#granted the like ? 10 months of plotting will do that...

[killdivine]

sketch dump i did while i was on call with @killdevil

[sunshine-on-marz]

Lost and found

Spencer Reid x Reader

In which Spencer almost loses the love of his life, literally and figuratively

TW: angst with a happy ending, criminal minds level depiction of violence, mentions of death, it takes a little to get to the actual plot but trust me it’s worth it, (tell me if i missed any)

Word count: 3.3K

To know Spencer Reid was to be absolutely enthralled by him. You were both 16 when you met, granted you were 16 in your junior year of highschool and he was 16 working on his 2nd PHD, but you were both 16 nonetheless.

It had taken some convincing to get a place in his life, not because he didn’t like you or your company, more because he was waiting for your ulterior motive to show itself, or for your patience to wear thin. It never did.

You knew vaguely about his mother, mostly through a news article you found from a few years back, talking about the prodigy like he was more of circus attraction then a 12 year old. It had mentioned that he also took care of his sick mother, and with his hyperfixation on finding a cure to schizophrenia, you’d connected the dots.

But you still didn’t want to assume.

“Hey Spence, why’re you so set on finding a cure?” You ask, gesturing to the 8th book on schizophrenia you’d seen him read in the 3 months you’ve known him.

“My mother” he says, closing the book and placing it infront of him. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I’m curious about what goes on in the mind of Spencer Reid” you smile “though, I’m sure you could tell me exactly what’s happening up there, down to the chemicals”, he laughs at that

“I could give you an idea” he says, you hover your hands over the book, he nods, you open it to the last page.

“508 pages, how long would that take you to read?” You ask

“A little under 10 minutes, if I had to guess, I don’t know how many words are on each page” he says

“Well I’m not counting so I guess we’re gonna have to stick with an estimate” you joke, he smiles again.

You sit in silence for a minute, just looking at each other, and the book. There’s a light tension, unasked questions float between you.

“Can I be invasive?” You ask, Spencer nods

“You usually don’t ask first” he smiles

“You suck” you reach to hit his arm, you don’t. “I won’t hit you before asking about your sick mother, actually”

“I appreciate that” he laughs “but what do you want to know?”

“What’s her name?” You ask, he seems a little shocked.

“Diana.”

“And you take care of her?” You already know the answer, but he’d never said it explicitly.

“Yea” he nods, he looks at you like he knows what you’ll ask next

“Well, tell me if there’s ever anything I can do to help. Her or you, I can’t imagine that’s an easy thing to do alone, props to you spence” you smile, and if someone saw his face right now, they’d assume you asked him- well not many questions would dumbfound Spencer Reid but that’s not the point.

“You’re not gonna ask if I hate it? Or if I want to put her in a home?” He asks, sounding more confused than you’d ever seen him

“Do you want me to ask that?” You counter.

“No.. not really” he looks at his hands, which are rubbing together. A nervous habit of his you’d picked up on rather quickly.

“Well then I won’t ask it” you smile, so does he.

It’s a week later when he tells you why he’d been so shocked that day.

You were on his front porch, about to meet his mother for the first time. He said she’d been having a good day, and though you weren’t exactly sure what that entailed, he said it with enough excitement that you decided to just ask later.

“When you first asked about my mom, you asked what her name was” he says, you nod.

“Thats usually my starting point, yea” you laugh softly “why, was that the wrong thing to ask?”

“No- no no no. It was the perfect thing to ask! I just- you were the first person to ask what her name was before you asked about what’s wrong with her” he says, and he looks sad, so you offer a hand. You know he’ll say no, but you don’t miss how he smiles everytime you offer.

“Wanna tell me about her? I never know what I’m walking into meeting my friends parents, I would’ve brought her flowers but I didn’t know what kind she liked” you say, and his smile goes from soft to wide and bright.

He is ineffably beautiful.

“She likes lilies” he smiles “and she’s really nice, when she’s, yknow” you just nod. And then he holds out his hand, you take it. And that’s the first time you ever touched Spencer Reid.

You met his mother that night, it was uneventful, but it was nice.

That’s a lot of your friendship with Spencer. Uneventful, but nice. More than nice, it’s wonderful. He’s wonderful. You’re there when he gets his first PHD at 17, you’re there when he has to put his mother into assisted living, you’re there when he gets the letter saying he’s been invited to the FBI academy, you even drive him to go meet Agent Gideon.

You see him off at the airport when he goes to Quanico.

And that’s the last time you see your best friend.

After a while weekly phone calls became monthly, and monthly became an occasional text on birthdays and holidays and informing the other of big achievements, but by his 3rd year as an agent, friendships were hard to maintain.

You’d accepted never seeing your friend again.

Spencer hoped he’d never see you again, because he knew he didn’t have the guts to reach out, and he knew that the only time his teammates seemed to see old friends was when they were a part of a case.

But he also knew you.

And he recognized your necklace the second he saw the pictures Penelope had on the screen.

“The second and third victims haven’t been found, but they’re believed dead” JJ says, Spencer barely hears it.

“I need air” is all he manages to say as he rushes out of the room. Derek went after him and caught him as he collapsed.

“Hey man, what’s goin on?” Derek asked him, holding onto Spencer’s shaking shoulders as he tries to stay upright.

“I can’t- she can’t- she can’t be dead” his words were barely audible and even less coherent.

“Do you know one of the victims?” Derek asked, and Spencer nodded.

He more than knew you, he’d held you while you cried, he’d slept in your bed the night his mom went into care, you were the only person there for him at his graduations, he’d helped you decorate your first apartment. You were so much more than someone he knew. And you were so much more than victim number 3.

“Spencer? Hello?” Derek’s hand waved infront of Spencer’s face as he zoned back into reality.

“Sorry” I he muttered as he started to stand up. He and Derek walked back into the briefing room, he doesn’t apologize for his outburst, he just sits and waits for Penelope and JJ to continue. They do.

“Well, 3 girls went missing in New York City within a span of a week. The reason we’re on this case is because they all worked for the same law firm”

Spencer takes a shuttering breath.

“The first victim, whose body was found dumped in a dumpster by a homeless man, was 56 year old Mrs. Shelly Kailee, a lawyer at Shelly and Dylan law firm, she was a co-owner along with her Husband Dylan. The two other victims, who are still currently missing, are Darleen Calvin, and Y/N L/N. Darleen is 28 and a practicing attorney at the same law firm, she’s only been practicing there for a few months after graduation from University of New York in January. Y/N is 25 and is working as a receptionist at the law firm while working on her law degree at Cornell. Both girls are reportedly very sociable and very kind, but from what we’ve been told, Y/N seemed to be more acquainted with everyone while Darleen seemed to just have a large group of friends. That’s the only information we have on them” JJ says. It seems everyone’s eyes drifted to Spencer, but his were dead set on your face on the projector. Smiling. You had the same smile. You were still wearing the same necklace you wore every day since he gave it to you at 18 when you graduated. You were still as beautiful as he remembered.

“She wouldn’t let anyone take her to a second location, not without a fight. We’re probably looking at a fairly athletic man, unless we find out that she sent someone her location. Then it’s probably someone charismatic, charming, played himself as a friend” he says, and everyone nods.

“You think she’d fall for that?” Morgan asks, he gets a few glares. But Spencer nods. “I think I saw her have a conversation with a homeless man once because she thought he might be lonely.” He says “so yes”. Hotch clears his throat “Spencer is there any possibility she’s.. changed since you knew her?”. Spencer shakes his head “we only really fell completely out of touch a few months back, she seemed pretty much the same the last time I called her, which was probably 6 months ago”

You could’ve cut the tension with a knife.

“Spencer I’m sorry-“ Emily says, he cuts her off.

“You can be sorry if we find a body” he says. And they get the message.

“Wheels up in 10” Hotch says.

Spencer works that case like a dog. There’s not a moment where he isn’t doing something to find you. Something to make sure you’re okay.

A few times, Derek had to pull him out of the police precinct, just so he’d get a couple hours of sleep.

He was beside himself.

Then the tapes showed up.

On the front steps of the police station, there was a box, with 4 tapes, each labeled with a date of the days you’d been missing, the most recent being from the day before.

The first started with a voice they later confirmed to be Shelly’s. A final message to her husband and kids. Tearful messages to each one about how much she loved them. And then a gunshot.

The second tape was worse. It was of you and Darleen. Spencer recognized your voice immediately, he could tell you were holding back tears. Darleen on the other hand was sobbing. You were both pleading for you life. You were a bit more composed, and he quickly recognized some of what you were saying as examples he’d said to you when talking about what usually does and doesn’t work on killers.

He never intended you to have to put those lessons to use.

And the selfish part of him wonders if you thought of him when you spoke.

The 3rd tape is the shortest. It’s just a gunshot and a scream. Your scream. He, for the first time in his life, sincerely hopes that you watched someone get killed.

The final tape is just you.

And it breaks him.

There’s a few seconds of silence before your voice starts.

“This is a message for Spencer Reid, and the rest of the FBI. My name is Y/N, and if you’re listening to this. I am dead.”

And his face falls.

“Spence, meeting you in highschool was the greatest thing I’ve ever done. And I love you, I love you so much Spencer. And I hope-“ the tape ends.

Spencer listens to that tape another dozen times.

The cops find Darleen’s body before lunch.

He doesn’t have it in him to care.

He listens to the tape again. And then it hits him.

You had never once said you met Spencer in highschool. You always, always made it a point to say that you were in highschool, but he wasn’t.

And it was currently summer, and the highschool was empty.

“Guys I know where she is-“

Hotch cut him off with a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Spencer she’s dead” he said, his voice wasn’t harsh, but it wasn’t gentle either. Spencer could’ve punched him.

“They’re at the highschool. Trust me” his voice was shaking, not with doubt, but with fear. Fear that both he and Hotch were right, and that in a couple hours he’d see you again under the worst possible circumstances.

But they went anyway.

He was zoned out most of the car ride, ignoring Derek’s questions of if he’s sure he can handle this.

For Spencer, it doesn’t matter if he thinks he can, because he has too.

He’s a few feet past the doorway when it really sinks in that he might leave the building again with your lifeless body in his arms. He pushes the thought aside. It felt like betrayal not to try and have hope, because for Spencer, you were hope incarnate. It would feel disrespectful to take that from you without asking first.

He heard it before anyone else did.

He all but ripped the door open, the local PD turning on their heels at his aggressive movements.

But there you were, in a chair, sobbing into your binds. He was infront of you in seconds, shouting for someone to cut the ropes holding your wrists and ankles as he removed the cloth from your mouth.

“You’re okay, you’re alright now, I’ve got you” his hands gently holding your cheeks as you leaned forward into his chest, your arms wrapping around his torso once they were cut free.

“I knew you’d come- I knew it. I told him but he said you wouldnt find me so- so in the tape- oh my god did he send you the tapes?” He cut off your manic rambling with soft shushing

“I know you knew, you always know, and yes we got the tapes. You did good, you did everything perfect. I understood.” He assured you, running his hands through your hair.

Emily came up to you and Spencer, putting her hand on his shoulder.

“Does she know where he is?” She asks.

He starts to speak, but you do it first. “Maybe the janitors closet? Or the bathroom? He- he made us scrub the floors, he was like- he was psychotic about it” you say, she nods and leaves the room, Spencer just tucks your head back under his chin.

“You’re doing so well” he whispers

“Spencer I want to leave” you cry

“Alright, alright. Let’s get you out of here” he says, slipping his arm under your knees and lifting you. You probably could’ve walked, but no one was shocked that he chose to carry you out.

He asked the EMTs more questions than your frazzled mind could even think of.

“Dr.Reid, she’s going to be fine. It’s cuts and bruises and maybe a few pulled muscles, she will be fine once she gets some fluids and a good meal in her system. “

He still didn’t believe it.

He didn’t believe it when the nurses told him the same thing, he didn’t believe it on the car ride back to the precinct after you were discharged, and he didn’t believe it when you sat next to him during your cognitive interview.

He’d fought Hotch about giving you one, but Hotch said that having a solid story will help make sure the man who did this is kept in prison for as long as possible, and you’d volunteered.

“You really dont have to” he says, you shake your head

“Spence i can handle it” you say

“Im not leaving your side.” He insists, you laugh a bit, which all but calms him down.

“I didnt think you would.” You offer your hand, and for the first time he accepts the invitation.

The interview makes you cry, which could’ve been predicted, but it still breaks Spencer’s heart.

After that he sets a semi-permanent ban on anyone asking you about what happened.

JJ brings you a change of clothes and you thank her profusely as she walks you to the bathroom and helps you wash your face and body as best as you can with wet paper towels.

Spencer anxiously waits outside.

“She’s with JJ, man. You can go outside and take a breather if you need” Derek offers.

“I’ll go outside and take a breather with Y/N when they’re done. Im sure this isnt where she wants to be right now.” Spencer says, Derek sighs.

“Spence, that girl might be one of the most well adjusted victims we’ve ever seen, she’ll be okay if you step away for 5 minutes-“ Spencer cuts him off

“I wont” he says “do you not get that? She’s well adjusted, Im not. I am not well adjusted to almost losing her and im not well adjusted to having her back so Derek would you please stop suggesting that I need space from her because space from her is the last thing I need right now” they stand in silence for a minute until you leave the bathroom.

“Spence? Everything okay?” JJ asks as she walks out of the bathroom after you, you quickly finding your place leaning against Spencer’s side.

“Yea we’re good” Derek answers for him, placing a firm hand on Spencer’s shoulder, and leaving with a small nod of understanding.

Spencer guides you outside.

He sits next to you on the bench outside the precinct, your head on his shoulder and his arm around you.

“Im really glad you picked up on that” you say

“Picked up on what?” He asks, his hand moving from next to you on the bench to your lap, resting on top of your own.

“The highschool thing, i honestly didnt know if he’d even send the tapes, kinnda figured he was making them for himself” you say, interlacing your fingers with his “but I figured it was worth a shot”

“It was smart” he says, squeezing your hand “took me awhile to realize”

“Did it?” You ask “and here i was thinking you were a genius. Spencer when have i ever skipped a chance to brag about you?” You smile at him, he shrugs.

“I was under a little stress” he says, pulling you closer.

“I know, im sorry I scared you”

“Dont apologize, this is not your fault. You have absolutely nothing to apologize for.” You just nod.

There’s silence for a while, it could’ve been hours, neither of you would’ve noticed, or minded.

“Do you want to move in with me?” He says it before he even realized he thought it, immediately looking just as shocked as you. “I am so sorry- i just- well i figured-“

“Spencer” you grab his hand. “We’ll talk about it” you say, and that seems to be the right answer as he wraps you into a hug.

“I just want to make sure you’re okay” he whispers, you nod.

“It doesn’t require moving in for us to stay in contact” you say

“But you’re so far” you just nod in response. “I dont want to lose you again” he whispers

“Spence you didnt lose me, im alright-” he stops you

“Thats not what i meant. Not entirely” he clarifies, you sigh and pull him into another long hug.

“My lease ends next month” you hum

“See you in Virginia next month?” He asks, you smile

“We’ll talk about it”

There’s never a conversation about if you’ll move in. Spencer just Venmo’s you (he got Garcia to teach him how) 300 bucks along with “plane ticket or take out dinner for a week” which makes you laugh, and it also makes you call him to ask approximately how much of your stuff would fit in his apartment, he says he’ll make as much space as you need.

A month later you show up to one of Rossi’s dinner parties hand in hand with Spencer, JJ hands Derek 20 bucks, and slowly, everything falls back into place.

(PS: Spencer makes sure you have everything you need to finish school online because he’ll be damned if you gave up your dreams for a man, even if he himself is that man.)

Remember to reblog with feedback!! Reblogs make the world go round and feedback helps artists keep creating!

This might be the longest fic ive ever written. This took 2 days and a few tears but finally it’s done. Im tagging the pookies bc Ykw i worked too hard not too @the-phantom-author @thesockbehindthewashingmachine @mariasont @st4rgzer @canonically-a-genloser

[sen-ya]

Sen's Important Info Post

Post last updated 10/29/24

Hey I'm Sen and I draw One Piece too much! I am terrible at keeping things easy to find, turns out when ur job is project management you don’t want to also do it in ur down time. My current theme is following the dopamine, keeping it as fun as it can be for me to draw. Below the cut is information on the different AUs & serializations I've got going on right now :^)

Important Links

[How to use Airtable]

[Sen's Digital Comic Book] - a database of every comic I've made that is woefully not updated often I am sorry. I gotta work on a better system for easy viewing.

[Life After Digital Comic Book] - a database of every page of Life After

[See Comics Early on Ko-Fi!]

[Life After Info Post] - Life After is currently on hiatus!

Posting Schedule

Thursday - Serialized Comics (current: Family AU//Forgetful)

Universe: Main Timeline

Comics that belong to this timeline are meant to follow through the events of canon, many of them were written while I was actively reading and didn't know what would happen next! Every comic that receives this tag happens in the same universe, so they may refer to each other in both plot-important and not important ways. These comics are largely LuLaw but include sprinkles of Heart Pirates (in general and as family), ZoSan, and general shenanigans.

Serializations:

Getting Together - Will they/won't they? They will, but they're gonna be stupid about it. Anything tagged into this series you can assume they haven't established that they're romantically interested in each other.

Established LuLaw - Two idiots in love. Anything tagged with this series you can assume they're together. They may not refer to each other as "boyfriend" or "partner" but whatever it is that's going on is clear to the two of them and that's what matters.

Law Loses - Most comics in this series deal with the aftermath of Winner Island. Law feels like a curse.

Goofs Only - These comics don't require serialization. They're just some good fun. If they include LawLu/LuLaw, they'll also be tagged as either "Getting Together" or "Established" so you have context for their reactions.

The Heart Bros - Law, Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi found each other as kids. Comics in this series act as glimpses into their time growing up and other brotherly interactions. This is noncompliant with the Law novel. Once they form the Heart Pirates, they consider each other brothers.

ZoSan - I don't draw these two a lot anymore, so this series is just a general ZoSan category!

Heart Pirate Shenanigans - I went all in on Heart Pirates Week 2024 and wrote a bunch of comics about the various crew members! Leaving this as an open series for when I inevitably fall down another Heart Pirate rabbit hole.

Universe: Older/Family AU

Comics that belong to this timeline are meant to follow through the events of canon, many of them were written while I was actively reading and didn't know what would happen next! Every comic that receives this tag happens in the same universe, so they may refer to each other in both plot-importanComics in this universe take place anywhere from 7 - 30 years post canon. Mostly LuLaw with sprinkles of other shenanigans. You can assume events from the main timeline are canon in this AU.

Serializations:

Accidents Happen - Law gets a cold and stops running a few effects that he'd taken for granted.

Getting Married - Did you know if two pirate captains want to get married, they can just say they're married?

Extras - This series is for posts that offer context/additional information about what's going on in the AU

Family Fluff - These are a series of comics where the focus is on Law and/or Luffy as a parent.

Forgetful - Law gets hit by a devil fruit that makes him forget everything that's happened since just before Marineford.

Get back to it - After spending some time on Zou in Rocy's first 18 months, it's time for Luffy & Law to get back to pirating.

Universe: The Worst Timeline

Comics in this universe branch off of the main timeline around Whole Cake/early Wano. These comics may refer to earlier 'main timeline' events, but what happens in them is so terrible I've refused to make them part of my own personal canon. Sometimes it's just too temping to make them suffer :^)

Serializations:

Rightfully Worried - This series is an AU in which Luffy gets the absolute shit kicked out of him in Whole Cake and when he arrives on Wano Law has to save his life. It's not the first time he's performed surgery on him, but it is the first time he's had to since he's cared so much about his patient.

The Worst Wake-Up Call - During an intense battle, Law makes a decision. The ones who love him deal with the aftermath.

[rileyglas]

The List ~Pt. 4 - Corruption~

Alastor (Hazbin Hotel) x Reader

Summary: An intense evening with Alastor starts to corrupt your judgment. Your list and morals are put into question as you start to uncover his intentions with you and the full scope of your abilities.

Themes: The usual angst, mystery (Alastor), Smut (oral and fingers), brief mentions of blood and bodily harm, cursing, fluff, actual plot, slow burn, and of course 18+ MDNI

3.3k Words (Ya'll wanted longer chapters so here ya go)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 (You're on it!) Part 5  Part 6 Part 7 Part 7.A Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12

**sentences in italics are internal thoughts of the reader

Had someone told you two months ago that you’d be sitting in an Overlord’s bed with his head in your hands, you’d have called them insane. Tonight though, it was your reality. Just try to keep a clear head. You pull away from the grip Alastor has on your wrists but keep your body close to his. “I don’t understand. Why do you feel like you need to protect me? I’m just some sinner here for a chance at –"

Apparently, that was the wrong answer.

The Radio Demon’s antlers grow and his eyes flash to dials. Before you can register what’s happening he has you pinned into the bed by your shoulders, placing all his weight down as he climbs on top of your body. I’m so fucked. “Why do you insist on lying to me my dear? Do you consider me a fool? I could sense your power the second I walked into that meeting, and I felt your presence as soon as you crossed the hotel doors. Oh-ho no, you’re no ordinary,” he leans closer, “ - filthy sinner.”

His tone was taunting, nearly playful, contrasting with his agitated demon form. Two minutes ago he was pressing kisses into your skin saying he would never hurt you and now he’s trying to intimidate you? He might know more than you had initially thought, but this ‘almighty/all knowing’ attitude is starting to test your patience. You’ve tried being the sweet, helpless sinner long enough. I’ve always enjoyed playing with fire, Radio Demon – two can play your game.

A giggle bubbles out of your chest. “Oh, you sense my power? Then it is quite laughable you’d think I’d ask for someone to protect me. Especially…someone like you.” The lights in the room flicker violently causing all the bulbs to burst. Alastor disappears into his shadow as the room dims. Finally free from his weight you jump up from the bed, pausing to allow your eyes to adjust. The room was dark, but the faint light from the bayou granted some visibility. “I know you’re still here Alastor. Don’t waste your energy trying to scare me. I’ve faced far mor---” a force slams into your shoulder, pushing you to the other side of the room.

With a solid thud your body hits the wall but your head is braced by a hand. You can feel Alastor’s warm breath once again on your face. He towers over you, holding the back of your head while caging you in with his other arm. His lips find your ear, “Continue to question my competence or my power and I will have to remind you who…I…am.” You shudder from the rush of adrenaline surging through your body. He pulls back to study your face, awaiting your next move. Rule #4̷͈̔.̸̹̋ ̵̣̆N̴̤͘e̸̼̎v̸̥̂e̴̫̿r̴̤̆ ̶̲̑ĺ̶̖ē̷̖t̵̞̅ ̴̮̿y̴̘͊õ̵̬u̴̻̓r̶̥͌ ̷͙̿w̴̨̒e̸̺̎a̶̻̿k̸̮͋n̶̢͝e̵͇͛ṣ̶̏s̶͕͘è̸ͅs̸̬̔ ̶͎̈s̵̺̿ȟ̵͚ő̴͖w̵͔͝

I might regret this later but fuck it. “Remind me then.” You breathily tease. The demon’s pupils grow, and his smile widens, “As you wish, ma chère.”

Alastor’s lips crash into yours with a hungry passion - his tongue immediately begging to taste your mouth. The hand behind your head was now entwined in hair, gripping the base of your skull. The other hand forcefully pushed on your lower back to make your body flush with his. You throw your arms around his neck to deepen your kiss and feel - Oh my God…he’s completely hard. Did my defiance give him that much of a thrill? This was not how I thought tonight would play out. A warmth starts between your legs from his kiss alone. The initial plan to push the demon to his breaking point is being rapidly replaced with the desire to break him in other ways.

Your head is abruptly ripped back, making you cry out in pain and frustration. His fingers hold your hair tight as he moves your head to look up at him. “I tried to be gentle with you darling, but it seems like you prefer to make things more…. interesting.” Alastor uses his grip on your hair to drag you across the room, tossing you onto the bed.

The force of his hand reignites your initial rage, “What the fuck is your ---" his lips press back into yours. Pulling himself on top of you he pushes a knee between your legs, putting pressure on your clothed heat and making you push into him. A smug laugh rumbles in his chest. You grasp his vest to pull him closer, but he breaks away yet again to grab your hands - pinning them to either side of your head.

“Quite a position you’ve gotten yourself in dear. What was that about not needing my protection?” he leans over and drags his long tongue up your jawline forcing a whimper out of your throat. “Ah it seems your body betrays you. It’s crying out for me, isn’t it?” Letting go of your hands he snaps his fingers, queuing for his shadow to slide your pants down. The sudden rush of cold sends chills over your bare skin. Show SOME restraint. Don’t just lay here and let him think he’s in charge.

“I might be slightly unraveled but from what I see, you aren’t as in control as you think.” Your hand palms the prominent bulge behind his zipper. He freezes, having not expected you to touch him so aggressively. Using one hand to undo his belt and pants button, you use the other to continue to tease him through his clothes. “Seems like you’re the one who needs me.” you say slipping your hand under his boxers, starting to rub up and down his length. Alastor’s eyes roll back, and a deep growl settles in his chest. Got him.

To your surprise, Alastor is (for once) at a complete loss for words. He hangs his head as he grinds against your hand. You drink in the beautiful moans dripping from his lips with every stroke your hand delivers. The breathy sounds of his pleasure make you squirm under him.

You swear you hear a husky “no” when you pull away. Looking up, his eyes darken and his voice rumbles like gravel, “Mmmm, that’s it.”

Oh shit…

Alastor gets up and grabs your hips, ripping them to the edge of the bed. You hiss when his nails dig into your skin, creating red droplets around each of his fingers. He lowers himself to his knees and traces the cuts with his mouth – eagerly drinking up what little blood had spilled. Uhg – Cannibals.

There’s no time to process the stinging on your skin before you feel his teeth at your thighs, making a trail of bite marks and kisses up to your heat. He pauses to look at your now soaked slit, flashing you a wicked smile as hooks one of your legs on his shoulder and kisses just around where you needed him to be. You buck slightly, giving him all the permission he needs to begin devouring you, flicking his tongue and suckling like it was his last meal.

Your hand slides into his hair, being mindful not to grab his ears or antlers. You tighten your grip, pulling a groan from Alastor before you start to grind into the warmth of his mouth. Feeling your body plead for more, he hastily thrusts in two of his fingers, massaging in and out while your walls spasm around him. You feel him hum in amusement as his tongue continues to lap at your heat, your breathless whines fueling his hunger.

Tears begin to sting your eyes. The tension was too much, “Wait –  no - not yet!“ you try to push away but he hooks onto your thigh, forcing you down onto his mouth. Looking down you meet his eyes, his stare silently begging you to surrender to him. You give in as your head and eyes roll back in sheer bliss. “F-fuck - Alastor!“ you call out to him as an unfamiliar blaze ripples through your body. You reach a point of no return – no logical thoughts, no background noise. Your only focus is to ride out your own resolve.

Alastor gently works you through the high. As your spasms ease up, he pulls away completely. You watch him remove his fingers and put them to his lips - licking each one clean. You can’t help but be in awe of the erotic view – hair disheveled, shirt mostly unbuttoned, and the glow of the bayou casting over his face as he savors the mess you’ve become, the mess he’s made of you. “Is this all it takes to make you beg for me, ma chère?”

A cheeky smile spreads across your face while you set yourself up on your elbows “Beg? I don’t beg for any man.”

“Oh darling…” he crawls over you, pressing a kiss to your forehead, “You’ll soon find out I’m far greater than any man. Let’s pick up this little conversation tomorrow, shall we?” Before you can respond, he snaps his fingers, making the world around you quickly fade out and back in. Just like that you were back in your room and on your own bed.

What in the actual fuck just happened? You stand up from your bed, still completely bare from the waist down. Could have at least sent me back with my pants, asshole. 

As if hearing your thoughts you see a shadow slip under your door delivering your neatly folded slacks then bolting right back out. How the - you know what, no. I’m too tired for this shit. 

Any other night you would have stared at the ceiling, mentally preparing for the next day, but not tonight. Your eyes close before your head hits the pillow.

Between helping Angel then Alastor throwing you around, you wake up feeling like you got hit by a train as expected. You drag yourself out of bed and head into the bathroom, hoping a hot shower will help wash away some of the tension. Removing your shirt you begin to examine your naked body in the mirror. Your shoulder was turning an ugly shade of green and smaller bluish-purple bruises riddled your arms, hips, and thighs, reminding you of every place his fingers touched. Guess he was rougher than I thought. You shake your head and laugh – realizing the twisted satisfaction you feel seeing the aftermath of the night’s events.

Your body welcomes the sting of the hot water as you step inside the shower.  Closing your eyes, you begin to relax while your mind wanders.  

Alastor was quite an enigma. He said he could ‘sense’ your power which surprisingly didn’t worry you as much as you thought. Oddly enough it felt like a small weight off your chest having someone in the hotel finally know some truth, though you would have preferred it to be someone, anyone, other than Alastor. What truly troubled you was the lengths he seemed prepared to go to earn your trust. He was a powerful demon Overlord; he had an arsenal of ways to get what he wanted – fear, torture, bribery, death etc. Hell, with his reputation you were half expecting him to offer up a deal – but he didn’t. Why bother kissing me? Why be so vulnerable? Was he just trying to get a rise out of me? Trick me? Of course he was. Did he really think I would magically trust him just because he made me -

Three loud knocks at the door jolt you out of your thoughts. “What’s up!?”

“Just checking in! You missed breakfast and the usual afternoon activities. Everything okay?” Charlie’s sweet voice called back to you. Damn I slept through the day?

“Oh sorry to worry you, just not feeling – I have a bad headache. Could you please send Nifty up with some tea? Thank you!” You really didn’t feel like leaving your room today anyway. If Alastor wanted to pick up your little chat so badly, he knew where to find you.

Finding out the day was already halfway over; you finish up your shower and get dressed in comfortable clothes - sweatpants and a large off the shoulder tee. No use dressing up when you have zero intentions on leaving your room or seeing anyone, other than Nifty of course. Unfortunately, the hot shower only temporarily relaxed your sore body – the pain in your back and shoulders once again begin to throb. You decide to kick back in bed with a book while awaiting tea.

You don’t even look up from your book when someone knocks at your door, “Come on in Niff – just set it on the dresser, please and thank you.” The door opens and your ears ring. Of course. I should have guessed.

“Well good evening my dear. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to hide away from me. Did we not agree that we’d continue our conversation today?” Alastor hums as he walks into the room. He might not have been who you expected but at least brought the tea you asked for.

“Good thing you know better.” You jeer. Although you’re apprehensive of his illusively true intentions, you can’t help but smile at him looking so affable, pouring two cups of tea, and sitting himself on the side of your bed. “I’m just not feeling great, that is all. I’m tired and achy.” Reaching for the cup, your shirt moves to expose your bruised shoulder.

His eyes immediately lock onto your discolored skin. “And that wouldn’t be because of our little…altercation…would it?” his gaze wonders to see the marks speckled down your arms. His usually harsh stare softens as he sees what he did. Is that remorse?

“You didn’t hurt me if that’s what you’re asking. I usually feel like this after…” Stop stop STOP TALKING. Rule #2̷̦͒.̶̛͚ ̷̠͌N̶̰̄e̵̞͗v̸̹͝e̶̘̾r̶̜͋ ̵͉̌t̷̤̑e̶̹͒l̸̮̇ĺ̵͔ ̵͙̇á̴̠ ̷̦̅s̷̰̓ǫ̷̔u̵̺̅l̶̼͐ ̸̜̿w̶̪̆h̷͇̽a̶̡͠t̸̙́ ̷��͠(̵̪̐o̶͖̾ȑ̴̨ ̶͓̊h̵̻͗o̸͎͠ẅ̵̢ ̶̝̕m̸̧̈́ṵ̵̔c̴̳̉h̵̡̀)̶̖̌ ̴̓͜p̵̡͐ö̴̡w̷͈̏ȅ̵̫ŕ̷͚ ̴̗͛y̷̳̔ó̴͙ư̷̞ ̶͔͘h̵̥̍a̴͍͘v̶̬̚é̵͈

He tilts his head, raising an eyebrow in curiosity, “After - what exactly? Wouldn’t have anything to do with why you fainted last night, would it?”

He obviously knows something.

You avoid his question, “You said last night you can sense me. What exactly does that mean?” Alastor sighs as he sets his cup down. He reaches for your hands like he did the night before, only this time he held them tightly in his, “Close your eyes.”

“Uhm - Excuse me?”

He huffs, “Have I not made it clear that I have no intention in hurting you?”

“I mean – “ you motion towards your bruises.

“Just close your damn eyes.”

You reluctantly close your eyes and listen to his instruction, “Concentrate on what you feel, and I mean really dig deep into the feeling your power gives you.” Okay fine I’ll play along, what’s the worst that can happen? You take a deep breath and focus on the flutters your stomach usually felt when you made a contract with a sinner. Of course you could feel the power each one gave you. The human soul was like pure energy, it was no wonder their collection was used to feed the Overlord hierarchy.

Feeling a pull, Alastor puts your palms flush to his chest. Your small flutters explode into full body vibrations - an intense static floods your veins and your hands begin to glow the soft pink you so often had to hide. The feeling makes you pull back in a panic. Damn him! How?  

He responds to your look of shock with a breathy chuckle as stands up from the bed. Running his fingers through his hair, he looked all too pleased with himself. The arrogant reaction snaps what little patience you had left with him. You heatedly stand up as pink flames burst from your body and eyes while two small black horns crack through your skull. “What the HELL are you trying to get at Alastor? Why toy with me if you know so much already!? What the fuck do you want from me?” your voice was fierce but low. I don’t need Charlie or anyone else to hear me.

A smile crosses Alastor’s face, wider than you’ve seen before. His face would probably split if it went any wider. “Oh my dear, your demon form is beautiful.” He says coolly, placing a hand on your arm and hooking the other under your chin. His touch quickly brings you back to normal form. “Please sit, I can explain everything.”

“I don’t trust you,” you say as you both sit back down on the edge of the bed. His brows furrow at your statement, “Just hear me out?” You nod for him to continue.

“I took a…. sabbatical…seven years ago. When I returned, I felt drawn somewhere. My body began to ache from the pull. I could never figure out where I needed to go - until I walked into that meeting and felt you.”

“I’m…not following.”

“You know how magnets work? A negative charge and positive charge attract, or rather, are drawn to each other. Once together they create a force that can be unbreakable. The power we both possess does exactly that.” He grabs your hands again, flashing you a look of…is that excitement?

You’re skeptical of his idea, it sounded insane. Stupid even. But it made sense. You also felt the pull and ringing whenever he was around. As for opposites attract, that couldn’t be truer to the two of you. He rose to power by causing pain and carnage, abusing the souls he collected for his own gain. Meanwhile you were doing the exact opposite - protecting, healing, doing good for damned lesser souls.

“Okay say I believe all this - Seems like you would only want to use me and keep me around to feed your own power-hungry needs. I will not be some pet, locked away and only played with when it is convenient for you!” Your words come out involuntarily tearful. A pain burns in your chest at the realization that you wanted him to want you. Rule #3̸̭͗.̴̠̇ ̴͔̉N̷̙̉e̷̞͌v̶̪̾e̶̼̽r̶͍̈́ ̶̜̏b̷͈́ȓ̸͈ì̶̲n̶͚̍g̶̣̕ ̸̙̀a̷̼̚n̷̠̆y̶̺̕ö̶̫́n̷̯̈́e̶̤̅ ̷̯̽ť̷̪o̴̻̾o̵̱̚ ̷͙̃c̵͙̽l̴̞̋o̷̦̓s̵̪̎e̸̦̚

Seeing the worry flash across your face, Alastor grabs you with both hands and presses his lips into yours. Last night his kiss felt lustful and hungry. Not tonight. Right now, he kissed you like he would lose everything if he couldn’t have you.

He breaks the embrace, resting his forehead on yours, “I was never a good man. I will never be redeemed, nor do I want that for myself. I am selfish and possessive over the things I want. I will not lie to you, I want power. But I also want you. Not as a pet. Not as a tool. As an equal. Working together, not even the King of Hell can stand against us.” His words were calculated, voice smooth like whiskey – and you were drinking in every drop.  

The list. Stick to the list. This has death written all over it. You can’t help anyone if you’re (more) dead, come on use the LIST! Rule #1̷̨͠.̷̗̓ ̴̡͝N̴͙̒e̶͐ͅṽ̷̬ẽ̴̲r̶̖͗ ̵̟́t̸̥̕ṛ̵̃ȗ̴̢s̶̙̃t̵̠̕ ̸̛̜à̶̭ǹ̷̫ọ̶͂ṯ̵̃h̸̢̒e̶̜̋r̶̳̒ ̸̯̓O̴̳̓v̷̖͑e̴͎̅r̸̮̀l̴̼͐o̶͚̕ȑ̴͕d̸̝̎

You pull his hands away, holding them between your fingers as you draw nervous little circles in his palms. “Alastor this is…a lot to take in. Your words are striking, but I need more. Prove I can trust you. Prove you want me by your side. Then maybe, maybe, I will consider your offer. Until then, I think it’s best we don’t speak about this to anyone. Deal?”

Alastor’s smile was soft with half-lidded eyes. “Consider it, a deal.” He leans into you as green and pink light flashes around the room. Your first deal with the Radio Demon, sealed with a kiss. 

Tag List (Let me know if you would like to be added!)

@rl800 @fairyv-ice @looking1016 @martinys-world @sirens-and-moonflowers

[geesecanon]

Evidence in the Epistolary

read on ao3 Rating: Teen & Up Type: Multi-chapter Chapter: Quantumly Yours (1/10) Tags: Ford Pines/Reader; Strangers to Penpals; Strangers to Disgruntled Peers; Strangers to Vague Respect to Oh-No-They're-Hot; Gender Neutral Reader; No pronouns used (as any accurate descriptor); Inaccurate Technology for Sake of Plot; Additional Tags to be Added; Mistaken Identity (Kind of); Miscommunication Summary: "The idea of thirty years' worth of mail is bothersome, and now it just feels like an overcast reminder of just how many bridges he has burned. But it feels obtusely preemptive to just be rid of them all on the spot. Maybe there are genuine pieces of correspondence in there. Peers. Professors. Professionals. People who wanted to engage in dialogue with him -- surely not all of them would be so egregiously casual in tone as the initial one. When he is alone again, Ford reaches down, pulls the letter from the bin, and rereads it." While taking a break, you ship yourself up to Gravity Falls for a few months, definitely for the fresh air and definitely not to coincidentally cross paths with your unintended penpal of the past few months. The universe grants your wish: you do meet him. Under perhaps the worst set of circumstances.

[birdiewriteslit]

wildest dreams

luke hughes x abigail abernathy

masterlist

okay ik i haven’t updated this in a literal month so im finally feeding you my apologies for the wait

“Get up.” Jack said, grabbing the pillow from underneath Luke’s head and throwing it across the room.

Luke groaned, planting his face into the mattress. “What do you want?” he asked curtly, voice muffled by the sheets.

“It’s 1pm, we have practice in an hour, you’re a mess, I’m mad at you,” Jack listed, yanking the comforter off of his body.

Luke shivered and rolled over, shielding his eyes from the sun streaming in through the window. “What have you got to be mad about?”

“I haven’t heard from Abigail since she left, which, by the way, I know was your fault. Plus, you’ve been moody ever since she did, even though you’ve got no right to be.” Jack paused, taking a breath. “And I know what happened on New Year’s.”

Luke sat up on the bed, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes. “Then you know I’ve got some right. She’s the one who doesn’t.”

Jack rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “Fine, be an idiot. See if I care. Don’t take it out on Abigail when all she did was like you. You’re probably not used to girls liking you though.”

“She doesn’t like me, she’s fucking Rudy,” Luke mumbled.

“You really are an idiot. Seriously, get out of bed or I’m leaving without you.”

Jack left the room and Luke let his head fall into his hands. He grabbed his phone from the bedside table, staring at Abigail’s smiling face on his lockscreen, and feeling worse about the whole thing.

He listened to the voicemail, and he felt sick to his stomach. He knew he shouldn’t have yelled at her, but seeing her with Rudy set something off in his mind.

Granted, he had a jealousy problem since they were kids and Abigail would come to Toronto talking about all of her Boston friends, but things were a lot different now.

When Abigail got a job on Shameless, Luke couldn’t be prouder, and when it came out, she was so excited to watch it with him.

It was just her and him that night at the lake, the others having gone to bed. “I can’t watch this with my parents,” Abby had said, clinging to Luke’s arm in excitement.

He figured that meant she was topless in a scene. He’d seen Shameless before, and he couldn’t lie about being a little excited about her debut. He was 17, after all.

What he wasn’t expecting, however, was a full on sex scene between her and a costar, who still comments on her Instagram posts.

That was the moment he realized that things were changing in Abigail’s world. He thought about how other guys would be looking at her, thinking about her.

Then Outer Banks came around, and she started dating Rudy. He had to act like he liked the guy, but in reality he hated the way it made him feel seeing Abigail with another guy.

For a whole year he had to watch her with him. She even brought him to the lake once, and then after that trip, he broke up with her over Luke.

So, naturally, he didn’t like it when he saw Abigail was hanging around a guy like that again.

He replayed the voicemail. “Fuck,” he said out loud. “I fucked up.”

abyabynathy

tagged jamie.drysdale, philadelphiaflyers

Liked by jamie.drysdale, _quinnhughes and 1,967,346 others

abyabynathy baby’s first flyers game

View comments

trevorzegras the plot thickens

jamie.drysdale omg that’s me

abyabynathy @/jamie.drysdale sniped

cam.york we have fun

abyabynathy @/cam.york so much fun

philadelphiaflyers Have we converted you to a flyers fan??

abyabynathy @/philadelphiaflyers you gotta win first

jackhughes @/abyabynathy SHOTS FIRED

nhlbruins @/philadelphiaflyers Back off.

_quinnhughes why are you everywhere besides vancouver

abyabynathy @/_quinnhughes some day i might make it there

jackhughes this is interesting

trevorzegras @/jackhughes VERY interesting

abyabynathy @/trevorzegras stop conspiring

user1 what is going on

January 8, 2024

messages 10:36 pm

jack: if you’re trying to make luke mad it’s working

jack: but i can tell he feels guilty for whatever he did

jack: it’s actually a weird combination and i don’t like it

jack: pls fix it

abigail: i tried to fix it but he’s an ass idk what to tell you

abigail: i’m not trying to make him mad but it’s not my fault he freaks out when i breath near anyone else

jack: why the fart are you in philly then

abigail: bc i wanted to see my friend jamie

jack: and you had to do this in the midst of this drama

jack: you and luke need to figure this shit out cuz i’m tired of you hurting each other

jack: shit pisses me off

abigail: okay i admit i knew it would make him mad but he fucking screamed at me and hasn’t spoken to me since his tantrum

jack: he will he just needs time to cool down

read 10:43 pm

—

taglist: @alwaysclassyeagle

[picnokinesis]

plottier / character focused thirteenth doctor fic recs

Ipseity by WalkerLister (43k, 10 chapters, gen) summary: Eight months since the Doctor sacrificed herself on Gallifrey, and Yasmin Khan is still struggling to move on. However, when she comes across a familiar face who is not acting like herself, Yaz may finally get the answers she has been looking for surrounding the Doctor. However, those answers will be revealed in a way a bit more dangerous than she had been anticipating. //Okay, so no one is surprised that I like the amnesiac!divisioned!13 fic, but in my defence, it's absolutely fabulous. This one was written waaaaay back in mid-2020, so we all knew that 13 was in prison and everyone was pretty sure that Jack was coming back due to some bts detective work, but that was about it - so, for obvious reasons, it doesn't align with ROTD, but it's such a fun one, guys, I love it a lot. Also, y'know, thirteen in a leather jacket and snarling at people? What more could you want?

don't have to make it to the moon by Ymae (28k, 7 chapters, gen/thoschei) summary: After New Year's, Ryan decides to stay traveling in the TARDIS for another little while. Only, the Doctor's rarely alright, and between experiencing the wonders of the universe, Ryan wants to figure out what's happening to his friend, too. //I love Ryan so much. He's such a wonderful character and I always love it when fics focus on him, or have him as the pov character. Unfortunately, fics like that are a bit few and far between, but this is one of them, and it's absolutely fantastic. It really delves into his character, but also his dynamic with the Doctor (especially after he talks to her in ROTD and she admits that she's scared and angry), and it's just auuuuuuugh so good!! And, it's also go some great whump and psychic content, with the Master showing up to cause trouble, alongside some gorgeous world-building, so I enjoy it very very much.

Ghost War by riptheh (25k, 1 chapter, gen) summary: All the Doctor wants to do is pass the time, and help a friendly face. So when a young man with a strange tattoo and a psychic wound shows up, she dives right into the mystery - and finds herself flung far into the future, mindwiped and alone, fighting a war that by all rights, shouldn't exist at all. A war she could help end, if only she could figure out who she is. //Oof, this one. It's absolutely stunning. This author really has a way of taking some absolutely fascinating and mind-bending concepts and just running with it, and just nails it each time. I feel like the less I say about the plot of this one, the better, because it sort of unfolds as you go, but please just trust me when I say that it's absolutely fantastic.

Lifelines by Sue_Denham (40k, 11 chapters, gen, wip) summary: Lifeline: a thing on which someone or something depends, or which provides a means of escape from a difficult situation. Set just after the events of Spyfall, the Doctor has a few things to work through. //Okay this fic is one of my favourites that's been posting over the last year or so - it's a brilliant exploration of Graham and Thirteen, and how different races deal with loss, guilt and death. I honestly think the best kind of sci fi takes concepts that we sort of take for granted, and then shows them in a completely new light. That's what this fic does. Also, Graham is just wonderful for the entire thing - though, as a note, Yaz and Ryan do end up somewhat side-lined, so bear that in mind if you're particularly looking for fics about those two, but I forgive it because it's such a great look at Graham and the Doctor. It feels like a character focused tie-in novel, y'know? Also it's pretty angsty in places, naturally, but that's what I'm here for haha.

Disordered by Echo (44k, 7 chapters, jack/13) summary: Messing with memories is always a risky business. Messing with your own memories, now that's just asking for trouble. The Doctor is very good at asking for trouble. And Jack is very good at finding it. //Ohhhhh okay so. This has been one of my absolute favourite Doctor Who fics for a long while. Definitely the shippiest of this list, but it's so lovely and such an excellent look at the Doctor facing the consequences of trying to get back her Division memories in the aftermath of s12, as well as the relationship between the Doctor and Jack across multiple regenerations. It's just so so good, flowing smoothly from very angsty to very soft, and the Doctor and Jack's voices are just spot on (especially considering that we see different versions of the Doctor, this is a particularly impressive note). Highly recommend!

The Trial of the Doctor by wreckageofstars (20k, 5 chapters, gen/thasmin, wip) summary: Haven is a planet at the edge of time, on the brink of destruction. Ravaged by the Time Lords and a war that time forgot, its people are desperate for justice before it’s too late, and the Doctor might be the only being left in the universe who can provide it — because she was the one who started it. So why can't she remember doing it? //Okay okay so, this one has only recently started posting but I've known about it since about 2020 and ohhhhhhhhhhh my goodness, GUYS. If you're not following this one, you need to be. It's a mix between Doctor Who at it's finest, Kafka at it's most unsettling, and Douglas Adams at it's most absurd, and it's delightful. There's so much in this one, and as always this author is just spot on with all the characterisation - especially Thirteen, who suddenly finds herself being prosecuted for a crime that she can't remember, and is forced into a situation where she's physically incapable of telling a lie. It. Is. Marvellous. Also there's a cockroach lawyer, whom I adore HAHA

lighthouse keeper by BlueLillyBlue (57k, 12 chapters, gen) summary: The Doctor is missing, and the fam is concerned. Featuring Yaz being a badass, Ryan being a cutie, Graham being a granddad, Jack being Jack, and the Doctor's complicated moral code. Also: space prisons, galactic war, the Doctor's time war trauma, the Doctor caring about people in her own weird and repressive way, and, most importantly, Thirteen wearing Jack's coat. //Oh, this one is such a favourite of mine. It's very angsty, so if that's not your schtick then - well, then you're kinda scuppered for all of my recs, to be honest, but this one is a bit on the dark side. Oh, but it's fantastic. Again, this one feels like a tie-in novel, and this author (as I think I've said before) is just incredible at crafting these very vivid worlds and really hard-hitting stories. The situation is pretty dire and desperate, and the Doctor is often faced with the fact that not every plan works out, and sometimes the only choices are bad ones. It's just really excellent guys (also! Thirteen in Jack's coat!!)

angel ellipsis by SleepyMaddy (36k, 8 chapters, gen/thoschei) summary: When the Doctor and Yaz find a planet in ruins, they’re only half surprised to discover the Master is responsible. But when his plan backfires, suddenly they have no choice but to work with him to stop his former allies from tearing the universe apart. It goes about as well as one might expect. //OKAY SO. This one is SO much fun and SO great - in particular, if you like the Master being a tricky bastard, but also getting screwed over by his own plans? You'll love this one. Everything about it is so vibrant and brilliant, and aaaaaahh man it all comes together in such a satisfying way. As with many of the authors on this list, this author just really gets these characters and how they tick, with some absolutely beautiful prose, and it's just such a joy to read.

nothing in the dark that isn't there in the light by river_of_words (6k, 1 chapter, thasmin) summary: Two weeks since Yaz got the most confusing rejection she ever hopes to get and the Doctor seems to have decided to blame Yaz for every single one of her furiously conflicting emotions. At this point she’s sort of asking to get hit. And at this point Yaz is sort of curious to find out what the Doctor is going to say that’s going to make her meet that request. //These next two fics are a lot shorter compared to the others, but I really wanted to include both of them because they're great and SO interesting to me. With this one, it digs into the Doctor and Yaz's relationship in the aftermath of LOTSD, and the ways that the Doctor does not actually talk about anything but does also tell Yaz more than anyone else. It's about the frustration that builds between them and the way that they're still finding more comfort in each other than anyone else. It's also a little feral, which as a thoschei shipper, definitely had a lot to do with why I liked this one haha. Anyway, it's really fantastic - really quick paced and emotional, and packing a LOT of punches with mostly dialogue in a very effective way. Go read it!

we'll do it right by daring_elm (3k, 1 chapter, gen) summary: She's never really noticed Yaz's perfume before. Shoulders relaxing, nausea subsiding, the Doctor inhales again, filling her lungs with jasmine and sandalwood, steel and glowing crystals and her box out of time. She can be back with Yaz within minutes of her leaving. She can save the child, change the foundation of Gallifrey and still return to have a picnic on Soria T4.  //Okay so I loooove love love this one because I just adore it any time someone explores the Doctor's reaction to the Timeless Child stuff after the fact, and this one is just so wonderful. The characterisation is just fantastic, and then just the progressive spiral of the plot as we follow the Doctor on a mission that is doomed to fail by the nature of her own timeline. It's about how by trying to change the past, all you do is mess up your present and your future, and I love that a lot. Augh, it's a gut punch and a half - highly recommended!

[that-left-turn]

Please would you be able to give some insight into why zabel plans the show in 12 episode blocks and then splits them across two seasons? Like, for what reason would he do that? I've never heard of it before.

And you said that after s3, AMC won't be tied into the same contracts. But could there be a different understanding with the showrunner if he's planned the 6 episodes for s4 already (since he plans in 12 episode blocks)?

You've never heard of it before because it isn't something anyone should do. From a practical, showrunning perspective, it's poor management because you never know if you'll get that second season, even though you're signed for two. The studio might cancel on you. From a storytelling perspective, it implies that Zabel doesn't know how to tell a contained story. His experience is from broadcast TV with 20+ episode seasons where you can have an extended timeline for the plot.

As is standard, Zabel got a 2-year deal and was told both seasons would shoot in France. It's hard to tell a good story in six 42-minute installments. Really hard. You can't waste any screentime, so you have to think about how to plot in a completely different way from when you have 9, 10 or 12 episodes. American TV writers aren't used to operating within those parameters, so short-season shows end up with truncated timelines and strange time jumps, which shortchange the narrative.

It lessens viewers' emotional investment when they don't get to journey with the characters and only see the arrival at the destination. We've seen it time and again when the flagship show had time jumps: chunks of time during which the characters developed and the audience is forced to play catch-up, like the time jump between the farm and the prison, or the boomerang timeline during the Gimple era when the pacing completely stalled.

Anyway, my point about Zabel is that he probably thought, oh, I get 12 episodes in France! I can use all of them for the main plot. He should've used the first six episodes on a plot to establish the new supporting characters and develop a believable reason for Daryl to get involved. Isabelle's group could have faced an existential threat from the new variant walkers. Some piece of knowledge about Jenner and his research, which Genet could be using, could've been circulating among the French. Daryl would recognize his name. The Mont-Saint-Michel cult could be in disagreement on how to fight the new threat rather than have a hokey goal of child sacrifice to offer up a Messiah to the world.

The underground nightclub, Demimonde, could've been a hotbed for the resistance to both ideological groups: Genet's followers, who want do scientific experiments to harness the potential that bioengineered walkers can provide humanity, and Losang's group, who believe that a person's soul might still be trapped inside the vessel and that humanity needs a spiritual awakening rather than another industrial revolution.

Quinn and Anna would've seen the real need of humans, running the black market and interacting with people from all walks of life. They wouldn't be concerned with philosophy, just a practical purpose and maybe they're driven by commercialism as their vice? Codron could've been caught and conflicted between the two schools of thought as he had to put his brother's walker down—in doing so, did Codron condemn his little brother's soul? That arc would have made him the ideal support character for Carol in S2.

If I can pitch a concept in the time it takes me to write a response to an ask, Zabel should theoretically manage to recalibrate his brain into considering plot in more appetizer-sized bites too. He had months to break the story for the French arc.

A showrunner can plan for future seasons—you have to, because you need to lay the groundwork for them—but they should never be taken for granted. Showrunners have to make sure that the story has a satisfying conclusion if the season finale ends up being the series finale. Hence, a seasonal arc. Zabel spoke about plotting two season in one go, for both France and Spain, but his statement and self-assurance later changed. He stopped mentioning an extended arc for Spain. I assume that there was some kind of conversation happening with the studio. They signed him for two seasons, but they are free to release him after one (S3) if he can't produce what they need. He can't leave an arc at its mid-point for some other writer to inherit and an anthology season would force Zabel into reducing the scope of his plot.

Anyway, I hope that sheds some light on things. Sorry about the long example pitch in the middle of the explanation 😬

[your-ne1ghbor]

Yayyyyy! Questions!!

(Forgive me if you’ve already made posts about some of these ;-;)

✨✨✨✨✨✨

1. How was Asha adopted into royalty? Does she remember anything from her biological parents?

2. How does the realm where stars live work? What’s your Starboy’s relationship with the other stars? Are they family? Is he Isolated?

3. Amaya backstory. Is her eye injury related to a star?

4. Mind explaining the monster creature thing that Magnifico has chained up?

5. How do Wishing Ceremonies work in your AU? Or would you rather keep that as a surprise for now?

6. How old are each of the characters?

7. Are you going to write out your story or is it through art dumps or animatics? What’s the duration of your story? Days? Weeks? Months?

8. Which Wish AU do you think the characters of your AU would most get along with? Which one would they get along with the least?

9. How are you placing the 7 teens in your plot?

10. Sorry. Random thought. Buuuuuut. I think you’ve mentioned your Starboy not knowing what pain felt like until he went down to Earth. Which is a sad and startling discovery, I’ll say.

Meanwhile, Sueño is just there, familiar with pain as an old friend of theirs. Imagine them just staring at TKoRaT!Star and just go: “First time?”

✨✨✨✨✨

And before I leave, let me sprinkle some positivity and good luck in your workplace before bidding you adieu~

Oo love the questions @flicklikesstuff ✨️

1.) How was Asha adopted into royalty? Does she remember anything from her biological parents?

Amaya found her at the "kingdoms doorsteps". I made a post about it here.

Asha does remember some things about her biological parents, like how her father playing music seemed to make the sound dance in the air as her mother drew images that always seemed to move and glow in a way when they told her stories. But that's all she remembers about her parents. Only what they did, not for the stories about the stars and warnings they gave about the royal couple.

2. How does the realm where stars live work? What’s your Starboy’s relationship with the other stars? Are they family? Is he Isolated?

I vaguely know how the Star Realm works, but is somewhat works like @oh-shtars star realm, but still different enough to be its own thing. Something about the star realm is that there are multiple worlds, or to them, islands that each hold a lake and a wishing tree. Inspired by Neverland from Peter Pan. The lake is basically the entrance to the human realm. But one simply cannot enter the lake unless wished apon. This is where the wishing tree comes in. The wishing tree holds the wishes of the people. These wishes take shape into a ribbon shape form, which is really how they can enter the "Middle World" I call it. (Human realm just sounds weird since there are other things in that realm that isn't just humans, but monsters as well). The ribbons call the star when they are wished apon from that world, which all they have to do is take the ribbon off the tree and enter the lake. They go through like a transportaion like from the movie Enchanted to enter the world. Ofc, the star doesn't have to accept it. If a star doesn't accept the wish, the wish would fade away and later will be forgotten. Some worlds are sometimes too dangerous to enter (like the world Asha resides in) or the wishing tree is too withered away due to the less amount of dreams people are dreaming from. Wishing trees thrive with the dreams and wishes of people. It doesn't have to be told to have the tree thrive. If told to the sky, a ribbon appears if that makes sense. Plus, the lake can also be a source of looking into that world, like knowing what they are getting into before entering it with the ribbon. Stars have to have the ribbon with them at all times. Luckily, only the user can take off the ribbon, which makes the star return to the sky. Another way for a star to return to the sky is if the wish is granted. The ribbon will fade, and thus, the star will fade back into their world.

Star Boys relationship with the other stars is basically them treating each other with care like a family!

...At least...when he was little. After he "helped" his first wish (it went terribly wrong), the stars started to not trust him with wish granting/guiding. It's more of they want him to learn how to use his powers responsibly. But even when he did, they still worry that the same thing will happen again. So they told him he is too dangerous to actually help anyone. Especially in Asha's world. Her world is too dangerous for stars (Maggy in the corner as he grows in anger to the stars is a prime example of that)

3. Amaya backstory. Is her eye injury related to a star?

I want to go into a different post about her overall backstory, but her eye injury is somewhat related to the star. She and some guards ran into the duo to stop them from killing the people that resided in Rosas, but she gotten her eye taken out in the process.

4. Mind explaining the monster creature thing that Magnifico has chained up?

It isn't necessarily chained up, more of him sending it back to hell since it should stay there and where it came from. The monster is something I dubbed "Star Eaters." It isn't because they eat stars, no, it more called that way due to the positive essence that the stars give off when they enter the Middle World, which is something they feed off from: Positive Emotions. They are a combination of restless souls that can never move on unless they eat positive emotions. The positive emotions works as some sort of healing processes the souls go through in order to move on. If the eat someone's positive emotions, it doesn't really kill them, it more leaves the person in a more depressed state, somewhat like how Mag steals the wishes that leaves them in a more depressed state too.

5. How do Wishing Ceremonies work in your AU? Or would you rather keep that as a surprise for now?

Well...

What do you think?

6. How old are each of the characters?

Idk yet, I haven't really figured that part out yet lmao 😭

7. Are you going to write out your story or is it through art dumps or animatics? What’s the duration of your story? Days? Weeks? Months?

I already answered the 1st part of the question in another post.

The duration of the story I'm not entirely sure yet. It maybe be possibly within a month or 2.

8. Which Wish AU do you think the characters of your AU would most get along with? Which one would they get along with the least?

This one is hard cause it varies for each of the main 4.

TKORAT Mag would probably ask RFTS Mag for notes he took when he picked and abused Sueño as TKORAT Amaya would probably sympathize with RFTS Amaya. She would 100% Enjoy seeing Sueño getting abused tho 💀

Star would really get along with Sueño but would give him a hug and become horrified of that mag in the process of knowing him. Plus after he gets stabbed, Sueño would ver much sympathize with his situation. TKORAT Asha relates to RFTS Asha and enjoys how she cares for people, but also doesn't understand it as RFTS Asha relates to her shy side of her😭

FS AU is also something cause TKORAT Mag and Amaya would see FS Mag and Amaya as their former selves. People who care and greets the world with open arms (before they become the villains) and relates to how they lost their home due to the stars. They basically find them a bit nostalgic, meanwhile FS Mag and Amaya would probably be horrified of them. They went through basically the same thing but instead became the worse versions of themselves. They would probably have the most arguments between them.

FS Asha would be in shock that TKORAT Asha actually KNOWS magic but also disapproves of what TKORAT Asha does to the wishes as TKORAT Asha would probably die. I don't necessarily see them getting along well, but I also see them getting along? Idk I'm mixed on that. Ceilo and TKORAT Star would probably become BSF tbh. (Polieties and Telamecus be like) 😭

WG Star and TKORAT Star would get along very well on the same levels as FS Star. WG Asha meanwhile is just worries for TKORAT Asha's mental state as TKORAT Asha envies her support system 💀

WG Mag and Amaya and TKORAT Mag and Amaya is something idk entirely at the moment, but they probs plot some very devious plans together.

TWK Mag and Amaya would be annoyed at the fact that they went out of their way to kill Asha's parents instead of doing it later on and TKORAT Mag and Amaya would be annoyed that they kidnapped Asha instead of killing her grandparents then gaslight her. Idk I see them being annoyed at each other. TKORAT Asha would probably feel sympathy to TWK Asha's situation and TWK would probably avoid her due to what she does to the wishes.Idk much on TWK Star a the moment, so I probs need to read up on that.

@annymation 's AU Mag and Amaya would not get along with TKORAT Mag and Amaya. They see them as "too nice" for their status but approves on what they do to their kingdom meanwhile TKORAT Mag and Amaya cannot tolerate them at all. They find them annoying.

Her Asha would see the villains in her universe be somewhat the embodiment of what they do into TKORAT Asha. Sure, TKORAT Asha crushes wishes, but I see that causing some flashbacks to them absorbing Star's powers and let him die in front of her so TKORAT Asha would avoid her to not remind her of that. TKORAT Star is just curious on Aster's shape-shifting abilities as Aster is with him.

Now @spectator-zee 's Asha and TKORAT Asha would get along very well. They both relate to each other the most in my eyes. Both are just on the same level of isolation and enjoys each other's company.

Orion and TKORAT Star are homies to me. Don't ask why, they just are.

9. How are you placing the 7 teens in your plot?

Like I said in another post, I'm not entirely sure yet.

10. Sorry. Random thought. Buuuuuut. I think you’ve mentioned your Starboy not knowing what pain felt like until he went down to Earth. Which is a sad and startling discovery, I’ll say.

Meanwhile, Sueño is just there, familiar with pain as an old friend of theirs. Imagine them just staring at TKoRaT!Star and just go: “First time?”

(@oh-shtars sueño is comforting star hehe)

Yeah...pretty much.

Here's the thing. The way I am framing the "stabbing" if you call it, is basically his empathetic side coming into play.

Anyone he had hurt or hell, Maggy's pain, he felt all of the grief washing over him when he got stabbed.

I very muched liked how I framed it, it's just that it is a very huge part of the story and I probably won't be able to spoil it until I know what I am writing 💀

Anyways, thank you so much for the questions! I very much had a fun time answering them :D

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Frank Vyan Walton at Dark Skies on the Horizon:

Politico recently published a piece on a gathering of Third Way Democrats who got together to diagnose the problems of the Democratic party. Being essentially Centrists, they decided — unsurprisingly — that all of our problems were caused by “Radical Left Progressives.”

When several dozen Democratic political operatives and elected officials gathered at a tony resort off the Potomac River last month, frustration boiled over at the left wing of their party. Democrats had become too obsessed with “ideological purity tests” and should push back “against far-left staffers and groups that exert a disproportionate influence on policy and messaging,” according to a document of takeaways from the gathering produced by the center-left group Third Way and obtained by POLITICO.

We can see much of this attitude in the response to Rep. Al Green’s vocal demonstration during the Not-State of the Union. When the GOP House moved to censure him for his sustained outburst, amazingly, 10 Democrats voted for the censure in concert with the MAGAs.

We can also see it with Gavin Newsom trying to rebrand himself by appealing to the right-wing by inviting Charlie Kirk to his podcast and blasting “Trans athletes in women’s sports.” Sadly, he’s pandering — which is regrettable.

This document from Third Way helps explain that vote and Newsom’s new attitude, and also the surprisingly timid reaction by establishment Democrats to Trump’s outrageous and dangerous behavior.

The group of moderate Democratic consultants, campaign staffers, elected officials and party leaders who gathered in Loudoun County, Virginia for a day-and-a-half retreat, where they plotted their party’s comeback, searched for why the party lost in November — and what to do about it. Much of what they focused their ire on centered on the kind of identity politics that they believed lost them races up and down the ballot. One of the key ways to win back the trust of the working class, some gathered there argued, was to “reduce far-left influence and infrastructure” on the party, according to the takeaways document. That included building a more moderate campaign infrastructure and talent pipeline, pushing “back against far-left staffers and groups that exert a disproportionate influence on policy and messaging,” and refusing to participate in “far-left candidate questionnaires” and “forums that create ideological purity tests.”

[...] To be completely fair, we did lose votes in the middle class during the last election. And many of that was from Black and Latino minority voters, so there could be an argument to be made that trying to pander to those voters may have backfired. However, almost all of Third Way’s complaints about the party were aimed at progressives who they feel have alienated the working and middle class of voters by focusing too heavily on “niche” issues such as racism and discrimination against marginalized groups. [...] Democrats are “seen” as too focused on minorities (Blacks, Latinos, Muslims, Immigrants, LGBTQ) who are often the targets of isolation and marginalization. The GOP paints the middle class (which means Whites) as the poor victims of unfair benefits granted through DEI (Blacks, Latinos, LGBTQ), and Immigration policy (Muslims, Immigrants) that aren’t deserved which are often championed by progressive Dems. But it went further with this complaint, suggesting solutions that would turn Democrats into Repubiicans-Lite.

Third Way should be banished from the Democratic Party.

[hauntedparaclassics]

April 08, 2025

‘Ghost Adventures’ Star’s Wife Scores Small Victory in Court Ahead of Murder-for-Hire Trial

Victoria Goodwin scored a small win in court on Tuesday.

Goodwin was arrested last month for allegedly trying to hire a hitman to kill her husband, “Ghost Adventures” host Aaron Goodwin. She was later charged with solicitation to commit murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Now, The Las Vegas Review Journal reports prosecutors have agreed to drop the solicitation charge.

Victoria appeared in Las Vegas Justice Court on Tuesday and waived her right to a preliminary hearing.

According to The Review Journal, her lawyer David Brown stated that the case is heading to District Court, where the solicitation charge would be dropped and Victoria would make her formal plea.

Brown later told the press that Goodwin is still facing the conspiracy charge, and the punishment could range from probation to 10 years behind bars.

While Aaron is a host of the long-running show “Ghost Adventures,” which launches a new season April 16 on Discovery Channel and streams on Max, his own true crime story is beyond anything he could imagine.

On social media the couple appeared happy, but underneath, a terrible plot was allegedly brewing.

The details are chilling. Victoria was allegedly texting with inmate Greg Amato in Florida who was in charge of hiring the hitman. 

Amato killed his own family after becoming obsessed with and spending over $200,000 on an internet cam girl. He is serving three life sentences. Grant’s story was told in the Paramount+ series “Control-Alt-Desire.” 

The messages between Victoria and Grant reportedly included one that said, "Am I a bad person? Because I chose to end his existence. Not divorce."

The plot was uncovered when corrections officers seized the inmate’s cell phone as contraband.

TMZ reports that Victoria planned to pay the hitman $11,515 for the murder and had already sent $2,500 upfront.

Police claim the plan was to have the hitman kill Aaron while he was shooting “Ghost Adventures” on location in California. 

A police report obtained by People magazine also claims Victoria and Amato texted about "how much they are in love" and that Goodwin insisted her husband “would not accept divorce."

When asked about the messages, Victoria allegedly said in the arrest report that she was “lonely” and having marriage problems. She claimed she did not want Aaron dead, and could not remember sending any messages about a hitman.

According to the arrest report, "She described herself of sometimes daydreaming of being in a different situation… Victoria expressed her feelings of wanting to be without Aaron and with Amato, which she described as fantasy or daydream."

“Extra” spoke with former Las Vegas Police Officer Dean O’Kelley, who is not associated with the case, but has worked on similar “kill for hire” crimes.

He said, “It looks like they've got it buttoned up pretty tight with the text messages, the agreement for payment, the very specific amount and it's pretty clear she wanted him killed rather than someone to put the fear into him.”

As for Victoria’s chances at trial, O’Kelley added, “In high-profile cases, sad to say when you have someone who may come across okay in court as sympathetic, you never know what jurors are gonna do.”

After news broke of the alleged murder for hire plot, Aaron filed for divorce. The couple wed in 2020, but had their ceremony in 2022.

Goodwin also broke his silence on Instagram. He shared an image of a smiling, hands-out emoji and wrote, “Thank you everyone for all the love and support through this emotionally trying time. It has really helped a lot and I appreciate you all.”

Fans offered support in the comments with messages including, “Love you madly Aaron! We are all behind you!” and “We love you and care about you! We’re all very happy nothing happened to you, and sending all the positive healing energy your way!”

Source: Extra TV

[paradeparade]

This is for posterity

but mostly for me I guess.

Cleared the 1st episode of Umineko.

I was thinking I'd be in the 1st one for a month but nope finished it in record time (like 10 days, its a record for me ok?) . I assume that it will only get longer, but I think people have a tendency to exaggerate the length of the VN medium. Like Fate/Stay Night fine, you just have to pace yourself, I know that I do.

Digressing

I think the mystery is compelling for the 1st one at least it does a good job of creating an oppressive atmosphere. Battler is cool! feels very different to the other Mystery protags I've read from. Or maybe that's just an indication of my personal taste in Mystery novels. (Read Zaregoto/Tsukumojuku or something idk)

I found the mystery of a 19th person strange since I see that 19th persons face every time I close the game.

(yes the entire banner had to be here!!!)

But I'm starting to think Beatrice's "poster girl status" is more of a ruse after the ??? tea party. This is also considering that a person who needs reviving cant really even kill people in the first place.

One of the more interesting parts is how it presents you with what other characters are doing & then accuses them of murder. of course they're innocent but its also impossible to improve. same goes for the closed rooms which as an idea exist to be solved but the existence of the witch makes the possible scenario impossible.

there's probably more here but my only actual guess to the plot is that Beatrice is one of Kinzo's orphans that he has laying around. Other than that I like the character profiles changing around, I wish more vn's had "unnecessary" things like that. Like Stay Night has those & Stay Night kicks ass! granted they haven't thrown anything at me that will require usage of the tips yet but I'm waiting for it...

at any point during Episode 2, Beatrice will be launched into a barrel & I'll be forced to play a bad minigame like Scrabble using that Winchester...

[autumnoakes]

granted, i DID do a lot more gaming towards the end of the year, BUT i sae someone else do it and i also want to do it.

2024 in review: video games I played edition (regardless if I beat them or not)

Pokemon Violet: apparently this was my most played game in january and i just remembered that it was because of the DLC. the hidden treasures of area zero was... okay. i liked the teal mask part a lot. it was goofy at times, but the story and pacing was solid. i did NOT like the indigo disk part much, aside from the story. it's a lot of tedious grinding having to complete tasks and get enough BP for them to release more pokemon into each quarter. i DID like returning to unova, though. black/white is probably my favourite pokemon game. my feelings on scarlet/violet as a whole are rather mixed. the DLC didn't improve on the issues i had with the base game, and nintendo pushed this DLC so hard. i'm glad they slowed down with releasing pokemon games because the scale is getting too big for their expected development period. i'm happy they're taking their time with legends Z-A

Pokemon Black/White: if you couldn't already tell, i started 2024 off with a huge pokemon phase. i think i officially started this game in 2023, but played at least half of it in january. it's so good. i love the story and the pacing and the MUSIC oh my god the music. the elite four kicked my ass i'm ngl so i never got to the end of the main story. hopefully some day.

Pokemon X/Y: honestly only started playing this because of the new legends game announcement and it didn't last long. it was okay. i think i got to the second gym and that's about as far as i got. for some reason a france-themed pokemon region is really funny to me.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: another one i started in 2023, but hey i never said i had to play it for the first time in 2024. mixed feelings about this one too, but for different reasons than scavio. i did really enjoy totk, but i think between this and how much i played botw (which i started playing again recently but i've talked about it so much i don't think i'll include it here), it just became more of the same. maybe i'll revisit it later in the year and see how it hits then. i will say though, it's really fun to worldbuild using the lore from this game.

Hades: BELOVED!!!!! beloved beloved beloved. i love this game so much. the art style is so good, zagreus is a delight, the gameplay is satisfying, you get the idea. i honestly played very little else once hades 2 went into early access and i couldn't play it for a few months, so i finished the main story last year (after having the game for like. 2 years). speaking of....

Hades 2: MY BELOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!! it's very familiar if you've played hades, but a lot is different. the scale of the story itself is much bigger than in the first game, and the narrative is a lot more complex. melinoë is also a delight, and i'm a huge fan of her gameplay. there's not really a good side or a bad side, but you're led to believe you're fighting for the good side because that's what melinoë believes. she's such a fascinating character, and the fact that this game is still only early access blows my mind. i played nothing else from july to september. 11/10 game, one of my favourites.

Resident Evil 4 (2023): hi hello i'm annoying about this game. i didn't expect to play this game this year, much less enjoy it as much as i did, AND YET. i really liked how the characters were written in this game. i haven't played the original, but i feel more for them in the remake than i do in what i have seen of the original. it's kinda funny because the plot of the game is really serious like, threat of an apocalypse, main character infected with dangerous parasite, themes surrounding trauma and change, etc. but it also features World's Most Yeetable Man (according to residents of this one village in spain).

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom: GOD I LOVED THIS GAME!!!!! it was both familiar and brand new, with the return of classic zelda enemies like peahats and redeads paired with protagonist zelda. and zelda is SUCH a delight here as well. i loved her gameplay and how it kind of forced you to get creative and had the subtle tones of necromancy at times. the story isn't anything particularly groundbreaking, but i enjoyed it nonetheless. it was surreal to see a game that wasn't a part of the botw era but was made after the fact and how the botw era impacted the design and UI. i strongly believe they started work on this before totk was released.

Resident Evil 2 (2019): i had a phase and now this franchise is a special interest so i played a lot of these games towards the end of the year. anyways re2 beloved. the replayability is wild, since there are significant story differences depending on who you choose to play as and in which order. it's also just a lot of fun imo. my aunt knows when i'm playing this game because it is actually pretty scary and i'm not. quiet when i get startled akdnskdjdj. the story isn't too complex but it also centres around a city being controlled by a corporation and features two protagonists who have no clue what's going on which resulted in this anti-capitalism narrative which is a little bit funny. it makes it almost satirical considering it's a zombie apocalypse game

Dark Souls Remastered: hoooooooly shit i suck at this game lmao

Resident Evil 3 (2020): i honestly expected to enjoy this one more than i did. i really was having a good time up until the hospital sequence, and then it kinda went downhill for me. one good thing i will say though is that despite seeming like it should happen after re2, it actually starts before and ends after re2, and happens in the same place. you just have a different protagonist and focus, but in both games, there's this continuity that make it into this sort of non-linear story spanning across both games. i watched a chronological order cutscene movie of both games and it was one of the best things i've ever seen.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard: ngl i hate that this game is good because i can't get very far in it due to Scary Man With Axe chasing me around :( so like.... mixed feelings but only because this game is fucking terrifying and i haven't gotten very far in it at all. despite that, i think it was a solid franchise reboot and the new plot they have going is really fascinating. shaking mia violently i need to know more about her. capcom. capcom please put her in the next game pLEASE DON'T FRIDGE HER AGAIN PLE-

Resident Evil Village: i expected to enjoy the first two sections and not like the last half of the game but it turned out to kind of be the opposite. the first half of this game is more classic survival horror, between being pursued by an angry 10 foot tall lady whose kids you just murdered and whatever the hell that giant demon baby was, whereas the second half is more action oriented. i REALLY liked the factory part, and even chris' part (surprisingly, since i do not like chris much and this game is why). the ending always destroys me though like... ethan was such a different protagonist to others in the franchise (the closest to him i would say is claire, but even then, chris taught her a lot of what she knows and she's got more skills than the average civilian). i'm gonna miss him in the next game, especially if they continue with either mia's story or rose's story. i haven't played the DLC yet and i'm on the fence about getting it, though.

Resident Evil Revelations 2: LAST RE GAME I PROMISE. it's extremely underrated tbh. i'm only like maybe 1/5 of the way through, but i love how you go between past (claire and moira) and present (barry and natalia) and how the story unfolds through that switching perspective. they probably won't, but i hope capcom remakes the revelations games.

Cult of the Lamb: honestly didn't get very far into this one, but it's morbidly adorable. 100/10, i love my little cult leader lamb.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: GOOD GAME. AMAZING GAME. i'm not too far into this one either, but hooooooooly fuck. it's so good. geralt is such a Guy and i'm obsessed with how he solves problems. he really just gives the aura of guy who is trying his best but people hate him anyways. ciri is so blorboable like she's jusg blorbo shaped. i love her so much (yes i may have started playing tw3 because of tw4 announcement, what about it?)

Baldur's Gate 3: i keep getting stuck but i love this game. i understand how it won goty now. i feel like it would be so confusing if you haven't played d&d irl though. i also like how they integrated the whole "here is your character. they are Your Character, and not a predetermined protagonist or one meant for you to project onto." you get to imagine their backstory and shape their personality through decisions. i was going to play a very serious, lawful paladin character but like an hour and a half in they broke their oath and then went off the shits so they went from the lawful good character i envisioned to a chaotic neutral force of nature. i love them so much.

Elden Ring: i'm just bad at soulslikes i think. this game is gorgeous though, i'm just not far enough into the story to make a solid judgement on the game itself. soulslikes in general have a steep learning curve and are notoriously difficult. i keep dying 😔

[fu-cough]

I watched Disney's Wish (aka their 100 year celebration movie) and if you like the movie please just feel free to ignore me😭

ITS SHITTY.

1. Appearance - it is so bland. The castle has no color in it. It's all grey, even Asha's clothes are muted! Their city is called "ROSAS" for god's sake, they couldn't have thrown in an abundant amount of roses there?? Flowers?? They tried to do this 2d and 3d mix that the Spiderverse movies made famous and it just does not work. The characters do not interact with the textures of the background at all. It feels like they were just plastered onto the scene with the backgrounds already made. The trees and leaves do not sway. The best sequence was probably the "At All Costs" song number.

2. Soundtrack - "here I are", "Throw caution to every warning sign" (the context of the song is that she does not care about the warning signs), "I got these genes from outer space" (which does not make sense metaphorically and literally because afaik Magnifico is a human with powers). Overall, the tune is okay (more of pop music than theater style but ok) the lyrics are not. Definitely tried to copy Lin's style.

3. Asha - who EVEN IS SHE?? We don't even know anything about her except that she wanted to be Magnifico's apprentice so her family could have a higher chance in having their wish granted. Also her father died. She was so boring as a protagonist. She had an i want song where she spoke about being restricted by people telling her "no" and like WHEN?? She was never stripped of her freedom, the only time she was told no was when she asked Magnifico to have her grandpa's wish granted. She was THE SAME throughout the entire film. No development, no moral lessons, no nothing.

4. Magnifico - he kind of deserved better lmao, not the best but his character deserved better treatment plot wise. Like he turned evil in a span of 5 seconds because of some cursed book i guess. And then his wife of how many years immediately left him and took the throne for herself 😭. He granted a girl's wish about being a dressmaker and she talked shit about him the moment he was in the mirror. I don't really understand why he's a villain but that's because I don't understand how wishes worked in-universe.

5. Wishes - i dont understand THIS!! it pisses me off so much and threw me off the entire duration of the film. Like okay so the people of Rosas WILLINGLY give the King their wishes once they turn 18. Then the King grants 1 wish per month and people KNOW THIS. It's basically a lottery and there's a chance your wish will never be granted. The citizens also know that they will forget their wish once they give it and they will never get them back. So what is Asha trying to revolt against here?? People seemed okay with this entire arrangement, hell, they knew about it the entire time. What exactly is the conflict in the story?

6. Other Characters - ohh omgg Asha's friends are the seven dwarves haha nice idea Disney, if only they were fleshed out and we could've seen their wishes, right? Also there's a talking goat thing who makes butt jokes. And then there was Star that was definitely just there to make merch plushies. Asha's grandpa wants to "inspire the young generations" thru... playing the guitar??? Asha's motivations revolved around having her grandpa's wish granted and his wish is just so goddamn plain. Like where are the stakes?? It would've been better if her grandpa's wish was something life saving. Maybe her mom was sick or something.

7. Plot - there's a plot?

I am just so madd. It so soulless, stiff, and basically just an entire ball of corporate bullshit. I am not blaming any of the writers, animators and anyone in the creative field because we know damn well it's the executives' fault for making this whole mess. 1/10.

[randomingoftherandomness]

Fic: All I see is red lights

Tags: Song Fic, Pole Dancing, Modern AU, No Incest, Established Relationship, Plot What Plot, Gong Shangjue x Gong Yuanzhi, mildly sugar baby vibes!Yuanzhi

A/N: I did a poll here on whether I should be writing this fic or not, and I'm pretty glad to know that most of y'all are on the same kind of frequency as I am. No angst here, as much as I wanted to write that, it just wasn't coming together.

Many, many thanks to Ryl for the pole dancing pointers 🍑 I hope I did them (and you!) justice x

Tagging @rose-tinted-vision and @evolutionsbedingt coz I feel like this would be relevant to our shared interests :)

--

At the sound of the first pant, Yuanzhi rolls his body forward into his first floorwork style. He inhales, pushing through the shoulders and keeping his neck elongated and engaged. Arching his lower back, he elongates his right leg, pointing through his ankles.

Like he'd practised in class, he bends, keeping his body weight on his hands as he lifts his right leg and extends his bottom leg, bending and melting down into the floor just as the first chorus bleeds through the speakers.

He looks up at Shangjue as he rocks his hips back, pushing himself into an open kneel. Yuanzhi suppresses the smile at the almost awed look on his boyfriend's face.

Are the purple 10-inch heels doing it for him, Yuanzhi wonders, or are the leggings that he'd bought specifically for the way they show off his ass the things that are making his Shangjue blush so prettily?

No matter.

Yuanzhi curls himself back onto the floor, lying down, breathing in deep and going into a shoulder stance. Crossing his legs, he creates a measured clockwork motion with his back leg just as he hears the sultry crooning of the singer dip.

I really wanna know, yeah, I already lost control, oh

Remembering how Weishan jie had taught him, he turns and starts crawling slowly to the pole he had installed in the middle of their living room when he first realised that pole dancing was really going to be a thing for him. Shangjue hadn't even blinked when he told him, just gave him his black card and kissed him on the cheek.

And now, Yuanzhi just wants to show him the fruits of his labour.

Granted, he'd just been at it for a bit over two months, but Weishan jie and the other jiejies in the classroom never made him feel like an outsider for being the only guy there, nor did they shame him for sometimes not getting the moves right.

It's because of their encouragement that he is able to climb the pole, strong enough to hold on and roll himself into a front hook spin, transitioning into a back hook.

Straightening his outside leg to land, he is barely winded when he asks, "How is it?"

Shangjue remains quiet. The music climbs to a bassy climax, just as Yuanzhi grabs the pole to give himself a little more momentum to roll himself into a chair spin.

"How much did you say these lessons were again?"

Yuanzhi kicks a leg out to land. "For the pole dancing?" He makes eye contact with Shangjue. Holding on to the pole, he slowly slides himself into a split.

Shangjue crosses his legs tightly.

Yuanzhi chuckles. "Gege, can I show you more?"

[fauxkaren]

Doom At Your Service - 8/10

Another win for Netflix’s marketing department! lmao. Netflix sent me a targeted email informing me that a show that I might enjoy was coming to Netflix, and they were right! lol I DID enjoy this show. Congrats to Netflix’s algorithm.

I think the main storyline of this drama is 10/10 amazing. HOWEVER, the B-plot feels like it’s from a completely different drama. The tonal difference is WILD. I don’t hate the B-plot and the B-plot is majorly helped by the fact that I’m v fond of the actors involved. But like, it’s just a totally different show from the A-plot so it feels strange and I spent almost all B-plot scenes wishing we were back with the A-plot.

Look, I’m not going to try to explain the way that the universe works in this drama because tbh, I don’t fully understand the rules that underpin it. So uh... you just gotta go with it and not think too hard about it. The basic set up is that the female lead, Tak Dong-kyoung, has the worst day of all bad days. She gets a devastating medical diagnosis - a brain tumor that even with treatment would give her a year to live - and finds out that her boyfriend of 3 months is actually married with a baby on the way! So Dong-kyoung does what anyone would do- she gets drunk off her ass and wishes for doom to come to the world.

Except um, Doom actually hears her request. In this universe, the concept of Doom has a physical form. He is an immortal being, created by god who observes and brings about the end of/disappearance of things that are fated to die. He’s incredibly detached from the world and has a lot of disdain for humanity, so when god allows him to grant one wish from a human, he hears Dong-kyoung’s wish for doom upon all the world and is like “SWEET. I’M ENDING THIS WORLD”. 

This leads to a contract that Dong-kyoung quickly regrets where she promises to wish for doom up on the world before her death, fated to be in 100 days. If she fails to do so, the person she loves most at that moment will die. When Dong-kyoung realizes what she’s gotten herself into, she comes up with a plan. She will force herself to fall in love with Doom himself and then when she refuses to wish for the world’s end, Doom himself will disappear! Except of course the love becomes real because this is a k-drama. And the ensuing emotions are DELICIOUS!

I’m not even going to talk about the B-plot of this drama because it’s so ‘meh’ compared to the A-plot. Just know that if you’re going into this drama, feel free to watch the A-plot and fast-forward through every B-plot scene because it’s totally irrelevant to the main storyline.