#heidi you’re so beautiful it’s offensive

[artificialqueens]

Duality, Chapter 4 (Crygi) - Metaluna

Chapter summary: Crystal has an incredible day at work, while Gigi has a terrible one. Crystal can tell something is wrong with her girlfriend, but she’s not sure what. When Gigi makes a mistake, it tests their relationship to its core.

A/N: thank you as always to the incredible queen who is @junosjukebox for beta reading. A TW for graphic depictions of violence/death 

Crystal impatiently tapped her foot while waiting for the train. Of course the day she had to meet with the artist of an exhibit that she might book, she was running late. It was her first time coordinating an exhibit as the creative director of the museum. Here she was, about to leave a terrible impression on the prospective artist, as well as the rest of the creative team, who also vied for her position. 

Checking the time, she saw that the train was running five minutes behind. Five minutes. She could make it, but she’d have to run. Cardio was on Crystal’s list of least favorite things, narrowly avoiding bad vampire movies. Her excuse was the one time she went on a run with Gigi, Gigi said that Crystal’s resting heart rate was two beats higher than average. Plus, she’d just gotten over from being sick. 

Running through the streets of Chicago wasn’t necessarily an uncommon thing to see, but with Harry Styles blaring through her Airpods, she couldn’t help but feel like all eyes were on her. As she went up the stairs to the museum, she wasn’t paying attention and nearly collided with a woman, who narrowly avoided spilling her coffee. 

“Oh, shit, I’m so sorry!” Crystal squeaked.

The woman, who looked sleek and sophisticated who was wearing a suit that looked like it was made for her said, “Don’t even worry about it. Are you running late?”

Crystal nodded. “I really have to go! Thank you!”

“What are you thanking me for?” The woman shouted.

By the time Crystal made it up to her office, her assistant Rock was already waiting for her with an iced coffee.

“Thank you!” Crystal said graciously.

Having an assistant was something she still wasn’t used to. Instead of relying on a planner that was falling apart at the seams, she had someone who kept track of all her meetings for her, who always had an iced coffee at the ready. 

“You made it,” Rock said. “The meeting’s going to be down the hall. Conference room B. The artist is already waiting for us, but you’re on time so don’t worry.”

“God, Sasha would have never done this,” Crystal said as she took a sip.

“I know you think you have these huge shoes to fill, but you don’t.”

Crystal took a deep breath and smoothed out her blouse before opening the door. “Hello, everyone.”

Making eye contact with the everyone in the room, a wave of panic washed over her. One of the people who was sitting at the conference table, who she could only presume was the artist, was the same person she almost took out on the stairs. 

“So we meet again,” the woman said. 

“I’m so sorry about earlier! I was running late and I didn’t see you.”

“Don’t even worry about it. Jaida Hall.” Jaida held out her hand. The power in Jaida’s handshake surprised Crystal. 

“Crystal Methyd,” Crystal said as she sat. 

Jaida blinked and then raised an eyebrow.

“I know,” Crystal murmured. “My parents hate me.”

“So, tell us about the exhibit,” one of the curators, Heidi prompted.

Jaida stood up from her chair, her body language elegant and confident. “When I was doing my final project in art school I became very interested in horror, specifically werewolves. I independently studied lycanthropy so intensively my senior year, I might as well have a degree in it. It’s been three years since I began my studies, and I thought that it would be interesting to do an exhibit based on the history of werewolves and the interpretations of them through time in different cultures, as well as their representation in pop culture.” 

None of the directors said anything, Crystal nodded to prompt Jaida to continue. 

Jaida used the television in the conference room to show her art. “As you can see, it’s a very diverse exhibit, all different art styles, linked with a common thread. I feel as though this exhibit can really add a flair to your museum, not that it needs it by any means. It’s unlike any of the exhibits you’ve had before. With Halloween just around the corner, I think it’ll bring a lot of traffic.”

Apparently Crystal couldn’t escape from the supernatural. At least it was just an art exhibit. It’s not like werewolves were real.

“Can’t argue with that,” Heidi murmured. 

Crystal had a notepad and pen in front of her, but she didn’t feel the need to take notes. She loved the premise of the exhibit. Jaida was right, it’d add flair to the museum. Jaida’s words were too kind, the museum desperately needed something to make it stand out from the other museums in Chicago. 

“This exhibit is so unique. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, and your work is incredible,” Crystal said earnestly.

Jaida smiled. “Thank you very much.”

“I am interested in bringing your exhibit to the museum. Would you be interested in a nine month contract?” 

The norm for the museum’s exhibits was usually six months at the most, but  Crystal could see there was something about this exhibit that was special. 

Jaida’s jaw dropped. “That sounds great.”

“Lovely. Heidi will discuss the details with you. Have a great day.”

Crystal walked away with a huge smile on her face.

Gigi made it clear to Crystal that she wanted to know as soon as possible how the meeting went, so much so that Gigi told Crystal to meet her at the funeral home. While she was on the train, she realized that in the year they’d been dating, Crystal had never been to the funeral home. 

When she arrived, Crystal hesitated before opening the door. The sign alone, which read Evermore Funeral Services was enough to make her feel uneasy. Crystal had never set foot in a funeral home, because she never knew anyone who’d died.

Once inside, she didn’t see Gigi. She didn’t see anyone. The funeral home was eerily quiet. Crystal didn’t have much experience with death, so she was on edge thinking about the bodies that were probably in the other rooms. 

“Hello?” Crystal called tentatively. “Gigi?”

A woman, who Crystal assumed was Jackie, came forward which made Crystal jump. “You must be Crystal.”

“And you must be Jackie. Nice to finally meet you.”

“You, too.”

“So uh, where’s my girlfriend?” Crystal asked looking around the room.

Jackie pointed in the direction of what Crystal could only guess was the dead body room. “Someone was mauled by a wild animal. She’s probably going to be in there for a while.”

“Oh…”

“Yeah, it’s bad. One of the worst animal attacks I’ve seen. He wasn’t recognizable. Police had to use dental records,” Jackie said. “Even Gigi looked shocked, and that woman is unshakeable.” 

Crystal’s face looked horrified. “I…” 

“Sorry. Well, you’re welcome to go sit on the couch over there.”

The couch was comfortable, much more comfortable than it looked. Jackie sat on the chair adjacent to the couch. 

“So Crystal,” Jackie began. “I don’t know that much about you. Gigi doesn’t talk too much about you.”

Gigi didn’t talk about her? That stung, especially considering everyone at the museum knew all about Gigi. 

“She doesn’t?”

Jackie saw that Crystal took offense to the comment. “Gigi’s a private person. We don’t talk much about personal lives. What do you do for a living?”

“I’m the creative director at the Chicago Museum of Visual Arts.” 

Crystal had to admit, every time she said “creative director” she felt an overwhelming sense of pride, mainly because she worked her ass to get there.

“That’s incredible! I’ve taken my wife there before.”

“Awe, you have a wife?” Crystal asked.

“Yes! Her name is Jan and I love her a lot.” Jackie took her phone from her pocket and showed Crystal her lock screen, a picture of Jackie and a radiant blonde woman at the beach.

“She’s beautiful.”

Crystal couldn’t help but feel jealous. Why couldn’t Gigi get that excited about her when she talked to people?

“I keep trying to get Gigi to come over for dinner. You’d be welcome too, of course. Jan’s an amazing cook.”

“That’d be nice.” 

Dinner with someone she barely knew didn’t sound fun. But, she wanted nothing more in that moment to piss off Gigi. 

“How does Friday sound?” Jackie asked brightly.

“Friday would be great.“

Crystal could hear Gigi’s voice from down the hall. “That was one of the worst bodies I’ve seen in quite some time. I know you said the family wanted an open casket… That’s out of the question. I’m good, but I’m not that good. No one is. I give up.”

As Gigi rounded the corner, she took her hair down from the messy bun it was in. “Oh. Hi, darling.”

“Hi, baby.” Crystal’s tone was short, which Gigi immediately caught onto.

“Are you okay?” Crystal nodded. “Let’s go into my office.”

Crystal sat in the chair normally reserved for grieving families with her arms folded across her chest as Gigi stood in front of her.

“So… How did it go?”

“What?”

Gigi raised an eyebrow. “Meeting with the artist?”

“Oh. Good.” Crystal knew passive aggression wasn’t a good look on anyone, but she couldn’t help it.

“Just ‘good’?”

“We booked the artist. Her whole exhibit is on werewolves. I can’t escape the supernatural. At least werewolves aren’t real, I guess.”

Gigi looked uneasy. “Yes, of course they aren’t real.”

Crystal looked at her girlfriend and saw just how bad she looked. Crystal kept track of the days that Gigi fed, and she knew it had been an entire week. Gigi didn’t leave her side when she was sick, and it showed. 

Even with heavy makeup on, her dark under-eye circles were noticeable. There were light traces of the veins visible through her pale skin. Crystal was used to Gigi’s appearance, but Gigi was shaking. It wasn’t in a weak-needing-to-feed way. It was in a something-was-very-wrong way. Crystal decided that Gigi not talking about her to Jackie suddenly didn’t matter. 

“Baby?” Crystal got up and hugged Gigi. “What’s wrong? Something’s wrong. Talk to me.”

Gigi sighed as she spun the pendant on her necklace. “That body was in the worst state I’ve seen in a very long time.”

Crystal knew she was going to regret the amount of details she was going to get, but she knew Gigi needed to talk about it. Gigi needing to talk about things was rare, and Crystal knew she had to take advantage of the moment. She also knew that a body in bad shape wasn’t enough to make her so freaked out.

“What was wrong with… them? The body, I mean.” Crystal asked.

Gigi sighed. “It was one of the most mangled bodies that I’ve seen, not only recently, but ever. The autopsy report said that the intestines were on the outside of the body.”

Crystal winced. 

“I’m sorry. I can stop if you want..”

“No, keep going. Spare no gory details for me.”

“The claw marks weren’t anything I’ve ever seen. They were massive. Part of the torso was so shredded, there was barely any skin left, and what was left was hanging on the sides of the body. The face was so shredded, the skull was visible.”

By this point, Crystal couldn’t take anymore, so she changed the subject. “Do you have any idea what could have done it?”

“No.” Gigi answered quickly enough that Crystal raised an eyebrow. 

“Maybe werewolves are real,” Crystal joked.

“Absolutely not.”

“Babe, as much as I want to spend time with you, I told Heidi and Rock I’d get drinks with them to celebrate.”

“It’s okay. We have the rest of the evening.”

“You still look really shook. Like, it’s not just that you need to eat. Something is wrong.”

“I’m okay,” Gigi said squeezing Crystal’s hand. “I promise.”

Crystal still wasn’t convinced. She moved her hair away and tilted her neck. “Do you need some just to tide you over?”

Gigi shook her head. “You know how I feel about that. You are not my personal blood bank.”

Whenever Gigi drank from Crystal, it was never for sustenance. It was only during sex, because Gigi didn’t want to treat her girlfriend as her blood whore. The blood whores Nicky kept around always made her uncomfortable. 

“Don’t be stubborn, babe,” Crystal said, locking the office door.

“Fine.”

Gigi kissed Crystal’s neck before drawing her fangs. It took a huge amount of self control to not take too much blood. She took the amount she would take when she and Crystal had sex, which was the equivalent of eating a slice of cake, nice at the moment, but not much satisfaction. 

Crystal shivered involuntarily once Gigi finished.

“I have to go now, because if I don’t, I’m going to throw all those files off of your desk and fuck you.” 

“Please don’t do that. Those are important. Besides, that’s for later. You should go out for drinks now, because I’m about to do the same,” Gigi said, rubbing her blood on Crystal’s neck. 

“Babe, I honest to God can’t stand you.”

“I love you, too.”

As much as Crystal didn’t want to think about it, Gigi had to feed in order to survive. Crystal tried to shove the idea of her girlfriend as a killer from her mind. Gigi assured her that she would never see her in that way, by promising Crystal she’d never kill someone in the apartment, since that was their safe space together. 

“You know the rule.”

“Of course. No killing in the apartment. I love you, darling.”

“Love you, too.”

Gigi kissed Crystal. “I am so incredibly proud of you.”

“Go feed. You look dead.”

“I am dead.”

Once Crystal had changed to spend time with her friends Gigi sighed. There was no way she felt strong enough to make it out to the bar. The blood she’d taken from Crystal was not enough to satisfy her. 

In situations where she was in a pinch, she used Tinder to find someone to feed on. Gigi hated the entire concept of Tinder, but it definitely came of use when she had to find her target. She scrolled through, swiping right to everyone, until a man  messaged her. After pleasantries back and forth, including a picture of his penis, he agreed to come over. 

Normally, Gigi would bring people to the funeral home. She looked in the mirror at herself. She looked like hell. Gigi was wearing more makeup than normal, and she could still see how ragged her appearance was. She had no other option. She had no choice but to feed in the apartment. It was either to break her and Crystal’s rule, or to kill someone in the streets. 

Besides, Crystal wasn’t going to be back until late, anyway. 

Gigi sat on the couch neurotically petting Akasha until she heard the knock on the door. With a sigh of relief, she answered the door to a man whose name she couldn’t remember.

“Lauren?” Gigi always made sure to use a fake name.

“Yes, hi.” 

She took the man by the hand and sat with him on the couch. Ever since she started dating Crystal, kissing other people felt wrong. But, Crystal said she didn’t care, so Gigi continued her routine. She kissed the man’s neck before drawing her fangs.

Gigi made sure she was precise and clean, so as not to leave any evidence behind. After she dragged the man into the bathtub, she was sure to cover her tracks and make sure that no blood was spilled. Other than a few small drops that were easily cleaned, she was in the clear. 

Next, she had to dispose of the body. There were a few things that Gigi kept in the closet that Crystal wasn’t aware of. Most of them were gifts, but there were much darker things, too. Underneath her textbooks on body reconstruction, there were things that she hoped to the gods she didn’t believe in that Crystal would never find. One such thing was a bonesaw that she kept for occasions just like this. Putting the body parts into a trashbag and driving to the funeral home would be the easiest way to get rid of the body. 

Making her way back to the bathroom, she partially filled the bathtub so the blood would run down the drain easier. With that, she went to work, starting with the limbs. 

Gigi was so focused on dismembering the body, she had no idea Crystal had returned and was watching her every move. 

At first, Crystal was in shock. She couldn’t believe what she saw. Watching Gigi completely butcher a body made Crystal want to scream and run away, but instead she froze and watched in terror, wondering how the woman she loved so dearly could do something so morbid. The scariest thing to Crystal was the complete lack of remorse on Gigi’s face.

Crystal could barely listen to Gigi talk about work, even the things that weren’t particularly gory. Death was something that disturbed Crystal greatly. Despite this, Crystal was watching Gigi’s every move. It was like when she saw a motorcycle accident when she was a teenager. Something about it made her unable to look away, as desperately as she wished she could. 

Crystal watched silently, until Gigi began cutting the head. Halfway through, Gigi tore the head with ease, like when her brother used to rip the heads off of her Barbies. She put her hand over her mouth and gasped sharply. The gasp was loud enough that Gigi heard. 

Gigi looked up at her lover. Without missing a beat, she turned off the saw and shut the shower curtain. 

“Crystal…” Gigi began. As she took a step forward toward Crystal, Crystal immediately took a step back. 

“No.”

“Crystal I am so sorry.”

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Crystal…”

She took another step back. “Don’t.” 

Crystal ran into their bedroom and locked the do or. Gigi wanted to immediately run after her, but knew that was exactly what she shouldn’t do. Instead, she stood outside of the door.

She gently knocked on the door. “Crystal… Please…”

“I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want to look at you.”

“I am so beyond sorry,” Gigi said as she could feel tears of blood stream down her face. “I never meant for you to see me like that.”

Crystal scoffed. “You really think that is why I’m so upset?”

“Yes…” Gigi trailed off. “It’s not?”

“Fucking 

unbelievable

. No, Gigi. I know you kill people. Seeing you cut up that guy was fucking gross, but at the end of the day, you’re a fucking vampire. That’s not why I’m mad. I’m mad at the complete lack of respect. I let the fact that you kill people slide. But, you can’t follow one goddamn rule?”

“Can I come in?”

 Crystal sighed as she unlocked the door. “Come in.”

“Thank you.” 

Crystal sat in the chair in the corner of the room. It was clear to see how tense she was. Rather than sitting relaxed in the chair as she normally would, Crystal had her legs crossed on the chair with her arms wrapped around them. Gigi could tell that Crystal didn’t want her too close.

Wiping away tears, Crystal said, “Like I was saying, you not killing people  in this space that we share, the space we made together is something that is so important. It feels like you don’t care about my feelings, just your own.”

“How could you even say that?” Gigi could feel tears of blood stream down her face. 

“Sometimes I forget you aren’t human. It was only a matter of time before some shit like this happened.” Crystal’s voice cracked. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Do what?”

“You know what.”

Gigi looked at Crystal. “You can’t be serious.”

The tone of Crystal’s words cut Gigi like a knife.. “Actually, I am.”

“I…”

“I’m going to go. Get rid of him. Clean the bathroom. I need to clear my head. I’ll be back.”

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t know.”

Crystal slammed the apartment door so loudly, Akasha ran into the bedroom. 

Crystal didn’t know where she was going. She just knew she had to leave. She put her Airpods in as she walked down the streets of Chicago at dusk.

A feeling of unease crept over her as she entered a neighborhood that was not her own. Even though Crystal and Gigi’s apartment was in a safe part of the city, as safe as one can get in a large city, being out at night was generally something Crystal avoided.

Tonight she didn’t care. 

The wind was brisk on her tear-stained face as Crystal continued to walk. She didn’t have a destination in mind. To be honest, she wasn’t completely sure where she was. Crystal tried her best to recognize her surroundings, but night had fallen and she completely lost where she was.

Crystal began to panic. Looking at her phone, she saw that she had three missed calls and eight missed texts from Gigi. As much as Crystal wanted to text her for help, she put her phone back in her pocket.

Something made Crystal feel uneasy, not just because she was lost. It was like she was being watched. When she heard a noise, more than likely just a rat or stray cat, she felt like she jumped out of her skin.

Crystal wanted to scream when she realized the noise came from a figure that was definitely a person, who was quickly approaching. 

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Once under the streetlights, Crystal saw that it was a familiar face.

“Crystal?” Jaida began. “Are you okay?”

Crystal’s voice cracked. “Yes.”

“No, you’re not,” Jaida said as she guided them to a bench.

Rubbing Crystal’s back comfortingly, Jaida said, “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“We barely know each other.”

“It doesn’t matter. Something’s wrong, and I’m not letting you leave until you calm down.”

“First off I have no idea where the fuck I am. But that’s not why I’m crying.”

Jaida wiped Crystal’s tears. “What’s wrong?”

“My girlfriend and I got into our first fight. It wasn’t just a small disagreement. It was a full on huge ass fight that left me saying I didn’t know if I could do the relationship, and slamming the door.”

“Shit,” Jaida muttered. “What were y’all arguing about?”

Crystal had to choose her words carefully. “Basically… We have certain… I guess rules about our apartment. It’s weird to explain.”

“No, I understand. I think.“

“It’s just… she broke our one rule, and doesn’t understand that her ki… I mean,  doing the… thing that the rule is about isn’t what’s making me mad. It’s that she clearly doesn’t respect me if she’s willing to break it that easily.”

Jaida raised an eyebrow. “I’m not quite sure what you’re saying, but I think you should talk it out with her.”

“You’re right. If I avoid this it’ll be worse.”

im ready to talk but im lost. im sharing my location with you

I’ll be there soon.

not too soon, im with someone. a friend found me 

Got it. 

“She’s on her way. You can go, if you want.”

Jaida shook her head. “Are you kidding? I’m not leaving you here. My apartment is just over there. We’re going to wait up there for your girl.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

Jaida raised an eyebrow. “Because I’m a nice person?”

“Sorry… I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay. Let’s go.”

Crystal quickly texted Gigi Jaida’s address. 

Jaida’s apartment was exactly what Crystal expected. There was art everywhere of all different styles. Even though none of the furniture matched, a stark contrast from her own apartment, it all fit together perfectly. Crystal inhaled the earthy scent of incense as she saw a painting of moon phases on an easel in the corner. 

“My roommates aren’t home right now,” Jaida said as she led Crystal to a wildly patterned couch. 

“You have roommates?”

There was something about Jaida’s energy that made Crystal think that she would live alone. 

“I’m a starving artist who just booked her first exhibit. If I didn’t have roommates, I’d be back at my parent’s house in Milwaukee, the land of Dahmer. Of course I have roommates. But it’s all not bad, my roommates, Vanessa, Scarlet, and Yvie are great.”

“That’s good. Before I moved in with Gigi, mine were… Not.”

Jaida shook her head. “Are you really in your mid twenties if you haven’t had a horrific roommate experience?”

“Or a horrific edible experience,” Crystal joked. 

“That, too.”

Jaida sighed. “I know we aren’t at work, but I just want to thank you. For everything.”

“Of course your work is incredible.” Crystal gestured to the art in the apartment. “All of it.”

“Thank you,” Jaida said with a small smile. “I try.”

Crystal and Jaida sat in a comfortable silence as a knock on the door startled Crystal.

“That’s probably your girl,” Jaida said, getting up to answer the door as Crystal followed.

Before Jaida opened the door, Crystal had no idea what to expect. Crystal didn’t know that a vampire cried blood until that day. She also didn’t know that after crying, a vampire’s eyes were red and puffy just like a human’s. Normally, Gigi dressed extremely cohesive, but she was wearing one of Crystal’s flannels and a pair of leggings. 

“Hi. I’m Gigi.

“Jaida.”

Crystal had no idea why, but Gigi and Jaida locked eyes. It was like they were taking each other in as they looked each other up and down. 

“Do you want to go talk now, Gigi?”

Gigi nodded. “Let’s go.”

While Crystal had a horrible sense of direction, Gigi’s was impeccable. This showed especially as they walked the streets of Chicago. Normally, Crystal wouldn’t feel safe, but after seeing what her girlfriend was capable of, she felt more than safe.

“So…” Crystal began.

“I don’t think that I could ever express how sorry I am. I also don’t think I can express how much it hurts me to know that I hurt you. I didn’t mean to disrespect you in any way, and the fact that I did will haunt me for decades.”

Crystal sighed, formulating a response before she spoke. “You’re right. You disrespected me.”

Gigi began to say something.

“I’m not finished yet. I know that you probably don’t want to talk about it, but I can tell something’s wrong. It’s not just that you needed to feed. Babe, I understand that you might not want to talk about whatever is going on, but just know, I know that something is wrong. I also know that you haven’t fed in a week.”

“It’s no excuse for me to do what I did. I broke our rule.”

“You absolutely did.”

“You saw me for what I really am. A soulless killer.”

“That was… shocking,” Crystal began. “I know you haven’t fed in a week.”

“That is absolutely no excuse.”

“It probably isn’t. But, why didn’t you feed for an entire week?”

“Because I was taking care of you.”

Crystal held Gigi’s hand. “Would a soulless killer take care of me?”

“I suppose not.”

“Baby, I know what I was signing up for when we started dating. It’s fucking disturbing to think about, and part of me realizes how crazy this all is. I know you kill people, but I can see your soul. You claim you don’t have one, but you absolutely do. Yours is beautiful. Also, I will say that I know you don’t tell me certain things, and as your girlfriend, it hurts knowing you don’t fully trust me with certain things. I’m not sure if you think you’re protecting me, or what it is. But, I don’t need protecting.”

Gigi sighed, shutting her eyes as she squeezed Crystal’s hand. “I will spend every day proving how much I love, value, and respect you. I love you. I’ll also try harder to tell you more.“

Gigi went in for a kiss, but Crystal pulled away. “I love you, but I need time to… I don’t know. Decompress? Destress? I’m not breaking up with you, but that was… rough.”

“I understand.”

“Thank you for respecting my boundaries. I love you.” 

“I love you, too. Is there anything I can do immediately to prove it?”

“Well…” Crystal hesitated. “I may have told Jackie that we’d go have dinner at her place with her wife on Friday while you were in the dead body room.”

“You did what?”

#rpdr fanfiction #crystal methyd #gigi goode #crygi #jackie cox #lesbian au #vampire au #duality #metaluna #tw graphic depictions of violence #tw gore #tw death #submission #s12

[ncisjes]

I’d find you in every lifetime

Based off this beautiful gifset by @everythingismadefromdreams and this drabble by @mcgeekle where Ziva is prosecuting a case the team worked. Kudos to them both for creating this amazing AU I am having so much fun writing in. Also a huge thank you to @mcgeekle for letting me continue this. 

@benditlikepress @rareshbones

Read on AO3//FF

Take Your Time

Sipping her second drink of the night, she sits at the bar alone watching what feels like the same old news on ZNN. Being stood up was a rare occurrence for her, but this time she really could not fault the man. In the past two weeks they had agreed to get drinks after work on three separate occasions, and all three times she had bailed to work late. 

The Simmons case was moving along on schedule, but it was still too early to tell how the jury was leaning. Her opening argument was flawless, but the expert witnesses had not fared as well as she had hoped under the scrutiny of the defendants defense team. Their one hundred thousand dollar an hour retainer was clearly paying off for their client. 

Regardless of whatever lead the defense had, she was still determined as ever to win this case. Being new to DC, she needed to establish herself as a capable prosecutor. Her track record here had a much slower start than in New York, but that was mostly suffering through learning the quirks of the system and the judges preferences. She always knew the legal field was cutthroat, but D.C. gave New York a run for its money. 

Luckily for her, the jury had yet to hear from the investigators whose findings built her entire case. She had planned to call Leroy Jethro Gibbs as her first witness, but as life would have it an emergency case had popped up keeping him and his team from attending the hearing. 

Though it had been a month since she had seen him, she had to admit she found herself thinking about Special Agent DiNozzo quite a lot lately.  While his delivery could have been better, his charm was what intrigued her to invite him back to her office to try his luck again at asking her out once the hearing had concluded. There was just something about him that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Wondering what he would be doing on a Friday night like tonight, she imagined him sweet talking his way into some unsuspecting co-ed’s bed for the night.

Taking a long slow sip of her drink, she scans the room in hopes of finding someone to take home herself. Her eyes begin sizing up each prospect, noting their features and what she would like to do with them. Her gaze locks on a brunette that is all legs with grayish brown eyes which jogs her memory of a night a few months back. She cannot remember the woman’s name, but the curl of her tongue is still very vivid in Ziva’s mind. Seeing her arm wrapped around the blonde sitting next to her,  Ziva continues to scour the room in hopes of repeating the ecstasy her mind just recalled. 

Her search comes up empty as everyone in the bar has seemingly paired off. She’s about to signal for her tab and call it a night when she spots him out of the corner of her eye. He’s leaning over the bar talking to the blonde bartender who’s name always escapes Ziva. She laughs and leans over the counter, not only matching Tony’s stance but giving him a much better view down her shirt, Ziva is sure. Her fingers play with the condensation on her glass as she waits for him to notice her. He doesn’t disappoint, leaving the bartender without a second glance a few moments later and hastily making his way to her. 

“Ziva David. Fancy finding you here.” Tony leans on the stool next to her. 

“Hello Special Agent DiNozzo.”

“I see you’ve forgotten my name all ready.” He fakes offense.

“It is a lawyer thing. We have to be proper in court and it transcends into our personal lives.” 

“Deflecting really doesn’t help your case here counselor.” 

“I have not forgotten your name, Tony, and I see you have not forgotten your charm.”

“So you do find me charming.”

“I would not go that far.” She smirks.

“So what’s a girl like you doing here alone on a Friday night?”

“Who says I am alone?” 

“This seat is pushed too far in for someone to have just gone to the bathroom. Unless of course you’re waiting for someone, but judging by your empty drink and the condensation collecting on it you’ve been waiting for quite a while. Our hot shot lawyer from New York couldn’t have been stood up, now could she?” Returning the victorious smirk she had given him moments before. 

“Putting your investigative skills to use on your off time?”

“Only if it means I can sit down here.” 

“I do not think that is a good idea.” She cautions him, her eyes going from playful to serious. 

“Ah come on, who is going to see us? There’s none of you legal types in here. Plus I’m not your witness. Gibbs is.” 

“But you are still a part of his team which makes-”

He waves his hand to shush her, causing her to balk at him.

“One drink.” He holds up his pointer finger as if to make it concrete that they’re only going to have a single cocktail. Somehow she finds herself relenting. 

Taking his seat, Tony waves to the bartender he just abandoned to call her over. Arms crossed over her chest she stares back at him, not moving a muscle. He winks and makes the come hither motion with his finger,  hoping that all can be forgotten with a really good tip on his tab.  She scoffs, throwing the towel she is holding to the ground and walks through the swinging door to the back. 

“Guess we won’t be served by her any time soon.” Tony comments, shifting his body towards Ziva. Before she can respond the other bartender approaches. 

“Hey, sorry about that. Heidi can take things a little too personal sometimes. I’m Jack. What can I get you?” 

“Scotch on the rocks for me and for-”

“I will have another mojito, Jack, thank you.” Ziva answers, effectively cutting Tony off. 

“Sure thing.” Jack smiles and winks at her as he saunters off, causing Tony’s jealousy to spike for some unknown reason. 

“So, you come here often?” Tony asks, drawing Ziva’s attention back to him. 

“Is that what you really wanted to ask me? Generic pick up lines usually work to get girls to take you home with them?”

“I didn’t know that offer was on the table.” He leers at her, grabbing an ice cube from her drink and popping it into his mouth. 

“No I do not come here often, and no it is not on the table.” She glares at him. 

Jack arrives with their drinks, breaking the small amount of tension that had built up. Tony pays in cash and raises his glass to Ziva.

“To future offers. May they be successful and enjoyable for us both.” He gives her a big toothy grin before touching his glass to hers and taking a swig; his eyes never leaving hers. 

Ziva is the first one to break and look away, muttering something under her breath in Hebrew but still finding herself smiling before taking a long drink.

“So tell me, how does the rising star of Mossad find herself practicing law in America?”

“I see you have done your research.”

“It is what I do for a living.”

“Not well enough clearly or you would know the answer. How did one make the jump from Baltimore P.D. to N.C.I.S. with such subpar skills?”

“Answering my question with a question? Deflecting won’t work with me. I use  the same tactic all the time on the job. Nice to know you’re doing your own research on me too though.” He winks at her as he takes another sip of his drink. 

“For the case-”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night. Now my question?”

Their gazes lock and the power struggle begins between them, sizing the the other up, their pupils dilating and contracting with each breath. Finally giving in, Ziva breaks away to look at the bar door closing before her eyes settle on the ice in her drink, her hand fidgeting with the straw. 

“After serving in the Israeli army I joined Mossad at my own volition. I advanced quickly through the ranks, earning awards for my exemplary skills and talents. I had just become a handler when I decided to leave and come to America.”

“What made you do that?”

“My brother.”

Tony stares at her intently but does not push the subject. He can sense she is having difficulty discussing this. She takes a long swig of her drink before continuing. 

“He cautioned me about promoting any higher, said I did not know what I was getting myself into or who I was really working for. As a handler, I was given more access and told more secrets, but I still had some plausible deniability in the big picture of how Mossad operates. It was not until he was killed three months later that I realized he was right.”

Tony’s eyes study her body language as she tells him the bits and pieces of what seems like a much longer and much more painful story than what she is letting on. He doesn’t push the subject, instead letting the silence fall comfortably between them. 

“You did not ask me.” She comments after a few moments pass and the drinks lessen in their glasses. 

“What's that?” 

“The one question everyone wants to know; how he died.” 

He doesn’t meet her eyes as he finishes his drink. 

“I figured if you wanted to share you would.” 

She twirls the last of her mojito in her glass, watching the clear liquid dance through the crystal ice cubes. Pausing as if she is really considering divulging the information. 

“He killed a member of the secret service, Special Agent Caitlyn Todd. He was killed shortly after by what was reported as a terrorist bombing but really was Mossad cleaning up their mess.” 

Tony’s whole body tenses, not only because he knew Special Agent Todd but because he remembered the bombing that occurred following her death. The reports played for days on ZNN of the horrific injuries people had suffered caused by excessive shrapnel intended to inflict the most pain. The death toll seemed to climb by the second. 

“After his death I was obsessed with getting revenge. I had already lost a sister to a Hamas bombing and to have my brother taken from me the same way… I was determined to bring whoever took him from me forward. When I found out it was ordered by my own director… I could no longer remain loyal to an organization that operated that way.” 

Grabbing her glass, she drains the last of her drink before slamming it back on the bar nearly causing it to shatter. 

“I decided to come to America to bring justice for those who could not get justice for themselves.”

Her eyes are downcast as her fingers play with the condensation on her glass once again. Tony takes a moment to collect himself before tentatively reaching to touch her shoulder.

“Hey, I’m sorry for your loss, and I’m glad you’re here.” 

She gives him a shy smile, leaning into his touch. They stare at each other for a few moments before Tony breaks the contact. 

“Worked a case with Kate Todd. She was a good Agent.”

Ziva’s eyes widen in shock, not only because he knew her but that they both were affected by the same event. 

“I am sorry for your loss.”

“No, I’m sorry to end your night on such a downer. Didn’t mean to bring up such painful memories.” 

“It is alright. I did not mind spending it with you.” 

The words fall out of her mouth before she realizes what she’s said. Luckily she is saved by a man interrupting them. 

“Hey, Tony, sorry to bother you.” He leans on the bar beside him. 

“No worries McInterruptus. Ziva David, this is Timothy McGee, the other and less attractive member of Team Gibbs.” 

Ziva smiles at the glare he gives Tony before extending her hand.

“It is nice to put a face to the name. I read your report in the Simmons case on how the device’s design was flawed and ultimately caused his death. I was amazed by the immense detail you used and then I found out you have a degree in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins and a degree in Computer Forensics from MIT. Very impressive.” 

“Oh, you’re the prosecutor Tony wouldn’t shut up about and the boss wished he would have sent me to check up on instead.” 

Ziva laughs as Tony strikes McGee across the chest.  

“Quiet McTattletale.” 

“One in the same.” Ziva adds, still laughing. 

“Well it’s very nice to meet you Ziva. Tony I hate to steal you away but Abby had too much to drink and is in the bathroom puking. Jardine is in there with her but she’s probably cleaning every surface. We’re probably going to have to carry her out.” 

“I told you to watch her Probie.” 

“Yeah, you try taking her drink away when she’s ranting about people who say they’re vegetarians but eat chicken.” 

“Good point.” 

Tony stands to leave, pushing in the chair as he does. He stops to turn to Ziva before walking away. 

“Don’t move, I’ll walk you out.” 

She doesn’t understand why she listens. 

A few moments later Tony and McGee emerge from the back of the bar with Abby between them, each of her arms slung over their shoulders. Ziva sees a woman exit quickly from behind them, clutching her bag tightly to her as if not to touch anything. The group stops in front of her as Abby begins to babble. 

“Who’s this? Tony, she's pretty. You’re very pretty.” 

“Not now, Abs.” 

Tony motions for Ziva to follow them and she grabs her briefcase from the bottom of the bar before walking behind them. 

There is a cab waiting outside and McGee drops Abby’s arm to open the door before getting in on the opposite side. Tony struggles to keep Abby upright as she goes limp in his arms. Ziva comes up from behind to grab her other side and help get her into the car. She settles in the backseat with her head in McGee’s lap. 

“Tony did you get her number? Get her number!” Abby calls out as Tony moves to close the door. 

“We have her number Abby.”  

“It was nice meeting you!” McGee yells out to Ziva. 

Tony finally shuts the door, letting out a loud breath, his hand wiping over his face. 

“Sorry about that.” 

“It is quite alright. It is nice to see people taking care of other people.” 

“Do you want to share a cab?” 

“No, I actually live right down there.” She points to a grey building a little ways down the street. 

“Oh so you do come here often.” 

They both laugh at the implication. 

“Well I guess this is goodnight then.”

“Yes, goodnight Tony.”

“Goodnight.” 

He extends his hand and she meets him in the middle. The touch lingers for a little while too long, sparking electricity in them both. After several moments, Ziva finally breaks away, turning on her heel to walk away. He watches her walk until she makes it to her building, his eyes enjoying the way her legs strut in her tight pencil skirt. She pauses to wave to him before unlocking the door and going in. Tony turns to heads home, feeling excited for the first time in his career to attend court. 

#TIVA #TIVA fanfic #Ziva David #Tony DiNozzo #AU #yes this will be continued #my wiritng #SCREAMING BECAUSE THIS IS FINALLY DONE

[writethehousedown]

In My Head, We Belong (Crystal/Gigi) Chapter Four -- Zyan

a/n: this one is a bit of a sad chapter, but it gets better, I promise! For angry shouting you can find me at @chachkisalpaca

Spring is closer with each day that passes, therefore the nights are getting warmer and people can go out with lighter clothing. Crystal’s dress isn’t lighter clothing at all, so it’s positive to say she’s not quite freezing, but it’s still very cold regardless.

Her mascara is running down her cheeks, her hair is a mess thanks to the wind, and her feet are aching oh so bad. She never thought she’d have to walk ten blocks back to her apartment like that.

But then again, she never thought John would take her to a nice restaurant to tell her he didn’t want something serious with her and would prefer that after that night they cut contact.

Much like in Legally Blonde, Crystal stormed out of the restaurant in a dramatic manner, completely embarrassing John, and probably herself too. But she was — and  is— too mad to care.

Crystal feels the strap of her heel loosen, and a wave of panic hits her at the thought of walking home with a broken heel. She’s gone clubbing like that, sure, but she’s usually too drunk to pay it any mind.

She huffs, looking for her phone in her purse, not really knowing who to call, until she notices she’s not so far from Gigi’s apartment building. Crystal pauses when she’s about to call Gigi, for once thinking twice before doing something.

There’s something about Gigi’s behavior in the past days that make her think the craziest of things; perhaps Gigi likes her and not precisely as a friend — the thought of it makes Crystal’s stomach twist. Gigi is out of Crystal’s league, for starters. Hell will freeze before a girl like Gigi finds Crystal attractive.

Then there’s the fact that Crystal crushed on Gigi intensely back when she first started working at the restaurant, and sooner than later she realized Gigi would never like her like she wanted.

It’s not as if she ever told Gigi her feelings, though; she just assumed her overly friendly nature whenever she tried to flirt with her was Gigi’s way of turning her down gently. And she accepted it, deciding not to push it and instead satisfy herself with Gigi’s friendship.

But now that she’s staring at her so much and unsaid words linger on her lips, Crystal debates if she should entertain the idea of Gigi having a crush on her after all this time, or convince herself all over again that she likes her as a friend.

Crystal groans. It’s much to think about and she’s not very fond of thinking right now, not when her feet ache, she got dumped, and her shoe is slowly falling apart.

So she decides to call Dusty. She’s not sure if she lives near, but she could use some of Dusty’s odd way of cheering people up — and her pastries, too.

It rings three times before she picks up, her tone sounds slightly confused as she asks Crystal if she needs something.

“John dumped me.” It’s the first thing that comes out her mouth. “And my heel is broken, and I’m still far from home, do you think I could stay over at your place for the night?” She says, whining a little.

“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. Where are you?” She replies with another question. Crystal looks around and tries to describe it as best as she can. “Stay right where you’re at, I’m picking you up. Be there in five,” she promises before hanging up.

Crystal waits patiently, clutching her purse whenever the cars honk at her, with her phone ready to call Dusty in case anything happens.

She spots Dusty’s grandpa’s car before it actually pulls up beside the sidewalk and hurries to get in. Dusty holds her hand as she drives back to her place and Crystal mumbles a soft thank you.

*

“Men are trash,” Dusty declares once Crystal is done telling her about her date. Crystal hums in agreement, her mouth full of cake.

Dusty is probably the best pastry chef out there, and if she’s not, she’s still the best in Crystal’s eyes.

“It’s either that, or I attract assholes for some reason, ‘cause I swear I’ve only dated douchebags in my entire life,” she complains, sipping her juice.

They’re in Dusty’s bedroom, because her grandpa is fast asleep and her bedroom is far from his. They got slices of various cakes neatly placed on a plate, and since they got no alcohol, they’re sipping on apple juice in boxes. Dusty let Crystal borrow one of her pajamas and now they’re having a sleepover. Life isn’t as crappy as moments ago.

It’s sort of weird, considering they’re both grown women, but Crystal and Dusty pride themselves on being unapologetically weird. It fits them.

“That’s not true! Remember when you dated this chick, God, what was her name? Yvie, was it? She was nice, and, highkey, the only one of your exes I still respect,” Dusty comments and Crystal purses her lips.

“Yeah, but, like, I meant men. You know I only date women once in a blue moon; I feel if as all of them are out of my league.” Crystal sighs and stuffs her mouth with more cake.

Dusty knits her brows in a frown.

“I mean, you can feel like that, but it doesn’t mean it’s true,” she points out, “Like, bitch, big same, I feel like that most of the time. But I also know that I deserve a girlfriend as much as anyone else, because I can make a mean cake, and any girl would love a girlfriend like me.” Dusty flips her hair over her shoulder and Crystal laughs.

“I think any girl would love to date you, honestly,” Dusty adds sincerely, reaching for her hand, and Crystal squeezes it right back.

“Thank you, Pecas. That’s really nice from you.” She smiles a little, and Dusty smiles right back, scrunching up her nose like she always does, and Crystal sees how the freckles on the woman’s nose seem to make a one big beauty mark.

The night slips away between cake, apple juice in boxes, and stories about people they used to date, and for a moment Crystal considers telling Dusty about Gigi, but it’s a broad topic, and they’re running out of cake, so she zips it and tries not to think about it for the rest of the night.

*

A week has passed since John dumped Crystal and she’s fine. She really is.

She doesn’t even need to tell the girls, because they guess it when she spends three days without speaking about him, and when Wednesday arrives, there’s no sign of John at the restaurant.

Her job keeps her from thinking too much about it, though; each night is as tiring as the last, and it only increases when the weekend rolls around. All her mind can think of are the details Karen recited while she ordered something for her kids. Heidi complains about said Karen when Crystal finishes talking.

“I swear, if the little shit doesn’t lick this plate clean,” Heidi grumbles and Crystal laughs.

“What do you wanna bet they won’t even touch the food,” Silky pipes up and Heidi rolls her eyes.

“I’d have a polite conversation with their mom—”

“And then you’d choke her with the food,” Gigi interrupts, causing the girls to laugh. Heidi agrees with her in a playful tone. “Do we have any slice of lemon pie left?” She asks Dusty. She nods, and then Gigi goes on her way to find her order.

Crystal stares at her for a moment, before she has to go back to check on her tables.

She hasn’t stopped thinking about Gigi in the past week, overthinking every gesture she has made towards her. Like, when she offered her a hug when she returned her dress and said how sorry she was about it; Crystal didn’t believe it for a second. There was something in the way she said it, and her tone sounded almost relieved.

She wishes she could stop thinking about it so much. Crystal doesn’t want to bring her old feelings for Gigi back to life. She’s not sure if she’ll be able to bury them this time around.

Crystal is going back to the kitchen when she looks at the entrance and sees John, with his fancy suit and hair full of gel. They lock eyes the moment a blonde enters behind him and clings to his arm. He looks at Crystal with a cocky smile, and she’s not sure how she’s keeping her anger in that well.

Crystal doesn’t know what offends her more; the fact that he’s brought his date to the restaurant, or that she’s hot. Like, out of this world hot. What is such a catch doing with someone like John?

She goes to the kitchen with heavy steps, and she’s ready to yell that she’s giving 50% of her tips tonight at whoever serves him to spit into his food, but she stops to think about it for a moment; is it really worth it?

She finds that she doesn’t care.

She lingers at the kitchen’s door frame and bites her lip when she sees Jackie is the one that’s serving John and his date, and she doesn’t seem the least bit happy about it. Crystal smiles a little.

“Who are you spying on?” Gigi asks with a playful tone and Crystal jumps a little.

She turns to look at her and then points at Jackie as discreetly as she can. Gigi comes closer to see and her demeanor changes when she notices it.

“That little bitch,” she mutters with disgust. “No offense to bitches, clearly, but… Jesus, how can a human be so vile? Has he got no shame?”

“Who are we talkin’ shit about?” Jaida inquires and Crystal jumps again. How can they be so sneaky when they’re normally loud as fuck?

“Crystal’s ex is here with his new girl,” Gigi fills her in, and Jaida gives an offended gasp.

“He did not.”

“He did! And the worst part: his date is hot. Like, ‘I’m not even mad he replaced me with her’ hot,” Crystal whines, and Jaida scoffs after taking a look at her.

“Who’s serving them? Jackie?” She asks and Crystal nods. Jaida has a devilish smile as she goes after Jackie.

Crystal has a feeling this won’t end well, but isn’t quite sure for who.

*

The kitchen erupts in nervous laughter when Silky spits on the sauce she’s pouring on the plate of pasta Crystal’s ex ordered.

Though Crystal wanted to do it herself, she doesn’t have the courage to do it. But when Silky overheard the waitresses’ conversation, she couldn’t help it. “He deserves it,” she said. They all made a silent pact not to tell Widow about it; she was a good boss, but she sure wouldn’t be on board with this little joke.

They make Jackie tell her the details of when she brought them their orders; apparently he didn’t have any complains so far, and that only made the situation more hilarious to them.

There’s also the fact that John’s date was eyeing Jackie up and down; well, according to her at least.

“I’m telling you, she was giving me the eye,” Jackie says when the shift is over and they’re all getting ready to go home.

“Yeah right, and I qualified for master chef,” Heidi retorts, and Jackie punches her arm playfully.

Crystal would laugh, but her cheeks already hurt from all the laughter. She’s happy though, and incredibly grateful for her friends. They sure are like a ray of sunshine in her life.

“Crys, wait up,” Gigi calls for her and Crystal takes a deep breath. “Do you mind if I walk with you? It’s Jan’s turn to close.” She giggles a little, and Crystal soon remembers Jaida is the other one in charge of closing.

“Oh. Now I can’t unsee that.” She scrunches up her nose, and Gigi laughs.

Crystal stares at her for a second too long and Gigi notices. She stares right back, and Crystal doesn’t know how they hadn’t hit something yet.

“How are you feeling, baby?” Gigi asks softly, and Crystal shrugs.

“I’m okay, you guys are an amazing support system,��� she replies with a smile and a chuckle at the memory of Silky spitting on John’s sauce.

Gigi gives her a toothy smile, and Crystal panics slightly when she feels a familiar flutter in her stomach.

“We’ll always be here for you, honey.” Gigi does that thing again when she licks her bottom lip and her lips are slightly open, almost as if she wants to say something else.

Crystal thanks her, trying to stop overanalyzing everything Gigi does. She knows it’s not going to end well if she continues to do so.

#rpdr fanfiction #crystal methyd/gigi goode #crystal methyd #gigi goode #dusty ray bottoms #jackie cox #jaida essence hall #silky nutmeg ganache #heidi n closet #zyan #in my head we belong #slow burn #waitress au #lesbian au #cisgirl au #spring fling week 2020 #day 4: sunshine #submission

[erikahenningsen]

My 15 favorite theater experiences of 2019

In no particular order:

1. Choir Boy (Samuel Friedman Theatre, New York, NY): I say in no particular order, but if you know anything about me, you know that Choir Boy is my number-one show of the year. I saw it four times on Broadway and twice in Boston. Tarell Alvin McCraney’s writing is so beautiful, human, and fearless. He puts works of art on stages, television, and film that nobody else does. Jeremy Pope’s performance as Pharus is easily in the top three greatest performances I’ve seen on a Broadway stage. If your local regional theater is doing this show, I cannot encourage you enough to go and see it.

2. What the Constitution Means to Me (Helen Hayes Theater, New York, NY): This show was unlike any other play I’ve seen before. Heidi Schreck, who wrote and starred in WTCMTM, wrote a deeply human, poignant, and timely play about a document written by a bunch of rich, white men a few centuries ago and made it gripping, engaging, and relevant. It’s a show I believe every American should see. As an added bonus, Heidi is genuinely one of the kindest people I’ve met.

3. The Wrong Man (MCC Theater, New York, NY): I saw The Wrong Man for the first time three weeks before it closed, and I immediately fell in love with it and went back several more times in those three weeks. The Wrong Man is only ninety minutes long and has only three main characters, but it presents an engaging story about forgiveness, mercy, justice, guilt, and innocence. Ross Golan, the composer/lyricist, began performing The Wrong Man as a concept album thirteen years ago and turned it into a full musical. The score is beautiful and has some really great bops, and the choreography is probably the best I’ve ever seen.

4. Waitress with Sara Bareilles and Gavin Creel (Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York, NY): I’m personally not the biggest fan of Waitress, but this was one of the most fun nights I had in a theater this year. Sara and Gavin had amazing chemistry, and I have never laughed so much at Waitress before. 

5. A Strange Loop (Playwrights Horizons, New York, NY): A Strange Loop is unlike any show I’ve ever seen before. It’s unlike anything anyone has seen before. How many shows center around a fat, black, queer character? I can’t think of any. Michael R. Jackson, the book writer/composer/lyricist, has an incredible ability to write satire that has you laughing at the same time you’re being punched in the face emotionally. A Strange Loop grapples with the intersections of racism, homophobia, and fatphobia. It’s meta at the same time it’s grounded, and gets more and more intense as the show progresses. I walked out of the theater in a daze after I saw it. My fingers are crossed it comes to Broadway.

5. Mean Girls, Taylor Louderman’s last show (August Wilson Theatre, New York, NY): Going to Mean Girls is a routine thing for me, and I’ve seen the show dozens of times, but every once in awhile something special happens that reignites my love for this show. Taylor’s last show was obviously incredibly sad for me, the cast, and everyone who loves this show, but I also laughed more and harder on this evening than I have in a very long time at Mean Girls. Everyone, especially Taylor, was giving this performance their all, and I’ll never forget it.

6. The Secret Life of Bees (Atlantic Theater Company, New York, NY): I had suspicions I was really going to love this show before I saw it, but I absolutely fell in love with it. The music is gorgeous (thank you, Duncan Sheik), the performances are stellar, and the story, though set decades ago, is as timely and relevant as ever. I do cry at shows pretty often, but rarely do I tear up because of how overwhelmingly beautiful a show is—but I did that at Secret Life of Bees. I’m still impatiently waiting on that Broadway transfer announcement.

7. Beetlejuice (Winter Garden Theatre, New York, NY): Despite all its flaws, I love this crazy, loud, obnoxious, wild show so much. I had seen it in DC and counted down the days until first preview on Broadway. I rushed first preview and ended up with front-row tickets, and I had one of the most fun nights in a theater I’ve ever had. The performances really make the show, and I’ve been very vocal about how I strongly believe Leslie Kritzer was snubbed by the Tonys. Beetlejuice also has my favorite scenic design for any show. I also have a uniquely personal connection to this showL Beetlejuice used to have a joke in the show I felt was offensive, so I reached out to Eddie Perfect and Alex Timbers and explained to them why I was hurt by it, and they actually listened to my feedback and removed the joke. I’m hoping Beetlejuice can find another home after June, because I’m not ready to say goodbye yet.

8. Next to Normal (Ground Floor Theatre/Deaf Austin Theatre, Austin, TX): For years I had been wanting an ASL production of Next to Normal with Sandra Mae Frank as Natalie, so when it actually happened I knew I had to fly to Texas to see it. I don’t think I’ve ever cried more at a show. Sandy made me look at Natalie in a whole new way, and the ASL interpretations of the lyrics added so many new layers to the show. Megg Rose, the Deaf actor who played Diana, gave one of the best performances I’ve seen, and I want her to be on Broadway immediately. This production really was a dream come true for me. 

9. Six (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago, IL): We drove to Chicago from NYC to see Six, and it was definitely worth it. I was in the front row for the first time I saw it, which was a terrifying but incredibly fun experience. This cast is so incredibly talented, and the show is so much fun, and being there with almost all of my closest friends was such a memorable experience. I’m so excited to see it again when it comes to Broadway.

10. Little Shop of Horrors (Westside Theatre, New York, NY): This was my first experience seeing LSOH, and I had an absolute blast. The performances were incredible, with Christian Borle being just off-the-wall crazy. I haven’t laughed that much at a show in awhile. The Audrey II puppets are fantastic, and what they’ve done with the scenic design in such a small space is amazing. I’m excited to see it again with Gideon Glick.

11. Indecent (Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA): Indecent is and always will be my favorite play, and I’m so incredibly grateful I got to see it again in Boston. Huntington recreated the Broadway production with many of the original cast members, and it was such a special show. I never thought I’d see that production again live, and Huntington gave me such an incredible gift with this play. 

12. Freestyle Love Supreme (Booth Theatre, New York, NY): FLS is just fun from start to finish. It’s completely improvised with special unannounced guests every night, so it’s different every time you see it. I loved seeing how they made the show more inclusive between Off-Broadway and Broadway (by asking people their pronouns, for example), and I have a blast every time. 

13. Ain’t Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations (Imperial Theatre, New York, NY): I saw Ain’t Too Proud mostly for Jeremy Pope, and I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I genuinely loved the show. Derrick Baskin is one of the most hardworking performers on Broadway—he literally does not leave the stage. The choreography is so much fun, and each person in the cast is so incredibly talented. It’s also one of the most pleasant stage doors I’ve ever experienced; everyone at the stage door just really genuinely wants to congratulate and thank the performers, and the actors are so kind. 

14. Teeth (National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival, New York, NY): It’s wild even to me that I’m putting a staged partial reading on this list, but that’s how good Teeth was. I spent the entire time laughing, and the songs are constantly stuck in my head. Everyone at the festival was talking about how much they loved the show, so I’m hopeful there will be a full production of it sometime soon.

15. Slave Play (John Golden Theatre, New York, NY): It’s hard to talk about Slave Play because it transcends descriptors like “good” or “bad.” Slave Play is important. It’s complex. It’s necessarily provocative. And it’s shaken up Broadway like no show has in recent memory. It’s a show I think every American adult should see. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I saw it. It only runs for a couple more weeks, and if you haven’t seen it, you need to. 

#this was hard because i have no concept of time and can't remember anything that happened before may #long post #i'm gwen and i approve this message

[kentuckywrites]

Imperium: Noctilum

Ego vocem tuam. (I hear your voice.)

Nobody was keen on fighting in the jungle continent. Both sides agreed that it was too beautiful to be tainted by the shadow of war. But it was too dangerous to be a safe haven, so he had to be careful, lest the wilderness claim him as a sacrifice.

He lost his breath in Prim’ala-dor’ias, but continued to run on sheer will alone until he reached the mouth of the jungle continent. He fell to his knees, his lungs screaming for air, his hands clutching the moist soil below. 

The voice returned.

“Well done. You will be a good fit for my plan.”

“Who are you?” He gasped, his own voice raspy and dry.

“I cannot consider myself an ally or an enemy in your war, but I can tell you I am a friend. I simply want this war to come to an end by any means necessary.”

“I want it...to end, too.” He admitted, “But I don’t...I don’t see how it can...anytime soon.”

“That is where I come in. I have a plan. You will become the key to ending this war, but first you must accept me.”

“How do I accept you if I don’t know who - or what - you are?”

The voice was silent. He took the moment to straighten his spine, observe his surroundings. The quiet chirps of avian creatures, the gentle splashes of water coming from a distant lake, the breeze passing through the many leaves in the flora...it was breathtaking, it was beautiful, and in that moment it was his.

“I am the ground you kneel upon.”

The voice suddenly returned, and his eyes widened. 

“I am the wind in the trees. I am every animal that has walked upon this ground, and every animal that has swam in the oceans, and has flown in the skies. I am the plants and insects, and I am the weather, the rain and storms and clouds.”

He stared out at the landscape, unable to believe his ears. “You...you are…”

“I am the planet you call home.”

He finally closed his eyes, letting the darkness embrace him.

“If you’re telling the truth...if you really are the planet...then show me how to end this war.”

“With pleasure.”

A spark ran through his brain and his body collapsed. His screams of pain were lost to the wind.

~

Pongo didn’t remember what happened the night before. L never mentioned it, because Pongo had enough on his plate for the day. He was assigned in the early morning to a tyrant mission in Noctilum, to which L asked if he could tag along. Pongo was excited to have the company, and never suspected L’s reason for joining. He never even asked why L kept a close eye on Pongo, on his Skell as the team flew through the crisp morning air. 

However, Mia did notice, and asked about it when the team had touched down near the Everwhelm Falls. She hopped out of her Skell - a Verus Cain, a gift from Pongo - and immediately made her way to L, nudging his elbow.

“Heya big blue, you’ve been making googly eyes at Pon since we got the mission briefing this morning!” She teased, “What’s up with that? Got something to confess?”

L shook his head, acting amused. “We are incapable of making our eyes ‘google’, but we admit, we have been intrigued by Pongo. He is our dear friend and we care for him very much. We do not see that as quite a confession, more of a factual statement.”

“I mean, yeah, you guys being pals is great, but I meant you were looking at him all like...lovey dovey.”

“Love akin to doves? Do you perhaps mean love akin to rock doves? Because we assure you, that love is much more complex and -”

“L.” Mira stopped him, raising both gloved hands with a smirk. “Buddy. Pal. I’m just asking if ya love Pongo. Y’know. Love him. As more than friends.”

L placed a careful finger to his chin. He hadn’t thought about his connection to Pongo in that way before, and he knew what Mia was suggesting. It would take a great deal of personal time to come to the conclusion she was making, time he didn’t have just yet. His main concern was front and center. He decided to tell Mia part of the truth.

“We are not interested in pursuing the topic of rock dove love at the present time. Our mind has been egged and scrambled as of late, so mayhaps in our thoughts we have inclined our gaze towards Pongo.”

“Deny it now, but when you two get together you owe me fifty credits,” Mia winked, “I won’t push it for now.” Noticing that Pongo was finally exiting his Skell, she called out, “Hey PonPon! Where’s our big baddy?”

As he placed his feet on the ground, their fourth teammate, Lin, also jumped out of her own Skell. L recalled how Pongo had originally invited Elma to join their mission. She was suddenly pulled away by an urgent Reclaimer meeting - L had heard rumors of a large White Whale database washing ashore at the northernmost tip of Cauldros. Lin had jumped in at the last minute to fill the gap. After all, three people couldn’t take on such a large tyrant on their own. A four member team was a favorable option.

Pongo pulled out his comm device, and as they approached him L saw that he had a detailed map on his screen. A red circle was blinking, moving slowly away from their location.

“North of here,” Pongo replied, “But before we go in with guns on fire, remember that we have limited data available on this tyrant. We know about those Ovis that seem to follow it, so we might have to take them out too. I would like to avoid it, if possible.”

“We doin’ this on foot or by Skell do ya think?” Mia asked. 

“By Skell, for sure. I can stay on the ground to provide decoy through Ghost Factory, but we are definitely going to need the heavier fire from your mega weapon, Lin, and your G-Buster, Mia.”

“We are in possession of a Phoenix,” L added, against his desire to stay near Pongo, “If it is desired we shall also move our efforts to the sky!”

“That would be fantastic, though please be careful when you use it, the flame is big enough to aggravate enemies we do not wish to fight,” Pongo told him, “So then, three Skells, four if we need the extra offensive power. If you all focus on Pyotr, and it focuses on you, then I should have no problem giving you those buffs from the ground.”

“It’s like attacking bees versus a tiny nat,” Lin stifled a giggle, her attitude quickly changing with a simple realization. “That puts you in a dangerous spot if it does prioritize you, Pongo, you sure you’ll be okay?”

Pongo nodded, switching the comm device in his hand out for both of his dual guns. His photon saber was also strapped to his belt, a weapon L knew he favored. “I have full tension points on both the guns and the saber, enough for Overdrive and a bunch of buffs straight off the bat. Despite this, please do not do anything reckless - this is still a big tyrant, one that has taken down teams in the past. Keep in touch over comms, everyone, and best of luck out there.”

Everyone nodded, a sign of respect and of mutual preparedness. In their parting ways, Lin shared a quick glance with L, and immediately he knew she’d seen the connection. Elma had truly taught Pongo well, and it showed in his leadership. It was hard to think that he was the same person that L had stumbled into that one fateful day on the Noctilum road, a timid and soft spoken rookie. 

And it was even harder to think that he was Mira’s new avatar.

With that thought weighing heavy on his shoulders, L turned away, began to head back to his Skell. But he saw Pongo pause, his guns still in both hands. He was looking down at them, a glazed look to his eyes, and L called back to him after Lin and Mia had gotten into their own Skells.

“What would be troubling your mind, Pongo?”

Pongo blinked away the thoughts, rolled his shoulders, and didn’t meet L’s gaze. “Nothing, nothing, just...Pyotr was recorded to be a peaceful tyrant just a few weeks ago. I just wonder what could have caused its demeanor to shift…”

In understanding, L nodded, and a breeze picked up suddenly. He smelled the faint hints of rain on the wind and knew a storm was going to pass soon. Even without that knowledge, L could feel within his gut that something was going to happen, something bigger than any of them could fathom. He wished away the bad feeling before entering his Skell once again and taking to the skies, where Lin and Mia were hovering.

The intercom whirred to life as L found Pongo’s Skell in vehicular mode, dashing across the grassland. “Alright, team, our target is straight ahead. Remember to focus attacks on Pyotr and not the Ovis - we want minimal damage to the surrounding area if possible.”

“Right on. We’ve got your back,” Lin confirmed, “If you can get those buffs in quick then we could probably G-Buster Pyotr on a focused point on his body to maximize damage.”

“We are aware of the back side being a weakened point,” L suggested, “Let us focus our ignited ferocity there first!”

As Lin and Mia gave their agreement to the plan, a shadow appeared over the horizon, a large hulking figure with long limbs and a compact face. Moss grew around its crevices, over its back, its forehead, its hands and feet. There was no doubt in his mind that this was Pyotr, the Shepherd. And there was no doubt that the two figures prancing underneath its feet were the two forewarned Ovis - Claire the Sheltered, Heidi the Lively. There was no way that they’d leave their shepherd to die, L knew at first glance. And with Pongo on the ground, there was a high chance he’d be the first to deal with them.

Something stirred within L. He had felt it before, dark and heavy.

Fear.

“L, NOW!”

When had Lin and Mia prepared their G-Busters?! No matter, L was quick to slam down on the corresponding arts button, and in quick succession, the three flying Skells drew their massive swords and slammed them down onto Pyotr’s backside. Unassuming and unprepared, Pyotr screamed, and a part of his back was sliced clean off. Pongo’s cheer was clear on the comm.

“YES! Keep hitting him where it counts - Ghost Factory!”

He was out of his Skell and on the ground, the familiar shadows echoing around him as he raised his guns out on both sides. L flew a full circle around Pyotr, looking for more weak spots as Lin drew his attention away. Maybe the knees should go next, he thought, maybe it would be worth it to knock him down and get him staggered, or better yet, toppled -

“Chief, the Ovis are riled up! Watch your back!” Mia shouted across the comm, and L noted that as he feared, both Claire and Heidi were charging Pongo. A swing and a miss from Pyotr’s massive fist diverted L’s attention before he could see whether Pongo heeded Mia’s warning. Everything moved faster than he could comprehend, and everything suddenly felt heavier, that feeling of fear consuming his body. His eyes widened when he made eye contact with Mia’s Skell, well above his own, and watched as Pyotr made another swing, this time directed at her. She wasn’t as lucky in avoiding it, taking the majority of the punch in her Skell’s right arm. She cursed over the intercom, but quickly assured them that she would be okay, it wasn’t enough to rip the arm off.

As the human saying went, she should have knocked her hand on a wooden surface.

Pyotr made another quick uppercut, nailing Mia’s Skell right in the cockpit. She was able to get one more curse over the intercom before she went radio silent, before L saw her smoking Skell fall from the sky. Lin cried out her name, and in that moment of prolonged distraction, Pyotr swung wildly at her Skell. L’s heart caught in his throat as he saw both Skells now toppling to the ground, smoking, damaged. 

“Lin, Mia, help me out! L, keep him distra - oW -”

Pongo’s orders were cut off. L knew why. The Ovis were becoming a problem, little ticks on his skin that he couldn’t shake. L decided in a moment of clarity that being a distraction would be a suicide attempt, that he should move his efforts to the ground and help them where he could. His Skell landed, and he jumped out before Pyotr could knock him out of the sky.

Instead, Pyotr decided to knock him right back into the sky. Ten feet away from his Skell, the enraged Sylooth kicked at his tiny body. The impact sent him flying towards Pongo, flying towards the Ovis and straight into the ground. L coughed up dirt - and, was that blood, that blue taint there? - but forced himself to stand up. His right arm ached and he grabbed it with his left, feeling something swelling underneath his sleeve. He looked up after feeling the damage. 

And there was Pongo, a tiny little thing, standing alone in front of Pyotr. His guns had lowered in defeat, his photon saber lying deactivated meters away. Two destroyed Skells had crash landed too far away, but he saw both Lin and Mia’s forms outside of them, each sporting their own collection of injuries. They were in no place to fight, none of them were. Pyotr roared as he realized he had won, Claire and Heidi joining with chirps of their own. Pongo’s form shook with fatigue and stress. He should have fallen, but something was keeping him upright. Pyotr noticed this, raising his fist, preparing to end what they had begun. 

Barely standing, L’s mouth opened, a silent scream. But Pongo spoke first.

And it was in a language L knew wasn’t human. 

He knew it wasn’t one the planet would translate. But L knew it, he knew what Pongo was saying, and in his awe he couldn’t bring himself to interrupt.

“Wait, please!”

Pyotr’s fist stopped in the air, unclenching as Pongo shouted. It blinked once, nearly as confused as Lin and Mia appeared to be. Unaware and unassuming, Pongo continued, “Please, spare my friends! We were only acting on orders!”

And finally, Pongo became confused, for L heard Pyotr respond in a deep rumble, a language only they could hear. 

THERE HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTS AGAINST US BEFORE. WE ONLY WISH FOR PEACE.

“...Then why have you been hurting us?”

YOU HAVE SCARED US INTO FIGHTING. THIS CONTINENT WAS ONCE A PLACE OF PEACE, A HAVEN FROM WAR. WE ONLY WISH TO COEXIST WITH THE LIFE AROUND US.

And with those words, L’s body became heavy, weighed down by millenia of memories, millenia of suffering and pain. Did Pongo know the weight of Pyotr’s plea? Had Mira granted him that knowledge? He simply fell to his knees, unable to raise his head and watch the encounter unfold. 

“That is our wish too, to be at peace with the life around us…”

THEN WHY HAVE YOU BEEN HURTING US?

There was a pause, and L managed to lift his head high enough to see Pongo, the tears falling down his tired face. “We...We never meant to hurt you. We were just trying to protect ourselves…”

AND WE, TOO, HAVE BEEN STRIVING TO PROTECT OURSELVES. YOU ARE FOREIGNERS TO THIS WORLD, AND WE HAVE FELT THREATENED BY YOUR EXPANSIONS, YOUR WARS.

“The Ganglion were the ones who -”

YOU ARE AS MUCH A PART OF THIS WAR AS THEY ARE. DO NOT PLACE BLAME FOR A TWO SIDED WAR ON ONE SIDE, FOR YOUR KIND CHOSE TO FIGHT BACK.

“We had no choice but to fight back! Peace was never an option with the Ganglion, if we did not fight back we would have all died!”

The hulking form of the Shepherd went quiet. Claire and Heidi bounded up to its feet, rubbing against the false tree bark skin. They dared not speak. L saw Pyotr’s chest rise and fall, heavy breathing, an eventual sigh that stirred the air around them.

IT SEEMS ALL CONFLICTS MUST BE RESOLVED WITH VIOLENCE. IT PAINS US, KNOWING THIS. 

Pongo stifled a sob. “It hurts me, too. We have lost so many innocents, just like I imagine you have. But...could we at least work towards peace now? Come to an understanding?”

There was no hesitation.

IT WOULD BRING US GREAT JOY TO SPEAK WITH YOU. BUT WE DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, BEFORE OUR NEGOTIATIONS START.

“Absolutely! What would you ask of me?”

YOU ARE NOT LIKE THE OTHER HUMANS. WHAT ARE YOU?

L’s eyes widened, forcing himself up into a kneeling position. Pongo hesitated - no, he didn’t know his true nature, and L expected him to answer as such. Even so, L knew what he had to do. After this was said and done, he’d pull Pongo aside, shed light on his darkness. Pongo had a right to his truth. 

“I am simply a kinder human than most, I would like to think.” Pongo eventually responded, “Now if I could ask this of you: might I tend to the wounds of my friends before this conversation? I want to make sure they are okay.”

OF COURSE. MY APOLOGIES FOR DESTROYING YOUR...AVIARY CONSTRUCTIONS.

Pongo quickly turned and made his way towards Lin and Mia, who drilled confused holes through his brain. L stayed put, trying to focus on his breathing - in, out, in, out. His team had almost been wiped out and they were about to sit down and have a chat with a Miran native - of course his nerves were about him. 

L almost didn’t acknowledge one of the Ovis stepping up to him. Only when she nudged his shoulder did he blink and await her prompt.

YOU ARE ONE OF THE F’LENLA A’SLEGN, AND YET THE HUMAN WHO SPOKE WITH US IS NOT. HOW IS HE ABLE TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF MIRA?

L looked towards Pongo, making sure he was out of earshot before he responded.

“Our dearest friend, it is because he is not human at all.”

#xenoblade x #Imperium: Noctilum #yeebers this took a while to write #sorry about all the action in this one fhjdhf #i have a slightly better plan for the next chapter #don't bet on it being out any time soon tho #rip my ability to write

[theoddcatlady]

Online Dating

“His name should be… Augustus Payne…”

“Holy shit, Mike.”

I covered my mouth to muffle my laughter as my friend typed in the name. He grinned as he contemplated what to put next. “We’re a millionaire…”

“Mike!”

“We own a houseboat…”

“Mike!”

“We love walks on the beach…”

“Holy shit Mike, you are putting way too much effort into this!”

Mike laughed and sat back in the desk chair, steepling his fingers. “Hey man. If this gets us nudes, it’s worth it,” He said.

I had to agree. I took a sip of my soda and thought for a second. “Augustus also writes poetry. He’s looking to get published,” I offered up.

“Chase, you beautiful bastard. I could kiss you.”

I grinned before I went back to looking through profiles on a modeling website. This was probably one of the stupider ideas Mike has ever come up with, pretend to be this hot guy to get some hot girls to talk to us, but there were stupider ways to spend a Friday night.

I stopped scrolling when I saw this model with some European name I couldn’t pronounce. Generic hot white guy, high cheek bones, ruffled dark brown hair, light stubble. Perfect for what we needed. “Hey man, I found a face for Augustus.” I turned my phone so Mike could look.

Mike nodded. “Got it, gimme a sec to play in photoshop though. Just to touch him up.”

“He’s a fucking model, Mike, what kind of touching up does he need?”

Apparently ‘touching up’ meant changing a few backgrounds, adding a small scar under ‘Augustus’ lip, and turning his dark brown eyes very bright blue. I had to admit, Mike was good. If I didn’t know better I’d say I was looking at a real person.

Mike added the pics to the profile and sat back.

“And now, we wait.”

We didn’t have to wait long. One round of Overwatch later and Mike was shouting, “We got a girl! Holy shit she’s hot!”

I had to disagree. ‘Justine’ could afford to lose a few pounds and had a bit of a lazy eye, but Mike was focusing on one thing… er, two things if you get the hint of my drift.

“So, Justine…” Mike spoke aloud as he typed. “What do you think about sailing?”

I snorted. The poor girl ate every line up. Mike wasn’t exactly a looker, given he was thirty pounds overweight and had a serious case of pizza face, but he had one thing on me and that was he knew how to schmooze. Meanwhile I looked okay, but I was terrible with the ladies. I’d get this terrible stutter and forget my own name.

An hour in and I was already bored, wanting to go kick some more ass as Genji, but Mike was just getting started.

“Here.”

He had jotted down the password for the account. He pressed it into my hand and grinned.

“Get some practice talking to chicks. It might do you some good.”

The next morning I picked out Janette. She was a little older, past forty, but I figured a hot guy like Augustus would get her attention. Plus, I like them mature. I sent off a message telling her hello and complimented her necklace.

Aren’t I a little old for you, sweetie?

The best part about online messaging, I found out super quickly? I could take my time formulating a decent response.

I don’t think the age difference is a big deal, really. You’re like what, thirty two?

I patted myself on the back for that one. And Janette’s response declared me the winner.

We’ll go with that. Feel like sharing your poetry with me, Augustus dear?

I thought I’d drop this within a day, maybe two or three. But as days went on, I met more and more amazing girls. There was Janette of course. We’d sext at around three AM, which I was a bit clumsy with at first but thankfully she seemed to brush it off. Valarie was a cheerleader at a nearby college, very perky and I didn’t have to ask twice for boob pics. She sent me a lot more than that. Patti was a starving artist who liked to smoke weed and talk about her newest vision with me.

It was so much fun.

Mike had a few girls I noticed he’d talk to frequently, Lauren, Heidi, Mallory, but as an unspoken rule to each other we never looked at each other’s conversations. Some things were best left to the imagination.

Course when stuff really got good I got fucking mono. Yup. Mister ‘never kissed a girl’ clearly drank from the wrong water fountain and was out for the count for three weeks. I was in no mood to talk to girls or even look at nudes. I was just not up for it. I told Mike he better have fun without me and he laughed.

When I finally felt better, I decided to see if I could repair any of the relationships I’d let grow cold. I logged onto quite the surprise though.

My conversations had seemingly continued on at normal.

I snapped out of feeling sorry for myself to read through the conversations. It was like nothing had changed. ‘Augustus’ conversed with these women as normal, sharing new poetry and sending body shots from new modeling shoots.

I got annoyed. Mike had gone through my convos, which is something I hadn’t specified he not do, but it was a little uncomfortable to say the least. I was practicing my dirty talk on these chicks! Not cool man. Not cool.

Then I read the last messages sent to Valarie.

I’ll meet you on the lakeshore. We can take a swim.

hehehe! maybe a lil skinny dipping ;)

We’ll have to see, my pixie. I imagine you look even more ravishing in person. I can’t wait to meet you.

I slammed my laptop shut and picked up my phone. Furiously I punched in Mike’s number and waited for him to pick up.

A few rings and he answered, “What’s up my man? Still dead?”

“Dude, are you serious?”

I could hear Mike pause what he was doing. “Serious about what?” He asked.

I wanted to pitch my phone across the room. “You’re meeting Valarie? I don’t think she’s gonna not notice that you’re not six foot six with washboard abs!”

Mike paused. “Dude, the fuck you talking about?”

“The dating website, you moron!”

He was quiet for a bit before he laughed. “Seriously? Chase I’ve not been on there in days. Too busy trying to find a new roommate. You up for that by the way? I know you’re kinda jobless but we could make it work!”

Too irritated to play games, I hung up and went to bed. I still felt pretty fucked up and I wasn’t in the mood to be awake anymore.

The next morning I scrolled through my Facebook feed to be barraged with news of a murder.

“Isn’t it terrible? She was only twenty one!”

“She had so much to live for.”

“She had a FULL RIDE through college! Who could do this to her?”

I was confused. We might’ve lived in a college town, but other than the vandalism during pledge week it was pretty quiet. Murder was unheard of. I clicked to an article where the victim was named.

It was Valarie. But not quite the Valarie I knew.

She had the same smile, but she was a little chubbier, wore glasses, had not as shiny and full hair… and she was in a wheelchair.

I scrolled through the photos she’d sent me, I’d never realized I hadn’t ever seen her standing up before. I was more focused on other body parts… which were a little touched up. Something I hadn’t bothered to notice.

And yeah, it was murder. She was dragged into the lake and drowned. She didn’t stand a chance.

I looked up news from the past few weeks. Although another murder hadn’t rocked my town, there were quite a few missing girls and dead bodies in cities surrounding us. And I began to piece together who each one was.

Patti wasn’t a stoner, she was a meth addict and apparently got more money for drugs by whoring herself out. Mallory, one of Mike’s girls, didn’t have a yacht, she was apparently an avid canoe lover though. Lauren was ten years older than the pictures she posted. I could go on and on.

My best friend had gone serial killer on me. All these girls we’d talked to, they were maybe as fake as we were, but Mike had apparently taken personal offense to that.

I was wondering what the hell I could do when I realized that I was getting messaged by Janette… and I was apparently messaging her back.

“So, tonight? At the docks?”

“I cannot wait, Augustus. I’m going to be honest with you though.”

“Oh?”

“I’m... working on separating with my husband. It’s a very tough process, given our kids and all, so it isn’t legal yet.”

“Ah. I see. You omitted the truth… some might call that lying.”

“Is our date still on?”

“Sure.”

My heart was pounding in my ears. I had to stop this. Janette was actually a great person, I couldn’t let her get killed by my friend turned psycho.

I hurriedly began to type out a warning.

Janette don’t go it’s a trap!

When I hit send, my stomach dropped as the message didn’t go through. No matter how many times I tried, over and over, the message wouldn’t send. I must’ve sent a dozen warnings before I realized that Janette had gone offline.

Not sure what else to do, I got on my bike and began pedaling.

It was dark by the time I got to the docks, where Augustus supposedly kept his boat. I figured this is where Mike meant. I knew Mike was seriously out of shape, so I had the advantage. All I had to do was get him away from Janette and she could run and call the cops.

Foolproof.

I ran down the dock. Where the hell was Mike? I knew he didn’t own a boat, the guy worked at McDonald’s. Did he borrow someone’s? Heck, was he even on a boat?

I skidded to a stop when I read the name off of one of them.

Narcissus.

I don’t know why that name caught my eye, but then I heard the water splashing. Not just the soft splashes of it washing on the dock. The kind where someone’s thrashing about and trying to escape.

I ran down the docks, searching for the source, when I caught a figure kneeling out of the corner of my eye. I stopped and flashed the light on my phone on him.

The man was leaned over the edge of the deck, pushing someone’s head below the water. Someone who was no longer struggling. I could make out a dark blue jacket, I recognized it as Janette’s from her profile picture. The man stood, kicked her body into the ocean, and faced me.

I dropped my phone when I saw his face. It smash and the dock and the light went dead.

We were quiet. Then he walked forward. I couldn’t move. My legs were frozen. I could only make out his muscled silhouette in the dim moonlight. He was ten feet away. Then five. Then he was right in front of me.

I recognized that face, those eerily blue eyes. He leaned in close to me, smiling.

“Hello, father.”

He clapped a hand on my shoulder. His grip was like iron.

“I got rid of another liar for you. Don’t worry, you won’t have to deal with it. Keep trying, I’m sure you’ll find me a mother soon.”

And with that, Augustus hopped onto the Narcissus and sailed away into the night.

#horror stories #scary stories #online dating #creative writing #writers on tumblr #my stories

[kacydeneen]

Top Moments: Cruz, O'Rourke Face Off in Texas Senate Debate

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz had a chance to show off his often praised debating skills tonight in his first match-up against Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke, the El Paso congressman running a strong campaign against him.

Cruz is trying to win a second term in the U.S. Senate in a race that the Cook Political Report on Friday rated a toss-up. New polls show the competition tightening with a Reuters-Ipsos poll on Wednesday giving O’Rourke a two-point lead in a typically reliable red state. Countering those indications is a Quinnipiac poll had Cruz ahead by nine points.

Other Nations Adjust to 'America First' Policy: Analysis

O’Rourke is a three-term congressman. He has raised more money than Cruz, a presidential hopeful in 2016 against now President Donald J. Trump, drawing national attention to the race.

O’Rourke, who became an El Paso city councilman in 2005, is hoping to become the first Texan elected to the Senate since 1988.

Biden on Hill Hearings: 'What the Devil Have We Learned?'

Tonight’s hourlong debate is the first of three the men are scheduled to participate in. Here are some of the evening’s highlights.

“This is why people do not like Washington, D.C.” A particularly sharp exchange between the two men came as they addressed police shootings of unarmed black men, one of which occurred about two weeks ago when a white off-duty Dallas police officer shot her black neighbor, Botham Jean, to death in his own apartment. Police Officer Amber Guyger, who has been charged with manslaughter, has told investigators that she mistook his apartment for hers.

Kavanaugh, Ford and What the Science of Memory Tells Us

Cruz accused O’Rourke of calling police officers modern-day Jim Crow, a reference to local laws that enforced racial segregation in the South, and deemed the description offensive.

“That is not Texas,” he concluded.

“What Senator Cruz said is simply untrue,” O’Rourke responded. “I did not call police officers modern-day Jim Crow.”

Video of O’Rourke’s town hall on Wednesday at Prairie View A&M University, a historically black college in Prairie View, Texas, shows him talking about a system that he said suspects a person based solely on the color of their skin, that searches, stops or shoots someone based on the color of their skin.

“It is why some have called this, and I think it is an apt description, the new Jim Crow,” he said.

Cruz, when asked whether he thought the police shootings a problem, said that everyone’s rights should be protected, but blamed irresponsible and hateful rhetoric for shootings of police officers — among them the killing of five Dallas police officers in 2016. He accused O’Rourke of repeating things he knew were not true, including accusing white police officers of shooting unarmed African American children, and said that The Washington Post had fact checked the claim and found it to be untrue.

“This is why people do not like Washington, D.C.,” O’Rourke said. “You just said something that I did not say and attributed it to me.”

“What did you not say?” Cruz asked.

“I’m not going to repeat the slander and mischaracterization,” O’Rourke said.

“You’re not going to say what you did say?” Cruz asked.

“This is your trick in the trade, to confuse and to incite based on fear and not to speak the truth,” O’Rourke said. "This is a very serious issue."

The Washington Post did examine a quote from O’Rourke but did not rate it given varying interpretations that were possible. The quote: “Black men, unarmed, black teenagers, unarmed, and black children, unarmed, are being killed at a frightening level right now, including by members of law enforcement without accountability and without justice.”

Cruz's dignity and President Trump During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump attacked Cruz viciously, suggesting that Cruz’s father had been involved in the assassination of President John Kennedy and tweeting an unflattering photograph of Cruz’s wife, Heidi, and threatening to “spill the beans” on her.

How did Cruz, who later endorsed Trump and praised him, respond to critics who said he had lost his dignity.

Cruz called his father his hero and his wife his best friend and the most beautiful woman on the planet.

After the election, he faced a choice and decided to work with the president on cutting taxes and regulations and creating new jobs.

“So yes, I could have chosen to make it about myself, to be selfish and say, ‘You know what, my feelings are hurt so I’m going to take my marbles and go home.’ But I think that would have been not doing the job I was elected to do.”

O’Rourke said that how Cruz responded when the president attacked him personally was his business. But the congressman also raised allegations that Trump had colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election and said he had attacked the country’s institutions.

“We need a U.S. senator who will stand up to this president, “ O’Rourke said.

“True to Form” When the men were asked what they admired about their opponent, O’Rourke said he knew how hard Cruz worked, the time he had spent away from his children and the sacrifices he had made. He said he had no question that despite their differences, Cruz wanted to do the best for America.

“So I thank you Sen. Cruz for your public service,” O’Rourke said.

Cruz agreed that the time away from their children was a sacrifice for both men and that O’Rourke was passionate, energetic and believed in what he was fighting for. Then Cruz compared O’Rourke to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who he said advocated socialism, higher taxes and expanding government.

“You’re fighting for the principles you believe in and I respect that,” Cruz said.

“True to form,” O’Rourke responded.

“Thoughts and prayers” The men clashed over how to protect students from shootings in school, both referring to the killings at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, in May.

Cruz called for more armed police officers in school, and rejected any new gun control measures.

“There is something deeply wrong that we have these shootings. There are a lot of things behind it that have nothing to do with government. They have things to do with things like removing God from the public square, like losing the moral foundation of much of our society, like losing the binds of community and family.”

O’Rourke argued that bringing a firearm into a classroom would not make students safer.

“Thoughts and prayers, Sen. Cruz, are just not going to cut it anymore,” he said. “The people of Texas, the children of Texas, deserve action.”

“More armed police officers in our schools is not thoughts and prayers,” Cruz answered. “I”m sorry you don’t like thoughts and prayers. I will pray for anyone in harm’s way but I also will do something about it.”

Differing Views on Drugs On drugs, Cruz said that O’Rourke, while on the El Paso City Council, had called for a national debate on legalizing all narcotics, including heroin and cocaine.

“There is consistent pattern when it comes to drug use that in almost every single instance Congressman O’Rourke supports more of it,” Cruz said.

Cruz said that the issue was personal; his older sister died of a drug overdoes.

O’Rourke, who was arrested for drunken driving in 1998, said that he wanted to end the war on drugs and to end the prohibition on marijuana.

“To be clear, I don’t want to legalize heroin and cocaine and fentanyl,” he said.

Photo Credit: Tom Fox-Pool/Getty Images Top Moments: Cruz, O'Rourke Face Off in Texas Senate Debate published first on Miami News

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This Is What It’s Like to Watch ‘The Bachelor’ for the First Time Ever

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Confession: I am an celebrity news and entertainment editor, and I have never watched an episode of The Bachelor. Until sometime during the week of January 2. That’s right: I basically rang in the new year by watching The Bachelor. And I don’t regret it.

Yes, watching the show is akin to diving headfirst into a slimy pile of trash, but it’s weirdly engaging. Apparently there’ve been 20 seasons of The Bachelor before this one—which doesn’t include all the spin-offs, like The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise—so it’s clearly wildly popular. Actually, the show wasn’t even a blip on my radar—it never even crossed my mind to watch it, though I definitely binged on my share of Keeping Up with the Kardashians in my day—until I read Heidi Julavits’ book The Folded Clock.

Source: Instagram

MORE: Nick Viall Is the Next Bachelor, So—Get Ready for That

If it hadn’t been for this book, I guarantee you that I never would have tuned in to that first episode of season 21. I had no idea who Nick Viall was (I already know way more than I ever dreamed I would or, for that matter, cared to), and I only had a shaky idea of the premise behind the show. But Julavits wrote about it with an almost obsessive fervor. A great writer and scholar, she watched it religiously every week with her equally brainy husband, and the pair seemed downright delighted with the whole thing.

Devouring that book last winter on the subway, I slowly became aware of The Bachelor. And Julavits made some good points: Though she was seemingly just waxing poetic about the “reality” of the reality show, she was very convincing in her underlying argument, which was basically—these women are serious about finding love. Every last one of them is there for marriage.

So I decided to see if Julavits was right.

Source: Instagram

First of all, let it be said: Nick Viall would not be out of place on the streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in a particular neighborhood my boyfriend likes to call “douchebag barbecue,” which, trust me, is fitting. He is greasy, faux-humble, and apparently extremely charming to certain women—the women of the Bachelor house eat him up like catnip. (In verified villain Corinne Olympios’ case, she really does … eat him up.)

The 30 women who move into the Bachelor house (which is actually home to a family of six when the show isn’t filming, I recently found out) are of many backgrounds and walks of life, perhaps—but almost all of them are white and thin. A study in diversity, this is not—and to be honest, this is what I take most umbrage at, of all the offensive things about this show.

One thing they all have in common: They all really, really, seriously seem to want Viall to fall in love with them.

Source: Instagram

Julavits’ argument—the one that got me to tune in to the show in the first place—is compelling. She really seems to feel convinced that all of the contestants on The Bachelor actually fall in love. “I honestly believe that people fall in love on these shows,” she wrote. “Here is why: Crushes thrive in small spaces.

“Humans must be programmed to respond positively when faced with a small sampling of other humans in, say, caves,” she wrote. “You’re stuck in a cave with three other people … and so, in order for the species to thrive, you must biologically be compelled to fuck at least one person in your cave, despite the fact that, when surrounded by a plentitude of Neanderthals at the Neanderthal summer barbecue, none of them struck your fancy. Without the element of choice, and in conjunction with captivity, you find love, or at least you find lust.”

Source: Instagram

When I read this, I underlined the part about the Neanderthal summer barbecue about 20 times—and then I started, for the first time in my life, considering watching The Bachelor. I didn’t actually take the plunge into some 12 months later, but still. The seed was planted.

Julavits went on to namecheck Brad, season 15’s bachelor, and discuss his final choice. “Of course Brad chose the obvious, beautiful girl,” she wrote. “Does that mean Brad didn’t love her, because she was obvious? I think he did love her, and I think she loved him. Sometimes we love obvious people. I also think that all of the rejected women who claimed to love Brad really did love him.

Source: Instagram

“Is this normal?” she continued. “No. But that doesn’t mean it’s dismissible as acting.” Though The Bachelor definitely has a shitty track record when it comes to longterm marriage, the love is real on the show, she argued. “Fakeness gives rise to realness that, granted, given The Franchise’s [Julavits’ name for what is dismayingly referred to as “Bachelor Nation”] dismal marriage record (many of the engaged couples experience ugly breakups within a year), may not survive when the fakeness ends. But the contestants do, or did, experience real feelings as a result of fiction.”

Who knows. I will say that I plan to continue watching The Bachelor, if for no other reason than to watch Corinne continue to be a conniving and manipulative scoundrel. (And because I can no longer stomach Keeping Up with the Kardashians.) As to whether or not I believe they actually fall in love with Nick, one by one—that remains to be seen.

MORE: The Big, Blingy Business of Designing ‘The Bachelor’ Engagement Rings: Neil Lane Tells All

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