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crystalninjaphoenix · 5 years

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The Bad Guy

Septics Inverted

A JSE Fanfic

We got a hero, we got a villain, but which is which? Or are they so tangled up that nobody can tell? Who knows? Actually I do, because I’m the author and I’m writing this blurb thing to conceal the mystery for newcomers lol. This is the story about Anti and Jackie I mentioned last week. It’s the first time Anti had any direct contact with the other boys, and then that became a regular thing and also one of the main driving conflicts of this AU. So yeah, rather important story to cover

Read the intro story: Part One | Part Two

Various other AU-related stuff found here

Taglist: @evyptids @awkward-bullshit @watermelonsinmyattic @asunachinadoll @a-humble-narcissus @metautske @odysseus-is-best-boi @acuriousquail @beerecordings

Jackie knew this city was hell. Sometimes he thought he was the only one who knew, who saw the signs even when taking a simple walk. Why else would he be the only one with the courage to do this? The only one who actively sought out information on what the gangs were up to next? The only one currently perched on the slanted roof of this warehouse, staring through the skylights, waiting for those criminals to show up? Either the citizens just didn’t realize how bad the situation was, or they were too scared to do anything about it.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Thank god he remembered to silence it. Nothing much was happening on the floor down below, so he pulled it out and checked the text from Chase that had appeared on screen: You coming home soon?

Jackie rolled his eyes, then pulled off the glove on his right hand so he could type out a reply, chicken-peck style. No. Nothings happened yet

Im bored! Chase replied. Everyone is off doing work shit!

Go talk to Jack or something

Im not at home

Jackie paused. Where the hell are u then??? He thought he knew.

The little typing bubbles stayed for a while before he got Chase’s reply. I dunno the name of the place. Its on Forest Ave. Prices are low so i checked it out. But im still bored drinking alone! Cmon and join me here. Besides didnt you say theyd meet at 11? Its 1230 now and if their not there their probably not coming.

*They’re, dude Jackie glanced back through the skylight. It was true. Members of the Spotted Snakes gang were supposed to meet here at eleven to discuss weapon arrangements. Jackie had even heard there was going to be one of the leaders there. It would’ve been a perfect opportunity to eliminate them, but they hadn’t appeared, and by this point it was just insane for every member to be an hour and a half late. Something must’ve been up. Jackie sent another text to Chase: OK, Im gonna go down and check it out. If I find nothing Ill meet u there.

Whoo! Jackies going out on the town! :D

Night on the town! But dont count on it yet, still might be something up. Text u later Jackie shut off his phone. The skylight was unlocked, as he’d checked two hours ago, so he eased it open. There was a quite a drop to the floor of the warehouse, but luckily he’d prepared for these situations. His belt had a cable with a hook, for climbing easily. Jackie unwound the cable, hooked it around the edge of the skylight, and gently lowered himself down. The moment his feet touched solid ground he yanked on the cable until it unhooked, then retracted it back into his belt.

It looked like a normal warehouse. Huge storage boxes and crates were stacked along the walls and in rows, with a big empty space in the middle where Jackie had landed . There were long metal rafters holding up the slanted ceiling. A few of the large industrial lights were on, casting an eerie glow over the stacks. That alone must’ve been a sign someone was here, but they’d been on since before Jackie had arrived. Maybe they were on a timer?

Well, even if the gang wasn’t here, he might as well look for evidence. Maybe they had some of those alleged weapons stored in those boxes that he could get rid of. The warehouse could go too, they’ll lose a place to meet.

Jackie walked over to the nearest crate. It would be hard to open, even for him, but luckily someone had conveniently left a crowbar on top of it, maybe planning to open it later. Jackie picked it up and, with no small effort, pried the crate open. Nothing was in this one, just a bunch of loose packing peanuts.

One of the lights overhead flickered and died. That was...weird. There must’ve been a whole shitload of lightbulbs inside it, they couldn’t have all gone out at once. Jackie glanced toward it, but couldn’t see anything from this far away. He shrugged it off and moved on to the next crate, also empty. As were the third, fourth, and fifth one.

He had the strangest feeling someone was watching him. At first he put it down to paranoia, but as time went on the feeling only intensified. He stopped his attack on the crates and looked around. He couldn’t see anybody, but that didn’t mean nobody was there. Jackie shouldered the crowbar and stalked away, determined to find out if somebody was actually watching him, or if he was just going crazy.

Another light flickered off. The stacks of boxes were casting long shadows, where anyone could be hiding. Jackie didn’t like it, but he took advantage of it when he could, keeping to the edges of the stacks where the shadows were deepest. No one would see him coming, if anyone was indeed there.

A third light died, this time the one directly above him. And now Jackie was suspicious. Things like that don’t just happen. He glared up at the light, and caught a bit of movement high above. Something...slithery, like a flag in the wind. It definitely wasn’t a loose wire or anything with a normal explanation. Jackie tightened his grip on the crowbar. It wouldn’t do any good from down here, but just in case. “Hey!” he shouted. “If anyone’s up there, I can see you! Why are you hiding?”

There was no doubt about it this time: something big, person-sized, moved on top of the lighting fixture. Whoever it was, they didn’t answer.

“Your cover’s blown!” Jackie said. “And you’ll have to get down at some point. I can wait. Or you can just answer me.”

Nothing for a moment. Then out of nowhere, a person-shaped shadow leaped from the light and landed smoothly on one of the rafters. Something fluttered behind them, probably a piece of clothing. Jackie gaped. How...?

“You’ve got me,” a voice said. Jackie jumped. It sounded like it was right beside him and far away at the same time. And it also seemed familiar for some reason. “What are you going to do now, Jackieboy? Arrest me? Or am I too dange͡ro͟ùs͏ for that?”

“I don’t even know who you are,” Jackie said cautiously. His eyes followed as the shape of the person jumped to another rafter. They—he?—shouldn’t have made that distance. It was much too far. And that voice...if Jackie hadn’t been living with Marvin, unfortunately, for the past year or so, he would’ve been so confused right now. But now he just suspected magic.

“You’ve heard of me,” the voice said. “But we’ve never met. You’d recognize my name if I told you.”

“Then why don’t you tell me?” Jackie asked. “I’m sure we can come to a...an agreement.”

The voice chuckled. “Like the agreement you have with your roommates? You look the other way, and they’ll help you get rid of troublesome tricksters? For someone who brags about his strong morals you sure like to let them bend.”

“How do you know about that?!” Jackie demanded. Then he reconsidered. “I—I mean, not the thing about morals. You’re wrong about that. I mean that I have roommates, and an arrangement.”

“I know a lot about you, Ja̶c͝ki̛ébo͟y.” The voice spat his name out like it tasted bitter. “And I don’t like any of it.”

Jackie growled. “Easy to say from up there. But if you were down on my level, I’d set you straight.”

“Ok̵ày̴,” the voice said, amused. Jackie wasn’t sure what exactly happened next. The shadowy hint of a person was suddenly not in the rafters anymore, and with an electric crack like a computer screen fracturing in two, there was someone right in front of Jackie. He gasped and backed up. The other person stayed stone-still.

The dark lighting fixture overhead burst back into life, while every other light in the warehouse dimmed and died. Jackie stared at the man in front of him. It seemed they’d found a seventh doppelganger: same hair, same build, same eyes. Well, not exactly on that last part, as his right eye was covered by a patch. He wore a black t-shirt, blue jeans with holes in the knees, and black tennis shoes. The green scarf around his neck must’ve been what caught Jackie’s attention up on the lighting. Jackie kept an eye on the man’s hands, in case the man attacked him, but his arms were crossed and Jackie couldn’t see a weapon.

“Well?” the man asked, grinning a bit. “I’ve stooped to your level now. Literally, of course, because I would ņev̷e̵r͢ mean that in the way it’s supposed to be meant.”

“You do realize I didn’t mean that, right?” Jackie said. He tried to sound casual, but he was very aware of the crowbar in his hand. “I get angry sometimes. I just want to know what you’re doing here. The Spotted Snakes were supposed to be meeting here, but nobody showed up. If you know something, I have to be in on that.”

“Why?” the man asked innocently.

“I—look, I—if someone is doing illegal shit in a warehouse like some sort of crime show, someone should stop that! That’s what I do!”

“And w̶h͡ò ̛gave y̨ou tha̴t ̀aut̢hor̶i̸t̵y̧?” the man growled. “The police? Maybe not the best, but they wouldn’t sanction this. The government? Absolutely not. Yourself?” He laughed. “Perhaps if you’d had the right idea, I’d let you. But instead, you have knives on your person and gasoline waiting for you outside. Do you understand why I had to tell them you were coming?”

Jackie blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Oh, come on. You noticed this place was empty. Did it not occur to you that they were warned the crazy vigilante would be stalking them tonight? How easy is it to send an anonymous text these days?”

“You little—” Jackie didn’t even finish his sentence before lunging forward, swinging the crowbar at the man’s head. But just before it connected, the man dissolved. That was the only word for it, he came apart like loose atoms flying everywhere. Jackie barely caught himself before he fell. The other man reformed to the side, his body still caught partly in that glitchy swarm state.

Jackie turned toward him, seething. “I’m gonna kill you.”

“Yoų'̷l͢l try͟.”

Jackie swung again, only for the man to dodge. And again, from the other side, to the same result. He tried a feint with the crowbar while going for a hit with his fist. The man disappeared and came back in the exact same spot. Jesus christ, couldn’t this guy just stop cheating for five fucking seconds?! Jackie gritted his teeth and flew forward, giving up on tactic and just trying in vain to land a hit. But he couldn’t, no matter what. The guy just dodged, or glitched out of the way, or let the hits pass right through him.

“T̕h̢i̛s ͢is get̡ţi͠n̢g̨ ͟bor͝i̶n͏g̀,” the man said. And that just made Jackie angrier. Was this a game to him?! Jackie went for one more two-handed swing with the crowbar. But the world broke. That was the only way to explain the momentary freezing of time, the way the surroundings became sharp red and green shapes, the loud hum of screaming static. Jackie dropped the crowbar in shock, then next thing he knew the strange man was behind him, wrenching his arms behind his back. Not enough to hurt, but certainly enough to immobilize them.

“Are you fucking—” Jackie did his best to stomp on the man’s feet or kick him or something, but he got no reaction no matter how hard he hit.

“I hope you realize yoų a͞re͟n'̸t̴ doin̡g ͠a̸ny͠thìng,” the man remarked. “Now. I have questions. You have answers. We can play a matching game.”

“Fuck off!” Jackie spat. “I’m not gonna tell you anything, and you can’t make me!”

“You don’t ḱn̨ow̢ that,” the man hissed. “Now shut up and let me start. Where’s Jack?”

Jackie stopped struggling out of pure shock. “Wait, what?”

“Where. Is Jack.” The man repeated. “I kn̢ow͠ yo̧u ̛k͠n͝o͏w. You’re one of his rotten f̷̴͟r̵í͡é́͞nd̶͟͞s̛͢͞ that took him. Where is he?”

“Why do you—” Jackie cut himself off. This guy looked a lot like Jack. Could it be? “Wait...you’re his demon friend aren’t you? Anti. The one with the eye-patch that he talked about all the time.”

“Yes, that’s me,” the man—Anti—confirmed. “And I’m not a d̡e͡mo̡n͏. You’ve talked to him, huh?”

“Of course I have! He’s my friend, as you pointed out.” A smile curved his lips. “Which is more than I can say for you.”

Anti’s grip on his arms tightened. “Ẁh̷at̢ ar̸e͡ ̴y̛ou͞ ͏sa̡ying̡?̀”

Jackie laughed. “Just that he’s finally realized the truth about you. You’re a monster. A demon, as much as you deny it. He’s not gonna want to see you again.”

“Y̸̡͞o̡ú're̸̛ ̶̢͢ly̶̢̕i̷͟n̨̕g!̵͡” Anti shoved Jackie away from him, like he couldn’t stand to be near him anymore. Jackie landed hard on the floor, flipping over to face the glitch. The distortion had increased to the point where it was starting to affect the world around him. His visible eye had turned green, with a black sclera. There was a knife in his hand now, gleaming and sharp.

Jackie tensed, getting ready for an attack but not standing up in case that provoked him. “I don’t lie. I’m just telling you what he thinks. And if anything, it’s your fault for being that way. I’ve been told it’s easy to use bad memories from Halloween as a starting point.”

“ W̡͢h̵̢a̢̢̡t̡̕͠ ̨͟͝d͡͞id ̨͡yo͝͏͏u̷ ̷͠d͡o ͟͟to̴̷͢ ͏̛h̶̡i̢m?̷̧” Anti growled.

“I didn’t do anything. I just don’t stop people from doing things.”

“A̸nd how ͢n̴ob̕le͢ ́of̷ you!͠ H̴ow ͠h̕e̕r̵oi͏c̷!” Anti flipped the knife into a stabbing position. “Th̛a̸t's̸ exac̕tl̕y wh͡at ̕a͢ ̛s͡up̡e̵rh̨e͝ro wo̕u̧l̨d d̴o, s̢i͡t͠ a̡ro͠und and ͡watc̕h b̛y̸st́an̷de̢rş ̡b̷e͡ hurt͡.̛” His lip curled in disgust. “T͝oo̸ s͞c͏are̴d t͢o ̸e͝n̢dan̢ger̴ ỳou͏r̵ ̸l̸it͏tl͡e ́fr̸i͟ends̡hips͝ ̨w͢ith ́t̀he̷ ͏ba̷d ̧gu̢ys̴ to ̷do ͞so̶m̵et͢hi̶nǵ g͡ood͢ fơr on͠ce,̶ ̵t͟h̕en?!”

“I do good things all the time!” Jackie protested. “The streets are safer with me out on them.”

“N̴ó,̧ ͝th̶ey͡'͠re̕ ̕f͡uck͡in͟g̢ worse be͟ca͏use anyo̕ne̶ ̀cou͞l̨d̀ b͢e ͟dragged̷ ͠i͝ntơ an̵ ̵a͞lley ̶a̵nd ͟iǹt͟err̡ǫga͡ted ͢be̷cau͝se ̶th̸éy ̛ḿaý ̸be͟ a̧ cr̀i͠min͡a͟l̡!̢”

“You know what?!” Jackie stood up, keeping an eye on the knife. “Why don’t you stop accusing me and start looking for answers! I can take it! I’ll give you as much as I get, I can promise you that!”

Anti stared at him. Then, with a glitch, the knife in his hands disappeared. The distortion lessened. “I'̢m͏ ͝n͢ot l͞i̢k͏e̴ y̵o̴u,” he said bitterly. “Sometimes I think I could be. Bu̶t ̨I̢'̢m̶ n̢ó̵͡t̨̛.͟ And I’m trying to keep it that way, something your little group is̢n͞'ţ h̨e͠l̛p̷i͏ng̛ wi̶th́.” He rolled his shoulders. “I’ll find him myself.”

Jackie was stunned. This wasn’t how he was expecting it to go. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He didn’t get it. If Anti wanted information, why wasn’t he seeking it out? In an effort to cover up his confusion, he laughed. “Oh, good luck. Marvin’s got the house warded, and we got some upgraded manpower now that this new guy’s joined up.”

Anti smiled. “Thanks for that.”

Wait, no. “Wh-what?” Jackie stuttered.

“Now I know he’s just at your house. And I know where that is. So, th̢a͡nk͏s͞.͠” Anti turned on his heel and vanished in an explosion of pixels. All the overhead lights turned off.

Jackie just stood there for a moment. Had he really just? And given away information? But he was fine? This guy...this Anti guy...god, he was the worst. He was the fucking worst. Something needed to be done.

He leaned over and picked up the crowbar. Hey, no sense in leaving a perfectly good tool in the middle of an empty warehouse. Then he reached into his belt and took out the flashlight, making sure he could see in this new dark. He started towards the exit, taking out his phone on the way.

Chase, r u still there? he texted.

Almost immediate reply. Yeah dude! Not on Forest anymore, tho, so I guess youll need the address of the new place

No! Forget that! Jackie hurried to text. Look some big shit just went down and EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW. Get back home and tell the others im on my way

Damn dude whats the rush?

Yknow Jacks demon friend he used to talk about? The one James messed up his head of?

Yeah

Thats the rush. Now i remember Jack said this guy was all electronic so im not gonna give details but get everyone there right now. Call it a family meeting if you have to this is obligatory. Got it?

Wow. Okay that actually sounds important. On it, see you later

See u

Jackie exited the warehouse and entered the cool December night. This Anti was a threat. Not only had he interfered with Jackie’s plan, but now he wanted to get Jack back? Honestly, Jackie didn’t mind that second part so much, but he knew the others would, especially Chase. He couldn’t risk getting on the guys’ bad side.

And the way Anti had talked back there had really pissed him off. Like he was the one saving people. Nobody even knew he existed. Jackie knew he’d done more for this city than anyone else. And Anti had talked to him like that? Like he was the one messing everything up.

He was wrong. Jackie would prove it if he had to. He would show that this way was the only way.

Jackie started running back towards the house. First step was to let the others know. Next step? He hadn’t thought that far yet.

But whatever they decided, he would do it. The ends greatly justify the means.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jackieboy man #antisepticeye #brigid writes fanfiction #septics inverted au #invertedau

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thelittleredheadedmusician · 7 years

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Titans Academy

The prompt for cassiestephkara week day 1 was High School AU and I definitely got carried away. I’m going to post it here but rather than reading it on my blog I highly suggest reading it here on ao3. PG rating; 9,632 words cassiestephkara, background dickbabs, Please feel free to reblog and leave comments!

To say that their school was a bit odd was… an over-simplified under-statement. Their weird gymnastic/cheerleading cross boasted the best acrobat in the world, students could take actual college courses (not just AP but actual professors from ivy league schools), the track, archery, swimming, and fencing teams all had world class athletes and quite a few teenaged Olympians. Their theater and music departments regularly produced award winners and art students often received gallery openings before graduation. Students participated in actual scientific research and published papers and interned at places like the UN and Catco Media, all as high schoolers.

Yet the student body was just as perplexing as their accomplishments. Sure there was the Wayne family and the Queen gang, all the (mostly) adopted children of multi-millionaires. Most were there on full scholarships though, some thanks to influential family members or friends but for most it was due to talent and a desire to learn. For nine months out of the year, teenagers from all walks of life and all over the country with all kinds of interests and talents lived and went to school at the huge mountain turned prep school not far from Gotham City.

Cassie Sandsmark had known that she would be attending the prestigious Titans Academy, her older sister Donna was a student and her cousin Diana was an alumnus and a diplomat meaning Cassie would most assuredly be attending. Move in day was odd, a group of kids, mainly boys, had been directing traffic and yelling insults at each other across the parking lots. Donna had ended up stopped behind a large pickup truck, the driver of which was jovially chatting with one of the teenaged boys helping with traffic. She rolled down her window and waved when he turned towards them. Cassie caught sight of dark black hair, blue eyes, and an easy smile. The boy turned back to the truck and tapped his palm on the door before waving as they pulled away.

Donna inched her car forward, “That’s Dick. He spent the weekend with us this summer?”

Cassie vaguely remembered the group of teenagers who had visited Donna though she couldn’t remember what all of their names had been. There was just too many redheads and too large of a crowd of loud noisy teenagers at the time. Now Cassie wouldn’t consider herself a shy person but Donna’s friends were just overwhelming so she spent most of the time they were there at the museum with her mom.

“Troia!” Dick called as they pulled up beside him. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing your car with!”

Donna laughed, “It’s a surprise! Plus we both know that had I told anyone before getting here Wally would’ve called dibs on shotgun.” Dick laughed and nodded. “Dick, you remember my little sister Cassie? I need to help her move in to the freshmen dorm.”

“A little, you weren’t around much when I visited.”

Cassie shrugged, leaning forward to better speak with the boy who had stuck his head into the car. “I was helping my mom with her exhibits. Also, the house was a little full.”

Dick laughed again, Cassie was starting to get the feeling that he laughed a lot. “Yeah well, I don’t think any of us thought that we’d all be able to make it. Wally, Garth, Roy, and I are rarely ever not busy at the same time during the summer. Not to mention Kori with her modeling, Vic with sports, Raven with her strict parents, and Gar is just Gar,” he ended with a chuckle.

Cassie raised an eyebrow at her older sister, “You didn’t tell me you were actually popular.”

“Rude!” Donna scolded but her smile betrayed her true feelings.

Dick turned back to look at the line of cars. “Well we’ll have to talk more later. Did you see where the truck in front of you went?” Donna nodded. “It was Clark Kent, he’s dropping off his little brother and cousin, they’re freshman too, so you’ll be heading the same place. Oh! And keep an eye out for Tim and Steph, since we don’t live on campus they’re helping with the move in.”

Donna gave him a thumbs up and headed onward towards the parking lot nearest the dorm. Finding a spot in the first row she parked and tapped Cassie on the knee, “C’mon girlie. You’ve got a lot of crap to get out of my car.” Donna smiled over at her as she opened the door. Cassie climbed out and took the huge suitcase from Donna’s arms. The older girl pulled a canvas grocery bag and a plastic tote box from the trunk. “Would you look at that, I’m the one with all the crap,” Donna laughed as she pushed the trunk closed.

Cassie pulled her backpack from the backseat and slung it over her shoulders before pulling the handle out on her rolling suitcase and following after Donna. The dorm was a long, two story building set between the athletic fields and the large mountain that somehow had been hollowed out and made into the main academic building. At the door stood a perky blonde girl with a face full of freckles and a pale boy with longish dark hair and a clipboard. A tall man held a small stack of crates and was bookended by a blonde girl and another dark-haired boy, both with backpacks and large duffle bags.

Clipboard boy drew what looked like check marks and pulled two small envelops out of a box by his feet. Cassie caught him saying “And Steph here will show you to your rooms. Oh, uh and my name’s Tim. I’m also a freshman so I’ll probably see you around.” The boy smiled a little awkwardly before handing them the envelopes and the blonde girl bounced off down the hall.

It was Cassie and Donna’s turn to talk to the boy with the clipboard. “Tim? Like Dick and Jason’s little brother?” Donna asked with her best smile.

Tim smiled a bit sheepishly, “Yeah. That’s me. You’re Donna, right? Dick talks about you a lot and I think you came to the Manor once.”

“You’d be right on both accounts!” Donna then elbowed Cassie. The blonde glared at her older sister before turning to Tim.

“Hi, I’m Cassie. Sandsmark. Cassie Sandsmark, cause there’s always a lot of Cassandra’s.”

Tim smiled at her, his blue eyes sparkling with laughter. “Yeah, my sister is actually named Cassandra too but she goes by Cass and I met a Cissie earlier today too.”

Cassie blinked, “Whoa. That could potentially get confusing.”

Tim nodded, “She’s blonde too.”

“That’s… weird.”

Donna laughed a bit, “You know that isn’t the strangest thing I’ve heard at this school.”

Tim smiled and turned back to his clipboard, “So uh, you’re going to be in room 205 with Kara Danvers. That was actually the girl just in front of you,” he said looking up at her. He bent down and pulled an envelope out of the box, double checking the number before handing it to her. “Steph should be back… here she is. I’ll see you around then?”

Cassie smiled at Tim as the blonde girl who must have been Steph skipped down the hallway. “Sure. Nice meeting you.”

“Bye Tim! I’m sure I’ll see you around!” Donna grinned and marched into the hall. Cassie sighed before following her, Tim shot her a wry smile and Cassie instantly knew that the two of them would get along brilliantly.

“Hiya! I’m Stephanie ‘Spoiler Alert’ Brown! But you can call me Steph.” The blonde said with a voice that matched her sunny disposition.

“I’m Cassie Sandsmark. This is my sister Donna Troy, she’s a junior.” Donna grinned and wiggled her elbow in greeting.

“You seem very familiar. You’re one of the older boys’ gang aren’t you?”

“Does Jason have a ‘gang’? He likes to deny he has friends, even though Roy, Kori, Kyle, and I regularly hang out with the grouchy nerd.” Donna raised her eyebrow at Steph who cackled in return.

“Now I see why he actually likes you. What’s your room number?” She asked Cassie.

“Um, 205.”

“Oh! Sweet! You’re gonna be Kara’s roomie! I was just there! She’s a sweetie pie, you’ll love her.” Steph’s smile somehow got even brighter as she punched the elevator button with her index finger. The doors slid open and the three girls immediately filed in. Steph pressed the button for the second floor before leaning against the wall. “So where’re ya from?”

“Gateway City originally, but my mom got a new job in D.C. last spring so we’ve been living with our cousin there until we finally found a house in Alexandria,” Cassie told her, fiddling with the handle on her suitcase.

“Cool. What does your mom do? Sorry, I’m nosy.” Steph said sheepishly.

Donna chuckled and Cassie turned to shoot her a look, Donn just shook her head at her younger sister. “She’s an archeologist originally but she’s worked as a museum curator the last few years now.”

“That’s awesome!” Steph grinned as she somehow hopped backwards out of the elevator. “My mom’s a nurse, which is exciting only in Gotham, being an archeologist is so cool!”

“Yeah,” Cassie replied. “I actually want to be one too.”

“You and I practically grew up in ancient Greece, you’re definitely going to be an archeologist.” Donna told her confidently.

Cassie blushed at that as Steph lead them down the hall. Her room was on the far end from the elevator and she could see other students setting up their own rooms through the open doors she passed. She could hear rock music blaring from one room and when she passed she saw a redheaded girl looking at a platinum blonde with concern, the redhead seemed to be gesturing to the music and asking to have it turned down but the other was simply staring back with a raised eyebrow. Another held a pair of boys, one with blonde hair and what looked like snake tattoos on his arms and another who had a lightning bolt shaved into his hair, who were trying to set up a large fish tank on top of their pushed together dressers.

Steph came to a stop in front of the window at the end of the hall, “Ta-da!” She trilled throwing her arms out into jazz hands. Cassie giggled at her as she passed. Taking a glance into the room across the hall, the boy from outside was there and Cassie noticed that in addition to an undercut he also had a gold hoop in one of his ears, she smirked a bit at that, his roommate was a scrawny hyper-active boy who could be heard chattering from the hall as he bustled around the room constantly pushing his auburn hair out of his eyes.

Cassie turned to her own room and peeked her head in. “Um, hi? I’m Cassie,” she smiled and slowly stepped through the door.

“Oh! Hi! I’m Kara! I hope you don’t mind that I took the left side of the room?” The girl gave her a warm grin as she turned to face Cassie. The other girl’s bed was half-made and there was knick-knacks, posters, and school supplies scattered across the desk.

“That’s fine. Uh, this is Donna, my sister.”

Donna smiled and placed the stuff she had been carrying down next to the bed. “Hi Kara. I’d love to chat but I need to go move in myself. I’ll text you and we can meet up for dinner?” Cassie nodded and Donna pulled her into a hug before waving to the other two girls and heading back down the hall.

“She seems really nice. You know she’s like super popular?” Steph asked from where she leaned on the door frame.

“She never really mentioned it but I’m starting to get those vibes,” Cassie replied honestly as she started opening drawers to sort clothes into.

Kara gave the other two girls a small smile. “I’m just hoping to make friends,” she told them softly.

“What do you mean, ‘hoping’?” Steph practically screeched with exaggerated air quotes.

“Well, I’m from Midvale and it’s this little town in Kansas and everyone there thinks I’m really weird cause I really like movies and books and writing, like really, really like them. But I’m also really good at soccer, that’s why I’m here, but I don’t act like the other girls and people don’t like that. Plus here everyone is from the city and what not so I’m an outlier and yeah…” Kara trailed off and peered at the other girls through the strands of blonde hair that had fallen in front of her sky blue eyes.

“One: I thought I talked fast, wow,” Steph gave a quick shake of her head. “Two: you’re from Kansas, not the planet Krypton or something like that! I met a girl from Blue Valley, Nebraska earlier! She seemed super cool btw, name’s Courtney. So, there’s not going to be any problems in that department. Three: being weird is kinda everyone’s thing around here. Trust me. I’ve been practically a Wayne for years now and they all go here so I know what kind of weird people get accepted. I mean, I’m here!”

Cassie laughed at Steph’s statements before turning to Kara. “Look, I know we just met but you seem really nice so I’ll be your friend. I’m mildly obsessed with mythology and I fence so if being a soccer super star and lit nerd is what you’ve got going on then I’m not one to judge.”

Kara beamed at that, “Thanks. So um, what’re you into Steph?”

“I’m a junior detective and gymnast,” she said proudly. “How I got into this place I’ve got no idea. Probs cause Bruce has all but adopted me, I’m still holding out hope though.”

“Hope for what?” Cassie asked, partially confused by Steph’s words to begin with. From talking to Steph the past few minutes Cassie gathered that she knew much more than either Cassie or Kara and didn’t realize or didn’t want to explain it all.

“Oh, that Bruce will adopt me too. But I guess having my mom and I move in is close enough.” She shrugged as her phone dinged. Cassie glanced over at Kara who was definitely equally confused. “Timbo needs assistance. Well I shall return! Oh! First phone numbers.” Steph pulled a sparkly purple gel pen from what appeared to be thin air and scrawled her number on the back of each girl’s hand. “Text me!” She called before skipping out their door.

“She seems like a-”

“Tornado?” Kara suggested.

“I was gonna say handful but that works much better,” Cassie grinned.

The two laughed before turning back to their unpacking. Soon they were chatting and laughing, Cassie knew that they were going to be great roommates and even better friends. She learned that the boy with the earring across the hall was Kara’s cousin Conner but everyone just called him Kon and figured out that Kara’s cousin Clark and Cassie’s cousin Diana were really good friends and met up once a month with some other guy for coffee.

They had ended up rolling out a rug that Kara had brought with and just sitting there on the floor getting to know each other. A knock on the half open door drew their attention to the boys standing there. “Kon!” Kara cried with a smile. “This is Cassie, Cassie my cousin Kon.”

Cassie raised a hand to wave and smiled. “Hiya,” he said in return. “D’you guys want to come to dinner with Bart and I? Oh, this is Bart by the way.” Bart-by-the-way peered out from just behind Kon and waved.

“I’m supposed to grab dinner with my sister but I’m sure she won’t mind. We can always get dinner another night,” Cassie smiled and got up to look for her converse.

She was just pulling them on when another silhouette filled the doorway. “It’s a regular party up here!” Steph said brightly. “Are you all heading for food? Can Tim and I sit with you? I’m one of the few non-related people he knows and so we need to find more people to sit with so we have an excuse to avoid the related people.”

“You make it sound like I have no friends and hate my family Steph,” Tim gave her an exaggerated eyeroll and Cassie couldn’t help but smile.

“Well you don’t and you do,” Steph shot back smugly.

“None of us have friends! We just got here! And Jason and Damian hate me, I have no problems with them and Dick, Cass, Babs, Duke, Harper, and Cullen love me.” Tim quickly replied.

“Ok, well only two and half of them are related to you so…” Steph’s sass, if possible, rose to another level. Cassie looked around at the others and they seemed just as interested and confused as she was. Cassie got the feeling that Steph and Tim would always be mentioning people only they knew and that she was just going to learn to live with it because she had already decided she wanted to be friends with the bubbly girl and clipboard boy. Kon was smiling broadly at the soon to be snark off while Bart seemed to be shaking with silent laughter.

“C’mon Steph, don’t act like the only person from my family that you’re on speaking terms with is Cass right now. Because if Harper and Cullen don’t count for me then they don’t count for you either.” Tim’s smirk had a victorious edge to it and Steph narrowed her eyes.

“At least Damian tolerates me. That’s more than you can say.”

“Am I the one who set off a glitter bomb in the game room last week? No. Who was that again? Oh yeah, you.”

“You know that was an accident! Babs vouched for me!” Steph’s blue eyes glowed with rage and her fists were balled.

Tim raised his chin a few centimeters higher as the smirk grew. “I know. That doesn’t mean they believe you.”

The two Gothamites stood like that while the other four glanced between each other, no longer amused and now thoroughly unsure of what to do. Suddenly someone’s stomach growled and Bart cleared his throat, “So food?”

This seemed to bring them around as Steph pushed a breath out of her nose and Tim smiled before flinging his arm around her shoulders and giving her a quick squeeze. “C’mon, dining hall is this way,” he said and the two started walking off back down the hall.

As they walked Cassie felt her phone buzz and pulled it out of her back pocket. The screen was lit with a text from Donna, “On my way to dh. See you in a few.” She slid it back into her pocket without responding, figuring she’d just tell her sister when she got there and that Donna would understand. She tuned into the conversation around her as she walked with her new friends to the large, cave-like door set into the side of the mountain.

Bart was trying to explain that he had two second cousins and they both had the same name and were both going to school here but the one was the same age as him and the other was two years older. Cassie’s head swirled but Tim seemed to be keeping up with the other boy perfectly. “Wait, the older one is he a ginger?” Bart nodded quickly at that. “Yeah, he’s my oldest brother Dick’s best friend,” Tim said with a smile.

“Is your brother friends with everyone’s family members?” Cassie asked, only half sarcastically.

“Well, kinda? I mean he’s pretty much friends with everyone but there’s a lot of people in our grade whose siblings or whatever are his good friends,” Tim’s cheeks started to flush and Cassie gathered it was a touchy subject for him.

Steph bumped her hip against his as they walked, “Cheer up Timmy-boy! That just gives you, and by extension me, a slight advantage in the social hierarchy!” Tim simply raised an incredulous eyebrow before shaking his head at her in disbelief.

Inside the dining hall Cassie found Donna sitting at a large table which was already half full. She waved before making her way over to where Cassie stood with her group of new friends. “Hey! All moved in?”

“Yep. Everything’s good. Do you mind if I eat with my friends? We can grab dinner together another night.”

Donna smiled at Cassie and then the group of teenagers waiting for her, “You guys can all join us if you want.” She used her thumb to point over her shoulder at the table. A boy with black hair and a white streak in it appeared to flip Cassie and the others off but when Steph stuck her tongue out at him and Tim rolled his eyes they realized it was not directed at the group at large. The boy from earlier, Dick, lightly whacked him upside the head before waving to the group. A redheaded guy on Dick’s other side gave them a quick jerk of the chin greeting. Bart raised his hand in a half-hearted wave.

“Um… I think we’re good finding our own table,” Cassie replied as she turned back to Donna.

Donna frowned at her friends but nodded, “That seems best. I’ll talk to the boys, see what’s up. I swear my friends are normally nice.” Cassie just smiled and shrugged before following after Tim as he lead the way through the crowded tables.

One table started waving at him and Steph as they neared it. Steph eagerly waved back and called, “Hi Cass! Hi Harper! Hi Duke! Hi Cullen! Tim doesn’t feel like dealing with family today.”

The girl with blue and purple hair laughed and called back, “Then what are you?” Steph responded with an exaggerated shrug before she kept walking.

A kid with bright green hair bumped into Cassie and then started profusely apologizing. She kept telling him it was fine but he just kept talking. The others had stopped to see what was happening and when the green boy saw Tim and Steph his face split into a grin. “Hey guys! Are you avoiding the others cause they’re all over there with us. Well, not all, but Dick, Jason, and Babs are. I had to come get a vegetarian option. Oh! I get it now! You’re trying to make friends! Ok, wow, sorry. And sorry for bumping into you again. Peace out!”

Cassie looked at Tim and Steph for explanation. Steph had already started walking toward an empty table while Tim stood with an amused expression on his face. Cassie noticed that Kon and Bart were waiting for Tim to explain too, when he didn’t Kon took things into his own hands. “So do you just know everybody?”

“What? No. Just most people. That was Gar, he’s a friend of my brothers and they have a lot of friends so…” Tim trailed off with a shrug and turned to follow Steph. Kara, Kon, and Bart all exchanged glances with each other and Cassie before moving on themselves.

Cassie put her jacket on a seat at the table Steph had claimed before heading back the way she came to get food. The group of freshmen reconvened at the table almost simultaneously. Cassie suddenly felt awkward sitting between Tim and Kon, Steph directly across the table from her with Bart on the left and Kara on the right. Steph and Bart were laughing, swapping stories about pranks they did or wanted to do. Kara caught her eye and smiled, Cassie smiled back. Kon raised an eyebrow at Steph and Bart and before joining in on the tales of pranks. As Cassie twiddled her fork in her pasta she began to feel more settled with these people. The conversation swirled around her as topics changed and the meal wore on.

Kara checked the time on her phone and grimaced slightly. “I hate to sound like a party pooper but we’ve got class in the morning and it’s getting late.”

“You’re right. Steph, we should probably find Dick and find out who’s riding with him and who’s going with Alfred.” Tim said, gathering up his dishes. They soon parted ways with Tim and Steph, after promises of meeting up again were made. Cassie enjoyed joking with Bart and Kon on the walk pack to the dorms, Kara laughing at the three of them.

Cassie woke the next morning promptly at 6 am thanks to an alarm blaring. Kara groaned from the bed next to her before violently kicking off her covers. The other girl slid out of bed and shuffled to the small bathroom, a few minutes later she returned wrapped in a fluffy pink robe with her hair piled in a towel on top of her head. “Sorry ‘bout the alarm,” Kara murmured from behind a yawn.

Cassie forced herself out of bed and shrugged. “No biggie, mine was going to go off soon anyway.” Cassie showered and got ready for the day. In the main room she was surprised to find herself effortlessly orbiting Kara as they each went through their morning routines.

They walked to breakfast together and chatted over cereal and eggs. Cassie pulled the folded piece of paper with her schedule printed on it from her backpack. She brushed a stray curl from her face as she smoothed the paper out on the table.

“Oh! I totally spaced on asking about your classes!” Kara gave her a small frown and Cassie waved her off.

“I literally did the same to you. Here let’s look now.” They bowed their heads over the sheets and began smiling. They had 4 out of nine periods the same, one of which was lunch. “Well we have second period together so I guess I’ll see you soon!” Cassie told her as she began gathering things up to go find her 8 am.

Kara nodded and grinned, “I’ll try and sit with you.” Cassie beamed as she walked away.

Cassie wasn’t late getting to class, but she was one of the last to arrive. Kara had saved her a seat and Cassie was pleasantly surprised to see Stephanie was sitting on her other side. “Hey there Cassie!” Steph called.

Cassie smiled and sat down. “Hey guys.”

“How was your last class?” Kara asked, genuinely curious.

“Good. Boring. How about you guys?”

Kara shrugged. “Oh you know, average first day of school stuff. Paperwork, expectations, how they know you’re going to disappoint them by the end of the month.”

Steph laughed loudly, causing the other students to shoot the three blondes looks. “You’re not as sweet as you look Kara Danvers. In first aid they gave us a supply list.” Steph reached down into the purple backpack at her feet and procured a sheet a paper which she smacked onto her desk. “Look at this! Tape, gauze, shock blankets. You’d think we’d be learning to survive the apocalypse or something? But no, this is just a first aid and CPR course to get us our certifications.”

Cassie leaned over Kara to pull the page closer to her. The list was long and detailed, giving preferred brands and even websites to purchase the items form. “This school is weird,” Cassie shook her head as she leaned back into her seat.

“You can say that again,” Steph said with a scoff-like laugh.

“What do you mean by that?” Kara asked, a slight tilt to her head.

“Besides the obvious?” Steph smirked and gestured to the subterranean classroom they sat in.

Cassie rolled her eyes, “We wouldn’t be asking if we already had guessed.”

Steph quirked an eyebrow at that. “Wait. You don’t know either?” The other girls shook their heads and Steph let out a low whistle. “I’m surprised. Well, for one, people here are like freakishly talented. I mean, why else would they be here? But the cliques aren’t… they’re… it’s hard to explain.” Steph made a bit of a frustrated face, her eyebrows furrowing and nose and lip scrunching up in distaste. She grinned suddenly and pointed a finger, tipped with sparkly nail polish, just under Kara’s nose. The other girl was forced to go cross-eyed to ensure she wasn’t poked.

“Ok Cassie, you know how your sister is part of that huge gaggle of Juniors, and a couple sophomores?” Cassie nodded, unsure where this conversation was going. “Well they definitely wouldn’t be friends outside of Titans Academy. See Dick is a rich pretty boy and a cheerleader, yet he’s the leader of their little pack. Wally and Roy are his right-hand men, but Wally comes from the Nowheresville of Nebraska and is the track team’s golden boy while Roy is as much a rich white boy as Dick (even though Dick isn’t actually white and Roy actually grew up on a Navajo reservation but semantics) cause he’s the adopted son of that billionaire from Star City, Oliver Queen. Now as much as Wally is a goody two shoes Roy is a hell-raiser. The archery team’s bad boy he can be found beating up bullies with Jason just as often as holding court with Dick.” Steph sucked in a breath while Cassie tried to process the rapid fire word vomit.

“Ok, so you’ve got all that? Well there’s also Garth who’s an international student and like a completely insanely awesome swimmer. And your sister, Donna, she’s the president of the yearbook committee and the lead photographer as well as the photo editor for the newspaper. Now, yuppie teenage cheerleader plus cornhusking track star plus rebel without a cause archer plus exchange student swimmer plus miss congeniality photographer? Error. Error. Error. Does not compute. But wait! There’s more!” Steph threw her arms up and did her best impression of an infomercial.

Cassie glanced at the door, the teacher was nowhere in sight. Glancing over at Kara the other girl just shrugged and mouthed “We asked for it.” Cassie sighed before resting her chin in her hand, giving Steph her undivided attention.

“So then you’ve got Vic, the next all-American with his football and basketball and lacrosse and just sportsball in general plus the guy’s a genius and VP of the Coding Club. Babs is the president, she’s part of the Gotham gang with me, and she’s currently dating Dick plus she’s an actual genius and a ballerina. A ballerina! And Kori, Dick’s ex-girlfriend and still bestie, who is an heiress to some crazy tech company and she’s like always the lead in drama club productions. Lemme tell you, that gal can sing.” Steph nodded seriously before charging on. “Then we have the sophomores: Gar with his green hair and greener thought process with his animal rights activism and eco-friendly everything. Even the hair dye! And there’s Kyle, he’s an artist and somehow got roped into being friends with Jason. Connor came with Kyle, he’s Roy’s little brother, also an archer and is in charge of the philosophy club. Raven, quiet, a little goth, super sweet. She’s also an artist and does some super cool fashion design. And wrapping up the young’ens is Jason! The second oldest of the Wayne boys he’s what your mothers would warn you away from. ‘Cept he’s a giant nerd, like loves classic lit and writes angsty poetry nerd, and a social justice warrior. Between him and Gar you could go to an on-campus protest once a week!” Steph grinned and started giggly madly before finally getting out the words “And that’s what you missed on GLEE!”

Cassie exchanged a look with Kara, neither truly knew what to say. Steph had spit a lot, A LOT, of information at them. Cassie knew she had met most of the people mentioned over the summer thanks to Donna but she was struggling to attach names and personalities to faces. Kara looked even more lost. With her blue eyes wide Cassie was struck by how well she mimicked a deer in headlights.

“I don’t know a single one of those people… How? Steph? Are you some internet stalker or something?”

Cassie waved a hand in Kara’s direction. “Yes. What she said.”

Steph rolled her eyes. “I’m not a creep. Wayne Manor is not even ten miles away, it’s like a 15-minute drive and since my dad decided to get himself arrested and my mom decided to get clean and I was already besties with Cass and Timbo, Bruce had the two of us move in. Now I live there and pretty much so do all of they, they’re around enough. See, I’m just observant.”

Cassie’s head continued to swirl, she was coming to the conclusion that this was just how Steph talked and if she hung around her enough Cassie was sure she would get used to it eventually. Until then, she had to pick out and rearrange the relevant pieces of information. From what Cassie worked out, Steph and her mother had been invited to live at Wayne Manor which, due to its proximity to school, was were Dick Grayson and his incessantly large group of friends chose to hang out in their free time. This was how Steph came to know so much about Cassie’s sister and her friends.

“Ok…” Kara began slowly. “So, what you’re saying is, the lines between cool and not don’t exist?”

Steph pursed her lips and tilted her head from side to side. “Eh. No, not exactly. It’s just that no one really acknowledges them. You don’t have to be ‘cool’, just yourself.” Steph shrugged and faced forward just as the teacher walked in, nearly 20 minutes late. He muttered out some apology before shuffling papers. Cassie still wasn’t sure what to think of this school but it definitely wasn’t what she expected.

She made it through the first week unscathed, even earning an impressed compliment out of her strict fencing coach. The English class she shared with Steph and Kara had proved thoroughly entertaining. Their first unit was on mythology and between her knowledge, Kara’s impressive command of the English language, and Steph’s argumentative spirit they made quite the trio. Cassie wasn’t sure if the teacher hated or adored them.

Cassie ate dinner with Donna on Friday. Her sister was happy to hear how well she had settled in, especially how well Cassie and Kara were getting along. Donna scooped up a spoonful of applesauce that she quickly popped into her mouth. Cassie could see her sister studying her, weighing options. Finally, Donna spoke, “Bruce is going out of town this weekend and Jay and Dick are hosting a party. Steph is going to be there, why don’t you and Kara come? I can take you in my car.”

Cassie blinked before stuttering out “Yeah. Uh, sure. I’ll- I’ll talk to her?”

Donna beamed. “Great! I’ll meet you in the student lot at eight.”

Cassie had left dinner with an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something between butterflies and a lead balloon. When Cassie told Kara about the party invite she had gotten as excited as a golden retriever puppy that was asked if it wanted to go for a walk. With her golden blonde hair and the bouncing she sort of looked like it too.

They blasted music as they threw clothes at each other, neither really knew what the dress code was. Cassie settled on a leather jacket with a flowing dress and combat boots while Kara borrowed her galaxy leggings with a long black sweater and vans. They were fixing each other’s makeup when there was a knock on the door.

They checked the time – they weren’t running late – and exchanged confused glances. Cassie pulled herself from the desk chair and went to answer the door. Kon and Bart stood on the other side, “Are you aware that you’re blasting techno-pop?” Kon asked with a raised brow.

“It’s like you have super hearing or something,” Cassie shot back sarcastically.

Bart snickered. “You getting ready for a shindig or something?” He asked with a sweeping motion to her outfit.

Kara joined her at the door, “As a matter of fact we are! Cassie’s sister invited us to a party at Wayne Manor.”

“What a coinky-dink cuz, so are we! Tim said that his brother encouraged him to invite friends and he invited us.” Kon shrugged and an easy-grin spread across his face.

“That explains the outfits,” Cassie replied with a raised brow of her own. She eyed the boys up and down from Bart’s grey beanie, yellow and red flannel, to his scuffed up red high tops. Like her, Kon wore a leather jacket and a pair of doc martens but his was accompanied by a pair of criminally tight red skinny jeans and round sunglasses. The gold hoop in his ear winked at her as Kon laughed.

Cassie smirked and turned back to Kara, “I need more glitter and so do you. Boys? Would you like to be glittered before we go?” Cassie quirked her lips, daring them to back down.

“Cassie, glitter is my middle name,” Kon said seriously as he swept past her into the room.

The four were standing in the student lot at ten of eight when they heard voices coming towards them and growing louder. A group of teens could be seen laughing and shoving one another as they neared the lot. One of the girls let out a yell and waved an arm above her head. Cassie recognized her sister’s fringe suede jacket and waved back. A slick black SUV and a beat up 60’s VW Bug pulled up to the curb behind the small huddle of freshmen and Cassie turned in time to see Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon climb out of the vehicles.

“Hey guys. Glad you could come! Tim and Steph are back at the house, we’re trying to conserve seats.” Dick told them. His blue eyes sparkled in the lights from the parking lot as he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and leaned against his SUV.

Babs leaned next to him and bumped his upper thigh lightly with her hip. “As you can see, we don’t have a heckva lot of those.” She grinned and started fiddling with her bright red hair, watching the group draw near.

“What’s the head count?” A guy yelled from near the front of the group.

“You plus four in your jeep, Donna has her sister and Kara and two more in her car, I can take seven and Babs can take four. The others are already there,” Dick yelled back.

“I can take my bike!” A different guy shouted. They were still too far away with the sparse pools of light for Cassie to see who was speaking.

“Wally don’t be an idiot!” Cassie smiled as she recognized her sister’s voice. The group finally got to them and Cassie breathed a sigh of relief, comfortably avant garde seemed to be the dress code. Donna was indeed wearing her fringed suede jacket and sparkly leggings with a plain black t-shirt and sandals. She rushed Cassie and gathered her into her arms. “Hiya sis,” Donna breathed into her ear and Cassie laughed, struggling to free herself.

The group cooed around them. “Why aren’t you guys like that?” someone asked someone Cassie couldn’t see thanks to her sister’s fluffy hair. When she finally pulled away she saw most of Donna’s friends and her own laughing at the two of them, causing Cassie to blush.

“Alright,” Dick said, taking command of the seating arrangements. “Cassie, Kara you go stand by Donna. You want to take Kon and Bart too?”

Donna shrugged, “Not a problem.”

Dick waved the boys over to her and the five stood off to the side. “Alright, with Roy how about Kori, Kyle, and Connor?” The teens in question murmured their assent before also standing to the side. “I’ll take Wally, Garth, Vic, Gar, and Ray. Roy, Connor, where’s your sister and her friends?”

“She texted they’re on the way now,” Roy fixed his baseball cap as he looked at his phone. Sure enough, a group of girls could be seen making their way towards them, boasting three blondes and a pretty African American girl that Cassie recognized from her math class.

“Sorry we’re late!” The blonde in the lead called out. “We were trying to convince Megan to come but she was hiding from Rose in Wally and Jackson’s room and they all decided to be lame!”

“Wow Mia. Way to be blunt!” Roy called back.

“Bite me!” and an extremely audible raspberry could be heard as they neared. Roy completely cracked up while Connor did an honest to god face palm. Cassie almost felt bad for the guy.

“The girls will be riding with you,” Dick informed Babs who shrugged and climbed back into her bug to try and get the beat-up car started again.

Donna taped on Cassie’s shoulder and she automatically tilted her head to hear what her sister said. “Do you know them?” she whispered.

Cassie turned and whispered back, “Not really. I have a class with Anita and I know Mia and one of the other blondes are both on the archery team but other than that.”

Donna shrugged and turned back to the group. “We good?” Dick asked as he looked around at their little squadrons. Everyone nodded and Dick clapped his hands together once. “Alright then, time to move out!”

“Shotgun!” Wally called before barreling towards the SUV. With that they all broke off towards the cars to reconvene at the house in a few minutes.

Cassie’s mouth gaped open and her eyes widen as they rounded the final bend of the manor’s long drive. “It’s huge,” slipped out of her mouth as she took in sprawling grounds and ever impressive mansion that reeked of old money.

From the backseat Kon snorted. “That’s what she said.” Bart snickered as Cassie turned around to glare at the boys. Wedged directly behind her, Kara held a hand to her mouth in a poor attempt to contain her giggles. Cassie huffed as she turned back around. Donna glanced at her and smirked too.

Cassie’s mouth knotted as she crossed her arms and stared stubbornly at the large house that continued to grow larger. Donna pulled around the extravagant fountain that sat in the center of the gravel drive and parked just past the front door between Roy’s red jeep and Barbara’s beat-up bug.

The group of teenagers all clambered out of the cars and towards the front door. Cassie could already hear the bass thumping as the door was flung open. A boy in artfully ripped black jeans and a red hoodie had thrown open the doors and flung his arms into the air. The lights that lit up the porch’s giant, decorative columns gave his face eerie shadows and made the white streak in his black hair glow. The knife-blade smile he gave them glowed too and Cassie was suddenly having bad feelings about coming along. Jason cackled and called out, “Welcome! Come one, come all! To the Lost Boys soiree!” He then abruptly turned on his heel and marched back into the house.

Cassie glanced over at Kara who had appeared at her shoulder, the other girl stared back and shrugged. “And I thought Kon was dramatic,” Bart muttered from where he appeared on Cassie’s other side. She laughed and let her anxiety melt away.

The older kids were racing up the steps and Cassie linked arms with Kara excitedly and Bart did the same to her before marching onward, pulling them with her. Kon could be heard laughing as he jogged to catch up and linked on Kara’s other side as they made their way to the imposing double front doors.

Inside the house Cassie was struck first by the smoke. Somewhere in the one of the uncountable rooms and hallways there was a fog machine pumping out the swirling white matter around their calves. Next was the music, loud and thumping and coming from everywhere at once. Cassie didn’t know where to look as her eyes caught on priceless paintings, antiques, and original woodwork in the weird half-light.

“There’s food and drinks in the kitchen!” Someone half-shouted from behind them, making Cassie and everyone else jump. Steph grinned as they turned, pleased by the entrance she made. “Tim’s there too. Also, when I saw drink I mean soda and good old water. If anyone got drunk and ruined anything Alfred would have all our heads.”

“And where exactly is the kitchen?” Kara yelled back. The music seemed to be getting louder, the bass pounding through Cassie’s ribcage.

“This way!” Steph waved and began weaving her way through the house. The four of them followed her deeper into the halls where the music, if possible, got even louder and then began to dim as they ended in a sleek, modern kitchen with a huge island and even bigger wood table and chairs.

The counter was lined with bottles of every non-alcoholic carbonated beverage imaginable. The table overflowing with everything from burgers and chips to chocolate cake and apple pie. Tim was found at the coffee pot, chatting with Mia and the three girls she had brought with.

“Timmy boy!” Steph launched herself onto his back. He laughed and elbowed her sharply in the ribs. She easily rolled off and bumped their hips together. “I found your friends.”

He turned to them and smiled. “You made it! Excellent! Coffee?”

“I cannot believe you’re drinking coffee right now,” One of the blondes said with an incredulous eyebrow.

“Look Cissie, I drink coffee like some people drink water.” Tim finished pouring it into his mug and turned to the others. “I don’t think you guys all know each other. Mia,” he pointed to the blonde on the far end, her hair was long and held in a tight ponytail. “Cissie,” the girl standing next to him, her hair came to her shoulders and swished as she waved. “Courtney,” the last blonde smiled and Cassie saw braces wink at her in the kitchen’s bright light. “And Anita,” the African American girl smiled and inclined her head. He then moved on to group that Steph had just brought in, pointing to each in turn. “Kon, Kara, Cassie, and Bart.”

“Now that we’ve all met get your snacks and let’s go!” Steph bounced towards the table and filled a plate before pouring herself a cup root beer and rushing out a door Cassie hadn’t noticed earlier.

“Should we?” Cassie asked, gesturing after the other girl.

“Yes. Most definitely yes,” Tim said, grabbing his mug and an entire bag of chips and following Steph.

The eight teens still standing in the kitchen did the only thing they could, filled plates and cups and followed their hosts. The door lead to a backyard that was completely lit by floodlights. She could just make out trees at the edges of where the light no longer reached. In the yard in front of her was… Well Cassie wasn’t exactly sure what it was. There was a halfpipe but also trapeze swings like you’d see at a circus and a stage bookended by speakers. Like everything else about the house Cassie was struck speechless.

Steph and Tim were seated on a large blanket next to a dark-haired girl. When Steph waved them all over the girl turned and Cassie saw that is was Tim’s sister Cass. They made their way over and Cassie sat on the blanket to Steph’s left, as the one she was currently on was filled thanks to Harper, Duke, Cullen, and another boy that Cassie didn’t recognize laying in front of the other three. The boy snarled at something Tim said and Cass shot him a look, making his mouth snap shut and Steph ruffle his hair. The others laughed and Tim excused himself to go sit with Kon, Bart, Mia, Anita, Cissie, and Courtney on another blanket that was devoid of the younger boy.

Steph gathered her things and moved too, coming to sit with Cassie and Kara. “What was that?” Cassie asked and gestured to the neighboring blanket that Steph had just left.

“What? Damian? Kid’s just a little demon brat is all. No worries, he loves me,” Steph waved them off and wiggled her way so that she was squeezed between them.

“Ok. So, what’s all this?” Kara asked and spread her hands at the set-up in front of them.

“Oh, don’t worry. You’ll see. One thing the Waynes all have in common is a flare for the dramatic. That is what this is.” Steph held her plate out to Kara. “Pretzel?”

Suddenly, there was a loud tone from the speakers before it morphed into a flurry of notes. A whoop came from the small crowd around them as a figure appeared on the platform of the trapeze. The figure bowed and waved in time to the music as it crescendoed. At the peak the figured jumped and Cassie gasped as they plummeted through the air but the momentum caught the swing and soon they were soaring through the air to the next swing. Back and forth they flew and flipped, spun and soared. The music and performance came to a close as they landed on the opposite platform, perfectly in synch. The crowd cheered and the figure bowed again before climbing down and walking to the middle of the stage.

“Hello and welcome to the first Neverland party of the year!” Dick crowed to the crowd. They all gave up another cheer and Cassie gasped.

“That was Dick? With all the flippy stuff?” She whispered in Steph’s ear.

“Yup. He’s the best acrobat in the world,” Steph said midchew on a chocolate chip cookie. “That’s why he’s captain of the cheer/gymnastic/flippy stuff team.”

“Aren’t you a gymnast?” Kara asked, looking over at Steph.

“Yup. And lemme tell you, I ain’t nowhere near as bendy as that boy.” Steph shook her head, making her hair brush against Cassie and Kara’s cheeks.

“Wait… Does that mean you’re a cheerleader?” Cassie asked as a grin spread across her face.

Steph did her nose/mouth scrunch of annoyance and sighed. “Yes. I am.”

Kara gasped and clapped her hands together. “I have got to see you in that little outfit!” Her cheeks reddened and eyes went wide before she gulped and stared diligently at the stage that was now clear of the trapeze equipment.

Steph didn’t seem to notice though as she let out a rough sigh. “That outfit is a torture device I swear to god. The only good thing about it is the sparkly bows.”

Cassie decided to ignore what she thought Kara was implying and refocused on the stage. Cass and Barbara stood there, still in their party clothes – fishnet stockings and jean shorts with a quirky t-shirt and fluffy cardigan for Babs, black leggings and an oversized maroon sweater for Cass – that were now paired with pale pink pointe shoes.

Cassie recognized the upbeat song as soon as it began, she may or may not have a minor obsession with Les Miserable and she knew Master of the House when she heard it. She was captivated as the two girls twirled and leapt, spinning into and between each other to the drinking song. They’re faces would go from passive to sneering along almost instantaneously, making the crowd laugh as the girls didn’t just dance but entertained. The song ended and the two rose on tip-toes to high kick perfectly in time to the final cord. The crowd whooped and hollered as Cass and Babs took their bows before leaving the stage.

The blanket next to them all leapt to their feet to start pulling apart the stage. “I should probably go help.” Steph said, as she leaned her head onto Cassie’s shoulder and slung her legs overtop of Kara’s. “But I’m comfy and they’ve got it so…”

Cassie glanced over the top of Steph’s head to look at Kara. The other girl was slowly going pink that then darkened to red. Cassie had to admit that she had gotten butterflies in the pit of her stomach the moment Steph’s head touched her shoulder. Her head started to swirl and Cassie was forced to ask herself if you could really start crushing on someone after only knowing them a week. If she was asking herself this question then realistically she should also be asking herself how it was possible that she got these same feelings every time Kara brushed up against her too. Was it possible to have a crush on two people at once?

Cassie was forced to focus back on the festivities though as another song started up. She recognized it as some Green Day song that Donna would blast whenever they drove to the beach but trying to identify it was tossed aside as soon as she saw Tim at the top of the half pipe with a skateboard. On the other side was Jason on a bike. The boys nodded at each other before dropping down on their respective wheels. Cassie was stunned as they wove back and forth, doing more impressive and dangerous tricks each time. Like the others, the performance ended when the song did. Cassie’s heart was racing, she may not know Tim overly well but she thought of him as a friend and the entire time she was having visions of him falling and getting hurt.

Next to her Steph chuckled. “You were worried about Tim. Don’t. He’s much more of a little punk than people realize.”

“Are your parties always like this?” Kara asked as around them the crowd began to break up and disperse back into the house where the bass once again boomed.

“With this?” Steph asked and flopped her hand out in front of them.

“Yeah. The Waynes and all putting on a show.” Kara clarified.

“Yeah. Well it’s not just them. Pretty much everyone goes and does something. Last year Kori performed opera, Gar put on a juggling act, Roy and Connor did William Tell.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Kara’s eyebrows had shot skyward and she had turned to look at Steph head on.

“You know. The guy who shot apples off people’s heads? It’s an archery stunt. They did it to each other, simultaneously. Really cool. Impossible to top,” Steph said the last part a little stubbornly.

Kara was stunned into silence and Cassie really couldn’t blame her for it. The yard had completely emptied and it was just the three of them on their blanket in the quiet, early fall evening. “So what’s your act?” Cassie finally asked Steph.

She felt more than saw the other girl shrug. “You can’t perform until you attend Titans Academy. Otherwise Damian would’ve been doing real life fruit ninja for us years ago.”

Kara snorted and Cassie giggled. After not even meeting the boy she could tell that he’d definitely do so with confidence. “Does everyone have to go?” Kara asked.

“Nah. It’s only if you want to. You can come and watch and eat and dance and hang regardless.” Steph pushed herself off of Cassie and removed her legs from on top of Kara’s. She maneuvered herself so that she was laying down and looking up at the sky. Immediately Cassie and Kara both mirrored her until they were all staring up at the nonexistent stars. Steph dug her phone out of her back pocket and tapped out a quick text. A few minutes later the floodlights switched off until the yard was only lit by the squares of light from the windows, none of which reached their blankets. As their eyes adjusted they could see the stars winking down at them.

After a few more minutes Cassie raised her arm and began pointing out different constellations, relaying the ancient stories that were written in the stars. She fell silent and soon Kara raised her arm and told them what the different stars were named, what type of star they were, and where in the universe they called home. When she fell silent Steph grabbed each of their hands in each of her own and entwined their fingers.

“I-” she started and then cleared her throat and tried again. “I wanted to say thanks, for coming tonight. I know you guys didn’t know what you were getting into and I know that the others aren’t exactly forthcoming with information but thanks. Donna- Donna said that she’d ask you since I was too nervous to and I’m- I’m really glad. So thanks.” Steph sucked in a deep breath and held it. Cassie squeezed her hand and somehow she knew that Kara was doing the same on Steph’s other side. Steph let out the shuddering breath.

The three girls laid there under the stars holding hands as the music began to turn slow and quiet down. Lights began flickering off until only the kitchen spilled light onto the backyard and yet they laid there. The air became chillier and dew began to gather on the surrounding grass. Finally, Steph spoke into the darkness. “Everyone just spends the night then. You can stay in my room, I have spare pjs.”

Cassie nodded and pushed herself off the ground, never letting go of Steph. Kara mirrored her and still linked they made their way into the house. Kara let go to allow Steph to take the lead, grabbing onto Cassie’s free hand instead. They didn’t even take their shoes off before they collapsed onto Steph’s bed and fell asleep in a pile of limbs, blankets, and long blonde hair.

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rapuvdayear · 5 years

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1994: Illmatic Nas (Columbia)

I guess that 2019 is the year that I officially start feeling old. Illmatic turns 25 today. It’s old enough to rent a car now. I don’t necessarily disagree with the gist of what Lonzo Ball said about the man, but I also don’t think that you can dispute that this is an all-time classic and that Nas’s influence continues to ripple through rap history.

Illmatic is considered by many to be the greatest rap album of all time (just check out the definitions for “illmatic” on Urban Dictionary). I certainly used to be in this camp as well, though I think arguments about GOAT status, while fun, are ultimately pointless due to the stylistic shifts from era to era. Besides, Illmatic might not even be the best rap album from 1994, even if it was the first debut album--and at the time seventh ever--to receive The Source’s coveted “five mics” rating (just wait until September 13 when I’ll be posting another 25th anniversary post about a certified classic)! There will likely be a ton of think pieces written about it by music critics and rap historians who know far more than I do--and you should go read those if you like this album--but I would feel remiss if I didn’t chime in with what Illmatic has meant to me through the years. To wit: I played the first cassette version that I owned so many times that it snapped, I spliced it back together with Scotch tape, and it snapped again. Why a cassette, you may ask? Because this is one of those albums that can be played front to back without any need for skipping; every track is impeccable.

Before I get into the album’s content, there are some important historical details that help place Illmatic in its proper context and explain its lasting significance. In retrospect, 1992-1996(ish) represented a sort of sea change in rap. The playful party songs of the late 70s early 80s had given way to the hypermasculine, guitar-sample-and-808-heavy posturing of the mid-80s, and then the golden age of the late 80s/early 90s that pushed rap in new directions. With a few notable exceptions, every significant figure in rap’s first decade and change was, by and large, associated with New York (this is not to say that there weren’t a ton of awesome, influential local rappers around the country, but rather that nationally recognizable acts--to the extent that there were any--were concentrated in NYC and its environs). By the early 90s, however, the LA scene was producing more interesting, genre-bending, and commercially successful raps, as the G-Funk era was in full effect; The Chronic was released in December 1992, and Doggystyle followed a year later, occupying the top spot on the Billboard 200 for two weeks in a row (Black Sunday, while not G-Funk, was another West Coast success, topping the Billboard charts in August 1993, and the Hieroglyphics and early 2Pac in Oakland were also attracting attention). The New York sound was at that point represented by the Afrocentric jazz-laden grooves of the Native Tongues clique, the funky lyricism of greats like KRS-One, Rakim, Kool G Rap, and Big Daddy Kane, and the boom bap exuberance of groups like Main Source, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, and Gang Starr. A grimier, grittier, “Tims and Hoodies” style had begun to emerge in the early 90s from the Boot Camp Clik, the Hit Squad’s associated acts (Das EFX, Redman, Keith Murray), Onyx, and the Wu-Tang Clan, whose legendary debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) dropped less than 6 months before Illmatic.

Into this landscape stepped Nasir Jones, a 20-year-old up and coming Queensbridge rapper who had generated a lot of excitement among rap fans (at that time still a pretty niche contingent) with his verse on Main Source’s “Live at the Barbeque” in 1991 (he ended up sampling it in the Illmatic intro above). Along with fellow Queensbridge rappers Mobb Deep and with the endorsement of post-Juice Crew Queens mainstays Large Professor and MC Serch, Nas helped to usher in the East Coast’s response to “gangsta rap.” While not as explicitly concerned with gang life as G-Funk was, Nas combined grim tales of criminality with a breathless “lyrically lyrical” flow that allowed him to legitimately stake a claim as Rakim’s heir apparent (it’s not by mistake that years later he would record U.B.R.). Now, it’s no secret that Nas wasn’t intimately involved in the criminal world, but rather “witnessed it from [his] folks’ pad.” Nevertheless, on Illmatic he displayed an almost preternatural ability to spin storytelling raps of stick ups, drug deals gone wrong, and jail bids that--to a complete outsider like me, at least--had a veneer of authenticity (whatever that means). This was his Nasty Nas persona, before he tried to emulate the image that mid-90s Bad Boy was projecting with his “Nas Escobar” alter ego, and way before his redemption on Stillmatic, legendary beef with Jay-Z, explicit political commentary, marriage to and divorce from Kelis, and transition to mature old man rapper/disgraced abuser/Bitcoin billionaire (maybe?). (You can hear Nas’s own perspective on the early days here).

Once upon a time, Nas was my favorite rapper, and Illmatic was my favorite album, from any musical genre. Full disclosure, I didn't give it a serious listen until 1998--I was a little too young when it was released for it to have been on my radar--but I can still spit “NY State of Mind” from memory, and still get amped whenever I hear the opening bars of “Halftime.” Nas’s career might be one of the most disappointing in terms of wasted talent (there’s a strong argument to be made for 50, too). Once he moved on from Large Professor, Pete Rock, and DJ Premier, he demonstrated his inability to pick good beats, and has made some truly garbage songs. But he’ll always have Illmatic. Without further ado, here’s a track-by-track breakdown:

The Genesis (link above): A skit about Nas and his crew counting (ill-gotten?) stacks over a sample from Wild Style mixed his a sample of his own voice. 90s rap iconicity with the requisite Hennessy and Phillies references. “Representin’ in Illmatic.” It’s an intro that paints an imagined picture of Queensbridge life, and roots the album in “the culture.”

NY State of Mind: If you only ever listen to one track from this album, or even one Nas track, please make it this one. Nas shows off his full range of abilities here: deft storytelling, a relentless flow that rides the beat perfectly, and clever wordplay (e.g., “It was full of children, probably couldn’t see as high as I be”). The DJ Premier beat is flawless, with excellent and obscure sample selection. Nas announces his arrival (“I’m taking rappers to a new plateau”), and sneaks in some commentary on inequality and structural violence in Queens (“Each block is like a maze/ full of black rats trapped, plus the Island is packed”; “Cops can just arrest me, blamin’ us/ we held like hostages”). I only wish I had listened to his advice when he said, “Never put me in your box if your shit eats tapes.”

Life’s a Bitch: There may never have been a better hook in all of hip-hop, at once bleak and oddly resigned. This track also has the only feature on the whole album (well, two features if you want to call Nas’s father, the jazz artist Olu Dara, playing trumpet on the outro), from AZ, a Brooklyn rapper and member of Nas’s short-lived clique, The Firm, who never achieved mainstream success. As Nas himself put it, “My first album had no famous guest appearances/ The outcome: I’m crowned the best lyricist.” I love how wistful this track sounds compared to today’s beats.

The World is Yours: The title is, of course, an explicit nod to Scarface, the go-to media reference for 90s rappers and a prerequisite for the sort of aspirational voicing that Nas is doing here. It’s a fairly conventional track about the dreams of a small time hustler that belies its strange juxtapositions (“I sip the Dom P, watching Gandhi ‘til I’m charged”). There are also some classic lines that would be sampled subsequently, including one that led Jay-Z to infamously proclaim later, “So, yeah, I sampled your voice/ You was using it wrong.” Interesting tidbit: Toward the middle, Nas says, “Thinking of a word best describing my life to name my daughter.” His daughter, Destiny, was born almost two months after Illmatic dropped.

Halftime: The first single, released six months earlier. When I think of rolling, unrelenting, boom bap beats, this is the first track that springs to mind. I challenge anyone to listen to this and not bob their head. Halftime also contains what is arguably the most quietly brutal boast in the annals of rap: “‘Cause I’m as ill as a convict who kills for phone time.” Additionally, there’s that signature Nas rhyme structure that would be so influential on rappers who came after him (you can even hear a little Eminem in there): “And in the darkness I’m heartless, like when the NARCs hit/ Word to Marcus Garvey, I hardly sparked it.”

Memory Lane (Sittin’ in the Park): If Life’s a Bitch is about the present, and The World is Yours the future, then this is Nas’s embrace of the past... at the ripe old age of 20. This is a love letter to Queens: the chorus, with DJ Premier on the cuts, samples two Queens/Queens-adjacent rappers--Biz Markie and Craig G--and the second verse spins yarns about organized crime figures Fat Cat, the Supreme Team, and Harlem’s Alpo... all of whom would be featured prominently in Queens’ own 50 Cent’s ode to his neighborhood, Ghetto Qu’ran.

One Love: Another example of Nas’s creativity, One Love takes the form of a series of letters from Nas to a couple of friends who are locked up. He relates news from the outside, expresses frustrations with injustice writ large, and reflects on how to persevere through incarceration. And all of it over a downright playful beat from Q-Tip (the quality of the production on this album, I swear...).

One Time 4 Your Mind: Okay, so basically every song on this album is designed to smoke weed to, but in my opinion this is the most “stonerific” of the bunch. The beat is a slow, deep-fried haze that complements Nas’s braggadocio. Nothing spectacular here, but I do love the line, “Y’all ****** was born, I shot my way out my mom dukes,” another sample that would show up in latter day Nas.

Represent: If there’s a weak link on Illmatic, this might be it. Others may disagree, but I’ve never been particularly drawn to this track. It’s another Queens-centric rap, with Nas warning anyone who would try to test the borough. That being said, it does contain one of Nas’s funnier lines--“The kind of ***** who be pissing in your elevator”--and another that would also become fodder for Jay-Z’s disses.

It Ain’t Hard to Tell: Ending on a strong note, here. I absolutely love this beat, another great Large Professor contribution. There are so many elements going on that you might miss the MJ sample if you’re not paying attention. And a bunch of these lines have been sampled to death, too. Despite his repeated assertions of “depth,” there’s not much of substance to this song, just your run of the mill Nas boasts about his prowess as a rapper. Of course, “run of the mill” for Nas is equivalent to the best that other rappers can offer, so... As he puts it, “Nas’s rhymes should be locked in a cell, it ain’t hard to tell.”

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njawaidofficial · 6 years

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'Walking Dead': Ross Marquand on Major Season 8 Death | Aaron's Boyfriend Eric Dies

https://styleveryday.com/2017/11/06/walking-dead-ross-marquand-on-major-season-8-death-aarons-boyfriend-eric-dies/

'Walking Dead': Ross Marquand on Major Season 8 Death | Aaron's Boyfriend Eric Dies

[Warning: this story incorporates spoilers for season eight, episode three of AMC’s The Strolling Lifeless, “Monsters,” in addition to spoilers from the comics on which the present is predicated.]

The writing was on the wall as lately as final week, and as early as 2013 for followers of the Strolling Lifeless comedian books: the demise of an Alexandrian, one of many two males accountable for saving Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and the remainder of Staff Household from their time on the open street again in season 5.

That man: Eric Raleigh, performed by Jordan Woods-Robinson. After sustaining a gunshot wound in battle towards the Saviors towards the top of “The Damned,” Eric lastly succumbed to his accidents within the newest installment of the collection, “Monsters.” Within the comics, Eric dies with no warning in any respect, shot within the head within the thick of the gunfight, proper in entrance of his longtime boyfriend Aaron. For its model of the violent tragedy, the Strolling Lifeless TV collection afforded Eric and Ross Marquand’s Aaron an prolonged second by a quiet tree, far sufficient away from the battle for one final goodbye, even when these firmly ultimate phrases went unstated.

Following the firefight with the Saviors, Aaron returns to the tree the place he left Eric, solely to search out that his boyfriend is gone. When he seems to be out into the space, Aaron watches as a zombified Eric wanders off into the forest, too distant and too near different walkers for Aaron to place the reanimated Eric down for good.

As one of many kindest characters on The Strolling Lifeless, presently and in any other case, it is troubling to suppose that Aaron may very simply slip right into a downward spiral of darkness in mild of Eric’s demise. However for his half, Ross Marquand says Aaron will reply to shedding the love of his life in a means that is true to the spirit of each brave males. Learn on for Marquand’s ideas on saying goodbye to Eric, filming his ultimate scenes with Jordan Woods-Robinson (a member of the legendary Blue Man Group, amongst his many achievements), and extra.

Was this a tough episode for you? It will need to have been emotionally exhausting.

It was. Jordan and I had been actually cognizant of the significance of this relationship, not solely within the storyline but additionally to the LGBTQ group. We wished to do it justice. We wished to present followers a correct sendoff to this beloved character, and likewise inform this story correctly. There have been plenty of back-and-forth cellphone calls between us to attempt to get the proper tone down. I really like that we discovered moments of levity all through his demise scene. You do not count on that. It is not a typical means of coping with demise. There’s an acceptance Eric has as he is dying. It is a actually lovely second between the 2 of them.

Coming into the season, in case you’re a fan of the comics, you are more than likely anticipating Eric to die in “All-Out Battle.” Had been you conscious it was arising — and on a normal be aware, what’s your stance in relation to studying the comics and understanding what’s in retailer for Aaron?

I used to learn the comics, up till the half the place Glenn (Steven Yeun) bought killed. That is the place I finished. As a fan of the present for years, and as a fan of the comedian as soon as I bought the half, I noticed I used to be studying an excessive amount of about what was going to occur within the storyline. For me as an actor, it was vital to protect among the surprises that had been coming, and never speculate as to the place the story’s going. I believe it is actually vital to enter every script as recent as you presumably can. When you have preconceived notions of the place the characters and the storyline may go, it would have an effect on the way you play the character within the current time. As , we have seen a number of occasions all through the present’s historical past the place the comics lay out the muse for the way the present’s going to go, after which the present goes one other means fully.

Was Eric’s demise a shock to you and Jordan, then?

I had heard it was coming, solely since you go to sufficient conventions and meet sufficient individuals, and you finally hear, “You already know Eric dies, proper?” And I am like, “No, I do not wish to learn about that!” However within the comics, Eric simply will get shot within the head. [Showrunner Scott M. Gimple] actually insisted on giving him an vital hero’s demise, as a result of Eric had by no means been one to be a pacifist. The truth is, I’d say him and Aaron had been most likely the only real line of protection for Alexandria earlier than Rick and the gang confirmed up. They had been fighters. Eric’s huge downside with preventing the Saviors final season is that he thought the percentages had been stacked completely towards us and there isn’t any means we may win. I believe plenty of followers noticed that as cowardice. I believe the alternative is true. I believe Eric’s all the time been an ideal fighter. That was evidenced in final week’s episode. He went on this Rambo killing spree and took out 10 Saviors in a row, at a vital level within the battle the place it regarded like they may get the higher hand on us, and he saved the day. I really like that it was a heroic and significant demise, versus simply getting shot within the head like within the comics.

What do you keep in mind about enjoying the ultimate scene between Aaron and Eric, away from the battle?

I liked that. It is clearly a bittersweet second for the characters, but additionally for us as actors. Jordan is a beautiful man. I’ve actually loved working with him during the last two years. We have turn out to be buddies. I’ve frolicked together with his household. It was a second of realization as we had been doing the sequence: “Can we get yet another take? Can we get yet another take?” Hoping we may prolong that basically lovely scene so long as we may. However you solely get so many on the present, as a result of we’ve got to shoot all the things in eight days, and we had been attempting to inform probably the most genuine and grounded story we presumably may earlier than his time was up. To be trustworthy, I did not need to push it too arduous when he was strolling away as a zombie on the finish. I let it go. It was a mix of being within the character as Aaron, but additionally saying goodbye to my pal who I will not see as a lot now as a result of he is not on the present.

Just about everyone dies sooner or later on The Strolling Lifeless, however once they slip into walker mode, they’re usually put down. Aaron does not get to place Eric down. He watches him as a walker stroll away. What did you consider that storytelling alternative?

I believed it was nice. Eric’s been sturdy for him for therefore a few years. They had been collectively earlier than the apocalypse started. They discovered energy in one another, with this actually nice and delightful comedic quick hand that they had between one another. Even final 12 months, when Aaron was packing his luggage to go assist Rick discover extra provides for the Saviors, Eric jokingly says: “So, are you leaving me?” And Aaron turns round and says: “Yeah, I am simply so rattling uninterested in being so blissful on a regular basis!” There’s this hilarious backwards and forwards with them, this banter. I really like that. It is a human second in an in any other case very darkish and chilly and at occasions unfeeling story, the place individuals do not feel they will let their happiness and comedic aspect by way of. I liked how these two may all the time have levity, may all the time construct one another up and be hopeful even in probably the most dire of circumstances — and on this case, as he is dying, Eric makes use of the chance to say, “It is nice, I signed up for this. Return into the battle.” Primarily, “Be certain that I did not die in useless.” He is acquiescing to the truth that he may very properly die proper there. It is lovely. It is a actually lovely second.

The largest problem for Aaron now could be that he did not have an opportunity to say a very correct goodbye. Clearly they kiss and so they half methods, however he did not have an opportunity to essentially say goodbye to his boyfriend of a number of years. It is a rattling disgrace. This man has actually simply sacrificed his life for the trigger. Shifting ahead, I believe Aaron’s going to make use of that as not one thing that destroys him, however as a catalyst. This man, and all of the great women and men who died on this battle, and even earlier like Glenn and Abraham (Michael Cudlitz), they cannot have died in useless. Their deaths need to imply one thing. We’ve to tackle the Saviors, full-on.

Aaron is likely one of the lightest characters on the present, so there is a worry that Eric’s demise may plunge him into darkness — nevertheless it sounds as a substitute like Aaron will honor his boyfriend’s sacrifice?

I believe so. There is definitely room to be a bit darkish, however transferring ahead, Aaron’s the everlasting optimist. He is been overwhelmed up by each group he is ever come throughout on the present, together with Rick. He is been a punching bag for lots of those communities. He nonetheless will get again on his toes and says, “It is nice! It is okay! I perceive. I get why you are terrified of a stranger, however I am truly a very good man. Let me allow you to. Let me assist the trigger.” I believe it is lovely that this demise has clearly shattered him, however he will not let it outline him. He’ll transfer previous it. He’ll acquire energy from his boyfriend’s demise.

What are you able to say about Jordan as an actor, now that his time on the present is over? A Blue Man, because it seems!

He’s a Blue Man! To start with, he is simply one of the crucial gifted individuals I’ve ever met in my life. He is a tremendous fiddle participant. He can play piano and guitar. He is clearly this unbelievable clown in lots of respects. The Blue Males are distinctive. I do not suppose I’ve ever seen a gaggle of performers exterior of perhaps Cirque du Soleil who can sort out so many bodily feats and so many technical points of music and dance and motion. He is an extremely gifted actor and an extremely gifted artist. I already miss him like hell. It has been a number of months since I’ve seen him. He is one of many kindest, hardest working actors. His work is trustworthy. He offers a really trustworthy portrayal with all the things he does. I miss him like loopy. It has been a troublesome season with out him. I want him all the most effective. I believe he will completely rock no matter comes subsequent. We miss his presence like loopy.

The primary few episodes of this season have been insane on the motion entrance, and on high of that, you are coping with probably the most emotional second you have got ever needed to confront as this character. How draining was this primary stretch of season eight for you?

It was draining, nevertheless it was additionally the alternative. I believe we gained gas from it. We bought again [to start production] and Andy [Lincoln] gave this nice toast on the finish of wrapping episode 100, and it gave us this glorious spirit on set. Yeah, that is going to be a troublesome season. We all know that. Everyone knows it is going to be bodily demanding. There are going to be plenty of stunts. There’s going to be motion that must be nailed. We solely have eight or 9 days to nail every episode. However all of us had been on board, from that very first episode. We had been dedicated to telling this story one of the simplest ways we may. I believe “All-Out Battle” is likely one of the finest sections of the comics, from what little I’ve learn. It is superb to see all of it come collectively. I gained each huge energy from Andy, but additionally from Jordan. That departure was such a wonderful and bittersweet goodbye. To your level, Eric gave him motivation. He gave him the energy to proceed on. A lot in the identical means, Jordan did that, too. I’ve misplaced my wing man. I’ve misplaced my companion in crime. He is been calling me and we have been staying in contact, and he is been very supportive in saying, “Go get ’em.” We’re very pleased with one another’s work. It has been nice.

Observe THR.com/WalkingDead all season lengthy for interviews, deep dives, theories and extra.

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