Something in the Water: A Novel

Something in the Water: A Novel

Price: (as of – Details) #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ; A shocking discovery on a honeymoon in paradise changes the lives of a picture-perfect couple in this taut psychological thriller debut—for readers of Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, and Shari Lapena. “A psychological thriller that captivated me from page one. What unfolds makes for a wild, page-turning ride! It’s the perfect beach read!”—Reese…

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fuck it. if i cant learn german and i cant get work in germany! ill actually start writing my fucking books!! freelancer baby!!!!!!!

the real question is who i should romance in my first playthrough of mele

LIFE ON THE MURDER SCENE INTERVIEW

10 / 20 / 04

“When My Chemical Romance stopped through Toronto this past week, I had a chance to sit down with the guys and discuss their band and their opinions on certain topics. For the past three years, they have been touring off of their debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, and recently released their major-label release Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge to the delights of many people. Was this album as rushed as the first? Apparently not, as Gerard tells us.”

This interview occured a few months after their major label debut came out while they were on their first tour promoting it, so it was a brief time before they became the huge machine they are now.

Gerard: We had about a two month break, which wasn’t really a break, because we just wrote for two months. We had written stuff on the road and then we needed about two more months to kinda lock it in, ‘cause we weren’t very happy with the demos, and it was just a lot of rough ideas and nothing solid. So, then we went to L.A. early, spent about a week writing more, then we spent another three weeks in pre-production writing again. Then, we made the record and we were on tour literally the next day, after it was finished tracking.

And anyone who has heard the record will probably agree, this abundance of writing time paid off when the final copy hit the streets. Not only were the fans enjoying the album, but the band members agree that this is a better representation of them, and the songs are getting a better reaction from everyone. Did they succumb to the pressure after releasing such a critically acclaimed album as the first?

Gerard: Basically, we knew there was going to be a lot of pressure because the first record kind of got a lot of critical attention, but at the same time, we realized that not many people had heard it. So, we kind of had that on our side. We didn’t let the pressure of making a good first record get to us and we also weren’t super huge fans of a lot of the songs on that record and we knew what we could improve. I mean, we were only a band for three months when we made that record and all the songs that are on that record are the only songs that we had. We literally squeezed every one we could out of ourselves to make that record. This time we had a lot more time to think about stuff and it was way easier, there were songs that didn’t make this record and it was cool to have stuff to choose from.

So heading into the studio, the guys knew what they wanted and decided on a producer; Howard Benson. Howard has produced albums with such bands as Hazen Street, Head Automatica, Less Than Jake, Zebrahead, and many more. So, why did My Chemical Romance decide he was the best choice for them? How did he help them grow as a band?

Gerard: He had made four Motörhead records, and that’s what got us interested about him, and what also got us interested about him was the fact that he contacted us, and that’s how we like to work. We don’t like to chase people, we don’t have big egos but it’s really nice, I think a project is ultimately going to be better when you have people that mutually want to work together as opposed to having to convince a big shot producer to work for you. That was the case with him, he was very interested in the band, he wanted to find out more about the band, he wanted to get the band. What he helped us do was really structure our songs to not be so self indulgent or last like six minutes long like Vampires [Will Never Hurt You] does. Like ‘Vampires’, I think, is the best song on the first record, it’s the fans favorite song, but it’s also six minutes long. I wouldn’t change it for the world, but it was good to learn from that experience and have somebody kind of point out the fact that you have sections here that aren’t adding to your song at all.

If you listen to both albums, you can hear a change in the music pretty distinctively while keeping the same My Chemical Romance feel to it. What was it that made their sound change since the previous album?

Gerard: I think kind of a willingness to accept the fact that we’re a band that wants to write great songs and not just be self indulgent or kind of overly intelligent for the sake of being snobby. I think coming to grips with that was what changed the sound, instead of just trying to impress people with the fact that we could do ten changes in one song, or time signature changes or mood changes or something we’re more interested in now.

This record is more than just the music for the boys in MCR, as lead singer Gerard Way designed both the album cover and the tray art. Some would say the crossover between music and art is a simple step, but Gerard found it a difficult task mixing the band and the painting.

Gerard: It’s like the hardest thing, it really is. Coming up with the ideas and a visual aesthetic for the band is the fun part, it’s the easy part, but executing it with that kind of thing is very hard because I find it difficult to kind of remove myself from it, I’m too close to the project. When I draw something, I’d rather have somebody else do it, but with this one the people at Warner loved it so much they convinced me to use it. [The cover art] was really supposed to be a photograph of two people but they loved it. I find it really hard because you’re so close to something.

But that’s not where Gerard’s artistic interst ends, as even on stage he likes to give the kids more, usually by dressing up in fancy suits and jumping about to the beat. The last time they were in town was with Face To Face and once again, Gerard was sporting the suit. How planned does this style get and how often does it change?

Gerard: It’s all very spontaneous, but just by the way I am I change things constantly. This tour for example, the make-up’s a little different and I’m in a different jacket now, but it’s relatively the same thing, I wear a suit more or less. I always try to keep it a little new.

The tightness of the group has been around from the beginning, especially since two of the members are related. Gerard and Mikey (who plays bass) are brothers, which makes it easier in many ways.

Gerard: I think it makes it a lot easier.

Mikey: It’s one less person that annoys the shit out of you, you know? ‘Cause you know them, so you don’t have to get to know them.

Gerard: Yeah, and when you’re in a band, it takes a while to become brothers with the other guys, but you eventually do. That’s where we all are now and that’s awesome, you know? But it definitely makes it easier because you know you have at least one person that you’ve lived with so long, that you get along with so well that you can kind of go out and go shopping for comics or something, whatever. But really, it’s not really that way in this band where we need to get away from each other. We all get along extremely well, like brothers, and we all do the same things, we all play video games and we go out comic shopping with each other.

Since they all enjoy video games it seems like this tour, The Nintendo Fusion Tour, is just right for them. So exactly what kind of perks do they get from being on a tour with such a sponsor?

Gerard: The first day they gave us a Gamecube with four wireless controllers and Mario Kart, which was really nice of them and we play that stuff all the time. They just recently gave us Donkey Konga, the bongo game, they gave us four sets of bongos so we’re very excited, they’re so nice to us, you know? It definitely has its benefits.

So, somehow between writing, painting, video games, and touring, the band found time to film a video for their single I’m Not Okay (I Promise), which seems to go hand in hand with the movie poster concept found in the cd booklet and even the title of the album. Was this all planned?

Gerard: I wanted [the album title] to kind of be like the title to a movie that wasn’t really a movie, like an unfinished movie or a movie that was never made.

About the video...

Gerard: Mark Webb came up with this idea of making… we had all wanted something kind of school-like, but we kinda realized we were older and we’re not gonna be very convincing high school students, so we had brought the idea to him to be prep school students, maybe post high school. We wanted it to kind of feel like Rushmore, that movie. He came up with the idea of having a movie that didn’t exist, and have a trailer for that movie. I hear it’s pretty convincing, I hear a lot of people who had never heard of the band at first watch it and they think it’s from an actual movie. So it was his idea to do that and the rest was pretty collaborative, like he had this vignettes that are throughout the video but he let us have a lot of input, you know? It was really collaborative.

With all this talk about movies, wouldn’t it be interesting to see a My Chemical Romance movie? But what would that movie be like? How would it end? Who would act as the members? Well, I decided to get their opinion on it and casting themselves wasn’t exactly the easiest thing to do.

Gerard: I’ll talk about the ending first, I think the ending would be really good. And I think in the end, everyone would kind of go back to normal doing that they did before the band or maybe something new like living in the woods, or writing children’s books. Bob would be, probably, an airline pilot or something. I’d like to think that when this band is through that everyone’s lives would go back to normal, not that we’re not happy right now, but I’d like to think that everybody is going to have a really good life when this band is done. As far as who would play us, I don’t really know. What do you think, Mikey?

Mikey: Bob would be played by Lou Ferrigno.

Gerard: Bob knows a lot of celebrities. He’s just knowledgeable, you know a lot of celebrities. You spit out names I don’t even know. Come on man, cast the movie, it’s your job.

Bob: Gerard… Brad Pitt. Obviously.

Gerard: Obviously.

Bob: Mikey. What was the dude we saw the other day? Caddie Shack 2 guy?

Gerard: Oh! Jackie Mason. I think Christina Ricci would play me, Brad Pitt would play Mikey.

Bob: Ray would be… that’s a rough question.

Gerard: How about Ashley Simpson?

Bob: No, Ashley Simpson would be Frank.

Gerard: Okay, Ashley Simpson will be Frank.

Bob: Definitely. Ray would be that American Idol dude.

After some discussion over which American Idol dude he was talking about…

Mikey: Oh! Clay Aiken!

Gerard: Okay, that works. We’ve gotten it all.

Is MCR worthy of a movie? Are they worthy of your attention? I asked the guys what they think makes them so special. Why should we listen to them over other bands; what sets them apart from the rest?

Gerard: I think our attitude really sets us apart as far as why we’re in this and what we do this for. It’s not simply for the fun of being in a band or playing music, it really has nothing to do with that, or fame or money or anything. Not saying that a lot of bands are just interested in money, but I think a lot of people just are in bands because they love music, you know? And we’re in it because we love helping people and we really wanna be there for people and that’s kind of- that’s our attitude towards this band. So as a result of that, we are extremely sincere about it and you can kind of hear that as a result in the music. And we’re also a band who takes a lot of risks musically, and I think that’s the most exciting part of listening to this band. From our standpoint, we listen to it like fans, you know? We’re all fans of the band we’re in and the fact that each song is completely different from the last, you never know what we’re gonna do next, I think is really exciting about us.

So they’re a band who care, a band who takes risks. With so many risks and changes in the songs, it’s hard to put a finger on their sound. Sticking them into a genre is a difficult task, but many people have tried. If you go to Launch.com you can find them under the ‘emo’ category. Does that bug them?

Gerard: Not really. I mean, Launch.com is owned by ‘Yahoo!’ which is this really huge corporation thing. I’m sure that they have a hard time categorizing music and they’re probably just going off what they find in the media to call bands like ours, you know? The main reason we get categorized in that is ‘cause we tour with so many of those bands. We’re always odd man out on any tour we’ve ever been on, though. We’re always the ‘weird dark rock-n-roll band’ touring with these emo bands because that’s just what’s big right now. It doesn’t bother me at all, they have to categorize it somehow for being on Yahoo and stuff.

With so much talk of ‘emo’ I was interested on their take on music today and the whole ’scene’ in general. On their new album there’s a line from the song Thank You For The Venom where they sing “I wouldn’t front the scene if you paid me”.

Gerard: That line was kind of a direct commentary on the climate of music right now and how we aren’t a part of that scene. I don’t want this band to be like the poster child for that scene and I wouldn’t front it, I don’t want, you know.

So they wouldn’t front the scene, but what do they think about it?

Gerard: I think the scene is great for what it is but I think it’s being exploited, it’s way past exploited. It’s probably into its stages of death pretty soon. If these bands don’t evolve soon, they’re all going to just fade away. That’s the problem with scene stuff, it’s not like grunge. Nothing is gonna be like that, I don’t think. Not for a long time, I mean this is just like another fad, you know?

If it were up to them, how would they categorize themselves?

Gerard: This is probably every bands answer, but we really categorize ourselves as a rock-and-roll band. I always like to use the term ‘neo-death’ to describe it because it’s kind of like this new wave of death rock, which is a genre, but I feel like that’s just a part of us, to be a death rock band. All of our stuff’s about death and I don’t see that really changing. I mean it’s positive too, it’s very positive music. It looks at death in both the negative and positive aspect.

So why exactly do they discuss death so much in their lyrics? What does Gerard find so intriguing about it?

Gerard: I’ve always been obsessed with it growing up, and I think that’s just why. I don’t think there’s any other reason.

And what does he believe happens when you die?

Gerard: I’d really like to think that there’s something else after death, I feel that there kind of has to be. It would really be one of the only explanations for everything is that there is something beyond death. What that is I don’t know. It really goes hand in hand with how I feel about God. I think there is something out there, I don’t necessarily know if it’s God, but it’s something.

If it’s the God that has been discussed?

Gerard: Yeah, it might be like a giant octopus or something. That would be kinda cool.

With so much talk of death in their lyrics, I wondered what is happening right now that they would like to be dead, or something that is dead that they’d like to bring back. So I wondered and wondered, and then I asked them. Their response?

Gerard: Hair crimping needs to go. You know what I’m saying?

Bob: Hair straightening.

Gerard: Hair straightening?

Mikey and Ray: Oh!

Gerard: No way, dog! You’d ruin every band out there! Um, hair crimping has to go. I don’t see it very often, but when I do it burns my ass.

Bob: Slippers.

Gerard: Yeah, slippers. We’re gonna bring back slippers from the dead.

Mikey: I think Hula-Hoops need to come back. There’s less violence in the world when people are using Hula-Hoops.

My Chemical Romance have been lucky enough to tour excessively, but when you’re on tour, you don’t always get to see the places you’re in, even though you’re there for the day. So where would the boys like to revisit and just spend a day as a tourist?

Gerard: San Francisco.

Bob: No, remember that place that we drove through? Niagara Falls? Canada side?

Gerard: Oh yeah! Niagara Falls, Canadian side. I’d like to go back there. I think we’d have fun there, there’s a lot of haunted houses.

A band who tours together build strong relationships, and that’s not always just the case with a band themselves but also other people on the tour or other bands with them. Such is the case with frontman of The Used, Bert McCracken. He appears on the new album on the song You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison, and in The Used’s new single Take It Away, there’s a line using the name Chemical Romance. Where did this relationship start? On tour.

Gerard: It started on the road, which is how we met Bob. Bob did their sound for three years, then he did Thrice for about two years?

Bob: Something like that.

Gerard: And we just became friends. [Bert] was just a fan of the band, nobody had known who we were. It’s kind of like what he’s doing with The Bled right now, although more people know who The Bled are than knew who we were, but he just loves that band. He’s a big fan of, instead of taking out who’s hot at the moment, just taking out something people haven’t been really exposed to and exposing lots of people to it. He brought us out for three months and to probably five countries.

The first time I saw you guys was two years ago, here (The Kool Haus), with The Used.

Gerard: Yeah, that was our first, probably one of our first times in Canada if not the first. Oh yeah, we came with Piebald, and then that was our second time.

Anyone who read the latest issue of Alternative Press that has read the latest interview with The Used knows about what Bert had said about his appearance on the album, and his story about himself and Gerard making out for a long period of time. I wondered about this, so I asked him.

Gerard: I don’t really comment on that. Um. Yeah.

Okay, okay. No comment. But at least is it a true story?

Gerard: Uhhh, yeah. Kind of. Me and Bob make out all the time, so it’s not a big deal.

I guess it goes to show how close you can get to people. All in all, I would say that that song (You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison) is my favorite on the album. I always think about bands and their own personal favorite tracks on their own albums and what they like to play live, and here’s what the band had to say.

Gerard: Prison. For sure. That’s my favorite live and on the record.

Ray: Prison probably live, and on the record To The End. Live too we’ve been playing I Never Told You [What I Do For A Living], and it’s been really good. It kind of has a new life now I think, that kids know the words kinda know where the song’s gonna go and stuff.

Mikey: My favorite to play live would probably be Helena, because it’s fun. Favorite on the record would probably have to be Cemetery Drive.

Bob: I think live… I don’t know. I think it’s Ghost [Of You]. It seems like it’s a change of pace half way through the set, kind of. [On the record] Helena.

If you notice, all the songs listed above appear on the new record, and none of their favorites are from the first. Does this come into play when choosing which songs to play live?

Gerard: We prefer our new stuff. We toured off [I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love] for like two years. But we play about three to four old songs per night. It was very strange, before the new record even had came out we noticed the new songs were going over better than the old songs. And now that the records out, it’s a big difference in who knows the old stuff and who knows the new stuff.

I can remember seeing them live for that first time and them starting their set even before most of the kids were in the venue, and watching the crowd kind of start to notice them and start nodding their heads. For the majority of the people in that room, this was their first time hearing the name My Chemical Romance, me included. Sure, I had heard a couple of their songs but only because I listened to them once; I heard they were opening the show and I wanted to hear what they were like. And now when I see them play, they have their crowd; they have their fans that are there for them and them alone, which is just awesome to see. So, where do they want their band to go? To what extent of fame are they looking for?

Gerard: We really want to be able to get to the point where we could up the production value of the show and really play for at least an hour long with proper lighting and really theatrical things going on. You know? To do that, you have to get pretty big to afford it and I think that’s really where we wanna get, to give people a really good show and really to reach people and drive the point home. I think that’s what we want.

It seems like tour life is a big part in their band. The success the want is for their show, to give kids a good time. What draws them to this tour life and also what’s the worst part about it?

Gerard: What draws us, I think, what drew us in the beginning was the fact that we get to see the entire world. We had always hoped to see just the country and then we got the opportunity to see the whole world, and we have really. I mean, there’s lots of places we haven’t been but we’ve been to so many places that were really high on my list and were more important to me, like Japan was huge to me. And having the band play a show in London and have it be a huge show, really, that’s like a dream come true. So I think that’s what drew us, the fact that we weren’t gonna just be these guys that lived in our parents basements anymore, we’re gonna be guys who saw the world and experienced things and grew up a lot as people. I think the worst part is you just miss people that you left back home. Your friends and family and loved ones, like you just miss all them. That’s the worst part. The best part is waking up in a new city and kind of trying to get a sense of where you are and going out and exploring it.

With the sudden interest in My Chemical Romance and their love of tour life, I’m sure you will get the chance to see these guys in your home town if you haven’t already. They say they have tour plans coming up including a North American headlining stint next February. This is a band to see live, they put all they have into it and you can tell that they love what they’re doing. I can say in all honesty that My Chemical Romance is one of my favorite bands right now and one of my favorites to see live; they’re so exciting every single time. Go see them play, go buy the record, they deserve everything they get.

Day 274

Prompt #37

You are a successful singer, a tabloid favourite and a judge in a national TV singing contest. An attractive and charming contestant fails badly during his performance. You want to approach him and express your feelings but you are afraid of negative attention from the press like last time. Yet you have to do something or you'll never see him again.

oggi sono veramente felice, pesavo 55 kg e finalmente sono arrivata a 53.5

if love is stored anywhere it's in the beaks of penguin plushies

Belphegor: i HATE your race,you people were the reason my sister died. MC: so...you're a racist? Belphegor: wait wha- MC: you're boutta get cancelled my guy.

in the mood for love, dir. wong kar-wai (2000)

the next time i accidentally get involved in peoples love lives is the time i quit reality

POWERLESS APPARITIONS: Chapter one

The room is dark, yet the sky is somehow darker. From where the camera sits one can see The Last City and the mountains beyond, a crackling storm of pitch-black clouds and dancing lightning descending upon them. Rain hasn’t started yet, but a boom of thunder rumbles in the distance, warning everyone of what was to come. Another crack of storm born electricity lights up the room briefly, drawing one’s eye to the other person watching the storm.

Skylar stands in front of the sliding door window that leads out onto a balcony, her arms crossed lazily over her chest as amber-orange eyes gazed distractedly at the storm. Her mind is elsewhere in the later hours of the afternoon. She seems completely at ease standing there almost completely bare to the world except for an awfully familiar sweatshirt zipped lazily over her torso.  

“You know, the view is much better over here.” At the electronic voice, the screen flickers once as Sundance blinks and follows Skylar’s movement to look behind her, back towards the bed that takes up half the space of the room. The hunter smirks slightly at the scene before her and the camera focuses on the sight of one very satisfied looking exo. He’s lounging on his side, the covers barely hiding his legs as he props his head on a fist, glowing eyes moving in a downward motion over his girlfriend. “I take it back, I have the best view, not you.” He gets an exaggerated snort in reply to the comment and smirks. “Have I told you how good you look in my hoodie before? Especially when it’s only my hoodie?”

The feed widens, capturing both hunters now as Skylar seems to make an effort not to roll her eyes or crack up at the overly dramatic words.

“Oh, once or twice today,” she assures him, looking him over in much the same way he had looked at her, before suddenly glancing over her shoulder at the window once more as the thunder rumbles closer. Her brows pull together with concern over something she’s thinking about and Cayde seems to know that too.

“They’re fine, you know,” he assures her, drawing her eyes back to him. “Corvan’s leading the team and it’s not like they’re the only fireteam out there.” Whatever they’re speaking about seems to be a revisited topic as Skylar blows out a breath and runs a hand through messy amber hair. She’s heard these words before, but doesn’t seem annoyed by it.

“None of us have gone to Africa before, I don’t think even Winter had…” she trails off suddenly as if knowing she sounds like a broken record and closes her eyes for a moment, completing the blue stripe across them once again. “I guess I feel like they’ll disappear too if I don’t keep an eye on them. Then again, that didn’t help last time so maybe I should-”

“We’ve been over this,” Cayde cuts in before she can start spiraling. “What happened with Winter and Tristan wasn’t your fault, don’t let Zavala’s emotional wedgie get to you.” The vanguard leader pauses long enough to push himself up into a sitting position, metal legs hanging over the bed and covers pooling at his waist. “We’re going to find them, Skylar.” There’s a promise in his voice that’s so believable that it in turn softens the human’s frustrated features, her brow relaxing as she looks at him. After another moment, her hand drops to her side, and she nods her head, finding reason once again. She’s too tired to fight on the matter and maybe she knows he’s right. Cayde’s eyes brighten at that, brow plate hitching up. “… now come here.”

Another flash of lightning spreads across the room, catching the smile on her face more clearly for an instant before she saunters over and into the space between spread legs. An ungloved hand brushes across her cheek, tracing her guardian marking with a thumb while the other rests over her hip, gripping onto his own shirt.

“I’m just glad you're home,” Cayde admits, the hand on her face brushing into her hair and moving it out of her eyes. A smirk twitches on her face at the comment and one of her own hands lifts her pointer finger out to poke him right on the tip of his horn like one might do with someone's forehead.

“You’ve already said that today too,” she muses, unable to hold back a grin as he huffs and tugs her even closer till her knees hit the bed. She lets her finger run down the front of his horn slowly and the exo responds by closing his eyes halfway, a low sigh vibrating through him. Skylar tilts her head, watching him in an almost content way before simply stating: “I missed you too.” It’s the last thing she gets to say before her mouth gets caught in a sudden, but expected kiss, the exo having drawn her head forward with a hand and biting lightly at her lips with mouth plates.

It's a quick mess of arms and hands and mouths then as Skylar cambers onto his lap and Cayde uses a hand to pull the zipper down on the hoodie and slip it inside. There’s a tension there, something bare and vulnerable about how they move. Long absences from each other leave one starved and needier than either really wants to admit. A bite on her exposed shoulder has Skylar rearing back, arc energy flicking across her hand that she presses to a bare metal chest to get the upper hand before pushing him down on the bed. He grunts, chuckling in surrender as she moves her way up to straddle him, leaning forward to rest her forearms on his chest.

“Guess you really missed me,” she teases, stroking a light charged knuckle down his corded neck. The exo curses and the hand still on his hip tightens as she presses a kiss to the side of his jaw, the flickering golden glow in his throat bathing her hair into firelight. Then, in one quick motion, she ducks her head and bites into the junction of his neck and shoulder, where the metal plating gives way to soft silicon and wires, and Cayde jerks, nearly bucking her off.

“F-fuck, Skyla,” his vocals sputter, his nickname for her nearly pleading. Lacing a hand into her hair and tugging her back, he meets her gaze. “I love you,” his admission is breathless, blue eyes brightening and Skylar smiles, her hand losing its glow as she presses it to the side of his face.

“I love you too.”

Thunders booms, much closer this time, and Cayde takes that as a signal to move, flipping them on the bed so fast all the redhead can do is squeak. The hinges of his jaw tilt up in a cocky smile as he looms over her, but Skylar seems perfectly at ease, her rumpled hair and lazy eyes displayed before him, completely exposed. With a simple flick of his wrist, the zipper is all the way down, the fabric falling to the sides to show an expanse of pale skin, marred only by the jagged purple lines below her ribs. He traces one with a gentleness one doesn’t associate metal with before returning his gaze to hers.

“I think we’re about ready for round three,” he quips, and Skylar just laughs slightly, shaking her head at him, but not stopping him either as he kisses her again, deeper and slower this time. His hands shift on the bed in a familiar position, ready to hold more weight --

A sharp beep rings louder through the feed’s speakers than even the thunder from moments ago, and Sundance blinks in surprise, making the image flicker. A red light blinks off to the corner of the screen showing an incoming transmission message. Both hunters look at the ghost for a moment and then Cayde shrugs it off, moving towards Skylar’s neck before another sharp beep has him pausing again.

“Sun…” The exo spoke out flatly, annoyed while the redhead simply lets out a long tired sigh. “Whatever and whoever that is, tell them to shove it,” he grumbles, a hand brushing Skylar’s side and making her twitch and bite back a giggle. Another sharp beep interrupts him from pulling the open hoody off Skylar completely and he sighs to himself, head dropping down to bury his face in her shoulder in both defeat and exasperation.

“It’s from Zavala,” Sundance’s voice is soft, calming towards her partner.

“Of course it is.” Cayde’s muffled voice is clearly unimpressed and seemingly unsurprised by her answer. The huntress under him, runs a hand over his head, biting her lip to stop from smiling at his dramatic actions. “If I had a strange coin for every time Big Blue cock blocked me Xur would be buried alive.” This time, Skylar did snort a laugh because obviously he was exaggerating. Sundance on the other hand, doesn’t seem very amused at all.

“He’s called a stage three alert. He is ordering all leaders down to the vanguard room immediately.” Lightning flashes across the windows of the room, painting the surprised and startled faces of both hunters in sharp shadows as they stare back into the feed frozen in place.

“Isn’t that…” Skylar begins, worry highlighting her voice and Cayde nods his head slightly.

“One stage below red alert? Yeah. Shit.” He pushes himself up into a sitting position, still straddling the mostly naked human and giving her a look that’s clearly an apology. Skylar simply shakes her head, sitting up as well and gently bumping her forehead against his horn as if to say ‘it’s fine’.    

“Time to get back to work,” she murmurs, pulling away after a moment and Cayde grumbles something low before pressing his mouth to her cheek and getting off the bed. He looks at her a moment before sighing again.

“I’ll need that back…” he gestures to the hoodie half on her and Skylar glances down then back up at him and wiggles her eyebrows at him playfully, scooting across the bed and out of the camera’s sight. He huffs, hands on his hips. “Sky…” A laugh, and then a moment later the cloth in question comes flying back onto the screen and Cayde catches it right before it smacks him in the face. Shaking his head, a smile etchs his face as he looks at the camera and slips the garment on. “Okay Sundance, give me the usual.”

The feed bobs as the ghost nods and then a bright light wipes the screen clean for a second as she transmats armor into place on her partner. When the image comes back the Vanguard leader is dressed and adjusting a strap on his shoulder armor. Nodding his thanks to the ghost he turns and picks up the Ace of Spades from where it lays next to another hand cannon on the nightstand. He double checks the ammo with a quick hand then spins it once and stows it at his side before picking up the other one.

The feed zooms in on the familiar piece of silver, copper, and black with the stylized heart printed on the handle. The Fated Hearts hand cannon, built from the damaged parts of The Fate Bringer and extra parts set aside of his own gun. Cayde gives it the same treatment as his own gun, checking it over as he turns back around, looking off screen.

“Ready to go?”

“As ready as I can be,” Skylar replies, walking back into the frame. She’s fully dressed and armed as well, her blue and silver get up all tied together by the glowing pulsing eyes of her chest plate and orange accented lines. She’s not wearing a helmet much like Cayde at the moment, but that could change quickly as her iridescent blue ghost floats on up to her and rests at her shoulder. Cayde looks her over for a moment before nodding his head and stepping closer, handing her the gun. She takes it with one hand, stowing it at her thigh and uses her other hand to brush it against the exo’s skull. Cayde leans into the touch, eyes closing slightly for just a few moments as her hand tracks behind him and then quickly pulls the hood of his cloak over his head moments later. He sighs once more, opening his eyes and giving her a look that can only be longing.

“Whatever is causing this alert is on my shit list,” he grumbles and Skylar smiles crookedly before gesturing for him to lead the way. His hand brushes her shoulder as he does just that and the camera feed swings around to follow the two hunters out of the room, their cloaks fluttering behind them as if the wind from the storm has drifted through the walls.

Keep reading here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29227578/chapters/71765664

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This isn’t exactly new, but I thought since this story only has a few chapters left, I’d release the first here. This is the second installment of my Destiny Series: Tale of The Phantom, which is a Cayde X OC told from the perspective of someone whose watch pre-recorded videos that their ghost took. If your interested my might want to start with book one, but I’ll leave that up to you! <3

drinking game: fish out explicit shows of affection from zhou zishu in tyk or when you by the grace of god find verbalized affection take two shots. by the end of the novel you're still sober

Eckart brothers