#Intrigue and suspense

[latest-info]

The Lantern of Kaamos

Chapter 1: The Mysterious Encounter The bustling streets of Los Angeles hummed with life as Jonna, a spirited adventurer with a penchant for unraveling mysteries, stood at the edge of the bustling pier. The salty breeze tousled her auburn hair as she gazed out at the vast expanse of the ocean, her heart filled with a sense of anticipation. It was there, amidst the chaotic beauty of the city,…

[little-fandom-dump]

hoes when every other character on the podcast is being subjected to The Horrors but their blorbo is doing just fine

[thepariahcontinuum]

MARZ Rising - Chapter 136: Plotting and Scheming

The villains put their plans into action and prepare to sneak into Atlas whilst the team prepare their own plans to break free.

FF Net

Ao3

[thatgirl4815]

If YinWar's new series does not have any tonal similarities to Partners in Crime, that would be the biggest missed opportunity ever.

[theshadowrealmitself]

Keep thinking sad thoughts and sad scenarios and spiraling a bit, so this is my attempt to take a tragic scenario and pivot it since trying to avoid flat out of thinking of tragedy isn’t working, so tw for mentions of attempted suicide:

Person (A) who tries to kill themself a few times but sets it up to seem like complete accidents so no one figures out what they were trying to do, and it doesn’t work

So they think that’s the end of it, everyone else thinks they just had a close, completely accidental, brush with death, and they’re gonna be made to go to counseling for it anyways, so they start mentally preparing themselves to take counseling seriously and actually work on their mental health, use this as an opportunity to turn their life around

But someone they know (B) went investigating, and they found all the other set ups to lead to “accidents” against A and come to the conclusion that someone’s trying to murder A

And A of course knows that’s bullshit, but they don’t wanna explain that they were trying to kill themself, so they keep trying to pass it off as bad luck and B’s just seeing patterns that aren’t there

Until A’s car explodes, almost killing them, and they realize that someone was trying to kill them while they were trying to kill themself, and, unlike A, they didn’t come to the conclusion to stop

(I don’t actually know what B should be in this situation, so they’re detective-esque, maybe they aren’t an actual detective but they put themself on the case and they’re gonna assure A’s safety if it’s the last thing they do)

(but it won’t be)

(because this isn’t gonna end in tragedy, not this time)

[tapperhet-em]

12

Everyone is together, but tension between them is building....

"Dude, can you maybe NOT try to antagonize Einar?" Elio had barely waited till they were outside of the cabin to address Tieran.  "And don't you dare try and play stupid.  You have been hot and cold with Meeri for years, and you know something went down back at the garrison with Einar, so you poke the bear by flirting with her right in front of him?"

Lorcan hung back a bit, ready to back Elio up if needed.  He had the same thoughts.  Something felt off about the whole interaction back in the cabin.  They were all too close of friends for this to be going down now.  In the coming days they would need to be a team, not at each other's throats.  However, if they were all going to function as one, they had to get this one thing that had been hanging over them all for years out in the open.  When things between Einar and Meeri had been more obscure, it had not been such a big deal, but now it was becoming more of one.  He would have Meeri’s back before anyone else’s, which meant having Einar’s. 

"Maybe you don't know all you think you do E." Tieran raised the tailgate and tried to reign in his irritation.  Turning around, he sat on the back deck of the SUV and saw Lorcan’s jaw grinding.  That was one man he didn’t want to fuck with, not that making Elio pissed was top of his list to do either.  "You two want to know why it's been hot and cold?  Because I have been trying to respect the fact that me and one of my best friends are in love with the same woman.  A woman, might I add, that looks at him like her hero every damn time that he steps in the room.  You two might as well be blooded brothers to her, she took a harsh punishment for E, even.  Don’t tell me she wouldn’t do the same for you, Lo.  I don't know where I fit in here, I haven’t for a long time.  I don’t know where I fit in with you guys anymore, and not with the woman that has my heart and I can’t confess it to.  I try to play it off as cool, and I fuck it up.  I try to get closer to her, and I feel like I’ve got Einar’s crosshairs on my forehead."  He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, knowing he probably made things even more awkward but he'd felt like he had to clear the air.

"Tier, bro, you're our brother, and always have been.  You're Einar’s brother.  And it is up to you if you want to be close to Meeri as a brother or just a friend.  But, what we can't have, is you and Einar at each other’s throats, or Meeri upset because you're hostile again to her, and her not understanding why.  All we have are each other now."  Lorcan leaned his hip against one side of the rear of the SUV, and looked towards Tieran.  He understood his friend’s feelings, but they had to get things settled; or they'd turn on one another at some point. Tieran was the weak link in their chain, a chain they needed to be strong as titanium. Damn, he hated that he was now thinking of his friend like they were soldiers on a battlefield; but Lorcan could not ignore that they had a shit ton of Royal Forces looking for Meeri, and by hiding her they were signing their own death warrants too.

"Lo's right, T.  You’ve got to get this settled with Meeri and with Einar.  We can’t have constant upset and people on unstable footing.  If you don’t think you can, and want to leave and go back to your family, I'll give you my keys.  No judgment.   If you stay, you've got to get this worked out." Elio hated this.  He didn't know if Tieran or Lorcan had noticed the ring on Meeri’s finger back at the garrison, but he had.  It didn't take a genius to figure out its meaning; another reason Tieran needed to figure his shit out.

"I'm not walking away, guys.  Give me more credit than that.  Fuck!  I love her, I am IN love with her.  I don't know how to change that, but I can at least try to not piss off Einar, or be an ass to her.  I’ll figure something out, don’t ask me what.  I don't want one of you shooting me, or her." Tieran shrugged and pushed off of the rear of the vehicle to standing.  "I guess we need to get this stuff inside, huh?"  He didn’t want to talk anymore.  At least unpacking the SUV would keep them all moving, and give him something other than the situation for him to think on.

"Damn, you guys are slow." Einar chuckled as he walked up.  Then he caught sight of the full postures of his three friends.  Something was off, he’d known them all too long not to see the signs.  "What did I miss?  And do not lie to me and say nothing.  I'm too tired to deal with bullshit tonight." His gaze alternated between the three of them as his head tipped back, feeling very uneasy.

“Uh…” Elio stuttered as he tried to think how to handle this without there being an actual fight.  Things could even out from here on out, or they could go straight to shit; but it was the watershed moment for the group.   It might be a good thing that Meeri was inside, because one member of the group upset at a time was more than enough for him.  If she came out, and heard what he was sure Tieran was about to say, then both she AND Einar would be pissed.  If she got upset, Lorcan wouldn’t be far behind.  Elio’s eyes met Lorcan’s, who also looked unsure how to progress given the current situation.

Tieran held up a hand to his friend.  “It’s okay, E, I got it.”  Here went nothing.  He squared his shoulders as he faced Einar, a man he’d been friends with since they were just kids.  A man he respected highly, and loved like a brother. “The guys called me out on something that I should have been called out on a long time ago.  I need to stop being an ass to Meeri.  I’ve been handling a situation with her wrong, and it is just cuz I have an issue with the fact that she loves you and not me, even though I’m in love with her too.”  There he’d said it and the slight look of shock on Einar’s face meant that he might have suspected it, but not really known for sure.  For sure it was not what he had expected to hear from any of them.

Feeling like an ass from the way that Einar was looking, Tieran licked his lips, pursed them together, then continued.  “Lo and E are like real brothers to her, you’re her hero that she has obviously loved as much as you love her.  So where do I fit in, Einar?  What is my place when it comes to the group here?  Ya know?”  He swallowed, looked down, and kicked at the dirt a little with his boot.  It was so fucked up that it had gone on so long, and that it was coming out now.  “It’s not her fault.” He looked back up.  “She loves you, I love her, and I fuck up handling it.  The guys are right, I’ve got to stop fucking it up because the stakes are a lot higher now than just some hurt feelings or a quarrel in the group.  We all have prices on our heads and we can’t be hurting one another over this shit.”  Tieran’s head dropped again and he once more let out a heavy sigh, his hands fisting and relaxing as he fought his feelings.  He couldn’t walk away, he couldn’t leave his friends to handle all of this without trying to help them, there was no way he could leave HER, but right now having to be around them, with no escape, felt heavy on him; only his love for all his friends and Meeri kept him rooted in that spot.

For over a full minute Einar stood there trying to come up with something to say, but kept coming up empty.  He looked over to Elio and Lorcan in turn, who looked rather grim and they didn’t know what to say either.  This was heavy, heavier than he’d anticipated, when he’d demanded an answer.  He’d wanted to know, so here it was.  “We’ll figure it out, T.  We’ll handle it.”  His words were stilted.  It was clear that he had no idea what to do now, but was trying.  His brain was just not absorbing it all at the moment.

Taking a deep breath, “for now we need to get everything inside and get this SUV hidden.  This place may not be on the top of everyone’s list, but it will be on a list somewhere.  We have to be prepared.  We’ll figure the rest out later.   It can all be worked out, T.  You’re still my brother.”  Einar swallowed and still felt a little shell shocked.  He was reverting back to handling things as a soldier and nothing more.  If he thought on things too much right now, he would lose focus on what was important.

Lorcan clapped Einar on the shoulder.  Clearly, this was going over about as well as he expected, and was going to keep going over that way, so they needed to get moving.  Using his command voice, he had honed well as an MP and Sargent, he started giving directions in clipped tones that got the others moving.  They got the SUV unloaded quickly and everything into what seemed to be the appropriate rooms in the cabin.  Once the SUV was clean of everything, Lorcan got the keys from Elio to take it down to the same turnout as the Jeep, only to park it on the other side and throw a ghillie tarp over it that he’d found while he and Meeri had been waiting for the others.  He took another one for the Jeep.  It wouldn’t pass a close inspection, but would at least help it blend from the air or if they were just driving by and didn’t stop.  Thankfully Tieran’s uncle had that damn cabin stocked with anything you’d need to hunt.

[whileyouwait-dm]

2

He's been searching for her, but will Djall find Miriana before it's too late to keep a smudge from her soul, and how will that meeting go?

Miriana could hear things moving in the forest around her, but was unable to see anything.  So far, nothing had come out of the trees or underbrush to show itself.  She hoped that would remain the case until she could find someone else.  While she had no clue where she was, she knew enough about most forested areas in her country to know that the wild animals could be dangerous if provoked, wounded, hungry, or around their young.  It would be preferable to not find out if any of those were true the hard way.  Stumbling on a road or someone’s home would be much better, but so far that didn’t look like it was going to be happening soon.

The sky was darkening, but she wasn’t sure if a storm was coming or it was becoming evening.  She couldn’t really see clouds, but she couldn’t see the sun either.  She felt so lost and hated the feeling.  Miriana was not someone who went hiking often, so she was totally out of her element and now wished that she had accepted those invites form her friends to go to the State and National Parks and go on the trails with her friends.  Sure they were going for Instagram and TikTok, but at least then she might recognize something.  The only thing she did know was that the large branch a few yards from her that she could see up against a tree was something she would want.  A weapon or something to help her traverse the uneven and densely covered ground, it was at least useful.  

*****

Djall saw the sky darkening and knew he had to hurry.  He’d teleported to the forest, but it wasn’t like it was small.  Ravens were out searching, but so far none had returned to him with any reports of a female with the aura of an innocent.  If anything happened to her, he would go up personally to see the feathered fucks who were supposed to control the automated algorithm that sorted souls as they passed on the Earthly plain to make sure that this didn’t happen.  Trying to restore souls was hard enough, trying to restore a pure soul, in Hell, without leaving a smudge was impossible.  Then she’d be trapped.

Thankfully he’d received the name of the female at least, so he had a starting point.  As he went, he called her name, making sure to project his voice so she’d hear.  If he didn’t find her by dark, there was no doubt that he’d be picking up pieces of her when he did find her.  While the creatures that inhabited the forest could come out at any time, and were known to, they preferred to hunt at night when their prey could not see them.  It would also make it harder for him to find the poor woman.  

As he went deeper into the forest, a raven swooped down and landed on his shoulder.  Chattering in his ear, the location of Miriana was relayed so that Djall could go find her before any of the vicious beasts within the forests pounced.  The raven indicated that there were many circling, seeming to try to ascertain the best angle of attack.  The girl had only a large branch for protection and the raven did not believe she would survive the hour.

Djall swore under his breath and teleported to the location that the raven had given him.  Sure enough, just in front of him was the female, long curly hair blowing in the breeze and just about to get caught on a branch.  She was definitely not dressed or prepared for the forest, nor did she appear to be at all familiar in moving through one.  The bastards upstairs had really fucked her over.  Time to at least rescue her and keep her safe till he could fix their fuck up.

Just as Djall had stepped forward to approach Miriana, a hellcat lunged at her, biting her hand.  Now he’d have to heal her, and most likely that was going to leave a smudge. FUCK!  Lashing out, the hellcat was turned to dust.  

In a blink, Djall had Miriana and teleported them both back to his manor.  Putting her up against the wall, his hand went over her mouth when she started to scream.  He had not the time or the patience for her to panic or freak out.  Not today.

“You’re probably wondering what is going on.  I am Djall, the ruler in these parts and you, my darling, are in Hell.  Don’t scream.”  He started to remove his hand, she started to scream, back it went.  “Now, Miriana, if we’re going to get along, you are going to have to stop that.  I will explain everything, but no screaming.  Can we try this again?”  He raised his brows, and when she nodded, he removed his hand.  “Now, that is a good girl.  Let me see your hand.  You were scratched by the hellcat. I need to see how bad it is.”

Miriana slowly raised her hand and held it out to the strange man in front of her.  Somehow he knew her name and she really hoped that she’d been hit by a car and this was all some kind of dream in a coma, because being in Hell wasn’t on her list of things she wanted to do.  She couldn’t deny, though, that something strange was going on, because one second they had been in the forest and the next they were in some mansion.  That was not normal.

“Shit!  I can heal it, but it’s going to leave a smudge.”  Djall gently ran his finger over the open wound that was bleeding, causing it to close completely and leaving a pale grey scar on her hand.  His head rose and his eyes met hers.  “You’re not supposed to be here, but the pricks upstairs made a mistake. I’m going to try and convince them that since this little smudge is their fault they should still let you in.  I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner.”  He really was trying to control his temper, the poor woman looked absolutely terrified, beautiful, but terrified.

Miriana studied the man in front of her, trying to get some idea if he was a hallucination or not.  He had to be close to six feet tall, slim but definitely strong from the way he’d just handled her, definitely handsome with his dark hair and eyes, and what must be a perma-tan.  This Djall also had the intimidation factor down, he had her utterly petrified.  

“Hell?  I…I..I’m in Hell?”  She finally stuttered out, breaking through the shock of trying to digest everything he’d just thrown at her.  “I’m dead?” Her eyes darted around the room, sweeping over every detail, but not really taking any of them in as she fought terror overwhelming her.

“Look at me, Miriana.”  Djall kept his tone and volume soft, having her completely melt down was not going to be conducive to anything.  “Miriana,” saying her name, the second time, got her to meet his gaze, “there we go.  We’re going to take this one step at a time.  Yes, you are dead. I don’t know how.”  He saw her start to tremble, and wrapped his fingers gently around the hand he still held.  “As I said, you’re not supposed to be here, and I’m going to work to get you where you are supposed to be.  Are you following me so far?”  Normally he didn’t have to have this conversation with souls.  First, he didn’t care if they knew they were dead or where they were.  Second, they were supposed to be in Hell, so whether they liked it or not was not of any kind of consequence.  Normally he was just the administrator over the realm.

Miriana nodded, “yes, I think so.  So, you’re not going to hurt me?”  Her brows slowly came together in confusion.  Was he a demon?  Didn’t he say he was the ruler?  

“No, I’m not going to hurt you.   Outside of this manor are many beasts and beings that would love to, but inside you are safe.  So, please, do not go outside without me.  You are not a prisoner, but you are, unfortunately, in Hell.”  He sighed.  There were things he could do that would ensure her safety, but all of them would add additional smudges to her soul.  A smudge from a hellcat scratch that attacked her when she was in the forest, that he could probably get by the feathered fuckeheads upstairs.  Putting his seal on her, that one would keep her out of Paradise.

“Okay, so inside only.  And Djall, right?”  Her eyes narrowed as she tried to keep it all straight.  “So, are there any other rules?  Things to avoid?  And what about clothes?  Food?  Oh G-” Once more his hand was over her mouth and her eyes were huge.  She already knew what she’d done.

Djall had to fight laughing, but he needed to be serious.  It was clear she already figured out her misstep with the name she’d about dropped.  “Yeah, let’s just leave that name out of things.” He winked at her as he let her take his hand off of her mouth with a smirk.  “Other than that, avoid mentioning holy things, crosses, do not have sex with any of my employees…trust me on that one…and if you ever have questions, just come and ask. As for what you’ll need to survive until I can get you upstairs, I’ll take care of it.  Don’t worry about any of that.  Just, do not go outside.  No matter what you think or see out there, do not.  Even if it looks and sounds like me.”  He tilted his forehead towards hers and his expression made it clear how serious he was.

“How will I find you if I need you?” Her teeth worried at her bottom lip as Miriana cataloged everything that she was and was not supposed to do.  “And what are you?  Demon?  I mean, if you want to tell me.  You don’t have to if it’s private.  I mean, I’ll understand if it is.  I just wondered.  I mean…” Once again she was cut off, but this time by one finger and he was chuckling.  He actually found her being nervous now amusing. “I am the Lord Of Hell.  I am not a demon, angel, or other.  I guess you could say I’m the brother of the big guy upstairs.”  He chuckled and let his finger slip off of her lips.  She was definitely going to keep him on his toes till she was gone.  “If you need me, just call me,” he leaned in closer to her, enjoying the slight shift she made due to her nerves, “and say you need me.  I’ll be there.”  He winked as he backed up, he could hear her pulse pounding and her breath having quickened.  Djall wouldn’t tease her too much, poor thing, but the flush that had come to her cheeks was flattering to her complexion.  At least she’d be nice to look at for the short time she’d be with him.

“O..Okay.”  Miriana nodded, glad he had backed up.  There was something about him being so close that made her nerves rise and her heart pound.  It wasn’t bad, but he certainly had an effect on her. Maybe it was some kind of Hell thing that he was doing, but then why warn her of the demons who would seduce her?  She was so confused.  “Is there somewhere I could lie down?  I just need a rest or something, I’m feeling so overwhelmed?”  Her eyes closed and scrunched a little as she was still trying to make sense of everything.

“Of course, Miriana.  Whatever you need, you just need to ask. Tomorrow, I’ll give you a tour of the manor.”  He turned and offered her his arm. “Come with me, I’ll lead you up to a guest room for tonight.”  Djall gave her a soft smile, hoping that she had listened to everything that he had said. He knew that it had to be a shock and overwhelming.  While she was resting, he was going to go have a conversation with his counterparts and see how soon he could get her where she was supposed to be.

Her hand slid into the crook of his elbow and she felt a vibration of some sort that seemed to come off of him, it was deep like the heavy bass of music, but not wholly unpleasant. She tightened her hold on him as they moved through the large house, seeing the number of large males that seemed to inhabit it. There was something about the way that they looked at her that made her uncomfortable and move closer to Djall.  For the Lord of Hell, he made her feel safer when she was close to him.

Djall, for his part, was watching everything that she was doing.  He could hear the beating of her heart and the cadence of her breath.  She was still scared, but she was doing better.  Having her around for a day or two wouldn’t be all bad, but he had to remind himself that she didn’t belong there and whatever breath of fresh air she might be, she wouldn’t be there for long.  He wondered if he could bribe the feathered fucks to send someone down every once in a while just to lighten the atmosphere for a day or so, the souls that inhabited his realm were a little heavy.  Unfortunately, he had a sneaking suspicion that the mark on her hand might make Miriana his problem permanently, then she would get a lot “smudgier” and he’d have to see how that affected her, and he truly hoped not at all.

banner credit @cafekitsune

[bluesymoon]

percy you’re too smart for your own good. you need to be an idiot sometimes

[butmakeitgayblog]

Alycia in a movie playing a cunt while serving cunt? Hell. Yes.

Oof baby I'm gonna stay defending her terrible ass too 😩 apparently her character Nikki is supposed to be insufferable so we knoooow I will be looking any haters deadass in the eye like Fuckin And???

[jessepinwheel]

working on race con is fun because I'm once again reminded how stressful of a story this is going to be for people to read because there is just so much Plot

[call-me-fantasy]

✨Happy Happy B-Day for Me! (Yippie!) 🥳🎉✨

>>The only gift I ask from my followers is to INTERACT with this post. Like, comment, or share! It means a lot to me!

>>There's a special story in this post! Make my day and read it as well!🥰 A representation of how many birthdays have been for me. A crafted so everyone can assume what the story is really about. I hope to be able to bring more tales like this one in the future ♥✨

[womenusingwords]

Loyalty

The details… Title: Loyalty Author: E. J. Noyes Publisher: Bella Books Editor: Cath Walker Publication date: May 16, 2024 Available formats: ebook, paperback, audiobook (eventually)  Print length: 284 pages Genre: Romantic Action & Suspense  Themes: spies, foreign terrorists, government corruption, undercover intelligence agencies, national security, women loving women, sapphic…

[blueheartbookclub]

"The Mysteries of Gloria: A Review of G. Frederic Turner's Captivating Tale"

G. Frederic Turner's Gloria is a literary masterpiece that mesmerizes readers with its intricate plot, compelling characters, and thought-provoking themes. Set against the backdrop of a small New England town, Turner weaves a tale of mystery, intrigue, and hidden secrets that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.

At the heart of Gloria lies the enigmatic character after whom the novel is named. Gloria is a woman shrouded in mystery, her past veiled in secrecy and her motives unclear. As the story unfolds, readers are drawn into Gloria's world, where nothing is as it seems and every revelation only deepens the intrigue surrounding her. Turner masterfully explores the complexities of human nature through Gloria's character, leaving readers questioning the nature of truth, identity, and the masks we wear to conceal our innermost selves.

One of the most striking aspects of Gloria is Turner's skillful storytelling and evocative prose. His vivid descriptions of the New England landscape and its inhabitants create a rich tapestry of imagery that transports readers to the heart of the story. From the quaint charm of the town square to the eerie atmosphere of the surrounding forests, Turner's writing immerses readers in a world filled with beauty, danger, and uncertainty.

Moreover, Gloria is populated by a cast of characters as complex and multifaceted as the town itself. From the enigmatic Gloria to the town's quirky residents, each character is rendered with depth and nuance, their motivations and desires driving the narrative forward. Turner deftly explores themes of love, betrayal, and redemption through the interactions of these characters, weaving a web of relationships that adds depth and complexity to the story.

As the plot unfolds, Turner masterfully builds suspense, leading readers on a journey of discovery as they uncover the secrets hidden beneath the surface of Gloria's seemingly idyllic existence. With each twist and turn, the tension mounts, culminating in a gripping climax that leaves readers breathless and eager for more.

In conclusion, Gloria is a literary tour de force that captivates readers with its compelling narrative, intriguing characters, and atmospheric setting. G. Frederic Turner's masterful storytelling transports readers to a world filled with mystery and suspense, where nothing is as it seems and every revelation only deepens the intrigue. With its blend of suspense, romance, and psychological depth, Gloria is a must-read for anyone seeking an unforgettable literary experience.

G. Frederic Turner's Gloria is available in Amazon in paperback 18.99$ and hardcover24.99$ editions.

Number of pages: 432

Language: English

Rating: 9/10                                           

Link of the book!

Review By: King's Cat

[prosegalaxy]

In the twilight of time's eternal spiral, Two hearts entwined, a love so mystical, Beneath the moon's watchful gaze they dared, A romance that blossomed in dark lair. Whispers of mystery and suspense, Their passion danced with crime's expense, Through labyrinthine streets they'd roam, In secrets deep, their love was sown. Unraveling the threads of life, Their bond a riddle to decipher, But in the end, it's love prevails, A testament to time's unending tales.

[magicalmysteryperson]

(Uh Oh!) Back to the Lab Again.

[headspacedad]

Perfect Creature Trailer