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rayslittlekitten · 4 months

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Longest Nights

A/N: Okay, this isn't perfect but I think it mostly captures what I was going for. I'm done working on this. I've listened to "Last Christmas" by Ariana Grande on loop for literally the last like 8 hours trying to finish this. It's weirdly the song that inspired this (YT link below). This isn't the first Kai fic I thought I'd finish but here we are. Kai had already broke my heart so this fic is just me jamming the knife even deeper and twisting it. This fic is spoiler free.

Rating: T/M

Word Count: ~1.3k

Pairing: Kai x Pilot! F! Reader

Plot: When you run into your crush who you have a working relationship with on the loneliest night of the year, you find comfort in him.

Contains: mentions of sex, heartache, Kai is a warning in itself

It’s that time of year again, the shortest day and longest night, where all the travelers go home to be with their families and loved ones to celebrate the Winter Solstice. You don’t know the origin of the holiday but it’s celebrated universally. Traditions may vary from culture to culture but usually children get presents for being well-behaved all year and families gather around to sing and dance.

But where do the ones with no family go? The same place where you are right now, seated on the stool at the bar in this saloon. The orphans, the loners, the outcasts. This is their home and it has been yours as well for the last few years. It can get lonely this time of year making the longest night seem even longer, but at least you’re not doing it alone.

While working on your third pint, a familiar voice behind you draws your attention. You slowly turn around to take a glance and as expected, you see him. He has his arm around a woman’s shoulder and they look cozy as they walk across the saloon. Probably a mark, but with Kai, you never know until it’s too late.

Your eyes follow them as they seat themselves at the other end of the bar. He leans in and whispers something into her ear and she giggles with her hand over her chest. She is definitely getting something stolen tonight, whether it’s the big shiny ring on her hand or her heart. You would know first hand.

When you finished off your ale, you sensed a presence next to you. Before you could order another pint, they ordered it for you as well as one for themselves, sliding a few coins to the bartender.

“Oh, hey Kai. You don’t need to-” you started, but he cut you off.

“Don’t worry about it. I got a bigger payout from my last job than I expected,” he waved his ringed hand to dismiss you. “Besides, I owe you one.”

Kai brought his freshly-poured pint up to clink with yours before taking a large gulp.

Last time, he tried to swindle a swindler and he almost had it but when they caught on, Kai would have lost his head if you hadn’t happened to be there to back him up. He’s always getting himself into all sorts of trouble for a shilling, but he’s usually smart about it. Once in a while, he just liked to do it for the challenge.

“It’s nothing,” you shrugged after taking a sip of your own ale. “I’m sure you would have done the same for me.”

You noticed the mischievous smirk forming on his face, flashing his shiny teeth. The precious metals in his mouth brightens his smile. Your gaze moved up and you’re suddenly lost in his bright blue eyes. It wouldn’t be your first time.

“So what are you doing here by yourself on a night like this? Shouldn’t you be with that bounty hunting fellow you’ve been planet-hopping with?” Kai asked curiously.

“You mean Jaxson? We’re not together anymore,” you told him, then took another sip of your drink, looking away from him in embarrassment.

“Well, that’s too bad for him. You’re a great person to have around,” he commented.

“Thanks, Kai. Guess he didn’t think so,” you threw him a tight-lipped smile. “He found somebody more suited for him at the brothel.”

“Eh, screw Jaxson! I never trust bounty hunters,” he replied. “Especially ones who can’t even see the value of someone.”

His crystal clear eyes met yours again and he winked. You felt your cheeks quickly heating up and it’s not from the ale. Kai was very charming and charismatic which is why he’s great at what he does and you’re not immune from it even knowing this. His accent certainly adds to it.

“Enough about that scoundrel. How’s business going, by the way?” he asked, changing the subject.

Kai would sometimes outsource jobs to you when he wasn’t able to do them himself and would take a small percentage of the payout as a finder’s fee. You never knew what you were transporting but you always took the job. It wasn’t just for the money; any opportunity to spend time with Kai was enough of a reason.

“Not many people have needed things transported lately, believe it or not. Might have to find other ways to earn if this keeps up. Fuel is not cheap.”

Kai leaned into you, his shoulder pressed right up against yours and his face mere inches away from yours.

“You know, I heard on Veldt, the farmers have this belief that making a lot of loud and passionate love appeases their god and will make their soil fertile so they will have an abundance of crops,” he started.

“Interesting,” you commented, wondering where he’s going with this.

“Maybe it might work in the same way. Abundance of transportation needs,” he shrugged.

You let out a chortle, nearly choking on your ale.

“Kai, that has to be the silliest thing I’ve ever heard,” you replied while wiping the corners of your mouth.

“It might be, but it made you laugh,” he said. “Has anyone ever told you how cute your laugh is?”

Your face got hot again as the corners of your lips curled up and you tried to hide your face in your shoulder. That handsome smile made an appearance again and there’s a twinkle in his eyes. He scanned your face before settling on your lips and leaning in even closer.

“Interested in appeasing the gods tonight?”

You let out a small laugh but stared at him for a few moments when his facial expression didn’t change. When his hooded eyes found yours again, your breath hitched.

***

The next morning, you found yourself alone in the bed of the room you both rented out for the night at a nearby inn. You scanned the room and there was no sign of Kai. It was as if he never stepped foot in here. The soreness between your legs is the only proof you had, that you hadn’t dreamt it.

You had lost count of how many times he made you climax, but that wasn’t even the best part of it. It was the most intimate and passionate love making you had ever experienced. He said and did things that made you feel like the only person that existed in this universe. He took his time with you, worshiped you, and left no part of your body untouched. He made your body react in ways you didn’t ever think was possible. You opened up to him and shared parts of yourself that you hadn’t shared with anyone else, as it seemed like he did with you.

Admittedly, you were in a vulnerable place, but it didn’t take away from what had manifested last night. You then suddenly checked all your belongings to make sure they were all there. After thoroughly searching, you found something that didn’t belong to you: one of Kai’s rings. You sighed in relief to confirm Kai didn’t steal anything from you, but it still felt like something was missing.

A few days later, you ran into him, although you didn’t know if it was by chance or it was by his design because he was in need of your services again. You returned his ring which he thanked you for, but things went on like nothing had ever happened between you. You had thought there was a connection. He had never brought up that night to you so you didn’t either, especially seeing him with another woman that day. You didn’t want to make things awkward.

You quickly finish your drink and tip the bartender as you gather your belongings. From your peripheral vision, you see the woman throw a drink onto Kai’s face before stomping out the swinging doors. You can’t help but smirk, but you hide it from him. You glance over at him for a quick moment as he wipes his face before finally heading out yourself. The last thing you need is for him to drown you in his eyes again.

youtube

#charlie hunnam #charlie hunnam fanfiction #kai #rebel moon #kai fanfiction #rebel moon fanfiction #kai x f!reader #kai x reader #christmas #Youtube

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taurizzz · 8 months

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You Got It, pt. 2

Bada Lee x Reader

Synopsis:

Part 1 , Part 2, Part 3

Update: you could dance... a little bit now.

There's no mistaking you as the new Bada Lee, but you could follow easy choreography now. Which isn't much considering the talented dancer herself had been luring you into her dance studio every. single. day. since you guys met.

But it was safe to say you never learnt the choreography to "You Got It".

Instead, you had resorted to trying to film tiktoks of dance trends, which you still found challenging and Bada found amusing.

"You look like a rusty seesaw," the talented dancer laughs as she watches you stiffly move your hips side-to-side.

You huff, crossing your arms, "they're asking too much of me. How can I move my hips and keep to the beat?!"

Shaking her head while chuckling at your flare for the dramatic, Bada finds herself walking over to you. Step-by-step she shows you how to smoothly move your hips without your whole body following, and by some higher power, you can do it!

“I’m doing it, Bada!” You yell gleefully, rushing to hug your mentor.

Your arms wrap around her neck, pulling her closer to you to her surprise. You feel Bada’s arms snake around your waist, your bodies mesh together like puzzle pieces. Her hot breath tickles your neck before you slowly pull away from her, much to Bada’s distaste yet she can’t help but feel warm inside when you flash her an excited smile.

“Let’s film this tiktok before I forget,” you laugh making Bada chuckle in agreement.

As you set up your phone, Bada can’t help but watch your every move with a sense of fondness. She did not expect you to become such a prominent part of her day, seeing you had become a necessity for Bada, so the dancer had resorted to forcing you to come to her studio every day since you walked into her class. There was something magnetic drawing Bada towards you, but she kept quiet about it, not sure whether you felt the same way.

You press start, allowing the “Girls Like Me Don’t Cry” by Thuy play.

You lip sync the beginning before slowly backing up to your place just in front of Bada. When the song transitions into the chorus, you and Bada start to move your hips to the beats.

Unexpectedly, Bada turns you around so your backside is now facing the camera and she places her hands on your hips. You feel your cheeks heat up as you give her a quizzical look, confused on what she’s doing but she continues to move her hips and so do you.

She leans her head down, resting her forehead onto yours, the eye contact going crazzzyyy. You nervously gulp, as you bring your hands around her neck. You forget the tiktok you’re filming as your faces inch closer and closer. You stare at Bada through hooded eyes as hers begin to close while leaning in more, your noses brush against each others and you can feel the exchange of your breaths.

A knock on the studio door startles you and Bada, causing you both to immediately let each other go. The atmosphere between you two turns awkward when a guy walks in, you remember him to be Howl, Bada’s second-in-charge.

You turn to busy yourself with your phone, trying to act natural as if you weren’t a millisecond away from kissing Bada.

Wtf was that y/n? What if she doesn’t even like girls? Thoughts are racing through your mind as you save the tiktok as a draft and then swipe out of the app, noticing that Gigi had messaged you saying she was done with her class now.

You stand up in a seemingly nonchalant way, congratulating yourself for coming off as super natural although you were internally shaking with nerves. Bada and Howl are talking about something in Korean, but you can see Bada glance at you, almost asking you not to go.

But you have to, so you smile awkwardly, clearing your throat, “I’m going to go now Bada, Gigi’s finished her class.”

A disappointed look flashes across her face but nods, “i’ll text you.”

You nod before turning around, speedily walking out of the studio, meeting up with your best friend, who was waiting outside. As you two wait for your Uber to arrive, you hurriedly whisper what just happened between you and Bada, and not surprisingly, Gigi couldn’t help but let out squeals of excitement, catching the attention of a few people who were around.

“Shut up,” you whack Gigi’s arm, “someone’s going to know from your big freaking mouth.”

She rolls her eyes as the Uber arrives, you both hop in and continue the conversation. Gigi turns her entire body in your direction before recalling what you told her, “so let me get this straight. You and Bada were filming a tiktok and she made a move on you but you guys didn’t kiss because Howl walked in?”

“Well I don’t know if she made a move or if I did,” you trail off, “I don’t even know if she’s into girls!”

Gigi laughs, shaking her head, “I think if she was about to kiss you, that would mean she’s into girls.”

Almost as if she knew you two were talking about her, your phone buzzes with a text from the devil herself. Gigi leans over your shoulder so she can also see what Bada has texted you.

Bada 😳

Hellooo

Sorry about Howl coming in

I’m sad you had to go so soon :(

Do you and Gigi want to come to a party tonight???

You share a look with your best friend who dramatically places her hand on her chest, “she’s so into you! Tell her yes, oh my god, y’all are going to start dating and get married!”

Your eyes widen from the intensity of your best friends comment, shaking your head quickly before quickly replying with a “that’s alright! and sounds good, we’ll come tonight!”

As you and Gigi pull up to your guys’ apartment, you thank the Uber and rush to get into your rented home. Bada messaged saying she’ll pick you two up at 8, leaving two hours for you guys to get ready.

You start to ponder on Gigi’s words… could Bada be into you?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Time Skip - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Just as promised, Bada pulled up to your apartment at 8pm on the dot. You couldn’t help but feel a blush form on your cheeks as you entered her car, punctuality is so hot.

Just not as hot as the tall girl smiling at you from the drivers seat. She’s wearing her infamous hat, which is tightened below her chin, a baseball jersey and some cargo pants. Her handsome vibe definitely did not help with the blossoming feelings you were forming for Bada, increasing them tenfold.

As Bada drives to the party, you sneak glances at her whenever you think she’s too busy to notice. Everything about Bada was catching your attention. From the way she’s driving with one hand to the way her tongue poked her cheek whenever another driver got on her nerves.

Everything about Bada was driving you crazy.

You didn’t even notice you three had pulled up to the party residence and that Bada had turned the car off already, not until she spoke your name with a quizzical tone, “y/n you alright? We’re here now.”

Clearing your throat, you nod frantically before stepping out the car. That was so embarrassing, what if she noticed I was checking her out?

Trying not to come off as a weirdo, you shake off your thoughts and follow Bada into the house with Gigi trailing after you. The house was crowded. There were plenty of people around, some were dancing, some were laughing with their friends and some were playing drinking games.

This wasn’t really your vibe, you preferred to stay home and drink with a couple of friends, but you knew this was definitely Gigi’s vibe so being a good friend, you’re going to suck it up and try to enjoy yourself.

Bada leads you to a group of people chatting in the kitchen, you’re assuming these are her friends. You were proven right when she began introducing you to them.

“Guys this is y/n and Gigi,” Bada smiles as she points at you and your best friend. You give them a gentle smile and a shy wave, quietly saying “hi” as Gigi says hello too.

“Y/n, Gigi, this is Redlic,” Bada points to a blonde girl who smiles behind her cup, “and you know these guys from dance class.” Howl, Lusher and Tatter all wave in unison.

Redlic begins speaking in Korean to the group of friends, and they all begin laughing at whatever she said. Trying not to stand there awkwardly, you look over at Gigi, who’s pointing to the drinks table.

“Want a drink?”

“Yes please.”

You both walk, well Gigi pretty much ran, to the table full of alcoholic beverages and began grabbing two soju bottles. “I know you’re supposed to take these as shots but I want to get fucked up since we’re leaving Korea soon.” Gigi pouts as she opens the two bottles, you guys clink and both take a chug at the drink.

It’s a dangerous drink, you think to yourself, as you can barely taste any alcohol. It’s also a dangerous drink because thirty minutes go by and you don’t even notice, you also haven’t seen Bada since she introduced you to her friends.

Feeling a pressure grow in your lower abdomen, you tell Gigi you’re going to the bathroom. She nods and asks if you want her to come, because girlhood, but you tell her not to worry and that you’ll be quick.

You had trouble finding the bathroom. It was a large house, one with many rooms and you just happened to be a victim of the directionally challenged disease. You have never been given the task to give directions, even when you’ve got a gps because you’re somehow going to fuck it up.

As you stumble slightly down a corridor, you find a door that seems like it could be to a bathroom. Something inside you was pulling you towards the door, so it clearly had to be your gut instincts telling you that this is the room you’re looking for.

Pushing the door open, it was not the bathroom.

In fact, it was far from a bathroom. It was the room you felt your soul get crushed in due to the sight before you.

Bada and Redlic were standing in the middle of the room, kissing each other just like you and Bada were close to doing earlier.

You heart shatters but you can’t bring yourself to look away, the sight engraving itself into your memory. At the sound of the door opening and footsteps, Bada pulls herself away from the blonde, seeing the last person she wanted to witness what just happened.

“Y/n, wait-” Bada moves towards you but you, in your state of inebriation, manage to run out the room before she could touch you.

Tears are threatening to spill down your cheeks but you can’t allow yourself to cry. There’s no reason to. It’s not like you and Bada are even together… so why does it hurt so much? Why do you feel like you’re breaking inside?

You find Gigi as you hear your name being called behind you. Ignoring the calls, you grab Gigi and without needing to say anything, Gigi understands the situation and you two rush out of the premises.

No one has followed you outside, much to your relief and dismay. You didn’t want to see or speak to her ever again, but you also wanted her to fight for you and show you that she cares about you. Are you not important enough for Bada to follow you out?

So Bada does like girls… just not me, tears finally drip down your cheeks as you and Gigi hop into your Uber.

As the Uber drives away from the house, you’re completely unaware of the girl standing in the middle street, too late as she watches your car disappear in the distance.

“What have I done?”

hellooo,

i hope you guys are having a great day!

or were, before bada broke your heart :(

anyways, thank you for reading!

lots of love,

j <3

#bada lee x reader #bada lee #bada lee x y/n #reader is a mess

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imichelle-l-rigby · 6 months

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Reflections: Cillian Murphy’s Limited Edition

Season 3, episode 6

✨I think I’m sorta catching up 😊✨

———————————————————————

*I am a music prof (predominantly classical vocalist), and I LOVE listening to Cillian’s music choices! That being said, sometimes I won’t like a song simply because of a vocalist (it’s a professional hazard - sorry!) 👩‍🏫

** The following are my own observations/opinions. We may not agree, and that’s ok! That’s what makes music fun! 😊

*** I wouldn’t say I’m well-versed in Cillian’s music preferences, but I do enjoy them (for the most part). I always wind up adding to my own playlists after listening to Cillian’s recommendations.

———————————————————————

Let the show begin!

🎵Set 1 (Fading Stars II - Come And Play In The Milky Night)

Fading Stars II: sounds like film music. It uses the same motif over and over again, slowly filling out the texture

Come And Play In The Milky Night: this reminds me of 2010s pop music. It’s got that wistfulness that I associate with that decade! (Isn’t it horrifying to be talking about the 2010s as “old”? I just hurt my own feelings!)

🎤Talking Break:

Grand isn’t as good as tippety top. Noted.

Coltrane! ❤️

Wow! The last song is from the ‘90s!

“Sitting in cars that are moving”

“Scintillating observations”

🎵Set 2 (Over My Shoulder - Glass, Concrete & Stone)

Over My Shoulder: I am having so much fun with this one! 😎😆 I love the story of this song as well.

The Beggar: again, a very fun song! But so different from the other in this set. Rhythms are interesting.

Glass, Concrete & Stone: it’s cool that there are 3 predominant instruments, like the 3 materials mentioned in the title. Melody is strange and unexpected. I like it!

🎤Talking Break:

Cillian just wants a twin, specifically David Byrne. 😂

Every track on the album is in the same key, and it’s heard above the drone. I am intrigued.

🎵Set 3 (Ta Douleur - Hard-boiled Babe)

Ta Douleur: this is so urban, but I’ll be honest - some of the sound effects sound *ahem* rude? 😅 not offensive, just like someone ate something that didn’t agree 😂😂😂😂 and I’m afraid I’m not mature enough to move past that. 💨

Hard-boiled Babe: I didn’t expect the harmonica!

These French “girl pop” songs are a genre I didn’t expect him to be into! Goes to show you can’t pin this guy’s musical tastes down.

🎤Talking Break:

He’s forever better at French than me

🎵Set 4 (War Zone - Ethiopian Rock)

War Zone: another song featuring “sound effects” - I like how the war sounds get louder and louder, but also how the melody is just so “vacation vibe”. Good commentary!

Ethiopian Rock: melody is in the bass line. The echo is fun. It feels like a reinterpretation of protest rock, but I can’t explain why other than vague similarities.

🎤Talking Break:

Old Jamaican music! Cool!

🎵Set 5 (Hill & Gully Ride - Asa Branca)

Hill & Gully Ride: this is so fun! Had I not been told it’s Jamaican, I would’ve assumed Puerto Rico or Cuba. It reminds me of those dance rhythms that came to NYC in the ‘40s and ‘50s.

Ma Blonde Est Partie: this sounds so early country/country blues. Aka OLD American styles. And I find this amazing. This might honestly be my favorite song for this episode! I love the instrument mix (in ways it sounds Appalachian?), and the vocals are so fitting here!

Asa Branca: gorgeous! 😍 it’s got a little of everything to offer! The style keeps jumping around!

✨favorite set✨

🎤Talking Break:

Cajun! Now that makes sense why I’m hearing so many Appalachian sounds!

And a series about music in the US. I’m not going crazy for hearing all that! Phew! 😅

Ask a reasonable question - your question may not be reasonable or even adequately answered! But it’s not Brian Cox

Him trying to describe emojis is precious

“A mystery wrapped inside an anorak wrapped inside an enigma”

More Yorkshire Man

🎵Set 6 (See the Sky About to Rain - Big Pharma)

See the Sky About to Rain: Neil is a specific voice. It’s always jarring at the beginning, but then I settle in and can enjoy his vocals.

Your Name Is Snake Anthony: whoa! Talk about jarring - that segue was shocking! Quite atmospheric, and in some places the background is atonal or polytonal (no key or multiple keys).

Paralysed: so my autocorrect doesn’t like the way the title is spelled 😂😂😂😂 bless it’s American little heart. I suppose the bass line that plays the “short long” motif over and over is representing your heart beat. It also repeats notes over and over again, like it’s possibly paralyzed.

Big Pharma: interesting rhythms/punctuations. I don’t love it, but it definitely sticks with you. Will be honest, the “sniffing” sounds at the beginning was a little gross. Idk what it’s supposed to be, but it sounds like someone’s got a stuffy nose 🤧

🎤Talking Break:

Ah yes, the exclusive

A poetry reading!

🎵Set 7 (Geronimo Blues - Condition of Us)

Geronimo Blues: a pretty song (which I know is weird since the lyrics are pretty critical)! And Kae is good at this, but it always takes me a second to understand the lyrics. I guess my brain has a buffer with this accent 😅

Condition of Us: again- such a strong contrast! I love the vocals here! ❤️ I’m having fun!

🎤Talking Break:

I can’t even spell the verb for getting goosebumps. Dude. What even?! 😂

🎵Set 8 (I Walk on Guilded Splinters)

The archive footage - I have concerns about his speaking vocal quality.

I Walk On Guilded Splinters: honestly, this sounds like healthier vocal production than what I just heard. Yes - there’s a way to give a raspy sound without hurting yourself. ANYWAY. This is a cool song! I love the echos. 😎

🎤Talking Break:

Correct. No intro needed for Bill Withers

🎵Set 9 (Kissing My Love - Inside Straight)

Kissing My Love: 💃💃😍😍 ooh these vocals! The funk! The groove!

Inside Straight: gimme that jazz! 😎 and can we just talk about the subtle internal harmony changes in the piano chords? Like… that shouldn’t be that cool. BUT IT IS. And everything about this is fire! 🔥 although, the raspberry scat line was a little… special. Impressive, but … yeah. 😅

🎤Talking Break:

Miles played with everyone! He pioneered so many jazz styles it’s insane!

“Pugilistic kind of sound”

“He played with the Wombles!”

🎵Set 10 (Video Life)

Video Life: just getting flashbacks to the VHS era. 😅

🎤Talking Break:

Lots of pop

“One man Beatles” - I am intrigued!

🎵Set 11 (Somebody Made for Me - Every Night)

Somebody Made for Me: OMG HE DOES SOUND JUST LIKE PAUL MCCARTNEY!! 🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀 even the scoring sounds like Paul! Like… 🤯

Every Night: I AM SINGING ALONG WITH A PAUL COVER AND JUST LIVING MY BEST LIFE 💃😎😆

🎤Talking Break

You are correct, Cillian. All roads lead to the Beatles!

🎵Set 12 (Single Pigeon)

Single Pigeon: IT’S PAUL!!!! 😍😍😍 🙌 the vocal line is kinda all over the place (awkward?) and that reminds me of pigeons just wandering around 😂

🎤Talking Break:

“Doesn’t outstay its welcome”

🎵Set 13 (I Want You to Love Me - She Walks In Beauty)

I Want You to Love Me: I like the driving, powerful left hand bass in the piano against the right hand melody. And the vocal drone! That’s not heard often! The drone isn’t even always in the “right” key as she’s going through, so that’s also a fun quirk!

Must Be Tears: I love the “old school” production aesthetics!

She Walks In Beauty: gorgeous! So ethereal, which is what I get from the title alone. It’s hard to make synth and electronic instruments not sound cheesy, so I really like this. And more poetry!

🎤Talking Break:

Byron!

No it’s over already???

Yay covers! And jazz!

Coltrane!!! Finally.

“Mind yourselves”

🎵Set 14 (Wonderful World - Nature Boy)

Wonderful World: I do like the jazz, but I’m not enjoying the vocals that much. Strings are an interesting addition, though!

All I Need: more layering effects. I like this a lot! It’s got a swanky nightclub vibe to it. The piano solo is so satisfying.

Nature Boy: yes! 😎 the bebop is popping! I loooooove bebop/hard bop so much. It’s INSANE and I have so much respect for the art form. This is a great way to end the show!

———————————————————————

Thanks so much for reading! And dare I say it, I’m proud of myself for catching up - I think I’m only a week and a half late with this one! Woohoo! 😂

Tag list:

@iammrsrogers @deliciousnutcomputer @mariamoonie @brownskinsugarplum76 @look-at-the-soul @kj-davis @neverroad @teapothollow @thepurplearmyposts @possessedmarshmallow

#cillian murphy #Cillian Murphy’s limited edition #bbc 6 music

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atmilliways · 1 year

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Part One: Sweet Little Lies

(part two) (part three) (part four) (part five) - complete as of 4/4/23

Rating: Mature Word Count: 2190 Ships: Steddie Major Tags: Jealousy, Casual sex Additional Tags: Pining, Slutty Steve Harrington, Drinking, Vomiting, Pre-relationship

Author’s Note: Written for the Stranger Music Anthology prompt, Rainbow In The Dark by Dio; banner by @xirayn. Story kinda got away from me... I wrote a lot more than 2k, so there will be more.

Ao3 Collection: Rainbow in the Dark Anthology

Read it on Ao3

Eddie doesn’t have a thing for Steve or anything.

(Lie. He’s carried a torch for the guy on and off since 1981; it is now 1988.)

And it’s not like he thought that, after all the life or death stuff, after ‘Steeeve Harrington is actually . . . a good dude,’ after ‘Don’tcha, big boy?’ and the adorably questioning looks Steve had shot him in response, after Steve holding his guts in all the way to the hospital and throwing an absolute ‘Is this how you’re going to talk to a goddamn Harrington after all the money my parents have donated’ shit-fit while drenched in blood until Hawkins Memorial agreed to treat him. . . . It’s not like, after all that, he thought moving to Indianapolis with the guy would mean something.

(Lie. He’d thought about how often Robin would inevitably visit them in their shitty two-bedroom apartment and daydreamed pointlessly about that second room being unofficially hers.)

And, and, it’s not like Steve coming out to him as bisexual within a few months of moving in, then turning those great big doe eyes on Eddie while he asked if he’d take him to his first gay bar sometime had made him do anything as ill-advised as yearn.

(Lie. In defiance of all sense of self-preservation, Eddie’s first thought had been that maybe he meant it like a date. He’d had to quash that immediately, before the ember that had fallen from his torch caught on anything and burned him from the inside out.)

Really, none of it’s a big deal. They’re at the bar dancing in the swirling light of vivid colors cast all around the otherwise grungy space, and Steve moves in unexpectedly close. Close enough for Eddie to feel the press of him all along his front. It’s crowded, but not that crowded; he’s not expecting it, and, well.

Eddie is a coward. He moves back.

Just for a second. But while his mind is still reeling, some guy cuts in to dance with Steve—because Steve is fucking gorgeous and Eddie absolutely hadn’t nearly had a heart attack while putting eyeliner on him, or again when he’d seen his fucking outfit, with the sinfully tight jeans and the t-shirt short enough to show off abs worthy of licking, scars only enhancing the effect in his personal opinion—and Eddie backs off.

Let Steve have some fun exploring his newly expanded horizons, you know? It totally isn’t killing him or anything.

(Lies. It’s a very big deal. His heart is in bad shape and he feels well on his way back to nearly dead.)

It’s not like he doesn’t have his distractions, either.

He’d found a fellow metalhead amongst his coworkers and followed that thread of knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy to a band that needed a guitarist and dug the scraps of original songs he’d turned up with. They’ll probably never make it big, but Hawkins had held Eddie in such notoriety (the ugly flip-side of fame) that he’d had to leave, and the rock star life would have that same unappealing kind of omnipresent scrutiny. These days he plays just to work off the tension, get some of the shit out of his system; he still has nightmares, occasionally, but his demons always seem to let him go while he’s making music.

(No one needs to know that half his songs are secretly about Steve.)

And Eddie needs all the breaks he can get now that every time he comes home from a shift at the coffee shop, it seems like Steve has acquired a new set of hickies. Every. Single. Time. It’s fine.

(Lie. And one count of possible over-exaggeration on the hickey front, but he can’t. Stop. Thinking about it.)

The thing is, Steve doesn’t date around. He never calls whatever he’s doing dating, just says he’s going to “hang out” with some guy whose name Eddie isn’t familiar with, never quite sure if it was someone that he knows or not because half of his job involves writing names on paper cups; they all blur together after a while. Occasionally there’s a girl thrown in there for variety, but Steve is more straightforward about calling those hookups.

None of these hangouts or hookups ever seem to happen at the apartment—which is good, it isn’t like Eddie needs to know what that sounds like. Or looks like. Or anything.

(Lie. He wants very much to know, just without anyone else in the way. Just Steve. The muffled noises he sometimes catches late into the shadows of the night through the very thin shared wall that separates their bedrooms are a tantalizing sample. He’s grown well versed in staying silent while touching himself to that elusive soundtrack, not wanting to miss a single scrap of what little he can get.)

Okay. So maybe Eddie is a little pathetic.

He certainly feels pathetic, standing (moping) against the bar and staring blankly into the crowd for glimpses of anyone he knows (Steve), already in his third beer. Or . . . fourth? He frowns, idly trying to remember, before his gaze finally lands on Steve, body loose as he moves to the throb of the music. That pretty face smoothed over, relaxed and grinning languidly under a rainbow of light, his hair perfectly styled—more professionally done every day now that he’s scored a job at a hair salon. He’s just a shampoo boy, for now, but he’s learning.

That head of perfect hair tipping to say something to the guy dancing up close to him.

It’s like an arrow straight through Eddie’s heart. Like a bat ripping his goddamn nipple off all over again.

And it’s all Eddie’s fault, isn’t it? If he hadn’t choked and backed off that first time, maybe he would still be dancing with Steve—something he hasn’t done since, but it’s not like he thinks about it obsessively.

(Lie. Absolute crock of horse shit. He’s doing it literally right now, because he wants Steve reaching back to put both hands on his hips, grip tight to hold him close like Steve wants him there. It’s so, so stupid to want what he so clearly can’t have, but Eddie can’t help himself.)

This is the moment the bartender slides a shot his way, and when Eddie glances around he spots a guy further down the bar giving a little wave.

Well, Eddie thinks, appraising and pathetic and edging on tipsy with intent to keep going. The guy is good-looking, all broad shoulders and a nice smile and a promising hint of chest hair just visible in the V of his partly unbuttoned shirt. Why not? He’ll do.

(Lie.)

So he does shots with a pretty stranger at the bar, loses count of how many until not Steve becomes close enough. And if he feels eyes boring into him sometimes from the dance floor, it’s probably just his imagination.

Steve is oddly reserved on the walk home, even as Eddie keeps stumbling into him because the damn sidewalk won’t stay still. He feels relaxed in a way he hasn’t in, like, forever, all loose-limbed and warm and totally over Steve Harrington.

(Lie. Even with some other dude’s spit drying in his cock, and his hand thoroughly washed but still feeling of the hard weight he’d cradled in his palm, all his senses still lit up like a fucking Christmas tree around Steve.)

“‘Samatter, Stevie?” he slurs, whining, because everything he says only seems to earn him a shrug or a grunt from the other man. It totally doesn’t make him want to latch onto Steve’s arm and cling to him like a koala until he gets the guy’s full attention. “Didn’t you have a good night? Looked like you were having fun out there.”

Steve shoots him a look that he’s not sure he’d even be able to read sober. It’s like somebody took grumpy, pouty, and a secret third ingredient and threw them in a blender. “Not as much as you.”

“We should get milkshakes,” Eddie declares, thoroughly detailed by that blender thought. He leans in, and bumps his head against Steve’s a little too hard in his enthusiasm. “Stevie, y’know anywhere we can get milkshakes this late?”

“No, dude. Stop it.”

It hurts that Steve both figuratively and literally shrugs him off. Eddie sways in place for a moment, but when Steve keeps moving towards home he shakes himself from head to toe like a dog climbing out of a lake and lopes forward to catch up.

“Dude, what the hell?” he complains, poking at Steve’s side with a finger because god forbid he keeps his hands to himself. “Always brings me down when you’re like this.”

“Like what?” Steve scoffs. “When am I ‘like this,’ what does that even mean?”

He doesn’t know how to answer Steve’s question.

(Lie. ‘Like this’ is whenever Steve isn’t looking at him, smiling at him, touching him. Steve is always ‘like this.’ God, Eddie thinks, but knowing his own mind is a fucking curse.)

He settles for grumbling, “I just don’t know why we can’t get fuckin’ milkshakes, man,” and swaying ahead at a faster clip because their building is in sight now. Steve catches up while he’s stalled at the front door, patting his pockets trying to find his keys. “Man, what the fuck—”

“Bartender took your keys.”

Eddie frowns, blinking. “My house keys?”

“You kept waving them around and talking about driving home, so yeah,” Steve huffs, leaning around him to unlock the front door.

“Buzzkill,” Eddie mutters, not sure if he means the bartender or Steve, and takes the stairs up to their floor a haphazard two at a time.

He has to wait in front of their locked apartment, and that’s when it occurs to him.

“Shit,” he blurts out while Steve unlocks this door too, “that ring has my work keys. I’m supposed to open tomorrow!”

“Are you—” Steve pushes the door open and Eddie trips inside with a groan, because everything is spinning so fast now “—fucking kidding me?”

“Bar’s gonna be closed in the morning, fuuuuuck,” Eddie moans, slumping face first over the first piece of furniture he encounters, which luckily is the couch. “M’fucked,” he tells the couch cushions.

“With that attitude, yeah.”

Eddie sits up, which is totally a good decision.

(Lie. He eyes the nearest trash can, which he’s seeing in kaleidoscope triplicate, and thinks he’ll have enough warning to make it in time if he needs to.)

“How’s this,” he says with forced brightness, definitely slurring worse now but whatever. “How’bout you—” pointing at Steve for emphasis, and he thinks he’s pointing at the right one “—go back to the bar. Get my keys. Find a quick fuckbuddy to take care of that big ol’ twist in your panties. . . . An’then come home. With keys.”

“What?” Steve says incredulously as Eddie tries to drag his legs up onto the couch and . . . misses, somehow. “You want me to go back for your—Okay. Sure. That’s—Just fucking great.” He drops one hand to his hip (clad in those tight jeans again, the ones that really show off his ass) and the other pinches at the bridge of his nose like Eddie is giving him a headache. “Go back to the bar that I just goddamn left.”

“You only left because I got cut off,” Eddie reminds him. He flourishes a hand vaguely in Steve’s direction. “So go. Fly free, big boy, I release you—”

“I left,” Steve interrupts, both hands on his hips now, and oh, he’s pissed now, isn’t he, “because I wanted to make sure you got home safe, you jackass. Since that friend you made didn’t bother to do it.”

“Oooh, I see how it is!” Eyes flashing, Eddie hauls himself right back upright, as if now it might be a better idea. (It’s literally the same idea, but he’s too distracted to make a grab for the trash can now.) “You can make as many friends as you want, but as soon as I make even one, well. That’s just not allowed, is it? Got it. Good to know, and fuck you very much. Keys, please.”

“That’s not—” Steve’s mouth snaps into a thin line. He shakes his head, turning for the door. “Fine, whatever, I’ll get your fucking keys, Munson. If you throw up, try not to choke on it until I get back.”

He slams the front door behind him, and Eddie tells himself that being downgraded from Eddie or the occasional Eds to just Munson is fine, if that’s how King Steve wants to be.

(Lie. None of it’s fine. His head is spinning, he might be dying, and he can’t imagine that Steve is even going to want to come back home tonight.)

Silence sets in like an awful kind of gravity, tugging the spinning world just a bit further off its axis, and Eddie’s heart lurches with it. Except that’s not (just) his heart—his stomach gives a warning gurgle, and fuck the trash can. He can make it to the bathroom.

(. . . Lie.)

#stranger music anthology #steddie #steddie fic #steve harrington #eddie munson #post-canon eddie munson lives #bisexual steve harrington #gay and pining eddie munson #my fanfic #lie one more time come on fic

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witchfall · 1 year

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i feel the earth move

[Fallen Hero. Ficlet inspired by a prompt and a song that went on River's playlist day 1.]

[chargestep. early days. 540~ words.]

2010

“I know how to dance,” you snap. It sizzles on your tongue. Seltzer that won’t go down your throat.

“Then come here,” Ricardo says.

Your hands are submerged in soapy water. You feel the weightless, bubbly fuzz all over your body and the significance of your excuse. Keep your back turned. Don’t answer. Lightning and water don’t mix. Your name should be a warning.

But the song warbles on, old piano and warm bass and a voice crackling with knowing, singing about the earth moving and the sky tumbling down. His static creeps closer until a heavy palm settles on your bony shoulder, and the only reason you don’t jump is because of the music, easing your body into a viscous sway.

That’s exactly how it feels when he touches you. Maybe those hot marble thoughts, rolling, burning as they go, aren’t so different from the thoughts real humans share.

You open your mouth. He brandishes a ratty towel in front of you, expecting your retort.

That’s annoying.

But you snatch it from him all the same, wiping your hands clear of water, leaving them the painful kind of dry. You don’t get a chance to move away before he encases your hands in his, palm to palm, large and strong and warm, turning you until you are toe to toe. You have to crane your head up to meet his gaze.

Like dark, freshly made coffee, and just as treacherously inviting.

He starts by jiggling your arms back and forth to the beat. It’s so stupid that you snort out a laugh before you can trap it behind your sinuses.

“I’ve got a name for this one,” he says. All fluorescent grin, creasing his eyes.

You sense a trap. Your arms are still being piloted by him. “Why?”

“I’m calling it the Sidestep Shuffle.”

“It’s just our arms noodling around.”

“Move your body then, Red.”

You squint at him, but your cheeks hurt from holding back too many smiles. “Someone’s supposed to lead.”

You gasp in surprise as he pulls you up and closer, almost onto your tiptoes. One of his arms snakes around your waist, a vice against the world, and your instincts go to war. Flares and bombs and gunshots ring shrilly inside your heart, the air rumbling until the earth shatters around you. There is no mission here. He wants to hold you like this.

“I thought you’d never ask,” he says.

Bastard idiot son of a—

One of your arms is extended, his hand woven in yours, your other settling naturally against his chest, palm to his shoulder. This shouldn’t be allowed. You’re breaking a thousand rules. Someone will catch you, catch on, catch up. Some things you can’t come back from. Like dye taking to fabric. It will never wash out.

Hey, I feel the Earth move under my feet I feel the sky tumbling down I feel my heart start to trembling Whenever you're around...

You spin together across the tile floor, socked feet slipping, sliding. You move together like you were born to it, even when your joints lock up, uncertain of where he wants to go.

It’s okay. You let him take you there.

#fhr #chargestep #fallen hero #ricardo ortega #river basri #otp: evencharge

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dustedmagazine · 1 year

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Little Richard: I Am Everything (Magnolia)

youtube

How does one tell the story of an artist as influential as Little Richard? The same way you tell the story of the Universe, by keeping it simple: A long time ago there was the Big Bang.

Little Richard: I Am Everything, a new documentary directed by Lisa Cortes, presents Little Richard’s existence as an analogous cosmic event. Rock ‘n’ roll as we know it exists because on December 5, 1932, Richard Penniman was born in Macon, Georgia.

Cortes isn’t the first to frame Little Richard in terms of cosmic energy. As Nick Tosches once put it, “[v]ia his pure white-energy raunch and total over-simplification, [Little Richard had] the power to make people say 'fuck it' and turn their backs on their own control conditioning and just go out and debauch and catch a glimpse of the violent, drunken, loving, dancing Universe.” I Am Everything is similarly reverential, but the power of the film stems from its focus on Little Richard’s strange, conflicted human experience.

Growing up, Little Richard, as he would later be nicknamed, was scolded in church for singing too loud — an impressive feat for a Pentecostal. He exuded a preacher’s charisma and even as a young boy parishioners asked him to pray for them. When he started playing piano, he banged on the keys the way that Sister Rosetta Tharpe, an early influence, banged on her guitar. The idea, Little Richard said, was to drum away at your instrument until you reached “the peak.”

The nature of that “peak,” would remain a lifelong tension. That erratic blurring of sexual and spiritual extasy, one of rock music’s central paradoxes, is what made his music both threatening and irresistible.

Fans of Little Richard specifically and rock history in general are likely familiar with the raw information that I Am Everything offers. But in addition to the more expected talking heads — Mick Jagger, John Waters, Billy Porter — some fresher contextualization comes from Black, queer academics and music historians. “The south is the home of all things queer” says writer and sociologist Zandria Robinson, and she means “queer” in every sense of the word. Homosexuality was illegal, as was drag (the maddeningly circular nature of culture emerges as one of I Am Everything’s subtler themes) but the edges of that reality were “soft.” Little Richard performed with minstrel shows and on the vaudeville circuit, sometimes appearing as Princess LaVonne.

Like many raised in the church, Little Richard always suspected that rock ‘n’ roll was the Devil’s music. That persistent belief, Jagger notes, “can’t be much fun for those involved,” an observation that further emphasizes how heavy Little Richard’s baggage was in comparison to some of his imitators.

In 1957, the story goes, Little Richard saw Sputnik in the night sky and interpreted it as a sign from God to repent. He enrolled in Bible school, hosted a buy-back/burning of his records, started making Gospel music, and married a woman. Over the course of his life, he would waffle between publicly denouncing homosexuality and embracing it. As one commentator puts it, “He was good at liberating other people by example, he was not good at liberating himself.”

Little Richard didn’t come from nowhere: Artists like Billy Wright and Esquerita heavily informed his flamboyance. But it seems most everyone else came from him. Jimi Hendrix, of course, got his start in Little Richard’s band. The Beatles opened shows for him when, as he said, “only their mothers knew their names.” Paul McCartney developed his wild yelp by imitating Little Richard, and Jagger copped his stage moves.

When Little Richard is given his due, he’s credited with inventing not only rock ‘n’ roll but helping to invent the teenager. Greil Marcus called it “Little Richard’s First Law of Youth Culture: attracting kids by driving their parents up a wall.” As Waters puts it, “the first songs that you love that your parents hate are the beginning of the soundtrack to your life.” In a recent New Yorker profile Paul Schrader, another artist pulled between the spiritual and carnal, recalls his mother smashing the radio after catching him listening to rip-off artist Pat Boone. One imagines that if it had been Little Richard, she might have burned the house down.

Eternally offered a kind of ambient credit by musicians and critics, the lion’s share of the specific attention (and money) is paid to the (often white) artists Little Richard inspired, or who arguable just straight up stole his shit. (In terms of respectful homage, there’s a chasm between McCartney’s “Long Tall Sally” and Boone’s “Tutti Frutti.”) It’s as if the man is at once too bright to look at directly, and too Black and queer and alien to fully acknowledge.

He often made his rightful frustration known. In one clip, Little Richard and David Johansen, fully in his Buster Poindexter era, present the 1988 Grammy for Best New Artist. Little Richard, usually unpredictable on live TV, says of Johansen’s pompadour, “I used to wear my hair like that. They take everything I get. They take it from me.” He opens the envelope and declares himself the winner. It’s a joke but it isn’t. “I have never received nothing,” he continues. “Y’all ain’t never gave me no Grammy and I been singing for years. I am the architect of rock ‘n’ roll and they never gave me nothing. And I am the originator!” He gets a standing ovation, which is something, but it isn’t enough.

Almost every review of the film mentions this moving, uncomfortable scene, because it teases out one of Little Richard’s most powerful realities. He didn’t always seem to know what he was supposed to be doing, or even who he should be, but he always knew what he was worth.

Margaret Welsh

#little richard #i am everything #magnolia #margaret welsh #filmreview #dusted magazine #documentary #black #queer #roots #rock 'n roll

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omahasnakes · 2 months

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2022: Hi motherfuckers, did you miss me?

(A return to my dumb project of listening to the Billboard year-end top 100 chart and trying to make sense of it as a middle-aged person.)

I’ve been home since 2020. I’ve been twerking and making smoothies. It’s called healing?

There was a period of a couple of months in 2023 where I would wake up in the morning to one of my maddening-to-others alarm clock songs, probably “Rosanna” by Toto, and then I would immediately listen to the first half of Lizzo’s 2022 album Special, just to get myself out of bed. ANYWAYYYYY. “About Damn Time” is the only song from Special that charted in the top 100 in 2022, which surprised me, but it’s clearly song of the year for me by that metric. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXXxciRUMzE

If it was anyone’s year, and we are all starting to learn not to say “this year is going to be MY YEAR”, there were seven songs by Bad Bunny, all from the album Un Verano Sin Ti and six by Doja Cat (four from Planet Her).

“Big Energy” by Latto: runner-up song of the year. This is another defiant tough-girl anthem to listen to while you drag yourself out of bed to continue trying to live your shattered life in early 2023. Of course we can also talk about the prominent sampling of sample-darling “Genius of Love” by Tom Tom Club- I ended up getting more and more into Tom Tom Club based on this, and I played “Genius of Love” for my classes one day when we were on Zoom, and it got a rare comment from a student! The kids are alright.

“Running up that Hill” by Kate Bush: I was an undergrad in the days of Windows share files, and I downloaded most of Kate Bush’s discography that way. Because of that, my Kate Bush fandom always felt very much in a vacuum. So I’m excited that this struck such a cultural nerve when it appeared in Stranger Things! Everybody get on the weird Kate Bush train with me! Next we’re going to listen to a song that pretty straightforwardly explains the plot of Wuthering Heights!

“Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras. We don’t have guilty pleasures anymore, just pleasures. Sam Smith performs a cool different arrangement of this at the end of their Tiny Desk concert that I also really enjoyed. I can’t defend this or my bad taste, so I can only present it without further comment.

“good 4 u” by Olivia Rodrigo stuck around on the chart from last year, one of a few breakup songs. Well, it’s 2022 and I have no use for breakup songs, so I’ll just file these away for never!

“Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy: a Smart Music Person corroborated that this song and the album Gemini Rights are Good. You can take issue with me and my bad taste, but a broken clock is right twice a day, and you can’t argue with a Smart Music Person.

It is right and correct that “All I Want for Christmas is You” should chart year after year, but you all need to cool it with this stuff that just plays as a mix after that song ends: “Jingle Bell Rock”, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”, “A Holly Jolly Christmas”: we gotta get this outta here by next year!! When I come back for 2023, I expect that you’ll have that taken care of.

I try not to go down too many rabbit holes on these charts, because there are 100 songs and I have to move on to the next chart before I’m driven mad, but my research senpai Rachel pointed out that this chart includes 14 songs that carried over from the previous year, which I am starting to notice as well. My theory is that streaming encourages this more than terrestrial radio, which was always pushing new songs on us. Streaming is perfectly happy to have us listen to the same song over and over, sobbing quietly in the car.

Country music barometer: 26% Our society is truly lost.

“Buy Dirt” by Jordan Davis and Luke Bryan: the single most reactionary song on the chart. You: But it’s just a nice song about traditional values. Me: [seagull inhaling meme]

AA by Walker Hayes: I guess we didn’t all get the memo that sex work is work and pole dancing is art.

Rachel is also great for dumb questions like “Is Morgan Wallen one of the bad ones?” because she’s got the references and receipts and she knows how to Find Things. Also, yeah. He had one song on the chart this year that I thought was fine, “Sand in my Boots” but now he’s a non-starter.

“One Mississippi” by Kane Brown is another one for the country category of “this is fine.” It’s not the genre I object to anymore, it’s the reactionary politics and stagnant style, which now that I put the conjunction between the two phrases, they make perfect sense together.

Lest you think I’m being too hard on country music, this chart also features a song called “PUFFIN ON ZOOTIEZ” (caps lock theirs) and a shocking #9 finish for “Super Gremlin” by Kodak Black, a cool-sounding song that features some real classic homophobia I didn’t expect from 2022 and a prominent r-slur.

On the other hand, 10% of the songs were in Spanish! (Both of these statistics are from my own very rough counts, don’t roast me.)

Programming note: now that my algorithm is truly and permanently fucked, I’m planning to listen to the 1996 chart as a palate cleaner before diving in to the cursed 2023 chart.

#billboard #top100 #2022

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soleilnomoon · 2 years

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oddity ; jean x reader.

1.6k words, gn reader (no pronouns), angst, mildly suggestive

fic prompt: // “why do you stick around with a misery-guts like me?” //

fic request for @strawhatsoraya, idk why u let me do this next ⤹

you absolutely detest jean with an unbridled passion that gives you insomnia for days on end. and, as far as you know, he feels exactly the same. maybe even more. your group stumbles upon an abandoned village, thick, leafy vegetation taking over the crumbling buildings—although, they’re still in relatively good condition. it’s not that secure, the openness of the area making you wary, but it will do for the time being. a wind blows through the village, the haunted sounds from the bones of the deceased ringing loudly—you pick up on it, a moment of panic coursing through you, disrupting your thoughts, and causing you to stumble in your step.

once your boot gets caught in a thick tree root that disrupts the ground beneath you, your face collides with a wide, toned back—the rough material from the uniform causing you to scrunch up your nose in protest. you try to keep your wits about you, but recognition causes you to take a few, measured steps back.

“ugh,” you let out, rubbing your face gently and frowning at the back of his stupid head. his light, ash-brown locks swaying distractingly. “can you not just stand around like that?” you shoot him an accusatory, wild-eyed look, hands balling into fists once you steady yourself appropriately.

he lifts a brow at you, his dark, ocher eyes landing on you critically to size you up. a scowl plops down on his mouth and you roll your eyes at it; here you go again, falling into the same song and dance that you always do with him. you can’t help it, really, jean just brings that side out of you. if he says to go left, you stubbornly stomp off to the right; when you suggest taking a path that you know is tried and true, he leads you somewhere else.

it’s infuriating to say the least, and while the other members of your squad don’t quite understand your negative feelings toward him, they can admit that there is something… different about the way he treats you.

“if you paid more attention, you wouldn’t run into people,” he offers as a simple rebuttal.

a humorless laugh leaves your mouth, again, his eyes scrutinize you, traveling along your body—a move that feels somehow more intimate than you’re sure he means for it to be—but you hold firm.

“no, you just weren’t moving fast enough,” you say pleasantly, voice soft and sweet—characteristics that you aren’t known for, so it only makes jean that much more annoyed with your behavior.

“damn it, y/n, are you going to argue with me all night?” he hopes not; he doesn’t have the energy to deal with that, and knowing your inclinations to seek out the most contrary course of action in everything that you do, he’d like to stop you before it’s too late.

you press your lips together, unable to keep your facial expressions under control, so instead you rather just stop your words from coming out altogether. when he realizes that you’re actually holding back, he chuckles, eyes harsh, words cutting into you one right after the other.

“finally, you put your damn mouth to good use.” and, you swear you hear him under his breath say: “good riddance.”

because you’re foolish, your heart leads you astray; you walk around, dejected, taking in the scenery of the once beautiful village. after an hour or so, your legs grow tired, but you’ve somehow wandered far away from your group, confused by the forest you now find yourself in. you look around and try to get your bearings—maybe if you climb a tree, you might be able to see properly. of course, you left your gear back in the village—not wanting the weight to slow you down as you only expected to walk for a bit before heading back.

it’s unsurprising that you managed to get yourself lost—you have a terrible sense of direction—but the sun sets completely, leaving you minimal light before darkness settles. the silence that surrounds the forest makes you uneasy. you try to retrace your steps quietly, carefully making sure to not make too much noise, in case—

no, this isn’t the time to think like that. you need to get yourself out of there, first, then you can panic.

it’s enough to encourage you to move a little faster, sprinting behind tree trunks, pausing at anything that sounds remotely suspicious. you do this until you find the smooth path you walked earlier; when you exit, you don’t stop—not even to catch your breath. you shouldn’t have walked so far away from everyone—it was dangerous, idiotic, and selfish of you. you know that. your head just felt cluttered, you needed to walk somewhere—anywhere, that was far, far away from him.

your legs burn and your feet ache, but you make it. stars shimmer above, the moon hiding away, a slim sliver of moonlight poking through, illuminating a few figures standing guard near the entrance to the village. they tense at the sounds of your footsteps, but ease up when they realize it’s just you. questions are hurled your way about your whereabouts but you wave them off sleepily, wanting to just curl up somewhere and ignore all of your worries.

it seems the beds are all more or less occupied, except one. you don’t know whose it is, but the room is small and secluded—a perfect area for you to rest. you open the window to let in some air, a chill crawling along your arms as you remove your jacket. rolling your neck helps to ease the tension you feel, but it isn’t until you hear the door open that you feel it all come back.

just your luck.

“where were you?”

you blink several times—silence infiltrating your body and snuffing out your rational thoughts. you open and close your mouth, yet no words come out.

“answer me,” he says firmly, his back against the door; a hint of viciousness shines in his eyes, a fear you’ve only ever dreamt about making you dizzy. or maybe you imagine that. his words drench you in awareness, your teeth sinking into your plush, bottom lip—his eyes track your movements, the intensity of his stare setting your body aflame.

perpetually foolish; this will be your downfall.

“i took a walk,” you say finally, the words threaten to stay in your mouth next time. “and now i’m back, so i’m going to sleep.” he narrows his eyes at you, your fingers playing with your hair as you try to appear aloof.

“bullshit,” he says venomously, “you got lost, didn’t you?”

of course he knows—he always knows somehow. so, why can’t he just let it go? it’ll be better for both of you if he does. but jean is relentless—his stubbornness only outrivaled by eren’s—and you’re hardly able to defend yourself in your current state, so you simply shrug.

he sighs, shaking his head, pitying you. it makes you sick, but you can’t tell him that; instead you pretend and hop onto the bed lazily. “so?”

“why is everything such a joke to you?”

that makes you sit up quickly, slender brows slope downwards as your lips part. “why are you making such a big deal about it? why do you even care? you hate me.” the words felt bitter leaving your mouth, but you say them resolutely anyway. jean grows quiet, providing you with all the information you need.

“cool, now leave.” you make a shooing motion with your hand before lying down again, your eyes closing as you will sleep to come for you. when you feel a heavy dip in the mattress beside you. startled, you open your eyes. a flurry of thoughts bombard you. “wh-what are you doing?” is he serious? just like that? without warning?

he hovers you, arms caging you in underneath him, a wicked heat causing you to squirm—relief nowhere in sight.

“who said i hated you?” his words catch you off guard, leave you gasping and curious. “nothing could ever make me hate you.” not you, never you. and then he collapses onto the spot next to you, a soft groan leaving him as he makes himself comfortable. you watch him, wondering what possessed him to say that—a flutter of butterflies in your stomach tells you to be on guard, and maybe you should be.

however, another part of you doesn’t believe that—doesn’t want that, actually. and when you turn to your side and look over it’s not hatred you feel for him, either.

he ends up taking up most of the bed, and you have no choice but to partially drape your body over his. “for the record,” you say casually, stirring him out of his thoughts, “i’m only allowing this because i’m too tired to fight you for the bed.” it’s a lie, a childish one at that. but you have no other choice—you’re in a precarious situation, after all.

instead of prying the truth out of you, jean wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you closer. his fingers clumsily tangle in your hair, threading through it thoughtfully, admiring the softness of your curls in between his calloused fingers. you busy yourself with circling the buttons on his shirt, using your finger as a make-believe paint brush. before long, sleep finally approaches—his breathing a soothing lullaby as you struggle to stay awake. he lets you sleep on him precisely because he’s selfish and likes that you’re finally starting to rely on him. although, he knows that in the morning you might try to fight him on it.

still, it calms him, so much that he dozes off too.

#it is finally done; much shorter than i thought but oh well #fic request #snk #snk x reader #jean x y/n #jean x reader #jean is rly bad at expressing himself properly #jean kirschtein #jean kirschtein x reader #jean kirschtein x y/n

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sofiamantegafan110 · 8 months

Text

NEW X-MEN SEASON 2 EPISODE 4

EPISODE 4- A WEB OF LIES

WE OPEN UP IN CESSILY AND SOFIA’S ROOM AS CESSILY AND ROXY SNUGGLE TOGETHER. ROXY ADMITS THAT SHE APPRECIATES THE TIME CESSILY PUTS IN TO SPENDING TIME WITH HER, AND CESSILY CHUCKLES, SAYING THAT SHE’S WORTH IT. THE TWO KISS BEFORE CESSILY SAYS THAT THEY SHOULD PROBABLY GET TO CHEERLEADING PRACTICE, AS SOFIA DOESN’T LIKE IT WHEN THEY’RE LATE. THE GIRLS START FOR THE DOOR, BUT WHEN THEY OPEN IT, THEY SEE ALANI STANDING OUTSIDE. SHE SEEMS A BIT SURPRISED THAT ROXY IS THERE AND ACTS FLUSTERED WHILE CESSILY ASSUMES THAT SHE’S THERE TO REMIND THEM OF PRACTICE. ALANI NODS NERVOUSLY WHILE ROXY TELLS HER THAT THEY ALREADY GOT THE MEMO AND WALKS OFF WITH CESSILY.

CESSILY TELLS ROXY THAT SHE WAS A BIT HARSH, BUT SHE SAYS THAT SHE DOESN’T REALLY TRUST ALANI. SOMETHING SEEMS OFF ABOUT HER. AS THEY WALK OFF, ALANI WATCHES THEM BEFORE EMMA FROST SENDS A TELEPATHIC MESSAGE TO HER, SAYING THAT SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE HAS TO DO.

CUE INTRO AND CREDITS

WE TRANSITION OVER TO LAURIE AS SHE EXITS A CLASSROOM. ALL OF A SUDDEN, A BLACK-GLOVED HAND GRABS HER SHOULDER AND SHE WHIRLS AROUND TO SEE KEVIN STANDING BEHIND HER. SHE IMMEDIATELY ASKS HIM WHAT THE HELL HE’S DOING AND KEVIN SAYS THAT HE NEEDS TO TELL HER SOMETHING. LAURIE SIGHS AND ASKS HIM WHAT HIS PROBLEM IS; HE GHOSTS HER FOR ABOUT FOUR MONTHS IN FAVOR OF HIS NEW SQUAD BUDDIES AND NOW HE SUDDENLY WANTS TO TALK TO HER AND EXPECT TO PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF. KEVIN SIGHS AND BEGINS TO SPEAK.

KEVIN: LOOK, LAURIE, I WANT YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM JOSH. I KNOW THAT THERE’S SOMETHING UP WITH HIM AND I DON’T WANT YOU TO GET HURT. HE’S BAD NEWS, LAURIE.

LAURIE STARES AT HIM, GOBSMACKED.

LAURIE: OH, I GET IT.

KEVIN: YOU DO?

LAURIE: YOU’RE JEALOUS. YOU ABANDON ME FOR THE COOL KIDS AND NOW THAT I HAVE FRIENDS OUTSIDE OF YOU, AND A BOYFRIEND WHO LOVES ME, YOU WANT TO DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO BRING THAT DOWN. THAT’S REALLY SELF-CENTERED, YOU KNOW? I WANNA BE HAPPY, KEVIN. I’VE CHANGED. I’M NOT THE SAME SHY WALLFLOWER WHO WOULD TALK WITH YOU ABOUT SHAWN MENDES ALBUMS IN THE LIBRARY. I’M HAPPY, KEV. SO PLEASE, IF YOU CAN’T ACCEPT THAT, I NEED YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE.

WITH THAT, LAURIE WALKS OFF AND KEVIN WATCHES HER, DETERMINATION IN HIS EYES.

MEANWHILE, SOFIA LEADS THE CHEERLEADERS IN THEIR CHOREOGRAPHED DANCE TO ‘THEY DON’T KNOW’ BY ARIANA GRANDE. AS THE SONG ENDS, SOFIA CONGRATULATES THEM ON THE NEW ROUTINE AND DECIDES TO GIVE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THEIR NEW MEMBERS; MIRROR GIRL, ALCHEMIST, AND THE STEPFORD SISTERS. AS THEY APPLAUD, MONET COMPLIMENTS SOFIA ON THE NEW ROUTINE, BUT SOFIA SAYS THAT CESSILY CAME UP WITH MOST OF THE CHOREOGRAPHY. THE GIRLS APPLAUD AGAIN AND CESSILY SMILES WHILE ROXY PROUDLY ANNOUNCES THAT SHE’S HER GIRLFRIEND. ALANI SHIFTS UNCOMFORTABLY AT THAT, WHICH MEGAN OBSERVES. SOFIA THEN TELLS THEM ALL THAT THEY CAN LEAVE AND THEY ALL START TO EXIT THE GYM.

AS MEGAN LEAVES, ALANI SAYS THAT SHE NEEDS HER HELP. WHEN MEGAN ASKS HER WHAT SHE NEEDS HELP WITH, ALANI SAYS THAT SHE WAS THINKING OF PUTTING TOGETHER A BRUNCH AND SHE WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF MEGAN COULD ASK CESSILY IF SHE WANTS TO GO. MEGAN NODS, A BIT SUSPICIOUS, AS MONET LOOKS AT ALANI IN INTRIGUE, AND SHE ULTIMATELY AGREES TO TALK TO CESSILY.

AS MEGAN FLIES OVER TO CESSILY, MONET GRABS ALANI BY THE SHOULDER AND ASKS HER IF SHE’S LOST HER MIND. ALANI INNOCENTLY ASKS HER WHAT SHE MEANS, BUT MONET TELLS HER THAT SHE’S A TELEPATH AND SHE KNOWS WHAT EMMA SUGGESTED. ALANI TELLS MONET THAT SHE KNOWS, WHICH IS WHY SHE WANTS HER TO DO THE PROCEDURE, WHICH MONET IS HORRIFIED AT.

MONET: ALANI, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND. THAT PROCEDURE IS DANGEROUS. YOU SHOULDN’T LET YOUR FEELINGS FOR CESSILY COME BEFORE YOUR COMMON SENSE.

ALANI: YOU’RE JUST JEALOUS BECAUSE THE ADVICE THAT MS. FROST GAVE YOU FAILED AND NOW JULIAN’S WITH THAT GOTH WOLVERINE.

MONET: GOD, ALANI. THE WORLD ISN’T ALL BLACK AND WHITE. I’VE MOVED ON FROM JULIAN. AND YOU SHOULD MOVE ON TOO. CESSILY IS HAPPY WHERE SHE IS, AND THIS PROCEDURE COULD RUIN YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH HER. IT’S BETTER TO ACCEPT CESSILY THE WAY SHE IS RIGHT NOW.

ALANI: MONET, PLEASE JUST DO THE PROCEDURE. I REALLY WANT THIS, AND I NEED A TELEPATH TO DO IT. IF YOU WERE REALLY MY FRIEND, YOU’D DO IT.

MONET SIGHS, AND THEN TELLS ALANI THAT SHE KNOWS WHEN HER MIND’S MADE UP AND SHE’LL DO THE PROCEDURE IF ONLY TO BE A GOOD FRIEND, BUT ALANI HAS NO IDEA WHAT SHE’S DOING. ALANI BEAMS AND TELLS MONET THAT THEY’LL MEET AT THE GRIND STONE IN FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE WALKING OFF TO MEET MEGAN AND CESSILY. MONET THEN WALKS UP TO SOFIA AND TELLS HER THAT SHE NEEDS HELP.

SOFIA: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

MONET: I THINK… I THINK ALANI’S ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING AWFUL. AND I JUST AGREED TO HELP HER.

LATER, CLARICE WALKS ALONG THE HALLWAYS OF XAVIER’S BEFORE RECEIVING A TEXT FROM SOFIA, SAYING THAT SHE’S A BIT BUSY WITH SOMETHING AT THE MOMENT, BUT THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF TIME FOR THEIR DATE LATER. CLARICE TEXTS BACK BEFORE ENTERING A CLASSROOM AND MEETING UP WITH TWO MORE STUDENTS. ONE IS A BLUE-SKINNED, POINTY-EARED GIRL WITH THREE FINGERS AND TOES, AND THE OTHER ONE IS A BALD, PALE-SKINNED BOY IN SHORTS AND A HAWAIIAN T-SHIRT THAT READS ‘PARTY NAKED’ ON IT. CLARICE EXCITEDLY GREETS TALIA JOSEPHINE WAGNER AND KEVIN SYDNEY, ALSO KNOWN AS NOCTURNE AND MORPH, WHO BOMBARD HER WITH HUGS.

TJ JOKINGLY SAYS THAT SHE’S GLAD CLARICE COULD TAKE SOME TIME OFF FROM HANGING OUT WITH HER NEW MUTANT BUDDIES WHILE MORPH APPLAUDS CLARICE FOR NOT ONLY SHOWING UP TO COMIC CLUB ON TIME BUT ALSO BEING ABLE TO HIT SOME SEXY LATINA TAIL. TJ WHACKS HIM ON THE ARM WHILE MORPH COMMENTS ON CLARICE’S OBVIOUS SEX HAIR, SAYING THAT SHE’S CLEARLY NOT USED HER BED FOR MUCH SLEEPING, IF SHE WAS EVEN IN HER BED. CLARICE REMINDS MORPH THAT HER SEX LIFE IS NONE OF HIS BUSINESS, BUT MORPH SAYS THAT HE CAN’T HELP IT. AS HE SPEAKS, HE MORPHS INTO A CHALK-WHITE VERSION OF SOFIA WITH PORN-STAR LEVEL LIPS AND BOOBS BEFORE CLARICE GRABS HIM BY THE NECK, MAKING HIM INFLATE LIKE A BALLOON.

TJ GIGGLES BEFORE ASKING WHERE BEAK AND ANGEL ARE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THEY’VE FLAKED AND THEY CAN’T MAKE COMIC CLUB OFFICIAL AND GAIN NEW MEMBERS IF THE OG MEMBERS DON’T KNOW THE VALUES OF PUNCTUALITY. MORPH THEN SAYS THAT HE HASN’T SEEN THEM IN CLASS FOR A WHILE, AND CLARICE WONDERS WHERE THEY ARE. SHE KNOWS HOW EXCITED THEY WERE TO TALK ABOUT MARIA LLOVET AND HOW HER ART REVOLUTIONIZED THE AMOUNT OF SEXUALITY IN COMICS.

SUDDENLY, THE DOOR FLIES OPEN AND BEAK ENTERS, WRINGING HIS HANDS WITH WORRY. HE PACES AROUND THE ROOM RAMBLING SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS LIKE A MIX OF ENGLISH AND SQUAWKING. CLARICE TELLS HIM TO CALM DOWN AND TJ ASKS WHAT’S WRONG. BEAK TELLS THEM THAT HE REALLY MESSED UP AND HE NEEDS THEIR HELP, AND MORPH ASKS WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN COMIC CLUB.

BEAK: OH GOD… OH GOD… I’M SO SORRY, GUYS. I DIDN’T KNOW… I SWEAR I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT I DID WHEN I DID IT AND NOW… OH MY GOD… AND NOW ANGEL IS PREGNANT WITH MONSTER BABIES!

THE TRIO LOOK AT HIM IN SHOCK WITH MORPH MIMICKING THE EXPRESSION OF A SHOCKED CARTOON CHARACTER AS BEAK STARTS SQUAWKING AGAIN.

MEANWHILE, MONET, SOFIA, CESSILY, ALANI, AND MEGAN HEAD OVER TO A LOCAL COFFEE SHOP AS CESSILY THANKS ALANI FOR PUTTING THIS BRUNCH TOGETHER. THEY THEN OPEN THE DOOR AND SIT DOWN AT A BOOTH AS SURGE GREETS THEM, DRESSED IN AN APRON.

NORI: WELL I’LL BE DAMNED. MONET ST. CROIX DARES TO ENTER AN ESTABLISHMENT THAT SHE PREVIOUSLY REFERRED TO AS A ‘GHETTO STARBUCKS’.

MONET: HEY ASHIDA. LONG TIME, NEVER SPEAK.

NORI CHUCKLES BEFORE MEGAN COMMENTS THAT SHE DIDN’T KNOW SHE WORKED AT THE GRIND STONE. NORI SAYS THAT SHE’S JUST LOOKING TO MAKE A QUICK BUCK, BEFORE TAKING THEIR ORDER. SOFIA EXCITEDLY GREETS NORI BEFORE TELLING MONET THAT A LOT OF STUDENTS GO HERE BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL. SHE THEN POINTS OVER TO WHERE DAVID, CAM, AURA, JAY, SOORAYA, LIN, AND LAURIE ARE SITTING AT A BOOTH AND WAVES AT THEM. AFTER TAKING THEIR ORDER, NORI SPEEDS OFF TO THE KITCHEN WHILE CESSILY AND SOFIA WAVE GOODBYE.

MEGAN: JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, ALANI, WHY DID YOU PUT THIS BRUNCH TOGETHER?

ALANI: OH, UH… I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO JUST HANG OUT WITH MY FRIENDS, ENJOY A LITTLE DOWNTIME, Y’KNOW?

MONET: I BET YOU DID.

SOFIA LOOKS OVER AT MONET BEFORE TURNING TO ALANI, A BIT WORRIED.

MEANWHILE, JOSH CHANGES FOR FOOTBALL PRACTICE BEFORE WALKING OUT WITH BRIAN. AS THEY LEAVE THE LOCKER ROOM, KEVIN SNEAKS IN BEFORE LOOKING AROUND THE LOCKERS. HE THEN NOTICES A KEYCHAIN POKING OUT OF ONE LOCKER AND HE TOUCHES THE LOCK WITH HIS BARE HAND, WITHERING IT. HE THEN PULLS OUT JOSH’S DUFFEL BAG AND RIFLES THROUGH HIS STUFF BEFORE PULLING OUT HIS PHONE. HE THEN LOOKS THROUGH JOSH’S CALL HISTORY BEFORE TAPPING ON A MESSAGE FROM AN UNKNOWN CONTACT, WHICH HE PLAYS.

MESSAGE: JOSH, IT’S RAHNE. RAHNE SINCLAIR. LOOK, I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE. I LIKE YOU. YOU’RE A GREAT GUY, BUT THIS IS WRONG. YOU’RE A STUDENT AND I’M A TEACHER. WE NEED TO STAY PROFESSIONAL. SO I’M SORRY, BUT WE CAN’T SEE EACH OTHER ANYMORE. DON’T CALL OR TEXT ME AND DELETE MY NUMBER FROM YOUR CONTACTS. IT’S OVER. I’M SORRY.

KEVIN PLAYS THE MESSAGE AGAIN AS HIS EYES NARROW.

MEANWHILE, CLARICE TELLS BEAK THAT SHE’S GONNA GO OVER THIS ONE MORE TIME; ANGEL ACCEPTED A BET TO KISS HIM BUT KNEW HOW SAD HE WAS, SO SHE HAD SEX WITH HIM TO MAKE HIM FEEL BETTER, AND NOW SHE’S PREGNANT ALREADY WITHIN THE SPAN OF FIVE DAYS AND HE THINKS FROST AND CYCLOPS WOULD KICK THEM BOTH OUT IF THEY FOUND OUT. BEAK STARTS TO SOB AS CLARICE SPEAKS AND SAYS THAT HE DIDN’T KNOW THAT IT TOOK FIVE DAYS BETWEEN THE SEX AND THE BIRTH FOR A FLY’S PHYSIOLOGY.

MORPH: HEY, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, NOW YOU KNOW WHAT A FLY’S VAGINA LOOKS LIKE!

BEAK STARTS SOB-SQUAWKING AGAIN AS TJ ASKS HIM IF ANGEL IS STILL PREGNANT THEN. BEAK TELLS HER THAT ANGEL HAS ALREADY STARTED LAYING EGGS AND HE COMMENTS THAT THEY’RE LIKE MONSTERS HANGING IN BAGS MADE OF SKIN AND IT’S ALL HIS FAULT. CLARICE SIGHS AND PUTS A HAND ON HIS SHOULDER.

CLARICE: BARNELL, LOOK, THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT, NOR IS IT ANGEL’S. PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES, AND THEY ARE NOT TO BLAME FOR THEM. BESIDES, DANI SAYS THAT YOU’RE AN AMAZING STUDENT. SHE’D NEVER AGREE TO KICK YOU OUT.

MORPH: BESIDES, CLARICE HERE WOULD KNOW A LOT ABOUT ACCIDENTAL, AND SOMETIMES INTENTIONAL, SEX.

WHILE TJ ELBOWS MORPH IN THE GUT, BEAK ASKS WHAT HE SHOULD DO NOW. TJ THEN TELLS HIM THAT THE NEXT MOVE IS SIMPLE; THEY NEED TO KNOW WHERE THE EGGS ARE.

MEANWHILE, CESSILY AND ALANI EXIT THE COFFEE SHOP, LAUGHING. CESSILY THEN TELLS ALANI THAT SHE’S REALLY GLAD SHE PUT THE BRUNCH TOGETHER AND ALANI THANKS HER. CESSILY SAYS THAT SHE’S BEEN WANTING TO HANG OUT WITH ALANI FOR A WHILE, BECAUSE SHE LOOKS LIKE A REALLY FUN PERSON, AND ALANI SMILES IN RESPONSE.

CESSILY REACHES FORWARD TO TOUCH ALANI’S HAND, BUT HER HAND PHASES THROUGH IT, GETTING SHREDDED IN THE PROCESS. AS CESSILY’S HAND FALLS TO THE GROUND, ALANI APOLOGIZES, BUT CESSILY LAUGHS AND SAYS THAT SHE WAS LOOKING TO LOSE A FEW POUNDS ANYWAY. ALANI LAUGHS NERVOUSLY AS CESSILY REABSORBS HER HAND, AND SHE COMMENTS THAT HER POWERS ALWAYS TEND TO GET OUT OF CONTROL WHEN SHE GETS EXCITED. CESSILY SYMPATHIZES WITH ALANI’S INABILITY TO ACT UPON HER FEELINGS, AND SAYS THAT SHE WISHES SHE COULD DO SOMETHING TO HELP.

AS MONET, MEGAN, AND SOFIA EXIT, ALANI TELLS CESSILY THAT SHE’S ACTUALLY HEARD OF A TELEPATHIC PROCEDURE THAT CAN ASSIST IN JUST THIS OCCASION. THE CATCH IS THAT IT NEEDS TWO PEOPLE IN ORDER TO WORK. CESSILY LOOKS OVER AT MONET BEFORE ASKING IF IT’S BASICALLY PSYCHIC SEX. ALANI SHRUGS AND CESSILY LOOKS A BIT NERVOUS, BUT SHE ULTIMATELY ACCEPTS. ANYTHING TO HELP OUT A FRIEND. SOFIA LOOKS OVER AT MONET, WHO SIGHS AND SAYS THAT SHE’LL PERFORM THE PROCEDURE IF THEY BOTH INSIST ON IT, BUT WARNS THEM THAT IT CAN BE… A LOT TO HANDLE. ALANI AND CESSILY NOD AND THE QUINTET GATHER UNDERNEATH A LARGE OAK TREE.

UNDER MONET’S INSTRUCTIONS, CESSILY AND ALANI LIE DOWN ON THEIR BACKS AND CLOSE THEIR EYES. MONET THEN SITS BESIDE THEM AND SAYS THAT THEY SHOULD RELAX THEIR MINDS AND HOLD HANDS. ALANI TIMIDLY REACHES FOR CESSILY’S HAND AND SURPRISINGLY, IS ABLE TO HOLD IT WITHOUT DISASTER. MONET INSTRUCTS MEGAN AND SOFIA TO WATCH THEM BEFORE ASKING AGAIN IF THEY’RE OKAY WITH THIS. ALANI AND CESSILY AGREE AND MONET CLOSES HER EYES. A BLUE LIGHT THEN EMERGES FROM MONET’S HEAD BEFORE REACHING ALANI AND CESSILY’S HEADS WHILE MEGAN AND SOFIA LOOK ON, THE FORMER SEEMING EXCITED WHILE THE LATTER IS MORE WORRIED. MEGAN THEN ASKS WHAT THEY’RE SEEING IN THERE.

WE THEN CUT OVER TO THE ASTRAL PLANE, WHERE ALANI AND CESSILY ARE ENTANGLED IN A PSYCHEDELIC RAPTURE. THEY’RE SURROUNDED BY COLORS AND LIGHT WITH THEIR BODIES TURNING IMMATERIAL AND BATHED IN WARMTH. MONET SAYS THAT THEIR RESPECTIVE SUBCONSCIOUSNESSES ARE BLURRING TOGETHER. NO BORDERS, NO BOUNDARIES, EVERYTHING IS SHARED. EVERY HOPE AND DREAM. EVERY FANTASY. EVERY PLEASURE. EVERY CRY FOR DELIGHT. EVERY SECRET. ALTHOUGH, AS CESSILY AND ALANI’S FORMS ARE ENTWINED TOGETHER, CESSILY LOOKS MORE SAD THEN EUPHORIC.

HOWEVER, AS THEY CONTINUE TO BE ENTANGLED TOGETHER, A DARK RED SPOT EMERGES IN THE ASTRAL. IT SLOWLY STARTS TO GET BIGGER AND BIGGER AND SLOWLY OVERTAKES THE PSYCHEDELIC RAINBOW BEFORE OVERTAKING CESSILY AND ALANI. IN THE REAL WORLD, BOTH GIRLS THRASH AND CRY OUT AS IF THEY’RE HAVING A NIGHTMARE, AND SOFIA ASKS WHAT’S WRONG. MONET SAYS THAT SHE WAS WORRIED ABOUT THIS. THEY’RE SHARING TOO MUCH. AND THEIR UGLIEST SECRETS ARE STARTING TO TAKE CONTROL. IF THIS KEEPS UP, THERE WON’T BE ANY OF CESSILY AND ALANI’S PSYCHE LEFT.

SOFIA THEN SAYS THAT SHE’S GOING IN, AND MONET WARNS HER THAT IT’S TOO DANGEROUS. IF SHE GOES IN, SHE RUNS THE RISK OF FRYING HER MIND. SOFIA SHRUGS THIS OFF, SAYING THAT CESSILY IS HER BEST FRIEND. SHE’D DO THE SAME FOR HER. MONET THEN TELLS MEGAN THAT IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG, SHE SHOULD GO FOR HELP, AND MEGAN NODS, NERVOUSLY. WITH THAT, SOFIA LIES DOWN AND CLASPS CESSILY’S HAND WHILE MONET TOUCHES THE TWO GIRLS’ FOREHEADS.

WHEN MONET AND SOFIA APPEAR IN THE ASTRAL PLANE, THE AREA IS COMPLETELY RED, MADE UP OF CESSILY AND ALANI’S TWISTED PSYCHE. A FEW MILES AWAY, AN ORB LIES, MADE UP OF CESSILY AND ALANI’S WRITHING AND SCREAMING FORMS. SOFIA IS THEN BOMBARDED WITH CESSILY AND ALANI’S VOICES AND CRIES OUT BUT MONET TELLS HER TO FOCUS. IF SHE SUCCUMBS TO THE DARKNESS, HER BODY WILL SUFFER PERMANENT DAMAGE. SOFIA NODS AND MONET SAYS THAT ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS GET TO THE ORB AND TOUCH IT, AND EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. SOFIA SIGHS BEFORE TELLING MONET THAT SHE’S READY. AS THE GIRLS FLY TOWARDS THE ORB, CESSILY AND ALANI’S VOICES SPEAK, OVERLAPPING EACH OTHER, AS THEIR DARK SECRETS ARE EXPOSED.

CESSILY: --WHEN I WAS 4, I BURNED A LITTLE FROG WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS. I KNEW I SHOULD FEEL GUILTY, BUT I ACTUALLY KINDA ENJ--

ALANI: --BARELY KNOW YOU, BUT I GET THIS VIBE LIKE WE CAN BE REALLY HAPPY IF WE JUST DIVE RIGHT IN AND—

CESSILY: --AFTER MOM CALLED ME A FREAK, I SPENT HOURS FANTASIZING ABOUT TURNING TO LIQUID AND JUST… JUST FILLING UP HER MOUTH AND HER NOSTRILS AND HER LUNGS AND—

ALANI: --SO I WAS THINKING FIVE KIDS, THREE GIRLS AND TWO BOYS, MAYBE WE ADOPT A COUPLE MORE, AND—

ALANI AND CESSILY’S THOUGHT REACH SOFIA, CAUSING HER TO SLOWLY BLEED FROM HER NOSE AND EYES. MONET NOTICES THIS, HER NOSE STARTING TO BLEED AS WELL, AND ASKS SOFIA IF SHE’S OKAY. SOFIA TELLS HER THAT SHE’S FINE AND INSISTS THAT THEY KEEP GOING, AS THEY’RE ALMOST TO THE ORB.

CESSILY: --SOMETIMES DREAM ABOUT CUTTING AND CUTTING--

ALANI: --I SWIM IN THE OCEAN AND IT’S… IT’S JUST CALLING… LIKE I JUST WANT TO DISSOLVE INTO THE ENDLESS BLACK AND NOT FEEL ANYTHING—

CESSILY: YOU MOTHERFUCKING MEAT PEOPLE WITH YOUR WARM BLOOD AND BEAUTIFUL SENSES… YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LUCKY YOU ARE—

ALANI: --I DIDN’T EVEN WANT TO DO THIS BUT MS. FROST INSISTED THAT IT WAS FINE AND THAT IT WOULDN’T HURT AT ALL, BUT THIS HURTS SO MUCH AND I JUST NEED—

SOFIA CRIES OUT IN PAIN AS BLOOD POURS FROM HER EYES, NOSE, EARS, AND MOUTH. MONET LOOKS AT HER AND SAYS THAT SHE NEEDS TO GET OUT NOW. THE DAMAGE TO HER BRAIN COULD BE TOO SEVERE IF SHE CONTINUES. SOFIA REFUSES TO LEAVE MONET ALONE, NOTICING THAT SHE’S BLEEDING TOO, BUT MONET INSISTS.

MONET: SOFIA, I KNOW I HAVEN’T BEEN THE BEST FRIEND TO YOU. YOU’RE SWEET AND PRETTY AND I JUST FUCK EVERYTHING UP. IF IT CAME BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, THEY WOULD NEED YOU MORE THAN ME. IF I DON’T MAKE IT OUT, TELL CESSILY, TELL ALANI, TELL EVERYONE THAT… I’M SO SORRY.

SOFIA CRIES OUT TO MONET, WHO CLOSES HER EYES AND EJECTS HER FROM THE ASTRAL. SOFIA WAKES UP IN THE REAL WORLD, WIPING BLOOD AND TEARS FROM HER EYES AND SHE LOOKS AROUND, NOTICING THAT MEGAN ISN’T THERE. SHE LOOKS OVER AT MONET’S UNCONSCIOUS FORM AND STARTS TO PRAY.

MEANWHILE, CLARICE, BEAK, MORPH, AND TJ WALK THROUGH THE WOODS AS CLARICE ASKS BEAK IF HE’S SURE THAT THE EGGS ARE HERE. BEAK NODS, SAYING THAT THEY FOUND AN OLD SHACK HERE THAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE GREAT TO HIDE THE EGGS. TJ NOTICES THE SHACK AND APPROACHES IT, NERVOUSLY. AS SHE TRIES TO OPEN THE DOOR, SHE FINDS OUT THAT IT’S LOCKED AND TELLS THE OTHERS TO STAND BACK. THEY DO SO AND TJ FORMS A BLUE BOLT IN HER HANDS, WHICH SHE USES TO BLAST DOWN THE DOOR. MORPH THEN TURNS INTO A PALE-SKINNED POLICE OFFICER AND DEMANDS THAT WHOEVER’S INSIDE SHOULD PUT THEIR HANDS UP, BUT A FEMALE VOICE YELLS NOT TO SHOOT.

INSIDE THE SHACK, ANGEL SITS CROSS-LEGGED AND SMILING AMONGST MILLIONS OF SMALL FLYING CHILDREN. THEY ALL HAVE ANGEL’S WINGS AND SOME OF BEAK’S FEATURES WITH MOST HAVE HIS FACIAL FEATURES. THE QUARTET’S EXPRESSIONS LIGHTEN AS ANGEL CONTINUES TO BEAM AT THEM, HAPPILY.

ANGEL: THE BAGS BURST, BUT IT’S OKAY NOW. CHECK ‘EM OUT!

MEANWHILE, MONET CONTINUES TO FLY TOWARD THE TWISTED ORB, BOMBARDED WITH SECRETS AND FANTASIES. BLOOD CONTINUES TO POUR FROM HER ORIFICES AS SHE KICKS HER LEGS AND REACHES HER HAND OUT TO TOUCH THE ORB. HER MOUTH OPENS WIDE IN A SCREAM BUT BLOOD POURS OUT INSTEAD. THE MOMENT HER FINGERTIP TOUCHES THE ORB, IT EXPLODES INTO A BRIGHT LIGHT AND MONET FINDS HERSELF BACK IN THE REAL WORLD, WITH CESSILY AND ALANI WAKING UP BEFORE STARING AT EACH OTHER, SHOCKED.

ALANI: Y-Y-YOU’RE SICK! YOU’RE TWISTED ON THE INSIDE!

CESSILY: I’M SICK?! YOU LIED TO ME! Y-YOU TOOK MY FEELINGS ABOUT YOU AS A FRIEND AND YOU FUCKING VIOLATED IT! YOU MANIPULATED ME! PLAYED WITH MY FEELINGS! YOU RAPED MY MIND BECAUSE YOU KNEW I WOULD WANT TO HELP YOU BECAUSE I WANT TO BE A GOOD FRIEND AND YOU DIDN’T CARE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN! AND NOW YOU WANNA PLAY THE VICTIM BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU SAW IN MY HEAD?! WELL GUESS WHAT?! MY HEAD IS FUCKED UP! FUCKING DEAL WITH IT!

ALANI: F-FUCK YOU! YOU’RE EVIL! YOU’RE A MONSTER! YOU’RE INSA-

CESSILY: NO, YOU’RE THE INSANE ONE! YOU’RE A LYING SLUT AND A BITCH! Y-YOU LIED TO ME AND BETRAYED MY FUCKING TRUST! YOU’RE A BAD FRIEND AND A TERRIBLE PERSON! I HATE YOU, ALANI! YOU’RE A SNAKE! A LYING, SELFISH, MANIPULATIVE SNAKE!

WITH THAT, CESSILY RUNS AWAY IN TEARS WITH ALANI STORMING OFF IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. SOFIA IMMEDIATELY RUNS AFTER CESSILY AND MONET WAITS FOR A WHILE BEFORE MAKING UP HER MIND AND RUNNING AFTER HER TEAMMATE.

MEANWHILE, MORPH AND TJ PLAY WITH THE BABIES WHILE BEAK COMMENTS THAT IN HIS DREAMS, HE WOULD SEE AN ARMY OF MONSTERS SHOUTING ‘FATHER!’ BUT THIS IS JUST WONDERFUL. ANGEL LAUGHS AND SAYS THAT SHE’S GONNA NAME THEM AFTER THE JACKSON FAMILY BEFORE SAYING THAT ONE LITTLE FREAK LOOKS ABOUT AS CUTE AND USELESS AS BEAK, WHO COMMENTS ON THE WINGSPAN OF ANOTHER LITTLE GUY.

CLARICE KNEELS DOWN AND REACHES OUT TO THE CHILD IN ANGEL’S LAP BEFORE TELLING THEM THAT THEY SHOULD’VE BEEN HONEST FROM THE BEGINNING. ANGEL SAYS THAT SHE WAS WORRIED THAT THEY’D GET KICKED OUT, SINCE THERE’S NEVER BEEN A STUDENT AT XAVIER’S WHO’S GOTTEN PREGNANT. CLARICE AGREES, BUT SAYS THAT SINCE IT’S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE, THEY SHOULD AGREE TO HELP IF A SITUATION LIKE THIS EVER ARISES AGAIN. SHE AGREES TO TALK TO DANI TO SEE IF THEY CAN LIVE HERE AND MAYBE THEY COULD SKIP SOME CLASSES TO TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN. MORPH THEN SAYS THAT THEY SHOULD DO THE SAME IF BEAK AND ANGEL ARE TOO BUSY, AND PLUS, “UNCLE MORPHIE” NEEDS TO BE THERE FOR THE KIDS. TJ ALSO VOLUNTEERS TO HELP SPIFF THE PLACE UP AND MAKE IT MORE FAMILY-FRIENDLY AND CLARICE COMES UP WITH THE IDEA OF SIGNING THEM UP FOR THE LOWER SCHOOL SO THAT XUAN CAN HELP WHILE BEAK AND ANGEL ARE AT SCHOOL.

ANGEL AND BEAK THANK THEM FOR THEIR HELP AND CLARICE ASKS IF THEY’RE GOING TO STAY TOGETHER. THEY BOTH SMILE AND SAY THAT THEY HATED XAVIER’S AT FIRST, BUT THERE IS ONE THING THAT THEY LOVE ABOUT IT, AND IT’S THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND EACH OTHER.

MEANWHILE, SOFIA SEARCHES FOR CESSILY, EVENTUALLY FINDING HER CRYING. AS SHE ASKS CESSILY IF SHE’S OKAY, CESSILY TELLS HER THAT SHE’S NOT OKAY. SHE’S NEVER BEEN OKAY. SHE FEELS LIKE A MONSTER AND KNOWS THAT EVERYONE WILL REJECT HER ONCE ALANI TELLS. EVEN ROXY WILL LOOK AT HER LIKE A FREAK AMONG FREAKS.

SOFIA: CESSILY, I UNDERSTAND HOW YOU FEEL—

CESSILY: NO YOU DON’T! HOW COULD YOU OF ALL PEOPLE KNOW HOW I FEEL?! YOU’RE THE PRETTIEST GIRL IN SCHOOL! YOU’RE POPULAR, YOU HAVE FAMILY WHO LOVES YOU! YOU COULD NEVER KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WAKE UP ONE MORNING A FREAK! MY PARENTS LOVED ME! I WAS EVERYTHING TO THEM! AND THEN WHEN I GOT MY POWERS, THEY DIDN’T SEE ME AS THEIR PRECIOUS GIRL ANYMORE! THEY JUST SAW ME AS A FREAK! YOU SHOULD SEE HOW QUICKLY THEY SENT ME TO XAVIER’S WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT! I… NO ONE LOVES ME! NO ONE EVER WILL!

SOFIA STARTS TO CRY AND PUTS A HAND ON CESSILY’S SHOULDER.

SOFIA: CESSILY, LOOK AT ME. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL AND YOU ARE LOVED. ROXY LOVES YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD, AND I KNOW YOU’D NEVER CHASE ME OR HER OR ANYONE AWAY. I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE REJECTED AND I KNOW THAT IT MAY MAKE YOU AFRAID TO TRY TO FORM A MEANINGFUL CONNECTION, BUT I’M HERE FOR YOU. I WILL ALWAYS BE. YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND, CESSILY. AND I LOVE YOU. WARTS AND ALL.

CESSILY COLLAPSES INTO SOFIA’S ARMS, CRYING AND SOFIA HUGS HER. AFTER A WHILE, CESSILY WIPES AWAY TEARS AND SNOT AND THANKS SOFIA FOR HELPING HER. SOFIA THEN ASKS IF SHE’S READY TO GO AND CESSILY NODS, STANDING UP WITH SOFIA’S HELP.

MEANWHILE, MONET FINDS ALANI BESIDE THE COFFEE SHOP. ALANI SWIPES AWAY TEARS AND TELLS MONET THAT CESSILY’S RIGHT. SHE’S A LIAR AND A SNAKE. SHE REFLECTS ON HOW SHE BETRAYED CESSILY’S TRUST AND VIOLATED HER MIND. SHE KNOWS THAT SHE HAD NO RIGHT TO INTRUDE UPON CESSILY’S SECRETS AND SHE SHOULD’VE BEEN HAPPY TO HAVE HER AS A FRIEND. AS MONET SITS DOWN, ALANI TAKES OUT A VAPE PEN AND PLACES IT TO HER LIPS, BLOWING A STREAM OF SMOKE FROM THEM AS SHE ASKS MONET IF SHE THINKS SHE’S A BAD FRIEND.

MONET: ALANI, I NEED TO TELL YOU SOMETHING. I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE UNABLE TO TOUCH ANYONE. NOT LONG AGO, SOMEONE DID SOMETHING TERRIBLE TO ME. THEY TRAPPED ME INSIDE A HOLLOW SHELL, UNABLE TO TOUCH ANYONE WITHOUT CAUSING THEM PAIN. I LIVED THAT WAY FOR A WHILE, UNABLE TO SPEAK OR TOUCH ANYONE. THAT WAS MY CURSE. THAT WAS MY PENANCE. I WAS NEVER THE SAME EVEN AFTER I WAS FREED. THE TWO OF US, WE’RE UNTOUCHABLE. BUT WE DON’T HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE THAT WAY. WE CAN BE BETTER.

ALANI LOOKS UP AND STARTS TO SMILE. SHE SAYS THAT WHEN THE YEAR BEGAN, SHE REALIZED SHE WAS BISEXUAL. SHE WANTED SOMEONE TO LOVE HER AND SHE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW GOOD A FRIEND CESSILY WAS TO HER. BUT SHE SAW HOW HAPPY SHE WAS WITH ROXY AND SHE WAS JEALOUS. BUT SHE KNOWS THAT DEEP DOWN, SHE SEES CESSILY AS A GOOD FRIEND AND SHE WANTS TO STAY THAT WAY. MONET STANDS UP AND OFFERS HER HAND TO ALANI, WHO STANDS UP AND GIVES HER A HUG.

A FEW MINUTES LATER, SOFIA AND CESSILY MEET ALANI AND MONET. SOFIA REMINDS CESSILY NOT TO LET ALANI GET TO HER, AND CESSILY WALKS UP TO HER.

CESSILY: ALANI, I’M REALLY SORRY. I SHOULD’VE-

ALANI: YOU HAVE NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR. I SHOULD’VE BEEN A BETTER FRIEND. I… I SHOULDN’T HAVE PRESSURED YOU INTO THIS. I’M VERY TRULY SORRY.

THE TWO GIRLS HUG.

ALANI: SO, STILL FRIENDS?

CESSILY: QUID PRO QUO, CLARICE. YOU DON’T TELL ANYONE ABOUT WHAT YOU SAW IN THE ASTRAL PLANE. THOSE ARE MY SECRETS AND I’LL TELL THEM TO ROXY WHEN I WANT TO.

ALANI: DEAL.

CESSILY: AND I, FOR ONE, AM SO GLAD THAT YOU’RE THINKING OF COMING OUT, BUT I CAN’T RECIPROCATE YOUR FEELINGS. I’M HAPPY WITH ROXY. BUT I CAN HELP YOU FIND SOMEONE ELSE. SOMEONE WHO YOU CAN LOVE.

ALANI: WELL… I WAS THINKING OF ASKING SUDI OUT. WE’VE BEEN PRETTY CLOSE.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, MEGAN DASHES OVER, RED-FACED AND PANTING, AS SHE DRAGS A CONFUSED TRAFFIC WARDEN BY THE COLLAR. SHE’S SWEATING LIKE CRAZY AND LOOKS HALF-CRAZED.

MEGAN: I COULDN’T FIND A POLICE OFFICER SO I GOT A TRAFFIC WARDEN! WRITE THEM ALL A TICKET!

SOFIA GIGGLES BEFORE TELLING MEGAN THAT THEY’VE CLEARED EVERYTHING UP, AND MEGAN RELAXES, ASKING IF THEY CAN GO HOME NOW. THE GIRLS START TO WALK BACK TO THE SCHOOL AND CESSILY AND ALANI START TO TALK TOGETHER. SOFIA IS ABOUT TO JOIN THEM WHEN MONET STOPS HER.

MONET: I TRUST YOU SAW THAT SECRET OF ALANI’S, RIGHT?

SOFIA: YES. EMMA FROST WAS THE ONE WHO TOLD ALANI TO DO THE PROCEDURE. JUST LIKE WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOU AND JULIAN.

MONET: I KNOW SHE MEANS WELL, BUT…

SOFIA: I KNOW. WHO ELSE DID SHE AGREE TO HELP?

MONET: WELL, EDIE, MARCOS, SUDI, AND MARK JUST WANTED HELP ON CLASSWORK, SO THE ONLY OTHER ONE WHO WANTED HELP IN THE OTHER WAY WAS… KEVIN.

SOFIA: THEN WE NEED TO FIND HIM BEFORE HE DOES SOMETHING HE’LL REGRET.

AS THEY WALK HOME, ‘PIANO MAN’ BY BILLY JOEL STARTS TO PLAY. WE SEE TJ, DANI, AND MORPH HELPING BEAK AND ANGEL FIX UP THE SHACK AND SOME OF THE BABIES PITCH IN AS WELL. THE COUPLE EMBRACES, SMILING HAPPILY. MEANWHILE, ALANI FLOPS ONTO HER BED, LOOKING OVER AT A NOTE FROM MIRROR GIRL SAYING THAT SHE GOT INVITED TO A PARTY AND SHE’LL BE BACK LATE. ALANI THEN PULLS OUT HER PHONE AND STARTS TO TEXT SUDI, ASKING IF SHE’D LIKE TO GO OUT WITH HER SOME TIME. WHEN SHE SENDS THE TEXT, SHE WRITES ANOTHER ONE THAT CLARIFIES THAT SHE MEANS TO ASK HER ON A DATE, BUT SHE HESITATES. HER FINGER HOVERS OVER THE SEND BUTTON AND SHE BITES HER LIP, NERVOUS, BUT SHE EVENTUALLY LOOKS DETERMINED AND SENDS THE MESSAGE, WAITING FOR SUDI TO TEXT BACK.

MEANWHILE, CLARICE AND SOFIA LIE IN BED, AS CLARICE TELLS SOFIA THAT SHE LOOKS HAPPY. SOFIA SMILES AND SAYS THAT SHE’S NOTICED THE SAME ABOUT CLARICE, WHO SAYS THAT SHE DID A GOOD THING TODAY. SOFIA SAYS SHE DID TOO AND THE TWO KISS BEFORE PROCEEDING TO HAVE SEX. MEANWHILE, ROXY LOOKS OVER AT A SMILING CESSILY AND ASKS WHAT’S UP. SHE JUST KISSES HER AND SAYS THAT SHE JUST CAN’T IMAGINE LIFE GETTING ANY BETTER THAN THIS.

WE THEN CUT OVER TO ONE FINAL SCENE AS JOSH KISSES LAURIE GOODNIGHT. LAURIE SAYS THAT CLARICE IS PROBABLY HOOKING UP WITH SOFIA AGAIN AND ASKS IF MAYBE JOSH COULD SPEND THE NIGHT WITH HER. JOSH SAYS NO, HE HAS A TEST TOMORROW AND NEEDS TO SLEEP, BUT ASSURES LAURIE THAT THEY’LL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TOMORROW. AS LAURIE CLOSES THE DOOR, JOSH STARTS TO WALK TOWARD HIS ROOM BUT KEVIN WALKS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM.

JOSH: THE FUCK, KEVIN? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

KEVIN: I’LL CUT TO THE CHASE. YOU’RE GOING TO BREAK UP WITH LAURIE.

JOSH: WHAT? ARE YOU ON CRACK? WHY WOULD I DO THAT?

THE CAMERA ZOOMS IN ON KEVIN AS HE GIVES JOSH A DEVIOUS, SHIT-EATING GRIN.

KEVIN: BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T, I’LL TELL THE ENTIRE SCHOOL ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE DOING WITH RAHNE SINCLAIR LAST SEMESTER. AND YOU’LL GET EXPELLED!

TO BE CONTINUED

#new x men #cessily kincaid #alani ryan #sofia mantega #clarice ferguson #monet st croix #megan gwynn #talia wagner #kevin sidney #barnell bohusk #angel salvadore #noriko ashida #josh foley #laurie collins #kevin ford

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wendigobornchild · 2 years

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New sims 4 Legacy Challenge! The Long Haul Legacy

Welcome to the Long Haul Legacy challenge! I love doing legacy challenges, but I HATE using normal lifespan, so I decided to create my own challenge to be played on a long lifespan.

The rules of the challenge are as follows:

Long Lifespan (a given with the name of this challenge)

Each generation must complete their aspiration and career(s) BEFORE having the next heir unless otherwise stated

Each new generation must start on an empty lot and build up unless otherwise stated (starting money is listed in each generation)

Share your thoughts and progress with me on twitter! @WendigoBorn and use #LongHaulLegacy

Money cheats are NOT recommended for the full experience of the challenge

FAIR WARNING: EACH GENERATION WILL HAVE 2-3 ASPIRATIONS you must only complete the first before having an heir

Good luck and have fun.

GENERATION 1: So It Begins

You grew up in a home where money was not in excess, you were raised on the belief that hard work and education were the key to success. Naturally once you moved out, college was the first thing on your mind. Teachers along the way have left their mark on you, nothing would bring you more joy than to be able to become a teacher

Generation Rules

Traits: Perfectionist, Genius, Ambitious

Aspiration 1: Academic

Aspiration 2: Soul Mate

Aspiration 3: Super Parent

Skill Masteries: Research, Logic, Charisma, Parenting

Career Mastery: Education (either branch)

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Live on an empty lot with only 1800 simoleons

Must IMMEDIATELY go to college for an education degree

You can not live on campus

You can not have a part time job, side hustles are your source of money until you get into the education career WITH a degree

You must marry either someone in the same degree as you, or a co-worker once you get into the career

You can NOT have the heir until you have at least a 3 bedroom house on the lot AND you are married

2 children MINIMUM

GENERATION 2: It’s Not So Bad Here

A loving home, surrounded by knowledge and hard work is all you can expect when your parents are teachers. It’s too bad that school was never your thing. Always labeled the teacher’s pet and accused that the only reason you graduated school was because your parents are well known teachers in the school system. No, school wasn’t for you, but that’s not to say you didn’t try. The one thing in your life that kept you grounded was music, your parents gave you everything within their power, and limited funds, to help you pursue your hobby. Little did they know.

Generation Rules

Traits: Music Lover, Creative, Outgoing

Aspiration 1: Musical Genius

Aspiration 2: Fabulously Wealthy

Skill Masteries: Guitar, Piano, Singing, Dancing, Violin

Career Mastery: Entertainer (music branch)

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Live on an empty lot with 1000 simoleons and a guitar or piano as a gift from generation 1

Join the entertainer career and complete the career

Must marry someone you meet from either a karaoke bar or a nightclub

Must have a music room with a grand piano, guitar, the most expensive violin and a karaoke machine

Must maintain a constant relationship with parents

Must have 5 close friends other than spouse

ONLY 1 CHILD, your career is far more important to you not to say your don’t love your child

Must write and license 10 songs in your lifetime

GENERATION 3: Things Have to Change

You don’t hate music, but you can’t say you like music either. While your parents bring home a lot of money, there is never any time at home. To say you are estranged is an understatement. You want nothing to do with your parents, sure they gave you everything you asked for in life, but there was no overwhelming sense of love either. You will be different, you have to be.

Traits: Hot Headed, Neat, Noncommital

Aspiration 1: Renaissance Sim

Aspiration 2: Perfectly Pristine

Skill Masteries: Gardening, Wellness, Herbalism, Flower Arranging, Cooking, Baking, Writing, Mixology (this should help with skills for aspiration 1)

Career Mastery: first job must be a part time job, then the last career for aspiration 1 must be Gardener and you must reach at least level 8 before retiring (Floral Designer branch)

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Another Empty lot! This time with 0 simoleons

Must get lot green, neighborhood green-ness is not required but go for it

NEVER get married and the heir’s other parent MAY NOT live in the same house

Heir can only be had once you reach near the END of ADULT stage (6 days left)

Maintain a nice garden

House must have a greenhouse area

Must cook dinner fresh every night

Must retire as soon as you reach elder stage

GENERATION 4: There’s More Out There

It’s tough growing up with only one parent around. They gave you what they could along the way and gave you everything you needed, but you want more. There has to be more out there for you to find. If you listen to your parent, then they already know what the world has to offer, but what if there is another world with all new experiences.

Traits: Self Assured, Maker, Geek

Aspiration 1: Nerd Brain

Aspiration 2: Body Builder

Skill Masteries: Handiness, Rocket Science, Fitness, Logic

Career Mastery: Astronaut (Space Ranger)

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You guessed it! Empty lot. Starting simoleons 2500

Must build your own rocket (the expensive one) with ALL upgrades

Must be fit to the T as an astronaut is

Must marry an alien

Heir must be half alien

House must have a science room, fabricator, robot machine, chemical analyzer the works

House must have at least 2 stories before the heir is born

Must have more than one child

GENERATION 5: We are Halfway There

Being half alien has its perks, having an astronaut parent does as well. When you are young you start to notice that your athletic skills are better than the human population. At first you refused to do anything with this ability, after all it wasn’t fair to everyone else. But what if You didn’t go professional, just solo sports.

Traits: Active, Adventurous, Loves Outdoors

Aspiration 1: Extreme Sports Enthusiast

Aspiration 2: Mt Komorebi Sightseer

Skill Masteries: Fitness, Snowboarding, Skiing, mountain climbing

Career Mastery: Athlete

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Hey guess what? If you said empty lot you are correct. BUT this time it HAS TO BE IN MT KOMOREBI. But hey a whopping 4 THOUSAND simoleons

You must marry someone you meet at the slopes

You must have an in home gym

Propose or get proposed to on top of mt komorebi

Must have a full wedding party

Exactly 3 children, no more, no less and they must be toddler, child and teen, (baby, toddler, child/child, teen, young adult)

Once you have the last child you must quit your job (at level 10 hopefully before this point)

After this the spouse must be the sole income

GENERATION 6: You Do the Crime You Do the Time

You have a very close relationship with your parents, and they keep you safe, happy, and healthy. You find wonder in every little thing in the world and want to keep the world you love so much safe. So naturally you want to be a police officer!

Traits: Cheerful, Good, Proper

Aspiration 1: The Strangerville Mystery

Aspiration 2: Big happy Family

Skill Masteries: Logic, Research and Debate, Charisma

Career Mastery: Detective

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You can already assume an empty lot by this point. 1500 simoleons

You can’t wait to solve the biggest mystery around, strangerville, so you live there

You must defeat the mother plant with your future spouse

Your house must have a room dedicated to the career objects you receive from getting promoted

No children requirements.

You must watch tv with family on your days off

Each child you have must have their own room decorated to their birth gender

You must defeat the mother plant before having any children

GENERATION 7: I Just Do the Crime

Growing up in a strict household run by a police officer made time for lighthearted mischief limited, pranks slowly turned into something less harmless. A more sinister side growing left you with no choice but to leave home. After all, you couldn’t get caught by those who would stop you before your biggest achievements.

Traits: Evil, Mean, Erratic

Aspiration 1: Chief of Mischief

Aspiration 2: Public Enemy

Aspiration 3: Master Vampire

Skill Masteries: Vampire Lore, Mischief, Charisma, Career Skills

Career Mastery: Criminal (boss branch)

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4 simoleons. Thats right, 4

Must have 5 enemies

Must marry a co-worker

Become a vampire after all children are at least toddler age and never have more

Partner must be turned by you.

Children must not know about you being a vampire directly (they know but you think they don’t)

May only feed on other sims, no plasma packs

You will not turn your children into vampires

GENERATION 8: Hold On a While Longer

Raised by criminals to take over the family “business”. You left as soon as you could, not that your parents were mean to you really, you just couldn’t go down with them. Reckon it’s time to forge your own path.

Traits: Family Oriented, Cat Lover, Clumsy

Aspiration 1: Friend of the Animals

Aspiration 2: Successful Lineage

Skill Masteries: Parenting, Logic, Writing, Charisma

Career Mastery: Salary Person (either branch)

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This one has 2 options: if you have no negative sentiments with the previous generation you start with 2500 simoleons. If you have any negative sentiments you start with 100 simoleons

Must have 4 children

No spouse requirements

Must marry AFTER the first 2 children are of the child stage

Family friendly home

Must always have 2 pets in the household

Must make fresh breakfast lunch and dinner every day

Weekends are filled with children's activities like the park, or taking them to do sports, a sleepover, or movie nights

When you get to level 10 in career you must become a stay at home parent

GENERATION 9: Just Keep Trucking Along

It took a long time to convince your parents to let you leave the nest, after all you’re their baby. You got everything you asked for, all you had to do was bat your eyes and say pretty please, it was a routine you had practiced to perfection. The world is your oyster, all you have to do is become the pearl.

Traits: Cheerful, Materialistic, Insider

Aspiration 1: Master Actress/Actor

Aspiration 2: Mansion Barron

Skill Masteries: Acting, and Charisma

Career Mastery: Acting

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Start with every penny your parents have

Complete at least 2 gigs a week

Become a 5 star celebrity

Have at least one male and one female child

Must marry a director

This generation must move into houses AFTER you complete the first aspiration

End up in one of the mansions in Del Sol Valley

Must have a home movie theater

Must host family gatherings every sunday until your parents pass. After its sundays watching movies with your children that you watched with your parents as a child

GENERATION 10: You Made It!

Your parents changed after your grandparents passed. It was tough for everyone, your parents only wanted the best for you and as they see it, you needed to see how the rest of the world lives. Having grown up in a mansion, its very different only having a home you built up yourself. Maybe its time to give another child what you had. A loving home filled with laughter and joy.

Traits: Family Oriented, Loves Outdoors, Vegetarian

Aspiration 1: The Curator

Aspiration 2: Big Happy Family (yes again I know)

Skill Masteries: Parenting, Archaeology, Handiness

Career Mastery: Freelance Writer

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Your parents buy you an actual house this time! But only a 2 bedroom. And you start with 2000 simoleons

You must build an extra bedroom for your child(ren)

Marry anyone you want this time

Must have a home office

Create a dragons’ horde room (a room where you keep all of your collections)

Complete 3 collections, frogs, elements, crystals

Must adopt one child once they reach teen adopt another, until you become too old to adopt children or your house fills up

Send each child out of the house with at least 6000 simoleons

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU DID IT!

I hope you enjoyed the Long Haul Legacy challenge! Please share your thoughts on the #LongHaulLegacy twitter! Thank you for giving this idea a shot, it means a lot to me and all of this work was not in vain!

WendigoBornChild on twitch

#LongHaulLegacy #sims 4 #legacy challenge

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