#Sinclair really wanted to make herself stand out as much as possible from everyone else

[magnoliapip]

Ranked: Mother of the Year (Choices) Main Characters

I can’t sleep so that means I need to make another list that I’m not going to proofread before I post, right? Of course it does. But before we start, please remember this is my opinion on who I liked best. Not who impacted the story the most, not who was the best written fictional character of all time, yada yada. This is my personal opinion of the characters I liked best.

Spoilers WILL be featured below. You have been warned.

#13 -- Tallulah Copeland

Tallulah is a parent to a child at Bernhardt Academy, a friend of Vanessa Blackwood, and an active member of the PTA. Hugo is her partner.

This woman. I would flat forget this woman existed until she would show up again just to wreak havoc on MC’s day, usually at someone else’s urging. Every single time she spoke, I just wanted it to be over and she is just an awful, AWFUL person. She’s also the only awful person in this book who never pretends to be nice and/or never apologizes for her actions. Just an all around nasty person.

#12 -- Hugo

Hugo is a parent of a child at Bernhardt Academy and an active member of the PTA. Tallulah is his significant other.

If you’re actually reading these little blurbs, you have to be wondering “MagnoliaPip? How in the hell is Hugo ranked lower than two other unmentionables in this story?”

Thank you for asking, no one ever.

Put frankly, Hugo just annoyed the crap out of me. I know that’s supposed to be part of his character, but it went above and beyond the scope of acceptable annoyance. I grew to hate every second he was speaking. He never really contributed anything to the plot other than some irritating drivel. He wasn’t an antagonist, but he also wasn’t a pleasing good guy. He’s also the reason I’m considering not re-reading this book again right away like I want to.

#11 -- Guy Ledford

This man. This. Man. THIS MAN!

This part is going to include major spoilers, y’all, so if you haven’t read it and are still intending to, skip away now!! Again, major spoilers from here on out kids.

Guy Ledford is your main character’s ex-husband who has been absent for four years since the start of the book and wants to reconnect with his daughter. He is also a CEO of a snack food company/app, Nomme. He is the main antagonist of the book.

The reason I didn’t rank him lower is he genuinely adds something to the plot. He IS the plot. He’s the reason this book exists. However, he is such a scumbag he deserves nothing. He feels like a trope for quite a lot of the time, but at least he’s not physically abusive like a true trope could have been (at least, I never noticed him being physically abusive). Just, you know, a gaslighting, manipulative, arrogant, rude, selfish son of a-

I also love that they named him “Guy”. I’ve only ever met one man named this in my life, so it’s funny to me that they named this jerk “Guy” so it’s not only the most generic sounding name (did his parents also get a dog named “Dog” and a cat named “Kitty”?), but also one that a lot of men won’t likely have so they don’t have to get name checked in relation to him.

I like that you can get a good outcome (Guy ends up with joint custody with visitations  every weekend and having to back pay) without spending diamonds in this game as long as you make the right choices, but for those who DID spend all of the diamonds, I would have liked to have seen Guy end up with worse. I would have liked to see, if you made most of the right choices and bought all of the diamond stuff, him ending up with every other weekend or maybe just visitation. I know he’s trying to be a good dad (but still an absolutely terrible human being), but every weekend seems like so much when your daughter is in school.

#10 -- Augustus Blackwood

August Blackwood is one of Vanessa Blackwood’s sons and is a student at Bernhardt Academy.

I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this one. But he hurt my daughter and that’s enough. I would have liked to have seen him fleshed out a little bit more beyond being basically just a schoolyard bully. His motivations for his actions are hinted on, but nothing is really ever done and he’s mostly just a prop for something to hurt your daughter.

#9 -- Vanessa Blackwood

Vanessa Blackwood is the president of the PTA, a single mom, and a lawyer and becomes an antagonist to your character.

I’m probably going to get hate for this, but I want to like Vanessa. Obviously, she’s hateful and offensive, in some very, very unredeemable ways, but there’s something about characters like that which makes me want to forgive them and teach them how to be better. How to rehabilitate their bitterness. I felt it with Olivia Nevrakis, I felt it with Victoria Fontaine, and I know certain people in the fandom felt it with Becca Davenport and Poppy Min-Sinclair. 

**DISCLAIMER** Keep in mind, I’m not trying to excuse homophobia and racism here. They are both despicable things and should be accounted for. However, after having grown up in a homophobic and racist home and learning to leave that shit in the dust by the time I was eighteen and SLOWLY teaching my family to do the same over the course of the last 10 years, I believe people can change if you give them room and help to. Not everyone will, not many people will, but I believe in giving the chance. We need to force people to take responsibility and learn from their mistakes. Should the book have been approved as a series rather than a stand alone, I think this might have been a very real option within book 2.

#8 -- Ajax “AJ” Blackwood

Ajax Blackwood is one of Vanessa Blackwood’s sons and a student at Bernhardt Academy.

AJ is the quieter of the Blackwood boys, AJ is a shy kid who hates that his brother is mean just as much as your daughter does. He finally has enough within the book and stands up to him, which was more than a little satisfying and he does seem to have a genuinely good heart. I think it would be so cute for him, your daughter, and Luz to be their own adorable trio of friends. 

#7 -- Levi Schuler

Levi Schuler is your neighbor who helps save the day for MC early on in the book and becomes a friend to both her and your daughter. He is also one of your love interests.

And if this list is going to invoke hate from the masses, it will be this entry that does it. I know how loved Levi is. And I love him too! I just find him, and his musician plot, to be a bit tiring. He’s a wonderfully supportive friend/love interest, just about one of the nicest people, and he’s great with your daughter. I swear, all of the love interests in this book would be god tier in any book. It’s truly unfair to the others that we got three amazing ones here along with a great cast of characters. However, since that did happen, Levi will sit here at #7. He can have a consolatory rugelach while I continue on.

#6 -- Faye Devore

Faye Devore is your ex-husband’s new girlfriend, a younger social media influencer.

I loved Faye. Right from the start, I loved Faye. I prayed they weren’t going to make this into one of those books where we were supposed to hate the “other woman” because those plots are old, outdated, and overused. Thankfully, MOTY lets us skirt right around it and we end up with a wonderful character like Faye, who is the human definition of having the best intentions.

She gets on well with your daughter, even pointing out to MC at one point that she thinks of her like a little sister, and goes above and beyond to make her happy. She is genuinely upset about going against MC’s wishes about your daughter appearing on social media and doesn’t appear to want to cause any harm or hard feelings with MC at any point during the book. In fact, she wants to be friends. 

I would have loved for this and for it to be fleshed out more, again, if we had ever gotten a book 2. I’m also that jerk who would have totally romanced her in a replay and would have emptied my wallet to get a scene in that hypothetical book 2 where Guy finds out. Take that homophobe!

#5 -- Dr. Eiko Matsunaga

Dr. Eiko Matsunaga is a science teacher who teaches at the private school your daughter goes to and becomes friendly with MC because of your daughter. She is also one of your love interests.

If I would have had a teacher like Dr. Matsunaga when I was in school, maybe I would have cared about science at any point during my childhood. Eiko is so incredibly smart but has a heart of gold. She could be off teaching at colleges or writing published journals, but she’s teaching elementary science at a private school and honestly enjoying herself! She wants to see children succeed and will give any child who wants to do so, like your daughter, all of the help they need.

I want to romance her. I want to be her friend. I want it all because I’m selfish even when I don’t because I could never possibly be worthy of the supremacy that is Eiko. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

#4 -- Your Daughter / Zoey

Your daughter is 9 years old at the start of the book and desperately wants to be an astronaut. She is a science whiz and moves from public school to Bernhardt Academy at the beginning of the book to kickstart her education.

It makes me so sad that I will never actually have this child. “Zoey” is just so smart and funny and sweet and I love her so much. I spent so many diamonds on her. She’s a pixelated little bundle of amazing and I would die for her. That’s it.

#3 -- Alma Velasco

Alma Velasco is your neighbor, best friend, and (for part of the time) co-worker.

What did our character do to deserve such an amazing ride-or-die friend like Alma? She never disbelieves MC, is forever supportive as a shoulder to cry on and a supplier of good wine, and also helps MC out of more than one pinch. Seriously an amazing friend, and I wish we could have done something equally amazing for her to reciprocate.

#2 -- Thomas Mendez

Thomas Mendez is a lawyer and a single dad who becomes friends with MC very early on in the book. He is also one of your three love interests.

A big reason for why Thomas is at #2 is because of who #1 is but we’ll get there in a second.

There’s also something about Thomas that speaks to me as a person. It’s more than just being interested as a love interest or as a friend. There’s something about who he is. His awkwardness, his humor, his kindness and his generosity all make him someone I envy as much as I admire.

He takes on MC’s case pro bono when he doesn’t have to. He shrugs it off like it’s no big deal, but stepping back and looking at the it, by all accounts he was walking into a handily losing situation. He was also super busy at this time being a single parent himself and working on his class action lawsuit. That’s not even saying anything about him still grieving for Soledad.

However, the biggest reason I love Mr. Mendez is...

#1 -- Luz Mendez

Luz Mendez is a student at Bernhardt Academy who becomes best friends with your daughter early in the book. She is a soccer and art fan.

This little girl is the best thing I have ever read in my entire life. She made the entire book. Every character that came before her pales in comparison to her majesty. She is a goddamn queen and deserves everything.

Every scene with her is gold and I wish we had more. This little girl was completely willing to curb stomp someone with her cleats at the courthouse if something would have happened to your daughter. She is so aggressively herself and it is a joy to see. The relationship between her and her father is what really kept me going through the book’s more difficult spots. There is such true love and acceptance there, as well as the drive and desire to do better for the other than I just...There is really no way for me to properly explain the perfection that is Luz Mendez so I guess you’ll just have to read it yourself.

---

I’m not sure why it took me so long to start reading Mother of the Year (MOTY), but I’m so glad I did. In 3 days flat I binged the entire book, wasted so many accumulated diamonds, and had the time of my life. The cast of characters in MOTY is perfect and I wanted to rank them according to my opinion on which ones were the best. I ranked all of the characters I found to be profound enough to matter to the storyline or that MC or “Daughter” had enough interactions with to matter. As a result, there are several characters who didn’t make this list. 

Sound off below if you wish.

#choices spoilers #choices mother of the year #moty #choices moty #mother of the year #luz mendez #thomas mendez #levi schuler #eiko matsunaga #alma velasco #guy ledford #faye devore #vanessa blackwood #mother of the year spoilers #moty spoilers #spoilers

[dibberdipper]

Cheap frat party beer

Pairing: Poppy x MC (Bea Hughes)

Warnings: Drinking, suggestive themes, language

Word count: About 1,500

Summary: Pining was never Poppy’s style. No matter how much she’s going against her gut feeling, she just might not regret going to this boring party.

Author’s note: I tried to fix as many grammar mistakes as I could, I am so sorry if you found a few. Thank you so much for the comments of support on my last post, this is my first official fic on here so I really hope everyone enjoys! 

Her name was Poppy Min-Sinclair. She needed no introduction, she knew it was pure luck and privilege that led her to the top of the Belvoir food chain. She had everything, from the perfect grades, the perfect ranking, the perfect wardrobe, the perfect boyfriend, she could go on.

But for some reason ever since that new girl stepped foot in her life, she was left wanting something more. Bea Hughes came along and took over her entire life in an instant. It frustrated Poppy to no end. How could a girl rise the ranks so quickly in mere days? How did she already gain the attention of the whole school?

More importantly, the question she was the most startled by was why she was so infatuated. She had never felt this helpless over someone since private school. It felt like every encounter was a ticking time bomb until she finally gave in and forgot about who she was. She could be absolutely anybody she wanted, yet she wanted nothing more than to be the Belvoire’s newest fascinations girlfriend.

Instead of paying attention in class, or actually paying attention to the daily mindless gossip, she found herself reliving memories made days prior. The intrigue when she first met her, the pure rage and what almost felt like fun when Bea pretty much threw her in the jello pool, and the embarrassment that was her take down.

“What, are you obsessed with me?”

Just thinking about that moment sent her butterflies in her stomach fluttering, she’s never felt that familiar warm sensation on her cheeks at least since elementary school.

Before she could finish her daydreams, to her disappointment they just had to be interrupted.

“Poppy? Poppy!!”

She rolled her eyes.

“What am I, a dog your trying to train? Stop yelling in my damn ear.” She sneered at her friend.

Chloe huffed. “Poppy, you need to go to this weekend’s party. The last one was like, so embarrassing for you-“

Poppy sent her a warning glare, she gulped in response.

“My point is you need to show up and try to embarrass her back.”

Though deep down, she felt a rush of excitement for what could possibly go down, silently regretting her relationship status, but she could never let her thoughts be known.

She gave her right hand woman a sly smile. “Oh, don’t worry. We’ll give them a show.”

Over the weekend

“Oh, um, babe I didn’t expect to see you here after the last one.” He scratched the back of his neck, waiting for her response.

Poppy’s attention wasn’t on her boyfriend, but on the girl at the other side of the room. Bea took a moment to notice her, and gave her a sly smirk when she did. Poppy gave her a cold look over her shoulder to keep her facade of disgust up. After a tense moment, Carter nudged her shoulder.

“Babe?”

Poppy finally came up with a response after not paying attention to him, her eyes still glued on Bea’s.

“Well, I had to show somebody I’m not willing to give up my spot so easily. I have to show everyone at this party that I’m Poppy Min-Sinclair and not just ‘Bitch that was yeeted into jello’-“ Before she finished her rant, she tore her eyes away from Bea for a moment to glance at Carter. It was evident Bea hadn’t caught only her attention.

Time seemed to freeze as she felt a plan spin in her head. She was no stranger to orchestrating these evil ideas, otherwise she wouldn’t be ranked number one. She took in her surroundings; Carter’s wandering eyes, the cooler behind them that was filled to the brim with cheap canned beer, and the inviting stare from the girl across the room. She took a deep breath, no matter how many times she’s concocted these ideas, they didn’t make her feel anymore secure.

“Fuck it.” She reached behind her, opened the cooler, and chugged the bitter taste as fast as she could.

Thinking she was only trying to prove herself ‘cool’ Carter chuckled.

“Baby, I don’t mind leaving for a bit to get you something you’ll actually like from-“

“No, you listen here!” She jabbed a finger to his chest.

“I’m not going to be humiliated and stand around while you’re eye-fucking another girl. You’re as disposable as anybody else in this damn school, and I’m not!”

She knew she was no lightweight but nobody else knew that, not even Chloe. She caught Veronica live-streaming her whole ‘meltdown’. If everything backfired, she knew she could easily hide behind the classic too much beer excuse.

She played off most of the eyes watching her, as she swayed her hips over to the only pair of eyes she cared were watching. Perhaps to everyone else it looked like a cat fight about to go down, or a thinly veiled threat. But only Bea Hughes and her partner in crime Zoey Wade knew what she really whispered.

“Go upstairs, turn left, and walk ahead until you see the last dorm on the right. Leave five minutes after me.”

Before she walked away, she was sure to send a glare to Zoey.

“Alone.”

Poppy impatiently tapped her fingers on her lap wondering if it was all a mistake. She bit her lip, questioning herself and whether everything backfire until the door slammed open.

“Poppy I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing but-“

“Kiss me.” The words blurred out of her mouth without her even realizing it.

Bea’s mouth hung wide open in shock. “I… I’m sorry, excuse me, but what the fuck?”

“Do you want me to say please or what?”

Bea closed the door behind her, and took a few steps over. The room was almost completely dark, with the exception of the moonlight crawling in with the party lights. She felt Bea’s hands, that she noticed were bigger than hers, cup her face. She took in her deep dark eyes, the beautiful brown tone of her skin, and her inviting lips adorned in red lipstick. Bea drew back.

“Look your breath smells like alcohol, I can’t do this. I’m sorry.”

She was turned her away, but Poppy grabbed her hands in protest.

“I may not look like it, but I swear I can handle plenty of drinks. Don’t walk away when I’m not even drunk.”

Bea met her eyes, and gave the woman in front of her with pure desperation in her eyes her signature sly smirk.

“Is Poppy Min-Sinclair, ranked number one in Belvoire, begging the small town girl to kiss her?”

Poppy swallowed any cocky remarks back, along with her pride. “She is. If you keep her waiting, she might just walk out.”

Poppy felt Bea’s warm hands on her face again, and her sultry whisper in her ear. “We wouldn’t want that now, would we…”

Bea nibbled her ear, making Poppy let out a soft moan. A sound neither of them knew she could make until that moment.

Their lips met after only a week of glaring, pettiness mixed met with almost immediate pining, and just all around sexual tension. Neither of them knew a sensation could be so intense with somebody they had only just known. They skipped the friends milestone, straight to enemies, to whatever they were now.

Bea’s hands wondered into her hair, Poppy’s hands roaming over Bea’s back. Her fingers trailing downwards, her heart beat’s pace quickened. She anticipated every moment next. Poppy felt Bea’s hands linger at the hem of her skirt, when they heard the knob turn. They pushed each other away, straightening her clothes. Poppy immediately dropped down and hid under the bed as the door opened.

“Hey, are you okay? You’ve been gone for a while and I wanted to be sure you didn’t need any backup.”

Bea sent a playful glance to Poppy, Poppy’s heart freezing. The rush of excitement overwhelming her, she didn’t know whether Bea would expose her right now or keep their secret act in the night a secret.

“Little miss Poppy Min-Sinclair never showed up. A shame really.”

Zoey laughed. “You really scared that girl into chickening out of talking to you.” Poppy glared at Bea, and Bea stifled a giggle.

“Anyways the guys downstairs want to play beer pong, you can go up a few ranks since Veronica’s live-streaming. You can’t miss it!”

Bea shot a sneaky look at Poppy, and looked back at Zoey.

“Ten minutes tops, ever since Poppy essentially ditched me here I’ve gotten a bit sleepy. When I’m done I’m going to sleep in here, I’m sure whoever this room belongs to won’t mind too much.”

“Sounds like a plan, ready to kick some ass Bea?”

They walked out of the eye sight for Poppy, and she heard them leave the room with one last piece of dialogue slipping out. Poppy’s heart sunk.

“Please don’t try to wake me up or anything, I have a feeling I’ll be in there for a few hours.”

Poppy slowly tiptoed to the door, closing it. She sighed and sat back on the bed. There was nothing for her to do for the next ten minutes but sit there and smell like cheap frat party beer.

Thank you for reading! Tagging: @lolimugly @origmansello @grapecaseschoices @mvalentine @greatestflirt-hero​ @otakufangirl-12 @sugarplumpnhoneybun @ognenniyvolk @somewillwin @coldbatfriendroad@that-one-choices-person @ariel-0318 @drethanramslay @queensayeed @kawaiibanditmoneytaco @rotten-teddy-bear @aguywiththreepairsofglasses @elijahmessenger @axiel90 @ritafarrr @erza-elcy-crimson @poshbiscuit @sarasansone98 @ghalind @that-one-choices-person @dervaux @generaldameronss @adrianadmirer @anonymous--anteater @everythingchoices

#poppy x mc #poppy min sinclair #Queen B

[alexlabhont]

I didn’t mean to fall in love with you

Chapter nine.

Book: Queen B - Choices (Universe)

Pairing:  Poppy Min-Sinclair x Trans!Male MC (Beck Hughes)

Genre: Canon re-write (Because I can)

Rating: Anyone can read it, really

Tags: @dopeyouth @theymakemegayer @save-me-the-last-dance @poppysmc (If anyone want to be tagged in, just tell me)

This is me trying to write by and for the Trans community, specially FTM community, meaning, trans guys, but I actually took the liberty to use They/them pronouns for everyone out there who´s interested (Also, the name Beck was the most neutral one I could find, trying to use the cannon Bea Hughes)

If you have any comment, PLEASE BE RESPECTFULL and patient with me. This is also my first english fanfic and english is not my mother language, so… i’m sorry fo the grammar errors. I also installed recently Grammary, so... hope its worth it.

CHAPTERS

Chapter eight

ONE-SHOTS

Just a dance (Zoey x MC)

—————————————————————— 

"Zoey, please... Can we just talk about this?"

 Beck asked, sounding tired but worried while sitting in the common room. Their eyes glued to the other girl passing back and forth inside the kitchen, pretending to be alright as she made some tea to herself. Even Pepes knew something was off, that little ugly face looked at her with those sad cute eyes as if he was grounded because of something he didn't understand.

 "Talk about what exactly?" Zoey stopped for a second to look at them, she was pissed, the tension over her shoulders was like concrete. "About how you always manage to take my warnings and toss them in the trash? The way you keep going on and playing with fire over and over again despite my attempts to keep you safe? Whatever Beck, is your life."

 They closed their eyes for a second, breathing deep. This problem started the moment Zoey saw Poppy in the room with Beck a few moments ago, and while the Queen B left almost immediately after that because of some business back at the shelter, Beck could feel their roommate's disagreement so thick and still in the air that they could almost cut it with a knife.

 "Why are you so mad about it, anyway?" Beck asked, feeling a bit upset. "I get that you don't like her and all, but..."

 "I don't trust her, Beck." She replied sharply. "She's mean, she's selfish, she's a spoiled brat who is not up to something good and you're falling into her web. She's gonna use you the moment she has the chance and throw you aside when she's tired!"

 Something inside Beck snapped at that. Yes, they definitely did understand where that came from, for all they knew, Poppy made Zoey's life hell since day one, treating her badly constantly. Even Beck was once a victim of the blonde's anger and resentment during their first months in Belvoire, so much so that Beck thought she was naturally mean and a complete bitch. But, somehow, they had a chance that maybe nobody had before, to get to know her, and slowly they began to see that- maybe she wasn't a born-bitch, maybe she didn't know another way. Maybe she wasn't taught better. Something on their chest knew that, deep down, Poppy wasn't that bad at all.

 "How-how can you know that?!" Beck said, standing on their feet. They didn't like a bit the way Zoey was talking about the strawberry blonde. She wasn't there every single time Poppy showed them how much she cared about them, how kind and attentive she could be every time they were alone, and Beck was tired of all these misjudgments. "She can be mean and cruel sometimes, but it doesn't mean she has something planned to hurt me! I like her, a lot. And I think she likes me too. Why can't you be happy for me just this time?"

 To their surprise, Zoey scoffed sarcastically, as if she couldn't believe exactly that.

 "How can you be so naive, Beck? Do you think someone like Poppy is into someone like…"

 She stopped abruptly, realizing how bad it might sound.

 "Like me?" Beck asked suddenly, feeling hurt. All the times they heard people say shit like that, every single mockery and awful stares came back to their memory, making their chest hurt. The way Zoey looked at them broke Beck a little more.

 "Beck... I didn't mean it like that..."

 And they knew, Zoey would never say something to hurt them about being trans, but Beck couldn't help but feel a hit in the stomach. They latched their fists and looked down, clenching his jaw, waiting for her to speak before they let all their anger out.

 "What I meant to say is... " Zoey walked towards them, stopping until both were face to face. "She has been awful to you all this time and suddenly, one day to another she treats you right? You are different from her... In a good way, you're kind, talented, and down to earth. I'm just afraid you’ll fall into her claws and come to be like her, or worse... That she'd hurt you badly..."

 "I don't need your protection, Zoey" Beck said, feeling tired of being treated like some fragile being who needs to be protected. "I need you to trust me. Poppy has made some mistakes... But I know she cares about me. I know it! I can feel it every time we're together..."

 Zoey remained silent as if she was processing every word Beck said. In the meantime, Pepes jumped over their legs asking to be held, Beck took him carefully in their arms and snuggled him against them trying not to hurt their rib as they felt him curl up with a whimper.

 "I know, Pepes... Poppy's a whole different person to you too."

 Just at that moment, Zoey rested her arms around Beck, hugging them by the hips.

 "Beck, you know this goodie-Poppy better than anyone else on campus at least, so tell me... What do you think she feels about you?"

 "I think she wants me," Beck said, petting Pepes’ head softly. That wasn't even a question to think about, it only took them a minute to bring back all the moments together, every time Beck could feel Poppy's concern and protective side... Zoey had a point, but Beck decided to bet on Poppy's good side no matter what. "She really wants me, Zoey. She has proven that to me in her way."

 "Ok, next question. The real question. The one that matters." Beck could feel her taking a deep breath as if she were preparing herself to hear something she didn't want to listen to. "How do you feel about her?

 "I..." Beck thought about all those moments together, how that caramel eyes made them shiver, every time Poppy managed to take their breath away, her touch, her smile, gosh, even their fights, and that thunder-like personality she had... "I want to be with her. She really makes me feel something special, Zoey. This thing between us is challenging, thrilling, and keeps me on my toes but it can be a good thing... I truly like her."

 For a moment, Beck noticed Zoey's face fall for a second, defeated; but then, she pulled on a smile.

 "Well, if you trust her... I can trust her as well."

 Beck couldn't really believe that. Was she serious?

 "Do you really mean that?"

 "Why wouldn't I?" Zoey simply said. "I may still be skeptical of Poppy behavior, but I trust you, Beck. You're a one of a kind." Zoey sat down on the couch, slinging her feet up on the coffee table.

 Pepes barked happily as if he could understand the massive step Zoey just made, and jumped right to her legs, licking her face as excited as Beck would do it if they were a dog.

 "No, stop it! You're ruining my makeup!" Zoey laughed while Beck did the same, defiled by the scene. "You are so cute I actually forgive you for chewing on my Valentino pumps, you little monster." She scooped him up and placed him on her lap before turning her attention back to Beck. "'Kay, here's what you're gonna do about Poppy."

 "Take her on a date?" Beck asked, resulting in a giggle coming from Zoey's lips.

 "I love when we do this whole telepathy thing."

 "Really? It scares the shit out of me sometimes..." They said joking around. "Like that one time when...!"

 And because of that telepathic bound, Zoey didn't even let them finish that sentence, waving her hands in Beck's face while a red color crossed her cheeks.

 "Uh-uh-uh... We swore not to talk about it!"

 Yep, they both swore that. Sometimes, being roommates was a door to discover a lot of things about the other that may or may not be expected… at all.

 "Anyway..." Zoey continued. "You're going to take Poppy on a date. A real date. We all already know her lifestyle, but it's time to let her know about yours. To get to know you. And if you're really willing to trust her… You need to tell her about Bree." Beck looked away, biting the insides of their cheek. That actually made their heart jump with a little bit of fear. "That's the only way she'll be able to find out where her head is at and what your limits are."

 Pepes lunged for Zoey's fingers, but she snatched them back just in time.

 “Not the manicure.” She said angrily, making him off to go to break something maybe. Beck followed him with their eyes, feeling actually amused by the interactions, secretly loving that love-hate relationship Zoey and Pepes had, it was quite funny. “Quit smiling, Beck. It’s not funny.”

 “Oh, come on…!”

 “Back to Poppy.” She quickly said, avoiding Beck's jokes about how she would rather have a broken finger than a broken nail. “You have to show her what’s going to happen if she dates Beck, if she wants it or not, is up to her. Just remember one thing: you are totally worth it and priceless. No more underestimating you. Trust me, there's a ton of ladies who would gladly take her place.”

 Zoey smiled at them with a subtle hint Beck couldn’t fully place quite right, but they didn’t read too much into it, their mind was off, planning a lot of ideas for the date. There were a ton of possibilities for hot dates, but almost everything was so New York-ish that Poppy could do them with any person. Zoey was right, they needed to show her their true self, they had to open up to her…

 And frankly, that was really scary.

 So Beck took a deep breath and started typing on the phone.

Beck:

Hey. Wanna hang out?

 Ok, that was it. Beck had to admit it, it was always Poppy, the one who made the plans, he wasn’t fully interested nor ready at the time, like… really, who would ever want to date their bully? But now things had changed and so did the dynamic.

Poison Poppy:

Missing me already?

Beck snorted, but a second message came in.

Poison Poppy:

I’m not surprised, tho

I knew you were obsessed with me. Happens a lot.

Beck:

Take it easy, baby girl. It's just a walk. Don't read too much into it.

It was definitely a date, but they refused to let her win this one over; Beck could be as hard to get like her.

Poison Poppy:

Ew, don’t you ever call me like that ever again. 

Aren’t you supposed to be resting?  

Beck:

Is that a “no”?

Poppy saw the message but then went off-line. That actually scared Beck a little, because even though they knew she was busy at the shelter, their nerves kept on saying she wasn’t as thrilled as them to hang out, maybe they should’ve waited until Poppy told them she wanted a date or something, but again, where was their initiative? They were interested, so they needed it to show her what they wanted. “Relax, you were fine.” Beck said to them, even though their heart was beating fast. The Poppy Min-Sinclair effect. So they spend a little too much time reading the whole conversation, was something they said? There were no signs of anything, it was actually a normal-flirty conversation… right?

Sooner rather than later, the typing sign showed up, alarming Beck. Quickly, they tapped the menu button just to get out of the chat. They definitely did not want her to think they were waiting for her reply… even though they were.

Poison Poppy:

I just don’t want to make something to worsen your rib. I didn’t pay a doctor to go to waste.

Same old Poppy, Imma right?

Beck:

It’s going to be low-key, I promise. Does tomorrow morning works for you?

Poison Poppy:

See you then, tushi face 😉

Beck let out a breath they didn’t know they were holding, as the realization of what was happening hit them loud in their chest. Beck asked the Queen of Belvoire, their old enemy, the one and only Poppy Min-Sinclair for a date. And she said yes.

“Well… here goes nothing….”

____

Next

#poppy min sinclair #poppy x mc #queen b choices #choices stories you play #choices #choices poppy #bea hughes #mc x poppy #beck hughes #choices queen b mc #trans #ftm

[yixxes]

Hurt | p.p.

Warnings: Homophobia, toxic parents/household, maybe a few grammatical errors or spelling mistakes, yall it’s 6 am and I still haven’t slept-

Word Count: 2413

"You make me sick!”  

You slammed the door behind you and you did not look back. It was all so suffocating, your family was so suffocating, living inside of a toxic household with such destructive, closed-minded people was so devastatingly harmful to your health and you couldn’t get away from it. Or, you never had the guts to storm out before. Things had gotten bad in the past, but this time was different from the others. This was no ordinary disagreement or argument. This was a direct attack initiated and orchestrated by the head of the household herself. There was something about the way that she spoke to you. The way that she spewed hate without an ounce of regard for your feelings or the fact that she was talking to another human being, her daughter, if that even counted for anything. The way that everyone else declared the side that they were on by not saying anything at all. You just knew that if you stayed there a second longer, you’d implode or combust. You wanted to vent. To say the words that you had been forced to swallow before you choked on them. There wasn’t a single person in your house that you wanted to speak to, so you rounded a familiar corner and started towards the place that felt more like home than your actual house these days. 

It was dark by the time you reached Peter’s doorstep and he got ready to scold you good when he opened up the door and saw you standing there. “Wh- Y/n!? Did you walk here, do you have any idea how dangerous that is?” And then he saw your face. Your stature. Your shoulders were slumped, your cheeks were tear stained and the way that your eyes were filling up made it clear that you weren’t anywhere close to being done crying for the night. “Oh no, babe, what happened?” 

He sounded like he was about to start crying right along with you, and honestly, it was a big possibility. He told you a couple of times before that he had trouble explaining the way that he cared about you. Even before you got together, he cared about you so much as a friend. Before that, he practically idolized you as his crush but that was all at face value. As he got to know you better, he was just as mesmerized by your mind and your heart as he was by your beauty, or so he told you. Anyway, your pain really hit home for him. He hated to see you cry, so you showing up like this really affected him. It made his heart pick up a handful of beats more a minute and made his blood run cold. And when you threw your arms around him and began to sob into his shoulder, he was so overwhelmed that he started to cry, too. 

He’d seen you upset before, sure, any regular human being dealt with complicated emotions, everybody had their share of bad days, but this was different. Peter couldn’t remember ever seeing you like this before. Not only did the sight break his heart, he was also at a loss. He was so worried that he wouldn’t know how to fix whatever was wrong. What if he couldn’t get the tears to stop? Or what if he couldn’t make the pain go away? Peter wrapped his arms around your torso and held you close to him. 

He was new at this, so he tried his very best to choose his words carefully. “You’re okay,” he murmured quietly in your ear. You obviously weren’t okay, but you knew what he meant. You weren’t alright, but you were okay there in his arms. You were safe. “I got you, okay?” He rubbed his open hand up and down your back and it made breathing come just a little easier. “Not gonna let anything happen to you.” The promise was sincere but he made it more with himself and merely let you in on it. Knowing loss the way that he did made his determination to protect what he presently had strong. As long as he was around, he’d guard your happiness just as well as your life. 

Peter walked your hug back a couple of steps so that he could shut the door behind you. For a short while, the two of you stayed just like that. This was probably the closest to that you’d get all night to a cleared head and that was stressing you out. 

“Peter, who was at the-” you pulled yourself off of Peter to look at Aunt May and brought your hands together, rubbing them slowly against one another. “oh. Oh, sweetheart, what happened?”

You hadn’t even told Peter what happened yet, nor did you have a single clue how you were gonna go about it and you told Peter everything. May was a great confidant, but the thought of opening up to her about what happened tonight intimidated you. On the same coin, it was the least that you could do after barging into her home this way. You took in a breath and readied yourself to answer her, but luckily Peter swooped in before you had to say anything. 

“Aunt May, could I have a second with Y/n? Please?” It was almost like he read your mind. 

May nodded, eyeing you with a sad smile. “Of course,” she walked to you anyways, engulfing you in a warm hug. “I’ll be right down the hall if there’s anything that I can do.”

With a smile, you breathed a quiet “thank you” and watched her retreat to her room. As soon as he heard her door close, Peter led you to the couch, making sure to keep hold of one of your hands even after you sat down. Your mind was all over the place and your heart was starting to pick up again. Getting all of this out wasn’t gonna be easy. Peter had no clue what was going on, but that much was clear to him. 

“Hey,” his free hand touched your cheek. “we don’t have to talk about this right now, alright? If you’re not ready, we can find something to do, I’ll make you something to eat, or we can-”

You shook your head, making him stop short. It wasn’t gonna be easy, but you figured the sooner that you got all of this off of your chest, the better. “Remember how... I told you that I kissed Victoria Woodland at Donnie’s back to school party this year?” He nodded without comment, deciding it might be best to listen with as little interruption as possible. It was a confusing start, but he was confident that you’d connect the dots for him. “’N how I was dating Shelly Sinclair last year?” Peter nodded again and you took another breath. He didn’t miss how shaky this one was in comparison to the first one. “Well, my...” you pulled your hand from his and bound your fingers together tight, a nervous tick you had been doing for as long as you could remember. “my parents never knew about it, they..”

You desperately didn’t want to say these words. You didn’t want to tell this story. The deep shame that you felt took the physical form of a set of hands.  With each progressing word, it was like they squeezed tighter and tighter on your throat. 

“My mother expressed more than a couple of times that..” you swallowed thickly, cringing at the compilation of memories of your loving mother saying exactly what you were about to say word for word. “that no daughter of hers would grow to be so sick and weird.” Peter’s eyes closed and he turned his face for a second. He knew exactly where this was going and he hated it. Dread weighed on his heart in a way that he just couldn’t explain. 

You went on to explain how you dated Shelly for six months behind your parents’ back last school year. When things crashed and burned with her, it felt like your entire world was ending, so that’s the way most high school relationships go anyway, and you passed a couple of months of sorrow and heartache off as fatigue and sickness. Your adoring parents fed you cups of medicine and urged you to keep in mind the importance of rest, but naturally, it did nothing for you. They couldn’t reach your hurt. They couldn’t heal you. Even if they knew why you were in pain, they wouldn’t want to help anyways. You told Peter how Mrs. Sinclair and your mother knew each other and were even good friends since before you even knew Shelly. Yet, miraculously, the conversation never came up between Shelly and her mom. Shelly knew that you had to keep things under wraps, after all, so maybe she kept it from her mom too. God, how you wish that were true.

“It came up in casual conversation during a phone call.” Your voice was breaking and so was your resolve. “She couldn’t wait to lay into me as soon as she hung up.” You swallowed hard again, doing the best that you could to mentally prepare yourself for what you were about to say. “She asked me why I wanted to be like that. She called me weird. Said she didn’t raise me like that, she...” You cut yourself off there, tears already beginning to roll, and looked away from him. You squeezed your eyes shut and felt more tears fall. Go on, you scolded yourself. Say it. “S-she said.. she said-”

Peter wanted to let you finish. He truly did, but what he wanted didn’t hold a candle to his overpowering need to comfort you. He couldn’t let you finish that sentence. He wouldn’t. Not when he could see how much it was tearing you apart. If he let you say it, whatever was remaining of your badly bruised spirit would break and dissipate into oblivion, and he couldn’t have that. 

Peter pulled you into a tight hug, the both of your bodies alike leaning forward rather awkwardly, but you didn’t mind it at all, because being held by someone who just accepts you was an indescribable feeling that you wouldn’t trade for the world. Without letting go for a second, he slowly scooted towards you in hopes of getting rid of some of the discomfort and pressed his cheek into the top of your head, doing his best to cry as quietly as he could. Your body shook with cries in his arms and his heart broke all over again. You didn’t deserve this.

At first, Peter really didn’t know what to say, which was fine because he had some time to think about it. The two of you sat there for more than a little while until your breathing finally evened out. 

“I can’t tell you how sorry I am,” he said, nearly cringing at the broken silence. “you don’t deserve this.” He couldn’t relate to you on this level, but he had absolutely no problem meeting you where you were at and talking you through your own mind. He just knew that it was in heartbreaking shambles at the moment. 

Peter pulled off of you and caught your face in his hands. He needed to look you straight in the eyes and know that he had all of your attention when he said this. “Do you understand me? You don’t deserve any of this.” Occasionally, you could tend to be just a little impressionable, especially when the given situation involved your parents. He needed to make sure that you understood that you, nor anybody else in the entire world, for that matter, did not deserve to be defamed, spoken down to, or bullied for being themselves. “The things that she said... they’re pure evil, but you know none of it’s right. None of it’s true.”

He made quick work of swiping your tears away with his thumbs and shook you gently when you closed your eyes, whispering a soft, “please look at me.” He paused until he saw your eyes again. “You don’t have anything to be ashamed of. I don’t want you to ever apologize to anybody for being who you are, there isn’t a single thing wrong with you,” he shook his head and you frowned at the tears that spilled down his cheeks. “there’s not a single thing that I would change, okay?”

You nodded at his words, wishing a little less that you could shy away from him. This was the most intimate moment that the two of you had shared so far in your relationship. You felt vulnerable and exposed, but you couldn’t disregard the positive outcome. How nice it was to be yourself, loved, and accepted all at the same time.

“I’m sorry that she hurt you, I’m... I’m so sorry, and I’m sorry that I’m not saying the right thing, because honestly, I have no idea what I’m supposed to say right now, but I’ll spend the rest of the night thinking. I’ll say the right thing, I’ll do whatever you need me to do, I-I’ll be right here beside you until things get better, I promise.” How would things get better and where would anybody even start? He had no clue, neither of you did, but he knew that his words were true and that he’d be true to his word. “They’ll get better, they’re just bad right now, I...”  Peter sighed, defeated because he had no idea how much his words meant to you. “I’ll be right there, always. Until things get better and every time after.”

You watched his face fall when he had to wipe away more of your tears, but eyed the small smile on your face hopefully. 

“You’re incredible,” he murmured softly. “her words can’t change how amazing you are. And her words could never change the way that I love you. I know it seems impossible right now, but... please try not to let it change the way that you love yourself either.”

Things were bad right now. So inexplicably bad, but they could be worse. You could be going through all of this alone, but looking straight ahead and seeing this lovable, beautiful soul right in front of you, you realized that you were about as far from alone as you could possibly get. 

A/N: Thank you sm for reading 💓 shout out to my lovely relatives for inspiring me to write this 🙃 Stay safe, be strong, spread love, be kind to one another ✨

#peter parker x reader #peter parker #peter parker oneshot #peter parker x y/n #peter parker imagine #marvel #avengers #avengers imagine #tom holland #tom holland x reader #mcu #peter parker x you #tom holland imagine #tom holland one shot

[agentnolastname]

#24 For A's route and #49 for M's route please 😌

Thank you for the ask, Vivi! 🥺❤ Also I enjoyed writing these prompts so it's more of a drabble rather than microfics 🥺 I hope you enjoy reading!

***

Pairing: Agent Adam du Mortain x Detective Irene Sinclaire

Prompt: Tender (from this promptlist!)

***

"I still can't believe you enjoy reading." Irene sat in front of Adam as he reads a random book he found on the warehouse's shelf. She likes to believe it's from Felix, because who else would read a book about unicorns in this household? The only thing she isn't sure about why she finds Adam holding it though. "And I still can't believe you are avoiding me."

At this, Adam heavily drops the book on the table, his eyes immediately fixating on her as he leans back to his seat, crossing his arms in thr process. "I'm not avoiding you, detective."

"Yeah, just punishing me, pretty much the same thing." Irene rolled her eyes as she mirrors Adam's movement from earlier. She leans back to her seat and crosses her arms as well, her eyebrow raised. "Come on, it was a month since I was bitten, i'm alright now!"

"It doesn't change the fact that you did not listen to me that day." Adam says, his tone stoic as usual.

"Oh come on, I only did that to save you! They wanted me anyway." She shrugs, suddenly leaning in to the table. "And I wouldn't just leave you out there, what would Unit Bravo think of me if I left you?"

"They will be happy that you are safe." Adam says, the softness finally catching on his voice. "Like I would have."

"But I'm safe and you aren't happy."

"Because you were in danger because of me!" He scowls, standing up and slamming his hands on the table leaving a dent. Irene was slightly taken aback, but she maintained composure. She's not one to back down, and just this won't be enough to weaken her resolve, no. Instead she eyes him, just waiting until the latter finally looks away, going back to sit on the chair. "I was so worried about you."

"If you really care about me, you will show me how much. Words are rather empty without action." Irene teases despite her remembering how Adam acted on the night she was bitten and stabbed.

She was expecting that he'll frown, turn away, and stomp his way out of the living room. Besides, it's the reaction that fits him, but instead, Adam's expression softens as he looks at her intently. His eyes filled with that familiar longing. Adam never says a word. Instead he extends one of his arms to touch her face with a gentle hand. His hand remained on her face even after a few minutes, Irene stays still despite the erratic beating of her heart inside her chest.

"I care about you, detective." He says, voice low and tender. "More than you could possibly know."

And then he reluctantly pulls back, standing up from his seat and walking away. Irene watched him leave once again, yearning for him now more than ever.

END.

***

***

Pairing: Agent Mason X Detective Iris Decker (MC)

Prompt: Nightfall (from this promptlist! )

***

"Day's finally over!" Tina says, excitement evident in her voice. She stands and stretches immediately once the clock strikes seven. "We should all go home early today, it's too dangerous even for us lately." She says and picks her things up saying her goodbyes to everyone.

Iris watched as each one of her colleagues leave the station, Verda being the last one to leave before she finally realizes the station is dark and empty.

Nightfall.

Fear creeps up her spine at the sudden thought of the increased deaths in the town these days. The thought of crimes usually excites her, but since the incident with Murphy, she finds herself being afraid of it despite her burrying the experience deep down. Iris sighs, shrugging her thoughts away as she moves to turn the electricity off.

Stepping outside the station, she pulled her coat and hugged herself as the wind hits her frame. Iris looks around making sure that there aren't anything before she starts to walk approaching her car. She makes slow steps as a figure looms over the front of her car, the night so dark she couldn't even see the figure clearly. She checks her gun and pepper spray, proceeding to approach the figure when she made sure that they are present.

One... two... thre-

"Ah!" She screams so loud as her eyes shuts tight when the figure suddenly turns to face her. Her heartbeat so loud, she can hear it on the silence that looms ever. Well, the silence didn't last long as she heard a chuckle. She knows who exactly it is. "What the hell, don't sneak on me like that!"

"You're the one acting stealthily behind my back." Mason says, a teasing smile still spread on his lips.

"Don't even pretend you didn't know it was me, you know how I smell!"

"Yeah, your scent is amazing." Mason chuckles once again. "It was fun startling you." He says not realizing the frown on her face. It was only after a few seconds he noticed it. "Something wrong?"

"You're an ass, you know I get startled easily and yet you did that and I-" Iris says her voice waivering. "-I am so scared my heart won't even stop pounding until now." She says as tears suddenly streams down her face. Mason was taken aback by her sudden outburst.

"I didn't know it will affect you so bad." Mason says as she pulls her into a hug, wrapping one of his arms around her and the other landing on her head. She lets her head on the crook of his neck. "If I have known I wouldn't have done that."

"I'm sorry, it's not even your fault I'm crying, I'm just so... scared... Murphy..." Iris says in muttered breaths. Mason can feel her rapid heartbeat. Suddenly, he feels so bad that he did it.

"Ssh, it's okay, Murphy isn't here and even if he is, I won't let him harm you." Mason says. They just stood there on the pavement, Mason keeps her close as he continuously slides his hands on her back. He waits until he can feel her heartbeat calm already. "Come on, I'll take you home. I'll do this from now on." Iris just nods at him as they made their way to her car.

Iris doesn't know how Mason can just erase her worries like that, but she's surely thankful he's willing to do so everytime.

END.

***

#the wayhaven chronicles #twc #adam du mortain #agent mason #mason x detective #agent x detective #twc adam #twc mason #asks

[travllingbunny]

The 100 (re-)rewatch: 4x13 Praimfaya

What do I say about this episode that hasn’t been said already? It is for The 100 what Through the Looking Glass was for Lost: a game changer, arguably marking the end of the first half of the show (though 4x05 was technically the 50th episode) and re-defining it.

This time, instead of making notes about the timeline at the end, I need to start with it: The largest chunk of the episode takes place over less than 3 hours, and is a race against time and against the upcoming death wave – just 90 minutes to make the pod intended for two people functional for 8 people and get the air recycler from the lighthouse bunker, then an hour to get to the Ring and for Raven to open the hangar door manually so they could enter before their air goes out… And then there’s time jump of 6 years and one week, or 2199 days. If feels insane, but this period was 11 times longer everything that happened in seasons 1-4 from the Pilot to Praimfaya (around 6.5 months, or 200 days).

To be fair, the season 5 finale was another game changer, and the only episode that may have had a timeline even weirder than this one – but the second time-jump, even though it lasted 125 years, did not have any of the same weight and meaning for anyone other than Monty, Harper and Jordan, since everyone else was cryo-frozen and practically continued their lives as if they had just gone to sleep a few hours before. But the time jump revealed in those last few minutes of the season 4 finale affected all the characters. They all lived through these 6 years that the show skipped, and only showed in about 2-episode worth of flashbacks (or not at all, in the case of Spacekru), profoundly changing their lives, relationships and arcs.

Apart from the radio talk between Bellamy and Octavia at the start of the episode, and two short scenes in the bunker, which are there to round up their story for this season, and the short appearance of Madi in the last couple of minutes, the entire episode involves just 8 people – Clarke, Bellamy, Raven, Murphy, Emori, Monty, Harper and Echo.

Octavia was well aware that she wasn’t ready to be a leader: “All I did was win a fight”. Bellamy tries to give her some confidence, saying she also gave people hope. But his comparison to – Prometheus – wasn’t the greatest, because, as Octavia points out, Prometheus got punished by the gods by being chained to a rock while a bird plucked his entrails. Dark foreshadowing for Octavia’s future?

The radio dies, so Clarke doesn’t get the chance to say goodbye to her mother. It’s an understatement to say that this is not the last time a radio dies and Clarke isn’t able to get through to someone.

Eh, about that…

Octavia tells Bellamy “I love you, big brother”. Bellamy tells her “I love you” back, for the second time (after he’s said it for the first time, to anyone, in 4x11). They have both made the point that it takes the end of the world for them to say it. These final episodes of season 4 are the time when several of the characters are expressing their true feelings to each other. Monty said it to Harper in 4x11, but she wouldn’t say it back at first, and lied that she didn’t love him, to make him let her die. Jasper tried to make Monty say it to him before he died, but Monty said it too late. Harper admitted to Monty that she did love him, after she had decided to live. Monty said “I love you” to Harper again in 4x12 while they were in the rover. And Murphy now talks to Monty about his relationship with Emori and Monty’s relationship with Harper, telling him that he’s experienced how love changes you, and asks him if he has told Harper he loves her.

And – totally unrelated, I’m sure – Clarke and Bellamy have deep conversations about their relationship, where Clarke wants to tell him something important, because she thinks she is dying of the radiation she got in 4x12 after she took off her helmet for a while and before Monty and Harper arrived and gave her Jasper’s. A large part of why she believes that is due to Abby’s vision. But because she implies she may die (“If anything happens to me…” – “Nothing is happening to you”), he interrupts her, because he can’t stand that idea – the same way she interrupted him when he wanted to tell her something before they separated in 4x06 (“If I don’t see you again…” – “You will!”). Interesting how those two always keep having interrupted conversations where one of them seems to want to say something important. I don’t know what that could be. They end up talking about their relationship, the leadership, Head and Heart, as Clarke is praising Bellamy for his big heart (something she always found appealing in him was his ability for love and devotion – which she saw in his feelings for his sister, even early on in season 1) and advising Bellamy to use his “Head” more, to be a more rounded leader. In the context, she is not criticizing him, she is trying to tell him he would have to be the sole leader, without her, because she thinks she’s probably about to die. She won’t, but he’ll indeed find himself in a situation where leaving her behind will really be his “only choice” – at least one that makes any sense, as staying and waiting would have only killed him and the other 6 people with him, while Clarke would have still died (or lived) regardless.

But I’m sure nothing in that conversation was deeply personal or intimate…

And later, when Bellamy is about to leave with Murphy to save Monty, and Clarke is about to go on her own to align the satellite dish so they could dock at the Ring – which will prove to be the last time they see each other in 6 years – Clarke stops Bellamy briefly to tell him something (even though they’re in a hurry, and Raven and Murphy are also present), and he interrupts her again, expecting another talk about leadership and using his head (he obviously didn’t realize the weight of that talk the first time), and she says she just wanted to say…”Hurry”. That doesn’t really seem like something you’d stop a person to tell them, when they’re already in a hurry. It’s almost like the episode was teasing that she had something else to tell him there. Now what could that have possibly been, hmm…

To be honest, I’m sometimes not sure how I feel about the Head and Heart phrase, because the fandom tends to take it too far and simplify both Clarke and Bellamy as characters and not really do either justice, making it seem as if Bellamy can’t or has never been calculating (like manipulating the Delinquents into taking off their wristbands, or pretending to be manic and self-harming while in a cell, in order to hurt himself enough so Abby would have a reason to come and set him free) or offered the more rational options (like not telling people that the knife Wells was killed with was Murphy’s, or not telling them immediately about Praimfaya until they have an idea what to do about it), or as if Clarke hasn’t acted purely on emotion so many times. I’ve seen people make contrived arguments why some of the things Clarke did (like desperately going into Mount Weather without any plan and doing everything to save the people she loves, or mercy killing Finn to spare him torture – after having done everything to save him, including offering her own life) were supposedly so cold and logical they would make a Vulcan proud, or people complaining why Clarke, who is “supposed to be a logical character”, did unwise things because she was emotional when, for instance, her best friend got murdered, or when her daughter seemed to be in danger. Both of them are, in fact, much more complex characters, and, as most people, many of their actions are a combination of reason and emotion. And it certainly doesn’t mean that one of them is more able to love than the other, or that the other has lost that ability after having to be a sole leader and assume both roles. The Head and Heart works better as a description of how they usually/typically approach leadership and decision-making at this point, where Bellamy can rouse the crowds with emotional speeches, give more successful pep talks to the others (although Clarke does great pep talks to Bellamy) and usually has a better feeling for the emotional state of the crowd, while Clarke is more likely to appeal to people with pragmatic arguments, try to forge alliances with outside forces, and look at the big picture. And I don’t think that makes their relationship codependent: they can both function on their own – and have – but they function much better together.

At the beginning of season 4, Raven arc seemed to be about leadership and having to make tough choices – she had a mini-arc in 4x03 where she started off telling Clarke that, while Raven was in charge of rations, choosing who lives or dies was Clarke’s specialty (!) when she told Clarke to make the list, but then went on to practically choose who lives or dies by denying medicine to Luna’s people. That did not end up having any consequences, but the rest of her arc this season was instead about her relationship with herself, her pain, confidence, her mind and will to live. This was beautifully resolved in 4x11, but in the subsequent two seasons, the show hasn’t seemed to know what to do with her. (It would be great if that arc about having to be the one to make the tough decisions and decide on life and death happened for her in season 7.) In this finale, she has another moment of self-doubt and regression, worrying that she is not smart enough without ALIE’s code in her brain. But after getting pep talks first from Clarke and then from Bellamy, telling her basically the same thing she had told herself in 4x11 through her vision of Sinclair, she finds the solution exactly by remembering what ALIE did in season 3 when she uploaded herself to the Ring. Something that was a moment of defeat for Raven against ALIE back then, now helped her find a way to save herself and others.

Murphy’s season 4 arc was mostly about him forging real friendships and being accepted into the group of people he antagonized and was exiled from season 1, showing that he changed during the time he was away from them and was not the same douchebag, now that he knew how to love  another person. But out of the core group, someone he’s had the least amount of interaction with was Monty. This was their first serious interaction, and in fact, the first time they’ve even been in the same place since early season 1. That means that Murphy didn’t expect hostility from Monty because the latter wasn’t among the people he had seriously hurt (he had already been kidnapped by the Mountain Men by the time Murphy’s murder of Connor became known and by the time he murdered Myles, tried to kill Bellamy and shot Raven), but he had forgotten the fact that Monty only remembered his jerkass persona and behavior from the early days on Earth, and the way he kept wishing for wounded Jasper to die – and that Monty has not seen any of Murphy’s development. Of course he hates him, I hated Murphy in season 1, too! But this relationship gets a big leap forward when Murphy brings the machine and goes back for Monty together with Bellamy, and even gets a hug.

Monty’s line “Eight people in space, and one of them is John Murphy” has the same energy as Clarke’s “The last two people on Earth, and one of them is a child from hell” from 5x01.

Jasper is, understandably, a very sensitive topic for Monty. And Murphy’s ill-thought line about “coward’s way out” (which I don’t think was malicious, as he had just praised Jasper for being stronger than he seemed) probably upset him even more because he had had similar thoughts: a few episodes ago, he called Harper a coward for wanting to commit suicide.

As for the Grounders in Space, Emori and Echo, due to their completely different backgrounds and histories, have the opposite reactions to all the new things they are encountering: spaceship, lack of gravity, seeing Raven spacewalk… Emori is excited and takes to everything new easily. She was an outcast, she never had an opportunity to be tied to one place or belong to a group of people, and has no reason to feel nostalgia for the Earth she’s leaving; and she’s used to adventure and adjusting to new circumstances. Echo is confused, somewhat scared, and lost without the things she knows, and without her clan to be loyal to and work for. (Maybe my biggest problem with the writing for Echo is that the show insists calling her a spy, which doesn’t fit with anything we’ve seen of her job, her actions or personality. By all accounts, she was a soldier/captain of the guards/assassin for Azgeda, who prefers to use direct methods, brute force and violence, while being subtle, perceptive, keeping a low profile or adjusting herself easily to new circumstances are really not her strengths.) These last few episodes of season 4 probably contain the best characterization Echo ever got in the show, and it’s certainly Tasya Teles’ best acting, particularly during her suicide attempt.

While Emori finds in Spacekru a family she’s never had, Echo finds a new clan, new group of people and leader to give her loyalty to. You can already see the change in Emori – she’s starting to care about people other than John, when she asks to give Clarke more time before they leave her. Emori and Murphy joining forces to give Raven the necessary oxygen seems to be setting up that trio as a close friendship on the Ring.

After Bellamy has helped Echo with her helmet in a small moment in 4x12 and then talked her down from suicide in this episode, the show is really not subtle in trying to foreshadow Bellamy and Echo’s relationship with this:

(Oh look - the old “just falling on each other” trope that TV shows do when they want to foreshadow something will be a thing, without actually bothering to develop it! ..Wait a moment, Monty and Harper fall next to each other, Bellamy and Echo fall next to each other, and Murphy and Emori and... Raven fall next to each other? Was the episode trying to tell me something about those three on the Ring, hmmm? J/k)

I guess they thought that was enough? Which is weird, since these are merely the first steps, where these two stop being enemies trying to kill each other or their loved ones, and become almost-friendly allies by circumstance, who may, for starters, become friends after a certain period. (Three years?) And Bellamy talking Echo down from suicide, just like Echo hearing him give a speech about war and violence in 4x05, can serve as a decent setup for Echo falling in love with Bellamy. However, there’s been absolutely nothing to set up or show why Bellamy would fall in love with Echo. On the other hand… it’s debatable whether anything in seasons 5 and 6 suggests that he is in love with her. In the next two seasons, we see that she looks up to him as her leader, he cares for her and considers her one of his people (his “family”), and they are boyfriend and girlfriend (as seen in a physical relationship and occasional PDA), because they were stuck together for 6 years with just 5 other people. The show never makes that relationship look like a real romance story. And in those terms, one can argue that this is all the setup we need. This is a general tendency with Bellamy’s relationships – it wasn’t very different with Gina: while most of the other characters are at least occasionally shown to be in love with people they’re involved with, he gets these relationships that start off-screen, get little screentime, where he cares about the woman and likes her, but doesn’t really look like someone in love, especially not compared to how he interacts with his…platonic (?) partner, Clarke.

Oh Bellamy, you had no idea when you joked with Clarke back in 4x01!

It is such an interesting and heartbreaking end to the Clarke and Bellamy’s arcs in season 4 that she – after trying to be the Big Picture leader and save the human race for most of the season – ends up saving her friends, while Bellamy – who has tried to save any individual he could save today – was forced to leave one of the two most important people in his life to die.

Clarke never even knew for sure if they managed to open the hangar door and if they were alive. But while she thought she was sure to die (“My fight is over”) and was still putting all her efforts into saving her friends, no matter how difficult it was, she still has her survival instinct - after she had managed to align the satellite dish and finish her mission, she runs from the death wave into the lab.

Passing the Baton: I see what the show did there. Too bad the bottle was empty, as Jaha drank all of it in the season 1 finale. It’s also a sad reminder that Clarke and Bellamy never got to have that drink she was asking him to share in 1x09 and that he was offering her in 2z1x6. Will they have one in S7?

And the time jump is here. This scene is beautiful visually and thanks to Tree Adams’s music. I can even forgive the fact that Clarke’s lines are a bit too expositiony: she’s telling Bellamy about the bunker going silent and Eden being the only green spot on Earth, on the 2199 day that she radios him. But I guess she may be telling him the same every day, just in case it’s the first time he finally manages to hear her.

There are a lot of people who think that this was the best – or even the last moment when the show should have had Bellamy and Clarke get together. Many are really, really angry that it did not happen and that the show separated them instead. And this is where I completely disagree with a huge chunk of the Bellarke fandom. If they had both gone to space and started a relationship, that wouldn’t have been such a great resolution to this slow burn, wonderfully developed dynamic. But getting separated by a tragic twist of fate? Bellamy mourning Clarke and believing her dead for six years, while trying to honor her memory, while she is almost all alone and calls him every day without answer, for 2199 days? Bellamy learning she is alive and coming back, only for Clarke to learn he has a girlfriend now? Love triangle and a bunch of misunderstandings and a terrible conflict as a result of their separation? Coming back from it even stronger? Clarke “dying” again just a month after Bellamy got her back, and Bellamy forgetting everything else in his desperate quest to save her, brings her back with his love and faith in her? That’s a truly epic story, with the potential to be one of the best love stories ever seen on TV. Scratch that – it already is. I don’t even need to see them make out or say ILY for that to be true. I much prefer the story we got to the story that a lot of fans think they wanted.

Body count: Thousands of people, possibly millions, died all over the Earth – the majority of people who had survived the first apocalypse. Some in this episode – like everyone who was left out of the bunker. Others had already died before the timeline of this episode, as the death wave was hitting different places in the world at a different rate (as we saw in 4x01 with the people who died in Egypt). Among them were certainly the 365 Arkers who were left outside of the bunker, hundreds (thousands?) of Grounders, including Madi’s family and a lot of people from her community, and, no doubt, the wandering outcast Grounders (such as Zoran and Sienna from season 2). The show may have killed many people in seasons 1-3, but it really outdid itself here. At this point, as far as we know, only 1202 people are left alive on Earth, and 7 more at the Ring. We will later learn that 300 more humans are alive, in cryo sleep, on Eligius 4, and many others on Alpha.

Rating: 10/10 (because the problems I have with the episode are not big enough to compare to all that’s good about it)

#the 100 #the 100 rewatch #the 100 season 4 #the 100 4x13 #praimfaya #clarke griffin #bellamy blake #bellarke #bellamy x clarke #john murphy #raven reyes #emori #monty green #octavia blake

[ryansfabray]

Run In With the Devil Himself | Jo & Ryan & DJ

Who: Ryan Fabray-Lynn, Jo Fabray @jofabray & DJ Berry @submissivedjberry

When: Wednesday Night 9.23.20

Where: Breadstix

What: The title says it all - Russell is an ass, as usual. Ryan gets a small bit of payback

Ryan

Ryan was glad to be off campus. She was still staying with Nate for the week, but trying to come home as late as possible so that she didn’t have to actually interact with him or Silas. So a dinner with DJ and Jo was exactly what the doctor ordered. She felt safe with Jo, but still couldn’t help looking over her shoulder at every moment. The restaurant was packed but eventually they got a seat where Ryan barely looked over the menu before ordering a glass of wine. The waitress brought them waters and her drink of choice and she was so focused on the waitress that she didn’t even notice the figure behind her until it was too late.

Jo/Russell

Jo had done her best to cover the darkening bruise on her face with makeup, with DJ's assistance.  The last thing she needed was for her sister to worry about her or say something to their father.  Even if Ryan had been safe the last time, she technically might not be now - not that she planned on letting Russell know that at any point.  And once they'd ordered drinks, like a gremlin summoned from the depths, there he was.  Standing there big as life, the same ugly smile on his face. "Well.  Two of my wayward girls in one place.  Jo, you don't need to talk - no need for another love tap, right?  Neither do you, Dalia.  You, on the other hand," he addressed Ryan.  "I think you should talk."

DJ

DJ froze when she saw the man standing by their table. She knew exactly who he was and apparently he knew exactly who she was as well. She bit down firmly on the inside of her cheek, glancing between Jo and Ryan. This was not how she had expected their evening to go, and she was sure that the same could be said for the other two. Part of her wanted to question how he had known where they all were, but considering the man had known where Jo had been after she had left home, even knew about the accident, it wasn't like she should be surprised.

Ryan

It had been over a year since she heard his voice but it still made her skin run cold and her heart stop. She clutched the seat under the table, but didn't once look away from his gaze. It was intimidating, but she reminded herself that with the collar around her neck she was protected. Jo and DJ however... especially after Russell admitted to already putting his hands on Jo. Ryan looked over to Jo, a little mad about not knowing about that interaction, but refocused the conversation before any attention was brought to it. "I don't know what we possibly have to say to each other, Russell."

Jo/Russell

Jo could only stare, turned cold by the knowledge that Russell knew her girl's name.  She reached across under the table and took DJ's hand, giving Ryan a quick glance in reply but knowing it would have to wait until later. "Russell.  Disrespectful as always.  I suppose some things never change."  He looked Ryan up and down with disdain.  "There's only so much one can expect from a girl who'd give up the chance to be a Dominant just to kneel down for a Lynn."  He gestured to the table.  "And not even enough manners to invite me to sit."  The fake joviality fell out of his voice.  "If you're talking to your sister, let her know she'd be smart to accept the plans I've made for her."

DJ

DJ kept her mouth shut and her eyes casted downwards. She squeezed Jo's hand tightly under the table, biting her tongue to keep herself from saying anything. Jo had asked one thing of her for that week, and that was for her to not say or do anything that would put her in the line of fire. And she'd done enough when it came to breaking requests of her Domme. She wasn't going to do that when she was already extremely stressed.

Ryan

Ryan just sat there, glad that she decided to hang on to this lie for a little while longer. She couldn't imagine what would have transpired if she was sitting there with a bare neck. "No, I was your favorite up until recently. You're just mad I didn't turn out to be the carbon copy of you. You're just mad I stopped falling to my knees for knees and breaking my back to be what you always wanted to be. Let's be straight with the facts here." At the mention of Quinn, Ryan's blood boiled and she was sure she could see red. She stood up out of the booth and squared him up. "You need to leave Quinn alone. You need to leave all of us alone. Don't you have anything better to do with your time? Like continue to make Mama's and Sinclair's life a living hell."

Jo/Russell

Jo was so grateful, both for the squeeze and the knowledge that DJ was being so brave.  To sit there silently was the toughest thing she could do, and Jo planned on making very sure that her girl knew how much it was appreciated. Russell's hand twitched at his side as Ryan berated him and Jo flinched a little, but it never came up to a height he could slap her at - the collar on her neck still meant something to him.  "Don't you tell me what I need to do.  I keep your Mama, and Sinclair, in house and home.  They live the lives they're meant to.  Like I've tried to do for all of you.  Like I'm trying to do for Quinn.  You know as well as I do that she's worthless, Ryan.  No one's ever going to take her unless I make it happen, and so I'm making it happen."

Ryan

In a clearer mind set, Ryan would have been thinking logically. But in the wake of her claim breaking and the little bit she knew about the apparent arranged claim he had in store for Quinn, all rational was out the door. Not to mention the way he was flaunting how proud he was that he was able to ruin all of their lives. She was starting to lose all of her self control but tried to hang on to the last bit she had left to keep herself from doing something stupid. Because there were a lot of stupid things she wanted to do to Russell right now. "She is not worthless, you're just an asshole. Always have been always will be."

Jo/Russell

Russell's hand twitched again, and it came much closer to raising from his side than it had earlier.  But instead he curled his fingers against his leg and his most pompous smirk appeared on his face as he looked down at Ryan.  "I may be.  But I am a Dominant.  And your father.  So you can sit your submissive ass down, and I will go on doing anything I well please to you, to Quinn, or to the runaway over there.  And you will smile, and you...will...like it."

Ryan

Ryan could feel herself. Right there on the edge. She didn't know where all of this courage was coming from. Perhaps it was a year without being under his thumb. Or knowing that for once the law was on her side. But she pushed herself forward, her nose almost touching his. She looked him right in the eyes, realizing she never really got a clear look at him like this before. Ryan couldn't see it, but she could feel everyone eyes on them. No one else dared to stand up to him like this. "And if I don't?" She asked, with her own pompous smirk.

Jo/Russell

Jo pulled back from the table a little, anticipating something horrible and wanting to be sure that she could keep DJ out of the line of fire.  Russell, for his part, didn't back down.  When Ryan went nose to nose with him he pushed forward a little, his belly pushing against her and bringing their noses together.  "If you don't?  I'm not going to take it out on you.  I'm going to take it out on your worthless slut of a sister.  And I'm going to take it out on your mama.  And I'll be sure to let them know while it's happening just whose fault it is."

Ryan

Ryan hated how well he knew exactly how to push her. With frustrated tears in her eyes, Ryan backed away. She could take anything he threw at her, but to be responsible for her mother's pain or her sisters'? She couldn't take that. So she retreated and moved to sit back in the booth. Her fingers were clenched and her eyes remained on his. She hated how small he was able to make her feel, even when she was feeling like she was on top of the world. She hated how much power he had over her and the people she cared about. And just when she thought the law was on her side, she realized when it came to Russell, it would always be on his side.

Jo/Russell

Russell's grin seemed likely to swallow his face.  "Good girl.  See?  With a little guidance, you girls can do the right thing.  Some of you just need more help than others.  Just remember what I said: tell Quinn to take the claim.  She's never going to do any better.  And at least she'll be a more useful submissive than you, Ryan.  That's for damn sure.  For now, though, I think the stench of failure in this place is a bit thick.  Enjoy your dinner, ladies."

Ryan

Ryan waited for him to leave before she let the tears fall. She watched him go back to his table where he was sitting with Judy and Sinclair. How she longed to go say hi to them. Or hug her mom at least. She looked across the table at Jo and DJ. "Sorry. I got carried away I guess. I just fucking- FUCK." Ryan finished off her wine in one gulp, then searched her bag for something a little stronger.

Jo/Russell

Jo finally allowed herself to relax, wrapping an arm around DJ and giving her a squeeze before reaching for her sister's hand with the other.  "It's alright, Ry.  I know the way he can make you feel.  How empty and cold and destroyed.  I'm sorry he went low, though, because I think you had him retreating for the first time that I can ever remember.  You were so damn brave."

Ryan

The adrenaline was still coursing through her veins even as Jo reached out to grab her hand. She knew it was over, that she needed to drop this and just enjoy her dinner with her sister and her girl. But she just couldn't let that go. There was this nagging voice in he back of her mind telling her that she couldn't let him win. Not again. So before she lost her nerve, Ryan stood up from the table and marched her way over to Russell's table. She didn't know what she was going to do, but as soon as her feet started moving, there was nothing stopping her. Once she reached the table, she didn't know what she was going to do. She just knew she wanted to make a lasting impression. "Hey Mama, Sinclair. Long time no talk." Then she turned to him, picking up the closest glass in her reach which just happened to be her mother's red wine. "I hope you burn in hell." Then she threw the liquid in his face.September 23, 2020

Jo/Russell

When Ryan got up, Jo knew things were about to go South in a bad way.  She immediately dug some money from her purse for the drinks and tossed it on the table, tugging DJ's hand.  "C'mon, darlin' girl.  We're gonna have to leave in a hurry." Russell barely had time to see who'd joined him at the table before Ryan threw the wine into his face, and a moment later Jo grabbed Ryan by the hand.  "Ry, we gotta go now.  Right now."  Any reaction to what she'd done would be extraordinarily ugly, and she didn't want any of them there for it.  "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

Ryan

Ryan was only there long enough to see the rage in Russell's eyes. It was anger like she'd never seen before. The only reaction she gave was a small smirk at his disgruntlement. Finally, she felt bigger than him. Before he could react, she felt a tug at her hand and she was being pulled out of the restaurant. The adrenaline wore off as the cool night air hit her face and the confidence she'd just carried was gone. Then panic started to set in. "Shit shit shit. What the fuck did I do Jo? What the fuck did I do?" Ryan stopped halfway to the parking lot, bending over momentarily because she was suddenly sick. She paced back and forth, her palm pressed to her forehead. "What the fuck did I do?" Ryan searched for her sister's face, fear evident in her eyes. "He's going to fucking kill me. As soon as he hears about my claim being broken, he's going to truly murder me."

Jo

"Hey, hey, hey," With one arm still around DJ, Jo wrapped the other around Ryan and pulled her close.  "You're gonna be okay.  It'll be alright.  We need to keep him from finding out for the rest of the week, and then you're clear for an entire year.  He can't come wandering onto campus until it's parents week again, and if you go into town we're going to make sure there's always someone with you.  Nothing's going to happen to you, Ry, I swear it.  This cycle needs to stop, and we're going to make it stop somehow."  There was a howl from deep within the restaurant and Jo gestured to the Taxi stand.  "But for now we'd better get the hell out of here.  Because if he comes out and we're still here, I don't think any of us are goin' to live through the night."

Ryan

No matter what Jo said, Ryan knew she was fucked, but she still tried to focus on her sister's words and calm down long enough to nod her compliance and hail a cab - there was just no time to wait for an Uber. She could hear his booming voice from the restaurant's entrance just as they were getting into the car and taking off back into the direction of school. While there was still a panic in her chest, there was also a sense of satisfaction when she thought back to the look in Russell's face. The embarrassment he must have been feeling. It didn't make up for the pain and humiliation he had put them all through and was currently putting Quinn through, but it still felt good. She smiled over at Jo and DJ, then looked through the back window at Russell's shrinking figure. "I would be sorry, but fuck that felt good."(edited)

Jo

Only when the door of the taxicab closed safely behind them did Jo dare to stop and take a breath.  They were safe, at least for the present, and that was enough for her.  "I wish I'd been able to see his face," Jo admitted.  "It's about time the fucker got a taste of everything that he's put us through over the years, and I hope his eyes are going to burn for the next week."  Turning to DJ, she smoothed back dark hair from her forehead and kissed her gently.  "You okay, darlin' girl?  I'm sorry if I pulled your arm too hard."

DJ

She hummed at the light kiss, eyes falling shut as Jo's fingers brushed hair away from her face. When she was asked if she was okay, she let her eyes open again, glancing at Jo, briefly looking at Ryan, and then turning her attention back to Jo. A soft smile formed on her features and she nodded her head. "I'm okay, Domina. You didn't pull too much. And I have to admit that watching Ryan throw the drink in his face was very satisfying." She said with a shrug of her shoulders. She had only met him once, that night, but she certainly hated him.

Ryan

With the adrenaline wearing off and the excitement of the moment coming to an end, Ryan felt exhausted. She leaned her head on Jo’s shoulder and sighed. “The look on his face was priceless.” She squeezed Jo’s leg. “I’m glad you were there. I’ll order some food for us when we get back on campus.”

Jo

Jo snorted laughter.  "That's my girl.  It really was, I feel like I've been waiting my whole life to see something like that happen."  As Ryan's head rested on her shoulder Jo smiled.  "You'll have to remember it forever, I think," she smiled.  "Sounds perfect.  We'll go to my room, lock the door, and he ain't going to bother us again tonight."

DJ

DJ smiled and rested her head on her Domme's other shoulder, letting her eyes fall shut as they made their way back to campus. "That sounds perfect. We definitely need to lock the door. And maybe just get something simple for dinner. Sorry you didn't really get the break from campus that you wanted."

Ryan

"We'll get some kind of comfort food. And it's fine, that was a lot more excitement than I needed in one night." Ryan was content with holing up in Jo's room until she had to go back to Nate's.

#dj #jo #para: jo #para: dj #para: run in with the devil himself #( daddy )

[the-writerly-night-owl]

What Else is There to Celebrate?

Open Heart/ Ethan x MC

Summary: Ethan and Clarissa are so late but a celebration was in order.

Author’s Note: well I was going to a Bachelorette Party story for News Years, but I’ve been binge watching Grey’s Anatomy all day so I’m holding off on that book. For day 30 (I switched days), Celebration for the 41 Days of Cheer. I’m just going to quit pretending that I know what I’m doing and quit mentioning what’s next lol.

There was a code blue in room 211 where the man started to seize. Clarissa had moved on and sprung into action helping him as soon as possible. Across the hospital Ethan was helping a patient through a diabetic shock. The clock ticking closer and closer to clock out time.

“Mr. Panabaker you’re in good hands,” she said as he was being wheeled away to the OR. Bryce and Dr. Emery to perform a temporal lobectomy once he was stabilized. Bryce had winked at her before she had to return to another patient.

Oh no, she thought, as this woman was having a heart attack. His body spazzing as she called another code blue as she tried to get him under control.  More nurses and doctors came into the room and started to help her.

“We need to schedule for an OR,” she said pointing for someone to go. The intern nodded at her before running away to get it in.

She took a deep breath and started to help as best as she could. Her eyes focused on Mrs. Shephard as they got it under control. Perfect as she looked at the clock again. Almost everyone would be off and there at the park except the one person that needed to be there.

Clarissa bit down on her thumb nail and check on her remaining patients. Including a child that had come in for an appendectomy that was healing perfectly.

“Doctor Sinclaire,” said the nurse. “Before you leave, I wanted to give this to you.”

She had produced a small present with a giant bright red bow on the top. “It’s a little uncommon but happy new year,” she said as Clarissa went to clock out. Part of her wished to go home and sleep since she’s been on her feet since four a.m. That didn’t matter as she had something to celebrate.

Finally clocking out and hugging the nurse for the present she headed out to the cat walk looking for Ethan in the crowd. He didn’t seem to be around anywhere as she just frowned. Until she saw him with Naveen down at the bottom of the steps nearest to the door as she raced down.

Getting closer she can hear them as soon as she was within ear shot.

“Come on Ethan, you know you want to,” said Naveen.

“No, we’re not going to accept that,” he said shaking his head. “Naveen we have something special planned.”

“Before you leave Doctor Sinclaire we have the paperwork about the therapy dog program that you helped set up,” said another nurse.

She took the paperwork and put into an organized accordion file before heading out with Ethan and Naveen. They only had one day off, and they were going to make it count. After all it was New Year’s Eve and they had plans.

“Come on you’ve got to come,” said Clarissa. “It won’t be a New Year’s Eve party without you.”

“If I come to your party there has a to be a time where we can sneak off together,” said Ethan staring at her for a long minute.

She had just nodded, Clarissa would have to make time for each of her friends. Why wouldn’t she spend time with her boyfriend? Even if it was a little awkward for some people. Together they had left the hospital and to the restaurant where they were hosting a party. It was the local Chinese buffet place since it was open late on new years eve.

Sighing she wondered what people would think when she showed up with the chief. With Ethan it was no surprise but with Naveen it might get people talking.

“Thank you for inviting me,” he said. “I don’t drink anymore but I will gladly toast with a Pepsi tonight.”

With that they had arrived as she started to mingle. Jackie still focusing on deciding a specialty that she really wanted to work on. She wasn’t opposing to Bryce suggesting that she should get into surgery but still skeptical.

Sienna was with Danny as her date and they weren’t separating anytime soon. Elijah had showed some of the interns one of his juggling tricks.

Finally, Naveen and Ethan talking with Aurora as she was eagerly explaining her last interesting case. Rafael talking with Zaid and Ines about something or another. Basically, everyone had gotten together well and making time for each other. It was turning out to be a good party as she watched from the sideline after meeting with everyone for a small time.

Although it was hard to ignore the long looks Ethan was casting at her from time to time. He had a Pepsi of his own in his hands. She was pretty pleased with herself to see that he had cut back from all the alcohol. Then again, he was only drinking that much because of the condition Naveen was in at the time.

“Hey,” said Ethan as he had pulled her away from the crowd. “Can we…”

“Hold on the clock,” she said pointing to a count down that the owners had put up next to their Christmas tree still standing. Clarissa put down a plate that still had some sweet and sour chicken on a nearby table.

She had taken his hand and squeezed it. Her other hand had done the same with Sienna. As they watched the clock count down.

“Take something,” said Elijah rolling past them as she took out a small box of confetti. Sienna with a blow horn. Ethan sighing and taking a hat reluctantly. Naveen had various items to throw when it came down to the time.

“Three….”

“Two…”

“One…”

“Happy New Year shouted everyone in the restaurant.”

Clarissa only smiling she was happy to have all her friends around her. A few of the nurses that had arrived late hugging each other. A hand had pulled her away from the crowd and her own Sierra Mist splashed up a little before laughing. Turning to look she could only see Ethan.

Following him out she smiled at him setting the drink down before heading out into the streets. Snow piling up as a truck drove by.  They finally did sneak away as they started to walk a little down the street. Since she didn’t have a coat on neither could go very far but her sweater and vest combo keeping her somewhat warm.

“This isn’t exactly where I was planning to be on New Years Day this late,” said Ethan grumbling some.

“Hey, you were having fun,” she said as he just made a face before smiling. She had poked his chest playfully as if she had proved it herself. “I saw you talking to Zaid and Ines and Aurora. See you have some other people around besides Naveen.”

He had chucked and put his hands in his pockets, his ears and cheeks pink from the cold. Now she had really wished that she had her jacket.

“Okay I was having fun. Although I pulled you away for a reason.”

“You mean besides to get a special new year’s kiss? I mean I didn’t get that yet.” She stuck out her lower lip and batted her big green eyes up at him. Ethan had shaken his head and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. Pouting a little she just brushed up against him. “What’s the reason then?”

He had grown quiet as she turned to look at him. They had walked almost block to see the holiday lights on the Boston Common. It was still quite pretty as she pulled her puffed vest to make her slightly warmer. They could see the lights bright in the night and a light sprinkling of snow made everything magical.

“Okay it’s too cold and I can’t go much farther. I was hoping to do this at our apartment.”

Clarissa just smiled, remembering last Christmas he had given her a key and she had moved in with him. It was very romantic.

“What are you…”

He had pulled out a box from his own pocket as she just slapped a hand to her mouth hiding her gasp. Her emerald eyes grew wide as she knew what that was. Ethan had relaxed and eye’s softened as he opened the small box.

“The grounds kind of cold but, Clarissa Anne Sinclaire will you marry me?” he asked his voice sounding hopeful as he seemed to hold his breath.

Even though she wasn’t crying she could only shake her head and accepted the box putting the ring on herself. He looked a little surprised at that before throwing herself into his arms.

“I’m so glad that you didn’t make this grand, this is perfect as it is.”

With that she kissed him long, hard, and as passionate as she could. The kiss really warming them up in the freezing temperatures. As cute as it would have been to do it in front of their tree and maybe get Jenner involved, this was perfect as it was. The box holding the ring had fallen to the ground completely dismissed.

He had kissed her back with just as much passion as he had wrapped his arms around her waist. Her arms around his neck as they kept each other warm. Ethan twirled her around some before resting his forehead against hers.

“I still think in front of the tree would have been better. Plus, I could have gotten down on one knee…”

“I wouldn’t’ have wanted you to anyway. This is perfect this just looks magical.”

They had the lights in the back with a Christmas song playing in the distance. A bright crescent moon among the stars. A light dusty of snow falling from somewhere. It was magical and she wouldn’t want it any other way.

Laughing Ethan just took her hand as she admired her ring. It was simple and that’s exactly what she would have wanted.

“Now let’s head before we develop hypothermia,” said Ethan kissing her cheek once more. “Happy New Year Clarissa.”

“Happy New Year Ethan.”

With that they were off back to the restaurant. After all they had another reason to celebrate.

Tag list: @cordoniaqueensworld @universallypizzataco @riverrune  @valiantlychaoticbarbarian @hopelessromantic1352 @sharrybh20 @timmagicktoad @theeccentricbibliophile @greywitchyshots @confessionsofabrokegirl @owleyes374

@adrianadmirer  @fluffy-cat-whisper @symonde @paisleylovergirl @elainew13  @brightpinkpeppercorn​  @darley1101​ @mfackenthal​ @jlpplays1 @writerapprentice @indescribablechoices @wildsayeed​ @princess-geek​ @perriewinklenerdie​  @lilyofchoices​ @flyawayboo​ @am-i-invisible777​ @indescribablechoices​ @radlovedreamer​ @itsbrindleybinch

#dr. ethan #dr ramsey #dr. ramsey #dr banerji #dr. ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey #ethan x mc #dr ethan ramsey #doctor ramsey #oh MC #mc oh #mc: clarissa sinclaire #oh #oh choices #choices oh #choices: oh #open heart #choices: open heart #choices open heart #choices #choices fanfiction #playchoices fanfiction #oh fandom #playchoices #choices stories you play #choices: stories you play #41daysofcheer #41daysofcheerchallenge

[ao719]

In Another Life

In Another Life - Part 6

This is a part of a TRR A/U called Cordonians Gone Wild created with @speedyoperarascalparty, @leelee10898, @cocomaxley and myself. Thanks for the laughs ladies!

Summary: The group imagines how life might be had one moment altered the course their current lives took.

A/N: the masquerade ball

Catch up - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Tag List: @annekebbphotography @carabeth @moneyfordiamonds @give-me-ernest-sinclaire @3pawandme @indiacater @ooo-barff-ooo @ownworldresident @tornbetween2loves @perfectprofessorherokid @stopforamoment @editboutique @wannabemc2 @zaffrenotes @enmchoices @lauradowning29 @lodberg @smalltalk88 @laniquelove-blog @gibbles82 @heatherfilliez @drakesensworld @nikkis1983 @sweetest-marbear @classylady1234 @daniv2278 @rainbowsinthestorm @jared2612 @liamxs-world @notoriouscs @blubutterflyy @captain-kingliamsqueen @whenyourheartskipsabeat @lynne1993 @coldcollectornight08 @be-still-my-aching-heart @kennaxval @the-soot-sprite @hopefulmoonobject @emichelle @cgd03 @kate-mckenzie @mfackenthal @crookedslimecreatorpasta @jemrmax2love @sashatrr @iplaydrake

The girls stared at Liam who had just invited them all to the masquerade ball, each one of them grinning except for Anitah who had thought Liam lost his mind.

“Genevieve,” Rashad smiled at her, “would you be my date?”

“Yes! I’ve never been to a masquerade before!”

“Pam...will you go with me?” Drake gave her a sheepish grin.

“I’d love to, Drake,” Pam smiled.

“I don’t...uh, I don’t dance, just so you know.”

“Well, we’re about to change that,” she winked. Normally Drake would fight, but damn if he wouldn’t dance for her.

“Alicia...be my date,” Leo shot her the signature smirk that she had come accustomed to.

“Hell yes,” she smiled.

Everyone’s gaze turned looking at Anitah and she flopped her arms down on the table. “Why are you all looking at me? You don’t need me to be there for you all to go.” She stood grabbing her plate and cup and walked back inside from the balcony. Liam gave them a look before standing and following her inside.

“Anitah...” she looked up as she placed her plate in the sink. “What’s wrong?”

“Liam...you just invited me to a masquerade ball...at the palace...where your wife is going to be...”

“Soon to be ex-wife...”

“Not that soon. Sorry if I don’t seem excited to go and watch you walk in with her on your arm, and dance with her, and whatever else...” she turned pouring herself another cup of coffee, shaking her head. “It’s like the damn engagement tour all over again,” she mumbled to herself, but he still heard it.

Liam’s expression fell at her words. “I’m sorry, love. I didn’t think about it that way. I didn’t mean for it to upset you by asking.”

“I know you didn’t...I’m sorry,” Anitah set her cup down rubbing her hand through her tousled hair. “Just, being back here brings back a lot of memories...and they’re not all good ones.”

Liam walked up to her, hands going to her hips. “Mostly good?” He looked down at her with a heated gaze and she couldn’t fight the smile as she shook her head knowing what he was referring to. He leaned down capturing her lips as he pressed himself into her against the counter, a soft gasp escaping her as his lips trailed down to her neck hitting that spot just below her ear that he knew drove her crazy. “You’re really bad at hiding how turned on you are,” he whispered in her ear before looking at her again, still working on breaking her and her no sex rule.

Anitah arched her brow, her eyes moving down to the bulge in his pants. “So are you,” she smirked as he shook his head.

“Look...please come...and if at anytime you feel uncomfortable, I’ll understand if you want to leave. And plus, it’s a masquerade, you’ll have a mask...no one will recognize you unless you want them to.” She looked up at him, this hopeful gleam in his eyes. One thing was for certain, even a year later he still knew how to sweet talk her. She closed her eyes for a moment before looking back to him and nodded her head yes. Liam smiled and leaned down kissing her. “Wear blue...you can match me.”

A few days later after the girls had gone shopping for their dresses, Anitah and Alicia headed back to the estate in Valtoria while Pam and Genevieve headed over to meet Drake and Rashad at the new clinic for their tour that Liam had set up. Rashad and Drake were both on a mission to show Genevieve and Pam how great the clinic was, to try and help convince them into staying and taking the jobs.

“Ok...so we need to play this up as much as possible,” Drake looked at Rashad as they stood in front of the clinic waiting for the girls to arrive.

“Right. We need to show them how great this place is, and how much they would love working here.” Just then the car carrying Genevieve and Pam pulled up, the girls stepping out a moment later. “Hello,” Rashad greeted Genevieve, kissing her cheek.

“Hi! Well the outside looks nice,” her eyes scanned the large building.

Pam stepped up to Drake, his arm going around her as he leaned in kissing her. “Hey,” he smiled.

“Hello, Drake,” she grinned in return. “We ready?” The others nodded and they walked inside the clinic, Pam seeing a familiar face. “Hello, Dr. Remus,” she smiled.

“Pam! It’s great to see you again! And you must Genevieve.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Genevieve smiled.

“When King Liam told me you were considering taking the position, I have to be honest, I was quite pleased. The Queen mother kept going on about how she wished you were here to help run it, and a recommendation from her is definitely something. I believe these gentlemen are going to show you two around. If you have any questions my office is right over there.”

They nodded and began on their way. Drake and Rashad we’re taking them around, showing them the offices and different rooms. Neither one of them had the first clue as to what they could say that would really sell to Pam and Genevieve to stay, so they said whatever they could come up with in each room they came to.

They walked into one of the offices and looked around, Drake noticing the machine sitting on a small table near a sofa. “Wow...look at how cool and high tech these little machine things are...” he looked it over furrowing his brow at the different settings.

Pam chuckled. “They're white noise machines, Drake.”

“And this chair...it looks so comfortable...very ergonomically sound, wouldn’t you say, Gen?” Rashad motioned to the chair for Genevieve to take a seat and she eyed him curiously for a moment.

“It’s...a chair, Rashad.”

Drake walked over to the desk looking at all the supplies. “And you have a computer...and post-its in like...wow...five different colors...” he flipped through the small rainbow colored stack. Pam and Genevieve looked to one another and began laughing. Genevieve and Rashad walked out of the office going to another one to check it out. “Ya know, Pam...” Drake began walking up to her as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “My cabin isn’t too far from here at all either. It’s so close by...so close...”

“Oh?” Pam chuckled as she turned to face him. “Is that your way of saying that if I do decide to stay that you want me to stay at your cabin, Drake?”

His eyes slightly widened as he rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “Oh...I...I mean...if you think you’d want to...or get your own place...I was just saying...that it wasn’t far.”

“So what do you think?” Rashad asked Genevieve as they walked out of the last room and went looking for Pam and Drake.

“It’s really nice,” she smiled up at him and looked to see him staring at her with a hopeful expression. “Stop looking at me like that,” she giggled. “I can’t make a choice based on what kind of office supplies they have, Rashad. We’ll have to see how the next few weeks go...”

“I understand. But...if it was based just on office supplies, this place is top notch,” he grinned as she laughed shaking her head.

A few days after getting their dresses the girls were at Valtoria getting ready to for the masquerade ball that evening. After getting ready they headed down to the limo that Liam had sent to pick them up and slid in making their way to the palace.

“How are you feeling?” Pam asked Anitah.

“I’m ok. Just not looking forward to watching Madeline pine over him...again...”

“I can’t wait to see what this chick looks like,” Alicia chuckled.

“Well get ready for the looks. We’re like fresh meat walking into that place because none of them are going to know who we are and they’re going to want to know, especially when they see us talking to the guys.” Anitah shook her head recalling her first ball, which just so happened to be the masquerade. How ironic, she thought.

The guys all stood in the foyer of the palace waiting for the girls to get there. Each one of them was excited that they had decided to come, knowing this was one of the moments that would help them decide whether or not to stay in Cordonia. They all knew how important it was to make sure that they each had a good time tonight.

Liam was greeting other nobles in the foyer as they arrived, and Olivia walked in. “Liv,” Liam leaned in kissing her cheek.

“Gentlemen,” she greeted the others. She took in their faces, all looking at the door, peering over other guests as they filed in. “Why the hell are you all standing here like some giddy school boys?” She arched her brow and a moment later she smirked. “Did you actually find dates to come with you?” Leo, Rashad and Drake all looked over at her not saying anything. She then looked to Liam who kept glancing from the stairs to the door. “And What’s your excuse?” Liam looked at her with a questioning expression, knowing if he spoke she would know he was lying through his teeth. “Well I know for damn certain that you didn’t find a date...your date is still upstairs, probably just opening her coffin to get ready for the evening.” Drake, Leo and Rashad all burst into laughter at her comment about Madeline, Liam giving them each a mocking expression. She knew then something was going on and she squared herself up to Liam. “Spill...”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Liam smirked. She turned walking into the ballroom. A short time later Liam felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Madeline. “Yes?” He quirked his brow.

“Well...lets get this over with,” she motioned to the door.

“You go on ahead. I’ve already greeted them all while waiting for you to grace us with your presence.” She shook her head and stomped into the ballroom.

The guys stood talking for a few more minutes as some more guests filed into the ballroom, stopping to greet Liam on their way in. Suddenly they heard laughter, Leo recognizing it as Alicia’s and his head snapped up, swatting Drake in the chest to get his attention which turned into a domino effect, Drake swatting Rashad, Rashad swatting Liam. Their gazes were set on the door as the four woman walked in, each of their eyes going wide.

Alicia wore a royal blue gown with a plunging illusion v-neck top and a white mask covering her face. She spotted Leo staring at her slack jawed and gave him a smile before she twirled showing him the rest, the back almost completely open all but a bedazzled strap that went across the center. “You like?” She chuckled as she stepped up to him.

“I more than like...you look beautiful,” he smiled at her, his arm going around her waist pulling her to him and dipping his mouth to her ear. “However...that dress would look even better on my bedroom floor,” he whispered before looking back to her as she bit her lip.

Pam looked at Drake who was staring at her wide eyed, hands clasped tightly together in front of him. She wore a seafoam green and silver sequined halter top gown with a plunging open back, which Drake saw as she turned for him, a sparkly silver mask over her eyes. “Holy shit...” his eyes scanned over her not realizing that he just said the words out loud until it was too late. His gaze snapped back up to her, cheeks blushing. “I mean...wow...you, uh...” he swallowed hard trailing off as he forgot his words, eyes scanning back over her shaking his head. “You look...incredible, Pam.”

Pam chuckled at his reaction. “Thank you, Drake.”

Genevieve smiled as she walked up to Rashad wearing a sequined gold, one shoulder fitted gown with a sweetheart top and a high slit going up the side of her leg, a matching gold mask dawning her face. Rashad’s cheeks were flushed red as he looked her up and down, his eyes finally landing on hers. “Wow...Genevieve,” he shook his head as the smile he was wearing grew wider the longer he looked at her, “you look absolutely amazing,” he gave her a soft smile.

“Why, thank you. You’re looking good yourself,” she gave him a playful wink.

Liam stared at Anitah as she walked towards him wearing a long sleeve, plunging v-neck mermaid style gown that was completely sheer with random pieces of blue lace embroidered throughout, her body peeking out through the sheer underlay openings in the lace, leaving very little to Liam’s imagination. She wore an ombré mask that faded from royal blue to silver covering most of her face, making it so she would be unrecognizable to anyone.

“Your majesty,” she joked as she finally made it up to him as he continued to gawk at her.

“Anitah,” he breathed as his eyes roamed over her again. “You look stunning...” He leaned in not caring if anyone was looking and kissed her cheek letting it linger for a moment before he moved a little closer to her ear. “You have no idea the things I want to do to you right now,” he whispered in a smoky tone as a familiar warmth filled her at his words. He stepped back, his blue, hunger filled eyes locked on hers that were peeking through her mask.

Drake cleared his throat. “Shall we?” He looked at the group as he held his arm out to Pam and she linked hers through his with a smile walking towards the ballroom doors, the rest of the group following behind them except for Anitah.

She stood rooted in place as she stared at the ballroom doors, the memory of the last time she was in there flashing through her mind. I choose...Lady Madeline. Liam looked off to his side expecting to see Anitah slightly behind him and stopped when he noticed she wasn’t, turning to see her still standing in the foyer in the same spot, not having moved.

He turned and walked back towards her noticing she was zoned out, her mind somewhere else. “Anitah,” he quietly spoke pulling her from her daze as she looked over at him. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah...just need a minute.” He stood there waiting for her and she motioned for him to go. “We can’t walk in together, Liam. Go on ahead, I’ll be in in a moment.” He could sense the somewhat hint of hurt in her tone, feeling guilty that he couldn’t walk in with her arm and arm like the rest of their friends just had. He reluctantly nodded his head as he dropped it before turning and walking over and through the doors. Anitah took a breath a moment later and made her way into the ballroom, walking over to the bar after spotting the others standing there all but Liam, Alicia handing her a drink once she made it up to them.

Madeline was standing off near the head table speaking with Kiara, Penelope, and Alexis. She saw Kiara staring and followed her gaze to see Drake, Rashad and Leo standing with a group of unfamiliar woman. “Who are they?” Kiara asked staring at the woman in the seafoam gown that Drake was whispering to causing her to blush.

“I have not the faintest idea,” Madeline stared taking a sip of her drink.

“Well they seem awful chummy,” Alexis snapped as she stared at the woman in the gold gown who was flirting with her ex-fiancé.

“Yes...that they do,” Madeline was watching Leo with the woman in the royal blue gown, his arm around her as they laughed, then her eyes flashed to the one in the lace gown who seemed to be the only one there without a somebody. Then she watched as Maxwell approached the group giving the woman a hug. “Well maybe that one is with Lord Maxwell.”

The announcement came for the first dance, the traditional Cordonian waltz to kick off the ball. Anitah watched as Liam took the dance floor with Madeline, that familiar ache in the pit of her stomach immediately there upon seeing them together.

“M’Lady?” She heard Maxwell and turned to see him holding his hand out giving him a soft smile as she took it and he led her out onto the dance floor, the rest of the group following as more nobles joined in. “You do remember the steps?”

“Lets hope so, or I’m going to make a fool out of the both of us,” she chucked. Liam looked over to see the two of them, unable to help thinking that it was just like the engagement tour, when Maxwell would step in and help them out, trying to take her mind off everything else.

The waltz started to play as the guests began to glide across the floor all in sync with their movements, Rashad leading Genevieve, Leo leading Alicia, both of them not knowing the steps. Pam was dancing with Drake, having known from being taught by Isaiah during her time there before. At the swell of the music the guests split across the floor for the partner change. Rashad found him self dancing with his ex fiancé, Genevieve with Lord Neville, Pam with Isaiah, Drake with Kiara, Alicia with Max, Leo with Madeline and Liam with Anitah.

Genevieve’s nose turned up hidden by the mask she was wearing as she stared at the odd looking man she was no dancing with. She glanced over to see Rashad with a woman, immediately not liking the way she was looking at him, a hint of jealousy coursing through her in that moment.

Rashad glided across the floor with Alexis and she looked up at him. “I didn’t know that you would be here tonight, Rashad. I thought you’d be off making a deal of some sorts...” her tone was filled with irritation. He always worked when they were together, so to see him at a ball, with a date nonetheless, had her feeling jealous.

“I am making a deal...so to speak,” he glanced over at Genevieve catching her looking at him and smiled at her.

Pam found herself reluctantly wrapped in Isaiah’s arms, praying that he wouldn’t recognize her as he stared at her, her eyes trying to avert his gaze. “I haven’t seen you here before...”

“Mmhmm.” She didn’t want to speak not wanting him to recognize her voice.

“You look like someone I’d like to get to know better though,” he smirked and she rolled her eyes, looking over to see Drake dancing with a woman, able to tell that he was extremely uncomfortable in that moment.

“Since when do you dance, Drake?” Kiara asked him. “We’ve been coming to these balls for years and I have never seen you dance with anyone, not even me, and I’ve only asked you at every ball.”

Drake looked over to Pam unable to stop the smile that was tugging at the corner of his mouth as they locked eyes. “I guess I finally found someone worth dancing for.”

Leo found himself unfortunately dancing with Madeline, but his eyes were glued onto Alicia as she danced with Maxwell. “So, who’s tonight’s special piece? I haven’t seen her around here before? Meet her on your galavanting travels?” Madeline chided. Even after all this time since being jilted by him after his social season, she found herself jealous of the different women he kept in his company.

“She’s not a piece, Madeline. She’s actually pretty damn special.” He smiled as he looked at her. “Shouldn’t you be worried about your husband instead of asking your ex-fiancé what he’s doing?”

“My husband seems to be a bit...preoccupied tonight,” Madeline glanced over and Leo followed her gaze to see Liam dancing with the masked woman that he knew was Anitah and he grinned. “Who is she? Who are they all? No one here seems to know any of the masked mystery women?”

“Oh, Maddie...you know what they say. Behind every mask there is a face and a story,” he chuckled. She looked at him confused for a moment before rolling her eyes at his cryptic comment.

“You remember...” Liam smiled down at Anitah as she moved through the steps of the waltz like she had just done it yesterday.

“I do remember. I’m quite shocked myself,” she laughed. Liam spun her before twirling her out and pulling her back to him, her back to his chest and he dipped his mouth to her ear.

“I’ve missed dancing with you,” he whispered before spinning her back out.

“Is that all you’ve missed?” She smirked when he pulled her back. A moment later they switched back to their partners, Liam trying to hide his grin as he shook his head.

“Who was that?” He heard Madeline and looked down letting out an annoyed breath as he shrugged. “Well you certainly seem to know who it is...” Liam didn’t answer, the song just coming to an end and he turned walking off the dance floor without a word.

The ball continued underway, the girls all seemingly enjoying themselves, Anitah tossing back shots as she watched Madeline continue to throw herself all over Liam, the alcohol causing her to get a little feisty. She had noticed, along with the other ladies, the stares they were all getting throughout the night from Madeline, Kiara and Alexis. Anitah knew of Rashad’s prior engagement to Alexis and she also knew of Kiara’s obsession with Drake. She watched as Pam and Drake disappeared out onto the balcony, shaking her head with a grin...knowing. A few moments later Kiara approached Leo and Maxwell who were standing there with her and Alicia.

“Leo...have you seen Drake? I was going to ask him to have a drink with me,” she held up to glasses of whiskey.

Before Leo could answer Anitah stepped forward. “I believe I just saw him step out onto the balcony...for some fresh air,” Anitah smirked, Leo and Maxwell both eyeing her curiously.

“Thank you!” Kiara smiled at her, and then she stared for a moment, something about her familiar, but she shrugged it off and headed for the balcony doors, Anitah laughing once her back was turned. Kiara stepped out onto the balcony and there leaning her back against the railing was the woman that Drake had been with all night, her hands gripped onto the concrete with her head back. “Um...excuse me,” she spoke and Pam snapped her head up looking at her wide eyed. “I was looking for Drake?”

“Oh, uh...” she cleared her throat through a small whimper just as her body jerked. “He uh...I guess is...indisposed at the moment,” she shrugged. Kiara stared at her confused before turning and walking back into the ballroom.

A moment later Drake emerged from underneath Pam’s gown. “Well, that almost got awkward,” he laughed.

Rashad and Genevieve walked from the ballroom to where the restrooms were and Genevieve stepped inside, Rashad leaning up against the wall. He looked up to see Alexis approaching him, his jaw clenching. “Hello again.” He didn’t answer, just simply nodded his head, acknowledging her as to not be rude. “Rashad...” she walked up, the smell of wine radiating from her. “I’ve really missed you...” she trailed her finger down his chest. He removed her hand away from her, and just as he did she leaned up to kiss him, just as Genevieve opened the door. She watched as Rashad stopped her and gently pushed her away, eyeing the woman and shaking his head. He looked over to see Genevieve and moved away from Alexis and walked up wrapping her in his arms and kissing her deeply before walking back into the ballroom with her leaving Alexis standing there slack jawed.

Meanwhile around the corner and out of view from the rest of the guests, Leo had Alicia pinned up against the wall, entrapped in a heated kiss. He trailed his hand up underneath her dress finding her lace panties already soaked wit desire. “Mmmm,” he smirked as he kissed her again. They heard someone’s throat clear and slowly broke from the kiss turning their heads to see Madeline with her brow arched, arms folded across her chest. “Excuse us...we’re busy,” Leo moved his hand in a shoo motion and her eyes widened before she turned and stomped away.

As the night continued on, Liam finally had a free moment and searched for Anitah through the crowd seeing her leaning up against the doorframe of the balcony. He walked over to her, their backs towards the other guests as they looked outside.

“Love...are you enjoying yourself?”

“Oh yes. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed another front row seat watching Madeline throw herself at you. It’s just been so delightful.”

Liam closed his eyes for a moment before pulling her out onto the balcony. “Anitah, I’m sorry...”

“Have you started the papers yet, Liam?” He didn’t say anything, just looking at her. “Have you started them?” Her tone was more stern the second time around.

“We’ve only been back a week. I’ve been in meetings, and trying to spend time with you in Valtoria as well. But I will, I promise.”

Anitah let out an annoyed breath, shaking her head. “If you think I’m joking about a months time, Liam, I’m not. You now have three weeks left...and if it’s not done, I’m leaving.”

Liam stepped toward her, his hands going to her arms. “I know...I know, love. I promise, first thing in the morning, I will start them.”

“And who’s your friend, darling?” They heard Madeline’s voice and they both snapped their heads over, Liam’s hands dropping to his sides as she sauntered up looking between the pair, neither one answering her. “You two seem to know one another, you’ve been staring at my husband all night, and he at you, yet I don’t seem to recognize you.” She eyed the masked woman.

“We may have met before...” Anitah stated, Liam eyeing her, knowing she was already emotionally charged and a little drunk, and that was a combination that always made her next move very unpredictable.

“Your accent...you’re clearly American. All these trashy Americans that come here and think they can win the hearts of our Cordonian men. They should have learned from the last one who tried and failed miserably. Isn’t that right dear,” Madeline wryly laughed.

Liam closed his eyes tightly, knowing in that moment exactly what was going to happen, knowing her comment just lit a fire inside Anitah. He opened them back up just in time to see Anitah stepping up to Madeline. “Oh, I’ve won. What’s sad is that you don’t even know it yet.” Madeline stared confused at the masked stranger not understanding what she meant, and sure enough, just as Liam thought, suddenly Anitah reached back and took off her mask. Madeline’s eyes went wide with shock as she stared at her familiar face, Anitah smirking at her. “Surprise.”

#trr #trr fanfic #choices trr #the royal romance #trr liam #king liam #liam rhys #drake x pam #liam x anitah #rashad x genevieve #leo x alicia #cgw #cgw world #cordonians gone wild #cordoniansgonewild #cordonia #valtoria

[chicagonews-parabellum-archive]

Event: Paisley Sinclair and Luca Costello’s Wedding Date: 09/07/19

A wedding that was supposed to unify two families ended up causing further division. After a mysterious figure shot and killed Paisley Sinclair, both families are struggling to cope. People have already started pointing fingers - it’s only a matter of time before someone else ends up dead.

Citizens of Chicago, prepare for war. 

Attached below is the Chatzy from 09/07. 

Cici followed a waiter around eagerly, stealing tiny sandwiches off his platter and stuffing them in her purse.

Paityn couldn’t fucking believe it; after she was the one consistently getting reamed out by mommy and daddy for figuratively sleeping with the enemy not one, but two of her siblings showed up to Paisley’s wedding with Costellos as their dates. Priya with Ezra and Bash with Mia. Fucking hypocrites. Of course, when it’s the good kids no one bat an eye. She couldn’t deal. Not sober. The joints in her bag was meant for the reception, but she couldn’t wait. Paityn walked through the wedding hall and found the men’s bathroom. This will have to do. She locked herself alone in a stall and lit up, inhaling the smoke, hoping her heart rate would slow.

Ezra: walked into the venue, along side Priya, only just now starting to get a tad nervous - was it too much to bring one of the brides sister's as <i>your date</i> especially when the bride just happens to be marrying <i>your brother?</i> Well fuck it if it was, Ezra was beyond caring at this point. He grabbed a drink from the try, taking a sip of the champagne.

Sofia: Sofia emerged from her brother's room, now wearing her barely-there dress. It was too late for anyone to tell her to change. The Sinclairs were going to see, the media was going to see, and goddammit, if she couldn't stop this wedding, she could at least make everyone who'd organized it regret the experience. Strutting into a sunbeam, so that you could see through the blush fabric (close to white, but not quite close enough for her mother to actually murder her), she went looking for a bar. Time to find something appropriately sugary to throw in Leon's face when he finally showed up.

Violet arrived from the back rooms, popping into the main hall long enough to snatch up a glass of champagne as the waiter passed. The guests were trickling in and Violet spotted some familiar faces. Most of the Costello men were gathered in the back with Luca, except, probably Leon, of course, given recent circumstances.

Mia scanned the room, eying everything from the servers, to the food and the stunning decorations. Twisting on the bracelet around her wrist, she turned her gaze back to her date. Were they supposed to sit? Find a place to stand? The sight of Ezra and Priya entering was the best excuse to strike up a conversation though. "We all had the same idea, huh?" she half jokingly offered to the stunning redhead and her older brother. When had all of this happened?

Kai was in Luca's room, helping the groom get himself together, and possibly preventing him from jumping out the nearest window. "You need anything? A drink? A puke bag?"

Chanel fixed her hair in the bathroom mirror, making sure her makeup was perfect just like everything else for this event was going to be. Finally approving of the overall look, she walked out and looked around at everyone who was already in attendance. If she had anything to do with it, this day was going to go perfectly

Ezra: laughed, "you know what they say Mia, great minds." Seriously when did these two become a thing? Ezra's feels completely out of the loop. "How long's this been a thing" he asked, eyes travelling from his sister to Sebastian.

Chanel went to eat some cocktail weenies

Priya was glad to be walking into this with Ezra. It was going to be a long night by the looks of it. She smiled when she saw her brother with Mia. She had known the two would be coming together since the engagement party. "We did," she laughs.

Abel Costello surveyed the room, tugging at his collar even though he already skipped wearing a tie, he then spotted Kai from across the room and gave him a nod before making his way towards his cousin who looked handsome in blue (ily chris lol).

Luca was trying not to freak himself out. He'd tuned everyone out. The wedding was minutes away now, and the nerves he felt didn't seem to be letting up - regardless of the joint he'd smoked. He finally looked up at Kai. "We should take shots."

Sofia: Sugary drink acquired, Sofia snagged Abel as he was going past. "C'mon, Kai and Luca are in his room. Let's go do shots with them or something."

Kai flashed his cousin a smile, reaching into his jacket pocket for the flask he brought with. You know, just in case. "Bottoms up," he said, taking a drink for himself before offering it to Luca. "Don't worry. I'll steal more from the bartenders if need be."

Kieran was in no particular mood for a wedding. He couldn't even imagine the amount of drama that was bound to happen tonight. Kieran had already told himself that he was doing this shit sober, so he sipped on a glass of water, eyes scanning the room for a familiar face.

Mia smiled, finding that while both pairs might be unexpected, she was glad to see her brother smile, joke and laugh. Some of that had to be in part of Priya. "Great minds indeed." Glancing over at Sebastian she did not exactly know how to answer her brothers question. A thing. Was it? Were he and Priya a thing? "Not long. I asked Sebastian if he wanted to go with me." she lifted her shoulders in a small shrug. "How about the two of you?"

Cici stood in the back of the room, sipping a class of champagne and staring at a vase holding flowers. She couldn't tell if they were plastic or not and reached out to touch it, looking around to make sure no one saw her.

Paityn continued to smoke her joint in the men's room; her heels resting on the toilet seat in case anyone entered. Paityn wanted to hide.

Jack: Jack was looking for Paityn, who was MIA, and Shiloh, who was AWOL. Corralling them all was like herding cats. He saw Cici and waved, moving towards her, before stopping when he saw Kieran. Well, boo fucking hoo. He continued over and smiled, kissing her on the cheek. "You clean up nice."

Abel Costello was intercepted by Sofia, and promptly dragged away from the main room to meet up with the rest of the family. Inside, Luca looked like he was about to be beheaded and Kai was, well, calm as always. Abel glanced at Sofia and pressed his lips together, knowing full well that Cassandra was going to have a fit when she sees her. "Everything alright?" he asked.

Violet spotted Mia and Ezra with their dates? Whatever. She headed in their direction, lifting her dress so her hem didn't drag. "Interesting choice in companions for the night. You all look gorgeous, as usual." She offered them all a smooth smile, giving a nod to Priya and Sebastian.

Priya reached for Ezra's hand at Mia's question. How long had it been? A day since the kiss but them interacting? She wasn't sure. There was no concept of time when she was with him. "I am not actually sure." She turns to Ezra and smiles at him.

Luca wasn't about to pass up on a drink. He grabbed Kai's flask and downed a swig. "You cannot let me do this shit sober. You hear me? If I start acting sober, put some more liquor in me." He glanced over at Abel and Sofia. "Family reunion. Perfect time for a family reunion."

Juliet grabbed a glass of champagne and sipped at it as her eyes scanned the room.

Leon was late, which was both unlike him but also because he really didn't feel like being anywhere near the rest of his family. He'd had enough for the year, let along the entire week. Sunglasses still on to try and hide his black eye, stood by one of the walls, hands in his pocket as he watched the crowd.

Ezra squeezed Priya's hand tightly, giving her a warm smile. "We're taking things slow, we're not going to rush into anything. I think we've had enough shotgun relationships to last a lifetime." He turned to Violet then, "well you know, I'm always keen to liven things up, you look beautiful," he said complimenting his ex-sister in law.

Cici smiled as Jack approached her and she laughed slightly as he kissed her cheek. "Well, there's a friendly face. I thought for a minute there, this was almost an exclusive Costello event." Taking a sip from her drink, she looked him over. "Not as nice as you, Jack. I'll let you in on a little secret...my dress is from Target. Don't tell anyone."

Kai twirled his wrist in a gesture toward Abel, "C'mon. You know you want a drink," he smirked.

Kai added, drawing an X across his heart, "I promise not to let you do this shit sober. I also promise not to let you fall on your ass."

Sofia: Sofia snagged the flask from Abel and downed a hefty amount. "I'll get more. You're all a bunch of pussies anyway. I can drink you all under the table." She hugged Luca. "Be right back, promise."

Penelope stood at one of the tables, drink in hand as she watched everyone interacting. It was a matter of time before someone ended up fighting.

Abel Costello shrugged at Kai, realizing that he'll have no chance to even do security when Sofia was going to be a handful. He then turned to Luca and tilted his head. "It's a wedding, not your beheading." Not the best pep talk, but totally on-brand. "We're here for you, Lu."

Chanel looks for a flute of champagne to sip on and wonders who she should go socialize with. She spotted the mother of the bride at a table by herself and walked over to her, picking up a glass to drink on her way. Stopping at the table she offered a smiled and looked out at all the people. "It looks beautiful so far. I'm sure the ceremony will be stunning."

Kai sighed wistfully as he watched Sofia run out of the room, "She truly lights up a room, doesn't she?"

Jack: "Well, Target looks better on you than Louis Vuitton does on half the people here, so who the fuck cares anyway." Jack glanced back at Kieran. "You want me to tell him to check the perimeter or something? Go oil a gun?" He wanted Cici to have a good time, and if that involved shooing Kieran away like one of his cats, he was happy to do so.

Mia couldn't entirely believe what she was seeing. Oh yeah, Ezra and Priya were definitely a thing. Trying to hide just how surprised she was, Mia found Violet to come over at just the right moment. Thank god. "Thats great. And probably wise." She noted with a nod. Smiling at Vi she playfully nudged her with her hip. "You look absolutely stunning." She agreed.

Penelope smiled back at the blonde. Chanel was probably the most competent of the Costello’s. “Yes, everything has turned out beautifully.” She raised a glass to the blonde. “You deserve a drink with the way the last two weeks have gone.”

Ezra watched Leon walk in from the corner of his eye, "anyone ever tell our brother wearing sunglasses inside was terribly ruined?" He smirked, knowing exactly why his brother had made that fashion choice.

Elijah walks into the cocktail hour with his flask in hand. There may have already been drinks being served but none better than the moonshine he'd managed to concoct in his free time. Taking a deep swig he looked for Shiloh but couldn't see him right away. Instead he saw Jackson and walked over to him, giving him a pat on the back. "What's up motherfuckers." Seeing Cici, he cleared his throat and nodded at her very gentelmany. "And lady."

Violet gave Ezra and Mia a genuine smile, her features soft and relaxed as they usually were, especially in spite of the circumstances. "Thank you. I scored a super hot date, you know. Sofia. Whom I haven't been able to find for a bit now but... I'm sure she's got her halo on tight."

Violet followed Ezra's line of sight to spot Leon and his... sunglasses. "It's probably worse today," she replied absently.

Priya gave Violet a polite smile when she approached the four of them. "Mia," managed to look away from Ezra and to his sister, "I still cannot believe you managed to get my brother to have a date to this. Please let me know you did it. I have been trying to get him out with someone for years."

Luca nodded. "I know. I'm just fucking nervous." Luca anxiously stared at his phone, checking the time. He watched as Sofia wandered off. Luca stood from his chair, stretched out a little awkwardly. "Thank you guys for not fuckin' killing my buzz."

Chanel laughed and raised the drink she had just retrieved for herself. "I'm sure we all deserve a drink for the last two weeks. But the day is finally here, can you believe it?"

Cici followed Jack's eyes to Kieran, and she frowned a little. "Eh, he looks uncomfortable enough standing alone. Who knows, maybe you being here makes him jealous." Laughing, Cici threw her drink back and finished it. She hadn't meant what she said, but she suddenly found herself actually wondering it it was true. Glancing over at Kieran again, she hadn't noticed him look over. "So, where's the lucky girl who arrived as your date?"

Kai gave Luca a pat on the shoulder and a smile, "Of course not. That's Paisley's job now."

Sofia: Sofia saw a boy over with a couple of what she assumed were Sinclairs. They could've been relatives for all she knew. The important thing was, it was a boy, and he looked appropriately heteroflexible at least. Swinging near him, she bumped into him, giggled, and took his flask fast as lightning. "See ya, cutie." She tripped away, flask in one hand, sugary cocktail in the other. Just as she spotted Violet and was headed over to say hi, she saw what Violet was looking at, and made a beeline for Leon. "Your outfit needs ... something." She threw the drink in his face. "There we go!"

Penelope laughed, placing her own glass back on the table. “ That’s very true. Just a few more hours and we can put this whole thing behind us.”

Abel Costello couldn't help but smirk, not really wanting to voice out his agreement. "I'm still your date, but I think we should split up to look after the twins." He glanced at Luca then at Kai. "Guess I'm taking the hellspawn." (he says that lovingly okay?)

Mia narrowed her eyes a little as she saw her little sister fly across the room, clearly on the search for something. "Oh she's here alright." she noted to Violet. At Ezra's mention of Leon, she raised an eyebrow to her brother, silently asking 'Where?' to figure out which corner to scan in order to find Leon and these infamous sunglasses. Of course it was no darn surprise he'd opted for them. Anything to hide that well deserved shiner. Right then Priya said her name though, and for the time being her search of Leon would have to wait. "Really? Ahm.. not sure there's much to tell? We just had a nice conversation and I was lucky enough to get him to agree to go with me. Years huh?" Her question was directed more at Sebastian than Priya, curiosity dancing in her eyes.

Cici surprised at Elijah's sudden appearance, although not really, she rolled her eyes. "You actually are wearing a suit, Elijah. I'm shocked."

Violet 's eyes widened as she watched Sofia throw a drink in Leon's face, unable to curb the laugh that leaped from her lips. "Oh my god."

Chanel smiled and nodded, taking small sips from her glass. They could put this all behind them. Hopefully. Looking around the room some more, she wondered if either of the lucky couple had made an appearance yet. Was that bad luck? She couldn't really remember. "Have Luca or Paisley been out at all?"

Leon "What the fuck Sofia?" Leon yelled, knowing this was probably the last place that he should be yelling. "You know if you have an issue with everything or with me do it on your own fucking time," he stated, his voice getting quieter as he glared at his sister, taking off his sunglasses, "because if you really want to start a fight today, I'm sure that Dad's going to love that."

Jack: Jack glanced down at Cici, amused at the idea that he was making Kieran jealous, when he was mildly jealous of Kieran to begin with. That was the way things went, he supposed. Before he could say anything else, Elijah approached and Jack smacked him upside the head just from reflex, but then patted him for the nice save with Cici. Luca's twin came over but Jack was already paying more attention to Cici again. "I came stag. Don't think anyone wanted to put up with my grumbling."

Ezra laughed, "really Mi? You guys just talked?" Colour him not entirely convinced. He turned then, just in time to see drama play out between Sophie and Leon. "Jesus Leon's really mister popular right now with the twins uh?"

Penny let her eyes run the room again before settling on the blonde. "Not that I've seen but for Paisley that doesn't surprise me. Flair for the dramatic practically runs in the family."

Benjamin wasn't technically working, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try to stop shit from going down. He stood near the door, watching as Sofia tossed a drink in Leon's face. He tried not to laugh, considering Leon would technically be his boss someday. Instead, Ben clenched his jaw and stared at something else.

Elijah reacted to the slap on the back of his head but recovered smoothly. He adjusted his suit and smiled wickedly at Cici. "Of course I am. I clean up very nicely when the occasion calls for it." And then suddenly his flask was out of hand and some girl, the Costello Twin? Was gone with it, throwing drinks around like they were toys. "Hey now, I'm going to need that back!"

Salma was fashionably late, but she walked into the event without a care. She made her way over towards the bar, grabbing a flute of champagne, she turned to scan the room, looking for a familiar face.

Priya "Years." Priya gave a smile to her brother before continuing, "I have been a thorn in his side over it." Out of the corner of her eye she caught the final moments of the interaction between Leon and his sister. It looks like the other Costello twin was competing for who could ruin the night first.

Luca finally decided it was time to go out and socialize with people. The wedding was only minutes away. He buried down whatever nerves that he'd felt. Luca headed out towards the main area, where everyone was socializing, and decided to make an entrance. He swiped a bottle of open champagne and downed quite a bit of it before making his presence known. "Welcome to my wedding, fu-" Luca cut himself off whenever he saw Penny. Maybe he shouldn't address the guests as fuckers.

Sofia: Sofia felt elated, too excited to regret anything, and squared up for a shouting match. She was going to offend every goddamn person in the church if possible. "An issue? I don't have an issue, Lee. I have a problem, which is YOU. Of all the times to fuck with your own brother, you pick right before he gets sold off like a cow at an auction? Why don't you just kick him in the balls and steal his fucking wallet too?" The shiner surprised her momentarily, but she was pettily glad someone had gotten there first. "You couldn't just fuck your own goddamn wife or something, you had to fuck that social-climbing sociopath with the fetish for royal purple? Fuck, I'd be ashamed to have been your wife if that's how bad your taste in women is these days."

Mia raised both her brows at her brother this time. She was tempted to call him out, but it wouldn't be prudent with everyone else around. "Really." she said with a note of finality in her tone. This time she did manage to pick Leon out, his angry face saying it all.. wow, Sofia was not holding back tonight. Trying to ignore the sibling drama she had no intention of getting in the middle of, for once, Mia smiled at Priya and Sebastian. "Well then I am glad I could help break the cycle."

Cici laughing at Elijah's shenanigans, Cici shook her head as he went looking for his flask. Grabbing another glass of champagne from a waiter passing by, she took a sip. "Grumbles? Jack, you need to stop thinking so poorly about yourself-" Cut off by Luca Costello yelling as he entered the room, Cici sighed. "Do we really have to combine the families? There's still time to back out. That little fuck is already on my nerves."

Chanel "Sounds about right. The bride should be able to make the biggest entrance anyway. I'm sure the gown is absolutely stunning." She looked around some more and then spotted Luca making his appearance. And of course, a champagne bottle was clutched in his hands.

Violet noticed the siblings seemed off in their own world with the Sinclair's, talking about their new... partnerships? She gave them another polite smile, "I'm sure I'll see you guys later on." She made it over to Sofia and Leon just as Sofia finished her speech, leaving Violet, well, speechless. "Ah, fuck." A forced smile spread across her features as she nodded at Leon and Sofia, then promptly made a B-line for the front door. Someone had to have a smoke or something, right?

Abel Costello Abel arrived just in time to catch Sofia all the way across the room throwing a drink at Leon. He rubbed his face in exasperation before deciding to go the other way. He's going to let the siblings duke it out a little, let Sofia get it out of her system before dragging her away. Maybe lock her in a closet for good measure. No. <i>No.</i> This was his darling <s>hellspawn</s> cousin we're talking about. Someone should really stop them. Someone not him.

Penny "She looks flawless, as any bride should on their wedding day." She paused at the loud entrance of the groom himself, mouth pursing. "And there he is. Loud as always. How do you keep a handle on that boy?"

Leon "Shut the fuck up Sofia, you really don't know what you're talking about," Leon glared at her, especially when it came to the wedding. He'd given Luca a chance to get out, he was sure all the siblings had, and it was Luca's choice. Whether or not Sofia believe it or not. "And I'm really not interested in being in all of your fucked up dramatics because you're not getting your way. So act your fucking age and not like the two-year-old you've decided to present yourself as," he said, starting to walk off towards the bathroom so that he could as least try to wash off the stickiness.

Jack: Jack winced when he saw Luca. This was just ... such a problem. "Do you think I should go over there and do something? I could, I dunno, hit him with the bottle, maybe it'll fix his personality." He finally processed that Cici had been complimenting him before and brightened visibly. "You think I'm worth a damn? Golly gosh gee, Miss Jansen, you're gonna make me blush."

Kai burst out in laughter at Sofia's antics, but quickly righted himself, running his hands down the front of his jacket before striding over to Sofia. "Heya dollface. Keepin' shit as interesting as ever, huh?"

A Wedding Guy cleared his throat, terrified to even raise his voice in this specific crowd of people. "Excuse me..." He tried, gaining no traction and zero attention. "EXCUSE ME." He tried again, this time hearing his own voice echo back at him really loudly and he felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment. "WE ASK THAT THE GUESTS MAKE THEIR WAY TO THEIR SEATS PLEASE, THE CEREMONY IS ABOUT TO BEGIN."

Ezra sighed, turning to Priya for a moment "excuse me for one moment," he said walking over his brother - literally the last thing he felt like doing but someone had to, and it seemed everyone else had taken the night off. He entered the bathroom, standing by the door, "you okay?"

Elijah huffed as he realized Sofia wasn't coming back any time soon with his flask and decided to do damage control himself. He walked over there only to catch some type of fight with what he assumed was the eldest Costello. He laughed at the insults and reassessed the girl, amused by her fire. But while she was distracted he figured it would be a good enough time to steal what was his. "I'm just going to take this little thing and prevent it from adding to the fire. Go about your business."

Violet eventually makes her way back inside since the ceremony, taking her seat with the family.

Chanel "Usually in small doses, honestly." She laughed and raised her glass before drinking some more of it. "And also a lot of this."

Juliet inserted herself into the crowd making their way to the ceremony, praying for the first time in her life that the Costellos did not see her.

Penny sighed and squared her shoulders before finishing off her drink. "Well, time to do this." She nodded to Chanel before making her way to the seats reserved for family of the bride.

Jack: Sofia bristled at Leon talking to her like a child and opened her mouth to inform him of what exactly he was, which was going to involve terms that would probably get her excommunicated, or at least thrown out of church, when Kai came up to her. "Yeah, well, you know me. Fucking hell, I have to go be the goddamn best man." Storming up the aisle, she practically left holes she stomped so hard as she stood at the front. "Last chance to bail, people. We can still make happy hour!"

Mia looked from Priya to Sebastian. "Guess we should find somewhere to sit then. You guys wanna sit together?" She mildly suggested.

Luca heard the announcement and froze. He chugged a few gulps of the champagne in his hand. He clenched his fist in order to steady himself. Luca made his way to the altar through the back, hiding behind the scenes until it was time.

Chanel realized what the wedding guy had said and gives a nod to Penny and then made her way over to her own section, on the grooms side of the aisle.

Leon was honestly surprised that Ezra was the one that decided to check up on him. Rinsing off his face he was glad taht he'd chosen to only wear black because at least he wasn't going to have too ridiculous of a stain the rest of the day. "Been better," he honestly answered, sounding as exhausted as he actually felt, "I honestly think that I ran the sibling gauntlet and managed to get all of you to not talk to me at once."

Priya looked over at Mia after Ezra left. "Yes. I think safety in numbers is the way to go tonight. Which side though?" She asked Mia.

Cici laughing at Jack's response to her compliment, Cici couldn't contain her giggle and covered her mouth with her free hand. An employee's voice echoing to the crowd to move to the pews caught her attention and cut off their conversation. Snaking her arm through Jack's she smiled. "Care to escort me in, Mr. Sinclair?"

Elijah happily sipped on the flask he had successfully stolen back as he made his way to the brides side of the wedding. Would it be inappropriate to laugh during the actual nuptials? Probably, but he also had a feeling that was what was about to happen. "Cheers to the good couple."

Jack: Jack took her arm and beamed at her. "I'd like nothing better. Wanna take bets on which one of the Costellos fucks things up the most? I got my money on the groom, but the little spitfire might beat me to it."

Ezra smiled sadly, "dude even on your worst day, you'll never screw up as badly as I have." He sighed, "look I'm sorry about before, I was blaming the wrong person, and so is Sophie, she'll realise that soon enough I promise." He threw his brother a wink. "Come on, why don't you sit with me and Priya, fair warning I think we're sitting on the Sinclair's side, but to be honest, right now I think that's the safest place to be."

Abel Costello decided to follow after Leon and Ezra, mostly just to make sure that there won't be a second altercation. He then walked in on the two having a tender moment so he cleared his throat. "Ceremony's about to start. Luca needs us."

Leon "I'm sorry too, I know I lost it on you too and you really didn't deserve that," Leon admitted before nodding over to his cousin. "But agreed, I'd rather say away from Sofia, I wouldn't be surprised if she decides to make a scene in the middle and I don't want any part of that."

Mia debated for a moment. The way her family were behaving, sitting with the brides family did not seem like a bad idea. At all. "We'll sit with you." she offered.

Ezra turned to face Abel. He sighed, "I guess it's show time then, shall we boys?"

Luca 's heart felt like it was going to leap out of his fucking chest. There was no backing out. Luca walked up to the altar, stood at the end as he waited for Paisley. As scary as this shit was, Luca was fully committed to spending the rest of his life with Paisley.

Cici walked in with Jack and searched for an open pew. "I think Luca's gonna barf." Sitting down she laughed, watching him walk up, pale as a ghost. "Or pass out. Paisley's gonna be pissed."

Leon "Guess so," Leon said as he started walking towards the ceremony.

Sofia: Sofia found Luca, who'd been sneaking around the back, and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "Say the word, I shove the priest at Paisley and we run down the altar like in Wedding Crashers or something."

Priya extended her hand to Mia, "Come on then," she smiled at her brother before saying, "I am going to borrow your date since mine is dealing with his brother."

Ezra Ezra walked inside the hall along side Leon and Abel just in time to see Luca walking in. He took his seat beside Priya.

Violet sits with the family? Yeah.

Leon Leon sits next to ezra

Chanel realized she still held her champagne glass in her hand and decided to finish it before putting it on the floor. She'd probably remember to pick it up later.

Elijah huffed as he sat in his chair, bummed that he didn't get a seat with Shiloh. "Alright let's rock this bitch. Bring out the ginger!"

Sofia: Sofia waved at Violet and pointed at the spot she normally would be occupying. She wanted it to be as awkward as possible for Leon. She even gave Violet a big thumbs up from the altar.

Priya once seat she takes a hold of Ezra's hand.

Penny watched as her children joined her on the bride's side with their dates. She chose not to comment on their choice of dates though.

Ezra squeezed Priya's hand tightly, shaking his head at Sophie's actions, "well we know which one of my siblings is trying to make this as painful as possible" he muttered to Priya.

Leon glances over and sees Ezra and Priya's hands, but decides that it's better not to say anything (at the moment)

Kai is sitting next to Abel and probably Violet, being a good Costello boy and keeping his mouth shut.

Abel Costello made his way to the ceremony with his cousins and on his way to the pew he caught Mia standing beside Sebastian and Ezra making his way beside Priya. This shouldn't be unusual, given that everyone had been ordered to play nice, but knowing how Mia had been vocal about her disdain for this entire event, his cousin seemed to be all smiles besides the Sinclair heir. He decided to ignore it for now and stand beside Kai.

Priya leaned over to Ezra and whispered, "Better yours than mine."

Ezra sighed, "why is it always mine?" he grumbled.

Priya joked, "Genetics."

Ezra laughed, "ounch, who knew you could be so cold," he joked.

Mia noticed Abel sitting down at the other side of the aisle, but not before eying her. Yeah, he had to think she were insane where she sat not only on the Sinclair side, but with the Sinclair heir as well. She felt bad about not giving him a heads up, just like she could not help but stare at her little brother up there in the aisle looking like he was going to topple over and wishing she could stand next to him and just.. hold his hand. Which might be mighty embarrassing for him in front of such a crowd though but at least he would feel the support she was trying to convey with her eyes. She hadn't even gotten a moment to speak with him beforehand. Too wrapped up in small talk.. Shitty sister.

Luca was still waiting on Paisley's slow ass.

Sofia: Sofia was waiting on Sofia's slow ass and made an obscene gesture at the boy whose flask she'd stolen.

Nadine hadn't meant to show up late, in fact the thought of entering the chapel at such an hour made her stomach twist into knots and her mouth go dry that she almost decided to turn around and get right back into the cab that had just dropped her off. But she had flown across the Atlantic to see Penny's daughter get married and by God if she turned around now it would be rather pathetic. So, after smoothing her hands down the front of her dress and fixing her hair, Nadine straightened her shoulders, took a deep breath, and entered the church. To her horror the entirety of the room was standing, seemingly waiting for the bride, and with a face flushed red as a rose, Nadine hurried to the closest open seat among the pews.

Paisley let out a shaky sigh as she heard all of the voices echoing through the doorway. She suddenly felt incredibly nervous and began to shred the tissue she had balled into her hands. Was this the right thing to be doing? Her heart continued to race as her father walked up behind her and put an encouraging hand on her shoulder. Not saying a word, although not needing to, Paisley smiled at him. Thankful for his support. "Ready?" Morgan asked and Paisley nodded, taking his arm he held out to her. Taking one more deep breath, she held it in as the doors swung open and the music began to play.

Chanel stands in her seat as the music starts playing, turning to watch Paisley and Morgan come down the aisle.

Elijah stands and sees a hot blond across the way, winks at her and then also looks at the two coming down the aisle

Luca held his breath. The doors opened, and there was Paisley being escorted in by her father. Luca felt his heart racing. It was going to be okay. Paisley looked gorgeous and he knew, despite the circumstances, that they would make this marriage work. For the first time that evening, Luca didn't feel unsure about the future. This was good. For both sides. He smiled at Paisley, knowing that this marriage would work. It had to.

Paisley couldn't contain the smile on her face as she made eye contact with Luca and continued down the aisle, all eyes on her. It suddenly all felt...perfect. They reached the alter and Morgan whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek, and leaving her side. She held her hands out to Luca, ready for him to take them-

Unknown sat patiently, perched on the upper level loft that only housed the ancient church organ the family decided to veto out of the wedding, steadying the sniper rifle on the beam in front of him. None of the guests had even looked in his direction and he almost had to hold back a laugh. So much for top security. The cue to wait for was the girl reaching the end of the aisle, the right moment between her father being out of the way and before the boy could grab her hands. The music began to fade away as Morgan kissed his daughter's cheek and turned away. Holding his breath, he steadied his weapon, and squeezed the trigger.

Paisley falls forward.

Unknown pushed the button on the remote in his pocket, setting off the small explosions at the alter, causing the wall to immediately go up in flames. With his job done, he stood up and fled the scene.

Chanel screams, looking at all that had just happened, not knowing what to do or where to go. Something had to happen, someone had to do something

Cici jumped at the sound of the bullet and watched Paisley fall, all as explosions began to go off. Immediately she turned and searched for Kieran.

Penny stood in shock, not moving except to raise a hand do her chest. Her daughter falling. An explosion. Her body went numb.

Sofia: Sofia screams and can't move, she needs to get to Luca and shield him. Nothing else matters anymore, but she can't make her feet move.

Elijah jumps as he hears a pop and the suddenly Paisley is on the ground. He's confused, not quite connecting what had just happened. Did she trip? Did a balloon pop? How much alcohol was in this moonshine.

Juliet reached over to take Camila's hand, shock freezing the rest of her body in place.

Ezra: grabbed hold of priya's hand again, leaning forward to check that Mia and Leon were also alright, still in shock from what just happened.

Kai grabs Chanel's hand when she screams, tugging her toward him and Abel. "Hey, it's okay. We got ya."

Chanel decided to duck down, holding her hands over her head. She wasn't supposed to be a part of this part of the business. This was not her expertise.

Luca suddenly heard the sound of a gunshot. Paisley fell forward, into his arms, blood splattering his suit. She went limp and, not long after, a small explosion went off. With Paisley still in his arms, Luca fell to the ground. He held onto her tightly, shaking her stubbornly. "Pais- Paisley, wake up." He looked out in to the crowd, just as panic had begun to ensue. "Someone fucking help her!" Luca's voice broke.

Mia felt like an electro shock was going trough her, startling in her seat where she sat and unconsciously grabbing for both Priya's and Sebastian's hand, staring open mouthed as the aisle seemed to go up in a sea of flames and smoke.

Camila blinks, dazedly, brain struggling to connect the sound to the action. She grips Juliet's hand back, starts in her seat.

Chanel realizes Kai is tugging her and follows him, hoping they know what to do

Leon it took Leon a couple of second to realize what had happened, and a couple more to look around and try and figure out who the shooter even was. It was instinct to try and figure it out biut with the explosion he knew they needed to get out. Fast. "Okay we need to go. Now." he told the other people in his row.

Sebastian was frozen in place, he had no idea what had just happened. He felt his entire being go numb, he couldn't comprehend what was going on.

Priya is in shock. Her brain was screaming at her but her body was not responding. Her sister. Her little sister. Priya looks back and forth between Mia and Ezra. If the two weren't holding onto her hands her legs would have give out.

Sofia: Jack is out of his seat immediately, yelling at his crew to get outside and make sure there's not an ambush waiting before everyone streams out. He practically bodily pulls Cici with him and shoves her into a corner next to the door. "Stay here, I'll be back for you right away, I just need to make sure there's not more guys outside." He pulled several guns out of his jacket and hollered for Kieran to get people out safely.

Ezra tried to make out Luca's form through the smoke, hoping by some grace of god his brother was alright.

Kieran immediately looked for Cici at the sound of a gunshot. With a fire breaking out, he lunged across the church. He wasn't leaving here without her. Once he reached Cici, Kieran grabbed her by the arm, shielded her out of fear that there was still a threat. "Gotta go. Now."

Ezra "what about Luca?" he asked in response to Leon's command.

Abel Costello saw Paisley fall and he turned his head to try anf find the shooter. But the explosives were set off and people started panicking, leaving the rest of the security details scrambling. Someone needed to secure the family and he began pushing past the crowd to get to Luca.

Mia felt panic course trough her veins. Leon was yelling something about having to go, but Mia doesn't give it a second thought, getting to her feet and shooting down the aisle like a bat out of hell. "LUCA!" Was he hit too? Was Paisly dead? No, this could not be happening.

Sofia: Sofia grabbed Luca's shoulders, trying to get him away, but her twin wouldn't move. "Lu-lu, we've gotta go!" Since he wasn't moving, she kicked her shoes off and grabbed Paisley by the shoulders. "Carry her damn legs then!"

Nadine had tears in her eyes as she watched Morgan walk his daughter to the alter. She was reminded of her own wedding day and for a moment the woman was lost in memory before the sound of a bullet ripping through the air jolted her back to the present. Insticually she fell to the ground and covered her head, waiting for the sound of more bullets. But when an explosion rocked the foundation of the church instead, she began to pray, not having done so in years. She should have stayed in France.

Benjamin immediately looked for the Costellos. Those were his responsibility. He pulled out his weapon and immediately began looking for a way to get people out.

Penny the building was on fire and while she was worried about her daughter she needed to get the others out to safety. She looked to where her children sat with their dates. "We need to get out. Get moving. NOW."

Leon "I'll get Luca, you get everyone else," he said to his brother as he started going towards the font of the church.

Violet immediately leapt from her seat as soon as the commotion began, following Kai and Abel as they rushed to the altar. "Sof! Are you okay? Luca!"

Elijah finally registered what was happening and also started panicking like everyone else around him. He didn't know where the shot had come from or if there were others still out there. Immediately he started looking for the other Sinclair's hoping they were okay and if there was anything he could do to.

Cici did as Jack told her and then immediately was grabbed by Kieran. Feeling slightly relieved at his appearance, she clinged to him, completely shell shocked. "What do we do...the fire..."

Priya turns to her brother, worry and dread on her face. "Paisley-" she manages to get out before Ezra's and her mother's voice pull her out. "I'm-" she stutters, "i'm fine." her grip tightens on ezra's hand as she begins to make her way out the pew.

Kai rushed over to where Mia and the others were, "Who's missing? Anyone?"

Salma froze at the sound of the gunshot. For a moment, she was reminded of the day of her father's death, but was immediately brought back to the present by the smell of smoke as she sat there, dazed.

Leon quickly makes his way to the front of the church, and sees Sofia. Now wasn't the time to be petty about it. "Sof, get out of here, I'll get Luca and Paisley?"

Chanel watched as nobody knew what to do, looking to Kai as he moved to another place. She tried to follow behind him, wanting to throw up but holding back. "We- we need to get out of here. We need to hide."

Mia threw herself down on the ground beside her little brother, ignoring the blood that seemed to be oozing out on the floor. "Luca! Are you hurt? We need to leave."

Sebastian steeled his emotions and stood, he needed to do something. How was he supposed to be a second-in-command when it felt like his heart was ripped out of his chest. He moved up towards the alter not caring about the smoke or flames.

Ezra steadied his voice, "she'll be fine, but we can't do anything to help them if we end up trapped in here too," he said pulling her towards the exist.

Benjamin spotted Juliet and Camila near the back of the church. He immediately sprinted towards them. The fire was getting out of hand now - they needed to get out. Quickly. Adrenaline pumping, Ben didn't even think before he grabbed Juliet and Camila by the arm. "We need to get out of here."

Kai spots Benjamin near the back, handling some of the other girls, "C'mon," he spoke softly to Chanel, "We're gonna get to Ben and get you out."

Juliet didn't fight Ben as he pulled her up and out of his seat. "Shit, shit shit."

Sofia: Sofia wiped her face, not realizing Sofia's blood was on her hands. "I'm not leaving unless we ALL go. Now help me get her out of here or Luca's never gonna leave!"

Abel Costello found Sofia trying to drag Luca while Leon was telling her to leave. "I'll get Paisley," he offered to Leon, "you take care of Luca."

Violet wrapped an arm around Sofia, "C'mon. They got it. Come with me. We won't leave Luca."

Ezra shouted to Leon, "we need to get the girls out," refereeing the fact that Mia and Sophie were still inside.

Priya let Ezra pull her towards and exit. Her eyes kept searching for her family. For her siblings. For Paisley. "Please let her not be dead," she says softly to herself

Paisley felt her body beginning to get cold and she could no longer move her legs or arms. Explosions went off and her ears could only hear a high pitch ring. Vision blurry, she still was able to make out Luca's face. Attempting to make words, a choking sound came from her throat instead. She felt tears falling down her cheeks and she did all she could, offering Luca the biggest smile she could muster, she mouthed to him. "It's okay." She kept her eyes on him for as long as she could, unable to truly understand what as going on around her. Eventually her eye lids just got too heavy and she couldn't fight it anymore, so they closed.

Leon nodded at Abel, not surprised to see him there. "Good," he nodded at his cousin before turning to both of his sisters, "Now both of you get out and I will get Luca," he said before kneeling next to his brother. "We don't need all of us here."

Chanel nodded to Kai, looking to see Ben with some of the other girls. She began making her way to it, jumping when she heard little pops from the fire as it expanded. She'd left her purse at her chair, it had her phone in it. She had to go back. Pushing through the chaos of the other guests she tried to find where she had been sitting, crawling on her hands and knees until she finally found it.

Violet glanced at Leon momentarily as they all crowded around to help Luca, then looked at Mia, "C'mon, let's get Sof and get out of here."

Sofia: Sofia clutched Violet but still instinctively reached out for Luca. "Luca, please! Please don't leave me!"

Kai lead Chanel through the madness to Benjamin, "Can you get her out? I wanna make sure everything is good here." He gave Chanel's shoulder a comforting squeeze, keeping his arm around her.

Ezra swallowed hard, "hey don't don't think like that," he said to Priya, waiting until they were outside to pull her into his arms, "its going to be okay."

Mia couldn't breathe. Had Paisley's eyes just closed? How could this be happening? Staring blankly at her brothers that kept swimming in and out of vision. Violet was in front of her speaking, but Mia couldn't hear her, standing as if glued to the ground.

Luca could hear the chaos all around him. He was shaking now, trying to smile back at Paisley. His eyes were blurred with tears and it wasn't long before Luca was in hysterics all together. The woman that he was supposed to marry was cold, limp in his arms. She wasn't supposed to be a victim. This wedding was supposed to prevent shit like this happening. Luca rocked Paisley in his arms, shaking his head, repeating the words 'no' over and over again. "Pais. Paisley. Paisley. Please don't- fuck."

Violet wraps her other arm around Sofia, "Abel and Leon got him. Promise. C'mon," she spoke softly, eyes narrowing a bit when she noticed Mia didn't respond, "Mia? Mia? We have to go!"

Elijah decided that most people were being taken care of by others. He'd only be making things worse if he stuck around and got in the way. He quickly made his way to an exit and ran until he was sure there was nobody running after him.

Priya collapses against Ezra her entire body shaking. She holds onto him as if her life depending on it, which it did. "This wasn't suppose to happen" her voice is muffled against his chest. For once in her life Priya did not know what to do.

Abel Costello picked up the unconscious bride, not bothering to check if she was truly dead or alive; the whole church was on fire and people were running towards the door, and if the Sinclair child was dead then so be it. The family will deal with the consequence afterward. For now, they all had to make it out alive.

Mia blinked at the sight of Violet's face, lips opening and closing. "What?" she mumbles.

Leon knew that Luca wasn't going to be okay, not by a long shot. Not with everything happening this way. "Luca," Leon said, "We have to get out of here so are you walking or am I carrying you?"

Ezra hushed her, keeping his grip tight, "breath, I've got you."

Sebastian couldn't handle what was going on. He had just seen his little sisters eyes close. What the fuck was happening? Whoever did this was going to pay and they were going to pay with blood. He stood near Luca and Paisley and he couldn't figure out what to do.

Jack: Jack had cleared the entranceway and was shoving people into cars, getting them away from the conflagration and a potential ambush as quickly as possible, not even really focusing on what had happened yet. He headed back in for his family, scooping Paisley's body into his arms. It didn't even register at first that she was heavier than she should be.

Nadine got to her feet before being shoved to the side by a guest that was desperate to get outside. Chaos ensued and though nearly every bone in her body screamed at the woman to escape, she instead made her way towards the alter where Paisley's beautiful white dress could be seen on the floor, marred by crimson. She needed find Penny. She needed to find Piper. She needed help in any way she could. "I'm a doctor, move out of the way, move!"

Jack: Jack heard Nadine calling and headed for her. "She got hit, she's hurt. I can't - you can help her, right?"

Violet untangled one arm from Sofia to take Mia by the hand, "We're leaving." With that, she led the two women from the building.

Sebastian stood next to his uncle and his mother's cousin. His sister was hurt. How did this happen? He had not uttered a word since it had happened, he couldn't believe it.

Chanel had found her purse and then was ushered by Kai back to Benjamin. She didn't know what else to do as she watched the chaos erupt around her. Who would do this?

Nadine "I'll do what I can, but I need to get to her." She said, pulling up the skirt of her dress, and covering her mouth as smoke began to fill the chapel. "Where is she?"

Kieran glanced up at the roof. The fire was getting more and more out of control. He heard the roof start to crack. He grabbed Cici's hand and tugged her rather roughly out of the danger zone. He sprinted towards the door, not letting go of Cici's hand no matter what.

Leon sighed when it became clear that Luca was too far in shock - which was fair. Sighing he picked up his brother and dragged him out of the building until they were in a safe spot away from everything. He wasn't going to move away from him, instead he kneeled in front of his brother and just said, "I'm not going anywhere, okay? Don't need to talk, I'm just here."

Priya let out a shaky breath at Ezra's words. Her what ifs became a reality she could not deal with. The abyss was here.

Jack: Jack realized Nadine couldn't see more than half a foot in front of her and came closer, cradling Paisley's body. "Here, here ... she's ... fuck, she's not moving. I don't know what to do."

Mia felt Vi's hand close around hers before she was pulled forward. Stumbling along with her sister and sister-in-law she could hardly think, this ringing noise still filling her ears. The cold air hit her like a ton of bricks, and suddenly the sounds came rushing back. "Who has Luca?" she asked Violet, ice filling her veins.

Paityn walks in and is like "wtf"

Ezra looked around while still holding onto Priya, sighing in relief when he saw that all his siblings had made it out. He knew something like would happen, why didn't his father listen to him?

Salma gathered her thoughts together and finally rushed out of the church.

Chanel screamed again as more fire began popping around her. She searched for an exit and started following the people that seemed to be making their way somewhere.

Luca struggled against Leon, not wanting to leave Paisley behind. He was still crying, frustrated tears streaming down his face. Before he knew it, they were outside and safe. The fresh air didn't help any - it still felt like he couldn't breathe.

Camila follows after Juliet and Benjamin, eyes blinking in irritation at the building. Her voice is flat, rising slightly with disbelief as they navigate the chaos to the outside of the church. "Was she dead. Like. Was she fucking dead?""

Mia eyes scanned the crowd, her heart slowing a little as one by one she could count heads of her siblings, cousins and friends as well as Priya. But where was her date? Biting down on her bottom lip Mia debated going back in. "Do you see Sebastian anywhere Vi? He got out right?"

Paityn is stoned in the bathroom and knows nothing. Waiting for Uncle Jack to find her.

Violet let go of Sofia and Mia once they were outside, exhaling deeply as she took a moment to slow her nerves. In her line of work, it took a lot to shake her, but explosions erupting around her family sure as hell was enough to do it. "Leon's got him. Or had him. He has him somewhere." She began scanning the area, finally spotting Leon and Luca across the way, "Over there."

Jack: Jack held back as sob and just led Nadine out of the church, still holding Paisley. He took them both to his car. "Just - just take care of her, okay? I have to go back for the others. Please." Before he could second-guess abandoning his niece, he took off running back to the church.

Juliet shrugged, her breathing coming in short bursts. "I don't know. I-I don't know."

Violet blinked when Mia brought up Sebastian, her brow furrowing as she shrugged, "I... wasn't paying attention to the Sinclairs, honestly. I was just worried about you guys."

Camila studies the way Juliet's eyes seem to be roaming the exterior of the church, clearly searching. "Are you looking for—"

Leon wasn't going to try and make his brother talk, all that mattered at the moment was that he was alright. Looking up and scanning, he looked for the rest of his siblings, hoping that they all got out as he noticed Mia and Violet across the way.

Juliet nodded slowly. "Yeah I am. Sue me."

Priya manages to gain back some self control. "Where are they?" She pulls her body away from his but her hands still firmly holding onto him. "Where is Seb, Paityn, Shiloh, Pais-" her sister's name catches in her throat. "Shit. Where is everyone? Where the hell are they?!"

Chanel finally makes it out and then finally takes her phone out, dialing 911. Who knows if someone else had already done it, but if they had they definitely weren't here yet. And they needed them ASAP

Ezra hushed Priya, "stay here" he told her firmly I'm going to go see what's going on. He walked over to Mia, "hey where's Sebastian?"

Penny finds herself standing near the door of the church, watching everything happen but unable to function much more than breathing at this point.

Camila 's mouth twists in understanding. "I'm sure he's getting the rest of his family out. I'm sure he's alright."

Jack kicked in doors, screaming and coughing from the smoke. His head swam and he had to crouch low. He swore he'd seen everyone out except Paityn and Sebastian. Checking the mens room in case Sebastian was getting water to try and stop the blaze, he found Paityn in a stall. "Jesus fucking Christ!" Scooping her up he threw her over his shoulder and booked it, trying not to pass out from the smoke."

Juliet took Camila's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I know. I'll just feel better when I see him."

Mia chewed harder on her bottom lip. "Fuck.. he might still be in there.." Noticing Ezra coming over, Mia's guilt intensifies. "I.. I think he's still in there.." she scrambles with a certain anguish on her face.

Miles got the calls as they began to come rolling in from the public. Guests. The church. All of it. He had never rushed to a scene faster. Running up, Miles immediately froze seeing the scene unfolding in front of him. His eyes immediately fell on Penelope and he ran up to her, as other police officers began to run around. "Pen...what happened...?"

Chanel started explaining the situation to the emergency operator and then steps far away from the burning building, trying to make sure she wasn't too close, but also that whoever killed Paisley wasn't still around. And then the sirens started wailing.

Ezra eyes widened, "fuck, who else is still in there?" he asked, looking around to identify all the faces around them.

Violet took Mia by the arm again, doing her best to offer the most reassuring smile she could muster, "I'm sure his family made sure he got out alright. Look, let's go see Leon and Luca, okay? I'm sure Luca wants to know you're okay too."

Paityn was shocked getting carried by her uncle, but before she could question anything she was by her sister's side. "What the hell is going on?" she asked, completely confused.

Mia doesn't have to think it over, not really. Go back in for Sebastian or get over to Luca? Honestly, the choice was easy, branded into her very soul the day the twins had been born. "Come on." she murmurs to Violet and Sofia, holding onto Violet the best she could as they weave their way trough the crowd over to Luca and Leon.

Priya grabs hold of her sister and envelops her in a hug. "Thank god you are alright," she is holding on tight to her sister. "I-I" her voice is breaking, "Paisley has been shot. I think she's dead."

Chanel saw the police show up and ran to one of the available cop cars that started parking outside and decided she'd felt safest if she was by them.

Penny blinked at the man, barely registering who he was. "Someone- they shot her. My baby." Forget the explosions and fire. Her baby was laying in the back of someone's car unmoving.

Camila gives a ready squeeze back, eyes still smarting from the smoke. "We should— shit. Maybe move back. I still have no clue what's fucking going on." She shakes her head frantically, teeth clicking together in stress. "Maybe if we're away from the crowd you'll be able to see him come out easier."

Violet hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath while Mia decided what to do, and Violet waiting to see if she'd have to drag her away from the building. When Mia agreed to go to the boys, Violet let out her breath, leading the two over to Luca and Leon. Her eyes met Leon's when they reached each other, "He okay?"

Ezra excused himself, seeing that Priya was having a moment with her sister, he walked over to where his family had conjugated, "we're all good on our side right? Family, employees, friends the lot?" he asked Leon.

Paityn couldn't believe her ears. "What?" she asked. "Dead?" Paityn was too stoned for this. "I--" She didn't have any words. She the collapsed into Priya, unable to hold her own weight anymore. "What happened? How did it happen? Oh...my God...it was supposed to be--"

Juliet tugged at Camila's hand as she backed up slowly, eyes still scanning the crowd

Sofia was crumpled on the pavement when she saw the asian guy who was a sinclair or something at the door, looking dazed. "Fucking FUCK! This is ALL YOUR FAULT!" She wasn't sure why she was screaming at him, but she ran over, her feet burning as they touched the hot floor of the church, and pulled him out of the building back to her family. Violet looked at her and Sofia just sank back down next to Luca, now clutching the asian guy. "He's Mia's guy, okay? I had to go back for him."

Leon "He's in shock," Leon answered Violet, which was fair, glad to see everyone seemed to be there, "And I think we're good," he answered Ezra, "But my first priority was Luca."

Chanel starts flirting with one of the police officers

Violet gave Leon a nod, sinking down beside Luca to place a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Hey dude. You feeling okay? Breathing alright?"

Priya cradles her sister in her arms. Her hand is smoothing down her sister's hair, trying to offer her comfort. "Shhh. Pay, shhh." In this moment she forgot all about how she was feeling and focused entirely on her baby sister...her only sister. Priya wouldn't lie to her, she needed to know. They all needed to know what happened"There was a shot," she manages to steady her voice. "It hit her, Pay. It hit Paisley and then an explosion went off."

Nadine followed Jack out of the building, lungs screaming for fresh air. Her eyes watered from the smoke, running her make-up down her cheeks, and when they reached outside, Nadine sucked in the oxygen. Jack led them to his car before taking off back towards the church, and Nadine concentrated on the unconscious body of her cousin's daughter. There was blood, so much blood that it was clear to the woman that if she wasn't already dead, she would be in minutes. But when she placed her hand on the girl's neck, and there was no jump of a pulse, Nadine sighed. Paisley Sinclair was dead.

Luca felt a hand on his shoulder. Tears streaming down his face, he looked over at Violet. He winced a little. "She's fucking- she's fucking dead."

Miles 's face dropped as Penny mumbled out someone was dead. He turned quickly and scanned the chaotic crowd. Could he make out any of the girls? Finally he caught a glimpse of red hair, Priya. Paityn. He didn't see Paisley. Turning his attention back to Penny, he wrapped one of his arms around and shoulders and began to escort her away from the building, towards where her daughters were. "Penny, you gotta get away from the building in case debris starts flying...come stay by your girls. I'll find Morgan."

Kai found his way over to Leon, Ezra, Mia, and the lot of them, clamping a hand down on Leon and Ezra's shoulders when he reached them, "Holyyyy fuck, right?"

Sebastian looked around for his sisters, he had been yelled at by Sofia and managed to get out of the building. He couldn't handle himself but he needed to make sure the rest of his family was safe.

Benjamin looked over Camila and Juliet. "Are you both okay?" He glanced around, ensuring that no one else had fallen behind.

Mia drew close to Luca the second they came over, holding on tightly to her hand. In the meantime she hadn't noticed Sofia taking off, until she was back with Sebastian in tow. Its probably selfish, but she can't find it in her to give him more than a glance before her eyes returns to her little brother. "Just breathe." she murmurs, not sure if its helpful at all.

Violet nodded somberly, her expression twisting into one wrought with empathy. She gave him a small smile, shifting her weight to sit down next to him and pulling him into her side, "I know, sweetie." She planted a light kiss on his temple, running a hand through his hair.

Juliet shook her head. "No, not really."

Paityn was crying now; the tears didn't stop. All she could do was sob into her sister's shoulder. There wasn't anything else she could do.

Ezra Ezra stood there watching the chaos around him, he turned to Kai. "This was a hit, so who did." He said, clenching his fists.

Chanel decides to go home and walks the whole way because she is very confused and needs the air to clear her head.

Abel Costello looked at the bloodstan on his dress shirt, looking just a little annoyed that it had been ruined by the Sinclair girl's blood-- that prick Jasckson should've gotten there faster if he wanted to play hero to his dead niece. The consigliere looked around as he walked past the panicked guests and attendees, doing a headcount of the people that really mattered-- his family. The rest of Morgan's brood could burn for all he cared.

Leon "That's one way of putting it," he sighed as he turned toward Ezra and Kai, "And I really wish I knew. I know none of us liked this wedding, I don't know of anyone who was planning on doing this."

Jack lay on the pavement near Priya and Paityn. His skin screamed and his lungs burned and all he wanted to do was fall asleep, but he kept trying to get up. He had to find Piper. Finally an EMT put a mask on him and made a note that he needed to get to a hospital. "Possible lung damage. Idiot ran back into the building instead of waiting for the fire crew."

Ezra "i think it's safe to say, peace isn't coming to Chicago anytime soon," he said turning to face his brother.

Priya just held Paityn and soothed her. There wasn't else to be said. Nothing else she could say to bring her sister comfort except be her support. Even with her world crumbling around her she would hold it together for her sister. Paityn needed her. Her own collapse could wait.

Kai glances over at Luca, but sees the others have it handled, and gives them space for now. "Yeah, and it doesn't seem like they wanted anyone other than Paisley dead. The explosions weren't set up to kill. They were to distract... or... lead? Fuck if I know. They were just placed really shitty if they were going for death."

Penny let the man, who she was now aware of being Miles, lead her away from the building. There was a disconnect between her thoughts and her feet. Was this all just an awful dream? "Morgan. Find him. I can't lose him too." She looked up to see her remaining daughters holding each other up, ashamed that she wouldn't be able to help them.

Mia crouched down by Luca's side, holding onto him tightly. There is no words that can make up for what he's just gone trough, the shocking loss none of them can really comprehend.

Leon "And it sounds like they wanted the war," Leon added, "Which if that's what they want, then they can have it, I just want to know who the fuck did it."

Juliet felt her body relax as she finally caught sight of Leon with his siblings.

Sebastian managed to get over by Paityn and Priya. He was so far gone but he still wrapped an arm around both of his sisters.

Sofia: Everyone crouched around Luca but Sofia felt weirdly numb. She could hear Leon and Kai talking as if from miles away, but turned around. "Don't you dare start some bullshit war. Don't you - don't you -" she broke down sobbing and hugged Leon. "No one else can die, okay? Nobody."

Ezra "yeah that's the problem isn't? Both sides wanted this wedding called off. Both sides were unhappy with us cosing up to each other. It could have been anyone...unless we're seriously considering a third party getting involved."

Paityn was numb; she could feel her brother's presence next to her, but she didn't acknowledge it. She just opened her clutch and took out a cigarette. She couldn't light it, though. Her hands were too shaky. "Fuck," she whispered under her breath.

Priya Priya removed one of her arms from around Paityn and wrapped it around Sebastian's waist. She had them here. Seb and Paityn were okay, she could breathe but she couldn't. Her family was no longer whole.

Kai raised an eyebrow at Leon, "If anything, they wanted a war with the Sinclairs. Or to make them think we had a hand in it, so we're at war with each other."

Mia can hear the boys talking, already mentioning words like 'war' and 'third party'. Lifting her eyes to Ezra her brows are furrowed. "What do you mean 'third party?"

Kieran looked around, heart racing. With Cici safe outside, the severity of it all was starting to set in. The fucking Costellos had done this. He looked around, heart racing. "They fucking did this," he mumbled, voice low at first, laced with venom. He raised his voice this time. "They fucking did this! The Costellos fucking had her murdered." It was an emotional time and there was no stopping Kieran. He wanted to go after the first Costello that he saw.

Ezra "I mean someone's trying really hard to make it look like one of us did this. I mean we're all suspects right? We all wanted this NOT to happen. If someone was going to try and take the city from under us, now would be the perfect time while we're all too busy tearing each other apart."

Leon hugged Sofia, wishing that he was able to comfort her a little more as he held her tight, "My guess is someone's trying to frame us for this. Someone who hates the Sinclairs as much as we do or maybe just hates Paisley. But my guess is they want us to take the blame, because I don't think it was any of us."

Kai laid a hand gently on Sofia's back, "Hey, no one is gonna just rush into war for a Sinclair getting killed. Not unless we have to, right?" He turned his gaze toward Leon, then Ezra.

Abel Costello found Kieran O'Connell screaming his lungs out, putting the blame on the Costellos, without saying anything, he marched over and punched the man square in the face to shut him up.

Luca leaned in to Violet. It felt like he was a fucking little kid again. Weak, scared, helpless. Both families were divided - again. The damage done was beyond repair. A life had been taken. He was having a hard time focusing on anyone or anything. He was in fucking shot. He heard Kieran screaming. Luca sniffled, stood up from the ground. He heard Kieran yelling and the anger built in his chest. "We didn't fucking do this!" Luca yelled, practically hysterical.

Ezra turned to Leon, "it's already starting, we need to find who did this and fast before we have a blood bath on our hands."

Cici grabbed Kieran's arm, trying to shush him. "Kieran, stop. You don't...you don't know that..." Suddenly feeling like he was right, she felt an uncomfortable turn in her stomach. Suddenly Abel appeared and punched Kieran and Cici glared, shoving Abel with all her strength. "FUCK OFF!"

Kai became distracted by the shouting lunatic on the Sinclair side, turning just in time to see Abel running over and punching him in the face. "Well, shit." He rushed over to them, making sure one of the Sinclairs didn't try to sneak up and sucker punch his cousin.

Priya while holding onto both of her siblings she searched the crowd for any sign of the rest of her family. She caught sight of Jack on the ground, an oxygen mask over his face. He was alive, that is 3 out 9 accounted for.

Leon "I know. So find out who's not here, who didn't show, who's been more vocal against this, so we can rule our people out. And then we'll have to go from there. Got it?"

Violet was about to address Ezra when Luca stood up, yelling in the direction of the screaming Sinclair. She leapt to her feet, frowning at the scene, "Luca..." She turned her gaze to Leon and Ezra, "We need to get him out of here. We need to make sure this doesn't turn into more bloodshed. And now."

Camila clenches her jaw a little tighter, her free hand smoothing anxiously at the fabric of her dress. Juliet's eyes seem to track something— Leon. Safe. As much as any of them are. She knocks her shoulder gently into the other girl's. "See?" At Benjamin's question, she can only shake her head in a show of built-up tension. "I have no fucking idea." A beat, the sound of shouting, bedlam. "Is anyone else ... dead?"

Ezra nodded, "noted, I'll start putting out feelers among our inner circle, we'll smoke out who did this."

Sofia: Sofia heard Luca shouting and was immediately back at his side. Her feet were raw by now, but she couldn't even feel it. Her dress was ripped and torn, though there really wasn't much that was showing now that hadn't been before. She put his arm around her shoulders and her arm around his waist, so they looked like the world's oddest siamese twins, and prepared to hit anyone who tried to turn this around and come for her twin.

Priya Priya realized in that moment that Paisley was accounted for. She would be counted amongst the dead.

Abel Costello Abel raised his fist instinctively, ready to hit whoever had shoved him but when he saw that it was Cecila, he stopped. He lowered his hand and glared. "He needs to shut up."

Paityn finally got her cigarette lit. Seemed out of place, given the smoke and the flames. She stood and stepped away to smoke, ignoring all the yelling and fighting. All she wanted was to forget. Mute the world and forget that her sister was shot standing in her place.

Mia tightened her grip on Luca's hand, getting to her feet and cursing under her breath. "We all know we didn't do shit. Besides, we were all there in the pews.." She argued, with no one in particular. Looking from Violet, to Luca, to her brothers and back. "Do you have your car Vi?"

Nadine With nothing more she could do, Nadine draped the skirt of Paisley's wedding dress over her face and closed the car door. She needed to find Penny. The woman wandered through the crowd of attendees and first responders looking for that familiar shock of red hair, and when she finally found the mother of the bride, Nadine made her way towards her, stealing herself as she had so many times before, when she had to tell a parent their child was dead. "Penny," she called softly as she drew near, and though she hadn't seen her cousin in years, Nadine opened her arms and wrapped the woman in a hug.

Cici glared at Abel, lowering her voice. "We're the ones with one dead, not you. That's Sinclair blood on everyone's hands. You need to shut up and fuck off."

Kieran barely had any time to register what Cici was saying before he felt a fist against his face. Kieran stumbled backward just as he saw Cici shove Abel back. "There's no trusting you fucking people," Kieran spat, lunging towards Abel. "This was supposed to be a good thing - I'm going to fucking kill every last one of you!" Kieran didn't do things without orders, but he was sure that the Costellos played a part in this. Kieran shoved Abel with great force before Kieran's own fist met the side of Abel's jaw.

Leon nodded back at Ezra before he started looking around at the crowd, "Good. I'm going to check and make sure the rest of our people are okay, and see if there's anything else that I can do."

Violet nodded at Mia, "Yeah. You wanna get your brother? And Sof?" Violet approached Ezra and Leon, instinctively taking Leon by the arm to turn him toward her, "You. You okay?" She shut her eyes, shaking her head as the realization that he might snap on her came to mind, "Humor me? There was bullets and explosions and your one eye kinda looks like shit."

Penny blinked back tears as her cousin suddenly appeared, pulling her into her embrace. "Who would- That is my baby. Why would someone do this?" Her brain was racing, unable to focus on any one thing at a time. "She can't be gone. This can't happen again."

Ezra turned to Mia, "you going to be okay if I go check on Priya and meet you guys at your place?" he asked his sister.

Abel Costello shoved Cecilia aside, not wasting his breath on the girl, but it was while she had been admonishing him that Kieran decided to hit him back. He stumbled backward, fist colliding with the side of his face and Abel steadied his footing before lunging at the Kieran and sending them both falling to the ground. He began to pummel the Sinclair scum.

Priya was no longer holding onto both of her siblings anymore. Her head turned at the sound of shouts not that far off. She let go of her brother, heading straight towards the commotion. Everyone was fighting. FIGHTING. "Stop it!" She yelled at everyone who was in attendance. She was sure none of them had ever heard or seen her temper flare. "MY SISTER IS DEAD!" She bellowed. "WILL ALL OF YOU STOP ACTING LIKE CHILDREN AND PULL YOURSELVES TOGETHER."

Paityn hated seeing her mother break down and Priya explode. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. She texted Julius. I want to leave. Now. Paityn just hoped her driver would be quick.

Nadine Nadine didn't say anything, there was nothing to say. She didn't have answers, and she didn't think anything she would say would be more than just noise to Penny. So she held her instead, smoothing a hand over her hair as hot tears stung her eyes before falling down her cheeks.

Violet 's head shook in mild shock as Leon brushed her off and headed toward... of course. The escort girl. The escort girl who was embracing him, right in front of her, and everyone else. Violet's clamped her teeth together, jaw throbbing in anger. She almost didn't notice Mia back at her side, and with Sofia, "Where the fuck is Luca?" She snapped, squeezing her eyes shut again as she forced forward a smile, "Sorry."

Miles heard the commotion going on between Cici, Kieran, and Abel and he sighed, running a hand over his face. "I'm too fucking old for this..." He mumbled as he marched over to the three.

Priya looked over at Ezra, her hands balled into fists over the sight of Kieran and Abel beating the shit out of each other. "I need them to stop fighting," Priya says to him before turnign her attention back to the boys, "Kieran," she snapped at him with more bite than she had thought possible. "Stop this now. Or so help me I will get in there myself and ALL of you can explain why another Sinclair daughter got hurt."

Leon wrapped his arms tightly around Juliet, relieved that she seemed to be alright. Instinctively he kissed the top of her head, before looking her over, slowly leading her towards where Benjamin and Camila were both standing. "Are you all alright?" he asked the three of them.

Ezra sighed, "for god sake Abel, we have bigger fish to fry get a hold of your fucking self," he shouted, holding Priya closed to him.

Mia reached out to sqqueze Violets arm. "Luca is right here. Sof has him." she cautioned, contributing Violets burts of anger to the fact that Juliet had just made an appearance. "You okay Sof? Do you need help?" she asked her sister. "We're going to mine and Leon's apartment, okay? Luca, can you hear me? We have to go now."

Paityn rolled her eyes at her phone. Julius responded. Stuck in traffic, Pait. Might be a bit. Paityn put out her cigarette and walked up to Priya and Ezra. Tears were still falling down her cheeks, but her voice was monotone as she spoke. "Julius is stuck in traffic. I want to go home."

Juliet held on to Leon, blinking back tears as her body started to shake. This was supposed to fix things, not make them worse. Why couldn't the scandal of their relationship have continued to be the biggest problem they had to face?

Kieran was on the floor with Abel before he knew it. The blows that he delivered didn't hurt - mainly because of all the adrenaline pumping through his body. He knew that, as soon as the fight ended, he would be hurting miserably. All of the hatred that Kieran had felt for the Costellos had resurfaced the minute that he saw Paisley's body fall in to Luca's arms. They had done this and, Kieran being so enraged - felt like it was only appropriate to take one of their own. He managed to squirm his way out of Abel's grip and, within seconds, had his weapon upholstered. He aimed it at Abel's head.

Priya shouted at Kieran, "Kieran! Don't do it! Put that away. NOW."

Violet took Luca by the hand, ignoring Mia's squeeze and the whole Leon and Juliet scene. "Luca. Sweetie," she cooed, trying to get his attention without aggravating him further, "We need to leave. Get you checked out, okay?"

Sofia just held onto Luca. Everything would be okay as long as she and Luca were together. She was shivering uncontrollably, her hair was covered in soot, and her dress and face had her brother's dead wife's blood all over it. She didn't let go of her brother, and didn't even notice that people were talking to her. She said nothing to him. There weren't really words anyway. He was there, her fingers pressed into his side in a death grip that would probably leave bruises. "I lost my shoes." Looking at her now cut-up feet, she giggled and shoved a hand in her mouth. Following Vi without saying anything else.

Priya turned towards her sister and wrapped her arms around her. As quickly as her voice took on rage it softened when she held her sister close. "I'll get you home, Paityn."

Camila watches as the two embrace, exchange assurances. There's more yelling. Screaming. She can't be sure what, exactly, is fucking happening. But something is escalated. "Oh. We're fine." She glances up at Benjamin, who seems, at least, to be alright. "But I have like, no fucking clue what's going on over there. It sounds like someone else is gonna get it."

Abel Costello had done his share of waiting but he was no saint and to have Kieran O'Connell in his reach made him short-sighted. That first punch was a result, the consigliere losing his cool as the two began to fight amidst the death of a Sinclair child and a burning church. His father would be ashamed of him, letting some piece of shit errand boy get to him like that. And then Kieran managed to wrestle free, hand reached inside his coat pocket; Abel then staggered backwards and reached for his own gun and pointed it at the other man. Fuck patience. He was going to kill Kieran O'Connell right now.

Leon "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, I promise," Leon said to Juliet, nodding at Camila, "My cousins should have it under control, but you should probably get out of here, I can't promise that it's going to be safe."

Paityn 's eyes were dead, looking between Abel and Kieran. She turned to Priya, "I guess we should make sure no one else get's shot before we go."

Juliet sniffled and wiped at her eyes before looking up at Leon. "Can I crash at your place tonight? I really don'r want to be alone right now."

Priya looked to Ezra her hand reaching out to take his'. Now she understood while her mother got migraines.

Leon "Yeah of course," he nodded at her, "it's going to be okay," he said, wishing that he could promise that his words were true.

Benjamin followed Camila's gaze, watching as Kieran and Abel had their guns drawn on each other. He had a sick feeling in his stomach. He didn't understand why people were still around. "It's probably best if we all get out of here," Ben said to Camila. He eyed Juliet, who seemed to be safe with the Costello family. "I don't have a good feeling about any of this."

Ezra "you going to take your sister home?" he asked, still reeling from the events that had just happened.

Penny stood holding her cousin who was able to cry but all she could do was sob. Who could have done something like this? Penny knew one thing. Whoever did this was going to pay in blood.

Miles cringed as both men pulled their guns out. "You two idiots aren't even LISTENING!" Losing his temper, Miles let out a whistle as another officer ran over. "You two should fucking know better than this, now, c'mon." Grabbing Kieran's arm that was holding the gun, he grabbed the gun out of his hand and tossed it away from them. Pulling out the cuffs on his belt, he started to place them on his wrists. "We'll get ya bailed out in the morning, kid." Miles mumbled to Kieran. As the other officer followed the same protocol with Abel, Miles looked around at everyone staring waiting for something to happen. "A girl is dead!" He yelled, his voice cracking slightly. "Go the fuck home, no one else needs to die today."

Paityn flinched when Miles said a girl is dead. That girl was her sister. Her sister was dead. It's my fault. It should've been me.

Priya "Yes," Priya replies to him. Her sister needed to be as far away from here as possible. Where the fuck was Sebastian. Where was her dad? Where was anyone who could stop what was about to happen because she surely could not. "I need to get her out of here. I came with you-" No, she would not be letting that pain sink in. Not now. "Can you get us out of here?" she ask Ezra

Ezra nodded, "get your sister, and brother and let's get the fuck out of here before we're caught in the middle of this toxic masculinity bullshit."

Camila taps a nail idly against her leg, trying to expel her nervous energy somehow. Juliet would be leaving with Leon, it would seem. Well. At least that would be safe. She shrugs. "Yeah. Me fucking neither." She glances down at her phone, taps busily at the screen. "You think uber picks up here?"

Kai goes to bail out Abel and take care of his bro bro.

Violet leaves with Luca, Sofia, and Mia, drops them off at home, and goes to do some other shit.

Ezra could tell things were about to get bad with the cops. He went, got his car, and pulled up out front where he'd agreed to meet Priya with presumably her siblings.

Priya grabbed Paityn by the hand and made their way over to Sebastian. "Seb, we need to get out of here. Now." she shakes his shoulder with her free hand before grabbing hold of his hand. One way or another she was dragging them all out of her.

Benjamin wasn't about to let anyone Uber home after the shit storm that had happened. "I'll get you home, Cam." He sighed, glancing around. Ben knew that he wouldn't be able to rest that night until he knew that everyone was safe.

#event: the wedding #parabellumevent #recap #09/07

[walkerismychoice]

For Law and Love - Chapter 13

Book: Desire and Decorum - Modern day AU

Paring: Ernest Sinclaire X MC

Raiting: PG-13

Summary: Day one of their month apart, but Ernest and Anna still find a way to spend time together. Anna is trying to keep a low profile today, but nobody wants to let her forgot what day it is.

Word Count: 2543

Law and Love Master List  - Catch up here

One month. Anna had been through one month over 250 times in her life. Certainly one more was insignificant compared to the total. And it's not like she wouldn't be able to see him, but it was almost more difficult to have someone you wanted so badly but couldn't have in front of your face all the time then to not see them at all. Yet she still wanted to be with him as much as possible, so she found herself waking at the dreadful hour of seven on a Saturday morning to volunteer at the legal aid clinic on campus. She threw her hair up, put on a clean pair of jeans and a sweater, and grabbed an extra large coffee on the way, hoping she'd feel awake by the time she got there.

As was expected with his “on time is late, and 15 min early is on time personality”, Ernest was already there when she arrived. She had to resist the urge to hug him or be too informal, so she decided if she couldn't act how she wanted to, she'd have some fun with it.

"Good morning, Mr. Sinclaire. Than you so much for this opportunity," Anna greeted.

Ernest raised an eyebrow at her. "Good morning Anna, why don't I introduce you to Mr. Chambers. He'll be training you this morning."

"Anna, so nice to meet you." He held out his hand for Anna to shake. He was a couple inches shorter than Ernest with curly dark brown hair and couldn't have been much older than Ernest. "None of this stuffy Mr. Chambers though. You can call me Bart."

"Nice to meet you too, Bart," Anna replied warmly. There was something about Bart that put her at ease. "How can I help?"

"I'm afraid it's not glamorous work, but we have a backlog of filing to do. Let me show you to the file room." Bart led her to a small room towards the back of the building and explained which piles needed to go where. Just before he was about to leave, he looked at her and smirked. "You know, Ernest had told me a lot about you."

"He has? I'm just one of his students..." Anna waited nervously to see where he was going. She already trusted Bart, but this legal clinic was affiliated with the school and she didn't want any rumors going around.

Bart chuckled. "Relax Anna, Ernest is a good guy, and I'm on your side. It's usually hard to get anything personal out of him, so for him to open up to me about you and this whole ordeal must mean you're pretty special. If he's not going to be interested in someone like me, I'm happy it's you." He must have noticed a slight change in her expression due to his unexpected admission, adding "Yes, I'm gay if you couldn't already tell."

Anna laughed. "I didn't want to make any assumptions."

"I have a boyfriend now, and obviously I'm not his type, but if I had ever had a chance with him, I would have been all over it. Anyhow, the clients will start trickling in any moment, so I'll leave you you to it, but let me know if you have any questions." Bart snuck through the partially opened door, leaving her alone with the massive stacks of paperwork.

Anna put her earbuds in and put some music on to make the menial task a bit more enjoyable. She got in a groove and had made a good dent, not even sure how much time had passed when she felt a tap on her shoulder. It startled her to the point that she jumped and let out a yelp. She whipped her head around expecting to see Bart. "Ernest! What are you doing in here?"

Ernest threw a stack of envelopes on the table and wrapped her in a tight embrace. "Bart insisted I file those immediately."

Anna peaked over his shoulder to see he had closed the door behind him. "Oh did he? He's a pretty decent wingman isn't he?"

"One of the best." Ernest cupped her cheek and ducked his head down to kiss her. He backed her into the table, and then picked her up and sat her atop it. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer as she deepened the kiss, having to fight the urge to start ripping his clothes off since it was neither the time or the place.

Anna put her hand on Ernest’s chest as she pulled back and looked up at him. “I think we better stop before I get us both kicked out of school.”

“You just can’t resist me, can you?” Ernest teased. 

 Anna rolled her eyes. “Today I can, but just barely. Ask me again in a few weeks.” 

“It’s only been a day, hasn’t it? Speaking of the date, I have a confession.” Ernest picked the stack of envelopes up from the table and handed them to Anna. They were tied together with a red bow and she could see the top one was addressed to her, with ‘Day 1′ written on it. “It seems you may have been hoping I would forget what day it is today. With everything going on, I neglected to get you a proper present, but I hope these will suffice. Happy Birthday Anna.” 

Anna didn’t forget it was her birthday, but she had hoped everyone else would. She had planned to celebrate her 21st birthday with Ernest and all her other close friends, but given the circumstances, she just wasn’t in the mood if he couldn't attend. As thoughtful as he was, she should have figured Ernest wouldn’t let it go by unnoticed.  Anna untied the ribbon and sifted through the envelopes numbered 1-31 and her eyes began to well up. "When did you have time to do all this?"

"Let's just say I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." Ernest pecked her sweetly on the lips. "I know we won't be able to talk or see each other every day, but at least you'll get a little something from me."

Anna threw her arms around his neck and rested her head against his chest. "It's perfect."

Ernest left Anna to finish her filing. There was still another hour or so until lunch, and she figured she had at least that much more work to do. She worked diligently and powered through a few extra minutes to get it all done. When she reached the break room, all the employees and volunteers were there and Bart was standing next to a birthday cake.

"We heard it was your birthday, and we never pass up an opportunity to eat cake around here." He lit the candle and led everyone in singing happy birthday to Anna. She was a mix of mortified that all these people she just met were making a fuss over her and touched that Ernest set this all up, for she highly doubted Bart figured out her birthday from the volunteer paperwork she just submitted that morning.

"Thank you," Anna mouthed to Ernest and he just nodded and smiled. The ate lunch and had cake before it was time for Ernest to get back to the clients.

Bart approached Anna before going back to his work. "You got the filing done much faster than I anticipated. I didn't prepare anything else for you to assist with today, so if you want you can go home early, otherwise you could shadow Ernest to get a feel for what we do here."

Anna wasn't going to turn down a chance to spend more time with Ernest, and she was curious to see what kind of cases he dealt with, so she happily agreed to stay. The first client was a man named Luis with an energetic boy in tow who looked about four or five. He rolled his toy truck across the desk and over the paperwork, and Ernest took it all in stride. He went around to Ernest's side of the desk and stared at him expectantly.

"I'm sorry," Luis apologized. "I didn't have anyone to watch him today. Alex, come here!"

"No worries," Ernest assured him. "Hey Alex, I have a very important job for you. Would you like to be my special helper?" Alex nodded and beamed proudly. "Can you give this paper to your dad to fill out?"

Alex took the form to his father and continued to be the courier for each document throughout the visit. It turned out Luis was a single father trying to get permanent custody of Alex. His mom was in and out of jail and sporadically in Alex's life. Luis had been laid off from his job for some time, but now he had steady employment and hoped he had a better chance of the courts awarding full custody. Anna was in awe of the level of compassion and kindness Ernest showed towards both Luis and Alex, and it made her love him even more. Yes, there was no denying she was completely head-over-heels in love with Ernest Sinclaire.

Ernest saw a few more clients that afternoon including an immigration case, a tenant-landlord dispute, and woman seeking disability benefits. Anna had been around lawyers her whole life, but this was a completely different side of things - one she knew existed but had never experienced. Her dad’s clients were typically large corporations and individuals who could pay top dollar for his services. His work certainly served a purpose, but this type of advocacy work, while not likely profitable, seemed to really give people a chance to change things in their lives for the better. Anna was beginning to see for the first time that maybe this career path could not only help fulfill her dad’s wishes, but could be something she was passionate about as well.

At the end of the day, Ernest and Anna snuck in a quick goodbye before Anna headed back home to spend her birthday and the rest of her weekend with her dad. She hadn’t seen him in a few weeks, and spending her birthday with him would be a good distraction. She knew he wouldn’t have expected her to celebrate her 21st birthday with him, but she was sure deep down he was thrilled to have her there instead of out at some bar getting wasted. 

Anna walked through the front door, and was confused when she saw a couple pairs of women’s shoes by the door. She turned the corner to the living room and noticed a large birthday banner, before she saw two familiar faces pop out.

“Surprise!” Briar yelled and rand over hugged her. 

Annabelle followed suit. “We know you said you didn’t want to do anything, but we came to crash your party anyway. Don’t worry, nothing wild. Just a fun girls night in.”

Somehow Briar and Annabelle both new Anna well enough to know what she needed even more than herself. She thought she wanted to wallow in self-pity with her dad, but having them there was a breath of fresh air, and her mood instantly lifted.

“I’m glad I have troublemaker best friends like you two who never listen to anything I say.” Anna chuckled. “Seriously though, I’m really happy you both are here. I’m just going to go say hi to my dad.”

Anna wandered into the kitchen where she could hear her dad banging around. “Hi sweetheart!” Vincent threw his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek. “Happy Birthday!”

“Hi, Dad. I hope you don’t mind that Briar and Annabelle are joining us.”

“Of course I don’t mind!” Vincent Exclaimed. “Who do you think invited them? I know you love your old man, but I know you need your friends too. I figured we could all eat dinner together, and then I’ll leave you girls to whatever girls do.”

Anna scanned the kitchen. There was a pan of lasagna prepped and ready to go in the oven, and her dad was cutting up vegetables for salad. “Do you need any help with anything?

Vincent shooed her away. “Get out of here. It’s your birthday. Go relax.” He pointed to a bottle of white wine chilling in a bucket on the counter. “You could get yourself and your friends a drink now that you’re legal. There’s some beers in the fridge also.”

“The wine will be perfect. Thanks dad.” Anna grabbed the wine and three glasses and joined her friends in the living room.

Dinner was nice, and Vincent had gotten tiramisu from Anna’s favorite Italian bakery for dessert. Both Anna and Vincent were pleased to hear Briar had ditched Eddie and Arthur and was navigating somewhat of a long distance relationship with Luke.  It was nothing serious yet, but they had continued to talk since they met at the bar and had plans to meet for lunch the next day. Annabelle gave a hilarious but PG-rated version of her Tinder adventures, and they all ate until they were stuffed.

Vincent retired early as promised, and the girls put on face masks and gave each other pedicures, which probably wasn’t the best idea after a few glasses of wine. Nevertheless, Anna hadn’t felt so light nor laughed that much in quite some time. They settled in and watched To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, which Anna could never get tired of. She had to admit Peter Kavinsky made her swoon, but he still had nothing on Ernest Sinclaire.

When they could all barely keep their eyes open, Anna showed Briar and Annabelle to their guest rooms, before climbing into bed. She retrieved evelop #1 from her bag, which she had purposefully saved until now to open and read what was inside.

My Anna,

One day down, and one day closer to us being together freely again. I couldn’t have imagined just a few months ago I’d be here today, having someone like you I can’t live without. However much you are missing me, I’m certain I’ll be missing you more.

I know this birthday isn’t what you planned, but I hope the time we got to spend made you at least a little happy. I’m not sure what kind of trouble you’ll get into the rest of the day without me, but please for your sake and mine, try to refrain from getting so drunk you puke on another man’s shoes. I hope to be the first and last to experience that with you. 

Love,

Ernest 

Anna laughed to herself as she wiped a tear from her cheek. Then she realized what he’d written in closing and her heart fluttered. She knew she loved him and she thought he felt the same, but they’d never thrown that four letter word out there. She wondered if it held the weight she thought it did, but Ernest took nothing of importance lightly. If he used that word, he meant it. Anna tucked the letter safety in her nightstand drawer and her head hit the pillow with a big smile on her face. This was not at all the 21st birthday she had envisioned, but all in all it had been a pretty great day. 

Tag List:  @symonde @timmagicktoad @reputationbee @flowerpowell @flyawayboo @hellospunkiebrewster @boneandfur @tmarie82 @debramcg1106 @lizeboredom @simplyaiden-blog @the-writerly-night-owl @quacksonlover @thefarrari @snickette @hhiggs @marianagmt @drakewalkerfantasy @mistersinclaire @jessweb84 @marshmallow-ortega @butindeed @fluffy-marshmallow-heart @confessionsofabrokegirl @akrenich @alexanderkeith-77-blog @nicestrokepam @leelee10898 @blackcatkita @yesterday4 @shelivesinthewoods @snyggflicka @nekkidmolerat @srry-itshockeyszn @walkerduchess @choicesyouplayandmore @andy-loves-corgis @katurrade @too-poor-to-buy-keys @endless-vall @hopefulmoonobject @damienazarios @pens-girl-87 @catlady0911 @thatspicegirlssong

#playchoices fanfic #desire and decorum #ernest sinclaire #Mr. Sinclaire #mc X ernest sinclaire #for law and love #my fic

[easilydistractedbyfanfic]

Facing Your Demons - Season 6 Character Speculation: Raven

I know - we’re about to go into ep 10 of S6, and including that one, there’s only 4 more to go. But this season has been honestly crap for character speculation, IMHO, because so much is happening that seems like it’s for plot purposes rather than actual character motivation. I could go on about that but in this post, I’m trying to do something else. FYI - this post contains spoilers for all of Season 6 so far. 

In mid-May, I did a character spec for Murphy, found here. It hasn’t come 100% true but it’s not been completely false either. But I never could write one for Raven because her storyline has just been... a mess, frankly. A bleepin’ mess. But that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped thinking about it at any time. 

With regard to Facing Your Demons, Raven has been dealing with this theme since 6x01. Her fast involvement with Shaw is part of it, and I wrote about that here and here. She comments in one of the first scenes about how Monty and Harper “left us” - Raven has always felt left behind by the ones she loves. It’s a fear of hers, it’s absolutely a demon. I think she feels at this point that it’s a punishment towards her specifically, and part of what makes her think she can’t be happy/doesn’t deserve happiness. Her mother basically abandoned her, Finn chose someone else over Raven and then abandoned her in death, Sinclair left her, Wick went up in smoke, Clarke said she would choose Raven first but then doesn’t (resulting in feelings of abandonment), Abby abandons her by choosing the drugs instead, Shaw abandons her by dying, so do Monty & Harper, and even to an extent Spacekru abandons her when they go to the ground in S5 without Raven even though this is what Raven intends. (Ah, but Murphy doesn’t abandon her and in fact is one of the only people to ever tell her “I’ve got this” rather than “you’ve got this”, which is what everyone tells Raven because they rely on her so much... but that’s another meta). 

So abandonment is a really big deal to Raven, it’s why she’s lashing out so much this season. But I feel like we finally saw a turning point when Raven chose to prevent Abby from taking the Zero-G spacewalk in 6x08. She’s still angry with Abby (understandably IMHO), but she’s not going to let Abby die even though she doesn’t agree with what Abby is doing. This is Raven both taking back control AND facing a demon - she literally says so “I couldn’t save my mother but I can save you.” Doesn’t get much clearer than that! Raven is actively healing a part of her past trauma (from her mother) by action she’s taking now (saving Abby).  

Also, Raven makes a clear stand this season when she says she wouldn’t murder anyone to bring back someone she loves. This is maybe not that important to anyone else because it’s just a moral judgment that Raven is making, but to RAVEN this is an important decision because she’s acknowledging in her own mind that despite her losses, no matter how big they felt to HER, there are some lines she won’t cross. This is another aspect of taking back control, Raven is CHOOSING who she wants to be. 

To me, Raven has been existing in the pain side of the “I don’t choose pain, I choose life” situation she had to make in S4. Maybe this was not consciously on her part, but she’s been wallowing in the ramifications of S5 to at least 6x08, IMHO. But she’s coming back around to herself via the examples I’ve already given, AND when she made the choice to let Abby go to Kane to say goodbye, even though this was against Kane’s wishes, angered Indra AND it’s not like Raven is thrilled with Abby right now and was just being nice. This actually super fits in with Face Your Demons, because tying in to that is how Raven didn’t get to say goodbye to Finn. She’s giving Abby the thing she herself needed, again actively healing a part of her past trauma by action she’s taking now. 

So what could come next? Well if I had my way, Raven would continue facing her demons which would allow for healing from past events and give her back some agency and also reassurance that she is not just loved but worthy of being happy. This is t100 though so you all know I don’t have much faith in THAT! But... what if... all props to @jarleene for bringing up this possibility during a chat, because the more I think about it, the more I wish we could see it. We know Murphy is going to be tied to a pole in the very near future, his life probably threatened. Who does that remind you of? Oh, was Finn tied to a pole? And Raven could do nothing to save him, had to watch him be killed in front of her? What if Raven could heal some of that past trauma by being able to save Murphy? Shipping aside, Spacekru is family - Finn was family to Raven, Murphy is family too. If she can save Murphy, she heals part of her own past trauma. AND he can heal part of his own too because no one came to rescue him from the Grounders, no one came to rescue him when he was hung. Murphy is not used to being rescued/feeling worthy of that type of sacrifice. But if someone in his family rescues him from the Primes, this goes a long way towards making him feel worthy and also forgiven, which is something he needs. 

It’s probably too neat, tidy and logical for t100 though, so maybe I ought not get my hopes up! Anyway, I have a lot of thoughts about how most of the characters are stepping into someone else’s shoes from S1. I keep meaning to put that into a meta, but a small example is how I think Raven is mirroring Murphy’s anger and lashing out in S1, and how Murphy is mirroring Bellamy’s S1 arc of being out for himself/his own goals and kind of chaotic. 

Of course, I could be grasping at straws and what’s really going on is poor characterization due to plot and new writers who don’t “know” these characters over 5 seasons or who care more about sci-fi than whether the characters would actually act in this way.... Regardless, sticking with FACE YOUR DEMONS, we are actually seeing some of that onscreen and I hope that for my two faves, it might result in something good for a change. 

Yeah, I’m not holding my breath! LOL!

#raven reyes #the 100 season 6 speculation #john murphy #murven #my meta

[cartoonfangirl1218]

Winner’s Curse Ch. 4

Uma walked confidently across the cracked and potholed cement street that led to the decaying apartment buildings from the docks.

Uma surveyed the familiar surroundings that somehow looked more shabby and depressing than when she had left it. 

The place has never looked well-kept, but the building foundations were staggering and leaning sideways, store stalls looked abandoned even as store owners slept in front at their desks, and random pieces of junk and rotten food littered the streets without anyone even scouring for scraps.  

Even the weather was different. The Isle was usually gloomy, and cloudy but there also seemed to be a permanent electric tension in the air as if the sky was about to erupt into a lightning storm at any second.

But the people were the most changed. Instead of adults slouching by the alleyways, glaring and spitting at anyone who got in their faces, no one was there.

People were staying inside their stores and looked away when Uma glanced at them as if they were afraid of making eye contact with her.

The kids were even worse. The kids that usually ran around causing mischief and trying to beat each other had all disappeared from the dirty street corners. 

It was sickening to see how the Isle has changed. No one was independent or trying to be evil. They all were weakly submitting in fear to the Coven.

Unfortunately her pirate crew also seemed to have suffered from the power structure changed. When she met them last week after Harry rounded everyone into her mom’s Fish & Chips shop, they had been happy to see her return but none were as united and motivated as they had been when she had left. Some like Zeke and Rosita had gotten in more fights and were as irritable and murderous as Harry. Others just looked haggard and starved like Bonnie and Big Murph. While others were just fidgety and nervous having been the victim of constant harassment and robbery from “Authority” VKs.

While she had been glad to leave this hell hole and see how the Auradon half lived, she felt better to be back among the people who understood the bitter realities of life.

She had stayed in her mother’s old cave in Atlantica. It had been long abandoned since her mother’s deportation to the Isle and no one wanted to go near such an evil place so Uma remained undisturbed and undetected. And even though she couldn’t really hang out among the crowds in Atlantica she did sneak around to see the place. It was a total tourist trap with disgustingly peppy signs and squealing children on water rides as tourists complained to mermaids about the plant-like taste of their kelp tacos.

This sort of prissy complaints from rich Auradonian was exactly why she wanted to give them a taste of Isle life. If they thought their kelp tacos were hard to swallow wait till they tasted mushed apple cores. 

Those Auradonians were so oblivious, so uncaring and they were supposed to be good guys.

“Uma.” Harry grabbed her arm, bringing her to a stop before a nondescript crumbling brick apartment, “We’re here.”

Harry looked toward her to take the first step forward as a first mate must do for the Captain and Uma did so.

Clay Clayton was sitting on the broken front step, sharpening a club with a knife. The smoke from the cigar dangling in his mouth surrounded his head and his foot shot out to block their entrance.

“What do you want?” If he was surprised by her return, he didn’t let on but let other puff of smoke drift in their direction.

Clay may be antisocial and one of the most vicious VKs to brawl with when it came to scraps of food, he was more or less harmless. He had inherited his father’s propensity towards drink which tend to shave off some intimidation points when he was trying to fight and he was furiously slurring his threats and unable to walk.

“I’m here for Helga Sinclair. Sykes said to meet her in the apartment here at lunch.” Uma answered, easily kicking his foot out of the way.

“Wouldn’t want to go in now. It’s not lunch for thirty minutes.” Clay grunted.

“The sooner we get it over with, the sooner we get done.” Harry said and pushed past him to open the door for Uma.

Uma wasn’t about to show it, showing emotions is one of the greatest mistakes to make on the Isle, but she was actually really excited to put this plan into action. Not only was this going to be the first step toward changing life on the Isle and eventually Auradon, but after spending six months in Ursula’s cave, studying some of the spellbooks her mom had left there, she was itching to do something active.

Harry was the only one accompanying her with stealing the bauble since it would have been overkill to bring the whole pirate crew. Instead she left Bonnie and Gil in charge of the crew and their part in the grand plan was to remind everyone on the Isle who the most fearsome gang was. And possibly pull several hits on Lars as well.

Gil had reluctantly told Uma about Lars’ actions towards him and she had decided someone needed to remind Lars of a very important rule. 

No one messed with her crew. 

No one.

She and Harry slowly climbed the unsteady, creaky stairs up to the second floor where Helga lived in the first apartment according to Sykes.

Uma easily opened the door as the rusty lock broke under her hand after she banged it a few times.

She was met by the image of Clayton’s bare ass in its full glory as he seemed to be pumping into Helga’s backside.

Uma’s startled squawk must have been loud enough to gain their attention because the two stopped. Clayton gave them a disgusted glare and casually zipped up his pants as Helga pushed away from to pull up her own and straighten her greasy tank top.

Seeing two people having sex wasn’t anything new to Uma. 

She had accidentally walked into a lot of people “doing it” in alleyways but she hadn’t been expecting this. 

These two were one of the fiercest fighters on the Isle, they were tough and intimidating. Sort of too busy with combat and brawling for sex. Apparently not.

So this is what Clay meant by not wanting to go in right now.

However the older woman seemed unperturbed, her only comment to their surprised faces was, “We’re human. We have urges. Sometimes you need a fuck and a drink to deal with life in this hellhole.”

Uma tried to nod knowingly as she watched while Helga go search for something in a leather bag next to a dusty cot while Clayton left to go through to a door leading to what Uma assumed to be the kitchen from the sound of a cork popping.

Helga’s grunt brought Uma’s attention back to the soldier, and just in time for her to catch a sea glass orb thrown in her direction.

“Here’s one of your mom’s orbs. That will be $20.” Helga held out her hand expectedly.

“Huh? What?” Uma stammered, mentally kicking herself for losing her mature composure. She had already paid Sykes $20 when she had ordered Helga’s services. Knowing how business was run on the Isle, either Sykes hadn’t given Helga her cut or Helga was lying that she needed to pay so she would get more money.

Either way, it didn’t explain why Helga had already gotten the sea glass orb her mom used to make gaudy necklaces.

“Why do you have this? Aren’t we supposed to steal together?” Uma managed to regain her normal confident voice.

Helga scoffed, “No. You hired me to take this. I did. I don’t need your help for it. I don’t work with greenhorns.”

“Well, uh. Well I need to hire you to steal something else. To steal with us.” Uma clarified.

Helga raised her eyebrow sardonically, “I don’t work with greenhorns.”

“Listen Sinclair,” Harry moved forward to help Uma make her point, menacingly wielding his hooked hand to graze Helga’s collarbone, “We need your expertise. And you’re going to give it or else.”

Helga’s expression transformed to the poker face Uma had seen her use when she quelled bar brawls at Gaston’s house. It was stony, rarely changing from its look of calm determination.

Without a warning, she twisted Harry’s hook arm behind his back, knocked him in the spine and straddled him so her knee digged into his back. Using her free hand she took out a small glock from her back pocket and placed it at Harry’s temple. She cocked the trigger.

On instinctive, Uma dropped her sea glass orb, glass shattering everywhere and cutting her skin but she didn’t care. “No!”

She wanted to go help but knew her limits too. She hadn’t had the thirty plus years of soldier training the woman had and they both knew it.

“This.” Helga shook her head pitying at Uma, not once moving her gun from Harry’s head, “Is why I don’t work with greenhorns. You take everything personally.”

Uma could have mentally kicked herself again. Never show emotion for another person.

With that rule in mind, Uma refused to allow herself to sigh when Helga let Harry get up to stand next to her by the door and she refused to unclench her fist as she warily eyed Helga.

As much as she loathed relying on others she needed Helga’s expertise. She couldn’t let her plan start if she didn’t have the proper muscle.

“Fine. No playing games or stealing useless trinkets. But I do have another proposition for you.”

“A proposition? From Ursula’s daughter, this got to be good.” Helga’s voice dripped with sarcasm even though her face didn’t change from its focused concentration.

Uma ignored the lack of respect, “I want to get into the Coven’s castle in order to infiltrate it from-“

“No.” Helga interrupted sharply, her eyes flashing with annoyance, “That’s my one condition for jobs. No magic. No supernatural. No long lost civilizations or curses longer than four letters. I’m not the one for the job.”

“I’ll pay you. I bet Sykes doesn’t even pay you as much as cut as he claims to. If you do this, I’ll pay you in full.” Uma angled, and hoping this wouldn’t push Helga to kick their asses out, “When do you ever do something a boss hasn’t ordered for you? Can’t you lead on your own or are you just a subordinate?”

Helga raised both eyebrows this time, looking as if she caught on to Uma’s blatant attempt to rile her up. Instead of kicking them out as Uma feared she would, she chose her words slowly and deliberately, “What is this plan exactly?”

Uma decided to not divulge in all the details or what Helga’s full role would be, after all, she needed her on board first, “I need you to just get us into the castle. Stand guard and get us out.”

Helga went up to them at the doorway surveyed them suspiciously. She was a good few inches on them but Uma held her glare for glare and Harry looked borderline innocent as he rubbed a smudge of dirt from his hook.

“Meet me here when you have $5,000 bucks.” Helga muttered and slammed the door in the face.

#winner’s curse #uma #harry hook #chapter four #disney descendants #helga sinclair #clay clayton #clayton #my fanfic #my fanfiction

[kinetic-elaboration]

April 12: Thoughts on 1x11 The Calm

Thoughts on 1x11 The Calm:

S1 Bellarke is the hottest Bellarke fight me.

My boy Jasper doesn’t even appear in this ep and he’s STILL being useful literally making gunpowder like fuck off.

Bellamy is all for just killing everyone and Clarke wants to find some other way. I dunno if I read this as her being influenced by Finn or more like...her mind always whirring, always thinking of better solutions. She’s never content with just the most obvious thing. That said, their positions are reversed a season later: Clarke is all for just blasting the top off Mount Weather and Bellamy wants a more nuanced plan because he sees the people on the inside.

Why wasn’t Murphy + Octavia ever a thing? Also Murphy is smart about cooking meat. Chef!Murphy (head)canon already forming.

“When you’re really pissed off, you always find a project. Something to keep your hands busy so you don’t punch someone in the face.” Finn is annoying but this is good Raven characterization intelligence. Also their conversation is so painfully awkward. She really does just tamp it all down, bottle up those emotions.

Literally nothing is hotter than Bellamy being a leader and giving orders and the delinquents being a competent little group defending and taking care of themselves.

And yet again, Clarke suggested hunting and Bellamy essentially had to sign off on it (not only did he challenge on her and make her explain herself, but tbh if Clarke had told people to pick up spears and go they would have been like yeah right princess)--but it was Bellamy who gave the actual orders, BELLAMY who appears as the leader in the delinquent pov.

I wish there were more young delinquents--really young not Jasper-and-Monty young. Like this loquacious kid who goes hunting with Finn and Clarke. Or even Charlotte, kids that age. ...Really I just wish there were more delinquents. :/

So Raven’s first instinct isn’t to fuck away the pain, it’s to run. Dumb but understandable. She insults Bellamy based on his Ark job (”Aren’t you a janitor?”) which also feeds into my other theory about Ark and class status.

I know I’ve written B/raven stuff and I do ship them in a low-key way, in a ‘they would be interesting together’ way...but I don’t ship them in a canon way, tbqh. In this Bellamy and Raven scene, I see them having a good rapport, but in a way I also see him working her, getting her back on track not just for her own good but for everyone’s good. He has a double agenda and both parts are important.

I wonder how much familiarity everyone on the Ark has with everyone else. That’s not totally clear... people seem to have passing familiarity with others, but not close familiarity. On the other hand, Wick seems pretty comfortable just talking to a Councilor like whatever nbd. On the other, other hand that could be Wick’s personality and/or the circumstances. Most of the ship is probably dead and the rest will die soon so why be formal!

The creepiness of the Ark in this ep should not be understated.I love this aesthetic.

I want to know what the best part of a boar is! Clarke, don’t interrupt. Rude.

Two main characters and a kid you’ve never seen before go hunting in the woods. Which one is going to get speared?

Say what you want about Wick but he and Kane made a good team and I will stand by this opinion too.

In describing their route, Finn said they crossed a road. What road?? When have there ever been roads anywhere in this show?

Kane found a dozen survivors, Jaha has, like, 3....and somehow in Camp Jaha/Arkadia there are like several hundred (?) people. From only two stations like how is that possible? Also didn’t Farm Station have a couple hundred? They must have sent down over a thousand people lol. Kane did not find very many.

Also that Earth Monitoring Station is where the space survivors are living now and it was fucking destroyed in a fire but I guess we’ve just conveniently forgotten about that, huh useless show writers who can’t figure out their own continuity?

Kane has this annoying habit of just being uselessly self-sacrificing all the time. He would be so much more effective if he didn’t do that. He has a lot of hubris, I think. The unforgivable sin: thinking yourself so debased as to be unforgivable. It’s also another way of elevating yourself, of thinking yourself so important that you have sinned more than any other, are worse than any other...it’s still all ‘me me me.’ I think Kane is like that. He’s always looking for ways to sacrifice himself or to be dangerously heroic. I wonder if that matters more to him than, like, actual other people. (Some of this analysis could apply to Jaha at certain parts of his story, though mostly imo in S1. In S2 he starts thinking a little differently.) (ETA it definitely applies to him in this ep, where he wanted to sacrifice himself [and Sinclair] and Kane’s like ‘I’m not a dumbass, we need you smart people to save everyone else, this isn’t a wholly altruistic rescue mission you know.”)

Anya’s idiotic guilt trip re: Tris: “You did this to her.” Yeah I know she’s like 12 and that makes Clarke feel bad because her people don’t use pre-adolescents as soldiers but she should take the attitude she took with L. later. You don’t want me to fuck you up? Don’t attack me first. Would Anya be shedding any tears over the dead, disgusting bodies of the children her chemical attack killed? I doubt it. And they weren’t even soldiers! I mean really the Grounder attacks on the delinquent camp are the equivalent of an attack on a village of civilians, especially initially.

So Monty finds some of the first evidence of Mount Weather (the exodus ship logs showing interference) and Raven’s like ‘neato...give me that for parts.’ He’s much more curious than she is. She’s more...practical? Single-minded? Not that Monty isn’t practical. I dunno. Unrelated but I had this sudden image of modern!Monty listening for signs of alien life, for some reason.

Monty wants to keep the radio because he still believes in the Ark and he wants to see his parents again. “My family is up there.” Makes me even more curious what his relationship with his family is like. (You’d think S3 would have answered that but...not really.) He’s one of the few people who seems to care about those left on the Ark. And he looks so sad when Raven unplugs it... A rare moment when he lives up to his fandom cinnamon roll image. And when Raven leaves he picks up the radio thingy and I wonder if he’s considering putting it back together.

Murphy has a fish.

I gotta love Raven’s confidence: I’m hot and I’ve identified a straight man, if I start undressing, he’ll sleep with me. If I were as hot as her, I’d probably be that confident too, but still.

Bellamy’s “I’m not that guy” speech is actually hilarious when parsed. It’s like the equivalent of “IF I were going to say X, it would sound like this, but since I can’t, I won’t.” Like “If you’re looking for someone to tell you [a list of things in detail], that’s not me.” But you just did dumbass. His ‘bad boy’ persona cracks so easy.

Right before Clarke unpacks the medical tools, there’s a shot of a random $50 bill on the ground. Mmmmm something tells me that our weak U.S. paper isn’t going to survive a century post-apocalypse lol. There’s also a piece of paper. What is that stuff doing there?

Oh never mind. It’s an old bank. There’s paper and cash all over and lots of little drawers. Makes sense, banks would have vaults, and bunkers did have money in them. Maybe they’re in the Treasury’s old bunker. I never noticed that before, but it’s actually quite clever. The set design on this show is A-PLUS.

I’m not into the enemies-to-lovers thing generally but Anya/Clarke should have been a thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.

What an incredibly unsatisfying sexual encounter.

Kane says ‘no more than 1,000 survivors’ and ‘at least 1,500 dead.’ There have to have been at least 1,000 though, because they send them down on 12 ships and assuming they spread themselves about equally (which isn’t necessarily true but would be the smartest thing), that would be about 83 people to a ship. And I’m fairly sure Farm Station had more than 83 people and I’m also semi-sure that Arkadia as of 3x01 had more than 166. I mean it’s really hard to tell, and I can’t remember what sort of casualty numbers they gave for the Mount Weather explosion, but these seem like very low numbers to me. I don’t know. Maybe it does make sense and I’m just missing or mis-remembering something.

Having said all that, they did find another cache of survivors after this dialogue (including Abby), which might explain the discrepancy. (ETA not really because they only find, like, 10.)

Kane’s trip through the vent is a nightmare scenario for me so I’m just gonna...not watch.

Lindsey Morgan is so kickass in this ep, like how she stutters a little bit on “family” when she’s talking to Monty.

I completely forgot about this but the Grounders literally try to steal Clarke away like wtf. First of all, I wouldn’t trust her even as far as I could throw her if I were them. And second...she’s the enemy? But “prove your worth and you’ll be welcome here” I guess. Maybe Anya’s into her. I guess it’s good to poach the best talent from the other side before you destroy them. Also love that Clarke pretends to consider it.

The kill marks are to symbolize kills in combat so, really, Clarke’s 3x01 crack abut not having room on her back for all the deaths she’d caused misses the point...as far as I can remember she’s never actually killed in combat. Killing in self-defense, in group self-defense, or as part of an overall military-type mission isn’t the same as in combat, especially as she mostly acts as a general-type person, giving orders rather than doing deeds. Even pulling the lever, with Bellamy, is an awfully sanitized way of killing.

Going after this guy, getting him talking, taking out his knee and then slashing his throat, is one of Clarke’s best moments. HIGHLY UNDERRATED. Really second only to her escape from Mount Weather in early S2. Also props to Eliza Taylor, I appreciate how her expression afterward is half ‘oh shit I killed a man, this is terrible’ and half like steely resolve and determination.

Can Monty not tell the cardinal directions? (Your other West, Monty.)

A rare moment where Octavia and Raven seem like friends. Actually this is a good Octavia episode. She’s only in 3 scenes, which might explain why...

Also underrated is the tense but quick blnk-and-you’d-miss-it horror movie moment of Monty being taken by the Mountain Men. “What’s that creepy signal?.... Omigod... “ And he was never seen or heard from again.

So...why did the Mountain Men take him? Shits and giggles? To see if they could experiment on him? They seemed to have decided pretty quickly that the Sky People were like them, guests rather than blood resources. I wonder what the thought process was.

The end of this episode was aces. Great set up for the finale. I miss when this show was good.

#the year 2018 #2018: the 100 s1 #2018: fandom thoughts

[horizondawn]

For the Doctor Who ask thingy, if that's alright! 7, 13, 19, 23, and 25

It sure is! :D

7. Favourite companion/doctor relationship 

ughhh, this one is hard too! haha This is what happens when I love pretty much everyone literally equally (well in Moffat’s era anyway). Dang it between Amy/Rory/Doctor and Clara/Doctor it’s ridiculous (the only reason Bill isn’t included is ONLY because of the fact that there is only one series to go off of, and she’s with a Doctor who (lol) knows who he is). See, friendships and family mean the entire world to me, so that’s why the Ponds are so important on a personal ground, but Clara is the one who helped the Doctor truly understand and accept who he, or eventually they, are at their core. For those of us who read every little sliver of character development we possibly can, we see who the Doctor is more than ever right now, and that’s all thanks to Clara really, for being there after he lost the Ponds. It blends a lot for me because everything about Eleven and his relationships with his friends is what ultimately lead him to where he is now. And we can’t forget that Missy is the one entirely responsible for bringing Clara and the Doctor together in the first place. It’s all a mess of emotions for me with the Doctor and his companions in the era of the Moff.

13. First story you saw on TV.

If we’re talking about on the actual channel it originally airs on (BBCA for me) than it would be The Magician’s Apprentice. When I got into Doctor Who I lived in South Korea, so there wasn’t a way for me to watch it except for livestreams and streaming sites while series 8 aired. By the time series 9 started I had moved back to America, so I had actual TV again for the first time in over 2 years.

19. Favourite one off monster

I never actually thought about this before. Hmmm… that’s a tough one, but the episode that first popped into my head was the unnamed monster in Midnight. That episode was seriously messed up psychologically, and we didn’t even see the dang thing and don’t know what it’s called. I just have a fear of not being in control of my emotions and actions, and that’s exactly what it strips away from you. And it made everyone else go mad. I’m sure there are other great ones that I’ve forgotten, but this is one that definitely stands out.

23. Least favourite companion (why?)

Okay hopefully this stays in a safe spot because it’s a pretty unpopular opinion for a certain portion of the fandom. And I’m not saying I hate her, but Rose is at the bottom of the list. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE her in series 1. She is fabulous and I absolutely adore her. Once Ten comes in though she becomes this bratty and clingy child who just wants the Doctor to herself. And then her lingering presence makes itself known in not very good ways following her departure that hurt Martha and Donna within the narrative even when she wasn’t there. Not only that, but her actual return was extremely anti-climatic. And in the end she got her Doctor clone. Her character was just a mess after series 1 as a whole, but even then I wouldn’t have had that much of a problem with her if it weren’t for Rose-stans people. She’s good as a whole for the introduction of the show and I will not invalidate her importance to the Doctor with her being his first companion after the Time War, but her character got really sloppy in the end and I felt like she didn’t grow at all really as an individual, again following series 1. But again, that’s just me. People are allowed to love her of course. It’s that certain part of the fandom that has ruined her enjoyment for me to the point I can’t look at her without that bitterness most of the time because you know, Moffat companions are “flat and are only mysteries to solve” apparently to them.

25. Favourite EU companion?

I actually got really excited about this question. And because I talk about the EU so little I’m going to mention my top three. First is the lovely Josephine Day. Holy I love this girl so much. She’s the companion of the eighth Doctor from Titan Comics. She’s smart, has a wonderful personality, she loves art, and she and the eighth Doctor are so in sync and balance one another wonderfully. And there’s a wonderful little twist at the end. It’s only 5 volumes long, so I highly recommend it for a short story but wonderful character (and the art is absolutely lovely as well).

The other two are ironically companions of Eight as well, and sometimes River Song. Yeah, I’m talking about Liv Chenka and Helen Sinclair. TBH I do need to listen to their stories again to remember specific details, but once again I just love their dynamic with the Doctor, and how gay everything becomes when River shows up. It’s not even River’s interactions with the Doctor I get excited about (which isn’t as much as you think since it’s always younger versions), but River with Liv and Helen gives me life. If you can find a way to listen to it, Doom Coalition is astounding, and Liv and Helen are half of the reason it is.

#thiswolflovespizza #heather answers #meme asks

[immortalpramheda]

The 100 ‘The Other Side’

We’re getting closer and closer to Praimfiya. There are only 2 days left. People have started dying and this episode was very emotional.

So, Clarke stole the bunker. With Jaha’s encouragement I’m sure. Did she really think that Octavia didn’t stand a chance at winning the conclave?? They had no idea whether she’d won or not. Clarke was just convinced that Luna was going to win and therefore no one would get the bunker, so she stole it. Yeah, very smart plan Clarke. Seriously, what kind of a plan is that??

And did Clarke seriously think that Bellamy would be okay with staying down there not knowing what happened to his sister? And did she just think her mum would be fine with Kane still being up there? I feel like she didn’t completely think this through. I get that she wants humanity to survive and she did what she thought had to do for that to happen. But I can’t believe she was okay with Bellamy being shock lashed and locked up after they’d found out Octavia won.

Murphy kept being his snarky self, but he actually followed the rules for once and wouldn’t set Bellamy free. Really Murphy? After all the times you could have started listening to what people say now is when you choose to? He fell asleep guarding him though. Typical Murphy.

Bellamy was so determined to escape he let the handcuffs dig into his wrists. Bellamy!! That fucking hurt to see. But it just showed how determined he was to rescue his sister, no matter the cost. Despite everything they’ve been through one thing that has never changed is Bellamy’s love for Octavia. He would do anything to protect her. Anything. I am so happy Abby helped him escape. And she knocked Jaha out which is something I’ve been waiting to see for ages!

When Clarke was pointing the gun at Bellamy and actually shot in his direction, for a moment I thought she might actually kill Bellamy if she thought she had to. This is the girl who killed Finn so that they could make peace with the Grounders, and the girl who was willing to let her mother die so that ALIE wouldn’t win. If she thought she was doing it for the greater good, I don’t think there’s anything she wouldn’t do, even killing Bellamy.

Thankfully she couldn’t do it. The emotion in her face as she lowered the gun showed so much. I’ll admit, I do ship Bellarke, but I don’t think that’s the reason why she put it down. It wasn’t her love for Bellamy. She loves him, that’s obvious, but that’s not what stopped her. She wanted to save humanity. Since they’ve been down in the bunker she’s been feeling so guilty. The way that she walks and talks, it’s obvious that’s how she feels. She’s conflicted between her head and her heart. Her head tells her that this is the right thing to do for humanity to survive. But her heart knows it’s wrong. That it’s not fair to steal the only thing that will save them from Praimfaya for only their people. Thankfully she came to her senses. I don’t think she could have lived with the guilt of what she did for the next 5 years.

The Blake reunion!! I have been waiting for this for a few seasons now! Octavia has finally forgiven him. Although what he did last season was horrible, in my eyes he’s redeemed himself. Last season he lost his way a little but he’s back to being the person he’s meant to be. The Blake siblings hug was such a beautiful moment! Bellamy telling her how much he loves her and how happy he is that she’s alive. That hit me right in the feels.

Octavia promised each clan 100 spots in the bunker (and she banished Echo finally!). There is enough room for 1200 people down there, so conveniently it adds up perfectly. There are 12 clans, minus Floukru because they are all dead, so there’s exactly the right amount of spots. So we’re now right back to square one with the list. And this time Clarke doesn’t get to decide. Does she even deserve to get a spot considering what she almost did? Honestly, at this point I’m not even sure.

Raven. Oh Raven. She’s still having hallucinations of Becca. And she continues to have seizures all alone with no one to help her. And she hallucinated Sinclair. That hurt my heart. I miss Sinclair so much. ‘Stay in the rover’ still haunts me. He was basically her conscience this episode. He gave her the push she needed to try to live. He was her mentor. He was her father figure. He pushed her limits. He helped her grow. Some part of Raven wanted so badly to live and so she imagined the one person she knew would not let her give up. She was fighting with Becca, the other side of her conscience, who wanted her to give up and let go. But she fought that voice.

Raven is the strongest character on this show. Look at what she did this episode. She’s disabled and all alone in the lab. But she managed to lower herself into an ice bath, stop her heart from beating, make it start beating again, pull herself out of the bath and shock herself to heal her brain damage. She did it all by herself. With the push she knew she needed from her mentor. I like to think of Sinclair as her guardian angel. Leading her in the direction she needs to go. That was beautiful. When she held her hand against Sinclair’s I broke down. This episode was very emotionally draining.

So now Raven is okay. She healed her brain damage and is not dying anymore. Thank god!!! I was so worried that Raven was going to die this season. But she's okay now. She’s okay. She’s still in pain but at least she’s not dying anymore.

Jasper. The saddest thing is that Jasper’s depression didn’t just affect him, he dragged other people down with him. He basically started a suicide cult. Riley overdosed (sorry you won’t be missed). Seriously, what was the point of saving Riley after all?? Everyone else of Jasper’s crew were so out of it. The radiation had started to get bad and was making people ill.

Why is Harper cool with all this when there’s a way to live with someone she loves? I get why Harper thinks she doesn’t deserve to live, but to tell Monty that she doesn’t love him… I can’t. Monty would live with that for the rest of his life. Knowing that his girlfriend who he loves chose to die rather than be with him. The two people Monty cares most about don’t care about him enough to live.

Monty still had hope though. He was staying until the last minute to save anyone he possibly could. He thought he could save Jasper, but he couldn’t. The saddest part is that Monty has been through thick and thin with Jasper. He’s always been there for him, trying to help him find his way. He’s ALWAYS been there for Jasper. After what happened at Mount Weather, Jasper didn’t want his help. But Monty still did everything he could to help him. To save him. But it wasn’t enough.

Monty finding Jasper too late was the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever seen. Jasper didn’t want Monty to see it. He didn’t want his best friend to see him die. Until Jasper’s final breath Monty tried to save him. He tried to make him throw up the tea he’s overdosed on. Monty’s known the depth of Jasper’s depression but he still tried even when he knew there was no use. He tried until Jasper’s final moment. Monty did everything he could to save his best friend. He never gave up on him. But it was too late.

Monty and Jasper’s journey ended with Monty telling Jasper he loved him as he died in his arms. That’s some depressing shit. I’m still recovering from that scene.

The most disturbing part of this episode was Monty walking past all the bodies on the ground. They had all overdosed. They all committed suicide together. It’s so messed up that Jasper let his depression kill other people too. One of the darkest things this show has done.

I am so happy that Harper decided to live. I know she was adamant that she didn’t deserve to, but she came to her senses in the end. She decided not to take the easy way out. And I’m so glad she did. If she’d died, if Monty had lost the 2 people who mean the most to him, I’m worried he might have wanted to die too.

That was a very heavy episode. One of the darkest episodes of the show for sure. Jasper had almost committed suicide twice so I knew he’d try again and eventually succeed. He was too far deep in his depression. I knew he was a lost cause. But a part of me hoped that he’d manage to find his way out. But tragically he didn’t. His death was a lot darker than I thought it would be. I didn’t think it would affect me this much. It’s going to take me a while to recover from that.

#the 100 #the other side #jasper jordan #bellarke #t100recap