#assuming i can get my hands on the seasoning jar

[heniareth]

It's interesting to note how the Tabris Origin, which involves a wedding, kidnapping and attempted sexual harassment, and fighting your way through an estate full of guards, is the Origin where gender plays a huge role in what story you experience. M!Tabris will always storm the castle coming to the rescue of his cousin and his betrothed, while F!Tabris will always have to fight her way out because the men in her life can't fully protect her (Nelaros dies, Soris literally hands her the sword, Cyrion is powerless to stop the abduction. Okay, this may be a little unfair to Soris who does fight side by side with Tabris and counsels caution the same way regardless of Tabris's gender). I'd go so far as to say that Tabris is the only Origin where the gender of your PC has a definite impact on the story.

TLDR to the rant in the tags: Tabris is constrained on all sides by being an elf, by their gender, in part by their family, and by society at large (both the Alienage and the wider city).

[aledethanlast]

I want to clarify something about my Lawyer!Andrew post:

Andrew is not doing this to impress people. In fact he actively doesn't want to impress people. He is done being a superman who holds everyone's lives in his hands. It's not good for his mental health when he's doing it and it's not good for anyone when that he fails, because the law is too big and some of these fuckers are just legitimately dumber and more guilty than his literal murderous mafia husband.

Anyways. Andrew wakes up in the morning, goes to his closet and shoves aside the 15k dollar Armani suits so he can put on the two piece he got at Macy's (then tailored to fit, cause he still has standards), and a matching tie.

He goes to the office. Brad asks him if he heard about the latest draft picks. Andrew stares him down until Brad goes to Andrew's desk and drops a quarter in the "Asking Andrew about Exy" jar. Andrew's coworkers seem to think that he's gonna buy the office a Foosball table with the jar money. They are wrong. It is for a new cat tower. Also, no Andrew hasn't seen it, but he got the rundown from Neil and Kevin, so he knows enough to tell Brad not to bother with a season pass for the Sealions this year.

He has two cases to deal with today. The first is a vehicular manslaughter charge. The client is pleading self defense, and that the victim was a stalker. Andrew likes her because, despite bursting into tears every time they have a trial prep session, she actually listens to instructions and knows when to shut the fuck up. He's confident.

The second is grand larceny. The guy is so super incredibly guilty but Brad gave him this case because he knows Andrew loves police misconduct cases and this one is just so full of protocol breaches that Andrew only had to show Neil the file for him to burst out laughing.

Janet says he has a call waiting. Janet is the highest paid paralegal in the county, because she also filters his celebrity mail. Technically Neil's pr firm still represents him, but Janet knows to turn down the DA's gala invitations without needing to argue with him.

He picks up the phone. It's the DA. The man invites him to the police gala because he knows Andrew ignored the emails. Andrew assumes the man was banking on Andrew giving a polite refusal he can wheedle or harangue into compliance. The man is new to the job, so Andrew will forgive this embarrassing miscalculation.

They spend the next hour discussing court dates for a certain case. Andrew's client for that one is disabled and only has partial aid, and he won't let them set court dates that they know she won't be able to attend. The DA, despite his embarrassing naivate, seems to be on the same page in this regard, so hopefully this will go well when they bring the matter to the judge.

In the span of this phone call, two of Brad's clients come into the office, and within five minutes of walking in are made to contribute to the jar. They don't get their questions answered, because he's on the phone, and they're not Brad.

He has court tomorrow. Court is annoying, because it's a room full of strangers who hear his name and forget why he's there, and he's not allowed to bring the jar. Court is a chore, because he has to walk people through their own idiocy, and then occasionally convince the room of just how stupid or brilliant it actually was.

Court is also, maybe, just a teensy bit fun, because whatever the stereotype of a lawyer is, Andrew really isn't it, and that makes people take him a lot less seriously until he starts quoting their words back to them faster than the stenographer.

(Janet also filters job offers. They tend to crop up every few months.)

(It used to be more fun, back in the early days when Neil would sit in sometimes, until he remembered just how horrifically boring the whole thing is. But that's fine. Andrew is happy having his own thing.)

But really, court is easy. It's a place where your word has weight, where promises are binding, and when everything is going to shit, nobody looks at Andrew like he's the freak for keeping his head.

[talltalesandbedtimestories]

Just A Little Spice - Dean x Reader

“Just A Little Spice” - Dean x Reader

Rating Teen

Dean x Reader

Tags: Language, Dean Makes Bad Decisions, Dean in Mild Peril, Dean is Infuriating but We Still Love Him

Word Count: 1500

Dean likes to spice things up, but it would be nice if he didn’t have to put his life in danger in the process.

I'm participating in @jacklesversebingo and this part will fill my "I would burn down the world for you." dialogue square.

A/N: Something Short and Kinda Cute. I ended up finding a way to tie this to my other Bingo Square “Ice Play.”

Image created in Canva (photo used/found through Google Image Search)

You’d gotten back to the bunker a day later. Exhausted from the heat, satiated by the relief from the iceman. You’d found Sam organizing and labeling ingredients in his witchcraft cabinet. He was going to try a few new spells from Rowen’s bequeathed library. Realizing he needed some specialty items, he had to head up Nebraska way to meet with an herbalist who sourced supernatural spices.

Dean hovered near the cabinet, picking up jars, and mumbling pronunciations to himself. Sitting on a nearby stool beside a podium meant to support hefty grimoires for spellbook incantations, you chuckled at Sam’s constant swatting of Dean’s hands with each new inspection. You stared at Dean with your best telepathic “stop playing with your brother’s toys” look.

He frowned, relented, and placed a tincture back on a shelf. “That dude, Elijah?”

“Yep,” Sam huffed.

“What’s so important you gotta get right now?” Dean shrugged.

“Nothing important. I found a couple of spells that can change atmospheric pressure and manipulate temperature shifts. Was thinking those could come in handy in the greenhouse. Planning some experiments with out-of-season fruits and vegetables or plants that usually can’t grow in our area.”

You smiled. Sam had become quite the gardener the past year.

Sam eyed Dean in a way that cued me in on the fact that they had something private to discuss. Dean shot you a gentle “get the fuck out” request with raised brows and a head tilt.

“Alright, I’m gonna get unpacked.” You slapped your thighs and gave Sam a forearm squeeze as you passed. Dean tapped your ass on your way out.

You closed the door but lingered long enough to hear Sam, “I figured you were still planning something for-”

“Keep it movin’, sweetheart!” Dean bellowed.

You sighed and smiled to yourself. Dean had a surprise in mind for your anniversary.

~

You’d gone along with Dean’s ask for you to head out solo and grab beers and other supplies later that afternoon. Sam was well on his way to Nebraska by then. And, even if you didn’t play dumb well, you could give Dean time to do whatever it was he was doing for you.

Neither one of you was terribly romantic, but Dean could on occasion whip up the softest, cuddliest little moments.

So, two hours later, as Dean had nonchalantly yet specifically detailed for you to return, you stood outside the bunker door and readied for an anniversary celebration for the books.

Instead, after a hefty pull and the rattle and creak of the iron cell-like door, a plume of smoke released and assaulted your senses. Your eyes watered and you began to cough.

Beer and supplies dropped outside the threshold, you covered your mouth and nose with the collar of your T-shirt and darted inside. You crab walked down the stairs, below the cloud of smoke that hovered at the ceiling. Emergency flood lights flickered over the war room, washing it in an eerie red glow.

The bunker door slammed shut when your boots hit the ground floor, but that never happened. Some sort of automatic electrical protocol engaged for a lockdown scenario?

“Dean!” You tried your best shout to carry through the cavernous levels. He wasn’t in the library and the source of the smoke wasn’t anywhere near your current location. You dashed to the kitchen to what you assumed held the source.

You rounded the kitchen entrance. The contents of a heavy stock pot flicked with flames and churned out thick puffs of smoke on the stovetop. Your heart stopped, finding Dean splayed on the floor by the oven. Your eyes widened. Your coughing worsened at the acidic, burning taste filling your nose and mouth.

“Dean!” you called out again between wheezes. In the hazy film of smoke you spotted his head roll at your voice. You surveyed the area in seconds. You dropped to your knees and crawled over to him. You nestled by his side, grabbed his face by the jaw and jiggled. “Dean?”

“Hm?”

“Are you alright?”

His lids flitted open. Upon a deep inhale, his coughing fit began.

You’d freak out and try to figure out what irritant or poison was in the smoke later. For the moment he was alive.

After shielding him from further smoke inhalation, you dragged him by his ankles out of the kitchen unceremoniously up and over a step. The back of his head cracked onto the granite with one of your sharp tugs. He cursed into a terry kitchen towel you’d wrapped around his mouth and nose. About 20 yards into the shit show of a rescue he had enough awareness to flip onto his stomach and urge you that he could manage.

You hopped up, lungs on fire, and ran back into the kitchen despite his yelling and a failed attempt to hook his hand around one of your shins. You grabbed the fire extinguisher in the kitchen corner, pointed the nozzle at the pot, and, from a safe distance, sprayed the flame retardant all over the stove.

The fire was finally out and with it the smoke production.

A familiar smell wafted through the heat now that the flames had dissipated. Roasted Pork? Barbecue?

Arms dropped to your side. They were heavy and searing from the exertion. Tears poured from your eyes. Through blurry blinks as the scene cleared, you spotted a tiny glass jar a few feet from where you’d found Dean.

The extinguisher clattered to the floor. You picked up the jar, examined it with a sigh, accompanied by many more coughs, and trudged your way back to Dean.

He was sat on the floor, back against one of the hall walls. He clutched the towel that had been wrapped around his face. He looked up at you with tear-streaked cheeks beneath the flashing red floodlights. “Thank Christ,” he wheezed out.

“You alright?” you asked and fell to your knees beside him. One hand steadied yourself on his thigh.

He nodded.

You waited a few agonizing minutes with him, gaze steady on each other. The air cleared as each second ticked by, enough for you to both begin to breathe with some regularity. The coughs subsided. His hand clutched yours and squeezed.

You pulled your phone out and dialed Sam.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Sam.” You swallowed, throat dry. “Got a question for you,” you rasped.

“Yeah, sure. You okay?”

“Just peachy.”

You watched Dean’s face begin to redden for another reason.

“Curious, what’s this firecracker pepper do from your stash?”

Sam’s silence on the other end didn't bode well. “Why?”

“I’m guessing it’s not an herb you’d use for culinary experiments.”

After three more beats. “He didn’t?”

“Yep, he did.”

“Holy shit! That stuff is highly combustible! It’s meant to oxygenate a fire and sustain it for a prolonged period.”

“Gathered that. Anything we should worry about with substantial smoke inhalation?”

“Nothing more than the usual. I can be back in a few hours.”

“No, no, we’re good. He’ll clean up his own mess.”

Dean frowned.

“You sure?”

“Absolutely. You enjoy your time away from us.”

Sam sighed. “For fuck’s sake. Never a dull moment.”

“Not with your brother it isn’t. Talk soon.”

You ended the call and stared at Dean. Hard. “Dean?” you prodded.

“We were out of pepper!” His shoulders lifted and met his ears.

“I was out getting supplies!”

“If I’d asked you to get pepper you’d have known I was cooking!”

“I already knew you were cooking for our anniversary, Mr. Not Subtle!”

“I wanted to surprise you,” he murmured. “We missed celebrating the way I’d planned because of the hunt. I was making those spicy pulled pork sandwiches you love with all the extra chiles. I tossed some of the pepper in and this fucking flash bomb happened. I jumped back and lost my footing. Hit my head and that was all she wrote.”

You leaned in to feel the knot on the back of his head. “You probably have a concussion.”

He shrugged. “Nothing new there. I’ll be fine.”

You fumed, nostrils flared. “How can you be so, so-” you tossed your hands in his direction, “-this!”

He dared to toss you a cheeky grin.

“Dean, it’s not funny! You could have burned the bunker down and who knows what could’ve happened to-”

He grabbed your face with both hands. Quietly, he stated, “I would burn down the world for you.”

“Don’t do that.” You whispered. “You aren’t gonna get out of me being mad at you.”

He smiled. “Good. That means we can finally have angry make-up sex.”

You pursed your lips together and swallowed down a laugh.

His expression turned serious. “I made a mistake. It happens. I’ll clean up the mess in the kitchen.”

The thunder in your chest faded away. “You can be so careless sometimes.”

He nodded.

“You just act first, think later.”

He nodded.

“Well, you're right that you’re cleaning up all that mess and whatever the hell you did to the bunker.” You pointed down the hall to the kitchen and up at the lights.

He nodded. “Absolutely, sweetheart.”

You rolled your eyes. “Fine! You can kiss me now!”

He repeated. “Absolutely, sweetheart.”

[survivalove]

Katara the selfcare queen

Every canon instance or mention (that i can rmr) of Katara indulging in selfcare in the middle of a war because I find it quite amusing yet fascinating.

I may or may not have made a post like this before but I wanted to expand on it.

1. Skincare routine

In 1x14, The Fortuneteller, Katara reveals she has a special seaweed lotion that she carries with her for soft skin. (Avatar Extras also made a point of saying that it smells…?) She even offers to get Aunt Wu some, as if she has extra. So my question is, who is this plug that she gets her steady supply of seaweed lotion from? 😭

Real-life: Seaweed has been used in skincare for thousands of years, first recorded in ancient Chile. Nowadays, seaweed extract is pretty common in skincare products especially from emerging brands in Nunavik and Iqaluit, Canada.

My headcanon: This is probably a recipe Katara picked up from the older women of her tribe, so she just plucks some seaweed whenever the gaang stops by a body of water. And she definitely makes it in cute glass jars and shares it with her fellow healers in the Republic City Hospital ✨selfcare queen✨

2. Spa Day

I just find this funny because when and how did she even find this spa? How long has she been going by herself? Look how comfortable she is like dhjfjcd she’s definitely a regular and they all know her.

Real-life: Saunas are pretty modern, starting up in Finland around 1112. (In canon, I think a firebender and a waterbender run a sauna in Republic City so hey.) Mudbaths on the other hand have been around for centuries and people have been doing it at any naturally occurring hot spring they can found. I don’t even have to tell you about massages so

My headcanon: Katara always knows where the spas and selfcare places are wherever they go. I definitely think she scooped up some stuff at the perfume abbey in season 1 (because she’s a kleptomaniac). I also headcanon she would have a spa setup in the back of Republic City Hospital because selfcare is healthcare too. Also, Aang gives her massages at home and he’s surprisingly good at it, but, Katara sucks at massages and Aang never lets her do it to him after that one time 💀

3. Yoga

In 3x11, Nightmares & Daydreams, Katara teaches Aang yoga to de-stress in a hot spring. My thing is, when did she learn about yoga and how often does she do it? We needed the Katara yoga mini shorts special. The kids would’ve loved it.

Real life: Yoga originating from ancient India is practised in a variety of forms in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. The poses they do are the Upward Salute and the Wide Legged Forward Bend.

My headcanon: I imagine Katara must have read about this at the Air Nomad Section of the Spirit Library, given the cultural heritage. Knowing her she found a yoga scroll and swiped it (can you say klepto?). This is another selfcare thing she does with Aang because it’s his culture! They do it every Saturday until he starts complaining about his old bones 😅

4. Hair care

Katara also wears a special cap on her head when doing yoga which I assume is to protect her hair from the steam 🤔 I just found it very interesting since we hardly see her hair covered. Then I also realized Katara is the only character shown actually combing her hair and styling it like 4 times: from the bun-braid, to the formal earth kingdom look, to her fire nation look and finally the bun with her hair out.

Real life: I typed so many things and I finally found something similar called a chinoiserie satin skull cap? (sorry pic limit). It’s similar in design and even has a tassel like Katara’s. Focusing on her hairstyles, the signature “hair loopies” are actually based on a traditional Inuit style known as qilliqti and her earth kingdom look is based on a traditional Manchurian style called liangbatou.

My headcanon: Like Katara’s mysterious seaweed lotion recipe, she probably makes several haircare products for herself, and has a major hair routine. So, it would make sense she wears protective caps from time to time. I also think both Hama and Katara are tied to the myth of Senna, the Inuit sea goddess, through the comb Katara uses which I headcanon is the identical comb Hama had in her home (again klepto).

If there’s any more selfcare moments I left out, please feel free to share or reply with your own Katara ✨selfcare queen✨ headcanons!

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Muddled Waters 1

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Part of the Sweet and Spicy AU

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: your boss has a dangerous secret.

Character: Nick Fowler (mob au)

Please comment and reblog if it’s not too much. I always love getting to chat about these stories and hearing all your ideas! You all are wonderful and loved.

You skewer candied cherries on a long toothpick and balance them over a martini glass. The deep blue drink with a layer of foam is perfectly aligned with the crystal brim. You stand straight as you top off the last of the drinks, a new batch for the waiting customers.

You put the small silver measuring cup aside and nearly cry out as the silhouette hovering in the corner of your vision moves. You touch your chest in surprise as you face Nick with a bashful smile. You didn’t even know he was around that day. Lately, he’s been absent more than not.

“Oh, hi,” you laugh at yourself, “I didn’t hear you...”

“I have a bad habit of that,” he grins, “some have compared me to a cat.”

You tilt your head, “some? You mean, me?”

He shrugs, “was that you?

“Maybe,” you turn and carefully move the stemmed glasses to a tray.

“New flavour?” He nears and stands close. You can smell his cedar cologne.

“Blueberry,” you explain, “bit sweet for my tastes but it fits the season.”

“Ah, sounds interesting,” he reaches and takes one of the glasses and you gasp.

“Nick!” You turn to him and he grins as he sips, the foam clinging to his top lip. He hums as he removes the toothpick from across the rim and nibbles off one of the cherries.

“Tasty,” he commends.

“Why-- Now I’ll to make another.”

“They can wait. It’s more than worth it,” he assures, still standing close as he slurps.

You work in the warmth of his looming proximity. He’s never had much of a personal bubble. Working behind a bar, you’ve grown used to being crowded. You measure and pour and muddle. You garnish and set the drink to replace the one your boss took.

“Right, ready,” you declare.

“Here, let me get those,” he slides the tray across the counter before you can react.

“No, you don’t have to--”

“I want to. Boss man’s gotta do some work around here,” he scoffs and lifts the tray. “You take a load off, sweetheart, I need those hands well-rested. No one else has that magic touch.”

You tisk and shake your head. He can be ridiculous. You won’t complain, he’s the least uptight boss you’ve had. The place isn’t too bad. Upscale with well-tipping patronage. It’s not your typical bar. Most of your work is done behind a wall as the customers drink in private rooms or in the common room where refined jazz wafts through the dim air. The whole place drips of exclusivity.

You clean up and wipe the counter before you wash your hands. Another order appears on the screen. Customers order on a sleek touchscreen, unbothered by servers amid their hushed conversations. You assume they are the types with private jets and luxurious yachts. Of course, they’re too special to drink like normal people.

You start up the next order. Spiced apple cider. A classic though it’s not often ordered. Two to put up. You mix the drinks in mason jars with thick handles. You finish them each with a cinnamon stick.

“Ready to go?” Nick has you squeaking again.

“God,” you throw your hands up and laugh, “how do you keep doing that?”

“Hey, not my fault. You’re in the zone. You know, you get all squinty,” he makes a face, “it’s like the whole world doesn’t exist. Makes me feel a bit small.”

“Mm, well, I guess you’re right. I should pay more attention to my surroundings,” you lift the mugs, “I got these, Nick.”

“It’s no problem, one of my buddies,” he wraps his hands around the jars, “been a while since I’ve seen him.”

“Oh, okay then,” you let him take the cups.

“Take it easy. You do too much.”

You smile tightly and lean on the counter. He goes and you turn around to tidy again. You can be precise. You like a clean station. You’ve worked with too many people who leave the bartop littered in lime peel and broken toothpicks. You can’t make a good drink if you’re working in filth.

But it isn’t just your work. You try not to let the personal seep in but you can’t help who you are. Things should be just so. Books should be lined up and sorted alphabetically and the dishes should be stacked neatly, and the carpet can’t be crooked.

You exhale and run your hands over your apron. Most people might envy your boss for his high company and exorbitant wealth, you just covet his coolness. He’s never bothered by much.

“Sweetheart,” he enters, this time with fair warning. You look up at his pet name. He always calls you that. “What’s that chocolate one you did last time?” He snaps his fingers, “you know, it was kinda creamy--”

“Brandy Alexander,” you answer, “yeah, uh, we’re out of dark creme de cacao. I put it on the inventory.”

“Inventory,” he nods and his blue eyes flick away guiltily, “yeah, I was supposed to do that.”

You cross your arms, “yeah, you were.”

“Sorry, sweetheart, I swear, I thought of it,” he crinkles his nose, “but it must’ve slipped my mind.”

“Mhmm,” you sniff, “well, you have been busy. I didn’t even know you were in town.”

He looks up and his cheek dimples. His gaze falls back on you, “lots of running around. Sorry, sweetheart, if it was up to me, I’d be right here, tasting all your delights.”

You nearly snort but instead just furrow your brow.

“What?” He asks.

“Nothing,” you shrug and turn away, the screen showing another order. “Sometimes... the way you say things...”

He chuckles and leans his elbow on the counter, “I do like to choke on my own foot.”

“You know, I said before, I could make time for inventory. I don’t mind making orders--”

“Don’t bother,” he cuts your offer short, “I know people. I can take care of it. I’ll make a few calls tonight.” He stays as he is, angled against the counter as he watches you. He rests his chin on his knuckles and you glance over as you squeeze a lime dry.

“What?” You ask as you measure out the juice.

“How’d you learn to do all this?” He asks.

“I took a few courses, worked a few dives,” you say, “did a gig on a cruise ship. You know, you figure it out.”

“And you enjoy it?” He says, “I mean, I can tell you do.”

“It keeps my hands moving and my head from racing,” you explain as you mix the drink in a shaker.

“Sounds amazing,” he stands straight, “sooner or later, I need to find something to keep me busy. Something that doesn’t make me crazy.”

You garnish and he swipes up the glass before you can stop him.

“Well, you might just have a calling as a waiter,” you say sarcastically as you wipe your hands on a towel.

“I don’t know about that,” he grins, “I’m not much for taking orders.”

[herlondonboy]

Begin Again

pairings: Taylor Swift x gn!reader

summary: just listen to Begin Again (Taylor’s Version).

warnings: none, it’s just fluff.

word count: 1.0k

A/N: for my friend that read the last TS oneshot and complained about how sad it was. Hope this fills up the ever-present hole in your heart like the Wanda smut did, emo boy xx

It was Wednesday.

Probably your least favourite day of the week. It consisted of standing behind the till of a small coffee shop and making coffee for obnoxious customers that don’t understand that ‘we don’t have any more soya milk’ means that you’re out of soya milk.

You stood up with a heavy sigh when you heard the bell above the door ring and looked up. When you met eyes with the blonde that was walking over to you, you held your breath.

Her sunglasses blocked her eyes, but her smile was obviously genuine as she appeared at the counter.

You stammered to greet her, scratching your forehead as your cheeks and ears warmed up dramatically.

The blonde across chuckled at your nerves, assuming that you were trepidatious because she was her, “Hi!” She grinned, half expecting you to ask for a signature or photo because that’s what most people do when they see a celebrity, right?

You gave a nervous laugh, and you cleared your throat, “Uh, hey! What can I get for you?” You bit your lip, trying your hardest not to shamelessly check her out.

Keyword, ‘tried’.

“You’re staring at my chest,” Taylor said with a grin, making your eyes snap up to her, “I think you’re intending to admire my necklace, but it’s coming off as you staring at my chest,” She bit her lip.

Your eyes brightened at the reference, “Oh! Rose to Derek in season 4,” You pointed at her, making her laugh and nod. You smiled before shaking your head and glancing down for a second, “So, what can I get you?”

The blonde’s eyes widened in remembrance, “Uh, a tall, black coffee, please,” She asked sweetly.

“I’d ask for your name, but you’re the only one in here, so,” You chuckled, typing her order into the cash register as she handed you the money to put in the drawer.

Taylor frowned in realisation before smiling brightly and shaking her head, walking over to sit down. You smiled and turned to make her drink, which was probably the simplest one to make.

When you handed Taylor her drink, she thanked you and you went back. Sitting back behind the counter, you kept on glancing up at the blonde who was typing away on her laptop. When she was done, she walked back over to the counter with a cherry smile.

You glanced up and smiled politely, giving a simple goodbye, before looking back down. “It’s Taylor,” The singer said.

“What?” You asked in confusion.

“My name. You said you wouldn’t need it, but I want you to have it, so… It’s Taylor.”

Your eyes lit up and you stood, “I’m Y/N,” You shook her hand, “Same time next week?” You joked.

The blonde laughed and nodded, “of course.” She left, but not before dropping a hefty tip in the tip jar.

Taylor didn’t come the next week, much to your dismay, but she did the week after. Apologies were thrown at you, but you shook them all off, making her a drink. She sat down and you repeated the same process from the first time, only this time when Taylor came to tip you, you didn’t exchange names.

When Taylor walked over to you with her mug, you felt your cheeks warm up once more, “Uh, I know we don’t really know each other that well, but I was wondering if you wanted to get something to eat?”

“Like a date?” Taylor asked, making you look down. “I’d love to go on a date with you, Y/N.”

You grinned, blushing, “Do you, uh, do you want my number?”

Taylor nodded and pulled out her phone, typing each number that you said and texting you so that you had her number, too. She liked you, a lot. It was nice being friends with someone who had a normal, balanced life, that didn’t know her as Taylor Swift, but just Taylor.

On Friday that week, you sat, anxiously tapping away on your table. It was bordering on 7 pm, the time that you and Taylor had agreed on, and you were half expecting Taylor not to turn up. When the door opened, you saw Taylor and stood up as she walked over to you. She got to the table and you pulled out her chair, allowing her to sit, before pushing her in.

You didn’t know how nice that action was, but she did.

The dinner went smoothly, and before you knew it, you were organising another date. Wednesdays quickly began your favourite day, as Taylor would try and make it to the little coffee shop every week at a similar time.

Taylor: I’m sorry, I can’t make it today. Something came up, I’ll be there next Wednesday. I promise

Y/N: Don’t worry about it!

Y/N: I was actually wondering if you wanted to catch a movie on Saturday? They’re playing Zookeeper at the theatre.

Taylor: I’d love to!

Saturday rolled around and after the movie, the two of you chuckled together, walking hand in hand to Taylor’s car. It went silent, and Taylor thought she had to say something so she spoke up, “You know, my bo-“

“You know, my pa-“ you spoke at the same time, making you grin. Taylor motioned for you to speak first and you nodded, “My parents actually bought that movie theatre back in the eighties. A few years before I was born. What were you gonna say?”

Taylor shook her head, ridding all thoughts of her ex-boyfriend, and smiled up at you, “This has been a great few weeks, you know?” She asked, “It was really nice meeting you, Y/N.”

She went to slip into her car when you called her name, making her turn back to you, “Will you be my girlfriend?”

The blonde grinned and nodded, “I’d love to be your girlfriend.”

You looked up at the sky to hide your smile before looking down at the ground, “Can I kiss you?”

“Please do,” Taylor whispered and you leaned forward, connecting your lips with hers, completely oblivious to the camera flashes around you.

[pigeonwhumps]

Rules

Pets of the Silver Screen masterlist

Taglist: @maracujatangerine @clairelsonao3 @whumplr-reader @whumpinggrounds @bbu-on-the-side

Multiple times over the years, Agatha learns the rules.

2.1k

CWs: BBU, pet whump, kidnapping, collar, beating, stress positions, dehumanisation, non-con nudity (non sexual)

Agatha juts her chin out, poise perfect despite the tip-toe position she's been forced into.

"My name is Miss Agatha Stanbury, daughter of Lord Kenneth Stanbury. Let me go and you may get out of this alive."

Foster Montgomery smirks, pressing his knife into her neck, blood beading along its edge.

"I think I'd rather keep you. Nobody's going to find you, certainly not after I'm finished with you." He drags his knife down her front, slitting her clothes. They mostly stay on, but it must be a very sharp knife to manage that. "Take them off."

"No."

He holds up the knife, reminding her. "What did you say?"

Agatha swallows but keeps her poise. She's going to be an actress, she can pretend she has nothing to fear.

"I said no. You have given me nothing to wear afterwards and I will not follow your disgusting commands."

"I have more suitable clothing for you later, if you earn it. But if you won't obey willingly I'll have to do it for you."

Agatha's barely had a chance to process the statement when she's slammed to the ground. All her bones are jarred and her nose explodes with agony. A boot seems to grind her into the floor as Montgomery removes her clothing piece by piece.

She hates herself for thinking it, but at least he lets her keep her knickers.

He grunts in satisfaction, and hauls her to her knees. She shoves his hands away and stands, but is back on her knees in less than a second.

"Stay." He reaches behind him and picks up a leather collar complete with tag.

Agatha doesn't move when he reaches out and buckles the suffocating leather around her throat, but not out of obedience. She just doesn't think she can.

She reaches up to touch it, but Montgomery smacks away her hand before she can.

"Don't even think about it. I'll only ever remove it if you need a punishment that might interfere with the collar somehow, so if you do so yourself I'll assume that's what you're after. But you do still deserve a punishment. Bend over."

Agatha swallows hard, the soft leather and cold metal buckle pressing against her throat. She doesn't move. She only came down for the season, she's not going to obey a kidnapper who's apparently obsessed with turning her into a pet.

He couldn't find a volunteer? There's enough of them.

She pitches forward onto her hands and knees as he pushes her over, pulling her knickers down.

"Bare flesh is best for this. Pets obey. They don't say no. They don't talk back. You need to learn this."

Agatha has never had such a thrashing in her life as she receives then. No-one's ever drawn blood before. She's not passed out enough by the end to receive a reprieve though – he orders her to clean the house, and woe betide her if he finds a speck of dust or blood.

She experiences it all as if from miles away. As if from the gathering she's supposed to be at right now, with entirely different rules. She's not in her body, most of the time, and that's probably for the best.

That day and the next, she learns the rules of being Foster Montgomery's captive.

1) Don't say no.

2) Only speak when spoken to.

3) Don't talk back.

4) Address other people as sir or ma'am.

5) Always obey immediately.

6) Don't remove your collar.

7) Punishments are always deserved, always hard, and given at the slightest provocation.

She adds an extra one from herself, too, which she knows is true. Montgomery giving her a collar is not just him being a sick bastard, it's theatre, another part of the pretense. Because even if he were to parade her in front of those she loves, everyone knows that only pets wear collars.

8) No-one's coming to my rescue. I'm not getting out of here unless I do it myself.

Over the next few months, the rules don't change. The chores are hard, and the punishments harsh, and a lot more of her is scarred now. Very little of what Montgomery does has any logic to it.

But she still can't find an escape. She fears she's sinking into it.

_

When she's hired by Hayes Fletcher, more rules are added to the list.

9) Don't talk to the other pet.

10) If you disobey, it won't just be you who's punished.

Eloise won't receive whippings, of course, and no canings during the shoot, but she can be put in stress positions, or starved, or have a bucket of water dumped over her head before being left in the unheated studio overnight. And Agatha has absolutely no desire to subject her to anything other than a good hot meal and somewhere better to sleep.

_

Rule 7 is underlined dramatically by the inspector's visit. In the aftermath, Agatha's arm and back throbbing, blood pooling on the frozen stone floor that her toes are just able to touch, Eloise whimpering from her own position, Agatha makes sure to add another two rules to herself (though the second is altered after Eloise's angry objections).

11) Don't talk about the situation to outsiders. It will only make things worse.

12) Don't break the rules. Even Only if Eloise agrees to do so.

_

Agatha could possibly escape during the transatlantic crossing. She thinks about it. Even jumping overboard might be better. But she needs to see Eloise again. Be sure that she's alive and physically unhurt (from the sinking at least, Agatha has no doubt she'll have been hurt since). Tell her that she's brave, and a hero, because if it had been anyone but fellow pets she'd saved, if she was anyone but a pet herself, her actions would've been lauded, but instead it's Hayes Fletcher who's being praised for having such a good pet. Which isn't right, it isn't fair, and Agatha can't leave Eloise on her own.

That's when Agatha solidifies the last rule for herself, that's been brewing since she first met Eloise but she's never stopped to think about it before.

13) Her and Eloise only have each other, and will always have each other.

_

Then the Great War comes.

Foster Montgomery signs up to fight. He leaves Agatha in Hayes Fletcher's care, who lends her to the munitions factory, for good publicity and probably money (money for Fletcher? Money for Montgomery? She doesn't know. But neither man is big into philanthropy). Eloise isn't there. Agatha follows the rules Montgomery has already given her, hating the fact that they keep her alive.

Another few rules are added.

14) Don't become emotional.

15) Never make a sound.

16) Just because you're working alongside people, doesn't mean you are one.

That last is... profoundly obvious, at times. When the rest of the workers get to go home at the end of their shifts and she is kept working, or if there's no-one else at all, locked in the breakroom until morning. When she's fed less than the others, or when she's beaten, or–

It's so obvious, even more so than when she was hired by Hayes Fletcher. She hates it. And she's so alone here.

The war will be over by Christmas, right?

_

1915. Foster Montgomery is dead, and Agatha desperately wishes she could thank his killer, if anybody even knows. She gets a new tattoo, signifying her ownership by Hayes Fletcher (luckily, she knows his rules, there's no new ones to learn there). The Munitions Act comes into force, and the regular bombing raids start.

Monkey's paw. She's not alone anymore, but it means that Eloise, and several other pets, have joined her in the munitions factory.

She teaches Eloise what she's learned about staying out of trouble where possible. They have a dedicated bunkroom now, pets crammed in on old bedding on the floors of the worst-maintained rooms. They learn that only a few owners have paid for their pets to be taken to air raid shelters.

Hayes Fletcher hasn't.

Night after night they spend, trying to stay calm as bombs rain down around them. Occasionally they're still chained or tied up at night, for punishments, and when that happens Agatha worries the most.

She learns one more rule.

17) Sometimes all you can do is pray.

_

The war ends. By a miracle, her and Eloise are both still alive. Hayes Fletcher goes back to producing films, albeit with less success. Agatha watches as pet liberation campaigns grow, and the next decade approaches with force. The world seems a little more hopeful, things seem to be changing.

Except for her and Eloise. Stuck with the horrible, spiteful little man, punishments getting worse as he gets more frustrated and blames them for it (or maybe he simply has nowhere else to put his anger). The world's moving on, votes for women are coming, and she can't help but think of what her life might be like if she hadn't been kidnapped all those years ago.

She remembers rule 7. And the last time was dreadful, and another attempt could get them both killed, but she mentions her rule to Eloise one night and Eloise agrees. They have to try, don't they? Sometimes, it's the only thing you can do.

A week later, the film studio burns down in the middle of the night. Arson, probably. By the time the fire brigade arrive to the burnt out husk Agatha and Eloise are already sneaking onto a train to London.

_

"If the both of you want rules, I can give you some," says Ira, clearly reluctant, "as long as we can go through the ones you already have first. Is that all right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Ira nods. "Why don't you write me a list then? We can go through them while Eloise is busy."

Agatha takes the paper and pen she offers, wincing as she sits down, heart skipping a beat. She's still not used to it.

At the end of the session, her list reads:

1) Don't say no.

2) Only speak when spoken to.

3) Don't talk back.

4) Address people as sir or ma'am.

5) Always obey immediately.

6) Don't remove your collar.

7) Punishments are always deserved, always hard, and given at the slightest provocation.

8) No-one's coming to my rescue. I'm not getting out of here unless I do it myself.

9) Don't talk to the other pets.

10) If you disobey, it won't be just you who's punished.

11) Don't talk about the situation to outsiders. It will only make things worse.

12) Don't break the rules. Only if Eloise agrees to do so.

13) You and Eloise only have each other, and will always have each other. (Ira says she can get rid of this one partially too, but she's not so sure. Not yet)

14) Don't become emotional.

15) Never make a sound.

16) Just because you're working alongside people, doesn't mean you are one.

17) Sometimes all you can do is pray.

The new rules are easy, and straightforward, and Agatha doesn't entirely trust them. The list now reads:

1) You belong to yourself.

2) You will never be punished, no matter what you do.

3) You and Eloise only have each other, and will always have each other.

4) Sometimes all you can do is pray.

_

Agatha kneels on the floorboards, trembling. It's her turn today, Ira asked her to clean and she said yes, she's not sure why except she's so used to not being allowed to say no.

She hopes she's done well. She hopes she's done well. She hopes she won't be punished.

Ira doesn't do punishments. But all the same, she hopes she won't be punished.

There's footsteps, then they stop.

"Agatha?"

"I've finished cleaning, ma'am."

A hand on her shoulder. "Agatha, please look at me. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. Come on, look up."

Agatha obeys hesitantly. And gasps. Ira's eyes are dark and warm and how could Agatha ever have thought otherwise? Ira gets down to her level as Agatha grasps her hands tightly, pulling her into a rare hug.

"Rules one and two, Agatha."

"I belong to myself," whispers Agatha, still clutching Ira tightly, "and I will not be punished."

Ira's two rules. The only two she'll ever make.

1) I belong to myself.

2) I will never be punished, no matter what I do.

And there's a third, that Agatha has added herself, that she thinks she probably can after so long. Rule number 5, now Ira has been proven correct and number 3 has been partially removed (Agatha does not only have Eloise now).

5) Ira keeps her promises.

[chaand-jalne-laga]

CJL LIVE BLOG SEASON 1 [EPISODE 1]

So. I know, this is wrong. Coz I put the IPK one on hold and now i am starting another, but I thought, this one is just for 82 epis(SO SHORT? WTF? CHALA HI NAHI SHOW?!?!?) So, it wont take much time to complete this and I also wanted to keep this content and ipk content separate. Hence, a separate blog. I know y'all might be hard-core Arshi fans and ipk fans, but, give this one, a chance, as well, ok? Just for entertainment's sake? Please? Baaki, it's your choice ofc :) Hope you enjoy this.

1.) Hmm. Pune. Maharashtra. A girl peeping out through the car window. Enjoying the 'jaadu' in the air. Btw, I like the BG score, here.

2.) In the flashback, we see two kids sitting on a white horse and the horse is galloping in its full galore. The girl confirms the magic in the air as her hands are flying. Lol. Typical kids.

3.) Tara di's sister is asking about her opinion on her looks. IDK but I cringed real hard when she said, "Achi lag rahi hun naa?"(Like yeah darling, you look average. Lol. JK. You look stunning but stop with that cringe acting, ok?)

4.) Tara Di opens her hair and A SECOND-LITERALLY A SECOND AGO, she was irritated but then immediately she is impressed with her di's improvisation. Whatever. Lol.

5.) Selfies. Di is excited so she starts taking selfies and her younger sister is suspicious instantly. Why? Does she not take selfies on any normal day? Maybe. *shrugs*

6.) How typical of people to instantly assume that if a girl seems excited then she might be having a 'chakkar' with some boy. Why girl? Your sister can't be happy for her own self, just like that, without any reason? *hmph* Do you make her that upset? Lol. That now her excitement seems abnormal.

7.) NGL but this Tara di's sister is a really bad actor, whoever she is. Sorry. Lol.

8.) Tara Di gets off the car and lets them drive by. Then, she quickly runs to the Bus Station to catch a bus for--?--whatever.

A Side Gyaan : But that's such a bad way to catch a bus, actually. First, you catch the attention of the bus driver coz they are at a considerable height and then they stop the vehicle ONLY THEN you cross it and get on the bus, okay? My readers? Don't be like Tara Didi, okay? Good. Now, we come back to the epi.

9.) So. Tara didi is changing her shoes. I really thought for a sec that she will change her outfit too. Lol. A kid is staring at her antiques and she notices people are staring at her. So.

What do you think will she do?

a) ignore them

b) make faces at them

c) sunaoify (rudely) them for staring at a slightly differently dressed girl

d) give them a five page ka gyaan on social etiquettes as a soon-to-be 'Starplus Bahu'

Yeah. You are neither right nor wrong, coz she will randomly pull out a jar of lollipops and distribute it to appease them. Yes. We all do that. We all step out of our homes, thinking we might happen to be in a bus and can then distribute it among the children on the said bus. Whatever.

10.) TD gets off the bus and buys chana and gur for--?--*shrugs*

11.) TD is now sitting in a-tempo?-transport vehicle. Whatever. Driver announces her destination which is- "Sehgal Estate"

12.) The driver assuming her to be a tourist, warns her, of the place having been shut down for quite a few years now and he tells her that an accident had taken place, many years ago. TD flashes back to that 'haadsa' and politely dismisses him by stating that she is a local.

13.) Ok, ladies, so all things aside, who all can climb up and cross that gate, that high, with a WHITE SAREE and that too without staining it!?!? Anyone? No? See, our Tara D (Lol. I have so many name ideas for this girl.) CAN. She is a champion at this. (Okay so i wanted to take a screenshot of that long-ass gate but Jio Cinema didn't let me. Fudge you, Ambanis'. Whatever. Lol.)

14.) She takes help from Deva's flash back advice when he had first guided her to climb that (same?) gate. Okay, so that saxophone BG score is cute, okay? Lol.

15.) Gosh. How did they manage to find a small girl who looks exactly like Kanika Mann? Wow. Casting directors take a bow. *bows down with joined hands*

16.) Okay, so the titular song has started in the BG and I am loving it. Meanwhile, TD is going about the mansion and recalling that 'haadsa'.

17.) I am actually kinda liking this kid, Deva. How sweet of him. He extends a bunch of yellow flowers (symbolizing friendship). And damn, he has one hell of a head full of soft and flowy tresses. Wow. Any hair care tips for us, girls, Deva? Lol. Whatever.

18.) She digs out the 'nishaani' of their friendship which is basically two thick stones(or rocks?) joining like a puzzle piece and 'Badshah' along with caricatures of Deva and Tara, carved on the two pieces.

19.) She becomes very emotional, holding the symbol of a once very beautiful bond she had with some boy named- Deva. And then out of the blue we hear a horse neighing and Tara instantly brightens as she recognizes Badshah.

20.) Sure enough, we see Badshah running towards Tara and Tara on reaching close to it, touches it affectionately on it's jaws. We see that Badshah is indeed angry and disappointed on Tara. He starts running away as Tara tries to pacify it(him?). Oh. So. The chana and gur was for a horse. Ok. Nice.

Fun-Fact : All things set aside, Kanika genuinely had to interact with a horse in the middle of the shoot. I wonder if there's some story to this episode which she might have, like she was hell scared of horses and yet had to learn how to interact even if it's a well trained horse, we are talking about. Okay. Enough. Now back to the epi.

21.) Basant Kaka has come to see Tara Bitiya. What's with that line?-"Main janta tha ki aaj ka din tu bhulegi naayi, zarur aayegi." Kya hai aaj ke din mein aisa? Tara's demeanor changes as she recalls the incidents that took place in today's date.

22.) She tells BK that today is the day she met HIM (Deva?) and she reveals that he was the only one who made her Tara from 'Phus Tara' (Deflated Star or according to Jio Cinema's caption-'Timid Tara'. Basically an insulting nick name.)

(Lol. See. I got another name. But. Sorry i won't use that coz it triggers her childhood trauma.)

22.) Do I see vengeance there, Tara? Okay. So, we are being taken 15 years back.

23.) Wow. What an a__hole of a brother. He is chasing Tara all over the house with a bunch of crackers (chataai?) Tara is hidden inside the cupboard but she wants to come out because she is scared of darkness and it's all dark inside the cupboard. Ronak bhaiya fools her to come out but lays the chataai bomb and lights it with a matchstick giving her a 'Sehgal Promise'. These Sehgals seem to be too stuck up of a family tho.

Not-So-Fun Fact : God, these are the worst kind of crackers not only coz of the sound but also they keep scattering everywhere, while bursting, once lit. Even I am hell scared of these and always stand at least 1 Km away from these. Lol.

24.) Not knowing better (how would she? she is just a kid of 7-8 something.) Tara trusts her wicked brother, who has already run away to the veneration, steps out of the cupboard but it's too late the crackers keep scattering everywhere and bursting in the meantime and the poor kid is hell scared she starts calling out for her father ("Baba").

25.) Baba is doing aarti of Devi Maiyya (Oh. Hello DM. How are you? How are Khushi-Arnav and their munchkins doing? Lol. Sorry. I get carried away a bit.)

26.) WAIT. WHAT!?!!?!?! Is that the same guy, who was in Sheesh Mahal, on the fashion show night and Khushi came, asked him for directions but instead got to listen to an Urdu Shayari? Wow. See. A crossover we didn't deserve but got anyway. Whatever.

27.) Baba was doing aarti when his hell scared daughter comes and merely touches his back and the veneration plate skips away from his hand. Lol. What kind of a diet Baba takes that he couldn't even handle a gentle push from a mere kid of 7? Whatever.

But the thing that surprises me more is that he is about to lash out at her in front of the whole-family?- bunch of people. This is where I thought that there's some major tiff going on, in the family, like, everyone is against a mere kid.

28.) Baba, your daughter was hell scared, that too, coz of your a__hole of a son. A lil bit of compassion would go a long way. Thank you.

29.) Wow. A__hole father, a__hole brother. Tara. Run. I said. RUN. Whatever. Poor kid. Is getting blamed for the thing that she couldn't have any control of. So. Baba's wife died at childbirth. So. Now. He has got a lifetime license of blaming and punishing his daughter for it. WoW. jUsT. wOw.

30.) Some one please call a gynecologist and enlighten him that it hardly has anything to do with the child but has everything to do with proper timely medical care. Whatever.

31.) OH. She is crying in front her mother's portrait. Asking if she would ever be loved by anyone or not. I so desperately want to go and give her a looooooong jaadu ki jhappi. Uff. I am getting goosebumps now.

32.) She hears a melody being played out from a harmonica and is instantly drawn to its source. She sees, a boy riding a horse named Badshah and carrying balloons on it's saddle. She is kind of intrigued by this boy.

33.) The boy introduces himself as Deva and in the process, mocks Ronak. Ronak is kind of irritated of this boy already and tries to take over the horse and orders BK to light a long-ass chataai (do they have nothing else in the name of crackers? Lol. 'sEhGaLs') But, Deva is frantic and warns not to burst crackers as it will make Badshah go crazy and mocks him again and Ronak pushes him and Deva falls down.

34.) BK, following his master's orders, lights the chataai and Badshah goes crazy, starts running around violently. There is chaos everywhere, somewhere in the midst, Baba also shouts. The horse Badshah is now running towards Tara and Tara is frightened to the core. She freezes at her spot and covers her face ready to face the impact. Deva pulls off a high jump stunt and lands on the horse's back and calms him down in the process.

35.) Deva tries to cheer Tara up and is successful and from there on they both spend time together and thus become hard core friends.

36.) Deva lightens up her world. She smiles more, laughs more, conquers her fears a lil bit more, every time she is with Deva. And one fine day, they both are celebrating Deva's birthday and Tara has brought a cake for him. A candle is perched on its top. Deva lights it up and blows it away to make a wish. But the candle keeps lighting up again and again automatically, this surprises Deva and Tara falls into a pit of laughter and we see grown up Tara laughing in front of BK recalling the incident. This show is really moving something inside me. It's so heart warming tbh.

37.) Ok. So now they are celebrating BK's b'day and she has a cake-cum-aate-ka-halwa. BK lights up a matchstick and the small speck of fire again ignites that trauma in Tara. Poor girl is traumatized on loosing her only best friend.

38.) Tara and BK think that Deva is dead. And, Badshah has been bought by someone in exchange of lakhon rupiye. Altho, Bhojariya ji had a deal with Tara that she would pay him to keep Badshah in the Sehgal Estate but upon getting a greater amount of money, naturally, Bhojariya Ji sells it.

39.) Tara is heart-broken that she could not keep his only belonging safe and so apologizes to Deva (who she thinks is in heaven) and we are instantly taken to a hilltop where we see a man, also in white. So. Deva. He is alive and probably a reech buzinez man, i think? And, now, the plot is quite predictable, Tara will try to take back Badshah from that 'man' and he will in turn not reveal that he is indeed Deva becoz there is some misunderstanding on both of their side. So. He will try to seek revenge from Tara for what he had to go through in the past. As it is clear from the line, "Bohot jal chuka suraj, ab chaand ko jalna hoga." Wow. What a beautiful parallel tho. (Suraj-Deva and Chaand-Tara and also the title of the story makes a lot more sense now.)

40.) Ok. So. Jalebi reminded me that I did not mention Deva's entry scene. So. Yeah. Deva's entry scene, huh? Wow. Yeah. Sirf. Wow. I had literal goosebumps already and then that drone shot from the hilltop. The teapot hanging above the fire. Lol. What a traditional way to make chai amidst nowhere. Btw where did he get chai ki patti from? And what about chini? Cup? Lol. Banda puri taiyyari ke saath aaya tha. So. Yeah. Amazing scene. Handsome Deva. Beautiful white suit. Already swooning.

Not-so-Fun Fact : Damn this reminds me that I have been chai-deprived since yesterday coz chai was finished and no one in our house(as in me and my parents) were bothered enough to bring it from the general store altho we all were very much bothered for not being able to have a cup of chai. uGh. Whatever.

41.) Wow. Wow. Wow. This show has already started to cast its spell on me, to be honest. And it's just the first episode.

P.S. : So. Yeah. Very beautiful. Very very very beautiful indeed. Cinematography wise. Script wise. Costume wise. Look wise. Everything is perfect for Chaand Jalne Laga. TBH I was underestimating this show but it indeed is beautiful. Please do give it watch. Ok. Then. Bye. God bless you.

[spenglerssweetheart]

That, Southern thing

In which reader from the south can smell the rain just before it comes.

Pairing: Ghostbusters x reader.

Warnings: none.

Springtime in New York was always nice, And for the ghostbusters it was certainly something. Having a new recruit is all well, only there’s one small thing about her that the others find somewhat odd. She can smell the rain before it comes.

Y/n was a particular person, had just as much passion in the paranormal just like the others, and a passion for the outdoors and botanics. The others didn’t quite mind, since the few plants around the firehouse simply brightened up the place a little more.

——

“Y/n, This isn’t a greenhouse, come on you can’t keep bringing these plants in” “it’s literally a small thing that is going to Egon, it’s literally for him. It’s his.” Y/n retorted to Peter, who watched her go up the stairs and assuming into the lab. Y/n and Egon were going to be spending a little time outdoors, even though it was partly cloudy.

Y/n was in a particularly good mood, and Egon could tell the moment she stepped into the lab. “What’s got you in a good mood today Y/n?” “We’re going outside again, and it’s not that sunny” She said as she handed Egon the small potted plant. He was going to be doing some sort of experiment with the plant and how it would react to the ectoplasmic slime left over from one of their recent busts.

“Oh uh Winston and Ray want to join us, maybe Janine if she isn’t so busy? Is that alright with you?” She asked softly, walking over to his small jars that contained growing fungus. “Sure, but I’m hoping things don’t interfere with what we’re trying to collect” Egon said, moving small things around before leading Y/n back downstairs.

They didn’t really need a coat or anything but Y/n still took a light cardigan sweater in case.

Once they arrived at the park, Y/n went towards the growing bushes that were sporting few flowers here and there. All of the other ghostbusters had decided to join and make it somewhat of a fun day out. The wind was nice and cool but it was starting to become a little more cloudy.

The others watched as Y/n stood up and looked up at the sky, before the familiar earthy scent from back home hit her nostrils. The smell of it made her feel a little bit happier, but she frowned to herself.

“I think we should start heading back, it’s most definitely going to rain in a bit” She started, holding some small flowers as she walked back to the group. “Wait how Can you tell? It’s just cloudy, the sun will come back out” Peter said as he placed his hands on his hips. “You guys don’t smell the rain?…” Y/n asked softly, looking around at the others who had a confused look on their faces before they began shaking their heads.

“Oh-” She said surprised, before a loud strike of thunder was heard. “O-Kay we really should start heading back” Winston said, beginning his walk towards the way they entered. The others following shortly behind.

After that incident, Peter often teased Y/n about it, if not Y/n the others by complete accident. When they catch Y/n outside with her nose in the air and it’s barely clouding over, a small “She’s doing that southern thing again!” Is heard and the others simply just laugh to themselves about it, but most times than not it helps a bunch before the guys go on a bust or coming back from one.

This is literally a small Drabble because I miss the rain, and it’s just too hot that I need it so very much right now. (Yes I am from the south) And like this idea hit me when my grandma and my aunt were talking about hurricane season, and like the faintest smell of the moist dirt before the rain came hit me and I was like ‘I have to write about this’

Anyway. I hope you guys liked this, again it was a small Drabble, a little idea that I needed to get out. But if anything, like, share, reblog whatever, I would so greatly appreciate it. I love you, have a better day, stay safe! BYE!!

[peeweekey]

salmonberry season

Spring is winding to its end in Remoria Farm—Ambrose likes the tartness of salmonberries, and Milene likes him.

original characters, Milene & Ambrose (!!!) ; farmer/farmhand

Ambrose thrives in the valley.

Milene knows because she watches, always watches him. She knows that he hums to the beat of cheesy love songs while watering parsnip seedlings. That he likes to lie in the chicken coop and cuddle the hens in his arms when he thinks she isn’t looking. The townspeople that laugh brightly when talking to him—they like him, it’s obvious by the way his arms are never empty from a trip to the town, there’s always another pot of soup or a jar of pasta sauce.

Most of all, though he can’t recognize it himself, Milene sees the bright spark in his eyes.

She remembers what they looked like before they moved to the valley, dull and unfocused and so far away. His office job in Joja made him slowly waste away. Now, the green in his eyes shine whenever he wrangles a particularly fussy fish, or when the two of them stand side by side in the kitchen, following televised recipes that leave the house smelling deliciously of caramelized onion and garlic.

Even now, when they sit under a thick branched tree away from the hot midday sun, Ambrose keeps the twinkle in his gaze. Sticking side by side, they share a handful of spring salmonberries—handpicked by Ambrose himself. The berry is sweet and tart, sticky and viscous all over her fingers and lips. She wipes the red stained juice smeared on her fingertips off on the hem of her shorts.

Absentmindedly, Milene reaches to pluck another pea-sized berry from him, but he twists his body away, hiding the salmonberries with a faux frown. She stretches her arm farther, reaching for the berries, resting her other palm on the grassy bed below. She shoots him a puzzled look.

“You had your share,” he says. Milene raises a brow. “The rest are mine.”

Huffing, Milene reaches again, her arm bumping his shoulder. Ambrose, this time, fully turns his back to her and protectively cradling berries to his chest, making the reach unsuccessful. She scoffs at his childishness and pokes him in the side.

“Selfish.”

Ambrose wiggles his eyebrows, aiming a smug smirk at her. “And you’re a leech,” he replies just as fast. “If you joined me in picking berries we’d have more, but you didn’t. You get what you get.”

“Excuse me,” she forcibly rests her weight against his back. Ambrose breathes on a wheeze as she leans over him. “I’d assume you’d be able to do something as simple as that on your own.”

Milene can hear the smile in his voice. “Picking berries is not simple.”

“Putting up with a brat like you isn’t simple either,” she replies dryly, pinching at his ear. “What did I do to deserve this? You’re breaking my heart here, I’ll have to go back to my dingy apartment in Zuzu city to save some face.”

Ambrose stiffens, his back ram-rod straight, his lips pressed into a line when he looks back at her. Milene sits back, the sudden change in atmosphere making her heart rate spike—did she say something wrong?

Milene rests a steadying hand on her chest. Damn this man for making her emotions run all over the place.

His hand flexes and rubs absentmindedly at the denim of his overalls. A nervous tell of his, for what reason he is buzzing with nerves she can’t tell.

“—Ambrose,” she can hear the high pitchy quality in her voice, she cringes inwardly. “You eat a rotten berry or something? What’s up?”

Small steady streams of light filtered through the branches shine on them, Ambrose turns his head back and looks her directly in the eyes.

“Don’t say that,” he says under his breath, Ambrose speaks it like a secret along with a long suffering sigh. Like he’s been hiding the sentiment for a while. “Don’t say that you’ll leave.”

Oh.

Immediately, Milene feels the giddy swing of her stomach, the knotting and unknotting of her gut as giggles slip past her berry-stained lips. Ambrose fixes her with a weak glare, more of a pout if anything.

His posture is significantly more relaxed when he goes to chastise her. “Dude, not funny—”

Milene takes the opportunity to pluck a salmonberry from his hand while his attention is taken away. “Very funny. Hilarious even.”

His frown deepens as she pops the berry in her mouth, but she knows better. The twinkle in his eyes are bright, overwhelmingly so. The sight makes her heart swell and threaten to burst out of her chest. It’s honestly kinda terrifying.

“There’s nothing for me in the city,” she murmurs, pressing her thumb and pointer together, they stick together with berry juice. “I won’t leave, ever.”

Ambrose snorts, bringing two berries into his mouth, his lips stained red along with it. “What if there’s a drought and we lose all our money?”

“Hell no,” Milene entertains his inane imagination. “You wouldn’t survive without me. You’d die of loneliness, or starvation.”

“Gee Milene, you really know how to cheer a guy up.” he deadpans.

“Not trying to cheer you up,” she smirks. “It’s just the plain simple truth.”

He narrows his eyes. “Okay, but what if—”

“No,” she interrupts, waving her hand. Milene tucks her feet closer underneath her, staving off the brunt of the summer heat.

She rests her hand by his side, studying his face intently. The curve of his nose, the slope of his cheeks and the cut of his cheekbones, his eyes—his eyes that glitter and shine like emeralds.

Milene thinks that she can stare into them forever.

“Besides,” she shrugs, “I like to watch you. You’re happy, I’m happy too.”

[theflyindutchwoman]

Lucy's healing journey is one that really resonated with me. I know so many felt her trauma has been forgotten by the show... And I get it. The thing is, I'm not sure if the writers forgot about it as much as they lost their way towards the end. Because they actually did a rather good job by having her trauma brought up in every season since Day of Death. They were showing us how she was progressing… And in a way, I feel that's what makes it even more jarring because it ended abruptly. They started a blueprint and left it unfinished.

It all started in 2.12 - this episode really gave us the key elements the writers used in Lucy's recovery. They mentioned straight away all the therapy work she has done since Day of Death : exposure therapy, cognitive therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. I won't talk about the last two. But exposure therapy is really interesting : to put it simply, she willingly put herself in situations that could trigger her trauma, under the supervision of a therapist. In her case, I would assume being in tight/dark spaces would be on top of her list. Speaking from personal experience : cars, underground structures and elevators are some of the worst because you deal with them on a daily basis. And for Lucy who spends 12hours/day in a car and has an unpredictable job, claustrophobia had to be dealt with right away. Interestingly enough, we actually (almost) never saw her have a panic attack in an enclosed space. The show instead chose to focus on her issues regarding the human interaction/touch and trusting her instincts. Which, considering her job, are equally as important. Just less obvious.

In 2.14 + 2.17, we see a bit more of her progress. Lucy directly mentioned being buried alive as a way to remind people not to underestimate her. By that stage, she's no longer seeing herself as a victim, but as a survivor (thank you Tim). She is healing progressively and trying to find healthy ways to cope and if not, face the issue at hand, like Nyla advised her. We even get a conversation with Tim, giving us a glimpse of his guilt (and part of his trauma as well). And by 2.19, Lucy seems to be fine with dating and being touched. It closes one part of the arc opened in 2.12… However, it's worth noting that the show didn't stop referencing her trauma there.

In 3.01, we finally get a confrontation with Rosalind who manages to get the drop on Lucy by singing THE song. And yet, by the end, she seems confident, both of herself and of Tim's presence in her life. She knows that if she falls, Tim will catch her… And that is a huge thing. For both of them, because as much as Tim tries to deflect, her faith in him is absolutely important in regards to his guilt.

3.02 / 3.03 follow-up on this progress. We find out that her car was the only place she felt safe after her ordeal (which is really interesting considering she was forced in the trunk of a car - again no sign of claustrophobia)… It says a lot about where she is now that she feels confident enough to give away what was essentially her safe space to someone she just met. Even after Tamara sold the car, she is still able to let it go.

In 3.13, we have a major moment for Lucy. Nyla is essentially trying to trigger Lucy by abducted her just so they can see how she'll react. I say "they" because this moment is for both Nyla and Lucy. It drives the point home on how far Lucy has come in such a short time.

That's why I don't find it that shocking when Lucy dares Tim to do an escape room with her in 4.07. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely understand the reactions here. Considering what she went through, an escape room would not be my first choice either. But even if it's an enclosed space, it's still a controlled environment, of her choosing, with a person she fully trusts. And again, up until that point, we never saw her react negatively to tight/dark spaces. I mean, if she was able to deal with a fake abduction, being in a suit in a closed lab, seeing her murdered best friend stuffed in the truck of a car, adventuring inside the walls of her building or being in the back of a van (similar to the one Nyla abducted her in) without panicking, going to an escape room is really not that out of character. The writer may have completely forgotten about her trauma here but at least, it doesn't necessarily negate what we've seen either.

Now here comes 4.17... And all its triggers! Seriously, take your pick. We got : puppies' videos from Tamara ; the surprise of finding out her boyfriend watched the video of her being buried alive (and dying) without asking for her consent (or warning her in advance) ; THE song ; watching by herself the videos of her dying ; telling Tamara to go on a date with a stranger ; and going in an elevator without second thought… And in case that wasn't enough, Lucy was already panicking when she arrived at the DA's office. Now I can't believe that all these direct callbacks to Caleb and her traumas were pure coincidence. So I'm guessing they tried to make it an empowering moment for Lucy. And in a way, I can see it : by not testifying, she is beating Rosalind a second time. She is taking back her own narrative. It's her story, not something to replay for Rosalind's amusement and mind games. The problem is it fell… flat. I don't know exactly what went wrong. I'd venture too many triggering moments with no real impact or reaction. The puppies videos or Tamara's going on a date should have made Lucy hesitate at least for a second. Instead she barely reacted. Chris humming the song and the realisation that he watched the video should also have warranted a longer reaction. The look of horror and terror on Melissa's face was perfection but it barely had time to sink in before all was forgiven. She bounced back to her cheerful self all too quickly. I feel we needed some breathing room... To really see Lucy work through her decision to not testify to make it empowering.

And that would have made Rosalind's escape and Lucy's spiralling in 5.01 even more horrifying. Because just when she thought she was free, she was reeled back into Rosalind's mind games. Now this episode introduced some really good elements of claustrophobia. Like how Lucy found out about the escape while she was back in a tight space (airplane)… I will forever cherish Melissa for her acting choice in the bathroom, when Lucy's hands are shaking. But the fact that in this situation, she has to go in an even tighter space (bathroom) to get some small amount of comfort makes it even worse. Another moment is when they're in the car on their way to the casino… A car with tinted windows, at night, surrounded by people she doesn't know/trust… The first thing she does is rolling down the window so she can feel the light breeze and see lights… And then, she turns to make eye contact with Tim. At this point, she is barely holding it together (although she's doing a great job hiding it) and he is the only place of comfort she has. Tim watching over her during this whole episode is so sexy of him. He tries to give her as much control as he can while supporting her.

In 5.02 / 5.03, that's when her trauma starts to seriously be overlooked. Which at this point could still make sense : she's too focused on Chris and feeling too guilty to be introspective. And we see her reluctance in dealing with anything related to Rosalind's case (which was consistent with her previous decision). But Chris' trauma is too fresh for him to realise what he's doing and what he's truly asking of her (and I doubt he'd have the ability to read the room anyway). And she can't turn to Tim for help…

And that's when we arrive to 5.04… One thing that I liked was having Lucy not bothering with Rosalind and focusing instead on saving Bailey. It's on par with her decision in 4.17 : she's letting Rosalind be an afterthought, which was exactly what our sociopath didn't want. And by bringing back Bailey from the dead, she beats Rosalind a third (and final) time. We come full circle with Day of Death : this time, it's her turn to help someone by using her experience and she gets to save someone. It opens the door for a new healing arc…

And that's where it got completely brushed away. There was no acknowledgement whatsoever that Lucy's wounds were brutally reopened and that she was further victimised by Rosalind. We didn't see her process what she went through. We had a glimpse of something when Lucy said it didn't feel real but that's it. Tim and Grey felt almost too cold towards her. Even in 5.08 when Tim acknowledged Rosalind's actions, it's about Chris, not Lucy. That's why I'm not sure they forgot - it almost feels like the writers didn't even realise that Lucy went through her own trauma this time around. And what makes it even more disappointing and unsatisfying is that they did a lot of groundwork, it just needed a couple more scenes. I'm not holding up much hope for further acknowledgement but it could still be salvaged a bit. Have the true crime episode dedicated to Rosalind and have Lucy work through everything she experienced… Or have Lucy interact with a victim where she help them get through their trauma and at the same time acknowledge her own ordeal… Or have Lucy and Angela bond over what it feels like to be abducted, to live in fear of having your loved ones or yourself being killed by a psycho (since Angela's trauma has been completely ignored up until 5.12, having a real conversation about it could be nice)… Or have Lucy wake up from a nightmare and Tim hoping her process things... Anything.

Although I will end this whole thing by saying it still beats what we got from Bailey… Because I'll never get over the fact that they joked about her death. Literally. They basically said her dying this time around didn't matter because she already died previously so what's one more. Listen, I can have a dark sense of humour but show, there is such a thing as timing and that was not it.

Little added note - This isn't about screentime or anything. I am aware of the challenges of having a huge cast of characters. And while this whole post may not sound like it, I am actually happy that we got such a storyline to begin with because I'm used to shows ignoring traumas altogether. So this felt new and refreshing. Hence the frustration that they fumbled the last part.

[delopsia]

del, this is a jumbled mess!! but i hope it makes sense and i hope you enjoy because your post about rhett controlling the west pasture hole got me thinking!! 🫢💭

the hole did open the first time when someone in distress had an intense desire to run away... so, maybe the same thing happened again?

because who screams emotionally distressed man who’s desperate to leave more than rhett abbott?

it’s obvious that he’s is unappreciated in his house where he should be loved. he doesn’t seem to have have any friends; there isn’t anyone who wholeheartedly cares for him where he’s at.

we can only assume the previous months had been particularly bad with rebecca’s disappearance, and then during the show he: gets wrongfully accused of murdering trevor, nearly thrown under the bus by the man who actually murdered trevor, and then assaulted by the man who murdered trevor not long after that.

rhett didn’t get much from his father—other than being trapped by him (a headcanon of mine that i have yet to finish), but he is still his son, and maybe? he gave him the power to...just up and leave too?

quick interjection: it’d also explain why royal was so jarred and affected by that hole appearing, like, “i know this, but i didn’t do this...”

anyways, it’s almost like a parallel in itself? rhett didn’t kill anyone (like everyone assumed he did), but he kind of killed his father, too, in a way when he finally got the guts to tell him up he didn’t “didn’t give a fuck about the goddam ranch!” and that he was finally leaving.

[omg like? royal was selfish when he left his mother and sister? but rhett had never been selfish? your honor, she’s reaching]

which we all saw did not happen! and it’s interesting to think that maybe this happened before at the hand of royal abbott.

maybe rhett had always wanted to leave? *rumblings of my headcanon in the distance* but he just became too important to how the ranch was run? *my headcanon stampeding toward us like those buffalo* and then perry got the chance to go and didn’t really care all that much, but royal made him take it? *a hole opens and my unfinished headcanon falls in*

we all saw royal help perry escape by literally bringing him to the hole and telling him everything.

[didn’t he give an incredibly abridged version to rhett in the car? as in, no mention of the hole? maybe that’s why rhett looked at him like that, equal parts “you’re insane” and also, maybe, “i know you’re lying”? your honor, please reel this woman in]

anyway, royal knew what was going to happen in that moment because the situation they were in was worse than than what it was before. but in the same way, royal figured they’d just deal with the aftermath like last time.

👀 *looks at the ending of outer range season one* 😬

but what a theory, del!! because honestly what if once again royal was keeping rhett from leaving again? what if that hole was meant for rhett to jump into, to finally get away and be free of all this?

but rhett was scared and unsure, but then he finally feels like “yeah, okay, i really have nothing. i can go.” but then maria’s intervening extreme an sudden interest at the rodeo and it throws a wrench in his plan that was both heartbreakingly spontaneous as well as years in the making—and, how the hell was he going to explain why they were jumping into a hole in the ground?

what would be on the other side?

for rhett, anything was better than here, but would it be for her? he’d already been selfish once tonight.

[your honor!]

so instead he just had them hop in his truck to try to leave that way but whatever powers that were said a firm and upsetting, “no.” this wasn’t how this was supposed to go, and the wrong abbott son had gotten out again, just like before.

*judge furiously bangs gavel*

the way in which I was writing a full-fledged theory post about Rhett being the reason the hole opened, saw this roll into my inbox and YELLED 🌷💃

Off to theory-land we go!

I wonder if the 'control' over the hole is something (genetic, maybe) that Royal carries and has passed down to his sons?

Rhett absolutely screams, emotionally distressed; hell, he's the only member of the family not explicitly mentioned in the first two minutes. We see Royal and Cecelia, who talks about her dream about Perry, Rebecca, and Amy, and we watch Royal check on the latter two, but Rhett? We don't know he exists until he stumbles in, and they're forced to acknowledge him. Immediately, Perry's teasing him about who he's slept with, and Cecelia gets all, "Well, make it yourself, Rhett!" when all he did was ask if...there's more coffee.

Sidebar. I've never gotten why she said that. Because he never asked her to make more? 😭 He was just asking if there's any left, probably because he's trying to figure out if he needs to make more or not. Additional sidebar. I have this fun little theory that Rhett seeks out so many one-night stands because he craves intimacy. It's the only place he can really get it, so of course, he's going to go seeking it out. I have now run out of sidebars 💃

Maria even clearly recalls him saying that he wants to escape this place, but here he is, all these years later. Stuck with a family that seems to view him as just another ranch hand more than anything else. There's no way Royal isn't intentionally keeping him around, too *cough* I'm somewhat convinced that Perry was born out of love, and Rhett was born because they needed extra hands on the ranch *cough*

He's got a whole list of reasons to want to leave, so it would make perfect sense for the hole to open for him. He probably would have found it had Royal not kept everyone away from it. Omg but I never even considered that it could explain why Royal was so jarred.

Royal did give a very short explanation, but he followed up that confession by putting the belt buckle he stole from Joy's office onto the dash 😭

The first photo is Rhett as Royal tells the story, and the second is after the stolen buckle arrives.

The face of a man who could probably use another beer ^

I wonder if Rhett wound up having to make up for the slack when Perry went off to college, and that temporary extra work slowly became permanent? Because Rhett clearly never got that opportunity, he's yet to even leave Wabang. But I agree he's absolutely become too important for the ranch to function without him.

He definitely 'killed' his relationship with Royal! He snapped, and Royal damn near lost the ability to speak 😭I can't imagine what Rhett felt when he looked up to see his entire family gone after. Because without context as to why they left, it sure does feel like they left because he said he didn't give a fuck about the ranch.

Omg I just thought of this as I was writing, but what if Royal was asking Rhett to find the hole because he knew Rhett could somehow reopen it? Because clearly, Royal couldn't reopen the darn thing by himself...

I'm so torn on Royal because, on one hand, I can absolutely see Royal helping Perry escape, but on the other, I think Royal trusts Perry more than he should.

Autumn straight-up outs Royal's secret to Perry. And Perry, upon seeing the hole and hearing Royal's truth, says, "It saved you (Royal). It brought you here!" And hops in and takes his dumb little hat with him 😒 Completely forgetting that they'll lose the deed to the ranch if...he doesn't appear in court...

Even if he didn't intend to help him escape, he sure didn't try hard to keep Perry from hopping right on in. As if he couldn't see that coming a mile away. I can't pinpoint why, but he seems very, very... 'My sons must stay on this ranch whether they like it or not' I can't tell if he's enjoying the free labor, if he just doesn't want the adult birds leaving the nest, or if he knows something we don't.

For example, if he knows that opening the hole is genetic, could he be worried about Rhett and Perry's safety? The boys being taken advantage of for their ability? Put on your tin foil hats, folks, because maybe the mastodons have a secret evil plan.

Aaaa! Another sidebar. There seems to be a big push to get both the Abbott sons off the land. - Autumn deliberately tells Perry about the hole to get him to hop into it, using Rebecca as a motivator. - Maria just happens to roll up out of the blue and play a weird game of cat and mouse with Rhett's feelings until he finally says he wants to leave with her. (First time we see her, she's asking if he ever left! Dear Maria, I can't tell if you're playing games, involved in something darker, or your noggin ain't screwed on all the way!) The judge will kick me out of court if I have another sidebar

I'd like to think that if Rhett hopped in the hole instead of Perry, he would wind up somewhere that appreciated him. Because right now, that is the one thing he does not get. I don't even know where to start with Maria...maybe the air there would help her get a firm grip on what the hell she wants 💃

This show...could go so many directions...I ain't even discussing Cecelia's side-quest with the family of bears...or that weird as fuck beep at the very end (is the slow cooker alive?)... All that push just to finally break Rhett into wanting to leave his family for good, just for him to be run off the road by a freak appearance of road-hogging bison...like what do you even do after that situation 😭 talk about a big ol' "no!" from the powers that be.

Lord have mercy, we do more heavy lifting for the plot than the OR writers do, and we ain't even getting paid 💃but this theory is so much fun to play around with 😭💐I hope I didn't miss anything ❤

[carolrain]

Desert Island Discs

Thank you for tagging me, @flowertrigger and @mostlyinthemorning.

@jamilas-pen wrote:

You're stranded on a desert island, but you can pick eight recordings, a book and a luxury item to have with you. You get the complete works of Shakespeare and the Bible/other appropriate religious or philosophical book as a 'freebie'. The luxury item must be inanimate and of no use in escaping the island or allowing communication from outside. What do you take? Say as much or as little as you like about why you made those picks.

—

I have some questions. Are we going to individual desert islands near each other? Will I be able to faintly hear other people’s music? How long are we staying? (Forever?) Is it really cold at night? Do I get a change of clothes? Are my sunscreen preferences taken into consideration? Is there a hairbrush, or would I have to use my “luxury” slot for that? Oh, and I’m definitely going to need some paper and a couple of pens. Could you maybe supply those?

I am assuming food is either not a concern or it’s so dismal a situation that if I packed, say, a giant chocolate bar or a jar of “everything but the bagel” seasoning it wouldn’t be worth it in the long run.

So, basically, my list focuses on keeping my brain busy and my spirits up.

Recordings

Music-wise, that means I chose songs I could sing along to and/or play air piano with and/or work on memorizing the lyrics and/or play over and over and over and over again. They’re also songs that remind me of people and times I could write about or think about a lot without becoming walk-into-the-ocean depressed.

Beautiful Mess by Kasey Chambers

2. Honesty by Noah Reid

3. Language or the Kiss by the Indigo Girls

4. Leaving on a Jet Plane by Peter, Paul and Mary (I really want to say John Denver’s version, but it comes down to me just not being able to sing along to him well, which would be too frustrating, so I’m going with this one instead.)

5. George Winston’s piano version of Pachelbel’s Canon in D (I feel like it might be really uncool to say you love this song? But I love this song. Ugh, and this is the best arrangement, you can trust me, because I’ve listened to them all.)

6. Red Dirt Girl by Emmylou Harris

7. Texas River Song by Lyle Lovett (Hmm, see, I have this kind of dirty parody of this half-written, but only in my mind, and I do a little harmonizing that I’ve worked out? So I feel like on a desert island I’d have plenty of time to finish it up and write down the definitive version.)

8. Unfinished Life by Kate Wolf

+1 song I very sadly and with much regret bumped off the list: Outfit by Jason Isbell

Book

I didn’t think too hard about this. I’m just going with my instincts and the first thing I thought of, which is the complete works of Jane Austen, which I know can be found all in one volume. I’ve only read one of her novels (Mansfield Park—why? I do not know), but I know I’d like them. They wouldn’t be fast reads, so I wouldn’t tear through them too quickly, and they’d reward rereading.

Luxury Item

Assuming I’ve already got a ream of paper and a pack of pens to write down my Lyle Lovett thoughts and my Jane Austen essays and my fanfic and my messages for the bottles (are there bottles?), I’m going to go with a quilt that I’ve made and is at the barely-started hand quilting stage. (Can I pack my thread and needles and scissors to go with it? What if I sewed a little pocket and hid the supplies inside, then would it count as one item?) I figure it gives me something to do that’s different from writing or music, plus it has practical value in warmth and shade.

Tagging @apothecarose @mallpretzles @legalgal421 @obsessedwithdavrick @olinsghost

[zukkacore]

okay okay okay. it was so hard to choose a scene from (tell me how) for the director commentary but i got it: The start of “Listen to me.” Porter takes his face in his hands. “I have everything under control. The Bad Kids are nothing, Jace. Trust me..." to.... well. End.

Shameless Self Promo for (tell me how) to be more like you

OOOOOOHHH ok ty ty this is great thank you. This was actually super fun to think about and thank you for asking! I came into this thinking I wouldn’t have much to say, but oops. Guess not. I’m not gonna TOTALLY backtrack but what I will say is that. This is actually kinda interesting b/c i was talking to a friend abt the fic in general, and this scene gave me some grief b/c I remember saying I was actually like. Really hesitant to add like. More overt “romantic” elements to the scene b/c I thought they would be too… abrupt or jarring I guess? Like. To me this fic is more of a conduit for me to scream abt Jace n Gorgug parallels from the rooftops, so it wasn't about the starbreaker relationship until I realized it was ALL ABOUT the starbreaker relationship. I also don’t tend to see Porter in my mind as this…openly affectionate or reassuring… Something like that. 

But also there’s this huge roller coaster that Jace is being pulled through and he’s being so starved for affection that he will take absolutely anything rn. I also realized a resolution like that was necessary because, maybe it’s just me extrapolating from headcanon, I always sense this, like, underlying tension between Porter’s desire to dominate and control others vs. his desire to push, to optimize and actualize. We’ve seen him act this way with Fig and with Gorgug, and it’s not textual that this is an internal conflict regarding his feelings about Jace being his subordinate, but to me this tension seemed like a natural extension of Porter’s relationships with the character’s we DO see. After so much breaking Jace down, he’s gotta get built up, gotta get on the hook again.

“Listen to me / I have everything under control”

is also. So authoritative, and the closest thing to reassurance Jace is gonna get. So much of Jace’s side of the conversation is 1-2 degrees of separation away from basically admitting “I care about you so much despite everything, and I’m just begging for you to care about me, too. (Don’t you see how stressed i am. Don’t you care about my life at all. etc).” And it’s telling that Porter can’t be vulnerable in return, the best he can do is reassure Jace that everything is gonna be ok in this egotistical, almost paternalistic way.

(“They’re twig gremlins” is such a signaling facts line tho. Sorry if that’s confusing. I used to listen to the shrieking shack podcast, and their dunkfest on HP7 will live in my head forever highly recommend btw, it fully changed my opinion on the final book forever that it truly should be seen as a GOT final season level embarrassment and for some reason its not even tho it’s astoundingly bad AND meanspirited. Anyway. I remember so clearly them saying one of the weird things abt deathly hallows was that it kept doing this fanfic thing of like “signaling facts” about the lore to prove the writer has done their research or is winking playfully at the source material. Which is weird bc it’s a book and not a fanfiction, so it felt really out of place and jarring. Anyway i have no qualms with fanfic signaling facts. I thought using a fantasy creature that is equally as insignificant as a rat or a spider would be fun. We all know what the ratgrinders do.)

Maybe I got a little over-invested. I can’t help it, I need recruits, and the kid’s a natural. But that’s not everything. He’s too… Too timid. Afraid.” “Of what?” “Embracing his power.”

Extrapolating on Porter’s motivations for saying he needs recruits tho; I mean, I don’t think he ever outright SAYS it but if he wants to be the god of war, I’m assuming he wants strong soldiers for his empire? In my mind this goes hand in hand with the like. Wanting to actualize certain characters even if its technically against his best interests (which i do think is somewhat is goal even if sometimes you can chalk it up to manipulations for his other plans. Like. I do think on some level as just a teacher, Porter thinks giving gorgug some tough love will push him where he needs to go). If you want to meld a strong warrior in your image, it's not a problem as long as you can get them On Your Side, ideally by persuasion but he has no problem using force (presumably shatterstar).

Which goes hand in hand with the doublespeak that is both about Jace and Gorgug when he says that jace/Gorgug is afraid of “embracing his power”. As much as I view it as a tension, i don’t think it’s a true contradiction for Porter to want to control Jace while also wanting to “actualize” him, control to keep someone submissive vs. control to shape someone into something you find personally acceptable.

And in the eyes of Porter, Gorgug’s flaws are that he is timid, noncommittal, and kinda dense; Porter’s never stated in the canon that he’s repulsed by Jace for the same reason, but why wouldn’t he be? He calls Gorgug a “natural” and I’m pretty sure he says that directly to Gorgug’s face in-show? And with Jace being a sorcerer, it’s meant to be a subtle reinforcement (Even when he’s trying to be comforting!!!) that like, yeah, raw talent isn’t enough. Especially if you’re letting it go to waste. I also think it’s Porter trying to recontextualize everything he’s expressed abt Gorgug. No, that wasn’t disgust, it’s a good thing. Trust me. It’s because I want what’s best for you.

All of this is building to Porter making Jace feel like he’s getting a shot to rise to an occasion. He basically just got reprimanded for wanting things to be easy so now it’s like—this is an opportunity for you. (I actually joked w/ a friend abt this, too, abt this idea of like Earning Porter’s Approval literally through the experience of watching FHJY. I actually described it to them as like, I felt like me and gorgug were basically Andy from Devil Wears Prada in the trenches, and on a practical level, we know what Miranda is putting her through is abusive, but also finally gaining her approval feels GOOD and you feel good FOR Andy when she starts nailing the job. I hated Porter for so long but by the time he was getting along with the bad kids I swung in the other direction, I started to really like him. Oh how young and foolish we were)

And Jace from the very start of “Listen to me” buys the whole thing. Porter doesn’t care for who Jace is, but he loves what Jace could be. And I don’t think Porter’s motivations are all manipulative, at least not overtly, because he does see something in Jace, so what if it happens to coincide with using him to ascend to godhood? It’s this genuine, like, god-as-patriarch perspective of i love you so much that I decide what is best for you. And that belief is both a source of frustration and motivation (esp b/c this personal take on Jace is neurodivergent coded. I won’t go into it. The failing wizardry comment did something to my brain, ok? You’ve built up a perfectly actualized version of me in your head and say it's because you want what’s best for me, and you’re making it my problem. I’m not injecting personal experiences into this. Who said I was).

So Porter loves who Jace could be, and in that moment, just out of Jace’s reach it’s enough, it’s even something aspirational. As fucked over as he was by Porter, its like, after a long time of just kinda Existing, it feels good to feel like someone believes in you.

“Tell me some things aren’t worth a little risk.”

Porter kisses him, and it’s an implicit signal of, like, it’s good to be a little dangerous actually. Don’t be such a stick in the mud. It’s good to be bad. It’s exciting, being with you is exciting, don’t you want to push the envelope a little bit for me?

(And in my mind because Jace has referenced missing being with Porter “It's the closest they've been in ages. Jace can't help but lean a little bit into it.” etc etc Jace kinda does this thing where they do their like toxic yaoi at each other's throats back and forth and Jace will kinda peel off. And then come back. Like they’re technically in one of their Off Phases now where Jace tries to convince himself that it’s better if they maintain some space. This is by far one of the more tender instances of them like coming back together, usually it's a lot more, ya know. Violent toxic yaoi coded. But it reminds him of before the shatterstar, when there were more instances like this. Maybe i should have included some of this in the actual fic. Lol. I literally wrote it in such a rush.)

“Hey. You’re gonna knock it out of the park, alright? [...] We’re all looking to you, now, Stardiamond. It’s a heavy burden, but I can’t think of anyone else I’d trust more to handle the responsibility"

And trying to be sneaky, saying things with double meanings is creating this moment of intimacy of like—we get each other. This is OUR thing. AND the flirting is doing double duty. The undercurrent of “I trust you with this responsibility” doubles as a more menacing “Don’t let me down”.  But there's also that recalling of like. Oh yeah, they really are just like. Co-workers. Maybe a little intense to say, but also on the outside, is that not innocuous enough? Who among us has not said to our best friend (i kid)

Anyway, I wasn’t sure where I was going when I wrote it, but i also think there’s something so interesting abt a sorcerer needing to be so dependent on another person for that sense of purpose. Porter is so his whole world here, which is crazy b/c sorcerers project their Will into the world (I have so many thoughts abt how this parallels the thing tracker said to Kristen about liking the idea of making your own meaning but also not wanting to do the work b/c on some level you think you deserve to have it easy. I think Jace is so similar. He likes the idea of being self-determining, of projecting his will, he’s even smug about it, but he also doesn’t want to put in the WORK so the minute someone else comes along gives him answers he’s like ok. That’s ok. Making meaning is exhausting anyway. This is my new reality now. But never mind it. Maybe it's for a prequel?). 

(also bonus that didn’t really fit into the progression of Thoughts, but there’s also the fact that in my mind, Porter saying about Gorgug, “He earned it, after the damn display at Frosty Fair,” is all but an admission that Porter is absolutely placating Jace, and Jace had actually very little sway in Porter’s decision-making. Porter was always gonna sign Gorgug’s MCAT (as long as Gorgug took the initiative to demand it). But Jace FEELS like something has changed, and that’s what matters. (something something that meme of the cow about the illusion of choice lol). I do think there is something intentionally disempowering about Porter bringing it up this way as well. Like, yes, Jace’s problem about antagonizing the bad kids seems to have gone (as far as he’s aware), but he is ultimately reinforcing, “this is my decision.”)

This doesn’t have anything to do with anything, but I do think there is an interpretation to be made (that I also enjoy in and partake) that Porter does also love Jace. I don’t know how much of that comes through in this particular instance.

Anyway, this was such a treat, thank you so much! Sorry if any of this felt redundant af bc i feel like I’ve said a lot of it before, or maybe it’s super self-evident.

[the-witch-of-one-piece]

Hi may I request a toshiro x reader for number 18 the witch, let's have a cute time with witches ❤️❤️

Hello love! 💜🎃 Happy Halloween Season! Yes yes yes 1000x's yes. Can we take a moment and appreciate this sassy captain?! He is one of my favorite characters on Bleach Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya 🛐💜✨ I was happily to do this for you my dear! I hope you enjoy!

Tw: none Wc:524

“If you called yourself a witch, where is your wand?” Toshiro looked over at you, cocking his brow  with his arms crossed. The 4’6ft tall Captain seemed questionable when you told him you were a witch. 

“I don’t need a wand to be a witch. It's like saying you have to be over 5 ft tall to be a Captain, Toshiro.” Playfully rolling your eyes. 

You could see Toshiro’s eyes twitch just a bit. “That is captain hitsugaya to you, witch.”  Toshiro spoked as his eyes wandered the shop, seeing the different vials, and different herbs displayed on the shelves. “So what are some of your duties?” 

“Duties.” you laughed, you had a playful more energy compared to the short stern captain's energy. “I don’t consider them duties more like what I feel is right to do at the time.” you smiled  over at him, “I create things to help people in their daily lives that  I feel is beneficial for them.” Toshiro could feel the warmth of your spirit as it was radiating on him which was very soothing to him. He himself hasn't felt that kinda presence in so long. “I see…”  Toshiro had some time observing you for a few weeks before making his presence known to you. “I have a question for you… how long have you been following me?” you asked him if you grabbed the jar of lavender from the shelf.  Seeing the captain's cheeks blushing slightly he stiffened up “Relax it's just a question.”

“I was here on an assignment  making sure this vicinity was taken care of….”  Toshiro thought back at the night he saw you, your light was the only light one in the shopping area. He saw you walking around placing herbs in the bowl as you began to mix it up. He found it interesting how you kept the smile on your face. “You know, instead of just observing me for the time you were, you could have introduced yourself to me.  I wouldn’t have bite”  you walked up close to the squad 10 captain. 

He took a step back “what are you doing?” “Getting a reading from you. You have a great deal of power inside of you, Capable of conquering in battle, but finding attraction to another person is very new territory to you. It's rather cute how much I make ya blush right now.” 

“Stop with all the nonsense.” Toshiro was a little baffled, you didn’t seem to listen to his authority at all but then again he wasn’t your captain you were just a witch he had been observing. 

“Well if you're here with me right now I assume you are not on a mission… Why don't you and you go out for a while? I will show you how much fun you can have with a witch.” You asked, you saw Toshiro process the information a bit more before he agreed. “Great!” you grabbed his hand taking him out of the shop. Closing up the shop “I know there is a place where they sell pretty good watermelon around this time of year. You like watermelon don’t you?” 

[arcanepactguile]

My input on the subject of Alastor and Feelings.

My Alastor portrayal, bluntly put, is human. I don't understand or enjoy the (too often an out of character misunderstanding by fans) idea that villains, especially the token Aloof & Private villain, are repulsed by all gestures of intimacy - even including innocent context like a wave or a compliment. Although we have a whole season and backlog of characterization to refer, Alastor's misunderstood in my opinion as a totally nauseated by touch and affections. I think it's not utilizing the lore we have, to depict him as a generic love-adverse character. It gets shallower than that because he's a villain, shoehorned into the boring and unoriginal stereotypes. So far we've seen Alastor show remarkably affectionate, physical gestures and body language around everyone, including the characters on his Shit-List. He's a wildly animated (energetic and open, not literal art.) guy, he talks with his body and isn't opposed or reluctant to move in on another's personal bubble. There's no indication I can see that justifies repulsion to touch. He's shown more physical body language love to the cast than they have, with the exception of Charlie and Nifty. He's forward, confronting, friendly, and coercive. Ripping his hair out, hiding the evidence (broken staff, which it's own lore I'm incorporating in my RP) of his inadequacy and incapacitated condition, powerless. He's exhibited flags that he's terrified of what's to come because he lost, he had no problem falling into a meltdown and ripping hair out to foster his distress in anticipation of whatever the punishment is. Now, there's the matter of love. Real love, as it is without sexual attraction or connection. We don't have the history on Earth when he was alive, any validated detailed parental abuse or from elsewhere, no lore to confidently say he's suffered and/or is suffering from his lifestory. It's definitely established in the Finale that he has a paralysing fear of pain, retribution, punishment, and discipline. There's very strong evidence like his disposition towards self-harm, self-deprecation, possibly isolation plays a role.

We haven't been given yet the story why he's so personally invested in Charlie and the Gang's survival. There's a popular idea he has to make sure Charlie lives in particular, otherwise he breaks a rule of his soul contract with whoever owns him, it could easily be s new unseen character instead of Lillith.

I have established in my portrayal, his owner is at the moment a Mystery so once we get the Canon, it won't be jarring and upend my headcanons. I'm more worried about writing Canon badly, or confusing than messing up my personal HCs. Sexual intimacy is certainly something. Mimzy confirmed two things: She and Alastor opposed Prohibition, and Two, he was a regular bar fly, frequently drunk and as addressed lucid/sociable more than usually sober. if he was actually an introvert or disguised by affections, she'd have said so, there's many popular stereotypes to push regarding a hard-to-get player. Either choice isn't an unappealing lore-dump of what Alastor's like if we're talking about us the audience's attention to how he develops.

My blog might be mistaken for a lewd blog. It's definitely not. I don't do magic anons, bend the character to satisfy OOC leans. I only have five threads at the moment, split between two characters, and 2.5 of those threads just happen to be NSFT.

Believe me, a sexual relationship is no less important than a chaste one. I love exploring and developing a character. Physical love and activities are just one facet of the ice berg. It's not the tip because he's not exactly hiding it; we can't assume he's sex repulsed or inhibited because we only have a handful of episodes to go by. Only Angel Dust had made a sexual advance (two if you count ep1's offhanded suggestion for a video ad) Alastor's delightful exchange is a classic rejection against a sex pest. A lot of the Helluva and Hazbin cast are sex-oriented. Just because a character isn't obsessed, it doesn't mean they're celibate.

I write Alastor as highly selective, a personal choice of his due to the very complicated and dangerous situation he's in. Soul bought, future pre-deternined, he emotionally can't afford to pay attention to a real relationship, for the long haul, unless there's some kind of contract and self sacrifice involved.

I have the idea that he has to surrender himself if he's grown attached to someone either meaningfully or as an act, in order to avoid repercussions with his owner. Humiliation will be playing a big role in his intimate relationships, he can feel genuine enjoyment in bullying and teasing his own slaves (Husker.). He's at the mercy of whoever has his leash in the canon, which I use myself to mean he's keen to over perform, being watched & conditioned by his owner to submit to whatever the relationship requires, unable to go at his own pace. It might not be comfortable for him - yet he doesn't have a choice.