#The Mystery of St. Michael's

[justmoreocs-edits]

Merry Christmas @fiercefray

Here's hoping you have a fantastic and restful Christmas.

[justmoreocs-writing]

Right now writing inspiration is really dry. But, one scene that keeps coming back to me is actually for my Constantine OC Alia. I really can’t wait to write the moment when she officially meets her siblings. It’s a crossover idea with fiercefray I have, and I just need these teenagers to deal with each other. That first coming together is going to be so difficult, but so worth it.

[heavenly--knight]

🎶 There's a knock on the door 📼

🦢 "basil please go get it for me.." is still w basil 💫

[ocappreciation]

ocappreciation + 2022 oc gift exchange ☃

↳ to: @foxesandmagic​→ from: @mystic-scripture​

[peasantexchangeprogram]

helloo since we're on the topic: top historical fiction (or adjacent) ? can be any time period I just really love your taste in shows/games/etc and am always on the lookout for history inspired media !

thank you!!! im rly glad im like. inspiring other ppl to engage w things im insane abt hudofajsdfdassfsad. anyways. i will probably expand that list bc i literally forgot every single thing i ever read. also i havent watched that many movies so far

ancient times: i havent really watched a lot of movies/series set in ancient times so far :(

rome HBO (2005-2007) (tv series) - OF COURSE. i personally think its one of the best series ever made. they combine political, miliatry history with the lives of every day people in an incredible way. they never let you once engage with the series through modern lenses. according to my teacher (a historian, archeologist & self described 'romaphile') its incredibly historically accurate, mostly the clothing, set designs, characterization, military practices, etc. except for the things they straight up made up, of course.

i really enjoyed gladiator (2000), i think its a masterpiece.

prince of egypt (1998) i guess?

all the asterix movies of course, all the animated ones and most of the live actions. but i wouldnt really call it historical fiction

ok i havent actually finished watching it for now but sebastiane (1976) - an erotic, x rated, gay interpretation of the martyrdom of st sebastian. its in latin also.

wait i cant believe i forgor about assassin's creed odyssey - so far the only one ive played. its so fun and incredibly immersive visually. especially pour moi who cries into the pillow about how ill never experience the ancient world. also you can b a faggot which is always fun. i have things to say about their portrayal of same-sex sexuality and slavery in classical greece but i get why they did that considering its supposed to like. appeal to a lot of people, and a more "historically accurate" portrayal (for example of pederasty or how common slavery was etc.) would b v difficult for a lot of their target audience. alas.

medieval and early modern era:

the name of the rose (1986) - my medieval history teacher literally showed us bits of this movie to teach us about monasteries and monks fhdosiasdjasd.

the borgias (2011-2013) - incredibly messy, lots of political intrigue, and so so fun to watch. about the history of the borgia family. filled to the brim with drama.

the three musketeers (1993) - my favorite adaptation, also coincidentally the one i grew up on. casting tim curry as richelieu was genius. he slays so hard.

i also like bbc's the musketeers (2014-2016) - a neat little series. very fun and entertaining to watch.

outlaw king (2018) - like i dont think most ppl heard of this movie. its about robert the bruce's fight to reclaim the throne of scotland. starring chris pine

vikings (2013-2020) - its fun. i havent watched the entire series tho. dont expect anything resembling historical accuracy

the northman (2022) - you will see something resembling historical accuracy

mihai viteazul (michael the brave) (1971) - a fun movie. very much romanian propaganda tho.

1670 (2023-) - such a fun series!!! incredible cast, shows respect to the actual history and the lives of historical people. really cute and funny.

caravaggio (1986) - a biopic about caravaggio.

wait i also forgor about pentiment - an intriguing, immersive, and incredibly beautiful video game! it has a lot of 'the name of the rose' vibes, with it being a medieval murder mystery taking place in a monastery. its incredibly touching and made me cry, and in the last few years i very rarely cry. also im 99% sure its an indie game? go support the creators!

vaguely-medieval/early modern fantasy:

mirror mirror (2012) - a retelling of snow white. a very fun movie imo, with incredible costume design. julia roberts plays the evil queen and she SLAYS. armie hammer is unfortunately in that movie.

stardust (2007) - one of my fave movies growing up. more modern-inspired but still.

the green knight (2021) - controversial i know but i actually loved this movie! i liked it both as a standalone movie but moreso as a 21st century adaptation to sir gawain and the green knight.

galavant (2015-2016) - !!!!!!! one of the most series ever! they manage to tackle such difficult concepts and conversations with a hilarious wit. so fun to watch. i listen to a lot of the songs still, and rewatch every once in a while.

disenchantment (2018-2023) - very fun to watch, especially the first season.

i also really liked the novel uprooted by naomi novik. its a polish-inspired fantasy.

modern era:

killers of the flower moon (2023) - of course. a masterpiece

aferim! (2015) - a romanian movie set in 19th century wallachia, about two officers, a father and son, who were sent by a nobleman to retrieve an escaped enslaved romani man. a lot of the people in the comments were calling the movie humorous and funny, maybe im missing smth (as im watching with subtitles n dont understand the original language) but it was a very difficult watch for me??

the handmaiden (2016) - need i say more

black sails (2014-2017) - a prequel to the famous novel 'treasure island'. not an easy series to watch. incredibly good.

the favourite (2018) - need i say more pt 2

the rabbi's cat (le chat du rabbin) (2011) - animated movie set in early 20th century algeria. a rabbi's cat learns to talk overnight.

the nice guys (2016) - a fun murder mystery set in the 1970s

o brother, where art thou (2000) - a retelling of the odyssey set in the southern us in the 1930s

victor/victoria (1982) - set in early 20th century paris. julie andrews pretends to be a man and takes on a job as a drag queen. extremely fun, extremely gay movie.

lady chatterley's lover (2022) - very much porn for moms but it was a nice watch imo

amulet (2020) - set in like. idk. sometime in the 20th century. this is a horror movie, deals a lot with misogyny, sa, and so on. i really like it, personally. a lot of people, mostly weird men, dont tho.

the great (2020-2023) - i have mixed feelings about this show. on the one hand, its really fun to watch. on the other hand, its basically ofmd for girls who have public mental breakdowns whenever someone claims corsets were oppressive. and theyre so weird about russians, jesus christ.

disses:

domina (2021-) - i just couldnt get into it, esp since i tried right after finishing rome hbo. it was kind of silly, and not in a good way. takes itself wayyyy to seriously.

i didnt like spartacus (2010-2013) - the dialogue was almost grotesque and the editing, especially the transitions, straight up killed me

damsel (2024) - holy fuck what a trainwreck of a movie. absolute waste of angela basset and robin wright. the only good thing were the costumes.

lancelot du lac (1974) - i just didnt like it at all. couldnt get into it. i guess it was way too french and artsy fartsy for me. a movie that was trying to say both too little and too much at the same time.

i didnt rly like bram stoker's dracula (1992) - i mean. it was a fine movie. it was definitely not the godfather. the movie itself was meh. the visuals tho? absolutely stunning

[trashquisitor-shirozora]

*enables you* what happened with TLJ 👃

After all these years I still can't properly find words to explain how deeply betrayed I felt after the credits rolled and I shuffled out of the movie theater with everybody else. There was a TON of hype surrounding this movie, an absolute fuckton. I only saw positive reviews about it, the cast, the director, the plot. I got excited to see where Rian Johnson & Co. would take the ST.

The only remotely negative comment I saw before watching the movie was a fandom blog saying they didn't like what happened to Poe. Since this blog was about racism in fandom, I knew something was off. That was my only warning.

And y'know, it was like, five minutes in? Ten minutes? And Poe makes a "Yo mama" joke at Hux? I used to go into movies with an open mind and spent days gathering my thoughts about them because I was always slow to react, slow to gather my thoughts into coherent strings of words. It's how I enjoyed Michael Bay productions and JJ Abrams' love affair with lens flare. I never got actively angry with a movie I was watching, and I was fucking angry by the time the movie ended. I still remember texting a friend while standing out in front of the theater because I was so confused. The response to TLJ was so positive so why did I come out of the movie so frustrated and confused and dissatisfied with the whole thing?

It's been years and we all know how this movie divided the Star Wars fandom and just... broke Fandom Spaces in a way I never expected. We all know what TLJ did and didn't do, and how TROS provided the final nail in the coffin that was the ST experiment. But back then, all I saw was positive commentary about the themes and messages of TLJ, how it portrayed failure and the dangers of putting someone like Luke Skywalker on a pedestal, how the Force was female, how... important it was to see Poe get characterized as a hotheaded hotshot who needed to be demoted, slapped around, and stunned in order to learn some kind of lesson, how important it was to see Finn lose everything he gained in TFA so that he could relearn how not to be selfish or something while starring in a fucking incredibly tone-deaf B plot, how Rey... I'm not sure exactly what because she didn't need training anyway and then spent most of her time trying to bring Ben Swolo back to the light????? Rose was so promising as someone who grew up under the FO's thumb but she and Kelly were fucking abandoned by Disney so I don't know if Rose existing was actually a good idea if it meant giving Kelly unending trauma. Mark slipped up by calling Luke "Jake" and expressing his displeasure in front of cameras, and I was so fucking baffled and alienated by his character after knowing how his story ended in ROTJ that I couldn't connect with whatever lessons I and he are supposed to be learning. JJ set up Snoke like a mystery box and Rian just yeeted him off without so much as a fucking explanation so what was the point of that? Hux was a fucking joke. Phasma was barely there. The only character that Rian cared about was fucking Kylo Ren and Adam says years later that he was never supposed to get a redemption arc anyway.

Like, this was the movie everyone hyped up? This was the movie that didn't answer any questions left unasked by TFA and didn't bother to move forward with character development for any of the known characters? I spent money watching a slow space chase that ended on a planet made of salt and killed off Luke for Reasons? Am I stupid? Am I dumb? Am I a peasant incapable of understanding the masterpiece Rian directed, this so-called Best Star Wars Movie Since ESB?

But I couldn't say anything. I couldn't be dogpiled for hating such a empowering movie for women, a diverse and inclusive movie that had the likes of John and Kelly and Oscar. I couldn't be lumped in with the Star Wars dudebros with their raging misogynistic and racist takes on the movie, the cast, Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm, Disney, etc. I couldn't be seen as one of them just because I didn't like a movie that I should like, I'm supposed to like. So I sat in silence, read meta, witnessed the fucking catastrophic explosion around some wild ass AO3 fandom essays written by a racist OG member of OTW about Finn/Poe, saw hate piled on black and bipoc fans, saw r*ylo fans come for John and John clap back at them, just saw an absolute fuckton of hate, and so by the time TROS came around I just... checked out. There was no way JJ could salvage what Rian had done and I was right. TROS was a corporate-run soulless garbage end to the Sequel Trilogy, but it ended just as The Mandalorian finished its first season and regained a lot of good will with this small story about a lonely Mandalorian bounty hunter who encountered a Force-sensitive Baby Yoda.

And then TBOBF/Season 3 of the Mando Show happened, just like how TLJ happened. All the promise, all the unanswered questions of the previous movie/season, all fucking dropped or provided with the worst, most unsatisfying answer. I'm sure others have found better answers and can live with what Star Wars gave us, but I haven't been able to. TLJ came out years and years ago, and I am still so bitter today. I'm still so bitter because TFA had such an incredibly compelling setup with such promising characters, and then TLJ Did That.

I got so heated while writing this. I'm still so mad. I'm still so bitter. I bury my head so deep in the sandbox I built for myself so that I don't have to think how Disney is twisting and contorting all these Mando'verse shows so that they all eventually lead to the ST, their precious hot potato child that just... didn't have to end the way they did if they actually had a fucking plan and fucking stuck the landing. I'll give the MCU this - their Phase 1? They fucking stuck the landing. I fell off the train tracks and haven't really watched the MCU since Captain Marvel, but at least they had a fucking plan and didn't fucking derail themselves like Disney did with the Sequel Trilogy.

I could be nice to people who like this movie but I'm not going to be. They can be nice on their own blogs.

Man, I can't even watch Knives Out or Glass Onion because my blood starts boiling. Just. TLJ did a lot to ruin what I hoped would be a positive and creative connection with Star Wars, and it took the Mando Show and the 2 minutes where Din and Luke locked eyes on the Imperial light cruiser to bring me back.

I'm gonna stop before I get way too heated for sleep.

[meltingchaos]

I just have to gush about the Lucifer parallels with Belos.

Firstly, the emperor's coven sigil. There are four wings and, going by angelology, an angel with four wings is a cherubim.

There are implications in Ezekiel that imply that Lucifer may have been a cherubim.

Ezekiel 28: "You were the anointed cherub".

It also describes him as "covering cherub", meaning he would have covered the throne of God with his wings. Cherubs were throne bearers, upholding the throne of God. They also were appointed with guarding Eden. Both of these facts are similar to how Belos made it seem like his relationship with the titan was so close, acting as a prophet, beholding the titan and yet covering secrets such as how only he could commune with them, writing it off as the titan working in 'mysterious ways'. Also, his protectiveness over the human realm, albeit misguided and an excuse to fuel his delusions, is similar to how the cherubs were made to guard Eden. I also like to think that the triangle and circle in this sigil have some correlation with God, showing trinity and eternity. As for the sword, it makes me think of many artist renditions of St. Michael the archangel, battling Lucifer at the fall, often shown defeating him with a sword in hand.

Which brings me to my next point. The DRAGON. Oh how the dragon Belos made me so happy.

Through posessing the titan, Belos gained wings and a much more monstrous look, much like a dragon. Lucifer during the fall turned into a dragon as well!

Revelation 12: 3-4: And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.

Revelation 12:7–10: Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Belos, in his mind, believes he's a hero, trying to liberate humanity. He sees himself as some sort of saviour to humanity, delusions of grandeur. That same idea of liberation is what he brings to the boiling isles, much like Lucifer in paradise lost and other stories, saying he wants to free angels and yet still placing himself as the new leader / deity.

Finally, Belos' chosen name. 'Belos' is strikingly similar to 'Belial'. A pagan angel who was also cast out by God, much like Lucifer. Belial, in the Old testament is later personified as the devil in Christianity as well. (In Hebrew, the word Belial is used to characterize the wicked or worthless. So you could say Belos' name literally means worthless and I think that's pretty cool.)

I should also mention that Belos comes from the word Bel, meaning master / lord. As does Belial, also having the word for 'lord'.

That man thinks very highly of himself. Sure does remind me of Lucifer hmmm. Demon of Pride and all.

Gosh I just,,, it's so cool,,,

There are even more instances but this post is already long so I'll leave it at this lol.

Tldr: Belos thinks he's like Jesus but he's so much like the devil and it's hilarious.

[saint-stanthony]

The Rosary in My Practice🥀

October being the month of the holy rosary, I’ve decided to write about how I utilize rosaries in my practice day-to-day! This is from my perspective as a folk practitioner who works with/prays to Mary & the saints and includes many catholic elements in what I do. 

• I tend to use different rosaries for different purposes, as rosaries are not only a devotional practice in their own right, but also a lovely magical tool. However, in using a rosary to connect with Mary, I want to stress again that it’s completely fine to rewrite and reword prayers or leave one out(like the creed). Of course the traditional prayers do have a power to them BUT if it doesn’t feel comfortable for you to say all together, then you can change it. Saying a prayer is like reciting a spell. 

• Rosaries and rosary style prayer has become very important in my ritual, spellwork, and devotional work. Not just in connecting with Mary, but with my ancestors and saints! My ancestral altar includes a for my catholic ancestors that I’ll use to pray for them as an offering, and to deepen my connection and dedication to them (you do not have to include catholic elements in ancestor work and you can say no to catholic and christian ancestors!!!). I made my ancestors rosary myself and it resembles more of a Fraiskette, including medals for saints important in German and French folk religion + to my family. 

• I keep a Joan of Arc rosary close by to use and pray when petitioning Joan, and to find comfort in, as she’s a saint I love dearly and have built up a strong connection with. On my main working altar I have a rosary to use when calling in a saint/Mary to do tarot readings with, ask for assistance in spellwork or celebrating feast days important in my practice. The separate space I have for the archangels includes a St Michael chaplet I made and a rosary, again being something I’ll pray as an offering, or to deepen my relationship with them and petition them! 

• My rosaries are also very personalized, and I encourage yall to add to your prayer beads or try your hand at making some yourself, give it personal touches that make it more meaningful to you! I typically don’t pray the rosary traditionally, and will pray my own Marian prayers that feel appropriate based on what I’m asking Mary for, or which epithet of her I’m connecting with and feeling called to. Personally, rosaries for me are very comforting and I often pray them completely Mary focused with an Our Mother prayer instead of Our Father, as Mary is a big part of my life and I go to her all the time. My rosaries are often worn as well.

Rosary style prayer and beads are something I use in connection with other deities as well. My Diana beads I made are prayed like and resemble a rosary, used during rituals or spells that include her, and have a set of prayers I wrote. 

• The rosary is a wonderful devotional and magical tool! There’s many different ways they can be incorporated in your practice and magic. From going by use of and associations with bead materials and color magic, to having a string of magical and personal charms to keep with you, rosaries have a lot of room for creativity and adaptation. The rosary doesn’t have to be prayed in full all at once either, and can be as simple or deep as you would like it to be. Write your own mysteries to think on in prayer, Marian or pagan, add your own charms and centers you like, anoint or bless your rosaries in the names of a goddesses you worship who are syncretized with Mary, make your form of rosary use personal. Most importantly, do what fits your needs and practice, and makes you happy!!

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Danielsraptor vs Heracles

Factfiles:

Danielsraptor phorusrhacoides

Artwork by @otussketching, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Michael Daniels’ Terror Thief Bird

Time: 55 million years ago (Ypresian stage of the Eocene epoch, Paleogene period) 

Location: Walton Member, London Clay Formation, England 

While the Eocene fossil records of Seriemas, Passerines, and Parrots are fairly well known, the last remaining group of Australavians - the Falcons - remains something of a mystery. Danielsraptor helps to put together this puzzle a little more. Along with Masillaraptor, these birds show an early radiation of falcon-relatives from the Eocene in which they tried out a more terrestrial lifestyle! Danielsraptor had long legs, allowing it to forage and hunt on the ground like modern caracaras. It had a very large pygostyle, giving it long tail feathers - and with strong wing bones, it was able to fly in addition to hunt on the ground. It had a beak very similar to living caracaras and the extinct Terror Birds, further corroborating the idea that it was a bird of prey (and also potentially indicating a more complex evolutionary story for the early-derived Australavians). Living in the London Clay, Danielsraptor would have been one of the top predators, easily hunting the small mammals as well as the birds it shared its environment with - aided by both its terrestrial stalking abilities as well as its flying capability. Living in the London Clay, it shared its environment with the early loon Nasidytes, early owls, trogons, paleognaths, tropicbirds, duck-screamers, other diurnal raptors, the pseudotoothed bird Dasornis, and many parrot-passerine relatives. Crocodilians, snakes, turtles, fish, sharks, and a handful of mammals (including a primate) also lived in this rich post-Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum environment.

Heracles inexpectatus

Artwork by @otussketching, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Unexpected Herculean Parrot 

Time: 16 to 19 million years ago (Burdigalian stage of the Miocene epoch, Neogene period) 

Location: St. Bathans Fauna, Bannockburn Formation, Aotearoa  

Heracles was a truly alarmingly large parrot, related to modern day Kea, Kaka, and Kakapo, known from the fantastic avifauna of St Bathans. Standing more than two feet tall and weighing about fifteen pounds, this animal was much larger than any expected from the St Bathans fauna, which represented the initial colonization of Aotearoa (Zealandia) after it returned above sea level. Heracles is also the largest known species of parrot, ever. It was presumably flightless, though it is uncertain if it was nocturnal like its living relative the Kakapo. Its exact ecology is still uncertain, given the material known from Heracles is limited and its living relatives have very disparate ecologies, though it is possible it was omnivorous similar to the Kea and Kaka today. The St Bathans fauna lived in a freshwater lake system, in a subtropical emergent rainforest. Separated from land bridges, the fauna was dominated by birds, with early relatives of the Kiwi, New Zealand Wrens, Adzebills, and Wedge-Tailed eagles found in the fauna, as well as somewhat modern looking Moas. Smaller flamingos, large fruit pigeons, and a huge variety of geese and other waterfowl are known. In addition, frogs, tuataras, other lizards, crocodilians, turtles, and many different types of fish are known from this fascinating ecosystem. 

DMM Round One Masterpost

[justmoreocs-writing]

Leaning against the wall, Freddy watched as Eden managed to coax a smile across Alia’s lips as she tipped another bag of treats into a bowl. It was shocking to him that Alia was even allowing the girl to throw them a joint party, let alone that she was helping set the little buffet up, but he was proud of her for the steps she was taking towards becoming one of the little family she now realised she had. He knew it was sentimental, and that if she heard him talking like that she’d threaten to curse him, but he couldn’t help it. It was the truth.

Justin rested a hand on her back as he moved passed, holding another bowl way above his head, as if trying to protect anyone else from head-butting it. She stiffened slightly, but didn’t move away. Another little thing that to anyone else wouldn’t have been a massive show of trust, but from Alia it was extraordinary.

‘Why is it,’ came Cami’s low voice, startling Freddy’s attention away from his best friend and towards the tall blonde, ‘whenever food’s involved you Brits are all super cautious around short stuff?’ As if to affirm her point she nodded to the others. Justin was frowning at the back of a wrapper, body angled slightly away from Alia as a precaution they all knew was a step too far and yet it was a stereotypical attempt to shield her that everyone seemed to do in the beginning.

‘Nut allergy,’ Freddy said, his chest tightening. He could still remember Alia telling him, her voice slightly strained, exhaustion obvious on her face as she picked at the hospital bed blanket. Even after she’d gone into anaphylactic shock, even after the hospital had told them both she was fine and her mum was on her way, she still sounded like it was little more than an annoyance instead of something possibly life-threatening.  

‘Bad enough that she can’t look at the things?’ Cami asked, a slightly softer edge to her voice this time. Even if there was still that undertone of incredulity.

Despite everything, Freddy scoffed ever so slightly. ‘Only if she ingests anything nutty.’

The little café was one of Freddy’s favourites. It was just out of the way enough that he got left alone, but known enough in smaller circles that there were always people around; always noise that he craved to be surrounded by. The gentle din of background noise that reminded him they weren’t alone, that there were other lives going on around them that didn’t care about the school crest emblazoned on their blazers; that didn’t care his parents’ arguments were splashed across the headlines as political debates.

He eased himself into the seat opposite Alia, tucking his wallet in his inside pocket. She’d already ordered her own drink while he’d been talking to the barista sorting out the cakes. He’d known better than to offer to pay for hers. Two years of vague friendship and he knew she’d probably skin him alive for that.

Two years, and she’d finally found it in herself to come beyond the school library – or occasionally the detention room – in his company.

‘Why the change of heart?’ he asked, deciding the bluntness of the question was exactly the kind of thing she’d appreciate. He leant forwards on the table, watching the smile ghost across her lips. ‘Or did you just come to your senses and fall for my incredible good looks?’

Alia leant forwards, her gaze unwaveringly meeting his. ‘You wish,’ she countered.

Freddy scoffed, allowing himself to fall back against his seat. ‘I’m serious though,’ he said, drumming his fingers against the table. ‘Not complaining, just curious.’

A mumbled reply, but Freddy thought he heard mention of Carolyn and felt the smile growing on his lips once more. Before he could press the advantage, their orders were brought over. He thanked their server, Riley, with a smile before turning back to Alia as she put her clean spoon on her napkin.

‘Do you know everyone?’ she asked, a smirk pulling at her lips as she swiped a finger in the cream at the top of her drink.

‘Comes with being the most charming person in any room.’

She rolled her eyes before licking the cream off her finger. Her brow furrowed ever so slightly. She cocked her head a little to the side.

‘You all right?’ Freddy asked after a moment, his own drink partway to his lips.

‘Yeah,’ she said slowly, turning her attention to her brownie. She pulled a piece free and inspected it, her free hand absently rubbing her forearm. ‘I just… I’m not sure this is my order.’ The doubt pinching her brow only deepened as she dropped the brownie onto the tray.

‘Alia?’ Freddy put his cup back on the table as she scrambled for her bag. He could see the panic in her movements, thought her breathing was slightly irregular. But she wasn’t paying him any attention, her focus solely on looking for something. He could hear her mumbling something, but couldn’t pick out any words.

‘Crap,’ she cursed, her bag slipping from her fingers and onto the floor. She was beside it in an instant, heaving things out and dropping them. A few people were now looking towards them, but Freddy was around her side of the table in an instant, his heart in his throat.

‘Alia, what’s happening?’

‘I can’t find my EpiPen,’ she wheezed, eyes wide as she glanced to him. He could see the fear in her unfocused eyes.

‘EpiPen?’ he echoed, wanting to help the search but not wanting to take his eyes off her either.

‘Freddy, what’s your friend’s name?’ Riley’s voice was sharp, her hand resting between Alia’s shoulder blades.

‘A – Alia,’ he said, his thoughts a blur. What had brought this on? How did he not know that she needed an EpiPen?

‘Alia?’ Riley said softly, easing her around so her back was to the table leg. ‘Do you have your EpiPen?’

Alia shook her head, but the motion seemed to drain her energy.

‘Freddy,’ Riley said, voice sharper than he’d been expected, ‘ambulance, now.’

‘Ambulance?’ He felt like a small child thrust into the world of adults.

It had all felt like something of a dream, as though he’d been watching the day through a screen. As the ambulance arrived, as they administered the adrenaline. He remembered watching as they kept her under observation. He could still remember Carolyn finding him that evening in the skate park. He’d been on top of the ramp, arm tucked under his head as he watched the stars, trying not to envision the headlines that his parents would complain about. How he’d frozen. How he hadn’t been the hero that would bolster their images.

Cami’s hand gently on his lower arm snapped Freddy from the memory. He blinked towards her, the small frown dancing on her lips made him wonder how long he’d been silent for.

Freddy grinned at her, tried to shake off the sombre mood that had settled over him. He patted his pocket. ‘She’s got an EpiPen; I’ve got one. Wouldn’t be surprised if Justin didn’t have one somewhere, or is going to soon.’

‘I’m not carrying one,’ Cami said, but Freddy was glad to see a little of the concern subside behind her eyes. She glanced back towards the others, and Freddy thought her attention skimmed the table, checking that there were no obvious nuts in sight. He felt a small smile curling his lips, glad there was another person looking out for Alia.

[heavenly--knight]

💭

🦢 all you see is STRESS STRESS WORK WORK WORK STRESS COFFEE WORK PRISONER PUNISH TIME STRESS STRESS STRESS BROTHER STRESS STRESS WORK WORK STRESS STRESS 💫

[carnivorousladybug]

HOTD Inktober

Hey guys, I am planning to draw some halloween inspired art for our favorite HOTD characters. Keep in mind, I'm a busy college student so I might not finish all these by Halloween — I might not even complete the list at all — but I'll try to draw for as many days as I can and drag the challenge out into November to give me more time. This is my first time participating in Inktober and I'm soooo excited 😁

Here is what I have currently planned (subject to change):

All Hail the Pumpkin King: Aegon as Jack Skellington

Down the Rabbit Hole: Helaena as Alice in Wonderland

Hellfire: Aemond and his son as Frollo and Baby Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Stitches: Alicent as Sally the Ragdoll

Black is Such A Happy Color: Rhaenyra and Daemon as Morticia and Gomez Addams

Nyctophilia: Aemond as an Edgy!Biker

Nevermore: Jace and Baela as Nevermore Academy students

"Why So Serious?": Daemon as the Joker.

Psycho: Young Rhaenyra as Harley Quinn

Something Wicked This Way Comes: Hogwarts AU? Witchy vibes? We shall see.

Little Mermaid: Alicent as Dark!Ariel

Murder House: for some reason I want to see Aegon as Tate Langdon

Dead Men Tell No Tales: Aemond as a Dark!Pirate

Freak Show: I'm thinking something with Helaena and her twins...

The Overlook Hotel: Baela and Rhaena as the twins from The Shining

Hawkins, Indiana circa 1983: Stranger Things AU

"I, myself, am strange and unusual" : Aegon as Beetlejuice and Helaena as Lydia

Til Death Do Us Part: Helaena as Corpse Bride

The Count: Aemond as Dracula

"Nothing here is vegetarian": Daemon as Hannibal Lecter

Mystery Incorporated: Alicent as Daphne Blake

Ice Cold: Rhaenyra as Jadis from Narnia

Haunted Mansion AU

The Phantom of the Opera: Viserys and Alicent as the Phantom and Christine

“I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind?”: Aemond as Frankenstein's monster

Underworld: Aemond as Charon, the Ferryman of the Dead, or Daemon as Hades.

Barbenheimer: this is going to be a piece for the 3rd generation characters...

Dia de los Muertos: Alicent and Rhaenyra as sugar skulls

221B Baker St: Jace and Luke as Sherlock and John.

Voodoo: I want to see Aemond as Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog

The Headless Horseman: Criston as a headless horseman.

Some additional ideas that I might use as backups for inspiration:

— Zombie!Lucerys

— Helaena as Dark!Sleeping Beauty

— Alicent as Ophelia from Hamlet

— American Midwest Gothic AU of Alicent and her kids (they have the vibes, am I right or am I right?)

— Alicent and Aemond as Norma and Norman Bates

— Aemond as Michael Myers

— Tale As Old As Time: Aemond as The Beast

(Can you tell I love drawing Aemond and Alicent?)

I also want to draw Alys as Malificent, Esmeralda (Hunchback of Notre Dame), Jennifer (Jennifer's body), or Bellatrix Lestrange (and also a spooky drawing of her summoning Ghost!Aemond) but it's gonna be hard because we don't know how Gayle Rankin is gonna look in her Alys getup and how her vibes are going to be on screen. So I suppose I'll just have to postpone all my art ideas for her til next Halloween. This goes for Cregan Stark, Gwayne Hightower, and Alyssane Blackwood too. (Ugh, I have a spooky idea for Cregan that goes something along the lines of "there's something lurking under the ice".)

[beebopboom]

The Meta Underground

A Guide to Navigating what has been my brainrot posting about Good Omens

I apologize in advance for how long a lot of these are

feel free to message and asks are always open!!

non good omens related blog -> @boppinbee

Meta Series

The Bookshop

A Bookshop in Soho Eden - the bookshop is set up like a garden, hidden Tree of Life, rivers of time, and is the whole of Whickber St Eden?

The Book of Life to The Second Coming Pipeline - a couple of theories about the book of life, the rings, the fly, bookshop, and coffee

The Second…….Ball? - Gabriel’s arrival really did trigger the Second Coming - at least a version of it

The Title Sequence

Background Shenanigans - hints in the background of s1’s TS that lead to s2’s and what that might mean for our story.

Timeline Theory - those walkways are timelines

Heaven’s Timeline - a more in-depth look at how the walkways are Heaven’s planned timeline

Three Final Acts -the three magic tricks we see in the title sequence and what they might be in the show

Not the Magic Trick we see - initial findings for Three Final Acts

Mystery symbol - the ongoing search for a mystery symbol

The Metatron

The Angel Behind the Curtain - some wizard of oz parallels - we are just warming up people

Always an Angel, Never a Man - let’s dive into who he is in scripture shall we?

Am I a Good Angel? Am I a Mad Angel? - some similarities between him and the figure head of the devil

A Kind of Magic - numerology, tarot cards, and is he cosplaying?

Words of a Wise Angel - an actual look into his actions in the show and some of his funny word meanings

Agnes Nutter

The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter - a list of all her prophecies and images I could find from her book

Messages from Above - is she a witch? is she a prophet? how about both? let’s look into how she is getting her prophecies

Refined by Fire

(unfinished)

Clothing

there will be more here eventually and has to be updated

Clothing within Ranks -Angel Clothes and what the colors mean in show!universe

Aziraphale’s tartan - how lighting seems to effect his bow tie

Theories

Greasy Johnson: A Red Herring? - season three speculation about how the baby swap included Jesus as well, Hello Warlock

Unexpected Help - Saraqael was the one who opened the gateway in the bookshop

Nuns Night Out - what are those nuns doing at the theatre?

A Case of Missing Weaponry - ever wondered where Michael’s spear is? boy do i have a crackpot theory for you.

Meta Groups

Aziraphale

Aziraphale’s Flaming Sword - the human history behind his sword

The Halo was the Cause - why the Halo was the reason the Metatron showed up

An early journey of questioning - it really doesn’t take him long

Aziraphale’s Protection - how he protects Crowley

Aziraphale’s unintentional? placement - Aziraphale standing to the left of Gabriel in Job

A lying Angel - lying to protect his love

Choosing Death- choosing death doesn’t work maybe it’s time for something else

Don’t try to be God - why Aziraphale got nervous in Before the Beginning

Crowley

Crowley’s Fall - he really didn’t mean to Fall

Anthony J Crowley - a self discovery through his name

Defensive Crowley - acknowledging the consequences of the arrangement

Crowley losing the bookshop - and he’s the only one to have

Crowley giving up Alpha Centauri - he gave away their safe space

Stars to Plants - she just wants to watch her creations grow ok

Crowley’s Ringtone - not quite a normal phone sound

The Ineffables

The apology routine - maybe there is more to it than the dance

They love humanity - just in different ways

A duet - it’s not a want but a need

Nothing - their versions of nothing

Power dynamic - “second in command” ok wow that hurt

Paranoia and Isolation - how the pandemic may have affected them

Difference of Perspective - how the audience vs characters view A&C

Timeline

The Flood changed it all - it really fucked them up

Future Minisode time slots - the gaps in time for possible future minisodes

Heaven

1827 Second Coming? -crowley and aziraphale unintentionally fucking things up

Metatron future manipulation - something he is going to “let” Aziraphale do in s3

Angel confrontation tactic - they really like trapping Aziraphale into conversations huh?

Wildcard

Dirty Donkey Lift - just questioning why the hell it is there

Cut dream sequence - whose is it?

Something up with fours? - discussing some fours in the show

Angels don’t dance - and they don’t ask for forgiveness

Freemasons lodge - duality of the Resurrectionist

No Garden? No God - they left the garden

Maggie’s Ugrency - picking apart her misspelling

Questioning the Coffee Shop - only two beings do it - Crowley and the Metatron

Slamming of the books - Jim says some interesting things when slamming two books together and what it could mean

If Gabriel can leave Heaven and be with Beelzebub, why can’t Aziraphale do the same with Crowley - more of a ramble than anything else

The Wicked Bible - the second printing error

ASAP - further look at the many asap’s around the coffee shop and how it plays into the final fifteen

Memory Returns - a (currently) three way visual parallel of when memories are returned

My Playlist

fuck I have to reorganize this again

[wonder-worker]

Margaret of Anjou’s visit to Coventry [in 1456], which was part of her dower and that of her son, Edward of Lancaster, was much more elaborate. It essentially reasserted Lancastrian power. The presence of Henry and the infant Edward was recognised in the pageantry. The ceremonial route between the Bablake gate and the commercial centre was short, skirting the area controlled by the cathedral priory, but it made up for its brevity with no fewer than fourteen pageants. Since Coventry had an established cycle of mystery plays, there were presumably enough local resources and experience to mount an impressive display; but one John Wetherby was summoned from Leicester to compose verses and stage the scenes. As at Margaret’s coronation the iconography was elaborate, though it built upon earlier developments.

Starting at Bablake gate, next to the Trinity Guild church of St. Michael, Bablake, the party was welcomed with a Tree of Jesse, set up on the gate itself, with the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah explaining the symbolism. Outside St. Michael’s church the party was greeted by Edward the Confessor and St. John the Evangelist; and proceeding to Smithford Street, they found on the conduit the four Cardinal Virtues—Righteousness (Justice?), Prudence, Temperance, and Fortitude. In Cross Cheaping wine flowed freely, as in London, and angels stood on the cross, censing Margaret as she passed. Beyond the cross was pitched a series of pageants, each displaying one of the Nine Worthies, who offered to serve Margaret. Finally, the queen was shown a pageant of her patron saint, Margaret, slaying the dragon [which 'turned out to be strictly an intercessor on the queen's behalf', as Helen Maurer points out].

The meanings here are complex and have been variously interpreted. An initial reading of the programme found a message of messianic kingship: the Jesse tree equating royal genealogy with that of Christ had been used at the welcome for Henry VI on his return from Paris in 1432. A more recent, feminist view is that the symbolism is essentially Marian, and to be associated with Margaret both as queen and mother of the heir rather than Henry himself. The theme is shared sovereignty, with Margaret equal to her husband and son. Ideal kingship was symbolised by the presence of Edward the Confessor, but Margaret was the person to whom the speeches were specifically addressed and she, not Henry, was seen as the saviour of the house of Lancaster. This reading tips the balance too far the other way: the tableau of Edward the Confessor and St. John was a direct reference to the legend of the Ring and the Pilgrim, one of Henry III’s favourite stories, which was illustrated in Westminster Abbey, several of his houses, and in manuscript. It symbolised royal largesse, and its message at Coventry would certainly have encompassed the reigning king. Again, the presence of allegorical figures, first used for Henry, seems to acknowledge his presence. Yet, while the message of the Coventry pageants was directed at contemporary events it emphasised Margaret’s motherhood and duties as queen; and it was expressed as a traditional spiritual journey from the Old Testament, via the incarnation represented by the cross, to the final triumph over evil, with the help of the Virgin, allegory, and the Worthies. The only true thematic innovation was the commentary by the prophets.

[...] The messages of the pageants firmly reminded the royal women of their place as mothers and mediators, honoured but subordinate. Yet, if passive, these young women were not without significance. It is clear from the pageantry of 1392 and 1426 in London and 1456 in Coventry that when a crisis needed to be resolved, the queen (or regent’s wife) was accorded extra recognition. Her duty as mediator—or the good aspect of a misdirected man—suddenly became more than a pious wish. At Coventry, Margaret of Anjou was even presented as the rock upon which the monarchy rested. [However,] a crisis had to be sensed in order to provoke such emphasis [...]."

-Nicola Coldstream, "Roles of Women in Late Medieval Civic Pageantry," "Reassessing the Roles of Women as 'Makers' of Medieval Art and Culture"

[zablife]

The Dilemma

Tommy Shelby x female reader x Jack Nelson

Summary: Tommy gets Jack’s mistress arrested for smuggling opium into Boston to give Jack a dilemma. After Jack fails to come to her aid, Tommy visits with an indecent proposal. What happens when this sugar baby gets in over her head with the heartless Birmingham gangster?

Author’s Note: This is based on a request I received from @shelbydelrey based on “Suga Daddy” by Noah Davis. I changed it a little when I got inspiration from the S6 scene between Tommy and Gina where he reveals he turned Michael in. In this fic, the reader, Jack’s mistress, is the one who gets arrested. 

Warnings: 🔞, S6 spoilers, mention of drugs, language, imbalance of power, coercion, smut, dark themes

Moodboard credit: the talented @dearshelby

Tommy stood at a desk at the police station on Miquelon Island, clenching one gloved hand by his side and cradling the receiver with the other. He glanced out the window into the fog briefly as he explained, “There is a boat leaving the island now, heading across the border. When it docks at St. John’s a woman named y/n  l/n will board a ferry to Boston. Listen very carefully. The woman is wearing a blue dress, a fur coat and carrying a small, black suitcase. Inside her case is five pound of pure, refined opium.”

Tommy assured the border patrol he was a concerned citizen named Mr. Jones. Two weeks after your arrest, there was a man by that name to see you in prison. You were curious to know who he was, but you hoped it was someone Jack had sent to bail you out. After a year by Jack’s side, you knew he would never leave you behind. You wanted to believe that anyway as you had no other recourse. Jack had to come for you or you’d spend the rest of your life in this filthy cell. 

When the door swung open, you pushed your shoulders back haughtily and presented your wrists for the heavy metal handcuffs while looking away. You might be dressed like an inmate, but in your mind you held to your dignity, not wanting to show your jailers how they were chipping away at your morale. 

You heard the mysterious Mr. Jones before you saw him. You tried to focus on the voice, but you didn’t recognize the British accent. You were unable to concentrate further as the woman leading you into the private room, pushed you along harshly making you stumble. 

As you entered, you saw the dark haired man nod to the guard and everyone left the small windowless room. You looked over your shoulder nervously, aware you were suddenly alone with an intimidating man in a dark coat and cap. Although the room was dimly lit, you caught a glint of metal in his cap and your breath caught in your chest. He was a member of the Peaky Blinder, one of the gangs Jack had told you to stay away from. You hadn’t been afraid before, but now you were terrified.

The man broke the silence saying, “You’re more beautiful in person than Jack mentioned.” You backed away as much as you could without showing your apprehension. 

“Where is Jack?” You demanded to know.

“Oh, he’s still in London making his import deals and I have a feeling that’s where he’ll stay. You see, I’ve given him a dilemma to see who he would choose and it’s clear to me now, as it should be to you, that he’s chosen his reputation over his affairs in South Boston,” Tommy said removing his hat so you could see his bright, blue eyes.

You stared at him mesmerized by the dangerous air about him. Something about questionable men had always intrigued and excited you. It was no wonder you had ended up with one of Boston’s most notorious gangsters. 

“You’re wrong about that. He’ll bail me out soon,” you said confidently, wanting the man to know you were, in fact, very important to Jack. 

The man chuckled darkly, “I don’t think so, sweetheart. I’ve seen his pictures in those high society magazines and you’re never with him. You’re his dirty little secret and I doubt he would risk the favor of the Oval Office for a simple whore.”

You knew he was trying to upset you and while the thought of Jack leaving you in prison made you angry, you didn’t want to show your hand. “So what do you want with a simple whore? If I’m no good without Jack, why are you here?” You asked and continuing with a cocky assuredness you proclaimed, “I know that you’re washed up too, you know? Jack says your organization is nothing but a back street razor gang no one wants to do business with anymore.” It was your bratty nature that Jack loved so much and you tortured the man in front of you as a way to honor him. You watched to see if your barb had the desired effect, but the man showed you no emotion whatsoever.   

“Is that so? Well, this back street razor gang got you banged up smuggling opium because Jack Nelson never told you what was in that little case.” He waited a moment to see the look of betrayal wash over you. Feeling pleased with himself, he continued, “You might want to reassess your loyalties. Now, what do you say to a proper introduction? My real name is Thomas Shelby. Perhaps you’ve heard of me?”

You gulped at the thought of standing before the infamous Mr. Shelby. He was revered as a man who was ruthless and unreadable. You tried not to let him see the effect his intimidation was having on you though. “Yeah, I know who you are. Maybe you’d like to explain why you’ve come before I get bored enough to call for the guard,” you bluffed, trying to rush him into revealing his hand. 

Tommy remained silent as he took a cigarette from its case and lit it as though he had all the time in the world. You huffed at his affected air of boredom. After a long pause, he finally spoke. “My proposal is simple, love. I’ll bail you out if you agree to my terms.” You eyed him suspiciously, raising an eyebrow betraying your inner curiosity. 

“You fall on your knees and open your mouth, say “yes, sir,” to him….Only difference is now it’ll be me.” 

You wanted to slap him for suggesting such a thing. Although he was handsome and you might have considered him under different circumstances, you deeply resented the way in which he was blackmailing you. “I’d rather die here,” you said determinedly. 

“Oh, yeah? By whose hand?” He tilted your chin to look at him, cigarette burning between his fingers perilously close to your cheek. You met his gaze fully for the first time glaring at him defiantly. He knew he had you cornered though. “Come with me and I’ll show you what it's like to live in style,” he boasted, pulling his hand away to take one last drag of his cigarette. 

“What makes you think I’d choose you over Jack?” you asked incredulously. “He's a king in South Boston. No one can touch him,” you said proudly.

“Well, love, I hate to break this to you, but the balance of power between the Irish, the Jewish and the Italians will soon be shifting heavily in favor of the East. I have excellent contacts within the Solomons family who run East Boston. Your beloved Mr. Nelson will no longer be the king of anywhere,” he said as he crushed his cigarette under his foot for emphasis. “Besides, I think you already know your lover has left you here to rot so what do you have to lose, eh?” Tommy said with a smirk.

You wanted to unleash your emotions on him, but thought better of it. What if Tommy Shelby was now your only hope? He had just told you how Jack used you to smuggle drugs you knew nothing about and Tommy had outlined a good argument for why Jack would never return. In your precarious state, you had no choice but to believe him.

If you agreed to be Tommy's girl, you could get out of this disgusting prison and be treated like a woman again. You quickly weighed the options before nodding slowly. “Yes, I’ll come with you, but I warn you…I’m expensive” you said trying to bargain with him for the best outcome for yourself. 

“Money’s not a problem, love. Now, let’s get you back to Birmingham,” Tommy said pulling on his leather gloves. You couldn’t believe how things had changed so quickly. 

——————————————————————————————

Tommy was true to his word, bailing you out of prison the same day. The charges were quashed in no time and you were shipped back to England. Tommy moved you into his manor with staff at the ready. Although you missed Jack, Tommy tried to make you forget about him, outfitting you in the finest fashions from Paris and showering you with jewels. You began to see why Tommy Shelby was so revered as you couldn't deny the power and wealth he held.

Although you had your own room, you quickly understood that you couldn’t expect privacy. The first time he had sought you out in the middle of the night for a little stress relief, you were taken aback. Jack had normal sleeping hours and you were accustomed to snuggling into his chest sometime after midnight until six o’clock in the morning. Tommy Shelby did not have any sort of set schedule as far as you could tell. He rarely slept and never ate meals with you. However, he expected you to be ready for him at all times.

One early morning after you had been asleep for some time, he entered your bedroom making his way over to your sleeping form. You awoke to his muscular torso balancing above you and you gasped at the sudden feel of his weight resting on you. Looking at the clock you protested, “It’s four am, Mr. Shelby,” voice still full of sleep. He ignored your yawn and began to unbutton his trousers.

“Thought I made it clear it doesn’t matter what time of day, you’d be available to me,” he said continuing to undress. He kissed you as he rid himself of his clothing, guiding your hand to his erect cock. You pumped him languidly, still waking up fully. 

He dipped his head to your neck and bit a bruise into your soft skin as you yelped. “Love your reaction when I do that, love,” he said voice full of mischief. He pulled away from your touch with a groan so he could undress you. Your nightie wouldn’t come loose on the first try so he hastily ripped it open, impatient to take your breast into his mouth. You tilted your head back in pleasure, gripping the back of his head. You had to admit that Tommy was an amazing lover, but you didn’t want to voice that to him. His ego was big enough already.

When Tommy was done ravaging you, he stood to leave and you looked at him forlornly. “Aren’t you going to stay?” You asked concerned. 

“I’ve work to do, just needed a break, sweetheart,” he said dressing quickly. You dipped your head, afraid you’d showed your fondness for him too soon. 

“That’s good, I wanted to get some rest,” you said coldly, lying to him. 

“Alright then,” Tommy said closing your bedroom door. You sat up the rest of the night wondering if this was how it was going to be between you. Jack had at least made you part of his life, taking you out on the town and discussing his business with you. You knew Tommy was not going to treat you in the same manner. He was only interested in keeping you like a toy in a box. 

You wondered if there was anything you could do to change that. Then you remembered the valuable information you held. Knowing you had something more powerful than sex to offer Tommy, your new plan to win his affection began to take shape. You would tell him what Jack had planned. You were certain that would win him over. It also came with the allure of exacting revenge on Jack for cruelly leaving you in prison. 

—————————————————————————————————

One night as you were getting ready for bed, you heard Tommy arrive home. Peeking out from your bedroom, you realized there were no maids lurking in the halls. You were usually intercepted by his staff who had been given instructions to keep you away unless he called for you. Tonight you would have the opportunity to approach him. You tiptoed downstairs to Tommy’s office carefully. He greeted you when you when you reached the threshold, having heard the creaking floorboards outside. “Good evening, y/n, What are you doing down here?”

You walked towards him slowly trying to find the words necessary to reveal the valuable information you held. You decided to get right to the point, “Tommy, I’ve been thinking that I might be of more use to you than you realize. I know things about Jack’s business that he never told anyone else. I could help you if you’d like,” you said waiting anxiously for his reply.

Tommy nodded his head slowly asking you to continue. While he wasn’t as grateful as you had hoped, you could tell what you were saying interested him. He asked a few questions and you answered them as best you could. You must have done something right because he began to smile. You felt a warmth come over you thinking this was the beginning of  a real partnership between you. However, as you were daydreaming, Tommy’s mind had wandered elsewhere. 

“Need you to use that beautiful mouth to help me relax now, love. Come ‘ere,” he said reaching a hand for you. When you came close he grabbed your hair harshly and wrapped it around his fist, forcing you to the ground. He didn’t give you much time to think or protest as he freed himself from his trousers and placed his length on your tongue.  He never let go of your head as he forced you to take him into your throat over and over. Your scalp burned and your knees hurt from his harsh treatment. He was far more rough than Jack had ever been. And although there was something exciting about his raw sexuality, you couldn’t help but think it was nothing without love. 

You didn’t have time to ponder Tommy’s fondness for you as he was quickly reaching his end. He instructed you to swallow and you did obediently, watching his eyes close in pleasure. As soon as he was done with you, he wiped a thumb across your bottom lip and you swore you saw affection in his eyes. You thought he might say a kind word as he tucked himself away, but he remained silent as he did so many times after he had used you. As he collapsed in his office chair he said, “You can go now,” dismissing you with a wave of his hand. 

You’d never felt like more of a whore and it infuriated you. You couldn’t help the fire rising in you as you spit out, “You use me and then you send me away. I thought we’d have a relationship, Tommy.”

Tommy sighed heavily, “Yeah, well, this is what you agreed to,” he reminded you. You suddenly realized how ridiculous you must sound considering your arrangement began purely as a financial one, but you were entitled to change your mind now that you had lived with such a difficult man. 

“No, not this way….you never talk to me to ask how I am or to say thank you,” you said gesturing toward your bruised knees. 

“That’s what the money’s for, sweetheart,” he retorted, lighting up a cigarette. You pursed your lips in frustration and stormed out knowing Tommy wouldn’t follow. You’d had enough of his moodiness for one night. 

———————————————————————————————-

You woke the next morning to Frances’s soft voice, “Mr. Shelby asked for you to dress and meet him downstairs by nine, ma’am.” She crossed the room to select the new outfit Tommy had bought for you. You made yourself presentable and descended the stairs to find Tommy waiting for you. 

“You requested my presence, your majesty,” you said sarcastically. 

Tommy rolled his eyes at your comment, replying, “We have an important meeting at the office. Hurry up,” and exited the house without waiting for you. 

You didn’t speak on the drive into town and you wondered why you were suddenly being asked to accompany him for business. You thought maybe he was taking you seriously after all. However, when you arrived at Shelby Company Limited, you realized you were there for one purpose only. 

Jack Nelson was escorted into the room soon after and his face dropped at the sight of you on Tommy’s arm. You gulped wondering what he must think seeing you with his rival. If Jack was upset by your new partner, he didn’t show it. He kissed your hand like the gentleman you remembered him to be. Then you sat listening to him conduct business in the same confident way he always did. 

You found yourself admiring him from across the table, missing the days when you sat next to him. Your mind had wandered to your memories of the mischief you caused together. He was particularly skilled at getting you worked up in public. His favorite past time was fingering you under the table as you sat on his lap. Closing your eyes to savor the thought of him pleasuring you, you heard the men conclude the meeting and you were thrust back into reality.

Jack was yelling at Tommy and then he looked over at you pointing a finger, “And fuck you too, y/n!” Your eyes went wide as you realized Tommy had used the information you’d given him to ruin Jack. You instantly regretted your foolish decision, but realized there was nothing that could be done now.

Jack stormed out of the office without another word and you eyed a triumphant Tommy. Feeling ill about your choice to knowingly betray Jack, you pushed away from the table and rushed outside after him. 

“Jack! Jack, wait I want to explain…” you called after him. Jack turned to you with a steely gaze. You were taken aback by the loss of light in his eyes. Without a better plan, you resorted to seduction to get him to warm to you. Gathering your courage, you sauntered up to him and ran a manicured finger down his tie. While you looked him in the eye, you licked your lips before saying, “I’m sorry about all this. But you gotta know I missed you so much, baby. Take me home to Boston so I can make you feel good again.” 

You reached your hand out to brush his and he pulled away from you in disgust. “I hope you like this shithole, doll, because this is the only home you have now.”

His harshness hurt you and you retaliated with heated indignation, “You left me in prison, Jack! How can you blame me for the things I had to do to survive?” It wasn’t exactly true as you had enjoyed some of your time with Tommy, but you missed the way Jack used to care for you and you were desperate for his love. 

“I would have gotten you out, you know that, y/n. Instead you gotta go shack up with this asshole?” He rubbed a hand over his face as though he were suddenly very tired of arguing. “You broke my heart,” he said truthfully. “I’d be a goddamn fool to trust you again.” Upon hearing his feelings, you slid down the brick wall slowly, all energy draining from you as you realized he wouldn’t take you back. 

Jack towered over you and said menacingly, “If you show your face in Boston again, I’ll kill you.” You knew this was his reaction to being hurt, but you also knew his words carried weight. No one crossed Jack Nelson.

As you watched him walk away to his car, Tommy appeared in front of you. “Are you ready to go home?” He said looking uninterested in anything except his cigarette.

“Arrow House isn’t my home,” you said letting a tear escape down your cheek. 

“Well, you’ve nowhere else to go now that Boston is off limits. I think Mr. Nelson put an end to that particular dilemma.” Tommy said coldly. He pulled you to your feet and lead you to his waiting car, ready to take you back to your misery. You had played a dangerous game switching loyalties and now you had to suffer the consequences. 

-------------------------------------------------

Tag list: @look-at-the-soul, @retromafia, @violaobanion, @julyzaa, @tommydoesntpayforsuits, @alanadetigy, @wandawiccan60, @kpopgirlbtssvt, @celticmelody, @lovemissyhoneybee, @theshelbyslimited, @severewobblerlightdragon, @kittycatcait219

[podcastsexyman-battleroyale]

Art Request

Hi folks! We’ve got a large number of participants for our little tourney! Since these are podcast people, most of them don’t have official/free to use art. So, especially since we have multiple characters from the same podcasts, I need your help!

Below is a list of characters. If their name is not crossed out, that means I need art! Please dm me your art (and how you would like to be properly credited if it differs from your blog handle). Do not send art that isn’t yours unless you have explicit permission from the artist.

Characters are ordered by show (shows listed alphabetically) and not by bracket listing. Brackets will be revealed after preliminary rounds.

Alice (Alice isn’t Dead)

Rat/Jacob (Archive 81)

Aava Arek (Campaign Podcast)

Amos Faraday (In Transit)

Kayne (Malevolent)

Kellin

Hastur/The King in Yellow

Collins/The Butcher

Wallace “Andrew” Larson

Isaac Prince (Mayfair Watcher’s Society)

Queen of the Summer Sun (Mistholme Museum of Mystery Morbidity and Mortality)

Bryony Halbech (Red Valley)

Barret Racket (Rusty Quill Gaming)

John Hunger (TAZ)

Kravitz

Roger Kaplan (The Bridge)

Mark Bryant (The Bright Sessions)

Nyathi (The Secret of St Kilda)

Sid Wright (The Silt Verses)

Katabasian/mason

Elias Bouchard (TMA)

Oliver Banks

Gerard “Gerry” Keay

Michael Shelley/The Distortion

Tim Stoker

Mike Crew

Mikaele Salesa

Jordan Kennedy

Peter Lukas

Sasha Wire (TPP)

Ty (Woe.Begone)

Marcus Cutter (Wolf 359)

Eric Chapman (Wooden Overcoats)

Kevin (WTNV)

Earl Harlan

Kasper Rodes