#ada studies for the bar again

[spacemonkeysalsa]

For context, I’m putting together some training materials for my office, and something like this is going to make it into those documents. Though I will have to change the example to something that doesn’t reference BG3 or sex, since it’s like not appropriate or whatever.

I’m barred in Nevada but then I moved (dummy) and now I am studying to take the bar exam again in a different state because I moved somewhere that doesn’t have any sort of reciprocity (double dummy) and its fine, I’m not worried. It’s just a pain, but as I’ve been studying and remembering what the bar is like, I also have friends who are studying for the EA exam or the CPA exam. It's forced me to think a lot about this kind of test and here's my main takeaway from studying for it:

Say you have a question on the exam like: “Which of these statements is most correct?” and then the statements are:

A) Astarion tops his partner in all his romance scenes in BG3

B) Astarion doesn’t top his partner in every one of his romance scenes in BG3

C) Astarion bottoms his partner in all his romance scenes in BG3

D) Astarion may top or bottom his romance partner in every scene in BG3

And you think to yourself, “hang on, I am overly familiar with the 2023 Larian video game Baldur’s Gate 3 and I love Astarion, I’ve romanced him 30+ times, surely this question ought to be easy, except none of these are quite correct?”

Answer A bothers you because you know it’s possible for him to bottom with larger body types, and this answer seems to exclude that possibility in how it’s phrased. Or does it? We’ll get back to that.

Answer B bothers you because even if you can get a version of the scene when he doesn’t top, there still exists a version when he does, and this applies to all ‘his’ scenes. Circling back to A real quick, you might be able to save yourself some time if at this point you just recognize that with A&B they are trying to get you to fall into the trap of assuming mutual exclusivity where none exists, but let’s say you’re an overthinker like me and your brain needs to keep processing all your options…

Answer C is obviously wrong, but you might hesitate to dismiss it, because what if you missed something? It’s a huge game and if we are thinking about variations, are these options you haven’t considered?

Answer D makes your stomach drop because you realize that three of these questions specify ‘his’ scenes, but the last one says ‘every scene’ and if it just removed the phrase ‘in every scene’ it would be correct, but the fact that it’s the one that’s different makes you fixate on it, even though you know it can’t be right, because it says ‘every scene’ not ‘every romance scene’ and therefore on its face implies every scene in BG3 is a sex scene, which isn’t true.

And you really wish there was an option that read “Astarion can top or bottom depending on player choices” but that’s not there. You have to pick from what’s there.

And, maybe you get distracted for a moment, wondering if by ‘his scenes’ they really mean just the scenes written for his character---that’s what you assumed, at first, but now that you’ve kept thinking about it you wonder if they may just mean a scene that he can participate in, as a player character, in which case B is true, because it implies that there’s at least one scene where he’s always a bottom and you can think of some that would count Also, they purposefully used the similar phrases “all” and “every one of” for A & B because they are hoping you will waste time considering whether these two phrases have the same meaning or not, and if there was any purpose in writing it in a way that was inconsistent. To be clear, the only point in switch up the wording is to mess with you.

Finally, you decide that the phrase “his romance scenes” has to refer to the scenes written for his character. Because anything else would be too unclear for the purposes of this question, since those other scenes ‘belong’ to other characters.

A is the correct answer because even if it’s not the best way to summarize this topic, it’s the only answer that isn’t technically wrong. All his romance scenes show him as a top, even if variations exist where he’s also a bottom. That just means “Astarion is a top in all his romance scenes, and a bottom in some romance scenes,” which would also be another example of the kind of ‘more correct’ answer you might wish was on the page, but it’s not there, and you can’t write in your own answer. Saying ��all’ doesn’t exclude other possibilities. He tops in all the scenes, and he also bottoms in one of the scenes, and both of these things can be true at the same time. There’s no mutual exclusivity.

They purposefully write these options like this because they want to trick you. They don’t care that you are knowledgeable on the subject, they are barely interested in testing your knowledge, what they really want to test is whether or not they can trick you into making a mistake.

And, on the one hand, I don’t think this is a great way to test people on a subject. Especially a subject that is dense all on its own. You’re not showing that you’re unfamiliar with BG3 if you get this one wrong, you’re just showing that purposefully unclear communication and pedantry can trip you up. That’s nearly totally meaningless.

On the other hand, the meaning that is there has to do with being careful when you read, and understanding common logical fallacies like false equivalence or fallacy of division. You know, the kind of thing lawyers are supposed to be good at.

It isn't so bad if you can stand how tedious these kinds of exercises can be, or if you’re a weirdo who kind of likes tedium, like me. It will make it more likely that you take psychic damage while interacting with normal people, though. And people will think you're a pedant, because in fairness, you are a pedant.

[the-undeadwriter]

Hi there! I have a hurt/comfort request for Ranpo. Would you be willing to write headcanons or a scenario for his s/o (ADA!reader) being captured and held hostage by an opposing organization, and he and the others won't be able to rescue them for a few days due to circumstances? Let's also say for the sake of writing they can't use their ability to escape cuz their captors accounted for that. They're visibly shaken and terrified when the other members can finally rescue them, and Ranpo has to help calm them and assure them they're safe now.

Is there a reason this took so long? Nope! Just a mild depressive episode :)

Anywayyyy this got super long, so I had to cut this kinda short!! If anyone wants a part two or something similar, don’t be scared to ask!

Warnings: Kidnapping, references to violence. GN! Reader!

Requests are open!

It’s been… fuck, about a week? Keeping track of days is incredibly difficult when there’s no windows and you keep being fed at vastly different times to throw you off. You can’t even scratch the number of days you think you’ve been in here because of these stupid shackles!

At the very minimum, you sighed, leaning back against the cool wall of the blank cell you’d been kept in, you’d be able to study these shackles when you got back to the agency. If you got back at all…

You believed in your coworkers— your friends, your boyfriend— ability to get you back safely, but it was hard to keep up hope when you’d been stuck here for days, and your captors made it a point to torture you for information every other day.

You sigh again, closing your eyes and shifting in place, trying to get comfortable. These shackles held your hands behind your back, digging into your skin. It was a struggle to even stand without the help of your hands, let alone lie down—

Clank!

…what the fuck was that?

Bang!

No, seriously, what—?!

BOOM!!

Oh, shit— this is how you die, isn’t it? you didn’t answer any of their questions, and now they were gonna kill you for being a stubborn idiot— shit, were you shaking??

You can’t move. You’re chained to a wall, scared out of your mind— you’re a sitting duck. Prey, caught in a trap. Stars, this is the end?? You were going to die in a cold cell, without seeing any of your friends ever again? Fuck, they wouldn’t even have a body to bury holy shit—

“Oh, Hey!! I found them!”

…Dazai????

You look up— when did you close your eyes— and see Dazai, standing a few feet away from the bars of your cell.

He’s not looking at you, he’s staring down a darkened hallway just out of view. You shift up, trying to— get his attention? See what’s he’s looking at??— But you only manage to twist your arms uncomfortably.

You try to clear your throat, speak up and call for assistance, but— pounding footsteps echo through the stone facility, rapidly approaching before Dazai is unceremoniously shoved out of the way with a small protest by— “R- Ranpo!?”

This past day has been so fucking strange but— You really hadn’t expected being rescued today, let alone by the entire agency. You were that important, huh? They didn’t even do that when Atsushi and Kyouka got kidnapped.

You don’t really recall what happened next— not clearly, anyway. You think there was a lot of crying, probably from you. You don’t know how the cell was opened, or when you were led out of the facility, or when they got those cuffs off, but you were sitting on the floor outside now, with Yosano carefully checking over the angry red marks on your wrists while you felt your ability slowly returning to you.

“Mh, shouldn’t be too bad… you won’t be able to do any workouts for a bit, but…” She shrugs, pulling a blanket over your shoulders with a small sigh. She rests her hands on your shoulders for a moment before pulling you into a hug, squeezing you gently. “You’ll be okay.”

You carefully pull away, tugging the torn sleeves of your shirt down. Glancing back towards that god forsaken ability reveals that you weren’t the only person inside. You see dozens of other people being led out by varying authorities— it seems this wasn’t just an agency mission.

Turning back to Yosano, you pull the blanket tighter around yourself. “Yosano-sensei…” You start carefully, voice cracking from disuse. “Where’s—?”

Carefully, warm hands settle on your shoulders, pulling your body backwards towards someone’s chest. They rest their head on yours, taking a deep breath before pulling away. You tilt your head back, already aware of who’s behind you. “Ranpo,” You breathe out, eyes wide.

Your beloved partner stares down at you, expression tight. You hear Yosano stand with a grumble, heeled shoes clicking against the pavement as she walks away, but you don’t care about her right now. You were seeing your boyfriend for the first time in days, you were busy.

Slowly, he steps around you and drops to his knees in front of you, opening his eyes and carefully scanning over your features. He lifts a shaking hand and presses it against your cheek, brushing away some of the dirt caked onto your skin. “Hi,” he whispers, voice cracking on the syllable.

You make a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob, catching his hand and holding it in your own with a smile. “Hey,” You rush out, feeling like you can finally breathe again.

Ranpo doesn’t cry, not like you are, but he doesn’t need to. Something in his face shifts, and you know, without words, that he’s just as happy to have found you finally. He leans forward and presses your forehead against his own, letting his eyes fall shut as he breathes out— like he can finally breathe again too.

It will take you… a while, to fully recover. Physically and otherwise. But, you are out. You are safe. Your boyfriend is with you, as are your friends. No matter what comes, no matter what happens, you will be okay.

You know you will be. You have to be.

[sl-newsie]

American Woman (Thomas Shelby x American OC) Ch. 67: A Chosen Target

Masterlist: https://www.tumblr.com/sl-newsie/739551758747090944/american-woman-thomas-shelby-x-american-oc?source=share

In the next few days I ease my mind by getting some things squared away. Abel and Franz’s contracts are cleared so now it’s a matter of shipping out their textile products. I also wish to inform Thomas about Zipporah’s case but each meeting is called short before I can. So I decide to drive to Arrow House after this luncheon.

Right now Polly and Ada made me take a mandatory break and join them for an early bite to eat. It seems a bit out of place now that most people don’t have much loose change to spend. I’m taking this as an occasion to distribute some of my own good fortune to the bar we’re meeting in. Something else I notice is Ada’s growing belly.

“So Verena, how was Germany?” Polly asks as she sips her tea.

I twirl a spoon in my hand. “The country was a nice change of scenery. I met friends. Some old, some new.”

This gets Ada’s attention. “Oh?”

“Zipporah, a girl I met back home a few years ago, has to move just because her family’s Jewish. I’m going to ask Thomas if there’s something we can do to send aid. Not just to her but to other traveling Jews.”

This information leads the two Shelby women to exchange worried glances. For good reason, too. Their Romani ties won’t go unnoticed by those bastards either.

“That sounds like a perfect idea,” Polly compliments and takes a bite of her meal.

“Did you meet anyone else?” Ada questions, changing the topic.

“One comes to mind. A sailor. His name is Nathaniel Winston. He claims to have met my uncle before.”

There it is. The wheels are spinning in her head again, just like Thomas. Only instead of business ploys she thinks of more personal matters.

“So… This Nathaniel Winston… Is he single?”

Clamp.

I set the spoon down and grab my coat, placing my end of the bill on the table. No. I am not discussing this again. Meanwhile poor Polly looks confused at my sudden movement.

“I knew it,” I mutter, not bothering to face Ada as I throw on my coat. “I knew you’d ask.”

She scoffs. “I’m just saying-”

“God, Ada!” I blurt, throwing my arms up. “Must every man I meet be a love interest?”

Her eyes flash. “You are too stubborn to move on!”

“We have more important things to worry about!” I bark, earning some odd looks from the people seated around us.

Polly keeps calm and folds her hands together. “You still love Tommy.”

Something in me bursts. “Yes! I still love that handsome bastard and for whatever God-damn reason I cannot move on! So let’s drop it, shall we?”

I grip my purse and storm to the door. First moeder, then Uncle Colon, now this? Is there anywhere I can go without being judged?

“Verena,” Polly calls softly.

I cringe with guilt and contained rage, turning to face the older woman. “I’m sorry, Polly. I’ll see you later. Komm, Dílis.”

The canine jumps up and trots behind me. I’m sure Ada’s watching with disapproval. No, I cannot replace human companionship with a pet. But for now that’s all I have!

Keep walking. Keep walking. Get in the car. Start driving. I put my Bentley in drive and all but floor it out of Birmingham, heading straight to Arrow House. Maybe there my personal life won’t be poked and prodded.

By the time I get to Arrow House it’s mid afternoon. Today’s weather has stayed clear and still, adding assistance to my traveling. I park off to the side and march up the front steps, straight to the door. After a few moments of knocking the door opens and Frances lets me inside.

“I apologize for showing up unannounced but I have some matters to discuss with Mr. Shelby.”

“He is in his study,” the housekeeper informs me after giving Dílis a doubtful look . “Please wait here.”

She leaves me in the parlor and in no less than a minute later Charlie scampers down the stairs. He notices us and his jaw drops.

“You got a dog?” Charlie marvels and holds his hand out for the pup to sniff.

“His name is Dílis. Go on, you can pet him.”

The Shelby boy doesn’t hesitate and starts giggling when Dílis starts licking his face. 

“Peng.” The dog flops down and understands to play dead, causing Charlie to clap appraisingly. “Braver hund.”

Ruff! His high-pitched puppy bark echoes throughout the house.

“Ruhig, Dílis.” He stops barking but still whines anxiously. This past week’s lessons have been adding up.

“Verena?”

Thomas’ voice draws me to the hallway where he’s waiting. “Dílis, platz. Zit. ” The dog stops and plops down on the floor. “Can you watch him, Charlie? I need to speak to your dad.”

Charlie nods eagerly and I follow Thomas into the library. He doesn’t seem fazed by leaving his son with Dílis. In fact he seems to still be calm and collected as he’s been all week. I’d almost say he looks tired. As I take a seat across from him I keep expecting Lizzie to slink out. I imagine she still wonders why I’m useful. I'd say it’s because I offer overseas connections and a peace of mind. But all because I simply try to hold Thomas’ hand I’m a deceitful witch to her.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Thomas asks as he sits at his desk. "Was it just to please Charlie with your new canine associate?”

“Not entirely,” I remark. “I’ve been meaning to request resources to distribute to immigrants.”

Thomas shows surprise. “Immigrants?”

“Ask any stationed officer or transport official. Any cab driver or port sailor,” I reply sternly. “There are more and more immigrants leaving Europe to avoid the Nazis. One of my friends is leaving for Boston just because her family is Jewish. I am requesting to send supplies to these travelers.”

Just like Polly and Ada, his face grows dark at the mention of the monstrous group. Instead of answering he reaches into his desk and pulls out a clean sheet of paper.

“Which setup locations are you suggesting?” He asks, pen at the ready.

“Oh! Um, I thought of London, obviously, and maybe some other ports heading out of Europe. Maybe some on the East Coast for incoming travelers.”

Thomas jots down some notes and slips the paper next to the phone. “It will be done. I’ll make the call later.”

Under his breath I hear him mutter something like “Mosley can go to Hell” but I don’t press further. Thomas still looks tired. No wonder he’s postponing the call. He probably needs to rest. Maybe… Oh, what the Hell. Why not?

“Would you like me to watch Charlie for the afternoon?”

Thomas, half hunched over on his desk, looks up with worn eyes. “You’d do that?”

I push aside my grudge for him and smile. “Of course. It’ll be just like old times. And you look exhausted.”

The man sighs and calls for his son. Charlie’s footsteps get closer and both him and Dílis walk in. The boy has an uneasy grimace as if he’s about to be scolded.

“Hey, Charlie. You’re going to spend the day with Veena, alright?”

Thomas’ son looks between me and his vader. “Am I in trouble?”

“No, Charlie,” Thomas assures. “You’re not in trouble.”

“Your dad needs to take a nap,” I explain and rub Thomas’ shoulder.

“Daddy’s tired?”

“Yes. So you have to deal with- me!”

I kneel down and start tickling the boy’s sides, causing him to stiffen and let out spasms of giggling. Dílis gets agitated too and starts barking.

“Ah! St-Stop!” Charlie titters and I raise him up.

“There’s that smile.” I poke his cheek. “Whaddya say to a walk in the woods?”

He shrugs. “I’ve never gone past the stream.”

“Then let’s go exploring!” I encourage and start leading him out.

“Not too far,” Thomas warns. “It's still dangerous to let you two go without protection.”

“Fine. We’ll be careful. We’ve got Dílis. Just make sure to at least try to sleep,” I implore and usher Charlie into the hallway.

Dílis runs ahead and Charlie hurries upstairs to grab a jacket. I set down my purse and request an outdoors jacket of my own. Ten minutes later we’re bundled up and marching through the thick grass in the pasture. Dílis wanders in front but keeps close by. Charlie picks out a sturdy walking stick and keeps walking on and off the stone walls.

“This is it,” he points out when we get to a frozen stream. I dunno what’s past it.”

“It’s still on the property so we can keep going. How about we check out those trees?” I point to where the stream leads to a thicket of ash trees in the distance.

“Okay.”

We jump over the short wall and walk alongside the water. Dílis disappointedly tries lapping the ice and has to keep walking. Charlie helps distract him by finding a small stick for them to play fetch with. When we reach the thicket we all take a seat on some boulders next to the stream.

“This is pretty,” Charlie observes, looking out at the clearing behind us.

“Yes it is,” I agree. “God has provided a beautiful early winter. I’m sure this place is lovely in the spring.”

“Veena… Is daddy okay?”

That catches me off guard. What kind of question is that? Has Thomas really been so distant as to allow his son to be concerned for him? Charlie is still so young to be thinking this way.

I put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Your vader loves you very much, Charlie. He’s just been really busy.”

He looks down and runs his fingers over the coarse rock. “Are you going to leave again?”

He is growing up. And I can’t let him see how sad it makes me. “Someday.” Time to change things up. “Have you ever seen a tulip?”

Charlie perks up with interest. “No. What’s that?”

“It’s a flower. A popular flower in the Netherlands. Next spring I’ll bring some bulbs for you to plant.”

“My classmate David is Dutch,” Charlie reports. “I told him I’m part Irish.”

“And a Gypsy, don’t forget.” I point a finger at him. “I see you’ve begun to observe more. Just like your vader.”

Charlie smiles proudly but something makes him hesitate again. “When will you leave?”

I frown. “Why all this talk of me leaving, Charlie?”

He looks down again. “Daddy’s happier when you’re here.”

Happier. There have been few times in the past years when I have seen Thomas look anything remotely close to happy. How can Charlie figure out how me being around makes him happy? I know that in the past I felt glad to be wanted by Thomas but now there is no reason for him to want me around.

“Your vader is a busy man. He needs help to get things done and that’s when I come to visit.”

Charlie nods but still doesn’t fully agree. He must live a very cold domestic life if my small visits offer highlighted excitement. I guess Lizzie can’t do everything.

Arf! 

“Dílis, what is it?”

The canine’s ears perk up and he stands alert, facing the edge of the thick tree line.

Grrr. His high-pitched yip turns into a low snarl. Something’s here. Maybe a deer or- Someone. Two men. Two men step out and quietly approach. Both are wearing brown jackets and caps. They’re trespassing. I’m unarmed! Do they know I’ve spotted them yet? They’re not carrying visible guns but I’m not waiting around to find out.

I grab Charlie and sink behind the boulder. “Gib Laut!”

Rr-raw-raw-ruh! Dílis follows orders and speaks a fierce, gruff bark. Maybe that will caution them to keep away.

“What’s wrong with Dílis?” Charlie asks, trying to squirm away.

“Charlie. Listen to me very carefully.” I hold his face still so he can pay attention. “You need to go behind the trees and run home. Find your vader. Tell him to come here. Run. Run as fast as you can and don’t stop until you find him. Can you do that?”

Charlie spots something behind me and his eyes widen. “Who is that?”

“Charlie, go! Run- Ah!”

Someone grips my hair and yanks me onto my back. Charlie jumps away and all I can see are the treetops above me. My pulse jumps and adrenaline rushes through as one of the men tightly grabs my arm and pulls out a hunting knife.

“Maybe Shelby will finally come to his senses when we scruff up another one of their employees- A woman. Get the message across that Thomas Shelby’s time in the world is running low.”

I hear the other one let out a small groan. “This feels wrong.”

The clutch on my arm tightens. “She’s still with the Peaky Blinders.”

“Dílis!” I gasp. “Fass! Attack!”

The canine lets out a deep growl and I feel the man behind me jump back, pulling me with him. The other one lets out a cry and sounds to be running away.

“Mangy mutt!”

“Get this fucking beast off me!” 

I tug away and crawl to a nearby tree, trying to get a grip on the situation. One man is running scared but the other one with the knife is still trying to escape Dílis’ attack.

“Leave her alone!”

My stomach drops. Charlie is still here. He runs over and pitches a rock at brute’s head. It doesn’t do much except make him drop the knife.

“Ch-Charlie- Run!” I order. “Dílis! Lauf!”

The dog jumps back and takes off after Charlie towards the house. Go! Go! He needs to protect Charlie. Now if I can just grab the knife-!

“Damn mutt ripped a hole in my leg!” The man roars and punches me square in the chest, knocking the wind out of me. “Time to finish the job.”

“Let go of me, you bastard!” I wheeze.

“Wo-hoa!” The man taunts, smiling like a madman. “Listen to that accent! She’s American!”

Ah!

He sticks the blade in my side and my scream rings out through the forest, sending birds flying. Warm blood spills down me and soaks my brown coat. In a fit of adrenaline I use my remaining strength to punch the bloke right in the crotch, sending him doubling over. 

Rr-raw-raw-ruh!

The man gasps and tries crawling away from the sound of Dílis’ bark. “It’s back!”

From the frozen ground I look up and see Charlie run over, and behind him is Thomas running at a full sprint. He sees the man on the ground and pulls out his gun.

“Charlie!” I heave and pull him out of the way. “Duck your head. Close your eyes-!”

Bam!

The bullet flies straight into the man's head, forming a perfect hole in his forehead. Charlie recognizes the loud noise and clings tighter.

“Don’t look. Keep your head tucked in. It’s alright.” With a blurring vision I see Dílis hovering over me and sense him prodding my face with his nose. “Braver hund. Good dog, Dílis.”

“Charles!” Thomas’ voice gets closer and I feel his wide frame kneel down next to us. “Verena- Are you hurt?”

“Take Charlie-” I wince and gently push Charlie away so he doesn’t get blood on him. “There’s another one…”

Thomas immediately sees the red and inspects the source. “You’re cut.”

“‘S fine… He went that way…” I try to point but my hand is starting to shake. So tired…

“Verena! Stay with me!” Thomas orders and begins grabbing me up to carry me.

It’s not a fatal wound but it’s not a light scratch either. Hm. How could one stab make someone so tired? My mind weaves in and out of consciousness, flashing images of being taken to a bed and getting stitched up by a blank face in a mask. So tired…

“You’re awake!” Charlie’s voice cheers.

I am? Why hadn’t I been before? My eyes open slowly and I take in my surroundings. We’re back at Arrow House in a spare bedroom. There’s a fire burning. Dílis is perched next to one side of the bed while Charlie is on the other. There’s light seeping in from the drapes. How much time has passed?

“You slept all day. Daddy brought you here and had a doctor fix you last night.”

Fix me. I reach down and pull back the dense cotton covers, revealing a large amount of gauze wrapped around me. So it was not a hallucination.

“You were very fearless yesterday, Charlie,” I praise and reach for his hand. “But please promise me that next time you will run when I tell you.”

His brown eyes drop and he looks disappointed. “I was just trying to be brave.”

I stroke a piece of hair away from his face.  “I know, I know. You’re just like your vader. But being brave doesn’t mean you need to fight. Courage stems in many forms.” I pat his cheek. “Don’t grow up too fast, Charlie.”

Arf! Dílis puts his two front paws on the bed and licks my face.

“Yes, yes! You were very brave too, Dílis. Braver hund.”

A noise catches my attention and I look over at the door. Thomas is here. From the look on his face I can tell he’s weary of seeing this scene again. Someone being injured and lying helpless in a bed. He quietly walks in and puts a hand on Charlie’s shoulder.

“Is the party in here, eh?”

I offer his son one last grateful smile. “Just saying goodnight.”

The young Shelby’s face tenses for a second. “Goed- Goedenacht, Verena.”

My eyes light up at his use of Dutch. “Goedenacht, Charlie.”

Thomas lifts him off the bed and sends him off. When Charlie is gone he kneels down and faces me with soft eyes.

“I can’t thank you enough-”

“Stop, Thomas. I did what anyone would do. It’s your son who should be praised. He stood up for me. He has your spirit.”

“You still saved him,” Thomas implies.

“He saved me.” I give a small chuckle. “Of all the times to leave my gun in my purse.” Thomas doesn’t laugh along so I look him up and down. “How are you feeling?”

His eyebrows rise and he cracks a small grin. “Me? You just got stabbed. You’re lucky your lung wasn’t punctured.”

I show him an exaggerated look of my own. “When you walked in here you look like you'd just seen a ghost.” 

Ghost is a different word to him. It makes him hesitate. I don’t want him overthinking again so I ask the big question.

“Who the Hell were they?”

“Billy Boys. They disobeyed our truce. They’re both dead now, and I’m going to have a word with Jimmy fucking McCavern.” Thomas’ darkened face looks up. “I am so sorry.”

People can probably count on their hand how many times Thomas Shelby has apologized. I told him once before that he owes me a multitude of apologies. This one, however, is not engraved with his fault. Anyone can attack me at any time. 

“I should have known to expect this,” I admit softly.

He runs a hand over his forehead. “Yeah but you don’t deserve this, love.”

“There’s nothing you can do to change it. I agreed to a contract to be a Shelby employee, and in doing so I chose to paint a target on my forehead. What’s important is that Charlie is alright.”

Thomas sighs again and glances at an old Bible placed on the side table. “Does the Lord almighty have an answer for this?”

“God is not afraid of your questions,” I murmur, my eyes growing heavy again. “If you would like to know something you need only ask Him yourself.”

Thomas stands up and I feel his calloused hand on mine. “You’re tired. Get lots of rest, love.” Dílis jumps up and curls up near my feet. Before I drift off I hear Thomas say one final praise. “Braver hund.”

General POV

How could he have let this happen? How did this happen? This truce is getting worse by the week. The sooner McCavern and Mosley are dead the better. If they think they are free to rough up his men, his employees, of all people Verena, they are damn wrong.

Verena’s dog lets out a small whine before Thomas leaves the room. He takes one last glance at her, cursing himself for ever offering her a contract. Colon was right. He did make Verena think she owed him and now she’s addicted to this lifestyle, same as he is. He really is a bastard for making her his employee, and now it's turned her into a target. As it pains him to think of her leaving, the idea of Verena's dismissal begins to form in his head.

Seeing red drip from her clothes is a sight Thomas wants to forget entirely. The light threatened to leave her eyes last night. He shutters at the thought as he closes the door.

The tired gangster treads down the hall to Charlie’s room, where he finds his son hunched over on the bed.

“‘Ello, Charlie. Ready to sleep, eh? You’ve had a long day.”

“God helped us.”

Thomas’ thoughts freeze. “What did you say?”

“God helped us stop the bad guys yesterday,” the child babbles and crawls into the sheets.

The comment makes Thomas chuckle. “Verena’s told you about God, eh?”

“Yeah. Like how Uncle Arthur talks of Him. Verena’s told me about how mummy and Uncle John are with Him now too.”

Right there Thomas sees his son growing up. Maybe he never did have a suitable mother after Grace died, but he’s been taught in faith to remember her. It makes Thomas wonder. Is it possible to teach faith? Or are we born with an inner sense to it? Either way, there are spirits that guided them in these recent hours.

@sherbitdibdab @meadows5

[loverslantern]

The Hunter and the Witch~ Dean Winchester x f!reader

Description: Sam confronts Y/N on her feelings for his brother.

Warnings: basically none but it is a little angsty. Sam playing cupid. Also Sam might be ooc- sorry

Tag list: @jesllianaquilesrolonsworld @okayiamkassandra ,

@fablesrose , @ada--44

A/N: Hi! To start off thank you so much for all the support recently I’m truly grateful for you all and i’m so happy to say I have people who seem to enjoy my writing. But on the writing note I just wanted to acknowledge a sort of plot hole:

if you have read the series up to now you probably know that it was said Y/N has a job and kept it (just doing it basically on her laptop alone) even when she went with the boys to find their Dad. I did this because I wanted a sense of independence for her as I felt like this made sense, would she drop anything to help them yes but I also don’t think she would be so quick to give up her life since she had her own house and didn’t hunt 24/7. Now as we are a little bit further into the story I don’t think she would have this job anymore but I also don’t know how to write it into the story and i don’t think i want to write a half chapter just on it (tho this might change). So for the sake of the story you can decide why she dosnt have this writing job anymore,for me I see it as she secretly quit after the skin walker hunt because she realized where her focus needed to go and how tiring hunting full time was. I also don’t think she ever brought it up to the boys out of fear of making them feel guilty, tho they probably figured it out and didn’t say anything either.

Anyways sorry for the rant i’ll let you read this now! And Happy thanksgiving to any and all who celebrate

Word Count: 819

A fool in love

(Master list, Previous Ch, Next Ch)

“Here you go” Sam says, placing a cup of tea in front of me having picked up our drinks from some local place as we sat in the library trying to find a new hunt or any clues to where his Dad could be.

He didn’t have a third cup with him, Dean having not joined us deciding instead to go find a “lead” in a bar.

“Thanks” I mumble before bringing the hot drink to my lips.

He sits down in front of me, shuffling in his chair awkwardly. “Are you okay?” I laugh lightly at his odd movements. He clears his throat, “Yeah, I, uh…can we talk?”

“Of course” I smiled at him, my eyebrows scrunched together slightly.

“Promise you won’t get annoyed” He starts off. I laugh, “Okay? But I don’t know if I can exactly promise anything when I don’t know what you’re gonna say.”

“Just…promise” He held out his pinky to me, something he knew I took very seriously. I smile harder, linking my pinky with his, the very sacred promise now in effect. He studies my face carefully as if to see if I was really serious even with the pinky promise.

He bites the inside of his cheek going silent for a beat before finally speaking, “Why don’t you just tell Dean you love him?”

“Sam-“ I sigh, not knowing what to say. We’ve had this conversation before, years ago, where it was established that Sam knew my feelings for his brother.

“Why would I confess to someone who doesn't feel the same way?” I finally say.

“But he does!” He practically yells, getting weird looks from those who sat around us- library rules and all that. His face flushes a deep pink with embarrassment, “Why is it so hard for you to believe that someone loves you, that he loves you?

“Look where he is right now, at a bar probably getting some girl's number or even leaving with her to hook up. He clearly doesn't feel the same for me as I do him.” I explained, a little frustrated. He doesn't say anything for a while again, “I think he does that to avoid his feelings for you.”

“Yes you think but you do not know and I…” I sigh, “I don’t want to get my hopes up.”

“Don’t you notice the way he stares at you? He couldn’t keep his hands off of you” He points out, referring to the Hook Man case. “That was for a cover” I answer simply.

“There were a lot of times where there wasn’t an excuse for a cover up, like the armchair.” The mere mention of me sitting on Dean's lap makes my face feel hot.

I don’t have anything to counter that, I mean it was just to amplify me being his girlfriend for a cover. That’s what it was.

He becomes all sassy and self assured as he speaks, “See! Deep down you know I'm right, you just don’t wanna admit it. And you know what I noticed?”

“What?” I humor him, making eye contact.

“Every time you get hurt or there’s even a little bit of concern towards you he stops hiding his feelings. It’s like suddenly no other woman exists, only you.

You have to have noticed that at least.”

I bit on my bottom lip in thought, he’s right. I can think of numerous occasions where Dean had ignored very attractive women when I was hurt or in the prospect of danger, exactly as Sam said.

No.

No.

Nope.

Dean Winchester is not in love with me, it isn’t true.

“You know a couple months back” I begin, “I forget which hunt it was. But it was only like a month of being on the road with you guys and through that whole time it hadn’t mattered the circumstance, even when we were in the middle of hunting, or where we were, either way Dean was flirting or hooking up with some girl. And every single time I would feel this…this…pang in my heart or maybe like my heart had dropped into my stomach. Which only made me feel more like a fool.

So it got to a point where I just decided, you know what, I'm gonna force myself. I'm going to pretend that I don’t have feelings for him. That it doesn't pain me to see him like that with other women.

“Did it work?” He asks me, his eyes having a certain solemn look to them.

I sigh for the upteenth time, “No. For some stupid reason I can’t stop loving your brother.” He turns his eyes down towards the table.

I try to catch his eyes, “Do you get what I’m saying?”

He looks back up at me, “Yeah. My brother’s an idiot.”

I choke on my laugh, taking a deep breath before I speak, “Maybe. Or…maybe it just isn’t meant to be.”

[love-kurdt]

Swooping, Sloping, Cursive Letters: 36

word count: 688

PLEASE READ THIS IS ME TRYING FIRST, AS THIS STORY RELIES HEAVILY UPON THE CONTEXT OF TIMT

September 29, 1990

Dear Will,

This past month and a half has been nothing but absolute chaos. First off, I finally had my official gay bar initiation! I was invited back in August by my friend Alexis and some of our other friends from our Gender Studies elective course, which was good, because at least I’d be around people I knew. They ordered me this neon blue cocktail I can’t remember the name of, probably because I chugged it so fast (just kidding, I think it was called a Blue Lagoon), and I was instantly picked up by the Prettiest of Pretty Boys™. He introduced himself as Wes Butler, and we had sex in the storage closet of the bar. It was actually my first time “topping” (I put topping in quotations because you can’t really top if you’re both standing). But it was cramped, it was hot in a bad way, it was messy, and it ended quicker than it began. It was not a good time. Moral of the story: I don’t do closets. I spent my whole life in one, and lost you in the process.

If you thought that experience was weird, let me tell you about this nerd rave I went to last Friday. Some acquaintance from one of my lit courses told me about it after class, saying it was at a beat up old house on the edge of campus, at five o’clock. When I showed up, it was like I’d entered the drama club room at Hawkins High. Dim lighting, red ambiance, and about a dozen different fantasy and sci-fi related activities happening throughout the house. I was so overwhelmed, and I had no idea where the hell to begin. Despite my love for writing fantasy, I’ve tried not to interact with anything remotely nerdy at the risk of it reminding me of you and sending me into a downward mental spiral. I’m scared that one day, if the spiral is spiraly enough, I won’t be able to come back from it. But anyway, this guy came up to me and said “Is it me or do you not have a clue what’s going on, either?” I turned to face him, and my eyes nearly fell out of my fucking skull, because I was either hallucinating, or Eddie Munson had come back from the dead. We immediately sparked a conversation about how we were just normal dudes who like literature and D&D, and felt incredibly out of place amongst all the cosplayers, almost like it was a convention. I don’t know how exactly we got from Point A to Point Z, but within half an hour of meeting Walker Brooks, he was fucking me into his Lord of the Rings bedsheets. Out of nowhere, he started talking to me in Elvish– I actually looked up and translated the phrase he used most frequently, “N- a man boui an ada.” It means, “Be a good boy for Daddy.” Yeah… yikes. I won't be seeing him again.

It’s no wonder why I keep going back to Wyatt. When we hook up, it’s like he erases all the other bad experiences. He’s so gentle with me, which is honestly what I crave the most. I just want affection. I just want love, while most of the other guys I’ve been with only want to get their dicks wet. But Wyatt is different– he cares about me. He’s my friend, above all else. And because he’s my friend, he offers to listen whenever I need to talk, no matter what. I think he knows my entire life story up until this point. Which means he knows about you and everything that happened last year. Don’t worry, he doesn’t hate you. He just… isn’t your biggest fan. It doesn’t matter what he thinks of you, though, because you’ll never have any reason to cross paths with each other. If, by some miracle, a reason does emerge, I won’t hesitate to introduce you two. 

But it’s just pathetic for me to hope at all at this point. So I won’t. Hope, I mean.

Love,

Mike

-

previous letter | next letter

homepage

[huellitaa]

☀️🎀 princess project: day 13!

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 friday 7.6.24

🗒🎀𓂃 ࣪˖ today's to do!

☀️ mental

woke up early

was super productive in the morning

felt really good about myself for most of the day!

was really proud because i handled this week pretty well considering the circumstances

🎀 physical

hot girl walked

drank cucumber water

had an everything shower in the morning

used a sheet mask for the first time in AGES ♡

ran down a hill and up one again back to my house because my mum would actually murder me if i got back a moment after 4:30

ate super healthy

wore my fav lip gloss to school ♡

ate lunch whilst running home

🧁 academic

got extra time on the maths exam! ♡

computer studies assessment (we weren't warned about it so i only got 17/30 which is pretty average considering i'm terrible at computing anyway 😭)

accidentally almost got a detention in geography

finished reading war of the worlds! (🎀🗒 goals: attention span!)

BEGAN READING ADA LOVELACE'S BIOGRAPHY AHHH ♡

studied pythagoras' theorum (or at least tried to. what the fuck is a x b x c KILL YOURSELF)

💬 social

met up with wifey after school yesterday and gave her the biggest hug in the world BCZ I MISSED HER SO MUCH U DONT GET IT

tweaking down the road because she gave me a kiss on the head before she got on the bus and went absolutely feral ♡

fooled my computing teacher into thinking chappell roan was madonna (he's such a sweetheart i love him swear )

reported this girl in my class with my friends for cheating in science and maths assessments bcz what the heck

fangirled over little bunny rings my friend got ♡

fangirled part 2 with my kpop friend about twice and newjeans in maths ♡

borderline had an argument with my parents and didn't burst into tears !!

🎀 leisure

showed my friend my twice album!!! ♡

FUCKING GLASSES BROKE AGAIN

survived with only 20% on my phone all day

brang cherry coke and a blueberry bar to school and was very very happy about that actually

all my love! 💘🎀✨️

[itsmehar4]

Tadi pagi sekitar jam 4 Darijas menelpon, katanya dia lagi ada di Vilnis untuk menggantikan temannya yang lagi injured. Dia bakal disana sampai hari selasa, yang artinya sabtu dia bakal masuk kantor. Gak apa-apalah wong aku juga kerja hari sabtu. Tapi aku seneng karena kami bisa cerita. Dia ngak mau pulang karena dia satu room sama temannya. Temennya itu udah lumayan tua dan ngak suka rebut, so.. dia menghabiskan waktu diluar dari satu bar ke bar lain dan minum udah gelas ke tiga saat kami cerita. Katanya dia bisa bangun sampai jam 10 pagi karena akan kerja di jam 1 dengan durasi perjalanan selama setengah jam.

Aku bertanya mengenai kegiatannya dengan temannya minggu lalu, dia bilang bersama temannya sejak pagi main paintball, terus mereka melihat lomba mobil dan juga main volley. Agak kurang terdengar suaranya darijas. Oh ya aku bilang kalau aku ndak bawa headset mungkin tinggal di kantor, eh dia bilang, punyamu itu udah lates… wkwkwk…sial…aku bilang aja TWS aku lagi rusak jadi aku pake headset itu.

Dia ngelewatin pameran mobil Mercy, katanya mobil itu mahal banget. Aku bilang kalau menurutku modelnya lebih klasik padahal pastinya itu keluaran terbaru maka dipajang. Terus aku bilang yang penting masih bisa digunakan itu udah cukup.

Aku certain sama dia kalau aku punya jurnal, dia nanya sejak kapan kau tulis, mungkin sejak umur sebelum 25 tahun, membuatku selalu mengingat moment. Aku juga pernah certain ke dia tentang mas life quarter chrisist ku yang kutulis disana maka aku mengingatnya. Aku juga kasi tau rahasiku bahwa aku buat jurnal tentang dia. Dia tuh surprise, dan dia bilang, aku tidak akan memintamu untuk memberitahu aku apa yang kamu tulis, tapi aku surprise banget kau nulis jurnal.”katanya. Tau ngak dia fikir aku tuh nulis dibuku gitu. Ya,,,aku bilanglah…aku nulisnya di apps tumblr.

Terus aku ajuin pertanyaan kepada Darijas, minta dia menanyakan sesuatu informasi yang ku tahu tentang dia. Terus dia tanya apa yang aku tahu tentang yang dia sukai. Hmm…agak tricky, karena dia suka banyak hal. Pertama aku bilang kalau dia suka basketball, ok itu sesuatu yang lain katanya. Terus aku bilang kamu pernah bilang samaku kamu suka mpus. Yah… itu juga suatu yang lain katanya. Aku bilang dia suka masak. Dia bilang ya… itu yang ingin kudengar sebagai jawabannya.

Dia cerita kalau dia suka masak semua makanan yang didapatnya dari internet. Hanya saja ibunya ngak terlalu suka nyobain makanan baru. Lebih suka makanan nasional mereka. So… youreright girl

Aku juga nanya apakah dia punya planning untuk Christmas tahun ini. Dia sempat ngedumel sebelum dia bilang, oh yeah… I would like to meet you in person. I come to Vietnam or Fhilipine, or you come to Europh. Then I said that I still on going for study, it will makes it hard. Even my holiday is for 2 weeks. We will thinking about that baby. So,.. once again he just refused. And I tell him, im not sure that we will meet in person. Why he said. It’s because I see many obstackle between us. Then we stop tehe conv

Oh ya I remember, I ask him when we first met. He said he is bad to remembering. Then I remembering him that first time I and him met when there is a hotdog challenges. Then he remembering, its on Fall… around August or September. Then we know that we will going for a year. Then I have a foodprint 4 august the hot dog matches.

Until he arrived to apartement and he ask me to keep quite, because his friends still sleep and its soo dark. Then after he pee, we just greeting for sleep.. yes.. im bit sleepy.. oh my god how I love him so much..

[moonlight-yuyu]

Hello 👋🏾 may I please request a personality ship with Enhypen, &Team, NCT 127 and ATEEZ?

I’m South African-Indian, 152cm 😭 ENFJ and RBF until I smile, I also have ADHD 🫠 I have studied fine arts then digital arts so I permanently have a sketchbook and a drawing tablet in my room. I work in user experience currently (which isn’t great for my eyes, hello glasses that I forget to wear 👋🏾 ) designing for better customer satisfaction through improved, informed intuitive experiences for devices and apps. Into learning instruments (guitar, keyboard, used to know the flute, inspired to learn the saxophone)/learning about music production. Started dancing since I was 3 but more so for fun, dance has become my therapy and I do want to become more serious. Singing since I was 7, and never stopped or shut up 😂 I love rock/metal, rnb, hip hop, neo-soul. I used to do acting 🎭

A collector of skincare and haircare to help me take care of my skin/my hair’s changing needs. I have an ever-growing collection of hot hair tools (and limited edition make up for when I have the time) 😭 finding the perfectly sized curling wand to perfect my natural curls if my hair wash day doesn’t turn out well. Learning how to create nail art (Gel-X is my favourite right now) but taking care of my natural nails first. I’m into fashion, not so much as to follow trends but more so finding what I like and buying items in different colours. Sometimes I have a particular vision like an all white outfit for example, so I do like to shop. I lean towards athletic wear, emo/goth/grungey, but I could also dress super colourful on other days. I like picking a main colour and a complimentary colour and experimenting with different textures like silk and faux leather, sequins and lace. I actually adore wearing nudes too - like different shades of brown, I have a precious collection of artist/band hoodies and shirts. I tend to buy shoes in black and in white so they can match my mood and outfit. Spritz some perfume and it’s perfection. I use Fenty and like to spray in my hair 🥰 my favourite scent right now is cinnamon 💖

I love to cook and try new recipes, I’m even better at baking though as this is where I have more confidence and experience in, I will geek out if I bake something perfectly (tbh I’ll geek out even if it didn’t turn out how I wanted). Foodie tbh 🫠 always up to go eat. On days I need to heal and I’m home-bound, I like to spend the day reading books (examples: The Color Purple, Umrao Jan Ada, The Picture of Dorian Grey). Other days I do go out to heal in nature, I end up taking a couple flowers from the park home with me. I enjoy listening to live music too 🥰 like visiting jazz bars. I adore immersive art exhibits, taking walks at night with all the city lights, homemade desserts (Tiramisu/Tiramisu Gelato). I adore travelling too and trying new experiences, I especially love beaches and spending time with loved ones ♥️ I like taking videos and photographs to preserve my memories! I enjoy working out - more so weightlifting rather than cardio but I do both 🫠 I could spend hours at the gym, I’m into yoga when my schedule is free ❤️

Dislikes, my insomnia 😂😭

I apologise if this is too long 🙈 Thank you if you do this request 💖💖 please take care and have a wonderful day/evening 💝

♡Thank you so much for requesting! Always feel free to request again. And thank you so much for your kind words I hope that you're happy and healthy. I'm so sorry for the long wait love! You sound like such a sweet girl and cool person to be around😭♡

EN - Jay

&Team - Nicholas

NCT 127 - Johnny or Taeyong (sorry I can't chose 😭😭)

ATZ - Mingi

[makemywebsite1]

Must-Have Things to Know When Creating a Healthcare Website

In Perth or Adelaide, medical physicians are advancing their skills and expertise in caring for their patients. Besides improving the medical facilities and their services, physicians, dentists, or other hospital centres look after boosting their digital presence as the first step. It starts with creating a professional, accessible, and secure medical website to assist patient’s needs.

For this reason, having a web design agency in Perth that designs a healthcare website is crucial when DIY approaches fail to comply with medical standards. In this blog, we will guide you through the most essential things that your healthcare website must have.

1.   Organised Structure:

First things first, a healthcare website should obey the right logical order that makes sense to patients, medical professionals, and caregivers. The hierarchy of a web design layout starts with featuring two different menus structures. One should cover navigational links as follows:

Doctor’s Availability

Blogs

My Reports

Investors

Research

CSR

Contact Us

While the other menu bar must feature navigational links to provide the following information:

Hospitals Location

Treatments

Services

Academics

International Patients, if any.

Quick Enquiry

With all the information accessible to the target audience in a user-friendly way, you can make your website an effective resource. If you need professional help, a web design agency in Perth assists with customised healthcare web design.

2.   Privacy Compliance:

Privacy is again an important factor in a healthcare sector where millions of patients and doctors share and receive sensitive information. When designing a healthcare website, it is beneficial to ensure that a website allows secure login. When a patient wants to see their medical records, reports, or book online appointments, they can do so without the stress and fear of losing medical history.

3.   Telehealth Integration:

Your website must also have integrated systems, virtual consultations, patient portal access, and HIPAA-compliant chat for follow up questions and communication.

When a website blends Electronic Health Records (EHR) for seamless systems in the patient portal, they are able to access personal medical records anytime during the day. If you need more help, a web design company in Perth, combine telehealth forms and processes easier.

4.   Patient Education Resources:

The next important feature to add in a healthcare website is patient education resources. Consider adding a content library containing blogs, case studies, and any other long-form content to guide your target audience during emergencies and daily operations. A news section is also a good place to update patients and other healthcare professionals about health tips and new treatments and procedures.

A healthcare website is not without a FAQ section that provides short and quick information about services, treatments, and packages. Interactive tools that guide patients to check their symptoms, calculate BMI, and assess potential risks are also necessary to attract much traffic. Consider having a professional web design company in Perth to help with the content creation process.

5.   Doctor and Staff Profiles:

When a visitor arrives on a healthcare website, the first thing they check is the credibility of the doctors and staff in assistance. Showing details about your qualification, expertise, and biography on a website establishes a patient’s trust in your services.

When they find that the staff is proficient in their services and can treat the symptoms better, they are more likely to request more information and book immediate slots.

6.   Accessibility Features:

A website should also be accessible for everyone, including the people with disabilities. ADA-compliance website is favourable for people with disabilities as it surfaces screen reader compatibility and ensures that the information is accessible to every care receiver. A web design company in Adelaide assures a website is accessible and stands upright to every concern and needs.

7.   Trust and Credibility Indicators:

Mentioning accreditations such as Australian Privacy principles and Medical Advertising guidelines set by APHRA, accessibility standards, and medical standards should never be a compromise. It indicates that you are providing efficient and highest standards of care and support.

Certifications, privacy policies, and patient testimonials are also a great indicator that translates into value and precision. When writing reviews and testimonials, verify each of them to guide patients in the right direction and support.

Final Words

We hope you found this blog valuable. Coming to an end, it is clear that designing a healthcare website is more about building trust and credibility, when a constant thought of recovering in the best way is always lingering.

With the above-mentioned features and design factors, you can ensure to build a healthcare website that promotes value, security, and useful information to the staff and patients in the right way.

If you are a beginner or lack expertise in designing a website that complies with essential medical accreditations, consult a professional web design agency in Perth to take care of the website creation process.

[seafoamreadings]

okay i believe i am now all caught up on everything! :) i have 1 more paid reading from etsy which i have started but not finished.

from this point on it is safe to say i will not be closing the shop for my test. i'm so happy i have been able to keep it going all summer <3

however also from this point on, if you do buy something, expect longer waits than usual - i am not someone you can expect a 24-hour turn around time from on the best of days, and these are not the best of days. i am taking this test in the middle of mercury retrograde, lol. i WILL do the reading when i can though. patreons will not be affected by this at all. i have posts there queued up beyond the testing dates, and the next card readings won't go out until september anyway.

this blog may be slightly affected but is so far on track which is better than i dreamed of.

and studying is going way better than it went last year when my eyeball revolted. it is still cranky this year but i can see and that's the most important thing, lol.

anyway hopefully i pass because if not i'm doing all this again next year. but on the bright side if i fail i can always blame the horrible astrology for the days they picked -_- it's so bad for a major exam, yall.

i have been working on seafoam stuff saturdays, sundays, tuesdays, and thursdays. this might start to slow down from here, because the panic is starting to kick in and i'm going to want to study 24/7 lol.

it's a bit of a longshot but if i have any followers who have taken major/long exams (qualifying exams, bar exams, MCAT type stuff) with physical disabilities (especially pain related) i would so very love your advice and tips on how to get through this because it's already grueling. i have a couple of ADA accommodations but i'm not expecting them to be super helpful. not astrology related per se but i will get help anywhere i can find it. back when i took the GRE i did not have such intense struggles.

as usual thanks for being here with me and all your support in every way <3 you are such lovely people i love you so much. i can't wait to be on the other side of this.

my 1-card readings on patreon have all been sent out now :) planning to get the 3-card ones all done tomorrow, but if there is any delay i will update you. obviously this is a weird time in my life and mercury is, you know, mercury-ing.

[neuroprincess]

Law & Order: SVU - You meet again (Preferences)

Classification: Fluff

Pairing: Alex Cabot, Casey Novak, Liz Donnelly, Olivia Benson and Rita Calhoun

Warnings: None

Word count: +900

Alex Cabot

- It's been 18 years since you saw each other in person, during your teenage years you kept sporadic contact through letters and phone calls. You felt proud of her every step, supporting her in all the courses, internships, sleepless nights studying, but two months before high school graduation the blonde cut ties abruptly, there were many unanswered phone calls and letters that returned or were never answered. This didn't stop you, years later, from sending one last letter to congratulate her when you heard that Alex had graduated in Harvard, her dream since you were kids. In the meantime you went on with your life, graduated, bought a house in Texas and got married at 30, divorced at 32, the dream house was sold and you started your own business in NY, a coffee shop in a good spot. Weeks after opening a group of detectives walked in and you immediately recognized a blonde head accompanying them. Much taller than you remember, wearing a feminine suit that fit her body well, eyebrows coming together in a thoughtful expression that you know well. She took a moment to choose something in the display case, and when she looked up, she was in shock. Your name escaped through her lips in a whisper.

Casey Novak

- A simple softball game got you three days off work, a mild concussion and a pretty purple eye. The ADA visited you every day since the event, on the day you returned to work the veteran detectives made a few unfunny jokes about you being able to handle big men but getting knocked down by a ball, giving you slaps on the back in consolation for the attempt. At lunchtime you received a bouquet of yellow roses, a box of Swiss chocolate and a handwritten apology card inviting you to dinner to make up for the hospital trip. You had exchanged phone numbers at the hospital, so making the appointment was easy, finding a space in your professional calendar was not, and after two weeks you met at a restaurant a few blocks from your apartment.

Liz Donnelly

- As you work together you frequently bump into each other in the hallways, there are always cordial greetings and brief conversations about the case you are working on, but nothing beyond that. Two months go by quickly, you seem to have fallen in everyone's favor and perform your tasks with competence, making Alex proud and excited to celebrate your work, especially for being your first formal job in the law area, you meet after work in a chic Manhattan bar, not far from the office. About 15 minutes later another blonde joins you, dressed more casually than usual, a smile painting her lips as she walks toward you after meeting you by happenstance. "Well well well, Cabot and her ward, so what are we celebrating? I'll pay for the drinks."

Olivia Benson

- The same night of the misunderstanding the Captain sends you a message apologizing for the situation in front of your house. You talked for a few more minutes and she thanks you for always being the one with Noah on the occasions she can't, in the end you agree to let the kids meet on a weekend after their punishment. For your children it was long, but just two weeks forbidden to go out play after school and video games. Evelyn was anxious, running around the house to make sure everything is ready for Noah's arrival, initially you had arranged with the Bensons to meet at the park but the rainy weather made you change your plans, finally deciding on a day of board games. Catan, El Dorado, Detective, Monopoly, even Jenga and Twister, there is a table full of snacks and treats, a wine is kept in the back of the cupboard in case Olivia enjoys it, you don't know what they like so you buy everything. At the appointed hour the doorbell rings and you find mother and son as excited as you are. It would be a fun day.

Rita Calhoun

- She didn't show up for weeks, every Tuesday you drove customers to other tables to reserve that special one in the hope that Rita would show up, which didn't happen. After the fourth Tuesday in a row you gave up. The new manager didn't harass you anymore, while he didn't make things easy at work, denying you overtime and events that usually pay a little more, after all, the generous tip from those rich people is what pays your bills. You chose to resign when you realized that there was no advantage or anything that bound you there, the emergency fund lasted long enough until you got another job, this time in an Italian restaurant, not as fancy as your previous job but much more welcoming. Monday is usually a slow day, you found out after two months as a waitress, so you are alone with the chef, working overtime late at night when she enters the homely environment, looking out of place in her expensive suit and high heels worth a rent. "Miss Calhoun?" you whisper, an involuntary smile on your lips. "I told you to call me Rita, sweetie." she sits up and signals for you to come closer. "What are you doing here? Forgive me, but this restaurant… it's not up to your level, it's not fancy." deep down you wait for the answer that comes next, not being able to think of any other explanation for her being on the other side of the city alone on a week day. "I came after the service of my favorite waitress."

[wiypt-writes]

Consciousness Of Guilt

Chapter 1

Summary: It’s a year since Ransom was murdered, and you’re settling well into your new life in Boulder. It hasn’t just provided you with a fresh start-it’s brought you a new sense and purpose, an appreciation for the things you took fore grated, and the friendship of a former ADA…

Warnings: Bad Language, allusions to past abuse (Non Con/Dub Con) but nothing explicitly described in this chapter.

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar the reader and any other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

W/C: 5k

Consciousness Of Guilt Masterlist // Main Masterlist

A/N- So, here it is! The sequel to Murder, He Wrote . This is the last time I’ll post this note, however, please be aware that the prequel is a Dark series. Whilst this is not, it will contain flashbacks and themes as we progress, however nothing will be as dark as MHW. Chapters will be clearly labelled with appropriate warnings. If anyone is uncomfortable with the themes of a certain chapter, I will be more than happy to post/provide abridged versions which will not deviate from the storyline.

Sunrise. You used to hate the coming of each day. It meant another monotonous day in your young adult life. A 'depends on the day' type of job at the paper in which you got your start, it meant earning little for the slave work you put into each piece or research. It meant another day you'd woken up in fear, not knowing what was coming next. Then, for a little while, sunrises were okay. They were a soft glow across the room, illuminating hard lines and soft curves, whispering words and lingering kisses. And then, they became fearful again, bringing the unpredictable nature of a life in which you were trapped.

But now, over the last few months, since taking up your new hobby, sunrise had become a beautiful thing. The feeling of peace and comfort washing over you like a warm rain, bringing the redeeming nature of a new day as vibrant watercolours paint the new-born sky. Whether you caught it from the East side of your condo; your master balcony and study or your garden, or even your hikes, you appreciated every, single sunrise as if you were seeing it for the first time ever, each and every day.

For this morning's sunrise, you were perched along Boulder Creek Path, a trail that runs from the foothills to across town, a typical recreational getaway for many locals and tourists. You looked out over the bridge as the creek flowed beneath your feet. You were lost in the serenity of it, the bubbling water lulling your mind into a deep mediation that washed peacefulness through your entire body.

A year ago today, your life changed and you were freed. Free of the nightmare that had plagued you, robbing you of nearly a year of your life. The months that followed weren't so easy, but once things settled and the fires were extinguished, you found peace.

You found you.

Your phone buzzing in your pocket brought you back from your reverie, pressing your thumb onto the screen to unlock it. You opened your messages tab and tapped the most recent incoming text.

A smile flicked on your face as you slipped your phone back in your pocket. It didn’t escape your knowledge how Andy didn’t need to even ask what coffee you wanted. But then again, this wasn’t the first time you’d had breakfast in the small, independent coffee place not far from your home and place of work. You knew when you arrived that a large caramel vanilla latte, with an extra shot would be waiting. But no food, your order varied depending on your mood.

Twenty minutes or so later, you parked your sting-grey Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 4x4 back in your garage to your condo at the corner of 9th and Pine Street and set off on the short ten minute walk to your designated meeting place, centred near the town square, not far from your office which was a gorgeous old red-brick building on the corner of 16th and Walnut Street.

As you approached, you didn’t spot Andy’s black Audi TT in any of the spaces littered around but it didn’t bother you. Barber was reliable, if he said he was going to be there, he’d be there.

And sure enough, as you walked along the side of the cafe you, spotted him at your usual, preferred table by the large window, overlooking the street. He saw you approaching and smiled, giving a small wave.

The smell of roast coffee beans, baked treats and other delicious aromas hit your senses as you opened the door. You approached the table and Andy stood up to great you, smiling. A light grey tee sat exposed under a partially zipped up light weight blue leathered hoodie whilst dark and crisp denim covered his narrow hips and long legs, his go to well-worn black work boots on his feet. His hair was styled and soft looking, his beard always trimmed and neat. He gave you a strong, yet gentle hug, a juxtaposition he managed effortlessly before he turned and waited for you to sit first before he took up his previous seat, nodding to your waiting drink.

“Thank you.” You beamed at him, taking a quick sip. "Of course." He smiled as he took a drink of his own coffee, straight black, before he leaned back a little. His left arm rested over the back of the booth bench, the platinum of his wedding ring catching the early morning sun which streamed through the window. You momentarily glanced at your own hand, bare of the heavy rings which had been taken in the ‘mugging’. Mind you, you wouldn’t be wearing them even if you still had them. Your story was a lot different to his.

“So, where'd you go this morning?" his soft baritone drifted across the table and you glanced back at him. "Fiddled around down Boulder Creek Path." "You seem to be getting around better now." "Yeah, thank God for GPS. Did I tell you that last week I was looking for some store Amber vaguely told me where about it was and ending up like thirty minutes down the highway towards Denver." He laughed, his whole body smiling, radiating genuine amusement. "You have more faith in GPS than me, when I first moved here I got pulled over for going the wrong way down a one way street because it told me to.” You grinned as he shook his head. "And that annoying voice! I want to wring her damn neck." You gave a chuckle but before you could reply, the middle-aged woman, who owned the café, interrupted you both with her usual familiar greeting and the smile she reserved for Andy. “Hey Patti, how are ya?” He smiled back. “Same old, same old.” She winked back. “What can I get you kids today?” “Y/N?” Andy looked at you and you smiled. “Can I get an almond croissant and a granola pot, please? With the blueberry compote.” “Sure honey, and for you Mr Barber?”

“French toast please, all the trimmings.”

A fizzing filled your ears as you were suddenly back on a clinically clean, modern kitchen, nervously scouring a fridge and cupboards for something to make your captor breakfast with. You swallowed, taking a deep breath, counting backwards from five as you always did to keep the memory from swallowing you.

“Hey,” a gentle touch to your hand jolted you back and you looked at Andy who frowned. “You okay?” "Yeah, no, I mean yes, I'm okay. It just…it dawned me this morning that this was the best thing I could have done for myself. Like there's just a newfound peace that's settled with me, you know?" He just smiled as he squeezed your hand before slipping his away. “Yeah, I do.” No more was said about it, and Andy didn’t press. He never did. In the eight weeks or so that had passed since you’d met him that Friday evening in the bar, the pair of you had struck up a friendship that was based on a mutual understanding. You both carried a heavy burden of a traumatic past on your shoulders, but you had an unspoken rule. He had never mentioned Ransom. And you, in turn, never broached the subject of Laurie or Jacob. You understood you were both moving on with your life, both wanting to heal from the past and you wanted to spend the rest of your life never in fear again. Instead, a simple chatter always flowed between the two of you, and today was no exception. You barely stopped to thank Patti for dropping your order off at the table. Current work was never a topic of conversation, although office gossip featured on occasion, but mostly it was always about happenings around town, him asking about you, your parents and your old job, the two of you talking about your favourite places in Boston. You never missed certain facial and eye cues Andy gave off at the mention of certain things, but when you saw them, that sag in his smile or the far off look his eyes would give, you'd change the subject. You ate in comfortable companionship and after another coffee, Andy asked for the bill and then pulled out his card to pay. "Next one is on me, you paid for the last two and coffee all this week." You gave him a stern look as you headed towards the exit. “Well, if you wanted you could grab us a beer later.” He shrugged, pulling the door handle to open it, allowing you to step out before him. “I gotta nip into the office for a coupla hours but...” "Breakfast AND drinks?" You smiled as he fell into step beside you. The July day was starting to warm a little now, the slight chill of the early morning all but gone. “If I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually like hanging out with me." “Well, I wouldn’t go that far. I just find you slightly less irritating than everything and everyone else.” He teased and you laughed. “So... Happy hour?" "Yeah." You nodded “It's a date." Andy confirmed and you quirked your eyebrow, trying not to laugh at the look on his face as he realised what he had said. “A date?” “Well, I don’t mean a date date but...” You felt the heat in your neck a little, so to save your embarrassment and his blushes, you smiled, "it's a date-not-date. Say Oskar’s, 6:30?" "Oskar’s." He confirmed. "I'll save you a tall, cold one." “You’re an angel, you know that?” "I wouldn't go that far. My halo is held up by horns” “Even Prometheus was an angel at some point, Y/N.” He replied as you reached the corner of the street where you would part. Him towards the office, you back home. You rolled your eyes and shook your head. "I'll see you tonight." At that he gave you another quick hug, his hand rubbing your back over the top of your light jacket before you headed your separate ways.

You enjoyed the walk home. It gave you the perfect chance to just mellow out and walk off a bit of your breakfast. You tucked your hands into the pockets for your vest, your white thermal keeping your arms covered. You headed down Pearl Street, watching as the little shops and boutiques began to set up their patios and side walk spaces for their Saturday. You took in the clean fresh mountain air deep into your lungs and allowed a warm smile to cross your lips. 

From Pearl to 9th you went, hooking a right up 9th until you walked to the corner of Pine, and onto the porch of the nice and spacious condo you closed escrow on just weeks ago. 

That deep feeling of home greeted you as you stepped inside, wiping your boots on your door mat just before kicking them off and setting them by the back door you’d come through. The cream walls invited you in, the oak furniture and fixtures, a feature that reminded you of home, the decor you grew up with, a safe place. 

You'd bought the condo outright with the money you'd inherited from Ransom's untimely death and subsequent estate. You knew before you'd even stepped foot into the property initially, that it'd become yours. The week you closed escrow, you and your parents moved you into the three bedroom, three and a half bath condo, never looking back. 

The open floor plan and panoramic views had stolen your breath and it was then, the first night your parents had left you alone, too anxious to sleep alone, you had fallen in love with the sunrise, seeing it from your front garden patio, bundled up with tea and a wool blanket. All three rooms in the space had no adjoining walls and their own en-suites. The master bedroom, your room, was massive. An en-suite with walk in shower, soaking tub and Jack and Jill sinks. Two walk in closets that you knew you'd probably never fill completely, an Eastwardly view and balcony. The two spare rooms, were separated, one on the second floor down the hall from yours where it's balcony looked West, as it were above the garage and the third on the top and final floor with its own balcony. That was your office space, a spot for you to work and to breathe in the fresh air. 

Everything in that condo was yours, down to the logs you'd put in your fireplace and the silly little amenities you'd given yourself from knickknacks to the colour of your dishes. There was one space however you left untouched. And only your parents had been inside to pack away your unused things as storage space. That room was your basement. You didn't need to go down there, you figured if you needed something from there, you'd go buy it anyway. All that was truly stored down there anyway were things from your childhood your mother insisted on you bringing along.

As if her ears were burning, your phone buzzed from your back pocket, revealing your mother calling. 

"Hey, Mom." You answered. 

"Hi, honey. I was just calling to see how you were doing. Check in on you." You could hear the worry in her voice and you couldn't help but smile. 

"I'm really good, Mom. It’s been good here." "You still hiking every day?" She sounded hopeful now.  "Lately it's just been on the weekends. I've been really busy at work, which isn't exactly a bad thing either." You had made your way to your room, looking for some lounge pants to change into while you continued your conversation.  "Well, busy is a blessing. Do you have anything planned for today or...."  "Uh, well I just had breakfast with a friend from work who I'm also meeting for drinks later." You smirked at the thought.  There was a joyful sigh that poured into your ear from the ear piece, "Oh, this friend wouldn’t happen to be the mysterious Andy you’ve name dropped the last few calls would it?"  You hesitated, "y..ye...yeah." Then you heard the tell-tale sound of your mother's chuckle. “We’re just friends.” "I'm not saying anything." You could picture her with her hands held up in defence. "You sound happy." “I am. I feel okay, more than okay even. I’m good.” "Alright. Well, don’t waste your day. Enjoy it. Your dad and I will talk soon." “Yeah, listen Mom, why don’t you come over for a few days in a couple of weeks? You’ve not been since the week you came to help me move in. It would be nice to show you round now I’ve got my bearings.” "We would love that. I'll have your father look at booking some time." “Okay just let me know. Tell Daddy I said hi.” "I will, sweetie. Love you, bye.” "I love you too, Mom, bye." The seventeenth of July, a date that you hope one day will come to mean nothing and be like any other day. But for now, it was a sting that reminded you of all that had happened. Not unlike Halloween, a day in which you'll forever hold in a fearful anxious place in your soul. It served as a reminder of the moment your life had taken a very dark turn, a darkness that you were still, in a lot of ways, finding your way through. Ransom. His name still tasted sour on your tongue. But left a sadness over your heart like a sheer curtain. You had truly hoped he wasn't going to revert back to the beast that held you captive. But you were wrong, and post the revelation of the real reason he had taken you, he’d been far more brutal and cruel than he had with you before, something you’d thought was impossible. And he’d broken you for a second time, or so you’d let him think. Desperate to escape his clutches, you’d done the only thing you could- you’d killed him. Whilst you may not have held the knife, you’d arranged it all. And, even though it had been an absolute last resort, you’d be lying if you said there hadn’t been a satisfaction to watching him bleed out and choke on his own blood. The realisation that had clouded his arrogantly handsome features as he came to understand it was your doing would be forever etched into your brain. That said, it made you feel a little bit queasy when you thought about how taking someone’s life could make you feel a sick sense of pleasure. The nightmares had plagued you for months after. The torture which sleep brought you only ceased around the time things were settled within the system between you and his parents. With a deep sigh and the need for distraction, you set about some spot cleaning in between loads of laundry and by early afternoon you had settled in on your couch with a beer and your latest box set binge. Not two episodes in and your phone pinged next to you.

With a smirk, you snapped a photo of your beer bottle in your hand and a few moments later his response came through.

The angel made you laugh, a direct reference to his teasing before. But before you could reply, you got another text with simply saying “fuck it” along with a picture of a tumblr of whiskey on his desk. With a snort you replied

With a smile you tossed your phone down onto the seat beside you, and resumed your watching.

***** Andy was kidding when he playfully said he'd be there by 6:45, fully intending on their agreed upon 6:30. But, he was late. He'd been so involved with his brief that he'd lost track, and for the first time since meeting her, was late for a meet up with Y/N. She was fully understanding as he'd text her apologizing for the time as he'd rushed out of the office and quickly headed for Pearl Street. He'd gotten very lucky with close parking and literally stepped inside Oskar's Taproom promptly at 6:45. He found Y/N sitting at the bar, her hair down, a nicely fitted black tee and skinny denim jeans, her foot tapping against her bar stool in waiting. Next to her was an empty stool and a full, cold looking tall pilsner on the bar, saving his space.

"Hey," he said as he leaned into her, a gentle hand on her back, getting her attention.

Y/N startled a bit but realized it was Andy and grinned, "'bout time! I was going to get started on yours without you." She nodded to the cold beer.  “I’m so sorry.” He shook his head, “I just got caught up.” "Well, you haven't stood me up yet, so I trusted you'd show." “And I did tell you 6:45 before. You know, on account of you being a cheeky little shit.” She rolled her eyes at him, "whatever." She smirked. He slid onto the stool next to her and took a long pull of his beer, damned it tasted good. He gave an appreciative sigh and turned to her. “So, do anything much this afternoon?” "I did absolutely nothing, well nothing of importance. Talked to my mom, did laundry, you know nothing exciting." “To be honest, sounds like a pretty good afternoon.” He chuckled. “Sometimes there’s nothing better than laying in front of the TV with no where you have to be.” "Cheers to that," she raised her glass to him. He clinked his with hers and returned the smile she had. The blues band that was set to play happy hour was starting to tune up and it gave Andy an idea. "What do you say we find a spot in the patio, little less noise." “Sounds good.” She nodded. Andy flagged the bartender down for another round to take with them. But before Y/N could pick up her glass, Andy took it for her and gestured with her head for her to go on in front. She looked a little surprised at his act of basic good manners, and not for the first time. He'd often seen her look at him in a similar way when he held doors open for her or helped her with her jacket. It made him wonder what kind of asshole Drysdale had been. But, then again, he got the impression it hadn’t been a particularly happy relationship to start. Not that it was any of his business, nor was he one to talk. The last seven months he’d been married to Laurie had been as strained as they'd ever got. They found a spot at a two top near the corner of the patio at the gate that separated it from the sidewalk. Andy waited for Y/N to sit before he set their glasses on the high top table and took his own seat. "So...much better," he leaned in across the table. "Love this place, but it's not always the best for conversation." “Yeah but it has a good atmosphere.” She smiled. “I like it. Not the type of place that-“ she stopped dead and took a deep breath. “Doesn’t matter.” He half smiled, "you know, I've been meaning to tell you, it's okay to talk to me about anything you want. No pressure, no strings. Just a friendly ear." She smiled. “I know, thanks. And the same goes for you too.” For the first time, an interesting silence came between them. They each sipped their drinks in an almost a mirrored like fashion and chuckled when through. "I think that's the first time we've ever not had something to say." Y/N shrugged. He nodded, and then she took a deep breath. “I was just gonna say its not the type of place Ransom would ever have taken me. He’d have thought it beneath him.” "I think that's the first time you've ever mentioned his name." He pointed out. "Yeah, I try not to. It's uh," he watched her as she struggled to start her story, playing nervously with the earring in her ear. "Complicated." He leaned on the table, his forearms crossed and supporting his weight. He wanted her to know she had his full attention. “Well, from what I know about him, which granted is only what I saw on the news or heard around Boston, he certainly enjoyed the finer things in life.” "That's one way of looking at." She chuckled dryly. "It wasn't an easy marriage, despite how short lived." "Well, I was with Laurie since law school and we still had our ups and downs. I don't think marriage is easy in general." Andy admitted. "I was with Ransom less than nine months before we got married. It, uh, lasted three weeks."

Andy paused, “okay, so granted Laurie and I were a whirlwind what with her falling pregnant so fast but... I’ll give you that one.” “A whirlwind?” She asked and Andy nodded. “Yeah, we hadn’t even been together a year when she got pregnant with Jake. Not gonna lie, I shit myself but...” he sighed, swallowing. “Well, he was worth it.” "I'm sure he was." She nodded. Andy cleared his throat. “He was a good kid, despite what he, well what he was accused of.” “I can’t even begin to imagine how that felt, for any of you.” She said gently. “Fucking shit.” He said bluntly. She blinked and then the pair of them laughed quietly. "I'm sorry, Andy. And I mean that in all sincerity." He sighed and gave a soft little smile. “Thanks. You know, for the most part it’s just happy memories. But then sometimes it’s hard...” he trailed off shaking his head, “but of course you’ll know that.” “Suppose so.” She shrugged. “I doubt our marriage was anything near as loving as yours. I, uh...well, Ransom was mentally abusive, very controlling. Getting married wasn't exactly what I'd wanted but, I felt trapped in a way." She paused as he listened intently. "I guess it's harder to explain than I thought." She bit her lip and then shook her head. “Then the asshole went and got himself killed.” "I hate that you had to witness that." She shrugged and her finger swiped at the condensation on the outside of her half empty beer glass. “It was a year ago today.” “Jesus fucking Christ.” Andy shook his head in shock as he took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry.” “I’m not.” She sighed. “And I know that probably sounds awful but... I don’t mourn him, I can’t. Not after everything. I’m just glad to be away and out of it. Fuck, that makes me sound like a really cold hearted bitch.” She scrunched her nose and chuckled a bit. Andy cocked his head to one side, studying her face which was, despite what she said, laced with sadness and he took a deep breath. There was more to her story than she was telling him, he could see that, but he had his own secrets too. And he found himself realising he didn’t care. Moving away post the accident that claimed Jake and later Laurie’s life had been a way for him to leave all that shit behind. And she was trying to do the same. “Okay, let’s make a deal.” He leaned forward. “No reverse gear. We look forward and not back, at least not at the hard stuff.” It took a moment for her to process it, and Andy watched her expression behind her eyes as he did so. Then she smiled, "deal." Andy smiled as she reached for her beer. He watched her pretty face as she drained her glass, setting it down in the table before she leaned towards him. “Have you eaten? Because I’ve suddenly got a hankering for something greasy and very bad for me.” “Sounds like someone I used to work with.” Andy shot before he could stop himself and Y/N threw her head back in a loud laugh. “Lawyers for you.” “Hey, not all of us are jerks.” He pouted and she shrugged. “Jury’s out.” She winked. At that Andy raised his brows, downed the rest of his pint and then stood up. “Something dirty and greasy that isn’t an attorney coming up, I’ll grab us a menu.” They each ordered a greasy, filthy cheeseburger with all the fixings and two smaller beers a piece to go with it. They moved their conversation away from their pasts and talked music as the band played some songs they were familiar with. Y/N finding the perfect moment to joke with Andy again about his age versus hers, despite it being maybe seven or eight years. Neither seemed to mind.  Again, when the bill came, Andy slapped his card down before Y/N even had a chance to grab her wallet, which caused him to laugh loudly at her pout. “You’ll just have to get it next time.” “Oh," she smirked, "so that’s your game? You paid, so I owe you a next time?” He shrugged. “Would that be such a bad thing?” She bit her lip and grinned with a shake of her head. “No, not really.” “Good, I’ll hold you to that. And, as a lawyer I feel obliged to tell you that’s a legally recognised verbal contract.” “Uh, I’m sure there’s a rule that a social agreement made between friends is done so without an intention of being enforceable.” Y/N shot back and Andy felt his mouth curl up on a little surprised smirk. “Therefore no intent, no legal comeback. Your move, Counselor.” He laughed and shook his head. “Nope, I got nothing.” “In that case, I call recess.” She grinned. “Oh faahk off with the legal puns!” Andy snorted and once more she laughed as they stood up, their night at an end. He walked behind Y/N with a gentle hand on her back as she weaved through the tables on the patio, eventually ending up on the sidewalk out front.

"Thanks, for breakfast, dinner, drinks," Y/N shook her head, feigning annoyance. Andy smirked, "thanks for meeting me. You're not walking home are you?" "I can, it's not far." She replied, folding her arms over her chest.

"Absolutely not, I'll take you," he nodded his head in the direction in which his car was. He gave a small wink when she accepted his offer. He held the door open for you as you slid into the passenger seat of his Audi TT. You quickly realized that this was the first time you'd been in his car and the very first time he would see your doorstep. However, the thought of both those things didn't bother you one bit. In fact, you found yourself more comfortable than you'd expected.

All in all the drive was no more than five minutes, and if he hadn’t been going that way already, you’d have felt like a complete fraud, but he assured you it was on his way.

You helped yourself out but Andy waited for you around the front hood and walked you to your doorstep, lit by the lantern porch light your Home Owners Association contract insisted be up. "So, this is me," you sighed. Andy had his hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans and he rocked a little on his heels as he waited for you to open your front door. When you'd opened it, he scratched behind his neck and said, "so I'll see you Monday?" "Yeah," you agreed. He turned to go but you called out to him, "Hey, Andy?" He quickly turned back to you, his one foot on your stoop, the other the next step down, "yeah?" In a sudden moment of courage, you stood on your toes and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. His smooth cheek and the slightly rough yet softer than anticipated scratch of those dark whiskers, intermittent speckled with auburn, felt amazing against your lips. And fuck, did he smell amazing. Which you knew already from the tight and friendly hugs he'd seemed to start giving you. The first hit of his aftershave was always the same, dominated by a white-out of bergamot and pepper, a bright flash of sweet, dewy citrus that is both crisp and clean, underpinned by a freshness that was both light and gentle and completely different to the heavy sandalwood based fragrance you’d grown so used to. It was brief, but when you pulled back, you gave a content huff, “Huh.” “What?” He was clearly puzzled. “Your beard. It’s kinda soft.” “What? What the hell did you expect?” He laughed. “I dunno, maybe a toilet brush type bristle.” “You kiss a lot of toilet brushes Y/N?” “Try not to.” She winked. “Thanks again, Andy. I enjoyed today.” He chuckled and shook his head as he watched you turn back to your door and finally stepped inside your home. Before you closed the door, you turned back, noticing he was watching you go in. "Bye."

"Goodnight, Y/N."

**** Chapter 2

[jazzapples3]

So I saw a post by @bilbobagginsbrainrotblog with one of those iceberg things for lotr:

and I've decided I'm going to try and Explain the iceberg so here goes:

"Read the Hobbit as a kid": where it all began. Good children's book though.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor lol" classic Boromir meme from that infamous scene in Fellowship of the Ring, though the accompanying still is usually from the part where he is talking about the Great Eye.

"The Peter Jackson LOTR trilogy": how most people get into LOTR, and the most well known of adaptations.

LEVEL 2:

"Did you know that when Viggo kicked the helmet he broke his toe": the most quoted behind the scenes movie trilogy fact, commonly used tongue in cheek on r/lotr. During the scene in Two Towers where the three hunters find the piled pyre of Uruk corpses, Aragorn kicks a helmet and screams. He had actually broken his toe kicking the helmet and the scream was real.

"1977 the Hobbit animated": not actually Ralph Bakshi, it was a TV film by Rankin/Bass. Though more faithful an adaptation (the bar is quite low), it does come away with a higher dwarf death rate. I do remember it having an 'interesting' Gollum design.

"Knows how to say phrases in Elvish": look I know some stuff like 'mae govannen', 'hannon ie', 'ada', 'estel' etc, but languages in general are not my forte. If you hear enough elvish you are bound to pick something up.

"Read The Lord of the Rings books": if you read the Hobbit this is bound to happen at some point. Classic adult high fantasy, but no longer as easy reading as the Hobbit (though nowhere near the level of the Silmarillion).

"I think its in the Silmarillion": as mentioned above, Silm is not easy reading (it bears much resemblance to read epic poetry, which JRRT studied. As there are lots of references in LOTR to previous ages, it is fair to guess that they must be found in Silm somewhere, if not in the Appendices.

"Plays of has heard of LOTR online": an MMORPG by Daybreak Game Company, is generally viewed as good. I've never been into MMORPG's myself but have at least heard of it. As far as I know, its still running.

LEVEL 3:

"Has read the Silmarillion": ...am currently in the process, as it is by far one of JRRT's densest works, and his study of the epic cycles definitely shines through in the style. Recounts the making of the world, the War of the Silmarils in the First Age, and some of the Second Age. Is generally viewed as a hard read.

"How could they cut Tom Bombadil": Tom Bombadil was a character that appeared in the Fellowship of the Ring book, encountered by the hobbits in the Old Forest outside of Buckland. Of indeterminable age and origin, he contributed the fact that the Ring was effectiveless on a person with nothing to desire. Later, in the Council of Elrond, it was suggested to send the Ring to him, but that was quickly shot down. Most of his lines were given to Treebeard in the films, along with the part with Old Man Willow.

"Ralph Bakshi animated Lord of the Rings": a 1978 film quite endlessly screenshottable, and again shafts Glorfindel in favour of Legolas. Never actually finished telling the story, as it didn't cover the events of ROTK. I do believe that another film was made by a different company that covered the ending? Or am I creating false memories?

"Can translate all elvish used in the movies without subtitles": as previously mentioned I am horrible at languages but this is defintely possible as JRRT did not pull any punches in creating languages, and elvish (both forms) are able to be learned. Though, you can just do as I do, and just memorise the translation and look clever later.

"Holy shit Aragorn is 87": as a Dúnedain (Númenorian descent) Aragorn as a lifespan greater than that of other men (I think he ended up living to +200 years). At the start of the books, the timeline of events makes him 87, but he turns 88 on his birthday March 1st when he meets Gandalf the White in Fanghorn Forest (so the film is slightly off the mark here).

"Legolas only says three words to Frodo the whole trilogy": actually what he says in the films is 'and you have my bow' which is 5 words, but this is one of those 'Luke I am your father' situations where the quote is misremembered. Aside from that this is true.

"Stephen Colbert probably runs a Tolkien blog he could be any of us Oh God": the TV guy Stephen Colbert is very famously a Tolkien Nerd (tm) so this would not surprise me.

LEVEL 4:

"BBC audiodramatisations": a 26 part radio drama series produced by BBC 4. Fun fact: Ian Holm (plays Bilbo in the Peter Jackson films) is Frodo in this.

"Tom Bombadil was Tolkien's reader-insert": Tom Bombadil is a very mysterious character in Fellowship of the Ring, which much speculation as to who, or what he is, since Tolkien refused to elaborate. It's fun to see the very read scholarly arguments on Wikipedia, but it is stated that the character was inspired by one of JRRT's son's dolls. Perhaps this is what the iceberg is referring to? Please tell me if you know something more, I'm going insane.

"Vill you vear vigs? prank interview": Dominic Monaghan (who plays Merry Brandybuck) prank called Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins) posing as a german 'interviewer' Hans Jensen, asking all sorts of off-the-wall questions, including the infamous 'vill you vear vigs?' This interview is freely available on Youtube.

"Is this Quenya or Sindarin?": Elvish as a language is split into two distinct forms: Quenya (the language of the High Elves, which is spoken by the Noldor and the elves in Valinor), and Sindarin (the language of the Wood Elves, spoken by the Sindar and presumably the Avari, those who lived in Middle Earth). They both use the Tengwar script of writing though. Sindarin is most commonly spoken, as in the First Age King Thingol of Doriath banned the speaking of Quenya.

"Has read Lost Tales and History of Middle Earth": The Book of Lost Tales and The History of Middle Earth is a collection of 12 volumes on legendarium lore spanning the history of Middle Earth and Arda. Like the Silmarillion, this was edited and published by Christopher Tolkien, though if you have read all 12 volumes of this, I have massive respect for you, since I've only managed to source two of the volumes for myself so far.

"Bro Elrond needs a break": damn Elrond has a backstory. Dad is absent, later becoming a star, his mum jumps off a balcony in the sack of Sirion and turns into a bird, not coming back, his murderous foster dads leave and don't come back, his wife is tormented by orcs and leaves to Valinor early without him, he leaves his kids behind in Middle Earth when he sails, one who he'll defintely never see again... damn.

"STRONG opinions on Feanor": on r/silmarillionmemes, there are two flairs for Feanor; 'Feanor did nothing wrong' and 'Feanor did everything wrong'. Dude was a pretentious prideful arsehole who kinda fucked up a lot, but he did have the balls to challenge Morgoth and call out the Valar, so opinions are up to you.

LEVEL 5:

"Can recite the Lay of Lúthien from heart": if you mean the Lay of Leithian, this is an unfinished poem published in the History of Middle Earth vol 3, detailing the story of Beren and Lúthien, also told in prose in the Silmarillion. If you want to try and memorise it, be my guest, though it is 4200+ verses.

"Can quote the entire trilogy from heart": a tall order but this can probably be done? Valar help the soul who tries it though.

"Favourite character is someone who is never seen of mentioned in the films": I'm sure the Silm fandom has your back. Maedhros deserved better.

"Sauron was once a hot guy": Sauron (or Mairon I guess) used to be super hot. After the fall of Númenor, where Sauron had basically orchestrated the entire fall, the Valar forbade him from ever taking a fair form again (or as I like to call it, revoked his sexy privaleges). Now he is not allowed to be super hot.

"Differentiates Finrod, Fingolfin, Fingon without issue": if he's blond, nice and friendly looking, and is maybe singing, its Finrod. If he's dark haired with braided in gold, maybe with a harp, or hanging out with Maedhros, its Fingon. If its neither, it Fingolfin.

"Has watched LOT but everytime Sam takes a step... 9hr long video": its an edit where everytime Sam takes a step he says 'its the farthest away from home I've ever been'. You can imagine why its so long.

"owns at least one replica sword or would if able": god I wish.

And there you have it! Am I making a video? Possibly not, but this explanation is here anyway. Hope you enjoy!

[yougotthat-write]

Tinder (Rafael Barba x Reader)

Word Count: 2,400

Warnings: Female reader, fluff, Rollisi shenanigans, cringey and inappropriate pick-up lines, potential PTSD for former/current users of dating apps and all the awkwardness that ensues from it :)

Summary: Amanda and Sonny try to find the perfect match for their uptight (and while he would never admit it - lonely) A.D.A.

Read on AO3 here!

It had started off as a joke, really.

Rafael Barba would never sign up onto a dating app if it wasn’t against his will. When he heard the snickering of Amanda and Sonny when he stopped by the 16th precinct, his feet couldn’t help themselves but bring him over to the two detectives.

Amanda bit her cheek to settle herself as the ADA’s polished shoes made their way over. Sonny’s ears turned pink at the tips, which gave Rafael the tell-tale sign that Sonny and Amanda were up to no good.

Hands in his pockets, Rafael quipped, “What?”

Amanda and Sonny exchanged glances. The silence between the two was not a normal thing but when Rafael asked a second time - more aggressive - Sonny held out a cell phone to the lawyer. Rafael’s brows went up in question but when Sonny motioned him to take it, Rafael grabbed it. Looking down at the device, the screen lit up and a plethora of information singed itself into his brain.

Rafael Barba, 37

Manhattan, NY

Assistant District Attorney

Oh baby, I’ll give you so much due process, standing will be the only issue.

Rafael’s eyes widened at the dumb pick-up line. His thumb swiped through the photos. One was of an appearance on the news - dressed up in a suit on the steps of the courthouse with a furrowed brow and serious look on his face. One was him at Forlini’s - scowling over the rim of his bourbon while sitting at the bar next to a grinning Sonny. He remembered when Amanda took this picture. It was the day he told Sonny he could be his second chair. Another picture showed him actually smiling - dressed in a Tom Ford tuxedo, champagne flute in one hand while the other was resting on the waist of his date for that night. She was an oil company lobbyist that he hooked up with sometimes when she wasn’t in D.C.

“What is this?” Rafael’s eyes hardened as he looked up at the two detectives. Sonny flinched at Rafael’s tone. Amanda simply blinked at Rafael. She wasn’t one to deal with attitude willingly but given how uptight Rafael could be sometimes, she was letting it slide. Rafael’s eyes went back down to the dating profile and he felt an annoyance bubble within him. “What the hell is this?”

“Calm down,” Amanda said as she grabbed the phone back with a roll of her eyes. “It’s just a dating profile.”

“Of me!” Rafael looked at Amanda like she was speaking some foreign, alien language. “Why does it exist?”

Sonny’s face seemed to become more pink. A hand went to the back of his neck, rubbing it as his mentor for all intents and purposes became more annoyed. “We just thought it would be fun-”

“You thought it would be fun impersonating a Manhattan A.D.A.!” Rafael’s voice was raised. A few passing officers gave some glances to the group. Amanda waved a dismissive hand to one of them, letting them know that Rafael wasn’t someone to worry about when angry. “You’re lucky I don’t have you arrested.”

Amanda snorted, “We were going to tell you about it when we got you a date.”

“Yeah,” Sonny added, “we just thought you were stressed lately and needed someone to... ya know.”

If looks could kill, Rafael Barba would have murdered two very well-liked and very hard working detectives right then and there in a New York police precinct. He would have to tell Olivia that she would be short staffed for god knows how long.

Rafael’s fingers came up to pinch the bridge of his nose, taking a hard breath before looking back at the detectives. “You think I need your help getting laid?”

Sonny’s mouth gaped like a goldfish, trying to find words but nothing seemed to make itself at home in his pretty little head. He looked over at Amanda with wide eyes, hoping for her to smooth over the situation. Amanda simply shrugged her shoulders, “It’s not that we think you can’t get laid, Counselor,” she paused, eyes almost sympathetic and it made Rafael’s nostrils flare, “you just haven’t had… anyone around… long-term, you know?”

“I’m struggling to find where this is any of your concern,” Rafael pointed a finger at the two of them, “or why you would think I would find it on a dating app.” Rafael’s mind was flooding with things to make the lives of these two detectives a living hell. Maybe if he pulled some strings with Olivia, she’d put them on desk duty for a few weeks. “I want it deleted - get rid of it!”

Amanda held the device out of the prosecutor’s reach, giving him a few nods of understanding but she needed to tell him of one important thing, “But before we do that, you should know that there’s someone who matched with you-” Sonny nodded enthusiastically, “and she messaged you - us? - back.”

“It’s why we were laughing,” Sonny’s smile faltered when met with the fiery gaze of Rafael. He cleared his throat before continuing, “we found the dumb pick-up line on the internet and she shot back with one of her own.”

Rafael’s fire was lessened with the mention of a match. And she happened to message him? Amanda stepped closer to Rafael, finger mindlessly swiping from one screen and to another. There Rafael had seen the actual large amount of messages he was getting. “Seems like more than one match.” He muttered under his breath. And while this whole ordeal wasn’t something he necessarily wanted, the temporary boost of his ego made his shoulders straighten and his tongue dart over his lower lip.

“You’re very popular, Counselor,” Amanda’s brows wagged.

“But we like her the most,” Sonny said, “she seems fun!”

Rafael’s eyes rolled, before they settled on Amanda’s phone.

Are you the Court of Appeals because I’m tryna get overturned.

After he read the message, he couldn’t help the snicker. Back in his Harvard days, Rafael had heard just about every dumb pick-up line you could think of that was in the realm of lawyers. He may have even used a few of them but could you blame the guy. Rafael watched Amanda switch over to your profile.

Rafael swallowed. And then he grabbed the phone out of Amanda's hands. She let out a protest but Rafael had taken a few steps away and studied your profile like it was a law book and he had a final the next day.

It stated your name and your age. Then the same location as Rafael - Manhattan, NY. Your job was stated simply as a lawyer. Huh. That certainly piqued Rafael’s interest. In your bio, you had:

What better alibi could you have than spending the night with me?

He swiped through your photos. One was of you at the Central Park Zoo, scowling at a monkey who was seemingly doing the same thing back at you. Another was of you at a bar or a club - one arm thrown over the shoulder of another woman and a fruity drink held in your free hand. Your attention was focused on your drink rather than your friend or the person taking the picture. The last photo was of you at a brunch of some kind. You held up a mimosa with a wide smile and a large sun hat atop your head.

“Did you say anything back?” Rafael asked. Amanda shook her head with a smirk. You were certainly attractive and if you had taken the time to message Rafael on the cursed app then you must have thought that he was attractive too. He went back to the message you sent and swallowed again. “W-what should I say?”

Amanda’s smirk didn’t falter as she stepped over to Rafael, plucking the phone out of his frozen hands. Rafael heard the speedy tapping of the blonde woman’s fingers, tapping out a message quickly. Sonny stepped over, peeking down over Amanda’s shoulder. Rafael watched Sonny’s face as it went from curiosity to what Amanda was writing and to a lopsided smile, essentially giving his approval of the message.

Rafael didn’t like the idea of Sonny approving anything of his - especially if it came to how he got a date but he patiently waited until a swoosh noise came from the phone. Rafael stepped over to see what she had written but Amanda’s fingers were quick with logging out of the app and swiftly deleting it off her phone.

“Hey-” Rafael couldn’t stop the protest from his lips, brows furrowed. Amanda ignored him, grabbing a sticky note and a pen. She scrawled the login information for the account and slapped it onto his chest.

“I don’t want it on my phone if that conversation starts to get dirty,” Amanda said. Sonny chuckled.

“I think it started out pretty fiery.”

Rafael held the sticky note in his fingers. He could feel his phone in his suit pocket. It felt hot and electric against him, even through all the layers of clothes he wore. “Nevertheless, I’m deleting the account,” he looked over the two detectives with a hard gaze, “and you are to never to do this again. Or else I will be put in jail for voluntary manslaughter.” Amanda swiftly ignored Rafael’s threat whereas Sonny seemed to take it more seriously. The lanky man gave a nod before settling himself at his desk.

Rafael stepped away from the detectives’ desks and dug his phone out from his pocket. His fingers twitched and he felt this wave of embarrassment wash over him as he searched the app’s name and watched it download onto his phone. It seemed to take hours for the dumb thing to fully be situated onto his device. He tapped it, used the sticky note information to log in and was greeted with new profiles to swipe across. He ignored them and went to his messages to see what the pesky blonde detective had said. He hoped it wasn’t something too inappropriate. The last thing Rafael needed was headlines of him sexually harassing women over social media.

He hesitated for a second before tapping on the messages with you. He took a deep breath. He felt nervous. Was it because of the potential can of worms that Amanda could have unleashed? Was it because he found you attractive? Was it because the two detectives were right and it had been a while since he’s had anyone around? While Rafael was capable of finding a temporary suitor to share his bed, he couldn’t find anyone to become something more permanent.

His eyes searched the screen, brain trying to quickly decipher the jumble of letters on his screen. “Ay Dios mío,” Rafael muttered under his breath and the grip on his phone tightened. Rafael thought he read the message a dozen times, just over and over again, trying to really see if Amanda truly did send this to you. He tapped various spaces on his phone, trying to see if there was an undo button but to no avail, the message taunted him.

Something something dictum. Sleep with me.

Rafael was caught off guard by Olivia who called his name from her office door. Rafael cleared his throat, slid his phone back into his pocket with one hand and slid the other down his chest, smoothing out any wrinkles in his shirt. Rafael finally remembered why he was there at the precinct. He needed to do his job and watch a line-up be conducted. Olivia had sounded very confident over the phone, so he figured he had a simple day.

He had spent the rest of his day watching various victims come forward to pick out their attacker confidently. When the defense lawyer monotonously asked to speak with his client after the lineups were done, Rafael felt his phone buzz. For a brief moment, Rafael had forgotten the dating app debacle. He wondered if it was Carmen, telling him of more paperwork and messages that needed to be signed and answered.

But no, it wasn’t Carmen.

It was a notification from the stupid app.

You have a new message!

Rafael bit down on his bottom lip, finger hovering over the notification. He took a breath and tapped his phone. God, what is wrong with me? Grow some cojones, Barba. Rafael watched the screen load and then plaster your message into his line of vision.

Ah, this definitely is a catfish account because there’s no way an ADA would use a line like that.

Rafael smirked. Took a moment to think and then started to type.

The DA has very low standards these days.

You messaged back quickly.

If they’re hiring based on looks, then I’d say they have very high standards, Counselor.

Rafael’s hand lifted to scratch at his jaw, a smile breaking across his face. His eyes widened at another message from you.

Does the prosecution want to rest at my place later tonight?

The forwardness from you made Rafael’s smile turn into a smirk. If Olivia or Sonny had seen him, they would even consider to call it a cocky smirk.

Would you want to meet for drinks first or just take this back to chambers?

I suppose I could side-bar for some drinks.

Great!

He paused before sending another message.

Let’s just agree to not use any more lawyer puns.

Objection!

After setting up a time to meet up at a swanky bar later that night, Rafael entered the bullpen again but with an air of confidence about him. Amanda noticed the shift in energy within the counselor. The corner of her mouth ticked up, fingers fiddling with a pen as she leaned back in her chair, side-eyeing Rafael. “Line-up went well?”

Rafael picked a piece of nonexistent lint off his suit jacket. “It went great, Rollins.” She hummed quietly, eyes studying every inch of his face with amusement.

“We’re heading to Forlini’s tonight,” Amanda stated, “would you like to come?” At the mention of Forlini’s, Sonny peeked over at the two of them from his laptop.

Rafael gave one curt shake of his head. “I’m afraid I’m busy tonight.” And with that, Rafael had turned and exited the bullpen and towards the elevator. Even though he hated it in theory of what Amanda and Sonny did, Rafael couldn’t deny that he didn’t not like the outcome of it.

[transsexualhamlet]

ok girl this is for the thang. I know you haven't read yuumori in over a year but do liam for 13 & 23, hannibal for 20 & 27 n atsushi for 3 & 24 have fun!

answering this because i now have reblogged the ask game a second time... i forgor

ask game

Liam:

13. Your favorite friendship they have

Can I say him and Bond because I know they have barely spoken to each other in canon but in my mind they are besties and Bond tells Liam to "slay" and he gets all teary eyed and looks at his sword and bond is like IM SORRY

23. Future headcanon

Yeah the thing about this is that I'm not super caught up on the manga and the last chapter I read had barely started the current arc. So I'm not sure what's going on or what the situation even is but I sure do know the faggots live together. I think they just kind of safely fade into obscurity exactly how they want to except for when sherlock is a fucking attention whore but well, if they've made up their minds to live in fuckin america (sigh) when they're middle aged and prohibition is going on and there's a whole gay scene and everything I think they do VERY well for themselves. Liam will be just a well behaved little guy at the underground gay bar and sherlock will just drop "oh yeah liam used to kill people way back when it was pretty hot. you know how it is with [insert zodiac sign]" and twenty people and the drag king singing will go WHAT

Hannibal:

20. A weird headcanon

I think Hannibal gets invited to the Met Gala. Once. They do not appreciate his dedication to the craft and the theme by sewing a "flower suit" exclusively out of 1600s silks gotten by bribing museums and ethically sourced human skin from hospitals which is actively growing, you have to admit, really stunning flowers. They do not invite him again yet somehow this garners absolutely no suspicion

27. If they could meet a character from another show/movie/etc, who would be the most fun for them to meet?

I forgot this was for hannibal and was about to answer I would love to see liam meet light yagami because it would be HORRIBLE however this is in fact hannibal and I can actually be serious. god hmm. I honestly think I need to see him meet Melkor? It would be. A very interesting experience. I am imagining him smiling sitting cross legged at a fancy table inside of a comically large cage as Melkor studies him like a bug and watches as the bloodied and beaten corpses he shoves in get magically transformed into five course meals. Needless to say I think they would hit it off disgustingly well. And even if it didn't, Hannibal is just too hard to torture because he'll just be into it. Good situation for Hannibal no matter what like? Get to have a thoughtful correspondence with a spiteful, gory eldritch mass of a god for the low low price of Mairon poking at you like a dead animal a little bit

Atsushi:

3. A song that reminds me of them

Pinkish by Gerard Way and Sorry About Your Parents by Icon For Hire. The former because god. I really don't know how to explain it I have emotions. It's kind of about him and Akutagawa and it's kind of just about him and himself. And Sorry About Your Parents is just yeah that ones about Akutagawa lmao.

24. What do you think is a secret they have that they never told anyone?

Atsushi once accidentally witnessed Dazai sucking Fyodor off and well. Couldn't bring himself to bring it to the attention of the ADA because well how fucking could you . How would you bring that up. He's decided he just needs to stay silent forever

[leakywright]

character development task 001: the wright’s

andre richard wright || 40 || mechanic || omar sy

andre was born and raised in cleveland mississippi, a small town in the mississippi delta that is the only city outside of la to have a grammy museum! once upon a time he had the dream to leave the small town and make a name for himself in the music world, to travel and share his music, but life doesn’t always go as planned. in his high school years his dad was diagnosed with cancer, and so andre trained under him at his mechanic shop. partly to help the family out, and partly to spend more time with his pops. when he was 16 he fell in love with his next door neighbor, adelaide, ada for short. and the rest seems to be history. 

the two had wanted to wait to get married until ada was done with school, andre was in the process of taking over the garage, when his father’s condition worsened and they found out they were unexpectedly expecting. and so they had an intimate wedding at their church, and though the dreams of the lavish life quickly faded from andre’s sight, he wasn’t terribly upset by it. 

life wasn’t always easy, not was it kind, but andre made a point to keep a positive spin on it. so what if he couldn’t be a professional musician? he’d play at church and teach his kids, and jam at the bars on the weekend. he taught leaky everything he knew about cars, wanting to have some sort of practical training for any reason. and at the end of it all, he was proud of his kids. leaky was an incredible athlete, and smart too. he gave all he could to support his children, and though the distance between him and leaky now breaks his heart, he hopes his son knows that home is always open to him. 

adelaide haven wright || 41 || rn || naomie harris 

ada always knew she wanted to be a nurse, that she wanted to help her community, and that there was no way she’d leave her family behind. so all the nights that andre dreamed and rattled on about leaving cleveland, ada would pray that he wouldn’t, because she couldn’t do it. and though it broke her heart to see his dreams fall away, she admired the way he found pieces of them in the reality they faced. 

with leaky’s unexpected, and very welcomed, arrival, ada felt like life couldn’t be and better. of course life at the hospital was difficult, and making ends meet wasn’t easy, but that faded away when she looked at her family, at the life they built together. she was very involved in their church, singing in the choir, teaching sunday school, and always making the mac and cheese for the cookouts. if music was her husbands dream, baking and cooking was hers. there was something therapeutic in the process, of being able to feed the people she loved, to share a slice of cake for a special occasion, or a plate on a bad day. 

she is immensely proud of her son, delighted for his career in football. though she wasn’t an alabama fan she sucked it up when he was recruited. and then everything happened, and he transferred without talking to her about it, and it broke her heart. her heart breaks for her son and the pain he won’t speak of, and though she knows her response was both harsh and devastated, she wants nothing more than for leaky to be okay. part of her is glad he left alabama, had a fresh start at ogden, and has decided to rely on his studies rather than his athletic talent. but part of her mourns the kid he was, and the dreams he had, and still wishes he weren’t so far away.  

malik ‘leaky’ andre wright || 21 || student || jonathan daviss 

family means everything to leaky, one of the reasons he had accepted the offer at alabama in the first place. and now being so far away, it hurts him a lot more than he lets on. but he also knows the pain it would be to face them again, regularly like he had (leaky had done summer school this past summer, meaning he hadn’t gone home which was unlike him). and though he didn’t miss the mississippi humidity, he would give almost anything to be back in his momma’s kitchen, his dad lazily playing the piano, amai making up his own lyrics to the song, and haven rolling her eyes at the chaos. 

haven ryan wright || 16 || marsai martin

while leaky had the athletic talent of the family, haven was the artist of the family. while their dad passed on his musical talents to the whole family, haven has a knack for writing and visual art. anything you say or idea you give her, she can turn into a masterpiece (but she does so at a price, a bit of a entrepreneur if you will). and though she knows leaky’s talents often garnished the most attention and demand, she never felt jealous of him. he couldn’t do what she could now could he? 

overall haven and leaky have a close relationship, though it has diminished slightly in the past few years since he left alabama for new hampshire. it’s much further away, meaning he doesn’t come home for holidays or weekends like he used to, and she can’t go visit him as easily. still she’ll send him texts on game days (she won’t admit that she wrote in his game schedule into her planner), and always send him pics of their momma’s cookin’ to make him jealous in hopes he’ll come home soon. 

amai christian wright || 11 || danny boyd jr. 

amai was a happy accident. and happy, joyful, jolly, bright and every other synonym under the word ‘happy’ would be the best way to describe amai. while his specific talent hasn’t been discovered yet (ada believed that talent looked different in everyone and assured amai regularly), he still finds joy in everything he does. as a kid there was nothing better than when leaky would win a game and immediately scoop him up onto his shoulders and parade him up and down the field. 

though he misses leaky when he’s gone, he fills his time learning the piano, playing cards, helping his momma in the kitchen, and reading any book he can get his hands on.