. When the light turned green, your mind was made up. “I’m just doing my job, Mr. Webb. And that job doesn’t include looking into the history of this company or what they do with their animals when it comes to testing.”
The man scoffed and you knew your words had been chosen well. “Of course not. Why would you care? I suppose you don’t care that the animals are kept in cages night and day. Not only do they pump chemicals into them consistently but they cause them pain purposely to see if their products work. I guess you also don’t care that this is a common practice for this company, or that they purposely pick up strays from surrounding neighborhoods and have even broken into people’s properties to steal their pets when the shelters and pet stores start to get suspicious! And you’re charging me with breaking and entering? What about them? And I bet you don’t care that they purposely starve these animals for certain experiments and that’s not even…”
You made your way to The 1889, keeping your gaze ahead of you as you maneuvered down the streets, all the while quietly listening and at certain points, trying to remember why you’d chosen to become a cop when it seemed like the odds always remained against you and innocents, humans and animals alike, continued to get hurt by every semblance of heartless assholes on a daily basis.
<-->
Deputy Davis, who had beaten you back to the station and waited for you to arrive, led Webb into the station as you followed behind with a tray of coffees and a paper bag full of food. 
Pops immediately hurried over to meet you, a huge grin on his face. “Thanks, Y/N. You really are the best.”
You handed him both the tray and bag, giving him a nod. 
Webb watched the exchange carefully before yelling out, “Yeah, so glad you can sit and enjoy your coffee and donuts while innocent animals are suffering!” The busy hum in the station dimmed slightly as everyone turned to look, but then it resumed when they saw the man responsible for the noisy interruption was in handcuffs.
“I’ll book him,” the deputy next to you insisted.
“Thanks, Davis.” You smiled slightly at the younger man. “I’ll get on the paperwork.”
“Let’s go.” Davis pushed Webb in front of him who kept yelling as he was being moved away.
 You and Pops watched them disappear around the corner and then turned back to one another. “So, where is he?”
Pops’ amiable smile dropped completely and he quickly glanced in the direction of the sheriff’s office. Bingo. “Uh, I think he’s interrogating a suspect right now…”
“Right.” You then moved past him and proceeded right to the location that Pops unintentionally gave away before outright lying to you. The door was shut but that didn’t deter you. Without knocking, you opened the door and barged right in.
Sure enough, there was Beau, sitting in his chair with the infamous Jenny Hoyt perched on the desk to his left, barely a foot of space between them. Of course. Was there ever a moment in the day the undersheriff wasn’t trying to get into the sheriff’s pants? 
The blonde glared at your intrusion and you folded your arms across your chest. You offered a meaningful look to Beau, who at least had the decency to look sheepish.
“Did you always storm into your boss’ office without knocking like this back in Houston or is it only something you do here?” Hoyt snapped.
“Hoyt,” Beau warned.
Ignoring her sniping and ignoring her presence altogether — you leveled your eyes on Beau alone. “We need to talk.”
Beau glanced between you and his undersheriff, looking uncertain, before he gave a simple nod. “Give us the room for a minute,” he directed to the woman next to him. The corner of your lips lifted in the beginning of a smirk; wise choice on his part.
Hoyt transferred her glare to him but got to her feet all the same. She nearly stomped her way out the door, scowling at you the entire time. You stared her down, all too happy to close the door once she vacated the threshold. You seriously could not wait for that woman to take some vacation time; it’d be like your own vacation kicking in at the same time.
You turned around to find Beau watching you, exhaustion showing in the lines of his face a little more prominently than they had a moment ago. “Y/N, I—”
Holding up a hand, you interrupted him before he could plead with you for peace or make excuses like he had so many times before. “Aside from me thinking that it’s downright pathetic that you can’t even make a simple phone call to ask me to pick you up one of your favorite sandwiches because she’s within hearing distance, I have a bigger issue to discuss.”
Beau sat back in his chair, considering you for a moment. “Alright. Let’s hear it.”
You moved closer and took a seat. “The man I just brought in, Martin Webb, the one who’s being booked on a B&E charge from Avuna Pharmaceuticals? Turns out he was not armed like had been initially reported to emergency dispatch. He had a pair of bolt cutters on him that didn’t even work and he was not posing a threat to anybody. But the Avuna reps are insisting he was.”
“Who was first on scene?”
“Davis.”
“Any footage or eyewitness accounts that prove this guy threatened anyone before Davis got there?”
“Eyewitness accounts from paid employees and when we asked for footage after noticing cameras placed all around the lab, we were told that their legal counsel advised that unless we had a warrant, we were wasting our time and suggested we should be focusing on the arrest of the assailant in our custody.”
Beau snorted. “Not suspicious at all and damn ballsy.”
You couldn’t help but shrug. “Big corporation, big money. They’ll do whatever it takes to protect it all.”
He nodded in agreement. “Good point. Alright, let’s let the DA take it from here. For now, just book him and we’ll let the courts battle it out on what charges actually stick.”
You tilted your head at him expectantly. 
“And,” he sighed. “I take it you already knew I’d say that and that’s not why you wanted to discuss it.”
“You know me so well,” you teased, giving him a smirk and sitting on the desk next to him on his right, keeping a polite distance between you. “Something doesn’t smell right with this case. If their response to our request to view their footage wasn’t enough of a red flag, then the fact that they’re looking to throw the book at this guy is. I ran him through the system. His record is relatively clean; he’s an activist, not an ecological terrorist.” You bit your lip. “I saw the animals while they were transporting them,” you said in a quieter tone. “I saw some things that... I think this guy, while a little misguided, is actually on the right track. Something’s off with this whole thing.”
Beau leaned over to place a hand over yours. “Darlin’, I know where you’re going with this and while it pains me to say it, I have to. It’s not our job. You said it yourself: big corporation, big money. This is for the courts. We can’t get involved.” You dropped your gaze to the floor and let out a disappointed breath. You knew as much, had said as much to Webb on the ride over, but it felt wrong for that to be the actual reality. 
You felt Beau brushing his thumb over the back of your hand in tender strokes. It was his way of reassuring you and apologizing at the same time. You couldn’t help but give him a thin-lipped smile. You knew he would do something if he could, but he was right. Unless there was evidence to Webb’s claims of the company illegally obtaining those animals, this was not for you or for the department to get involved in. On the off-chance there was proof, that evidence would need to be transferred to the right agency who handled such cases. Your hands were tied and there was nothing you could do from your position, that fact wouldn’t help you sleep better at night or help you forget what you had seen.
“That being said, I will talk to the DA and see what he can do about the charges. I can’t promise anything but I’ll try,” Beau finished, after seeing your reaction.
You turned your hand over, grabbing onto his, and whispered, “Thank you.”
He returned your smile and squeezed your hand before gently letting go. “And thank you for picking up the order earlier. And for not letting Hoyt bait you into an argument.”
Rolling your eyes and getting to your feet, you made your way to the bulletin board on the far wall to study its contents. “Sometimes I wonder why you even asked me to come here.”
You heard a heavy sigh behind you but you didn’t turn around to look. “You know why I asked you to join me here, Y/N. I need someone who has my back.”
“You have plenty of people here who have your back.” You pulled the paper you were looking for off the board and folded it up. “Especially her. She’d have your back, front, and center if she had anything to say about it.” Slipping the paper into the back pocket of your jeans, you glanced back at Beau to find him glaring in your direction. “Am I wrong?” You challenged.
“I really wish you two would try to get along.”
You scoffed out a laugh. “I’m not the one who throws a temper tantrum every time I walk into a room. That would be the woman whose insufferable ass has been glued to yours for the past six months.”
Beau shook his head. “Why do I even try?”
“Why do you?” You agreed. “And why do you defend her at every given turn when you know she’s the one that has a chip the size of Texas on her shoulder?”
“I told you, she’s been through a lot. With her mom and everything…” Beau waved a hand to indicate there might be more to it than you knew. You didn’t think there was; you had heard about it from practically everyone around here, but you also knew Beau was a good man with a big heart. So while you didn’t excuse away the blatant hostility Hoyt had shown you from the moment you arrived, you knew that your best friend tried to be understanding and his patience was longer than the length of the building you were currently in.
“Right,” you muttered. When you first showed up here, Beau told you everything that went down in the amount of time it took you to be able to secure your transfer. You knew all about Jenny Hoyt, her mom, Cassie Dewell, their interesting history, Denise, Sunny, Buck, and everything that happened with Emily and Carla. As a matter of fact, as soon as Beau called you in a panic over Emily’s being taken, you had told your boss down in Houston, Burke Ellis, that you were done waiting for him to stop dragging his feet and you were out on the first red-eye you could book a seat on. As a matter of fact, that was how you and Cassie first met, and how you first came across Hoyt. 
Beau had rushed over to you the minute he had spied you hurrying into the station, asking for Sheriff Beau Arlen and flustering Madge who had no idea who you were but that the man you said you were here to see was having a personal crisis and wasn’t up for seeing any visitors. You darted past her desk, which had further exasperated her, and you practically jumped into Beau’s open arms. You both hugged each other tightly and he nearly lifted you off the ground.
“Thank you,” he rasped out into your ear. “Thank you for coming.”
“Of course.” You ran your fingers soothingly through the hair at the back of his neck. “Where do you need me?”
He had pulled back and it was then that you could see the toll this was taking on him; the fear, worry, and exhaustion were clearly pronounced on his handsome face. “Honestly?” He croaked out. He then grabbed your hand and quickly led you to an office in the back, both of you moving past many shocked onlookers, a 5’6” blonde woman among them who you would later come to know as the biggest pain in your ass in your career thus far. 
You saw the gold lettering on the door stating this was Beau’s office and he slipped you inside before shutting the door and closing the blinds. He pulled you back into his arms, burying his face into your neck. He surprised you a moment later by picking you up and placing you on the corner of his desk, never once moving away from you. You could feel the wetness against your skin and you saw his shoulders shake as he let out a pitiful sob. 
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice breaking as he spoke. “I just… My baby girl has been taken by this murderous son of a bitch and I—” He couldn’t even get the rest out and you shushed him, holding him together as best you could while he fell apart, scared out of his mind at what could happen to his daughter. Emily was like a niece to you; you couldn’t even imagine how terrified she must be, let alone how her father must feel. You knew one thing, though: you and Beau would find her and bring her home. In order to do that, however, you needed to keep Beau from breaking completely and re-calibrate his focus.
You had started to press kisses to the side of his head, promising that you both would do everything to get Emily back safe and sound. “I’m here now,” you murmured into his ear. “We made one hell of a team once, this will be no different. We’ll get her back, Beau.” He sniffled and moved back to look at you, nodding. You gave him a tender smile and wiped underneath his eyes before running your hand through his wayward hair (it had grown slightly since the last time you saw him) and stroking his bearded cheek affectionately. “I’ve got you. Always.”
He stared into your eyes for so long as you comforted him that you didn’t notice that he was moving closer until his nose nearly bumped into yours. You didn’t realize that your breathing had picked up or that your heartbeat had accelerated until your lips parted to let out a small puff of air. His green gaze dropped down to your mouth at the action and then you noticed him wet his lips with his tongue. Your own tongue automatically mirrored his and you swore you felt your heart stop when you saw him take it as a green light and start to lean in, closing his eyes. Alarm bells went off in your mind: this was your best friend who was vulnerable due to the situation at hand, seeking comfort from someone familiar to him that he knew he could fully trust; there was an active investigation going on into his daughter’s abduction and you knew you were on a timeclock; every second counted and there was no time to waste. Yet you were frozen, unable to react and unwilling to stop him from taking the solace he needed in you. 
You’d be lying if you said you never imagined your friendship with Beau possibly crossing the line into something more at one point. While he was married, you had never entertained it, but afterwards, there had been that one night… Nothing had ended up happening between you, of course, but it had definitely been a close call. You had attributed it to too much liquor and the need for consolation during a rough time in his life, being more than relieved when he didn’t appear to remember the next morning. So your friendship continued unmarred by any tension or awkwardness. Now…how could you not give him what he clearly needed from you at one of the worst times in his life? 
You had just shut your eyes, making your decision and waiting for impact, when a knock sounded on his door and then it opened, a surprised gasp emitting from the doorway. You both turned to look, seeing a stunned woman standing there who you hadn’t passed by before. Beau let out a stuttered breath but pulled away from you all the same. It left a funny feeling inside your chest, but you told yourself he had made the right decision which prompted sweet relief to flood through your own veins. Nothing should occur between you and Beau right now, not when everything with Emily was going on and emotions were running high. And what if you had let him take comfort in you and it ultimately ruined your friendship? Not to mention he was now your boss. How complicated would that be? Your best friend meant more to you than one moment of throwing the rule book completely out the window. 
The woman worriedly glanced behind her and seemed to relax when she didn’t see who or what she was looking for. She then gave Beau a small smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Beau cleared his throat and leaned against the desk, next to you, facing the door. You discreetly ran a hand across his back in reassurance. “It’s fine. What is it, Cass?”
Your eyes widened when you heard the nickname and quickly made the connection. This was Cassie Dewell, the local private investigator Beau had told you about. He had mentioned that they had become close friends since he took the job.
“I just came to tell you that I think I might be able to help with Sunny.”
Beau immediately got to his feet. “You think she’ll tell us where Buck’s taken Emily?”
Cassie shrugged. “It’s worth a shot. She’s been married to the man for years. She may not have known he was a serial killer but she knows everything else there is to know about him. She has to have an idea of some spots he might have gone to that we haven’t come up with yet. And we do have the update about Walter as leverage.”
Running a tired hand down his face, Beau sighed. “Okay. Yeah. Let’s give it a shot.” He glanced your way and you gave him a nod. Then he started, as if he just remembered something. “Sorry. Cassie, I’d like you to meet Y/N Y/L/N. Y/N, this is Cassie Dewell.”
Your head snapped in her direction. “Oh right, you’re the PI from the local agency in town that Em’s been working at.”
Cassie gave you a wave and you studied her, expecting judgment of some kind, yet there was no malice or hostility staring back at you. You had expected such a reaction from her walking in on you and Beau, yet all you could see was curiosity... As well as worry and guilt shadowing her eyes for a moment at the mention of Emily. “Yeah, that would be me. Hey.”
“Y/N’s from Houston.” Beau gestured towards you. “We worked quite a few cases together back in the day.”
Her eyes seemed to light up with recognition which surprised you. “Y/N Y/L/N…I was wondering why that name sounded familiar. You’re one of his former partners, right?”
You quickly exchanged a glance with Beau. “Sort of,” you confirmed.
“She’s transferring here but I asked her to come to help with…Emily…” Beau looked pained as he said the name.
You immediately laid a hand on his shoulder. “Whatever you need.”
He gave you a thin-lipped smile and you squeezed him in reassurance. 
“Nice to meet you.” Cassie’s voice pulled you both from the moment.
Your gaze snapped to Cassie’s. “Likewise. So, this Sunny…she’s the owner of the campground, right? Close to where the body of the first victim was found some years ago? And she’s the wife of the suspect?” Beau had told you a little about the case before Avery’s death and Emily’s abduction.
Cassie nodded. “Yeah. I’m hoping she’ll feel up to talking. Beau, I wouldn't ask but…would you mind giving me a hand? It might help shake something loose if we both take a run at her. She’s more familiar with us, and Walter will give us more of a card to play.”
Beau thought it over for a moment. “Agreed. We’ve got to try anything and everything so let’s do it.” Cassie turned to leave when he called out to her, “I’ll be there in a second.”
She nodded and quietly closed the door behind her.
Beau let out a heavy breath and turned to you. “Y/N, I—”
You shot up, standing before him. “No need,” you spoke softly. You took his hand in yours and squeezed reassuringly when you saw his eyes tighten. “Let’s focus on saving your daughter.” You gave him a small smile and he nodded, pulling you into him to place his forehead up against yours. 
“Thank you,” he murmured, closing his eyes. When you felt him relax slightly against you after taking a deep breath, out of instinct, you did something you had never done before, not when you were this close together and it was just the two of you. You pressed a tender kiss to his cheek, right above his beard line, forcing his eyes to snap open, staring right into yours, and he focused intently on you. 
“Let’s go find her and bring her home,” you whispered, stepping back only when he nodded, and turned towards the door. 
“Do you want me to watch the interrogation or do you need me elsewhere?” You asked.
He came to a halt, thinking about it for a moment. “Interrogation.”
You nodded and opened the door, stepping through to see several pairs of eyes land on you. It might have been intimidating to someone else, but to you, it was just par for the course. Beau had warned you about the small town atmosphere compared to the big city one you were accustomed to, so you weren’t surprised in the least when people started talking in hushed tones to one another as you both walked past without a word to anyone. It appeared you and Beau were on the same page: Emily was priority and introductions to your new coworkers would have to wait. 
He led you to a closed door where Cassie stood, waiting. You glanced around to look for the room you would be led to in order to watch the interrogation but didn’t see it. 
“And who’s this?”
You turned to see the blonde woman from earlier, a forced smile on her face and her blue eyes assessing you.
Beau seemed caught off guard for a moment, his focus on getting to Cassie and then taking on Sunny, but he quickly introduced you. “Y/N Y/L/N, Jenny Hoyt.” You gave her a nod and she returned it. “Cassie and I are going to take a run at Sunny, see if maybe she has an idea of a location where Buck may have taken Emily and Denise.”
The blonde’s gaze softened as it landed on Beau. “Of course. If you want, Cassie and I can do it.” You noticed Cassie’s eyes tighten but she stayed quiet as the woman then leaned into Beau a bit, saying softly, “You’ve been through a lot in the last few hours.” You watched as she squeezed Beau’s arm in support. Ah, so this was the infamous Jenny Hoyt you had heard about. The same Hoyt that had given Beau a run for his money when he first took this job and then continued to be a wildcard in the field. The same one who Beau felt the ridiculous need to babysit. Your eyes narrowed slightly as you watched her gazing up at your friend as if he had hung the moon in the night sky but you schooled your features into polite professional interest by the time Beau glanced over at you. 
“I’m good. Actually, Y/N, I’d like you to join us.” Both Cassie and Hoyt turned gaping expressions on you. While this was certainly a twist, you knew Beau wouldn’t be asking if he didn’t have his reasons. Sure enough, he elaborated, “I think a new face might provide the perfect shakeup that we need.” He gave you a meaningful look and like always, you knew exactly what he was thinking.
You gave the group a curt nod. “Sure. Can I see the file real fast so I know what I’m working with?” You held out a hand to Hoyt, assuming that she had Sunny’s file in her hand in expectation of the interrogation, waiting for her to pass it to you.
The blonde glared at you, a hint of suspicion in her eyes, before glancing back at the man. “Beau, maybe we should slow down and think about this for a second. We might only get one shot at this so maybe—”
“Hoyt, my daughter has been kidnapped by a serial killer. She fits his MO to a tee and we need to find her before…” He pressed his lips together tightly before blowing out a breath. “Look, Denise has been taken too, my ex-wife is a mess of tears, Avery is dead, and I’m barely holding it together. Just let me do what I have to do to save my little girl. So give Y/N the damn file.” He spoke the last part through gritted teeth, signifying the end of his patience, and that appeared to shock Hoyt and Cassie. You assumed that this was a new side of Beau that they hadn’t seen before but his daughter’s life was on the line. What did they expect? If he hadn’t said anything, you would have snatched the damn folder out of Hoyt’s hands yourself. Precious time was being wasted with the useless pissing match she seemed intent on engaging in. 
Cassie recovered first. “Jenny.” She gave the blonde an encouraging nod.
Hoyt’s features tightened and her eyes were pure ice as she finally placed the folder into your waiting hand.
“Thanks.” You immediately started scanning the contents. After a minute or so, you felt you had a general understanding of Sunny and her history from the file in addition to things Beau had mentioned to you already. You had more than enough to be able to pull off what he needed you to do. You shut the folder and gave Beau and Cassie a nod. “Let’s do it.”
Cassie opened the door and led the way inside, followed by Beau and then you. Hoyt stared you down as you passed her but you couldn’t be bothered to care. Right now, your priority was the young girl whom you had watched grow up, who you had sat through a blistering hot, cheesy middle school graduation for — all to watch her walk across the stage in a cap and gown. Her life was on the line and you’d make sure she returned to Beau safely no matter what.
You weren’t in there long. You did exactly as Beau had intended for you to do. You teed him and Cassie up very nicely to get what they needed to. Not much time had passed before Sunny admitted she most likely knew where Buck went, especially when Cassie swooped in with the information that her son, Walter, was still alive despite Buck’s attempt to kill him.
Once you left the room, Cassie was intent on finding Sunny’s other son, Cormac, since Beau and Hoyt were going to drive Sunny to the location she had revealed. You were about to offer to do whatever was needed from you when you heard a loud cry erupt to your left. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a woman with dark hair rushing towards you. You barely turned in time for impact when Carla threw herself at you.
You held her as she cried, thanked you for coming, asked you to help find her daughter, mentioned her recently murdered husband, and just overall sobbed. This woman had been through one hell of an ordeal in the last few days. You couldn’t even imagine how torn apart you’d be if this were you, not to mention Carla was one of the most level-headed and toughest women you had ever met in your life. She was definitely tougher than you, and that was saying something considering you had seen some shit in your time. Now, seeing her reduced to tears like this, begging you to help save her little girl, to do whatever you had to in order to bring her baby back home to her…it turned your stomach and only added to the urgency of finding Emily and getting to her before that sick son of a bitch could hurt her. You hoped to hell he hadn’t already. Your stomach turned further at the thought and you could feel an all-too familiar fire that you kept a tight lid on when working cases that involved children… 
You forced yourself to let go of the thought. This was about Emily and her parents, not about you. Ignoring your experience that nagged at you and insisted that, due to the circumstances and the time already passed, there was a likelihood of a bad ending here, you swallowed past the lump forming in your throat and refocused your energy into trying to calm Carla down so you could help find her daughter.
It took Beau peeling her off of you and promising that you both were going to look for Emily right then to calm her slightly. She held onto Beau and you grabbed her hand, ignoring your training yelling at you in your head, and swore you would do everything you could to help bring her daughter back to her. 
“Y/N, Beau, please, you have to save her,” she begged. “Save our daughter!” She threw at Beau before Madge was able to lead her away. Watching her go, your jaw tensed as that fire from earlier threatened to return. You had the desire to find Buck and take the sick bastard down yourself.
Beau turned to you, his green eyes even more haunted than when you had first seen him, and that dulled the fire inside. No matter the anger you felt, it was nothing compared to what he must be feeling. You could only imagine the rage and hopelessness mixed with desperation that was swirling inside of him right now, and you knew exactly what he was thinking because you were thinking it, too. What if you couldn’t keep your promise to Carla? You shook your head to get rid of the thoughts. You wouldn’t think like that; those types of thoughts were useless. You needed to be at your best for him, for Carla, and more importantly, for Emily. Instead, you focused on the positives: you all had a lead right now, two in fact, and that was all that mattered.
You instinctively reached out and cupped his face with your hands, anchoring him as best you could. “Beau, listen to me,” you murmured. “You and Hoyt take Sunny to the spot she told you about. I’ll go with Cassie to find Cormac. Alright?”
He nodded, staring at you, and the movement forced a single tear to shake loose. You wiped it away discreetly before it could be seen and hugged him to you. “Go. Keep your phone on and if you need me, you call me. It’s going to be okay. We’re going to find her,” you whispered into his ear. 
You heard a sniffle in your ear. “Right, we’ll find her.” 
“And we’ll take down this sick son of a bitch,” you promised, pulling back to look him meaningfully in the eye. Come hell or high water, you had his back. 
Nodding again, he gave you a smile that was more of a grimace and placed a hand against your cheek. “Yeah, we will.” You reached up to give his wrist a squeeze.
“Beau.”
Both of you turned to see Hoyt and Cassie watching you curiously along with Madge and a deputy who you would come to find out to be Poppernak.
“We should go,” Hoyt insisted. 
Beau glanced back over at you, quietly clearing his throat and removing his hand. “Yeah.” His gaze snapped over to the other man, as if he had suddenly just had a thought. “Poppernak, get Y/N here a vest before she leaves. Get one for Cassie, too.”
“You got it, boss.” 
Poppernak walked away and Beau swung his head back to you. “You call me the second you get anything from Cormac.” At your nod, he laid a hand on your shoulder and lowered his head slightly to look you right in the eye. “Be careful.”
You couldn’t help but smile and say to him the thing you’d said to him every time he told you this in the past: “Always am.” His features softened the slightest bit at the familiar exchange between you. “Now, let’s go find your daughter and bring her home.”
“Yeah,” he breathed out and gave a sharp nod, what you had always called his game face filling his expression. Squeezing your shoulder, he released you and walked away. You watched him go and sure enough, the blonde’s glare entered your vision when she looked back over her shoulder while walking with him out the door. It was the same suspicious glare you’d been getting from her in the last hour, the same one you couldn’t help but notice when Carla had first launched herself at you. You knew then that whatever her reasons, she was going to be a problem for you. 
“Ready to go?” Cassie asked kindly.
You gave her a small smile. “Yeah. Let’s go get Em back.”
“And Denise,” she added.
“Right. Her, too.”
The both of you grabbed the vests Poppernak held out to you on your way out. 
Cormac had actually proven useful and he had thankfully led you to the correct location Emily was being held in. Beau had been practically inconsolable when he called you before that, thinking Emily had been killed in an explosion. Even though you had seen him at the worst times in his life, and had just seen him breaking down in front of you back at the station, you had never heard the pain that saturated his voice right then. You struggled not to break down in tears yourself. Laughter, football games in the Arlen yard, ice cream runs after particularly tough days at school, you teaching her how to make paella and her mom’s smile when Em proudly insisted she made it all on her own later at dinner that night, rides on the ferris wheel at the fair because her dad was too scared to take her but wouldn’t admit it — the memories of time spent with your favorite teenager assaulted you in rapid succession. You forced yourself to focus on Beau, to keep him from falling to pieces right then and there. You knew that’s why he had immediately called you, before he had to tell Carla. 
You were beyond grateful when a minute or two later someone interrupted your conversation to inform Beau that there was no evidence that Emily was in the explosion. The body they’d found appeared to be male. No Denise and no Emily. You had nearly fallen to your knees in relief right then, and you could only imagine how Beau must have felt. 
And soon enough, you, Cassie, and Cormac located both girls, very much alive, and freed them. Emily had held onto you, her young face streaked with dirt and tears, clearly traumatized from all that had taken place over the last week. It broke your heart to hear her terrified whimpers. When she first saw you, she had cried out your name and once you had her in your arms, she refused to let go of you, which was just fine by you. You were grateful she was alive and appeared to be unharmed, but you secretly wished you could have two minutes alone with Buck, that sick bastard who had done this to her. Hell, you wouldn’t have needed your gun at all. 
Beau and Hoyt showed up just as you were all stepping out into the sun and a huge lump formed in your throat when Emily finally let go of you to run to her dad. Seeing them embracing each other forced tears to run down your cheeks which you quickly wiped away. 
You were grateful to Cassie for that day. Her hunch about Cormac and her personal connection to him had helped get Emily back home safely. Not only had the two of you worked well together in that short span of time, but ever since then, you could see that she was good to Beau, and to Emily. Both Arlens had massive respect for her and you could see why Beau had spoken so highly of her before you came to Helena, and why he insisted on having her back professionally despite her being a private investigator. It was common knowledge that law enforcement didn’t always like having PI’s poking around cases, but Cassie had been given full access and assistance. You now saw why and you were thankful that Beau had such a good friend up here, someone who truly had his interests at heart as well as his daughter’s. And now you were also lucky enough to be able to call her your friend. There were many movie nights at Beau’s that were filled with light-hearted teasing and plenty of laughter since you’d settled into life in Montana.
As for Hoyt…well, things hadn’t really changed on that front. She certainly wasn’t a fan of yours, no two ways about it. 
You had gotten to know Poppernak a bit after you arrived but he was still in suck-up mode, so you decided to turn that to your advantage. It really didn’t take much to get it out of him; Hoyt had a thing for Beau, nothing you already hadn’t caught onto. Hell, she was practically all over him at his movie nights as well as anytime there was a meetup arranged at the local bar; if she wasn’t present for one reason or another, she was calling him constantly, either saying she needed a friend to talk to or it was under the guise of discussing ongoing cases. Beau never got a day off and there wasn’t one day he spent with Emily that didn’t get interrupted by a phone call from Hoyt. There had even been times he’d had to call you and ask you to take Em to a movie or keep her entertained because Carla was out and he had to go help the blonde on what should have been a case that a rookie fresh out of the academy could have handled. The kicker was that this was after what Em had been through, Hoyt knowing full well that Beau needed some time with his daughter after that ordeal. Not even you interrupted them, though both father and daughter had invited you to join them quite a few times.
At one point, you remembered the other thing Poppernak informed you about: rumors were circulating around the department that Beau and Hoyt were involved and had been secretly seeing one another. You knew Beau would have told you if he was seeing anyone, but it was no secret that Hoyt had appointed you as her archnemesis and you didn’t care for her at all. What if the rumors were right and Beau was too embarrassed to tell you? Or what if he thought it might make a bad situation worse? What if he wanted to find what he considered to be the right time to tell you? And if he was indeed seeing her, it would explain the incessant calls, the moon eyes, the distaste she had for you — all of it. The doubt continued to gnaw away at you and you didn’t sleep so well the first few nights after the talk with Poppernak. 
Finally, one day you asked Beau point-blank if anything was going on between him and Hoyt. Once he closed his gaping mouth and put his eyes back into his head, he assured you they were just friends and he was her boss. She had been through some ordeals herself and he was just trying to be there for her, to give her support when she needed it. Nothing more. You knew it was complete and utter bullshit or Beau wouldn’t have been so suddenly interested in the case file on his desk. A case file you knew had been sitting there for the past two days.
There was no way that Beau was ignorant of Hoyt's attraction to him. The woman practically had a flashing neon sign on her forehead every time she looked at him, not to mention she had pulled out all the stops to let him know she was very much interested. Beau was an affectionate person by nature so little touches here and there between you were par for the course with him if you were his best friend, as long as they were welcomed and didn’t cross any lines or make you feel uncomfortable. There wasn’t a single opportunity Hoyt didn’t take to get her hands on Beau or to get those little touches out of him. Of course he knew; he had to. All of this was so blatant, everyone else around them knew, too, hence the rumors swirling around the department. Even Carla knew, as she’d mentioned to you one afternoon, and if you thought you didn’t care for Hoyt, then the former Mrs. Arlen downright despised the woman. People who Beau and Hoyt didn’t know knew, as evidenced by a witness at a crime scene asking to speak to the sheriff’s girlfriend again. Yet, if he was willfully ignoring her consistently throwing herself at him, then there was nothing more you could say. To his credit, you had never seen him return any flirtation or interest, no matter how hard Hoyt was putting herself out there, before or after your conversation with him. 
There were a couple of times you discreetly noticed the hurt in Hoyt’s face when Beau chose to accompany you on a case, if he and Cassie were laughing together, or if he was extra tender with Carla when she would drop by the station to talk about Emily. It quickly became clear that this was more than a crush or some simple attraction; the blonde had serious feelings for your best friend. Knowing Beau the way you did and everything he’d been through the past few years, it shouldn’t surprise you if he was purposely putting blinders on when it came to this topic. Beau had dated some since his divorce, but he wasn’t ready to get serious with anyone. At least that’s what he’d told you time and time again, back in Houston and now here. It had taken him some time to get over his ex-wife and now Emily and his job were his top priorities. While deep down you might have a very tiny trace amount of sympathy for the blonde, Beau was the one who mattered to you in this equation. If Hoyt wanted to keep chasing after her emotionally unavailable boss, then that decision was on her. It wasn’t like Cassie hadn’t warned her, something the PI had mentioned to you one night after a few drinks while you both sat at a table, watching Hoyt pulling Beau onto the dance floor despite his clear reluctance. So if your best friend lived more comfortably in the land of Hoyt-is-just-being-extra-friendly-because-she-appreciates-my-friendship, then who were you to burst that bubble? 
It did bother you tremendously though to see Beau not putting up any kind of boundaries whatsoever with Hoyt even though they were sorely needed. So, in your own subtle way, from time to time, you tried to suggest he put one up… Maybe two. He would humor you and hear you out, but then he’d either pick up the phone the next time she called him on a day off or he’d refuse, saying she was in a fragile state right now and he couldn’t afford to put distance there when she needed his support. After a few instances of this craziness and Hoyt’s attitude with you grew, you stopped being subtle which resulted in arguments that turned into yelling matches, tense silences on the rare ride-along, slammed doors (usually at your place since a slammed door at Beau’s would most likely have knocked that thing over; Pedro’s door was a good replacement though—that thing may be old but it was strong like a tank), refusals to look at one another, crossed arms, and sometimes radio silence for a few days if the disagreement had reached a bad enough point. You were always professional when on the clock and you always resolved things eventually, but this was one sticking point neither of you budged from. You knew Beau was a good man and had a heart of gold, something you loved and respected about him, but he could sure be infuriatingly stubborn at times.    
And while you could admit Hoyt was a decent, hardworking cop, she was also a decent-sized, hardworking pain in your ass. You knew she’d be a problem for you and boy had she been. Her whole thing with the sheriff aside, it was no surprise that the source of her hostility towards you was the man himself, namely your friendship with him. You both were close and even though nothing had ever happened between you, it became clear that the blonde detested any familiarity or affection shown by either of you to each other. You thought it was ridiculous and you refused to change your relationship or how you did things just because she was eager for your friend to look at her the way she had been looking at him. In fact, whenever you were around, she turned her obvious coyness and see-through flirting attempts up a notch. Presently, as of a few weeks ago, Hoyt had taken to physically marking her territory, or what she considered to be hers, like her sitting on Beau’s desk—right next to him. She’d slide in beside him in your usual booth at The Boot Heel or she’d take the chair next to him during movie nights which would force you and Cassie to sprawl on the deck with a blanket, struggling to get comfortable on the hard wooden planks underneath. You fully expected one of these days to walk in on her jumping Beau right there in his office chair, something you hoped to hell you never did because you would never get that sickening image out of your head.
Sure, you had talked with Beau plenty of times about her open hostility. He had begged you to try to make peace which always made you laugh because you were not the intentional catalyst of all of the contention in this situation. 
“I have to make peace. Right,” you muttered, taking a sip of your beer that Beau had offered to you when you arrived at his place a couple of months back.
Beau threw his head back against his chair in disbelief. “I’m just asking you to maybe extend an olive branch. This thing between you two is killing me... And everyone else in the department.”
“Maybe you should tell your undersheriff to, I don’t know, act like an undersheriff?” You ignored Beau’s loud groan and continued. “Isn’t that what she’s supposed to do? Run the department while you’re out? My God, Beau, she can’t even go to the bathroom without your permission. You know that, right?”
“Y/N…”
“You and Em were supposed to go fishing last weekend with Cassie and Kai. I was going to take Carla out for the day to catch up and keep her mind off things while Em was gone. Remember that?”
You ignored Beau rolling his eyes. “Yes,” he begrudgingly admitted.
“And what happened?”
“Y/N, a case dropped. Alright? It happens. When a dead body pops up, I need to know about it.”
“Know about it, yes, not work it.” He turned to meet your unflinching gaze. “No more bullshit, Beau. You didn’t make it to Sheriff by being stupid. You’ve worked in a bigger department before, dealt with way more crime, and overseen a bigger force. All on your own. If this were anyone else, you’d have told them to do their goddamn job by now, or you’d get someone else to fill the spot. You’re making excuses for her and you’re holding her hand like she’s a damn 5 year old.”
Beau dug his teeth into his bottom lip, staring at you in thought. “I told you, she’s been through a lot these past two years.”
“And you haven’t? Cassie hasn’t? Your daughter and her mom? Really?”
He let out a deep breath and sipped from his bottle. “We all have. That’s why when one of us needs a hand, we give it without question. When one of us falls, no matter how often or how long it takes, we help them get back up, every single time.” 
You swallowed the argument on the tip of your tongue and sat back in your chair, staring down at your bottle and playing with the edge of the label. “Okay, Dr. Phil.”
A laugh erupted from the man and out of the corner of your eye, you saw him shaking his head. “I’m just saying we all help each other as best we can. If that means she needs help on a few cases, I’ve got her back.”
“I think you and Hoyt have very different ideas of what the word few means.”
“Y/N, if it was you, if it was Cass, I’d do the same thing. You know that. Look, she was there for me when Em was taken.” You did your best to hide your flinch but it must not have been well enough because his hand suddenly covered both of yours. “You all were,” he clarified. “I’m just trying to return the favor.”
“Sounds like you two are a lot closer than either of you let on,” you mentioned quietly.
When he didn’t respond to that, you snuck a glance up at him. His eyes were glued to you but after a minute, he retracted his hand and dropped his gaze to the deck. “We’re friends.”
You felt a weird sensation in your chest, like something fell into the pit of your stomach with those two words. Beau was a very direct person. He looked you in the eye, he shook your hand, and he didn’t bullshit. That meant if he wasn’t looking at you, if he was feeding you this same line of bullshit, you knew that wasn’t the entire truth. You weren’t sure if it hurt because your best friend was lying to you yet again, possibly still not trusting you with the truth, or if it was due to what he’d said. Either way, you refused to look at it too closely, not wanting this feeling to consume you as it seemed intent on doing. It was easier to put distance there in your mind, to tell yourself that Beau Arlen was a grown man and he could make his own decisions. You just wished he’d get involved with someone better suited for him, like Cassie. Granted, Cassie was with Cormac and they seemed happy, but why couldn’t Beau find his own version of Cassie? Someone who wouldn’t interrupt his time with his daughter, who wouldn’t selfishly absorb all of his time off, who didn’t physically embody the definition of clingy, and who wouldn’t treat his best friend like shit day in and day out?        
Honestly, you could care less about what Hoyt thought of you or how she acted towards you. For you, this was all a one-sided issue that Hoyt herself was making. You saw through her bullshit and you didn’t take her crap, and that infuriated the blonde. But what did she expect? After working a short stint in homicide in Manhattan and then with cartels, drug rings, and all sorts of other mess in Houston, very little had the power to intimidate you these days. Certainly not some little Miss Perfect whose work uniform appeared to consist of band t-shirts, leather jackets, and thick long heels as an undersheriff (how did that make for a successful running down of a suspect? seriously), who also batted her eyelashes at her boss and scowled at you from the moment Beau addressed your existence. You’d seen some things in your time and Helena’s runner-up for this Regina George wannabe was a mere speck on the windshield of shit on top of shit. You had no time for it. You just wished sometimes that Beau would stop trying to put it on your shoulders to do something about it, especially when he knew who the real culprit was.
And almost as if he had just heard your thoughts, he hit you with: “I’m asking you if you can be the one to reach out, Y/N, because I know I can rely on you. If I ask her… With Jenny, it’s complicated.”
“Not my problem,” you snapped out, taking another sip and refusing to look at him.
A very tense silence followed for the next few minutes as you both nursed your beers. You half-wondered if this night was going to end in yet another argument about a woman that wasn’t worth wasting a second over. This much disagreement was uncommon for both of you and you hated it. Oh, sure, you’d had your spats over the years but they were pretty minor and easily dissolved. And the silences… Usually, if a silence fell over the both of you, it was comfortable and felt overall peaceful. Not lately, which always seemed to follow a mention of Hoyt in some fashion.
You felt the all-too familiar burning in the corner of your eyes when you had the thought that had been getting louder and louder as more time passed: perhaps your transfer here had been a mistake. You didn’t regret being here to help when Emily was taken, but maybe once she was safely back home, you should have returned to yours. While Beau had made room for you in the department, there wasn’t really a place for you here; as much as you enjoyed spending time with your favorite family and new friends like Cassie, the person you had dropped everything and moved across state lines for was on the other side of a huge chasm that hadn’t been there before his move up north. It was growing every single day and you had no idea how to stop its progress or bridge the gap. You did your job well and deep down, you knew you would be more efficient elsewhere. You settled into the Montanan lifestyle as best you could but you had to admit to yourself that you knew it wasn’t a perfect fit. The more time passed, the more and more you believed your decision to be a mistake. The man you cared most about in this world had called you, told you he needed you, and you jumped without hesitation, not sparing a single thought or even looking to see where you’d land. Were you really that surprised that things were turning out this way? And every single time Hoyt threw hostility your way, it reinforced what you already knew to be true, the very message she had been sending you these past six months: you didn’t belong here. You turned your head to the side to discreetly wipe away a tear that had managed to escape and you took a breath to prevent any more, telling yourself to get it together.  
You waited for your eyes to clear, to push back down the swell of emotions inside you, and took one last sip of your beer. Just as you were about to announce it was time for you to head home and thank him for the drinks, Beau spoke up. “See that?”
You glanced up to where he was pointing and caught the tail end of a shooting star. A small smile formed on your face as you took in the night sky. You had never seen anything like that before. That was one thing you’d give Montana. It was hard to believe but the sky was so different compared to Texas and definitely not the same as New York. Everything up here was so clear and beautiful. Big Sky Country indeed. 
One night you, Beau, and Cassie had taken to trying to pick out as many constellations as you could find on Cassie’s smartphone. You were not completely successful but there were a lot of laughs as you all tried your best and then there had even been a very interesting conversation about UFOs and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. That had been a night for the books, especially when you and Cassie broke out into fits of drunken giggles when you grabbed Beau’s nose and made a weird mix of a boop and honking sound when you all discussed how you would greet aliens should they ever show up but were not hostile towards humanity. Beau had merely rolled his eyes in good humor and promptly cut you and Cassie off for the rest of the night, taking car keys from the both of you.
“A shooting star,” you whispered in amazement. “I think you’re supposed to make a wish on them, right? Did you make one?” You kept searching the sky, hoping to see another one so you could do just that. The other one was too fast and you desperately wanted to wish that things would get better and you could make your new home work like you had in Houston. The thought immediately saddened you when you remembered how a certain Texan and his family had helped in that department. You swallowed the lump back down and kept watching the sky, hoping like hell the universe would help you out just this once. Just one more. You weren’t wanting a meteor shower to suddenly happen of course, though that would be amazing to witness. You made a mental note to yourself to google it later to see when and where you could see one.
“Already did.”
Your brows furrowed at his response and you turned to find him watching you closely, almost as if he was waiting for you to realize what that wish had been. When you did, you scoffed and got to your feet, second shooting star and your wish be damned. “I’m not doing the olive branch thing so you can forget it. Not even some small rock from outer space is going to force me to do that one.” You stretched, feeling slightly more energetic than you had a moment ago, most likely due to the irritation you were currently experiencing. “Well, this has been fun but I should head home. Thanks for the beer.”
A hand pulled the nearly empty bottle out of yours and another dug into your jeans pocket, pulling your keys out before you could react. “Beau, what the— I’m fine.”
“Uh huh. Listen, you know the deal. You need to sober up before you leave.”
“I’m not drunk! I’m not even tipsy!”
Beau shot you a look. “It’s late. There’s a possible ice warning for later tonight. You’re staying.”
“I have work tomorrow!”
“Good thing you have such an understanding boss then, huh?” He gave you a wink which made you roll your eyes and fold your arms across your chest.
“If you’re so worried about my blood alcohol level, maybe don’t serve alcohol when I come over?”
“What, and miss great moments like…” He reached up and grabbed your nose, making the same boop-honking sound you had made weeks ago. 
You pushed his hands away. “First of all, that is not what I sounded like. Secondly, I’m no lightweight. You know that. How many times have I drunk you under the table?”
He lifted a finger and opened his mouth to argue but then thought it over. “Good point.” You gave an approving nod. “But that was one time, in San Antonio.” He was referring to the day trip you had taken so you could visit the Alamo. You had never been and when you mentioned it, he insisted on being your guide. Carla and Emily were supposed to go as well but the latter had gotten sick so her mom stayed home with her. Beau didn’t want to leave Emily and you were willing to reschedule but Carla insisted you both still go. When you visited a bar later on, Beau issued a little friendly drinking competition between the two of you, as long as one of you was still sober enough to drive home. He had been convinced he would emerge victorious; he was wrong. That had been a long ride on the I-10. By the end of the night, Carla had her hands full with two sick people, each having their own trash baskets by their bedsides. It took some time but she eventually forgave you.
You held up two fingers. “Twice actually. You didn’t really think I’d let you forget Austin’s birthday party at that place in downtown Houston, did you?”
The man winced. “Alright, alright. Twice.” You nodded in approval. “Now, all the talk about drinking aside, you did just remind me how my time with people I care about has been interrupted quite a bit lately. Even if you’re set to drive, just stay. We can watch a movie and you can have the bed.”
A part of you wanted to accept but the other part wanted to retreat to your sanctuary, where you could break down in tears or mope around in peace. “I don’t really want to spend another night in the tin can,” you whined. “My bed is so much more comfortable and I feel it calling to me right now…” You glanced longingly in the direction of the road.
Beau’s jaw dropped. “Tin can? Between you and Em, I swear… Why can’t my girl get any respect around here?”
“Because you refer to it as a girl. You know how I feel about that.” Another eye-roll. “Beau Arlen, you keep rolling those eyes of yours at me, they’re going to fall out of your head. You just wait.”
“Sure they will.” He laid an arm around your shoulders, pulling you in closer and giving you a smirk. You couldn’t help but lean into him, hoping to feel that closeness between you again even if it was only physically. “What if I whip out some marshmallows? Whaddya say?”
“Are you really trying to bribe me to spend the night? With a gooey, sugary, yet very deliciously fluffy confectionery treat, no less?”  
“Is it working?”
You shrugged though deep down you knew it was. Marshmallows over a fire were your kryptonite and the son of a bitch knew it. “Tell me you have graham crackers and some chocolate that’s not expired, and you’ve got a deal.”
He beamed at you like a kid seeing wrapped presents under the tree on Christmas morning, making your heart feel a little lighter. How could you say no to that?
A few s’mores and quite a few more beers later, you were snuggled into his side, rapidly falling asleep. He had insisted you sit with him in his chair so you could both huddle under his one blanket for warmth on the cold night. Your drunken giggles may have made a reappearance as he worked to adjust the both of you for maximum blanket coverage but you would never admit to it if ever questioned in open court. You swore you’d buy him a few more blankets, especially when the thought popped into your head that there was a possibility that he and Hoyt had cuddled and done God knew what else under that thing. You’d even tried to wiggle it off of you since the thought took root in your stomach and soured (or maybe that was the beer), but Beau kept tucking it around you and pulling you closer until you finally gave up and settled against him with a sigh. The sound of his heartbeat and his deep voice as he spoke to you lulled you into slumber almost immediately. You thought you felt his lips brush against your forehead and you could have sworn he said something akin to “Definitely came true” but you had practically drunk your weight in beer and you were exhausted from the late hour as well as all of the roiling emotions inside of you so you couldn’t be sure it wasn’t something you dreamt instead. When you woke up with a massive headache the next day, alone in Beau’s bed with the blanket completely wrapped around you while the man snored from the couch, a dream was definitely what you chalked it up to.
And now here you were, yet again, at another impasse over the insufferable pain in your ass named Jenny Hoyt. The woman barely interacted with you, preferring to act like you didn’t exist or to silently glare at you from across the room, and she wasn’t even here, but somehow there she was, always in between the two of you. It really made you miss the old days, back before things went to shit for Beau in Houston. Back when things were a lot less complicated. 
“Davis is booking Webb so I’ll go finish up the paperwork.” You turned to head towards the door.
“Y/N,” Beau sighed, giving you a pleading look.
“Thanks for the talk. I’ll catch you later.” You sent a forced smile his way and slowly spun out the door, closing it behind you. Passing by Poppernak on your way to your desk, you snatched a muffin right out of his hand. 
“Hey! That’s the only blueberry from the bag. Madge got the other.”
“That sucks,” you teased before breaking off a piece of the top and tossing it into your mouth. “I thought you liked chocolate chip, anyway.”
“Nah, not anymore. It gives me bad heartburn,” he confirmed sadly.
You couldn’t help but arch a brow at him. “And blueberry doesn’t?”
He shrugged. “Not as much.”
With a roll of your eyes, you tossed the muffin back at him and he caught it with a bright smile. You slipped the paper out of your back pocket and punched a familiar number into your phone.
“Who are you calling?”
“Your mother, Pepper Snaps.” Poppernak frowned over at you. You couldn’t blame him; you were being a total crankpot. It wasn’t just your recent conversation with Beau or Hoyt’s attitude or even your most recent case. You hated that you had to sit at a desk in the middle of a busy station while Beau and Hoyt got to have their own offices. Normally, you wouldn’t care, but when it came to phone calls or conversations best kept away from prying eyes and overeager ears, it was frustrating. You weren’t a deputy — you had as much authority as Hoyt, and Beau had made that perfectly clear to the department when you started (though you had a different title due to politics and budgetary reasons). Due to lack of room, however, you were forced to share a space with them, your deskmate being Poppernak. Not that you minded but damn the rest of the department could be so nosy sometimes. When you noticed a couple of other deputies watching you, you asked loudly, “Can’t a girl get some privacy around here?” All of them looked away, not willing to enter into yet another glaredown with you. They never emerged victorious in those encounters, even Miller who could be a real jerk when he wanted to be. They had all learned very quickly in your first week that you could hold your own and you could go endless rounds with the best of them. You could stand the heat and before long, it would be your kitchen and they’d be burnt to a goddamn crisp or running for the door. 
“Mind your muffin,” you grumbled to Pops.
When the line connected and the operator asked you who you were trying to contact, you cupped your hand over the mouthpiece and asked for the department you needed. While you were being transferred, Pops arched his eyebrows at you in question since he had overheard you because no damn privacy.
You let out a sigh in resignation and shook your head. “I’m following up on a case. It’s nothing.”
“Sure sounds like something,” Pops said through a mouthful of muffin.
Giving him a look, you sat back in your chair and listened patiently to the public information that substituted what normally would be hold music. You thought back to your ride over to the station and what Webb had said while in the back of your car. You may have pushed the right buttons to get him to open up and say enough to help you make the decision you just made, but you didn’t have any evidence that anything he’d mentioned was the truth. Still, you knew what you saw and you knew what your instincts were telling you. Like Beau said, you couldn’t get involved but that didn’t mean you couldn’t do something.
A few minutes later, after consistently turning Webb’s words over and over in your mind and listening to the same public safety message for the twelfth time, someone finally answered.
“Agent Sanchez? It’s Y/N Y/L/N. Not sure if you remember me from the Carter case last year. How’ve you been?” Carter had been an escaped convict that a manhunt had been on for last year, and it had been an all hands on deck situation. You and your partner had been stuck with Sanchez and this other dickish agent whose name wasn’t even worth remembering, but you and Sanchez had gotten along well enough to help get the job done. In the end, Carter had been apprehended and dumped back in prison thanks to the cooperation and joint efforts of all of the agencies involved.
You made a little small talk and then you got right to the point. “Listen, do you happen to have any contacts in the branch office in Montana? You do? Do you think you could put me in touch? I have a case up here that I think one of their departments might want to take a look at.”
Sanchez gave you the name and number of his contact, told you to keep him updated, and let him know if you needed anything else. He also mentioned you should call him to go for a drink next time you were in town. Remembering the wedding ring he had been sporting, you gave him a vague but polite noncommittal, thanked him, and promptly hung up. You glanced up to find Pops staring at you wide-eyed.
“What?”
He glanced around, seeming unsure, and then leaned in closer. “Does the boss know you’re doing this? Because if Hoyt finds out you’re pulling the Feds into this, she’s going to—”
You held up a hand after you dialed the next number and unfolded the paper from your pocket, looking at the information you needed. “Pops, let me stop you right there. I spoke to the sheriff already about this case. What Hoyt does or doesn’t do, doesn’t concern me, and the same goes for her where I’m concerned. Understood?”
Poppernak shook his head and leaned back. “Okay but it’s your head if she finds out. Just warning you.”
You gave him a wide grin right before the line connected once again. “She can try.”
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saelterlude · 15 days
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lc musical clip list pt.4! i'm calling this one, the birthday special!!
(pt.1, pt.2, pt.3, and pt.5 here)
Why is this the birthday special, well because of this:
51. 28/02/2024, Happy BDay Guo Hongxu! I don't usually upload promovid but uhh he's so cool in this one so, here. Sidenote, Shu Rongbo is very hyper and cute this performance. And Qian Anqi's cute english plss i love her.
52. 03/03/2024 night, Happy BDay Zuo Yiping! Watch also, Cao Muzhi penguin walk across the table, Wu Yihan please watch your steps and don't poke other people's cake!!
(funny coincidence, I happen to watch a Santa Lucia/Mio Fratello clip of Cao Muzhi-Wu Yihan just a couple days before this)
53. 10/03/2024 night, Happy Bday Shu Rongbo and Wu Yihan!! Hehe the way Qian Anqi knocks their heads together and insisted to sing them happy birthday is so cute. Wu Yihan said 'Happy Birthday' before their customary Guiding Light hug. And pls someone translate (or at least transcribed) the closing speech for me, there's a lot of laughing involved, I'm curious. Also, have this bonus stage door clip.
Some funfacts. Since last year they play in the same 4 musicals including Link Click and out of those 4 plays they shared 2 roles. Shu Rongbo played a total of 9 roles while Wu Yihan played 7. (Yes, I am at that level of hyperfixation)
54. 11/03/2024, HBD Teng Chunpeng! LMAO It's you, so of course your promo video would be great! His face during the sofa choreo though. And why are both him and Du Guangyi stomping and jumping on the table so hard. You menaces, please you're gonna break it. The couch trio is also looking cute behind them.
Moving on from the birthdays starting with this special one,
55. 11/03/2024 Valentine's day special, <- Official ver. Forgive my language TENG CHUNPENG DU GUANGYI YOU FCKING TEASE! YOU GEM OF A HUMAN BEING! Have this fancam with the superior angle.
(This makes Du Guangyi the first and only actor who have played all 3 roles in that scene. Congrats!)
56. Special Encore rehearsals/BTS! Special mentions to Teng Chunpeng's fashion sense, Wu Yihan's cute act, Ding Xingchen's falling wig, Zhang Jiahao's IDGAF mood, and Wang Minhui's violent tendencies.
57. 26/02/2024, when I say Cai Qi and Wang Minhui have the best dynamic, this is what I meant.
58. 29/02/2024, watch Ji Xiaokun and Guo Hongxu's "Oi!" "Oi."
59. 01/03/2024, Look at them stumbling through singing "Guiding Light" and it's a Wu Yihan-Shu Rongbo duo which means hug! Also Wu Yihan, why are you a menace at holding hands, this time with Zou Ziyue.
60. 03/03/2024 day, why is there a piglet??? Why are you seasoning the piglet??? Why are you stepping on the piglet?? Why is the piglet bowing?? piglet??
61. 04/03/2024, Bai Zhuoming being extra sassy and playful on the couch makes me so happy. Of course Cai Lu also becomes playful in response. Typical Guiding Light mistake also causes Wang Minhui to crack.
62. 07/03/2024, Guo Hongxu putting up the wrong foot and stumbling on the sofa choreo.
63. 07/03/2024, same performance as above, Ji Xiaokun being annoying <3. When other pairs hug, they wrestle.
64. 10/03/2024 day, Mooom! Cai Qi and Wang Minhui are fighting instead of doing rock-paper-scissors again.
65. 09/03/2024 day, uuuhh Wu Yihan sitting on the counter like that with those lights and shadows during Guiding Light is creepy.
66. 09/03/20204 night, love me some Du Guangyi shenanigans, the way he just gives up on the handshake and walk off the table plss and him teasing Deng Xianling during the closing speech. Speaking of, she brings out the bat and forces their arms to form the heart. Then there's Bai Zhuoming being cute and the little shimmy dance he does.
67. 09/03/2024 night, bonus to the one above. Du Guangyi last minute adlib was unexpected but very enjoyable. Also, I love the contrast between his and Bai Zhuoming's tutting.
That's all for now!
Bonus clip with Bai Zhuoming! The song "Number 7" from "Fan Letter" musical is really good, I'm obssesed. But special performance where they're joined by their alternate cast? And his alternate cast is, Shu Rongbo? Even better!! They're kinda in their own world too. Here's a close up. Their voices go so well together!
(I swear they're playing something on that paper, and that makes it 3 musicals I know where they share the same role. Is it time I made a venn diagram?)
so at which point do i admit this brainrot is slowly but surely turning from linkclick focused to actor focused?
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fantasy-mixtapes · 2 days
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❄️ Lucy Frostblade ❄️
Fantasy High Junior-Year Mini-Playlist
It's blizzarding where I am, so I've decided it's the perfect time to post my first Fantasy High NPC playlist. Lucy has been captivating my little theorist mind for weeks now, and God, I have so many feelings about her. A lot of the situations that I have this playlist highlighting are very much headcanons/theories about who she was, her relationships, and the events leading up to her death. (also, they are all winter-themed. None of them are explicitly "holiday," but one is holiday adjacent, as it comes from Sufjan Steven's holiday album and is inspired by Christmas, though it is instrumental)
Genres: Alternative, Folk, Instrumental
Vibes: Moody, Introspective, Spiraling, Winter
SPOILERS AND THEORIES BELOW
1. Winter is Blue, Vashti Bunyan
Winter is blue Living is gone Some are just sleeping In spring, they'll go on Our love is dead Nothing but crying Love will not find even One more new morning Why must I stay here Rain comes I'm sitting here Watching love moving Away into yesterday
Vashti Bunyan is a name in folk that you need to know. She's 79, and she's still writing amazingly gorgeous music. This one comes from my personal winter solstice mix that I've had since high school, so every year when wintertime rolls around, this song is always one that I am vibing to. I think the way it gets at this really soft sadness is perfect for lucy and how she worked with her goddess.
2. If Winter Ends, Bright Eyes
I dreamt of a fever one that would cure me of this cold, winter-set heart With heat to melt these frozen tears burned with reasons as to carry on Into these twisted months I plunge without a light to follow But I swear that I would follow anything Just get me out of here
Ok, this ties into a theory I have. We were only told a few things about Lucy in her introduction but one of the things that was reiterated several times by Brennan as Yolanda Badgood was that she was deeply sad/depressed. And part of that comes with the territory of her god, Ruvina, whose domain includes sadness, coldness, and winter.
Lucy, before her death, tries to switch her god (whether of her own volition or not) to Ankarna. Ankarna, as we found out, is a sibling of Ruvina and a Summer god, which might also put them originally as a god of joy and warmth- acting as a foil to Ruvina's sadness. So maybe part of the motivation that Lucy had to switch gods was to find something that could bring her out of her depression.
What confirms this to me is that in the d20 mid-season recap, after they show Kristen talking with Yolanda about Lucy, they end it with a clip of Ally as Kristen."Was it to something more positive?"
3. Winter Wonderland, Animal Collective
Mold of the fawn I have been frozen there for days With headlights reflecting in my face I must be cold on your lawn But inside I'm okay I can live without your time Where snowmen never melt Instead, they all went shy And if you don't believe in fantasy Then don't believe in fantasy Do you not believe in fantasy because it gets you down? If you don't believe it's raining I won't tell you that it's raining Do you not believe it's raining just because it gets you down? And if you don't believe in happiness Then don't believe in happiness If you don't believe in happiness then man you must be down If you don't believe you're dying I won't tell you that you're dying But do you not believe you're dying just because it gets you down?
You can find my thoughts on this song here!
4. The Incarnation, Sufjan Stevens
(instrumental)
This song I picture playing under the miracle Kristen performs, releasing the souls of Lucy and Yolanda in the forest. It is truly gorgeous, and I think the reverence and mystery in it is perfect for a miracle of doubt
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tornoleander · 3 months
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Ninjago but only when Men are whimpering update
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So 446/6666
HAhh might not reach it and I’m sure as hell not posting before it.. But I wanted to prepare just in case and yeah collecting clips from season, six was worse then I expected.
BUT, I HAVE completed and refined my clips from Skybound!
Half of the clips were added through gritted teeth.
Sitting there like SHIT that was a whimper sorry about you being adopted and Nia being dead and that’s real uncomfortable. The sanctity, and fairness of the whimpering competition is at stake here. 😬
6 1/2 fucking minutes I cannot refine it more without compromising quality. I even watched it over a few extra times, to cut stuff down. But this is what happens for a Jay centered season.
I’ll watch hands of time when I’m a lot closer to the goal because that seasons pretty chill.
Also, for the future Poll it will be who whimpers the SECOND most I’ll tell you right now Jay has WON.
Idk how by how much but He’s jumped for 1/4 to 3/4 of the clips there’s no way HoT has even a fraction of a chance of putting anyone else ahead. 
So FAR in the future pole will be 
Kai vs Cole vs Zane vs Lloyd
For S6 and 7
I don’t mind waiting long term because I have a lot of plans in the meantime >:)
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my-mt-heart · 6 months
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My take on "why does Daryl agree to escort the kid" is that it's out of necessity. I have no idea if he'll truly bond with Laurent in latter episodes, but Daryl doesn't find him endearing or think the kid is the Messiah when he agrees.
In fact, Daryl has left the convent when the goons roll up to the gates, but he's still near enough to see that they're in trouble. Despite sweeping changes to his character, Daryl isn't that much of an ass, so he returns to conveniently save Laurent, Isabelle and the token POC character.
When they've buried the dead and sit around the fireplace, Daryl knows the three of them have to leave the convent. Before, he'd told Isabelle to stay put, that they'd been safe for years and they'd be foolish to give that up. Now, they don't have a choice and Daryl knows that by themselves, they'll die on the road, so he agrees to escort them in exchange for getting to the port.
He doesn't like the kid and has already called him creepy, which isn't like Daryl, but he's not so much of an asshole that he'll send a child out to certain death. The kid has zero useful skills, less survival instinct and is gifted with no common sense. He speaks like senior citizen and acts like a kindergartner.
That's my take on the agreement after premiere and for the record, I have watched the episode. More than once, even. Not because it's good, but because I was searching for subtext that isn't there.
Thank you for giving us your perspective. Daryl telling Isabelle her nephew was "creepy" was one of the three clips I watched from the premiere and I found it very off-putting for someone we know has been a father figure to kids of different ages already. I'm not saying Daryl should treat Laurent like one of his own because he's not one of his own. It's a transactional relationship like you said, but at the same time, it felt like Zabel regressed him all the way back to season 1 Daryl who had no idea how to respond to kids. The only difference is he doesn't sound like an angry redneck anymore, he just sounds like (insert stoic hero from action movie here). Once again, it makes me wary Zabel has no understanding of Daryl's character and no allegiance to characters like Carol, Judith, Lydia, etc. who helped shape Daryl into the person he was by the flagship's series finale.
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sio-writes · 11 months
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Sacrifice - Ch. 7
<<Chapter 6
<<<Chapter 1 (written in second POV)
This chapter got so long I had to split it into 2 parts! I'm mostly done with part 2 so that should be up soon :>
I don’t sleep next to Aurelius that night. Instead, I toss and turn in the short windowsill until the morning light begins to crest over the treeline. When I wake, there’s a stack of books on the floor by my head that I most definitely didn’t put there, and laying on top of them is a flat, circular pendant attached to a chain.
Inside the pendant is a ruby, about as wide as my littlest fingernail, cut and polished so it shines in the morning sun. The ruby alone could fetch enough coin for the year, and the gold chain is nothing to scoff at either, and it’s being presented to me…as a gift? An apology? Nothing in this world comes without a cost, a fact that churns my stomach as I think of the possible reasons Aurelius would leave this for me.
So I set the necklace back on the stack of books, and try to push it out of my mind. It’s time for the chores I don’t need to do. But anything is better than stewing in my own thoughts for longer than a moment.
Mortimer bleats happily when he sees me, or more accurately sees the bag of grain I’m carrying to the feeding trough, and he trots beside me as I pour it for the other goats, all used to my schedule by now and expecting me. They all bleat happily and gently butt my legs before burying themselves in the grain. There's a little one that I haven't seen before that's been added to the mix, trotting behind one of the adults like it's the goat's kid. I'm filled with a mixture of care and horror for how the kid made it here at all, a feeling that I push down as I watch it hop happily from one adult to the other. 
Mortimer continues at my side as I make my rounds and greet all the animals, and I’m curious to know if he’s picking up on my mood. I should probably start giving the rest of them names now that I can tell them all apart, but naming something feels like a huge undertaking here. Maybe another time.
After feeding the animals, I take the time to brush them out. They of course don’t need it, and nearly every stroke shoots golden dust into the air and makes me sneeze, but I need to do something. Anything. 
I’m walking in circles looking for things to do as the morning turns into afternoon. I sweep the barn, adjust the fence’s tilted beams, play with the dogs until I’m short of breath, and then check everything once again. I move hay into the stores for tomorrow’s feeding, haul sacks of grain back and forth for the goats, I even check the barn for seeds to plant. It’s not the right season, but that doesn’t seem to matter here.
It’s anything to distract my mind from last night. Keep me as far away from having to think about it as possible. I set to trimming hooves instead of returning to Dachaigh for luncheon. I’ve been out here so long that the animals are beginning to avoid me, but I’m fizzling with energy, and I don’t know where to put it, so it goes into chores. 
No thinking allowed.
I chase down the shaggy dark gray goat and sit her in front of me. I could run to the human cottage and back three times. In my mad scramble to burn this energy away, I had paused at the beginning of the path, right at the edge of the wood. I’d gone with full intentions to visit the cottage, but stepping onto the path had shot a cold chill down my spine. I knew if I stepped onto the path that I may never return
I clip at an angle and the goat beneath me jumps as golden ichor, shimmering like Aurelius’ black blood, spots the grass. I curse under my breath as she trots away.
“Sorry!” I call to her, and she doesn’t respond. Mortimer gently butts my leg with his horns and bleats, as he’s been doing all day to egg me on, and I feel my resolve break.
“Shut up!” I snap at him, and he stops, rearing back, and turns his head away. 
Regret, heavy and thick, replaces my stores of energy. I reach out to pet him, stopping halfway when he eyes me warily. My hand hovers above his head, and for a long moment everything stills, until he closes the distance and lets me run my fingers through his fur.
“I’m sorry, Mortimer,” I sigh, nose burning with the start of tears. “I just don’t know what to do.”
I continue to pet Mortiner as tears trace lines down my cheeks. I cry in frustration, in anguish, in pain. There's nowhere I can go that I won't be found, Aurelius made sure of that. I stupidly agreed to have a beacon printed into my skin for the rest of my days. Perhaps if I got far enough away, it would take him longer to reach me. He’s mentioned that there’s things even he can’t do, so would he still be able to track me halfway across this world?
I shake my head at myself. No, that’s stupid. He can teleport. So he’ll bring me back and likely chain me to the wall for a thousand years.
After wiping my eyes on my sleeves, I pull my knees into my chest and rest my chin over my folded arms. In the distance is the barn, empty save for the foodstuffs I give to the animals, never diminishing in quantity no matter how much I take out.
The animals have all gotten as far away from me as they can, save for Mortimer who remains at my side. I’ve exhausted the morning with menial tasks, and I have nothing left to do— I’m certainly not going back into Aurelius’ house—so I wander into the empty barn. 
I don’t come in here often, the animals prefer to graze and sleep outside, but the air inside is cool if a little stale, and the structure sturdy enough for me to climb up to the loft. The climb up reminds me of Aurelius’ room, with its huge stained glass window and the nest he sleeps in. It also reminds me of the first time I slept with him during that thunderstorm.
Pushed into the corners of the loft is hay, squared off and tied up, and I fall onto my back on the lowest bale to stare at the ceiling of the barn. There’s a circular window on the wall of the loft, and pale sunlight streams in and cuts through the damp air. Yellow light highlights every mote of dust that crosses its path, and I trace their lilting movements with my eyes as my thoughts spiral with them.
Aurelius told me he loved me last night, and part of me, a small yet impossible to ignore part, is overjoyed. I want this, I want him. I want him to shower me in affection instead of barely dolling it out, I want his gifts, conversation, his attention. I want to hold his hand and learn magic and sleep with him without being carried away the next morning. It feels like any chance I had for that life is ruined now. And I wonder, was that ever my fate in the first place?
I slam my fist back into the hay beneath me, where it sinks in and presses needle-like points into my skin. The flash of pain works to center my mind, calm the raging storm within me, and I trace more dust motes with my eyes as I pass the rest of the morning doing nothing.
***
I wander out of the barn and to the edge of the woods. The canopy is so thick I can barely see past the treeline. The branches sway in the breeze, offering me glimpses through the leaves of the forest beyond, and I see healthy underbrush and smaller trees trying to make their way to the sky, movement that suggests there's small animals flitting between the bushes and new growth.
It's quiet and inviting, like I could lose myself in my wanderings, like the forest is beckoning to me. I want to step inside and explore. As if on its own, my legs move me forward, towards the darkness and the unknown, until something else catches my attention. It's the smell of cooking food, meats and oil, pepper and onion and garlic mixed in too. The smell pulls me from the edge of the woods, away from the dark and back towards the barn, getting stronger as I wrap around the side that faces Aurelius' home.
I round the corner and stop, seeing a massive nest dug into the ground, the grass gathered and pushed to the sides of a dug-out hole large enough for me to walk in. It's a rabbit's burrow, the largest I've ever seen, and also the source of the smell. I would be a fool to walk inside without knowing who lives in here, but another waft of that delicious meal hits my nose and my stomach urges me to seek it out. It’s nearly lunchtime, and in my hurry to remove myself from Aurelius’ line of sight, I’d skipped breakfast.
I take a few steps down before I realize what I'm doing. This could be a trap, with a fae waiting to eat me up. This burrow just appeared out of thin air, there could be anyone down there, and it would be a massively stupid move to just wander in expecting food.
I'm halfway out of the hole once more when a woman's voice calls from the darkness, "Well, come on, dear! Soup won't eat itself!"
I recognize that voice, it sounds like the rabbit that Aurelius was speaking with the other day. I can't remember her name, but I remember the two were friendly, and she called him by another name. She seemed very open, matronly, she didn't disregard me or brush me off. Maybe she can help me.
The burrow is tall enough I can walk upright, made of tightly packed dirt with the occasional root sticking through. This must be the rabbit’s home, and as I wander further down and lose track of where I may be in relation to the surface, I wonder how I'd never noticed this before. This burrow is massive, surely I couldn’t have just overlooked it. 
I come to a split in the path, two equally branching tunnels, the left leading to darkness, the right with a warm light pouring from a bend in the path. Taking the path to the right leads me into a large room, split in half by a supporting beam into a kitchen and a dining room, and beyond the dining room is a small living room with a connecting hallway. Sitting at the dining table are three rabbits the size of a human child, all varying colors. The closest to me is white with black spots, the middle is the color of hay, and the third is purple with yellow splotches. They're huddled together, noses nearly touching, speaking in hushed tones, and the moment I walk in they all sit up to stare at me, ears raised.
Movement in the kitchen catches my eye, and from the pantry, out steps that same giant rabbit fae from several days ago, still the same creamy tan with that white belly. Her enormous black eyes are fixed on the spice jar in her hands as she walks to the biggest pot of soup I’ve ever seen simmering on the stove. I can feel the heat of it from across the room, along with the smell of meat and vegetables. My mouth waters as another waft of the brew hits my face, and I take a measured inhale through my nose just to keep the scent lingering. I haven’t had any meat in probably a year. The animals on the farm back home were too old and sick, and Dachaigh only provides me with fruits and the occasional basket of eggs. Not chicken eggs though, they’re smaller, colored a pale orange and covered in odd bumps. Aurelius hasn’t been around long enough for me to ask about them, so I’ve yet to attempt cooking any. The sensate memory of eating my mother’s perfectly cooked roast on All Saint’s Day hits me like a strong wind, making my stomach growl.
One of the rabbit’s large ears flicks, turning in my direction, but she doesn’t turn from the pot as she tips the spice jar over the soup and flourishes it like a garnish. “Well go on, sit down.”
I step over to the dining table, where the three little rabbits have continued their conversation, now peppered with occasional glances towards me. I can hear them just fine, but they’re speaking in a tongue I don’t know, and I tense with the tug of anxiety at my chest. It’s very rude to barge in on a family meal, I’d be taking away from what she prepared for her…children? But something drew me here, something told me to come. So I step into the dining room and sit on an empty chair, across from the smaller but still huge rabbit children.
The children continue talking in that hushed, foreign language, and I do my best not to stare at them as we all wait for their mother to finish the stew. Upon closer inspection, I see that each tablecloth, all the drink coasters and the cushions of every chair are hand-stitched, hand crocheted, each of them a labor of love that must've taken hours. I run my fingers over the edge of the closest place setting, counting the stitches as I go, one-two-three, not a missed loop among them. They're decorated with motifs from the forest - mushrooms and ferns, trees of all size and shape, squirrels and birds and even several tiny rabbits. On the edge I see a cottage that looks like the changeling cottage, and even a wide, squat tree in the distance that resembles Aurelius' home.
I wish I had the patience for such crafts. The only version of this I enjoy is sewing, but even then my mind is limited in what it pays attention to. Embroidery has always been a chore, and lacework puts me to sleep. I need more immediate fruits of my labor, which makes me appreciate the craftmanship of this home even more.
It's a short moment before the large rabbit steps out of the kitchen with her huge pot. It's almost as big as she is and I stand to offer help, until I see that she's not carrying the pot at all. It's hovering off the floor, carried by magic that spills golden dust onto the carpet. It lifts itself onto the large table and following it are several bowls and spoons that float in front of myself and each of the rabbit children.
I fiddle with my hands in my lap as the large rabbit serves us, slapping my hand away when I attempt to serve myself, and the children dig in without a second thought. The stew smells heavenly, the base is a rich red from the tomatoes used to make it, with chunks of potato and carrot and meat coming to the surface as she stirs.
“So what brings you out here?” she asks, and I notice that like Aurelius, her mouth doesn't move as she talks, hers only generally opens and closes like she's slowly chewing something. 
"You told me to come in," I mutter, rubbing my arm. I don't mean to speak back to her like this, but I'm only relaying the truth. She takes it in good faith, though, as I see her shoulders shake on a chuckle.
“I only go where I’m needed,” she says, brandishing her spoon at me. “And you need me. Now, what’s your name?”
“Kaitlyn," I say on instinct, and she scoffs. 
“Not that scribble you use with the other humans. Your name, and I won’t be asking again.”
“Kyla. Kyla Bateman.”
“Much better. You can call me Eodine or Mama, sweetheart.” she says. 
"Eodine," I say, testing the name on my tongue. Her eyes crinkle at the corners and she nods once. She reminds me of my mother's sister, my aunt, who would visit from the next town over. She was a well-off woman, and always brought my brother and me gifts. She was a harsh woman, but always had kind things to say alongside it.
The spices that brought me in here are more prominent than ever, and when I take a tentative sip from a spoon too large for my mouth, I close my eyes and think of home. I miss the variety of dishes my mother served that changed with the seasons, I miss my family all crowded around a single table like this one. I miss my brother's incessant humming when he would clean the vegetables.
I wonder if I'd be able to cook something like this with Aurelius, if I could fetch the meat from the market or even catch it myself. But the memory of the market makes me frown into my meal-- he definitely won't allow me back there anytime soon.
I have a lot of questions-- namely how Eodine found us, and how she knew I was outside, but also how she knows Aurelius, and what my purpose in finding him was. I doubt she could answer all the questions bumping around in my head, and I don't want to seem rude by asking so many, but I'm bursting at the seams.
The stew is filling and leaves my stomach pushing against my dress, and I have to refuse when Eodine pushes a third bowl in my direction. The children leave the table and scamper down the hallway, leaving me alone with Eodine.
“Now,” she says. “What trouble has Atya gotten you into?” She pauses and leans forward to sniff at me. “You’re not pregnant. So what has Atya done, hm?”
“Why can you look at him too?” I blurt out, and she laughs.
“I’m a god, sweet child, a fertility god before you ask. I’m almost as old as Atya, though you never ask a lady her age.” She winks one large black eye at me, and the move is so human it makes me smile.
“So when the other fair folk look at you…”
"A god's aura is too heavy for them to stand."
I nod, reminded of the rumors from home, of what I thought Aurelius was when we first met. I'd always thought that it was a matter of respect, but hearing of humans frightened beyond repair or even stuck dead by daring to glance at the keepers of our world, things suddenly make sense.
“What makes me different?”
Eodine waves me off. "Bah! There’s so many humans as is, it’s hard enough to keep track of offerings nowadays, let alone every human who can look at us." She dips another spice into the pot and stirs before continuing. "The important thing is that you mean something to Atya, who is my dear friend.”
“Have you known each other long?” I ask, resting my elbow on the table and my chin in my hand before one of the children whispers a sour note at me. I flush, letting my hands fall to my lap.
She puffs her chest out, proud. “Since the sun began to rise.”
I sigh heavily, falling back into the chair. “Has he always been so rude?”
Eodine pauses, and for a moment I fear that I’ve offended her, until she laughs out loud, mouth pulled back to expose her long teeth. "He can be rather curt!" she grins, pearly white rabbit's teeth catching the firelight. "Enough about Atya, though. Why did my burrow find you, dear? I follow those in need, pairs that need, well, repair."
I tear my gaze away from her and towards the living area, the shame of speaking of my own woes welling up like water. This place feels more like home than Aurelius' dwelling, and I've been here for less than an hour. I don't want to return to him, to whatever mess we've made of each other. “I suppose…”
She reaches across the table and grabs my hand. She has paws, oversized and furry, but still warm. “Are you unhappy?”
The question rings against my heart like a chime, rippling through the careful mask of calm I'd built up and exposing the feelings underneath. Am I happy? My past actions say no, I don't think so. I was at one point, excited even, to see this new world and all it offered. But I'm not unhappy, either. I don't hate where I live, I don't hate Aurelius, no matter how annoying he can be. I must be somewhere in between, like floating on the surface of a river, partially submerged. But in the deep, another question surfaces and threatens to swallow me whole: Am I happier than I was before coming here? Was the farm truly so desolate that my only choice was to run? That's a question I'm afraid of the answer to. Because what if I'm not, what if there was something for me back home, but here and now is all that's left for me? 
I blink back tears, but they come anyway. I wipe them away with my dirtied hand, and try to speak. “I don’t want to be.” 
Eodine clucks her tongue and pulls me towards her. “Of course you don’t, honey." She pats my hand with her paw. "Is it Atya? Is he treating you poorly? Because if he is—“
“No! No. He’s wonderful," I say, waving my free hand. I can't believe I spoke ill of Aurelius to his friend. "I'm the problem.”
“Don’t make excuses for him,” she replies immediately. Her tone is serious, and she can clearly pick up when I'm lying.  As much as it pains me to state it out loud, it's what needs to be said.
“I…I don’t think we’re a good fit. I thought we were at the beginning, but now…” I sniff loudly. “I want things to work, but I don’t think they’re going to.”
Eodine nods, humming sympathetically. “You know, you could always leave.”
“I can’t.” I stand and turn, pulling my dress aside to show Eodine the sigil that Aurelius left as part of his tracking spell. She chuffs, and I flush.
“That's powerful magic. But I do know something it wouldn’t stand a chance against." At my expression of confusion, she continues. "The Forest of Souls, the one outside your home. It calls to the weary and protects those who wander. You can become lost in there until the end of time, if you desire it. No one would ever bother you again.”
Sitting down once again, I mull the words over in my mind. “I’d become…lost?”
She nods. “Forever. Now mind you, that means you’ll be alone forever as well. No more visits to Atya, or me, or to your friends down the river.”
I nod, but say nothing as Eodine clears our places and sets our dishes in the sink. I stand to help, but a pointed look over her shoulder has me sitting back down. It leaves me more than enough space to consider her words once more. Lost forever, unable to see anyone again. I'd be away from Aurelius, forever, and the idea drops a stone in my heart even now. I'd be leaving my friends as well, and we just started getting along.
Eodine shuffles us from the dining room into the living room. We sit on the couch, also layered in more hand-made blankets and doilies, and I see bookshelves set into the walls surrounding the fireplace. But instead of the books I'm used to, they're filled with small knick-knacks-- animals carved from wood and stone, jars of sanded down broken glass and string and tiny metal objects. I do see a few books, well-worn with pages sticking out of the spines.
"Gifts from my children," she says, and her voice carries a smile with it. "Every single piece."
There must be hundreds of odds and ends on those shelves. I blink at the number of children Eodine implies to have had, and when she sees my expression, she laughs. "That's just one shelf, dear! You should see the rest."
Well, she is a fertility goddess. I shrug at my own reasoning and make myself comfortable on the couch. I keep my feet on the floor since I'm still wearing my shoes, but Eodine curls up fully, legs pulled into her torso as she looks at me with those massive eyes.
“Tell me, what drew you to Atya in the first place?”
I chew on my nail. “He—he offered me a home. He saved my life. He was so kind.”
“And has that gone away?”
I shake my head. “He leaves me gifts, and lets me sleep with him.”
“Has he been cruel to you? Hurt you?”
“No! Never.” The very idea of Aurelius actually harming me-- even having the intention to do so-- makes me blanch. He works so hard to make sure I'm not afraid of him, does so much to make me comfortable around him, he'd never hurt me.
Eodine folds her arms and cooly regards me. A familiar chill would run up my spine when my mother would lecture me. “Then it sounds like you just want to run because things got tough!” She wags a finger at me. "And the both of you deserve better than silence!"
I scoff before I can cover it up. “That’s so selfish!”
Eodine opens her mouth to speak, thinks better of it and snaps her jaw shut, and then runs a paw over one ear like she's smoothing down hair. “I suppose I can't blame you. You’re under a lot of stress, darling, in a strange place with a strange creature. It’s only natural to want to return to what you once had. You haven't been here very long, and you're already trying to go!”
“I don’t think he’d listen to me.”
“Then you make him listen.”
That stern tone is back, and I know she's serious. I nod, already thinking of methods to force Aurelius to listen to me, and Eodine settles back into the couch to relax. 
We spend the rest of the afternoon speaking of menial things-- the weather, our favorite meals, the various crafts we partake in. She leads me out and back to the farm, handing me no less than a week's worth of stew. I have to shield my eyes from the sun, and when I turn back to thank her, both Eodine and the burrow are gone.
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cosmicjoke · 5 months
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So, I'm just gonna give my thoughts here on the Loki series as a whole. I watched five of the six episodes of the first season. I didn't watch this second season, but I watched recap videos and all the clips that were released, so I feel like I can give a pretty good assessment here.
I like what they did with Loki's character at the end of this season, I like that they made him into a genuine hero who sacrifices himself to save the multiverse, but... the problem is, I just don't care anymore. I don't care about the MCU or even Loki within the MCU anymore, because they so mishandled his character for the last, several years. They made him such an unrecognizable clown in the first season, really building off the hatchet job they'd done to him in Ragnarok, that it turned me off completely and I wasn't able to finish the series. That lead to me not being able to watch this second season at all. And even though it sounds like they handled him better, from the clips I've seen, it still didn't feel or sound like Loki. He still didn't have the air of Loki from the first two Thor films. It just felt, again, like a completely different character. Maybe he wasn't being made a fool of every other scene, but he still didn't act or talk or hold himself like the Loki of Thor 1, or The Dark World, or The Avengers. And there's also still the massive loss of potential in exploring the actual reasons Loki went mad in the first place, namely, his heritage as a frost giant, and his complex, tragic issues with his adoptive family, growing up in a culture where he was taught from birth that the race of beings he belongs to is a race of monsters, etc... They didn't address ANY of that in two full seasons of a show about Loki. And I'm sitting here thinking, this material is RIPE for exploration. This would make an incredible, emotional journey for Loki, to be able to actually address these mental health issues that he has, rooted in his internalized racism, taught to him by the very culture he was raised in, a literal child stolen from another kingdom. It would have made Loki's journey toward heroism way more impactful and meaningful if he actually arrived there by coming to understand and accept that he'd been wronged by Odin and Asgard in that particular regard. If he'd been able to forgive himself and realize he was actually a victim.
Like, imagine if instead of berating him and calling him names and accusing him of being a narcissist, Mobius had actually helped Loki to realize that what his family did to him was fucked up, that what Odin and Frigga did to him, lying to him for literally a thousand years about who he was and where he'd come from, and letting him believe that frost giants were evil monsters instead of actual people, was fucked up. Imagine if Mobius had explained to Loki that he was suffering from trauma over learning he was a frost giant, that he was suffering from trauma over it because his own brother treated and regarded frost giants as monsters who's only purpose was for him to get his kill on. Or if he'd sympathized with Loki over the way the other Aesir generally treated him like shit. How Heimdall had no qualms about trying to lop his head off and commit treason. How the Warriors 3 had no problem committing treason against him. How even the servants that worked in the palace had such little respect for Loki, that they openly laughed at him. People don't remember, but Loki didn't forcibly take the throne after Thor was banished. Odin fell into the Odin Sleep, and Frigga PUT Loki on the throne to rule in his stead. And yet, still, you had his own subjects running around, not thinking twice about shitting on him, disobeying him and committing treason against him. Crimes for which, if Odin was on the throne, may well have resulted in their banishment, if not their outright execution. Imagine if Mobius had actually helped Loki work through these issues he has, if he had actually been a real friend to him, instead of an abusive, belittling asshole who blamed Loki for all his own problems. Imagine if Sylvie had done the same too.
It would have made a hell of a lot more sense, then, when Loki chose to sacrifice himself for Mobius and all the others at the end of this season. But instead, the whole season basically focused on Kang and the multiverse and the TVA, with minimal relationship building between Loki and the others. But we're just supposed to buy that these people, who more or less treated Loki like shit from the start, became so special and important to him, that he would willingly sacrifice his life to free them and save theirs. The same Loki who, in terms of time passed in this show, just a few weeks earlier tried to subjugate the Earth and killed hundreds of people in the process, by the way, something which unfolded BECAUSE of the above mentioned issues with his family.
Loki's sacrifice for Mobius and the others doesn't feel earned, because his relationship with them, his feelings of loyalty and concern for them doesn't feel earned. They never were actually good friends to him. They didn't help him feel validated in his feelings, they didn't help him work out his issues of self-loathing stemming from his heritage, or his sense of rejection from his father, etc...
It's just lazy, and another miss by Marvel to capitalize on one of their most complex and tragic character's actual story.
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i-am-beckyu · 5 months
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AHHHH IM SO HAPPY YOU ENJOYED THE CONCERT IM SO JEALOUS BUT REALLY HAPPY FOR YOUUU!!! LIKE SERIOUSLY! totally deserved, i hope you had a good birthday season :D <3 <3
also happy halloween! trick or treat? :3
THANK YOUUUUUUUUU IT WAS FLIPPEN AMAZING AND JUST MY GOSH I SO WANNA GO AGAIN! WAS AN AMAZING NIGHT!!!!! HALF ALIVE IN CONCERT IS A MUST SEE!!!!
and now I'm gonna ramble about it in full under the cut :3
Okay okay okay so like the whole thing was just wonderful and considering the last music concert I saw live was when I was like 9, this was a HUGE experience!
So like I went with my dad (cause obviously he is my best choice lol) and I kinda know how he'll be late and all the rest if you say it starts at a certain time. So obviously I told him the concert started at 7:30pm, when in reality the doors opened at 7:30pm.
If there is one thing you should 100% do when going to a concert it is get there early cause we arrived at like 6:45pm and by the time the doors opened we were in the front 1/4 of the line that stretched ALLLLLL the way down the street. And I don't know if this happens at other places, but like I got this cool smiley face stamp to go in but other people got like the wrist band so I don't know what that really meant but it was cool regardless lol.
But anyways, cause we were so early, we got in before it got super packed so I had a choice of where I wanted to be cause the whole place was a mosh pit basically. BUT! There was this little upstairs loft bit that you could watch from the balcony and it had seating!!!
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Now tbh I love my dad but I didn't want to go stand in the mosh pit the whole night by myself and knew he was just gonna sit at the back cause he had no idea who Half Alive was but I wanted to be with him.
So I absolutely SCORED when we got two chairs in the balcony bit, right in the middle!! This lady was sitting in a seat with one next to her free and it turned out she was the manager of the band opening the show which was so cool to meet and chat with her and she said she wasn't staying and gave us her seat and the spare one. Bless her TwT.
I got to sit the whole night without my legs getting sore, had THE best viewing spot with no one in front of me AND could get pics and vids without having to worry about the video cause it just balanced on the balcony bit so I could enjoy the show too!
Like yes I know I could have been in the mosh pit, but for me it was so much better to be where I was cause I got to share the moment with my Dad! (who had ear plugs in the whole time from all the screaming fans lol but he thoroughly enjoyed the night even tho he had no idea what to expect)
And now of course the actual performance
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OH MY GOSH IT WAS CRAZY! HALF ALIVE IN PERSON IS JUST AN ABSOLUTE AMAZING EXPERIENCE AND I SO WISH I HAD GOTTEN THE VIP TREATMENT LIKE MAN I LOVED IT!!!!
Like you know how sometimes seeing bands live vs their music sounds different cause of like auto tune and stuff like that? WELL THERE WAS NONE OF THAT HERE! IT WAS ALL RAW VOCALS AND JUST MIND BLOWING!!! I AM SOOOOOOO HAPPY I HAVE THE CLIPS AND BITS THAT I DO CAUSE LIKE AHHHHHH I AM IN LOVE WITH IT!!!
They didn't perform every song obviously but like there were bits and pieces of sings in some bits and like the way they performed each number and getting ready in between was flawless. Like it all flowed seamlessly into the next song and just AHH THEY ARE PROFESSIONALS I ADORE I ADORE I ADORE!!! And I loved that while this was their conditions of a Punk tour, we still got to hear older songs like Still Feel and Creature live too. (I would have died if they didn't perform creature I swear and it was the last song of the night and I just felt so happy hearing my fav song ever live. It was such a special moment)
And then my gosh if you've seen like the clips they've shared of the performances like nah man. They don't hold up to actually being there. The dancers were flippen INSANE!!!! Like just yessssssss! They absolutely slayed and it looked like they were having so much fun! It was awesome!!!!!
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Oh and at one stage of the night (cause in perfect aussie fashion) we did our usual chant of Aussie aussie aussie oi oi oi and it was so funny seeing their faces cause they had no idea what was going on lol. I loved it.
Now if you follow half alive you'll also notice in their posts that none of them were wearing any shoes that night and you're probably wondering why. Answer: The theatre just said no with the dancers having any shoes cause the stage was carpeted. Do I understand this? Nope. But it happened lol. So we got socked feet all night.
Now of course I also got merch :3 And this is where that stamp thingy comes into play cause like at the start, being up stairs a guy came and called us and said: Who wants merch and then ushered us all down to get merch lol. I skipped such a long line I felt a lil bad but like: I got here early and I was lucky lol. So now I have a very expensive tshirt, but I love it lol. Did I take a pic of it? NOPE! I forgot lol but I can always share it later <3
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I'm pretty sure a whole lot of other stuff also happened but this post is already pretty long lol. Overall you can tell I had an amazing time and I highly recommend to anyone to go see your fav bands live if you can cause it is such a special experience and you won't regret it. Being able to see Half Alive is easily one of my top fav experiences of all time so yes. I had a great time <3
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psychicbergara · 1 year
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Hii this might be a lot to ask but I haven’t been able to keep up with all their content so I don’t know about most of the bingo card🤣 is it okay if you mention from which ep each thing that was crossed or like post a snippet of it? Thanks!
hi anon!! im not gonna lie i had to dive DEEP into my blog to find the reasonings behind some of the crossed out ones because i simply did not remember a lot of them since there are SO many moments and theyre just crazy in love idk what to tell you.
also shoutout to @littlekingbergara for helping me out GIVE HER ALL THE LOVE they're my boo <3
so im gonna go row by row for these reasonings!!
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1. cute instastories: not sure when the date or time was, but this was when shane uploaded an instastory of him and ryan playing pool in chicago!! either that, or maybe it's another instastory and it's slipping my mind, regardless they post about each other a lot :D
2. shane "heart eyes" madej: ok so let's be real... heart eyes madej is just a constant at this point LSDKJF. but the moment i marked were these: the zoom screenshot was in a ww+ 103 and in the most recent season of top 5 beatdown!! the zoom one is so cute because ryan was ranting about annoying people in movie theaters and shane was just So Fond
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3. the mamma mia mentions were in ww+ 116 :D
4. another weird thing in common: i recently marked it off it in this post right here about the butterfinger moments if you wanna take a quick look
5. blatant flirting on camera: THE ENTIRETY OF BERRY BOYS 2 EPISODE!!! literally that video IS SO MUCH I STG!!! i cant watch it again without collapsing into a million little piece it was JUST OOZING WITH LOVE AND FLIRTING LIKE WTH!!
6. ryan accidentally making a sexual joke about him and shane: WHEW this one was a DOOZY when this came out SLDKJF it was in ww+ 113 where ryan jokes about shane 'dominance humping' him in the office,,,, you read that correctly and yes it did happen DFGFJG here's the clip of that moment :D
7. denny's hug: it was in the top 5 beatdown chain restaurants episode in the most recent season when they BOTH had denny's as number one and they hugged :D
8. an adorable hug: we actually got FOUR hugs in the most recent season of too many spirits... it was so gay so like watch that whole season its SO worth it THE HUGS WERE TOO CUTE
9. they stare at each other like theyre disgustingly in love: ONCE AGAIN IM SCREAMING FROM THE ROOFTOPS THE! BERRY BOYS!! TWO!!! EPISODEEE!!! like literally that video is my life blood at this point that whole video was just them looking at each other like this:
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yea... GOD anyways before i die thinking about it lets continue..
10. ryan calling shane big boy: even though ryan did in one of the ghost files eps, he also did it in one of the episodes in the most recent season of too many spirits!! so watch those eps ;)
11. they go on spooky dates: *gestures at the entirety of ghost files* they also filmed alcatraz on valentines day... so thats a whole ass date if i've ever seen one LSKDJF
12. steven wishing he left watcher: ww+ 108 and 109!! if you watch those, you can so clearly tell that steven wishes he could sink into a hole so he doesnt have to see ryan and shane blatantly flirt in front of him ever again. literally he stares at the camera like he's jim from the office or gregory from abbott elementary sldfjdf
13. shane calling ryan "little guy" + hand holding: these moments were both from the powerpoint party one-off!! that video is such a gem :') while calling ryan little guy he gave him his cape (one of shane's FAVORITE things) as a blanket it was ADORABLE
14. "shut up shane" (threatening): this was from the we try spicy chicken sandwiches feat. korean englishmen video!! ryan says this when shane is sitting on the side relaxing while theyre all dying eating spicy sandwiches DFGLKG
WHEW!! and that's it :D i sure hope we get bingo by the end of this year or i will lowkey riot ngl salskdjfsdf
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