#( o death. );; about: erik.

[smallergcd]

𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗥  𝗔𝗡𝗗  𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗠𝗦  𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘

bold  what  always  applies.  italicize  what  sometimes / somewhat  applies.  strikethrough  what  never  applies.  repost,  do  not  reblog.

𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗦

avoids  eye  contact  when  nervous  ■  maintains  eye  contact  when  nervous  ■  avoids  eye  contact  due  to  being  neurodivergent  ■  enjoys  eye  contact  as  a  means  to  read  and  convey  emotion  ■  looks  down  when  emotional  ■  looks  up  when  emotional  ■  cries  openly  ■  wipes  tears  quickly  ■  suppresses  tears  ■  wandering  gaze  when  lost  in  thought  ■  holds  gaze  while  thinking  ■  seeks  out  eye  contact  for  reassurance  ■  seeks  out  eye  contact  to  gauge  enthusiasm  during  conversations  ■  eyes  move  constantly  during  conversation  ■  expressive  eyes  ■  emotions  only  evident  through  eyes  ■  uses  eye  contact  to  intimidate  ■  looks  up  while  thinking  ■  looks  down  while  thinking

𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦

clasps  behind  back  ■  rests  in  lap  ■  fidgets  with  clothes  ■  twiddles  thumbs  ■  chews  at  nails  ■  pushes  back  cuticles  ■  draws  patterns  on  table / counter  surfaces  ■  animated  gestures  while  speaking  ■  only  gestures  to  emphasize  ■  utilizes  sign  language  ■  speaks  only  through  sign  ■  callouses  ■  scars  ■  smooth  ■  wrinkled  ■  worn  ■  soft  ■  delicate  ■  boney  ■  slender  ■  thick  ■  veiny  ■  touches  others  while  speaking  ■  reaches  out  while  laughing  ■  reaches  out  to  comfort  others  ■  reaches  out  to  seek  comfort  ■  places  face  in  hands  when  exasperated  ■  places  palms  over  eyes  to  hide  when  overwhelmed  ■  rests  chin  in  hands  ■  taps  fingers  when  impatient  ■  taps  fingers  when  nervous  ■  taps  fingers  while  thinking  ■  scratches  scalp  ■  strokes  chin  ■  rubs  back  of  head  ■  toys  with  objects  around  them  ■  runs  fingers  over  surfaces  while  walking  by

𝗠𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛

chews  lip  ■  chews  at  inside  of  cheek  ■  licks  lips  ■  bites  tongue  ■  chews  on  straws  ■  resting  frown  ■  resting  smile  ■  neutral  resting  expression  ■  resting  pout  ■  grinds  teeth  ■  flexes  jaw  ■  covers  mouth  when  laughing  ■  covers  mouth  when  shocked  ■  covers  mouth  when  concerned  ■  hands  to  lips  while  thinking  ■  covers  mouth  when  chewing  ■  chews  with  mouth  closed  ■  chews  with  mouth  open  ■  smirks  ■  grins  ■  subtle  smiles  ■  wide  smiles  ■  sad  smiles  ■  intimidating  smiles  ■  menacing  grins  ■  openly  smiles  ■  tries  to  suppress  smiles  ■  bares  teeth  when  angry  ■  lips  quiver  when  emotional  ■  stutters  ■  speaks  quickly  ■  speaks  slowly  ■  good  pronunciation  ■  poor  pronunciation  ■  moderate  pronunciation  ■  purses  lips  ■  sucks  in  lips  ■  holds  mouth  open  when  shocked  or  confused

𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗦

bounces  leg  when  nervous  ■  draws  knees  to  chest  when  sitting  ■  draws  knees  to  chest  as  a  means  of  comfort  ■  sits  on  knees  ■  sits  with  legs  criss  crossed  ■  sits  with  legs  spread  open  in  chairs  ■  crosses  legs  when  sitting  in  chairs  ■  sits  with  one  leg  folded  under  the  other  ■  places  feet  on  furniture  ■  never  places  feet  on  furniture  ■  sits  on  counters  ■  sits  on  desks  ■  sits  on  tables  ■  sits  on  edge  of  seat  ■  sits  hunched  over  with  forearms  on  knees  ■  arches  one  knee  up  ■  sits  on  the  arm  of  chairs / couches  ■  feet  on  dashboard  ■  swings  legs  back  and  forth  when  sitting  somewhere  elevated  ■  wiggles  toes  when  nervous  ■  wiggles  toes  as  a  general tick  ■  shuffles  feet  ■  kicks  foot  into  ground  ■  stomps  feet  ■  loud  footsteps  ■  quiet  footsteps  ■  silent  footsteps

𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗥

runs  fingers  through  hair  ■  tugs  at  hair  ■  picks  at  scalp  ■  chews  on  hair  ■  twists  locks  of  hair  while  thinking  or  nervous  ■  smooths  out  locks  of  hair  while  thinking  or  nervous  ■  prefers  hair  out  of  face  ■  prefers  long  hair  ■  prefers  short  hair  ■  wears  hair  back  ■  keeps  hair  down  ■  smooths  back  hair  ■  plays  with  other’s  hair  while  talking  ■  plays  with  own  hair  while  talking  ■  strokes  hair  to  comfort  others  ■  likes  having  hair  stroked  for  their  own  comfort  ■  braids  others’  hair  while  talking  ■  braids  own  hair  while  talking  ■  flips  hair  out  of  face  ■  pushes  hair  out  of  face  ■  leaves  hair  alone  even  when  falling  into  face

Tagged by: @fcllederage <3 Tagging: @vxctorx, @id1eyouth, @gnarledbite, @mxldito and you!!

[awkward-walking-potato]

X-Men masterlist

Link to my marvel one - here

My requests are open!

Wolverine Masterlist

Deadpool Masterlist

Remy Lebeau

In sickness and in health - Request for Remy with his lady being sick?

Steady as a card in the wind - Gambit with a partner with anxiety

Jealous Remy - A guy starts flirting with reader at the bar and how he reacts

Clubbing with Gambit

Guess - Gambit returns to the woman he hurt, admitting his fear of commitment and asking for a chance to prove his love. Despite her lingering pain, she decides to give him one last chance, hopeful that this time might be different.

Under the Crescent Moon - Remy takes you to a drive in movie to see his favourite movie, Princess and the frog.

Trick or Treat - “I couldn’t find a costume, so I just decided to go as your [partner/bf/gf].”

Playful Bites - gender neutral reader who likes to affectionately bite him

Remy comforting the reader after a nightmare

Prom Night pressure - Planning prom gets too much and causes you to overwork yourself

Hank Mccoy

Reassurance - reader has a panic attack and Hank comforts them

Quiet Moments in the Lab - reader who gets overwhelmed cause she has a similar mutation to Charles, and finds comfort in the quiet of the lab

Kurt Wagner

The midnight Visitor - It is just Kurt being the biggest kitty cat

Tangled hearts,Torn leather - Kurt with a Punk reader and they are very much sunshine and grumpy trope

In the blink of a heart - What Kurt would think about his shy gender neutral crush giving him a love letter before leaving quickly

Saved by Nightcrawler - Kurt saves your life on a mission so you save his

Pouting and fluff - Kurt comes in soaking wet and you have to dry him off

Swashbuckling - What happens when you watch pirates of the Caribbean with Kurt.

Shades of Us - Kurt with reader who has a physical mutation like himself

Kurt surprising his gender-neutral s/o by wrapping his tail around their waist in private

Kurt reacting to his gender neutral crush telling him that they admire how kind he is despite how much he had suffered in the past

Fuzzy Comforts - reader comes home drunk and immediately latches onto nightcrawler and starts calling him a teddy because of the fur

Shadows of devotion - Kurt x goth Mutant reader (whose power is smoke like turning herself into smoke or smoke like Illusions)

Drawn to you - Kurt ends up seeing the art that the reader makes

Whispers of Moonlight - Kurt makes friends with death

Discovering You Were in an Illegal Mutant Cage Fighting Ring

Reflections - the reader feels ugly and has been treated unkindly because of it and kurt helps them out

Charles Xavier

A gentle touch - Charles looks after a sick reader

Are you still busy? - reader who just keeps bothering him while he is working cause they want his attention and every one else is busy

Erik Lehnsherr

Beautiful Darkness - The reader has always felt like an outcast even with the other mutants till she meets Erik

Moonlit reflections - “I spent so long in the darkness I’d almost forgotten how beautiful the moonlight is.” Erik helps out a reader with a werewolf mutation

Comfort in the Darkness - Erik helps with reader see how beautiful her powers are

Scott Summers

headcanons for how Scott would support an S/O struggling with depression and mental health

An Easy Fix - When your car breaks down near the mansion Scott is there to help

Headcanons

Logan and Wade on Receiving a Love Letter from Their Shy, Gender-Neutral Crush

Gambit's on Receiving a Love Letter from His Shy, Gender-Neutral Crush

Remy, Logan, and Wade would think about his female s/o walking in on him

Remy, wade, and logan reacting to their s/o wearing lip plumping lip gloss

Remy, Logan, and Wade would think walking in on his female s/o

Remy, Logan, Wade, and Kurt on their Gender-Neutral S/O Asking to Hold Their Hand/Arm Before a Scary Halloween Movie

Headcanons: Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler) & Remy LeBeau (Gambit) with Siren!Reader

headcanons for how Storm, Magneto, and Nightcrawler would react to an S/O whose mutation isn’t combat-oriented and who feels insecure or weak compared to the others

headcanons for how Kurt and Scott would react to having an S/O with a "sunshine aura":

Scott Summers (Cyclops), Charles Xavier (Professor X), and Magneto might react to a reader with a powerful and versatile mutation who feels undercoordinated

Scott (Cyclops), Remy (Gambit), and Logan (Wolverine) would react to rescuing a reader who had been trapped in an illegal mutant fighting ring

Remy (Gambit), Wade (Deadpool), and Logan (Wolverine) would react to their shy, gender-neutral crush whispering a confession in their ear

Remy, Wade, and Logan might react and feel about a gender-neutral S/O who always makes sure to tell them "I love you" whenever possible

headcanons for a polyamorous relationship between Wade Wilson (Deadpool), Logan (Wolverine), and their gender-neutral s/o who acts as a mediator and the voice of reason

Kurt, Emma, and Scott with a reader that’s a little off-putting? They’re mostly harmless but them not making a sound still gives people a start.

Remy, poly Wade, and Logan would think about his shy gender neutral s/o asking him to kiss his forehead in hopes that he would feel loved

Remy, poly Wade, and Logan would think about his gender neutral s/o telling him that they haven't calmed down from the disagreement/arguement so they want to sleep separately

Remy (Gambit), Logan (Wolverine), and Kurt (Nightcrawler) might react to an S/O who often depreciates themselves

[bad-system]

henry & foils: markvart von aulitz

i was rewatching the henry & dying von aulitz scene and i'm always startled by how incredible this game's theme and messages come through in this scene. i think i would call it a culmination of KCD1 & 2's story, even more so than henry's and istvan's death scene. it truly sets us up with KCD3.

the theme that is so interwoven with henry is revenge.

henry's master is revenge, and his secondary masters are the nobles who serve an idle king, who is established as bad both for the country and its people. the only reason henry is aligned with wenceslaus is because sigismund torched his village, and thus begins his story of revenge. otherwise, his beliefs are flimsy, and i believe if you asked henry about his actual convictions at any point of KCD2, even at the end of the game, you would get a defensive answer at best- because he himself doesn't know what he stands for yet.

you could argue that hans capon is where his true loyalties lie but then we circle back again to henry not having beliefs of his own again. and while that might be a reason enough to some people, i don't think a protagonist of the story should be left on such an unstable moral ground.

but! this is a good choice narratively actually. it drives his character towards a point at which he MUST decide what he believes in, not only who he wants to follow. it would mark the next chapter of henry's story.

i believe it's what the game has been trying to tell you since hans nearly got hanged; it's about chamberlain ulrich playing at judge. even von bergow sees this and tells him to stop that immediately.

and then we have the semine's.

the game has warned you about playing the judge, like ulrich, and now like hashek. hashek wants to enact his revenge in blind fury, sparing not even the innocent. it shows how revenge can grow so blind in its lust.

you are even given the option to burn the village at maleshov for the sake of your cause- something that literally happened to henry. at this point the player realizes just how far revenge has gotten henry; it has gotten him to the point where he is the one with the hand on the torch, at the precipice of something truly awful.

and if you do that- ha! you're just like istvan indeed. istvan; an orphan turned glorified royal bandit who did not stop at repeating the very tragedy that took away everything from him. i love henry's foils.

so whichever choice you decide to pursue in case of von aulitz, i believe the story the game is trying to tell you is that this is a moment where henry should realize the gross weight of revenge he's holding onto, and that this is the moment of realization that cracks the flimsy foundations he's been building on up until now. that he cannot keep being the Judge, Jury and Executioner.

this would also be the perfect mirror to istvan toth's erik- someone henry had wronged so terribly, that it is hinted at even in KCD2 that erik is unlikely to let go of that and that we definitely haven't seen the last of him. while henry lets go, erik begins the same cycle of revenge. and isn't that a tragedy?

this would also mark the moment where henry decides to take a side not out of fear, like istvan, but out of courage.

as for the choice of song during markvart's scene.

did the writers mean for the meaning to run this deep? maybe. maybe not. but i chose to cover this anyways because of how perfectly it falls into place.

lacrimosa, the last part of dies irae, is a poem about a sinner looking for his own salvation. it is a plea, but it ends with the sinner asking for salvation of others rather than himself; a voice that asks for eternal rest rather for the departed than for the petitioner.

henry, the guilty man, the judge, the fire!

markvart's scene is set in front of a fireplace! in front of the guilty judge's flame!

and what does henry do when markvart dies in the chair?

he crosses himself! for markvart von aulitz, not himself!

— "Therefore spare him, O God, Merciful Lord Jesus, grant them eternal rest. Amen."

absolute cinema.

and thus the judge's verdict moves past the living and the dead, and he prepares to judge the world with fire anew.

why do i highlight the word 'world'? henry's horizons are about to vastly expand past the current horizons, both geographically and metaphorically, in the next installments of the story. the world- maybe hussites? it's time for him to look at the bigger picture!

and finally; something that occured to me while writing this.

i believe istvan toth to be henry's foil in fear. during henry's and istvan's conversation before their duel in trosky, istvan reveals he is an orphan too, thanks to turks. and tragically, he reveals that he sided with the stronger dog- because standing behind someone strong will protect you from being harmed again. however, where istvan engages in the cycle of violence by inflicting the same violence on people that was enacted on him, you as the player have a choice- to stop henry from allowing a massacre to happen. you have a choice to prove istvan that you're NOT like him.

i also believe markvart von aulitz to be henry's foil in guilt. hence; in regards to the semine massacre. if you let henry enable hashek, you watch as the guards kill every man and woman on the estate. and then remember aulitz's words;

"And are you sure you didn't kill someone's father? Or Mother?"

and you get to prove him wrong. you get to prove him wrong because you watched ulrich play at judge, jury and executioner and you realized that henry would not enable it.

oh, and finally; erik. the biggest wildcard foil of them all. while henry has a chance to put a stop to hashek's and von aulitz's foils reflecting in him, in erik you are actually the one who creates the foil by killing istvan! like i mentioned previously, you enable erik's cycle of revenge. why?

you killed his lover. out of revenge.

this is not an outcome the game allows you to avoid. it is a purposefully constructed narrative. why? well, the one event i kept repeating was chamberlain ulrich. the first. and likely- the last.

it's the only scene left that makes sense for the third foil. the only time where you don't get to stop it from happening, except watch helplessly. henry watches on as his lover is about to be executed without being able to prevent it. just like erik hadn't had a chance to prevent istvan's death. so, imagine the final foil, of revenge, being reversed by the promised return of erik. what if erik exacts his revenge by killing henry? lover for lover.

________

sorry for this. i'm highly caffeinated and enjoy the conveniently placed narratives by warhorse. these games truly are a sandbox that allows so much creativity. this would probably be better off as a fic, but i'm not a good enough writer for that so it ended up as one post. I'm just playing with the tools we have been given and no, this isn't the one and only true definitive reading of KCD's story. i'm just connecting the dots we were so generously presented with. you can go connect your own dots if you want tho, here the red string 🧵. let's become delirious together.

[new-tella-us]

For seduce me situations, could you do one about how each incubusbwould help Mika when shes having severe anxiety attacks?

AYYY a Seduce Me Situation ask!

Turns out, according to Demon War's logic, they have the ability to just calm her down with enthrallment. But that's not a fun answer, it's just a cheat sheet so, I have a small bit of lore to explain that away.

It's not in the succubus culture to just force emotions in or out of your fellow demons and while doing so to humans is more acceptable, the boys specifically wouldn't feel comfortable doing that to Mika. It's seen as invasive and, even when consensual, an unhealthy coping mechanism as it only solves the surface emotions rather than the underlying problem. So they would only use their enthrallment if she wasn't calming down or it was getting so bad that she was hurting herself.

James is getting her to sit down and trying to see which method of calming someone down would work for her. Some people need silence while others feel more grounded with white noise in the background. Some needs physically affection while others don't want to be touched, etc. Once he finds what works (mainly being held and reassurance) and she calms down, he's going to try and gently ask her what spurred this on. He wants to nip this problem in the bud so it doesn't get to a point where she gets hurt.

I think I mentioned this before but Erik defaults to trying to ground her. Try to keep her within reality rather than letting her disassociate. This includes breathing exercises, physical touch (if she's okay with that, which she is) and whispering sweet nothings. I imagine he's had to calm down some of his brothers in a similar emotional state before, mainly Damien right after the death of his mother, so he has experience.

Sam has N O idea what he's doing. He sees Mika freaking out, barely able to breathe and he wants to help but all he could think to do to try and calm her down is to pick her up or hold her close. He would be the best at that at least. He might be the quickest to break the "No enthrallment" rule and use his enthrallment simply because he doesn't know what to do but, afterwards he's getting to bottom of what's going on and why Mika's acting like this. He doesn't like to see his doofus sad.

Matthew would briefly panic before calming himself down to help Mika. He'd try to remember how his mother used to calm him down as a child and that ends with them on the couch. He's rocking her back and forth, holding her in his arm and softly humming a lullaby while petting her head. A little childish but I imagine it makes Mika feel safe. After she calms down, he gives her a little forehead kiss before making something for her to eat. I think food is his default.

Whether Damien finds her via mind reading or (if this is post his route) just finds her, he'd immediately settling her down and cuddling her. It's sad cuddle hours, boys. He's specifically holding to keep her from hurting herself in her panic. This goes double if this is post SM 1 as he wouldn't have enthrallment as an option if things got really bad. He's absolutely crying but he wouldn't let her see that as he waits for her attack to pass. This is where things slightly splinter based off the timeline. One of the things that calms Mika is the sound of rain (this is kinda based off canon btw). If this is before Damien's SM 1 ending, he'd know this immediately and turn on some rain ambience. If this is Post SM 1 but Pre SM 2, since he's not actually human, I imagine he still has this almost six sense where his mind reading once was so he would guess she needs background noise and would put on rain ambience. And if it was Post SM 2, aka straight up human Damien, by that point, he was probably told, so same as the first one.

[ink-casket]

hi! can we req a c!karl that helps with amnesia? && could u rlly lean into the purple theme? tysm! :]

Requested pack ᯓ★

C!Karl

// keep in mind headmates may not form exactly like the pack! //

Names: Karl, Purp, Iris, Erik, Eris, Indigo, Amethyst

Titles: The Purple Illusionist, The Glowing Figure, The Swirl Man, The Purple Creature, (prn) Who Is Purple, (prn) Who Bleeds Purple, (prn) Who Time Travels

Source: DSMP (Dream SMP)

Age: 17-21, does not age with the body

Pronouns: He/him, They/Them, Purple/Purples, Indigo/Indigos, Violet/Violets, Amethyst/Amethyst, Lavender/Lavenders, Shade/Shades, Dark/Darks, Pitch/Pitchs, Glow/Glows, Swirl/Swirls, Illusion/Illusions, Halluc/Hallucinate, Time/Times, Travel/Travels, Forget/Forgets, Remember/Remembers,

Genders: Nonbinary, Viosalimi, Purple People Eater, Endspaciac, Distortgender, Techviofem, Purplepresentic, Purpleluvr, Lavenderipped, Contrathinkic, Purpleruler, Purplegender, Purpleabomination, Tarosfear, Tarotmancic, Whengender

Sexualities: Demisexual, Demiromantic, Magitic attraction

Roles: Memory holder, Disassociation holder, Timekeeper

Likes: Watching source, Talking about theories, Painting on Darkself, Chatting with other systems, Books, Steampunk glasses, Purple outfits, Dragons, Magic, Creatures of any kind

Dislikes: Mentions of certain dsmp members (Dream, Quackity, Sapnap, etc), Jokes about his shit memory, Jokes of death, Worms, things with eyes, staring at themselves in the mirror

Extra appearances: Eyes are usually covered by swirly painted steampunk glasses, Oversized purple jacket, brown hair fading to purple, large purple horns, Legs are digigrade demon legs that fade into purple, Tends to have a purple hue around him

Extra info: Has really bad memory when in front, tends to have sticky notes in his hair to remember stuff, Fronts randomly and doesn’t have a pattern, Likes drawing swirls on the body when out, Likes dressing the body in purple

(Optional) Typing quirk: O = 0, E = £, likes to include weird vocabulary into shades texts

Ex: “W£ll, I h0p£ n0b0dy is f££ling z0nk£d, I can’t handl£ that!” // Well, I hope nobody is feeling zonked, I can’t hadle that! //

Faceclaims:

Saw this and IMMEDIATELY ran to do this, very much based on how I see Karl as well hehehehhehehe I annoyed Tango so bad with my music while doing this

[multi-fandom-imagine]

Not really an ask, just an update from the comment I left on one of your posts about Erik : I WATCHED FINAL DESTINATION AND HIS DEATH DESTROYED ME 💔

But I feel better because now I can stay up all night to binge every.single. xreader fanfiction ever made about him w/o retrains ☺️ All this to also say I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT ELSE YOU ✨COOK✨ ABOUT OUR HOT MAN 🫶

Much love and sending you lots of heat packs/snacks and a good rest for your period, we're all in this together sister ✊😔❤️

THAT MEANS SO MUCH

And when this shit is over I'll be writing more for him , some smutty / fluff but NO ANGST! I will not write angst for Erik.

And hell yea ( im in fucking hell, kill me . I hate periods )

[echoes-lighthouse]

F/O Masterlist

Okay, I'm at the point where I'm going to have to make The Big List. So this is just a list of everyone that I conceivably might post selfship content about, so if people need to block tags or ask me in advance to tag things, you're aware of the possibility! I'll do my best to update this and let folks know when it's been updated.

This is specifically a list of my romantic or semi-romantic f/os, since those are the ones people usually care about blocking. Maybe I will make a separate list for platonic/familial selfships!

Organized alphabetically by source: let's go!

Primaries

(I Have Posted About Them Before And I Will Likely Post Again)

Tate Langdon (American Horror Story - #my ghost boy), miscellaneous sideships with other Season 1 ghosts

Grell Sutcliffe (Black Butler - #don't fear the reaper)

Toshinori Yagi (BNHA- #sunflower time)

Shigaraki Tomura (BNHA- #my gamer boy)

Himiko Toga (BNHA - #bestie hours), includes a LoV polycule with Shigaraki, Spinner, Magne, Mr. Compress, Dabi, and maybe Kurogiri

Alex (Clockwork Orange - #clockwork siblings)

Penelope Garcia (Criminal Minds - #simpatico in quantico)

Jester Lavorre (Critical Role- #my sweetling)

Hoid (Cosmere- #like attracts like)

The Joker (DC/TDK - #the lover who laughs)

13th Doctor (Doctor Who- #my doctor)

Sun/Moon (FNAF:SB- #daycare squad)

Dirk Strider (Homestuck - #heart of hearts)

Vox and Valentino (Hazbin Hotel - #digital poison), includes sex work with most of the main cast

Stolas (Helluva Boss - #secrets of the stars)

Armand, Gabrielle, Lestat, Louis, Daniel (Interview With The Vampire - #messy vampire polycule)

Val Frizzle (Magic School Bus - #val <3)

Jonah Magnus (The Magnus Archives - #eyes on you)

Zero Rick Sanchez (Pocket Mortys - #waiting in the stars), may include other Ricks as the mood takes me

Death (Sandman - #death becomes them)

Delirium (Sandman - #eyestrain pals)

Cecil and Kevin (WTNV - #listener and watcher)

Tumblr (Miscellanious Sources - #beloved hellsite)

Non-Primaries

(content about these is rare or hasn't happened yet, but it might! Only some have tags, but you can ask me to tag any.)

Garfield the Deals Warlock (The Adventure Zone)

Iroh (ATLA)

Tsuyu Asui (BNHA)

Nezu (BNHA)

Aizawa Shota (BNHA) only in a hook-up sense but still worth mentioning

Laudna and Imogen (Critical Role), currently on hold because I only got 10 episodes into C3

Monokuma (Danganronpa- #my evil lil bear)

Celeste, Junko, Toko (Danganronpa 1)

Eventually I'll get through the other Danganronpa games and add f/os from those as well

L (Death Note)

Queen (Deltarune)

Judge Frollo (Disney's Notre Dame)

Captain Hook (Live Action Peter Pan)

Yuri (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Oswalda Cobblepots (DC)

TARDIS (Doctor Who: my partner ships with her, not me, but I might post content for them)

Fandomstuck f/os are still to be determined

Glamrock Chica (FNAF:SB)

The Creation (Frankenstein)

Garfield (Garfield)

Miku Binder Thomas Jefferson (Hamilton fandom - #insufferable pokelovers)

Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter)

Severus Snape (Harry Potter)

Emberlynn (Helluva Boss)

Honestly the entire Homestuck cast is a possibility for me

The Devil (The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus)

Persephone (Lore Olympus)

Jonathan Sims (The Magnus Archives)

Michael (The Magnus Archives)

Gertrude Robinson (The Magnus Archives - #archivist my archivist)

Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins - #mary and me)

Minecraft Villager OC

Bert, Ernie, Gonzo (The Muppets)

Mae Borowski (Night In The Woods)

Jack Skellington (Nightmare Before Christmas - #my skeleman)

Haruhi Fujioka (OHSHC)

Calypso (Pirates of the Caribbean)

Erik (POTO)

Christine Daae(POTO)

Desire (Sandman)

Trencil (Smile For Me)

Rose Quartz (Steven Universe)

Charlie Bradbury (Supernatural)

Rorschach (Watchmen)

[deluxewhump]

Erik's Journals pt 2 (2011-2013)

Content Warning for entire series: institutionalized slavery of a minor (11-18), emotional abuse and manipulation, dubious comfort, pet whump, disordered eating, violence, guns, mutilation (off screen, no main characters), corporal punishment, sexual content/dubcon ( character is 18+), broken bones, death of a parent, unreliable narrator

2: What the Fates Allow

December 2011

Feelings toward my new pet that are paternal in nature have been growing for some time, but last night I felt them so acutely I feel compelled to record the instance.

I had just come home from a week’s absence. (I was in Stockholm with Mathilde and our cousin Karl, settling some family business and enjoying an extended visit.)

I was exhausted from jetlag, and I’d spent all that afternoon until it was dark with Keith in the warehouse going over the minutiae of that side of the business. Though I needed to catch up on emails for O&H, I found myself absentmindedly watching a movie with Carlo.

Besides the TV, the only light in the room was the warm yellow glow of the Christmas tree in the corner. Its thousand tiny bulbs reflected against the black panes of the bay window like Van Gogh stars. Carlo was on the opposite end of the sofa, wrapped in a beige quilted blanket.

It was pleasant to share the room with another person, even a quiet pet. Poor thing. He’d been alone all week but for visits from his tutors and the maid.

It’s not just any pet you could leave alone for a week and not worry about. I called him a few times, to say hello. He always gave polite, perfunctory answers to my questions, though they were meant to be conversational. To a warm “how are you?” he’d answer “well, Sir, and you?” My gently exasperated laughter did nothing but push him into longer, more uncomfortable silences. I could picture him standing in my study, the cordless receiver to his ear, tracing patterns on the sun faded oriental rug with his toe in the socks I’d bought him.

I was an uncomfortable business call to him. He gave me the same stilted, self conscious reports as when I called one of my lower management team unexpectedly. “Did Anna make you your Italian wedding soup yet? I put your favorites on the menu for the week.” “Yes, Sir. Thank you.”

Eventually I would put him out of his misery and let him go. He is still adjusting. Despite my measured efforts to reassure him, he is so acutely aware our relationship to one another, my status as his master and head of the household that has become his fishbowl-world. I know he will grow more comfortable with me over time. 

More importantly, I had no doubt he’d be here when I got back, lessons done and house clean, no trouble. His behavior so far has been exemplary, and I try to remember to praise him on it. 

The movie took a sad turn (to ramp the ethos of the genre up to ten). The aging matriarch of the family was hiding a medical diagnosis, probably cancer, from her adult children so as not to put a damper on Christmas, and they had all just found out. I happened to glance over at my pet. In the soft light from the tree, I could see he was crying. 

“Carlo,” I said without thinking, my voice infused with nearly amused concern.

He turned his head away from me.

"Oh, hey now." I patted the spot next to me. I regretted the tone my voice may have taken when I said his name. “It’s alright. Do you want to come over here?”

Without looking at me, he did as I suggested, curling up fairly close. He didn’t touch the tears on his cheeks, as if acknowledging them would be worse than ignoring them. 

To preserve what he clearly considered as his dignity I said nothing further, but I wondered if it was just the tear-jerking tactics of the film with the doomed mother, or a mother-shaped ache of his own that had gotten him to cry.

I very much doubted if his mother hadn’t died that any of this would have ever become of him. As you can imagine, the trade is filled with orphans, runaways, drifters, and those with similarly tenuous ties to society. And even then, the state rarely offers up one so young as this one- still only a child. I put my arm around him.

“Things always work out in these types of movies,” I said. “Don’t you worry.”

He must’ve felt the affection in the weight of my arm, for he was bold enough to lay temple against me. The movie was coming to a relatively happy close a few minutes later, and I pulled back just enough to look down into his face.

“Are you okay?”

He nodded unconvincingly.

“You miss her, don’t you?”

This brought fresh tears, and he turned away again to hide his face from me, muffling a choked sob as he did. He said something that was lost in the tear-tight back of his throat, but what I think was an apology. 

That unfamiliar, deeply personal ache, what I can only describe as something akin to paternal affection slipped painfully as a knife between my ribs. Gently, I turned him back towards me by his shoulders and held out my arms in an offer to hold him. He accepted, placing his cheek against my chest and letting me wrap my arms around him. 

“Of course you do,” I soothed, rubbing my hand between his shoulder blades. “It’s not fair, is it? I know it isn’t. It’s okay to miss her. You’re home, you can feel however you need to feel.”

I shushed him rhythmically and repeated any comforting nonsense I could think of until the tears subsided and he sat up sniffing, wiping his face like someone who’s just tripped in public hurries to brush themself off, afraid to look and see if everyone is watching.

“You’re my pet, Carlo Holstrom. I know you know that, but do you know what it means?”

He managed a wobbly, obligatory answer, keeping his chin and eyes down. No, Sir.

”It means it’s my job to look after you. Just like I’ve shown you your jobs, I have one too. It’s to take care of you. Always. You’re not alone, and you’re never going back to a state home, or with anyone else but me. I know I have to go on trips sometimes, but I’ll always come back.”

”It’s like family, then?” he glanced up cautiously. His eyelashes were wet, his nose red. “I know the difference,” he hurried to add. “But, kind of?”

”Oh yes,” I agreed seriously, and with fondness smoothed down a stray curl of his hair. “It is just as binding.”

Jet-lagged, compelled by his innocence and my own apparent sappiness, I made a promise. “I can’t bring your mother or anyone else back, Carlo. But I promise you that as long as I’m living, you’ll always have someone in your corner.”

-

That night I pulled an extra quilt from a linen closet to drape over his bed on account of the cold temperatures the weather channel had called for. When he thanked me for it, he said thank you, Papa, from his pillow, already half asleep.

I turned out his light and walked down the dark hallway with a feeling like a physical weight in my chest. This boy was only here because of misfortune and the banal ugliness of the world compounding one onto another sure as misery loves company. And of course, because of my own casual participation in a thing as tainted and archaic as the pet trade. One day he would understand my participation for what it was. I was complicit in all the ubiquitous systems of the world that put him on that block for sale or slaughter. 

Tonight I had shown him an ounce of human kindness, mostly because I have been pleased with his good behavior, and he had responded with generosity and trust tenfold. I know the difference, he’d said, assuring me he knew his place in the world. Papa, he had called his master, his captor. Half asleep. Like a lullaby. 

I had forgotten how beauty is sometimes made, crushed under the oppressive weight of the ragged world like a diamond. How it can persist not because of, but in spite of. I had forgotten how painful it could be to witness. 

3: Classically Trained

January 2013

In addition to English and math, I hired a piano tutor for Carlo, an old acquaintance who came recommended to me by a friend.

I know a little of the piano myself, just enough to substitute when Claude can’t make it, until Carlo advances beyond me. 

Yesterday was one such day. Claude canceled late, citing a toothache. I sat down at the piano bench with Carlo after dinner in the music room, a shoe-polish black baby grand surrounded by the seeking branches of potted plants striving hopefully towards the windows. Outside, the nighttime sky was bright with a corona of blue-grey light, heavy with unfallen snow.

“Show me where you left off last time.”

He flipped forward in his scorebook to Schubert’s Der Tod und das Mädchen, everything about his manner careful and stiff. I thought at first he might be nervous to play in front of me, which was alright.

“Show me your placement,” I said gently, and he did.

“Whenever you’re ready.”

He began to play, slowly at first like the first laborious push of a bicycle pedal, a timid touch gaining momentum on the mournful opening notes of the Leid.

At a transition, his thumb missed its intended note. Discord barked where the other notes sang, a dropped set of car keys among wind chimes. He froze. At this point I still assumed his behavior was just shyness of me, and his usual sensitivity to criticism. 

“Pick back up from here,” I said, pointing to the last half note. “Slow down over that transition to C. Piano, not pianissimo. You’re doing well.”

He seemed not even to breathe, fingers still poised over the keys where he’d made his mistake like it was the scene of an accident. I noticed not for the first time he had been biting his nails, some of them down to the tender quick, leaving pink half moons on his fingertips. Momentarily, he did as I asked, tread slowly past the note where he’d faltered before. It seemed it was his relief and pleasure that made him lose his concentration next. He faltered again when he picked back up to speed, his small back as straight as an ironing board next to me.

This time I reached over to lay my hand on his, guide him over how the movement would have felt if he’d mastered it. He flinched from my touch. I pulled back.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said automatically. Eyes on his fingers, fingers on the mute keys. He glanced up towards his sheet music, then away as if shocked by static electricity.

I followed his gaze carefully. How had I not seen it before? Tucked behind the sheet music on the music rack was a long black switch like an antenna, metal alloy tapering to an end as thin as a pencil. At first I thought it must be a pointer, like a conductor's wand. After a slow moment of understanding it occurred to me it might just as well be an instrument of discipline and punishment. Like a nuns right-hand ruler, it was perfectly made for inflicting pain.

“What’s this?” I asked, drawing it out by the tip. I held it flat in my palm like a carrot.

He avoided my eyes.

“I asked you a question.”

He drew his hands into his lap, his shoulders losing some of their rigidity. “It’s a switch,” he offered, in case I was just stupid.

“Is this your tutor’s?”

A reluctant nod.

“What is this for?”

No answer.

“Carlo,” I said in low warning.

“To correct, Sir. Only when I make a mistake. Or don’t sit up right.”

“Where does he hit you with it?”

“My hands. Fingers.”

I sighed. I almost told him that he should have told me, but he probably assumed I knew about Claude’s methods, since I’d hired him. Communication requires trust. I am still working on that with him. 

Claude is a decent pianist, but a twit. Julliard trained about a hundred years ago, which everyone knew by virtue of him letting everyone know. Roman Catholic, though no longer practicing. He fancied himself an outcast of the Church now, prone to Marxist commentary and mystical in ways he was sure they found threatening and lately sporting a bristly fundamentalist beard. Rasputin minus the charisma. Still, the sin and corporal punishment crowd often struggle to forget their roots.

But to presume to touch— let alone hit— my pet without asking my explicit permission? I’d given his manners too much credit. I would not soon forgive his overstep, making my own pet flinch from my touch in learned fear. I hoped his toothache pained him fiercely.

“That particular tutor won’t be invited back here,” I said, and tucked the switch into my jacket pocket. “He’s not fit to teach you.”

For the first time since I’d sat down beside him he dared turn his head to look at me. “What about when I make a mistake?”

“You try again, until you are making better mistakes on harder pieces. Mistakes and disobedience are not the same thing. And pain is excellent kindling for art, but not the kind inflicted on children with a switch. You understand the difference?”

“Mistakes are not the same as disobedience.”

I nodded at him to ready his hands at the keys again.

“From the beginning,” I told him. “Take a deep breath. Lower your shoulders.”

Next

[themenendezbrothers]

"16 Unacknowledged Lies Prosecutors Told About the Menendez Brothers" source: Robert Rand fb

(This is a very thorough and accurate rebuttal to DA Nathan Hochman's news conference on Monday posted by one of the people on the Menendez Brothers' Reddit board.)

16 proven lies prosecutors have told about the facts of the case:

1) Knee-capping to stage a mob Hit

Crime scene photos clearly show that both of Jose Menedez's knees were completely intact.

2) Tapes of Lyle saying he 'fooled half the jury'

In 2002, David Conn went on Dominick Dunne: Power, Privilege & Justice, Dunne's show dedicated to cases Dunne had covered over the years. On the special, he stated that the prosecution had solid, physical evidence of Lyle stating that he had "snowed/fooled" the jury.

This is a lie. In 1994, Conn himself raided the source of this statement's house - Marti Shelton - with the Beverly Hills Police Department. Nothing was found.

In 2004, Shelton accused Dunne of having paid her to produce the "snowed the jury" statement for one of his articles. As mentioned, she herself had a long criminal record, and Dunne denied having paid her. He said he was the victim of "scam emails."

Shortly after the libel action commenced, Shelton contacted Dunne demanding that the author and VF writer make good on a long-ago promise to pay her $100,000 to lie in some of his stories that were published in the Conde Nast glossy nearly a decade earlier.

Dunne said he never made such a promise and insisted that he was the victim of an elaborate computer scam involving fake e-mails from Shelton. He admitted that he did send her checks of several hundred dollars from time to time over the years, but it was because he said he felt sorry for the hard luck stories told by a one-time source. He insisted he never paid her to lie in a story.

3) "The abuse only came out at trial"

In May 1990, just weeks after their arret and 3 years before the first trial, Lyle wrote a 17-page letter to Erik which authorities later seized from Erik's cell during a surprise search. In the letter, Lyle wrote:

We alone know the truth - we alone know the secrets of our families past. I do not look forward to broadcasting them around the country I pray that it never has to happen. If it were not for you I doubt I would even try for manslaughter. I would rather try and escape or die.

I struggle with my belief that men take responsibility for their actions, pleading abuse is not taking responsibility. We alone can get ourselves through this life after all that has happened.

What we did in August was a mistake from what I can tell and I don't know what to do about it What can I do? Nothing, I guess.

This letter was instrumental in the 1992 Grand Jury proceedings, as it provided direct evidence of Lyle's involvement in the murders. However, during the trial, the prosecution took a surprising turn. When the defense attempted to introduce the letter to support their claim of genuine sexual abuse, the prosecution dismissed it as a "self-serving letter." This contradictory stance was particularly hypocritical, considering the prosecution had previously relied on the letter to secure indictments.

4) "Lyle blamed the mafia"

Detectives initially theorized that the murders were a result of mob-related activity. However, Detective Zoeller, the investigating officer, acknowledged that Lyle never suggested to him that the Mafia was connected to his parents’ deaths. Lyle told Zoeller directly, “I don’t believe the organized crime stuff, my dad was too clean.”

5) "Jose and Kitty Were Sleeping/Eating Strawberries and Cream/Sitting and Watching TV"

Both parents were awake, standing and moving. Kitty had blood on the bottom of her shoe and her body was found fallen on the ground. Jose had wounds to his left leg and the back of his right arm that could not have been inflicted if he was sitting on the couch.

There were empty glasses on the table. However, it is evident they were not actively eating during the shooting; otherwise, the cups wouldn't have been left as they were. (They would have been broken or at least on the ground)

Watch:

Dr. Irwin Golden's (pathologist) testimony (at 1:59:05)

Juror Hazel Thornton on The Menendez Brothers: Monsters or Misunderstood?

Leslie Abramson's closing argument (at 26:00)

6) "They had an alibi"

"An alibi is a defence raised by the accused as proof that they could not have committed the crime because they were in some other place."

The Menendez brothers did not have an alibi. They had pre-made plans to meet with 2 different friends, but did not show up to meet with either of them. At any point, those friends could have told the police (and did) that Lyle and Erik did not show up to meet with them at the time of the shooting, which could have led to their arrest. This is, by definition, the opposite of an alibi.

7) "Parents were shot 12 times"

Wound count cannot reliably determine the number of shotgun shots fired. Shotguns shoot multiple pellets at once, so one shot can create several injuries.

Donovan Goodreau and Lyle Menendez were once close friends at Princeton University. Their friendship dissolved when Lyle discovered Goodreau's deception: he had falsely claimed to be a Princeton student to live in Lyle's apartment and manipulate him financially.

When called to testify as a prosecution witness, Goodreau initially denied any knowledge of the sexual abuse. However, his testimony was contradicted by audio recordings of interviews he had given to journalist Robert Rand 3 years before the first trial began. These recordings revealed that Goodreau had, in fact, been aware of the abuse and had discussed it with Lyle:

No, see... the reason he told me that... he did tell me a lot of things about... you know... his father and stuff like that...

He told me a lot about their past and stuff. And you know it was similar to my own past I... I was molested as a child and I told him that and I guess that opened the gate and he told me and it was like, wow! Lyle and his brother were molested.

9) Jaime Pisarcik's testimony

Jaime Pisarcik testified that Erik was aware of Lyle's hairpiece months before the shooting. She claimed that she had a conversation about it with Erik in their Beverly Hills home during her spring 1989 visit. The defense used her work records to prove that her only possible visit was a three-day weekend in March, during which Erik was in Florida for a tennis tournament, accompanied by his parents.

10) Craig Cignarelli's testimony

Craig Cignarelli's account of Erik's confession shifted significantly. When he was informed by the police that Ed Hayman (the computer expert) and his wife were at the Beverly Hills house on September 1st, Craig Cignarelli claimed that he was with Erik that day at the house and it was after the Haymans left that Erik confessed and told him the details of how he had killed his parents. In Craig's first interview with Detective Zoeller, he mentioned that Erik confessed to him way later in October, well after the computer expert's visit. He didn't say anything about seeing a computer expert at Erik's place.

Additionally, Casey Whalen and his family directly contradicted this. Casey testified he was with Erik on September 1st, supported by his mother and sister who recalled picking Erik up from the airport and hearing about a computer and a will that evening, directly refuting Craig's timeline.

12) "Their mother never abused them"

Lyle testified that he was sexually abused by Kitty as a teenager.

At trial, the defense presented photographs depicting 6-year-old Erik and 8-year-old Lyle naked, faceless, and visibly erect. These images were found on a roll of film from Erik's 6th birthday party and were taken before and after the event. The envelope containing the photographs had Kitty's handwriting on it, saying "ERIK'S BIRTHDAY. NOVEMBER, 1976."

13) "No medical records of abuse"

After the second trial, prosecutor David Conn told reporters that the Menendez brothers had no medical corroboration of abuse.

There are medical records of a throat injury Erik suffered at age 7, consistent with sexual assault. In 1977, he was admitted to the emergency room of Princeton Medical Center. A record from the following day stated:

Hurt posterior pharynx, uvula, and soft palate. Healing well. Symptomatic treatment.

Dr. Kerry English testified that this type of injury is an indication of oral copulation in children. Nowadays, dentists are trained to look for this injury in children to be able to detect and report child abuse.

The brothers' medical records displayed symptoms commonly associated with child sexual abuse, such as:

gastrointestinal problems

unexplained abdominal pain

enuresis

hematomas and lacerations on their faces and bodies

frequent headaches

speech articulation disorder

teeth grinding

telogen effluvium

14) "They stole a friend's ID to buy guns"

At the gun store, the clerk told the brothers they needed a California driver’s license to purchase the guns. Lyle’s California license had been suspended and Erik had lost his wallet and license earlier in the summer. (The court took judicial notice that Erik had been stopped for a vehicle violation in July 1989 and cited for driving without a valid driver’s license.) The brothers finally decided to use a driver’s license belonging to Donovan Goodreau.

Goodreau lived with Lyle in Lyle’s Princeton dormitory room in April-May, 1989. Lyle asked Goodreau to move out after he discovered that Goodreau had lied and was not attending school. Apparently, Goodreau had been lying to everyone, pretending that he had been accepted at the university and planned to attend school the next year. Lyle was hurt and angry when he discovered that Goodreau had been lying to him. Goodreau left the dormitory hurriedly, and in his haste apparently left his driver’s license behind. Goodreau moved to New York; he left no forwarding address with Lyle.

15) "They killed out of greed"

In December 1992, a Los Angeles County grand jury indicted the Menendez brothers on two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances. However, the grand jury notably rejected a third special circumstance, murder for financial gain. This decision was a significant setback for the prosecution, as financial motive had been a central aspect of their theory of the case.

16) "There is no corroboration of sexual abuse"

During the second trial, judge Weisberg significantly restricted the defense's evidence. Excluded testimony included accounts from Diane Vandermolen, Peter Cano, Marianne Cano, and Jessica Goldsmith, all supporting claims of abuse. The judge also barred an essay written by Lyle in 1982, "I Will Change Your Verdict," which depicted a man killing his son's molester. With this limited defense, the prosecution aggressively argued that the abuse allegations were fabricated, uncorroborated, and impossible.

[mthofferings2023]

geekymoviemom

See geekymoviemom’s existing works here.

Preferred contact methods: Tumblr: geekymoviemom Discord: geekymoviemom

Preferred organizations: - Médecins San Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) - Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) - RIP Medical Debt - Waterkeeper Alliance - World Central Kitchen (See the list of approved organizations here)

Will create works that contain: Fluff, hurt/comfort, happy ending, getting together, established relationship, kidfics, domestic Avengers, canon-divergent, alternate universe..

Will not create works that contain: A/B/O, non-human characters, unhappy endings, major character death, hurt/no comfort, uneven power dynamics, dark characters, rom-com-type AUs. I will not write IronDad without Superfamily. I will only write sex scenes if the characters are in a loving, committed relationship. No one-night stands, hate sex, or friends-with-benefits.

  -- Fic or Other Writing --

Auction ID: 1056

Will create works for the following relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark - MCU Peter Parker & Steve Rogers & Tony Stark - MCU Bucky Barnes/Natasha Romanov - MCU Peter Parker/Gwen Stacy - TASM Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier - X-Men movieverse Avengers fandom any gen - MCU

Work Description: Maximum rating for a Peter/Gwen fic is T. Please contact me with possible plot ideas before bidding if you’re unsure about anything. I tend to get quite wordy in my fics, so the more general the plot concept, the longer the fic will likely end up being. Any 10k+ word fic will be a minimum bid of $15. Any fic written for Charles/Erik will be based on the characters’ portrayal by James McEvoy and Michael Fassbender.

Ratings: Gen, Teen, Mature

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CLICK HERE TO BID ON THIS WORK

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[smallergcd]

What kind of love are you?

Love as a Threshold.

Your love does not ask for much. Your love does not take. Your love is free, and unquestioned, and here for wherever needs it. When you fall in love, it is as gentle as a breath in the night. It is quiet, and it is effortless. It is tender. If your love was a house, it would readily welcome all who come through. If your love was a hearth, it would warm the hands of whoever stopped by, whether for a day, a month, a year, or forever. When you fall for someone, it is without strings, without conditions, without need. You love for the sake of loving, for the sake of caring for those who need it. You love with a giver’s heart and a giver’s hands and are made so much stronger for it. Being loved by you is to always feel at home. Your love may not always be well-received by those unprepared to linger, but it is unforgettable all the same.

[slashingdisneypasta]

I've been in a musical mood since I moved into my apartment (Seriously, there's something very satisfying about playing these Broadway songs out loud in your own living room (when my roommate left of course)), and seeing your dark Musical AU Post made me think of musical AU's for my... Oof countless ships 😅 of course you don't have to worry about answering ^^

Smarty-Pop • Phantom of the Opera AU

I have not known peace ever since you briefly mentioned their Erik/Christine dynamic in my sad Smarty-Pop ending drabble, and i mean that in a positive way XD and this gave me the perfect opportunity to explore an actual AU.

I'm thinking maybe Poppy can play a little bit of Madam Giry's role too, being the only one who knows the Phantom's secrets, the only calm one when the Phantom of the Opera strikes and possibly even delivering messages to the opera managers for Smartass. And unlike with the OG story, I like to imagine them in an already established relationship here- just, you know, a little secretive since it's the phantom we're talking about.

It's not uncommon for Poppy to go disappear down in the depths of the Opera House, whether it be through her mirror or one of the trap doors. And if one were to look through her dressing room, you could find many pink roses in various stages of wilt, and letters personally addressed to her written in the same colored ink. She claims she doesn't know who sends her them, but her dreamy smile shows more than just flattery. She leaves her own notes for Smartass as well, leaving them in loge #5 just before a show begins. Just sweet love letters only for his eyes.

No, they don't always agree. Poppy has lost track of how many times she's stormed down to Smartass' domain after something he most certainly did, and all the attention and admirers she had been gaining as her stardom rose have been dangerously grating Smartass' nerves. But at the end of each night, she is his, and he is hers. As it should be.

(Yeah this is partially me venting how i think a Christine x Phantom relationship would have turned out if it was the canon ending XD Also I'd like to point out that you said yandere Snartass might make his S/O marry him, which also correlates with the phantom trying to force Christine's hand. That is totally not going to become part of the Smarty-pop AU) thought XD

Greasypop • Dracula AU

I did struggle with Greasypop admittedly, but then I heard the song Please don't Make Me Love You from the soundtrack and I could not get this dynamic for this ship out of my head. Besides, it gives me an excuse to use the Vampire or the Monster AU XD No matter how you slice it, Dracula is pretty manipulative when you think about it. Especially with how he convinces Mina that Lucy's death was not his doing, which does fit Greasy's more manipulative nature... Not to mention that it'd be his fantasy to have as many hotties as Dracula did 😅

I'm just imagining vampire/incubus Greasy shows up into town, looking to plant his roots here for a while, and Poppy is one of his targets. Poppy can tell that something isn't quite right with him, even when he offers her comfort after she reads about yet another attack in the night. There's just something not right with Greasy.

But even so, she's having a hard time denying what he does to her. Just like how theres something about him that isn't quite right, there's something about him that makes her head feel dizzy. Something that let's his touch linger on her shoulder or arm before she snaps back to her senses. Something that makes her wish those evenings when he shows up unannounced and they wind up sharing a meal together don't end. It's like her heart is trying to give itself to Greasy, and her mind is trying to keep her grounded in reality.

It's not long before she breaks down, feeling like she's being driven mad, and just asks her friend- if he can even be called that- what he wants. She knows Greasy is not who he says he is, and she knows there has to be a reason he keeps coming back to her even though she's made it clear she doesn't want a man right now. Something tells her she doesn't want to know the truth, and yet another something tells her she wouldn't care.

But either way, no matter what, Poppy knows one thing for certain. Her heart can't take much more of this. And she didn't want it to. She doesn't want someone to come around and ruin this tranquility she's built for herself just for his own fun. So she asks, practically begs him, to just don't make her fall in love with him. Don't make her chase after him if he had no intentions of keeping her. Her instincts tell her that this is a terrible idea, that she should have slammed the door on the Spaniard long ago as she locked eyes with him.

But there was just something about him that made her love him.

(Not exactly the Dracula route I meant, I'm still working on it, but I hope it's still fun to read XD)

Peezy • Little Shop of Horrors AU

Ok ok I know this may not sound right but hear me out- Poppy x Wheezy are the most wholesome of the ships, kind of like how Audrey and Symore are wholesome. And also share the fact that Poppy/Audrey still see Wheezy/Seymore as such a good person deep down despite knowing or finding out the things they've done. Not to mention that Wheezy would treat Poppy right just like how Seymore would for Audrey.

Poppy and Wheezy work together in the same flower shop, and they both would agree that they are the high lights of each others work day. It's not exactly hidden that the two have feelings for each other- as their boss blatantly told Wheezy that he knew he thought things about the sweet girl. Though for many reasons, one of which is Poppy's horrid boyfriend Ben, they aren't together.

It was always heart-wrenching and rage inducing whenever Poppy would come in with fresh tears in her eyes, or when she would brush it off as just 'typical relationship struggles'. Wheezy has tried to just keep it to himself, and offer Poppy any comfort she needs. Though the night he got to actually see how that bastard treated her, he decided enough was enough. That bloodthirsty plant was the one who suggested it, but it's not like this wasn't a long time coming anyway.

The next morning, when Poppy is crying out of guilt rather than heartbreak, Wheezy keeps a cool head as he wraps an ashy arm around her and assures her that she shouldn't waste another second on that boy. He was never worth it, not if he couldn't appreciate what he had. Everything is alright now...

(... This was meant to be more fluffy, as fluffy as the original was, but it turned out a bit more manipulative than I intended at the end? I think? 😅 but hey, no one's gonna miss Ben either way-)

Pocho • Sweeny Todd AU

This one is special because here, Poppy is playing the role of Anthony, and Psycho Johanna. Specifically, I'm imagining the part of the play where Johanna is stuck in the asylum and Anthony is trying to break her free. Poppy in the Tiny-Tots AU is trying to set her friend and love free the second she finds out about him being locked away. Even if she has to employ the help of criminals to get him out.

Or, if we want more horror, Psycho is Sweeny, and Poppy is Lucy. Falsely accused of crimes he didn't commit just so the accuser could take his wife. Despite the fight he put up, Psycho and Poppy were separated, and she... Got hurt badly. And Psycho only finds out later when he comes back, now driven over the edge of sanity after all these years. And now, it's time for revenge.

Popshine • The Count of Monte Cristo AU

Another odd choice, I know. I almost gave this AU to Peezy in fact, but... Honestly I don't have too good of an excuse, I just want Shiny to sing Hell to Your Doorstep.

Also, just- can you imagine these girls using threads from their clothes in placement of engagement rings?? Shiny coming back years later, a shell of her former self but still being in love with Poppy despite how angry she is?? Poppy recognizing her immediately despite all that's happened and does her best to convince Shiny she still loves her???? My heart-

(Also I have a strong lesbian need to imagine Shiny in count clothes-)

Griny • Bonnie and Clyde AU

C'mon, how was this not going to be them?? Now granted, the only song I know from that musical is Buck you're going Back to Jail, but I do know the story of Bonnie and Clyde.

Shiny and Greasy would absolutely be criminal lovers on the run if it was just them. They would be such an infamous duo on the road, as they both can get mean when they need to.

(I would add more details to this, but I've been working on this ask for literal hours and I can't just save it as a draft so I'm trying to finish this 😅)

Bonus! Kingston X Poppy • Heathers AU

Ok ok ok I'm not sure if this musical would fit them honestly. Mainly because Kingston is your OC and you have broader musical knowledge than I do, so you know what would fit Kingston best. I just like the idea of Kingston singing I was Meant to Be Yours while Poppy is panicking in a closet.

What Musical would you say fits these two best, if you want to add onto this?

This is a very long ask, I apologize 😅 but I hope it's fun to read! ^^

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH OKAY

Smarty Pop Phantom of the Opera AU: I love how you set this up!! Pink roses at different stages of wilt? Poppy reading 'secret admirer' letters with a dreamy smile?? Ahhhhhhhhh

Greasy Pop Dracula AU: Ooooooh i love this.

please just dont make me fall in love with you, poppy breathes, heavy eyelids tired with life hanging heavy over her pretty eyes. Greasy's in her bedroom (vaguely she notices that he looks caught, for a moment. Eyes a smidge rounder and stock-still). She was sleeping until she had a bad feeling and woke- and saw him there. She should be terrified, she should try to run. She knows this. And yet she feels overwhelmingly calm, even with his wolf-like smile on her in the enclosed space; sleepiness from just a moment ago acting like a sedative. That, and that thing about Greasy that... always just makes everything go s l o w, around her.

(her will, her instincts to get away, her common sense, her movements... )

his smirk in the dark is definitely a warning as he straightens up, the sharp glint of his teeth making her feel a primal discomfort- almost fear.

i make no promises, hermosa. go back to sleep now. and in the morning try to resist; id like to see you try~

goodnight.

poppy watches the nightmare disappear swiftly, inhumanly gracefully, out her open window and only once he's gone- does she start to feel scared.

Peezy Little Shop of Horrors AU: I LOVE THE IDEA OF WHEEZY AND AUDREY II INTERACTING XDD I JUST KNOW IT WOULD BE GREAT XDD Also also-- Wheezy calling Ben 'boy'??? Sarah do you want me dead????? XD

Pocho Sweeney Todd AU: Ahhh, I love how you twisted this one around!! And the second one- woah XD Psycho is, of course, a great Sweeney. Plus they have kids so that works out, too (Imagine Turpin in this sent Percy away to boarding school or something, but kept Penny) I have to admit though that when I first saw the title here I thought Poppy was gonna be Joanna and Psycho was gonna be Anthony- and I thought, Rena would make a g r e a t Judge Turpin 😏 (i'm sorry, i'm thinking about rena in the turpin costume now XD the tight pants?? whoops- )

Griny Bonnie & Clyde AU: I LOVE BONNE & CLYDE I'M LISTENING TO IT RIGHT NOW. And- obviously- yes, this is absolutely perfect XD

Popshine Count of Monte Cristo AU: 🥺💕🥺💕🥺💕

(Also I'm very happy we both have the urge to put our mean bisexual oc's in periodwear XXD )

*just after they conspired to break greays outta jail*:

Seeing you mention You're Going Back To Jail though made me think XDD- who would Buck and Blanche? XDD Buck, Clydes brother who also broke outta prison and Blance, Buck's hardass wife who 's snide towards Clyde and Bonnie and sends her husband back to jail so they can one day be happy? XD My vote is for Jane Doe and Wheezy XD Can you imagine Wheezy gettin' told by his girl to turn his ass back the hell in??? 'what the hell are you talkin' about!??' *audible panic in his tone*

Bye, baby~

See you soon, sugar~

Kingston and Poppy Heathers AU: Oooooh, I could totally see this in the Highschool AU! XD

Hmmmmm, which musical AU should I go dor with King and Poppy... I donno, but I'm thinkin a Beetlejuice AU for Poppy and Rena XD Poppy is Adam (Or Lydia more like. But like grown adult Lydia who gets just as uncomfy as Adam does.), of course, and Rena is BJ XDDD Rena is such a gross femme fatale XD

I think we're a perfect fit, lets make out a bit-

Bigger, further, harder-

C'mon, drop your panties, I'm trynna fill you with wisdom and skill and the instinct to kill-

Gotta haunt til it hurts through the night~

etc

[anaykaymewtwo]

Despues del Flash Back?

Despues de la Recomciliacion y la esperanza familiar

Paldea Panamá Arco 6: Momiji Anayka y los 4 Deoxys.

Anayka:Entonces....Mewtwo. Momiji Celebi estos pokémon son...

Deoxys Ataque:Somos los Hermanos deoxys. Rivales De Mewtwo

Mewtwo:No Juzgo a pokémon de tu tipo Deoxys pero no tengo enemistad con ningun ser vivo. Y menos con Singulares ni humanos. Jamas seré enemiga de especies legendarias.

Deoxys Ataque:Acaso perdonas a humanos? Lo que te ha hecho Giovanny el team Rocket?

Deoxys Defensa:Mewtwo sanó esas heridas del pasado

Deoxys:Mewtwo Sanó sus propias heridas?

Deoxys Velocidad:Pero...Que Carajo....Mewtwo acaso tienes idea de lo que haces?

Mewtwo:Es por Todos los seres humanos. Todos los pokémon cada Ser Viviente Tiene derecho de Sanar las Heridas del pasado y no ser enemigos unos contra otros. Soy una Mewtwo Imbatible y por ese emblema Me llaman:La Princesa Mewtwo. O sea Mewtwo Lunar. Que Carajos no entienden de eso?

Los 4 Deoxys:Perdonanos por esa ofensa.

Momiji:Si Fuera tu yo nunca le hablara asi a un pokémon como Mewtwo.

Anayka:Pues. Desde el pasado olvidado de Mewtwo la muerte de ciertos aliados y guerreros. Momiji perdió a su hermana y eso fue dos golpes duros:Uno para los pokémon y Mewtwo y el mismo Clan Ninja Hayabusa. Mas por Amber y Ambertwo. Esa niña dio una luz de esperanza que nunca se apagará aunque solo hasta mi deceso. Y pasará a un sucesor o sucesora.

Era una historia larga pero Mewtwo dijo:No hay solución para la muerte. Eso mismo pasará con los pokémon

This never will changed...dijo Mewtwo

Momiji y Shaymin:Eso que quiere decir...

Anayka:Traduccion? Mewtwo?

Mewtwo:Eso Nunca va a cambiar. En otras palabras como me dijeron Mamá Romelia Joe Hayabusa Tu Momiji y Ryu Hayabusa y muchos humanos al observar de lejos a Anayka durante 35 años de su Vida es una Naturaleza que estaremos acostumbrados a presenciar. La Muerte no tiene solucion y eso Nunca va A Cambiar the Death has not a Solution and it's Will not never Change. Es parte de las vidas de Todo ser Viviente y de los pokémon y es mejor asi. Tal vez esa Frase me la dijiste tu Anayka. Y Kichō junto al padre de Nobunaga. O sea Nobuhide Oda. Tanto Nobunaga como Nobuhide nos lo dijeron y esa es una lección de vida humana o de los pokémon que NADIE debe olvidar. Puede que Amber y Ambertwo esten Muertas y estén en el cielo lo mismo con tu padre y ahora con el padre de Yimara. Pero el verdadero amor es el tesoro que aun Reluce en el mas profundo de tu Corazón y luchar con todas tus fuerzas. Amber. Tus familiares muchos humanos y pokémon creen en ti y eso nunca cambiara.

Anayka:Aunque es dolorosa la perdida. Tienes razón.

Mewtwo:I Never Lied about This! Mew said that what is True and what is false. And you Showed me protect all pokémon and me. And Also includes You. Ninja Momiji. The Shrine Maiden of Hayabusa Village!

Momiji:No entiendo lo que Mewtwo dijo. Pero lo dijo en inglés y ya entiendo que significa. I agree With You also Mewtwo.

Anayka:And Me Too. Also the 4 Deoxys. You want the peace. But Fighting for keeping the pece isn't it? Mewtwo Lunar?

Mewtwo Lunar:Yes! Momiji and Anayka. 🤭

Anayka:Thats Right Mewtwo!. Nada de enemistades. Eres muy respetuosa. Los 4 Deoxys. Podrán ayudarme?

Los 4 Deoxys:Si.

Mewtwo y Celebi y Shaymin:Gracias

Anayka y Momiji:Arigato! Es decir gracias en jp. 🇯🇵

La Gratitud en inglés de La Ninja Momiji de Ninja Gaiden Los pokémon Mewtwo y Anayka

Arco Paldea Panamá 6 parte 1 Mewtwo la Valiente:Conviccion de paz y Justicia.

[typingdyslexiaisathing]

The Reunion

Summary: Wolfwood and his traveling companion find Vash after six months of searching. With Vash's s/o taking a moment to have a serious conversation.

Characters: Vash the Stampede, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, OC

Content: established relationship, romance, injuries, blood, mention of violence, mention of past trauma, mention of emotional issues

Wolfwood took his time talking with Vash in the clinic. While Retha stood by the door to speak with the doctor at length. The doctor speaking openly about this good soul going by the name 'Erks' as the nurse confirmed a few things. The two talking about how Eriks tended to get injured a lot helping others. Retha wasn't surprised at this to even chuckle at the irony. Until she politely asked for the two to go and check on Sheryl and Lina. With Wolfwood exiting the room to nod and lift his hand up. Retha gave it a soft clap before she went into the room. The blonde on the bed staring at the old gun that was his trademark.

Vash looked like a conflicted mess. His frame so covered in old scars and metal mesh that it made Retha hurt in sympathy. His hair had grown out to almost brush at his shoulders. Which Retha found very appealing. The blanket the only thing covering his naked frame from her view. But Retha just took her time walking forwards to then sit on the bed. Her gaze taking Vash in like he was a priceless work of art. Which he was to her in every meaningful way. Vash closed his eyes to flinch when the bed took her weight. Aching words of pure grief washing from his lips. "I never deserved you, sunbeam. Not after everything I've done and keep doing. To you. To others. To myself. You should have moved on with your life and forgotten my pathetic soul. After all the death and pain I've caused. I was a fool to think my sins wouldn't follow me. So why... Why, Retha?"

Retha gives a patient sigh to lean forwards and gather Vash into her arms. His flinch expected as she placed a deep kiss to his lips. His taste was the same as always with an additional trace of blood from his busted lip. Yet she savored every sensation and second. Breaking away to then rest her forehead to his as Vash trembled in her arms. Words of pure love and warmth given to this broken man she is so in love with. "Because I love you, crimson bird. I know who you are at heart and love you unconditionally. All that I want and live for is found in you and all that you are to me. So hold this tight and never forget it."

Vash shuddered as he took aching breaths for air. His frame shivering for the bandage over his most recent gunshot wound getting fresh dots of red. Yet Retha rested her hands onto his shoulders to pepper his face with soft and gentle kisses. The scruff along his jaw tickling her face as she did so. Until Vash finally wrapped his arms around Retha to hug her as tight as possible. Which had several disks in her spine pop as she hugged him back. Hard intakes of air filling Vash's frame as he all but breathed in Retha's presence and promises. Those sculpted fingers weaving into her dress in the back to grip as tight as he dared to this woman he well and truly loves. "Retha... Oh my sunbeam... Maybe there is a loving God out there... Why else would I have you?"

Retha gave Vash several more deep kisses as he inhaled her own breath and taste with eager need. Until Vash cradled Retha's face in his hands to give her that real and genuine smile. Love in his eyes and in his words. "Thank you so much for chasing my stupid ass down. I swear I will never leave you behind ever again for any reason. Whatever I face, I take you with me."

The moment passes for shouting to be heard from the front doors of the clinic. Which happens to be Sheryl in a pure state of panic. So Vash instantly grabs up his gun to move as Retha moved with him. Which had Retha toss Vash his clothes as Wolfwood moved to be standing at the door. His lips in a snarl as he declared with emphasis, "Stupid assholes took the girl! Retha! You keep Sheryl from doing something reckless! Needle Noggin! With me!"

[milady-pink]

Rosewood Manor

Summary: After finding Firmin’s body the guests are given three options of locations they can look for clues in.

Warnings: death, murder investigation, morbid talk, strangulation, no blood

Word Count: 2370 || Dividers: @firefly-graphics

Complete Series

AO3

————————————————————

Chapter 5

“Game?! This isn’t a game, someone’s dead!”

Sorelli’s outburst caused the group to collectively shudder. They were standing around the ballroom, located in the center of the Manor; revealing Richard Firmin’s dead body. Poor Jamie, who found him, was still shaking while Christine tried to calm her down, putting her arm around her shoulders.

Raoul tried his best to reassure everyone. “Relax, no one is really hurt. Like the butler said, it's a game,” at the mention of his job title, Erik sneered ever so slightly, Christine thought she imagined it, “he’s probably in the next room breathing right as we speak. My guess is whoever figures out who killed him will win. Am I right?” At this he pointedly asked the masked man. He nodded before walking to stand in the front of the group, his back to the grand staircase. He looked downwards before setting his face straight, and disclosed how the game really worked.

“As I’ve mentioned at dinner the previous night, your host, Mr. Y, has invited you all to play a game of wits and intellect. For them, that meant a game of murder mystery solving. Just as the younger DeChagny brother has said, the winner will have solved who is the killer amount you; who is Mr. Y. If all of you are ready, I shall explain the process that follows the, ahem, finding of the body.” The chosen words caused an already shaking Jamie to quake excessively.

The group looked around to each other, questioning in their eyes if they wanted to know how this so-called “game” was played. But, seemingly hesitant, the guests jointly nodded that yes, they were ready to play the game.

“Well then. Whenever a body is found, three locations will be offered following. You can either choose to go to the morgue; to look at the body for further inspection into how the victim died. The victims last known whereabouts, in this case Mr. Firmin’s room. Or, if you should choose, the scene of the crime, in this instance that would be-,”

“-the library.” Squeaked an ashen Jamie.

Erik continued like normal, which for him would be icy, “yes, the office library. I shall give you all five minutes to decide where you want to investigate. You may not change locations once you are there. What you learn about the murder you may choose to share with the others, or keep to yourself. The choice is yours, and the best sleuth will be rewarded. Best of luck.” He finished the explanation as to what follows a murder with no emotion in his voice at all, which was extremely disturbing given the circumstances. Following his speech, the lithe, masked figure makes his exit, leaving a confused, and thoughtful group behind.

Christine didn’t know what to think of everything that has happened and unfolded up until now. For one thing, she knew without a doubt she would not be visiting the morgue. Seeing Papa was bad enough, I don’t think I can do it again. So, that left the crime scene or the last known whereabouts. Christine didn’t think there would be anything useful in Firmin’s room, so when Erik walked back to the group with two maids in tow, she chose the crime scene.

Back in the library, Christine tried her best to detach herself from the situation. She tried not to think about the fact that someone had been laying in the next room dead. No Christine, pretending to be dead. Real or fake, it was enough to irk Christine and get into her brain that something like that was seen as a game. A carpeted thud made Christine turn her head quickly, only to find Jamie picking up a book that she predicted Jamie had dropped. As for the other guests; Carlotta, Andre, and Piangi chose to explore Firmin’s bedroom, while Sorelli and Raoul willingly chose to go to the morgue.

“I’m kind of surprised you chose the library, seeing as how you were here first.” Christine said to Jamie, trying to walk on eggshells around the subject matter.

“Honestly, I just decided because you chose it. I-I think you’re pretty nice. And I know you better than anyone else here.” Shared the scared blonde, making Christine feel sorry for the girl. She quietly promised herself to help Jamie if she can, at least include her if alliances are made. Christine replied to her with a smile before arriving at the office door.

“Are you ready?” Christine asked, “I’m sure you could just sit this one out if it’s too much.”

“No, I’m ready. I don’t want to be useless and just sit by like a scared little girl.” Jamie replied, stealing herself.

“I’m glad to hear it, it's very brave of you.” Christine honestly told her. She grasped the door in her hand and pushed open the door.

The office was smaller than the library, a window to the left showcasing the front lawn and its elegant landscaping. In front of the window was a dark wooden desk, intricate designs carved into it, with a comfy-looking vintage office chair tucked in between. The walls were lined with books on shelves, similarly to the library, save for the wall across from the door the two girls currently stood in. It looked to be a large tv bookcase, with shelves empty save for a few statues, and one shelf with what looked like a safe; the door of which was open. Christine started walking over to the safe, with Jamie in tow.

“Hmm,” remarked Christine while looking at the safe, “we must have missed this when…th-the first time, that is.” Still trying to tread carefully, for both of them, as to why they were just now noticing the open safe.

“Do you think Firmin opened it?” Jamie asked, looking at her colleague with questions swimming in her brown eyes. “And if so, why didn’ he take anything else?”

She was right, Christine noticed. The safe was open, but there sat some pretty valuable items; three stacked gold bars, some neatly piled hundred bills, and scattered jewelry. Huh, why would he leave all that?

“That is weird,” stated Christine, voicing her puzzlement, “but obviously there was something that he deemed important enough to break open a safe for. Maybe something obscure?”

“Or personal, that it would only matter to him.” Put forth Jamie, brows furrowed thinking hard.

“Yeah, maybe. We can ask one of the people who went to his room if there was anything significant there.”

“Good idea. In the meantime, how do you think he opened it? Did he know the password? ”

“Hmm, let’s look around for more clues.” Ventured Christine, closing the safe door with a soft clink. Before turning around to start searching, Christine noticed a strange symbol near the safe’s dial. It looked like a large circle, with three smaller circles connected by the larger one, in the shape of a triangle.

Hmmm, wonder what that means

“Uh, Christine?” Jamie ventured. She turned to face Jamie, and noticed she was hovering over an open book sitting on the office desk. Christine sauntered over to see what her partner had found.

The book seemed to be about the psychology of human nature overall; including different religions and cultures of the past and present world. But the page it was left open on, was talking about the Bible along with good and evil. Then it starts talking about the philosopher Seneca and his virtues that define the human experience.

“It’s missing a page.” Jamie said, pointing at how the corner page numbers go from

347 straight to 349.

“Looks like it was ripped out.” Christine ran her finger down the torn paper left in the book. “I bet it had the code to the safe on it, or something close to it.”

After a few hours of rooting around for clues in their respective locations, the guests of Rosewood Manor regrouped outside on the patio. There was a table set up with sandwiches, pasta salad, and fruit salad, all plastered up. To drink was water or lemonade for the California heat. Everyone wandered outside for lunch and to, hopefully, learn some clues of how Firmin died. Once everyone grabbed some food, the mingling started.

Following getting some pasta salad and some fruit, Christine decides to take initiative and goes over to Raoul, the only other person she knows, and tries to get some information. Just as Christine was sitting down, Sorelli walked over to them.

“Hey Sorelli, what’s up?” Wandered Christine in a friendly voice.

“Nothing much. But, uh, can I join?”

“Join what?” Raoul questioned.

“You know, join your team. You guys are making an alliance, right?” She asked, with one of her dark eyebrows raised.

Looking at each other Raoul and Christine shrugged shoulders. “I guess we didn’t think about it but, yeah, I guess we could team up.” Answered Raoul, to which Christine smiled and nodded her head in response. She was happy to be in his presence again, making new memories in their young-adult lives. Hopefully after all of this madness, we can stay in touch.

“So, Christine, what did you find in the library?” Sorelli began, jumping right into the important stuff.

“Well me and Jamie…” She trailed off. At the mention of Jamie, Christine realized that she was sort of breaking the promise she made herself. So, she looks around the patio and spots one petite, wheat haired woman sitting by herself near Piangi, Carlotta, and Andre. Jamie looks downwards, with a forlorn look on her face, then up making eye contact with Christine. She smiles warmly and waves her over, which makes Jamie’s eyes go wide, only to stand up and quickly walk over. She took a seat next to Sorelli on the lounge chair opposite Christine and Raoul’s. What once was three, now is four.

“Hi Jamie, I was just about to tell these guys what we found in the library’s office. Now that you’re here, chime in if I miss anything.” Christine told her, wanting her to feel welcomed, to which she nodded. “So, as I was saying, Jamie and I found an open safe and a book with a missing page.”

“An open safe? What was inside?” Pondered Sorelli.

“There was some jewelry, uh, a lot of cash, and, get this, three gold bars. Like, real ones!” She exclaimed.

“Woah, that’s weird.” Remarked Raoul.

“Yeah, rich people are weird.”

“Well, yeah, that, but also the fact that he didn’t take anything.”

“Tell them about the book Christine,” added Jamie, “and the page too.”

“What book?” Questioned Sorelli, taking a sip of her lemonade.

“There was a book sitting on the desk, completely open, and the page that was there was ripped out.” Jamie spoke with such energy, seemingly like she bounced back from this morning, making Christine smile.

“What about you guys,” Christine asked, “what was the morgue like?”

Sorelli and Raoul shared a look, obviously with hesitance plainly visible on both of their faces.

“Well,” Sorelli started, “for starters it’s in the house.”

That shocked Christine, and clearly frightened Jamie. A moment passed as the two girls tried to figure out what that meant.

“I’m sorry, in the house? H-how?” Wondered a very confused Christine, asking because Jamie looked frozen in place.

“There is a morgue in the house, it’s down in the basement. That weird butler brought us down there and opened a door with, you guessed it, Firmin laying on a metal table wearing nothing but a blue paper gown.” She said in a grave voice.

“Yeah, his clothes were placed in bags on a metal cabinet next to the table.” Recounted Raoul.

“Did you check his pockets?” Christine asked, sitting on the edge of the chair.

“YES!” Exclaimed the two of them.

“I don’t remember what the text was saying,” Raoul went on, “but there was a page with a couple of symbols on them.”

This time, it’s Jamie and Christine who share a look.

“Can you remember them?” Inquired Christine.

“I do, but it might be hard to explain them.” Raoul answered.

“Maybe you could draw them!” Excited Jamie. “We can get you guys some paper and pencils and you can draw the symbols.”

“Okay, did you find something like that in the office?” Sorelli wanted to know.

“We did, on the safe. We think it might have something to do with how Firmin cracked the code and opened the safe.” Affirmed Christine.

After going back and forth with the various knowledge that the four of them shared, they came to a few realizations; one, was that Firmin was strangled after Raoul and Sorelli found dark bruising, ahem, makeup, around his neck, another was that Firmin broke into the safe for something that wasn’t the regular jewels and riches.

“I bet he hid the stolen item in his room.” Stated Sorelli, at which point she looked over at the other group.

“How do we find out what it was? I doubt those guys are gonna offer up clues willingly.” Retorted Raoul.

At that moment, Piangi got up from the small table and chairs that their group occupied, and went back to the serving table for thirds.

“I have an idea,” said Sorelli, “I’ll be right back.”

Sorelli made her way over to the sandwiches, next to Piangi, and looked like she started a friendly conversation. Almost as quickly as she arrived on the scene, Carlotta swooped into Piangi’s other side. She thread an arm through his, and started to pull him back towards the safety of their table. Sorelli came back to the lounge chairs with more lemonade, but no luck.

“That pompous peacock got to him before he had a chance to share anything useful.” Sorelli grumbled.

Throughout the rest of lunch, the four of them continued talking about finding some paper to draw the symbols that were on the missing page. They also discussed how they were going to get information about what was in Firmin’s room. All the while, eating and talking, Christine noticed that Jamie kept stealing glances at Sorelli next to her. Hmm, maybe a little crush?

All too soon, lunch ended and the group dispersed.

[iphigeniarising]

NOW READING: Casket of Souls - Lynn Flewelling

Books Read in 2024

January

No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy Letters From Palestine - Ghassan Abdullah, Kenneth Ring True Tales of Arctic Heroism in the New World - Adolphus Greely Memories of the Andes - José Luis Inciarte Kick at the Darkness - Keira Andrews Fight the Tide - Keira Andrews The Terror - Dan Simmons What Lies in the Woods - Kate Alice Marshall The Mysterious Island - Jules Verne The Manson Women and Me - Nikki Meredith

February

A Thousand Ships - Natalie Haynes Farm Boys - Will Fellows The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien Reforged - Seth Haddon The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien Autobiography of Red - Anne Carson The Absolutist - John Boyne The Origin of Others - Toni Morrison Black Gun, Silver Star - Art T. Burton The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien

March

The Magpie Lord - KJ Charles Dead Wake - Erik Larson He Who Drowned the World - Shelley Parker-Chan Hidden Figures - Margot Lee Shetterly Ocean’s Echo - Everina Maxwell I Had to Survive - Roberto Canessa The Luminous Dead - Caitlin Starling Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir In the Hurricane's Eye - Nathaniel Philbrick

April

A Certain Hunger - Chelsea G Summers The Sunshine Court - Nora Sakavic Steal the Sky - Megan O'Keefe The Indifferent Stars Above - Daniel James Brown The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien RHatO vol. 1: Dark Trinity - Scott Lobdell RHatO vol. 2: Who is Artemis? - Scott Lobdell These Fleeting Shadows - Kate Alice Marshall

May

I Am Still Alive - Kate Alice Marshall Bunker Hill - Nathaniel Philbrick Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee - Dee Brown Batman: A Death in the Family Ordeal by Hunger - George R. Stewart Luck in the Shadows - Lynn Flewelling Thunderstruck - Erik Larson Stalking Darkness - Lynn Flewelling

June

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States - Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz Feed Them Silence - Lee Mandelo The Splendid and the Vile - Erik Larson River of Teeth - Sarah Gailey Manhunt - Gretchen Felker-Martin Traitor's Moon - Lynn Flewelling Dragon Age: The Silent Grove - David Gaider Incident at Gunn Point - Ralph Cotton

July

Endurance - Alfred Lansing The Woods All Black - Lee Mandelo Shadows Return - Lynn Flewelling The Boys in the Boat - Daniel James Brown

August

The White Road - Lynn Flewelling What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia - Elizabeth Catte The Demon of Unrest - Erik Larson In the Garden of Beasts - Erik Larson Road to Surrender - Evan Thomas Camp Damascus - Chuck Tingle Taste of Marrow - Sarah Gailey Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann

September

The Wager - David Grann Leeward - Katie Daysh The Devil to Pay - Katie Daysh All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque The Nightland Express - JM Lee Tombstone - Tom Clavin We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson

October

Unspeakable Things - Jess Lourey No One Can Know - Kate Alice Marshall Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes The Summer of 1787 - David O. Stewart Time is a Mother - Ocean Vuong The Foxhole Court - Nora Sakavic The Raven King - Nora Sakavic The King's Men - Nora Sakavic Strikeforce Vol.1 - Tini Howard

November

Strikeforce Vol.2 - Tini Howard The Sunshine Court - Nora Sakavic The Queen's Starfire Throne - Hailey Turner Local Woman Missing - Mary Kubica She's Not Sorry - Mary Kubica Elite Capture - Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò TGCF vol.1 (manhua) - MXTX TGCF vol.2 (manhua) - MXTX The Message - Ta-Nahisi Coates This Town Sleeps - Dennis E. Staples On Tyranny - Timothy Snyder

December

Saezuru 0-8 - Yoneda Kou The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie The Time Machine - HG Wells