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oceanselevenism · 3 years

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I've seen that most of the stories on ao3 about them are mostly canon-compliant (and I don't have anything against that tbh) but I was wondering if you have any aus that you think could fit them or that you'd like to see?

omg i have SO MANY aus!! (it got Very Long so its under a cut)

- college au! danny gets kicked out (hes on full scholarship and does Thiefly Things to cover his expenses so hes not endangered just fairly fucked up abt it) (does it count as kicked out if u only live w ur dad three months a year) in freshman year, he befriends rusty (1 year below him) in sophomore year, debbie also befriends rusty (she and danny dont talk much but shes 2 yrs below him at the same college), and when reuben comes calling for a job he thinks debbie has a boyfriend (thanks to debbie telling her dad that she does) so she fake dates rusty. who ends up joining the job. and danny is Very Jealous

- snl ripoff au! danny and rusty are the weekend-update-adjacent anchors and they get gay. i Would have this take place in la (reuben is taking A Risk producing a late night sketch comedy show on the west coast but the 11/12/however fuckin many are fantastic cast members so even though they lose revenue from the other timezones not watching as much as they watch snl or whatever, they still make BANK... but danny and rusty getting gay throws the equilibrium out of whack) BUT la sucks DICK so its happening in new york. also this way u get Ocean Sibling Banter (debbie and lou are the anchors for The Actual Weekend Update and when debbie/lou get together and also when danny/rusty get together there are so many ‘just switch out the blondes/brunettes nobody will be able to tell and we won’t have hr down our necks’ jokes)

- au where the caldwells, abt to go deep undercover on a Huge Fucking Case, have to give up custody of 6 year old linus to tess and danny. the case stretches on for twelve years and linus grows up w tess and danny (who get divorced like right after they adopt him bc tess finds out abt dannys Thiefly Activities-- he confesses to her bc he doesnt rly want to predispose the kid to said thiefly activities) and also isabel (she and rusty break up like Right Before tess and dannys wedding and its very funny; she then goes on to marry tess) parenting him (rusty isnt as much in the picture bc he doesnt feel bad at all abt stealing and tess doesnt want linus to pick up that mentality also rusty Feels Things abt danny)! then when linus is like 18 or 19 danny disappears (tess and isabel think its Thiefly Activities again and arent concerned, just disappointed, but linus is very concerned for his dad-slash-stepdad-slash-sort-of-uncle) and he tracks down rusty so they can find danny. they roadtrip across america and eventually catch up to danny, who is helping the caldwells, and the five of them take down whatever gang the caldwells were chasing. linus now has 6 parents

- au based on this post where some archaeologist finds a bunch of dannys [french person voice] Love Lettairs 2 rusty and so obviously the logical course of action is to rob the museum (which happens to be the museum that tess is curating. funny how things work out) without telling his team What Theyre Stealing. they successfully pull off the heist but turns out the letters were not among the items they stole!! danny is getting desperate. as a last-ditch attempt he calls tess and asks her to let them rob the museum. shes like Why The Fuck Would I Do That. he explains and she begrudgingly agrees. danny and livingston go break into the museum Again but rusty tails them bc dannys been acting Weird and he finds out abt the letters bc livingston sweats more whenever he tells a lie. they live happily ever after (literally, theyre immortal) the end. also even though dannys a werewolf the 11 all call him the new jersey devil (its not his fault that legend came to be ok!! he was very drunk!!)

- childhood friends au!! danny and rusty were best buds as very young kids and then the oceans had to move. flash forward 2 present day where danny and debbie r robbing a museum (theyre building a flower shop over the vault and tunneling in, the dudes in brazil who came up w it are very very clever) and guess which two people are the assistant curators (is that even a title?). guess. ill tell u its tess and rusty! danny recognizes rusty, rusty ‘does not recognize’ danny (which is valid. look at photos of child george clooney and tell me you would recognize him). the 11 demand that they use this to their advantage and so danny and rusty Sort Of Date while the rest set up for the robbery, and danny feels really bad abt it so on the day of (after everyone has gotten away, ofc, he might be a lovesick bitch but hes not a snitch) he confesses and rustys like lmao i was onto u from the start. what kind of a name is [insert alias here] anyway. then they go live a life of crime and its great

- @sanduschism came up w a fantastic au where danny pickpockets rusty and feels bad so he sends the wallet back and they strike up a Correspondence

- HOSPITAL AU!!! danny and rusty r er techs while theyre doing med school and nobody knows how they juggle their shifts w school but also rusty can do a tracheotomy in like 5 seconds and danny can tell when a person needs an mri before they even list their symptoms so nobody questions it and nobody splits them up Ever. when they eventually become surgeons, danny does cardio and rusty does neuro, and whenever they have to work together not only do they never have to say what theyre doing, they don't even have What Do U Want To Cook For Dinner convos fully out loud. tess is head nurse... she makes so many excel spreadsheets... they are ALL color coded. isabel is head er doc and nobody dares to halfass things on her watch. reuben is head hospital admin, saul is chief surgeon, basher is head of the burn unit, the malloys r the HUNKIEST nurses in town, frank does plastic surgery/ent (every patient loves him bc he is just So Calm), livingston is The IT Guy, yen does like orthopedics or physical therapy, and linus is their fav resident who they all lovingly tease 24/7. the ocean sibs r both Cardio Gods and each dominate their respective coasts. debbie is an nyc doctor and if she sees a mass gen doctor its on SIGHT. the few surgeries that she and danny collab on go so fast that the med students in the gallery Cannot tell whats happening. lou is also a plastic surgeon and she and frank r best buds. linus requests time off like 6 months in advance Every Time and everyone hates it bc then They have to be on call but he doesnt realize his Extreme Overachieverness is causing so much strife. whenever tess and danny get in an argument she colorcodes his rounds spreadsheet to be the most neon shit youve ever seen. can you tell i never fully progressed past my greys anatomy phase this one is like 93489302 lines long

- superpower au where rusty has midas touch and danny has corrosive touch and when theyre too young to have control over their powers (abilities develop throughout adolescence and the user gains control at the end of adolescence) they accidentally brush hands and are terrified they just killed each other but turns out their powers like. cancel out. so until they reach like 21 or 22 and can touch things without fucking them UP they just. hold hands all the time. bc otherwise they have to wear gloves to prevent Accidents and both of them “hate gloves” (and also love holding hands. gayasses)

- uhhh hallmark au where danny is a crime fiction writer out on some beach north of ocean city nj and rusty is his fancy nyc editor. everyone else is a thief including debbie who is just Very weirded out that her brother, who robbed boston’s institute of contemporary art at age 22 and got away with it, has decided to spend the rest of his life churning out books. he is very critically acclaimed and about half of the 11 are buds with him and use his published books as heist inspo. the other ~half of the 11 are buds with rusty, and they tell him if danny’s heists are feasible or not (they always are. scarily so.) anyway rusty and isabel break up 12 days before xmas and danny and tess break up 8 days before hanukkah so dannys heading to debbie’s place in upstate new york to mope for the holidays when A BLIZZARD HITS and he gets stranded in midtown. and he and rusty are buds but like. Email Buds. they dont hang out irl and therefore they dont let their Totally Bud-Like Feelings mess up their professional relationship. but danny is stranded and its hanukkah and he ends up crashing at rustys place for the duration of the blizzard. and then rusty ends up coming to debbies place for the rest of the holidays. and then they kiss on new years eve and debbie kicks them out bc theyre being gross

- And More! thanks for the ask, anon! sorry it got so long lol i just have Many Thoughts

#oceans 11 #oceans eleven #danny ocean #rusty ryan #danny x rusty #oceans 8 #oceans eight

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warwadaw · 3 years

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It was such a blanket ban and bar

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for-emilia · 4 years

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Taking The Media By Storm.

enjoy, i love u lots x

Being in the public eye wasn’t Dele’s favourite part of his job. Don't get him wrong, he loves the fans and, of course, he’d never complain about the free PR and perks of that manner, but sometimes it felt like eyes were on him constantly, critiquing every single aspect of his life. All footballers go through it to some extent but from his debut, Dele has always had more intense scrutiny from the media than most. It was truly unfair and he hated it, the media clung to him like a parasite, and there’s nothing he could do about it.

It made all aspects of his life harder and more tedious, but there’s one aspect the media loved to hone in on and make extra torturous: his love life.

He had met Emilia 6 months ago. He wasn’t particularly looking for anything or on the hunt for a relationship but everything fell into place and it was the happiest he’d ever been. Dele tended to not actively look for love, partly because Sally engraved into him that “love finds you”, and partly, again, because of the media. Being a well known athlete meant it was difficult to differentiate between the girls who truly did like him and the ones who liked his fame and fortune. With Emilia he didn’t even consider if she had ill-intent, he knew from the first night that she had a heart of gold. In their initial meeting, it helped that she was a Chelsea fan, that in itself gave away how much she liked him, she’d not touch a lilywhite with a 10ft bargepole; Dele was an exception.

They’d silently agreed to keep things to themselves as they navigated their way through the first stages of the relationship. Dele had seen how horrific the media was to his teammates’ girlfriend’s and wives, quick to brandish them as gold diggers or tear apart their appearance and invade their privacy, and that’s the last thing he wanted for the gorgeous girl who had fallen into his life, especially not because of him.

The first few months consisted of sneaky late night drives and meeting up inside either one of their houses, slowly getting to know each other before making any decisions regarding how serious they were or taking it public. After a few months, it became less casual and Emilia found herself, to her own disbelief, in the stands watching Dele do what he does best on the pitch. Weeks passed by before their eyes as they relaxed into it, Dele knowing every week that Chelsea played away, Emilia would be cheering him on in the stands instead, going perfectly undetected due to the mass crowds around her and her obvious aversion to wearing a Spurs jersey with his name on the back. But it became harder to hide as time went on. Dele had posted a few stories here and there of dinners, clearly only being consumed by him and one other, or a boomerang on his story of a film set up on the tv in front of a blanket, so people were suspiciously questioning his relationship status. However, not a single eye was on Emilia… until the paparazzi got the better of them one match day. It was the second Alli Derby day they’d endured in their relationship, a cold November night filled with tension and expectation ending with a tight 0-1 win to Chelsea, with Dele involved in commotion more than once, earning himself a yellow card well into the second half. The media knew how stressed and riled up Dele could get so at the news of him receiving a yellow card, swiftly followed by him being subbed off, they set up their cameras just outside the stadium car park to snap photos of his angry demeanor to plaster all over their articles. Their narrative soon changed as they got more than they bargained for as the camera rolls filled with photos of Emilia climbing into the passenger's seat. Mere hours after the final whistle, photos of ‘Dele Alli’s mystery Chelsea-clad woman’ were circling the internet, some people theorising she was a fan who needed a lift home after various incidents they were imagining, some claiming she was a friend of his sister’s or even a cousin who simply went to go and watch him, but the most obvious shout was that Emilia was Dele’s girlfriend. The pair sat together, thankful for a distraction from the stress of the match and Dele's uproar, now figuring out what to do about this new stress.

“So, Dele, you’re taking the media by storm at the moment?” the interviewer laughed as Dele, fresh off the pitch, brought his hands up covered by his shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow, giving a breathy giggle followed by, “yeah, I guess you could say that.”

The interviewer proceeded to ask him about the 1-4 win, Dele having involvement in all 4 goals, particularly focusing on the hattrick from the man himself.

“One freekick, a header and top bins goal, of course not forgetting the goal you put on a plate for your good friend Son, how does it feel?”, Dele went through the usual procedure of a post match interview, beaming from ear to ear and clutching the Man Of The Match trophy close to his chest, glancing down at it every so often and widening his grin.

In the midst of his high, he forgot all about the speculation swimming the internet, until the interviewer brought it up with no way to get out of it.

“Even before tonight, you’ve been a hot topic in the media, haven’t you?” he inched towards asking the real question, you could see the cogs turning in Dele’s brain before his smile faltered a bit, thinking up what his reply would be to the next question inevitably coming his way, “the hot question at the moment, Dele, what happened after the derby on Saturday?”.

“I was just trying to go home to be honest, it was a rough match, with the loss and me being given a yellow rightfully or not, so yeah we just wanted to go home but the paps are always around,” he gave the sort of laugh that’s more like just an expulsion of air and rubbed over the back of his neck. He looked slightly uncomfortable but the small smile on his face said otherwise, obviously thinking about the pretty girl in his car.

“I’ll take that ‘we’ as all the confirmation people want.. I have to say, it’s not often you see a player dating an opposition fan, especially not from the same city. I hope I’m not stepping a line when I ask this but, how do you navigate that situation?” the interviewer held the microphone closer to Dele’s mouth, ensuring he doesn’t miss any of the gossip.

Dele half scoffed, thinking all decency and ‘lines’ are abolished in today’s media, knowing none of them give a fuck as long as they have a story and are harbouring clicks for them. In truth, they navigated the situation with a lot of angry sex but he couldn’t say that, trying to surpress the various images drifting through his mind and scramble to think of a suitable response.

“We don’t,” he pauses for a second to laugh at his own joke before continuing, “nah yknow, we have our ways, we make it work... I’m not just a Spurs player and she’s much more than a Chelsea fan.”

He panics a little bit knowing he’s just outed them on live television but they’d discussed it and agreed it wouldn’t be too bad, only 6 months in but it felt like 6 years and neither of them had any doubts it’d last a lifetime. Looking down at his MOTM trophy, he smiled knowing what he was going home to and the welcome he would get as a well done for his hattrick.

Dele didn’t say much, quickly wrapping up the interview after that and walking into the tunnel to head for his phone to read his girlfriend’s reaction, undoubtful that she was watching everything he said.

Emilia (19:22)

here we goooooo

Emilia (19:23)

not an invasion of privacy my arse

Emilia (19:23)

much more than a chelsea fan huh?

Emilia (19:23)

ur cute

Emilia (19:24)

and sexy

Emilia (19:26)

stop wiping your brow like that its arousing

Emilia (19:28)

now get dressed quick quick quick smelly boy x

Emilia (now)

i love u

Dele couldn’t help but mention Emilia in interviews. Without a doubt, her name or a reference to his girl always came up. It got to the point where the other lads involved would place bets on how many times it would happen and challenge him to not do it, but it seemed an impossible task for the man in love.

During an interview for Soccer Saturday, he was asked about his injuries and his setbacks throughout the past few seasons and how he coped with it and snapped back to match fitness like he always did.

“It must be rough for you, not being out on the pitch doing what you do best, Dele, how do you deal with that every time? Does it get any easier?” Dele scrunched his nose up at the question, he hated thinking about and talking of his injuries.

“Yeah, you know it’s the worst feeling in the world just wanting to be up there helping the team out but not being able to, it’s unbelievably frustrating. But I have a great team of physios around me and available at Spurs to help and get me back as soon as possible, and all of the lads still make sure that anyone injured is still involved in team things so that’s amazing,” his mouth turned up at the sides at the thought of his next sentence. “I have my brother at home with me who’s my best friend so he tries to keep my morale up, as well as my girlfriend Emilia who is always by my side and knows me better than anyone else, yeah she’s amazing.. always cooking for me and looking after me even when I’m not injured” he laughs out.

In the same interview even she came up again, later on when he was asked about the fan presence at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“How much do the fans on a match day influence your performance? Do you think it helps significantly to hear the fans singing your chants and acting almost as the 12th man on the team?” he asks, and Dele thinks it's an extremely obvious answer.

“Oh definitely, nothing compares to 40,000 people singing your name or celebrating alongside you when you put one in the back of the net, having fan presence at the games means everything to us. Makes losses easier and wins even sweeter. Of course a lot of us have our families and friends in the stadium as well which tops it all off, most matches I know that my girlfriends up in the same box, and it always helps to look up at her cheering me on when me or the team is doing bad, or to look up at her little smile when I score, makes everything feel worth it.”

Even a year or so later, he was sat parallel to Eric making another of the iconic roommates videos for England. Eric had already had his turn to answer the questions while Dele guessed, getting himself a respectable ⅘. But now it was Eric’s turn to guess.

“Question 2: What’s the first thing Dele does after a match?” Eric rolls his eyes already knowing the answer, “A) gets a massage, B) texts the missus, C) has a shower”

He cranes his neck to turn and look at Dele doing some stupid wiggle to a song playing through his headphones before turning around and finishing the question.

“Well the answer is B, texts his missus, but he’s had your life there with that answer, the woman’s normally waiting in the tunnel for him, or if she’s not then yes he texts her immediately.. then sends her a photo.. then calls her.. then ignores all of us and leaves to get back to her, they’re like magnets,” Eric muses warmly, rolling his eyes and making fun of them both but deep down he loves it. He loves that his best friend has found someone he loves so much and my god were they an exact match. He found it creepy at times how perfect they were for one another.

“So Delboy, question 2.. Bro I don’t even have to ask, its B, moving on,” Eric quickly flips through the question cards getting to the next question as Dele’s shriek of a laugh echoed around the mostly empty training hall.

“Stop it, am I that obvious?” Dele laughs pushing Eric to the side and blushing slightly.

Eric simply looks at him, then looks back at the camera, then looks at Dele again and cocks his eyebrow.

“May as well get her name tattooed on your forehead mate.”

Roaring from the crowd filled his ears, eliciting a warm feeling deep in the pit of his stomach. He doesn’t know what came over him. Dele looked up at the box after his celebration, half ignoring the cheers and pats on the back around him, and gave a cheesy grin and kissed his ring finger as always, laughing as Emilia kissed the air in her direction and stood with her hand on her stomach.

He’d just put one in the back of the net against Wolverhampton and immediately ran to the corner, picking up the ball from his feet on the way and sticking it under his shirt.

The expecting parents had been to their 20 week scan that morning and found out they were having a boy and Dele couldn’t stop thinking about it, even on the pitch. The excitement bubbled up and it just felt like the right time to ‘make the announcement’ after his goal. They were going to post maternity pictures this week anyway but the opportunity seemed too good to pass up right now. He was elated.

“Dele, we and everyone else at home has noticed the tape on your ring finger for a little while now along with your wife up in the stands, but do you have some news? Did we see that celebration right?” the interviewer prompted a beaming Dele.

“Well, I wasn’t meant to say anything until she could make her official post this week, so I’ll get into the tunnel and be battered by her,” he said through gritted teeth and a laugh, “but yes, we’re so excited to start this new chapter.”

The Spurs midfielder looked to his right across to the tunnel to see Emilia joking with Jose, rolling his eyes mentally at how her and her mum insist he’s her long lost dad.

“It comes as a surprise, you’re still quite young and love a party, it’ll be difficult to give up the nightlife and non stop partying for a life of nappy changes, no?” He hates this interviewer. He’d love to just rip into them but that’d just prove their stupid opinion right and give them more to feed off and fuel their narrative that he wasn’t ready to be a father.

“You’d be surprised,” was all he said. Ever since he was young he’s been labelled as a party boy and the sort of footballer who goes out on a weekly basis picking up girls for a fuck and chuck, but that’s never been him. At every party they found themselves either leaving early together or in a corner somewhere just the two of them, they hadn’t spent a night apart for 99% of their relationship and the times they did weren’t by choice and they still fell asleep on facetime, they were even married now for god's sake.. But the media still see him as ‘Dele the party boy’. There’s nothing he’d love more in the world than a baby with Emilia, and as annoying as it was, they both loved to prove everyone wrong and show it will last.

“On your screens now in the stands is Dele Alli’s missus and newborn.. His first time at Tottenham Hotspur stadium at only 4 weeks old, I wonder how long it’ll be until his first appearance at Stamford Bridge,” Martin Tyler let out a chuckle as the camera panned to Emilia sat in her usual box, Isaiah’s face nuzzled into her neck as she bounced rhythmically trying to soothe him.

Both sides of the pair became more open and active on social media as time progressed but still kept their own privacy. The fans loved to see the side to Dele they rarely got to see and it was so lovely for their friends and family to be able to see what they were up to and the stupid reasons why they weren’t replying to texts.

Little Instagram posts and stories here and there at random times. For example, early on in their relationship, Dele posted a video of a monopoly board in front of them with hotels and houses scattered messily where they weren’t meant to be. The video slowly panned up and stopped on Emilia sat opposite him bending to pick some more up from the floor, but at the sight of Dele filming, she threw one straight at his forehead, eliciting a hyena like laugh from Dele, captioning the video ‘landed on one of my hotels and couldn’t afford it, the woman doesn’t take Ls’ alongside Emilia’s @.

Another time, Emilia posted a video to her story, still in bed with the camera pointing outwards towards the door. Dele’s t-shirt was visible on the floor and the duvet was messed up on his side, evidence he wasn’t there, as the smoke alarm blared through the house. She simply captioned it ‘when he tries to make you toast in bed as a surprise at 8am.. someone come collect him @dele.’

There were various cute posts and stories as well as the jokey ones though. About half way through the pregnancy, Emilia posted a photo of her husband fast asleep strewn across the huge sofa, one hand hanging off the end and one hand holding a book against his chest that eagle-eyed fans could just make out to be a parenting book called ‘Happy Mum, Happy Baby’ alongside Rome laying across his legs and Diesel on the floor near his hanging hand. Emilia made a joke of it, captioning it ‘we haven’t even had the baby and my man’s already tired enough to pass out at 4pm.. he ain’t seen nothing yet’, but the pull in her chest showed she thought it was the cutest thing in the world.

A fan favourite was a simple photo on Dele’s story not too long after Isaiah was born and announced on Instagram. The photo was framed from up a height and captured all 3 pairs of their legs, Dele on the left, Emilia on the right and Isaiah’s little legs in between them, one leg on Dele’s thigh and one leg on Emilia’s thigh. The family were all wearing grey joggers and white trainers, Isaiah included, and they were the picture of cuteness in their matching outfits.

Throughout her pregnancy with Mabel, Emilia captured too many moments that pulled at her heart strings, she couldn’t not post some. One night she posted a photo which was mostly dark but you could make out the top of Dele’s shoulders along with his messy bed hair and big hand sprawled over her bump, holding his wife and unborn daughter close even in his sleep. Emilia couldn’t help but share her love with the world, captioning it with a simple white heart emoji and leaving it at that.

More videos popped up throughout the months of that pregnancy in particular: sneaky videos from behind Dele of him in shops picking up little baby clothes even though they already had surplus, videos from afar of them in the Enfield training ground cafeteria zooming in on him making people listen to the heart beat for the thousandth time, a video of the baby inside her stomach making bumps and movements from under the skin but stopping when Dele speaks.

After Emilia’s pregnancy and birth of Mabel, the world knew it didn’t quite go to plan and there were more complications than they’d imagined, so when Dele made his return to football after his extended break for his little girl, all eyes were on him. The commentators and pundits made comments wishing him and his family well, claiming how pleased they were to have him back and recalling his tweet from a few days prior: ‘Thank you for your patience over the past few months. Making sure our daughter was happy and healthy is our first priority but I am excited to make my return on Saturday. Appreciate the support.’. That evening, Emilia posted a video of Mabel in the baby swing chair from behind so you couldn’t see her face, with a smiling Dele zoomed in on the TV during the pre match warm up. She captioned it ‘watching her daddy <3 always proud of you’ in the centre and lower down hidden in a smaller font ‘both had a tantrum at leaving each other this morning ffs’.

Even as the children grew up and Dele stepped out of the limelight, every so often a post would pop up and make people melt. A little picture of a sunshine that Ora had painted in school that says ‘smile’ underneath in her messy handwriting that Dele posted to his feed. A photo posted of a fort that Isaiah had made from whatever he could find around the house, insisting that he had to have his dinner in there, resulting in Emilia going to check on him and snuggling up herself ready to watch Monsters Inc with him; even though she had to squish up and become a contortionist to fit, it was the cutest thing Dele had seen. Or a story of them on a dog walk, first showing Emilia, Isaiah and Ora along with all 7 dogs in the field in front of Dele before panning down to his muddy wellies alongside Mabel’s similarly dirty wellies next to him.

Odd appreciation posts for each other every now and then, showing that even after being married a decade and coming so far from the start, they were still more in love than most people could imagine, candid photos of Dele’s bare back in the kitchen adorned with dribbling emojis or a sneaky video of Emilia getting ready for an event, turning around at the call of her name and rolling her eyes at the sight of his phone pointed at her and his wolf whistle with the caption ‘my girl’ and the sweating emoji alongside.

They had a love hate relationship with the media throughout their lives but they couldn’t deny they loved being able to broadcast their love to the world, bursting at the seams with pride and joy for what they’d created.

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retrocelly · 5 years

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Crash (Brock Boeser)

Requested: yep!

Warning: a car crash, some minor injuries, and a severe lack of knowledge about medical stuff

It took 45 minutes for Brock to get home after you saw the photos. Well, after your friend texted you “look at Brock’s most recent tagged pic. I can cut his balls off if you want.” You tapped quickly over to his Instagram, swiping to his tagged and clicking on the newest one. It was a picture of him with a fan - which shouldn’t have raised any red flags. But then you noticed his hand latched around her waist, his fingers against her bare midriff and your cheeks grew hot. Calm down, you told yourself, it’s just a photo with a fan; Brock probably didn’t even realize. Then you swiped. You swiped and saw a much more candid picture: your boyfriend’s arm still around the girl’s waist, but he was leaned back a bit more and they were looking at each other - laughing. The photo closely resembled the one you had as your phone background and now your heart was beating out of your chest. The caption read “got to meet my favorite player today. thanks for being such a gentleman ;) good luck tonight” And that was all it took for your understanding to boil over.

Taking a photo or two with a fan wasn’t what you cared about. In fact, you’d always encouraged Brock to pose for more pictures. You drew the line at him standing too closely, his arm too comfortable around another woman’s waist, her caption too reminiscent of an inside joke that you weren’t in on. It didn’t help that the girl was gorgeous; with perfectly done beachy-curls in her hair and a button-nose that looked like it was sculpted by Bella Hadid’s surgeon. You even found yourself feeling jealous of the ab definition that was noticeable when the girl laughed.

You stared at the photos for 45 minutes. Read all of the comments from the girl’s friends about how gorgeous she looked and even one about how she and Brock would make a cute couple. For 45 minutes, you felt sick to your stomach as you let your anger stew. For 45 minutes, you tried to justify each aspect of the photos only to grow more confused by them. For 45 minutes, you debated calling Brock and asking about them. But you didn’t. And after 45 minutes of sitting alone in your own frustration, you had lost all of your patience.

He’d walked into the condo in with a smile on his face, presumably from a good lunch out with Bo, but your jealousy was trying to convince you that it was because of his new friend. Brock’s face fell when he noticed your posture: arms crossed and lips pursed, glaring in his direction. He’d given you a nod, the kind that meant “tell me what I did wrong.” You didn’t need to speak - simply handing over your phone and allowing him to see the post. Brock let out a light scoff with a shake of his head as he slid your phone onto the coffee table.

“That’s what you’re upset about?” He asked, kneeling down so you were eye-level.

When you didn’t respond, Brock had his answer. He told you that the photos didn’t mean anything - that he couldn’t even remember the girl’s name. He assured you that he hadn’t intended for them to appear so intimate and that if he’d realized how couple-y they would turn out, he would’ve never even taken the pictures in the first place. But that made you even more mad, and so now you were in a screaming match with your boyfriend about why he decided to put his arm around her waist and whether or not he found her attractive.

The anger had brought out your insecurities and, although you were ashamed of it, you couldn’t help the nagging sensation that he did look good with the girl - that they did look like a couple.

It was 15 minutes later when Brock stormed out - muttering about how he needed to get to the rink for the game. You could tell that he was upset by your implication. Brock was, above anything else, a loyal friend and partner. He would never consider cheating on you - not even when he was piss-drunk. You knew that he was hurt by what you’d said, but it was the weaker part of yourself that fueled the argument in the first place. The insecure, paranoid part of yourself that knew Brock deserved better. The part of yourself that worried he would find better and that when he did, you’d be nothing but a memory to him.

Immediately after he’d left, your anger dissipated and regret set in. You had overreacted to say the least, fueled by your own mind and it’s tendency to speculate. Not even an hour later, your phone buzzed from the coffee table. You picked it up, tears immediately filling your eyes at the notification. Brock had texted you, in typical Brock fashion, “I hope you know I’d never do anything to hurt you. I’m sorry. I hope I’ll see you at the game tonight, love you.”

Your heart broke at the message, the feeling of regret multiplying ten times over and settling in the pit of your stomach. You knew that you had to apologize to your boyfriend, and you had to do it as soon as possible. You figured if you left now, you’d be able to make it to the arena in enough time to talk to Brock before the second period started. So, you quickly ran to your room, throwing on your lucky Boeser jersey (a green one - with his old team name and the number 16 on it) and headed out the door.

As you got into your car, you were buzzing. You could hear your heartbeat loudly in your ears and your hands were shaking slightly. Your driving had never been perfect, but it was even worse now. You consistently sped down the familiar route to the arena, even running a stop sign in your haste. You were nearing your destination, your foot easing off of the gas as your breathing settled slightly. But then, just as you were pulling through the final intersection, you heard the screeching of rubber against road, and then the scraping and crashing of metal. You could feel your car slam sideways, and then onto its side as the large truck collided with you.

•••

Brock came off the ice from his first shift of the second, getting ready to settle on the bench when his coach called him over. He knew that he’d been playing poorly, with his mind still on you and the fight you’d had, but he didn’t think that it was bad enough to warrant a mid-game lecture.

His coach leaned into him, a sorrowful look on his face, and he told Brock that that you’d been in a car crash; that your car had flipped and you were in the hospital. They’d called a car for Brock and it was waiting just outside.

Brock’s blood ran cold. He stood frozen for a moment, trying to decide if this was some cruel joke. But the looks on the faces of the men around him were enough to tell him otherwise. Without another thought, he ran down the tunnel, dropping his stick and gloves carelessly on the floor. He moved as quickly as his legs would take him to the car outside, his mind racing with worst-case possibilities.

As he sat in the back seat of the Uber, or Lyft, or whatever it was, Brock thought he might just pass out. He noticed the driver had to take a detour - he tried not to look down the road, but Brock could see the lights from the police cars and he almost had to tell the driver to pull over so he could throw up.

The only thing that was bringing Brock comfort was the fact that your were in the hospital. You were alive and being cared for by professionals. But just because you weren’t dead didn’t mean you were okay. Brock worried that you would be in a coma, that you may be alive but that he would never see you open your eyes or hear your voice again. That the last you had seen him was when he was leaving you in anger. He worried that maybe you’d be paralyzed or have a severe head injury. All he could do was pray that you’d be okay.

Brock couldn’t think straight on the ride to the hospital. All he could think about was how dearly he loved you and how much he needed you. Even when you were laying right next to him, he would feel physically ill with how much he missed you - with how much you meant to him. He didn’t know if he could live without you. Just as Brock felt himself start to hyperventilate, the driver pulled up to the hospital.

Brock jumped out of the car, running inside and asking the receptionist for your name. He ignored the odd look she gave him - remembering that he was in full game-day gear. Once he knew where you were, he didn’t hear anything else the woman had to say (although he thinks that part of it might have been a warning that only family is allowed to visit at these hours - but Brock didn’t care, he was your family).

When he walked into your room, Brock’s breath was knocked out of him. You were laying in the bed, curled onto your side, asleep. Brock could see the few cuts that littered your face and arms, and his heart clenched at the sight of a large bruise forming along your temple. He took note of the various needles in your arms and the sound of the monitors you were hooked up to. As he stood frozen in the doorway, he could feel someone walk up to him. Brock turned to see a short woman in a white coat.

“Are you family?” The woman asked, “these visiting hours are reserved for close family only.”

Brock nodded dumbly, speaking through a dry mouth and heavy tongue that he was your boyfriend.

The woman gave him a sympathetic smile as she introduced herself as the doctor that’d been tending to you. She then explained your condition to him. You had a mild concussion, which was a miracle, and a couple of bruised ribs. You had fallen asleep due to the morphine and anti-nausea medication that you’d been given. She advised that Brock let you sleep, but that he was allowed to sit with you while you slept. The doctor also told him that they would finalize your discharge paperwork once you were awake and another check-up could be completed.

Brock couldn’t believe how lucky you’d been and as he walked over to you, all of his emotions bubbled over and he started to cry. He sat in the chair next to your bed, running a hand gently over your hair as he fought off full sobs. He’d been so consumed with his own thoughts that Brock didn’t realize his presence had woken you up.

You looked up at him, his eyes clenched shut as he brought his free hand up to wipe his tears. Slowly, you moved a hand up to grab his wrist, ignoring the slight ache in your abdomen from the movement. Brock’s eyes shot open at the feeing, his gaze immediately meeting yours.

He moved quickly then, his hands moving to either side of your face, his thumbs swiping soothingly along your cheeks.

“Oh god, you’re okay. Thank god you’re okay.”

You wrapped your arms around him, and he easily lifted you so that he could reciprocate. Brock needed to have his arms around you in that moment - to really be sure that you were there with him.

“I’m so sorry-” you’d started, but Brock cut you off with a soft “shh” as he buried his head into your shoulder.

He held you for as long as you would let him, until your ribs started to hurt and he gently lowered you back against the pillows beneath you. Brock then laid a kiss to your forehead before leaning back into his chair.

“When they told me what happened I was so worried I’d lost you. I almost collapsed right then and there.”

Brock let out a slight chuckle as he spoke through his tears and you reached out to hold his hand.

“Well, I’m still here, B. It’s gonna take a lot more than a big truck to kill me.”

Brock got serious, then, his eyebrows furrowing as he stared down at you.

“I could kill him, y’know - that guy that hit you. I don’t think I’ve ever hated someone so much before.”

“It’s okay, Brock, accidents happen. Besides, I was trying to drive to the arena so fast that I almost caused a couple myself.”

Your boyfriend didn’t seem to appreciate your attempt at lightening the mood, and you could feel that same lump in your throat that you’d had before you got in your car in the first place.

“I was trying to get to you to apologize in person,” you muttered, looking down to where your hand was linked with his. “I never should’ve gone off on you about that stupid picture. It wasn’t a big deal, but I was just so jealous and I couldn’t help it.”

Brock squeezed your hand, causing you to look up at him.

“I already forgave you, y/n. I can see how those pictures looked and I understand why you were upset, but you have nothing to be jealous about. You’re the woman that I want to spend the rest of my life with - I could never even think of being with someone else. I’ll try to be more careful when I take pictures and stuff. I’m sorry, baby, I love you so much.”

Your heart swelled as you looked at the man above you. The sincerity in his blue eyes was enough to make you fall in love all over again.

“I love you so much, too, Brock.”

He leaned down, giving you a chaste kiss. As he pulled away, he planted another peck to your cheek, then to your other one, and then all over your face until you were a giggling mess. When he finally sat back up, his tears had all dried and a smile now crossed his features.

“Now we just need to get you back home so I can take care of you, and we’ll all be okay again.”

A/N: I’m not totally in love with this one, but you guys deserve some actual writing from me. hope you liked it!

#brock boeser imagine #brock boeser fluff #brock boeser #hockey #nhl #nhl imagines #hockey imagines #vancouver canucks imagine

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jj-lynn21 · 5 years

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A little extra for the extra

I came up with this story recently after reading an article about how many actors have dated co-stars and back ground actors. Adam Sandler even married the extra in one of his movies. So its possible. Of course its highly unlikely but it was a fun story idea. I didn’t use any specific actor for this story so you can fill in the names you want. I’m going to tag a bunch of names that it could be. Yes I know some are not single but for this story they are so no guilt. If you like it I can write more than one chapter but ending where I do is fine also.

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It was your first time on a movie set. You internalized your excitement so you were not thought of as just some fan girl trying to get closer to actors you respected. You were only brought on for some background scenes but that was still exciting to you. There were rules of course. No cellphones on set. No photos of any kind. Never post info about the movies you are filming on social media . Your scene could easily get cut anyway. And absolutely no talking to the actors unless of course they talk to you first. You were told by other background actors the odds of even working near a main actor wasn’t good anyway. Still you were booked in this film with some of your favorite actors and you are almost vibrating with excitement each day you get to work on set.

Your first day on set was pretty awsome. You got to see the main actor from afar . Not the guy you were really there for but still pretty cool. You made friends with a PA who let you hangout and watch some scenes being filmed which you thought was really interesting. The gun firing blanks going off made you jump when it went off. It was way louder than you expected . when you had to run from that sound it was easy to jump up and go. You knew it wasn’t real but your body wasn’t so sure. Your heart jumped as you ran around the corner so you wouldn’t get shot.

You went where your handler told you. You stood where he told you. You never tried to get closer than you were allowed. On a particularly cold day, 42 degrees, you were put in a thin windbreaker and told to stand near a corner tree and wait for your walking scene. You were just neighborhood dressing really. If anything maybe a second blur. You are standing there with your co-actor who earlier showed you the pictures of himself in other movies. This was encouraging to you. You did remember seeing him. You are chatting with him and see main actor walking towards you.

Outside you are completely calm. Inside you are hyper. He is blocking his shot. You were put right in his path. He glances up, his set make-up makes him look very ill. He says, “hey” and pivoted to continue working. Your handler rushes over to have you move to stand a bit farther from scene. You happily watch the scene without complaining about the cold but you are freezing. Large outdoor heaters are brought out after the handler asks if you are cold and you say, “yes, a little “ as your teeth chatter a bit. Your co-actor says, “you want closer to the heat?” But you are way to interested in watching the scene to move from where you are standing. He really tries to insist you stand closer to the heater. You finally look up to him with a bit more excitement in your face and say, “I am perfect where I am. I can feel the heater just fine.” He finally gets it and chuckles a little.

You can feel the heat good enough. It’s even better when they set up another heater right in front of you. Then the main actor comes over freezing his ass off in a T-Shirt and track pants and tries to warm up by the heater. He looks you up and down. Grins slightly and says, “its fucking freezing out here isn’t it?” Not wanting to be rude of course you answer, “It is really cold.” You both bounce around a bit. Your insides are a bit excited. You hope your outside is calm and you don’t get in trouble for talking to him. You were just being polite. Someone yells they have a coat for him. Next you film your scene a few times before the it’s a wrap for the day.

The next day your scene is cut at the last minute but you still get to hangout and watch filming. The actor comes by you and others and says good morning to everyone. Everyone says, Good morning. It seems like most if not all the women’s voices have become like high pitched teens with some giggling as they say, “Good morning.” He looks to you and asks, “How are you.” You say, “It’s a good day.” And it was a good day of watching behind the scenes and chatting with other extras and Taco Tuesday for lunch. You have to enjoy the small good things in life. You weren’t used but you still got paid.

This has been the most fun job you have ever had. You have been in several scenes so you can’t imagine they will be able to use you again. When another day of filming comes to your attention you still apply and tell them all you have filmed so far. You get another call back to be on set for a big crowd scene. You think maybe this time your favorite actor will be filming with the main actor. You think you have been pretty cool so far but part of you isn’t sure if you will be able to keep so together if you see the man you really fantasize about. You have a new found respect for the main actor, but you really want your favorite sexy actor to give you a little attention when you see him.

You wear navy blue dress pants and a navy blue and white striped off the shoulder fitted shirt to this filming day. Since you have to bring two other options you pack a navy blue high-low dress and some Jean’s and a red, white and blue striped long sleeved shirt. You have your chunky navy blue heels on that will go with whatever outfit they desire you should wear. Only once have they given you something to wear from the costume department. It is definitely better to have options with you. This time they approve of what you are wearing so no quick changes before filming.

Todays scenes are at an air port. A section is closed down just for filming. Everyone sitting around are extras. Some, like yourself, are given a specific task. The crew, who have started getting use to you being on this movie set start calling you by name. It feels great when they say how perfect you look for todays scenes. The hair/make up person tells you how beautiful you look as she touches up your look and makes your hair look shinier. You know she says that to everyone but you thank her and smile. She goes around touching up several people in a short amount of time. Working quickly to get her job done.

The scene is explained to everyone .The assistant director says, “Everyone is waiting for loved ones to come off the plane who were in the military . You have not seen your family in one to three years. It’s a fantasy scene that the character hope’s will happen when he finally returns home with all his military brothers and sisters with him. The main actress will of course run over to our main actor. But since the character has no idea what his new military friends’ families look like some of you will be paired with our military actors to welcome them home. It’s great we have some real couples for this scene. (your name) I want you to run and greet the second soldier off this plane. The first will be our main actor and the main actress will greet him. Other background actors of the soldiers, run to your soldiers when you see them. The rest of you stay seated where you have been placed as if you are waiting on other flights. We will all clap when soldiers are reunited with family. Watch me for the go ahead to clap. Ok let’s do a run through when the director is ready.”

“Quiet on set. Action.” The main actor walks out of the tunnel like he just got off a plane. The main actress runs over and throws her arms around the main actor. You have some fake happy tears going as you start to see the next person step out of the tunnel. Inside you scream, “Fuck” as your favorite actor emerges. You use all that excitement to run to him. He picks you up easily. You wrap yourself around him and smile. He says, “I missed you so bad sweetness.” And plants a lip-lock on you. You kiss him back until they the Director yells, “Cut”.

Your heart is pounding as he puts you down slowly. He says, “Hi, I’m (your fav actor). I usually try to get to know the actress I make-out with before it happens, but they wanted to keep us out of sight from the gawkers lined up over there as long as possible. What’s your name?”

You manage to speak up and tell him your name. You try to breath normally. You say, “I guess the secret is out now.” You giggle to basically release some tension. He chuckles.

The assistant director says, “Ok that was a good run through. I hope if you didn’t already know each other you got to know each other better. (Your name & your fav actors name) you did great. We want a bit more passion from everyone. Louder applause.

The AD says, “Quiet on the set. Let’s move that barricade back a little farther. We will not be able to keep the fans quiet. Action.” As soon as you wrap yourself around him, he grabs your ass holding you up. He again says, “I missed you, sweetness.” He kisses you stronger this time and parts his lips. You kiss him back just as passionately your eyes closed as you run your fingers through his hair. The two of you don’t even hear the director say cut until he says your names. (Your fav actor) puts you down slowly as you look at him for a first reaction.

You know it is all just acting, and he has been doing this a lot longer than you but damn how can anyone not feel anything from this. You think this is probably why co-stars date for awhile after making a movie. Its easy to get wrapped up in the feelings your body is forced to have in the moment. You already had a crush on this guy. This scene is practically killing you in a good way.

He says, “I hope I wasn’t to handsy and It was ok to kiss you like that.”

You say, “Anything to get the scene to look good. You have my permission to do whatever the scene calls for here. You know this stuff more than I do. I’ll just follow your lead.”

He says, “Cool. You ok with me kissing you deeper then? We probably got a hundred more takes.” He chuckles a bit nervously.

You laugh but underneath all the coolness you are trying to exude your body is on fire. Your legs are weak, and you can’t believe what he just asked you. Of course, it ok for him to kiss you any way he wants. Even if it is just acting you have loved every minute of this shoot so far. You say, “It’s cool with me.”

The assistant director says, “Back to start places everyone. We are just going to roll a few takes without stopping when the director is ready.” The scene rolls. You and your fav actor get into each other more and more with each take. You are happy. You can barely catch your breath between resets of the scene. You can’t believe this is currently your life. You lose track of time completely. The director must tell the two of you to stop after he yells cut more than once. You blush a little. Your favorite actor whispers in your ear how cute it is when you are embarrassed by the director’s firm tone telling you two to cut when he says cut.

Lunch is called. The assistant director says, “Take the extras back to holding. We only need a few of them after lunch.”

You start to head out with the group. The PA comes up to you. He says, “You can stick around. We will need you after lunch anyway.”

You say, “cool” and turn around.

Your favorite actor motions for you to come over to him. You sit beside him. He says, “Can I buy you lunch?”

You answer, “sure.”

He says, “They will bring me whatever I want. I was just going to get a green tea latte and a panini from Starbucks.”

You say, “Cool I’ll take a chai latte and a ham & swiss panini.”

He snaps his fingers and a PA rushes over eagerly. He tells her what he wants for lunch. The other actors sit around the same area and over-hear where he is sending the PA. They all put in their order for her to bring back coffees, lunches and snack items.

The main actor looks over at you. He says, “You’ve been on this production several times, now haven’t you?”

You say, “Yes I have. I guess I’ve been lucky. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Grinning your favorite actor says, “Oh, so I’m not your first?”

Main actor says, “Oh, you are her first. We just froze together.” He laughs.

You said, “Yeah, it was freezing that one day. But the heaters worked so we didn’t freeze to death. I rather be shooting this scene any day.”

The main actor says, “I bet you would.”

You blush a little. The PA comes back with everyone’s lunch. You take a sip of your drink and break off a small bite of your sandwich to eat. Your favorite actor says, “not to sound like a line or something but are you from around here?”

You say, “I don’t live to far. It was a little over an hour drive this morning. One day of filming was a little under an hour.”

He says, “That’s not to bad. “

The two of you start to talk about family and friends and life in general and find out you have very similar background. Ok, you already knew you had similar backgrounds, but it was cool that some of the things you have read were true. You are now getting very comfortable chatting with him and the other actors around you. Then its time to go back to work. Best job ever.

The director comes over to say how he wants to set up the next shot and what you will be doing. He says, “As you each head towards where the crowd is over there we will fade out. Our main actor will finish his lines and we will be done for the day. Should only be an hour or so.”

A few more extras are brought in. Everyone takes their places. You run through the scene before cameras roll. As you walk hand and hand away from the main area the crowd goes wild the closer you and he get to them. You just keep a smile on your face. The director yells cut each time before you get to close to the crowd.

Some hold out pictures of the actors and pens so maybe they will get some signatures. Others attempt to take pictures but, their phones are grasped from their hands and pictures are deleted before their phones are given back and they are taken from the crowd. You have been on the other side of this and never acted that insane to get an autograph. Some of the people seemed a bit to crazy looking. You now knew why some actors are scared to start auto graphing pictures when there is a crowd like this. It gets scary quickly. Your favorite actor gaves them a little nod each time the scene was film. He took your hand to kiss each before each cut was yelled. Then back to your mark. After about three hours and multiple camera angle changes including one where the camera was pointed directly at you two as you walked away, the director says, “It’s a wrap.”

Your favorite actor picks you up and swings you around. He says, “Its been a good shoot today. I’m so glad I met you sweetness.” He kisses you and you instinctively wrap yourself around him. He eventually puts you down. You realize this was not a scripted moment. You are kind of in shock. He takes your hand and pulls you over to the side.

He says, “I’m sorry. I just got carried away. I hope you don’t want to charge me with being a predator. I know that’s common place now a days, but I wasn’t meaning to…”

You say, “Hold on. There is no need to panic. I’m fine. I was kissing you back just as much as you were kissing me. I’m fine.”

He says, “Oh good. So um, can I get your number in my phone? Maybe if you want, we can hangout a little more tonight. I have a few people to meet and reporters to talk to, but I should make it out of here in an hour.”

He hands you his phone. You put your number in his contacts list under Cherry Sweetness. You show him and he chuckles. You say, “I have to get back to holding to pick up my things before making it to my car. That will take me about and hour or so. If I hear from you very cool. If I don’t know big deal its been fun. You leave him. Heading out with the other extras to catch a shuttle to holding to get your things and maybe you will head home.

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haughtbreaker · 6 years

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Pour Me More Ch 2: Only a Memory

Thank you so much for all those that took a chance on this story. I appreciate all the comments and kudos. Thanks to @jaybear1701 for repeatedly telling me to stop using the word "form" and to use more commas. Although I have a huge chunk of this story typed, I’m going to be getting ready for Earp-a-palooza so I’m knee deep in prep. I’ll have a vendor table there for GalPalStitches.Com if anyone wants to drop by.

Also Posted on AO3.

Trigger Warning: Mention of past suicide attempt.

Accompanying Song for this Chapter: Beauty from Pain by SuperChick

The moment her plane touched down, Nicole could feel the chill permeating through the window. She tugged her hoodie a little closer, knowing she would soon have to adorn the heavy coat that took up most of the space inside her backpack. Even with the buds in her ears, she could still hear the flight attendant droning on about keeping her seat belt on and not standing in the aisles until the plane came to a complete stop. Nervously, she gripped the small keychain in her pocket, running her thumbnail between the layers of the keyring.

When the door to the plane opened, a rush of cold filled the air and Nicole realized something she hadn't even considered… there was no warm walkway waiting outside the door leading to the airport, only icy wind and a long trek across the tarmac. She quickly tugged out her jacket, barely getting her beanie over her head before someone was clearing their throat impatiently behind her.

The frigid cold bit right into Nicole's face as she stepped down the stairs, trying not to slip on the stairs that looked at least half a century old. She attempted to turn her mind away from her burning eyes and the frigid shock to her lungs as she followed the flock of people that headed towards a nearby building. Instead, she thought about home, picturing the sun shining on the perfect break, the wind smelling of salt and sunscreen. She tried to taste the seawater on her tongue and hear the wind blowing through the leaves of coconut trees, the feel of soft skin under her fingertips and lips pressing against the spot just below her left ear. Listening closely, she could hear that voice…

"My beautiful beach rat."

Nicole blinked as her eyes began to water, lost in a memory of what once was, her feet working by autopilot. A blast of artificial heat assaulted her just inside the door and she was pulled back to the present, feeling her skin drying almost instantly. "Welcome to fucking Canada," she mumbled as she moved with the crowd being herded towards the baggage area by security ribbons and faded signs. The large digital display on the wall told her it was just before noon and she tried not to think too much about what she'd be doing if she were home, about how she'd be in third period, American History. A lot of good that would do her now.

It wasn't a far walk. The airport didn't appear to be much bigger than one of those gas stations surrounded by cornfields in rural Indiana or some other horror movie shit like that. Where zombie kids came out of nowhere to slaughter you if you weren't paying attention.

It didn't fill her with a sense of comfort.

From what her mother had told her about her hometown, Purgatory was a bit of a shithole - a place where you were lucky if your house had indoor plumbing. She hadn't even fathomed that outhouses were still a thing. Her thoughts lingered on midnight bathroom trips and the probability of freezing to death on a shitter.

There had to be a statistic for that somewhere.

The baggage area was straight ahead through a set of automatic doors. The guard blocking the exit from the secure area was a man who had to be at least 80 years old, sitting on a stool and sleeping soundly. To Canada's credit, the waiting loved ones seemed to be keeping honest by staying near the baggage claim, waiting patiently for the passengers to exit.

Nicole wasn't quite sure who she should be looking for and raised an eyebrow as she saw a girl dressed in black leather holding a hand-written sign that said Haught Pants McGee. The girl wore a pair of aviator glasses that she lowered to look at Nicole. Blue eyes, angular features and all attitude, no doubt stuck in some sort of personal rebellion against the social norm. This had to be one of the sisters she'd heard about. Nicole sighed softly, walking straight up to her and stopping.

"I don't think we're at the point in our relationship where you can make fun of my name yet."

The girl shrugged, folding up the sign. "Well, can I make fun of you being gay at least? I do have to say, I always wanted a gay cousin. I'm Wynonna."

"I'm pretty sure that could be considered some level of prejudice." Nicole gave her a wry look. She wasn't quite sure how to gauge her new acquaintance. "Well, I'm Nicole and I can't say I ever wanted a leather-clad deviant as a cousin… adopted cousin… or second cousin of my mother's adoptive family... however the hell this works."

"Funny, I'm not the one that was sent off to another country," Wynonna paused. "This time. Shit, maybe we are related… by adoption," she mocked before pursing her lips and looking around awkwardly. "So… now that we've firmly established that we could legally bone without being shunned by society… you got more shit than that little backpack? Cause you're a little too tall for my meticulously assembled wardrobe and you're definitely about a dick and a half too tall for Waverly's shit."

Nicole couldn't help smiling. She'd had a picture of what the people of Purgatory would be like, but this was definitely not it. Wynonna was snarky and crass. It reminded her a little of her best friend back home, the one that was still alive anyway. "Yeah, I've got a suitcase and a duffle. And is the phallic measuring system particular to Canada as a whole or your own personal flare?"

"Easy now, Haught. I don't think we're in that stage of our relationship that you can ask me about my personal flare," Wynonna quipped with a wink. "And I hope you don't expect me to help you carry shit… I've got like… corporal tunnel."

"Carpal tunnel," Nicole corrected. "One too many hand jobs?"

Wynonna had the audacity to smirk. "Maybe a dozen too many." When a buzzer rang through the area, there were a few clanks before the small baggage carousel started spinning. "Let's get your shit so we can get back to Purgatory."

The drive was longer than Nicole thought it would be. It took about an hour of listening to Wynonna's shitty death metal that Nicole was pretty sure was Scandinavian before they passed the sign that said "Welcome to Purgatory! You'll never want to leave." Nicole swallowed audibly as they passed through the town at what had to be double the speed limit.

Nicole watched with apprehension as Wynonna seemed to almost gleefully speed past the sheriff's department, her eyes watching the rearview mirror with disappointment as no one noticed, as if she wanted to be pulled over. Wynonna huffed and turned the music down just a bit and slowed as the building disappeared out of view behind them.

It took another 15 minutes to push straight through the other side of town and drive the short distance away to what looked like a farm of sort. The house wasn't at all the shack Nicole imagined it would be, she thought, the Jeep pulling to a halt with a jolt. It was a two story house with a porch that wrapped around two sides of it. Behind the house and a bit away, there appeared to be a greenhouse that had seen better days, some of the windows cracked or missing.

Nicole slipped out of the Jeep, her legs a little unsteady after the less-than-smooth ride. There was a loud creak and she saw a woman standing in the doorway. She was slightly familiar, not from Nicole's own memories, but from photos she'd seen when she was younger.

"Nicole." The woman had short grey hair and wore a flannel shirt tucked into high-waisted jeans. She held the screen door open, expecting Nicole to enter.

Grabbing her suitcase and duffel from the back of the jeep, Nicole kept her head down, stepping inside and looking around. It was… rustic was the best word she could think of. Not exactly Martha Stewart's idea of rustic, but certainly not the backwater redneck motif she was expecting.

"Alright, let me look at you." Gus stepped up to her, a thoughtful look on her face. Her eyes held a wisdom that seemed befitting of her old age. Gus had of course aged since the pictures from her mother's childhood. "You look just like your mother, but definitely a lot taller," Gus mused.

"Yeah." Nicole nodded. "So I've been told." She wasn't in the mood to talk about her mother. It was one of the things she'd dreaded, having to discuss her dead mother with the woman that had adopted her. Her mother had never spoken ill of Gus, just that she was a no-nonsense woman with keen observation skills. Gus hadn't come to the funeral and Nicole hadn't understood at the time, but after her own experience with grief, it had bought Gus a bit of lenience.

Wynonna entered the house with a slam of the door, causing everyone to jump.

"Damn it, Wynonna." Gus shook her head.

Wynonna held up her hands. "Not nice to swear at kids, Gus. You're gonna give Haught here a bad impression."

"You are not a damn kid anymore. In fact, isn't it about time you went and got yourself a job?"

"I'd love to, Gus," Wynonna shrugged, "but you know with this economy, it's getting harder to find a job that will pay you an honest living when you've got a college education, let alone being a high school dropout."

"That's funny because your sister got a job during the summer, and she's two years younger than you and still in high school."

"You got her that job!"

Nicole just watched as they argued back and forth, feeling a bit like a third wheel but also feeling a passive amusement. She'd never really gotten the opportunity to argue with her mother like this, and even if Wynonna and Gus weren't actually mother and daughter, it was an interesting dynamic.

"Can you just show her to her room, please, while I get started on dinner?" Gus massaged her temple. "I have to work tonight and I'd rather not do it with a dang headache."

Wynonna did an about face, heading to the stairs and stopping suddenly before looking at Nicole. "You coming or what?"

"Sure." Nicole shook her head, grabbing her luggage. "Thanks, Gus," she said as she passed the older woman. It was a bit of a struggle getting the luggage up the stairs, but she got there to find Wynonna leaning against the wall near a door, arms crossed over her chest. "Thanks."

"Glad to help." Wynonna responded. "Here's your room. Mine is down the hall over there and my sister Waverly's room is between ours. Gus sleeps in the room downstairs."

"OK." Nicole nodded, setting her things just inside the door before looking up at Wynonna.

Wynonna pursed her lips, tapping the toe of one of her boots for a moment before clapping her hands once. "Okay, then. Welcome to Purgatory." She turned on her heels and left without another word.

Nicole released a long sigh as she looked around the room. "Well…" She shucked off the heavier coat she wore but kept her hoodie on, hugging the material closer to her. The room wasn't much smaller than her room back home, but it smelt like storage and the walls were bare. The bed looked new, at least, with fresh sheets and a thick comforter.

She probably should have started unpacking - settling into what was going to be her new life for however long her father didn't want to deal with her anymore. She didn't blame him, of course. He hadn't been the same since her mother died. Her grief was a mirror of his own, a living reminder of what loss felt like. It was easier for him to turn his back on her than to live through it again.

She ignored her suitcase completely, grabbing her duffle bag as she sat on the bed. It was softer than she liked, almost as soft as Shae's pillowtop. "Stop." She broke the silence of the room. She knew she needed to stop comparing everything to… before.

Her watch alarm went off with a soft beep, a reminder that came three times a day of just how fragile she was. In her backpack she found three brown bottles, the contents rattling softly as she fought against the child-safety locks. Her grip strength still hadn't come back fully, even after months of physical therapy. Eventually she was able to tip out the collection of whites and peach that had become her life, washing them back with the half-empty bottle of water she'd gotten on the plane. With a grimace at the bitter taste left on her tongue, Nicole tossed the bottles back into the safety of her backpack. She wasn't quite ready to share that part of herself with her new housemates. No doubt her father had already told Gus, but no sense in giving Wynonna what could be prime ammo to use against her.

From her backpack she pulled a small framed photo, her fingertip brushing along the line of Shae's jaw. "Well… we're in some shit, Babe." She set the photo on the nightstand and pulled a familiar plush throw from her duffle bag. She could feel the lethargic wave washing over her, the side effect of her medication almost irresistible when combined with hours of traveling.

Kicking off her shoes, she pushed her bags to one side of the bed before wrapping herself in the throw, breathing in the scent of home. Looking around the room once more, she let her eyes settle on the photo of Shae as she drifted off to sleep.

The sun was reaching for the horizon by the time Waverly stepped out of the locker room and headed towards the parking lot. Cheerleading had gone a little long but still Wynonna was nowhere to be seen. She sniffled against the cold as she checked her wristwatch.

"Waves!"

Looking up, she raised a hand as Jeremy jogged up to her, his breath coming out in white puffs of condensation. "Hey Jer-bear." She smiled at her best friend who was carrying a stack of books. It was Friday which meant he had been meeting with the science club. A genius when it came to anything science, he was the only other student in Purgatory that was graduating a year early, but unlike Waverly, he wasn't a cheerleader that was liked by everyone in town. He often got pushed around by the asshole jocks of the school and Waverly did her best to shield him with her own popularity. Not only was he picked on for his intelligence, but also for being one of the few out gay students in school, and the only person Waverly had confided in regarding her questioning her own sexuality.

"What are you still doing here, Crazy." He scratched at the stubble forming along his jaw. "It's freezing! Where's your Jeep?"

Waverly shrugged. "Wynonna had to pick someone up from the airport so she took it. She's running a little late, as always."

"Classic Wynonna." Jeremy shook his head. "Got some family visiting?"

"Kind of." Waverly pursed her lips, trying to think of the best way to explain it. "I guess she's kind of like a second cousin but not really? Her mom was adopted by Gus as a kid," she explained. "And I guess she's going to be living with us for a little bit. I'm not exactly sure how long."

"Whoa." Jeremy raised his eyebrows in surprise, shifting the books in his hands so he could adjust his beanie. "That's kind of crazy. Have you not met her before?"

Waverly shook her head, feeling the chill attacking her uncovered face. "Nope. Her dad is American so she lives in California…lived I guess."

Jeremy grimaced. "From California to Purgatory… that's gonna be a bit of a weather shock."

Waverly chuckled. "Completely. You'll probably meet her on Monday," she paused before an idea came to her, " unless you wanted to come over this weekend?" She gave Jeremy her best pleading look. "We can study for our physics exam?"

"As if you needed to study." He rolled his eyes in exaggeration before sniffling.

"There's never any harm in studying, even when you know the answers." Waverly heard the sound of the gears on her Jeep grinding before she saw Wynonna skidding into the lot. "God damn it, Wynonna." Waverly barked as both she and Jeremy took an instinctual step back, the Jeep barely stopped in time.

"Sup Nerd," Wynonna nodded towards Jeremy before looking at Waverly. "Get in, Loser."

Waverly rolled her eyes before giving Jeremy a quick hug. "Tomorrow? Please?"

Jeremy sighed. "You know I can't say no to you."

"Good. Awesome. Thank you. I love you." Waverly grinned and waved before she slipped into the Jeep. As they pulled away, she reached over and turned the volume of the death metal down. "So…."

"So what?"

Waverly narrowed her eyes at her sister. "What are your thoughts?"

"That Hanson should never have stopped making music."

"Wynonna!"

Wynonna huffed. "What do you want me to say? She's… quiet, but snarky. Taller than me… like Wonder Woman kind of tall minus the leather bathing suit. She… looks so gay."

Waverly had to laugh. "What the heck does that mean?" Waverly looked down at her own clothes, star speckled leggings tucked into fuzzy calf-high boots under her cheerleading uniform that was covered with a puffy white jacket with faux-fur trim. Did she's look gay? Or bisexual rather? She didn't think so.

"You're just gonna have to see for yourself I guess."

Waverly nodded, looking out at the stretch of road ahead of them. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

#wynonna earp #wayhaught #pour me more #we fanfic #tw: mention of past suicide attempt

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livingasaghost · 6 years

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alright folks. settle in. this is the story of how i met taylor swift after waiting 10 years. whew.

i don’t honestly know how to start this bc i never thought i’d make this text post.

so it all started on tuesday night. i was reading and scrolling my phone as one does, and then i get a text from hailee aka @ootwoodsyet aka my twin.

taylornation sent her a dm and both of us FREAKED OUT. we were cautiously optimistic but i think both of us were like OKAY THIS IS IT! THIS IS WHAT WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR! EVERYONE STAY CALM IT’S ACTUALLY HAPPENING! so anyway, obviously hailee is the best person in the universe and replied putting my name in as her plus one and then we just texted each other non-stop for like two hours straight. tn replied to her email and asked for our social media handles, my full name, and our birthdays. we could hardly sleep that night, so when we woke up early the next morning we texted each other still freaking out. finally TN emailed back and was like OKAY YOU TWO ARE ON THE GUEST LIST! HAILEE LITERALLY FACETIMED ME FROM HER CAR AND WE BOTH LOST IT. at that point we immediately started making plans bc the next day thursday was the event in chicago. we had no idea when or where it was happening, but we knew we were going to be there. so we started prepping. i had to cancel on a client photoshoot (oops...but i’m not sorry) and uh hailee may or may not have had food poisoning that morning......so i went to platos closet and bought a new dress (velvet, blue, and PERFECT) and then i packed up a bag bc i was gonna go straight from my parents’ house to louisville on saturday for the rep show (wtf). neither of us slept very well wednesday night, and then AND THEN IT WAS TIME FOR THE WEIRDEST BEST DAY OF LIVES.

thursday june 28, 2018 --

i woke up at 7:15 and drove like 8 hours north from nashville to chicago. there was actually a decent amount of traffic that day but at one point i had to take a detour because there was a crash on i65. so on this random detour in southern indiana, a little ways outside of louisville, i was blasting better than revenge and i look to my left and I SAW TAYLORS FACE ON A TRUCK AND I SCREAMED BECAUSE THE REP TOUR BUSES WERE JUST SITTING IN THIS RANDOM LOT

I THOUGHT IT HAD TO BE A SIGN AND UH I GUESS I WAS RIGHT???? i also passed a place called “swifty farms” (what) and of course i drove through taylorsville so um needless to say....it was all meant to be

i eventually made it to chicago at 5:30pm and i picked up hailee from the train station. we flipped bc we literally did this exact same thing less than a month about for the 2nd chicago show and HERE WE WERE AGAIN FOR THE SAME WOMAN soooo we made our way to the first location that TN said to meet at by 7pm. we pulled up at like 6:15 and the parking lot was full but they already had a line of people. after finding a nearby garage to park in, we literally RAN across the way to get in line (it was like 10 minutes and we were so sweaty wow) and then we were in line and we had to go through two different security sections - each one asked for our names and ids. then at the second checkpoint they gave us wristbands based on our ages (i’m over 21) and eventually we went off to give them our phones and bags and stuff. then we were directed onto a greyhound bus and when we got on we legitimately became the most obnoxious people i’ve ever known in my entire life.

when we got on they were playing reputation (duh) and RFI was on so we literally listened through the album one whole time and it was WILD. we didn’t have our phones so we were just freaking out about twitter. we spent the whole time singing along and being totally in awe. the whole bus did 123 LETS GO BITCH during delicate, and thennn during getaway car when she goes SAID GOODBYE IN A GETAWAY CAR the bus MOVED AND WE LEFT TO GO TO THE SECONDARY LOCATION (john mulaney???)

so we drove until new years day came on and then we pulled into this random alley. before we could get up, this CAMERA crew showed up and went to the back of the bus to film us. they told us to be excited so we WERE?? and then we got off and went inside this random venue. hailee and i gripped each other’s hands so hard and then we went down this tunnel with mirrors & screens & then i almost broke down into tears bc it was all so overwhelming. they had so many professional photographers asking to take our photos and then the taylor people were handing out raffle tickets telling us to do stuff. it was like this weird underground area that had these gorgeous industrial bathrooms (with so many toiletries like oil sheets & dry shampoo & tampons & gum & hair ties) and there were arcade games and an led dance floor that lit up with hearts where you stood and there was a skee ball thing where we STOOD ON IT AND GOT OUR PHOTO TAKEN and they had claw machines with merch inside and these HUGE photobooth backdrops (BIG REPUTATION + taylors face + a huge snake) and basically you had to do stuff to get tickets and then you could use the tickets to get free merch! we didnt catch on quick enough though so we didn’t get anything more exciting than a water bottle & a tote (which were still so cool)

so anyway, we did some stuff, got a BIG REPUTATION non-alcoholic drink that was like soda water + blackberry syrup + a lime and it was just okay haha and as we went over to try and get our free merch we heard a THATS TAYLOR SWIFT scream from across the room and basically RAN to see what was happening. and that’s when this wall opened up and uh WE WALKED INTO A CONCERT VENUE AND LOST ALL CHILL

IT WAS SUCH A SMALL VENUE HAILEE AND I WERE IN THE BACK ROW BUT LITERALLY WE SPENT 10 MINUTES HYPERVENTILATING AND SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER!!! there were cameras everywhere, and it was so industrial but there was PIANO + THE SPARKLY GUITAR + THE KOI GUITAR?????? AND HER BLACK GUITAR WITH THE STARS ON THE FRETS!! so we hung out for a while in taylor limbo and felt like we were gonna combust and then AND THEN THE NIGHT KICKED INTO HIGH GEAR AND I SWEAR HAILEE AND I BOTH JUST BLACKED OUT

THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AND TAYLOR JUST FREAKING WALKED OUT ON STAGE AND I ALMOST BURST INTO TEARS SHE WASN’T REAL BUT SHE WAS RIGHT THERE AND I WANTED TO EXPLODE anyway she wore a green jumpsuit with a huge belt and some cute high heeled booties and uh she was her usual cute self being like HI GUYS WHATS UP there were like 200 people there and i couldn’t get over that!!! this was her smallest show in like 10 years???? AND I WAS THERE??? uh but yeah so she did 6 songs - gorgeous + delicate on guitar, all too well + new years day on piano, and shake it off on guitar. here are some highlights from that set...

the whole crowd did *DING* during gorgeous and 123 LET’S GO BITCH during delicate

taylor said that they were trying to decide if they needed backing vocalists and she decided not to and it turned out they didnt need them because we sung literally ALL the backing parts - like the high pitched “delicate” - we did that

she didnt even finish the last delicate bc we sang it so loud and she just laughed

she was so so SOOOOO comfortable with us like i have never seen her so candid and chill and relaxed?? like she was smiling and giggling and she made mistakes and didn’t even care and it was so CUTE I CANT STAND IT

at the piano she was like “oooh sorry i didnt get to sound check hang on lemme figure this out”

when she sat at the piano she was like “wow my hair’s so long” and how she thought about cutting it for these upcoming florida shows since it’s so hot and then the crowd was like OMG CUT IT or OMG DONT CUT IT and our section was like CUT ITTTT and she looked directly at us and was like mmmmm “you guys dont want it....” and wow i think she looked at me then wowowow

she explained that for all too well it was such an emotional song and she used to hate playing it bc it made her so sad but bc we love it so much now she loves playing it bc it makes her think of us and she was freaking SMILING DURING THIS WHOLE PERFORMANCE!! like the last time i saw her perform it live in my presence was 5 years ago at the red tour in chicago and she was crying but during this time she was LAUGHING AND SMILING

someone sang all to welllllll really terribly and off key and the whole audience fell silent and taylor just looked at that person and laughed and we all lost it

then she talked about writing reputation and how it was so cathartic for her and like she came up with the “there will be no explanation there will just be reputation” rhyme and it was so cool that now she has to stick to it and not give interviews so she was excited to explain to us more about the album

AND THEN she told this story about how 2 new years ago she was celebrating and just like realizing that everyone just wants to kiss someone at midnight but you really need someone to look after you while you’re popping advils the next day

she played new years day and we were all so emo wow

so then she gets up to get her guitar and we’re all like PLAY THE SPARKLY GUITAR!!!! and she looked so dismayed she was like “guys it’s just a prop it isn’t tuned” and we were so sad we were like TUNE IT!!! and she’s like NO I CANT

so thennnn she’s like “okay so i have one more song” and we were all like “PLAY MORE PLAY MORE” and she said “well, i could play you three more songs ORRRR we could take pictures...” and wow everyone died it was wild

she played shake it off acoustic and im not okay

then she explained what was gonna happen next and she was like FIRST OF ALL i cant really talk to you since i’m touring i need to save my voice and i’m not supposed to talk and second, we’re doing it in groups of four so make friends bc you’ll get photos in groups of four!

then as she finished she was like “uh i guess i’ll just go back here? no one really told me what was happening or what to do so...ILL SEE YOU SOON!!!”

as we walked out i saw a girl hugging her friend and crying. relatable. so hailee and i waited for our blue color to be called and went to claim our free merch. after we freshened up, we were waiting and this girl offered us poptarts and we both looked at each other and were like “omg poptarts” soooo then we got at the end of the line for the M&G. we were freaking out and we didn’t know what we’re gonna say and it was so surreal. like, we were gonna meet taylor swift. TAYLOR SWIFT! FUCK

so we’re waiting. and then these staff people come over and ask how many we have in our party (we say 2) and immediately they’re like...i think we have 2 openings over here hang on. so they deliberate, and then we’re being motioned to the FRONT OF THE LINE and we skip like 50 people and OUR HEARTBEATS TOOK OFF! WE WERE NOT ALL THERE! WE EXPLODED! WE WERE SO UNPREPARED TO JUMP THAT LINE BUT WOW WE WERE REALLY OUT THERE GETTING READY TO MEET TAYLOR.

we then were ushered upstairs and they lead us over a little bridge that was above the concert venue. eventually we made it past another security checkpoint and got to this fabric walled hallway where we glimpsed MAMA SWIFT and we almost lost it.

as we approached the very front of the line, TREE PAINE SHOWED UP and was just so sweet and nice and bubbly and we immediately decided to stan her. she was like “wow this is such a beautiful group of people you all look fantastic!” and we were like WOW ITS TREE PAINE and so then THEN ANDREA CAME BACK OUT AND WAS LIKE HELLO WOW YOU ALL LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL!!! and i shook her hand and told her it was honor to meet her and she was so so happy

(this whole time dont blame me and delicate was playing in the background)

((at one point tree was trying to figure out what was playing and i was like ITS DELICATE and she was like OH YEAH YOU’RE RIGHT))

sooooooo ummmmmm then security was ushering us around the corner and into this back area and TAYLOR SWIFT WAS RIGHT THERE??????? hailee and i were GRIPPING each others hands and i almost broke down into tears but hailee was like NO YOUR MAKE UP DONT DO IT YET NOT YET HOLD IT TOGETHER

and taylor (that sneaky bitch i love her) saw us together and basically took a photo with the other 2 people in our group and THEN came over to us to do us separately (!!!) ((apparently according to hailee the at&t lady running the thing was like “what is happening” but it’s taylor swift so she can do anything) so she walked over to us and we kept our cool somehow and i was like “WE WAITED 10 YEARS FOR THIS” and she high fived me and was like “WE DID IT!!” and i told her i drove 8 hours from nashville and she was baffled about how far that was. hailee thanked her for making her more courageous and resilient and we thanked her for the pride speech in chicago and she was so excited we went to the rain show. then i thanked her for writing “invisible” and she looked at me like OH WOW IM SHOCKED she was like “wow no one ever talks about that song thank you!” and i told her it made me feel seen and she was just so so kind and warm and did i mention she hugged us? and she’s kinda tall but she felt like our height and she felt like our best friend? ummm yeah so then the at&t people were like PICTURE and we went over and hailee and i both blacked out like we don’t remember what the background looked like??? i assume it’s the same as it always is but we didn’t notice lol um yeah so i remember smiling for the photo and i LEANED MY HEAD AGAINST TAYLORS???!?!? and then as we were finishing i was like IM GOING TO LOUISVILLE ON SATURDAY!!! and she was like “wow im so excited! i cant wait to be back on tour! i always hate the breaks in between!” and then i was like “CAN YOU PLAY SOMETHING FROM SPEAK NOW” and she was like “oh maybe” but she looked so disinterested i was thinking TAYLOR COME ON ITS SPEAK NOW and then i said i love you and she said i love you i think and then we got out and wowowowowowow

tree paine was there again and we were like OMG THAKN YOU CAN WE HUG YOU and she was so sweet like YES OF COURSE!!!! (um @tree-paine you are literally the kindest i would die for you) anyway hailee had a letter for taylor and she asked tree if someone could give it to her and tree was like i’ll put it in my back pocket!! and then we left and we kept thanking people as we walked out and that is the story of the greatest night of my life.

thank you to at&t and to hailee and to @taylornation and of course to @taylorswift wowowow i never thought this would happen to me and it did IT REALLY DID WOW

#personal #taylor swift #at&t #taylor swift now #i met taylor swift #6/28/18 #reputation

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Spiral: From the Book of Saw Review – Chris Rock Caught in Same Old Traps

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The good news about Spiral: From the Book of Saw—the ninth entry in the infamous horror series and the second reboot—is that you really don’t have to be invested in the convoluted, borderline nonsensical mythology of the previous eight films to know what’s going on. There are no recurring characters, and even series super-villain Jigsaw himself (who returned again and again from seeming death in the form of Tobin Bell) only appears as a photo.

The not-so-good news is that Spiral almost goes too far in the other direction: It’s not particularly scary, it’s extremely simplistic to the point of repetition, and due to its repetitive structure, the viewer is able to figure out pretty quickly who is behind the string of murders that are being done in the style of Jigsaw. Well almost like Jigsaw, since the victims this time are exclusively plainclothes detectives.

For fans of the series, there are the required “torture trap” killings in which each victim is given the means to choose whether they live or die—although they all end up dying anyway, of course. The traps are suitably macabre and grisly, and the gore plentiful, although we found ourselves wondering, and not for the first time while watching a Saw movie, how the killer finds the time and resources to build these elaborate and deadly puzzles. Director Darren Lynn Bousman, returning to the series for the first time after directing Saw II, III, and IV, also maintains the visual consistency.

The film opens with a detective named Boswick (Dan Petronijevic), who is dispatched in a nasty subway trap. Down in the tunnels, Bos is required to rip out his own tongue as a train barrels down. His friend, Det. Zeke Banks (Chris Rock), takes the lead on the case and it soon becomes apparent that the killer is utilizing the methods of Jigsaw to target dirty cops. Banks has his own baggage too. Not only is he the son of an esteemed, now retired, police chief (Samuel L. Jackson), but Zeke turned in a bad cop 12 years ago and has been ostracized by his colleagues ever since.

Saddled with a new, fresh-out-of-the-academy partner (Max Minghella) and pressured by the current chief (Marisol Nichols), and warned by his father of grave consequences should the murderer indeed be a Jigsaw copycat, Zeke begins receiving recorded messages and grisly mementos in the mail from the killer—further cementing the fact that a new acolyte of Jigsaw is on the loose and that this psychopath is passing moral judgment on the entire police force.

It’s worth recalling that the original Saw, which was directed by James Wan in 2004, was more of a mystery than an outright horror film, with two men waking up chained inside a room with a corpse between them. The pair try to figure out how they all got there and what to do next. It was only with Saw II that the emphasis shifted to the villain himself, Jigsaw, and his increasingly complex and gruesome traps, making the series one of the leading lights of the so-called (and thankfully short-lived) “torture porn” subgenre.

Spiral not only brings the series back to its mystery roots in some ways—even if it’s relatively easy to solve—but molds its story in the shape of a police procedural. But since the movie shows its hand relatively early, there’s no real forward motion to the narrative. And while the fact that the killer is targeting corrupt cops is an attempt at up-to-the-minute relevance, it’s handled in such a heavy-handed manner that the film risks being overbearing in that regard.

Still, there’s a certain morbid fascination in watching the story unfold and seeing just how inventive the script (penned by returning Jigsaw writers Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger) can get with the traps. But there’s also a workmanlike feel to the entire production and much of the acting (the latter a longtime sore spot with this franchise), which adds to an exhausted vibe that is hardly surprising nine films into a franchise.

As for Chris Rock, he remains a charismatic presence onscreen, but he’s ill-equipped to handle the more somber, haunted aspects of his character. He seems unsure of just how seriously to take his performance, and often falls back on a ready supply of quips—some of which do give the film momentary respites of humor while others just dangle awkwardly in the scene. Samuel L. Jackson is only in the film for a handful of scenes, adding his special sauce whenever he shows up but also clearly just there to collect a quick paycheck.

Of course Spiral leaves the door open for more mayhem to come, depending on whether the box office receipts justify it. On a creative level, however, Spiral doesn’t really offer any new pieces to the jigsaw puzzle.

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Spiral plays only in theaters beginning on Friday, May 14.

The post Spiral: From the Book of Saw Review – Chris Rock Caught in Same Old Traps appeared first on Den of Geek.

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awa--awa · 3 years

Text

9am Hike

I thought i’d go for a hike today

somewhere around the Sierra Forest.

There’s a trail somewhere around there. I’ve seen people post photos of it online. I’ve never actually been, never dared to.

There’s also a peaceful lake, named the Sierra Lake.

There’s supposed to be a nice bench where the ducks are fed by fellow bench sitters. Many joggers and dog walkers go through Sierra Forest. I never jog and I don’t have a dog, but i’d reckon that any forest is welcome to anybody.

I woke up at 8, quite a rare occurrence that is

so I thought; today is the day i finally go on that hike. I would be there by 9

after a nice 30 minute walk.

I packed my hiking bag with all my favorite things

My camera, my journal, a copy of Langston Hughes.

I also packed my purple hoodie in case it got cold. I almost forgot to bring my favorite pair of sunglasses, but I grabbed it before leaving.

I also packed my skateboard on the hiking bag’s elastic holders.

I just hoped that my bag of candy did not get crushed

Ironically, that would ruin the trip the Sierra Forest.

I had my favorite breakfast: Bacon, egg and cheese sandwich

a cappuccino and a cigarette to start a wonderful day.

I left, leaving the heater at 5, all the nights on, and my keys on the table.

I thought i’d take a detour by the Sierra Park where the pigeons would gather

Luckily I brought some bread and I tossed a couple pieces to them as they surrounded me. They are good company, especially in the morning.

the pigeons wandered to a different bench sitter, and I opened up my Langston Hughes to a random page.

“Hold fast to dreams, For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird, That cannot fly.”

I nearly cried. His words always struck at a core. I really wanted to see the ducks, so I only read that passage and continued towards Sierra Forest.

The trees in this season look like skeletons

no leaves to call flesh, and no color but grey

still, they felt alive. especially on such weather as today.

9am is usually not as windy here. In fact it was sunny, 6 degrees or so

no wind.

it was a special day. It always was a special day when the air feels as fresh as it does in spring.

One could walk in shorts in this weather but it is much more cozy with a coat.

One man did walk past me, and he wore shorts. I thought to myself

you are mad, sir. in this weather, any second the cold wind could come

and the 9am special feeling turns into more of a 4pm sunset sadness.

The weather held up during my walk, thankfully.

I saw a yellow light blinking in the distance.

The light came from a van under the Sierra Tunnel.

Joggers and dog walkers passed by, peaking at the commotion.

I could not see but the men and women wore uniforms

neon.

I got closer and noticed an old man on the ground. the uniforms surrounded him, and beside him a middle aged woman spoke on the phone. She didn’t seem to know him, or so I would imagine because she was quite calm.

The old man on the ground looked my grandfather, except taller and my grandfather never wore baseball caps. He enjoyed showing his greying hair, even when it began to fall out.

The middle aged woman looked like my mother, only darker and taller. Her voice of concern as she spoke on the phone reminded me of the time my mom received a call explaining that her estranged father was taken the hospital.

It was the same voice: concerned about the old man on the ground, but concerned not to extent of tears, as one would have for a stranger seemingly fallen ill.

The people behind me joined me in eavesdropping. How does one not look?

A man is on the ground and first responders are there, but everyone seems to be planning what to do next.

I would imagine it to be difficult

to be the one person or people who can help, but being absolutely useless.

Whether they were parametics or not, the question did not come to mind.

the yellow light was still on and the uniforms were still on the phone,

and the old man who resembled my grandfather, lay still on the ground

possibly counting his final moments and dreaming of his loved ones

and all the memories that he is not ready to say goodbye to.

I only made it to about 10 meters passed the man before I burst into tears.

who was he? I thought. Was he going to die? Will one of his friends or family members make it in time to see him. Was he on the floor because of the virus? or was he just old? and which is worse?

I wanted to help

but everyone who could help was already there

my job was to simply hope

hope, for a stranger to get back up on their feet and begin walking, smiling, laughing, eating.

I cried the whole way through Sierra Park and when I reached Sierra Forest, my cries were more like yells.

And I wanted to yell as loud as possible, but I know someone would come searching to help.

So instead i kept the crying to a medium level and only the skeleton trees would hear me.

I found the bench and sat on it. There were no ducks there yet, but the lake was indeed as beautiful as it seemed on the photos.

By then i stopped crying and I was silently looking at a blank page on my journal. Today i really don’t have anything to say, it seems.

two ducks, glowing with their slightly green necks waddled into the lake.

That made me happy.

I tossed some pieces of bread to them and they rushed to the pieces.

They are fiercely competitive, but all in all harmless if you give them each an equal amount.

I wish I could speak to them, and I wish they could speak to me.

I took out my bag of candy and took one piece and swallowed it.

It was tasteless and I could feel nothing from it, but that is why I brought these.

I must have lost my sense of taste and smell sometime in the last month.

Many have asked me when I knew that i lost that ability and I always say the same thing.

It was a friday and I went to the museum.

Upon looking at the large canvas in the main hall, I saw much color, and much shape

but I felt absolutely nothing.

That was when I knew.

I swallowed another piece of candy and threw two more pieces of bread to the ducks, before throwing an entire slice.

I closed my journal and opened up my Langston Hughes.

“Life is for the living. Death is for the dead. Let life be like music. And death a note unsaid.”

I didn’t cry this time, but I closed my eyes and I could feel my head getting lighter.

With my eyes still closed I grabbed another piece of candy and I was about to swallow it, until I heard a sudden yell coming from somewhere in the forest.

FUCK! A very loud yell it was.

I turned around but saw nothing but a hint of a metallic structure hidden behind the array of branches in the forest. I recognized the structure. I definitely did.

I walked towards the yell and then I heard it again.

FUCK! GOD DAMMIT!

It was a young boy’s voice, I was certain.

I rushed towards the voice and fortunately he was not in any danger, but he was crying at the bottom of the deep end of an empty pool. A bowl is what its called.

In the shallow end of the bowl, I saw a snapped skateboard and a single kneepad.

You probably leaned too far back didn’t you, kid?

He seemed angry. Didn’t say anything and just looked down sniffling.

I walked into the bowl and handed him my board.

Here you go, I said. Try it again. This time, don’t lean back, but forward, keeping your hands slightly opened so you can maintain balance.

He looked at me with an angry face.

Here, you can take my board.

I’m not supposed to talk to strangers, he said.

Fair enough, kid, I said walking towards the 3 stair.

Wait, is that a limited edition Aerohawk? from Tony Devs?

He wasn’t angry anymore.

Yeah, it is, I said. Do you want to try it?

He took the board, and he seemed like he had just found treasure.

Awesome, hahah, He said.

He went to the top of the deep side of the bowl and prepared to drop in.

He took one step down and skated through to the end of the bowl. He cheered and cheered, until a rock stopped him and threw him forward.

He yelled in the pain, this time truly loud. His wrist was broken.

We walked quickly out of Sierra Forest and the boy continued to cry.

It’s gonna be alright, dude. There’s a hospital close by. Do you know your mom or dad’s number?, I asked.

No, I don’t, he said.

Well that’s not much help is it? do you know any way of contacting them?, I asked.

Not really, I just skate home usually. it’s about 20 minutes. He said sniffling.

Alright then we gotta get to the hospital and maybe they can help there, I said.

What’s that in your pocket? he asked pointing at my bag of candy.

Nothing, i said quickly. those aren’t for kids.

We reached a clinic just outside Sierra Park in 5 minutes.

I saw, from a distance, the old man still on the floor surrounded by the paramedics.

I waited in the waiting area and after a while, a doctor came out with the kid and he had a cast on his wrist. He didn’t seem in pain anymore.

We’re gonna call your mom now, son. What is her name? we can find her in the phone book. The doctor spoke calmly, but the kid said no.

No, please don’t call my mom. I was supposed to be at school. She’ll ground me for months.

Well i’m sorry, son but that the policy, the doctor said.

the kid and I sat in the waiting area for about 15 minutes.

You know when I was your age, I said, I also skipped school to go skating. My mom told me if i ever did it again, she’d take away my skateboard. And I never did it again. I said, laughing slightly & for the first time that day.

The kid laughed a little. That’s pretty funny, he said, but I just don’t wanna get into shit.

You’ll be alright, kid, I said, and hey, stop cursing so much.

The kid’s mother showed up in a blue mini van. She was extremely jittery and ran into the clinic looking around, and upon seeing her kid, gave him a death stare that I recognize from my own mother.

Jeremy! I can’t believe you!, she yelled.

And who are you? she gestured towards me.

I was about to answer but Jeremy interrupted. I snapped my board, mom. He just lent me his and then I fell and broke my wrist. He walked with me to the clinic. But I finally dropped in at the Sierra bowl, mom! Jeremy spoke proudly of his new achievement but his mom sighed.

Well, thanks for getting him here...uhh, she was to thank me but didn’t know my name.

I filled her in. Jason, ma’am.

Well Jason, do you need a ride? She asked kindly.

No, ma’am. thank you. I replied.

You should join us for lunch, dude. Jeremy told me. right mom? He asked.

I guess that’s fine. But you’re still grounded. The mom answered. I decided to have lunch with the Fitzgerald’s as they were called. We rode back to their home, and I immediately noticed the three small home-made ramps in the front yard.

Are those yours? i asked Jeremy.

yeah! been trying to land a kick flip off the high one. I guess now I can’t. Jeremy frowned slightly.

Jeremy’s mother made us ham and cheese sandwiches and we sat in their living room watching jeopardy. Their home was cozy. Only a couple of pictures of Jeremy and his mother. The beige wallpaper was calming and they were friendly.

After we finished our lunch I thanked Jeremy’s mother and began to put my shoes on.

Thanks for helping me out today, Jason. Jeremy said kindly, but his face was still sad.

I grabbed my skateboard and handed it to him.

You can have it, I said.

Jeremy was speechless, and he thanked me again, and then immediately ran outside to test it on his homemade ramps.

That was the second time I was happy that day.

I walked back towards Sierra Forest, this time taking me more than 30 minutes.

It was already 11, but I didn’t care about reaching the forest at 9 anymore. The weather was still good and the wind was still silent.

I passed the Sierra tunnel again and I saw the old man resembling my grandfather. he was walking, with the help of an older lady. The man was smiling, and i began to tear up once again.

The trees began whistling, and the wind began to arrive.

I looked up at the tall skeleton trees with no leaves for flesh and for the first time in a long time,

I saw life

I could taste the air

and I could smell the season.

I took my camera out of my bag and took a photo of the whistling trees.

I continued on the path to Sierra Forest, but I stopped suddenly.

I didn’t know why exactly, but I followed the feeling.

I took out my bag of candy, and stared at it

and at such a sight i felt nothing close to life.

i tossed it in the trashcan and turned around, making my way back home.

I thought then to myself,

today is not the day to go for a hike.

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dingusandsmartypants · 6 years

Text

List of Fics I will be working on soon:

So I’ve been getting a ton of stranger things fic requests and I’m super super happy because I love writing stranger things! Since I know my blog can be a little disorganized, I thought I’d make a post so that everyone who requested a fic can know kinda when to watch out for the one they requested!

I don’t have set dates for these because life gets in the way of writing sometimes, but these will be the order in which the next fics will be posted (and as always requests are always open! Just read the description on @lizzy-writes for guidelines – if I get lots more requests it is possible the order of publishing these will change but as of now this is what it’s looking like):

(if there isn’t a Status on it, then I have not started it yet)

• Christmas Photo - El decides she needs Christmas photos with her makeshift family and Santa Claus - probably a oneshot (characters: The Party, Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, Hopper) Status: Finished and posted on @lizzy-writes

• Inconvenient Illness - Steve has bad case of the flu, but the kids need him so he hides it and toughs it out until he just can’t anymore. (Characters: Steve, the party, possibly Kali depending on if I go as plotty with this fic as I think I’m going to) Status: Currently writing - just posted part seven, and the first half is now posted on @lizzy-writes.

• Dinner with the Hendersons - As far as Steve and Dustin are concerned, they’re brothers, and Mrs. Henderson couldn’t be happier. - possibly a holiday fic - probably a oneshot (Characters: Dustin, Steve, Mrs. Henderson)

• Stages of Recovery - Steve’s beating from Billy leaves him more severely injured than he’d expected and he’s having trouble coping - (Trigger Warnings: seizures, depression) (Characters: Steve, The Party, Joyce, Hopper, you’ll see a little bit of Nancy and Jonathan, but probably not a whole lot)

• Like a Fish to Water - The Party plans a beach day, but El doesn’t know how to swim, so Hopper asks Steve to teach her (Characters: El, Steve, Hopper, you’ll see some of the rest of the party but not a whole lot - probably a oneshot)

• Nancy…? - Steve needs his appendix removed, and Mike wonders if he really does look like his sister, because damnit, this is the third time!

• A Different Kind of Challenge - Steve gets roped into watching Holly Wheeler for an afternoon and proves once and for all that he really is a damn good babysitter... although it may not feel like it at the time. (Characters: Steve, Holly, Mike, Nancy, Karen -- probably a oneshot)

• Cat People - While hanging out with Dustin at his home one day, Steve comes to learn that he loves cats – well, at least this cat – much to Dustin’s amusement. (Characters: Steve, Dustin, Mrs. Henderson, Tews the cat - probably a oneshot)

• Reinforcements - Steve comes down with a bad case of the stomach flu and the kids try to help. It gets too bad for the kids to handle, though, and they call Joyce and Hopper for help. (Characters: Steve, the Party, Joyce, Hopper)

• Rescue - The Bad Men take Steve to find out where El is, which of course the teenager refuses to divulge, resulting in injury. Cue the kids coming to the rescue, with a little help. (Characters: Steve, the Party, Nancy, Jonathan, Joyce, Hopper)

• Fatherly Instincts - Steve sees Billy and Tommy picking on the kids and takes matters into his own hands; finally winning one for himself and the kids. (Characters: Steve, the Party, Billy, Tommy – probably a oneshot)

• Everyone Needs Mothering Sometimes - Steve has become the Party’s designated ride during this incredibly cold and snowy winter when they can’t ride their bikes or skateboard to get around town. …That is until he breaks his leg and can no longer preform this task. Now the mothers of the Party have to take turns running a carpool for the kids… and Steve. - or Steve has the middle school experience he never got to when he was a kid. (Characters: Steve, the Party, Joyce, Karen Wheeler, Mrs. Henderson, Mrs. Sinclair, maybe Mrs. Mayfield/Hargrove, I’m not sure yet)

• Playing Favorites - Every parent plays favorites with their children whether they mean to or not, and Steve Harrington is no exception. Dustin knows this and uses it to his advantage whenever he can, much to the annoyance of the rest of the party. (Characters: Steve and the Party - probably a oneshot)

• One Hell of a Long Night - Steve’s had the shit beat out of him, fought demodogs, burned down some other demential thing he still doesn’t totally understand, and now just to add insult to injury, he has the flu. (Characters: Steve, the Party, Hopper, Joyce, Nancy, Jonathan - probably a one or maybe a two shot)

• The Lost Brother - Steve has been hiding his abilities since he’d found out he had them when he was very young, just wanting to fit in. But now in the tunnels of the upside down, he has no choice but to use them to keep the kids safe from the demodogs. - or, Steve is one of the children that Brenner experimented on and El finds out she has a brother. (Characters: Steve, the Party, Hopper, Joyce, probably Brenner and Kali in flashbacks)

• Always Have Your Back - Steve protects Will from the bullies at school, and Will helps Steve when things get too bad at home. (Characters: Steve, Will, Joyce, possibly the rest of the Party, and Jonathan and Nancy)

• Draw Up the Adoption Papers - El becomes Steve’s not-so-secret favorite of his gang of children. After everything she’s been through, he just can’t say no to her and she gets pretty much whatever she wants when Steve’s in charge. - or, Four times Steve had a soft spot for El, and one time El had a soft spot for Steve. (Characters: Steve, El, the Party, probably a little bit of Hopper)

• Stupid Teenagers - Steve takes a night off from responsibility and hates every second of it. Thankfully Nancy and Jonathan are there to help. [Warnings: underage drinking] (Characters: Steve, Nancy, Jonathan, Billy)

• Six Kids and a Puppy - The Byers have a new puppy, and it’s cute as hell. …It’s also a goddamn nightmare to look after, just like the rest of those little shits. - or Steve gets roped into babysitting the party and a puppy at the same time; needless to say, it doesn’t go smoothly. (Characters: Steve, the Party, a little bit of Joyce, possibly Nancy and/or Jonathan - probably a oneshot)

• Keep a Strong Face - Steve’s leg gets broken during an adventure with the kids, but they need his help, so he keeps pushing himself despite the agonizing pain until he collapses from pain and fatigue. Cue the kids freaking out and trying to take care of him despite his protests. (Characters: Steve, the Party, possibly Joyce and/or Hopper)

• Line of Fire - Things don’t go exactly as planed on Steve’s first day of the force working with Hopper – thankfully he remembered to wear that stupid vest. (Characters: Steve, Hopper, possibly the Party – probably a oneshot)

• A Pretty Damn Good Father -- Several years after becoming a sort of surrogate father figure for the Party, Steve is left with a newborn of his own and isn't entirely sure he knows what he's doing. (Characters: Steve, the Party, Hopper, Joyce)

As far as I can remember, that’s all the requests I’ve gotten that I haven’t started posting yet. If I missed any, please feel free to drop it in my askbox again, and if you haven’t sent in a request yet, or you got a new idea for another fic you’d like me to write, drop it in my askbox!!

I hope this helps if anyone was worried I wasn’t going to get to their fics - don’t worry! I have a plan!

And just a reminder that when I finish a fic, I post the whole thing on my fic archive blog @lizzy-writes - which is a lot more organized than this blog 😜

Thanks for all the prompts and requests everyone! I can’t wait to write all of these!!

#stranger things #stranger things 2 #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things fic #stranger things writing #stranger things prompt #stranger things prompts #stranger things request #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington #jane hopper fanfic #jane hopper #jim hopper #jim hopper fanfic #dustin henderson #steve and dustin #dustin and steve

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brajeshupadhyay · 4 years

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Travel quiz: Take CNN’s challenge with these questions in May

(CNN) — We all know that travel broadens the mind. Thanks to that place on the seafront that sells delicious gelato, it has a tendency to broaden other body parts too.

We can’t deliver you two scoops of pistachio, but we can keep flexing those brain cells while your next trip across the world is on hold.

CNN Travel’s experts have been compiling some tricky questions to test your knowledge of the planet and to kindle your curiosity for more.

Think you can outsmart us? Try answering the following without resorting to Google. By all means hop on a video call to get family and friends in on the challenge.

There’s a link out to the answers at the end. We trust you not to do any peeking!

1. Which of these cities has not hosted the Summer Olympics?

a. Amsterdam; b. Madrid; c. Helsinki; d. Tokyo; e. Rome

2. Can you identify the city from its skyline?

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3. The London Underground, or Tube, is the world’s oldest metro rail system. Which city has the second oldest electrified system?

4. Some nations have more than one capital city. Can you identify these countries by their perhaps lesser known capitals?

a. Brno; b. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte; c. Putrajaya; d. Valparaíso

5. In which city is the world’s tallest building?

6. Can you name the city from these landmark places of worship?

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7. Which city has the world’s oldest Chinatown?

a. San Francisco; b. London; c. Manila; d. Jakarta; e. Toronto

8. Can you identify the city from the name of its airport?

a. General Edward Lawrence Logan; b. Hamad International; c. O.R. Tambo International; d. Soekarno-Hatta International

9. Name the world’s highest capital city

10. Which three destinations are widely recognized as the world’s only three sovereign city states?

1. Which famous aircraft made its last flight on November 26, 2003?

2. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, what was the world’s busiest airport in terms of passengers?

a. Beijing Capital; b. London Heathrow; c. Amsterdam Schiphol; d. Los Angeles, e. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta

3. Identify the airlines by their tailfin logos

4. What type of airplane is the US President’s Air Force One?

a. Gulfstream III; b. Boeing VC-25; c. Airbus A320; d. Boeing 777-300ER; e. Antonov An-148

5. Which two countries were connected by the Kangaroo Route?

6. Which direction — north, east, south or west — would you travel between these airports identified only by their codes? (Five bonus points if you can identify all the cities)

a. LAX to HNL; b. LGA to MCO; c. LHR to JNB; d. BKK to PVG; e. ARN to SVO

7. Match the massive airplane to its nickname

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a. Whale; b. Queen; c. Dream. d. Superjumbo

8. Which airline had the most aircraft at the beginning of 2020?

a. Delta Airlines; b. American Airlines; c. Cathay Pacific; d. Virgin Atlantic; e. JetBlue

9. Why is three the magic number for the following aircraft?

Hawker Siddeley HS-12, the Tupolev Tu-154, the Lockheed L-1-1011, Boeing 727?

10. What aviation first did Amelia Earhart achieve in 1928?

1. Where in the world can you find these pyramids?

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2. What is the world’s largest island?

3. Which country is home to Europe’s largest natural desert?

4. Match the image to the US national park?

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a. Canyonlands; b. Yellowstone; c. Grand Canyon; d. Yosemite

5. Can you name the oceans that make up the so-called seven seas?

6. What links Java Trench, Challenger Deep, Molloy Deep, South Sandwich Trench, Puerto Rico Trench?

7. Match these desert oddities to the locations below

Getty Images/Plan South America/Barry Neild

a. Qatar; b. Chile; c. Texas; d. Namibia

8. Which is the only one of the world’s 10 longest rivers to flow northward?

9. Where can you no longer see the Azure Window?

10. Which place receives the most annual rainfall?

a. Manchester, England; b. Mawsynram, India; c. Seattle, Washington; d. Quibdó, Colombia

1. Which two Asian destinations separated by the sea were linked by 55 kilometers of bridge and tunnel in 2018?

2. Match the image to the New York bridge

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a. Manhattan; b. Queensboro; c. Williamsburg; d. Brooklyn

3. Which towering French engineer designed the Bolivar Bridge in Peru, the Truong Tien Bridge in Vietnam and the Imbaba Bridge in Egypt?

4. Which country is home to the world’s longest bridge?

5. Match the image to the London bridge

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a. Millennium; b. Hammersmith; c. Tower; d. Westminster

6. What would happen if you tried to cross France’s Rhône River on the Pont d’Avignon?

7. Can you identify the following famous bridges?

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8. Which two continents are connected by the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge?

9. What caused part of the Pont Des Arts bridge in Paris to collapse in 2015?

10. Which country is home to this handy structure?

LINH PHAM/AFP/AFP via Getty Images

1. Which city has the most Michelin stars?

2. Mirazur was named top of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2019. In which country is it?

3. Can you identify the country from the classic dessert?

Shutterstock

4. What are the bubbles commonly made of in bubble tea?

5. The world’s “happiest country” also consumes the most coffee per capita. Name the country?

6. Which antipodean dessert is named for a ballerina?

7. Can you match these four British dishes to their names (without laughing)?

Suzanne Plunkett

a. Eton Mess; b. Toad in the hole; c. Scotch egg; d. Spotted dick

8. Kartoffelknoedel, xiaolongbao, manti and pierogi are all types of what?

9. What color or colors is Neapolitan ice-cream?

10. Chef Mary Mallon worked in kitchens in New York and Long Island in the early 20th century. By what unhygienic name is she better known?

1. What do Colombia, Sao Tome & Principe, Gabon, Uganda, Maldives and Kiribati all have in common?

2. Which three Asian countries topped the list in April 2020 for the most powerful passports for visa-free travel, according to the Henley Passport Index?

3. Which country has the most official languages?

4. Four red, white and blue flags, four different countries. Name them

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5. What happened in Samoa and Tokelau on December 30, 2011?

6. Which country changed its name to eSwatini in 2018?

7. Identify these countries from their outlines

8. Which is the world’s newest country?

9. These frontiers divide areas claimed by which pairs of countries?

a. The Line of Control; b. The Demilitarized Zone; c. The 49th Parallel

10. Which country is surrounded to the north, east and south by Senegal?

1. Name the protagonist in Jules Verne’s 1872 novel “Around the World in 80 Days”

2. Which four destinations have Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon visited in four series of “The Trip?”

3. Who led this ill-fated Antarctic expedition?

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4. Whose fictional crusade took him from Utah to Portugal, Venice, Austria, Berlin and then Petra?

5. What record did US journalist Nellie Bly break in 1890?

6. Where did Anthony Bourdain have lunch with former US President Barack Obama?

Zero Point Zero for CNN

7. Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl conquered what personal fear to cross the Pacific Ocean on his Kon-Tiki balsa wood raft in 1947?

8. What have John “Wedge” Wardlaw, Mark Rumer-Cleary, Dallas Burney, John Molony and John Dickson done every five years since 1982?

9. Why doesn’t Dora the Explorer wear Boots?

10. Here she is in India in 1983, but which country has Queen Elizabeth II visited more times than any other?

Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

1. Actor Stanley Tucci has proved his awesomeness by showing the Internet how to make the perfect Negroni. His recipe calls for double the usual quantity of which liquor?

2. In “The Devil Wears Prada,” Tucci’s character Nigel is overlooked for the job of Runway magazine’s creative director. Which city is he in when he finds out?

a. Paris; b. New York; c. Milan; d. Pittsburgh

3. Tucci has been involved in making a new travel series with CNN looking at the food of which country?

a. France; b. The United States; c. Italy; d. Croatia

4. In the 2004 movie “The Terminal,” Tucci plays Frank Dixon, the customs chief trying to prevent Tom Hanks’ character from living in his airport. Which airport is the movie set in?

5. Does Tucci prefer his Negroni straight up or on the rocks?

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renegade-skywalker · 6 years

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Out of the Abyss, Chapter 8

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8: Every Man For Himself

After years in exile, ex-Jedi General, Eden Valen continues to clean up after Revan and Malak’s mess of a war, only to find herself forever cursed with their unfinished business. As an ill-fated lead brings her to Tatooine, Eden finds that Revan’s mysterious plans go beyond the Republic, beyond the Outer Rim, and into the utter unknown. (A novelization of The Sith Lords and beyond)

Chapter Summary: Vale and her crew need get in touch with the Republic, or anyone else that might help, but a hunting party gathers in Anchorhead, and plans go awry.

3951 BBY, Anchorhead, Tatooine

It wasn’t long before Darek noted the gathering outside of Vale’s storefront, advising that she might want to close up shop for good.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” he said, mirroring Asra’s words from the day before.

Glitch and Orex remained in the workshop, ensuring that their cargo was secure while Vale, Asra and Darek gathered in the shop proper, watching discreetly from the patchwork building’s slatted windows.

To anyone shopping the market, the crowd was nothing of note, but to a trained soldier like Darek who had been keeping tabs on all present, the signs were obvious. They were being watched.

“Do you think they know?” Asra asked, already adopting a hushed tone. “About the holocrons?”

“Not sure what a bunch of mercenaries and bounty hunters would do with them, unless there really are Sith involved,” Vale replied, fear rooting somewhere deep in her chest at the thought. Was it Revan, having pulled off the greatest con the Republic had ever known, and again no less? Or was it something else?

“Maybe they just want what’s theirs,” Asra mused.

Vale thought about it before shaking her head, unsure, “These things are ancient, and they’re almost not even holocrons. More like a primitive prototype or something, but far more dangerous.”

Asra only shrugged.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you were right, though. The Sith are all about their dark lineage or whatever.” Vale laughed darkly.

“Cute,” Asra retorted, amusement returning to her face before Darek roused their attention.

His skin gleamed a striped red-and-black in the slatted sunlight that filtered into the room against his face, making him look all the more dramatic as he turned to them again.

“I don’t think they’re here for those things, whatever the hell they are,” he said.

“What makes you say that?” The worry was clear in Asra’s voice as a trigger-ready finger traced the edges of her holstered blaster.

Vale felt the same. Danger was near, and she didn’t need the Force to know it. Instinct kicked in and adrenaline coursed through her veins. Her shock staff was secure against her back for now, and at the sight of Orex in the doorway, she knew she might be using it sooner than she expected.

“You’re gonna want to see this.”

Orex retreated into the workshop before Vale could ask any questions. She exchanged glances with Darek and Asra before following him, her sense of dread mounting.

A bad feeling is right.

Orex stood over Glitch, whose hands were poised over Vale’s ancient terminal computer. She mostly used the thing for transactions or logging her inventory these days, but she had a feeling she wouldn’t like what she saw when she approached the display.

Vale froze. A younger version of herself looked out from the monitor, her skin untarnished and unscarred under a mess of short hair, a Padawan braid trailing lazily down her shoulder.

“What is this?” she said, her voice low, severe, and unbelieving.

Orex didn’t say anything, and Glitch didn’t make eye contact. The girl hid behind her own mess of hair and scrolled further down the page instead. Eden Valen had been outed, her records released after almost ten years in exile.

Beneath an image of a young Eden just before she entered the war were various other iterations of herself and their adjoining ID card photos, false names, transport documentations, and forged medical records all laid bare. And stamped on every image of her was an Exchange bounty, 50 million credits worth.

There wasn’t a file that portrayed her now. There was nothing on Vale, but there was a photo of her from a year ago, maybe. Half her face took up a pixelated screenshot from what appeared to be a security feed from the Anchorhead docks. Her hair was fully alight in the dyed yellow-blonde that it was now slowly growing out of, and though her garb was different, anyone who had seen her about town would be able to identify her.

“50 million credits, huh?” was all she could muster in an unamused tone, placing her hands plaintively on her hips as her mind raced. She, Orex and Glitch all stared at her console display, unsure of what to do next.

“Who would do this? Why?” Orex pressed quietly, his voice soft, handling the weight of the situation with delicate but deliberate words. He must have known that this was not protocol, that she was erased from the public record. There was no good reason this information should have leaked at all, especially with what the Jedi feared of her. Vale felt oddly comforted, reminded of the camaraderie she often missed with her troops. The Jedi had betrayed her, Revan had abandoned her and Malak had come to despise her and the wounds she left him with, or so she hoped – despite whatever regrets she had for what she lost or what she was denied, her troops had only ever tried to do the right thing, and she always felt wrong in leaving them behind.

The Jedi exiled her for a reason, and they sealed her records away in hopes that no one would go looking for her, Revan included. But they were sure to keep tabs on her, to ensure that the wounds that festered in her wake were controlled, monitored, and maintained. And who, pray tell, would take on such a task, or dare say revel in it? Vale knew the answer.

“Atris,” she whispered, her voice unable to speak the woman’s name at full volume with the weight of it.

Orex cocked his head but allowed her to continue.

“My old Master, or one of them anyway,” she sighed, still unnerved by all of her past selves passing judgment on her from the monitor, “But as to why part? I have no idea.”

Orex nodded curtly, returning his attention to the screen as well.

“We’ll need to be quick about this,” he said, though Vale wasn’t sure if he was speaking to her, to Glitch, or to the both of them.

“Quicker than before?” Vale asked, eyeing the munitions pack now tucked beneath her workbench.

“We need to move immediately, if not yesterday,” Orex responded, shooting her a half-hearted smirk. Vale felt rain again, but this time only in her memory. And she remembered his name, then. Agent Antares. Pushing the recollection from her mind, she mentally mapped out her shop, the city and the dunes beyond, and even the sector of the Outer Rim where Tatooine resided. She could hold her own, and so could the others, but she would be damned if she was the reason they were all in danger.

“There’s a passage not far from here. Out the service door, about ten paces down the back alley, there’s a grate to some old tunnels that belonged to a moisture rig once-upon-a-time. The machine’s gone, but the channels are still there, and they’re large enough for all of you to get out safely. You can follow the tunnels to the cantina, that damn Czerka post at the edge of town, or out into the desert for all I care, but you have to get out of here.”

Doling out orders was still second nature, and Vale was surprised it came so naturally, even now.

“You’ve planned an escape route everywhere you’ve gone, haven’t you?” Orex smirked knowingly.

Vale may have taken that as an insult, but she knew Orex meant well. The man probably did the same. Life on the Outer Rim was merciless, especially for ex-soldiers.

“You know what they always say about bad habits,” she quipped, despite the urgency welling in her bones.

“But what about you?” Glitch asked. Near dumbfounded, all Vale could do was stare at her. The girl watched her from behind her dark veil of a fringe, eyes wide though her expression stern. How old was she, anyway?

“I’ll distract the bounty hunters, or whoever the hell is parked outside.” Vale glanced through the narrow slit of a window in her workshop, making sure that the alleyway was clear at least, lest her one and only plan go awry before they even got started. “The rest of you need to get off-planet. Find the Republic, anyone that might help.”

Glitch looked from Vale to Orex, as if awaiting his answer to the proposition. The girl’s face was emotionless and Vale couldn’t tell if that was just how the girl was wired or if her plan was a dumb one.

“And the crystals?”

Orex was careful not to call them holocrons – they were never sure what they were back then, and they sure as hell weren’t any more certain now.

“You’ll have to take them with you. The Jedi can’t all be wiped out, and if anything they’d be allied with the Republic, right?”

Orex nodded despite the words that came out of his mouth, “I don’t like the sound of this.”

“They want me alive, but that’s not to say they’re not willing to kill to get to me. If any of those bounty hunters see you with me, you’re dead. We’d be lucky if they haven’t already,” Vale pleaded.

Glitch and Orex exchanged glances before the girl looked to the munitions pack again. For a moment, Vale felt the unease radiating from her, but it may have just been her intuition. They were all pretty uneasy now as it was, herself included.

“There was a third…” she thought aloud, but the other two were barely listening.

Glitch returned her gaze to Orex and the two nodded, turning again to Vale.

“Stolen sandcrawler,” Orex said without any elaboration. It sounded like a callsign. Vale knew what Orex was up to without even asking, and she smirked at the fact that he trusted she’d make it out of this alive.

“Stolen sandcrawler,” she affirmed, nodding.

Her eyes swept over her workshop, stalling over a loose grate near the alley window – a hiding spot she located upon first buying the place. Vale always had emergency rations and several other unused ID cards she could utilize if she ever needed to move on. Without a word, Glitch followed her gaze and investigated the grate. Taking hold of the rucksack inside, Glitch shrugged and handed it to Vale.

“You might want to work on your tells.”

“I’m getting sloppy,” Vale laughed darkly as she took the sack and looked at Orex approvingly. “Kid’s got potential.”

Vale held back a laugh and nodded as Orex placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. After years of isolation, of avoiding contact or attachment, there was something about this small gesture that felt so natural – and so bittersweet and heartbreaking at once. “I have a feeling we’ll meet again.”

Vale wasn’t sure what made her say it, but the thought did not process in her mind before being spoken. It was simply stated, and it was the truth. Orex’s good eye fixed on hers as he nodded, affirming her feeling and the sentiment it carried.

“We’ll meet again.”

The room was almost too quiet before Asra’s uneasy voice sang through her workshop’s doorway. “Guys?”

On instinct, Vale’s hand reached back for her shock staff. She unhitched it from her back as she entered the main shop. Darek held his rifle at the ready and Asra’s blaster spun around her finger, itching to be fired. Vale’s eyes locked on Asra’s, asking without words. The Togruta’s warm yellow eyes darted to door on her left. The side entrance. Darek still had his eyes fixed outside, presumably watching their latest threat as they contemplated making their move.

Asra’s blaster remained aloft as she rushed to Vale’s side, placing a gentle hand on her arm.

“I want to hear all about your dashing escape, ya hear?” she whispered with equal parts threat and affection.

Vale placed a hand on Asra’s, nodding solemnly, silently regretting their circumstances but thankful that she hadn’t made more of a habit of making friends in her exile. This wouldn’t be easy.

Vale felt Orex and Glitch arrive in the doorway beside her. Orex shot Asra a look. Within an instant, Asra understood. She nodded at Orex and looked to Darek, catching wind of their silent exchange. In the span of a moment, the two were in sync and up to speed with Orex’s soundless orders. Orex and Vale made eye contact once more, silently saying their goodbyes as the rest of the crew filed into the workshop and through the unseen service door without a sound.

Vale was alone again.

For the first time in years, Erebus was afraid.

Word on the street was that there was a Jedi in town. The image circulating the holonet was familiar to enough of the locals that Erebus’ plan was thrust into action. He parked himself just outside of his sister’s stall, but upon doing so was immediately made aware of the other hunters on watch. Most of them were unremarkable, and he knew he could best them easily in a fight, if necessary - but there was one that troubled him.

At a nearby food stall sat a girl, hooded and cloaked. Though Erebus could not see her face, he could feel the faintest signs of the Force welling in her cells, urging her bones into patient action, preparing to strike when the moment was most opportune. She watched and waited, just as he did, but her presence unnerved him still. Especially since he did not know who she was or why she was here.

His Master knew now, and he already had a lot to answer for.

Not only could Darth Nihilus easily discover where Erebus’ ship was docked by asking some subordinate to retrieve his ship’s coordinates, but Nihilus could simply reach out with the Force and discover that his apprentice dawdled before the doorstep of their very Maker and hesitated upon it.

Erebus scoffed at the idea but knew that in some way, it was true. Nihilus and Sion were ravaged by what happened at Malachor, and were born from what ruins remained. Their master, Darth Traya, had brought them out of the ashes of oblivion so that they could reign over it. And it was her ambition to study that forsaken moon and the wound that still festered there, but most importantly, what had created it. Or who.

Erebus was who he was because of his sister’s slaughter, because of her abandonment on Dantooine, because of their innate connection through the Force. He could wrong her as she had wronged him by taking her to Nihilus and letting his master do what he will. Or he could take her for himself. He could kill her, yes, but there was another part of him that just wanted to take her away from all of this. There was a part of him that felt like home in the wake of her shop, a part of him that felt warm again.

Before his plan of action could be decided, he’d have to dispose of the Echani first.

But he had to know – who was she?

The girl at the stall was stoic, sure, and unlike any other creature he had ever come across. Debasing was his way of staying aloof, but his curiosity was getting the better of him, and it was making him clumsy.

She was unlike any Jedi he had ever known, or ever met for that matter, and he had yet to come across a Sith that was as adept as she was when it came to blocking his mental intrusions. Erebus thrived on forcefully probing into the thoughts of others, especially given his love for learning, prying into unsuspecting minds for information that was by no rights his to take. But her mind was vice-tight and silent as stone. She had been trained for this.

Electricity poured from his fingertips without his consent. It was only a matter of time before the Force-sensitive girl noticed it, too.

Vale held her shock staff aloft as she surveyed her shop for the last time. None of the other dwellings she had inhabited in her exile ever stood out. In fact, she could hardly tell them apart. But here, she felt tempted to grow roots, and she almost had. She had a shop, a clientele. She had friends. Friends.

Her eyes glanced back at the storage room door when a monotone voice spoke coolly in her ear.

“Affirmative Statement: Master, I believe we should vacate the premises immediately.”

Vale swung around, her shock staff still at the ready, and came face-to-face with an HK droid. It was one of her many salvaged droids, lined up pretty, all in a row. But none of her stock was programmed to activate pre-purchase. In fact, she kept most of the intelligence modules in storage, unless a customer requested an on-floor demonstration. The droid’s amber eyes stared vacantly out at her, it’s head cocked sideways in crude imitation of more sentient capabilities.

“Admonitory Warning: Time is of the essence. A horde of bounty hunters and mercenaries await you, as well as a Sith Agent and an Echani-trained warrior.”

The HK’s voice drawled softly in the open space, as if aware that they may be overheard.

“How did you-?”

“Assertive Suggestion: I believe we should vacate now and ask questions later.”

And with that, the HK droid took it upon itself to approach the main counter and procure the blaster rifle she kept hidden beside the register.

Vale’s eyes widened, watching wordlessly.

“Wh-?”

The words were hardly out of her mouth before her shop’s side door burst open. Before instinct could kick in, blaster fire singed the air around her. The intruders, the mercenaries, bounty hunters, whoever they were, lay dead on her doorstep within moments. She didn’t even have the chance to get a good look at them.

“Confident Assumption: You have miscalculated your odds. You may want to reconsider them.”

“Who are you?” Vale found herself saying, incredulous. Though she knew full well what her inventory consisted of, it just didn’t add up.

“Astonished Admission: I am an HK-50 model droid. My primary functions are to facilitate communications and terminate hostilities. You should know these things, Master.”

Vale rolled her eyes.

“Right, should I be surprised?” incensed that she had forgotten how pompous protocols were before the droid could respond with another quip of its own.

“You might want to find cover.”

Without elaboration, the droid moved toward the sales counter. Heart racing, mind on fire, Vale ran to its side, ducking beneath her sorry excuse for a register as the front wall collapsed in an ear-shattering explosion.

“The rear exit is our only option, Master,” the droid stated, its drolling monotone muted by the aftermath of the blast. Vale’s ears were still ringing, but she understood loud and clear. Whatever the hell was happening, her body urged her onward, and she wondered just how far the others had gotten. If they were lucky, they were already in the moisture rigging tunnels, and whatever happened afterward would only propel them further away from this disaster.

With the HK at her side, Vale ducked through the workshop doorway and glanced out her side window. The slatted shades permitted her a view of the alley again – the way was clear.

“Now you might want to find cover,” Vale said this time, slamming her open palm on a hidden panel in the workshop doorway. Several figures entered the shop proper through the blasted entrance, (Fools, Vale thought to herself) just as the rest of the shop collapsed on top of them. She was already out the back door with the mysterious HK at her side when the rest of the shop followed suit, dissolving into the sands behind them in a cloud of mushrooming dust and debris.

Flashes of memory invaded her grasp on the present: she felt as if she were one moment, she was darting through the alleyways of Anchorhead and the next she felt the weight of humid air, tepid and stagnant despite the rain – and even as Anchorhead’s sand threatened to fill her lungs as she ran, she heard the distinct sounds of Mandalorian vehicles thrumming as they weaved through dampened trees, kicking up mud into the underbrush. Vale was already halfway down the narrow path towards the cantina when a cloaked figure swept into the passage, blocking any advances, bringing her memories to a staggering halt.

Her blood stilled, her limbs frozen in half-recognition, but before her brain could recognize the figure standing before her, a phantom hand grabbed her elbow, jerked her sideward, and straight into the durasteel side of a dumpster.

“Always hated this place,” an almost sing-song voice uttered in her ear, annoyed despite the melody inherent in her speech. Vale cursed the absence of the Force and the clumsiness of her natural skills, still struggling to keep up with everything going on. The alleyway she left behind still felt heavy, the presence of the cloaked figure weighing it down with a dark familiarity she hadn’t felt since the massacre at Malachor V. And yet, despite the urgency with which she assessed the threat, Vale was pressed with another matter: the massive Wookiee and the blue-skinned Twi’lek at her side, still stabling her arm in a vice grip.

“We’ll exchange names and braid each other’s whatevers later,” the Twi’lek quipped, glancing for a moment between her own lekku and Eden’s mess of a bun, “but right now, you best be coming with me, sister.”

“Cautionary Proposal: Master, we do not know who-“

But before the rogue droid could spit out another word, the Wookiee reached forward, grabbed its head and clawed its intelligence module straight out. Without any further explanation, the Wookiee tossed the module at Vale, expecting her to catch it, and roared “You can fix this hunk of junk later, too.”

Vale’s Shyriiwook was rusty, but she got the gist of it, the module tumbling into her half-suspecting hands.

“Your friends are up ahead, and if you want to see them again, we need to move.”

With another jerk of her arm, Vale was up and running again. The Twi’lek was slender, small almost, but wiry strong, and the Wookiee lugged what remained of the HK over his hulking shoulders as he kept up the rear. Instead of making a clear run to the cantina, the Twi’lek led them towards the loading area of the Czerka outpost, where there’d be plenty of cover. Smart.

Vale ran but managed to catch her breath, and in the meantime kept tabs on everything going on, falling back into hold habits the longer she ran with it.

Acid and adrenaline ran her veins as she kept up with the Twi’lek and the Wookiee, both of them hazarding glances and shots back over their shoulders. Vale ran with her staff in one hand, electrifying the air around them as they rushed forward, and her blaster in the other. Trigger ready, she looked back to find the Wookiee firing at nothing, the droid lolling at his side.

The Twi’lek pulled Vale back into cover once they reached the restocking station, reloading her weapon and looking over the edge of the cargo canister they were now breathing heavily against.

“If that sonofa-“

But before the words were out of her mouth, the air sizzled with energy behind them, and Vale knew her shock staff wasn’t the one responsible.

The figure from earlier stood nearby, and though Vale couldn’t see him, she could sense him.

This was no regulated static charge - it was the Force.

A crackle electrified the air again and the Twi’lek’s eyes widened, her grip firming on her blaster. The Wookiee growled, swatting at his now static-charged hair. There was silence, and then another round of blaster fire, only this time, it wasn’t from the Twi’lek beside her. Vale glanced around the cargo container, spying a rifle poised from the roof of the Czerka building and nearby a trail of Zabrakian horns poking out from the side of a vent exhaust. Darek.

The yard stirred, and though the stranger remained hidden, two others joined the firefight.

Two Czerka-clad officers slipped out the back entrance of the outpost, assuming positions behind other nearby cargo as two security cameras swiveled along the wall behind them. Vale heard the buzz of a comlink just before one of the officers opened fire.

A pipe ruptured nearby, and the figure emerged again, but unafraid. He walked to the center of the unloading station and stood, waiting.

Blaster fire filled the air again, missing the cloaked figure entirely. With a wave of his hand, one of the Czerka officers lurched sideways and into his partner, leaving them both in a muddled heap.

Another shot rang through the space, echoing off the canisters, this time managing to singe the sleeve of the figure’s cloak. As Darek took his second shot, a beam of violet light sliced through the air, deflecting it. One of the security cams burst into sparks, subdued by the flames that followed.

Hood drawn, the figure’s face remained concealed, though their intentions laid bare. Dark gloved hands bristled with electricity as the violet light disappeared into the hilt of a crude metallic cylinder, now holstered at the stranger’s hip.

A lightsaber.

“What in the hell?” the Twi’lek muttered at her side, equally in awe.

Darek did not dare fire again, and Vale watched as he retreated, out of sight. She had no idea where the others were, but she knew they must be nearby. If they knew what was good for them, they would continue retreating and not look back until Anchorhead and all of Tatooine were far, far behind them. Other shots fired. More head hunters were on their tail, and gaining on them. If they didn’t think quickly, they’d have nowhere to run.

Vale’s mind churned with questions she knew she was not yet able to answer, yet somehow, she trusted the girl beside her and her Wookiee companion. If anything, they wanted to see her out of this mess. Even if they were only in it for the price on her head, they at least wanted to bring her in alive, and she could work with that. As for the figure standing before them, the only thing she could imagine he wanted was the crystals, the ancient holocrons still safe in Glitch’s pack – or so she hoped. If they were smart, Orex and the others had resumed their escape… and Vale could buy them time.

She stood, holstering her blaster. The Twi’lek grabbed her hand, but Vale pulled back. Her shock staff at the ready, she faced the hooded figure and waited for him to make a move. She assumed her position, falling into pseudo-Makashi formation, and waited.

Her shock staff bristled with blue-white light, rivaling the electric tendrils that snaked the idle hands of the stranger.

“It’s been a while,” a male voice admitted, almost informally, his voice gravelly but wistful.

Vale faltered. She was missing something. She expected his words to be menacing, but they were sorrowful, heavy with regret. Maybe he wasn’t here for the holocrons, maybe he was-

She almost expected him to continue, to explain himself, and though his voice betrayed him, he extended a hand with a violent thrust and Vale felt her feet leave the floor. Her throat tightened, the breath squeezed out of her lungs as she lunged forward. Within the span of a moment, Vale rushed through the open air, her limbs dangling, as the stranger puppeteered her toward him with the pull of the Force.

She sputtered, gasping for air on her hands and knees, at his feet.

It only took her a moment to gather her breath and to push the disgust that rose at the back of her throat at the stranger’s display, but she remained on her knees, watching the outsider with her peripheral vision, her keen senses tracking his movements and the calm complacency that settled over him at the sight of her supposed submission.

And just when he thought he had the upper hand, she grabbed his ankle and jerked it toward him, pulling him off his feet.

“Doesn’t feel so great, does it?” she sneered, pulling herself upright again.

Vale reactivated her shock staff and prodded the man’s chest, but her limbs almost went slack at the sight of him.

His hood displaced by the fall, the man’s pale face lay exposed to the twin suns above, revealing familiar green eyes, so much like hers and yet so different just the same. They’d changed. So much had changed.

“It has been a while,” she found herself saying, her voice a hoarse whisper now despite her defiant words only moments before.

A question formed in her mind, the words rattling around her mouth unsurely, but a rustling in the alleyway drew her attention before she could fathom the composure to speak.

Vale’s eyes darted, but her staff remained poised, pinning the man to the ground. Aiden, Vale thought, after all this time.

He stirred. Without thinking, she prodded him the chest with force, suddenly reminded of their youth, but also recalling only moments before when he had used the Force against her. Her stomach churned.

“Not so fast,” she uttered, all sentiment dissolving from her tone of voice. Vale narrowed her eyes and hissed, “We’re not done here, yet.”

“So, some things never do change,” he spat back at her, his eyes indignant, glaring. It was only now she noticed just how unnaturally green they had become – bright and menacing, no longer their natural soothing sage.

Vale prodded him again.

“Evidently.”

The Twi’lek and the Wookiee changed positions, having inched closer to Vale in the moments that followed. She felt the Twi’lek’s eyes on her, her blue lekku visible in her peripheral vision as she assumed position beside a nearby crate, her blaster at the ready.

Vale shot the girl a look, still unsure of her next move. The girl’s brown eyes darted between Vale and Aiden, though Vale doubted he went by that name anymore. Without speaking, the girl nodded and looked over the edge of the crate to get a better look at the alley beyond. She didn’t seem to see anything either, but the Twi’lek poised her blaster instead, still careful to aim and take cover at the same time.

Aiden squirmed again, his hands prickling with static lightning once more.

“I can destroy you,” he said, his voice finally assuming the venomous authority Vale had expected the first time he opened his mouth.

“So, what are you waiting for?”

Vale thrust the edge of her shock staff into Aiden’s chest, their electrical currents mingling for a moment before he laughed. His voice was hollow but guttural. Aiden had never been this strong, nor this confident. Cocky, yes, and self-assured, but never when it came to physical endeavors. His command of the Force had been elementary, his skills best put to use in the Jedi Archives. Vale had never known a more brilliant mind, but that hadn’t stopped him from slinging insults at her when she told him about joining Revan’s cause. As much as things were undoubtedly different, he was right. Some things didn’t change much, no matter how many years had passed.

Aiden seethed, seemingly unable to control his anger or use it to his advantage. Isn’t that how Sith harnessed their power? Through hatred and anger, fear and violence? Maybe that’s what’s changed, Vale thought to herself. Perhaps he had begun to put his bitterness to other uses.

For a moment, Vale had almost forgotten the world outside the one where only she and the man she once called her brother stood in a deadlock. There was someone else here in the yard with them, she could feel it, but she couldn’t see them. She jabbed at Aiden again.

“Where are they?” she demanded, knowing he could reach out with the Force, but Aiden remained sputtering, angry and red in the face on the ground beneath her. She shoved at him again.

“I said, where are they?”

Her blood was boiling, and the voice that escaped her throat didn’t feel like her own. Catching herself off-guard, she blanched, shocked at her own words and the seething hatred that fueled them. But just as she came back to herself, she saw Aiden’s face contort with rage, feeding off of her. In a flash of movement, her brother grabbed hold of her shock staff, the electrical current circulating with his own now, and he brought himself back to his feet, sending Vale back.

Staggering, she held her grip as Aiden knocked her back into a cargo canister. She yanked the staff from his prying hands, but she wasn’t exactly sure what she planned to do with it. Aiden stood there menacing, a sickly grin plastered across his gaunt face. It was then that she noticed just how pale he was, how twisted his face had become. His features assumed the sharp angles of the bones underneath, abandoning the warmth they once possessed beneath freckled cheeks that often blushed when speaking with his superiors at the Academy. There was hardly anything familiar about him, and yet, Vale saw a reflection of herself in his eyes, a reflection of something she could have become but turned away from.

Vale caught her breath and pulled her blaster out of its holster just as Aiden revealed his lightsaber, still attached to his belt behind his billowing cloak. She braced herself.

His hand reached for the hilt of the weapon, but before his fingers could detach it fully, a body came soaring out of the air, knocking Aiden to the ground.

The new stranger’s hood fell as she landed square on her feet, immediately assuming a solid Echani stance upon gaining her balance. It was another girl, this one pale and human, short white hair cropped to frame her porcelain face and the fierce ice-blue eyes set in a determined stare.

“You again,” Aiden muttered, the words dripping with poison.

Taken aback, Vale stepped away, looking for the Twi’lek – but the Twi’lek found her first.

“Explain later, go now.”

She grabbed her arm again and guided her towards the Czerka station’s back entrance. As much as the girl was right, she wanted to know what in the hell was going on?! First the bounty on her head, then the ambush, her brother? And who was that young woman? Was she another Jedi? A rival Sith? Who was she that she thought she could take on a man who had just displayed the ability to manipulate lightning? And who exactly was she following anyway? Vale had the feeling that the girl knew Orex, given her liberal use of the word “friends”. She swallowed her reservations, her regrets, and shot one last look back at her estranged brother, still alive after all this time.

Trailing the Twi’lek and droid-carrying Wookiee, Vale hurried alongside them through the Czerka office, ignoring the startled employees as they rushed passed. She heard what must have been a manager call after the men they had sent into the docking yard earlier and call for backup, but they were out the door and rushing into the street before the woman could ask what under the suns they thought they were doing.

The usual afternoon bustle swallowed them whole. Vale looked over the crowd as they ran. Dust filled the sky where her shop had been, and no one other than annoyed bystanders paid them any mind. As far as she could tell they weren’t being followed. For now.

Darting between passersby and around shop stalls, they continued on without stopping – until they reached the docking bay. Just as they rounded the corner, the Twi’lek grabbed at Vale’s elbow, wheeling her into a side-stall. The purveyor, a wide-eyed Duros, glared at them, muttering a few choice obscenities in Durese under his breath before asking if they planned on buying anything with a pained (and obviously faked) cheerful disposition. All three ignored him.

After catching their breath, the only thing the Twi’lek said was, “Act casual.”

The girl squared her shoulders, drawing herself up in height as the Wookiee did just the opposite. He slumped casually beneath the weight of the droid still splayed over his shoulders and nodded in Vale’s direction, urging them onward. The Twi’lek looked at Vale for a reaction. After a moment of confusion, she nodded in haste.

“Yeah sure, whatever.”

The Twi’lek and the Wookiee exchanged glances again before leading the way. The three of them blended in as effortlessly as possible into the milling crowd, the girl fumbling through her pockets like any other spacer with leisure on their side might for her docking pass and ID card. They sidled up to the dock officer, the Twi’lek smiling sweetly.

“Looks like we’ll be heading out now, Miss-” she read the woman’s name tag carefully, “Deena.”

She smiled again, sliding her documentation across the log-in console at the red-haired woman before them, clad in a somber smile.

“Leaving so soon?” the woman asked, sincere. Vale rolled her eyes.

The Twi’lek tried to act as nonchalantly as possible, but every time she steered the conversation toward giving them clearance, the more questions the dock officer asked. It was only a matter of time before she noted the unrest in the crowd behind them, the bounty hunters and mercenaries undoubtedly catching up, and word about the “unsanctioned destruction” of the droid shop reached her ears.

As soon as her documents were scanned and their clearance granted, the Twi’lek swiped her stuff back and shoved them into her pockets as they sauntered onward with a running start.

Vale’s eyes scanned the crowd of departures and arrivals for any sign of Asra, Orex, Darek or Glitch, but it was all a blur. Her new companions seemed equally lost until a comlink buzz from the girl’s belt got their attention. They were still half-running, half-walking as she answered.

Indecipherable chatter erupted from the comm, the Twi’lek shaking it with haste in an attempt to clear the signal. “Damn it.”

“Did you come here on a ship or what?” Vale finally asked, under her breath, trying to sound as nonjudgmental as possible.

The Wookiee growled in response, annoyed, as the Twi'lek explained with worry.

“They were supposed to meet us three loops ago,” she muttered. Vale realized they had been walking around in circles.

Finally, identifiable words emerged from the comm, garbled but clear enough.

“Change of plans, meet us in Docking Bay 94! I repeat, Docking Bay 94!”

It was Asra.

The Twi’lek and the Wookiee exchanged glances just as another explosion sent them forward. Near enough to the blast zone, they tumbled into the passersby ahead of them, the crowd worked into an instant frenzy.

The Wookiee groaned.

“I have a feeling that was ours,” the Twi’lek responded, pained, but they were running out of time. She grabbed Vale by the elbow again as they ducked under the door with the numbers 9 and 4 poorly plastered above it.

Inside the hangar bay was a vessel far too small for the landing pad, but the image sent chills down Vale’s spine nonetheless. It was one of Revan’s ships. A basic Imperial shuttle, nothing flashy, but she could tell by the armor plating that it had come from the Star Forge all those years ago. Or was the damn thing still suspended in space, churning out ships for all eternity?

The girl rushed Vale up into the belly of the ship, ignoring her wide-eyed stare. She could hardly afford a good look at the thing before boarding the on-ramp with stumbling steps. Before she could ask any more questions, Asra pulled her aboard, taking her hand as she reached the inner belly of the small beast.

“What a day, huh?” the Togruta teased, though the anguish was clear on her face.

Vale nodded, wondering if she had wandered into a dream, as the loading ramp closed behind them.

What a day, indeed. And it wasn’t over yet.

#knights of the old republic #kotor #kotor 2 #star wars #fan fiction #my writing

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