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archetypesanalysis · 9 months

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Tech's Innate Archetype

This is the fifth instalment of my Bad Batch analysis. This character analysis has two parts: innate archetypes and anima. I will be referring to “Gods in Everyman” and “Goddesses in Everywoman” by Jean Shinoda Bolen for this first part analysis.

Tech has two main archetypes: Hades and Hermes. His innate archetype is Hades, the God of the Underworld. He has many alternative titles as the Greeks once considered saying his name as unlucky. His alternative titles are “the Unseen One” (Aidoneus), “the Rich One” (Pluto or Plouton), “the Good Counsellor”, “the Renowned One”, “the Hospitable One”, “the Gate-Fastener” and “the Hateful One”. He is also known as Zeus of the Underground or Zeus of the Underworld. The Underworld, also called Hades, is the world where souls go after death. It is also the realm of the unconscious – personal and collective. The personal unconscious is where our repressed memories, thoughts and feelings reside, where everything too painful, too shameful or too unacceptable to others is hidden, and where unfulfilled yearnings and undiscovered potential reside. The collective unconscious is the realm of archetypes or universal human patterns. These archetypes exist as “shades” or abstract forms, and they have existed through time – lived out by people in the past, currently living in people right now, and will be “reborn” into the future generation.

In the myths, Hades rarely leaves the Underworld, which makes him the archetype of the recluse. People who live like Hades withdraw into seclusion, and they do not care or take note of what is happening in the world. There are a few reasons they may live like this: they may have lost whatever once had meaning for them in the world, or they naturally prefer to be alone, unnoticed and unbothered. They may be untalkative or inexpressive, which leads to social invisibility, matching Hades as the Unseen One for the god wears the cap of invisibility. Tech is a recluse most of the time. He usually works on machinery and do research alone. He is engrossed in the content of his datapad to the point that he usually ignores the outside world and the people around him. This is something Phee takes notice of, and she tells him to put down his datapad so he can enjoy the sunset on Pabu. Wrecker is also aware of that in “The Bad Batch” as he temporarily shifts Tech’s focus from his datapad by playing around with the head of a battle droid. In “Decommissioned”, Tech is seen in the background playing slot machines while Omega is practicing her energy bow. In “Pabu”, as Tech is alone on the Marauder, he plays a game against himself because it is the only time the game is challenging for him. All of these indicate that Tech naturally prefers to be alone and stay in the background.

Hades is also called Pluto or Plouton, the God of Wealth and Riches. This alternate name is fitting as the Underworld contains minerals, diamonds and precious gems. Some depictions have Hades storing the seeds underground during winter and releasing them in spring. Hades is sometimes pictured carrying a cornucopia or horn of plenty that is overflowing with fruits and vegetables, or with jewels, gems, gold and silver. Generally, introverts may have observed the outside world and decided that they prefer the subjectivity and richness of their interior world, which is the Plouton or “riches” aspect of Hades. They can experience introverted sensations in the forms of inner dialogues, visions or bodily sensations. Hades the reclusive Plouton is a source of creativity that can be expressed through the arts, often in films, novels, comics, video games and roleplaying games, especially those involve worldbuilding. James Cameron, J.R.R. Tolkien, George Lucas and C.S. Lewis are examples of people connecting with Hades the Plouton and expressing their rich imagination through filmmaking or literature. For Tech, his exceptional mind is his wealth and it is expressed through infodumping. In the Clone Wars episode “On the Wings of Keeradaks”, Hunter says that Tech records everything as a hobby. Tech also constantly takes notes on his datapad, and that includes memorable occasions like the first time Wrecker feels full after a huge meal in “Pabu”. His vast collection of recordings and notes represent the “riches” aspect of Hades. When the Bad Batch is locked in a makeshift prison cell in “Aftermath”, Tech uses his fingers to search for a weak spot in the wall. This indicates that bodily sensations are part of his subjective perceptions.

In “The Crossing”, when the Bad Batch is trapped in an abandoned ipsium mine, Omega explores the mine and finds a cave to shelter. After she turns off the light, she notices a blue light shining through a tunnel. Using a drill, she discovers a large cavern of ipsium, which is purer than the one they found in the mine Cid has purchased. The abandoned ipsium mine serves as a representation of Tech’s exceptional mind – the inner subjectivity and richness of Hades the Plouton. In our culture, extroversion and productivity are emphasized, and people are discouraged to spend time alone “doing nothing”. It is believed that the miners were so focused on their work that they failed to discover better quality ipsium hidden deep in the mine, until Omega chooses to be alone and “do nothing” in the dark. Her actions highlight the values of introversion – you can find inner beauty, unexpected wisdom and creativity, and profound insights when you choose to tap into your inner lives.

Hades has another alternate name: The Good Counsellor. As a source of subjective knowledge, Hades can help us to understand the subjective value of our experiences, perceptions and reactions. This understanding can help us to make important personal decisions that are meaningful to us as different individuals have different personal values. As Hades the Good Counsellor, Tech is respectful towards the personal decisions made by Crosshair and Echo. In “Kamino Lost”, Wrecker is disappointed that Crosshair never tries to reunite with the Bad Batch of his own volition and admits that they still would have accepted him back. Tech advises Wrecker to let go of the past and says that Crosshair is severe and unyielding, a nature that not even he himself can change. This indicates that Tech understands Crosshair’s personal values even though he does not agree with his decision to join the Empire (“Understanding you does not mean that I agree with you.”) When Echo leaves the Bad Batch at the end of “Truth and Consequences”, Tech respects his decision and wishes him luck.

In “The Crossing”, Tech and Omega have a heart-to-heart conversation at the underground shore, where they have a deeper understanding on each other’s emotionality. Underground water represents the deep introverted feelings that need to be tapped or expressed to be known (water represents the realm of emotions where Poseidon the God of the Sea rules over). Tech and Omega falling into the underground water symbolizes Tech tapping into his repressed emotions and expressing how he feels, which enables Omega to emotionally connect with him. Tech realizes that Omega is only a child and it is normal for her to struggle with change. He tells her that Echo and Crosshair both choose a different path and they have to respect their decisions and carry on, even though it can be difficult to understand. Furthermore, Omega realizes that Tech processes and expresses his emotions differently and accepts him for who he is (“I may process moments and thoughts differently, but it does not mean that I feel any less than you.”)

Jean Shinoda Bolen describes “there is something autistic about the Hades personality” (please take note that her books “Goddesses in Everywoman” and “Gods in Everyman” were published in the 1980s and our understanding of neurodivergence was limited in that time period). Tech is semi-confirmed to be neurodivergent in “The Crossing”. It is possible back as a cadet, Tech did not have a strong will or a get-into-an-uproar personality like his brothers, specifically Wrecker and Crosshair. He may stand out sometimes because he reacts differently and unexpectedly, especially to new people and situations. He may appear shy because he prefers to hold back and take in the experience rather than reach out for it. Hades people are usually judged negatively due to their introversion and subjectivity. This damages their self-esteem and pushes them to turn their inner world into a refuge from the unwelcoming outside world. Tech is fortunate to have Hunter, Wrecker and Crosshair (and later Echo and Omega) who respect his individuality and appreciate that his capacity for solitude is a strength, not weirdness. They allow him to infodump (sometimes for hours) even though they usually have no idea what he is talking about or they think such information is “useless”. Whenever Tech infodumps, they enter his inner world – his exceptional mind, and sometimes they are drawn into his discussions. They are patient and loving towards him, making him feel competent and safe. This causes Tech to perceive all of them as his family, which he affirms to Omega in “The Crossing”. Besides that, his military training provides crucial psychological development to him as he cultivates objective perceptions and reason to balance out his interior subjectivity.

Hades people usually do not do well in dating and flirting due to their social invisibility. However, they can be deeply affected by their subjective inner experience of a real person whom they hardly know of, leading them to create an imaginary lover. Of course, a Hades person can have a deep soulmate connection with a partner that can share the riches of the inner world. Their meeting would be seen as fated as their chances of meeting each other are very slim, which is what the fans who ship Tech and Phee view as. Whenever Phee flirts with Tech, it usually goes over his head or he gets confused by it. Since eyes are the window to the soul, Phee calling Tech “Brown Eyes” means that she can see the riches of his inner world, and she is drawn to it. In “Pabu”, Phee demonstrates her appreciation towards the subjective value of the artifacts and her desire to preserve them in the Archium. Her values match Tech’s personal values, and this is when he starts to connect with her. There are headcanons of Tech and Phee as a married couple and parents, and the most consistent headcanon is that Phee acts as the mediator and interpreter between Tech and other people, including their children. This headcanon matches the common marriage model for Hades men.

If a Hades man becomes a father, he is usually grim and humourless. He expects orderliness and duty. He is not emotionally expressive and may struggle to mentor his children. However, a Hades man who is loved since childhood is a father who indirectly expresses his love to his children. He may share the riches of his inner life with his children and encourage their imaginativeness. He may explain to them about how he perceives things. He often shares his presence with his children, one to one. If his children are also introverted, they can spend time in comfortable silence with him. If his children are extroverted, they usually do the talking and showing to him. Tech is loved by the Bad Batch, and he indirectly expresses his love by carrying out thoughtful acts, checking on their wellbeing (like he always checks on Omega after she jumps down from someplace higher), respecting their personal decisions, and providing crucial information and advice. Omega, who is the receptive Persephone, is drawn to Tech’s conversations and actions. In return, Tech passes down his knowledge to her, and explains to her how he processes thoughts and moments in “The Crossing”. When they are together, they seem capable of spending time in comfortable silence. Besides that, Tech does value her receptivity and introversion, which is evident in “Aftermath” when he takes her warning seriously because a state of heightened awareness is not unusual for an enhanced clone like her.

However, Hades people are cut off from the realm of emotions. Even when they have developed objective thinking and basic communication skills through education, they can still be emotionally detached. They may struggle to understand their own emotions and how other people feel and why. Their intense withdrawal can lead to tensions and misunderstandings. After Echo leaves the Bad Batch, Tech withdraws emotionally and turns all of his energy to work, which creates tensions between him, Wrecker and Omega. When Tech is unable to understand why Omega is so upset about losing Echo and the Marauder, she wrongly interprets that Tech does not care about Echo and is unbothered by his absence. Hunter and Wrecker have to tell Tech to talk to her as she is having a hard time adjusting to change. When Omega falls down a chasm, Tech jumps down to save her, representing him going down to recover his repressed emotions as they fall into the underground water. By deepening his connection with his loved ones, Tech develops a better understanding of his and other people’s emotions. In “Pabu”, when Omega laughs as she plays with the moon-yos, Tech remarks that he has not heard her laugh like that for a long time, indicating that he is now in touch with the realm of emotions.

One of the advices Jean Shinoda Bolen gave for people who identify strongly as Hades is to develop a persona (“mask” in Latin). It is necessary for us to have appropriate persona for certain occasions so we can be visible and approachable. However, for neurodivergent people, masking is a coping mechanism they often use to appear “normal” or what society deems as acceptable behaviour. It is also a survival tactic used by them to protect themselves from discrimination, harassment and social rejection. They are taught that fitting in is important for survival and that the comfort of others (neurotypical people) is more important than their own comfort. Hence, they learn to suppress themselves to please others and gain their approval. Studies have found that masking has many detrimental effects on their mental health such as anxiety, depression, loss of identity, lack of self-worth, burnout and suicidal thoughts and behaviour. Jean Shinoda Bolen did warn that neurodivergent people risk losing themselves and their meaning of life if they mask too well and tries to be what others expect of them.

During Tech and Phee’s last interaction, Phee wants Tech to talk to her and maintain eye contact despite he has made it clear that he is planning on leaving without saying goodbye (she says “when two people are talking, it’s called a conversation”, which kind of baffles me when I first heard it). This scene shows that she is asking him to mask, which is one of the main reasons why there are people who do not ship them (their reasoning is explained in this tumblr thread – please remember to be respectful!). Neurotypical people usually misinterpret the behaviour of neurodivergent people and this forces the neurodivergent people to mask. It is important for neurotypical people to understand how harmful it is to force neurodivergent people to sacrifice their own comfort and to act in a way that is comfortable to the neurotypical. As for the neurodivergent people, it is important for them to have friends and family that love them for who they are, so they can safely unmask and be true to themselves. Tech is fortunate to have the Bad Batch who all love and support him for who he truly is. Because of that, Tech loves them for who they are and accepts their quirks, like he smiles endearingly when he sees Echo sniffing at the Mantell Mix.

I do see myself a lot in Tech because I have a habit of infodumping, I like to be alone, I love to learn, I find many things fascinating and I love to collect items and take notes. After watching “The Crossing”, I begin to realize that I may have some neurodivergent traits. For example, I can experience sensory overload from loud music, certain clothing and food, I sometimes take things literally, I have a habit of walking around the room when in deep thought, and I take notice of patterns and details (especially archetypes) a lot. I have yet to seek a professional diagnosis but multiple self-tests have shown that I may have mild autism. Nevertheless, my family does suspect that I am autistic due to my introverted personality, “peculiar” behaviour and preferences. My mother never understands why I am not interested in fashion and makeup like “other girls” (I am more into books, cartoons and movies). She and my aunts sometimes call me “autistic” in a demeaning tone, and they constantly push me to go out and socialize like “a normal person”. My father is the only family member that accepts me for who I am.

Even though I am unsure whether I am neurodivergent, I do know what it is like to mask myself. When I first started university, my family (especially my mother and aunts) wanted me to be more sociable and make friends with the students there, who were mostly financially well-off and highly educated like me. I did manage to fit in well, even getting close with the top student in class and his peers. My family was proud of me to be part of this friend group. However, a few months later, I started to feel mentally exhausted and that I no longer felt like myself anymore. I felt like I was wearing a mask, trying to please people while feeling ashamed of myself. I realized how bad it was for my mental health, so I took off the mask. I started to spend more time alone like having lunch by myself and organizing my notes at the library alone. The top student in class did not mind that I suddenly chose to distance myself from him and his group. Though, his friends mistook my preference to be alone as loneliness. I was fortunate to have a close-knit friend group that accepted me for who I am – we only had gatherings on Fridays, so that was good for me. Even though I did disappoint my family and weaken some connections with my classmates, I was happy to be myself once again and discovered that there are many people like me. I do hope that my experience can show people how harmful masking is, and that we should make this world a safer place for everyone, especially for the neurodivergent people.

Jean Shinoda Bolen suggests that a Hades man finds their “Persephone” the receptive woman who can mediate for him with the world. His “Persephone” can be a real woman or his anima, the unconscious feminine aspects of a man. His “Persephone” can make him more approachable, help him to open up, and share his perceptions and his rich inner life. The Bad Batch is the “Persephone” to Tech because all clones have Persephone as their anima. Omega, who is innately Persephone, and Echo, who has a strong Persephone anima, are the main mediators for Tech with other people – they are the “Tech Translators”. In “Aftermath”, when Wrecker asks how long they have been away from Kamino, Tech gives a detailed answer which confuses him, so Echo explains to Wrecker that they have been away for a long time. In “Battle Scars”, when Hunter asks Tech about the progress on his inhibitor chip scanner, Tech answers that he is able to establish a baseline by comparing Rex’s brain scan to theirs, in which Omega explains that Tech is almost finished with the scanner.

Persephone, especially after she becomes the Queen of the Underworld, has a connection with Aphrodite the Goddess of Love and Beauty. In Greek mythology, Adonis is loved by both Aphrodite and Persephone, and the two goddesses share the pomegranate symbol. The difference is that Aphrodite people express their sensuality and sexuality in an extroverted manner, while Persephone people express those in an introverted manner. Phee has an Aphrodite archetype and her extroversion contrasts with Tech’s introversion. Although she can see the riches of his inner world, she does not fully understand how he processes and expresses his thoughts and feelings. This is also one of the reasons why there are people who do not ship them. It is crucial for extroverts to make an effort to understand introverts and appreciate their introversion, which is something Phee could do if more time and better writing were given to develop her relationship with Tech (you can do the rewriting through fanfiction and fanart).

A person who is predominantly and innately an introverted Hades must develop other archetypes. To balance out the Hades’ subjective perception, they must cultivate the Zeus archetype to gain objective reality, and they must cultivate the Poseidon archetype to become emotionally responsive. Education promotes the development of Apollo and Hermes archetypes. Years of military training have helped Tech to develop the Apollo archetype – he can think scientifically, rationally explain cause and effect, carry out his responsibilities on time, and plan ahead.

It is extremely important for Hades people to activate the Hermes archetype so they can understand their inner world and then communicate it to others. Hermes, or the Romans called him Mercury, is the messenger of the gods, the god of speech and roads, the guide of souls to the Underworld, and the protector of travellers, businessmen, thieves and athletes. He is also the inventor of the lyre, numbers and the alphabet. He is known as “the friendliest of the gods to men” and the god who brings luck.

As the messenger, Hermes travels frequently and swiftly between Olympus, earth and the Underworld, crossing borders with ease. People who identify strongly with Hermes do best in diplomacy, public media and commerce. They are traders and communicators of the world as they carry goods, information and culture from one place to another. They can travel in person or via technology like radio, television, writing and the Internet. They enjoy making deals, money and allies. They also love to go on adventures, take risks and gain knowledge.

Tech takes on Hermes the messenger as he often flies the Marauder, does negotiations, provides vital information, and gives advice. This archetype enables him to share his wealth of knowledge and information originating from his exceptional mind. Tech can fly the ship through dangerous circumstances and stormy environments. His swiftness, quick thinking and strategy help him to win in Riot Racing. He can crack down locked files, decrypt confidential information, hack into machinery and security systems, open locked doors and sift through data – like Hermes, nothing can stand in his way. Tech is a linguistic expert and he can translate any unknown alien language on the fly as shown in the Clone Wars episodes “A Distant Echo” and “On the Wings of Keeradaks”, making him resemble Hermes the god of speech. He also does research on local culture. For example, in “The Bad Batch”, he informs his teammates, Cody, Rex, Jesse and Kix that the Yalbec queen stinger is a delicacy on some planets. In “A Distant Echo”, he gives additional information to his teammates, Rex and Anakin that the Poletecs worship flying reptiles called keeradaks. In the Star Wars website, Tech is described to be “a quick thinker and even faster talker”. He is a nerd, but he is also athletic, just like the swift Hermes who is the protector of athletes.

Hermes is the archetype of the trickster, known for his cleverness, cunningness, and the ability to change shape or form. On the day Hermes was born, he stole cows from his half-brother Apollo. He hid his tracks by tying branches to his feet, and he laid down a false trail by having the cows walk backwards. When Apollo discovered that his cattle were stolen, he demanded Hermes to tell him where his cows were hidden. However, Hermes guilelessly lied and tried to pass himself off as an innocent newborn. In stories, the tricksters are often admired and appreciated as heroes, depending on what they steal and from whom. For example, Robin Hood is depicted as a hero because he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. However, in real life, people who take on this trickster archetype are usually con artists or charming sociopaths. Though, the ability to think like a trickster can be helpful like figuring out what may be going on in a person’s mind or solving problems creatively.

Tech takes on the trickster archetype very well, which makes him good in carrying out stealth missions. In “Unfinished Business”, he masks Echo’s transmission as originating from Skako Minor, which manages to fool Admiral Trench. In “Aftermath”, Tech realizes that the prison cell they are held in is a modified facility that is not designed to hold someone like Wrecker, and he points out the weak spot for Wrecker to punch it so they can escape. In “Cornered”, Tech scrambles the Marauder’s signature to fool the Imperial authorities, and he passes down that knowledge to Hera in “Rescue on Ryloth”. In “Common Ground”, he hacks into the security system so the Bad Batch can keep an eye on the Imperial patrols as they sneak around. Many of Tech’s fighting tactics involve him sneaking around and laying traps. For example, he sneakily plants short-circuiting devices on the backs of the droids or on the ground as traps as seen in “On the Wings of Keeradaks” and “Aftermath”. In “Ruins of War”, he uses the darkness and trees as cover as he takes out the clones. In “Truth and Consequences”, when the Bad Batch and Rex use an escape pod to escape, Tech also ejects the other escape pods to confuse and waste the time of their pursuers in searching for them.

When Hermes was born, he immediately knew what he does not have, so he stole from his older half-brother Apollo. Apollo was angry yet charmed by his actions. Although both brothers did end up gaining skills and power from another through bartering, it was Hermes who began with nothing and acquired plenty. This myth depicts Hermes as the younger sibling rival. People who identify with Hermes see themselves as underdogs. They learn how to use words, wits and strategy to get out of trouble or to get whatever they want. Many fans speculate that Tech gets picked on the most by the regular clones. Hence, he uses his words and wits to get the upper hand, and he picks his battles carefully. In “Aftermath”, Tech uses his words and wits as humour to tease and get back at Wrecker because he knows that he cannot overpower his brother that is physically stronger than him. (“It’s been days since I blew something up!” “Easy, Wrecker. Your programming’s kicking in.” “Hey, don’t start with that!”)

In exchange for the lyre, Apollo grants Hermes many things, including dominion over beasts and minor soothsaying. Tech has these two skills. He is a beast tamer as he manages to summon the keeradaks to aid the team to escape, which impresses the Poletec leader. In “Rampage”, Tech explains to Wrecker that in order to tame the rancor Muchi, he has to challenge the creature for authority. They fight until Muchi drops from exhaustion. Tech is shown to be able to predict the future. In “Unfinished Business”, when Wrecker grumbles about being sent on another stealth mission because he prefers to blow something up, Tech comforts him, saying that he has a feeling that he will get his chance. After they complete the mission and depart, Anakin gives Wrecker a remote detonator to blow up Admiral Trench’s dreadnought and several surrounding warships, making this the happiest day of his life. In “Aftermath”, Tech predicts that the Clone Wars will soon be over because Obi-Wan Kenobi has found and engaged General Grievous on Utapau. Echo believes that if Kenobi captures or kills Grievous, the Separatist command structure will collapse along with the Separatist Droid Army, leading to the end of the war. Upon the team’s return to Kamino, they are informed that General Grievous has been defeated on Utapau and the Separatist leadership has collapsed, signifying the end of the war. Wrecker is surprised that Tech’s prediction has come true.

In Greek mythology, Hermes often guides others from one realm to another. As a psychopomp (which means guide of souls), Hermes accompanies the souls of the dead to the Underworld. Hermes is represented by the herm, which is a short pillar or pile of stones that marked property boundaries, roads, graves, and the entrance to every home. Thus, Hermes is the god of boundaries – he marks boundaries and he crosses all boundaries. Psychotherapists usually take on Hermes the guide of souls as they help people during significant life transitions. Sometimes they help people to see the dangers in a situation and survive, just like the myth where Hermes gives Odysseus insight and protection against Circe’s powers, who has turned his men into pigs. The Hermes archetype can help us to seek meaning in our lives, integrate all aspects of ourselves, and later share our insights to others. Tech takes on Hermes the guide of souls a few times. In the Clone Wars episodes, he warns the team of an incoming platoon of battle droids, and he guides Rex to rescue Echo, who was once presumed to be dead. After the Bad Batch runs away from the Empire, Tech guides the team to the planet Saleucami to meet up with the clone deserter Cut, who gives them advice on how to lay low. In “The Crossing”, Tech helps Omega to navigate through change as it is a fundamental part of life. Hermes is sometimes known to provide alternate routes for escape. In “Reunion”, Tech leads the Bad Batch into the ion engine chamber and they use explosives to tear the cone from the ignited engine, allowing them to escape from being incinerated and being pursued by Crosshair and his troops. In “Pabu”, Tech helps Phee to lower the rescue ladders to aid the residents of Lower Pabu to evacuate from the incoming tidal wave.

Hermes is sometimes considered as the inventor of alchemy, which focuses on turning lead into gold. In alchemy, Hermes-Mercurius is “quicksilver”, the spirit concealed in matter. He is the symbol that unites all the opposites: metallic yet liquid, matter yet spirit, cold yet fiery, poison yet healing draught. Mercury only bonds with precious metals, and this is a metaphor that Hermes can show us the way to find spiritual gold. In Carl Jung’s “Psychology and Alchemy”, Hermes is the communicator that guides us on a mythical, spiritual and psychological journey to transform what is base in the psyche into gold, and to unite male and female elements (which is represented by the staff of Hermes – the Caduceus). Tech does take on the role of the alchemist occasionally. In the Clone Wars episode “On the Wings of Keeradaks”, Tech combines his objective strategic thinking with the subjective value of the recording of the keeradaks’ distress call, allowing him to summon the flying reptiles to aid in their escape. In “Retrieval”, Tech salvages various items at the abandoned spaceport to build a slightly operational speeder bike, which enables them to reach the thief’s den. It is possible that his alchemical aspect has helped him to invent the “Tech Turn” (or the fans sometimes call it the “Techno Drift”).

In “The Crossing”, the Bad Batch is tasked to mine the volatile mineral ipsium. Someone mentions that the name of the mineral “ipsium” is derived from the Latin word “ipsum”. “Ipsum” is an inflection of “ipse”, which is the third person singular reflexive pronoun e.g. himself, herself, itself. The Bad Batch going into the mine to find ipsium is a metaphor for the characters finding themselves and experiencing breakthroughs in expressing themselves. Moreover, in the same episode, the Bad Batch is dealing with Echo’s absence. Echo has the Hestia anima (Goddess of Hearth), and his absence means the team has lost the feeling of “home”, and this loss is strengthened when their physical home, the Marauder gets stolen. Hestia is also the archetype of the Self, so metaphorically speaking, Echo’s absence means that the Bad Batch has lost their connection to each of their Self or centres (the soul). Tech becomes Hermes the guide of souls and the alchemist when he, Hunter, Wrecker and Omega travel to the ipsium mines. He helps himself and the team (especially Omega) to survive against all odds, to embrace change, to have a better understanding of each other, to find meaning (or “gold”) in their horrible experiences and to be transformed by those experiences. Tech also plays a vital role in retrieving the Marauder, which symbolizes his Hermes archetype guiding him, Hunter, Wrecker and Omega to realign themselves with their inner nature and values – they reconnect with their Self or centres, as Hermes is the spirit that sets the soul on fire.

Hermes is known as the rescuer of the child. In Greek mythology, he descends into the Underworld to rescue Demeter’s abducted daughter Persephone. He rescues the infant god Dionysus at least twice, saving his life and protecting him from harm. He also rescues the young Ares who was trapped in a bronze jar for 13 months. As an archetype or a metaphor, Hermes saves what is innocent and vulnerable, or divine and sacred, by providing meaning for an otherwise terrible experience. People who have experienced abusive childhoods or seemingly hopeless situations have felt the saving presence of Hermes, taking the form of an inner voice telling them that “they are being tested”, “they matter to someone”, or “someone will come”. They cling onto these messages which save their souls from giving up. In psychotherapy, Hermes liberates the child within the depressed adult (which is trapped in the bronze jar or in the Underworld), allowing them to be playful, trusting and vulnerable again. Hermes also activates or saves the archetype of the divine child (represented by Dionysus), which helps people to embrace their individuality and to have meaningful lives.

Tech has always been Hermes the rescuer. He rescues Wrecker (Ares) by taking down the droids behind the brute clone in the episode “On the Wings of Keeradaks”. In “Aftermath”, after Wrecker is wounded by an armoured training droid, Tech drags him to safety behind a block. In “Faster”, when Venim swears in his alien language, Tech protects Wrecker’s innocence by not letting him know what the alien is saying. Moreover, Tech helps Rex to rescue Echo (Persephone anima) who is trapped in Skako Minor, which serves as the Underworld to Echo (and Rex). After Hunter (Dionysus) is wounded by Cad Bane at the end of “Reunion”, Tech quickly gets him aboard the Marauder so they can tend to his injuries and escape from Crosshair and the Imperials. In “The Crossing”, when Omega (Persephone) falls down a chasm, Tech instinctually jumps after her to rescue her. Furthermore, Tech and the rest of the Bad Batch rescue Gungi from the droid smugglers and return him to his homeworld in “Tribe”, and they free the adolescent miners from Mokko’s oppressive rule in “Retrieval”. When Tech finds out that Crosshair has turned on the Empire and is now being held captive by Dr. Hemlock, he is determined to rescue his brother despite they have many disagreements in the past.

Hermes as the rescuer of the child helps Tech to remain hopeful even when things take a turn for the worse. This is most evident in “A Distant Echo” when the Bad Batch, Rex and Anakin go to Skako Minor to rescue Echo. During their journey, Tech loses Echo’s signal, which leads to Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair and Anakin to affirm their worst fears that Echo is dead, and the Separatists are using him to lure them into a trap. However, Tech does not give in to despair, and instead speculates that the signal loss is due to a latency issue with the frequency caused by atmospheric disturbances. When they are exploring a tower, they lose Echo’s signal again, leading Tech to believe that the signal is only traceable during data transmissions, so they must wait for Echo to transmit more data. Throughout the journey, Tech helps Rex to hold onto his belief that Echo is alive, which is eventually confirmed to be true. Whenever things go south, Tech remains calm (he is like “water off a duck’s back” and his voice is “easy breezy” as described by his voice actor Dee Bradley Baker) because he believes that they will always figure out a solution. Omega eventually takes on his positive and hopeful message at the end of “The Crossing”.

To cultivate the Hermes archetype, we must embrace spontaneity (as Hermes usually appears unexpectedly), be willing to venture into the unknown and be open-minded. Hermes also opens up moments that seem to be “coincidences” or “accidents” but end up becoming meaningful, unforeseen events that turn out uncannily right. We can also get in touch with Hermes when we have a chance to speak and we are willing to “wing it” – to act on our intuition. Hermes is missing in our minds when we think like Apollo – always planning ahead of time and everything must go according to plan. It often takes courage, practice and experience to trust our instincts. Thanks to his military training, Tech has developed an Apollo archetype, which enables him to plan ahead, carry out his duties as a soldier and think logically. However, this archetype does limits him when it comes to carrying out missions unrelated to his military training and experience. This is evident in “Rampage” when the Bad Batch tries to rescue children from slavery, only to be caught and restrained by the Zygerrian slavers. Tech admits that he is uncertain what to do next because this is not a standard military operation and that they lack experience in this kind of rescue mission. Fortunately, Omega’s interference helps them to complete the mission. With practice and experience, Tech gets better in carrying out missions outside his role as a soldier, which strengthens his Hermes archetype.

Hermes is the archetype of the eternal adolescent, and people who identify strongly with this archetype are friendly and eager to learn. They have a genuine interest in everything and everyone, so they get along with all kinds of people. They are extremely curious and they find the world fascinating. Tech takes on this archetype well. In “The Bad Batch”, he wants everyone to get along and he tries to break up a fight between Rex, Jesse, Kix, Wrecker and Crosshair. He looks confused yet happy after Hunter intervenes to stop the fight. When Phee first meets the Bad Batch in “Spoils of War”, she immediately warms up to Tech because he looks the friendliest (from a typical person’s perspective, Wrecker is too intimidating due to his huge size; Omega is generally ignored and underestimated because she is a child; Hunter is too threatening and counterculture, especially due to his tattoo; Echo is ignored due to his cyborg appearance; and Crosshair is too cold and mean). Furthermore, Tech is eager to expand his knowledge and he finds many things fascinating like a datacore that contains a fragment of the Serennian people's history and culture, the riot race course and patterns of the racers, Phee’s treasure hunting stories, and the Zillo Beast.

Hermes’ parents are Zeus and Maia, who both provide positive parental and maternal attitudes to raise Hermes. Maia is the introverted, non-possessive and self-sufficient homemaker (she is archetypally Hestia, the hearth keeper goddess). Zeus is the loving and unjudgmental father, yet he also has a firm, no-nonsense attitude that orders Hermes to return Apollo’s stolen cows, in which Hermes obliges. Tech’s relationships with Echo and Hunter resemble Hermes’ relationships with his parents. Echo has the Hestia anima, and he is capable of handling himself. Echo usually lets Tech carry out his risky plans, for example, he agrees with Tech’s plan to allow the Imperial authorities to impound their ship so they can find the chain codes in “Cut and Run”. In return, Tech looks out for Echo, for example, in “Unfinished Business”, he helps to mask Echo’s transmission as originating from Skako Minor, which allows Echo to successfully carry out his plan. Hunter, who has a Zeus archetype, allows Tech to carry out his plans, but he also expects Tech to follow his orders and not take unnecessary risks. This is evident in “Cut and Run” when Hunter gets angry at Tech for carrying out a plan that he disagrees despite trusting that Tech has everything under control. Tech does recognize and respect Hunter’s authority, and he carries out his orders even when he does not fully agree with him. When Hunter and Echo are not around in “Faster”, Tech goes to participate in Riot Racing and wins, which is the opposite of laying low. I am certain that Hunter and Echo are not pleased upon hearing the news.

People who identify as Hermes the god of boundaries have the tendency to “test the limits”. They may try to get around the rules or figure out how to get something that is off-limits. They have a diverse range of interests, but they may use unconventional methods to become successful like combining ideas from different fields or go beyond the usual limitations. They usually do not work for grades or the approval of others (this requires Apollo or Zeus archetype). When they succeed, it is because the work itself fascinates them and draws out their inventiveness.

During the battle simulation in “Aftermath”, Clone Force 99 realizes that the new battle droids are using live rounds and that their training blasters are of no use. This prompts the team to improvise. Tech’s improvisation involves reprogramming a battle droid and using it to take out other battle droids. The squad’s unconventional tactics impresses Tarkin, but he values obedience more than adaptability. He decides to test their loyalty to the Empire by sending them to take out some “Separatist insurgents” on Onderon. Before departing, Tech wants to gather more information about the rebels but Echo says that the Imperial files have been locked down tight so he cannot do much about it. Tech decides to try to crack open the files, even though such action will be deemed as unsatisfactory conduct by the Empire.

In “Faster”, Tech enters Riot Racing because he is fascinated by the sport and he needs to free Cid from Millegi because the team needs her as their source of income. He does not do it because he wants to win (even though it is necessary to free Cid and that he knows he can win) or he wants to get anyone’s approval (he is surprised that the crowd cheers for him). During the race, Tech drops the blaster section of his speeder and takes the left tunnel that is considered a death trap. Although many people are critical of his decisions because nobody has done it before, Tech’s willingness to push beyond the limits helps him to win the race, which showcases his inventiveness.

The presence of Hermes in our psyche enables us to communicate persuasively and to have a friendly attitude. With Hermes as his main archetype, Tech is generally careful with the usage of his words. For example, in “Aftermath”, when AZI describes Clone Force 99 as “genetically defective” clones, Tech frowns and prefers to use the term “deviant”. He uses that word again to describe the squad in “Battle Scars”. Moreover, Tech tries to bring up the Citadel mission in a respectful manner because he knows that mission is what caused Echo’s injuries that turn him into a cyborg, and he is considerate of Echo’s feelings. Furthermore, Tech’s Hermes archetype enables him to convey his messages in a way that is easily understood by others. For example, during the battle simulation, Wrecker grumbles as he cannot understand Hunter’s hand gestures, but Tech understands and reminds Wrecker to do what they did on Felucia, helping him to carry out Hunter’s commands. In “Cornered”, when repairing the ship, Wrecker is unable to understand Tech’s detailed explanation of the components’ whereabouts, so Tech has to direct him which components to pull out.

The ability to communicate persuasively can cause a person to have the tendency to justify their perceptions, decisions and actions, which is something Tech does often. In “Cut and Run”, he gets the Marauder impounded by Imperial authorities and explains to the angry Hunter that this is the “simplest” solution to get the chain codes. In “Replacements”, Tech tells his teammates that no critical systems of the ship were compromised, which gives them relief until the ship suddenly gets thrown out of hyperspace. Hunter thinks it is serious, but Tech thinks otherwise because it is not affecting life support (despite the ship is going to crash land on a moon). In “Battle Scars”, Wrecker is confused as to why the Rhokai gang is pursuing the Bad Batch. Omega points out that they have stolen Ruby the lizard from them. Tech corrects her, saying that the Rhokai stole the lizard first and they are merely “intercepting” it. In “Spoils of War”, when Hunter angrily demands an explanation from Tech as to why Omega is hanging off the ship, Tech responds that it is an unscheduled study break.

The ability to think inventively and to communicate persuasively can cause people to take on the shadow aspects of Hermes, becoming con artists and criminals. They may not learn about restraint and the sense of right and wrong. They are likely to act impulsively in getting what they want. They may lack the capacity to empathize or understand the feelings of others who are hurt by their actions. Hence, it is important to resist this negative aspect of Hermes by being aware of the consequences to oneself and others. Tech does take on Hermes the trickster occasionally like scrambling the ship’s signature to avoid Imperial detection in “Cornered” and creating and selling forged chain codes to the Axis Leader in “Tribe”. Though, he does all of these to protect himself and his teammates or to finish the job.

Tech does have a strong moral conscience and he prefers not to get involved in criminal matters, which is possibly strengthened since the episode “Infested”. In that episode, the Bad Batch helps Cid to take back her territory after she is forced out by her former client Roland Durand. The plan involves stealing Roland’s spice shipments and sabotaging his deal with the Pyke Syndicate. They successfully carry out the plan, but Roland leads the Pykes to them and exposes them as the thieves. To save all their lives, especially Omega who is being held hostage by the Pykes, they agree to retrieve the spice. They complete the mission and the Pyke leader spares all their lives and releases Omega (as for Roland, he is left humiliated and one of his horns gets cut off). In “Faster”, Tech, Wrecker and Omega must win the race to free Cid and her debt to Millegi. Tech says that Cid’s dealings with individuals of questionable integrity (which sounds like a polite way to describe criminals) have caused her to repeatedly use the Bad Batch to solve her problems, which has become a problematic pattern. Tech’s awareness of the consequences to himself and others helps to control his Hermes archetype and weaken its negative aspects.

People who identify strongly as Hermes must grow beyond this archetype by developing characteristics of the Apollo and Zeus archetypes. Apollo, the God of the Sun, immediately sees through Hermes’ lies. By cultivating the clear-sightedness and reasoning of Apollo, a person can restraint Hermes’ tendency to rationalize their decisions and actions. Apollo represents linear thinking and the ability to focus on a faraway target, which gives people the awareness of the progress of time and the need for a step-by-step approach to accomplish disciplined work. Apollo is also concerned with ethics and about what is right and wrong – which is important for Hermes people to gain success in the world. Fortunately, the social institutions help to encourage the development of the Apollo archetype, which means the Apollo-Hermes archetype combination is common among most people. All Bad Batch members have a strong Apollo archetype due to their military training. During the battle simulation, they quickly take their positions and carry out the standard training protocol. When they realize their usual methods are not working, they quickly improvise by taking reference from previous battle experiences like what they did on Felucia.

Tech has a strong Apollo archetype as he can plan ahead to accomplish a mission, and recall standard protocol and past battle experiences for improvisation. He also has memorized hand signals and all the ship’s specifications from memory, which is what he demands Omega to do before she can start flying the Marauder. This explains why Tech is confused when Omega says that flying is about a feeling because he uses precise calculations when flying. Though, I do believe that Tech uses his instincts occasionally when piloting the ship, perhaps only when the situation is dire. Moreover, when Tech shoots, he usually does it with precise calculations as seen in “The Bad Batch” and “The Crossing” (this is different from Crosshair who usually does it with instincts).

Tech has Apollo’s clear-sightedness as he can see through one’s ulterior motives. In “Aftermath”, Tech realizes that Tarkin has lied to the team about dealing with Separatist insurgents when they are actually Republic fighters. He knows that Tarkin and the Empire are bad news because they have blurred and twisted the team’s ideology, which is something he cannot accept. In “Infested”, Cid wants to take back her parlor and tells the Bad Batch that “they are in this together” because she is “good” at keeping secrets. Tech immediately knows that she is trying to blackmail them into helping her, in which she admits. Moreover, with Apollo’s clear-sightedness, Tech can see through hidden information like the fact that Omega is an enhanced clone, and that the inhibitor chips are what caused the regular clone troopers to carry out Order 66 without question.

In the myth, Zeus has the authority to tell Hermes to stop lying and restore Apollo’s stolen cows. He leaves no ambiguity and no place for any excuses. Hermes recognizes and respects his authority, and does what he is told to do. In real life, it is important for a Hermes person to have a father figure or a mentor who carries the Zeus authority. In this positive mentorship, a Hermes person gets to be part of a network and is encouraged to use their gifts. Hunter, who has the Zeus archetype, acts as a father figure and mentor to Tech. As the leader of the Bad Batch, Hunter cares about his teammates and makes sure that they all follow his orders and complete the missions. For example, during the battle simulation, Hunter is determined to not disappoint Tarkin and commands his teammates to improvise their battle strategy. Hunter does encourage Tech to use his gifts, which builds him up as a valuable team member. At the same time, he does not tolerate Tech making excuses or justifications for his actions. Their positive relationship helps Tech to develop his skills while respecting authority as he carries out the orders given by Hunter, Anakin and Rex without hesitation.

In Greek mythology, Hermes has many love affairs and many sons. However, his only notable lover is Aphrodite, who bears his son Hermaphroditus. Hermes yearns for her, but she rejects his love. Zeus takes pity on Hermes and sends his eagle to steal one of Aphrodite’s golden sandals while she is bathing. Hermes then offers her sandal back in return for her favours, and she is willing. This myth can be interpreted as a way for a Hermes man to grow, which is to find his Aphrodite. His Aphrodite serves as a challenge for him, and she moves him deeper into his emotional life by making him aware of his vulnerability and sensuality. In “The Crossing”, Wrecker, who has an Aphrodite anima, tells Tech to talk to Omega and make amends with her. Hunter agrees as she is having a hard time dealing with Echo leaving the Bad Batch. Tech accepts their advice, which eventually helps him to move deeper into his emotions. In “Pabu”, Phee is Tech’s Aphrodite as she helps him to be aware of his sensuality by bringing him to enjoy a feast and the island’s sunset (sensuality means bodily or sensory pleasure, which is not necessarily sexual).

With his Hades-Hermes archetype combination (Steven Grant from Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Moon Knight also shares this archetype combination), Tech can bring his extensive knowledge into the world to help others and to pass on what he has learned to others. Besides that, he also greatly appreciates art and culture, especially those on the brink of extinction. In “Ruins of War”, Echo, Tech and Omega encounters Romar Adell, who has the Hades archetype. He lives in solitude after surviving the Bombardment of Serenno, and he is not interested in monetary gains as he wants nothing to do with Dooku’s war chest. Romar is Hades the recluse here.

Romar then becomes Hades the Plouton when he gives Omega a kaleidoscope and she asks whether there are jewels in it. He explains that it is a toy that makes her happy, and that her happiness is worth more than any jewel. The colours and patterns emitted by a kaleidoscope symbolize change and growth. The symmetry of the patterns, which is in the shape of a mandala, represents balance, harmony, wholeness and totality (the archetype of the Self). Some cultures even use the kaleidoscope for meditation, relaxation and self-reflection. As Hades the Good Counsellor, Romar teaches Omega to value her subjective feelings of joy and remind her to reconnect with her centre or her Self, which takes the form of the Persephone archetype.

Later, Romar asks Tech to lend him a spanner so he can fix his datacore. He explains that the datacore contains a fragment of his people's history and culture. Tech mistakes it as a Separatist archive, but Romar corrects him, saying that it is Serennian as they did exist before the Clone Wars. Unfortunately, their history and culture are almost destroyed by the war. Count Dooku, who once ruled over Serenno, has exploited his own people and has stolen plenty from outside worlds to fund his war efforts. His quest for power eventually led to the destruction of Serenno City, forcing the survivors like Romar to take up life in hiding. Tech, who is innately Hades, understands why Romar cares so much about his cultural heritage. The war has resulted in the near extinction of Serennian’s history and culture – as if they have been thrown into the Underworld. If Romar loses his datacore, he will lose a crucial part of himself and his life will become meaningless. This is called psychological dismemberment, which depicts that anything being “cut off” is thrown into the Underworld. Psychological dismemberment is something Dionysus the God of Wine and Ecstasy knows well, which explains why Hades and Dionysus are connected. Besides that, Tech understands how Romar feels about losing his people’s history and culture because Tipoca City, which was the home of the clones, was bombarded by the Empire and he was there to witness its destruction, just like Romar was present when his former home, Serenno City was bombarded by the Empire.

As Hermes the rescuer, Tech fixes the datacore and restores its memories, which is equivalent to saving Romar’s soul from the Underworld and restoring a sacred meaning to his life. This is why Romar is overjoyed. Tech’s action helps to active the Hermes archetype within Romar, which becomes important when he helps Tech and Echo to find Omega, who has gone after the war chest. Echo, who has the Hestia and Persephone anima, convinces Omega to let go of the treasure, saving her from physical and spiritual death. Tech and Romar both become Hermes the rescuer as they save Echo and Omega from falling off a cliff. Before Tech, Echo and Omega leave the planet with Wrecker and Hunter, Romar lets Omega keep the kaleidoscope and tells her to remember what he said about the values of subjective experiences. He also tells Tech that he stays behind as he is a survivor. It does seem that Romar has a renewed sense of hope and determination after his unexpected encounter with Tech, which is true to his Hermes nature – like how an intuitive insight arrives on the scene. It is possible that Tech has reconnected with his personal values after his encounter with Romar. Initially, he is adamant in retrieving the war chest and using the fortune for the team’s own benefit. Echo disagrees and thinks that they should use the treasure to fight the Empire. Tech’s focus on seeking monetary gain is shifted when Romar needs his help to fix his datacore. By helping Romar, Tech is once again in touch with his personal values, which are learning new things and helping others.

In “Entombed”, Tech has been intently listening to Phee’s treasure hunting stories to the point that he can point out the inconsistencies in her stories. This indicates that Tech is drawn to her Hermes animus (Indiana Jones, a famous fictional character who is a treasure hunter, has a strong Hermes archetype). In that episode, Phee recognizes an item found by Omega in the junkyard as a compass that contains the coordinates for the Kaldar Trinary system. Tech says that he has no record of that system, which prompts Phee to say that the best treasures usually are not found on maps. She then brings the Bad Batch on a treasure hunt, and throughout the journey, she helps them (especially Omega) to navigate through the dark tunnels, avoid traps and solve puzzles, which are skills related to Hermes. However, Tech does not personally connect with Phee because he thinks that she goes after treasure for the money. After all, she does propose to split the treasure find by half with the team (they do need the money, but it does not align with their personal values and desires). When Phee retrieves the Heart of the Mountain, it turns the mountain into a giant war machine that shoots energy beams. Tech proposes to return the Heart to its proper place to deactivate the machine. Phee is initially unwilling to give up the treasure, but after Hunter warns her that they would be trapped on this barren planet if the machine destroys their ship, she agrees to return it but also warns that they owe her a debt for the loss of the treasure. Tech and Omega manage to restore the Heart and shut down the machine. The Heart also melts and the machine self-destructs. Even though Tech laments another failure of their treasure hunt with a professional, Omega and Hunter think that some positives do come out – that the legend is real and that nobody can use the weapon again.

When Phee brings the Bad Batch to Pabu, she takes them to the Archium, where she stores the “liberated” artifacts there. Tech informs that the tree-shaped artifact they retrieved has little monetary value, but Phee says that treasure can mean many things. She explains that most of the villagers on Pabu are refugees and many of the artifacts are remnants of their culture. As the liberator of ancient wonders, she retrieves these culturally significant artifacts for the refugees, which is equivalent to Hermes the rescuer going into the Underworld to restore their cultural identities. This is when Tech starts to bond with Phee through shared values.

I imagine in real life, Tech would be welcoming towards immigrants and refugees. He would do extensive research on their culture and tradition, learn to speak in their language, help them to find ingredients or suitable substitutes for their recipe, and celebrate their festivals. He would also respect their decisions in building a new life and support their work and business. He would help them to adapt to the new culture without losing connection to their native culture, so they could feel safe and belonged. Furthermore, I imagine that Tech would be interested in endangered languages and craftsmanship. He would record these endangered cultures if the people allow him to do so. He would support their hard work in preserving their culture. I can imagine Tech not tolerating colonialism and imperialism because the colonizers were responsible for oppressing the native people and destroying their culture. I imagine that Tech would think that repatriation (the return of someone or something to their own country) of stolen cultural artifacts is the morally right thing to do (which is ironic since he has “a little more British in his sound” as stated by his voice actor Dee Bradley Baker).

Tech has developed many archetypes (including his anima which is discussed in this link) through his military training and his significant, enduring relationships with the Bad Batch. He is in touch with the emotional realm, the realm of the mind and will, and his rich interior realm, which makes him highly adaptable. As the guide of souls and seeker of meaning, he eagerly teaches and learns from others so they all can benefit from each other’s insights and knowledge.

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thecameronchronicles · 2 years

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Whatever It Takes

TW: smut. Rough sex. Degrading Language. Language. Dark JJ-you’ve been warned 😉

SUMMARY: You are his obsession. Even more so since you started showing interest in a specific Cameron sibling. He won't let you make the mistake of being with anyone else but him...no matter what it takes...

WORD COUNT: 3100

Whatever it Takes

Reckless abandon wrapped behind features far too enticing for the majority of the female population to reject. Tourons, Kooks, and pogues alike, he managed to use his charm to have them on their back and screaming his name in a matter of minutes. But every time the sweat dried and the regret set in, he was left with that familiar emptiness of what he really wanted.

You.

He had always wanted you. But you never took it seriously as he flirted with absolutely everyone-including Pope. Of course, this was harmless, but enough for you to understand that it wasn't personal. It wasn't as if he dreamed of you or desired you over everyone else that it made him crazy. Or that he pleasured himself when he was alone at the thought of you or pictured being between your legs when it was some random girl he planned on never seeing again.

Only...he did.

The ways he could once distract himself; joints, random hookups, and even veiled humor and banter was no longer enough. No matter how beautiful the girl or how intense the high, he wanted more. He needed it.

But you were oblivious to this as these changes were only known to him. Of course, his eyes would linger a bit longer than what would be deemed appropriate for remaining just friends, but again, you believed it was his coquettish existence rearing its head again. Because of this, you allowed yourself to find your own entertainment in Rafe Cameron. He was handsome and every bit of fun you were seeking on this night. But you never held an intention of anything but maybe a dance, maybe even a kiss if you were bored. But you were very unaware that tonight, someone else had intentions of his own.

"Come on! You can't be done already!" Rafe teased, your hand collecting your stomach to the horrible cocktail constructed by Kelce that had you immediately nauseated.

"That's grotesque!" You laughed, struggling to catch your breath as you reached for some water to silence the burn.

"Just because you can't handle it-" Kelce began to defend his lack of bartending skills as you couldn't help but notice a specific set of preying blue eyes targeting you. If not for the motion of those passing before him, you may have kept your focus on the conversation ahead of you. But the way he stilled, somewhere between pensive and pissed, you were forced to make note of him. You had seen him in every emotion; destroyed after interactions with his father, blissfully happy wrapped around a bonfire with the other pogues, even in pleasure after walking in on him with another girl bent before him in her attempts to tame his lust. But this was the first for what could only be described as disgust.

"Hey...there's some of us going down to the beach for a late night swim...you should come...I'd love to see you there...all of you..." Rafe hinted, driving your attention back to him. But from your peripheral vision, you caught JJ shaking his head in furthering disgust before walking off with a scoff. Not wishing to instigate whatever seemed to affect him, you were led to the beach as promised, slipping out of your summer dress, and making your way towards the water, now joined by Sarah and a few mutual friends.

Somewhere between splashing one another and commenting how the guys were a glutton for your new suit and confidence, the sudden sound of chanting led your focus to a collective of your peers. Taking hold of your dress and setting it back over your wet suit, you pushed through the crowd before finding Rafe on his back and JJ over him in a straddle. A single line of blood dripped down his perfectly full lips, a matching crimson on the curve of his knuckles that lifted to imprint against Rafe, before he withdrew a pistol from his waistband. Immediately, the crowd dispersed as Rafe froze, JJ's inner demons raging a war between making him a murderer or a martyr, all dependent on pulling that trigger.

"JJ..." Your voice was small yet loud enough to be heard over the waves coming to a crash at your side. But still, you were ignored.

"Fuckin' psycho-" Rafe raged, managing to get away from JJ, who was somehow affected by your words enough to release him. But where the kook prince disbanded along with the group, you moved to JJ, seeing some form of darkness you only wished to amend. Where others were frightened of JJ, you'd never known him to be aggressive unless provoked. But more than that, you knew he'd never hurt you...

"JJ-" You called, reaching to console whatever angered him, despite some sense of you being annoyed, only to feel him shudder away from you. But between the toxic masculinity of his gaze throughout the night and Rafe's abandonment, you followed in suit of JJ in hopes of getting an answer to his recent behavior.

"Care to explain why you are pulling guns on people now?" You questioned, the very sound of your voice forcing him to clench his fingers into fists to keep from yelling at you.

"You can at least look at me-" You spoke in exhaustion, a winded breath making your words come out half-assed as he finally turned to you, coming to the back of the porch of this specific house in which the party was thrown.

"I thought you were better than this! But Rafe? Who's next? Top? Kelce? Ward?!" You glared at his accusation. "I mean are you that fucking desperate that the first guy who shows you attention, you just give it to him?!" He was now completely unhinged, spitting between words, the usual cool blue of his eyes darkening to what would be present in the midst of a storm; gray, even black.

"Why do you care?" To this, he scoffed.

"Are you THAT fucking stupid?!" Your eyes sharpened even more. "I've tried to get you out of my head, okay? I've tried staying high and burying myself in anyone else but you...and every goddamn time, it's YOU-'' You were taken back by his words, completely unaware of this until now. He took a step closer with your silence, your body tightening to his continuation.

"I've been patient with every other asshole you've brought around, even shook hands with a few of 'em..."

"But...we're friends..." You validated, this specific word only managing to anger him further. He began to bob his head as if showcasing some sense of understanding, and yet, denying it in majority.

"Being friends with someone doesn't make you feel like this-" He lifted the gun to his chest. Immediately, you reached for him to pull it elsewhere, but only giving him an excuse to pull you closer. Your back came to rest on one of the beams making up the porch as your eyes fell to the gun between you.

"I've been patient. I've been charming-shit, I've been supportive...But you walk around with those damn doe eyes and curves...that smart mouth and mix of innocence and desperation-"

"I-" You tried to speak but he brought the gun between your breasts, the cold exterior chilling your skin as his words contrasted in temperament.

"I'm done being nice..." To this, your eyes widened as he took his fingers to your waist, turning you against the banister that overlooked the water at least half a mile beyond the break between beach and this specific tip of suburbia.

"JJ-"

"I love how you say my name..." He ignored the plea behind your voice before taking your skirt high enough to reveal your butt. Teasing the fabric of your suit, still saturated from your swim, he snapped it in playfulness before taking a sudden slap to your ass.

"I've wanted this for so long...but I want it to be a specific way-"

"We need to talk about this-'' He suddenly turned you to face him, sandwiching you between the railing and him, his erection prominent against you as you blushed at the thought of how all of this excited him.

"I'm done talking. Unless you are begging me, I don't want to hear your fucking voice-"

"J-" He was abrupt in taking your hair within his grip, gun now set against your cheek. Doing so as if more of a reminder than a threat.

"I don't care if you hate me after this...I need this-I'm not waiting anymore-" Before you could object, his fingers managed to bypass the part of your skirt, his fingers on a loop of purposeful circles to your clit.

"Shit...You're so fucking wet, sweetheart..." Your eyes nearly rolled to the sweetness of his words as an opponent to his harsh motions. A portion of the tender boy you knew was quickly squandered by the release of your moans.

"What would they think about this Kook pussy getting fingered by a dirty Pogue, huh? Better yet...what would they say to how you're clenching around me-how much you love it-you need it…" He patronized as your hand wrapped around his wrist to his motions now twisting violently-painful even.

"What would Rafe think of it?" He laughed, palm now motioning over your clit as he set two fingers inside of you.

"Does he know how tight you are? Or you saving it all for me?" You found it difficult to breathe let alone speak as he quickened these pumps.

"Answer me!" He grunted.

"You!" He nodded, cocking his jaw, before edging you to the convulsions of an orgasm prepared only to withdraw with a moan.

"Knees. Now." You hesitated, eyes coming to the guests just around the corner or just beyond the door at your side.

"Anyone tries to stop us, I'll take care of them, make ‘em think twice about it-" He validated, almost sweetly, before sharpening against you once again.

"Now-knees." He demanded as you hesitated before he took you by your hair, gun cold against your hip, but still not to threaten.

"You're gonna stuff that smart little mouth with my cock until you're crying over it...and if I've had enough, I might let you cum...Now I'm not gonna ask again-" You swallowed hard, ignoring the reasons pulling at you from within to scream for help or run away into the night, before you moved to your knees and tried for his belt.

Your fingers began to fumble in nervousness as he pressed his palms to the railing at his back, shielding you from the moonlight but not enough to keep your eyes from finding his in a mix of excitement and anxiety.

"Be a good girl little whore on your knees and I'll make you cum like the slut you are-" The harsh words only excited you further, hidden kinks nursed by him, as you removed him from his confines and took him within your kiss.

"Fuck-" He breathed, a million nights having imagined brought to fruition-and still excelling expectations. Your lips swollen from sucking wrapped around his impressive cock, your tongue taking stock of the veins at attention to your motions, and your hand made into corkscrewed twists for what you couldn't fit beyond your reflex, all acted on his desire.

"More." He pushed, his hand wrapping your hair high above your neck and using you as more of a release than a partner. Your tongue fell loose beneath his shaft as you allowed him to abuse your tight throat, hoping it would be enough to gain his favor and therefore a release of your own.

"That's it-That’s it princess...oh shit..." He began to buckle faster, denying you breath before needing to observe you. The way your tears collected the moonlight, the way you were so submissive against your usual rebellion, even the allowance of your hair pulled at his will was enough to draw his lips to approval.

"You don't get to make me cum that way...You're gonna take me-Stand up-" He spoke quickly, taking you to the lounge chair only a few meters away, before taking your dress over your head. Before you could regain a proper breath, you felt his fingers try for the bottoms of your suit.

"Can we go somewhere else? Maybe the chateau?" You inquired as he only leaves over you.

"I'm not waiting another second to feel this fucking pussy. Now shut up and take me..." He ordered, dismantling your suit by pulling the knots made by you an hour earlier before pulling his own shorts beyond his waist. With one hand at the back of your neck, elbows used to support himself, the other took hold of his cock as he took no time to penetrate into you without warning.

"JJ!" You cried, his cruel girth and length sending pain, quickly amended by his thrusts driving you into the crimson fabric of the cushions behind you.

"That's right baby girl, tell everyone who's fucking you this good-" You blushed at the idea as he tightened his grip.

"So fucking good for me...taking me so deep..." He groaned, breath hot to your ear.

"Feels so good-" You managed to utter without correction or disapproval as he scoffed.

"Fucking right, it does..." To this, he devoted his dominant thumb to your clit, familiar circles returning you to that pleasure unexpected but made a necessity by him.

"You are so fucking desperste for me, you little slut...Clenching around me like my cock's giving you life-"

"Please don't stop! Oh my God! I'm gonna-" Suddenly he chuckled, denying you the release before pulling back from you.

"JJ?!"

"I'm not convinced you deserve it. Throwing yourself at everyone all summer just to get my attention-" He took your hand to his cock.

"Always in pain thinking of you...always let down when it isn't you..." You moved to take him in your mouth again, but he stopped you.

"I want your hands." You obliged quickly, working his shaft on the glory of this exposure. The moonlight allowed for the perfect illumination to witness the precum upon the tip of his cock, lubricating him perfectly as he began to rise against your palm. But where you believed he was too lost in lust to notice his loss of dominance, you were taken by the back of your neck.

"Beg me for it."

"Please-" You obeyed, sweetening your tone with the sultry cadence you hoped would put him over the edge.

"Again-"

"Please JJ-"

"What do you want?"

"You! Please! I want you inside of me-" Compromising for the lack of vulgarity from your lips that he more than made up for, you were now presented before him on all fours and knees, the poor lounge chair creaking in support.

"You gonna let me finish inside you?"

"Yes! God, just fuck me, JJ!" He smiled wildly, bottoming out within the first thrust as you moved in pure reaction. A hiss from behind and a smack to your ass informing you how he detested this.

"I move- you take it, understand?" You nodded, your apology interrupted by his ungodly pace as he held you enough to leave what would be lines as evidence for at least a few days.

"Good fucking girl...fucking whore-but MY fuckig whore, right?" You nodded. "SAY IT!"

"YOUR WHORE!" You cried.

"JJ! I'm gonna-"

"Good. I wanna feel you clench around me. Go ahead-cum-CUM!" He commanded, your body finding its release as you only now felt him connect his touch to your clit, now pulsating with thay fresh release.

"JJ!" You squealed, overstimulation present with the intention to do so.

"I've had to wait a long fucking time for this...You're gonna take what I give and be fucking grateful. Now stop whining-" He pulled you by your hair, reaching around to your breast to fondle where he could reach, before lifting you against him to kiss you. Leaving your breathing even more erratic by this, he layered his fingers to your neck to speak into your ear.

"Gonna let me cum in this tight little pussy? Yeah, princess?" You nodded, a second orgasm of your own keeping you silent as he growled in approval.

"You want it?" You nodded ferociously, needing the mixture of pleasure and pain to stop but also too high on his fulfillment of you to cease it. You would take everything he gave and still ask for more.

"Tell me."

"I want you to cum-"

"For you?"

"For me! Cum for me JJ please! Use me to make yourself cum!" To this, his eyes flickered with a mischief you only noticed as he turned you to face him.

"That's YOUR job for ME-" He would now force you to stand, only for a second, before bringing you into a straddle.

"You're gonna work me until I've had enough, got it?" You nodded, beginning to bob over him as he pulled the string holding your modesty in cover, and releasing your breasts to him. Both hands greedily made note of your breasts, kneading your nipples and rising to nibble the newly erect pebbles, as this motivated you to take him faster and deeper.

"Please JJ! Please cum for me!"

"Make me..." He taunted, mouth half full of your breast, as the vibration brought you to arch backwards. Rising to meet your hips, he now held one arm around your back to control you and the depth in which he took you, before leading himself up to you in rooted thrusts.

"Fuck! Princess, I'm gonna cum-"

"Yes, JJ! Please! Need you to cum-"

"Yeah! Yes yes! Fucking shit!" He expressed, your body working overtime to deliver the same release he offered you.

"Look in my eyes." He ordered, hand on the back of your neck. "I want you to remember this when you think about being with anyone else. Nobody will make you feel like this. Nobody will fuck you like this. And nobody will make you cum like this-" His thumb returned to your clit, aggressive but pleasurable beyond the stimulation well abused.

"Cum with me-Right now-Rught FUCKING now!" To this, you found yet another orgasm, this time, pulling the one from him as well. The extent of his climax, warm in validation inside of you, sent you to try and part, only to feel him dig his fingers into your hips to keep you in place.

"JJ-"

"We’re just getting started, princess..."

#outer banks #outerbanks #outer banks smut #outer banks fanfiction #obx smut #obx fanfiction #darkjj #jj maybank #jj maybank x reader #netflix #jjmaybank #jj maybank smut #jj maybank fanfiction

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michellemisfit · 1 year

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Tag game Tuesday Wednesday

Thank you @celestialmickey for creating this <3

Tagged by @look-i-love-u @lingy910y @mikhailoisbaby @captainjowl @sleepyfacetoughguy @spaceofentropy @ardent-fox @deedala @gardenerian @creepkinginc @thepupperino @energievie

I’m super late to this, so not tagging anyone. Sorry. Love y’all. Have some flowers 💐

Name: Michelle

Age: 38

What country do you live in? Britain (the great feels very subjective right now…)

How many blogs do you have? 2. This one and the podcast account @f-f-podcast

How many blogs do you follow? 327

Are you a hugger? Hell yeah! I’m a hugger, and a snuggler, and a biter, and a poker, and a raspberry blower, and a whatever else you’ll let me-er… I do understand that not everyone’s into it though.

Summer or winter? Eh. Not a fan of extremes. Farming in 40 degrees heat is MISERABLE. Farming in deep winter when pipes are frozen and you spent your morning break 2 inches thick sheets off ice out of water troughs is also MISERABLE… however @look-i-love-u was spot on by saying “there's the point in summer when you just can't take off any more clothes without getting arrested” so I guess Winter 🤷🏽‍♂️

Coffee, tea, soda, or something else? Tap Water. Then tea. Then fuzzy water. Then ginger ale.

Something about you that might surprise people? Cameron Monaghan and I have more in common than you might think? We’ve both been in Star Wars!

And hey, his character might have a name, but Cal’s “only” in a game. The Tatooine farmer I played was in one of the movies! So I win! 😆

If you had to get a tattoo tomorrow, what would it be? It’s weird to me that I do not have a Buffy tattoo, so probably that? I’m a bleeding heart, so it would 100% be one of the BIG MOMENT quotes, like ‘You’re not special. You’re extraordinary’ or ‘Every girl who could have the power, will have the power, can stand up, will stand up’ or ‘The Good Guys Are Always Stalwart And True’ or ‘Are you ready to be strong?’

But in my more frivolous moments I think I’d be hilarious to get “Out for a Walk… Bitch” on the arch of my foot or something silly like that lol

Would you consider yourself a private person or an open book? I always thought I was an open book. Until a friend of mine of like years and years said that I’m funny and great to be around and supportive and sweet, but that she doesn’t feel like she knows me. That was a brutal thing to be told. Basically, if you ask me anything at all, I will tell you the answer. But I don’t just share of myself because I was raised to think that no one would care, so why bother them with my personal life story? I’m working on that now…

Do you believe in soulmates? If soulmates do exist, they're not found, they're made. People meet, they get a good feeling, and then they get to work building a relationship. (The Good Place)

Also, because @sleepyfacetoughguy casually dropped this in and made me WEEP: ‘Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same’

Introvert or extrovert? Extrovert, but I get very sleepy..

Tell me something good that happened to you recently: Went to see Patrick Wolf yesterday. It’s been 20 years. And he’s had a tough time. It was nice to see him, and to see him happy.

And finally, say something nice to yourself: You’re not well at the moment. Maybe you can’t put an exact name to it. Maybe there’s too many names you can put on it. It doesn’t matter. You’re not well, and that’s valid. You need a break, and that’s valid. You wanna have a nap when you get home from work, and that’s valid. You feel like crying half of the day, and you know what? That’s valid, too. Fuck what you feel you should be doing/being/feeling/achieving. Stop being mean to yourself. Shut the fuck up and listen when people who love you tell you you’re good enough.

Oh, also? No one wants to hunt you for sport.

#tag game #Mys stuff #tag game Tuesday #meme #tag you’re it

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seancamerons · 6 months

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What are some of your favorite headcanons about Sean?

dude you have no idea, so if you don't know, when i love a character I make up entire elaborate backstories and the rest under the cut/read more.😊

first we got -

sean is 1 of 3 brothers. when his veparents were hs seniors they had 9 months later a baby boy, his name was carson. they shortly married at their local church strong armed by family. so that's the oldest. they were estranged for a long time. he'd been incarcerated since he was 18, for drugs and petty theft but he went away bc his friend hit a guy drunk driving and was charged with 3rd degree vehicular manslaughter or something like bad, like a 6 year thing, the person died etc so he was in jail most of sean's forminative years. he screwed up and he paid for it and sean was without being bullied by his older brother and such. tracker was also but they don't like talk at all. at least sean and carson had good times even when he was terrorizing him and tracker. tracker never let it happen he'd protect sean from carson's moods, unpredictable and violence. im not sure how this story came about but it only deepened when i started getting into shows in the teen drama variety and remembering things from the show contextual clues and whatever. so three bros, jail, hardworker and all drop outs - but sean was supposed to be the boy to finally graduate and make everyone proud and get out of wasaga. that were his goals. he had all that but the graduation and instead enlisted but idk how that all went. i assume good. i can see it going a few was. i think sean is alive and doing well. he works, till works out still handsome maybe has facial hair.

so more specificly - sean is the baby of his family. the bonus child, sad. totally a whoops, but still loved and maybe even coddled more the parents know they've been neglectful but he's loved and considered and has friends doing good, but maybe not as than perhaps the oldest carson who was when they were teens themselves and didn't know what they were doing, tracker who came later who at first were fine but their addictions to alcohol at home started later and sean bore the brunt and saw their parents at their absolute worse. totally a shitshow. by then carson was fucked up and incarcerated, his parents still doted as he was their oldest son and they kind of were young and should've never been that out of control but he got a rough hand and i kind of base that like how ryan atwood from the oc had this brother who was in jail the reason he even was in newport in so many ways but by then ryan had changed and trey i assume - similar to carson. this makes tracker the older, a bit wiser, less in trouble, family duty kind of good guy who tries his best but maybe is also cursed with the cameron destructo genes but also made it a good life for himself, helps his young brother after his brush with violence and such and put him out of harms way, at his mom's request to him. i don't think this was selfish NOW WE CHILDFREE WE CAN DRINK ALL THE TIME. no i don't think they wanted to drink, i think their body craved it so bad they NEEDED to drink but they ost the 'fun' of being buzzed or blitzed and rather needed it to stop feeling pain and numb, self medicate even if it's bad for them and the reason for 90 percent of their misfortunates like it or not. realistic, bleak and fucking dark. i also set some of my stories up to where they're adults dealing with this stuff because like it or not this fandom has a lot of adults and im sure they don't want a fluff fest where people are all honky dorey. i hate perfect people, so all my girls and guys are flawed but some people are super good people but live and exist in bad times or bad situations like 90 percent of people out here like it or not.

so for example in the story (backtrack) carson plays more of a active role in from his start, he wants to do better and change like trey atwood did after everything with getting released but then he started bad habits and hanging out with that girl and coming onto Marissa who just wanted to be nice and help him out, but he actually commits to it and finds happiness and becomes close with sean over a time. as kids he was tormenting him and calling him what he assumed a mistake and it explains how sean is because he's very mean to himself. he bullies himself or makes himself feel bad when good things are happening. anway carson based on sean. tracker is named after the father but like leave it to beaver - baby sean couldn't say scott but loved calling him tracker because of his tractor pajamas or his love of vechiles and his name kind of stuck. even now it's tracker, scott is their dad. tracker is tracker, sean's middle name in his backstory had been hope. so sean hope, i assume his mother watched soaps and watched ryan's hope or something (it used to be on soapnet i swear its related!) it's older than old but it's an older show about a young Irish family who settled in the Americas but in the present so they've got these thick Irish accent and they own a pub or at least someone does when they immigrated and all congretate and drama ensued.

i just wanted to sidebar this and say i did watch a lot of soaps as a kid, perhaps that's why i love making up stories. i used to do with my barbies too. when my mom would watch court tv for like OJ Simpson i'd be playing with my dolls and creating plots for them like it was days of our lives or all my children in my barbie dream house. i was kind of made to do that stuff. even with the grusome details and gory things i heard or didn't 'get', it was weird juxtaposition of adult shit and adult shit i assume is romantic adult shit. this is no different.

i watched days and all my children (my mom preferred amc)

i also used to watch springer and maury in the summer or when i was ill! so like the drama is still seared there, i mean with mary from paterinity or bad kids BootCamp kind of episodes, there was the maury drama stuff. also the weird competition reality shows like rock of love and flavor of love or the reformed ladies of both of these shows would be on the charm school and such and then Megan wanted a billionaire and got a murderer and the whole shebang fell apart. now vh1 plays trash. I'm obsessed with the 1980s thanks to that channel i love times like that you know, when i wasn't alive but would've loved to live at that time/place.

okay end rant.

so that's just one big large explanation. in short i can go on forever. is shared a lot of headcanons but that's one. ask if you want to hear some more. this is a bit weird bc i shouldn't think this deeply about the fictional but hey.

okay fine, you caught me in a good mood, and i think you're awesome - one more headcanon for sean:

the tattoo is real. jay's too.

i love platonic as well as romantic friendships or love between close friends, but in a strictly platonic way and of course romance in every sense but the point is, you can be soulmates in a friend kind of way. i believe that's true for jalex. they were best friends i think. the show establishes them as young kids, in love or affectionate, but also had history for a long time and maybe there's a lot we do not know about their lives pre show or after. do they talk? 100 percent.

so jay and sean got tatted. sean has a lot of friends in wasaga (in degrassi he has none) so when he first came back to degrassi and had all these friends, one big bad bully tyler (the guy who got him back over to) and of course you knew what comes next.

one of sean's friends is like a tat apprentiece. she's new and she wanted to ink a friend. sean trusts her judgment and he agreed, jay and him had a "if you do it, I'll do it" when asked what they wanted they were told, "Make sure you love it and have no regrets because it's perminant." by this time in his life this is between season 4 and season 6 a lot had happened but over that time sean had realized he cares about emma way more than a friend and she had like it or not moved on but at this time he had no idea about that. jay was instrumental but didn't tell at that time. he'd visit him and give him the low down. so the friend who is an artist apprentice who needs to practice took it, and she's still got to get used to skin as opposed to lettering and details so it looks mighty rough. but they both said out loud from their room one guy was on one side, and the other guy was in the other chair.

"emma" sean quietly answers. "spelled e m m a"

"alex" jay announced. "self explanitory."

sean's friend her name is sabrina, often called brina or bree asks them as she's working on the lettering and they're sitting tight in the office. jay actually doesn't tease sean about emma or getting inked. by this time ellie hadn't been a blip on the radar, but emma had been on his mind. she was the first face he saw as she drove away, and the first face he wanted to see if and when he comes back to town.

they talk abiout the girls in their lives. by this point jay had alex had been split up and he more than anything wanted to be like before, before when they were everything to each other. he didn't want to forget her. he didn't want to not be her friend, and he fucked up their relationship and this was his way of memorializing their relationship.

for emma she was close to his heart, hence the chest as the location of this tattoo and he truthfully feels like connected even if they're apart.

long story short, the tats were a secret. emma unless they bumped uglies probably never found out about the tat, unless they had the kind of secs where he wasn't shirtless but it's sean cameron of fucking course she's gonna have no shirt in that (sorry just a headcanon) i mean there was a reason he was often at home dressed like in wifebeaters or shirtless playing sports with the guys) im sure at home he dresses in as little as he can so shorts/tank top no hodies unless its cold and he works out frequently in his non heated/non ac or hot apt. im sure air is expensive fans are expensive and water is expensive so he's living in the now for sure but once he returned back to 'get the diploma;, he justified setting his eyes and heart onto emma. i do believe he had goals, but he truly more than anything missed emma.

say what you will but his heart is often found in the right place. he might have flaws, but he is deep down a wonderful guy with a sad life. six was a disservice to him and his legacy for being a little bit mushy in the inside heart of gold, hero complex but also a great guy to have in your corner. that's him.

so when he said (paraphrasing this) he didn't want to come back for all the things he'd said, what he really wanted was love from her. he loved her and he also hurt her. sometimes he hurt the people he loved, or who loved him, and felt bad later because in the heart of the moment with his words he burned all those bridges. such as when he stole from Simpson. i don't know if emma was ever proven right to her face, she sounds like assuming without knowing but assuming that something was said. he says to her, he pretty much came back to be around her again.

i do believe the scene in the basement in the 2nd part of "here comes your man" clearly he wanted to confess a little bit about that but she kind of set the boundary she can't care about it because

1. she's got peter/he needs her even if they'd had a lot of build up and yet she can't be her real self.

2. manny clearly has something against sean over peter (what even was that?) i wouldn't be nice to him either tbh.

3. i don't think she doesn't care, it's that it's hard for her to imagine that because she'd been burned in the past not just by him, but his departure, or indirectly through hurled insults and other things throughout her life experience/lived experience attending degrassi!

4. a secret option idk combination of 2/5

5. all the above!

either way this kind of breaks sean's heart (teeny bit) and she begs him to turn himself in, or suggests this is the only way but that was a sad thing. he got hauled off and shit and peter got what? slap on the wrist - why did the writers love him? he sucks. peter got away with too much.

the worst thing sean did wouldn't equate peter's worse - like what he did to manny? inexcusable. what a bad guy. why was manny defending him, and i don't wanna hear the obvious, "oh he stood by your side during your eating disorder!"

no, i aint buying they're doing the sexy shit either. so seeing sean, who i believe she was attracted to him beyond looks but they sure didn't make it a issue because he had the package - handsome and such, but also messing up a bit bc the street races were illegal and what they were doing was no question illegal and morally grey.

also why tf jay sabotogue sean like that and tell him to run? when is any vechiular thing warrant them to idk. but he did and stuff and we all know it was nothing. either he didn't know that running from the scene as his friend told him to do bc that there is a hit and run OR jay wanted to cause sean grief for some weird reason or things just went down and he panicked and didn't want sean to go to jail, and thought it'd be better if he ran but still. so i gave you a bunch of things to sort through.

💐💌ty for the message!

#asks #seancameronism #i've been wanting to answer this but i been so busy tryna figure out what headcanon i sit on would be the best of the options #i have 1000s narrowed it down tho thanks!#💌 tysm for the ask!!#headcanons #stories #fic #writing #writing tag #ideas #sean cameron #degrassi #semma #emma nelson #jay hogart

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problemswithbooks · 1 year

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Avatar Spoilers

Okay so I saw the Way of Water a few days ago and I can’t help but talk about one aspect that just sort of bugs me.

The whaling stuff. I know people felt really emotional during those scenes but I couldn't help but roll my eyes at how forced it all was. First of all they introduce way to late why the RDA or whatever is killing the whales at all. Then when we do get told why they kill the whales it’s really stupid and has nothing to do with anything else in the film.

The whales somehow produce a serum that makes humans not age and so apparently people spend millions of dollars for it. But why? Why is this the special thing Cameron chose for this stuff to do?

We already got told that the RDA is trying to take over Pandora this time because the Earth is dying and they want to move people to the planet to escape death. It would make far more sense if this serum, instead of being an anti-aging cream on steroids was instead tied to that first reason--say it gave humans the ability to breath Pandora air. Now this whale killing has a direct connection to the colonization of Pandora and getting rid of them is a blow to the humans over all plan instead of it being a side thing that’s unrelated, except by the fact it shows humans being terrible.

Also, it I think it’s incredibly stupid that the whales are supposedly pacifist to a fault. I’m sorry but considering Cameron spends a good portion of his life studying the ocean he should know that RL whales aren’t 100% peaceful. Then again given his egregious remarks about Native Americans I guess he just figures that if any living thing faces mass slaughter it means they didn't fight hard enough to survive.

Whales were incredibly hard to kill, and sailors did die doing it. Many whales attacked boats, the grey whale being know as particularly violent, having earned the name ‘devil fish’ due how hard they fought. The Right Whales were really the only ones that were relatively easy to take down and that was less because they had some pact of pacifism and more because their feeding habits--sticking close to the surface, made them easy targets.

On top of that, if these creatures refused to ever kill anything they would straight up not exist. Yes they are big, but we see a similarly sized predator that attacks relentlessly. These predators would go after the calves and unless the mothers fought back their babies would get eaten every time. Heck, even the adults would be easy prey if they just sat there and did nothing because ‘fighting bad’.

I also don't know how the RDA even figured out the whales produce such a serum in the first place. Presumably they’ve only been back on the planet for a year and during that time Jake and his tribe have been harassing the crap out of them. When did they have the time to go all the way out to the ocean and kill a random whale and discover that these creatures so happen to produce a oil that stops human aging?

Whaling is a very old practice, which only became incredibly harmful during the industrial revolution when the demand for the products they produced skyrocketed. Before then, as long ago as 3000 BC people had been subsistence hunting cetaceans for food and resources. How did the RDA discover this product and streamline their hunting in less then a year?

It would make far more sense if the Na’vi sea people also hunted the whales, and used that same oil for something similar, which is how the RDA found out about it.

You might think that’s bad but today some of the few people allowed to hunt whales are Native tribes who still do it in a sustainable way and for survival. They hunt traditionally and use everything they get from the whale. It’s a huge part of their cultures and that is why they still, rightfully, are allowed to hunt whales.

It could even still fit in to how he characterized the tribe as being brothers and sisters to the whales. Maybe older whales, knowing they’re going to die want to give their bodies to the tribe, so they do a ceremonial hunt. It’s seen as an honorable way for the whale to die, helping test the tribe’s skill, while also at the end giving their body to them so it can help the tribe continue to grow.

This makes how the humans hunting them even worse because unlike with the tribe they aren't getting consent, nor do they have the bond with them as the tribe does. Not only that the humans are wasting everything, unlike the tribe who make sure that every part is used out of both respect and necessity. The humans are killing for profit, the tribe is doing it out of respect and need. The humans are perverting a sacred custom of the tribe making all the more egregious.

I don’t know, I just felt that this part of the film felt very ham fisted, especially since whaling isn’t the biggest threat to whales anymore, and instead it’s pollution and getting caught in fishing gear. On top of the serum the humans take not being at all tied to the main threat of humans trying to colonize Pandora, it felt very disconnected to the rest of the plot. To me I feel it could have been removed and instead the ship could have just been the regular RDA goons attacking villages to get Jake and his family. They didn’t need to be whalers, who are going after a product that has no tie to the main plot.

Heck, they didn’t even need to be whalers to kill a whale--they could still kill the whale to lure Jake out anyway.

#avatar spoilers #avatar way of water #idk it's not a bad film #in fact I like it more then the first #but their are issues with it #and the whaling was one for me #it felt very tacked on #like we already had a bad guy for the film #and a reason why the humans are bad and exploiting the planet #it's just weird to have some throw way line about how this whale brain oil is the new thing they want #instead of the metal they wanted in the last #and this new thing just so happens to be right where the protagonist has just fled to #when he really should have known the RDA was being active in the area already given how long he's been fighting them #you'd think he'd double check to make sure they weren't anywhere near where he was fleeing to #then again the world building can be a bit off in Avatar #case in point the RDA doesn't make any sense #but that's for a different post if I ever get around to writing it

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poguesarerogues · 2 years

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Good Riddance (chapter 3)

Pairing: Rafe Cameron X OC

Word Count: 1,218

Warnings: none

Synopsis: The 'tip of an iceberg' of fights begins as Rafe confronts you about not replying to his messages after leaving the party.

A/N: This chapter hasn't exactly gone to plan. It was a bit difficult for me to write because I feel like I'm already having writers block for this series so I have no idea what this will lead to in future chapters. my apologies for the choppiness/sloppiness of this chapter.

Previous Chapter ————————————————————————

If gods existed then surely, they have cursed you, or at least it seems like it since nothing has gone your way regarding your relationship with Rafe, which you now consider to be past tense, as well as with your endeavors to get rid of anything and everything regarding him. You curse the heavens above and hell below for what lies in your path as you force the door shut, now having to face the one person that has caused you so much suffering. Vile words that you so badly want to scream out at him become choked as you bite your own tongue. Even though you’ve now come to the realization that he is insufferable as a human being, you still give him the time to lift himself to his feet and face you rather than bombarding him with an attack of curses and accusations while he’s still on the floor. Even though you know he deserves every bad name in the book, even though he has hurt you in ways that he promised he never would, your anger still doesn’t win over the part of you that lets him take control of the situation, or at the very least begin whatever argument will take place.

“You left and didn’t answer any of my texts or calls. Do you know how many times I’ve called you? And you never picked up.” His face is emotionless but his jaw is clenched as he looks down at your tinier form in front of him. Even now it’s so hard for you to not get lost in those sky blue eyes of his.

“Like I needed to tell you. You should’ve known that I would leave considering the fact that you made it very clear that you didn’t want me around.” You spit out with malice.

“You were being a little bitch, sulking to yourself just because other women find me attractive and want to be around me…” he pauses to run his fingers through his hair “some of them just want to be around me because I have drugs to sell to them yet you go around acting as though everyone is out to fuck me and you act as though I’m giving them exactly what they want when you know damn well that all I’m doing is selling coke and occasionally macking on a drunk bitch because they get clingy with me. That’s not my fault!”

He throws his hands up in the air before pointing at you “Y/n, you act like I do this all the time when I don’t and when I do sleep with other girls it’s always whenever you deny me. I’d prefer to only be with you but, when you refuse, I’m not gonna just miss out. Oh, no. I’ve got options so why shouldn’t I have my needs met? I haven’t done anything wrong. And don’t act like you’re so innocent.” His voice has risen, his emotions now showing through as he points an accusing finger at you while he stares you down with the deepest frown you’d seen on him yet.

“Everyone remembers that one time you went around clinging yourself to whatever man you could get your hands on after you took a hit, but I guess you get a free pass, right? You really want to go around being a hypocrite don’t you?”

Your mouth gaped open; Rafe had never used the same situation against you before yet now was the time that he decided to bring it up and use it in defense of his own wrongdoings to such an extent. All the other times that he had started a fight he’d only go on to say that everyone messes with people outside of a relationship all the time so it shouldn’t get under your skin as much as it does and he had never openly admitted that he fucked other girls, before now he had only ever told you that he’d make-out with them. The fact that he has just confirmed your deepest fears about what had been a high possibility during your relationship and the fact that he would go so far as to use a time where you were under the influence as a means to make you feel bad and to make you seem like you were on the same level of his unfaithfulness to your relationship even though it happened only once was a new low for him and even more reason that you wanted to end things with him.

“That was only once AND I WAS HIGH!” you scream at him “you do it regardless of whether you’re drunk or high or sober so don’t you dare think for a second that we are on the same page.” You’re fuming now, your breath ragged as you hold back screams and the tears that rush to your eyes.

“And unlike you I feel guilty about what I’ve done. I feel guilty about going around that night, I feel guilty about all of the times that I considered going after another man because our relationship lacked something I wanted, but at least I never did go to another man except for that one moment. I feel guilty for all of the lies I’ve told you even though I knew to say them because they’d keep me safe… safe from you. I feel guilty! Could you ever say the same?! NO! Because you never feel any guilt about anything! It’s always ‘not a big deal’ or nobody’s business or not your fault! Well guess what?! Now it is! This is your fault! The reason I left the party and the reason I’m no longer talking to you except for now, because we’re stuck together until this storm ends, the reason why I’m ending this relationship- IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!”

A moment of silence goes by, Rafe standing still as a statue besides a brief moment when he bites on his lips causing them to thin at, his eyes also darting around and his nose flaring undoubtedly all from barely controlled anger, which you know will likely end up coming out verbally, and perhaps even a bit of physicality involved as well.

It isn’t long after you shift your weight while crossing your arms against your chest that Rafe speaks up in hopes, and belief, that he’ll get the final word before moving on to putting you in your place in other ways that he much rather prefers and enjoys than verbally attacking one another.

“You know what y/n, I do feel guilt…..Yeah… I do feel guilty actually.”

You’d be caught off guard, but Rafe has his mouth left wide open, his eyes looking as they do when they’re dilated, they give away the fact that he has sinister plans rattling in his head just the same as his now predatory stance as he leans forward just slightly but he begins walking to your right despite his stare never once leaving you.

“I feel guilty for not showing you exactly where you stand in this relationship. I feel guilty for not making it clear that what I say goes and that you have no choice in the matter. I feel guilty for not making it more obvious to everyone including you that you belong to me.”

----------------------------------------------------

Tag list: @gillybear17

#rafe cameron #rafe obx #rafe cameron imagine #rafe #rafe fanfiction #rafe imagine #rafe x reader #rafe x you #outer banks #rafe outer banks #outerbanks rafe #obx imagine #outer banks imagine

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trevuorzegras · 3 months

Text

━╋ MY RIGHT TO BE HELLISH, final part

jealous by nick jonas

summary: In which y/n y/l/n soft launches her relationship, and Quinn Hughes, attempts to do the same with his. (part 4/4)

pairings: quinn hughes x actress!reader

platonic!jack hughes x reader. social media au

faceclaim: dove cameron

prev part

yourusername

yourusername: i hate (love) him so bad, literally want to get rid of him (be by his side forever) asap! boyfriend for sale (not really) $2!

liked by _quinnhughes, canucks, and others

user1: i was going to ask who this is but quinn’s post gave it away 💀

↳ user2: i don’t think he got the memo 😭

yourusername: well since you don’t know what the fuck a SOFT launch is you can comment.

↳ _quinnhughes: I SAID I WAS SORRY

_quinnhughes: i love you sweet girl

↳ yourusername: i love you more my sweet boy

↳ jackhughes: GAG BARF yourusername

canucks: our newest wag!

njdevils: even though you’re a wag for the WRONG team, congratulations! 🫶🏼

↳ yourusername: still have so much love for you guys don’t worry. still showing off the hughes name

user3: now THIS is a soft launch 🔥🔥

↳ user4: for real what the hell was quinn doing 😭

user5: was lowkey rooting for y/n & luke but they cute or whatever

↳ lhughes_05: we can still be related, sister in law coming when _quinnhughes

↳ yourusername: when you can actually pull bitches who aren’t fan girls under the age of 18 that you don’t even know exist lhughes_06

↳ lhughes_06: uncalled for. yourusername

user6: congrats!

user7: HE GOT THE GIRL

_quinnhughes

_quinnhughes: i’m supposed to be “soft launching” whatever that means.

tagged: yourusername

liked by trevorzegras, lhughes_06, and others

yourusername: WHAT IS THIS 🔥🔥

↳ _quinnhughes: its what you asked for? is it not?

↳ yourusername: baby i said a soft launch not a full on picture of my face and a tag _quinnhughes

user6: THIS A WHOLE EARTHQUAKE LAUNCH LMFOAOAOA

↳ yourusername: I AM CRYINGGGG

user7: to think you guys thought he lost her to jack smh, you guys had no faith in my boy

user8: congratulations you two! ❤️

canucks: wag life or no life

↳ yourusername: canucks get it

trevorzegras: mama y papa

↳ _quinnhughes: no.

↳ yourusername: yes 🤗

jackhughes: bro got a girl before me??

↳ yourusername: you have 0 game

↳ jackhughes: OH OKAY. OH OKAY yourusername

user9: bro did NOT soft launch 😭😭

↳ yourusername: he 😭😭 tried 😭😭

yourusername: i love you sweet boy 🫶🏼

↳ _quinnhughes: i love you sweet girl

user10: so how long have they been keeping this a secret from us ☹️☹️

user11: been their #1 fan since day one

user12: I CALLED IT

user13: i call flower girl

↳ user14: i call bride

↳ yourusername: ?? what. user14

wrote all three of these chapters in a single night. i hope you guys enjoy it as much as i enjoyed making it 🫶🏼

check out my navigation, here!

check out my nhl masterlist, here!

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bradenthompson · 5 months

Text

King of the Beach pt. 0

Apparently you aren't allowed to buy six chinchillas at once.

And what a shame, because Cameron Otterlake just felt like a fucking genius. God emperor of boyfriends. He pointed out a dog on the TV, saying he'd always wanted one but the state had outlawed breeding that particular "crime against nature." Something about their hearts not pumping enough blood around their cute little bodies. Olivia Achenbach then said she always wanted chinchillas (plural) but her mother didn't trust her ability to care for gerbils or whatever chinchillas are exactly. Information Cameron filed away.

Cameron Otterlake and Olivia Achenbach, soon celebrating six happy months of mostly-serious dating, had seen the now illegal dog while watching HGTV's Malibu Million Dollar Makeover. A home renovation show with a twist: its subjects could afford lots on the Malibu beachfront. Case in point: Olivia's older sister, who along with her fiancé had just bought a three story 1997 development, now appearing on HGTV to catalogue the interior redesign. Vince Neil had owned that place for a time. As did Thomas Eisenberg, owner of the Golden State Privateers, a WNBA team active from 1997 until 2010 when Eisenberg sold to an anonymous buyer that immediately dissimilated the franchise for an obtuse tax incentive.

Emmaline Downer-Achenbach thinks bar trivia like this makes for good TV but Olivia is so enchanted by the sight of her sister on the small screen (technically a Samsung 4K projector) Cameron lets this bit of sass dissolve on his tongue. TV appearances are uncommon in her family.

Him and Olivia come from different worlds. The Achenbachs are jet ski royalty. Barons and baronesses unto some ten percent of all Lake Tahoe rental cabins. Her uncle owns the patent for swim goggles (Cameron didn't know such a thing existed or was allowed). Impressive. Eyewatering money for, statistically, ninety-three percent of all people who will ever hear the name Achenbach. All of this makes them only a noticeable wedge of the Otterlakes.

Excusing himself to the bathroom, Cameron had rang up a boutique pet store he remembered seeing last time he was downtown.

"Do you carry chinchillas?" he had asked.

"Are you asking for supplies?" the clerk said.

"No, the animal."

"Yes, we have two families in our breeding program. We could have one prepared for adoption--"

"One isn't gonna be enough. I need, like, three."

The clerk hesitated, briefly, then asked Cameron what someone would need with three short notice chinchillas.

"Girlfriend wants one. Ever since she was a kid."

He'd been peeking out into the sitting room, eyeballing where a pet pen could be laid without interrupting the gigantic couch. Or maybe he should just have them all wandering the couch and rug. That might be cute. Oh, and she just... keeps finding more.

"Actually let's make it six. Even number. Can we do three boys and three girls?"

The pet store clerk had had enough. Like Cameron's some kind of stupid kid, she tried telling him people are always coming in and adopting pets for a cheap thrill when even a goldfish is a big responsibility. The pet store was categorically uncomfortable with selling him six chinchillas with no prior experience, nothing to suggest a positive quality of life, something something God's creatures blah blah blah. He hung up.

"Cam?"

He jolts back to reality. He had been thinking about the call with the pet store and getting mad again. "Mm?"

"Tez is taking his yacht out tonight for the fireworks," Olivia enunciates extra hard. This must be her second or third time saying this. "Did you wanna go."

"Who is Tez?"

"TezasterHD, the YouTuber I was telling you about."

"And YouTubers have yachts now."

"No, YouTubers whose parents sold Key West houseboats to all the Wahlbergs have yachts. Don't think like the huge ones--the mini cruise ships. It's one of those big sailboats."

"I don't know that guy," Cameron repeated, "but you can go."

"But I want you to come."

"I can't invite myself on other people's boats."

"Yes, you, Cameron Otterlake, actually can. Tez would scream. Bianca Thomasson is gonna be there."

"Who?"

"Do you know anyone? She was on Disney Channel."

"Tell you what," Cameron offered, scooching down on the small island of a couch until he was looking at the ceiling. "We take my boat. Fill it up with people that people actually know. Watch the fireworks without a big fucking sail in the way. Hm?"

Olivia laughs. Her smile flashes a lot of gum. Like it's mostly gums. It's not that it's not cute, it's just always what Cameron's gonna focus on.

"You don't know who this guy is but you wanna emasculate him."

"I want to give you, Liv, the best fireworks experience. We'll launch my own, even."

"You have your own fireworks," Olivia repeats like she's caught him in a lie.

"Custom-made. Some of them spell out the Otterlake monogram. We had them made for my great-grandpa's 100th, but Dad ordered too many."

Olivia laughs again (gums). She lies down parallel to Cameron, tucking her head under his armpit left splayed while he scrolls his phone. "I'll call some friends," she says, "we wouldn't want your way better fireworks boat party to go without bikini girls."

"Not necessary in the least," Cameron's quick to say.

"Well, aren't you a gentleman."

"No, I mean don't overextend yourself. I can call my own."

Victory for Cameron Otterlake. He'd just got done exchanging emails with the 12th Avenue Petco who hooked him up with fourteen chinchillas. Ready for pickup tomorrow. Olivia's gonna lose her mind.

#writing #writeblr #my writing #bookblr #writers #writers on tumblr #nightblogging #short story #this came to me while browsing zillow listings sorted from high to low

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twinkleimagines · 3 years

Text

* Dirty Pogues *

Because of Rafes addiction to the party life and drugs, he tends to leave you out more than he realizes- at least until he sees a pogue by the name of JJ giving you more than enough attention.

⚠️ rated R 18+, drug use, and cussing included. ⚠️

2.9k words.

`"Take another one, hurry" Rafe rushed his best friend Topper, as he watched him lean down snorting another line of dope off of Rafe's phone case.

Rafe had taken you to the annual bonfire, this year it being out in the Boneyard of OBX, and as per usual he was so caught up in the drugs and his friends he had practically ditched you the moment you had gotten there. You watched from afar as Rafe, Kelce, and a few desperate for attention girls cheered Topper on as he sniffed the substance up his nose.

You shook your head in disappointment before turning back to look at the fire. You absolutely loved Rafe, sure- but the drugs made it so hard for you. Ever since he took his first dose of Dope at one of the parties he went to, he's been hooked ever since. He had changed as well. He seemed to have less time for you and more time for this new life he's cooked up for himself.

The parties you could handle, because he use to have you under his arm the whole time. No girl could even question who Rafe Cameron was with. But now when you go to parties its like you're just some loner sitting in the corner as your boyfriend does whatever he pleases.

"oh shit!" you hear someone from behind you say as they practically fall into you from behind. You stumble forwards towards the fire as you try to catch your balance.

"Shit I'm sorry I'm so clumsy" The guy laughed out, you could tell he was a bit tipsy but nothing to serious. He had shaggy type blonde hair with blue eyes, a gray sleeveless shirt on and some brown shorts. He was cute, but guessing from his attire he was a pogue.

You were never one of those 'kooks'. You never looked down on someone just because of how much money they do or don't have. So the Kook Vs. Pogue war didn't bother you.

Neither of you recognized each other either. You didn't know that this guy just so happened to be one of your boyfriends biggest enemy. Simple because Pogues and Kooks didn't go to the same parties unless it was the bonfire, and even then everyone was pretty well divided out.

"ITs okay, i get like that sometimes too" You assured while tucking your loose hair behind your ear. He sat for a second looking you over, questioning if you were worth him trying to continue the conversation or go ahead and heading back to find his friends.

Needless to say, you were.

"I'm JJ" He replied sticking his hand out. You quickly placed yours in his, his hands a bit rough, assumingly from a lot of outside work.

"Y/n" You responded back with a grin. He smiled back in response before lowering his head some.

Is he blushing?

"So uhm is this your first bonfire?" he asked standing next to you, facing the fire.

"Believe it or not i come here every year" you responded, grinning at him as he looked at you in surprise.

" no way" he replied with a shake of his head. You giggled before nodding.

" yes seriously" you assured.

" Listen Y/n i come to these parties every year too and i Think i would've remembered seeing you" He laughed out. you grinned before looking back out to the fire.

You weren't flirting with this 'JJ' guy but it was nice to get some attention for once. Rafe seemed to mainly only give you attention when you guys were home alone, but out in public it was as if you didn't exist.

You quickly looked back, seeing one girl placing her hand along side Rafe's arm, your heart sinking when you saw him smile down at her, not even bothering to remove her from him. You hadn't realized you were still staring while frowning until JJ looked over to the direction you were looking.

luckily for you there was a few more crowd in between you and Rafe so JJ didn't see exactly who you were looking out.

" you expecting someone?" he asked glancing back at you. You hesitated on your response.

"No, I had came here with someone but he's more infatuated with other women so, I'm just here by myself" You said , sadness over coming you as the reality of what you just said sank it. JJ frowned, the sight of you being upset making him uncomfortable.

JJ was a naturally born goof ball, and he always wanted those around him to be happy. it didn't matter who it was. Its possibly because he's so unhappy with his life that having happy energetic people around him helps bring him out of his sadness.

"Well come on" JJ said grabbing ahold of your hand, pulling you away from the fire. "Screw who ever it is, lets go have some fun yeah?" You grinned before looking back over at your boyfriend.

JJ was nice and cute of course, but he wasn't Rafe. Seeing him ignore you with a bunch of girls only infuriated you though, and your mind started to wonder towards Jealousy and revenge. Things were going to change though. you were tired of feeling left out and unwanted. So who was it going to hurt to hang with someone who is giving you attention? I mean the probability of JJ only being this nice because he probably just looking for someone to bone tonight is high, and you of course would never actually cheat on Rafe- but if he could flirt, so could you.

You finally agreed to go with JJ, him leading you more towards the Pogues area.

The night had become long, and after a few red cups of whatever they had in the kegs, you were beyond tipsy, some would even say you were drunk. You looked over at JJ, smiling widely.

This was the first time you had laughed this much in a long time. You have had your fair shares of laughs with Rafe but in all honesty, this past month you've been nothing but alone and sad because he gave drugs and the party life more attention than you.

His friends were even so welcoming, despite you being a kook. You had assumed they didn't know you were with Rafe, since your boyfriend had been one of meanest Kooks out there to pogues. Which was something you didn't agree upon, but never really said much about.

"You having fun?" JJ asked leaning over close to you. You grinned while nodding.

"yeah actually, i am" you responded. and you weren't lying either. You were having way more fun than you did sitting over at a fire , alone.

But deep down you missed Rafe. You wished things were the way they were when you were alone with him. He was always so loving, and played games with you and watched movies, but once he was around his friends it was like he put on this mask to look cool or hard.

"You want to get out of here ?" He asked. You lowered your head, although you enjoyed JJ's company, You loved Rafe , and you weren't about to over step any boundaries.

"Well i-" you were quickly interrupted by a fuming Rafe talking over you.

" she wont be fucking going anywhere with you" Rafe spat out, pushing JJ back off of the tree stump he was sitting on. You quickly jumped up in anger , pushing Rafe from the side, even though he barely even budged.

"What the fuck Rafe??" You yelled out, walking over to help JJ up only to be stopped by Rafe grabbing your arms.

" the fuck are you doing Y/N?" Rafe questioned, almost as if was actually disappointed in you for going to JJ. You couldn't respond though when JJ jumped back up, ramming his body into Rafe's, both boys flying down into the sand.

You started panicking, screaming at them both to stop as you watched them swing their fists at each other. It didn't take long for Topper and Kelce to make their way over , as well as JJ's friends Pope and John B to try to break up the fight.

You watched Rafe back away, his chest heaving up and down as he tried to catch his breath.

"Stay the fuck away from my girl JJ" Rafe spat out towards JJ who was wiping the blood from his now split bottom lip.

"Oh your girl?" JJ scoffed, a sarcastic laugh following. Rafe looked offended at how JJ was so shocked at the thought of you being with Rafe. "So you're the prick who left your girl all alone for some bimbos? " your eyes widened as JJ threw you under the bus. you knew he wasn't doing it to intentionally hurt you, but he was pissed and he didn't have much against Rafe at this point.

Rafe went to lunge towards JJ only to get pulled back by Topper and Kelce once again. He looked over at you, holding his hand out.

"Lets go Y/n" he demanded. Rafe knew he wasn't going to be able to sit and argue with JJ about his statement, because there was nothing he could say to make his actions justifying without blaming you.

You stood for a second, looking in between Rafe and JJ. They both looked at you as if they were waiting for you to pick one. IT was obvious Rafe was who you were going to pick, but you were really enjoying JJ's presence. Not in a flirtatious way or like a crush, but more of a friend who actually giving you the time of the day unlike your boyfriend.

"Y/n" Rafe called out again after he noticed you still standing still. you sighed heavily in frustration, walking towards Rafe. You quickly dodged his hand that he had held out, crossing your arms over your chest.

"i can walk myself" you mumbled as you brushed past Rafe, making sure your shoulder bumped his. You quickly glanced back at JJ, mouthing a sorry before turning back, walking up the hill towards the parking lot. Rafe followed you behind, his mind wondering as to why it took you so long to leave with him.

You quickly climbed up into his black truck, Slamming the door as Rafe attempted to shut it for you. He sat for a second before throwing his hands up and making his way to the drivers side.

The drive back to his place was quiet. You weren't even sure if you wanted to go back to his place. He had pissed you off to no limits tonight between ignoring you and then fighting the only one actually giving you attention.

"why are we here" you spat out as he began pulling into his driveway. He looked over at you with pain in his eyes , realizing you didn't want to be there.

" i thought you were staying the night since its just me here?" he asked softly. you scoffed at his gentle tone. IT infuriated you as to how innocent he was acting despite everything that had happened.

"Whatever " you huffed out under breath before grabbing your phone and jacket, slamming his truck door once again. He followed you inside the house quietly, his mind racing trying to see what he had done wrong. You usually didn't give him this hard of a time for fighting so it was really confusing him why you were so upset this time.

You flopped down on his bed, getting under the covers and laying your head down on his pillow.

" you going to bed?" he asked, fiddling with his hands.

"Yup" you replied with a mellow tone. his shoulders dropped, a frown forming on his face.

"Princess what did i do?" he asked softly. you rolled your eyes. how could he be so oblivious.

" don't fucking worry about it Rafe" you spat out, nothing looking in his direction.

"You know i hate going to bed mad at each other" He said sitting down on the foot of the bed. He was so pitiful at this point.

IT was killing you because this was the Rafe you had fallen in love with. The soft warm hearted Rafe. You didn't know who that other guy was at the party.

"princess" he spoke out again trying to get you to conversate with him. you huffed out before sitting up in his bed, scolding him from the top of his bed.

"rafe all you ever do is ignore me. You take me to these dumb parties and then just leave me. I sat for almost thirty minutes alone while you entertained that stupid blonde girl. " you spat out, your blood boiling.

"and then someone finally includes me in something instead of leaving me to sit by myself and you fucking beat the shit out of him!" Rafe lowered him head, realization hitting him. He really did leave you out so much, he hadn't even realized it.

" princess I'm sorry. i wasn't into that girl at all it wasn't like that " He tried reassuring. Which deep down you knew Rafe wouldn't cheat on you, you just knew he loved attention because he didn't get much at home, so he took it all even if it came from girls.

"I guess i just got caught up-"

"yeah rafe that's how it always is" You agreed while rolling your eyes. "Drugs and partying . that's all you ever do now." you stood up , walking your way towards his bathroom.

"I'm gonna get a shower " You said rather hatefully. "And rafe," you began, causing his head to lift up looking at you. "If you don't want other guys giving me attention like that, then maybe consider involving your girlfriend once in a fucking blue moon. " You spat out before making your way into the bathroom. Rafe stayed silent as you just the door, sighing heavily.

You hated arguing with him, it was usually him running his mouth but between your anger and the beer , you wanted to let everything off of your chest. And if things were going to be better, it honestly needed to be let out.

You turned the hot water on, undressing yourself before hopping in the shower. Your mind immediately started drifting back to earlier, watching Rafe fight. You loved how protective he was over you, but you just hated that he was fighting someone just for spending time with you. you were so lost in thought that you hadn't even heard the door open and shut, Rafe undressing himself.

You jumped slightly as the shower was pushed open, a naked Rafe standing on the other side.

" can i join?" he asked. It took everything in you to keep your eyes focused on his, trying not to give him the satisfaction of looking down. Without responding, you only nodded, stepping over in the shower, giving him room to walk in with you.

"here" he said while holding up your wash cloth and soap. You looked up at him, watching the water glisten down his hair to his shoulders before turning around, facing your back towards him. You sighed heavily as you felt the warm rag glide across your back, his long fingers pressing in gently massaging the soap into your skin.

" I'm sorry princess" He finally spoke, his voice soft and reassuring. " I never meant to leave you out. I feel like an ass. And i hope you don't ever think im ashamed because im not. "He replied, his hands now trailing up and down your arms. You stayed quiet, soaking in his apology.

" and im sorry for Fighting JJ like that. Just seeing him with you, and asking you to go back to his place just-" Rafe stopped, his mind going back to him seeing you smiling with JJ, his anger beginning to build just at the thought. you giggled before shaking your head.

" he didn't ask me to go back to his place he just asked if i wanted to get out of there" You assured, turning around to face the tall boy.

"and besides, i was just about to tell him no anyway" Rafe stared down at you, the steam surrounding the two of you. He wanted to argue on your comment, mentioning how he was a boy and he knew what that really meant but instead he kept quiet to keep the peace.

He looked along your face, admiring you. he loved the way your eyes glistened when you looked up at him, your hair and long lashes stuck together by the water , your lips looking extra glossy as the the water dripped down your forehead onto them.

"Well regardless i was in the wrong, and im sorry for that. Im gonna be better i promise" he exclaimed, pulling you in by the hips. You grinned as he leaned in, placing his lips against yours. His arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you in close to him, your body pressed against his.

" i wont lie, its so hot when you're mad" You joked, causing a sarcastic eye roll from him before he placed his lips against yours once again.

*************

im considering a part 2 solely for the hot shower scene that im sure you guys would enjoy 😉

✨ feedback, like, and reblog is always appreciated ❤️ ✨ You can also find my masterslist here

#drew starkey #drew starkey fanfiction #drew starkey imagine #obx #rafe cameron fanfiction #rafe cameron imagine #smut #drew starkey dirty imagine #drew starkey smut #rafe outer banks #rafe smut #rafe cameron smut #Rafe Cameron dirty imagine

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stereostevie · 3 years

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When you think of grunge, do you picture a bunch of long-haired White guys in plaid shirts, singing about teenage angst and self-loathing? Time to expand that viewpoint. Standing above them all should be Tina Bell, a tiny Black woman with an outsized stage presence, and her band, Bam Bam. It’s only recently that the 1980s phenom has begun to be recognized as a godmother of grunge.

This modern genre’s sound was, in many ways, molded by a Black woman. The reason she is mostly unknown has everything to do with racism and misogyny. Looking back at the beginnings of grunge, with the preconception that “everybody involved” was White and/or male, means ignoring the Black woman who was standing at the front of the line.

Bam Bam was formed as a punk band in 1983 in Seattle. Bell, a petite brown-skinned spitfire with more hairstyle changes than David Bowie, sang lead vocals and wrote most of the lyrics. Her then-husband Tommy Martin was on guitars (the band’s name is an acronym of their last names: Bell And Martin), Scotty “Buttocks” Ledgerwood played bass, and Matt Cameron was on drums. Cameron would leave the band in its first year and go on to fame as the drummer for Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. But he paid homage to his beginnings by wearing a Tina Bell T-shirt in a photoshoot for Pearl Jam’s 2017 Anthology: the Complete Scores book.

“For some reason a couple of skinheads are up front, calling her [the N-word] And all of the sudden, Bell grabs a microphone stand and she starts swirling it around her head like a lasso… She swung that fuckin’ thing around her head and about the fourth time, she smashed that son of a bitch.”

Bam Bam’s sound straddled the line between punk and something so new that it didn’t have a name yet. Their music combined a driving, thrumming bass line; downtuned, sludgy guitars; thrashy, pulsing drums; melodic vocals that range from sultry to haunting to screamy; and lyrics about the existential tension of trying to exist in a world not designed for you. The band’s 1984 music video for their single “Ground Zero” is low-budget, but Bell’s charisma seeps through.

“She was fucking badass. That’s all there is to it. She was amazing as a performer. I’ve only seen one White male lead singer command the stage in a similar way that Tina Bell did, and that was Bon Scott of AC/DC,” says Om Johari, who attended Bam Bam shows as a Black teenager in the ’80s and who would go on to lead all-female AC/DC cover band Hell’s Belles.

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Christina King, a Seattle scenester who was close friends with Bell from 1984 until the early ’90s, says the singer’s talent was obvious. But she believes a lot of people dismissed Bell as a gimmick.

Among those attending their shows: Future members of grunge bands like Nirvana (Kurt Cobain did a stint as a Bam Bam roadie), Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam.

“I remember one person saying to me that they didn’t get ��the whole Black girl singer thing,’ it just didn’t fit whatever they were into,” says King. “They were too ahead of their time.”

Bam Bam came into being in an era when hundreds of underground clubs, taverns, bars, and social halls — anywhere that you could cram in a band — were within the Seattle city limits. Bam Bam played almost all of them, and often to big crowds: The Colourbox, Crocodile Lounge, Gorilla Gardens, Squid Row — just to name a few.

Among those attending their shows: Future members of history-making grunge bands like Nirvana (Kurt Cobain did a stint as a Bam Bam roadie), Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam. Not to mention all the other people, mostly White and male, who would become prime targets for music labels trying to market this new sound.

Bell “already possessed everything they were trying to attain. She had a truer rock and roll spirit than almost any of those guys in that town. Everything they tried to do, she naturally was,” says Ledgerwood, still a loyal bandmate.

One Seattle club, The Metropolis, became “like our fucking living room,” says Ledgerwood. It was also the site of an overtly racist verbal assault against Tina Bell.

“For some reason a couple of skinheads are up front, calling her [the N-word],” Ledgerwood recalls. “And all of the sudden, Bell grabs a microphone stand and she starts swirling it around her head like a lasso… She swung that fuckin’ thing around her head and about the fourth time, she smashed that son of a bitch… She nailed that fucker right in the temple of his head. Split like a melon. And the other guy next to him caught it too, they go down, and we’re like, ‘What the fuck?’”

Ledgerwood says that after going backstage for a while to regroup, Bell came back “and put out the most blistering set of our fucking career.”

This could easily be an anecdote about Bell’s power, her resilience, and willingness to fight back against oppressive forces. But it’s also a story about the cost of being a Black woman who does something that some people don’t expect or approve of.

“She’s being pulled out of her zone because somebody is acknowledging how the rest of the world can see her,” says Johari, empathizing with the star rocker. “And even to react to it by picking up a microphone and smashing someone in the face, that means that that incident cost her not only that moment it takes to get back into the song, but the whole [effects of her] action will last for weeks.

“She’ll replay that over and over and over and over again. And then the people she sees that were there when it happened, they’re gonna come up to her and they’re gonna forget everything that she’s saying, all the stuff that she had did, and they’re only going to focus on, ‘I was at that show where you knocked a dude in the head for calling you an N-word,’” Johari says. “It has nothing to do with her artistry. But it reminds her of the way in which she has to be prepared, just in case it happens again.”

King remembers Bell also felt that some of the other men in the band’s changing lineup failed to treat her as an equal partner: “She’s getting that from her own band members — what do you think audience people are like?”

A European tour in the late ’80s gained Bam Bam international fans, but ended after Bell and Martin split up, and Bell was caught in an immigration enforcement dragnet in the Netherlands.

When they returned to the Pacific Northwest, Bam Bam continued playing shows until 1990, when Bell abruptly quit as they were packing up to head to the studio in Portland, Ore.

“She had just had enough,” Ledgerwood says. “For almost eight years she had almost literally eviscerated herself for the audience.”

But that work never resulted in the national recognition they deserved.

“Grunge, whatever that means, is being identified as from your community, your colleagues, your sound that you were a participant in help shaping, and you’re not even mentioned in any of it.”

“Sometimes you need to be a little bit of an asshole to protect yourself. And Bell wasn’t much of an asshole,” Ledgerwood adds. “She was a pure-hearted person and had a really hard time believing that people couldn’t accept her over something as stupid as race.”

Bell didn’t just quit the band, she withdrew from music completely, says her son, Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker TJ Martin. Not out of resentment, he adds, but perhaps to escape the painful reminders that the music she helped pioneer was now earning other bands multimillion-dollar record contracts.

“Grunge, whatever that means, is being identified as from your community, your colleagues, your sound that you were a participant in help shaping, and you’re not even mentioned in any of it,” Martin says. “I can’t even fathom what that would feel like for it to be sort of spit back in your face with such frequency.”

Ledgerwood believes Bell died of a broken heart. But when Bell died alone in her Las Vegas apartment in 2012, the official cause of death listed was cirrhosis of the liver. She had struggled with alcohol and depression. Her son says the coroner estimated her time of death as a couple weeks before her body was discovered. She was 55 years old.

The things that could have told Tina Bell’s story in her own voice are lost. Martin arrived in Las Vegas to find that the contents of his mother’s apartment — except for a DVD player, a poster, and a chair — had been thrown away. All of her writings — lyrics, poems, diaries — along with Bam Bam music, videos, and other memorabilia — went in the trash without her family even being notified.

If you think you were in Seattle in the ’80s, in the grunge scene, and you don’t remember Tina Bell and Bam Bam, you probably weren’t really fucking there.

“I couldn’t help draw a parallel between her not being respected and seen in the first chapter of her life, as the front person of a punk band, and then even in death being disrespected and not being seen for the merits of the life she lived,” says Martin.

Bell’s death is also an indictment of the way she was written out of her own story. The way grunge’s almighty gatekeepers chose to look through her instead of at her. Grunge became the domain of alienated young White men in flannel shirts, and Tina Bell didn’t fit the narrative they were trying to sell.

“Black herstory can suffer immense amounts of erasure if somebody is not brave enough to ensure that women get counted,” Johari says.

To many of those who were part of the scene at the time, the amnesia seems intentional. Ledgerwood brings up the seminal history of Seattle’s grunge era, Everybody Loves Our Town. In it, the author refers to Bam Bam as a three-piece instrumental band mainly notable because Matt Cameron was the drummer. Tina Bell isn’t even mentioned.

“How in the hell would he have a recollection of how great Bam Bam and its drummer was, and not this unbelievably beautiful woman, this firecracker, this explosive rock and roll goddess?” Ledgerwood asks. “Even if he thought she sucked, to not remember the only Black woman on the whole fuckin’ scene is — well, it’s like that old joke about the ’60s: If you think you were in Seattle in the ’80s, in the grunge scene, and you don’t remember Tina Bell and Bam Bam, you probably weren’t really fucking there.”

You can listen to more of Bam Bam’s music on this Spotify playlist. A vinyl album with the band’s songs is coming out this year on Bric-a-Brac Records.

#Alice in Chains #Bam Bam #black history #black women #black women in rock #grunge #Kurt Cobain #music #Nirvana #Pearl Jam #rock #Seattle #Soundgarden #Tina Bell #women in rock #women's history #80s

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maisietheweltoncow · 3 years

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The Dead Poets As Things My Friends Have Said Part 2

Todd: Why do neurotypical people talk about autism so weirdly like they never say it directly they always say on the spectrum really weirdly like if they mention it's name it will appear in the night to steal their children.

Meeks: I just heard lightning and someone scream outside my house.

Nevermind it was just my dad, he was screaming because they're losing in cricket on the TV.

Pitts: Guys I stuck my head out the window because raining vibes and I got wiped out by a huge wave of wind and my retainer flew out my mouth.

Charlie: I so kin King Julien

Neil: I read gender as Gerard

Knox: Roses are red, violets are straight, I'm here to tell you that I'm not gay.

I'm swag and straight.

Cameron: This HAS to be a cult activity.

Charlie: New aesthetic: viking core

Pitts: Cameron when a man makes eye contact with him today 😈🔪

Neil: OZYMANDIAS STARTED COVID CONFIRMED

Charlie: Remember Charlie, billy corgan is bald.

Cameron: Low-key very satisfying to watch myself suffer.

Neil: I'm really starting to think Satan did not want MCR to reunite.

Cameron: *talking about Hermione Granger* She's kind of a snob. Like calm down no need to recite the 127th times table. yeah no shit he's being put in an arena with a dragon and you all come to watch him die.

Charlie: T I T T I E S GO BRRRRR

Knox: Vibrating titties literally Ariana grande could never.

Meeks: I read that as 'a teacher that fucked us'

Pitts: 🙅🏼LAWSUIT BRRRING BRRRING VICODIN 🙅🏼

Charlie: I secrete that energy and the toxic fumes probably fill up your airways. In fact, you had a dream about Gerard Way and his bubble butt you've been poisoned already.

Charlie: Ayo Nico your ass is a dam snacc but you're gay so I run away.

I should say flat ass.

Nico has no ass but he's still cute, like Frank with his fucking concave ass.

Frank Zhang has no ass.

I can't look at Frank's ass because it's a valley.

Todd: Please honey my entire existence is an air quote generator.

Todd: Alcohol, it's crippiling. Be strong, keep drinking.

(the spelling mistake was intentional)

Meeks: I think my brain is saying bisexual but I say 🙅🏼

Neil: Why do I dwell on stupid things that are never gonna happen. Neil, Billy Joe will never let you on stage to play jesus of suburbia no matter how hard you practice it.

Meeks: OKAY GOTTA DISAGREE WITH YOU ANDREW GARFIELD IS THE WORST SPIDERMAN

Neil to Charlie: Yes hunny do your self discovery shit.

Pitts: PLS MEEKS WE HAVE PROBLEMS

Charlie: yeah whatevs, presents meatballs look at these fucking balls man.

*Trigger warning for self harm*

Cameron: what did he sh with, a fucking chainsaw?

Todd: Low-key feel like that's why I stopped rping with Neil. cba to deal with your self harming character who literally does it every other day but to the extent they're almost dead.

*you're all good now :)*

Cameron to Charlie: Pls why is that such a you thing.

Todd: For me it would probably be

⚠️STEP AWAY FROM THE FANFICTION⚠️

*Food mention below*

Todd: ok are you ever just not having a good time for no particular reason and it’s food time so you’re hoping that it’s just something familiar and single flavoured and textured in general but it’s the one day your parents decided to order chinese takeaway from a new place you’ve never eaten from before and you don’t know what to eat because you don’t definitely know what it’s like so you just eat the one thing that is always consistent between chinese takeaways but now you feel sick because you ate too many fucking prawn crackers

*the food mention is over*

Todd to Neil: I'm fine they said, Todd did not believe them.

Ok I'm done but I have years worth of this stuff, I could probably make another one.

Part 1

Tagging some mutuals:

@mendesxruel @mentalthisone @totallynotmrkeating @freckledcameron @neil-perry-is-alive @academic-on-a-midnight-dreary @caffieneandconstellations @deadreamersociety @she-nuwanda @aedan-mills @therichardcameron @therealchrisnoel @niknokplsstop @duh-itsalampmeeks @beeisnothere @justredistributingmatter sorry if I missed anyone out I didn't mean to :)

#I've accidentally made neil an mcr stan #oh well #dead poets society #stephen meeks #charlie dalton #todd anderson #neil perry #knox overstreet #richard cameron my beloved #richard cameron #autistic todd my beloved #todd reads fanfics now ig

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anagentinwriting · 3 years

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Lifeline - Part 1

Summary: (First Responders!AU) Moving to Los Angeles and living with your brother, Thor, was never part of your plan nor was being a 9-1-1 dispatcher, but plans change when you are faced with your own emergencies. In your case, it was leaving behind a relationship that wasn’t as perfect as it seemed. Will this be the fresh start you were hoping for or will your past find a way to catch up with you?

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Odinson!Sister Reader

Word Count: ~1800

Warnings: Car accident, angst

Lifeline Masterlist / Main Masterlist

A line ringing over your headset notifies you another emergency call is coming in. You cleared your head, preparing for anything, and clicked the spacebar, answering it, “911, what’s your emergency?”

“Bro, that was insane,” the male voice said over the phone. “You’re gonna be famous on YouTube.”

“Excuse me, sir? What seems to be the problem?” you asked, letting out a sigh.

“My friend is having trouble breathing, and his throat feels like it’s on fire.”

“What’s the address?”

“576 Rose Lane in Westwood.”

You typed the address into your computer, signaling the nearest available unit to the caller's location. “First responders are on their way. Can you tell me what he was doing before this happened?”

“We were doing the cinnamon challenge.” You rolled your eyes. “I thought it was harmless. Then, he was gagging, and then he coughed, and a puff of cinnamon came out of his nose. It was awesome; he looked like a dragon.” It's been a while since you got a call about an internet challenge gone wrong, but it's been forever since you got a cinnamon challenge one. You didn't even know that challenge was still around. “Oh fuck!”

“Is everything okay? What happened?”

“He collapsed. He’s not moving. Should I shake him awake?”

“He probably passed out, but paramedics are only a few minutes away. Is he still breathing?”

“I don’t think so,” he panicked.

“Remember to stay calm, I’ll help you through this the best I can, okay? Okay, now I am going to have to ask you to administer CPR. Do you know what to do?”

“Sort of. I learned it in health class a few years ago.”

“Perfect. It's 30 chest compressions followed by two breaths going to the rhythm of the song Staying Alive. You can do this.”

“Ok---okay. Yeah. Right, right,” he mumbled. Hearing him set the phone down on the ground, he started counting and doing chest compressions.

The responding unit was about a block away, and once they arrived, you could hear the sirens coming through the phone call.

“Odinson, take over compressions,” a lady’s voice commanded. “Kid, come with me.”

“Is he going to be...” the line went dead as he hung up his phone.

You leaned back in your chair, rubbing your eyes. This wasn’t anything new; when help arrives, people hang up, and you don’t get to know how it ends, but maybe it was for the best. You sit back up, seeing your reflection in one of the many screens in front of you. At least, you knew most of the firefighters from Station 107 at the scene, including your brother Thor, if you ever wanted to know how it ended.

It's tough, taking call after call, emergency after emergency with little to no recovery time in between. It’s a stressful job that is emotionally and physically taxing. It requires extreme focus, patience, and puts you under a certain kind of pressure. The pressure of wanting to help and do everything you possibly can when this person you never met puts their life in your hands. You never know what the outcome will be, but you try to help them get through what might be the scariest moment in their life. It’s those calls, the ones you were able to save, that keep you coming back to work.

You stepped away from your command center and headed towards the kitchenette, spotting Luis rummaging through the fridge. It wasn’t unusual, but it did always bring a smile to your face. It was hard to believe he was one of the dispatchers who showed you the ropes after relocating to Los Angeles three months ago.

“Hey, Luis.” He turned around with a doughnut in his mouth, quickly removing it and shooting you a carefree smile.

“Hey, Chica, get any weird calls yet? You know I love hearing about those weird ones, right.”

“Nothing out of the ordinary, but a guy called earlier saying his whole body hurt everywhere he poked. I told him to drive to the emergency room and get his finger looked at because it’s probably broken. Oh, and there was another cinnamon challenge victim.”

“Another one, I thought that craze was over.” He shook his head. “But I did hear about this crazy call that came in last night, right. It wasn’t so much crazy, but one of those nuisance calls, you know what I’m saying, the kind where you’re like, ‘why are you calling, this isn’t an emergency type of situation?’ Anyways, Cameron Klein took the call; you know the dude with the great hair, the kind you just want to run your hands through. It has the perfect fluff to curl ratio. I mean, I touched it once, and it was like a cloud. I asked him what products he used in his hair, and he was like…”

“Luis, how does this relate to the call?”

“Oh, right. Sorry, sorry, sorry, so there was this lady caller, right. She was telling Great Hair how she couldn't leave her car because there was a hostile raccoon outside her door. So then, Great Hair was like why don’t you go out a different door. And this caller says ‘yo I tried, but it’s like this trash panda can read my mind, right. He follows me when I move to the other side, and he’s like crazy, stupid fast like a rocket.’ And here comes the best part, Great Hair was like, ‘Hey girl, you better run fast then,’ and hung up,” he beamed with a slight chuckle.

“Oh my god, people really need to learn what an emergency is,” you chuckled, shaking your head.

“You know that’s right, but duty calls.” He tilted his head towards the door, carrying two doughnuts and a huge mug full of coffee.

“Later, Luis.”

Years ago, you never would have imagined you would be working as a dispatcher in Los Angeles. You preferred helping people hands-on, which is why you became an ER nurse. It was the feeling of never knowing what was going to come charging through those doors next that excited you. But being a dispatcher gave you a whole different kind of thrill because you could only use your voice to help.

The rest of your shift flew by until you were on hour eight of your ten-hour shift. A pileup involving a semi jackknifing on the highway forced a huge collision of cars. All the units in the area along with a few on the outskirts came in to assist. It was the same call coming in multiple times, and all you could say was help was already on the way.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“Send help,” the woman cried, telling you her address.

“Ma’am, I am going to need you to tell me what is going on?”

“A power line…a power line fell into our pool, and my daughter is trapped on her unicorn floaty in the water. I don’t…I don’t know what to do.”

“Stay calm, ma’am. My name is YN, and I’m dispatching a unit to your home now.” You switched lines to the highway accident, getting on a line with Captain Danvers from Station 107, who was sending three individuals to the scene right away. You switched back to the caller. “Okay, I will need you to stay calm. What is your daughter’s name?”

“Morgan, she’s five years old.”

“Please, whatever you do, make sure Morgan stays on the floaty because it is protecting her from the water. There is a good chance the power line is sending more than 5000 volts through the water.”

“Okay, okay, I can do that, “ the mother breathed. “Honey, please stay on the tube.”

“I'm going to try to get in contact with the power company to turn it off.” You looked up the power company in the area, and someone slid next to you. You glance over, seeing Bruce get to work on calling the power company. You nodded at him, staying on the line with the mom. “Ma’am, has help arrived yet?”

“No, but I can hear the sirens.” You peeked at Bruce, but he shook his head, still trying to get a hold of the power company. “They are coming through the back gate now.”

“Ma’am, can you hand the phone to one of the firemen?” You bit your lip, studying the layout of their home on one of your monitors. There were flowers all over their backyard, and you got an idea.

“Hello, this is Fireman Rogers.”

“Hi, Fireman Rogers. This is 9-1-1 dispatcher, YN, how is it looking there?”

“Well, on the drive-in, we saw that a truck hit the power line pole, which caused the pole to fall into the pool. The driver isn’t in any serious condition, but one of our EMT’s is looking him over,” he informed in a deep voice. “Then, we have a pool vibrating with energy, but I assume you already know that part.”

“Do you have a plan in place? We are still trying to get a hold of the power company.”

“There are a few more floaties by the pool. I could ride one over to Morgan and pull her to safety?”

“Really? Where did you get that from the macho man handbook?”

“I don’t think that book exists, YN,” he added, making you scoff.

“I may have an idea.” You narrowed your eyes, playing out the idea in your head.

“What did you have in mind?”

“I can view the whole home on one of my monitors, and there are a ton of flowers. So, I can only assume a garden hose must be nearby.”

“Yup, I see it.”

“Okay, perfect. Grab the hose and cut off the metal ends; it's rubber, so it won't conduct electricity. Then, have you and another fireman take the hose and walk along the opposite sides of the pool. Have Morgan grab ahold of it and carefully pull her back to the edge."

“That’s genius, YN. Thanks for your help,” he acknowledged, making you crack a side smile. Few people said thank you in this job, but when they did, you appreciated it. “Here’s your phone back, ma’am.”

Morgan’s mother's breath was shaky and staggered through the phone. She was scared and had every right to be. If you were in that situation, you would be, too. “Oh my god, it’s working. It’s working,” the mother shouted into your ear. “Are you okay, honey? Are you hurt?”

“I am okay, Mommy,” Morgan replied before the phone line went dead.

You smiled at yourself in one of the now blank screens. It was these moments why you loved what you were doing; a happy ending. Some calls never get a happy ending, but when they do, those are the ones you try to remember when a stressful call comes in.

________

AN: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. There is a long way to go and I promise things will definitely get more interesting. This was just a quick intro to some of the many characters that will make an appearance/cameo. Comments always welcome! Thanks for reading and I hope you’ll stick with me!

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cakesunflower · 3 years

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Outer Banks Series Rewrite/JJ Maybank Fic Series [5. Midsummers]

Disclaimer: None of the characters (except for Stella) or their dialogues (for the most part) are my own, and belong to the writers & creators of Outer Banks!

Previous Parts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Read on AO3!

Here’s episode 5 “Midsummers”!

“Dude—Mom catches you out here, and you’re dead.” Stella peeked one eye open, catching sight of her sister standing over her, arms crossed over her chest and eyebrows raised. “You’re literally out in the open.”

Kie’s concern came from the pen Stella was currently twirling between her fingers as she lay on the ground in their backyard. Stella didn’t say anything, instead took another pull from the pen, letting the familiar smoke invade her lungs before blowing it out slowly. The act did its job in calming her down, and Kiara let out a sigh before shifting to sit down next to Stella, before going down on her back, too.

Stella could feel her sister’s gaze on her as Kie turned her head to look at her, but Stella kept her gaze up at the sky. It was sort of cloudy, but there wasn’t a threat for rain. If there had been, the celebration later tonight would’ve been rescheduled ages ago.

“Look, I know you’re worried about JJ—” Kie began, but Stella cut her off.

“He willingly let himself get arrested for something he didn’t do, and he has a drug-addict, abusive dad to go back home to. We haven’t heard from him yet.” Stella looked at Kie, then, jaw hard. “Of course I’m worried.”

Kie’s gaze was soft with sympathy, but Stella could see her own concern swimming, too. After all, Kie cared about JJ as well. Maybe not in the way Stella did, but just as good. “He’ll turn up,” Kie assured. “He always does.”

Despite Kie’s efforts, Stella wasn’t all that comforted. And maybe Kie saw the deep worry that had etched itself into Stella’s features, because Kie’s face softened even more, looking at her sister gently as she asked, “What’s going on?”

Stella’s throat worked as her heart drummed in her chest, forcing herself into a sitting position while Kie kept on her back, looking up at her. For a moment, Stella hesitantly chewed on her lower lip, wondering if now was the right time to indulge, but it was Kie. It was her sister, and if Stella couldn’t tell her, she couldn’t tell anyone.

“JJ and I kissed.” There. She said it. Now it was out in the open.

Kie blinked once before her eyes widened almost comically, shooting up in a sitting position opposite of Stella as she demanded, “What? When?”

“Yesterday,” Stella admitted, stomach flipping as memories of her and JJ’s actions played through her mind like her favorite movie. She couldn’t stop the small smile from playing on her lips. “We were at John B’s, before coming to the summer series.” She fiddled with the pen between her fingers. “It just—it kind of just happened.”

Kie scoffed with a shake of her head. “It didn’t kind of just happen,” she mocked. “This has been waiting to happen for so Goddamn long.” Stella tried not to laugh at the happiness shining in Kie’s eyes, which did a lot to relax Stella. She’d been worried Kie would ram on her for breaking one of their friend group rules, but Kie seemed anything but disappointed. Her eyes widened then, shoulders lifting. “Oh, shit, John B and Pope owe me twenty bucks!”

Stella blinked. “I’m sorry—what?”

Kie snickered, looking all too delighted. “We kind of had a bet going on over how long it’d take for you and JJ to get together.” Stella’s eyes widened, jaw dropping in disbelief. “I bet it’d happen before Midsummers and would you look at that! You just made me forty bucks richer, sis.”

“Wha—” Stella cut herself off with a scoff, ripping up some grass before tossing it at Kie. She shrieked through a laugh, jerking back before brushing away the pieces of grass. “Are you kidding me?! You guys bet on us?”

“Of course we did,” Kie responded with a smirk, not at all looking apologetic. At Stella’s gaping expression, she rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Stel. You two have been dancing around each other for so fucking long. We were getting tired of waiting, so we thought we’d have some fun with it,” she finished with a shrug.

Stella couldn’t believe what she was hearing, cheeks heating up at the information. She wasn’t mad or upset that her sister and friends bet on when she and JJ would get together—she was just surprised, and a little bit amused. She wondered how long the bet had been going on for. But instead of asking that, she instead inquired, “So I’m guessing JJ and I are in the clear for breaking the no Pogue-on-Pogue macking rule?”

Kie waved her off, smile still in place. “You two are the exception to the rule,” she said confidently before crossing her legs and shooting Stella an expectant look. “So? Tell me how it was.” She quickly held a hand up. “But not too many details because it’s JJ and he’s like my brother and, ew, gross. But I still wanna know! How’d it happen?”

At that, the heat in Stella’s cheeks intensified into a fire as she recalled every single detail from yesterday—as if she could ever forget. “I was, uh, persuading him to come to the summer series with us.”

Kie’s eyebrows shot up. “Persuading, huh?” she repeated with an impish grin, prompting Stella to let out a giggle. “Well, looks like it worked. Not that I’m surprised. That boy is stupid for you.”

Stella pressed her lips together to keep her giddy smile from widening. “Stop.”

Kie snickered. “Man, you two are gonna be unbearable now, aren’t you? All over each other all of the time.”

“Dude, I don’t even know what we’re doing,” Stella instantly responded with a shake of her head. “All we did was kiss. We’re not suddenly together, Kie.”

She didn’t look convinced. “Only a matter of time.”

Stella’s heart fluttered in her chest. Of course she wanted to be with JJ—it was all she could think about for so long. After that kiss, it was closer to being a reality than she could ever imagine, but they needed to talk about it, first. “Maybe. But first he needs to let us know he’s okay and that his dad didn’t fucking kill him.”

Her words were tight in her throat as she said them, sending a new jolt of worry through her. JJ never really talked about it, but she knew the kind of man his dad was, knew what he was capable of. JJ getting arrested wasn’t going to go over well; it wouldn’t with any parent, but God only knew how Luke Maybank would react to it. So, yeah, Stella was sick with worry over JJ, and she just fucking wished he’d call or text her back.

Kie sighed. “Listen, maybe—”

Whatever Kie was about to say was interrupted by their mother’s voice shouting at them from the back porch. “Girls! Get in here! You need to start getting ready.” Simultaneously, both Stella and Kie threw their heads back and groaned, loudly—loud enough for Mrs. Carrera to hear them. “I don’t wanna hear it! Get your butts in here now!”

They stood up, and as Stella shoved her pen in the pocket of her shorts, Kie grumbled, “I hate everything.”

While every other soul on Figure Eight either was overjoyed to be attending Midsummers or envious that they couldn’t, Stella and Kiara were probably the only ones who hated the party. For Kie, it was more of a socialist thing that Stella respected her for, but she also knew that her sister’s disgust with Midsummers, ultimately, existed for the same reason as Stella’s: they hated the people they were surrounded by.

All of the Kooks would be gathered tonight for the party—this year a celebration for Ward Cameron, A.K.A the father of Sarah Cameron, Kie’s worst enemy. Stella didn’t care what the party was for—she despised it. The most Stella liked to dress up was in clothes of her choice, and sure that could sometimes include make-up and dresses, but not full on evening gowns with flowers in her hair. It often felt like she was getting dressed up as a lamb for a slaughter, being pushed into a crowd of Kooks who thought they were better than everyone else because of their overflowing pockets. The adults were bad enough—Stella did not want to even see the people her age.

Namely Rafe, Topper, Kelce, and anyone who was associated with them. Especially after what they did to JJ and Pope yesterday. Dicks.

But Midsummers, much to both Stella and Kie’s chagrin, was important to their parents, especially their mother. So as soon as the two girls returned inside the house, Mrs. Carrera was ushering them towards the bathrooms, like they were toddlers who needed supervised bath times.

“Hold on a second—” Mr. Carrera paused, and Stella and Kie exchanged looks when their mom sniffed the air around them. Her eyes then zeroed in on Stella, hands on her hips and eyes blazing as she demanded, “Did you just smoke, Stella?”

Knowing there was no point in lying, Stella huffed. “I needed something to take the edge off if I have to go to this stupid party.”

This wasn’t the first time their mom caught them smoking or smelling of weed, but it pissed her off just the same. While Kie tried to stifle a smile, Mrs. Carrera glared daggers at her Stella. “You’re not getting out of this, Stella. You better drown yourself in body wash and perfume when you get ready.”

Stella rolled her eyes behind her mom’s back, but listened all the same, albeit reluctantly. Kie was the first to hop into the shower in their shared bathroom, so Stella took the time to lay in her bed and unlock her phone, hoping to see a text or missed call from JJ. Her heart jumped when she saw just one text from him, chest tight as she read it quickly.

JJ: Don’t worry about me. I’m good. I’ll see u later.

That was it. Just ten words of reassurance and then nothing. Part of Stella was relieved to have received anything from him at all, but another part still felt worried and a little annoyed. She—all of them—had been worried sick over him after yesterday, and this was all he could say? Stella figured she shouldn’t be too surprised. It was typical JJ behavior. He got in a bind and somehow got himself out of it, and never really let his friends in on if anything was wrong. But the tough guy persona could only get him so far.

Chewing on her lower lip, Stella drafted a text, but not to JJ. Instead, she sent a message to John B.

Stella: You heard from JJ? Do you think he’s okay?

John B responded within moments.

John B: Yeah, it’s all good. I’m with him right now. We’ll see you guys tonight, alright? Keep an eye out.

Stella blinked at the cryptic message, wondering what the hell he was talking about. But if recent circumstances were any indicator, something was probably going down tonight. Stella’s stomach flipped in both apprehension and excitement. These boys might be the death of her.

Soon enough, Kie was out of the bathroom and it was Stella’s turn. She showered and brushed her teeth, stepping back into her room to catch sight of a satin slip dress with a halter neck waiting for her on her bed. It was a pretty golden color with a V-neck trimmed with lace, and a pair of white and gold sandals were waiting by the bed, too. Stella huffed, the towel wrapped tightly around her. She knew for a fact that her mother thought she needed to have everything out for her otherwise Stella would be useless in getting dressed for Midsummers. It was kind of insulting.

Stella expertly dried her hair, letting the natural curls come into place, before doing her makeup. She kept it light, as always, because not even Midsummers was going to make her slap on a face full of makeup, especially in the middle of summer. Some foundation, mascara, highlighter, and lipstick was as far as she went, with her jewelry consisting of a dainty diamond star necklace and the rings on her fingers.

“Oh, good, you’re dressed,” Mrs. Carrera said upon entering her room. “Come on, let me do your hair.”

Stella frowned but listened, sitting down in front of her dresser while her mom stood behind her. She worked quickly and efficiently, braiding back the two front locks of her hair and intertwining small yellow flowers in them that Stella tried not to wrinkle her nose at.

As her mom worked, Kie wandered into Stella’s room. Her slip dress was spaghetti strapped and a lavender color, a couple of layered necklaces around her neck, and her hair down in an updo with a crown of pink and purple flowers and locks of curly hair framing her face. She looked stunning, even with that scowl she wore as she stormed into the room.

“This is disgusting,” she announced without preamble.

Mrs. Carrera wove another flower into Stella’s braid, her voice dry above her as she responded, “I know. It’s just horrible. I’m asking you two to relax and go to a fun party.”

Kie scoffed, towering over their mom. They may be twins, but Kie somehow got the tall gene from their dad, standing at the elegant 5’8”, while Stella hadn’t grown past 5’5”. “We look like bourgeoisie pigs.”

Stella tried to keep the snort from escaping, covering it up with a cough as their mom finally patted down Stella’s hair, letting out a satisfied hum before stepping back. She shot Kie an exasperated look and said, “Will you please not worry about socioeconomic injustice for one night?”

Kie scowled and Stella’s face scrunched up. This was so much more than that. She twisted around in the seat and stood up, crossing her arms and siding with Kie, “Mom, people not three miles from here have no power, no running water—and we’re going to Midsummers.”

Kie nodded vigorously, gesturing to Stella. “That’s so tone deaf.”

Mrs. Carrera huffed, picking up the little pouch she’d dropped on the dressing table and pulling out the diamond earrings. As she put one in, she said, “Do you know how hard we had to work to get into the Island Club?”

Both Stella and Kie rolled their eyes, having heard this a hundred times before. “Yeah, Mom, how could we forget?” Stella sighed. “You had to grovel for, like, ten years—”

“Twelve,” Mrs. Carrera corrected, “and we also had to cough up a huge chunk of dough, and do you know why we did that?”

Kie wasn’t impressed. “To keep up with the Joneses?”

Mrs. Carrera’s hands were on her hips, looking at her daughter pointedly. “No. So you two could have the experiences that I had as a child. Sweethearts, do you know what the Island Club is?”

“A factory farm for debutantes,” Kie flatly said at the same time Stella said, “Where brain cells go to die.”

Kie gave her a subtle fist bump as their mother glared at them before smiling exasperatedly. She placed one hand on each of their cheeks, looking at both of them as she said, “It is a nice place, with nice people, where you can do fun stuff.”

Neither of them bought the company line. “With out of touch rich people,” Stella added.

Kie rightfully finished, “While the island sinks slowly into the ocean.”

Their mom dropped her hands from their cheeks, stepping back and shooting them a look. Clearly, she was done trying with her stubborn daughters. “Okay, I want you two to put on your party faces if you wanna live,” she said before walking out of the room.

Both Stella and Kie sighed, looking at each other in resigned defeat. Stella picked up her pen, offering a half hearted smile. “Wanna take a hit before we go?”

Kie scoffed, taking it from her. “Or maybe ten.”

Less than fifteen minutes later, the girls were at the Island Club with their parents, and instead of doing the polite thing and greeting the other party goers, Stella spotted a familiar face and grabbed Kie’s hand, jerking her chin to where Pope was working out on the lawn at the grill. She’d almost forgotten that he was working the party with his dad. Thank God for small miracles.

As they approached him, his back to the girls, Kie startled Stella by speaking in a terrible British accent, “Excuse me, sir. Do we have to shuck these ourselves?” Pope swiveled around as Kie grinned and Stella shook her head in bemusement. “’Cause it might mess up my costume.”

Pope chuckled. “We wouldn’t want that now, would we?” he asked and Stella stepped forward with a laugh, slapping her hand against his, front and back, before ending with a snap of her fingers. Their handshake. As he repeated the act with Kie, Pope added, “That accent was bad.”

Kie nodded. “It was. I was gonna let it go.”

Stella scoffed. “I wish you had,” she said as they came to stand next to Pope, arms folded across her chest. The three of them observed the scene before them, of all the guests gathered around in their fancy dresses and suits, drinking from flutes of champagne or drinks from the bar. “You ever seen this many Kooks in one place?”

“Yeah. Last year,” Pope answered.

Kie was squinting against the sun, but just like Stella’s, her brown skin glowed a pretty golden color against it. “We’re in the lion’s den.”

“Exactly.”

Pope glanced at the two of them, gaze lingering on Stella longer as he asked, “Have you heard from JJ?”

Kie shook her head. “No.”

“Just a text,” Stella answered, prompting Kie to look towards her, raising an eyebrow. Stella’s lips pursed. “He said he was okay and not to worry about him. But I won’t really believe it until I see him.”

“He’ll be all right,” Kie said, frowning to herself. “He’s got the survival instincts of a cockroach.”

Stella swallowed inaudibly. Kie wasn’t really wrong.

“It’s all my fault,” Pope said, the guilt thick in his tone as he frowned at nothing. He looked like he might be sick over everything that’s happened.

Stella frowned as Kie said, “Uh, you didn’t do this, Pope.”

“Yeah,” Stella chimed in firmly. “Topper almost killed you. Remember?”

He shot her a dry look. “Not something I can forget.”

Stella shot him a small smile. “JJ was just trying to do right by you. He—he knew what he was doing.” She stumbled over her words briefly because, well, she wasn’t entirely sure if she believed them. She believed that JJ thought he was doing the right thing, but getting arrested was no small thing. He was just adding onto his record, and this time for something he didn’t even do. JJ put loyalty above anything else, and it was one of her favorite things about him—until it landed him in trouble he might not be able to get out of.

Midsummers, as expected, was boring as usual. The adults drank and the teens snuck in their own alcohol in hidden flasks, dancing to the music from the live band while almost everyone kissed Ward Cameron’s ass. Stella stuck by Kie’s side, mostly because she didn’t care for anyone else there and because Kie kept glaring at Sarah Cameron, who looked like the perfect Kook princess. She was missing her not-so-Prince Charming, Topper, who seemed to be sticking by Rafe and Kelce’s sides than with Sarah. Hmm. Interesting.

At one point, Stella excused herself to go to the bathroom, walking inside the country club and down the hall. She did her business, ignoring the giggles of the few other girls inside as she washed her hands. Just as she stepped out of the bathroom, however, she let out a gasp and stumbled into the doorframe as a figure rushed off in front of her, her gaze instantly following.

She’d recognize those blonde locks anywhere.

Stella’s heart thundered, gripping the doorframe tightly as she called out, “JJ?”

*****

Despite the severity of needing to find a hiding spot or escape, the sound of Stella’s voice had JJ stopping in his tracks. He turned, catching sight of her down the hall, too far down the hall, looking every bit as breathtaking as he expected her to in a golden dress that hugged her so perfectly. And the way she was looking at him—the surprise and relief and tenderness he was sure she reserved just for him—had JJ’s heart pounding right out of his chest, and not just because he was trying to save himself at the moment.

“Stella—” JJ stopped, looking through the glass of the doors, seeing Rafe, Kelce, and three of their suited up buddies purposefully making their way over. “Shit.” His blue eyes met her concerned brown ones. “Sweetheart, I’ll explain everything later, but I gotta run right now. Just—I’ll see you in a little, okay?”

“Wait, JJ—”

But he didn’t stick around, as much as he wanted to, and instead turned and ran off just as he heard Rafe and his buddies walk in. They’d spotted him talking to Sarah because he’d needed to give her a letter from John B, after he’d spoken to and received a surprising hug from Pope, and now they were hot on his ass looking to throw more punches. JJ’d already received a beating from his dad—he didn’t need anymore, thank you very much.

Except he made his way into the men’s room, and Rafe and his buddies were pretty fast and managed to corner him no problem. Five against one—this was totally fair. Assholes.

Rafe pushed him and JJ grunted, struggling as Kelce came up behind him and locked an arm around the front of his neck, the other keeping his head in place as JJ grabbed at Kelce’s arm to loosen the grip. He struggled, heart pounding, as Rafe looked at his friends. “Hold him still. What—what do you think? A four iron, right?” He mimicked holding a golf club. “Keep his head still. I’m gonna line this up.”

JJ didn’t make it easy for Kelce to keep him still. “Very Rafe of you,” JJ said through gritted teeth. “Five on one?”

Rafe looked pristine in his stupid blue suit and bowtie. JJ hoped he’d choke on it. “If you could please stop talking? It’s very disrespectful. I’m trying to hit a ball.” Oh, fuck no. “Learn your etiquette, my friend.”

JJ kept grunting, struggling against Kelce, using his hands as much as he could to try and get away. JJ’s voice was hoarse against Kelce’s grip as he spat back, “I’m gonna kick your teeth in.” As much fire as there was in his voice, JJ wasn’t entirely sure he’d be able to deliver on his promise. Not when the odds were stacked against him.

Rafe smirked sardonically, crouching to look up at JJ with a mocking sort of sympathy. “Your face looks really bad. Starting to look like your dad a lot more.”

The insult was grating, especially given that the bruises and cuts on his face were courtesy of his father. JJ couldn’t do much more than spit in Rafe’s face. He jerked back, wiping the saliva off his face as he grinned. “Oh, shit. Alright. It was—”

The lights began flickering. “Gentlemen!” Kelce roughly let go of JJ and pushed him off, prompting the blonde to struggle before he righted himself. The security guard approached them. “Is there a problem?”

“Oh! Pardon me, officer. No, there’s not an issue. I just—” JJ cut himself off, his breathing labored as he panted to catch his breath. He looked at the others and JJ ran his fingers through his hair before deciding on a different course of action. One he knew would likely get him out of this. “Actually, yes. No, there is an issue. Uh, we got a criminal trespass in progress here. Beep!” He waved a finger around. “Call it in, right?” The others looked at him, trying to appear casual and like they weren’t doing anything wrong. “Blatant disrespect for private property.”

Rafe clicked his tongue, scratching his ear. “Yeah.”

JJ turned to the guard. “I’m in violation of all kinds of shit, sir, but these young gentlemen—” He made a show of righting Kelce’s bowtie before he jerked him away.

“Don’t touch my shit,” Kelce said lowly.

JJ continued, “Uh, caught me, sir, and they’re about to take me away. And that’s what you should do.” He held his fists up like he was ready to be handcuffed. Again. “Escort me out of here. You got me.”

The guard grabbed his arm. JJ was relieved. “Come on.”

“All right.” JJ looked over his shoulder as the guard pulled him out, looking at the Kooks. “Fix that tie, son,” he said to Kelce before looking at Rafe. “You’re lookin’ spiffy, too. You Powerpuff Girls have fun,” he turned back around.

Rafe took a step forward, his voice smug. “Tell Stella she looks pretty hot for a scarred Pogue.”

Fire erupted in JJ’s veins at Rafe’s comment, a newfound anger rushing through him at the blatant insult from the son of a bitch. JJ didn’t care who they were—nobody talked about Stella like that. Not at all, not in front of him. JJ’s body moved at his own accord, a low growl escaping him as he jerked away from the guard and tried to launch himself at Rafe, consequences be damned of a five against one. The asshole insulted Stella. JJ couldn’t just let him get away with that.

He rushed towards Rafe, only for Kelce to jump in and push him away as the guard came to his back and pulled him away. “Hey! Stop it. Come here! Let’s go! Let’s go!”

But JJ struggled, the urge to bury his fist in Rafe’s face overwhelming after his words. “You think I’m afraid of you, bro?”

The guard pulled him back. “Come on.”

JJ turned and was guided out as Rafe’s voice followed him out of the locker room. “Hey, safe travels back to the cut!”

JJ shouted back, “This ain’t over!”

The guard didn’t let his grip on JJ go as he guided him down the halls and towards the doors, his grip tight as they burst through the doors out onto the patio. “Look, man, I can walk myself!” JJ exclaimed, earning gasps and looks from the guests at him being escorted out. “I got legs. Can you see that, brother?”

The guard didn’t seem to care. “Come on.”

“I really appreciate what you did back there. Let me just walk out by myself.” He struggled against the guard’s grip before spotting the older gentleman from earlier who had asked JJ for a drink. At this point, JJ didn’t care for the attention he was drawing on himself, stumbling over to where the man stood. “Mr. Dunleavy, I see you got your drink. Good, that’s really nice of you. I’m actually gonna down that,” he said quickly before grabbing the drink and downing the whiskey in one gulp.

The man gaped at him, the guard apologized before pulling JJ away. Everyone was watching, murmuring, and JJ never had mastered the art of subtlety, so he made a commotion as he was so kindly escorted out. Might as fucking well go out with a bang.

“Let go of him!” JJ turned at the sound of Stella’s voice, standing up on the patio with Kie by her side. Their parents were behind them, quietly telling Stella to stay quiet while her gaze met JJ’s. He stopped, kind of fucking mesmerized by the sight of her. “You can’t just boot him!”

The guard stopped, still holding onto JJ, who was still watching her. “Excuse me, ma’am?” the guard asked.

“I invited him here,” Stella continued, her voice loud and carrying over the newfound silence amongst the crowd. Everyone was looking at her, but she didn’t seem to give a shit, and JJ kind of fell in love with her all over again.

Next to her, JJ could hear her mom say, “Stella, stop it.”

“No, she’s right,” Kie spoke up, glaring at her parents and then at the guard. “We’re members of this club.”

“Girls, stop it,” Mr. Carrera seemed to be saying to them.

JJ took the opportunity of the guard being distracted to jerk out of his grip and push him, wincing as the man went stumbling into a waiter carrying a tray full of glasses that went shattering on the ground. “Sorry about that!” JJ said over the commotion before looking towards the girls. He pointed at them, blonde hair falling over his shoulders. “Hey, mandatory power hour at Rixon’s, ladies.” His gaze found Pope’s amidst the crowd’s. “Pope, you as well, all right? Rixon’s cove. Let’s roll.” He was walking backwards, people making their way for him as they all gaped at him in disbelief and annoyance. JJ looked back at the girls, holding his arm up. “All right, girls, come on.” He gripped his wrist. “Workers of the world unite. Throw off your chains!”

His gaze met Stella’s, who was watching him in, what he realized with relief, was amusement. He saw the looks she and Kie exchanged, a silent communication going on between the twins while their parents most definitely murmured warnings at them. And then, much to JJ’s relief, Stella and Kie broke away before running down the stairs.

JJ grinned widely, finally facing John B, who had been watching the whole thing with a grin. “Colonel.”

John B returned the salute JJ offered him. “Captain.”

JJ grinned. “Mission accomplished, sir.”

John B laughed as JJ shouted for the girls, watching as Pope pulled off his apron and handed it to his dad before running towards John B and JJ, all the while Mr. Heyward yelled, “Don’t do this! Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

But Pope didn’t listen, instead high fived John B and JJ, before John B ran off ahead and the two of them faced the girls running over, as well. Kie and Pope ran side by side, laughing, and JJ opened his arms so Stella could run into his embrace, and he laughed into her neck as he lifted her off the ground with a spin before setting her down, grasping her hand in his, and following the others as they ran.

“Later, losers!” John B shouted over his shoulder towards the partygoers.

Stella was laughing, the sound brilliant and wonderful in JJ’s ears as Kie cheered while they ran. JJ couldn’t help but laugh as well. It may have been a shitty couple of days, but at least he had his friends.

*****

The fire crackled between them as Stella sat on a log next to JJ. The cicadas were chirping against the otherwise quiet of the night, and JJ had changed out of the waiter get up and was back in his signature hat, shirt, and shorts combo. The sight of the shark tooth necklace Stella had gifted him around his neck always made her chest tighten in the best way. She and Kie were still in their Midsummers dresses, but mosquitos and bugs never bothered Stella, so she sat comfortably as the fire warmed them.

She kept looking towards JJ, though—at the cuts and bruises on his face. The sight of him injured tightened her chest uncomfortably, made her stomach twist nauseatingly. No doubt his dad had done this to him, and it enraged her. She wished, with every fiber of her being, that she could get him as far away from his dad as possible. It hurt, so badly, to see JJ injured at the hands of his abusive father. JJ, despite what others may see as faults and flaws, was probably the best person she knew. He had such a big heart, a soul that deserved to be loved and protected instead of stepped on and beaten. She desperately wished she could protect him from the cruelty of others. He deserved someone to do that for him.

“Hey, guys. So, like, my dad’s already gonna kill me,” Pope said as he and John B dropped some sticks to feed the fire before sitting down. “So what’s this mandatory meeting about?”

Stella watched as John B looked at JJ, pointing at him as if he needed permission. JJ nodded. “Might as well tell him, man, before we’re gaffed.”

John B smiled like he held some kind of secret. “You ready for this?” he asked, looking at Kie and Stella.

The two girls nodded impatiently. “Yeah.”

The fire glowed against John B’s skin as he looked at all of them. “So, the gold never went down with the Royal Merchant.”

Stella blinked as Pope groaned. “Oh, my God. Here we go again with this.”

Next to her, JJ sat up, holding out a calming hand to Pope. “No, all right, wait. Hear him out, all right?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at Pope and the girls.

John B had a finger to his lips before continuing, “It’s been here this whole time.” He looked to Kie. “It’s on the island.”

Her expression was one of shocked disbelief. “Are you serious?” She looked at John B before laughing in astonishment. “Oh, my God.”

Pope held up a hand. “I’d like to voice my skepticism.”

Stella was still trying to wrap her head around what John B said as he stood up. “I’m sure you would, Pope, but can I please present you with my evidence, sir?”

Pope rolled his eyes. “Proceed.”

John B held up a piece of paper he pulled out from his bag, proceeding to tell them about a letter he had from Denmark Tanny, a slave who had survived the wreck of the Royal Merchant. He showed it to Pope and the girls, telling them that the slaves weren’t mentioned as crew members on the ship, but that his dad found the complete manifest—his big discovery. Stella listened attentively, mouth agape, looking towards JJ who nodded with a smile on his face. He knew all of this already, it seemed. It was probably why he and John B had been together earlier.

“So Tanny used the gold from the Merchant to buy his freedom,” John B was saying. “After that, he bought his farm. Drumroll, please, because that farm is,” he paused dramatically as the group of them slapped their knees with their hands. “Tannyhill Plantation.”

Kie stopped. “Tannyhill?”

John B nodded, standing like a professor giving a lecture. “Yeah. So, after that, he used his money to free even more slaves, and then he sold a shit-ton of rice, which pisses off all the white planters, and then they decide to lynch him. So on the day they were coming to get him, he writes a letter to his son as a farewell, and in the last line of that letter, he leaves a coded message about where to find the gold.”

John B had Stella’s attention as she hung onto his every word, shaking her head as she asked, “Where?”

John B grinned. “Harvest the wheat in parcel nine, near the water.” He held up a hand. “Except, there is no wheat. You see, wheat is code for gold. Check this out.” He walked over to Pope, pointing at something in the paper Pope was holding. Stella leaned over to look as well. “The gold is in parcel nine, near the water.”

Kie laughed in disbelief as Pope murmured, “Holy shit.”

John B slapped his arm. “All we need is an original survey map of the property and we’ve found the gold.”

He was grinning widely as JJ stood up. Pope slowly started, “Okay, so this might have a small chance of being actually true.”

Kie bounced excitedly where she sat. “Dude, it’s like King Tut!” she exclaimed, earning a laugh from Stella.

“I am a genius,” John B announced, just as JJ tackled him into a hug. “Hey, whoa!” They teetered slightly where they stood before JJ lifted John B up. “Hello! Fire! You’re near the fire. You’re gonna burn.”

JJ pulled away and Stella snickered as he said, “I’m so proud of you right now.”

John B nodded somberly. “Thank you. That’s really sweet of you.”

With a shake of her head, Stella interrupted the moment by asking, “Okay, so, guys.” They all looked towards her. “What’s the plan?”

John B pointed at her as JJ made his way back. “Good question. Sarah Cameron’s coming tonight. She’ll bring the original survey map—”

JJ sat down next to Stella just as her eyes widened, gaping at John B before her gaze instantly shot to Kie, who was frowning. “Hold on,” she interrupted. “Sarah? Wh-why Sarah?”

Stella tensed, looking between a bewildered Kie and a hesitant John B. She and Pope exchanged glances, both of them suddenly aware of the tension building in the open space. “Um—” John B trailed off.

JJ took off his head, muttering, “This is gonna be good.”

Stella looked at him, catching the wince he shot her way. Silently, she frowned at him, but JJ shook his head before nodding towards John B, who stood with his fists on his hips. “Sarah, um, she. . . She got me into the archives in Chapel Hill yesterday, and there’s where I got the letter.”

Kie’s face scrunched up even more, looking a mix of pissed off and confused, while Stella gaped up at John B. “You were in Chapel Hill with Sarah Cameron?”

John B’s throat worked. “Yeah, um. . .”

Next to her, JJ announced, “He was mackin’ on her.”

Stella gasped as she stared at him, wide eyed, and JJ nodded somberly while Pope coughed uncomfortably into his fist. Across the fire, Kie was glaring up at John B, and Stella hated the betrayal she could already see melting into Kie’s eyes. John B shot JJ a glare. “I wasn’t macking.”

JJ lifted his chin, unrelenting. “You were totally macking Sarah Cameron.”

He wasn’t helping the situation, so Stella lightly flicked his arm, prompting JJ to immediately look at her, pressing his cut lips together to keep himself from smirking. She narrowed her eyes in warning, and all JJ did was link their arms together and pull her to his side.

“I wasn’t macking on her, okay?” John B spoke up, exasperated. “I was using her for access.”

JJ scoffed lightly. “There was access, alright.”

Stella pinched his side at that, despite the inappropriate laugh threatening to burst. Kie wouldn’t appreciate it, and Stella could tell her twin was seconds away from pushing John B into the fire. “Did you tell her about the treasure?” Kie demanded.

John B’s eyes widened. “I was trying to get into the archives.”

Kie’s voice grew loud with disbelief. “Is that a yes?”

“I. . . I left out key details,” John B said, looking to the others for help. Stella pressed her lips together, pressed up against JJ. If anyone noticed, they didn’t say anything, not with the current situation going on. Poor John B wasn’t going to get help on this.

“Yo, what?” Kie scoffed with a shake of her head. “You let a Kook in on our secret? What about Pogue Lyfe? What about the T-shirt company, bro?”

Suddenly, it was a battle between Kie and John B, and all Stella, JJ, and Pope could do was sit on the sidelines silently and watch. “I was just using her for information,” John B tried.

Kie shot him a wry look. “Why don’t I believe you?”

John B was growing exasperated already, shaking his head at the unhelpfulness of the others before looking back at Kie. “I’m trying to make us filthy rich here, okay, so that we can pay off a boat, or. . . or, uh. . .” He looked towards Pope, “send you to autopsy school to study bed bodies.” Stella’s face scrunched up as JJ suppressed a snort and Pope blinked owlishly. “Look, you guys know me. Do I look like the type of person to fall for Sarah Cameron?”

JJ blinked. “Uh—”

Stella tilted her head at John B. “Do you want us to answer that?” She could guarantee neither he nor Kie would appreciate the answer.

John B held up a hand at Stella. “Just—just stop.”

Kie shook her head, her jaw tight as she frowned deeply. “Look, you don’t know her yet. I do! You can’t trust her.”

Pope chimed in, “Her brother did hit me in the back with a golf club.”

John B looked to Pope. “Rafe and Sara are different human beings.”

JJ’s cheek was resting on top of Stella’s head as he asked Kie, “What did she do to you, exactly?”

Stella sighed. Oh, boy.

Kie held up two fingers and jabbed them forward. “She’s like a. . . a spitting cobra.” Everyone blinked, bewildered. “First she—she blinds you, and then—”

Stella was already shaking her head, sitting up straight as she said to her struggling sister, “This is a bad analogy.”

“Listen to me!” Kie exclaimed, clearly fed up with the situation. “Whatever we get, she’s gonna try to take.”

Her words were met by silence, other than the crackling fire and chirping cicadas. John B stood quietly, throat working, clearly unsure of what to say as JJ and Pope stayed in their own awkward silence, too. Stella suppressed a sigh. It seemed as though it was up to her to smooth things over, even if she did slightly side with Kie in all of this. She didn’t have a begrudging hate towards Sarah like Kie did, but they were sisters, and Stella needed to show solidarity. But she could also, in some way, see John B’s side of things. God, this was gonna be tense.

“Kie,” Stella spoke up carefully, prompting Kie’s gaze to connect with hers. “Whatever John B promised Sarah, that’s his issue. But if she’s the only way we can get the map, then we need to let it happen.”

Kie’s jaw was hard. “I don’t want her involved. I don’t want to deal with her.”

“We won’t,” Stella said, glancing quickly at John B before looking at Kie again. “Let John B deal with her.” When Kie didn’t look entirely convinced, Stella let out a huff. “This is bigger than your beef with Sarah. I know you know that.”

Silence fell upon them for a few moments as they all waited for Kie to respond. She sat quietly, hands gripping the log she sat on, mulling over Stella’s words. Stella, in turn, hoped she got through to her sister. They needed Kie to be on board with this, no matter her issues with Sarah. They’d already gotten this far in their treasure hunt—an old beef shouldn’t hinder them now.

Stella remained quiet, waiting for Kie to make a decision, although she silently enjoyed the sensation of JJ’s fingers ghosting up and down her arm, their arms still linked together. It was calming when others would argue JJ was anything but.

“Fine,” Kie finally gave in and everyone instantly sat up. She glared at John B. “As long as I don’t have to speak to her.” John B pressed his hands together and brought them to his mouth, his grin already forming. “I just hope you know what you’re getting us into.”

After John B profusely thanked Kie for agreeing, they killed the fire and got up before heading back to the van, since they had to drive to meet Sarah. The twigs and leaves crunched under their shoes as they went, but as Pope, Kie, and John B chatted while walking ahead, Stella lingered back and grasped JJ’s hand to slow his pace down.

He looked at her, eyebrows raising. “What’s up?”

Stella looked up at him, her fingers ghosting on his chin. Finally, she let the worry come out in full force as she asked, “Are you okay? Did—” she stopped, throat working to get rid of the lump that formed. “Did your dad do this?”

JJ’s jaw worked, blue eyes glimmering under the moonlight as he looked down at her. “Got a good chunk of money to pay in restitution,” he told her. “The old man’s not too happy about it.”

Despite herself, Stella felt the hot tears sting in her eyes. She preferred the pink in JJ’s cheeks when they were flushed when he was happy or even drunk—not the pink and harsh reds that surrounded the cuts and marked the bruises. Stella wasn’t sure she ever hated anyone as much as she hated JJ’s dad. Her throat was tight, unable to say anything except to croak out his name, “JJ—”

“Hey, hey,” he shushed her, hands coming up to cup Stella’s that had been ghosting along his sharp jaw. He held her hand in both of his before pressing a kiss to it, blue eyes locked in her brown. “I’m okay, Stel. They’ll heal. It’s no big deal.”

Stella scoffed, though her concern remained clear. “You can’t actually expect me to believe that.” The flutters in her stomach returned when JJ kissed her hand, when he looked at her with those baby blue eyes she loved so much. She let out a breath. “You’re sleeping over at John B’s, right?”

JJ offered her a small dimpled grin. “When am I not?”

Stella pinned him with a stare. They’d stopped walking and she knew they had to move soon, but she took a breath. “Whenever you can, either sleep at John’s or you sleep at mine. Okay?”

JJ raised his eyebrows, though she could see his gaze soften at her offer. But he kept the mood light as he teased, “You inviting me to your room, shark bait?”

Her heart jumped. “Wouldn’t be the first time we shared a bed,” Stella pointed out. It was the truth. They shared hammocks, chairs, couches, and beds countless times before.

“Yeah, but it’s different now, isn’t it?” JJ questioned.

She looked at their hands before meeting his gaze again. “Is it?” she returned, throat working in anticipation. This was it. This was Stella asking JJ if whatever was happening between them was real, if something more was going to come out of it than a few kisses shared.

JJ’s gaze was intense, deep in a way she wasn’t used to as it stole her breath. “It is.” Steady, resolute, firm. No room for arguments. Thank fuckinf God.

Stella felt her grin appear before she could help it, relief warming her, and JJ mirrored her smile before ducking his head and pressing his lips to hers. She returned the kiss slowly, gently, not wanting to hurt his cut lips. Her heart jumped excitedly as he kissed her, but it was cut short, unfortunately, when John B’s voice cut through the air.

“Oi! What happened to no macking?”

The two of them pulled apart, but John B was grinning, as were Pope and Kie as they looked at the two of them. Stella’s face flushed as JJ slung his arm around her shoulders before they began walking towards their friends. “I’m sure we can make an exception,” JJ said smoothly, cockily.

John B’s grin was wicked. “If it means you’ll finally stop whining about how much you looooove Stel, then yes we will.”

Stella laughed, cheeks flushing, while JJ spluttered. “I never whined!” he protested as they joined their friends.

Pope rolled his eyes. “That’s true. You just bottled it all up inside because you’re emotionally constipated.”

“Sounds about right. I’m the one who made the first move,” Stella said, grinning widely at JJ’s betrayed expression, laughing as he used his arm around her to push her away. Stella continued laughing, along with the others, as she stumbled away, but didn’t lose her balance because JJ instantly caught her hand and pulled her back to his side.

“Whatever. I like an assertive woman,” JJ said with a charming grin, pressing a kiss to Stella’s temple as they neared the van.

Pointing at Pope and John B as they climbed inside, Kie said, “You two owe me twenty bucks, by the way.”

“No, we don’t!” John B argued as he started the van. “It’s after Midsummers.”

Pope nodded in agreement as Kie grinned wickedly before meeting Stella’s gaze as she sat on the back bench. With a giggle, Stella confessed, “It was actually yesterday. Before the summer movie series.”

John B and Pope’s gazes swung to JJ, who leaned back with his arms propped on top of the back bench casually as he said, “It’s true, boys.” John B shook his head and began driving, and JJ added, “Can’t believe you three bet on us.”

Sitting on the floor opposite of them, Pope scoffed. “Can’t believe it took you two this long to get together.”

“Okay!” Stella spoke up loudly, clapping her hands together once and shooting all of her friends a look. “We’re done talking about this.”

They reached their destination soon after that, a spot off in the middle of the woods where a tower stood, the apparent meeting spot John B had set up at Kildare Hawk’s Nest. As soon as he parked the car, Pope slid open the back van door as JJ slapped his knees. “Hit it, boys! We’re goin’. Recon mission.”

But before any of them could even get up, John B turned to face them. “Yo, uh. . . So, uh, I think I’m gonna do this one by myself. . . Tonight.”

Thunder rumbled overhead as Kie rolled her eyes and Stella and JJ fell back in their seats. She raised her eyebrows as JJ drawled a knowing, “Really?”

John B frowned. “What?”

JJ took off his head. “Nothin’.”

John B sighed, fixing his own hat atop his head. “I don’t want to spook Sarah with the peanut gallery.”

Kie shrugged, voice sharp and annoyed as she looked at John B. “I just don’t understand why we’re involving her at all.”

Stella let out a sigh as she leaned back, JJ now sitting on the ground next to her, his head resting against her leg as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Kie, we’re not involving her, okay?” John B said, exasperated. “It’s—it’s just, uh, like a—a business meeting. . . Thing.” On the ground, JJ made a crude motion with the joint he held and made a gulping sound, prompting Pope to grin in amusement while Stella rolled her eyes at John B. He was not selling this well. “Look, once we get what we need, we cut her loose, all right? Plus, we need the map.”

Yeah, okay. Stella wasn’t quite sure how much she believed that.

Kie pursed her lips, leaning forward as she stared John B dead in the eye. “Promise me nothing’s happening between you two.”

John B widened his eyes, answering breathily, “Nothing is happening, Kie.”

“I’m being serious.”

“Okay!”

Kie was still frowning, as if she was trying to get John B to get the message through her glare. “This isn’t about you. This isn’t about us. This is about her.” Stella pressed her lips together as she watched them. Kie’s beef with Sarah was so damn deep, she wondered if they would be able to do with if she wasn’t on board with Sarah helping out just this once. Personally, Stella didn’t give a shit about Sarah Cameron; she just didn’t like her out of principle for the way the end of that friendship hurt Kie. Everything else was between Kie and Sarah. “Dude, she’s gonna get inside your head. Just promise me nothing’s happening between you guys.”

John B looked at her as lightning flashed outside and thunder rolled. “I promise.”

“That was really believable,” JJ piped up.

Pope nodded. “A hundred percent believable.”

Stella lightly knocked JJ with her knee while glaring at Pope, effectively shutting both of them up. John B didn’t dignify them with a response, instead saying, “Anyways, um, I’m gonna take care of business.”

JJ shook his head, playing with the joint. “You’re gonna take care of it so well.”

Stella waved John B off dismissively. “We’ll just sit here,” she said dryly. “In the hot-ass car.”

Pope added, “While it’s lightning.”

They left the back door of the van open as John B got out, backpack on as he walked off towards the tower. The wind rustled outside, thunder rumbling every now and then to accompany the flashes of lightning that warned of a storm rolling in. “Kiara, holding onto your grudge is like drinking poison and thinking Sarah will die,” Pope said once John B was gone.

“Exactly,” JJ nodded.

Kie shot the two of them a withering stare before looking at Stella. Her twin merely shrugged. “You know I’m on your side,” Stella said. “But you can’t really tell John B what he can or can’t do.”

“I’m not trying to tell him what to do,” Kie shot back. “I’m just warning him against the kind of person I know Sarah is. She’s gonna fuck us over.”

“Look, we just—we just gotta trust that John B knows what he’s doing,” Pope tried to placate, looking between Stella and Kie. “That he’s using his head.”

Kie scoffed, not really convinced. “I know what head he’s using, and it isn’t the one on his shoulders.”

“That’s a good one,” JJ mumbled quietly where he sat.

They were quiet for a few minutes, just listening to the rumble of thunder, before conversation started up again. Pope had asked about what happened at Midsummers, and JJ launched into the story that led up to the Kooks cornering him in the men’s room while they waited for John B to return with the map.

JJ was saying, “Rafe and Kelce followed me—”

Kie cut him off. “Wait, do you guys hear that?” Her eyebrows furrowed together. “Sh.”

Stella frowned. “What?”

And then, in the distance, over the sound of the wind howling and thunder rumbling, came a girl’s voice yelling, “Please, somebody, help!”

All of their eyes widened, instantly on their feet as JJ grunted, “Oh, wait, no, I hear that.”

“Shit,” Pope cursed as they all stumbled out.

“What the fuck?” Stella muttered, gripping the skirt of her dress so it didn’t get tangled in her feet as she ran.

The voice, Stella realized, belonged to Sarah, and her heart started pounding as they ran towards the Hawk’s Nest, throat already drying in worry. The first thought in her head was that something went terribly wrong, that John B was hurt, and when they all cleared a group of trees towards the base of the Nest, Stella’s fear came true as a gasp ripped through her at the sight of John B lying on the ground, Sarah crying as she cradled his head and begged for him to wake up and open his eyes.

“Sarah! What happened?” Pope asked as they came running over, skidding to a stop, their breathing labored.

Sarah was crying, and Stella’s heart clenched at the sight of John B, unconscious, fear drenching her veins in ice as she instantly gripped Kie’s hand. “I don’t know what to do,” Sarah sobbed. “He needs help. Topper shoved him.”

Anger heated Stella’s skin, momentarily taking over the terror trembling her body as JJ demanded, “Where the hell is he?”

But Sarah just cried, “Oh, please, please, please get help. I don’t care who. Just call someone.”

Stella pushed Pope away as she panted, “Go! Call 911! Go!”

Pope took off and Kie shouted after him, “Pope, hurry!”

They all stood, breathing labored and hearts pounding, unsure of what to do as their friend lay unconscious. Worry weighed heavily on them all, to the point where Stella couldn’t even stop to question the way Sarah was holding John B to her, crying for him, kissing him and begging for him to wake up. No, nothing else mattered other than their injured friend, the tears stinging in Stella’s eyes as she prayed to anyone who was listening that he would wake up. Soon. Now. Please.

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topsytervy · 3 years

Text

Good Night ~ Rafe Cameron

Ahaha I did a Part 3 to goodbye. It kind of got a little dicey at the end but it’s chill. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

Blurb: You and Rafe go out for some drinks and I don’t know what else to say.

Word Count: 3,323

Warnings: swearing, mentions of drinking, grammar/spelling mistakes, I think that’s it

~~~~~~

Rafe smiled as he unlocked the door to his apartment and walked in, closing the door behind him as he placed his keys in the little dish on the counter.

He walked further into his apartment, taking off his coat and placing it on the back of a chair before walking down the hall to his bedroom to change into pajamas. He flopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling as a smile crept onto his face.

He let out a breathy laugh as he ran his hands over his face as he thought about his day with you in the car. It was a dream come true to have alone time with you after all these years. All he wanted was 5 minutes with you and he got 8 hours instead.

His phone vibrated on his nightstand and he reached over, grabbing it and unlocking it before his grin grew.

My plans for tomorrow fell through and I don't work the day after, so drinks tomorrow night?

Rafe looked up towards his ceiling. "I'm starting to think you exist, big guy."

Yeah. I'll pick you up at 7?

I'll see you then.

Rafe set his phone back on the nightstand and positioned himself under the covers, closing his eyes as he thought about your conversation when he dropped you off.

Rafe held open the door to your apartment complex for you before walking in behind you.

"Thank you," you smiled as you began your journey up the stairs to your apartment.

Rafe stood at the bottom of the steps and pointed to the elevator. "Why are we not using the elevator?" He asked.

"I got stuck in one a few years back and I decided that I'm staying far away from those things for the rest of my life." You shrugged. Rafe chuckled lightly and took his first step up. You looked back at him with a grin. "Hope you plan on skipping leg day cause I'm up on floor six."

Rafe waved his hand, dismissing your sentence. "Please, this will be a cinch."

Halfway up, Rafe looked over at you as he heard the slight panting coming from you. His lips formed into a smirk as he spoke. "Are you okay over there?"

You nodded. "Peachy."

"Mhm,"

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." He shrugged.

You rolled your eyes as you two continued up the stairs, Rafe offering to carry you the rest of the way but you denied his offer.

Rafe watched as you brought your tired feet up the last step, opening the door that separated the stairwell from the hallway of apartment doors.

You led the way to your apartment door and pulled out your key, shoving it into the lock. "Thanks for letting me ride with you. It was way better than the ride with Kie, JJ, and Pope." You glanced at him as you turned the key.

"It's no problem. I enjoyed the company." Rafe leaned against the wall, praying his voice wouldn't waver at his next sentence. "So, you wanna go out tomorrow night? Hit the town or whatever?"

Even though he knew that you two were on alright terms now, after all the car ride was filled with catching up and bad karaoke, there was still a part of his mind that was nervous.

Nervous that you would tell him that, as fun as the last two days were, you couldn't see yourselves being more than civil acquaintances. Nervous that you'd say, 'yes, as long as the guy I've been seeing in secret for the past month can join us'. Nervous that you'd say 'let me check my schedule and I'll let you know’, but then ghost him.

Nervous that he would have to watch you walk out of his life again.

"I kind of already have a prior commitment to tomorrow," You told him before reaching into your bag and pulling out your phone, "but I'll let you know when I can squeeze in some time for you when I check my work schedule." You smiled as you extended your unlocked phone to Rafe.

"You promise?" Rafe asked as he hesitantly took your phone.

This was the beginning of one of his scenarios he created in his mind and not one of the ones that ended with you two saying 'I do'.

You shot Rafe a look. "Rafe, you and I both know that I wouldn't be looking this calm and collected if I was lying to you. I'd be a stuttering, panicking mess."

Rafe chuckled lightly at the truthful statement of your terrible lying as he began putting in his number under his name before texting himself a ‘hi’ so he'd have your number.

He handed your phone back to you with a grin. "To be fair, you were a stuttering, panicking mess when we first met, Y/N/N, and all you were saying was hello."

You blushed profusely at the memory of you being nervous as hell when you met Rafe for the first time and Rafe wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around you and tease you about the sudden redness on your cheeks like he used to do whenever you blushed.

But instead, he just added, "Don't worry. You were a cute stuttering, panicking mess," before he walked back towards the stairwell.

As Rafe slipped off into dreamland, you stayed awake, waiting for your kettle to go off so you could make your tea.

You grabbed your phone and unlocked it, Rafe’s contact staring back at you. You clicked edit and erased his name before typing out his new name.

Bub

You smiled slightly at the familiar nickname from years ago and hit save before opening Spotify. You went to click on your liked songs before remembering something from the car ride with Rafe and went to the search bar, typing in Rafe’s Spotify name that you still had memorized.

"You're music is so fucking basic, Rafe." You laughed as you once again listened to some random pop song that you had already heard way too many times on the radio.

Rafe shook his head. “My music is not basic. I just have different playlists with different genres. It’s called being organized Y/L/N.” He answered with a grin.

“Really?” You raised an eyebrow,

Rafe nodded. “Mhm. If I’m in the mood for rap, I have my rap playlist. If I want alternative, I have my alternative playlist. And so on.”

“Mind if I look through and choose one?” You asked.

Rafe grabbed his phone from his hoodie pocket and unlocked it with his fingerprint before handing it over to you. You found Spotify and clicked it open, going to his playlists. You were going to click on his alternative playlist but another one caught your eye.

My Girl’s Favorites.

You glanced over at Rafe.

“My girl’s favorites?”

“Hmm?” He glanced over at you and you turned the screen to him. “Oh. Guess I never deleted that one.”

“Oh. You want me to delete it for you so you don’t have to remember her?” You clicked on the playlist and went to click on the three dots but Rafe spoke up.

“No!” His hand reached out and he placed a hand on your forearm to stop you. You turned to look at him and moved your finger away from the dots. “That’s… that’s your playlist. It’s probably a little outdated considering it’s been five years but… yeah. That should be all your favorites from when you were 16.” He admitted, glancing out his window before turning his attention back to the road ahead of him.

You bit your lip before clicking play on the playlist, gasping when Mr.Brightside came on first.

Rafe looked over at you and smiled as you immediately went to turn up the volume before beginning to yell the lyrics as you scrolled through all the songs that were apparently your favorites back in high school.

“This is going to be one hell of a trip down memory lane.” You commented as your eyes widened at some of the songs that you had forgotten about.

Rafe nodded. “Oh yeah. You’re in for a treat.” You glanced at him and you saw his cheeks redden slightly. “I have, on occasion, listened to it.”

You smiled and thought about Rafe listening to all of your old favorites while he was alone. If you were being honest, you still had a playlist of Rafe’s favorites that you found yourself putting on from time to time.

You smiled as you found the playlist of your high school favorites and clicked on it, playing the music that brought back so many memories. The kettle began to whistle and you quickly turned off the heat and removed it from the burner, pouring the water into your mug that already had a teabag in it.

You grabbed your phone and your tea, heading off into your bedroom so you could begin your nightly hour of coloring to help you unwind before bed.

******

When you and Rafe pulled up at the club at 8 the next night, you got out of the car, shivering slightly in the cold breeze s you waited for Rafe. Once out, he held out his fist.

“Rack, paper, scissors for designated driver?”

You waved him off. “I’ll be DD.” You told him and Rafe had a look of confusion on his face.

“Really? That easy?”

You shrugged. “I’m used to being DD. I almost always am with the pogues.” You went to grab his keys but he pulled them away.

“Y/N, when’s the last time you got shit-faced?” He asked.

When you didn’t answer, Rafe pocketed his keys. "I’ll be DD tonight. You, my dear, are going to drink to your heart’s content.”

You ignored the slight flutter your heart did at my dear and went for his pocket to grab his keys. “Seriously, Rafe. It’s not that big of a deal. I don’t want to ruin your fun of getting wasted.”

Rafe grabbed your wrists gently and pushed you away from his body with a small laugh. “I find the thought of you getting wasted way more entertaining.” You shot him a look and he turned you around, pushing you to the back of the small line. “Think of this as your opportunity to let loose and have some fun.”

You rolled your eyes before walking to the back of the line with Rafe behind you.

Two hours had passed since you two entered the club, sitting next to Rafe in a booth in the corner after you two had spent the last twenty minutes dancing. Rafe had two beers the whole night and you… well, Rafe would say you were closer to the shit-faced side of the scale from what he could tell.

Rafe looked over at you and saw you yawn before picking up your drink and placing the straw in your mouth. Well, attempt to. You missed your mouth a couple of times.

"Alright, sweetheart. I think that is our cue to get you home." He told you, finishing off the beer he'd been nursing for the past 45 minutes.

You whined and grabbed his bicep with your hands. "Rafe, I'm not tired." You finally managed to get the straw into your mouth.

"Oh yeah? That yawn says otherwise. Stay here while I close the tab." He slipped out of the booth and walked over to the bar.

After getting the bartender's attention and letting him know he was closing the tab, he glanced over at you, smiling as he watched you finish off your drink. He narrowed his eyes as he saw a dude slide into the booth next to you, a smile on his face as he reached over and touched your hand, saying something. Rafe watched you take the straw out of your mouth and respond with a shake of your head as you slowly slid out of your seat, placing your glass on the table as you said something back to him.

Rafe looked back at the bartender who tapped his shoulder and took his card back with a thanks before making his way back to you quickly.

"Rafe!" You cheered, throwing your arms around his neck.

Throughout the night, he noticed how with each drink you got touchier and more affectionate. Not that he minded, of course, but the sudden movement took him off guard for a second before he slid his arms around your waist to keep you from tipping over.

Okay, half to keep you from tipping over, half because he wanted to.

But, you know, tomato, tomato.

"Hey, Ready to go?" He grinned, his eyes shifting from you to the guy who was now standing behind you.

You nodded your head and you took your arms from his neck, heading towards the door as Rafe’s hand found its home on the small of your back. Rafe led you outside and to his car, opening the passenger door for you. The sleepiness seemed to finally be hitting you now that you were away from the crowd and loud music, the quiet night taking over instead as you yawned once more. Rafe opened the door for you and you whispered a quick thanks before climbing in.

“Can you buckle yourself in?”

You nodded as you reached for the seatbelt. "Tonight was fun Rafe." You told him quietly as he watched you struggle to grab it.

Rafe smiled. "Yeah, it was." He grabbed the seatbelt and handed it to you, causing you to smile back and click it into place as he shut your door.

He walked over to the driver’s side and slid into the seat, shoving the key into the ignition before turning it and starting the car.

The ride was quiet except for the radio and when Rafe glanced over at you about halfway to your place, you were fast asleep, head resting against the window.

When he pulled up to your apartment building, he decided against waking you up, cause what kind of a gentleman would he be if he woke a princess from her slumber just so she had to walk up six flights of stairs while drunk to her apartment, and got out of the car.

He opened your door just enough to slip his hand inside and place his hand between your head and the window before opening the door all the way. He reached over your body and clicked the button to unlatch the seatbelt.

You stirred slightly as you groaned and Rafe looked at you the seatbelt retracted.

“It’s just me, Y/N.” He whispered, grabbing your wrists and throwing your arms around his neck.

You tightened your grip around his neck as you wrapped your legs around his waist, his hands going to the bottom of your thighs.

“Watch your head,” He told you as he pulled you out of the car.

You tucked your face into the crook of his neck as he shut the door, beginning the journey to your apartment.

You sniffed as Rafe started up the first flight of stairs, causing one of Rafe’s hands to go to your back, rubbing your back softly.

“You okay?”

“No.”

Rafe’s face fell at your answer. “Why?”

“Because I lied to you.” You murmured into his neck.

“Oh?”

“I never got stuck in the elevator. I made that up so I could spend a few more minutes with you.” You murmured into his neck.

Rafe felt a smile creep onto his face. “Yeah?”

He felt you nod and he chuckled. “You could’ve just invited me in for tea or something, you know?”

“My plans didn’t fall through either. I canceled them. It was a tinder date but you’re way more interesting than that guy.”

“Oh really?" He smirked, his ego slightly boosted over the fact that you chose him over some random guy.

"Mhm. I blocked him too."

"That’s nice, Y/N/N." His smirk turning into a grin. "Are you gonna delete the app entirely?"

You shrugged. "Maybe." You sighed, one of your hands beginning to play with his hair.

The rest of the trip upstairs was quiet, Rafe hoping you didn’t fall back asleep when he came face to face with your door.

"Where are your keys?" He whispered, just in case you had actually fallen asleep.

You dug into your bag and grabbed the keys, handing them to the man without taking your face from his neck.

You kissed his cheek as he unlocked your door and opened it before setting you down.

"Do you wanna stay? It's late and I don't think you should drive anymore." You stared at him.

Rafe shoved his hands into the pockets. "Uh...yeah. Sure. Someone's gotta take care of you, right?"

You smiled as you grabbed his arm and dragged him inside, closing the door behind him. You lead him into your room and handed him a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants you never got around to returning to him before directing him to the bathroom.

You climbed into bed after getting dressed and Rafe came back into your bedroom, placing a bucket on your side of the bed.

"Just in case you have to throw up during the night." He told you, knowing you rarely ever made it to the bathroom.

You once threw up in an empty cooler once cause you couldn't make it to the trash can that was 5 feet away but that’s a different story.

You smiled and he turned to walk away but you grabbed his wrist. He turned to look at you and you opened your arms. "Come cuddle with me?"

Rafe smiled. "Are you sure?"

You pouted at him and patted the spot next to you. Rafe climbed into your bed, opening his arms and you rolled into his side, your head resting on his chest.

"I missed this a lot." You sighed, inhaling his scent.

"Me too, Y/N. Me too." Rafe kissed the top of your head.

You looked up at him before placing your lips on his softly. Rafe smiled as he kissed you back before pulling away after a couple of seconds.

"Go to sleep now. We'll talk in the morning." He whispered, his thumb rubbing circles on your side.

"Okay, but Rafe, you should know something else I lied about." Rafe looked down at you, waiting for what you were about to say. "I'm not that drunk." You shrugged, a small smile on your face.

Rafe stared at you. "I carried you up the stairs for no reason? Six fights of stairs when I could've taken the elevator or you could've walked them yourself?" Rafe shook his head. “Did you use the five years to work on your lying?”

You let out a small laugh at his words. "You should've known I'm not a lightweight. I mean, JJ is one of my best friends. We didn’t even have that many drinks tonight."

Rafe shook his head at you again with a tsk. "I know your mom didn't raise you as a liar. I'm going to have to call her and tell her her daughter has been lying to me."

"But it was to spend more time with you." You grinned as you took your finger and booped his nose.

He took an arm from your waist and grabbed your wrist gently, kissing your hand. "I mean, I guess I can forgive you if that’s your reason." He smiled.

"That is my reason." You giggled.

Rafe squeezed your side. "Then I guess you're forgiven then, sweetheart."

You threw your leg over his and closed your eyes, your arm resting across his abdomen. "That’s good to know. I can go to sleep now without worrying about you being mad at me." You hummed. "Goodnight, bubs."

Rafe grinned, kissing the top of your head once more before closing his own eyes. "Goodnight, baby."

~~~~~~~

#rafe x reader #rafe cameron #rafe outer banks #outerbanks rafe #rafe obx

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