#(not with cynthia she's going to rock it and was ABSOLUTELY the best choice for this role I've wanted her to play it for a while)

[musical-chick-13]

re: Wicked the musical being my favorite thing, I feel obligated to see the movie when it comes out in November to give my Opinion™ on it, but also. I'm scared.

#first we do NOT have a good track record with movie adaptations of musicals in recent years #second I have. some concerns. with the casting. #(not with cynthia she's going to rock it and was ABSOLUTELY the best choice for this role I've wanted her to play it for a while) #but like. her co-lead. #I do not want to give money to a company who makes a choice like that lmao #(there are specific Reasons™ for this but I don't want to put them in this post. unless someone like. asks me to elaborate or something.) #(tbh kiiiiiinnda worried about the male lead in the equation too like I know he has a musical theatre background but. I scrounged up every #bit of singing I could find of him and I...was not impressed.) #also why are they splitting it in two parts. what fresh hell are they going to pad the run-time with #I've heard they created new characters which is...always a risk! one that THIS particular musical didn't need to take! #JUST DO A FUCKING PROSHOT MY /GOD/

[aurantia-ignis]

I've never been so disappointed by a musical casting decision. Even Carly Jepsen in Cinderella didn’t feel as bad as this. 

We theatre fans have been waiting for more than a decade for an official film production of Wicked. And then they put the dude who did Crazy Rich Asians into the director's seat. And then they cast Grande as Glinda. I'm sorry, but that there is a major miscast, and I absolutely have no faith in her being able to pull it off in any way. Maybe if they had cast her for Elphaba, I'd have rolled my eyes and just shut up, because at least she can somewhat pull that off without straying too far from what the role is supposed to be. She belts pretty well, has some great high mixes, and while Elphaba does require quite a bit of acting to make it magnificent, average acting skills can still handle the socially awkward outcast character.

But no, they cast Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (good choice on this one!), and then made Grande play Glinda. Because, of course, she tweeted ten years ago that this was her 'dream role'. Because, of course, she's a popular pop star, and it's not a Hollywood movie musical if they don't do at least One stunt cast. I do not believe that Ariana Grande can handle even 10% of what Glinda is supposed to be. 

1. Acting

The role of Galinda is, to begin with, a stereotypical dumb blonde beloved by all. Energetic and self-centered and bright, with a high pitched almost whiny tone to her voice, she has to be annoying and adorable and even a little dorky. But once the musical passes the midway mark, Glinda becomes a lot less certain of herself, as she begins to question what the right thing to do is. She gets everything she wanted, and has to ask herself if that is what she truly wants. And at the very end of it, she has to show resolution and determination and strength to carry on after losing her best friend forever.

Grande, despite starting out in musical theatre originally, does not seem able to act at ALL. She appeared in Hairspray! Live as Penny Pingleton, in which she basically felt like.... like a mix of an emotionless rock and Ariana Grand herself. And that's just not going to cut it for Glinda. 

2. Diction 

In musical theatre, lyrics tell the story. Musical theatre actors need to be able to sing their songs and carry the audience with them, showing the audience the story through the music. Grande USED to have good diction, when she was a teenager and singing musical theatre. Now, nobody would be able to understand her if she didn't release her lyrics.

3. Singing.

Grande can absolutely sing. There's no denying that, the girl has amazing singing ability. As mentioned above, she's got a killer belt, her high mixes and chest voice are very steady. She's even got some control of a whistle register. She's a very talented and skilled singer... of pop music. But this is musical theatre. Not pop.

Again, yes, she started out in musical theatre, but she hasn't sung in the theatrical style in years. In Hairspray Live, in the Wicked Anniversary performance (where she sang Elphaba's The Wizard and I), she sang the theatre songs like a pop song. She didn't act the songs, she performed them like she was singing a pop concert. She ate her words. She put in twenty thousand riffs and runs because she can, without really considering if that's what serves the music best. And she sang them in an airy, light, pop-style voice.

Furthermore, while Penny (and indeed Elphaba) are both mezzo-soprano belt roles, and as such, Grande could somehow muddle her way through them, Glinda is completely different. Glinda is a classical soprano role. And Grande has never shown even a single ounce of having been classically trained, not even when she was younger. 

Not all Glindas have to be opera singers, but they DO have to have a classically trained voice. They don't have to be coloraturas like Kristin Chenoweth (original Glinda), but they DO have to have that voice and that range, because her songs LITERALLY CALL FOR IT. Popular, What is This Feeling, For Good, and I'm Not That Girl utilize more chest and mixed voice, but No One Mourns the Wicked, its reprise, and Thank Goodness (which is Glinda's second defining song after Popular) absolutely require their singers to use head voice, because they go up That High on the pitch range. Grande barely EVER uses her head voice properly; when she sings high notes, she's either belting (and she can't belt Glinda's songs because they are really high, far beyond what is possible to belt) or she's utilizing a chest mix (ditto the range problems), or she's using a really faint airy fairy head voice that has zero impact or power. Or she's using her whistle register, which is a completely different sound and timbre. 

So if they're going to have her sing Glinda's songs, they're either going to have to massively lower the key of her songs to a point where she can belt/mix her way through (like they did for Brandy in the Disney production of Rodgers' and Hammerstein's Cinderella), or they lower the key just a little bit/keep it the same so she can airy fairy her way through (like they did for Emmy Rossum in Phantom or Amanda Seyfried in Les Miserables)..... or they have to put her through intensive classical training so she can manage to pull it off. Considering how Hollywood movie musicals seem to absolutely hate classical sopranos (Men can have a more classical voice type, but women? If you’re not a belt role like Eponine, if you’re a classical soprano role, then people won’t like it because it’s too ‘opera’. Unless you’re in the ensemble, then it’s a-okay), it’s more likely they’d go for the second one (Again, re: Christine Daae and Cosette).  

I highly doubt they'd do that last option, especially because Ariana Grande only ever wants to sound like Ariana Grande. But if they do, and if they get her to work on her diction, and if she somehow manages to capture Glinda with her acting, then I will acknowledge that I judged her too quickly. But for now, based on everything I see and hear of her, I have zero expectations. I hope she proves me wrong..... but I doubt she will.

#my thoughts #anti ariana grande #i guess? #wicked movie #musical theatre #I'm so happy for Cynthia Erivo #I really really was looking forward to this movie #they seriously need to stop with this CAST THE POPULAR PEOPLE nonsense and just.... release proshots of the broadway shows #with theatre actors playing their roles #please and thank you

[crystalelemental]

Unit Viability Speculation - Bertha

Oh my god they did it!  It’s actually the Sinnoh E4!  Oh man, I’m losing my shit, this is perfect.  There’s like nothing my wife will be super excited about and I get one of my top two most wanted additions!  And she got Hippowdon, which is perfect!  Oh, I’m so happy, this is just so-

WHY DO YOU HAVE STEALTH ROCK?!

I can’t believe they tainted her with Original Sin like this.  Ugh.  Great, well, Stealth Rock is officially in the game, folks.  At least it’s not the same disaster as competitive singles.

Let’s start by tempering expectations: Bertha is in the general pool.  Meaning she cannot be allowed to be better than SS Giovanni or Cynthia, and must naturally be weak.  So her move damage sucks.  She’s here to deal damage via sync and basically nothing else.

Sand Tomb is a neat choice, though.  I always like trap effects, I actually approve of that kind of damage.  Stealth Rock sets Rock Damage Field on the foe’s side, which deals Rock-type damage whenever they act.  This is interesting, but mostly I’m curious about the damage calculation.  If this is flat damage like Sandstorm, but modified for super-effective damage, that’s really good for Gauntlet.  If it’s like SS Cyrus’ passive, where it is somewhat based on your offensive stat, that’s less good, but would mean she has two types she’s strong against.  She does set Sandstorm, which was pretty much required.  Trainer move buffs both defenses and crit +1, with both defenses +1 again in Sandstorm.  The cool thing is, that +1 crit is all allies.  Which is absolute gigantic for support, bravo Bertha.

She sets Sandstorm on entry, so pretty free setup, and this passive is both setting Sandstorm and preventing damage during, so very nice.  Sync multiplier is in Sandstorm too, so that’s great.  Sand Slinger is really interesting, lowering the target’s attack by 1 when an attack move is successful in Sandstorm.  Pokey Trap 5 means she’s now on par with Wallace for passive trap damage.

MPR2 on Sandstorm, sadness.  MPR on Stealth Rock, which must mean it runs out after a bit, we’ll see how short lived it is.  Sand Tomb can double up on the attack debuff.  She can give herself Gradual Healing on trainer move.  Endurance is great.  Soothing Sand, Sands of Time, Shifting Sand are standard, but Sand Castle 2 is a nice 20% reduction to damage taken in Sandstorm, which is unreal for a Tech unit.  She’s really going for that bulk.  What’s even more fucking insane is Team Sharp Entry.  While it won’t cap her defenses, she can forego MPR risks on trainer move and guarantee the team’s crit is capped.  Actual hero.  And Gritty Guardian 4 means she can cap her own defenses, at least.  Her own sync multipliers are 90% for sand, 50% for trap.  Both pretty free.

Listen, anyone who knows what I’m about knows what’s coming: I love her.  This is some really solid stuff.  She stacks passive damage like crazy, which is valuable in any fight that isn’t Cresselia because random Ground-type immunity.  Not to mention, another counter to Moltres’ shit.  She’s a Ground-type sync pair in the general pool, who has a reasonably powerful Tech sync nuke.  She can cap the team’s crit reliably.  She has great bulk potential with her trainer move, the attack debuff, and gradual healing.  And of course, the big thing to me: Sandstorm Stall is on the menu.  I talked about this ages ago, where I wondered if there would be a way to incorporate the passive damage of Sandstorm or Hail into a Stall team to wear down opponents.  And at the time, the answer was no.  But Bertha’s going for it.  Fantastic trap damage on par with Wallace, who until now was the best at it, alongside passive Sandstorm damage, and Stealth Rock, and attack debuffs.  She’s amazing.  I love her.

#pokemon masters #bertha #unit viability speculation

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

Parallels | Chapter 15

Add yourself to my taglist! | Here’s my masterlist! | Parallels Masterlist

Characters: OC! Violet Grace Dawson, Luke Patterson, Julie Molina, Carrie Wilson, Bobby Wilson, Reggie Peters, Alex Mercer, Flynn nolastname, Willie nolastname, Nick Danforth-Evans, Dirty Candy 

Guideline: Sunset Universe is the universe in which Sunset Curve is famous and Violet is friends with Carrie, Julie and Flynn. Candy Universe is the universe in which Dirty Candy is more famous and Sunset Curve has broken up. 

Song(s) used: She’s So Gone - Lemonade Mouth 

Warnings: angsty sad breakup, Bobby losing his mind a lil lol

Words:  3,827

“I finished my song,” Carrie said the second she opened the door for the Dirty Candy girls. Not even a “hello” or “welcome, come in!”, just straight to the point. 

Chuckling, Violet and the girls made their way through the door, following behind Carrie as she dashed into the music room where she grabbed a guitar and handed it to Violet. Seeing the confused look on her best friend’s face, Carrie explained, “I can’t play guitar.” 

Violet nodded, now understanding why there was a guitar being thrusted into her hands, and then leaned over the piano wing where Carrie had placed her songbook. “She’s So Gone” was written in beautiful cursive at the very top of the page. 

“Bobby wrote down the chords,” Carrie said, pointing at where Bobby had scribbled down the chords and when to play them. Violet placed her fingers on the strings and slowly made her way through them. Once she had them down, she sped up until the right melody floated through the music room. 

Then, Violet stopped playing, a smile plastered on her face. “You wanna play this tomorrow at the gig?” she asked. It made her extremely happy Carrie wanted to branch out on their music genre. This song sounded a lot more like the music Violet made with the girls in her universe.

“I think we should,” said Kayla. Violet glanced at the other girls, who were nodding their heads in agreement. “I can play bass,” the purple candy then added, which surprised Violet a little. She wouldn’t peg Kayla for a bass player. 

“I can play keys,” Sophia threw in, raising her hand with a nonchalant shrug. 

Cynthia glanced at each girl before speaking up, “I can’t play any instrument, but I’m willing to learn?” 

Violet felt an excited bubble burst in her chest. She loved how well they got on now and how willing they were to change along with the situation. “I’ll teach ya,” she said, placing a hand on Cynthia’s shoulder. “And I’ve got drums.” 

Sharing an excited squeal, the girls immediately got to work. Violet taught Cynthia the song on guitar, which she picked up rather quickly. The song came together smoothly to the point where it sounded flawless. Not only was it pretty epic Dirty Candy turned into a rock band, the song itself was amazing. Carrie had done a splendid job. 

That night, Violet sent a text message to Luke, feeling the urge to talk to him about the day she’d had. It felt weird not getting to see him every day now, but the boys knew about Dirty Candy making up and how Violet was going to dip her toes in each band for as long as she could.  

“I’m so excited about the gig tomorrow!” she typed and sent the message before plopping down on her bed on her back, staring at the ceiling once again while staring at the ceiling. This fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach felt familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. Was it nerves for tomorrow? Or was it being able to talk to Luke again? 

“Wanna FaceTime? I wanna see your face :)” Luke’s reply read. Violet turned onto her stomach and tapped away on her phone, calling Luke’s number on the FaceTime app. Within seconds, the boy’s face appeared on her small phone screen. 

“Hi!” she greeted with a smile that reached her ears while that same fluttery feeling coursed through her body. 

“Hey!” Luke said back, “I missed you at the studio today,” he pouted. 

Violet mimicked his facial expression. “I’m sorry… I’ll be all yours after tomorrow’s gig.” The words tumbled out of her mouth without permission of her brain, causing her to slightly cringe at the choice of words. 

“Good! Violet Sunset isn’t complete without you,” he mumbled, averting his eyes from the screen. 

Violet shrugged, “Violet Sunset without Violet is still a sunset,” she joked, causing Luke to let out a chuckle. “Will you come to the Dirty Candy gig though?” she plucked at the plush teddy bear on her bed, averting her eyes from Luke as she didn’t want him to see the desperateness in her eyes. 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he replied with a beaming smile. “What does the setlist look like?” he asked, genuinely interested in the band Violet had been in since forever. 

A smile crept its way to Violet’s face as she talked him through their gig and everything that had happened that day. She told him Dirty Candy was going to go another route tomorrow, but she didn’t give away any of the details as she didn’t want to take away the surprise from him. 

The two of them talked the entire night until Violet fell asleep. It wasn’t that late, but she had been rehearsing with the girls for an entire day and she was worn-out. Luke smiled at the sight of a sleeping Violet on his screen. The feelings he’d had for her years ago were reemerging, he was certain of it. Something felt different about her this time though, but he couldn’t put a finger on what it was. The sensitivity. Her unbridled ambition. Her kindness. This wasn’t like the same Violet that started Dirty Candy a few years ago. This was a completely different version. Better, in his opinion. Different, but better. 

-

The Moxie Theater was packed with adoring Dirty Candy fans. From kids they knew from school to a few Middle Schoolers that had been their biggest fans since the band had started. Violet’s nerves were through the roof when she peeked from behind the curtains. There were a lot more people than at the Open Mic Night at Chubbie’s underground club. 

But then her eyes landed on a group of familiar faces. Everyone was here. Bobby, Alex, Reggie, Julie, Flynn. Even Willie had come to cheer her on. Though most importantly, Luke was there and when their eyes locked, he shot her a smile. “You got this,” he mouthed, which was enough to give Violet the confidence she needed to go on. 

“Ready, girls?” Valentina, the showrunner, asked the band. 

Carrie glanced at the nervous ball of a best friend and reached for the girl’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly before replying, “Ready!”. Valentina dashed off, saying something into her headset while the five girls got ready, center stage. 

The curtains opened and a spotlight shone on Carrie as she stood in her beginning pose. 

“Whenever I walk in the room,” Carrie started, along with the music while they started dancing. Though there was a knot in Violet’s belly, she pushed through it and eventually, by the second song, she had found her source of confidence. 

Whether it was inside her or because of the smiles and winks she earned from Luke, was up for debate. But it worked. She didn’t feel nervous anymore and was actually having fun. 

After song four, the girls ran off stage and while the intermission song played – an instrumental version of WOW – the girls quickly changed outfits while the showrunners put their instruments at the ready.

This was it. The moment of truth. The big test for their fans to see which version of Dirty Candy they liked best. 

Dressed in black leather pants, a black tank top and biker boots, with only their wigs as a pop of color, the girls headed back out. The crowd cheered and applauded while Violet took a seat behind the drums that had the Dirty Candy logo pasted on the bass drum and the rest of them took their respective instruments. 

“Good evening, Los Angeles!” Carrie called out into her microphone. “I hope you don’t mind, but we’re going to try something new tonight! A different route, a different side of Dirty Candy… I hope you like this song, this is She’s So Gone.” 

Violet counted them in and, exactly like they rehearsed, the girls started playing their instruments. The crowd could tell this was a completely different genre than the one they were used to. Everyone seemed surprised and delighted, which acted as the fuel to Carrie’s fire as she started singing. 

“Insecure in her skin Like a puppet, a girl on a string Broke away Learned to fly If you want her back, gotta let her shine”

Violet couldn’t help but smile a little. Her best friend was finally showing the world who she really was. And it wasn’t in the Little Me kind of way, vulnerable and broken. But in a confident, “here I am” kind of way. 

“So it looks like the joke's on you 'Cause, the girl that you thought you knew”

The music sped up a little and Violet felt herself getting swept away in the moment. Her head banged along with the beats she was creating while taking care of backing vocals for Carrie’s chorus. 

“She's so gone (she's so gone) That's so over now She's so gone (she's so gone) You won't find her around You can look but you won't see The girl I used to be 'Cause she, she's so gone”

They slowed down a little again and while Carrie’s voice grew stronger along with her confidence, Violet sang along with her. Her eyes landed on Luke for a second, who was bobbing his head along with a smirk on his face as he kept an eye on his drummer girl. 

“Here I am, this is me And I'm stronger than you ever thought I'd be Are you shocked? Are you mad? That you're missing out on who I really am”

Violet winked at Luke before launching herself back into the pre-chorus and chorus with Carrie and the other girls. She hadn’t even noticed the rest of the crowd going absolutely wild over the song. 

“Now it looks like the joke's on you 'Cause, the girl that you thought you knew”

“She's so gone (she's so gone) That's so over now She's so gone (she's so gone) You won't find her around You can look but you won't see The girl I used to be 'Cause she She's so gone away like history She's so gone Baby, this is me, yeah”

The girls stopped playing for a second, creating a bit of suspense before launching back into the chorus, stronger and more powerful than before. The adrenaline was coursing through everyone’s veins. 

“She's so gone (she's so gone) That's so over now She's so gone (she's so gone) You won't find her around You can look but you won't see The girl I used to be 'Cause she, she's so gone (she's so gone)”

The crowd cheered loudly for Carrie’s high notes, rightfully so. The girl sounded amazing. Flawless. Perfect. So strong and confident. This was Violet’s favorite side of Carrie. 

“She's so gone (she's so gone) You can look but you won't see The girl I used to be 'Cause she, she's so gone Gone, gone, gone”

The applause and cheers were deafening. This was the feeling Violet loved. This was why she did what she did and it made her wonder why she had refused to get on a stage for so long. It was crazy how the crowd felt exactly what the girls were feeling. A mutual sense of empowerment, of confidence, of happiness. It was phenomenal.  

With smiles on their faces, the girls lapsed into a next song, led by their instruments. The new Dirty Candy was born and everyone seemed to be digging it, especially Dirty Candy themselves. 

As the girls filed off the stage after their last song, Alex’s eyes landed on his best friend beside him. A smirk fell onto his lips as he said, “Wipe that lovesick grin off your face before she gets here, Patterson.” 

“Hey,” Luke said, stopping Violet in her tracks before she could get out of his car. “Thank you, for today, and everything. I couldn’t have done that without you.” 

Violet smiled at him and let go of a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “I’m glad I could be of help,” she said and leaned in to press a kiss to Luke’s cheek. “And I’m glad you made up with your parents. – See you around, Lukas.” She opened the door of the car and got out while Luke watched her all the way up to the front door. 

He smiled the entire time. He couldn’t stop. Even on the way back to Beverly Hills, when Violet was entirely out of sight, he was still smiling. And of course, his friends had to comment about that lovesick smile that rested on his lips. 

“What’s gotten you so chipper?” Bobby asked, smiling at the smiling Luke. 

Alex and Reggie chuckled at the same time, “Or rather, who?” they said in unison, earning a surprised glance from one another, one that said jinx!

A red hue spread across Luke’s cheeks. “Violet went to my parents’ house with me,” he explained, trying to ignore the fact that his face looked as red as a tomato. “We’ve made up and had dinner together, with Violet…” 

Reggie let out an excited squeal. “Do you think she’ll finally dump that Marcus of hers? I mean – no offense to the guy, he’s pretty cool but… You two fit so much better together!” 

Alex was nodding his head in agreement while Bobby’s eyebrows pinched together. “Don’t you guys find it weird how she’s changed all of a sudden? She was never this way, meddling in our lives, being here almost twenty-four seven? She didn’t even dare to speak to any of us at one point because Luke had broken her heart.” 

“I apologized for that,” Luke shrugged while he made his way to the kitchen. “We’re good friends now and it’s fun making music with her.”

“Yeah, but… She’s a completely different version of herself. You can’t tell me all of that changed while we were on tour?” Bobby reasoned, rubbing his chin with his hand in thought. It reminded him that he needed a shave as well. Not being on the road meant he didn’t quite care about that stuff, he didn’t need to look all clean-shaven and freshly showered. 

“You’re just jealous that she’s into Luke now instead of you,” Alex noted. “And besides, a person can change over the course of six months. She just found her confidence, that’s all. And finally as well, that girl is hella talented!” 

Reggie frowned at Alex. “I’ve never heard you use the word ‘hella’.” 

“Violet says it a lot,” he shrugged and turned back to Bobby and Luke, who re-emerged from the kitchen with a glass of water and a brownie Violet and Carrie had baked in their kitchen a few days back. 

“You really can’t see the problem here?!” Bobby exclaimed out of frustration. “Something isn’t adding up and if you guys won’t help me find out what it is, I’ll do it myself!” Like a toddler, Bobby stormed off, leaving the three boys stunned. 

“He must be bored during our hiatus,” Reggie noted and stretched his limbs before getting up from the couch. “Now I want some of those ViCarrie brownies you got, Luke…” he mumbled and started making his way to the kitchen until Luke stopped him. 

With his mouth full of brownie, he mumbled, “You’re too late for that,” and walked off to the rehearsal studio, snickering devilishly. What he didn’t see was Reggie’s offended look on his face. His jaw had dropped and his eyes were bulging out of their sockets. It had left Alex cackling on the couch, bemused by his friends’ antics. 

The house had felt a lot lighter since Violet and Carrie had become more involved in their lives. He loved it. It almost made him want to be his true self, say ‘fuck you’ to management and go out with Willie like he’d always dreamed of. But better not… He better stick to the status quo. 

-

Violet sat on her bed with her laptop in her lap, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. They were waiting. Waiting for her brain to tell them what to do. Though her brain wasn’t certain. She had the sudden urge to browse back to Parallels.com, the blog of that girl who had been in the same situation as she was, years ago. 

But that idea quickly faded when her window slid up and a tall, handsome boy climbed through. A smile tugged at Violet’s lips as she scrambled off her bed and approached the boy she had come to love. 

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Violet leaned up to press a kiss to his lips. “Hey handsome,” she greeted, beaming up at him whilst his arms snaked around her waist before he dipped down to kiss her again. 

“Hi beautiful,” he said. “Did you have a good day?” 

Violet took hold of his hand and guided him towards her bed. “The best! The song we wrote for Luke was a hit! Everyone loved it, especially Luke! And then we went to visit his parents and they made up and it was the most beautiful thing I ever witnessed!” Violet sounded like an excited child on their way to Disney World. “And then we stayed for dinner and Emily – that’s Luke’s mom – made this banging lasagna and they told me all about Luke’s childhood and how they knew music would always be his passion as he used to perform on table tops at family parties. Can you imagine a tiny Luke, on the table, singing his little heart out? It’s the cutest…” Violet trailed off as she noticed the change in Marcus’ behavior. He went from smiling widely, looking at her with those warm gorgeous orbs to frowning, eyes watering. 

“You okay, bubs?” she asked, gliding her fingers through his hair until her hand landed on his shoulder. “Did you have a good day?” 

“Are you sure you and Luke are just friends?” he asked, solemnly. 

Violet puffed out a breath. “Yeah, of course,” she said, though the words tugged on her heartstrings. “Luke and I are just friends. I have you, don’t I?” 

Marcus looked up at Violet. His eyes were cold, they didn’t exude their usual warmth. “Yeah, but do you love me? Because I think you’re actually in love with Luke…” He hung his head down low again. The sadness and vulnerability that came off the otherwise confident and happy guy felt like a punch in the gut to Violet. 

A lump formed in Violet’s throat. She had been thinking those things for a while but that was all they were; thoughts. Right now, those words had been spoken out loud and it scared her. 

It scared her because they were true.  

“No, I do love you, Marcus,” she said, and it was true. She had come to love Marcus. A lot. She just wasn’t sure if she was in love with him. 

Tears had started to gather in the corners of her eyes, getting ready to make their way down her cheeks soon enough. It took Marcus looking at her with tears running down his cheeks for her tears to do the same. 

“I love you, Marcus Baker,” she whispered and tried to pull him closer, but he held back. 

He sniffled and patted her leg twice. “And I love you, Violet Dawson. Just not in the same way. You’re not in love with me. You’re in love with Luke, Bubs… You should be with him, not me.” He wiped his nose on the back of his hand before rising from the bed. 

Violet needed a moment to process everything. Had she just lost one of the greatest guys that ever graced this planet? She had. And it hurt like a mother– But he was right. About everything. She wasn’t in love with Marcus. She was in love with Luke. 

“I’m sorry I can’t give you what you deserve,” she mumbled when Marcus had one leg out the window. “You deserve more.” 

Marcus smiled a watery smile and the all seemed okay in the world. “So do you, Violet. Goodbye, love.” 

“Goodbye,” she whispered and he was gone. 

He was really gone. Out of her life. But never out of her heart. 

-

“Oh, look,” Carrie said, amused as her brother breezed into the backyard. “My brother’s home for once,” she joked before turning back to the book she was reading while tanning at the pool. It was Beach Read, a book Violet had recommended to her. 

“Cut the crap and tell me what’s going on with Violet?!” 

Carrie stilted for a moment and slowly lifted her eyes back up to her brother. There were no words coming out of her mouth, though there were a whole bunch flitting through her brain. She wanted to shout at him that he had no business in that while at the same time, wanting to tell him the whole truth and nothing but the truth. 

“Something’s going on with Violet?” she finally settled on, trying to play the nonchalant card. 

“Yes!” Bobby cried. “She’s a completely different person since we’ve gotten back from tour! She’s confident, she performs as though she didn’t have the incident a few years ago! None of those things scream Violet to me! Not the Violet that I know!” 

Carrie shrugged. “She changed.” 

Bobby was having none of it, however. “No! She can’t just change in an instant! We were gone a few months and suddenly she’s the girl Luke has always wanted her to be? Something isn’t adding up here!”  

“You’re seeing things, Robert,” Carrie said, shaking her head before hiking her legs up to rest the book against them so she could continue to read but as she turned back to the page, another person appeared into the corner of her eye. 

She lifted her head back up, only to find a completely broken and sobbing Violet. She looked so fragile, so sad. She had completely folded in on herself as tears ran down her cheeks, leaving streaks of mascara in their wake. 

Carrie sprang up from the lounge chair and rushed over to her best friend before she could collapse. The sobs were taking so much of her energy, she could barely stand up straight. Stroking her hair, Carrie soothed her best friend. She had no clue what had happened, but it must’ve been bad if she was so affected by it. 

“Marcus and I –” Violet sobbed and Carrie didn’t need to know anything more. She knew what had happened. Or at least the gist of it. She knew enough to know just how broken and sad her best friend is right now. 

Bobby’s meltdown from before could wait. It had to wait. At least until she could come up with a decent excuse for what had been happening this entire time. Or until she could come up with the courage to tell him the truth.

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TAGLIST |  MASTERLIST | PARALLELS MASTERLIST

#parallels #jatp #julie and the phantoms #luke patterson #oc! violet grace dawson

[jesuiscalmedammit]

Blackmail – (8) Mistakes || [Alejandro Gillick x reader x Matt Graver]

After the team returned, Cynthia told Matt that you had left but she had absolutely no idea where you went and she didn’t even care. He wasn’t surprised to hear this so he decided to go back to the motel to quickly check if you were there or not. He owed this much to Alejandro and something told him he would probably want him to look after you now that he was gone. He also felt guilty for letting him go after the girl after all if he had stayed with the team he would still be around.

In the end, he found you in the motel although he was everything but happy to see you being high as fuck on your own. The two of you got into a fight, one thing followed another, and somehow you ended up in bed together.

“I’m an asshole,” Matt noted with a tired grunt as he sat on the edge of the bed and buried his face in his palm a few hours later.

With your head still buried in the pillow, you said, “No arguments here.” A few seconds passed until your brain suddenly began to process his words and you realized you had no idea what he was talking about. “Wait, why?” you asked as you looked at him.

He let out an almost desperate laugh before turning to you. After all this time he kind of expected you to know it without help. “Because of what happened this morning,” he told you eventually. But sleeping with you was only one part of the problem. The other was something he would probably never tell you: he liked it. Hell, he loved every second of it.

When you finally remembered what had happened between you, you bit on your lower lip and let out a thoughtful hum. “I know exactly what I’m like when I’m high so it’s not your fault.” It wasn’t a lie, you had more than enough experience with that to know you could be very persuasive when you wanted something.

“Yeah, but I was sober,” Matt pointed out before putting on his shirt. “I should have said no.”

“Well, it’s too late to change that. Stop worrying and let’s forget it even happened,” you told him with a small, supportive smile. Not like you had any chance of forgetting about cheating on Alejandro. Sure, he was now dead, but it still felt like you had betrayed him. And you did. And you truly hated yourself for it. “We don’t have much choice,” you added quietly.

Matt clearly didn’t hear you say that because he stood up and walked over to the window. “He was shot in the head. We saw the whole thing, it was… I have a feeling I’ll have nightmares about it.”

“At least it wasn’t you who killed him.” Silence fell between the two of you while you sat up and pulled your knees to your chest. “I’m glad I didn’t have to see it. I can’t even imagine what it’s like for you.”

“As I said, I’ll have nightmares,” he answered. When he turned around to look at you and noticed the confused expression on your face, he flashed a sad smile at you before saying, “I bet you thought things like this don’t affect me. But they do and I hate this. Actually, I had a nightmare now too, this is why I woke up in the first place.”

This was probably the first time you saw Matt be this vulnerable. He was clearly suffering just as much as you were and it made you feel really bad for him. Letting out a sigh, you climbed out of bed and went over to him to pull him into a hug. At first, his body froze from the surprise but then he wrapped his arms around you and visibly relaxed.

After a short while, he let you go and took a step back to build some safe distance. “I should go now. Try to get some sleep, okay?” With that he began to walk out of the room but stopped before his fingers could touch the doorknob. “You were right, we have to forget what happened.”

Not like it was that easy, at least not for Matt. While he felt guilty about betraying his friend like that, he still couldn’t stop thinking about you. A long time ago he had told you one day you would be begging him to fuck you and that’s exactly what happened earlier that day. Sure, you were very, very high, but he still liked it.

Long story short, he was a fucking asshole.

Matt had to take care of a few things before the team left so even though he was worried about leaving you alone for hours, he still returned to the hangar. Unlike the others, Steve immediately noticed that something was wrong and he also knew it most probably had something to do with you. Since they were surrounded by people most of the time, he kept his mouth shut for now, but the moment they could be alone for a while, he brought up the topic.

“How bad is it?” he asked as he sat on top of a table and rested his elbows on his thighs.

Letting out a sigh, Matt put his hands on the back of his neck. “Bad but I went through her things and took every drug she had bought. I’ll check on her before I leave to make sure things didn’t get worse.”

“You think she’ll be okay on her own? I can stick around for a few more days to keep an eye on her,” Steve offered.

“No, I think it was a one-time thing. She had learned her lesson around the time I recruited her.”

Steve shook his head and gave him a doubtful look. If Matt truly believed he had recruited her, then they remembered what happened very, very differently. “You mean when you blackmailed her into joining us?”

“I only gave her an opportunity to do something good,” Matt pointed out with a shrug.

For a moment he wondered if he should comment on it but in the end, he decided to just let it go. “Anyway, wanna go grab a drink before going home? After today I think I’ll need it.”

“Thanks but I’ll pass. I’ll quickly check on Y/N then try to get some sleep.”

Steve nodded, said goodbye, and left. He didn’t want to stick around for longer than expected because he was worried he would accidentally let Matt know that he knew he was lying–or at least hiding something important. A part of him wanted to know what it was while another told him to forget about it. Maybe it was for the best if he stayed out of whatever happened. If he had to know about it, Matt would tell him.

Not long after Matt left you began to lose your patience. Each passing minute became more and more unbearable, your brain was in overdrive and you knew only drugs could possibly help you in this situation. But Matt had thoroughly searched your motel room and took everything you had left with him to make sure you stayed clean.

As if that was enough to stop you. Now that you knew who to look for it probably wouldn’t take long to get some more, you just had to be smart about it. So you went to the motel’s office to use their phone instead of your own in case they were still listening to your calls and contacted the dealer who promised to bring what you wanted in about half an hour. Talk about customer experience.

You had been right, and apparently the drugs could help with the misery that was suffocating you. You were miserable because of the pain you felt after losing Alejandro, the guilt because you slept with Matt shortly after his death, the fear caused by having no idea what would happen now, and the disgust you felt because you actually liked what happened between you and your boss.

Could this be the rock bottom? It had to be. No matter how hard you tried, you just couldn’t imagine things getting any worse than this. You once again became that shitty person you’d been before Matt dragged you into this. You were an excellent doctor, strangely that didn’t really change because of drugs, but they surely destroyed your relationships. All of them. But maybe under these circumstances, this was for the best. Being alone could maybe help you figure out what to do now.

The drugs had barely kicked in when there was a sudden, loud knock on your door. At first, you wanted to ignore it but soon you heard Matt threatening to kick in the door to get inside. Rolling your eyes, you eventually stood up and let him in, mostly because the last thing you wanted was him making a scene. But before you could say anything, he grabbed your chin and you knew perfectly well what he was doing: he took a closer look at your eyes because he noticed your delated pupils.

“I leave you alone for three hours and this is what happens?” he asked furiously once the door closed behind you. “Where the fuck did you get this shit anyway? I went through your things to make sure you didn’t have any drugs left.”

You had no reason to lie anymore, after all, you had already quit your job. The two of you were nothing more but two adults having a fight. So you shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed with one leg pulled up. “I have my sources.”

“For fuck’s sake.” Matt ran a hand through his hair as he began to pace back and forth in the room. This was much worse than he had expected and Steve was right, they couldn’t just leave you alone now. “Alright, you know what? I don’t care that this mission is over, we’ll stick around and I’ll keep you under close surveillance for the next few days.”

“Seriously?” you asked after letting out an annoyed growl. “I’m an adult and if I wanna get high, I’ll fucking do it and you can’t stop me!”

“I can,” he replied casually then began to go through your things once again. Without hesitation, you jumped up and rushed over to stop him, but Matt simply pushed you away. “Do you think this is what he would want? Do you really think Alejandro wouldn’t try to make sure you stay clean?”

And with that comment, he crossed a line. Even though he quickly realized he had made a mistake, you slapped him before he could apologize. “Don’t you dare bring him up again!”

Long seconds passed in uncomfortable silence and it didn’t seem like either of you would speak up in the near future. While he clearly wanted to continue his search for drugs, Matt decided to wait a little and hope you would calm down just enough to agree to it. You on the other hand were waiting for him to finally leave your room without a fight.

Suddenly your phone began to ring and you rose your eyebrows when you looked at the called ID. It was a number you didn’t know, but apparently Matt assumed you did so he said, “Put it on speaker.”

“Are you kidding me?”

When he gave you a serious look, you let out a sigh and did as he said.

note: Oh, Matt, you moron... || By the way, thank you for the support guys!

taglist: @lainternettuale @lennonlane @anbanananna @moonchild-stuff

#sicario #sicario soldado #sicario 2 #sicario day of the soldado #sicario imagine #sicario 2 imagine #sicario soldado imagine #sicario day of the soldado imagine #fic: Blackmail #alejandro gillick #alejandro gillick imagine #alejandro gillick x reader #matt graver #matt graver x reader #matt graver imagine

[shironandina]

Writober Day 8: Wishful Thinking

Characters: Cynthia- guest muse Steven Stone. (Was first Poke muse, recently revived over on @hoennhomos Info on him is here.)

For as long as Cynthia could remember, she wanted her very own Umbreon. She always adored the way that they look, they way they glow during a full moon, their abilities, and their battle style. 

The Moonlight Pokemon is so beautiful yet cute at the same time! Cynthia always fantasized having one on her team and annihilating her foes with one. She had faced them in battle herself, they were tough. Every time she thought I wish that were me...

The day she obtained an Eevee was absolutely delighted. She could finally get an Umbreon! Cynthia took great care of her Eevee ensuring a close bond between the two of them. When stroking the Eevee’s soft chesnut fur she imagined would it would look black with yellow rings. Someday... someday.

The time had finally came! “Yes! You ready to become the night?” Cynthia asks her Eevee feeding her an extra poffin. 

Oh! That’s right, Hoenn’s Champion would be coming in today from Snowpoint out of all places. What a weird place to start. Oh- that’s right! He wanted to explore Sinnoh’s underground and start there.

The blonde met up with Hoenn’s Champion at Snowpoint City. He wrapping a large scarf around his neck. “It’s freezing out here!”

Cynthia laughs. “What did you expect? It’s Snowpoint City late at nii~ hey I just got an idea!”

Steven arches an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“I’ve got an Eevee just waiting to become an Umbreon! Let’s go just out side the town and have a quick little battle, she’s so close, please?”

Steven runs a hand through his hair winching at the touch of snow. Obviously there’d be snow. “I’d be happy to help.”

Cynthia squeals. “Yes! Thank you thank you thank you!” 

In excitement, she grabs Steven by the wrist taking him outside of the city.

“Hey wait!” Steven gasps in shock. His shoulders sink. “Alright then-” The deeper into the forest they go, the colder it gets. Steven is shaking like a leaf.

Accustomed to the cold, Cynthia bounces on the balls of her heels in delight. “Alright, let’s do this! Baby girl, let’s do this!” She throws the Poke Ball Eevee jumping out into the snow.

“Guess I’ve got no other choice,” Hoenn’s Champion murmurs under his breath. He throws a Poke Ball an Aron emerging. It was more of a companion Pokemon more than a battler, but at times Aron did participate in little battles.

The battle went along just fine. Eevee did her absolute best and before they knew it- began to glow.

“Yes!” The blonde claps.

Hazel eyes widen and Cynthia bends over hands resting on her knees watching the evolution intently to see her Eevee become-

“Oops!”

Steven shivers and attempts to use his Litwick lighter for warmth. “C-c-congradu-”

“Baby girl you’re not-” Cynthia turns around to see the large icy rock. “Oh no! We went out too far!” Her shoulders sink. “No Umbreon for me.”

“I’m sorry.” Steven shuts his lighter putting it back in his coat pocket.

The blonde shakes her head. “No, I shouldn’t have rushed it. Oops! Steven, your lips are blue!” Cynthia rushes over to Steven wrapping her arms around him to use her own body heat to warm him up. “I’m sorry, I was impulsive. I should have put more thought what I was doing.”

“It’s o-okay.” Steven smiles teeth chattering. “Let’s just say you owe me something hot.”

“Of course. Let’s go get some hot drinks right away.”

The two left the snowy forest to sit down in a small cafe with hot cups of tea.

“You’re looking a lot better now.” The blonde notes before sipping sakura matcha tea.

“Feeling much better, thank you. I’m really sorry your Eevee plans didn’t go according to plan.”

Cynthia looks down at her tea. “Don’t worry about it. I rushed things. I think this form suits her best anyways. Thank you for going through the effort. And I’m sorry for throwing off the start of your trip.”

“It’s not a big deal, probably best I start in the morning rather than the evening anyways. Well, now that I’m now no longer an icicle, I better turn in. I’ll see you tomorrow. Take care.”

Cynthia nudges Steven playfully. He raises his hands grinning. “Hey, hey, just callin’ it how I see it.”

The blonde rolls her hazel eyes. “Alright, get out of here. I don’t want to see you again until you’re prepared for the weather, got it?”

“Yes m’lady. Goodnight.” 

Cynthia laughs to herself once she is alone with the remainder of her tea. She finishes and returns with her Glaceon. 

“This new form really does fit you better.”

She still adores her Glaceon, and Glaceon will be a powerfully ally. Maybe someday she will be able to have an Umbreon. Today is not that day.

#writober2k19 #writober2k19entry

[twistednuns]

December 2018

Iglo Veggie love with broccoli, buckwheat and black beans. Quick and easy.

The TEDxTUM event was pretty inspiring. I loved how they organised it and some of the speakers were amazing. Seeing all the cool stuff other people are working on actually motivated me to try and achieve great things myself. I'd like to learn about something new, start a project or volunteer.

Pick Up Limes videos.

The way Cher sings the word Memphis in her cover song.

Seeing Frank for the first time in four months. Having a good time at the Uncle Acid concert, getting a beer at Flex. Even though meeting him always causes some kind of emotional turmoil it might actually help to solve a few things I've been stressing over this time, for example that whole deal with Claudia.

Spending two hours in the kitchen on a Sunday morning. Preparing a summer and a winter curry. Pre-cutting salad. Listening to Tai Chi music. Baking these divine buckwheat chocolate cookies - absolutely delicious even though I forgot to add salt. Kinda healthy, too! It's grain-free (I even used groats) and I substituted part of the sugar with honey.

Gift ideas for rock collectors and mycophiles.

A spotted woodpecker in our backyard.

Dalmatian Jasper. Such a pretty stone.

Blinded by the Light. And a trip down musical memory lane. Making a nostalgia mixtape. Singing, enjoying the sound of my voice (as long as I hit the right vocal range).

Drawing owls. For hours. Using my Polychromos coloured pencils. I'm currerntly working on two owl-related projects, designing a logo for coffee roasters and making my friends' wedding invitation. Drawing owls like lovebirds is such a satisfying thing to do. Also: making my students come up with new ideas! Some actually drew some owl logos, too!

Tetris.

Reading books I don't understand. By people who are smarter than me. A very humbling experience. There is so much more to learn, experience and achieve.

Franzi's elegant coat and her ice crystal earrings. She's pregnant but she is skinnier than before and looks great. We cuddled up on a rooftop and had Kinderpunsch.

Practising The Pogues' Fairytale of New York for for karaoke night. I never hit the NYPD choir note quite right. My neighbours must hate me.

Taking a mental health day. Starting the day with baking cookies, making vegan sushi rolls. Reading, taking a nap. Yoga in the evening. Feeling really happy and relaxed. One of those rare inspired days when everything just falls into place. I kept revisiting beautiful places and memories during Shavasana. And I LOVE my yoga teacher more and more each week. So sad she is leaving the studio.

Taming your temper - tips for anger management.

Another coincidence. I wondered when the next Bilderbuch record will be released when I was looking at Mavi Phoenix at her concert - that girl is the female version of Maurice Ernst. A few hours later I found out that Bilderbuch actually had released a new album one day ago. WHAT.

Mirror tape.

Being a fluffy little red cat's human of choice. We sat in a cat café, no animals in sight. After a while a cat walked up straight towards me, sat down on my yellow scarf and kneaded it. Later she demanded attention and purred while I scratched her jaw. Apparently this was quite a rare occurence because she is said to be really shy and hard to handle. Weirdos unite!

Making Bhindi Masala, a vegan okra curry. Spicy and intense - delicious! Oh, and sushi rolls filled with avocado, veggies and fancy tofu/tempeh. Now I have a whole container waiting for me in the fridge.

Practising yoga for 20min on a gloomy Monday morning. Lighting a candle, drinking a cup of Ayurvedic Kapha tea with honey and lemon.

Tom, who inspired me to learn more about Ayurveda. And to rewatch The Darjeeling Limited because let's face it - Wes Anderson really knows how to make one of the poorest countries in the world look gorgeous.

We become what we think about. It's impossible to be successful without having a destination.

Quotations from Siri Hustvedt's The Blazing World: 1 / 2

"Smelling you almost makes me cum."

Running around with a fake septum piercing. I kinda like the look. I'm actually considering getting a real one but so far I'm fine with the clip-ons. The good thing is that you can't see the ring's ends anyway in that kind of piercing.

Spending time with the old friends. The best ones. The ones you don't have to speak to and it's still not uncomfortable. The ones you can be super weird around and they embrace it. The ones you can tell your strangest ideas and stories.

There is a new Turkish supermarket right around the corner! Fresh cilantro whenever I want! YES!!!

Heavy snowfall. It does look kinda pretty, I admit.

Many questions, not enough answers at the ESO Supernova exhibition/planetarium. / Making another cat friend over breakfast. / Seeing my foxy ginger lady Anika again after such a long time! / Orange marzipan lebkuchen and roasted coconut almonds (they taste like Raffaello). / Finding the perfect earrings and a beautiful head band at EDITED - The Label. / Performing Fairytale of New York live on stage with Manu. Being able to curse at somebody through song is perfect, I had a lot of fun. Also, he promised me his art teacher sweater as a Christmas present.

A knitting project with rainbow wool.

Making a clay sculpture for my mum. Taking it out of the oven at 80 degrees, wrapped in a dish towel like a baby.

The honey marzipan nougat bar from dm bio.

Meeting Manu at his office. Receiving the most awesome paint palette sweater as a Christmas present! And he let me spend a full hour in virtual reality! He has such an amazing programme which lets you draw in 3D and float around in space (with VR goggles). I'm absolutely fascinated and intrigued. Gotta visit him more often.

Meeting Tobi, Maike, Lena and Christian at Märchenbasar. Being drunk after some Feuerzangenbowle with rum (Pfeffi in Manu's case) and white mulled wine. Taking the long way home.

Buying Paulaner Spezi for my class. Supermarket trips with the kids before 8am. Schrottwichteln. Watching random goat videos and intros to children's series.

Having a drink at Goldene Bar in Haus der Kunst. Such a gorgeous place. I'm trying to get into a workshop on the museum's architecture at the end of January.

Making random people want to kiss me. Having no desire whatsoever to actually kiss them.

The Harry Potter round (on special request) at the pub quiz.

Reading Stephen Hawking's short answers to some of the big questions. I have to admit, I know nothing about physics or cosmology and at times his explanations were super hard to understand (fine, I probably didn't understand most of it) but I love creating a need to use my brain in uncommon ways.

Vivid dreams. About  dangerous skyscrapers (just different floors stacked loosely on top of each other), a kidnapping in a futuristic car by very glamorous gangsters, lesbians on a scooter trying to save me, travelling through Asia and the US with Sash, a sinking ship (but all the passengers swam back to the surface after a short period of unconsciousness), ATMs, fancy drinks, meeting strangers with beautiful eyelashes at a restaurant.

Discovering the Trouvelot astronomical drawings (1882) on the darkest day of the year, winter solstice. Watching the night fade away ever so slowly in the morning from the kitchen window, squeezing fresh oranges to make juice for breakfast. Bright orange and midnight blue is a great colour combination.

ASMRctica.

An article about a dear friend of mine appeared in Süddeutsche Zeitung! So happy for him.

Spending time with very old friends right before Christmas. Tobi, Sash, Michi, Yanic, Fischi and his wife... Playing MarioKart on SNES with Peter and taking weird selfies together. I had a very nice evening.

Managing to get a look at downtown Chicago during my layover. I uber-ed into the city centre (watching the skyscrapers getting larger and larger), walked around Millenium Park and along Lake Michigan. I spent quite a bit of time at Blick, an amazing art store, before I took the train back to the airport.

Arriving in Mexico in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. Seeing the city sparkling from above. Watching a bunch of kids beating a pinata well after midnight. Arriving in a beautiful artist's apartment in Condesa.

The Anthropology Museum in CDMX made it on the list of my favourite museums ever. I could have spent days there. I kept sketching some of the funny masks and Maya figurines. There were plenty of creepy tombs and skeletons, depictions of weird Gods, handicrafts and woodcarvings. It was just so interesting, probably because I had never seen a lot of South American / Aztec culture before and I love learning and exploring new things.

Christmas day in CDMX: sunshine, tacky glitter decorations, pointy balloons and spiky pinatas. Dancing, ancient smoke rituals performed by a Mayan community.

Mexican street food, especially the vegetarian street food tour with David. Meeting the Blue Corn Lady (her quesadillas are with cactus and beans and they're incredibly delicious). Flatbread, corn, fruit with chili and lime. Pulque and Mezcal. Finding out that the green salsa is actually worse than the red one. Tacos, Enchiladas, Tamales. If you go to Mexico just for the food you'll still have plenty to explore.

That evening with the pink sunset. Walking through the old used book store in Roma. Reading an interesting take on Lars von Trier's Melancholia. Meeting the resident cat.

Lucha Libre! Watching the luchadores, especially the small people in the second round. Laughing about the Mexican boy next to me swearing at the top of his lungs. Getting a mask as a souvenir.

Climbing the sun and moon pyramid at Teotihuacán. Getting a sunburn. Enjoying the atmosphere. It's a very impressive site.

Diving in Cozumel with Brooke-Anne (a librarian from Las Vegas who was raised by Mormons), Cynthia from Quebec and Lucie from Toulouse. Entering some coral formations underwater. Eating cantaloupe melon and chocolate cookies after the dive. Spending the evening with another Canadian, Jussi from Finland and that other dude from Puerto Rico. And some Indio beers.

What I loved most about Tulum were the ruins (right next to a gorgeous beach) and the health food restaurants (La Hoja Verde and Co.Conamor).

And this year I don't really have a good New Year's Eve story because I fell asleep at quarter past eleven in a little village west of Tulum. All alone. Could be worse though, I had an amazing year.

#personal #present perfect #things i love #december #2018 #december 2018

[towerduo-headcanons]

Could i have a matchup with a character? Im a bi girl with v short brown hair and green eyes. My fav pokemon are the tanks like Chesnaught but mimikyu is my all time fav! Im kinda short but strong willed and ready to fight. Im almost always tired but never have time to get enough sleep. Im super into ancient history and archaeology. Thanks!

Mod Lugia’s match-up for you is…

…Roark! (Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum)

You both share this fondness towards physically strong Pokémon, and he can admit that he is often left in awe after finding an interesting fossil. He will never have a doubt about sharing his findings with you.

He loves sharing stories about his little excursions with you, and sometimes gets a bit carried away and starts babbling. He apologies if you interrupt him, and is more than eager to give you your turn to share your interests with him.

He is usually very active, contrasting your rather tired behavior. He understand that there are people who don’t enjoy moving around as much as he does, but he is seriously worried about your bad sleeping habits. 

Roark isn’t that tall himself, but he enjoys teasing you slightly from time to time. Even if it’s only messing with your hair or exaggerating while kneeling down to look at you in the eyes.

He loooooves pissing you off with pranks. He is the king of traps, to be honest, and will do great making you lose your nerves with these. They are never serious, and if you are ever hurt, he will be extremely regretful.

His first birthday gift for you was a Helix Fossil that he found when he was younger. It is one of his most important possessions, and wants you to take care of it when it is regenerated into an Omanyte. 

Mod Lugia’s other match for you is…

…Shauntal! (Pokémon Black/White)

For a male match-up, Mod Ho-Oh matches you with: 

Steven Stone! (Pokemon RSE/ORAS)

A little reasoning: 

I feel that Steven would be a great match for you in terms of compatibility. Your strong will is definitely something he looks for in a person (since he’s got one himself). 

Of course, he’s a little bit stubborn and set in his ways so there will be a few disagreements and conflicts, but a good relationship has few fights. It means you’re both willing to voice concerns and emotions out loud. Clearly stating them is better than holding it in and reaching a limit. Steven appreciates this in the long run. 

The fact that you love tanks will make him adore you even more. He’s going to try and see if you can love the same sort of Pokemon he expressed his affections for, like his Metagross. 

Being prone to worry about ones close to him, Steven would definitely be concerned about your health with the lack of sleep you receive and would try to do his best to make you feel relaxed and at ease in order to fall asleep comfortably. This means humming songs in a low voice, murmuring softly, playing and running his fingers through your hair (no matter how long or short). 

Having someone who is interested in ancient history and archaeology is definitely a blast for him! It’s something he’s not well knowledgeable in and he loves the challenge and the way your face lights up as you talk about it!

Bonus: he takes you to archaeological sites/museums and the lot. You’re excited and absolutely over the moon that he tries so hard for you, only to realise that he’s only interested in looking at the rock formations and special stones. 

Mod Ho-Oh also matches you with: 

Morty (Pokemon Silver/Gold/HGSS). 

For a female match-up, Mod Ho-Oh matches you with: 

Cynthia! (Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum)

A little reasoning: 

Much original to be completely honest, I couldn’t not match you with Cynthia. I mean who wouldn’t? You’re great together! Having something in common like ancient history and mythology is something to bond over! 

I can totally see you two figuring out battle formations, techniques and possible team choices with her being the Champion of Sinnoh and you and your tanks. TANK IT. 

Possibly not the best sort of encouragement, but Cynthia stays up most of the night talking to you and you, her. But, she does worry about you not getting enough sleep. 

She’s a big softie behind that Champion title and your passionate will always matches her smile. It’s not common to see someone who tries their hardest when the times get rough. 

Cynthia finds short hair interesting and will casually touch yours and then touch her own. She enjoys the subtle stop short hair has that long hair doesn’t and tells you that short hair matches you. A lot. 

Mod Ho-Oh also matches you with: 

Whitney (Pokemon Silver/Gold/HGSS)

#Mod Lugia #Mod Ho Oh #Anonymous #Pokemon Match Ups #Steven Stone #Morty #Roark #Shauntal #Cynthia #Whitney #MHO is unusually tired and just wrote Cynthia's name as Synthia

[ryukodragon]

New Years Past

Mike Schmidt has seen a lot of New Years.  Some were good, others… not so much.  These are some of the years he remembered most.

December 31, 1987:

“Michael?  Sweetheart, what’s the matter?”

Cynthia Pearson followed the muffled cries upstairs towards the bedrooms.  The small gathering of friends continued with their light banter in the living room; her husband Hank was the host in her brief absence, and he played the part well… considering everything that had happened lately.

To her surprise, Mike wasn’t in his room at all.  The sound came instead from the master bedroom.  Worry quickened her pace as she turned the corner, and the sound guided her to her bedside lamp, illuminating her crying nephew huddled on the floor beneath it.  Surrounding the child, photographs had been strewn everywhere, scattered from the box toppled over next to him.

“Mike!  What happened, baby?” Cynthia swooped over him, gently easing him upright and keeping her voice calm and soothing.

The boy yanked himself out of her grip, glaring up at her with glassy eyes.  "Go away!!“ he howled.  "L-leave me alone!”

Motherly instinct wanted to reprimand him, but Cynthia knew this wasn’t a tantrum out of bad behaviour.  The doctors had cautioned her about moments like this.  She spared a glance at the bandages around his head; thankfully, nothing seemed to be bleeding this time.  All she had to do was calm him down.  "Michael, come here,“ she commanded softly, "it’s past your bedtime.  Let’s get you tucked in…”

“You’re not my mom!!”

The accusation was not a new one, but it would take a while for the sting to fade.  "Yes, that’s true, but your mom would want you to–“

"Then why isn’t SHE here?!”

“I– we don’t know, Mikey, no one knows where she is…”

“D-does she HATE me now?  'Cuz I’m ugly?  Cuz I c-can’t remember her?  Why isn’t she here??”

Fighting to keep her building emotions under control, Cynthia settled on the floor beside Mike and reached for his shoulder.  "None of that is true, sweetheart.  Your mother loves you so much.  She would be here with you if she could.“

Mike’s face pinched in growing frustration.  "You.. you said that before… I remember that you said it… so why can’t I…”

He plucked a photo from the pile, examining it closely.  Cynthia recognized the moment - the annual family picnic from this past summer.  There was Mike, laughing brightly as Lisa - his mother, Cynthia’s own little sister - swung him around in the warm noon-day sun.  Neither had a care in the world.

Neither of them knew… no one knew what would happen just a few months after that picture was taken.

Cynthia took a moment to collect herself.  Wiping tears away with a quick breath, she remarked with the best smile she could muster.  "See there, Mike?  Look how happy you both are!  Oh, you love each other so much…“

The pair sat in silence, studying the captured moment together.  It seemed that Mike was calming down.

Then, as Cynthia moved to guide him back to bed, his grip on the picture tightened.

"I can’t remember… anything… not even my mom.  And if I try too hard, i-it hurts.  Why?”

His little shoulders shook.  Cynthia tugged him against her, and this time he fell into her open arms with no resistance.  He dropped the picture with a pained squeal, clutching at his own head.  His frantic fingers were beginning to tug at the bandages.

Carefully, Cynthia pulled Mike’s hands away, smoothing the wrap back into place and offering to carry him to the bathroom for his medicine.  However, Mike shook his head and curled against her side, bunching the fabric of her blouse in tight fists as he began sobbing all over again.

“Why do I miss her?” he wailed.  “I don’t even know her!  I don’t know anybody!  What’s wrong with me??”

Now at a loss herself, Cynthia held her young nephew close, muttering words of comfort as she rocked him back and forth.  She wasn’t sure how much time passed; her own children wandered in, curious and worried, but she quietly ordered them back to their rooms, promising to explain in the morning.  Eventually, she was able to guide Mike back to his bed, administer his medicine, and re-apply his bandages as he nodded off, completely spent.  The party downstairs had gone quiet for a moment; then, everyone began singing, welcoming the new year.

Cynthia hummed along as she watched over Mike.  Silently, she prayed for a better year for her family… and especially for her dear little nephew.

*~*~*

December 31, 1990:

Someone knocked at his door.  Mike barely acknowledged it with a silent eyeroll, then returned his attention to Super Mario Land. He was finally getting the hang of a challenging stage; of course, that meant that an interruption was due.

“Mike?  Hey kiddo, you awake?”  The young pre-teen felt his gut knot.  Uncle Hank spoke lightly, but Mike could hear the stern, no-nonsense tone from the other side of his door.  Considering he was the reason Mike was currently grounded to his room for the night, he was very tempted to fake-sleep until the man left.

Still… something nagged at him to face the music now instead of later.  Mike had to admit, it made some kinda sense.

“Yeah,” he sighed reluctantly, turning off the Game Boy. “I’m up.”

The door opened, and Mike sat up to make room for his uncle to sit on the bed.  The older man sighed, adjusting his glasses.  "You feeling okay to talk?“

Mike shrugged without looking at him.

Uncle Hank leaned forward, mimicking Mike’s brooding posture.  "Right… you understand why we sent you up here?”

A beat passed before the pre-teen nodded.  His expression was unchanged - a blank, halfhearted glare directed at the floor. 

“Mmm'kay - well, how about you tell me what happened?  Aunt Cynthia and I heard from Jenny, so let’s hear your side of the story.”

There was a slight shift from Mike; Hank could feel him tense up.  He knew Mike wasn’t the best at expressing himself anymore, and with puberty on top of that, situations like these had to be handled with more care than usual.  Luckily, his own daughter Kim was a feisty 17-year-old, and was giving him a run for his money - in a sense, he’d been trained to handle Mike’s moodiness, and would be more than ready for Jenny’s teen years after this.

He patiently waited for Mike to speak.  When he did, it was in an uncomfortable mumble.  "She kept makin’ fun of me.  Kept messin’ up the game… I wanted to beat the game but she didn’t care…“

Hank nodded, "Jenny said that she was wanting a turn.  Did she ask nicely?”

“I wasn’t done yet!” Mike spluttered.  “So she bumped my arm and pushed buttons a-and jumped in front of the TV to make me die on purpose!  She thought it was funny!!”

Hank looked his nephew in the eye.  "And that’s when you hit her.“

Mike blinked, suddenly abashed.  "Y-yeah.  Yeah.”

“Do you think it was necessary to hit your cousin like that?”

“… no…”  Mike looked away again, heaving an angry breath.  He rubbed his bare scalp with a restrained groan, apparently fighting down a new headache.  "I just… I was so angry, and Jenny didn’t stop.  It’s like she didn’t care, she didn’t…“

The boy felt a warm, steadying hand on his shoulder.  "She didn’t understand how upset you were, and so you felt that you had to make her understand.  Is that right?”

“I - I guess?  I dunno,” Mike muttered.  He blinked hard, and Hank caught sight of angry tears beginning to form.  "I didn’t wanna hurt her, I just wanted her to stop…“

"Hey, I know, I know,” Hank assured him; Mike was breathing heavily, keeping what composure he had left.  He rubbed Mike’s back in an attempt to soothe him.  "Jenny’s still growing up, and so is her ability to handle disagreements.  Heh, I remember you pulling a few tricks to get what you wanted when you were her age–“

"I don’t remember being eight years old, Uncle Hank.”

The older of the two nearly choked - that was a fair point, and he told Mike as much, even as the pre-teen fixed him with a dour look.  "Very true, Mike, very true, you - you’re absolutely right there.  The point is, Jenny is still learning how to interact with others as she grows up.  She won’t learn these things the exact same way that you already have, but we’ll do our best to teach her.  Yes, she was an aggravating playmate for you today, and your aunt and I will explain this to her when I go back downstairs.

“Now, as for you, Michael - you clearly know that you went too far, so I don’t need to explain that, right?”  He waited for Mike’s sullen nod before continuing.  "Right.  Then that’s half the battle already won.  You know that resorting to violence out of anger alone is wrong.  The other half of that battle will be controlling yourself.  Learning how to think before reacting.“

He shifted around to better face Mike, who was still looking gloomy, but paying attention.  "It’s like this, Michael.  If you’re gonna fight, it has to be the only option you have left, because chances are, you’re either gonna hurt someone else… or you’re gonna get hurt yourself.  So that can’t be your first choice - especially when dealing with your little cousin.  If this happens again, you come to us to settle things.  Is that clear?”

Mike’s frown remained.  Even so, his breathing had grown calm, his eyes had softened, and he nodded.  "Yes sir.“

Hank smiled at this.  "All right then!  That’s a step taken.”  He clapped Mike’s shoulder and rose to his feet.  "Okay, I’ll go talk to Aunt Cynthia and Jenny, and we’ll call you down so the two of you can make up.  You’re still grounded for the night - lights out and Game Boy off by ten.“  Then he suddenly chuckled.  "No games until next year, looks like.  Think you can handle it?”

Mike scoffed, but managed a wry smirk.  "Yeah, guess so.“

His uncle snickered as he left, giving Mike a few minutes to himself.  He wasn’t too keen on staying up for New Year’s anyway, but losing his Game Boy so early really sucked.

At least he would get it back for the new year.  And as much as Jenny had driven him crazy tonight, he hoped they could make up and be friends again.

Maybe next year would be better.

*~*~*

December 31, 1994:

Having spent the last New Year’s Eve staying up for the countdown, Mike wasn’t completely ecstatic to do it again.  His aunt and uncle were hosting another get together with family and friends, and the noise was quickly getting to him.  Music, lights, chatter and laughter - he’d nearly reached his limit.

Luckily, the others were considerate enough to give him space.  If anyone tried to rope him into a group conversation with strangers, he could count on Uncle Hank, Aunt Cynthia, and even his cousins Kim and Jenny to intervene and redirect attention elsewhere.

About five minutes away from the countdown, Mike decided to stock up on food, participate in the toast to the new year, down a glass of champagne as fast as he could, and retreat to his room for the rest of tonight.  And possibly for the whole day tomorrow.  Beneath his beret, he could feel his scars pulsing with growing agony.

Discreetly, the teen darted between guests and grabbed a handful of sugar cookies from the kitchen table.  He was just digging through the fridge to grab a can of soda, when Kim called for him from the parlour.

"Mikey!  Telephone!”

Ugh.  Figures.

But… who’d be calling him this late?

He eventually made it to Kim, soda in one hand while the other reached for the phone.  She held it away from him.  "You might wanna take it upstairs - it’s quieter,“ she reasoned, nodding at the continuing party.

"Mm'kay, thanks.”  Well, it was an excuse to avoid cheering and singing with the crowd.  He took the stairs two at a time.

“Go get ‘em, tiger!” Kim cheered at him with a wink.

He shot her a confused look, and moved faster to get away.  She must’ve been having champagne already…

Soon Mike was in the peaceful master bedroom, sitting at his uncle’s desk as he picked up the phone.  He waited to hear the click of Kim hanging up before speaking.  "Uh, hello?“

"Heyyy, Mikey!”

The teen choked, nearly dropping his soda.  "Wh- uhh, hey [Doll]!“  When had he given her his phone number?  There were certain details like that he couldn’t remember precisely, but he quickly dismissed the confusion.  She’d actually called him!  "H-how are you?”

“Doing good!” she answered cheerily; he could hear her smile, and he felt himself grinning with her.  "Yeah, Dad and I are just getting ready to count down!  Sorry to pull you away from the party, it sounds amazing!“

"Ehhh, it’s nice, but a bit too noisy for me,” he admitted, relaxing into the chair.

“Oh, right… i-is your head okay?” she asked quietly.

He slid the beret off and rubbed at his scars, glad that she wasn’t there to see them.  "S'alright, nothing bad.  Actually, sitting here in a quiet room helps a lot, so… thanks for calling.“

She tittered, "No problem!  Guess my timing’s getting better.”  They both laughed, and Mike felt lighter and warmer than he’d felt all night.  Hell, even his headache was starting to fade.

Then his friend asked him, “So, uh, I was wondering - any resolutions for the new year?”

He took a sip of his soda with a thoughtful hum.  "Mmm… actually I don’t really.. make those, y'know?  Heh, if I can make it from one year to the next, that’s a pretty big success.  Can’t lose that way.“

"That’s fair, I suppose,” she replied.  "Still, it could be fun for each of us to make a goal, and help each other get there - er, I mean, only if you want to, of course.“

"Huh… yeah, maybe,” he answered without thinking.  It did sound more interesting than making a fruitless promise on your own and forgetting about it the next day.  “No guilt trips for breaking 'em?” “Absolutely,” she promised. “Mmm, okay then… I just don’t know what to, uh.. 'resolve’.”

“Well, I can tell you mine, and maybe that’ll give you an idea?”

“Sure, go ahead.”  He took the chance to eat a cookie as she talked.

“Okay!  So, I’m gonna resolve to… take a chance at something big.  Something that’s only gonna happen once, and if the opportunity comes, I’m not gonna pass it up.  Maybe I’ll travel somewhere in the summer, or splurge on backstage passes, or go bungee jumping, or whatever!  I just wanna… say I did something, and didn’t let nerves hold me back.”  She finished with a shy chuckle.

Mike couldn’t hide his smile at all.  This girl was something else.  "Wow - that’s a helluva resolution,“ he grinned.  "Maybe I’ll just copy yours.”

“Noooo, you can’t copy my answer!” she laughed.  "That’s cheating!“

"Only if I get caught.”

“Awww, c'mooooon Mikey, there’s gotta be something you wanna–”

Her father called out in the background, telling her the countdown was beginning.  Soon, Mike could hear [Doll], her father, and every guest downstairs calling out the seconds.

Honestly, Mike couldn’t think of his own resolution - everything he wanted to do had either been impossible or a disappointment.  He liked [Doll’s] resolution, though.  It was general enough to apply to all kinds of things, and specific enough to define some kind of goal.

She was pretty smart… well, if he was honest, she was pretty and smart.  He couldn’t remember having a friend like her before.  Talking, laughing, even studying for tests - doing anything with her gave him so much happiness.

His first moments of the new year were spent laughing with his best friend, and Mike hoped it was a good sign for the rest of it.

*~*~*

December 31, 1998:

Everything had gone to s#!&.

The last thing Mike wanted to do was wake up again.  Another day, another year, it could all take a flying leap and he wouldn’t miss it.  Hell, he’d take the flying leap if nothing else would.  His head screamed, with pain, with failure, with agony, with voices damning his very existence and everyone he’d dragged down because of it.  He was nothing and he was sick of being nothing and he just wanted it to stop.

He was sitting on the floor, back against the bed and his knees hugged to his chest as he bit down the urge to cry until he was spent.  He’d tried his hardest this time, he’d tried everything, put all of his effort into this job, fighting to make it work, fighting to keep it.

That morning, his boss had called him.  Said they had enough staff to carry them into the next year.  He didn’t make the cut.  His cheque was in the mail.  Thanks for everything.  Happy New Year.

Thanks for everything?  How about thanks for nothing??

The worst part wasn’t losing the job itself, no - it was losing it after giving his all.  Losing it right when bills were at their worst.

Letting her down.  Again.

Doll was beside him, hugging his shoulders for what felt like hours.  She was grounding his senses to some degree, but Mike was too furious with himself, and life in general, to calm down.

He would never succeed, he would always fall short, he would never be independent, he would never support Doll with a stable life, stable income, stable anything, he was a hopeless mess even when he tried so what was the point of trying anymore why bother–

“We’ll figure this out, Mikey.  Hey, I’m here… you’re not alone, okay?  I’m right here.  I’m with you, no matter what.”

Mike had been trying to drown her out with his shouting.  He was sick of hoping and hanging on.

However, listening to her words, tear-choked and loving, all for him… finally broke him down.

The new year arrived as Mike cried out the rest of his frustration, and true to her word, Doll didn’t leave his side.

*~*~*

December 31, 1999:

Mike had been waiting all night for this.  The evening itself had been nice - a quiet celebration at home, going through a stack of movies, with plenty of snacks and drinks on hand, and his wonderful partner curled up beside him on the couch.  They’d paused “The Mummy” to watch the countdown on TV.

He’d never felt excited about the countdown before.  This year, though, was different from any other.  New Year’s had been discussed for months, even before the Christmas buzz had begun.  There was an atmosphere of panic, excitement, and anticipation for what would happen after the year changed over.  Even Mike was drawn into the hype - but for his own reasons.

The countdown finally began.  He leaned forward, and Doll joined him, counting aloud, while Mike watched the numbers tick on the screen.  He didn’t blink.  He didn’t breathe.  He was probably a fool for hoping.

A stray thought passed through, genuinely worried that what he hoped would come true.  He ignored it.

“3… 2… 1… HAPPY NEW YEAR!!”

He watched it change - 1999 became 2000.  He kept holding his breath, even as Doll cheered along. …………..

Nothing happened.

Nothing exploded.  Nothing shut down.  The lights didn’t even flicker.

Doll clinked her glass of champagne against his, snapping him out of his stupor.  “Happy New Year, sweetie,” she crooned, kissing his cheek.

“Check your laptop,” he responded.

She blinked, somewhat perturbed, but after a moment she leaped up with a worried squeak.  “Ohhh, I hope it’s okay - all of my schoolwork is on there!”

Mike watched her power the computer on.  That minute it took to start up felt like hours.  The stray thought returned, terrified that he’d been right.

The laptop hummed and buzzed… and the desktop appeared with a happy tune.

The stray thought dropped from his mind, heaving a silent sigh of relief.  Mike, on the other hand, cursed and downed his drink in one gulp.

“Thank goodness,” Doll sighed.  “It even has the right date!  Huh, so much for Y2K.”

Mike grunted.  When Doll turned back to him, he was stretched out on the couch, one arm over his eyes in disappointment.  She parked herself on an available patch of cushion beside him, reaching for his face to offer comfort.  “What’s the matter?  Isn’t that good news?”

“Mmmmmmmhhh… kinda hoped something would shut down."  He could picture the robotic nightmares at his workplace, cackling and screeching in triumph, and the image made him want to run all the way to work with a flamethrower.

Doll was able to guess what he meant, and she chuckled sympathetically.  "Awww… well, at least this means you still have a job, right?”

Another grunt.  He didn’t move a muscle.

His girlfriend sighed; she’d hoped this New Year would have been better than the last one.  From outside, she could hear distant fireworks exploding, and some of their apartment neighbors were cheering and singing.

This gave her an idea.

“Hey Mikey… wanna see some fireworks anyway?” she asked him.  He shook his head in the negative.

Expecting this, Doll leaned down and whispered something else to him.

This time, he raised his arm in silent surprise, staring up at Doll.  She just smiled wordlessly, reached for her champagne glass, downed it in one go, gave him a very inviting look, and sauntered to their bedroom.

After a stunned moment, Mike raced after her.

*~*~*

December 31, 2002:

Jeremy was having the best New Year’s Eve of his life.  He was warm, comfortable, and laughing at the movies he’d missed with two amazing, supportive friends.

He was even getting to see a new side of Mike.  The older man sat between Doll and Jeremy, laughing and cracking puns, his smile rarely disappearing.  Sure, he’d had a few drinks, but he was messing with Jeremy’s hair, calling him “son” with that same smile, and the young nightguard knew it wasn’t just the alcohol talking.

This felt like the home he’d always wanted.

Doll gave everyone champagne as the countdown approached.  Mike loudly cheered, “Bring on the booze an’ fireworks!  We made it!"  He looped one arm around Jeremy’s shoulders and continued, "Those Fazf*@&ers can’t stop us!”

“Y-yeah!” Jeremy chuckled, trying to mimic Mike’s energy.  “We’re tough!”

“YEAAHH, that’s the spirit!"  Mike swung his glass in an exuberant cheer, sloshing some of his drink over the side.

"Okay, easy there Mikey,” Doll laughed, reaching for his drink.  “Maybe wait for the New Year to hold that!”

“My booze..” Mike pouted, but didn’t fight back.  Once Doll settled back on the couch, he leaned over and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her cheek.  “Mmmmm, what about the fireworks, babe..?”

Jeremy snickered and looked away as Doll gasped, “Michael!  Jeremy’s right here!”

“Hmm?  Oh yeah, yeah!  Good point…"  The older man nodded and turned back to Jeremy.  "Mmm'kay, listen up son… when a man and his fiancée love each other very much–”

“MICHAEL!!”

“I’m just bein’ a good dad!” he reasoned with a cheeky grin at his wife-to-be, who shook her head with a laugh and gave up.  Jeremy, of course, was grinning the whole time.

“Don’t worry Mike,” he chimed in, “you’re… you’re the best dad!”

He’d said it with a giggle, hoping it would be taken as part of the joke.  To his surprise, however, Mike’s smile slowly faded.  He stared at Jeremy in abrupt silence, expression unreadable.  “You… y'mean that, kid?”

Rising panic threatened to overtake Jeremy’s senses.  Had he said something wrong?  He glanced at Doll for guidance.  She watched the pair and offered Jeremy a kind, encouraging smile - so he was saying something good, right?

With a steadying breath, he spoke honestly.  “Well.. y-yeah.  I mean, my– the people at my place, they’re… they’re not good parents.  Y-you and Miss Doll are, uh… y-you’re fantastic parents.  I mean, you feel like… the kinda people my parents should be.  So.. yeah, Dad.  You’re great.”

Both Mike and Doll were beaming, unshed tears brimming in their eyes.  Suddenly, Mike grabbed Jeremy in a tight hug, ruffling his hair.  “You’re the best son anyone could ask for,” he rasped.  “Anyone sayin’ otherwise is full of it!”

Jeremy smiled so widely, he could feel his face hurt.  He returned the hug with all his strength.

Doll nodded, reaching over to stroke his tousled hair too.  “Thank you Jeremy… that really means a lot to us.  YOU mean a lot to us!"   Then she took a breath.  "You know… maybe this is a good time, then, to bring up something we’ve been talking about.  Right Mikey?”

“Hmm?  Whuzzat?” Mike asked, pulling away from Jeremy with a sniff.  Doll held his hand with a bemused smile.

“The apartment, sweetie.”

Jeremy looked between the two of them, feeling nervous excitement again.  “Uhh.. apartment?”

Huddling close to Mike, Doll faced Jeremy and explained.  “Well, Mike and I were talking about you… how we love having you over, and how we wish we could… give you a better place to stay.  You know, when things aren’t great at home.

"I actually ran into one of the upstairs neighbors last week, and it turns out, they’re moving out at the end of January.  It’s… it’s a two-bedroom apartment, Jeremy."  She smiled when she felt Mike jolt; he remembered this conversation now.  "And, well, if we had someone move in with us… we could afford it, together.”

A numbing rush of emotion flooded Jeremy as he realized what was being suggested.  They.. they wanted him to live with them. They wanted him to move in.  Stay with them.  Stay here. He looked between them - his friends, the people who truly cared about him, who had become his mentors and support through so many nightmares - and was too stunned to say anything.  He could feel his breath growing short, his thoughts starting to rush, and he lost all awareness for a second.

Seeing this, Mike and Doll both reached for him, Mike’s hand on one shoulder and Doll’s on the opposite knee.  “It’s okay Jeremy!  There’s no rush, I know that’s a lot to take in,” Doll tried to soothe him.

“Yeah, take it easy, kid, there’s no - you’re fine, you’re fine,” Mike tried as well.  “S'just an idea, and if you say no, it’s… it’s fine, okay?  You can still crash here anytime--”

“N-no!  No, I… I’d love to.  I’d… I, really… yeah!”

As soon as he was able to get those words out, Jeremy pulled Mike and Doll into a hug.  None of them realized that the countdown had long since passed, and their new year began with smiles, hope and laughter.

*~*~*

December 31, 2004:

Mike couldn’t quite believe the life he was living right now.

At no point in all of his living memory did he allow the possibility for so much.  He tried to recall everything that had happened - in summary, not in detail, not yet - to figure out how it had all happened.

Freddy’s had finally shut down.  Gone forever.  The horrors that had haunted the pizzeria were no more.  Never again would Mike or Jeremy have to count down the minutes to six AM, nor would they have to fight for their lives against possessed animatronics determined to rip them apart.

Now here he was, living in a house, an actual house, with his family.  They’d all spent the past year supporting each other as they recovered, adjusting to their new lives without Freddy Fazbear’s looming over their heads.

Mike had to give credit to his family.  If it wasn’t for them, he knew he’d be in a very different position.

Doll, his strong, incredible wife.  Jeremy, his amazing best friend and adoptive son.

And now, cradled and sleeping in his arms without a care, his six-month-old daughter, Faith.

His daughter.

All Mike had known, and been certain about, was failure.  Every year had ups and downs, but the only consistent pattern Mike saw in himself was falling short of expectations.  Any time he succeeded, most people reacted with surprise, asking questions how it had happened, who had helped him.  Aside from his family and closest friends, no one believed he could do anything for himself.

Now, he was determined to succeed.  If he failed, that wouldn’t stop him.  He’d try again, try new things - he’d do whatever he had to, if it meant his family was happy and safe.

He wanted to be there for them.  See them smile and succeed.  Watch Faith grow into an amazing person.  He wanted to be a part of it all.

And if anything tried to stop him, or do his family wrong, he’d give 'em hell.

“Mikey?  You okay?"  Doll whispered from the doorway.  He’d been idly rocking Faith above her crib, which was in their bedroom.  Mike turned to his wife with an assuring smile.

"Yeah, we’re okay,” he hummed.  “Jus’… bonding.”

She smiled and joined them, wrapping her family in a gentle group hug.  Faith squirmed and gurgled, but didn’t wake.  “Still wanna ring in the new year together?” Doll asked.

He shrugged, kissing Doll’s temple.  “Maybe… don’t wanna wake her though…”

“That’s okay!  I’ve got an idea,” Doll offered as she skipped out of the room.

Soon she returned, with Jeremy following behind and champagne glasses for all three of them.  In the quiet, darkened room, the little family welcomed the new year, raising a toast to Faith, and to their future.

Come what may, they would face it together.

#ryuko writes #five nights at freddy's #mike schmidt #doll #mike and doll #jeremy fitzgerald #faith schmidt #new year #happy new year!

[asfeedin]

Latest Romance Book Releases – 04-28-2020

HAPPY TUESDAY NEW RELEASE DAY!! It’s a BIG list fully loaded with 85 books!!!! And yesterday’s list rocks worlds too, and then… I reviewed and awesome one so we have PLENTY to read, my friends.

In fact… Jan was already prepared!

Jan: Three new release preorders arrived on my kindle this morning. Whoops! I’d forgotten I’d ordered two of them. Where the Lost Wander (which I think I might read first), A Duke by Any Other Name by Grace Burrowes and another HR, Heiress for Hire by Madeline Hunter.

And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out:

AUDIOBOOK LVERS!

Not a member of Audible yet? Get a free 30 day audible trial (which includes 1 free audiobook + 2 audible originals)

READER RECOMMENDATIONS & BARGAIN FINDS:

TWO MONTHS FREE KINDLE UNLIMITED DEAL!!! <— If you haven’t tried it yet, now’s your chance (it’s still going on through the end of April).

and…

Infinite Us by Eden Butler <— EDEN BUTLER RE-RELEASE! “…Nash Nation loves zeroes and ones, over-sized monitors, and late office hours. He’s too busy taking over the world to make time for relationships—that is, until his new neighbor Willow O’Bryant barges into his life, and now Nash can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t the first time she’s interrupted his world. Then, the dreams start. And in the dreams—memories...”

Kathy: On Amy Harmon’s Facebook page, she posted that she read Eden Butler’s Infinite Us and highly recommended it.

Mony: Just finished The Cornerstone by Kate Canterbary and loved it! Steamy story about Hot Guy & Sassy Girl as they steer through one night stands into something more. Sassy Girl is great – sharp-witted & a tough nut to crack. H is a great alpha. Loved the slow burn & Hot Guy’s transformation. Banter between h & H is clever and even sharper in second half.

A 4.5-star read (deduction cause too much about h’s family). Plan to read The Spire (#6 in series)…story about Hot Doctor & Rebel Girl.  Thanks Jan for mentioning this author!

Cicely: Hi Maryse! I just want to share that Absolution, the third book from The Disenchanted series from L.D. Davis is out now too!! The series is great and is worth some extra love.

Angst loving fanatic like me would love it!!!

  Michele G: Tasha, where are you? I read it because of your high marks….you weren’t wrong!! I just finished The Sun Down Motel and it was AMAZING!! I listened to the audiobook and felt like I was in an episode of the Twilight Zone …or something at times…..so so good!!! I highly recommend!

Tasha J: YESS!! *claps hands* So glad you loved it

PARANORMAL/FANTASY/SCI-FI/DYSTOPIAN NEW RELEASES:

Shadowborn Academy: Year Three (Dark Fae Academy Series Book 3) by G. Bailey and Scarlett Snow <— REVERSE HAREM FAE!!

Possessive Alien Mate (Savage Martians Book 2) by Sue Mercury

Dragon Hero: Guardian Dragons of Prospect Falls by Serena Meadows

Playing Cards With Aliens (Kilbus Lord Book 1) by Erin Raegan

Mating Fever (Morgan Clan Bears, Book 3) by Theresa Hissong

The Unbound Queen: A Novel of the Four Arts by M.J. Scott

Wishes, Wings, and Woes: Reverse Harem Urban Fantasy (Gods and Demons Book 2) by Kaye Draper

The Impassioned Choice (Etherya’s Earth Book 5) by Rebecca Hefner

The Rising Queen Discovery in Water (The Elemental Chronicles Book 3): Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance Series by Gina Manis

Hidden Princess (The Elements Series Book 1) by M.A. Roth

Flourish: A High Fantasy Reverse Harem (The Blooming Courts Book 3) by Kendra Moreno and Poppy Woods

Kissed by the Alien Mercenary (Warriors of the Lathar Book 12) by Mina Carter

The Fourth Power: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Romance Novel (Order of Magic Book 3) by Michelle M. Pillow

Starbreaker (Nightchaser Book 2) by Amanda Bouchet

Embracing Destiny (The Fae Chronicles #6) by Amelia Hutchins <— ELA FOUND IT!!!

Ela: MARYSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Embracing Destiny (The Fae Chronicles #6) by Amelia Hutchins IS LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONTEMPORARY NEW RELEASES:

Where the Lost Wander: A Novel by Amy Harmon <— AMY HARMON ALERT!!! “…The Overland Trail, 1853: Naomi May never expected to be widowed at twenty. Eager to leave her grief behind, she sets off with her family for a life out West. On the trail, she forms an instant connection with John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man straddling two worlds and a stranger in both. But life in a wagon train is fraught with hardship, fear, and death...”

Tasha J: I finished Where the Lost Wander and I’m in . I cried a little when it was over. *sigh* Such a good book. …Where the Lost Wander is my best of read of the year for sure.

Mony: Where the Lost Wander is now on TBR list…thanks Tasha!

Michele G: I’m also reading Amy Harmon’s Where the Lost Wander and loving every word! She is such a versatile writer. I’m always amazed.

Rafe: An Arizona Vengeance Novella by Sawyer Bennett <— SAWYER BENNETT HOCKEY STAR SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE ALERT!! “…Now I’m home and when I’m not on the ice with my new team, I’m helping care for my dad. And in the midst of my grief, I find comfort from the one person I never expected. Calliope Ramirez stole my heart at a very young age. The beautiful, smart, headstrong girl next door, she was my first… everything. She has never forgiven me for leaving her, believing that I chose hockey over a future together. What she doesn’t understand is that every decision I made was for her, and I’ve never given up hope that one day we’d be together again...”

To My Arrogant Boss (The Inappropriate Bachelors Book 2) by J. S. Cooper <— SHE TOLD OFF HER GRUMPY BOSS! “…I thought it was time that someone addressed your big head and told you straight to your face that you’re not all that. Just because you have an Ivy league education doesn’t mean you’re the smartest man in the world. In fact, I’m not even sure if you would have gotten in if you didn’t have rich parents. Yes, I went there…”

Can’t Fight The Moonlight (Whisper Lake Book 3) by Barbara Freethy

Enchanted (The Accidental Billionaires Book 4) by J. S. Scott

Mayhem’s Betrayal: Operation Mayhem Book 5 by Lindsay Cross

A Monster’s Beauty (In the Arms of Monsters Book 3) by Sam Crescent <— TRILOGY CONCLUSION ALERT!!

Nailed (Four Bears Construction Book 2) by K.M. Neuhold

Heiress for Hire (A Duke’s Heiress Romance Book 1) by Madeline Hunter <— HISTORICAL ROMANCE ALERT!! “…Now he’s insisting that Minerva has inherited a fortune from his uncle, a wealthy duke. Only one thing could surprise her more: her sudden attraction to this exasperating man...”

Taking Liberty (The Next Generation Book 7) by Riley Edwards

Fierce Shadows: Shadows Landing #4 by Kathleen Brooks

Dirty Desires by Crystal Kaswell <— SHE NEEDS MONEY FOR HER SISTER’S MEDICAL BILLS... “...Ian Hunt has specific tastes. The feisty student is perfect. He has to have her. His offer is simple. Six figures. Thirty days. Him introducing her to every kind of pleasure. It’s ridiculous. The British businessman is richer than sin and hotter than hell. He can have any woman he wants. Why her?…”

Ransom for a Song (The Rockwater Suite Book 3) by Phyllis Clark Nichols

Still Wicked (The Wickeds Book 6) by Kathleen Ayers <— HISTORICAL!!!

Counting On Cole (Wilde Ways Book 8) by Cynthia Eden <— SHE HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED & HE RESCUED HER… “…Evangeline “Evie” Lake fell hard and fast for her tall, dark, and dangerous rescuer. Then he flew her back to her home, kissed her goodbye on the doorstep, and walked his sexy self away with looking back. He broke her heart into a million little pieces, and she swore off the “bad boys”—they were just trouble she didn’t want. Case closed...”

Hard Edge (Cobra Elite Book 4) by Pamela Clare

Cole’s Mistake (Haven, Texas Book 8) by Laylah Roberts

B*stard: Royal B*stards MC (Texas) by Sapphire Knight

Finally (Neighbor from Hell Book 12) by R.L. Mathewson <— R.L. MATHEWSON’S LATEST NEIGHBOR FROM HELL!!! “…After years of putting off taking the next step, Charlie was finally ready, mostly because her best friend had threatened to make her life a living hell if she didn’t. Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to pull this off unless she made some changes, Charlie somehow finds herself moving into the in-law apartment of the man that seemed to go out of his way to avoid her only to find herself wondering if she was chasing the wrong dream after all...”

Treasure Island SEAL: Pirate SEAL Rescues his Mermaid (Sunset SEALs Book 3) by Sharon Hamilton

Torque (Wicked Mayhem MC Book 1) by Harley Wylde

An Officer, Not a Gentleman: A Traditional Regency Romance (Brethren in Arms Book 3) by Elizabeth Johns

The Billionaire’s Fake Fiancée by Annika Martin <— HE NEEDS SOMEONE THAT IS NOT HIS TYPE AT ALL… “...my people go and hire Tabitha. My hairdresser. What were they thinking? Yes, I said annoying, but I didn’t mean Tabitha, the most frustrating woman in the world. Tabitha is sunshiny. She has a pet hamster. She loves Hello Kitty, and she gets under my skin like nobody else. As if that’s not bad enough, the minute we step on deck, she thinks that certain people on the yacht are up to something shady–based completely on her soap opera knowledge. She won’t listen when I tell her she’s being ridiculous...”

Saint (Heartlands Motorcycle Club Book 4) by Hope Ford

Hot SEAL, Bachelor Party: A Brotherhood Protectors Crossover Novel (SEALs in Paradise) by Elle James

Carpentry and Cocktails: A Heartfelt Small Town Romance (Green Valley Library Book 5) Nora Everly <— HE’S HER NEW NERDY-HOT LANDLORD!! “…Willa Hill has finally left her teen runaway past behind and wants a fresh start—alone. Men are nothing but trouble and she’s had enough man-trouble to last a lifetime. Too bad her irresistibly sexy, nerdy-hot landlord doesn’t agree. When their mutual yearning becomes a white-hot fling and passion crosses carefully drawn, albeit one-sided boundaries, Everett finds himself in love and Willa finds herself in a pickle. Because, unfortunately, when she returned to Green Valley, her problems came too…”

The Virgin and the Rogue (Rogue Files Book 6) by Sophie Jordan <— HISTORICAL!!

Unmatched Love: Henry & Lei Lu: A SEAL & Strong Heroine Military Romance (Black Swan Book 6) by KaLyn Cooper

Lessons in Lemonade (Starving for Southern Book 3) by Kathryn Andrews

Island Affair (Keys to Love Book 1) by Priscilla Oliveras <— THE FIREFIGHTER IS HER FAKE FIANCÉ!! “...Sought-after social media influencer Sara Vance, in recovery from an eating disorder, is coming into her own, with a potential career expansion on the horizon. Despite the good news, her successful siblings (and their perfect spouses) have a way of making her feel like the odd one out. So, when her unreliable boyfriend is a no-show for a Florida family vacation, Sara recruits Luis Navarro—a firefighter paramedic and dive captain willing to play the part of her smitten fiancé…”

A Shot at Redemption: The Detectives of Hazel Hill – Book Four by Liz Bradford

Losing It All (The Hellfire Riders Book 7) by Kati Wilde

A Duke by Any Other Name (Rogues to Riches Book 4) by Grace Burrowes <— HISTORICAL!!

Airborne by DiAnn Mills <— A VIRUS WAS RELEASED... “…As the virus quickly spreads and dozens of passengers fall ill, Heather fears she’s witnessing an epidemic similar to ones her estranged husband studies for a living—but this airborne contagion may have been deliberately released. While Heather remains quarantined with other survivors, she works with her FBI colleagues to identify the person behind this attack. The prime suspect? Dr. Chad Lawrence, an expert in his field . . . and Heather’s husband…”

Head Over Paws (Rescue Me Book 5) by Debbie Burns

Honey Buns: An Opposites Attract Romance by Cat Johnson

The Run Around by Bernadette Franklin <— SHE’S PLANNING HIS WEDDING... “…He wants her to plan his wedding. She wants to be his bride. Diving into the treacherous world of wedding planning, Hope keeps her word and arranges the vows for the one man she believes she could love...”

A Date for Midnight (The Dating Series Book 1) by L.P. Dover and Heidi McLaughlin <— THE ROCK STAR & THE NURSE ALERT!! “…There, amongst the craft beer and pork rinds, she comes face to face with her high school boyfriend, Brennan McLean. He’s a rockstar. She’s a nurse. To say life led them in different directions would be putting it mildly. Still, time hasn’t lessened the electric chemistry between them. By the end of the night more was dropping than just the ball...”

Her Seafaring Scoundrel (The Crawfords Book 3) by Sophie Barnes

The Highlander’s Lady Knight (Midsummer Knights Book 2) by Madeline Martin

How to Not Fall for the Guy Next Door: A Sweet and Humorous Romance by Meg Easton

At My General’s Command (Men of Fort Dale Book 4) by Romeo Alexander <— M/M ROMANCE!!

Swimming in the Dark: A Novel by Tomasz Jedrowski <— M/M ROMANCE!!

The Thief by Bonnie Dee <— M/M ROMANCE!!

The Wedding Dress: A Novel by Danielle Steel <— DANIELLE STEEL ALERT!! “…The Parisian design houses in 1928, the crash of 1929, the losses of war, the drug culture of the 1960s—history holds many surprises, and lives are changed forever. For richer or for poorer, in cramped apartments and grand mansions, the treasured wedding dress made in Paris in 1928 follows each generation into their new lives, and represents different hopes for each of them, as they marry very different men...”

Royally Treasured (Royal Sons MC Book 4) by Elle Boon

A Duke Too Far (The Way to a Lord’s Heart Book 4) by Jane Ashford <— HISTORICAL!!

Duke of Misfortune (Dukes of Destiny Book 4) by Whitney Blake <— HISTORICAL!!

The Rakess: Society of Sirens, Volume 1 by Scarlett Peckham <— HISTORICAL!!

The Hating Season: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance by K.A. Linde <— K.A. LINDE ALERT!! SHE WAS HIRED TO CLEAN UP HIS IMAGE! “...I’m hired to clean up his badboy image, which would’ve been easy if my life wasn’t falling apart. First, I catch my movie star husband having an affair with his co-star. Then when I return to work, my job is at stake, because Court has gotten himself into trouble…again. Instead of getting him back in line, I find myself falling for his charm...”

Wicked at the Library: A Curvy Woman Romance (Curvy Librarians of Sugar Hill Book 1) by Liz Fox

Reid: An Eidolon Black Ops Novel by Maddie Wade

The Billionaire’s Navy SEAL (Sutton Billionaires Book 5) by Lori Ryan

Knocked Up by the Wrong Prince: An Accidental Pregnancy Romance (Knocked Up Royals Book 6) by Lilian Monroe

Who Will Save Your Soul: And Other Dangerous Bedtime Stories by Skye Warren <— SKYE WARREN ANTHOLOGY ALERT!! “…Features four novellas by New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren. Each standalone story ends in a happily ever after….”

Kyler’s Blind Date Seduction (Hot Hunks Steamy Romance Collection Book 4) by Stephanie Morris

Not the Bodyguard’s Boss: Sweet Bodyguard Romance (Hastings Security Book 3) by Lorin Grace

Necessary Risk (Aegis Group Task Force Book 4) by Sidney Bristol <— SHE HAS TO INFILTRATE A HAREM… “...Ivy Ashley is striking out. Fired from her gig as a live-in bodyguard, she’s at the end of her rope when she is asked to join a special task force for a one-off undercover job. It’s easy. All she has to do is infiltrate a harem. She even has back-up in the form of a lone-wolf spy with the sexiest lips she’s ever kissed…”

ImPerfectly Happy by Sharina Harris <— “…When four college friends formed the Brown Sugarettes Mastermind Group, they had very different goals—but matched each other in ambition. Yet ten years later they can’t help wondering what happened to the hopeful, confident, driven women they used to be—and how to get them back . . .”

Asking for Trouble (Credence, Colorado Book 3) by Amy Andrews

The Letter by Anthony Sciarratta <— FORBIDDEN LOVE SOULMATES ALERT!! “...Victor Esposito mysteriously dedicates every novel he’s ever written to one woman. His trademark protagonist fits the description of Eva Abrams, the bright-eyed and blonde Long Island housewife. Tragedy suddenly strikes Victor’s life when a courageous act leaves him in a coma. Hearing the news from a television broadcast, Eva finds herself suddenly overcome with the memories of a love affair she’d left behind a decade ago…“

Undeniably Perfect (Perfectly Imperfect Love Series Book 1) by S.E. Rose

Promise Me Always (Against All Odds Book 4) by Savannah Kade

How To Date Your Brother’s Best Friend: A snarky, steamy contemporary romance by Karigan Hale

Hook Up (Taking Chances Book 2) by TC Matson <— HER BOYFRIEND IS IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE ELSE... “…While I’m helping my best friend plan her wedding, I get hit with a bomb. One that ruins all my hopes and dreams of marriage and starting a family. My long-term boyfriend isn’t only a lying, cheating, piece of worthlessness, He’s also in love with the woman he’s been seeing behind my back. Now I’m forced to act like my best friend’s wedding isn’t going to hurt my soul while I try to mend my heart. What’s the best way to get over a broken heart? A no strings attached hook-up…”

Spooning Leads to Forking (Hot in the Kitchen Book 2) by Kilby Blades

Gone With the Rogue (First Comes Love Book 2) by Amelia Grey <— HISTORICAL!!!

Searching for Signs by Mandy Lee <— “…Fans of the award-winning and beloved television series “The Office” will enjoy a story reminiscent of Jim and Pam’s long-awaited and championed romance, while readers less familiar with the show will enjoy a bilateral story of two sensible people navigating the hardships of love and loss while stuck in their small Southern town and surrounded by quirky personalities...”

Deep in the Alaskan Woods (An Alaska Wild Novel Book 1) by Karen Harper <— SHE MOVES TO ALASKA FOR A NEW START… “…Alexandra Collister came to her estranged cousins’ B&B in Falls Lake, Alaska, looking for a fresh start. The surrounding forest can be harsh and unforgiving—luckily, rugged wilderness tracker Quinn Mantell offers to be her guide. Still recovering from a toxic previous relationship, Alex is wary of getting too close, but when savagely deep claw marks appear outside her bedroom window, keeping her distance from Quinn is no longer an option. Then a body turns up exhibiting the same ruthless slash marks, and Alex knows it isn’t a coincidence…”

The Ingredients of You and Me: A Novel (Hopeless Romantics Book 3) by Nina Bocci

Under an Alaskan Sky (A Wild River Novel Book 2) by Jennifer Snow

PREORDERS (going live soon!!! )

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[crystalelemental]

So you’re sitting there, now well into the day, throwing rocks at my house saying “Hey!  Tell us about the New Year Sabrina!  We all know you pulled her, is she any good?”

General Overview Not really, no.  I hate to say that, but her limitations were very obvious from the outset, and not even the new Legendary Gauntlet game mode has changed my stance on this.

NY Sabrina is good for one buff: special attack.  Which is rare and good to have.  But outside of that, her crit buff game is ridiculously slow, and every other stat buff she can have (which is all of them but attack) come with 30-50% odds on specific actions taken.  Her only truly unique effect is the Special Move Up Next effect, which functions like Samurai Guzma or Winter Leon’s Physical Move Up Next stacks, but for special, and granted to the whole team.  30% of the time when she uses a trainer move.  Joy.

Because of that unique trait, it’s...actually preferable to go for MPR on her X Sp Atk All, instead of All Ramped Up.  Because two uses is less likely to get something than three.  This does save a bit of energy, but turns even her good buffing ability to a roll of the dice to hit cap.  Even her confusion chance, something I think is super underrated as a last-second shenanigans check, is only around 50% with Aggravation 4.  Everything is random, nothing is great when it comes to buffs.

That leaves her with only a handful of tools left.  One is her trainer move, which is a heal that applies Endurance.  This is absolutely fantastic for stall, especially coupled with Recuperation 2, which is a 40% recovery of HP when she syncs.  That is incredibly valuable to stall teams.  Outside of that...Endurance is kinda okay.  It can save her twice and keep her up and running while others are throwing out attacks, but god help you if sync is happening; it won’t stop that.  The second is Condition Shield, which will be nice for Legendary Gauntlet, and the occasional Go Viral stage in Champion Stadium.  But that’s really niche, and not exactly a huge deal.  The last is MGR9 on Confusion, making her one of the best gauge control supports around.

Which brings us to the last issue: her grid.  There’s some good stuff in there!  Unfortunately she can’t get all of it.  Or even most.  MPR on her trainer move is hard to get, and unless you give up Team Tough Luck, the best odds for defensive buffs she can get, you can’t really take Master Healer 1.  In fact, if you take both of those, she can’t even take All Ramped Up, you have to play the odds, because you don’t have the energy for all of it.  Sabrina has a lot of options, most of them random chance, and you have to give up a good number to take other skills.  She’s just...weird.  I don’t know why they limited her so much, especially in the wake of a champion like Kimono Jasmine.  But hey, if you really want to try this...

Team 1: NY Sabrina, Giovanni, Bianca/Renegade Cynthia Probably your best bet for something consistently good.  NY Sabrina can cap Giovanni’s special attack reliably, he can cap his own crit, and then you apply Psychic Terrain or Ghost Zone and get blasting.  It’s very direct, there are others who can do this, we’re moving on.

Team 2: NY Sabrina, Gardenia, SS Erika/Blaine Gardenia can cap her crit, and Sabrina can cap special attack, allowing Gardenia to fire off massive damage Leaf Storms under sun.  You know, when her grid shows up.  Which is going to be so much fun.  Sabrina’s not the only one who can do this, but she’s pretty reliable, and has a lot of other choice buffs some of the time too, including the relevant speed for SS Erika’s sync nuke.

Team 2: NY Sabrina, Winter Skyla, secondary support of choice This is a bit odd, but Winter Skyla has Rising Tide, making her sync nuke that much stronger based on the number of active buffs.  While slow, NY Sabrina can buff every stat but physical attack.  Winter Skyla can also buff her own crit rate with an MPR, so they’re an acceptable combination for seasonal alts.

Team 3: NY Sabrina, BP Erika, Ghetsis/Janine Stall tactics.  Ghetsis and Janine can lower foe’s offenses, and NY Sabrina can buff defenses while taking hits, has a Potion with Endure effect, and Recuperation 2.  I feel this is undeniably her best set.

Team 4: NY Sabrina, Serena, Blaine Legendary Gauntlet is coming up, and I think this has at least some potential.  NY Sabrina is good on sustained games where her actions matter a bit more because she has more chances to get the desired effects, but I chose this team notably because of who it fights: Cobalion.  Cobalion is one of those fights that requires a status, and while Serena can supply Sleep, Cobalion increases its resistance to status after each application wears off.  But you know what else counts as a status?  Confuse.  So Sabrina can help lower its bulk with the Confuse effect, fishing for crit bonuses while allowing Serena to deal normal damage.  When crit rate caps, or confuse immunity kicks in, Serena can start hitting it with Sleep, continuing the high damage chain.  NY Sabrina offers a lot of great defensive tools for this fight too, so it’s honestly one of her better niches.

Final Thoughts NY Sabrina isn’t...bad, but it’s hard to find specific applications for her.  She’s more generalized, where she offers two good things.  One, long matches are pretty easy for her to handle.  Recuperation 2 alongside the defensive and speed buffs will make her great in sustained Legendary Gauntlet fights, and makes her borderline unrivaled as a defensive stall support.  Two, the Endure effect will be very nice for Tech nukers in Champion Stadium, who can’t instantly handle the sides.  This is about the only super valuable thing Endurance does in Champion Stadium, since sync nukes are a massive threat.  Outside of these broadly useful tools, I think Sabrina’s really looking to be kind of a backup selection.  I don’t think she’s quite the best at anything she does.

#pokemon masters #new years sabrina #unit teambuilding