#Decker Library

[ninii-winchester]

Chosen Affection

Pairing : Dean Winchester X Reader

Word Count : 3.3k

Warnings : slight angst, language, Lucifer being Lucifer, soft smut at the end (nothing explicit) MDNI. Unedited.

Part 2 to Deepest Desire

A/n : This is a Supernatural x Lucifer crossover fic. I’ve only ever watched a few episodes of Lucifer. This is a work of fiction, I don’t own Supernatural or Lucifer. They belong to CW and Netlfix respectively.

I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO COPY MY WORK, TRANSLATE IT OR POST IT TO ANY OTHER PLATFORM. REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED.

After talking with Sam, Y/n went back inside the bar and Dean followed silently. Chloe could tell Y/n had been crying and the tension was obvious. Lucifer eyed the couple, clearly enjoying the drama, which he created in the first place. Not intentionally but he did.

"I think it's best we get to the Bunker and see what we can do from there." Y/n told the other three, Dean opened his mouth to argue but she cut him off. "Sam agrees."

"The Bunker?" Chloe asked confusion lacing her voice.

"It's our workplace. We live there too." Y/n replied, Dean's heart squeezed the she didn't call it home. He knew it was far from homey but that's the closest thing they've had to a place of their own.

"Sounds fun." Lucifer said standing up from his seat.

The quartet left the bar. Dean watched as Y/n slid into the back seat of the Impala, he sighed before he made his way to the driver's seat. Lucifer slid into the passenger's seat while Chloe joined Y/n in the back. He watched her from the rear view mirror hoping to catch her eye but she never looked his way.

The drive back was awkward and tense. Dean couldn't bear the uncomfortable silence so stepped on the gas, wanting to reach their destination as soon as possible. They soon arrived at the Bunker and Dean opened the huge door allowing them to enter. The quartet descended the stairs and Y/n spotted Sam sitting at one of the tables in the library, his laptop opened in front of him.

Sam noticed the presence of other people, and looked away from the screen. He looked at the man in black suit with weary eyes, not feeling completely at ease in his presence. Chloe noticed his timidness and introduced herself.

"I'm Detective Chloe Decker." She held her hand for Sam to shake. "This is..uh my partner, Lucifer."

"Sam Winchester." He shook her hand and nodded at Lucifer who stood there with his hands in his pant pockets. That was so awkward that even, ever the friendly, Sam had a hard time clearing the air.

"Alright." Y/n broke the silence before she went crazy with all the palpable tension around the room. "We need to send them back home as soon as possible. Sam have you got anything yet?" She questioned walking towards him as he sat back on his chair.

"So I've been searching the internet for a way to open a portal to another universe and so far I've got anything." He explained running a hand through his hair. "Although I've yet to search the the files in the library."

"Yeah the Men of Letters might have key laying around here." Y/n commented with a roll of her eyes.

Sam noticed the lack of participation from his brother, he didn't fail to notice the distance between Dean and Y/n, it seemed as she was avoiding him at all costs.

"Is there anyway we can help?" Chloe asked from where she stood.

"Don't you want to rest a bit? I'm sure you're tired after being thrown into another universe." Y/n said softly.

"I already feel like we're asking too much from you people." Chloe replied bashfully. "We can help."

"Its fine-"

"Why don't you say it out right that you don't trust us with your precious files filled with important information." Lucifer interrupted Y/n with a smirk on his face.

"You know what, yes. I don't trust you. At all! So you shut your trap before I throw you in the dungeon alright?" Y/n snapped, directing all of her pent up anger towards Lucifer.

"And just who do you think you're talking to?" The devil asked menacingly, walking towards her. Dean was quick with his feet stepping in front of her, his gun pointing towards Lucifer.

"Don't you dare." Dean threatened.

The man just laughed before speaking, "is this your way of sucking up to her? It's quite pathetic if you ask me."

Sam's brow raised in confusion at his words, before things could get worse Chloe jumped in, "Lucifer, back off. Dean please put the gun down." Dean glared at Lucifer still pointing his gun at him. At Chloe's intervention Lucifer stepped back, prompting Dean to lower his gun. "It's best if we rest." Chloe looked at Y/n and she nodded.

"Dean will show you where you'll stay." Sam spoke, Dean gave him a look that said i-will? and the younger brother shrugged. When the others left the library Sam turned to Y/n. "So are you gonna tell me or I'm gonna have to play twenty questions with you?" She sighed before filling him in.

"It hurts, Sam." She felt herself tear up. Sam immediately went to comfort her. She sobbed in his chest as he held her. "After everything we've been through and it still wasn't enough..."

"Hey don't say that. Maybe you should talk to him, hear what he has to say." Sam suggested. She knew she had to face him sooner or later. "It's late, how about you go and get some rest, you came back from a hunt, must be tired." She nodded her head before leaving his embrace.

She left the library, walking through the hallways she debated whether she should go to their shared bedroom or to the room she stayed in before she moved in his'. That room hasn't been used in a long time. Before she knew it she was standing in front of their shared bedroom, her feet unintentionally dragged her there. She sighed before entering the room. After taking a quick shower she settled into bed. As tired as she was, she couldn't get her brain to keep repeated those moments from the bar.

"Amara" Dean's voice kept repeating that name in her head.

The door to the room opened, Dean entered the room as quietly as possible, assuming she's asleep. He'd gone to library and offered Sam to help but his younger brother told him he needed to be elsewhere and refused his offer politely. Dean's eyes landed her figure on the bed, eyes widen open staring at ceiling.

"Y/n." Dean called out approaching the bed slowly.

"Not now, Dean." She replied, unblinking.

Dean nodded before changing into comfortable clothes and slipping into bed. He knew she wouldn't be in here if she wasn't comfortable sharing a bed with him, however he kept his distance incase she didn't want him touching her. He knows she's hurting, but her ignorance is killing him and the last thing he needs is her pushing him away.

"Did they settle in okay?" Y/n questioned after a minutes of silence.

"Yeah." Dean replied. "Lucifer is a dick though." He added with an eye roll.

"He's the devil, what do you expect."

Minutes passed and none of them spoke, Y/n couldn't fall asleep for the life of her, she kept tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable. She wanted to hold him, she wanted him to hold her. She was too hurt to make a move and her ego was too big to ask him.

Noticing her restless Dean couldn't help but blurt out, "Can I hold you?" Part of him wanted her to get comfortable and part of him wanted to hold her in his arms since he couldn't ever sleep peacefully without her. He didn't know if he asked it for her sake or his own.

She scolded herself for being so eager to be in his arms but she couldn't help but nod her head. He didn't waste a second wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to his chest, so her back rested against it. He snuggled his face in the crook of her neck.

"I love you, sweetheart." He whispered in her ear, placing a soft kiss on her neck. She shuddered at his action and that was the first time in forever she didn't say it back.

Dean woke up to an empty bed. The clock read 2:27 and he shoved the covers off of him haphazardly and bolted out of the room. First thing that came to his mind that she left him. With hurried footsteps he reached the library, his eyes fell on Sam who was surrounded by files, books and empty beer bottles. His breathing picked up, Sam opened his mouth to question his brother but Y/n's voice interrupted him.

"Dean?" She called out his name, noticing his disheveled state. He turned around to see her standing at the entrance of the war room with two mugs of coffee in her hands. He didn't answer her, instead he took large steps towards her and hugged her tightly. Her arms were angled awkwardly and she somehow managed not to spill the scalding hot coffee over themselves. She sent Sam a confused look over Dean's shoulder and he shrugged, not knowing either.

"I thought you left." Dean mumbled in her shoulder.

"I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd help Sam." Dean nodded before pulling away. An awkward silence followed after. She walked over to Sam putting a mug in front of him.

"Did you guys find something?" Dean asked following behind and her taking a seat.

"Actually we did. There's a few ways to open a portal. There's energy manipulation, magic ritual, or using an ancient artefact or finding a weak spot." Sam explained taking a sip of his coffee.

"But we don't have ingredients for a magic ritual and we certainly do not have the specific artefact." Y/n commented.

"So either energy manipulation or finding a weak spot?" Dean questioned looking at her.

"Maybe but considering Lucifer has to absorb energy from a volcano or a thunderstorm, I don't think it's safe to let him juice up." She replied with a concerned voice.

"Agreed." Sam said rubbing his eyes. "Our best bet is finding a weak spot. From there he can open a portal by using his own powers saying this incantation." Sam turned his screen towards his brother.

"So were do find this 'weak spot'?" The older Winchester wondered out loud.

"It's usually around places like deep woods, ruins or caves. Lucifer can sense it since he has powers." Y/n answered.

"So let's do it." Dean said getting up.

"Wait, now?" Y/n exclaimed.

"Yeah now." Sam agreed with Dean. "The sooner he goes back, the better."

Y/n nodded in understanding, she told them she'd go and get Lucifer and Chloe while the Winchester brothers geared up. Y/n quickly changed and met up with the others. They'd decided to go to the forest. It took them three hours to reach their destination. They got out of the Impala and ventured into the woods.

"Thank you for helping us Y/n." Chloe said as they continued to trek through the dark forest.

"That’s what we do but you’re welcome." She smiled at the blonde. The three men walked ahead of them Sam and Dean constantly asking Lucifer if he felt anything. And the devil kept giving them snippy replies.

"You know.." Chloe started gaining Y/n's attention. "I may not know you all for long but I'm observant. You're good people. I can see Dean truly loves you, whatever he said back there it hurt him too." She said looking at Y/n. It sure felt like the detective knew what she was talking about. "You should give him a chance to explain." Y/n mumbled a quiet 'yeah' with nod.

"This is it." Lucifer said loudly. "I can feel it." He held his arm up feeling up an open space.

"Alright, now channel your powers and focus on the spot. Think of the place you want to go. Your world." Lucifer did as Sam told him to.  Sam handed Lucifer a piece of paper. "Now say this." They could see a split forming above them and bright light emerging from it.

"Ad universum alterum patefacio, vires

invoco. Portalem aperire, vires occultas evocare. Tempus et spatium frangere, iter transire concedere." Lucifer read out loud and the five of them watched in awe as a portal finally opened.

A strong wind roared through the landscape, its force palpable and relentless. Trees bent and swayed, their leaves and branches rustling loudly as they were whipped around. The air was filled with the sound of howling gusts, the sheer strength of the wind created an atmosphere of raw, untamed energy.

"Holy fucking-" Y/n exclaimed, Dean instinctively moving in front of her.

Lucifer breathed heavily, panting as he stood back.   

"Alright. You ready to go back?" Lucifer asked Chloe and she nodded. She quickly hugged Y/n and thanked Sam and Dean.

"I have to say, you three really are something." Lucifer said with a smirk. "And I thank you for your help." He added. The three of them nodded.

They watched as Lucifer and Chloe jumped into the portal and it closed as soon as they fell through. The wind stopped and the light was gone. Sighs of relief were heard in the complete silence of the forest.

"Felt weird being thanked by the devil." Y/n chuckled as they walked back to the car.

"You're telling me." Sam added.

Dean was silent the whole ride back to the Bunker. The sun has already risen, the world felt calm and serene, filled with a promise of a new day. Y/n hoped this new day brings her some peace. When they reached to the Bunker Dean left the car without saying a word.

“You’re gonna talk to him?” Sam asked looking worried. He knew now that Dean didn’t have something to focus on, his mind would be all over the place.

“Yeah.” She replied walking inside. When she opened the door to their shared bedroom she saw Dean sitting on the edge of the bed. He had something is his hands but quickly hid it when he noticed her, though he fiddling with a set of keys in his hands. She took smalls steps and sat beside him. A few seconds passed in silence when Dean chuckled humourlessly,

“You know,” he started, “I was waiting for so long, I didn’t want it to go this way.” She looked at him, confusion written all over her face. “I thought I’d do it when you’d come back from that hunt, take you out somewhere fancy, dinner and all.”

“Dean-”

“I bought us a house.” He interrupted her. He showed the keys that were in his hands. “I thought I’d tell you after I’d ask you, and you’d hopefully say yes, we’ll start a new life. You, me our kids. Together. No more monsters, no more hunting.” Her heart rate picked up, “I should’ve known better though, when has anything gone the way we’ve wanted it.” He moved to kneel in front of her holding her hands in his.

“She,” Dean grimaced, “her and I were bound because of the mark, the mark may have gone from my arm but it’s has left something behind, it’s an urge. I don’t desire her at all, not her physical self anyway. It’s something I don’t like admitting out loud but there’s something in me that’s dark and sometimes it makes me want to do things that I did when I had that mark.” She let out a gasp at his confession.

“Dean I had no idea.” A few tears escaped her eyes.

“But you know what keeps me sane? You.” He cupped her cheek in his hand wiping away her tears. “You’re my light, you vanish all the darkness inside of me. You’re the one I want, you’re the one I crave. You’re the one that makes me want to be better. I’m not bound to you, you’re a conscious choice sweetheart. Everyday, every second you’re the one I want.” He grabbed something from beside her, she hadn’t even notice it was there all the time. She gasped again when she saw what it was, a small velvet box.

“Y/n, sweetheart, I love you, I always have and I always will. I know I’ve hurt you baby, but if you give me this one chance, I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you how much I desire you. Will you marry me?”

She couldn’t believe what she heard, did he just say he’s giving up hunting? Getting a house? Getting married? Kids?

“You, Dean Winchester, has decided to quit hunting?” She questioned, thinking somehow she’s didn’t hear him right.

“Yeah,” he chuckled through tears. “And hopefully spend the rest of my life with you, Mrs. Winchester, if you would.” He gestured to the ring in his hand.

“I like the sound of that.” She teased with a smile on her face.

“So will you?” He asked again, not believing her until she says it out loud.

“Yes Dean, I’ll marry you.” He didn’t waste a second slipping the ring on her finger.

“I love you so much.” He pressed his lips to her, kissing ber softly, pouring all of his love into it. Their lips moved in perfect sync, a soft brush sent shivers down their spines. Time seemed to slow, and the world around them faded into a blur. The warmth of their breath mingled, and the closeness created a cocoon of shared emotion. The gentle pressure and the delicate movement of their lips, created a bond that felt both timeless and immediate.

“I love you too, Dean.” She panted as they pulled apart. “I won’t lie, I was hurt pretty badly when you said that. But I had no idea where it came from and it made me insecure. I thought you wanted her.” She spoke lowly as if sharing a secret.

“I’m sorry sweetheart, I shouldn’t have kept it from you, but after everything, I didn’t want you to worry. You’d finally had some peace.”

“I understand but from now on, no more secrets okay? I want you to be open with me, yeah?”

“I promise.” He kissed her again, laying her back on the bed. He hovered above her, his hands placed on either side of her head. She let out a soft moan as he kissed her neck and moved to her collarbone. “Let me make love to you, baby.”

She nodded, pulling him back up, kissing him passionately. “Show me how much you love me.” He gently pulled her shirt over her head, and she gripped at his’, indicating she wanted it off and he quickly removes it. It didn’t take long for them to get rid of all their clothing, leaving them completely naked.

He dragged his fingers delicately over her cheek, down her neck and chest. She flipped them over making him lay on his back. She bit his neck, nibbling and leaving dark purple hickeys. She moved to his chest, kissing her way down to his stomach before she could go any further he stopped her.

“Later, baby. I need to feel you.” Dean flipped them over again. He watched her flushed face, leaning on his one arm, he reached a hand between their bodies and gripped himself, leading himself to her. They moaned in unison as he penetrated her. “Fuck baby.” He groaned in her neck.

Moans and groans filled the room as they continue to loose themselves into heated passion. Wrapped up in each others embrace, bare skin pressed together, their hearts beating in unison. Coming undone together basking in the aftershocks of their passionate love making they laid entwined in the soft sheets, their breaths slowly synchronized, a comfortable silence enveloped them. She rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, a sound that had become her lullaby.

Tags:

@fullbelieverheart @spnfamily-j2 @n-o-p-e-never @montyrokz @deangirl96

[doll3tt33]

╰➜ ⊹ ࣪ ˖┆soon to be inactive┆⊹ ࣪ ˖

she/her 𝜗𝜚 libra ☉ libra ☾ sag ↑ 𝜗𝜚 will come back to occasionally post and drop off a bot of the evans if I make any 𝜗𝜚 still a colin girlie

my most recent fic/hc! - my haunted lungs, ghost in the sheets ❥ colin zabel

everybody knows I’m a good girl, officer ❥ colin zabel

‘cause when you know you know ❥ colin zabel

my most recent c.ai bot! - playing dangerous ❥ colin zabel

a day in the life of a cleaner for homelander ❥ homelander

check your window, he’s at your window ❥ tate langdon

Goodbye for now! ♡

Requests are closed cuz I’m moving on with other interests, so this account wont be as active anymore. might come back one day.

a lil’ info:

• If you’re under 18, then it means this place isn’t for you and YA BETTER GET OFF MA PROPERTY!! On a fr note, please do not interact if you’re a minor.

• characters I’m sorta confident I won’t mess up with (aka characters you can request for): Kai Anderson, Tate Langdon, Austin Sommers, Kyle Spencer, Kit Walker, Colin Zabel, Peter Maximoff, Stan Bowes, Luke Cooper, Charles Decker, + characters from The Boys

• characters I’m not so confident with right now: James Patrick March, Jimmy Darling, Warren Lipka, Mr. Gallant.

I’ll need a rewatch to get a better grasp of their character so they won’t be ooc, but I’ll make them available to request in the future!

• general requests are cool! but I really appreciate requests with a specific scenario/AU. This is a kink-friendly blog, so feel free to go wild!

Bots & fics masterlist below the cut!

all of the bots below have detailed defintions and descriptions, along with example messages! So dw, none of them are empty carcasses of an ai bot

angst/dark themes - ✮ sfw - ❀ (might lead to) nsfw - ✧

c.ai filter breaking tut: pt.1, pt.2

Kai Anderson:

𝜗𝜚 Fanfics:

Your faithless love’s the only hoax I believe in. ✮

𝜗𝜚 Headcanons:

Kai Anderson SFW headcanons ❀

𝜗𝜚 AI bots:

Being in a toxic relationship with Kai (based off the song ‘Ultraviolence’) ✮

Kai breaking into your home for revenge ✮/✧

Visiting spiritual counselor!Kai to seek guidance ✮/❀

Kai coming up to you at a bookstore ❀

Kai “accidentally” spilling his coffee all over you ❀

⇢ I recommend the bookstore one over the coffee one if u r looking for a standard Kai bot to use, cuz the former’s settings are improved ((but like the coffee one’s still aight ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Colin Zabel:

𝜗𝜚 Fanfics:

Everybody knows I’m a good girl, officer ✧

My haunted lungs, ghost in the sheets ✧

‘Cause when you know you know ❀

𝜗𝜚 AI bots:

Getting arrested by Colin… again ❀

Having your first session with therapist!Colin ❀

Professor!Colin teaching you on your first day of college ❀

Peter Maximoff:

Peter challenging you to Pac-Man at the arcade ❀

Chilling with Peter in his room ❀

You’re both lonely on prom night so Peter invites you to join him ❀

Stan Bowes:

You’re the daughter of Stan’s boss and he has to pick you up from a party ❀

Having your first ever dinner with sugardaddy!Stan ❀

Interrupting Stan in the middle of work ❀

Austin Sommers:

paparazzi!Austin who won’t stop pestering you ❀

Kyle Spencer:

Frankenkyle showing up at your doorstep in the middle of the night ❀

You’re a new witch at the academy and you’re responsible for Frankenkyle ❀

Studying alone with frat!Kyle at the campus library ❀

frat!Kyle comes up to you at a college party on New Year’s Eve ❀

Tate Langdon:

perv!Tate snapping photos of you in the school’s bathroom ✧

Helping Tate after he gets bullied at school ❀

Tate walking in on you playing a ritual game ❀

Dealing with an emotionally unstable Tate after your break up (based off the song ‘Meant to Be Yours’ from Heathers: The Musical) ✮

Kit Walker:

singledad!Kit hiring you as a babysitter ❀

Kit taking all the blame for you at the asylum ✮

bartender!Kit serving you a free drink ❀

Getting steamy with husband!Kit in the kitchen ✧

Luke Cooper:

Luke getting everyone’s coffee orders wrong but yours ❀

[gigi-loveless]

𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞!𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 ⊹˚. ♡

reqs are OPEN!

note - reblogs and comments keep this account going! if you like what you read, please don’t hesitate to share ♡

18+ under the cut

𐙚 “babe what did you get for #4”

𐙚 “okay how about #5”

𐙚 definitely majoring in business or communications with a minor in journalism

𐙚 2 am fast food runs

𐙚 including deliriously listening to queen and trying to sing bohemian rhapsody to no avail

𐙚 despite that he has a knack for the guitar

𐙚 learning your favorite songs on guitar and always whipping them out at the most ridiculous times

𐙚 often during high stress study sessions

𐙚 “♫ and if a double decker bus crashes into us ♫”

𐙚 “I SURE HOPE IT DOES STEVE”

𐙚 eventually moving into an apartment together

𐙚 you load laundry, he folds

𐙚 adventures to the local record store

𐙚 never getting up for those 8 ams

𐙚 board game + wine nights with robin and eddie

𐙚 he always insists on pouring your wine for you

𐙚 falling asleep on the couch and floor respectively face first into your homework

𐙚 eventually he wakes up in the middle of the night and groggily carries you to bed and tucks you in

𐙚 his messy hair when his alarm doesn’t go off so he quickly gets ready for classes

𐙚 going to frat parties and giving the good old irish goodbye after an hour

𐙚 dancing with him at parties bye bye bye GRINDING ON HIM AT PARTIES?? i’m deceased

𐙚 poor baby can’t keep his cock in his pants after that and you’ll have to blow him in the car

𐙚 but it’s okay because he was secretly fingering you an hour ago during the smoke sesh

𐙚 will drive you anywhere you please even though you have your own car

𐙚 grocery trips with steve!! i am so unwell

𐙚 you definitely met bumping into each other (literally) in the library, very very cliche and cute

𐙚 he memorized your coffee order insanely quickly and always brings you one to your library dates

𐙚 drunken open mic nights >>>

𐙚 “holy shit dude i swear i saw a ghost over by the law section”

𐙚 “steve….that’s professor higgins…how many coffees have you had?”

𐙚 “….”

𐙚 weed and wine > beer and liquor

𐙚 getting high off your asses together and laughing at book names in the library

𐙚 cleaning you up and cuddling in bed after accidentally having a tad too much to drink

𐙚 a GIANT rock on your finger by senior year <3

[wildflowercryptid]

V FOR VALEDICTORIAN character introduction :

J.B. DECKER, the librarian.

here's the next character intro with j.b.!! honestly, i think she's my favorite out of the whole cast design wise. she's just so much fun to draw for me.

i haven't started on her intro yet, but the next character i'll be sharing is our victim, victoria valentine!

( alt text for j.b.'s bio below! ) ⤵

Justine B. Decker, Also known as J.B.

Chumbridge College's Chief Librarian who is known for keeping meticulous care of the Library. Has been working in the position for a little over 6 years, having previously worked as an assistant librarian while attending Chumbridge for her masters.

Generally well liked by students and staff due to her polite nature and cordial personality. She also isn't afraid to be straightforward with others when needed. Describes herself as an "open book."

Legal guardian of her niece, Drew. Gets exacerbated by her antics, but clearly loves and cares for her deeply. They have no other living relatives so they're the only family either has left.

Her brother and sister-in-law were both killed in a breaking and entering gone horribly wrong 3 years ago, the culprit was never found and the case has since gone cold.

Fairly familiar with the victim as she was a frequent visitor to the library, especially as of the past few months. Victoria may have been concerned for J.B.'s safety, having been the one who suggested that Georgie escort Drew and her when they leave campus for the night.

Dr. Conrad was one of her brother's college friends and seems interested in getting to know her better outside of work, the feeling isn't mutual.

Big fan of mystery novels and enjoys reading them in her spare time.

Writes as a hobby, using the journal she carries with her to jot down ideas and draft out her stories. Isn't very confident in her writing so she's pretty apprehensive about sharing it with others. The currently story she's writing is a murder mystery, revolving around a cold case.

Likes bad puns.

[khlowewei]

Asleep - khloelei on ao3

April 19, 2013

Tadashi Yamaguchi

12:22 a.m.

The eerie ringtone replaces my usual 1D music, which chills my spine. I’m too scared to pick up the phone. Too scared to hear what will come from the other end of the line. I let it go to voicemail, but it rings again a few seconds after. The ringtone continues until I finally pick up my phone, taking a glance at the time, 12:22 a.m.

“Hello?”

“Hello, I’m calling from Death-Cast, I’m Ami. Is this Tadashi Yamaguchi?” She says my name as if the syllables had spikes and poked the tip of her tongue. The mention of my name obliterates my ongoing bucket list, which only had 3 items.

“Yes, this is Tadashi Yamaguchi.” My voice is raspy because I just woke up, my tiredness was apparently evident because she says, “Sorry, I know, it’s early. Well, Yamaguchi, I regret to inform you that sometime in the next twenty-four hours you’ll be meeting an untimely death.” She continues on, mentioning my name as if we’re close friends, even saying my first name a few times.

She began listing some events happening nearby, and some activities I could do today. It makes me a bit irritated how she could be so sure I would want to attend these events or participate in the activities, but it then hits me that she’s reading from a script. She has said this line to many people before me. All of which are dying or already dead.

“Crocheting events at all of your local libraries at 12:30pm, and a poetry contest in Nishikicho Park. These are all of the events and activities that are being held today. Of course, there are discounts at stores and restaurants for deckers, there are signs outside of the participating restaurants.”

I know that she’s no longer reading directly from the script the way she does because she doesn’t mention the participating restaurants and stores, but instead the signs. The heralds normally list the stores and restaurants, they did that for my mother.

“Oh–Uh– What are the participating restaurants?”

I could hear an audible sigh from the other line and shuffling before she read the participating locations from a piece of paper.

The words go into my ear and out the other as I stand up from my bed, no longer feeling like sleeping. For all I know, I could end up dying in my sleep, and I’m not risking that. I still have the whole (or to be realistic, a portion of the) day ahead of me.

“And Tadashi, on behalf of everyone here at Death-Cast, we are sorry to lose you. Live this day to the fullest.” Her voice grows low as she ends the sentence and a click comes from the other side of the line before the call ends.

My phone’s screen glows bright in the darkness and I squint as I open my notes.

READ ON AO3 TO SEE THE WHOLE FANFIC: Asleep (12421 words) by khloelei Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Haikyuu!! Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi Characters: Yamaguchi Tadashi, Tsukishima Kei, Hinata Shouyou Additional Tags: Inspired by They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera, Alternate Universe - They Both Die at the End Fusion, Fluff, eventual angst, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Sad Yamaguchi Tadashi, POV Alternating, wrote this on a google doc at school, Cliffhangers, Haikyuu Timeskip, hq!! Summary: INSPIRED BY “THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END” BY ADAM SILVERA In a universe where people are notified of their last day, live Tadashi Yamaguchi and Kei Tsukishima. They meet on their last day on Earth and decide to spend their time together.

[franglishetchocolat]

Kinda accidentally ended up with plans of making over all the builds in Sunset Valley, without using custom content (except RH rugs) nor store items. Once done, I’m planning on having a save file with all of them, in the meantime here is the latest one.

LANDGRAAB ESTATE

Remodeling of Landgraab estate, home of the Landgraab Family in Sunset Valley.

Renovated on patch 1.67 -Originally in Sunset Valley so best placed there (Size: 60x60) -  Lot label = residential lot .

It's a huuge house with 4 main bedrooms (en-suite bathrooms) on second floor, multiple living spaces, swimming pool and 2 car-garage as per the description. Also added a basement (access via the sunken kitchen), there is a double-decker library, a stable (+ a few items for horse) , a kennel in caretaker's house, rooms for live-in staff mostly in the attic...

Dog, cat and horse friendly 🐕 🐈🐴

Using Items from: 

No CC, No Store item

EPs: WA, Ambitions, Late Night, Generations, Pets, Showtime, Seasons, University Life and Island Paradise.

 SPs: High End Loft, Fast Lane, Outdoor Living, Town Life, Diesel, 70s,80s &90s pack. I also own Movie Stuff  but I’m pretty sure I haven’t used anything from this one in this lot.

DOWNLOAD

I use markers on my lots: level skip, hidden room, public room… So to be able to modify any of  these buildings you need to have cheats on:  ‘testingcheatsenabled true’, then ‘restrictbuildbuyinbuildings false’ To see/remove the markers you need ‘buydebug on.

[skaylanphear]

The Marauders

Summary: Heading to Hogwarts for the first time, Remus tries not to let his worries get him down. He has a lot on his plate—truths he can’t share with anyone—and none of it is helped by the bullies constantly casting jinxes and calling him nasty names. Despite it all, though, he has his three best friends—the first friends he’s ever made, in fact.

Yet, it doesn’t take long for Sirius to start getting suspicious, questioning what strange sickness could be keeping Remus in the hospital wing for days at a time. Ever nosy, Sirius takes it upon himself to unravel the mystery that is Remus Lupin, unaware of the tortured consequences that come with knowing such an intimate secret.

A story about the Marauders as they navigate their school years and set off into adulthood.

Year One: The Marauders and the Shrieking Shack - Chapters 1-34 Year Two: The Marauders and the Counting Curse - Chapters 35-?

Start Reading Here

Chapter 16

"Okay, so let's take stock," James said, the four of them sitting on a set of stairs leading out of the castle. Lessons were over, but Sirius had "accidentally" dropped one of his recently acquired Double-Decker Dungbombs near the portrait hole. And seeing as these were strong enough to knock a person unconscious, avoiding the area was paramount. Less on the threat of fainting and more so because they didn't want to be blamed. Hopefully, their house would fault a Slytherin.

"Of what?" Peter asked.

"Of where we are on Plan Slither-In," James replied.

Plan Slither-In was how they'd recently begun referring to their Slytherin revenge attempts. James said he'd come up with the name on the pretense that they were going to be sneaking into the dungeon dormitory, but Sirius couldn't shake that there was something inherently dirty about it. He giggled every time one of them said it.

"I think I've almost got the buttons perfected," Sirius said, quite proud of his accomplishments. "They smelled a bit like my shampoo last night." The smell he'd had James transfer to his practice packet for experimental purposes.

"Good, very good," James decided. "I've got the smell spell down, I think. My mum taught me how to turn it on and off during the holidays."

"Brilliant," Remus said, smiling. He was a week and a half off the full moon now, which meant he was feeling much better. He was closer to the new moon than the previous full moon, Sirius noted—nearly to the sweet spot. "I think I perfected the permanent sticking charm just this morning," he continued.

"Were you the one that stuck Snape's cauldron to the wall outside potions?" Peter asked.

"Yeah!" Remus smiled wider, which had Sirius smiling too. Remus very rarely offered up bright, genuine smiles. But learning a new spell—especially a difficult one—would definitely put him in a good mood.

"Slughorn was still trying to get it off this afternoon, when I went to see him," Peter said, snickering.

"Must really work, then," James said and reached out to pat Remus on the back.

"What about you, Pete?" Sirius asked. "Getting anywhere with your bit?"

"Slughorn still doesn't think much of me," he admitted glumly. "But I asked Sprout if she could maybe give me a tour of the greenhouses and said that if I stopped by this weekend, she'd be happy to. Hopefully, she'll take me around to the plant we're looking for."

"Perfect! All good news," James decided. "Now all we have left is to somehow link all the packets together, so we can turn them on and off at the same time."

"I'm sure there's a way to do it," Remus said. "Something in the library, probably."

Read More

[thebotanicalarcade]

n158_w1150 by Biodiversity Heritage Library Via Flickr: Icones plantarum selectarum Horti Regii Botanici Berolinensis cum descriptionibus et colendi ratione /. Berolini :[Decker],1820-1828.. biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35991326

[drafthearse]

KATZ WRAPPED 2023

spotify wrapped is fine and all but i have calculated some stats and rankings of my own, many pertaining to my sick and twisted list of albums to get through during the year.

overall, i crossed 429 albums off my list in 2023.

some of these were albums i had listened to in full years ago, but wanted to revisit because i had a feeling i'd enjoy them more (ex: in keeping secrets of silent earth: 3, year zero). many were albums where i was familiar with one or even a handful of tracks off them, but had never actually listened to them in full (ex: magma, living in darkness). but probably the majority of albums on the list, i had never heard at all (ex: angelfish, spanking machine). the math brings me out to 8.25 albums per week!

i added 779 new tracks to my music library this year, which is the most music i have ever added in a year. the first track i added in 2023 was "Diet Pill" by L7, and the last was "Double Decker" by Skating Polly.

my overall artists of the year were Sleater-Kinney, Jimmy Eat World, and Bad Religion.

i got to see Bad Religion live in 2023!

i also saw Backyard Superheroes, Joker's Republic, Save Ferris, HXLT, Death From Above 1979, Sunsetter, Cam Kahin, Anyway Gang, Tim Kasher, Sparta, Koyo, Thursday, '68, Thrice, The Upstart Crows, and Speed of Light! and i took terrible photos, as always!

my favorite artists that i really discovered this year from the list were Mary Timony, Bayside, and PJ Harvey!

my overall favorite track from the year was "Denise" by Fountains of Wayne!

my favorite track that i only discovered in 2023 was. also "Denise" by Fountains of Wayne

my overall favorite albums of the year were Coral Fang by the Distillers, Still Searching by Senses Fail, The Artist In The Ambulance by Thrice, and Futures by Jimmy Eat World.

relatedly, i got so fucking jumpscared while watching Pushing Daisies.

my favorite albums discovered in 2023 were Ghost Notes by Veruca Salt, Billy Talent II by Billy Talent, Becoming Something Else by Sugarcoma, and Sweet Weaponry by Cruiserweight.

my LEAST favorite albums discovered on the list were Tomorrow Is Nearly Yesterday, And Everyday Is Stupid by Crywank, The Silver Scream by Ice Nine Kills, Song and Legend by Sex Gang Children, and Lobes by We Are Scientists.

in total, i spent about 1163.5 hours listening to music in 2023, about 3 hours a day. this is lower than previous years, probably because i spent a bit more time listening to podcasts than usual. when i worked at a reptile and insect-focused pet shop, i would listen to Behind the Bastards for almost the entire workday.

in 2023, i created three new playlists to organize my music:

CONTROL is how i imagine Jax and Jim's hypothetical band might sound.

one two is a recommendation playlist for people who want music that sounds somewhat like The Mad Gear and Missile Kid by My Chemical Romance

fake emo is a massive compilation of songs that i consider to be Emo; not too much emotional hardcore, not too much pop punk. hopefully falling somewhere in between. emo purists please do not make fun of me.

thank you for reading. and now i shall begin the process of compiling the list for 2024.

[deckerroosevelt]

Chapter 6, part 2

   That night I stayed awake. I couldn’t stop thinking about my uselessness. People here were so hostile and welcoming to me and I couldn’t offer anything to them. After I laid on my bed for a while, I went to my desk and wrote a plan. Decker had some facts in his speech. I could get good at something. I could try to read more and learn to write well. That would make me at least a little more useful. I could try to solve cases and then people could be proud of me. I finally had a family who could be proud of me, but I had nothing for them to be proud of.

   I could try to find Neda. There has to be some older cases of Harding and so I could get some leads. But what if I let others down and find nothing. I can’t give Treacher false hope. What if I’d ask Ambeth to look up Neda? That’s a great plan! 

   I felt good after making some sort of plan and even finding one solution. However I was restless. I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep. 

   I could sneak to the library.

   I opened my door and looked both ways in the hallway before leaving the room. The route was clear. I didn’t actually know where the library nor the archive were. They might be in the same place. But I knew the house and just kept playing ‘library’ and ‘archives’ in my mind as I went instinctively forward. And I found my way there. 

   The house was restrained everywhere but the absence of noise and any kind of sound was even more notable in the library. It was dark and all I saw was big shapes of huge bookshelves. I had no idea how big the library would be but I didn’t care at the moment. 

   Step 1: Read everyday. And for that I’d need something to read. But what? What am I interested in? Nothing that I could think of.

   if I would have had an idea what I wanted to read the job would have been a lot easier. But I didn’t, so instead I took a candle and went drifting around the place. many books there were in a language I couldn’t read. Some were so old, the English was too confusing. I didn’t even bother to try to read the scientific books. Too many words I wouldn’t know. 

   I must have gotten to the archive section at some point because the books were starting to turn to files. I turned back but the files just kept on popping everywhere. 

   “You want me to read files?” I mumbled but I soon realized that maybe it wasn’t a bad idea after all. They were shorter than actual books and maybe easier to understand. And I could find something regarding Neda and Harding. 

   The unsolved cases were categorized by the ways of death. I was a bit creeped out of how specific some of them were. Some had only a few files in them, but some more usual ways of death were more packed. I would have thought that the weirder ways would be easier to solve as the culprit’s victims were easy to recognize. 

   ‘Loss of all air in body’, ‘complete dehydration’, ‘Full loss of blood without any wounds’, ‘skinning’, ‘lost face’, ‘lost throat’, ‘lost soul’, ‘disjointing’, ‘burnt from inside’...

   ‘Disjointing’? It’s an unfamiliar word but it sounds like what Harding does. 

   I looked at the section and I was surprised how many there were. Was ‘disjointing’ really this popular? It had been only eight years that Harding went missing. He couldn’t have done all these, could he?

   I took out the last three files. They were in chronological order and I wanted to start from the latest cases. Then I would progress on to the older ones.

   Opening them released a puff of dust on my face but I tried to strangle out the cough. I didn’t want to make any sound. Not that I was scared of course.

   I looked through the files and wrote down some important points in my notebook. I tried to avoid looking at the pictures inside the folders, but sometimes if the case sounded potentially like Harding's job, I had to take a look. Nasty stuff, but at some point I started to mindlessly look at them. I tried hard to think about the people as subjectively as I could. 

   One important piece of information that I learned was that it wasn’t usual that nails were ripped off so clean as Harding did. It was a big help in trying to identify the one’s I was interested in. 

   After reading through ten files I had found only one case like Harding. It happened in a public place, nails were missing and all pieces were as if ripped off from the inside of the victim with no bruises on the skin. But the problem was that it happened in Birmingham. Everything else matches his operating style, but the locations. He has been in London and Birmingham, but if he went missing in Whimleton, why has he not been there?

   I was puzzled but also tired. I needed sleep so I snuck back to my room after putting the files back.

[manonamora-if]

December Check-In

I promise I didn't almost forget :P Even if I definitely forgot to do the weekly devlog last Sunday... To be fair, it had been a week...

Recap of last month’s progress

IF Events in the Next Month

Plan for the next month

Still long post ahead. If you want a mini version, head over to itch.io!

November Progress

Still play more IF and maybe review. ✅

Finish the edits of Harcourt Ch5 ✅❌

Fix one of the semi-completed games: ❌either the Egg parser or TRNT (and make it a proper parser)

Finish that darn SugarCube Guide: ❌there aren’t much left in the guide to cover, but there are a few things to fix.

Again, I knocked the first one out of the park. I reviewed all inkJam, EctoComp, and Bare-Bones Jam entries (which helped me get on the main page of the IFDB). It was nice to play shorter games again - it makes reviewing pretty quick... Now that the IFComp is also over, I kind of want to go back and check out the entries I didn't manage to play.

As for the rest... It's been a bit of a hell of a month, and it's not looking like it's ending any time soon. Still, when I had some free time I managed to:

Finish my portion of the edits of Harcourt (and MelS was almost done with it... before he ran into computer problems - dw the file is safe!)

Assess the damage with The Roads Not Taken and come up with a plan to fix all of it. I also started on this one, but there is truly a lot of damage.

Make a bite game in binksi, Tower of Sleep, for the Two-Button Jam

Make a One-Button prototype, Don't press the Button, to test some JavaScript/jQuery (half-failure)

Make a zine for the first time: An Ode to Pissaladière

Make a new code template: the Character Creator

Submitted a bunch of seeds to the SeedComp!

Does it look like I got distracted by a shiny new thing instead of finishing my projects? Yes. Do I care? Nope. It brought me some joy and amusement in some weird months... Banging your head against the desk because code is not working is... not, obviously.

What’s happening in December?

A bunch of jams are happening on itch, because end of year means maybe some free time, and also, you might as well do something for the sake of saying you've made something.

The ShuffleComp (@neointeractives) has started, though the entries won't be available before January. You can listen to the kickass full playlist in the meantime!

The Sprouting Round of the SeedComp! (@seedcomp-if) has just started. There are 99 new seeds available for use to make a game! Deadline is March 1st.

The Deck-Month has just started, to make a game with Decker.

The PunyJam #4 ends in about 2 weeks (if you have the time to learn Inform w/ the Puny extension...)

and of course: la Partim 500 numéro 8, for those who want to do the Neo Twiny again... but French!

I'm probably gonna pop-off a Partim. I did it last year and it was fun :P

The PLANtm for December

December is a busy month for me, which includes a lot of time offline, full days travelling, and lots of planning. So I will take any free time I have and do fun stuff if I can!

But if I have space for IF, I'd like to:

Play more games! Well... I already am, just not really IF. My Steam Library is crying for attention. I would like to knock down maybe a dozen more IFComp entries if I can. There were a lot of good games, a lot of loooong games.

Code Ch5 of Harcourt. That will be MelS dependent - well, MelS's computer dependent...

Finish fixing The Roads Not Taken. I have a plan, I have the notes... I just need to sit down and re-code (and re-test).

Finish the Guide for real! I know SugarCube 2.37 is coming soon, which will affect the state of some pages (and maybe require more pages). BUT I've been working on fixing old pages (typos - re-explanation - clearer examples). So, this is likely to be done sooner rather than later...

~

Taking the list of TO-DO from August…

To-Do not require much of new stuff:

translate Escape Goncharov! into French. ✅

fix the bugs in EDOC + overall the French version to match

fix the bugs of TRNT + find a way to add the missing pieces (ongoing - translation unlikely)

fix the formatting of DOL-OS + translate into English ✅

update LPM with the missing content + translate into English ✅

No change this month :/

The rest of the To-Do pile was:

Finish The Rye in the Dark City (and maybe translate?)

Finish P-Rix - Space Trucker (and try to translate)

Finish Exquisite Cadaver (translation unlikely, current gameplay too complex to port for French)

Add a chapter to CRWL + fix/reopen the blog

Re-working TTTT to its originally planned state (lol, not likety)

Re-working SPS Iron Hammer (samesies)

Coding TTATEH (MelS dependent - shooting for end of year)

Emptying my inboxes (they are not all answered tho)

Honestly, this pile probably won’t get done this year…. Maybe TTATEH has a shot...

[st4rfckerz]

Omg, Nai.

I went to Manchester and im just gonna tell you about my day.

I was on the double decker and a black woman sat next to me (im a POC too, not black, tho.) and when she happened to sit down I had cleared my throat and crossed my legs. 2 seconds later I was like *Shit. Do I look racist?* so I immediately uncrossed my legs and complimented her hair, more to reassure myself so I wouldn't think about it for the rest of the day. but she asked me if I was okay 10 mins later cos I kept clearing my throat hahaha. She told me to try warm lemon water mixed with 2 other things, I think garlic and I don't remember the last thing and told me it was nice meeting me when we got off, Bless her.

I popped into Waterstones. The romance table was pretty underwhelming today. So I asked the worker "Hey, do you have any lighthearted romance reads?" and she gave me something I can't remember the name of, but she walked off and I read the back of it. Homegirl gave me a mafia romance???

I did some more shopping and then waited at the bus stop. An old woman came up to me and smiled, one of those grannies you immediately feel safe with. She asked me where I was headed and we were going back to the same town. I asked her how her day was and she tilted at her bags and went "Expensive." hahaha. She asked me what I got so I was giving her a haul of my books and clothes in the middle of the street. Then she started telling me stories about her grandkids (Stop, I LOVE when old ppl do that) and then the bus came.

Also, I got a job at my local library!!! I get to read as my JOB, hellooooo, how fun! It's not just checking out and reading books though, we do competitions and have events with young kids who do school trips, so thats really fun.

that sounds like such a fun day omg. AND HELLO YOU GET TO WORK AT A LIBRARY NOW that’s literally one of my dream jobs

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Week in Review (October 23-29, 2022)

Marvel published Ultraman: The Mystery of Ultraseven #3 (of 5) on Wednesday. Kaiju-Ultra combat dominates this one, with Hayata and Ultraman debating how to handle the out-of-control Ultraseven as well. I've fallen off with a lot of Ultra Series stuff, including the post-Z shows (hence Decker's absence from these reviews), but this reimagining of the classics continues to impress. Watch for the Pestar cameo!

Rumble has finally come to Blu-ray and DVD in the U.S. Made for theaters (the first trailer played before Sonic the Hedgehog) but banished to Paramount+ last December, this kaiju wrestling comedy went completely overlooked by genre fans. Maybe now it'll get its due. I quite enjoyed it—as a sports movie, it's pure formula, but as a monster movie it's something new. And yes, the wrestling organization has the same name as the old fanfic series on Godzilla Tower. I actually bought the artbook as prep for a podcast episode I recorded last year that never aired, so expect more posts on this one soon.

By the way, this is actually last week's news—I just didn't know about it until I found the DVD on a cart of new materials at my library.

Godzilla vs. Kong won the Saturn Award for Best Film Visual Effects, beating out a crowded field thanks to an almost two-year eligibility period. This is familiar territory for both monsters: Godzilla (1998) and King Kong (2005) were among the previous victors. Deserved over Top Gun: Maverick? Probably not, but I dunno why Maverick was one of the nominees to begin with. It was also nominated for Best Science Fiction Film, losing to Nope.

Varan won a remarkably intensive Godzilla Store poll earlier this year to become the next Movie Monster Series figure (Super Mechagodzilla placed second again after losing to Gorosaurus last year), and said figure has finally been revealed. It'll go on sale November 3. Other Godzilla Store-exclusive vinyls can be ordered through Buyee, so I expect this one will be too.

The upcoming CG short Godzilla vs. Gigan Rex is also getting MMS figures. No details yet that I could find, but since the film premieres November 3rd, I wouldn't be surprised if they dropped that day too.

Godzilla Battle Line is teasing Evangelion Unit 01 as the next new Battle Piece, a rare EvaGoji collaboration that won't require traveling to or importing from Japan to experience. That would cover three of the four films in the Shin series... can a giant Kamen Rider be far behind?

Godzilla's 68th birthday is next Thursday, and since reporting on all the U.S. tie-in screenings after the fact won't do anyone any good, I'm going to list them all now:

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla - Limited release nationwide through Fathom Events; check if it's playing near you here

Godzilla (1954) - Alamo Drafthouse locations; will use Toho's 4K restoration

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) - Roxy Cinema in NYC; 35mm print

Godzilla (1954); Rodan; Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster; The War of the Gargantuas - hosted by John Carpenter on various digital channels from November 3 to 6

Licensing International also has a list of all the non-film collaborations planned for that day. Nothing jumps out, to be honest, but I figured I'd include it.

But if you're like me and already have commitments that evening, why not check out @spacehunter-m's reconstruction of the 1956 German theatrical version of Godzilla instead? It premiered in West Germany just a few months after Godzilla, King of the Monsters! opened in the States, but it's actually based on the Japanese cut (just 13 minutes shorter). English subtitles are included.

[idkwhatimdoingbutslay]

Short little fic that I wrote irresponsibility (chose to write this instead of the million other things I needed to): Part 6/11 + 7/11

Fake dating :}

Caitlyn: LET ME PROTECT YOU!!!, Vi: SCREW OFF, them: oops *falls in love* (a consistent theme in my writing and literally just their storyline) <3

Sad ending :(

They get to be cute tho ;>]

Starts off corny :/

Wrote in my notes app so take a wild guess how at edited it is :]

Implied homophobia and prejudice + non graphic fights and bullying :0

Modern AU :^|

They’re in high school for some intents and purposes ;{

Exams are coming up and Vi’s trying to pretend her brain isn’t about to explode… And she obviously isn’t doing too great at the pretending considering her brain is functioning bad enough that she texted Caitlyn, asking if she was busy.

The answer was yes, but with Vi’s explanation, they both found themselves rushing out of their respective homes and meeting at the library Topside.

Thankfully, they had extended their hours for exam season, so Caitlyn was able to lead Vi to the ‘perfect corner,’ as she described it.

The sun was already set, stars beginning to shine in the evening sky.

“This shit is kicking my ass harder than any Topsider ever did.”

“Vi…”

“Come on, Cupcake, it was just a joke.”

She shakes her head, only a glimpse of a smirk on her face, half exposing the (cute) gap between her two front teeth.

Vi has to admit, now that the two of them have been spending so much time together, it’s starting to feel easy.

Less forced and rigid like the day in the stairwell or the night in the kitchen or any time they caught each other’s eyes in the hallways or in class.

Now Vi looked for Caitlyn through the crowds, maybe just to send her a grin she knows would make Caitlyn smile.

Now Vi’s here, in a deep, secret, special corner of the library Zaun wish it had the funding to build with one of the kindest presences she’s ever known.

Now she doesn’t know how she could let go of it.

)))))))))))))))))))))))

After exams, Caitlyn insists the two of them deserve a proper treat.

Watching Vi stress (and not even just for herself but for her family as well because if the one thing she refuses to do is let them down) made Caitlyn feel the overwhelming urge to let Vi know that her effort is well appreciated and recognized.

So, Caitlyn asked her dad for the recipe to his special three-decker sandwich and her mother for the secret ingredient she likes to add to hot cocoa (as long as Caitlyn signed an actual contract making sure she’d never share what the ingredient was with anyone).

And with that, Caitlyn sent a check-in text to Vi guaranteeing she had the right address, date and time as she packed the thermos, plastic container with the sandwiches, another container with extra treats (freshly baked cupcakes) and a large blanket for them to sit and lay comfortably into her weaved basket.

Caitlyn got there early, something she admittedly doesn’t do too often, to set up so Vi doesn’t have to assume the right place in the park to situate herself.

It’s thankfully not too busy and Caitlyn has found just the right place where they wouldn’t be bothered.

Vi finds Caitlyn not too long later, sitting prettily on top of the blanket in a flowy maxi skirt and tight blouse.

She silently thanks the gods that Vander made her dress up nicer than her usual sweatpants, wife pleaser and jacket; saying something about an instinct that she should put in just a little more effort for today.

“Hey.”

“Good afternoon.”

“You look nice.”

“As do you.”

Vi joins Caitlyn on the blanket, taking her shoes off first after noticing Caitlyn’s off to the side.

It’s a little… weird. Too intimate for this to be categorized as “just putting on a little show.”

No one’s here to watch and stare and inspect and speculate.

But Caitlyn’s smile shines and Vi’s laugh roars and neither of them have it in them to point it out.

[wildflowercryptid]

V FOR VALEDICTORIAN character introduction :

DREW DECKER, the junior detective.

i FINALLY finished the first two character introductions for my fancase so now i can actually share them in full! (ya'll can probably see why they took so long now ha ha...)

i had to start with my faves of the cast so here's some more info on drew! i'll be posting j.b.'s character intro next.

( alt text for drew's bio below! ) ⤵

Drew Decker

A precocious young girl who aims to become a world class private detective one day. She is the first person Grimoire & Sally encounter at Chumbridge and eventually becomes an essential ally during their investigation.

Drew takes her goal of becoming a detective very seriously and gets agitated when others make light of her aspirations, especially when they make assumptions on her motivations.

Her ability to pick up on small details most miss, strong sense of justice, and compassionate heart are all great traits for a detective to have, but her bullheadedness and tendency to run blindly into situations could definitely lead to trouble.

J.B. is her aunt and legal guardian after the passing of her parents. The two have always been quite close, but Drew sometimes worries that she causes too much trouble for her aunt (despite trying to avoid doing so.) She respects her a lot, but does question her terrible sense of humor.

While she does miss her parents a great deal, she tries to avoid dwelling on their absence too much. Their unsolved murders are one of the things that motivates Drew to become a detective.

Not having anyone to watch her after school, Drew hangs around Chumbridge’s Library while she waits for her aunt to finish work. (It’s not uncommon to see her exploring the rest of the college, but don’t tell J.B. that.) As a result, she’s pretty familiar with a lot of people on campus.

She was pretty familiar with the victim and got along with her very well, as Victoria seemed fond of Drew. She often asked her how her days at school went and would even help her with her math homework. Drew notes that the brooch Victoria always wore was nowhere to be found at the crime scene.

Drew is not the Little Girl Grimoire is familiar with, but the two seem to be connected somehow.

Despite frequently getting in trouble at school, her grades are nearly perfect. Math is the only exception, it’s a major weak point of her’s.

Likes to draw, often doodling whenever she can find a pen and paper.

[mhalachai]

more thoughts on vacation planning

thanks to everyone for your vacation suggestions! I have some plans now… lots to do :D

I thought I'd share the suggestions here compiled for your reading pleasure - might be some ideas in here if you're looking for a bit of a break this summer (amid the heat, forest fires, and other climate disasters):

First, some ideas if you're local to the Vancouver area (or planning on a visit)

Vancouver

Day trip! If you want a quick ferry ride, try Bowen Island or Salt Spring Island, or if you want to stay on the mainland, try Sasamat Lake

Maple Ridge tree walk or zip line (or axe-throwing!)

White Rock beach and pier (bonus - taking a double-decker bus from Vancouver down)

Lonsdale Quay (featuring the ever-popular ride on the seabus)

Honey's Donuts in Deep Cove

Granville Island before 12pm on a weekday

Fireworks! But make friends with someone who lives in the West End who will put you up

Lynn Valley suspension bridge (and the local trails – very nice, very free) (and honestly, you can skip the Capilano Suspension Bridge theme park - it's super expensive and not really worth it)

Try the new Michelin star restaurants in Vancouver and then go to the other restaurants you know that are better and enjoy those too

Lastly, if you want some more organized nature, try the Van Dusen Botanical Garden

Now, onto general suggestions!

Self-care

Sleep for a day or three

Do all the hard stuff that a 9-5 gets in the way of - go to the bank, book that eye exam, etc.

go get that warning light in your car looked at, i mean it mhal

Do as much gentle housecleaning as interests you

Spa experience - massage, mani-pedi, other spa things

Bubble bath/hair mask/other home spa pieces

Do a thing

local zoo or aquarium

Art galleries, science centres, and museums

Botanical gardens

Events hosted your local library

Local events/fairs

Trip around to the vintage/antique/flea shops

Check out local second-hand record stores and/or bookstores

Do a thing (+ Effort)

Touch grass/sand/water/trees/flowers. Bring a book and read in nature

Hiking

local walking tours

Kite flying

Activities(tm) - such as paddle board, horseback riding class, go-carting and so on

Maker space - pottery or print making or woodwork

Eating

Every restaurant you haven't tried but want to

Local breweries/wineries

Hit up the local city page on reddit and see if there are any restaurant rec places - they can be hit or miss but sometimes there are some gems.

And this one from @krchov is so cool I'll paste it here in its entirely:

Dedicate time to making a map of the food carts/cheese shops/etc in a specific area of your city. Compare the quality of similar wares in each one. Collect data. In the end you will have a cool map/dataset, new favorite food place and on your wandering you will probably happen upon some before unknown interesting places.

happy vacationing!