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silver-leaf-girl · 4 months

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Legos!!!

For a friend (@cyanoferret)'s combined Christmas/Birthday gift, I made the iconic characters from the Sailor-Moon-inspired tabletop RPG that they've been designing. Because they're individual minifigures, rather than a full set - and because I come from the 40k miniatures tradition - I ended up painting them / sculpting onto them (Lego is a strange and unfamiliar land - does that make them MOCs?)

The box (it had to be given in a box, for the bit)!

The party!

This next character is a 'punk catgirl' type of character - hard-bitten, a little on the edge, cool and Void-Queen-May-Care. Cloak is a modified Batman cloak, bell is a de-winged Golden Snitch, and the hair/ears are sculpted onto the bandana.

Next up, we have a more 'familiar' Magical Girl type character, in the Sailor Moon model. Due to the mini I used, she's ended up a bit more like a businesswoman? Based on a Hagrid body, with a sculpted mantle, and a staff made out of Loki's helmet's horns (the only suitably crisp 'crescent' I could find). The coat is meant to be 'mother of pearl' coloured - I couldn't do the full opalescence on a flat matt plane, but figured that the glints of white/purple/green do the job OK.

Upsetting robot fairy. I've always been struck by the fact that the character in question is rendered more realistically, so I ended up using a Bellview character for the moulded face and more 'human' proportions - I think it worked?

Horrible/lovely space alien disguised as a traditional Sailor Moon type character. The armour and legs are from Atlantis, the head is a modded Groot (with a spray of Milliput 'eyes'), and the mask is a Toy Story Wendy head that I sawed down to fit (VERY disturbing to do).

Sailor ... Sun, I guess? Carrying a big fusion reactor hammer. This one was the first I did, and the gold is (imitation) gold leaf). It's a bit scratched in places, but it's worth it for how much it glows, more than gold paint could ever do. As the leader, she's also the tallest - since she has the Hagrid 'coat' body, normal legs, and a bit of extra height on her neck where I rebuilt the epaulettes.

In all but a few cases, where I had to sculpt the model together, they remain perfectly 'functional' lego figures, too - hands can grip objects, they can stand on blocks, bend at the legs, rotate heads, etc.

All in all, it was super fun to do (I was shocked at how cheap and more-ish Bricklink is, especially when you're just getting a few common bits and don't care about the colours), and the painting worked really well - separate them up into individual pieces, superglue them onto a wooden stick, prime them, paint them (I used gouache because it was what I had to hand and what I'm used to), but acrylic would work too), and then give them a ton of matt plastikote sprays. It gives a kind of satiny- finish once you're on the third spray, but for everything other than the grips on weapons etc., it's pretty robust.

#lego #magical girls #mocs #painting #tabletop #we are so back #minifigures

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miashyperfixations · 8 months

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THE GOOD WITCH - MAISIE PETERS ALBUM REVEIW

23.06.2023 • Pop/Alternative • 15 songs • 47 minutes • 2023 Gingerbread man records, Warner Music Group

★★★★☆

FAV SINGLE: Run

TOP 3: Coming Of Age • Wendy • Watch

Maisie Peters is a British singer-songwriter, based in London & originally from West Sussex. Peters emerged into the music industry in 2017, signing to Atlantic Records shortly after, Under which, she released two EPs & other singles as well as writing the soundtrack to the Apple TV+ series ‘Trying’. In 2021, Maisie signed to Gingerbread Man Records, releasing her debut album that same year & now, releasing her sophomore album ‘The Good Witch’.

Something I love about this album is that she doesn’t shy away from production. A lot of emerging pop artists tend to go for an acoustic sound now, recording songs at home in their bedroom or closet with just a laptop & a mic and sending them off for mixing. Whilst Maisie has some of that sound in her songs, they still have complex elements of production & her upbeat pop songs reign above with the layering of all kinds of instruments: drums, synths, vocals, the list goes on. She perfectly combines the two sides of pop music into her discography whilst remaining a lyrical genius. She’s also broken the mould of female pop artists having to re-invent themselves with every album cycle & finding a new sound. In reality, there’s nothing wrong with continuing to produce music of a certain sound, especially if it works for the artist. In my mind, ‘The Good Witch’ is a more mature older sister to Maisie’s debut album ’You signed up for this’.

‘Wendy’ is without a doubt one of the most lyrically beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. The album’s 9th track, written around the concept of Peter & Wendy, is a song about knowing your own worth & choosing the right path (even if it’s not what the heart wants) to avoid becoming invisible & regretting life later on. It shows that wanting to see the best in others isn't always good because you become blind to the truth as it becomes an unreachable reality. Even if you know it’s right, things can still feel wrong in the moment & you have to make the sacrifices that are best for you. In a heartbreaking way, the song is an uplifting ballad about taking control of your own life & not waiting around on people who might not even be there in the end.

The week after the album was released, on the 30th June 2023, ‘The Good Witch’ debuted at number 1 on the UK’s official album charts which gave Maisie her first ever number one album. Additionally, at 23, Maisie became the youngest British female solo artist to do so in almost 10 years, the record was previously held by Ella Henderson who achieved number 1 with her LP ‘Chapter One’ in 2014 at 18 years old. Maisie’s first album, ’You signed up for this’, peaked at number 2 on the official album chart when it was released in 2021.

Alone, Maisie has built up a large fanbase, having been dubbed one of Taylor Swift’s industry children & thus, attracting hordes of British swifties, but she has also done so through her relationship with Ed Sheeran. Sheeran signed Maisie to his record label 'Gingerbread Man Records’ in 2021 after she burst into the music industry & the two have a very close & public mentor/mentee relationship. A key part of building her fanbase has come from opening for Sheeran’s ‘Mathematics Tour’ for almost all of the UK/EU dates, all Oceania dates & a few of the American dates. As an incentive for ‘The Good Witch’ to reach number 1, Ed claimed over social media that he’d release a fan-favourite demo of hers if the album did so. And true to his word, Ed leaked ‘Girl’s House’ the evening the album charted via a link on his instagram story & fans went mental.

Overall, I think that I personally prefer Maisie’s first album (as a body of work) but this is subject to change as time goes on of course. She is, without a doubt, one of the next big pop girls on the scene & her neverending talent just solidifies her position in the music industry.

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aglaydis · 8 months

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Wendy Mould Midsummer-Nights-Dream

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chorusgirls · 7 months

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𝙸𝙵 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚈 𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙲𝙷 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚈 𝚆𝙸𝙻𝙻 𝙺𝙸𝙻𝙻 𝚈𝙾𝚄, 𝙱𝚄𝚃 𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚈 𝙼𝚄𝚂𝚃 𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙲𝙷 𝚈𝙾𝚄.

… FULL NAME … efigenia santa-maria idella coelho.

… NICKNAMES … predominantly genie, occasionally gen, g, nia, or effie. to family alone is she efigenia.

… ALIAS … the white rabbit.

… AGE … twenty-eight.

… GENDER … cis woman.

... PROUNOUNS ... she & her.

… SEXUALITY … bisexual. kinsey scale 3.

… CIVILIAN OCCUPATION … dancer at gravity nightclub.

… CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION … hanging man soldier.

… NOTABLE ATTRIBUTES … exceptionally lean, sculpted body, which lends to a taller appearance. noticeably soft, bouncy hair - never dyed & meticulously maintained.

… CHARACTER INSPIRATIONS … wendy darling ( peter pan ). blossom ( powerpuff girls ). janet colgate/the jackal ( dirty rotten scoundrels ). daphne kluger ( ocean's eight ). elle woods ( legally blonde ). cami ( coyote ugly ). danny ocean ( ocean's eleven ). linus caldwell ( ocean's eleven ). moneypenny ( daniel craig bond films ). mia toretto ( fast & furious series ).

( + ) warm, daring, lighthearted, witty, efficient, intrepid, observant.

( - ) blunt, irreverent, dishonest, informal, unconventional.

𝚂𝙿𝙰𝚁𝙺𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙴𝚂.

* trigger warnings: none.

WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF AN ANGRY GOD, mother says, stroking her hair with a pearlescent whalebone comb passed down through the ages, telling the stories of mayan gods and peoples who will not be forgotten to history. YOU ARE THE DESCENDANT OF AN ANCIENT & MOST NOBLE BLOODLINE, father says. he chucks under her chin as she finishes the last of her popsicle, catching falling lime juice with the bow of his finger. it curves around his index like a noxious light green emerald - the second on that finger. and how did nobles take their place, my girl? he asks, turning to place a key into a lock, the drawer clicking as it opens. by the tip of a sword. the remainder of her popsicle, chewed down to the last stub, melts onto the exposed surface of deep blue velvet. as it softens and spreads, the little girl reaches a sticky hand down and brushes her fingers over the gold embossing on the handle of a pistol. this is our sword. this is how we keep our honour.

you would be forgiven for not recognizing the coelho family by name, though you know their face ⸺ or, at least, the ones moulded in plasticine and paint. too many mornings to name for people all across the globe, they awaken to grainy shots pulled from security footage, sitting pretty under various headlines: CRIMINALS STRIKE AGAIN. the coelho family are the whispers you've shared over coffee, the breaking news you've held your breath for: elite thieves you've known for decades, their mark left in animal masks and figurines.

she grows up a child of illicit luxury, living in a sprawling old-mediterranean style villa, wherein elaborate portraits of the virgin mary hanging above cabinets full of tightly-packed criminal accessories - grappling hooks and glass cutters - alongside a collection of firearms hung on the wall. the oddity of her childhood rests not only in the strangeness of her family’s occupation, but in the way it would walk hand in hand with the general trappings of youth: she attends a catholic private school, only to be driven each morning in a black town-car with a personal driver; her mother teaches her to braid hair sitting cross-legged in her bedroom,are and after completion turns around to instruct her in the art of lying without raising your heartbeat; the entirety of the family sits at the dinner table each night, sharing laughter. there is no way to call efigenia's upbringing normal, but their family is. love is a coagulant that persists even through the strangest of tides.

the criminality of their family lineage began before her parents, but they choose to continue the legacy: her father, the wolf; her mother the cat. they bare children, each of their own skill and purpose: her brother the stag, resolute & unyielding; her sister the owl, wise & knowing; and finally the rabbit, efigenia, quick & uncatchable. they're encouraged into the family business not only by trade, but by operation. you'll find .

there is no king that exists without an axe looking to separate its neck from its crown. the coelho heists span decades, continents, and priceless objects, and after all that time, the world begins to close in on them. the cia has finally found a thread to grasp, and they tug until it begins to unravel. to escape the capture, the coelhos are forced to abandon their south american throne. rio de janeiro, once their personal kingdom, is exchanged for the court of another - a safe place to hide among those like them. new york, in the noose of a hanging man.

the coelho's are welcomed into the fold of the gang seven years ago and brandished as crown jewels. genie's parents assume high level positions within the organization, and the children are offered freedom of choice: to assume a life of normalcy in a new country, bolstered by familial wealth, or to continue the path they've always known. to genie, these choices are one and the same. there is no normal to her without the thrill.

𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙲𝙰𝙽𝙾𝙽𝚂.

something of a wendy darling figure to lost boys - a den mother who walks the line between nourishing and authoritative. she'll make sure you look presentable and listen to your problems, clean you up or give you a shoulder to cry on, but she takes no shit. expect a versace heel cramped down your hand if you put it somewhere you shouldn't.

has a cat named mercutio.

her family is, technically, an aristocratic line, though all titles were abolished by the 20th century.

her skills lay largely in being immaterial: persuasion, flexibility, reconnaissance, the ability to appear and disappear like a rabbit in a magician's hat. while her physical combat capability exceeds that of the average individual, genie will use every trick in her book before resorting to participating in hand-to-hand combat.

there is absolutely 0 need for her to be working at gravity. she doesn't utilize it for hanging man, and money is a non-issue. it's literally because... she's a people person?? she likes having fun??

𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙽𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂.

regulars & favourites at gravity!

tba.

#lawlessintro

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closertotheheart · 11 months

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Art by Wendy Mould.

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arsenal-le-comte · 7 days

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Wendy Mould. Ontario

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kagejima · 2 years

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Just thinking about how Toshi would show up to his daughter’s sports day event after overhearing her tell you, as you were tucking her into bed, “Maybe the reason dad doesn’t come to my events is that he's not proud of me…”. Decked out, head to toe, in various shades of his daughter’s team’s colours, he’d stand at the edge of the race track, towering over all the other parents. He might not be the loudest supporter, but his heart swells with pride when he watches your daughter give every event her all. His phone would buzz continuously after texting the group chat he wouldn’t be coming in for practice (with no explanation), but he wouldn’t pull it out to check it because his eyes are only on his daughter and his first and most important, job, is being her dad.

Also, can we talk about how Toshi spends the whole morning making your family bento boxes for the day, like how you and your daughter would when he has a game? He gets up earlier than usual and refuses any help. The apples are cut to look like bunnies, and the onigiris are moulded in the shape of bears. It might not be the tastiest or prettiest lunch, but it's the thought that counts.

WENDY STOP IT!!!!!!!! YOU STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!!!!!! IM CALLING AN AMBULANCE TO COME GET ME BECAUSE MY HEART IS ON THE FLOOR :(((

more thoughts under the cut (gender neutral reader)

Your heart breaks when she tells you this - and you realize that she's old enough now to notice how awkward Wakatoshi is with her sometimes.

And it's not that Wakatoshi doesn't love her, because of course he does.

He always looks at her like she hung all the stars in the sky, like she's the masterpiece she is.

He's always talking about her with everyone, he's always showing off pictures of her to his teammates, he's always putting her up on his shoulders after every match.

It's just that she's so much more different than him.

His whole life had always been sports, his whole life still IS sports.

And she took more after you, loving the arts more and sports weren't really her thing.

He's trying so hard though.

He'll participate in her little musicals that she writes, and he'll play the part of the prince in her re-enactments of her new favorite Disney movie.

He sits still while she does her best to draw his classicaly handsome features and he always tells her how nice her stories are even when they make no sense.

So the fact that she thinks Wakatoshi is embarrassed of her breaks your fucking heart.

Later that night, Wakatoshi comes home late from practice and his heart kind of drops when he sees that you're still awake and doing work at the kitchen counter.

"What are you still doing up, hmm?" He asks, giving you a kiss on the cheek in greeting.

"Mm, I could say the same about you." You answer and he laughs.

The laughter is short-lived though when he sees how your face changes.

"Did something happen? Is she okay?" He asks, glancing towards the stairs.

"Yeah, she's fine. She's asleep now. Just..."

You struggle to find the words.

"She thinks you aren't proud of her." You rip off the band-aid.

Wakatoshi's brow furrows, "What? Why would she think that?"

"I don't know," You shrug, "Maybe she sees how important sports are to you and she thinks that that's all you care about."

"That's not true though. You two are the only things I care about."

"I know, I know..." You say, "It'll pass, I'm sure. Just... I don't know... try to humor her in the meantime, I guess?"

"I don't want to just humor her though. I want her to know." Wakatoshi sighs.

He's so cute when he gets all determined like this. That must be where she gets it from.

You stand up from your stool at the counter and give him a small peck on the cheek because you feel sleep start to overtake you.

"She has a half-day tomorrow for a sports event if that helps." You offer.

Wakatoshi makes a very distinctly low 'hmmph' noise in acknowledgement.

She does the same when she's deep in thought too but wants to prove she's half listening.

Maybe they don't see eye to eye when it comes to sports, but she definitely has more things in common with him than she realizes.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out. You always do." You say as you smile at him and pat his arm, "Don't stay up too late."

He never does come to bed.

When you come downstairs for breakfast, Wakatoshi and your daughter are standing at the dining room table.

She's beaming because Wakatoshi is showing her all of the signs he made with her name on them in glittery letters. He also made them matching shirts to wear for the day - her name and his in messy bubble letters with an incredibly large #1 on them both.

Her favorite part about it all though is the lunches he made.

And she's running over to the fridge, door swinging wide open and hiding her from your view.

Wakatoshi is watching her though.

And he's hoping that he's helped her. Hoping she can see how he'll always be her #1 fan in everything.

Hoping that no matter what she does or who she wants to be, he's always proud of her no matter what.

#IM LEGITIMATELY CRYING THOUGH OKAY :(#ushijima fluff #everybody say thank you for the food wendy :(#😠: rae's wakatoshi wednesdays #rae's wakatoshi wednesday july 27 2022 #🎶: here comes the queue

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zurumba · 2 years

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Wendy Mould

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primroseprime2019 · 1 year

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Find the Word Game

Thanks for the tag, @spuddlespud

Mould: Maxwell stared up at the stars, his eyes narrowed with bitterness. It had been a long time since he last saw Solomon. It made his blood boil when he saw his so-called brother. And with other Heathians, no less. ‘Our father didn’t create us from nothing,’ he thought, clencing his fists tightly, ‘he has mould us from his own blood. Why do you defy his wishes?’

———

Miss: “How did we miss that?!” Azrael exclaimed, throwing his hands up in disbelief as he stared at the Lightning Shard. “I’m… not sure,” Gabriel sighed, rubbing his head. “Well let’s get it,” Nora said as she walked forward. Nico jolted and grabbed his sister’s arm to stop her.

———

Middle: “I’m trying to move it but it won’t budge!” Zachary cried as he tried to shove the boulder out of the way. “Try shoving it harder!” Mitchell yelped and he whipped his head to Wendy, “a little help would be nice!” “I’m in the middle of something right now!” Wendy shouted as she swiped her sword at the snake.

———

Mixed: Shiloh stared at the ruins of the kingdom with a small frown. He felt his palms become slick with sweat and he fiddled with the hem of his shirt. His emotions were mixed right now.

Tagging: @author-a-holmes @midnight-and-his-melodiverse @junypr-camus @kaiusvnoir @talesofsorrowandofruin @movieexpert1978 @overlookedfile and anyone wants to do this

#tag game #find the word tag #WIP: Transcendants: Kingdom Divided #transcendants

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mywifeleftme · 1 year

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11: Wall Matthews // Spine River

Spine River: The Guitar Music of Wall Matthews, 1967—1981 Wall Matthews 2021, Tompkins Square (Bandcamp) Every collection should have a few pensive instrumental acoustic guitar records, since the life of anyone who spends hundreds or thousands of dollars on a pointedly outmoded format is bound to be one touched by a frequent need to have a lie-down in the dark. If it should cross your path, Spine River: The Guitar Music of Wall Matthews, 1967—1981 is a fine specimen of its kind.

youtube

Matthews is principally known as the guitarist of The Entourage Music and Theater Ensemble, a mid-‘70s acoustic avant-garde group whose compositions for modern dance performances have enjoyed a revival in recent years. While the earliest numbers here, recorded when Matthews was a teenager, are fingerpicked country folk in the Leo Kottke mould, his style changes dramatically after joining the Entourage in 1974. Though the previously unreleased 1978 home demos that constitute the bulk of this release are solo recordings, the “E Minor Suite” and “The Doves of Venus” gesture towards chamber ballet; I can readily imagine the increasingly-gnarled “Wendy’s Piece” soundtracking a single dancer’s descent into frenzy.

The LP wraps with a few selections from his first solo album, 1981’s The Dance in Your Eye, which in their faint jazziness and dewy melodies could be at home on one of the better Windham Hill releases of the era. Ultimately, the evolution of the guitarist through this period is organic enough that Spine River hangs together well as a collection, and showcases Matthews’ deftness and imagination as a player and composer.

11/365

#wall matthews #entourage music and theater ensemble #american primitivism #acoustic folk #acoustic guitar #music review #tompkins square #'60s music #'70s music #'80s music

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cyberwulf · 2 years

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A Frosty Reception!

For @sugar-stories

Inspired by their work-in-progress, Here Comes the Bribe (which you should all read here ).

Summary: After the events of Here Comes the Bribe, Giovanni wants a word with our TRio and their continued wasting of company money.

Jessie glowered at the expensive carpet beneath her knees. Whenever she thought things couldn’t get any worse, they somehow did.They’d just been getting back to normal after their disastrous wedding trap and James’ subsequent abduction by that – that creature, and then a Delibird had shown up. The credit card statement in its wretched beak was the same one Giovanni was now reading aloud dispassionately while the three of them grovelled in front of his preposterously huge desk.

James’ audible whimpering only served to fuel Jessie’s fury. It wasn’t bad enough that everything had gone utterly sideways as usual, or that the only wedding she was ever likely to have had been completely ruined. Now the Boss and the Accounts Department would know what an absolute loser she was for concocting such a pathetic scheme, which meant that pretty soon everyone would know. Especially that Human Resources cow, Wendy, who’d smirked at them as they trudged reluctantly into the Boss’s office.

“Meowth, what were you thinking, charging everything to the company credit card?!” she hissed.

“You got any idea what a phony wedding costs?” Meowth hissed back. “It was supposed to be a big score!”

“…and this is my favourite part,” Giovanni finished with a mirthless chuckle. “All of this,” he tossed the statement on his desk, “resulted in zero Pokémon captured.”

“But Boss, it wasn’t our fault,” Meowth protested. “You see there were these pirates, and James’s crazy ex-fiancée –”

“Shut. Up.” Meowth wilted under Giovanni’s glower. “I know six Pokémon scientists who would pay top dollar to study a talking Meowth.”

Meowth pressed the tips of his paws together. “…Are they nice scientists?” he asked hopefully.

Giovanni’s mouth briefly twitched upwards into a cruel smirk. “No.”

Meowth cringed.

“Your incompetence has cost this company thousands with nothing to show for it,” their boss growled. He rose and the trio cowered, trying to make themselves as small as possible. “If you two idiots had actually gotten married, at least we’d pay less taxes.”

His words took all three of them by surprise.

“He… he ain’t sayin…?” Meowth murmured.

As neither of her teammates were about to speak up, and feeling a sudden, intense desire for clarity, Jessie asked, “What do you mean, sir?”

Giovanni turned to gaze out his office window (which conveniently overlooked a yard where several lithe muscular Grunts were exercising in very tight clothes). His Persian murred and rubbed its head against his leg.

“Merely observing,” he remarked, “that if you two financial black holes did want to enter a binding legal contract which would reduce the company’s overall tax burden… I’m the Viridian City gym leader. I could facilitate such an arrangement right now.”

He didn’t turn around. Giving us time to talk it over, Jessie realised distantly. The Boss couldn’t be serious. Did gym leaders even have that power? Did taxes even work that way? Not to mention –

“Ya know, James, if you was married to someone else then that crazy clam could never marry you,” Meowth declared.

That had never occurred to her, Jessie realised. She gazed vacantly at the desk in front of her. When she’d been tracking down that whip-wielding witch and those presumptuous pirates she’d felt something terrible, something almost masked by her fury but not quite, that sent icicles through her stomach and threatened to choke her. If they were married, nobody could ever lay claim to him again. Nobody could ever drag him away in the arrogant belief that he was their plaything to mould and abuse.

“…whaddya mean, you don’t know?! The Boss is giving us a way outta trouble! All you gotta do is sign a marriage licence! You get to be free from your crazy ex and I don’t get sold to not-nice scientists to pay off our debts!”

Meowth’s desperate shout-whispering snapped Jessie’s attention back to her two team-mates. The Scratch-Cat had fisted his paws in James’s shirt, anger and panic warring on his face. And James…

James looked green.

“Stop it, Meowth!” Jessie snarled, threatening the Pokemon with a backhand. Meowth released his hold on James and retreated away from her. Jessie lowered her hand and looked away, trying to ignore the sudden pang in her heart as she muttered, “James doesn’t want to get married.”

“And Jessie doesn’t want this either,” James whispered sharply.

“Don’t tell me what I don’t want!”

It came out louder than she meant it to. In fact, she hadn’t meant for it to come out at all. Jessie looked away quickly, folding her arms as her face burned.

“…Jessie?”

She heard James shuffling closer, felt him rest a hand on her shoulder.

“You don’t… you don’t really want to marry me… do you?”

Jessie looked at him then, at his worried frown and his big, stupid, beautiful green eyes. He was on his knees. He’d… he’d asked her.

“…I’ll sign a marriage licence to keep you out of that harpy’s claws,” she answered softly. She felt herself blush again, for an entirely different reason this time, and glanced away self-consciously. “It’s just a piece of paper.”

“Oh, Jessie.”

She found herself enveloped in a warm hug, and instinctively curled her arms around James’ back. So it wasn’t the proposal she’d always dreamed of. So it wasn’t the wedding she’d always envisioned. But she’d never been more certain that she was making the right decision.

All too soon, James pulled away, scooting forward slightly.

“Sir? We don’t want to get married.”

Jessie was almost sure she heard the sound of glass breaking.

Giovanni shrugged in response. “Merely a suggestion.” He turned from the window and sat back in his chair. “Wendy has details of your new assignment… along with the terms of your continued employment here.” He waved them off dismissively. “Get out.”

Jessie stood up slowly, her legs protesting after kneeling for so long. She felt as though she was at the bottom of a very deep well.

“You ain’t selling me then, Boss? …You’re too kind! You’re a gentleman, you know that? Is there anything I can get you or do for you-”

She barely heard Persian’s growl or Meowth’s scream as he charged past her like his tail was on fire. Everything else was fading out except the thump of her heartbeat and an overwhelming feeling of humiliation.

***

Perched on the top bunk of their new quarters, Jessie dragged a brush through her still-damp hair and decided it would have to do. This rotten day had had one silver lining, at least. Though that HR wench Wendy had smirked gleefully as she explained they’d be working twelve-hour shifts as janitors for room and board only until the Boss decided otherwise, she had no idea that their “punishment” was nowhere near as severe as she thought. Three meals a day, a bed to sleep in and (cold) running water was luxury compared to the months of rough living they’d endured in Johto and Hoenn.

She did her best to get comfortable on the narrow top bunk, just about wide enough for one person. The bottom bunk was bigger, able to (uncomfortably) sleep two, and if she was feeling more like herself she might have made a fuss about claiming it, but the truth was she didn’t feel like speaking to either of her team-mates right now. Meowth was the architect of all this, and as for James – making her think – and then pulling the rug out from under her – ooh, she could kill him for making a fool of her like that, in front of Meowth and the Boss –

“Jessie?”

And there he was, hovering next to her bunk in his shirt and boxers, with a fleck of toothpaste still on the corner of his mouth. She should slap him in the face right now. Except…

“Is something wrong?”

Great, he wanted to talk about it. Jessie sat up and pulled the thin blanket around herself. “Nothing’s wrong.”

James put a hand on his hip and lifted an eyebrow. “Jessie, I may not know much about women, but I know when a woman says that nothing’s wrong, it means there’s something wrong.”

Jessie growled in annoyance and lay down, turning to face the wall. “I’m just tired.”

“That’s what a man says when something’s wrong.”

“Forget it, Jimmy, she’s been mad all day,” Meowth’s voice drifted up from below. “I notice nobody’s asking how I’m doing. You know, the guy who almost got mauled this afternoon? At least I didn’t get sold, no thanks to you two!”

With an acceptable target for her wrath, Jessie whirled around and leaned out of the bunk to yell. “Well if it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t be in this mess, now would we?!”

“Me?!” Meowth unsheathed his claws, prepared for trouble. “The whole wedding stunt was your stinking idea! What was going through your so-called mind, huh?”

“Enough!” James yelled, startling both of them. “Meowth, wait for me in bed.”

“…Fine,” Meowth spat after a moment, putting his claws away. “I’m rubbing my butt all over your pillow. Enjoy.”

He clambered into the bottom bunk and disappeared from Jessie’s view, muttering about “two nutjobs” and “worst friends ever”. That left James still gazing at her with a question on his face. Jessie turned away from him quickly, huddling under her blanket. She closed her eyes, hoping he’d get the hint.

After what seemed like an eternity, she heard him sigh.

“Goodnight, Jessie,” he murmured.

“I wouldn’t have made you do anything,” she blurted out, because maybe that was why, and she couldn’t stand the idea that he thought being married to her would be worse than being married to her. “It’s just a piece of paper.”

“But Jessie, that’s why I couldn’t do it.”

At that, she rolled over to face him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean the big wedding,” James explained in a hushed voice, mindful that furry ears were listening. “The beautiful white dress. Happy ever after.” He took her hand. “I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I let you give up your dreams for me.”

Jessie felt tears pricking at the corner of her eyes and she blinked them away, pulling her fingers out of James’s grasp.

“It’s a stupid dream for little girls,” she answered roughly. “Besides, those fake wedding vows you wrote are the nicest thing anybody will ever say to or about me.”

“Don’t say that, Jess,” James pleaded. He took both her hands this time, pulling her closer. “One day you’re going to meet an absolute hunk who’s in awe of your terrifying glory and who worships you like a goddess, and when you do you’ll be so glad you didn’t marry me in the Boss’s office, because you’ll be able to marry him! And you’ll have your dream wedding and I’ll do your hair and wear the ugliest bridesmaid’s dress anyone’s ever seen so you’ll look even more stunning by comparison!”

Oh. For a moment Jessie thought she really would cry. She gazed at him, blinking rapidly. He wasn’t just telling her what she wanted to hear – he really believed in her silly, wishful fantasy. She swallowed hard.

“…Do you promise to wear an ugly bridesmaid’s dress?” she murmured.

James nodded. “It’ll be hideous.”

That drew a chuckle from her, in spite of everything. Jessie gazed down at their hands, idly stroking her thumb against James’ finger. She’d been honest with him before, despite her natural instincts. Maybe she could risk being partly honest again.

“Meowth was right, you know,” she remarked quietly. James looked at her quizzically and she explained. “The wedding was my idea. You ended up in her clutches because of me. And… I felt bad. I… wanted to keep that from ever happening again.”

“If it does, I’ll get away from her again,” James assured her. He smiled. “As long as you’re there to rescue me.”

Jessie gazed at him, opening her mouth to tell him that of course she’d be there, now and always, when abruptly the light snapped off, plunging the room into darkness. Jessie huffed in exasperation – another little clause in their new contracts stipulated that they only got so many units of electricity per day.

“Bedtime,” James sighed. He let go of Jessie’s hands. “Goodnight, Jessie.”

“Goodnight, James,” she murmured in return.

She huddled under her too-thin blanket, unable to stop a smile. So they were on the outs with the Boss, forced to do menial tasks, and earning no money for the foreseeable future – what else was new? Nothing had changed – at least, nothing between them. That meant there was time, time to pin down how she felt and decide what she wanted to do with those feelings.

And now that the air was clear between her and James, there was just one other person she had to talk to. Wrapping her blanket around herself, Jessie slid out of her bunk.

“Meowth?”

“…Yeah, what?” he hissed from the far side of the mattress.

“You know we’d never let the Boss sell you,” Jessie declared. “Especially to not-nice scientists.”

“That’s right!” James joined in. “We’d snatch you and go on the run! To the ends of the earth if we had to!”

“…You mean it?” Meowth replied, still unsure.

“Of course!” Jessie assured him, straining to see him in the dark. “We’d be lost without the brains of our outfit.”

“And our furry hot water bottle,” James added.

“And I know you only spent all that money to make the wedding look as convincing as possible,” Jessie continued. She paused for a moment, letting herself actually think about the first half of the ceremony for the first time in days. “…It really was a beautiful wedding.”

“Did you see the tall twerp crying?” James giggled. “He was totally fooled!”

“That’s all down to you, Meowth,” Jessie finished softly.

There was a sniffle from the darkness.

“…Move over, Jimmy.” Meowth leaped over James as the latter scooted towards the wall, and came into the sliver of moonlight illuminating the room. Tears shone in his eyes. “Get in here, Jess!”

With a smile, Jessie grabbed her pillow from her bunk and squeezed in next to James, Meowth settling in between them. Two blankets and their combined body heat made it warm enough to actually get some sleep. Not to mention that it was just nice to share a bed with both her boys. Jessie sighed and closed her eyes.

Tomorrow was a new day.

#my fanfic #pokemon #team rocket #a frosty reception

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