#he is typing out a transcript of what’s happening in front of him

[jenanigans1207]

All I’m saying is that in the supernatural universe, I firmly believe that the most popular destiel fics are written and posted by one Sam Winchester under a pen name. And he doesn’t even come up with elaborate plots. He just dictates, almost verbatim, interactions he witnesses Cas and Dean having and then just tacks a kiss or a love confession on the end.

And everyone comments about how he just gets their characters, how he builds such convincing sexual and romantic tension, how the characters feel like real people instead of words on a page. Sam is the most popular destiel ao3 author, his fics on every single rec list, and it’s simply because he got tired of watching Dean and Cas pine uselessly for each other so he decided to make it everyone’s problem.

#I just know #that every time destiel has one of their arguments or staring matches and Sam is in the background on his computer #he’s not doing research #or just scrolling the internet to be uninvolved #he is typing out a transcript of what’s happening in front of him #so he can go to his room later and turn it into a fic #he knows both of them so well it doesn’t even feel like a lie to say he knows Dean’s fingers were shaking #or cas could feel his heartbeat in his throat #he felt weird about it once #but now he has an audience to please #and the weight of their unbearable UST is easier to bear with all these other people sharing the burden #destiel #deancas #spn #supernatural #Sam Winchester #Dean Winchester #Castiel

[ghostlywhiskey]

lawyer!price when the two of you finally start seeing each other. you never knew the man to be stressed or overwhelmed, if anything, you admired how he always seemed to handle everything. except, you’d never admit that out loud, or at least prior to dating him.

but it’s when he asks you to spend the night that you see behind the wall he’s built up. the two of you had been watching tv on the couch when you had fallen asleep, or at least thats what you remember. when your eyes blink a few times as consciousness comes back to you, the dark bedroom cold and empty as you sit up. price is nowhere within reach nor is he in your sight, the alarm clock on the night stand the only soft glow of light.

1:43 AM

slipping out of the bed, you quietly exit the bedroom. looking both ways down the hallway of the apartment, you make note of the lack of sound coming from the general living space. what does grab your attention is the exaggerated typing noises you’ve learned to zone out while at work. heading towards the sound, you stand in front of his office door; fingers knock softly against the wood as you wait for a response to allow you to enter, but when it doesn’t come you push open the slightly cracked door.

price is sat at his desk, eyes glued onto the computer screen in front of him while papers scatter the desk, some even making their way onto the floor.

“john?” your certain he might not even register the sound of your voice. and you’re certain he might not even stop to look at you if he does. but, fingers come to a halt on the keyboard and eyes divert their attention to you. he’s paying attention. he’s giving you his attention.

“what are you doing up?” he asks, he doesn’t sound mad or annoyed, is it concern?

there was still getting used to john price as your boyfriend, not the attorney who barked requests at you. it was like relearning how he operated at work. but now, you actually cared about the tone in his voice and his actions.

“i didn’t realize i feel asleep,” you trail off, taking a few seconds to stare blankly at him before processing your next move. walking over cautiously towards him, you stand next to his chair as you catch a glimpse of the screen. multiple tabs and programs, medical records and contracts opened across the two monitors. his desk scattered with more contracts and deposition transcripts. “but, i think i should be asking you the same question.”

a hand reaches up behind you, grabbing for your waist as he tugs you towards him. your body lets him guide you onto his lap, one arm securing around his neck as your other hand rests on his chest.

“nothing productive happens after ten,” you murmur, fingers toying with the top button of his dress shirt.

fingers graze past your jaw as his palm cups your cheek.

“tell that to the five pages i’ve written for the motion.”

“the motion isn’t due until the end of next week.”

“yeah, but then i have conferences and other motions to worry about,” he mutters. “and then i have oppositions due. oh, and then there’s the two depositions next week.”

and if there was one thing you knew about him, as your boyfriend or not, he was stubborn. your arm around his neck reaches to scratch the back of his head soothingly. you could hear him working himself up about everything he had to do.

“john,” you spoke his name for the second time that night. and before another word could get out, he tugged your face closer to his as his eyes locked on yours. “it’s almost 2am. come to bed.”

you weren’t asking him, even if your voice was still laced with the drowsiness from your slumber, the demanding tone was still present.

“giving me orders now?” he teases, closing the gap between your lips. your hand that previously toyed with his buttons now on his neck while the other held the back of his head. it was a gentle kiss, but the slow movements of his tongue moving against yours building tension in your chest. the lingering taste of a cigar you assumed he smoked recently on the balcony while you were asleep is prominent, but it’s mixed with the taste of toothpaste. he must’ve brushed his teeth after.

“what’s that taste?” your nose scrunches as you pull back from price, the man stood in front of you with his fingers tangled in your hair angles your head to look up at him.

“what?” his voice monotone, confused by your question.

“it tastes like,” your tongue swirls in your mouth and you swallow spit, the taste of tobacco strong. “a cigar?” brows furrowing together trying to determine if you were right.

“mhm,” he hums, tugging you back towards him gently as his lips brush over yours. “i was stressed,” teeth tug at your bottom lip before sucking on it gently and releasing it. “i had one earlier.” now, lips kissing you again before you can comment on him smoking.

hands grasp at his suit jacket, pushing him back gently to break the kiss. “it tastes terrible.”

“come on,” he mumbles, leaning down so his face is to your neck, teeth grazing the skin before he sucks on the skin. your cheeks warm at the realization of his action and quickly pull away from him and head for his closed office door.

“john price!” you hiss quietly, glaring at him. “i’m not leaving your office with a hickey or the taste of cigars in my mouth.” hand reaching for the door handle, you make your way out. he huffs in defeat, body heading to his chair as he sits back down.

despite being close already, your hand at the back of his head pulls him closer to deepen the kiss; body pressed against his as you straddle his lap. he remembered you hated the taste of the cigars, it was such a stupid thing but it made your chest tighten.

chuckling against your lips, his hands reach to securely grab at your ass to support you in his arms. his body rises up from his chair as he sits you down on the edge of the desk, guiding you to lay down. lips never breaking from yours, he reaches for your pants as fingers toy with the string to untie it.

only does he stop when he’s about to tug the pants off, hands pulling his face away from yours.

“john-“ you gasp for air, breathing quickened as you try to catch your breath.

“don’t tell me i need to sleep.” he mumbles, hands still pulling the pants off as you are left on the desk in your panties and shirt. hands grab at your body again to pick you up.

“we’re both not going in tomorrow.” he proceeds to carry you to his bedroom and you can’t help but smile, face nuzzling his neck as you place light kisses.

#john price #john price x reader #captain john price #captain price #captain john price x reader #john price cod #nic talks price #lawyer!price

[xhmeusworld]

keep on the sunny side | lee jihoon

genre: paramedic! jihoon, single parent! reader, fluff

pairings: lee jihoon x gender neutral reader

warnings: seizures, child injury, medical terms (not a lot but some), jihoon does cpr

word count: 1.7k

note: okay so i work in a hospital and i love paramedics so paramedic jihoon was born. i may return back to this idea if you guys were like me too :)

lee jihoon wasn’t the type that expressed his emotions freely. it wasn’t that he didn’t feel them. truly, he felt everything deeply.

anger, sadness, excitement. they consumed his very existence, but in his line of work, it was just easier to pretend that he felt nothing. it was easier to get through the day if he remained as stoic as possible.

his coworkers often questioned him about the front he created. did seeing sickness and death 24/7 not affect him at all? how could he move from a fatality call to a car accident without even showing a hint of grief? only his partner, a boy named minghao, understood that jihoon was indeed deeply affected by the things he encountered.

so deeply affected that the only thing he could do to survive was to shove the feelings deep inside, not allowing them to resurface.

however, there’s one thing he always remembers.

eight.

that’s how many children jihoon had lost in his career.

it was honestly rare that he and minghao received calls involving children. it had been a couple of years since the last one, but the universe seemed to decide that tonight was the night to reset the cycle.

the call came in around two in the morning. jihoon never heard the 911 call itself or read the transcript. the information was just relied to him and minghao in an urgent manner and then they were off.

the ride would have been peaceful if jihoon wasn’t on duty. the streets were empty, the stores were closed. everything was at peace.

that was until the sound of sirens cut through the night, ruining and disturbing any sense of tranquility that had existed.

unit 205, we have a five-year old male unresponsive as a result of a grand-mal seizure. there has been documented history of cerebral palsy since birth, but his mother reports no history of seizures prior.

when minghao and jihoon reached the scene, racing up to the apartment number that given to them by dispatch, jihoon only had one thought in his mind.

please don’t let this be number nine.

jihoon didn’t even have time after he knocked on apartment 24 to ask questions because as soon as the door flew open, he immediately knew that he and minghao needed to act. now.

a five-year old boy was on the living room floor, convulsing. a dark blue guardian helmet covered what appeared to be his unruly black hair and jihoon breathed a sigh of relief that at least there was no possibility of head trauma.

“i- i don’t know what happened,” you stuttered out. “noori just woke up and we were sitting on the couch together and he started having a seizure. he’s never had one before!” a sob escaped your lips. “please, you have to save my baby. he’s all I have!”

minghao and jihoon quickly got to work to administer diazepam, which was meant to immediately stop the seizure. jihoon hated using diazepam as it had to be used rectally and he thought it took all respect away from the patient, but he had no other choice as a result of the boy’s unconscious state.

jihoon rolled the young boy into his side as gently as he could muster in a hurry as minghao carefully gave the diazepam. thankfully, it worked like it was supposed to and the boy’s muscles instantly relaxed.

you let out a breath you didn’t know you had been holding, but jihoon knew it was too soon to start celebrating. he was proven right when minghao searched for a pulse.

“he’s not breathing! start compressions!”

without hesitation, jihoon pressed his hands into the little boy’s chest, counting the all too familiar numbers out, his voice sounding exhausted. “1, 2, 3… he tried to ignore the sickening crack that sounded, signaling that he had broken the boy’s ribs.

“come on, noori, breathe for me,” the dark-haired boy begged, hitting thirty and stopping the compressions as minghao yelled “hold!” his partner’s fingers reached out to feel for a pulse. “start again!”

jihoon resumed his position. “1, 2, 3…” he tried to ignore the cries from you who was currently being consoled by the other paramedics who had just arrived as backup.

strands of his dark hair fell out of his small ponytail, covering his face and he cursed over the fact that he hadn’t found the time to get a much needed haircut.

“hold!” jihoon paused the compressions. “resume, no pulse!”

starting the third set of compressions caused a huge sense of panic to run through lee jihoon. most child patients responded by the second set and here he was on number ten of a third.

all he could repeat was please don’t be number nine.

“jihoon, i think we have to call it,” minghao spoke, quietly, hoping to god you didn’t hear him over the other paramedics. “his heart isn’t beating.”

one word popped into jihoon’s mind.

no.

and he kept going.

and thank god he did because almost if the young boy knew that he was about to ruled dead, his eyes flew open and he sucked in a breath.

“noori, my son, my sweet boy,” you cried as jihoon finally relaxed his tense muscles.

he did it. lee jihoon didn’t reach number nine.

•••

months had passed since jihoon and minghao loaded the young boy and you into an ambulance. you had your entire attention on your son as to be expected, but as jihoon monitored noori’s vitals and ensured the seizures were not going to resume, he had to force himself to not look at your face.

the dark-haired boy thought you were one of the most beautiful human beings he had ever seen and the pure love you had for your child made jihoon even more attracted to you. he attempted to shove the thoughts into the back of his mind as best as he could.

he was doing his job. that was it.

and that’s what he kept telling himself even as he sat staring at his computer at his local coffee shop.

jihoon had decided to take a day off to get caught up on necessary tasks he could do remotely. he had completed most of everything he needed to do, but his thoughts were so tangled with you that he didn’t even notice that someone was stumbling toward him until he felt weight in his lap.

he looked down to see a familiar sweet face.

“oh my god, I’m sorry! normally, he doesn’t just run up to new people and oh-“ recognition dawned on the your face as jihoon watched you take in his features.

the dark-haired boy smiled as he patted the head of the boy who was lying across his lap. “it’s nice to see you again.” noori’s guardian helmet dug into jihoon’s thighs. it did not feel pleasant and he was sure there were going to be bruises covering him tomorrow, but he didn’t mind. this boy had touched his heart in many ways.

while he was aware that noori had survived and recovered days after he saved his life, jihoon couldn’t stop himself from thinking about not only the boy, but you as well. were you holding up okay? did the hospital provide you any resources to help with noori’s care since it was just you as the caretaker? how were you surviving everything on your own?

minghao teased him that he had a crush on you. jihoon insisted that he was just concerned, but now looking at you in the cafe and knowing that your son had formed an attachment to him as well, maybe his partner was right.

his heart was beating quick. his palms felt sweaty. and he desperately tried to ignore the utter joy that entered his heart when you beamed at him. him and your son.

“i thought after noori’s episode i wouldn’t see you again to thank you,” you explained. “you saved his life. you helped me keep my son and i didn’t know if i could reach out to you because HIPAA laws and-“

jihoon couldn’t control the the smile that crawled onto his face at your rambling. god, it was cute. you were cute.

“you don’t have to thank me at all,” he explained. “i was doing my job.” jihoon patted noori’s shoulder one more time as the young boy shifted awkwardly into a sitting position. “it looks like noori remembers who i am.”

you tucked your hair behind your ear, almost shyly. “yeah, once he was at the hospital, i don’t he understood that you were a paramedic. although he can’t talk, i could tell he wondered why you weren’t coming into his hospital room.”

noori slowly got to his feet, wobbling his way back to you, his guardian helmet resting against your thigh. almost instinctively, you wrapped your arm around him.

“well, i would have checked on him but once you guys were out of my care, I didn’t have any information to find where you guys went,” jihoon stated, shutting his laptop. “but i’m glad I get to see you guys now.”

you grinned. “we’re glad to see you too, jihoon.”

you knew his name? he was going to die.

“and i absolutely hate to cut this conversation short, but noori has a doctors appointment in about half an hour and we should start heading that way.”

jihoon nodded, his brain turning into a thousand of circles. he didn’t want you to leave. “oh okay. maybe I’ll see you around?”

“yeah, maybe.” there’s your cute smile again. “bye, jihoon.”

“bye y/n. bye noori.”

you started toward the exit to the coffee shop something in jihoon’s mind told him that he couldn’t let you walk away. he absolutely couldn’t and before he knew it, he was on his feet.

lee jihoon wasn’t the type that went for what he wanted. it was easier to just let things happen naturally. no point in interfering with the universe. if didn’t happen without him doing anything, then it wasn’t meant to be.

but you were different. he knew you were different and he couldn’t just let you and your son walk out the door.

“hey, y/n, wait!”

you jumped at the sound of jihoon’s voice, your hand tightening around noori’s. your other hand pressed against the door of the coffee shop, holding it open. you were shocked by the boy racing up to you and the only word that seemed to leave your mouth was “yes?”

now that jihoon had your attention, his courage was almost completely gone. what if you said no? what if you laughed in his face? he was just a paramedic. you weren’t obligated to tell him yes just because he saved your son’s life.

the dark-haired boy awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck as he studied your face, looking for any sign of discomfort.

“um, uh- would you like to go on a date sometime?”

#kpop #kpop imagines #kpop scenarios #seventeen #seventeen fluff #seventeen imagines #seventeen scenarios #svt x reader #svt #kpop au #woozi #woozi x reader #svt woozi #lee jihoon #svt jihoon #jihoon x reader #seventeen jihoon #seventeen mingyu #svt seungkwan #svt minghao #seventeen vernon #seventeen dino #seventeen smut #seungcheol #seventeen soonyoung #seventeen wonwoo #seventeen masterlist #jeonghan #joshua hong #wen junhui

[mssonepiece]

🩷High School Sweetheart🩷

🩷Chapter 1🩷

The Text?

Megumi Fushiguro x fem!Reader; Modern AU, no curses, cursed spirits or possession of cursed techniques; Reader and other characters are in college.

1.3k+ Words

Next Chapter

Dear Megumi, we've been friends since middle school and I've been thinking maybe it'd be nice to know if you feel the same way that I do about you.. I hope I don't regret this... I feel more close to you than any of our other friends and lately I can't stop myself from wanting to be around you all the time, it's okay if you don't feel the same. I love being your friend and I'm so scared to lose that because of this.

Looking at the message you typed out on your phone five minutes before you think of how this is the corniest text you've ever written up in your life. It would be utterly embarrassing to send this message just to be left on read or be told that your feelings are not reciprocated, making things awkward between the two of you. But you've felt as though you've had this crush on Megumi for so long that it's either shoot your shot and try to be something more or force yourself to stop hanging out with him in hopes to lose all romantic feelings toward him. Will that ever happen though? Would you be able to lose feelings even if you did ignore him? The more you think about the situation the more you feel like the text is a bad idea. Is it a good idea to ruin this friendship for the chance of something... more. Ding

~After The FaceTime With Maki~

You and Maki talked on the phone for a good hour and a half before you had to end it short for a bit of grocery shopping. You should have done it much earlier in the week, then you could have stayed on the phone longer. If you don't go today though then you will have nothing to eat tonight. On the way there you think back about what Maki told you over the phone. She of course had more to say about Mai, they've been living together for a year now in an apartment their parents pay for but Maki is the only one doing the daily chores around their house. You think that if you were her, you would have made Mai do more or move out way sooner. Maki of all people is surprisingly patient with her though.. at times.. It seems like she's also having the usual problems with her father too. They always seem to have some sort of dispute going on but today was particularly bad. He doesn't accept what college she has chosen to go to and is trying to have her drop out and transfer to the same college that Mai attends. Mai goes to a more high-league school but Maki has no interest in going to a school that is only to help her family's public image... It's that bad. Well her father called again pestering her this morning and when she declined for the hundredth time, he called the college board saying that Maki was very interested in transferring soon, even asking for her transcript. He's taking things too far, you can't help but feel bad for her. Wishing you could have talked to her more on the phone and carried on walking the short way to your local market.

The sun is setting, casting a beautiful blend of colors across the cloudless sky. On the side of the sky where the sun has already subsided, stars are starting to appear. Your feet slowly stop moving forward as you crane your neck up, getting a better view of the whole night sky. You could look at it forever but the awkward feeling of standing in the middle of a sidewalk was creeping up on you, making you take slow steps towards the market again. It's a silent walk other than the cars and people passing by. It's peaceful. Well until the sudden thought of wanting to share this moment with Megumi. Leading to a slideshow of thoughts. Your head felt like it was spinning and full of so much information that it just wanted to drop on the hard concrete ground.

The market doors seem to appear in front of you out of nowhere, arms instinctively reaching out to pull the handles. Maybe you've been a little in your head lately because of this whole Megumi thing but none of the choices of action are appealing. If you were to end up ruining your friendship with Megumi over some high school crush then you’re sure you could never forgive yourself. He’s always been there, mentally and physically. Ever since you first became close in middle school he has been the first friend you would choose to hang out with, even though he can be a bit of a bore sometimes he is good company. You could be sitting in silence together for hours, him reading a book and you playing a video game, watching a show, or sometimes reading along with him and neither of you would have anything to complain about. But if you carry on feeling like this without ever telling him then it would soon be too hard to even be around him anyway. It’s slowly becoming a comfort to have him just hanging around whenever you have something you need to do. You would have even asked him to come along shopping with you if you had not felt embarrassed by the whole text you wrote up earlier, and didn’t even send. The urge to text him now is strong but what to say isn’t coming to mind. You’re better off getting what you need from the market and going back home. Maybe then you'll be able to think of something to send him.

Setting the few bags of grocery’s down on your dining room table you finally take a deep breath for the first time in what seems like hours. Reaching back for your phone from the back pocket of your jeans, you open the messages app. 

After updating Kirara and texting Maki again about your crush situation, you decide it’s best to put your phone away for a bit while you make dinner. Choosing to ignore the fact that you told both of your friends you were going to text Megumi. But also sending a text to Nobara that will catch her attention, riling up her pho mo.

Your kitchen isn't very big, only having a small one bedroom apartment often doesn't come with much foot space. You still try to make it look nice with decor and furniture. Plants really have helped with brightening up your home, bringing different greens and yellows throughout your house. It makes you feel like your apartment is 'homey' and more livable. Everywhere you've lived before here never really felt like your own. Going from your family home, to a year long roommate situation, and finally now you rent your own apartment off-campus. It's such a different feeling knowing that you have the place to yourself and of course the responsibility of the bills will definitely make you feel that difference too. It's close to campus, just a short five minute walk. You're even able to stop by Starbucks everyday, you don't.. but you could. You basically live in the center of town so you can walk to most places with ease, making rent much more tolerable too when not having to pay for a car. You'll have to deal with your college loans later in life, but that's the least of your current worries.

Dinner is as boring as usual, chicken and rice. Anything that is quick and easy to make so that you can relax sooner. It doesn't take long to make the rice and start on the chicken. You start to feel like it would have been better to order food but it's all worth it when you get to sit on the couch with a steaming bowl of chicken and rice. Situating a pillow in your lap, then the bowl of food on top. You use your right hand to hold the bowl in place on your lap and the other to reach for the tv remote now that you're comfortable, turning on the television to Netflix most recent watches. Episode 13 of "Orange is The New Black" brightens the display from the dark loading screen previously there. You raise your hand to the spoon sitting in the white glass bowl and take a bite from it as the show starts. You hear a faint ringing of an iPhone from the kitchen but choose to ignore it til the end of the episode.

Masterlist

Let me know if you want to be on the tag list!

Tag List~ @m00nglad3-mp3 @we-loveebony

#jjk #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen x reader #fushiguro megumi #megumi fushiguro #megumi x reader #fushiguro megumi x reader #megumi fushiguro x reader #jjk smau #jujutsu kaisen smau #jujutsu kaisen x you #jjk x you #megumi x you #megumi x y/n #maki zenin #kirara hoshi

[anonymouspuzzler]

To the trio, how do you like to spend your days off??

some variation on this happens, like, three times a week Minimum when they're not on or preparing for a heist.

[Full transcript / image IDs under cut!]

A black-and-white, digital ink comic featuring Puzz's OCs, Buck, Minnie and Davey. Buck is a middle-aged white man with a barrel-chested build, balding hairstyle with a tuft of hair on top, large nose, heavy brow, and large shaggy mustache; he is wearing a t-shirt with the sleeves cuffed, dark pants, and heeled boots. Minnie is a 13-year-old white girl with a stocky build, freckles, buck teeth, and hair with short bangs and large braided pigtails; she is wearing a t-shirt with a label tag on the bottom hem, a pleated skirt, shin-length socks and mary jane type shoes. Davye is a middle-aged black man with a lanky build, amputated right arm, large ears, large eyes with long eyelashes, diagonal scar across his face, large eyebrows, and lnong curly hair; he is wearing a baggy tank top and sports shorts. Each individual image is one panel of the comic.

Image/panel 1 shows shows Buck walking to the left, pushing a sponge-type mop with both hands and looking up towards the viewer with a casual expression. He is saying, "I mostly try and catch up on chores."

Image/panel 2 shows Buck having stopped in front of a messy kitchen counter, with an open bag of bread and two jars on it. One jar is tipped on its side and the other is open with a knife sticking out of it. Minnie casually walks off to the right, bringing a sandwich up to her mouth with both hands and ignoring Buck. He is looking after her with an irritated look, cartoon steam clouds coming off of him, one hand clenched into a fist at his side and the other still holding the mop. He says, tersely, "...which would be easier if some people would clean up".

Image/panel 3 shows Minnie continuing to walk off to the right, taking a bite out of the sandwich and looking in the general direction of the viewer with a casual, aloof expression. She says, "I do online classes sometimes when we're not doing heists, but I guess that's not a "day off". Other than that I mostly watch TV or play video games."

Image/panel 4 shows Minnie, back to the viewer, having arrived at the sofa. Davey is sitting in a slouched position on the sofa, one leg dangling off the edge, elbow propped up on the sofa and head leaning heavily into his hand. He is visibly asleep, drooling and snoring. A TV remote is balanced on top of his knee. Minnie glowers at him and says, "...or I would if some people weren't hogging the TV."

Image/panel 5 shows Minnie, glaring, climbing up onto the sofa, holding her sandwich in one hand and shoving Davey's shoulder with the other. Davey visibly startles awake, shouting, "I'M UP. Totally awake."

Image/panel 6 shows Minnie settling down on the sofa next to Davey, taking another bite out of her sandwich and saying, "Uh huh. So what are you watching while you're 'totally awake'?" Davey, leaning back and stretching out his arm, tongue sticking out, responds, "Mmph. Catchin' up on telenovelas." Minnie replies, "Mhm. So what's happening?" Davey responds, "Affairs, mostly."

Image/panel 7 shows another angle of the room, to Davey's left, as Buck leans in past the doorway and says, with an incredulous expression, "Don't tell me it's Julien again?" Davey, leaning forward and shouting with a similarly incredulous, outraged look, replies, "Yes!! With his own wife's new assistant this time!!! Can you believe it?!" Minnie leans forward to stare at Davey with one eyebrow raised.

Image/panel 8 flips the angle to over Buck's shoulder, showing Minnie and Davey looking at him from the sofa. Minnie, grinning smugly, says, "I thought you were all about cleaning today?" Buck glares back, looking slightly embarrassed, and replies, "I am cleaning." Davey leans slightly forward, propping his arm up on his knee, and says with a disarming grin, "Buck, you can come take a break." Buck replies, "No, no. I still got the dishes to deal with."

Image/panel 9 shows Buck standing beside the couch with his arms folded, clearly watching TV, with an arrow pointing to him reading, "Proceeded to stand there for 43 consecutive minutes." Minnie and Davey continue to sit on the couch, Minnie taking another bite of her sandwich, Davey leaning against the arm of the sofa and gasping at something on TV.

#long post / #anonymous puzzler answers #anonymous puzzler originals #bubblymiilk #apologies for this taking 5 million years as you can see i accidentally went Off #i wanna do a comic at some point that's just Average Day At the Villain Trio Hideout but it would probably be like 20 pages &i have. No Tim #Villain Coded comic

[marilostfieldblog]

[Video transcript begin.]

[The transcript begins from a front jacket pocket outside an abandoned building, the only lights coming from the camera and a car's headlights. The person with the camera slams the car door and begins walking up to the building.]

?: [Mumbling.] Edgar I swear to god. I should beat your ass

[Voice identified: Mari.]

[Mari begins walking into the building, climbing up stairs and checking every room for someone while shouting their name.]

M: EDGAR!

[After Mari does this for a bit, a loud laugh echoes down and throughout the building, it is unclear whether this is a good or a bad type of laugh.]

M: Jesus fucking christ.

[Mari runs up a set of stairs before screaming once more.]

M: EDGAR!

[No response, the laughter builds even more in volume.]

M: God damnit.

[Mari being walking to where the laughter is coming from, going up another flight of stairs.]

M: [Annoyed.] EDGAR!

[Once again, nothing. Although, the laugh is becoming split up by bouts of coughing.]

M: No fucking way he's on the fucking roof. God damnit.

[Mari begins climbing another set of stairs, seemingly extremely annoyed before reaching a door.]

M: [Pissed off.] KNOCK KNOCK!

[Nothing.]

M: Motherfucker. I said.

[Mari sprints through the door out to the roof.]

M: [Still pissed.] KNOCK. FUCKING. KNOCK.

[A figure on the roof jumps at least a foot into the air, and stumbles backwards when they land. Ending up nearly falling.]

?: JESUS–

[Voice identified: Edgar Elliot Pression.]

M: What the fuck are you thinking! Climbing up onto a roof? Escaping the hospital again!

E: Uh… I… um…

M: WELL!

E: I… I wanted to… er…

M: Kill yourself again?

[Edgar’s eyes widen immensely, and he jogs over to Mari.]

E: Jesus Christ, no! Not at all! I– did you think I was…?

M: YES! WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO THINK WHEN YOU BREAK OUT OF A HOSPITAL AND GO TO THE ROOF OF AN ABANDONED BUILDING!

E: Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Mari. I… that’s not why I’m up here.

M: Then why the fuck are you up here!

E: … do you not remember this building?

M: I kinda do? It's fuzzy but yeah. Why?

E: It’s the building we mostly hung out around, I believe. I wanted to come back and just… remember stuff.

M: You having memory issues too?

E: No, I… wanted to look back on all the bullshit we went through. I’m here to celebrate. We made it. Mari, we actually fucking did it.

M: Yeah… Yeah we did huh?

E: It’s… I can hardly believe it. When we first met, I was… I was mourning the loss of my daughter. In… I think I was put into the same room as that time. Idiots put me next to the fire escape again. We’ve… we’ve come so far, Mari. It’s incredible.

M: Yeah… I'm just glad you're ok.

E: Same to you. I… really thought I lost you. After the 18th.

M: I thought I lost myself… It was… Weird.

E: That’s what those masks do, yeah. Wanna sit? The sky is nice tonight.

M: Yeah sure…

[Edgar motions to the center area of the roof, before walking over and sitting down. He pats the spot beside him.]

[Mari slowly walks over to the spot, sitting down next to Edgar.]

M: Kinda funny to think it took that long for me to find Sarah and get out.

E: Ha, I guess, at least it wasn’t two whole decades and then some.

M: Yeah…

E: It’s weird… a few months ago I felt so out of place, but… I feel right at home now.

M: Probably helps we're all out.

E: Mhm. It’s just… hm… I don’t know, my whole perception of time is a little warped now, I think.

M: What do you mean?

E: I kinda… fell asleep in 1999 and woke up in 2023. That would fuck anyones internal clock up.

M: I mean yeah… You had that month though right?

E: They never told me what year it was, I think they assumed I knew. Also… memory was blocked. Couldn’t even remember it happened.

M: Fair…

E: Thank you for helping me adjust, if only a little.

M: Yeah no problem…

[Edgar laughs a little.]

E: Still don’t know what a ‘Rizzler’ is, though.

M: Yeah I got nothing. Something kids say I guess.

E: Damn it! I thought you’d know. I’ll have to ask Liam.

M: Yeah…

E: Are you feeling alright, Mari?

M: Yeah no it's just… Ugh I don't know it feels like I could've done more. I could’ve helped get more people out.

E: Hey, Mari. You got our group out. That’s more than enough, at least to me. Trying to get more people out would’ve been risky as hell. You could’ve died doing that. I’m happy with what we accomplished. You did good.

M: You’re one to talk. You set off what… 9 explosives? That's way more risky.

E: Nearly died doing it. That was also… very personal. I needed to do something like that. After all that company has done… Even if it was just a minor annoyance on the higher-ups end, I wanted to cause as much damage as I could.

M: I could've tried to break something… A streamers PC… Something.

E: I broke some stuff in your name, if that helps.

M: I had the chance to help the streamers… When I got lost trying to find Mai's office to help Sparrow? I had a chance and I left.

E: Mari, you did well, this regret is going to eat away at you from the inside out, I can tell. I need you to know that you did amazing.

M: But I could've helped. There's no denying that I couldn't have tried! I didn't try! I fucking left! I left those people to fucking rot when I could have at least tried!

E: You can’t save everyone, that’s a hard truth I had to accept. Heros don’t get rewarded. At least… not there. You did all you could without putting yourself in harm's way. You. Did. Good.

M: I had the chance. To help a few of them at least and Edgar I fucking turned around. I knew where to find them. I could have made a plan and I didn't!

E: Someone else can help them. We aren’t the only ones who are dealing with stuff like this. Not everything has to rest on your shoulders. I get that you feel guilty, I… feel the same. It’s a horrible feeling. But we can get through it together, alright? I’ll be here for you.

M: I hate this… I hate this so much.

E: Me too, it’s not fair. None of this is. We got very lucky. We need to enjoy this for the ones who didn’t.

M: Yeah… I guess that's true…

E: … sorry for the scare earlier, by the way.

M: It’s fine… I should've listened to Rose when she said you'd be fine…

E: That’s a reasonable reaction, honestly. Because I know I’ve made choices like that before. I didn’t consider the possibility that someone would think that, and that’s on me.

M: Two people actually… Sparrow's pretty worried.

E: Ah, shit. Hm… I need to apologize to them when I get the chance. [A pause.] Off topic… have you ever escaped from the hospital? I… can’t remember.

M: No… I don't think so?

E: Well, the thrill is absolutely incredible. Someone is probably going to get mad at me for this, but… I’d definitely recommend it.

M: Well… Uh Sarah's the only one that would get mad I think…

E: I’ll watch out for her, then.

M: Oh and look out for Cassidy… Pretty sure she still owes you a gut punch for making her worry on the 28th.

E: Noted. Y’know… this whole experience is reminding me of that first hospital escape.

M: How so?

E: Just… everything. Wanna know something funny?

M: Sure.

E: I promised I wouldn’t leave until I was ready. And I technically didn’t even break it. I just decided I was ready to go, and left.

M: Fair enough… Hm…

E: Yeah?

M: I don't think… I've ever seen my own mom's grave… Hm.

E: Oh. That… sure is a 180 from what we were talking about. I won’t stop you if you want to go visit it.

M: I'll ask Ness to drive me and Hina eventually… He kinda banned us from ever going to visit it…

E: He as in… Ugh, I don’t even want to say his name.

M: Yeah. Him.

E: … He’s not around to stop you anymore.

M: Yeah… Yeah I know.

E: You can do whatever you want now.

M: Yeah…

[Mari begins sounding as if trying not to cry.]

E: Aw, come here, Mari.

[Edgar extends his arms, offering up a hug.]

M: I miss her dude…

[Mari leans into the hug, crying.]

E: She sounded lovely. I’m very sorry that happened to her.

M: It’s not fair… It happened on my birthday!

E: I know, it’s not fair. Not in the slightest.

M: I… Just… Why? Why did he do it? It's not fucking fair!

E: I can’t tell you why, because I have no idea. If you ever need support, though. Again, right here.

M: Thanks Edgar… God can't wait for someone to ask if this makes you my accidentally adopted dad.

E: God, I can’t have any more kids! [He chuckles.] But uh… I’ve always seen us as friends, really. Might not be the same for you, but… yeah.

M: Yeah no… It's about the same here.

E: [Jokingly, pulling back from the hug.] Thank god, my family tree is already so fucking messy.

M: Yeah I mean… Technically you're a great uncle…

E: At 28 years old, too… Jesus. Family reunions are going to suck. Someone is going to say ‘Oh go and see your great great uncle!’ and then they look over and see a 40 year old man.

M: I mean… Rose is an aunt at 20. And technically her youngest sister was older than her.

E: Yeah, this family tree is… yikes. Let’s hope there’s never a school project that needs it. Imagine explaining that at a parent teacher interview.

M: Yeah… Oh sweet Jesus, we have to warn everyone to get Sparrow and Cassidy back to school…

E: Shit. Right. According to Leon, it was already hellish to get Liam back to school, I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult that’s going to be.

M: There’s also Peony. Who I assume Sparrow won't leave at the apartment for 8 hours.

E: We’ll figure it out. We always do. Eventually.

M: We have maybe a week before school starts back up.

E: … Time to put my improv skills to the test. Let’s see how much fake backstory I can make up to explain Sparrow and Cassidy before I can convince someone to let them go to class.

M: At least we can get Jenny's help? Sparrow does call her mom.

E: And Jenny looks older than me, I think? So nobody would really question her about having children that age…

M: With the exception that Sparrow has only been gone from school for a few months and we have no idea how long Cassidy has been an employee.

E: We’ll figure it out.

M: And then we have to explain Peony.

E: … We’ll figure it out.

M: How do we explain a super intelligent AI in an animatronic body?

E: No clue. But we’ll manage. If I can open a bank account after being legally dead for over 20 years through the power of improv, we can explain Peony.

M: [Giggling.] How?

E: The bank account? Or Peony?

M: Peony!

E: … Emotional support robot.

M: Knowing this town that might just work.

E: Yeah, these schools have had worse. You should’ve seen the schools in the 80s and 90s, man.

M: Why?

E: That’s when I was a student. It was fucking crazy.

M: Bloody hell…

E: Ever seen a kid get stuck in a locker with two other people?

M: WHAT?

E: They were stacked like fucking lego. I may or may not have been one of them.

M: Fucking hell-

E: I was a nightmare of a student, Mari. I saw the principal sigh in relief on my last day in elementary.

M: Reminds me of how I heard the nurse's celebration when I had my final day of school.

E: HA! Oh, it’s always so fun to hear about school experiences. The amount of times I just… left class without consequences was astounding.

M: I got let out early a lot of the time for fighting the jocks. Not my fault they called Sarah weird.

E: I feel like we would’ve gotten along well in high school.

M: Yeah probably! OOOOO Did I ever tell you the time I kicked a jock so hard he left the school gym crying for his mom?

E: You haven’t! That sounds fucking hilarious.

M: It was! It was fucking great! Well… Great for me. Not so great for my school's nurses.

E: I’d imagine so! Oh my god, I need to go find my yearbook sometime.

M: God that would be hilarious!

E: Maybe you’d finally get to see me when I wasn’t a huge fucking nerd. I miss how I used to dress, honestly.

M: I kinda just dress the same… There might be a photo of me in a clown dress somewhere actually.

E: There’s definitely photos of me in a dress and heels in my yearbook.

M: Yeah… Still trying to remember some stuff but I swear there's a funny reason for the clown dress.

E: I’m sure. WAIT. Oh! I completely forgot about those!

M: Hm?

E: My platforms! I really liked that outfit, I got quite a few compliments wearing it.

M: Nice!

[A pause.]

E: … When do you think we should head back?

M: Rose was pulling steak out of the freezer when I left. So maybe soon? She's probably cooking it as we speak.

E: Oh, fuck yeah! We should get going.

M: Wanna get down the wacky way?

E: Um, yeah? Of course! Also, did you drive here?

M: Yeah, I stole Henry's car. Why?

[Edgar turns to Mari, grinning.]

E: Could I drive?

M: Sure. Just don't mess up the car.

E: I won’t, don’t worry. Now… what’s the wacky way?

[Mari begins to pull a very long thick rope out of their bag, looking at Edgar.]

M: Ever climb down a building with a proper rope?

E: Once or twice.

[A mischievous look slowly fades into his eyes, and he stands up.]

[Mari follows suit, seemingly looking for a place to tie the rope.]

M: You see a metal pipe or anything?

E: There’s a few over on the right side, I believe.

M: Ight, bet. Follow me.

[Mari begins walking over to the right side of the roof.]

E: God, I haven’t done this in ages! This is going to be great!

M: I think the last building I climbed down was an abandoned hospital? I think?

E: Last time I did this, it was to get out of a boring college party, I believe.

M: That sounds like some shit I would do.

E: Anyone would’ve, that party was awful! If I had to hear about this guy's scholarship one more time I would’ve started kicking stuff over.

M: Fair enough dude.

[Mari laughs before turning and walking over to a metal pipe. Shaking it around to no movement on the pipe's end.]

M: Ight this one will do.

E: Should I go first? Or you?

M: I'll go first. Knowing your luck I don't trust that you won't fall.

E: What? I– no, that’s… that’s fair.

[Mari chuckles before tying the rope to the pipe and throwing the other end down off the side of the building.]

M: Ready?

E: Yep!

M: Ight!

[Mari grabs the rope and begins climbing down, hopping off the wall for extra speed. After a minute or so they land on the ground and shout.]

M: BE CAREFUL!

E: [Distant.] I’M ALWAYS CAREFUL!

M: THAT’S CAP AND YOU KNOW IT! YOU HAVE MORE RIB INJURIES THAN ME!

E: [Distant.] I DON’T KNOW WHAT CAP MEANS! BUT FINE!

M: IT MEANS BULLSHIT!

E: [Distant.] NOTED! ON MY WAY DOWN!

[After a few more minutes, Edgar lands on the ground. He shakes his left hand out, before looking at Mari.]

E: Where’s the car?

M: Over there.

[Mari points.]

E: Nice, thanks for letting me drive!

[Edgar walks in the direction Mari pointed.]

M: Just don't crash.

E: I won’t! I’ve never– I’ve never crashed. Hm. That was weird, sorry.

M: You good?

E: Yeah, no, I’m fine. No idea what that was. Let’s get going.

[Edgar climbs into the driver's seat of the car, awaiting Mari in the passenger seat.]

M: Ok.

[Mari hops through the window into the passenger seat.]

E: [Turning the car on.] I hope you have a strong grip on that handle.

M: Got it.

[The radio is turned up, and Edgar’s eyes light up as he hears the song ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ playing. He turns to Mari, a large grin on his face.]

E: You will likely regret letting me get into the driver's seat within two minutes.

M: Probably.

[The car's tires screech as he drives off, he appears to be anything but focused on the way ahead, singing along to the song on the radio, taking reckless turns in the car. The car goes over a bump, and they appear to go airborne for a split second.]

M: GOD DAMN-

E: [Gleefully laughing.] THIS IS WHY LIAM KEEPS A HELMET BY THE FRONT DOOR!

M: THIS IS FUN!

E: GLAD YOU THINK SO!

[The two continue along on the road, music blaring. Relying on only luck to get them home without getting multiple tickets. They don’t care, they’re free.]

[Transcript end.]

#TW suicide mention #showfall ask blog #encoreverse blog #transcript

[jesuisgourde]

The story of Alan Wass saving Peter from a punch-up in a 24 hr shop, told in A Likely Lad vs a typewritten version posted to twitter in 2016 or thereabouts.

A Likely Lad transcript:

I was in a newsagent in Camden Town one night, two in the morning, and I was a bit drunk and got into some argument with these five Somali lads, and they started attacking me, and Alan came out of nowhere - he had a big hat on, long coat, swept them all up in his arms and put them through the window of this all-night shop.

Typewritten 2016 transcript [First part from a screenshotted video, the rest from twitter posts]:

Alan Wass contributions to Albion personel personal safety No. 3 'The 'onegreat push for Arcady' incident of 2005 (?) It was about 4 a.m. And myself and Alan were the survivors of a 3 days expedition into urban intoxication. Our research had taken us as far as the Camden Town end of Kentish Town road and in a newsagents/ refreshments bordago we exchanged strange burring noises as I showed him a recent copy of the now defunct music magazine the NME... I was the subject of an interview and review in that weeks edition and as such I held the well-known periodical for dramaticeffect. A group of 4 or 5 Somalian hoodlums entered the shop at that moment, and the sensor device above the door announced each of the chaps' arrival ith a little analogue 'ding' ok people ...before I continue with this rip-roaring yarn, I want you to try and guess (a la 'question of Sport') What Happens next

Alan was taken with them menacing posturing of the Somalian boys.. he knew one of them and began passing round a bottle of screwtop wine he hadnt paid for yet The shopkeeper just stared , his trigger finger near the alarm [Illegible] One of the boys looked at me, his head tilted to one side. O I'm adorning this visit to the mise en whatsit, ..the truth is..all I remember is one of the lads insisting that he knew me ..but couldn't place me ..then he saw the NME cover, and blinked with what could have passed for innocence in that awful harsh light I have already gone on about, trying desperately to capture here the seedy illumination in that place, in all these places. A row of bulging, explicit figures jostled for pornographic attention on the shabby top shelf. I was distracted for a second by 'classic cock monthly', which was cleverly designed to resemble the vintage automob-ile magazine . I wondered if there were copyright issues, and was slapped out of this odd thought by a sharp blow to the side of the head. My hat flew off, and the NME front cover came apart a I crashed against the racks of papers. all Albions monthlies and weeklies and tv guides and spankmags..the hat that I was wearing on the NME cover was now perfectly fitted on a photograph of a top-heavy lass with a saddle under one arm . chaos. I threw a punch at the face At that point I dodged a kic k, but was jumped from behind of my attacker and fell under a battering of kickc and clobbering.. Here's where it happen'd

and I see it clearly in my sometimes muddled memory Alan – in striped trousers tucked into huge riding boots – ran into the cluster of boys – scooped them all up in his arms and ran them through the glass doors of the shop front. He somehow was collosal, suddenly appeared 20 foot tall. They lay shocked in the broken glass, and mostly scattered, one of them stood up and screamed abuse at us but Alan's face – scaring even me – cast a spell on him. He visibly crumbled and ran off as sirens w ailed in all directions. It was like seeing a mother hen collecting her chicks he had this superhuman strength in him.. and I know that exageration colours these type of anecdotes, but I also know what happened... And that's what happened.. scooped them up and dashed them out and down and fucked them off. Be-jaysus

#peter doherty #pete doherty #a likely lad #i know which version i'd rather read #alan wass

[shallowseeker]

Harper Sayles's got a pretty messed up mindset, no?

Something bad happened to this girl, mark my words.

///

==Harper is fixated on her romanticized, idealized first love and she's scared==

Her love is the love of a child. It's immature, romanticized. She wants to stay in the symbolic nursery, where everything is easy and uncomplicated. Her journey in season 12 recalls the fragmentary Apple Pie Romanticization that Team Free Will struggled with with regards to friends/family members/career/romance/perfect war in season 8.

These include childlike assumptions about others that lead to ghostly mindsets of black-and-white thinking, of figments that "never let you down." It's a nonintegrated way of thinking. It's not real. (This is why so much meta exists on season 8's characters being illusory; that's the whole point of it.)

Here, Harper struggles with her own immaturity and flawed thinking. She never knew Vance as a complex, individuated person. He was painted in golden hues, as a perfect partner, a perfect friend, and even a perfect war companion. She killed him before he could disappoint her, (a dark, worst-self Dean mirror).

Harper shows signs of highly disorganized, unstable attachment. It's highly likely that Harper had an unstable, abusive parental figure that veered between hot and cold. It's highly likely that she killed other family members or even siblings in her past to deaden her morality and encourage killing-and-reviving as acceptable necromancer problem-solving.

(A family of necromancers would need to practice their skills, after all. Bodies are easy to come by, sure, but they might sadistically challenge gifted magicians by killing their loved ones to up the stakes. Anyway, I suspect some bad shit went down for Harper. She seems to be a necromancy specialist, meaning that's what she actively practiced.)

///

(From above:) HARPER: I'm sorry about this, Jack. I actually think I liked you. But you're obviously a Hunter and I come from a long line of necromancers. I mean, I can mostly only raise the dead, but that comes in handy. INT. LIBRARY - STACK - INTERCUT We're on Vance as he SLOWLY stalks all the way down the aisle... HARPER (from speakers): And I can't let you, or your friend, get in the way of the love Vance and I share. (then) What we had-- have-- it's first love, Jack. The best kind. Without baggage, or compromises. (then) Well, I did have to kill him to keep him here after college, but...every relationship has its stuff, right? ON VANCE. Past an aisle. Move down to reveal--

/// ==Jack keys into her FEAR of abandonment==

...and plays up his STRENGTH as a valuable PROTECTOR-type:

Jack, an astute emotional reader (like Dean and Cas) immediately clocks Harper's FEAR and diagnoses her problem. Then, he musters up the words that would best soothe her in the moment:

(From above:) ON HARPER-- confused. And BORDERLINE MANIC. HARPER: What? JACK: I'm not weak like those other guys. I'm not afraid to really love you. We see this land on Harper. Is Jack getting through to her? She's clearly bonkers, so this may be working. Jack steps out into the open. Harper inhales sharply. It's super melodramatic. JACK: What would it be like to be in love with someone alive? With someone you could walk down the aisle to in front of the whole town? And have a family with? With me? CUT TO-- DEAN. Prowling aisles-- shotgun up-- BACK TO JACK AND HARPER-- HARPER: But.. I tried to kill you. JACK: Every relationship has its stuff, right?

///

14x06 Optimism script

(Text Attributions// Supernatural scripts here via @spnscripthunt. Transcripts are located here via SPNWiki. Visit their Tumblr to donate.)

#some sad stuff here #spn optimism #harper sayles #jack stuff #jack kline #spn season 14 #spn 14x06 #spn steve yockey #jack relationships #harper/jack #harper + unstable attachment #cw abuse #harper + abuse #spn + necromancy #jack & dean #dark dean mirrors

[reddeadreference]

Journal - Epilogue 2:

(This post is all of the journal pages and typed transcripts that were written specifically for this chapter. This post will not include stranger missions or side stuff.)

She went and left me.

Gave me enough warning, I suppose. She weren't wrong. I'd leave me, if I could.

What now? No son, no woman, and a no good rancher on a no good ranch. These rich bastards, the Laramies want old Geddes dead. If I had a brain, I'd go work for them.

But I kind of like Geddes.

Saw Sadie Adler again. Guess I thought she'd been dead. Maybe it's just me that's been dead. I don't know.

Was good to see her. She's a bounty hunter and suited to the work. Saw her put a knife clean through the hand of some big old boy she was fighting with. Ain't seen her since she and Arthur saved Abigail and then Arthur saved my life. We headed north and she turned to this line of work.

Front gate

grazing?

Beecher’s Hope

Good news I now own a ranch. Bad news, I now have Uncle with me. Or it the reverse? If he don't shut his mouth, I'll paint this place with his blood. I bought a dumpy bit of land for Abigail, and she ain't here. Instead I got Uncle.

How the  hell did this happen?

I got the worst of all things. I miss Abigail. I been proper fool for longer than I can remember.

FOR ALWAYS.

Went to Saint Denis with Uncle because Charles Smith was there and in trouble. Charles had taken to boxing and did not seem in too much trouble after all, until we stumbled into some local gangsters who wanted to shoot both of us, but now he's here and I've got myself a completely different family to the one I had a while ago.

Not sure what to make of that.

This countryside is full of some of the worst scum and maniacs I've ever come across. Guess we fit right in. Went to buy lumber to build a new house.

Got jumped by some local gang everyone is terrified by. A hand Charles had hired got himself killed. Wonder if these bastards will bring trouble and how much.

Built ourselves a place to live. Never thought I would say those words. Now I just need a family and a way of paying off these debts.

Went off bounty hunting with Sadie, who l’d met again after all these years, and whole thing turned crazy.

Thank god Abigail weren't around or she'd have skinned me herself.

Abigail and Jack came back. Whole of my life suddenly makes some kind of sense.

If only I could pay off these damn debts -- and if only I could have been a different man all these years I wasted being a fool.

I'M GETTING MARRIED.

She thinks I'm a real fool and she's right, only she don't know quite why I am a fool

We got married and we danced and Uncle made us laugh and Jack seemed real happy.

Sadie left, after she fixed herself up. Charles went off hunting something or other, as I knew he would. Uncle ain't going anywhere.

Saw Dutch, damn near broke my heart again after all this time. Wanted to kill him but I didn't.

Saw Micah and was never gladder to see a man die. Whatever peace and happiness I can find in this world, I know it's a better place with him out of it.

After 100%

Guess we’re just about done, my friend.

It’s been quite a journey.

#rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 photo mode

[mehoymalloy]

WAITING; The Whitewatch Peaks

Continuing with the black box shorts that are a small part of my  Horizon Big Bang 2022 piece, When the Darkness Comes, because I think these soldiers’ stories deserve to be heard (even if I made them up).

The Whitewatch Peaks Black Box Transcript:

FIRST OFFICER SHARPE: Down to one engine. Mountainous terrain. And you actually landed it! How did you do that? You saved our lives.

CAPTAIN MORTON: Yeah. But, it's what? Four hours before the Swarm gets here? I should've let us all die in an instant. Now the twelve of us are trapped, waiting for the end.

Listen to the audio log on my photomode Twitter account here.

The jubilant smile faded from First Officer Sharpe's face as she took in the dejected countenance of her captain. He had served with her father, and while the years had left their mark, the last few months took his spark. He was not the man she remembered.

The man she had seen only a handful of times growing up was the type of man who slid his dessert onto her plate when her mother wasn't looking. A man who tossed her into the air by her armpits only to catch her at the waist, holding her aloft as he zoomed around the yard while she shrieked with joy. He called her the S.S. Sharpedo, because 'what did your old man think would happen, giving you a name like Sarah Sloane Sharpe?'

For years, Captain Morton let Sarah believe that his full name was actually Horton Morton, and she was too dumb to question it. She only found out the truth when she was eleven years old, at her father's funeral. Sarah had holed herself up in the coat closet, too ashamed to cry in front of anyone. Captain Morton came in after her, joints popping as he crawled into the little nest of hanging coats she had fashioned for herself. Shoved into a tight space with Sarah refusing to look at a man she hadn't seen in two years, he leaned over to whisper conspiratorially: "Did I ever tell you my name isn't actually Horton Morton?"

Teary eyes went wide with surprise, and she punched him in the arm even as she couldn't stop giggling, laughs strained but genuine.

In the present day, Sarah gave her captain that same sad smile. "Well, if I've got to sit here 'til the end, there's no one I'd rather be beside than the famed Captain Horton Morton."

Morton's bushy brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before recognition brought the barest spark to his eye. A wiry grin curled along his mouth, barely visible beneath his mustache, and he chuckled quietly. "What's Captain Horton Morton without the trusty S.S. Sharpedo?" he asked.

Sarah snorted, shaking her head slightly, before Tyreese cut in, leaning over her shoulder. "What the fuck are you two talkin' about?"

"Mind your damn business," Morton admonished as he slowly got to his feet. "Now start taking stock of our supplies; we've got a final stand to prepare for!" While Captain Morton's voice was stern, First Officer Sharpe caught the glimmer in his eye.

As she turned, Captain Morton laid his hand gently on her shoulder, and she turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Thank you," he said quietly. Then he scrubbed a palm against the scruff of his overgrown beard, desperately in need of a good shave. "Your dad would be proud of you, kid."

Sarah threw him a teasing smirk that did not deter her following words' sincerity. "Yeah. He'd be proud of you too."

Black Box 6/12

#operation enduring victory #black box shorts #horizon forbidden west #hfw #fanfiction

[adashofniallandasprinkleoflunacy]

That’s the golf cart boy that helps your family when you go to the country club and play golf and you ask him to teach you how to swing properly so he can put his arms around you

“I missed.” Y/N huffs as she watches her golf ball sail through the air and disappear into the lake behind her target, her shoulders slouching and mouth dipping into a subdued frown. This is her third failed attempt yet. “You’re utter shit at teaching for someone who’s been working here so long.”

Harry simply gives the amateur a crooked grin from where he’s standing off on the sidelines, his lean arms crossed over his stomach nonchalantly as he waits for her to finish walking towards to him. He takes the bait for their usual banter, snorting in amusement at her fiery reaction. “I’m an amazing golf coach; it’s not my fault you have no talent. I can only build on people’s skills, not pull them out of my ass and hand them over on a silver platter. Maybe if you actually practiced like I told you—”

“Maybe if this sport wasn’t so fucking boring,” she bites back, using the end of her golf club to nudge him pointedly in his sturdy chest, “I would be stimulated enough to try.”

Harry purses his lips to hide a filthy smirk, taking the tool from her and tossing it into the bag across the backseat of his cart. He turns back to face his conditional student, one of his brows inching upwards snidely. “Are you saying you’re not stimulated enough?”

Y/N’s features crack into a scowl at his inappropriate joke. “Hilarious. I bet you’re a hit among pre-teens, aren’t you?”

“I am, yeah!” He quips brightly, exaggerating an innocent smile as he rounds the side of the vehicle and mounts into the driver’s spot. He parts his legs widely as he gets comfortable, and she has to restrain the urge to rake her gaze down the unbelievably short trousers riding up his thick thighs. He pats at the seat beside him symbolically, silently requesting that she join him. “But I’m also great with the ladies. Get a hole in one every time. Literally.”

The girl releases a sound of aggravated disgust at his stupid self-absorbed comment, trudging through the wet grass and rolling her eyes in exasperation as he giggles boyishly. She hauls herself up into the front seat, plopping onto the leather surface with a deadpan expression written all over her face. “You’re despicable.”

“Ooh, that’s a neat new word! Are you working on expanding your vocabulary? Proud of you, love.”

“Just shut up and drive, Tiger Woods.”

“To our usual spot?”

She maneuvers to position herself accordingly, propping her feet onto his lap as he finagles the buggy into the designated setting. She fixes her frilly pastel blue skirt over her thighs as she does so, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a sly eyeful. Knowing him, he’d definitely take the chance.

Y/N taps the tip of her shoe against his lean tummy for significance, shrugging her brows impassively as she leans her head back against the nearest railing. “Where else would we go?”

“I dunno, maybe back to the club so your family isn’t left wondering where you are? S’kinda rude to make them wait,” he pauses for a moment to glance down at the watch decorating his wrist, humming to himself in realization, “especially because lunch is already being served. Food’s gonna get cold.”

“They can wait five minutes. It takes longer than that to starve to death.”

“Pretty brutal.”

“What is?”

Harry glimpses over at her with his tongue pressed along the inside of his cheek, condescension scribbled all over his demeanor. It’d been infuriating if he wasn’t so hot. Well, it’s infuriating regardless, but at least his attractiveness allows her to benefit from his antics.

The young man’s accent holds the same type of smugness slathered across his plush lips and defined cheekbones, and his words send a flush of heat down the knobs of her spine. “That you’d rather get fucked in an equipment shed than spend quality time with your relatives.”

Y/N narrows her eyes at him pettily, muscling down the warmth rising up her neck. “What’s it to you?”

“Nothing much.” He bobs his shoulders easily, tone dismissive and indifferent as he secures one bejeweled hand onto the steering wheel, the other finding perch above her knee. He gives it a playful squeeze, his dimples winking at her flirtatiously when she jolts at the iciness behind his chunky rings. “Just an observation, s’all.”

“I’m not sleeping with you so you can make observations.” She grumbles, but despite her attitude towards him, she doesn’t make any conscious effort to shed his touch. His skin is always so soft, and the sensation of his large palm resting anywhere on her body feels so fucking right.

“Aren’t you?” Harry inquires with snarky pretension, dropping the sole of his sneaker onto the acceleration pedal and causing the car’s ignition to roar to life. The tiny vehicle takes off across the slopes of the golfing meadow, jumping and creaking as it rides over all the dips and hills of the valley, trees and flags whizzing by as it speeds towards an all too familiar trail. “Because last time I checked, you seem to love it when I observe you on your knees. Beg for it, even.”

Y/N’s jaw clenches tightly at his taunting. “Piss off.”

“How’s that go again? Something along the lines of,” he sweetens his voice down into a dramatic pleading lilt, mimicking her moans from the past, “‘You taste so fucking good, Harry.’ and ‘I love it when you cum on my face, baby.’ and ‘I want you to fuck my mouth, daddy. Want it so bad.’”

The young woman’s teeth squeak from how hard she’s biting back her anger. “Asshole.”

“Is that not right? Is that not what happens?” Harry implores with a ridiculing pout and fluttering lashes, going out of his way to ride on her last nerve. His fingers begin to crawl higher up her leg, sneaking beneath the billowing edge of her skirt and tracing random shapes along the suppleness of her inner thighs, pinching and twisting at the flesh until he gets a physical response. He adores seeing her squirm against the waxy seat as she suddenly grasps onto his arm needily, especially because she does absolutely nothing to deter him from continuing. “Sorry, my memories get jumbled sometimes. There’s just so many of them, y’know? You whimper and whine for my cock so often, I can hardly keep track of every single time. Maybe I should start a transcript or summat, hm?”

Y/N’s voice pipes up low and venomous, but there’s a trembling undercurrent to it that she can’t deny. “If you keep being a dickhead, this’ll be the last one.”

Harry tuts conceitedly, cooing at her as his digits dive deeper into her bottoms, hooking into her panties and toying with her clit beneath the damp material. He doesn’t break his gaze away from the expanse of grass before them, but his arrogant simper is wide enough that she gets the perfect view of it from his ridiculously handsome side profile. “We both know that’s not true.”

“Get fucked.”

“I’m about to.”

#drabble

[commonwealthoccurences]

Whisper

Note: I can't emphasize how nice it was to write again holy crap. Anyways, here's this. The plot was almost completely based on a dream I had while down with a fever (I usually don't dream) so good luck lmao I'll probably make it into a longer fic because I have some ideas of what I'd want to happen but we'll see! Anyways, it's good to be back (:

TW: Graphic description of should-be-fatal injury! Needle mention.

It’s cold. At least, that’s what C8’s sensors were telling them. It was dark; the only light came from some sort of crack just in front of them, and pressure held them still on all sides. They had to get back to their handler, but the probability of that seemed unlikely, especially as they attempted to shift their weight and were met with no semblance of leeway.

Everything was completely still, in fact eerily so. Them, the air, whatever held them in place; all of it was unmoving and silent. There was no wind, no Commonwealth sounds to indicate where they were at all. It was as if they had been buried alive.

--

The walk to the meeting room was a silent one. The tension was thick, the kind one could taste if they lingered long enough. Of course, X6-88 wasn’t the type to linger whatsoever, to dawdle, especially since he had a mission to complete, and C8 was simply caught up in the whirlwind that was the rapid pace he had set. They followed close behind; their footsteps created some of the only noise in the building, other than a light chatter in the distance.

They were called upon by X6-88 to leave the Institute’s safe walls and emerge into the Commonwealth Wasteland in the name of science. At least, that’s what they were told by X6. He hadn’t really allowed much time for verification with Institute scientists, and considering this wasn’t the first time he had managed them for a task, C8 found no reason to question it.

C8 had never been this far out on the surface before. The trek to their task was a quiet one; X6 didn’t appreciate unnecessary commentary, and C8 was repressing shock at the state of the Wasteland more and more as they traveled. It was simultaneously everything they had expected, and nothing like the Institute had informed them. Yes, the ruins were exactly as informed, but it was also teeming with life in some places.

X6 stopped abruptly in front of a door and turned to face them for the first time in a bit. “Once we get inside you will shut down any internal communicators to the Institute. You are to listen to the discussions and transcribe them for later use, and answer any questions that are asked of you. You will release the transcripts to myself and only myself. Am I clear?” This… wasn’t how their tasks usually went. They had only been to the surface once, very briefly and heavily supervised by the Institute. X6 was their handler then as well, but he was notoriously dedicated to the Institute, as a Courser should be, and was very rigid about reporting everything they were doing back to the Institute. Of course, they had known X6 since they were created. Often, he was the only one they worked with, especially on smaller tasks. They were involved in any preparations for him leaving the Institute to do his job above ground, often transcribing his debriefing. To say the least, they were stuck together quite often; maybe prioritizing his instructions this one time wouldn’t be so bad. After all, he was one of the Institute’s most trusted. Right?

He must have sensed their hesitation, the conflicting orders flitting around in their programming. “This is the most important task that has been asked of you since your creation. I am not asking this lightly.” X6 sounded serious, of course he did, he always sounded serious, but there was something different about his tone. Was he… nervous? This was the first time C8 had ever heard anything other than absolute certainty from X6. They nodded firmly, determined to compensate for his uncertainty. He nodded back, and swung open the door.

X6 set the pace by striding straight towards the center of the room, where a large table stood, occupied by a large handful of people. People who were all staring directly at the two synths entering the room. “You’re positive this will work?” A woman spoke up, her boots resting on the tabletop as she reclined in her seat, glaring with distrust at C8.

“Relax, Des. X6 knows what he’s doing.” A bald man clapped his hand on her shoulder, his bright grin obviously meant to disguise his own discomfort. C8 didn’t point this out.

The rest of those participating in the meeting kept quiet, though the tension was palpable. X6 gestured to an empty seat and watched intently as C8 carefully arranged themself in their chair and began to pull out their equipment. Once they were settled and looked up at X6 for confirmation, he finally took his own seat. “We’re ready to begin.”

–

The next hour and a half was rife with tense conversation that bordered on arguments at some points. C8 had been typing away the entire time under X6’s watchful eye; he would join the back-and-forth at some points, to correct misinformation, or when asked a question, but other than that, his gaze was set firmly on C8 to make sure they were doing their job; never had X6 micromanaged them so strictly before.

The concerned debate grew more and more hostile until they found themself glancing at X6 for reassurance; they were used to having protection in these situations, and while they had faith in X6 and his ability to protect them, they were woefully outnumbered in this situation, though the others seemed to have some understanding of his value in the situation. C8 wasn’t sure at all of where they stood in these people’s eyes, and it didn’t matter to them, as long as they were safe. The Institute wouldn’t be pleased if they returned damaged.

Maybe their worry wasn’t completely unwarranted, because when they met X6’s eyes, he also looked wary of the escalating situation. With a simple nod of his head, they were instructed to continue their job. C8 couldn’t help the slight, uncomfortable shift they made, but continued dutifully, as instructed.

And then the room filled with smoke, more abruptly than should be physically possible. C8 wanted to curse the scientists that decided they should have human-like respiration (For the furthering of science, of course. This would allow them to detect how certain chemicals and other creations would affect humans! Delightful.) and began packing their equipment as quickly as possible as X6 stood over them protectively. The other members of the meeting scattered so efficiently they seemed to vanish as quickly as the smoke had appeared.

In a single minute they were packed and X6 began herding them out of the room and down the hallway. They were met with several masked figures, guns trained directly on the pair as they tried to escape. In a split second, C8 had to run through calculations. Logically, the only way one of them would make it out would be for the other to distract the figures in front of them. X6-88 was definitely more high profile than C8 when it came to Institute business, it was only reasonable for them to be after him. So C8 would be the distraction.

The brief thought that they still had the chip in their head that contained the transcripts flashed through them. So with the distraction it was pertinent that they avoided losing their head; that complicated things, considering the brutality they’d been informed was so common in the Wasteland.

They weren’t given any more time to think. They turned and shoved their equipment into X6’s arms and stepped forward towards the armed figures with determination. And that was as far as they got. Bravery wasn’t armor in the Wasteland, and with the pull of a trigger, C8 was shot in the throat, shoved to the side, and left to bleed on the hallway floor.

–

It’s cold. That fact remained true as C8 lay in the rubble for an unknown amount of time. Their sensors were starting to falter; they had to wonder if the blood seeping from their throat was causing some sort of malfunction. Realistically, they should’ve been long dead by now. Any human would’ve by now, and C8 was meant to be as close to human as physically possible, thanks to the Institute.

Absently, they wondered what went wrong. They didn’t even know why they were there in the first place, much less why the masked people wanted them dead. Of course, they were with the Institute, and C8 had always been taught that anyone not in the Institute was almost automatically an enemy, but still. X6 was careful. It should’ve been impossible for them to have been found. Maybe they hadn’t managed to turn their internal communicator off all the way, and the Institute had sent the masked shooters after them for their disobedience. C8 found themself balking bitterly at the thought; they were loyal to the Institute, of course, but the Institute wasn’t very loyal in return, so it wouldn’t surprise them if they had been almost murdered for the incident. X6 was loyal in return. Not in front of scientists or other synths; that wouldn’t make sense for his self preservation, but he had prevented them from being reset many times before. Maybe that’s why they hadn’t thought too much before doing what he had asked.

After a bit of a struggle they managed to wrench their arm free and press their palm to their throat. The blood was still dribbling forward from the hole in their neck. If they screamed for help, maybe someone would find them within the rubble. After all, they still needed to give their transcript to X6, if they could find him. If he made it out alive. No, of course he made it out alive; he was the Institute’s prize Courser, nearly impossible to find and even more impossible to kill.

There was a shift outside the little cave-in they’d come to know well in the hours they’d been awake. The crumbling of loose rubble underneath a boot, voices muffled by the same four walls. C8 took a deep breath and made an attempt to cry for help, but nothing came forth except an excruciating pain. So maybe that hadn’t been the brightest idea.

C8 let their head tip back and rest against some of the debris, a light shudder ran through them when they were forced to swallow the blood that oozed out as a result of their movement. Were they going to die alone, buried alive, with what could be hope just outside their stone casket? Well, maybe it was better this way, if they couldn’t get out. There was a high probability that if they got out, the Commonwealth would do what it did best and end their existence before they could transfer ownership of the transcripts. Then they would end up in the wrong hands, and X6-88 would have even more troubles to deal with. No, if they were going to die, they should die far from anyone else, where the transcripts could die with them, a secret.

Of course, as soon as they put the notion into words, they weren’t allowed to rest. The footsteps grew closer and closer until they were right outside the little space they were trapped in. “There might be something here.” Someone called out.

C8 didn’t have the strength to call out, nor to shrink away. They were left with no choice but to wait, focused intently on the gap of light and the hands that began prying at the opening. Another pair joined the first shortly after and there was some light back-and-forth arguing that C8 couldn’t find it within themself to listen to. Their audio input was beginning to muffle, maybe also a result of the blood. They had no idea; obviously, there was something wrong with the way they were created, considering they hadn’t died yet. That left even more of a gray area when it came to what could be malfunctioning and why.

Finally, after some groaning from the figures outside, the rubble began to shift. It tumbled forward in a deafening scrape and the pair were forced to duck out of the way as it crashed down in front of them. It must’ve been some sort of sick luck that kept C8 from also being crushed.

There was a small gap, barely large enough for someone to crawl through, created by the shifting of the rubble around them. C8 was sure their foot was sticking out of the opening, but they couldn’t quite see that far anymore. They could only hope that they were being found for the right reasons.

Something nudged their foot to the side and the loose rocks by their calf were scattered slightly; someone was crawling through. “Got ‘em.” They heard, though it sounded far away, almost like the person was whispering into an echo chamber.

There was a cold hand pressed against their neck a moment later; their head shifted to the side and pain radiated, sharp and unforgiving, through their skull. They could no longer see past the outline of a figure; their vision processor was failing. Another sharp sting rang through their thigh as a needle was stabbed into the meat of their leg. Then, they were being shifted forward, cradled almost.

Their vision blinked back to the surface some time later, accompanied by the rocking sensation of being carried while their rescuer walked. There was pressure on their throat; a bandage, maybe? C8 wasn’t sure they cared. They made an attempt to shift, to ease the numbness in their legs, but to no avail. They were gripped tighter, and a voice they swore they recognized muttered something. Small hands were on them seconds later and they were injected once again; it was easy, falling asleep again, so they didn’t resist.

–

Consciousness found them abruptly; all at once, they were awake, staring up at a ceiling they didn’t recognize. The room smelled similar to the Institute in some ways; antiseptic, and a bit harsh, though the Institute never smelled of cigarette smoke, least of all in the hospital rooms. No, this wasn’t the Institute.

Rolling their head to the side was painful, but they remembered what X6 had taught them as soon as they had stepped out of the Institute; always be aware of your surroundings. Know where every exit is, everything that can be used as a weapon, and always have at least two escape plans. There was nothing more important than that. They were given a second chance, and this time they wouldn’t let the opportunity to complete their mission slip away.

The bed C8 was laying on was pushed against the wall. There was a curtain that could be slid around it for privacy, but it was bunched together towards the end of the bed, pushed to the side so they could see the rest of the room. Or maybe so the rest of the room could see them. A tray of medical supplies was within reach, though nothing sharp had been left behind. Beyond that was a table, against the opposite wall, with dented cans of purified water and what looked to be preserved food.

The rest of the room was empty, save for the dirt and grime on the floor and the walls, and the ceiling, and a window on the wall near their head. A window. They were still above ground, in the Commonwealth. The grime had clued them in, but the window with warm sunlight streaming in had confirmed it beyond a doubt.

Despite the fact that their pain receptors were pinging left and right, C8 began struggling to sit up. Minutes ticked by, time patiently slipping past as they fought to sit upright. Their arms shook with the effort of holding themself up as they slowly turned their head to look out the window. Was this really the Commonwealth? Grass had grown up into tall stalks, waving in the wind as a breeze blew past. The sky was clear, no longer the murky gray it had been when they had X6 had emerged to the surface and made their trek to the meeting. The sun was starting to sink lower on the horizon- it was sometime in the evening, no longer the middle of the night, like it had been when they were trapped. How much time had passed? They found themself almost entranced by the scenery.

“I was told you hadn’t been to the surface before your mission, but I definitely believe it now.” The voice had rung out from behind them. Their reaction was less than graceful, as they scrambled backwards on their bed, a hand coming up once again to grip at their throat, both protective and praying they could suppress the pain from moving so abruptly.

C8’s eyes were wide, almost hauntingly so, but in the way a wild, cornered animal’s eyes got wide; they were ready to fight with nothing but their bare fists, and what little experience they had. There was someone sitting in an armchair at the end of the bed; the chair was wedged in the corner, unseen when they had glanced towards the curtain earlier. It’s occupant had moved the curtain even further to tuck it between the wall and the rod that held it up, revealing themself to the room.

It was a synth, a man. He was the source of the smoke, the orange glow of his lit cigarette lighting up his face from below. Part of it was missing, along with a gap in his neck. He looked damaged, as if the Commonwealth had chewed him up and spit him out, but he was still functioning out of spite, and maybe tobacco. His hat was resting on his knee in front of him, but despite being in the warm room, he was still wearing his long trench coat (which was just as damaged as the synth himself.)

They tilted their head to the side ever so slightly. “I just need to ask you a few questions and then I’ll leave you alone. I’m not here to hurt you.”

His voice was raspy, pleasant. Tired. They blinked. When they opened their mouth to respond, to ask where they were, why they were provided medical care, nothing came out. Had their voice box been damaged beyond repair? Was it removed intentionally? They shifted where they sat in an attempt to quell the rising panic.

“I don’t know all the details, I’m not quite as good as Curie with all the medical stuff, but your throat was damaged beyond complete repair. Everyone’s trying to put out a word to figure things out for you, get a hold of someone that might be able to fix things up and heal you, but everyone’s swamped right now. There is a war, after all. Here.”

The man stood. He was smart enough to move slowly so as to appear non threatening, but C8 knew better. They knew what the Commonwealth was like thanks to the Institute, though it was possible they had gotten a few things wrong, and anyone who seemed to have survived like this synth did must’ve adapted in all the worst ways. Right? C8 shifted back on the bed, effectively cornering themself.

He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender before sitting back down. The chair was close enough, apparently. “I’ll ask my questions from here, point taken. I’ll keep the questions short and sweet so you can get back to resting as soon as possible. Deal, kid?” C8 nodded; they weren’t sure they had much of a choice, regardless. “Good. Now, do you know who shot you?”

Who had shot them? The memory was hazier than it had been, they swore. They could picture the hallway, but it was dark. Had it been that dark? No, it was smoky; they remember the way their lungs burned. They still burned slightly, as C8 took a deep breath. There had been three figures, or maybe four. Five? No, three. But their faces were obscured, and they weren’t branded in any way, in uniform or on their masks. Maybe they weren’t wearing masks, actually. Maybe it was just the smoke that had hid their faces from view. “Hey, calm down. You’re alright.” C8’s gaze snapped back to the synth in the chair. Their breathing had grown ragged while they were concentrating. God, they couldn’t remember. No one had said anything to them that they recalled before they were shot. C8 shook their head. No, they had no idea who had tried to kill them.

The other synth nodded, like he had expected as much. “Alright. Do you remember anything specific about them? Maybe like their clothing, or the way they acted?” C8 took a moment to think again. They were wearing heavy clothing, all dark. There was no logo, not like the Institute scientists had on their uniforms. They shook their head again, and the man blew out a breath. Disappointed. C8 watched him intently. “Figured as much. Thanks for humoring my questions, though.” He stood and settled his hat back on his head before he moved to leave the room. His exposed, metal hand met the metal of the doorknob with a light clink before he turned and looked over his shoulder at them. “Oh, yeah. He said you’d want to know; X6 has the chip. He said you’d want to know. They removed it while you were under sedation to get your…” He gestured aimlessly towards his throat. “Situation resolved. Anyway, it’s safe and sound. No need to worry about that. Focus on getting some rest. X6 will come by to see you when he can.” C8 shifted forward, perhaps with more excitement and relief than they should’ve in front of a stranger. Though, he knew X6-88, and was obviously someone trusted. As the synth turned to exit, C8 clapped lightly to get his attention. He turned back towards them, expectant. They turned the palm of their left hand towards him and began tracing letters onto it with the pointer finger of their right hand; N-A-M-E.

“Detective Nick Valentine. You can call me Nick.”

C8 turned the name over in their head; they couldn’t put their finger on it, but they swore they recognized the name. Nick lingered for a moment more while they thought, then gave them a polite smile and nod, and finally left the room. C8 sat back, leaned against the wall with their knees folded up in front of them, and looked back out the window. How long would it be before X6 would be by to answer their questions?

#Fallout 4 #Fo4 #Fanfiction #Fanfic #Oneshot #Imagine #Drabble #Nick Valentine #X6-88 #Curie #Deacon #Angst #Hurt Comfort

[jamespotterthefirst]

Heartbreak

Open Heart, Book 1, Chapter 10 (Part 2)

Retold through social media posts and messages

All posts here

Posted Saturday 

10:53 PM

23 minutes before 

______________________________

Received Saturday

10:56 PM

20 minutes before

______________________________ 

Posted Saturday

10:57 PM

19 minutes before

______________________________ 

Received Saturday

10:59 PM

17 minutes before

______________________________ 

Received Saturday

11:15 PM

1 minute before

______________________________ 

Received Saturday

11:18 PM

2 minutes after

from: Sienna Trinh

to: Lilac Allende

Transcript of voicemail:

Hey you! Sorry I called you late! I was baking my world famous German chocolate brownies and lost track of time. You know how I get. You weren't answering so I'm guessing you fell asleep. I'll talk to you later, okay? I can't wait to hear all about this trip! 

______________________________ 

Received Saturday

11:31 PM

15 minutes after

Hi Carrie, 

Are you ready to murder me yet? Given my lack of response in the last few days and the frequency of your emails, I would imagine you are. 

I'm alive. 

And in Miami, seeking inspiration in the turquoise sea and in the overpriced bottles of red wine this hotel insists on passing off as top shelf. Probably not something I should be admitting to my agent but here we are. 

The manuscript is going well. Actually, I should say the manuscript was going well… Until I decided to scrap it and steer it in a completely different direction. Before you stop reading here to pass out or call me twenty five times, please hear me out. 

Untitled_Mystery_Doc will still be a mystery at its core, except now the two leads will surrender to a forbidden romance. Detective Prescott must fall fiercely and hopelessly in love with Selene Obispo. It was something the writing was demanding of me all along, but I lacked the inspiration to bring their tension to fruition. That changed thanks to the Celestial's lavish oceanside balcony view. 

Earlier tonight, I was leaning over the railing of my balcony, glass of that aforementioned wine in my hand, watching the last remains of a reception of some sort in the distance. A delighted, lilting laugh from a nearby balcony broke my concentration. It was from a young woman who looked to be no older than you are. Even from a distance, I could tell she was a vivacious creature, radiating the type of effortless beauty that would have even the strongest of beings hanging by her every word. In an inky blue dress, she looked so captivating, it was no wonder the man at her side could hardly keep his eyes away from her. 

This man, Carrie. 

He was, without a doubt, the handsomest specimen I have ever seen. A true Romantic hero come to life from the pages of every classic novel in the catalog. Tall with piercing eyes and a jaw so sharp, it could slice through even the strongest of convictions. He possessed the type of good looks that were striking, like the powerful fissure of lighting. 

The pair seemed to alternate between conversation and companionable silence as they enjoyed a drink. Every so often, when he was certain she wasn't looking, he would glance at her almost desperately, as though rushing to take in as much of her before the precious seconds ran out. He was not aware that in those moments when he contemplated the vast ocean before them, she would do the same. 

After another lull in their conversation, the young woman looked at her phone, a pensive crease on her brow as she searched for something. Seconds later, the notes of a song began to drift from the speaker of her device. The man scoffed, inspiring more cheerful laughter from her. Despite his annoyed front, his expression softened as he watched her. 

More silence and then they started what sounded like a solemn conversation. As they spoke, he looked conflicted, his fingers gripping his glass as though reason and restrain were slowly ebbing away. 

Fragments of what they were saying reached me.

“…higher I aspire, the more I stand to lose.”

“I...certainly understand that.”

He stood then, with the conviction of someone seeking to run away from the ineluctable. 

When he stopped at the railing of their balcony, however, he turned to her, shoulders deflating as though realizing he didn't want to run anymore. Finding her there at his side was confirmation that she was an inevitability, a constant in his existence like his binary star. 

It was confirmation that she was done running too. 

He was saying something then, the words coming out in a desperate rush. She didn't seem to mind though, patiently listening and offering reassurance. 

“... Your risk paid off.”

Those words seemed to be the denouement of their time together because his gaze took her in with undeniable clarity. 

“It did...and I’m beginning to realize…” 

The way he looked at her then, with over-spilling yearning, would have inspired poets throughout the ages. Even if I had a hundred years to write, I could never capture the utterly lovelorn way in which he regarded her.  

“There are some things that are worth any risk.”

And then he kissed her. Their bodies gravitated closer to one another, reveling in the novelty of having her in his arms at long last. And even though this kiss erupted with the euphoric urgency of the first time, there was familiarity in the way he caressed her, in the way she stroked his jaw. As though they had spent long, agonizing moments before this memorizing one another. 

All of this was painted clearly before me in the seconds before I stepped away. 

I could not justify stealing any more of this moment from them. Particularly when the desperation in their movements acknowledged the race against the clock. They both knew that this stolen moment would eventually conclude. 

I am inspired, Carrie. 

Even from afar, I could tell these two yearned for each other. Their kiss was the inevitable culmination of forbidden longing, beautiful yet heartbreaking all at once. 

It's exactly what was missing from my manuscript. 

Let me know your thoughts. 

How's Gigi? Did you like the groomer I recommend? 

Sincerely, 

Andrea  

______________________________ 

Received Saturday

11:32 PM

16 minutes after

To Whom It May Concern;

My name is Lisa Burkett in room 4087. This evening, my husband and I witnessed a couple in a nearby room making out. They were extremely loud and explicit. The woman even climbed on top of the man at some point. 

This is appalling since we're here with our children. Luckily they didn't see this happening. 

Please put me in contact with a manager. This is unacceptable for a resort that advertises being family friendly. 

Attached you will a picture of the incident. That's how exposed and close to us they were. 

Sincerely,

Lisa Burkett

Attachment: 

______________________________ 

Received Saturday

11:39 PM

23 minutes after

______________________________ 

Sent Saturday

11:41 PM

25 minutes after

______________________________ 

Searched for on Saturday

Googled by Ethan Ramsey

11:56 PM

40 minutes after

______________________________ 

Searched for on Sunday

Googled by Lilac Allende

12:03 AM

47 minutes after

______________________________ 

Searched for on Sunday

Googled by Lilac Allende

12:06 AM

50 minutes after

______________________________ 

Listened to on Sunday

Audible library accessed by Ethan Ramsey

12:46 AM

______________________________ 

Searched on Sunday

Googled by Ethan Ramsey

1:03 AM

From “Student Doctor Network” accessed at 1:11 am

______________________________ 

Received on Sunday

Sibling group chat titled “Y’all look familiar”

Members: Laurel Allende, Lilac Allende, Jaime Allende

1:36 AM

______________________________ 

Received on Sunday

from: Naveen Banerji

to: Ethan Ramsey

1:59 AM

______________________________ 

Posted on Sunday

2:17 AM

______________________________ 

2:46 AM 

The Celestial Incident Report 

Camera footage transcript 

Hall 4000

Written by: Anthony Romero

Re: Guest Complaint 

Guest, Dr. Ethan Ramsey, exits his suite, careful to shut the door as noiselessly as possible. 

This man has seen better days. 

His hair is disheveled and stubble mars the jawline that wreaked havoc among The Celestial's guests and staff alike. The doctor looks downright exhausted, as though he hasn't slept a wink all night. Full disclosure, I'm a measly hotel employee, writing an incident report no one will ever read so I don't know how to put this delicately. But here goes nothing: the man looks as though his lack of sleep is not from the reckless fun Mrs. Burkett complained about but rather the lack of it. 

Dr. Ramsey hesitates mid-stride, looking at the door as though it poses a mystifying dilemma. Jaw working, he seems to decide something, jolting forward to take hold of the doorknob.

Reason seems to catch up to him because he exhales noticeably and releases the doorknob as though it scorched his skin. Looking angry but determined, he strides down the hall toward the elevator. 

______________________________ 

Posted on Sunday

3:18 AM

______________________________

Received on Sunday

3:54 AM

_____________________________

Accessed via Ethan Ramsey’s camera roll

4:13 AM

______________________________ 

Received on Sunday

7:20 AM

______________________________ 

Failed Login on Sunday

Nurses’ Station desktop | Third Floor 

7:53 AM

______________________________ 

Sent on Sunday

from: Bryce Lahela

to: Brittany Ryan

8:01 AM

______________________________ 

Searched on Sunday

Googled by Sienna Trinh

 8:01 AM

______________________________ 

Sent on Sunday

from: Sienna Trinh

to: Wayne Bradley Torning

8:19 AM

______________________________ 

Posted on Sunday

8:35 AM

______________________________ 

Received on Sunday

8:51 AM

______________________________ 

Posted on Sunday

9:02 AM

______________________________ 

Sent on Sunday

9:15 AM

______________________________ 

9:32 AM 

The Celestial Incident Report

Camera footage transcript

Hall 4000

Written by: Anthony Romero

Re: Guest Complaint

Guest, Dr. Ethan Ramsey, dressed in pool attire, grapples with the key card to his room, the technology somehow perplexing to a man who went to med school. The struggle is short lived because the door swings open from the inside, revealing the second guest on file, Dr. Lilac Allende. 

Again, no one reads these anyway so I can confidently say that if I wasn't a goddamn professional, I would've promptly slid into her DMs. She would've rejected me, of course, but you miss 100% of the shots you don't take, am I right? 

Dr. Ramsey freezes as his eyes land on her, the muscles of his back tensing. Dr. Allende instinctively does the same, eyes going wide, much like a defenseless bunny facing the snarling snout of a wolf. They stay motionless in stunned silence for so long, I had to check the footage to make sure it hadn't frozen. 

After what seems like an eternity, Dr. Ramsey clears his throat and averts his eyes, as though interested in the carpet's God awful pattern. This reaction is definitely the wrong one because Dr. Allende pulls herself to her full height, eyes alight with fire. 

Goddamn. My bunny analogy was way off because this girl looks anything but defenseless when she is this pissed. 

“I came back to change,” he explains, probably feeling her glare burning into his face. 

“We need ice,” she says at the same time, lifting the empty ice bucket she holds.

They definitely don't need any. The ice in her voice and demeanor is enough to stock the poolside bar during spring break. 

Dr. Ramsey looks at her then and when their eyes meet, an unspoken conversation passes between them. Slowly, her resolute anger begins to melt. Unmistakable hurt flits through her features and this time, she's the one to look away. 

What the hell happened with these two? 

Before Dr. Ramsey says anything, she moves around him and strides down the hall with unstoppable determination. He moves to follow her, but with considerable effort he forces himself to stop, watching her disappear instead. 

______________________________ 

Sent on Sunday

10:22 AM

______________________________ 

Posted on Sunday

10:51 AM

______________________________ 

Received on Sunday

10:59 AM

______________________________ 

Received on Sunday

11:36 AM

______________________________ 

Sent on Sunday

11:41 AM

______________________________ 

Received on Sunday

11:58 AM

______________________________ 

Sent on Sunday

12:04 PM

______________________________ 

Edenbrook Hospital on Yelp

______________________________ 

Posted on Sunday

1:23 PM

Full transcript of review:

This review is regarding the "care" I received from one Dr. Lilac Allende. Is it normal to almost die at the hands of your doctor? I didn't think so either. Yet here we are. I went in because I had a horrible chest pain that got worse with each day. They assigned Dr. Allende, an intern, to me which was already kind of subpar but it's reduced cost medical care right? I should have trusted my gut because she diagnosed pneumonia and prescribed macrolide antibiotics azithromycin…. which I am allergic to!!! Don't they have charts for this reason? 

Or maybe she can't read English given the language barrier. Do they need to start printing patient charts in whatever foreign language she speaks to avoid death? 

I don't need to give you the gory details of what happened next, right ? 

Anaphylactic Shock. Code blue. Defibrillator. I found out I wasn't the first patient this happened to under her care. There was an almost identical incident on her first day. When I tried to complain to management, they brushed it aside. Word around the hospital is that her boss favorites her. Figures. 

______________________________

Received on Sunday

1:49 PM

______________________________ 

Sent on Sunday

1:56 PM

______________________________ 

Posted on Sunday

1:57 PM

______________________________ 

Posted on Sunday

1:58 PM

______________________________ 

Drafted on Sunday

status: NOT SENT

1:59 PM

______________________________ 

Posted on Sunday

3:23 PM

______________________________ 

Posted on Sunday

4:03 PM

______________________________ 

Sent on Sunday

4:13 PM

______________________________ 

Sent on Sunday

5:26 PM

from Sienna Trinh

to Wayne Bradley Torning

______________________________ 

Sent on Sunday

5:41 PM

from: Sienna Trinh

to: Danny Cardinal 

______________________________ 

Posted on Sunday

6:32 PM

______________________________ 

Posted on Sunday

6:36 PM

______________________________ 

Posted on Sunday

6:45 PM

______________________________

Sent on Sunday

6:52 PM

______________________________ 

Received on Sunday

7:10 PM

______________________________ 

7:26 PM

The Celestial Incident Report 

Camera footage transcript 

Hall 4000

Written by: Anthony Romero

Re: Guest Complaint 

Guest, Dr. Ethan Ramsey looks like a tortured man as he paces in front of their door. He runs restless hands through his hair, completely unaware of the effect this has on the majority of the staff reviewing this footage. He pauses in front of the door, pinching the bridge of his nose and raising his gaze upward, as though sending a silent prayer to anyone listening. 

Jesus, Buddha, Beyoncé—whoever is up there, help this poor man out. 

The door opens, causing him to flinch slightly. In the threshold stands Dr. Allende, wearing one of the hotel's fluffy, white robes. Though she is fully covered, save for her legs, Dr. Ramsey still blushes, as though aware of what lies beneath the fabric. 

Dr. Allende, meanwhile, crosses her arms, leaning against the doorway as she studies him. This time, when their eyes scan one another, it's not with the frustration or resentment from the morning. 

“Come inside.”

Her voice is quiet. 

Dr. Ramsey's jaw clenches. 

“Lilac—” 

“We can't.” Acceptance ripples through her voice. “I know.”

Dr. Ramsey looks at her with an acute mixture of misery and longing. 

“We can't ignore each other forever though.”

“I know. That's not what I want either.”

She nods once in response. 

More silence.

“You're not angry anymore?” 

The question is unexpected because her gaze snaps up to his. 

“I wasn't angry at you, Ethan,” she says after a pensive pause. “I was angry at myself for refusing to let go of what happened. I just want to put it behind me without a backward glance, like you did.”

Those last three words get a reaction out of him. His jaw clenches and strains with effort, his shoulders looking equally as tense. He looks away from her, perhaps afraid that if he continues to look into her beautiful, earnest face, he will contradict her. 

The way he had been pacing in front of her door only minutes prior, the way he looked at her this morning, the way his hand gripped the door knob the night before—all of it suggested her assessment as wrong. He was just as trapped in the previous night as she was. 

“Lilac, I'm sorry about last night.”

She looks stunned for a brief second. When she recovers, she shakes her head in a tiny movement.

 “I'm not.”

He takes in a long breath, allowing hope to filter through his expression. 

“Now, come on. We have an early flight and my boss is making me go into work right after we land.”

“Sounds like an asshole.”

“The worst,” she agrees with a hum. 

His quiet chuckle and the way he shakes his head is the last thing the camera captures before he follows her inside. 

______________________________ 

Posted on Sunday

8:34 PM

______________________________ 

Sent on Sunday

10:01 PM

______________________________ 

Posted on Monday

3:56 AM

_____________________

Posted on Monday

4:23 AM

_____________________

Posted on Monday

8:03 AM

______________________________ 

Received on Monday

8:16 AM

______________________________ 

Posted on Monday

9:11 AM

______________________________ 

Posted on Monday

9:56 AM

______________________________ 

Received on Monday

9:57 AM

______________________________ 

Received on Monday

10:03 AM

______________________________ 

Status change on Monday

10:21 AM

______________________________ 

Received on Monday

11:33 AM

______________________________ 

Sent on Monday

11:50 AM

______________________________ 

Sent on Monday

12:33 PM

______________________________ 

Sent on Monday

12:40 PM

______________________________ 

Sent on Monday

12:49 PM

_____________________________

A/N: I really hope you liked this because I poured my whole heart and two brain cells into it! Did you find my little Easter egg?

A few things:

I was going to include the song playing on MC’s phone in the balcony but decided that everyone has a different one. And I love that. Mine is Nirvana by Sam Smith. What’s yours?

That Yelp ordeal happened in real life at my old job. It was the shadiest shit I have ever seen. Even the meanest bitch at work was so shocked that someone would be this much of a snake. Someone printed the “review” about a coworker and posted it everywhere for everyone to see like Regina George. It was awful.

 People also wrote computer passwords everywhere and just left them lying around. These computers had highly confidential info but people didn’t give a single fuck.

 I picture Ethan picking up the Hamilton book because MC is obsessed with the musical. Plus, he’s a history nerd. But listening to it reminds him of her when he’s trying his damndest to forget about her. LOL good luck bro 

I really debated having MC text him a risky picture after the kiss. But then I figured a) this is self-indulgent and b) once he kissed her, all reason and all restraints went out the window.

 Thank you to everyone for being so patient while waiting for this! Thank you to @aestheticartsx for finding some of these amazing pics. She is the best! 

 I love you all.

-Bree 

________________________

tags: @openheart12 , @takeharryandgo , @trappedinfanfiction, @aestheticartsx, @aworldoffandoms, @paulfwesley, @myusualnerdyself,  @rookie-ramsey, @ohchoices, @colossalpainintheass, @enmchoices, @i-bloody-love-drake-walker, @choicesfanaf, @openheartthot, @octobereighth​, @nazarihoe, @utterlyinevitable, @kites-in-our-skies, @maurine07​, @schnitzelbutterfingers​, @doilooklikeiknow​, @snesdudes​, @kingliam2019​, @perriewinklenerdie​, @cinnamonspongecake​, @choicesstan1​, @queencarb​, @ethxnrxmsey​, @missmiimiie​, @jens-diamondchoices​, @adamsdumortain​, @apphia12​, @kalogh​, @lucy-268​, @binny1985​, @queenbirbs​, @honeyandsunfl0wers​, @newcolonies​, @lilyvalentine​, @rigatonireid​, @interobanginyourmom​, @parkerattano​, @custaroonie​, @nikki-2406​, @lilypills​, @chasingrobbie​, @nooruleman​,  @lonely-mxxnlight​, @ruinedbypixels​, @shadynaturehilariouscookie​, @tsrookie​, @mvalentine​, @professorkingslay​, @drakewalkerfantasy​, @casey-v​, @helloblueeyedcat​, @mysticaurathings​, @blossomanarchy​, @thegreentwin​, @togetherwearerapture​, @rookieoh​, @ramseysno1rookie, @rookiemarsswiftie​, @natashajaniphilchoices​, @mysticalgalaxysstuff​, @hatescapsicum​, @choices-lurker​, @kiara-36​, @junehiratas​, @danijimenezv​, @macy-ray85​, @adrex04​, @canigetanawwjunk​, @sanchita012​, @overwhelminglyaquarius​ , @scorpiochick8​, @skylarklyon​, @starrystarrytrouble​, @mercury84choices​, @drariellevalentine​, @ethanrcmsey​, @lion-ess24, @aarisa-frost​, @kaavyaethanramsey​ , @udishaman​, @a-crepusculo​, @quacksonlover​,

@varikasnuori​, @dimitriwife​, @genevievemd​, @shanzay44​, @fabi-en-ciel​, @trebondialanna​, @emotionalswift2, @lady-calypso​, 

(If I forgot anyone, please DM me!)

#open heart #ethan ramsey #ethan x mc #playchoices #pictagram #My writing

[thursdayarchive]

Geoff Rickly on his near-fatal bus crash on the 2012 Warped Tour, on Going Off Track Podcast, October 25, 2012. (Transcript under cut.)

Content warning: animal death, blood, motor vehicle accident, mentions of post-traumatic stress

Steven Smith: Yeah, what happened? I saw this, everyone was talking about there was a bus crash and are you okay… Geoff Rickly: Yeah, we hit a giant palomino in…I think it was Montana. SS: Just randomly walking across the road? GR: No, it was uh, see this is the thing: wild horses—and this is what I found out from the police—wild horses will stay away from the road. They stay up in the mountains and stuff, they don't come near the road, they're too smart. But these show ponies—not show ponies, show horses—were in, you know, just in their gate, whatever, and because there was a thunderstorm rolling in, they all freaked out together, and rushed one gate, and the three of them together were able to break through the gate and one of them made it out to the highway right in front of the bus, reared up at the last second. If we'd hit him while he was standing on all fours, it probably would have killed our driver, and we would have gone off the overpass that was coming up, but our driver saw him, the horse reared up, and he turned into it so it would hit the passenger side, and then, you know, it was still like a crazy thing, all the windows shattered and, uh, you know, crumpled the staircase in so we couldn't get out of the bus without crowbars and hammers and all kinds of stuff, um…but the driver lived, miraculously—he was throwing up afterwards, because he could believe he was actually alive. He's been a driver for thirty years and said any of his friends who have ever hit anything that size have died. And, uh…yeah, it was a crazy thing. Jonah Bayer: Who else was on the bus? GR: It was, uh, a lot of people from the Acoustic Basement Tent which is a new thing at Warped Tour this year, so it was myself, Brian Marquis, Koji—who's great, he's a younger acoustic artist kind of like in the basement scene with La Dispute and Touché Amore and those kind of bands—Owen, who's a reggae guy, and, uh, a bunch of production people. It was a production bus, primarily. It was just a weird thing where we all woke up and we were in the aisles having all been thrown out of our bunks, like all together standing there…totally calm. Like, had just been through this violent crash and we were just like, “Okay…uh, okay I guess we should go to the front and see if George is okay,” and as soon as we opened the door he's like, "Stay in the back, there's broken glass everywhere!" And it's just, there's horse blood literally everywhere. Mike Cangemi: Holy shit… GR: Like, all over everyone's bags, like, meat, like horse jerky, like, everywhere. And you know, it's funny because when I saw that it had been announced that we had, like, hit something, like halfway down people were like, "Nobody got hurt, what about the horse?" And I was in the state where I couldn't believe I was alive and I was covered in horse blood and I was like, "Fuck the stupid fucking horse! Like, fuck PETA, fuck everybody." Like, that's the moment I was in, like, fuck animal lovers—I'm an animal lover, you know what I mean? Like, but I just got into this mindset where I was like seriously, like we all should be dead right now, like, fuck all these people who care about this stupid show horse that's never had a good day in its life because it's somebody's prized possession, it's not a living being anymore, you know what I mean? I was just like, got really dark. Like, super, super dark. Um, haha, but, no everybody was okay. Somehow, somehow everybody was okay. Like, some of us has some weird, like, uh, irritations from the kind of glass I guess they use…that's sort of got like a fiberglass-y type of splintery thing so we had itchy stuff all over us for a few days, um. But yeah, it was kind of amazing that none of us got killed. SS: Miraculously, at the end of the day, everyone was okay. GR: Yeah, everyone was okay. I think, uh, there were some weird, um, like post-traumatic stuff, though. Because, like…you know, afterwards, we all ended up on the medic's bus for that night, and we'd just be like talking and all of a sudden somebody would just start crying out of nowhere, so that, and uh… I know that Owen had fallen asleep on the plane ride home and as soon as it hit the ground to land, he, like, screamed. On the plane and everybody was like uhh…you okay? SS: Yeah, I mean, it's hard to separate those near-death experiences—I've, you know, never had one, thank heavens, but, ah, when you can resign yourself to "nobody got hurt, we're all okay", like that's like the mantra, you know JB: Yeah, that's what I heard. When I heard, that everybody was okay, in a weird way that's when I stopped caring about the ifs ands and whys. I was like, "Everybody's cool? Alright, cool." GR: Yeah, totally.

#thursday band #breakup #geoff rickly #audio #audio interview #going off track

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Biggest Fan 2

Part 1

Warning: coercion, blackmail, porn, nonconsent sex, cheating 

It was a long, silent walk back to the office. You rubbed your palm with your thumb as you struggled not to think of the feel of him in your hand. The hardness still barely concealed in his pressed pants.

He opened the door for you and you walked ahead of him. He followed you up the stairs and you felt his gaze on your ass, realising too late your mistake. As you reached your floor, you rushed over to your desk and he let you. He went to his office. It was as if nothing had even happened. As if your hand hadn’t been on his dick only fifteen minutes before.

You took a shuddery breath and logged in to your computer. Most of your work was transcription or shadowing Andy. Nothing overly complicated. Even so, you found it hard to concentrate on your work. You rubbed your forehead and leaned back in your chair. You glanced towards Andy’s office, his door was open, he was watching you, his pen pressed to his bottom lip. He tore his eyes from you and grabbed his phone.

You wanted to be sick. You drew your attention back to your screen and forced yourself to type. The buzz of your phone distracted you but you ignored it. It vibed again and you slid it out of your blazer pocket onto your desk. You positioned it just under your monitor and unlocked it.

‘Today. After work.’ The first text read and the second hovered above. ‘I can’t wait for the real thing’.

You swept away the bubbles and blinked at the computer screen. He was like a teenager. This man you’d looked up to, this man you’d admired for his professionalism, his veracity, were just like those boys in your program who tried to talk you into one of their stupid red cup parties. And he was married. The thought made you want to sob but you just forced down the bile and kept typing.

Though the morning had dragged by, the rest of the day seemed to fly. You looked at the clock and your phone lit up. Another message from him. You packed up your things before you dare to grab your cell and reluctantly looked at it. ‘Got a meeting with Canavan. Meet me at Joe’s down the block, 20 min.’

You looked over and found his office empty. You’d been so determined to ignore him, you hadn’t even noticed him leave. You grabbed your bag and headed out. Joe’s was a coffee place just down the block, you always grabbed Andy a small coffee when you got yours. Wait, had you led him on? With coffee?

No, no. He was a forty year old man and you were just a college student. This wasn’t your fault. Well, those were your pictures on the internet. You had put them there.

You barely recalled making your descent onto the street or hurrying down to the little cafe. You ordered a bottle of juice so you could sit in the corner. You picked at the unbroken seal and your leg shook nervously beneath the table. What were you doing? If you just ignored him, would he really send those pictures? Andy was a good guy… or so you thought.

You were startled as the table shifted and he sat across from you. He smoothed the front of his suit and smiled at you then looked around.

“We shouldn’t stay here long,” He said. “Too close to work.”

“You can’t be serious about this?” You kept your voice low. “Andy, I--”

“Shhh,” He raised his hand. “Look, we don’t have time to waste.”

You stared at him and gulped.

“First thing, delete your account.” He said.

“What? I can’t-- That’s how I--”

“I told you. I’ll take care of you.” He interrupted. “Delete it. Now.”

“You’re married,” You whispered. “Why--”

“I know what I am. What I want.” He turned his hand down onto the table. “Ten seconds or I add your professor to the CC.”

“Goddamnit,” You bent and reached into your bag. 

You sat up with your phone and keyed in the code. You opened the app and he took the phone before you could hit anything else. He placed it on the table between you and went to settings. You watched as he scrolled through the settings and finally found the option to delete. He accepted several warnings before everything just disappeared. He turned the phone back to you and slid it forward.

He stood and sighed as he checked his watch. “Alright. Laurie’s taken Jacob to his tournament so we should have some time. Let’s go.”

📚

Andy’s house was nice. Much nicer than your small apartment near the college. You felt out of place as he drove right into the garage and let you in through the side door. You hated that you were sneaking around. Hated that you were doing this at all.

You entered the kitchen and he turned to you. He took your bag and set it on the counter. You shuddered as you lifted your foot and he stopped you.

“Keep the shoes on,” He smiled. “I like ‘em.”

“Are you… sure about all this?” You lowered your foot slowly. “My account is gone, you made sure of it.”

“That’s not what this is about,” He grabbed your arm and wrenched you forward. He took your hand in his and pressed it to his crotch again. “Feel that. That’s what you do to me. Every fucking day.”

“Andy--”

He spun you and pushed you against the island. You saw a flowered notebook on the other side. That was probably hers, just like the man behind you. He leaned his weight against you as he gripped your waist and purred.

“I can’t help but think of you on my desk as I’m sitting on it but this will have to do,” His hand went to your ass and he slapped you hard. “Oh, fuck.”

His hands crawled up to your shoulders and he pulled your blazer off. He dropped it on the floor and reached around to unbutton your blouse. You grabbed his hand and he brushed you off.

“Don’t make this difficult, baby girl,” He warned. “Don’t tell me this isn’t what you wanted all along?” He tore your blouse open and forced it down your arms. “Posting those pictures.”

“Please--”

“Shhh, don’t want the neighbours to hear.” He flung your shirt. “They always are so fucking nosy.”

You hung your head as he unzipped the back of your skirt, pulling back to let it slip past your hips. It pooled on the tile and he stepped on it until you lifted your feet one at a time and he kicked it away. You regretted your ridiculous choice not to wear underwear. Well, it had been more a dare and earned you a smooth fifty on your paypal.

“Fuck.” He rubbed your ass as his other hand fought with his belt. 

You smelled his woodsy cologne as his fumbling grew more frantic. You heard the soft metallic clink and his zipper as he pushed it down. He wiggled as he shoved his pants down. His hand went around to your stomach and he guided himself along your ass his foot between yours as he urged your legs apart.

You slapped your hands on the island as he dragged his swollen tip along your folds and found your entrance with a hum. He pushed inside you and jolted your hips into the edge of the counter, nuzzling his head into your neck as he leaned into you. His hot breath was wet against your skin as he forced himself to his limit.

“Shit,” You swore as you stretched around him. 

“Mmmm,” He hummed and thrusted hard, lingering inside you as he basked in the feel. “God, you’re even better than I could have--” He rocked his hips again and choked. “Jesus.”

You scratched your nails against the marble island and pushed your head back against his shoulder as he moved his hips steadily, each tilt coming quicker than the last. You gritted your teeth as you tried to fight off your own arousal. Despite your reluctance, your core burned hot and you could hear how slick you were with each thrust.

He withdrew his hand from your stomach and grabbed your shoulders. He pushed you down until you were bent over the island and your feet left the floor. He held you down as his motion picked up and he slammed into you with dusky grunts. With each jolt of his hips, yours hit the marble and you held your breath to keep from moaning.

You closed your eyes and pressed your cheek to the cool counter. Your lips formed an O as you came quietly, covering your face with your arm. He crashed into you harder than before, you felt your juices spreading along the open v of his pants and the tails of his shirt. He gripped your hips and his thumbs dug into your flesh.

He pulled out of you sharply and swore as he spilled down your thigh, stroking himself along so that his tip rubbed his seed over your skin. Breathless, he spread his hand over your lower back then dragged it down to your ass and squeezed.

“Fuck, you’re gorgeous,” He rasped.

He drew his hand and backed away. You slid off the island and your feet wobbled beneath you, your heels almost perilous as your legs buzzed. Andy leaned against the other counter as he wiped himself with a paper towel and put his cock away. He zipped up his pants and buckled his belt before tucking in his shirt and straightening his collar.

“Whew,” He took a breath. “Baby girl, that was worth every last penny.” He looked you up and down and bit his lip. “Better get dressed before the wife gets back.”

#andy barber #dark andy barber x reader #dark andy barber #dark!andy barber #dark!andy barber x reader #andy barber x reader #drabble #sequel #biggest fan #defending jacob

[koalatydm]

Hot Brown Morning Potion Podcast Episode 5 - The Deluxe Elf Interview with Devon Giehl and Iain Hendry

Transcription Part 1 of 2 (includes Wonderstorm questions and Kuno's questions)

[Transcriber's Notes: This took me SO LONG to transcribe, like multiple hours and I'm only halfway done... But I will make it through at least this one episode because I want fellow Moonfam enthusiasts to have a text source, not to mention make it easier for deaf/HoH people to follow along. I guess I'll tag @kuno-chan since she said it was OK at the beginning of the podcast, sorry if I'm bothering you!]

KUNO: Hi guys, so I have a personal request for this particular podcast episode if you guys could tweet, post, both at least one piece of information that you learned from this particular episode, that you love, that inspired you, that you thought was cute, whatever. Like, I really—one thing that really tends to happen is that people listen to the podcast and they kinda just go about their day. We don’t actually see the information circulate through the community, which we really try to have creative questions—questions that are fun and explore the characters in different situations. And it would just be really, really cool—it would mean a lot to me to see this actually circulate through the community, actually circulate through the fandom, and see, you know, it would be awesome to see it be inspired—to inspire fan works, fan fiction, fan art, especially fan art. I just—we talked like a solid hour at least—really like a solid hour about Runaan, Rayla, Ethari, that family, um, and Moonshadow elves a lot. We talked a lot about that. And I think this is information that a lot of people really wanted, even if it’s in largely headcanon form. But Devon and Iain were so gracious and we talked so much about that family, and including Ruthari, and of course some Rayllum in there. So if you guys could live tweet, or even just one tweet, at least one tweet. Tag us, tag me, tag Hailey, tag @HotPotion, even if you send it directly to me on Tumblr, that’d be awesome and we’d retweet, reblog all your stuff. It would be good for the podcast and I just really want to see this information circulate through the fandom, so at least one tweet. Alright, um, let’s get to the episode though. Thanks! Hope to see you guys on social media about this.

—————

KUNO: Alright, hey everyone, this is the Hot Brown Morning Potion Podcasts with your hosts Tamika and Hailey, and we are here with Devon Giehl and Iain Hendry, two writers on The Dragon Prince at Wonderstorm, and Devon being actually the recently announced lead writer at Wonderstorm, so say hi everyone!

DEVON: Hi!

IAIN: Hi, this is Iain…

DEVON: Hi, I’m Devon… (laughs)

KUNO: And so we have a ton of stuff to get through today, um, a lot of questions, so—but we’re going to ask Iain and Devon a little bit about themselves first, since I think—I’m not sure if this is the first interview they’ve really had, personally, so uh, Hailey do you want to start—head that?

HAILEY: Um, yeah, sure. Uh, could you tell us about your roles at Wonderstorm?

IAIN: Uh, sure, uh—I’m also a writer at—official title “Senior Writer” at Wonderstorm. I was one of the writing team on the show, not quite as early as Devon, who was basically employee 1 after the founders but um, I joined sort of, end of 2016 when season 1 writing was really starting to get rolling, and was you know part of the process all the way through all the seasons. Uh, and since this—it’s such a small start up company, all the writers take a bunch of other, like, production roles on the show. Like, throughout all three seasons we’ve done, like, continuity notes work, we’ve given feedback on like every step of the production process. And then the other kind of side things we have, like you know, very top secret game that we’re making in here. And like, kind of straddle the line between the show writing and the game so that that’s all kind of on point and feels like it’s in the same universe with the same characters as The Dragon Prince, but ah, can’t say too much about that just yet.

DEVON: Iain does a lot of—a lot of secret work (laughs). Um, yeah as for me, I’m also a writer on The Dragon Prince and my—I was a Senior Writer until very recently, and now I’ve been made into a Lead Writer, which means I just get to flex a lot. Um, but I started in, I think the very, very end of 2015 when Wonderstorm was first getting off the ground as like a tiny, tiny startup. And we were basically four people in a room about, I don’t know, like 20 ft by 10 ft. It was really, really awful—

IAIN: Really smelly.

DEVON: Really smelly, really tiny, like only a skylight for a window, it was great. And I—so I was involved in like the earliest of brainstorming for the show. I helped sort of like put together a lot of the pitch deck when we you know took it around to studios and like, I named like most of the characters—is like my most self-indulgent claim on the show cause I got to do a lot of really silly stuff. Um, but yeah, and then I like help out on a million other fronts at Wonderstorm too because we’re a small company and—yeah, the funny thing about the—the small tasks we have, like you mentioned continuity checks. Um, we often had to make sure that Callum’s backpack and book and Rayla’s bindings were always correct, and that was kind of, the funniest and most intense, like, stage of production ever. Cause you would, you know, watch one shot and then the next shot would come up and Callum’s backpack would have disappeared. So we had to be like, “OK, let’s give Callum backpack back on.”

IAIN: Yeah, and it’s not just for accuracy, but like, the way fandoms operate, like, we just knew if Rayla’s binding reappeared sometime, it wouldn’t be viewed as an error. People would be like “WHAT DID THE KING GET UNKILLED WHAT HAPPENED OVER HERE”.

DEVON: No it was just the—

KUNO: Oh, yeah.

IAIN: Woo!

DEVON: —continuity’s way harder than anyone thinks it is (laughs). It’s a lot.

KUNO: Oh bless you guys for knowing that though cause we—we totally would. Like, think, there was a point I remember saying that they changed Viren’s eye color because they didn’t want too much continuity with Rayla’s eye color and I feel like we were really that close to having a ‘Viren is Rayla’s real father’ issue. We really were. Somebody had to have thought about that issue (laughs).

DEVON: I actually think there is—there’s still at least one shot in the show where Viren has the wrong eye color and if you can find it, congratulations (laughter in background). That’s where we missed—missed it. So it’s in there somewhere.

KUNO: Xadia CSI (IAIN laughs). So you two are married, um, can you tell us what it’s like being married writing partners?

IAIN: You wanna go?

DEVON: Um, yeah, I mean it’s—we actually knew each other professionally before we dated, so it wasn’t like we—it’s sort of like, it was easy for us to—to remain work partners because that was how we existed in the first place. Like I met Iain when I interviewed him for a job and I—he was great (IAIN laughs), he was fun, he was all right.

IAIN: Apparently I passed.

DEVON: But um, so yeah we had a professional relationship before we had a dating—‘dating’ relationship. Um, so it’s strange because a lot of people will say like, “Oh, that’s probably terrible. You probably, like, become absolutely sick of each other” but somehow we’ve managed to—to have like, two relationship patterns where when we’re at work and we’re working on writing stuff we have this very professional thing going on and then at home, we’re just married idiots and we have a lot of fun. So like, I don’t know, I’m never tired of you, personally.

IAIN: No, (DEVON laughs) yeah I mean when we’re writing it’s generally like, Devon’s the one on the keys uh, you know, putting the words in and so on, and it will kind of bounce back and forth between like, I’ll have the idea for the—how the scene should flow and I’ll kinda narrate bits and then we’ll go back and smooth things over. But I mean, I could imagine that with some people it would get tense, but I think Devon and I, we’re just absolutely the most comfortable with each other and neither of us takes it personally when it’s like, “that line that you pitched isn’t working” or “this joke could be funnier”, anything like that.

DEVON: It’s usually Iain who’s—cause I usually type cause I type really too fast.

IAIN: She’s really too proud of her typing (laughs).

DEVON: I type super fast, it’s my only real talent, but—like I’ll just sort of go off on some sort of like incredibly unnecessary, long description of something and Iain will sort of let me get about like four or five lines into this unnecessary nonsense and he’ll just sort start going like, “OK so like, do we really—do we need that? I mean, you know, could we sort of parse this down a little, a little less, a little less”. And then I, just like, “Ugh, fine” (laughs).

IAIN: But um, every word she writes is great.

DEVON: Mmm (skeptically)

IAIN: It’s perfect.

DEVON: Completely not true. Also in our scripts I think like—

KUNO: Aw.

DEVON: —in terms of the way that we work professionally, I think like a lot of my strengths are in—in really almost self indulgent levels of drama and he can kind of pull me back from being too indulgent on those fronts. And then I think that Iain is objectively absurdly funny and so when you kind of look at our episodes usually everything that’s pretty funny and lighthearted and like the sense of levity often comes from you and then if there’s anything that just feels really painfully sad it’s probably me?

IAIN: I’m the funny one.

DEVON: (laughs) It’s true.

KUNO: Aw, I feel such a connection to you Devon, because I’m actually, episode 3 was actually one of my favorite ones because I love all that like domestic stuff. I love just kind of like—oh, I don’t know what you call the trope, like a safe house trope where you go somewhere, you’re still kind of in the adventure but we’re in a space right now, a narrative space where people are safe, if that makes any sense. Like you—if you’ve ever seen How To Train Your Dragon, like (T/N I don’t know what was said here, sorry!), the base is the safe place, that kind of thing. So, I totally get that, I actually see—episode 3 was one of my favorites outside of pretty much every episode where Rayllum was a thing. (laughter from multiple people)

HAILEY: The whole season basically (laughs).

KUNO: Pretty much the whole season, um. I think there was one more question about two.

HAILEY: Yeah sooo.

KUNO: Before we get to the elves.

HAILEY: Yeah, definitely. Uh so it was mentioned that you’re now lead writer, Devon, and can you tell a little bit more about what that entails if you can, and how that’s been going?

DEVON: Yeah, I mean… I actually don’t know what I can say about it, um… I think it—it means that uh, for future Dragon Prince stuff I’ll sort of like take a bit more of an active role in leading the—the development and the storylines and things like that. It also means that from a company perspective um I’ve been kind of involved in some other side stuff that Wonderstorm is quietly looking into developing and um I help a lot with other IPs that we would love to make a real thing someday and that’s kind of all I can say about it I think or I’ll get in trouble.

HAILEY: All right, that’s great, that’s good to know, thank you.

KUNO: The Dragon Prince 2 (laughter from multiple people). I’m totally joking everyone that’s not a thing so don’t take that for—

HAILEY: Wow.

KUNO: I’m joking.

IAIN: Two dragons.

DEVON: The Dragon 2 Prince.

KUNO: Yeah. OK also if there’s anything that you guys say that you want redacted this is probably not going up for another week because I have to get our reaction episode out. So anything you guys think about that you’re like, “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that” just message us and we’ll redact that. Yeah, cause we know that—

HAILEY: Or just say it. Just tell us, like, what’s—

DEVON: Hopefully we have some self-control but—

KUNO: Okay, so we are going to get really indulgent here and I think this is going to be really in Devon’s wheelhouse. We have a lot of questions and a bunch of the scenarios so try to get through as much of it as possible. Um so the first question is can you tell us more about the Silvergrove? What is the government system like in Silvergrove? Who runs it? If you could tell us that is that the only—at least like the leadership role? Um, is that the only Moonshadow elf village? And also do they actually get any real daylight because I noticed when the illusion thing happened it just got shady and I’m like, “They might be taking this Moonshadow thing too far”. Like the elves—do they really like that much? So like tell us about the Silvergrove and where Rayla grew up.

IAIN: So I guess it’s probably worth just starting off with a kind of blanket like, ‘if it hasn’t been in the show, we can’t say it’s 100% fact. A lot of this is just gonna be what kind of we thought, rough shape of things happen in our heads—‘

KUNO: Yeah, absolutely.

IAIN: —going into the writing and so on. So you know, don’t come after me with any, uh, fandom lawyers, anyone. But um yeah, I guess like it’s sort of—it’s most useful for us to think about it in comparison to how the Sunfire elves, like clearly they have very structured society. They have a queen, obviously, and they have large cities and so on whereas we think Moonshadow elves live in, as you saw, much smaller communities. And I think the Silvergrove is not the only one of those, it might be one of the better known ones where clearly the best assassins come from. But uh, I think are other ones out there, um, and maybe even Moonshadow elf people do not know where all the other ones are. Obviously the Silvergrove is hidden and maybe they don’t even have access to all the other ones. So I think there’s a sort of community run vibe to things. I think you know when they decided to—to ghost Rayla, and before that Rayla’s parents, I think that was probably a ‘let’s all come to a consensus before we make a decision about something like this’. I think, Devon, if you want to talk about the kind of like sunlight vibes things, because that was a big part of your driving force behind how this episode looked and felt.

DEVON: Um… well… first, I will say that it was potentially from the top down a complicated visual decision to have episode 3 take place in a Moonshadow elf shady forest grove and also the kingdom of sunlight.

IAIN: Yup.

DEVON: It created a couple production problems in terms of like the way we wanted the Silvergrove to look was very like evening themed and cool colors and you know shaded. And I had this really sort of self indulgent thing where I really wanted it to be as close to night time as possible and yet the story line in Lux Aurea was clearly taking place in the middle of the day. So we came to this sort of compromise that you know it is technically daytime through the whole day and there is enough tree cover that it’s already pretty shadowy but also I think there is some magic at play that’s sort of like generally um shrouds the whole thing in more of like a night time vibe. And my inspiration for that was I’m a big World of Warcraft player, or was I don’t super play a ton anymore but I really loved Ashenvale and some of the night elf regions and they had that similar thing that no matter what time of day it was it always felt like at least dusk or like this sort of like ever—ever shaded feeling. And I indulgently kind of wanted that to be where Rayla came from. So that’s what that’s about.

IAIN: Yeah and I think they’re magical beings. They don’t need vitamin D from the sunlight or anything like that. They’re totally fine if they just get moonlight every so often.

DEVON: But yeah, don’t write a script that has, you know, moon themed place and sun themed place at the same time. It was a… questionable choice (laughs). But I think it turned out—

KUNO: Yeah, ‘cause I was wondering—I was wondering—I was like “Okay” because a lot of the stuff you run through—you run the okay, if I were to write a fanfiction how do I use this. So it’s like, do they just never like—if they like—if Callum were to say live in the Silvergrove would he just have to get used to the fact that like it’s just never totally bright daylight or unless you leave the Silvergrove in the forest, uh, and like—that type of—is that what’s kind of like going on, they just like their shade?

DEVON: I think they like their shade. It’s like Scotland in the winter.

IAIN: Oh yeah, except we all get miserable by around about February when we haven’t seen sunlight in several months. But um yeah, I think it’s kind of like yeah, a combination of ‘oooh, magic’ and also just extremely, like, thick tree cover in the deepest parts of the forest. But I don’t think you have to travel too far. But uh, I think there’s a reason why everyone in that town was a Moonshadow elf and there were no Sunfire elves or random humans just like, chilling and living there. I think only the most goth of kids would be able to live in the Silvergrove without going a little bit mad.

DEVON: I mean you only have to go as far as the adoraburr field which clearly still gets a significant amount of daylight.

IAIN: Yeah.

KUNO: And you said there’s not really like a leader. They do as a community, but is there anyone that like makes decisions, like is there anybody that like if they were to go to somebody, like if they have like village leadership decisions. And obviously, um, blanket statement that all this we assume is kind a little bit of headcanon so it doesn’t have to be like for gospel, but you know for purposes of writing stuff.

DEVON: Um the way I thought about it—well, to back up a tiny bit, there was actually a version of the story where there might have—this was super, super early on, we were thinking about how the story might play out and we talked about there being potentially another Moonshadow elf leader type character that they would meet who, you know, was the one who ultimately called for the Ghosting decision. But that didn’t really fit the sort of, like, very personal nature of the story we wanted to play out with Rayla specifically. Um but thinking about that and the way that we were, you know, trying to shape it—I would imagine that like the assassins are sort of like a specific group that live in the Silvergrove which is otherwise—it’s not all assassins, like, not everybody there is an assassin. And I think that means that like you know Runaan was the leader of the assassins so he might consult with the leader of the blacksmiths who may be someone over Ethari but maybe it’s him now who might consult with the other general leaders—I don’t know. Like I think it’s more of a counsel of different groups than one single authority. It just seems like that would be a better fit for Moonshadow elves than the sort of like very, very strong-army, structured, high-and-mighty feeling that the Sunfire elves have, so, does that make sense?

KUNO: That totally makes sense, a little bit like an oligarchy, I think I had the idea that like they sound like they like a counsel. Like it sounds like a elven conciliatory.

DEVON: Yeah I think like someone might say, like obviously something horrible has happened and Rayla is exactly the person we thought she was. I’m calling for a—a ghost vote. And then you know—

IAIN: With a cooler name than that.

DEVON: No I think it’s canonically, I’m sorry—

IAIN: Ghost vote?

DEVON: The canon is “ghost vote” now.

IAIN: Okay.

DEVON: But yeah, they would all sort of like weight in kind of like a town hall scenario about of like why this is obviously the correct call and they would all sort of like have to come to some sort of agreement about what to do versus the Sunfire queen just being like “mph, time for the light, light decides!”

IAIN: Yeah.

KUNO: Okay um the next question being almost a little on that, does Ethari regret, um, what does he—does Ethari regret doing the banishing spell now that he knows the truth about Rayla?

DEVON: Oh absolutely 100%. But I don’t think he would have the power to—to reverse it. Like I think he could do a quick charm to help reverse it in the moment just to speak with her but ultimately it would take a lot for him to undo it and I’m not—we haven’t talked about what he’ll get up to in the meantime, but I don’t know he would be able to pursue it so directly—I’d have to talk about it, I think it would be an interesting side thought to think about how he might pursue redeeming her in the eyes of her people knowing what he knows, but—

IAIN: Yeah I think given that we said it would take everyone to do it collectively and make an agreed decision it would similarly everyone would have to understand the truth and go back on it and ‘oh I saw her one time and she said she didn’t do anything wrong probably isn’t enough to overturn that. But yeah I think he probably felt some regret even at the moment, but you know he’s in some of the worst grief of his entire life and he’s not going to make perfect rational decisions. And I’ve seen you know some people were slightly upset that he got so angry with Rayla in the moment of seeing her but I think like when you first see the person that you’ve tried to convince yourself sort of took the most important person in your life away from you, you’re gonna feel a big mess of feelings and it will bring up some grief that maybe you thought you were just—just starting to get over, so ah. Yeah I think hopefully he can turn that around in the years to come but they’ve all had a rough time. They’re at war. It sucks (DEVON laughs). Don’t go to war, kids.

KUNO: Hailey did you want to ask the next one or did you want me to?

HAILEY: Sure I can ask it. Could you—so I mean—you mentioned a stuff—a couple things about their government system and whatnot, but is there anything else you could tell us about Moonshadow culture, like what their day to day is like, and what it means to be a Moonshadow elf?

DEVON: Um I do think that a lot of the fandom I’ve been pleased to see has picked up on this sort of idea of a fairly rigid culture and you know there’s a lot of importance placed on things like honor, loyalty, and the ability to commit to things. And um I think that could come off as pretty strict but I actually think it comes from the place of valuing a close knit community. And I think, like, to the idea that we said like they probably have some kind of counsel instead of some single authority kind of ruler. It’s—I think their day to day would be very much going about their business in ways that support each other you know? Like does that make sense? It’s—you go to the blacksmith and he does work for you and it’s friendly and conversational but it’s productive—it’s all very for the good of the community.

IAIN: Yeah I think early on in season 1 even Rayla says that you know they’re not really meant to show their feelings. So I think everyone kind of commits to doing their task for the good of the village and doesn’t gripe about their day to day until something bad happens as the entire series to this point has been driven by. But um yeah I think they uh—they’re just committed to having a good, small, close knit village life and all supporting each other the best they can. And then occasionally the dragon queen tells you to go kill someone and that’s your job so you better go do that without complaining about it.

DEVON: I think we use the words “reclusive yet intimate” in the article we put up about the two moon creatures, the moonstrider and the shadowpaw. And I liked that a lot because I think they’re reclusive in the sense that they’re a little bit shut off from the wider world and they’re um isolationist in their preservation of their own culture but they are very close to each other and that is something that they hold at such an—like a preciousness level but it’s also a bit extreme, like if you betray that in any capacity like obviously they take that very seriously. And so it’s a double edged sword if you will, to have a community that supportive and that close but also your ability to perform all of yourself for the good of that community can be your undoing so—

KUNO: No I actually kinda get that um ‘cause I’m Pacific Islander so I think we’d call that what you’d call a collectivist society where it’s like the needs of the group supercede needs of the individual so I kinda like I—it’s not the extreme I think that they are because they’re very like reclusive but um I kinda live like that in a little bit of way. It’s what I grew up with. So I actually totally get that which might be why I like that so much (multiple people laugh). Um so the next question would be how does the banishing spell work that, um, that was used on Rayla politically and magically? I think we’ve talked a little bit about politically already but magically is—I’m assuming it’s a collective decision or does each person, like, opt in? Like could Ethari have opted out of doing it or did we—did they all have to agree?

DEVON: I think everybody have to agree?

KUNO: And how is it broken?

DEVON: I don’t think you can opt out?

IAIN: Um I think ‘how is it broken’ is something we definitely want to save for—for the future uh we really hope that Rayla manages to undo that. In terms of I think that it’s just culturally ingrained that you wouldn’t opt out. Um I think they would probably just argue forever until they manage to come to an agreement. So I—yeah I don’t think there’s you know half the elves in that village who are seeing Rayla and were like “Oh hey Rayla how’s it going?” I think uh they all came to the collective decision. That’s kind of the political angle. Um sorry, what was the other part? Magically how it works?

KUNO: Yeah? How would you do it?

IAIN: I—again, you know if it’s not in the show it’s not canon, but I sort of inspired by how the entrance spell works where they do a dance and there’s a ritual and I imagine it’s kind of similar. Like I think there’s a lot of that kind of like ritualistic style of magic and it’s kind of like what you see when they put the flowers out onto the water as well. There’s you know a collective dance probably involving a lot more people, a lot more cool intricate runes that happen only with a much more somber mood than the fun, happy times of Callum and Rayla dancing around in the forest. Um so yeah it’s probably—I would imagine it’s probably tied to some whatever the saddest phase of the moon is and that’s when they all get together and really somberly and really sadly uh commit to never seeing this person again. At least that’s the part of the plan. An interesting question that I think could be something that fanfiction writers such as yourself could get into is has any one of these ever been broken before or have they all been pretty sure that they would never need to go back on it? Is that going to be something that Rayla is going to figure out for the first time ever or is there a precedent for this happening. And we don’t have an answer right now but I think that would be a cool story to think about and write.

DEVON: Oh man I love the saddest phase of the moon idea. Imagine if they do it at the new moon because it’s like the moon’s face is hidden forever. Whoo.

IAIN: Whoo.

DEVON: Sad.

KUNO: Maybe we’re birthing things while we’re doing this interview. I actually think it would be like Callum does the Historia Viventum thing and it would be so—cause now I’m just imagining this whole village doing this sad dance which is the Banish Rayla dance essentially. And like that would be so sad for Rayla to witness that just for the drama of seeing her entire village decide to just not see her ever again. And that’s like wow, I’m so sad now.

DEVON: I love sadness.

IAIN: Yeah Callum just crushing a series of Moon Opals to show such a clip show of all of Rayla’s saddest history moments (laughs).

DEVON: Oh god.

IAIN: That’d be great.

DEVON: Thanks Callum.

KUNO: Thanks Callum. Um, she’d love him anyway. But um okay so some of my favorite stuff, what was it like for Rayla when her parents had to leave her to live with Runaan and Ethari and what was that transition like for them all? How old was like Rayla too?

DEVON: This was one that we’ve had a couple different ideas about so this is another one that’s like heavy not quite canon bubble. Like if we actually end up doing a story that involves some of these details it’s likely to change and be slightly different but the versions that I’ve liked have involved her being pretty young. And because honor is such a you know key part of Moonshadow culture I think like overall it was something that she felt you know sad about because she knew that she wasn’t going to be directly seeing her parents very often anymore. And—but it was uh such a huge honor that she felt you know pride in what her parents were being selected to go do. You know, act as Dragonguard and serve as these sort of like honorific, um, warriors that left the collective of the Silvergrove to go represent Moonshadow elves in the service of the Dragon Queen. And I think she had—she grew up being told what an honor that was and how much pride she should have in her parents because that is such a special thing. And then I think like it speaks a lot to how proud she was when she believed that they ran away and abandoned that duty because you know, how could they? If that was their reason for leaving her when she was a child and then they ran away from that job, like, how important could it have really been? And then you know, I’m sure that makes her feel very, very small. It made her feel so hurt that she told Callum at first that they were dead so she took it pretty hard.

KUNO: Yeah.

DEVON: But I think the other thing about it that we’ve sort of kicked around is that like, Runaan and Ethari were Rayla’s parents’ close friends and I think she was familiar with them enough that she didn’t feel like she was being you know left with two strangers. It’s sort of just like, you’re going to be under the care of people who are already very, very close to you and care about you quite a bit.

IAIN: Yeah I think with like Moonshadow elves in general the thing I think about a lot is like the good and evil that comes from suppressing your true emotions to show a different face to the world and I think we see a lot of that in Rayla. Like I think she probably committed pretty hard to Ghosting her parents because she had this like big mess of like sadness that she’d left but at least the soft landing of Runaan and Ethari to live with and so on. But believing like this sadness is worth it because they’re doing something so noble and then the betrayal of that—it just came out in kind of a messy like toxic way, right, where now she’s committed to becoming an assassin at a really young age in a way Ethari doesn’t agree with and so on. But I mean on the other side I think having a strong handle on your emotions is often one of Rayla’s strengths right? Like we saw in episode 5 of this season after she’s going through a whole lot of stuff, both her family situation and this new development with Callum, she’s just able to like operate as a cool badass extremely cool assassin without letting any of that affect her. But you know I think there’s balance in how you handle your feelings and how you externalize them in a good way that people can learn from, but sometimes you gotta—you gotta work (laughs).

KUNO: That makes sense. Oh well yeah I always had this personal headcanon which I kind of like incorporated into my fanfictions where she felt abandoned by her parents so in a way it’s kinda like slightly—kinda like that except it was all those feelings that have been repressed from years and years basically came out when she felt like—like the abandonment came to like the head when she felt like they had left because they had ran away—they kind of like ran away like from her.

DEVON: Oh yeah, absolutely.

KUNO: In a way—their duty to—

DEVON: I think that validates the suppressed feeling, you know.

KUNO: Yeah, since their duty to the Dragonguard was in it’s own way more important and that’s something that was like okay because it was an honor but since they ran away it’s like obviously it was more important in a terrible way, if that makes any sense?

IAIN: Yeah I mean I think it’s like she did her best and she’s trying to be a grown up but it’s hard at a young age to accept that you know there are meant to be higher callings than a bond between parents and children, right? Like that’s hard for her to grasp and she probably didn’t express that openly ever really. But I think it really did help that she had two genuine loving father figures ready to accept her with open arms even if one of them did train her to become the best assassin of her generation, which again I wouldn’t advise to—to most parents out there.

DEVON: I do think like even that was considered, you know, honorable. It was you know, you’re going to—not only are you going to get to live with Runaan and Ethari, like Runaan is the leader of the assassins, or at least maybe at that point in time he wasn’t the leader but he was very up and coming. I don’t know, it could be either or, but that I think was probably something that she fully embraced and fully wanted, like you know, ‘this is my purpose in life, this is my calling, my parents have gone off to do their calling and it’s a great honor for them, and this is my path and what I’m going to do with myself’. And that didn’t end up being true but it was probably a comfort to her at the time.

IAIN: Yeah.

KUNO: That makes a lot of sense. Moving on, okay, this, we’re getting real indulgent now—do you know what Ethari and Runaan’s wedding was like and what are Moonshadow elf weddings are like in general?

DEVON: Um, I have a, so a lot of the dancing stuff is because I have an enormous soft spot for tropes involving cute dances, like, just a huge, huge soft spot. And the thing that comes to mind is, if you’ve seen the movie Prince of Egypt, which is such a weird reference—

KUNO: Yeah, I love that.

DEVON: —the scene where he and the girl, I forget her name, they do the thing—

KUNO: Tzipporah.

DEVON: —with the ribbon and they do the cute little dance with the ribbon. For some reason that’s what I think of when I imagine what a moment in their wedding would look like would be a dance with a ribbon that they sort of use to—you know, Moonshadow elves love ribbons, I guess, but this is a good ribbon! It’s a love ribbon. But anyway, that’s just my idea. I love that specific—that song that, “Through Heaven’s Eyes”, it’s during that sequence but that—

KUNO: Yeah.

DEVON: —would be my go-to inspiration for like, it’s like that and then you know, everybody dances with them because Moonshadow elves like to dance.

IAIN: Yeah, I kind of like the idea of the—there’s a lot of these symbols that are sometimes extremely sinister. I mean I think Ethari even kinda calls this out when he shoots the—the Shadowhawk arrow to inform the queen that her son is in fact alive. But like, Moonshadow elves believe that death and life are not good and evil, they’re mirrors of each other and an important part of the cycle. And you know, the moon has cycles and that’s an important part. So I think thinking about all the rituals and stuff that they have, which initially you’re introduced to as ‘let’s go murder someone party’, like if that was—there was a kind of inverse to that that was a big part of their wedding ceremony I think that would make a lot of sense to Moonshadow elves because this is two people binding their lives together forever. Binding for a shared purpose in a good way and not the grim ‘let’s go kill Prince Ezran’ kind of way.

KUNO: Yeah. Cause naturally this is involving like several ships so I’m like, I had to ask that. And on the piggyback of that, as detailed as possible, can you describe courtship customs for Moonshadow elves?

DEVON: Oh man.

KUNO: I mean like dating—dating customs, like a headcanon even if it’s just headcanons.

IAIN: Devon is deep in thought (laughs).

DEVON: I’ve never—like for some reason the—the headcanons that I’ve thought about are more specific to like, Runaan and Ethari than I’ve really sort of like branched out into thinking about how Moonshadow elves do this in general. So I imagine there’s intended—there’s some formality to it, I would imagine, in that like, because they’re so, you know, purposeful and thoughtful with how they express their feelings if at all, I think it would be, you know, exchange of gifts like small favors and making your purpose known in a way that starts small but has purpose. So I think like, there’s versions where Ethari would put extra detail into the work he was doing for Runaan which you know, could be perceived as a sign of affection or Runaan was coming to Ethari asking him to work on his weapons or metalcraft stuff a little bit more than was necessary and—stuff like that, where it’s a bit stiff and difficult but I think like once—once there is clear reciprocation I think there can be more of an open discussion about it, does that make sense? But I think Runaan probably struggled with this a whole lot, like, ‘cause he’s—did I, it might have been you who I responded to on Twitter but someone asked me something along these lines and I think Runaan had a really hard time even with this first sort of like simple offerings of affection because that’s just him. Like he sort of takes that aspect to an extreme. Like he has a hard time being like “here is the way I wish to express myself in a soft way and not with a—a sharp object. So I think Ethari had an easier time because he’s just more naturally soft (laughs).

IAIN: Yeah I sometimes think that Runaan is the most Moonshadow elf of all Moonshadow elves, but like, you know, it’s—

KUNO: I was gonna say that.

IAIN: Yeah, um, you know when they have such a hard time showing their feelings and they sometimes feel like they’re not supposed to and so on, and so Runaan is trying to pick up on the tiniest possible hints through professional exchanges and so on. And I think when it’s actually time to confess that there’s a feeling there you would, I think especially Runaan would have to be 100% sure and then do it entirely in private, the most private situation possible where there could be no possible spies who could see this if it was going to go wrong because that would just be the end of his entire life, obviously.

DEVON: Yeah he would bind himself to his own death (laughs).

IAIN: Yeah, that’s it. Gonna assassinate myself because I confessed love and it didn’t get reciprocated. That’s that.

DEVON: It’s over.

IAIN: So yeah, lot of—lots of awkward advances where they’re trying—trying to have the escape hatch of “Oh I didn’t really try to suggest that I liked you, this was just me asking you for a professional favor by let’s never speak again”.

DEVON: And then he comes back the next day (DEVON and IAIN laugh).

KUNO: Oh my goodness. Uh I felt—I—I kinda like headcanoning now that Ethari tells Rayla all this “how I met, you know, your surrogate dad” kind of stuff. Like, and that’s how she—she’s like, this is how you do love apparently.

DEVON: I do think that like, yeah, he had a much easier time and probably picked up on stuff. And to me there’s a side of Ethari that you don’t really get to see in the episode because he’s very sad. I think he’s a—he does have a playful side and I like to imagine that while Runaan was doing his, like, really just not-the-best attempts to display affection early on, like Ethari would pick up on them but not necessarily give the full signal back. And he played a little bit oblivious but he absolutely was—he’s just more emotionally in tune. So I think, “Oh hey, you’re back again, wow. I thought I did fantastic work on your blades last time. I cannot believe they’re already dull!” Like and he just sort of like, he knows—he knows there’s something there.

IAIN: I think like this kind of gets echoed in Rayla, like where Callum in an effort to pick her up and be honest about how he feels that she’s just an incredible person. Like to her that’s like, ‘person being entirely open with their feelings in a positive way? That’s a love connection!’ And then it goes wrong for one entire episode and then it turns out that Callum was also not fully aware of how he was feeling and so on. But I think like, yeah, I think that’s why she was like immediately “Wow, this is clearly meant to be romantic and this is—this is going exactly the way I want!” and then it didn’t. But then it did! So we’re all happy.

DEVON: Aww.

KUNO: I am! I’m certainly happy. Um—uh let’s see—the next one is—okay. What was Rayla like as a child growing up in a household she did—household? Um, she mentioned going to school and we’d love to know how baby Rayla fared as a student and just a child growing up in the Silvergrove and what that experience is like for a Moonshadow elf child?

DEVON: You want—you want me to do this one?

IAIN: Go for it.

DEVON: Yeah, um, I think Rayla was feisty (laughs) in a word. I think she—for some reason there’s a scene in the beginning of Korra where she’s already mastered like, three elements and she like comes out punching. I kind of think about that when I think about baby Rayla. She knows she’s—there’s that end credit scene where she’s got the two sticks and she’s posing with them and Runaan’s sort of lifting one of them up and I’m thinking like, okay so sheg’s like, from a tiny, tiny age thinking like, “I’m gonna be the coolest assassin the Moonshadow elves have ever seen!” and she’s like rambunctious about that almost, because you know, as a child you don’t really understand what the ramifications of that are but it’s considered like a highly, highly valued, honored position and so she’s obviously like, “Yeah I’m gonna do that and I’m going to be the best at it and there will never be any complications whatsoever!” In terms of Moonshadow elf childhood, I think with the way that I would think about it is—we talked about the sort of community aspect. I imagine Moonshadow elves have pretty, like, what’s the word, like, a lot of general education, sort of, like, “this is what weaponsmithing is like and this is gardening and raising crops and things to provide for the community” and so I think they would have a lot of ‘school’ that covers a lot of just like, life basics because you are expect to find a place that contributes to the collective whole. Does that like—?

IAIN: Yeah, I think like it’s also lucky for Rayla that a big part of Moonshadow elf culture is what we would call PE. Like I think she excelled at striving to be an assassin warrior and so on. Especially like, she’s trying to live up to her parents who at first were honored Dragonguard and you know, Runaan as well. I think in terms of like, more academic stuff like if there was Moonshadow elf history lessons and “let’s go out and understand the, you know, ecology of the Moonshadow forest” and stuff I think she was probably a bit kinda like, rambunctious and not super paying attention and running off and not really giving it her all and so on. Um, you kind of get that impression from early on where she knows what Primal sources are and she’ll explain that to Callum but like, when she’s talking about ‘how do you do that Moonshadow form thing’ she’s like “I don’t know, it just feels right”. Like I think that’s—she did everything very intuitively and focused on the things she cared about and understood and kinda did what she—did what she could on the other subjects, I guess, but didn’t care as much.

DEVON: Yeah I feel like if you imagine the kid that is going to grow up to be an artist is doing doodles on their math homework and just sort of like doing the math homework but—but you know, clearly the effort is being placed elsewhere. I think it’s that but she was excelling at PE and assassin training and therefore fell very, very easily into her supposed path.

KUNO: The—this isn’t on the thing, but did—did she ever—did she ever really have any friends? ‘Cause she doesn’t really mention—ever mention friends. I—maybe that has to do with the whole assassin thing where if she wasn’t learning being at school she would probably doing assassin stuff with Runaan or assassin training stuff—I guess not really assassinating. But um did she have really friends growing up?

IAIN: I think if she had friends they were not super close. And I think she valued her alone time. There’s a sweet moment early in—well end of season 1 where she like tries to cheer up Ezran by saying that fitting in is overated and I think she felt that a little bit. Um and you know I think there’s some amount of when you’re being trained in the art of an assassin like you’re probably somewhat taught to—to keep people at arm’s length a little bit, right? And I think she—she took that to heart. So I think that’s a big part of why when she was first traveling with Callum and Ezran there wasn’t that much trust between then and it was kinda like, it was Ezran honestly that bridged the gap being most empathetic number 1 child. And yeah, I think having a close friend is relatively new to her.

KUNO: Makes sense. Like just few, not the many. Um okay then next question before we get to Hailey’s batch of them are um, what are Runaan’s feelings toward Rayla as of right now and everything that’s happened since season 1? I understand he’s in a coin, he’s in a finacial crisis, he’s probably not thinking about it too hard—

DEVON: Oh my god (laughs).

KUNO: But you know, like he’s gotta be—you know he’s not doing anything right now, I’m assuming, so like what would be his feelings about her at the moment?

DEVON: I mean he’s got a lot of time to think, wherever he is. I think like—I got into this a little bit on Twitter in a self-indulgent rant at one point where I think he went through a lot very quietly during the first few episodes of the show where he very, very much wanted Rayla to succeed, even if he wasn’t necessarily like being the dad on the sideline of the soccer game, like, cheering for her. But he thought this was her moment, this was her time to prove that she really was more dedicated to you know, her cause and her people than her parents were because they had, you know, been the subject of such shame. And then ah, everything goes the way it does, I think he has a brief crisis of, “Is this my fault? Did I fail to train her well enough? Like, was Ethari right?” Because he always thought she had, you know, a softer heart. And I think like those are the types of things that he’s still stewing on, um like did—”did he overstep? Was it something—was he so eager to give her the opportunity to prove herself that he, you know, ultimately put her in a position where she could not succeed?” I think like, the other thing that I mentioned on Twitter was I think he took her off the mission both because he very, very much wanted to give himself and the others a chance to complete the mission even if it meant their deaths. But it also meant that Rayla had the chance to survive even if it was potentially going to be misinterpreted and she’d get slapped with the Ghosting, I think he believed that her alive was better than everybody being dead. So I think like, he’s got a lot—a lot to work through and I think like—I think he feels guilty. I think there’s the smallest part of him that he has the—again, a lot of time to potentially stew on and reflect on is he does feel like he put her in a position that was, you know, not fully taking into account the type of person she was and more projecting onto her the type of person he wanted her to be and gift he wanted to give her of redeeming herself in the eyes of her people for her parents. And I think he’s gonna have to work through that. Poor dude.

KUNO: That’s so sadly heartfelt. That’s so sadly heartfelt. Here I am thinking that he’d be, like, maybe a little angry with her, ‘cause obvious reason, but now it’s like, oh he feels guilty. Like, “Oh, okay, let’s just slap the angst on, okay”.

DEVON: I mean, I think like—

KUNO: Yeah, mm-hm.

DEVON: Sure he’d have some anger, like, “Awgh, I gave her everything. I gave her the exact opportunity she needed”. But I think like the guilt and the reflection leads to the “Maybe I—maybe it was me who stepped too far here”.

IAIN: Yeah, I mean another part of it is like, we don’t know what it’s like being trapped in the hell coin dimension, right?

DEVON: Oh I do. I—I mean—

IAIN: Oh you do?

DEVON: It sucks.

IAIN: Oh it sucks?

DEVON: When it happens to me on the reg (IAIN laughs).

IAIN: But you know, does it feel like an eternity is passing? Does it feel like no time has passed? Is he in eternal pain? Because if it’s like real bad—

KUNO: Oh my god.

IAIN: —in there I can imagine that like yeah there’s definitely some of those kind of anger feelings that you don’t want to feel in but you do sometimes, right? Like it’s like, if he has a snap moment of “I wouldn’t be in here if she hadn’t gone off and disobeyed our orders and, like, lied to me and so on”. So if he ever comes out uh don’t know what side of the emotional coin he’s gonna land on.

DEVON: Ohhh, please leave.

KUNO: Oh my god.

DEVON: Get out, oof, ouch.

IAIN: Finger guns.

DEVON: I do think like that sort of complex—

KUNO: It sounds—

DEVON: —emotion is just, I don’t want to give any time to that pun, we’re moving on. Like that sort of complexity of emotion and relationships is something that I really like in the show overall. Like you said earlier, you saw some people that were a little bit upset that Ethari was so willing to lash out at Rayla at first and I think like to me that was always part of the big, big thematic of the show, which is this sort of endless cycle of people being willing to hurt each other and not forgive each other and not, you know, accept that you can choose peace. It’s, you know, it’s—Runaan having that impulse to anger is a very natural thing and it doesn’t—I don’t think it necessarily makes him a bad person for feeling that. And I don’t necessarily think that Ethari having his moments of grief lead him to actions that are ultimately like, regretful, like I don’t think he would want that to define him in the long run. Like those are very human things but those are the things as we acknowledge them and as are—so long as we are capable of recognizing how flawed we are and how violent and…

KUNO: Messy.

DEVON: Messy! Thank you, that’s like, I was going to say like churning, messy is good. Like messy emotions can be and how they can like, dictate the way we treat each other, um, but forgiveness and patience and acceptance are ultimately just so much more powerful than those negative perpetuating lashing outs. That was an inelegant way of ending that screed, but yes.

KUNO: I actually really love that um ‘cause I from the beginning I’ve loved their father-daughter relationship so I love how complicated it is, ‘cause the truth is you know every parent-child relationship is a little complicated, except theirs is a little more complicated with assassination going on in the works, the family trade. So I love that it is this complicated ‘cause I know I remember in the beginning where people were like you know—you know she does have a dad. And it’s like I know she has a biological dad but until I am told otherwise that’s her father. I don’t care and I love their relationship so I love that that really reflects that. Another—the next question out of me before we get to, um, Hailey’s, which are all about different elves, is um, course I have to ask, my policy is one Rayllum question per interview. Um what are Runaan’s feelings—whah, no, whoop, how would Ruthari and Runaan react to Rayla’s relationship with Callum considering he’s not only a human but a human prince? ‘Cause as far as we know Runaan really hates, um, humans and I’d love to see that story later, both individually and as a couple. Because as far as I know, Ethari probably doesn’t know that their in a relationship unless he sensed it?

DEVON: Oh man, I—I think you should take this one, but I do want to say that I saw one comment on Tumblr at one point where someone said that they wished that Ethari had said something to Callum along the lines of like, “Take care of her”. And I want to travel back in time and pretend that was in the script ‘cause I think that would have been really, really nice. And I do think like, he picked up on the fact that Callum was important to her even if it—he didn’t necessarily read it as romantic right off the bat. I think he mostly was like, “Oh this guy is kind of like a cute—he’s a human but he’s, you know, a friend to someone I care about and that in and of itself is valuable and there’s something there”. So I think—pretend that was in the script. I wish I had thought about something like that but—

KUNO: I will (DEVON laughs).

IAIN: Yeah.

KUNO: That’s canon as far—as far as I’m concerned that’s canon.

IAIN: I think uh it would be best for everyone involved if they found out together, uh, because I think Runaan’s impulse would not be good immediately. I think like, when you spend so much time as an assassin and you drill into your head that the people that you’re meant to kill are not people, they’re the enemy right? Like I think that’s—sometimes that’s a thing he turns on to do the job and so on, but I do think that’s gonna bleed into his personality and it’s—you know, especially given his extremely recent history he’s not got the best feelings about humans. So I think it would inspire an immediate negative reaction in him that would not be pleasant for Callum and Rayla, but I think Ethari just has a much softer heart and that is where Rayla kind of got that side from. So I mean I’m not going to say that he would immediately—you know, they’ve been at war for hundreds and hundreds of years with humans and they’ve been told all through their history that humans committed the original sin of dark magic, et cetera et cetera, but like, I think it would take not that much time of seeing Rayla and Callum together for Ethari to see that there’s something there and then I think Ethari would have the ability to ah, to talk Runaan down pretty quick. But I also think that like, Runaan might not even show any of this, there might just be a kind of seething resentment that he’s not really talking about inside. Um unless it was like on the battlefield or something and he was like, “That’s a prince that I’m meant to kill” or something like that. But overall I think Ethari would sense that Runaan was not like—was not taking this well and they would be able to talk it through. At least that’s my gut.

DEVON: No, that sounds right (DEVON and IAIN laugh).

KUNO: I feel like poor Callum is just always on the edge of “Am I going to die tonight?” while he’s there, “Is this gonna be it?” Just gonna be like, “Oops sorry I had an accident—hey I had an accident in the middle of the night, you know, just a knife to the throat, that’s all”.

IAIN: I mean, he’s doing pretty well, like he said as they were about to meet Ethari and Rayla was like, “Remember Runaan?” He was like “Oh yeah, that guy who tried to kill me as soon as he met me? Cool guy”. Callum’s doing pretty well on the acceptance front these days.

DEVON: I do—

KUNO: Yeah.

DEVON: I do want to say that I think Ethari and Callum would get along really well because I think they both have sort of like a soft hearted friendliness to them that they would have a fun rapport. And that’s the sort of like “Trees to meet you” line is definitely supposed to be like—they’d you know, crack some goofy back and forths and I think that would soften Runaan too because he couldn’t ever hate someone that Ethari liked.

IAIN: Yeah, I think it’s a weird—

KUNO: Aww.

IAIN: —reversal where like Callum’s the one doing the dad jokes and Ethari’s like humoring them and Runaan’s like, “I don’t understand. Trees do not meet.”

DEVON: “Please stop saying ‘trees to meet you’.”

KUNO: Aw it never gets old. I love that. Um alright, Hailey, take it away. Your turn.

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