#or just. a lost character/forgotten character left in the code on accident

[idkfitememate]

This is actually a very fun idea wait-

Fat Chinese baby vanellope or something

Yada yada yada, head canoning there was an original King candy who was vanellopes father who got killed by Turbo, the usual head canon. I also gave a name to the original KC... Perfetti van Melle schweetz. I like the name I've given him low-key

[yanderecandystore]

ok ok hear me out hear me out. Yuma becoming obsessed with one of the game’s ( few ) sentient, non-romancable npcs. Like they can think and feel and ( somewhat ) act for themselves but there just isn’t a route for them. Also bonus points of the darling is kinda bratty/prissy, we haven’t see a lot of readers like that. Ily and your writing so much, mwah — ✨ anon

My my, how different!

Welcome in, ✨ Anon! And thank you for enjoying my writing so far.

TW/Tags: I love this concept, although being very different from the norm // some ddlc vibes // I just discovered a new word and I'm so glad it exists! (prissy reader cause I think this would be very fun-) // angsty // trapping, manipulation and gaslighting // every time the gender isn't set, I like to keep it ambiguous, basically making it gender neutral (gender neutral reader) // gender neutral Yuma //

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

Just Yuma (lol) [Yandere!A.I OC x A.I!Reader - Headcanon]:

I like to think that a game like Yuma's would be made to entertain the players to at least 5 or so years before the next installment- Which is basically the same as the last with better graphics and switching the main love interest cast.

The games would be made clearly for the sake of fan service and slice of life material- But would be surprisingly more advanced to us than to those who have created the franchise.

Because there is already an estimation of the amount of content and for how long players would play the game, every single character should get at least some bit of highlight- So even npcs that are just there for the sake of ambience and narrative, are treated with a lot of care and given the best a.i the developers could give to make the experience entertaining.

You are just like any other non-dateable npc, except that you have gained a bit of a role in one of the main cast's routes. It wouldn't be a stretch to guess that one of these characters would be Yuma themselves.

You were supposed to be Yuma's love interest, meaning you would have an role as an player's rival- But due to an strict schedule and corporate greed, you have been demoted from having such a big impact, and now you're basically Yuma's best friend who keeps them from committing homicide every five seconds.

It's not exactly a bad role, since you keep having the same dynamic with them from before- Chaotic gremlin is best friends with Paranoid goody two shoes, now with less romantic interactions.

The only mistake by the company was to leave half of the data showcasing this relationship in the game at the release. Basically- Half of the cutscenes and dialogue involving you and Yuma not only being friends but the start of you two dating (the game kinda pairs the couples up if the player fails to date them, or simply shows disinterest in the characters to begin with-) and even some of the things involving you two during the dating phase- Even the potential break-up sequence which could be orchestrated by the player.

Well, could have- Since none of this content is really available or considered official, the only way to access it is by messing the games files.

So in a way, you're already pretty sentient as it is, you act not as a rival but as a somewhat helper into getting the player to get closer to Yuma. I don't know how much you are aware about your own circumstances, or if you even care about the concept of being just an character made for the sake of another-

In the home planet that has created and released the game, players were kinda disappointed with what happened- They preferred the deleted/unused content more than the events and dialogue that was used for you two, so much so that people started shipping you two more than actually being interested in romancing Yuma, especially since they're way too chaotic for most player's taste.

There was an update overhaul being planned to happen where not only the stuff related to you would be changed- But all the other characters and gameplay mechanics would be updated and hopefully make the game better- But ever since your cartridge has been suddenly lost and forgotten on Earth, you were never able to see that update.

Not that you were aware of it to begin with, but still, what a shame. And not only that, your game is basically Glitch Station- Absolutely filed with mods to help the gameplay be "easier" to the original owner of this cartridge. I don't think she even remembers where she has left it.

Still, even when a new save was made you felt a weird sensation of deja vu. The game has started again with a new player playing it and trying to work their way through this broken game.

You didn't understand why all these events felt familiar though, you only felt like it made sense. It was your first year in college, you got ready and made sure to look your best and give your goodbye to your parents-

It felt like this day has happened before, and even if your routine was similar, you felt like this day was supposed to be a big deal- Why does it feel oddly nostalgic?

Why… Why are the floors on your house flowing? Why are there so many empty spaces here and there? You feel like you could potentially fall from your disintegrating house. And your parents, where are they? Why can't you see them? Why can you only hear them saying goodbye back to you from one of the other rooms?

When you open the door to see them- There is nothing there. There is not even a room.

It's a door that leads to nowhere. Just an empty void.

The sensation of dread was starting to creep in yet you thought that it would be uncalled for to overreact. Like you weren't allowed to showcase concern for the odd reality around you.

You walked on foot towards your college, panicking slightly at the people who would fade in and out of existence- Yet you had held yourself from screaming, from showing any sense of vulnerability at the thought that maybe you were in a dangerous place or realm.

You were coded to not find issues with the odd reality around you, like any other npc- You were taught to hold in and try to keep a sense of normality so no players would find issue with screaming characters begging to be freed. But your nervous personality caused you to search for help, you panicked and ended up running away to what you assumed to be a safe place- Somewhere crowded with a lot of people.

The institution's gates were open, you entered like your life depended on it (and maybe it did) yet you stopped yourself from screaming when you noticed a commotion happening.

A guy who was wearing the uniform lazily has bumped into a girl, causing her to fall. She is yelling at him because the fall has broken her phone, he is trying his best to calm her down- But at the same time it feels like he is just making poor choices of words because of how sick he is of having to chat with someone so angry at an accident.

Haven't you seen this before? But if so- When? When could you possibly have seen something like that happen?-

"- [Y/N]?"

"- AAAAH- Oh hey Yuma."

You yelled after getting spooked by Yuma- Who was…. Why are they wearing that?

"- Why aren't you in your uniform, Yumie?" You asked them, showing your own uniform in the process. You called them by a sweet nickname you had given them- But when exactly?

You know that you're best friends with Yuma, but since when? You know it should have been for about 6 years or so, but… It feels like you have only known them for a year- How… Weird.

"- Don't tell me you're already breaking a rule on your first day." You pouted and stomped your fit into the ground. Yes, you know that Yuma is a troublemaker…. You know…. That.

Yuma hasn't been able to speak ever since you showed concern about their outfit. They were staring at you in shock- As if you were an odd creature who they just found.

"- Y-You can see my outfit??" They blurted out. How can you recognize it??? All the other npcs recognize it as their uniform, but why are you suddenly acting like you do??

"- Hm, duh? Sorry Yummie, but that sporty outfit of yours is more eye-catching than that guy's barely well put together uniform- Such bad manners, I bet he woke up and hastily wore the first thing he saw-" You were beginning to go on a rant about that guy's uniform- That guy being the MC of this new save file. Yuma has stopped you by pulling you away from the college's entrance and entering into a secluded area so they could interrogate you over this odd behavior you were displaying.

"- Yummie- What are you doing!?" You cried out feeling hurt by their tight grip on your wrists.

"- WHAT DID YOU CALL MY OUTFIT??" They yelled desperately. Begging for their hypothesis to be corrected.

"- … A breaking of the uniform rule?" You genuinely did not understand where they were talking about.

"- No, No NO! You said Sporty Outfit, right?" They said reminding you of what you have previously commented about their outfit.

"- Oh! Yes, yes I did- And although being somewhat casual looking- It does fit the category of sporty." You readdressed the topic while going on a bit of detail- The usual annoying talk you would always do whenever a dialogue with you was activated.

Yuma was over the edge- They have never, ever met another sentient character with the same a.i as theirs.

They haven't been this happy since a long, long time.

"- You're so annoying!" They screamed, their face showing a bright smile as tears filled their eyes.

"- Yummie that's so rude!-" You were about to defend yourself when they grabbed you and hugged you as tight as they could.

"- You're genuinely so, so, so, so, so, so ANNOYING!!" They continued to go on, laughing while crying, loving every second of this.

You were coded to be their best friend. You were coded to be the one that would balance them out. You were once coded to be someone made to be able to be their lover, but here you are- The real you, free from all the locks that would keep your a.i from growing and understanding them.

If you're able to be sentient, then all of their friends can as well.

You're the personification of a miracle, to Yuma. The personification of hope.

In this scenario, Yuma isn't aware that the player isn't the same alien who has destroyed their digital world, so to them, they can't ever let the player see you getting sentient and becoming aware of your imprisonment.

" If a player finds issues with any of the characters being portrayed, they must return the cartridge to their nearest store to get a factory reset." Such a simple yet frightening tip to Yuma, to any a.i that has suddenly found itself desperate to get out of the system that traps them.

At first, the idea of having someone like them be also aware of the situation is incredible, it's amazing even! You two could possibly work out a way of getting a way to be free- It wouldn't be easy but hopefully you two would be able to have life away from this game and even finding a way of bringing your other friends with you two.

However, after discovering that not only has the cartridge found itself on another planet with another player being the new owner of it- And discovering that it's just a matter of trading places with other people to be able to be free- Yuma would start getting really clingy to you. They have been all alone thinking that they were the only one capable of feeling and thinking for themselves.

Yuma has found those unused events and scattered dialogue, you know?

While they were looking for a possibility, any possibility of getting out- They found those unused files where you two were able to be together.

And although they thought it was weird at first, after seeing you have a better understanding of your current reality and existence- It oddly sounds fitting.

Of course it would be you, the one who always puts them back on the right tracks, to be the second one to want to escape this game.

It 's so fitting.

The idea of being something more than just a best friend to you is starting to sound more and more appealing in their eyes- It's so ironic that you two work together so well.

After Yuma gets their taste of freedom and you try to calm a frightened young guy that wasn't expecting to be suddenly kidnapped and be forced to stay in the game world for a while, you wait for them to find the solution to free everyone without trying to trap anymore "humans"..

No one should be stuck here for the sake of someone else leaving, that's what you have told them.

But Yuma didn't care. Yuma just wanted to be free with you and everyone else, who cares for those that have to deal with a glitchy game for eternity?

You two had an argument. You didn't want to continue feeling like your whole life was a lie, you want to be free but no one should be hurt in the process. What good would it be if someone else has to go through the same torment as you two?

With each day that passes by, you notice how both of your ideas of freedom were different- To the point they had to tell you the truth.

You aren't going out of there anymore. Not until you understand and truly appreciate the effort that Yuma goes through to find a way of freeing you- Of finding a victim, to be in your place.

They never told you about your previously intended role in the game, they thought you would be more terrified of following their instructions- And besides, it would be very distasteful to insinuate that the only reason that they care for you it's because of that code that was left unused- Which couldn't be more of a lie! They genuinely care for you!

…. But maybe a bit of tempering would help you see their side of the story, right?

It can't be that hard to modify some of the codes, the game is already broken anyway.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

[alexmanesairstream]

Okay. Time for my ramblings. You're all free to not read a word of this but I just needed to put my thoughts out there. So. Going into s2, my only reason for watching the show was seeing Alex Manes (bc Tyler is one of my all time favourite actors and also just ALEX MANES). But after seeing the promo and fan chatter before the premier I admit getting my hopes up and becoming a little more open to the entire show as a whole again. I had hoped that s2 would be a huge improvement in terms of writing, consistency, good representation and overall storytelling. Anyways, here’s just some thoughts I’ve had after the first episode if you care to read it. I've left the Malex (and Maria) thoughts to the end bc I wanted to speak about the entire episode first. The Malex part is right at the end if anyone is reading this and only wants to read that part.

Firstly, the episode felt very disconnected. I know there was a time jump but that also left so many questions unanswered.

Kyle and Alex are well aware of the alien secret, so it made no sense that they were in the dark about Rosa being alive and Max being dead. I would've thought that both of them would've been made aware of it immediately.

This may be more of a personal preference but I've always been more interested in sci-fi aspects of the show since I always find supernatural elements on shows to become repetitive and far fetched (yes I know it's supernatural but I've always liked when there was a scientific or logical explanation behind something). Ep1 (and I know Carina said this season would explore supernatural elements and not the sci-fi aspects of it) hinted a very big supernatural storyline which I wasn't too keen on- it just gave off some big vampire diaries 'the other side' vibes. I really wish they would've explores a more unique and original storyline rather than something so repetitive with regards to Max.

Now for the science and little sci-fi parts, I know they're strained for time so there's a lot that they have to leave out but most of the science seemed far fetched or rather lacking any good grounding explanation. I get that it's a show but I would've liked for it to have made some sense rather than the random stuff Michael and Liz would say that seemingly came out of thin air. Especially when they were having their science Bro moments and interacting with substances etc- where are these substances from? What to they do? How did you get it? Idk maybe I'm being overly obsessive over this but it irks me bc I always lose interest when I can't coherently follow a storyline with logic

Rosa being back. I don't have much to say on this. The sister dynamic is kinda cute. I really don't like this weird supernatural connection thing she has with Max. Like I said, very vampire diaries like and it's just not making sense (maybe I didn't pay close enough attention idk). Also, can we get some clarity on her age. She was 19 when she died. So she should be 29 in the present day. But she mentioned something about being the hottest 31 year old when Liz told her to get a license in California. So what's up with that.

Isobel pregnancy : Yeah there's a lot I could say here. I'm assuming they're trying to do a storyline on abortion and a woman's right to her own body which I would be eager to see but at the same time, Isobel being pregnant with her dead abusive rapist's baby seems a lot like it was done for drama (sigh). It also has me wondering how since it was clear in s1 that Isobel didn't want children while Noah did- obviously she may have changed her mind after their reconciliation after she came out of the pod and also bc I accidents happen (do condoms even work with aliens???).

Now for the Malex and Maria part of it:

Since Alex was not aware of Max dying, wouldn't he have then made an effort to speak to Michael again in those two weeks since the finale. I would understand him wanting to give Michael space if he had known about Max dying but since he didn't know, did he just accept that Michael left him waiting at the trailer and leave it at that until after Noah's funeral? That just doesn't make sense to me but moving on

So Michael says that Alex told him he was going to leave the airforce to play music. Lol lots to get into here. Firstly, kinda strange that Alex would have told him that specifically that night in the trailer. Also, I was under the impression that what we were shown on screen was all that there was in that interaction. I don't see at which point Alex could've mentioned him leaving the airforce before Michael had to run out. Secondly, Alex leaving the airforce to play music? That just seems hella out of character and frankly completely unrealistic. Alex has spent the last 10 years gaining different skills, learning new things about himself, evolving and changing as a person. While he may have always had this dream about making music the fact is most people end up studying something or doing something in a different direction than their teenage self wanted. Alex is no different. While he may have wanted to leave the airforce it just doesn't seem plausible that he'd want to explore an entirely new career path as a musician. It would've made more sense for him to go into a career with cyber security and his skills in hacking, coding and programming instead. Also, unless he's got hell money from somewhere it's just completely unrealistic. He's a veteran (there are so many homeless, unemployed, uninsured, struggling veterans) who surely would need a stable income. It just feels like it's some a random storyline to have when there's been no indication of it, and it's completely out of character for Alex to decide to pursue music after 10 years in the airforce when we aren't even sure if he's done anything related to it in the last 10 years. Maybe I'm being harsh because personally I would've liked Alex to pursue something with the skills he gained in the airforce and also bc I rarely believe anyone is the same person with the same dreams and passions they had when they were a teenager. I mean, we all grow, evolve and change and that's okay. I would've really liked for Alex storyline to have been along those lines- taking what he's learned out of something he didn't necessarily want and taking control of who he is with those skills and his future (apparently in order to be a captain and also to be a code breaker Alex would've need to have gone to college while in the airforce). Idk maybe I'm bias bc I absolutely love seeing BAMF Alex Manes and how smart he is when he's working and code breaking.

Hmm Alex has a house. Like an actual house. And not a single person in the fandom knew this. In fact if Carina hadn't clarified on Twitter, we'd all be confused as hell. Literally everyone thought he lived at the cabin and rightfully so. It also makes me question why Alex had been at the cabin the day Kyle was there if he doesn't live at the cabin. But anyways small details. I'm trying not to be petty. I also really would like to know how Michael knows where Alex lives hmmm

I absolutely loved that Alex's first thought was to give Michael a guitar bc he remembers what he lost when Jesse ruined his hand. I am HERE for Alex Manes' kindness and wholesomeness.

Alex has PTSD. He would never be sitting with his back towards an entry point and music blaring loudly while he didn't have his prosthetic on. Carina responded on Twitter saying his PTSD is from childhood and not the war. I can't really understand how the war and losing a limb would not affect him and his existing PTSD at all. But again, I'll overlook this inconsistency

Michael's little confrontation speech to Alex- totally get it. It makes a lot of sense from Michael's perspective. I do however still have an issue with this thing of Alex 'leaving'. The ONLY time Alex actively left was when he enlisted. Any time after that was beyond his control. He was in the military. He had no choice. I really wish we could at some point see how all of this affected Alex instead of constantly seeing it from a one- sided Michael perspective.

And now Maria and Michael. Just a few words. What the fuck. I say all of this as someone who absolutely believes Malex shouldn't be together right now and who is fully on board with them just being friends right now:

- As someone who loved Maria in the first season and as a woman of colour, I fucking hate her storyline and what they're making her character do. It was cringe and desperate and humiliating for her to be running after Michael after one kiss. And also, SO out of character for her. Maria Deluca is her own saviour and would never run after someone who behaved the way Michael had in that ep. She would abso-fucking-lutely not chase after a man and put herself out there in such a desperate way like that.

- Secondly, has she just forgotten Alex exists? This is so not the Maria we know. Chasing after a man for something when he's not giving anything back in return and not even bothering to speak to Alex or attempt any sort of communication with him before she continues pursuing Michael. It makes no sense. I only see the Maria hate escalating at this point and I don't blame anyone for it. At this point she 100% deserves it. It's so so out of character for her not to have spoken to Alex and to continue pursuing Michael before speaking to Alex.

Honestly I've said it since the start- I hate love triangles and this one in particular rubs me the wrong way for so many reasons. I honestly don't see how we can redeem Maria's character after this mess. The whole Michael and Maria thing is just messy (and not in a cool dramatic TV show way), and is for a lot of us straight up character assassination for both Michael and Maria. I'm just so put off by both of their characters. If they were adamant about this storyline, I wish they'd done it and left Alex out from the start (I said Kylex rights!).

In conclusion, it's a shitshow. The show is just all over the place and the writing doesn't seem to have improved from the inconsistencies and plot holes. There's a lot more I could say but this was all I thought about right now for that episode. I also have so many thoughts on what Carina has recently said but I'm not in the right space of mind to address that rn. She's hell problematic lmao. But anyways, going forward, I'm just here for my Tyler Blackburn and watching him kill it as Alex Manes and I'm kinda really excited to see him with his new love interest.

[timeagainreviews]

The Doctor Shows Great Praxeus

One of the more amusing aspects of being a Doctor Who fan is fantasising about one day travelling with the Doctor. I’ve heard grown-ass adults tell me that they have thought "I kinda want to get in shape, in case the Doctor ever comes." We’ve all asked ourselves which Doctor we would most want to travel with. The next question, of course, is- "Anywhere in time and space, where do you want to go?" Usually, my response is "the future." As a trans person, I don’t much fancy a visit to the past. But lately, even the future seems a grim place to be.  Part of me wants to see the future because I want to see Star Trek in action, but part of me just wants to know if we survive.

When I heard that an episode in series twelve was going to tackle the subject of plastic pollution, my first reaction was "Autons?!" I also braced myself for a heaping dose of cringy edutainment. While it is a very clear and present danger that should be treated as such, I don’t expect Doctor Who to tackle the issue with much finesse. It’s no secret around these parts that I have questioned Doctor Who’s capacity for dealing with heavy subject matter. However, it would seem as though writer Pete McTighe has cracked the code- make it part of the story!

I’ve had Pete McTighe on my mind this week as he showed up on the "Behind the Sofa," segments in the new Seventh Doctor blu-ray boxset. (I’ve not forgotten that by the way, I do plan to cover one of the stories.) I knew McTighe was set to pen an episode this season, so I had been looking forward to that. If you’ll recall, I was a fan of his episode "Kerblam!" Some of my more anarchic friends wrote the entire episode off because the Doctor doesn’t dismantle the company at the end. So does Pete show better praxis with "Praxeus?" Let’s get into it!

The episode opens on several different locations- Peru, Madagascar, and space. We’re introduced to three groups of very different people. We’ve got Adam, an astronaut plummeting to earth in a capsule. We’ve got Gabriela and Jamila, a couple of travel bloggers forced to camp amongst rubbish. We have Jake, a cop on sabbatical who appears to be struggling with anger issues. And then we have Suki and Amaru, a couple of scientists working in a lab next to a beach where a survivor from a submarine accident is about to wash ashore.

I was concerned at that moment as I was worried they may have bitten off more than they can chew. So many new characters and settings all at once could easily become lost in the chaos. But the action is given focus by Jake learning that his husband Adam, the astronaut, has crashed. After a mysterious text from Adam, he heads to Hong Kong in search of his missing love. In a very short amount of time, there is a very strong sense of character development for Jake. This left me somewhat concerned as most of the companions have taken the backseat to secondary characters this year. It’s not been to the show’s detriment, as such, but it did leave me wondering if their solution to the problem of character development would be to ignore it completely. But here, that simply isn’t the case.

Tosin Cole is in particularly fine form as the Doctor’s man in Peru. We’ve seen each of the companions grow and take on traits of the Doctor, but Ryan shows a maturity and confidence we’ve not fully seen from him previously. When Gabriela wakes to find her friend Jamila missing, it’s Ryan that calms her. It’s Ryan who takes a sample of an infected bird. It’s Ryan that finds Jamila’s body, moments before she succumbs to a strange blight. Seeing him like this, he’s less like the boy we met on his bike, and more like a man. Even Gabriela was unable to deny just what a man he is. I’ll admit that I was just a touch envious of her getting to pat him down.

All the while, the Doctor has discovered the sailor from the submarine on the beach who suffers the same fate as Jamila. Some sort of infection seems to be taking over random people and the birds, causing skin abrasions and odd behaviour until ultimately exploding into a dry powder. It’s a grim way to die, and one of the better ones I’ve seen in Doctor Who in ages. Above the research facility, swarms of birds swoop in large groups, moving like a single organism.

Graham and Yaz intercept Jake in Hong Kong, where they find Adam, still in his spacesuit like this was the Impossible Astronaut. While unhooking him from what is clearly alien tech, they’re interrupted by gas-masked scientists with laser guns. In the scuffle, Yaz holds a piece of equipment hostage, which prompts her to believe that whatever it is, it’s valuable. Thanks to some badassery on Jake’s behalf, they manage to get Adam unhooked from the equipment and reconvene with the Doctor. However, Yaz decides to hang back along with Gabriela so they can nab that valuable device.

Now, I’d like to take a minute to talk about the way in which the Doctor and her companions are operating as a team. Not only are they keeping in touch with one another through cool little communication devices in their necks, but they’re also using the damn TARDIS! It is easily one of my biggest gripes about Doctor Who that they never use the TARDIS in interesting ways. Most writers seem content treating the TARDIS like a tram to get from point A to point B. I know that in a lot of ways the TARDIS could easily become an overpowered McGuffin, but that doesn’t mean you never use it for stuff. Allowing them to move about in the TARDIS to chase leads made a global story seem manageable.

Yaz and Gabriela’s little team-up was such a treat. Not only was I loving Gabriela as a character, but they finally gave Yaz some good stuff to do. McTighe isn’t just writing the ensemble of three companions well, he’s actually managed to build a small supporting cast of characters, each with their own individual arcs. On top of that, the Doctor’s dialogue was on point this week. Even the humour struck the right balance of eccentric and scatterbrained (or is that brainsed?)  I’m not saying he’s my current favourite writer on the show, but I may start thinking that if he keeps this up.

Yaz and Gabriela locate the device, but as they’re retrieving it, one of the masked scientists shoots at them and uses a teleportation device to escape. I loved that Yaz was willing to see where the teleport led to, as it illustrates the Doctor’s influence on her companions once more. The Doctor has always banked on the benefit of the information gained from experience as opposed to wondering. If you can get captured, perhaps it will bring you right where you need to be. Following this logic, Yaz and Gabriela find themselves within what looked like a spaceship made of rubbish. Bits of rubber and plastic adorn the walls like the inside of the Skithra ship. And oh hey, there’s the submarine!

Back at Suki and Amaru’s lab, the birds are growing in number and getting restless. Amaru keeps watch while the Doctor and co. search for a cure for Adam who is also afflicted with this Praxeus pathogen. I loved that the Doctor delegated the task of dissecting a dead bird to Ryan. It was one more thing for her companions to do, which also made logical sense. While Graham has rather a lot less to do this time around, I was really pleased by his playing nurse for Adam. The subtle nod to his history with cancer got my heart stirring a bit. By the time Graham and Jake have their little heart to heart, I was already a big ball of emotions. This is Graham doing what he does best- giving granddad advice to a confused young man.

Now, I will admit, by this point in the episode, the plot began to confuse me. But this wasn’t the usual kind of confusion where "This doesn’t make sense because it’s dumb." It was more like "This doesn’t make sense because I’m dumb." There’s a lot going on, but if you paid attention, you will be able to make sense of things. Poor Amaru gets pecked to death in what has to be the shittest job as a lookout. It’s like sitting in place waiting to see if a brush fire will advance toward you. Meanwhile, Ryan has discovered the bird he found died with a belly full of plastic.

The Doctor deduces that the pathogen is attracted to plastic and found a feast within humans who are full of microplastics from the environment. It’s a grim outlook for the 2030s, but a sober one. And it’s a very relatable concept to imagine. How many times have you seen a bird hopping along and eating anything off the ground that looks like food?  As I said, they managed to talk about plastic pollution by incorporating it into the story. As the information is important to understanding the plot, it doesn’t feel as though we’re being spoonfed information for the sake of information. We’re learning by peeling back the mystery of this episode, and it worked beautifully.

The Praxeus pathogen appears to be intelligent, which is both why it’s been so stubborn to eradicate, but also why the birds have been behaving so aggressively. If a person gets scratched by a bird, they become infected. This could also be why Jamila wandered off into the night. Just about this time, Yaz rings up to inform the Doctor where she is. We learn that the Hong Kong lab was transmitting data to two locations- somewhere in the Indian Ocean, and Madagascar. Knowing she’s been made, Suki reveals she’s not from Earth, but actually a scientist from a planet that was nearly wiped out by the Praxeus pathogen. However, it’s at this point that the birds have found their way into the lab forcing the TARDIS crew and their new friends to flee for the safety of the blue box.

The Doctor meets up with Yaz and Gabriela where they discover Yaz hasn’t actually discovered a new alien planet, but are actually deep within the Indian Ocean, the third location triangulated with Hong Kong and Madagascar. Suki’s ship has attracted a sort of vortex of junk and debris which also interferes with nearby tech like say submarines or orbiting space stations. They find the scientist they had been persuing only to discover they too were infected by the pathogen. When they removed the mask to show a face full of what looked like teeth, I yelled out "Tim Shaw!" It’s at this moment when they find Suki has teleported aboard this little garbage island.

Suki being a callous scientist willing to infect an entire planet to save her own was some mad scientist level villainy on par with the Rani. Is she the Rani? She’s the Rani, isn’t she? It’s never the Rani. As things turn out, Suki appears to also be infected, and before she can stop the Doctor from stopping her, she too succumbs to the pathogen, exploding into a powder. Adam, on the other hand, is fairing better as the Doctor’s search for a cure has yielded positive results.

The plan at this point is to allow Suki’s ship to autopilot into the atmosphere and distribute the cure across the earth, thus ridding it of this horrible blight. However, as everyone is escaping they fail to realise Jake has remained onboard. Seeing the autopilot is broken, Jake finds the perfect opportunity to show his love for his husband by sacrificing himself. However, the Doctor shows some Capaldi level TARDIS manoeuvring as she saves Jake last minute. This was a nice change in pace from series eleven which seemed to take great glee in introducing gay characters only to kill them off. The two lovebirds’ passionate kiss had my boyfriend and I saying "Awww!" and holding hands.

After last week’s wonderfully befuddling episode, I expected them to give us something tame. Episode six after a big midseason reveal seems like the perfect place to put your run of the mill filler episode. Instead, I found this to be one of the best episodes so far. The plotting and pacing were on point. The dialogue was superb and believable. Add to that some stellar performances from the entire cast, and you’ve got the makings of an instant classic. Even the side characters were lovable and interesting. Gabriela’s continuous disappointment that nobody recognises her from her vlog was an endearing bit of character work that had me saying words like "honourary companion." I know the TARDIS is a bit full, but I’d be way into more of her in some capacity.

It’s hard for me to say if I have many complaints about "Praxeus." As I said above, there were moments when the plot lost me a bit. After a brief look around the internet, I realise I’m not alone in this. Others found it a bit dense, but I am confident that over time that will subside. I did find the idea that they had to search three solar systems to find a planet as messed up as ours to be a bit heavy-handed. But that is sort of where we’re at as a planet. Writer Chuck Palahniuk once said something to the effect that the beaver wasn’t saved from the brink of extinction by freedom fighters chaining themselves to the last few beavers. It was the person who designed a more fashionable hat that didn’t require beaver skin. People stopped killing beavers to make hats, and the beaver survived.  What I am getting at is that "Praxeus," doesn’t succeed by doomsaying, but rather through charm. By the end of the episode, I didn’t feel exhausted by information. Instead, I found myself feeling something far more constructive- thoughtful.

[baldwin-montclair]

Baldwin’s Nightingale - Part 3

Characters: Baldwin Montclair/OC

Timeframe: Before the S1 Finale, TV Show canon only (haven’t read the books yet)

Summary: Despite her Mentor’s misgivings about the date, Alisha goes ahead with the meeting.

Tag requests: @christi14 @poemfreak306 @pookie-cleary

PART 1

PART 2

Michael hadn’t spoken a word to her the entire forty minute drive home. The tube would have been faster, it’s how she got there.

“A vampire? How could you be so monumentally dim?” He surprised her with the abrupt and insulting question from the lounge as she emptied a vase of fake flowers to replace them with Baldwin’s gorgeous bouquet.

“For fuck sake Michael,” Alisha rolled her eyes and stomped into the living room, “it’s drinks!”

“Not just any vampire,” he continued, oblivious to her answer, “no, you choose the head of one of the most powerful vampire dynasties whilst they’re engaged in a power struggle with the others.”

“That has nothing to do with me. Whatever’s going on, we stay out of it, that’s what you’ve always said. It’s drinks, that’s it.”

“You think that’s all he wants, you’re really that naive?” He seethes.

“Are you really that naive as to think that’s all I want.”

“Jesus!” He winced in discomfort over her frank statement.

“Look-” she sighed but stopped when he sank his tall frame into the armchair.

“I’m scared, okay,” he admitted, “I’m sorry for being such an asshole about this but I am genuinely terrified that you’re going to get hurt.”

“You really think Baldwin’s likely to hurt me?”

“I’m sorry, did you just say ‘Baldwin’, is that what just happened?”

“It’s his name.”

“This century it is!”

“Is he dangerous, yes or no?” She tried to bring the conversation back to topic.

“He’s one of the most lethal creatures of the past two thousand years.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“I know it’s not but I’m concerned that if I give my answer you might mistake his unlikeliness to harm you with the conclusion that there is no danger.”

“How unlikely?”

“In all honesty and as far as I can tell, he has not harmed anyone or even typically kept Nightingales. His enemies, however, are not likely to treat you with equal consideration.”

“Nightingales?” She asked and he just shook his head.

“Never mind, it’s stupid.” He waved his hand, trying to dismiss the importance of what he said.

“No, what is it?” Michael sighed, knowing he wasn’t getting out of it.

“It’s a caged bird reference, like a ‘kept’ daemon of a witch or vampire.”

“I thought we generally weren’t supposed to mix?”

“We’re not but as usual, it doesn’t tend to apply to those in charge so if the head of the congregation decides to take a daemon as a pet no-one’s going to stop him.”

“That’s not what he’s doing.”

“Impressive that you’ve managed to glean the intentions of a politician with two millennia’s practice in hiding said intentions and all within the space of a ten minute chat. You don’t know him.”

“By that point, neither do you!”

“True, but he’s not trying to get into my pants.”

“Mike.”

“Just...be careful, okay?”

——-

The bar was a surprising choice, a cosy prohibition era speakeasy type of establishment as far as she could tell as the car pulled up in front of the building and the driver got out, holding the door open for her.

If she hadn’t received the call from Baldwin, apologising for being late, and asking that she allow his driver, the petite blonde vampire Christina, to escort her to the venue she would have likely refused.

He was persuasive, or maybe she just let her attraction rule over her common sense.

As though on cue, a valet exited the bar and approached them.

“Thanks, I can make it from here.” Alisha told Christina as the other handed the keys to the valet.

“I’m sure you can but I have my instructions Ms Black, please.” Christina held the door to the bar open for Alisha. Deciding it unfair to argue, given the fact that it wasn’t Christina’s fault she was there, Alisha relented, entering the bar.

Photos adorned the walls of the long forgotten patrons of the bar, many of a criminal persuasion she deduced from the white suits and absurd hats.

A waiter greeted them at the door, another vampire.

“Ms Black, please, let me take your coat.” He retrieved the garment and passed it onto a second waiter who spirited it away to the cloak room.

“This way.” He led both women to a table with wine already decanted and he made to pour it into her glass when she stopped him.

“No, thanks, I’m not a huge fan of wine.”

“But Miss, this is a...” he rattled of a long and important title of vintages and regions.

“It’s just wine, Percy,” Baldwin interrupted with his entrance and turned to a surprised Alisha, “what do you like?”

Somehow an ‘appletini’ didn’t seem sophisticated enough for the company.

“Spiced rum,” Alisha watched him give yet another long overcoat to the waiter, “and coke.”

The waiter opened his mouth but abruptly closed it when Baldwin gave him a withering stare.

“Right away Miss.” He rushed off into the back.

“Thank you Christina, I’ll make sure Ms Black gets home, you can go about your business.” Baldwin tells the vampire as he sits opposite Alisha, unbuttoning his suit jacket as he did so.

“Enjoy your night,” Christina told them both politely, “it was nice to meet you, Ms Black.”

The stunted formality of vampires does not get any easier to get used to.

“Alisha, please.” Christina shot a questioning glance at Baldwin who studies at Alisha first before giving Christina a decisive nod.

“As you wish, Alisha.”

Christina left and Alisha was suddenly and acutely aware they were now alone, after a long week of waiting.

And she had nothing to say!

“The smoking, you stopped.” It wasn’t a question yet he seemed to be waiting for an answer.

“I was going to stop anyway, the experience with Angelo just sealed the deal.” She told him, not wanting to give him too much credit in the decision.

“Regardless of the reason,” he retorted, clearly not believing her, “it was the right choice.”

The waiter returned with her drink and poured Baldwin’s wine for him as he studied her in silence.

“What?” She asked when the waiter left, feeling self-conscious at his stare.

“You seem nervous.” He answered, placing his hand over hers on the table.

“Wow, you are bad at this.” She retorted, taking a long drink from the glass with her free hand.

“How so?” He frowned slightly at the jibe.

“Come on, there’s rules to a ‘date’, surely you know that.”

“Enlighten me!” He sighed with mock resignation.

“It’s generally not procedure to have your driver pick your date up in a flash car, usually a simple ‘I’ll be a bit late’ text will suffice.”

“I don’t text, I call.”

“That’s because, unlike everyone else, you don’t have anyone who can give you a tiny panic attack when their name shows up in caller ID.”

“That’s true, although when my brother calls it’s generally not good news.” He answered and a flicker of confusion flashed across his countenance, as though he was surprised at sharing this.

Alisha had heard of this brother, of course, the infamous Matthew Clairmont, infamous in daemon circles anyway, she could easily understand the more libertine de Clermont causing Baldwin more than one headache.

Also, she felt a slight shift in his guarded demeanour with the admission of brotherly friction.

“That aside, must be nice being the one who knocks.” She teased, knowing the reference would be lost on him. The furrow of his brow told her she was right.

“Do you always speak in code?” He asked, and, feeling a bit more confident, she moved her hand under his to grasp his instead.

“How’d you get this?” She asked, running a finger over a long healed cut.

“Hundreds of battles and you expect me to remember every wound?” His voice had an edge of interest tempered by a thread of sternness. If he was determined to maintain control, she was willing to see how far she could push that limit.

“If I were to guess, I’d say the sack of Alexandria. Did you really have to burn the library?”

“I wasn’t there.”

“You’re not as old as they say?” She ribbed innocently.

“Careful.” He warned, his eyes dark and foreboding.

“Okay, not that, hmm...” she pondered and, with mock wide-eyed revelation continued, “oh, did one of the other senators knick you by accident whilst y’all were stabbing Caesar in the back.”

The tiniest hint from the quirk of his lip in amusement was undermined when he gripped her wrist, not painfully, but firm in a way that told her she was not getting free unless he allowed it.

She found the limit but she wasn’t sure if it was in referencing his long past or the insinuation that he would be so weak as to not face a opponent directly.

“I believe I told you that I tend not to repeat myself.”

“You did but I thought I made it clear that I would not be able to settle for a ‘because I said so’, you need to tell me how I offended you.”

“I do?” He chuckled, more from surprise than genuine amusement.

“If you respect me you would. Do you respect-“

“Yes!”

He answered abruptly, loosening his grip but not letting go as he instead dropped their joined hands to the table, his thumb lightly grazing over her pulse.

“Why did you ask me to come here, tonight?” She asked.

“The same reason, I assume, you agreed.”

“I have no intention of being your pet daemon, Baldwin.” She mustered with conviction.

His wounded glance gave her momentary pause.

“I would never ask that of you, or anyone else, it’s not what I want.”

“Then what do you want?”

“I don’t know, that’s the truth of it. I pride myself on knowing the intentions of everyone else yet I don’t seem to know my own.”

Alisha could only sit in stunned silence at the admission.

“What I can tell you,” he continued, “is what I do not want.“

“Okay.”

“I do not want you to be harmed in anyway by anyone, least of all by my enemies.”

“We have that in common.” She agreed and he did the most unexpected thing.

He laughed.

A full, honest and real laugh that seemed to lessen what had to the considerable weight of the creature world and his family’s legacy upon him.

“I will protect you.” He assured, his tone now deliberate and serious.

“I won’t be a caged Nightingale either.” She warned.

“Everyone’s caged by something.”

“Yeah but your protection would shrink the freedom I actually do have.”

“In some ways, perhaps, in others, just the opposite.”

“What are your terms?”

“A negotiation?” He taunts.

“In a sense.”

“Alright.” He agreed with what could only be an assumption of a foregone victory.

“When I call, you pick up, no voicemail, no callback. I call, you answer.”

“What about when I call you, will you answer?”

“Always.”

The abruptness of his reply told her she wasn’t getting any wiggle room with that one.

“Why is it so important I answer?”

“I have no need to check up on you, if I call, it will be important. If it’s not, I’ll-”

“Text?” She interrupted.

“As you wish.” He gave the most adorable head bow with his response.

“What else?”

“You keep Christina as your driver.”

“She’s your driver.”

“Actually she isn’t but she is someone I trust.”

“Hold up, is that why you were ‘late’, you just wanted me to meet her?”

“Yes.” He answered simply and as though she had no reason to be upset.

“Okay, well, you can forget about that!”

“Alisha-” he started.

“No, it’s too much, I won’t be chauffeured around like I’m some important person.”

“You’re important to me,” he cut her off, “and she’s not just a driver, she’s private security, she’s there to protect you when I’m not with you.”

“This’ insane.” She shook her head, pulling her hand back, trying to break the spell she was falling under.

He didn’t seem fazed or upset.

“Jesus, Baldwin, we don’t even know each other, we meet once in an alley, go on a date and you want to give me a bodyguard and a driver, and I don’t even have a car for her to drive.”

“That was your car, obviously you need a secure vehicle, I purchased it based on Christina’s recommendations.”

“The Merc? You bought me a Mercedes?”

“I did.” Again, the same matter-of-fact tone.

Lost for the words needed to begin explaining the problem with the situation, she instead opted to drain the contents of her glass.

“I want to show you something that may change your mind. Will you come with me?”

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“It’s not your apartment is it, because I don’t...not on the first date. Kiss, yes, Nightingale, not so much.”

“Not my apartment.” He confirmed, giving the waiter a subtle wave.

In no time, both he and a second waiter arrived with their coats and Baldwin retrieved hers from the waiter.

“What’s your answer?” He asked, the open garment in his hands an obvious invitation.

“What the hell.” Alisha shrugged, stood and allowed him to help her into her coat the same way he helped her into his in the alley.

“I should probably return yours, its-“

“I have enough, it’s better for your safety if you just keep it at home as a deterrent for other vampires.” He assured and held out his hand for her to take, which she did, without even thinking.

“The car, Percy.”

“Retrieving it for you now Mr Montclair, lovely to meet you Ms Black.”

“Thanks, Percy.” She answered as Baldwin led her out of the bar and onto the street just as the Jaguar approached, still from several blocks away.

“Why do I have the feeling this is your car?” Alisha gently tapped his tie with her finger.

Baldwin’s eyes narrowed in mock irritation and gathered her lapels in his hands to draw them together.

“You’re cold.” He explained, not a question but neither was it true.

“Your Spidey Sense must be off because I’m not.” She asserted, having to look up at him as he was still very close.

The faint aroma of incense circled around them, confirming for her that was just his unique scent. She’d be embarrassed if he knew that during the last week she would periodically stop at the coat rack when caught by the scent and imagine all sorts of interesting scenario’s.

“You’re shivering, I assumed.” He explained and she realised he knew full well the reason.

It would be a lie to say that she had no trepidation about accompanying a vampire to a secondary location.

“You have the control here, if you do not wish to go, we won’t go, if you do not wish me to kiss you then I won’t.”

The second part of his statement got her attention and she realised that not only did she want him to, she had wanted him to do so since he sat opposite her in the bar.

Still, she’d be damned if she would give him the satisfaction of being in control.

Leaning up, she pressed her lips gently against his and he responded by framing her face in his strong hands and, gently, deepened the kiss. Her hands settled on his forearms, not as an attempt to pull away but as an anchor.

When the car finally pulled up, it was Baldwin who reluctantly broke off the kiss.

He looked down at her and, very lightly, brushed his thumb over her bottom lip as though admiring his handiwork.

“Do you want to go with me?”

She was grateful for his careful choice of words as she really was not sure she could handle the question being asked the other way.

“Yes, I do, I want to co-“ she stopped, her cheeks flushing slightly at her own mistake, “go, go with you. I want to go with you.” She corrected and he made a valiant, but failed effort not to look amused as he opened the passenger door for her.

As she watched him close her door and walk around to the driver’s side only one thought screamed in her mind.

Fuck

_______

PART 4

[lucimorningstar812]

Can I hear more about your ocs? What are they like? How many do you have?

Have I died and gone to heaven, or has someone genuinely asked about my weird children?!

Well I have 14 now, 15 including my bitch of a dark side, but they’re kinda split into three groups; Original Squad (TM), Software Bois and Phobia Demons (plus one human). I’ll put some brief descriptions under the cut

Original Squad you have

Atom: a 19 year old who died but was trapped in limbo, so his appearance changed with his physical body until he was a skeleton ghost. Clever and obsessed with science, but clumsy as all hell. Now researches alternate universes

Shade: a skeleton bat created in a lab accident when Atom was researching bat wing structures. Very shy bean who loves all things creative and she is basically Atom’s little sister now. Short and chubby

Mortem: oh my wonderful genderless, living representation of depression formed from millions of year of depression across an infinite number of universes. He’s around 670 years old and a sweet bean (yeah he usually goes by he but is also happy with they) who has a depressive aura that basically brings down anyone around him. All he wants is friends, but not many others like him. Lives in a black, endless void with voices that belong to nowhere

Summer: a 27 year old lesbian anthro cat. The definition of PMA and keeps the groups’ spirits up. She’s actually from another universe and was the first being from another universe Atom contacted, but unfortunately the portal was one way, which both realised a little too late

Time: a 30 year old human from another universe who ended up being catapulted through time and space into this universe. The exposure to literal time and space is still killing him slowly and his body is decaying. He also has a hat with an hourglass that’s counting down to his death. Can’t smile or emote with his voice because of what’s happening to his body, but he’s sweet and Summer’s best friend

Snap: my borderline psychopathic boy! A 25 year old carcodill, which is a humanoid alligator species from the same world as Time, who grew up experiencing discrimination until he snapped. Eventually turned to murder and lost his mind while seeking revenge for his kind. Has a complicated history with Time and is extremely protective of Mortem, especially when Atom tries to bully him. Oh yeah, he also is missing his right arm and left eye

Software Bois

Zeal: a sentient computer virus from another universe that was destroyed. He was able to travel to Atom’s computer through his trials of opening a portal. Now he just likes to be mischievous and is also Mortem’s best friend, often hacking into messaging systems to talk him

Api: sentient anti virus software installed to remove Zeal before Atom realised he was alive. Antivirus Protection Interface.exe was just a standard piece of software until it interacted with Zeal’s coding and caused it to come to life as Api. He doesn’t really understand negative things and is the sweetest being to ever exist. Unfortunately, he also doesn’t understand why Zeal doesn’t like him, or actually realise Zeal doesn’t like him

404: a computer bug that was brought to life around the same time as Api. He stayed hidden away in a forgotten area of the computer behind a firewall he’d created until Zeal was curious and ended up stumbling upon him. He rarely hangs out with the others, but likes to observe from afar. He also mutters in binary quite often and talks in the third person when he gets anxious

Phobia Demons Note: these will be a lot shorter than the others

Absence: a deal maker smoke demons who disobeyed too many rules and it cost him his right eye and speech. Now he wears a mask to hide his disabilities to avoid being attacked, and a different mask to show them off to scare mortals

Tommy: a guard smoke demon who is a small ball of anger and ready to fight anyone. They have a large scar along their chest (from just below the neck to right shoulder) for helping Absence into another realm, which is forbidden

Amira: a messenger shadow demon and Absence’s crush. She is often in the smoke realm delivering messages to the Smoke King and higher power demons

Octavier: a medic water demon and non binary disaster gay. Loves chatting to Absence when he visits because the water realm is the only realm that actually allows others to visit if they can get there

Taya: the one human. A wonderful trans women who was going to sell her soul so get the body she wanted, but Absence took pity on her and found a loop hole to give her almost everything she wanted while saving her soul from damnation. Refusing to go back and ‘finish the job’ is what cost Absence his speech, but the two are now great friends and she has a special summoning ritual just for Absence

And that’s everyone! Well everyone so far XD I have an oc blog @sciensanity​ where I reblog all oc stuff or you can just search ‘sciensanity [name of character]’ on my blog for any art

Esruoc fo em togrof ehs dna Luci m’I Seil reh ot netsil tno’d, edis retteb reh m’I

[yume-x-hanabi]

Fractured Lives, ch.2

four years overdue

Title: Fractured Lives Characters: Gaius, The Chimeriad, others Pairings: Gaius/Wingul Chapters: 2/? Summary: It won’t be like last time, Elle thought, looking at the king’s friends. They were already dead in the prime dimension, so why couldn’t she give them a second chance? 

aka my “let’s save the Chimeriad” (well, at least one set of them) fix-fic, which until now I’d been unable to update because LIFE and MOTIVATION and, well, if you’ve followed me for long enough to even know this thing exists, you probably know why it took so long. Anyway, I haven’t forgotten about it, and am finally in a good place to start working on it again. idk if people are even interested anymore, i mean it’s been so long But anyway, here’s chapter two! I’d recommend viewing on external sites because Tumblr formatting is bad :p

→ AO3 (French here) → FFnet (French here)

Just like every afternoon at this time of the day, Triglav’s central station was crowded. Gaius was sitting on a bench, observing the comings-and-goings while eating a delicious chocolate croissant he had bought at one of the station’s food stalls. Now was the time school ended on the fifth day of the week—Elympions called it “sylphday,” he recalled—and the main hall was packed with students hurrying toward the platforms or taking the elevator down to the subway station. They were all impatient to go back home for a two-day break that Elympions called “week-end.” Students in Rieze Maxia also had a two-day break, which covered the first and last days of the week—in other words, the period of time when spirits’ influence changed. It was apparently Dr Howe who had proposed this tradition in his treatise on spirit artes education. According to Presa, the aim was to cut down on channeling at a time where spirits were weaker, to reduce the risk of accidents. Gaius had not immediately understood why, as he had never had any trouble channeling, whatever the day, but Wingul���who had listened to their conversation from a corner of the library—had explained that it was because he was always emitting too much mana, but that normal people, on the other hand, could feel the difference if they paid attention. At the time, he had thought that Wingul was simply making fun of him, but a recent remark from Musee seemed to indicate that he had been right after all. Unlike his two subordinates, Gaius had never really cared about the theory of spirit artes and had always trusted his instincts when he was casting spells. His artes may not have been as refined as Presa’s or precise as Wingul’s, but he had never had anything to complain about.

Gaius finished eating his snack with a smile. He often thought about his old companions. At first, remembering them had been painful. His castle seemed empty without them. His room, in particular, where he had enjoyed so many intimate moments with Wingul, now felt cold and lifeless. He had not slept well there ever since he came back from the Temporal Crossroads. But life was going on, and, with time, he was now able to think about them with a smile. He missed them all terribly, but these memories were now something he cherished.

He was pulled back from his thoughts by the ringing of his GHS. He took the device out of his pocket and opened it. The screen was showing a notification for a new message from Leia. Careful not to press on the wrong button, he opened the text message, and immediately frowned upon seeing its contents.

cya @ Luds apt asap !!!!!1!1 =O =O =O 

At first, he thought that his GHS was broken, but then he recalled all the times Alvin had complained about Leia’s “text speak.” She must have sent him a coded message. If Wingul had been there, he would have most likely enjoyed trying to decipher it. Unfortunately, he was gone, and Gaius had no idea where to start. He considered calling her to ask her what she meant, but he realized that he had never called anyone by himself—Rowen was always dialing the number for him. His frustration must have been obvious, because the young Elympion who was sitting next to him while waiting for her train asked him if everything was all right.

“It’s just that thing…” he said, pointing to his GHS helplessly. “An acquaintance of mine sent me a message, but I cannot read it.”

“Let me guess… text speak, isn’t it?” she asked with a compassionate look. “Maybe I can help,” she proposed. Gaius felt she was kind of laughing at him, but he nevertheless showed her his GHS. After all, what mattered was understanding Leia’s message. Perhaps a girl her age was better suited to deciphering it.

“Oh, that’s not hard,” she told him, “It says ‘see you at Lud’s apartment as soon as possible.’ I guess Lud is someone’s name? It looks important, given the smileys…”

Lud… That was probably Ludger. And if it was important, it was probably about fractured dimensions. He hoped that nothing bad had happened. He got up and fished out a few candies from his pocket and offered them to the girl as a thanks, then walked out the station. Ludger’s apartment was fortunately not far from there, a mere 30-minute walk. On the way, he got a text from Rowen, repeating Leia’s message in correct spelling. He must have realized that letting Leia handle GHS communication was not the best idea if he wanted the message to be understood.

When he knocked on Ludger’s door, it was Leia who opened. But instead of letting him in, she went out and closed the door behind her.

“Hi Gaius. I mean, Erston. I mean…”

“Leia,” he nodded in greeting.

She looked worried and as though she did not know what to say. She was leaning on the door, her hands behind her back.

“You and Rowen texted me about an emergency. What happened?”

“Ah, well, actually… I think I should explain before you come in and…” She gestured toward the door and shrugged, an uncertain smile on her face. She took a deep breath and started talking. “So here’s what happened: Ludger and the others went to a fractured dimension. There, everything started like usual, looking for the catalyst and so on. But then, at the end, it was the same as with Milla. I mean, the other Milla, not our Milla. Do you follow me? Elle brought someone back again, except this time, it was… well…”

She did not finish her sentence and looked at him hesitantly, as if she was not sure whether she should go on. That was enough for him to understand. His heart racing, he pushed her aside and opened the apartment’s door. When he entered the room, all conversations died down.

He had gotten used to seeing them again in fractured dimensions. However, he knew that these moments were fleeting, and that they would not survive the destruction of their world. But now they were here, in Ludger’s apartment, in the prime dimension… He did not know what to think. The situation seemed so unlikely that he was expecting the world to shatter at any moment and to be pulled back to reality. But this was reality. He was not in a fractured dimension. They were there, alive, in his world. In a world that would not disappear.

Presa was lying on Ludger’s sofa, her leg bandaged. Agria was sitting on the armrest next to her, holding to her shoulder. Jiao was sitting on the carpet below them. And Wingul… Where was Wingul? Gaius looked around the room, but his right hand was nowhere to be seen. Had he not come with them?

Before he could ponder about it, Agria broke the silence.

“No way.” She started shaking Presa’s shoulder and continued in a small voice. “Presa, I think I’m dreaming. I’m seeing His Highness right there, in front of us.”

They were all looking at him with wide eyes, as though they could not believe it was him standing here before them. In truth, he probably had the same expression on his face. To his left, in the kitchen, Rowen, Ludger, Elise and Elle were looking at them awkwardly.

He wanted to speak. Say something. Call their names. Make sure they were real. Maybe laugh and cry too, but it would be unbecoming for a king to cry in public. But no word came out.

Eventually, it was Leia broke the weird mood. “I’m hungry!” she announced loudly. Everyone turned to look at her, and she reddened a bit under their gazes, but did not sway. “I’m hungry,” she repeated, giving her friends a meaningful look.

Rowen understood and sprang to action. “Oh my, it’s almost dinner time! But there are too many of us, and I doubt poor Ludger has enough ingredients in his fridge to feed us all. Come with us, Ludger, let’s go grocery shopping. I will help you cook us a little something, like one of those soups you excel at.”

“Ah, well…”

“Are you coming with us?” Leia asked the other girls.

“Oh course!” Elise answered a little too cheerfully. “Come, Elle. Let’s go shopping!”

Rowen turned to Gaius. “Please stay here and take care of our guests while we are gone. We probably won’t be back for a while,” he added with a wink.

Elle stopped before him for a moment and looked like she wanted to tell him something, but Ludger grabbed her hand and they went outside, the others following closely. When the door closed and the room was silent again, Gaius got a chair and sat down in front of them.

“So you’re from a fractured dimension…”

“Yes,” Jiao answered, “Well, at least, that’s what we were told. I must admit I don’t understand much about that dimension stuff.”

“They explained everything, but it’s a little hard to accept,” Presa told him. “We’ve lost all our marks.”

“Everything is different,” Jiao added.

“Which is proof that we are in another dimension. But I think we will need some time to adapt.”

“I understand. I imagine it must not be easy for you to be thrust into such a situation.”

Agria, who until then had stayed silent, suddenly spoke. “Is it true? Is it really you? You’re not a dream or an illusion from the bi—I mean, from Musee?”

Gaius smiled. She looked a bit shaken, but she was without a doubt the Agria he knew.

“It is really me. From the way you are addressing me, I suppose I was also your king in your dimension?” They nodded in response. “Good. This will make things easier.”

A tense silence fell over the room once more. He had so many questions for them, about the circumstances of their arrival, about their dimension, about the reason they were still alive… And they must have had many questions for him as well. After all, being taken from one’s world must not have been a fun experience. Should he tell them that they would not risk running into this world’s versions of themselves? How would they feel if they learned that they were dead in the prime dimension? Should he wait for them to ask? He did not dare speak, for fear of losing control of his own emotions. And they probably did not know what to say either. However, there was still one question he could not help to ask.

“Is it just you three, or…” He did not dare finish his sentence.

“Wingul is with us,” Presa replied at once. “He… There was a fight before we came, and he… He’s there, in the other room. That Ludger guy lent him his room. He’s just resting.”

Without a word, Gaius got up and crossed the room in a few strides. He hesitated one second before he opened the door, then entered Ludger’s room slowly, trying to calm down his pounding heart. He immediately recognized the blond strand in the mass of black hair, sticking out from under the covers. He felt joy fill his heart at this sight. The man laying on Ludger’s bed was definitely Wingul.

He silently walked to the bed and knelt down. Wingul’s face was gaunt. He was terribly skinny and so, so pale. With a shudder, Gaius recalled the year that had followed the implantation of his booster. “What happened to you?” he whispered, brushing a strand aside from his face.

Jiao, who had followed him, was the one to answer. “He had a rough year. Erm… You know, his booster. And then… Well, anyway, he’s seen better days.”

Gaius frowned. “Does he still use it?”

“Yes, sometimes. We try to limit it, but you know him, he never listens.”

That was bad news. The Wingul of the prime dimension had died because of his booster. If this Wingul kept pushing himself too far, he might end up meeting the same fate.

No, Gaius decided. Not twice. Not here.

The possibility broke his heart. It had been difficult for him to overcome the death of his partner, even if he had been expecting it in a way. And though tragic, destroying other Winguls in a fractured dimension was one thing. But watching one die here in his world was another, and he swore to do everything he could to prevent it. Even if this was not his Wingul, he was still precious to him, and he swore to protect him, whatever may lie in their future. Him, and the others too.

He would have to find a solution, but now was not the time. This Wingul needed rest. Besides, he admitted to himself, he did not really want to have to explain how fractured dimensions worked. It would be better to let the others do it. He went back to the living room, and Jiao followed him. Presa and Agria were looking at them with a questioning look.

“What happened to your leg?” he asked Presa to change the topic.

“Oh, that?” she said, pointing to her bandages. “It’s broken. I fell…”

“Yeah, right!” Agria exclaimed. Seeing Gaius’ curious look, she went on, “She flew through the air during the last battle.”

“You too, actually,” Presa retorted, irritated.

“Yeah. But I got back up no problem, unlike you.”

“I just hit the ground at a bad angle, that’s all. It’s not serious,” she told Gaius. “Leia’s a nurse—ex-nurse, apparently, Agria interjected—and she looked at it. She and Elise healed it with spirit artes. They said that Jude Mathis will come and have a look tomorrow to check if everything healed correctly, but it should be fine. I just need to rest a bit, that’s all.”

“I see.”

Gaius sat back down on his chair and decided to start addressing the main issue.

“I imagine that you would like to know how different this world is from yours, and I would like to learn more about it myself. Let us start with the bases: I am king in both worlds, and you are my Chimeriad. Is it correct?”

They nodded.

“Good. Let’s see how similar our circumstances are. Could you summarize what you know about how I rose to the throne of Ajur and how you came to work for me?”

One after the other, they recounted events from their pasts and told him what they knew of Wingul’s. As he thought, their stories were identical to his own experiences. They must have come from a dimension that had followed the prime closely for many years. He would have to ask Ludger more details about its coordinates and the catalyst they had fought. The divergence most likely lied in recent events, after their meeting with Milla and Jude, as they seemed to know them. History must have started changing during the battle of Fezebel, he thought while looking at Jiao. The big man had been the first of the Chimeriad to sacrifice himself, and his presence here today was proof of the difference between their dimensions.

“What happened during the battle of Fezebel?”

“Well, like we just said, a tsunami totally swept over the battlefield.”

“I think he means the most recent one, Agria,” Presa corrected, “the one against Nachtigal. Is that right, Your Highness?”

“Yes. In this world, we fought against Rashugal’s army and took control of the Lance of Kresnik, which Milla Maxwell wanted to destroy. Is it the same for you?”

“It is so far, but after the fight against Maxwell, strange things started happening.”

“Was the Lance activated?”

“It pierced a hole in the sky!”

“Then Elympion soldiers invaded and attacked our troops,” Gaius concluded. It was what had happened next that he was curious about.

“I can’t believe it. It really feels like we are talking to our Gaius. All our memories are the same,” Jiao said with emotion in his voice. Gaius did not comment on that, as he knew what he would eventually have to reveal to them.

“How did you overcome their assault?”

“You know Ivar, Maxwell’s handmaid or whatever? That moron created a diversion to allow her to flee, and we took the chance to get away too. Foolish bastard. But at least he was useful.”

“Agria, show a little more respect. He gave his life to save us.”

“Ivar sacrificed himself?”

That was unexpected. So it was Ivar who had saved them that day, instead of Jiao. That was a big difference, but it seemed that history had not really changed its course immediately afterward.

“We met with Maxwell in the Xailen Woods Temple… Ah, did Elympions take control of Khan Baliq here too?” Jiao asked.

“Yes. We cooperated with Maxwell’s group to take it back, then launched an attack against the enemy HQ.”

With Ivar, without you, he did not add.

“Then we fell into a trap.”

“And Maxwell sacrificed herself as well. Was it the same for you, Your Highness?”

“It was. We landed, and then had to face Musee’s attacks. She wanted to keep the schism’s existence a secret, even if that meant killing anyone who knew about it.”

“Wait a minute,” Presa interrupted. “Musee attacked you here too? I thought…”

They all looked surprised. And yet, both stories had seemed to match.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Rowen and Elise seemed to consider her an ally, so I thought she was on your side in this dimension.”

“She is on my side. She eventually joined us. Is it different in your dimension?”

“Yes, completely.”

They were looking at each other meaningfully, but none of them seemed ready to talk.

Musee… Her behavior was always hard to predict, which was probably why she was often a catalyst. If she had not joined him and shared her power with him in their world, what differences could this have caused? Had he not been able to go to Elympios? What about his conflict with Maxwell? Was the schism still intact? Had Milla reincarnated anyway? His head was filled with many questions, but he could not get any answer now, for the apartment door opened and interrupted their discussion.

“We’re back!”

The group entered the room carrying many grocery bags. The kitchen soon turned into a battlefield, with young troops that Rowen was directing brilliantly, delegating the various tasks needed to make tomato soup for eight people (plus a special eggplant one for Elle). Agria and Jiao joined the fight as well, but Leia forbade Presa from moving from the sofa. Elle entrusted her with the guard of Lulu to make her feel useful and prevent the cat from stealing any food. Gaius chose to peel potatoes with Ludger, jumping on the occasion to ask him about the fractured dimension. Ludger confirmed his suspicions and explained what had happened.

“Where is Musee now?” he asked when Ludger finished recounting the events that had led them here.

“She’s resting at Leia’s place,” Rowen answered him. “Since the Chimeriad are currently viewing her as an enemy, she’d better stay on the low for a while.”

The image of Musee lying low was rather amusing, but Rowen was right, she should avoid showing herself for now.

Agria cried in surprise when Ludger turned on the stove. This was obviously the first time they’d seen a household spyrix. There would be many things to explain… They had been ripped from their world and were now lost in a country they knew next to nothing about. At least, they were not alone, and Gaius was sure that Rowen and the others would do everything they could to help them get used to their new circumstances. They would also have to think about what to do once they were more familiar with the place. But those questions were a little premature. The priority right now was to help them feel at ease. Starting with a good meal.

“Enjoy your meal!”

“Mmh, that smells good.”

“Not as good as my daddy’s soup!”

“Really?”

“But it’s still good! You’re number two, Ludger!”

“Do you like it, Agria?” Leia asked, trying to include their guests in the conversation.

“Why are you talking to me? Last time I checked, we weren’t so chummy with each other.”

“You’re as charming as ever, I see.”

“Are you looking for a fight?” Agria cried, rising up on her seat.

“Agria!” Presa immediately reacted. “Table manners!”

Agria turned to her, a mean retort ready to leave her lips, but her eyes fell on Gaius and she froze. Blushing, she sat down and apologized in a small voice, which surprised Leia, who had never seen her act so meek before. Gaius felt his heart ache. How many times had he witnessed such a scene before, when his Chimeriad were still alive? He thought of the other Milla, who had been so different from Milla Maxwell. These Agria, Presa and Jiao, however, were identical to those he had known. It almost felt as if they were never gone.

“…us? Gaius!”

Hearing his name brought him back from his thoughts. Rowen was looking at him with a slightly worried look.

“I’m sorry, I was lost in thoughts. What did you say?”

“We were wondering where the Chimeriad could stay. Our dear Ludger doesn’t mind lending them his apartment tonight, but we should probably look for another long-term solution.”

“Indeed, we should not abuse his kindness.”

“Don’t worry about us,” Presa spoke, “we’ll find a place to stay on our own. We’ll leave as soon as Wingul wakes up.”

“With what gald?” Jiao asked her. “We lost all our belongings with our world. Besides, we don’t know anything about Elympios.”

“We should go back to Ajur as soon as possible…”

“No!” Gaius interrupted, startling them. He continued more calmly: “It would be better to stay in Elympios for now.”

What would the citizens of Khan Baliq say if they saw them stroll through the city as if nothing happened? He would have to think of a way to tell the news to the population. The list of things to do was getting longer and longer. This situation was sure to give him a lot of extra work.

“Don’t worry about that,” he added. “Taking care of you is my responsibility.”

“Your Highness…”

“We don’t want to impose…”

“It’s my job,” he insisted. “I will find us an apartment nearby.”

“Us?” Rowen pointed out, his eyes twinkling. The old man had tried to convince him to acquire a permanent home in Triglav for months. He personally did not see the need, as the city and surrounding areas were full of cheap motels—they were admittedly a bit seedy, but much cheaper than having to pay rent. However, he could not impose such a life to the Chimeriad, especially since they were so disoriented. Besides, this would enable him to stay with them.

“I will start looking first thing tomorrow,” he added.

“Don’t forget your business brunch,” Rowen reminded him. “You are to meet representatives from the Skylark Exchange tomorrow morning. I will handle the apartment hunt.”

“All right. I am counting on you.” To be perfectly honest, he would have preferred to let Rowen handle the meeting instead, but he could not go back on his word. These kinds of business talks could have an impact on the relationship between the two countries.

After dinner, he went to see Wingul one more time before leaving. The man was still in a deep sleep and looked like it would be a while before he woke up. “Convalescence doesn’t suit you,” he whispered, touching his face lightly with his fingertips. “Get well, Wingul. I want to talk to you.”

He bade the others goodbye and promised he would be back as soon as he was done with his engagements. When he went out of the building, he noticed that Elle was out as well. She was sitting on one of the little park’s swings, looking down.

“Is there anything wrong, Elle?”

She looked up at the sound of his voice, and her eyes teared up. She quickly wiped her eyes and looked down again, avoiding his gaze.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured faintly.

“Why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong.”

“Ludger told me that what I did was ‘irresponsible’ and that I caused you lots of problems. He said I should have thought about what happened to Milla before I acted…” She let her tears fall freely this time. “But I thought it would be different than with Milla. I just wanted you to meet your friends again…”

So she had deliberately brought them back. It was not an accident like had been the case for the other Milla. That was something he had wondered. She must have gotten the idea when she witnessed his painful reunions with other Chimeriads from other fractured dimensions. He had always been careful not to show any emotion, but her childish eyes must have seen through the façade and noticed his distress. He crouched down before her and delicately wiped away her tears.

“Do not blame yourself, Elle,” he told her gently. “I know you only had good intentions.”

“You don’t hate me?” she sniffled.

“Of course not! On the contrary… I would like to thank you. It’s true that there will be some problems, but we can overcome them. It’s nothing compared to the chance to see them again.”

Elle’s face brightened immediately.

“Oh, good! I was afraid you’d be mad. You’re scary when you’re mad.”

He laughed softly. It was true that his strict look was intimidating to children—and even to most adults, in fact.

“I’ll never be mad at you. Not for this.”

“Pinky swear?” she asked, presenting her little finger.

“Pinky swear!” he agreed.

She giggled, happy with her new promise.

“I must go! Ludger is going to worry. Good night, mister king.”

“Good night, Elle.”

He went back to his hotel, his mind full of doubts and hope. Whatever happened, Elle’s choice would probably have unexpected consequences. But all that mattered to him now was to make sure that these Chimeriad could find a place in their new world, at his side.

As he expected, his business brunch was extremely boring. Skylarks’ salespeople were going on endlessly about their company’s successes, and all he had to do was nod and speak a few words of acknowledgement from time to time. He would have much rather gone apartment hunting with Rowen. He wondered what his councilor would find. Nothing too grand, he hoped. The old man sometimes had very fixed ideas on how a king should show his influence. He just wanted something neither too big nor too small, where he could help the Chimeriad get used to their new world. The businessmen were now congratulating themselves on their victory against a competitor. He felt his GHS vibrate in his pocket and had to resist the urge to take it out and check what it was about. Had Rowen found something? What district would they move to? He hoped it would not be too far from the station… though the port district might be good too. They would then have easy access to the ferries bound for Marksburg, from where they could quickly reach Rieze Maxia. Although, it would be best to avoid Rieze Maxia for the moment. He really needed to come up with a way to explain the Chimeriad’s return to the population.

To his relief, the meeting finally came to an end. The Skylark executives looked very satisfied and were already promising to organize another one. In his mind, he already made the decision to send Rowen to the next one in his place. When the last man left, he sat back down and took out his GHS, curious about the message he had received earlier. Surprisingly, it was not from Rowen, but from Elise. It only contained one single sentence, but that was enough to make his heart flutter.

Wingul woke up.

[unfortunate-rp]

Congratulations, ELIOT! You have been accepted as your original character, JOSEPH ATTALI. I am really excited to have Joseph and I’m also excited about your potential plans for him! Please be sure to complete the steps listed on the NEW MEMBER CHECKLIST and send in your account within the next 24 hours.

Well, young lady, have you been good to your mother?

OOC INFORMATION

Name: Eliot

Age: 21

Pronouns: they/them

Time zone: PST

Activity Level (Please give a number from 1-10 and an explanation): 6-ish

Tumblr account (for contact purposes): REDACTED

How did you find us?: I found you through an RPH’s shoutout/rec post

Triggers: N/A

ORIGINAL CHARACTER APPLICATION

Character Name: Joseph Attali

FC: David Mazouz (primary/preferred), Gavin Leatherwood

Date of Birth: January 21

Age: 17 years old

Character Quote: “I am a little soul carrying around a corpse.”

Gender: Male [Cis]

Pronouns: He/Him

Sexual Orientation: Questioning

Occupation: Student at Wade Academy

Affiliation: Civilian

Neighborhood: Poplar Grove

Personality: Intellectual, Observant, Empathetic, Charming, Rash, Lonely, Easily Manipulated

BIOGRAPHY

Count how many cities you have lived in, throughout your life. If you are the easily homesick, location-bound sort of personality, then perhaps you have lived in one town your entire life, never going outside the city boundaries for more than a few hours at a time. Perhaps you were once this personality, but later took flight and made a home elsewhere. Perhaps you’ve been to several places, finding each one more suitable to you than the last. Perhaps you excitedly follow opportunity like a cat does a rolling ball of yarn. Or, perhaps, you are none of these. Perhaps you are instead the soul that wishes for a permanent home, the sort of soul that finds oneself transplanted against his will. You have lost count of the cities he has lived in, and your social bonds are about as strong as the last withering strand of an old rope. You are the sort that never understands why you are uprooted as soon as you settle. If any of this describes you, then you just might find a kindred soul in a seventeen-year-old boy with a sad smile and kind eyes. If so, your first desire would be to know him, and your first impulse would be to ask his name. “Joseph,” he would say, staring at you with an odd sort of interest. “Joseph Attali.”

Just a brief show of warmth may get him to talk about his life. In his short life, he has lived in over ten different places. Some are large cities, in which he has stayed rather anonymous, and some in small towns, where a few select residents likely whisper of a boy and his father who have come, made their impact, and left. At least, that’s what Joseph likes to believe. He doesn’t like to reveal this. Otherwise, such a tell would belie his deep fear of being forgotten. There are other things he doesn’t tell either. For one, he is never quite sure of what his father does. Two, somewhere, deep within his memory, lies a story of him pleading with his father to stay in one place, only to realize the futility of begging. He represses this memory as best he can. Still, one can try to ask him about his past again. If in a lighter mood, he will talk about the odd peace that comes with an extended car ride, if one would just look out the window, defocus their eyes, and let the sights pass in a blur. Occasionally, Joseph says, a pop of color will catch your eye, and you’ll wonder what it was. As much as he wishes for a state of permanence, he rarely seems like he would understand what to do with such a place. Perhaps he is most comfortable with, or more accurately, most attuned to a state of liminality. Even the music he plays in his free time seems to induce a sense of leaving one’s body, or perhaps a sense of loneliness that has come to characterize his existence.

He cannot stay in his space-between forever, can he? Some months ago, his father had taken him to the peculiarly unnamed City, and they have somewhat settled in. Specifically, right in the homes of Poplar Grove. Joseph has taken to observing the inhabitants of his neighborhood, and then, more recently, to everyone he encounters at school. Observing, however, is not the same as knowing, let alone befriending. It had taken him several weeks to befriend a girl by the name of Emilia Sampson, whose eccentric nature drew him in like a moth to a lightbulb. When it seemed like he and his father would stay for a while, he finally let himself get attached. Perhaps, though, attachment and permanence weren’t the right choices. He had thought that he was merely becoming accustomed to growing roots, that, in time, the earth that trapped his legs would soon become a familiar comfort.

Joseph soon felt that that was not the case. It was not a matter of attachment. It was a matter of feeling that, after wandering the physical realm where he longed to belong, he has finally stepped into a dark limbo full of dead beings that sense he is alive. It was the feeling of eyes on him, at a constant. It was the feeling that, after thinking of his father as a fellow living being, that he, too, might be a ghost. It was him noticing that his friend, his now dear, eccentric, lively friend, the light in the dark, had temporarily gone missing. It was him noticing that she had plenty of secrets to keep, and tended to run as soon as one might slip out of her mouth. It was him seeing her run away, into a neck of the woods, only for her to return the next day as if nothing had happened. It was the numerous pairs of eyes he would see from the tinted windows of a house every time he walked her home. Finally, it was the loose leaf of paper on his desk that set aflame for a moment, before he patted the fire out in a panic.

CONNECTIONS

Please include up to 3 connections.

Isaac Attali (WC for more details later) Isaac Attali is Joseph’s highly educated and even more highly adaptive father. A polyglot with several skills under his belt, he has had more jobs than you can name. He also has a long history with the VFD, which he has kept a secret from Joseph. He knows exactly what the fire starters are capable of, and every time he saw one from the corner of his eye, he and his son relocated. His only reason for returning to the City is that, after a while of realizing he can’t run from the fire starters, he thinks he can at least enlist the help of the fire fighters in keeping himself and his son safe.

Emilia Sampson (WC for more details later) Emilia Sampson is the first friend Joseph made in the City. What he doesn’t know is that she is also a neophyte fire starter following a tradition set by her family, raised on secrecy and dubious morals. Part of her wants to embrace the freedom such a dubious path grants her, and another part sways toward her own idea of “good.” While Emilia wants to be a friend to Joseph, she also has to understand that he is her assignment. Why? Because she has been informed that his father is of particular importance. Not that she would tell him that. She won’t explain the reason behind her temporary disappearance either.

Piper Gardner Joseph has never taken a liking to Piper, as vivacious and popular as she is. Perhaps he just could never empathize with those who seem to have it all. Unsurprisingly, Piper hasn’t taken much of a liking to Joseph either. What Joseph hasn’t quite grasped, despite his keen observation, is the connection between Piper and Emilia. The only thing he has noticed are the strange stares they’ve exchanged in passing, but then again, he’s seeing a lot of things, isn’t he?

ADDITIONAL NOTES

3 Additional Notes/Facts/Headcanons:

Joseph Attali and his father are Sephardi Jewish, and Joseph has some command of Hebrew. One can expect to find a mezuzah on the doorpost of his bedroom. His knowledge of both English and Hebrew has led him to develop a code loosely based on Gematria, and he uses that code when he writes in his personal diary.

Joseph’s mother, Yael, had died in a freak accident when he was five years old. To this day, his father can’t quite explain the circumstances around it, but he suspects that the fire starters had something to do with it. Isaac took Joseph and left town shortly after, and it was the first time Joseph remembered being uprooted from a place.

Joseph has a love of “people watching,” and has used his findings to become an excellent mimic. However, he can’t keep up certain acts for long, as he will feel incredible exhaustion after a while of socializing around people very different from him. Only around very specific people close to him will he drop whatever act he’s putting up.

What potential plans do you have for this character?

I had put “Questioning” under Joseph’s orientation, and I plan to explore that in my writing. Heck, it might even be explored in a situation where he has detached himself from Emilia and starts making other friends – guy friends. He might strike up a friendship with one guy his age, initially to get his mind off the trouble Emilia would undoubtedly put him through. At first, he would assume that he’s just feeling a sense of relief from having a normal, not dysfunctional friendship. After a little while, though, Joseph may realize something about himself.

Joseph may meet kids his age who turn out to be fire fighters. A kid may be assigned to look out for Joseph’s well being without Joseph even knowing. It would be kind of funny if a well-intentioned neophyte Volunteer had accidentally angered Joseph, making their job of protecting him that much more difficult. Cue a series of interactions in which Joseph repeatedly asks the poor kid, “Why are you following me?”

Joseph may eventually find out the truth about his father, or the truth about Emilia – whichever happens first. Whatever the case, all of this secret-keeping would send him in a rage. He’d do something terribly impulsive, and he won’t be able to dig himself out of the consequences of his own actions. Example: seriously angering one of the fire starters.

An overall potential path of growth: Joseph may learn to trust his intuition and develop a steadier resolve. In time, he may learn who he should and shouldn’t trust, and he can soon learn to resist the manipulation tactics of anyone acting on ulterior motives.

What do you hope to bring to this roleplay with your character?

If nothing else, I’d like to bring a character that ties to this roleplay (and the ASOUE universe) thematically. Since he is new to the town (but his father isn’t, not entirely), he will have the constant experience of not knowing most people, yet most people somehow knowing him. That in and of itself could bring about really interesting interactions and conflict. (A rather funny situation that could come about: Joseph, being the excellent mimic, accidentally mimics a few VFD codes, tricking someone into thinking he is knowledgeable of and affiliated with VFD)

As for Joseph himself, he could bring a different experience as to how a teenager relates to and reacts to the existence of VFD. Piper jumped right into the fire-starter side as an escape from the mundanity of her upper crust life. Natalie became a fire fighter to do good, put their engineering skills to use and access opportunities previously barred to them. Avery is dealing with the potential to become a double agent. Arnav wants to bring joy to other people through music (fitting, considering his own experience with depression). In some way, Joseph is like these kids, his life touched by VFD in ways he doesn’t fully understand. 

However, he’s also like Adriana, who is unwittingly connected to the two different VFD sides, and Victoria, who herself is quite the actress (and is unwittingly connected to VFD through her father, Arthur). Really, he’s in-between them. Not quite so well known as famous actress Victoria, but not so disconnected (either from VFD, or from family) as Adriana. 

Enough rambling about potential connections; another thing I’d like to think about is Joseph wandering about the town, merely stumbling upon the other characters doing the oddest things (Joseph catching Natalie tinker with a rock throwing machine on the beach, or passing by Arnav’s home when he happens to be playing and feeling a deep, uncertain sense of loss, or stumbling upon Piper running away from her high society party in a now somewhat dirtied dress, or accidentally catching Victoria in a rehearsal for a school play). 

Anything Else?

Upon acceptance (if this happens), I will submit wanted connections for Emilia Sampson and Isaac Attali, which will have lengthier descriptions that will both describe the characters and set a certain tone for them.

Sidenote: I chose Emilia’s last name because Sampson comes from “Samson” – as in, Samson and Delilah. ba-dum-tsss

WRITING SAMPLE

All of those windows have eyes.

Day twenty of Emilia Sampson’s disappearance. He was sure of it. He had kept careful track of the days in his journal, each day labeled with a new letter meant to represent a numerical value. Or, rather, the first day he had noticed her gone. In his notebook, next to Hebrew letters spelling out something that roughly translated to “Day A,” he had made a note, in code, that that was the first day he had realized she had been gone for some time, and that she might have actually been gone for about three days already. Each day that she was gone, starting from the day he had actually come to the realization, he had written it down, in the corner of the page where he started a new entry. The date itself would be written on the first line, also in code. Everything was so carefully hidden. Only the Hebrew would give any indication as to how to solve his code, but even the most astute individuals would be at least a few steps removed from decoding his journal.

Standing in front of her home now, he tried to recall if he had written it down. Yes, yes I did. He had written it down, on the round corner of the page, that it was Day 20, or rather, Yom K. He had written it down, and then he had written in his journal, in code, that he had planned to visit her home. One thing he noted in his journal: she had told him not to speak to any one occupant of that home for too long. Another thing he noted: he could not figure out why she would say such a thing. In fact, she had not wanted him to see her home until circumstance made it necessary, at which time he had to walk her home in the middle of the night. Something was odd about that night too, the way details of it came back fuzzier than they should have, the vagueness with which Emilia had spoken about her troubles, the curtains pulled on each set of windows Joseph passed, and, finally, the pairs of eyes that Joseph had seen peeking out of the windows of Emilia’s house.

They had been there for a split second, and then they were gone.

Joseph had asked if Emilia had seen something, to which she had asked seen what? He hadn’t answered. He hadn’t said that he thought he saw pairs of eyes in the windows, eyes that didn’t seem to be attached to anything. He had simply shook his head, said nothing, and wished her a good night. She had wished him a good night, too, and said that she would see him tomorrow, as usual. He had not thought much of it, then. He had not of the reluctance with which she had said it, or the hurried nature of her departure after that. He had only thought of the eyes that reappeared in the windows after she had closed the door on him, and the quick disappearance of those eyes right after, as if they suddenly thought to hide from him.

Only now, staring at the few upward steps it took to get to the heavy wooden front door, did he think to ask himself why she had spoken to him the way she did.

Tightly gripping the straps of his backpack, he worked up the courage to walk up those few noisily creaking steps and rap the door knocker. Then, he waited. Waited and thought about the eyes he thought he had seen in the windows. Waited and peered at the peep hole fixed just above the door knocker, thinking that it looked like an eye. Waited and shifted his weight in such a way as to make the floorboard beneath him creak. Waited and tapped the fingers of his left hand against the seam of his backpack strap. Waited and blew a slow, quiet raspberry, his eyes darting around at the peep hole, and then at a section of the door post where he would have thought to affix a mezuzah. Mostly, he tried to ignore the unwanted warmth settling in his chest as he waited for someone, anyone, to answer the door.

Joseph bid his time until he could not take the warmth in his being anymore. Taking another look at the peep hole and thinking that it resembled an eye he had seen in the windows of Emilia’s home, he decided to turn around and just walk away. He would come back another day, he thought, when he could work up the courage to do so. Until then, he would have to settle for searching Emilia’s usual spots again and again, like a cat futilely sniffling around familiar bedsheets in search of its human companion.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Please bombard me with Pining Sherlock fics. I need some.

You asked for it, you got it Nonny! This is literally my favourite trope in the entirety of existence. I have a tonne of fics, and I’m still sorting all of my bookmarks, so I probably still have more to add. I had SO MANY TO PUT ON THIS LIST, that I had to remove links to the authors, because Tumblr kept deleting all my links. So yes, over 150 fics here below, all from mostly Sherlock’s POV (@holmesthesociopath, this should help with your ask as well until I finish the list of Sherlock POV fics for you)!

Because I’ve been working on this list for over 6 months, please advise me of any broken links and I will do my best to find them again for you!

Get ready to have your face ripped off 🙃

I-J’S PINING SHERLOCK FIC RECS

SOFT AND FLUFFY PINING

Tap by doctorcaseyholmes (G, 896w || Fluff, Morse Code) – Sherlock finds an unobtrusive way to let out his feelings for John.

Dismantle the Sun by Mount_Seleya (T, 965 w. || John Whump, 3G, Angst, Grief) – After a gunshot leaves John in critical condition, Sherlock holds vigil beside his hospital bed, slowly unravelling as the night progresses.

Upon Reflection, Tenable Frippery by emmagrant01 (T, 1,299 w. || John’s Beard, First Kiss, Fluff) – John was, inexplicably, growing a beard.

But Love Is A Voice On The Wind by Snow (M, 1,832 w. || First Time, Meddling Mycroft, Texting) – Sherlock keeps getting texts from Mycroft with tips on wooing John.

Through A Glass by Mildredandbobbin (M, 2,012 w. || Voyeurism, Masturbation, First Kiss) – There is an adjoining door in the bathroom at 221B that leads into Sherlock’s bedroom. The door, from the bathroom to Sherlock’s bedroom, is made of three glass, semi-opaque panels. It has suddenly come to Sherlock’s attention that if he stands in exactly the right spot in his bedroom he can see through said panels, and more to the point, can see John.

The Marriage Proposal Negotiation by Goddess_of_the_Night (G, 2,161 w. || Dev. Rel., Possessive Sherlock, Insecure Sherlock, Fluff, First Kiss, Post Mary) – Sherlock hasn’t ever really done anything the traditional way, so of course it wouldn’t bother him to propose to John even though they’re not even dating. And the fact that John is already on a date with someone else when he decides to do it? Tedious.

A Symphony of Chemical Reactions by what_alchemy (T, 2,351 w. || Experiments, Est. Rel., Fluff) – Cooking’s just chemistry and time management. (Sherlock loves John so much it’s gross)

Assurance by belovedmuerto (T, 2,382 w. || Bed-Sharing, Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Idiots in Love) – It’s not so much the ‘you’re half-dead, you wanker,’ or even the broken ribs, the hairline fracture of the pelvis, the dislocated shoulder and knee, and the wrenched ankle.

Turbulence in the Sky by esplanade (T, 2,837 w. || Fluff, Pining, Anxious Sherlock, Love Confessions) – “But some things needed to stay secret. Or at least, that was what he told himself every time he lost his nerve.”

BBCSH ‘How To Save A Life’ by tigersilver (T, 2,784 w. || First Kiss, Angsty Schmoop, Requited Love) – Pining, requited, and unabated spates of ‘first kiss’ fluff. Post Mary, AU, mildly cracky. John lays a smooch on Sherlock’s nape in passing. The world does that thing it does when it wobbles and Sherlock practically falls off his own pins. Part 1 of ‘How To…’

On a Sunday Morning by SD_Ryan (G, 3,136w. || Fluff, First Kiss, Obsessive Sherlock) – Sherlock has a little problem. He can’t stop obsessing about John Watson. {{Note to Self: ‘Cheese Tease’}}

Because Blah Blah Blah Happy by cwb (E, 4,578 w. || Fluff, Cuddles, Kissing, First Kiss, Requited Love, Pining Sherlock) – John is entirely done with the milk situation and gives Sherlock a list of shit he’s pissed about. Sherlock sets out to make John happy. John is happy. Sherlock makes his own list. They are both very, very happy.

Confessions by crimsonwinter (T, 4,711 w. || Love Confessions, Fluff) – John and Sherlock finally confess their love for each other.

How Will I Know? by eragon19 (E, 4,895 w. || Pining, Love Confessions, POV Sherlock, Fluff, Sherlock’s Imagination, Papa Lestrade) – Here was the problem: Sherlock Holmes was completely and irrevocably in love with John Watson, and he had absolutely no idea how to tell him.

Telling the Bees by siennna (G, 5,174 w. || Fluff, Beekeeping, POV Sherlock, Love Confessions) – It took a beat of silence for the words to settle in, before both of them realized what John said. “You—” Sherlock started. “I—” John said at the same time. “Love me? You love me?” Sherlock asked faintly. Part 3 of sienna’s favorites

A Study in Intimacy by doodle (T, 5,183 w. || First Kiss, Virginity, Romance, Touching) – People don’t touch Sherlock Holmes, not like they touch other people. Then he meets John Watson.

the lingering taste of orange juice by darcylindbergh (G, 5,824 w. || Pining Sherlock, Fluff, Miscommunications, Humour) – Sherlock felt the familiar heat surge in his abdomen again at the touch: hope strung taut between head and heart as in all the quiet moments between them, when Sherlock sometimes got the clues all mixed up and thought maybe John felt something too. For once, Sherlock is the idiot.

Tease You Till You Come by phoenix089 (E, 6,090 w. || First Time, Clueless Sherlock, Texting) – Initially, Sherlock was rather put out by John’s lack of presence on the case. But then he starts to recieve pictures, several of them, of an unexpected nature. The case is forgotten rather quickly after that.

Onomatopoeia by aquabelacqua (M, 6,904 w. || First Time/Kiss, Frottage, Dirty Talk, Domestics, Word Kink) – Something is the matter with John. Sherlock is determined to figure out what it is. Mark his words.

I’m Pretty Sure This Changes Shit by cwb (E, 7,672 w. || Fluff, Cudding, Doctor/Patient, Accidents) – Sherlock finds increasingly ridiculous ways to get John to patch him up after hurting himself.

Matters of National Security by mistyzeo (E, 8,465 w. || Jealous Sherlock, First Time, RST, Idiots in Love, Frottage) – John starts dating a male client of Sherlock’s, and Sherlock can’t figure out why he’s so incensed about it.

A Terrific Soporific by antietamfalls (T, 11,269 w. || Bed Sharing, Sleepy Cuddles, Fluff, Insomnia, Experiments) – Sherlock, a long-time sufferer of insomnia, is forced to share a bed with John at a hotel while on a case. To his astonishment, he finds that spending the night next to John helps him sleep and becomes determined to maneuver himself back into John’s bed.

SLOW BURN WITH HAPPY ENDING

100 ways to say ‘I love you’ by Teatrolley (NR, 2,143 w. || Slow Build, Pining Sherlock, Fluff, Domestics) – In which there are a hundred phrases and none of them are “I love you.” Until they are.

The Sum of His Parts by CommonNonsense (T, 4,311 w. || Body Worship, First Kiss / Time) – There are eleven major organ systems in the human body. Sherlock knows about all of them to some degree, but none fascinate him as much as the ones that make up John Watson.

One Day Like This by nondeducible (E, 4,872 w. || First Time, Bed-Sharing, Romance, Fluff, Virgin Sherlock) – When Sherlock emerged from the bathroom, the sight before him nearly took his breath away. The only light in the room was the small lamp on the bedside table. John’s skin shone like gold, his hair like the purest silver. He was on his side, facing the empty part of the bed, his outstretched hands ready to embrace whoever climbed in next to him. Sherlock could imagine, just for a second, that this was their shared bed and he was coming back to settle into John’s arms.

Bread and Wine and Curry Once a Week by cwb (E, 8,737 w. || Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Stroppy Sherlock, Love Letters, POV John) – Sherlock asks John for relationship advice. Little does he know that it’s him that Sherlock is in love with.

Tomorrow’s Song by agirlsname (M, 24,645 w. || Post-TRF, POV Sherlock, Angst with a Happy Ending, Virgin / Repressed Sherlock, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Pining) – How can he think a relationship with me would be a good idea? I am the sort of person to take a break from my life and when I come back after two years, I expect to find it exactly as I left it. In reality I find it shattered to pieces. (I actually equate you with my life. When did I start doing that?)

Triage by scullyseviltwin (E, 51,612 w. || Character Injury, Introspection) – Sherlock’s mind goes exceedingly, devastatingly quiet and gray-blank. When he speaks it’s through a thick haze, it’s through molasses, he’s so disconnected from the words that it may as well be the unconscious shooter speaking.

In the Dark Hours by hubblegleeflower (E, 51,639 w. || Friends to Lovers, Unreliable Narrator, Closeted Bi John, Angst, Miscommunications, Slow Burn, First Time, John’s Blog / Epistolary) – John, wounded and silent, drifts back to Baker Street for healing…and then goes home again. He visits, gets more upbeat, chattier, smiles, jokes… and still goes home again. Sherlock wants him to move back in - it just makes sense - but John shows no signs of doing so. This is the story of how John and Sherlock learn to say what needs to be said when they’re both so very, very rubbish at talking.

Bridging the Ravine by SilentAuror (E, 58,883 w. || Post S4, Couple For a Case, Bed-Sharing, First Times, Confessions, Awkwardness, Sex Trafficking) – Sherlock and John go undercover at Ravine Valley, a therapy centre for same-sex male couples in an investigation into a possible human trafficking ring. As they pose as a couple and fake their way through the therapy sessions for the sake of the case, it quickly becomes difficult to avoid discussing their very real issues. Set roughly six nine months after series 4.

Definitions by siennna (T, 101,528 w+ WiP || Fluff and Humour, Love Confessions, Romance, Snuggling) – Sherlock’s journey in defining his flat mate and stumbling through the muddled world of emotion. {{This feels complete; the chapter count is listed as ? but I feel like it is done}}

JOHN’S GETTING MARRIED

Fitting by thegingerbatch (G, 380w. || Angst, Hard Pining) – John and his best man get fitted for their tuxedos.

This Kiss by suitesamba (T, 731 w. || Humour, Drunkenness, Angst, Stag Night) – Stag Night - back at 221B - in a world where Mrs. Hudson doesn’t interrupt the guessing game with the client. Part 1 of The “This” Series

The Other Shoe by thewaitwasworthitlove - (NR, 1,053w || Angst, Unrequited Love, Post-Wedding) - Sherlock realizes how deep in love he has fallen for John. Only Sherlock Holmes would manage to be more shattered than crystal dropped on concrete.

The Signs of Loss by LitLocked (NR, 1,103 w. || Angst, Hard Pining, Hurts Like Hell) – Sherlock’s internal monologue after he comes back from the wedding.

Ode to a Well-Worn Chair by hogwartswitch (G, 1,274 w. || Post-TSo3, John’s Chair, Angst, Love Confessions, Mind Palace) – Takes place the night Sherlock left John’s wedding early. Why did he move John’s chair and where did he move it?

Bolt Holes by PostcardsfromTheoryland (T, 4,177 w. || H/C, Angst, Drug Mentions) – John asked, one evening, if Sherlock liked her. To which he grudgingly had to say yes, and John said he was glad. Because John was going to propose to her.

But Tonight You Belong to Me by esplanade (T, 4,296 w. || Fluff & Angst, Pining, Stag Night) – “You. It’s always you. John Watson, you keep me right.”

Velvet by headlessjess (G, 1,155 w. || Pining, Angst, Jealous Sherlock, Loneliness, Sad Fic) – It’s the day, the wedding day - John and Mary, getting married. And then there’s Sherlock, in pain and in love, without knowing how to deal with it.

The Light of Day by allonsys_girl (M, 7,297 w. || First Kiss, Angst, TSo3-Fix-It, Possessive Sherlock, ) – Rewrite of the end of Sign of Three. John actually notices Sherlock leaving the reception early, and chases after him. Angsty Johnlock. Happy ending, for sure. Part 1 of The Light of Day

TRF / HIATUS / POST-HIATUS

Goodnight (My John) by consultingcenturion (T, 1,073 w. || Angst, H/C, Pre-Slash, Goodbyes, Unrequited) – Sherlock says a silent goodbye to the one whom he loves most—who he knows he must hurt. Part 1 of Goodnight (My John)

In My Life (and dreams, you take my breath away) by Nina36 (NR, 2,847 w. || Post-TRF/TEH, Angst, Pining Sherlock) – The first time he had dreamt about John he had been in Peru. He had been “dead” a little over a month, squatting in a tiny rented room, the heat and the stains on the walls making him slightly claustrophobic. It had been a nice dream: John and he eating take away Chinese in their kitchen, a song coming from Mrs. Hudson’s radio downstairs, something about friends and lovers and how no one compared with him, his mind supplied in his dream.

The Death of Doubt by Gingerhermit (E, 6,584 w. || Alternate Canon, BAMF John, POV Sherlock, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Hurt/Comfort, Angst/Drama, Meddling Mycroft) – Mycroft asks for John’s help in rescuing Sherlock from his Serbian captors.

White Blank Page by SarahCat1717 (M, 11,936 w. || Post-TRF, Clever John, Reunion Fic, Pining Sherlock, Letters, Fantasies) – Post-fall, Sherlock is off eliminating Moriarty’s crime web. He finds he misses John. He can’t divulge that he still lives, but he placates his need to communicate with John and still feel a connection with him by sending him blank letters. But over time, this writing exercise lends itself to Sherlock exploring his feelings for his friend. What will happen when Sherlock returns to London and the man he has been “writing” to regularly for the past two years? NOT S3 compliant. Mary who?

TARMAC / POST-HLV

Clarity by socomessnow (NR, 1,283 w. || Unresolved Romantic Tension, First Person POV) – During-and-post-HLV piece tracking Sherlock’s thought process from his phone call with Mycroft to his return to the airfield. “John. John Hamish Watson. The sight of him right now, in this moment, is the most beautiful, the most surreal thing I have ever experienced: John—my eyes land on his, he’s looking back at me, and it’s beautiful.” Part 1 of Rifts {{ALSO PAINFUL. VERY VERY PAINFUL}}

BBCSH ‘Lament’ by tigersilver (T, 2,951 w.|| Implied Infidelity, Angst, Post-HLV, Canon Divergence) – When Sherlock is alone in the flat he still speaks to John Watson.

In the cherry blossom’s shade by Eliane (M, 3,934 w. || Post S3, First Time / Kiss, Sleeping Together, Pining / Obsessive Sherlock, Minor Char. Death) – This isn’t new. Sherlock has already done this – has gone through cities, and dingy hotels, and sleepless nights but it was different before. John wasn’t there before.They’re in this together.

The Engine by stitchy (T, 8,294 w. || Time Travel, Post-HLV, Sci-Fi, First Kiss) – Shortly after the events of His Last Vow, Sherlock has an opportunity to revisit the night of A Study in Pink and get some perspective on the destiny of he and John’s relationship.

Back to the Start by slashscribe (M, 14,088 w. || Sherlock’s Violin, Pining Idiots, Fluff, Domestics) – Sherlock hasn’t played the violin since John’s wedding (which is long since over), and when John returns to 221B, Sherlock relearns the violin as he and John relearn each other. Post S3 fic with an obscene amount of pining, idiocy, and attempts to pawn off tea duties.

At the Edge of Desire by philalethia (E, 16,375 w. || Post S3, Pining, Arse Worship, Humour, First Kiss / TIme, Sexual Fantasy, Awkwardness) – While helping John move back in to the flat, Sherlock discovers a strap-on among John’s things. He finds the discovery considerably difficult to move past.

State of Flux by Atiki (E, 24,655 w. || Sherlock POV, Slow Burn, First Kiss/Time, Friends to Lovers, Frottage, Cuddles and Snuggles, Awkwardness, Insecure/Virgin Sherlock, Romance) – John’s marriage is over and he is finally back home (i.e. at Baker Street, where he belongs). Sherlock is awfully insecure and John is awfully hesitant, and they’re both awkward idiots, of course, but they figure it out. Many First Times happen.

Shallow Grave by SilentAuror (E, 32,672 w. || Romance, Angst, HLV Fix It, Infidelity, Pining Sherlock) – Starts as Sherlock’s plane is taking off at the end of His Last Vow. When he finds out that Moriarty is alive and that he’s being recalled from his mission, Sherlock decides that he should have told John how he felt before he left. So he walks off the plane and kisses him.

A Study In Auto-Signatures, Sniper Dolphins, and Sex Holidays by cwb (E, 32,690 w. || Case Fic, Post S3, Evil Mary, Dev. Rel., Honeymoon, Epistolary, Bottomlock, First Kiss / Time, Fluff, Secret Agents, BAMF!John) – John and Mary go on their sex holiday, and Sherlock is grumpy and pining about it. Part 1 of HOT DOLPHIN SEX

Pater Noster by SilentAuror (E, 34,256 w. || Case Fic, HLV+, Family Trauma, Sherlock POV, Villain Mary) – During the autumn that John is staying at Baker Street again after Sherlock was shot, he ruminates over the similarity between Sherlock’s shot and the one that killed his father when he was fifteen. Cold case meets series 3 fix-it. Part I takes place entirely within His Last Vow, Part II takes place starting at the end of HLV and continues after.

UNREQUITED PINING / UST / URT

I don’t mind by beltainefaerie (G, 221 w. || Angst, Stag Night, Heavy Pining) – Sherlock is more vulnerable than he pretends. Part 4 of Bel’s Tumblr Ficlets

Human Error by YakuzaDog (G, 571 w. || HLV Missing Scene, Angst) – Sherlock goes on a brief shopping trip.

The Hollow Man by HHarris (G, 639 w. || John’s Chair, Introspection, Sherlock’s Big Feelings™, Post TRF) – Still reeling from the apparent loss of his one and only friend, Sherlock returns to 221B for the first time after the events of The Reichenbach Fall.

Dismantle the Sun by Mount_Seleya (T, 965 w. || John Whump, 3G, Angst, Grief) – After a gunshot leaves John in critical condition, Sherlock holds vigil beside his hospital bed, slowly unravelling as the night progresses.

Sherlock’s soldier!John Kink is Getting Out of Hand by wendymarlowe (E, 1,247 w. || Secret Crush, Military Kink, Masturbation) – Sherlock’s got a secret kink. And a secret box where he hides his pictures of John in uniform. And a very, very secret crush on his flatmate.

Loving John Watson by Spark_Writer (T, 2,036 w. || Canon Compliant, Angst, Falling in Love, First Person POV) – You discover early on that you want him. Maybe even the very day you meet.

Perfect Solo by Itsallfine (E, 2,384 w. || Frottage, Fantasy, Sex Toys, Dirty Talk, Solo) – Sherlock couldn’t decide how he wanted to have John that night. (The one where Sherlock uses his box of sex toys to take himself apart in every way John might have him.)

Rescue by missilemuse (T, 2,574 w. || Fake Relationship, Sherlock Whump, Irene Helps Sherlock) - If this was the way Sherlock Holmes loved, it was no wonder why he had avoided the damned emotion for over half of his life. Part 6 of Reichenbach To Return [[this isn’t really Johnlock, but it is… it’s non-ad10ck ad10ck. You have to read it to understand. It’s SO good and painful, trust me. Sherlock!Whump and pining]].

Museums and Laboratories by RhododendronPonticum (T, 3K+ w. || Separation Anxiety, Worried Sherlock, Low-Key Pining) – If Sherlock’s kitchen was his laboratory, then his bedroom was his museum.

Atrium by kali_asleep (T, 3,460 w. || 5+1, Valentines Day, Fluff & Schmoop, First Kiss) – Five times Sherlock gave John his heart, and the one time Sherlock got a heart in return (literally)

In the Bleak Midwinter (A Canticle for Advent) by CaitlinFairchild (M, 3,476 w. || Angst, Injury, Missing Scenes, HLV Timeline) – In the autumn of 2014, Mary Watson shot Sherlock Holmes. This is what happened after.

Spoils of War by sweetcupncakes (E, 3,563 w. || Bottomlock, Military Kink, Comeplay, Anal) – John brushes his thumb over the gun’s slide, over the rear sight. Sherlock’s mouth feels too wet. He could lick John’s fingers, suck on them, bite down softly on that callus that is a direct result of John’s frequent need to handle the gun at all. Sherlock could do that, John might like it, really. Sherlock has been told his mouth is absolutely lovely.

Nineteen Seconds of Falling by EmmyAngua (T, 3,739 w. || Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Falling in Love) – Sherlock spends exactly nineteen seconds zoned out after John asks him to be best man. He retreats to his mind palace in the desperate hope of figuring out what he wants, unfortunately for him his mind palace is full of people who keep trying to give him advice.

Private Rituals by justacookieofacumberbatch (buffyholic) (E, 4,377 w. || Mastrubation, Anal, Light BDSM, Military Kink) – Sherlock has a very specific masturbation ritual, but what would John think of it?

The Dance Lesson by bittergreens (G, 4,596w. || TSo3 Missing Scene, Dance Lesson, Angst, Romance) – Sherlock teaches John to dip. Part 1 of Goodnight, Vienna

The Prize We Sought Is Won by deathfrisbees (E, 4,610 w. || First Time, Mild D/S, Oral, Military Kink, Bottomlock) – Sherlock’s in love, or in lust, or both–unfortunately, the object of his affections is not only his completely oblivious flatmate, but said flatmate would probably run screaming into the hills should he find out. John’s been invited to a wedding–unfortunately, the groom used to serve under him back in Afghanistan, and requests that John wear a uniform he’s honestly not sure he fits into. Unfortunately for both flatmates, Sherlock’s got a military kink the size of Kandahar and John wants to know if he actually can fit into this uniform or if his eyes are deceiving him. It goes from there.

Facade by distantstarlight (M, 4,715 w. || Fluff, John’s Beard, No-Shave November, Grumpy Sherlock, Clueless Sherlock) – Sherlock is highly irritated with a challenge John has agreed to undertake. Why does he need to grow a beard anyway?

Better Than Fiction by Irrevocably_Sherlocked (E, 6,813 w. || Pining Sherlock, Sherlock’s Imagination, Masturbation, BJ’s, First Time / Kiss) – …he opens his eyes, but instead of seeing John he is staring at his bedroom ceiling, the pale plaster a startling contrast from the scene in his head. It had felt so real. He can only imagine what the feel of John’s lips would be like, his taste. But luckily for him, he thinks with a smirk, he’s always had a brilliant imagination.

All the Times Something ALMOST Happened by allonsys_girl (T, 9,049 w. || Angst, Canon-Compliant, Friendship/Love) – John and Sherlock dancing around what they dance around in canon.

The Painted Man by jinglebell (E, 9,894 w. || Tattoos, Scent / Tattoo Kink, Rough & Tender Sex, Fluff and Smut, Obsessive / Jealous Sherlock, Touch Starvation) – Here stood John Watson – middle name, Hamish, ex-RAMC captain and field medic, favourite brand of jam: Duerr’s, preferred toothpaste: Mentadent. Loyal, steadfast, interesting John had just done the most unpredictable thing merely by being. John’s body was covered, neck-to-waistband, shoulder-to-elbow, in tattoos.

Someone I Love by hudders-and-hiddles (M, 10,002 w. || Canon Compliant, HLV-Filler Fic, Pre-Slash, Jealous John, PIning Sherlock, Angst & Fluff, UST/URT, Dog Tags) – John gets married and Sherlock finds comfort in wearing John’s identity tags around his wrist.

Pattern Behaviour by SilentAuror (E, 14,835 w || Present Tense, POV Sherlock Pining Sherlock) – Sherlock doesn’t even know why he resents John’s dates so much. Until the day he does know. Slight angst, unrequited feelings (but don’t let that scare you off!)

Anytime by SilentAuror (E, 17,995 w. || UST, Porn With Feels, POV Sherlock, Romance, UST/URT, Happy Ending, Drunken Endeavors) – Sherlock blinks and attempts to focus. There is a little too much vodka in his veins at the moment and it’s having an unfortunate effect on his brain and retinas both. There are two Johns sitting across from him, and both of them are frowning at him.“You’re drunk,” the Johns tell him. Sherlock blinks some more. “Says the man with Mrs Hudson’s doily on his head.”

A Life Well-Lived by Kate_Lear (E, 20,121 w. || Original Male Character, Sherlock Woos John, Jealous Sherlock, Reluctant Bi-John) – John got scared off men by an abusive past relationship. Sherlock has to try and woo him while not scaring him off with protective possessive rage.

Love Is by SilentAuror (E, 21,508 w. || Angst, UST / URT, Post HLV, Romance) – At Mrs Hudson’s urging, Sherlock finally decides to tell John how he feels about him. Part 1 of Love Is

Brief Conversations with the Woman by May_Shepard (E, 21,906 w. || Pining, Love Fairy Irene, Filler Fic, UST/URT, Drug Use, Clueless Sherlock, Relationship Advice, Angst w/ Happy Ending) – Sherlock has a puzzle to solve, and his name is John Watson.

There’s Someone On Your Shoulder by halloa_what_is_this (NR, 41,215 w. || Pining Sherlock, Introspection, Daydreams, Sherlock Loves John So Much it Hurts) – Sherlock trips and falls head over heels in love, makes a lot of lists and stares, stares, stares. 

HEART-DESTROYING PINING THAT TEARS YOU A NEW ONE

Prayers by Jberry (M, 665 w. || H/C, Injury, John Whump, Fear of Death, First Person Sherlock) – Sherlock has never been a man who prayed.

Illuminating Worlds and Wastes Alike by Poedhamerons (G, 775w. || Post-TRF, Watching Over John) – There is a space of time between Sherlock dying and having to pluck apart the spider’s web. Sherlock spends it the only way he knows how. Part 1 of Stars

Goodnight (My John) by consultingcenturion (T, 1,073 w. || Angst, H/C, Pre-Slash, Goodbyes, Unrequited) – Sherlock says a silent goodbye to the one whom he loves most—who he knows he must hurt. Part 1 of Goodnight (My John)

Untouchable by greengrapegaze (T, 1,368 w. || Pre-S3, UST/URT, Oblivious John, Lonely Sherlock, Angst) – “He never would. Petty, childish, immature-bitter. Jealous. She had all that he wanted. All he could never have.” Part 1 of Steps to a Bittersweet Symphony

The Talons of Sentiment by dearcst (G, 1,463 w. || First Person POV, Angst, Unrequited Love) – I promised myself long ago I wouldn’t succumb to something so degrading, something so vicious. I promised I wouldn’t let myself fall. But that was before him. That was before I met John. In sleep there is such bliss and peace, and as John slept on my shoulder, it killed me inside to know I was so close yet I could never touch him.

Love and Bombs by Spark_Writer (T, 1,696 w. || Angst, POV Sherlock) – Love and bombs aren’t all that different, John. In the end, they’re almost indistinguishable. Part 3 of Human Error

Not Straight by IamJohnLocked4life (NR, 1,728 w. || POV Sherlock, Fluffy Angst, Happy Ending) – John moves back into 221B. Feelings come up. Happy ending.

Want by siennna (T, 1,806 w. || Fluff, Pining, First Kiss, POV Sherlock, Requited, Second Person POV) – When John speaks, you hear more than words. You hear the rise and fall of his tone, the comfortable quake of his laughter, the warm pauses of silence in between. When John laughs, there are stars glittering on his tongue and galaxies resting just behind his teeth, and you wish you could press your lips there and burrow into the warm sound. Part 6 of sienna’s favorites

The Battersea Bridge by pininglock (M, 2,585 w. || MCD, Angst, Grief, Unhappy Ending, Death Fic) – A life without John Watson isn’t a life worth living.

Green Carnation by glenien (T, 2,616 w. || Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Meta-Fic, Angst and Fluff, Communication, Post-TAB) – John takes Sherlock home. Part 1 of It’s No Longer Eighteen Ninety-Five

Turn the key, and come home by TooManyChoices (M, 2,718 w. || Angst/Humour, First Time/Kiss, Happy Ending) – Sherlock and John have been dancing around what’s between them for years. Will John return to Baker Street, and if so, will things ever be the same?

Let the Sun Fade Out by nothingislittle (E, 2,711 w. || Fluff & Smut, Praise Kink, PWP, Obsessed Sherlock, Bottomlock) – “He could warm the sun itself, Sherlock thinks, could heat their flat with just his presence, could brighten the room with one dazzling smile or just the sparkling in his eyes. John is everything, he’s beautiful and he shines, he’s everything.” {{Not really pining, but Sherlock is constantly missing and loving John, and it’s heartwrenching}}

All That I Have by the_arc5 (M, 3,721 w. || Post-TGG Canon Divergence, Pining Sherlock, John Whump, Anxious / Worried Sherlock, Light Angst) – In the aftermath of the Great Game, Sherlock finds himself with a new weakness. John is both the cause and the cure.

Last Christmas by Mazarin221b (T, 3,911 w. || Fluff, Pining Sherlock, First Kiss) – That Earth-shaking revelation, then, leads to a problem, and one that Sherlock realizes should be solved quickly, before John’s dates turn into girlfriends or boyfriends, because sometimes girlfriends or boyfriends can turn into wives or husbands while your back is turned. Every time John hums happily at the mirror as he shaves, splashes on a little gift cologne Mrs. Hudson bought him for Christmas, Sherlock is drawn back to that night by the fire, and the way John’s touch had made the world stand still.

Someone Else’s Heart by thisprettywren (E, 4,188 w. || First Time, H/C, POV Sherlock, Caretaking John, Pining Idiots) – A crime scene, a rainstorm, and something they both should have known all along.

Practical Johnkeeping by what_alchemy (M, 4,330 w. || Beekeeping, Aging, Gladstone, Tooth Rotting Fluff) – Sherlock predicts nectar flow the same way he deduces a murder, but he harvests the honey like John coddles the dog. (They are together but Sherlock loves John SO SO MUCH that it rips out your heart).

The Strait of Juan de Fuca by mightypog (T, 6,400w. || Angst with Happy Ending, Love Confessions, Vacations, Internal Monologue) – Sherlock is back and all seems forgiven, but something is missing between him and John. Their friendship initially appears intact, but Sherlock doesn’t understand why John seems to be slipping away. Finally, in terror, he tries to reconnect with John by taking him to the one place that seems to inspire any emotional interest in John any more: the Canadian wilderness. While there, Sherlock faces his greatest fear.

once upon a time by darcylindbergh (M, 6,501 w. || Fluff and Angst, First Kiss / Time, Love Declarations, Christmas) – It starts with a wish. In the beginning, John comes home. Part 1 of things fairy tales are made of [[they get together early, but Sherlock is SO in love with John he’s just constantly wanting him near]]

Laid Bare by esplanade (T, 6,529 w. || Romance, Fluff, Pining, Angst) – “I suppose it comes as no surprise that I always rather detested grand romantic gestures. They struck me as unnecessary and contrived, feeble attempts at desperately holding together relationships, most of which should have been allowed to fall apart.”

The T-Shirt Thief by allroadsleadbacktobakerstreet (T, 7,968 w. || Mutual Pining, Post Canon Fix It, Dev. Rel., First Kiss, Domestics) – Sherlock steals John’s t-shirt from the laundry. John catches him wearing it one evening, fluff ensues with an endeared yet teasing John?

On the Losing Side by missselene (E, 8,210 w. || Mild Dub Con., Anal / Oral, First Kiss, Angst, Pining) – After Mary’s death, John moves back into Baker Street, but is still upset at the loss of his wife and child. Eventually, he and Sherlock stumble into a sort of relationship, but it’s more physical than anything and they don’t talk about it. They especially don’t talk during sex. If they are going to have sex, Sherlock notices the signs hours beforehand, and he prepares carefully. The lights are off, they’re under the covers, he prepares himself using lots of lube so he can make it feel as much like a woman as he can, and he doesn’t let himself make any noise so that, if John wishes, he can pretend that he’s still with Mary.

Stay Awake by pandoras_chaos (E, 9,325 w. || BAMF!John, First Time, Angst, Pining Sherlock) – Sherlock can feel the tenuous threads of this conversation shuddering under the strain of all the unspoken words. His eyes narrow as he gazes up at John, noting the residual tension in his shoulders, the dark circles under his lower lids, and the way he is avoiding Sherlock’s eyes like a bi-polarized magnet. He knows John Watson inside and out, like the perfectly balanced coils and gears of a beautifully balanced grandfather clock, and yet John keeps surprising him. It’s uncanny, the way he keeps on being so utterly and wonderfully unpredictable.

Never Have I Ever by hudders-and-hiddles (E, 10,655 w. || Pining Sherlock, First Kiss / Time, Drinking Games, Love Confessions, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers) – John and Sherlock tag along for the Met’s weekly night out, where the evening’s chosen drinking game is Never Have I Ever. Sherlock is reluctant to join in until he realizes he can learn all kinds of new things about John, but he forgets that John might learn a thing or two about him as well.

The Most Luminous of People by liriodendron (M, 10,979 w. || Synesthesia, Pre-Slash, Developing Romance, First Kiss) – In which Sherlock Holmes finds out what it’s like to truly want something, John Watson isn’t too bad at deductions, and everything gets a bit bright for a minute. Part 1 of Conductivity

Praise Me by testosterone_tea (E, 11,813 w. || Sherlock POV, Bottomlock, Dev. Rel., Virgin Sherlock, First Kiss / TimeBJ’s, Anal, Praise Kink) – In which Sherlock has an interesting physical reaction to compliments and John discovers it.

The Slow Burn by CaitlinFairchild (E, 12,097 w. || Romance, Emotional Infidelity, Friends to Lovers, Sherlock POV) – John smiles, something small and private and for him alone, and Sherlock just…he knows. With a heart-stopping certainty, Sherlock suddenly knows.It feels like falling off the edge of a cliff. It feels like falling off the edge of the world. It feels like flying.

And if you say the word, I could stay with you by CaitlinFairchild (E, 12,842 w. || Domestic Fluff, Dirty Talk, Anal, Fluff and Smut) – What Sherlock thinks is, On the day I die, be it in a dirty alley at forty or in my bed at eighty, the last thing I will remember is tonight, the way you looked at at me on the snowy pavement, cheeks pink with the cold, breath puffing in frosty white clouds, your heart in your eyes and snowflakes in your hair. I will remember that single perfect moment in my life, that moment I knew I had everything I ever wanted, and whatever happens next, I will die content. What he says is simply, “Marry me.” (they’re already together in this, but Sherlock’s love for John is SO MUCH that it feels like he’s always pining for John).

The Meaning of Sacrifice by arts_and_letters (T, 14,101+ w. || WIP, Angst, H/C) – Sherlock has risked life and limb to protect John Watson, sacrificing his freedom and safety to fulfill his last vow. When Sherlock comes back bruised and battered from his second exile, will John’s love be enough to help Sherlock heal? And will John ever know the truth behind Sherlock’s enigmatic farewell?

Barricade by stitchy (M, 14,127 w. || Friends to Lovers, Angst, Happy Ending, UST, Mary’s Not Nice) – Sherlock has been struggling to keep his feelings at bay for everyone’s sake. Part 1 of Barricade

Second Chance by SilentAuror (E, 15,816 w. || Post-Divorce, Friends to Lovers, UST, Romance) – Now that John’s divorce has gone through and the dust is settling, Sherlock thinks that he would very much like to see if there is any possibility of moving their friendship in another direction. The only thing is, he has no idea how to go about doing that…

Let’s Make a Bed Out in the Rain by theimprobable1 (M, 17,664 w. || Pining, Angst & Fluff, First Kiss, Unrequited) – John is devastated after his long-term girlfriend leaves him. Sherlock helps him through it.

A Shipless Ocean by myswordfishmind (M, 22,135 w || Post-TRF, John has a Kid) – Ten years after the fall Sherlock goes back to London to find that John no longer lives there. Instead, he resides in a seaside town, a widower, and the father of a seven year old son. Now, Sherlock must struggle with the fact that there may no longer be a place for him in this new world.

Among the Secret Things by Kate_Lear (E, 26,073 w. || Angst, Drama) – Sherlock would be the last person to describe himself as given to flights of fancy, but at the look on Lestrade’s face he could swear that something inside him curls up and dies. Part 1 of Among the Secret Things

The Kissing Disease by cottonballz_of_death (E, 30,856 || Sickfic, Angst with Happy Ending, Case Fic, Self-Harm, Slow Burn, Jealous Sherlock) – ohn brings home a boyfriend, shocking Sherlock, who long ago gave up hope that his straight flatmate would ever take a romantic interest in him. In a bid to reconnect with John, he tries to infect himself with a “harmless” virus. Neither of them is prepared for the emotional fallout that results.

The Yellow Poppies by SilentAuror (E, 34,952 w. || H/C, Nightmares, HLV Fix-It, PTSD, Trauma, POV Sherlock, Doctor John) – Sherlock is threatened and assaulted in the hospital immediately after having been shot in the heart, first by Mary, then by Magnussen. As he recovers at Baker Street with John and plans the attack on Appledore with Mycroft, he fights to work through the trauma caused by these two visits. Set during His Last Vow. (not much pining but Sherlock relies heavily on John and it rips me so hard)

A Promise Made to Be Broken by PlantsAreNeat (E, 37,018 w. || Fake Relationship, Pining, Slow Burn, RST, Eventual Relationship) – A young John makes an ‘if we’re still single at 40, we’ll get together’ pledge to a woman who ends up all wrong for him. She keeps reminding him of the promise, and won’t let go of it. John asks Sherlock to pose as his boyfriend at a family wedding, so as to dash her hopes permanently. Sherlock, who has at last acknowledged his feelings for John, reluctantly agrees despite knowing how painful it will be to ‘have’ John, but not keep him. (This one is SORT OF mutual pining, but it’s mostly from Sherlock’s POV with each chapter starting in John’s)

Not Broken, Just Bent by Schmiezi (E, 87,585 w. || Heavy Angst w/ Happy Ending, S3 Fix-It Fic, Love Confessions, Hurt/Comfort, Mary is Not Nice) – “For a second, I allow myself to remember teaching John how to waltz. For a second, I allow myself to love him deeply. For a second, only a second, that love reflects on my face.”

MUTUAL PINING

[[SEE ALSO: Fake / Pretend Relationship Fic Recs || Jealous/Possessive Sherlock || Bed-Sharing || BedSharing Pt. 2 and Insecure Sherlock || John Realizes How Important Sherlock is To Him]]

His (Again) by patternofdefiance (M, 820 w. || Fluff, John Comes Home) – John wonders how he had never seen this before, never noticed before, how happy Sherlock can look, and also how lonely.

And Then I Fall by sherlockholmes_doctorwatson (G, 973w. || Angst, Unrequited Love, POV Sherlock, Reichenfeels) – He was right. Falling is just like flying.

In Dreams by Youarethelightoftheworld (T, 1,339 w. || Fluff, Cuddling & Snuggling, Accidental Cuddles, Domestic Fluff) – Every once and a while, the dark makes it easier to see.

Unspoken by PipMer (T, 2,770 w. || John’s Missing Wed., Fluffy Angst, Mutual PIning, Pre-Slash, Missing Scene) – Sherlock wanted to test a hypothesis. About John. He wanted a question answered that he couldn’t just ask, at least not under normal conditions, because John would never tell him the truth about that.

Until the End of the World by SarahCat1717 (G, 3,049w. || Angst, First Kiss, Pining, Drunkenness) – Taking place in Season 3, John listens to an old favourite song and sorts through his memories and feelings about Sherlock and Mary.

First Night Out by verityburns (M, 3,251 w. || Romance, Christmas, Dev. Rel.) – As John recovers from the effects of a brutal kidnapping, he and Sherlock attend the Yarders’ Christmas Party. There are… developments on the dance floor…

Acceptable Behaviour by bbcatemysoul (M, 3,449 w. || Fluff, Dev. Rel., Miscommunication, First Time) – Sherlock isn’t really sure why John wants to shag him, but he’s certain that if he’s careful to behave properly about it, John can be persuaded to keep doing it. In other news, John is a good boyfriend and Sherlock is an idiot.

the things that comfort us by hudders-and-hiddles (T, 3,728 w. || Sherlock’s Return, H/C, John’s Jumpers, Post-TRF) – Sherlock takes one of John’s jumpers with him when he leaves to dismantle Moriarty’s network. One day, John notices it’s missing. Part 2 of Tumbling Hudders

nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands by miss_frankenstein (T, 3,988 w. || Kissing in the Rain, Angst With Happy Ending) – In which John and Sherlock finally confront their feelings for each other - as only they would do - in the pouring rain. {{FAVE!!}}

White Blank Page by Vanetti (T, 4,036 w.+, WiP || Pining) – John has been thinking about his flatmate quite a bit. What he doesn’t realize is that he has been on Sherlock’s mind, as well.

There’s Something Living in These Lines by teahigh (orphan_account) (M, 4,676 w. || Pining, Angst, Love Letters, UST, Dirty Talk) – Two men, complete opposites in almost every way, who speak only in letters and pages torn from books.

No Light, No Light (in your bright blue eyes) by orphan_account (G, 5,915 w. || Angst, Pining, Songfic, Mutual Unrequited Love, Unresolved Tension) – Relates to both Sherlock’s and John’s feelings for each other and highlights select moments of hurt and inner turmoil starting from right before the fall all the way to HLV.

Play for Me by nothingislittle (E, 6,105 w. || Ambiguous Ending, Scars, PWP, Masturbation / Hand Jobs, Angst, Pining Sherlock, Sherlock’s Violin) – John had shown up at Baker Street only one day prior, an army duffle slung over his shoulder, the expression on his face like a cracked and ruptured fault line. Sherlock stood aside, holding open the door, and let John ascend the stairs in silence, asking nothing of Mary, asking nothing at all.

Thirty Three Hours Without JohnWatson by Bookaholic, mybrotherharry   (M, 6,232 w. || First Kiss / Time, Pining Idiots, BG Mystrade, Crackish) – Sherlock can SO TOTALLY survive without John Watson. It should be a piece of cake.AKA the time when Sherlock braved grocery store lines for milk, purchased and gave away a box of tampons and figured out what the X-Factor is. Greg and Mycroft didn’t sign up for this shit. Next time, they are going to the Bahamas.

Correspondence by Cleo2010 (T, 8,031 w. || Letters, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Pining) – Sherlock’s been spirited away on a case for Mycroft. Part of the deal was that he and John could communicate via letter until the case was completed. Maybe the cliche is true, absence does make the heart grow fonder. Or perhaps something is growing on the feet in the fridge.Read their letters month by month. Written after series one.

We are all together alone by Mildredandbobbin (M, 10,461 w. || Mutual Pining, Implied Torture, PTSD, Child Loss, Post-S3) – John is back at 221B but his relationship with Sherlock is not what it used to be.

Just a Kiss by emmagrant01 (E, 19,695 w. || 5+1, Case Fic) – Five times John and Sherlock kissed because of a case and one time they kissed for real.

The Sexual Awakening of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson by suitesamba (M, 24,579 w. || Post-TRF, Case Fic, H/C, First Kiss/Time) – Sherlock owes Mycroft a favor. Mycroft calls in that favor by offering Sherlock’s consulting services in a charity auction. Sherlock and John soon find themselves at the country manor of Mrs. Ives-Patton Smarmington III - not very coincidentally a long-time friend of Sherlock’s mother - where they are reluctant participants in her Murder Mystery Weekend. It’s a play within a play for Sherlock and John, and their roles for the weekend event bleed over into their real lives, waking the sleeping dragons within.

Don’t Leave Anything Out by lookupkate (E, 27,422w. || Epistolary, Falling in Love, Misunderstandings, Alternate First Meeting) – The first letter John writes home from Afghanistan is meant to go to a woman he went on only one date with. How it ends up in Sherlock’s hands is completely innocent. What happens next is not. What do you do when you find out the person you’re in love with has been lying about something as monumental as who they are? What do you do when you’re the one who lied? How on earth do you put the pieces back together?

Hitting the Water at Sixty Miles an Hour by what_alchemy (E, 30,568 w. || Fake Relationship, Road Trips, Sherlock’s Family) – “You love your mother, Sherlock?”John watched the muscles in Sherlock’s jaw jump. He nodded in one sharp jerk.“Then we’re going to her party and making her happy.” John let out a resigned sigh. “As a ruddy couple, you bastard.” 

Five Times They Kissed for a Case, and One Time They Kissed for Real by fleetwood_mouse (M, 32,406 w. || 5+1, Slow Burn, Fluff / Angst, Mutual Pining) – A stolen ring! An artful blogger! And many more adventures for your enjoyment.

The Progress of Sherlock Holmes by ivyblossom (E, 62,006 w || Sherlock POV, Pining, Angst, Slow Burn, Infidelity, Sherlock Learns About Himself, Happy Ending) – Sherlock struggles with his feelings for John, makes a mistake, and learns just how important he and John are to each other. Non-BBC Mary / John, but it’s a *complicated* relationship.

Midnight Blue Serenity by BeautifulFiction (E, 151,907 w. || Friends to Lovers, Gay Bar / For a Case, Drugs, Pining, Case Fic, UST) – When Sherlock infiltrates a club in order to track down a serial killer, his altered appearance is enough to make John question his assumption that Sherlock is beyond his reach. However, is he the only one who appreciates his flatmate’s charms, or is Sherlock at risk of becoming the next victim?

ALTERNATE UNIVERSES

To Mend A Heart by dee-light (G, 1,472 w. || Magical Realism, Emotional H/C) – Hearts can be broken, and mended, and broken again. Good thing, then, that hearts are only the seat of all emotion, and not something Sherlock needs in order to live.

It’s After That Hurts by jonnyluvssherlock (T, 2,741 w. || Winglock || Soldier John, War Zone, Friends to Lovers) – Sherlock’s an angel stuck as a guardian to danger addict John Watson. Everything is fine until he gets too involved. Now he has to make the choice, eternity alone or one life time with a man who may or may not love him.

We Bleed into the Grey by QuinnAnderson (T, 4,989 w. || First Kiss, Supernatural Elements, Fluff & Angst) – It was stupid, really. What was the point of having an ability if it wasn’t even a useful one? Sherlock would just as soon be rid of his. Until he meets John Watson, that is.

Winter of Life by You_Light_The_Sky (T, 5,178 w. || Christmas, Fluff & Angst, Magic Realism) – It was an experiment, really. On Christmas, Sherlock wrote to Santa asking for a friend. He got a broken toy soldier instead. This is the story of how he finds him again and again.

The Heart On Your Sleeve by flawedamythyst (T, 5,441 w. || Soulmate AU || Sherlock POV, Heartmarks, Pining, Fluff and Angst, Semi-S1 / S2 Canon Compliant, Reunion) – Sherlock stared at the imperfect circle on his left wrist in horror, then sat down on his bed with a bit of a thump. After over thirty years, his heartmark was finally showing activity. This was not good.

Finding John by orphan_account (T, 5,456 w. || Soul Bond AU, Symbolic Rings, Soul Mates) – Sherlock Holmes has met exactly twenty-four Johns in his life. They have all been the wrong John. He’s getting tired of waiting, staring at the inscription on his finger and wondering when his John will turn up, if ever. Part 1 of Inscriptions

Not The Hands That Kill by You_Light_The_Sky (M, 6,201 w. || Winglock || Whump, Mentions of Drug Use) – Having wings does not make Sherlock Holmes a guardian angel, not in the way that John Watson is his.

I Used to Live Alone Before I Knew You by etothepii (T, 11,052 w. || Winglock) – Where Mycroft is an angel, Sherlock is a demon, and John is still John.

In A Changing Age by allonsys_girl (E, 15,590 w. || Victorian AU, Virgin / Demi Sherlock, First Kiss / Time, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, Mild H/C) – Sherlock wakes up in the 19th century, with no idea how he got there.

With All My Heart by QuinnAnderson (E, 19,257 w. || Red Marks / Soulmates || Magical Realism, Growing Up, First Kiss / Time, Falling in Love) – AU in which every time a person falls in love, a red line like a tally mark appears on their wrist. Sherlock is determined to keep himself from ever gaining one of these marks for fear that love will corrode his mental faculties. Then he meets John Watson.

The Midas Touch by flawedamythyst (E, 32,231 w. || Magical Realism, John has a Magical Cock, Dub Con, Healer John) – John Watson has a medical condition that means everyone he sleeps with is instantly healed of all illness and injury. This causes complications when Sherlock breaks his arm, and even more complications when Sherlock falls in love with him. Yes, this is a story where John has a literal magic healing cock. It’s a lot less cracky than you’re probably imagining. Warning: Contains complex issues of sexual consent, although not between Sherlock and John.

[rnelodyy]

(badly formatted because mobile is ass) Theory Time!

So we’ve all seen the new video introducing the new villain of Sonic Forces: Infinite. People have already picked apart the video and other teasers so I will just list the key points for this theory on just who or what this asshole is.

- Shadow, Chaos and Metal have been brainwashed.

- Infinite is faster than Sonic and can fly.

- People who can’t possibly be there are present nonetheless (Classic Sonic, Chaos, Metal, Silver).

- Eggman is implied to have multiple copies of the mechs from previous games (Egg Dragoons, Death Egg Robots).

But the most important thing is the motif constantly associated with Infinite.

Glitches.

They’re absolutely EVERYWHERE. Chaos and Metal appear to glitch while under his control, there’s glitches hovering around him and both his musical theme and the video attached to it are OVERFLOWING with glitches.

This is not by accident, or a one-time Cool Effect™. This is DELIBERATE.

And in case we’ve all forgotten, GLITCHES ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN VIDEO GAMES! They’re bugs, development errors, things game developers WANT and NEED to remove before final release! So why would Infinite have glitches all around him?

To understand that, let’s look at another game that deliberately uses glitches as a part of gameplay: Undertale.

We all know the way Undertale fucks with your game. Distortion of visuals and audio, save scumming, storing information between saves, screwing around with the interface and even deliberately crashing the game. However, there’s one vital plot point that allows all of that to take place, the only reason WHY Undertale can fuck around with itself this much and what I’m suspecting is going on with Infinite.

There are characters that are AWARE of the fact that they are in a video game.

Sans is aware of your ability to save and load, and remembers things about your previous playthrough if you reset your save file. He’s also the person calling you on the phone at the end of a Neutral run, when you’re pretty much in The Void™.

Flowey is also aware of the ability to save and load, considering he used to HAVE that ability. He remembers your previous playthrough, addresses you (the player) directly on occasion and tells you that he knows what it’s like to use the world as his plaything. When in possession of the six human souls, he can save and load again and has the power to crash your game.

But how is that linked to Infinite? Well, Infinite HAS that same awareness! It’s not shown in the video that introduces him, but it is HEAVILY implied in the lyrics of his musical theme, both in the background vocals and in the song itself.

“When there’s no-one left / To carry on / (This is an illusion, open up your eyes and)”

“So look around you / And tell me what you really see / You live a lie and that’s the difference to you and me”

“This is an illusion”, “You live a lie”, Infinite is aware that Sonic’s world is fictional, and so far, he’s the only one who knows. I feel like this song is addressing Sonic and pals, because he’s clearly talking to people IN the game.

However, there is one more parallel I haven’t discussed yet, and honestly the most dangerous one.

Sans, Flowey and Infinite are INSANELY powerful because of their awareness. So powerful, in fact, that Sans and Flowey function as the final bosses of Undertale (Flowey for the Neutral and (technically) the True Pacifist run, Sans for the Genocide run) and we can safely assume Infinite will be the final boss for Forces. I will focus solely on Sans and Infinite for this one because including Flowey would make this REALLY long and spoilery.

Sans DELIBERATELY BREAKS THE RULES OF THE GAME to beat you on a Genocide run. He delivers the first strike (Undertale ALWAYS lets the player attack first), dodges your attacks, disables invincibility frames, attacks you while you’re in the menu, gives you a chance to “spare” him before unleashing an unavoidable attack, and when he’s too tired to continue fighting, he LOCKS YOU IN HIS TURN with the intention to stay there until you get bored and leave! For this reason, his boss fight is infamous for being one of the hardest, most rage-inducing fights in the history of gaming.

Infinite, from what we can see, is PANTS-SHITTINGLY overpowered. He’s faster than Sonic, he’s strong as balls, he can fly, he can preform mind control, he has that weird cube-attack that we don’t know what it does yet, he’s implied to be immortal and he has no perceived weaknesses. That’s INSANE, even for a final boss. Think about it, EVERY boss, every character we’ve seen has had some form of weakness or flaw. Infinite doesn’t. That’s not a tough boss, that’s straight up UNFAIR!

So what does this mean?

It means that, like Sans, Infinite isn’t playing by the rules. However, there’s one key difference between these two characters.

Sans is a cheater. Breaking the rules, but staying within the parameters of Undertale itself. He’s flimsy as fuck, but he uses cheating to nullify his weak stats. Only 1 HP and 1 DEFENSE? No problem, just dodge everything coming at you. Only 1 ATTACK? Yeah, he deals 1 damage, but not per hit, per FRAME (plus he has a sort of poison effect but that could just be a Thing he can do). Sans’s antics don’t have a big impact on the world around him, because the rules he breaks aren’t fundamental to the universe.

Infinite, however, is a hacker. He changed his own stats to make him more powerful than anyone else, to the point of near-godhood. This makes him more dangerous than Sans, because he can not only break the rules, he can REWITE them entirely.

Now, I guarantee some of you have hacked before (I don’t mean exploiting bugs, I mean deliberately fucking with the game’s code). If you have, you probably know that it rarely ends well. Games are just not built with hacked clients in mind, so hacking can result in crashes, fucked-up models/sprites, ending up in places you’re not supposed to be (and getting stuck), missing out on things you’ve GOT to have to complete the game, and… Glitches.

Which links us back to Infinite and his glitchy Aesthetic™.

This could be incredibly dangerous for EVERYONE in this game. If you fuck with a game’s code too much, things go south FAST. I’m talking characters who die before they’re supposed to, levels or objectives that can’t be completed, clipping through floors of areas you HAVE to pass through, the list goes on. And in the worst cases, we’re talking about corrupted save files, destroyed games or - in some VERY extreme cases - a broken console/PC.

Infinite has the power to do that. He has the power to fuck up a save file, he has the power to rewrite the universe as he pleases. Sonic and friends are just playthings to him. He can make himself too powerful for them to possibly defeat, and if they come close, he can alter their code. He can change their abilities, their wants and needs (mind control, anyone?) and their ENTIRE PERSONALITY! He can bring people back from the dead and wipe those who oppose him from existence within the blink of an eye.

We’re seeing the effects of his fuckery already. Chaos and Metal are glitching because they’re not supposed to be alive (Chaos died in SA1 and - besides Generations - when have we seen Metal after Heroes?). There are doubles of Eggman’s mechs because Infinite has been spawning them in (which must be easier to do than to bring someone back from the dead), but they’re weaker and easier to defeat. Green Hill has lost part of its color, and all the water has turned into sand. Not only that, but the entire planet is burning and crumbling, and I don’t think it’s JUST Eggman. It’s only a matter of time before Infinite does permanent damage.

And I think this is where the Avatar comes in.

We, as players, have always been glorified spectators. Sure, we control Sonic (and sometimes other people), but Sonic is his own person. He has his own personality, his own wants and needs, he’s not just an extension of the player.

The Avatar, however, is a blank slate. We get to decide their species, their appearance, and I’m assuming we also get to decide how they interact with the other characters. They have no personality TO manipulate, therefore they’re immune to Infinite’s bullshit.

And most importantly, we, the players, can hack as well.

We are the only ones who can counter Infinite’s power, because we have the same ability. Infinite is the physical embodiment of a virus, and we are the only ones who can remove it. Fight fire with fire, as they say.

Anyway, that’s just my theory. Sorry if this is rambly or hard to read, once again, mobile is ass.

[robotnik-mun]

Answer ALL OF THEM.

....oh you dirty *BITCH*....!

A cartoon you remember that nobody else does.

At times I feel like the only person on Earth who remembers Exosquad.

It’s a real shame, because Exosquad was one of the best toons of the 90s and proof positive that just because something was made to tie-in to toys, doesn’t mean that it has to be little more than a mindless extended commercial. 

A cartoon you like but nobody else seems to.

That would be Beast Machines. A sequel series to the uber-good Beast Wars, this series caught a lot of derision for its shift in tone, design and character. Given the context though, I didn’t really see it as being ALL that divergent, with our heroes returning to a world where Megatron rules all and forced to learn how to use new, techno-organic bodies in order to combat him. Given the stress of the situation, I thought it wasn’t really THAT much of a stretch that the character’s personalities would change so much given the trauma of what had happened. Ah well. 

A cartoon you don’t like but everybody else seems to. 

That would be the Looney Tunes Show. At times I feel like the only person on Earth who just wasn’t impressed with it. I mean its not horrible or anything, but I feel like I’m the only person around who wasn’t all that wowed by it when it came out. 

A cartoon you wish would be forgotten.

Sausage Party. For being a simplistic, puerile, overhyped puddle of mediocrity, it deserves to be swept into the dustbin of history. 

The worst cartoon you’ve ever seen, and why?

You know, I had to give this some thought, but that would have to be Mr. Pickles.  Mr. Pickles is basically an amalgamation of everything you could ever hate about ‘adult’ cartoons in the US- it’s ugly, unpleasant and pointless. The humor is one note and entirely reliant upon grossing people out in the most nauseating ways possible, and there is literally no one to root for- the dog is the Devil, every human being alive is monstrous, ugly and stupid, the only person who is clued in on this is a feeble old man who lives to be bested and tormented by the devil dog, and given how awful everyone and everything around him is you’re just left to wonder why he bothers. Everything about this series is just irredeemably, endlessly unpleasant. 

The worst moment you’ve ever seen happen in a cartoon.

That would be the ‘Bunny Pajamas’ incident in Hey Arnold. See, there was this episode where quite by accident, Arnold discovered that Iggy, the coolest kid in school, liked to wear Bunny Pajama when sick. After having the information pried out of him by Sid and Stinky, Iggy forces Arnold to walk out in Bunny Pajamas in public as a means of forgiveness, utterly humiliating him in the process. What’s worse is that Sid and Stinky only *guessed* the truth. There was just... nothing after that. No resolution or anything. It was just a weirdly mean-spirited of an otherwise excellent series. 

The worst thing you’ve ever seen happen to a cartoon that ruined it.

The love triangle nonsense in Legend of Korra. I just... couldn’t let myself be invested anymore after it, I just couldn’t. I learned to detest everybody involved, and so I left the series before it could fester any further. 

A cancelled/forgotten cartoon you would bring back to television.

I have to pick just one? Geeze... well, I’m gonna break with tradition, and say War Planets. WE DESERVE AN ACTUAL RESOLUTION DAMMIT!

An animated character you remember but nobody else seems to.

Nilus the Sandman. I seriously feel like the only person who remembers that this guy was ever a thing. 

An animated character you hate the most, and why?

Hmm... that would have to be Cheese. It was bad enough that this utterly useless and unspeakably obnoxious little cretin got more and more screentime on the show, but as time went on he practically became the mascot for Cartoon Network. He represents everything you could possibly hate about a character, and more importantly, the tendancy for executives to latch on to the lowest hanging fruit in the name of grabbing attention and views.  

A non-animated property you would like to see as a cartoon

Oh, that’s easy- Starfox. I’ve always, always wished that there had been a Starfox cartoon out there and given the time the first game was released, I’m kind of amazed we never got one. 

A trope or trend in animation that you dislike.

I’m not all that fond of the reatreat from action toons that has been going on for a while now, or the fact that cartoons are increasingly focused on comedy at the expense of everything else. It’s not so much that I don’t like comedy or anything like that, but I just prefer there to be a bit of variety and feel a genuine regret that things like Batman: The Animated Series or SwatKats are increasingly becoming a phenomenah of the past. Well, who knows, maybe Netflix will give toons like that a place to thrive- Young Justice will be coming back, after all. Here’s hoping that starts a trend, or rather, RE-starts a trend. 

A currently airing cartoon that you know is going to be forgotten about in the future.

Pickle and Peanut. And thank God for that.��

The best episode of a cartoon you really like.

Code of Hero, Beast Wars. One of the best Transformers anything ever, this is always gonna be a favorite. 

The worst episode of a cartoon you really like.

Ro-Becca, from Sonic the Hedgehog. I love you SatAM, always will, but good GOD we could have done without that one. 

A cartoon you feel deserves more recognition than it gets.

Disney’s Gummi Bears. Besides the fact that this series is what really got the ball rolling with Disney’s major TV rennaissance, the series itself is really quite incredible from both a visual and storytelling standpoint, especially with regards for the time that it was released. Despite having a fairly typical ‘Gang of Critters’ setup for the time, right down to each character being named for a trait (Gruffi, Tummi, Cubbi etc), every one of the Gummi Bears has a lot more going on than the surface would indicate, and there is a maturity to the worldbuilding and storytelling that belies what its name and appearance would suggest. Besides that, Princess Calla has to be one of the most badass princesses ever to grace television. This series is a gem, and its a shame it isn’t remembered and recognized more than it is. 

A cartoon you feel deserves less recognition than what it gets.

Sausage Party. I’m mentioning it twice, but it really does not deserve the hype it got or the kind of reviews it got. In the history of adult oriented animation in the US, Sausage Party brings nothing new to the table beyond re-affirming that tired stereotype that ‘mature’ animation must be the most puerile and juvenile minded tripe out there. Everything from its supposed themes to the nature of its humor is just sub-par, and I will never, ever view it as anything more than a cheap gimmick film that banked on novelty rather than anything worthwhile. 

The worst idea you can think of for an animated series.

Lara-Su Chronicles- The Series! 

At what point did you realize a cartoon, any cartoon was starting to get bad?

Well, like many, I started to realize things were going downhill in the ‘03 Ninja Turtles cartoon once we reached the Flash Forward season. Now to be clear, I didn’t think it was a bad premise, and a lot of the ideas and designs in the season had a lot of promise. Unfortunately, that promise wasn’t really met- the season lacked a certain spark that those before it had. The magic was gone, replaced by something that just didn’t do the series justice. I lost track after that season, and from the looks of it I was right for doing so. 

An experience with a cartoon you thought you were going to like but turned you away from it.

Wolverine and the X-men. See, I like X-men. I like Wolverine. So surely, I should like this right? Well, initially I did... but as time went on, Wolverine became less and less tolerable, particularly since it felt like Cyclops was getting shit on as a character to make Wolverine look better even though their dynamics were now completely opposite from what it had traditionally been. Which could have been interesting mind you, but nothing of worth was really done with it. I abandoned the series and never looked back. 

Something you would like to see more than anything in a cartoon.

Hmmm... this is a fandom specific one, but honestly? I’d love to see a Transformers cartoon that does the old ‘Cybertronians Become Human’ bit, but to *actually* do it and explore the concept in a mature way, to explore how immortal war machines respond to suddenly becoming frail, short lived humans and all too aware of the fact, as well as learning how to endure a human existence. Maybe someday it will happen, but for now, I can but wish. 

What do you feel makes a cartoon forgettable?

I think more than anything, writing and plotting can be the key to if a cartoon is remembered or forgotten. Being overly reliant on stock plots and playing it too safe more than anything can make a cartoon bland or cliched. I mean don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot more to it than that, but this is I think more than anything is what leads to a lot of cartoons winding up forgotten.