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kneesheee · 4 years

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here comes the bind

Day Four: Soulmates | Wedding

The day was finally here.

The day of the JayKyle wedding.

Apollo and Aphrodite were currently riding around in his chariot scaring the living hell out of everyone. No one had seen the gods of beauty this angry since Apollo killed Python and Aphrodite was torturing Psyche. The two of them were supposed to be helping their children get ready, but the day had to be perfect. That meant everyone needed to get with the program.

The chosen location wasn’t Themyscira or Bana-Mighdall. It wasn’t anywhere in LA, Gotham or Ireland. It wasn’t anywhere in Greece or Rome. It wasn’t even on Olympus.

No, they decided to host the wedding on Outlaw Island.

[They made sure to invite everyone even Eris. No one wanted a repeat of the Trojan War.]

The Fates were sitting in their own section ready to show off the life strings of the two demigods. [The news that they were preparing to give was going to be a shocker.]

The gods that each a hand in raising the boys and watching them grow sat near the front. Hera would be the one marrying the two. The Outlaws would have sat behind them if not for being members of the wedding party. Their mortal families [which for Kyle meant the Lanterns] sat behind them. Kyle’s sat on the left while Jason’s sat on the right. It was to represent the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. There had been quite a commotion when Bruce realized that he was going to be sat near Talia. Only to then throw an even bigger fit when he realized that she came before him in the lineup. (His feelings will be so hurt when he realized the most important part.] Right behind their mortal families sat the Amazons who all had a hand in training the boys. Each side of them. Scattered throughout the rest of the seats were other members of the pantheon and the Justice League. They were seated by their level of importance to the couple (a lot of members of the Justice League and various assassins and aliens were seated near the back).

Demeter and Dionysus grew apple, myrtle, and laurel trees before morphing them into archways. There was backdrop of the couple’s favorite hill where one could look over the sea point out where the sun connects.

Poseidon pulled seashell from the sea up to create the walkway. Bust of the gods were dotted around the seating area.

Hera sniffed a little disdainfully, “We were going to do a traditional Hellenic wedding, but the boys wanted to modernize it. Luckily, we managed to get most of everything done, so now we can begin the service.”

She gave her stepson a look and Apollo began to sing while the Muses harmonized with him. Smiles lit up everyone’s face to hear the pure joy and love in the father’s voice. He was nothing if not lovable. The mortals swayed on their feet due to the divine energy spreading throughout the song. It took everything in their power and then some to keep them seated.

Suddenly, another voice began to sing, and everyone turned to look. Draped in a cream chiton with a golden chlamys around him, Jason looked like red headed version of his father before him. His freckles stood out on his skin. The black dye was fading away at the ends of his hair. The symbol of the lyre was on a band wrapped around his arm. Laurel leaves were braided into his hair. His blue green eyes had a ring of gold surrounding them as he smiled ecstatically. On his arm was Talia who smirked smugly at Bruce as she walked her son down the aisle. She was wearing a pale gold peplos with her hair falling into princess curls. She smiled lovingly at him when she had to let him go, giving him a kiss on the forehead, before moving on to her seat. Jason continued to sing alongside his father who had tears prickling at the corner of his eyes.

The sound of giggling could be heard before Lian Harper skipped out into the party. Persephone had braided flowers into her hair while giving her seeds of rose and hyacinth. Every time the little girl threw to the ground said flower burst into full bloom, yet the scent never smelled too much nor appalling.

Another beat passed before Kyle appeared dressed in a salmon himation. Jason audibly gasped at the sight and Kyle froze for half a second after seeing him. Giggles could be heard from their friends and the nymphs at the two’s reaction. Hal had to tug on Kyle’s hand to get him moving. Myrtle leaves had been braided into Kyle’s hair giving him a look almost like the nymphs. His tanned legs were long and true with rose wrapped around his ankles before tying around his sandals. His iridescent eyes looked like rainbow prisms flashing a deep pink and blue and indigo. Jason’s heart skipped a beat. He could stare in Kyle’s eyes until the end of time and still never have enough of them.

Apollo and the Muses’ song slowed to a stop as the two made it to the end. Hal smiled at Kyle like a proud father before patting him on the shoulder. He would’ve ruffled his hair if it weren’t for the way that Aphrodite was glaring daggers with a smile on her face.

The couple stood before each other in front of the High Queen. The Goddess of Marriage. She smiled at them both. She remembered the wide-eyed looks both gave when they had been first introduced to the family. She remembered the light blushes on each of their cheeks. The first thing Jason had said was that she was pretty, and Kyle had immediately ignored everyone as he began to sketch her right then and there. They had followed all of them around like little ducklings whenever the two were on Olympus. Kyle with his mother and Jason with the Amazons.

Hera will admit if only to herself that she had thought that Jason would end up with Artemis from Bana-Mighdall. At least until she realized that the girl wasn’t interested in boys and that Jason saw her as another sister figure. She had also thought that Kyle would end up with Jessica once the female lantern came around, but the two of them had a close familial bond that warmed Hera’s heart.

The ceremony passed in a blur for the two boys as they stared each other in the eyes. Hera’s words being tuned out as Kyle felt the love that Jason held for him [though it was tinged with something else. Something a little darker.] and Jason could see their future together [though it faded a little around the edges like an old movie].

Their vows had been short and sweet as their guests stared in awe at the sight of the boys’ essences began blend around them. Hera was going all out for everyone to see how beautiful and wonderful the two were.

Hera smiled with a teeth and threatening eyes as she looked out into the crowd, “If anyone objects to this union, please speak now or forever hold your piece.” Everyone glanced nervously at each other while Apollo, Aphrodite, Hal, and Talia calmly fingered their weapons.

“We do,” three voices stated together. Everyone turned in shock to look at who would be foolish enough to go against the very protective wedding party. Jaws dropped as they took in the sight of the Morai.

Clotho was holding onto a life string that was so slowly unraveling, “They are soulmates,” Clotho stated. “A bond more beautiful and truer than Helen and Paris. Yet, just like those two… their lives are doom due to outside influences interfering with their bond.”

Apollo and Aphrodite started to glow with rage. Even their anger paled in contrast with Hera’s. She planned this wedding from top to bottom. Not a single thing was to go wrong. Yet, the fates were here to tell them that their efforts were for nothing. They would ruin this occasion. The three of them began to yell loudly.

“What outside influence? We all made sure to be careful and abide by your rules,” Hera snarled. She began to glow with power. Every mortal around senses began to go off screaming danger.

Lachesis only stared at her as Apollo and Aphrodite were being held back and comforted. Even Bruce and Dick had gotten over themselves to keep Talia pinned in place. This was her son’s wedding. Hal was being held the combine willpower of the other Lanterns and the Flash [Barry and Wally]. It wouldn’t be the first time the Fates were faced with a god’s [and mortals’] anger nor would it be the last. “On the day of Kyle’s proposal, Jason managed to nick himself with one of Eros’ arrows. One of his most famed love arrows. Apollyon, you know how it feels. The cut may have healed, but that does not mean the effects were gone. And such, Kyle himself managed to accidently cut himself when returning said arrows. Why do you think Eros has disappeared?”

She was right. Eros and Psyche were gone. No one knew where they went. Kyle had been so sad to know that his favored brother wouldn’t even attend his wedding. There had been a lot of tears and anger and yells when Kyle realized that.

Atropos rose a brow, “You should all figure out a way to fix this. This is not love anymore. And you, Aphrodite knows what happens when a child a love cannot feel.”

Aphrodite did know. Her baby wouldn’t die. No, he would fade away. He would slowly lose all motor function. Then his mind will begin to break slowly. Slowly but surely, his heart will stop pumping blood until it stops completely. He would be paper thin in touch with only the slightest contact leaving his skin to peel away like ash. She felt sick. She couldn’t believe she was going through this again.

Jason had noticed that Kyle seemed different. His bright eyes were look dull and blank. His evenly spread tan seemed as if the color was seeping right out of him. Even with Apollo’s essence healing him from inside out… Kyle just seemed so drained. Jason had thought it was stress from the wedding. Kyle had been filled with nerves. He threw up on every other occasion. But now--- he was a child of love. He was a Lantern. He couldn’t not feel love. It was impossible. Kyle had to feel. He was one of the most expressive people that Jason knew. Every ring that he wielded could be traced back to love. It was why Jason always said that Aphrodite was the most powerful of the Olympians.

Jason turned to look at Kyle when he felt something shift. His teal eyes met with Kyle’s and suddenly, Jason felt this uncontrollable hunger. He loved Kyle. He needed Kyle. He could see the same desire running through Kyle’s tired eyes.

Something must have shown on his face because as soon as he began to lunge for Kyle, Talia tackled him to the ground. Aphrodite yanked Kyle away from the altar as if he was giant cat. The two of them struggled to get to each other.

Before Kyle seemed to freeze before turning away and vomiting right on the ground. Specks of blood appeared, and Aphrodite cried out in shock. Jason could only stare in horror.

Again?

Kyle was dying.

#jaykyleweek2020 #jaykyle #Jason Todd #Kyle Rayner #demigod au

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piccolina-mina · 4 years

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Hi, im the anon wondering about which character is the favorite. Tbh i was just curious, but i understand how that could create drama 😅 my bad. Youre probably thinking im from the rnm fandom and you would be right. I had a hunch of which character it was, but i wasnt positive. I dont really see them playing favorites in terms of writing but that might just be because the favorite character is also my favorite character. I was curious as to your opinion but I understand if you dont wanna answer

I think narratively the show favors Michael. The writers openly discuss how much they love writing for him. He's everyone's favorite. He's Carina's favorite. He's a fan favorite. And that is fine.

But I do think there are some days when it's so blatant that it's a clear flaw on the part of those creating the narrative. There are many layers to this too, some more disconcerting then others, but I'll stick to the narrative.

The fact that I (and others I'm sure) don't actually have to mention his name and people automatically know sort of proves the point.

And it's not a slight against his character or the actor, and it's not to suggest that his storylines aren't enjoyable either. Case in point, personally, I think he and Alex are having the strongest personal arcs out of everyone this season.

But then, that isn't exactly surprising is it?

More often than not, I feel like it's Liz's story in name only, but consistent, deep, gritty, well thought out etc storytelling falls on Michael. I can see and feel all the time and energy dedicated to this specific character.

That's cool, but when you have an ensemble cast, the hope is that it's spread out a bit better. The first season is testing the waters. The second season gives you a better idea of how things are and will be now that there is a rhythm.

In the second season, Liz, our lead, has gotten lost and swallowed up in the plot. Jeanine is great and has some shining moments, but she doesn't exactly have her own personal story that isn't wrapped up in alien stuff. This is where it's frustrating that ... we don't spend a lot of time with the Ortechos, something they've attempted to rectify a bit this season, but it's still mostly unsuccessful.

This is where her arc with Rosa has not been as strong as it should be and got lost in Liz trying to bring Max back. This is where I repeatedly point out the lack of focus on her relationships outside of the pod squad. Her friendships with Maria and Alex suffer a great deal and honestly with Kyle as well.

This is where all things alien consume her, and she doesn't seemingly have a life or rather chooses to expend any focus to a life outside of the pod squad and their issues.

And this is where because of all her energy being put into such a narrow focus on solely alien issues often at the expense of every other facet of her life, she often feels decentralized from her own narrative.

But we have Michael, and I do think one of many reasons he's such a favorite is because of all the focus he gets and how well-rounded and developed he is compared to the others. I mean if that's the character everyone pours everything into ... then yeah, he would be the favorite, yeah?

He's fun to play with, the witty oneliners, the bad boy with a heart of gold, the misunderstood tragic not a hero but really a hero, the lovable jackass, the endearing "screwup" so on and so forth. He's wrapped up in a bow, the catnip of all the most endearing tropes.

And they love peeling back layers for him and developing him and expanding on his background and characterization carefully and thoughtfully.

And that's awesome and enjoyable even, but when you have an ensemble cast and it doesn't begin to be spread about evenly, then it's a reasonable nitpick.

I feel like we have a better grasp on his past than any other character. He naturally was the one who wanted to go back home, but almost all of the past alien history and folklore has essentially centered him or involved him more so than Isobel and Max.

He's the one who heads to and finds out about Caulfield. He's the one who sees his mother and where the aliens were held. He's the one who watches her die in front of him. He's the one who continued to be tied into that plot while they hand waved why Max and Isobel weren't interested in learning more when they dropped enough breadcrumbs to support why they should be.

Until this season, until very recently with Isobel, everything related to their origins fell on him, he is the face of the pod squad being invested in finding out about their history. It then ties in with his tragic backstory as the foster kid who never had nor felt "home."

By spending a season and a half essentially centering him alone in a narrative that should involve all of them, it seemingly made it his plot. And that's BEFORE we even get to these recent revelations with Sanders and this implication that Michael was "the special one" not Max (which the mere idea of a special one at all was not and has not been something I particularly care to subscribe to in the first place), so it's doubling down and solidifying something they didn't need to emphasize this much.

The alien past has always felt like Michael's story and Max and Isobel are just hitching a ride. The many ways it was only tied to Michael makes it that way. It was Michael that Jesse had a file on.

It's Michael whose first love is a product of the Manes Project Shepherd element. It's Michael who gets that conflict with Alex.

The Valentis have just as much ties to that as the Manes and yet that angle is barely explored or used to add an extra layer to the tension between Max and Kyle for example.

It was just barely used to flesh out Kyle during the first season, and then seemingly dropped altogether this season when he should have just as much claim in this narrative as all three pod squad members and Alex.

Ironically, this is a big disservice to Isobel. And this is where this exclusive focus on pouring so much into one character comes at the expense of others.

Isobel, people like her and all, but when I look at the actual narrative and her place in it, if not for the fact that she's an alien, she's not a character with much purpose, and that's a huge problem.

Because narratively, outside of being used as a victim, they honest to goodness don't know what to do with her. They barely invested enough in her character to give her a fully formed, consistent personality. There's no real pull there. And as the only female alien, they could have done so much more beyond being a vessel for Noah and an abortion storyline where the only point was to make a statement about women and reproductive rights that didn't land as intended because of Isobel's privileges and access.

Max benefits from being the co-lead and being part of the primary love story. And then of course there is the eternal and patently unfair and imbalanced fraternal angst that ALSO is more often than not used to serve Michael's storyline and development.

It's about Michael working through his resentment. It's about Michael's abandonment issues. It's about Michael's battle with self worth. And 2.05 was about Michael realizing how much his brother always loved him. And him growing from that realization. And him saving his brother.

Just like now, it's about Michael protecting Max and "suffering" for it. It's about Michael being a dark horse martyr and sin eater for his siblings after taking the blame for killing the girls from Isobel and now damning himself to a screwed up life on Max's behalf.

The weight of the revelations geared toward Michael. The Sanders connection was significant and that was ushered in through his connection to Michael.

In the same vein we found out Michelle Valenti has what should be an equally as impactful and longstanding connection with Max ... but did it carry the same weight as Michael and Sanders at all even though those respective relationships have run neck in neck throughout the series? No.

We know Maria was sidelined all first season. This season most of what they've given us feels performative to address the concerns people had because of how things are handled ... with her splitting redundant narratives with side characters, having things happen offscreen, or shuffled to a side, or left on the editing floor.

And her biggest relationship all season is? Michael.

Kyle is getting sidelined this season. There's so much we don't know and could about him. His love interest storyline also feels performative and perfunctory... they didn't invest in it at all. It was like going through the motions.

Rosa's storyline hasn't exactly taken off as you'd have expected given the circumstances. And they just jumped around with key and crucial character building and meaningful moments with that too. They sailed right on past the Maria and Arturo reveals without letting them breathe. Almost like they just didn't have any strong interest in doing much outside of hitting the necessary notes: tell Maria, reunion with Arturo, save Max, overdose.

Liz's core relationships are all over the place. Maria, Arturo, Rosa, Alex, Kyle ... not enough investment in them. Not enough digging deep into them. Not enough exploration. While Max was gone most of the season. And she worked with and provided support to Michael and Isobel, hung out with Cam, but continuously neglects the aforementioned others who should matter.

But Michael's core relationships have layers and stay intact ( Max, Isobel, Alex, and Maria) and he gets substance with other ones ... Kyle ... Sanders ...

So yeah, nothing wrong with having favorites. And if that person is your favorite then maybe it's easier not to care or think too hard about it or whatever.

But the reason I dislike when you can tell when one character is a favorite is because of how it affects the narrative overall.

It seriously impacts the storytelling. It's like writing entire chunks around a character and this specific position you want them instead of writing the story and weaving in the character.

It can take me out of a piece when I can tell the objective is to get to a precise moment with a specific character. When I can tell that some of the writing is obligatory and then "the real fun" happens with X.

It's like stuffing your face with all of your vegetables because you have to in order to get to that ice cream Sundae. Like "if I get through A-W then my reward will be Z."

This is me coming from an objective viewpoint because I can separate when analyzing. I have actually enjoyed Michael a lot this season. He and Alex have had the best character growth this season, in my opinion, and I really love that.

But this is also a glaring issue, and I hate when favoritism bleeds into a series, especially an ensemble cast when it leads to issues with the storytelling.

And despite my enjoyment, that's what I feel is happening here a lot.

It certainly isn't the first and only show I've noticed this with. And yeah, I've even made these same observations and criticisms when it's my favorite character too.

It's the same on another series I watch with one of my favorite characters, and it's so frustrating except in that case, it's a character who can do no wrong even when they're wrong, and ... that's a whole other discussion.

But yeah. I don't expect agreement with this. It's probably one of those unpopular opinions or hot takes that can definitely bug people, especially those whose favorite character is Michael.

But this is my observation and why I feel that like him or not, storytelling suffers, is predictable, or underwhelming, or annoying, or jarring when you can sense the obsession and favoritism.

#it's late so that may not be a comprehensive response #anyway ... I'm not here for another round of fandom fkery so if drama is what you want to start go elsewhere #rnm discourse #rnm asks

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keeseneysays · 4 years

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Sometimes We Just Need to Talk: An Exploration of Character Development Influence on Love and Interaction Through Short Fiction

That was the title of my thesis; the greatest most frustrating thing I’ve ever written in my life. Through my proposal I was to explain what it was I wanted to do, why I wanted to do it, how I planned on doing, and why I planned on doing it that way. Once that got approved, I was able to start my project. Within this thesis, I created 2 short stories, 3 flash fiction stories and ANOTHER proposal to remind my readers what I wanted to do, what I did, why I did it, and how it worked out for me. A WHOLE LOTTA SHIT! Still, the stories I created, if I do say so myself, were AMAZING. I questioned my every move, my every detail because I knew I would have to defend what I thought was right. Which is usually how life goes. ANYways, instead of repeating myself and explaining all of what I created, I decided to creatively explain my thesis through receipts. Ha. I’ve been infatuated with love and relationships for a long time. Although, it’s only because I was surprised, so surprised, to see so many people get it wrong! How? I now see why I grew up to be a writer because it angered and worried me for days when I would watch a tv show, a movie, OR READ A BOOK and the writers were so worried about love and making it believable for their audience that the characters always somehow seem to fade to the back. Don’t get me started on BLACK characters and the narrative writers love to play into when it comes to BLACK LOVE. That’s why I let it be known that my stories were black with black characters, black culture, and a black writer to match. When I think of how to explain in all, my mind points me to the two greatest television series to ever exist; Living Single and A Different World. If you don’t agree, yikes. I spent my childhood watching these shows. A Different World is the reason why I even enjoyed school so much. I wanted to go to college and be able to experience the feeling given by Hillman life. Unfortunately, my dreams of going to a HBCU didn’t happen, BUT I never forgot WHY I was in school, PWI or not. Living Single was my mother’s favorite television series, and it soon also became mine. I LOVED how black it was. I loved how there were BLACK women simply being BLACK. A writer, an actress, a lawyer, and a fashionista were ALL black women living—surviving—in Brooklyn. They were friends that supported every step of every journey their friends took. I loved seeing that. Add in BLACK men who allowed women to be women without allowing the patriarchal background of America to influence their behavior, AND they were just as unapologetically black, proud, passionate, and thriving within the community. Making them equal. Making them their own individual selves. Therefore, when these two unapologetically BLACK shows tackled the topic of love, they undoubtedly produced the BEST two on screen relationships by allowing their characters to gravitate towards one another, willingly and tastefully. Who are these 2 couples? The queen of bad and boujee Whitley Gilbert and the only man to make math interesting Mr. Dwayne Wayne. Annndddddd Maxine Shaw Attorney at Law and Mr. Suave himself Kyle Barker. Now I won’t sit here and take you through their entire relationship—I’m already a little offended if you don’t know them—but I will explain what about them makes me label them as such. Whitley and Dwayne interested me because, as a child, I didn’t see why the hell Dwayne was so persistent. They didn’t match and they were FAR from the same background, yet Dwayne never really gave up hope that he was going to get his girl. Which made me take a closer look at Whitley, and thank God I did. (Jasmine Guy is the GOAT) Whitley had the best glow up because I felt like it was the first time I had ever watched a woman correct herself. Whitley entered school stuck up, yes, but mostly oblivious. Her spoiled, snobbish attitude was unbearable yet lovable. My mama used to say, “that’s what happens when you already have it and don’t care how you got it.” When it was time for Whitley to care, she had to learn how to. That’s where Dwayne came in. I feel as though both of these characters saw potential in the other loooonnngggg before they saw it in themselves. That’s beautiful to me; to fall in love with someone’s potential so much that it fuels your own. It’s like having the right pieces but the wrong puzzle. From the break ups, make ups, proposals, to the INFAMOUS wedding crashing, every development on their relationship was preceded by their own, noticeable, personal growth. Maxine and Kyle were similar in a way. Maxine Shaw would be my favorite on the show, but Khadijah James is the GOAT. Still, Maxine comes close second because *sigh* she was Max; all day and everyday. She was a black, college educated woman, who was also a dedicated lawyer—successfully navigating her way through a male dominated world. She was also a sexually liberated woman who put the F in feminist. Kyle, on the other hand, was a handsome, well dressed successful stockbroker, who prided himself in his many sexual relationships. Through these descriptions alone, it’s easy to see why these two characters didn’t get along, yet they maintained a honest and heartfelt friendship. That’s what I loved the most out of their relationship. They were never truly overly affectionate, but I feel as though their personalities created challenges for one another that allowed them into each other’s heart. Here you have two individuals with the education, talent, looks, and salary to back up their lifestyles, yet they find interest in the other; alpha for alpha. Watching these characters compromise their own beliefs to positively affect someone they’re trying so hard not to be affected by was BEYOND interesting. I remember the episode of Kyle’s birthday—when Max continued to complain about her newfound girlfriend duties. She kept saying how she had to get rid of Kyle by Christmas. Still, by the end of that episode, Max was standing inside of a washer trying to cheer up her aging boyfriend. She simply told him she was his gift because the guy he used to be would have never dated a woman as strong minded as her...which the same can be said for Max—as shown by her planning and saving her boyfriend’s 30th birthday. You can’t help but acknowledge these characters separately. Although, it wasn’t hard comprehending their pull towards one another—especially since they were the ones doing the pulling. So with those examples inspiring my research, I was able to create my own love stories through the development of my own characters. And it was damn fun.

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chickensarentcheap · 4 years

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Sanctuary -Chapter 50

Warnings: none really

Tags: @alievans007, @c-a-v-a-l-r-y, @thunderintheshadows, @innerpaperexpertcloud, @valkyrie-of-the-light

Face Claim for Esme’s brother Kyle: Taylor Kinney

“You know,” Kyle says, as he parks his truck in front of their mother's home. Nik's already arrived; standing at the side of the Lincoln Navigator, flanked by her two security specialists while speaking to Michelle. Sunglasses still covering her eyes, a hand on her cocked hip. “You don't have to stay here. You could always just come and hang out at my place until Tyler gets back.”

“You live in a one bedroom apartment,” Esme reminds him. “There's going to be four kids, Ovi and his girlfriend, Nik and her people....”

“So I take you back to your place and stay there with you,” he suggests. “Keep an eye on things. Spend time with the kids when they get back. Help you out. I've got some vacation time owed to me and I know I could pull some strings and get some immediate time off.”

“K, as tough and as bad ass as you are, these people that are after Tyler aren't the kind you want to be messing with. Trust me. So as much as I appreciate you wanting to help out and wanting me to be comfortable, this is unfortunately the best of a bad situation.”

He smirks. “When mom is the best of a bad situation, that's when you know the situation is FUBAR'D.”

She gives a snort. “Definitely FUBAR'D.”

“Try not to let her get to you. I know it's hard. Trust me, I know. She's going to be losing her shit as soon as you walk into that house. She's going to drag Tyler through the mud and you know it. She's been just raging him about him since you said you were coming home. And like I said, she's already got names and numbers of divorce lawyers.

Esme shakes her head. “Why does she have to be like this? Why can't she just give him a break? Why can't she just see him the way I see him? The way you see him, even. You don't hate him.”

“Never did. I was a little pissed that my little sister ran off with some strange guy and decided to stay half way around the world. But you're an adult and you can do whatever the hell you want. No matter how stupid I think you are. I wasn't going to hold it against him because you made the choices you did. It's not his fault you think your p...”

She slugs him in the shoulder. Hard. “Don't you even finish that sentence!”

“Heart. I was going to say heart.”

“Like hell you were. And maybe at first I did think with my...well you know...” she nods down at her lap. “...but that's not all it was, okay?”

“Well obviously. Or you wouldn't have married the guy and had four kids. Or is it four and a half now? Four and a quarter?”

“You can be a real shit head.”

“But I'm a lovable shit head. And the best big brother.”

“Considering the other ones are all assholes, you don't have much competition,” she teases.

“That's harsh, Esme. Way harsh. Look, I'm glad things worked out with you and Tyler. That the guy actually survived what he did and you two ended up together and I ended up having all those kids I get to spoil the shit out of. I've never hated him. And I don't hate him now that I know who he really is.”

“He's still Tyler, K. He's still the Tyler you know. Being a mercenary doesn't change that. There's job Tyler and there's Tyler. And I need you to realize that and accept it. Because I love you, but I love him more. And if you can't accept him now that you know, then....” she shrugs. “....I don't know. Maybe it means you don't come around anymore. Maybe you become nothing more than another person to send Christmas cards to.”

“You can't get rid of me that easily, kid,” he playfully tousles her hair. “I'm freaked out by what you told me,” he admits. “It's not every day you learn your brother in law is a soldier for hire. But, I know how much he loves you. How good he's been for you. And I know how much he loves those kids. So if you're cool with it and you can accept this whole job Tyler and normal Tyler thing, than so can I. Okay?” he taps the end of his index finger against the tip of her nose. “Are you sure you want to do this? I could find room at my place for everyone.”

“As much as I appreciate the offer, your bachelor pad slash den of inequity is not the place I want my children spending too much time in. I'll be okay. And if she really gets on my nerves, I can always punch her in the throat.”

He grins. “Remember that time you kneed the older kid in the face on the playground because he was picking on one of your friends? What were you? Like eight?”

She nods. “And he was in grade six. Tommy Chambers. That ignorant little fucker.”

“You busted up his nose real good. Embarrassed the shit out of him., too. Remember how his mom came to the house after school? Totally freaking out when dad answered the door. Ranting and raving about his kid fucking up hers and just going on and on and on. You should have seen her face when dad told her that it was his eight year old did it. And not just any eight year old. His eight year old daughter. Lady about nearly shit her pants. I know you got in deep shit over that, but I'd honestly never seen dad so proud of you as he did at that moment.”

She smiles at the memory. “I miss him. Even now.”

“Yeah, so do I. It's been a long time.”

She nods.

“You've done good, kid. With your life. Regardless of what mom says. Dad would be proud of you. I'm not so sure how he'd handle the whole 'my son in law is a mercenary thing', but he'd like Tyler. I know he would. He would have given him a chance. Probably would have called him Crocodile Dundee.”

Esme laughs at that.

“Remember how much he loved that movie? Tyler would have gotten so sick of that and wanted to punch him in the face.”

“He would have put up with it, though. He's been called a lot worse, believe me.”

“Yeah, you've got quite the gutter mouth on you when you get going. Guy's got a foot and almost a hundred pounds on you and you just light into him and he takes it.”

“I wasn't talking about me, you asshole!” she uses her thumb and index finger to flick him in the earlobe.

“See? That's what I mean. You're feisty. You don't take shit. From anyone. That's why you guys work so well together. He can handle you. Not like that first prick you married,” he looks up the windshield at where a clearly agitated and unamused Nik is still listening to their mother rant and rave. “Can't believe someone that looks like her would be with someone like Mark. Guy's a troll. First my sister and now her? What the hell is that about?”

“You should get out there and rescue her from the Wicked Witch of the Mid-West. I know how you can't resist flexing your muscles and playing the firefighter card for damsels in distress.”

“Something tells me she is far from being a damsel in distress. Something tells me she could totally kick my ass.”

“Oh, she definitely could. But I know you and I know that makes you even more interested.”

He grins. “You're not wrong.”

“Seriously, go,” she jabs her elbow into his ribs, pushing his towards his door. “Go and rescue her from such torment and torture. No one deserves what mom can unleash. Get out there and go and give her that smile of yours and let her see those pretty blue eyes. No woman can resists those eyes. Not even Nik.”

“She's a hard sell?”

Esme nods. “Just a bit.”

“Perfect,” his grin broadens. “You know I love a good challenge.”

“Then do it!” she encourages her brother. “Get out there and introduce yourself and impress her with your boyish charm and all your muscles. Go! Or I will drag you over there and throw you at her feet.”

“Like some kind of sexual offering to a goddess,” he muses.

“Would you go, you fuck head!” Esme laughs. “Go out there and get mom away from her. You're a great catch. Even Nik will see that. And think of it this way, if you can manage to land Nik, that's a total kick in the nuts to Mark. And I know how much you love Mark.”

“It would be nice to get one last shot in at the guy. I didn't get nearly enough shots in when I beat him up in front of that hooker.”

“Then go! Go and charm her, Romeo. You can do it. I have faith in you. She needs a good guy. A normal guy. And you're as close to normal as anyone I know of, so...”

“What about your bags? I need to...”

“You can get them afterwards. There's no rush. Would you just do it? She's worth it, K. Way worth it. And I've heard she's quite the wild one in the sack. She could give you a run for your money.”

“Yeah? Think so?”

“Go!” she orders. “Before I call her over here and totally embarrass you in front of her. I'm not going in yet, anyway. I have to call Tyler first.”

“No phone sex in my truck!” he orders, as he tosses open the driver's side door.

“He wanted me to call when I got here so he knows I'm safe. Get your mind out of the gutter. You can put it back in there when you get Nik alone.”

“I won't be putting my mind in the gutter if that happens. I'll be putting something else in there.”

“You're a pig! Don't make me regret suggesting this! Get out there. Make me proud.”

“You're my favourite sister, just so you know,” he says, giving her a wink before climbing out of the truck and shutting the door behind him.

The shrill ring of his personal cell phone tears Tyler from his sleep. He's still fully clothed, including boots, in the middle of the bed; flat on his stomach, a forearm tucked under the pillow his face rests again. At first he's startled; disoriented even. The room is dark aside from the moonlight that streams through the patio doors, and his brain doesn't immediately register...or remember, for that matter...why the bed is empty beside him. It causes a brief moment of panic; head snapping up, furtively glancing around the dark room, about to call out to her when all of his senses return and it occurs to him that he's alone. That she's thousands of miles away. And it's all his fault.

His cell rests on her pillow and he blindly reaches for it, using his free hand to wipe sleep out of his eyes as he answers the call on the fourth ring.

“Yeah?”

“Hey,” her voice is tired, but there's a enough cheerfulness to it that eases some of the guilt he's been feeling.

“Hey,” he presses the heel of his palm into one of his eyes, anxious to rid of himself of that last little bit of lingering fogginess.

“Did I wake you up?”

“I must have dozed off.”

“Are you alone?”

“Why wouldn't I be?”

“Thought maybe you'd had a wild night at a peeler bar and brought back a stripper,” she teases. “Or you only do things like that when you're in Russia?”

He grins. “It was actually Serbia. But Yaz doesn't understand geography. And no. There's no stripper here. I already sent her home.”

She laughs at that. And it's music to his ears. “You're lucky I know you're being a smart ass. And you're also lucky I love you as much as I do.”

“Yeah,” he smiles. “I am.”

“What time is it there?”

He glances towards the digital clock on the nightstand. “Midnight.”

“I didn't mean to wake you up,” her voice is apologetic.

“It's okay,” he assures her, and rolls over onto his back. The agony isn't as intense as it usually is; he's been religiously taken the pain meds -as prescribed- and it's managed to keep things dull and bearable. And the Valium for his PTSD has kept the anxiety and most of the hyper-vigilance under control; mellowing him without making him feel like a zombie. “It was a long night. I didn't get in until ten thirty. Must have just lied down, planning to just close my eyes, and fell asleep.”

“Where were you?” she inquires, and he knows what she's asking.

“We gave McMann to the IRA tonight. It was time to hand him over. Whatever happens to him now, it's in their hands. And no, I didn't actually go into the storage place. I waited outside. I would have stayed away entirely, but they wouldn't take him unless I was the one to give him to them, so...”

“I understand,” she says, and it's genuine. “Are you okay?”

“I'm better.”

“Good. I was worried about you.”

“When don't you worry about me? I'm okay. I miss you. But I'm okay.”

“I miss you, too. I didn't think I'd miss you this much, this fast.”

Tyler grins. “I guess I should be flattered.”

“Yeah,” she laughs. “You should. I don't get all weepy over just any man, you know.”

“But, I'm not just any man.”

“No,” she agrees. “You're not. You never have been. You make the quite impression, Tyler Rake. In more ways that one. You're not just a pretty face.”

He chuckles at that. “How's things going there?”

“I haven't actually gone inside yet. I'm still sitting in the truck. Trying to prepare myself for my mother's bullshit. Apparently she's already googled divorce lawyers and has all the numbers written out.”

“Well, as long as you're not planning on using any of them...”

“We are far from that stage,” she assures him. “We are, right? Far from that stage?”

“I already told you, you're stuck with me. Right until the bitter end. You're not getting rid of me and I'm not getting rid of you. You're not getting rid of me, are you?”

“Never,” she declares.

“Tell her to fuck off. Or better yet, I'll call her and tell her to fuck off. I thought maybe things were better between us, after our little talk, but I guess not. She knows how to hold a grudge, that's for sure. Now I know where you get it from.”

“She isn't holding a grudge. She's being a bitch. She has no reason to hold a grudge against you. You haven't done anything wrong.”

“I seduced her precious, innocent daughter. Knocked her up. When we weren't even married yet.”

“I guess I shouldn't tell her that I let you choke me and pull my hair while you were seducing me.”

“Not unless you want to have her totally lose her last shred of sanity. Not that that would be a bad thing. We could lock her away somewhere. Completely ignore her. Never have to worry or think about her ever again.”

“Or we could just move back to Australia. That way she wouldn't be able to just show up on our doorstep.”

“Where'd that come from? Talking about moving back there?”

“I've been thinking about it,” she admits. “A lot. That things were so much simpler when we lived there. It's more laid back and the people are friendly and it's a better place to raise kids. We were happier there. You were happier there.”

“I'm happy in Colorado. I'm happy wherever you are. Wherever the kids are. You know that. And it was my idea to move to Colorado in the first place, remember? It's not like you forced me to move there. I'm the one that brought it up and practically forced you into it. So...”

“You're happy here, but you're nowhere near as happy as you were in Australia. It's your home, Tyler.”

“And Colorado is your home,” he points out.

“It stopped being my home a long ago. I didn't even want to come here in the first place. But we needed a change of pace and a change of scenery and I've tried my best to like it here. I really have. But I don't want to be here. I want to go back. To Australia.”

“Babe, going back there won't make things like they were five and a half years ago. Just because we go back doesn't mean things will go back the way they were. It doesn't work like that.”

“But we'll be happier,” she says. “Away from my family. Both of us were so much happier when we were thousands of miles away from their shit We had our own life and we didn't worry about all the crap that goes on here. IT was just and me and Millie and it was perfect.”

“It's not just you and me and Millie anymore,” Tyler reminds her.

“The kids would thrive here. You know they would. There's good schools here and we could live in a small town. Close to the beach. That's your happy place.”

“You're my happy place.”

“You can't deny that things were better when we lived there. That we were both so much happier. We were more relaxed, we had less stress, we didn't worry about the shit we worry about here. It's a different way of live down there. And that's the way of life I want back. That I want for my kids. And for you. I just want you to be happy, Tyler.”

“I am happy. With you and my kids. You know that.”

“But you'd be even happier if we moved back. You know you would. I don't want you thinking I'm just saying this for you. We need this. Our marriage needs this. We need to go back to where we were the happiest. Where things seemed so much easier. And it will be better for the kids. We'll be happier, less stressed, there will be less tension in the house. They feel all of that. And I'd rather they didn't. You can't tell me that you wouldn't go back. I know you would. I know you miss it, Tyler. It's your home. You spent thirty six years there. And then you gave that up because you thought being here would make me happy. And it has. But not as happy as I was when we were in Australia.”

“Esme, if that's really what you want...”

“You need to want it too. This isn't just about me. You need to want to go back. Do you want? Want to go back?”

“Yeah,” he admits. “I do.”

“Then let's just do it. Let's just go. We can put the house here on the market. Or maybe even Kyle could take it over. Let's go pack up and go back.”

'Babe, it's not that easy. We have four kids. One on the way. We can't just pack up and leave. We have to plan things. We need a place to live before we move back there. I'm not doing the hotel thing again. Not with four kids and one on the way. When I get home, we'll look at places online. And we'll make plans. We can't just pack shit up and go. Maybe if it was just us. Or if we just had Millie. But things have changed since then. A lot of things have changed.”

“And money,” she sighs. “It's not like we have a lot.”

“Actually, we don't have to worry about that any more. Money.”

“What do you mean? What...?”

“The IRA paid me. And they paid me big. For getting McMann and handing him over.”

“Big as in?”

“Five million dollars.”

“Jesus Christ!” she shrieks. “What? Tyler, are you serious?”

“I am dead serious.”

“But why? Why so much? Why?”

“Flynn just handed me a check. Told me to retire and take care of my wife and my kids. I didn't even look at until I got back to the hotel. All he said was that they appreciated me busting my ass to get McMann and be so willing to hand him over. That they take care of the people who do them a solid. That's all he said.”

“But that much? Five million dollars?!

“I guess that's what a guy like McMann is worth. So money isn't a problem. That's the last thing you need to worry about now. The last thing we need to worry about. I can walk away for good and know that I can take care of my family. I don't even need to take that other job Nik offered. I can just get out of this entirely and we can leave and never look back. If that's what you want.”

“It's what I want,” she says.

“When I get home, we'll start planning everything. Tomorrow I'm going to the bank and I'm going to put the money into our account. I thought I should tell you before you went to take money out and saw the balance.”

“I would have fainted!” she laughs. “Oh my God, Tyler. This is...I don't know...this is...”

“Huge,” he finishes for her.

“Yeah,” she agrees. “I don't even known what to say. This is insane. That they'd give you that much. I wasn't even expecting them to give you anything, to be honest. So this is very pleasant surprise.”

“A five million dollar surprise. I get to walk away, baby. For good. I don't have to ever think about this job ever again. You don't ever again have to worry about me walking out the door and not coming back. This is it. All I have to do now is find those kids, get them out of there, and come home.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“I've done hundreds of extractions. You know that.”

“Not against the Buckmans, you haven't. Please tell me you're not going in there alone, Tyler. Not when you have to get two people and yourself out of there.”

“That Nathan kid is going to come in with me. Zak and Mark are going to watch the outside. Not so sure I trust Mark that much, but I don't have much of a choice. I think he'd sooner see someone put a bullet in my head than actually help me out. Probably so he could run back to you and do the whole 'comfort the grieving widow' bullshit.”

“Try not to let him get to you. He just wants to get under your skin and rile you up. Speaking of getting under Mark's skin and riling him up, I think I found a way to really get him where it hurts.”

“Yeah? Kick him in the nuts?”

“Figuratively, maybe. My brother is in the process of trying to pick up Nik. I'm going to send you a picture. They're looking very cozy.”

He waits as she puts the call on hold, and within seconds there's a notification as she sends the photo to him. A picture of Nik and Kyle, shoulders touching as they both lean back against an SUV, smiles on their faces. It's a smile he's never seen on Nik before; her features much softer, eyes sparkling.

“Did you get it?” Esme asks.

“Yeah. I got it. I should send this to Mark. Just to be a prick.”

“Nik will get pissed for sure. You know she'll freak out on us. Especially me for sneaking a pic. Just hold onto it. In case you need it.”

“Blackmail,” he grins. “Nice.”

“They'd make a cute couple, don't you think? Kyle and Nik?”

“Well he's better than Mark, that's for sure. I don't know if he'd be able to handle Nik.”

“You were able to handle Nik,” she points out.

“There was nothing to handle. There wasn't a me and Nik. It was just sex. We fucked, she left. End of story. So don't start. And speaking of fucking...”

“And you tell me not to start,” she teases.

“That's what I wish I was doing right now. Fucking. You.”

“Well, as much as I'd like to indulge from thousands of miles away, I told my brother I would not partake in phone sex with you in his truck. But if you call me when you get up in the morning....”

“It'll be night time in Colorado,” he reminds her.

“Exactly. So I can get away from the wicked witch of the Midwest by saying I'm tired and then I can actually be talking to you and...”

“You have a filthy mind.”

“Listen, you dragged me down into the gutter with you five and a half years ago and I've stayed down there. And your voice does crazy things to my insides, so...”

He grins. “What kind of crazy things?”

“Phone me later and I'll tell you. As much as I want to right now and as much as my hormones are out of control, now is not a good time. And you need to get him some sleep.”

“I'd sleep better if I could fuck you first. That always helps me sleep better.”

“Well then go and 'study' by yourself,” she suggests.

“Not the same thing and you know it.”

“Then you're going to have to be patient. Get some sleep, Tyler. I'm sorry I woke you up.”

“Don't be. I wanted you to call. So I know you got there safe and sound. I love you. Both of you.”

“I'm sure Kyle loves you too.”

“I meant you and the baby, smart ass.”

She giggles. “I know. And we love you too. Make sure you call me later. I have an itch that really needs scratched and you can help. Even if it is from thousands of miles away.”

“You expect me to sleep when that's all I'm going to be thinking about now?”

“If I have to suffer until later, so do you. Call me.”

“I will,” he promises.

“And be safe, okay? Be safe and be smart.”

“You know I will. And try not to kill your mother. I'm a little far away to come and bail you out of jail. Although if the cops know your mother, they'd let you of on reasons of justifiable homicide. Talk soon, yeah?”

“Very soon,” she confirms, and then disconnects the call.

****

Her mother barely acknowledges her arrival; never mind a warm embrace or even a reassuring smile. Not looking up from the meal she's preparing at the stove, vigorously stirring the contents of a simmering sauce pot as others boil and bubble around it.

“You cooking for an army?” Kyle asks, as he lays a comforting and supportive hand on the small of Esme's back and escorts her into the kitchen, making sure she's settled herself into a chair at the table before moving to the stove and pressing a chaste kiss to their mother's cheek. “That's a lot of food.”

“Well, I've got all these extra people to feed. Nicole and her...whatever the hell they are...”

“Her name isn't Nicole,” Esme speaks up. “It's Nik.”

Her mother fixes her with a steely gaze. “Was I speaking to you? You're the last one that should be opening their mouth. Considering I had to take you in at the last minute. All because you're life finally blew up in your face like I told you it would right from the bloody beginning. I knew you'd end up back here,” she huffs. “When he decided he didn't want you anymore.”

“That's not what happened,” Kyle says. “That is far from what happened. So maybe not freak out on her until you know the whole truth.”

“What is there to know that I already don't know? That he's a lying, cheating bastard that isn't good enough for my daughter?”

“When did this conversation become about Mark?” Esme pipes up, and Kyle smirks.

“Don't get smart with me, young lady!” her mother hisses. “I told you five and a half years ago that this was going to happen. When you all showed up in the middle of the night, looking for a place to stay. You and him and that kid and the baby. I wanted to turn you all away. I didn't want that mess here. I didn't want him here.”

“He was a fucking name,” Esme snaps. “Call him by his goddamn name. I hate when you do that! He has a name and you need to call him by it. It's not 'he' or 'him' or 'that boy' or 'trouble maker'. Enough with that shit. His name is Tyler.”

“I won't say his name in my house. I can think of many other things to call him and not one of them are very nice. You sitting there, still defending him. Always defending him. No matter what he does wrong.”

“What has he done wrong? Absolutely nothing. He's done nothing to me or the kids in the past five and a half years. All he's done is work his ass off to make sure we have a roof over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our backs, that the bills are paid.”

“She's right,” Kyle says. “Tyler hasn't done anything wrong. Not by her, not by the kids.”

Michelle glares at him. “And now you're defending him?”

“Someone fucking has to. I'm not just going to sit back while you have a go at Esme about him. He's not a bad guy, mom.”

“Yes. Yes he is. He's a very bad guy and he shouldn't be around my daughter or my grandchildren. Do you know what he does? Do you know how he makes the money to pay everything?”

“Esme told me. On the way here.”

“And you're okay with that?”

“Well, I'm not over the goddamn moon about it but it is what it is. It doesn't change the fact that he's a good guy and that he's always treated her right and he's always treated his kids right. Just because you have a war to wage against him, doesn't mean we all do. You need to get over it. It was five and a half years ago. And Esme's a grown woman and she can do what she wants. She chose to stay in Australia with him. She chose to get married, have kids, the whole nine.”

“And now look,” their mother huffs. “Now look at the mess she's in. Four kids and no husband because he turned out to be just bad as I said he was.”

“You're jumping the gun, mom. Esme and Tyler are still together. He's still her husband. So maybe you need to chill the hell out and listen to what she has to say.”

“Excuse me?” she stomps across the room, pointing a wooden spoon in her daughter's face. “You're still with him? Did I just hear your brother right? You're still with him?”

“Of course I am. Why would you think I'm not?”

“After everything he's put you through in the past five and a half years? After every lie he's told you, every promise he's broken, after leaving you while you were having problems while pregnant with the twins? After all that you're still with him. Why?”

“Because I love him, mother. Because he's not the terrible person you're making him up to be. Yes, we've had our issues.”

She snorts as she stomps back to the stove. “That's putting it lightly. Look at the mess you're in right now. The mess we are in all. Because of his job. Fine upstanding citizen that he is.”

“Okay, that's enough,” Kyle gently orders. “Regardless of what Tyler does for a living, he's kept your daughter and your grandkids save for five and a half years. He's done nothing but love them and take care of them. So maybe give the guy a chance for once. Cut him some slack.”

“Never. He will get nothing from me. Ever. Maybe this time, this will be the job that finishes him off. Maybe he will die this time. That'll be the best that could happen for her and those kids.”

“How the fuck could you say that?!” Esme rages, and storms over to her mother. “That is my husband! How dare you fucking say that about him?!”

“You get out of my face, young lady, or...”

“Or what? What are you going to do? How can you be such a horrible person? How could you even say something that. About my husband. About the father of my children! That you wish he would die! How fucking dare you?!”

“Okay...okay...” Kyle steps between them, laying his hands on her shoulders. “...you need to calm down, kid. Take it easy. You don't want anything going wrong. You won't want anything happening to the baby.”

“Baby?” Michelle shoves her son out of the way. “Now there's a baby? What is wrong with you? Why would you do something like this? What are you? Nothing more than a whore to him?”

“You mean like the whore you were while we were growing up?” Esme retorts, and receives a slap across the face in response. Her eyes narrow, her brow furrows. “You did not just put your hands on me.”

“First thing tomorrow, you're calling the doctor and you're getting something done about that,” her mother nods in the direction of her stomach. “The last thing you need to be doing is bringing a baby into this mess.”

“You're sick, mom. There is something seriously wrong with you! First you wish death on my husband, now you want me to get rid of his baby? Your grandchild?”

“That is no grandchild of mine,” she hisses.

“So then none of the other four are, either. Is that what you're saying? Because Tyler's their father? You want nothing to do with any of them because whose DNA they share? Are you serious right now?”

“As long as you're still with him, you're not welcome in this house. That's just the way it is. As long as you're still with him, you're dead to me. All of you are.”

“That's a little fucking harsh,” Kyle speaks up. “She's your daughter. Those are your grandchildren. Just because you have a hard on for hating Tyler doesn't mean you say shit like you're saying. Wishing him dead? Wishing an unborn baby dead? What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I should have known you'd be on her side,” Michelle snarls. “On his side.”

“Of course I am! He hasn't done anything wrong! Jesus Christ. You hate on Tyler for bullshit reasons but Mark actually beat the shit out of her...on multiple occasions...and you love him. What is wrong with you? “What....?” he stops mid sentence when he fells his sister's hand tightly grip his jacket, and when he glances over, her eyes are closed. “...what's wrong? Are you okay?”

“Just dizzy. I'll be fine. I just need to sit down. I'm just so dizzy.”

“Here,” he curls an arm around her waist, attempting to escort her to a chair before he feels her go totally limp against him.

#tyler rake #tyler rake fan fiction #tyler rake fan fic #extraction #chris hemsworth character #sanctuary

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newstanmarshblog · 3 years

Text

The Average and Unusual Couple: Chapter One

It was night time as Stan Marsh was talking to his best friend Kyle through Skype about able to see each other soon in person for the very first time since South Park went though a long lockdown during the events of a recent global pandemic. After on having a lot of people getting vaccinated to combat against the deadly disease, the pandemic was finally declared over by every government official around the world which means daily lives can get back to normal. Along with the news on announcing the town being one hundred percent safe from the virus, the Mayor of South Park has also announced that all schools will be back into its regular programming starting after labor day. And Stan couldn’t be more than happier to hear such news because he hated being separated from his friends and school for such a long period of time since he still has to deal with on being stuck living at Tegridy Farms.

Stan: Ah man, dude, I’m so excited to able to see you guys again ever since before we all went through this harsh lockdown. How did your brother and parents react to the news?

Kyle: Just as happy as you are, Stan. My parents are celebrating by having a glass of wine together, and Ike can’t wait to get his education in person again because he had a really hard time learning through online classes. How was your family’s reaction?

Stan: My sister is pretty excited to able to date with her boyfriend again, my mom is relieved that things are back to normal and plans to meet up with my uncle Jimbo this weekend, and my dad is super pumped to get back to his plans on opening his first expansion Tegridy store at main street.

Kyle: Your dad still isn’t over with his weed products yet, huh?

Stan frustrated: He never shuts up about it! If it wasn’t for his successful online sales of his Tegridy products during this lockdown, we would’ve moved back to South Park by now. *sighs*

Kyle: Sorry if my question got you upset, dude.

Stan: It’s alright, you didn’t mean it. It has been about over two years now since my dad got obsessed with Tegridy weed, and I really don’t know when he’ll get tried of it. Usually he’ll be obsessed with something for about up to at least serval days and then moves onto the next one, but his fucking weed seems to be the one obsession that finally made him to become something like Gollum from the Lord of the Rings series.

Kyle: Well, I’m sure that your dad will get over of the weed stuff eventually. Anyway, have you heard anything from our other friends on their reaction to the news?

Stan: Only Kenny so far through text messaging on our phones. He wants to all of us to gather together at Stark’s Pond this Saturday and then probably eat out at Chill’s.

Kyle: That’s sounds exciting! I’m completely free for this Saturday anyway.

Stan: Me too. I’ll give Kenny the text that you’re in.

Kyle: Great! *yawns* I gotta get ready for bed now.

Stan: Same. Until then, see you on Saturday. Good night.

Kyle: Night.

After logging out from Skype and then giving Kenny a quick text about their plans on Saturday, Stan got onto his pajamas and heads to bed.

Stan: So far, only half of my life is back to normal.

As grateful as Stan was to able to see his friends and going to school in person for the first time since the lockdown began, he still doesn’t full completely happy just yet. While he’ll be continuing to struggle with living at Tegridy Farms and wishing too come back to South Park, the one other thing that he desperately wanted is to be with his old girlfriend again. For a long time now even before the pandemic started, Stan has made serval attempts to get back together with Wendy, but to no avail. Wendy has became more interested in becoming a woman activist, getting people into healthy shape, and is even dating with Bebe. Even though Stan and Wendy are still good friends with each other mainly because of their love for board games and animals, seeing his old girlfriend becoming more and more busy with her life along with learning the news that she’s now in love with Bebe was just enough for Stan to give up on winning her back. As much as Stan is really happy to see Wendy helping out a lot of people, he also seriously misses that fun side from his old girlfriend, and she seems to be no longer that type of person as often then back in their elementary school years. And still from the very moment when he learned that he can’t no longer have Wendy as his girlfriend, his heart remains to be very broken by it.

Just thinking about on wanting to live back at South Park and being together with Wendy again was enough to break Stan into tears.

Stan sobbing: I just want my entire life back. I want it all back.

He continues to cry for a few moments, cheers himself up, and then gets himself some sleep.

Meanwhile at a home in a town called Peaceful Pines, Lydia Deetz is finishing up packing up her stuff into package boxes as she and her parents are preparing to move out from their home. Her mother comes in to check up on her.

Delia: Oh Lydia, how’s your packaging coming along?

Lydia: It’s all set, mother. Did father heard about the news yet as he came home from his last day at work?

Delia: He was told about it just before he left. He’s relieved that the pandemic is finally over just as much as anyone else on Earth. I’m just very happy that our long road trip to our new home will at least be safe.

Lydia: Yeah, same. Anyway, I’m pretty exhausted from all the packing and would like to get one last peaceful night here before we move out tomorrow.

Delia: Sure thing, sweetheart. Sleep well.

Lydia: You too. See you in the morning.

Just like with South Park, Peaceful Pines also went through a very long period during its lockdown. Lydia was one of the very few students that didn’t mind online teaching very often during the lockdown because despite of being bummed out on not able to learn in person and not seeing two of her friends at school, there was one thing that the pandemic couldn’t take away from her, and that was spending her quality time with a ghostly best friend name Beetlejuice. Very often everyday even before the pandemic took the world by storm, Lydia teleports herself to a very spooky place call the Netherworld where she and Beetlejuice would do a lot of fun stuff together such as playing a game of slam ball, going on crazy adventures, or even take a nice relaxing drive with their living car name Doomie. There’s also some days where she and Beetlejuice will have some simple fun things at her bedroom like watching horror movies or playing video games.

While Lydia was able to get through the pandemic just fine, her parents had a rougher time in comparison. During the the first few months of the pandemic, Charles was working from his home on his computer as he was real estate developer. But by the next spring, his workplace had to layoff some of its employees in order to save money, and Charles was one of those unfortunate employees. He shortly afterwards found a new job at a hardware store. Even though his new job doesn’t earn him as much money as with his old job, it was at least just barely enough to pay the house bills. Delia meanwhile once ran her own small business as a sculptor before the pandemic hit. But by shortly after Christmas, her business went into bankrupt and became unemployed. After filing for unemployment, she was receiving stimulus checks up to at least six hundred dollars every month by the federal government.

Because of the financial struggles that the Deetz family were dealing with, a decision was made that they must find a new home where the payment bills weren’t as expansive as their current house, and nearby jobs where it’s best suited for them based off from their past experiences. Delia was browsing through the internet when she found a house up for sale in South Park Colorado where its house bills weren’t as nearly expansive as their current home. She also learned that there was a job opening at the town’s middle school for an art teacher that’ll be perfect for her, and a job opening at a nearby local real estate business that’ll be perfect for Charles. After going through the paperworks during the summer, the house was recently bought and the Deetzes have now just finished packing before their long trip ahead of them. They expect to reach their new home during Labor Day weekend just in time for Lydia to get ready for her first day at South Park middle school.

Earlier today, the Deetzes held a goodbye party at their house for their neighbors and friends along with Beetlejuice crashing into the party in disguise as Betty Juice. For Lydia, saying goodbye to Bertha and Prudence was the hardest thing for her as they were the only friends that she ever had at her old school and she’ll definitely miss them most of all when she leaves Peaceful Pines tomorrow. Lydia’s last words to them was to keep on being themselves, be positive, and to stand tall and brave whenever Claire Brewster bullies them.

It was now night time, and just as Lydia was getting ready for bed, Beetlejuice pops up onto the screen of her cellphone.

Beetlejuice: Psst, Babes!

Lydia picks up her phone.

Lydia: Hi, Beetlejuice.

Beetlejuice: Is the coast clear for me to pop up?

Lydia: All clear, but promise me on not being here for too long as I need to have my last peaceful sleep here before I hit the road tomorrow morning.

Beetlejuice: *raises his right hand* I swear across on my mother’s heart. Now, say those B words and let’s chit chat.

Lydia: Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!

Beetlejuice pops up from the cellphone screen and floats around in the bedroom.

Beetlejuice: So, Lyds, are you at all nervous on living in a new town?

Lydia: The only thing that I’m nervous about is if I’ll ever make new friends at my new school.

Beetlejuice: Don’t sweat it, Babes. I’m sure that you can at least make a friend or two. And even if you don’t at all, you still got me and my lovable armpits!

His stinky armpits hits Lydia’s nose.

Lydia disgusted: Ugh! Thanks for the reminder.

Beetlejuice: *chuckles a bit* People remembering my smelly armpits, you know I love it. *does a couple armpit noise*

Lydia: Anyway, if I ever make a new friend, then I can’t wait to show off that friend my collection of my horror films, photo works, and my studies on bugs.

Beetlejuice: Just don’t show off the bugs that I plan on eating.

Lydia: Whatever. And maybe we can even take a trail walk around the natural wonders that South Park has to offer. I’ve always wanted to see a wild elk since I heard they have a large elk population in Colorado, and there’s never any wild sightings of them around here.

Beetlejuice: *laughs* I wonder why? *smells at himself*

Lydia: Is there anything that you’re excited to see at South Park, Beetlejuice?

Beetlejuice: Nah, but I am excited to offer them by saying this quote to sum it up…*impersonate Jack Nicholson*… Wait until they get a load of me.

Lydia: *laughs* Oh I bet they’ll never see you coming by a mile. *yawns* It’s getting late. I better head to bed. And Beetlejuice, remember what I told you while I’m on the road.

Beetlejuice: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember. I promise not to check up on you until you’re finally settled into your new home. You have my words.

Lydia: Thanks, BJ.

Beetlejuice: Besides, I’m over due to play a new prank on the Monster across the street and his pet mutt. Maybe I’ll get them to reenact that bear scene from The Revenant.

Lydia: Just as long as you keep yourself busy until I say your name three times, okay?

Beetlejuice: Will do. See ya!

Lydia: You too.

As Beetlejuice disappears back to the Netherworld, Lydia lays into her bed.

Lydia: *sighs* I hope I’ll make a friend with someone that loves to have fun with life just as much as me. Or even maybe find someone that’ll love me for the way that I am.

She closes her eyes to get as much sleep as she can before a new chapter into her life can begin.

In the next chapter, Stan hangs out with his friends, and Lydia moves into her new home.

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scrapyardboyfriends · 5 years

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Jenny’s Belated Live Blogging - 25th April 2019

- So...those episodes were a bit anticlimactic after the hype and the trailer for the flashbacks look significantly more interesting. I guess that’s to be expected since they were deliberately leaving stuff out but I feel like they could have made these episodes more exciting in their own right.

- Do we think that Robert really needed Aaron to change or was that just an excuse to strip him out of that jumper for a bit after downing a couple of homemade cocktails like the lovable loser that he is? haha. At least Aaron took the coat off at some point and I did like that Robert was in charge of grabbing their coats so they could go after Ellis. That was kind of cute.

- I did also appreciate that they were seemingly there with Ellis which..yay friendship. All I’ve wanted is for them to hang with the younger crowd. I just wish they looked more like they were enjoying themselves.

- then again, really the only people that enjoyed themselves were Kerry, Bernice and Rhona...and well...Amy was having a good time too.

- I don’t think Amy’s advice was all that great for Vic but I love Amy anyway. And I loved her drunk little greeting to Vic when she found her after the fire alarm. Also, I’m glad that she and Kerry are mostly solid these days and that she’s allowed to have fun. The one time I remember them all going out before, Amy looked miserable and spent the whole time annoyed at Kerry, so this was a really nice change of pace and I like their relationship these days now that the Kyle stuff is seemingly sorted for the moment. I also very much enjoyed Amy being snarky to Debbie too. I love when anyone mocks Debbie. It’s appreciated.

- Bernice and Kerry were fun though. I loved that they were having a dance off and that’s what set off the fire alarm. I loved that they were helping each other out of the club. That was quality content. I love their friendship these days.

- Concerned for Rhona but I’m glad she was having a good time too.

- The whole Vic story has already started off weird and stilted. They had such a good episode when they were locked in the house together but then they didn’t really build on that because Ellis was stuck in this Billy/Max story. I’m trying to keep an open mind for this Vic story aside from my general wish that it wasn’t happening, but it doesn’t exactly feel like a well constructed story to start with. I guess we’ll have to see how the flashbacks go.

- I did enjoy Ellis going back to Robert and Aaron though and them asking how it went and then them going after him. It’s almost like they’re actually friends. Let them be proper friends. And despite Aaron swearing off crime, I did appreciate him standing up for Ellis and Robert too when security showed up. When Aaron was fighting Max though, it almost felt like that spoiler about Max being from prison was true though but then...that hasn’t been the case at all.

- The scene where Ellis yelled at Billy though felt like it was a long time coming and on the back of all this Max stuff, finally felt earned. I kind of wish they had started all this a bit sooner rather than just making him super likable (or trying since some people will forever hate him for the aaron connection but i digress). But still, this version of their relationship makes more sense based on how Ellis talked about him before he showed up. I still want to know what happened originally with him going to prison though.

- David continues to be an absolute idiot. Was he actually thinking about proposing there at the club? He was going down on one knee wasn’t he? And kissing Tracy was not his brightest idea either. Not that he should feel like he’s losing a lot in losing Maya.

- I did kind of love that scene of all of them in the bathroom when Leyla told that girl to leave because she hadn’t messed things up being involved with David Metcalfe or whatever she said. And then Priya clarifying that for her it was Pete.

- I like that Jacob was all ‘it’s over’ to Liv but then went back on that immediately.

- I like that it was Priya who saw them because she was the sober one. With the other two there could have been questions since they were drinking. So that was a good choice. And I’m glad they did believe her pretty much straight away.

- The episodes ended really strangely for me though. I really expected to sort of see the aftermath and just not understand what happened rather than all the big stuff still about to start. What’s happening on Friday? Are we going to see aftermath then? And then next week, are just none of these characters in that week and then we go back to them? I can’t remember all the spoilers but I feel like it’s a lot of Faith and Bear and Jamie Tate and such. So I guess at least Rhona would be around. I don’t know how all of this is going to work.

- I really hope the flashback stuff is great because so far I am still skeptical. I mean I know Maxine wrote it or wrote some of it? Is it only going to be the thursday double again? Or is it going to be all of that week? Or will it be interspersed?

- I also hope they don’t have Priya, Leyla and Tracy kill Maya though. I don’t think that’s doing justice to this story. I do like them all working together though.

- Anyway, fingers crossed that in two weeks they make something of all of this.

#belated live blogging #emmerdale

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survivorclaim · 5 years

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oc list

below the cut! updated according to changes I've made since the last one - I've moved some arcs around, and added some chars, etc. Feel free to ask about anyone! I like to ramble about my characters, lol

Basil Eaton [amnesiac]: Our very friendly, happy-go-lucky protagonist, who has the misfortune of not remembering most of what happened to him for most of his life. Don't let his demeanor fool you, though -- he's not as naive as he seems.

Antonio Muerte [survivor]: Most town members disregard Antonio. He's quiet and paranoid, with a tendency to brush off any attempts of conversation, and lives alone at the edge of town. He seems rather sad, though, leading Basil to take an interest in him, even if only because nobody else will.

Igor Molotov [serial killer]: The town thinks Igor is a skilled and level-headed emergency surgeon, and while they're not wrong, they also couldn't be further from the truth. Igor's also responsible for a chain of unsolved murders that stem from his unhealthy, psychotic obsession with a certain Basil Eaton. Basil really, truly, wants absolutely nothing to do with him, for obvious reasons. [note - I get anons who are seemingly obsessed with this guy, and I've made dumb jokes abt him with my friends, but he's seriously nasty bad vibes so please don't like. think he's not or be weird or smth because this guy is Bad News Bears to a really serious degree. so don't be weird please,,]

Irvine Stravinsky [not escort]: The owner of the pub where Basil works, and his closest friend other than Antonio. She dreams big, and works hard to support her younger sister (Ophelia), who is in her care.

Ophelia Poe [retributionist]: Irvine’s younger sister. She’s a classic “edgy” 13-year-old, and may in fact be a demon-worshipper, or at least fancies herself one. She can be pretty weird and has done some … eccentric stuff, but cares deeply about Irvine and her closest friend, Matilda.

Matilda [medium]: Ophelia’s closest friend, and pretty much her polar opposite. Matilda is as wholesome as wholesome can get, and loves bright colors and “soft” aesthetics, but she and Ophelia get along very well despite their differences. She also dreams about dead people, but those are just dreams, right?

Nathan Summerson [jailor]: town dad. He puns constantly, and genuinely cares about everyone – unless you’re a criminal. Then, you’ll be very aware that he is, in fact, a renowned and infamously merciless chief of police.

Selene McKinley [sheriff]: A police detective with the bad habit of jumping to the wrong conclusion. Her aggressive demeanor toward literally everyone else in town doesn't help, either. Nathan insists that she means well, really.

Wallace Li [spy]: Wallace is a hot mess. He doesn’t have his life the least bit together, and the town knows him more for his dead expression and sweatpants addiction than they do for any achievement he’s made. He’s fine with that, however – given that his primary pastime is stealing sensitive information on the city’s underworld.

Ellie Hartwell [doctor]: After getting engaged to her loving boyfriend, Freddie, and becoming the assistant to the famed Dr. Molotov, Hartwell has been living her dream. However, she's realized that lately she may have been too lucky...

Vince Hathorne [veteran]: Vince is one of the oldest members of the town and a regular at Irvine's pub. He's surprisingly high spirited after a life of tragedy, but after a few drinks his past losses and regrets starts to show through his facade.

Veronica Dantes [godfather]: After the death of her father 25 years ago, Veronica has been running the family business quite smoothly, and made quite a name for herself in the process. She's starting to suspect that things might not be running as smoothly as they seem, however, as fishier and fishier incidents begin to arise.

Kyo Chiwake [blackmailer]: A former yakuza member, Kyo has somehow found himself involved in yet another mob. As someone both cunning and manipulative, he’s easily the best strategist of the mafia, and is definitely loyal … or at least he seems to be.

Circe l'Amore [consort]: Sweet, lovable, and honest, Circe is the last person you’d expect to be involved with organized crime. Despite this, she’s steadfast that this is where she belongs, despite having multiple opportunities to leave. As Kyo's top informant, she knows a little too much about too many people; nobody quite knows what to make of her, or how much of a threat she really is.

Freddie Fragiola [framer]: Freddie is head-over-heels in love with his fiance, Hartwell. The fact that he regularly falsifies evidence for the mafia is more of a side gig, really. At least, that's what he'd like to think...

Kyle Carr [arsonist]: An enigma. Rumor has it that he works for Dantes, but nobody really knows who he is or what his intentions are. The one thing they do know is that he’s out there … and dangerous.

#monkeywrench #survivorclaim ocs

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thcbcys · 5 years

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Time to talk about my year and some people I’ve met / Been around a lot in 2018.

Alright, So I started 2018 off in the South park fandom, as I did in 2017 as well. It was fine until Drama started rolling in and I started openly talking about my problems. I got ignored a lot and Had to have some of my actual BFF’s calm me down at times. It had been a shitty few months in this year, Most of the people I use to talk to stopped talking to me, Blocked me or have deactivated and lost contact with. But There’s good some good memories in there, I met a few people I called my family and I love them dearly, I met my lovely girlfriend...and Ex girlfriend this year as well.

School sucked, I moved a lot and well I still don’t have any real life friends besides my cousin and best friend who I rarely see because She’s gone off to CEGEP / University ATM. I got bullied again and got called names a lot, I’ve gotten comments about my looks and my problems and How I always looked so depressed and down all the time. I guess that was because I was having a shitty time...I mean, I had been moving around a lot, I moved schools 4-5 times in the past 2 years and honestly I was just getting tired of being stabbed in the back by people. So This was the year I started cutting myself, Crying myself to sleep, being more quiet about being sad and triggers started affecting me even more then they use to. My family was being a bitch, My mother was making me her slave while she was on crutches, my dad and I fought, I wanted to move in with my grandmother, I wanted to run away a few times as well.

Good things that came out of this year actually was I started learning a lot about myself, Like Gender issues and Sexuality. I learned that I really liked girls A LOT. I figured out my art style and kept developing on it. I joined a fandom I was accepted in, Made some really great and beautiful people and Got myself a lovely girlfriend that I love so much. I moved back to my old down as well. I’m going to be graduating this year as well...So yeah.

Now Ig’s Its time to talk about some of the people I met and Loved this year a lot??

@stcrmclcud: My best friend, Holy fuck man. Abi’s always there for me and Just knows how to make me smile all the time. She’s a beautiful being that just wow...That’s been my friend for almost 2-3 years now? Like fuck, That’s the longest I’ve ever had a friend for man. This girl here, I would fucking die for her if she asked me to, I wouldn’t even hesitate. Just I’m gonna love Abi until she gets sick of me, Because holy fuck man,,,, Just wow. ily bitch, I ain’t ever gonna stop loving you bitch

@homeonethewastes: !! Darkness holy shit, You are the one and only true fucking friend to have,,, Like FUCK. This man here stayed up with me one whole night a few times because I was feeling suicidal and just crying a lot. He calmed me down once others went to be and just wow. This is the truest friend you could ever have. He’s a big sweetie who needs to learn that he isn’t ugly at all! He needs to fucking remember that I love him sm because GODDDDDD I would die for him too, Like shoot me for him, Pls just let me die for you. Our chats / shitposts are great and I love when we talk and shitpost, I jst love talking with you man. You and Abi are like the main reasons I haven’t left the internet RPC community.

@kahlvin-cycle: This man right here, This is a man I love. Fucking ALEKS, I love a man named Aleks so much like holy fucking shit. We started out in the middle of this year fucking shit posting, That was our first fucking interaction together ;; Door knob Dick Donovan. And then boom, We became friends after that jewbfew. Listen okay, Aleks is a big fucking sweetie and I love him with my whole heart, He’s another reason Why I haven’t left the Internet as well. His writing is amazing, His art makes me NUT, Just w o w. You need to learn to love yourself or else I’m gonna kick your ass. Another lovely man I would Die for as well. Just /Murder me for him/

@whitetrashugly: SUNI, My big brother,, This boy here holy fucking tiddys. I love him sm, Like??? You don’t understand???? He’s a big fucking sweetie, Has tired and probably still will try and fight someone for me. He’s helped me out so much threw the years, I’ve known him since I started in the South park community, And I will continue to be in contact with him because oof <3 Why wouldn’t I? Bitch ily sm

@creekbrat: LYALL YOU LOVELY PIECE OF CAKE. Guys, this human right here, ya this is a good person and I love them so fucking much. Lyall is a big fucking sweetie and just wow, A fucking joy to be around, Their art is great, I love their selfies as well just ooffff <3 I honestly count Lyall as a good friend of mine, Even if we don’t talk as much as I want to ;y;

@marjorinetenorman: Nyx, My lovely girlfriend. Oof I love you so fucking much, Like holy crap. You’re so beautiful and lovely and I just wanna hug and kiss you all the time. Like, I don’t get why some people don’t like you, Their clearly weird honestly. I don’t see what they see, you are a fucking joy to be around, the conversations we have together are fucking sweet and just wow. I’m so fucking happy to have you as my S/O and I just wish we continue for a long while. <3

@violetreflectixn: Rattie,, omg okay so like.....I started off being so scared to talk to you. And then you brought up that you were into Btd,,, and then I started talking to you ;y; I was a nervous bean. You were there for me when the shit went down in the BTD fandom, you were there for me when I felt like shit. Like wow, You really didn’t need to do that ;y; but you did and I’m like super thankful that you did <3 I’m like super glad to have met you!

@youbxstards: KITTY, You big fucking sweetie!! Aaaa!! This here, This is the best fucking person you could ever meet. She’s always there for you, she helps you when your down, She’s a big joy to be around, Like holy fuck. She’s like a big sister to me, A mom as well. She watched over me for a while and I was so thankful that she did. ;y; I believe I was the reason she came into the south park fandom,, So that’s a thing,, I encouraged her to make a Kyle blog after we were talking about it on another one of her old blogs.

@dcvotiion: mmm Jeremy, This big fucking bean. This big lovely fucking bean. I was so terrified to talk with you?? Like?? I was just so fucking nervous. And then I started talking with rattie and then met you and just oof. You were there for me too when I was getting harassed ;y; I’m so fucking happy about that like,, wow,, you didn’t need to do that ether but you did. You’re a big sweetie and ily so much. We have some pretty interesting conversations too wefhbjewbh even if they get weird at times.

@nathanthesoldierboy: Nat,,, Just,,,,omfg<3 This boy here, Ya I fucking love his to pieces. Like, Hes a huge fucking sweetie pants and I wish he would let me help him and make him feel better Like,,, Pls I wish to make you happy, let me do this as a friend. His character is just wow, Himself is just WOW. I love you sm like?? Even if we’ve been mutuals for what? 2-3 months now? idfc, I love you man. I just wanna talk with you a lot more tho ;y; pwease senpai.

@mayhemandmonsters: Code, You are a fucking lovable potato and I love you,, Like FUCK. You’re so sweet?? and kind?? and Loving and I just?? Can i get some of that. I’m still a nervous wreck to talk to you ;y; But I manage to at least have a conversation in the sever with you from time to time. :”) I just wish to conjure the balls to have a full on conversation on day.

@how-to-train-your-slytherin: Chase love sweetie, doll. I love you. You’re so fucking adorable and kind and I just scream?? Because wow, How can someone be so fucking cute. You’re such a joy, Like holy god, I seem to laugh a lot with the stuff you say and the interactions you have with Kenny. Just ;y; omg I love you,,,

@kill-me-again-im-still-conscious: Toshire.. I’ve talked to you for what? A few weeks now, I don’t fucking care. I still love you and if anything happens to you I’m killing everyone In the room and then myself. You are a fucking doll and just wow, ily. We need to talk more, We must conversation a bit and help me be a human being.

#☭ ;; OOC #New Years #I know its not New years yet for some of you #but idc #I'm tired jwfbwje I must go on my phone I am sorr #y

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newx-menfan · 6 years

Note

What do you think of the mini-series "Spider-Man & the X-Men?" Personally it's one of my favorites, but I also like hearing your analysis of things. (also why does Julian wear the yellow training uniform in #1 and have purple tk?)

I’m… mixed on Spiderman and the X-Men.

On the one hand- it is hella funny and enjoyable! It’s everything ‘Wolverine and the X-Men’ comic tried to be, but just wasn’t.

The Sauron panel about curing cancer, is probably one of my favorite comic book panels/scenes.

It’s useless fluff, but it’s enjoyable useless fluff.

On the other hand- there’s basically zero character development in this book.

If you’re hoping for a storyline delving into Julian’s trauma and character motivations- this isn’t it.

If you’re looking for a storyline where the X-kids move past being generic students-this isn’t it.

Julian still gets the 'Jerk with a Heart of Gold’ character development; just a whole lot less well written than DeFilippis and Weir/Kyle and Yost.

It’s another book ignoring how the kids have been repeatedly screwed by the adults and undergone various horrors.

It just politely sweeps all that under the rug, because this book is supposed to be 'fun’. We can’t be reminded that Rockslide and Julian have been ridiculously loyal to the X-Men despite almost dying several times, being abandon and neglected, watching their friends die in a bus explosion, ect… So the idea that one of them would be a mole is preposterous; because that would be a 'downer’.

On top of that, then you have Julian in that horrid school uniform/Hellion’s uniform hybrid (Let’s be honest, Julian loves his Hellion’s uniform too much to ever stop wearing it…) and his TK aura being wrong… And Eyeboy being in it (Sorry to Eyeboy fans, but I will never be made to actually care about that character…); so all in all…SMATXM is OKAY. Fun when you need something light and 100% better than WATXM; but disappointing when you compare it to New Mutants/original Generation X/Academy X.

On recent Teen Books, in General:

I haven’t really been impressed by recent teen books; because it seems like all writers are hopped up on this 'lovable loser’ trope, Marvel keeps making horrible marketing decisions, and they rely too heavily on the adult X-Men instead of the X-kids to sell the book.

* The problem with the 'lovable losers’ trope is A] Grant Morrison did it so perfectly with all his meta commentary in New X-Men (the 2001 series, not Academy X) and B] can you realistically keep that plot point going for more than a year, without it getting stale (Just look at GLEE, for further example). Even Morrison didn’t do an entire series on 'the special class’, he just had it be the B-plot of his X-Men run.

* Marvel made so many horrible marketing choices for Generation X Volume 2, in my opinion.

The first being naming it 'Generation X; you had a lot of old fans hoping for reunion for years and when this was announced SO MANY fans got their hopes up, only to be disappointed when it was announced that it would be about the X-Kids.

The second was advertising it with multiple teen X-teams in the Resurrection teaser; making readers think it was going to be a mix of New Mutants/Original Gen X/Academy X/Generation Hope/ect… You had a ton of people pumped about their favorites showing up or guessing who would be chosen… Only to be disappointed when it was announced it would mostly be WATXM kids…

Leaving people guessing can be worse that just immediately announcing the lineup, because potentially fans will come up with WAY BETTER ideas than you did. Why Marvel keeps doing this 'one at a time character reveal/blacked out characters’ on social media MAKES NO SENSE to me, because you’re almost always guaranteeing disappointment instead of excitement…

Then Marvel priced it at 3.99; at a time when DC was releasing 2.99 books for some pretty big name characters.

The only big names on this team were Quentin Quire, Bling, and Jubilee; everyone else were pretty minor characters, even among X-teens.

2.99 is reasonable for this book; 3.99 is putting it in competition with some pretty big name DC and Marvel characters- if I have to chose between 'Doom Patrol&rsquo (a book that DOES basically do Strain's premise...but a million times better...) ; or 'Generation X’ on my pull list because I have limited money- sorry, but Doom Patrol is totally winning out.

I could have justified purchasing this book if Strain had used some Academy X kids more in the book; but the fact she used Quire and WATXM gang kind of sealed the deal for me, despite the fact that this series was pretty well written…

* Anymore Marvel seems to think the only way to sell teen characters is by focusing on a big name A-lister.

For 'Wolverine and the X-Men’, it was Logan and Kitty.

For 'Spiderman and the X-Men’, it was Spiderman.

For 'Generation X Vol. 2’, it was Jubilee.

Here’s the thing- I read the teen books to get a BREAK from the A-listers. I like teen books, because you can do really interesting character growth and plot points, you can’t with adults.

The original New Mutants UTILIZED Xavier and Magneto: but generally it was always about the students.

The original Generation X usually UTILIZED Banshee and Emma: but generally it was usually about the students (plus, Banshee rarely gets a push in main X-books ANYWAY and Emma was a B-lister at that point, so I didn’t feel all that bad about Emma and Sean getting a push at that time…)

The original Academy X MOVED AWAY from focusing on Dani and the original New Mutants pretty quickly, to focusing on the students. Emma and the other adults were also secondary characters in the book.

You DON’T need A-Lister adults to sell the story if it’s well written; yet Marvel keeps doing this despite the fact that it’s essentially turning the teen characters into secondary characters or wallpaper IN THEIR OWN BOOK!

Overall I’d rank the recent teen books as:1. Generation X being the best- because IT was decently written despite A LOT of plot holes and questionable marketing choices. It’s the only slightly serious teen book to come out recently.2. SMATXM- it was funny and did the 'lovable loser’ shtick better than most other series.3. WATXM- the WORST; useless fluff THAT was poorly written, too much focus on Wolverine and Quire, Quire being OP and having zero character growth, problematic things like sexualization of Oya or making fun of her religious struggle, ect.

Overall though, all three of these books are disappointing when you compare them to any of the older X-teen books written…

#question #answer #Spiderman and the X men #wolverine and the x men #SMATXM #WATXM #Hellion #Julian Keller #Marvel #generation x

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canonandme · 6 years

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Shout out to @the-new-fanfic-order for turn off the submit option on her blog, then I just gonna post this here. This drabble is inspired in the December shipwar so get ready for lots of nonsense.

Being heartbroken in New Years Eve is not ideal, unfortunately for Bodhi, this was how he felt not only in New Year but in Christmas, all January and part of February as well.

Everything started last year, it was not a good moment in the life of Bodhi. He had met this cute girl called Zoe and everything changed, it was love at first sight. Time went by and he got closer to her, he knew about her artistic hobbies and reckless behavior, he had also notice how his anxiety and trauma melted away when he was with this girl, he had no fear to share about his past and insecurities. Zoe made Bodhi feel like he had found happiness at last.

Bodhi was wrong.

Last December Zoe ran into her ex, Ben, or Kylo Ren as the dude call himself. This dude was powerful, mysterious… shredded? He wore black clothes and acted like he owned the whole galaxy. What an asshole. But Zoe was head over heels for Kylo, the same way she did years ago. Bah! ‘What does this Kyle Ron has that I don’t?’ Bodhi thought, a voice in his head answered: ‘Zoe’s affection’. And so, the ghost from his past came back, his heart felt heavy and cold. Maybe Bodhi is not good enough for her, maybe get away from her was the best thing to do. He had lost faith in love.

Valentine’s day it’s almost over, Bodhi lies in his bed trying to sleep but he can’t, he can’t stop thinking about Zoe, her smile, her actions, the good moments they lived together, how much he misses her and how his life has not been the same without her. At least Zoe got rid of that Kyle Ron after that bastard tried to hurt her friends, he is really glad she is a strong girl who needs no man, that’s why he loves her so much.

What happened to him? What happened with all the bravery he had in the past? He is not the kind of person who give up because of fear, he had accomplished important thing in life and this time it won’t be different. Bodhi gets out of the bed, put on a hoodie, takes a speaker cone and his keys to drive to Zoe’s place.

Twenty minutes later Bodhi’s car is parked in front of Zoe’s, he is now petrified, he doesn’t know what to do, after all he has no plan at all, he didn’t bring chocolates or a bouquet of roses or whatever people give to other people this day, he only has an USB drive with hip hop samples on it and the speaker cone. Singing is not his forte but he always wanted to do freestyle… is Bodhi really going to serenade Zoe, the love of his life, with a hip-hop song? It’s not like he can do something else so he plugs the USB drive in the stereo system, turns up the volume and gets out of the car, holding tight the speaker as he starts to sing.

(x)

This is a "thank you for everything" A semicolon hovering where something once was menacing A "soon to be continued" that exists after the ending screen The only song I know that I would ever even wish to sing When heat is blistering, you're the ice that's glistening inside my cup of tea, which is also you--Interesting Throughout all the seasons in this transition of winter spring You've been here beside me with the sweet nothings your whispering You're a lovable angelic piece of perfect, and anything I do for you is worth it times a million and a half We can sit and be resilient and laugh In between the subtle compliments and billions of half-kiss half-hug half-cuddle moments we share And I know it's unfair that we can only spend a few days here But I'm yours and I think that it's clear, so forget about goodbye, this is "see you soon", my dear

A window opens, Zoe leans out of it, she smiles and blushes. Bodhi keeps singing.

'Cuz I love you and I'd like to spend forever in the subtle warmth inside your arms like fireplace's embers I will try my best to keep you by my side 'til the weather Turns apocalyptic and we end up drifting to the nether But we'd be still be wearing sweaters when we got there Because we're both too caught up all in our cuteness to care about hot air And even if it burnt me alive, I'd have my crosshairs set up on your heart, making art 'cause why stop there? I keep on creating for you until my final days Dancing in the living room, and smooching while the vinyl plays I've been losing track of the romantic shit I'm tryna say but basically, I love you And that's kinda gay Imma stay by your side when I can, and keep your grip on my hand Because we can both hear the compliments coming in from these pals of mine... I've been wondering if you would be my valentine..?

The song ends, Zoe closes the window to run to the door, when she is outside she runs fast to hug Bodhi as tight as she could.

“I’m so sorry, I got nothing else to give you” said Bodhi.

“This is all I wanted”

#canon and me

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wozman23 · 3 years

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Ode to Elf

Today, Netflix released a new miniseries, The Holiday Movies That Made Us, which features 45 minutes of insight into the creation and making of Elf. It’s worth the watch for any Elf fan. I made plans today to watch it, and immediately chased it with the full length film. I’ve always been a ginormous Elf fan! I think it is debatably Will Ferrell’s best film - rivaled possibly by Step Brothers, and with a few others close on its heels. But I’ll even one up that statement by saying it is easily the greatest Christmas movie, as well as one of the greatest movies of all time. (My Top 3 are probably The Jerk, Billy Madison, and Elf.)

The mini-documentary is the perfect supplement, really putting a bow on what makes Elf so great. I encourage everyone to go watch it, but I'll be bringing up just a few of the things discussed in it, and elsewhere, for the sake of further proving that Elf is a classic.

As is seen in many Hollywood cases, there was some trepidation going in. The screenplay was written ten years prior in 1993, with Jim Carrey in mind. At one point, there were talks to feature Chris Farley, but writer, David Berenbaum, did not like that direction, citing it would have been a very different movie. And as much as I love Farley, and wish he were still around making movies, I agree. Both he and Jim would probably have been great playing their own version of the character in their own unique way, but, while I may be biased since Will Ferrell is my favorite comedic actor, I think the role ultimately found the perfect Buddy with Will. He just hits perfectly on playing the sweet, naive, innocent yet clueless fish-out-of-water. It’s also what makes Step Brothers so good. Even many of his other characters, like Ron Burgundy, have a little bit of that DNA dipped into contrastingly more vain, reckless, foolish personality traits. I think there’s no greater type of comedic hero than the innocently stupid comedic hero. It’s pretty apparent from my Top 3, as well as my love for similar archetypes like Will Forte’s MacGruber, Joe Dirt, or Conan himself.

Now I’ve been on the Ferrell Train since the mid-90s, growing up on that generation of SNL and Night at the Roxbury. In college, not long before Elf, I went to a screener for Old School, which was one of Will’s early big screen breakout performances. Yet apparently, in the process of getting Elf greenlit in the early 2000s, prior to Old School, there weren’t many executives willing to take a shot on a movie where Will played the lead. What a bunch of cottonheaded ninnymuggins!

But those involved stuck to their guns, and they eventually convinced someone to hand them 30 million dollars to make the film. From there, an incredible string of smart decisions were made as talent was brought on board.

Writer, David Berenbaum, and his team of relative unknowns at the time had some key qualities that they wanted Elf to have. David took a lot of inspiration from the Rankin/Bass stop motion classic, Rudolph - which if you know much about me, you know how much I love it as well, being a misfit and all. (I wrote about it here six years ago.) Yet I never really realized just how much Rudolph inspired it, so it was a joy to see the documentary explain just how much of Rudolph permeates Elf’s story, themes, presentation, costumes, and set design.

When director Jon Favreau signed on, he shared some input that really cemented him as the perfect director. He too wanted to double down on the Rankin/Bass homage. He also wanted it to be a nice family Christmas movie, one that you could share with your kids, as well as a timeless Christmas classic. Check, check, and check! Mission accomplished!

There were some other interesting facts I didn’t know as well. The casting feels perfect. However, the original casting choice for Walter, Buddy’s dad, was for Garry Shandling. With great respect to Garry Shandling, I think their back up, James Caan was a much better fit. Caan really brings home the qualities of a cold, isolated businessman that a likeable Garry would have had to really sell. You need that non-comedic straight character for that role. Ed Asner plays a perfect Santa, as we’ve seen multiple times. And Bob Newheart is a terrific Papa Elf. Plus, this brilliant pairing of Will and Mary Steenburgen was just a hint of what was to come via Step Brothers and The Last Man on Earth. There are a lot of great supporting actors as well, like the writing duo of Andy Richter and Kyle Gass, and the secretary, Amy Sedaris. And last but not least, Zooey Deschanel. She’s been my muse for years now, but Elf was the moment I fell in love with her. Her character was pitched as everything under the sun, but finding a singer just complements everything so well. The one thing that’s always seemed weird to me is the shower scene. What kind of department store has a full locker room with a shower?! But when logistics is your only complaint about a movie, you know it must be good. One other interesting casting tidbit involves Jovie’s boss, played by comedian Faizon Love. He was a last minute add. They thought they had Wanda Sykes onboard, so much so that they already had the Wanda name tag for the costume. Faizon stuck with it, donning the name tag, so the character remains Wanda. I don’t know that I ever noticed that.

Early in production, the decision was made to avoid using CGI. Effects with actors were all achieved via some trickery with perspective. And the stop motion characters duties were handled by The Chiodo Brothers, who I oddly just learned about a few months back when I stumbled upon the 1988 cult classic, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, tucked deep in my Netflix recommendations. (If you enjoy campy horror films, I highly recommend it.) Growing up on the works of Jim Henson, I’ve always appreciated the use of analog means over digital options. Choosing that route for Elf paid off immediately, and will go a long way at allowing the film to maintain that timeless quality. As with any movie, there were conflicts. When the movie was originally screened, execs thought it would be smart to cut the final heartwarming singing scene and just end with Santa flying away - once again adding to a tremendous pile of dumb ideas that the suits have had over the years when it comes to controlling creative projects. The team was a bit taken aback by it, but apparently with Will Ferrell’s recent box office success with Old School, there were thoughts of cutting the film differently, favoring a style similar to Will’s Frank the Tank character instead of the lovably innocent Buddy. Cooler heads eventually prevailed when they realized that would be impossible given the footage, and we got the film as it stands today, as intended.

I vividly remember anticipating the movie. It’s probably one of my most anticipated films of all time. It felt like every week there was a new preview, a new cut chocked full of new jokes and gags. After what seemed like a dozen of them, I was growing a bit concerned that there would be nothing new left to see when the film found its way to theaters. Then release time came, I paraded myself off to the theater, and I was dumbfounded by just how much comedy was packed into that 90 minutes. The quantity and quality of the humor is impressive. Every scene feels important, and was iterated on for maximum humor. Will’s improvisation constantly enhances scenes. Like many of Ferrell’s movies, it’s an insanely quotable movie, but it’s not all just written jokes and physical comedy. There are some great silent parts, like just capturing Buddy’s reactions. And one of my favorite moments can easily be missed, when Buddy is caught on the evening news, traipsing through Central Park. It’s staged exactly like Patterson–Gimlin Bigfoot footage, with a similar gait, a peek over the shoulder, and somewhat blurry camera footage.

Little details like that are precisely the things that make Elf the classic is set out to be. It feels like it was written for a misfit like me, catering to my loves for Bigfoot, Rudolph, and a lovably naive comedic hero. It’s funny and silly, yet heartwarming and endearing. And its a film I’d happily sit down and watch with any kid from one to ninety-two, regardless of whether it’s the month of December, or some time in early April. P.S. There have been talks about a sequel. James Caan recently conjectured that it never happened because Ferrell and Favreau “didn’t get along very well.” Those two are both far more successful these days, and could easily back the project if they wanted to. But as much as I love Elf, sometimes things are just too good to risk repeating with lackluster results. Look no further than the last franchise I wrote about, Ghostbusters. An Elf 2 would probably easily make a profit, regardless of quality. It could even be a good movie. But there’s probably a greater chance that it wouldn’t hold a candle to the original. The story is perfect, and contains itself well. There’s no need for a continuation. It’s really hard to top something when the bar was set so stratospherically high the first time. And attempting to do so could easily diminish the efforts of the original, sabotaging everything Berenbaum, Favreau, and the team achieved. Elf is the Rudolph of this generation: a timeless classic with a tremendous amount of heart. Let’s just appreciate it for that, and leave it as it is, for everyone to enjoy with everyone they enjoy.

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creativitytoexplore · 4 years

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Who To Call In Case Of Emergency by Marina Rubin https://ift.tt/35BZ5iG Tulip's mundane work environment is brightened by her adventurous, bubbly and promiscuous co-worker; by Marina Rubin.

You can learn a lot about other people's lives when you ask for their emergency contact number. A daunting task Tulip undertook with a mix of idealistic dedication and administrative weariness, when one of her colleagues, a senior underwriter, Didi Estefanos, fainted at work. Everyone ran around the office, scrambling to find a number for her next of kin as she lay on the floor unconscious, her feet in thick brown stockings protruding from the partition of her cubicle. As the crowd swayed above her, spewing water on her face and wailing Didi, Didi, someone found her profile on Facebook, tracked down her son and sent him an SOS message. By the time two masculine paramedics rolled in and strapped Didi onto a stretcher, someone was already on the phone with her frantic son, Nicholas, instructing him to meet his mother at Mount Sinai Hospital. "Would you look at that man?" Senna, the new girl from marketing, whispered into Tulip's ear, smiling at a tall paramedic with a sleeve tattoo. "It's true what they say - New York has the best looking men!" Senna had recently relocated from Florida so most of her sentences began with "It's true what they say" and were awe-inspired declarations about her new city. Tulip had seen the tall paramedic before. Twice. Once, when the Operations Manager collapsed with a stroke and, of course, the staff struggled to find his emergency contact number since the one on file in HR was from twenty years ago - his father who had long been gone; and the second time, when one of the salespeople had a seizure while closing a deal on the phone. "What kind of business is this?" the paramedic sneered, shoving consent papers into his EMS bag. "Everybody gets rolled out on a stretcher! What do you people do here?" "Healthcare insurance." Tulip shrugged, failing to see what he was implying. Then she watched Senna, in a surprising display of concern, chase Didi's stretcher down the hall and plunge into the elevator, like a puma, behind the handsome paramedic. Tulip returned to her desk and, as if on a mission, composed a fervent email to the entire department letting them know she was collecting emergency contact numbers, "so we can avoid another Didi situation". In the coming days, emails floated from every direction, from benefit clerks to C-level executives, offering up names and numbers of loved ones: "...My wife Susan... my husband Edward... my brother Boris... my mother Beverly..." hoping they would never be used, the urgent phone calls that would never have to be made. Tulip included her husband George, although he was impossible to reach, a criminal attorney who spent most of his day in court. Tulip's boss, McNally, a devout Catholic and a perpetually angry ex-alcoholic barked, "If I drop dead, I don't want you calling anybody. Let them throw me to the dogs!" As the spreadsheet expanded into several pages and circulated around the office like some kind of a death list, there was still no news of Didi. Some speculated she was in a hospital undergoing observation, while others joked she was already on the beach in Barbados, collecting disability. One morning Senna appeared in Tulip's cubicle and, pressing her body against the grey fabric panel, said enigmatically, "I know you are collecting emergency contact numbers, I'm going to give you my children's father's number." "Sure, that's fine," Tulip replied, not looking up from her computer. "Well, he's my ex-husband, actually," Senna clarified, hanging her face on the divider and staring at Tulip with oval eyes full of longing. "But we are not together; the children are with him though... well, they're in boarding school." An attractive woman in her late 30s with long bleached hair and large breasts, Senna told everyone she had always wanted to live in New York, it had been her life-long dream. She was renting a basement apartment in Brooklyn that she called a dungeon. "It has the allure of a dungeon," she once said at a staff meeting, with tenacity and pride. "I didn't know a dungeon could have allure!" McNally jeered behind her back. But Tulip liked Senna. There was a certain endearing quality to her, she was like one of those porcelain dolls, one minute beautiful in a box in a pastel ballerina skirt and the next ashen and warped, left outside in the rain with one eye broken and a dirty dress. "Actually let me think about it, maybe I will give you someone other than my ex-husband," Senna said broodingly and walked away, bumping into McNally. "What did she want?" McNally asked, dropping off a report on Tulip's desk. "She was giving me her emergency contact number." "Weirdo," McNally hissed and disappeared. Next day Senna told Tulip by the water cooler, "I'll give you my Daddy's number." "Great. Is your father here or in Florida?" "No, he's not my father," Senna laughed. "He's my Daddy... you know, like my master." "You have a master?" "I'm in an S&M relationship," Senna said, beaming. "It's true what they say - you can be and do anything you want in New York!" At home during dinner, Tulip told her husband George about the new girl Senna who apparently had a master. George nodded and yawned, "to each his own." That night in bed, he rolled on top of her and, nuzzling her ear, teased that he was now her master and she better obey him. On Friday, McNally announced that Didi Estefanos was not coming back to work any time soon, she was officially on long-term disability, and no, he didn't know what was wrong with her. The team filed out of the conference room with an intense sense of envy and resentment towards their sick, stay-at-home colleague. Senna came over to Tulip's desk and declared, "I'll give you a different emergency contact number. It's my neighbor..." "What happened to Daddy?" "We had a fight." "I'm sorry to hear that." "He's such an inconsiderate jerk!" Senna confessed, biting her nails. "He set up a date with this girl and forgot to tell me so I could schedule a date for myself too. Who does that?" Tulip shook her head. "I hear you. Men are the worst. My husband won't even put his plate in the dishwasher after he finishes eating." Then she leaned in closer. "So it's kind of like... an open relationship? Sorry, I don't know much about these things." "Open but very committed. We do play dates together and separate, with couples, and singles. It keeps our love fresh and exciting... It's just that he should have given me a heads-up so we could sync our calendars, you know what I mean?" "Right... right," Tulip nodded. "You think it's ok if I give you my neighbor's number?" Senna asked, still agonizing. "Senna, it's just a list! A formality. In case of emergency. If anything should happen to you in the office. Hopefully nothing will happen to you in the office and they won't have to carry you out on a stretcher. Your neighbor's number is just fine! Don't worry." "Of course. Nothing will happen." Senna smiled, holding up tightly crossed fingers. In time, Senna and Tulip became chatty confidantes. When they met in the elevator on Monday mornings, they inquired about each other's weekend. Senna was always eager to share her stories, no matter who was around to hear them - here she was making a guest star appearance at some elite orgy, or dressing up as a bumblebee in a simple threesome. Tulip's weekends lacked the same kind of luster and sensationalism, but still, she kept up conversation by recalling her two days of cooking, cleaning and driving her ten-year old daughter, Abby, to ballet classes and gymnastics. When the two women bumped into each other in the hall, they shared a giggling hi-five. When they met in the kitchen for a snack, they always took a minute to whisper what an insufferable prick their boss, McNally, was and couldn't someone just put him out of his misery. Eventually they discovered they both liked foreign films - naïve romantic comedies starring unattractive yet lovable French men with big noses. They also enjoyed the same kind of music - brooding guitar ballads by Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez. They started having lunch at a little Indian place down the street called Ms. Bombay, where they always ordered the same appetizer, aloo papri chat - chickpeas in tangy sauce - and shared chicken tikka masala, wrapping chunks of meat in Peshwari naan. "Can you believe this naan?" Senna gushed every time. "It has raisins and nuts! Only in New York!" Senna told Tulip about her life back in Sarasota, how she married her high school sweetheart and gave birth in succession to two boys, Chris and Kyle. How she came to be interested in the underground S&M scene; at first her husband joined her at parties at the swingers' club, and when it escalated to dark cellars, chains and fetishes, he opted out, said he was concerned for her safety, but by that time they had nothing in common, and he couldn't stop her. She was still a young, attractive woman and didn't want to live in a matrimonial tomb. So she moved to New York. She met Daddy on-line. "There are websites and user groups for this kind of thing," Senna explained to Tulip, who listened, wide-eyed, her cheeks pudgy from Indian bread infused with nuts. She even told her how she once had sex in suspension, "You haven't had sex until you've done it suspended in the air!" "Ok, stop, please!" Tulip yelled, covering her ears, "I don't think I want to hear any more."

"So you're now friends with the dominatrix?" Tulip's husband George snickered one night, brushing his teeth before bed. "I hope she doesn't recruit you into the world of bondage." "You don't need to worry about that," Tulip laughed. "It's the last thing I would want to try! She is sweet, you know, and amusing. I'm not even sure if what she says is true... But she has this touching enthusiasm for life, New York, sex, even naan! Plus, she is not a dominatrix, honey, she must be a submissive, right? She has a Daddy." George, gurgling mouthwash, muttered something along the lines of you know better, and went into the bedroom tugging at his pajama pants. "Did I tell you I had a date with the paramedic?" Senna broadcasted one day in the kitchen. There were other people around, stirring oatmeal, making coffee, slicing grapefruit. Senna did not care what anyone thought. Tulip often wondered if she did it on purpose, shocked people. "How was it?" Tulip whispered, signaling for Senna to keep it down. "We met for a drink, then went back to his place. It was very vanilla." "Vanilla," Tulip repeated, nervously looking around. That word, the flavor of ice cream she never ordered, came back to her on the train going home to Glen Rock... Vanilla... Was Tulip's life in suburban New Jersey vanilla? As in plain, dull, without flavor or spark? Her job, her marriage, her sex life? Not that she wanted to have sex in suspension, or wear leather in a room full of strangers, hell no, but the thought, as small as a sliver of an almond in a Peshwari naan, nestled between her teeth and would not budge. She was happily married, she loved her husband; when they met in college he was applying to law school and they were such a team, so committed to getting him through it that by the time he graduated and got a job at a prestigious law firm, yes the spark was gone and so was the passion, but this was their joint achievement, a real triumph, plus they already had a beautiful daughter, and Tulip was all gratitude, but that word - vanilla, that sliver of an almond... For their office summer outing the company organized a scavenger hunt. Everyone ran around the Meatpacking district, agonizing over trick questions and looking for clues in the bricks of the buildings and inside the elevators of the overpriced Chelsea Market. "Which structure used to be a church, a nightclub, a shopping mall and now a sports club?" Insurance adjusters and claim processors struggled to answer on a sweltering day in Manhattan. Senna was wearing a pair of tiny jean shorts and high heels as she leaped over cobblestones, solving demanding brainteasers, winking at construction workers and tossing excited exaltations about the history and beauty of the city. "Look at her," McNally grumbled as he trudged alone, behind all the teams, smoking a cigar and scratching his rotund stomach, "the only thing she's missing is a balloon cluster!" Senna's team won. Wearing medals around their necks that looked like chocolate wrapped in gold foil, they celebrated in a seedy bar in Union Square. Tulip had to leave early to attend Abby's ballet recital, so Senna stayed with the analysts from Logistics. Later on she was joined by a petite, dark-haired woman with a wedding ring and a briefcase. "This is my neighbor and lover Francesca," Senna introduced her to a few remaining, intoxicated co-workers. They reported that the two women were fondling each other at the bar until a glistening Mercedes came to pick them up and whisked them to an unknown destination. Next morning Senna told Tulip how sorry she was she missed Francesca, her neighbor and her lover, the one she was telling her about, the one who would be her emergency contact. "It's alright," Tulip insisted, "I don't need to meet your emergency contact." The following week, on Friday, Senna was all pins and needles, awaiting a FedEx delivery. "Have you seen the postman?" she asked every executive assistant, madly dashing towards the reception area to see if anything had arrived. She and Daddy were leaving for the long weekend at an exclusive S&M retreat in the Catskills and she had bought a lamp on Amazon to decorate their tent. "It's a beautiful white lotus lantern with twenty leaf string lights," she told Tulip, almost in tears, showing her photos on the Internet. "I was going to hang it around our tent like a garland, so it's festive and inviting, and more people will come to visit us." "Don't worry," Tulip comforted her. "It's still early, I'm sure it'll arrive." Oh, how Senna screamed when the FedEx man appeared on the floor. A week later, the building security office was conducting a fire drill and forced everyone to leave their desks and assemble in the hall by the elevators. As the fire warden droned on about what to do in case of an emergency, Tulip noticed how three women from Payroll with strangely similar hair bobs were whispering to each other and pointing in Senna's direction. "I need two volunteers to be Floor Searchers," the warden announced, looking at the gloomy faces in the crowded hallway. "One male and one female. The role of a Searcher is very important. In case of fire, you must search the restrooms, offices, conference rooms and instruct all the floor occupants to evacuate. Do I have any volunteers?" There was an ear-piercing silence and everyone looked at each other. "Alright, I'll do it," Greg, the HR Manager, like a white angel, descended onto the floor. "I guess I could be the female Searcher," Senna raised her hand. "Great! Please come up to me and give me your names. This concludes our fire drill, thank you," the warden said in a raspy voice, as everyone trailed back to the office. "Knowing her, she'll be checking the men's room first and we'll never see her again," McNally snorted under his breath, loud enough for the interns from Group Benefits to exchange glances and burst out laughing. The word about Senna was spreading around the firm, and Tulip felt bad for her friend. "You know, you don't have to tell everyone about your life," she said to Senna in one of the little nooks of the office. "No one needs to know about your lesbian affair with the neighbor, or the hot date with the paramedic, or Daddy and the orgies you attend every weekend. Really, it's no one's business. It's your private life!" "But my life is not a secret," Senna insisted. "I married young and lived like a nun for years until I realized I deserve better. I have nothing to hide. I'm proud. I'm finally living!" For her birthday, a pair of shiny thigh-high boots in black patent leather with laces up the back was delivered to the office. Senna hiked up her skirt and tried them on at her desk. "Daddy sent them!" she exclaimed excitedly. "He's taking me to the opera! We're seeing Aida at the Met!" "You're not wearing those to the opera, are you?" Tulip asked in a thin, shocked voice. "Oh no, of course not. These are for the party we are going to on Saturday." "What do you wear them with?" Tulip asked, feeling the pleather with her fingertips. "Anything you want, really, or nothing at all! You can always dress them up with a pair of long gloves, or a classic headband." "Well, have a great time at the opera!" Tulip wished her friend, just as she noticed, from the corner of her eye, McNally standing in the middle of the office, shaking his head back and forth and staring at the black sleek boots, as if they were the cadaver of an animal. A month later, completely by accident, Tulip met Daddy. On some idle Tuesday when Tulip's husband was working late and her daughter was at a sleep-away camp, Tulip and Senna were having a drink after work. A man in a grey suit and tie surprised Senna from behind by covering her eyes and commanding her to smell his fingers. Bald, stocky, in thick dark-rimmed glasses, the man whom Senna introduced as her Daddy, her master, her lover who fulfilled every one of her fantasies, literally looked like her father, a severe man with a humorless expression, someone the IRS would send to conduct an audit at an automotive company in Detroit. Senna and Daddy insisted on driving Tulip home. Tulip sat in the backseat, watching Senna weave her arms around Daddy like a willow tree, as he drove in silence with the tempo and precision of a German tankman. Tulip wondered why they were driving her to New Jersey, so completely out of their way. Did they know no one would be home, was this a ploy to get her into bed, did they want her for a threesome, was she being recruited into the world of bondage? They dropped her off in front of her house just as George was pulling down the curtains on the bay window. Tulip breathed a sigh of relief. Daddy stepped out of the car and gallantly opened the door for her. "Who was that?" George asked when Tulip walked in. "You are not going to believe it. That was Daddy!" "Daddy? You mean, your crazy co-worker's S&M master? He looked more like a Certified Public Accountant from KPMG... Do we have anything to eat?" Sometime in November, it suddenly became bone chilling and viciously windy. "It's true what they say - New York is a toothless witch of a winter," Senna announced. Having moved from Florida, she did not have any warm clothes, so she layered her summer shirts and wore the company sweatshirt advertising their new PPO plan on top. Tulip hated watching her shiver in the revolving doors of the building. Daddy should have bought the poor girl a coat, instead of those hideous knock-me-down-and-fuck-me boots, Tulip thought to herself, fuming. Instead of saying anything, she opened her closets. With care and dedication, she picked a few warm sweaters, a scarf, a hat, woolen socks, even mittens. Then she added a Burberry double-breasted cashmere coat she had snatched up on sale at Neiman Marcus. Something every lawyer's wife should own, she wore it once to a holiday party at George's law firm, now it adorned her closet like a mistletoe, something pretty but useless. She took it off the hanger and threw it in the bag. "You can have these for the winter," she handed the bag to Senna on Monday. "Oh my God, you shouldn't have. Thank you so much. That is so sweet," the Florida ex-pat jumped up and hugged her friend. Then she tried on the coat and even though she was taller and bigger in the bust than Tulip, the coat fit her perfectly. And then the morning arrived when Senna was circling Tulip's cubicle, fidgeting and fretting about something, until she finally came out with it and asked Tulip to be her emergency contact. There was something so heartrending and pitiful about the way she asked, smiling, standing by Tulip's desk, still wearing the coat, holding out banana bread she had made over the weekend in a plastic container like some kind of sacrilegious offering, that Tulip had to look away. "What happened to Daddy?" "I don't think he wants to be my Daddy anymore," Senna said, biting her chipped nails. "He found someone younger, and prettier." "I am sorry. What about your lesbian lover, that neighbor Francesca, or something?" "Her husband found out and threatened to divorce her if she didn't stop seeing me." Tulip sighed. "Look, Senna, I can't be your emergency contact, it's ridiculous. We work in the same office. It has to be someone from outside, you know, like a family member or a friend." "Why?" Senna objected. "Well, for starters..." Tulip tried to elaborate, until she realized she couldn't come up with anything reasonable, and that's when she folded, "You know what - okay, you got me!" "Really?" Senna lit up. "Great! Can you put it down in the spreadsheet?" At night, Tulip was having dinner with her husband and her daughter, a new crock-pot roast beef recipe she was trying with red-skinned potatoes, when her phone rang. It was Senna. "I'm just calling to activate my emergency contact number," she said, laughing like a gloriously happy child.

Sometime around Thanksgiving, rumors, like pocket-sized mice, were scurrying across the office and making squeaking noises in the walls. Employees congregated by the water cooler, in the hallways, in the kitchen, whispering, shaking heads, weighing in on the latest news. Didi Estefanos was not coming back to work, in fact, she had slapped the company with a massive lawsuit, claiming everything from emotional abuse to sexual harassment, ageism, racism, and all kinds of atrocities that had caused her to collapse in the office and get rolled out on a stretcher. What was wrong with her exactly, what particular ailment she was inflicted with, no one knew. Since all the tests came back negative, the doctors assumed it was stress. She hired a high-powered attorney who specialized in harassment in the workplace. The company executives from around the country flew into the New York office and spent long days in glass conference rooms, behind closed doors, talking into round speakerphones that lay in the middle of the table like UFO plates. They walked out, exasperated, wheezing, loosening their ties, pooh-poohing the process, and hurried along to lunches and dinners at the lavish New York restaurants they enjoyed on their expense accounts. Greg, a highly respected HR Manager and a proud gay man since the 80s, was seen standing outside the building, wiping his face with a paper towel. McNally was in and out of meetings, giving testimony, defending himself. "Sexual harassment my ass," he was heard screaming, "that old hag was a hundred years old!" Meanwhile, a Thanksgiving sale was in full swing at Bloomingdale's down the street. All the girls from the office were shopping in the intimates department. Tulip always joked how their check was directly deposited into the iconic department store. "I need your honest opinion." Senna came up to Tulip one day with a shopping bag. "I bought this corset for a party on Friday. But I'm not sure if it fits me right. Could you please take a look and tell me the truth, please!" "Sure." Tulip nodded. "Let me just finish this report." "Great, meet me in the bathroom in ten minutes." When Tulip walked into the bathroom, the small vestibule with a full-length mirror and a few armchairs, was empty. She proceeded into the lavatory, it was empty as well, except for the one stall at the end where Senna was fiddling with zippers, swooshing fabric. Someone had left the water running in the sink, Tulip turned off the faucet and waited. Finally, the stall door opened and Senna appeared, wearing just a corset and a pair of a high heels. "Oh wow!" Tulip squealed, veering her face to the side as if someone had just punched her. "Wow," she repeated, violently, "wow." "What do you think?" Senna asked, standing in the middle of the bathroom, anxious, alert, her breasts bulging from a see-through corset, her shaved pale vagina on display. "Looks great," Tulip said, her hand raised to her temple, partially blocking the view. "Does it make me look fat?" "No, it looks fine, not fat at all," Tulip stuttered, looking away, focusing on a crack in a tile. She did not expect to see her friend wearing nothing but high heels and a corset. She reasoned there was no real necessity to take off her pants or the skirt that she was wearing, let alone her underwear, to demonstrate a corset, especially one that went only to her belly button. And why the high heels? For the full dramatic effect, the big picture? "Do you think it's tight in the back?" Senna turned around, flexing her muscular buttocks. "No... Not tight at all." "You don't think it's too small in the breasts?" "No, it's great," Tulip repeated, making an effort to hide her embarrassment. "Are you sure? You're not just saying it?" "Definitely! You'll be a huge hit at the party on Saturday," Tulip assured her, as she hurried out the door, blaming an urgent report she forgot to do. She ran out of the bathroom and walked down the hall, shell-shocked, frazzled, smoothing wisps of hair on top of her head, grinning to herself, imagining her husband's face when she told him tonight what had just happened, how he would fall off his chair, laughing. "What's so funny?" Tulip bumped into McNally, who was always stalking the hallways and had an uncanny talent for appearing at the most opportune place at the most opportune time. "What is it?" he demanded, studying Tulip's face. "You look strange... Is everything alright?" "Yes, fine," Tulip, taken off guard, giggled in a surge of nervousness. "I was in the bathroom with Senna, she asked me to look at this corset she bought at Bloomingdale's, but... she was wearing nothing but a corset, you know..." Tulip laughed uncontrollably. "Oh, and high heels too," she added, slowly gaining composure and realizing her mistake. McNally stood quietly, his arms folded on his stomach, listening. That night, when Tulip told her husband about the encounter in the office bathroom, he did not fall off his chair laughing, as she expected. He turned surprisingly serious and asked her all kinds of questions, as if she was a witness on a stand, or a victim, or maybe even a co-conspirator. "And what did you do?" "Nothing, I ran out of the bathroom..." "Why did she do that?" "I don't know, she's probably an exhibitionist..." "What is the nature of your relationship?" "You can't be serious, honey... That's it. I am going to bed." A few days later, Tulip was in the office kitchen, draping almond butter onto a Granny Smith apple, when Greg, the HR Manager, approached her and invited her in for a chat. In a corner office crammed with ceramic bowls and teacups that Greg made in the pottery class his partner Rob bought him for his birthday, the tired HR Manager offered Tulip a chair and asked if she wanted anything to drink. She looked at the large pitcher of water sitting on the side of the table, a testament to the many people who came through this office in the last few days, and immediately said, "Greg, I don't know much about Didi, or whatever her claims are... She seemed like a nice lady, very erudite, but other than that I have nothing to add." "Tulip, I didn't ask you here to talk about Didi," Greg said in a serious tone. "Okay..." she looked at him, waiting. "I want you to know this is a safe place and everything you say here is confidential." "O-kay..." "Tell me what happened with Senna," he said compassionately. "We have zero tolerance for sexual harassment and abuse in this company, and you did the right thing by reporting her." "What?" Tulip jumped up. "What do you mean what happened with Senna? What do you mean, reported her?" "McNally came into HR and filed a complaint on your behalf. He said that your colleague, Senna Andrews, has created a sexually abusive environment for you... Tulip, if Senna has sexually abused you, or harassed you in any way, you need to tell me right now." "Sexually abused me?" "Look, we received a complaint... It went all the way to the CEO. Of course, the big wigs upstairs are worried about you suing the company, but I care about your well-being." "Suing the company? Is this some kind of a joke?" "There is nothing funny about sexually unwanted advances, especially in the workplace, especially now - with the MeToo situation, we take these matters very seriously." "This is not a MeToo situation!" she burst out, enraged. "No one harassed me! Not me! This is a NotMe situation!" "Okay," Greg looked at her keenly. "Then why did you report her?" "I didn't," she covered her face with her hands. "Well, you communicated the entire bathroom incident to your manager, Eric McNally. To tell you the truth, I was surprised. I thought you and Senna were friends." "We are friends," Tulip sighed, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Then I don't understand what happened. Why did you report her?" "I did not report her... McNally snuck up on me. That's what he does - he stalks the hallways like a creeper, and he just caught me off guard..." "I don't know if you realize it, but your accusations could get Senna fired." "No!" Tulip exclaimed. "It was a mistake, a misunderstanding. I don't want her fired. It was a mistake. Nothing happened. Greg, you have to help me. Don't let her get fired!" She rushed out of the office and took the elevator down to the lobby. She ran across the street, sat down on a fire hydrant in front of her building and dialed her husband George. He didn't pick up. It was late afternoon and he was usually in court at this time. She kept dialing his number frantically and it kept going into voicemail. She looked at the gnarled trees around her and it suddenly occurred to her that if this was an emergency, if she was sprawled out in the middle of the street unconscious, or taken out on a stretcher from the office, no one would be able to reach George, and she finally understood what Senna had been agonizing over all this time. Tulip looked up at their building. Senna was somewhere on the 24th floor, and so was McNally, and HR, and the big wigs; what was happening up there, she wondered, what were they doing to Senna now? At night when Tulip finally saw her husband and told him about her surprise meeting with HR, he put down his fork and somberly expressed his disappointment - she had played it all wrong, she should have consulted him first. "You can't be serious, George." "When your HR rep said they were worried about you suing the company, he was right. They should be worried, because this was an open and shut case. And if you had teamed up with this Didi woman and joined her lawsuit this would have been a winning case. But instead you chose to defend your little girlfriend." "I can't believe you're saying this nonsense," she hissed. "I would never accuse a friend of such wrongdoing and get her into trouble like this." "What are you defending?" George scoffed. "Your lusty little encounter in the fitting room?" "It wasn't lusty!" Tulip shrieked, slamming the door. "And it wasn't a fitting room, it was a bathroom!" she corrected him, slamming the door again. There were many slammed doors that night which ignited a bit of spark in Tulip's otherwise vanilla life.

When she came to work the next day, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Every one of her colleagues was sitting at their desks, in their cubicles, in front of their computers, doing what they were paid to do. Greg was in his office with his door closed. McNally was on the phone with his back towards the exit. Tulip looked across the floor, studied the layout of the office, and for the first time noticed the precise division of the cubicles, the symmetrical way in which the partitions were mapped out, like prison cells, or a closed mouse maze. Senna did not get fired. Whether it was Greg's humanitarian efforts or McNally's endless maneuvering, she was transferred to another group, the only division that did not report to McNally. Was she ever called into HR, reprimanded, given a warning? Did she ever find out who reported her, Tulip often wondered with trepidation. But after the bathroom incident, she started avoiding Senna. When Senna asked if she was free for lunch at their favorite, Ms. Bombay, Tulip told her she brought lunch from home, or had an important client meeting, or was running to a spin class at the gym. When Senna invited her for drinks after work, Tulip lied again and blamed PTA meetings, ballet recitals, and date nights with the hubby. One day Senna came over to Tulip's desk and asked her if she would look at a necklace she bought downstairs. "You would tell me the truth if it was gaudy, right?" "Sure, let me see it." Tulip nodded with an old familiar smile. But when Senna told her to meet her in the bathroom, Tulip looked at her for a long time and finally said, "We don't really need to go to the bathroom to try on a necklace. You can just put it on right here in this cubicle." Senna went to get the necklace and never came back.

#FICTION on the WEB short stories

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spineandprose · 4 years

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Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine | June 2020

I started and finished this book during the third week of April, so let’s just say I’m thrilled June 30 is finally here! I’m excited to discuss this novel with you.

I started Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine in a most unusual way—actually in two unusual ways. The first was that the opening chapters were read to me. With libraries closed due to the coronavirus, I was only able to borrow an audiobook; practically a first for me. Right away, I heard a Scottish accent and had to listen extra attentively, especially with the lingo (”hen,” for example).

The second unusual start to this book came to mind in the first minutes of listening: I realized I hadn’t read the back cover! Now, maybe I had years ago, but I wasn’t remembering anything about what this book was about. As I was listening to the audiobook, I didn’t have a synopsis to turn to. But only a day or two after starting the audiobook, a friend dropped off her copy of the novel for me to borrow, and suddenly a small game began to play in my mind. How far into the book could I read without flipping the pages over and reading the back cover? Surprisingly competitive, I was successful and didn’t read the back cover until after I finished the book. So, it was a gloriously fun introduction to the book to not know in the least who or what the story contained and how the plot would progress. Have you ever read a book without reading the synopsis first?

It was hard for me to follow along with the audiobook (I think I’m a visual learner), but once I had the physical copy in my hands, I could.not.put.it.down. I toted the book around the house with me, in hopes that if the kids were playing well enough together, I could sneak in a few pages. I loved this book. Kyle gave me such praise because “it’s fiction!” I’m happy I enjoyed it, too. :)

Alright, let’s move on to some questions. I’ve included my answer after each one, but I’ll also list just the questions at the bottom of this post for you to copy and paste for your review (pick and choose as you like).

Loneliness is the theme first introduced in the book. Based on your own experience of loneliness, could you relate to Eleanor? What other themes are presented in the novel?

I’ve had two bouts of lonely seasons in my life: the first was my second semester of college, right after I had transferred schools, and the second was the first six months or so after moving to Seattle. While I can relate to the feeling of being lonely, I cannot relate to the depths of Eleanor’s chronic loneliness. Six months is short enough to endure a season of loneliness, especially when you have things to look forward to (I was actively engaged in becoming more connected). Eleanor's loneliness was a static, not dynamic, part of her life. However, just because I couldn’t relate to her loneliness on point, that did not hamper my ability to connect with her as a character.

What I loved most about this novel were the themes the author presented through a wondrously seamless tapestry: loneliness, social awkwardness, addiction, abuse and neglect, mental health, the foster care system, the role of family, and grief. This novel packs a punch for addressing real-life issues in the midst of humor and lovable characters.

What was your impression of Raymond? Why do you think he intentionally walked with Eleanor after work, which later lead to their witnessing Sammy’s fall?

Loneliness is actually the foundation for Raymond’s introduction. Did you catch it? When he walks with Eleanor after work for the first time, and waits for her as she fixes her shoe, he shares with her that he is only a couple weeks into the job. Raymond was a new employee, lonely, and looking for friends. It’s a subtle comment that really is a bridge between them and explains in part why Raymond initiated their first hang out.

Can we just take a moment to applaud how wonderful Raymond is? I mean, this guy: welcoming, thoughtful, a servant, loyal, caring, respectful, fun. In listing those attributes, I can imagine how hard it would be as an author to swirl those qualities up into a character that is not only relatable and lovable, but most of all believable. I thought Gail Honeyman did an amazing job.

Was Eleanor’s crush on Jonny believable?

I was relieved to read the climax of Eleanor’s crush on Jonny halfway through the book. Toward the last few chapters of the “Good Days” section, I was beginning to find her obsession and crush on Jonny a bit too intense to be believable. However, factoring in Eleanor’s state of mental health that was revealed throughout the rest of the novel, it does seem plausible for a real-life experience.

Did you find this book funny?

I thought this book was funny! There were a few lines that made me laugh out loud (is there a better way to phrase that?), and besides those instances, the book had an underlying quirky tilt, thanks to Eleanor’s personality. Even those it addresses such difficult issues, I thought it was a light read, funnily enough.

Did you see the twist coming related to Eleanor’s mummy? What did you think of their ongoing “conversations”?

I was completely surprised to learn Eleanor’s mummy had passed away in the fire. What a clever trick by the author to show how deeply Eleanor needs to process and regain her mental stability. It’d be interesting to go back and see how the author phrases the introduction to each of their conversations; I can’t remember a time she mentions the phone ringing. I appreciate an honest author.

What role does foster care play in Eleanor’s life?

Foster care provided physical health for Eleanor. On a couple occasions, she recalls that she always had what she needed related to food, clothing, and shelter through the foster care system. Of course, we can gather from the novel that she was protected in the foster care system from abuse and didn’t suffer additional harm from any other caregiver. But, it provided her little else: no forever family, no healing from her past, no lasting relationships, no one and nothing to depend on or turn to as she aged into adulthood.

Did you find the ending conclusive and/or satisfying?

I enjoyed the ending, Raymond and Eleanor enjoying a meal together but continuing to discuss their lives and care for each other more deeply. Perhaps I’m just totally not a romantic (arguable true), but I was glad the book didn’t end with a proposal or a wedding. The routine ending enforced the believably of the characters, and I appreciated that. It also left the book open for a sequel. ;)

Overall, what did you enjoy about this book? What did you dislike about this book?

I’m sure you can already tell: I simply loved this book. I enjoyed it because it was so different from the books I normally praise. But mostly, it was wonderfully crafted. I appreciate the author’s attention to themes such as foster care, social awkwardness, and loneliness, all within a character set that is believable and realistic. Five stars!

What was your impression of the book? I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you’d like to contribute on any of the questions I listed, here they are again:

Loneliness is the theme first introduced in the book. Based on your own experience of loneliness, could you relate to Eleanor? What other themes are presented in the novel?

What was your impression of Raymond? Why do you think he intentionally walked with Eleanor after work, which later led to their witnessing Sammy’s fall?

Was Eleanor’s crush on Jonny believable?

Did you find this book funny?

Did you see the twist coming related to Eleanor’s mummy? What did you think of their ongoing “conversations”?

What role does foster care play in Eleanor’s life?

Did you find the ending conclusive and/or satisfying?

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