#I think Kyle can be a good person and do bad things. sue me I like complicated characters and Ig I have a different definition of good and

[roostertuftart]

Also why r ppl back to trying to convince ppl Kyle is actually a shitty horrible person I thought we were through with that

#idk it just feels like the equivalent of an enlightened centrist take but in the realm of fandom politics #wow did you know one time in this one episode thirteen seasons ago kyle did a bad thing??? #well what about this bad thing Kyle did that I removed full context for before pulling up as a point??? #i wouldn’t rly mind it as a hc but it’s being use to imply anyone who thinks that Kyle or any of the boys are good ppl must also #have forgotten that they do bad things sometimes and like! no! we haven’t! I just don’t think good and bad is that black and white #I think Kyle can be a good person and do bad things. sue me I like complicated characters and Ig I have a different definition of good and #bad. god forbid lmao #kyle broflovski #me talking

[arty-shadow-morningstar]

A Failed Betrothal (6)

Here is a new chapter for you guys. I am terrible at writing feelings and this is my best shot.😅 Tell me what you think.

[Masterlist]

(PART 1)(PART 5)

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(Words in bold is French)

“Tch, Drake is going to be busy trying to find Hawkmoth. He can’t go around Paris, being Dupain-Cheng’s boyfriend. Besides, he can’t be a proper boyfriend even in his most lucid moments. I will be her boyfriend instead.”

Tim was glad he didn’t take a sip of his coffee when Damian volunteered to be Marinette’s boyfriend. But he still choked on air. Jason with his limited knowledge of french was confused. Damian didn’t do what he heard, right?

“No, you can’t. Chloe already told them about Tim. If I come in with a different boyfriend, they would get suspicious. We can work on Hawkmoth while we go on those dates. Besides, I thought you don’t like me. That’s not going to sell the image of a loving couple.” Marinette pointed out. (She also doesn’t want to do this fake-date thing. Not because she likes Damian and she had always been a goner for green eyes and totally would be date him if it weren’t for some stupid curse dictating her feelings for him and fake-dating him might get her catch feelings for him and she would get her heart broken when this is all over and she would stay single forever and be a lonely old lady with hamsters and cats for company.)

“Actually, Mari-bug, I only told the class how romantic your boyfriend is. I never told them what he looked like. Just in case, Timothy couldn’t make it. I have back-up favors to cash in.” Chloe explained.

Marinette didn’t even know why she was surprised at that, this was Chloe after all.

“You have more than one American boy around our age in your debt who you intend to be my boyfriend? Sounds like you, Queenie. So that also means that Damian doesn’t have to do it if he doesn’t want to.”

“My offer still stands. I will be your ‘boyfriend’ before I have to go back. I will be more understanding than those other American boys when you have to rush out for an attack. That is to assume that they can come here or agree. In our initial meeting, I didn’t like that weak girl act you put up. Recent events have made me realize that you are a much stronger person. (Careful Damian, that sounds like a compliment.) You are a decent partner to date.(Shit. Shit. Shit. That wasn’t a compliment, right?)”

Damian couldn’t see why Dupain-Cheng would refuse such a good deal. He supposed her feelings might be still hurt from his first impression of her. He would give her an apology when they are alone and away from his brothers who would make a big deal of it.

“Fine. At least, the curse will at least make this fake couple thing more believable.” grumbled Marinette. The light pink blush on her face is not because he said she was someone he would date.

Oh right, the curse. He swore internally, it had possessed him to be Dupain-Cheng’s boyfriend. He now would have to endure the hand-holding, kissing and staring into each other’s eyes, and try to resist the curse which will be much harder now. Somehow, he didn’t regret it a little bit. It sounds more bearable with him doing those things with her than her with Drake. This was just a mutual agreement to ward off her suitors and prove to her classmates that she was off the market.

Chloe clapped her hands,“If we have everything sorted out, you can start being a good boyfriend by walking Marinette to school today. We want to be on time now.”

The others started packing up their stuff or finished what they were eating. Marinette was dragged out of the bakery by an impatient Damian. Chloe and Alix picked up what Marinette left behind and followed out. The rest soon left right after, leaving the two boys in the bakery.

“Hey, Replacement, tell me if I am wrong but did Demon Spawn willingly ask a girl out?” Jason asked, stealing a croissant from Tim.

“Try making himself the perfect candidate to be her fake boyfriend out of many choices, including me, and get her to agree to it. Now he has to go on a few romantic dates with Marinette in order to ward off this really pushy guy in her class. Demon Spawn also has a crush on her and he’s in denial of it. We are not hallucinating either. I’ve checked.” Tim replied, sipping his coffee.

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“Damian. Let go. Hey, Wayne, are you listening to me? Let me go. This is not how you treat your significant other. And you are not even going in the right direction.” Marinette all but yelled at him.

He released his grip on her. “My apologies for manhandling you but I wanted to tell you this away from everybody else.”

“What?” She asked, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes.

I- This is a little difficult to say for me,” Damian started. (Why were his palms sweaty? It’s just an apology. He had done it before although it was mostly because Grayson told him what he did wrong and made him do it.) “But I am sorry for calling you weak, pathetic and every other bad thing I have said about you when you have shown that you are anything but those. I was mad at myself for being caught and took it out on you.”

Her glare softened.

“Apologies accepted. The school is this way.” She said with a smile and went towards the school. Damian walked by her side, his hands in his pockets.

Marinette looked at where his hands were, “If we are going to do this fake dating thing, I suggest we hold hands.”

Damian grabbed her hand and continued walking in silence. Her hands were so small and fitted perfectly in his. Oh God, it’s the curse again. Turning him into a sap. Do not think about her hands. And the fact that she took down a man twice her size with them which was an amazing sight to watch.

“Why are you so stiff? Loosen up a little. You are with the love of your life. Smile a little.”

Damian plastered on a fake smile, “Happy?”

“It looks fake. Being a model he will be able to tell.” Marinette remarked, “Are you sure you want to do this? We can still go get Tim to be my boyfriend.”

“I can do this. Drake wouldn’t be a better choice. It doesn’t help that you are relentlessly nit-picking me. Or are you that bad of a girlfriend?” Damian couldn’t help but sniped back. “Maybe that’s why Chat Noir left you.”

He found himself back against the world and her elbow at his neck. (He would forever deny that he liked it.)

“Look here, Wayne. You know nothing about me and you shouldn’t assume that you do. Chat Noir was revoked of his status as a hero for his behaviour. If you don’t act the part properly, I am going to have my former partner, who has absolutely no sense of boundaries, harassing me in my civilian life and I have already dealt enough of his advances to last a lifetime. I have given you so many chances to get out of this which you refused and yet, you are half-assing it. So are you in this 100 percent or not? Because I am at the end of my patience right now.”

“The boy who is obsessed with you is the former Chat Noir?”

“Yes, I will explain about that later but what’s your answer?”

“I will give it my best shot but I have never pretended to be in love.”

“Were you not taught in the League?”

“There were seduction tactics shown to members when they were old enough and I left them when I was 10 but I am not sure if those skills can be applied here.”(Slamming your opponent against the wall wasn’t one of them but she was doing a great job of it so far. No. No. No. He is not his father. This is different from whatever he has with Kyle.)

She released her hold on him and grabbed his hand, leading him towards her school.

“Well then, here are the basics. Everytime you look at me, just think of your favourite things to make your smile a little more genuine. Maybe call me by a pet name if you want. Keep your touch on me like you can’t keep your hands off of me and act really reluctant when you have to let go. You will only keep them my shoulders, arms, hands and waist or I will break your hand. I will do the same. If you are going to have to kiss me, give me a warning.” He looked into her blue eyes and nodded.

“Alright.”

“Oh. I almost forgot. In case they try to question our relationship. My favourite colour is red. My favourite song is ‘Fearless’ by Jagged Stone.(I love Taylor. Sue me) And we met online a few months ago. You came all the way to Paris to see me a month ago and asked me out. We will talk more that later. Oh, I also love designing and have dreams of being a famous fashion designer.-”

Marinette rambled on which Damian found a little endearing. He looked forward to knowing more about her. He added a few comments here or there about himself (because it was only fair.) and ways to improve their cover story about their relationship.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“We are nearly at school. Let’s start the act, Romeo.” Marinette whispered at him and looked at him with a bright smile that brought a tiny smile to his face. Okay, maybe he liked Marinette a little bit but that doesn’t mean he’s in love with her.

He moved her hand holding his to the crook of his elbow.

“Is this acceptable, my lady?”

She wrinkled her nose, (Adorable. No. Don’t go there) “This is fine. But can you not call me that? And princess too? I may have erased his memories as Chat Noir but it could be a trigger to bring them back.”

“Understandable. What about Malak?”

She blushed. Marinette had learned Arabic a while back and was very fluent in the language.

“It’s okay.” She said in a soft voice. She put her other hand on his bicep and leaned on his shoulder.

“You don’t look like a touchy-feely person so is this fine?”

“Yes.”

“Cool, let me tell you more about the atrocious lies that had passed her mouth.”

They walked into the school courtyard, arm-in-arm, for the entire school, especially Marinette’s class, to see. The perfect picture of a loving couple. Marinette’s blush from earlier was evident on her face, leaving no room for doubt about her new relationship status. (Many guys, gals and pals were upset over it.) As they both walked up the stairs, whispering and laughing about who knows what (gulliable and idiotic classmates they have to suffer learning with), two pairs of green eyes followed them.

In this case, the saying ‘green-eyed monsters’ was true. One was envious of the boy who held the girl he wanted in his arms and the other was envious of the attention the couple was receiving.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damian escorted Marinette to her class. He gave her a kiss on her cheek and said, loud enough for the class to hear, “Bye, Malak. I will pick you up after school for our date.”

“B-bye, Damian.”

He took her hand, gave a kiss to the back of it and departed, leaving a very red-faced Marinette behind. The rest of the class parted the way as Damian walked past.

She rushed into her seat where Chloe sat beside it, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

“Sooooo, Mari-bug, how was your date? You two rushed out of there so quickly and left your stuff behind. So eager to spend time with your boyfriend, eh? You enjoyed it very much by the looks of it.”

“Sorry about that, Chloe. Did you bring my bag and the cheese danishes?” Marinette tried to change the topic. And she also wanted to make sure a god of destruction doesn’t go hungry and angsty during school. “Yep, here you go,” Chloe said, handing Marinette her bag and a box of cheese-flavoured snacks for Plagg, “Your mom packed some for you.”

“Marinette. Where have you been the last two days? And you came back with a boy. I am honestly worried about your behaviour.” Lila played the concerned classmate wonderfully.

“Yeah, Marinette. This is a new low, even for you.” Alya added.

Marinette readied herself to tell the cover story Damian and her worked out on the way here.

“Lila, I appreciate your ‘concern’. But the last four days have been a little hard on me so excuse me if I am a little snappy today. You see, Damian disappeared and didn’t return home after school on Friday. So when he didn’t pick up for our weekly video call, I panicked and called his family and they told me what happened. They sent me a plane to get out of Paris so I can’t get akumatized.”

“Was that why you were gone on Saturday?” Chloe asked, playing along although she already knew why Marinette wasn’t in Paris the last four days.

“Yeah. Sorry for not telling you guys. It was sorta last minute. Thankfully, he wasn’t kidnapped actually. His biological mother picked him up but never told his father that she was taking him. I just came back last night. Dami followed me to make sure I am okay.”

“What a bunch of bullcrap.” Alya said, “I don’t believe you.”

Oh. The irony... “Alya, I don’t care if you do. My life is my own business. So keep your nosy nose out of it. Your opinions don’t matter to me anymore, stranger.” Marinette internally was tired of this silly routine and wanted this to end already.

Alya wanted to pick a fight with her over the smallest things she did for the past months. She wondered why her former best friend hated her this much.

“Lila told me that you were skipping school and you paid an actor to be your pretend boyfriend.”

Pretending to not hear what Alya said, Marinette turned towards Chloe, “Hey, you never told me about how you met Tim. I can’t believe that you two are friends.”

“We met at one of those charity galas-”

“Hey, we were talking to you.” Alya cut her off. To which Chloe glared at the ombre-haired girl.

“I thought our conversation was done. What else am I supposed to say?”

Marinette was frustrated and hid that fact well, showing any reaction would give the game away. If she had reacted, it would further fuel the fire of Alya’s self-righteousness, making her believe that Marinette was somehow guilty of what Lila told her about. Lila managed to turn nearly the entire class against her by appealing to their ‘hero’ side and outbursts from Marinette and the others made them more sure of themselves of being in the right. It was so deep-rooted that nothing would sway them to logical reasoning. Maybe except Phase 2. Phase 1 was made a little easier when Talia kidnapped her and made her miss a few days of school.

Phase 2 was to not acknowledge the lies or just appear uninterested. It would illustrate the point that people don’t have to listen to them if they don’t want to. If possible, sow little seeds of doubt to the ones Lila had a looser grip on. The more people they can slowly get on their side, the better.

Alya was confused, usually Marinette would throw a ‘temper tantrum’ about how she didn’t do that and Lila lied.“I-, you should-, You should apologize to Lila.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow, “For what this time?”

“For saying that she was lying.”

“Pray tell, when did in any of our conversations so far did I do that? I mean I don’t like the fact that she just accused me with little evidence of paying my someone to be my boyfriend but I am not going to fight with anyone over it. Maybe I did do that, Maybe I didn’t. Maybe there is a good reason I did those things. The thing is Lila should keep to her own business and I will keep to mine. And as should you. I know you are a reporter at heart but you should at the very least respect my privacy.”

Alya stayed silent, fuming. Everyone was looking at them now. She realized that the designer was right and if she pushed further, she would be the bad guy.

“I thought so. Now, go away. I have nothing else to say to you. Let Chloe finish her story of how she met Tim which you so rudely interrupted.”

“Who’s Tim?” Lila asked, wanting to know more about Marinette’s boyfriend to work on an angle to get him away from the ravenette.

“Mari-Bug’s boyfriend’s older brother. Now, shoo peasants, we are talking. Anyways, Mommy took me to when I was younger so I could mingle with all the other rich kids and get connections. Timothy was there and back then, he was still with the Drakes...”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lila and Alya returned to their seats, both were visibly upset although Lila was seething inside. When Marinette was not at school for the last two days, the Italian thought that it was the last she had seen of her. Today, she showed up with a handsome boy on her arm and by the looks of his clothes, rich too. If she manages to get ‘Damian’ to break up with that pest and date her instead, then she would have a rich, handsome boyfriend devoted to her and that brat would be so heart-broken that an akuma so powerful would be made that even Ladybug won’t be able to defeat. A two for one deal. Lila started planning (scheming) to take her boyfriend away.

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(Part 7)

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Edit: I am so sorry. I forget to add the taglist.

Tag list: @alysrose-starchild, @buginetye, @lookatthestars1, @blackroserelina, @macncheesemonster, @mochinek0, @myazael, @tonicxworld, @thewitchwhowaited, @t1dwarrior-of-earth, @kissa-chan, @iwantasecretidentity, @theymakeupfairies, @user00000003, @woe-is-me0, @kashlyn, @mochegato,@moonlightstar64 , @greatcatblaze, @moongoddesskiana, @tazanna-blythe. @tonicxworld, @toodaloo-kangaroo, @frieddonutsweets, @local-witch-of-mn, @lady-bee-fechin, @iglowinggemma28, @indecisive-mess-named-me, @k-tea-and-coffee, @jayjayspixiepop, @all-mights-asscheeks, @idk-j-go-with-it , @loysydark, @thenillabean, @lolieg, @zalladane, @silvergold-swirl, @henie04, @blueblossombliss, @khneltea, @mochegato, @itsmeevie01, @roguishredaxion, @alyssadeliv, @steph-hearthlight, @adrestar, @eliza-bich, @abrx2002, @hikari55ttva, @doglover82, @daminette5074, @moon5608,@justafanwarrior, @allis-sun, @animegirlweeb, @aespades, @corporeal-terrestrial, @mildlydeadly, @kanamexzeroyaoifangirl,

#damian x marinette #maribat #ml x dc #daminette #mlb x dc #a failed betrothal #betrothal au: take 2

[lokifantasies]

American Girl Doll PART 2

Summary: You and Loki speak with Emmy.

Character(s): Loki, Emmy, & Reader

Read the Mischievous Life series here!

Follow Jade, Loki, and Reader!

Taglist! (click here to join a taglist!)

Strikethrough means I can't tag you for some reason.

@1marvelnerd3000 @agentkinghorn @donttouchmylaevateinn @emerald-alone @eyesbluelikethetitanic @fa-me @geeky-politics-46 @holdmytesseract @itsybitchylittlewitchy @jeongadelarinia @lokistoriesblog @lougy @melianisnothere @mm2305 @mortallythoughtfulgurl @nms224 @shraddhadeveshvikram @xoxoloverb

When you arrive home, Loki is sitting on the sofa – his hands holding onto the American Girl Doll that Ivy had brought to him earlier.

"Hey, babe," you greet him – unsuccessfully capturing his attention. "Something...wrong?" your words trail off when you notice the doll in his hands. "Loki...what's -,"

"Emmy," he interrupts you – answering your question before you can ask it. "Emmy destroyed her doll."

You sit down next to your lover, and he hands you the doll to look at. "She's being eaten up inside," you conclude. "She hates herself."

Loki looks over to you – a tearful nod confirming that he agrees with your conclusion. "How are we supposed to help her?"

"I would suggest we get her a therapist, but you and I both know she'll be more uncomfortable talking to a stranger than us," you sigh.

"This is our baby," Loki stresses – the pain in his voice growing. "Our daughter...our flesh and blood...and we have no idea how to help her."

You nod – tears gathering in your eyes at the thought of the amount of pain your eight-year-old is in. "And if we force her to speak with us, it'll cause her more pain and anger."

"Maybe if she's angry with us, she won't be with herself," Loki mutters. "She can't keep this...these feelings to herself...they'll destroy her."

"Well, there's not much we can do legally except sue Kyle's parents," you say – leaning your head on Loki's shoulder. "We need to find some sort of -,"

"Mommy?" Emmy calls out from the hallway – stealing your and Loki's attention.

You force a smile at the older twin – not wanting her to know you and her dad are crying. "Hey, sweetie," you greet her – reaching out for her to come give you a hug. As you wrap your arms around her, you pull her up to sit in between you and Loki. "Emmy...can we...talk about this?" you ask – showing her the doll.

Emmy looks away and shrugs.

"I guess," she mumbles under her breath. "Why?"

"Emerald," Loki begins softly – causing Emmy to look towards him.

"Daddy? Why are you crying?" she asks – confused as to why her dad – the strongest person she knows – is crying.

Loki takes a deep breath in and pulls Emmy close to his chest. "Because...we know you're hurting, my love," he speaks quietly – Emmy beginning to break down in his arms. "We know you're in pain...we know you're angry." Trying to keep yourself calm – not wanting to stress yourself out for the baby growing inside you, Loki continues to speak for the both of you. "Mommy and I want to help you, Emmy." He pulls away from the twin and holds the doll out to let her see it. "You don't deserve to feel this way about yourself."

"But why?" Emmy asks through her tears. "Why not? I'm gross – a piece of garbage." You gasp at hearing those words come from her mouth. "It was my fault...I shouldn't have been wearing a dress...It was my fault, and I hate myself for it...I'm stupid."

"No, my love," Loki insists. "He did this to you...on his own...you did nothing wrong."

"Then...why did it happen to me?" Emmy begs to know. "I must have done something wrong."

"You did absolutely nothing wrong, Emmy," you manage to say – pulling your daughter into your arms and letting her cry with you and Loki. "Bad things happen to good, loving people."

"But you can't let the bad things change you for the worse," Loki cuts in. "You are our daughter...you're so much stronger than you think you are...and please believe me when I say that the last thing you want to do is let that pain and anger turn you into someone who isn't you."

Emmy sniffles and turns back towards Loki. "But...how do I make it go away?"

"Let us help you," Loki whispers – a tear running down his cheek – quickly wiped away by Emmy.

"Don't cry, daddy," Emmy says softly – trying to get the tears to stop falling from the god's eyes – turning around to try to get yours to stop as well. "Mommy, don't cry."

"It's not a bad thing to cry," Loki tells his daughter. "Crying is how you can get your bottled up feelings out...without expressing it as anger and hatred."

"Really?" Emmy asks – her own tears starting to form. "What about screaming? Sometimes I just really wanna scream."

"That can help, too," you let her know. "Daddy can soundproof your room, and you can scream as loud as you want whenever you want."

Emmy sucks her bottom lip in and nods. "How do I talk about it, though? You and mommy said you want me to talk with you," she asks her dad.

"You just...whenever you're ready...you tell us however you want," Loki answers – pulling you and Emmy into a group hug – all three of you letting your tears fall onto the sofa below.

#loki laufeyson #loki fanfic #loki fandom #dad!loki #loki x reader #loki x you #mischievous life #ongoing series #requests open #send requests

[preparetosufferemotionally]

Home, Part four: First Impressions, Round Two

Remile and Prinxiety and hinted Logicality

TW: Unsympathetic Patton, child abuse, using others to get revenge, Remus, toxic relationship, abuse in general, cursing.

The school day started like normal. A loud bell rang, and chatter filled the halls with endless noise. Lockers slamming, teachers scolding about the dress code or other nonsense, and the general aura of chaos. Ah, school. Remy hated it.

He hated it, and then he saw Emile, standing in a corner, talking quietly to some people. Remy leaned forward to eavesdrop, fully prepared to turn away if it wasn’t something Emile related.

“I can’t believe he did that to you. He should get suspended!” One of the girls fumed. Emile shifted uncomfortably.

“It's fine, really. It wasn’t anything too bad. He just grabbed my arm.”

“Emile, that counts as assault.He could be arrested for that!” Remy lowered his eyes guilty. Not his finest moment.

“Yeah seriously, that's not right,” a person added.

“Plus, it wouldn’t hurt for him to finally have a taste of his own medicine,” a boy muttered. Emile exhaled.

“Look, it's very kind of you, but I’m fine. Besides, if you believe in exacting revenge on him, please leave me out of it. I’m not going to be the reason someone else suffers…” Emile trailed off. No one but Remy seemed to notice. The group wandered off, annoyed. Emile hugged himself, and sat down in front of his locker, reading. Remy stepped forward.

“Hey,” Remy said quietly, almost apologetic. Emile jumped, turning around.

“It's you,” He whispered. Remy shoved his hands in his pockets, looking down.

“It's me,” He admitted. “Look, I’m sorry about what happened yesterday. I got upset and I acted out of control and-”

“Oh it's not a big deal, it's fine, it's fine, fine fine,” Emile whispered quietly. Remy looked at him, concerned as he muttered fine over and over again.

“No, it's not.” Remy ran a hand through his hair, nervous. “You reminded me of someone I once knew, and I-” he paused, debating what he should say. “I lashed out, because that person hurt me.” Emile looked at him in confusion and hurt, as though he believed it to be his fault.

“But you knew my name.” Remy laughed slightly.

“Everyone knows your name. Just like they all know mine.” Emile still looked at him, confused.

“Even if that was what happened, who could hurt you?” Emile asked. “People come to me remedy broken hearts you destroyed, so how could someone have hurt you?” Hurt and a twinge of resignation flashed across both faces. Remy took a deep breath.

“They didn’t mean it. I’m pretty sure it was someone else's fault. But I couldn’t see their puppet strings. And I couldn’t understand the world wasn’t just made up of good and evil,” Remy said quietly. Emile watched.

“Why do I feel so sure I know you?” He muttered, half to himself, half to Remy. Remy whispered quietly.

“You did once.” With that, Remy walked away, leaving a surprised and confused look on Emile’s face. He entered the english classroom.

As usual, the first period teacher was late again. Bored, Remy scrolled through his phone, checking his instagram. Unsurprisingly, pictures of exes popped up. He wondered if he should like a picture of them, just to make them think. But for Remy, it felt too cruel. He decided to leave those people and their broken hearts in peace. Then the door swung open.

“Hey kids, Mrs. Harwood is on maternity leave, so I’m your substitute for the next few months.” Remy inhaled before he looked up. Please don’t be who he thinks he is. “Please put your phones away, and then we can start the lesson.” Remy put away his phone, but not before taking a quick picture of a smiling Patton Hart.

Somewhere in the back row, a strangled gasp of surprise exited someone’s mouth. And if Remy had to bet anyone else, anyone who might be affected by the presence of Patton Hart, it was Emile Hart. Patton Hart clapped his hands, still smiling brightly.

“It's lovely to meet such amazing students. My name is Mr. Hart, and I hope to get to know you all better as the school year continues.” The students whispered, some laughing, some uncaring, but none as surprised as the unlikely pair, separated by a row of seating. “Alright, I’ll call attendance now. Oh and any pronouns you want me to use, just let me know! Anthony, Kyle?”

“Here,” The boy who was talking to Emile said. Remy nearly slapped his head on the table. Oh, that was the one who used to have internalized homophobia!

“Conner, Mia?”

“Present Mr. Hart.” Patton paused after her name, eyes almost narrowing in surprise.

“Empire-black, Jeremy?”

“Thats me Mr. Hart. But call me Remy if you would. Thanks, teach,” Remy said, leaning back on his desk nonchalantly as though he didn’t remember any of the childhood catstropes. As though Patton Hart wasn’t the reason he lost his best friend. Patton stared for a second, and then he cleared his throat, continuing. Remy pushed up his sunglasses, running a hand through his curly black hair, a trait which both his fathers contributed to.

“Of course, I’ll write it down. Now, Gronsanki, Nyx?”

“Here!”

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The bell finally rang, ending the class. Remy started to leave when Mr. Hart stopped him.

“Mr. Empire, come here please.” Remy sauntered over, faking confidence. He saw Emile still frozen in the back of class.

“Yeah teach? I have to leave soon, or I’ll be late to my next class.”

“I’m sure that won’t be an issue for you,” Mr. Hart said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.”Take a seat.” Remy sat down reluctantly.

“So, what's happening, teach? I didn’t do anything in your class yet.” Mr. Hart kept smiling, the smile cold and unforgiving.

“Did I teach you in preschool? Your name sounds familiar.”

“Not sure teach, can’t really remember things until you’re at least seven you know.” Remy shrugged, adjusting his leather jacket. “You might know my dads. The local author and illustrator duo? Ring any bells?”

“You are so like your father,” He muttered, almost hissing. Remy heard.

“Sorry, what was that teach?” Mr. Hart stood up, smiling brightly again.

“I think I’ve seen your father around. You resemble him quite a bit.” Remy quirked a smile. Liar.

“Aww thanks teach, I’m touched. Now can I get going? I have chemistry next period, and I can’t be late.”

“Of course. Have a good day. And please, do be careful.” Mr. Hart smiled. Remy did finger guns.

“Yeah, you too teach.” He stepped out of the classroom, and ran to chemistry, sending his dads and uncle the picture and a text.

Meet my new substitute.

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“I AM NOT BEING HELD BACK ANY LONGER ROMAN! THAT BITCH IS GOING TO DIE! HE THREATENED MY SON!” Roman was desperately trying to stop Virgil from storming down to Sanders High School, and failing miserably. He stood in front of the door, his small angry husband about to attack him and break down the door.

“He didn’t threaten him, Virgil.” Remy walked in from the living room, shrugging.

“He kinda did dad.” Roman looked at him, exasperated.

“You aren’t helping!” Roman face Virgil. “He never made an outward threat to him. And if you storm down and deck him, YOU look guilty, not him.”

“Why do we keep stopping Roman? Why can’t we fucking give that bitch what he deserves.” Roman sighed. He was getting tired. He just wanted to protect his family. But he knew Virgil did too. And sadly, this was the one sore point.

“Fine. But we aren’t going to attack him. We will go about it in a legal setting.” Virgil stared at him.

“You mean, sue him?”

“Basically, yeah.” Virgil exhaled.

“Alright. Then we need our evidence. I’ll see what I can find.”

“I’ll get Remus on the science side of things.” Remy tapped Virgil on the shoulder.

“Hey pops, what should I do?” Virgil sighed.

“Just try to go to school normally. But if you do get pulled aside by him again, have your phone record the entire conversation, just in case, alright?” Remy nodded.

“Alright.” Virgil turned to Roman, watching Remy leave.

“It's time that he gets what he deserves.” Roman smiled, as Virgil hugged him. Maybe they could win this time.

#emile sanders #logicality #remy sanders #roman sanders #virgil sanders #prinexity #sanders sides #logan sanders #toxic relationship #toxiclogicality

[but-im-jess-saying]

So I watched season 1 of Sweet magnolias, and I have thoughts and feelings. So I immediately tried to spoil myself by googling the book series the show was based upon and found out that that event at the end of the season did not happen in the books at all. So I began to create my own theories as to what might happen next and also what I would like to see happen next. I thought about it a lot and I'm 100% sure certain they are going to use flashbacks in season 2 to show what happened between Kyle running out of the party and the car crash. Something had to have happened because we don't see anybody grabbing the car keys which means it was probably in Tyler's pocket, though why Jackson would have a ‘no phones’ policy at his parties but not a ‘no car keys’ policy too idk. So, either Kyle took them from him or Tyler gave them to Kyle, why would he do that? What would happen to get Tyler and Kyle in a situation where Kyle can grab the keys and get to the car before someone else can stop him?  I think that there has to be a couple scenes. They could have someone who was there just tell the parents about it but I think it would be more effective to show it directly. My thought as to who was in the passenger seat is probably Annie and I'm sad about it because I feel that it would be better if it was Tyler, like it would make more sense. But if Annie is injured then the show can use that for drama, with the burgeoning Annie/Tyler relationship and to further animosity between Annie and CC. In the book series Annie spent the second book in the hospital for a different reason and I think that the show might borrow a lot of that plot line for her recovering from a car accident, if they intend for Dana Sue to have the same plot line and HEA as in the books. I don't want them to though, but I think they are going to keep it because it's a romance series and when people watch movies based on romance books they expect the core couples to remain the same. But, with the cheating issue they are probably going to have to muddy the waters more to make it seem like Dana Sue overreacted, I don’t think they should though, I want Dana Sue to get together with Hot Farmer.  But lesigh, Dana Sue's probably going to get back together with the cheating ex and the show will likely have Annie in the hospital to give them time to bond and hold hands and whatever by her bedside. I hope they decide to change the details as to what Ronnie did to make Dana Sue leave him because like if it's straight up cheating I don't think i could support that because its like Bill cheated and he’s a selfish ass for that, should not be forgiven. Check, I agree on this point. Then you have Ronnie, who also cheated, but he’s not a selfish ass (because…?) and he should be forgiven… why? The show is going to go into why/how Ronnie is different from Bill and make a case for why he deserves forgiveness and show him earning it. I would rather see Dana Sue and Jeremy get together but probably it's going to be Dana Sue and Ronnie. 

I think that Tyler being the character who is in this passenger seat would make a more interesting situation because if he's in the accident and he's injured then it might foster a situation where CC and Annie have to work together to support him or whatever and they can get to know each other without the level of jealousy that we've seen between them previously. I also worry about the potential of a  ‘and reality ensues’ plotline of the situation with your kid illegally driving a car while emotionally disturbed and harming or nearly killing someone else’s kid.  In situations that like that people tend to look for people to blame and it would be rational for Dana Sue and Ronnie to blame Maddie and Bill for their daughter's injuries and  for that matter for any parent to feel that Maddie and Bill should be held responsible for their son's actions, but if it's Tyler then you know there's no one to be mad that isn’t already involved. it makes the situation more straightforward, or rather more simple to have only one family involved, I guess. And then there's no reality ensues plot and the town taking sides and gossip and legal actions between families for damages, or medical bills, and the Townsends lose their house and the friendships over because Annie was hurt so bad and blah blah blah and it's just not as interesting to me if you have something obvious like where there’s a forgone conclusion about what will eventually happen which is the destruction of the friendship, which is the best part of the show or you'd have to like blatantly ignore the natural reaction of a mom when her child’s been hurt, ‘no Dana's not going to blame her friend for this she's going to blame...someone else’, idk. It's just not rational or reasonable to me but if the only set of parents whose children were harmed is Bill and Maddie and it's clearly an accident Kyle did not mean for this then I feel like the show can be more interesting than just the breakdown of a friendship over a tragic accident. Though I do think that Maddie will one way or the other blame Bill for giving her kid that Goddamn car when she knew her child was not ready for that and if he had asked her she would have said no don't do that Tyler is struggling with rage issues He's going to drive while mad and wrap himself around a fucking pole and that's not exactly what happened but she was correct in principal.

Couples from the books I think the show might actually change is Annie and Tyler. A lot of people have said that Tyler seems like he might be gay or bi and I do think that they might change the core couples of the books for the purpose of adding more diversity to the show. I mean there are LGBTQ characters and there are characters of color but more is better in this case and Tyler would be a different type of gay character, or bisexual, depending on how they decide to play it and i think it would be really good to have more characters breaking stereotypes about gay people. One thing I definitely want to see is CC and Annie becoming friends. Like it doesn't have to happen right away like I'm not saying season two starts and suddenly they're braiding each other's hair and having sleepovers but I would really like them to bond and see them learn to appreciate each other. I’d like for CC and Annie to have to work together and they get to know each other without the level of jealousy that we've seen between them previously like CC totally thinks or perhaps knows depending on your theory about it that Tyler is into Annie and Annie definitely understands that Tyler's more comfortable expressing interest in CC and I think they both want to be what the other is, and I don't think either of them really has learned to appreciate themselves the way you do when you're older and I think that they could you know sort of give each other a crash course in self-esteem and be like ‘of course I want to be you you're fucking amazing’ ‘I’m not amazing, you’re a-fucking-mazing’ and you know that could sort of be the basis for a friendship between them.  Like, you know that idea of history repeating itself I'd like for all of the children characters to eventually go off to college and build life and then come back to Serenity and like you know could be a time skip sort of thing and Tyler's had a career in baseball and maybe he's had a career ending injury like in the books or otherwise had some sort of scandal. I sort of like the idea of borrowing the plot from the book where its a cheating scandal, but its CC and his relationship that ends and CC goes back to Serenity with his kid and Annie is there too, and Tyler is juggling trying to build or rebuild a relationship with his son and get visitation and everything, while also dealing with a renewed attraction to Annie, who in this version would be a lost love character. And Annie could be like, “No, we are not starting anything with each other you need to focus on you’re fucking kid, remember how you felt during the whole thing with Bill, that is exactly where your son is emotionally right now, so dont come to me for comfort, go to him and show him you care about him, you ass.” And CC could be bitter and angry, only to discover that Annie is on her side and Annie and CC could become friends through Annie helping CC get her life back on track, maybe Helen could take CC on in her law practice (I feel like CC would be a lawyer or something, but not a practicing one, like she has a law degree, but not an active law licence and she’s actually been a stay at home mom).

Or maybe Tyler's been outed as gay/bi... I don’t really like that but him being forced out of the closet but that could be a career ending scandal and Jackson could be a local business owner (or a teacher at the highschool, this idea just occurred to me) or Annie could have been a renowned photojournalist or just a well known photographer or something. Whoever they decide pair Tyler with I'd like for them to have separated and grown into adulthood separately so they can like meet back up in serenity and get to know each other as adults as Tyler is dealing with this upheaval in his life and his love interest could be the one giving him the tough love, advice and comfort he needs at that point. I think that would be a really good storyline there like he's had his dream come true dreams come true, but not been happy because somethings missing, or he’s keeping this huge secret, or whatever and when it all falls apart he goes home and meets this person from his past. 

But I do definitely want CC to come back into it in some way as well and maybe she's like been in serenity the entire time in some sort of analogous role to the role Helen plays in some of the storylines. Maybe she's got a successful practice, maybe it's a little bit bigger than Helen's is portrayed, maybe she travels instead but serenity is still her home base and she supports the community the same way Helen does.  I think Annie and CC could be really good friends. Maybe more than friends, if the show decides to go with the fandom preferred, everyone is gay strategy. 

Anyways thanks for reading my rant... Please come scream with me about this show.

#sweet magnolias #I don't know what couples i prefer #but I want the plots from the books to be heavily altered #and its kind of weird that i have no strong feelings about Cal #except that he is def better than bill #and bill should feel bad #also good on noreen for leaving him #insert good for her gif here #and jamie lynn spears is supposed to be back for season 2 #so yay for that #I hope she brings her brother too #i liked him #i want season 2 so bad

[shadyreviewengineer]

Finished watching 'Sweet Magnolia's' for like the third time, and I cannot WAIT for season 2

Until then, I wanted to speculate who I think might be the mystery person in the last episode

(spoilers from here on out)

Ty

i think unlikely, most people seem to. Mostly because, what drama does it really add? One kid from their tribe is enough to force some drama in the Townsend household.

Unless Ty hurt his 'golden arm' and it effected him playing basketball. He would blame and hate Kyle for it. Could cause a good rift?

The only other thing I wonder about it being Ty, was what of the accident was caused by Ty trying to take control of the wheel from Kyle? What if the accident was technically Ty's fault? Ty would ofc feel awful. Might cause some drama.

Nellie

Seems to be the favourite from what I've seen, mostly because she was wearing trainers and so could catch up easier. I could see it, imagine Mary Vaughan is she blamed Maddie for this? However, there's already drama between the sweet Magnolia's and Mary Vaughan, and it's likely to continue even without that fuss.

The only other thing I thought was maybe if Nellie didn't survive and it was a whole drama for Kyle, who would off course be heartbroken and feel so guilty.

On the other hand, what if both their children being in danger opened up a way for Mary Vaughan and Maddie to bond? Make friends maybe, understand each other better.

And off course, it would create more drama between Jackson and Ty. Maybe in a bad way, maybe Jackson also blames Ty just cos he's a Townsend.

Maybe they could have drama in a good way. They've both got little siblings who are effected, and as someone who's watched my parents grieve for a child, it can be lonely, maybe Jackson and Ty are able to band together and be there for each other and help each other through that intensely pressured time and come out the other side friends?

((Not really relevant, but what if because ofc Annie is very involved too, her and Jackson bond and become more than friends? What if Annie is also angry at Ty for leaving the keys in the car or pushing Kyle or whatever, and so leans away from Ty, and ends up kind of leaning towards Jackson? Cos like, the drama! Mary Vaughan could hate it just cos it's Dana Sue's daughter! Ty watching Jackson and Annie together could make him feel differently towards Annie! Idk, I doubt this is the direct it's going in, but I think it'd kind of be funny, maybe we'd get to see a cool like character arc for Jackson))

Annie

I think this might be most likely. I could see the writers making drama between Maddie and Dana Sue because Dana Sue blamed Maddie and blah blah blah. I hope they don't do that, but it's the kind of annoying, needless drama we often get given (even though for me at least, id be happier to see mums banding together to support each other, like we've seen so much of in s01!)

Also, with her Dad being back, it could create drama between Dana Sue and Ron maybe getting back together? (however, if this same storyline is happening with Bill and Maddie, I doubt it, maybe it could help Dana Sue forgive Ron tho?)

Drama with medical expenses? Just with Dana Sue ending s01 with a bit of financial difficulty, what if she can't pay for Annie's hopstial bills? That could effect the restaurant and the spa - I'm not very good with business stuff, but what if they had to do something to keep the spa afloat? Like sell of shares, or bring in someone new with their own big ideas ect?

It would also create drama with Ty - what if he realises how he really feels about Annie? What if he changes his tune? What if Ty is angry with Kyle? He was angry when Kyle not appearing meant Annie had to do Kyle's part in the mock trial thing, how much more upset would he be if Kyle had not only stolen and wrecked his car, but also put Annie in danger too?

Also, CeCe, I don't know if she's guaranteed to be returning in s02 but I can't see why she wouldn't, but she wasn't the nicest to Annie. What if she feels bad? What if Ty fights his feelings and she realises his feelings and part of her character arc is her eventually pushing him towards Annie?

However, in the books, Annie had a eating disorder at one point, so maybe even if she's not in the accident, the stress of it could bring on the eating disorder, and again, she has her dad home too, maybe battling that helps her mum and dad reconnect?

Someone else??

I know it doesn't make much sense because... Why wouldn't they force Kyle to let them drive? But hear me out -

What if someone else stopped Kyle and got in the car?

My two top contenders would be Noreen and Cal. What if they stopped him at some point, he was upset enough he wouldn't let them drive, they got in the car hoping to be able to talk him down

If it were Cal, it could either draw him and Maddie together, or further apart.

Noreen, well there would HAVE to be complications with the baby, because this is a cheesy american show (in a good way), maybe Bill convinces her to come back to him this way? And Kyle really liked and trusted Noreen, so it'd make sense he'd let her in the car

We haven't even got a release date yet, I just want to KNOW ALREADY!!!!!

#theories #spoilers #sweet magnolias #Netflix #sweet Magnolias tv show

[llionheartcd]

HAPPY AND SAD FOR BO 🎲 🎲 HAPPY AND SAD FOR KYLE 🎲 🎲 AND ONE MORE FOR NICK 🎲 DR O W N (u don't gotta do em all in one post fjjfdklfh)

Send 🎲 for a random drabble

    “Curiosity killed the cat. Have you ever heard that phrase, Nickolas?”

    Was that why the king wanted to see him? To ask him that? That couldn’t be right. The tired smile Ralph wore, a crack in his stone statue of a face that didn’t fit well with his dead brown eyes. Nick had never seen them so cold, but he decided to dismiss it. Maybe the low lighting was causing him to see things. His offputting eyes aside, there was still much more on the king’s mind, which was great because there was a lot on Nick’s too. Mostly questions about Kyle, questions about Stonewall. The same things that he had been thinking about for weeks now. Even while he was cleaning, he found himself wondering if the rumors about that place were true. Even at night, when his blankets were pulled up to his chin, he felt a shiver at the thought of that poor boy enduring hardships that he could only hope were fake. Nick was actually glad that he got the opportunity to talk to Ralph. He had been meaning to ask him a few things.

    “I have, your highness.” He offered a small smile. “But the rest of the phrase is that satisfaction brought the dead cat back to life.”

    “That is the rest of it, isn’t it?” A short chuckle, a long sigh. “It’s a shame that life doesn’t actually work that way. If something happened to someone simply because they were curious, I’m certain satisfaction wouldn’t save them or bring them back to life.”

    The king sure was putting a lot of thought into a phrase. “Curiosity’s not a bad thing. I’ve never heard of it getting someone killed.”

     Another crack, his left eyebrow raising. “You haven’t?” Ralph stood from his desk, stretched his arms, legs, and back. How long had he just been sitting there like that? Nick knew he wouldn’t like the answer so he didn’t ask. “You seem to be very interested in Kyle, Nickolas.”

    “I’m worried about him. I just want to make sure he’s safe.” Confident, bold, even when face to face with a king. Nick felt an out of place memory creep into his head. A smile on his mother’s face, her soft hands pushing back a few locks of his brown hair. Her words were muffled, drowned. She said something about him always being worried about others. What did she say after that? Why was she coming to mind at a time like this? He should give her a call soon.

     “I’m aware of your concern over him, and I admire it quite a bit. However, I’m getting annoyed with your actions as of late. I heard you’ve been questioning people about things they’ve never even heard of. Your prying is disturbing your fellow servants, and now it’s disturbing me.”

    Ah, so he was in trouble for asking people if they’ve ever heard of Stonewall. Nick didn’t want to disturb anyone, but if he had to make a fuss to protect another person, he’d do it. A question came to mind. “Your royal highness, your majesty. What am I doing wrong exactly?”

    Ralph moved from behind his desk. Big, slow steps. Nick wasn’t drawn to his feet, his arms, his face. Only his eyes. His mother taught him that if he demanded an answer, the eyes were the best place to look. They were the window to the soul. They showed things the mind was unable to hide. Nick didn’t see any humanity in his brown pupils though. He wondered if he should be worried.

    Just as he thought that, an arm wrapped around his shoulder. It suddenly pulled him close until he was pressed up against his king’s side. He enjoyed physical contact as much as the next guy, if not a little bit more (he was a touchy-feely guy, sue him), but this didn’t feel right. Ralph’s icy touch froze his shoulder blade.

    The king chuckled again, and Nick felt something uncomfortable in his stomach. “What did we just discuss, Nickolas? Curiosity killed the cat, and satisfaction can’t bring it back. Satisfaction can’t bring back the cat’s new friend either. Satisfaction can’t bring back anyone. So if I were you, I’d choose what I’m curious about wisely.”

    Nick noticed them walking towards the doors. Was the king kicking him out? No, no, that wasn’t what he should be focusing on. What actually bothered him was the cat and who it was meant to represent. What terrified him was the mention of the cat’s new friend.

    “I-Is that a threat?”

    “Of course not!” A jagged smile, emotionless and dead. Just a crack in a statue. “We’re talking about cats, remember? It’s a phrase. You’ve heard it before. You said so yourself.”

    Ralph would never threaten him. He’d never threaten anybody. He was the king! He’d never do that, right? A light shove pushed him from his side and into the doors. That felt like an accident, but he never apologized. “Y-Your highness?”

    “Yes, Nickolas?”

    There was a bit of hesitation. He mulled over his words, thought about his eyes. If the threat was just on him, Nick wouldn’t have cared. Why would he care about something happening to him? Other people were the important ones. They were the ones he wanted to see happy, wanted to see smiling and safe. But the ‘cat’s new friend’ forced him to care. If his curiosity would endanger Kyle in any way, then it was best for him to keep it to himself. It was best that he keep everything about this to himself. Nick stared at his king in the dim lighting. There was a bad taste on his tongue. “I apologize for disturbing you and my fellow servants. I won’t ask again.”

    “It’s alright, Nickolas. We should get back to work, you and I. I have a lot to do, so you should as well.”

    “Yes, your highness.” He didn’t bother masking the disappointment, the fear, the confusion in his voice. He was never good at doing things like that. He’d have to learn. Nick put a hand on the door, tried to push it open, but a few words from Ralph stopped him for a moment.

    “Don’t do anything foolish, Nickolas.”

    Those words echoed in his head, even after he left the king’s workroom. Don’t do anything foolish. The king told him not to do anything stupid, he warned him not to fuck up. For his sake, for Kyle’s sake. What would he do? That was a question he asked himself as he stood dumbstruck in the hallway. What would he do to them? Ralph spoke of curiosity killing them, but he wouldn’t do that to them. He would never. He had always seemed so kind and trustworthy. How long had that malice been inside of those brown eyes of his?

    “Mr. Nickolas!”

    Nick nearly screamed. He couldn’t handle existing right now. He needed a few moments to process that meeting, process the person his king truly was. He was going to dismiss whoever called his name until he saw damaged grey eyes and blonde hair. All of his worries and fears took a backseat to Kyle.

    “I-I told you, man, just Nick is fine.” He thought about placing a hand on Kyle’s shoulder but decided against it. Last time he did that, he frightened him. He’d wait until he was ready.

    “I-I apologize. I-I had to find you. I appreciate all you’ve done to help me understand things that I should know, and I hate to burden you by asking you something else-”

    “No, no, go ahead. Ask away, man. I already told you, you can ask me anything whenever. You’ll never burden me.”

    “A-Alright. I don’t deserve your kindness, Mr. Nickolas.” Kyle spoke faster than Nick could correct him. “Someone approached me and asked me what was up. When I answered the next floor, they laughed at me. Did I say something amusing? I-I don’t understand.”

    Oh wow. Oh wow, it was decided. It had been decided a long time ago, but now it was official. Hearing that from the short, nervous, robotic, buttoned-up boy in front of him made it official. Nick had to protect him. Nick had to protect Kyle. He was so pure and innocent. He didn’t deserve to be threatened by people like the king. He didn’t deserve whatever bad things that happened to him in the past. As long as Nick was around, he wouldn’t be hurt again. He silently swore it to himself.

    “Don’t worry, Kyle.” Nick thought of the king’s threat, of his mother’s face, of Kyle’s past. How he managed to smile with all of that on his mind was beyond him. “I’ll explain it to you.”

#drabble #AND THUS THE KYLE ARMAD PROTECTION SQUAD WAS BORN #Kyle does eventually stop calling Nick Mr. Nickolas #Ralph got scared about Nick finding out that he purchased a human being? And his solution? Was to threaten him to throw him off the trail? #I mean I guess it worked so #I was so excited about writing this because this is what I meant when I said Ralph got annoyed with Nick bringing up the academy #There's so much talk of eyes here but Nick is such an eye contact guy #aestasetbruma

[thebastardofgloucester]

Okay, so. Thoughts on the mess that was Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi.

- I can see why a lot of people had a big problem with Poe’s arc – mostly that it started him from such an obnoxious place that wasn’t entirely in keeping with his portrayal in Before the Awakening or the comics (honestly I think his character in TFA is sufficiently thin that it wasn’t really out of the realm of possibility). There’s also the component of the Angry Latino Man racist trope with his aggression towards Holdo and Leia. Leia slapping him was unnecessary. Leia stunning him so he flew back into a wall(?!) was really unnecessary, and combined with brutalization of the other characters of color was a Problem.

- But nonetheless I loved where it ended up. I did love Poe learning the brutal lessons of command, putting him in a place to be Leia’s successor as the leader of the Resistance. He is a hotshot pilot. Going from that to general, with all the need for long-term thinking that requires, is not an easy leap. So while I understand where people who hate it are coming from, I think that Poe’s journey to becoming Leia’s heir to the role of leader is the most compelling part of the film.

- God Luke was a mess. His grumpy old man act was funny but it hurt so much to see Luke, the beating heart of the OT, reduced to a bitter version of Obi-Wan, minus the hope of believing in the future. TFA and TLJ utterly broke Luke in a way that was just…too much. And god, he would never draw a weapon on his fucking nephew, no matter how scared he was. He might aggressively confront Ben, trying to get him to give Snoke up, go after the source, but killing his nephew out of fear? What? W H A T ?

- that said, that was the most meaty material Mark Hamill has ever been given and he fucking killed it, so props to him.

- What was Rey even doing through most of this movie. All the clarity and dynamism of her character was just sucked away and outside of some moments on Ahch-To she was either a prop in Kyle Ben’s narrative or a walking deus ex machina. She technically becomes the Last Jedi and turns her back on Ron but like…we didn’t see any of that? Does she even want to be a Jedi?

- look…I have been on the Rey Skywalker train forever. I am not happy with her being from unremarkable origins (assuming Kyle is telling the truth, and given that he is a manipulative abusive asshole he may not be) in part because it actually feeds the unfair idea that she’s somehow unrealistic (whatever that means in a space wizards franchise) or a Mary Sue character. She shows a level of skill, instinct, and power that has previously only been manifested by…Anakin Skywalker. That needs an explanation. Either she’s a Skywalker, or a vessel or champion of the Light Side of the Force, or some other shit, but there does need to be a reason. Luke and Anakin have a reason – they are Skywalkers, one Space Jesus and the other the son of Space Jesus.

- I have no idea what motivated Rey for so much of the film. Her quasi-Bespin going to Kyle thing was a fucking mess and required a lot of idiot balling. Rey is smarter than that. Rey saw Kyle murder his father – she would not just trust him enough to go alone. Basically Rian either did not get Rey as JJ Abrams made her or he didn’t care. Either one is utter bullshit. Some cool action sequences mean nothing without the character dynamics to back them up.

- God, Finn…Rian took the problematic aspects of Finn’s comic relief role from TFA and just…ran with them. I didn’t object to him trying to run off to find Rey – he has no real attachment to the Resistance. But his whole mission is just…pointless. There’s no follow up on his being a Stormtrooper who overcame his programming. We get some interesting stuff with Rose about his being a legend when he’s not comfortable in that role, and I kind of liked the way his self-sacrificing behavior was called out by Rose so he knew that besides Rey people actually cared about him, but…there were so many missed opportunities, and so many unnecessary injuries and physical jokes.

- I love Rose. I do. I don’t know that there was really a place for her in this story. Her ‘eat the rich’ working class background was cool, she’s a huge sweetheart, Kelly Marie Tran gave a great performance. Her romance with Finn was a rushed mess. A crush I can believe, fine. Love after like two days max? No. They didn’t earn that. Honestly if you are going to introduce your first significant woc you have to find more to do with her. It was nice that (unlike Leia and Luke) she got a chance to grieve her losses

- Kyle Ben’s eventually becoming the irredeemable supreme leader actually works pretty well, but how it got there…on the other hand…Kyle shows his true colors when he turns on Snoke…in order to take his place in the finest traditions of the Sith. He’s the full-fledged villain for episode IX. As it should be.

- What the fuck was Snoke. Why did the film bring him and Rey and Kylo together in an awkward and forced series of developments and then just cut him in half. We have no idea where he came from, his relationship to the Empire, his goals, his plan with Kyle and Rey and Luke…it’s just an enormous blank and we’ll never get an answer because Rian got bored and just decided to off him. It’s not like I care about him as a character, obviously. His death hardly upset me other than the fact that it was pretty bad writing.

- why the everliving fuck did we have to have YODA show up, basically to give a non-chalannt mea culpa and say ‘actually the Jedi were kind of shit.’ Like ANAKIN? Why the fuck would you not use the person the Order failed the most. Also Yoda looked fucking terrible I have no idea why they used a puppet AND CGI.

- On the plus side, Leia did a truly spectacular Force Thing (though that was some cheap shit by Rian spacing her like that). Then she was unconscious. She never got to mourn Han at all. She passed the torch to Poe, but I can’t help but be disappointed when so much was promised. Also…no one came to her aid? I know that in Bloodline her parentage being revealed ruins her reputation and strips her of her influence…but no one? What the fuck?

- DJ was just a useless character. Maybe they’ll be a payoff in episode ix, but he serves no purpose but to set up an inconsequential betrayal, unless you count Phasma dying (also a cheapening of her character as laid out in her novel) as a tremendously important moment. All the damage was done by Holto’s sacrifice. Finn and Rose and BB-8 were pretty incidental.

- the Porgs were stupid space puffins and despite myself I’m kind of fond of the stupid things. The crystal foxes were much cooler, of course.

- R2D2 and C3PO were props in this film. Chewbacca too.

- Luke…weirdly his facing his fears and sacrificing himself was one of the best parts of the mostly-okay third act? I liked the new, less flashy but still impressive Force power of projection, and he got some chance to say goodbye to Leia at least, and he got to lay down the law to Kyle Ron. But…he died alone. That’s not fucking okay. That’s a betrayal of Luke, the heart of the original trilogy. It’s just…wrong. And it’s sad and heartbreaking but not really in a satisfying way. And he never really passes the torch to Rey – he sacrifices himself to fix his fuck-up with Kyle. He deserved more than that. All the Skywalkers did.

- the space battles were pretty great, the whole tracking thing and the slow race was very Battlestar-y, even if the mechanics of the plot were a bit questionable.

- I need to read Leia Princess of Alderaan to get the backstory on Holdo. Her character was interesting (though we could have used more backstory or elaboration on how she became so respected a military leader) and her relationship with Leia was tantalising but there just wasn’t enough. Her heroic sacrifice was fucking awesome though. If she had to go out she picked a good way to do it.

- Billie Lourd got a character and lines and that was pretty great.

- Okay, minor nitpick that actually REALLY BOTHERED ME. Among the casualties in the opening battle appeared to be Temmin ‘Snap’ Wexley, one of the protagonists of the Aftermath books, and the son of the delightful Norra Wexley. Like, first, Mister Bones would fucking swim through space and stab Kyle Ben with his vibroknives because he is Norra’s motherly love incarnate in a psychotic droid. And second, Norra deserved better. She’s probably dead now and that is bullshit in itself.

- Or it might have been another bearded guy, in which case like Jessica Pava his absence bothered me. Like…where did these people go?

- blowing up the bridge to kill Ackbar et al was just cheap bullshit honestly

- the war profiteering and moral ambiguity was not elaborated enough to justify its inclusion, honestly. I’m not averse to that sort of moral ambiguity but you have to earn it to stick it into a Star Wars film. They didn’t. And again, DJ was just useless.

So, yeah, to review – this is not a movie I was ever going to like. I got almost nothing I wanted out of it, it fucked over the Skywalkers royally in a way that left me feeling bitter and betrayed, it misused or wasted Finn and Rose, Rey’s character was inconsistent at best with little to no on-screen development. The opening was strong. The second act was an epic dumpster fire, particularly everything with Kyle and Rey and Snoke and everything that led there. The third more or less pulled the majority of story threads out and left them in an interesting place for JJ Abrams in episode ix to maybe do some interesting things, but the path it took to get there had…problems.

Rian doesn’t love Star Wars like I love Star Wars, and he really doesn’t like the Skywalkers. I guess that’s what some people wanted – for an end to the Skywalker-centric narrative. Personally I think that is utterly missing the point of literally everything about this series, but whatever, people will disagree.

The writing was overall clumsy to outright bad, with bursts of inspired storytelling but mostly buried under Kyle apologism.

Corvus fairly points out that The Empire Strikes Back is not nearly as good as movie as it is without the events of Return of the Jedi, so to an extent it’s hard to fairly judge the film when you don’t know where it is in the overarching story. But equally this film had so many opportunities to develop the characters and build the world and it just. Did not.

As for a rating, it depends when you ask me. I’d rate it somewhere between a 5 and 6/10. Maybe a 4 in some aspects. It’s not Attack of the Clones bad, but it’s worse than Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, A New Hope, ESB…I mean, I liked Rogue One more. Frankly Revenge of the Sith was more emotionally satisfying, especially in the context of the Clone Wars series. I’m never really sure where to rate The Phantom Menace. This might be better. I’m not entirely sure, and that’s pretty damning,

I’m just…so disappointed and frustrated and have basically decided to treat the new canon post RotJ as more of alternate universe than anything else. Which is kind of sad, honestly.

tldr; Anakin Skywalker Did Not Die For This Shit

#martinus watches the last jedi #the last jedi spoilers #tlj spoilers #a new hope for a new generation #rian does not love star wars like i love star wars

[chunsoftie]

1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10 -- RELEASE THE SALT

The salt is being released. I spent an hour writing this 2K response, but yeah, have fun.

Ask me a Salty Ask Here

1.      What OTPS in your fandom(s) do you just notget?*

There are a few OTPs that I get in relative terms to thestory, or aesthetic purposes, but I am going to just name off a variedselection off the top of my head:

Rogermon (Lord of the Flies) – I actually wrote an entirelittle rant about why I don’t like/get this pairing here so if you want my fullopinion about why I don’t get this, you can click here. But for the sake of youguys just knowing to know a slice of the controversial pie, Rogermon just doesn’tmake sense because it’s Simon and Roger, two of the more introverted characterswithin the novel that have barely interacted and if they did canonicallyspeaking Roger would probably feel the need to hurt him, just like with everyother boy except for Jack. So, yeah.

Ralphiggy (Lord of the Flies) – This ship is pretty easy toexplain why I don’t get it, and it’s honestly pretty funny considering myheader might give you the idea that I ship them. I really don’t, I just findmyself looking like some kind of hybrid mix between the two because I’m blondeand I wear glasses (and I’m a lil’ chubby but hey who is judging here. Anyways,the reason I don’t ship these two is just because Ralph pretty much was annoyedby Piggy throughout the entirety of the novel until just before Piggy dies.Ralph didn’t find anything charming about Piggy and honestly, I would arguethat Piggy was kind of on the same boat but he fled to Ralph for protection,and Ralph needed Piggy for support. However I’m kind of more open towards thisship in a platonic sense, because I do love how their relationship buildsthroughout the novel and I honestly love when people tackle these two, realistically,in fic. I just don’t like the ship.

Jack/Simon (Lord of the Flies) – Another ship that doesn’t reallymake any sense and yet I still see fanart for it, but whatever. I’m not goingto call out this rarepair too hard just because it is rare and I hardly see itanymore. Obviously, the reason I don’t get this is because Jack and Simonhardly interact in the novel and when Jack does talk about Simon it’s of theupmost disregard. So yeah, not a huge fun.

I’m going to talk about Style in the next question, no needin bringing that ship up here.

Garneal, or Pearlnet (I don’t know) (Steven Universe): YeahI can kind of get why people are attracted to this ship, Garnet and Pearl carea lot for each other and their relationship has been building positively sincethe beginning of the show and especially during the Sardonyx arc. However I don’tget Garnet ships in general, which is what makes this weird in my eyes. Garnetis a relationship. She’s a character in and of herself but her entirecharacterization is built pretty much around a strong, mutual relationshipbetween two other gems. The idea of Garnet being in a relationship with anotherGem makes it seem like people are trying to pair Garnet to somebody elsebecause they feel like she needs that other person, even though she’s arelationship in and of herself and she’s happy with who she is. Plus, not goingto get into detail about Pearl and how I don’t really find her as interestingas the other CCs, so there you go.

2.      Are there popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?*

Oh yeah.

Lapidot (Steven Universe); I find this relationship boringand uninteresting. Friendship wise, I think it’s awesome and I wouldn’t want tochange anything about that. However it seems inevitable that Peridot’s firstfusion will be with Lapis, and a part of me is bummed about that because I feellike with her development with Amethyst – development we’ve actually seen onscreen and can vouch for – would be a better candidate for first-time fusion.(What can I say? I ship Amedot). Lapidot, to me, is just not that fun orexciting and I would much rather them be a BroTP. I can hardly ship Lapis withanyone, honestly.

Style (South Park): I love these two as friends. I love howin the cartoon these two would do so much for one another. However I can’treally ship it romantically even though they were the first ship I got intowhen it came to the South Park fandom. I actually got into Kyman (which areKyle and Cartman, yeah, sue me) because I was looking for Style fanartback-in-the-day. So yeah, I guess this ship is good for something. If I had toship anyone with Stan it would definitely be Wendy, and I was going to say ifsomething isn’t broke why fix it, but Wendy and Stan need to have a more stablerelationship, but at least they work and at least Stan is happy with her. Whydo Style fans needs to demonize Wendy in this retrospect? Give the boys somehappiness, y’know? But yeah, Style is a ship I BroTP but wouldn’t romanticallyget behind.

This is going to be kind of weird considering they werecanon for a while in the show but another BroTP that should’ve stayed a BroTPwas Clexa (Clarke and Lexa from The 100). So, for a little bit I did ship thesetwo. You could see the progression between them and they basically played offlike a lesbian version of Bellarke (put your rifles away, sweeties, I shipBellarke to the moon and back and this is just a brief overview). However Ifelt like with Lexa’s characterization they were trying too hard. It didn’treally feel natural for these two to become romantic and when they finally did,I didn’t care anymore. Lexa is honestly one of the most boring characterswithin The 100, even compared to some of the starting cast that had cool personalitiesbut didn’t really do anything. Lexa is just a mannequin with a restingbitch-face. We can say I’m not really too into that. But as comrades, I likedtheir dynamic, just please stop trying to force lesbian romances for the sakeof keeping it within the demographic. If you’re going to write a strong,tightly-knit lesbian relationship, then do it.

So much for Clarke’s bisexual representation.

3.      Do you have a NoTP in your fandom? Are they apopular OTP?

The only NoTPs I really have are for a view. Some of myfollowers might glare at me from the sidelines but whatever.

Zutara (Avatar: the Last Airbender): Not really going intotoo much detail about why I just don’t like this ship except for the aesthetic,but I’ve always loved the Kataang relationship since the show started airingand I’m not really going to change my mind about it.

NaruSaku (Naruto): This should have been with my BroTPcategory but I already went into too much detail there with a few ships, so forthe sake of keeping this brief, I have always preferred NaruHina (Naruto andHinata), but I do love Sakura as a character and I love her growingfriendship/platonic!relationship with Naruto. I kind of don’t like SasuSaku,though, but I feel more indifferent towards them.

Keith/Shiro (Voltron): I just prefer Klance, and I actuallyship Shiro with Pidge even though people are going to fire up their torches andchase me down for it because of Shiro’s age? Or whatever? I don’t really care,people might already be pissed off about this listing already. Anyways, yeah, Iship Klance way more even though I’m still kind of indifferent towards thosetwo, but I am getting more into them.

Diane/Mr. Peanutbutter (BoJack Horseman): I feel moreindifferent about these two but I like how their relationship is portrayed inthe series and I definitely like how they didn’t divorce automatically like somany couples do and they actually work through their problems. The only issueis I prefer Diane with BoJack just because I feel like the two of them can beamazing together and just what each other needs, but maybe that’s because I canimagine it greatly in my head but I know it would just end up hurting Diane tobe with someone so destructive and broken. Eh, I still ship it. Mr.Peanutbutter can annoy me so much, as well, regardless of how adorable he is.

I can’t really think of others, honestly.

4.      Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?

Kind of on a mix between The 100 with Clexa but that shipwas already a sinking one without the fandom so it wasn’t like I needed theirhelp for that. The fandom for Steven Universe is a toxic hellhole, so shippingAmedot nowadays is practically like stepping into radioactive waste since allof the Lapidot fans want to throw a rope around your neck, but it’s arguablethat’s how it is with whichever ship between the two you prefer, so it’swhatever.

So yeah, The 100 and Steven Universe because all of thoseSJW bitches.

And let’s not forget how the South Park fandom can be attimes, just let me ship Kyman in peace goddammit.

9. Most disliked character(s)? Why?

Um, I feel like there are a lot of characters from certainshows/books that I just dislike so I’m going to just list off a view andexplain why:

Roger (Lord of the Flies) – He’s really got one thing goingfor him in the novel and that is he likes killing things and people. There’s nothing‘deep’ about him and he’s not going to have this realization that killingpeople is bad so people need to stop removing that characterization from him.Just leave him alone and let him be what he is, honestly.

Ronaldo (Steven Universe) – Annoying character thatrepresents all of the terrible things about the Steven Universe fandom? Yeah,not a huge fan.

Lars (Steven Universe) – I find him irritating but he isgetting better and hopefully the Wanted event will help me like him more.

Mr. Garrison (South Park) – I originally found him reallyfunny and interesting but now I just find him annoying. I do still laugh atsome of his jokes, though.

Hannah Baker (Thirtreen Reasons Why) – This is a new one, Iactually started watching the series a few days ago and am almost finished withit. That being said, Hannah as a character in this series is extremely annoyingand probably one of the biggest bitches ever. What’s up with female charactersin this series being absolute bitches for no reason just because someone doesn’trespond in time or have a profound answer to their questions? Just let thedudes relax. I get it, Hannah, you’ve been through some rough shit but maybe Iwould care for your more if you weren’t such a pretentious bitch. Wow, I saidbitch a lot, but I’m not really sorry for that.

And this is kind of random but off the top of my headanother character I despise is Abigail from The Crucible. I could not stand herwithin the play and if I ever reread it I will throw my copy against a wall.She’s such a useless waste of space within the plot, just burn her, please.

10. Most disliked arc? Why?

Um, this is pretty hard because I don’t really dislike arcs,I just find some of them not written well? But off the top of my head, I wouldhave to say several arcs in the second season of Voltron could have beenwritten a lot better and a large part of that season felt extremely rushed. Itwas kind of like the same thing with mid-seasons of Legend of Korra, so I’m notreally surprised, but I can’t point towards a single arcs because there were aLOT of arcs in the second season that just didn’t feel like they were going anywhereand that they could have been solved in a span of two episodes.

So yeah, Voltron. But other than that I will have to thinkabout that. I don’t really watch too much plot-heavy shows so that’s why thisone of kind of hard for me. I can’t even think of a The 100 arc I disliked, andthat’s saying something ‘cause there were a lot.

#answered #text

[zenruption]

The Daily Disaster-6/9

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

AN UNDER-APPRECIATED PROBLEM WITH THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY IS HOW HE AND HIS STAFF CONTINUOUSLY NORMALIZE DISASTER. BECAUSE WE WITNESS NEW SCANDALS, GAFFES, COVERUPS, HYPOCRISY, MISDIRECTION, INCOMPETENCE, ATROCITY, CRONYISM, IGNORANCE, RACISM, XENOPHOBIA, TREASON, EMBARRASSMENT, LIES, DYSFUNCTION, POWER GRABS, WAR ESCALATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSAULTS, MISOGYNY AND MORE ON A DAILY BASIS, THE MAGNITUDE OF EACH IS DIMINISHED IN OUR CONSCIOUSNESS BY THE SIMPLE VIRTUE THAT WE HAVE BECOME SATURATED. BECAUSE OF THIS, WE AT ZENRUPTION WILL BE PUBLISHING A DAILY CURATION OF THE EVENTS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED, FROM VARIOUS SOURCES, INCLUDING LEAKS WITHIN THE WHITE HOUSE, SO THAT WE CAN FULLY EXPERIENCE THE LEVEL OF DISASTER OUR EXECUTIVE BRANCH HAS BECOME AND THE IMPLICATIONS IT HAS ON ALL OF US. TODAY, JUNE 9, 2017

Check back often

and contribute!

By Jerry Mooney

From The Horse's Mouth (Trump tweets, then leaker tweets, then published reports)

Congratulations to Jeb Hensarling & Republicans on successful House vote to repeal major parts of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial law. GROWTH!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2017

Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication...and WOW, Comey is a leaker!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2017

Great reporting by @foxandfriends and so many others. Thank you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2017

.@RealDonaldTrump says "Comey's a leaker." A private citizen giving a friend private, non-classified documents isn't leaking

— West Wing Reports (@WestWingReport) June 9, 2017

If only Comey did something innocent, like blurt out Israeli intel to the Russians. https://t.co/XH1zu91bRg

— Matt Parthasarthy (@Matt4CT) June 9, 2017

Dear MSM, I am leaking a personal recollection of my visit to the WH last December. #ComeyLeaks pic.twitter.com/T8Jn8ABICG

— Matt Parthasarthy (@Matt4CT) June 9, 2017

Good for Trump there's no very clear and topical evidence of him using "hope" as a threat. Wait. https://t.co/Jx1xLgDYnO

— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) June 8, 2017

GOP using Comey hearing/Russia as shell game. Dodd-Frank repeal is real focus & has been "close to #1" on list of priorities since election.

— Rogue WH Snr Advisor (@RogueSNRadvisor) June 8, 2017

So far during Comey hearing staff have taken 4 cellphones and 1 iPad away from Pres; he just can't help himself, he has to tweet.

— Rogue WH Snr Advisor (@RogueSNRadvisor) June 8, 2017

After Comey hearing Pres "doesn't want to hear another word about Russia - from anyone." Don't think that's gonna happen, Donnie.

— Rogue WH Snr Advisor (@RogueSNRadvisor) June 8, 2017

Pres says the result of the Comey hearing "means I'll be president for at least the next 8 years."

— Rogue WH Snr Advisor (@RogueSNRadvisor) June 9, 2017

"And by total and complete vindication, I mean publicly shamed." https://t.co/z2gpynw0Ms

— Rogue WH Snr Advisor (@RogueSNRadvisor) June 9, 2017

It rhymes with Crussia https://t.co/iHDJzdSAwg

— Rogue WH Snr Advisor (@RogueSNRadvisor) June 9, 2017

After Comey hearing Pres wants to "double down" on Obama, says "we need to make clear who the real enemy is." Oh we know who it is, Donald.

— Rogue WH Snr Advisor (@RogueSNRadvisor) June 9, 2017

TRUMP: "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse" REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS: See, Trump was only making an "offer"; he didn't demand anything

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) June 9, 2017

His tax returns (twice) Preemptive NK attack bluff Location of US submarines Israeli intel on ISIS Privileged comms w/ Comey#LeakedByTrump

— Rogue POTUS Staff (@RoguePOTUSStaff) June 9, 2017

POTUS says everyone should move on after yesterday, but his top objective today is to find more ways to make Comey look bad.

— Rogue POTUS Staff (@RoguePOTUSStaff) June 9, 2017

People leaking their own words to a free press is so elitist compared to a gold plated penthouse. https://t.co/wPNqX6OJyu

— Rogue POTUS Staff (@RoguePOTUSStaff) June 8, 2017

Quite the story from Nancy Pelosi about her first meeting with Trump—and his insistence that he won the popular vote. (via @Morning_Joe) pic.twitter.com/xvmCmJA6el

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 9, 2017

Pelosi: Sessions must resign https://t.co/uiRszvGqqV pic.twitter.com/LmVkRHCpMm

— The Hill (@thehill) June 9, 2017

"Total and complete vindication"? More like total and complete incrimination. My take on Comey testimony: https://t.co/lUkDMSn0QM

— Max Boot (@MaxBoot) June 9, 2017

Do you think Trump understands what "vindication" means? It's not clear to me that he does. pic.twitter.com/ybh0rcNMh8

— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) June 9, 2017

TRUMP: "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse" REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS: See, Trump was only making an "offer"; he didn't demand anything

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) June 9, 2017

Jobs where "I'm New At This" is acceptable... - Server - Retail - Entry level programmer - Cook Job it's not... - President Of The USA

— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) June 9, 2017

McInnis involved. I "hope" he "falls" down some stairs soon.https://t.co/6He8hstBCj

— Pesach 'Pace' Lattin (@pacelattin) June 9, 2017

If you believe Trump's lawyer, Comey must have secretly made up a fake story & then told witnesses & wrote memos about it contemporaneously. https://t.co/aXcecVqbTd

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) June 9, 2017

Let's not forget DAG Rosenstein wrote an entire memo used to mislead American people that Trump fired Comey b/c he treated Hillary unfairly.

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) June 9, 2017

Even the Tronc-owned right-leaning @LATimes - not part of the "liberal" media -- says you are unmatched for lying pic.twitter.com/78JrUdGS6L

— Jack Schofield (@jackschofield) June 9, 2017

Nixon was not personally under investigation for Watergate...until he was.

— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) June 9, 2017

GREAT ANALYSIS for 2018. To retake the House, Dems don't need to convince Trump voters who would support Trump shooting someone on 5th Ave. https://t.co/BR8EqueVAn

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) June 9, 2017

I don't understand why local television & newspaper reporters aren't up in Senators /staffers faces & writing scathing stories every day @AP https://t.co/oeyPIqdqd7

— RiotWomenn (@riotwomennn) June 9, 2017

The grab-them-by-the-pussy video comes out. Trump: "This shows how much I love women. I'm vindicated."

— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) June 9, 2017

Full Grassley letter, which is a must-read: https://t.co/5DSh7cTzcr

— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) June 9, 2017

Grassley: "Every member of Congress is a Constitutional officer ... all members need accurate information from the Executive Branch." pic.twitter.com/R28QUX1Sgw

— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) June 9, 2017

Wow. Big deal. Very important vis-a-vis Mueller, but also as to the court and things Dreeben could be conflicted out from going forward. https://t.co/YjfcSC90a0

— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) June 9, 2017

Former GOP congressman who called on Bill Clinton to resign and voted to impeach him --> https://t.co/dsKl9yCdfL

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) June 9, 2017

To help infrastructure firms navigate the federal bureaucracy, President is adding to it by forming an agency to help cut thru red tape

— West Wing Reports (@WestWingReport) June 9, 2017

My best Cap Hill source: (long time senior staffer). GOP not sure Trump will survive this. "We're preparing for all contingencies".

— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) June 9, 2017

Trump "didn't know" we have troops in Qatar. He should know what countries we have our military in. Important for countless reasons. #resist https://t.co/QbgvMz9b8I

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) June 9, 2017

More importantly, Michael Dreeben is careful, meticulous, non-partisan, and fair-minded. His loyalty is to the Constitution alone. https://t.co/9a7jwHVH1K

— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) June 9, 2017

YES! We went there & saw the Taj Mahal. Ppl were all saying it looked exactly like Kremlin.It came out he was laundering Russian mob money! pic.twitter.com/6MyIXmhabf

— Wendy Marcinkiewicz (@WendyMarcinkie1) June 8, 2017

In past year Trump has threatened to sue everyone, it seems, but the Girl Scouts (perhaps WWR missed that one) - but never follows through: pic.twitter.com/AyrLUr6ra3

— West Wing Reports (@WestWingReport) June 9, 2017

The point of Comey's testimony wasn't to convict Trump-it was to aid and assist Mueller's case. He accomplished that.

— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) June 9, 2017

Fun fact: Article II of Impeachment for Nixon was Abuse of Power. My #FridayFeeling is that @realDonaldTrump is in bigly trouble. https://t.co/d1VXUZwcvL

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) June 9, 2017

pic.twitter.com/M4CAXvwVWW

— Sarah Burgess (@sunkist111) June 9, 2017

.@RealDonaldTrump, who threatens to sue everyone (sexual misconduct accusers, NYTimes, etc.), but rarely does, now threatens to sue Comey

— West Wing Reports (@WestWingReport) June 9, 2017

Trump's lawyer threatens to file complaints against Comey. But they're both already DOA. By @christinawilkie https://t.co/TJQornwHTr

— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) June 9, 2017

For Trump, the ‘Cloud’ Just Grew That Much Darker https://t.co/xU2K9pHX7f

— Nada Bakos (@nadabakos) June 9, 2017

Charm. Bully. Abandon. Sue. That's how @realDonaldTrump deals with problems. It's on full display with his actions toward Comey.

— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) June 9, 2017

Dreeben is 1 of the top legal & appellate minds at DOJ in modern times (My admiration goes far beyond his 8-0 insider trading win in Salman) https://t.co/o1sGMwoZEQ

— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) June 9, 2017

It's true. https://t.co/dsicCwan8V

— Pesach 'Pace' Lattin (@pacelattin) June 9, 2017

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Also founder of Jerry Mooney Books

#45 #President of the United States #Trump

[robbiemeadow]

Breaking the Pursue-Withdraw Pattern: An Interview with Scott R. Woolley, Ph.D.

Interviewed by Kyle Benson

The pursue-withdraw pattern is an extremely common cause of divorce. If left unresolved, it will continue into a second marriage and subsequent intimate relationships. As Dr. Gottman explains in Why Marriages Succeed or Fail, “This classical marital impasse is all too common—a wife seeking emotional connection from a withdrawn husband.”

How do couples fall into a pursue-withdraw pattern, and why are men usually the ones that withdraw? How can couples break this destructive pattern for good?

To find out, we spoke to Scott R. Woolley, Ph.D., a professor at Alliant International University in San Diego, California. He is a Founder and Director of the San Diego Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy and the Training and Research Institute for Emotionally Focused Therapy at Alliant.

Can you describe the pursue-withdraw pattern?

Distressed couples, and even not distressed couples to some degree, can get caught in a pursue-withdraw pattern. This can happen when one partner wants more closeness or connection than the other.

It can also happen when both partners want closeness and connection, but there is a perceived disconnection and one partner feels like the other person isn’t going to be there for them. They come to believe that “This conflict isn’t going to get worked out,” or “I’m not going to get my needs met,” so they shut down and pull away because it’s safer to do that, or they complain or push for more connection.

Typically, withdrawers in these scenarios have an internal model that says, “If I put myself out there, the other person will leave. I’m going to be blamed. I’m going to be criticized. We’re going to get into a big fight. I don’t want to do that because this other person is incredibly important to me. I don’t want to lose this person.”

So the withdrawer pulls away to maintain the relationship?

Yes. That’s an important thing to understand. It appears to the other person that their partner doesn’t care. After there has been conflict, misunderstanding, or a minor betrayal and the withdrawer turns away, shuts down, or walks away, it leaves their partner feeling alone and abandoned, unloved, and uncared about.

The truth is that most of the time the withdrawer does care a great deal. Withdrawers typically shut down because they don’t want to make it worse. They don’t believe that there’s any kind of way of resolving it by talking about it. They want to protect the relationship so they withdraw.

For the pursuing partner, typically after a perceived disconnection their tendency is to ramp up in some way. Rather than trying to ignore their own needs, their own desires, or their own feelings as withdrawers often do, the pursuing partner tends to want to work it out. They want to talk about it, examine their own feelings, and understand their partner’s feelings. The pursuing partner has an internal model that says talking about this is going to solve it – sharing what’s going on for them and trying to understand what’s going on for their partner is the way to safety.

If trying to talk about it doesn’t work, a pursuing partner may become blaming or critical and pushy because it’s very painful to experience withdrawal. Part of that is protest against feeling alone and abandoned, and part of it is the belief that if I push hard enough, maybe we’ll reconnect.

Can you explain why the pursuing partner does this?

Well, any connection – even a fight – is better than no connection. That’s when they’re likely to get critical. A lot of times it’s a “How dare you leave me,” kind of thing.

The way that’s typically experienced by the withdrawer is, “My partner doesn’t care about me. I’m not important. If my partner cared about me, my partner would not be critical, would not be demanding, would not be insulting me or calling me names.”

It’s certainly not a constructive way of dealing with disconnection, but most of the time the pursuing partner is critical because their partner is important. They’re pushing for connection or protesting the lack of connection.

I think it’s really important for couples to be able to understand that underneath this pursue-withdraw pattern, most of the time both people tend to see the other person as really, really important. But both people end up feeling unloved, hurt, abandoned, uncared about, and it’s very, very painful for them which is why this relationship pattern tends to chew up relationships and destroy them.

How does this cycle of conflict impact the trust and the security in the relationship?

It undermines the trust and the security in the relationship. Every human being has basic needs for connection. We call them basic attachment needs. We all long to feel loved, to be cared about, to be respected, to be valued.

Think about it, the universal torture technique in all cultures is solitary confinement or isolation. If you want to break a prisoner down, you put them into solitary confinement and when they do interact with a human, you make sure that the interaction is abusive, unpredictable, and destructive.

A lot of times for couples, particularly in highly escalated situations where they don’t have a lot of support outside the relationship, people feel very isolated. They feel very alone. The only real connection they oftentimes have is fighting, which ends up being destructive.

That’s one of the reasons why this pattern undermines people’s sense of safety, not only in the relationship but in their world in general. It can cause a lot of trauma for people in its extreme.

People can be in this pursue-withdraw pattern for years. Sometimes the withdrawer will get fed up. We call it burning out of being withdrawn. Instead of withdrawing, they’ll come out and they’ll fight. Then you’ve got fight-fight. Or you’ll have a pursuer who gets burned out and withdraws and you have withdraw-withdraw.

Sometimes couples come into therapy at that point because the withdrawer says, “Okay, something’s changed here. Maybe we really do need to go to couples therapy.” By then it can be very difficult because the pursuers are so hurt and burned out. Part of stopping this pattern is to help couples see and change the pattern before it destroys the relationship.

Are there signs to help couples identify if they have a pursue-withdraw pattern?

Well, first of all, if the couple is having problems, there is some kind of a pattern. It may not be in a classic pursue-withdraw pattern. It’s very easy to look at who’s at fault, who the bad guy is, and think about who’s “defective.”

Couples often go to either, “It’s about me.. I’m bad. I’m unlovable,” or they’ll see their partner as bad, sick, or evil. It’s really helpful to start thinking about the pattern itself because it’s the negative pattern that is the enemy – not the other person. It’s the negative pattern that they are both caught in, hurt by, and participating in – typically unwillingly and unknowingly.

One of the first things is to recognize there is a pattern. The next one is to identify your position in the pattern. When there is the threat of conflict or disconnection or a misunderstanding, what’s your tendency?

Is your tendency to lean in and try to solve the problem, or do you tend to shut down and wait until the storm blows over? That can help you identify whether you are a pursuing or withdrawing. Most people at some point will withdraw and pursue in one way or another. The label is less important than understanding the pattern and when you’re most likely to do what.

Sometimes people will pursue in one area and withdraw in the other. It’s vital to understand the pattern and start talking about how to stop it. Seek to understand the fundamental needs beneath both partner’s positions that are not getting met.

It’s really helpful for couples to map it out. In my practice, I have couples draw a cycle and write the following:

Their behaviors

Their views of themselves and their partner

Their reactive emotions

Their deeper, vulnerable, primary emotions

Their basic needs and longings

Sometimes, just being able to draw it out changes things to, “Okay, what do I really need in this situation? How could I ask my partner for those needs in a way that’s not going to be threatening, that isn’t going to trigger my partner’s wounds or raw spots?”

How can couples start having these conversations?

They can start by talking about their deeper, underlying needs. A lot of times couples will talk about money, kids, sex—whatever the conflict area is. But underneath it’s, “I need to know that you value my opinion,” or “I need to know that you value and respect me.”

Slow down and think, “Okay, what do I want here? What does my partner need? What do I need?”

Maybe my partner needs to know that his or her opinion is important to me, even if I disagree with it.

Maybe my partner needs to know that I care.

Maybe my partner needs to know that I’m not going to get critical like I have in the past.

Maybe my partner needs to know that I’m not going to go away like I have been for years. Instead, I’m going to hang in there and fight for the relationship and against the pattern.

Being able to talk about this in a soft, gentle way is very powerful. It can break the pursue-withdrawn pattern and replace it with a cycle that’s supportive, loving, and nurturing.

Recommended resources

The following books will help you break the pursue-withdraw pattern in your relationship:

Why Marriages Succeed or Fail by Dr. John Gottman

Build a deeper understanding of the conflict styles in your relationship. Learn tools to stop cycles of conflict and start connecting.

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by Dr. John Gottman

Learn the two kinds of conflict and how to effectively communicate what you need. This pattern is perpetuated by a lack of fondness and admiration in the relationship.

Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by Dr. Sue Johnson

Focus on the accessibility, responsiveness, and engagement in your relationship. This book explains the basics of attachment theory and lays out very specific conversations that couples can have that help them identify their pattern, learn about the emotional raw spots that help drive the pattern, learn how to revist rocky moments, learn how to reach for each other and connect in non-threatening ways, and forgive injuries in ways that will lead to fundamental changes in the relationship.

If want to build a deeply meaningful relationship full of trust and intimacy, then subscribe below to receive our blog posts directly to your inbox:

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The post Breaking the Pursue-Withdraw Pattern: An Interview with Scott R. Woolley, Ph.D. appeared first on The Gottman Institute.

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[tellerford13]

MO ASTOR- CHAPTER 30

We don’t own the bikes, brothers, or any “related” Sons of Anarchy, trust us, if we did we wouldn’t have the time to write. No money is being made from our stories. So, please don’t sue. It’d be a fruitless endeavor indeed. That being said, Harley, Journee, and any other newbies are ours, and we don’t share. :Whispers in creepy voice: “My precious.” The universe This reality is a mix of cannon, and our own ideas. We strive to keep the boys cannon, but since we will be shifting around some of the events, that will reflect in our writing and their personalities as well. It’s our goal to provide you with quality fiction, and solid, fleshed out OFC. We appreciate constructive criticism and love LOVE reviews, they are a writers life blood and definitely help encourage us and inspire us. We will be posting on our Tumblr where we’ll have fun pictures from time to time as well. http://tellerford13.tumblr.com We’ll also be taking requests for one shots, preferences or imagines for all things Sons at our other Tumblr, so check it out and send your thoughts!http://tellerford13oneshots.tumblr.com/ And just for fun, we’ve decided to start a Pinterest for the story! So if you want a glimpse at our girls and see into our world, check it out! https://www.pinterest.com/tellerford/

                                                 A/n: A reward for your patience and continued interest. #Surprisepost #roundrobin

                                           Mo Astor 30

Journee

“Scottie treating you alright?”

I glance over at Lee and toss her a look that screams really?

I sigh. “He’s not a Star Trek character Daddy. You know his name the same as I do. It’s too late to get cold feet now with your blessing.” I tap the chest tattoo, and he scowls.

“Being married is making you lippy. Now answer the question baby girl.”

“Chibs is awesome, like always.”

He narrows his gaze, and I look him in the eyes. He’s always been paranoid. It comes with the territory of being an S.A, but he’s also been in this life long enough to know how quickly things can go south for old ladies.

“If that ever changes...”

“I’ll let you know after I split his fucking head open myself,” I say determined to never be in the same position I was with Kyle again.

“That’s my baby girl. Now about baby Teller,” he says turning his intense gaze onto Lee.

“Wait. What? I’m not the married one.” “Doesn’t matter. You entered into a high-profile relationship. We all know what he’s capable of when it comes to women, but I’m assuming he's not stupid enough to break your heart.”

“Yeah Lee. How’s that coming along?” I ask batting my lashes as I take a healthy bite of the pork ribs cooked to falling off the bone perfection on the grill. It’s a Saturday, and the GB’s are having a family get together. Which looks a lot different from Charming because most of the men are bachelors.  The boys are going to try to join us later, but I’m not holding my breath. Club comes first, and they’re off doing one thing or another.

“It’s going well. We’re good. I mean it’s Jax. You’ve known him all his life.”

“Yeah, that’s the problem,” Dad mumbles.

I snicker. “Dad. Would I let my sister get played? No. I would’ve told her to pump the breaks before they even got started. They’re solid.”

“Lee?”

“We’re good.”

“Hmmm.” He sits back in his chair, and I fight the urge to roll my eyes. My Dad is not my Mom. He’ll pop me in the mouth quicker than I can say boo. He doesn’t take disrespect lightly, and I know better than to give any his way. It might seem harsh to some, but GB runs a tight ship. They’re smaller, so they have to. There aren’t too many predominately black M.C.’s who have as much sway as we do, or who’ve been around as long. We constantly have eyes on us. Which means maintaining our image is a must. It’s one of the things I hate most about this life. Women are accessories and ornaments. We have to look, talk, and behave a certain way depending on the set of people we’re around. Why people think biker chicks are dumb, I’ll never know. We have to be everything. The homemaker, caretaker, alibi giver, and a million other things all in one.

“I’m glad to see you two settle down. I was starting to think no man would ever tie either of you down.”

I take another bite of my food to keep my sharp tongue busy.

“We were just waiting for the right man,” Lee says.

“Someone mention me?” Kick asks appearing with a wide grin. I notice immediately he’s rocking our charter patch instead of a Nomad.

Oh, shit.  “You back with us now, K?”  I ask the question so Lee doesn’t have to.

“Yeah, Me and the road parted ways amicably. How you doing, Lee?”

“I’m good Kick,” Lee says softly.

“She’s dating Jackson Teller now,” Dad says. His eyes are sparkling as he watches Kick wince and the tension rushes in and settles over the picnic bench.

I cough to hide my laugh.  I don’t feel bad for the fucker. He did my girl dirty. I want him to realize how much he’s shit out of luck right now. You don’t decide to turn Nomad without so much as a warning and think your girlfriend is going to be okay with it.

“That right? You an Old Lady?” he asks.

Lee shakes her head no.

“Not yet anyways.” I add.

She elbows my side, and I give her a grease riddled kiss on the cheek.

“Gross.” She wipes it away, and we laugh.

“I’ll be seeing you,” Kick says giving her a lingering glance as he heads off.

“Never a dull day round here huh? When did that happen?” I ask gesturing toward Kick’s departing back.

“He got voted back in this morning. We need more bodies. Recruiting is slow going.”

��Because you’re so scary and picky,” I say.

He shrugs. “Takes a lot to wear the black and orange.” His chest swells with pride, and I can’t help the pride that wells up inside me. This is my family, and it’s good to hold court. Charming is a second home, but this will always be where my roots were first planted. I know Mom is giving us space so he can give us the third degree. They always did the good cop bad cop routine, unless I pissed my mom off. Then she could be every bit as terrifying as my father.

“Did we miss anything else major?”

“Nah. If you came around more, you’d know these things.”

“Touché old man, but I got a business to run, and she has one to keep afloat.”

“It’s true,” Lee says in a sing-song voice.

He grins, and I roll me eyes. I never knew a man so proud of his daughter doing tattoos.

“I know. We got an area set up for you in the clubhouse. You’re going to go home with a nice chunk of change.”

“I’ll never say no to the green. I guess I best fortify myself with lunch.”

“I’ll play Girl Friday and keep you stocked up,” Lee says.

“Thanks, wifey,” I say with a wink.

“Here comes your mother.”

Oh, imagine that. She must know you’re doing asking us a million questions and giving us the glare of doom. My mom is an undercover hoverer. I imagine I’ll be the same way with Filip. You don’t want to make them look weak, but you worry, and you watch and wait always prepared to ruffle feathers. As my mother would say, some things need a women’s touch. I bet they have some sort of tell, so she knows when it’s cool to come over. I should talk to Filip about that.

“There are my girls.” My mom envelopes me, hugging me against her ample bosom. The scent of her perfume reaches me, and I relish it. I don’t see them as often as I used to. I need to remedy that. They won’t be around forever, and life expectancy and freedom can be fleeting in our life. I’ll never forget the four years she spent behind bars. With my father’s job, there was no way I could be left alone at thirteen to fend for myself. His family had written them off, and my mother’s family continuously tried to get her out of the life. Sending me to live with them would only lead to disaster. Thank God, Gemma stepped up and took me.

It was a good business move, but it was also a huge show of trust. My father respected the hell of JT. He could never predict everything that would follow. The thought of his death still makes my stomach ache.  I watch as Mom moves on to her bonus baby. She’d taken up the mantle of caring and guiding her along with Gemma as her Gram aged. It made us more than just best friends, perhaps that’s why we turned to each other sexually. What started off as experimenting turned into something else entirely.

I shift in my seat as desire pools in my belly, and thoughts of her creamy breasts and clean shaven pussy slip into my head. It's been too long since we had some girl time. I’d have to remedy that tonight. Can’t let my wifey fell neglected.

Mom moves to sit beside Dad, and we play catch up as we continue to eat. I enjoy the sun and conversation. I’m also secretly enjoying the kick in the pants Kick will give big brother. As soon as I get a chance, I’ll be texting him. I know the business he has is a gun run. It’s not hard to figure out. Barring a problem, they should be free, and this will be sure to get him here.

Half an hour later, I’m set up and watching a line form as I declare my makeshift tattoo station ready. It’s going to be a long afternoon.

***

My hands and back are screaming as I wipe the back tattoo of the GB grim reaper.

“Alright, Mack. You’re all done.”

We’d been working on this bad boy in two to three-hour sessions, and it’s finally complete. I roll back and grin.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, brother, Go look at it.”

I nod toward the full-length mirror we’ve leaned against the wall. I roll my shoulders and crack my neck before I take in my surroundings. I spot Lee at the bar looking disinterested in whatever Kick is saying to her.

“This is amazing,” Mack says.

I admire the Reaper with it’s flickering flame eyes, and it’s skeletal fist raised with the GB emblem worked into the robe.

“Thanks, man.”

He walks over, and my jaw drops when he gives me a thousand even.”

“That’s too much.”

“Nah, you earned every penny of that tip, baby girl.”

I beam. “Thanks.” I quickly shut down shop, and move to rescue Lee.

I walk up behind her, plaster my body to hers and wrap an arm around her waist. I lean over her shoulder and smirk.  “She’s not interested, and I’m not willing to share my bestie any longer. So shoo.”

He scowls.

“Bye, Kick,” Lee says. I kiss the corner of her mouth, and his eyebrows raise.

“Shit’s changed,” I say lowering my voice an octave and curl my upper lip. I know Lee has no feelings for him, but just the same, I’m not about to let him get any ideas. My brother has enough to worry about.

He raises his hands in the universal sign of surrender. “Aight, I know when I’m not wanted.”

Lee tilts her head back and bats her eyelashes. “My hero.”

“How long was he here bothering you?”

“About fifteen minutes. I made it clear I wasn’t interested, but he kept rattling on and spitting weak game. I was going to shut him down painfully after I finished my beer.”

“You’re so tempting. I can see why he couldn’t help but try.”

“Is that possession I see?” she whispers.

“Only people you belong to have names that start with J.” I fight the urge to nip her bottom lip. “We should go to our room and unwind.

We have our own room complete with a dresser with spare clothes, and two queen-sized beds in the clubhouse left over from the teen years when I was shuttled to and fro for visits and later living between to clubs.

“Unwind? Is that what we’re calling it?”

“I want to show you what Daddy’s taught me,” I whisper. The thought of dominating her has me wet and ready to play.

Her eyes darken, and her breath hitches. “Has baby girl grown up?”

“Why don’t you come find out?”

She drains her beer, and I laugh as she stands, and we head to our room.

Once we’re inside, I press her against the door and lock it. Her pulse jumps into her throat, and her eyes are half-lidded.

“Someone’s excited.”

“I’m eager to sample these lesson’s Chibs has been giving you first-hand.”

I bury my fingers in the dark silk of her hair. “Remember you asked for this,” I whisper against her lips.

She moans, and I fist her hair and yank slightly and guide her over to the bed.  “Bend over, and lift that skirt. I want to see the one thing Kick will never have again.”

I give her enough slack to wiggle up the skirt and reveal the lacy black underwear.

“Look at that ass.” I trail my nails over her silk covered apple bottom. I release my hold on her hair and deliver a slap. She gasps. I bend down, grip the material with my teeth, and move them to her ankles. I leave them on, liking the restricted movement. “I wanted to do this in the bar,” I whisper as I ease her legs apart. “Eat this pretty pussy out in front of him.”

“Oh, God.”

“Would you have liked that?”

“Yes.”

“Naughty.” I grip her thighs and lean into sample her slick center. I moan as her creamy sweetness coats my tongue. I lose myself in the smooth flesh and flavor as I explore everything but the quivering needy clit protruding. I ignore the pretty pink pearl, sucking her lips into my mouth. She wiggles and I smirk against her skin. She’s used to ordering me. The tension in her body gets me high. The weariness from work is forgotten.  I pull back.

“No.”

I slap her pussy, and she jerks and cries out.

“You’re not in control right now, pretty girl.” I palm her warmth, and she grinds against me. “Be still.” She grunts but complies. “Good girl,” I purr. I remove my hand and thrust two fingers deep.

“Oh, shit.” I smile as I give it to her fast and deep, angling, so I hit her sweet spot. She loves to stretch things out, but I’m in control, and I want to see her come undone.

“Journee,” She cries.

“Love it when you call my name, baby.” I bend and bite the area between her neck and her shoulder. Her slick walls clench around me as she yields trembling as she comes.

“No one can make you come faster. I think I need to give my brother some pointers. Would you like that?”

Her entire body shudders, and I grin. Tonight might be more interesting than I thought.  

#sons of anarchy #sons of anarchy fanfiction #Jax Teller #chibs telford #Mo Astor

[elysiumrp]

Congratulations RY! You have been accepted as Jacob Newton. Please go through the checklist and send in your account within 24 hours. If you need more time, make sure you send a message to the main.

There’s always such a thrill when it comes to hunters in a supernatural-themed roleplay, and when one of the hunters we wrote that is “the worst” – depending on how you’re viewing it – you can say we both got excited over this. It’s clear that you’ve had more than enough experience to show that a character like Jacob is a simple walk in the park for you, but the way you describe how you’ll execute the character, it was spot on. Jacob is a hunter, plan and simple. He doesn’t just kill the good ones, doesn’t give them a trial period to see if he truly wants to take the supernatural out, no. He’s strategic in his actions and the course you have set for him is exactly how we imagined his would be. It’s always fun to see the dramatic irony between it, knowing what Jacob is there to do and the other characters not knowing. All I can say is that I’m glad we found a person who will conduct such an intense symphony and that it’s you we’re choosing to do so. Welcome to Elysium!!

OOC INFO

Name: Ry Age: 23 Timezone: EST Preferred Pronouns: He/Him Previous RP Experience: [RFP] Activity Level:  Tricky question. I work night shifts most days and on the weekends, I’m gonna be pretty much nonexistent. Seriously, Imma be a ghost and that’s speaking honestly which is why I understand if you wouldn’t accept me based on that alone. It’s summertime so that means I work till at least 2 every night and since I gotta have a bite to eat and then wind down, I’m usually up till at least 4 just getting myself ready to pass out for the night. Because I knock out so late, I’m usually asleep till it’s time for me to get up again and get ready for work so I can do the whole thing over again. So yeah, ghost on the weekends but I usually got two days off and if I’m not distracted by the newest game I’ve spent my hard earned bucks on and I got the muse, I’ll likely be on trying to get some posts out. I’ll also have time to reply either early in the morning before work or after work during the weekdays since I don’t get off too late during those times for my head to just be complete shit.  Anything Else:  I wrote this while I was very tired. Don’t judge, pls? 

IC INFO

Character Name: Jacob Newton Why did you choose this character:

Yet another tricky question for me. I wrote so many different answers for this question that you’d think I was trying to write an entrance letter to my dream college or something but honest to god, can’t really give you a straight answer to this one. When I play hunter’s they’re stoic, sadistic, assholes whose mind is only set on gutting and killing however many supernatural creatures they can get their hands on. When not playing as a hunter in a supernatural RP, my characters are pretty much still the same. Drain, hack, and basically dismember whomever gets in your way and not give a fuck about any such thing as consequences for one’s actions. That one thing my character’s usually all have in common in RPs like these? They’re all pretty much serial killers and they all in some way or another play the role as the antagonists.  I like playing as the villain, I like playing as the guy that basically comes in and is like ‘I’m here strictly to ruin your fun’. That’s my type of character and I guess that’s the reason I’m finding muse for Jacob. He’s not in any way, shape or form the main antagonist but he is part of the problem. Here’s a hunter whose sole purpose in life is to rid the world of supernatural creatures and rather than do it as most others would by stabbing at the front, he’s instead actually employing a sort of tactic that would effectively allow him to stab these people in the back. I love the hell out of that.  He’s here to deceive these people, and if I’m allowed to be the writer I get to work at finding a way for my character to gain their trust just so he can pull that off.  In making Jacob such a way, I get to actually plot with others and have it go further than just ‘well… he kinda sorta hates your character and would you like to do something where he attacks them?’ Plots for Jacob can go beyond that cause we can talk about ways in which my character can in time earn yours trusts or even if it’s possible to do so in the first place. Pretty damn sure I’m explaining it all wrong but basically, I like the character and for some odd reason he’s interesting enough for me to want to take a crack at him. He falls into the type of character I typically play but with a little more depth to him and with a different enough take on how he gets shit done for me to see myself really enjoying plying as him if chosen. Can’t give you a better or clearer answer than that. 

Describe your plan for them:

Step one for Jacob? Expand on his connections while also reinforcing the ones he currently has. The whole point of the wolf in sheep clothing’s thing is to gain people’s trust so that when he’s ready to go for the kill, his victim count isn’t in the single digits but are instead in the double, even triple digits. He wants to eradicate races and you don’t do that by being hasty so step one is making connections. I want to connect with people and most of all, I want him to connect with the right people. Merlot? Prime vampire spot I would love for him to eventually find out about. Kyle? The cousin to the girl he’s currently dating? I’d love for him to at least be given the chance to try and earn the wolf’s trust. I want him talking to people and making connections cause that’s the only way for my character to succeed in his plan and I want to go along with the plan the admins created for Jacob. I love the plan! It’s the reason I’m trying for him so obviously I love it. Him getting out there and building a relationship with people is the only way I’ll ever be able to get to step two and I want to get to step two cause it’s my favorite. Step two is obviously the betrayal. I want that. Seriously, I want it. I want to have built up relationships that we as the players fucking adore. Relationships that make us look forward to coming on the dash everyday and I want to destroy that cause my character no matter what, is gonna betray them. It’s in his nature and it’s all an act. I know for sure I’m going to love the hell out of the relationships and friendships I may manage to build for Jacob while he’s pretending but it will eventually break and when it does, I’m gonna love the hell out of playing that out too. I want to go through the plan you have for the dude, I want to make my own plans along the way that play along with the kind of role you created for him. I don’t got exact details but I know step one and step two and that’s a start.

Describe your character’s feelings and reactions to the initial reveal of the supernatural world:

When the supernatural reveal happened, I can basically see Jacob having this ‘oh shit’ moment. Something that was supposed to be a secret, something all of them knew was supposed to be kept a damn secret was revealed to the world in the most spectacular of ways. So yeah, initial reaction for him would be one of shock and confusion. Why would the hunter do such a thing? What could have possessed him to do it? Was this in some way shape, or form a ploy by the supernatural? Were they controlling the hunter? He would ask himself all these questions, do the research, and figure out just what the hell was going on and if it was all real of not and what was to happen from then on. Once he got all the answers he needed though, I think he’d mostly just find the whole thing amusing. When he had a moment to think about it, truly think about it and dwell on it, he’d see that being exposed wasn’t such a bad thing. Exposing the secret didn’t harm him or his kind. Despite them having a hand in it there wasn’t about to be a blow back to the hunter community. In fact, the more he dwelled on it, I’m sure he came to the rightful conclusion that letting the public know that monsters were real would only help his people. They lived in the dark, never able to take credit for their work and always having to take caution in just how they got the job done. With things coming to light? They no longer had to hide. His people could legitimize hunters, allow others to know the heroes who worked diligently to protect them day in and day out. While he himself wasn’t so much looking for a pat on the back for doing the job, he would believe them going legit would make the job easier. While he himself saw every monster as just that, a beast that needed to be put down, the average joe saw the mask they put up. They saw Tom who worked in accounting, or Sue who served them drinks and had a funny little joke to share with them come time for brunch. Letting real people know these supposed ‘people’ were in fact just rabid animals in disguise could mean he’d no longer have to work so hard in order to kill ‘em and hide their body. Eradicating them would be easier. Completely destroying them would no longer just be a pipe dream for him and his people. So yeah, shocked and confused at first by the reveal but in a short time, he’d see it as a blessing.

Describe your character’s feelings and reactions to the current state of the world, and how it impacts them as an individual:

The world’s fucked and Jacob is rightfully furious about the state of the world. One can assume that for centuries hunters have had to sacrifice their loved ones for the job. They put their lives at risk for it with a single minded goal only to be told that, now that it’s out in the open, the government is willing to give these monsters a clean slate. The mountains upon mountain of blood on their hands? We’ll forget it happened. Register, abolish your ways, follow the rules and anyone who rightfully kills you like the beast you are is going to be in trouble for it. It’s like a stab in the back for Jacob. The smart, nasty ones who know there are those out there who would gladly put a bullet to the brain upon first glance are always the quick ones to get registered. Can’t have a hunter taking you out like a dog in the street if you’re registered. Can’t be shot down like the beast you are if you’re registered. It makes the job harder for him. It’s easier in some ways cause he can be more open about things but the registration act and these so called rights they’re giving them, not only leaves a bad taste in his mouth but just makes him all the more furious. He doesn’t think it’s right and with those he doesn’t have to pretend with, he makes it known just how backwards he thinks the whole damn thing is. The only right a monster should have is the right so a slow and painful death. That’s it.

Para Sample:

 They were just lies. When you were younger they were the things you’d receive a swift slap to the hand for. It was the one thing your parents hated more than anything else. The one thing they warned you against doing because they knew as everyone seems to come to understand at some point that lies are bad. Never lie to us. Never lie to me. No matter where you came from, no matter what sort of background you hailed from, it was something most had in common. It was a cardinal rule, if you wanted to be trusted and you wanted people to actually give a damn about you, you didn’t lie. No one likes a liar. No one trusts a liar. Lying, short of assault was that one thing that that could automatically mean the end of whatever friendship or relationship you’d put whatever effort into. Hell, even if you weren’t dropped for telling a lie, you’d certainly never be trusted again. Once a liar, always a liar.

Your parents taught you the rule, your teachers taught it too.  It was universal. You don’t fucking lie and yet, despite hearing it time and time again, that was exactly what he was doing cause for him, it was just lies. It was a means to an end. Breaking someone’s trust? Losing the relationship he’d put months into? They weren’t things he cared about. All he cared about, all he could afford to care about was perpetuating the lie and getting what he wanted – no. It wasn’t a want. It was more than that. Calling it a want was underselling it cause it was so much more to him. It was a need. Getting what he wanted was his burning desire. It was his dream. It was for this dream that he was willing to sacrifice whomever he needed. It was for this dream of his that he planned to do exactly that. It would pay off in the end and these lies of his, that ones that were so easy for him to keep track of cause he had gotten so good at knowing them, the lies that easily fell from his lips would pay off in the end. He was sure of it. So sure of it that with each passing day, he allowed himself to dig even deeper. Allowed himself to be buried that much more. Expand his circle, expand the lies.

“No, no, I’m listening,” There’s a pause, a break in his defense as he listens to his girlfriend argue with him. “I’m listening! It’s not my fault if you think I’m not.” Chuckling softly as he attempts to push his point across, to anyone who glanced at the male he’d simply look and certainly sound like a young man clearly in love having a good natured argument with his girlfriend. It’s the type of scene people who’ve experience love would simply shake their head at while their lips curled up into the tiniest of smiles as they reminisced over their own love and similar conversations they’ve had with their significant others. It was cute. It was endearing. It looked exactly as it needed to look and for Jacob that was perfect. Playing up his role as the loving boyfriend all while he did as he needed, all while he furthered his little plan and used the woman whose heart he didn't need to guess at to know he had, it all feel into place so perfectly. “Wanna make a bet?” Eyes trained on the bespectacled monster sitting but two chairs down from him, drawing a rough sketch of the beast in the book laid out before him as he spoke, he continued. “Come on. If you’re so sure I wasn’t listening then bet me. If I win, you…” drawling out the word with a suggestive lilt, those his voice held all the traits of an amused man, in reality he was anything but. How was he to be amused? How was he to be happy and amused when he had a bastard of a beast sitting just inches from him sipping from a latte as if he hadn’t a care in the world? It was enough to make his blood burn.

“Ah, ah, ah! No, no, no. It doesn't work like that. You gotta take the bet in order to hear the conditions.” Connecting the last line for his image, though snapping pictures was the ideal way of identifying and remembering his various targets, when forced to get up and close with them in such a manner, sometimes he just had to resort to the basics. Vampires weren’t the vest as recognizing basic technology but they certainly knew enough to know when someone was snapping a picture of them. If he wanted to continue to lie the next day, the better option was to draw and remain inconspicuous. “Nope! Too late. Hey, babe?” Pausing in order to place his sketch in his bag, having done all he could and needed to do for the day in regards to watching the individual and having his fill of being around animals, he rose to his feet. “What do you say about catching a movie?” He asked, throwing the question her way as he exited the building. “Yeah, well, I mean I finished my coffee, you’re obviously not doing anything so we should do something. Come on! What do you say?”

Any questions/concerns/things you’d like to change: (siblings to add, pronouns, sexuality you’d like to specify, personality, face claim, history, etc., etc.)

Nope!

#accepted #rp #rpg #roleplay #role play

[chubbychummy]

“There I am” - A Grounded Theory Study of Young Adults Navigating a Transgender or Gender Nonconforming Identity within a Context of Oppression and Invisibility

Explaining Work

Because transgender or gender non-conforming (TGNC) identities are poorly understood in society,participants’ recounted the common burden of explaining their identities, needs and experiences to others. Participants’ narratives suggest that the work of explaining their identities to others is awkward, emotionally exhausting, and often painful, particularly as a result of the relative invisibility and marginalization of TGNC identities. Nonetheless, this explaining work appeared to be a necessary function of efforts to be seen,valued, and understood as one’s authentic self across relation-ships, roles, and functions (intimate, familial, social, occupational, educational). Kyle recounts his dread when having to tell his mom he was transgender rather than a lesbian. He expressed being daunted by the idea of trying to explain the concept of “trans” to a person who would find it incomprehensible. “yea, it’s been, forever [since I have known I was trans] but when I told my mom that I knew that I was trans,that I really was more trans, it was bad, because that’s just UGH!, how do I explain that to my mom you know?”

This explaining work went beyond “coming out” to others.Rather, participants shared narratives that depicted the ongoing obligation to teach others about trans specific needs and experiences across a variety of contexts and situations. The following quote from Lukkas, a 23-year-old genderqueer participant, clearly illustrates the burden of explaining aspects of a diverse gender identity within the context of sexual and/or romantic relationships.

Now I’m dealing with a whole new set of things, just every time I get into a relationship with someone, I have to get into like a whole bunch, it’s not like me just hooking up with someone, “Hey you wanna go on a date” or whatever. It’s not like that, you know I have to go through like, first of all are you ok with the fact that I have a female body? Second of all, are you ok that I’m Polyamorous?, Third of all I’m not gonna go on T–you ok with that? So it’s just a whole bunch especially be-cause I mostly date male-bodied people and I have to make sure that they’re not gonna see me as a straight female which is always the hardest thing [for them] to get over, you know ? (Lukkas)

Engaging others in romance, intimacy, and sex can be complex for many young people; however, because transgender lives, bodies, and experiences are not common knowledge (e.g., rarely if ever discussed in human sexuality classes in high school or university; scarcely portrayed in mainstream movies, media or books), TGNC participants recounted the additional torment of being required to describe aspects of one’s body, elucidate sexual orientation/attraction, and communicate emotional and sexual needs to prospective dates, sexual partners, and boyfriends/girlfriends.

In some instances, participants felt compelled to explain themselves to others to build understanding. A 24-year-old participant, Grace, shared the following experience:

Yeah, it was ridiculous. I think I was getting bikini waxed and the lady was like: Why do you want to be a girl, why aren’t you a man, have you been with women? And mind you she’s doing this service for me…andI was like, listen, have you ever met a person like me?Have you ever met a girl like me? She said no, I don’t understand it. And I was like, well ask me any question you want, so you can understand it. And so she did. And at the end she was like, I’m really glad I met you, I learned a lot. And, good for you. And that was it. (Grace)

Participants also shared the added complexity of gaining employment as a TGNC person who is often troubled by the possibility of addressing gender issues. The following quote from Christina highlights the intense emotional anguish and the back and forth inner dialogue often associated with explaining work.

When I got hired, I got hired as my boy self, but when I went in the first day, I told them, Listen, I know it says this, but this is how I want to be referred. I’m transgender. …like, deal with it. That’s all there is to it…Um, I was so nervous beforehand, but I had researched the company a little bit, and I know…they were an equal company. So, I was like, first let me get the job—like, I was debating during the interview, Should I tell them during the interview? And I’m like, no. I don’t want togo through that during the interview. Let me first get the job, and then once I have the job, I can tell them, and if I get fired for that, I can sue them, and that’s gonna pay for all my surgeries! (Christina)

Similarly Kyle talks about his decision to hide his trans identity (and instead present as a cisgender female) at work rather than engage in the complex process of explaining why he identifies as male even though physically he still looks female.

[I didn’t want it to] be awkward because he’s like right in front of me calling me she and I don’t wanna be like nooo and then explain my whole story, and like maybe risk that I won’t have that job anymore. (Kyle)

The perception of work, and often exhausting work, associated with explaining one’s trans identity was clear in participants’ narratives. Experiences often necessarily went far beyond coming out and self-identifying as trans.Rather, a part of assimilating a TGNC identity appears to include the work of clarifying, educating, and explaining one’s TGNC identity and experience regularly across multiple life domains (social,familial, occupational). The larger narrative of explaining work revolved around the ceaseless burden of living in a society that has little awareness of, sensitivity to, or inclusion of TGNC experiences.

Source: Austin, Ashley. "“There I am”: A Grounded Theory Study of Young Adults Navigating a Transgender or Gender Nonconforming Identity within a Context of Oppression and Invisibility." Sex Roles 75.5-6 (2016): 215-230.

Audio version available here.

#trans #THIS WHOLE FUCKING SECTION #I was screaming in my head as I was reading it #this whole section is ME #fuckfignngs #ashley austin #transgender #TGNC #about me

[tellerford13]

MO ASTOR- CHAPTER 25

We don’t own the bikes, brothers, or any “related” Sons of Anarchy, trust us, if we did we wouldn’t have the time to write. No money is being made from our stories. So, please don’t sue. It’d be a fruitless endeavor indeed. That being said, Harley, Journee, and any other newbies are ours, and we don’t share. :Whispers in creepy voice: “My precious.” The universe This reality is a mix of cannon, and our own ideas. We strive to keep the boys cannon, but since we will be shifting around some of the events, that will reflect in our writing and their personalities as well. It’s our goal to provide you with quality fiction, and solid, fleshed out OFC. We appreciate constructive criticism and love LOVE reviews, they are a writers life blood and definitely help encourage us and inspire us. We will be posting on our Tumblr where we’ll have fun pictures from time to time as well. http://tellerford13.tumblr.com We’ll also be taking requests for one shots, preferences or imagines for all things Sons at our other Tumblr, so check it out and send your thoughts!http://tellerford13oneshots.tumblr.com/ And just for fun, we’ve decided to start a Pinterest for the story! So if you want a glimpse at our girls and see into our world, check it out! https://www.pinterest.com/tellerford/

A/n: Thank you all for the incredible support you’ve showed us. Telford’s birthday rocked and she thanks you for the kinds words.

                                           Mo Astor Chapter 25

Lee

My phone rings and “Thank you for being a friend” plays, making me squeal. She’s here!

I hit answer. “You’re home,” I breathe the words like a prayer. There’s so much I want to tell her, hear, and discuss. It’s been hell having her away while my worlds completed shifted.

“I am. Why aren’t you here?”

“Because you have a husband now. You two need time to settle in and continue your honeymoon over the weekend before its time to head back to the daily grind.”

She snickers. “You’d be the only one who thinks that. Jay ambushed me and talked me to death on the way down, and then Gemma demanded we show up at the family dinner. So, get your ass over here we need to talk.”

“What about Chibs?” I ask. The last thing I want to do is make him feel ignored or disrespected. Journee and I together, are a lot. We practically have our own language, and it leaves plenty of folks feeling left out. “He took pity on me and went to say hi to the boys at the club.”

“Say no more. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

I’m like a teenage girl on her way to her first slumber party as I stand from the couch, grab my purse off the table, and rush to my car. We’ve both had so much happening in our lives. It’s time to get caught up and reconnect. She’s as much my anchor as Charming, and the Sons are. There’s power in loyalty and familiarity.

I crank the engine and all but peel out the driveway. I whip into her driveway and pause. It’s no longer her house. It’s their house. My best friend is a married woman. Mrs. Journee Telford. It’s funny…I can remember her writing that name in an elegant font in notebooks and on a countless number of loose leaf pages when we were teens. Who would’ve thought we’d end up here one day?

From the minute they admitted their feelings they’d moved at hyper speed. It’d be too much for anyone else, but with these two it made perfect sense. Why beat around the bush when you’d been putting in all the work for years.

The only thing that had kept them from being an official item before was labels. There had been many nights when I saw Chibs leave her room in boxers and a t-shirt, and the look in their eyes never screamed just friends.  I’m over the moon for both of them, but it’s a dynamic change I’m still feeling my way around. I’ve never had much reason to spend a ton of time around Chibs, and I’m waiting to see what kind of husband he’ll be.

Some men like to keep a woman mostly to themselves. I wouldn’t blame him if he did. They have a lot of time to make up for. Still, the thought of losing my best friend in any way sends me into a slow panic. I push the door open and climb out walking toward the door as I try to outrun my fears. I’ve been left alone so many times in my life, I’ve almost come to expect the relationships that mean the most to me to eventually end.

The door opens, and we hug. Her scent is familiar, and her embrace is tight. My anxiety eases back. This is Journee. She’s never let anyone come between us. Why would now be any different? Because he’s her dream come true. She pulls back, frames my face and brushes our lips together. I hum.

“Well, hello to you too, beautiful.”

She smiles. “Those pretty blue eyes are looking stormy. Come in and talk to your Journee.”

“Are you still mine? I think your husband might disagree,” I say playfully.

She studies me in that scary calm, still, way that makes one feel like she’s peering into your soul.

“Me belonging to him now doesn’t and never will make me any less yours. After all, we’ve been through together, the bond we have is unbreakable. If you’re worried about things changing, don’t. I talked to Daddy about this early on.”

“You did?” I whisper humbled by the actions she’d taken on my behalf.

“Yes, babe. So stop worrying.” She frowns. “You don’t seem like yourself.” She wraps an arm around my waist, and we head inside. She closes the door, pauses to enter the alarm and leads us to the couch. We sink onto the cushions and curve into one another.

“Spill, babe.”

“You’re supposed to be telling me all about Scotland.”

“And I will, right after you tell me what’s got you so antsy.”

“There’s a lot of changes happening, and we both know I’m a creature of habit,” I say glumly.

‘Uh huh. And this has nothing to do with the little head to head with Wendy.”

“Ugh, Of course, he told you.”

“Yeah. I heard his side. Now I want to hear yours. Are you okay?”

I sigh and glance up at the ceiling. “She’s right. I mean, no we weren’t fucking around behind her back, but if I was her, I’d be pissed. We’ve been so busy with our own happiness. We didn’t give a second thought to hers.”

“Ugh, Stupid bitch is still fucking shit up.”

“Down Mama Telford. I know she made the mistake of touching your man, but she’s also knocked up with Jax’s kid. We have to tread lightly—.”

“No, you need to set boundaries and figure things out before this kid comes and she runs or does something else equally stupid. J was all she had. When you came out at the wedding, the last of her hope was stripped away. That puts her in a dangerous place.”

“Shit no wonder she came out breathing fire.”

“That girl slept, ate, and lived, Jax. Even I can admit he was wrong for doing her the way he did. He had a loyal woman. Just because she let him walk all over her didn’t mean he should have. But that was the old Jax.”

Her words hit home as they line up with the same things swirling in my brain. “You see the change too?”

“Yes, thanks to you. You’ve always challenged him and forced him to be a better person. A man who thinks shit through and remembers his humility. Now that you’re together that effect increased tenfold.”

I sit up and lick my dry lips. “I see someone I know, but then don’t when I look at him these days. I was worried maybe I was projecting.”

“Oh, no, you got that boy sprung.”

“What?” I chuckle.

“Oh come on, he makes cow eyes at you.” She blinks slowly and widens her eyes making me giggle.  “He does not.”

“Oh, My God Are you kidding me? He thinks you’re sexy, he wants to date you, he wants to marry you,” she sings.

“Thank you Miss Congeniality,” I say already feeling lighter.

“Look, I’m just calling it how I see it.”

“Right.” I shake my head as I wipe away a tear.

“Feeling better?”

“Much.”

“Want to tell me what had you uptight?”

“How fast this is all going. I don’t let people in like this, but he was already behind my walls, and now he’s infiltrating...” I trail off unable to speak the words out loud.

“Your heart?” She says.

I nod my head.

“Trust me, babe. When it’s meant to be, and you’re with the right person, it won’t matter how much time goes by. This isn’t a bad thing.”

“Yet,” I say quietly.

“Honey he’s not like any man you’ve ever been with. So, stop comparing him. He’s always been there. Why would he not be more committed now?”

“Because this shit never ends up well for me.”

“Do you remember Kyle and the various men who came before him?” she asks.

“That’s different.”

“Why?”

I shake my head unable to answer her.

“We both deserve to be happy. We have our wounds. They’ll lead to doubts, and us picking ourselves apart until we don’t know which way is up and which is down. But we’re lucky because we have something most people don’t.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” I ask

“Each other. I’m here to tell you I refuse to let your past ruin your future. Search your heart and your memories. Would Jax even start this with you if he couldn’t see it through?”

I shake my head. “I don’t think so.”

“You know he wouldn’t. My brother is many things, but being reckless with his girls isn’t one of them, and I’m not talking about the warm bodies who’ve played placeholder in the role of girlfriend. I’m talking about You, Gemma, and me.”

I sigh. “It sounds good logically. But.,,” I shake my head.

“We’re far too used to pain and disappointment, but this is our time to be happy. In no universe would I find everything I ever wanted and you not have the same thing. Our worlds are connected.”

“I’m so fucking scared. He could break me. I always hold back with men. I can’t with Jax, and that terrifies me.”

“That’s how you know he’s the one,” Journee says as she squeezes my hand.

“After everything happened with Wendy, he left. I know he needs space sometimes, but it scared me.”

“You know I won’t share his thoughts. That’s his job. But I can say this. You’re not the only one who’s scared. This is new to him, and he’s trying his best to rise to the occasion and be what you need. It’s a learning curve, for both of you.”

“Why the fuck do you make it seem so easy.”

“Cause I’m outside of it, not in it, and I know you both.”

“What the hell am I going to do?”

‘Sit back and enjoy him slaying the dragon for his lady fair.”

I huff.

“When the time is right you guys will find your comfortable spot. Both of you are complex people. It takes time to get through all those layers and wade through those crowded heads on your shoulders.”

“Fuck you’re already old, married, and wise.”

She shoves me, and I laugh as I chew on what she said.

“Seriously, though. I appreciate your input. I’m going to… quell my stinking thinking.”

She smiles. It was an old phrase we’d both adopted from my Gran.

“Good. Did I help some at least?”

“You helped immensely. Thank you for helping me walk through it. Enough about me. I want to hear all about your trip.”

“Fact number one, Filip is a fucking beast in bed. That wedding night was no one off.”

I can’t help the squeal that leaves me lips. “Are you serious?”

“Me and my Kitty are dead serious. I can’t even walk right.”

“Wait. You’re serious.”

“Umm. Yes.”

“Well, now I just have to see it for myself.”

“Lee,” she whines.

“Nu uh. Get your ass up and walk for me.”

“So demanding,” she says with a wink as she eases into a standing position.

The pronounced hitch in her giddy up has me giggling on my back on the couch.

“No sympathy!” She flings a pillow at me, and I clutch my stomach.

“I’m sorry. It’s too good.”

She rolls her eyes and I sprawl out on the couch and blow her a kiss.

“Since you’re here, you can help me with this slide show I have to put together for Ma.”

I shake my head. “She couldn’t wait to get all her children together again.”

“Typical Gemma. Tell, don’t ask.”

“Hope your old man knows what a crazy family he married into.”

“He has one of his own.” I listen as she launches into her tale about his nephew Padric and his mother, Chibs’s sister, Greer. I tear up when she tells me had a chance to speak with his daughter and how they’ll keep in touch now.

I wonder if she realizes she’s given the man everything he could’ve wanted.

#sons of anarchy #sons of anarchy fanfiction #Jax Teller #chibs telford #Mo Astor

[tellerford13]

MO ASTOR CHAPTER 43                                            

Disclaimer We don’t own the bikes, brothers, or any “related” Sons of Anarchy, trust us, if we did we wouldn’t have the time to write. No money is being made from our stories. So, please don’t sue. It’d be a fruitless endeavor indeed. That being said, Harley, Journee, and any other newbies are ours, and we don’t share. :Whispers in creepy voice: “My precious.”

The universe This reality is a mix of cannon, and our own ideas. We strive to keep the boys cannon, but since we will be shifting around some of the events, that will reflect in our writing and their personalities as well. It’s our goal to provide you with quality fiction, and solid, fleshed out OFC

We appreciate constructive criticism and love LOVE reviews, they are a writers life blood and definitely help encourage us and inspire us.

                                                           A/N: The closer we get to show events, the more excited we are to show you our vision for how things went down. Because of the growth and changes our boys have undergone in Mo Astor, things are very different, and it’s going to show. So buckle up and join us for another ride in Charming with a different view.

                                          Mo Astor Chapter 43

Jax

“Some day’s you’re the Beamer. Some days, you’re the goddam deer.” I announce, chuckling at the sight that greets me as I walk onto the garage’s lot.  

“Some yuppie creamed her up at the streams.” Chibs informs me, clearly just as amused at the rather unique picture.

“He run into it or hit a tree while it was giving him head?” I ask, shaking my head at the deer carcass sticking ass out from the windshield.

“How the hell you want me to get it out of there?” Half Sack asks staring in horror at the deer that decided to commit suicide via Beamer windshield.

Walking over to the tow truck, I come back with a chain saw.

“Come on. Jesus, man.” Half Sack’s face pales. I smile around my joint.

I love fucking with Prospects. It’s a good way to blow off steam and test their commitment. You can’t just trust anyone with the shit we got going on behind the scenes, and after letting that coward Kyle slip into our ranks, we’re all more vicious in the weeding out process.

“Just pretend it’s carve-your-own-steak night at Sizzler,” I call as I walk over to Chibs

“I don’t eat meat, man,” Half Sack says. I shake my head. Who the hell willingly gives up meat?

“Figure out, grunt.”  I have no sympathy for him when I think of all the vile shit I had to handle when I did my time.

Tig rode me harder than most, trying to make sure I’d be worthy of my father’s legacy. I love and hate him for that.

“What the hell happened,” Chibs asks about the meeting I’d been pulled into this afternoon.

“It was the Mayans who torched the warehouse. Stole the Niner’s M4s.”

“Holy shit.” Worry deepens the lines on his face.

“Clay’s gone to sit down with Laroy. Try to buy us some time.”

“Niners already paid for that hardware.”

“That’s the tricky part.” I agree. My cell phone goes off in my pocket. I pull it out and fight the urge to shake my head. She’s probably watching from somewhere.

“Hey, Ma. It’s not like I just saw you this morning or something.”

“Did you go to storage?” she asks, ignoring me. Ma and the girls have been riding me hard to get the room set up for Abel in me and Lee’s house.

Not that they haven’t done most the work on it already.

“Not yet.”

“Be a nice surprise if you had some things for the girls to work with after they visit your crazy ass ex for you.”

“I hear you loud and clear. Thanks—Grandma.” I get the dig in.

“Asshole.” She hangs up, and I laugh. I tack the trip on my to-do list. There’s not much I wouldn’t do to make the girls happy, and I know right now, living at the clubhouse and being escorted everywhere is trying. Hell, they have to be accompanied just to visit Wendy. I wonder if I should’ve grabbed her and brought her in for lockdown. With her not answering my calls, she was the last thing on my mind.

I feel the pressure on my shoulders grow heavier. Splitting myself in so many directions always leaves someone hanging.

Clay walks out of the garage with Tig trailing behind him.

“I’m going to head out and do my mother’s bidding. Keep an eye on our girls?”

“Aye. Gonna trail ’em to Wendy’s.”

“Surprised Baby J is letting her get that close to you,” I say, amused by her viciousness when it comes to my ex.

“Didn’t say I was gonna walk up to the front door.” Chibs winks. Smooth motherfucker.

I’m still chuckling when I mount my bike, put on my helmet, and follow the boys out of the yard until they turn to head toward Oakland.

I let the ride blow away all my thoughts as I become one with the road. The sun on my skin, the wind blowing away all my tension, I’m one with the bike and in communion with my surroundings. This is my real church, the place I come to feel linked to my creator.

I’m feeling a lot more level-headed when I reach the storage building. Parking in front of the door, I enter the code and lift the door to the climate-controlled area. For a moment, I’m not sure where to look first. I can see so many memories put here to collect dust and stop reminding us of the sorrow they brought with them—toys that had belonged to my younger brother, Tommy, and me. I can still picture the toe-haired kid with a big heart. He’s a hole in my heart that will never be filled in.

I see the crib against the wall, but it’s the knick-knacks that interest me. There are pieces of my father mixed in here. I wish you were here now more than ever Pops.

I caress the photos that disappeared off the wall once Clay moved into our home. I understand the why behind my mother recommitting so swiftly, but it didn’t change the anger it caused. We were doing okay there for a while: Ma, me, and Baby J. When Clay came in, it shot the dynamics to hell. The man knew fuck all about kids, let alone grieving teens, and it showed. We always felt welcome with my Dad.

Clay brought a coldness that had us walking on eggshells and out of the house more often than not. It didn’t escape my notice that the girls both started spending more time at Gran’s and later after she passed, at Tig’s.

I shake out some manilla envelopes and smile at the sight of my parents in their youth. They look so carefree and happy. I can’t remember the last time I’d seen Dad look like that after Tommy died.

A photo falls like a leaf landing onto a binder of something I don’t recognize.

What’s this?

I take it out and find a manuscript. I can hear my father’s voice reading out loud in my mind.

The life and death of Sam Crow. How the Sons of Anarchy lost their way. By John Thomas Teller. For my sons: Thomas, who’s already at peace, and Jackson... may he never know this life of chaos.

I pause to snap a picture and send it to the girls. Found something of Dad’s.

There’s something about this that commands my attention.

I open the first page and find myself sucked in and my view of everything I’d been groomed to take over, tilts on its axis.

I’m a few chapters in when my phone vibrates in my kutte pocket. It’s like emerging from a different world. I pull it out of my pocket and sigh. Church. Setting aside a few things for a Prospect to pick up, I take the manuscript and place it into my saddlebag before I’m drawn back into the fray.

***

I stalk out of Church with Mayans, the Niners, and guns on the brain. We have forty-eight hours to come up with the guns Leroy ordered, or we’re going to be in a bad spot with them. Our relationship with the Niners has been good. The last thing we need is both them and the Mayans out for blood. Charming is small. Ain’t many places for a person to hide. We know firsthand how damn ruthless the Mayans can be when they go to war. Bloody ‘92 will forever remind us that they have no limitations.

Still, I can’t help but wonder how they got the intel. Are they scoping us out or paying someone else in town to do their dirty work for them?

Ma rushes into the garage alone, and my stomach jumps.

“What’s going on?” I bark.

“I been trying to call you!” Her eyes are glossy, and her tone is wounded.

“Where are the girls?” I ask carefully, enunciating each word. Chibs left them with a prospect to look over them once he’d been called back for Church.

“At the hospital.”

“What?” Chibs roars from behind me.

“With Wendy. Junkie bitch took a hit and od’d.”

“Mother Mary,” Chibs whispers, crossing himself.

The bottom drops out of my world. I can barely hear as I sway slightly. Did this bitch kill my son? Blood rushes in my ears, and the world drops away.

“Shite. Let’s get you to the hospital, brotha,” Chibs urges, shaking me out of my stupor as he squeezes my arm, grounding me. I stumble out feeling drunk as I make my way to my bike. Part of me doesn’t want to make the trip to St. Thomas because that’ll mean finding out what might be an ugly truth.

The trip is a complete blur. I pull into a spot, kill the engine, and head inside. The doors open, and I step inside feeling like I’m traveling to the pit of hell with my mom on my heels talking to Clay.

“It’s gotta be the Nords dealing out of the Dog again.”

I’m going to kill those white supremacist bastards as soon as I see about my son.

A small hand grabs my wrist. I turn on my mother, irritated. “I don’t want you to walk into this blind, baby. Tara Fucking Knowles is the doctor on his case. The girls aren’t happy. I’m sure they’ve let her know by now.”

“Jesus.” I shake my head.

She narrows her eyes. “You knew?”

“I saw her once and looked it into it, yeah.” I hold my hand up. “We’ll talk about it later.” For once, she backs off as we travel to the correct floor.

I spot Tara standing awkwardly by my two pissed-off girls.

“What the hell is going on?” I ask.

“Bitch refused to tell us anything,” Journee says.

“Said we weren’t family or on the paperwork to release medical information to,” Lee growls.

“I’m changing that shit today. You got me, Tara?” I snarl.

She nods and swallows.

“Good. Now what the hell happened?”

“When’s the last time you saw her?” Tara asked.

“A couple of weeks ago.” I don’t just abandon people. Even when we break up.

“Her hands and feet were full of tracks. Toxicology reports aren’t back yet, but it’s most likely crank.”

“That selfish bitch,” Journee hisses.

Lee steps up on my right slipping her fingers into mine, and Journee steps up on my left, with Ma directly behind me.

All of them are lending me silent support.

She looked fine when we saw her.

I squeeze Lee’s hand and pull from her silent strength.

“The baby?” I force the question out of my clogged throat.

“We had to do an emergency C-section. He’s ten weeks premature.”

I close my eyes. “Holy shit,” I whisper. That’s not right. Are his lungs even developed yet? I might not have advertised it, but I read up on pregnancy.

“Come on, let’s sit down, and I’ll walk you through it.”

“Just tell us bitch,” Journee snaps.

Lee wraps an arm around me, and my sister’s arm joins hers.

I draw strength from them, bracing myself. Last thing I need right now is to be alone anywhere with Tara while she drops bombs.

Tara’s eyes dart nervously to all my girls. “He’s got a congenital heart defect and gastroschisis, a tear in his abdomen. The gastro and the early birth are from the drugs. But the CHD is probably—.”  

“The family flaw,” Mom says softly.

Tara nods. “Yes, it’s genetic. Either one would be serious but not life-threatening. However, the two of them together—.” My stomach plummets.

She pauses, unsure of what she should say next.

I need to know what she’s holding back on.

“Just tell me.”

“Dr. Namid gives him a twenty percent chance, and I’m afraid that’s being optimistic.”

“How could we not know?” I shake my head, disgusted. We did everything but live there with her.

“Her OB said she missed her last appointment.”

“Bitch must’ve hidden that one,” Lee says from between her teeth.

“No one knew. Dr. Namid wants to fix his belly first. Then if he stabilizes, he’ll go in and try to repair the heart.”

She pauses, her brown eyes soften towards me.

“I’m sorry, Jax.” She says kindly.

I nod my head and blink to keep my emotions in check.

“I can take you to see him now.”

“Go,” the girls whisper, releasing me as Tara turns and I step forward, following her.

We get through the door, and I pause. “Tara! Maybe you shouldn’t do this. I’m sure you got other patients –.”

“I asked Dr. Namid if I could assist. I wanna help your son –.”

I glance over my shoulders at the girls. “His name’s Abel?”

Lee nods her agreement, and I return my attention to a befuddled-looking Tara.

“That’s a good name.”

I can’t do it—go in there and see my little boy laying helpless as he fights for his life while I stand by, twiddling my thumbs. I need to make the person responsible for this pay. Avenging him is an action. I need to be doing something, or I’m going to explode and destroy everything in sight.

I spin on my heels.

“Jax?” Tara calls.

I ignore her and continue to walk.

“Jax,” Ma says.

“J wait-” Baby J steps forward.

“Jackson?” Lee whispers, gripping my hand, trying to stay me.

Even with her firm grip trying to anchor me, the fury I’m feeling won’t be subsided.

“Go with Tara, and stay with Ma.” I point at Ma.

“I got something to do.”

Before they can argue I press a chaste kiss to Lee’s crow, releasing her hand and briskly walking down the corridor away from them.

“I don’t want to be calmed and soothed.

Right now I need some release, some revenge.

Daddy,” I vaguely hear my sister cry out.

“I’m on it, Mo.”

“Watch his back,” Clay calls.

***

Chibs

I’m on Jax like white on rice.

If anything happens to him on my watch, I’ll be getting my ass handed to me by the ladies and then my President.

Rage rolls off him in intense waves as he walks through the leather pillow-top salon-style doors of the Hairy Dog.

As he enters the smoky room, he’s a man on a mission.

I can’t fault him for it. I want to see him get his retaliation. I know how not getting it can eat a man up one flashback at a time.

He grabs a pool stick off the wall and begins to beat the tattooed bastard bloody on his own turf.

“Sell crank to my pregnant ex?” Jax is an enraged beast.

His boys move to surge forward, and Bobby pulls his piece.

“Easy boys,” Bobby drawls as only an Elvis impersonator could.

I let Jackie continue to whale on the lad for a few beats longer before I step in, post testicle piercing.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa” I snag him around the waist and pull him back. “I think you made your point. I think you made your point!”  Jax stills, and I release him.

“Stupid peckerwood shithead.” Jax spits on the impaled, bloodied, and broken body.

I follow up with a little spit of my own.

“Enjoy your lunch. Shish keballs are on me,” Bobby says, bringing up the rear as we exit the den of hate.

Jax climbs onto his bike.

“You alright?” Bobby asks.

“I’m gonna see Op.”

“You sure you got your head back on straight, brotha?” I ask.

“No. But I need to know you’re with the girls.”

“Tha I can do.”  It pains me to leave him to his own devices, but I’m not trusting the girls to Clay. They need a soft touch right now, and the Pres is notoriously heavy-handed. I haven’t had a cause to pray much recently, but I’ve thanked the man upstairs plenty, so maybe he’ll hear me now as I pray for the bairn who’s already got the odds stacked against him.

***

I spot the girls camped out when I enter the hospital.

Mo jumps up and runs to me.

“Daddy.” I open my arms and pull her to me, resting my head on her head.

“Where’s Jax?”

“He went to see Opie. Figured that might be the best thing for him.”

She hiccups. “Abel’s so small and so very sick.”

“I know, but he comes from strong, stock. He’ll be fine.” I peer up to see Lee watching and incline my head, opening one of my arms. She walks over, and I pull her to me, settling her beside her wife. I kiss Lee’s head.

“It’s going to be okay, girls. He’s got a lot of people out here rooting for him and good doctors.” Gemma glaring at the operating door doesn’t hurt either.

Feeling eyes on me, I glance up to find Clay watching us.

He could never understand this little family of four we’re building.

He’s always been … self-motivated.

I know how precious true family is, and I’ll cherish every moment of it I experience.

“Looks like you got this under control, brother. I’m going to check in on our other problems,” Clay says. “You stay here and keep me posted.”

“Aye.”  He slinks away with Bobby following him, and I refocus on the girls in my arms who’ve seen their lives turned upside down in less than forty-eight hours.

“Come on, loves, let’s go take a seat.” I guide them to the chairs and sink down with both of them still attached. Stroking my hand over their hair, I lean my head back against the wall and settle in for what I know will be a lengthy wait.

“It feels like it’s taking a really long time,” Lee mumbles.

“Means they’re making sure to do it right,” I whisper.

“He’d know. He was a medic,” Journee says, working to soothe her wife’s nerves. I feel the slight tremor in her body that tells me she’s struggling to believe her own words.

“I hope so,” Lee whispers, glancing back towards the operating room doors.

“We can’t lose another Teller like this,” Journee’s voice waivers.

“Nah, that’s not going to happen. You need a nephew to raise your kid up with,” Lee whispers, lending comfort.

Journee sniffles and reaches across me to twine her fingers with Lee’s.

The girls both rest their heads against my chest and I let my fingers weave into their hair and massage their scalps.

Both of them release deep sighs and snuggle closer.

I know neither of them got much extra sleep this morning, despite their attempt.

And with the way the adrenaline has been coming and going it’s only a matter of time till their bodies grow heavy and their breathing grows even.

Gemma walks over to us sometime later and smiles.

“Always been attached at the damn hip,” she says softly.

I peer down and note the girls have fallen into a troubled sleep.

“Aye. How you doing, Ma?”

She shakes her head. “If that bitch isn’t dead, she’s going to wish she was when I’m done with her.”

I don’t have to ask who she’s talking about.

“Has there been any news on her?”

Gemma shakes her head.

“Not yet. Wish they’d come and tell me I never have to worry about her again.”  She sighs.

Turning to look at me, she gives me those narrowed whiskey-colored eyes.

She’s been brewing something in that big brain of hers and it’s either gonna be really good for me or about to make me very uncomfortable.

“You’re good for my daughter. I worried I might never see that kind of joy in her eyes again. She was always my sweet baby. Kind-hearted and open. Not naïve, but a little too optimistic. I tried to train it outta her, but never could. Then I went and got used to it.” She gives a throaty chuckle and shakes her head.

“Seeing it crushed under the boot heels of some fucking traitor like Hobart. That shit hurt deep.” She narrows her gaze. “I ain’t never going through that again, am I?”

I’m wondering why she’s waited till now to have this convo with me and not before the wedding, but I know better than to question the Queen.

“No, ma’am.” I answer honestly.

She nods her head. “Good.” She smiles. “Give me a grandbaby, and you and I will be golden.”

“I’m working on it.”

“Yeah, I heard that for myself, Daddy,” she says sarcastically.

I grin unashamed. I’ll never be embarrassed about anything that Mo and I do.

A throat clears, and we both look up.

“He made it.”

Gemma grins, and I gently rock the girls to wake them.

“Wait, they’re doing the crow thing now?” Tara whispers.

“Another comment like that, and I’ll forget you just helped save my grandchild,” Gemma snaps.

“Journee is me wife and me old lady.” I glance down at Lee, who’s blinking up at me before I direct the wide smile I know gets under people’s skin at Tara.

“And I’ll let Leelove inform you about her new position.”

“Whas going on, Daddy?” Journee whispers.

“Abel made it through the first surgery, loves,” I whisper.

They’re out of my arms and jumping up and down like a pair of high school cheerleaders.

“He’s not out of the woods yet,” Tara cautions.

The girls turn to her with a look of disgust.

“Always the buzzkill,” Lee mumbles.

Tara clears her throat. “Wendy Case is also awake.”

“Trust me. You don’t want us to go see Wendy right now,” Gemma says.

“She’s going to need support to beat this—.”

The girls look at each other and burst out laughing.

Tara’s face falls.

“Ya have ta want help t’get it. Yew’ve missed a lot. So yer speaking on things ya Cannae understand.”

“We’re talking about decent human kindness,” Tara says, exasperated.

“There are so many things you’ve grown out of touch with Knowles. I’d list them for you, but we’ve got far better things to do right now,” Gemma says as her fingers fly over the keyboard. My phone vibrates, and I know she’s sent a club update.

When my phone begins to ring, Mo huffs and pouts.

“Yeah?”

“Time for church, Chibby. We learned a few things,” Tig says.

“On my way in. Bring the girls?” I ask.

Gemma shakes her head. “We have got to get a handle on Jax’s house for important reasons.”

I nod my head. “Need you to send a prospect to Jax’s old house for the girls.”

“He’ll be waiting for them,” Tig says.

“Appreciate it, Tigger.”

“You know they’re my girls too.”

“Aye. I know.” I disconnect.

“Duty calls, ladies, but there’ll be a prospect awaiting your arrival.

“The one who doesn’t eat meat?” Gemma wrinkles her nose.

“I don’t trust a man who doesn’t eat meat. Don’t patch him in.”

“I’ll keep that in mind when it comes time to vote.”

“Always liked you, Scottie.”

“Such a suck-up,” Journee teases.

I wink at her. Cupping the back of her neck, I pull her into a kiss. I savor her taste and softness before I pull away.

“One of us will come to bring you home if the prospect doesn’t. yeah?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

I pat her ass. “There’s a good lass.”

“Fill me in on my grandson before we leave, Knowles,” Gemma says, taking her aside as I pull away for Mo.

“Stay safe, Filip.”

“Always Mo Astor.”

***

Church is a different experience now that I have something more than the club and its secrets to protect. I know retaliation is coming with the Mayans, and now with Wendy’s bullshit, we’re looking into the Nords. It’s like placing a fucking target on my back, and yet, I can’t show the way I feel in any way. Not at the table in front of mixed company. The Nords only have about sixteen guys, but with their leader, Darby, out of jail and ready to make his presence known, we’re looking at brawn over brain action happening. We’ve turned a blind eye to the meth labs they run out of Lodi, but that was when they sold to truckers and Hispanic gangs. This is hitting too close to home.

“How’s his guy doing?” Clay asks.

I focus back on the conversation going on around me.

“Fractured cheek, broken nose, left nut swinging solo.” Juicy informs us with a smirk.

“Yes, it was beautiful!” I crow. “That’s my boy!” I let the laughter I don’t feel flow. I’m damn used to pretending.

“He’s lucky he’s breathing,” Jackie boy growls. I know he means every word.

“So, uh, any luck up north?” Clay asks, turning his attention to Happy, who we’d called in to try to replace our missing hardware.

“Tacoma can help with the Glocks, but there’s no M4s anywhere. Washington State, Oregon, Nevada, nobody’s got stock, man.”

Fucking perfect.

“We’ll have all the Mayan intel by the morning. We’ll get our guns back.” Jax says, turning to look at Juicy.

Juice nods.

They downplay how much good he’s done for our club but without him, we’d still be in the dark playing guessing games.

They start to conclude with treasury talk and other bullshit.

I’m counting down until I can get home to my wife.

“All right, all right. Anything else?” Clay asks. Finally.

“Yeah, I, uh, just wanna say to Jackson on a club level,” Piney begins. I sit up. He doesn’t do speeches often. “The Sons of Anarchy, the Redwood Original, is here for you. Your father would be proud of the man you’ve become, you know. Every time I see you sitting at this table, well, I do a double-take at you.”

“It’s probably just the weed Pop,” Opie says, lightening the mood.

Piney gives a chuckle. “Probably. I mean, he’s... Anyway, whatever you need, son, it’s yours.” The man’s old school. He understands what loyalty means. For people like him and me, the club is about the family we’ve chosen for ourselves, not the bullshit that comes with it.

“Thank you, Piney. Thanks, boys,” Jax says. I nod my head at him. He knows all he has to do is ask me.

“Meeting closed.”

Now I pay my dues, shoot the shit, and bide my time. The clubhouse doesn’t hold the same lure it used to.

“What the hell is that smell?” Clay asks.

“I don’t know. God, if I know. I smell it too,” Bobby says.

I tense up. The last thing we need to do is find a fucking dead Crow. With the way they do drugs, it’s happened before.

They walk around sniffing. Clay comes to the pool table. Shit. Which one is it this time? Peggy’s been hitting the coke pretty hard for someone her age.

“It’s that box,” Clay says.

“What is it?” Bobby asks.

“I don’t know,” Clay says.  Clay opens the box, and the scent rushes toward us.

I gag when I see the decapitated deer head.

What the feck is this horse shite?

“Hey, that’s mine.”

Oh, for fucks sake.

I shake my head as my damn prospect rushes over, proud as shit, and lifts the rotting head up.

“Are you out of your goddamn mind?” Bobby asks, covering his nose and mouth. Even Piney, with his oxygen tubes, tries to plug up his nostrils.

“No, I just—You know, I thought it was like a surprise. We could mount it in the club. You know, like on the wall.

“It’s gotta be stuffed and treated, you idiot,” Jax says.

“Yeah, I know, I just... Stuffed with what?” he asks. Fucking hell, why am I in charge of this blundering idiot? Assholes assigned him to me while I was on me honeymoon with Mo Astor. Jealous, vindictive bastards.

“Got a real winner there,” Jax says.

“Feck off.” I nudge him playfully with my elbow, and he gives me a small smile.

“Jax.”

“Gotta go, Duty calls,” He says, nodding his head toward Clay.

“Good speed, brother.”

I join Tig at the bar, positioned where I can watch Jax. He’s not himself right now, and he’s got a lot to lose.

#sons of anarchy #sons of anarchy fanfiction #Jax Teller #chibs telford #Mo Astor