#11 year hiatus working in my favor

[chrollohearttags]

when your favorite show never came back at all so it also can never end >>>>>

[sug4rsweet]

[ KAORI ♡ DISCOGRAPHY ! ]

[ 2011 — 2012 ! DEBUT ! SELF-TITLE ]

after signing with AVEX TRAX in october 2011, KAORI’s debut single—“TREAT ME (AKACHAN O ATSUKATTE)”—was released on december 7th, 2011. the first of three singles, it was immensely popular, debuting at no. 2 on the ORICON charts and selling over 90,000 units. it also found itself on the BILLBOARD HOT 100, debuting at no. 86, KAORI’s first of many entries. the music video received over 2 MILLION views within its first 24 hours

released two months later, her debut album—KAORI—also saw success. selling over 400,000 copies, the album debuted at no. 18 on the BILLBOARD 200. it received universal acclaim, with critics lauding KAORI’s versatility and interpretation of the electropop genre. considered a classic within her discography, the album is widely loved by fans

[ 2013 ! SWEET 18 ]

returning with a slightly more mature image and a more pop rock / electropop oriented sound, KAORI’s sophomore album reflected her first year as an adult. with a darker style reminiscent of KODA KUMI, RIHANNA, or LADY GAGA, the first single from the upcoming album was an almost drastic change from KAORI’s debut. debuting at no. 1 on the ORICON charts, “BLACK NIGHT” was the first number one single of her career. it sold over 100,000 units and debuted at no. 69 on the BILLBOARD HOT 100. the music video garnered over 3 MILLION views in its first 24 hours, and the single only garnered more attention once it was used in an anime a mere month after its release

the album released 2 weeks later, and it was a smash hit with the public. praised for its stronger sound and KAORI’s subsequently stronger image, SWEET 18 did wonders for her career. it sold a little over 500,000 copies, and found itself at no. 11 on the BILLBOARD 200—one place away from top ten. with its slew of iconic tracks, the album is also beloved among fans

[ 2015 ! DRIVE MY LIFE ]

returning to the music scene after a 2 year hiatus, KAORI made her comeback with a much more polished image and sound. a combination of electropop and r&b, DRIVE MY LIFE is seen as a “turning point” in KAORI’s career. the album’s lead single had a strong edm sound, and it sold nearly 300,000 units, debuting at no. 2 on the ORICON charts, and at no. 35 on the BILLBOARD charts

being an era in which KAORI took a lot of creative control, the album itself was definitely a game changer. selling over a MILLION copies, it was KAORI’s first “million seller,” and it ended up at no. 9 on the BILLBOARD 200—her first top ten entry. DRIVE MY LIFE is often cited as her best work (if not THE best work she’s ever done), and not only is that an opinion echoed by most of KAORI’s fans, but it’s also the album that caught the attention of more recent fans

[ 2017 ! KAGAYAKU ]

after another 2 year hiatus, KAORI returned with her first extended play. a brighter, more “unique” sound accompanied the album, giving KAORI the chance to show off her vocal range. the lead single—“PINK ROAD (PINK NO MICHI)”—had a higher register than what fans were used to, and due to it’s vocal difficulty, it’s often cited as another fan favorite. the track debuted at no. 3 on the ORICON charts, and at no. 40 on the BILLBOARD HOT 100, selling a little over 80,000 units

due to being an ep, KAGAYAKU is KAORI’s second lowest selling album to date. despite that, it still received favorable reviews from critics and fans alike. the album sold over 300,000 copies, and it found itself at no. 20 on the BILLBOARD 200—her second lowest charting album on the chart so far. the album, its concept, and its tracks are all widely loved, however. it was seen as “experimental,” and many of KAORI’s fans enjoy the more psychological meanings behind each track

[ 2018 ! FEEL ]

after a year long break due to produce 48, KAORI returned with her first full album in three years; FEEL. described as more “lighthearted,” the album is a return to her more electropop and “2010s j-pop” sound. the lead single—“COME INTO THE DISCO”—is a favorite of older fans, as it’s reminiscent of KAORI’s earlier sound. the track debuted at no. 1 on the ORICON charts, her first number one single on the chart in five years. selling nearly 400,00 units, it also debuted at no. 16 on the BILLBOARD HOT 100—her highest charting single in the united states to date

fans and critics ate up this release, praising KAORI for her return to her initial sound, while also managing to make it sound more “fresh” and modern. FEEL sold over a MILLION copies, making it her second “million seller” album so far. and finally, the album debuted at NO. 1 on the BILLBOARD 200; her first number one album on the chart in SIX YEARS. the album is frequently hailed as another one of KAORI’s best works, and is praised for being a stellar comeback

[ 2020 ! L.O.V.E ]

after another hiatus spurred on by KAORI’s personal life and promotions in china, she returned after two years with one of her most critically acclaimed albums to date. capturing the sound of heisei era j-pop and riding on the wave of the “2000s revival,” L.O.V.E is certainly a more r&b centric album. the lead single—“GRLTLK”—is one of KAORI’s highest charting singles to date. selling over 300,000 units, the track debuted at no. 1 on the ORICON charts (as expected). the biggest surprise, however, is when it debuted at NO. 9 on the BILLBOARD HOT 100—her second top ten entry on the chart, and her HIGHEST CHARTING single so far. the song’s unexpected entry into the top ten is definitely what motivated fans to shoot for number one

like stated before, L.O.V.E was an immensely acclaimed album. on the BILLBOARD 200, it was her SECOND number one album in 2 years—quite the impressive feat for a j-artist. it sold nearly a million copies, and fans universally agree that the singles from this era are some of KAORI’s best. a tour to promote the album had been in the works since the start of 2020, but unfortunately, it had to be cancelled. an online concert with over 500,000 VIEWERS was held instead, and in 2022, KAORI’s annual concert in tokyo was used to promote the album

[ 2023 ! DEJA VU ]

after another hiatus and her longest one yet, KAORI made a comeback with her highly anticipated SIXTH album, DEJA VU. spearheaded by a more “sexy” image in comparison to KAORI’s previous works, the era was certainly one of her most eventful ones to date. the lead single—“WANT ME WANT ME”—was a smash hit, debuting at no. 1 on ORICON and selling over 300,000 units. in an iconic moment, the single finally debuted at NO. 1 on the BILLBOARD HOT 100; KAORI’s first EVER number one single on the chart. it remained there for 6 WEEKS, and it gave her the international attention that she had been wanting

the album also sold well, becoming KAORI’s third “million seller,” and eventually selling over 2 MILLION copies. it debuted at no. 1 on the BILLBOARD 200, the first time she had an album and a single both chart at number one simultaneously, and it stayed there for nearly 8 WEEKS. the album was acclaimed by critics and loved by fans, particularly due to KAORI’s increasingly maturing image. the singles are seen as a “highlight” of the album, and DEJA VU has gone down as one of the highest selling albums in japan, as well as KAORI’s most iconic

[ DISCOGRAPHY ♡ AS KYANDI ! ]

[ 2015 ! CANDY GIRL ]

one of the most beloved albums in KAORI’s discography, CANDY GIRL began her KYANDI alter ego. delving into the previously unheard of genres of “kawaii rock” and “r&b pop,” (which later transformed into “KAORI-POP”) the album was unique and allowed KAORI to take on a slightly “cuter” but still relatively mature image, reminiscent of TOMMY FEBRUARY6 or KYARY PAMYU PAMYU, as well as ease back into the rock genre that she took on during the SWEET 18 era. the lead single of the album—“TOKERU NO COTTON CANDY”—is another fan favorite. selling over 200,000 units, the single debuted at no. 3 on the ORICON charts, and found itself at no. 20 on the BILLBOARD HOT 100

CANDY GIRL is an iconic piece of KAORI’s discography, as it began her well known alter ego. it sold over 700,000 copies, debuting at no. 25 on the BILLBOARD 200. favored by critics for its unique sound and unconventional image, loved by fans, and coming right after the explosive DRIVE MY LIFE, CANDY GIRL is certainly era defining

[ 2016 ! SUGAR!!! ]

the second ep of KAORI’s career, SUGAR!!! allowed her to take on an even cuter image without the commitment of a full album. although it didn’t sell as high and is almost forgotten among the general public, it’s well known among fans and was still a commercial success. the first of two singles from the album—“BIRTHDAY”—is more memorable among the public, and was a hit with critics, with most praising KAORI for her ability to adapt to drastically different concepts and effectively coining her “POP CHAMELEON” title. the single sold a little over 80,000 units, charted at no. 6 on the ORICON charts, and debuted at no. 51 on the BILLBOARD HOT 100. all three are KAORI’s lowest chart placements to date, but the single was still a resounding success, and it was praised for its cuter sound and production quality

so far, SUGAR!!! is her lowest selling album, but of course, it was still successful. selling nearly 200,000 copies, it charted at no. 29 on the BILLBOARD 200—her lowest charting album ever. despite that, the album was well received by critics and is adored by fans, with many calling the singles standout tracks

[ 2017 ! KISEKI NO ICE CREAM ]

with more time to focus on her alter ego, KISEKI NO ICE CREAM came a mere couple of months after KYANDI’s last release. with a distinctive video game concept and references to shōjo manga such as CUTIE HONEY, the album and its singles were widely praised. the lead single—“PRESS PLAY”—stood out, as it gave KAORI a rare chance to display her talents as a rapper. the track sold nearly 200,000 units, debuted at no. 2 on the ORICON chart, and charted at no. 15 on the BILLBOARD HOT 100. through twitter, the single went pretty viral on the internet, surprisingly bringing it up to NO. 10 on the BILLBOARD chart, her FIRST top ten entry on the chart

KISEKI NO ICE CREAM did exceptionally well, selling over 900,000 copies—her highest selling album as KYANDI. it debuted at no. 14 on the BILLBOARD 200, and is a favorite among many people, with critics calling the album KAORI’s best work under her alter ego

[ 2024 ! RINGO ]

her first KYANDI album in SEVEN YEARS (the longest break KAORI’s taken in between releases), the release of RINGO and the return of her alter ego was highly celebrated. an (almost) drastic shift in sound in comparison to her previous works as KYANDI, the album took on a more rock / pop punk sound, reminiscent of 2000s era AVRIL LAVIGNE or PARAMORE. the lead single—“MONOCHROME RAINBOW”—was an instant hit, debuting at no. 1 on the ORICON charts and selling nearly 400,000 units; KAORI’s highest selling single under her alter ego. it charted at no. 11 on the BILLBOARD HOT 100, before rising to NO. 8 after being used as the ending theme for the anime series MY HERO ACADEMIA

the album itself performed the best out of KYANDI’s albums, becoming KAORI’s first “million seller” album under her pseudonym. it charted at no. 1 on the BILLBOARD 200, and became the HIGHEST SELLING ALBUM of the year in japan

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Quick question sorry if this has been asked before: do you know any Johnlock fanfic where they’re extremely sensual? Like not just making love but just super methodically drawn out and slow and sweet?

Hi Nonny!!

Ahh, because of this ask, I went through my bookmarks to see if I have any listed with “sensuality” so that’s what this list is!! It definitely doesn’t have all of my fics because I have to go back through them and tag them, but in the meantime, enjoy what I started tagging a few months ago when you sent me this ask, LOL <3

As always, add your own fics here, Lovelies!!

SENSUALITY

See also:

Emotional Love Making || [MOBILE POST]

Emotional Love Making Pt. 2

Loved. by inevitably_johnlocked (G, 1,231 w., 1 Ch. || First Sherlock POV, Slice of Life, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Nose Kisses, Morning After, Love Confessions, Morning Cuddles, Emotional Sherlock, Sentiment, Bed Sharing) – Sherlock reflects on his relationship with John. Part 5 of I-J's Tumblr Ficlet Collection

Morning Sunlight by slashscribe (E, 3,565 w., 1 Ch. || PWP, Morning Sex, Fluff, PWP, Established Rel., Soft Idiots) – A thin band of soft morning light peeks between the curtains and stretches across John’s torso, laying dormant across his forearm, dipping into the space between his arm and his chest, illuminating his right nipple but just brushing the edge of his left, disappearing into his armpit, and reappearing again right over Sherlock’s eyes where his head rests, nestled against John’s shoulder. Sherlock is not annoyed by the light’s intrusion on his sleep, not when it rests so soft and tantalizing on John’s skin, a work of unintentionally erotic art. A PWP with so much emotion.

Living Musical by VeeTheRee (G, 4,149 w. 1 Ch. || Est. Rel., Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Hobbies, Summer, Song Fic, POV Sherlock, Painting, Play Fighting, Soft Sherlock, Dancing, Love Declarations, Hair Petting, Promise of Forever) – A one-shot of John and Sherlock being domestic during summer. There is paint, fluff, and music from Imagine Dragons, namely from the album 'Speak To Me', specific song in this one-shot is 'Living Musical'. Part 1 of the Happy Fluffy Johnlock Time series

London Gods by a_different_equation (E, 11,092 w., 5 Ch. || American Gods Fusion || Magical Realism, Sex Magic, True Love, PTSD John, First Kiss/Time, Marathon Sex, Sensuality, Genie Sherlock, Human John, Internalized Homophobia, Star-Crossed Lovers, Soul Mates) – Sherlock Holmes is a jinn who does not grant wishes. However, when Dr. John H. Watson, recently returned from the war in Afghanistan, gets into his cab by "accident", it might not even need magic to grant both men their deepest wish: love.

To be loved by Strange_johnlock (E, 12,436 w., 8 Ch. || Post S3, Established Relationship, First Person POV Sherlock, Pet Names, Soft Sherlock, Mild ADHD, Protective John, Captain Watson, Body Appreciation, Bottomlock, Rough Sex, Travelling for Holidays, Introspection, Sherlock Loves John So Much It Hurts) – John is so deeply integrated into the work, both as my conductor of light, and as a great shot with a vicious right hook who tackles men -and women- no matter their size all in my defense. He protects me with all he can without question, and this loyalty is surely more than I deserve. Or: Sherlock is counting his blessings.

The Invocation of Saint Margaret by Ewebie (E, 15,831 w., 1 Ch. || POV John,  Crossing Timelines, Light Angst, Fluff, Series 3 John / Series 1 Sherlock, The Matchbox, Mushy Romance, First Time, Bisexual John, Pining John, Bottomlock, Love Confessions, Sensuality, Emotional Love Making, Snippets of Time) – When Sherlock Holmes opens the matchbox from The Sign of Three and John finds himself years in the past, back to that first dinner at Angelo's with a much younger Sherlock Holmes. Is he dreaming?

Permanent Fixture by vitruvianwatson (E, 18,836 w., 9 Ch. || Post-S4, Parentlock, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, They’re Good Parents, Blushing Sherlock, First Kiss/Time, Explicit Consent, Sexual Content, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Big Feelings, Crying, First Kiss, Fluff, Anxious Sherlock, Inexperienced Sherlock, Emotional Communication, Love Confessions) – Now, as Rosie sat curled up against Sherlock’s side, John watched and wondered exactly how he had ended up here. Domesticity had never suited him before, not at any point in his life. His disastrous marriage had been proof of that. But somehow, here in the warmth and safety of 221B Baker Street, here with Sherlock Holmes reading medical jargon to his daughter, Sherlock’s bony feet nudging against his leg, John couldn’t imagine anyplace that would make him happier.

Division by MrsNoggin (E, 19,542 w., 11 Ch. || Coffee Shop AU || First Kiss/Time, Fluff, Barista Sherlock, Clingy Sherlock, POV John, John’s Limp, Bed Sharing, Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles, Sensuality, Touching, Virgin Sherlock, Insecure John) – John likes mysteries. And every morning he dips into the local independent coffee bar with his newspaper and ponders another... one Sherlock Holmes.

Through the Clouds by Mazarin221b (E, 20,004 w., 6 Ch. || Retirement, Sussex, Bees, Home Improvement, First Time, Romance) – Sherlock takes a remarkably early retirement at 47, and convinces John that a change of pace would do them both good. They buy an old cottage on the South Downs, and exchange their nonstop life in Baker Street for quiet contemplation, bee studies, and book writing. They might go completely insane, but sometimes it takes stepping outside of the life you're living to find the life you want. Part 1 of Through The Clouds

How To Unfold a Heart by elwinglyre (E, 25,477 w., 7 Ch. || Post S4 Fix It, BAMF John, Mentioned Eurus, POV First Person Sherlock, Case Fic, Fluff, Slow Burn, Topping from the Bottom, 3 Yr Old Rosie, Introspection, Sexual Fantasies, John Worship, Ogling, Hand Holding, Kidnapping, Domesticity, Sherlock Whump, First Kiss/Time, Doctor John, Caring John, Soft Sherlock, Sensuality, Touching, Crying, Love Confessions, Anxious Sherlock, Rimming, Toplock, Fingering, Bossy Bottom John) – To Sherlock’s dismay, John’s return to Baker Street with Rosie is only temporary. Sherlock’s daily visits to Regent Park with John and Rosie illuminate his lost childhood memories and missed opportunities. But with each trip to the park, Sherlock also feels a growing sense of hope. That is until the past horrors return unexpectedly in a cryptic note folded in the shape of a heart. To decipher the message, Sherlock must uncover the nature of the hearts around him, including his own.

Lucifer's Gardens by ampersand_ch (E, 32,679 w., 12 Ch. || GERMAN VERSION || Romance, Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Murder, Poison / Drugging, Mystery, John Undercover, Academic Club, Therapy, Rituals, Jungian Archetypes, Doctors & Physicians, Grief/Mourning, Esotericism, Hospitals, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, John Falls In Love With Another Man, Jealous Sherlock, Crying, Doctor John, Hand Holding, First Kiss/Time, Mysticism, Hugging, Touching) – John goes undercover for an investigation as a favour to Lestrade in a village in Suffolk. The events surrounding the case awaken deep-seated fears in Sherlock. While John begins to come to a realisation of what he needs in Lucifer's Gardens, Sherlock tries to find a way to reach John – in more ways than one.

A Promise Made to Be Broken by PlantsAreNeat (E, 37,018 w., 7 Ch. || Fake Relationship, Pining, Slow Burn, RST, Eventual Relationship, POV Sherlock) – A young John makes an ‘if we’re still single at 40, we’ll get together’ pledge to a woman who ends up all wrong for him. She keeps reminding him of the promise, and won’t let go of it. John asks Sherlock to pose as his boyfriend at a family wedding, so as to dash her hopes permanently. Sherlock, who has at last acknowledged his feelings for John, reluctantly agrees despite knowing how painful it will be to ‘have’ John, but not keep him.

Gold Rush by ShirleyCarlton (E, 71,783 w., 17 Ch. || Post S3 / No Mary, Friends to Lovers, Mentions of Past Sexual Abuse, First Kiss, Case Fic, Slow Burn, Alternating POV, Switchlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Marriage Proposal, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Abduction, Anxious/Insecure Sherlock, Miscommunication, Emotional Lovemaking) – John has divorced Mary and pops round to 221B one evening to find Sherlock in the middle of a case. As Sherlock tries to find the identity of a young woman’s stalker, John realises he can no longer deny his feelings for Sherlock – which then, to their befuddlement, turn out to be mutual. Shy kisses and tentative embraces ensue. But will Sherlock be able to cast off a shadow from his past that he thinks might prevent John from wanting to stay?

Repairing the Broken Things by BakerTumblings (M, 75,252 w., 15 Ch. || S4 Compliant, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Trauma, Hospitals, Big Brother Mycroft, Misunderstandings, Realizations, Severe Accident, John Whump, Pneumonia, Medical Procedures, Bed Sharing, First Time, Healing, Happy Ending) – "I'm calling today to notify you that there's been an accident."

Northwest Passage by Kryptaria (E, 95,157 w., 27 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Canadian AU ||  BAMF!John, Canadian John, PTSD, Anal / Oral Sex, Rimming, Emotional Hurt / Comfort, Drug Rehab, Falling in Love, Pining Sherlock, Love Confessions, Sherlock’s Violin, Panic Attacks, Switching, Anxious / Protective Sherlock, Hugs for Comfort, Suicide Mentions, Healing Each Other) – Seven years ago, Captain John Watson of the Canadian Forces Medical Service withdrew from society, seeking a simple, isolated life in the distant northern wilderness of Canada. Though he survives from one day to the next, he doesn't truly live until someone from his dark past calls in a favor and turns his world upside-down with the introduction of Sherlock Holmes." Part 1 of Tales from the Northwest

Against the Rest of the World by SilentAuror (E, 151,714 w., 20 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-TRF, Hiatus Fic, POV First Person Sherlock, Present Tense, First Kiss/Time, Big Brother Mycroft, Escaping from Capture, Soft Sherlock, Toplock, Insecurity, Infidelity, Travelling, Introspection, Pining Sherlock, Depression, Fantasies, Yearning for the Past, PTSD Sherlock, Suicidal Ideation) – Sherlock has been away from London for nine hundred and twelve days and counting, and has no idea what sort of reception to expect when he finally returns.

[cadykeus-clay]

i would low key love to hear your tangent about the differences there are between how VM and TM9 react with the world

ah, the perfect excuse for me to put off my 30 page reading, thank you :3

(i’m also going to preface this by saying most of this is stuff i’ve picked from other people’s various metas and i absolutely do not remember who those authors might be so i apologize jsdlkfsd)

....

but uh ... basically i feel like vox machina and the nein have a completely opposite standard for how they interact with the people the consider to be their “inner circle” vs. everyone who doesn’t qualify as that. 

vm is a group of individuals who, overall, had one cruel person that slighted them but didn’t really destroy their faith in humanity. (their faith in themselves is a whole different horse. that ones .... woof. looking at you percy scanlan tary keyleth.) Percy had the briarwoods, Grog had Kevdak, the twins and tary had their father. so, the way that they interact with just random people that they meet is - with exceptions of course - amicable, or at the very least, respectably polite. 

they’re the saviours of emon, the freers of whitestone. they have festivals held in their honor. they have kid fans and random farmers knocking on their doorstep for aid because they’ve heard tales of the kindness. sure, vex can be a hassle when she’s haggling down a price, and keyleth tends to poke buttons in way that gets her arrested a fair amount of the time, but at the end of the day they’re the people’s heroes, and they’re happy to be that!

their inner circle, however, is much more closely guarded. they have a few chosen allies (gilmore, allura, kima, kash and zahra, cassandra) and that’s it. They’re hesitant with anyone else trying to creep into their personal fold. Hell, it took beating up tary and him breaking down sobbing for them to even consider liking him. they’ve been burned by raishan and clarota and hotis, by individuals they let in and who then stabbed them in the back. they’ll do almost any favor for a stranger who asks, but they’ll be damned if they trust anyone to actually join their midst. vox machina is vox machina is vox machina and that’s incredibly hard to change. 

the nein, on the other hand, are fundamentally a group of rejects. some of them have specific people they can point a finger at and say “i hate you”, but those problems stem from a greater societal rejection. beau has daddy issues, but she also felt rejected by the entire cobalt soul until dairon found her. caleb has trent’s fucked up shit, but he also has this constant pressure of having failed his entire country, not to mention the faceless hate piled up on him from living homeless for a year. jester’s whole deal is that she had to hide from LITERALLY ALL OF SOCIETY for her entire childhood because she wasn’t supposed to exist.

and so, the nein are shitheads to society right back. they’re mean to random barkeeps, they trash their inns and don’t say sorry, they mock most NPCs behind their back (or sometimes right to their face. @ marius).  Every favor asked of them comes with a ton of deliberation and arguing about whether its bait or not (ie bowlgate, the giants in the mine outside rosohna, essiks “favors”). 

but, on the flip side, they’re willing to tug just about anyone into their ranks. if society already hates them by default, what’s there to lose if they get close to someone? nothing, there’s only more love to be found! so it’s adopting random bird girls on the road, its sending cupcakes to a hag that cursed your friend, its sending messages to everyone you’ve ever met just to check in, it’s making someone sit in the hot tub with you and share trauma and then when you find out he started a war you say “we get it bro” and kiss him on the forehead. it’s “welcome to the mighty nein”. 

and it’s also very interesting, i think, to talk about the ways in which the party interacts with themselves. vox machina was a family, undoubtedly, as is the nein now. but vox machina ... had a lack of desperation to their attachment. i mean for one, they took a full year off from adventuring together and scattered cross continent. even if the nein gets down time like they did, i expect they’ll just trail each other around like lemmings. (its kind of what they’ve been doing from hiatus until now with the eiselcross arc starting). 

but vox machina just ... went. and scanlan walked away from the party and (after the heat of the moment), they agreed to just let him be. and pike would spend weeks on quests for sarenrae without much of a complaint. even at the end - and this will be a controversial take, i know - but they let vax go pretty easily. (sure, mechanically they were wiped from fighting, but besides tears the only attempt to defy trq was from percy, which even he gave up on with minimal struggle because vax said to stop it). that’s not to say they don’t miss each other when they’re gone! of course they do!!! but they trust each other to go off into the world, because the world as whole is a place they trust. 

(the one exception to this might be vex, who fought every one of these situations adamantly, but that’s a whole separate essay about her issues stemming from an innate sense of ‘failed family’ that she’s desperate to not repeat, and less about a mistrust of everyone until proven otherwise)

the nein on the other hand. hoo boy. they’ve been hot glued to each other’s hips since day one. So many quotes (many from beau, which could be worked into my previous vex essay, as they’re very much cross-campaign foils. getting sidetracked again) are about their inability to separate. “You don’t get to choose who cares about you”; “No one goes”; “If one of us is gone for more than 7 days assume we’re dead and have a funeral”; “Do we have co-dependecy issues?” Jester’s cool personal vacation to her god’s get together turned into a party with everyone because why would she go anywhere without the nein? Veth’s time with Luc and/or Yeza is constantly overrun with the rest of the nein dropping in for fun. Even small things like shopping trips are so much more “oh well if you’re going then i’ll go” snowballs than they ever were with vm. 

Also, ashley’s absences had to be much more forceful than in c1. Post episode 11, the only time yasha left the group (rather than someone else piloting her) of her own free will was when she ran in grief from molly’s grave. And yes, there’s something to be said about “oh they were on a boat for a long time she had nowhere to go” but if Matt can justify astral projection pike, i feel like he could justify ‘the stormlord teleports yasha away for a bit’ and he chose not to. 

Because!!!!!!!!! of the dynamic that the nein has!!!!!!!! Because of this idea that the world is bad and cold and full of hate and in here in our little hut (soon to be mansion??????) it’s safe and good and full of love and no one can leave because then you’d be going somewhere much more dangerous and we can’t have that, now can we? 

.....

well uh. that’s a lot of words. i hope they made some sense??? and were at all what you were expecting???? thank u for sending the ask tho this was very fun to write!!

tldr: vox machina is a group of people who were betrayed by one bad figure, so they trust the world and are wary of the individual; whereas the nein is a group of people who were failed by the world at large so they welcome the loner and fear the pack. 

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Fic writer ask! Number 30!!!

30. Tell us an idea for a longfic you want to write in the future.

Too many. Alright, Top 5 Longfic Ideas That Have Been Stewing in My Brain for Years.

In no particular order:

I want to eventually write Sigyn into all the Thor movies, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and the Loki Series. I have outlines for all of them posted. I've been thinking about it for years. I could, at any moment, start writing. However, that is also a shit ton of time and work dedicated to one thing and anybody who has been on this blog long enough knows that's really difficult for me.

I'd like to sit down and writing out everything for Cassandra and Ellie. In my brain she'd have two seasons of her Netflix show and appear in The Defenders before she even meets Strange and gets incorporated in the MCU proper. I do not have the time to write out three seasons of a TV show, and yet, that's what my brain wants to do. It actually hates me.

One of these days I will re-write the entire sequel trilogy. Spite can only fuel something for so long, but let's see how long it can sustain me. I've got a rough outline of the first movie ready to go. I just need the space and time to do the rest.

I've got to start chipping away at incorporating Liz into as much of M*A*S*H as I can. I've got the first part of her introductory episode up and I have the whole thing outlined. If I sat down and just focused on that for a few weeks, I could have the rest of it up. After that it would just be going through each episode and deciding which ones would be changed enough that including her is vital or provides a good character beat for her. Then, in between, add my own Doc centric episodes. This bad boy have 11 seasons, and I did myself no favors be deciding to include her starting in season 2. Why am I like this?

Honestly all of my WIPs I have on hiatus are long fics I need to finish. I'm trash.

Behind the Scenes of Fic Writing

[houseofhurricane]

20 Questions Writer’s Edition

@gripefroot, thank you for the tag! 🧡

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

4

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

150, 310. BUT I only started on AO3 this year. Before my 9 year hiatus from fanfiction, I posted exclusively on my livejournal, which, read at your own risk, I guess?

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

I had to go to my old Livejournal tags for the answer, which is 10 -- ACOTAR, Parks & Recreation, Community, Chuck, Law & Order UK (for some reason, only the UK edition?), Life On Mars, Ashes to Ashes, House, Doctor Who, Harry Potter

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

There are only 4, but, in order, they're:

Bloom & Bone (Elain/Tamlin, Vassa/Lucien) aren't you scared (well that's just fine) (Gwynriel with a side of Emorie) the pilgrim soul in you (Vassien) as the heart grows bolder (Helion/Lady of Autumn)

5. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I try to respond to all of them, because I really appreciate anybody who takes the time to comment on my writing! I'm not at 100%, but close.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Lately, that would be as the heart grows bolder, but I did write some extremely angsty House fic circa 2006 that I hope never again sees the light of day.

7. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Bloom & Bone! After I finished my first draft, I thought it might be too happy, but I stand by it. It's definitely the happiest ending I've ever written, though.

8. Do you write crossovers? If yes, what’s the craziest thing you’ve written?

No, which is kind of funny given that my dream scenario is all of my friends being friends with each other.

9. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not that I can remember! Which is kind of wild, given that I just finished writing a big Elain/Tamlin fic and also once wrote Martha/Master Doctor Who fic.

10. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Yes but tasteful? I wrote my first intense s*x scene where everyone had a good time a few months ago and I loved it. Before that, I'd written either quick scenes or they were extremely literary and no one enjoyed themselves.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

This is embarrassing, but a "friend" once stole a paragraph from one of my fics... and I left them a comment complimenting them on it, only to realize what had happened a few months later. I never spoke to that person again.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No but if you ever want to translate my fics, that would be amazing!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Once! I'm down to do it again in the future, though.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

The thing about me is that I ship every ship when I really think about it.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Nine years ago, I wrote a Community AU where Jeff was Annie's law school professor and only got halfway through -- I still like it but I think too much time has passed.

16. What’s your writing strengths?

Writing beautiful sentences and developing characters.

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

I hate writing battle scenes and always try and find a way to break them down into smaller pieces or avoid the battle through diplomacy. Anything to avoid having to learn military strategy.

18. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in fic?

This is interesting because a lot of my original fiction deals with Cubans and Cuban-Americans, who speak a lot of Spanish. So I've thought about this issue a lot. I try to only use another language if it's essential to the story or character, or if the word/phrase only exists in that language. For example, in Spanish there's "aprovecha!" which literally translates to, "take advantage of your favorable situation!" and that's just not the same thing. I try to provide translations when it flows in the story, but I don't always do this specifically for Spanish (or French, on the rare occasion when I use it) because it's relatively easy to look up.

19. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter, which I now feel weird about given everything we know about JKR.

20. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

Currently, it's aren't you scared? (well that's just fine). Something about Gwyn really, really clicked for me in that fic, and although I literally wrote it in a morning, I'm very proud of it. I'm working on a longer Gwynriel fic at the moment, and I think it's even better -- I can't wait until it's ready to share.

[channelmono]

11-12-20 UPDATE:

Hi, it’s me back again! I wanna touch on a few things that I’ve been up to for the last while, since I’ve been so quiet for such a long time.

tl;dr: more delays for reasons out of my control, I’m unsure of the long-term direction of my channel (specifically daily vids), but music is still being made so that’s cool. Listen to an early draft of a track from the upcoming BITTER/SWEET collab mixtape here!

First of all, I just wanna congratulate my US followers for participating in the election! It was a very long, tough process to get this result, and I hope we all managed to foster and renew our hope that will motivate our journey into the future. Because several of my posts regarding election information are now deprecated, I’ve privatized many of them so this blog is reduced in clutter (if anyone would like any of the information present in them, feel free to DM me!)

Second: the state of my living and what it means for this channel.

Currently, I’m still away from my usual home because while the exact meeting that required my presence was finished weeks ago, I’m still waiting for an important government letter to come and to complete the action it requires of me. It seems to have been delayed for unknown reasons (possibly pandemic-related difficulties?), so all I can do now is wait for it to arrive, and until then, I must remain away from my filming site.

With all that said, however, I likely will not be able to return to usual daily content until the end of the year. The other personal business I’m going to be up to for the remaining month and 1/2 of this year will put me in a tizzy, though some of it includes BTS stuff to make filming in 2021 much easier for me (including a few really minor upgrades to my costumes as to not look as worn).

I’m still in deep issues regarding getting a job and stable source of income to work off of, not helped by the still-ongoing pandemic. Things may clear up by January, maybe not. Either way, my ability to continually support daily content is always in question, especially as this hiatus is slowly becoming more and more involuntary due to my extended stay and Patreon is becoming unviable for me.

Truth be told, I’m unsure of which direction Channel Mono should be headed, in part due to me having this extensive “ambition creep” which makes work on it very difficult. I ALWAYS want to improve and experiment, but this is not very sustainable due to requiring resources I simply cannot afford, and in general, I’m not sure what model works for me. On Instagram, having daily <1 minute videos and pic sets has done gangbusters for me, but nothing has really broken out for me in terms of other platforms like Youtube and Twitter, and I’m unsure of whether it’s due to the format of my content or just the content itself being so offbeat and strange.

I’d be more interested in doing more narrative short films lasting around 5-10 minutes or so in length and have plenty of ideas for strange, experimental directions to take, but that’s not kind to most platforms, no guarantee of attention, is also more difficult to make anyway, and could also be very alienating to my IG-focused fanbase. It’s very tricky, and if you have anything to say about it, I would like to hear it.

As I take a break to think about this, I’m also developing more of this side joint with BITTER/SWEET. Unlike filming, making music is something I can develop without most of my filmmaking stuff, hence why I want to be able to get it done soon! My estimated release date will be sometime around mid-December, and if it can be helped, I would like to be able to film footage for a music video for it, but that will depend entirely on whether I will be able to return home in time or not.

The titles of the project are in flux right now, but current tracklist is: 4 updated mixes of previous BITTER/SWEET songs, and around 5-6 new tracks. This early draft I’ve just shared is tentatively called “What’s Your Name? I Like Your Smile”. Again, names and mixes are subject to change, but I hope you will enjoy the songs when they are finally ready by the end of the year!

In addition to uploading on Youtube, we’re gonna be setting up a Bandcamp to release it on a pay-what-you-want system. Download it for free, or for however much money you please :)

Everything still remains uncertain, yet I remain hopeful that we’ll all come to better circumstances and more decisive realizations that work in our favor. Or something.

I’ll see you all later :) 🖤🖤🖤🖤

[thetvmoviefan]

Nabrina FanFics Part 8

Sabrina Spellman & Nicholas Scratch (Nick Scratch) FanFics MASTERLIST

Updated: March 5, 2020 (3/05/2020)

AND so guys we’re back to another hiatus this time we’re waiting for the last part of the season Part 4. How did everyone feel about Part 3, it was definitely A LOT. But every OTP there’s bound to be angst and journey, it only makes them stronger in the end. Anyways, while the show just officially finished Part 4 Filming (2/22/20) we’re all anxiously waiting for renewal and the announcement of when Part 4 will air. Here’s a newly updated list of Current and NEW Nabrina FanFics for anyone waiting for our POWER couple to comeback.

As Always have a Wicked or Hell-ish time with these fics and ENJOY!!!!

Fics in order by Last Update: 3/05/2020

[Key: AU=Alternate Reality - AH=All Human/All Mortal - * = New Fics to List]

1. “If You Let Me”*

Author: bunivy aka @bunivys​

Summary: After pouring all of her time and effort into obtaining a law degree in the city, Sabrina Spellman moves back to Greendale for one last summer before she departs for good. She's fully intent on enjoying her stay in her hometown, even deciding to pick up a part-time job at her Aunt Hilda's cafe to save up some money. The only problem is that the boy in the bookstore across the way is one she's had some not-so-good history with and it's becoming increasingly harder to ignore him. Before long, she finds herself exploring the complexities of old high-school grudges and what-ifs, all while trying to sort out her present-day relationship with the boy she has long since deemed as non-existent.Meanwhile, Nicholas Scratch wonders if it would just be easier to remain non-existent. AU/AH - Rated Mature - Chapters 7/? - Last Update 3/04/2020

2. “When the Bones Are Good”*

Author: sarahkwut

Summary: Sabrina Spellman is enjoying her life as a normal teenager. Sabrina Morningstar is reigning Hell with an iron fist. Ambrose Spellman is searching for a solution to bring them back together and close the time loop, Sabrina's wishes be damned. And Nicholas Scratch? He's faced down his own demons and he's desperate for redemption.Except the clock is ticking.On time and Terrors. (Part 4 Fic) - Rated General - Chapters 1/? - Last Update 3/02/2020

3. “I knew you were trouble”

Author: Miss_Kath90 aka @misskath90​

Summary: Sabrina didn’t know that being away from home for the first time could be so hard.Away from her aunts, friends and her-lifelong-boyfriend, Sabrina have to deal with the nostalgia but also with the new challenges College's life mean: get used to share a room with a not-so-nice roommate, put up with long hours of study and very few of sleep, learn to live from pre-cooked meals instead of her aunt Hilda’s homemade ones, find balance between her studies and her new social life… And resist the temptation a certain Nicholas Scratch mean for her. AU/AH - Rated Mature - Chapters 14/? - Last Update 2/22/2020

4. “I Need to Know”*

Author: raeinthedark

Summary: Love isn't that easy to erase... and that song is on again. Rated General - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 2/29/2020

5. “Cruel Summer”*

Author: thoughtsaboutshows @thoughtsaboutshows​

Summary: A mix between AU and Cannon, where the young members of the Church of Night also attend Baxter High. The young witches and warlocks then go to the Unseen Arts Summer Camp to bolster their gifts. However Sabrina, being half mortal, only began attending after her Dark Baptism. To the mortals of Greendale, Unseen Arts Camp was for the wealthy. An elite sector of the Baxter High youth that attended a camp deep in the Greendale Wood far upstream of Sweetwater River. Many had tried to find and break in, but none have succeeded. To the mortals, the divide between the camp attendees and the not was of money and status. When in fact, the difference lay with light vs. night.Set between two timelines- the present and the summer, Sabrina attends camp for the first time and grows closer to Nick only for them to be torn apart as school starts. Rated Mature - Chapters 4/? - Last Update 2/27/2020

6. “The Institute for Divine Craft”

Author: rayo aka @its-nabrina-bitch​

Summary: After a humiliating spat with Father Blackwood pushes Sabrina away from her witching life and the Academy, Madam Satan crafts an alternative solution to move Sabrina Spellman further down the path of night. Ultimately leading her to the Institute for the Divine Craft. A handsome Headmaster with mysterious ties to her father, convinces Sabrina to abandon her mortal life, and cultivate her abilities as a child of the Church of Lucifer. AU - Rated Mature - Chapters 18/? - Last Update 2/27/2020

7. “My Lover of Blood and Milk”*

Author: Unseemingowl aka @unseemingowl​

Summary: It didn’t feel as though it had only been a few hours since she had made her way to the Greendale woods for Lupercalia. As she sat there, shivering in her muddied and bloodied silk slip, it felt as if a completely different person had made her way back out of the forest...... Or how Sabrina struggles with lust and trust after her disastrous Lupercalian night with Nick. Rated Mature - Chapters 2/4 - Last Update 2/26/2020

8. “Off The Record - One Shots”

Author: sarahkwut

Summary: Missing scenes from completed piece, 'Off The Record.'AU/AH - Not Rated - Chapters 4/? - Last Update 2/23/2020

9. “I hurt myself today” 

Author: ssteelatoms

Summary: After everything he's endured, Nick Scratch decides he can't hold on any longer. Rated Mature - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 2/23/2020

10. “Be True To Your School”

Author: rayo aka @its-nabrina-bitch​

Summary: Nicholas Scratch is the Golden Boy™ of Baxter High; star athlete, top of his class academically, and devastatingly handsome. Sabrina Spellman sees Sophomore year as an opportunity to expand her horizons; joining the cheerleading squad, running for student council, and making new friends along the way while working to maintain her relationships with her old friends. What Sabrina Spellman doesn't know: sophomore year is about to turn her world upside-down. Rated T - Chapters 6/? - Last Update 2/23/2020

11. “Ocean”

Author: sarahkwut

Summary: AU, M-Rated. Nicholas Scratch has everything working in his favor. He's got a decent job as a history teacher, his roommate Melvin is always up for video games and getting high, and Sabrina Spellman lets him mess up her sheets frequently. Sabrina knows Nick isn't good for her, but she can't stay away, no matter how hard it is to pretend she's completely okay with their casual arrangement. But when life takes an unexpected curve, Nick is forced to face a new normal he doesn't know how to navigate. And Sabrina may or may not be there to help him through it. AU/AH - Rated Mature - Chapters 27/27 - COMPLETED 2/10/2020

12. “I’ll be there”*

Author: Miss_Kath90 aka @misskath90​

Summary: She couldn’t stop looking at him, since she had recovered him from the claws of the Dark Lord, she felt unable to be apart from him and had to admit that part of her was afraid he would disappear if she moved from his side. And Sabrina wouldn't let anyone or anything separate him from her again. Never. Rated Mature - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 1/30/2020

13. “Walk away”*

Author: Miss_Kath90 aka @misskath90​

Summary: Pain. Could he someday escape the pain? He sometimes thought it impossible. It was strange, his relationship with the pain, it was an enemy and a friend. The pain numbed him. The pain didn’t let him sleep. The pain hurt him and soothed him. It was unhealthy, the way the pain helped him relieve the pain. But it was the only thing he had left. Rated T - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 1/27/2020

14. “To Hell and Back”*

Author: sarahkwut

Summary: Sabrina was successful in her efforts to retrieve Nick from Hell, but the damage - physical and emotional - is deep. Sometimes, the only way to heal is to go your separate ways and trust things will work themselves out in the end. (Written before Part 3 - an alternate take on how Nick recovers from his time in Hell - with and without Sabrina). Rated Mature - Chapters 3/3 - Last Update 1/26/2020

15. “The Morning(star) After”*

Author: rayo aka @its-nabrina-bitch​

Summary: A Painful NickxSabrina Reunion Rated T - Chapters 1/3 - Last Update 1/24/2020

16. “My only love sprung from my only hate”

Author: filmharlot

Summary: High School AU where Nick is based on the version of him that Sabrina creates in her dream during the Batibat episode. Harvey and Sabrina have broken up and don't want to work together on the Romeo and Juliet assignment in Drama class, so she ends up being partners with Nick AU - Not Rated - Chapters 8/? - Last Update 1/19/2020

17. ”Ground Beneath Her Feet”

Author: mindlesshappy aka @feministstree​

Summary: Sabrina is born out of a miracle - one that she wishes would repeat for her, but when she is destined for someone else, how much can she resist before her heart decides to give in. Alternatively, Nick is Sabrina's soulmate, but she really just wants Harvey to be it. Also, in the backseat are all the other possible ships, getting their own soulmate glories. Rated T - Chapters 17/? - Last Update 1/17/2020

18. “A very witchy Christmas”*

Author: Miss_Kath90 aka @misskath90​

Summary: Just a bit of silly Christmas fluff that I couldn’t help but write, placed in the series universe after a huge jump in time. Not Rated - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 12/25/2019

19. “Mortal Little Christmas”*

Author: HeartsInJeopardy 

Summary: ‘Twas the night before Christmas – and the first for Nick Scratch - but Sabrina’s holiday movie was not a good match. Rated T - Chapters 2/2 - Last Update 12/21/2019

20. “Lessons in the Unseen”

Author: bunivy aka @bunivys​

Summary: Academy Teachers AU. Sabrina Spellman lives as simple a life as a half-mortal half-witch can. Despite her dislike for the headmaster, she enjoys spending her time teaching Ritual Magic at the Academy of Unseen Arts, hoping to positively shape the minds of young witches and warlocks. However, with the sudden dreadful announcement of her aunt Zelda's engagement and the appearance of one mysterious - and strikingly handsome - Nicholas Scratch, Sabrina finds that her life is not so simple anymore. Or all that safe. AU - Rated Mature - Chapters 32/32 - COMPLETED 12/17/2019

21. “Just a Little Obsessed”*

Author: eyerys

Summary: Nicholas has developed a tinie-tiny crush on Sabrina. Nothing like major or whatever. It's not like he thinks about her all the time or daydreams about what it would be like to be with her or how cool she is. No, not at all.Sabrina doesn't have a crush on Nick. No, not at all. Uh-uh. She has Harvey. Sweet and loving Harvey Kinkle. But for some reason, she can't help but find her mind wandering. Rated T - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 12/13/2019

22. “As The Moon Rises”*

Author: venzaren

Summary: Sabrina Spellman is tired.Tired of living a double life. Tired of facing discrimination at the hands of her pack. Tired of dealing with her status as an Omega. And most of all, she's tired of people hounding her about finding her mate.Then Nick Scratch returns to Greendale. AU - Rated General - Chapters 1/? - Last Update 12/07/2019

23. “Thirteen Memories”

Author: tempestbreak

Summary: (Set at the end of Season 2) Sabrina and her friends go to Hell and rescue Nick -- but what happens when that's the easy part?It turns out, having the Dark Lord inside your mind for months can do some damage, and Nick comes back different. His memories of the events leading up to his sacrifice, including his relationship with Sabrina, are gone. How can Sabrina help him regain his memories of their time together when she's not even sure she trusts her own? Rated Mature - Chapters 6/? - Last Update 11/02/2019

24. “But The Greatest Is Love”

Author: sarahkwut

Summary: The acheron captured Lucifer Morningstar, but their problems are far from over. The coven is decimated, the Church of Night is no more, Father Blackwood is on the run, and Nick and Sabrina's relationship is in ruins. How do they pick up the pieces and move on? There are more questions than answers and the consequences could be of biblical proportions. Rated Mature - Chapters 25/25 - COMPLETED 10/28/2019

25. “Back to You”

Author: nadiaselite

Summary: Sabrina brings Nick back from hell. Rated T - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 10/11/2019

26. “The Open Road”

Author: paradiamond

Summary: Nick wants her back, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes. In fact, he insists on it. Rated T - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 9/22/2019

27. “The words “I love you” aren’t enough”*

Author: Miss_Kath90

Summary: “Look at me, Nick” he was reluctant but when he finally looked up she took his face in her hands making him unable to look away “What you did that day… Nick, you sacrificed yourself for my sake, even when I mistreated you and told you all those horrible things. You did it for me, because you love me… Don’t you see? You’re incapable of being evil.”Or... Sabrina gets her boyfriend back but things don’t go as smoothly as she thinks they will. Rated Mature - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 9/22/2019

28. “Mission: Let’s get my boyfriend back”

Author: My_Evak_Heart

Summary: Sabrina and the Fright Club ventures on their first mission: getting Nick back from Hell Not Rated - Chapters 1/1 - Last Update 9/7/2019

29. “Jealousy is a killer”

Author: Melissa1226

Summary: Will Sabrina and Nick Start something new? and who is watching them from the shadow full of jealousy? Rated Mature - Chapters 8/? - Last Update 8/28/2019

30. “The Jock”

Author: mikaila_ealum

Summary: An Alternate Universe where Nicholas Scratch is Baxter High’s quarterback along with one of the most popular boys at school. With few knowing the truth, Scratch is living a double life as a warlock at the Academy of Unseen Arts. Sabrina takes a hiatus from the Academy to get more in touch with her mortal side. When Sabrina gets back she becomes partners with Nicholas for a project in theatre class. AU - Chapters 8/? - Last Update 8/07/2019

31. “act 5, scene 2 (thou and i are too wise to woo peaceably)”

Author: ghostemo aka @wickedscratch​

Summary: When Sabrina Spellman rose to a challenge issued by Prudence Night, she never imagined she’d actually make the varsity cheer squad - or that doing so would upend life as she knew it. Now she has to navigate her new role within the social hierarchy of hell -er Baxter High as well as trying to get her boyfriend to actually communicate. It certainly doesn’t help that she’s been paired up with the annoyingly handsome Nicholas Scratch, captain of Greendale’s beloved football team, for a project in her theater class. It’s exactly as, if not more so, cliche as it sounds. AU/AH - Rated T - Chapters 3/? - 7/25/2019

32. “Off the Record”

Author: sarahkwut

Summary: AU. Detective Nicholas Scratch left New York for Greendale in desperate need of a change of scenery. The small town takes some getting used to, but local reporter Sabrina Spellman quickly grabs his attention. It's the fresh start he needed until Greendale's residents start turning up dead. With a murderer on the loose, no one is innocent - and anyone might be next. AU/AH - Rated Mature - Chapters 29/29 - COMPLETED 7/22/2019

33. “Bring You Close To Me”

Author: BridgetMcKennitt

Summary: Sabrina and her friends managed to bring Nicholas back from Hell. There was a lot the two of them needed to discuss, but tonight, they had this. Rated E Mature - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 7/13/2019

34. “A Brief Moment”

Author: bunivy aka @bunivys​

Summary: Ever since he's returned from Hell, Nicholas Scratch has been having nightmares. With help from Aunt Hilda, Sabrina unknowingly shows him a light and for a moment, Nicholas knows everything will be okay. Rated General - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 6/24/2019

35. “To Hell and Back”

Author: swtnerdgirl

Summary: A year has passed since Sabrina and her friends rescued Nick from Hell. No one came back the same. They all had their scars. Some emotionally. Some physically. In the days leading to Hilda's wedding, they all prepare for their lives to change and heal their wounds. Rated Mature - Chapters 16/? - Last Update 6/06/2019

36. “Dead Witch Walking”

Author: rayo aka @its-nabrina-bitch​

Summary: Faced with the possibility of being harrowed to death by her classmates, Sabrina finds an escape. Rated E Mature - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 5/26/2019

37. “Moonlight Beneath Rough Lips”

Author: ivylikeveins

Summary: After the encounter with the thirteen witches of Greendale, Sabrina enters the dining hall with moonlight locks bathed in soft blue hues, and Nick does not know what to do. He ends up with a soft and small Sabrina pressed into his chest, sleeping, and wrapped around his very much over-sized jacket with Nick's lips pressed into the soft, pearly strands he wants his soul to get entangled within. Rated Mature - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 5/19/2019

38. “The Hunt”

Author: OnlyInAutumn

Summary: Nick howled into the night, up at the stars to signify that he was ready on the eve of Lupercalia, the darkness of midnight around them. The first sound of the horn sent them into the forest. The hunt had begun. Rated E Mature - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 5/11/2019

39. “Secrets, Secrets are no Fun”

Author: filmharlot

Summary: Sabrina is the new kid for the first time in her life. Choosing to go to the Academy full-time seems to be a hard transition than she was expecting. With the Weird Sisters harassment at an all-time high, dealing with leaving her mortal friend's and condescending teachers, Sabrina is suffering. She's not even allowed to have Salem for comfort. It's not all bad though. She is finally free to do magic whenever she wants, and there's a charming warlock who is being particularly nice to her. Plus, someone is leaving kind gifts on her bed at the end of the night. She just wishes she knew who it was. Not Rated - Chapters 1/? - Last Update 5/06/2019

40. “Unsettled Nighttime Creatures”

Author: mindlesshappy

Summary: We all know Sabrina is going to save Nick. This is how Nick reacts to being saved - which, spoilers alert - is like a very stupid warlock. Rated T - Chapters 5/5 - Completed 4/25/2019

41. “Selfless”

Author: sarahwut

Summary: Sabrina Spellman dragged Nicholas Scratch back from Hell. But Hell might be better than a world in which they aren't together. Rated General - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Completed 4/23/2019

42. “Homecoming”

Author: cherrystems

Summary: After several months Sabrina is able to get Nick back from Hell with the help of her family and friends. However, Nick has to adjust to Earth again while dealing with PTSD and anxiety. This tells the story of the growth of Sabrina and Nick's relationship over the recovery time. Not Rated - Chapters 3/? - Last Update 4/20/2019

43. “Under Your Spell”

Author: londonmarie

Summary: Sabrina doesn't hesitate to have her Dark Baptism and things go differently. Rated T - Chapters 10/? - Last Update 4/18/2019

44. “Photographs”

Author: Greyowl9831

Summary: It's been at least 150 years since Sabrina signed her name in the Book of the Beast. One day she finds an old photo album. Will the memories it contains be a great walk down memory lane or will it be more than she can bare? Not Rated - Chapters 4/? - Last Update 4/14/2019

45. “An itch That Needed Scratching”

Author: umbrellacorp

Summary: What if Nick slayed his familiar and Sabrina and Nick got to experience the last night of the Lupercalia festival alone. Tonight, Sabrina would be transformed. Nick was going to show her power that she never knew she had, an innate carnal power. They were about to become the most powerful union of the Church of Night. Rated E Mature - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 4/13/2019

46. “and I keep waiting (but I won’t say I’m waiting)”

Author: lost_n_stereo @lost-n-stereo​

Summary: You would think that it would hurt less as the days go by, since it’s been nearly two years since Nick sacrificed himself for the greater good and Lilith took him to hell. Except, he didn’t sacrifice himself for the greater good, he sacrificed himself for her. And that makes it a hell of a lot tougher to let go. Rated General - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 4/10/2019

47. “The Four Pictures”

Author: Copper_16

Summary: It’s been 10 years. Nick and Sabrina are teachers at the Academy along with some familiar faces. It’s been a decade there can’t be that much chaos anymore, right? Wrong. Rated T - Chapters 3/? - Last Update 4/09/2019

48. “Fire”

Author: OnlyInAutumn

Summary: Their power—together—was overwhelming. It was something that she had not felt either, the consuming feeling of expanding power. It was entirely addicting. Rated Mature - Chapters 2/2 - Completed 3/24/2019

49. “something I can believe”

Author: Anry

Summary: Missing scene after Sabrina's baptism. I wouldn't say that it's really a relationship here, just conversation. Rated General - Chapters 1/1 - One Shot - Last Update 1/25/2019

AND THERE YOU GO AGAIN!!!

Everyone again please make sure to leave love through the comments and giving kudos to all these amazing writers who have worked so hard on delivering these stories. Some who have newly popped up with amazing fics during the Part 4 Hiatus. Because of course without them this wait for Part 4 would be so much harder....now especially since the cast has officially wrapped Part 4 Filming.

But seriously these writers work hard on these stories and truly deserve the encouragement and love for their hard work with these amazing stories. Giving a simple “Love the chapter, can’t wait for more” will keep them going. So make sure to show your love by leaving comments our sharing their stories with other Nabrina Shippers or just CAOS fans.

If anyone has any other suggestions for the list feel free to message me :).

ANYWAYS ENJOY!!!! LET THE PART 4 WAIT BEGIN

[irisbleufic]

Happy 2020! Can I tag you to do that 2019 Fic Year in Review thing?

Happy New Year to you, too!  Sure thing.  I can’t remember the last time I did one of these; since 2019 is the end of a decade, it feels fitting.  Here goes…

14 February 2019: After spending 14 of my 15 years (2020 marks the start of my 16th year) in Good Omens fandom working on it, I finally finished and posted the 75th and final installment of Crown of Thorns [The Walls, the Wainscot, and the Mouse] ’Verse.  LiveJournal was still the fandom’s primary posting hub when I posted the first-ever installment, A Better Place, on 1 October 2005.  The series didn’t get its second installment (The Walls, the Wainscot, and the Mouse) until 2010, but work on the series from that point forward was pretty much constant.  2012 saw a higher number of CoT updates than any year previous; that was also the year I transferred it to AO3.

25 February 2019: I finished and posted the last chapter of my third Good Omens collaborative fic ’verse with @procrastinatingbookworm, Turn In Your Arms.  We couldn’t believe there was no Good Omens fusion with Tam Lin, so we went for it.  Given our first collaboration in 2018 was a Good Omens fusion with Groundhog Day (Game Over, Insert Coin), that wasn’t a stretch.

27 February 2019: @aspiringjedi and I posted the first of our two Good Omens meta-essays, Making An Effort: Queer (Trans) Masculinity in the Ethereal & Occult Beings of Good Omens.  Yes, it’s 1,990 words due to the novel’s publication year.  When you’re just under 2,000 words anyway, why not?

28 February 2019: @procrastinatingbookworm and I followed up Turn In Your Arms with a brief sequel, Burn After Reading.  All of our collaborations to date have ended up as multi-story mini ’verses.

25 March - 20 April 2019: I went about as livid over Gotham’s Season 5 as I did over Season 3 and wrote Darkroom to address how dirty the show did Bruce and Jeremiah.  I had a stand-alone Season 4 fix-it story (focusing on Oswald and Edward, like most of my other Gotham work) called Triage from 2018 that had never quite felt like it was meant to be a stand-alone.  Triage and Darkroom became the first two installments of a series called Playing for Keeps, to which I added another 6 stories by April 20th.  Darkroom somehow got more traffic than any of my other Gotham pieces since When You Find It, Run over in DDO ’Verse (although those two stories are keystone pieces in much larger series, they can both be read as stand-alones).

4 April 2019: In the midst of working on the aforementioned, @aspiringjedi posted our second Good Omens meta-essay, Southern Pansies: Subversive (Trans) Masculinity in the Ethereal & Occult Beings of Good Omens.

8 May 2019: Brief blip back into Pacific Rim fic!  I posted a missing Anthology correspondence/inset ficlet called L’amour, c’est comme la guerre.  For anyone who ever wanted more of the email correspondence in Anthology’s final chapter, this fills in some gaps you didn’t know were there.

16 May 2019: Thanks to some behind-the-scenes persuasion from several really tenacious Gotham readers who didn’t want me to abandon it / shut down DDO ’Verse, I completed The Knights’ Tour after almost a year on hiatus from it.  This turned out to light a fresh fuse on DDO, because TTK didn’t end up being the final story in the series like I had once planned.

18 May 2019: The only His Dark Materials fic I’ve ever written, also a Gotham fusion, got a belated new final chapter.  Gold Dust is sort of an alternate take on DDO ’Verse, one in which Dust and daemons are present.

23 May 2019: I posted what I thought would be a stand-alone Gotham story called The Meaning of This City.  It manages to be a marginally less dark and complicated take on the Bruce-and-Jeremiah situation (than Darkroom over in PfK ’Verse, that is) without sacrificing some of the most difficult features of what they need to overcome.  More on why this didn’t remain a stand-alone in a bit.

6 June 2019: Good Omens requests came around, one of which led me to follow the Imagine Hastur Ficlets (which themselves exist thanks to the accidental prompts at @imaginehastur) interlude in CoT with The Imagine Hastur Epilogue.  This was a sort of neat in-narrative way to deal with having gradually come out about my biological (inter)sex and (nonbinary) gender identity over the 14 years I worked on CoT. 

15 June - 1 July 2019: I posted another Good Omens collaboration-set with @procrastinatingbookworm called Have Faith at the series-title level.  The two stories in it, You Bloody Snake and Enough of a Bastard, focus almost entirely on Hastur and Ligur.  Seeing Aziraphale and Crowley through different (and less favorable) eyes was a weird pleasure; seeing people indignantly realize they were enjoying fic about Hastur and Ligur was even more of one!

15 August 2019: @verumx persuaded me to watch Jamie Marks Is Dead with her and @one-eyed-bossman, and then implored me to fix it.  Using Our Words is the stand-alone that resulted, which is no shock given I can’t resist ghost stories.  It’s unique among this year’s stories in that it may be the only genuine stand-alone aside from the Gotham piece called Gold Dust.

17 August 2019: After an experimental in-character snail mail letter-writing exchange that lasted about 6 weeks, @verumx and I transcribed the letters and framed them in a piece of collaborative Gotham fic, We Were All Forgiven.  Since about late April, I had been getting progressively sicker and sicker (didn’t know yet that I had cancer).  Keeping busy as things got worse helped at least in the psychological sense, but by mid-August my exhaustion and difficulty eating were hitting their peak.  I was hiding it from everyone except my partner.

1 September 2019: Returning to two stories I’d written for Batman: Europa, I created a series umbrella called Once Is Not Enough and explicitly placed London (Letting Go) and Five Love Affairs under it as companion pieces.  Between Thursday Friday of this particular week, I experienced an increasingly more frightening set of symptoms that landed me in the ER and got a sequence of diagnostic tests finally rolling.

22 October 2019: After receiving a diagnosis of colon cancer on 10/1/19 and starting medical leave Monday of Halloween Week, I decided to complete the sequel to The Meaning of This City, which was a Gotham piece I’d left hanging mid-progress for weeks.  The Maze of Your Ingenuity was hard for me to complete due to constant blood tests, CT scans, and outpatient procedures in the lead-up to my Thanksgiving Week major inpatient surgery, but I did it.

23 September - 11 December 2019: My longest Gotham fic ’verse (Delicate, Dangerous, Obsessed, a.k.a. DDO), having refused to die even once The Knights’ Tour was complete, got an entirely new ending stretch of stories focusing on, of all people, Jerome Valeska and Five (514A).  They were the only two characters from canon who I had mentioned and/or shown briefly in passing earlier in DDO, but whose arcs from canon (and onward into my fic) I had done nothing to wrap up.  Challengers, Thicker Than Blood, Take This Waltz (It’s Yours Now), Finally Fair (In Love and War), and What We’re For (And What We Want) may, collectively, be the best writing I did during the entirety of 2019 (unless you count what I wrote in February to finish CoT).  The experience of terrifying, unexplained illness and harrowing treatment was entirely too timely to one of my two protagonists in this set of stories.  They were worth their weight not just in distraction, but also in catharsis.  Five survived, and so did I.

[ryqoshay]

How did u think of the username ryqoshay?

The tl;dr version is that I was tired of Ricochet typically being taken in the games I was playing years ago and decided to rework it into something a bit more unique. And she grew into something more.

The full story will be under the cut as my trips down nostalgia lane tend to run long.

Ricochet started off as a character I created for a story I was writing years ago based on games I played as a child. The games were not electronic, rather based around physical toys and the characters and events were made up on the spot by my friend and I.

While our games generally focused on battles and conflict between two established groups, the story I decided to write focused more on the characters of the protagonist group and their interactions. Worth mentioning here that the focus group was a crew of mercenaries as it will come into play later. I realized that the current cast was comprised mainly of front line fighters and wanted to flesh out the team with some back line and support members; medical, recon, intel, etc.

Enter Ricochet. I liked the idea of taking a stereotypical stoic and battle-hardened sniper character and turning it on its head by making a hyperactive, adorable little girl. A character whose slightly warped idea of cute included heavy weaponry and thus treated her gun like a teddy bear, even going so far as bringing it to bed with her.

The name itself had a dual meaning as it referred both to how she was always “bouncing off the walls” and an intentionally ironic reference to a typically undesirable outcome for a sniper. Her given name at the time was Rebecca; Becky is fine, but don’t call her Becca or Reba.

I don’t recall if I addressed her parents in this iteration, but Rico entered the team under the care of Tackleberry. Yes, that Tackleberry; he was my friend’s favorite character from Police Academy, though I believe what I’ve turned him into maintains only the name and obsession with weapons. I already had him as the former legal guardian of another character, so I figured giving him someone new to oversee would be fine.

Then I stopped writing that story. And it remains on indefinite hiatus to this day.

City of Heroes was released and a friend convinced me to join. I was drawing a blank in character development when I stumbled across the Assault Rifle/Devices build and Rico jumped up out of my memories. The name Ricochet was taken so I tacked on -chan to the end as I was quite addicted to anime by this point in my life. This also gave me the excuse to weeb out and insert random Japanese words into her speech patterns as her linage was now half Japanese and half U.S. born Caucasian.

I designed a diminutive, blonde girl sporting high twintails and a dark purple flak jacket  outfit with black accents. Her short backstory described a her as having two heroes for parents and wanting to live up to her family legacy. And as said parents were still around, Tack dropped out of the picture.

I liked Rico so much I started translating her over to other games as well as using her name in my overall online presence, as small as it was then. Ricochet itself was pretty much always taken, so I often had to modify the name in some way, be it by adding -chan or shortening it to Rico or whatever.

Then came the game changer; City of Villains. It came as no surprise that Ricochet was taken, but I was getting tired of using -chan and my other methods, so I decided to create something new. This would be the first time I used Ryqoshay, an intentional misspelling of Ricochet for a character.

Since CoV allowed a short backstory like its predecessor, I knew I had to come up with an in-universe reason for the name change; I also still fancied myself a writer, even though I hadn’t really written much in a while. I figured a villain might do well with a more tragic backstory than a hero, so I offed her parents. The character limit didn’t allow for specifics on the where, when, why and how, but I made sure to mention that she took the first letter of their names - Yuri and Quentin - to rename herself Ryqoshay.

It was at this point, Ryqo also finally received a family name, Bouteillevoix, and with it, a change in linage to half Japanese and half French. I don’t recall the specifics of how I settled on Bouteillevoix iteself, but I do remember liking the dissonance of an outspoken character bearing a name meaning “bottle voice” as if it were to be contained in some way.

For her aestetic design, I swapped out the black for white in her outfit to use the Dark Is Not Evil and Light Is Not Good tropes; dark purple remained, however. This also meant her hair went from blonde to black. And her twintails went from high to low in an attempt to appear a bit more mature, though she maintained her high energy personality.

Also, while not mentioned in her in-game bio, Tack was able to reenter the picture as a Commando, the highest level Summon of Ryqo’s Mastermind power set.

While I wasn’t actively writing stories about her, I was certainly fleshing her out as a character with notes and whatnot. Quentin and Yuri also got some attention as I ended up designing alternate dimension versions of them for me to play. And as the alt-oholic I am in MMORPGs, I also came up with some alternate dimension versions of Ryqo herself; Ryqoshot, a lonewolf gunslinger using the Corrupter’s Assault Rifle power set and Ryqoaraignée, an Arachnos Crab Spider build who was more closely aligned with Arachnos than her other versions.

With all of the alts I was creating, I decided to use the game’s guild mechanics to pass stuff among them. Thus, Ryqo’s Roughnecks was born, named after Rico’s Roughnecks of Starship Troopers fame. Joining members included L4t3ncy_0, a mechanical Mastermind; Recipere, -  Rx for short - a thug Mastermind who kept her crew alive with healing powers; Yozakura, a ninja Stalker serving as Ryqo’s bodyguard and Vivian Sexon, a dual-wielding Brute and villainous translation of a dual-wielding Scrapper from my CoH days.

Not long after, a friend invited me to join a game of D&D. The team needed a door kicker so I brought in Vivian as a brutish barbarian with a split personality, Sanguine, taking control when she raged. My intended two paragraph introduction quickly turned into two pages, which eventually turned into twenty and started translating over other Roughnecks; Ryqo included.

Ryqo dropped her sniper rifles in favor of a more theme appropriate bow and arrow. L4t3ncy_0′s call sign was changed to Nullsiver Luna and she became an artificer who struggled against the world’s tech limits. Recipere, not surprisingly, took on the role of a cleric. Yozakura kept her ninja trappings, but started playing by the Bodyguard Crush trope as I was deep into yuri shipping at that point thanks to the likes of Lucky Star and others.

Even after the game stalled out, I continued to work with the DM to build their world in which all of their games took place. The Roughnecks gained a permanent place in the timeline, extending both before and after Ryqo’s time as their leader, as well as a permanent base of operations, which eventually grows into a full fledged township later at the behest of Ryqo (spoilers should I ever get around to posting these stories.)

My online presence was growing and with it, Ryqo. She became my main when I returned to WoW, a Blood Elf Hunter running around with a giant Devilsaur as a pet; yes, she would think it was cute. (She was changed to Human when I followed by guild to another server that needed more Alliance players.) My Demon Hunter main in Diablo 3 was named Ryqoshay, as a surprise to absolutely none of my friends at the time.

Aion was a strange exception insofar as I wasn’t fond of the Ranger class for my primarily solo playstyle. I still made said ranger and of course named her Ryqoshay, but my main in that game was a Chanter known as Ameliorator, a more fanciful version of MedKit, the character for whom Tack was a legal guardian in the story mentioned above. However, I still played out the Ryqo persona on the forums because I enjoyed it and I’d long forgotten Med/Ame’s personality from that old story.

When Love Live started to take over my life and I found Sukutomo, I went with Ryqoshay as my screen name for reasons I don’t fully recall. I started this tumblr account as a way to post some “Idolsona” stuff where I translated Ryqo into a LL style idol, along with Yoza, Luna and a newer Roughneck, Flash Pyre. And when I started writing my fics, it was easy to use the account I already had here and then keep the name when I went over to AO3.

Hindsight being 20/20, I probably should have chosen Nico as my primary icon, as her appearance is closer to Ryqo’s than Maki’s, even if she wears her twintails high like Rico instead of Ryqo’s low tails. Neither Nico nor Maki have grey eyes as I’ve given Ryqo, so that wouldn’t fit, but none of the LL characters do thus far. That said, Maki prefers purple more than Nico and Ryqo isn’t much a fan of pink, so maybe that played into things? Perhaps someday I will commission one of my favorite artists to draw Ryqo as I envision her and start using her as my avatar, someday… maybe.

Also worth mentioning that NicoMaki has had a heavy influence on how I envision Ryqo and Yoza, and vice versa. Heck I’ve directly translated some NicoMaki doujin into scenes for my D&D story and sprinkled some RyqoYoza stuff into HtHaN. With HtHaM being a more D&D’ish setting, I may very well steal some stuff from my D&D story for it. Perhaps Luna or Vivian might make an appearance? I’ve already referenced Ryqo when Maki remembers hearing stories of an 11 year old girl taking over a mercenary guild. As always, I shall follow where my µ’s muse leads.

In conclusion, while Maki - with Nico very close behind - may hold a position as my favorite fictional character not created by me, Ryqo easily tops that position as my favorite overall; yes, the fact that I created her absolutely factors into this bias. There are reasons I don’t bring her up often - beyond using her as a screen name, posting through her persona on a few forums and the Idolsona thing - not the least of which include a fear of her being labeled a self-insert or Mary Sue or whatever, as I’ve seen some decidedly distasteful reactions to such characters online. But there is also the fact that the bulk of her development has been within a world not designed by me, but by one of my DMs, and I would want to ensure they would be fine with me posting stuff about said world; I’m sure they would be fine, but I haven’t gotten around to asking. Perhaps someday, I might post more about Ryqo. Perhaps writing more of HtHaM will inspire me to take my D&D story off hiatus, dust it off and have a talk with my DM about posting it. In the meantime, I will continue to use her namesake for my online and in-game presence because she is a character I hold very dear.

If you’ve read this far, thank you for joining me in my journey through nostalgia. And I hope this sufficiently addresses Anon’s question.

[fyrapartnersearch]

So it is written

Hello and good day.

This will be probably my last post on FYRA for a longer period of time. But I hope to find at least one who would share my interest. Anyways back with a new request! This one will be more specific as it only targets one certain fandom. I have had plenty of amazing original roleplays in the past, but now my desire is slowly favoring canon universes once again. It makes character building (in my opinion) also a greater challenge which I also quite enjoy to be honest. I have a strong penchant for including original characters and ideas that can be added to the pre-existing plot. Also very happy to expand on the given worlds and open to AU’s. Okay so I am a really big nerd when it comes to the supernatural, mysterious, urban myth and fantasy. Love combining those given elements with organized crime, complex characters, cataclysmic events and dark schemes that all unravels as time goes on. 

Just so you know, a little about me.

You must be at least 18+ of age when you want to start original roleplay with this gal here. As I am in my twenties, I prefer maturer partners. I accept anyone, regardless if they are male or female. What I expect is a decent (if not very good) grasp on grammar, the ability and will to write creatively, shoulder a great part of the plotting and responsibility as well as passion for roleplaying. Of course this should be seen as a fun hobby but I really like to invest… I wish for my partner / friend to take equal initiative. 
 Here are my cravings and guidelines! Even though they are only limited to a few, I made sure to filter out the ones I know I wouldn’t role-play anytime soon. So if you are interested in something I didn't mention here, I am afraid I have to decline. Sorry. 

Btw, call me Gil ;) 
 The roleplay I have been wanting to do for such a long time is none other than Devil May Cry. 
Replaying the game brought back some really good and nostalgic feels - but the latest game one was one of the best in my opinion. Such creativity, especially with urban mythology, monsters and other interesting elements. Hence why this game is right up my alley and one of my favourites of all time. If this does not interest you as much, I am also keen on roleplaying Castlevania or next gen Harry Potter! But my main interest still remains with DMC, just so you know. :) 
What it entails:


Alright, so you are writing with some of mature age. I have 11 years of writing experience when it comes to the game. This will be a fair warning that this request is not for the faint of heart. There will be violence, swearing, gore, intimate scenes, uncomfortable subjects, drama, conflict and other dark themes included within the story. I have few limits but I will respect the boundaries of my partner, so do not shy away from telling me. Just so you know, I won’t fade to black or skip out on the nitty gritty. Go big or go home. Interests: My line of interests are very dynamic when it comes to genres. I love conceiving my own lore inside a stories, be it an original or a pre-existing story. Gothic fantasy among others are one of my favourites. I am not opposed to tapping into some science fiction, action, romance, crime, action or thriller genres, in fact I encourage it. Inspirations for me are Lovecraft, Hellsing, Blade, Underworld, etc. As for the fandom inspired RPs, I am more than willing to bend some rules and be a little indulgent. Writing: 3rd person perspective. My writing is wide-ranging and flexible, which means that frequently, word count will go up 1000+ per reply - though it highly depends on the given situation and partner. Quality over quantity as they say - but why not both? I love detail in description, and I am actively seeking someone of the same infamy. My partner should have a basic grasp on grammar, punctuation and somewhat of an interest in knowledgeable writing. I also double! (preferably, but we can always discuss whether it makes sense for our roleplay our not.) World building and sharing the burden: You should be active and help me shape the world around our characters. Even if we discuss many things during and before the roleplay, how we wish for things to play out and take its course, I am always happy to be surprised with a secret of my partner’s character I didn’t know before. You don’t need to lay out all your cards on the table… keep it a little mysterious and suspenseful. Just enough so we can work with the ideas, but not completely kill off the suspense. Characters: I write canon as well as OC characters. Faceclaims, GIFs, drawings, mood boards or just a plain physical description is absolutely sufficient. Whatever floats your boat when it comes to visualising your character and their backstory, I’m on board. Characters should be written as opulent, flawed, unique, talented, heroic, villainous, spiteful, angry, and everything in-between figures. In other words, don’t be scared of making them ‘human’, even when they are non-human. Romance: Openly play and accept characters of both genders, preferable m x f pairings, but I am open to m x m and f x f relationships as well. I have more experience with m x f relationships, so I might be more adept with this one. If the chemistry of two characters compel me, I will ship them no matter what! When it comes to sexual scenarios and intimacy (intercourse, foreplay, all that jazz). I encourage eroticism, but always in a tasteful, sensual manner (that goes for romance as well). The passion must be felt through the screen, even if it’s just a mere description of someone’s deep train of thought. Content: Drama, violence, sex, metamorphosis, symbolism, action, romance, pretty much everything is a-okay. I am unbothered by certain subjects that may or may not be uncomfortable for the general public. Roleplays are fictional stories and we best keep viewing them as such. If there are things you are uncomfortable with, name them and I shall respect those boundaries. But don’t be surprised when suddenly one of our characters bites the dust, or gets tortured. It may be difficult to write and read, but it is all part of the story and furthering the plot. My roleplays imply and involve brutality, mayhem, psychological and physical torture as well as other things. But I also endorse beauty, serenity and placid moments, scenes or characters. I love it when it comes full circle… everyone- and everything has a beautiful and hideous side. Both should be embraced like Yin and Yang. Communication and friendship: OOC-chat friendly! I love meeting new people and making friends. Plus it strengthens the compatibility between us. Communication is the alpha and the omega. If there is anything that bothers you, or if you think you are left out in some way (be it a mistake on my part or we’re both at fault here), don’t be scared to tell me. Really, it won’t be taken personally - since I know that we slip up every now and then, we’re only human after all. It is also completely sufficient if you only type out a few messages per week. I am super chill about it. It doesn’t bother me re-writing a scene to fit the narrative more. If there are mistakes, they can be corrected - just to get that out there. We can always exchange opinions and see what would benefit the story most. I will also voice my opinion should something arise that could be bothersome. Partnership: An active roleplayer is wanted without a doubt. Can’t do the thinking for two now. Let’s row this boat together Limits: Subject matters I avoid are pedophilia, bestiality, necrophilia, vore, scat, furries and various other bizarre fetishes. Also no one-liners or text-talk messages. The sentences have to be cohesive, coherent and decently structured. 
 
Now a little more information about myself.

I live in CET central Europe. My response rate varies throughout the weeks, depending on my schedule. 
I study at a university full time and work a job on the side and both are keeping me fairly busy. My writing will increase most likely during the weekends. If I should hit a hiatus, I will let you know as soon as possible. I understand when you are busy as well and won’t be able to respond, though I prefer if my partner does not ghost me. At least let me know what’s going on so I can adjust and put the roleplay on hold if needed! 
Mediums I roleplay on are email and googledocs. Though I also have Discord in case for OOC chat! 

I prefer if my partner messages me first on email, giving me a brief description of themselves, their cravings as well as ideas. That way I can see if we’re compatible and if it bears any potential. 

Message me here: EMAIL: gilgameshmercury@gmail.com Hope to hear from you soon! Lots of love!





Yours sincerely,

-Gil

[theabominableblogger]

I posted 1,058 times in 2021

67 posts created (6%)

991 posts reblogged (94%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 14.8 posts.

I added 713 tags in 2021

#critical role - 178 posts

#q post - 154 posts

#fan art - 100 posts

#gotham - 63 posts

#essek thelyss - 45 posts

#star wars - 38 posts

#caleb widogast - 36 posts

#artists on tumblr - 34 posts

#quizzes - 33 posts

#asked and answered - 32 posts

Longest Tag: 118 characters

#the nerdy guy who dresses like a professor and wears glasses and is passionate and excited about all the stuff he does

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

See the full post

59 notes • Posted 2021-01-01 01:46:28 GMT

#4

Took a bit of accidental art hiatus dealing with grad school and work  and stuff but I rewatched this movie again and it’s honestly one of my favorites ever

Also @actordougjones always continues to shine for me  :D

59 notes • Posted 2021-03-08 16:01:33 GMT

#3

Shout out to @professor-rye for writing such a great fic (with such a pretty title) that I was inspired to do just sketches of the wizards (and a bonus Taskhand) out the wazoo.

For any Critters out there, please do them a favor and drop them kudos on Ao3

85 notes • Posted 2021-07-14 03:22:05 GMT

#2

Gee Brother, whaddya wanna do tonight?

115 notes • Posted 2021-01-19 02:00:57 GMT

#1

Listening to the "Kith and Kin" audiobook now and uh the twins are what age in the prologue? Nine?

124 notes • Posted 2021-11-30 21:29:17 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[wrestlingisfake]

Final Battle preview

This is traditionally one of the biggest annual shows in Ring of Honor, but it's particularly important this year because of the company's uncertain future. After this show, ROH will go on hiatus, with all contracted talent being released. In theory the promotion will return for Supercard of Honor in April, with a roster of freelance wrestlers, but it's just as possible that the company will simply shut down for good. Either way, Final Battle will be an end of an era, just shy of ROH's 20th anniversary.

The show will air live on Saturday, December 11, at 8pm Eastern, with a free pre-show starting at 7. You can order it on Fite.tv for $24.99. I assume you can still subscribe to Honor Club to watch it that way, but Honor Club was never a particularly great value and it sure won't be going forward.

Jay Lethal vs. Jonathan Gresham - This was originally scheduled to be Gresham challenging Bandido for the ROH men's world title. But, in one last bad stroke of luck for ROH, Bandido tested positive for COVID-19 and was pulled from the show on December 9. Stepping in at the last minute is Lethal, an ROH mainstay who appeared to be done with the company after he signed with AEW last month. It's possible that Bandido's title will be vacated and awarded to the winner of this match, but we can't be sure yet. As of this writing, ROH has only said they will address the title situation during the pre-show.

As luck would have it, Lethal and Gresham have some unfinished business that can play into this last-minute match. They held the tag team title from December 2019 through February 2021. In November 2020 they formed the Foundation, a faction dedicated to protecting the honor and integrity of pro wrestling and so forth. However, in Lethal's last appearance with ROH, he was caught on tape disavowing the Foundation. Lethal insisted that it was a smear job by the Righteous, and that he was taken out of context, but Gresham was skeptical. That story seemed to be dead when Lethal jumped to AEW, but now these two can settle it in the ring.

ROH has featured a wide variety of styles over the years, but the brand is built around a commitment to he traditions and honor of classic pro wrestling. As a mat-based technician, Gresham has come to symbolize that--he's been outspoken about how much it means to him to work for and represent this company. When the shutdown news hit, I think everyone figured he had to be in the main event of this show, before becoming the hottest free agent on the market. Regardless of the opponent or the stakes or even the outcome, this match is his story. I'm confident he'll make it a good one.

I think Gresham was generally favored to win the title from Bandido, but now that it's a non-title match against an AEW guy, it's even harder to argue that he should lose. I suppose AEW could have allowed Lethal to come in on the condition that he goes over, but if that were the case I think ROH would have just looked for someone else. My prediction is that Gresham wins this match, and the fate of the world title will end up revolving around him one way or another.

Matt Taven & Mike Bennett vs. Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe - Taven and Bennett, the OGK, are defending the ROH tag team title. The Briscoes are currently the GCW tag team champions, but that title is not at stake.

Just as Gresham represents ROH's notion of honor, the Briscoes represent the history of the company--as they've eloquently put it, they've been here since day one. I'd wager that most wrestling fans associate ROH with guys like Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe, CM Punk, or the Young Bucks. The Briscoes don't fit that stereotype of cool flippy dudes--they're primarily just two brawlers from a chicken farm in rural Delaware. But while other teams have come and gone, they've been the benchmark for ROH's tag division for just about 20 years. It's so important for them to be on this show, challenging for the tag belts one last time, that I genuinely wonder if this match will close the show.

It might seem like a formality that Taven and Bennett are just here to drop the belts. But they did a promo for this match I really liked, where they emphasized how important it is to win here. The Briscoes are ROH, but Taven has put too much of himself into ROH to go down without a fight. For Bennett, who only just returned last year, holding ROH gold is the fairy tale ending after several tumultuous and uncertain years. They made a compelling case for why they should walk out of here with the title.

I could see this going either way. A title win for the Briscoes is so can't-miss that it writes itself--everyone will be happy with that. But it's certainly possible to tell a story about the ROH legends finishing their last night in the company by passing the torch. Either way I expect both teams to fight like there's no tomorrow, and a lot of drama after the finish.

Shane Taylor vs. Kenny King - This is being billed as a "fight without honor," which is ROH's way of saying no count-outs, no disqualifications, anything goes. This match digs up an old beef, where Taylor lost a world title match against Rush due to King's interference. It appears that Rush is long gone from ROH, so Kenny has to fight this battle on his own. I tend to favor Taylor in this one.

Moses Maddox & Jasper Kaun & O'Shay Edwards vs. Vincent & Bateman & Dutch - Shane Taylor Promotions (Moses, Kaun, and Edwards) are defending the ROH trios championship against Vincent's cult-like group, the Righteous. The actual titleholders in STP are Kaun, Moses, and Shane Taylor himself. But since Taylor is booked in another match, STP gets to sub in Edwards. I'm not sure if that means Edwards is officially part of the championship team via the Freebird Rule, or if his team has to win this match for that to happen, or what.

I lost track of Vincent after he turned on Matt Taven a while back, so I gather that he and his cronies are in some kind of hippy flower power cult or something. I guess they could win here. The fact Taylor can't be bothered to defend his own belt here suggests STP is the less cohesive unit, so on paper they ought to lose. Of course, neither team is going to actually do anything with the belts for at least three months, so I suppose it doesn't actually matter.

Josh Woods vs. Brian Johnson - The ROH pure title, currently held by Woods, is at stake. The title is always contested under "pure rules," which basically discourages closed-fist strikes and escaping holds with rope breaks. Unlike most pro wrestling championships, this title can be won and lost via disqualification. The idea is to force the competitors to have a good clean grappling contest, but based on the pure matches I've seen it just forces the competitors to cheat more creatively.

Woods won the title from Gresham, in an upset that is easily the biggest victory of Woods's career. I think Johnson's biggest career highlight is that he was feuding with Danhausen a while back. I don't know enough about either guy to really care what happens. They both have the misfortune of coming up in the dying days of a promotion. But hopefully they can both move onward and upward.

Rok-C vs. Willow Nightingale - Rok-C became the first ROH women's world champion in September; if she successfully defends it here, she may also be the last champion. It's the latest tough break for the company's women's division, which started up in 2017 with a "Women of Honor" title, went dormant two years later, and only just got rebooted a few months ago.

I've heard good things about both women but they've both been under my radar. I'm pretty sure Nightingale had a match or two on AEW Dark, but I hardly ever watch that anymore. I gotta get more in tune with the up and coming future stars. Well, this match is a good place to get started.

Again, it probably doesn't matter much which competitor ends up with the title, but I'm leaning towards Rok-C to hang onto it until April.

Dalton Castle vs. Rhett Titus vs. Silas Young vs. Joe Hendry - This is a four-way match for Castle's ROH television title, so the first man to score a fall on any opponent will win the match and the championship. Hendry is an interesting case, in that he got stuck in the UK when the pandemic started, and this is his first chance to get back in an ROH ring. Last time he was here, he had a passive-aggressive alliance with Castle, and it's anyone's guess how that will play into this match.

ROH never needed two secondary men's singles titles, so the TV belt became kind of pointless the minute they brought back the pure belt. I'm surprised they didn't book a unification match or two on this show. Nevertheless, it's an excuse to get journeymen like Titus and Young on the show, and to let ROH fans get one last look at Castle, who at one time was the most interesting new face in the company.

I'll be rooting for Castle to retain, although what I really want is for him to leave ROH behind and get a big push someplace else. I'm not confident I'll get what I want either way.

Brody King & Homicide & Tony Deppen vs. Tracy Williams & Eli Isom & Taylor Rust - King, Homicide, Deppen, and Chris Dickinson formed Violence Unlimited earlier this year to feud with the Foundation--Jay Lethal, Jonathan Gresham, Tracy Williams, and Rhett Titus. But since the rest of the Foundation is busy, Williams has to team with Isom (who's been a prelim guy in ROH for several years) and Rust (formerly NXT's Tyler Rust, who previously wrestled as Russ Taylor).

Now, I'm not saying King's team has to win. But this is essentially the final chapter in the Foundation vs. Violence Unlimited feud. So it'd be pretty weird for the Foundation to get the last laugh in a match where most of them aren't even in it. So I'm pretty sure Violence Unlimited cruises to victory.

Dragon Lee vs. Rey Horus - Lee was a key component of the New Japan/ROH/CMLL alliance, in that he was a big CMLL star who was treated as such in the other two promotions. After he and his family broke ties with CMLL, they remained in ROH as La Faccione Ingobernable. To smooth over CMLL-NJPW relations, Lee had to change his name to "Ryu Lee" in New Japan, but he stuck with "Dragon Lee" here, which tells you what you need to know about CMLL-ROH relations. Horus, meanwhile, was kind of the third wheel in the Mexisquad trio with Bandido and Flamita. So I think this is just a way to get Lee on the show with an easy win in a cool lucha match.

Mandy Leon & Angelina Love & Miranda Alize vs. Chelsea Green & Allysin Kay & Marti Belle - Leon and Love are The Allure, an attempt to recycle what worked when Love was in The Beautiful People back in TNA. I don't think I know anything about Alize--it says here she recently defeated Chelsea Green in an ROH match, so that's not bad. Kay and Belle are the NWA women's tag team champions, The Hex--they haven't done a lot in ROH, but it says here they beat the Allure, so I guess that's all you need to set up this trios match. Green, of course, was released from WWE recently, and has since made a big splash in several different promotions.

I wouldn't say Green, Kay, and Belle are outsiders, necessarily, but Leon and her partners feel more like a "real" ROH team, so you could make a case for them getting the win. Then again, tomorrow none of these women will really be affiliated with ROH, so it just doesn't make any difference. I'm personally rooting for Green.

Ten-man tag team match - This has been announced for the pre-show. No participants have been named yet, but I would presume it's meant to provide a spot for all the guys who want to wrestle on the "final" ROH show but don't have a match.

Glancing at the roster on the company's website, I assume any of the following men could appear in this match: Adam Brooks, the Bouncers (Beer City Bruiser & Brian Milonas), Dak Draper, Delirious, EC3, Flamita, Flip Gordon, LSG, Mark Haskins, PCO, PJ Black, Will Ferrara, and World Famous CB. That doesn't mean any of them will appear, however--many of them might not even be in the building. So it's a total crapshoot what's going to happen, or who's going to win.

[ghostbustermelanieking]

auld acquaintance

post-amor fati, per manum flashbacks, millennium. part of my series that i write as i rewatch the x files.

summary: In the wake of Mulder's recovery after Amor Fati, Scully asks Mulder for a favor as they begin to grow closer.

note: I absolutely have more planned for season 6, but I wanted to go ahead and get this up in time for New Year’s. (Although there will likely be something of an overall hiatus re: fics past this point in season 7 in the wake of season 11.) Anyways. There aree lots of takes on the IVF arc. This is my take on that, and on what brought Mulder and Scully to the point they reached in Millennium and after.

Mulder's first day back to work after his recovery from spontaneous brain surgery is also the day of Scully's doctor's appointment. The day he tells her about her ova. What he knew. She doesn't get to spend the day in the office with him like she'd planned. Admittedly, she's been looking forward to his return to work as much as he has, if only because she's missed him. Even after spending nearly every evening at his apartment. But now…

Her stomach churns with the weight of what he's just told her. She wants to be hurt that he's kept this from her, but her mind keeps returning to the possibilities presented. If the ova is viable, somehow… if they can be used… then there's a possibility that she can be a mother. The odds are weighed against her, but she can't help hoping. The possibilities…

She calls Mulder from the car, fingers cold on the phone. When he answers with a tense, “Mulder,” she sighs, tapping her thumb nervously against the wheel. “Mulder, it's me,” she says. “I'd like the location where you took my ova.” An unusual statement that she never would've expected to be saying. Silence on the other end for a moment. “If you don't mind,” she adds, voice tight.

“O-of course,” he says too quickly. There's the sounds of clattering, like he's searching frantically, and then he's rattling off a location into the phone.

She doesn't need to write it down; the address is lodged permanently in her brain. Something like excitement building up inside her. “Thank you,” she says, softly. The car stops at a stoplight, and she moves her thumb to hang up.

“Scully,” Mulder blurts, and she stills the motion of her hand. “I'm sorry,” he says. “That I didn't tell you. I didn't mean to… keep it from you…”

She sighs, her fingers digging into the stitching along the wheel. “I don't want to linger on that, Mulder,” she says. The light turns and she lets the car roll forward. “Not now. I… I'm trying to see this as good news. I'm hoping that they'll find that it's good news.”

Silence. A car honks further down the road. “I hope so, too,” Mulder says softly.

“I'm going to take the day, okay? I'm going to… take what you found somewhere else and have it checked.”

“Okay.”

“No new cases, Mulder,” she says sternly, suddenly back in the moment from the night before, beside him on the couch when he was cleared for work. “You're cleared for desk work only, remember.”

“I remember. I'll be okay.” He pauses for a moment. She turns a corner. “Good luck, Scully,” Mulder adds, before the phone cuts off.

Scully lets the phone drop on the passenger seat and wipes her eyes, despite the lack of tears. She can't stop seeing him prone and limp on that table, on hospital beds, his eyes blank and pleading. She's wondered, more than once, what he heard in her mind. There are things she wants to tell him, things that will have to wait. She makes another turn, the phone sliding across the seat. She drives straight to the facility Mulder told her about, and tries not to get her hopes up.

---

Dr. Parenti tells her that there's a good chance to get her pregnant, and the emotion that washes over her is overwhelming. She can be a mother, she realizes. She has a chance.

Dr. Parenti mentions a father, and there is no question in her mind. Absolutely none.

Seeing each other in the evenings after work has become more and more plausible since he’s gotten out of the hospital. He sounds surprised when she calls to ask him over on the way home from Parenti’s office—possibly because of the tense conversation they had in the elevator. “I’m sorry,” he says after a long beat of silence, hesitation at both ends. “I don’t want to come off as standoffish, I just… I thought you were upset with me.”

There’s a lot of possible responses to this, but she doesn’t bother with them. Instead, she thinks of his smile when he talked to her daughter, of his hand on her cheek and his mouth against her forehead, of the possibility of their child. Theirs. “I wanted to talk to you about something,” she says. “It’s probably, um, better to do it in person.”

“Of course.” His reply is eager, almost, tentative and excited in the same breath. “I’ll be right over. Want me to bring anything?”

No, just you, she thinks, and then immediately grimaces. They are not the type for the overly sweet and blunt affection. At least not yet. “No, I’m fine, thank you.”

She rehearses the speech she came up with on the way home in her head. It all sounds silly now, words tangling into knots in her mouth. She pushes away thoughts of him saying no, thoughts of him saying yes but not being there the way she wants him to. (It seems probable that he would say no, how could they continue on the X Files with a child to take care of, maybe if they lived together and he stayed on the job and she took a teaching position… but, no, she wouldn’t want to send her child’s father out alone like that, and it’s a little premature to be considering this, but she’s been thinking about it for a while now, almost since she went into remission, she’s just been scared, it’s the scariest thing in the world…)

The doorbell jars her from her thoughts. Her hands shake a little as she stands from the couch, crosses the room and pulls the door open. Mulder is smiling nervously on the other end. “Hey, Scully,” he says.

“Come in,” she says awkwardly. “Please.”

He nods, peels his coat off as he moves towards her couch. She takes it from him and takes it to the coat rack, mostly for an excuse to calm her nerves. Her pulse is jumpy, erratic, and it seems insane that she’s this nervous, after everything they’ve been through. Scully sits facing him in a chair, smoothing the upholstery nervously before resting her hands on her knees.

There is a few beats of silence, before he speaks, eagerly, to fill it. “Oh, how did your appointment go?” he asks.

“Good, it was… good.” She clears her throat. “They said there was a good chance to get me pregnant. And that we could probably start soon.”

Something like fear flickers across his face before he smiles. “That’s great, Scully.” His hand spans the space between them and covers hers on her knee. “I’m happy for you,” he adds softly

There is something of regret coating his tone, regret that he’s trying to hide. His eyes are still on her, gentle and anxious, his hand still on her knee. She almost smiles. “Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about,” she says.

He nods. He is expecting her to tell him that she is leaving, and she doubts he will try to kiss her this time, no matter how much she wants him to. He thinks she is going to leave him, when in fact she wants the exact opposite. But the question is whether or not he wants it, too. He is attempting to compose himself, prepare himself for what she says so that he doesn't overreact. He is trying. She is grateful for that, and when she remembers what she is going to ask him, she can't help but note how far it is from what he likely suspects she is saying. A grin tugs at the edges of her mouth again, but she pushes it back. She needs to prepare herself for the likelihood that he will say no, react badly. The possibility that he won't want this. She clears her throat again. “I’m not good with words,” she starts uneasily. “But, uh.” She turns her hand under his so that their palms are touching, and interlaces their fingers. “I was wondering if you would consider being the father.”

He’s shocked; that much is clear. He doesn’t pull his hand away, but he stares at her in silence, mouth half-open, blinking like a newborn kitten. “Scully, you, uh…” he says finally, uncertain, incredulous. “You want me to be the father of your child?”

You’re the only logical choice. You’re the only one I considered, the only one I’d want to spend the rest of my life with. I love you. I… “Yes.”

He blinks a few more times, staring at her with shock. Scully can feel the sweat pooling on her palm, and for a second, she regrets ever bringing this up. Her stomach twists. “I’m, uh… I’m gonna need some time to think about this,” he says.

She blinks hard to hold back impending emotion; what else did she expect? For Mulder to say yes enthusiastically, to leap up into her arms and profess his undying love? “I understand.”

“No, Scully, it’s not…” He squeezes her hand, smiling a little at her. “It’s not a bad—I’m not looking for the best way to let you down. I promise. It’s just… a lot to process.”

“No, I understand, Mulder, really, it’s… not a simple request.” She tries to smile back. He hasn't said no yet, she reminds herself. He hasn't. “Take all the time you need.”

He leans forward to press a kiss to her forehead. Scully closes her eyes under the pressure of it, tries not to fall apart or tether him to her and not let go. “I’d better head out,” he says quietly. “I’ll see you Monday?”

“Of course.” Thank God she picked a Friday; she doesn’t know how she would face him tomorrow.

She retrieves his coat from the coat rack, despite his attempts to get it himself, and walks him to the door. He shrugs it on before pulling the door open and stepping out of the apartment. He turns back like an afterthought. “Scully?”

Her hand clenches around the door. “Yes?” she says in a clear, composed voice. She will not fall apart, as emotional as this possibility is to her. She will not fall apart.

“Thank you.”

And finally she does smile. He smiles back, nervously, and lifts his hand in a brief wave before turning and walking down the hall. As soon as the door is closed, she rests her forehead against the wall and tries not to picture a baby with his eyes.

---

When Mulder is considering an answer to Scully's question, he thinks of the boy he saw on the beach. Those dreams were the ones that preceded his departure from the hospital and Spender’s brain surgery. The toddler walking between his parents, the boy building castles and spaceships in the sand.

He doesn't know who these people are or why he saw them, but he's been thinking about it. He remembers that the dream had changed, once: the people in the dream, the parents teaching their son to walk, had become other people, briefly. People who looked not unlike Scully and himself, and the toddler becoming someone who looked like the both of them. It had changed back, too quickly for him to process any of it, and he hadn't had time to linger on it anyway; too much was happening. He'd dismissed the dreams as an effect of the ordeal, similar to the hallucinations he had of a life in the fucking suburbs, of his sister and Diana and being a father…

He has never really considered being a parent. It always seemed like the least important thing in his life. Too much to do, and for the longest time, he didn't even think he'd settle down. Diana had never once mentioned kids; their relationship never went any further than his giddy, half-drunk proposal and her equally giddy response, the ring that had been on her finger for a few months before she left for Europe. The children in his vision had been something of a shock; he hadn't known she wanted them, still doesn't know if she did. (Did. It is still harsh, the reminder that Diana is dead and it's likely because she gave Scully the means to rescue him.) He hadn't known that he'd wanted children. But now…

If there are any doubts in his mind, they would be concerning whether or not Scully wants them to actually raise the child together. Whether or not having a child together will drive a wedge between them. If she'd quit work, if that's what he'd prefer. If he wouldn't be involved, if he'd have to stop seeing her. But the majority of those doubts have faded in recent months since the ordeal in North Carolina, since her trip to Africa and his brain surgery. They've been closer lately, closer than ever.

He's memorized the look on Scully's face when she asked him. The excitement lingering just below the surface, before the mask came down and she calmly asked him the question he suspects she prepared all afternoon for. He's loved her longer than he ever knew he could love anyone, and he thinks that she might feel the same way. He doesn't know what other answer to give her.

He goes into the office on Saturday, tries to give himself something else to think about, but it does not work. He can't stop thinking about her, can't shake the entire idea. A baby, their baby. He remembers her daughter, how much she looked like Scully, how small she was. This is Scully's chance to have what she thought she'd lost. To have it in a way that she deserves, in a way that she chooses. And maybe… maybe this is his chance to start over as well. To have the family he lost growing up. For the two of them to build a new life together, to be happy.

The image is strong, too strong for him to focus on other things, so he calls Scully and tells him that he'll be by in about an hour, that he wants to talk to her. She sounds surprised—possibly that he made the decision so soon. Maybe she thought it would be a hard decision to make, and maybe it should've been harder, but it doesn't feel that way. It feels like one of the easiest decisions he's ever made. He drives over with giddy skittishness building in his stomach. This scares him to death, but in the best way possible.

He knocks on the door and she opens it almost immediately, like she'd been waiting by it. “Hi,” she says, sounding just a bit anxious.

“Hi,” he replies.

“Come on in.”

“Thanks,” he says, entering.

Scully stands by the door as he walks through the entryway, closing it behind him. “Can I take your coat?” she asks. She's fidgeting with her hands. She is anxious, more anxious than he's seen her in a long time.

“No, I can't stay. I got to get back to the office for a while,” he says, turning back to face her, scanning the room briefly before bringing his eyes up to meet hers. It's within the range of possibility that he's nervous, too. The gravity of what he's about to agree to has dawned on him. They are having a baby. They are going to be parents, how the hell is that going to work? He can barely even take care of himself.

“Obviously you've had some time to think about my request,” says Scully. The elephant in the room. The reason he's here, at least at the moment.

“Um, it's… it's not something that I get asked to do every day,” he says. Trying to joke. “Um, but I'm…” Scully sighs a little, eyes closing, and he finishes awkwardly: “... absolutely flattered. No, honestly.”

“Look, if…” Scully says. “If you're trying to politely say no, it's okay. I-I… I understand.”

“See, as weird as this sounds—and this sounds really weird, I know—but I-I just wouldn't want this to come between us,” he says, trying to make her understand what he's been wrestling with in the day since she asked him. How much he's afraid of losing her. How he's hoping this means he'll never lose her again.

“Yeah,” Scully says, defeated, and he realizes that she is taking this the wrong way. She thinks he is saying no. “I know. I-I understand.” She looks away from him, towards the ground. “I do.”

“But…” He reaches for her, his finger brushing her chin. She looks up at him. “The-the answer is yes,” he says, reassuring, smiling at her a little. Trying to let her know that he wants this, too.

A pause builds between them as she processes the information, emotion flickering over her face. Astonishment, tearful joy, until she finally smiles. She steps forward and wraps her arms around his neck tightly. His head resting in the crook of her elbow, he is smiling, too. Maybe a little overwhelmed at her gratitude, maybe a little overwhelmed at what they've agreed to do. But happier than he can remember being in months.

She pulls away, starts uncertainly with tears in her voice, “Um… well I'll call Dr. Parenti, and, um… I assume he'll want to meet you and go through the uh… the donor procedure.”

“Oh, at that part I'm a pro,” he says, joking. He turns to leave, letting himself out.

The door is closed behind him before he's rethinking his abrupt exit. What the hell was that for? He turns, opening the door behind him, and sticks his head in. “Hey, Scully, I didn't mean to run off like that,” he says hurriedly. “I just…”

She's standing in the place where he left her, hands clutching her elbows. She offers him a small smile. “No, I understand,” she says. “This is a lot.”

“It is,” he says in an exhale. But he smiles back at her. “So… what's our next step?”

She wipes her hands on her thighs, shoulders relaxing. “Well, like I said… I'll call Dr. Parenti and set up an appointment… I'll need hormone shots and a donation from you…”

“Right,” he says, nervously. “Well… just let me know the details, I suppose.”

“Of course.” She offers him another awkward smile.

The awkwardness thick in the air, he steps forward and kisses the top of her head. She slides her arms around his waist. “This is a lot to sign up for, Mulder,” she mumbles. “I guess I just want to make sure… that you're sure.”

His cheek brushes hers as he holds her close. He thinks of a toddler on the beach, stumble-walking from Scully's hands to his. “I'm sure, Scully,” he says. He's never been more sure of anything.

---

The entire thing is a much slower process than he expected. There are a few weeks of hormone shots before the actual implantation. She has to attend the doctor a few times during the process, so he doesn't bother taking any cases. She seems to approve: “You could use the rest, Mulder,” she says. “You're still weak from your surgery.” He'd argue if it wasn't for her appointments, and if it wasn't for how much he enjoys her taking care of him. She's handling him with a tenderness he hasn't seen in a long time, and he's letting her. It could be because they crossed some kind of line in North Carolina, realized what they were to each other and what that meant. Or maybe it's because they're about to be parents. Either way, they've reached a solidarity, a peacefulness, a point past friendship that he couldn't describe if you paid him, but he likes it.

They keep up their camaraderie from before she asked him to be her donor, going home together in the evenings more often than not. Scully usually ends up going to his apartment, and she usually ends up leaving at around ten or eleven, but this ritual is accompanied with a sense of wistfulness. Like she wishes that he would ask her to stay. A few times, she falls asleep on the couch beside him. It's nothing outside of the ordinary, but his heart seems to pound a little faster when he wakes up to see her half-asleep against his shoulder. That could be the mother of my children, he thinks to himself one night, a stunning frightfulness shooting through him. And anticipation. He wants to be a parent with her.

He has his own appointment with Dr. Parenti, and then Scully is implanted with the embryos a few days later. He drives her to the appointment and then to dinner afterward, a cheesy restaurant that is completely not their style and Scully smiles at him across the table. Her emotions have been back and forth with the hormone shots, but when she is happy, she is happier than he's seen her in a long time. A happiness that seems to have started when she'd found him in the Department of Defense and only grown with this new development. They're both happier, he's noted before. Both of them seem to be in a better place.

He takes her to play baseball in the park again, after work one day, and trips trying to run to first base and she trips and falls right on top of him, bursting into giggles as they land stomach to stomach, effectively knocking the wind out of him. Watching her above him, hair falling in her face and her eyes crinkling at the corners from laughing, Mulder thinks he might love her more than he ever has before. “Hey, Scully,” he says, pushing hair out of her face. “You know this isn't football, right?”

She stops to catch her breath, face hovering over his. “Yes, Mulder,” she says breathlessly. “I know this isn't football.”

They are breathing together, hard from the exertion, and he can feel Scully's heat above him. She leans closer, and suddenly they are inches away. He can see every fleck of gold in her eyes, the faint freckles across her nose. He swallows, wondering if she is going to kiss him. She leans closer.

Someone pounds on the chain link fence, shouting about this being a family park. Red spreads across Scully's cheeks, and she immediately rolls off of him, offering him a hand to help him get up. He takes it, and stumbles to his feet. He thinks about kissing her, but the moment is over. But there will be other moments. He is sure of that.

“Hey, Scully,” he says as they walk back to where they left their stuff. He reaches for her hand and she takes it. “If um. If you are pregnant, that wouldn't hurt the baby, would it?”

The red on her cheeks deepens, and he immediately regrets the question. They don't know. They don't know that she's pregnant. If she's pregnant. She ducks her head to hide her face, a habit that was much more effective when her hair was long. “I think it'll be okay, Mulder,” she says. “Besides.” She looks up, and he sees that she is smirking. “You broke the fall, remember?”

He smiles back, swinging their hands between them like they are middle-school dating. Like he's a teenager again. “That I did.”

---

Weeks pass, and then it is time for Scully to take a pregnancy test. It's close to Christmas, holiday cheer thick in the air, and Scully is due in San Diego tomorrow. Mulder has wondered what they will do if the test is positive. If he will go with her. If she will stay with him.

It's a Saturday, so he drives over to Scully's house and finds her tense and nervous on the couch. She doesn't get up when he knocks, just yells for him to come in, and she doesn't look up when he enters. No signs of bags from the drug store. Just Scully, stiff and ready to snap.

It dawns on Mulder in that moment that this might not work. That they may not be parents, that this whole thing might have failed. And where do they go from there? Whatever happens, their future is uncertain, but he hopes hopes hopes that the test is positive. The idea of being a parent is terrifying, but the idea of this never happening for Scully (for both of them) terrifies him even more.

“Hey, Scully,” he says, sitting across from her. She mutters hello through clenched teeth. He reaches out and touches her knee. “So,” he says. “Today's the day.”

She looks up at him, her face blank. Poker face. He suspects he is making a similarly blank face, his goddamn panic face. They're so good at hiding things. “Yes,” she says. “It is.”

Mulder strokes her kneecap with one finger before withdrawing his hand. “So,” he starts tentatively. “Are you gonna get a test from the store or…”

Scully balls her fists in her jacket. “I… don't want to tempt fate by taking a home pregnancy test,” she says quietly. “Those can be wrong, half the time. I want to go to Dr. Parenti’s office and have a blood test done that will tell me for sure. I have an appointment.”

Mulder nods, understanding. “That's a good idea,” he says. “Do you want me to go with you or…?”

“No,” says Scully. He looks at her in surprise, tilting his head slightly in question, and she says, “It's not you. I swear. I appreciate that you want to, I just… I need to face this alone.”

Dana Scully, so strong, so independent. He can hardly fault her for that; he was alone this way for years.

She goes. She goes and he waits, lying on her couch. He doesn't bother turning on any lights; he watches TV for a while, but nerves force him to turn it off. Her Christmas tree lies dormant in the corner; he thinks about turning it on, but it feels too cheerful for the moment.

She could be pregnant, he tells himself, but somehow that seems unlikely. It seems like too much of a magic fairy-tale thing to happen to them. A Christmas miracle: the Spookies find happiness by reveling in what was taken away from them. It feels impossible. He's told himself to keep his hopes low for risk of disappointment, but he wonders now if his hopes are too low.

He knows that they weren't as soon as she gets back. The door closing stuns him out of sleep and he gets to his feet, explaining that he was waiting for her. She doesn't say anything. The emotion on her face speaks volumes as she walks towards him. She is holding back to try and tell him calmly, but he can tell: she doesn't think she can get the words out. So he says it for her. “It didn't take, did it.”

“I guess it was too much to hope for,” she says. She is blinking back tears.

He shakes his head a little, as if to tell her it wasn't, and steps forward to wrap his arms around her. “It was my last chance,” says Scully, and her voice is full of tears. He lets his eyes slip closed with the weight of it all. He wanted this so badly for her, for them. She holds him tighter, sniffling. It can't be her last chance, he thinks, arms tightening around her waist. He won't let it be.

He pulls back and presses his mouth to her forehead, slowly, before leaning his forehead against hers. He says, “Never give up on a miracle.”

Her hand suddenly goes to the back of his neck, and she leans forward. Her mouth lands right on the corner of his, hot and soft, and he shivers, wrapping an arm around her neck and pulling her closer. He strokes her back, blinks back tears of his own.

“I'm sorry, Mulder,” she whispers. “I didn't mean to… put you through this.”

He shakes his head, laughing a little. “Scully, you didn't put me through anything,” he says. A tear trickles down his cheek, and he reaches up to thumb it away. “I wanted to go through this with you.”

She sniffles into his shoulder, pulls back to kiss his cheek, right underneath his eye. “I never knew how much this meant to you,” she whispers.

He reaches out and wipes the tears off of her face. She kisses his cheek again, his jaw, the side of his nose. “I should've told you,” he says roughly.

He isn't sure how long they spend in her living room, holding onto each other. But eventually he cups the back of her head, rubbing her hair with his thumbs. “You need to get some sleep,” he says softly. Eyes closed, Scully nods.

When he takes her into the bedroom, she wraps her fingers around his wrist and whispers, “Stay.” And he complies. He crawls in beside her and wraps her arms around her. She sniffles, burying her head in his shoulder. And they fall asleep together—not for the first time, but for the first time with this much meaning.

---

By the end of the next day, Scully is supposed to be on a plane to San Diego with her mother. She has nearly forgotten about it that morning, sitting on the couch with Mulder in a pair of his pajamas from the times he's stayed over (oversized Quantico t-shirt and flannel pants rolled up at the cuffs). Their backs are on opposite sides, her knees against his ribcage, his feet tucked against her side. He's holding her hand on his thigh, rubbing circles on the back of her hand. “Are you going to be okay out there?” he asks.

“Yeah,” she says. “I'll be fine. I can't… I can't duck out of this again. I need to face the music.” She can't keep hiding from her family. Matthew is almost two now, and if she isn't careful, she's going to miss him growing up. And she doesn't want that to happen. Better to rip off the band-aid. She takes a long, shuddering breath and squeezes Mulder's hand. “You know you could come with me, if you want.”

He's shaking his head before she can even finish her sentence. “I don't want to impose, Scully, not like last time. And I feel like if I was there, your brother and I would be picking fights with each other, or he'd be asking me a bunch of questions about our work or, or Emily… I don't want to put you through that.”

She grimaces a little. “Thank you for that, I suppose.”

“But I'm here if you need me.” He pulls her hand to his mouth and kisses the back of it. “I promise. Even if you need me in person, I'll be on the first flight out there.”

“Thank you,” she says softly. He kisses her hand again before lowering it into her lap. She intertwines her fingers in her lap, against her abdomen, and suddenly wants to cry again. She's cried in front of Mulder so much more than usual the past evening, and she finds she doesn't mind at all.

Mulder is watching her carefully, his eyes full of some soft emotion she can't place. “I don't want to… overstep, Scully, but…” He reaches over and puts his hand on her knee, his palm warm through the flannel. She is reminded of the night she asked him, and shudders a little, bringing her hand down to cover his. “We could try again,” he says carefully. “If you wanted to… we could try the IVF again, I could pay for it if you wanted. Or we adopt… there's more than one way to have a child.”

We. He's using the word we . She smiles sadly. “Mulder, it's very sweet of you to offer. But I… I can't do this anymore. I can't take the possibility that it won't work again, not at the point I'm at right now. I don't know if I could bear it.” She sniffles a little, biting her lower lip, and he brings his hand up to cup her cheek. “I'm not saying…” she says tentatively, leaning into his touch, “…  that it's not something I won't want to try again someday… god, Mulder, I'm not sure I'll ever stop wanting this. But I can't right now. I can't. It's not the right time.”

He pulls his hands back, opens his arms like he wants to hug her, and she leans in gratefully. He wraps them tightly around her shoulders and she rests her chin on his shoulder. She closes her eyes, but the tears still trickle out from under her eyelids. “I'm here, Scully,” Mulder says into her hair, his hands warm on her spine. “I'm here whenever you're ready. For whatever you need.”

She curls her fingers into the back of his hair, brushes her lips over his cheek bone. “I'm here for you, too,” she whispers.

---

She leaves later that day. He offers to drive her to the airport, and she shakes her head. “I'm picking up Mom,” she says. “But I appreciate it.” She smiles at him, a little wistfully.

“Call me if you need anything,” he says. “Anything. Okay?”

“I promise.” She brushes a hand over his cheek, moving it to cup the back of his neck. His hands hover near her hips. She rises up on her tiptoes and kisses his forehead, slowly. His palms press into her sides. They're nose to nose, suddenly, breathing in sync. She can't stop touching him. She thinks, just for a second, she might kiss him.

He moves first. He kisses her on the corner of her mouth, the same way she did the night before. She shudders, curling her fingers into his hair. “I'll miss you,” he mumbles before pulling away. His cheeks are flushed, maybe in embarrassment.

“I'll miss you, too,” she says, without a hint of embarrassment, because she will.

He walks her to her car and kisses her on the cheek before she leaves. She gives him a little wave as she pulls away.

She calls him several times over the next week and a half in California.

---

On the 30th, Mulder calls her from Tallahassee with a grave robbery case. “Looks pretty spooky, Scully,” he says. “Right up our alley.”

“Hmm.” She leans against the table, cell phone cocked to her ear. “Guess I should come check it out, then.”

“Guess so,” he says, and it sounds like he's smiling. He gives her the cemetery, and she drives straight to the airport.

It turns out that the missing body—Mulder dismisses the grave robbery theory almost immediately—is a former FBI agent, as well as a potential member of the Millennium group, who is anticipating the apocalypse on at the beginning of the new year. He and four others committed suicide in an attempt to bring about Armageddon. One Frank Black, former FBI agent attempting to regain custody of his daughter, Jordan, assists them. He gives them a description of the man who is supposedly performing necromancy on the members of the Millennium group.

Mulder goes out in search of said necromancer. At the morgue, Scully is attacked by an apparent zombie. It leaves bites on her neck and another pathologist half-dead. She is left with soreness, fatigue, and Mulder not answering his phone. Frank Black refuses to help her find him on the basis, so Scully sets out on her own, irritation building. Irritation and fear. There is no reason to think anything bad has happened to Mulder, except for the fact that he isn't answering his phone. And there's no reason to think he's anything other than being held hostage, or even just stuck somewhere with a dead cell phone, but there's no reason to think he isn't hurt or dead somewhere. She drives around aimlessly until Skinner calls with the information she needs.

She finds the address that Skinner gives her, unlocks the gate and goes running as soon as she hears gunshots. She finds the alleged owner bound to a chair upstairs, Mulder in the basement with Black, some dead thing advancing on them. She shoots it without hesitation. It collapses on the dirt floor. In the red light of the sparklers on the ground, Mulder sags with relief, his sleeve soaked through with blood. She rushes to his side, her hands brushing his face briefly. “Just bite marks,” he says with clenched teeth. “I'm okay. Thanks for shooting the zombie.”

“Zombies don't exist, Mulder,” she says, pulling away the ragged edges of his sleeve to examine the bites.

Mulder laughs a little, in the bitter way that says he expected her response. “Of course you would say that,” he says affectionately. “Scully, they're right there.”

---

Scully gets all three of them to the hospital. Frank waits out in the waiting room while Scully makes sure that Mark Johnson, catalyst of the undead members of the Millennium group and the man who locked Mulder in the basement, is put under suicide watch. Mulder’s sent back to be stitched up. Jordan Black is brought to the hospital and Scully takes her to her father.

Bringing Frank Black's daughter back to him leaves her a little wistful. Watching the girl run up to her father and hug him, she can't help but think of the things she's lost. But she also can't help but smile at the little girl, think: Maybe someday. Maybe. Mulder comes out with his arm in a sling, and her focus immediately shifts. She doesn't want to linger on what has been or what could be or what will never be; she wants to remember what is . The two of them. The two of them against the world.

She and Mulder stand together and watch them leave, watch the ball start to descend in Time’s Square, the countdown echoing through the speakers. A new year, a new millenia. And maybe a chance to start over, provided the world doesn't end. And they are both here and alive. Scully finds herself smiling unexpectedly as Auld Lang Syne begins to play.

Couples are kissing and embracing on the TV, and she turns towards Mulder, but he is already leaning in. His mouth comes down over hers and he is kissing her sweetly. It is the summer of 1998 and a bee has not stung her, it's a hospital room last November and he's just told her he loves her. It is here, now, and they are not parents, but she is in love with him and he is kissing her. Her eyes close. It is slow, peaceful, not the way she pictured it. Softer, less of a culmination and more of a beginning. She opens her eyes to look at him as he pulls away. He is watching her, so she lets the smile dance across her face. It only took seven years, but they got here. He is smiling, too. “The world didn't end,” he says with a little shrug.

“No, it didn't,” she says.

She'd be happy frozen in this moment forever, but it is a new year and time moves fast. Things unsaid hanging between them, she is the first to look away. “Happy New Year, Scully,” Mulder says, maybe a little wistful.

“Happy New Year, Mulder,” says Scully.

The TV continuing to play behind them, Mulder wraps his good arm around her shoulder, and they head for the door. “Let's go home, Mulder,” Scully says as they reach the elevator. She reaches out to press the button. His arm stays around her, loose but affectionate. “Your arm must be killing you, and we could both use some rest.”

“Your place or mine?” he jokes, his eyebrows raised.

“Mine,” Scully says. “It's closer.”

“Ooh,” he cracks, but his heart isn't in it. There's actual context there now.

A smile teasing the edge of Scully's lips again, she turns to face him, her hands brushing over his shoulders. “Took you a while to kiss me,” she says.

Mulder grins back at her. “You killed a zombie, Scully,” he says enticingly, reaching out to cup her cheek. “You saved my life.”

“What else is new,” she says dryly.

He rubs his fingers gently over the bite marks on her neck. “I've wanted to kiss you for a long time, Scully,” he whispers, leaning in. Their noses brush. “A really long time.”

“Oh, really,” she whispers.

“I'm thinking about doing it again.”

“Hmm.” She wraps an arm around his neck. “I think it's my turn.”

“Really,” he says. He looks a little nervous, like you could knock him over with a slight breeze. “I didn't know that pathologists…”

She rises on her tiptoes and kisses him before he can finish. A New Year’s cliché. She kisses him and kisses him and doesn't stop, except for the brief period that it takes to drive to her apartment.

It's time. She's been waiting.

[tabloidtoc]

Us, April 5

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: All Eyes on Duchess Kate

Page 2: Red Carpet -- Hollywood is in full bloom with the perfect inspo to put a little spring in your step -- Elle Fanning, Kate Middleton, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lopez, Lupita Nyong'o

Page 3: Mindy Kaling, Kathryn Newton, Gabrielle Union, Caitriona Balfe, Penelope Cruz

Page 4: Who Wore It Best? Scarlett Johansson vs. Delilah Belle Hamlin vs. Ingrid Andress in Tom Ford

Page 6: Loose Talk -- Jennifer Garner on finally getting her ears pierced at age 48, Cardi B's thoughts on Selena Gomez possibly stepping away from music, Michelle Obama on living with messy daughters Malia and Sasha, Soleil Moon Frye recalling her first consensual sexual experience with Charlie Sheen, Kim Kardashian West on how much her voice has changed over 20 seasons of Keeping Up With the Kardashians

Page 8: Contents

Page 10: Hot Pics -- ahead of the Miami Open Venus Williams took a break from practice to play with her dog Harold

Page 11: Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo were attached at the hip during an outing in Montecito, Paul McCartney enjoyed a beach day while on vacation in St. Barts, sporting a massive diamond ring Bethenny Frankel was at the beach in Miami

Page 12: Paris Hilton's Lanvin dress paired perfectly with her bubblegum-hued Bentley, Jared Leto looked unrecognizable while filming House of Gucci in Italy and meanwhile Lady Gaga and Adam Driver continued shooting scenes the following day

Page 13: Britney Spears looked to be in good spirits while out with boyfriend Sam Asghari in L.A., Robin Roberts hammed it up for the camera on the set of Good Morning America, Kourtney Kardashian couldn't keep her hands off new beau Travis Barker after enjoying a dinner date in L.A.

Page 14: Baby on Board -- Selling Sunset's Christine Quinn, Gal Gadot, Lauren Burnham with husband Arie Luyendyk Jr., Christina Milian showed off her growing belly in a floral lingerie set by Savage x Fenty

Page 16: Flex Zone -- with warmer days ahead, stars push their bodies harder -- Nicole Scherzinger and Thom Evans, Kate Hudson added three pound dumbbells to her fitness routine, Eva Longoria works out with a trampoline, Cara Delevingne does yoga, Kevin Hart was joined by son Hendrix for a sweat sesh, Gabrielle Union working out

Page 18: Stars They're Just Like Us -- Jax Taylor took out the trash and recycling bins in L.A., Ally Brooke put on sunscreen she bought at CVS in L.A., after food shopping Ariel Winter packed her car with goodies in L.A.

Page 20: Love Lives -- Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom sparked marriage rumors after she was seen wearing a gold band on that finger while in Hawaii

Page 21: They've quietly been together for over three years but Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant who were spotted together during a rare date night in Beverly Hills are in no rush to wed and they've both been in serious relationships before so they're content just being with each other but that doesn't mean marriage is off the table

* For Brooklyn Decker, the silver lining of the pandemic has spending more time with Andy Roddick -- she said it has strengthened their relationship

* The secret to Nick and Vanessa Lachey's successful marriage of nearly 10 years? Spontaneous intimacy, according to Vanessa

Page 22: Hot Hollywood -- Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani won't be sending save the date cards anytime soon because the duo is struggling to agree on a wedding day -- Gwen is pushing hard for their first ceremony on Blake's Oklahoma ranch to take place in early fall (the two are planning a second affair in L.A.), but Blake, who has been vocal about his impatience, wants to wed this summer but there's a problem: tornado season and the chapel he had constructed on his property for Gwen, a devout Catholic, isn't built to withstand even a minor wind event -- no matter what though, the pair (who are also trying for a baby via surrogate) still plan to exchange their vows before the end of the year and won't let these hiccups affect their big day

Page 23: Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez denied reports that they ended their engagement and were spotted packing on the PDA in the Dominican Republic -- J.Lo started to question A-Rod after rumors began to swirl that he had an affair with Southern Charm star Madison LeCroy but Alex has been on his best behavior of late

* A Britney Spears comeback could be on the horizon as she is dropping hints about singing again even though her attorney previously said she will not perform as long as her father in charge, but if the judge rules in her favor to make her care manager, Jodi Montgomery, her conservator, Britney will follow through and promise to perform again

* Keeping Up With Us -- Kobe Bryant's widow Vanessa Bryant has named the four deputies who allegedly shared graphic photos from the helicopter crash that killed her husband and daughter Gianna and seven others, despite sharing a selfie of herself wearing a half-heart necklace that she rocked while dating Ben Affleck his ex Ana de Armas denied that the two were back together, Armie Hammer is being investigated by L.A. police after a woman came forth and accused the actor of raping her in 2017 but Armie's attorney maintains their relations were completely consensual, CBS has extended The Talk's hiatus after claims of racism and toxicity were made against cohost Sharon Osbourne, just days after Tiger Woods returned home from the hospital following his near-fatal car crash new details from the investigation revealed that the golf pro didn't take his foot off the accelerator leading up to the accident

Page 24: A Day in My Life -- Maria Sharapova

Page 25: Kanye West's personal life might be in shambles, but his finances were thriving -- according to a new report, the rapper's net worth has climbed to $6.6 billion amid his ongoing divorce from Kim Kardashian -- he has really thrown himself into his work -- Kanye was first declared a billionaire last April largely in part to his fashion line, Yeezy, which is valued between $3.2 and $4.7 billion -- Kanye actually learned a lot from Kim's family about business decisions and he used to throw so much of his own money into his projects, but he's learned that doesn't have to be the case and it's clearly paying off big

* These hip-hop stars also made a large sum of their money away from the mic -- 50 Cent, Diddy, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre

Page 26: Cover Story -- Duchess Kate carries on -- the resilient royal is stepping in to save the crown

Page 28: Angelina Jolie vs. Brad Pitt: a new low -- as Brad and Angelina's nasty custody battle rages on, their kids are put in the middle

Page 30: Makeovers of the Year -- behold the style evolution of Hollywood's latest luminaries -- Andra Day, Halsey

Page 31: Tiffany Haddish, Lily Collins, Awkwafina

Page 32: Major Transformations -- Adrienne Bailon, Rebel Wilson

Page 34: Ayesha Curry, Kelly Osbourne, Adele

Page 36: Spring Makeup Bag Update -- whisper-light formulas in soft, pretty hues that will freshen up your look fast

Page 38: Laura Harrier tells how she makes her peepers pop

Page 40: Let It Grow! Kristen Stewart's mane man Adir Abergel shares hacks to help a haircut in flux look luxe

Page 42: Entertainment -- Mark Long on The Challenge: All Stars

Page 43: Take Five with Sway Bhatia

Page 46: Fashion Police -- when bad clothes happen to good people -- Noah Cyrus, Machine Gun Kelly, Amber Rose

Page 47: Bella Hadid, Harry Styles

Page 48: 25 Things You Don't Know About Me -- Kevin O'Leary