#also. santa my friend where were you....june was like. just there. she disappeared.........but santa was nowhere to be seen

[escxpiism]

( olivia holt, 23, she/her ) * hey, i’m looking for the office of ALICE ADAMS. they’re the EMPLOYEE who’s known around the office as THE MASK if that helps ? not to be a gossip, but i’ve heard that they’re ADAPTABLE but JADED, is that true ? i also heard that they’re the one who CATFISHED DAVID HASSELHOFF. anyways, here’s the coffee they ordered.

hi y’all !! i’m may ( 21 // est // she/her ) and i am super super pumped to be here !! i’m also very much writing this against my better judgment ya girl’s running on four hours of sleep and has the option to sleep more but......... is not tired ?? so i do apologize if my mind is secretly tired and makes this intro,,,, even worse than it would be fahouedn. on with the show !! anyway anyway!! feel free to like this if u wld like 2 plot and i will hit u up!!

( also, for some vibes if you so choose to read, here’s the link to her playlist ! )

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QUICK FACTS:

full name: alice audrey adams

date of birth: october 26th, 1997

*will not perfectly reflect the zodiac big three below because that’s.... math.

zodiac big three: scorpio sun, virgo moon, taurus rising

gender & pronouns: cis woman & she/her

sexual orientation: bisexual

education: ged, bachelor’s degree in film — pratt institute

enneagram: 4w3

mbti: enfp

temperament: sanguine-melancholic

label: the mask

various inspirations: “nutshell” - alice in chains, “santa monica” - everclear, “polly” - nirvana, “jennifer’s body” - hole, “creep” - stone temple pilots, kate wallis ( cruel summer - shhhh ), heather davis ( crazy ex-girlfriend ), satana hellstrom ( marvel comics ), bojack horseman - without the amount of problematic ego ( bojack horseman ), eddie huang ( fresh off the boat ), the great britney spears evolution ( temporarily stopping at circus era )

BACKSTORY:

triggers in order: toxic family dynamic, grooming (nothing super in-depth), kidnapping (? like it was ‘willing’ but no. see next trigger for why), toxic “relationship” (and 11yr age gap w/ a 16y/o we hate it), straight-up captivity, very brief mention of suicide + heroin (very!)

*would like to quickly preface that this isn’t just Dark for the sake of being r/im14andthisisdeep but that’s for a later time **(also! i have markers for where the grooming + Super Dark parts begin and end! -- also, the Super Dark part is all very public knowledge. had articles. media frenzy. first thing that comes up if you google her name) *** also. if u need it then a tl;dr is below this section hfkldsa

alice audrey adams was born to the type of family that names all of their children alliterative names ( however, they sadly didn’t get their own kardashian-style show )... alexis adams (working name, utp if taken as a wc)... alfie allison adams (working name, utp if taken as a wc)... born to anna adams and allen adams... we hate it here.

as u can see... all of the kids were basically named after allen... they all had ‘al’ names.... extremely confusing 

plot-twist: THAT’S the darkest part

the adams were very concerned with public image. as a family in the upper echelon, they simply had to be! a narcissist father, a distant mother, put in competition with her siblings — there was no truly healthy dynamic in the household. but they looked good. they went to church every sunday, a ‘wwjd’ sticker on the back of her mother’s car. they did just enough activities and took just enough trips together to get the image across. they threw parties. they attended parties. they were the picture perfect american family — they even had two cats in the yard! life used to be so hard! 

of course, in reality, this all left ms alice quite the lonely gal. but don’t worry! she didn’t turn to hedonism! lord no! instead, she turned to other people. a lot of friendships — couldn’t tell if they were real or #fortheclout — but at a point, did it matter? 

grooming tw: it all came to a screeching halt when she met luke johnson, the son of their neighbors. he came back from california to georgia to visit family, care for his ailing father. oh, he was a good man! sure, he was ‘somewhat’ older than her — 27 when she was 16 — but he was such a good, handsome young man! and they were all still calling him young man, after all. 

alice ‘began’ a torrid affair with luke after about a month into his visit. although she saw no immediate wrong in it, he insisted she keep it a secret ‘for the time being’ — which really just made it all the more exciting! he made all the storm clouds that hovered disappear.

one day, the levee broke for alice (still figuring out what exactly happened because i don’t wanna go too dark since this is already extremely dark, but trust that it had something to do with her parents and was just enough to push her over the edge). convinced luke was the only safe person, she turned to him. knowing their small community would catch on and essentially exile him, he took that opportunity to convince her to go back to santa monica with him where they could ‘start anew’ after his father’s death.

there are a few details i plan on adding regarding like. how legality playing into it. but i may just reserve those for an official bio lhakfsdfj

**BEGINNING OF SUPER DARK** for a while, there was the question of whether they should consider it a kidnapping or not. she went with him willingly, but she was still underage (and… you know, that age difference… the power dynamic... gross y’all). the adams insisted that it was (bc it basically was lbr) — primarily because it would make them look far better — but the community still questioned the logistics and legalities of it all… ugh. did the police really wanna deal with that? ugh. 

in any case, on the other side of us america, autumn was nearing. alice would have the very occasional inquiry over how school would work (very occasional! don’t worry, luke!), over the logistics of her new life… and, after receiving multiple calls from various friends (in addition to her siblings) that sounded genuine, began wondering… if she’d made the right choice. questions about him.

when she began bringing up the idea of going back — at least for the school year!! — he would continuously remind her that she was not old enough to buy herself a plane ticket (and he was not about to do that). she also couldn’t rent a car yet (and he certainly wouldn’t let her take (one of) his car(s)!). but most importantly? he loved her. and she loved him. (what a creep!)

so, for a hot second, it seemed like she was stuck. damn legalities!! damn love!! you know, until she texted her older sister back with all of the problems that only being 16... and “in love”.... caused. her sister offered to fly down, buy her a plane ticket, and fly back with her. 

when luke saw this (with all the unrestricted access to her phone he had so he could block, delete, and manipulate as he pleased), he confronted her. things went awry. she wound up in his budding wine cellar (which he soon emptied, of course… those merlots :( ….). he messaged back and, as her, said it was actually all good!! luke had figured out the logistics and she could call whenever she wanted!!

and those calls became frequent! because she would pick up when luke held it up to her! because she was pretty sure luke would kill her if she didn’t!

she wasn’t sure how long it was until she was officially Found. it took what was ruled a suicide by luke, a shot to the head and heroin in his system, to finally get any authority’s attention. all she knew was that she went to santa monica in mid june and she stopped seeing regular daylight by late july. so some time in august to some time in april… **END OF SUPER DARK + GROOMING**

she was returned to georgia shortly after and everything was different. from herself to her friends. but everything was also the same. from her room to her family. it was all… teasing. she began going to therapy, but she really sucked at it?? so she just let her therapist rely on various articles that covered the event. because it had been a media circus. good enough, amirite?? 

she didn’t have the will or patience to put on that peppy facade she’d had before, but there were still a few things she found a smidge of joy in. music (although her taste had… slightly altered and wow! it’d been almost a year since she’d picked up that bass!), videography… just those small things, you know?? 

for the first half of the ~ 2014 fall semester ~, she attempted actual school. really was not working out. with, for probably the first and only time, her parents’ approval and understanding, she dropped out and studied for a ged -- shorter and self-led -- instead. 

she passed with a pretty decent grade... but it’s been argued that she really shouldn’t have gotten into pratt institute (she was at least realistic and didn’t apply to, like… cornell), but she did. national news helps. 

while in the concrete jungle where dreams are made of, she learned of masters. she submitted an application as a joke — because her grades sucked!!!!! — but guess who got a job?? oh, she could pretend it was because her selected portfolio was actually genuinely good… but, man… we all know…

fun fact: my uncle applied to harvard as a joke. some twenty-five years later, we still haven’t heard back :\

she… continues to suck. like… she kinda wants the place to eventually burn down?? figuratively speaking (or is it…) but ya, for all the monopolizing she has seen turn people Evil?? but the hell can she do about it… just gotta make sure she keeps her in-house videographer job… maybe she can do something about it when she like… is capable. fuaihoelwdjkn

she sees an in-house therapist and i’d say ‘good for her,’ but it was mandated l m a o 

doesn’t talk about herself all that much!! but that might not matter for some people, yk?? ugh journalism <3 

y’all im so bad at ending intros.

TL;DR:

(consult above trigger list): bright kid in a super rich and toxic family because obviously. everything they did was just to look good <3 also they all had ‘a’ names which is the biggest tragedy of all :( ‘fell in love’ when she was 16ys/o with a 27y/o who was visiting to care for his father in his final days. had a torrid affair. creep. creep (luke) basically made her ‘fall in love.’ she thought creep was the only safe person at one point and creep was like ‘wanna go back 2 santa monica w me?’ and she was like ‘yes.’ and everyone was like ‘was this kidnapping... we cant tell....’ then he became even more possessive when she started questioning him and some logistics. when she finally found a way she could go back to georgia for a spell, he was like ‘no u can go in my wine cellar btw i will be taking all of the wine out.’ he kept her there from august to april and... only reason he didnt keep keeping her was bc he was Caught so. back to georgia where the devil went down. everything was Worse. even the things that were the same. but hey, the sob story that landed her in the news plenty of times got her into a college she shouldn’t have gotten into and gave her a leg-up in a joke application for a job at masters (in-house videographer). really bad at doing her work but like... fuck the man i guess?? 

PERSONALITY + HEADCANONS:

has no time for Fake Nice (which, as a born southerner, she’s really good at sniffing out!). has no time for arrogance. kind of makes her at odds with the nyc upper class...

on that note, still got a lil bit of some georgia twang

she lets herself indulge in various vices, but has left a previous hedonist status. weed and alcohol are still pretty common, but everything else is kept at arm’s length.

also, while on that topic, she Does Not drink wine. being trapped in a cellar... kinda makes u averse. like. literally despises it. will go on autopilot and make it KNOWN if offered wine.

also ALSO while on that topic, after looking it up and seeing she fits the new york city requirements, she has a medical marijuana card <3 the one good thing, if u ask her, to come out of therapy/psychiatry <3 will not show it off unless absolutely NECESSARY bc then it gets personal or <3 will lie about why and say it’s like for epilepsy or sumn unless ur rolfe but <3 she has it <3

at odds with herself. enjoys the company of others, definitely has a history of being an extrovert, but has become very selective with the company she keeps. 

VERY private person! has had enough public standing! 

...has occasionally used her story to advance her tho bc it’s her national newsworthy tragic story and she can exploit it if she wants <3

when good charlotte said “i don’t wanna be in love”?? she felt that. her last ‘relationship’ ruined that for her <3 save her <3 

used to be really into pop! bc pop is fun! she loved some britney (i mean... she still does... how can u not!)! but. her taste has changed drastically. rarely listens to pop. has traded britney for like.... hole and the like.

her parents didn’t use this as the basis for her name but,, 2 me,,, she’s named alice for a reason <3 gotta luv alice in chains <3

y’all i found a youtube comment on a video called ‘nirvana - half the man i used to be’ (the song was, in fact, ‘creep’ by stone temple pilots) and it’s <3 her music taste <3 click here for it <3

the above said, dresses like she’s in seattle in the early 90s. 

her rumor is true btw she DID catfish david hasselhoff and she will proudly tell u. it’s her best accomplishment.

completely stopped talking to her parents and got cut-off a while back ago so now she’s livin like the Prols

which is how a rich kid one of my profs once advised referred to his classmates.... hilarity ensues.

the above in mind, her parents say she’s testing the waters as a ‘normal person’ to save face. they can’t have anyone knowing their family isn’t perfect <3

she has a pet turtle whom she named “dr. turtle,” although he’s constantly referred to as “doc” or “the doc.” he has his own youtube channel and tiktok account.

she has a wall full of evidence that courtney love did not kill kurt cobain... it makes sense, believe me.

became a vegetarian...... partially because it was different from her original life and a way to control something, partially because this commercial made her feel SO BAD.

literally her default mode is stoned like... a totally sober alice is rarer than a nessie sighting

when she was 18, before she could ‘hold her liquor’ as well as she can now, she got a lil too drunk and now has a portrait tattoo of courtney love on her forearm. but it was done well at least!!

kind of ironic considering her career, but RARELY posts on any social media site except twitter. after the media circus in 2014 and All Eyes On Her, she’s just..... so tired...... of ppl seeing her face and being like ‘omg ur that wine cellar bitch!’

(drugs tw) has become more and more Addicted to playing around with fate. j chill on a ledge, talkin to some pals, but deciding it’s a good idea to swing her legs on the wrong side of ledge? totally! mixing a lot of alcohol with opioids which she is not accustomed to? DEF!! (end tw)

more to come!!

CONNECTION IDEAS:

i have two (2) queued up!! but while we wait for them to post, i’ll just… link them over here: 1, 2

muse u <3 the other half of her subplot from the main <3

her older sister!

her younger sibling!

some of the basics!! you know: close pal, roommate, drug buddies (but she gotta hit them up), fwb, ons, frenemies, enemy

ppl who recognize her from the 2014 luke johnson articles and have either brought it up or,,,,,,, act Awkward™

cld be fun 2 just have like. a jam bud. someone who plays any instrument and they j. jam sometimes.

ppl she sells. some of her medical marijuana to. bc yk what weed may be legal in nyc now but,,,, she’s still found a way to be broke she will accept anything. and also it just became legalized THIS YEAR so!!

i have a budding wc page @ https://escxpiism.tumblr.com/wcs (and when i say budding, i MEAN budding) so feel free 2 check it out!!

more to come!!

#masters.intro #alice | intro ! #this took me like....... 2hrs 2 write so i do indeed think my mind is fooling me and actually lagging behind.

[vansmaybeonthewall]

Another One?

Masterlist

requests are open 

i did promise something to my fellow Misha’s and it has been fulfilled  

(don’t judge the choices I make, no God can tame me)

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“So get this. Lake Cachuma, California. Three men found dead with their ears blown out. All three found at the same place, at the edge of a dock leading into the water.”

“And this is our thing how?”

“Well, they weren’t taking some lovely vacation Dean. All three were found in their suits with a little note spilling their secret infidelities.”

“That’ll do it. Do we have a lead?”

“Yeah, Cassandra Peters. Senior at Santa Barbara High School, her dad was the most recent victim.”

“I hope you packed your bikini Sammy, California here we come.”

A Few Hours Later...

Yeah, it wasn’t sunny and warm as Dean Winchester expected. Cloudy skies and a light breeze greeted Sam and Dean as they arrived at the Peters household. Thunder rumbled in the distance, signifying a coming storm. 

“Still ready for that swim Dean?”

“Oh shut up.”

“I don’t think you’ll need sunscreen anymore, I know how much you hate it.”

“Sam-

“Um, can I help you?”

The argument came to a halt when a young girl opened the door.

“Cassandra Peters?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you mind if we talk to you about-”

“My dad’s death? So does everyone else, so how are you any different?”

Sam and Dean were left speechless. Sure there were people who were defensive after a family death, but a teenage girl? Usually, day old mascara streaks could be seen with red, teary eyes. But Cassandra Peters? Her face was void of any emotion with dull eyes. 

“We know what it’s like,” Dean started, “to lose someone.”

“Yeah well, do you know what it’s like to learn that that person wasn’t someone you knew?”

“We understand if you don’t want to talk about it, nobody does, but sometimes it’s easier to tell someone how you actually feel.” Sam hoped that was enough to get the girl talking. 

She looked slightly guilty, I mean, they looked like nice guys. 

“Look, I’m sorry. A friend of mine taught me to stop the tears with being an asshole. I don’t see how it works or how she does it, but I guess it’s a coping mechanism. Not for me I suppose.”

“Believe us when we say we understand.”

“Well, seeing as you’re still here, ask away.”

“Okay, was there anything strange that occurred around the time your dad died?”

“Well besides the weather, I don’t think so. Like the two before, a rain storm hit without warning. The streets flooded, you could barely see in front of you.”

“What about your dad? Did he seem strange to you?”

“Yeah, maybe two days before he seemed nervous, scared. He kept saying someone was following him. Some girl in a white dress.”

“Did he say what she looked like?”

“You see, that’s the strange part. He said he saw Y/N, which is weird because she was with me or in rehearsal. And there is no way Y/N would skip rehearsal.”

“Do you know where we can find Y/N?”

“She should be at rehearsal now actually. She’s not in trouble is she?”

“No, we just need to check up on her, have a little chat.”

“She’s at the high school, but be careful, she really doesn’t like being interrogated about her parents or any family related subject. She gave me the tip of being an asshole instead of being depressed, still not seeing how that works.”

“Can we ask why?”

“Her step-dad was the first victim.”

“Right. Well, if you think of anything, give us a call. Even the smallest thing can help.”

Dean handed her the famous “business” card, which made Cassandra do a double-take. 

“Sam and Dean Winchester? As in Y/N Winchester?”

“Sorry?”

“Y/N Winchester, that’s who I’m talking about. You have the same name. Now come to think of it, you guys kind of look alike.”

Cassandra pulls a picture from her phone.

“This is Y/N.”

Sam and Dean share a look, one between shock and nervousness.

“Would you, uh, would you mind telling us about her?” Dean asked, afraid to know the truth. 

“I don’t see why not, this is some TV shit. But you should probably come in, the rain won’t be getting any better.”

The Peters household was quiet and empty. Even with all the lights on, the house was dark. What captured the brother’s attention was the pictures of Cassandra and Y/N. 

“So what do you wanna know?”

“Anything really.”

“Okay. Y/N Marie Winchester, where to start. Born June 25, 1989, she’s a Cancer. Tall, like you two. She has the kindest eyes, when she looks at her it’s like she can see into your soul. She acts tough at first, but once she lets you in she’s one of the funniest people you’ve ever known. Oh, absolutely hates dresses, her favorite things to wear are flannels and her leather jacket. God that leather jacket, she never takes that thing off. She loves to sing, always has. She doesn’t like to get close to people, it’s like she’s afraid they’ll get hurt or that maybe she’ll have to leave them behind.”

Sam smiled softly and Dean held a thoughtful look, Could there really be another Winchester?

“Wait, she has your smile. And she has that same look when taking a test. Do you really not know if you’re related?”

“No, no Y/N Winchester has came up.”

“Well, I’ll take you to her. One, I’d love for Y/N to have her family. Two, I need a source of happiness and this family reunion will do it.”

“Lead the way.”

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“Okay, one more run through ‘World Burn’ and that’s a wrap. Y/N you ready?”

“Always.”

“Alright, from the top!”

Approx. a minute or two later, idk time 

As the trio made their way to the theatre, Cassandra could hear the chorus. 

“Come on! We’re gonna miss the best part.”

Lucky for them, they made it before the big note. 

“Gotta love a woman in power. Wait here, I’ll bring her to you.” Cassandra jogs towards Y/N as she jumped offstage. Greeting her with a hug, she explains her predicament. 

“A sister,” Dean started, “we might have a sister?”

“With the world we live in, I don’t find it impossible Dean.”

“But why would Dad-”

“Sam, Dean, this is Y/N. Y/N, this is Sam and Dean. Winchester.”

“Okay, I get that, but that doesn’t automatically make us related Cass.”

“Stop being hard-headed. Why don’t you guys talk it out? I’ll meet up with Jessie. See you later jerk.” With that, Cassandra took a U-turn towards another student.

“Bitch.” Y/N called after her. She turned towards the two giants, making a face at their surprised ones. “What?”

“Nothing, do you mind if we talk to you outside?”

“I don’t see why not.”

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“Holy shit! Is that a 1967 Chevy Impala? Please tell me it’s yours, I’ll tell you all my life secrets if it is.”

“Uh, yeah, it is.” Dean stuttered. The information the brothers were learning kept hitting them in the face. Is she really a Winchester?

“Yes! Let us congregate at this lunch table and I’ll spill my tragic life story.”

“So, you sing?”

“Yeah, best thing that’s ever happened to me. Everyone says I took it from my mom, but who knows, not me that’s for sure. Me and Cass are also in a band, which reminds me, I have to be somewhere in two hours, so if we could do this a little fast that would be great thanks.”

Dean, unlike Sam, wanted to get straight to the point. Why ease into the subject when it is so painfully obvious she’s a Winchester?

“What do you know about your dad?”

“Not much really, I just know he took off before I was born. I lived with my mother until I was about 5. Then my quote unquote “dad” came back into my life and my mother disappeared. Stayed with him for about a year, met a lot of strange people, and I was finally dropped off with some random couple here. Terrible parenting, but here I am alive and well I guess. But he did leave me some sort of book, more of a copy.”

Both brothers were intrigued in her life story. A strange life, a Winchester life. Y/N pulled the book out of her backpack, but when she did her shirt allowed the top of the anti-possession tattoo to peak out. Everything was pointing towards the fact that the three were related, but we can’t have any stones left unturned can we?

“Did that book say anything about your dad? A name, a picture maybe?” Sam was anxious.

“There was a letter when the book was first given to me with the initials J.W. but that’s it. I don’t think he wants to be found.” A solemn look crossed her face. “Well, that was fun, but I have to go.”

“Wait-”

“Look, you guys seem nice and it would be cool if we were related somehow, but I have a place to be. You’re welcome to come by though. I’ll give you my number, and maybe we could talk tomorrow. I should have more time seeing that it is Saturday tomorrow. It was nice meeting you Sam and Dean. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

As she walked away, Sam and Dean formed a plan. First, kill whatever monster terrorizing the town, then find out who the hell Y/N Winchester was.

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So close, but apparently so far. Upon looking in the journal, Sam and Dean found  a new monster, a siren. And though the monster seemed to be a siren, something wasn’t right. The bleeding ears made no sense. No siren case had bleeding ears. However, banshee cases dealt with bleeding ears, but no bodies near water. There was only one answer.

Break time. 

Y/N had sent Dean a message about the bar her band would be at, so the brothers decided to find out as much as they could about the girl before heading there.

“Dean, there’s nothing in the journal and I’ve read through it twice, what else are we missing?”

“Missing...missing...missing! Sammy, you’ve outdone yourself.” Dean reached into his pocket and pulled the stolen letter.

“Dean!”

“What! It slipped out of her journal.” Bitchface. “Okay, maybe I slipped it out of her journal, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we can compare Dad’s handwriting with the letter. And then you can hack into hospital records to find her birth certificate.”

“I am not hacking into the hospital records.”

“Oh c’mon Sammy, don’t you want to know who she is?”

“Of course I do, but I don’t want to get arrested while doing it.”

“Whatever, just give me the journal.”

Dean was only going to skim over the handwriting before something caught his eye. Information that wasn’t shared lay on the paper. The J.W was obvious on the bottom, but what caught his eyes were his name, Sam’s name, and an unfamiliar one. 

“That little bitch.”

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It took too long, it took too long, it took too long For you to call back And normally, I would just forget that Except for the fact it was my birthday My fuckin' birthday

Sam and Dean entered the bar, a bar that apparently allowed teenagers in, and spotted Y/N on the small stage. They could see why she needed to leave, not only to get them off her tail, but for all the other students partying their asses off.

We got along, we got along, we got along Until you did that Now all I want is just my stuff back Do you get that? Let me repeat that I want my shit back  

“So what’s the plan?”

“One we have to get her away from everyone else. Two, we can’t let her out of our sight. Remember what Cassandra said, the weather aligns with a body being found the next day. And since we don’t know the next victim, we have to hold Y/N hostage somehow.” 

“Where do we take her? She’s not going to abandon her friends Dean.”

“I don’t know, tell her we found something about Dad or her mom. Technically, we’re not lying, so don’t feel bad about it.” 

“Yeah, yeah alright.”

The two parted ways, searching for inconspicuous exits while watching Y/N. Though, it didn’t take long before Y/N spotted Sam. 

“Hey Sam, glad you made it. Where’s Dean?”

“He’s around here somewhere. Look, I needed to talk to you about your dad. We think we found something.”

“Now?”

“Yeah, I mean, if you can.”

“Now’s not really a good time. We can’t pick this up tomorrow?”

“It’s ki-” “Sammy!”

“Oh hey Y/N, mind if we talk to you for a second?”

“I can’t leave-”

“Yeah, but we really need to talk to you.” Dean had a smug smirk holding up the letter. 

“Fine.” 

Outside...

“So Y/N, you got anything important to tell us?”

“Nothing you don’t already know Dean.”

“Wrong answer.”

“Dean-”

“No Sammy, she needs to start telling the truth before someone gets hurt. Like little Cassie’s dad or Jessie’s dad.” 

“What do you want from me Dean?”

“You see, we were here on a case, but I bet you already knew that. Three people were killed, your step-dad, Matthew Jacobs, and Holt Peters, but you already knew that. All three said they saw a girl in white, and what do you know, it was you. We thought we solved the case, but nothing fit the banshee or siren profile. Imagine my surprise when I find my name along with Sam’s and a little gift. Athena Drea, some hybrid between a banshee and a siren. Fits the profile doesn’t it? Oh but that’s not all, Dad knew her, dear old John Winchester knew your mommy. And I’m betting that she disappeared because her time was up. What I don’t understand is your name? Why were you blessed with some form of mom’s name? What is so special about Y/N Marie Winchester?”

Angry tears streamed down Y/n’s face.

“Congratulations Dean Winchester. You figured me out.”

“Y/N-”

“No, it’s fine Sam, he’s right. What’s so special about me? The fact that I have no parents? That I have my mother’s powers? That I’m related to you? Nothing good comes with being me. There’s always a catch. Those people I killed? They tried to kill me first. Those lies about cheating, made them up. Yes it’s sick and twisted, but I’m still alive right? I’m lucky? I tried to protect you from knowing me, from being related to me. Why do you think I never reached out to you? Everyone around me gets hurt. My friends don’t know me like they think they do, I killed their dad! There is nothing special about me, and god if there is, I’d really like to know. Because all I know is that I’m a screw up with no family. So forgive me for running and lying.”

She tried to leave, but an arm on her shoulder prevented her from doing so. 

“You two should go, leave before something else happens. There’s no monster to kill, but I’d gladly let you kill me. That wouldn’t be the worst thing that’s happened to me.”

“Y/N.”

She shrugged his hand off and started to run.

“Y/N!”

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

“You were right, I should have never gotten attached.”

It was dark, the only source of light came from the moon. The sounds of the lake calmed Y/N from the harsh argument. 

“People got hurt.”

The quiet brought her peace.

“Some were innocent. Cass and Jessie, they didn’t deserve their family to fall apart.”

It took Sam and Dean quite a while to find Y/N. 

“I met them. Sam and Dean, they seem nice, but I screwed up mum. I lied and I don’t think they like me much anymore. It was nice to know that I had family out there. I know dad told me in the letter, but I didn’t think we would meet. You know how it goes, hunters and monsters don’t mix.”

Sneaking behind her wasn’t easy.

“I don’t understand mum. I don’t know what to do anymore. I can’t stay here anymore. I’ll have to leave and I won’t have anybody anymore.”

“You have us.”

She whipped around to find her brothers awkwardly standing there. 

“What do you two bozos want?”

Sam took the initiative, “We want you to come with us.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re family,” Dean surprisingly said, “and family means no one gets left behind.”

With that, the three had a slightly awkward, yet welcomed group hug,

Hours later.....

Everything was sorted. Y/N was leaving with Sam and Dean, and it was exciting. No more school, Sam sort of disapproved on that. A constant road trip with her family. Although, they would encounter many obstacles in their journey. 

Only one thing was left in Y/N’s mind. She sat in the backseat of the Impala and couldn’t resist it any longer.

“Hey Dean?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you just Lilo & Stitch me back there?” Sam laughed and Y/N started to giggle.

“Shut up.” But he looked out his window with a smile.

She really was a Winchester.

#supernatural #supernatural one shot #supernatural imagine #dean winchester #sam winchester #spn #sister winchester #spn imagine

[elopez7228]

Scenic Route 4/47

Read on AO3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/18268208/chapters/43229774

Start over : https://elopez7228.tumblr.com/post/620919089893933056/scenic-route-0147

Jessica was both overjoyed and terrified when she recognized Rey’s voice over the phone. She was shouting with a mixture of glee and rage about something along the lines of worrying to death and never being happier to hear something in her life.

Noticing Jessica’s sheer levels of anxiety, Rey strategically omitted certain details. She confirmed that she had arrived safely and had spent an unforgettable night in a luxury hotel—all at Finn’s expense, of course. She also downplayed the fact that her phone had run out of battery.

On the other end of the table, Ben Solo was trying very hard to pretend that he wasn’t listening. Rey knew that he didn’t miss a single word she said. She didn’t like the idea of being indebted to him, so she cut the call short, simply asking Jessica to tell the others that she was doing just fine and was having a splendid holiday.

Except for Finn of course. Finn could go die for all she cared. In fact, she really hoped he would.

She handed the phone back to Ben, who was still pretending to be disinterested.

“Problems with the boyfriend?”

Rey narrowed her eyes, dismissing the question as inappropriate.

“None of your business. Thanks for the cellphone. How much do I owe you?”

“Your digits. Then we’re even.”

Was he actually flirting with her? Rey sighed disdainfully.

“After nearly killing me with your Monster Truck, you’re trying to flirt with me? You have some gall, don’t you? Have a nice day, and thank you for the call.”

Picking up her damaged suitcase again, she waved politely to the waitress, who waved back. Then she headed over to the door. At the shopping center, she withdrew 500 dollars in cash, some of which she used to buy an adapter and a shoulder bag. She judged the new bag to be more suited to her trek across the country than her current roller model (which wasn’t doing a whole lot off rolling anyway).

The encounter with Ben Solo kept gnawing at her. The man was both intoxicating and insufferable, like over-sharp cologne that gave you a headache and made it harder to think.  He was a bullish, arrogant show-off—and yet something about him mesmerized her. The way he chewed his lip when he was deep in thought, the constellation of beauty marks on his face, or the involuntary grace in the way he ran his fingers through his hair. It made him seem vulnerable, utterly human. A far cry from the apathetic snark he pretended to be.

Emerging from the shopping center, she peered around the corner to make sure the pickup was no longer parked there.  Reassured that it had disappeared,  she walked over to the Night Owl café in relief now that Ben Solo had left the premises.

The new customers were hipster types, likely students, clad in harem pants, plaid, and oversized glasses. They typed away on their laptops, sipping from fancy drinks graced with floating scoops of ice cream.

“Hello again, can I hang around here while I recharge my phone? Should I order something else?” She asked, approaching the waitress again.

“No need, go ahead and make yourself at home. You can stay as longs as you want. I’m sorry about that annoying customer. Are you alright?”

Manners dictated that Rey should simply have responded fine, thanks, but the words that left her lips instead were “It’s absolute hell, I want to die.”

She blushed immediately, chewing on her lip. What had possessed her to open up to a stranger?

The waitress looked up at the clock mounted on the wall.

“I’ve got some time before the lunch rush, wanna talk? I can make you some fresh squeezed orange juice, it’s loaded with vitamins, it’ll help you recharge,”

“I—well…alright. That’s kind of you. By the way, I’m Rey,”

“I’m Rose, nice to meet you. I have a feeling your trip hasn’t gone to plan. Have you been here long?”

“Since yesterday,” Rey sighed, taking the glass of orange juice that Rose offered. She plopped down onto a bench and when Rose sat across from her, she told her everything: Finn, the wedding, the annulment, Poe, Jessica, the honeymoon trip, Ben Solo and his pickup.

Rose listened attentively, occasionally nodding mhm to encourage  Rey to keep going. Finally she asked, “But how much money do you have for this trip?”

“Not much, really” Rey shrugged, “Finn and I took out a loan to pay for the wedding, but now I have to reimburse the suppliers, give back our apartment, and whatever else I have to budget for the next five years. I’m generally better off the less I spend. It wasn’t the idea of the century to go on a two-week holiday with barely a quid to spare.”

Rose pursed her lips, assessing that last sentence. “I know someone who could use your services, if you’re interested. The job will make you some cash and take you pretty close to San Francisco.”

Rey hesitated. Silent alarm bells went off in her head, a gut instinct to pull away. She responded without thinking, “Is it prostitution or something? Because even if I’m penniless that’s out of the question,”

“No, not at all! It’s completely harmless. It’s just that I don’t have time to do it because of the café and all. No one will force you into anything.”

“Is it drug trafficking? Cannabis?  That’s legal in Colorado, isn’t it? Will I make enemies in the police department?”

“No, none of that,” Rose giggled, “It’s actually just taking a car up to California. And knowing your situation, I thought you could really use a ride. But if you don’t feel like it we can figure something else out.”

“And what does that entail exactly? What’s in this car?”

Rose jotted down a number on a Night Owl business card, handing it to Rey.

“You can contact Leia Skywalker using this number, she’s a friend. She’ll explain everything. I would do it myself but like I said, I just don’t have the time. And it would be a two-way trip for me anyway. You would only be driving one way, it’s totally convenient.”

Rey slipped the card into her pocket and drained her glass, rising to her feet.

“I’ll think about it, thanks a load,”

“You’re welcome, thank you too. I hope it all works out for you…”

Rey threw her bag over her shoulder, taking out her phone, she made her way to the exit.

“Yeah, I hope so too...”

She found herself on the road again. Inside her pocket, her fingers fiddled with the glossy edges of the business card.

The thought of that card in her pocket distracted her throughout the day.

She went to the Black American West Museum on California Street, to broaden her horizons on a culturally and historically relevant fieldtrip. She didn’t retain anything however; distracted by hard realities like not knowing where she was going to sleep that night.

She ate a cheeseburger and an Oreo milkshake at this “Jack in the Box” place, where the hundreds of options at the soft drink machine left her feeling indecisive. Looking at the advertisements, this Jack fellow was an odd mascot who only appealed to American sensibilities; his prim suit contrasted comically with his ballooning head, which looked like it was decorated by a child no older than five.

She travelled on foot to the Santa Fe Art District, where she wandered without really admiring the bright murals and art galleries. It was getting late and she was feeling tired due to the lingering jet lag. She needed a room for the night.

Worn out from her day-long walk, she slumped onto a bench. It was there that she saw the poster, in the corner of a shop window across the street.

Howl at the Moon presents: Kylo & the Knights of Ren, June 30th to July 4th: Free admission

Where had she seen that name before? Kylo and the Knights? What a bizarre name, but why was it so familiar?

It dawned on her. Kylo Ren was written on the bumper sticker of that pickup. The one belonging to what’s-his-face Ben Solo. It was a rock band.

Well, then! Instead of finding a place to sleep, she had stumbled upon the perfect place to spend the evening…

When she made it through the doors at 7 PM, the place was still quiet. It was too early for the show and the scene was deserted. Rey ordered a beer and a club sandwich at the bar. Gritting her teeth, she sat down at a small, empty table in a quiet alcove. She had a good view of the stage while taking up as little space as possible. Why had she come? Objectively, she had no desire to see Ben again, the unbearable arse. And yet—and yet she was curious. If he was any good, she could ostensibly revise her judgement.

The venue filled up slowly as the music blared. The crowd was tight-knit, greeting each other with smiles and pats on the back. The drinks kept flowing all night. At first Rey thought she would garner attention, a girl sitting all alone with her beer. But the crowd thickened, and soon she was safely just another silhouette in a sea of hundreds of others.

The sound of a few stray guitar notes made her look up. The band was onstage. There were seven of them—four women and three men. Clad in that many shades of black, they left no doubt that they were a rock band. They had it all, the leather and denim, Doc Martens, miniskirts and crop tops. Their hairstyles ranged from expertly shaved to long flowing locks and intricate braids. In center stage was Ben Solo (or was it Kylo Ren?) microphone in hand. He chewed on his lip and ran his fingers through his hair, habits that Rey had already picked up on after just two encounters. He had an unusually deep, almost guttural voice—Rey would be lying if she said that her interest wasn’t piqued. The music was a perfect sort of chaos—the melodies hypnotic under the savage rhythm and relentless beat. Rey surprised herself by singing with the crowd, repeating the refrains that she hadn’t memorized yet but which descended upon her ears and lips as though they had always been there.

Realizing that she was finally smiling, Rey thought of how the past hour had rid her of her worries for the first time in a long while. It was cathartic—she felt alive again. She had no desire to leave this place, to go back out there and find a room, as common sense would dictate. She wanted nothing more than to stay there a little while longer, a carefree spirit enjoying the music as she basked in the anonymity of the crowd.

She stayed for just about the entire evening. The band descended into the crowd after the show to drink a few beers with a small group of regulars. They laughed like old friends. Rey couldn’t help but notice their guitarist. Her style was gorgeous punk, complete with an immaculate mohawk and studs in her nose and ears that contrasted beautifully with her ebony skin. She never left Ben’s side. Shoulder to shoulder, her hand on his arm, her subtle touches and accidental brushes seemed to multiply.

Stars, I’ve never seen a girl more madly in love, too bad for her that he doesn’t look like he will ever reciprocate it.

And as though it was meant to contradict her, Ben’s hand shifted to rest on the girl’s hip, subtly pulling her against him. Rey raised the beer bottle to her lips, and found herself eye to eye with him as he looked up.

He was so shocked to see her that he began looking around, perhaps to make sure that it wasn’t one of those tacky hidden camera shows. As nothing continued to happen, he got up and walked in her direction.

The guitarist let him go, but not without seeking a reason for the sudden desertion. Her eyes locked on to Rey. Suddenly, Rey felt that she hadn’t exactly made a new friend.

“Good evening! Lovely concert there, Kylo Ren,” Rey said sweetly as Ben towered over her.

“What are you doing here?”

The question could have been unexpected if she wasn’t so naively spontaneous. Rey took a large swallow of her beer.

“I saw the light and I wandered in, what a small world, right?”

“Denver is a small town. And the nighttime rock scene even is even smaller. I didn’t realize that you liked rock music.”

“Well I don’t mean to brag but I have all sorts of hobbies apart from throwing myself at moving vehicles, really. But we never got around to that. How long have you been playing?”

“A few years.”

He wasn’t talkative and Rey pursed her lips as she scratched her brain for topics of conversation. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the rather impatient guitarist and seized upon the opportunity to ask him about her.

“Lovely guitarist you’ve got there, is she your girlfriend?”

“None of your business.”

Rey took the blow. It was fair play. She finished her beer and turned to leave.

“Well, then! Alright Ben Ren, Kylo Solo, or whatever your name is, thank you for the evening—it was a memorable performance. I had a great time but I ought to leave.”

She rose and slung her bag over her shoulder again, as it caught Ben’s eye.

“New bag? You were right to buy it, your other one was completely useless.”

“Yeah, someone was nice enough to tell me that it didn’t match my outfit. Goodnight, then.”

She had only taken a few steps toward the exit when he called out behind her:

“Where will you be staying tonight, Rey from England?”

“Nowhere. I’m a free woman in the Land of the Free.”

Her response was drowned out by the voices of late-night conversations between party diehards and smokers who congregated in packs near the door. Rey was feeling lightheaded and tipsy; she took a few wobbly steps onto the sidewalk before he called her name.

“Rey, wait!”

She turned around to see Ben cutting through the crowd in her direction, as she hit the lamppost hard. I must really be drunk then, she reasoned before giving in to the darkness.

#reylo #fanfiction #Modern AU #Scenic Route

[crypticcravings]

Christmas Bug Chapter 3

It’s finally here! Six months late! @adventures-in-mangaland​ Merry Christmas in June! Here’s the final chapter in your Secret Santa gift! 

Also on Ao3

Marinette wasn’t able to fully process her discovery until she was finally alone the next day. She’d passed the last twelve hours as if she were watching a scene in a movie instead of actually experiencing it.

Looking back on the past ten years, there were plenty of signs. Adrien disappeared with thinly veiled excuses about as often as she did, and now she understood why. Not that she had questioned it much in the past. She had been too focused on getting away herself to think about what he was doing. And Cat Noir had shown signs, too. The feather allergy should have been the first indication, but lots of people had allergies! Why should she question that?

By that afternoon, she was wondering how she could have been so blind. It seemed so obvious.

Now that she thought about it, with Hawkmoth “defeated”--that’s what they were saying, at least, since he had been so silent for the past few years-- they didn’t have any real reason to hide their identities from one another. Not anymore. Though neither one had brought it up to each other in several years.

Maybe it was time to do so.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Adrien was ecstatic. The date was set. Christmas eve, he would make Marinette a nice, romantic dinner, then they would browse through the Christmas Market at the base of the Eiffel Tower. He would wait until the sun was setting, and he would get down on one knee and ask her to marry him. Then, they would return to his apartment where they would have dessert with some of their friends and family to celebrate. It was a simple plan. Maybe a little bit cliche, but he stood by it. After all, the only thing he cared about was spending his life with this lovely lady.

Now, all that's left was to wait.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She was being weird. She knew she was being weird, but she couldn’t stop. The only contact she’d had with Adrien/Cat Noir in the last 24 hours since her discovery had been through a couple of quick text messages between his ever busy schedule. But it was patrol night, and she’d been forced to face him without the buffer of a screen between them. For some reason, the mask of composure she’d had the day before with Adrien left her. Something about the knowledge that it was her boyfriend, her supermodel, amazingly attractive, pun loving, ever supportive boyfriend poured into that leather cat suit made her brain short circuit. And she was having a hard time convincing herself that this was the first time she’d noticed how much she enjoyed looking at him in it.

She was sure he noticed how wildly she swung between tense silence and near incoherent babbling. Fortunately enough, even Cat Noir was used to her occasional strange moods and didn’t pry, trusting her to come to him when the time was right. It hadn’t always been that way. When they were younger, he had poked and prodded at her over every little thing. But at some point, he began to realize that the easiest way to get her to open up to him was to give her some space to sort things out on her own first, even if he really wanted to know.

Guilt gnawed at her. She wanted to tell him, she realized, that she had figured him out. She hadn’t been looking, but she’d found him anyway. Keeping this knowledge behind his back felt like a violation.

Unfortunately, she was never good at finding the right moments for revelations like these. They patrolled for an hour and a half, and the entire time, she couldn’t bring herself to broach the subject of their identities. So, she sent him off with a halfhearted, unenthused “see ya later” before swinging off to her own apartment for a late night stress snack and another fitful night’s sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Work kept Marinette blessedly busy the next day. She wasn’t sure if she could take much more of her brain turning over itself. Between the need to confess, the now obvious signs that she kept going over and over in her mind that her boyfriend was her partner all along, and the now growing excitement at that discovery, she was getting emotional whiplash. But, the office would be closed for the next few days for the holiday, and Marinette had quite a bit of work to get done before she locked up her desk for the break.

She was midway through making some changes that a senior designer marked on her sketches when her text tone buzzed on her phone. Tikki brought the device across the room so that Marinette barely had to put down her pencil to check the message.

Adrien: Date night. 1630 tomorrow. Don’t forget!

Adrien: And leave your design book at the office this time.

Marinette snorted. As if she would actually forget about their Christmas Eve date. Most families would be spending the evening together and having a nice, formal dinner. Adrien and his father hadn’t had such a tradition in years, and Marinette’s family opted to just celebrate on Christmas day when they could convince her grandparents to come together. So, for the past four Christmases, ever since they started university, Marinette and Adrien had spent the holiday-eve together.

And this year’s date would be the perfect setting for her to confess her recent discovery.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Adrien’s heart was officially pounding right out of his chest.

Dinner had been spectacular, of course. The restaurant he’d selected was a small, newly opened bistro within a short walk of the Eiffel Tower. They’d had roasted capon, greens, and potatoes that were all even better than his father’s private chefs had ever made, leaving the two of them stuffed. It hadn’t taken much to steer Marinette away from the dessert menu. He couldn’t very well tell her that her parents were at his apartment putting the finishing touches on their celebration sweets.

Fortunately, she mentioned a craving for mulled wine, allowing Adrien the perfect segue into the Christmas market.

It was already dark by the time they arrived at the base of the tower, and it was predictably busy, which did put a small damper on the idyllic, romantic picture Adrien had painted in his mind, but his plans were far from ruined. How could they be when his beautiful girlfriend looked so precious all bundled up, blowing on her steaming mug of wine?

Her hair was pulled back into low twin tails, a style he hadn’t seen her wear in several years. It reminded him of their high school years. Her little, upturned nose was rosy from the chill, and her delicate fingers clutched the souvenir mug tightly to leech its warmth.

In a few minutes, she was going to be his fiancée . If she said yes, that is. Plagg, Nino, Alya, and her parents had repeatedly assured him that she would say yes, would never even consider saying no. Even he knew his fears were baseless, but he couldn’t help the trill of anxiety that rang through him.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself, before leading Marinette a little bit away from the packed crowds of the Christmas Market. They walked quietly down the Champs de Mars , away from the tower, until it stood brightly over them. The crowd around them thinned out to the point that they had some measure of privacy.

The little velvet box was heavy in his pocket.

As the two of them approached an unoccupied bench, Adrien glanced up at the starless night sky, then to his girlfriend’s pink cheeks.

Her clear blue eyes met his, the corners crinkling with the brightness of her smile, and he knew more than ever that he wanted to spend his life with this woman. That thought pushed past all remaining anxiety that muddled his brain.

Without another moment of hesitation, Adrien placed his hands over Marinette’s where she clutched the mug of wine. Her eyes widened and the chilled flush of her cheeks deepened. Adrien gave her a reassuring smile as he took the mug from her hands and placed it on the bench next to them. He kept one hand on her’s, a serene feeling he hadn’t expected filling his very soul as he took a deep breath and reached into his jacket pocket.

“Marinette, the last five years with you have been some of the best of my life,” Adrien began, the words he’d been rehearsing in front of his mirror for days tumbling out of him. He pulled the small, green box out of his pocket and braced himself to get down on one knee.

Marinette’s wide eyes locked onto that little box. He heard her breath catch, felt the way her fingers tightened around his. The redness in her cheeks rose even more.

“They’ve been the best in my entire life, and that’s why I have something very important to ask you.” But just as Adrien began to sink to his knee--

“I know your secret,” Marinette exclaimed.

Well that was...not even remotely what he was expecting her to say. Adrien nearly toppled over as his balance faltered. Her firm grip on his hand kept him upright and he returned to full height. His brows knit together.

He opened his mouth to ask what she was talking about when she cut him off again, her voice much quieter this time,but still carrying that same heat as before. “I know that you’re Cat Noir.”

His eyes widened, and his heart stopped dead in his chest. Panic tried to rise, but at the moment he was too dumbfounded to even get that far. “I--” On impulse, he tried to come up with some kind of excuse. He was suddenly fourteen again, trying to explain his tardiness to a stern physics teacher. Say something, idiot!

But Marinette continued. “It’s not like you’re bad at hiding it or anything. You’re actually really good at keeping it a secret. And it’s not your fault that I know, either! I don’t want you to feel like you’ve done anything wrong, but I had to tell you because it isn’t fair that I know, and you didn’t know that I know, and you don’t know about me either. That would be so messed up, right?” She let out a strangled laugh and slapped her free hand against her forehead. “I’m rambling.” She took a deep breath to steady herself.

Adrien waited, not wanting to interrupt, and afraid to even breathe.

“I know you’re Cat Noir because I’m Ladybug.” Marinette tucked one of her ponytails behind her ear, revealing the same reddish-black earrings she’s worn the entire time he’s known her.

Earrings, he suddenly realized, that looked a lot like what Ladybug’s miraculous would look like in their dormant state.

Adrien’s eyes brightened as he took the woman in front of him in. Long, low pigtails that had once been Marinette’s signature look. That continued to be a part of Ladybug’s.

Deep, blue eyes that narrowed when she was lost in thought, and the little upturned nose that scrunched up when she laughed.

It was like a grimy film was suddenly washed clean and he could see Marinette for the first time. And what he saw was His Lady.

Marinette fidgeted under his gaze, but did not let go of his hand.

Adrien didn’t let go, either.

Instead, with the little green box still in his grasp, he clutched her hand with both of his. He was sure any outsider would think him absolutely manic with how broadly he was grinning, but he didn’t care. “Well,” he remarked, unable to stifle the giddiness in his voice, “I guess the cat’s out of the bag.”

Marinette sputtered at the pun, but he ignored her, continuing, “And since I already told Ladybug the rest of my secrets, I’m sure you already know what I was going to ask you.”

“Ask me?” She blinked at him, a look of confusion crossing her face.

“That big, important question that I’ve been planning on asking my girlfriend. On Christmas Eve.” All anxiety about popping the question disappeared the moment she told him who she was. Whether they knew it or not, Ladybug and Cat Noir had always been a matching pair. He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arm around her waist. He flipped the lid of the ring box open and presented it to her for what he realized was the second time.

Marinette suddenly remembered the circumstances of her discovering his identity in the first place. She had been so wrapped up in figuring out how she was going to tell him she knew that she completely forgot that Cat Noir had been planning on proposing to his girlfriend on Christmas Eve. And if Cat Noir was Adrien, that made her Cat Noir’s girlfriend, which meant….

Marinette swallowed, her heart now racing for a totally new reason.

“So, Ladybug,” Adrien said, his feline grin making her brain short circuit, “The past ten years with you have been the absolute greatest in my life. Now that I know our history together goes so much deeper than friendship and romance, I know that there is no way I can live without you by my side. You are the bravest, smartest, strongest, most beautiful woman in the world. All I want is to build a life with you. A family. Marinette, My Lady, will you do this pitiful stray the honor of marrying me?”

Marinette’s eyes burned. As if he even had to ask. Throat tight, she finally managed to speak again. “Yes.”

At her breathless response, Adrien’s heart soared with joy. He closed the distance between them, tightening their embrace, and sealed the engagement with a kiss. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out what he had done to be so lucky as to marry the one true love of his life.

#cryptic fic #christmas bug #adrinette

[allithewriter]

Fourth Time's The Charm by allithewriter/the-writing

Paring: Peter Parker/Spiderman x Reader

Summary:  Two times Peter Parker tried to confess his feelings. One time Spider Man tells his counterparts crush how he feels and one time the two worlds collide

Warning: Cursing because of Flash, Reverse bullying?, Extra fluffiness and adorable Peter Parker pinning for you

Word count: 1,507

Author’s Note: For my Secret Santa buddy @petersshirts sorry if this is awful. I haven’t written anything in forever. Inspiring Music 1 Inspiring Music 2 Inspiring Music 3 Mandatory Tag: @itsbuckysworld

Another note: I have an edited version but I don’t have access to it right now and I need to get ready for work so I will edit this later on after work. I hope you enjoy it Jo!

Guide: Y/N: Your Name,  Y/H/C: Your Hair Color,Y/H/S: Your hair style, Y/E/C: Your Eye Color, Y/F/A; Your favorite animal, Y/H/H: Your Hogwarts House

Peter Parker stands at your door with a hand raised to knock and a bouquet of roses behind his back. He takes a step forward but frowns and shakes his head, his nerves getting to him. The twenty year old frowns as he puts the roses on the floor in front of your door. The man crawling onto the wall after making sure the coast is clear and knocks on her door before making his way onto the ceiling to await for her. Peter prays she doesn’t look up and see him on the roof

Y/N opens the door after a moment in a fluffy robe, her Y/H/C hair wet. She glances up and down her hall confused. “I must’ve misheard...weird…” She mumbles and goes inside, not even noticing the roses on the floor in front of her.

Peter drops the floor and scoops up the roses. Deciding to go another route to show his affection to the woman. The twenty year old male grins as he leaves her apartment, giving the Doorman a smile. He heads into the alleyway and pulls off his outer clothes to reveal his Superhero counterpart and pulls on his mask.

“Hello Peter. What are your plans for the day?” A kind voice asks him and he smiles. “I’ve come to realize something Karen. My best friend..I just can’t think of a day that goes by without seeing her at least once…I’m going to tell her how I feel. One way or another” He says while crawling cautiously up the wall avoiding as many windows as he can. “What do you mean Peter? How did you come to this ‘Realization’” The AI asks him.

“Well it all began back in June. Just before school let out….our last summer together…before everyone went their separate ways for college” He replies and rests on a fire escape as he thinks back

1.

The day was shaping up pretty well, Flash had only successfully come after Peter once for a Locker Knocker time, just before their final class of the day.

“You’re such an ass Thompson. If you keep this up you’ll be a lonely man in life” You scoff at the bully and opens the locker door for Peter.  “Come on Pete, let’s get going. We don’t want to be late for class” You say as she leads you along until your both far away from the school bully. “Are you alright Peter? Did he knock you around too much?” She asks concerned for her friend and turns his face to examine him.

“Y/N! Y/N! I’m fine...see?” Peter says and turns his head and body around for her to see. “Alright smartass, let’s go in so we can grab a seat together” She says and leads the way into their math class, Peter dragging behind her and rolls her eyes. The Y/H/C hair floating behind her as they walk past the note fluttering to the floor from Y/N’s locker.

   2.

It was during that summer on their annual trip with Ned and MJ to the pier that Peter tried again, attempting to win his crush a stuffed Y/F/A to help confess his feelings when a loud explosion interrupts his throw. “Dammit” Peter mumbles and looks around to find Rhino tearing apart the Midway Games set up in the area. “Oh come on….seriously?” He grumbles as he goes to his friends.

“Come on! We gotta go. Rhino is here” He urges and tries to shuffle them along, nodding to Ned to help him convince the girls to leave the pier so he can change into his superhero alter ego. “W..we can go to the main land and wait for spider-man to show up and kick ass….that can be the best angle right?” Ned says while awkwardly grabs Y/N and MJ’s hand. The darker skinned man pulls them away just as Rhino breaks through some of the tents, separating Peter from the rest of his group. “PETER! Are you okay?” Y/N calls out for him as Rhino faces the trio, Y/N’s yelling attracting his attention. “I’m fine! Run before he charges at you and you guys get hurt!” Peter exclaims while struggling to get his mask out of his backpack between one of the tents. He throws off his outer clothes before swinging into action as Rhino starts to charge. Peter; now Spider-Man shoots webbing the villains eyes, and drives him like a horse away from the citizens and his crush. Once they have some distance from everyone Peter begins to beat up The Rhino until he’s down for the count and can be webbed up for the police to collect. The seventeen year old teen changes into his normal clothes as quickly as he can while trying not to grunt in pain, his battle while Rhino has taken a nasty toll on his body

3.

Peter frustrated with the first two failures decides to bring a present back from England where the Avengers were sent out to get rid of a Hydra Base. Peter browses a bookstore and spots an interesting cover for Harry Potter, one of your favorite book series. He chooses (Y/H/H) book covers and is quick to use Mr. Starks card to purchase them. The brown hair man grins as he carries the ‘heavy’ bag onto the Quinjet and set it by his feet as it takes off. “What’s in the bag kid?” Tony asks as his phone beeps, the billionaire  checks his phone and signs. “Really kid? I’m guessing this is for your crush. Good luck explaining where this came from” Tony says with a chuckle. Peter debates to himself about how to explain it before sighing and deciding to just drop it off in her room when she isn’t there.

A few days after they’ve landed back home in New York and Peter has had time to adjust after the jetlag had caused for his young body. He swings over to your apartment and peer inside your bedroom window to make sure your not home. He gasps as you come into your room and flop onto the bed and turning over to blow your nose.

“Ugh this sucks!” You moan and get under the covers to take a nap. “Being sick can kiss my ass” You mumble before falling asleep

Peter waits for a while to make sure your asleep before trying the window, frowning as it seems to be locked. He puts the books down in front of the window and swings off, hoping to try again another day. When he returns a week later than he should have the books have disappeared and when he looks inside your room he can see the books are scattered about the room as you’ve set them down once you’ve finished them.

4.

The male smiles as he snaps back into reality and crawls up to Y/N’s fire escape. He looks surprised to see her waiting for him. “Uh..hello Citizen, don’t mind me! Just passing through as his voice modulator activates, disguising his voice.

“Really? You weren't my nerdy best friend that was hanging on the ceiling of my hall?” Y/N teases as she leans against the railing. “It’s okay...I like you too Peter Parker…” she murmurs and glances up at Peter, like she's examining his mask.

“Are you gonna kiss me or do I have to take that mask off myself?” Y/N flirts as Peter stands there flabbergasted in how she figured how his mask works.

“Oh I should shouldn't I?” Peter says awkwardly as his mask dissolves to reveal the brown haired man you've had a crush on for years.

“Yeah… you should…” Y/N murmurs gently

Peter pulls you close and kisses your lips gently  a spark coursing through both of your bodies.

When you both run out of air you separate. “Wait how did you know?” Peter asks you, curious of how it came to be.

“Well….you suck at hiding shit in your locker….the amount of times I’ve had to come and open your locker and it’s been on the floor or not so discreetly hidden in between books. Seriously Peter….and then I knew it could only be Spider-Man who could detect the rhino was coming our way and was going to charge at us...You kinda gave yourself away, and lastly….there was no way Spider-Man could know exactly what book and cover design for (H/H) house was...plus I knew that you were in England and that’s the only place you can get it from..” You confess and lean into Peter Parker. “Well I’m glad you know….but you also need to know that if my identity gets out that you’ll be in danger….I...I couldn’t live with myself if you were ever in danger….” Peter whispers and kisses your forehead. “Don’t worry...I believe you can save me and the world. You are a Hero...My Hero..”  You whisper as your lips meet again.

#ibwsmarvelsecretsanta #for: petersshirts aka Jo #Spider-man x Reader #Peter Parker x You #tw: reverse bullying #tw: bulllying #tw: cursing #fluff #pinning #awkward peter being awkward #mutual pining

[snowmadien]

Secret Dragon

A/N HI @darkmagicianknight I am your Secret Santa! I hope you enjoy this Fraxus one shot! I am so sorry it is a bit late, please forgive me and enjoy! I have never written Fraxus much less any m/m pairing so please forgive me if anyone sounds a bit O.C I tried to capture them and make them, them in this story.

Pairing: Fraxus

Rating: PG 

Word Count: 2911

Secret Dragon

Laxus looked down at the paper not sure whether to be secretly happy or a bit annoyed that once again Mira had rigged this year’s Secret Santa. He didn’t know how she how she did it or how that every year she still is in charge of doing the Secret Santa but somehow she did it.

Mira had an innocent smile as the floated around the room holding out the hat which contained the names. He saw both happy and embarrassed red faces when someone pulled a name out of the hat.

He looked down then quickly shut his hands again as the scarlet red cursive name flashed in his mind.

Freed Justine.

For the past three years, Laxus had been secretly harboring feelings for the dark rune mage but wasn’t sure if Freed held the same feelings from him. Yes, it was clear to him that Freed had long admired and respected but wasn’t sure if that meant he likes Laxus in another way.

Sighing he stood up and took the back entrance out of the guild hall; he better start looking for a gift since Christmas was in a few weeks. He thought for a moment of what to get Freed. A light pen would be nice, but he knew that Freed already had a drawer full of them and did get the recent model as well. A book but what kind? Just like Levy, Freed was a known book hoarder but didn’t have quite the grand scale of books that Levy possessed. Nonetheless, he was a book hoarder, especially of anything that was old and ancient.

“Maybe one of those old books that he’s always talking about and wanting to add to his collections,” Laxus thought to himself as he walked home through the light snowfall. He smiled, that would be the best gift, especially one in a language that Freed had never heard of.

Grinning Laxus quickly went home and began to compile a list of every bookstore that he knew Freed frequented.

Laxus couldn’t believe it, Christmas was tomorrow, and he still hadn’t found a single present for Freed. He had gone to every bookstore that he knew the rune mage frequented, but none had any books that would be perfect. Twice he had found one, but they were priced beyond reason, and the lightning dragon had to pass.

Today he had decided to go to Corcus, the only city he hadn’t tried yet. He stuck to the back allies and less frequented districts in the hope of finding a bookshop that wasn’t well known and thus contained unfamiliar books. Just as he was about to call it quits Laxus looked up and saw a rainwashed, sun-battered sign hanging from the building saying Auntie June’s Books.

Inside the store was dusty and cluttered filled from floor to roof with books, some looking newer than others. The dusty shop was only lighted by candles as a few lacrimas scattered around the place. However, the store did have a festive feel to it; with strings of holly, pine and cranberry branches placed delicately around the shop.

“Hello? Anyone work here?” Laxus called out.

“Yes, yes give me a moment!” An old sweet lady’s voice rang out.

He heard the rolling of wheels on the hardwood floor and saw a tiny old woman riding around on a library ladder with several books in hand. She was a plump little witch, with a black hat, and black coat. Silver hair pinned tightly back into a neat bun while grey spectacles donated her nose.

“Well, well this is the first time a dragon has come to my shop! Welcome to Auntie June’s Books! My name is June, what can I help you with?” She asked as the gracefully leaped off the ladder and placed the books on a stack.

“Well I’m looking-” He began

“For a book for your friend? One written in a language he doesn't know?” She finished with a twinkle in her eyes, her voice filled with excitement.

“How did you-?”

“My magic is clairvoyance, I can see the future and have very accurate predictions on it,” she explained as she began to throw books behind her back casually. The books only floated in the air around, and if they had faces, Laxus swore that they had the most unamused look on them for their treatment.

“Now then where is it? I know of one you’ll like dragon, it’s a good mystery no one has been able to open it in centuries, even the magic council has given up on it.” She smirked.

“I think that might be a bit too hard for him?” He knew Freed was by far a powerful mage and extremely smart but a book like that might be a bit hard plus no one has ever opened it up who knew what it contained.

“Nonsense! This book will be the perfect thing for the two of you! Besides you do like him, no? Then this will help the two of you” She chided and lightly laughed at the pink singeing  Laxus’ face.

“Here it is! The book of dragons!” She yelled with joy! She didn’t allow Laxus to look at it and summoned paper and twine to wrap the book up.

“Well,” Laxus paused a bit taken back by her demandingness, “then I guess I’m taking the book then,” He laughed, if this old lady were clairvoyant she would exploit every and any way to get the right future to get him to take the book.

“How much-” The bookkeeper held up her hand.

“Not a penny, this one is on the house. But please do come back and tell me what you both thought of it!” She smiled sweetly handing the warped book to Laxus.

And with that Laxus said his farewell to the old lady and went on his way.

“Gosh that old lady is weird,” he laughed, but he had a good feeling coming off her he looked down at the wrapped book and smiled maybe Freed would like it though he did have to question what she meant by it’ll help them both.

As soon as Laxus got home, he opened up the package to rewrap it in a slightly more festive paper. Unbeknownst to most of the guild, Laxus was a fantastic present wrapper, and only those in the Thunder Legion knew about it.

The book was made of thick red leather that shows signs of wear and tear, but on the cover, it was encrusted with beautiful bronze and precious stones forming a dragon that looked ready to fly off. The title was written in gold and a strange language, a perfect mystery for Freed. He ran his hand over it admiring its beauty but yanked back as one of the stones shocked his hand which was strange since he never got shocked.

“What the-” He muttered but was stopped as a strange feeling erupted through him. His whole body felt as if it was on fire, his vision began to blur, and his head swam. His body began to glow, and in a flash, there was nothing left but his clothes laying in a pile on the ground.

Freed knocked once on Laxus door before entering his home.

“Laxus? I’m here to help make the cookies-” He stopped as he felt a surge of magic and then it disappears.

“Laxus?” He asked again this time with his hand on his sword. He slowly ascended the stairs, and looked into Laxus’ reading room, there laying in a pile on the floor was his clothes and a strange red book lying on his desk.

“Lax-” He stopped as something moved under the clothes, he readied his sword.

“Freed?” A muffled Laxus came from under the clothes. Freed dropped to his knees and slowly began to pull the clothes away and stopped at what he found.

“Freed when did you get so big?” Laxus asked he felt wobbly and he couldn’t walk right and felt off.

“Umm L-Laxus, I didn’t change a bit. You-you-” He stuttered he pointed to the mirror behind Laxus. Laxus looked back and let out a horrified scream.

“I’M A DRAGON!? WHAT THE HELL KIND OF BOOK DID THAT OLD WOMAN SELL ME!?” Laxus screamed. He was all gold with patches of black lightning running along his body, he had two legs and a set of wings but was the size of a tiny baby rabbit. However, he wasn’t lean and well built instead he was a little cubby angry dragon.

“L-Laxus what kind of book did you get?” Freed asked as he looked over at the one on the desk.

“It was for you. I got you as a Secret Santa and thought it would be a good gift for you since you like figuring books out,” He said looking away.

Freed couldn’t help but let out a light laugh as he looked down at his best friend who looked angry and sad at the same time. Freed nearly squealed with delight, Laxus seemed so cute as a dragon despite being tiny.

“That was kind of you sir, but sometimes books like these are best kept locked away.” Freed thanked, as he scooped up the tiny dragon. He had to keep the urge not to scream out how adorable Laxus was a small cubby dragon that could fit in the palm of his hand. He just wanted to cuddle the small dragon.

“You alright Freed?” The tiny dragon asked. As his friend stared at him in amazement.

“Pardon me sir but, you are the most adorable tiny dragon I have ever seen, almost like a tiny toy dragon.” Freed apologized as he lightly patted the top of the dragon’s head with a finger. Laxus bit back the urge to snap at his friend’s finger.

“I’m not a toy!” He yelled back, his face turning pink from the Rune Mage’s comment. He wanted to kill that old lady this wasn’t how he wanted to spend Christmas much less the rest of his life as a tiny dragon being fawned over by anyone.

Freed and Laxus turned their attention to the book in the hope that it could give them a clue to reverse the spell. Freed gently placed the dragon on his shoulder to allow him a better view of the book. The tiny dragon took the advantage to snuggle close to Freed’s neck savoring the warmth and the citrus shampoo that Freed used that Laxus secretly loved. Freed had to stop from both laughing and his cheeks were turning pink. Never in his life had he very had Laxus get this close to him.

“That’s odd the dragon on the over is gone,” Laxus said, even the bronze that ornate it was also gone, leaving an old worn down leather book.

“A dragon?”

“Yeah on the cover there was a dragon along with some bronze lining it,” The tiny dragon explained.

“Hmm, maybe that was one of the spells hidden in the book?” He suggested.

Freed was a bit hesitant on opening the book if there was already a spell on the cover that turned Laxus into a dragon who knew what would be waiting inside.

Carefully and slowly Freed began to open up the book.

“It’s blank!” Freed’s eyes widened in horror. He put his hand down on the yellowed pages but felt no magic coming from them.

“What do you mean it’s blank?” Laxus clumsily jumped down on the book.

He struggled to walk falling every few steps, tripping over his tail and wings.

“There is no magic emanating from the book Laxus. I can try a revolving spell and see if that works.”

Laxus leaped off the book and climbed onto an ink bottle and watched his friend perform the spell, but when the light died down the book was still blank.

“Damn it! There has to be something in that book to change me back or at least make me bigger than this!” Laxus groaned, leaping off the ink bottle. Behind him the bottle began to teeter and slowly began to fall, the cap that wasn’t closed correctly fell off, spilling the jet black ink everywhere.

“Laxus be careful-” As Freed dove quickly to protect the book. Laxus was covered with ink, leaving small paw prints and tail marks everywhere.

“Are you alright Sir?” Freed asked as he began to pat the ink of the dragon with a tissue

“Yeah, I’m fine but is the book alright!? Freed?” Laxus asked as his friend was staring at the book.

“Do you have any more ink?”

“What?” Laxus asked perplexed.

“Ink Laxus! That’s why we couldn’t see it!! I need ink to see the writing!!” Freed excitedly explained. Laxus was a bit slow at taking in what Freed was saying but quickly dove behind several of the books on the desk and dragged out another bottle of black ink. The tiny dragon was super proud at about his achievement, handing the bottle off to the run mage.

“Perfect thank you!” Freed opened the bottle and carefully poured the contents on to the pages. Instead of running off the page, the ink was redirected and absorbed, giving rise to words and pictures.

“This is incredible I have read about books enchanted like this but have never seen one in person!” Freed gleed as he began to read through the pages. Laxus smiled softly; he was happy that Freed was enjoying the book but secretly was still pissed about being the size he was.

Freed stopped on a page with a tiny dragon drawn on it, it seemed like this was the right spell, but as he read he slowly began to feel his heart leap up into his throat.

“So what does it saw? Can you change me back?” Laxus asked.

“Well yes but the only way to break the spell is-is,” Freed began to stutter, his cheeks began to redden, and his heart wouldn’t stop pounding in his chest.

“Is what? Come on Freed tell me!” Laxus begged.

“It’s true loves kiss, that’s what breaks the dragon curse.” The rune mage whispered. The world around them was silence; neither one could say a word at what Freed had just said.

“Laxus is there anyone that you love that I can take you too so we can break the spell,” Freed asked, breaking the silence.

The lightning dragon’s face turned scarlet, he had to confess, he wanted to scream that it was Freed, but his pride and ego was not letting him.

“Laxus?”

“You.” Was all the little dragon uttered and hid his face under his wings.

“I beg your pardon?” Freed was taken back, looking down at the tiny dragon who was obviously beyond embarrassed.

“I’ve always liked you Freed.”  Was the muffled answer that Freed got. Freed felt his heart nearly stop at the response. After years of pinning after Laxus could it be that Laxus did like him in return?

“Well, sir, to be honest, I’ve always liked you too ever since we were teens,” Freed admitted.

“For that long, you’ve liked me? Why didn’t you tell me sooner!” Laxus asked.

“I didn’t think you were into men. I’ve seen you have your fair share of women so I assumed you would never think about being with a man.” He explained, Laxus looked a bit hurt, but his eyes told Freed that Laxus understood what he meant.

“I never cared about women, my dad always told me that I would find the right one, but none of them felt right. I didn’t realize why until three years ago when I realized that for all this time I’ve always liked you too.”

Without a single word Freed picked up the tiny pudgy dragon and cradled him in the palms of his hands. Laxus even in dragon form was still the fiercest, most handsome person in the world and Freed couldn’t be happier.

Freed gently placed his lips too Laxus cold, scaly ones, in strong flash arms were enveloped around him and cold, scaly lips were replaced with warm, lightning ones.

“Did I ever tell you Freed how much I love you,” Laxus whispered into Freed’s ear.

“No, you sir you haven’t,” He laughed “This is by far the best Christmas gift anyone could have ever given me.”

“Me too Freed. Me too.” Laxus laughed as he held Freed tightly to him. He never wanted this man to leave his arms ever, not even if it meant going to hell and back just to rescue him. After all, he was a dragon and dragon’s protect what is theirs.

#fairiesandchristmas #fraxus #This is the first time I've written this #freed justine #Laxus Dreyar #freed x laxus #i really hope you like it

[loloaveee1]

Celebrities that Have Died in 2020

Hey guys! I'm Elizabeth Osemeke but y'all can call me Liz. I'm a friend of Weyinmi's and she invited me to write on this blog, so here I am. I'm in the 9th Grade and I'm 13 years old.

My posts are going to be focusing mainly on celebrity news. So if you're interested in that, I recommend that you read my posts.

So, celebrities that we've lost this year. Times have been hard.No doubt about it. But just imagine losing a loved one in one of the hardest times in history. If you have lost a loved one during this period, my sincere condolences. Here is a list of some notable people that have died this year.

Naya Rivera

Naya Marie Rivera was an American actress, model and singer. She was born on 12th January, 1987 in Santa Clarita, California, United States. She became famous for her role in 'Glee'.

On July 8th, the 33 year old went missing after going boating with her son on Lake Piru, Ventura County, California. On Monday, July 13th, police announced a body had been found where Rivera had disappeared.

Lake Piru is known for its strong currents. It is reported that she had used her last strenght to get her son to the boat before disappearing under the water.

She was announced dead on July 13th. She is survived by her 4 year old son, Josey Hollis Dorsey.

Nicole Thea

Nicole Thea was a British dancer, social media influencer and YouTube star. She was born on July 29th, 1995.

On July 11th, Nicole Thea and her unborn son died after she suffered a suspected heart attack in Hexborough, Yorkshire. Her death was announced by her family on social media. The 24 year old was just two weeks away from giving birth to her son, who she named Reign.

Lil Marlo

Lil Marlo, also known as Rudolph 'Marlo' Johnson, was an Atlanta-based rap artist. He was born on May 1st, 1993 in Atlanta, United States.

On July 11th, he was found dead from a gunshot wound inside a car alongside the I-285 highway.

Yohan

Yohan, also known as Kim Yo-han was a South Korean singer and actor. he debuted as a member of South Korean boy group X1 finishing first on Produce X 101 in 2019.  He was born on September 22nd, 1999 in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, South Korea. 

On June 16th, TST's label KJ Music Entertainment, confirmed rumors of the 28 year old's death, asking fans and media outlets to refrain from speculating about Yohan's cause of death. His cause of death is still unknown. 

La Parka

La Parka, also known as Adolfo Margarito Tapia Ibarra, was a Mexican luchador enmascarado (masked professional wrestler) who performed as L.A. Park for Major League Wrestling in the United States and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) in Mexico. He was born on November 14th, 1965 in Queretaro, Mexico.

On January 11th, La Parka died after suffering from complications due to severe in-ring injuries in Hermosillo, Mexico.

He is survived by his son, El Hijo de L.A. Park, who is also a luchador enmascrado (masked professional wrestler).

Rocky Johnson

Rocky Johnson was a Canadian professional wrestler. He was the first Georgia Heavyweight Champion. He was born on August 24th, 1944 in Amherst, Canada. 

On January 15th, Rocky Johnson died after suffering from a heart attack in Lutz, Florida, United States.

He is survived by his three children; Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Curtis Bowles and Wanda Bowles.

Nikita Pearl Waligwa

Nikita Waligwa was an actress, known for Queen of Katwe (2016). She was born on December 1st, 2004 in Ghana.

On February 15th, she passed away in TMR International Hospital, Kampala, Uganda due to a brain tumor. She was just 15 years old.

Little Richard

Richard Wayne Penniman, also known as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. He was born on December 5th, 1932 in Macon, Georgia, United States.

On May 9th, he died at the age of 87 at his home in Tullahoma, Tennessee from a cause related to bone cancer, after a two-month illness.

He is survived by his adopted son, Danny Jones Penniman.

Sunshant Singh Rajput

Sunsant Singh Rajput was an Indain actor. He was born on January 21st, 1986, in Patna, India. 

On June 14th, the 34 year old was found dead hanging from the ceiling fan in his home in Bandra, Mumbai. He had reportedly suffered from depression for about six months.

Suicide is never the answer. Trust me, it's not worth it. The sadness can be temporary but death is irreversible. If you ever have suicidal tendencies, just remember, there's always someone to talk to. And if you feel you don't have anyone to talk with, I'll talk to you. [email protected]. You're not alone. Remember that.

Bonnie Pointer

Patricia Eva 'Bonnie' Pointer was an American singer, best known for having been a member of the vocal group, The Pointer Sisters. She was born on July 11th, 1950, in Oakland, California, United States. 

On June 8th, the 69 year old died in Los Angeles, California, United States due to Cirrhosis of the Liver.

Betty Wright

Bessie Regina Norris, also known as Betty Wright, was an American soul and R & B singer, songwriter and background vocalist. She was born on December 21st, 1953, in Miami, Florida, United States.

On May 10th, the 66 year old died of cancer in Miami, Florida, United States.

She is survived by her five children, Chaka Azuri, Asha Wright, Patrice Parker, Patrick Parker and Aisha McCray.

Gregory Tyree Boyce

Gregory Tyree Boyce was an American actor. He was born on December 5th, 1989 in California, United States. 

On May 13th, the 30 year old and his 27 year old girlfriend, Adepoju, were found dead in a Las Vegas condo. It was reported that they died of a drug overdose after taking cocaine and fentanyl. 

He is survived by his daughter, Alaya Boyce.

Ashley 'Minnie' Ross

Ashley Ross was a TV personality. She was well known for her role in the TV show, Little Woman: Atlanta. She was born in 1984.

On April 24th, the 36 year old died in Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, United States, due to complications from a traffic collision.

Roger Mayweather 

Roger Mayweather was an American boxing trainer and professional boxer who competed from 1981 1999. He was born on April 24th, 1961 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States.

In March, the 58 year old died from diabetic complications in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.

He is survived by his two children, Jade and Lekei and his nephews, Justin Mayweather Jones and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. As a shooting guard, Bryant entered the National Basketball Association (NBA) directly from high school and played his entire 20-season professional career in the league with the Los Angeles Lakers. He retired on April 13th, 2016. He was born on August 23rd, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

On January 26th, Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna Bryant, were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in the city of Calabasas, California. Kobe, 41, and Gianna, 13, were travelling in a private helicopter when it came down and burst into flames.

He is survived by his children, Natalia Diamante Bryant, Bianka Bella Bryant and Capri Kobe Bryant.

Gianna Bryant

Gianna Maria Onore Bryant, also referred to as 'Gigi', was an American basketball player. She was born on May 1st, 2006.

On January 26th, Gianna died alongside her father, Kobe Bryant, a five-time NBA champion. Gianna Bryant had big shoes to fill. Like her father, the 13 year old was a prodigiously talented basketball player.

Pop Smoke

Bashar Barakah Jackson, known professionally as Pop Smoke, was an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He was born on July 20th, 1999.

On February 19th, Pop Smoke was shot and killed at the home he was renting in the Hollywood Hills. It is speculated that his address was accidentally leaked on social media.

May their souls rest in peace.😞

  Source: Wikipedia.

Bye y'all!

https://ift.tt/3fBJ26T celebritylists

#Quran Or Hadiths

[kangdan101]

questions tag :)

tagged by @hwangminyeo :’) lmao im sorry my life is so uninteresting but it was fun to answer these still heh

THE LAST

·        drink: water! Recently I’ve been trying to drink more water bc I am extremely dehydrated; i tend to drink like 1 cup a day (lol) stay hydrated kids

·         phone call: this morning!

·         text message: like one min ago I was just arguing with my friend whether or not our math teachers first name is jose or not (update: I was right, it IS jose xD)

·         song you listened to: ENERGETIC BY WANNA ONE!!11

·         time you cried: maybe like 15 min ago…????? Lmfao I was watching wanna one sing always and I got emotional (i cry about everything)

·         HAVE YOU EVER

·         dated someone twice: it’s hard to date someone twice if you’ve never dated someone at all lol (motae solo like minhyun)

·         kissed someone and regretted it: no

·         been cheated on: no

·         lost someone special: yes :’(

·         been depressed: yes. This last year was really really hard for me. Balancing dance and school and everything made me super stressed and I started to pull myself away from ppl :/ tbh produce kinda got me out of it lol and im 100% ok now

·         gotten drunk and thrown up: nope (lol bc I’ve never drank before hahaha theres so many things I haven’t done)

·         3 FAVORITE COLORS

·         Baby blue

·         Mint green

·         Peach pink ;)

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU

·         made new friends: yes

·         fallen out of love: no 

·         laughed until you cried: literally I laugh way too much for my own good

·         found out someone was talking about you: I don’t think so :o

·         met someone who changed you: yes, many of them! (esp kangdan tho)

·         found out who your friends are: yes :)

·         kissed someone on your Facebook list: yikes no

GENERAL

·         how many Facebook friends do you know in real life: mostly all my fb friends go to my school but I don’t actually know some of them? So I’d say like 70%

·         do you have any pets: I’d like to think my little brother Anthony is secretly a dog bc he resembles one and can get hella wild sometimes lmao

·         do you want to change your name: my name is legit the most basic Chinese name ever I know like 3 other people with the exact same first and last name and alskdjgowaei;lskdfj it gets on my nerves sometimes I always liked the name lilia / lily but in 7th grade I met this girl whose name was Philomena and its now my favorite name ever

·         what did you do for your last birthday: lmao I studied bc I had a hUge test the next day and your girl’s serious about her grades man

·         what time did you wake up: LMAO I woke up twice this morning: first time at 4:40 to catch WANNA ONE DEBUT and then went back to sleep @ 6 am; woke up again at 7:30 am for class

·         what were you doing at midnight last night: I was on tumblr watching everyone hype about wanna one it was gr8

·         name something you can’t wait for: finishing junior year + SAT shit :/ lol my junior year hasn’t even started yet but im so nervous I hope I don’t screw up and thinking about it is making my heart beat faster yikes (wish me luck guys hopefully im still alive by june)  

·         when was the last time you saw your mom: a few min ago~

·         what are you listening to right now: my little brother Anthony is singing shape of you and its not pretty lol (he’s eleven)

·         have you ever talked to a person named tom: I don’t really remember

·         something that is getting on your nerves: the SAT omygod I just really want it to be over and im SO NERVOUS also anthony’s singing is starting to bug me (he changed songs and now he’s singing gibberish and it’s very distracting)

·         most visited website: probably youtube/fb/tumblr

·         hair color: blackish-brown. my roots are black but the ends seem to be browning a lil? Probably since it’s summer now and the sun is working its magic 

·         long or short hair: medium length! Like halfway down my back???

·         do you have a crush on someone: nope & haven’t had one for like two years

·         what do you like about yourself: my monolids? But my mom wants me to get surgery lmfao also i like that i have a naturally high foot arch bc its helpful for dance :)))

·         blood type: a… I think?

·         nickname: name: sarah; nicknames: sawa, sala, salad, swisso (I promise this makes sense in context), moon, moonmoon (these make sense in context too lol)

·         relationship status: single mom of my 98 produce children and always have been lollll

·         zodiac: capricorn

·         pronouns: she/her

·         favorite tv show: descendants of the sun, suspicious partner, I hear your voice, once upon a time, produce aka a horrible show that hurts u in all sorts of ways (pls rec me some bc I wanna binge some tv shows before school starts)

·         tattoos: none atm but maybe when I’m older I want a tiny star, or a tiny moon, or maybe my Chinese name?

·         right or left handed: Right

·         surgery: I got eye surgery done when I was rly young bc the gland between my eyes and nose was blocked which basically made me cry ALL THE TIME (like even when I’d be staring at nothing)

·         sport: I dance! And I used to do rhythmic gymnastics but I had to quit bc school was getting too busy I miss rhythmic gymnastics so much u have no idea

·         vacation: I think I’m going to go out touring colleges along the east coast near the end of august!!!

·         pair of shoes: I wear my converse a lot as well as my nike free runs. But other than that my shoe collection is p limited rippp

·         MORE GENERAL

·         eating: just finished dinner

·         drinking: nothing atm xD gdi in the beginning of this tag I wanted to be more hydrated and look where I am now lmao

·         I’m about to: wash the dishes that we used for dinner

·         waiting for: the day I graduate high school so I can go to college and take classes I love and alskdgjaowlfkdsfj (lmao im such a nerd im sorry)

·         want: to eat some ice cream (I love ice cream)

·         get married: that would be a miracle tbh

·         career: high school student / summer school teachers assistant  THE KIDS I TEACH ARE SO LOUD AND WILD theyre legit animals everytime I step into the classroom i can’t believe these 8th graders are capable of such chaos

WHICH IS BETTER

·         hugs or kisses: I luv hugs and I luv kisses

·         lips or eyes: both???

·         shorter or taller: taller (its not hard to be taller than me lol)

·         older or younger: older

·         nice arms or nice stomach: I think…. Arms 

·         hook up or relationship: relationshiip

·         troublemaker or hesitant: jesus idk I’ve never dated so I really wouldn’t know alskdjgoalkdsfj (but i mean troublemaker is a gr8 song??)

HAVE YOU EVER

·         kissed a stranger: no that sounds scary :0

·         drank hard liquor: no

·         lost glasses/contact lenses: I LOsT MY GLAssES IN FLORIDA ONCE agldkgjaosdfkj I swear I put it down on the airport seat and when I turned around THEY WERE GONE I spend a good 2 hours looking for them but they legit disappeared :/ to this day I am still wondering where that pair of glasses went

·         turned someone down: yes

·         sex on the first date: no 

·         broken someone’s heart: i sure hope not 

·         had your heart broken: no

·         been arrested: no

·         cried when someone died: so many times

·         fallen for a friend: lowkey yes but they still don’t know about that

DO YOU BELIEVE IN

·         yourself: I try to

·         miracles: yes or else what will happen to me in the future I need miracles to carry me bc my luck is trASH

·         love at first sight: no

·         santa clause: maybe for the first few years but then I caught my parents

·         kiss on the first date: no

·         angels: idk actually… I guess?

OTHER

·         eye color: brown; I feel like my eyes have been getting lighter over the years bc the outside of my iris is like brown but near the pupil its more of a hazel

·         favorite movie: I have so many omg I luv spirited away, howls moving castle, the book thief, and I recently watched wonder woman (pls rec some movies too im always in the mood for one :D) 

im tagging anyone who wishes to do this! 

#tags #funtime101 #lol my life is hella bland #sry if u had to read through it all #yikes

[thefaeriereview]

Tour: Between Love and Murder

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Love, betrayal, and murder. The perfect trifecta for a great thriller! Welcome to the blog tour for Between Love and Murder by Chris Bedell! Read on for an excerpt from the book and a chance to win a digital copy!

Between Love and Murder

Publication Date: April 21, 2020

Genre: YA Thriller/ LGBTQ+

Publisher: Willow River Press

September 2018. 17-year-old Chad becomes intrigued by the new kid—Archie—when they flirt during their first interaction. But Chad’s best friend, Mallory, asks Archie out first. Pursuing Archie allows Mallory to get revenge against Chad who recently rejected her. Except Chad refuses to lose Archie to Mallory. Not when he might have a real chance at love—Archie identifies as bisexual like Chad. Although if Chad wants Archie, then he must eliminate Mallory as the competition. Even if doing so means proving she was involved in the disappearance of her ex-boyfriend, Tommy. Three months later—December 2018. Tommy resurfaces, and Mallory accidently kills him while Archie and Chad are witnesses. Mallory, Archie, and Chad can’t go to the police, though. Mallory blackmailed Tommy to leave town last Fourth of July with a sex-tape after discovering Tommy cheating on her. And Archie, Chad, and Mallory must unite if they don’t wanna go down for murder. Except Chad is even more threatened of Mallory now that he and Archie are dating—Chad remains uncertain if Mallory harbors lingering resentment for rejecting her. If Chad wants Mallory gone, then he must continue making difficult choices. Even if destroying Mallory means Chad pretending to be Mallory’s friend while finding a way to implicate Mallory in Tommy’s death without him and Archie getting in trouble. 

If you like the nonlinear storytelling of ABC’s HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER and the toxic love triangle of WINK POPPY MIDNIGHT, then BETWEEN LOVE AND MURDER is the book for you. 

3 out of 5 fairies

Between Love and Murder is an intriguing read. The chain of events reminded me a little of Pretty Little Liars - minus the mostly feminine cast of course. Its funny what love and crushes will make you do, and sometimes life has plans of its own for you. A nice way to pass the time.

  Add to Goodreads

Excerpt

BEFORE

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

Expecting complete honesty was pointless.

Like with Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy, or when a friend got a questionable haircut. Both the kid and friend could discover the truth without anyone playing the villain. Or like right now while I stood next to my locker in the school hallway. My best friend, Mallory, couldn’t have said what she had. Yet I didn’t have an ear wax problem, so the chances of her comment being misheard were slimmer than time travel happening.

I blinked. “Come again?”

She tugged at her backpack strap. “I’m sorry, Chad; I’m not trying to be awkward. I just couldn’t lie anymore.”

“Don’t apologize for your feelings.”

Telling her not to feel bad shouldn’t have been the best response I came up with. Doing so only prolonged the inevitable: deciding about whether honesty or a fib was best. However, there was no right reaction to finding out Mallory had a crush on me. Some events—such as her revelation—couldn’t be anticipated no matter how many A’s I earned in school.

Mallory bit her lip. “We’ve been spending a lot of time together since July.”

I chuckled. “We’ve always been close.”

“Not since I started dating Tommy.”

I scratched the side of my head. “What’d you expect to happen?”

Available on Amazon 

Giveaway: For a chance to win a digital copy of the book, click the link below! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

About the Author My previous publishing credits include Thought Catalog, Entropy Magazine, Chicago Literati, and Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, among others. My debut YA Fantasy novel IN THE NAME OF MAGIC was published by NineStar Press in 2018. My 2019 novels include NA Thriller BURNING BRIDGES (BLKDOG Publishing), YA Paranormal Romance DEATHLY DESIRES (DEEP HEARTS YA), and YA Thriller COUSIN DEAREST (BLKDOG Publishing). My 2020 novels include my YA Thriller I KNOW WHERE THE BODIES ARE BURIED (BLKDOG Publishing), YA Contemporary I'LL SEE YOU AGAIN (Deep Hearts YA), YA Thriller BETWEEN LOVE AND MURDER (Between The Lines Publishing), YA Sci-fi DYING BEFORE LIVING (Deep Hearts YA), and YA Thriller LOVE HIM/HATE HIM (Between The Lines Publishing). I also graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2016. 

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Blog Tour Schedule

June 8th

Didi Oviatt (Spotlight) https://didioviatt.wordpress.com

I’m All About Books (Spotlight) https://imallaboutbooks.com/

Life’s a Novelty (Review) https://lifesanovelty.blogspot.com/

June 9th

Rambling Mads (Spotlight) http://ramblingmads.com

The Faerie Review (Review) http://www.thefaeriereview.com

Sophril Reads (Spotlight) http://sophrilreads.wordpress.com

June 10th

Tsarina Press (Spotlight) https://www.tsarinapress.com

Inked and Blonde (Review) https://inkedandblonde.blogspot.com/

June 11th

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

Indies Review (Spotlight) http://indieproreview.blogspot.com/

Stine Writing (Review) https://christinebialczak.com/

June 12th

Book Dragons Not Worms (Review) https://bookdragonsnotworms.blogspot.com/?m=1

Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com/

Dash Fan Book Reviews (Spotlight) https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/

Blog Tour Organized By: R&R Book Tours

via Blogger https://ift.tt/3dLmPCr

#Blogger #book review #Book Tour #college/school #LGBTQIA #Mystery & Thrillers #Young Adult

[chestnutpost]

Everything Else You Want To Know After Seeing ‘Leaving Neverland’

This post was originally published on this site

“Leaving Neverland,” which HBO aired in two parts on Sunday and Monday, offers the Me Too era’s most detailed portrait of sexual abuse to date. In profiling two men who say Michael Jackson charmed his way into their childhoods, only to molest them repeatedly and later cast them aside, Dan Reed’s documentary shows how an alleged predator courts and manipulates vulnerable targets, leaving behind emotional wounds that are hard to mend.

However thorough the film may be, it leaves many unanswered questions. Reed had a lot of ground to cover in order to piece together a resonant compendium of Wade Robson’s and James Safechuck’s experiences, so even with a four-hour running time, “Neverland” skirts certain particulars.

I’ve attempted to fill in some of those gaps. If you’ve seen the doc, let’s dig into a few omissions. (You can also learn more about the movie via my interview with Reed, conducted a few days after “Neverland” premiered at Sundance.)

First thing’s first: Macaulay Culkin. When’s the last time he spoke about his relationship with Jackson? 

As recently as January. On an episode of the celebrity interview podcast “Inside of You with Mathew Rosenbaum,” Culkin said that nothing untoward happened with Jackson ― a refrain he’s repeated time and again over the years, including when he took the stand during Jackson’s 2005 molestation trial. “It’s almost easy to try to say it was weird or whatever, but at the end of the day, we were friends,” Culkin told Rosenbaum, calling the relationship “normal” and “mundane.” 

Based on what we know from Culkin’s 2005 testimony, many of his experiences with Jackson ― extensive phone calls, limitless shopping sprees, childlike games ― mirror those of Robson and Safechuck. A key difference, as Culkin tells it: The bed they shared was platonic. 

“He enjoyed my youthfulness,” Culkin said on “WTF with Marc Maron” in early 2018. “He liked being a kid with me. It never struck me as odd. I never felt uncomfortable. That was just the way he was.”

I reached out to Culkin’s publicist to ask if the “Home Alone” actor would talk about “Leaving Neverland,” vowing to treat the interview with care given the sensitive subject matter. “We are receiving myriad requests all with the promise of intent to ‘handle the topic responsibly,’” she responded. “We appreciate your interest Matt, however no thank you.”

Kevin Kane via Getty Images Michael Jackson and Macaulay Culkin at a star-studded concert celebration for Jackson, held at Madison Square Garden in 2001.

Let’s talk about the other members of Jackson’s entourage mentioned in the documentary. What about the makeup artist who escorted Safechuck to Jackson’s trailer on the set of the Pepsi commercial?

That’s Karen Faye, who worked for Jackson for almost three decades, until he died in 2009. She was fiercely loyal and attentive, so much so that gossip mongers wondered if she and Jackson were having an affair while he was married to Lisa Marie Presley. Faye testified in his 2013 wrongful-death trial, describing the painkiller dependence Jackson developed after his hair caught fire while shooting a 1984 Pepsi ad. 

It appears none of that loyalty has faded. On her unverified Twitter account, Faye has spent the past several weeks defending Jackson against Robson and Safechuck.

Michael Jackson’s name, art and legacy will live on forever. The accusers and con artists will disappear into obscurity when we stop saying their names.

— Karen Faye (@wingheart) February 25, 2019

Where can I see Safechuck’s Pepsi ad?

Right here. 

What about the housekeeper mentioned in Part 2?

That’s Blanca Francia, who worked for Jackson from 1986 to 1991. Francia said during the 2005 trial that she spotted Jackson showering with a 7-year-old Robson, something she’d alluded to years earlier in an interview for the popular TV tabloid series “Hard Copy.”

Francia’s son, Jason, was allegedly molested by Jackson on three occasions ― twice at Neverland Ranch and once at Jackson’s Los Angeles apartment known as “the hideaway.” In 1996, the Francias reached an out-of-court settlement with Jackson worth a reported $2 million. Jason testified against him in 2005.  

Then there’s Adrian McManus, another housekeeper, who defended Jackson in a 1994 deposition because she worried about potential ramifications but reversed course on the witness stand in 2005. McManus isn’t directly referenced in the documentary, but she recently told the Australian edition of “60 Minutes” that she saw Jackson “kissing” and “petting” boys at Neverland, including Culkin and Jordan Chandler, whose family settled a civil lawsuit against Jackson outside of court in 1994. (Investigators later opted not to pursue criminal charges because Chandler did not want to testify. In the process, they found two other alleged victims who also declined to testify, according to the Los Angeles Times.)

McManus said she signed a confidentiality agreement and was “conditioned” not to question the singer’s behavior. “I was threatened,” she revealed on the program. “His bodyguards told me that if I ever came up on TV that they could hire a hitman, take me out, slice my neck and we’d never find my body. … I lived in fear for many, many years.”

Where have I seen the lawyer with the white hair before?

Thomas Mesereau, who helped get Jackson acquitted in 2005, has made a career out of defending celebrities accused of things like sexual misconduct or murder. The list includes Bill Cosby, Mike Tyson, Suge Knight and Robert Blake.

“I am 100 percent convinced Michael never abused a child, never harmed a child, certainly never molested a child,” he maintained during the same “60 Minutes” piece that features McManus. “I think this is hogwash.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS Michael Jackson and attorney Thomas Mesereau enter the Santa Barbara County Superior Court on June 13, 2005. 

What else happened during the 2005 trial?

A lot, including testimony from Martin Bashir, the journalist responsible for the damning 2003 TV documentary “Living with Michael Jackson,” which became evidence because it featured footage of 13-year-old accuser Gavin Arvizo nuzzled up against Jackson. (I asked Bashir to discuss “Leaving Neverland,” but his manager declined on Bashir’s behalf.)

If there’s a defining takeaway from both the 1993 and 2005 lawsuits, it’s how similar Chandler’s and Arvizo’s accounts are to the ones Robson and Safechuck outline in “Leaving Neverland,” including the tactics Jackson used to coach them and the progression of his alleged sexual acts.

You can reach all about the ’05 trial in the excellent Esquire explainer.

Why doesn’t “Leaving Neverland” feature accounts from members of Jackson’s entourage?

Dan Reed, the director, has been fielding this question a lot. When I asked him about it at the Sundance Film Festival in January, he said he saw little value in including perspectives from people who, unlike Safechuck and Robson, don’t know what unfolded behind Jackson’s security-laden bedroom door. Reed apparently spoke to various legal investigators and Neverland Ranch employees who could only produce “circumstantial corroboration.”

“What we have in the story is from the horse’s mouth,” he explained. “We have the child speaking about what happened to him, and I didn’t know how much more credible it would appear if I have a maid going, ‘Well, yeah, I saw Wade.’ … I never found a single investigator who didn’t think Michael was guilty, and I never came across anything at all that led me to doubt either Wade or James.”

Reed doubled down on “CBS This Morning” last week, responding to accusations of one-sidedness by pointing out that “Neverland” includes Jackson’s perspective via footage of the pop star’s denials from 1993 and 2005. “This isn’t a film about Michael Jackson,” he said. “It’s a film about Wade Robson and James Safechuck, two little boys to whom this dreadful thing happened long ago. It’s the story of them coming to terms with that over two decades, and the story of their families.”

Jackson’s inner circle was huge, so the collective cover-up also must have been huge, right?

In a word, yes. It’s impossible to glean exactly how much everyone knew about the molestation allegedly going on at Neverland and elsewhere, but there’s no doubt that Jackson employed a lot of people who turned a blind eye or reduced his behavior to mere eccentricities. Every time the Robsons or Safechucks were summoned to Neverland, it surely wasn’t Jackson who was booking their plane tickets, chauffeuring them to and fro, or tidying up after them. For comparison’s sake, a striking aspect of last year’s Lifetime docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly” was realizing the breadth of R. Kelly’s co-conspirators. 

“It was very rare that Michael was alone,” Robson told Oprah Winfrey during a special that aired after “Leaving Neverland” on Monday. “He had a machine around him at all times. Secretaries organized most of my phone calls and cars to pick me up to bring me to him. Security guards were always there outside of the door. There were so many people around. There’s no way that Michael could have abused at the level that he did and the number of kids that he did without a machine behind him helping him do that.” 

Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP Wade Robson, director Dan Reed and James Safechuck at the Sundance Film Festival.

Here’s a big one: How are we supposed to feel about the mothers?

Your conclusion is as good as mine, but it’s certainly complex. Something “Leaving Neverland” does particularly well is grant every subject what amounts to a full profile, respecting everyone’s vantage no matter how objectionable.

Jackson didn’t just court Wade and James ― he courted their parents too, quickly ingratiating himself as a pseudo family member and showering them with gifts. As James says, “It’s all a big seduction.” And so it’s easy to see how these middle-class parents with talented sons got swept up in the enchantment, deluded by what Stephanie Safechuck calls “the life of the rich and famous.” 

But at what point does myopia become willful blindness? Neglect, after all, is a form of child abuse.

It’s not impossible to understand the mothers’ positions, though; in America, wealth is an addiction and fame an elixir. These moms thought Jackson, who held all the power in the situation, was fostering their sons’ budding artistic careers. The innocent facade that Jackson projected ― long explained away as a Peter Pan complex stemming from the physical abuse and general frenzy he suffered in his own childhood ― lent them false comfort. 

On the other hand, who in her right mind would leave her 7-year-old at a celebrity’s mansion while spending a week at the Grand Canyon? Who would leave her son in Jackson’s hotel suite overnight after learning that Jackson’s staff had booked her own room far away from his?

They were a pre-Kardashian era’s version of opportunistic momagers. At a certain point, sympathy turns into befuddlement, even if they never lose their humanity ― a conflict that Robson and Safechuck are still grappling with in their adult lives. During a Q&A at the Sundance premiere, Safechuck said his mother is seeking forgiveness that he has struggled to grant.

One quick, peripheral detail: Do celebrities always give away memorabilia willy-nilly?

This is hardly the most vital tidbit from “Leaving Neverland,” but it is mind-blowing that Jackson gave a young Safechuck one of the red jackets from the “Thriller” video. (I say “one of” because another “Thriller” jacket sold for $1.8 million at auction in 2011.)

Safechuck also made off with a bullwhip from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” given to him by the one and only Harrison Ford. I guess when you spend most of your life surrounded by props and costumes and … just … stuff, you stop caring about one little jacket or whip, even if they’re worth millions.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Neverland Ranch in 2009.

Let’s fast forward to the present day. What’s going on with Neverland Ranch?

It’s currently for sale, if you have $31 million and don’t mind living in an alleged pedophile’s home. The 2,700-acre California compound was first listed for $100 million in 2015 but ― surprise, surprise ― found no takers. With the discount, someone will inevitably think it’s a steal, right?

Neverland Ranch, now called Sycamore Valley Ranch, was raided during Jackson’s child-molestation investigation in 2003, but it remains largely unchanged, minus the wild animals and train. 

Will Jackson’s music be muted? 

The first, and to date only, major institution to remove Jackson’s discography from its rotation is BBC Radio 2, the United Kingdom’s most popular station.

A jukebox musical based on the making of Jackson’s 1992 world tour is slated to open on Broadway in 2020. It’s being developed by the Jackson estate, which has already collected a reported $2.1 billion since the singer’s death. I reached out to the writer, Pulitzer winner Lynn Nottage, to ask if production plans had changed and whether the show would include Jackson’s allegations, but I didn’t hear back.

I sent similar inquiries to Spotify and Sirius XM, but no responses there either. Spotify, for its part, nixed R. Kelly from official playlists but did not scrub the alleged child abuser’s catalog altogether; time will tell whether it does the same for Jackson.  

There’s also a Jackson-themed Cirque du Soleil performance running in Las Vegas. “Because of current legal proceedings involving one of our partners, we will not comment on this situation,” a representative said in a email.

Are there more survivors who haven’t spoken out?

Yes, though it’s impossible to say how many. Reed told me he knows of at least one more who declined to participate in the doc. Not counting the two anonymous victims the Los Angeles police located in 1994, that brings the total number of accusers to six: Jordan Chandler, Jason Francia, Gavin Arvizo, Wade Robson, James Safechuck and the unknown man Reed met.

“I do think there are others out there,” Safechuck told “CBS This Morning.” “But I also don’t expect them to just come out now that we’re coming out. It’s such a difficult thing to do, to come out. You have to do it when you’re ready.”

What’s up with all the Jackson superfans still defending him?

Oh boy. My Twitter notifications have been inundated ever since I tweeted about the documentary at Sundance. Meanwhile, Reed has received death threats. Loyalists are targeting the contradictions in Robson’s and Safechuck’s accounts, as the men previously maintained that Jackson hadn’t touched them inappropriately ― a commonality among sexual assault survivors who once felt affection for their abusers. (Robson, for one, said in a sworn statement that he didn’t grasp the nature of what happened to him until undergoing therapy in 2012.)

The coalition of superfans is operating offline too. Seany O’Kane, a British disciple, raised money to purchase advertisements on London buses that promote a website proclaiming Jackson’s innocence. (Another woman is apparently attempting to do the same in Los Angeles.) Almost $7,000 of the roughly $16,000 that O’Kane raised came from the Michael Jackson Chinese Fan Club, according to Vice.

If anything, fans’ refusal to recognize Jackson’s flaws speaks to our limited understanding of sexual trauma and the way hero worship becomes a blinder. He is almost inarguably the most beloved public figure to fall in the Me Too era, having soundtracked childhoods, proms, weddings and other cherished memories. However inexcusable, it’s easy to see how someone would dupe himself into trusting Jackson the same way his accusers did. 

What’s disheartening is that many of those fans probably won’t even watch “Leaving Neverland,” much like Jackson’s relatives, who are denouncing the film and suing HBO for $100 million despite refusing to see it.

But the arguments leveled by Jackson’s siblings are vague and limited, specifically the claim that Robson and Safechuck are only out for money. A judge dismissed the sexual assault lawsuits Robson and Safechuck filed back in 2013 and 2014, respectively ― and not because they lacked credibility, but because California’s statute of limitations invalidated them. (Both suits are pending appeal.) Furthermore, Reed said the men, who are subjecting themselves to relentless scrutiny by speaking out, weren’t compensated for participating in “Neverland.” 

Robson told Rolling Stone he agreed to take part only to “help other survivors and play [a] small role in education and prevention.”

Safechuck, meanwhile, said, “[We started this] pre-Me Too, so I had to set realistic expectations, which I try to do for myself. I figured we were gonna get trashed by everybody else, so I didn’t expect people to believe us or come out in support of us. My focus was just on other victims, that they could hear the story and hopefully see themselves in it.”

RELATED…

The post Everything Else You Want To Know After Seeing ‘Leaving Neverland’ appeared first on The Chestnut Post.

from The Chestnut Post https://thechestnutpost.com/news/everything-else-you-want-to-know-after-seeing-leaving-neverland/