#i would elaborate more on the showing not telling thing because it drives me up a fucking wall and all of the sentences they use to 'teach'

[coff-in]

I RAISE YOU

Andrew and Ashley with younger sister who is EXACTLY as bad as them. Possibly worse. But she hides it so well that it's reallllly hard to find out until the Burial (or Decay) ending. She's clingy and naive! But she just happens to get along well with boys, and Andrew just happens to catch them asking her out a lot. She's shy and likes to stick with Ashley, but it just so happens that girls are always asking to be friends with her, and it would be mean to say no, right? When she can't sleep at night and wants to sleep with Ashley and Andrew, she just so happens to wear really revealing clothes. Whatever, they're siblings, who cares? And if Andrew's hand is too high up her thighs, or Ashley's hand is over her breast, well, she's already fast asleep. She wouldn't know anything about that. In essence! Younger sister reader who is well aware of her older siblings' inclinations towards her and drives them insane with it while acting like a cute little angel (she is a tease). I think they'd prob catch on or at least suspect her, but it only becomes really apparent during Burial when she's *extremely* into getting down and dirty with her siblings (Ashley and Andrew are not emerging without bruises and bites and scratches).

If we're extending this to Decay ending though I think it would also be interesting is a yandere who secretly wanted to keep one of her siblings to herself. Just toxic food for thought ykyk.

notes from coff-in: i don't know if i could elaborate on this wonderful idea even more because this is SO GOOD! (proceeds to elaborate on it more) i love you, 'nonnie.

[fem] reader-insert, [reader] is about 1 year younger than ashley, incest, NSFW, murder and suicide

baby sis [reader] teasing her siblings once they leave the quarantined apartments by offering to write her number on the wall near the restaurant (she doesn't even have a phone :p), pushing the two motel beds together so they could have "one big freedom sleepover" and she's like in a oversized night shirt and some short sleep shorts (or maybe not even wearing any bottoms to bed). maybe she's a clingy sleeper and wraps her arms and thighs around whichever sibling that falls into her nightly grasp. she's squeezing and nuzzling and cuddling them while they take it as an opportunity to feel her up. andrew def is an ass person in my head (don't get me wrong, he loves breasts and thighs too) and he hugs baby sis [reader], letting her hands rest on her ass and giving it a couple of squeezes. leaving her bras or underwear out in the open like ashley does and points it out when asked about it ("if leyley can do it then why can't i do it too?").

baby sis [reader]'s social life was a tool for her to use so she could get the attention of her siblings. telling andrew about the boys who ask her out and asking him if any of them would be right for her ("but of course there's no other man better than you, big bro!") and going to ashley after hanging out with her friends and complaining about how tiring they can be ("augh! they just don't get me like you do, leyley").

baby sis [reader] and julia being friends with each other but they're both using each other in some way. julia uses [reader] and ashley to get closer to andrew and once he and julia start dating, [reader] pretends to be a person to vent to about her relationship. while julia does talk about all the romantic things she does with andrew it's mostly her telling [reader] about ashley and all the death threats she has sent ("he bought me a lovely bouquet of tulips... and then ashley threw them away when i wasn't looking..." "a flower bouquet? how romantic!")

i can see baby sis [reader] leaving poems and love notes and little cute drawings of andrew, ashley and her together with hearts and stuff and she plays them off as either not being hers ("may julia left them for you, andy") or just cute little sister stuff ("the hearts are there to show that i love you guys")

she engages in a lot of physical affection with them both in order to touch and tease them while playing it off as her sisterly love. if she's shorter than them both she'd rest her face on ashley's chest a lot. they're just so comfy!! she'd hold andrew's hand a lot and tell him that brings her comfort and makes her feel safe,,, and he wouldn't want her to feel unsafe and scared, would he?

i think it's important that (from a story perspective i guess) andrew still watches over the parents when they prepare to sacrifice them, but ashley could also leave baby sis [reader] with him too (burial route). mrs graves tells them that she could fix all of this, they just need to ditch ashley and maybe instead of andrew it would be [reader] who threatens her ("i don't really care for how you talk about my big sister ashley like that, so i suggest you quit it :)")

during the vision, andrew and ashley are bitten and scratched up like a dog toy and [reader] is there leaning on ashley's chest, smiling and satisfied "let me know when you guys are ready for another round!"

andrew's blushing because he's embarrassed that he got caught while baby sis [reader] is blushing because it was all way more intense and wonderful than what she thought it would be. "we're never going to be like that, right?" and [reader] responds with a "well i certainly wouldn't mind :)"

a decay route with a yandere baby sis [reader] could have so many endings, you know? i think the game has three different variants/endings in the decay route: murder-suicide (ashley has a loaded gun and chooses not to shoot andrew), ashley's death (ashley has an empty gun), and then andrew's death (ashley has a loaded gun and chooses to shoot andrew). depending on possible earlier choices/actions, baby sis [reader] could either be chill with losing one of her siblings (their attention is less divided, right? more for her then!) or fucking lose it if she lost her favorite sibling to the other. gods, imagine a timeline where she lost both! her entire life revolved around her siblings and gaining their attention and love and if they're both dead in a murder-suicide then she'd probably follow them, too!

this is branching off from the request a bit (a lot) but in a murder-suicide timeline, baby sis [reader] tries to make a deal with ashley's demon/lord unknown to bring them both back to her! aaah!!

this is very long. i usually type my writing on a google doc to get it all organized but i've been thinking about this ever since i saw it this morning. thank you, thank you, thank you 'nonnie for this LOVELY AND WONDERFUL ASK!!! your idea and mind is just... grrr they're so great!!!

----

coff-in

[posallys]

Hi, ive just started writing fanfic for the first time, do you have any tips?

honestly, just writing what makes you happy because who gives a fuck what other people think! if YOU like it, that's all that matters.

also don't be afraid to experiment with sentence structure, etc! rules are made to be broken and i am a staunch believer that breaking grammar rules (intentionally...not just having bad grammar lol) adds so much character to your writing and really gives you your own voice and style. I do it all the time! i love me a good intentional run-on sentence, some comma splices (i am a slut for comma splices i cannot lie to you), some fragments, starting sentences with a conjunction. etc etc etc.

also if you're having trouble getting a feel for your Style or whatever, it's okay to take inspiration from the style of some authors you enjoy (that obviously does NOT mean to copy their work, but look at their sentence structure, at how they piece their puzzle together; my new current sentence structure experiment is based on the way one of my friends wrote a fic, and i'm loving it.)

oh i know people preach active over passive voice, but i am telling you now that passive voice can be used and it adds to your writing sometimes! ESPECIALLY if you're trying to set a more serious, sort of prose-like tone....passive voice my beloved. some of the craziest lines i've written are passive.

use adjectives but dont OVER use them--and if you are overusing them, make sure it's intentional. (intentionality is literally the main thing; if you do something intentionally, it's probably going to come across like that, and your readers are going to understand it the way you wanted them to)

similar to the passive vs. active debate...showing vs. telling. it's a bit tricky to find a good balance sometimes, but you'll learn. but also, it's not as black and white as a lot of people make it seem. "showing" the way i see most people use it is just excessive use of adjectives and verbs, while telling is simply stating something (which i don't necessarily agree with)

Im going to use an example from the fic i'm writing right now:

And so he goes to them, like a ship to a beacon of light, a sailor to a siren. He goes because he cannot possibly stay away for a moment longer, cannot bear to not have them in his arms. He lies beside her and she relaxes into him, and it is too much, this love. Too much for one man to feel, too much for him to hold back. It thrums through his veins, begging to be released.

I would argue that most, if not all of that paragraph is me telling, not showing. "he goes to them" "he goes because" "he lies" "it is too much" etc etc. i use metaphors and whatnot, but i'm telling nonetheless. (there's another good point, actually: most of this is me telling, but it's also active voice, so they balance each other)

anyway enough of my babbling about grammar lol. just have fun and write whatever makes you happy--and don't feel like it has to be perfect, or like you're obligated to churn out content, because you're not. one of my favorite fics of mine EVER has been rotting in google docs hell since christmas 2022; what matters is that EYE love her and am with her in spirit, not that she's done and produced and perfect.

[periwinkla]

Phoenix's careful wording in 4-1

I noticed something about 4-1, Turnabout Trump. Phoenix uses very careful wording. He never outright lies, mostly misdirects. Like when he's asked if the locket is his, and he says the locket has his daughter's photo inside. But the most important misdirection here is about the forged card. He never shows it as actual evidence from the crime scene: if you look carefully at his words, he actually shows it as evidence of the reason why the killer would have taken the card. He's even meticulous about verb choices. In the ENG ver,, he even outright says the card is his. Everyone simply assumes. Also Apollo, unknowingly, doesn't present it as evidence from the crime scene, either. Anyway, here are some parts I found particularly incriminating. JP text beside ENG for comparison's sake. I'll only provide translation for the relevant parts (or the parts that differ between versions). But as you can see, the misdirection is there in the JP version as well. Disclaimer : I only studied Japanese for a little while. AA dialogue is pretty simple though. Also English isn't my native language either. Feel free to correct me on anything wrong here. Also note that I'm not trying to make the translations sound natural, I'm mostly trying to explain what the words are saying, sometimes I'll be more literal than others. Translation =/= localization. Translation notes and musings are in small text.

Judge いかがですかな？　弁護人。 Well, Mr. Justice? カードがスリ替えられて、 持ち去られた“理由”‥‥ The question of why the killer would swap out a card has been raised. そのコンキョを提示できますか？ Can you point to a reason? Apollo (‥‥どうやら、 　ここが“勝負どころ”だ！） (…It's now or never!) なぜ、カードは スリ替えられたのか‥‥。 Naze, kaado wa surikaerareta no ka... The defense would like to present evidence to the court… Naze, kaado wa surikaerareta no ka... Why the card was switched... 弁護側は、その“理由”を 提示したいと思います。 Bengogawa wa, sono "riyuu" o teiji shitai to omoimasu. Evidence showing the reason why a card was swapped out! Bengogawa wa, sono "riyuu" o teiji shitai to omoimasu. The defense would like to present that "reason".

Judge これは‥‥まさか！ Could… this be…!? 現場から持ち去られた “５枚目のＡ”ですかッ！ Could this be the missing fifth ace!? Kristoph ば‥‥バカな！ なぜ‥‥なぜ、キミが‥‥ In-Inconceivable! How could you… そんなものを持っているのだッ！ What are you doing with that card!? Apollo そ、それは‥‥その。 （なんだ、このあわてようは‥‥） Um, well, that's the thing… (Why's Mr. Gavin so upset?) （アヤシイ女の子からもらった、 　ただのアヤシイカードなのに） (Ayashii onna no ko kara moratta, tada no ayashii kaado na noni) (It's just a fishy card from some fishy girl…) (Ayashii onna no ko kara moratta, tada no ayashii kaado na noni) It's just a suspicious card given by a suspicious girl... Apollo doesn't even understand the weight of the card when he presents it. He's just doing what Phoenix is pointing him to. He thinks it's just a suspicious card, and he's only using it to provide a "reason". At first, I was confused by this, because he seemed convinced later on that the card was real. But it appears that at first, he was indeed suspicious of it. It's just as the trial goes on, he's manipulated to think the card is indeed real. Because he trusts Mr. Wright, which *seems* to say it's real. Phoenix そのカードはね。 あの晩、事件の後‥‥ 《ボルハチ》で、 ぼくが拾ったんだよ。 Sono kaado wa ne. Ano ban, jiken no ato... "Boruhachi" de, boku ga hirotta n da yo. Oh, that card? It's mine. That is, I picked it up at the Borscht Bowl Club that night after the murder had occurred. カードは商売道具だからね。 ‥‥ムスメにわたしておいたんだ。 Kaado wa shoubai dougu dakara ne. ...Musume ni watashite oita n da. I gave it to my daughter. Cards are her stock and trade, after all. In the ENG, 'It's mine' is actually an addition. Maybe to drive the point home more? The rest is the same though.

Phoenix じゃ、ハナシをつづけようか。 Ja, hanashi o tsuzukeyou ka. Allow me to elaborate. Ja, hanashi o tsuzukeyou ka. Well then, let's continue this discussion? (fun fact: hanashi can also be traslated as 'story', or even 'fable', you could say hanashi is the noun version of the verb hanasu (to talk, tell) so it's basically anything you 'talk' about) この“血痕”が原因だった としたら、どうでしょう。 Kono "kekkan" ga gen'in datta to shitara, dou deshou. What if this trace of blood was the reason? Kono "kekkan" ga gen'in datta to shitara, dou deshou. (what) If this ''bloodstain'' was the cause... what do you think? The 'dou deshou' is usually also traslated as 'what do you think?' - it's used after you make a statement and you want to ask for the other person's opinion. But mostly it's a rethoric question. 'What about it?' would also fit. Also interesting how "bloodstain" is in quotation marks...

Phoenix 現場写真‥‥被害者の頭部を もう一度、よく見てください。 Take another look at the photo… and at the victim's head. 犯行の瞬間、帽子は床に落ちて、 このとおり‥‥ At the moment of the crime, his hat fell to the floor… ひとすじの血が、 後頭部に向かって流れています。 …and a trickle of blood ran from his forehead down the back of his head. この血が、一滴。カードに落ちた。 ‥‥そうは考えられないでしょうか。 Kono chi ga, hitoshizuku. Kaado ni ochita. ...Sou wa kangaerarenai deshou ka. Couldn't a drop of that blood have fallen on one of the cards? Kono chi ga, hitoshizuku. Kaado ni ochita. ...Sou wa kangaerarenai deshou ka. This blood, this drop. Fell on the card. ...Is that unthinkable? / ...Is that unimaginable? He's basically proposing a theory. Not said the card in Apollo's hand is actually the one. Apollo カードに、血が‥‥ Kaado ni, chi ga... I suppose… Kaado ni, chi ga... On the card, the blood (fell)... Apollo is following along with what he's saying. Phoenix ハンニンは、それをかくすために カードを持ち去ったのです。 Hannin wa, sore o kakusu tame ni kaado o mochisatta no desu. The killer then took the card to hide the blood. Fun choice of words. 'no desu' = 'the explaination is that...' or, in this case: 'the explaination would be...' This is the more literal translation just to make it more obvious how he phrases it: The culprit, in order to hide that he took the card the explaination would be So in a way that it's actually comprehensible: The explaination would be that the culprit took the card in order to hide that (the blood).

Kristoph 成歩堂！　キミも 一度は法廷に立ったオトコだ。 Wright! Regardless of how you wasted the last seven years, you used to be a lawyer! 証拠品を隠すことが、 どれだけ大きな“罪”であるか‥‥ You know what a serious crime it is to conceal evidence! Phoenix そのギロンはあとだよ、先生。 それよりも‥‥ Sono giron wa ato da yo, sensei. Sore yori mo... Oh, we can discuss the finer points of our legal system later… Found it funny how he calls him 'sensei' but in a way that is very mccking. 'Sensei' means someone who is masterful/very knowledgeable in something, in this context, law. He says 'Let's leave that discussion for later, sensei. More importantly...' これで、きみの疑問に 答えるコトができたようだね。 Kore de, kimi no gimon ni kotaeru koto ga dekita you da ne. What's important now is that I've answered your question. Kore de, kimi no gimon ni kotaeru koto ga dekita you da ne. And with that, I was able to answer your question, wasn't I? Basically says the same thing, but uses 'dekiru' = 'to be able to' Kristoph な。なんのコトですか？ Wh-What are you talking about? Phoenix ハンニンがカードを 持ち去った“理由”だよ。 Hannin ga kaado o mochisatta "riyuu" da yo. You wanted to know why the killer would have taken a card from the crime scene. Hannin ga kaado o mochisatta "riyuu" da yo. The "reason" the culprit took the card. カードに残った、１滴の血。 Kaado ni nokotta, hitoshizuku no chi. And now, I've told you. A drop of blood, it feel on the card. (That was why) 彼にとっては“致命的”だった。 ‥‥だから、持ち去った。 Kare ni totte wa "chimeiteki" datta. ...Dakara, mochisatta. That one drop of blood would have been decisive evidence, you see. Kare ni totte wa "chimeiteki" datta. ...Dakara, mochisatta. For him, that (the drop of blood) was 'fatal'. ...So, he took it.

Overall, the word choice in both JP and ENG is very careful, but in different ways since... obviously they're different languages with different idiosyncrasies. In conclusion....

Phoenix basically treated the card not as evidence from a crime scene, but more of an example, a recreation, a construction. Never said that was the actual card. Made people assume. Didn't correct them. So... he manipulated their thoughts. He's like 'oh, you want to know the reason? well, let's see, why would the killer take the card...? well maybe it had incriminating evidence on it - oh what kind of evidence? look at this card here - see this drop of blood? what if the blood fell from the victim's head on the card? so he had to take it - because it would have made it obvious the killer entered from the secret passage and how the murder actually happened' Something that breaks my heart immensly about all this is that Apollo is so adamant at the start of the trial that Mr. Wright would never lie... and he's furious and heartbroken that he basically manipulated him (and everyone else), instead. Phoenix literally couldn't lie anyway, because then Apollo would have known. If you think about it, it's kind of how Engarde was able to lie to Phoenix even though he had the magatama. He purposefully and meticulously manipulated people to think the evidence was real, without ever saying it. Putting the words in other people's mouths. (Also... at least to me, this seems a very prosecutor-like tactic. Perhaps even Von Karma-like.)

Why does he even tell Apollo that he forged it? (He didn't have to.) Because he felt guilty. Apollo asks how he can call himself an attorney and he tells him he, in fact, doesn't call himself one. Doesn't have the right to. Phoenix isn't a liar - he says so himself after the trial, he never lied - but he sure is a manipulator here. But he does feel guilty. He lets Apollo punch him. And he smiles. I think this shows how even when we believe that what we're doing is wrong, we might do it anyways. Out of desperation, anyone might cave and go against their own morals.

[stevieschrodinger]

Link to part five

Part six

Steve sits in the Beemer squeezing the steering wheel so hard his knuckles are white. He can't make himself let go.

He also can't seem to make himself leave.

His mate is in there. His mate who is carrying their pup. Steve's pup.

He can't leave.

It's a good ten minutes of Steve feeling like the world is collapsing in on him before the door swings open, and Wayne comes out, holding two beers. He opens the door and climbs in, sitting in the passenger seat, handing a beer to Steve, who takes it reflexively. He's pretty sure he doesn't actually want it. But Wayne chinks the necks of the bottles together in toast and says, "congratulations."

Steve starts laughing, it's a bit hysterical and it takes a few minutes before he can make himself stop. He does drink the beer.

"He told you?"

Wayne chuckles, "nah, of course he didn't. Clocked the positive test just sitting in the trash, but that boy hasn't thought more than thirty seconds ahead even one time in his life."

They sit in comfortable silence for a while before Steve admits, "I'm so angry with him."

"Think you've a right to that."

"I'm not leaving him."

"Didn't think you would."

They sit together, ten more minutes of silence between them before Steve admits, "I feel like he's stolen it from me...not the pup," Steve elaborates as Wayne raises an eyebrow at him, "the chance to do this properly. The chance to court him, mate him. Have a nice nest ready, a home together...and then pups. I still want it he's just...taken away my chance to do it all properly, I guess."

Wayne hums agreeably.

Steve sighs, "I should go in."

"Reckon." Wayne agrees stoically.

Steve had bought Eddie a spinning wool thing with a handle as a courting gift. Eddie had been so happy with it, something he wanted to organise all his balls of wool into...more square balls. Steve didn't understand it, but Eddie had been so happy he'd spent an hour playing with it and organising his small yarn collection while Steve watched, puffed up and proud his Omega was happy.

Eddie had smelled so much better since his heat, so much more like home and mate...and Steve just figured it was because Eddie was doing better.

Now he knows the real reason he's scenting so appealing; the pup.

Eddie hides deeper in his nest. Whatever that thing was that he lost when his Omega went to ground, well, it's been back since his heat. It's been back ten fold. Eddie had never nested in his life, now? Now if Hawkins held some sort of nesting championships, Eddie would have won it three times this week.

He knew, knew for certain before he bothered to piss on a stick that he'd caught. He knew it was early to show, but his usually almost concave stomach was...not that anymore. He was eating more, some instinct driving him. He was tidying the trailer; sorting things he'd never bothered or cared about before.

So he'd known. Known before those pink lines had appeared on the test.

And Steve. Steve who is courting the hell out of him. Steve who nuzzles him and scents him and brings him home made cookies and pasta and meatballs. Steve who buys him things and holds him close and, even though they haven't done anything more than kiss a little since Eddie's heat, is happy to run gentle hands across Eddie when they nap.

Steve who had innocently investigated that oh so subtle curve to Eddie's stomach. Steve who didn't even question that there was something there until he caught what must have been a horrified, guilty look on Eddie's face. Eddie who had stammered out an apology, like an idiot.

He should have just told him.

He should have come clean, right at the beginning. But Eddie was harbouring a guilty fantasy where he gets to keep his pup and Steve, and he wasn't quite ready to loose it just yet.

He hears the trailer door from where he's buried in his nest. He hears his bedroom door and opens his mouth to tell Wayne to go away, but it's Steve who speaks, "we will be talking about this in the morning."

And then the mattress dips, the blankets shift, and Eddie is pulled into Steve's arms, Steve's hand resting delicately over Eddie's belly button.

[dilfsonic]

Could you elaborate a bit more on how Shadow & Maria's first meeting with Sonic went? And what would be, say, the first time Shadow left Maria's side to do his own thing? (Possibly with Sonic????? 👀👀) I'd imagine that would give him lots of trouble if Gerald is still around which I doubt but I digress—

The Au is super cute and I love the concept! Also your art is just lovely and so good 💖

Hi there!!

So Sonic meets them when he sees Shadow out in public one day, and unfortunately for Shadow his back is facing a wall, so Sonic can’t read it and immediately strikes up a conversation, startling him.

He’s waiting outside a public bathroom for Maria, just has arms crossed and staring ahead and Sonic walks up and starts talking to him and he’s pulled out of his zoning out, and initially he’s immediately resistant, because distractions.

“I haven’t seen you around these parts before. I’m Sonic! What’s your—“

“You’re distracting me. Please don’t talk to me.”

“Huh? It doesn’t look like you’re doing anything.”

“I’m working. She’ll be back soon, so scram.”

“Who’s—“

And then Maria comes skipping out and looking shocked between the two bc Shadow doesn’t ever address others like “Omg who is this?”

And Shadow just scowls and grabs her hand. “Nobody. The Professor won’t appreciate tardiness.” And then, nodding at Sonic. “Sonic. This will be the last time we see each other. Come, Maria.”

And he pulls her away and Sonic is just as confused as he is charmed BDNDNSKDNFN. Maria allows Shadow to pull her along, shooting an apologetic little smile back at the strange blue hedgehog. She’s like, “Aw come on, don’t you want to make a friend?” and Shadow is just immediately like “No.”

Sonic ‘conveniently’ runs into them a second time while they’re out and about another day, and Maria has the wonderful idea to suggest Sonic joining them. Shadow is cold and standoffish at first, but only Maria can tell he’s…slightly interested. He can tell Sonic has something of an ‘otherness’ about him like himself. It helps Sonic doesn’t condescend him about his work as a service Mobian, and is kinda fascinated by them instead.

That’s how Sonic worms his way into their lives initially, and when he shows off his speed to Shadow, Shadow’s interest is Fully Piqued. He’s never gotten to test his own limits in that way, with something as superfluous and meaninglessly fun as a race. And the fact that Sonic immediately hits it off with Maria is basically brownie points from someone like Shadow.

The first time they hang out alone: Sonic and Maria convince Shadow to go just him and Sonic to an arcade; Maria is just across the street, Shadow, she’ll be fine! And it’s the first time Shadow’s ever been alone with someone besides Maria since he was a baby, so it’s very anxiety inducing, and Shadow relies on Sonic to navigate him through most social situations and cues that fly over Shadow’s head. But he’s…having fun. Sonic brings out a competitive streak in himself he never knew existed. For all intents and purposes, it’s like a date, but neither of them intend it to be, nor does Shadow have the emotional wherewithal to interpret it as a date at this point.

(Things go south when Maria’s energy unexpectedly dips and she collapses when she comes into the arcade to come fetch him. Shadow’s fun goes out the window, and he’s immediately pulling her into his arms, trying desperately not to panic. Maria hasn’t collapsed like this since she was a child, and he was a baby, and he blames himself for his negligence. There’s a brief falling out between him and Sonic after; he’s angry, but it’s mostly at himself. He allowed himself to be distracted and Maria suffered for it. It doesn’t matter that Maria reassures him it was just a freak thing, it shouldn’t stop Shadow from pursuing a friendship, and she feels terrible that it drives a wedge between the hedgehogs. It won’t last long, though. Sonic will come back around, and Shadow can’t so easily push him away again now that he’s known the warmth of Sonic’s presence.)

If you’re wondering how Gerald feels about this— they don’t tell him. Gerald would definitely NOT approve of Sonic or his involvement, for exactly the reason described above. Thankfully no more freak accidents happen like that again, and it takes a long time for Shadow to be comfortable parting from her for any amount of time. One thing does give him peace of mind however! And that’s when Maria convinces Gerald to buy Shadow his own cell phone <3 Perfect for keeping in contact with Gerald, Maria, and 1 other contact in it, heheh.

Anyway thank you so much for this ask! I have a little wip of this initial scene for you guys.

[moonshynecybin]

dont know if anyones done this yet but elaborate on the cowboy thing plsssss

TWO OPTIONS. both long as FUCK !

one. campy roleplay. marc likes cota (mostly good memories) he LOVES a gimmick and they BOTH love being absolutely shamelessly silly. it’s marc in assless chaps and a lil stripper vest cowboy outfit and NOTHING ELSE. it’s vale FULLY buttoned up with a lil handkerchief and a jaunty cowboy hat and his lil earring (low effort in the costume department on this one from him. HIGH effort from marc i think) it’s just. astoundingly awful rodeo puns as marc strips vale slowlyyyyyy (vale telling him step by step what to remove next…) and then like. marc riding him into the mattress. core working thighs flexing breathless laughing. sinuous. slow. vale’s hands tracing up the smooth outside of marc’s thigh… we’ve seen how those hips move this weekend he is. ON IT. steals the hat off of vale’s sweaty head and winks at him

SCENARIOOOOO two!!! they are actually and literally in the wild west. came over to the us as young teens seeking fame and fortune and they both wheeled around the cattle driving scene in the southwest… vale and marc eventually meeting and falling into bed together as you do on these long haul herding caravans (in LOVE. talking alllll day as they ride being ANNOYING. INSUFFERABLE. truly so in sync.) and they become close after a while just. talking under the stars. bonding about being away from home. about being in charge of their little brothers… and they’re both clearly the best riders… spend the most time on their horses… the most time doing trick shots with their guns… shooting cans and one upping themselves… truly like recognizing like in the thrill seeking slut department.

and eventually vale decides to split with some ranch hands (academy boys) to star in his own traveling gunslinger/horse trick show… marc sticks behind even though he DESPERATELY wants to come (sick to his STOMACH seeing vale’s horse leave town. keeps the advertisement posters from town to town locked in his sidebag and carefully wrapped in leather to protect from the weather. just to know where he is. just to see his face… because if he DID go with vale, ALEX would want 2 come. and marc (sole provider/protector of alex in this universe. sending money back 2 home. significantly more neurotic about him as a result) WILL NOT let anything happen to alex. EVER. and so he has to let vale go…

so ten years pass and vale amasses a cult following and alex has established himself as like. a bankers apprentice (he’s fucking franky. marc has NO idea godbless. thinks he is nobly sacrificing his love life for alex who is. fully getting way more dick than him.) and FINALLY eventually marc sees a poster of vale and his boys papered up in some bar and is like. okay i’m doing something for meeee… and he rides up to vale’s camp where he’s set up his little performance area and fucking. shoots vale’s gun straight out of his hand. bullseye. and vale doesn’t even have to look up to know who it is. and he just starts smiling…

i lied THREE. westworld au. marc would have SUCH a fucked up relationship to his body if he simply knew he could go in some goop and be made perfectly new again. i think he literally dreams of that happening irl so. truly body horror king in this. comically reckless. meanwhile vale is the cyborg cowboy who is like. um what if i don’t WANT parts of me replaced wholesale like a fucked up ship of theseus. what if i like being ME ??

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hello! I’ve seen you say a couple times* that there are hints and parallels in the show that could mean they’re going to make Lestat’s rape into vampirism literal, which would be a really interesting adaptation. I’m curious what hints you saw in season one 👀 I have some vague ideas but I’d love to hear your analysis!

*i keep going back to reading your “Monstrous are what monsters be”; it’s incredible

Hey!

Glad you like the fic! It's... been very hard to write, and I bet it will be even worse to watch... :/

So for the hints.... Well, I mean, for one it is good to know (or remember, depending on if you've read it^^), that the turning scene in TVL is written as a rape with forced orgasm.

The show has added sex to it all - and they have added sexual assault.

I know Rolin Jones put his foot into his mouth a bit wrt to Claudia, but... I think there's reasons for it all (and why he did not further elaborate), especially since this show so loves both the parallels and the mirroring.

And if you listen to him in the podcast? It's very clear, imho.

Now, as for the hints etc we already got:

There's tears in Lestat's eyes when he realizes that Claudia has been hurt while she was away. He cannot read her, but he clocks in on it right away. He recognizes.

The sexual assault of Claudia we hear of in and by itself. Unfortunately all too common. It is what ultimately drives her back, and what... ultimately nourishes her hatred of her guardians/parents.

Lestat says to Louis that there is a "darkness in her that wasn't there before", again, a darkness he recognizes.

Armand reacts to Daniel's "save it for the rent boy" comment in a rather telling way, at least if you know that he was sold as a sex slave while mortal (book canonically)

Lestat mentally hunts down and tracks Bruce. Now I know the train scene is hard to stomach in the way it is told, but that detail always stuck out for me. He says Louis did not want him to ask, but he not only knows who did it, he also knows that he has a motorbike and is roaming the american hinterlands. That takes a lot of mind scanning to achieve, and speaks of a lot of empathy for what happened to her - and anger.

The way Lestat talks about his own turning. "He kept me for a week", "fed on me every night", "my eyes, my physique". The show has already extended the horror to a week. Magnus later chooses to look like Lestat (at least in parts), a very fucked-up detail Anne put into the books, he desires Lestat and the way he looks. That mixed up with sexual desire that is fused with the blood? Harrowing.

The show very poignantly made sure Louis would consent to his turning, a change from the books and even the movie. I think that in and by itself is also a direct result from making that literal, the way Lestat was/will be forced. (Btw. another parallel: Claudia did not get to have a choice either, and that is something that she comments on, too.)

The hate sex (aftermath). I have spoken about it, but the aftermath of the hate sex, this very rough sex, and the bruises, and the bites, and the scratches, and the stab wounds... and then the way Lestat holds himself there, and the way Louis looks at him.

They can see things in the blood. Louis knows, more than Claudia does, there.

So all these little things... speak a very clear language, imho.

Also - it is important for the upcoming arcs (with Armand).

Because Lestat was forced.

And Armand will try to force him as well.

Which is why they never really got together.

[chaos-lioness]

Happy Rosh Hashana guys have some marker experiments with my new favorite Jewish character of all time, Brian Jeeter. And Krejjh!!! ID below, lengthy design decision ramblings below that :)

[ID: A marker drawing of Krejjh and Jeeter from The Strange Case of the Starship Iris. Jeeter is a light-skinned human with short curly hair. Krejjh is an alien with four arms and mid-length hair in elaborate braids. They are lying on a mattress together with their arms and legs overlapping, partly covered by a blanket. Krejjh is face down and their limbs are spread out across most of the mattress. They are drawn in purple. Jeeter is face up and smiling slightly in his sleep, and drawn in blue. He has visible top surgery scars and oxygen tubing leads from under his nose to a machine beside the mattress. Also on the floor are two pager-like devices, a pile of notes and books, and a tablet showing two figures in elaborate hats. END ID]

Marker test number two has been marginally successful!! Still trying to figure out how best to get a degree of smoothness. My main regret with this is Krejjh’s sleeping position honestly. ‘Krejjh is exhausted flops face down and takes up the whole bed’ is, I maintain, a hilarious idea. But now we can’t see them smiling back at Jeeter! Their fancy braids are supposed to be a Dwarnian thing, I wanted to give them something appearance wise that could have cultural significance. I figured Dwarnians might have a variety of hair textures just like humans, so I wanted to go with something that works similarly for lots of different types of hair. I have them on a mattress to drive home the makeshift way they’re using the new ship (I intended this to be set mid season 2). The stuff on the floor is supposed to be coms, linguistics research, and everyone’s favorite Dwarnian soap. Also, big thanks to @high-voltage-rat for answering my hopefully spoiler free vague questions, this was a good drawing to have a resident Biomed Person for! Believe it or not a lot of work went into figuring out where Krejjh’s extra arms should go that would not have been possible without her anatomy textbooks and well-informed suggestions. (The muscles for the bottom arms are upside-down versions of the musculature in human shoulders (and Krejjhs’s top arms) if anyone was wondering. Also the bone structure is behind their digestive organs, so their stomach pokes out more than a human’s… which you could also see if I chose their sleeping position better. Alas.) Also for telling me enough that I could Google the right words to figure out an oxygen tank but Future but like the Right Amount of future. (The nose piece is name dropped so I left that pretty much unchanged, but rat said you’d usually need pressurization at night so the ‘tank’ is a little more flexible and technologically advanced than what we have right now in the real world. So it can act like a cpap and it squishes but you still gotta lug it around, keeping it nice and cannon aligned.) Finally, they’re so uh. Scantily covered because the ship is allegedly kept at 37 degrees… which for a while I thought was Celsius but maybe it’s Fahrenheit?? Anyway. 37 Celsius is really warm. So. It was the only logical way.

[ghostforwhat]

when you’re off of work would you please elaborate on your hannibal service top agenda,,, please my family is starving

i don’t want anyone to starve so obviously I will extrapolate on the service top aspect of Hannibal Lecter o7!! I am going to get so carried away and I apologize in advance.

Alright going to start this off by saying I do think they’re vers but only in regards to each other, I think for canon relationships, Will has a tendency to allow himself to be directed while Hannibal loves to orchestrate. With each other, though, it grows increasingly and alluringly complicated. Arguments could be made and subsequently thrown out depending on what part of the show you’re watching and post fall is an entire free-for-all because you can’t tell me two grown men survive murder-suicide via cliff and then settle into the puritanical rigidity of who tops and who bottoms.

Okay that being said, honestly i could make the case that both of them lean more toward making sure whoever they’re with is getting the most out of the encounter (maybe for different reasons; the popular trope of Will’s empathy causing a sort of blissful feedback loop and in Hannibal’s case, it stands to reason the politeness overlaps with a challenging sort of hedonism, he’s in control and playful about it) but I think that specifically for Hannibal, Will’s reactions are what he’s constantly seeking and then hoarding. Like. Will responding to stimuli that Hannibal presents is basically the premise of the show and Hannibal very clearly gets off on that, maybe not anywhere explicitly but we see shots of his pupils dilating, his gaze always caught on Will, licking his lips, all in response to Will reacting to him. It’s very rare he’s outright hungry at the beginning of a conversation or interaction, he seems to maintain a sense of aloofness until Will snarks or baits or replies or even defers and then, it’s as though he’s desperate to see more. I'm not getting into the whole them eating meals together because I'll devolve very quickly but like. just keep in mind the way Hannibal watches Will eat, as though he savors Will instead of the meal he cooked. Right. Okay. He gets caught up in Will’s responses very quickly, enraptured and almost stupid about it and trying to immediately trigger more which!! Goes hand and hand with him doing very uh lets say unique acts of service (the malewife jokes are only half jokes); the breakfasts & dinners, the driving, the caretaking. Yes all that’s manipulative but to Hannibal, that doesn’t negate that it’s still getting him the responses he wants and that’s also maybe why he’s so quick to say they’re friends because he’s viewing it as a form of relationship building and quite frankly, that is the only way that man knows how to build relationships; he sets himself up as a crutch and then breaks your leg and unfortunately at that point, for Will, for Jack, for Abigail, for Bedelia, for Chiyoh, you are too grateful to be standing that you forget he’s the reason you can’t do it on your own. The others I mentioned learn either very quickly or very (in painful irony) rudely that he is only a crutch as long as he enjoys it, as long as he can benefit from holding you aloft.

However. In Will’s case, he tries to remove himself and finds that it’s him who can’t stand and he’s immediately resentful and desperate to take back that ability, leaving another gift, another act of service, for Will to prove that he can still provide it and detrimentally putting himself on the map for Jack and Mason in the process. He’s so eager to have Will’s response, he waits at his own fucking crime scene. Will gives him what he wants and he’s too overwhelmed to respond with any sort of power or immediate selfishness, he runs again. And then. Muskrat Farms and his surrender. I feel like I don’t even need to explain why that backs up my case here, that man is so so ready to rescue and then surrender all because Will’s involved; two things he’s never done in his entire life, they essentially reduce him to this almost pathetic thing and it doesn’t give him pause at all because again, they’re acts of service whether Will wants them at that point or not. Like Bedelia said it best, he’s obsessed, he wants every reaction, every word, every sigh and curse, he’s very single-minded about getting them and he doesn’t care who he has to hurt, himself or others, to get them. Now, combine all that and the cliff scene and tell me that man doesn’t spend every second they’re in a bed together completely and utterly focused on Will and Will alone.

[sd1d-enthusiast]

After years of people acting like Daemon “never loved” Rhaenyra or was using her for the throne, it’s so funny to see those arguments completely obliterated in just two episodes. 

In episode 1, we see that he genuinely cares for her: 

he brings her gifts with meaning and sincerity, things that have value that both of them appreciate and can treasure

she is the only one he speaks Valyrian too (he doesn’t do it with Viserys or Mysaria despite them knowing it!). One of the actors said it’s like their own secret love language a

nd that couldn’t be more accurate

look at their banter during the throne room: the way he teases her and the way she snipes back at him but instead of getting angry, he smiles. she makes him smile. 

with her, he puts aside his claws and shows a very rare tenderness. that scene of him carefully putting that necklace on her? he wouldn’t be caught dead doing that to anyone else. 

the look in his eyes when he goes to comfort her during her mom’s funeral? if he was really only looking to use Rhaenyra for the throne this would have been the perfect chance to drive a wedge between her and her father and draw her over to his side. but he doesn’t. why? because he cares for her and sees how alone she is in that moment

In episode 2, we see that Daemon is truly and utterly whipped:

the moment Rhaenyra arrives on her dragon he goes from smug douche mode to “oh fuck the wife is here and i need to behave now mode.” He literally clutches at that egg like a boy caught putting his hand in the cookie jar and Mysaria gives him the biggest wtf look lmao

there’s this tiny smile on his face when she lands and all of Otto’s side is in shock. he’s fucking proud of her for that glorious entrance. he’s glad to see her even if it means things are now much more complicated

Hell, you could even argue he engineered this whole scenario and trolled the fuck out of everyone, just so he could see two people that he cares about most. His brother. And Rhaenyra. He chose the one thing that he knew she’d be pissed about him taking: her brother’s egg. This is what happens when Daemon is bored, lonely, and separated from the people he cares about most for too long.

For all the people who claim Rhaenyra was the unsuspecting victim to Daemon’s desire for the throne and just manipulated and used, Rhaenyra destroys those claims with just a few sentences. “I’m right here, uncle. The object of your ire, the reason you were disinherited. If you wish to be restored as an heir, you need to kill me. So do it. And be done with all this bother.” 

She straight up challenges him and tells him to kill her. Why? Because she knows that there’s no way in seven hells that he would ever come close to doing it. She sees right through him and calls his bluff. She knows he cares too much. And he knows that she knows. Hence, the slightly amused, slightly proud, and very much exasperated “you know I would never do that” look on his face. 

So it’s established that he would never hurt her even if she gave him the chance. Then it’s also established that he would never lie to her either. He does his whole elaborate prank about getting another wife and having a child to everyone, but under her stare, he can’t bring himself to lie. That shows more than just care and affection. That shows that he respects her too much to lie. He can play everyone else for a fool and have his little game, but not Rhaenyra. 

“You already have a wife.” “Not of my own choosing.”  The look he gives her afterwards when she tells him to kill him and he just stares at her in silence. He’s clearly not thinking “this girl really ruined my plans smh.” You can practically see the wheels turning in his head. This mf is involuntarily thinking “I’m going to make this girl my wife one day.” 

TLDR: Daemon is whipped for Rhaenyra and I will hear no objections

[lumiereandcogsworth]

ohhhh I’d love to hear your unpopular opinions about batb 👀

okay i mean it probably isn’t a secret at this point but i still feel like i’ll get assassinated for saying it outright. but: i think beauty and the beast 2017 is better than beauty and the beast 1991.

and i can throw a thousand caveats on it like i still love batb 1991!!!!! i grew up with it and it’s so good!!! it’s so lovely and amazing and one of the disney greats!!!!! and i would not be lying!!! it’s a WORK OF ART! and because of all that, i think it is an excellent foundation that batb 2017 was built upon and expanded upon which allowed it to flourish Even More than batb 1991.

allow me to elaborate further.

i think that where batb 1991 focuses much more on the story itself, leaving adam and belle a bit more secondary, batb 2017 focuses everything on adam and belle and lets them tell the story themselves. to me, it’s a difference between story drive and character drive, and i just personally enjoy batb 2017 diving so much deeper into adam and belle!!! their personalities and interests and sadness and backstories! they seem so much more real to me, so much more human.

i love the things that were altered. i love how when belle asks him to come into the light, he doesn’t. she has to force the light into his face to see what he is. i love that he was so much more unbelievably stubborn that he didn’t even care who stayed as his prisoner, as long as someone paid for trespassing and theft and overall just ruining his day. i love that the library wasn’t a gift of gratitude, but rather a gift only given when he saw her reaction to it. 2017 adam is so much more stubborn and self-absorbed and self-loathing that this beautiful woman being a chance at breaking the curse just does not cross his mind at first. and i love that. he was so completely hopeless that belle’s presence was nothing more than an inconvenience.

until there’s a spark of shared interest. until there’s a connection of mind and spirit. until they discover that maybe they’re not so different from each other after all!

i just absolutely love the fact that the library comes up because he wants to prove to her how much better his literary taste is than hers. he’s such an arrogant prick that even this amazing library has to be coated in his vanity. it only starts to shatter when he sees her reaction. he sees the truly innocent wonder on her face and for a moment the masks come off for both of them. she’s touched his library, she’s brought the daylight into it. he’s almost speechless because of it! she tells him it’s wonderful and all he can say is “yes… i suppose it is.” followed by giving it to her. hey, maybe this “common thief’s daughter” isn’t so bad after all.

i love how batb 1991 does everything too, but all of it happens just a bit too quickly for me. he changes too quickly, they fall in love too quickly, everything just happens really fast and i feel like i never have time to settle into their friendship or romance. i just kind of have to follow the story and accept that they are in love! which isn’t a terrible thing at all. i grew up loving it and never wanting more. but after seeing batb 2017, i do absolutely love that it got to use more time to really highlight their friendship; to really make me believe that these two are friends who are also very much falling for one another.

that’s why i love the colonnade scene so much, where they’re just talking and joking and confessing to one another. no montage, no song, they’re just hanging out and smiling like idiots the entire time. and that leads to the paris scene which is such a sweet and amazing moment!! they get to run away, just for a minute!! and adam gets to be there for belle for an extremely personal moment, and she’s comforted by that. batb 2017 just provides so many extra little details and scenes to really show the kind of relationship they form, and i guess, for my brain, i needed that to really believe in their love. i’ve never liked romance stories that happen too quickly. i have nothing against them, they just never really have been able to convince me that the pair is truly in love, and not just for romance’s sake. i need them to be besties first🥺 and batb 2017 just does such a lovely little job of making me believe that adam and belle have a love that goes as deep as friendship.

so, yeah. i know live action remakes have a bad reputation, and rightly so!! i understand!!! honestly before i saw batb 2017, i was entirely on that train. i thought live actions were pointless. but then i saw this one and i didn’t expect to fall in love okay!!! it just happened!!! i don’t treat all live actions the same, because i think some Are more unnecessary than others. but batb 2017 did such a fantastic job in holding true to the same story while building upon it and making it even more amazing and beautiful than it already was. and i KNOW not everyone agrees with me, but that’s the unpopular opinion for ya!!

[highwaytothedangerzone502]

Foxtrot Alpha Alpha - Chapter 30

Pairing: Hangman x Female OC

Word Count: 1559

Warnings: Talk of death

Summary: Hangman learned his lesson a long time ago to never show his true feelings when someone's words or actions hurt him. To do so showed weakness that could be exploited, and Seresin men couldn't show weakness. Of course, there was an exception to every rule, and Jake's always came in the form of women, three in particular: his mom, Juliette Kazansky, and the girl whose name he could no longer bring himself to speak. She was the girl that got away; she was his biggest 'what if' and his biggest regret; she would forever be the ghost that haunted his dreams. Jake believed that's where she'd stay, for he would surely never see her again after what he did.

Or so he thought.

Notes: This is the sequel to India Lima Yankee; I'm using the same callsign for the Female OC as in Ghost Story because I just really like it, but they are different characters; chapters in italics are flashbacks.

Chapter Songs: Different For Girls Red

****

Ghost

The door flung open, and Juliette Kazansky said in relief, "Oh, thank God you're here."

Ghost raised an eyebrow as her friend practically dragged her inside. "What's wrong?"

"My husband is about to drive me insane-"

"Because someone needs to go to the doctor but won't!" Rooster shouted from another room, his tone more snappish than Ghost had ever heard directed at Juliette.

Jules stared up at the ceiling in exasperation, as if she could see through the plaster and wood all the way up to God. "The Lord is testing me today."

"I heard you had a bad night," Ghost said casually, kneeling down to pet the dogs, who had already flopped onto their backs for belly rubs. 

"That's putting it mildly. The lack of sleep is making both of us a little testy." Juliette rubbed her temple and rested a hand on her belly. "The babies are having a wrestling match right now, too, naturally only when the nausea's finally abated, so now, I can't sleep because of that."

"Are you sure you want me over right now?" Ghost inquired, standing up and looking her friend up and down, concerned about Juliette's paleness. "Because I mean this in the nicest way possible, but you look awful."

Jules snorted. "Thanks. But yeah, I'm fine. Just running on no sleep. Enough about me, though. Firstly-" she stepped forward and embraced Ghost in a hug so tight, the aviator could barely breathe- "I'm so sorry about your dad. Whatever you need, I'm here for you."

It dawned on Ghost that Jules had recently lost her own dad, less than a year ago, so the feelings were still relatively fresh for her too. She would understand more than anyone. "Thank you. Right now, I think I just need to be around friends. I can feel myself moving towards isolation, and I can't do that."

"If you need to be alone, that's okay. As long as you know you have people waiting for you when you're ready to come back."

Ghost smiled gratefully at her friend. "I appreciate it."

"So, do you want to talk about it or no?"

"There are multiple things I could talk about. Which one are you referring to?"

"Hangman."

Ghost sighed heavily. "Not much to tell. I was planning on staying at his when we got back, we started drinking, started kissing-"

"You two kissed?!" Juliette exclaimed, eyes lighting up.

"Briefly before I cut it off and laid into him. I tried to get him to finally tell me why he never came to visit me after the accident, why he only tried to talk to me after the trial, but he froze. And then I walked out." Ghost walked into the living room with Juliette on her heels. The girls plopped onto the couch, and the dogs joined them. Lightning practically crawled into Ghost's lap as she asked, "What did Hangman text you?"

"He just said: I fucked up. Ghost needs you. I tried to get him to elaborate, but he wouldn't respond. The only other response I got from him was when I asked if he was okay, to which he replied,' I'm fine,' the universal sign that someone is the opposite of fine."

"Thank you for having Coyote check on him. I should've done that first thing, but I was selfish and-"

"Hurting," Juliette added gently. "You've been through a lot lately, Ghost."

"So has he, but he still sent you to check on me. I waited twelve hours before it even dawned on me. I don't even understand why it bothers me so much that I didn't do that for him, but I am, and-"

"Because you love him," Juliette said simply. "Believe me, I understand that infuriating conundrum."

"God, it makes me want to rip my hair out."

"What do you say we sit back, ignore our problems, I have Rooster bring you wine and me some apple juice so I can at least have the air that I'm drinking an adult drink, we put on The Proposal, and both forget about our current problems? We can deal with them later."

Ghost wholeheartedly agreed to the plan. Juliette shouted for Rooster, who shuffled tiredly into the room. He smiled at Ghost, but it didn't reach across his face like it normally did. She'd have to corner him about that later, although she suspected it had to do with Juliette's health. Ghost would keep her own concerns to herself for now, but her friend's wan pallor worried her, too.

Juliette politely requested the girls' drinks and added gently, "And then get some sleep; Ghost is here to watch me, okay?"

Rooster obeyed, grabbing their beverages from the kitchen and handing them to the girls. He kissed Juliette on top of the head before padding to their bedroom. 

"He would not have done that without argument had it been anyone but you," Jules said quietly once she assured herself her fiancé was out of earshot. 

"Oh, I'm sure if it were Maverick, Penny, or Phoenix, he would've."

"Yeah, because he's slightly scared of Phoenix, although he'd never admit it, and Penny and Maverick are adults in his eyes."

"But he's an adult?"

"They're adultier adults."

Ghost laughed but said nothing else, settling into the cushions and proud of the fact Rooster trusted her with his future wife so implicitly when he hardly trusted the qualified professionals.

Watching the movie turned out to be just the distraction Ghost needed, and when the girls hit 'play' on another one, she and Juliette fell into such deep sleeps that they had to be roused by Rooster for dinner. Neither had heard him enter the kitchen, clang pots and pans around (which he claimed was accidental), or when the timer went off on the oven. He'd made a delicious chicken dish, prompting Ghost to ask, "When did you learn how to cook?"

"I started taking some classes, but if that-" Rooster motioned at the three of them with his fork- "ever leaves this table-"

"Your dirty little secret is safe with us," Ghost promised, "especially since those classes seem to be paying off. This is delicious."

Rooster beamed at the compliment, and when their plates were scraped clean, he took them to the sink. The girls chatted while Rooster cleaned the dishes. He jumped into the conversation when he felt the need to put in his two cents. 

During that meal, Ghost realized what Godsends the Bradshaws had been, allowing her to hang out with them to distract her from her woes. Between finding out Maverick might be her dad and the silence from Hangman when she asked him the question that had eaten away at her for years, Ghost considered the success of the Bradshaws' distracting abilities no small feat.

Around nine, they migrated to the living room. Juliette gently lowered herself onto the couch, and while she smiled, Ghost could tell her friend was having a bad day with the pregnancy. They talked for a couple more hours, and when Rooster left to use the restroom, Ghost asked, "Do you want me to go? You look like you're struggling right now."

"No, no, I'm fine," Juliette insisted, waving her hand dismissively. "Just a little nausea. Besides, I'm enjoying our conversation."

"Jules-"

A ringing cellphone interrupted the conversation. The girls shared a confused glance, wondering who on earth would be calling that time of night. Juliette grabbed her phone and answered, "Hello?"

A deep man's voice spoke on the other end. Juliette's brow furrowed in confusion when she replied, "Uh, no, this isn't Ghost. May I ask who's calling?"

"What's going on?" Rooster queried upon returning to the room and noticing the girls' expressions. Juliette held up a finger to silence him.

"Hang on, let me get her for you," Juliette said. She handed the phone to the female aviator, stating, "It's a bartender?"

Ghost frowned. "Hello?"

"Is this Ghost?" The man responded gruffly, sounding slightly exasperated.

"Yes. Who's this?"

"My name's Mickey Whitley; I'm a bartender at The Riptide. I have a customer here, a Jake Seresin, who needs a ride home because he's smashed and- no, you're not playing darts! You can't even stand!" The man exclaimed suddenly. He groaned and returned to the conversation. "Sorry, your friend wants to play darts, and if he throws one, it's more likely to turn into a freestyle acupuncture session than a darts game. Can you come get him? I can help get him to your car, but I'm cutting him off because he's gonna kill himself if he drinks anymore."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll head over now," Ghost said, standing up and hurrying to the front door. Rooster and Juliette followed. "I'll be there in ten." 

Hanging up the phone, she returned it to Juliette and explained the situation, adding, "Rooster, I hate to ask this of you, but could you help me pick him up? If Hangman's as drunk as the guy said he is, I won't be able to get him home, let alone keep him stable on my bike."

"Of course," Rooster said, reaching for his keys. Juliette swiped them before he could. "What are you-"

"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm useless. I'm coming with you to help. He gave the bartender my number after all," Juliette argued. "Come on. I'm driving."

****

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[riahlynn101]

What are your thoughts over the movie? I have some myself (and a mild mental breakdown over the Thing™), but overall, it was good. I want to talk about it with anyone, lol

Okay, so....

Spoilers below the cut:

Firstly, I loved it. You can tell how much effort they put into this movie, and it really shows. Kudos to everyone involved.

Things I liked:

Piper Rubio did amazing. No comment beyond that. Abby is one of my favorite characters now, and if anything happens to her, I'll cry.

Actually, all the kids did a wonderful job. Especially Grant Feely. He really embodied that creepy, restless spirit vibe.

Mike and Abby's sibling relationship was everything to me!

Vanessa asking Mike if he wants to dance with her (OMG).

The Springbonnie suit looked great!

Mike having a little bit of an attitude (I love him so much)!

The animatronics were cool. I like that they took the time to make them seem friendly, and almost childlike, before switching gears.

Things I didn't like:

I'm not an expert on filmmaking, so excuse me if I'm wrong here. But the pacing was all over the place. The first act of the movie was perfect, and then the second act was....fast. Like fast-fast. Based on what other people are saying, I'm 99.9% sure they cut out a lot of footage.

This one might come back to bite me in the ass later, but some plotlines felt unnecessary. I know this is FNAF and complicated is written somewhere between Freddy and Fazbear, but did we really need some side plot about an evil aunt? They didn't go anywhere with it, and we still don't know what happened to her. Did Golden Freddy K.O her? Kill her? Who knows? Because we certainly don't. We see her legs, and then she's never mentioned again.

I don't know if this is controversial, but I hate that Vanessa's an Afton. Maybe it's because I was so set on Mike being an Afton, but I really, really hate that they changed it. (I'll elaborate on that more down below).

I felt like they could have given us some more background. Some more flashbacks to the 80s. Anything.

I know I'm being overdramatic, but having the plot twist be Vanessa's an Afton kind of killed all my excitement. Which is stupid, I know, but yeah....

I mean, I'm still going to write fanfictions about the movie, and about all the ways that Mike Schmidt is actually Michael Afton.

--Sorry in advance, but I'm going to ramble--

I have a feeling that William knows Mike better than he's letting on. Of course, he did kidnap Garrett, who could have told William everything about Mike. He could have also watched the news and seen Mike with his parents, asking for Garrett to come home.

But that's not the vibe i was getting from William during the office scene. But I'll let you all decide for yourselves:

William Afton is a skilled manipulator and actor, but the expression he makes looking down at his coffee doesn't scream, "holy shit, the brother of my victim is sitting in my office." He has no reason to look concerned. Mike has no idea who he is, and he isn't even looking at William. So, why put on a show?

Also, the change in his attitude is telling. He went from cold and distant to personable in a heartbeat.

Of course, there's always the possibility that I'm totally wrong, and William is scared he's been found out. Which could be true, given that he doesn't hesitate to fuck Mike up the second he's able to.

--

In the same vein, why would William Afton-a guy known for killing/kidnapping kids around the pizzeria, or at least close to the pizzeria-drive to the middle of nowhere, pick a random kid, and kill him? I know he's crazy, but I don't buy it.

Some people are saying that Garrett is a Charlie parallel, and that Mike is Henry's son. Which could be the case, I mean, we see a mechanic in the training video that bears a striking resemblance to the actor that plays Mike's dad. I don't know if those two things are connected, but it's interesting to point out.

But, like I said, it's weird that William went out of his way to kidnap a kid for no reason. And he likely wasn't in a costume (at least I hope he wasn't, because if he was and no one saw who took Garrett, I think a kidnapped child is the least of their worries.) So, how did he convince Garrett, who was by himself for a grand total of five second, to get in the car? Maybe he offered him candy or toys? I dunno.

I might go into all the evidence/theories so far that Mike's an Afton in another post. And where they're going with Garrett's character. But yeah....

Everyone, please, feel free to share your thoughts on the movie. I would love to hear them :D!!

((Thank you for this question btw <3333))

[bloomlily101]

Home

"John Evans, don't you want to go home?"

It was one of many unforgettable days on Europa. I had just finished another round of testing. For now, it seemed as though my mission wasn't going to end any time soon. Looking over at the pink mermaid who stared at me with saucer eyes, staying longer did not seem like a bad idea.

"When I came here, I knew it would be a long time before I returned so yes, I want to go home but at the same time..."

"At the same time?"

"I don't miss it."

"Really? Why?" Her question sounded like a high pitch squeak, almost like a dolphin's. It was adorable.

"Compared to Earth, this planet... this kingdom that you're ruling... is amazing. I prefer it here honestly."

I prefer being here next to you.

"I'm glad you like it here but... don't you have someone waiting for you on Earth? I never hear you speak about them."

It was a common discussion among space colonizers to talk about their family, to show pictures of their newborn, their kid graduating or maybe to show off how attractive their mate was. In a way, it kept us tethered to reality. It was those invisible bonds that kept us sane while working a thankless and dangerous job.

"To be honest, not really."

Joining MEARTH and the Space Corps was just like the military; there were many reasons why people would join. Some do it for science, some are zealous patriots, others do it to make their families proud and most do it as a last-ditch option. I will not be elaborating on my reason but it definitely was not entirely because it was my dream.

"That must be terribly lonesome "

"Not really. I got to meet you."

On Earth, there were few who understood me and even fewer who loved me. Yet somehow, just planets away, there was someone who did. It's baffling. Baffling yet so tantalizing. She was always so close but always so far. As I leaned into the kiss, she leaned back with a teasing smile.

"I have to go, John Evans. I have duties to fulfil."

"Then this place again, tomorrow?" I asked her. She nodded, smiling as usual, eyes closed with her corners barely tilting upwards.

Meeting you is the only thing keeping me sane on this planet but it was driving me up walls I didn't know possible.

"Promise."

With that, she slipped into the water and disappeared into the dark ammonium depths. Was she playing a game? Was she baiting me? I could never really tell with her. My feelings are genuine and she knows as much but recently I've heard conflicting stories.

Many praise me for having such a close relationship with such a closed off and distant monarch. They say that they cannot understand her. No one truly ever knows what she's thinking. In a species known as a happy one, she rarely smiles.

I would not believe they were talking about Rise but in way, they were right. It is difficult to get a read on her but that didn't make her antisocial... just different. Our cultures were different but it never became a conversation stopper for us. Maybe, all we needed was more time for our species to understand each other.

________

Swimming below, past the cliffs, there was an orange siren waiting for her. This siren had as many fins as tattoos. Her hair was as fiery as the lava in a vulcanes, her skin much the same too. She was intimidating though it never seemed to bother her. It was the reason why Rose picked her.

"Why do you waste your time with this human, Your Highness?"

She stopped in her tracks and looked back at her loyal steed with a smile, "Because understanding your enemy is the only way to protect yourself from them," Her face turned dark, the light leaving her eyes as a scowl worked its way to her mouth, "I don't trust these humans. They're too emotional... too inquisitive... too greedy. It's only a matter of time before they show their true colours."

"Then you should've gotten rid of them when you had the chance."

Rose shook her head with a smile, "They came in peace, I cannot betray our own beliefs, Nahla."

The conversation came to standstill as they entered open waters. It stayed so until the hazy lights of their city to view. It was now dusk. Soon it'd be time for the evening service.

"I'll do anything to protect this city. To protect my people. What about you?" Rose asked her companion, looking back at her. Nahla could not read the expression on her face. This, however, was usual but what wasn't was the solemn atmosphere she had created.

"My will and purpose are to live and die for you, My Priestess.  There'd be no greater honour." Nahla recited like a prayer.

Rose smiled, tilting the soldier's face upward to meet her scheming smile, "Then let's set our plan in motion."

[vaicomcas]

Expendable from beginning to end

This is just a rehash of bitter Cas feelings that's already been discussed, but I can't help it after reading this 5x21 dialog. It's unreal if you really think about the situation.

CASTIEL: Dean? DEAN: Cas? DEAN: We all thought you were Dead. Where the hell are you, man? CASTIEL: A hospital. DEAN: Are you okay? CASTIEL: No. DEAN: You want to elaborate? CASTIEL: I just woke up here. The doctors were fairly surprised. They thought I was brain-dead. DEAN: S-so, a hospital? CASTIEL: Apparently, after Van Nuys, I suddenly appeared, bloody and unconscious, on a shrimping boat off Delacroix. I'm told it upset the sailors. DEAN: Uh, well, I got to tell you, man -- You're just in time. We figured out a way to pop Satan's box. CASTIEL: How? DEAN It's a long story, but, look --we're going after Pestilence now. So if you want to zap over here...

@lerry-hazel pointed out in a comment: "they cheerfully went with "I guess Cas is dead" instead of trying to figure out if he needs help - even though they had no reason to believe an angel can die from banishing sigil."

Yeah... If they all truly believed Cas was dead, it was pretty callous that they didn't express any sadness about his death in any way in 5x19 or 5x20 (funny though, how it would then parallel 15x19 and 15x20).

What's more, Dean banished Castiel in 5x18. If he believed angels could die from banishment, that means he meant to kill Cas just to get his way (or at least OK with the possibility).

However, and not because that would be OOC of him, I don't believe that Dean really thought Castiel was dead. It was a convenient lie the three humans told each other to justify not giving a damn about Castiel's life.

Then, when Castiel turned up alive, there was not a hint of relief, just hostility. "We all thought you were Dead. Where the hell are you, man?"

Wouldn't the normal (decent) reaction be, "We all thought you were Dead. Glad you are not, man."

No. Dean was angry that Castiel had the audacity to be alive yet not at his beck and call.

Then Castiel explained that he was basically "brain dead" since Van Nuys. Dean did not even say one word to acknowledge what Cas went through. Cas woke up "just in time" to be ordered around by Dean.

Castiel was gravely injured, comatose, powerless, stranded (from helping his friends); the sailors were upset, the doctors were surprised, but these "friends" had zero reaction to any of it.

They had less than zero reaction to it. They demanded that he immediately get out of his hospital bed and help them half way across the country. Once he did that, and saved their lives and their cause yet again, Bobby berated him for being sad over losing his powers. "Are you really going to bitch, to me? Quit pining for varsity years, load the damn truck".

We sometimes say the Winchesters used Castiel as a tool. But people show more concern and care even for their tools. Castiel didn't need to wait till season 11 for Ambriel to declare him as "expendable", or till season 15 for Belphegor to point out the same; if this scene isn't proof of that I don't know what is.

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

Bonus 100% unnecessary footnote: How long was Castiel comatose for (from end of 5x18 to here, beginning of 5x21)?

I estimated 1-3 weeks. Castiel had been unconscious for 1-3 weeks.

I mapped the locations of each episode between Van Nuys and this moment: southern CA; Munice Indiana; western Nevada; sioux falls Indiana. If they drove without stopping it would take 80 hours. Considering they would need to stop even assuming they took turns driving, and also had to do a lot of things in the plot like staying a night in a hotel with all the gods of other religions and killing some of them, I very conservatively doubled the time to 160 hours, about 1 week.

If we go with episode airing dates then it's been about 3 weeks.

[superconductivebean]

#978: hmmmm

I'm not usually the one to comment on drama. The reason isn't anger control or lettering creatively picked insults for literal ages, but the desire to be very, no, painstakingly meticulous about the case -- that always meets a force opposing it as greatly as it stirs up my mind. A force that tells me speaking publicly isn't worth its time; that force is rather wrong but is also very right, but no elaboration. For now.

Anyway. And sorry for the rant.

That particular kind of drama is very familiar to me and I hate to meet it again and again and again. It migrates from fandom to fandom, you can easily spot it outside internet and it always comes in either of its two equally irking forms.

You are either told to drop something because you are too old.

Or you are told to leave it for someone older, allegedly more capable and knowledgeable, wiser, than the silly little you.

Both I had seen, both I am very tired to hear for what feels like years.

Because it has been years. Decades. In three years I may call myself a fandom vintage because it would be a 20 years mark of me being to fandom, in a broad sense. I've seen it all. And I am appalled, a tad.

First, you are urged to leave, because you are too small. You get a little older and get shushed or lashed at again -- for being too young, still, and that your opinion isn't matter because of your age. Fast-forward would still yield you prejudice but there would be something more to it. Condescending. "You are so clever for your years!" Uh-huh.

Once your bio turns 18, people will suddenly start to look at you very differently.

Cringe you would post will be judged with lesser severity and your opinion will apparently matter to even the smallest degree now because you have come of age! Congratulations!

But. Once you've felt free from the other people's ostentatious desire to show off their utterly fallacious wisdom, -- as their main argument is their belief age matters much, -- it just starts to spin the other way.

People will either mock you, or try to drive you away, because now you're too old to be around. Too old to enjoy things. Ancient for this cosy spaces reserved for a forever-haunted youth. Decrepit and desolate, unfit for this endless, miraculous life stream -- that in the grim reality of things, seems to be off-limits for everyone.

Fascinating, isn't it.

Spitting on the youth and expect it not to ever try and beat anyone back with the same old argument of never being of the perfect bride age but for fandoms. Because humans are resentful creatures.

So,

don't mock fandom elderly,

don't mock fandom youth,

don't mock age; it matters not.

And, don't fall for the centuries old fallacy that inspires one to assume greater age equates to becoming only wiser. The implication of it should be apparent and well-known.

Important asterisk*: It isn't about parenting someone else's child. It is about respect. Understanding. Acceptance. Nice Things. You can't earn it by hitting someone's nose with a tip of your shoe. You earn it by communicating boundaries -- and while doing so, not leaving a landmine field. As much as people like to resent, they actually cherish kindness.

Another important asterisk*: Frustration is a very relatable emotion, yet. It shouldn't raincloud a whole group of people for the 'normal' of whom a tent has been put? Us-and-Thems may look appealing -- any simple thing does -- but when that becomes the case, you are well-past any resolving and facing something worse and of leviathanical proportions. That amount of prejudice and disrespect must be fought on levels far exceeding capabilities of just some fandom homies just wanting themselves a cosy retreat. Doesn't excuse said homies' resentment -- and hence, contribution to the persisting issue they'd rather not have. An ouroboros, if you will.