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armpirate · 10 months ago

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Soundleasure | Choi San || CH. 31

Pairings: Soft!San x fem!reader || Strangers to lovers, fake dating

Genre: smut, angst, fluff, online sex, ghosting

Warnings: inexperienced!San, fem!reader, masturbation, online sex, camboy, first times.

Summary: You can do whatever you please and be whoever you want on the Internet. And San knew that a little bit too well.

After finally following all the signs the universe was throwing at him, he started living a double life that no one was aware of. Everyone in his daily life knew him as Choi San, the reserved and quiet boy who wouldn't raise his voice, and would barely communicate with anyone outside of his comfort group. But only a few knew him as Soundleasure, the man with a sexy voice and a filthy mind that had their toes curling just with his narrations.

He never thought of the possibility of those two lives ever meeting, he had always tried for them to follow a parallel route and had always played safe to keep his friends from ever suspecting that side even existed. But his plans will start to crumble when he gets a little too close with one of his subscribers and she invades his real-self and altergo's universes without being able to stop it.

Y/n will not only help him to keep his secret from his circle, but will also show him there's more of Soundleasure in him than he'd like to admit.

Previous || Next

MASTERLIST

Aprox. time of reading: 21 minutes

Y/n stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, willing herself to keep it together. Her carefully applied makeup couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes or the tension etched into her features. The past few days had been an emotional whirlwind, with her health scare, the fallout with San, and now, the looming project deadline that seemed to be tightening a noose around her neck.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She needed to focus. The meeting that afternoon with the board of directors was crucial, a final pitch for the new project that could solidify her leadership in the company. But as much as she tried to stay in the moment, her thoughts kept drifting back to San.

Since their argument in the hospital, things between them had been strained -cold, even. They had agreed to take a break, to give each other space, but the distance only seemed to make things worse. It was as if they were both waiting for the other to make the first move, neither willing to bridge the gap.

With a sigh, Y/n gathered her composure and left the bathroom, heading back to her office. The hallways were quiet, most of the staff either out to lunch or busy with their work. She glanced at her watch -just under an hour before the meeting. She had planned to go over her presentation one last time, but the tension in her shoulders was begging for release.

As she made her way towards the elevator, she heard footsteps behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Sarah, one of the scholars from the mentorship program, hurrying to catch up with her. Sarah had been struggling to find her place in the company, and Y/n had taken a personal interest in her development. She paused, waiting for the younger woman to catch up.

—Y/n! I'm glad I caught you. Do you have a moment? —she asked, out of breath.

—Of course, Sarah. What's on your mind?

Sarah looked nervous, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her blazer. Y/n could see the anxiety in her eyes, and it tugged at her heart. She remembered what it was like to be young and eager to prove herself in a world that often seemed too big and too demanding. In a way, she saw herself in her.

—I wanted to talk to you about the project. I've been working on data analysis, but I'm worried I'm not… doing enough. I don't want to let the team down.

Y/n softened, her own worries momentarily pushed aside. She placed a reassuring hand on Sarah's arm, meeting her gaze with gentle firmness.

—You're doing great, Sarah. It's normal to feel like this when you're working on something important. But trust me, you're doing great. I can see that, and I'm sure your team does as well.

Sarah nodded, but the uncertainty in her eyes didn't entirely fade. Y/n squeezed her arm, offering her a warm smile.

—If you need any help or just want to talk through your ideas, my door is always open. I also have the best snacks, just in case you need some sugar —she glanced a close smile at her.

—Okay. Thank you —Sarah's smile was shy, but radiating a relief that wasn't there a few minutes back.

From afar, San could only smile at Y/n's delicacy while speaking to everyone. She was always so gentle and close, so eager to help and be there for her team.

She certainly was a hidden treasure inside that company.

As Sarah walked away, looking slightly more at ease, Y/n felt a small sense of accomplishment. She loved mentoring the younger staff, seeing them grow and gain confidence. It was one of the few aspects of her job that brought her genuine joy these days. But that joy was quickly overshadowed by the looming dread of the meeting.

Y/n continued her walk, her heels clicking softly on the polished floor. She passed by the large windows overlooking the city, the bustling streets far below a sharp contrast to the stillness in her heart. Just as she reached the elevator, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, expecting a reminder about the meeting, but her breath caught in her throat when she saw the message.

I'm closer than you think. Nothing will stop me from reaching you.

Her heart raced as she stared at the screen, the words blurring together. It was another message from the mysterious admirer, the same one who seemed to show up every time she forgot about them.

Her fingers trembled as she quickly locked her phone and stuffed it back into her pocket. She glanced around, half-expecting to see someone watching her, but the hallway was empty. The creeping sense of unease settled in her chest, tightening her breath.

The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, and Y/n hurried inside, thinking that small space was the safest corner she could come up with. As the doors closed, she leaned against the cool metal wall, willing her racing heart to slow. The sense of being watched, of being followed, clung to her like a shadow.

The elevator ascended smoothly to the wide terrace, where she often liked to walk to clear her head. The dimly lit space was usually quiet, a perfect place to think. As she stepped out, the air cool and still felt like a soft caress on her cheeks. She walked slowly, letting the steady rhythm of her steps soothe her nerves.

But as she turned a corner, she stopped short. San was there, leaning on the railing, supporting his weight on his forearms as he stared down at his phone. He hadn't noticed her yet, and for a moment, she considered turning around, retreating back to the safety of her office. But something in the set of his shoulders, the tension in his stance, made her pause.

She walked forward, her footsteps softening as she approached him. He looked up just as she neared, his eyes widening slightly in surprise before he masked it with his recent cool demeanor, anticipating her movements before he was even aware of them.

—I didn't know you were here.

—Needed some air. Were you looking for me? —he shrugged, slipping his phone into his pocket.

His voice was calm, but Y/n could sense the undercurrent of tension. She hesitated, unsure of how to bridge the distance between them, the unspoken words that hung in the air like a storm cloud. Part of her wanted to reach out, to find a way to mend what had been broken, but another part of her was too afraid of what he might say.

San studied her for a moment, his gaze flickering over her face as if searching for something. When he spoke again, his tone was more serious, more pointed.

—N… no. I also needed some air —she finally admitted.

—You look stressed. Everything okay?

Y/n swallowed, the image of the text message flashing in her mind. She wanted to tell him, to share the burden of the strange messages with someone she trusted. But they weren't in that place anymore, and the thought of opening up to him now felt too vulnerable.

—Just the usual work stress. I'm a control freak who needs everything to go smoothly —she nervously chuckled.

—Right. Well, I'm sure you've got it under control —his eyes narrowed at her answer.

The words were meant to be reassuring, but they fell flat, heavy with the weight of everything left unsaid. Y/n shifted on her feet, the tension between them becoming unbearable. She opened her mouth to say something -anything to break the awkward silence- but the sound of footsteps approaching from the other end of the terrace interrupted her.

They both turned to see Tom walking towards them, his easy smile in place, oblivious to the tension between Y/n and San while he carried a cigarette between two of his fingers.

—What a coincidence running into you both here.

Y/n's heart sank as she watched San's expression harden at the sight of Tom. Although that same tension on his features was ignored by the intruder.

—I was just heading up to the office. I needed to chill before doing anything.

—We were also looking for some fresh air, too —Y/n answered.

San's silence was palpable, his eyes flicking between Y/n and David with a guarded expression. The tension that had been simmering beneath the surface now bubbled over, and Y/n could feel the terrace was becoming smaller.

—I should get back —San moved first, walking past Y/n—. See you both inside.

Without waiting for a response, San turned and walked away. Y/n just watched him go, a lump forming in her throat. She wanted to call out to him, to explain, but the words wouldn't come.

Tom, sensing the awkwardness, tilted his head slightly.

—Everything okay with you two?

—Yes —Y/n assured.

If there was something she couldn't do, it was to show any weakness in front of that family. Not again.

—I'll also get back. See you.

Alone, she walked back towards the elevator, the silence felt heavier than when she stepped there the first time that day. As she rode up to the office, Y/n's mind raced, her thoughts spinning out of control. She had tried so hard to keep everything together, to maintain control over her life and her emotions, but it was all slipping through her fingers.

The elevator doors opened, and she stepped out into the busy hallway. The noise and activity of the office felt like a jarring contrast to the quiet tension of the terrace. Y/n forced herself to focus, to push aside her personal worries and prepare for the meeting.

But as she walked towards the conference room, her heart ached with the knowledge that things with San were far from over, and that whatever happened next, it wouldn't be easy.

Long after that meeting that seemed to never end, Y/n walked briskly down the hallway, her mind preoccupied with the new project she was involved in. Although it was positive. It was always a good way to keep her distracted and focused on something else that wouldn't hurt her.

As she approached the glass-walled conference room near the end of the corridor, something caught her eye -San and Mia, standing close, deep in conversation. Y/n slowed her pace, her gaze narrowing as she took in the scene before her.

Mia was laughing, her hand resting lightly on San's arm. San, usually reserved and distant since their breakup, was smiling back at her, his expression warm and open in a way that Y/n hadn't seen in weeks. They looked comfortable, almost… intimate.

A pang of jealousy stabbed at Y/n's heart. And with furrowed eyebrows, she tried to read through their body language as if that would give her the answer to anything.

She knew Mia was after San, it was quite obvious since she started mentoring him, but San? He certainly didn't look uncomfortable or bothered by her proximity.

She couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene, her thoughts racing. She had never thought of San ever having something with Mia, and definitely not at the scene she was witnessing, but suddenly the idea that San could move on, that he could be happy with someone else, made her chest tighten with a mix of anger and sadness.

Before she knew it, her feet had carried her to the door of the conference room. She hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to interrupt them. But the thought of confronting them, of hearing something she wasn't ready to face, made her stomach churn. Instead, she turned on her heel and walked away, her mind swirling with hurt at a decision she took herself.

Meanwhile, inside the meeting room, San was forcing himself to smile as wide as possible to play along Mia's game, hoping she couldn't make him work on the several tasks she was planning to give him the same weekend he was supposed to visit his parents.

He didn't mind working, he was sure he'd find a way to balance the project with Soundleasure, but that weekend he was finally getting some peace in his life, and he couldn't afford to miss it.

—I'll try to make an exception. Only if you show up at the company's party.

He had been hearing of that the whole day through the rest of scholars, whose minds were deeper on that party than the project. San wasn't planning to attend, he didn't want to be there. It was the last thing he needed: to feel overwhelmed by being surrounded by people he didn't know and wasn't interested in knowing.

But if that was the only way to get Mia to be more flexible on him, he had no other choice but to nod and assure her he'd be there.

That was how he found himself at the doors of the club, wearing one of the black shirts Y/n had bought him, with a pair of black pants that she kept assuring him looked like the best fit on him. Thinking so much about her, he'd have never thought it would work as an attractor.

At first, he only saw her from afar, eyes catching her speaking with a small group with her usual confident demeanor, eyes momentarily flickering in his direction, as if their connection always exposed them to each other.

If only that had been their only interaction…

The first awkward encounter happened when the evening's organizer announced a team-building game, one of those icebreaker activities that always seemed out of place at formal events. Y/n tried to avoid it, making a beeline for the exit, but was intercepted by a cheerful colleague who insisted she join in to integrate her with the team. She forced a smile, nodding along, only to discover that she had been paired with San.

His expression mirrored her unease as they stood side by side, both trying to maintain a polite distance while following the instructions for the game. It involved passing a small object between them without using their hands, a task that required more physical closeness than either was comfortable with. Each time their shoulders brushed or their hands accidentally touched, Y/n felt a jolt of awareness, the proximity rekindling emotions she had tried so hard to suppress.

Despite their best efforts to remain professional, the tension between them was palpable, noticed even by their colleagues who exchanged knowing glances and whispered comments.

After the game ended, Y/n managed to slip away, seeking refuge by the buffet table. She wasn't hungry, but she needed a moment to catch her breath, to steady herself before another encounter with San. As she reached for a glass of wine, she felt a familiar presence beside her.

San had appeared, seeking calmness in the same place she did, with his hand brushing hers as he reached for the same glass. Their eyes met, and for a brief moment, the noise of the gala seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them standing there, caught in a moment of shared history and unresolved tension.

—Seems like we keep running into each other tonight.

—Yeah, just our luck —she hummed, slipping away again.

The exchange was brief, awkward, and laden with everything they weren't saying. Y/n quickly excused herself, retreating into the crowd, but the encounter left her heart pounding. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.

The final blow came later in the evening, when the music shifted from upbeat tunes to slow, romantic melodies. Couples began to pair off on the dance floor, and Y/n had every intention of avoiding it, but before she could slip away, her father dragged her to the dance floor before she could avoid it.

—Smile a bit —he encouraged her, moving to the beat of the song.

—I'd smile, but you forced me to dance when you know I hate it —her tongue clicked—. And what are the scholars doing here? They aren't even part of the company officially.

—So, after fighting so hard for balance and equality, you're complaining about me doing the same thing.

—I know why you're doing it, and it's not because you want the team to build closer.

—You're right —he finally sighed.

San was also caught off guard when Y/n's mother approached him with a tender smile and general conversation, inviting him to dance with her before he found himself trapped in a situation where Y/n was glued to his body while the two people that involved them were sneaking away with proud smiles.

—I'm gonna kill them —Y/n murmured.

The familiarity of being in San's arms again, with the realization hitting her after he giggled, sent a rush of emotions through Y/n. The music was soft, the lighting dim, and despite the crowd around them, it felt as though they were the only two people in the room. But instead of feeling comforted, she was on edge, her thoughts racing back to the scene she had witnessed earlier between San and Mia.

—Y/n, these days have been so tough —he admitted.

Y/n's heart skipped a beat. He was finally addressing the tension between them, being braver than her.

—I know.

San faltered, clearly caught off guard by the coldness in her voice. He had expected resistance, but the distance in her tone made his chest tighten.

—I know you said you wanted space, but this is driving me nuts —his finger stuck tighter on her fabric—. I really miss you. I think all the time about you, I see you everywhere. I need you.

The click of her tongue almost made a dry sound through the music, although she avoided it by looking away. Over his shoulder, she managed to see Mia looking at them with crossed arms, eyes radiating bitterness as her jaw clenched tight.

—Yeah, I can tell you see me everywhere —that sentence didn't sound sweet and comforting, but attacking and threatening—. I see you're pretty close to your mentor.

—Are you seriously gonna come at me for that? I'm not the one working with my ex, I supposedly hate, as if nothing happened. Call it professionalism all you want, but I don't buy it.

—What are you trying to say?

—That it's way too convenient you decided to break up with me at the same time he showed up —they didn't know when they stopped moving, they could only focus on the sadness and anger in each other's voices—. Something you need to tell me?

The words came out harsher than he intended, laced with the jealousy he had been trying to suppress ever since Tom showed up at that conference room. San knew he was being unfair, but the thought of her being with someone else was messing with his head.

Out of everything he said, there was only one thing that affected her to the point of feeling her eyes watering out of her control, and it was the avoidance in him. He didn't deny whatever her assumption was, instead he attacked her with something similar to make her thoughts seem irrelevant, and that only made her think that maybe she wasn't that wrong.

—I broke up with you because I didn't want you to go through an illness that you don't even have —she whispered—, but it's great to know what you think of me.

The song ended, leaving them standing there in silence, the tension between them thick and unresolved. Y/n looked away, her heart aching with the weight of everything left unsaid, before she finally took the decision of walking away from him and disappearing among the crows once again.

As the night wound down, the festivities slowly began to fade. Guests trickled out of the ballroom, saying their goodbyes and heading home. Y/n found herself lingering, not ready to face the emptiness of her apartment just yet.

She stepped outside, the cool night air a welcome relief from the stifling atmosphere inside. Her eyes scrolled over the road, finding a tall man in a suit stumbling despite standing still in the same place, seeing how his upper body always went ahead compared to his lower body.

And it didn't take her long to know who it was.

The party had dragged on far longer than San had anticipated. What had started as a well-organized corporate event had devolved into an evening of mingling, awkward encounters, and, for some, far too much alcohol. He was supposed to stay there for only two hours, make himself seen and then leave, but that last encounter with Y/n made the bar look way too tempting.

—San, are you okay? —Y/n dared to ask, placing her hand on his shoulder.

—I'm waiting for my taxi —her cheeks had a more noticeable blush than usual, and his eyes were hardly open when he turned to her—. Although I'm not sure they'll come —he added in a lower voice—, the operator said the pizza would take fifteen minutes.

Y/n sighed, holding back her laugh when hearing the mistake he made at just making a simple call.

—Let me take you home.

—No —he firmly said, almost falling when he pulled his arm away—. I can take care of myself.

Her eyes rolled, aware of how he was using her own words against her.

—San, let's go home —she tried to convince him.

—So not only can't I have a relationship, and deal with the bad things in it, but I also can't take myself home? Are you sure you're dating me and not a ten year old?

Her lips puckered at that new attack, standing next to him with crossed arms while she tried to come up with a way to get him to go easy on her.

—I'm not taking you home because you can't go by yourself. I'm going to visit Wooyoung, so I can just drop you off since I'm also going there.

—Wooyoung? —his eyes squinted— Why?

—Not your business —she shrugged—. I just thought it was better to share one car to go there, instead of using two when we're going to the same place.

—Well… —his lower lip stood out as he pouted— You aren't wrong. Yeah, it's a good idea to go together.

San's apartment wasn't far, but it felt like miles as they drove through the quiet city streets. The rain started with a light drizzle, casting a soft haze over the windshield. Y/n glanced at San from the corner of her eye, his usually sharp features softened by the alcohol. He was slouched in the passenger seat, his head resting against the window, eyes half-closed.

The silence between them was thick, filled with the unspoken tension of the evening. Y/n didn't know how to break itv-didn't even know if she should. But San, in his drunken haze, seemed to have no such reservations.

—You…you're too good for me, Y/n —his words slurred—. It annoys me, but I can see why you'd take that decision for me.

Y/n's heart lurched at his words, a mix of pain and confusion tightening in her chest. She kept her eyes on the road, trying to steady her voice.

—San, you don't have to say anything. Let's just get you home.

—No…no, I need to —he slowly shook his head—. I don't blame you for thinking I'm not ready to deal with something so big. I got so scared when you fainted, I didn't know what to do when you were in the hospital, I didn't know how to act. I was so confident when I first told you I'd support you, that I didn't realize how serious it was going to be. I got so anxious that I didn't even remember something so basic that you didn't want your parents to know and I…I messed up.

She didn't respond, hoping he would let it go, but he continued, his voice growing more desperate.

—You're such a wonderful and brave woman. And those days you needed someone to support you, not to make your life more difficult and add you another worry.

—But you were there to support me —she mumbled.

—And at work… I've been so petty at work… But I promise I never tried anything with Mia. Shit, I just wanted her to let me be free this weekend because I wanted to see my parents. I'd never be able to look at any woman the way I look at you. Never.

Y/n's hands tightened on the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white as she realized the pain she put him through those days by coming up with that distance. She had been hurting, but San had been suffering from her decision as well, leading to an insecurity she never wanted to cause in him.

—I want you back. I want you to teach me how to work with you through your illness, I want to be that safe place you need when you're lost. And it scares me so much to think I'll never be in that place.

The raw vulnerability in his voice nearly shattered her. Y/n blinked back tears, her vision blurring as she pulled up to his apartment building. She turned off the engine but didn't move, the weight of his confession hanging between them.

—You're already that safe place —her hand softly caressed her temple, moving his bangs away—. I was just overprotective, I didn't want to share my pain with you, and I ended up hurting you even more. I never meant it to turn out this way —she admitted.

San groaned, covering his face with his hands. He was too drunk to fully grasp the gravity of their conversation, but the pain in his voice was real, cutting through the fog of alcohol.

—Let's get you out of here —she announced, quickly cleaning her tears.

He mumbled something incoherent but allowed her to help him out of the car. He leaned heavily on her as they made their way to the entrance, the usually strong and confident man now reduced to a vulnerable mess.

They stumbled into the elevator, the silence once again enveloping them. Y/n pressed the button for his floor, her mind racing. San leaned against the wall, his eyes half-lidded as he watched her, a sad smile tugging at his lips.

The elevator dinged, and they made their way down the hall to his apartment. Y/n fumbled with the keys he handed her, finally getting the door open. She helped him inside, guiding him to the bed where he collapsed with a heavy sigh.

—I'm not sure it's a good idea to wake Wooyoung up now —San whispered, resting his head on the pillow.

—I'll see him tomorrow then —she smiled.

She stood there for a moment, watching him as he drifted off into what seemed a fitful sleep -although she didn't know he still had some things to say. Her emotions were a whirlwind, her heart torn between the love she still felt for him and the pain of everything they had been through.

—I'm sorry, Y/n…I'm so sorry. I love you…

The confession hung in the air, heavy and poignant. Y/n's breath caught in her throat, the three words she had longed to hear now tangled in the mess she had created.

—You're the best thing in my life —he whispered.

Y/n's heart clenched at his words, the sincerity in them undeniable, just like the pain that tinted them as he pronounced them.

As she stepped outside into the rain-soaked night, Y/n felt the weight of everything that had happened pressing down on her. The rain fell softly, matching the tears that slipped down her cheeks. And as she walked away from San's apartment, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had just left a piece of her heart behind.

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schnuffel-danny · 2 years ago

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my brain has been cooking up a College Trio AU where Vlad and Jack are the ones who get married and start a family, but they are both, of course, still incredibly close with Maddie (she's family too!!!) who works in a leading position with the GiW. The accident still happens in this AU, and Vlad and Jack's daughter is basically just Danielle except she's no longer a test tube baby.... and her powers are a lot more stable.

Maddie knows Vlad and his daughter are halfas, and this is actually why she's using her position with the GiW to try and set the organization on a path of non-violent ghost research/observation. She even invites Jack and Vlad to help with research projects :)

Jack and Vlad (and their daughter, who does the classic kid thing where she insists to be a part of EVERYTHING) have their own ghost related business going on... and- ok, yeah, it's just Fentonworks, but less "tearing apart molecule by molecule" and more of a "ghost animal control" type deal. They just do what Danny does in the show - a fight, catch and release program :,D

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dollycas · 20 days ago

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Today I am shining the spotlight on Wheeler-Dealer - A Ghost & Camper Kooky Mystery by Rita Moreau This is a great book to read during the summer if you’re looking for some armchair travel! I could easily picture myself riding along with Mabel. I’m delighted to know there are more books in the series. What a fun, light summer read! ~Sarah Can't Stop Reading Books About Wheeler-Dealer Wheeler-Dealer - Ghost & Camper Kooky Mystery Paranormal Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Independently Published (April 1, 2021) Paperback: 332 pages ISBN-13: 979-8676266394 Digital ASIN: B08YP5NJNV Solving a murder might raise her spirits. But will it spring her spectral friend from Purgatory? Mabel Gold still isn’t sure what happened. Traded by her husband for a busty bimbo the same age as their youngest daughter, the feisty sixty-something rejects the retirement community and heads west in a vintage camper. But the RV comes complete with a ghost who needs a good deed to get into Heaven, and cracking open a homicide at their first stop in Savannah could give them both a new lease on life. Determined to dig up the dirt on the dead wheeler-dealer, Mabel and her phantom companion tackle the crime. But with two rich dudes from Dubai, a Willie Nelson lookalike mobster, and a widow nicknamed The Barracuda all on the suspect list, conjuring up the truth could take a real live miracle. Can Mabel catch the killer before she’s the next soul crashing the Pearly Gates? Wheeler-Dealer is the high-spirited first book in the hilarious Ghost & the Camper kooky mystery series. If you like golden-girl sleuths, zany characters, and sardonic humor, then you’ll love Rita Moreau’s witty whodunit. About Rita Moreau Rita Moreau is the author of two cozy with a lot of kooky mystery series: The Mary Catherine Mahoney series and The Ghost & Camper series. A workaholic by nature, upon retirement, Rita Moreau began to work on her bucket list, writing a book. Traveling the national parks with her husband, George in a vintage Bluebird motor home (on George’s list), Rita completed her first novel, Bribing Saint Anthony. Back home, she was having so much fun she completed four more novels in the Mary Catherine Mahoney mystery series. The year we entered the Twilight Zone, Rita decided to put this time to good use and wrote the first two novels in a new Ghost & the Camper mystery series. She kept going. The third in the series - Murder in the Badlands, released in fall 2021, and Murder in the Rockies, released in the fall of 2022. Murder in Wacky Florida in 2023 and Murder in Wacka-Doodle Florida in 2023. Rita lives in a postcard called Florida, where George, the love of her life, always had fun telling everyone he was the author’s husband. He was her lightning rod. Rita lost George in December 2021. She honors his memory daily. He lived life to the fullest. When not writing, she joins PatZi Gil on the Joy on Paper radio program with Book Buzz Mysteries, or you can find her teaching Silver Sneaker fitness classes and walking the beach. She loves connecting with readers. Visit her at www.RitaMoreau.com and sign up for her newsletters and download a free copy of the Russian & Aunt Sophia. Author Links Website - Facebook - GoodReads - Purchase Links - Amazon TOUR PARTICIPANTS - Please visit all the stops. May 26 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT May 27 – Christy's Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST May 28 – Jody's Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT May 28 – Frugal Freelancer – AUTHOR INTERVIEW May 29 – Sarah Can't Stop Reading Books – REVIEW May 30 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT May 30 – MJB Reviewers - SPOTLIGHT May 31 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT May 31 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT June 1 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW June 2 – Angel's Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT June 2 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT June 3 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW June 4 – Boys' Mom Reads! - REVIEW a Rafflecopter giveaway Have you signed up to be a Tour Host? Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today! Want to Book a Tour? Click Here Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Escape With Dollycas. Read the full article

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apexart-journal · 2 months ago

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Julio Cesar Williams in Siem Reap, Day #25

I had a pretty light day today which worked well cause I was still feeling dragged by a cold. I rested, something I had not done in a couple of weeks. The fellowship is a whirlwind of emotions and activities. Most days I would wake early out of pragmatism; to parse things, to journal, to read. It felt good to wake early and start being productive. I don’t use ac so around 7 it starts to get hot enough to wake me automatically. Sleeping til 9 felt like a much needed luxury. I was originally scheduled to visit and help feed some pagoda cats, but the woman who runs the program was sick herself and said she was taking the week off. I was a little sad about not being able to help out but I decided to just go to the gym and try to work out as much as I could considering how I felt. It ended up being a pretty productive session, fueled more by coffee more than a charged spirit. By the end of it I came back to the residence and took a much needed breather, outside I could here an electrical storm brewing. The loud cracks of lighting were a gentle soundtrack to how I was feeling. I didn’t want to wallow in despair, I was feeling kind of complicated. I was definitely going to miss Cambodia but I was also happy to be headed back to NYC--my home, tho this time was so magical. Doing the activities were tough, certain days I would be tired or just reluctant. Sometimes I had to dig deep, to unpack why I was being so resistant. There were some moments for introspection occasionally but most days it felt like I could barely catch my breathe. It seemed like I had so long and yet here I was about to be headed home.

Later in the evening, I bought tickets to a Khmer movie that just opened. It was about a pregnant bride that passed away and started to haunt her family and friends. Eventually her husband made it back to the village from his construction job in South Korea, and they finally had a proper cremation. I had been to the movies here before, It was the perfect place to beat the heat, and my internet connection was too weak to watch movies. I preferred it that way. At home, I could lull myself into inaction via background movies. But since I was scheduled, I decided to watch something local, something that would appeal to Khmer sensibility. The Cremation was grounded in the horror genre so there were jump scares to which the crowd would loudly scream, but It was also a tragic story, bride dies from heart issues carrying twins, husband dies of grief a few months later. It was interesting to get a glimpse into Khmer mythology and funerary rites, Khmer ideas around spirits have more of an active place in life. The movie can remain grounded in a “real” depiction without veering into fantasy even with ghosts. The horror elements were punctuated by comedic moments to release the tension. And at the end of the movie was a voice over that seemed to reiterate the ultimate meaning not in a didactic way but still promoting a traditionally grounded morality.

#julio cesar williams #outbound to siem reap

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tamago-silly-thesis · 2 months ago

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All my Eve original characters, inspired characters and concepts 🗣📢💥

PART 3 : SEREN AND RAVEN (Shirayuki mv)

Shirayuki tells the story of two characters : Seren and Raven.

I created this story 1 day after shirayuki single release. At the time it didn't have any mv (now it has one) so as I often do I wanted to create something. The designs of the characters are inspired from the two characters we can see in the single's cover.

The story starts by Seren's su1cide attempt. We don't really see what is happening but we can understand it, the only things we see is his brown hair and a Christmas tv program on an old tv.

After this intro, Seren appears in the mv as a ghost. He's transparent, with white hair, purple eyes, wearing a white dress and a lavander colored cardigan. He floats above the ground instead of walking.

The first time we see Raven is while she's overworked at the restaurant she works as a waitress. She's a 23 years old tall girl (around 179cm, Seren is around 157cm).

She has short black hair except the right side of her bangs (weird Atsushi from BSD like bang), light brown eyes and some tiny freckles on her nose.

For work, she wears a vest above a white button up shirt and a classic black wool trousers, and when she goes outside, a heavy black coat and a scarf (because of cold winter weather).

They met on christmas Eve, Raven finished her work early and decided to got to a coffee to chill and enjoy the sunset of this christmas day. But as she was peacefully enjoying her coffee, something caught her attention : there was a very suspicious guy, running around people and makings signs to them, but nobody seems to see him.

The weird stranger noticed her and ran to her "HEY YOU, YOU CAN SEE ME ?!?!?!". She was like "Oh god... what the - " and just nodded yes.

Then they started to spend time together.

After spending a lot of time together the two started to really like each-other, they went to the christmas market and the fair.

Despite having very different personalities, the ghost being very joyful and loud, and Reven being more chill and funny in a calm way, they get along very well. They also relate to each-others. After talking a lot, they discovered they both had a dysfunctional family and had a really hard time during their childhood. But Raven explain that even if thoses were really hard time, she now feels better and have a good life stability, even if she keeps scars of her difficult teenagehood on her arms. Seren is moved by what she said, and it somehow gave him hope, even if he still don't want to tell Raven why he turned into a ghost.

Later, they walk together in an empty street, its almost midnight but there's a lot of nice chrismas lights everywhere. Snow is falling from the sky. Raven notices that Seren is not a joyful and expressive as he was earlier, she asks him why he's so quiet but when he turnd to answer her, she realizes he was disappearing. Raven was panicked and tried to hold his hands but they vanished like if she was trying to catch smoke. Seren approaches her and tells her something in her ear before completely disapearing in her arms.

After he totally vanished, Raven started running as fast as she could. Seren told her things before disapearing : he told her his name, that he attempted to k1ll himself, but despite being a ghost he says that he may be in the hospital because he feels stuff.

He also said he loves her.

So she's running to reach him at the hospital. After searching for hours, she finaly found Seren in one of the hospital rooms.

HAPPY END

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tamago ☆

#eve mv #eve家 #eve #jpop #music #dunno how to tag this #fan project #original character #music video

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stressedlawsecretary · 4 months ago

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Today's Focus

02.19.20 - Not going to lie, I think I'm starting my day out with more essays than I can put to paper running around in my head. When I get up on WFH days, I automatically put the one real news program I watch per day on; some days the headlines are more triggering than others. On top of that, I have a good friend that's a bit of a baby leftist and I had to read a stupid take she posted recently (I dislike conservative politics posturing as progressive) that is driving me absolutely insane. Let's hope it stops me from fighting with other people online.

Work - So since I'm just slowly dealing with NYM I should be okay; I'm waiting on CSB to get me the requests for reps in his new case so I can send out S17s but he's...not as responsive as we all would like.

Background Noise - Well I'm at home, so I'm going to be doing a lot of the DVR again, along with my slop playlist on mute. Managed another 23 videos yesterday, and hoping to match if not exceed that number with quite a few long videos today. Wish me luck.

Study - Wednesday is 'visual study' day and I have Jeopardy to watch, news programs to catch up on, and podcasts on YT to watch. I'll learn something new today via video by God.

Yesterday went extremely well. I read: one (1) press release, 14 randomly saved news articles, four (4) parts of the Shielded from Justice report, four (4) entries on the Deep Climate blog, an essay on cave compositions in Zimbabwe, an essay comparing The Handmaid's Tale to Simone de Beauvoir's feminist theory, and I started three (3) more long essays but didn't finish them.

Extras - Wednesday is when I clean the catbox again and vacuum the rugs; I have a little more picking up to do, and then the evening is all self-care. It's takeout night, I'm doing three (3) episodes of Kamen Rider Ghost, and then doing the everything shower and the double masking and the whole everything. A lovely quiet easy night is on the table.

#studyblr #my study stuff #today's focus #talking

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govindhtech · 9 months ago

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AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 24.9.1 On AMD Radeon GPUs

AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 24.9.1 Will Increase Gaming Performance by 2.5 Times. It has been steadily improving AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition this year, including useful updates and cutting-edge functionality. AMD introduced AMD Fluid Motion Frames, enhanced video upscale, and extended encoding capabilities at the start of the year. In the summer, it released AMD Radeon Anti-Lag 2, which is currently supported in Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR’S CUT.

Additionally, AMD introduced AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 3.1 and the quick adoption of FSR 3 in over 80 games. Today thrilled to present Adrenalin Edition, the most recent version of AMD Software, 24.9.1, which keeps bringing amazing upgrades and enhancements to let you get the most out of your PC and enjoy the finest gaming experiences.

Quick Performance with AMD AFMF 2 and HYPR-RX

This state-of-the-art frame generation technology, AMD Fluid Motion Frames(AFMF), is intended to boost frame rates and gameplay fluidity. It is a component of AMD HYPR-RX, its one-click performance-enhancing solution that offers exceptional gaming experiences on AMD Radeon graphics cards, and is seamlessly integrated into AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.

With AMD Radeon RX 6000 and 7000 series graphics cards and select AMD Ryzen Processors with Radeon Graphics, AFMF is compatible with thousands of games. Earlier this summer, it also released a preview of AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2, a major improvement over the original version of this fantastic technology.

For an enhanced frame generation experience, AFMF 2 offers additional optimizations and adjustable settings. These include AI-optimized upgrades for greater quality, reduced latency, and enhanced performance on integrated graphics, including the AMD Radeon 890M featured in the new AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU.

Additionally, AMD introduced support for Vulkan and OpenGL games, borderless full screen (with AMD Radeon RX 7000 Series graphics), and cooperative gaming with AMD Radeon Chill. HYPR-RX with AFMF 2 may help offer on average 2.5x faster frame rates in specific games when tested in select AMD Ryzen Processors with Radeon graphics and AMD Radeon RX 7000 Series graphics cards.

Experience Fluid Video Playback

Whether you’re catching up on the newest episodes of your favorite programs or viewing the latest streams from content producers you follow, graphics are always a significant component of the PC experience. Presently introducing Geometric Downscaling, a new feature in this AMD Software update that enables better video playing.Image Credit To AMD

Geometric downscaling helps minimize visual artifacts and aliasing when videos are being played in a window that is smaller than the native resolution. This results in smoother video quality, which means there will be smaller jagged lines throughout your videos, clearer resolution, and an all-around better visual experience without having to do anything. All DirectX 11 programs as well as products based on the AMD RDNA 3 architecture will be supported by this functionality.

Summary

The most recent enhancements and functionality is AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 24.9.1 update. It showcases AMD HYPR-RX in particular, as well as AFMF 2, a one-click performance booster that boosts frame rates and smooths gameplay using frame generation technology. The article also introduces Geometric Downscaling, a brand-new function that improves video playing by lowering visual artifacts and raising overall quality. The article concludes by urging users to download the most recent AMD software update and to check back often for news and updates.

Read more on Govindhtech.com

#AMDSoftware #AdrenalinEdition #AFMF2 #AMDFidelityFXSuperResolution #AMDRyzenProcessors #Radeongraphic #AMDFluidMotionFrames #news #technews #technology #technologynews #technologytrends #govindhtech

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merchantziro · 10 months ago

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Personally I was imagining Dani shows up and it's just like, "Vlad why are YOU here?" And Vlad talks about the Justice League recruiting him and out loud mentioning his belief it's a rehabilitation program.

Meanwhile the heroes all freeze up and everything around then comes crashing down as they realize their mistakes in slowly dawning horror with a cold sweat.

But I also think it would be funny if the misunderstanding continued and Vlad instead brought Dani over and recruited her as his daughter (maybe because Vlad is a hero he's on better terms with Dani?) and accidentally implies he and his "Nemesis" became lovers.

Hell maybe Danny gets released before the reveal because they want to "reunite them" but only gets two Nemesis's throwing insults and hands.

Also for more comedy to tone the potential angst, Danny considers getting sealed his vacation. No school, no ghost attacks, no ghost hunters, and no Vlad. Plus the place was far more comfortable than the thermos. He even gets Wi-Fi in here because he's still on the Watchtower.

The past month or so he's just been vibing the entire time, catching up on months worth of lost sleep for that matter.

So when he gets a rude awakening, he basically attacks the Fruitloop on sight because HE WAS SLEEPING. Meanwhile Vlad is holding a feral badger and his name is Danny, while going "Yeah this is normal" to everyone else.

DP x DC Writing Prompt: Justice League's Totally Real Redemption Program

It has been a few months now since Vlad became a member of the Justice League.

...Alright rewind, it started after he instinctively used his powers a bit in human form during one of the Wayne's Galas. It was subtle but Masters moved someone out of the way and they "barely" avoided it (no thanks to a hint of intangibility of course) if only to continue talking business with them or coursem

Of course he should have known being technically a Metahuman in Gotham would get him on the Bat's radar. It was only a matter of time before the big bad bat himself burst into his office.

But... It happened while he was asleep and only left a business card to contact the Justice League??? They apparently wanted to recruit him???

Vlad was unsure but based on them being friendly they seemed to act like they were trying some bizarre rehabilitation program? Like they're trying to make villains into heroes by treating them well having them use their powers or skills for their side? Well based on his data on the Flashes, they seem to treat their Rogues well... Probably his idea.

Weird that they chose him first instead of one of their own rogues, but Vlad went along with it. Writing it off Danny was also being recruited by the Justice League and he suggested using him as a Guinea Pig first? Honestly he wouldn't put it past the boy.

Over time though Vlad began to see the positive effects he was having as the heroes seemed to look happy he was learning good with proud stares. It felt.... Refreshing to use his powers for good, something he remembers his past self had mocked Daniel for when they met.

...Speaking of Phantom, where was he anyway? It's been a while since he pestered Vlad?

------

Batman, on a rare occasion like this, was happy all things considered. Constantine was right about the rumors regarding a Halfa helping people and ghosts alike. A hero in his own right.

He didn't expect to find Vladimir Masters as the one he was looking for, and by chance when he saved someone with a subtle use of powers. At first suspecting Metahuman abilities he was keeping under wraps, but Constantine came by not long after asking about the feeling of the "Infinite Realms" in the area. Once he was told about ghosts, it didn't take long to find a connection back to Vlad.

After some digging they found according to legends he has been seen across history having fought what was believed to have been another like him... The only other Halfa and one appeared evil to the bone.

Batman hadn't pressed Plasmius about his past but he did make a list of the rogues in Amity Park, a town protected by the Halfa.

Including the suspected evil Halfa, he was easy enough to track down as hiding as a ghost hunter's own son and seal away into a little artifact for now. One less threat to deal with...

Even if he recognizes not all ghosts are evil, some do not deserve second chances for their crimes.

------

(Or... Justice League fucks up a teeny bit in research and recruitment, so through misunderstandings they believe Plasmius was the hero and Phantom was the villain based on past stories of their appearances and legends passed through the Ghost Zone to other mythical creatures but the story and detail become warped and faded as centuries past by.)

Meanwhile Vlad thinks this is some weird rehabilitation project and seems to be working for him as he feels good about doing good. Danny in turn may not be stuck in absolute suffering but isn't exactly having a good time due to being mistaken for the bad guy and now currently sealed away.)

#dpxdc #dp x dc #dcxdp #dc x dp

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raaorqtpbpdy · 3 years ago

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Ectober day 4, comin’ at ya!

I SEE DEAD PEOPLE

[Warnings for a panic attack, and mentions of psychosis and near death experiences]

Ever since his accident in his parent's failed ghost portal, he could hear them... see them. Whispy, glowy things that looked like people but... weren't anymore.

He hadn't told anyone, not even Sam and Tucker when they'd pulled him out of that deathtrap in his parents' lab and he was the only one who could see the swirling green mass inside it before he'd passed out and they took him to a hospital. He definitely hadn't told any doctors. A psychosis diagnosis definitely wouldn't look good to the space program, and anyway, he could always tell what was real and what wasn't.

Well... he couldn't tell exactly, but he had ways to check. The things he could see that other's couldn't... no matter how real they looked, or sounded, or even felt, they didn't cast shadows, they didn't show up in photos. And if Danny's camera roll was slowly accumulating hundreds of photo's of walls and sidewalks, that was his business, and no one else's.

He felt suddenly very cold, and he saw his breath mist in front of him, surely as much a figment of his imagination as the quote-unquote 'ghosts' were, since no one else ever seemed to notice it.

Then he heard them, giggling, whispering. Elementary school girls they sounded like. He risked a glance at them out of the corner of his eye.

They seemed to be playing a game of telephone. One would whisper something into the ear of the spectral girl next to her, who would then turn and whisper something to the next girl in line, each giggling when they heard it. He took his eyes off them and tried to refocus on Mr. Lancer's lesson, but the high pitched squeaking and squealing was hard to ignore.

The whispers grew closer, though he still couldn't make out what they were saying, until he felt a small, cold hand cup around his ear, and an ice cold breath sent a chill down his spine as one of the little girls spoke directly to him.

"You're dead. Pass it on."

He gasped loudly and jumped up out of his seat in shock, as if someone had just dumped a bucket of ice-water on his head.

"Danny?" Mr. Lancer drawled, annoyed. "Something you'd like to share with the class?"

"I—" his breathing was shallow and uneven and his whole body was trembling. As often as he was unsettled by the things he firmly believed were hallucinations, he'd never been quite so shaken by them before. He sucked in a breath, and then another, lungs bursting as he failed to release the air building up in them.

"Danny?" Sam asked next to him, reaching out a hand that he flinched away from without thinking as all the air rushed out of him at once and he stumbled, catching himself on his desk. "Are you okay?"

"Danny~" a little girl's sing song voice cut through the white noise in his ears. "You're supposed to pass it on!"

A chorus of giggles filled the air, louder and louder until he couldn't hear anything else, and all Danny wanted to do was scream at the top of his lungs.

Someone tried to take hold of his hands, but he couldn't tell who; he just jerked away from them, stumbling on shaky legs away from his desk and out the classroom door.

Running down the halls, deaf to the world around him.

He had to get away.

He had to get outside.

He had to get warm.

He had to get air.

He had to get some water.

He was alive.

He had to breathe.

He was breathing.

No, he was hyperventilating.

He felt like he was about to pass out.

Where was he?

He could feel the sun.

It was warm.

It was dark.

Who was screaming?

"Danny? Sweetie?"

His mother's voice.

"Mom?" He cracked open his eyes, blinking against the light.

"Oh, Danny, thank goodness you're awake!" she said, obviously relieved. "You're in the school nurse's office. I told them not to call an ambulance, since I thought a hospital would just make you more stressed after... well, after the accident. I remember how much you hated the hospital."

"Thank you," he rasped, and she handed him the water bottle she was holding, and he accepted it, drinking deeply.

"Do you remember what happened?" she asked.

"I... I had a panic attack, right?" he recalled. He'd had them before; even when he was having it, he'd realized what it was, but his panic attacks always came so suddenly he could hardly think of preventing it when all he could think of was—

You're dead. Pass it on.

"Yes, Mr. Lancer said you just suddenly stood up in his class and started acting strangely," his mother recounted, "then you ran out of the classroom and Sam and Tucker followed you. They couldn't catch up with you, and lost sight of you until they heard you scream and found you passed out in the quad. Do you remember what caused it?"

You're dead. Pass it on.

"No, I don't," he lied. He couldn't tell her the truth. Couldn't tell her that he was seeing things, hearing things, feeling strange chills. "Did I really scream? I don't remember that."

"The way I hear it, you screamed loud enough to wake the dead," she said, eyebrows drawn in concern. "I know you were opposed to therapy after you accident, but... maybe you should reconsider. Like Jazz says, trauma can stay with you your whole life if you don't find a way to heal from it, and a near death experience—" she cut herself off when she heard his breath catch at the mention.

You're dead.

"I mean... the accident was definitely traumatic for you," she corrected. "Honestly, it was traumatic for me, and I didn't even see it, only heard..."

"I appreciate the concern mom, but I really don't want to see a shrink," he said. "I've never been a huge fan of talking about my feelings, and I can cope just fine on my own... in other ways." It sounded like a weak assurance, even to his own ears, especially since he knew all he was doing was trying to ignore the problem and really not coping at all, but he'd seen The Sixth Sense, and he wasn't about to open that can of worms.

Pass it on?

No. I don't think I will.

"I'm just gonna drink some more water, and then head back to class," he told her. "I'm fine now, I promise. You don't have to stay."

"If you're sure..." she agreed, though she didn't seem so sure herself. "I'll just sit here until you head to class, if that's alright with you. Have you had lunch yet? You should eat something."

"Yeah, okay mom." Topic changed, and crisis averted, he accepted the bagged lunch his mother handed to him and sifted through it for whatever was most edible.

He ignored the grayscale teen floating behind his mom, waving frantically to get Danny's attention.

"Can you see me?" he shouted. "You can see me, right?"

Eventually, he would go away.

But they always came back.

#danny phantom #dp #fic #ectoberweek2022 #day four #danny fenton #maddie fenton #panic attacks #dp au #sixth sense au #sorta #angst #things i wrote

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dollycas · 10 months ago

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Booked on Murder (A Haunted Library Mystery) by Allison Brook #Review / #Giveaway - Great Escapes Book Tour @AllisonBrookML @crookedlanebooks

Booked on Murder (A Haunted Library Mystery) by Allison Brook About Booked on Murder Booked on Murder (A Haunted Library Mystery) Cozy Mystery 8th in Series Setting - Connecticut Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books (August 6, 2024) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639108459 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639108459 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CLKZ83SX Librarian Carrie Singleton must catch a killer before she can say “I do” in the 8th delightful installment in Agatha Award-nominee Allison Brook’s Haunted Library mystery series. Carrie Singleton is ready to kiss the single life goodbye. Her wedding to Dylan Avery is just a few weeks away, and a happy ending is about to be hers. But when a body is found on the lawn of their wedding venue, happily-ever-after is looking deadlier than ever. The victim turns out to be Billy Carpenter, a young man recently released from prison after serving time for a bank robbery. The stolen money he’d buried is gone and Carrie and the police suspect Billy’s two alleged co-conspirators, his friends Luke Rizzo and Tino Valdez. But then Luke is murdered and Tino is nowhere to be found. With no leads and only a week to go before her big day, Carrie is on the hunt for clues. She hopes to wrap up this investigation with a neat bow before she and Dylan tie the knot. Carrie has something old, something new, and something borrowed ready for her walk down the aisle. Now she needs to find the killer without becoming the ‘something blue.’ Dollycas's Thoughts Carrie Singleton and Dylan Avery have found the perfect place to hold their wedding and can't wait to say "I do". But when they visit the venue to go over some details they find a dead body by the gazebo next to a large hole and a shovel. Billy Carpenter had just been released from prison where he was incarcerated for robbing a bank. It is believed he had buried the money from the heist there and that whoever killed him is now in possession of the cash. His accomplices in the robbery, Luke Rizzo and Tino Valdez are the prime suspects. Then Luke is killed and Tino is missing. Time is coming down to the wire, so Carrie starts diligently looking for clues. She is ready to walk down the aisle and she doesn't want the murders casting a pall on the ceremony. Will she be able to unite the killer with a jail cell? Or will it be her wedding plans getting killed? ____ Sadly, Booked On Murder is the final installment of the Haunted Library Mysteries. Carrie Singleton has grown so much since we met her in Death Overdue. Evelyn is such a friendly ghost with a wardrobe to die for. She is great at pushing Carrie to do what she wants and a font of information. It was unique that both Carrie and her niece were the only ones who could see her. Other ghosts came to visit and Dylan was able to see and hear them too. Two special ones are introduced in this story. I have enjoyed meeting all the core characters in this series. I appreciated that they all continued to develop and form close bonds. Not only did the characters grow, so did the library. Carrie excelled at her job. With all the programs she arranged the library became an even bigger asset to the community. It was fun to read about the children's programs and the wide variety of programs for adults. The expansion added more room to showcase art and historical pieces and documents. The new auditorium opens all kinds of possibilities from lectures to plays and more. The mystery was complex and fed by greed. Money from a bank robbery and a diary from a woman who was hanged for being a witch in 1652 had people scrambling. I found the diary to be quite captivating, others saw it for the dollars it could bring. Were the diary and robbery connected? or were there separate suspects for each? I was entertained following along as Carrie uncovered clues and worked to make them fit together. Carrie and Dylan tried to not only catch the killer but tried to help someone tangentially involved. That doesn't go exactly as planned. There were some terrifying moments when things came to a head. I loved it! My heart was racing just a bit. My very favorite part of this book though was the wedding. After everything Dylan and Carrie had been through, Dylan took the lead and got everything under control and in place for their wedding to happen. Thank you, Ms. Brook, for sharing the whole thing with us. I hate when authors skim over events that have been building for several books and leave readers feeling short-changed. She did an extraordinary job of letting her readers in and in the end, we knew these wonderful characters were in a good place. Although, I think a spinoff could be a possibility. For now, we can use our imaginations about what happens next for Carrie, Dylan, Smokie Joe, and all the people of Clover Ridge. Booked on Murder was another Perfect Escape. Phenomenal characters, a strong mystery, and a beautiful wedding bring the marvelous mystery series to a close. The entire Haunted Library Mystery Series is fun and entertaining. Each can be read on its own but for maximum enjoyment start at the beginning and escape into every one. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent About Allison Brook A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook, she writes the Haunted Library series. Death Overdue, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series, the Twin Lakes series, and Giving Up the Ghost. Her romantic suspense, Come Home to Death, was released on April 30, 2024, and her romantic suspense, Dangerous Relations, will be republished in 2025. Marilyn's juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children's Book Council Children's Choice and recently appeared in a new edition. And Don't Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards. Her YA horror, The Devil's Pawn, came out in a new edition in January 2024. Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids, and playing with her kittens, Romeo and Juliet. Author Links Website and Newsletter Sign Up Amazon Page Facebook Goodreads Pinterest Instagram BookBub Twitter/X: @MarilynLevinson; @AllisonBrookML Buy links: Amazon Penguin Random House B&N BAM Bookshop.org Hudson Booksellers Powell's Target Walmart Purchase Links : This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Escape With Dollycas. Great Escapes Praise for Booked on Murder (A Haunted Library Mystery) by Allison Brook I highly recommend Booked on Murder for its wonderful characters, well-plotted mystery, and its happily ever after for Carrie and Dylan! The author does a beautiful job of sending them off into their future. I miss them already! ~Christy's Cozy Corners I have adored reading all eight books in this series, and while I (unrealistically, I know) dream of my favorite series going on forever, I understand that things do end. And while endings are hard, this was handled beautifully. Well done! ~SARAH CAN'T STOP READING BOOKS Booked on Murder is A Haunted Library Mysteries swan song with nuptial preparations, a slain parole, missing money, house hunting, a purloined diary, and a contented couple. ~The Avid Reader I highly recommend Booked on Murder - and the whole series - for fans of cozy mysteries. Readers who enjoy library settings, small-town locales, and a light-friendly ghost element will particularly like this series. ~View from the Birdhouse I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted cozy mystery. This is a great book and series and I suggest you read it. ~MJB REVIEWERS The characters and their relationships have always been the foundation of this series and it's no exception in BOOKED ON MURDER. The mystery was compelling, the diary intriguing, and the wedding heartwarming. Blended together it made for a satisfying conclusion to a wonderful series. ~Cozy Up With Kathy Booked on Murder by Allison Brook is a lovely farewell to a lovely series, but even if you’re just jumping on with this last book you’ll find much to enjoy, from the intriguing mysteries to the winsome characters. ~Reading is my Superpower TOUR PARTICIPANTS - Please visit all the stops. 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kizzer55555 · 8 months ago

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Ok, first thing’s first. I vote we call them Thermon. Or Thergho.

Anyways, I say we change something up. What if how the system works is that yes, ghosts are classified by their cores into certain ‘types’ and I say that this happens a little after the series so Danny is still in his teens. And I like the classifications. There are level 1 ghosts like blobs and animal ghosts, then level 2 which are ghosts with special abilities besides flight and phase shifting. Level 3 are ghosts that can put of a fight and basically makes up Phantom’s rogue gallery. Next are mythic ghosts who are incredibly powerful but rare to see. And then there are legendaries which are the ancients. (Is Danny a legendary or a mythic?). The Fentons have done thorough research on the subject and created these classifications based on rarity and power level. Even if no one has managed to catch a mythic or legendary yet. It all started because after the Fenton parents realized that the ghost boy had more luck capturing ghosts and sending them back, that instead of thinking maybe they could work with the ghost boy, they thought, what if they also used ghosts to capture more ghosts? They managed to capture two. Jack took custody of a technology loving ghost who would always steal his gagets to fight Phantom while Maddie captured what appeared to be a ghost adept in tracking and was encased in a mechanized suit. After they tested their devices and learned they worked, they made this knowledge mainstream as well as developed more Fenton Thermoses (Although modified to be more slender for ease of carry. They look almost like those thick glow sticks.) as well as a basic training pamphlet.

If Valerie has a ghost, it could be Dani. Might be a good excuse to find a home and she trusts Val so let herself be captured?

Sam could have Dorathea (who chose to be captured after this all started to be safe and also because her brother was making her current living situation hard) and Tucker got Wulf, who wanted to be near his ‘friend’ (and possibly hiding from Walker again). I think Jazz would get Spectra. She probbaly captured again after attacking some people. The Fenton Parents beat her up a little two well with the Skulker/Technus combo (they learned to combine their powers) and Jazz stepped in. She still had mixed feelings about the ghost but wouldn’t let her get vaporized for being ‘too dangerous’. Eventually they formed a truce/friendship. Anyways, once people had ghosts on their side, it was much easier to manage the portal. Especially because the amount of ghosts coming through increased (making the portal destabilized the barrier between the earth and the infinite realms so more natural portals than ever before had started popping up). But there were some problems too as the Fenton thermoses would often end up capturing their own ghost during a fight and some government agencies tried taking their captured ghosts so the Fentons modified their thermoses to bind to the ectoplasm within them. And once they had been bonded to a thermos, the ghost could no longer get captured which allowed people to shoot a capture beam at whatever ghost they wanted, although they would need to weaken them first or the ghost would just dodge. Second, the collars are important as they not only act as registration that this ghost belongs to someone (they come in various styles so some are more obvious collars while others look like a decorative necklace), but they also are a tracking device should your ghost decide to make a break for it once they are released from the thermos. It cannot be removed unless by human hands, nor can it allow a ghost to phase out. There is also now a training program for new ghost catchers that they must pass to be allowed to use a thermos and register it in their name. To prove they are capable of taming a ghost and will not abuse the power. So not everybody has a thermos but the process to get one is fairly easy.

Now for an interesting idea, Danny Fenton was horrified to learn of this new ‘strategy’ but he couldn’t really do anything once a ghost was captured. He, along with Sam, intensely fraught for ‘animal protection laws’ for them though. If people could be jailed for abusing animals, then Ghosts should also apply. He would make sure that any ghost captured would be treated right. It was also hard because with this new capturing system, more people were getting ‘attatched’ to the ghosts and the GIW was loosing power with the anti ecto acts that allowed for dissection. So Danny was conflicted. He also tried pushing for their intelligence but unfortunately, ghosts are very difficult to communicate with and very instinctual. It’s hard to resist hissing when a ‘threat’ comes near. And there is no language they can both speak. However, he has found one strategy that could work. Since ghosts captured by another cannot be captured again, many ghosts seek out Danny to be ‘caught’. He never actually uses them and often just buries the thermos somewhere (either in the backyard or his closet) and has often gained a reputation as a ‘ghost whisperer’. Many people would see him interacting with ‘wild’ ghosts and getting them to do what he wanted without any prompting. (Because he can still understand ghost even in human form and ghosts can understand English. So he can communicate with random ghosts or ghosts belonging to someone fairly easily).

As for the bat family, I say that Jason can’t understand ghost speak and truly thinks he captured something only….Danny gets away. The minute the bats weren’t looking (and there were no cameras) he left and then shifted back to human and easily took the collar off. Maybe what could happen is that Danny is still too weak to leave Gotham so as he’s recovering from his injuries he keeps getting recaptured and escapeing. (Do the bats have their own ghosts or is this the first time they have caught one?) And it might look like Danny is starting to have fun with Red Hood only to go cold when Hood mentions anything relating to ‘taming’ or trying to coax Phantom with ‘treats’. And then at one point, Jason is in trouble and Phantom sees it and decides to help and rescue him and Jason thinks that this means he will accept getting captured now only for Phantom to jerk away and Hood doesn’t understand. He’s done all the right steps, done the training, Phantom even seems to like him, why won’t he accept him?

So Jason does the only thing he can think of. Looks up the ‘ghost whisperer’ to ask for some advice.

Prompt: Ghost are still considered non-sentient, which leads to people playing Pokémon with the ghost and unfortunately for Danny, he's basically a legendary with some high stats and it was only time before someone was able to snatch him up.

Ghost being more beasty or ethereal looking, they communicate through Ghost speak which just sounds like hisses/growls to other species. Danny looks like a Naga and communicates like one.

Warning: The Bats treating Phantom like a wild newly discovered creature species. Scientific discussions about his body in front of him, discussions about Ghosts possibly being able to breed because in Phantom form, Danny is duel gendered.

“How!?”

“Jealous?”, Jason watched in amusement as the youngest in the family fumed and stomped around, the kid honestly looked like an angry kitten. Not his fault he managed to snag the Ghost before the rest of them, besides it was in his Alley, so he had rights to it anyway.

Didn’t stop Damian from glaring and huffing about it being unfair, everyone else was either ignoring them or just rolling their eyes in expiration.

Not that he could blame the kid, catching Phantom was basically hitting the lottery, the Ghost was on the top of the list of most wanted. There were videos, essays, debates, everything on them from species type, to power sets, possible weaknesses, likely Obsessions…and Jason caught them. He pinned them down and snapped the collar on as soon as he saw who exactly was haunting his territory.

Currently Phantom was going through an observation…okay, they were currently being poked at by Tim and Bruce, the Replacement eagerly jotting down things he found or didn’t find, treating procedure like a puzzle.

The Ghost was curled up in the observation table, currently wrapped up in a snake like tail instead of legs, giving off Naga vibes that included hissing and snapping teeth in mock bites.

There was no real threat behind the actions considering the poor things condition, whatever or whoever had tried to catch the feral beastie did a number on them before Jason was able to snatch them for his own.

No matter, Jason took care of his things and he’ll have his new companion looking all shiny and pretty before long.

Dick was lazily spinning in Bruce’s computer chair, legs hanging askew, “Sooo, how are going to register them? Can’t exactly put down Red Hood in the Owner’s signature?”

“Going to go with the ‘Jason Todd and Red Hood being “secret” partners route’, as far as the docs will show, Phantom got caught by Hood in his territory and made a lovely gift to the Alley’s biggest supporter.”

“Nice.”

A silent agreeable silence passed between them as everything started to truly settle for the night.

Phantom was still hissing as Tim held out a device to scan over the Ghost, “Mostly exhaustion, energy drained, malnutrition, probably due to being on the run and unable to get a proper meal. Oh, congratulations, it’s a…hermaphrodite…huh…”

Bruce just hummed in response, taking the device from his son, “Not unusual, there have been reported cases of similar body formations, if you look here in this area, this is very close in resemblance to that of snakes cloaca, given how its been recorded of their ability to shift from tail to legs, it’s a high probability that there is an external and internal shift to match the forms and still keep the functionality of both genitalia.”

“So…wait! That means they can breed! Which means other Ghosts that are similar can too! Which means there are natural born Ghosts?”

“Ghost is only a common used term, coined by the Fentons, real ghosts like Deadman aren’t like these creatures, and given how terrible the Fentons research was…we are unable to fully understand most habits and causes of the species.”

Tim reached back for the scanner, eyes scrolling over the details in excited glee, beings that were basically unknown, improbably recorded, a huge mystery with smaller mysteries within, “I’m going to compare these scans with known species of reptiles, might get a standard bar of health in comparison and possible hints at behavior.”

Another hum came from the Dark Knight, focus turning to watching the youngest move his way in between him and Tim, Damian had came back dressed in civilian clothes and was holding an apple out to the Ghost, “I have brought you a treat.”

They all watched as Phantom hesitated, hissing slowly dissipating as it takes in the fruit, a clawed hand reaching out to take it, sniffing it before taking a small bite.

“So can eat fruit? Can they all eat fruit or just Phantom?”

“Hush, Drake, your voice is grating and might cause them to lash out in hopes of peaceful silence.”

“Excuse you!”

The two continued to bicker, the creature on the examination table just steadily continued eating, bright pure green eyes watching them before taking in the room.

Dick made an attention whistle at Jason, nodding at the way the Ghost was eyeing possible exits, his brother just shrugged in response.

With that collar, there wasn’t any place the other could hide without a Bat knowing exactly where they were.

#Dpxdc #dcxdp #Pokémon AU

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