#I was delighted to read a Max character study

[b0tsbby]

It only concerns me a little bit I haven’t really seen a written introspection on Stampede Knives’ character, specifically him. 98 is 98 and Maximum Knives has enough elitists on his case to cover him, definitely not a fan favourite but people have broken him down.

I’m aware of how disliked he is, Stampede that is, but it really is something. Could I write it, and could I kill an analysis of him? Most likely. I’ve been injecting the character into my veins, breathing him in and out for a year, every incarnation of him.

But I’m so curious to see someone else do it. Curious to see if someone else will do it…Maybe to convince myself I’m not a complete fool, or stuck in delusion. Maybe to find someone else that got it.

Hate and disdain, is something I’ll never protect him from. He’s an asshole. But man, even he doesn’t deserve the shallow reading of him that’s too widely accepted I think.

But who am I to say what is and isn’t…

[fourtyforever]

Get in losers were making a fic rec masterlist

Hi y’all it’s me, your local multishipper, and I’m about to be the change I wish to see in the world by putting all the best f1 fics in one place.

Maxiel

cool things to say to your soulmate by @powerful-owl (E, 14k)

A collection of shorter soulmate stories by the great em powerfulowl. Essentially the maxiel thesis as far as I’m concerned. If you ever catch me talking about the goose fic, this is what I’m talking about. Fun story: this was actually the first F1 rpf I ever read and I blame it for why my standards are so fantastically high.

Thursday girl by @boxboxlewis (M, 3k)

Max is outed by the press. Shocking emotional impact to word ratio and off the charts tenderness. Short and sweet and low key a comfort read to me.

the being unknown by anonymous (E, 12k)

Body swap with really unique and emotional vibes. Ngl this one hurt me (in the best way). A fantastic and heart-wrenching take on the horrors of 2022.

Charlos

win or lose (it’s how you play the game) by @f1-stuff (E, 18k)

Hickey bet between charles and carlos. Cannot get over this fic for as long as I live: the silliness is off the charts, the vibes are literally the most perfectly balanced tenderhorny I’ve ever read and the writing is just really that good. I think about this fic minimum once a day.

last night by venerat (E, 24k)

College au. Ngl this one is just especially spicy, but also very very funny and fully captivating top to bottom (see what I did there? haha). Also a great ensemble cast here, which I always love.

Once more (before we die) by @f1-stuff (M, 6k)

Fantasy AU where charlos are princes of warring kingdoms. I love this AU and I love the tenderness between Charles and Carlos that we get out of it. I’m usually not really an AU type of gal but this one really did change my mind.

Playing games by @vegasgrandprix (T, 4K)

Gay chicken. WIP, but I can already tell so clearly exactly where this is going and that is delightful to me. Honestly this really is how they act like 90% of the time already.

Yukierre

match made in heaven by venerat (T, 4K)

Pierre is yuki’s matchmaker. this one is just so sweet and sooooo silly. Comfort read 100%

Loscar

Are they gay or European? (the answer is both) by periwinkle_bumper_cars (T, 30k)

Logan keeps walking in on other drivers in compromising positions. 100% balls to the wall silliness from beginning to end and just completely delightful the whole time. Background carlando, kmag/hulkenberg, brocedes, maxiel, and honestly the ensemble cast is what takes this one from great to top tier.

Landoscar

By a thread by @mctwinkdom (E, 32k)

The classic Australian thongs misunderstanding (gone sexual). Incredibly silly, amazingly hot and honestly a top-tier character study of both Oscar and Lando. A great study in unreliable narration as well (probably part of what accounts for my previous point).

carried away by orphan account (E, 22k)

Fake dating. Honestly this one got me in my feels so much more than I expected from the premise. Sweet and a little bit angsty and just a delightful read all the way down.

Strollonso

green light, red wine (and I don’t feel fine) by @vicsy (E, 19k)

Mafia AU where lance is the son of Fernando’s arch nemesis. THEE strollonso fic of all time I tell you. Unparalleled characterization on the part of both nando and lance, fantastic ensemble cast, FANTASTIC writing, and off the charts unreal spiciness. If you haven’t read this yet then what are you doing

El dick plan by @waddlingpenguin (E, 800)

Lance says ‘daddy,’ both Fernando and Lawrence answer. Short, sweet and SILLY.

camera roll by @penaltyboxboxbox (E, 5k)

Sexting/sex tapes. Overall nice and spicy and just fantastic characterization. Also absolutely crucial is the companion art also by dave penaltyboxboxbox which is literally like the ice cream on top of the cake for such a wonderful fic

silver platter by @wewentcarracing (E, 10k)

getting together fic featuring long suffering estie bestie. Honestly the fic is amazing and spicy and just so well written but Esteban’s ever growing dismay is lowkey my favorite part. Works as a pretty great lance character study as well.

Brocedes

Roseberg’s vs haminkton by @jean----ralphio (E, 16k)

Tattoo artist versus flower shop, except they’re rivals. This is like…just how they are honestly. Absolutely stunning ensemble cast and absolutely hilarious buildup to lewis and Nico finally getting together. Side order of seb just being a massive shit stirrer which honestly I think is the role he belongs in

The real reason nico rosberg retired by periwinkle_bumper_cars (G, 3k)

Secret Santa (gone horribly wrong). This is…..also just how they are unfortunately. The rancidest of vibes but also screeching-out-loud funny.

will be updating this on the reg so stay tuned for more good fics. also maybe if I am very lucky someday I will have my own fics to add to the list. definitely I need to become slightly more insane before I can start writing for this fandom but believe you me I’m well on my way.

[snek-eyes]

Good Omens fic recs

Hello all! Wanted to share a few of my longtime faves. These are all pre-s2, might do another with my post-s2 recs? Narrowed it down to 10, since that's the max links tumbl lets you have in a post.

Any Way You Want It

Author: Justkeeptrekkin Words: 27,500 Chapters: 5/5 Rating: Mature Mood: Vacation, soft but introspective After finally getting heaven and hell off their backs (at a cost) Crowley and Aziraphale go on holiday to a cottage in Scotland. Fluffy with fun snappy dialogue, the two really feel like best friends here! Aziraphale struggles with his tendency to go slower than even he wants.

Instructions Not Included

Author: Atalan Words: 68,000 Chapters: 13/13 Rating: Teen Mood: Detective / Gen (There are feelings but it earns that slowburn tag) My "if season 2 isn't good, this is my season 2" fic. Now, I liked season 2, but this is still SO good. After the notpocalypse, Aziraphale and Crowley start a detective agency investigating supernatural happenings together. New characters include Raphael (who totally missed the apocalypse haha whoops), and a big spooky dog (whomst I adore). Note that while this fic stands just fine on its own, there is an unfinished sequel that imo doesn't leave off anywhere stressful.

When in Rome

Author: Kedreeva Words: 4,000 Rating: General Mood: The liminal space of nighttime conversations What happens after Aziraphale invites Crowley to oysters: Wings and reading. Tentative and innocent in those early days.

the deft, sweet gesture of your hand

Author: deadgreeks Words: 12,000 Rating: Explicit Mood: Hurt/Comfort, introspection A few years after the failed apocalypse Crowley shows up badly injured at the bookshop. Aziraphale has to help heal Crowley and save them both, and still finds the time to knit his feelings.

Chemistry

Author: Twilightcitysky Words: 122,000 Chapters: 19/19 Rating: Explicit Mood: Y'ever want a side of learning something with your romcom? After realizing they might need their own corporations to heal themselves now that they're not working for heaven and hell, Aziraphale and Crowley turn on all their bodily functions. All of them. What could be a silly premise is played out very satisfyingly, the actual biology of hormones at play here is fascinating. (this is not really at all related but: has anyone else read Peeps by Scott Westerfeld? Because the format reminded me of this in that it did a similar thing of playing straight the concept of "what could cause vampires to be real" that drew on inspiration from real life parasites interspersed between the chapters. I dig it. Anyway!)

Reservations

Author: AnnetheCatDetective Words: 10,000 Chapters: 3/? (Technically unfinished, but leaves off in a satisfying spot) Rating: Not Rated Mood: Meta (Character study as story) “There's some competition for Aziraphale and Crowley's usual table at the Ritz…” A couple of miracles bend reality and, well… you ever been like, “The boys need therapy, but who could possibly give it to them?” I love crossovers where the TV boys meet other versions of themselves, this one is my favorite.

i can't say the words, so i wrote you into my verse

Author: mygalfriday (BrinneyFriday) Words: 5,000 Rating: Teen Mood: Snapshots through history "Crowley has tattoos and every few centuries, Aziraphale discovers a new one." Simple and paints a lovely picture.

By Definition

Author: idiopathicsmile Words: 3,000 Rating: Explicit Mood: Smutty but fond A night together after the Ritz fic where Aziraphale is asexual and Crowley isn’t and how that works for them. The dialogue here is positively delightful.

Bark Dust

Author: rfsmiley Words: 8,000 Rating: Mature (mostly for injuries) Mood: Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Historical Crowley is very badly injured in a battle, and Aziraphale has to figure out how to save his life.

Tell Me A Story

Author: brilliant_or_insane Words: 5,000 Rating: Teen Mood: Soft and warm Aziraphale likes telling stories and Crowley likes to listen. But when the demon is dissatisfied by sad endings and can't relate to the happy ones, Aziraphale decides to move them forward by telling a new story. (Of course, Crowley isn't entirely satisfied with the angel's perspective on that one either.)

[fastcardotmp3]

🎊 december bookshelf 🎊

november recs | recs tag

Happy (almost) New Year! Here are some bits of brilliance I'm closing out the year in reading, and here's to everything that you guys have made this year. I'm so grateful to exist in a space with so much talent and so many big hearts willing to share in it, and I can't wait to read what you have cooked up for 2024 🥂 love, dot

🎊 INCENDIUM by @stargazersteddie- I have always been and will always be a weird dragon kid at heart and this fic was tailor made for the weird dragon kids of the world LIKE! dragon shapeshifter eddie is SUCH a concept and then to add dragon hunter steve to the mix? to add a genuinely intriguing corrupted corporation claiming to help people? to add ronance espionage and secrets in the woods and-? you know? a treat of a journey really and truly.

🎊 captain's log webcomic by @rogue-alien - That sweet spot where beautiful, perfectly representative art meets a brilliant premise in which Dustin finds a bunch of old "Captain's Log" tapes Eddie recorded before he died and things develop from there. Truly makes my day every time I see this has updated with a new page and as a comic book lover I'm fully enamored with everything about this

🎊 if you wanted, you could do no harm by @eskawrites - I'm a lover of a road trip story in which everything becomes clear because the scenery has changed and this is SUCH a beautiful depiction of that. getting to live inside Nancy's head as she goes from knowing she has to get out of Hawkins but not necessarily why to finding this sense of peace within herself and the things she both can control (kissing the girl who made sure she wasn't alone for the journey) and can't control (the big unknowable that is life) was a delight and a joy <3

🎊 mark it on the starmap with an x by @cheatghost - the Eddie POV "show me the place (where he inserted the blade)" sequel/ companion piece of my DREAMS. I love an Eddie character study with my whole heart and the way lou explores him in this particular circumstance, being blocked off from the joy he built for himself and leaning on Wayne and almost being forced into adapting without getting a say in the matter? Brilliant, immaculate, perfect, HELP ME.

🎊 max the bloody handed by @hellsfireclub - KAS!MAX!!! Beautiful Lucas POV as things fall into disarray, as his sense of something's wrong gets proven right, and with such a cool and eerie tone the whole way through. also Lucas with a crossbow which you KNOW is everything To Me.

🎊 this time of the year by @gothbat99 - robin HEARS nancy even when nancy isn't saying anything aloud and robin KNOWS that nancy needs a moment to let her brain go quiet and just be and I'm beside myself!! sweet and warm and tinged with the inevitable grief of the holiday season what if I cry huh?

🎊 The Future is the Same (but i have to try) by @fragilecapric0rnn - such an intriguing world built in so few words but the thing that has me on the FLOOR is the nancy and steve reckless grieving power duo of it all LIKE. designed for me specifically perhaps??? the characterization, the looming danger of every choice they make, the impulsive nature of it all!!! brilliant!

🎊 crash by @cheatghost (yes, again! sue me!) - i say 'designed for me specifically' a lot but this time it's actually TRUE and let me tell you!!! the psychic damage incurred was IMMENSE!! the nancy character study of all time, the cyclical/non-linear journey through grief and catharsis and hope and acceptance of my dreams, i'm never going to stop thinking about this fic you HAVE to read it, it's imperative To Me okay? okay. okay okay.

PS. don't forget to tip your writer in kudos and comments if you read and enjoy these! it's talking to each other about the works we create that makes this fandom world go round 💖

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (7-13 Jan 2024)

the addition of this disaster boy was delightful

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

🥰 Second First Chances (Kedreeva) - 92K, steddie, canon-divergent Ladyhawke AU. Very well-written, exactly what it says on the tin. Very enjoyable.

😊 Murray Mysteries (Knöves Storytelling) - "full-cast audio-drama style re-imagining of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, set in the present day. Mina Murray is an unemployed twenty-something, jigsaw puzzler, and brand new Podcaster. Her life doesn’t exactly make for interesting content. That is until her best friend Lucy falls mysteriously ill and Mina’s boyfriend Jonathan loses contact on a work trip to Romania…" Very creative, very queer, very enjoyable!

🥰 ship-to-ship combat (pomeloquat) - 76K, SuperBat - "Clark, in an attempt to make some spare cash, unintentionally stumbles into the world of superhero fanfiction, becomes a prolific writer for Gotham's OTP, and tries his best to fend off rival fans who want him to convert to superbat instead." - extremely funny and delightful identity porn fic

🥰 Tension and Tonic (Zenaidamacrouras1) - 78K, cellist!Bucky/artist!Steve, one night stand that develops feelings. Mostly hilarious, with some fantastic characterizations, especially of the supporting characters. Fic does go to some pretty dark thoughts very briefly but ultimately the vibe I ended up with was much more on the funny side of the scale.

💖💖 +41K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

A Letter from "Crawly" to Azirapil (mostlydeadlanguages) - Good Omens: Aziraphale & Crowley, 486 words - actual cuneiform on actual clay tablets, 'translated'. Our boy Ea-Nasir gets a shoutout. Fan makers are amazing.

veracity (pomeloquat) - DCU: SuperBat, 3K - a group of Metropolis criminals give Batman some truth serum to find out how to deal with Superman & get more than they bargained for. Absolute hilarity. Fantastic related art.

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

8 Out of 10 Cats - s22, e11

QI - series S, ep3, 5

D20: Fantasy High: Sophomore Year - BONUS "Fireside Chat with Brennan & Friends

D20: Fantasy High: Sophomore Year - BONUS "Making Chungledown Bim (with Lou Wilson)"

Finding Your Roots - "Fathers and Sons" (s10, e3): LeVar Burton & Wes Studi

Hollywood Reporter Actors Roundtable 2023

The Holdovers (2023)

D20: Escape From The Bloodkeep - "The Tomb of Ultimate Evil" (s2, e6)

D20: Fantasy High: Junior Year - "Summer Scaries" (s21, e1)

D20: Adventuring Party - "Yaaath Queen" (s16, e1)

All Creatures Great and Small - s4, e1-7 (😍😍😍)

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

The Sporkful - Ozempic Isn’t So Great For Fat People, Says Aubrey Gordon

Pop Culture Happy Hour - All Of Us Strangers

Up First - Congressional Funding Deal, Israel and Lebanon, Lloyd Austin Fallout

Today, Explained - Pirates of the Red Sea

How To! - How To Keep Caring Amid Endless Crises

Shedunnit - Whodunnit Centenary: 1924

Switched on Pop - The case of the missing vocals, and other listener questions

Vibe Check - Look to God, Not Monica

ICYMI - The Nine-Month Cruise Heard Round the World

Code Switch - Everyone wants a piece of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy

Outward - Raquel Willis is in Bloom

Ologies with Alie Ward - Ethnoecology (ETHNOBOTANY/NATIVE PLANTS) with Leigh Joseph

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Baldur's Gate 3

NPR's Book of the Day - Roxane Gay fleshes out her strong 'Opinions'

99% Invisible #565 - Mini-Stories: Volume 18

Just One Thing - Be Kind

Not Another D&D Podcast - D&D Court: Sibling Rivalry Edition (w/ Ify Nwadiwe)

Dear Prudence - A DNA Test Revealed a Secret Sibling. Help!

What Next: TBD - Boeing’s Max Mess

⭐ Endless Thread - The Minnesota Timberwolves score NBA fandom in Brazil, but there's a kink

You're Dead to Me - History of Kung Fu

Today, Explained - Hollywood’s secret musicals

⭐ Hit Parade - And the Grammy Goes to… Edition

Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly - Copycat Brands

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

'80s Soft Pop

The Golden Age of Boy Bands

Presenting Britney Spears

Def Leppard's Greatest Bites

Best of '80s Adult Hits

Covers & Remixes

Singer-Songwriter Classics

Red Hot Chili Peppers

[ponderosa121]

Yuletide 2022 Recs

Usually I manage to rec before reveals, but the end of 2022 was a scramble. I still have a couple fandoms to read in, but here are some of my favs from Andor, the Black Phone, Breakfast Club, Collateral, Cowboy Bebop, Die Hard, Gattaca, The Good Place, Midsommer, Oceans 8 & 11, Prey, Scream, She-Hulk, Only Murders in the Building, and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

Starting, as always, with the wonderful gifts that I received!

Prey (2022) - Clever Runner by keerawa - Gen - 2.2k - POV of the Predator as it recognizes and appreciates Naru's skills. This has such a wonderful non-human POV that makes the canon so much richer!

Collateral (2004) - One Mistake Away by bluspirits - Max/Vincent - 1.2k - A delicious little PWP/TWT that highlights the differences between them and how murky each of their motives are. I love this movie so much, and this slides really well into the canon.

Andor - The Entire Yuletide Collection - I'm straight up recommending all four fics. They're all engaging in different ways and I enjoyed them all greatly. (If you can only read one though, I'd suggest salvage by quadrille, it's Maarva POV and an achingly beautiful character study.)

The Black Phone - pricking the garter by skazka - Gen. - 1.6k - Holy crap, this fic. It's a pre-canon character study of the Grabber that is so deeply darkly clever and, as another commenter called it "casually insidious". If you don't know what the title is referencing, do as I did, and look it up after you read the fic.

The Breakfast Club - a good place to hide by dreamerfound - Bender/Brian - 3k - A lovely moving in together fic that feels wonderfully effortless.

Cowboy Bebop (tv) - Cupid Cakewalk by virusq - Spike & Jet - 2.5k - Fake marriage hijinks? I'm sold. A super fun read with all the banter that makes their odd-couple relationship a delight.

Cowboy Bebop (tv) - Midnight at Jet's Bebop Cafe by Elasmo - Spike/Jet pre-relationship. - 1.6k - An AU that's a bit more canon divergent than anything, so felt perfectly in-character and one of those fics which I could so very easily picture every scene in my head!

Die Hard 4 - When I'm Like This by eleanor_lavish - John/Matt - 7.5k - I'll never get sick of this ship and all the ways people write them getting together post-canon. This one's a lovely PTSD recovery fic with bedsharing.

Gattaca - Ulysses and Ozymandias in the Labyrinth by Serenade - Vincent/Jerome - 1.3k - Perfect for canon, and just beautifully melancholy.

The Good Place - Where No One Knows Your Name by tjs_whatnot - Gen - 1.7k - The summary of "An infinite Jeremy Bearimys later, Janet moves on" hooked me immediately, and it's a wonderful character piece for Janet.

Midsommer - Hasaeti by joy_shines - Dani/Pelle - 3.4k - This fic really stuck with me. On the surface it's ritual sex with light femdom, but along with being richly written, it pulls off a really masterful shift in maintaining the right voice and feel for the character/canon as Dani's character evolves.

Ocean's 11 (&8) - The Entire Yuletide Collection - Again, going to cheat by recommending them all, but there are three quick fun reads in the set!

Scream - Let Me Die This Little Death by GotTheSilver - Billy/Stu - 3.1k - Oh gosh, this fic was very good. Some heavy dubious consent, but an excellent take on the power dynamics and fucked up deliciousness of this pair.

She-Hulk (TV) - I Heard That by Angie13 - 1.6k - Jen/Matt - A quick read with a hilarious premise: what if Matt can hear Jen breaking the fourth wall. Super fun!

Only Murders in the Building - Portrait of the Artist by Jubileen - Mabel/Theo, gen - 3.7k - A really lovely post S2 fic that's part character study and part developing relationship. I found it to be a perfect blend of melancholy and humor and emotional resonance.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent - Nick and Javi Make (Another) Movie by millepertuis - Nicolas Cage/Javi Gutierrez - 5.6k - Okay, besides the fics I received as gifts, this might be my top rec. It's so clever and so fun to read. If you've seen the movie, please read and enjoy this story which could (and should) be the sequel

[faveficarchive]

All My Life

by Genea

Disclaimers-Sure they could be Xena and Gabrielle but, there not cross my chakram and hope to die, stick a quill in my eye. Seriously any resemblance to those guys is completely coincidental-really!!

Sex-Definitely might want to read this at home.

Violence-None unless you count really fabulous orgasms.

Last but most important to Abi the woman I'll love for all my life.

Here we are 12 years later and I can barely believe it. We're headed out to celebrate our 30th birthdays. We've known each other since we were babies. We were born 30 minutes apart. Our mothers didn't know each other but were the only women to give birth that night. Max came out first-blond and screaming. A bolt of lightning struck the hospital as she came into the world-so bright in fact the doctor says he almost missed Max coming out. My mother was in labor right next-door and 30 minutes later during a lull in the rain, wind and lightning, but with a cacophony of thunder, I was born. Dark and brooding, my mother still says to this day. I was placed in my mother's arms and she swears I arched an eyebrow at her, grabbed her finger and stared into her eyes before falling asleep.

Our mothers shared a room. They named Max for a character from Where the Wild Things Are. She figured given her entrance it was fitting. My mother didn't know what to call me so she just went thru a list of names aloud. Apparently when she got to Alex I grabbed her finger and smiled so there you go. It turns out Max's mother, had just divorced her husband and purchased the house next door to ours. My mother was also single and from that moment the four of us were inseparable. Max and I did everything together: school, soccer, track, debate, baby-sitting; actually, she did cheerleading on her own but, other than that you couldn't tell where one of us ended and the other started.

When we were seventeen we had another first, our first kiss. It was the most wonderful thing I have ever felt and to this day her kisses still are. Things were different from that point, we just didn't know how different. Everyone seemed to notice, seemed to know we had shared a kiss. At school people invited us out differently. They asked if we come to this or that party, if we would be able to come over to study. Maybe they had seen something in my eyes when she came my way, I don't know. I picked Max up from her classes or she met me at mine. We made it a point to ask the other what we wanted to do after school and on the weekends. I was more conscious of what I wore, I even began wearing a light cologne. I held doors for her, pulled out her chairs. In a phrase, I was courting her without knowing it. This went on for about 6 months (by this time we were both nearly 18). I knew I was madly in love and had to do something.

Max and I always celebrated our birthdays with our families and then with each other. This time was going to be different. I had big plans. I was going to ask her to love me for the rest of her life.

After the family dinner, we got in my car and drove to the beach where I had rented a condo. When we walked in she gasped. The entire front room was basked in candlelight, with cellist Yo-Yo Ma playing in the background. She turned to me to speak but I stopped her with a finger to the lips, offered her my arm and escorted her to the table.

Dinner was delightful. We had all of our favorites: crab legs, garlic mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli with Diet Dr. Pepper. For dessert there was Tira Misu cheesecake and soy vanilla lattes. I know what your all thinking, that doesn't sound very romantic, but for us it was wonderful-all the things we loved the most including each other.

After dinner, we went to the front room with more Diet Dr Pepper and sat down in front of the fireplace. We sat quietly for a time and then both started to speak at the same time. I told her to go ahead.

“Alex, this was wonderful. How did you keep this a secret?”

She asked question after question in typical Max style, though this would annoy some I found it to be wonderful, vintage Max. The more I listened, the more I knew I could not and did not want to live without her. How could I put words to this amazing, unsettling feeling?” She stopped talking mid-sentence and asked “What?"

I looked deeply into her eyes and spoke, words that were just suddenly there. “Max, I have come to realize, no I know, that you and you alone are my past, my present and my future. When I wake in the morning you are my first thought, when I go to bed you are my last thought and then I dream of you all night. When we are apart, I can barely think straight, waiting for our next meeting. When we are together, I feel complete, like all is right in the world. I feel like I can fly. I love you, Max. I love you more than I can ever say. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you and being loved by you. I want you by my side for the rest of this life and into the next. Max, will you do me the honor of being my wife, my lover, my best friend for the rest of our lives?”

I realized then that she was crying and began to think I had said something wrong, I started to talk but it was her turn to quiet me with a finger to the lips.

“Yes”, she said so quietly I barely heard her. I began to cry. I was so overcome and pulled her into a hug that I felt down to my very soul. We had not kissed since our first and when our lips met it was as if I had finally come home.

The kiss was everything I had remembered and imagined, intoxicating. I sought entrance to her mouth and was granted access immediately. I heard a moan and was surprised to realize it was me. She ran her fingers through my long hair and pulled me closer. I felt my nipples harden and I whimpered as I felt hers rub mine. I slowly unbuttoned her shirt never breaking contact with her lips.

Once her shirt was off, I grazed her nipples with my thumbs and a shudder ran thru her body. I left her lips and began kissing, biting and sucking my way down her neck to her collarbone. By this time she was moaning my name over and over. I was emboldened by her reactions and, although I had no idea what I was doing, I assumed this was good.

I undid her bra, slid down her body and carefully took one of her breasts into my mouth. She gasped loudly and I continued to suck gently, then, harder as she arched into my mouth. I kissed across the valley of her breasts and took the other into my mouth, teasing it with my teeth, while continuing to stroke and pinch the other. She was moaning so loudly I could feel my own body throbbing with excitement.

I unbuttoned her pants, slid down her zipper and took them off. Immediately I could smell her scent-a mix of sweat, musk and a scent that was just Max. I realized a moment later that she wasn't wearing any panties and almost came right then and there. The second thing I realized is that she was talking to me

“Alex you, you are wearing way too much clothing."

She reached down and pulled me up to her, then shocking me by pulling my shirt apart, sending the buttons flying. I was not wearing a bra (I hate those things) and she reached out to touch me. Everywhere her fingers touched, I was on fire and I swear her touch was burnt into my flesh.

As much as I wanted her touch, I was driven to make love to her, to become one with her. I began my trek down her body; kissing, caressing, sucking, biting and then as I came close to my goal I stopped. I looked into her eyes with tears in mine said.

“I love you, Max-forever.”

I lowered my head and took a deep breath. My head began to swim and I was happy to be lying down already. I kissed between her thighs and worked my way slowly to her center. I could feel the heat radiating off her. I ran my tongue across her sex, up to her clit, and she shuddered. I shuddered I was in heaven.

I languidly began stroking her with my tongue, memorizing every inch, her lips, and the way the walls of her core felt on my tongue. I loved the feeling of her clit throbbing and pounding in my mouth.

I began darting my tongue in and out of her faster and then slower, responding to her cries and the movement of her hips. She was calling out with every stroke, every suck

“Alex, oh god, oh for the love of Athena. Alex, sweet Artemis, Zeus almighty.”(Max loves Greek myth.)

She began to shudder. Holding her thighs tightly I continued to love her. Just as she began to come, I sucked her clit into my mouth-hard and sent her hurdling over the precipus, into yet another first. While the orgasm shook her body, I held onto her whispering sweet nothings, promising my love to her forever, to eternity and beyond.

When at last the orgasm was over, Max commented a solid "Wow." We burst into laughter for a good minute. Max had always been the queen of understatement and had done it again. She took my hand in her kissed every one of my knuckles, then took the other hand and sucked each finger, tickling each tip with her tongue.

I had forgotten, my own need and now it had been re-ignited. She whispered in my ear

“I love you and now I going to make love to you, the way I have fantasized for the last two years.

Did she say last two years? Oh, boy.

“First, I'm going to make you crazy and then I'm going to make you come so hard, the neighbors will feel it.”

At that point I swallowed and wondered who this woman was and what she had done with Max. I didn't have time to think too long. Soon she was biting my earlobe and breathing heavily on my neck. She kissed me again on the neck and I couldn't help moaning out her name

“Max, Max, oh yes, Max.”

She continued down to my collarbone, while undoing my button-flys and sliding them off my body with her feet. Max, now at the valley of my breasts, looked up at me her eyes so dark and emblazoned with passion that I grew wet with anticipation. She took my left breast in her mouth and I screamed out in delight. She looked at me questioningly and I smiled in answer.

She started again, sucking harder and harder until I thought I might explode. She moved on to my right breast and although momentarily missing her attentions, I quickly forgot space and time. I felt my body teetering on the brink of another first but somehow she pulled me back.

She slowly continued her torture down my body burning kisses into my skin. Max was in control of my body. She ran her fingertips down my body and then touched my clit, nearly sending me crashing over the edge. She continued her strokes, taking me closer and closer and pulling me back.

I continued arching, aching for her. She finally, mercifully pushed her finger into my moist center. I screamed in relief and my hips begin moving of there own accord. She kissed me deeply, sucking my tongue, caressing my lips. Max moved down my body, took my clit into her mouth and sucked and stroked me at the same time. My thoughts were incoherent. In my mind I saw flashes of a time long gone, of two people who looked like us, yet I did not recognize them. I came back to the present where I was writhing, waiting to come, being made love to by best friend, my heart, and my soul. With one final thrust, Max sent me careening over the edge.

Max, as always, kept her promise. Then we were holding each other, wrapped in the glow of new love, reassured by the reawakening of a love as old as time.

        That was twelve years ago, I look up and see Max smiling at me. She is beautiful, round, glowing with our first child. Children actually. Today we found out we're having twins, one girl for sure, the other is hiding behind her. Her eyes twinkle, crinkling at the corners knowing exactly what I'm thinking about. She walks over to me, sits on my lap and cuddles up to me.

“You love me?” she asks.

“More than life itself.” I reply.

“Good.”

I place my hand on her stomach and kiss it. One of the babies chooses this moment to make themselves known by kicking my wife. She lets out a surprised yelp.

“Soccer player, I'm thinking."

“Maybe I say, maybe Rugby.”

“I think not she says, I can barely stand to watch you play.”

I laugh my sweet girl always worrying.

“I love you Alex Rowling.”

"I love you Max Rowling and will for all my life.

THE END

[wildcards1407]

Travel Documents 119: The Chronicles Of Saint Mary’s

by Jodi Taylor

Genre:  sci-fi, time-travel, romance, adventure

The Dust Cover Copy

If the whole of History lay before you, where would you go?

When Dr Madeleine Maxwell is recruited by the St Mary's Institute of Historical Research, she discovers the historians there don't just study the past: they revisit it. Meet St Mary's - a group of tea-soaked disaster magnets who hurtle their way around History. But one wrong move and History will fight back - to the death. And Max soon discovers it's not just History she's fighting...

The Scene

Worldbuilding

Okay, heads up: I am covering a THIRTEEN BOOK SERIES in this review. Yep. Thirteen books. A fourteenth out next June. And a delightful number of short stories between the main books. So, there’s a LOT I’m not covering in here, because I’m not writing a thesis on Jodi Taylor. But let’s just state, for the record, that I have listened to the whole thing via audiobook four times, to date. That tells you a bit.

Reading this work is like going swimming in the local watering hole. On the surface everything is rollicking fun and sunshine. Beneath, dark things swim in the murk of human history and the human psyche. From the moment Maxwell walks up the stairs of Saint Mary’s to the very last page of Book 13, you will be delighted, appalled, surprised, grossed out once in a while, educated now and then, and made to laugh about every other page.

So, the world. Somewhere in the near future, somehow, someone figured out time travel. That initial genuis’s name is lost, but in order to prevent idiots and cowboys trying to warp time to their own ends, an organization of very professional idiots was created. The Saint Mary’s team is an incredible bunch of goofballs, geniuses, nutcases and ne’er do wells who, if you squint, look like a family. They travel in small, apparently stone huts called pods; perfectly innocuous on the outside, smelling of hot electrics and cabbage on the inside. And they are such fun to read about. These are not cowboys racing through time to Undo A Disaster, oh no. These are highly trained academics and professionals paid to observe historical events in contemporary time (for godssake don’t call it time travel), find out what actually happened and document it to break up all those nasty little disagreements that tend to fuel dictators, start wars…you know, that sort of thing.

The worldbuilding is based on a lot of historical research (beautifully if cheekily done) a lot of theoretical physics (nicely handled in the finest Star Trek fashion) some great thought put into what our next 50-100 years may look like, and a lot of experience as a member of a professional organization (absolutely HILARIOUSLY portrayed). But what a wonderful edifice has been built on those foundations. The organizational and interpersonal details make the whole thing feel so much more believable. Seeing time travel explored from the point of view of the trainee dealing with the (evil) training horse, or the harried manager who’s moderating between a member of Wardrobe asking for someone’s head on a plate after a 16th-century court dress came home shredded and a Historian crying ‘but there was a crocodile!’, that was a stroke of mastery. Exploring time as a settled organization with strong bonds and a real sense of devotion to duty allows for all sorts wonderful interpersonal details that are the connective tissue of this series.

Throw in some troublemakers out to make a buck, a crazed ex-Historian bent on vengeance, an evil co-worker or two, a metric ton of forms to fill and a PA who won’t make the tea, and you’ve got the whole bag of cats.

The Crowd

Characterization

It’s the characters who really make this story. So, I shall present just a few of them as the series does. Dramatis Thingummy

Dr Edward Bairstow: Director of St Mary's. Tall, authoritative. Losing his hair (for obvious reasons). Holds together a volatile mix of technicians, historians, kitchen staff, security teams and the sometimes explosive Research and Development Section. Dr. Bairstow is a fascinating character in the spirit of Professor X: walks with a cane, limps, and has absolutely effortless poise. Handles his team without even really trying. The best man you could ever work for.

Mrs. Partridge: PA to Director. Not to be crossed. Possibly (?) actually the Muse of History. As in, a goddess. As in, don’t mess about.

HISTORY SECTION

Max: Madeline Maxwell, Historian. Short, red-haired, engaging, impatient, self-deprecating, with a murky past and a precarious future.

She is at various points a Historian, the Director, and a mad ginger bint bent on mayhem (as she describes it). Max is the point of view character throughout the series, and she is fascinating; tough and brittle, funny and harsh, full of knowledge and always keeping a close eye on the locked door in her head where The Bad Things of childhood lie. When Taylor writes the serious stuff, it’s SERIOUS, but Max generally stays in the sunny waters of snarky good cheer on the surface of her personality, and is a delightful POV voice. Oh, and don’t piss her off. She’s devious.

Tim Peterson: Historian. Tall and shaggy. A good friend.

Kalinda Black: Historian. Blonde and blue-eyed. Looks like a Disney princess. Possibly drinks the blood of recently qualified trainees. Recipient of Mr. Dieter's affections.

TECHNICAL SECTION

Leon Farrell: Chief Technical Officer. Dark hair, blue eyes, competent, calm, quiet. Leon is one of the main characters in the series: he’s deeply in love with Max, carrying his own personal baggage full of pain and loss, smart as a whip in his areas of expertise and occasionally thick as a brick sandwich. A really lovely man.

Mr. Dieter: Farrell's number two. Built like a brick shi – a very large young man.

MEDICAL SECTION

Dr Helen Foster: Medical doctor and with the people skills of a root vegetable. Smoker of many cigarettes. Recipient of Mr. Peterson's affections.

Nurse Hunter: Pretty as a picture and ruthlessly effective. Recipient of Markham's dubious affections.

SECURITY SECTION

Major Ian Guthrie: Head of Security, whose unenviable task it is to keep St Mary's safe, despite all their best efforts. An incredibly competent and on-the-ball man.

Mr. Markham: Security guard. Small, grubby and disaster-prone. Reputedly indestructible – which is just as well.

Big Dave Murdoch: Gentle giant.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Professor Rapson: Head of R&D. Lives in his own world. Responsible for the destruction of the Clock Tower and the disastrous Icarus experiment. Apparently unaware of the properties of methane.

Doctor Dowson: Librarian and Archivist. Also not quite up to speed re methane. Makes very good tea. And sympathy. And strops, if you mess up the books. Incredible strops.

IT DEPARTMENT

Isabella Barclay: Head of IT. Professional bitch. Short, spiteful and redheaded. Gossip says she harbours an unrequited passion for Farrell.

Polly Perkins: Technician. Sweetheart.

OTHERS

Mrs Mack: Kitchen Supremo. Do Not Cross. Sweet and treat-dispensing once you get on her good side.

Jenny Fields: Kitchen Assistant and dodo advocate. Very quiet, very brave.

Mrs De Winter: Retired schoolteacher. Possibly (?) also a Muse. As in, goddess. As in, don’t ask don’t tell.

Rosie Lee: PA to Max. On paper. Possibly (?) a harpy. Do not ask for tea. You will not like the results.

Turk: Officially a horse. Possibly (probably?) demonic

THE VILLAIN: Clive Ronan. Dark, nondescript, impassive and deadly. Straight up stone cold son of a bitch. With brains. Was a Historian, went rogue, turned completely round the bend. Dies repeatedly and impressively, keeps getting around it via timeline shenanigans.

ALSO CAST

Assorted armies, raptors, crocodiles, stonemasons, woodcutters, nobility, notable figures, royalty, rabble, and hostile contemporaries too numerous to mention.

Writing Style

Rollicking on the surface, racy at points, and rocky with emotional craters in the depths, this series is like a bag of potato chips. Once you start, you just can’t stop!

As you’ve probably intuited already, the style is chatty, approachable, raunchy, funny, dry and BRITISH. As in ‘I have the attention span of a tea bag’, one of the series catch phrases. Saint Mary’s ribs each other constantly in love and comradery. If they’re being polite, they don’t like you. And Max’s narrative voice is full of comments like ‘and then I got it. I’m not bright. I mentioned I’m not bright, right?’

It’s satisfying, it’s giggle inducing, and it is a ton of fun.

The Moves

Plot

The series is structured as an adventure-of-the-day, with an assignment forming the basis of each plotline. Whether they’re headed to Troy or Tudor England, the assignment takes center stage. But there are always references to what has come before…or after…or…it’s complicated, when you travel in time for a living. The incredible weirdness and amazing entanglements created by things in the future causing things in the past, an individual’s personal future involving a trip to the Cretaceous, and all such shenanigans, and things get WILD. For all its entanglements, Taylor always keeps ahold of the thread. And when the author pulls and all the pieces fall right into place, it is a sight to behold.

Overall Rating

A rollicking, racing, tea-soaked British delight. You’re in for a treat.

[laufire]

New ask chain as inspired by my friend.

Tell me about the last female character that intrigued you & why!

I'm going to give you two, because I've only met the last one and I have not as much to say.

The second-to-last one is Max Chapman from A League of Their Own. She appealled to me since the very beginning -she has guts, determination in the face of adversity, one hell of a temper xD, that doesn't-know-where-she-fits-in-the-world thing that just *melts* me... And she's incredibly pretty and I'm just a shallow lesbian (AND she's a canon lesbian! Sometimes I get lucky like that xD).

I really enjoyed her journey for the most part. From the frustrations, the self-doubt, having to find another way to see and be herself after things go sideways with Her Goals, to finally getting her shot at the end <3

I especially love that she's a co-protagonist in her own right. She's not some token representation to pat oneself in the back, she has half the show to herself, her own narrative space that's not infringed upon.

And I simply ADORE her sismance with Clance. The two of them together are a delight.

[Caption: Clance and Max in A League of Their Own. They’re watching The Wizard of Oz in theatres. Max is eating pop-corn, with a weirded out expression as she listens to CLance ramble about how “Dorothy is evil. I mean, this bitch ain’t trying to get home. Home wasn’t enough for Dorothy.”]

[Caption: Clance and Max.  They begin giggling, jumping and excitedly batting their hands together when they manage to get Max’s mother to allow them to use Max’s father’s car.]

[Caption: Max blurts out to Clance, fond and with a smile, “You are so deeply weird.”]

The last-last one is Mary Katherine Blackwood from the very few pages I read today of Shirley Jackson’s “We Have Always Lived in the Castle”. I barely know her (and I’m 100% unspoiled about this book), but I already want to open her skull to study her brain lmao.

[naladot]

Dasey fic recs from 2008-2010

 I’ve been procrastinating and somehow this led me down the rabbit hole of digging up old Dasey fics. Here’s a short and very random rec list of some of those. (Definitely not exhaustive; this fandom has a disproportionate number of great fics.) I provided AO3 links where they exist because, wow, fanfiction.net is decaying before our eyes.

How Emily Davis Got Her Groove Back by unoriginal_liz (43k, T); read on AO3 or fanfiction.net: "I'm beyond a Shleppette! I'm the uber-Shleppette! There are no depths to which I will not Shlep!"

This is, like, THE fic. It is even better than I remembered. Rereading it in 2021, I laughed and felt all the feelings and was utterly delighted by the whole thing. This should be required reading. Dasey is a background ship but it’s an amazing Dasey subplot. (There seems to be some issue with some missing text in the AO3 version, but it doesn’t really mess up anything but the flow.)

Tapedeck by sparzelli (6.5k, T): She experiences the most curious emotion then. She can feel something slide into place in her head, and then it’s like they’ve been this way their whole lives. It's not real, but it sort of feels like comfort. CxD

I always remember this fic for being a little angsty and having a strong atmosphere. It’s still quite vivid and a different Casey characterization than I often see/write, and the tension threaded through the fic is so good.

The Perils of Alphabetical Seating by TheBucketWoman (3k, T): "They'd agreed to be “friends” which, everyone but Casey knew, didn't mean that they would ever really be at ease with each other." Dasey and featuring, well, someone who used to be with Casey.

This is a Max POV story and it’s really well done. I love how it encapsulates a particular moment and gives such a strong feeling of high school. Dasey through someone else’s eyes is always good, too.

What We Did On Our Summer Vacation by hayseed42 (74.5k, M mostly for language): Nora said their summer trip to the country was going to be an adventure. She didn't mean it quite so literally, but when have Casey and Derek ever been any good at doing what they're told? A slow-building Dasey.

This is a fantasy adventure fic that I’ve never forgotten, but I had to do some digging to find again. It’s just as fun and fast-paced as I remembered, and with great character and ship development. (Content warning for one instance of offensive language referring to disability in Chp. 7.)

A Study in Desire by WhenLightningStrikes / youcallitwinter (1.5k, T); read on AO3 or fanfiction.net: Someone should really look into naming a pathological condition after her. 

One thing I really miss from fandom in the past was these smaller character study-type pieces. This one really achieves a lot in grounding the plot in Casey’s headspace, and the ending strikes the perfect note.

Two Ways It Could Have Happened, One Way It Did by justfallapart (700 words, K+): Two ways Derek Venturi could have met Casey McDonald, and the way he actually did.

Like I just mentioned, I miss these smaller character studies. This one explores the common agreement in this fandom that Derek Venturi fell in love first, and in just 700 words encapsulates all the angst you feel because of that.

back to the border by avocadomoon (4k, T): Casey makes the Dean's list. Derek takes up smoking.

I mean, everyone’s read this fic, right? But it was so definitive for the fandom that a Ye Olde Dasey Fic Recs post (even a short, random, and non-comprehensive one) would be incomplete without it. I still remember reading this for the first time. Each scene is so well-drawn, both perfectly connected to the show and establishing its own universe and tone. It’s efficient and elegant and amazing.

[trudy-shams]

What we become - Part 1

My first attempt at writing after reading 30,000 fics on tumblr and AO3.

So many people writing so many wonderful things, I wanted to join the party. This will be multi chapter fic based on response and feedback.

More tags to be added as I go along.

The beautiful summer sun reflected off of the pages, making it a delight to read. It was too good a day to be wasted indoors. Beneath the shade of a large tree, you could read the words if you focused enough, bringing to life all characters while painting a moving picture in your head, something which was a piece of cake for you, having spent all your spare time engrossed in reading since you were a little girl.

The beautiful summer sun reflected off of the pages, making it a delight to read. It was too good a day to be wasted indoors. Beneath the shade of a large tree, you could read the words if you focused enough, bringing to life all characters while painting a moving picture in your head, something which was a piece of cake for you, having spent all your spare time engrossed in reading since you were a little girl. The hopeless romantic, who wanted to be a successful writer one day, to travel the world, to have her own school for children who could not afford education, to own a house of her own. These dreams were all that had you going, excited and hopeful for an even brighter future. A day dreamer, you were so lost in the words that time held no meaning and before you knew it, it was nearing noon. You had spent her entire morning in the garden, nose in your book. If time wasn't a good motivator, your growling stomach finally pushed you to abandon your post and begin the trek home. It wasn't far but the sprawling mansion had enough space for a large garden with a plethora of trees, shrubs and landscaping to call it a maze. You decided to take the longer route, just to enjoy the feel of warm sun on your skin, making your way around the large tennis court housed next to the garden and along the neighbors pool. As expected, you could hear the familiar voices and caught a glimpse of the Maximoff twins and their friends lounging around the pool. The Maximoff's had recently purchased the mansion next door. The abandoned property was not in a great shape compared to others in the area but after 8 months of renovation and plenty of investment, it was now one of the best, if not the best properties in the area. From what she had heard, the Maximoff's were Sokovian royalty, having bought this mansion as a holiday home for summers. Mr. & Mrs. Maximoff frequented all high profile clubs while the kids, Wanda & Pietro could be seen out and about in the most expensive designer wear with their entourage of guards and assistants very often. It was nice to have this new chatter and positive energy after having a bland deserted mansion looming over you for so long. Lost in your book and too toasty to really pay attention, you didn’t notice the huge dog nearing you from the other side of the fence. The sudden loud barking startled you, making you scream and lose both your phone and balance at the same time. You landed on your behind and your left palm and shoulder slammed into the ground. People from the other side rushed forward to pull the dog away and the screaming started. 'You had one job, ONE! Watch Max. Was it too much? Maybe you would do better back home scrubbing floors' 'Aw! Max was so startled to see a stranger near us, he was just trying to keep us safe. My poor baby' 'These guys are sloths, you should connect with the agency my dad employs' 'I spilled my drinks in the ruckus, can someone get me a fresh one' 'The energy of this place is just... can we please do a 3 step deep breathing session like right now' 'Are you ok, can you get up?' It took you a while to gather that someone was speaking to you. You looked up to see the face of James Barnes. He was looking at you intently, gauging if you were ok or in pain. You were surprised he spoke to you, you were not used to this. He tilted his head a little and that got you out of your stupor. You quickly got up and dusted yourself, giving him a small reassuring smile,avoiding eye contact. 'Just startled, I am usually very jumpy so it's really not a big deal'. He studied you for a few seconds then smiled. 'I am glad you are ok.' You looked up to see there was another man behind him, watching you with an intensity you couldn't handle. His glare made you feel small and insignificant, the familiar frown on his face and the upturn of his nose made you want to glare right back at him. Your eyes met for a few nanoseconds but it was enough to make you see the contempt deep within his irises. Not wanting to create a scene, you squeaked out a thanks to James before quickening your pace and nearly running away. You had just entered through the kitchen when you heard your mother's voice. 'Thank god you are here, we are terribly understaffed, could you please help in laying out the dishes and serving today. Your sister is god knows where and Lydia is sick. Mr. and Mrs. Stark could be down for lunch any minute.' With that she ran away to take food out from the oven. You took a deep breath, put on Lydia's uniform and went to the cupboards.

[kareofbears]

persona 5 strikers thoughts and feelings

This is going to be a long post. Like, the type of post you’d only really have time to read when you’re trying to sleep but you’re not ready to be unconscious yet so you’re just looking for something to do to spend your time with minimal effort. 

So in 2018, a masterpiece was born into the world: Into the Spider-verse was released and it was amazing—it’s honestly the best spiderman movie we have without a doubt, and it’ll be very far into the future before Spider-verse is beaten as the best spiderman movie. Them’s the facts. Then in 2019, Spider-man: Far From Home was dropped. It’s a great movie! Great characters, great continuation of who these characters are and works fantastic as a continuation of a story. It’s really hard trying to take the torch of a previous movie (or in Marvel’s case, juggling twenty something movies) and come up with a new movie that both works on its own, as well as being the next step in this series of films. Thus, with that idea in mind, I think it’s kind of unfair to judge into the spiderverse and far from home, because these are two movies with two completely different objectives in mind. 

Okay, so this is still a persona 5 strikers post, I promise, but the idea is the same: Persona 5 could basically do whatever it wanted—new story, new characters, new everything, and it’s just plain old awesome. However, Persona 5 strikers did not have that sort of freedom. It was bound to the original game, and it had its own rules and stuff it had to keep intact, characters they had to work with, and on top of that, it had to justify its existence as a sequel (lets pretend money doesnt exist lmfao). 

SO, the big question is: did it do that? Did it justify its existence? 

And my answer: holy fuck did it ever do that

I came into this game knowing the extreme bare minimum. I knew there was someone named Sophia, and i knew there was roadtrip, and i knew there were Personas. That’s my knowledge of it before i played it on the Switch.  I should also clarify like, early on, that i was not expecting anything from this game. At all. I was the world’s biggest cynic of this game—if you scroll down my p5s tag far enough, youll just see me complaining about a game that hasn’t even come out yet. I was fully expecting to have this be a Waifu show, and any male character that isn’t Akira to just be shoved aside like some kind of nerd in a high school hallway, and i have never been more pleased to be wrong. In fact, i actually owe it an apology, because of how fucking rude i was for no reason!!! Because this game deserves everything to be honest. 

Persona 5 strikers is, frankly, insane. Insane in the sense that it got to pull shit off that just would never have existed in the original game, because the original game is scared. It had to be as impressive as possible and garner as much attention as possible. Strikers does not have that problem—every single person who bought that game does not need to be convinced that persona 5 is a good game. They already played it. That means Atlus can just fuck around and have a good time, and man did they have a good time. There’s still scenes that still shock me if i think about it too hard, because i’m used to atlus having to follow this sort of rule set when it comes to persona 5 (or any of the main games im assuming, but i havent played them.) And on top of that, there’s still shit that’s Atlus Trademarked Branded in a good way. The style of story of story telling, and revealing the mystery that is so integral to what p5 is, is still there. 

So, to make this even a little bit comprehensible, i will make a list! 

First of all, What is this game?

In short, this game is an OVA of an anime. It’s bonus side content that has one thing in mind: to showcase these lovable characters more by putting them in fun situations. That’s it, and it is just phenomenal. That was the main point of, i’d say, like forty hours of the game. It’s just fun times with fun characters. 

But to get deeper of what i think is happening, or what they were thinking during the development, is that this is a second opportunity. Persona 5 (as we all know) had a lot of problems, and we were not quiet about those problems. We yelled it all out, made posts, made complaints on every social media platform ever. And Atlus heard all of them, and Strikers is a way to mitigate those mistakes. Aside from being a fun OVA, Strikers also works to be a deeper exploration of these characters—more specifically, the characters that did not receive much in the original game. Creating this sequel is having the ability to redo what they felt (or to be more specific, we felt) in the original game while adding new ones. I will get to that in a second.  

The format of the game 

Absolutely brilliant to throw them on a road trip. P5V already forced us to experience Shibuya for 200+ hours, and im so glad that they didn’t do that again. Going from town to town, making us experience these new places alongside our favorite characters is so good, and it just makes sense. It’s fun, it’s lighthearted, and it’s actually shockingly good. But one thing i do want to talk about early on is the way the story unfolds and the villains that they use, and what they do with it because it’s very interesting. 

So as we explore japan and stuff, we encounter jails, and with those jails comes an antagonist. This antagonist works to be a parallel to one of our characters. That character will find it in their hearts to feel bad for the antagonist, because the antagonist could have been them had the original game not happen. At first I thought all of the thieves were gonna get an antagonist, and i was really hyped for the ryuji one. And then came to hour forty of the game where i realized “yeah that’s not gonna happen. There’s just not enough time.” And i was right, and the game ended. But i am not salty at all, honestly, because the people who got a direct antagonist were: Ann, Yusuke, and Haru. (we wont count zen and sophie). 

Is there a trend??? Yes. these are all characters in the original game that have received the worst treatment by atlus. The three of them are basically cast aside the minute they finished their original arc, and its horrible! BUT that’s why this is the path that atlus chose for them—to give them more depth, and screentime, and a way to show their inner self. That isn’t to say that the ones who aren’t those three (makoto, futaba, mona, akira, ryuji) didn’t get anything. Futaba still has her thing at the end with ichinose, and she was very prevalent and animated during the rest of the game. Mona and Akira have to be a focal points, that’s just the nature of the game. The other two though, I will talk about in depth in a second.  

Makoto

Y’all i poke fun at shumako fans sometimes cause its kind of easy and fun, but i honestly love makoto. In my very first playthrough of p5 (my first ever jrpg game, first persona game, i had no idea what i was doing), i had only maxed out two characters: ryuji and makoto. And i know she had a lot of screentime and love in the original game which is great, but i truly felt like she was dissed in this game. Her only roles were

A driver

Someone to tell them “we don’t have a choice. Let’s keep going and see where this takes us.” (seriously, if you replay this game, you will see how much she does this)

Idk, i just wish she had more to do, especially compared to how much love they gave the other characters. 

But let’s talk about some of the new characters! 

Zenkichi

Damn you atlus. Damn you and your insistence at bringing in cop characters. I was fully on board with hating zenkichi, i was fucking ready for it. I was convinced that there was nothing they could do convince to like zenkichi. I was immune to their copaganda. 

And then i ended up loving him, which makes me sad a little bit. I didn’t realize how desperate i was to have an adult who has a persona. Someone who wants the world to change just as much as they do, while still having that aspect of them that makes them adult. Like??? As someone who is technically an adult, its a breath of fresh air. An adult. Who fights. For justice. Using a persona. And god i love akane so much, and her obsession with the thieves (that scene is probably in my top ten fave scenes of the game). Also what i loved about zenkichi is that he fucking hates the cops!! He hates the system of the cops!! And thats why i actually really started to love him!! Because i thought it was atlus saying that the systematic problem of the police cannot be solved by one person, and zenkichi threw away his badge. I actually cried at that part!! 

But then he became a cop again, and i was just :/ but as a character, i really love him to bits and would love to do a study on him, or at least use him as an outside pov. But! i absolutely love his persona, since im a les miserables fan hehe

Sophia 

she’s probably my favorite new aspect of the game. I was ready to not like her—again, i just suck like that, lmfao—and when i saw her, i was scared that she was just another waifu. I mean, she was very cute after all. But then as the game went on, i thought she was a little too cute. And even further into the game, i finally slapped myself in the face and realized oh my god shes not a waifu. Shes a sister. 

That blew my mind, im ngl to you. A female character that isn’t supposed to be romanced? By jove, what a miracle! 

And she…is an amazing character. Im sorry, i just love her so much. I love her so much that she  probably ranks as my fifth or sixth favorite character which is surprising even to me. Everything about her is delightful and invigorating. She’s funny??? Her comedic timing is amazing, and she has such chemistry with the rest of the team. She’s actually useful to the plot, and while her character design is a little too on the nose for me in terms of cuteness (i mean, good god she’s wearing oversized sweater to show how cute and tiny she is, and her hair has literal hearts in it), she is absolutely lovable. 

But what i actually really wanna gush about for a second is sophia at the last stage of the game. You get the idea, i dont really like to get excited over things, so at this point i figured that there was nothing this game could do to shock me. 

And then sophia had a persona awakening. 

Like. holy fuck did i yell. I didnt realize what was happening until the music had already kicked in. and its just so fucking smart!!! Sophia??? The ai?? With no heart?? gOT A PERSONA???? AWAKENING??? BECAUSE SHE LEARNED WHAT THE HEART IS AND THE PASSION THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO GET A PERSONA??? I started crying honestly, because it was just so smart. And looking back on it now, its obvious!! Of course it would lead to this, it only made sense that the culmination of her character arc leads to her getting a persona, nothing else would have been as good. Also, her voice actor is just amazing?? When she was talking to ichinose at the end, i actually got incredibly emotional because of the line reads. Its just so spot on and it really captures the essence of sophia.

Muah. five stars Atlus. You got me. 

Ryuji <3!!!!

Oh man. Oh boy. Okay. so where do i start. 

Yall know i love him. Hes probably my favorite fictional male character of all time, and he is the one i was the absolute most cynical about in this game. I was expecting literally nothing. Nothing. Like. nothing. I thought he was just gonna keep being used as a joke, or a gag, and he’s gonna be super horny all the time for the other girls and it was gonna make me mad and there was gonna be some insane homophobic/queerphobic jokes in every other scene and i know i was being unfair, but i cant help it. 

And then i played the first two hours of the game, and i cried the entire time. Because ryuji has never been better than he is in this game. Its crazy. 

The ryuji in persona 5 strikers is who ryuji should have been/how he should have been treated this entire time. From the actual funny jokes (for example, the gold bar joke + his reaction to it in the beginning of the game), defending his female friends instead of being the one people need to defend from (natsume arc), and the fact that he was the one to be there with morgana and akira in the very beginning of the game. Its such a small thing that they didnt even need to do, but it was such an integral part of the original game for me, that i just was convinced that nothing like this was going to happen. But then it happened. Its just small stuff like that that could have been overlooked but it wasn’t because this game? Persona 5 strikers? Fucking loves ryuji. 

The actual respect they gave this boy is insane and i wasn't ready for it. Like, they gave the shujin trio lunch, they gave the little charm of the katana when they were in natsume’s jail, and, in my opinion this is the second-best thing that they could have given ryuji is sophia. Ryuji and sophia are the pinnacle of a brother & sister bonding relationship in the game that isn’t akira & futaba. And its really prevalent too?? Small stuff from the beginning of the game (pulling her out of a jail, calling her shorty), but then you have the iconic “shut the fuck up” scene, and that scene was so well characterized and written and voice acted, that somehow him saying “fuck” was the least exciting part of that scene to me. Ryuji is an older brother to her, like its undoubtable, and its only further cemented at the end of the game where Ryuji helps out ichinose because he knows how much sophia cares about her. This game. Love ryuji. And i love. This game. 

You know what else i love? Akiryu. 

Guys. i was fully prepared to starve in terms of akiryu. But theres just. So much of it. I wont get too deep into it, because i think this aspect of the game for me still needs marinate a little bit. Like, what was that last shot when EMMA died and Ryuji walked to approach Akira so they could relish in their victory together?? And the smile from both of them??? What the fuck. That was amazing. Also Joker being saved by Ryuji when he was about to fall from the cliff to save sophia??? WHAT. The LEADER AND HIS RIGHT HAND MAN? WHAT. anyway. If theres anything i want to keep for myself in my own brain, its the akiryu aspect of this game, so i wont talk too much about that part of things (instead, itll probably manifest in fic lmfaooo). 

Sure, there’s tidbits of stuff i dont like that they gave ryuji: sexualizing ann in that one cut scene and making him touch the jails even though it hurts, and i recognize those and frown at them, but for the most part, i am blown away with how they treated him.

Basically, Ryuji has never been better. From the opening of the game with him being the first text message and the one to sling his arm around akira, to the very last cut scene where it was ryuji wordlessly leaving because he’s so confident that they would never be separated for long, this game adores Ryuji and i am so so happy to say that.

The Royal aspect of things

Yeah, i had to talk about this, but itll be a short thing i just wanted to point out. Because the last part of this game...is persona 5 royal. Which is curious. Like taking reality and giving that power to someone else so you dont have to experience suffering anymore? And even like, the final section just looked a lot like the top half of maruki’s palace?? And whats even crazier is that we had a boss fight with sophia, just like how we had a boss fight with sumire? Royal and Strikers have like, the same thesis statement. It’s kind of uncanny.It’s interesting, it’s like atlus came up with these two ideas, and then just decided they liked both of them so much that they just did it twice. I don’t mind though—actually, in terms of how the last Palace/Jails go, i probably like them both about equally. 

Though i did love the final battle in this one more than i did in royal. Splitting into teams?? Thats cool as fuck, and really innovative and i didnt see it coming. It also kicked my ass. A lot. 

Now for the last stretch: the small stuff!

The music — bomb as fuck. In my heart, Daredevil is ranked the same as Rivers. Axe to grind is also amazing, but Daredevil owns me

Akechi — i really debated whether or not to talk about him, but i figured a bullet point should be enough. Im really shocked that he wasnt in this at all. Like not even a name drop. If this is an OVA, and the point of the game is to please the fans, and akechi is arguably the fan favorite character, i was really ready for something. But there was nothing, except for the pancake hallway if that even counts as a reference. Thats it. Thats all i wanted to say about him.

The humour — FUCKING HILARIOUS im convinced that in my fifty hour playtime, five of that is dedicated to me laughing and unable to continue the game 

Akira — so much personality! His lines of dialogue are crazy sometimes (like. Whats up with him saying Ryuji has ‘nice abs’ when they were in bath? Im crazy and even i dont know what the fuck that could mean) 

Battle system — oh my god i almost forgot to talk about this. I love it! I kind of miss the turn based aspect just because i found it very comforting for some reason, but this hack and slash style of gameplay is so invigorating because i do feel like it justifies shit like the baton pass and huge attacks.  This battle system fully encompases how the Phantom Thieves are supposed to fight, you know what i mean?

Anyway, thats my thoughts on strikers. Loved it. Amazing. 9.3/10, wouldve been higher but Konoe’s Jail almost bored me to death. Also im a monster and i didnt do any requests that isn’t a fun one, teehee. As if i play persona 5 for the persona aspect of things.

[icasttourniquet]

Can Your Character Survive... Avalanches?

Alternative title: why your character who lives in the mountains should be more scared of avalanches than they currently are.

What's an avalanche?

Avalanches are large masses of snow that speed down mountainsides, carrying humans with them. There are a number of different types of avalanches, depending on who you ask. Let's look at a few:

Wet Snow Avalanche

These avalanches are relatively safe, as far as avalanches go. They travel slower than their dry counterparts (10 to 20 miles per hour) and are harder to trigger. However, wet snow is often a good deal heavier than dry snow, so getting buried in it is still inadvisable. 

Sluffs

Sluffs are dry avalanches composed of the top layer of powder moving downwards. They occur when the weak layer of snow is on top as opposed to underneath, and they are far less dangerous than the opposite, a slab avalanche.

Slab Avalanche

(Or, as I cannot help but say in my head every time I read about them: Slabalanches.)

A slab avalanche occurs when the weak layer of snow is on the bottom. When an avalanche is triggered, the weak layer separates from the slope and carries with it the stronger, more cohesive snow on top of it in a slab. 

Slabs are typically about the size of a football field and more than a foot deep. They can reach speeds of 20 miles per hour within three seconds, 80 miles per hour within six seconds, and max speeds in excess of 150 miles per hour. 

Hidden by more compact snow, the weak layer can lie in wait for days or months until something heavy (say, a human) triggers it loose. To make them even deadlier, the break often occurs above whatever triggers it, meaning the victim is already on the slab when it starts to speed down the slope.

How do avalanches kill you?

In the words of Shakespeare, let me count the ways. (spoiler: there are two).

Asphyxiation

In a study in Utah, 85% of avalanche fatalities died of asphyxiation alone. This is likely because humans cannot breathe snow [citation needed].

Once an avalanche gets going, the snow behaves sort of like water, and any humans trapped in it sink. However, unlike water, when the avalanche stops moving, it hardens, leaving the sunken human entombed in concrete-hard snow—this snow sometimes also hardens in the victim's lungs, with predictable consequences. It is essentially impossible for a fully buried human to dig themselves out of an avalanche—most victims won't even be able to move their limbs. It is now a race against time: can rescuers dig them out before they run out of air?

To make matters worse, human breath is hotter than snow. As the trapped human exhales, they melt a small pocket of snow around their face, which then refreezes as far-less-permeable ice. Any chance of breathing through the snow pack has now disappeared.

Source: A concept for optimizing avalanche rescue strategies using a Monte Carlo simulation. (And you know a paper is good when they're whipping out the Monte Carlo simulations).

After only about 20 minutes, a buried victim has less than a 50% chance of survival. Avalanche rescues are all about time time time. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Blunt force trauma

In the remaining 15% of cases, that same Utah study found that blunt force trauma was involved in the death. This hopefully makes sense, given how fast, heavy, and large avalanches are.

In some terrains, avalanches can take helpless victims through a "sieve." Let's say you had to be dragged down a slope at 150 miles per hour. In the picture below, which slope would you prefer: A? Or B?

Hopefully, you said B. While being dragged anywhere at high speeds is undesirable, at least B is empty. A is a sieve, and anyone swept through those trees would be lucky not to hit at least a couple of them.

Avalanche Likelihood

According to Bruce Temper's Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, 9 out of 10 avalanche victims trigger the avalanche that kills them. That means your character has a lot to do with whether or not they die.

Since we are are all authors here, let's design the scenario most likely to kill a character.

Avalanche-friendly conditions

There has been a recent, dramatic change in weather (storm to no storm, hot to cold, cold to hot, etc.).

The slope is between 30 and 45 degrees steep (contrary to popular belief, steeper does not automatically make an avalanche more likely). Side note: humans are rubbish at judging slope, so a modern-day experienced backcountry explorer will likely have her clinometer on her.

The slope faces north. These slopes get less sunlight in the winter (in the Northern Hemisphere), which makes the slow less 'sticky' and more unstable.

The slope is wind-loaded or beneath a cornice. If a cornice falls, it can trigger an avalanche above you, which is the worst place for an avalanche to be.

It has recently snowed (or is currently snowing!).

It's been windy recently.

Risky character traits

Your character doesn't know the area well.

Your character is a man (assuming the story takes place on Earth, where 92% of avalanche fatalities are men).

Your character is in a group that wants to press forwards.

Your character is overcommitted—they need to get to their destination, fast.

They are convinced they are an expert, or that someone in their group is.

Other people have gone down that slope already, which makes your character sloppy. Unfortunately, avalanches don't always trigger when the first person touches them.

Ironically, a slope that no one has gone down is also dangerous due to "powder fever," or the delight some skiers feel when they see an untouched slope and stop doing risk assessments.

High consequence locales

In the sections above, I discussed risk, or the likelihood that a bad thing (avalanche) occurs. Potential consequences also matter—it is safer to engage in high risk activities in places where the consequences are low, like rock climbing without ropes one foot off the ground.

How to make your avalanche as high consequence as possible?

Your character is alone. Recall that at 2 hours, the likelihood of surviving an avalanche has fallen to 20%. If your character is alone, what is the chance anyone notices they're missing within 2 hours, let alone they get to the exact slope where they're buried in that time?

The landscape has a lot of rocks or trees, making blunt force trauma likely.

The bottom of the slope is a crevasse or river bed or narrows as it goes down. This is because it takes time to dig someone out of an avalanche, even after you find them, so the deeper your character is buried, the more likely they are to die.

Avalanche Rescue

The worst has happened: one of your characters has been swept away in an avalanche and buried. Now what?

If we want a 50% chance of survival we have 20 minutes to 1) find the victim and 2) dig them out.

Immediately, your character's friends, who are, of course, avalanche rescue experts, leap into action. Having determined the slope is safe, they get to wherever the avalanche ended as fast as possible and commence a search.

Before launching into a search pattern, bystanders probe areas there friend has a high likelihood of being in. This means probing around any equipment they see sticking out of the snow (ski, glove, hat, etc.) and especially around any limbs (if the buried person is sticking a hand above ground and waving, start there). They also check around protruding objects like rocks, where their friend may have gotten stuck.

Source.

Probing means sticking a ski pole or some other long object into the ground at a 90 degree angle in the hopes that you poke the buried person. 

Source. *poke* "Ouch!"

A note on pole length: six feet should be adequate. It is both rare to be buried deeper than six feet and essentially impossible to rescue someone six feet under before they die.

Let's say your characters probe all the likely areas and find nothing. Now what?

Beacon search

What is an avalanche beacon? Basically, beacons are small devices you can carry into avalanche country that help you find your friend, or your friends find you, if one of you gets caught.

Example of an avalanche beacon. Source.

Avalanche beacons have two modes: "send," which sends out a signal, and "search," which looks for a signal. The idea is, everyone on your team has what is essentially a GPS tracker on them. If one gets buried, the others can use their beacons to triangulate the position fast enough to, hopefully, do a fine search in the correct area before the buried person is dead.

If the bystanders in your plot have beacons, they switch them to "search" mode. (It is tragically common for people who carry beacons, but don't practice with them often, to commence an excellent search pattern while their beacons are still projecting their location instead of searching for the location of their friend.)

The video above shows an example of a search pattern with one rescuer. The more rescuers, the faster the search, and the more likely the buried victim is to survive. The picture below shows some multi-rescuer search patterns.

Search patterns based on the number of searchers. Source.

Beacon-less search

What if your characters don't have beacons? First of all, they had better be in a world without beacons, because there isn't really a good excuse to be caught in an avalanche without one. Even if you are skiing alone, because beacons are interoperable, you might as well carry one to help out any potential rescuers.

But let's say your character lives in pre-industrial avalanche country so we can't judge their decisions too hard. Now what?

Assuming the victim's hand isn't sticking out of the ground and waving for help, your rescuers are stuck doing a probe search everywhere. This involves sticking a long pole in the ground every 1.5 feet or so in a spiral or grid pattern and hoping you poke your friend before they die.

Source

A spiral search may be easier with only one rescuer.

Source

If there are a ton of bystanders ready to rescue the buried victim, they can get regimented about it, setting up lines and moving in interlocking grid patterns to search the largest area possible in the shortest amount of time.

DIG

The rescuers have successfully poked the buried victim. The next step is simple: DIG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJbnc4MjylI (no more embedded videos allowed :sad face:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGQg9o3vAkM

Medical Care

Ideally, your bystanders dig the head out first, since this is the body part with all the important bits in it. My WFR instructor recommended starting Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV—the thing you see in movies with the plastic mask and bag that EMTs squeeze to help someone breathe) immediately after rescue unless the victim protests loudly. This can clear snow out of the lungs and in general help them maintain oxygenation.

As other body parts get uncovered, treat what you see.

How to Show Your Character is a Pro

They dig a trench before going out too far. This allows you to see the layers of snow and judge how likely an avalanche is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcXogVHecFQ

They test snow density by trying to poke through it with a knee, hand, finger, and knife.

They might also intentionally knock a cornice over to see if it triggers an avalanche (this is done from a safe distance).

And finally, they consider walking above someone on a dangerous slope attempted murder.

Conclusion

The best way to survive an avalanche is to avoid being caught in one. Barring that...

We at ICT recommend your character carry a beacon, be in relatively safe territory, and have a flock of friends available for rescue purposes.

[misssquidtracy]

Noble Intentions (Part 3).

The end of my slightly belated contribution to Gordo’s FabFiveFeb week. I finally managed to snap a leash on it before it could breed any more  🙌🏻

All credit for FabFiveFeb goes to the gorgeous @gumnut-logic 💚

Prompt: You did what?

Genre: Humour.

Characters: Gordon & Brains.

Part 1  Part 2

-x-

“Magnificent!” Brains cooed, peering out the window of the Helipod at the forested slopes of Bogota’s Eastern Hills, “What a t-truly remarkable place!”

Gordon smiled and tightened his grip on the yoke, “See, Brains? Wasn’t this worth getting up early for?”

The scientist twisted his head to gaze out the opposing window and peeped in delight when a flock of colourful finches zipped past, “Absolutely! Though while the views are stunning, it’s Dr. Gabriela I’m really looking forward to meeting. I can’t believe she’s one of just a handful of senior ophthalmologists investigating the link between vision restoration and gene t-therapy. I’ve never felt defined by my eyesight, but I’ve always wondered whether a t-technique exists that could reduce my reliance on corrective lenses. I went to a clinic specialising in photorefractive keratectomy and refractive lens exchange a couple of years ago, but nothing ultimately came of it. I’m excited to see if Dr. Gabriela has any suggestions. How lucky for me t-that you were able to get me an appointment at such short notice!”

“Yeah…” Gordon bit his lip and tried to ignore the guilty sensation that was holding his conscious hostage. He’d been up all night researching various scientific phrases he could throw at Brains in an effort to persuade him to tag along to Gabriela’s charity event. While his initial sales pitch had been enough to convince the engineer to abandon tinkering with his hatch deployment actuator, the little reading that Gordon had done on eye health hadn’t prepared him for the barrage of questions Brains had thrown at him.

“Does Dr. Gabriela have access to a VT 3 vision screener? And how up-to-date is her femtosecond laser?”

Sweat started to bead on Gordon’s forehead as he fought the urge to start making words and phrases up, “Oh, everything she uses is top of the range, Brains. Top of the range I say.”

The engineer made a noise of contentment similar to the one he’d made after Scott had given him permission to butcher the stray GDF R.O.BOT that had ended up in Tracy Island’s hanger.

-x-

Five short minutes later, and Gordon was ushering Brains through a pair of automatic doors that led into a gymnasium of sorts. While the scientist was content to admit that he’d never been to a South American country before, the layout of this so-called ‘private clinic’ was definitely not what he’d been expecting.

It wasn’t long before the discomfort of being in unfamiliar surroundings began to eat away at Brains’s composure. Thankfully, he had the ever sociable Gordon for backup, “Is this the w-waiting room?”

“Yeah…kind of,” Gordon replied, waving awkwardly as several people doddered past and began setting up easels, “You know what, let’s save Gabriela some trouble and start getting things ready for her. I know she’s a very busy woman, so any time we can save her will be a win for us.”

A peep of shock forced its way out of Brains’s mouth as he was bundled off towards a corner of the room that was obscured by a curtain of sorts. He’d done some preliminary research on Bogota’s economic health and was aware that the area was seismically sensitive and had suffered extensive infrastructural damage as a result of said seismic activity. Even so, he’d expected something markedly different when Gordon had bleated about how ‘top of the range’ this place supposedly was.

“Okay, you need to strip off,” Gordon instructed, shoving the scientist behind the safety of the curtain before politely turning away, “All new patients have to undergo a full-body CT scan to check for any underlying health conditions. Unfortunately they’re out of gowns, so you’ll have to do it in the buff.”

Any preoccupations Brains had with the decor of his new surroundings flew out the window quicker than Scott on an amphetamine at the bluntness of Gordon’s statement. Stripping off for an invasive procedure was to be expected, but for an eye exam?

Something didn’t add up…

“Oh, and you can’t wear your glasses during the scan either,” Gordon announced, inserting an arm through the curtain and popping the lenses neatly off the engineer’s nose, “Metallic objects can interfere with the final result. Now, chop, chop! Gabriela is waiting.”

Eager to avoid anything that could cause social awkwardness, Brains set about hesitantly disrobing. He’d never had a medical experience quite as…rustic…as this one, but reminded himself that not everyone had access to the same resources and technology they had back on Tracy Island.

Plus, he trusted Gordon.

-x-

“Is he here?” Gabriela asked, clattering towards Gordon like a giraffe on stilts, “Because I’ve got seventy people who’ve paid good money to put a member of International Rescue on their canvases.”

“Relax,” Gordon soothed, jerking his head in the direction of where he’d left Brains, “He’s getting ready now. How long will the whole thing take?”

A cloud of noxiously sweet perfume wafted through the air as Gabriela ran to consult her diary, “The entire class is three hours long, but guests are encouraged to take reference pictures during the first few minutes. Obviously, we can’t expect a model to pose for so long, so we generally ask for them to sit for just the first hour. Most people should have finished subject studying and underpainting by then.”

“He won’t last that long,” Gordon sighed, jolting when John suddenly issued a rescue order for a couple of stranded hikers on the Nepali slope of Everest. Thankfully, Scott picked up the call before enquiries could be made about Gordon’s whereabouts.

“Fifteen minutes, minimum,” Gabriela clinched, aware that her guests were starting to twiddle their brushes in impatience, “I just need him long enough for photos to be taken. I know it sounds tedious, but photographic shots are necessary for shading and contouring. Plus, guests can refer back to them if they don’t finish in the allotted time.”

Caramel eyes narrowed to slits as Gordon calculated the risk of further hoodwinking his blind colleague.

“Okay, fifteen minutes,” the aquanaut affirmed, striding back to where he’d left his charge, “You done yet, Brains?”

“I t-think so,” came the uncertain response, “But how am I going to get to the radiology clinic in t-this condition? Surely it would have made more sense for me to ‘prepare’ myself in the same room as the scanner?”

“Oh, it’s a portable one that can scan you from a distance in any position,” Gordon blabbed, throwing Gabriela a thumbs up as he gripped the curtain and prepared to yank it back, “Top of the range, remember?”

“If you s-say so,” Brains stammered, blinking like a mole that had just emerged into the sunlight, “I t-trust you.”

The hand that was about to rip the curtain back paused, it’s owner reflecting on the depth of the three words that had just been uttered.

Sure, if Scott hadn’t threatened to ground him, then Brains would be back in the safety of his lab and Gordon himself behind the curtain. And the entire event was funding a very worthy cause with numerous far-reaching benefits…

…but was it all worth humiliating a friend over?

Everyone who had the pleasure of meeting Gordon always described him as an uncommonly kind man. He had an almost innate ability to see life through other people’s eyes. Though it was emotionally exhausting at times, it was the driving force behind his desire to make people happy. He soaked up emotions like a sponge, and had learnt over the years that the best way to keep himself light and fluffy was to project as much positive energy into the people around him as possible.

Despite being disoriented and confused, Brains had willingly put a healthy chunk of his dignity into Gordon’s hands. And now his ass was on the line. 

Quite literally.

Gordon sighed. Noble intentions or not, no impulsive decision was worth a friend’s modesty.

“Change of plans, Brains,” the aquanaut informed, “Gabriela’s got an emergency telephone consultation, so has referred you back to your usual guy in Sydney. You can get dressed and come out. I’ve popped your glasses down by your shoes, so don’t tread on them.”

Of course, the life of someone in Gordon’s line of work with Gordon’s personality meant that for every battle won, another was lost. While the moral dilemma over Brains’s involvement in the event was over, there was still the issue of Gabriela and the roomful of impatient artists she’d amassed.

“Hey, Brains? I’m just nipping home real quick. Tell Gabriela I’ll be back within the hour with a fully-fledged International Rescue operative for her…um…thing. This neighbourhood isn’t the safest place on the map, so don’t leave the compound by yourself. See you in a jiffy.”

The partially dressed Brains had less than a second to formulate a reply before Gordon bolted out the door, a metaphorical trail of fire blazing in his wake.

“I really must talk to Scott about a p-pay rise...”

-x-

One hour later…

MAX beeped seductively as he stretched his robotic limbs across the chaise lounge he was sprawled across.

“Draw him like one of your French robots,” Gordon suggested to a dark haired woman who had been studying her easel for several minutes, the hilarity of his own joke causing a snort to break forth. The woman remained impassive, her eyes fixed on the contours of MAX’s storage pod. Titanic references were clearly neither wanted, nor appreciated.

It hadn’t been the event anyone had expected. There had been no naked emergency responders, no naked engineers, and by extension, no naked calendar. Thankfully, MAX’s delight at being asked to participate in a human activity, combined with his enthusiasm for arts and crafts had gone some way towards placating some of the slightly miffed attendees.  

“Well, we hit out target,” Gabriela announced, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “Plus, MAX managed to rake in a fair few tips. That should cover the cost of food for the day.”

A sad series of beeps sounded as MAX dropped his gaze to the floor. He’d hoped to use the human money he’d earnt to buy his own easel, since Virgil was getting tired of him constantly vandalising his. Maybe he could ask Scott to pay him every time he emptied the dishwasher, just like he did with Alan…

“Chin up, MAX!” Gordon cooed, loading as much leftover food into the Helipod’s storage bin as was physically possible, “I’ll pay you twice what you earnt in tips for your time today. How does that sound?”

Brains smiled and self-consciously adjusted his glasses, “Thank you G-Gordon. We both thoroughly enjoyed our time here today. I must say, everyone did an excellent job at capturing MAX’s likeness. I think the canvas I p-purchased will look wonderful next to Kayo’s picture in the lounge. Of course, we’ll have to shift the r-rest of you up a bit to make room.”

Gordon gave a distracted nod around the sandwich he was chewing, his own small reward for a day chock full of hoop jumping.

After watching his creator disappear outside to chat to Gabriela (who was in the middle of a well-deserved smoke break), MAX wheeled over to the bag containing the portrait Brains had bought and carefully extracted it, his eye widening in awe as he drank in the masterful brushstrokes that came together to recreate him.

There was just one thing missing...

...a moustache.

-x-

Present day

"Uh, Gordon?" Virgil's voice was low and gentle, a stark contrast to the shrieks of delight Mandy was emitting, "Do I need to remind you about what happened last time you signed up for something like this?"

Gordon most certainly didn’t need reminding. He still hadn’t fully recovered from the tongue-lashing Scott had given him after discovering the portraits out of whack and MAX’s canvas next to his launch station…or the follow-up tongue-lashing that had come about after he’d learnt the reason behind the portraits being out of whack.

Hopefully an expensive bouquet of flowers on top of one of Scott’s ‘fat-ass cheques’ would keep Mandy from hunting him down and gnawing off his toes while he slept…

It wasn’t all bad though. Scott would never admit it, but Gordon’s previous display of charitable benevolence had warmed his heart enough for him to disclose to John the one person they could all freely bare their naked asses to if they so wished.  

The Hood. But on two conditions:

1. He had to be en route to a prison cell at the time.

2. The phrase ‘kiss my ass’ would have to take on a literal meaning instead of a metaphorical one.

FIN

[rnmsmalltownlegends]

Michael Guerin week was so much fun! So many people put out amazing work and I discovered some people who I had never come across before, which is always a delight! It was hard to just pick one fic per day, but I tried to choose some from people who I felt didn’t get enough attention or that just really stood out to me. Here goes! (also ps special shoutout for all the incredible gifsets and fanart made that I didn’t get to shoutout here!)

donuts

Between s02e01 and s02e05, Michael and Liz bond over light bulbs and donuts.

T | @ineverlookavvay​ | Michael Guerin & Liz Ortecho

Why We Love It: 

This phenomenal fic is about Liz and Michael really solidifying their friendship. It’s a lot of talking and a lot of them recognizing the multitude of things they have in common, even if those things aren’t exactly the best things in the world. The characterization is incredible and it was such a delight to read, definitely give it a go!

Secrets

hitman au: sniper & spotter aka the one michael tells alex his secret while on a mission

T | @chillyourtitseatnoodles​ | Michael Guerin/Alex Manes

Why We Love It:

In this surprisingly light little story, set in a universe where they’re literal hitmen, we get introduced to a antagonistic pair with a whole bunch of banter. They argue a little about little things to the point that Michael eventually just decides to expose himself if it means getting the job done quicker. It’s a lot of fun!

not letting what we built up crumble to dust

Michael fell in love with Alex when he was seventeen. Now that they are finally together he learns to love Alex all over again.

M | @jule1122​ | Michael Guerin/Alex Manes, Max Evans

Why We Love It:

This story is all about them learning to be together as adults and learning that it’s not all sunshine and roses once they get past the forgiveness. Making it work is the hard part and, man, do they make it work. This story is so incredible and in depth and sweet and has some incredible Max and Michael scenes. There’s so much love and progress over the course of this story and I hope everyone takes the time to read it.

“We are family.”

N/A | @frankchurchillsaysrelax​ | Michael Guerin

Why We Love It: 

Another short one that feels like required reading. It’s set in the lost decade, in a time where Michael is told he’s family and yet doesn’t quite feel like he is. He just takes what he can get until he finds something to make home. It’s very sweet and heartwarming in an “ouch” kinda way.

The Airstream

The one where Michael reminisces about the important life moments that happened in the airstream.

Not Rated | @theviewofmylife​ | Michael Guerin/Alex Manes

Why We Love It: 

I say it’s malex because it’s got a little bit of that in there and that’s what the author has it as, but to me it really feels like a very specific part of a Michael Guerin Character Study. There’s something so beautiful about him realizing he’s almost being forced to make a change and sitting on the floor as he thinks about his life in this space. I don’t want to spoil it, just go read!

This Is the Way We Fall

"You okay down there?" Alex's face comes into view, like an orbiting object transiting the sun.

G | @changingthingslikeleaves | Michael Guerin/Alex Manes

Why We Love It:

I swear, I didn’t want to make this just a malex-ful list, but this is lovely. It’s small, but it feels so real and true to character. They’re both a little lost and little down and they just need some help to gravitate back to each other. Absolutely lovely.

some will love and some will curse you, baby

a character study on michael guerin, one drabble at a time

G | @lire-casander​ | Michael Guerin + Roswell Ensemble

 Why We Love It:

Okay, I cheated a little bit for this one. This is a compilation of a 100 word drabbles (and two 200 word drabbles) written over the course of the week. I feel like the people who are able to consistently churn out really good drabbles that short are super underappreciated. That shit is hard. It takes talent. Every single one of these are amazing, from an angsty little bit between Michael and Liz to a playful scene between Michael and Rosa to a sweet scene between Michael and Isobel. It’s such a good read, go give it some love!