#jayjay gave me some ideas

[yawnzzznnn]

♡︎Ponytail Teasing (JayJay)♡︎

Ok ik ik I'm meant to be writing a request but I got this really cute idea and I wanna write it before I forget it and I got really excited over this idea for no reason also sorry for the amount of JustinJay hes my 5th ult bais so I can't just not write about him y'know? Anyway please enjoy<33 ALSO Happy Easter the time I posted this is 3 am I totally didn't wake up just to post this-

ANYWAY ENJOY!

Warnings: Tooth Rotting Fluff : Teasing : Public relationship : Kissing : mentions of the pet name "Baby" : sexual joke (not really but it's implied) : me spelling JJ like 20 different ways :

The rest of Trainee A will not be in this chapter other than James since this takes place after there "Disbandment"(still crying over that)

🍙♡‹𝟹㊗🎧"🍙♡‹𝟹㊗🎧"🍙♡‹𝟹㊗🎧"🍙♡‹𝟹㊗

"Jay!" you yelled as you went around JJs house looking for him he soon came from the kitchen after hearing you "Yeah?" He asked "Come here" you said grabbing the hair tye from your wrist "I wanna do something I think it'd be cute on you sit sit" you said pointing at the floor Infront of you "On the...floor? Why?" JayJay said as he sat down "You'll see stop asking questions" you said patting his hair

"Want some?" He asked as he lifted the snack he was eating up to you you took a small bite and thanked him "So are you gonna tell me what your doing now?" He asked "Did you just try to bribe me with food-" you cut yourself off letting out a little giggle "It was worth a try" he said laughing "Ok sit still now" you said calming down from your fit of giggles JJ eventually stopped laughing and sat still

You grabbed a bit of his hair before adding more and more into your fist on his head once you were satisfied with the amount you had you took your hair tye and tied it around his hair tightening it so it'd stay it in place "There" you said to yourself in a whisper "You done?" Jay asked you nodded "Yeah c'mon let's go look at it in a mirror tell me what your think" you said pulling him up from the floor

Once he got up you tried letting go of his hand but he tightened his hand around yours neither of you payed any attention on your way to the bathroom to look at his hair once you reached the bathroom Jay looked in the mirror at his hair his eyes grew wide before a small cute pout made it's way on his face "Babyyyyy" he whined "whatttt" you mocked him "My family is gonna tease me when they get back" he said as he turned to face you the pout still on his face

"I know but you look so cute!" You said as you mimicked his pout and squished his cheeks making him pucker his lips you leaned in a gave him a peck his cheeks grew a faint blush on them making you smile "Ok fine I'll keep it since it makes you happy..." He said as he removed your hands from his face and held them your smile grew 10× the size "Thank you baby"

"BUT! You gotta pay me back" he said as his smile grew into a smirk "what do you mean-" you said as he cut you off "I mean you have to stay here all week and cuddle with me non stop from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed even while sleeping you have to be attached to me" he said "But Jay that will lead to more reasons for your family to tease you and you said you didn't want that" you tested him to see if he was being serious

"I don't care they'll also tease you and I'll get to enjoy it" He said as he hugged you "And the non stop cuddling begins now" he said snuggling into your neck you shrugged and held onto him "Are we gonna stay in the bathroom or can we go sit down?" You said as you felt your legs ache from standing still for too long "Let's go to my room" He said as he picked you up (idk if he can carry someone but this is my imagination so ✌️🤪) you wrapped your legs around him and hung on like a koala

"Oh kids there you are-" his dad said as you two came out of the bathroom "were you guys in the bathroom together-" his dad said trying to understand what he just saw "Wait what happened" his mom came over and looked at you two "Awww look there so cute....wait a second Jay what happened to your hair" his mom asked as she moved closer

You started giggling "Don't laugh" Jay said as he poked your side before setting you down "I-im not laughing" you said trying to hold in your giggles "and dad it's not what you think so don't think dirty" Jay said turning to his dad "Woah! I wasn't maybe you were" his dad said teasing him you giggled harder "have fun JJ imma wait for you in your room" you said running off before anyone can say anything Jay sighed before turning to his parents to explain the situation

A few hours later you and Jay came out of his room to hang out with everyone else when JJs phone went off you started giggling again "Ok miss giggle box (my irl nickname-) why you giggling this time" his mom said as a smile grew on her face "You'll see" you said looking at Jay on his phone his eyes grew wide before he looked at you

Making you burst out in a fit of laughter "Y/N!" He said "What??" You tried to say threw your laughing "You sent a picture to James?!?!" He said making his parents burst out in laughter too you fell over from your laughter "It ain't funny stop laughing!" JayJay said as he started laughing too after awhile you all calmed down and you ended up back in JayJays arms you two sat in comfortable silence before Jay whispered in your ear "Your lucky I love you" he said you smiled

"I love you too" you said snuggling closer to him he smiles and pulled you even closer if that was possible "Y'know Jay" his mom said cutting threw the silence "Y/N is right you do look cute with your hair like that" she said making JayJay groan which resulted in another fit of laughter from you this time JayJay joining little did JayJay know that you posted a picture of him with his hair like that and it went extremely viral

🍙♡‹𝟹㊗🎧"🍙♡‹𝟹㊗🎧"🍙♡‹𝟹㊗🎧"🍙♡‹𝟹㊗

1137 𝓦𝓸𝓻𝓭𝓼

4-8-23

#x reader #trainee a #trainee #trainee a imagines #trainee a jj #takagi justin jay x reader #takagi justin jay #justin jay takagi #justin jay #JayJay #jj trainee a #jj trainee a x reader #jj head cannons #jj x y/n

[wxniesrxse]

Dreams Come True:Chapter2:Eunha

Pairing: You x JAYJAY

Genre: fluff, real life issues?

Warning: none! Or maybe some scenes could trigger someone?

School started two weeks ago. Now it's Monday and it's time for you to wake up! Your mom tired of shaking you to wake up decided to have the greatest idea of putting ice and cold water in big cup and to splash it on your face.

Yeah she did that.

"MOOOOOOOOM" you shriek feeling the coldness hit your face,neck,and chest. "Whyyy did you do that! How rude...." You  narrowed your eyebrows together obviously showing her your mad. "I try waking you up but you have such deep sleep, worst than your father....you left me no choice and it worked! Now hurry, go to school ! I do not want you staying home and be all lazy, quick!"  Your mom rambled and left your room.

"Ahhhrg!" You threw a pillow on your wall just to release some anger. Immediately you did your morning routine which was...

1. Wash your face with only water.

2. Brush teeth.

3. Change into dark clothes because the darkness seems to fit you best!

4. Do NOT interact with your adorable puppy she for sure will make you miss the bus...and lastly......eat breakfast.....an apple....because there's no cereal and milk today.

"I hate this morning.....". You mumbled quietly closing the fridge. Then you heard the sounds of tiny footsteps of your puppy Luna. You quickly covered your eyes trying to avoid. You passed by her. "No no, do not follow me Luna! I'll be late because of your fault!". The tiny white fluffy puppy follow you from behind making small whiny noises.

"Y/n! The buss is here! What are you doing?" Your father yelled as he looked through the window. "I'm going...." You whined. You grab your backpack and didn't wave a goodbye to Luna.

You sat in last seat of the bus. You took out your phone and AirPods. You face the window while listening to music regretting not saying hello or a see you later to your precious puppy. She's the only living thing you care the most.

From far away you didn't notice that someone watched you leave from your house to the bus.

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

You were on your own world listening to music. Your eyes only focusing on whatever was going on in front of you; boys fighting over a skateboard, boys doing Rock Paper Scissors over who's gonna be the one paying their next meal, girls gossiping about the "ugly duckling" of the school who's in a relationship with one of the popular boys .......well that teaches you that in life ugly girls can also beat the pretty ones when in comes to dating the handsome guy in school. Then a girl run from the restroom screaming "My hair is falling!" She cried holding the piece of hair between her fingers. Why would she even say that out loud? Actually the real question is why did she brought a iron curlier in school?

Whatever was going on in your daily chaotic mornings you didn't care.....you were focusing on going to your reading classroom.

But it seems that you won't be able to make it there early.

"Hey loser!......did you brought my snacks?...." The girl who was in the gossip group looked at you with an eyebrow raised up. Her arms crossed over her chest, the waves of her dark hair spread all over her broad feminine shoulders. She nudge on your back. You rolled your eyes but didn't look at her. You breath out.

The tall girl walked in front of you trying to intimidate you....which she wasn't honestly. "Sooooo....I gave you two days......my snacks!" She fake smiled sweetly her hand in front of your face wanting her precious snacks. Last Friday she told you to buy her certain type of snacks in order for you not get bully by her. If you remember well a month ago you did stole her "man" and that got her furious.....well more like Jihoon was the one who wanted to be with you and no longer with her, but you broke up with him because you seriously did not want to deal with all the harassments of that girl. I know it was pretty weak of you to let him go but you soon got over him.

It seem wasn't easy for him to let you.

" look Eunha, Jihoon and I broke up a month ago, why are you still so mad about it?......is it because he prefer over the loser than the pretty popular girl with a bratty personality?" You chuckled at the last sentence. " get over it! And no I didn't brought your stupid snacks!" You were about to walk away but that Eunha clutched onto your forearm stopping you.

"Who do you even think you are to talk down to me like that you ugly fly-"

"Eunha, you still ask me why I don't want to go out with you again?.....you told me you would change....yet you keep treating people like this....." A boy said. He was next to them almost between them. He looked at Eunha with a disgusted look. Then his dark eyes landed on you. He didn't show no expression just a blank one. He looks away from her and walks forward.

"W-wait Jihoon! She provoked me! She started this fight!....Hoonie wait!....". Eunha whined as she followed behind him. "Tch.....". You shook your head and chuckled at that ridiculous girl.

There wasn't no distraction this time. You turn on the volume up to your favorite song and made your way to your class. Soon you walk inside the classroom and sat in your assigned seat. It was in the middle row next to a window. You sat there alone for a few minutes until the bell ring. Kids walked inside the classroom filling up the seats. After a while the teacher walked in the class followed by a boy.

And you knew that boy. Jay.

"Hello class, we have a new student, please introduce yourself". Mrs. Kim said with a smile. "Hello my name is Takagi Justin Jay and I hope we can all get along". He smiled at everyone. He wore the school's uniform: dark navy blue jacket, white dress shirt with a red and white tie, and beige pants. Jay's once long hair was cut short. He looked like a really rich kid.

You bit your bottom lip trying to hide your face away from him. "Why do I keep hiding from him? This is so not you! You didn't do anything wrong so why are you hiding.....stop it and look at him!" You thought and quickly you sat up with confidence.

"He looks handsome.....very handsome...."

" you look foreign". A girl said.

"I'm half Japanese and half American...." Jay answered her with an easy going smile.

"Yeah your name is unique, how did you learn Korean?" Another girl ask curios.

" I've lived in Korea for 2 years then went back to Japan and now I'm back here....." he replied.

"Yeah and my man knows how to sing, dance, skate, and play games on computer! He's great!" James said while counting his fingers. Jay did small jumps excited to see his friend.

"Alright sit in any empty seat......class, in four days we are having a quick quiz" the teacher started teaching. The blond boy sat next to James, both of them sharing a friendship handshake and laughed about it. Jay looked around the class passing to look at you but his eyes retrieve back at you. He stop smiling trying to figure out if it was really you.

His curiosity was answered when you look back at him with a smile. You slightly bowed your head. Jay smiled again as he looked away from you with pink cheeks.

"It's her.....we have the same class,same teacher, and same friends.....this is going to be a good year...." That happy boy thought.

♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎

Thank You For Reading!

Remember don't be a silent reader シ

@enhacolor @justamochi @neyrensazii

#trainee a imagines #trainee a jj #trainee a sangwon #trainee a leo #trainee a jihoon #trainee a woochan #trainee a yorch #trainee a james #traineea #trainee a #aloners association #jayjay #jayjay imagine #JayJay fan fiction #jj imagine #bighit #kpop #hybe labels #han jihoon #jo woochan #justin jay #lee leo #lee sangwon #yorch yongsin #james #kpop edits #kpop imagines

[maybedefinitely404]

I Can’t Leave

Genre: hurt/comfort, real world AU

Pairings: Romantic Dukeceit/Demus

Content: description of slightly graphic intrusive thoughts, panic attack, fear of intruders/murder, dog. 

Word count: 1.2k

Comments: Little break from our regularly scheduled Soulmate fics to bring you another episode of “Ly Projecting on their Favorite Characters”.

The upstairs bathroom light was still on when Janus walked into their front door, giving an exhausted shout of “Remus, I’m home!” through the otherwise silent house. In front of him, somewhere in the darkness, was a quiet shuffle and he rolled his eyes, flicking on the lights after locking the door.

“Good evening, rat.” Despite his general displeasure of the brown and white schnauzer mutt, he stepped up to his kennel and gave him an awkward pet through the bars. The dog barely paid attention to him, flicking his ear when it was touched, as if saying ‘screw off, I’m sleeping’. He was startlingly like Remus. 

It kind of made sense, since Remus was the one to find him stuck in a dumpster; whether he had been looking for scraps or had been tossed in, they never found out. Janus hated dogs, they were loud and smelled bad and caused nothing but problems, but when he opened the door to see his rain soaked boyfriend, dangling the dirty mutt in front of him like a child, he knew he had no choice. He was quickly dubbed Cornball, for reasons Janus would never understand but Remus adored, and he was the newest member of their little family. 

Janus stood up straight again, Cornball shutting his eyes again and curling tighter into a ball of apathy. For the first time, he noticed the house was oddly quiet for a light still being on. He’d expect a shower running, at least. Remus probably just forgot to flip the switch, he thought with another fond eyeroll and took the stairs to the second floor, intending to do nothing but flop onto their bed and sleep. Tomorrow was his first day off in two weeks, a result of them being short staffed at work. 

But it seemed his plans would have to be put on pause. 

When he rounded the top of the stairs, at the end of the small hall, the bathroom door stood open, and Remus was sitting on the ground, staring at him. His eyes were red rimmed, hair damp and sticking up in every direction, wearing sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt. Behind him, bunched on the floor, was a stack of towels and clothes, and the mirror was just losing its last remnants of steam.

“Hello,” Janus said quietly, sitting down in front of Remus, separated only by the bathroom’s threshold. Remus blinked.

“Hi.” When he spoke, his throat sounded raw. His chest shook with another stuttered breath.

“Why don’t you come to bed, Remus? You look exhausted.” Janus reached out a hand slowly, careful not to cross the line between the hallway and his boyfriend. 

“I can’t.”

“Oh?” Janus retreated, folding his hands on his lap, “And why is that?” His voice held no mockery, only steady calmness that Remus desperately needed in episodes like this. 

“I can’t leave the bathroom.”

“Okay. Why’s that?” 

Remus blinked hard a couple times, whole face scrunching with the effort, and unconsciously reached up a hand to tug at his hair. Probably why it’s all over the place.

“Don’t laugh.”

“I won’t, dear. I would never.”

“Okay… uhm,” He leaned his head against the open door, effectively smooshing his hair into his face, “Cornball was barking. While I was showering. And I yelled at him to be quiet, but he kept barking. He usually stops when I tell him to.”

He hesitated, and Janus was silent, allowing him to speak on his own time. 

“But then it changed, and it sounded like he was screaming, but I couldn’t tell if it was real or… just in my head. And then I got this intrusive thought that someone was in the house, and they strangled Cornball, and now they’re waiting in our room for me.”

“Oh, honey, why would I ever laugh at that?” Janus finally reached beyond their invisible barrier to run a hand through Remus’ damp hair, scritching his skull lightly. 

“I can’t leave the bathroom until Cornball makes a noise.”

There it was; the ultimatum that Remus was forced to follow by his own mind. Even if Janus was there, and he checked the whole house top to bottom, Remus wouldn’t feel able to leave until his intrusive thoughts were satisfied. No matter how nonsensical the task was. A thought crossed Janus’ mind.

“Wait, how long have you been here?”

“Two hours.”

“Honey,” Janus repeated in a near whisper, letting his hand shift to Remus’ jaw, his thumb rubbing the other’s cheekbone. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“Left my phone in my room. My mind was too loud for shower music-” A concept Janus didn’t exactly understand, but knew his boyfriend experienced regularly; the idea of a loud mind. “Even if I had it, I wouldn’t be able to talk. I couldn’t make a noise. I just... couldn’t.”

Janus made another sad hum. “Hang on for just a second, okay? I’ll be right back.” 

When Remus nodded, Janus stood up and took the stairs back down, speed walking to Cornball’s crate and pulling the lazy dog out of it. He was a limp ball, a true testimony to how much Remus spoiled him rotten, only moving to shift his weight to be more comfortable in Janus’ arms. The mutt lifted his head as they trekked up the stairs, the zone he was generally not allowed to enter (Janus wanted some sacred ground that wasn’t littered with dog fur), and full on began to tremble seeing Remus sitting on the floor.

His boyfriend perked up upon seeing his little friend, and the dog leapt from Janus’ arms to launch himself into Remus’ lap, immediately taking to decorating his face with slobber. 

“Aw, hi Cornball. Yes, yes I love you too. I’m so glad you’re not dead, yes I am,” Remus cooed in a dreadful baby talk reserved for the dog only, even though his voice was still cracking with exhaustion, “Can you sit? Sit? Yeah, good boy! Now speak. Speak.”

Cornball let out a single bark, wagging his tail rapidly, and Remus’ shoulders visibly relaxed. 

“Alright now, my love?” Janus murmured, and when he nodded again and began to push himself to his feet, he scooped up the mutt and went to put him back once more. “You were the solution, but you also were the root of the problem,” He hissed as he locked the kennel, “Don’t look so proud of yourself, rat.” If dogs could look unimpressed, Cornball sure did, circling three times and dropped into his bed. For what he hoped to be the final time that night, Janus climbed the stairs to their bedroom. 

Remus was just outside of the bathroom when he reached the top, shaking like a leaf. He was on his feet though, and across the threshold, which was significant progress.

“Well done, dear.” With no prompting, he took Remus’ arm to steady him, and lead him at his own pace into their bedroom. The younger man looked around the room quickly, eyes flittering at all the dark crevices the shadows created, and to appease his fear, Janus did a lap around the room. Closet was clear, under the bed was empty, nothing behind the door. 

“Thanks,” Remus whispered as Janus closed the door, flipping the lock for extra measure. 

“You’re welcome, love,” He responded, sliding under the covers next to Remus after changing into pajamas. No hesitation, the other latched onto him not unlike a koala baby, burying his face into Janus’ chest. 

Not that he’d ever complain. 

“I love you, Jayjay.” 

He’d complained a lot about that nickname. 

“I love you too, Remus.”

Tonight he’d let it slide, though.

#lywrites #dukeceit #remus sanders #janus sanders #sanderssides #sanders sides #sanders sides fanfiction #sanderssidesfanfiction #intrusive thoughts tw

[maybeimamuppet]

hi, me again. i just wanted to preface this by saying this work features cady having a meltdown as a result of sensory overload (i headcanon her as autistic) so if that could be triggering for you please skip this. i based this off a personal experience so if you are a person who experiences sensory overload and things are different for you, kindly Do Not Come For Me. also, cadnis has only been dating for about a month and a half in this one so they’re still deep in it. anyway, enjoy!

——-

“Ooh, Jayjay, what’s that one?” Cady asks, dragging Janis and Damian by the hand towards yet another painting. Janis is honestly convinced Cady is having more fun here than she is; hauling her and Damian around and asking a thousand questions every second, but she happily answers what she can.

“Caddy, darling, you know I love you, but my delicate hands cannot take this kind of manhandling,” Damian whines dramatically, pulling gently out of her grip. “I saw a place that looked like it had food back that way, do either of you want anything?” He asks, already backing towards it.

“I’m good. Cads?” Janis responds. Cady doesn’t, still lost in the artwork around her. “Cads. Caddy. Cady. Baby.” The last name finally gets Cady’s attention as she suddenly snaps back into the real world.

“Huh? Oh, no, I’m good. Thanks Damian,” Cady says, seemingly still in a daze. That’s strange for her, she’s usually much more alert. Janis looks at her oddly but decides not to mention it.

She rolls her eyes as Damian shoots both of them finger guns and continues dancing away, putting her arms around Cady’s waist and peppering kisses up the column of her neck, ending with one on her cheek.

“Are you having fun, Peanut?”

“Uhhuh,” Cady nods, leaning back into her embrace. “I love listening to you talk about this kind of stuff. Your eyes just light up every time you know something I’ve asked about. It’s adorable.” Janis flushes scarlet, tucking her face deeper into Cady’s shoulder.

They stand there a while longer before Cady grabs Janis’ hand again, much gentler this time, and leads them to where Damian is standing dejectedly.

“What’s up, Dame?”

“No food. But I took about twelve maps and some free souvenir magnets instead,” He says, brandishing the maps and fanning himself with them.

“Christ, dude, how did you even- never mind.” Janis mutters, shaking her head at his antics. “Anyway, are you guys ready to go?”

“Ugh, yes, please. This was fun but I’ve had too much Da Vinci and not enough Dicaprio for one day, thank you very much. Also I demand to be fed so we will be stopping by that McDonalds on the way.”

“I’m ready to go too, I left my allergy pills at home and I can already feel the pollen,” Cady says, ending with a violent sneeze that prompts a giggle from Janis. “I brought four different medicines with me in case someone got hurt but left the ones I was most likely to need at home.” It’s nearly April now, so her allergies are in full force and will be for several weeks, much to her dismay.

——-

Cady feels off. She’s much more on edge than she was a few minutes ago, and hyper-aware of everything going on around her. She takes deep breaths and tries to process everything as best she can, realizing she’s over-sensitized from her time at the museum. She’s never been great at realizing when input gets to be too much for her until it’s too late. Luckily, she’ll be home soon. All they have to do is follow Damian through the drive through and then she can go home and spend some time in her quiet room with her weighted blanket.

She’s not expecting Janis to pull into a parking space in the lot at McDonalds, and looks around confusedly before realizing this McDonalds doesn’t have a drive through. This was not in the plan. She doesn’t realize she’s basically locked in her seat until Janis pokes her head in through the window.

“Cads, you coming?” She asks, holding out her hand for Cady to take.

“Can I just stay out here and wait for you?”

“But the line goes on for, like, ages. I don’t wanna be away from you for that long,” Janis whines with a pout. Damn those expressive brown eyes; Cady can never resist her no matter how hard she tries. Shakily, she undoes her seatbelt and steps out, taking Janis’ outstretched hand and trying to hide the tension in her shoulders.

Surprisingly, she makes it about five minutes in the restaurant before it all gets to be too much and she finally breaks. She can feel it building inside her, the buzzing pressure in her chest threatening to burst through her ribs. She’s still trying to process all the input from the museum, now with the added stimuli of the brightly colored booths and menu and the smells of grease and salt and the muffled conversations of everyone around her and the way her hair is down and tickling her face and how her shoes are new and still a little too tight and the pressure in her nose from her allergies and Janis’ tight but gentle grip on her hand and- it’s too much.

She wrenches out of Janis’ grasp to slam both hands over her ears, pressing as hard as she can, but it’s still not enough to block out the noise. She can feel the tears streaming rapidly down her face, which also isn’t helping. Janis turns to look at her, understandably confused. Cady loves holding her hand, loves when Janis touches her, she’s never pulled away before.

“Babe, what- oh shit. Angel, what’s wrong?” Janis asks, eyes full of concern as she reaches out to Cady. She only grows more worried when she lunges away and starts shivering violently, still clutching desperately at her ears. “Okay, no touching. Let me go tell Damian real quick and I’ll get you out of here. You’ll be okay, my butterfly.” Janis rambles, running to Damian a few places ahead in line. Cady watches her tap his shoulder and gesture to her, sees his shocked and worried face when he takes in her current state. Janis hands him her debit card and then comes jogging back to her side.

“Alright Caddy, come on, let’s get you home.” Janis says, holding the door for her. Cady sprints across the parking lot, practically jumping into her seat and slamming the door after her. She’s in such a state she barely remembers to buckle herself in before putting her hands back over her ears and shutting her eyes tightly. She feels Janis slide into her seat and start the car, feels the car back out of the lot and onto the road. She’s nearly home. Home is safe, she’ll be okay there.

——

Janis is terrified. She’s seen Cady sick, seen her cry, seen her scared near out of her mind whenever they watch Janis’ favorite horror movies. She has never seen Cady like this. She has no idea how to help her, no idea how to even approach this.

She did a fair bit of research on autism when Cady had first told her and Damian about hers after they had all reconciled at Spring Fling last year, but everything she can use in this situation varies by person and situation. She thinks it’s a sensory overload, Cady certainly seems to be having an issue with noise if the hands over the ears is anything to go by. She tries to whisper “It’s okay, angel, we’re nearly home,” in what she hopes is a comforting tone, but Cady only sobs harder and clutches at her ears with so much force Janis is worried they might bruise. Wrong choice.

She finally pulls into the Heron’s driveway, not even having time to shut the car off before Cady is ripping her seatbelt off and flying into the house at full speed. Secretly, she’s glad Cady’s parents are out of town for the weekend, not wanting them to think she’s done something to hurt their daughter this severely, especially this early in their relationship. What the fuck, she thinks to herself as she closes the car doors. How did I fuck up this bad?

She follows Cady inside, closing and locking the front door behind her. Damian has the key Cady gave him, he can let himself in whenever he gets here. She decides to check Cady’s room first, it’s the most logical place for her to be.

Sure enough, there’s a little Cady-shaped lump under the weighted blanket on her bed, still shaking, and she can still hear muffled sobs coming from it. Janis sits at the foot of the bed, not knowing what to do other than wait this out and see what happens. Holding as still as she can so she doesn’t jostle her girlfriend too much, she pulls out her phone to shoot Damian a text, letting him know where they are. He answers once he pulls into the driveway that he’ll be waiting downstairs with their food, and to take all the time they need until Cady is better.

She relaxes a bit knowing Damian is there, but still wrings her hands in front of her, scared for her Peanut. She about jumps out of her skin when a small hand suddenly rockets out from under the blanket and starts frantically patting around on the bedspread, seemingly searching for something. Unsure of what to do, she grabs it and squeezes gently, wincing a little when Cady grabs back with a vice grip. The shaking seems to lessen once she does, though, so Janis decides she doesn’t mind the loud popping of her knuckles.

After what feels like several hours but couldn’t have been more than 45 minutes, Cady’s tear-streaked face peeks out from under the blanket and her hand starts making shapes in Janis’ grasp. Cady is fluent in sign language and started teaching Janis a while ago. They started with the alphabet so they could spell things out for each other if one of them ever went nonverbal (and sometimes just for fun). Janis lets go and watches as Cady spells out “hold me?”

As if Janis would ever deny her. She nods and holds out her arms, letting out a soft “oof” as Cady jumps into her, throwing her arms around her neck and legs around her waist, continuing to let out little sobs and whimpers into her shoulder. She tries gently rubbing circles on Cady’s back, but she gives an uncomfortable shudder so she stops almost immediately and settles for just holding her to her chest gently, worried about hurting her.

Cady chokes out a soft “tighter, please,” into her ear, so Janis squeezes, increasing the pressure until Cady gives a relieved sigh. She rocks them side to side gently, which seems to soothe her further. Finally did something right, she thinks.

After a very long, very tense period of rocking and Cady desperately trying to match her breathing, her sobs gradually slow before finally ending with a snuffle. Janis stops rocking but doesn’t move otherwise, content to just hold Cady close for a while.

“I’m sorry,” Cady mutters after several minutes, crying lightly again.

“Oh, baby, no. Don’t be sorry, why would you be sorry?” Janis squeezes her before inching her back so she can see her face, wiping tears from under her eyes.

“You-you just wanted to have more fun and get food with D-damian but instead you had to-to bring me home and then you stayed to take c-care of me-“ Cady sobs out before Janis cuts her off with a soft kiss.

“Princess, it’s McDonalds. I can get garbage fast food with Damian anytime. He brought some back for us anyway, he’s downstairs. I care more about making sure you’re okay and healthy and happy. I want to keep the one Caddy I’ve got safe much more than I want to sit in a loud, garish restaurant and eat shit that’ll clog my arteries anyway. Understand?” Janis says, cupping her chin to look into Cady’s clear blue eyes until she gives a sheepish nod.

“You have questions,” Cady says bluntly after another few minutes, now calmed down again.

“Um, a few, yeah,” Janis responds anxiously, looking briefly at her lap. Cady’s been through the wringer today, she doesn’t need Janis accosting her.

“Go ahead.”

“Are you okay?” Janis bursts out desperately. Cady gives a chuckle and presses a kiss to her cheek.

“I am now, yeah. You helped a lot, actually. This time was a lot shorter than normal.” Jesus. They’d been in Cady’s room for at least an hour, and that doesn’t even include the time in the restaurant or the ride home.

“What happened? What do I need to do if it happens again?” Janis is still near frantic with worry. She hates feeling helpless, and she had no idea what to do for Cady while it was happening.

“That was a sensory overload turned meltdown. I didn’t realize it was so bad until we were in the car, there was a lot happening at the museum but I was focusing on you and the art and Damian. I get overloaded a lot, but I haven’t had a meltdown because of it since I was still a Plastic.” Nearly a year, and she had one because of Janis. God, she feels like such an idiot. Cady seems to notice the guilt in her eyes, because she cups her cheeks and says, “Hey, stop beating yourself up over this, mpenzi. I can see you thinking. This was not your fault, okay? You had no way of knowing, and I should’ve told you I was feeling bad. Once it started you did almost everything right.” Janis gives a weak nod, feeling slightly better and finally grinning widely as Cady pecks her nose.

“As for what you can do, that usually depends on the situation, unfortunately. But, as some general rules, don’t touch unless I reach out or ask you to, and try not to talk. If you have to, just speak softly, don’t whisper. I don’t like the way it sounds even when I’m not overloaded, but when I am it’s like nails on a chalkboard.” Janis nods again, taking in the information.

There is one thing Janis really wants to know. “What-um. What does it feel like?” She asks gently.

Cady thinks for a moment. “That’s a good question, I don’t really know how to explain it without sounding totally nuts.”

“Try me,” Janis responds with a chuckle. She knows that feeling at least, some of the metaphors she’s come up with to explain what her panic attacks feel like have bordered on nonsensical.

“Okay, well, um. Physically all I really feel is a kind of buzzing or pounding in my chest and my muscles lock up. Most of it is mental, for me anyway. It’s sort of like- what’s that game we played with Damian and your sister last time we had game night? With the little blocks? Jungle?”

“Jenga.” Janis laughs, kissing her forehead.

“Yeah, that one! Anyway, it’s kind of like that. Every piece of sensory input is like a block gets taken away. In the beginning it’s only a few, so it’s still pretty stable. But after a while it starts to build up and get more wobbly. That’s usually when I notice what’s happening and most of the time I can do things to soothe myself and get back, but every once in a while something happens that just knocks the whole tower over and I fall apart. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, actually. It really does. Good job Peanut.” Janis says, slightly stunned. “What about now? Are you still good for movie night or do you want Damian and I to go home...?”

“No don’t go!” Cady yelps, locking tight around Janis again. “I don’t wanna be alone. But I don’t know if I can handle a movie, could we play Animal Crossing together instead?” She murmurs, burying her head in Janis’ hair, inhaling her comforting scent of apples, vanilla and paint. An odd combination, but Cady absolutely loves it.

“Hey, whoa, easy baby.” Janis soothes, easing her back again. “We won’t go if you want us to stay, I just wanted to check. Animal Crossing sounds great, I’ll send Damian to grab some stuff from our houses while we eat. Speaking of Damian, he has been downstairs this whole time, can we go let him know you’re okay?”

“Oh god, yeah. I’m gonna change, I’ll be down in a minute, you go get him. I totally forgot,” Cady says frantically, scrambling off of Janis and rushing to her dresser. Janis laughs at her sudden haste, walking towards the door until she hears Cady call her back. “Janis?” She turns to look at her with a questioning hum. “Thank you.” She says softly, melting Janis’ heart just a little further.

“Always, baby.” She answers with a cheeky wink, closing the door behind her.

The second she hits the last stair Damian is there, frantically pestering her with worried questions. “What the hell happened to her? Where is she? Is she okay? Is she dead?”

Janis bursts out laughing at the last one. “Damdam, chill, she’s totally fine, she’s just changing. She had a sensory overload, I’m sure she’ll tell you more once she comes down.” She hugs him tightly to calm them both before making her way to the kitchen to heat up their food.

“God, thank fuck. She was shaking so hard I thought she’d explode and we’d get done for manslaughter.” Damian jokes as Janis arranges Cady’s chicken nugget happy meal into a smile on a plate before sticking it in the microwave. That’ll cheer her up a little more.

Sure enough, Cady comes padding down the stairs as Janis makes the apple slices into hair, now wearing a soft t-shirt she definitely stole from Janis along with a pair of leggings and her hedgehog slippers. She’s also wearing her clunky, thick glasses instead of her contacts, and Janis has to bite her lip to prevent her lesbian monkey brain from saying anything totally embarrassing.

She shuffles up to Damian for a hug, and Janis watches her lead him to the couch to explain what happened as she grabs Cady’s allergy pills from the counter and pours a couple out for her.

This conversation is much shorter, and after a few minutes Cady takes a seat at the counter, laughing goofily when she sees what Janis has done with her meal. “Alright, I’ll be back in, like, ten. I’m gonna go grab our sleepover stuff. No canoodling while I’m gone.” Damian says, pointing at Janis accusingly, laughing as she raises her hands in surrender.

——-

They’re just finishing eating as Damian comes bursting back in with his and Janis’ sleepover bags and Nintendo Switches. “Your mom and Juliana say hi and they love you, Jan.” He says; heaving a sigh as he puts his bounty down by the door. She makes a mental note to text them before bed.

Cady puts her dishes in the sink and goes to grab her switch, settling in on the couch with her favorite blanket and making grabby hands at the both of them. She’s much more lethargic than normal, having spent a lot of energy during her meltdown.

Janis and Damian take turns changing into their pjs before grabbing their own consoles and settling in on either side of her. Janis had introduced Cady to Animal Crossing around New Years and she had become absolutely obsessed, begging her parents to buy it for her until they finally caved for her birthday. She’s designing her island to be half Kenya and half Chicago, and Janis is frankly amazed at the progress she’s made. Her birthday was only in February.

——

As they run around playing hide and seek on each other’s islands, Cady is secretly deep in thought. She never thought she’d have people she’d be able to trust the way she does Janis and Damian. She’d hoped, obviously, but quickly lost hold of that after her move from Kenya. Once she’d turned full Plastic, it had gone entirely.

But as she sits here, nestled firmly between her two favorite people and falling asleep on her girlfriends shoulder, she realizes she’s finally found her group, her herd, her flock.

She’s found where she belongs.

———

hope you enjoyed this, do please tell me what you thought! i also wanted to make it clear that janis is the one blaming herself for the meltdown. cady doesn’t blame her and neither do i as the author. also, i’m not totally familiar with tumblr yet so please let me know of any formatting things i can improve. (also my works probably won’t be this long in the future. got carried away :/)

lots of love, ezzy 🦕

#cadnis #paint by numbers #cady heron #janis sarkisian #damian hubbard #mean girls #mean girls musical

[inactiive-shit]

Family

Y’all see that post that was asking how the dark sides would react once they found out about Virgil ducking out? Yeah. This is in response to that. My own take on what may have happened.

To the person who made the original post, I have no idea who you are. I thought I reblogged the post but I spent a while searching and was unable to find it. If you see this (or anybody else does and can point me in the right direction!) I would be more than willing to give you credit for this idea! Sorry about that.

Edit: Hey, so @1americaninapool, I totally meant to tag you as soon as I saw your comment. Unfortunately, I have the brain capacity of a jellyfish and immediately forgot. This is completely based off their idea. Thank you so much for reading it. I’m really glad you liked it!!

Words: 3,801

Without any further ado, here’s my best idea:

~~~~~

"Hey, Dec-Janus! Janus! How are you doing, Janus Janus bo banus, fee fi fo-"

"I am doing quite well, Patton," he said, smoothly interrupting before Patton could really get going on a song he hadn't heard since childhood. It was still so odd to hear the others using his true name. Only Remus and Virgil had known before, and it's not like Virgil-

Well. It was better not to think about Virgil.

Patton flushed but grinned, less exuberant than normal but Janus was willing to chalk that up to his own presence more than anything else. Patton tried, but the transition period was rough for all of them. Some more than others. "How are you, this lovely day?"

"I'm great!" Patton said immediately, and Janus could taste the lie on his tongue. But before he could contradict that, before he could even decide if it was his place to, Patton's smile took on a more somber note. "Well, maybe not great. I've been feeling kinda nostalgic, getting caught up in old memories." He sat on the window sill and leaned against the pane, watching the rain falling outside.

"What kind of memories? If you don't mind my asking," Janus said. He swept closer and leaned his hip against the table, staring out the window with Patton. The rain was pouring down and every once in a while thunder shook the house. He sometimes wondered why they had weather inside Thomas' mind, but then he would remember that the twins were the two most extra people he knew. Of course they had weather.

"Not the good ones," Patton said quietly. "The scary ones." He didn't look at Janus, and Janus really had no idea where this conversation was going. Scary movies, perhaps? Nightmares that, when Thomas woke up crying, would put himself back to bed, still too scared to even get up? A prank Remus had played on him that had gone too far?

"It's just," he continued, "the rain. It reminds me of Virge. Our little stormcloud."

"Oh, yes," Janus muttered. "Virgil. The absolute scariest thing this side of the mindscape." It startled a giggle out of Patton and Janus was so shocked he almost took a step back. He knew, of course, that Patton tended to throw up walls in the form of false smiles and laughs when he wasn't feeling well to redirect worry. (After all, Janus had been heart wrenchingly aware of each and every one. Not being accepted did not negate his base purpose and need to keep them safe and, yes, even happy. Much like Virgil, he would take the hate to keep the family he did and didn't have safe.) But what he had not expected was the genuine laugh he let out when he had already admitted to being less than great.

“He can be scary when he tries,” Patton said, smiling, and yes, that tasted sweet. Truth. He truly believed that Virgil could be scary. Good. Janus would hate for Virgil’s favorite pastime to become unavailable to him. “But that’s kind of misleading, I guess. I wasn’t thinking about how scary Virgil can be. I was thinking about how scary it was when he ducked out.”

Janus felt the room fall into slow motion. The words weren’t making sense and Patton’s mouth was moving but he could hardly hear the sounds coming out. He what? When did he-?

“We could have tried harder. We should have tried harder. But none of us realized-or, no, we refused to realize how important Virgil was. How much we need him around. I just get so caught up in what could’ve happened if we hadn’t gotten him back. How hurt we could have been. How hurt Virge could have been. And I-I feel so bad-” Patton turned to face Janus and there were tears running down his face. He barreled into Janus and on instinct he wrapped his arms around Patton and patted his back. After a minute, he summoned Logan.

“What do you-”

“Could you-help?” Janus muttered, motioning at Patton with one hand. Logan saw his tear covered face and bristled, but immediately stepped forward, placing a hand on Patton’s shoulder. Janus moved away without even noticing the glare tossed his way and, once he saw that Logan had it under control, sunk out.

He didn’t know where he was going, only that he needed a second to process. He needed to think about what had happened, figure out when Virgil had done that, why he had done something so incredibly stupid, why he hadn’t come to Janus and Remus instead. Why why why-

“Jayjay?” Remus said, softly wrapping an arm around Janus’ waist. From the tone of his voice, Janus knew that it wasn’t the first time he’d said his name. “You okay?” He pulled Janus to his bed and sat them both down. “Do I need to kill someone for you? I will.”

“I-” Janus said, but his voice was choked and the words cut off. Remus looked even more worried at that.

“Hey,” he said and he was being so gentle. “Do you want a severed head? I have some. Or I can get your snakes. What’s wrong?”

“It’s Virgil, he-” Janus choked on the words again and then buried his face in his hands. He was shaking. He was shaking and blurring and he couldn’t focus, couldn’t think past the thought of Virgil leaving. He tried to leave them and Janus hadn’t-he hadn’t even known, what kind of person did that make him? How could he have not known when Virgil left, when he tried to do that to himself? Why would Virgil do something like that? He knew better, he knew people cared, he knew he mattered. All three of them had made damn sure that they wouldn’t ever be alone, even if they were mad at each other, so why would he do that?

Slowly, Janus came back to himself. “C’mon, Snakey Jay, talk to me,” Remus said. He was kneeling in front of Janus, hands on his legs but not crowding his space. “Is everything alright? Is Virgil? Did he get hurt? Does he still have all of his limbs? Have they fallen off? Did one of the others stab him? Did crows eat his eyes? Is he alive? Did he get run over?”

“No, no,” Janus said. Remus’ frantically spoken thoughts came to a screeching halt to stare at Janus. “He’s fine, it’s okay.” Remus practically collapsed in on himself. Janus reached out and wrapped his arms around him, pulling them both back onto the bed. “Sorry,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just-”

“What happened, Lord of the Lies? You’re usually much more put together than this.” Remus waved a hand at Janus’ clothes, and he only then realized that he hadn’t even noticed when Remus snapped him into different clothes. He was wearing his comfort clothes now: soft sweats and one of Remus’ old t-shirts and the black jacket that Virgil-

That Virgil-

“Virgil tried to duck out,” Janus said. Remus went totally still beside him. “I don’t know when. I think it had to have been a while ago, but he did. He tried to leave and I don’t know why or when or anything.” He turned to stare at Remus. “I didn’t even know. How didn’t we know?”

“He tried to leave?” he asked. Janus nodded miserably. “He just tried to-to leave us? He didn’t even bother saying goodbye? Who the fuck gave him the right? Who the fuck-”

“Remus-”

“-told him he could just do that? I am going to kick his ass, and when I’m done I’m never letting go of him again, that fucking asshole.” Remus launched himself off his bed and conjured his morningstar to hand.

“Don’t you think the morningstar is a little overkill?” Janus asked.

“Oh, it’s going to be,” Remus said and sank out before Janus could convince him to reconsider. With a sigh, Janus followed him to Virgil’s room a second later.

The cacophony of noise that met his ears when he rose up was overwhelming. The morningstar was sunk into the wall, a hairsbreadth from Virgil’s Jack and Sally posters and there were a couple of shattered dishes on the ground. Remus was waving his hands around like a maniac, spouting off words so repulsive Janus was sure Virgil had no idea what he was talking about. Sighing again, Janus waved a hand and Remus’ slapped over his own mouth. They could both still definitely hear the muffled curses Remus was incessantly shouting.

“What the frick is the matter with you?” Virgil shouted. “What the hell?”

“I agree,” Janus said. “What the hell?” He stared at Virgil. Virgil stared back.

“You realized I have no clue what you’re talking about, right? You’re ridiculous,” he muttered, and bent down to start collecting bits of the broken plate. Remus snapped the fingers on his free hand and it disappeared. Virgil glared at him.

“I was cleaning that up,” he snapped.

“Usually, when someone does you a favor, the correct response is a thank you,” Janus said.

“Maybe it would be if he hadn’t put his morningstar through my wall!” Virgil shouted. Janus snapped his own fingers and the wall self corrected back to the proper structure. The morningstar, for all that he thought it was unnecessary, remained in the room, leaning against the dresser.

“If I remove your hand, will you allow us to have a civil conversation?” he asked Remus. Remus began spouting more muffled nonsense from behind his hand. Janus sighed, but waved a hand so that Remus could speak again.

“You dumbass fucking asshole!” he screamed and tackled Virgil. Those were the tamest words to come out of his mouth since Janus had shown up, but from the look on Virgil’s face they were still plenty effective. The pair landed on the bed and wrestled around for a moment. Virgil screamed at Remus to get off of him and Remus kept calling him names. Janus watched it all with the exasperation generally reserved for parents with unruly children only a couple of years apart in age. He held his face in his hands, well aware that nothing that was getting solved, and waited.

Eventually, finally, Remus brought out his tentacles and wrapped around Virgil so securely that Virgil was incapable of removing him.

“Fuck off!” He pulled at a tentacle, but another immediately replaced it and wrapped around him even tighter.

“Fuck you!” Remus said. “Fuck me! Fuck us all, but I’m not moving!”

“What is this about?” Virgil snapped.

“I don’t know, Virgil. Why don’t you tell me,” Janus said. “What on earth could this be about?”

“If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking!”

“How are you doing, Virgil?” Janus asked instead of answering.

“I was fine until you burst into my room uninvited!”

“No urge to do anything ill-advised, then? Say, ducking out?”

Suddenly, as suddenly as they had appeared in his room, all of the fight went out of Virgil. He stopped trying to peel Remus’ tentacles off and stared off at one of his walls, not moving.

“Oh. Y’all heard about that?”

“Heard about that!” Remus echoed in a shrill, shrieky voice.

“Yes, Virgil, we heard about that. We have questions.”

“And demands,” Remus added. Janus was sorely tempted to silence Remus again, but he did have a point, and he did have just as much right as Janus did to be upset.

“You can watch the videos, then,” Virgil said. “I’m sure there will be more than enough information there to answer your questions. Now get out of my room.”

“The videos?” Janus said quietly, and Virgil winced so harshly Remus shuddered with him. “There are videos?”

“Forget I said that.” Virgil stood up from his bed and faced Janus. “I’m serious. Get out of my room. I don’t have the energy to deal with you two tonight.”

“Thomas put videos on YouTube of you trying to-”

“I said!” Virgil interrupted Remus, “Forget about it. And leave.”

“Like you tried to?” Remus said.

“Virgil,” Janus said, and he put the videos in the back of his mind. He’d watch them later, see what answers they could afford them, and then he’d have a serious conversation with the others about what kind of content was acceptable to put out. Who exactly was acceptable to exploit and what exactly would happen if those lines were ever crossed again. “You know what happens to a side when they stop fulfilling their function.”

“No crap,” he said.

“And yet you willing not only stopped fulfilling your function, but entirely took yourself out of the equation.” Janus stared at him. Virgil, with Remus still hanging from his body, stared back. Janus broke first. “Why would you do something like that?”

Janus wished he didn’t sound half as desperate as he did. He wished he could lie and believe himself when he said his voice didn’t break. Janus didn’t want to have this conversation, he didn’t want to have not known about what happened, he didn’t want to have to think about what might’ve happened. He didn’t want to think about Virgil doing what he did, and he wanted to be able to say Virgil would never in a million years so much as think about doing something like that and have it taste like candy in his mouth.

He thought the words, and he faintly tasted copper. He wasn’t sure he could believe them.

“Does it matter?” Virgil said. “It was two years ago. I’m over it. It’s in the past now.”

“It matters to me!” Janus yelled. Virgil took a step back, eyes getting bigger. He could feel the way the eye shadow was beginning to over take his face and he knew that Remus, as sensitive as he was to the way others felt normally, must be just as bad, if not worse off than him. It was a struggle to make himself care, though; to think anything past Virgil, leaving; Virgil, being gone; Virgil, not coming to him.

“I care about you,” Janus snapped. “Remus cares about you. We love you and we are your family whether you want us or not. We are with you no matter what.” He forced himself to take a breath, force the eye shadow and anxiety to recede. It was a learned skill, and it did not come easily. “You may have left, but that has never meant that we didn’t care about you.”

“Left?” Virgil said. “Don’t act like one day I just decided to move out. This wasn’t my choice. You kicked me out!”

“Record scratch?” Remus suggested, ripping his head off his body with his tentacles to look back and forth between them. Normally, Janus would have laughed. Now, there wasn’t a bit of joy in his body.

“I did no such thing,” Janus said. “You left in the middle of the night. We woke up and you were gone. We thought you’d-you’d ducked out. When we found out you had just moved…” He stopped, swallowing.

“We thought you were dead, Scarebear,” Remus muttered. “We were just relieved that you weren’t, even if it meant you hated us and moved away.” He put his head back on his body and nuzzled into Virgil.

“I didn’t want to leave,” Virgil said. His voice sounded choked. “I woke up on the other side surrounded by people who didn’t want me around and I thought you had kicked me out. That everybody hated me.”

“Is that why you ducked out?” Janus asked softly. There was a lump in his throat and it took every bit of his will to keep his voice from shaking or cracking.

Virgil hesitated, and the silence went on for an eternity. Janus thought he wouldn’t believe them, wouldn’t talk to them, would kick them out and never let them back in. Finally, he said, “I thought my family hated me and had gotten rid of me. The people I lived with hated me and thought I was only holding Thomas back and...and I started to believe them. So, yeah, I decided I’d just remove myself from the equation entirely. At the time, it seemed like the best answer. Nobody who didn’t want me around would have to be around me, I wouldn’t have to be constantly reminded that I was unwanted, and Thomas could finally start...enjoying his life, without me there to bring everything down.”

“Virgil,” Janus said, and that time his voice nearly did go out. He blinked furiously to keep the tears in his eyes from escaping. If he started crying now, he wouldn’t stop.

“That’s not true, Scarebear,” Remus said. A huff of air flew from Virgil’s mouth as Remus hugged him even tighter. “You always made my creations even better. Without your input, I wouldn’t have made half of the things I did. They would have been so much worse. And you made sure they worked out. You saved my life more times than I can count.”

“You have always called me on my bullshit when I needed you to,” Janus added, breathing slowly. “But you let me get away with it when I needed to, too. You have been innumerably helpful and we never wanted you to leave. We never wanted to lose you, for a minute or eternity.”

“And I always keep my promises. Even if we had kicked you out, I promised I’d always be there to help you. You should have come to me.” Remus’ voice was barely audible to Janus, muffled by Virgil’s hoodie. His new hoodie, in colors that suited him so much better than plain black ever did. He’d made himself a new home, despite it all. And there might not be room for Janus and Remus in it.

He’d have to learn to live with that, if it’s what Virgil wanted. No matter how much it hurt.

“Yeah, well, hindsight’s 20/20 and all that.” Virgil rolled his eyes and scrubbed at them, smearing eyeshadow over his face like coal dust. “God, you guys are the worst. Busting into my room unannounced just to make me break dishes and cry. Fuck this.”

“I suppose there’s nothing to be done for the dishes,” Janus said. He tried for smooth and fell devastatingly short. He took another shuddering breath and added, just in case Virgil forgot and needed to be reminded, “We love you, Virgil. I love you. So much.”

“I love you forever.” Remus shifted around again and Virgil almost lost his balance. “And the dragon-witches in my realm have missed you. You owe them a visit.”

“It’s best not to push our luck, Remus. Virgil will visit if he wants to, but he may need some time to process.” Janus shoved a piece of hair out of his face. He gave Virgil a strained smile. He didn’t know what he’d do if Virgil still wanted nothing to do with them. If he rejected this offer. “Our door is always open to you. It always has been. You are welcome with us anytime.”

“Fucking assholes,” Virgil said, and a crack Janus could feel went straight through his heart. Virgil threw a hand out to him, and Janus tried to prepare himself for getting cast out.

But how could you prepare yourself for something like that?

“Get over here, Jay.” One of Remus’ tentacles wrapped around his waist and jerked him forward before he could react. Virgil’s arm wrapped around his back and Remus’ tentacles held him there tightly and, in the embrace of the two people whom Janus treasured most in the world (and one of which he thought he’d never get to hug again) he couldn’t stop the tears. A dam broke open and it felt so good to finally have them all back, together, the way they had always belonged.

A wet spot soaked through the shirt he was wearing, and Janus realized he was far from the only one crying.

“Salty,” Remus said, licking the tears off of Virgil’s face. He reared back, letting out a noise somewhere between outrage and amusement, and they all toppled onto the bed. Janus snorted on a laugh as the position shifted. He ended up with Virgil more or less on his chest, and Remus still hanging onto him like a possessed koala.

“It’s getting rather late,” he muttered. “Should we-”

“You’re already in your pajamas,” Virgil cut him off. “And it’s a hell of a lot of effort to move. Just stay here.” He yawned and his eyes shut. Janus’ heart warmed at the sight.

“Okay,” he said. “But only because it takes so much effort to get up.”

“Obviously,” Virgil agreed, and both of the lies tasted like copper on his tongue. He’d never been quite so happy about tasting something so bitter.

Janus lay in the quiet, experiencing it for everything it was worth. Remus’ fingernails scraped lightly at the comforter and Virgil was absently humming a song that he couldn’t place. Janus wondered what music he’d gotten into since they’d stopped talking. He wondered if there was a whole new genre of music that he wouldn’t understand a single reference to. He wondered if Virgil still had playlists on his phone for both of them, and if he’d made some for the other sides, too. He wondered if he had kept all of the stuff he and Remus had given him. He wondered if they’d get to do it all again, now. (He wondered why Virgil’s room had moved. He wondered what the catalyst for all of this had been.)

But some questions were better left for tomorrow, and people that weren’t half asleep.

“I, uh,” Virgil murmured, and they both shifted to hear him better. “I-you guys-you’re good, you know. I never-”

“You love us, too,” Janus said.

“Yeah, that. Never stopped. Couldn’t have. Just...we’re always for each other, yeah?”

“It’s what families do,” Janus said. The taste of sugar and candy that flooded his mouth at Virgil's admission was the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted, and it was all he could do to not laugh giddily and maybe cry again.

“We never stopped loving you either, Spider.” Remus cradled his face with a tentacle.

“Slime machine,” Virgil said fondly. Remus cawed out a laugh.

“Only for you. You get the juiciest stuff.”

“Shut up,” Virgil groaned, but Janus could see the unguarded smile on his face. There was a warmth blossoming in his chest that he hadn’t felt in years. Happier than he ever thought he’d be again Janus let himself bask in their benign bickering. It was good. It was great. And if he was lucky, Janus would have a lot more where this came from.

#sanders sides #ts janus sanders #ts remus sanders #ts virgil sanders #janus sanders #remus sanders #virgil sanders #ts janus #ts remus #ts virgil #ts deceit #ts dark creativity #ts anxiety #my writing #fanfic #family #FUCKIN' YEET

[averykedavra]

@deceitnotyeet I’m sorry for the mixup, Tumblr still manages to confuse me after three months. Does anyone know whether you can add a readmore to an ask? I didn’t think that would be a problem but then the post got super long...sorry, technology is not my strong suit.

Anyway. Thanks for prompting me! This was a lot of fun to write. I don’t usually write this ship, so apologies if it seems out of character, and apologies for making it way longer than I expected. I tried to write a fluffy drabble and then feelings happened. I’m so sorry for the confusion and lateness if you got this alert twice or not at all.

Word count: 1732

Warnings: some self-deprecation and insecurity, talk of explosions, mutilation, and death (in a joking fashion, nothing serious.)

I’m always open to prompts! You can find this story on Ao3 here.

The moment Janus knew he was in trouble was the moment Remus opened his mouth and said “I have an idea.”

Janus pushed himself away from his desk and stood up. “I’ll get the fire extinguisher.”

“Hey!" Remus protested. "You haven't even heard the idea yet!"

"I don't need to." Janus folded his arms. "The last time you said that, we almost incinerated a preschool."

"It's not my fault crayons are so flammable!"

"They...really aren't. I'm still not sure how you accomplished that."

Remus gave a shrug and grinned wider.

"Whatever you're planning to do," Janus continued, "it's probably dangerous, reckless, and illegal."

"Well, duh, it wouldn't be any fun otherwise!"

Janus sighed. "You're not doing it."

"Aww, come on!" Remus stuck out his bottom lip. "Pwease, JayJay? I promise nobody will get hurt!"

"What's the idea, then?"

Remus bit his lip. "Blow up stuff with dry ice?"

Janus narrowed his eyes. "What."

"I bought some last week!" Remus explained. "You can get some for like ten bucks on eBay, it's awesome—"

"What."

"'Cause I saw this video where they exploded a huge iron crate with dry ice, like a dry ice bomb, and they said not to try it at home so I figured I could do it in a Walmart parking lot or something—"

"What?"

"And the dry ice arrived yesterday and I don't have anything to do and can I please blow something up?"

“Remus,” Janus spluttered, “that’s incredibly illegal!”

“Not that illegal.” Remus ran his hand through his hair. "Anyway, you're all about sticking it to the man, right?"

"I'd much rather put my time and effort into a systematic dismantling of the current governmental hierarchy than setting off dry ice bombs in a parking lot."

"Party pooper," Remus complained. "You don't have to come or anything."

Janus rolled his eyes. "I'm not letting you go alone and set off dry ice bombs in a parking lot!"

Remus grinned. "So you're coming with?"

"No, I'm keeping you captive." Janus grabbed Remus' wrist. "You're going to sit right here and I'm going to go get that dry ice and throw it out."

"You can't just throw out dry ice," Remus pointed out. "Unless you want to destroy the trash can. Wait—hey, can we throw out the dry ice?"

"No!" Janus tried to stop himself from laughing. "I'll Google how you get rid of dry ice. I'm sure there's a safe way."

"Google it, then." Remus' eyes sparkled. "Now."

Janus pulled out his phone and Googled 'getting rid of dry ice.' "Wait, there's a WikiHow for this?"

"There's a WikiHow for everything."

"True." Janus scrolled through the page. "Okay, so we just have to let it sublimate. Stick it in a warm room and let it evaporate for a few days."

"A few days?" Remus looked around. "Where would we put it, the kitchen?"

"Why don't you figure that out?" Janus snapped. "It's not like I was the one who brought a packet of dry ice into our apartment.”

“Rude!” Remus smiled. “Hey, if we just explode it, we’ll be rid of it in seconds.”

“Yeah, along with our arms.”

“Who needs arms anyway?” Remus poked at his elbow. “Mine are always getting in the way. They’re nice and bendy, but I’ve always wanted to learn how to write with my toes. Losing my arms in an explosion could be a learning opportunity. Then again,” he added, flexing his nonexistent muscles, “depriving you of these lovely specimens would definitely be a crime.”

Janus tried to stifle his laughter. “So is exploding stuff in a parking lot, in case you didn’t know.”

“I won’t do it in a parking lot, then.” Remus clasped his hands together. “JayJay, please. Boyfriends are supposed to support each other!”

“Uh-uh. You’re on your own. You can go get yourself killed, and when you die, I’ll write you an obituary.” Janus flopped onto the couch and deftly flipped up his laptop. He began to type, reading aloud as he wrote.

“This is written in honor of Remus Prince, recently deceased. He, like the idiot he is, decided to explode dry ice in an unknown location. His brain got blown to itty-bitty pieces and he is now dead. He is survived by a twin brother, a beleaguered boyfriend, and the several rats who seem to regard him as their king.” Remus cackled. “His boyfriend, who is very handsome and intelligent and deserves better, seemed grieved by the news. ‘I loved him deeply,’ said the boyfriend, ‘but he has no braincells and this was bound to happen eventually. At least he won’t leave dishes in the sink unwashed anymore.’“

Remus collapsed onto the floor, roaring with laughter. Janus chuckled too. It was easy to make Remus laugh, but it still made him feel warm and snuggly and other things he would never admit to if his life depended on it.

"Flowers can be delivered to their apartment,” Janus concluded. “Please send corpse lilies, for the smell is quite similar to the deceased’s farts and reminds his boyfriend of the good times.”

“M-my farts are the good times?”

“All the times would be the good times if you were deceased,” Janus said. “Except for the time you tied spaghetti noodles to the ceiling fan. That would still be a bad time.”

Then Remus abruptly stopped laughing. Confused, Janus closed his laptop and peeked at his boyfriend. Remus was lying on the ground, a mess of curls around his head, eyes wide.

“What is it?” Janus asked.

Remus blinked a few times. “You said you love me.”

“I—what?” Janus mentally rewound their conversation. “I don’t think I—“

‘I loved him deeply,’ said the boyfriend.

“Oh,” Janus said weakly.

“Yeah,” Remus agreed.

“Well, I do,” Janus said. “You know that. We’ve been dating for a year, did you think I hated your guts?”

“No,” Remus said. “I just—you never said it before. Out loud.”

“I suppose I didn’t.” Janus frowned. “Didn’t you...realize? I thought you knew.”

“I knew,” Remus said unconvincingly.

Janus pursed his lips. “Really.”

“Yeah! I know you love me!” Remus shrugged, still on the floor. “I just...I dunno. Think too much sometimes.”

After a moment of hesitation, Janus slipped off the couch and lay on the floor next to his boyfriend. He rested his hand on Remus’, and after a moment, Remus took it.

“I’m sorry,” Janus mumbled.

“What?” Remus looked insulted. “Why?”

“Because...” Janus looked over at his demented, ludicrous, wonderful boyfriend. “Because if I’d known, I would have told you way before now.”

“You don’t have to do anything,” Remus muttered. “I’m just being insecure and shit, don’t—“

“I don’t have to do anything,” Janus agreed. “But I want to. If you doubt that I love you, I want to prove you wrong.”

“You don’t—” Remus shifted on the carpet, avoiding Janus’ eyes. “I mean, you don’t have to—“

“Are you interfering with my life plans?” Janus teased. “Because we agreed we wouldn’t interfere with each other’s life plans.”

Remus chuckled a little bit, which Janus counted as a victory. “Yeah, but you still stop me from blowing shit up.”

“Because I love you,” Janus said. “And because I wouldn’t want you dead or in jail. Because I love you.”

Remus rolled his eyes. “I get it, JayJay.”

“Do you?” Janus asked. “It’s come to my attention that, in fact, you don’t understand that I love you. So...”

“So?”

“I love you, Remus Prince.” Janus grasped Remus’ chin and pulled his face around until he was staring into his eyes. “I love the way you laugh at everything I say even when it’s not funny. I love the way you fall asleep on my shoulder when we watch weird animal documentaries together. I love how you helped me practice my debating skills by giving me random phrases to explain logically. Every part of you that you’re insecure about, that you think is weird or imperfect or stupid?” Janus ran his thumb under Remus’ eye. “I don’t love you in spite of those. I love you because of them. I love you so much, Remus, and I’m furious with myself for not letting you know sooner.”

And Remus, who knew every swear word in the English language, regularly walked around the apartment naked because it was “freeing,” and made more sexual innuendos than Janus thought humanly possible...Remus blushed. Deeply. He giggled and tried to hide his face in Janus’ chest, ears flaming red.

Janus immediately decided his life’s mission was to make Remus blush more often.

“I-I love you too,” Remus mumbled into Janus’ shirt.

Janus chuckled and placed a kiss on Remus’ head. “I already knew that. But thank you.”

Remus looked up, smiled, and kissed him.

It wasn’t how anyone would expect Remus to kiss, not heated or sloppy. Simple and sweet and thankful. Janus cupped Remus’ cheeks and kissed him back. It was a practiced motion. He knew Remus inside and out, he knew the exact way Remus tilted his head into the kiss, the exact texture of his hair and the exact place where his cheeks puckered with dimples. But it didn’t make it any less wonderful. It was safe and reliable and felt like home.

“Don’t you have work to do?” Remus asked when the kissing stopped, cuddled into Janus’ chest, their legs tangled on the floor.

“It can wait.” Janus smirked. “It’s come to my attention that a certain boyfriend of mine is planning to blow some dry ice up in a parking lot. As a concerned citizen, it’s my duty to stop him any way I can.”

Remus grinned. “How will you stop me, exactly?”

“You can’t go blow things up if you can’t move.” Janus pulled Remus closer, wrapping an arm around his back. “So I must keep you with me as my prisoner. For the sake of civilization.”

“Civilization’s the only reason you’re doing it?”

“Absolutely,” Janus agreed. “In fact, maybe we can get some pillows and have a matinee session. It wouldn’t be good for my prisoner to get bored.”

Remus laughed, his green eyes sparkling. “You’re a weakling, I could escape anytime.”

“But do you want to?” Janus asked, reaching out and running his hands through Remus’ hair.

Remus buried his face in Janus’ shoulder, mumbling something that sounded like “Cheating.”

Janus smiled softly.

“Love you too.”

#asks and answers #prompts #averywrites #ts spoilers #dukeceit #demus #romantic dukeceit #romantic demus #janus sanders #remus sanders #sanders sides #fanfiction #writing #sanders sides fanfic #sympathetic deceit sanders #sympathetic remus sanders #tw death mention #tw explosion mention #tw mutilation mention #insecurity #self-esteem issues #fluff #angst #and more fluff #relationship fic

[goldandbluesmiles]

A Surprise Engagement

Summary: Jacie is expecting to have to break up with her boyfriend to go through with an arranged marriage. She is pleasantly surprised by her father's slyness.

Ao3

XXX

"You believe they want to talk to you about marriage?"

Lady Jacie turned away from the mirror to look at her lover, still splayed out on her bed.

"Yes," she told him, "You know how it is. I and my siblings are not the blood children of Lord Wayne. However, due to the legal inclusion of us in the family and state, we are good for making alliances. This much wealth comes at a price Kyle. Those born into this family, like Bruce and Helena, die in service to Gotham, giving their blood life to the people. Those like me, adopted in, find other ways. For Richard, it meant marriage to Kori. For Timothy, it meant allegiance to the Kryptonians of Metropolis. For me, it means whoever they pick out,"

"You don't even know who they might want you to take?" he asked

Jacie sighed and went to sit by him.

"No," she said, running a hand through his soft hair, "They might give me a few to choose from but I don't know who,"

"Are you okay with this?" he asked, "What about us?"

"I told you about this when we got involved," she said softly, "I told you we couldn't get attached,"

"That's it?" he demanded, sitting up

"I don't know what you want me to say, Kyle,"

Kyle sighed, "I guess I thought it could be different. Sorry for snapping,"

Jacie smiled tightly. Kyle was not a royal but the Lanterns were a governed entity. They made their dealings similar to those of royal families. He understood even if it hurt.

"I should probably go before your maid comes in," said Kyle

"Yes," murmured Jacie

Kyle put his clothes on quickly, taking her hands in his when he was done.

"May I?" he inquired

Jacie nodded.

Kyle leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss.

"I'll see you sometimes my lady," he said

Jacie nodded but did not say anything.

As soon as he was out the door, she flopped back into the bed, wondering once again if getting involved with Kyle had been a good idea. It wasn't as if she hadn't had lovers before. She had actually had quite a few. All of them had. Bruce had never been a stickler for staying pure before marriage and let them do as they wanted as long as they were all staying safe.

However, as soon as she had met Kule, she had known something was different. The first time they had met, they had both just entered their twenties. She had been getting used to being alive again while he had just joined the Green Lanterns. A part of being a Lantern had been visiting the important families of his sector, which included Gotham.

Kyle had stumbled on her reading in the library and from there they had gotten to talk. Kyle was not passionate about reading however, he was passionate about drawing the characters from literary books. They had gotten into a strong debate on what certain characters from literature would look like. From there. their friendship had blossomed which had them lead to more. On her birthday, he had given her a sketchbook full of Jane Austen's characters, making her gasp in awe and wonder. She had known then, that they were becoming too close but she had not put a stop to it. She had understood from a young age that her marriage would be arranged and she not only accepted it but seen it as part of her life. She knew Bruce would never force her into anything she didn't want and had been at peace with the whole thing.

Until Kyle.

Sighing again, she sat up. She had made a commitment to the idea. She couldn't just leave it now that she hag gotten involved with an amazing guy.

"Oh, Fuck,"

xxx

After, putting on a dress of her signature red, a black leather jacket and having the maid pull her hair into a bun, Jacie made her way tp the Meeting room. Inside there was Bruce, Selina, Cassandra, the Kanes, the Crownes, the Dumas's and the Glavans. All sitting in their perspective seats and waiting for her to join them. Once she entered, everyone but her parents stood up to greet her.

When they were all seated, Bruce started to start the meeting with some gentle words and explanations but Jacie just shook her head.

"Come now, Old man," she told him "Cut it. I know why I'm here,"

Some of the others, especially the older ones, frowned but her dad had an amused twinkle in his eyes, which was the only thing she cared about.

"Well then," said Bruce, "Uncle Phillip, please,"

"Well, child," said Phillip, gentle smile in place. He had always been her favourite.

"We have four options that you can choose from,"

"Okay,"

"First, Roy Harper,"

She listened to them go on about his family and qualifications but already knew that it would never happen. He was her friend and his daughter caller her Jayjay for fun. It would be too awkward to be married to the older man.

"Next, Jericho Wilson," said Phillipe, going on to explain his background

Jacie bit back her surprise and cast a glance at her dad and was instantly relieved. He didn't seem to like that option either.

"Wally West,"

Oh hell no.

"And last but not least," said Phillipe, "Kyle Rayner of the Green Lantern Corps,"

Jaycie's blood froze in her veins.

"Rayner?" she choked out

"Yes," said Phillipe, "I realize he's not a royal but it was your father's idea and the rest of us agree. He's quite formidable and it is always a good thing to have a further connection with the Lanterns,"

Bruce's idea. She looked at her father and found that his face was carefully blank.

He knew.

Jacie cleared her throat.

"I would like some time to think about it," she said

"Of course," said Phillipe, "We're in no hurry. Here are the files, child. Meeting adjourned,"

Jacie took the files and quickly made her way out of there before any of her family could follow her. She basically ran the rest of the way to her room and shut the door behind her.

She put the files on her table and flopped down on the bed, trying to calm her racing heart.

So Bruce new about her and Kyle. Not the biggest surprise. But he approved. Or was he just trying to make her happy? And what about Kyle! Did he know? No, he would have been so dejected today if he had. Did that mean that the Lanterns just wanted a deal and wanted them to choose-

There was a knock on her door.

So much for being left alone.

She got up to open the door and was shocked to find Kyle standing at her door.

"Can I come in?" he asked, sounding out of breath

"Yeah," she murmured, moving aside to let him in.

"So-" he said as soon as he stepped inside, "I had the most surprising call with the Corps. Apparently I'm a candidate for being your husband. There are two options here. You didn't know at all or you knew and don't wanna marry me so you lie-"

"I didn't, Kyle," she said, taking a step and holding his hand, "I didn't know,"

"Oh," he said, letting out a long breath, "That makes me feel better,"

"Come on," she murmured, "Come sit down,"

They both sat down in the, his hand still in hers.

"So," he said, "Do you want to marry me?"

"I- Kyle this is a surprise," she said, "What about you?"

"We get along. I care about you, I really really do and I mean we don't have to yet, right? It would be great. We could read books together you could critique my drawings and-"

"Kyle, baby," she said, letting out a chuckle, "You're rambling,"

Kyle stopped, let out a long breathe and smiled

She couldn't help but smile back and think to all the time they know each other. The meals they had had together, the walks they had taken through different cites around the country the many flights he has taken her on.

Jacie had never classified the relationship as more than an attachment, thinking it was best. But sitting here now, thinking of continuing their care for each other - it filled her with warmth.

"Kyle?" she murmured

"Yes," he said

"I-," she took a deep breather, "I think I might love you,"

He let out a breathless chuckle, joy dancing in his eyes, "I think I might love you too,"

Jacie laughed and threw herself into his arms, covering his face with kisses. Kyle pulled away to say something when there was another knock on the door.

"Jacie, it's me," called out Bruce

Oh no.

"Hide," she whispered to Kyle

Kyle instantly vaulted across her bed and laid down on the other side, half under the bed.

Jacie fixed her hair and dress

"Come in," she called out

Bruce came in and closed the door behind him. For a few seconds, he awkwardly stood at the threshold before sighing.

"I didn't mean to spring this on you," he said, "They had been talking about it on and off for some time but they didn't say anything explicit so I didn't bring it up. However, this morning they more or less forced me to call the meeting. I think they were afraid I was avoiding it on purpose,"

"And Kyle?" she whispered

"The Lanterns brought up an alliance through marriage and told us to take their pick of their non-married members. I wasn't going to, there is no guarantee that they wouldn't be forced but then Kyle came along. I added his name to the roster this morning,"

"Oh," she murmured, trying to hide her actual excitement

"Now I don't know how much Kyle knows," said Bruce, stepping a little closer, "But I'm sure if you talk to-"

Bruce's eyes then slid around the room and he frowned. After a few moments, he rolled his eyes and sighed.

"He's in here isn't he?"

Jacie couldn't help but smirk.

Bruce sighed, "Hello Kyle,"

"Lord Wayne," Kyle called out, still staying in his place

"Well, I suppose that takes care of that," said Bruce, "I'm going to go now. I will see you at dinner. Both of you,"

Jacie nodded. Bruce gave her forehead a kiss and left the room.

Kyle slowly came out of his hiding spot and they both collapsed on the bed laughing.

"Can't believe that just happened," he said

Jacie just laughed some more.

"So," said Kyle, "The engagement?"

"We don't have to get married instantly. We can have a long engagement. Get used to the idea,"

"Yeah," said Kyle, "Yeah,"

Kyle smiled at her, a soft look in his eyes.

"What," she asked

"I wanted this," he murmured, "But I never dared to think about it. I knew you had a commitment to Gotham. I just buried it. But now..."

"I know," she said softly, "I know,"

Kyle smiled wide, taking her hands in his, "We're gonna get married,"

"Yeah," said Jacie, placing a kiss on his hand, "Yeah. We're gonna get married,"

And it was going to be beautiful.

#fjw2020 #female jason todd #bruce wayne #Jason Todd #kyle rayner

[alexboehm55144]

Alex Final Wars 2: Dark Alex, Chapter 29 - Undercover

“You look good,” Jack said, glancing over the Heroes leader in front of him, who was dressed in a fashionable and elegant black tuxedo.

“Really?” Alex said, looking at his own face in the mirror.

“Yeah, I can’t tell it’s you.”  

“Are the contact lenses irritating your eyes?” Skye asked.

“No, they’re fine.” The captain responded, examining the reflection of his eye. The iris was now a brown color instead of its natural olive green.

“What about the makeup? And that fake scar?”

“Also fine, it’s not bothering me.”

“Ok, that should be enough to keep your true identity hidden from prying eyes at the party.”

“Besides,” Jack chimed in “people tend to see uniforms, not faces.”

“Are you sure this is going to be enough?” Captain Boehm inquired “my face has probably been plastered all over Chinese territory we’re heading into, as ‘public enemy number 1”

“Don’t worry, it’s plenty enough.” Skye said, “we do this all the time, there are billions of mammals in this world, some people are going to look similar to others.”

“Everything else is ready.” Jack said “Our false party invitations are set, and so is transport. The generals we’re after are confirmed to still be in attendance.”

“We can’t being weapons, so we will have to take them out paw to paw. Or rather.... hand to paw in your case, Alex.”

“Now we’re just waiting for our 4th member.”

As if on cue, the 4th member of their infiltration team entered the room.

“How do I look?” JayJay asked. She wasn’t dressed drastically different from her normal self. She sported a red dress, however, this one was longer, and wasn’t ripped in places as part of a fashion choice. This dress also had a shiny exterior that made it look like it was made of crystals that shimmered in the light.

JayJay’s fur was also different, instead of being dyed blue, it was a cream color.

“Wow, you look good.” The Heroes captain said, giving a thumbs up. “I like the dress.”

The wolf blushed as red as her dress and thanked him for the compliment.

“I agree.” Skye said “a fashionable outfit that’s perfect for a mission like this. And the different color fur dye should also help.”

“Oh, this isn’t dye, this is my natural fur color.”

“That’s your natural fur color?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, what do you think?”

“I like it, but in my mind, I will always remember you as having blue fur.”

JayJay blushed again, this time not as strongly.

“Ok lovebirds,�� Jack said, “if your done flirting, we can get to our mission.”

“Oh hush Jack,” Skye said, “You flirt like this with me almost all the time.”

Now it was Jack’s turn to blush as Alex and JayJay chuckled.

000

The boat ride to the Taiwanese shore had gone off without a hitch. Although there were some Chinese patrol boats in the vicinity, the Chinese were eager to protect their recent conquest. Searchlights and machine guns trained back and forth as the vessels meandered through the water. Fortunately, the typhoon was secluded away from prying eyes, with the necessary precautions taken to make sure it stayed hidden.

Now the 4 heroes were walking down a brightly lit street, nearing a large and fancily decorated community building, which was swarming with photographers and partygoers of all species. Large Chinese flags draped down from the building, as people talked, ate, and drank, with everyone dressed in elegant clothing.

Pairs of bodyguards stood to watch at different size doors corresponding to different sized animals. A tiger and human stood outside a door for medium-sized mammals, which Alex and JayJay moved towards. Meanwhile, Jack and Skye moved towards a door for smaller mammals, which was guarded by a pair of goats.

The pairs held up bright red and gold invitations on expensive paper, the items having been generously provided by the ZIA. The guards patted the heroes down, making sure they were not carrying any weapons, before waving them through into the building, where the pairs rejoined each other. After passing through a small atrium, the group emerged into a large party area, which was packed with partygoers. More Chinese banners and bright lights hung down from the ceiling. Mammals chatted and socialized or visited the bar, which had an expansive menu of liquor behind it. The whole room was alive, and a dull roar of sound was constantly present.

Waiter mammals in formal attire rushed to and fro with plates of hors d'oeuvres and glasses of liquid, making sure the guests were satisfied. Some mammals rushed over to present the 4 operatives with these appetizers, to which they declined.

The 2 couples split up again, as not to draw attention. Jack and Skye mingled with some of the mammals, while Alex and JayJay hung out near a staircase that led to an upper balcony.

“Aww, no dance floor?” JayJay whispered, putting on a pouty expression.

“The idea is not to draw attention to yourself.” The Heroes captain whispered back.

“I know, but I love dancing.”

“I’m noticing security cameras set up around this place,” Skye said over the radio. Their frequency was encrypted, making sure no Chinese forces would be listening in. “We’ll need to disable them before we do anything.”

“Do that later.” JayJay said, “that way they won’t have time to fix the cameras.”

“Clever wolf,” Alex said.

“Alright, then now we just wait,” Jack said.

“Say, Alex, JayJay, Jack and I were wondering something,” Skye said. “Do you think there is evil Jack and Skye out there somewhere?”

The human and wolf thought for a moment. They had considered the possibility of more dark counterparts existing. But the origin of such counterparts still eluded them, and they knew very little of their dark doubles, which was a scary thought.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if such entities existed.” Captain Boehm said.

“But we would have seen them by now.” JayJay chimed in.

“Yeah, unless they are working behind the scenes or something. But still, we would have seen them by now. If there is an evil Jack and Skye somewhere, it’s not here.”

“What about somewhere else?” Jack asked.

“.....Probably. But where that is, I have no idea. This is why we have to stop our counterparts and the Chinese. We can't let some dark and twisted versions of ourselves wreak havoc."

"I wish I could get my hands on my counterpart," JayJay said, shaking her fists as some of her rage from the past bubbled up to the surface.

As the agents continued to wait, Jack and Skye mingled a bit, trying to blend into the crowd, but being cautious not to make themselves to memorable to other partygoers. Alex and JayJay on the other hand just rested in random spots around the room, completely keeping to themselves as not to draw any attention. Everyone else was too busy socializing and drinking to notice a pair of mammals just standing there. JayJay did keep mentioning wanting to get on the dance floor, but the Heroes captain was able to keep her in check.

At long last, the 4 operatives noticed Chinese soldiers roaming through the party, looking at tables, walls, and furniture, along with other objects and structures. They even talked to some people.

“What's that all about?” JayJay asked.

“Maybe they’re securing the place for the generals.” Jack hypothesized. “Stay low, don’t draw attention to yourselves.”

A human Chinese soldier with an SMG strapped across her chest moved towards JayJay and Alex, keen eyes scanning for any danger or something out of the ordinary.

JayJay gestured slightly to the approaching Chinese soldier.

“I know, incoming.” The Heroes captain said as the trooper moved closer, going through the crowd. “I have an idea.”

The two Heroes operatives leaned in close, closed their eyes, and gently locked lips in a loving kiss. The party going on around them seemed to move away, the two only focused on each other.

The Chinese soldier continued to scan the area and saw the pair of mammals, but she quickly turned and left the immediate area once she saw what the two were doing.

As the trooper moved away, the human and wolf broke the kiss. The latter participant smiled at what had just occurred.

“Public displays of affection make people uncomfortable.” The captain said.

“Huh, smart move. Feel free to use it again sometime.”

The Chinese troops moved towards the main door and disappeared from view. Shortly after they left, 3 figures entered the room, consisting of a red panda, a tiger, and a human. Each of them was dressed in an extremely formal military uniform that was dark green in color, and adorned with ribbons of honor on the chest, along with stars on the shoulders.

“There they are,” Skye said.

The trio of generals chatted and started to mingle. Getting refreshments & speaking with other guests.

“Tail them.” Jack said, directing his eyes towards the red panda that was his target. “keep your eyes and ears peeled.”

“Roger, I’ll get the tiger, Jay, you keep your eyes on the human.” Captain Boehm said, separating from the wolf he was with.

“I’ll go take care of the cameras now,” Skye said, leaving the main party area and entering a set of hallways that went throughout the community building. The hallway walls and the carpet on the floor were deep shades of red, and circular stone columns of similar color were positioned at regular intervals. Paintings and artifacts were also situated throughout the hallways, giving people something to look at. However, there were no other mammals in this area of the building. Everyone was busy socializing in the main area.

The ZIA agent kept walking, pretending to look at the artwork on the wall, but also making sure to be aware of her surroundings. Skye noted a metal electrical box on the wall and quickly recognized it as part of the security system. Thankfully the box was at the right height for a mammal of her size. The agent noted the warning sticker symbols on the metal that gave away the object’s nature as something that only security personnel should work on. Along with the box’s sturdy nature that was designed to avoid tampering.

But that would not stop Skye. There was a camera positioned above her, but it was panning left and right down the hallway. Meaning the camera wouldn’t be able to see her for a couple moments. Taking careful note of the timing of the camera, Skye reached into her dress and pulled out a small multi-tool that she had smuggled into the building.

When the camera was facing away from her, she inserted an implement into the lock on the security box and managed to unlock it. The camera started to pan back towards her, so the cunning fox immediately turned towards one of the paintings on the wall. She put on an expression that made her look like she was deep in thought and gazing at the artwork. When the camera panned away from her again, the agent moved towards the box once more.

Skye opened up the metal door of the box and found a security interface. She took out her phone and popped off the back of the device, revealing the computer chips and circuits. She then pulled out one of the chips, which in reality was a separate device entirely that had been hidden in the phone. She plugged it into the interface and set to work, the device linking the interface to her phone

“Ok, I’m in the camera network. I can shut down the cameras from here.”

In the security room, a trio of guards looked over a set of screens that depicted what was going on in the building. Guests conversed and socialized, staff moved back and forth with trays of food and drinks.

All of a sudden the screens went black, and a message saying “signal lost” displayed over every screen. The guards groaned, this happened all the time. Their security system desperately needed an update, but unfortunately, they could never get someone out to actually work on it.

“Cameras down,” Skye said.

Captain Boehm followed one of the generals, a tiger, into the bathroom, which was unoccupied at the time. He locked the bathroom door behind the two, so there would be no interruptions. As the Tiger adjusted one of his cufflinks, the Heroes leader quickly disassembled his watch, rearranging pieces and turning it into garrote wire.

While the tiger turned his back to the captain, Alex struck, getting the wire around the general’s neck. The Chinese general tried to yell, but he couldn’t get any sound out as he was pulled into one of the stalls.

The general’s hands flailed, trying to pull the wire off his neck, and trying to reach around to attack the captain. Boehm slowly felt the tiger’s strength weakening, and eventually, he stopped resisting and went limp as he passed from the world.

The captain slowly guided the tiger’s fall to the ground, so he landed on the toilet in the stall. Alex then turned the garrote wire back into a watch and adjusted the general’s body a bit so it looked like he was just using the bathroom. The young warrior then locked the stall door, and slipped out under the divider, leaving the restroom and rejoining the party.

Elsewhere, the human general walked down an unoccupied hallway, examining some paintings hung up on the walls. Skye had linked up with JayJay, and the pair followed the general at a distance, pretending to talk amongst themselves.

The Chinese general turned to examine a painting of the Great Wall of China, and the duo made their move. The pair moved up to the human and attacked with ceramic knives that they had concealed on their persons. Rapid strikes hit the general, much too fast for him to react and fight back. Within seconds he was down, and thankfully the red carpeting helped conceal what had just happened.

“Broom closet,” Skye said, pointing to a door with the symbol of a broom on it.

The ZIA agent went to open the door, while her companion picked up what was left of the general and dragged him across the hall. The pair placed the downed enemy behind some objects in the closet, making sure to obscure him from view. Once they were done, the closet door was shut, and the pair moved on, their job complete.

The third Chinese general, the red panda, was outside, relaxing in a decorative garden adjacent to the building. Jack was also there, keeping to himself, but making sure he always had an eye on the general.

The red panda General was leaning against a low wall, on the other side of which was a beautiful pool of clear water, teeming with plants and Koi fish.

Jack slowly walked up behind the red panda, on the way he picked up a rock from a decorative ring of stones that surrounded a potted plant. For a brief moment, he held it in his hand, feeling the weight.

The rabbit moved closer and brought back his arm, before swinging it forward and hitting the red panda general in the head with the blunt object. The general lurched forward, going over the railing and landing in the decorative pool.

Jack looked around, making sure no one saw what just happened, before looking at the Chinese general, finding him facedown in the water. The ZIA agent took out a napkin he had and dipped it in the water before wiping the rock. He removed any fingerprints that were on the object, before gently placing it in the water pool, and walking off.

000

Alex and JayJay were examining a decorative vase sitting on a pedestal. It was pale marble white, with green jade crisscrossing over the surface of the object. Almost like deep green cracks were running through it.

Skye was next to the human and wolf pair, looking at a similar vase that had pink cherry blossoms on it. Jack joined his fox, the two locking arms before the rabbit spoke, loud enough for long four mammals to hear.

“I think we should get going.”

“Nothing more to see?”

“Nothing more to see.”

Jack and Skye walked away, through the assembled mammals and heading for the door. Alex and JayJay followed suit soon afterward, meandering through the crowd and continuing to keep a low profile.

The group made it back to their transport boat without any trouble, but they made sure to be alert. Getting into the small watercraft and maneuvering it away from the shore, the team noticed a trio of Chinese patrol boats racing towards them at top speed.

“Stay calm people,” Skye said.

The team prepared themselves in case a firefight began, but at the last second, the trio of boats turned away, steering out of the path of the agent’s boat and racing by.

“I think they finally caught on.” Captain Boehm said as the patrol boats blazed into the distance.

“Not bad you two,” Jack said to JayJay and Alex. “A textbook mission, and not to mention a valuable victory in this war.”

The Chinese had just lost 3 of their most talented generals, and their efforts in the conflict would be severely hampered.

#writing #creative writing #action #action adventure #fanfic #fanfiction #zootopia fanfiction #zoophobia fanfiction #Zootopia #the lion guard #the lion guard fanfic #legends of chima #zoophobia #legends of Chima fanfic #Alex boehm #jayjay #skye winter #jack savage #war #Alex final wars #Alex final wars 2: dark alex #Alex final wars 2 #dark alex #Jasiri outlander #Kion priderock #toothdee #judy hopps #nick wilde #jack x skye #savagewinter

[mca-attack21]

Riverdale: Deadly Definitions 6

Here we go again, I hope you guys are enjoying this series. Let me know if you want to be tagged. Feedback is always appreciated. @l4life  

Find the other parts here:    Part 1    Part 2    Part 3    Part 4   Part 5

The next morning Betty came over to apologize to Archie. The two of them walked to school together and were good again. Veronica had decided to call a truce with Cheryl and was also befriending Josie. Jughead had continued to piece clues together about what really happened the night of Jason’s murder.

That day during Lunch, you and Archie decided that you would work on music before school starting the next day. You were both excited and nervous. You 100% would do anything to help Archie no questions asked. But it was undeniably nerve racking for you to share something like this with anyone. 

After school, you went to Andrew’s construction and Mr. Andrews explained in better detail what he needed done. You spent the majority of the time just trying to organize everything. Occasionally you would answer the phone, it was all easy enough. Afterwards you had him drop you off at Pop’s where you ran into Jughead.

“Hey, whatcha up to?” you ask.

“Just trying to figure out what Jason was running from” 

“I mean if you were a child of the Blossoms, wouldn’t you want to run away too?” you joked.

“Yeah, but why now? What happened to make him choose now to get away?”

“Maybe he wasn’t running away as much as he was running to something” you ponder.

“Maybe. Oh well, I’m done for tonight.” he said as he closed his laptop, “How was your day?”

“Pretty good. How are you and Betty doing?” you wink.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, don’t think I haven’t noticed the  way you two look at each other. And how you too have started doing your own investigations.” 

“We are just friends.” he answered.

“For now” you replied.

“In that case, what’s going on between you and Archie?” he asked.

“Nothing, I’m just helping him with his music”

“Sure. But just remember what happened between him and his last music tutor” Jug laughed.

“That is so not funny” you chime in smacking his arm.

“I’m just saying.”

“I think he likes Veronica anyways” you reply bringing the conversation back down.

“I wouldn’t be so sure.”

When you snuck back into the school (which is where you have been staying since the Drive-In was shut down), it was around 3 am. You went straight for the music room. As earlier stated, this was both exciting and nerve-racking. You loved music, but you had never performed in front of any of your friends before. So, you sat at the Piano and warmed up with some showtunes. Eventually, you pulled out your songbook, it had been a while since you sat down and just wrote music. You were running through a song that you had written, when you were interrupted.

“Wow, how did I not know that you were this good?” Archie asked.

You were so confused. What was Archie doing here in the middle of the night? But then you looked down at your phone. It was 7:15. 

“I was just screwing around. Anyways, I’m going to grab us waters. I’ll be back in a minute.” you answer.

“Okay, I’ll get warmed up,” he smiled as he set his guitar down. 

You quickly made your way to the closet where you were staying. You fixed your hair, changed shirts, grabbed some gum, and the two waters before heading back to the music room. 

“Sorry that took so long, the vending machine didn’t want to take my money,” you said as you reentered the room, “so Archie, what exactly are you wanting to get out of these sessions?”

“I don’t exactly know. I’d like help taking my lyrics and turning them into actual songs. So I guess I just need feedback, and suggestions.” 

“That works for me, let’s hear what you’ve been working on lately.” you smiled.

So then Archie began to play. You just listened, he had an amazing voice and was already so good on guitar. As he finished his first song you were in awe. It was so refreshing to hear someone sing about something that mattered. 

“Well, what did you think?” he asked shyly as he set down the guitar.

“It was amazing Arch, it needs to be polished and there are a few lyrics that are off rhythm, but it is so good. You really have a talent for this”

“You really think so?” he asked

“Yes I do. Now do me a favor and sing it again but without the guitar” you say as you hope on the piano. You then proceeded to break down the entire song, and then you played/sang it back to Archie. This allowed him to hear first hand which parts sounded slightly awkward. You started writing down his lyrics and bouncing ideas off each other. Before you knew it, the ten minute warning bell for first period sounded. 

“Wow, I can’t believe it’s already time for class. This was amazing Y/n, thank you so much” he said as he stashed his guitar away. 

“It’s no problem Archie, I’m glad I can help”

And this was your life now. You spent your mornings with Archie working on his music. You went to school like a normal student. And then you walked to Andrews’ Construction. After organizing all of the paperwork you started working on a promotions campaign. You redesigned the business cards, created a free website and uploaded a portfolio of the various jobs they had completed. You answered the phones and helped Mr. Andrews create pitches that were customized to target the specific jobs. You also organized the work schedule and did anything else that Mr. Andrews needed help with. For him, you were nothing less than a godsend. You had already got them two bids and it had only been a week.  

You were at lunch with your friends when Cheryl approached you. “Here. My mother has decided that you are all invited to JayJay’s memorial. Even you losers.” she said towards you and Jughead. 

“I get that she is mourning her brother, but does she have to be such a bitch” Veronica said under her breath.

“Agreed” Betty chimed in.

“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going to have to buy something to wear to Thornhill.” you directed to the two of them, “you guys want to go shopping tomorrow?” 

“I can’t. My mother is still mad about the whole Archie thing” Betty answered.

“Veronica?”

“You know I’m always down for retail therapy.” she smiled.

So the next day you both went to the mall before you went to work. This was the first time that the two of you were hanging out alone.  

“I bet that you saw malls in New York that make this mall look like a dollar store,” you commented.

“That is very true” she laughed.

“So I’m guessing that it is safe to say that you miss it?” you ask as you look through the dresses.

“Parts of it. I miss being a family and I’m not gonna lie the luxury of it all was grand. But I don’t know the people here, while simple, are real. It wasn’t like that in New York” she reminisced.

“What do you think of this one?” you asked holding up a black t-shirt dress. 

“It’s okay, but why don’t you try this one on,” she replied, holding up a simple but beautiful black dress. You grabbed it and held it up in front of you. It was perfect. But then you ventured to the price tag.

“It’s great Veronica, but I can’t afford it.” you reply putting it back on the rack. 

“Nonsense, it’s my treat. I insist.” she said, “Now go try it on” 

As you had learned, you never argue with a Lodge. There is no point, you won’t win. “Are you sure?” you ask.

“Yes, it’s the least I can do after you have extended your friendship to me” she chimed, all but pushing you in the fitting room.

You tried on the dress and were in love. “What do you think?” you asked as you showed Veronica. 

“You look amazing. I have done it once again” she laughed.

Next, she forced you to find a pair of  heels. Her argument was that it would be a crime to wear such a nice dress with average shoes. On the way up to the cash register Veronica had grabbed some other small things. She placed all of it on the counter and pulled out a card.

“Seriously Veronica, you didn’t have to do that” you said as you got into the car.

“It’s fine Y/n, just consider it an early Birthday present.” 

“My birthday isn’t until next month” you laugh, “Seriously though, I owe you one. If there is ever anything you need let me know.”

“Okay, and now moving on. What is between you and Archie?” she asked.

“Nothing, we are just good friends who are working on music together.” you answer.

“Sure. The same way that Betty and Jughead are just friends.”

“I’m serious Veronica, and even if I did have feelings for him, I’m pretty sure he likes someone else.” you add.

“Really? Who?” she asked intrigued. 

“I’ll give you a hint. She is new in town.”

“No way. There is no way Archie Andrews has a thing for me.” she said in disbelief. 

“He hasn’t explicitly told me so, but still it’s kinda obvious.” you say as the car slows to a stop.

“Do you want me to drop off your bags somewhere?” she asked realizing that she still had no idea where you lived. 

“No, I’ll hold on to them. Thanks again Ronnie.”

That night you went to the school and showered. You tried on your dress again, this time with the shoes. You looked through the other bag, Veronica had also bought you a necklace and earrings along with simple make-up palettes and perfume. She was good, you hadn’t even seen her grab half of this stuff and you were right next to her.

The next day you accompanied Mr. Andrews and Archie to the Memorial Service. Archie had decided to give Mrs. Blossom Jason’s old jersey. She was almost in tears over it. Everyone sat down as it was ready to begin. Before Penelope could begin speaking, Cheryl burst in wearing the white outfit she had worn the last time she was Jason. She gave a speech about how she missed him and failed him and then was dragged off by her mother.

And from there things were only going to get worse.

#riverdale #riverdale imagine #riverdale imagines #riverdale x reader #riverdalexreader #archie andrews #archie andrews imagines #archie andrews imagine #archie andrews x reader #archie andrews series #archie imagines #archie imagine #archie #archie x reader #archiexreader #veronica lodge #veronica lodge imagines #veronica lodge imagine #veronica #veronica imagine #jughead imagine #jughead imagines #jughead jones imagine #jughead jones imagines #riverdale jughead #jughead #betty cooper #betty cooper imagine #betty cooper imagines

[solange-lol]

⭐ loading message!

i knew this one was coming lmao

Loading Message… aka my pjo chat fic that for some reason people still read even though now rereading it i cant get through the first 20 chapters without cringing. buckle up everyone because theres a lot to go with this one

the title on my google doc is “title unavailable” because i like naming my drafts really unhelpful things and then i can never find them again, but it gave me inspiration for what i would inevitably call the fic. also fun fact its single spaced size 11 font and over 117 pages long, which means it takes a good minute and a half to load before i can actually edit anything, and another 2 minutes to scroll all the way down to the bottom

loading message actually didnt start out as a pjo fic that i had intended to post. it started out as something i started typing during free time in my english class and i shared the doc with my friend from my class because she would read it and crack up and i love making people laugh so i just kept writing more of the most random shit and inappropriate humor bc we were rebellious, emo, newly-founded queer 7th graders and i ojhklknshbk i cant read the beginning i keep telling you that but i cant. anyway one day i decided to just post what i had written (the first 12 chapters) all in one night, to archive of our own and it just blew. up. 

literally the day after i posted it my friend (different from before) came up to me during lunch and she was like “i have to tell you about this hilarious pjo chat fic i read. it has all the characters and theyre all dating and reyna and thalia are together and rachels there too and its so funny” and i was like. hm. theres no way. but THEN she started talking about these really funny scenes in it and ofc they were completely identical to what i had written and i just started wheezing and i told her that I had written it and that was like an inside joke with us for a year until she stopped reading fic. she was actually a huge inspiration for a lot of the chapters (she shared a 5 page doc with me with so many ideas, i wish i still had it tbh) and this is actually sort of sad but right when we stopped being friends, the spark i had for that fic died out even though it had been a long while since she read fic. (i actually still wonder sometimes if she still keeps up with it. god i really hope not) 

anyway, that sad part aside, i met one of my really amazing friends now through it! val aka jayjay-graceless and i started talking through the comments of loading message, and once she started writing her own pjo chat fic (which, lemme tell you, rip ocean man is typing… it was so much funnier than mine) and eventually we got a tumblr and stared interacting on my blog at the same time annie and cj had been (for separate reasons, i was a superfan of cj and annie was a superfan of me) and boom alabanda happened so ty loading message for giving me a new friend after i lost one 

i keep talking about rewriting loading message at some point and maybe i will because every innuendo i ever made and that whole weird solangelo sex plotline that i hate still to this day, but idk. i kinda like the history of it all. loading message is truly my trash baby and even though i hate that my most popular fic by a longshot is a crack pjo chat fic, im so grateful for the people that support it (this is really sentimental, its truly  garbage but ty everyone who finds it funny ily)

if anyone has any groupchat name suggestions/chapter suggestions/etc please let me know! im always looking for new ideas!

also if you havent already checked out cjs solangelo-centric companion fic to it called message received, then please do!!!! its a million times better!!!!!!!

send me a star and one of my fics and ill talk about it

#fic talk ask meme #loading message

[elisabettacormac]

CHARLIE JANE ANDERS: I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW

CHARLIE JANE ANDERS

I’ll have you know

“Tell me about your dreams,” Dr. Webbo says, without looking directly at El. Instead, she keeps her gaze focused on the middle distance, because El’s vitals and medical records are scrolling across her corneas.

“Boring. Weird,” El says. “A lot of shoe salesmen trying to get me to wear birdcages on my feet. I wake up feeling amazing, though.” Dr. Webbo’s private office looks just like a secluded meadow full of wildflowers.

“Hmm. It says here that you’re only on the most basic sleep package. Your dreams are keeping you young, but they’re not teaching you anything.” Dr. Webbo refocuses her view, and now she’s staring right at El. “You’re a hundred years old now—happy birthday, by the way!—so it’s more important than ever to keep learning.”

“What if I don’t want my dreams to teach me?” El says. “I still learn the old-fashioned way: by making a series of increasingly disastrous choices.”

Dr. Webbo doesn’t even laugh at El’s joke, which, let’s be honest, was only half a joke. El did try to re-skill as an interior-decor coder at age 83, right when all of the decor-scripting languages were becoming obsolete. And then there’s the matter of El’s roommate, whom we’ll get to soon enough.

“This is a quality-of-life issue.” Dr. Webbo furrows her high forehead, causing her locs to shift around. “You could live for another 25 or 30 years, and you want to make the most of the time you have.”

“Yeah. But I read online that these dream lessons are just a lot of mind control, to reprogram your behavior. That’s why they want to give them to old people, so we won’t make any trouble.”

“Don’t believe everything they say on the bubbs,” Dr. Webbo mutters. Then she shrugs. “Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?”

“Yeah.” El takes a deep breath. “I want to do it. I want to start hormones and nano-therapy. I wanna transition from male to female. As a hundredth-birthday present to myself.”

Yes

No

“Are you sure? It’s a big step at your age.”

“Yeah. This is probably the first good decision I’ve made in 40 years.”

Dr. Webbo asks El some more questions, but meanwhile the doctor’s already using her left index finger to click “yes” on a bunch of boxes. El produces a hologram of her therapist, Dr. Russell, winking and giving a big thumbs-up, and Dr. Webbo only glances at it. Seems like gender transition has gotten easier and less gatekeepery since the last time El looked into it.

El always pictured the first gender-confirmation treatment being a kind of glittery mist blown into her face from a cupped palm, like fairy dust. And yeah, that’s one of the options, but there’s also a kind of body paint (starts blue, turns pink, very on-the-nose) and a lozenge you can put under your tongue.

But El wants to make a wish and snort fairy-dust, so that’s what she goes with. Head rush!

“You should start noticing the effects pretty much immediately,” Dr. Webbo says. “Your body will look and feel different, and you might have some mood swings.” She gazes at the enhanced scan view. “Meanwhile, I’ll mark on your file that you declined the dream enhancements, but they’re still going to send you some literature.”

El’s head is still swimming from the sparkly flakes, and her whole brain is doing a happy dance. Today is the first day of my life as a woman, El says to herself. I finally found myself, and it only took a lifetime.

Then she registers the thing about “literature,” and starts to argue—but stops. After all, she’s starting her second century on this planet, and she just finally took the plunge and flipped her gender. Today of all days, she ought to be gracious. “I’ll check out the literature. I promise I’ll think about it. I’ll even talk to my roommate about it.”

Dr. Webbo shakes her head. “I would avoid discussing this with Goaty, if I were you.”

El still doesn’t feel any different when she by-scrolls away from the Hyper-Endocrinthology Center—but the world looks quite transformed. Her gender marker changed in every datasink while she was finishing up her birthday checkup with Dr. Webbo, so everywhere she looks, the shops are advertising these wraps that morph from sundress to corset-dress at sunset. Cartoon characters and knights in armor call her “Ms.” or “Ladyperson” as they pass on the scroll, and even the trees appear fluffier. Of course, every window and streetlight offers El various hundredth-birthday deals, which she’s dreaded (one reason she gave herself something else to celebrate today).

The newsbubbs are full of occurrences that would be terrifying on their own, but which collectively form a gaudy tapestry. The artificial reef we built off the Gulf Coast has been singing again, mostly Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin. The Martian robot commune is threatening to shoot down any humans who approach. Five million people are threatening to go on an emotional-labor strike. The Patent Office is once again recognizing Inaction Patents (for new and innovative methods of refraining from doing something) and has already received thousands of applications.

By the time El gets home, her back aches and her knees are doing her a mischief, and all her euphoria at finally making the big change is wearing off. All she wants to do is sit down, maybe watch some stories. But of course, her roommate greets her at the front door, bouncing and demanding to hear every single detail.

Goaty is seven feet tall and teal-colored, except for a purple beard, and today they’re wearing a long crimson necktie and some Bermuda shorts on their woolly goat body. Plus very serious square-framed glasses.

“Not much to tell,” El tells Goaty. “Just a routine checkup. Oh, and I changed my gender at last. Feels good so far.”

“You don’t look a day over 90.” Goaty claps their hoofs.

Goaty’s ingratiating tone makes El suspicious, so she squints at them. “You’ve lost another 2% of your value.”

“That’s the trouble with a floating exchange rate,” Goaty says in a fake-cheerful tone. “Sometimes it just don’t float the way you want.”

When El decided to put all of her retirement savings into a new cryptocurrency, she never expected to end up actually sharing her apartment with the evolved form of Goatcash. For the first few years, Goatcash was fine, accruing value faster than a flesh-and-blood goat could chew through a trash pile. But something happened—the sort of thing that seems to happen all too often lately—and now Goatcash is a sentient being, who lives with her. And sometimes Goaty randomly devours all of El’s junk food, usually while taking terrifying dips in valuation.

“Today of all days, I don’t want to have to worry about you,” El says to Goaty. And then she can’t help mentioning the exact thing that Dr. Webbo told her not to: “My doctor thinks I should get my dreams enhanced.”

“Whoa. I’ve never dreamed, unless you count my birth, when I experienced delusions of liquidity.” Goaty strokes their glorious lavender plume of beard with their left hoof. “But don’t you want to make the most of your dreams? I’ve been watching you sleep, and I have to say you’re pretty uninspiring.”

“You’ve been ... watching me sleep.” El can feel her microbiome go feral.

“What?” Goaty turns shrugging into a dance. “You watch me sleep all the time.”

“That’s only because you sleep all the time.” El snorts. “You should get a job. Whatever kind of jobs they give to failed cryptocurrencies.”

“I’m a success on my own terms!”

It’s just barely nighttime, but El feels exhausted. Big day.

She crawls into bed and feels the gel slowly ooze over her, getting in her pores. While she sleeps, the gel will rejuvenate her cells, like always, and stimulate her neural pathways. She only looks up a few times to see if Goaty is watching.

Sometime in the middle of the night, the “literature” that Dr. Webbo promised arrives. Instead of the usual dream nonsense, El’s ninth-grade volleyball coach, Mr. Rayford, is standing next to her first real boss, Jayjay Manter, and they’re both talking to El about the benefits of enhanced dreaming.

“Just think. You could learn a language, or even become a juggler.” Mr. Rayford juggles three volleyballs.

“I dunno,” El says to these authority figures, whom her conscious mind barely remembers. “I worry there’s a thin line between sleep-learning and indoctrination.”

“All learning is indoctrination,” says Jayjay, with the smirk that El remembers from all those awful staff meetings. “Information is never truly content neutral, right? The point is, you don’t want to be left behind.”

El keeps arguing with them until she wakes up, feeling crampy. Goaty is making a big show of not looking at her.

"Here’s what I don’t get, though.” Goaty is doing some painfully incompetent goat-yoga. “You’re happy to alter your body, and to some extent your mind, by flooding yourself with female hormones and nanotech. But you don’t want to enhance your dreams? You could learn to code in Whut, or understand the new disunified ultrasymmetry physics.”

“Could I finally understand why I put all of my money into a cryptocurrency that keeps trying to eat my drapes?”

“Hey!” Goaty stops in the middle of violent planking. “I never promised to keep gaining value. Or to be a perfect roommate. All I promised is I would solve the Byzantine Generals Problem. Have you been attacked by a Byzantine general even once since you invested in me? No, you have not. Success!”

El keeps noticing weird sensations, like she can actually feel her fat redistributing to her chest and hips, and her skin softening. She almost cried at an ad for shower-grout caulk. She can still remember being in her mid-50s and desperately wanting to transition from male to female. It was right after her divorce from Bessie, which had felt like the end of her life, even though the marriage had only lasted seven years.

Back then, one thought stopped El in her tracks: What if I’m just too old? The idea of starting over at age 54, or 55, just seemed insurmountable, and El pictured everybody looking at her and going, Who do you think you’re kidding? But after she decided not to take the plunge, she kept meeting people her own age and even older, who’d transitioned “late,” and who seemed serenely happy in their own skins.

For decades, El kept finding reasons to hold off, like Why not wait until after the Robertsons’ picnic? Or Maybe once I’ve made myself indispensable at this new job. And then there was always another occasion where El probably ought to make an appearance as a distinguished older gentleman rather than ... whoever she was going to be after transitioning. And that was part of the problem, really: El had a hard time visualizing the person she was going to be, and how people were going to react to her, and she was really good at convincing herself that it was fine either way.

Until one morning, El woke up and realized that a) she was 99 years old, and b) she no longer gave a shit. And it was not too late at all, because it was never too late, and whatever El did, she would still be the same person, in most of the ways that matter. And the harder you try to get “taken seriously,” the less serious you’re actually being.

El goes out and scrolls to the tea-dome, where some friends around her age are getting wrecked on Lapsang souchong and shortbread. Everybody congratulates El on the birthday and transitioning and just generally still being a work in progress.

Turns out Yen and Harriet and a few others have been doing the “enhanced dreaming” thing. “I woke up having memorized all of Samuel Coleridge,” says Harriet with a laugh. “You don’t want to get left behind.”

“I can do my own taxes now, thanks to the enhanced dreaming,” adds Aaron. “You don’t want to get left behind.”

“Why do you all keep repeating that phrase?” El says.

“Which phrase?” Yen asks.

El repeats it: “’You don’t want to get left behind.’”

“I never said that,” Harriet protests.

That evening, El has a hot date, so she reaches all the way into the back of her closet for the dress she bought 20 years ago and never wore, and she feels a moment of panic as she slips it on. Like this dress could burst into flames as soon as she clasps the clasp. Her skin is so sensitive, all of a sudden. “What’s the point of dying without ever once getting to be real?” El says out loud. She wiggles her thumb and a mirror appears, revealing a round-faced woman with her white hair in a bob, who could be one of the old ladies on that comedy show El used to watch. She looks cute, but unremarkable. Which ... is perfect.

This is the person El was trying so hard to visualize, back in her 50s.

She hasn’t really been aware of her own body for a decade or two, other than as a flawed vessel that could break down at any moment. What if her body could be a source of joy once more?

El’s date, a 117-year-old nonbinary person named Ray, insists on getting a pitcher of margaritas, because what’s one more artificial liver replacement? The two of them eat nothing but chips and guacamole and red-hot salsa. Ray is extremely cute, with pink streaks in their hair and a velvet jacket. But they mention that they’re also doing the “enhanced dreaming” thing—and they also randomly keep saying, “You don’t want to get left behind.”

El ends the date early, even though she was having a pretty good time.

The weird sales pitch is back in El’s dreams. This time, it’s Dr. Lathorp, the marriage counselor who kind of took Bessie’s side during their divorce. “I’m glad you’re working through your gender issues at last,” Dr. Lathorp says, with maximum condescension. “But listen, you need to sign up for the enhanced dreams. You don’t want to be the only one who doesn’t understand.”

“You mean, I don’t want to get left behind. That’s what everyone keeps repeating to me. Like they’ve been brainwashed.”

“‘Brainwashing’ has a lot of negative connotations. But nobody wants a dirty brain.” Dr. Lathorp sounds exactly the same as when she called El a supporting character in her own marriage.

“Yeah, I think I’m gonna pass,” El says.

“I’m trying to help you.” Dr. Lathorp is scribbling with a pen that has no ink. “You don’t want Dr. Webbo to report that your faculties are impaired, or you could get put on Supported Living. You might not be allowed to leave your house without supervision, for instance.”

“If you were gonna threaten me, you shouldn’t have chosen the form of someone who was so bad at their job.” A chill is going all the way through El’s bones, and she suddenly doesn’t feel super confident of breathing.

When El looks again, Dr. Lathorp has turned into the state legislator that El interned for in college, Mitch Something-or-other. Mitch is holding out a piece of paper and saying, “C’mon, sign this, will ya? I have places to be.”

"What's the point of dying without ever once getting to be real?"

El ignores Mitch in favor of studying her surroundings. They’re in Mitch’s old office: glass case of softball trophies, shelf of unread books, beautiful desk supporting a crappy computer. El starts pulling books off the shelf and throwing them on the floor.

She’s just remembered two things: dream geography is bullshit. And El studied interior-decor coding for five years.

There, at the back of the bookshelf, El finds a ragged hole in the fake wood. She pushes her hand through, and then her whole body, until she’s in a dank secret passageway. Behind her, Mitch keeps explaining the many benefits of dream enhancement, in a stentorian tone. El keeps going down the passageway as it gets deeper and narrower, until she finds a bunch of roots dangling from the dirt over her head.

El can’t help giggling at the literalism, as she pulls on the roots and gets herself root access. As she suspected, there’s been some corruption here: a malicious codeset that embeds instructions like DON’T VOTE, NEVER CHALLENGE AUTHORITY, STAY HOME, YOU DON’T WANT TO GET LEFT BEHIND. She wishes she had a way to make screenshots of all this, and then her dream helpfully provides an old-school digital camera, like from her youth.

“I’m leaving,” El tells Mitch, who’s followed her down into the tunnel. “People are going to find out about your scam. If you know what’s best for you, you’ll clear the hell out of my dreams.”

“But—” Mitch Something-or-other sputters. “You’re making a terrible mistake.”

“Terrible mistakes are kind of my thing,” El says. “But you know what? I’m a success on my own terms.” She doesn’t even realize for a moment that she just quoted Goaty.

She pushes her way back into Mitch’s office, and keeps shoving through doors, until she finally pushes out of the gel’s dreamscape.

Back in the real world, El sits up, with the last of the gel evaporating off her skin. Goaty is lotus-positioning at the foot of her bed, staring at her.

“Whatever you just did, you should do it way more often,” Goaty says. “You’ve never slept this entertainingly before.”

El just rolls her eyes, and searches her image folder for the screenshots she took of the secret code at the heart of the enhanced-dreaming program. “You know what?” she says to Goaty. “I think I’m turning into the kind of old lady who makes trouble.”

Goaty is too busy trying to eat her only dignified pair of pants to answer.

Charlie Jane Anders is the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Award–winning author of All the Birds in the Sky and The City in the Middle of the Night.

[theenetflixnerd]

Riverdale Recap. Ep 10-13.  Murderer Revealed & Build up to Season 2.

Hi once again to you all following my blog. I just wanna start off by saying I AM BACK and SORRY for the little hiatus but I was on holiday for a few weeks with vert limited internet and so I couldn’t keep up with the Riverdale episodes.  I figured it would be too much trying to catch up all four eps I missed, so now that I am all caught up I’ma roll them all into one monster recap.  Soo enjoy.

Things moved so so so super fast in these last few episodes its actually crazy. I was gasping, ooohing and aaahing through all the eps at every little twist and turn. To make this a little easier I am gonna break this recap up into characters and we’ll catch up with where each of them are at the end of the first season.

Needless to say: SPOILERS AHEAD!

I’ll start with my personal favourite character and leading lady, the one, the only MISS BETTY COOPER! Since the beginning and up till now I am just absolutely ADORING Lili Reinhart in this role. Betty is amazing! I always resonated with her in the comics, and really see myself in her. What I do love in the show is the stronger and darker element that they’re giving to Betty - in the comics she is always so sweet and innocent and ‘waiting around for Archie’ but in the show she is strong, and fierce and doing things for herself which I love. I loved that scene with Betty & Jug in ep13 and the fact that their make-out session is super sexy and intense and gives another nod to the ‘Badass Betty’ that has been hinted at throughout the season. I also enjoyed that Jughead is now a ‘Serpent’ (adore that scene where he puts on the southside jacket) and I have a feeling that these two are going to make a pretty badass power couple leading the Southside in Season 2 (Please!!) .... Also the fact that in e10 FP nods to the fact that Alice had some connection to the Serpents - Betty and her hidden dark side is not too far fetched and I think that it’s perfectly thought out writing (props to the writers!!) that Betty is with Juggie who is now also moving over to the dark side. I know Betty ‘acts’ upset by the fact that Jug puts on the serpent Jacket - but I honestly feel that she’d have NO PROBLEM at all joining him on the Southside.  I have no idea what Season 2 has in store for this pair but I certainly hope we get to explore a bit more of the Serpents through them!  I am also happy to see the Coopers trying to sort their family out, and get the secrets out and Betty’s campaign for honesty instead of just an ‘image of perfection’ in the town of Riverdale.

It was also revealed that Betty and Polly have a brother out there somewhere due to a baby Alice gave up for adoption. (A part of me thinks it might not neccesarily be Hal’s baby - I have a feeling FP and Alice may have had a fling back in the day). So maybe we get to meet him in the next season?

Now onto Jughead Jones.  I’m loving the relationship with Jughead and Betty. Absolutely ship these two and think Cole and Lili’s chemistry is off the charts. I am a little disappointed in Juggies dark side but as  mentioned before, I think this could be a interesting turn of events and it might allow Betty to showcase more of her Badass side - so I’m keen to see where the writers take this. I hope they continue the relationship and explore this dark dimension instead of this being the cause of the relationship to implode. My heart is also aching for Juggie in these last few episodes. I hate the fact that FP is framed, and being mistreated by most of the town. That scene where Jug calls his mom and it basically seems like she tells him not to bother, he’s not wanted there. *tears*. Poor JUG. I hope he finds somewhere he belongs - and from the looks of things that may just be the Southside? As I said - I’m out on a limb here - but I absolutely CANNOT wait to see where they take this in S2.

Archie Andrews is driving me a little CRAZY in these last few episodes. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE ARCHIE. (KJ Apa is amazing. I’m so impressed by his portrayal of this role.) But - Damn boy, you’re confused as!! I just can’t handle his indecisiveness and his inability to see things through - I mean c’mon he’s been in 3 little flings in the season and I still think Valerie was the best match for him. I am sorry, but I can’t stand Archie and Veronica together. I thought we were staying away from the ‘love triangle’ - I just don’t feel the chemistry between KJ and Camilla (actually just don’t feel Camilla’s character much at all more on that later).  Also the fact that he get’s with Ronnie and then the episodes are clearly hinting that there are some pangs of longing for Betty?? Or did I just imagine that??? It’s like he wants Betty to be upset about him and Ronnie? He wants her to want him? He comes up with an explanation for his reaction, but I’m not feeling it. I love BUGHEAD but somehow still think that Betty and Archie are endgame - so I dunno. Once again we’ll have to see what S2 has in store. Having said that I do love that we get to see more of Archie’s heroism showcased in this episode with him saving Cheryl!! A super intense scene! (More on that in a sec)

Also the end scene has me devastated - FRED WAS SHOT. I am heartbroken by this! Fred is one of the best parents in Riverdale! I also hate the fact that this shooting (as the voice-over says) is ‘anything but random’. I have my ideas about who did it .... Definitely the LODGES. It’s either Hiram because he is jealous of Fred and Hermoine’s relationship, or it’s Hermoine herself (afterall even Hiram said in a letter to Ronnie that she’s not innocent as she seems) because Fred is refusing to sell her the business. 

** I also want to mention I loved the song ‘Kids of America’ at the school dance - I just wish it had been Josie or Valerie instead of Veronica with Archie! **

Now, let’s talk about Veronica Lodge. I am so sorry that I feel this way, because I didn’t want to but I just don’t feel the character that Camilla is portraying. Everything feels acted, and feels a little ‘forced’ - I don’t know. I love Camilla, and think she’s gorgeous, but I just don’t think that her character is the character Ronnie from the comics - it just feels like some other random character.  I do feel sorry for Ronnie however and I love the scenes with her & Betty and her & Kevin and even the Pussycats- but I don’t feel the chemistry with Archie and I don’t see them lasting very long. I am really annoyed at Hermoine right now - and I like that Veronica is also pushing back against her mom - Hermoine is such a manipulative b*** .  I am sorry but she is! She’s so fake and changing her whole demeanour now that Hiram is coming home. (On a side note - I can’t wait to meet Hiram Lodge in S2. Some Archie / Hiram rivalry is gonna be an awesome nod to the comics ;) so can’t wait for that!) ... and I strongly feel that she (Hermoine) is somewhat involved in Fred being shot. I don’t know how exactly but indirectly or directly she is root cause of Fred’s shooting! 

Now onto the BLOSSOMS. Talk about  a CRAZY, INSANE family. Holy guacomole!! So we finally find out who murdered JASON. With some prompting from Polly, and some discoveries Cheryl starts to doubt her parents because Penelope somehow has possession of Polly’s missing ring (from grandma Blossom) ... Of course Penelope and Clifford have been creepy and psycho from the first episode and I have always kind of wondered about them. Turns out (thanks to a USB found inside Jason’s jacket pocket (although I don’t know how that ended up in his Jacket) it is caught on film that CLIFFORD shot his own son!! He tried to cover it up by killing the only other witness a serpent who Archie got in a fight with. FP only found Jason’s body and put in a freezer and cleaned up with the help of Kev’s boyfriend, Joaquin. Because of this involvement though - Clifford blackmails him into making a false confession - but luckily our sleuthing Riverdale Gang are on the case and quickly prove FP’s innocence - although he is still in trouble for obstructing justice and he wont turn on the serpents.  Straight away Betty warns Cheryl that her dad killed her beloved ‘JayJay’ and Cheryl tells him that he did a bad thing , and every body knows.  Her father then proceeds to hang himself before the police arrive, and it is revealed that the Maple Syrup business is also a cover for drug running. More craziness is revealed in the fact that the Coopers actually are ‘Blossoms’ as ‘Great-Grandpapi-Cooper’ vs Great-Grand-Papi Blossom feud - they were BROTHERS who turned on each other the one decided to break off from the family and become the ‘Coopers’. Thats why they were so anti the Polly/Jason relationship - because they are actually related!

All the turmoil drives Cheryl a little insane and she tries to drown herself in the Sweetwater River to be with Jason. Luckily, the gang are able to save her (Archie (and actually KJ Apa! IRL) breaks his hand in the process) by punching through the ice of the river. Cheryl is still not right and says the only way to get back to normal is by starting clean - so she super dramatically, in true Cheryl Blossom style, burns their house down!!

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING SEASON.  RIVERDALE - I MISS YOU ALREADY.

I look forward to season two and what more will happen with these characters and what other secrets will be exposed in Season2!

#riverdale #reviewdale #archie andrews #jughead jones #betty cooper #veronica lodge #kevin keller #save fred andrews