#i’ve been 3/4 out and about anting all the way for so long and part of me stays out of what feels like weird obligation to stick around to

[jolieblack]

Jolie’s thoughts on Silver Blaze (Sherlock & Co. podcast) Parts 1 & 2

… because I can already tell that this will get too long if I wait for parts 3 & 4 to drop…

I know Joel has said in several places that this case is his favourite ACD story, so expectations are high… and not being disappointed so far!

I already loved this one at 3 minutes in, with the opening montage of part 1 being totally over the top, mega blockbuster crime of the century style, and then the next thing we get is Sherlock practising the clippity-clop thing and looking for a new home for 327 ants.

Sherlock being a train geek (of course he is) and going on about the ghost trains just after John went on about the creepy Dartmoor legends got me, too. In my book, Silver Blaze has never had a gothic horror vibe to it, but it may well have now! Let’s see how that aspect will develop.

Other details I loved:

John‘s mum: "He‘s a very sensitive boy and you need to respect that." - "He’s not a boy, he’s a man… who plays with ants."

John and Mariana pushing Sherlock into the case by threatening him with a party, and John being a gleefully cackling little bugger about it when it works.

"Just trying to understand how your brain works." - "Yeah, you and me both, mate."

Sherlock giving us a whole paragraph straight out of ACD (the "plethora" bit) - I love how well it always works in contrast with how everyone else in this universe talks.

The dodgy SD card, which - I hereby predict - will turn out to be more than a comedy element as the case progresses.

Sherlock deducing the entry code for the cottage, we love to see that kind of stuff, don’t we.

"We’ve got a horse to find. Giddy up."- Love it when Sherlock speaks ordinary colloquial modern English like a foreign language.

"You are a child, a giant crime-solving child!" - Sherlock Holmes in a nutshell.

"I’ve done the washing up - he said, pausing for a thank you - " - "Thank you."

Oh and scrolling on our phone to the point of existential crisis till we pass out is so how we all fall asleep these days, isn’t it. Jonk Watson, the true Everyman for the 21st century.

And then we get feeeeels, too!

Starting with "Talk to me, John." - 🥹🥹🥹 The incredible intimacy of that little moment. Also, another 'John', seemingly out of nowhere - is this Sherlock being incredibly finely attuned to the moments where John's war trauma may re-emerge, such as in this scene where they’re viewing a very badly injured body, ready to step in with whatever emotional support may be needed? If so, our boy has come a long way already since the first sweet but clumsy "Would you like to hold hands and talk about your emotions?" when they were viewing the body in Thor Bridge and I’M HERE FOR IT.

And what was that shower scene??? Things getting very much *less weird* for Sherlock while he stares at his dear companion in the shower (who presumably doesn’t shower fully or even half dressed) and imagines what life would be without him? If this show was heading in an unequivocal Johnlock direction, I‘d say this was an awakening. As it is, I don’t believe for a second that Sherlock was high. He just wanted reassurance that John would stay in the picture forever, whatever exactly you like to imagine the picture to be. 😭

More lovely details:

"Cinderella will go to the ball" - "You stop being so bloody clever, and I will stop with the compliments." And literally two minutes later it’s "I'm not asking you to be comfortable, I’m asking you to help me solve the case!" and John being Sherlock’s literal beast of burden so Sherlock can look over a wall that even little John Watson climbs without any assistance only a minute later.

Sherlock Holmes telling John Watson to get on his knees as if this isn’t the moment the Sherlock Holmes fandom has been waiting for for over 140 years.

Sherlock being gentle and friendly with the horse!

And to wrap up, a few thoughts on the case aspect:

[Warning: Contains spoilers for the original ACD story and may therefore contain spoilers for this version, too!]

*

*

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*

*

The limping sheep in part 1 had me going 👀 already, and now the cataract knife has made its appearance, I really don’t expect a lot of surprises when we get to the denouement, and I'm assuming that the fact that there is an imprint of the letter S from the walking stick on the head of the murder victim just means that there was a violent confrontation quite some time before June actually died. Why else would Sherlock agree with Inspector Gregory that the imprint is there, but also with John that those extensive and massive injuries could not have been caused by a single blow with a stick? Nope, not sensing any dramatic plot twists compared to the original version this time. Let’s see if I was right!

[crowdvscritic]

round up // FEBRUARY + MARCH 23

February and March are strange months for a film enthusiast. One part of you is excited to start seeing new, star-studded studio movies on the big screen: 80 for Brady! Ant-Man and the Wasp! Cocaine Bear! Creed! But it’s also when the previous year’s films are wrapping their season with the final hurrah of a new, star-studded Oscars. In the case of Everything Everywhere All at Once, it means we spent a full year discussing and dissecting this year’s Best Picture winner! Much of this Round Up is dedicated to 2023 releases, though as always, you can find throwbacks to ‘30s, ’80s, and ‘00s flicks I missed till now, plus a few other media forms such as stage and page (as always, in a rough order of when I experienced them). But before we start building 2023’s Best Of lists, make sure you don’t miss these highlights from this year’s Oscars, which was a mostly refreshing return to (non-slappy) form: 

Hugh Grant on the Red Champagne Carpet - Sometimes people refuse to play the game, and the result is glorious (Kudos to Ashley Graham for keeping her composure!)

Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue - While he’s not afraid to take some shots, he actually seems to be rooting for the movies and the Oscars to succeed, which is not something I can say for the last year’s trio of hosts

Ke Huy Quan wins Best Supporting Actor - Perhaps the best speech of the night

Jamie Lee Curtis wins Best Supporting Actress - If not him, then it’s this one

Navalny wins Best Documentary - If you want to get political in your acceptance, please refer to this well-executed speech

Jenny the Donkey from The Banshees of Inisherin!

A performance of “Naatu Naatu” from RRR - If you want to perform at the Oscars, please refer to this well-executed one from the RRR crew

Lady Gaga performs “Hold My Hand” - The gal never misses in finding new ways to innovate on her performances

Michelle Yeoh wins for Best Actress - Best Actress and best-dressed of the night

Now on to the Best of 2023 so far!

February + March Crowd-Pleasers

1. Cookies: The New Classics by Jesse Szewczyk (2021)

A co-worker gifted me this for Christmas, and not one recipe has been a dud yet. The book categorizes 100 creative cookie and cookie-adjacent recipes into Boozy, Chocolatey, Fruity, Nutty, Savory, Smoky, Spiced, and Tart chapters so you can find just what you want for each season. Many of them are not-too-difficult, and the photography is both beautiful and actually similar to what comes out of my oven. My favorite recipes so far include Berry Blast Marbled Sugar Cookies, Chewy Triple-Spiced Sugar Cookies, Chipotle Fudge Squares with Crunchy Raw Sugar, Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Bars, Lavender Chocolate Chunk Cookies, and Salt-and-Vinegar Potato Chip Cookies. 

2. 80 for Brady (2023)

Together the 5 leads have won 5 Oscars, 12 Emmys, 2 Grammys, 3 Tonys, and 7 Super Bowl rings, so even though the script is a corny underdog story about people who have not been underdogs in ages, 80 for Brady a feel-good winner. Read my full review for ZekeFilm. 

3. Double Feature - ‘80s Comedies: Fletch (1985) + Troop Beverly Hills (1989)

In Fletch (Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8/10), Chevy Chase works as an undercover reporter who gets caught up in a conspiracy so complex and silly I couldn’t do it justice here. In Troop Beverly Hills (8.5/10 // 7/10), Shelley Long works as a troop leader for a knockoff Girl Scout Troop who gets up in cookie selling schemes so creative and silly I couldn’t do it justice here either. More fun from the best decade for Hollywood comedies!

4. Enough (2002)

A subgenre I’ve yet to tire of: thrillers about abused women getting the last word. (See also: Double Jeopardy with Ashley Judd and Sleeping With the Enemy with Julia Roberts.) Perhaps it was because my entire thought process in watching this was, “It’s on Netflix, why not?” but J. Lo’s take on the subgenre brought enough clever twists and empowering moments to become a surprising success. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 7/10

5. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

The third Ant-Man reminds us Paul Rudd is one of the funniest actors alive and it’s kicking off Phase 5 of the MCU with the momentum missing from Phase 4. Read the triple-shot review I wrote with two other critics at ZekeFilm. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 7/10

6. Cocaine Bear (2023)

Cocaine Bear lives up to what you’d expect from its title, and like some of the most fun hits of the ‘80s and ‘90s, it’s all-in on the silly, one-note premise with no desire for sequels, spin-offs, or universes. Read my full review for ZekeFilm.  Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10

7. M3GAN (2023)

I consider horror about creepy dolls off-limits, but M3GAN is hardly horror, and its doll is so over-the-top she’s hilarious. There’s a little bit of thoughtful commentary about our dependence on technology, but mostly it’s an excuse for pure entertainment. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10

8. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

I’ve always been cool on John Wick. In fact, I turned off the first one in the middle when I first tried it almost a decade ago because its violence felt gratuitous. But fourth time’s a charm? Maybe it’s because of its visual flair or perhaps it’s because it feels like director Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves were going for broke, but this nearly-three hour epic won me over. The movie it most reminded me of? Singin’ in the Rain of all things. The fight choreography is as inventive and athletic as “Moses Supposes,” turning the action thriller into an art form. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7.5/10

9. Your Place or Mine (2023)

Corny? Formulaic? Yes and yes. But Aline Brosh McKenna’s directorial debut delivers charm in spades, meaning it more than exceeds the Netflix rom-com average threshold (a low bar to be sure). Contrary to the buzz, Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon make believable BFFs and a couple to root for. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10

10. The Golden Girls (1985-92)

Every day I get closer to my true, spiritual age of 83, and after the silliness of 80 for Brady, I decided it was time to binge the silly-but-slightly-more-caustic The Golden Girls. Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, and Sophia’s jokes and adventures in their Miami bungalow remind me of my days rooming with my college besties, and it gives me hope that one day I’ll get to experience something as joyful, messy, intimate, and, yes, silly as their friendship all over again.

February + March Critic Picks

1. HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style by Elizabeth Holmes (2020)

In September, I shared my appreciation for Elizabeth Holmes’s fashion and culture commentary in the wake of another Elizabeth’s passing. I received her coffee table-worthy book for Christmas, and her insight into how the Queen, Princess Diana, and at-time-of-publication Duchesses Kate and Meghan use their wardrobes to speak for causes and for themselves doesn’t disappoint. They have all become style icons not just because of their titles but because of their sartorial choices, and Holmes helps pinpoint why and how alongside a robust and beautiful collection of photography.

2. Triple Feature - Classic Screwball Rom-Coms: Libeled Lady (1936) + The Mad Miss Manton (1938) + The Palm Beach Story (1942)

In Libeled Lady (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10), Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Spencer Tracy get mixed up in a love quadrangle when a socialite threatens to sue the paper for libel. In The Mad Miss Manton (8/10 // 8.5/10), Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda team up (against their wills) in proto-Legally Blonde style to solve a murder. And in The Palm Beach Story (8/10 // 8.5/10), Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea plan to divorce so they can marry wealthier people. Don’t worry—in spite of all the mixups and shenanigans, everybody ends up with just the right person in all three of these comedies.

3. Creed III (2023)

In the middle, I found myself thinking, “This is what Hollywood entertainment for adults should be!” Yes, there’s a place for 80 for Brady, Ant-Man, and Cocaine Bear, but Creed builds its stakes on character instead of gimmicks or elevator pitches. Read the full review I tag teamed with fellow ZekeFilm writer Erik Yates.  Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 9/10

4. To Kill a Mockingbird National Tour

Perhaps the highest praise possible for this show came from my TKAM-devotee mother: She has some nitpicks about the changes Aaron Sorkin made on Harper Lee’s novel, but she liked this better than her Broadway viewing. Since I am closer to a devotee of Sorkin than Lee, I found most of the updates thoughtful and fresh for a text that saturates our culture.

5. The Parallax View (1974)

A political thriller in the frame of a journalist uncovering a conspiracy? Hmm…Alan J. Pakula really has my number. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10

6. Boston Strangler (2023)

Speaking of journalism thrillers, I’m not into true crime, but Queen Keira makes me to step outside my comfort zone. In her most exciting part in years, Knightley plays a reporter investigating a series of homicides at a third-rate Boston newspaper. She and Carrie Coon team up against workplace sexism and the strangler himself to get the truth out. It’s a real homage to Zodiac, but a solid one at that. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8/10

7. A Good Person (2023) 

If Garden State was Gen X coping with the reality that the American Dream couldn’t protect them from the pain their parents avoided in a pre-9/11 world, A Good Person is Millennials and Gen Z realizing the American Dream has betrayed them. Read my full review for ZekeFilm. Crowd: 7.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

8. Captain Blood (1935)

I had no idea when I fired up this Errol Flynn/Olivia de Havilland adventure it’s basically a prototype for Pirates of the Caribbean—what a treat! How do the action, sets, and special effects look better than most adventure films today? Crowd: 7.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

9. Australia (2008)

And now I have watched all of Baz Luhrmann’s lush, extravagant, colorful canon. In prep for the Faraway Downs miniseries he is making with never-before-seen footage from this shoot, I finally checked out the Hugh Jackman/Nicole Kidman World War II epic. As usual for Baz, it’s a little shaggy, but it’s also part of what I love about him. Every movie feels like a realized vision of texture and emotion, and Australia is no exception. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

10. John Mayer Solo

Come for the heartbreaking tunes and stay for Mayer’s delightfully awkward banter between songs. At our show he performed a retrospective of his career on guitar on piano and debuted a new song. While I enjoy a razzle-dazzle show, he’s proof you don’t need to rely on gimmicks in an arena.

Also in February + March…

In preparation for the Oscars, I reviewed Best Picture nominee Triangle of Sadness (which I had previously recommended in my last Round Up, which is why it’s not listed above). Like Best Picture winner Parasite, part of the fun of Triangle of Sadness is its surprises, but if you want to get a preview, you can read my review for ZekeFilm. 

Kyla and I also checked out the 1977 Best Picture nom The Turning Point, a ballet melodrama starring Anne Bancroft, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Shirley MacLaine in ep. 136. And in ep. 135, we watched classic TV medical shows Marcus Welby, M.D. and ER.  

Photo credits: Cookies, HRH, To Kill a Mockingbird. John Mayer my own. All others IMDb.com.

[louislyrics]

what happened now? 😔

just louis holding the door open for me to leave 😔

[primofate]

Smile for Me (Part 1) Zhongli x fem!reader

Summary: Zhongli never smiled at you the way that he smiled at his memories of Guizhong. Thinking that the only way Zhongli would ever be happy is for Guizhong to come back again, you secretly set off on a journey to bring her back to life. But it comes with a price: Your life.

Warnings: pining, angst, one-sided (at first), hurt, angst again, drama, some Guizhong x Zhongli, hints of Xiao x reader, MAY NOT FOLLOW THE ACTUAL LORE.

Read: (Part 2)  (Part 3)  (Part 4)  (Part 5)  (Part 6)

“Xiao, I’ve been serving Rex Lapis for a little less than you have...” You stand at the rooftop with your companion, the both of you watching as the people below, looking like ants, flit in and out of Wangshu Inn. “...and I know that he misses her. Every day,” 

There’s a silence between the two of you. The only sounds for a moment are the hustle and bustle of people, the distant shouts of kids playing tag. “...It does not change the fact that Guizhong is gone. What do you wish to accomplish?” Xiao asks, eyes piercing you in a rather accusatory way. 

You shift under his gaze, eyes travelling up to look at the horizon: mountains towering over the skies. “...There’s a legend about Wuwang Hill--” Xiao cuts you off before you can finish, “Wuwang Hill is a place of lost souls, Y/N, you cannot trust what you hear about it,” 

And just like that, you shut your mouth. You love Rex Lapis, and it was not the kind of love that the people of Liyue had for him. It was the kind of love that had your thoughts spinning out of control, your mind paralyzed with the image of him and your heart accelerating at the sight of his smile. 

At this point it must have been an open secret. Xiao knew. Verr Goldet knew. Hu Tao knew. Perhaps even Ningguang knew. It seemed that everyone knew. Except Zhongli himself. Or perhaps he did know. Sometimes you did get the sense that Zhongli knew but he... he must have been in love with her still. Her. Guizhong. 

“...Do not attempt anything reckless, Y/N,” Xiao warns, crossing his arms.

You smile a little at his concealed worry. “No promises,” you merely chuckle to which he just sighed to. 

“Y/N,” You hear Zhongli call out for you, just as Xiao drops to one knee to acknowledge the presence of Rex Lapis. “There’s no need for that, Xiao,” Zhongli says, but Xiao doesn’t listen and keeps on his knee. Zhongli knows it’s useless to try and coax Xiao out of the habit when you yourself still called him-- “Master Zhongli,” you bow a little and approach his side. 

Of the 1,500 years that you spent serving Zhongli, the last 500 had been spent as his so-called personal assistant. Running errands for him, keeping Liyue safe and communicating with the people of Liyue to see if there was anything amiss. 

“Just Zhongli, Y/N,” Really, he thought. He reminded you nearly every day about that and you still couldn’t get out of the habit. He didn’t think the ‘master’ title was necessary, seeing as he really wasn’t the Archon that he was before. “Let’s head back,” Zhonglis says, and turns around to start walking. You wave your hand briefly towards Xiao and follow behind him. 

“Zhongli, I’m afraid I have some errands to run later today. Sir Baizhu has requested my assistance to gather some herbs,” Zhongli turns his head towards you, face rather stoic. But you’ve been with him long enough to know that the look he’s giving you is one of curiosity. “Baizhu? From Bubu Pharmacy?” Zhongli asks.

“Yes, it would seem he’s having trouble collecting some herbs.” Zhongli goes back to walking in silence. He found it a little odd, how Baizhu would ask you for help instead of the Adventurer’s Guild. “Not to worry, I’ll accompany you back to Liyue before I head out again. Wouldn’t want you to be lonely on the way back,” You joke. Your hands meeting behind your back as you stretch your neck forward to catch the expression on Zhongli’s face. He chuckles a little at your statement. “Yes, that would be nice,” and you only smile wider as the two of you walk in comfortable silence. 

There was no request from Baizhu. You had lied through your teeth, and you had a feeling that Zhongli knew. There was no getting around that guy. He who had lived for 6000 years had all the experience about deceit and deception. 

That night. You went to Wuwang Hill. You presented yourself to a particular tree. Legend has it that the tree had the power to raise the dead...but one would have to actively seek the tree out and the price to pay was... “Your body, your soul and your existence,” You stood in front of the glowing tree, shrouded in a blue light. 

“My...existence?” 

“Everyone will forget about you,”

“Everyone?”

“Everyone.”

“Guizhong...” It was a particular night that you woke up, and as you were making your way to the pantry to get some water, you had heard him talking to himself. “It’s been some millennia since I last saw you, and yet...” he pauses here for a breath. “And yet I remember everything as if it was yesterday,”

“...Alright, I’ll do it, what do you need?” “Any object that once belonged to the person you wish to raise from the dead,”

“Do you like it?” Your head snaps around. Zhongli was standing at the entrance of the abode. You were sifting through documents in the living room, and had somehow stumbled upon a fa-zan hairpin. It was an elaborate hairpin. Intricate and elegant, with a purple lotus flower as its main design. You picked it up gently. What was something like this doing in a man’s house, you wonder. “It belonged to an old friend,” Something about the way he says ‘old friend’ makes you think that she was something more. “...I’m sure she wouldn’t mind, if I gift it to you,” You stare at it for a moment longer, and put it back into the beautiful box it was in. “...I couldn’t possibly take something so beautiful,” and had never touched it since then. 

“Well, young one? Will you accept the terms?”

“...Yes, I’ll be back with it tomorrow,”

In the dead of night as you travel back to Liyue, memories of the past 1,500 years flitting around in your mind...You can already feel that being forgotten was worse than death. 

Watchu think guys? Feeling in such an angsty mood these days. 

Taglist:  @larkspyrr @rim0na @sweeti-pie @l3mon-mxshroom @hai-q-haikyuu @tkshoki @kyquu @kimbapsana @leefletter @hentaje @tempehlust @rinnesy @hallohun @softlybeloved @volleybloop

If I didn’t tag you, it’s because it didn’t let me :(

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[rachelbethhines]

Archie Sonic Chronological Read Through Recap - 1st Era

I’ve been re-reading old Archie Sonic Comics lately, and doing so in the recommend chronological order of events, except for flashbacks which are placed within their reveal.

For the first era, this includes

Sonic Miniseries: 0-3

Sonic the Hedgehog: 1-14 

Sonic Super Special 8: “Ghost-Busted" 

Sonic the Hedgehog: 15-18

Sonic the Hedgehog: In your Face 

Sonic the Hedgehog Archives 5: “Everything Old is Newt Again” 

Sonic the Hedgehog: 19 -23

Sally Miniseries: 1-3 

Sonic the Hedgehog: 24-25

Archie Sonic Story Ranking

(Stories with the same ranking are listed in reading order)

Twan With the Wind - 8/10

The Vol-Ant-Teer! - 8/10

Bot’s All Folks - 7.5/10

The 3 Phases of E.V.E. - 7/10

Deadliest of the Species - 7/10

A Crowning Achievement - 6.5/10

The Lizard of Odd! - 6.5/10

Here Comes the Bribe! - 6.5/10

Princess Cruises - 6.5/10

The Good, the Bad, and the Hedgehog! - 6.5/10

That's the Spirit - 6.5/10

When Hedgehogs Collide - 6.5/10

Run, Sally, Run!- 6/10

You Bet My Life! - 6/10 

Rabbot Deployment! - 6/10

Antoine’s Vain Refrain! - 6/10

A Little Sonic Goes a Long Way - 6/10

This Island Hedgehog - 6/10

Space in Yo’ Face - 6/10

Princes Sally’s Crusade - 6/10

Everything Old is Newt Again - 6/10

Go Ahead… Mecha My Day! - 6/10

Why Ask Spy? - 5.5/10

Hare Styling - 5.5/10

Uncle Chuck’s Treasure! - 5.5/10

The Lynx is a Jinx - 5.5/10

Animal Magnetism - 5.5/10

Wedding Bell Blues - 5.5/10

Don’t Cry for Me Mobius! - 5/10 

Triple Trouble - 5/10

Paper Trail! - 5/10

Pseudo-Sonic - 5/10

A Timely Arrival - 5/10

The Bold-Headed Eagle - 5/10

Gorilla Warfare/The Apes of Wrath - 5/10

Tails’ Tallest Tale - 5/10

Night of a 1000 Sonics - 5/10

Meet Me at the Corner of Hedgehog & Vine! - 4.5/10

Sorceress in Distress - 4.5/10

Tails’ Taste of Power - 4.5/10

Rockin’ the Bot - 4.5/10

Ivo Robotnik, Freedom Fighter - 4.5/10

Robotnik’s Badniks! - 4/10 

Photo Finish - 4/10

I’d Like to Thank… - 4/10

Foiled Again! - 4/10

Vertigo A´ Go-Go! - 4/10

Super Sonic Pinup - 4/10

Tails’ Little Tale - 4/10

Chomp on This, Chump! - 4/10

Revenge of the Nerbs - 4/10

Ghost Busted - 4/10

What’s the Big Idea? - 4/10

The Return - 4/10

Equal Time! - 3.5/10

Sonic Bumper Stickers - 3.5/10

Two-Timer! - 3.5/10

The Bomb Bugs Me - 3.5/10

Robotnik’s Rules! - 3.5/10

Olympic Trials and Errors - 3.5/10

Fast Food! - 3.5/10

Details are Sketchy! - 3.5/10

What’s the Point? - 3.5/10

Beat the Clock - 3.5/10

The Man from H.E.D.G.E.H.O.G. - 3.5/10

Tails’ Knight Time Story - 3.5/10

Oh No–Robo! No-Mo’ Mobo! - 3/10

The Royal Family Tree of Mobius - 3/10 

Sonic’s Six* Speed Settings - 3/10

Sneaker Peek! - 3/10

Silent Running - 3/10

Ground Rule Double - 3/10

Sonic’s Photo Album - 3/10

Fin Fans - 3/10

Keep Looking Up! - 3/10

Pinup - 3/10

Tails’ Fairy Tales! - 3/10

Double Speak! - 3/10

HorizontAL & VertiCAL - 3/10

Bad-niks Bazzar - 3/10

Sonic’s Ten Second Workout - 3/10

The Spin Doctor! - 3/10

Sonic’s Christmas Carol! - 3/10

The Shadow Nose! - 3/10

Tooth or Consequences! - 3/10

Do-it-Yourself Sonic - 3/10

The Good, The Bad, …and the Muttski!! - 2.5/10

The Top 10 Reasons Why Sonic the Hedgehog is the Coolest Book Around - 2.5/10

Sonic Flashback! - 2.5/10

Fast Food!/Chili Dog Recipe - 2.5/10

All the Mail’s about Tails! - 2.5/10

In the Beginning! - 2.5/10

“Free!* Robotnik Birthday Card!” - 2.5/10

Bowling Pin-Up - 2.5/10

The All New, Pumped-Up, Sonic the Hedgehog Pin-Up! (Sold Out!) - 2.5/10

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - 2.5/10

The Mirror Zone - 2.5/10

Something Fishy - 2/10

Food for Thought or You Are What You Eat - 2/10

When rounded up to the last decimal the Average for the era is 4.3.

This is in large part due to the over abundance of one page gag stories in the earliest episodes. So much so, that I debated about adding them to the ranking, but I felt it would be dishonest to leave them off. Altogether, with them included, this makes the 3/10 ranking the most used ranking.

Top Five Individual Stories 

The Vol-Ant-Teer!  (Bunnie and Antoine’s first kiss!)

Twan With the Wind (Antoine’s best story this era)

Bot’s All Folks (Funniest story this era) 

The 3 Phases of E.V.E. (Most exciting story this era)

A Crowning Achievement (An early gem from the miniseries that combines both humor and action) 

Worst Five Individual Stories

Something Fishy (I hate the scene of Sonic talking underwater! And no, you can’t skip over the story because it introduces too many plot points for later)

Food for Thought or You Are What You Eat (Creepy, weird, and ultimately pointless save for the fact that it takes place on Sonic’s Birthday, making it important for the timeline)

Sonic Flashback! (Another cringe what-if dream sequence but has zero impact on the wider story)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (An insulting, shallow, hamfisted ‘girl-power’ story that only manages to piss off this girl reading it)

The Mirror Zone (Practically unreadable due it’s gimmick. Everything is written backwards with the intention of having you read it in front of a mirror, which does you no good when you instead read it in a digital format)

Best Story Arc

Deadliest of the Species 

There’s only two story arcs in entire first era. Of the two I like this one a little better. It got good pacing, action, and I actual like the plot twist. I also don’t have the same raging hate boner for Geoffrey St. John that the majority of the fandom seems to have.

Worst Story Arc

Princes Sally’s Crusade

This isn’t a bad story at all. In fact it’s quite good. But it lands in this spot by sheer virtue of there being nothing else, and I just personally feel it has a slightly weaker ending then the other arc.

Best Artist

Art Mawhinney

I like most of the artists featured during the first era, but Mawhinney’s pencils are easily the best. Having worked previously as a story boarder for SatAM his art looks like it came right out of the tv show.

[oreoambitions]

Parts 1-3 // Part 4 // Part 5 // Part 5.5 // Ao3

Part 6 of 9

Kara perches on the edge of dawn, listening. On Krpyton she would be out here seven days and seven nights, silent but for prayer, alone but for Rao whose guidance she would await with patience and an open heart. On Earth, things are neither so poetic nor so simple. She doesn't have seven days and seven nights; she has one long night and perhaps a few hours of morning before Alex and Nia will be arriving to witness the ceremony. And isolation? What is isolation when you can traverse the globe in a handful of minutes? What is the meaning of the word when you can hear every whisper from here to the horizon?

And prayer. What is prayer when your god is halfway across the known universe? Kara fidgets in the darkness. This is supposed to be a time for Rao to weigh in on the engagement. A time for Kara to ask questions like, is this marriage the right choice? Is it done for the right reasons? Only Kara doesn't know whether the light of Rao has ever traveled so far as to touch this place, whether anyone is really listening, whether any of this means a damn thing, whether she's foolish for wanting so badly to believe that it does.

"C'mon," she whispers. "Give me a sign."

There is a certain irony to all this. Kal is right: with the birthing matrix destroyed and only a handful of nobility surviving, the continuation of the line matters now more than it ever did. But the same series of events which has elevated the duty of marriage to such importance has taken Kara away from her people for so much of her life that she's long since shrugged off any lingering sense of the obligations placed on her by her blood.

Hasn't she? And yet the creeping weight of responsibility seems to claw at her in the quiet. Go home to Argo, bear the house of Ar an heir, take her rightful place in the Science Guild after all these years. But Ren-Ar was an infant when she saw him last, and Argo is hardly a home to her these days -- that much has been clear for some time. And what about her obligation to Earth? As a protector, yes, but it’s more than that. Alex is here. Nia and Brainy, James and Kelly, J'onn and Eliza. What about her duty to that family?

And to Lena.

She takes a deep breath, shivering though she doesn't feel the cold, wishing she could taste the bite of the early morning chill in her lungs, and she listens. Here are the footfalls of the ants, there the constant whisper and crackle of decay, here the hum and scrape of new life unfurling in the branches above, there an owl cutting across the sky on near silent wings. From Rao, there is only silence.

"Could really use some guidance," Kara whispers. If Rao is too far to hear her prayer, perhaps it will help to speak the words out loud. Perhaps Earth's yellow sun will hear her if Rao cannot. "Earth is my home now," she says. "These people are my family now. And Lena is..."

My best friend feels inadequate and hollow and dishonest when addressing a god, so Kara swallows those words. "I love her, so. I know it's not like that for her; I'm not asking if this is going to be a happy marriage. I mean she has Sam, and I'm- I don't think she's ever looked at me that way, is what I'm saying. So the marriage, it's a practical thing, you understand. As practical as marrying Ren-Ar. Only... Only it matters to me that I love her, and it matters to me that I can protect her. I get to be the one to- I said I would always protect her, and I can't do that if I go and marry someone else, and I swore I was going to marry for love, and that's what this is and-"

Kara swallows her rambling. Even a god needs a moment to get a word in edgewise, right? "It matters to me that I do this," she says at last. "And it matters to me that I do it right. But just because it matters to me doesn't mean that it... matters. So I'm just hoping you're going to point me in the right direction here. And I guess I'll just... I'm just going to be here listening for a while, okay? So if you'd like to come and talk to me, come and talk. But don't take too long, because I've only got a couple of hours to make the biggest decision of my life. No pressure or anything.”

She waits. She waits, and she prays, and she listens for Rao's answer as the yellow light of Earth's sun trickles over the horizon. The birds begin to waken above just as all around her life is stirring on the forest floor. She listens and she watches as the sky turns purple and orange and pink and, finally, that piercing endless blue she's learned to love so dearly over the years. She listens until all she can hear is the crunch of tires over gravel, WALK THE MOON with the bass turned down too low, Alex and Nia double checking the address, Sam telling Lena to hold still for heaven's sake, Clark pacing back and forth on the back porch murmuring ceremonial words to himself over and over. Kara's time is almost up.

"Speak now or forever hold your peace," she mutters.

Both Rao and Earth's yellow sun remain silent as ever.

[iamnmbr3]

TMA Rec List 9

you're only as sick as your secrets by paperdream (words: 9,063 | rating: T | Gen)

In which Daisy time travels back from the apocalypse, saves Jon from herself, and just kinda forgets he has no idea what's going on.

Facing the Future by CirrusGrey (words: 2,060 | rating: G | Jonmartin, WTGFS)

SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 189!!!

A conversation is had, and a conversation is avoided.

and when the sun comes up, you'll find a brand new god by graveExcitement (words: 2,009 | rating: G | Gen)

Elias' new Archivist passed out upon finishing his very first statement.

i wanna find a home (i wanna share it with you) by cryptidkidprem (words: 10,188 | rating: G | Jonmartin | WIP)

“Have you got anywhere to stay?” Jon asks him, briskly. “Friends, acquaintances, maybe, who you could stay with…?”

Martin flushes, deeply. “I, I mean— n-no, not really,” he stammers, and then goes even redder. “Or, just, y’know not that I’d want to, to. Put in the middle of this. Put in danger of, of worms.”

“Ah,” Jon says, “No, of course, that makes sense.” Why drag anyone else into this mess? Seven people died during Prentiss’s initial hospitalization; the collateral damage of roping someone from outside the Institute into her orbit doesn’t bare thinking about. “In that case…” Jon feels like there’s some alternative solution, one he’s just not thinking of at the moment, but it evades him, and Martin needs somewhere safe to stay. “My couch is quite comfortable. You’re welcome to come and stay with me until you figure something else out.”

Martin is held hostage by Jane Prentiss for two weeks, and can't go back to his flat. Jon offers him a place to stay until Prentiss and her worms can be dealt with, and they can be sure he's safe.

Between Sharpened Teeth and a Sharper Smile by LotusFlair (words: 1,145 | rating: G | jonmartin)

Jon tells Martin about what happened between him and Helen. Reflecting on his own journey to becoming a monster, he sees the parallels between himself, Helen, and Daisy.

What does it mean to still be the last one standing?

Spoilers thru MAG 187 - Checking Out

Coffee with Air Quotes by morelikeassassin (words: 1,081 | rating: G | jonmartin)

Consider a dilemma: Is it more embarrassing to invite someone in for a "cup of coffee", only to discover that they didn't realize exactly what you were asking? Or to ask outright without any innuendo at all? Does it matter if the answer is the same either way?

in his image by evanescent_jasmine (words: 1,651 | rating: T | Gen)

Jordan Knows how many ants there are now.

checking out by kbaycolt (words: 2,078 | rating: T | jonmartin | canonical character death)

Jon moves his attention back to the lost woman, who rubs at her green eyes and begs them for directions, long blonde hair falling out of its hasty tie. There is no such thing as directions here. Martin would want to help her. Is it better to give her false hope, rather than stand back and allow her to go easily into Helen's maw? The end result is the same.

"I don't know how long I've been here," she weeps, hunched in on herself.

"I'm so sorry," Jon tries again. It is feeble, useless, but it would be so much worse if he simply watched, and did nothing, like E- like Jonah. "I—"

"You've got to help me," she cries, and then she is staggering towards him with hands outstretched, her bloody fingers making contact with his jacket collar and Jon—

Jon sees—

Ask And You Shall Receive by gunsforeyes (words: 1,140 | rating: T | Gen)

How are things going for Elias in this new nightmare world of his? Not great, it turns out. Rating for general Elias-related themes.

Apparel oft Proclaims the Man by AmunetMana (words: 1,407 | rating: G | Gen)

Jonah takes some time to settle into his new life.

Prisoners of Our Own Device by CirrusGrey (words: 1,069 | rating: T | jonmartin)

Martin does not know how to feel about Helen's death.

the eye closes by escherzo (words: 2,638 | rating: T | Jonmartin | Major Character Death)

Five ways the road might end (and one way it won't).

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 

[willsilvertongue]

show your process

To continue supporting content makers, this tag game is meant to show the entire process of making creative content: this can be for any creation.

RULES - When your work is tagged, show the process of its creation from planning to posting, then tag up to 5 people with a specific link to one of their creative works you'd like to see the process of. Use the tag #showyourprocess so we can find yours.

tagged by @malortsev a few days to talk about this gifset which is cool bc for once it’s an edit that i actually have a lot to say about other than my usual colouring complaints. this got long and i’m getting embarrassed thinking of anyone actually reading this the whole way through but here we go x

planning:

jesper’s recap of the crows’ failed mission was one of my favourite parts of the last s&b ep and i knew i wanted to gif it in a way that featured the scenes he was referring to mostly bc in my head i got the vibes of the luis recapping sequence in the ant man movies lmaoo. originally i was going to do a ten gif (540 x 350 px) set that you read from up to down but that seemed too boring and i wasn’t sure the quality would come out great with the dark scenes so i thought i should try out something more creative. and it seemed like the type of edit that needed to be just as fun as the quote anyway. i’ve been meaning to try out the multiple-different-sized-gifs-in-one-canvas layout that’s been trending so i settled on that but boyyy was that a process that involved a LOT of simple math which i am ridiculously poor at!!! but i looked at this post for reference and help

usually when i plan a set i write down a few lines of the idea/theme in my notes app and then match them with the corresponding scenes but this time i actually drew out the thing bc i had to see for myself which layout would look the best and i also wasn’t sure that i liked the dimensions in the example post (i ended up using this post as inspo for the first big gif). anyway here’s the terrible Art (i can’t believe this paper was still lying around):

giffing:

i’m not gonna go into detail about the actual gifmaking process bc it’s not very interesting - just the usual screencapping/colouring/saving steps. i will say tho that looking for the scenes took the longest bc i’m not familiar enough w the show to know where the ones i wanted were (only confident with ship scenes rip) and screencapping was the Actual Worst bc i had to use a new program that’s compatible with the version of the show i downloaded. and i’m still using this program which is why i’m even slower at getting stuff out if anyone was wondering :))

arranging:

so the steps for putting the gifs onto 1 canvas are to make sure they’re all the same number of frames, to convert them into smart objects that you can move onto the canvas (which should be in timeline mode), and of course to make sure the canvas is the right size to contain them all. you can divide up the canvas between any number of gifs as long as they total to the height and width (always 540 px) of the big gif, and account for the spaces in between each gif (which is 4 px). so if you want 3 gifs of different sizes next to each other, you need to make sure that their widths combined equal 540 minus 8 as there are two spaces between the three of them. my example for the row below is 130 + 272 + 130 = 532, and when accounting for/adding the 2 x 4 px spaces, the total amounts to 540. 

this was a lot of trial and error bc i’m bad at this kind of easy math and honestly just typing this up took me forever (but if anyone actually uses these instructions it might be worth it). so basically i calculated the sizes i wanted then created the gifs + arranged them accordingly and went back and forth in case i made mistakes. there *is* still one glaring mistake in the gifset which is that the small gifs in the above row don’t line up with the small gifs in the first big gif but i’m too lazy to resize and re-upload. do keep that in mind though bc it looks so much cleaner when done properly. otherwise i must say it was very pleasing to see them all come together

posting:

i posted this close to 5 pm which is surprising bc i usually post at 3 am but it just proves how delayed i was getting this out bc i’d meant to post the edit 3 days before then. so obviously i was fed up by the time i published it and i tried to act nonchalant about it in the tags bc it honestly looked incomplete to me and still does, and i know more effort goes into edits with this kind of layout but whatever! it got good reception and it really was a learning experience for me :-)

ANYWAY tysm for tagging me seed!!<3 i’ll tag:

@number5theboy for this edit / @rockyblue for this edit / @jimhcpper for this edit / @lordbelacqua​ for this edit / @swanthief for this edit and soo many other creators + creations that i admire but am too tired to tag

[gra-sonas]

For two seasons, The CW's Roswell, New Mexico followed the struggles and triumphs that came with Liz Ortecho returning to her hometown. Along with dealing with acts of racism within her community, Liz's life is further sent into chaos after discovering her childhood best friend and his family are actually aliens. As the series progresses, the brilliant scientist not only catches an alien serial killer, but she also helps her resurrected sister, Rosa (Amber Midthunder), adjust to the future and saves the city of Roswell from a bomb threat.

There is no stopping Liz, especially with Roswell, New Mexico Season 3 kicking off July 26. In anticipation of the show's newest season, Liz's actor Jeanine Mason sat with CBR to talk about what's in store this year for her character, including how the show tackles social issues, the importance of Liz's role as a scientist, and how Season 3 isn't afraid to go big or go home.

CBR: Since Season 1, Roswell has tackled a lot of real world social and political issues. For you, why do you think this show is able to address such important topics, alongside the more sci-fi oriented plot points?

Jeanine Mason: First of all, that is the history of sci-fi, and that is why we love sci-fi, to actually be living metaphors for cultural issues, and that was the thing that made me most excited about getting to work in sci-fi with this show. Particularly because it's a show led by a Latin woman, and in 2020, which is when Season 3 happens -- but even in 2018 when we started, the idea to exist as a Latina you can choose to not be political is a farce. Your existence is political. Our existence as women is political. I assume that you identify as a woman?

I do identify as a woman.

Jeanine Mason: So there you go. Our existence is political because our body is on the ballot. So by the nature of this show, being led by a Latin woman, it is a show that is always going to be centered on social issues. Every year, it's fun to see what our writers, what their hearts are yearning to discuss, and what messaging activists they're connected to or that I'm connected to are urging us to put at the forefront of our dialogue in the year. People can definitely expect more of that in Season 3, and even more in Season 4.

That's very exciting, and talking a little bit about Season 3 without getting into spoilers... Since this takes place in 2020 and in past seasons we've seen [Roswell] directly address the past presidency and stuff like that -- what social themes can we expect in Season 3?

Jeanine Mason: A big part of our show always is LGBTQ+ social issues, and we had trans woman in Season 2. Is that Season 2?

Yeah.

Jeanine Mason: What I love about our show is it's in everything. Sometimes it's something where someone's just existing. By nature of that not being the reality as often as it should be on television, it is a protest. And then sometimes we're more explicit, and we find other things to nail some messaging with, and then other things we present questions and present both sides. That's the best kind of TV. I think we do a great job of that, especially with our LGBTQ+ characters. I love Alex the most, so I was thrilled to see what Alex is navigating, particularly in his journey as a war veteran.

I think this year for Liz it relates to work, which I thought was super fun. She's working for a giant corporation, and she is brilliant, and her contributions to this corporation are significant. She is doing them on the promise that this corporation's morality lines up with her own, and that all of her contributions and brilliance will then be brought directly to her community and affect positive change in her community. Oftentimes, we are finding that people of color, marginalized people who're thriving at their jobs, in journalism, and in everything, that when they get to a point where they're like, I'm getting to actually speak with a real platform or develop a drug that is going to save lives, but I don't work for a company that cares to do that first, that cares to put what they report to be a priority actually as their number one priority.

It's devastating because then you get people having to make the decision and not have all the resources they could benefit from with these big corporations, and that's absolutely something that Liz is navigating off the top of the season for sure, and Genoryx does become a big presence in Season 3. I thought it was a brilliant way to, first of all, honor her Latina, but also honor that she's a scientist, and especially after a pandemic, where we got to honor that she's a scientist, and what's something that a Latina scientist actually faces in her workplace, and this is maybe not the first thing people would guess, but we found it's very pressing.

Speaking about Liz and her role as a Latina scientist, there was one line that really stood out to me in Season 2, which was, "This isn't what the world teaches girls like me to dream." I wanted to know, for you, what makes Liz such an important character, and what's it like playing such a badass protagonist?

Jeanine Mason: I love it! Thank you! I think, to be honest, the amazing thing about Liz is that this book series that this is all based on, Roswell High, her name is Liz Ortecho; she's Latina. Not long ago, the original [television] series aired, and the decision was made to make that character white, and listen, Shiri Appleby, I'm her biggest fan. It is not a reflection on the actors at all. It's just a reflection on what we prioritize in our culture as the things we were going to consume, and we can love that series, and we can acknowledge the brilliant work that so many people... like a cult following my god! Brilliant! But we could also go, "That wasn't that long ago." And now you're getting to do this show, and we're going to honor what was originally the intention with this character.

Sometimes I forget because we're all making such a conscious effort to talk about our representation and do better, but the problem with that is it becomes commonplace for some people, and then I have moments where I have to remember it's been such a short amount of time. I've been acting now for 10 years, as a professional, and when I think about what my pilot seasons looked like, those first five years, and the kind of roles I was going up for, I never, ever would have thought this job would be coming when it's coming. The jump was fast, but the awareness was fast.

But that doesn't mean that as much as we are trying to normalize it, absolutely stoked to celebrate it, because it's huge milestones. So I'm trying to really be bold in what I advocate for, being included in this woman's journey on this show, and being honored and respected and fully fleshed out. So the next time it happens, it's like, "Oh, right! We have heard Jeanine talk about how her room should be a reflection of a young, Mexican woman, so it's not weird that we're setting aside extra funds to get the real products from Cuba for this Cuban character to have in her room." Whatever it is, little things like that.

What are you most excited for audiences to see in Season 3?

Jeanine Mason: Oh, man! I think it's like a real dynamic season. I think the beauty of a Season 3 is you're getting to get away with murder because season threes don't get handed out all that often anymore. We really took it as an opportunity to totally escalate their growth. All of the characters. To go, "Okay, let's confront some stuff that's been holding us back, that they themselves have not even been aware of." So it's a real big metaphor for marrying themselves.

The Jones and Max (Nathan Parsons) of it all is an actual sci-fi literal metaphor that all of the characters are going through, of them shedding what they have not acknowledged that's not servicing them for a long time. The characters end in a very different place and in a place that allows them to expand into stuff for some characters like Kyle (Michael Trevino) for example is more playful and romantic by the end of the season, which I loved for him.

And the other thing is, partially as a result of the COVID protocol, we just went full out with the alien explosions and gags and tricks and effects and stunts. Our stunt team, god bless them, they were just on overtime. The last episode of the season's insane. I think a majority of the cast had body doubles there, and even with the most incredible, competent stunt doubles, I still manage every year for the finale to have my knees all cut up. I just can't help but be, "Let me do a couple of takes." And I am no hero. Leave it to the professionals. Let them do their thing. But we really upped the ante on all that stuff this year, so it's really dynamic. You're gonna love that.

[ga-yuu]

~Kurama~Main Story Chapter 9~

Chapter 8

*

*

*

------Part 1-----

Kurama: "-----Those eyes."

Yoshino: "hmm?"

The fingertips on my cheek, come up within a touching distance of my eyeballs.

I didn't have to raise my voice because----

The emotion in Kurama's eyes was neither anger nor contempt.

Kurama: "I don't like your eyes. I hate the way how it's shining so strangely in the dark night."

Yoshino(blushing): "Kura..ma..."

(Why are you looking like that?)

I exhale and search for the answer as quietly as possible.

Yoshino: ".....I think it's Kurama's eyes that are doing the talking."

Kurama: "I can't see my own eyeballs, and maybe I should take yours out, carry it around."

Yoshino: "Take my eyes out....!"

This time I backed away in a panic and Kurama snickered at me.

Kurama: "I was joking. I have no such vices."

(Thank god!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Don't joke...

2. Kurama's jokes are not good for me...(+4/+4)

3. Don't scare me...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yoshino: "Kurama's jokes are not good for my heart.....they're life threatening."

Kurama: "You already have a short life span...how can shorten it even more?"

Kurama is still keeps looking into my eyes even after he let goes of his fingertips.

Kurama: "I don't mind having shiny things at hand, but if you hollowed them out they wouldn't shine as brightly as they do now. It makes me angry for no reason."

Yoshino: "What do you mean?"

Kurama: "Don't ask me, I don't like this kind of idle sentiment."

(Even Kurama himself doesn't know what's inside Kurama, despite the fact that he attracts so much human awe and admiration.)

(.....He’s distorted.)

No more questions were answered by Kurama as he tipped back his cup.

..........

A few days later -----

Morinaga and Shigehira hurried back to Kamakura to report before Yoritomo.

Morinaga: "I apologize, Yoritomo-sama."

Shigehira: "With the rebels in retreat, I was caught off guard that Yoshino-san would be taken. Once we got the information we went after the rebels to get it back..."

Yoritomo: "But they were out of reach. Well, that's understandable. Morinaga and you were both busy cleaning up after the battle, right?"

------Part 2------

Yoritomo: "But they were out of reach. Well, that's understandable. Morinaga and you were both busy cleaning up after the battle, right?"

The clenched fists of the two men convey their frustration.

Yoritomo: "I was on the lookout for suspicious activity at court, but I didn't realize until it was too late. The court must have been involved in Yoshino's abduction in some way. Yasuchika's people are lazily dodging us because they have no proof."

Shigehira: "Crap..."

Morinaga: ".....Is Yoshino safe with the rebels?"

Yoritomo: "That’s upto Yoshitsune. But at least he won't take her life right away."

Morinaga: '...In the last war the rebels lacked more strength than the Shogunate. That's why Yoshino is likely to be kept around as a bargaining chip. .....At least that’s what I think.”

Yoritomo: "That's right. Also given, Yoshitsune's personality, he would never kill a woman without a good reason."

After Yoritomo's quiet announcement, a short heavy silence fell over the three of them.

Shigehira: "......We have to do something to get her back."

Morinaga: "Yeah, she's one of us."

Yoritomo: "Will have to keep an eye on the rebels and wait for the right moment. It will take some time, but we've Kagetoki already working on it."

Shigehira and Morinaga: "Yes."

.................

Same time, at the Rebel House----

Yoshitsune: "I can't say...I'm happy to welcome you. I've already informed them that you're here, fox princess."

Yoshino: "Minamoto no Yoshitsune.......sama."

(We've come this far at last.)

One word from this person or even a slight lift of the eyelashes can change the atmosphere.

(....My body feels heavy. What is this intimidating feeling.)

Yoshitsune: "Kurama and Benkei must have had a hard time."

Benkei: "No, it was my fault that the damage was greater. I'll accept any punishment you give me."

Benkei with his broken knees bowed his head deeply.

Yoshitsune: "It's not your fault. Benkei and Kurama both broke their bones to rescue those below them."

Kurama: "..............."

Yoshitsune: "The turmoil of the war was unpredictable. Isn't that right? Yoichi."

-------Part 3------

Yoshitsune: "The turmoil of the war was unpredictable. Isn't that right? Yoichi."

Yoichi-san, who had been standing in the corner looking a bit sluggish, shrugged.

Yoichi: "We did manage to find out that part of the Court was involved, though. The unity of the noble families who seem to be involved is strangely strong. The reason why no information was leaked to the Shogunate or to us until the war began is that there is a considerable mastermind on the other side."

Kurama: "Is that man and Ibuki related?"

(Ah......)

Yoshitsune: "The demon mentioned in your letter."

Yoichi: "It’s still under investigation. We don't know for sure but at least Yasuchika-dono is probably related to Ibuki."

(Eh?)

Kurama: "-------That fool."

(He's a Onmyoji and also involved with demons? What's going on inside the court?)

Yoshitsune: "Continue to investigate, Yoichi."

Yoichi: "I will."

Benkei: "What about Yoshino?"

(.......!)

Without blinking, his amethyst eyes turn to me and I feel nervous.

Yoshitsune: "----Yoshino."

Yoshino: "Yes."

Yoshitsune: "You will be held in this house until the war with the Shogunate is over. If you don't resist, we will guarantee your life for the time being. I'll give you a room. If you are bored, you can take a walk in the garden."

Yoshino: ".....I understand."

(I'm glad.....for a change that they didn't kill me...)

(If I try to escape, I won't be forgiven....)

(And I also promised that I would return to everyone in the Shogunate.)

My heart ached for my friends.

Kurama: "So you've just arrived here and now you’re already in tears? You miserable little puss."

I was a bit annoyed when I heard the unkind voice and I replied back.

Yoshino: "I'm not here on a picnic, and I think it's normal to be nervous."

Yoshitsune and Yoichi: “....!”

Yoshitsune: "By the way, was it Kurama who brought Yoshino to the camp?"

Yoichi: "Yeahhh....Also she understood our ‘Kurama’ quite well? Our ‘Kurama”

Kurama: "Why are you saying that twice?"

Yoichi: *whistling~*

Yoichi-san whistled deliberately to disguise the fact.

Yoshitsune: "Just as well. Kurama, Yoshino is in your care."

------Part 4------

Yoshitsune: "Just as well. Kurama, Yoshino is in your care."

(Eh!?)

Yoichi and Benkei: "............!!!"

Benkei: "....Are you sure Yoshitsune-sama?"

Yoshitsune: "We don't want anything to happen to the prisoners in our care. Whatever her everyday needs are, we must make sure that she gets everything, except for freedom."

Kurama: "I refuse. She might be the prisoner, but I'm not going to babysit her."

Even when Kurama glared at him coldly, Yoshitsune-sama shakes his head nonchalantly.

Yoshitsune: "It's rare to see Kurama talk to anyone else other than us. Don’t you think Yoshino would be better off in the enemy territory with someone she knows a little better?”

(Apparently, he is speaking as if he has good faith.)

Yoichi: "Heh......Hahaha..."

Yoichi-san laughed, shaking his shoulders as if he couldn't bear it.

Yoichi: "Haha....it's okay Kurama.....there is a first time for everything... I'll support you for sure."

Kurama(glares): "Don't pat on my back. I don't want your support."

Kurama raises his eyebrows as Yoichi-san laughs and pats on his back.

Benkei: "Being taken cared by Kurama....... I'm a bit worried about it."

(Then what about me, buddy? I'm the most anxious one here...)

Kurama: "If so, Then Benkei, you do it."

Benkei: "No, Yoshitsune-sama's orders are absolute. Kurama, I'll add some extra snacks for you tonight. Promise."

Benkei patted him on the shoulder, and Kurama looked down at me with an annoyed expression.

..........

For some reason, Kurama agreed to show me to my room....

Kurama: "....................."

Maid: "Ku-Kurama-sama."

Kurama: "What?"

When the maids saw Kurama and me walking down the corridor, they came up to us as if in a panic.

Maid 1: "I have already prepared the room. I'll be back later to burn incense, so I'd like to ask Yoshino-sama what she likes...."

Yoshino: "Ehhh...umm.."

Kurama: "Not necessary. Back off."

------Part 5------

Kurama: "Not necessary. Back off."

Maid 2: "So, what time would you like to eat?"

Kurama: "Same time as everyone else."

Kurama shows no interest in the maids, who asked him fearfully, and they continued on their way.

(Kurama accepts being cuddled by humans as a matter of course.)

The arrogance is so natural that it's almost refreshing.

Kurama: "Yoshino, don't be shy."

As we were about to turn down the corridor, Kurama noticed my delay and glanced at me.

Yoshino: "Oh! Yeah! Sorry.."

(....As long as I can remember the front and keep my feet on the ground, I’m in Kurama's sight, right?)

I thought to myself as I walked quickly after him.

Yoshino: "By the way, why are the rebel soldiers and maids call you 'Kurama-sama'?"

(When you and I met again in Kamakura, you ordered me not to give you any unnecessary honorifics.)

Kurama: "They say that it is only right to be humble to the guests of Yoshitsune, a foreign warrior. It's unconscionable that a human should make a distinction without knowing who we are. It's annoying, but it's no use trying to reason with the ants that keep springing up. I've decided to leave them alone."

(So that's it...)

Yoshino: "I can honestly see why you'd want to use the honorific, whether it's your position in the rebels or not. I mean, you give out this intimidating feeling."

Kurama: "....You seem to have soon came to treat me with a sullen attitude, huh?"

Yoshino: "I didn't mean to..."

The suspicious look in his eyes made me squirm.

Yoshino: "....I mean, my emotions are all over the place and I feeling nervous and crazy at the same time."

Kurama: "-----You're a really strange woman."

(Not really the words I want to hear from Kurama....)

While we are thinking about whether to say something back or keep quiet, we arrive in front of a room.

Kurama: "This is your room."

(So big....!)

Yoshino: "It's a very nice room for a prisoner...."

Kurama: "Are you dissatisfied?"

Yoshino: "......Not at all."

(I should be grateful that I am not treated unkindly. But it's indeed unsettling.)

Kurama: “You may be smart, but you’re still a lapdog. Remember that the only reason you’re still alive is because you’re not a threat.”

(....That’s right.)

Kurama looked at me with amusement as I fell silent.

Kurama(evil smile): “Tell me what it’s like to be in such an appalling situation, little puss.”

Yoshino(blushing): “-----This is a nice room.”

Kurama(evil smile): “Ohhh...really”

I manage to smile through my anxiety and Kurama raises one end of his lips.

(It’s infinitely more difficult to get out of here on my own by any stretch of imagination.)

(But try not to lose heart and believe that the time will come when we will return to the Shogunate.)

Kurama: “Good nerve. It’s quite impressive.”

I looked at Kurama’s face as he closed the distance between us, and his red eyes had a mysterious glint in them.

(Oh no! I think I’ve provoked something!)

I was slowly backing away, but----

Yoshino(blushing): “Wh-Why are you coming closer???”

Kurama: “Because you’re running away.”

(Ah)

My back hits the wall, and I lose my chance to escape.

Kurama: “Are you done?”

Kurama calmly stops in front of me and touched my hair.

Slowly, the fingertips combed through my hair and traced down my neck.

Yoshino(blushing): “Wa-Wait....not this....again...”

Kurama: “Don’t make me say it again. I’ll do what I want and when I want.”

Yoshino(blushing): “No....you should.....Mm....Ah....”

His lips touched the edge of my ears.

Kurama: “The temperature of your body has risen.”

Yoshino(blushing): “Stop it now!”

I try to pull away, but Kurama’s hands were holding my shoulders and he was laughing lowly.

Kurama: “Heh...I don’t love you. So does that mean, you react like this when any man touches you.”

Yoshino(blushing): “No...it’s Kurama.....”

(Ah)

My ears are bitten even more sweetly, and the rest of my words are swallowed up with my breath.

Kurama: “Kurama, what?”

I shivered as a hot tongue crawled over my ear and pecked at my soft skin.

Yoshino: “Mm...a.....Ku.....rama.....ahh....”

The slightest resistance is contained by a sweet stimulus rather than by force.

Yoshino: “Mmm....”

(I feel hot.)

I looked up and stared at Kurama with my tearful vision. <-- her orgasm face.

However, the contrast between the black hair and red eyes that adorned the well-formed shape drew my attention.

Kurama: “................”

Kurama looked at me as if he was observing my expression...

Kurama: “.....I see. So you like the way how I look.”

Chapter 10

[excelsi-or]

just a little sweeter (pt. 11)

Double post today! Enjoy parts 10 & 11 :) 

BIPOC rec: I’ve recently read The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi. I don’t want to spoil anything. It’s excellent. The writing is detailed and amazing. It’s set in Paris in like the 1800s with magic and fun and a heist. It’s the first of a trilogy and the second one came out this year. I can’t wait to read it.

w.c. 2.1k (fluff, brief angst but it’s over pretty quick)

pt.1; pt.2; pt.3; pt.4; pt.5; pt.6; pt.7; pt.8; pt. 9; pt. 10

“You need to tell her.”

“Tell her what?” Jihoon demands. His eyes are going over the brief of the meeting. He cannot believe that it was brought up in front of everyone, making it everyone’s problem.

“That there’s evidence to out you guys,” Jeonghan says. “She deserves to know. Even though you already made your decision on the matter extremely clear.”

“The company’s buying the photos,” Jihoon points out.

“But there’s a possibility that they’ll make the decision to put the photos out anyway,” Jeonghan reminds him. “Seriously. Just to be a good boyfriend, mention it to her.”

Jihoon frowns, but tries to rearrange his expression into something else when he sees Eunha running down the hallway. She grabs his hand and pulls him back to the studio where she’d been colouring during the meeting. He ends the phone call of the phone on the table and sits down on the floor next to her things. Eunha begins walking him through a bear story, something akin to the Blue’s Clues episode they had watched. He had stumbled upon the show on YouTube and Eunha had taken a liking to it. While most of it is in English and he really only understands 60% of it, Eunha sings along to the songs and seems to know what’s going on.

Enough to give him a similar story anyway with a bear and ant as the lead characters.

The phone in his pocket starts singing the FaceTime ring tone. Eunha’s eyes widen and she climbs into his lap, immediately assuming it will be someone she knows. When he pulls the phone out, he helps Eunha sound out the name.

“Hey,” Jihoon says.

His second favourite smile in the world smiles back at him. “Hey.” She waves at Eunha. “Hi kiddo.”

Eunha holds the phone with both hands so she can put her face as close to the camera as she can. “Hello!”

“What’s up?” Jihoon asks, chuckling at his baby’s antics.

“Jeonghan oppa sent me a text telling me to call you when I had a chance.”

Jihoon restrains himself from rolling his eyes. Jeonghan isn’t usually one to meddle too much; that’s usually Seungkwan. Yet here he is. Meddling. “Yeah…”

“Is something wrong?”

“No.” He pauses. “Well, not really.” He glances at Eunha in the screen. “Can you hold on for one second?”

She glances up at something past the phone, probably an employee. “Sure.”

Jihoon puts the phone down and scoops Eunha up. “You’re going to play with Uncle Soonyoung for a little while, okay? Say goodbye.”

Eunha calls her goodbye and waves.

“Bye kiddo!”

Jihoon starts to walk out the door.

“Can I bring my colours?”

“Of course you can.” Jihoon goes back and picks up her things. “Hold this for me, okay?” He hands her the notebook, so he can hold the crayon box and juice box. Then he takes her to the practice room. Some of the members have a television shooting, which is likely why Jeonghan sent the message to her at all. Jihoon won’t be able to chew him out until later.

Luckily, Minghao and Jun are in the practice room. They’re going over choreography for the upcoming concerts. He doesn’t even bother to ask where Soonyoung is.

Jihoon sets Eunha down at the front of the room and looks between the two men. “Can you just watch her for a couple minutes? I have to take a phone call.”

Minghao smiles. “Yeah, sure, hyung.”

Jun is already squatting down next to her and asking about her art.

Jihoon hurries back to the phone. She’s humming as she types on her computer. He recognizes the tapping of the keys. “Hey.”

The sound slows before she turns back to him. “Give me one more second.”

“Sure.”

Jihoon sits in his chair and then hears the audible whoosh of her email being sent. She leans into the camera, smiling. “Alright, I’m all yours. What’s up?”

“Jeonghanie hyung wanted me to talk to you about the meeting we had this morning.”

Her brow furrows slightly. “That seems kind of random, but okay. I’m listening.”

“It had something to do with you?”

“Me?” Her furrowed brow turns into a frown. “What about me?”

He clears his throat. “Apparently, there was a reporter following me and they happened to get a picture of us on our date last week.” He watches her eyes begin to widen in panic, so he attempts to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible. “But the meeting was about whether I wanted them posted. Sometimes they come through the company before photos get posted like that. Obviously, I said that it wasn’t me and that even if it were, I didn’t want the world to know. Jeonghan hyung just thought that you should know they exist and that it isn’t in my control if they get posted.”

Her expression is the epitome of shock. She stares blankly at the screen, as if she’s still processing all his words.

“Please say something.”

Her eyes close and she begins to speak, her voice coming out strangled. That’s not good. “So, you’re saying that photos that you don’t own of us are floating around in the ether and that you can’t control whether they get posted or not?”

“The company is trying to buy some of the photos off them, but who knows how many they have? Or if there are any that look exactly like me.”

“How much control do we get over them?”

“Well, honestly, not much control. If we get seen together more often and whatnot.”

She takes a deep breath. “So, I can’t go out with my boyfriend anymore, because I have to worry about people with cameras following him around?”

Jihoon’s hand fiddles with his ear. “Maybe.”

“I already have to worry about hiding my face when we have Eunha with us. Now I have to worry about just being with you in public?”

Jihoon can feel his heart sinking. “Yeah.”

“I—” Jihoon hears someone call her name. “I’ll be right there,” she responds. The door closes and she looks back at the screen, completely bewildered. “I… I need to think about this. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay.”

“Bye.” She hangs up before he can say anything. He stares at his lock screen. It’s a photo of her and Eunha drawing in the apartment. She was teaching Eunha how to draw a bear.

He quickly sends off angry messages to Jeonghan before going back to the practice room to pick up Eunha. He peers into the room and can see her contentedly drawing while Jun and Minghao practice. He decides that maybe he can stew in his confusion and anger a little while longer alone in the studio.

“Has she called you back?” Jeonghan asks that night.

The members caught him just as he was about to take Eunha home and they offered dinner at the dorms. She’s busy playing with Seungkwan and Soonyoung in the living room, so Jihoon doesn’t mind sounding pissed off.

“No. She hasn’t. And if you hadn’t told her that there was something I needed to say, she probably wouldn’t be mad right now.”

Jeonghan rolls his eyes. “She deserves to know the consequences of dating you.”

“I think the ‘biggest consequence’ of dating me is sitting in the living room right now.”

A soft voice and a tug on his sweatpants pull his attention away. Jihoon looks down and sees the hurt expression on Eunha’s face, though she doesn’t acknowledge it. “Uncle Seungkwan and Uncle Soonyoung want to know when dinner is ready.”

Jihoon takes a deep breath and squats down in front of her. “It’ll be done soon, okay?”

She spins on her heel and scampers out of the kitchen. Jihoon glares back at Jeonghan.

“You have a tiny daughter! I didn’t see her come in!” Jeonghan exclaims.

Mingyu, the one actually doing all the cooking, glances over his shoulder. “I think you need to apologize and explain to both the girls in your life what’s going on, hyung.”

“Since when did you get so enlightened?” Jihoon grumbles.

When he puts Eunha to bed that evening, he sits cross-legged on the floor next to the bed. “Hi, little one.”

She pouts and stares at him. Her little arms are wrapped tightly around a bunny plushie Chan had gotten her for her birthday.

Jihoon runs a hand through her hair. “Did you hear me when I was talking to Uncle Hannie?”

“I don’t understand.”

“Ah. Okay.”

“But…” Her pout deepens. “It was mean.”

Jihoon holds his breath. “I didn’t mean what I said. Even if you didn’t understand, I shouldn’t have said those things.” He leans forward to kiss her forehead. “I’m sorry.”

Her voice softens. “Do you not like me anymore?”

God, he hates that Soonyoung taught her that phrase. The man says it so much around Jihoon, he should have known his intelligent child would learn how to use it.

“That’s not it.” He doesn’t know how to explain his feelings to her in a way she’ll understand. She’s using her entire vocabulary already by having this conversation. Jihoon rests his chin on the bed. “Life’s just hard.”

“‘Cause of me?”

“No. Not because of you.” He pecks her forehead again, and runs a hand over her head. “Never because of you.”

Eunha asks if it’s because of his girlfriend.

“Not because of her either. It’s all because of daddy. This is my fault.”

“Why?”

“It’s complicated. Is that okay?”

Eunha doesn’t know what complicated means, but she seems to accept his answer, because she snuggles beneath the covers.

He gets to his feet and gives her one more kiss. “I’m sorry again. I love you.”

“Love you,” she mumbles, already falling asleep.

Jihoon leaves the door open a crack. The actual baby monitor is on next to her. He makes sure that he can hear her breathing then he plops himself on the couch and stares at his phone. He debates calling, wondering if she’d call when she’s ready. It’s been at least twelve hours. She should be going to bed soon and they did agree to video chat tonight.

He doesn’t have to wonder too long, because she calls him instead.

Jihoon answers in a second.

“That was fast,” she mutters. “Thought I’d have a few more rings to pull myself together.”

She’s sat in bed. The only light coming from her phone screen.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

There’s a long bout of silence he doesn’t know how to fill.

“How mad are you?” he finally asks.

“Not mad,” she clarifies. She must see the skepticism on his face. “Seriously, Jihoon, I’m not.”

“So why haven’t you talked to me all day?”

She tips her head back with a groan of frustration. “Because it’s hard to process what you told me this morning.” She meets his gaze. “There are so many rules. I don’t…” She shakes her head. “You’re high maintenance.”

He gets the jab. “Am I so high maintenance that this is over?”

“I don’t know.” She sighs. “I only get to see you in person a few times a month, and only once a month with just the two of us. Now we’re limited to staying in, because people are actually stalking you.”

Jihoon doesn’t mention that there was always the risk of people following them. “So, what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. You can’t do anything about it. It’s not your fault you’re in a famous idol group and have a daughter. I knew that you came with those things when we started dating. I just… I didn’t realize how much of my life would have to change because of it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…” She runs a hand through her hair and flips it. Jihoon loves when she does that, though he’s never told her. “I thought that I could keep it separate. My own life and then whatever our life together is. And I can, but when people in my life ask me about who I’m dating, what I’m up to, I’m so limited as to what I can say. Only my mom and Soobin know that we’re dating and that you even have a child. Everyone else thinks that I have an elusive boyfriend who doesn’t want to meet them.

“I just didn’t realize that when we got together that there would be a huge part of my life that I’d have to hide.”

Listening to her talk about it this way makes him wonder if it’s worth it for her. She sounds so discouraged with him and their situation. But she’s right; he can’t do anything about it. This is his life. But it doesn’t have to be hers.

Before he can even think about how to broach the topic of breaking up, she says, “But I adore you and I adore Eunha. I want this to work.”

Jihoon lifts an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah, really. As of right now, I want to work through this with you.”

“Do you… want to come over?”

She glances down at her pajamas. “I’m in bed right now.”

“Come over and cuddle?”

Her eyebrows rise. “Tempting.”

“Come over, cuddle and watch Avengers?”

She laughs. “Give me 10.”

[technobladetimestamps]

Nov 16 Stream Timestamps

Timestamps from Technoblade’s “THE REVOLUTION (dream SMP)”

Link to my youtube comment with all of the timestamps x

Timestamps with hyperlinks below

02:13  “This is a surprise tool which will help us later” / thumbnail isn’t foreshadowing / video thumbnails have to be big / stream thumbnails can be detailed 05:17  “The traitor is actually Jschlatt” / firework crafting 09:50  “The ratio is impeccable” 13:23  “Dream’s in the game! My audience retention rate” / vc with Tubbo & Quackity / traitor Jschlatt theory / “Are you high?” “A little” 14:47  “You’re a bit of a wildcard” “I am the most consistent character on the entire server” / “What’s this about getting into power” / “We’ll burn this bridge when we get to it” 15:54  “You really are such an English major” / “You’re an idiom” / malaphor / “I’m actually speaking twice as much English as you guys” 18:07  “I think Thunder is overcompensating in the chat” / “Where can you see me” “In my heart” (Karl & Quackity) / Karl not leaving vc 20:33  vc with Niki / “Did Tubbo just leave me? I spaced out for 2 seconds” / “You can’t call everyone the traitor” “I can & will” 22:45  “You know it’s an event when Skeppy’s here” / “You know it’s a big deal when Georgenotfound wakes up” / “Everyone leaves me” 23:31  explaining the traitor thing to Niki / “Maybe I’m a sleeper agent” / had to kill Tubbo 25:03  nothing happened with that creeper / Fundy interrogating Niki / “Why did I train her for MCC” 25:54  “Even YOU’RE leaving me” / sad music / “I’m sitting here with 203k viewers & it’s not enough for any of these streamers to bear talking to me for more than 60 seconds” / Skeppy joins vc to immediately leave 28:50  Karl has a gift for Techno / Karl is just here for the animatic 32:21  “At least the chat won’t leave me” / pays for his music 35:01  “I’m going to destroy the government so bad” / “I hate all of the farming updates on skyblock” 37:45  joining a vc / “I just got stood up in like 4...conversations in rapid succession” / “My new years resolution was to make friends & it’s november & I’ve made zero headway” / Eret switches sides 41:53  Ender chest setup / worried about hotbar management / potions > shields   43:13  vc with allies / “Karl you are literally the biggest third wheel I have ever seen” 45:03  angering the dogs / trident combo 47:13  “D!ck with one ball” (Tubbo) 50:25  “Let’s hope Wil overslept like [George]” 53:09  recruiting Eret / “If you fight on our side we’ll make you the King of Burger King” / “He’ll be an executive citizen” / “I’m surrounded by idiots” 54:58  putting Schlatt on the allies list / “Schlatt is an alcoholic high on protein power” (Fundy) 56:47  can’t trust Eret / “I hate it when you’re right” (Tubbo) / Wilbur joins vc 59:50  having a moment with Hubert / “Not even the mobs like me” / sad music / “I just gained 8k subscribers the sadness is gone” / cow pit exp farm 1:02:57  vc with Niki / “I’m going to join the other vc AHHHHH” 1:05:02  “Once everyone meets up...I have something prepared” / “Technoblade when are you not ready?” “When I joined the server” 1:09:38  “Who do you take me for? Of course I’ve read the Art of War. It’s written by Mozart” / battle planning 1:12:18  “This is the betrayal...happening very slowly” 1:13:35  Pan1 / “This revolution is so doomed” 1:15:29  Dream attack / Quackity dies 1:18:07  “Agree Retweet” / “Violence is the only universal language” / “i have a supply” / “Why do you talk in upwards inflections constantly?” 1:19:57  Techno not getting to talk / “He took it all by force didn’t he” / “Fear into Ear” 1:23:50  Techno telling everyone he has a stash twice / distributing blue / mushroom the fox 1:26:49  Tommy talking over Techno again / “Stop going off on your tangents” “We have food at home” 1:29:30  vault reveal / Tubbo stealing emeralds / secret chest 1:32:40  “Shut up bro you are green as shit” (Tommy) / “Everyone give me back my stuff you don’t deserve it” 1:34:41  no netherite swords / “Who’s the traitor” “Promise we won’t be mad” 1:36:31  battle / Technoblade trident maneuvering / giving rocket launchers to Tubbo & Tommy 1:40:27  killing Karl / Dream bringing out the end crystals / fighting invis Dream / purpled switches sides 1:43:57  Dream wants to talk / 309k / group photos 1:46:08  vc with Dream / “But only if my enemy insists” / in the van with Schlatt / “What are you doing in my drug van? It better not be drugs” / Tommy preparing to shoot Schlatt 1:54:42  “We won” / “We killed an old man with heart problems! It only took 20 of us!” / President Innit / subscribe to Technoblade sign 1:55:57  Dream & Techno talk in chat / Tommy speech / “It was meant to be” / “I don’t think anyone is bowing to Tommyinnit” / “Karl don’t be weird” / Skeppy has a disc 1:59:06  Techno being apprehensive on mute / Tommy makes Wilbur President / “I’ll be the president” “I’m gonna veto that” / “Techno...you’ve taught me that government is not the way to go” / Wilbur makes Tubbo president 2:03:20  “I’m not sure I like where this is going x2” / “I’m not sure this is a good ending” / “Team chaos” “Perhaps” 2:06:20  Techno shoots Tubbo / Philza joins / “You think Schlatt was the cause of your problems? No. It was government” / speech gets interrupted / “The government ends here, I’ll kill it myself!” 2:09:23  Phil kills Wilbur / techno yelling for silence / “Tommy you just did a coup...& instilled yourself as president” 2:12:11  “If you want to be a hero THAN DIE LIKE ONE” / wither spawning / killing his former allies 2:15:09  post fight talks / “There will be no new government today. It will be over my dead body” / “Techno was not the traitor” 2:18:50  “I need to increase the crater that is L’Manberg so that no country can rise in its place” / “Mom says it’s my turn on the flame bow” 2:23:51  “What I’m doing right now is small scale. This is the work of an individual. This is nothing compared to the cruelty governments all around the world [inflict]...systematically” / “Llamas are the primary victims of war” / “I just wanna be apart of the explosion” (George) 2:27:06  Techno joins vc / connor joins the server / “I hope you’re proud of yourself Techno” “I kinda am” / Jack Manifold (Thunder) being broke / netherite armor 2:32:30  “Beach episode” / Techno accidentally joins the L’Manberg vc 2:35:16  the base is compromised / “There’s no way Technoblade would put a clock there if it didn’t mean anything” / got robbed 2:37:37  “If you’re going to ask me how I got all these emerald & arrows that’s a story for another day” / explaining the bedrock / “I can give everyone stuff & it’ll be such a flex” 2:40:24  Greek mythology 2:41:45  The Golden Apple / “They didn’t use discord back then they used skype, so can’t invite Eris” / “Zeus the god of feminism” 2:46:02  Eret recruiting Techno to kill George / joining vc / “Let’s stop him before he gets land” / Awesamdude proposing a fight 2:49:08  “No one can kill me I’m invincible” (logs out) / Dream literally names the turtle potions Sam thinks he hasn’t heard of / “I’m at soup” / “It’s not smack talk he just has that many items” 2:53:06  “Stab him Dream, I’ll shout encouraging words” / Techno fighting Bad & Ant 2:56:23  Dream wins / “I think there was this Dream guy attacking you with some sort of weapon” 3:00:11  turtle potions / Dream hyping up Techno about fighting BBH / Badlands negotiating with George 3:04:34  vc with Philza 3:07:00  spider farm afk’ing / lagging Quackity’s computer 3:09:06  smp earth / Phil only logged on to back Techno up 3:10:32  killing George / “I’m gonna drop his armor off don’t jump me” / not fighting Dream 3:13:00  vc with Karl & Phil / Karl definitely not starting a government / “Chat that was the boring part, don’t leave” / 320k / “Why do we keep scheduling these on Monday?” 3:16:18  “I don’t even want to think about how famous Tommy will be in the future” / “I get a tad bitter” / covid is good for youtubers but obviously bad / “I’m so good at socially distancing” 3:19:51  “Aren’t you tired of being nice Philza? Don’t you just wanna go crazy” / “You should be wary of the old in a profession where people die young” / vc with Eret 3:21:47  “What if you built a slightly larger throne next to it?” /  “How are they paranoid of a mole but the guy with a track record of being a traitor gets no questions asked” 3:25:47  “I’m gonna place a block at the bottom & kill you instantly” / reverse mlg /  emerald rich even with Tubbo’s theft 3:27:57  “I’ll allow it” / upstairs chests robbed / Eret disconnects with the book 3:32:04  armor sabotage bc he thought it’d be 1v5 / crystals are mutually assured destruction / Wilbur afraid of tnt getting blown up early 3:34:11  the diary was actually Eret’s / “He’s gonna tell everyone who I have a crush on. Nooo” / reading the 100 page book / “Can I not win here?” “No” 3:40:14  “This stream has released more serotonin in my brain than the last 6 months combined” / revolution was overcrowded / could improve the crater 2:43:09  “Awkward ten minute period where I’m just sitting there watching them set up a new government but I can’t kill them yet” / Carl is missing 3:44:34  “The one time Technoblade is gonna roleplay & they talk over him” / “CARL” / “As long as Sapnap isn’t the one that took him there’ll still be hope” 3:46:10  “Once you start using end crystals it’s the only pvp that matters & end crystal pvp is so lame” / Webtoons 3:49:10  “What’s going to happen to you & WIlbur now?” “I don’t know, I think I’m chill with Wilbur” / “The only thing that changed is my voice. Zero personal growth” / lines from the first speech that got interrupted / “King George is trending booo” 3:52:00  1 million twitter followers / “O god it’s been four hours...I am not built for this” / did a 13 hour stream once / sub growth goals 3:56:30  “What the heck is Phil watching”

[marshmallow-phd]

Catching Rain

Part of The Untamed - EXO Wolf Universe

Genre: Wolf!AU

Pairing: Minseok x Reader

Summary: You were more than satisfied with your life. You attended a nice college, had nice friends, a nice boyfriend. That’s what your life was: nice. You weren’t looking for anything more, so what were you to do when this seemingly harmless boy walked into your life and turned your nice little world into one much more dangerous?

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I Epilogue

**

The beams of sunlight fell down from the wide open sky, placing warm yet gentle kisses on your cheeks and nose. It was rare for the weather to be so nice this time of year. Usually, the bitterness of winter was still holding on. But today, spring was reminding you that it was just around the corner. The heavy, feather-stuffed coat could be kept in the closet, at least for today. The striped flannel was more than enough protection from the slight breeze though you barely noticed its touch. Above you, the sky was a dazzling pastel blue with only a few puffs of white here and there.

You fingers itched down by your side where they kept you steady on the stone table where you sat. It was truly a beautiful day, too beautiful for late February. The lighting was too perfect to be ignored. With enough coverage so the shot wouldn’t be overwhelmed….

“What are you plotting?”

Your eyes snap open and you look down at your best friend. The thought had only just popped into your head. How she could read you so easily was truly terrifying at times. “Nothing,” you lied coolly. “I’m not plotting anything.”

Willa rolled her eyes. “Please. You had that smirk on your face and your fingers were practically dancing on the table. You’re easier to read than you think.”

“(y/n), please tell me you’re not going to go out into the woods again?” Erik looked up from his tablet with pleading eyes. His wire-rimmed glasses were perched on the tip of his nose, giving him a childlike quality. The wind ruffled his sandy hair. He squinted up at you with concern. You were a bit surprised that he’d caught the conversation, given how concentrated he was on his drawing. “You remember what happened last time.”

Of course you did. You were there, weren’t you? Sure, to say that it wasn’t a slightly scary experience would be a lie. But it was something you’d expected to happen eventually considering your outside activities.

A branch knocked loose by the storm from the night before had fallen from its perch, hitting you in the head. While you remained conscious, you were disoriented and had trouble finding your way back to the city. It was nearly dark by the time you made it to your car, but you had no issues driving yourself to the emergency room. The doctor declare you fine beyond the small gash atop your head, however he still preferred someone else to drive you home. Poor Erik nearly had a heart attack when he found you sitting in a hospital bed with dried blood on your face.

“It was a freak accident,” you reassured him. “Not likely to happen again.”

“But the odds still exist,” he argued. You “hmphed” at him. Why was he suddenly spouting statistics at you?

“Not to mention, there have been more wolf sightings,” Willa added, earning a glare from you. Wasn’t she supposed to be on your side?

But you couldn’t stay mad at them for long. Your brain was too logical, too in tune with being able to understand people to ignore their side of the argument. Hopping down from the table, you gave in. “Alright, I get it! You guys are saying no ventures into the trees where I get the most beautiful photographs I’ve ever taken. Noted.”

“You are such a city girl,” Willa said teasingly. It was true, though.

Throughout your childhood, your exposure to nature was the local park with its scarily overweight squirrels and hordes of annoying ants. It was a shock to your family when you chose to go to college outside of the city you knew and loved, electing to attend a smaller campus surrounded by woods and a good two hours from the nearest airport. They didn’t think you would be happy so far away. But you needed the change. You wanted to challenge yourself. Besides, if you hadn’t come out here, you wouldn’t have met Willa or Erik. And they made you very happy indeed.

Swiping up your bag from the bench, you gave Erik a quick kiss goodbye and waved to Willa. “I’ll see you guys after class.”

Willa grimaced. “Actually, I have to work.”

Erik looked equally as guilty. “And I’m meeting with Don to help out the theatre department.”

Perfect. “Don’t worry about it,” you said with feigned of disappointment. “I’ll survive. Maybe take some pictures of downtown. I’ll see you guys later.” With both of them occupied, there was no one check in on you. And you hadn’t exactly promised either of them….

Your light steps from the free evening grew heavier as you came closer to the building that the math-related classes called home.

Truly, this was your own fault. No one should have allowed you to pick your own schedule. The first two and a half years of college were spent taking all the fun, digital art major-related classes you could. The idea that you would eventually have to take the general studies classes was a problem for future you to handle. And that’s what brought you here: almost to the end of the finish line and now you were stuck taking all the subjects that you weren’t good at in order to actually graduate on time next year with your bachelors and qualify to move on to the masters. You hadn’t pinned down exactly what you would focus on when that time came, but it meant staying here, with Erik. And you loathed the idea of being left behind while your friends moved on with their lives.

The main hall inside was buzzing with voices as dozens of students hung about, arguing over answers and whining about what they would do once the weekend had finally arrived. Words mixed in with the clacking of keyboards and the faint scribbling of hurried pencils that didn’t do the homework the night before. It always amazed you how loud this place could be. Your earlier assumptions had made you think that this hall would be a second library, with stressed out students shushing each other so they could concentrate. But really, it felt more like the cafeteria; a social hangout before life interrupted again.

The classroom was mostly full by the time you arrived. Rows of crooked desks filled up two-thirds of the room with just enough space for the GTA to stand at the whiteboard and not be uncomfortable or crowded. Taking your normal seat near the front – which was unsurprisingly empty for the most part - you took out your notebook and pencil, ready jot down the main points of the day’s lesson. Until then, you scroll through the endless stream of social media on your phone.

While you were normally a friendly person, you’d elected at the beginning of the winter semester to stay serious and not give in to any distractions during this period. Because you knew yourself and you knew that you would give in to any temptation to not pay attention during this hour and a half, including talking to the shy freshman girl behind you who looked desperate for some form of friendship.

Two minutes before the class was scheduled to begin, the GTA walked in, a binder tucked under his arm and a messenger bag hanging from his shoulder. None of the conversations slowed down as he unpacked his laptop on the old desk situated in the front. Even as he opened it up and cleared his throat, the whispered chatting went on. It didn’t help that he wasn’t the most authoritative-looking person. He was on the shorter side with a friendly face that made him feel more like a peer than a teacher. Or maybe it was just because he was closer to your age that made you feel that way. It certainly didn’t help that he asked to be called by his first name rather than the typical formal address that you’d been raised with.

Sungkyu smiled brightly as he stood up. The marker made a pop when he uncapped it. “We’ll start on page ninety-nine, chapter four part two.”

That was how he started each class. No hello or good afternoons with mumbled replies. Straight to the lesson without forcing everyone to pretend like they were excited to be there or demanding a more energetic reply. Perhaps that was the one advantage of having a GTA. They knew what nonsense to skip.

An hour and a half later, you were free. Sure, your brain felt a bit like mush from concentrating so hard on the algebra equations, but now you could relax. Since that was your last class of the day, you were back to that lightness, with that spring in your step. The sun had somehow become brighter, even more inviting in the small amount of time you’d spent indoors. How could you ignore the call now?

Back in your dorm, you unloaded your backpack of the unneeded supplies for your venture. Out came the textbooks and binders that were neatly organized. In their place came a water bottle from the mini fridge you and Willa kept between your beds, a couple of granola bars you stashed away for emergencies, and the leather bound sketchpad Erik had given you for your birthday last year that housed all the photo ideas that randomly popped into your head throughout the day. Checking your watch, you assumed that you had a good three or four hours before your absence was discovered. A slight sense of adventure tingled in your chest as you slung your bag over your shoulder and scooped up your camera case from the foot of your bed.

You didn’t look back as you left the dorm and headed for your car. When – because it was a matter of time, not if – Erik and Willa found out, they’d be sure to lecture you until the end of time. But you had a feeling that it would be worth it. What was that famous saying again? Better to ask forgiveness than permission?

As much as you appreciated their concern and understood where they were coming from, the trees were calling out to you, begging to be captured within the lens of your camera. The photographer that lived inside urged you on. If they were really that upset, you’d make them dinner to make up for it.

**

Minseok wasn’t hiding per se. He simply needed a quiet place to grade these papers and with eight other rowdy wolves coming in and out of the house, “quiet” was not exactly an easy thing to find. So… yes, he was sort of hiding in his car in the detached garage. It wouldn’t be for much longer; he only had two or three more assignments to look over and, at this point, he had the answers memorized, meaning he didn’t have to stop and look at the key every five seconds.

Blowing out air, Minseok ran a hand through his black hair as he leaned back. Sometimes he wondered why he took up this position. He didn’t need to. It wasn’t required for him like it was in other masters degrees. But the offer was given and he took it. Maybe he liked the excuse that he was busy so he couldn’t go out with the younger wolves all the time. Unlike the extroverts who knew every restaurant and bar in town like the back of their hands, he preferred it out here, in the woods. Homebody felt like an understatement.

Finally through with grading, he neatly packed the papers away into his bag (divided by clear plastic folders labeled by class) and got out of the car. He left the garage with a smile on his face. Before his feet could hit the first porch step, his name rang out in the field. 

“Minseok!”

He half-laughed, half-sighed as he shook his head. He shouldn’t be surprised that he was discovered the moment he left the safety of the garage.

Running towards him as he turned around were the three goofballs of the pack: Baekhyun, Chanyeol, and Jongdae. Their faces and clothes were covered in mud, making Minseok take a step back.

“Where have you been?” Chanyeol asked when they came to a stop in front of him. Thankfully, they kept their distance. Now Minseok just needed to keep them from going in the house.

“Grading papers,” Minseok replied. He wasn’t going to reveal where he was grading them.

“That sounds boring,” Baekhyun said with an expression that made it seem like he’d smelled something bad. Although, given his current state, that was quiet possible.

Jongdae whipped his hair, sending tiny droplets of muddy water everywhere. Minseok jumped back in an effort to dodge them, which sent the former into a laughing fit.

“Come on, Minseok,” Jongdae waved his hand through the air, still trying to catch his breath from laughing so hard. “You know, wolves aren’t supposed to mind getting dirty.”

“Wolves, no. Humans, yes.” The eldest wolf eyed the three of them. “Well, most humans, anyway.”

Smiling broadly and unbothered, Chanyeol made a move towards the porch.

“No,” Minseok said firmly, blocking the giant’s path. Putting his bag down on the porch he pointed to the side. “Go around and use the hose. You’ll get mud everywhere.”

“We’ll clean it up,” Jongdae whined.

“Not to his standards,” Baekhyun chuckled. Completely unbothered, he followed orders and ran to the back of the house. At first, Chanyeol pouted as well, but then he must have found the fun in the idea because only a few seconds later he was ripping his shirt over his head and running after his best friend.

Jongdae gave one last look of pleading. “Can I please go inside and take a shower?”

Minseok nodded. “After you use the hose.”

“But it’s cold.”

But wolves don’t get cold. Minseok went to pat the poor guy on the back, but then stopped, remembering why he wasn’t letting him inside in the first place. “Rinse off and then we’ll go for a real run to dry you off.”

Jongdae mulled over the offer. Grinning, he said, “Deal!” He was back behind the house in the blink of an eye.

Looking over at his bag, Minseok contemplated his options. He could leave it there and risk one of the guys forgetting the “hands-off” rule or he could take it upstairs to his room, leaving those three alone with the water hose for five minutes. It might not sound like a terrible option, but Minseok had known them long enough to understand that they could find trouble without even looking for it.

He decided to go with the second option anyway, knowing his students’ papers would at least be safe.

Just inside the living room, Sehun was glued to the TV screen, controller in hand. He was pressing down on the buttons with more force than necessary. The maknae would never admit it, but he was too competitive when it came to video games. One time, Minseok walked in on Baekhyun whacking Sehun on the head with the plastic controller because he was getting beat so badly. Thankfully, this time Sehun was alone. If he remembered correctly, Jongin and Yixing were in class while Junmyeon was conducting his office hours. At least the four of them took school seriously.

Minseok didn’t bother greeting Sehun as he made his way through the living room and up the stairs.

His bedroom, pristine and magazine-worthy – was at the end of the hall, near Junmyeon’s master. It was a good thing that Junmyeon’s great-to-however-many-degrees-grandfather thought to build a large farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. The alpha didn’t think that it had ever been quite this full since it had mostly been just his family that occupied the walls in the past, but the foresight to think of a larger pack down the line had been there. Each of the wolves were able to have their own rooms, their own space. Given how sloppy some of the others could be, Minseok was thankful. It hadn’t always been that way, but those days were long gone.

Near the beginning when Minseok first officially joined the pack, he’d tried living alone in his parents’ old place in town. The call to be together, with his brothers, was too great. It was an uncomfortable feeling. To this day he wasn’t sure if it was the wolf’s nature that caused it or simply the fact that, as the eldest, he worried about the younger wolves and preferred to be around where he could keep an eye on them. That meant that the peace and quiet was over, but sacrifices could be made and he was much happier here, anyway.

Placing his bag on the desk, Minseok sighed to himself before heading back downstairs where trouble waited.

To absolutely no one’s surprise, Chanyeol, Bakehyun, and Jongdae had turned rinsing off into a full on water war. Pretty much all the mud had been washed away, but that didn’t stop them from stealing the hose from each other and creating new mud in the backyard. They were all without their shirts, showing they were in this for the long hall.

At one point, Jongdae had snuck behind Chanyeol, who currently had possession of the garden hose, and twisted the rubber tube to stop the flow of water. Confused, Chanyeol looked directly in the mouth to discover the reason why. Which meant he fell right into Jongdae’s trap. The troll let go of the hose and the water came rushing back, spraying like a geyser in Chanyeol’s face.

Jongdae fell backwards onto his butt with how hard he was laughing. Chanyeol whipped around to get him back, catching Minseok in the crossfire.

Chanyeol cringed guilty. “Oops. Sorry.”

Minseok chuckled it off. It was just a shirt. “It’s alright. I promised Jongdae a run anyway. It’ll be dry by the time we get back.”

Baekhyun perked up. “A run?”

Minseok nodded. “Yes, you can come, too.” He was already undoing the buttons, folding the shirt and placing it on the ground once it was off. Maybe this run was what he needed. He wasn’t sure what difference it could possibly make. He’d been on hundreds of runs in the past. But something told him to go now. So, once he was ready, he shifted onto all fours and ran after the other wolves who’d already almost reached the tree line.

[tundrainafrica]

Title: Trials and Tributes (3/5)

Summary:  

“There were witches who lived among them. Or so that’s what Levi was told. He just could not believe for the life of him that she’d be one of them.”

Levi is a soldier who interrogates witches before they are put on trial and Hange might just be a witch.

Levihan Secret Santa Gift for @cleacourgette

Link to cross-postings: AO3

Link to other chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

They were working late that night. So unusually late that at first, Levi had taken Erwin’s closing the windows as a sign that they should finish for the night. He had started to empty his own desk of paperwork when Erwin spoke up.

“How were the trials?”

“Routine.”

Erwin raised one eyebrow. “The trials for someone so important to you volunteered to facilitate it?”

“Yes, they concluded she was a witch and we’re moving on to the swimming test. It’s in two days.” Levi said as mechanically as possible, not wanting his true emotions to leak out.

“Do you really believe she was the one responsible for the plague in your village? The plague which took your mother I mean?” Erwin did not need to clarify it. Yet, he did and that clarification only made Levi's chest tighten.

“Who else? She murdered a child then she disappeared.”

“I visited Hange after her last trial, had a small chat with her.”

“Of course she wouldn’t admit it.”

“That wasn’t what I asked about. I wanted to understand for myself what happened with that incident back she was a child, when she was accused of murder.”

“She said herself, she didn’t know what happened to him.”

Erwin shook his head. “She didn’t know. But the other people from the town did.”

Levi’s eyes widened in surprise. Suddenly he was self conscious of his disconnect from the happenings of the town as a child. Although he was considered one of the townspeople then. Having had to take care of his sick mother, he never had the chance to go out and meet many people nor discuss what had been happening around the town.

“I checked the reports in the capital library. Tobias’ mother reported that she had found red welts on her son’s back when he got home from playing with the kids then his body started to swell. Within an hour, he started to have a hard time breathing. His throat closed and with no means of breathing, he passed away quickly.”

The circumstances of his death were strange. Strange enough that the townspeople had come together to organize a witch hunt.

“They also recorded the accounts of the witnesses who were playing with Hange and Tobias that day. And when I checked them, they aligned well with the story Hange had given me. She pushed Tobias into a grassy patch. One of the boys who had been left there when Tobi and Hange both went home mentioned that they might have landed on a fire ant mound which explains the itchy red welts on Tobi’s back.”

Levi had been bitten enough times to know ant bites were painful. “But ant bites aren’t fatal.”

“This is where I did some extra research and talked to some more apothecary's and doctors. Apparently it is not completely implausible to infer that Tobias died from something called an allergic reaction. The swelling of his face, the difficulty breathing from an insect bite. It lines up so well with some of the other writings from doctors."

“Then how do you explain the plague?” Levi asked.

Erwin sighed. “I don’t think there’s any better way to tell you this but, I don’t believe the plague that killed your mother was caused by a witch. In fact, I don't believe witches actually exist.

                                     Trials and Tributes

“Levi, I have a theory.”

“You always have theories Hange,” Levi said, not looking up from the book he was reading.

“Humor me! That’s my book so I can get it back from you anytime I want.” Hange put her hand on the page he was reading so suddenly and so rudely that Levi had to resist the urge to slam the book closed on her hands then and there.

“Okay. I’m humoring you," Levi said.

“So, lately I’ve been noticing something about my herb garden. There is a small area where plants tended to die at a faster rate.”

“Uhuh.”

“So I pulled out the dying plants and I noticed something common about all of them. They had these white spots all over the stems and the leaves. They were like spider webs but there were more webs then spiders and you know the plants closest to them started to have those white spots too.”

“Oh, okay so a little discoloration on leaves,” Levi said matter-of-factly.

“So what if those white things are diseases, and being closer to one another, they spread more easily. What if people stuck together in close quarters just end up getting sick with the same disease? Maybe there are these invisible particles that fly through the air and when they get into people, people get sick. Maybe there are special particles which can swim too and when people drink the water they get sick?

Levi went back to the reading as Hange continued to ramble on. Somehow her theory had become too far fetched, not worth the time of day to even listen to anymore

“Didn’t your mother die in a plague? What if those particles are what causes plagues? ”

                                      Trials and Tributes

Levi had to admit that at the moment Erwin had suggested that witches might not exist, he did not feel adamant at all or even indignant at that claim. A wave of relief had rushed through him and he found himself settling back down on the chair in shock, his plans to clear his desk forgotten.

“Hange traced the origin of the dysentery problem to the well at the center of town…” Levi said, mostly too himself. Suddenly the ramblings and the theories Hange had made years ago over tea and book readings were suddenly starting to make more sense. “Erwin, you might be right.”

Erwin and Levi found themselves making their way to the prison cell where Hange was being held to satisfy their own curiosity.

The guard was quick to leave as soon as Erwin and Levi entered. Levi stood by the door, keeping an ear open for any footsteps that might be coming too near, and might possibly hear their conversations.

It was his first time visiting her cell in days but he couldn’t help but notice she had lost weight since he last saw her. He made a mental note to sneak more food next time he came over.

“Hange, sorry to bother you but we have something we wanted to confirm with you,” Erwin started as he settled himself on a chair in front of her cell.

“Ask away. It’s not like I have anything better to do here.”

It’s not like I have anything better to do here. Hange had repeated that line so many times back in the cabin in the woods. The way she had said it then though was softer and alarmingly toneless. Levi snuck a glance at her face or at least what he could make out from his angle. She had bent her head down, not bothering to look up at both him and Erwin. From what he could make out though, her eyes were downcast and the glint was nothing more than a flicker of what it used to be. At that moment, she looked completely disconsolate.

“How did you trace the diseases back to the well?” It was Erwin who spoke up. In that few seconds of silence, it was probably only Erwin who would have had the strength to start the conversation.

“The dysentery problem?” Hange asked.

Erwin nodded. “Yes. The one they discussed in your trial.” An unnecessary clarification but somehow, Levi felt it was needed, to fill the silence in the room and hopefully to get Hange to talk.

“I did my research,” Hange answered. “I was getting more than a dozen patients a day. I asked them where they lived… What they ate…” Hange trailed off.

Once again, the three all waited in silence. As they sat, Levi stood. And as Levi stood, he continued to entertain thoughts in his head. His mind was racing and it felt like it was only getting faster.

Maybe there are these invisible particles that fly through the air and when they get into people, people get sick. Maybe there are special particles which can swim too and when people drink the water they get sick?

“Hange, you told me long ago that you think there are these invisible particles in the air that can swim. And when people accidentally eat them they get sick. Is that what made you think that it could have come from the well in the center of town?”

Hange nodded.

“Do you think that the plague that happened when we were eight was from those same invisible particles?” Levi pressed.

She nodded again.

Erwin looked up at Levi in surprise. Levi remembered then that he never did tell Erwin that Hange was not an enemy but in fact, a childhood friend. Erwin was sharp though and within seconds that look of surprise had shifted to one of understanding. Levi did not need to explain anything.

“Levi, do you believe I’m a witch?”

That was the moment the survivor instinct inside of him decided to make itself known. Witches can compel their victims. Witches can bewitch. It was a battle between that part of him that resisted the urge to believe her and the part of him that wanted to accept her, to trust her.

Hell. We’ve known each other for years. She hadn’t done anything then to break his trust. Actually, he was the one who had broken his promise years ago.

“I don’t know.” was all Levi could let out. Those two sides of him had settled for that as a compromise.

“I for one don’t believe in witchcraft,” Erwin admitted before Levi and Hange could react beyond Levi’s admittance of neutrality. “And I will do what I need to do to make these lynchings end. If I come across anything of interest, anything which can help your case, I’ll pass it on to you. Thank you for your cooperation Hange.”

With that, Erwin stood up and exited the room leaving Levi scrambling to pick up the pieces.

“Levi, let me ask you something.” Hange asked. “If I really were a witch, if I did have malevolent intentions, don’t you think I would have done something a long time ago already?”

What if she did it all to manipulate me. What if she needs me for some end goal.

“Don’t get me wrong Hange. I feel compelled to help you and I probably will anyway,” Levi answered. “I just can’t discount the fact that this could be manipulation on your end.”

Hange looked up at him and for the first time that night, Levi saw her face for what it was. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were red and the lines under her eyes were only more defined than they were before. He only had a split second though to take in those features before they oriented themselves into a familiar expression he had come to know so well.

A simple, maybe even naive smile. “If you believe you’re being manipulated, then I give you permission not to bend over back for me. I’m ready to die.”

That could have easily been interpreted as manipulation. As Hange said that, Levi only felt more determined to find a way to save her. He couldn’t help but note though the Hange he knew was straightforward and not at all manipulative. She had always said what she meant or so that was what he had believed.

Levi found himself questioning those voices in his head instead. Those voices that doubted Hange. Maybe they were the ones manipulating me.

Levi gripped at the bars tightly and leaned closer towards her or as close as he could get at least when they were separated by prison bars “I don't know if this is all a game. If it is, you’re doing good because either way, I’m going to do what I can so you can make it out of this alive."

"Right after saying you believe I'm a witch?"

"You were my best friend. I owe you my younger years." Levi answered. " And as your best friend, I'll find a way out of this for you. And if I need to, I’ll take you out of this country, I’ll bring you down south."

                              Trials and Tributes

It was a very cold night. So cold that Levi wished he could have put it off to another night. Given that Hange would be taking the swimming test the day after tomorrow, he knew he only had that night to test his plan for himself.

As soon as the bible tests were over, Levi had been assigned to find a place to execute the swimming test. Even before he had visited Hange in the dungeon that night with Erwin, the gears in his mind had already been moving to keep Hange alive.

He had done his research from talking to the townspeople about bodies of water, geography and nearby hiding places for criminals. For research. He had said then. Nobody did ask too much of it. He was a soldier after all who kept the peace of their kingdom.

The time he had spent collecting information had given him options. The cost benefit analysis he did given those options was what led him to decide on one particular cliff that overlooked the sea only a thirty minute carriage ride from her prison. The locals had mentioned that it was a good area for cliff diving, the water was of a fair depth that it would be safe to dive.

And that’s what I have to see for myself. It was going to be his job to push Hange into the water in less than 24 hours, the least he could do is try it himself.

It was a risky move. Especially when his cheeks were already turning numb from the cold. Levi had to admit he was probably risking his own life at that moment. As he removed his overcoat and the shirt underneath with the intention of diving into the water head first, Levi had to take multiple breaks. His body was protesting the action and the protest manifested itself as a light shudder every time the cool night breeze brushed passed him.

You’re bewitched. Those voices reminded him. Levi did not need to listen though. Before he could even allow himself a second thought about his decision, before his body and his survival instincts could push him back, Levi jumped headfirst into the black sea below him.

It would be his sense of touch leading him from then on.

From the moment he hit the water and dove deeper, he allowed himself a few minutes with his hands behind his back to simulate what Hange would be going through. He counted thirty seconds and by then, his lungs were starting to ache. He reached his hands out in front of him, relying on his recall of his last view illuminated by the moonlight to guide him where he needed to go.

He turned behind him. The cliff side should be here. He kept his hands in front of him as he swam in the direction where the cliffside should be located. Within seconds he felt it. And with it came a glimmer of hope.

That hope was what he needed badly. His lungs were crying and he knew he would need air soon. He could have easily gone up and breathed it himself. He was constantly reminded though that Hange would not have that same luxury and he pressed on. Holding on to the side of the cliff, he continued to swim.

It should be around here. His lungs were starting to scream and Levi knew he might not last any long. He started to scramble and move quicker. A generally bad idea when his oxygen and his time conscious was limited.

At that moment though, Levi had luck on his side. That empty space in between the cliffside was what he was looking for. Finding that gave him the second wind he needed. Levi only pushed further into the cavern. The path was narrow and consequently, quick and easy to feel his way through.

By the time Levi’s lungs were screaming once again, the energy from his second wind almost completely depleted, Levi had already made it into an open space and with his last burst of strength he shot his hand out above him.

It was as if a weight was lifted off of his shoulders both literally and figuratively. The air was much lighter on his body, especially on his lungs. Levi opened his eyes to see the moon above him.

The cave was generally closed, save for an opening on the roof that illuminated the cave enough for Levi to see where the sky and the walls of the cave meet. As Levi lay on the ground of the cave, he took in the view and focused on watching how the view shifted slightly with the rise and the fall of his chest.

The moon was beautiful. So beautiful that Levi almost considered spending the night in the cave despite the biting cold. Biting? That wasn’t the right word. Numbing maybe.

Numbing. That reminder of his own mortality and the possibility of death was what had Levi sit up and rush out of the cave, despite his subdued sense of touch.

He had to get out of there. He had to stay alive. He still had a job to finish.

                                        Trials and Tributes

The water shall refuse to receive in her bosom those who have shaken off the sacred water of baptism.

In the easiest of words, if Hange were to be proven innocent and completely human, she had to drown. That was how they had explained it to the multiple witch suspects that have died similarly.

“If you do drown, your place in heaven is guaranteed.” The bishop had said, as he explained the history of that trial to the crowd who had gathered by the cliff. Levi kept himself looking only towards Hange who stood next to him while the priest prattled on about their ‘guaranteed heaven.’ Those were the same people who had sold indulgences and places in heaven to the nobility long before.

He had never seen heaven. He had seen scams in action though and somehow that and his own generally negative opinion of the clergymen was all he needed to feel such a distaste for their actions.

Hange was in light garments despite the cool breeze that came with early spring. Levi wore something similar in the form of a cotton shirt and dress pants, a subtle gesture of solidarity on his end.

Hange Zoe. He only found himself looking back at the crowd and at the person in question when her name was mentioned. What followed the announcement of her names were cheers. But Levi knew it wasn’t anything to celebrate for him.

The crowd wanted to see blood. A potato sack was placed on the ground next to Hange and Levi felt his stomach drop as he started to comprehend the risk that came with his plan. Although he had simulated that same escape the night before, Hange would be faced with the extra challenge of cutting through the ropes and the sack before being able to dive and escape to the cave.

To balance it out at least, he had fed her as much information as he possibly could.

When you feel the wall in front of you, keep going left.

Dive when you feel the cliff turn rougher.

You’re going to have to dive down deep to find it.

Levi had racked his head for as much detail as he could as he oriented Hange to the location of the sea cave.

I’ll meet you there at night when it gets dark. I’ll send food. Then just stay in the cave until I can fix your papers and find you a way out of here.

While he helped Hange into the potato sack, he searched for an opening to dig his small dagger in between the tightly woven ropes, in preparation for their plan. As soon as he did, Hange touched the dull part of the blade with her fingers and tapped the side of his finger, a small gesture that she had understood what needed to do. The quick tap was somehow reassuring.

Good luck. Stay alive. He mouthed. She wouldn’t have heard it but he had not wanted to risk anything louder than that. Even with the deafening cheers of the crowd. Levi pulled the sack over her with the help of one of the guards. He had no time to even allow himself one last look at the knife digging into the ropes. He could not risk anyone finding it.

The other guard had offered to help Levi throw the sack over the cliff but Levi declined. He didn’t even trust himself to throw over the cliff. How could he trust anyone else?  Hange wasn’t heavy though. In fact, Levi was sure he had carried weapons much heavier and had shot arrows with draw weights much heavier than her.

Yet, her weight was crushing him  and Levi felt his arms going numb underneath him as he carried the sack towards the edge of the cliff.

The sack was warm, a little too warm. The contents of the sack reacted to every moment. As much as Levi had wanted to pretend that it was just a sack of potatoes or maybe even a dead body. He couldn’t. He closed his eyes for a second and had somehow felt a heartbeat beneath that potato sack. It was a little too fast and maybe even deafening.

Hange. That’s Hange. I’m holding Hange in my arms.

At that rate, Levi could not even tell if it was his own heart or hers. Will this work out? Will this be the last time I hear that heartbeat?

There was no turning back.

“Heave…” Levi pulled the sack behind him to gather some moment.

The heartbeat evolved from a canter to a gallop as he felt the strength quickly spread through his arms. He remembered then, he had an obligation to moderate his strength as well. He didn’t want her landing too far from the cliff either or worse, get seriously hurt on impact.

“Ho!” Levi threw the sack forward, slowing down as he did. All he needed to do was make sure the sack covered enough distance that she wouldn’t hit the cliffside prematurely

It was as if time slowed down when Levi found himself in a good position to let go of the sack. He had found himself peeling his hand from the sack, finger by finger. The heartbeat he had felt in the sack, the warmth were like the threads of a spider web, sticking to him so tenaciously, so desperately.

He didn’t want to let go.

                                    Trials and Tributes

“Wow! I didn’t think there would be this many types of knives. I’ve only ever played with a letter opener.”

“Don’t you have knives around here? How do you do research without them?” Levi asked half heartedly as he continued to polish his saxe knife.

“Well, I make my own. You don’t really need anything too sharp to be able to cut up leaves. Sometimes you can just do it like this.” Hange tore one of the oregano leaves a little more roughly to make her point.

“Well, fighting gets a little complicated apparently.” Levi positioned his knife in front of the window of the cabin and watched as the silver glistened under the sunlight that streamed through the window. “Uncle said this knife is strong enough to parry the blow of a sword. If you can control it…” Just imagining a sword coming down on a knife only a quarter of the size of a sword had Levi shuddering. One miscalculated movement and he could find himself three less fingers.

“Learning to use weapons takes time. And I doubt your uncle is gonna make you fight a swordsman just yet.”

“My uncle said he’ll teach the technique. I just have to do the drills he gives me everyday.”

Hange clumsily spun Levi’s throwing knife in her hand only to end up dropping it on the floor. She let out a disappointed sigh. “Hey Levi, after your uncle teaches you, can you teach me? I wanna learn how to handle a knife too.”

                                   Trials and Tributes

The sack they had pulled out of the water was stained red. And that blood stain covered half the sack.

While the clergymen and the guards were panicking at the missing body. Levi was alarmed for other reasons. Was she alive? Did she make it out safely?

He had hope for the luxury of letting out a tear, or rushing to the side of the cliff, kneeling down and looking closely at the water to maybe search for signs of life like a mad man. It would only be unwise to do such. The most he could allow himself was a catatonic state and maybe a twinge of envy at the clergymen who had the luxury to babble curses at the guard who had probably so incompetently left a hole in the sack to punch through.

Fortunately, no one was blaming him just yet. He didn’t want to give them the opening either. The matter at hand was time sensitive. If Hange wasn’t dead, she might still be flickering between life and death at the moment. He had to get to where she was soon.

He murmured a few words at the guard about wanting to check something and about them being able to go ahead and slowly walked away. Levi couldn’t run just yet, not when he was still within their field of view. To compensate though, his heart and his mind were racing. As he turned the corner and into the path which led to the cove and eventually to the sea cave, he was more quickly able to adjust to a sprint.

Levi had mentally readied himself to dive into the water even before he entered the cave. He had started to unbutton his own cotton shirt as he sprinted in, not wanting to waste any more time.

The rush and the panic that was only consuming him made him clumsy and a little awkward as he moved. The moment his plans and his expectations were subverted by the sight of a very wet and bloodied Hange kneeling on the ground next to the water, Levi ended up losing his balance and tripping on the floor right in front of her.

“You made it here alive… I was worried.” Levi managed to say as he pulled himself back up into a kneeling position. His knees and palms were starting to hurt and Levi was sure he would need to treat his own wounds a little later on.

“Yeah, I ended up cutting my wrist when I cut through the ropes...It bled out a lot but I never really was as coordinated as you are with knives... Sorry for putting that training you gave me to waste.” Hange was only rambling aimlessly. As Levi made eye contact with her, he noticed her eyes were still a little too wide and her smile too unnatural. Levi could not help but think that she had felt the same way he did when he had first arrived in that same cave a few nights before. Her face had shown it all. She was just as surprised to be alive as he was.

But she is alive. That’s all that mattered. Levi would have wanted to hug her then but at the same time he did not want to lose sight of her. He settled for putting his hand on her arm and gripped hard. “At this point Hange, I don’t care if you’re a fucking witch or not. If you are, save yourself. Run away. Go save some other kids. Go discover a plague before it happens. You don't deserve this. Nobody deserves the shit they put you through. I’ll get you out of here if I need to.”

Hange returned his strong grip on her arm by gripping his wrist. For a second, her face was unreadable. Then soon after something took over and that face had morphed into something wild and even primitive. It was as if Hange was possessed. Suddenly she was squeezing his wrist much harder than Levi had ever expected from her. He let out a groan of pain as he recoiled at the sudden attack.

Hange threw his hand back at him and snarled. "Don’t touch me!"

And just like that, it was as if he was talking to a completely different person. Or a completely different creature.

[mimiri22-6]

I really need to get back into watching the streams I miss (which is all of them) because

I JUST WATCHED FUNDY'S MIND STREAM AND I AM FREAKING THE FUCK OUT!

SO MUCH! JUST SO MANY THOUGHTS!!!

IS THAT BLACK FIGURE WHAT A DREAMON LOOKS LIKE? IT WAS BAD'S SKIN, BUT IN ALL BLACK! IS THE EGG THE FORM OF A FUCKING DREAMON?!

I was just thinking about all the strings connecting all the plotlines on the SMP and they all come back to the Dreamon, The Egg, and memory stuff. and now more recently Dream XD. With the whole dreams having consequences-OH MY FUCK I JUST REMEMBERED TOMMY SLEEPWALKING INTO THE OCEAN WHILE IN EXILE! THERE'S SOMETHING THERE I TELL YOU *insert red yarn insane person here*-in the real world thing, That's Dream XD's THING rn with George(once again, this is the only stream with lore that I've watched in full in-god A Fucking While, I don't even know how long, so all my info is second hand). I was Just thinking about all of this and how it all connects at lunch earlier so everything I've been internally freaking about is kind of fresh in my mind.

I could go one for days and days and paragraphs and paragraphs of the hints connecting things back together.

the black figure looks like bad

the Inbetween looks like all the colors have been sucked from it, like what the egg does to red, making the Inbetween formally red tinted

Dreamon? Black(If that was a dreamon). Everything the egg touches? Sucks the red away and inverts color pallets...tho I think that hasn't been a thing for a while now and it just sucks away red and/or makes something on the infected red

Dream and Dream XD are somehow the same entity????? From what I've heard(guys, I've never even watched more than like 2 of Gogy's videos. Help) BUT I'M NOT GOING TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT RN!

Dream XD is a god of dreams or some shit seeing as he can give George items in his dream curse thingy fuck shit going on (AAAAAAAAA I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST DAMN LORE STREAM I WAS A PART OF)

Fundy Apparently can predict the future because of his dreams, which I Do Not like the implications of the ending of the Mind stream with this information

Ranboo has been sleepwalking for fuck knows how long

TOMMY was Trying to sleepwalk to his death, I do not like to think about Tommy dreaming of dying constantly. I Could Not watch exile streams I felt like throwing up from uncomfyness, IN HIS DREAMS. Our boy was having Nightmares, or daydreams because of his mental state back then, about Drowning Himself, AND THEN HE WAS WAKING UP DROWNING! COWINCIDENCE?! I THINK NOT!

Let's take note of the people I have at least one shred of evidance that may be possessed by A dreamon Or the Same dreamon that can just possess more than one person(....ooh I could So see how that would work)

Dream. This is a main one, he's the first instance we have of dreamon possession. It just makes sense and there are still people that believe the ritual didn't work before and the dreamon either just stayed or that the ritual killed Dream and Not the evil dreamon and that's why dream has been so off. BUT ALSO Dream's Fucked up motivations and acts can beg to differ on that part

Bad. Another obvious one. Now you might say that he's already slightly possessed by The Egg, BUT who's to say the egg isn't a form of a dreamon. When Fundy cam back after "4 years" he was inroduced to the egg and he was Freaking The Fuck Out and calling it a dreamon and being Extremely worried about touching it. I don't see many people bringing this back to the table. FUNDY CALLED THE EGG A DREAMON. Bad AND ANT, PUNZ, AND PONK(is Hannah still influenced by the egg??? I'm so far from the loop it's not even funny) are at least influenced by it. Now I would also say Maybe Sam is possessed too, BUT he is shown to still be against the egg even though the Ponk situation was a personal issue(as far as I know. Dear fucking god I am Fucked all behind...)

(I keep switching between the egg is a dreamon and the egg and the dreamon are opposites. I Can Not keep my thoughts straight(In more ways then one, haha, *wink wonk*))

3. Eret, Puffy, and Ranboo. All for the same reason. From what I've heard, Eret now has memory issues as well(THAT'S RIGHT! The last lore stream I watched, not live, was Puffy's stream where she found her ship!). If there's one person with memory issues on the SMP? Ok that seems reasonable. A Second person has memory problems on this SMP? Weird that it happened twice but ok. A THIRD person has amnesia?!?!! Ok! What The Fuck Is Officially HAPPENING?! Ranboo goes into dissociative states and commits war crimes, who's to say Puffy and Eret won't start doing that/have already been doing that? Ranboo has some kind of connection to Dream. Puffy got attached to Dream. Eret took the crown because Dream offered it(it's such a weird feeling know now that "It was never meant to be" was an apology).

4. OH HELL I FORGOT ABOUT THE GHOSTS! WHAT ARE THEY?! They SAY, well Ghostbur at least, that they're Not their alive selves and their actions back that up. They are not the souls of those that they take form of and they don't have all their memories, seeing how Glatt avoids topics it's safe to assume he is missing at least Some memories, BUT also they act and function differently to one another. Glatt can fly, Ghostbur can not. Glatt claims to be Jschlatt, Ghostbur does not claim to be Wilbur. Just A Lot does not add up. Once again I have not been watching vods nor streams so everyone saying Ghostbur is acting weird, just sound like the people that kept saying Ghostbur remembers more than he let on to me. Idk, I don't think Ghostbur nor Glatt are nefarious in any way, but hey, with this SMP expect the worst.

5. .............I could have sworn I had more to say/write, but it's late now and I've been writing this for....over 3 hours now sooooo Imma stop because I'm all out of theory/info dump juices. I might come back to this post to list off more potential dreamons idk

......now I'm going to watch more dimention 20 because idk I want to.

Edit:

OH MY FUCK HOW COULD I FORGET

6. FUNDY. Ok so this one is more recent and 100% because of the mind stream. Fundy is dreaming in the stream, it starts off in a Dream XD type situation, I presume, BUT with the introduction of the dark figure we can assume that going to far into your dreams/subconscious summons a dreamon to try and possess you if you don't "sleep", aka wake up, fast enough. Meaning that Fundy, as a dreamon hunter, would know this and while dreaming you forget some things. You're dumber in your dreams it's just fact, not all of you is there. SO the books were his conscious trying to get him to stop because he knew he would be weak to possession by continuing to go down the rabbit hole. Fundy may be possessed by a dreamon now, depending on if he was successful in waking up.

Meaning now, we could only have two dreamon hunters left, Tubbo and Sapnap(as far as I know I keep planning on watching the second dreamon stream, but just haven't gotten around to it...again). Once again, I'm pretty sure I had someone else in mind for possession, but I panicked and wrote this as fast as I could. Meaning I have no other thoughts rn, head empty.

[penguinwithitsarseonfire]

Gave Me the Blues and then Purple-Pink Skies

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 (welcome!) | Part 4

Pairing: 13th Doctor x Reader

Word Count: 1,959

Warnings: None

Summary: When reaching a dead end in the cave, you and the Doctor have no choice but to go through a tunnel in the wall. You end up in front of her, however, which means you’ve now got to take the risks, which the Doctor isn’t all too happy about.

A/N: I’m so super sorry this is so late! Tumblr ate my original post whilst I was out, so I’ve posted it as soon as I could. Thank you all for all your commetns and support, it’s been really encouraging!!

The plan was easier said than done.

The tunnel had narrowed significantly as you made your way through it, until it stopped abruptly. On the wall that made the dead end was a hole just big enough that you could both easily crawl through it, but was too high for either of you to reach.

You jumped a couple of times, reaching your arms to the hole and falling short by inches, just to prove the point.

“So,” The Doctor said. “We’re trapped.”

“Excellent observation skills,” you said dryly, but the smile you gave The Doctor was nothing but kind.

“It’s just a slight setback, not a big deal,” she wandered up to where you stood by the wall, under the hole, and shot up on the tips of her toes. “If I gave you a boost,” she said, eyeing the hole with a curious gaze. “Do you think you could pull yourself into the hole and help me up?”

You gaped at her. “Give me a boost, Doctor look at me,” you gestured to yourself. “Can you hold me?”

The Doctor gawped. “Can I hold you?” she recovered quickly. “Timelord strength, it’s disproportional to humans, a bit like ants actually, except Timelords are bigger than ants,” she then tapped the crystal wall. “It’ll be easier to get you up first, and then I can follow, because I can use these to support myself too, and I don’t want to risk you lifting me and getting hurt.”

You softened at her concern, then squared yourself against the wall. You pat the pocket of your pants, making sure your phone was secure. You were grateful that it hadn’t been damaged earlier, and you didn’t want to risk it again. “Alright then, boost me up.”

The first step was quite seamless, considering what happened after. The Doctor crouched into what you could only call a ‘sumo’ squat, and held your hands above her as you stepped onto her legs. You winced as your heavy boots dug into her thighs, hoping that you weren’t hurting her.

“Swing your other leg onto my shoulder,” she told you, and you did so, squeezing her hands to balance. She was surprisingly firm, not wavering at all was you fumbled into position.

You moved your other leg onto her shoulder, and The Doctor accommodated you by moving her arm under your leg so it supported you faster.

From above her, you watched in unabashed awe as she stood up, barely taking a breath. “There we go, that was simple. Easy as.”

You nodded dumbly, trying to ignore the fact that you were literally sitting on The Doctors shoulders, and that you could feel the way her muscles flexed under you as she gripped your hands. This was not the time, this was not the place. You were trapped in a cave for crying out loud!

“Yeah,” you said, a little bit breathless. “Easy.”

The pair of you had gained considerable height with you on The Doctor’s shoulders, and you could easily reach the opening in the wall. You hooked your arms into it, finding some grooves in the bottom of the hole to grip to, and pulled yourself up.

The Doctor knocked your foot with her free hand. “Here,” she said. “If you crouch on my shoulders it should be easier.”

“Right,” you grunted slightly, the exertion hitting you like a brick. With a burn in your arms, you let yourself hang so you could awkwardly coordinate yourself so you were crouching on The Doctor’s shoulders, and she used her hands as a base for your feet as you did so.

With a final pull, you dragged yourself into the opening in the wall. You lay yourself flat on the floor, huffing out a heaving breath as the muscles in your arms and legs burned, just giving yourself a moment where you could temporarily die.

Not that you’d ever voice that particular thought out loud, The Doctor would have a fit.

Below you The Doctor called out your name. “Whenever you’re ready, I could use a hand.”

“Yeah, just a minute,” you replied, and frowned as you pushed yourself back up.

The tunnel was thin, and you had to roll so you could face the other way. You wiggled your way through, until you were facing the entrance, and paused for a moment. The crystals really were quite bright, especially from this angle.

You poked your head out, your eyes locking on onto The Doctor’s. “Hi there,” you grinned.

“Hello,” The Doctor said, and jumped up. You clasped your hands around hers, and were surprised by how light she was.

After a bit of scuffling that involved her using the force of the crystals to get herself up further, and you pulling her into the tunnel, you both managed to tumble inside.

You huffed, letting out a heavy, winded breath. “Well, that was something.”

“Yeah,” The Doctor said next to you, plastered on the floor. “Worked though.”

You snorted. “I might put this on my resumé and become a full time cheerleader.”

“It’d be something,” she said, sitting up as best as she could inside the small tunnel. “Throwing yourself into a vent for your audition,” she paused, staring past you with a frown. “Ah, right. Didn’t think this through.”

You turned to look behind you, seeing nothing but the tunnel, and turned back to face her. “What do you mean?”

“You’re in front of me,” The Doctor gestured to you and the tunnel behind you. “And there’s not enough space for me to move in front of you.”

“Why is that an issue?” Because, really, you didn’t understand. “Is it bad that I’m in front, will that be problematic or something later?”

“Um, it’s not, or – well,” The Doctor groaned. “Okay,” she said, her voice dropping down to the level she used when she was about to say something very serious. “Just, be very careful, crawl slowly, and I’ll be right behind you.”

“Alright,” you said drawing out the word. You wondered briefly if The Doctor could sense something you couldn’t, which, perhaps she could, she was apparently telepathic and all that. “Is something wrong?”

“Ah no, no,” she didn’t sound convincing at all. “Nothing’s the matter.”

“Doctor…”

“I-” she groaned again. “I just can’t protect you as well, if I’m behind you, and I should have thought about that earlier and I didn’t. I’m sorry.”

Oh.

Your heart fluttered a little and you forced yourself not to pay attention. She was The Doctor, of course she wanted you to be safe, she wanted everyone she ever met to be safe.

But still though.

It was nice that she was worried about you.

Not that it was nice that The Doctor was worried, not at all. It was just that it was nice that The Doctor cared enough about you to be worried.

You shut off that particular thought tangent in your mind, it was been a bit of a mess.

“I get where you’re coming from,” you said, because you didn’t want to undermine any of her feeling. Especially because she shared them, and you knew The Doctor found it particularly difficult sometimes to share anything personal. “I am capable though, and it’s like you said, you’re right behind me.”

The Doctor nodded. “Yeah, yep,” and it was almost like she was trying to reassure herself. “Of course.”

You squeezed her forearm lightly to reassure her. “Right, let’s make like a baby and crawl.”

The Doctor snorted, and it brought a lightness to your chest. “Yeah, let’s.”

Small crystals lined the tunnels floor, and it dug into your hand and knees. It hurt, it felt like they were trying to pierce your skin but didn’t actually have the courage to go through with it, and before long your arms and legs were numb.

Your elbows wobbled as you crawled, and most of your energy was focused on just trying to remain level. The Doctor was right behind you, her soft breaths and the way her coat dragged against the crystals the only thing from her that you could hear.

You focused on the music, calling you and drawing you forward. You hoped it wasn’t something nefarious or evil on the other end, like a man eating siren or something (which would be a bummer), because the music just felt so innately part of you, like it clung to your bones and was replicating your soul.

Then the crystals gave way underneath you. With a yelp you tumbled forward, your numb hands flying forward to catch yourself on a crystal that was jutting out in front of where the rest of the floor had collapsed.

The Doctor called out your name, and clamped her hand around your calf.

You huffed out a heavy breath, blowing away some of the dust that the debris had created away from your eyes. “I’m fine,” you reassured her, peering into the cavern below.

“Alright,” The Doctor said, her voice level and serious. “Give me a moment, I’ll think of a way to get you out safely.”

The music played around you, and you cocked your head to the side, considering the cavern below. If you curled up, you could probably roll down safely.

The crystals that had been part of the dirt had fallen away, leaving a smooth, red surface. It’d be like rolling down a grassy hill – almost. But it could work. “It’s alright, I think we’re supposed to go down.”

“No, I can’t let you do that,” The Doctor said, the she groaned. “You shouldn’t have even been the one in front in the first place,” you heard a rustling, like she was shaking herself out of whatever self-admonishment spiral she’d fallen into. “We’ll get you out of this.”

“No wait,” below you, something began to sparkle, a soft, warm, yellow that reminded you of shining a torch through yellow cellophane. It reflected on some of the few blue crystals you could see, making them appear to glow green. “Doctor there’s a light,” you said. “I can see a light.”

The Doctor gripped you tighter and spoke fiercely. “Don’t go towards the light.”

It took you an embarrassing moment to realise that The Doctor thought you meant a different sort of light. You rolled your eyes. “It’s not that sort of light.”

“I don’t want you going towards any sort of light,” she said, matter-of-factly.

The music danced around you and you sighed. “Doc, please. I need you to trust me on this.”

You heard her shuffle behind you, and her grip on your calf tightened ever so slightly. “Of course I trust you – I just really don’t like this plan.”

You couldn’t help it, you snorted. “When have we ever had a plan that was good?”

The Doctor squawked. “Oi, I’ve had loads of good plans, good plans are practically my middle name, my M.O, my defining character trait – well, that and my lego architecture skills, which no one ever seems to talk about. I don’t have a clue what you’re going on about.”

You tried not to grin at her little outburst. “Bucharest, Doc.”

The Doctor huffed. “I’ve apologised about the carnivorous butterflies. Loads of times.”

“Yeah,” you drew out the word. “It proves my point though.”

“I’m sure if we crawl backwards, we can find-“

“Doc,” you interrupted. “The path caved in and there’s no other path for us to use. There’s no other way.”

You could feel the disappointed energy radiating from The Doctor. “Well there’s no need to bring the vibe down like that.”

“Doctor.”

The Doctor let out a long groan, and gently took her hand off your calf. “Alright, fine. But be very careful, and I’ll be right behind you.”