#season 2 will be posted once it's finished airing :)

[canonicallyobserving911]

Several Sentences Sunday

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

Season 7 FANON FanFic: Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Chapter 27 will be posted tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest. I'm in the final stage of completing it and after I do, I'll proofread and edit it then I'll post it on AO3.

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Currently 26 chapters completed: 1M Words; Rated: Mature

One chapter will be posted at a time.

{#1 Previous snippet}

{#2 Previous snippet}

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I'm excited to finish writing Chapter 27 because at the end of Chapter 26, while Buck was sleeping, he made a sound that Eddie hadn't heard before then he immediately sat up in bed and called Eddie's name. He was in a daze when he did and to Eddie, Buck appeared to be still dreaming but since his eyes were open, he started talking to him to get his attention.

They spent the majority of the day before in the hospital after Buck collapsed in Eddie's arms and suffered a bradycardia event of epic proportions. He was unconscious and unresponsive after he received a package that was delivered to the firehouse while they were in Europe. Once he opened it and read the letter, he reached the part where it stated someone died and it reminded him of his own death and it triggered the event.

All three members of the Diaz family are supporting one another as Buck faces the fact that he died last year and as he proceeds to deal with all 7 stages of grief.

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Here's a romantically fluffy and almost smutty snippet from Chapter 27 of Buck and Eddie being head over heels in love with each other.

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Buck breaks the sound barrier first and admits, “Eddie, I love you, so much.  Do you know how much I love you?”

“I do.”  He smiles and stretches his arms out as far as they’ll go and replies, “This much.”

“More!”  He whispers as he moves closer and positions himself so he’s on top of his husband. He leans down and kisses him passionately and after he pulls back, he looks him in the eyes and says, “I love you to infinity and beyond.”

Eddie raises his eyebrows.  “My love… did you just hit me with a line from the movie “Toy Story”?  Didn’t Buzz Lightyear say that?”  Eddie knows the movie and the line because Chris watched it over and over again when he was 6 years old.

Buck laughs and Eddie does too and before they know it, they’re both crying from laughing so hard.

When their laughter subsides, Buck says, “Yeah… he did but it’s the only way I could think of to describe how much I love you.”

And who is Eddie to refute that.  “I love you to infinity and beyond too” then he lifts his head and presses his lips to Buck’s and when he runs his tongue over his bottom lip, he opens for him.

The kiss is tantalizing and magnificent because it’s filled with love, passion and devotion and when Eddie rolls his tongue like he rolls his "Rs" when he speaks Italian and Spanish, Buck thinks his heart’s going to explode in his chest because he wants to feel his husband all over him.

It’s been more than a week, actually it’s been 13 days but Buck thinks who’s counting, then he realizes he has and he can’t wait for Eddie to be buried deep inside of him again.

After more than a minute, they break it because they need to come up for air and when they do, Eddie looks at his husband and he wants to make love to him so bad right now but in the back of his mind, he hears, “You know you aren’t supposed to” but his heart and the bulge in his pants causes him to breathlessly say, “Ciò che vuoi!” [“Tell me what you want!”]

“VOI!  [“YOU!”]

And that’s all it takes for them to crash their lips into each other’s again and for Buck to start undressing his husband while speaking Italian in his ear.  “Voglio che tu faccia l’amore con me!” [“I want you to make love to me”].

Eddie’s breath hitches in his throat but then everything that happened and was said to them on Monday comes back to the front of his mind like a whirlwind.  He gasps and after he catches his breath, he whispers, “Amore mio, we should st—op!”

Buck keeps kissing that soft spot underneath his earlobe that drives him wild and after he scrapes his teeth over it, he asks, “Don’t you want me because… I really want you?  Eddie, I need you!”

Without hesitation, he admits, “Of course I—I do… I always want you, more than anything but you know we can’t… not right now.  We have to wait until…”

Why did Eddie tell Buck they have to wait to make love? 🤷🏽‍♀️

___________

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

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Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.

Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.

Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.

Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?

Chapter 21 - Buck, Eddie and Chris are finalizing their ‘To Do’ Lists, double checking their itineraries and packing their suitcases in preparation for their trip to Europe so they can board their flight that departs Los Angeles, CA on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:25PM.

Chapter 22 - While Buck, Eddie and Chris spend the first 8 days of their European family adventure in Italy, their primary reason for going will be fulfilled as well as several others they hadn’t considered or anticipated.

Chapter 23 - As the Diaz Family continues their Italian family adventure, they’ll say, “Ciao” or hello and goodbye to a lot of things almost immediately after they become an official and legal family.

Chapter 24 - After Buck, Eddie and Chris arrive in London, England on December 24th; the Diazes immediately start preparing to spend their first family Christmas together. During their stay, each of them will hear a few choice words that will be the life raft to get them home to complete their searches to be seen and to be found.

Chapter 25 - After spending more than two weeks in Europe, Eddie, Buck and Chris are back in Los Angeles and they’re getting ready to attend Maddie and Chimney’s New Year’s Eve party. During the event, they have plans to make two surprise announcements but the question is, who’s really going to be surprised, the Diaz family or their found family at the 118?

Chapter 26 - Buck and Eddie are once again faced with their greatest fear of losing each other but this time it could be permanent and if it is, then they won’t be able to spend the rest of their lives together.

Chapter 27 - Will be posted soon.

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Read chapters 1-26 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

Chapter 27 will be posted tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest. I'm in the final stage of completing it and after I proofread and edit it, I'll post it.

[keetika]

   —   ⁺  𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐀 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐎  ,  1996  [ #158 GIFS ]  CAN'T BUY ME LOVE S1 ( 2023 )  /  chie filomeno is filipino ( bisaya & tagalog ) & ¼ chinese, please cast accordingly and use appropriately. all of the gifs have been created from scratch by me. to access the gifs please click the source link. do not edit, claim as your own or add into your own hunts! time and effort were spent into making these gifs, a like or a reblog would be much appreciated!

[ ! ] content warning: alcohol, drinking

[ ! ] follow @searph​ for southeast asian resources!

[twig-tea]

With 23.5 finally coming out, the people are rejoicing at finally getting a high profile gl from GMMTV. But there have already been several gls airing this year, including my fav TsukuTabe, that have been flying under the radar with fandom, and in general there are more gls already out there than folks seem to think. I just know you have a list of all the gls we should be watching, please share with the class!

Thank you for the ask! How did you know I had a draft of GL recs to make at some point? [Trick question, I mentioned it to you.]

It may seem like I'm out here hating on GL because i've made a couple of negative reviews of recently airing series recently (Love Senior and Chaser Game W in case you're curious) but I actually have lots of GL that I love and that I wish were better known! Thanks for sending this ask so I am inspired to actually finish it! I've limited myself to series so that I could keep the list and this post to a reasonable length. Where possible I've listed where you can find each of these and included a link. And I've included an 'elevator pitch' summary but I am NOT in marketing for a reason, so please don't roast me too hard for my terrible comparisons. Alright, enough waffling!

Twig's GL Rec List

She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat S1 & 2 (Japan, 2022 & 2024, both seasons fansubbed by @furritsubs; if you need help accessing this show feel free to DM me!)

Elevator pitch: Our Dining Table with lesbians and an even slower burn. Watch for beautiful food, acespec rep, mental health and therapy rep

What might turn some off: Extremely low heat, and quite slow-moving; warning for a disordered eating and family trauma plot (v gently handled)

Let's start with the one you've already mentioned. This is a heartwarming slice-of-life slow burn in which an autismspec-coded woman who likes to eat is invited by her neighbour, a femme acespec woman who loves to cook, to come and eat her food. It starts from a very practical place (when you love making food you need someone to help eat it), but their relationship grows as they spend more time together. The story follows them as they both move towards self-actualization in several ways: as a lesbian, as asexual, at work, with their families, with their friends, with each other. This show is so careful to say the important words aloud. And there is so much delicious cooking! Each episode highlights a particular recipe, and the food porn is real. Do not watch while hungry, but definitely watch. The found famiy vibes in this one one are also immaculate.

She Makes My Heart Flutter (Korea, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Younger lesbian friend group tries to help out (slightly) older lesbian bar owner with mixed success. I can't think of a good BL equivalent, The Moment Since feels the closest with its similar bartender/patron romance

What might turn some off: Comedic tone; short runtime; struggles with being closeted

This is a gem of a miniseries about a bar owner and an interior designer who smoulder at one another while an intrepid group of younger bar regulars (including the bar owner's neice) meddle. This series is really cute, solid, and full of sapphics! Once again found family vibes are immaculate (you may sense a theme in my faves). Run don't walk.

Fragrance of the First Flower (Taiwan, 2021, GagaOOLala)

Elevator pitch: Right-person-wrong-time/second chance romance; tonally is a little like We Best Love 2: Fighting Mr. 2nd but with an ambiguous ending.

What might turn you off: Medium heat, second chance romance means they break up once, internalized homophobia, adultery/cheating, at one point there's a creepy dude, child with autism (depicted well), ambiguous ending

At its core this is a story of a woman who can't stop getting in the way of her own happiness. This series is a little more sad than the rest of this rec list but I couldn't not include it because this relationship is so poignant. Plus there's a s2 that supposedly is to come out in 2024 so maybe we'll get our happy ending after all?

Love Greater Than or Equal to 70 Degrees C (Korea, 2019, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Ingredients but with lesbians staring at one another over beautiful tea pairings! What more could you ask for?

What might turn you off: Low heat; short runtime; ambiguous ending; like Ingredients this is essentially a long ad for the café it's filmed at.

This is a Korean miniseries about passionate tea sommeliers making really fancy tea while staring at one another a LOT. Perfect sapphic representation, 10/10 no notes. This one packs a lot of the drama tropes into its short runtime, so even though it's short it's full of butterfly-inspiring moments.

Sleep With Me (Philippines, 2022, GagaOOLala/iWantTFC/Netflix w/VPN set to Philippines)

Elevator pitch: The Truth About Cats and Dogs but the self esteem issues are handled without catfishing. BL equivalent: Hmmm. Closest I can think of is Gaya Sa Pelikula.

What might turn you off: There's some ableism (treated as such) in this show; Open ending.

Stellar GL between a late night radio DJ and an insomniac who listens to her show. One of the main couple is a wheelchair user and the show tackles ablelism and navigating disability in relationship as well as feelings of inadequacy in a relationship and how that manifests as interpersonal conflict.

Our Relationship Ended Before it Began (Korea, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Along the lines of I Cannot Reach You; the show gives both perspectives and they are held back by queer angst.

What might turn you off: No kiss (but they make it very clear both want to kiss), internalized homophobia

Really sweet miniseries about having a crush and being afraid of being hurt so you don't actually make a move. I really like the way the girl who has not dated a girl before defaults to gender roles and it throws the more experienced lesbian lol I also really like the way this show makes clear that both of them are waiting for a kiss, and that if you get in your head about things, it can get in the way of your own happiness!

Pearl Next Door (Philippines, 2020, Youtube)

Elevator Pitch: Gameboys but with lesbian vloggers.

What might turn you off: Love triangle, lots of teasing but low heat in the end, a lot of (good) conversations about mental health issues, ambiguous ending

This is the GL spinoff to Gameboys, starring Pearl from Gameboys. Pearl ends up being fought over by the two gorgeous women in the gif, an old love and a new. I love the queer friendships in this story as much as the relationships. I will say it's an open ending (that felt a bit like the showrunners didn't want to decide between ships) and definitely the love triangle features prominently but even in the face of these aspects that would normally turn me off a series I had a good time. The characters and interpersonal conflicts feel very real, and are allowed to be complex even when the show tone is comedic.

Dear Uranus (Taiwan, 2021, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Schoolgirl ensemble GL; a little like My School President but without the singing.

What might turn you off: Short runtime; ambiguous ending; a little bit of bullying; very standard romance trope execution

The first Taiwanese GL miniseries, this series was produced by a Taiwanese lesbian couple (Rabbit & Wolf)! Lots of excellent drama tropes, and incredibly gorgeous women (I think the entire watching audience fell in love with Erol.

Lily Fever (Korea, 2015, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Complete crack; YYY but with more kissing and frankly an even less coherent story.

What might turn you off: The lack of coherent plot; less a romance and more a very thirsty lesbian kissing everyone she can

This miniseries is utter chaos. Nothing really makes sense, it's all just random excuses to cause very suggestive moments (and kissing) to happen. I love so much how this series depicts women being so absolutely thirsty for one another (and yes that date isn't a typo, this series is ~9 years old). Not an "happy ever after" ending but it really isn't that kind of story.

Chasing Sunsets (Philippines, 2020, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Ocean Likes Me with lesbians. Resort romance with a mental health twist.

What might turn you off: Some of the mental health stuff gets intense, this was filmed in 2020 so the pandemic features heavily; hopeful but slightly ambiguous ending.

A complex story from the Philippines covering mental health and finding yourself. A woman shows up to a resort and befriends one of the women running the resort. They get closer as they spend time together, and the resort owner realizes something is off. There's also a BL side couple in this series.

Show Me Love (Thai, 2023, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: A little like My Day the series with lesbians, in that they work together and fall in love and it's full of tropes

What might turn you off: The advertising for the Miss Grand competition, there is some bullying and cheating (though way less than I was expecting tbh), not a lot actually happens, the editing gets a bit wonky at the end

This is essentially a massive ad for the Miss Grand Thailand competition; this GL was produced by the same company that produces that competition, and the stars are mostly Miss Grand competitors. The main pairing were shipped in the actual competition, and the company decided to make a GL about them. It's very slow paced and low-stakes, and there are better kisses than I expected considering everything I just said about where this show came from. There are a lot of cute moments!

Girlfriend Project (Korea, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Love Class with lesbians

What might turn you off: One of the leads is kind of mean in that pgitail-pulling way? It ends abruptly (but happily)

This is a short miniseries about two girls paired in a class that are assigned to "date". The chemistry is chemistrying. And there is a kiss (a good kiss, and a tiptoes kiss at that!). This show also has one of my favourite tropes, in which someone who seems like a pushover stands up for themselves and their partner finds it very attractive. For the record, in this show they are watching another GL by the same company, Love Tech.

Lulu (Philippines, 2022, Vivamax/grey)

Elevator Pitch: Present Perfect with lesbians (but with a better ending).

What might turn you off: Depictions of panic attacks, brief depiction of drowning, pandemic lockdowns, illness, exes, waffling, happy but open ending (which I actually liked for this story)

Two women trying to move on from the garbage in their lives meet at the beach of a B&B (where one saves the other from drowning) and become one another's company during their escape and then something more. They both have baggage that seems determined to keep them apart even as they continue to be drawn together. In the end, they decide to stick it out and see where they end up, with no guarantee of happily ever after, which I found very sweet. Requires either a VivaMax account or searching the grey for it, but it's worth the effort (check MyDramaList comments for suggestions on where to find it). Plus one of the leads has a cactus as a pet.

Welcome to the Lesbian Bar (Korea, 2023, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: A little like Fudanshi Bartender but without the fudanshi bartender and all of the bar patrons are lesbians lol

What might turn you off: Short, can get a little bit preachy, abrupt ending

Cute short series with different very stories every episode as different patrons visit the bar. The stories range from women who have been together for awhile, to people meeting from an online app for the first time, to someone visiting a lesbian bar for the first time; and yet the story all weaves together in a way that's satisfying though ends abruptly. Includes some solid marriage equality propaganda.

GAP the Series (Thai, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Kind of the vibes of Together with Me but lesbians and in an office instead of school. Angry boss falls for charming new intern and

What might turn you off: This one is the highest heat of all these recs; homophobia especially amongst family, brief depictions of death by car, brief mentions of suicide, cheating, bullying, abuse of power in the office.

A list would not be complete without this one! Honestly the plot is a bit wobbly but the show is a lot of fun. The girls are very cute, the feelings and tension builds really well between them, the friend group is excellent, and in the special we get a wedding.

---

The rest of these have caveats of one kind or another, but i couldn't leave them off a rec list, so here are the side couples and censored stories that are still worth your time anyway (I might do a separate more detailed post for these, as well as for films, one day if there's interest):

Nevertheless (GL side; Korean, 2021, Netflix) Not sure it's worth watching a whole kdrama for side lesbians? Search soljiwan on youtube. They are great. Even the Netflix account stans them. I watched this (ngl, I watched the SolJiwan cut) as it aired and was constantly braced for it to let us down but it did not! A really good friends-to-lovers story.

Friend Zone 2: Dangerous Area (GL side; Thailand, 2019, YouTube): These sapphics are messy and I love them. Decent conversation about dating someone with mental health issues in this series, and they're one of the only couples in this ensemble to get a happy ending. If you're just watching the lesbian couple (which you can, their story is pretty self-contained) you don't need to have seen s1.

Six Survivors (GL side; Japan, 2022, Viki) This show is a horror comedy and it is SO MUCH FUN. Warning for zombies and blood, but way less than you might think. One of the eponymous 6 survivors is a lesbian who keeps trying to convert them to veganism lol. If you watched Chaser Game W you'll recognize one of the actresses in this, the lead actress is from Kamisama no Ekohiiki, and one of the guys is from the prequel series His as well as I Want to See Only You! And yes there is a kiss. Also a surprising number of Mallrats references. Not for people who can't handle gore or relationships being complicated/not a "true love" story/ambiguous ending.

Kamisama no Ekohiiki (complicated question of is it GL in parts, Japan, 2021, furritsubs once again coming through to save the day) This one is a bit complex because there's bodyswap, but the girl who falls for the bodyswapped boy-in-a-girl's-body is clear that she is only interested in the girl. One of the better bodyswap stories because the bodyswap is not a secret for very long, so instead there's a lot of introspection about what gender means and who/what they are attracted to. Feels wrong to call this GL, necessarily, but it's very queer.

Couple of Mirrors (Censored GL, China, 2021, Viki) Story of a rich girl and her assassin girlfriend. This production did an amazing job getting away with what they could, just don't watch the last five minutes and we've got essentially a happy lesbian family.

Legend of Yunze (Censored GL, China, 2021, @douqi7s) Very cute very low budget xianxia miniseries with two seasons and a special. The special is set in modern times in a future lifetime so if you want a cute censored-but-clearly-a-soulmate-love-story this is the one for you. Don't be thrown off by the weird cuts/abrupt episode endings, that's in line with cdramas in general.

Led Astray by Love (Censored GL, China, 2021, @douqi7s) A very fun and adorable isekai story in which a modern day girl is transported to a wuxia novel setting and has to figure out how to get home, and gets romanced by the princess along the way.

And a few additional links for people who even more content:

My Indian sapphic webseries rec list

My suggestions for content with toms (Thai category that's similar to but not exactly the same as butch lesbians) in response to this post.

This really good GL MyDramaList list (not made by me!) lists what seems to be everything I've mentioned and about 200 more. Even I haven't seen a few of these!

My YouTube playlist of sapphic content: This includes anything I stumble across or find in my searches, a lot of music videos and random shorts as well as some microseries and miniseries that I don't consider GL but are WLW/sapphic in addition to true "GL" content. For serialized content, I add just the first ep. A complete mess, but you can trawl through to find stuff to watch, like Hetero!

SOONOTSUE: The same producers of She Makes My Heart Flutter have other short series on their channel worth checking out; if you liked that one, try Out of Breath!

Shakeshoulder: Thai YouTube producers of very pulpy (read: low budget and dramatic plots) shorts

FuFuKnows: This YouTube channel is owned by a gay Taiwanese couple that produces shorts every week, including some with GL mains and sides. These are very low budget but cover a whole swath of queer themes.

@douqi7s is a godsend providing subtitles for all kinds of content, including sapphic shorts and more series than I've listed here. Check their tumblr for links to all of their content; A Practical Guide to Being a Superstar's Assistant has one of the best setups to giving us great moments in the guise of something else so that they get past censorship I've ever seen; I also recommend The Vampires if you're into genre fiction, as well as Legend of Yunqian if you enjoyed the xianxia parts of Legend of Yunze. @wlwcatalogue did an excellent summary of many of the non-wuxia options here.

Quick pitch for the streaming platform GagaOOLala; it's affordable, has a ton of content, including a whack of GLs (originals, license series, and a ton of shorts), and is run by queer people out of Taiwan who care about good quality queer content being made and having an audience, and using the soft power from those successful series to support social change. And if you can't afford a subscription it's worth checking out what they have for free, they open up temporary free access to some things for various events throughout the year.

In searching for gifs for this post I found fellow tumblr user @drowningparty 's WLW compendium list; they've listed more series and films so check it out if you still need more content!

*wipes sweat off brow* that should be enough to be getting on with, but it's really just the tip of the iceberg! If there's something specific you want to see with sapphics let me know and I can tell you if I know it exists. Anyway, I hope this gives you and everyone else a taste of what all is out there! I of course always want more, I am serious about being a sapphic dragon hoarding every crumb i can get my lizardy hands on, but I do think what we have should also be appreciated more. If I missed one of your faves, please tell me!

[yumeka-sxf]

Spy x Family news (and future blog projects)

Woke up to some great SxF news today 💖 Firstly, we finally got a confirmed air date for season 2 (10/7) as well as a new key visual!

The text says: "The next stage is a luxury cruise ship, the voyage of the family with secrets is a sign of big upheaval!?"

Also, completely unexpectedly, a SxF game was announced at today's Nintendo Direct! It will be released next year.

The game looks really adorable! The 3D character models look pretty good too.

You can watch the game trailer here.

Now that we have a confirmed date for season 2, I wanted to announce that I'm going to continue my Twiyor post series for the new episodes 😊 But first, since I know SxF tags on Tumblr will blow up once season 2 begins, I'm going to reblog my Twiyor posts (along with a few others). I'm going to start reblogging about one every few days starting around the end of this month, so by the time season 2 is close to finishing, all 18 will be reblogged and I'll go right into the first new post of the season! (part 19) Although I have a good idea of which chapters season 2 will cover, I don't know exactly which ones, nor what order or how the pacing will be, so to make sure I don't get too ahead with the new posts, I figured it'd be best to start them towards the end of the season.

For all the posts I'm going to reblog during this period, I'll be using the tag "#reblog for season 2 hype" So feel free to block that tag if you're not interested in seeing any reblogs.

With all this plus the movie, there's lots to look forward to for the SxF fandom! 😁

[irlmagicalart]

to the crew member who is responsible for the Sprig plush in Hunter's room — i love you i owe you my life <3

(please pretend I finished and posted these last August before Thanks to Them aired - k thanks byyyyyeeeee~)

bonus doodle, thoughts, and reference credits under the readmore :)

POV grimwalker #58 is 8 years and frew up at 3am

Once I caught up on season 2 of TOH last summer and saw the Sprig plush in Hunter's room, my brain went BRRRRRRRR. Even though it's just an easter egg/cute reference someone snuck in, I immediately thought that Amphibia existing as a children's book or book series on the Boiling Isles would be a fun in-universe reason for him to have a Sprig plush; especially since Hunter canonically loves to read, like Luz. I thought it would have been nice for the Amphibia books to have been one of the few genuine childhood experiences he got to have before being fully indoctrinated by Belos. Since we don't have a full canon timeline for Hunter, I made a few artistic choices when I was originally doodling these. 1. His ear notch is from creation, and not an injury. I got the image stuck in my mind of a still clay-like toddler grimwalker, and Belos accidentally clipping his ear in the process of trying to cut his hair 💀 2. Hunter's face scar happens later on, maybe around age 12 or 13 (and almost definitely due to an outburst from Belos). 3. Before Flapjack (❤️), Hunter monologued to Sprig 4. While the thought of Darius, Lilith, or Belos being the adult to help make the plush is extremely funny, I couldn't imagine any of them actually doing that, LMAO. Darius and Lilith might not have even been a coven heads yet, and while Belos may have indulged the fresh child grimwalkers a little, I couldn't see him being kind or patient enough to do more than just allow them to have some of their own childhood interests for a short while. Gotta let your child soldiers have the illusion of personal choice and love so they stay loyal :,) SO, I thought to myself, "Who the fuck would be in the castle, but wouldn't hate Hunter for existing??" and then I thought about how Amity volunteered with the public Library to read to kids and help them with projects, and how amazing librarians are, in general. So I decided the castle library had this kind witch as an employee for a while during Hunter's childhood, and he is the one who helped Hunter make Sprig :,,,) Credits Non-native procreate brushes used: Star Brush Set for Procreate by CK Art & Design Ultimate Dynamic Comic Panels, Balloons and SFX Toolkit for Procreate By Ittai Manero

Hunter's bedroom layout referenced from Hunting Palismen (S2E6), and Leland Goodman's original design for Lilith's room (which it seems was re-used for Hunter's room later on in production).

[charles-leclerc-official]

2024 Australian Grand Prix Race Analysis

Here is my Australian Grand Prix full race analysis, this got long because there was a lot to cover, table of contents below detailing the order of the post. 

Table of Contents Ferrari – Carlos: his race – Charles: his car setup and race – In depth data analysis Mercedes  – Lewis DNF  – George: his crash and his race – Fernando penalty Red Bull – Max DNF – Checo: his race  Mclaren  VCARB  – Yuki: his race – Yuki vs Daniel pace analysis Haas Stake Williams

Ferrari

Ferrari had Carlos starting at P2 and Charles starting P4. Right away Carlos went for the overtake on Max in the first few laps, and this is when he took the lead of the race.

Carlos finished P1 and Charles finished P2 for a Ferrari 1-2! 

Charles also got the fastest lap on lap 56 so Ferrari took all possible points this weekend.

Ferrari strategy: The Ferrari strategy was good. Full stop. I have seen a lot of takes on this and I want to put them to bed. 

Carlos was ahead, he qualified better and did take the lead. 

Charles was doing well, HOWEVER his pace especially on those mediums at the start of the race was off(due to the dirty air combined with heat). His car setup was not maximized for the race and we knew that already from qualifying. His tyres also cooked in the dirty air he was dealing with from Lando and Oscar in those early laps. This is where he lost a chunk of time. 

So with a car at the lead of the race and another being strong but statistically off the pace Ferrari made the choice to back the leading car.

The pit stops were timed perfectly. They avoided the undercut from Mclaren and kept both drivers on tyres they could push on when it counted(especially for Charles).

This was really exactly what Ferrari should have done given the circumstances of this particular race and the placement of their drivers. 

This race was not a repeat of Silverstone 2022. In fact quite the opposite. This really is promising for what Fred and the team can do the rest of the season strategy-wise. 

Carlos

Started P2 and finished in P1. As his first race coming off surgery that is to be commended and I would say that this was easily his best race(where he won at least). 

His overtake on Max wasn’t as impressive as it’s being hyped, because Max’s brake problem was already present(this is seen on telemetry) so I wouldn’t really say it’s that impressive, he would have had the lead anyway after Max DNFed.

I don’t really have a ton to add, it was a clean race, once he was ahead he kept the lead for the rest of the race and didn’t have to fight any other cars.

I want to dispel some narratives forming around Carlos' win:

“It was a gifted win”: No, Carlos qualified P2, he did overtake, and he finished the race, and the team supported him normally. Nothing was given to him. Was he lucky and in the right place at the right time? Yes, but that isn’t a gifted win. 

“Carlos ended Max Verstappen’s streak” : this makes it sound like he beat Max. And that just isn’t true. He overtook Max who was already having serious brake issues, and the reason Max lost/DNFed had nothing to do with Carlos’ driving. Carlos won, no reason to say it like this to try to make it sound better.

Charles

His race was decided in qualifying, and he knew it. It was confirmed after he did his first stint behind Lando. 

The Car Setup

First we need to talk about Charles car setup because it set the tone for the rest of the weekend:

For FP3 the team made adjustments to the balance of Charles’ car. This was done because while he was very fast during FP2 and FP1 he was losing time each lap to Max on turns 9 and 10. He was losing grip and that was costing time. While this wasn’t a concern for free practice this kind of thing would have potentially had much greater effects on race day. So changes were made to try to improve the grip.

Unfortunately they didn’t get these adjustments right. And in FP3 Charles had worse grip, which he noted. To compensate for the adjustment Charles and his team went for a very aggressive balance adjustment to the front wing of his car for qualifying. This was too extreme, and it ended up impeding his performance in qualifying. This was once again an over-correction and this is what cost him in qualifying. 

(It is also worth noting that in FP3 he set that fastest lap on the softs, which were not used during the race due to heat)

I say all this that while many were claiming Ferrari are not helping Charles and they were ruining his race, this suggests the opposite. In fact Ferrari were more focused on getting Charles’ car tuned to be more competitive against Max. Did they mess that up? Yes. I think a combination of over-correcting the issue and the hotter track temps contributed to this. However all of these factors do suggest that Ferrari is more focused on getting Charles dialed in to take Max. Even though this weekend's outcome might not feel like it reflects that, I think we will be very pleased when they do come through. And I fully believe that Ferrari will be able to do that for Charles this season. 

[Charles = Red Max = Blue Carlos = White]

Charles knew his race was decided in qualifying. He said as much, that it basically meant he wasn’t going to be able to push for the win(he meant against Max but I still think this statement stands) So he started further back and the balance and thus grip issues followed Charles on that first stint of the medium tyres and the second on the hards. 

Charles started P4 behind Lando Norris. And once again, this is when the way his race was managed was determined. He was in dirty air on that first stint, and well into the second stint. This is when it became clear that he was not going to be contending for the win to the team. So they made strategy calls accordingly.

On the second set of hards he did pick up the pace, made headway closing the gap to Carlos and got the fastest lap. 

His pace was off Carlos at the beginning of the race but by the end he was matching and surpassing it.

I want to dispel some narratives and misinformation being spread about Charles’ race and his car:

“The cooling duct replacement is why his car was off” : No, that cooling duct did not affect his performance this race. The car would have behaved differently if that had caused the pace issue. In fact the cooling duct probably helped him in this race overall. Not all parts replacements are bad, so don’t buy into narratives set by people who know nothing about the mechanical functions of these parts. 

“Charles didn't fight '' : again wrong. It was clear within those first ten laps he didn't have the pace with the dirty air he was in. Yes he picked up time at the end but that was too late. Charles knows all this, he knew which is why it was good to follow team orders and maximize points for himself and the team.

Furthermore he did fight. At the end of the race when he had the new hards he was closing the gap, he made some progress at that. If he'd had clean air earlier in the race he would have been able to push more. But at the end you could see him closing the gap, he just didn't have enough remaining laps to get close enough to Carlos. I do believe that at the pace he was going if Charles had 10 more laps he would have caught Carlos.

“P2 is bad” (for some reason?): P2 isn't bad, that’s a podium and a bunch of points. 

“They changed Charles' car!”: Charles had direct input into his car setup. The team didn't just change it on him without his knowledge or input, or without the need for it.

“Charles was faster” : yes and no. At the beginning Charles was not faster than Carlos. On average he was roughly four tenths off Carlos. However the race was pretty much decided by the time he did find the pace. Those last 10 or so laps were great. He was shaving off time with each lap and he ended up getting the fastest lap of the race! In fact he was faster than Carlos once he got into the clean air. So yes Charles was fast and on the last stint he was faster. But as a whole for this race his pace was on average 4 tenths off Carlos (which is very good, that is a close margin between the cars and looks promising for the SF-24 overall) It really just came down once again to that starting grid placement.

“Charles should have defied team orders” or “Team orders screwed Charles over”: again no. Most of the time it is good for a driver to follow team orders. Even if he had defied team orders I don’t think the outcome of the race would have been any different. He started too far behind Carlos, by the time he was out of dirty air Carlos was too far ahead. 

“Melbourne is his strongest track” : nope. Charles has said himself that this isn't his strongest track. People think this because of his grand slam, however that was an exception not the rule. 

I also want to address the idea that they should have made Charles and Carlos switch. It’s insane to expect a team to ask a driver who is in first and having no issues to swap with his teammate. Especially with such a large gap between them. That is so far outside of what would be considered acceptable. I understand the urge to want your favorite to get everything(I grit my teeth as I type this because yes I wanted this too), but I don’t even think Charles would want a win like that. 

Charles is smart. He knows race strategy. He knew right away what the call would be given where he was. If he'd had the pace and positioning to fight for P1 he would have told the team. He already knew his race wasn’t optimized during quali, that’s why he went with the Ferrari strategy. 

The performance this weekend falls mostly on Ferrari for not maximizing the setup configuration of Charles’ car. Also just some bad luck and track conditions. In spite of all that Charles ran a great race that put him in P2 in the WDC.

Finally, remember it’s important to know when you can and should fight. Charles is smart, he knows based on his car and conditions when he can fight. Expecting someone to fight regardless of the conditions being optimal for it is just not realistic, and it doesn’t really lead to good outcomes. 

Charles isn't perfect. Dialing a car for your driving style on a particular track is hard and sometimes you get it wrong, especially when there are last minute changes(which I will repeat were needed). We've seen this before with many many teams.

He got the fastest lap on used hards, and he took P2 for a clean Ferrari 1-2 and that is what we love to see. In fact his was the more impressive performance overall as far as on track driving goes in a Ferrari this weekend. 

Charles is fast, and he will be fighting again in future races. 

Comparing Charles' and Carlos' pace

So now we are going to look at some telemetry that reflects the story of the race as I have told it. Going over some details of note.

Comparing fastest lap: Charles to Carlos

Comparing Charles and Carlos full race pace

You can see that once Charles got clean air he was matching Carlos pace at worst and beating it at best. He was pushing those last few laps for some real speed. The first ten laps where Charles had the most dirty air to contend with were his worst. The switch to the hards helped with this. Once he was on fresh hards in the final 24 laps he was matching Carlos pace or beating it.

Carlos also lost most of his time at turn 10(especially compared to Max) and also turn 6. So we know his car was having the same problem, but nothing was done to try to maximize. It may be he didn’t want to change any more settings, or Ferrari really did give priority to Charles in this regard, it’s impossible to say. But both cars had this problem. 

The big focus of the weekend was trying to gain pace and work out the issues on turn 10. In this way Charles actually did get priority with Ferrari trying to get it figured out for his car. 

I also don’t think that Ferrari struggling with the car setup for Charles is indicative of anything very concerning. Multiple other teams had issues managing grip and getting car settings right for track conditions (Red Bull being the prime example) So it doesn’t look like they were uniquely struggling in this area.

This race did show us that the SF-24 is a good base to work with and is firmly ahead of the rest of the field with the potential to give Red Bull some trouble. 

Anyway I know that was long but I wanted to leave no doubt about what happened and to show the proof.

Mercedes

Mercedes as a whole had the worst weekend of any team. With Lewis' DNF due to engine failure, and George's DNF due to the reckless actions of another driver. This weekend’s result definitely isn’t either driver’s fault.

Lewis

Lewis had to retire after his car suffered an engine failure. The W15 has not been living up to expectations. Not much else to say, clearly not his fault and that car has been giving him trouble all season so far. It is very much a case of it's the car's fault not the driver's. 

George

Content warning I will be discussing his crash on lap 58 in detail.

George had a decent race. He was ahead of his teammate at the start and he was chasing down cars. 

On lap 58 George crashed out, he lost the rear of the car, went into the gravel and that caused one of the tyres to catch, sliding under the car enough to flip it sideways. The car came to a stop in the middle of the track just after turn 6.

A yellow flag and virtual safety car was deployed. 

George called repeatedly for a red flag, stating that he was in the middle of the track. He was clearly scared and terrified he might be hit at any moment.

Fernando Alonso: The reason George lost control is because he was behind Fernando, who going into turn 6 slowed unusually, causing George to have to drive erratically as a response. This “brake check” is what caused George's crash.  The stewards investigated after the race and issued a 3 place grid penalty to Fernando.  Now I am not going to speculate too much on if Fernando did this brake check on purpose or if it was - as he claim - due to a throttle issue he was having. He either drove recklessly, or maliciously(or some combination of both), either way it is deserving of a penalty. I suspect that the answer lies in the middle but I can't read minds. We can only go off of his account and whether or not we believe his version of events.  I do however agree that regardless of if the braking was intentional or not it warranted a penalty. That was extremely dangerous, causing a serious crash that easily could have ended in severe injury or a fatality if the gap to the next car hadn't been great enough. In fact we saw that Lance’s engineer was frantically telling him to slow down, if he hadn’t been as far behind as he was this would have likely ended so much worse.

The session should have been red flagged. A major crash leaving a driver in the middle of the track is a call for an instant red flag. But the stewards went with yellow and a VSC. That call was unacceptable. I suspect they didn't put up the red flag because it was the last lap of the race and they didn't want a controversial finish. If they had it’s possible we see the leading Ferrari’s have the chance to battle it out, or even Lando to compete closer to the front. Yes, anyone beating Carlos at this point after he was easily going to win would have caused controversy. But it’s better to have a controversial race than to literally compromise the safety of a driver. This serves the FIA who recently were under investigation for a race call that favored Fernando. They didn’t want any more race press like that. So they made a call that put George's life in further danger. 

It's unacceptable. Calls like this cannot be allowed to slide. I trust that George is making his feelings on the matter very clear. 

I am relieved that George is okay, and I hope we do not have to go through this again.

Red Bull

Max

Well we all saw it, Max had to retire his car on lap 3 due to his brakes catching fire. Right away he was on the radio noting a problem with the brakes. Smoke started to plume from the car on lap 3, and it was a full fledged fire by the time he pulled into the pits. 

The exact cause for the fire is unclear, but it is likely a stuck caliper given how Max described the problem (imagine trying to go 250 mph with your parking brake on) That sticky feeling likely means the caliper wasn’t positioned correctly. The quality of the brakes has also been called into question, and I wouldn’t be surprised but we don't have any conclusive information on that.

I feel for Max, after having such a streak in F1 to have to retire due to a mechanical failure outside of your control has to be very hard. I’m quite sure he’ll be fighting like hell in these coming weekends.

Sergio

Sergio’s race is interesting because Red Bull had been having problems dialing the RB-20 to the track all weekend, this was most evident in Max’s feedback. But both drivers had trouble getting the grip right. I think this is mainly due to a setup problem with the car. Starting in P6 and finishing P5. I am not sure even if he hadn't taken that starting grid penalty if he would have been on the podium given some of the consistent issues the RB-20 has this weekend. It does seem that overall given his placement and circumstances he had about as good of a drive as was possible.

One thing we did learn was that this RB-20 isn’t infallible, and sometimes they too get things wrong. 

Mclaren

The most notable thing about Mclaren’s race was the team order to have Oscar swap positions with Lando. Now this hurt, as an Oscar fan this hurt(it’s his home race) however I understand why they made the call. Lando’s pace was better, and if they were going to have a chance of catching Charles they needed him in front. Doesn’t mean it felt great though. 

The reason Oscar’s pace was off Lando even though so far he’s been doing much better at matching(or exceeding) Lando’s pace was tyre management. Oscar is still getting better at tyre management, and on a high deg track with the heat that weakness in his driving made the difference in pace between them. 

It's pretty clear looking at the telemetry data that Lando was just more consistently faster the entire race. This pace difference really comes down to Lando's tyre management being better. They are still clearly very close, however a podium was on the line and that matters when you're in contention for top 3.

Haas

After Ferrari I think Haas may have had the best race overall. They had a 1-2 to finish out at the back end of the points. The race management and pace of the car has really succeeded expectations so far. Their best race yet, and the best performance from both drivers. I have been enjoying watching Haas just keep surprising in the best way possible.

VCARB

Yuki

Yuki saw his first points of the season! While he originally finished P8 he was promoted to P7 when Fernando received his penalty. This put VCARB ahead of the rest of the mid-field in points and is really showing that Yuki is the VCARB driver to watch. He's really shown that he's comfortable in the car and I am excited to see what else he can do this year.

The shocking thing at VCARB is how far off Daniel is from Yuki's pace. He has struggled in the car every race and has not been able to catch up with Yuki. A difference between teammates this large is cause for concern. After examining possible causes and what Daniel himself has said about the car, it seems that he is just really struggling to find the pace and the cause hasn't been found. As it stands it seems a driver incompatibility issue.

Yuki vs Daniel's pace

Yuki vs Daniel's fastest lap. You can see that they are very similar but where Yuki is picking up that extra time is on high speed corners and the straigts.

The race pace also confirms what we are seeing in a lot of teams that this was decided in qualifying. Daniel's race pace wasn't so far off Yuki, but because he was further back at the start due to not being able to match Yuki (and also having a lap time deleted for exceeding track limits) he started in P18 and finished P12.

If Daniel wants to keep his seat he is going to need to drastically improve his qualifying performance.

Stake

Stake is really embarrassing themselves this year with the pit stops. They hobbled both of their drivers this race with pit stops lasting over 30 seconds. Every race so far this year they have had absurdly long pit stops. I have no idea why, I am going to say sheer incompetence. But this doesn’t reflect at all the actual skill of either of their drivers. Zhou also had to run with a damaged front wing because they didn’t have a spare for him after his was damaged on the curb during qualifying. We still have not really seen what the 2024 Stake car is actually capable of and that is the fault of the garage and the team, not the drivers. 

Williams

Alex: Alex was the sole Williams driver this weekend. He stepped into Logan’s car after his crash during FP1 severely damaged his own. He ran a clean race and finished just outside the points. The most important thing this weekend was not to do anymore damage to the car and he did that. 

Whew, that is all I have to say about the insanity that was the 2024 Australian Grand Prix. If you made it this far thank you for reading and I will be back for more race analysis when we go to Japan!

[heranubis]

gift for @rocksinmuffin! another twst (and lilia) fan<3

due to a tumblr glitch - this was posted instead of saved. working on finishing this asap.

5 signs you're dating a vampire (by the great grimm)

sign 1 (one): tends to avoid sunlight (like. a lot)

another day in ramshackle dorm, another day of the student body marching through like an endless parade that actually lives there. normally Grimm minds a fair amount (the prefect is His magickless servant, not theirs!) - but today he's Extra grumpy about it.

today was the designated (self-appointed) nap day between him and you. he always gets a small can of tuna (and belly scratches!) but... naturally, that all flew out the window the very second Lilia flew in.

decorated with a black, lacy parasol (something that looks delicate and old) and he refuses to put it away until every window is closed and curtain drawn. the very second the last sliver of light disappears, so does the parasol. naturally - avoiding sunlight isn't Always suspicious, but this is Lilia Vanrouge. everything he does is suspicious (according to Grimm, anyways).

the diasomnia member simply giggles as he usually does and waves grimm's concerns away with a flippant hand. "i don't do well in the sun. i burn very easily~"

the cat gives him a suspicious look before running up to his own room in the dorm. he was going to nap - regardless if lilia wanted to drop by and avoid sunlight. it's been a long day and he's sure you would yell for help if it was needed.

(unspoken is how he lingers just outside the doorway, sleeping while an ear remains perked - just in case.)

sign 2 (two): he refuses to eat garlic (slight agreement there)

garlic, by any means, is far from grimm's favorite seasoning - it makes his nose itch. so when lilia comes over for dinner (the 91th time this month alone), he barely notices when the older student gently rejects any offers of Anything that even smells remotely of garlic.

"ah," he sighs - seemingly tired as if he's answered this question a million times before - "i'm simply... allergic to garlic. it doesn't particularly agree with me."

grimm vaguely remembers adeuce talking about Something (symptoms of some disease) and a few things caught his attention. things lilia did. he thinks they called it vampirism.

you'd gotten onto him several times now about jumping to conclusions, so he sat silently at the table (eyes never leaving lilia) as the student joked and giggled. it was totally normal and fine for someone to not like garlic - but the more grimm thought about it the more suspicious he got.

sign 3 (three): never wears silver (from what's been observed - thank you, r.h.)

sign 4 (four): has no reflection!!! Ever!!!!

perhaps inlisting the help of one rook hunt wasn't the brightest idea - he was terrifying and always manage to make grimm jump a few feet in the air. but he was also the best at observing others - often while remaining unseen himself.

therefor, he was the perfect choice for what the cat had in mind. a big tell of vampirism was avoiding silver - something about it burning their skin. and while lilia didn't often wear jewelry - he Had been spotted sporting it when dressed up for a holiday, school event, or something to do with his club. (rook even mentioned one time about him doing something called 'cosplay' with idia.)

sure, some people looked better in different metals, but Everyones worn silver at least once. and the fact lilia seemed to avoid it only made grimm more suspicious.

(naturally, what the little monster Didn't see was lilia waving in a friendly manner to rook - who was lounging in a tree, within perfect sight of his 'prey'.)

the mirrors in ramshackle dorm were old and busted and dirty. but he also knew there was one the prefect used quite often - the one in their bedroom. grimm could never use it, as it sat too high for him to feel comfortable climbing towards. but... on lilia's more frequent visits - that was the only mirror he seemed to use.

sign 5 (five): mysterious red stains that he never bothers to explain

and it was once (only once) grimm was in the room when lilia was using the mirror. he was re-applying what the prefect later explained to be eye-liner - something that could be done without a mirror but it was easier to see your reflection.

when grimm looked up at said mirror being used, he saw no reflection. no eyes, no nose, nothing on lilia's person was reflected back. only vampires had no reflection - every other creature in twisted wonderland had a reflection (this grimm knew for a fact.)

he'd barely rambled out some excuse before bolting from the room - haunted by lilia's giggles as the vampire older student went back to finishing his eye-liner.

the final nail in the coffin for grimm was when he would show up with random red stains peppering his white undershirt (red! red stains!)

sign 6 (six): he has a biting problem (written and scribbled out by the prefect)

the prefect always brushed it off with a light scolding to be more careful next time, meanwhile lilia would just give them a secretive little smile.

grimm is more firm in his beliefs now. he can say with absolutely no room for doubt - lilia vanrouge is a vampire. perhaps even the only one in twisted wonderland.

lilia is just a regular fae who is more expressive in his affections - he has sharp teeth and likes to nibble. garlic smells too strong to anyone with heightened senses (see: beastmen and other fae). he does wear silver but only on special occassions.

the old mirror in the prefects room is imbued with an old magick, it only reflects mortal souls. if malleus, crowley, or even sebek were to look into it - there would also be no reflection.

lilia has a pale complexion and does burn easily - he's also just a fan of pastel gothic fashions and when not attending lessons (in his own free time) tries to incorporate pieces of the style into his wardrobe around campus.

the stains, however, are blood. lilia's fangs are sharp and he's not always gentle with his bites. but far as anyone else is concerned - its just ketchup or wine.

[kitmoas]

maimed underneath wreckage

TGU--Season 2 Installation 1

Warnings: **18+ ONLY** **MINORS DNI*** Mommy Kink, light talk of breeding, hostage talk, light degrading, talk of weapons and magic

as usual if I missed anything let me know!

Author's Notes: IT"S SEASON 2!!! Hi Hello, the beginning of season 2 is here! It's a day late and I'm sorry. Also no editing cause fuck that shit I'm sorry if there's mistakes. Hopefully its a good intro to the vibes of season 2 :) Lemme know your thoughts even if you wanna stay anon in my inbox

Training Grounds Master List | Navigation Post | Inbox

Flickering, a small flame breathing in air as it grows slowly. Despite the darkness and the isolation, it almost feels as though the world is solid. Firm and rooted in a good foundation, but it won’t take long for that to crumble. Falling, spiraling about as if gravity no longer exists. 

Nothing in this place had longevity, changing within a single breath, a flaw in its creation. The insatiable need for peace drove the inevitable hysteria, and that’s where the structure falters. Slowly everything will become normal once more, forcing a reality check in which will leisurely chip away at the sanity within. 

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

The sounds of conversations mixing is a nice change to the beeping of the lab and the clicking of keys in the office, a light wind blowing through your hair as you allow your eyes to laze around your surroundings. The heat lamp next to you allowed for you to sit atop the roof despite the snow along the grass under the balcony. Having spent the past few months keeping your head down after your first semester into your masters, it was nice to finally be back to something a little more normal. A moment between everyone that feels cozy, and you even feel comfortable with the arm that lays along the back of your chair. 

Empty plates are scattered and you know that your brother is confused, and a bit off put, but you try to ignore it. This isn’t where you thought you would be, but it’s okay. Life is a rollercoaster and you need to start understanding that, you cannot control everything nor can you put someone else in control of the levers. You need to move on, learn to take the hits like an adult and live. 

The talk was light the entire lunch, almost cordial which felt weird,and maybe you should have taken that as a sign that this was destined for doom but you shrugged it off. You were here for fun and not everything had to be serious, which made your skin crawl because you knew that wasn’t the same mindset of the girl next to you but it was the one you were stuck in. 

“So have you thought anymore about Peter’s offer?” It never happened on purpose, the dreaded swing back. An end to almost every interaction that you have with anyone at this point, never really detangling yourself from those that left your world rocky. 

You know your brother doesn’t mean it maliciously, but you can’t help but glare at him every single time he brings up the offer. A step into the same world as those that used to be your pillars, the ones that created your world as it once had been. 

Sighing, your eyes divert as you notice the hopeful look of both your lunch companions. “You know I haven’t Cars, you know that it isn’t the only offer I have and there’s no reason to even entertain it. I have school.” Despite the want for your voice to be strong, almost commanding, it wavers on each syllable. “I don’t need another distraction. I want to do well.” 

Before you even finish you can sense the change in his body language, jaw stiffening and eyes rolling. “Personally I think it’s time you stop running from what you’re actually good at.” 

Your mouth opens, just slightly, as your tongue dips out to wet your lips. “You know damn well that I won’t ever truly become part of that world, not full time.” The low simmering anger, the one that exists in you at all times, starts to heat up. You know where this is going, where it has gone for the past couple months. 

“Running from dad and who he was isn’t going to make you happy, we both know that.” The words were out of his mouth, put out into the world, but it was almost like you lost your ability to hear. It wasn’t healthy, your coping mechanism with your father, and you know that but at the end of the day you still weren’t ready to change. It almost felt too familiar, too cozy, and the thought of more change scared you. 

An answer for his statement never came, just your footsteps in the light layer of already melting snow as you walked back into the building. The loud chatter within the food court of your student union masking your emotions, as Cassie stumbled to thank your brother for having a meal with the both of you. Only the brief reflection of them parting indicated what happened at the scene you left behind as you conceal yourself within the wave of people all heading for the coffee bar. 

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

A small stack of papers go flying through the air, hand slamming down on the large oval table. “We can’t keep acting like expansion is impossible! The world needs different types of technology so let’s give it to them!” Kate leers over the table, glaring at the projection of their end of year statements. 

You could feel the tension in the room, everyone was just a bit too scared to fight their boss. “Ms. Bishop, what….what would you mother do in this moment?” Apparently not everyone was scared, a single older man raising his hand with a strict look on his face. 

The young girl blinks, straightening her back as she stares down the table. Her jaw sets and she uses the moment of quiet to smooth down her blazer lapels. Kate settles down in her chair, allowing the smooth soft leather to calm her down more before she speaks. “Maybe you should remember where my mother got this company, yes? At the brink of forced federal shutdown, and practically bankrupt when our combined assets were seized. She destroyed the reputation of this company, disruption within the entire field, because she wanted to be rich. When I took the seat, and responsibility, of this company I swore that I would bring it back to what it could be but you all want to stay what my mother created. If that is true then security can escort you out because I will not be working with criminals. Meeting is dismissed and you all are required to go home, do not return to this building until or unless your mindset changes. We are not villains in this company and I will not entertain the idea of such ideals either.” 

Slowly each person leaves, shock on their face after being practically punished by such a young girl. They had always thought that she would be a fun loving kid, the one that was barely a good secretary but they knew she was growing into a good firm CEO. 

Letting the door lock behind the last person to leave, Kate leans back with her feet on the wood table. Sighing she rubs her hand along her face, staring out at the skyline. Her mind drifts as she tries to settle her heart rate. Memories of her favorite times plague her mind.  

“You wouldn’t dare, Mutt!” Her words held no real venom, voice cracking with laughter as she tried her hardest to keep the nerf gun aimed properly. The ginger staring down Kate as she holds you in a chokehold, her own gun against your temple. 

The body behind you shifts, the arm loose around your neck. “Bring it on, old lady, I’ll pull the trigger. I ain’t no scared lil bitch!” Everyone in the room cracks up at your girlfriend’s random accent that she puts on. 

Neither of you noticed Wanda, hovering in the back, eyes gleaming ruby. Just a tilt of her head and the brunette’s nerf gun is hovering above her hand, the two of you separated slowly. Her hands land on you and Nat is tackling Kate next to you. “Well hello, my little one. No one keeps you hostage but me, understood?” Her voice is deep, smooth as her lips move directly against your ear. 

The sight of the ginger straddling the younger girl below you, hand wrapped around her throat as the two kiss messily. You can’t help the whimper that falls from your mouth, teeth tugging at your bottom lip as you try to focus on the feeling of Wanda’s hands on you, but you can’t help as your attention is pulled to the wetness growing between your thighs as you watch the beginning of dry humping. 

“Now, if Mommy’s little girl doesn’t start paying attention I’m not going to be able to take care of that issue growing between your pretty little thighs. Are you my brainless obedient hostage or not?” Her nails grips at your hips now, digging painfully into you as she tugs you backwards into her. Her bulge is prominent as she grinds purposefully into your ass. 

You can’t help but get lost in the sensation, arching your back as much as you can to feel more of the woman behind you. The sound of the witch’s annoyed sigh only turns you on more, as she lets one of her hands claw at your jaw–forcing you to nod your head. “Such a stupid little slut already?” Her other hand is pushing its way into your pants, fingers roughly swiping along your wet folds. “Do you want to play a game with Mommy?” 

Even though you are eagerly nodding your head, the claws that dig into you are forcing your head up and down as well. A sharp whistle makes you flinch, the piercing sound right in your ear as the woman behind you calls for the attention of the others. “It’s time for the puppy to learn how to breed our pretty little fucktoy.” 

Kate practically falls out of her chair at a gentle knock, the door disengaging as her secretary pops her head in. “Are you staying late? I can stay so you're not alone.” Her sympathetic smile makes the young brunette feel almost pathetic. 

Pulling herself up, politely she dismisses her and lets her know that she too is heading out. That she has a busy night ahead of her with some very important plans, but had just lost track of time. The brunette spends the next few minutes cleaning up, taking great care to make sure that her co-worker is fully out of the building before starting her descent down the stairs. A heavy sigh as she pulls up Doordash for some random pizza shop, trying once more to find a place that can take the place of her once favorite parlor.  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Crickets softly chirp, a sound in the early night that still brings a soft smile to the blonde’s face, under the slowly raising moon. A chill is settling over the dead grass and bare branches, a sure indicator that another night time snow fall is approaching. It’s been a while since she felt like this, everyone around her had been so stressed out and tense but she just wanted the world back as she had fallen in love with it. That’s selfish but it’s what she wanted, even though she knows that the pain and despair she is going through is bare minimum compared to her closest people. 

“You know, when we were younger mom would also find you fallen asleep out here. She used to say that you were meant for the night. Viridescent in the moonlight.” Natasha’s smile is forced, and her younger sister can see it from a mile away. It had been for months now, if not even longer but it’s only gotten worse as each day passed.  

The hum is soft, barely loud enough to even be noted in the noise of nature. “I miss them.” Her voice breaks causing her to flinch at the obvious weakness she displayed, a quick flash too early in the conversation. 

Wrapping her arms around the blonde, the older woman takes a moment to press a kiss to her temple before rocking with her. “They loved you so much Y. You don’t even understand. When you came to us, god, that was it. We were complete and we all wanted to protect you so much. I wish we would have done a better job, we kind of failed there.” Even as the ginger looks out into the yard, a newly installed play gym shines in the dim light, she can’t help but let her mind wander to some of the best years she had in this neighborhood. 

“You…Sha, you say Mama and Daddy loved me and I knew that but why do step straight to them?” Yelena blinks up at her sister, relishing in the first sign of emotion from her. She watches her contemplate for a while, silence filled with the chirping of crickets, before she stutters out a few syllables. It ends in a stubborn snap of her jaw, the muscles there tensing as she clenches her mouth shut. “I just believe that they would enjoy it here. We will reunite with Mama soon and maybe by the grace of the gods Daddy will show, but we have people we love here. They once said that we find love grasp on tight, you remember?” 

Natasha nods, hot heavy tears filling her eyes. Forcing them down, she tries to chuckle. “The idea of that man being graced by the gods is hilarious, if anything that man would make it back to Yav in the form of one of Mom’s pigs.” At the dead end glare she receives the older woman gulps, trying to collect her thoughts. “Okay, I had to walk away. Okay? Okay. I think everyone can agree that I had to. I had no other choice but to remove myself from the situation. It wasn’t fun or nice but I had to. I had to. I had to Y. Okay?” It wasn’t on purpose but her voice was getting louder and her younger sister could see the anger and desperation rising in her. 

Pulling away to sit directly facing her sister, Yelena takes a deep breath as she goes through her thoughts. She knew that it wasn’t going to be easy and that she needed to take her time, but at the same time it had to be direct and quick to make sure that Natasha didn’t run. “The situation did not require leaving, you should never leave and even Daddy spoke to that. Do you not realize that staying would have allowed you to growth instead of leaving and the entire would becoming rubble?” Internally she flinched, the words spoken were harsh but she knew what she wanted out of this. At the end of the day, she herself was angry. Her sister walked away, without a fight, and the blonde knew that she was in the wrong. No matter how much she may idolize her older sibling she has to knock her off that pedestal once in a while. 

The two sit there, for almost an hour, in silence. It’s agonizing and tedious, a feat that almost feels athletic but it ends with Yelena retreating. A gentle kiss to the ginger’s forehead as she sighs, shaking her head and heading back into the house to allow her to have some time in a calm isolation. 

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

Your brow was dripping slightly, the back of your hand doing barely anything to stop the droplet from stinging your eyes. A chorus of laughter echoes in your ears as you stare down at the facetime call, both Peter and America are frantically running towards your shared destination. “Okay, whoever gets there first needs to make sure that they try and get them to honor our reservation!” 

The boy yelps as he nods, the world rushing as he swings towards the science wing of campus. “I’m gonna beat you both!” He’s laughing loudly as he flips about, and for a moment everything almost seems normal. Just a couple college friends trying to finish some research, all of you aiming to practically overdose on caffeine. 

Trying to focus on not tripping as you exit the gym and keep up with conversation as America runs across campus, the rapid wind being Peter’s only real contribution to the call, you almost miss running straight into someone. Dropping your phone, the dreaded clatter never came and you realize that the beloved item is hovering within a glowing red orb. 

“You truly are just a clumsy little thing, you know?” Her voice is quiet, almost hesitant, as she looks up at you through her lashes. 

Frantically reaching up to your air pod you hang up your call before your friends can realize who you just ran into, literally, as you try to scramble your brain into thinking of any sort of retort. “Um.. I-” Your vision blurs slightly, but it’s then you realize she’s still crystal clear. The world around her is blurry and fogged, but as per usual she’s the brightest thing to exist. 

She smiles, a sullen thing pulling her lips, and shakes her head. “I just missed you, but you don’t have to reply.” A quick shush stops your arguing and her eyes dim for a moment. “It’s not fair of me but I just wanted to see you, just for a moment. I could never stay too far away from you for long could I?” There’s a slight cocky tone to her voice as she expresses her thoughts, her body straightening as she realizes you still react the same way towards her. 

“Why.. um.. Why didn’t you call me? I would have answered. I always would.” You try to reassure her or maybe that’s all for you, but you can’t help the words as they pour out of you. “You don’t need to miss me, I’m always at your access if you need me. We always promised that and I don’t ever want to break that promise.” 

The older woman chuckles, almost in spite of herself while she takes a few steps away. Her magic forces its way into your hand as it sets your phone there, waiting patiently for you to catch up to what was happening. It’s the last thing you feel, her scent pulling away as she moves farther backwards.

Gentle vibration that you cling to, but you never got to say goodbye as the entire world melts into nothing.  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

The door closes behind her, a barely warm pizza in hand. It doesn’t smell very appetizing, but anything with cheese should do the trick nowadays. The feeling is instant, the box hitting the counter without a sound. An arrowhead slips down her fingers almost at an instant, swinging around the young girl tries to play her paranoia off casually but her shock is something she can’t. There bent over the chair is Wanda, almost in a frantic state. Her face is flushed and wet with tear stains. Her demeanor is nothing like the CEO is used to but she knows their lives have changed a lot. “W-Wanda? Are you okay? What happened?” Her concern for not only the woman in front of her, but those that connect the two takes over. 

“Please I just want to see someone, anyone. Please. Where is Tommy? Billy? I’m begging you, I’ll do anything.” The woman is sobbing, the words slurring together as she struggles to stand up. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her frame was thin. It almost looked like she had spent weeks searching for these people, but Kate was completely confused. Who was she even speaking of? Did she find a whole new group in just a couple of months? 

Taking a step towards the crouched older woman was a mistake, causing her to practically fling herself backwards. For the first time the young girl stopped, head tilting in confusion and her hand falling to her side, Wanda was scared. It was something that she never saw before, and felt like even on the battlefield she had never even seen an ounce of hesitation from her. 

Slowly Kate slips to the floor, setting the arrowhead out in front of her so that she could seem less like a threat. “Hi, Wanda? Do you know who I am?” She was starting to think that maybe she suffered some kind of brain injury or maybe she was on some sort of drug. 

The frantic woman’s bloodshot eyes snap to match the calm dark waves, and it seems to help her breath a bit better. She shakes her head, pushing away until her back can hit the wall. “I don’t… I don’t know who you are. Am I supposed to?” 

It was a possibility, a small chance, and Kate knew that it was there but hearing it stung. A woman that not only did she look up to but also had grown a large liking to doesn’t know who she is. Though the hurt was sharp, and overwhelming, the young hero tried her hardest to ignore it. She had to save the woman in front of her, she had to make sure that she was taken somewhere that they could restore her memory. 

As gently as possible the archer reaches out, palm upwards. “Can I touch you?” Her voice was soft, almost as if she was talking to a sleeping baby. At the shy nod of Wanda’s head, she smiles. It’s not a beam or bright, but almost like the beginning rays of the sunrise–soft and warm. 

Her hand never makes it there, never touching what looks like a soft sweater, instead the world blacks out and it almost feels like Kate falls into a black hole. 

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

Natasha had grown accustomed to darkness, the time of day when even the moon goes to bed. It happened to be one of her favorite times of the day, a peace that was laid over her like a blanket. When everyone else wanted to do everything during the day, she just wanted to wait for the shadow of night. She worked and thought best at the latest of times, and sometimes that backfired on her; as it was currently. 

She knew that her world was crumbling, but didn’t the destruction start two years ago? The daily life she had created was put on a pause and when she was able to hit play again, the script was rewritten. She was so far behind on rewrites and the new cast members that catching up was impossible, so she went along with what she knew. 

It’s not like she didn’t enjoy everything, nor did she not finally fall into a groove but the foundation she created was not the one everyone stood on. No, instead it had almost felt like a bridge–one laid upon the old foundation. It was strong but it was heavy upon the slowly cracking stone holding it up, time was the only thing in the way of the wreckage. 

For now this was her life, time in the neighborhood that could have been her identity. She could have been part of that family across the way, the one that is sleeping soundly currently and will wake up and get their children to school before heading to work. Maybe she would have been part of the couple that have three dogs and a cat, and work remote jobs so that they can travel the world together. 

Gulping down a thought, she hates to have the visions cross her mind. It could have been her and maybe someone else. Someone else right next to her, smiling and laughing; crying and healing. They could have survived the world together, but the fights would be corporate life and monthly bills. The two of them could have dogs and a cat or two, maybe even a kid if they really wanted. It’s a vision she sees every time she lets her eyes scan the backyard, fairy lights now twinkling dimly to allow enough lighting for safety. 

It’s then when she sees two small crimson orbs, floating. A sense of dread and urgency sinks in her stomach, her fight or flight kicking in and the need to grasp at her widow bites strong. As the circles approach, the figure being illuminated by the string of twinkling dots, Natasha realizes the familiar feeling. Taking her back to Sokovia twelve years ago, she realizes Wanda is the one once again hiding in the shadows; but this time Strucker is not a part of it. 

“Well hello Agent Romanoff.” Her voice was deeper, a bit of that old rage still there. “What are you doing out here, all alone?” 

Despite the girl being far enough out that Natasha could easily escape her, she still felt an overwhelming sense of danger. She knew what this Wanda was capable of, even if it was barely a fraction of what current age Wanda could do, and that was enough for her to let her widow bites activate. She doesn’t give the young girl the sense of pride to speak back to her, just stand at the ready. She couldn’t let her have a moment of the upper hand, she refused to feel her hex again. 

Wanda tilts her head, a mockingly curious look on her face. “Why do you seem so scared, aren’t you the great Black Widow?” She smiles widely, every single one of her teeth shining a faint red as her eyes pulse with her magic. “Or maybe it’s because your best friend Tony Stark isn’t here?” 

Blinking, slowly, Natasha tries to piece together what was happening. What does she mean? Did she lose her memory in the past couple months? Originally she had thought that maybe her magic had consumed her and that it reverted her back to a darker sense of dress, but the way she speaks isn’t something she understands. 

The one thing she is conscious of is the growing ruby orb rolling around in Wanda’s left hand, and the rapidly expanding magic glow around her. The presence of the magic was stronger than almost every moment Natasha had ever seen of the other woman. It scared her and that was the only thing that saved her as she jumped out of the way of the impending attack. 

Except it never happened, the world blurring almost as if her magic stole the ginger’s sight. 

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

Chaos, that’s the only word that can really describe what is happening. It’s only a moment after the world blacked out, only a moment since three lives were blurred and melted back together. 

You didn’t really understand what happened, just a moment ago you  were staring at Wanda for the first time in months and now you were in some random room with people freaking out all around you. She was standing, somewhat away, trapped in a box. She looked confused, but almost at peace, and you wanted to help her. She had been caged before and you never wanted her to ever feel like that again. You didn’t even get to take one step towards her before you watched her start to glitch, almost like a computer screen, before she just disappeared. 

Swinging your head around you tried to find someone who would tell you what was happening, but that’s when you saw her. Kate, your archer, wait no. Kate. Just Kate. She was on her knees, talking to another Wanda who was curled up in a ball crying. It was only another second before that one turned to static. You watched as the brunette frantically stood up, begging for help from the first person she could find. 

Next to her, with shocked eyes, stood Natasha. Her arm is held up by the CEO as her voice gets caught in her throat, but her other hand is outstretched to where a crimson fog is dissipating. The two stare at each other for a moment before Kate apologizes, trying to leave the situation in a professional way. 

In the crowd you blend in, hiding yourself as agents and other Avengers run around. There’s screens and machines all around, things you don’t really understand as everyone is trying to piece together what could be happening. You almost couldn’t tell if you wanted to be seen by the other girl, or even by the widow. Your soul and heart craved her attention, and you knew that your body would relax just from the sight of the ginger’s eyes, but how could you look at them? You had destroyed their lives and now you must live in the ruins of it. 

“ENOUGH!” The loud voice of Dr. Strange freezes everyone, and for a time you think you’re safe. It’s until everyone turns to you, the summoning from the stupid wizard, that for the first time you drown in the salty blue of the eyes you missed most. It was pain, a stabbing through your soul that you knew you would never survive. The need for her attention, even the most miniscule amount of it, was like oxygen. You need it to live, and for the past few months you had none. 

You weren’t sure what any one spoke of, people pushing and shoving not only you but the other two to the center of the floor. A large table there that now seated the rest of the Avengers, three empty chairs left. Even though there is yelling and arguing around, you can’t help but stop. You want to just look at them, forcing your eyes away from Kate was a mistake as you struggle to stay still. You wanted to run to the widow, get on your knees and beg her to come back. 

It was a clearing of a throat that interrupts your thoughts, stern and firm. “We need to discuss Wanda.”

[poomphuripan]

Professional Body Double // My Stand In - a Masterpost

Series Title: My Stand-In (ตัวนาย ตัวแทน)

Director: Pepzi Banchorn Vorasataree (KinnPorsche The Series)

Action Director: Khom Kongkiat Khomsiri (KinnPorsche The Series)

Producer: Yuan Wan Thabkrajang (I Feel You Linger In The Air)

Executive Producer: Poppy Parnsuk Thongrob

Episodes: 12

Aired: Apr 26, 2024 - Jul 12, 2024. Every Friday 8.00 PM.

Original Network: iQIYI

Original Novel Title: Professional Body Double (职业替身)

Author: Shui Qian Cheng (水千丞)

Genres: Adult, Drama, Mature, Romance, Supernatural, Tragedy, Showbiz, Angst

Content warnings: Abusive lover, noncon, house arrest

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Official Synopsis

Joe, the stunt man of famous actor Tong, happened to meet Ming. Having developed a deep relationship, Joe didn’t realise that Ming had always seen him as Tong’s replacement. When the truth is revealed, Joe has to take work on a foreign set where an accident takes his life. When he wakes, Joe’s in the body of a young man named Joe who’d met with an accident on the same day. With help, he’s soon living the same life as he was before—with the same people—and he meets Ming once more. In this life, Ming wants Joe back at his side as before and Joe doesn’t know why. Ming, who’s kept all memories of the old Joe, tries to find the truth about Joe’s continued life in order to return Joe to his side and give him the explanation he never had the chance to.

Main characters

Joe (Zhou Xiang/周翔)

Height: 181 cm

Birthday: October 20

Age: 29

Zodiac: Libra

Occupation: Actor, Stuntman, Martial Arts Body Double, Martial Arts Instructor

Personality: Gentle and generous, optimistic and open-hearted, mature and considerate. Independent. Easy going, not very ambitious, caring towards people around him. His parents and sibling passed away when he was 8 years old.

Ming (Yan MingXiu/晏明修)

Height: 188 cm

Birthday: September 6

Age: 24

Zodiac: Virgo

Occupation: Actor, President of a Mechanized Heavy Industry Company

Personality: Haughty, selfish, lacking in patience, stubborn and persistent towards things he has decided upon. Extremely attractive, cold, indifferent. Youngest of the three Yan siblings. Comes from a wealthy, prestigious family with millitary background.

Supporting characters

Sol (Lan Xi Rong): Young attractive popular actor who was once close to Joe. Sol likes Joe. Played by Porsche Tanathorn.

Tong (Wang Yu Dong): A popular action movie star. Tong is Ming’s crush. Tong is dating Ming's sister, May. Tong eventually marries May and becomes Ming's brother-in-law. Played by Mek Jirakit.

Cai Wei Zhou (actor undisclosed): Joe's brother-like close friend, who's also his boss.

Jim (Jiang Yuan): Ming's personal secretary and right hand man. Played by Billy Possathorn.

Mike (Yan Mingsu): Ming’s older brother. Played by Inntouch Naphat.

May (Yan Ming Mei): Ming’s older sister. May eventually becomes Tong's wife later on. Played by Shu Nunnicha.

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Where to read the novel

Chinese raw

English translation

Indonesian translation

Vietnamese translation

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Where to listen to the audio drama adaptation

Season 1

Season 2

Season 1 & 2 on YT with Vietnamese subtitles (Note: OP gonna private this video once the series has finished filming, so if anyone wishes to grab a copy/listen to it, now's the time 🤗)

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Production

Director Pepzi and Executive Producer Yuan first posted a photo captioned "Our new series project" hashtagging the Chinese novel title on 16 February 2023 so pre-production starts around February 2023. Yuan tweeted that My Stand In is the series that took longest to cast (8 months). 6 October 2023 was the fitting for My Stand In. Production begins filming on 16 October 2023.

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For latest updates on My Stand In series, you can follow YYDS Entertainment on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, IG, Tiktok.

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Source

[cellythefloshie]

;; The Bet Dedicated to @puckmaidens for her birthday bingo

Summary: You've never been one to shy away from friendly competition or a little risk - so you bet Nico that he won't score a hat trick in his game. Little did you know that the prize you offered was the only motivation he needed. Lydia's Bingo Card Tropes: Stary Night, Hattrick, New Jersey Devils, First Kiss Other Tropes: Friends to Lovers Word Count: 1.6k+ A/N: Happy Birthday Lydia! I know you weren't expecting anything until probably a bit later since you posted your bingo a little late, and have your "deadline" set for September, but I wanted to make sure you had something to read for your special day! I hope you enjoy! 🎉

The conversation hung in the air for a moment as your fingers hesitated over the keyboard. You knew his stats better than you would ever admit to anyone. Nico Hischier had only scored 2 goals in a game twice so far that season - and only 9 total times in his career so far. Statistically, it wasn’t going to hang in his favour, but you would humour him.

You smiled to yourself. You had been friends with Nico for some time now, hell maybe even best friends would be the right word for it. The only time you weren’t talking was during a game, or while you both slept it seemed. You hung out at least once a week if his schedule allowed it, and in the off-season, the two of you got into nothing but trouble.

There was a long pause. The … on your screen indicating his typing left your heart racing. You knew he wouldn’t do it, so wagering something like that was more of a joke than anything. Hell, you didn’t expect him to agree with it at all. But then his text finally came through. Just one single word:

Your phone was silent the rest of the evening as it always was before game time. Nico had his pre-game rituals to go through and you never tried to interfere. Not even on a day when there was a little more on the line. Instead, you put your phone aside and went about your own pregame ritual. You finished up with your work and took the leisurely walk home during the peak hours of hustle and bustle in the Newerk streets. Then, when you got home you went straight into the kitchen and cooked up one of your favourite meals.

It was enough to keep you satisfied until game time when you settled into your place on the sofa with a bowl of ice cream for dessert. You drew your blanket in close, pulling it close to your body as the anthems were sung and then the game began. With mere games going into the playoff season - and the Devils expected to make their first playoff appearance in years - you had expected it to be a relaxed game. Competitive yes, but with the intention of resting certain players before what you hoped would be a long playoff run. And for the most part, you were right. The boys were looking a little more sluggish than you were used to seeing - a little more careless as they were biding time until game one of round one. But there was one player who stuck out from all the rest. 

Nico, fucking Nico, was playing as if it were game seven of the Stanley Cup Final and the trophy was about to be put into his hands. He was skating fast than you had ever seen him go, and dancing around players like he was Connor McDavid - so it didn’t surprise you when he had been the one to get the first goal on the board for Jersey. But you weren’t nervous. That was until he scored his second goal of the game before the first period could even end. He would have 40 minutes of play - 45 minutes if the game went to overtime - to score one final goal and it left your nerves so raw you didn’t even send him the menu of the restaurant you had picked out. Instead, you sent him one text you knew you wouldn’t get a reply to until well after the game was over:

You were wearing a small smile as you clicked send, placing your phone and your now empty bowl aside before you got comfortable under one of the throw blankets you kept on the couch. It was a dangerous thing, to get snuggled up beneath the blankets - and tonight was proven proof of that because you were asleep before the end of the second period. You slept through every penalty and every goal against and didn’t wake up until the game was long over and you heard a series of hollow taps against the glass of your kitchen window. 

It was a sound that left you lurching, your body in a panic as you realized the television had defaulted to the post-game screen reading; this program has ended. You cursed yourself as you pushed off the blanket, lurching for your phone to check the time. It was nearing midnight, and the NHL app had been sure to notify you that the Devils had won 5-4 in overtime, but you didn’t get the chance to check who the goal scorers were - not when the tapping on the window persisted. 

“I’m coming!” You shouted from the couch and grabbed the blanket before you scurried through to the kitchen. The kitchen window was large and opened up to the fire escape that you abused as more of a patio when the weather was nice enough. You liked to keep it decorated with plants, and quirky trinkets you would find during your time out at the shops, but in the chill of the April night there was only one thing left out on the escape, and you hadn’t left it there: Nico.

He hadn’t gone home after the game, his game-day suit still dawned on his frame jut a little less polished now as his collar was left loose and his tie had been lost in one of his pockets. 

“You could have buzzed the door Neeks!” You exclaimed as you passed the window open and took a step back to let him climb in but he didn’t do more than peak his head inside. 

“You going to come out here, or what?”

“It’s the middle of the night!” “Com’on, it’s beautiful out here,” he pulled back and offered you his hand. You used it to guide you out the window, your blanket wrapped around your shoulders like a cape to keep you from the night’s chill. It left you shivering as you looked out at the apartments across the street and up into the sky where the stars shone bright. He wasn’t wrong, it was a beautiful night. 

“You come all the way here just to star gaze, Neeks?” you spoke slowly, your eyes still trained up at the sky and how the stars glistened like glitter. 

“No, no,” Nico hummed, his hand still holding onto yours, “did you not watch the game?”

“I watched…” you started slowly, bright eyes glancing over at him as you held back a smile, “The first half. I fell asleep…”

“You missed a good game,” Nico’s smile grew as he reached into his pocket and drew out his phone, “you want to take a look at the score sheet?”

His grin was unlike one that you had ever seen. One that oozed confidence and - you squinted at him a bit - trouble it oozed trouble. “You didn’t-” Your words were broken as it hit you. He scored three!

You grabbed his phone quickly, the light illuminating your face as your scroll through the scoresheet. Hischier Hischier Thompson Tuch Jost J. Hughes Skinner Palat Hischier

“Oh my god!” You were sure you were loud enough to wake up the entire apartment block as you jumped up, your arms reaching out from beneath your blanket to wrap around the strength of his form. You not once thought what this meant for you in that moment, you were just too damn happy for him. It was the first of his career! Something worth celebrating even if it was just out on the fire escape in the middle of the night. “I’m so sorry I missed it I-”

“You doubted me?” he cocked his head at you, but he wasn’t mad. 

“Maybe a little,” you added, matching the smile that grew on his lips with your own. 

“You really underestimated how badly I’ve been wanting to do this…”

Drawing back just enough, Nico reached up with both hands. He cradled your cheeks in them, the warmth of his touch flooding over your skin. It rendered you still, your body not doing so much as breathing as he arched over and drew you into him. His lips were soft, and smooth as he eased into the kiss. The heat of his breath against your face as he kissed you slowly, gently, just enough to lull you into the idea that kissing him was something you liked a lot more than you could have anticipated. And not only did you let him kiss you, but you were also kissing him in return, your hands coming up to clutch the stretched fabric of his button-down as your lips parted just to get a taste of him. 

When he pulled back, your cheeks were red hot with blush and your gaze cast up at the sky in an attempt to hide just how much you had enjoyed it - but her must have liked it too because he was still willing to hold up his end of the bet even if you had lost, “I’m still going to take you out to dinner, but not as some sort of consolation prize-”

And you just smiled up at him, your body leaning into his as you both admired the night, “it’s a date.”

[sserpente]

A/N: I’m baaaack! Sort of, haha! I’m gathering my forces to get back into posting lots of new Imagines from next week but for now, please enjoy this silly thing I wrote. I’m still healing from Loki Season 2 and I already have a festive idea for that too… and on that note, if you have any Christmassy prompts in mind, throw them my way! Have fun reading!

Words: 1185 Warnings: winter silliness, fluff

“It’s three snowballs, Astarion. Three. And stop nibbling on that carrot, you can’t even eat it!”

“They make them with two in Baldur’s Gate!” A crisp sound tore through the ice-cold air, followed by an indignant gasp from Gale.

“Stop nibbling on the damn thing!”

It truly was a sight to behold. Gale, wrapped in a purple scarf and a hat that practically screamed wizard and Astarion, not bothered by the cold, wearing no jacket or gloves with his white shirt and those sleeves rolled up to his elbows to reveal his strong arms; and the white new layer of snow that had come to rest in camp overnight.

Upgrading those tents with magical heating and enchanted fire had been a brilliant idea judging by how you sank into fresh powdery flakes knee-deep as soon as you stepped outside. The cold greeted you by biting at every inch of exposed skin it could find.

Gale ripped the carrot from Astarion’s grasp who spat out the tip he’d just bitten off with a disgusted expression. In between them sat two differently sized snowballs stacked on top of each other, and another small one next to the wizard’s boots on the ground.

You crossed your arms before your chest, holding back a laugh. “What in the hells are you two doing?”

“I am trying to build a snowman. Astarion is trying to sabotage me.”

“I would do no such thing!” With a shit-eating grin, he raised his arms in defence. “A snowman has two snowballs as I, kind as I am, have made Gale aware of. I was trying to help.”

“Well… Alright, I see. We went from fighting mind flayers to arguing over snowmen’s body parts?” You raised an eyebrow, still attempting your very best to keep that hysteric laugh bubbling up your throat down.

“Building snowmen is a perfectly acceptable way to pass the time in winter,” Gale argued as he heaved the last snowball up and sat him on top of the other two. The carrot slipped from his hands as he did and it took Astarion only a split second to snatch it up and plunge it into the snowman’s “face” with so much force the snowball almost broke in half.

Both Astarion and you watched soundlessly how Gale retrieved a handful of coals from his tent and proceeded to give the snowman eyes, a mouth and buttons.

“He looks a little thin, don’t you think?” Astarion suggested all of a sudden. You blinked as they both contemplated the snowman with tilted heads and then got to work, scooping up more snow from the ground to pat it on. If only you had Oskar with you right now to paint a picture of this—no one would ever believe it.

“Now… go on… give him your scarf and your hat,” Astarion said. You chuckled. The cold was all but forgotten now—you were invested. Hells, this was better than your morning coffee.

“I think I’ll pass on that one, thanks. I certainly need them more than the snowman does. Besides, I could just do that—“ Gale waved his hand and snapped his fingers in a fluid motion. Out of thin air, he materialised a miniature scarf and hat to complete the snowman’s appearance.

You clapped your hands. “Bravo! He looks adorable. Now… has either of you thought of making some coffee before you got to work with this masterpiece?”

“I can’t say that I did,” Gale announced. “I’m more of a hot chocolate guy around this time of the year.”

Chuckling once more, you stepped closer and shivered. You’d need a jacket soon. The cold was starting to take a toll on you, not even the hot flushes Astarion’s presence gave you could help with that.

“Then go work your magic and make us some, will you? Please?”

Astarion hummed, regarding the finished snowman wordlessly as Gale nodded with a smile and returned to his tent.

It was a beautiful winter morning indeed. You bent down to shovel some fresh snow in your hands and formed a snowball before joining Astarion for a good morning kiss.

“You know…” He breathed a laugh. “It’s almost funny. I’ve never bothered playing with snow before. I never had the time.”

You cupped his cheek with your free hand when his gaze became distant, gently forcing him back to the present. “But you do now. We can make a whole snowman army. And have snowball fights.”

“Snowball fights?” The confusion in his voice was palpable, teasing almost.

“Snowball fights,” you repeated. With that, you brought the hand holding the snowball above his head and smashed it on top of his hair.

Astarion’s jaw dropped, feigned indignity paired with real indignity as the snow trickled through his hair and on his shoulders. You laughed, almost slipping on the snow campground when you turned on your heels and made a run for it. There was no need to look back to see if he was following you. He was—and with his vampiric reflexes, he had his arms wrapped around your middle in no time.

You both went down before your brain could even process you were falling. Astarion cupped the back of your head to keep you from hurting yourself as he landed on top of you, his free hand snatching both your wrists to pin them down above your head.

“How dare you, pet.” It wasn’t a question, that much was for sure. You laughed, your weak and half-hearted attempt to wriggle yourself free all but failing before it properly started.

“Ahh, oh, gods, it’s cold! It’s cold!” You arched your back to escape the snow but were promptly blocked by Astarion’s body weight on top of you. He chuckled—the mischievous sound immediately sent a pleasant shiver up and down your spine.

“Well… that’s what you get for attacking a vampire,” he mused.

“Hmm, and quite vicious it was.” There was a proud and smug hue about you but it didn’t last long for when Astarion pressed his cold lips against yours, you became putty in his awkward embrace in the snow. Your eyes fell shut, body welcoming him in and for a moment, his affection even chased away the biting cold of the fresh flakes underneath you.

“Hey, lovebirds! The hot chocolate is ready!” Gale’s voice came echoing across the entire camp. If your remaining companions hadn’t been awake yet, they certainly were now.

You licked your lips when Astarion broke the kiss, reluctance shimmering in his red eyes.

“Hot chocolate… you know… I wonder what would happen if we poured you a mug and then mixed it with some of my blood. You think that would taste good?”

“Well…” A smirk. “I am open to experimenting.”

“Speaking of experiments, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have sex in the snow.”

Astarion laughed. He rolled off of you and offered his hand to help you up. “I could be persuaded,” he said when you walked past him to get your hot chocolate. You grinned in response. You knew he already was.

[rascal-xo]

Hi hope you're doing good!!! Can I request ghost with a GN reader that suffers from hypersomnia and is sad that no one is taking their fatigue seriously and just think theyre lazy lol. Just some comforting stuff if that's OK with you!!

Surface Tension | Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley x GN Reader |

Chapter Summary: Ghost comforts you after a hard week in the field :)

Warnings: mentions of mental health, cursing, FLUFF, hypersomnia, angst

Word Count: 913

A/N: Thank you for sending in this request! I hope I was able to bring your idea to life :))

You watched the clock tik, and every second the hand moved was a second you felt yourself losing your focus little by little. No matter how hard you tried to get a good rest after a long mission, or nap when you had the time off, exhaustion always hit you like a bag of bricks.

You knew something was off about your rest, but the fastest way to push it aside was to ignore the feeling and try to stay focused on your tasks at hand. Being in the 141 meant that you were the best task force there was for any job that came the teams way.

You were the youngest recruit, and for the past year you’ve pulled more than twice your weight to stay above the water. You were a damn good sniper for your age but not as seasoned of a soldier when it came to time in service.

The rest of the men had years of experience on you, which showed. Determined to show your worth you began to take on more than you could carry, and it had proved right until now, when it started to take its toll on your physical and mental wellbeing.

Captain Price cleared his throat, bringing your attention back to the briefing. “Am I boring you, Sergeant?” He cocked an eyebrow. You suddenly felt the entire rooms gaze on you. Ghost met your eyes from across the table small table , turning his head in a ‘You okay?’ type manner.

“No Sir, just a little tired this morning.” You admitted, playing with the strap on your tactical pants.

“Let’s stay awake now. Can’t have you lost during the mission.” He answered back sternly, turning back to the pictures on the board and continuing his meeting.

Ghost’s foot brushed yours from under the table, nonchalantly. He had noticed you were more fatigued than usual lately, zoning out on the comms, failing to remember to do certain tasks on base. Every soldier met obstacles once a while, but he realized it was getting serious.

As the mission commenced, you took your position on a secluded hill a few hundred feet from the targeted site, as the sniper, scanning the area for hostiles. The rest of the guys were broken up into 2 separate ground teams in order to infiltrate the site.

Alpha team successfully took down the main set of guards, moving onto the next wave of security forces. This would be sending hostiles your way.

Then, suddenly you saw movement in the corner of your eye, and your heart skipped a beat. You adjusted your scope and aimed, but your hands were shaking, and your vision was blurry. You took a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves, but it was too late.

Captain Price's voice boomed in your earpiece. "Bloody hell Sergeant! You’re supposed to be our cover!”

You flinched at the harshness of his tone. You knew he was right, and it only added to your frustration. You tried to shake it off and refocus, but the fatigue was overwhelming.

The mission continued, more smoothly this time as you regained some strength to finish somewhat strong. Taking the win, you couldn’t help but feel like you were letting them down. Even if they didn’t say it to your face, you could read between the silence.

You found yourself away from the post mission celebration happening on base. You stood outside near the outlook facing the distant terrain, with a cigarette between your fingers.

It was impossible to win this never ending exhaustion that had decided to become a weight on your shoulders. You inhaled into your lungs, as the night time air blew past you taking the exhaled smoke with it moments after.

“Smoking the sleep away isn’t going to help, sergeant.” You suddenly heard from behind you. Ghost had a way of sneaking up on you undetected, certainly living up to his name.

“Maybe it will.” You say, as he comes up to stand next to you, leaning his elbows against the railing. He had changed into a more casual look, now only sporting a thin black skull balaclava as opposed to the full ghost mask.

Ghost looked at you, his expression a mix of concern and understanding. “I know it’s tough, but you can’t keep pushing yourself like this. You’re not a machine, and even machines need maintenance.”

“They think i’m lazy, Lt.” You said, not meeting his gaze. “You saw the way Price talked to me. I’m letting you all down.” You sighed, taking another drag of your cigarette before flicking it off the railing.

“Sometimes, he keeps his muppets on a short string, that captain.” Ghost replied, “Don’t let it get to you.” He placed an arm over your shoulder, leaving it there as you fell into his touch. “You don’t need to prove anything to anyone, especially not to us. We know you’re a damn good soldier, Y/N.”

You nodded, taking in his words. He was right, of course. You couldn’t keep sacrificing your own wellbeing for the sake of trying to impress others. “I’ll be better, I have to be.” You said, almost a whisper.

Ghost continued, “Talk to Price, let him know what’s been going on. He’ll understand, and he’ll help you. We all will.” You nodded again, realizing that Ghost was right.

It was time to swallow your pride and admit that you needed to put yourself first. You turned to him, giving him a small smile, as you continued to watch the horizon ahead, together.

A/N: Requests are still open, send in your ideas!

[cheerycherrycandy-resurrected]

What if we kissed in the Maize Maze?

Ok so I wanted to start posting my Soulmates AU for Raindrop month, but writing for my Medieval one is going waay better than planned and it's confusing me to have 2 separate backstories in my head at once, so while I still have *checks calendar* 5 DAYS, here's a little stand-alone ficlet!

What if we kissed in the Maize Maze? A Midwest Emo Ghouls AU ficlet

Rating: T Content: fluff, literally that's it just fluff Words: 615

Lots of love to @alwaysjustmina for organizing this month again this year, I love any excuse to write about our soggy boys!! 🌦️🖤

hello @revengeghoulette, here is your summons as promised!! 🫡

Read below, or on AO3!

Haymaking season was coming to an end, and Swiss, Mountain and all the ghouls who pitched in to help were looking forward to a well-deserved break. To celebrate the end of the season, Swiss had built a maze out of hay bales for the children and kits of the town, as well as some of the more enthusiastic adults.

The whole community had come together to put on a party at the ghouls' farm. Mountain and his colleagues from the hardware store had built fairground games, Dew had dragged the church's speakers down on a trailer and was playing records Mist had brought from her shop. Aurora's cafe had a small pop-up, and Cirrus had brought a vat of apple cider, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, for the younger guests. Cumulus was in her element, her little face-painting stall attracting such a sizeable queue that Sunshine had jumped in to help out. Phantom was taking his new role as Youth Pastor – and more recently Sunday School teacher – very seriously, replacing her in supervising a very intense game of tag. While Mountain minded the hay maze, Swiss was giving rides on the haycart he had hitched to the back of his tractor, driving the children and kits up and down the field in the warm afternoon sunshine.

After closing time, once the families had gone home, the ghouls had the place to themselves without getting in the way of the fun of the younger members of the community. Rain and Dew were the last ones left inside the maze. Aurora and Mist had quickly disappeared somewhere together, Sunny, Cirrus and Cumulus were deep into their mission of finishing off the cider now that their responsibilities were over, the three of them covered in rainbow paint and body glitter.

Dewdrop and Rain walked hand in hand through the maze, quietly drinking in each other’s company in the balmy evening air. Making it to the centre of the maze they sat down on a bale, surrounded by golden walls on all sides as the amber glow of sunset spread across the sky. Dew leaned his head on Rain’s shoulder, utterly content in the moment.

“It’s beautiful.” Rain commented, as they watched the play of colours around them. “Just like you.”

Dew turned his face to bury it in Rain’s neck, bashful.

“You are, and I’m so proud of you, taking over from Aeth like you did. You’re doing such a great job, love! Look at how the town and harvest are flourishing. I’m honoured to call you my husband.”

Never one to take compliments well, Dew redirected Rain’s affections by capturing his lips in a searing kiss. The pair lost themselves in each other, the cooling temperatures went unnoticed past the warmth of their bodies, the slight prickliness of the hay nothing compared to the soft slide of their lips.

By the time they came up for air, Dew having squirmed his way into Rain’s lap, the sky was glowing a deep russet colour. From outside the maze, they could hear the sounds of the others packing up to leave.

“Alright lovebirds, time to come out or I’ll send the dogs in!” they heard Swiss call. The pair only giggled, Rain placing feather-light kisses across Dew’s cheekbones while he blushed the colour of the sky.

“You don’t have a dog!” Dew hollered back as he struggled to hold in his giggles.

“Hi Dewy.” deadpanned Mountain.

Eventually, Dew and Rain managed to find their way out of the maze, neither wanting to be found and carried out by the giant earth ghoul.

“Nice straw hat, Rain.” smirked Swiss, “although normally you weave it into itself, not directly into your hair!”

[louisandjade]

spuffy fic rec

figured all the time i spend scouring EF and ao3 might be useful to someone!

part 2

Scooby Crew, Where Are You? by Twinkles [9k]

In a not comics-compliant post-series universe where spuffy have been reunited and everyone else is drifting apart, chaos drops by for a visit. Or a nefarious scheme. I guess we'll find out XD

To Apprehend Air by Quinara [19k]

Two days after LMPTM, Spike's soul is stolen. But that's OK; they can get it back, right? Simple. How hard is it to hop dimensions, anyway? Or storm a castle…

Wild and Wonderful by solstice [23k]

Dawn is nine and three quarters. She is resilient, strange and sharp as a tack. She's a credit to her big sis. But she's just been kidnapped by one of the most notorious vamps of all time - Drusilla. Things look bad. Enter Spike, her very unlikely hero. Spike's relationship with Drusilla has been on the rocks since the Acathala debacle and the morsel in the crate is her double-edged gift to him: a chance to make things right, and a chance to be really bad. Kill the girl and make it hurt. But for some reason he. just. can't. Instead, he tosses the niblet into the trunk of his Desoto and hits the road, leaving his one hundred year relationship in tatters, and grinding his reputation into the dust. Buckle your seat belts nice and tight. We're in for a bumpy ride.

World Enough, and Time by toooldforthis [23k]

“You came back wrong,” he told her, all those years ago. He was right, but it took them a very long time to realise exactly what that meant. It meant a hundred more apocalypses, a thousand battles. It meant a journey, a prophecy, a war. They’d lose one other, and find their way back, and choose, again and again. And all the while, the earth was failing. There are a lot more people than you think who are here for the long haul – like, the really long haul. This is a story about two of them.

Once You Eliminate the Impossible by yellowb [30k]

Icelandic noir. Inspector Summers of the Reykjavik police force has finally got her big chance: she’s in charge of a murder case.

sometimes enough by taxicab12 [35k]

“Tell me everything,” Willow said, not sounding particularly like she’d been asleep. “Are his friends cool?” Buffy blinked. “Some of them. There was this one British guy—” “Ooh, accents, hot.” “—who wouldn’t stop staring at my boobs,” she finished. “Ew, men, gross.” “Spike,” Buffy said with a scoff. “What kind of name is that?” Or, Buffy falls in love and in love and in love. For some reason, life keeps happening anyway

ever waiting airports (full of the love that you deserve) by womanaction [41k]

Buffy catches up with Riley's helicopter, solving one problem and introducing a host of others. How is she supposed to rebuild their crumbling relationship in the face of an angry hellgod out for blood, an emotional teenage sister who spent millennia as a glowing ball of energy, and a weirdly helpful vampire? Season 5 rewrite from "Into the Woods" on.

GTFO by Girlytek [54k]

Spike doesn’t take the extra hundred bucks to be the decoy. Ethan doesn’t hang around to gloat. With the Initiative on their tail (just a little one), and Ethan needing a good being killed, Spike and Fyarl-Giles get out of town. There’s nothing like a road trip to put your demons in perspective.

Care by Sigyn [72k]

While under her Will Be Done spell, Willow just happened to say “I don’t care about anything,” and as a result, wanders blithely off as a vengeance demon. Spike and Buffy are left to protect a threatened Xander and a blind Giles while under the effect of a powerful love charm. But all is not happy in paradise – they’re still constantly fighting, and Angel is determined to end the spell they’re under. In a desperate attempt to collect the tattered remains of all their lives, ex-watcher Wesley Windham-Pryce is called in to try and play marriage counselor between the vampire and the slayer.

The Soul Lies Down by the_moonmoth [73k]

"As a child, I used to dream of a man in black and white, spinning in the desert like a dervish, sword flashing in the moonlight as he danced with death." Dawn travels back in time to save the vampire who saved her life. It's not purely out of sentiment, though -- the fate of the world is at stake (again) and somehow Spike is at the center of events. If only he can stay on the right side of Buffy. A sequel to Angearia's "Fin Amour".

Summer’s Lease by Iamblichus [86k]

Buffy thought it would be just another night of slaying lame-ass campus vampires, but one green demon, some unexpected help from Spike, and a spurt of fluorescent blood later, she finds that her world has acquired a novel complication.

Indigo Overture by Rikki_oko [119k]

Spike's just a drummer, content to live in lead singer Angel's shadow. But when a certain blonde strolls in on Angel's arm, will Spike be content to take the backseat forever? Loosely based on the eighties song, Jesse's Girl.

[5-pp-man]

another tierlist because ppl actually liked that first one;

the crème de la crop;

the first 2 eps i thought it was fine, but it didnt really captivate me as much as id hoped. but then ep 3 changed everything for me. i started to think "how could living armour work logically? everything so far has been edible, so this must be too, right?" i actually managed to think of the exact thing that this series did. that really made me realise the worldbuilding in this was something unique, and it only got better and better with each episode. its really managed to captivate me and i look forward to "delicious donderdag" every week :)

ANIME ORIGINAL LETS GOOOO absolutely bonkers show that almost slipped by me because it initially tried to fool its audience into thinking it was a regular dramatic military show. it still is but theres also a giant robot who plays by saturday morning cartoon giant robot rules. if that sounds like tonal whiplash to you, trust me, it is. and its amazing. have i mentioned how homoerotic this one is as well? yeah. originally a tier below this one, but immediately after finishing this post i watched the newest ep. i had to make an exception and edit the list because ep 9 changes everything. i havent been gobsmacked by a show this hard in a while.

(return of the) show(s) that execute their own premise very well;

i havent read the manga for yubisaki to renren so i cant compare, but the quality of this adaptation has been very consistent. you need a little sweet romance every once in a while :) this is one of those series where the characters really grew on me the longer it went on. im always a fan of mixing realistic struggles with romance and this one has been doing it well so far

adaptations that are ok (i read the manga for both of these);

i've been a mashle fan since before s1 aired. and the anime has some good changes and additions here and there! but its not very consistent in terms of quality, it does that shonen thing where the animation quality suddenly spikes for certain action sequences, but it also frequently had a lot of scenes where they recycle shots a lot and nothing interesting happens on the screen for a considerable amount of time. still! its a fine adaptation. and yeah the op for this. blew tf up lmao? very strange to see happen in real time

i actually rlly like the manga for this one. i read the whole thing up until vol.6 before the season started (all that was available back then) and it made me cry multiple times throughout. i was sort of missing that connection with the show, though some of the later episodes still hit. its mostly to do with the animation quality, which isnt that great unfortunately. the voice actors are knocking it out of the park though

wghere am i;

is this show good? i. uh. will you hate me if i say yes...? objectively, i know its not that good. especially in the animation department. but if you like other Umatani shows, you'll like this one. it's got the same brand of goofy reactionary humour mixed with gimmicky tacky characters and crazy stupid plot twists. ive been faithfully watching this one each week and I'm afraid i've become very invested. overscientific indeed

bro you fell off...;

i was so beyond excited for this one. i replayed the op a million times, watched each preview, rewatched multiple episodes. and then. ep 5 happened. and i started to realise. oh this show kind of sucks doesnt it? the pacing of the first ep was great, but the rest? way too fast. it became clear with ep 6 that theyre trying to do a double cour show with half the length, which is why they started hauling ass plot-wise. now. i was an arajin apologist for the longest time. but at that point i honestly started to loathe him. even when he stepped up, his praise still felt sort of unearned. and to top it all off, shindou's motivation sucked so he felt like a lousy antagonist. ep6 was better than 5, but it really made me lose my enthusiasm and hope for the series. and right as we were talking about them probably not having time for a filler ep, ep7 happened. feels like a waste of time to do an ep like that when you've still got a whole 2nd arc to go through. but who am i

it started off pretty good honestly. but then chris went to the hospital and it kind of just dwindled from there. this season does so much with characters that have not even been properly introduced like how am i supposed to care about these people if i barely know who they are. the stuff with finn and leo respectively was good though. but the lore dump? lord help me. also vijay just kind of. exists to be there in the background huh? i would not call him a main character they never give him any attention. wendy had another ep again and he didnt get shit. again. also i think finn was stupid as fuck for not listening to lala but again. who am i. i know we cant destroy high card because we need a show but. cmon man.

i am severely behind on these;

reason why im behind is because most of the eps are a bit heavy so i kept. not watching them. its starting to get rlly interesting though so i'm def gonna catch up this is one of those robo-racism shows so i have to really watch out to see where its going. dont want another marginal service situation...

sorry this is just. a little too boring for me. its charming, sure. but i think this wouldve worked better as something with an 11 min timeslot instead of 23 min. theres just a bit too mu- or well, too little for me to rlly get into this. i think reading it would be more fun for me personally

[deaf-solitude]

Bloodsucker Pt. 1 (Vampire!Frenchie x GN!Reader)

This takes place post-season one, pre-season 2. Enjoy! :]

Pairing: Vampire!Frenchie x GN!Reader

Word Count: 4.6k

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol/drug abuse, blood, dead body, death, the usual vampire stuff, comfort

Summary: You were never one to believe in myths. Despite the superstitions your crew mates constantly followed or avoided, it never rubbed off on you. You simply couldn’t believe things like mermaids or fairies existed, you had no tangible proof of them aside from kid's tales and supposed sightings reported by others. There was always an explanation: sea mammals, large bugs, coincidences, you name it. You especially didn’t believe in vampires. Humans-turned-monsters that needed to drink blood to survive? The very notion seemed impossible to you. 

That is until you just so happened to come face to face with one within the very walls of The Revenge.

...

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

You were roused from your short after-raid nap by drops of cold water landing on your face, the first sounds that invaded your senses being the bone-shaking rumble of distant thunder and the soft patter of rain against the hull. Shit, you thought the ship would be in the clear of that storm. You took a deep breath of stale air before you willed your eyes to open, only to be met with stifling darkness. It took a moment of adjustment before you could see anything in the room, and even then, you could just barely make out the outlines of crates and miscellaneous supplies. Another drop of water landed on your head.

You sighed and pushed yourself off of the crate you had previously been napping on, your back popping loudly as you stretched out all the kinks. You wished you didn’t have to take cat naps stuffed into leaky storage closets and on top of uncomfortable surfaces, but alas, Blackbeard didn’t allow for rest during the day. At least, not where he could see you. That’s why you quietly crept up to the closet door, slowly pressing it open to peek out for any witnesses. When you didn’t see anyone, you quickly slipped out of the cramped space, closing the door behind you before meandering down the hallway like nothing had happened. You didn’t know how long you were in there, but it must have been at least an hour for the storm to get so close to the ship before you woke up.

As if on cue, another crack of thunder rang out in the distance, and this time you could see the delayed flash of lightning as you passed an open porthole. It was getting colder on the ship as well, the wind blowing in and stealing all of the warm air away. Seemed like a perfect hang-out night, if you were being honest with yourself: get your buddies together, huddle up in a room by the candlelight and play cards well into the night. Or at least, that’s what you would do once Blackbeard was passed out from the booze or the rhino horn he was always consuming. It was sad, really, but none of you dared to try and tell him to stop. Especially with Stede gone…

You shook your head to try and clear your thoughts, rubbing at your tired eyes. As much as you missed how this ship was previously, dwelling on the past or on what you couldn’t change never bode well for you. You were better off focusing on what you could do with your minimal options. And for you? That was keeping your friends out of harm's way the best you could. At the end of the day, you only had each other on this God-forsaken ship.

Speaking of, you wondered where everyone was at right now. Izzy was no doubt lingering around Blackbeard–the poor fucker, Jim was probably off sharpening their knives, Fang was most likely having a nap much like you were, and Frenchie… You never really knew what Frenchie was up to nowadays. Blackbeard had done away with his lute long ago, despite both of your protests, and he had just finished up with the embroidery on his jacket, so he didn’t have many personal projects to work on. Now that you thought about it, most of the time he would hang around you, doing whatever you were doing. So where was he now?

There weren’t many places he could be the more you thought about it. You didn’t think he would be anywhere near the captain’s quarters, or above deck in this weather, so maybe his room? But you had already passed it and hadn’t seen any signs of life coming from there. Aside from the kitchen, you couldn’t think of anywhere else he could be at this time of day, so that’s where you were headed next. 

You could’ve sworn Frenchie just disappeared sometimes. You’d see him scurry off below deck at various points during the day, then you’d follow him a minute later and there’d be no sign of him or where he went. Whenever you’d spot him later, he’d always make some excuse that he was right in that room, you just didn’t see him! You never bought it, but you couldn’t be bothered to push the subject any further. Besides, you knew he’d tell you if it mattered.

When you got to the kitchen, you couldn’t help but feel disappointed when there was, once again, no sign of Frenchie. You really were destined to spend the rest of the day asleep in that supply closet, huh? You lingered for a moment longer before turning to leave, but something caught your eye as you did. One of the small benches that lined the back of the room was slightly off-center, pulled out a few inches from the wall. You furrowed your brows, making your way over to it. Who the fuck was moving furniture around? As you went to push it back into place, you noticed a small gap in the wall that had some kind of light shining from deeper in.

You hesitated, your curiosity wanting to pull the bench back further, but your self-preservation wanting you to leave it the fuck alone and mind your own business. After hardly a moment’s consideration, you did end up pulling the bench back, as quietly as you could. It turned out the gap was an entire secret passage, but you couldn’t say you were surprised to see one when Stede’s hidden wardrobe existed. He did say there were multiple passages around the ship, didn’t he? But who was using this one?

The thought that it might have been used as one of Blackbeard’s stashes briefly crossed your mind, causing you to creep down into it with as much stealth as you could muster. You just had to know what was down here. The moment you spotted any sign that it was Blackbeard’s, you would just… creep back out. Yep, perfect plan.

Even with the faint glow of, what you deduced was candlelight, it was still incredibly dark. You were careful to avoid tumbling down the stairs with slow steps, but it just made the anticipation unbearable.

You were halfway down the stairs when the small space was suddenly lit up by a close strike of lightning, and the thunder that immediately followed was almost deafening. It startled you so bad that you jumped, your foot falling a little too heavily on the next step. You heard someone gasp from the darkness in front of you, and your eyes shot up to find them. The small candle set on the floor hardly produced enough light for you to make out their figure, but another bolt of lightning did.

Your blood ran cold when you saw a flash of the scene in front of you: Frenchie was crouched down on the floor, hovering over the lifeless body of one of the vagabonds the crew had slaughtered earlier that day. His canine teeth–fangs–were embedded in the poor lad’s neck, and his eyes were wide with surprise; it didn’t seem like he was expecting you to stumble upon his little nook. 

The light left the room as quickly as it came, but you both stayed perfectly still, staring wide-eyed at each other in the dark until he broke the silence and mumbled against the body’s neck: “It’s not what it looks like.” 

Control of your body came flooding back to you with the sound of his voice, and without a second thought, you whipped around and stumbled back up the stairs, taking off out of the kitchen. Frenchie, startled by your sudden movement, scrambled to get to his feet and let the body thump loudly back onto the floor before sprinting after you. 

“Hey! Hey, wait a second!” Frenchie called out to you in a loud whisper, but you ignored him, traversing the halls of the ship at an alarming speed while repeatedly cursing under your breath. Frenchie could feel panic swelling in his chest as you got closer and closer to stairs that led up to the top deck, slamming into walls and knocking over loose knick-knacks while turning corners as opposed to your quick and calculated movements. 

You were almost there now; you could practically taste the salty sea air as you approached the staircase, but you were tackled before you could even get a foot up onto a step. Frenchie had somehow caught up to you and was quick to slap a hand over your mouth and drag you into a nearby closet before anyone saw or heard you. You thrashed against his hold, shouting muffled profanities into his hand as he closed the door behind the two of you. This was it, huh? You were going to die at the hands of a vampire after being such a strong nonbeliever in everything supernatural. You had really hoped you wouldn’t find out this way, but alas, maybe it was payback for all those times you didn’t leave food out for the fairies. 

Despite Frenchie’s fiendish background, he was struggling to keep you immobile, wrapping his arms around you and trying to hold you close to his chest. “Hey, hey! Chill out! I’m not gonna hurt you!” He hissed quietly as you struggled against him, not fully grasping the absolute terror that was flooding your brain at that moment. Sure, he was your friend, a close friend even; one that you trusted with your life after everything you’d been through together. But watching him suck the blood out of a dead body was a lot, even for you. 

You had finally gotten a good elbow into his stomach, winding him and causing his grip on you to loosen. You were quick to break his hold completely and spin around on your heel, drawing your dagger with impeccable speed and holding it against his throat while you shoved him hard against the wooden wall of the closet. Frenchie’s demeanour changed almost instantly when he felt the cool steel lightly press into his neck, his breathing hitching as he threw his hands up in surrender. His eyes flickered between the dagger and your face, nervous despite the fact that only a stake through the heart would truly harm him. 

“What. The. Fuck,” you growled quietly, breathing heavily as you attempted to catch your breath. Frenchie’s throat bobbed as he nervously swallowed, his gaze momentarily dropping to your neck before hesitantly meeting your hardened stare again. He could practically hear your heart still racing in your chest, the sound of your blood pumping ringing in his ears. Without realizing it, a certain image had begun to form in his mind-

“Helloo? You still there, Frenchie?” Your hoarse voice interrupted his train of thought, making him jump slightly in your grasp. He hadn’t noticed himself spacing out, awkwardly clearing his throat after he realized.

“Ah-uh, yeah! Yeah, I’m here,” he squeaked, his voice cracking slightly as he pushed his aforementioned thoughts to the back of his mind. You raised a brow at him as you watched his fidgety body language, finding it harder and harder to view Frenchie as a monster–a vampire–and not the goofball you had known for months now. If it wasn’t for the blood dripping down his chin and neck, you would’ve thought that what you just saw in that hidden room was a hallucination.

Now that you had his attention again, though, you found yourself struggling with what to address first. The stashed body, how long he’d been hiding this, if he had any ill intent for you and the rest of the crew… your mouth open and closed a few times before you finally managed to string together a sentence: “Does anyone else know about this?”

Frenchie vigorously shook his head. “God, no! Could you imagine if any of the others found out? If Blackbeard found out?” He frantically whispered, already panicking just from the thought. You winced at his reaction, pulling your dagger back slightly from your previous attempt at intimidating him while patting his arm in some semblance of comfort.

“Okay, okay, I get it,” you reassured, “I’m just surprised you hid it so well for this long. Even when… Stede was captaning us?” You questioned, your voice instinctively lowering when you mentioned the former captain. Frenchie nodded in confirmation, his eyes still blown wide despite your best efforts to calm him down. You hummed in contemplation, almost letting the thought pass before you suddenly realized something: “Wait, how did you feed when Stede captained us? We hadn’t killed anyone until almost three weeks in.”

Frenchie’s frown dropped even further, his face whitening as he looked down at the floor with a pouty bottom lip and a guilty expression. After a beat of silence, he opened his mouth to respond, but you put a finger up to shush him instead. “Actually, never mind, I don’t want to know,” you objected, pinching the bridge of your nose.

“Wait,” Frenchie cut in, his brain finally catching up to the current situation, “so, you’re not gonna kill me? Or rat me out?”

You sighed, fully letting go of him and crossing your arms. You couldn’t lie, you had become quite fond of Frenchie over the time you’d known him, and it would be a shame if you lost what little good company you had left.  

“Not unless you give me a reason to,” you affirmed, still slightly on edge that you had been hanging around a literal vampire for the past few months. Well, now that you thought about it, you had always noticed Frenchie’s canines were unusually sharp…

“Oh, thank the Lord above!” He exclaimed with a heavy exhale, his posture relaxing as he put a hand over his heart. “You’re a fuckin’ saint.” 

Your face screwed up at his exclamation. “I wouldn’t say a saint, but whatever helps you sleep at night,” you retorted, “just don’t go around sucking everyone’s blood and you’ll be fine.” You reached behind Frenchie to open the closet door, wanting nothing more than to get out of that stuffy room and regain your bearings, when frantic shouting suddenly rang out from further in the ship:

“Guys! Guys! Someone’s been sucking the blood out of this body!” Fang. Fuck, he must have wandered into the kitchen. You glanced over to Frenchie to see that he was once again in panic mode, frozen in place and breathing hard. You debated just opening the door and bluffing your way through the whole situation before you remembered that Frenchie still had the body’s blood all over his face. You cursed under your breath, turning on your heel to dig through the crates of the cramped closet. A few sets of hurried footsteps approached and passed your hiding spot, muffled voices joining them further into the ship.

You could hear Frenchie starting to hyperventilate behind you as you searched for something to clean him off with, spurring you to look faster. “Oh God, oh God,” he started to mumble, which was never a good sign when it came to any of your crewmates, “they’re gonna find me. They-they’re gonna find me a-and drive a stake through my heart, or-or throw me overboard for the sharks to pick at-” His rambling gradually got louder and louder, to the point where you had to whip around and slap a hand over his mouth to prevent him from giving the two of you away.

“They won’t find you if you would just shut up,” you growl, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of the blood from his face sticking to your hand. He nodded, albeit nervously, and you slowly removed your now blood-covered palm from his face. Without giving him time to start up again, you brought an old rag you had found up to his face, beginning to haphazardly wipe away the blood. Frenchie flinched in discomfort from the rough material, his face scrunching up as he tried to avoid your touch, but you simply held his head still with the other hand and continued. 

When he started to sputter and spit after the fabric had gone over his lips, you rolled your eyes. “Will you quit it? I’m trying to help you here.” 

Frenchie gave you a half-assed glare, still squirming and trying to move his head. “It’s fuckin’ scratchy,” he hissed, and although desperate to get the rag off of his face, his hands stayed firmly put at his sides. 

“You know what’ll be worse than scratchy? Getting publicly executed by Blackbeard when he finds out you’re a fuckin’ vampire!” You snarled as quietly as you could with how agitated you were getting, effectively shutting Frenchie up as you got the last bits of blood off of his face. Well, you got them off the best you could. If you looked closely, you could still see areas where it had stained his skin and beard, but that would take water and a good soap to get out; soap that you didn’t have right now.

“There,” you wiped your hands off with the bloodied rag and threw it somewhere over your shoulder, “as long as no one looks at your face too closely, you should be fine.” You commented, though it did little to calm Frenchie’s nerves as he started fidgeting with his hands again. You could hear the voices of the crew getting louder now, more distressed, and you knew you couldn’t hide in the closet any longer if either of you wanted to avoid suspicion. You reached for the door again, but not before giving Frenchie one last look. “Don’t say anything stupid.”

Approaching the kitchen felt like an arduous task, each dragging step only making your heart sink further. You couldn’t help but continuously glance back at Frenchie, who had an equally, if not more nervous aura about him. You steeled your expression as the rest of the crew came into view, crowding into the room to get a glimpse at what Fang was screaming about. 

You should’ve left the stupid bench alone. It was just how you had left it, pulled out almost completely from the wall where the hidden passage was. The only difference was that the dead body was now sprawled across the floor of the kitchen for all to see, rather than stashed away in the passage. The two-holed bite mark on its neck was now painfully obvious in the lit kitchen, and the sickeningly pale skin of the man looked unnatural for a dead body that was only a few hours old. You could hardly see it while trying to peek over the shoulders of your fellow crewmates without drawing attention to the two of you, especially since you showed up last. But no matter which way you tried to paint this situation, things were not looking well for anyone right now.

“This has gotta be a fuckin’ joke,” you could hear Blackbeard snarl from the front of the crowd, giving the body an aggressive kick. You could see Frenchie flinch from the sound out of the corner of your eye, instinctively leaning closer to him to try and soothe his nerves. “Whichever one of you sick fucks did this, you better fess up now, or I’ll put you through fuckin’ hell when I find you.” Blackbeard bellowed, pointing a half-empty bottle of rum at the crew in front of him. Frenchie opened his mouth, but you were quick to hit his arm and shut him up, thanking God that you were both at the back of the room and blocked by at least a dozen other pirates.

When the only response Blackbeard got was silence, he huffed with a cynical smile. “Okay, we want to play that game then?” He sneered before drawing his gun, drunkenly pointing it at various crew members. “I’ll shoot every last one of you dimwits if I have to.” 

It wasn’t long before Izzy stepped in, putting himself between Blackbeard and the crew as he spoke to the captain in hushed alarm. You took the distraction to gingerly place your hand on Frenchie’s arm in a comforting manner, not daring to look up at his face as you stared at Blackbeard, watching for any sudden movements.

Some words were shared between Blackbeard and Izzy before the captain stormed out of the room, mumbling something about him needing another drink. In the absence of his presence, the crew is silent for a moment longer before breaking out into hushed chatter, shaken up not only by Blackbeard but the fact there was a vampire aboard the ship. You could already see suspicious glares and glances being thrown out between crew members. 

You let go of a breath you didn’t know you were holding, rubbing Frenchie’s arm subconsciously before stealing a glance up at his face. To say he was absolutely terrified would be an understatement; his face was paler than you’d ever seen it, and he had already started to worry a dent into his bottom lip. You opened your mouth to say something but were interrupted by a few familiar figures approaching the two of you. 

“Where have you two been?” Jim barked at the two of you, Fang, Ivan and Archie in tow. You tensed up, your brain immediately scrambling for an excuse. Not for you, of course; you had a solid alibi. But you knew Frenchie was never good at coming up with excuses on the spot, especially when he was guilty of whatever he was being questioned about. 

“I… we were napping. In the closet,” you half lied, covering for Frenchie on his behalf. 

Jim raised a brow, crossing their arms as they did so. “Together?”

Frenchie finally jumped to life at the question, snapping back to reality. “Huh? No! No, I was, umm, lookout. Yeah,” he interjected, not sounding very sure of himself. He was also sweating bullets, which only hindered their attempt at bluffing. 

Fang noticed Frenchie’s nervousness, but in true Fang fashion, completely misinterpreted it as he approached the anxious man. “Oh, it’s okay, Frenchie! We won’t let the vampire get to ya!” He went to wrap an arm around Frenchie, but he very quickly ducked out of the way, leaning closer to you. 

“N-no, that’s not-“

“What, do you think one of us is the vampire?” Ivan questioned, the offence clear in his tone. Frenchie could only violently shake his head before Jim marched closer to him.

“Well, none of us are vampires, right?” They aggressively gestured at the rest of the little group, doing their best to comfort Frenchie, in their own way. The rest of your buddies nodded along, but Frenchie’s expression only fell further at the exclamation. When Jim turned back towards him, Frenchie leaned his head away again. You squinted at him, trying to figure out why he was acting more peculiar than usual, and that’s when you realized: he took you literally when you said as long as no one saw his face closely he’d be fine. You bit your tongue in an attempt to keep yourself from screaming, exhaling heavily.

“What’s up with him?” A voice suddenly sounded from your left, and you nearly jumped five feet in the air in surprise. You whipped around to find Archie leaning over to you, peering at Frenchie with a puzzled expression. You paused, reeling for another excuse as your eyes darted between Archie and Frenchie, who was currently being crowded around by Jim, Ivan, and Fang.

“Oh, uhh, he’s probably just really paranoid,” you blurted out, crossing your arms over your chest to try and comfort yourself at this point, “he’s uh, extremely superstitious.” You had to stop yourself from sighing in relief when Archie nodded along to your explanation, seeming to believe you. 

“Alright!” Izzy’s hoarse voice startled you again, along with a few other unsuspecting people. “In the event of… this,” he grimaced, gesturing vaguely to the body that still lay on the floor, “we’re gonna have some rules going forward.

“First and foremost, every body and mark must be accounted for after a raid. If one’s missing, we look for it until we find it. We’re having everyone pair up for raids in case this fiend gets cheeky,” he pauses, surveying the room, “and I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that if you see this… “vampire”, capture or kill it on sight.” You found yourself shuddering at his words, already kicking yourself for getting directly caught up in this mess. It was going to be an absolute pain in the ass to keep Frenchie hidden with the crew on edge like this, and on one hand, you were glad you could help him keep it under wraps. On the other hand? Getting caught meant death, likely for both of you.

Everyone stared at Izzy for a moment longer, the older man having gone silent. He suddenly snarled, waving his hands in front of him like he was shooing off vermin. “Well, get on with it then, you twats! Fuckin’ dismissed, Jesus!”

You jumped at the first opportunity of freedom from the cramped room, hardly being able to breathe with how anxious you were. You beelined for Frenchie, who had his back to you, set on getting him out of there as soon as you could. Jim had already stormed off, muttering about how the whole situation was stupid, with a concerned-looking Archie and Ivan following close behind. Fang looked like he was unsure about leaving Frenchie, who was unmoving where he stood, but he was just as eager to leave the room as you were. With a quick nod to him, he gave Frenchie’s arm one last pat before quickly exiting the room.

You were quick to put your hand on the small of Frenchie’s back as you approached him, trying to gently guide him out of the room. “Frenchie,” you urged quietly, still not being able to get a good look at his face. He swayed for a moment before lethargically turning to face you, his feet shuffling clumsily along the hardwood flooring of the kitchen. You couldn’t help the frown that appeared on your face when you finally made eye contact with him; he looked horrified.

“Can we go?” His voice was hardly above a whisper, cracking like he was on the verge of tears. You nodded quickly, pressing him forward and looping your arm behind his back instead, your hand resting on his waist. 

“‘Course,” you croaked, trying to keep yourself from glancing back at Izzy as you exited the room. However, you couldn’t stop yourself from catching a glimpse of the lifeless body still lying on the floor, feeling a pit of guilt forming in your gut.

The walk back to Frenchie’s room was tense, neither of you daring to speak a single word of the elephant in the room for fear of being overheard. The silence was deafening, suffocating, even. You wanted to comfort him, tell him he’d be alright, but every word died on your tongue before you were even able to open your mouth. Would he be alright? Would you be able to uphold that unspoken promise, or would you be lying through your teeth? The answer to that question was becoming more and more uncertain as you walked further from the kitchen.

Before you had reached his room, Frenchie mumbled your name, eliciting a hum in response from you. It took him a second to gather himself before he continued: “I’m… I’m worried,” he stated warily, unable to meet your gaze and once again fidgeting with his hands. The first rumble of thunder in what felt like hours could be heard in the distance, making him jump.

You sighed and patted him on the back, pulling him slightly closer to your side as you neared that familiar hallway. “You’ll be fine, man. I’ll make sure of it.”

End (for now ;P).